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Re: I Think We All Forget...
Hi. I would like to agree with your post..
It is refreshing to find another who has the same thoughts ... It is important to be thankful and I never understood how important it was. Not only does it create positive thoughts of love and gratefulness but I believe it brings more happiness to your life. Like attracts like. Feel the sun on your face and say a little thankyou in your mind and be AWARE. Awareness opens up a whole other world. It also teaches you to listen to your inner gut feelings about situations that are not going to be healthy for your well-being.
Depression is an inner feeling of doubts, sadness, negatives and loss. If depression didn't exist then we can't really learn what it is like to feel the opposite of being trusting of yourself, happy, positive and individually whole.
If the medication you are on isn't working, try until you find the right one. Same with your doctor. There is a chemical imbalance in your brain, it doesn't make you less of a person.
Thankyou for message boards for allowing me to rant when I feel like it.
Thankyou to the other ppl who are also sharing, it helps me not to feel alone.
Thankyou to finally realising after 30+ years that I'm not stupid and a failure because I failed school ... the positive side is that I've learnt things that no 'school' can teach.
Anyone who is hurting really badly
, hold on. It will pass and it will make you stronger. And like the poster above - get some sun, dont hide away, the sun is actually needed physically for your body to function properly.
The healthier the body/the healthier the mind ... please don't damage your body for the mere sake of it ... be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself + whoever has hurt you. Not even for their sake but for your own wellbeing ... | <urn:uuid:a2a51e69-57f2-4eb1-9487-fb3a89fe6d04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthboards.com/boards/4702320-post7.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961359 | 398 | 1.570313 | 2 |
At a glance:
- Author: Yasunari Kawabata
- First Published: 1988
- Type of Work: Short Stories
- Genres: Short fiction
It is impossible to generalize about the cornucopia of “palm-of-the-hand” stories by Yasunari Kawabata collected in this entrancing volume. Written over a period of fifty years, the seventy stories translated here represent about half of Kawabata’s output in this, his favorite prose form. Their titles give some indication of their enigmatic nature: “A Saw and Childbirth,” “The Incident of the Dead Face,” “The Silverberry Thief,” “The Sparrow’s Matchmaking,” “Morning Nails,” “Lavatory Buddhahood,” “The Younger Sister’s Clothes,” “A Pet Dog’s Safe Birthing.”
Kawabata, renowned in the West for his novels such as THOUSAND CRANES, is clearly a master as well of this much briefer form. In a page or two or three, he conveys worlds that are limpid, poignant, complete; people the reader cares about immediately; seasons whose crisp air or flowering trees are evoked in a few well-honed words as evocative as the spontaneous brush strokes of a Sumi painter.
Individually, each of these stories is a gem--dazzling like a diamond, bottomless like an opal, elusive like a star sapphire. None reveals itself all at once; some remain mysterious, while others expose myriad faces. Together, Kawabata’s palm-of-the-hand stories make up a richly varied jeweled net that it is a luxury to regard, and perhaps begin to unravel, at one’s leisure.
Did this raise a question for you? | <urn:uuid:6347f86c-494c-48b1-864c-84bcdc13b92c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.enotes.com/palm-hand-stories-salem/palm-hand-stories | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9444 | 406 | 1.734375 | 2 |
A military judge ruled Monday that statements made by Omar Khadr, who is charged of killing a US soldier in Afghanistan, can be used in the trial, which is set to start Tuesday. Mr. Khadr's lawyers say the statements were coerced.
A military judge on Monday ruled that self-incriminating statements made to US interrogators could be admitted as evidence in the war crimes trial of an Al Qaeda operative accused of murdering an American soldier in Afghanistan.
The ruling came in a special courtroom at the US Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where officials are preparing for the first contested military commission trial of the Obama presidency. It is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
Mr. Khadr was 15 years old at the time. He denies throwing the grenade.
His lawyers object to the commission trial, saying that because of his young age at the time of his capture he should be treated as a child soldier who is not fully responsible for his actions.
They also argued that he faced brutal mistreatment and threats of rape by US interrogators and that any statements he made to military officials should not be used against him at trial.
Prosecutors countered that Khadr was not mistreated and that statements he made accepting responsibility for the grenade attack were not coerced.
On Monday, the military judge presiding over the case said Khadr’s statements could be used as evidence at the commission trial.
Earlier on Monday, in a pretrial hearing, prosecutors presented a video of Khadr surrounded by seven military guards who were trying to weigh him in compliance with requirements of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The prosecutors introduced the video in an attempt to show that Khadr had not been mistreated while in US custody. | <urn:uuid:026b9cd0-a812-459f-9fd8-80bb0a6939af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2010/0809/First-Guantanamo-military-tribunal-under-Obama-gears-up | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984074 | 351 | 1.5 | 2 |
As weird as it may seem, I truly enjoy math - I love it, and I try to infect the kids I tutor with my upbeat attitude towards it. I have been tutoring students in math since I was a sophomore in high school. Understanding how to do something in math and solving problems correctly is a great feeling of accomplishment, and many students find math frustrating and boring simply because they don't understand what's going on. I try to get students to see that math isn't hard and it's not boring when you can understand what is going on - and yes, they will have to use this again in their life.
I currently tutor junior high and high school kids, including hockey players and kids with ADHD. As a result of working with teenagers and teenage boys I have developed quite a bit of patience and am definitely stubborn. Students tend to say "yeah I get it" when they are still confused about the concepts we are going over. I keep attacking the problems from different angles and gauging their understanding of the concepts and the problems until I am confident that they understand what they are doing without me guiding them every step of the way.
I recognize that there are many ways to do math correctly and one concept doesn't always work for every student in a class - I hope to find a way that works for the student if the process they are learning in class isn't cutting it for them. My math experience from pursuing a double major in Engineering in college has bolstered the mathematical concepts I learned in high school, and I am hoping that I will be able to help students understand math so completely that they feel confident pursuing any major when they go to college.
I am available at any time, including day time hours and have a flexible schedule! I am also capable of tutoring other subjects, so don't be afraid to ask!
back to top | <urn:uuid:4d35bf74-7c85-402c-9d0f-d78c44ef3fe4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/IL/Plainfield/7853644/?g=3FI | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980695 | 375 | 1.75 | 2 |
We were taken with the sentiments behind the “random acts of snacks of kindness” effort by a group that gave away 1,000 cupcakes in Denver for no other reason than to, well, promote kindness.
Yes, it’s a small thing. A cupcake isn’t going to solve unemployment. Or homelessness. Or the nation’s economic woes.
But it had the potential to generate a smile, and perhaps engender a benevolence domino effect.
And after all, who doesn’t like a sweet, fluffy cupcake? | <urn:uuid:8c07a01e-8f89-42f2-8a0e-80e8a6818646> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.denverpost.com/opinion/tag/random-snacks-of-kindness/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966703 | 120 | 1.703125 | 2 |
“Protecting Worker and Community Health: Are We Prepared for the Next 9/11?”
NYCOSH Conference - September 16th, 2011
The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) with support from a group of labor unions, healthcare facilities, environmental organizations and Manhattan Community Board 1 will sponsor an all day conference on September 16th, 2011 entitled “Protecting Worker and Community Health: Are We Prepared for the Next 9/11?”
The conference will discuss how harm occurred, what steps have been taken to prevent such occupational and environmental health consequences in future catastrophes, and what still needs to be done to insure harm can be minimized in future disaster response efforts. The conference will undertake a frank assessment of public health regulation and policy in order to identify and advocate for the changes necessary to better protect the health of rescue, recovery, cleanup and area workers and local residents in future disasters.
“Tens of thousands of workers, residents and volunteers are sick today -- some have died – as a result of their exposure to contaminants that blanketed Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn after 9/11. There is much to learn from this catastrophic experience. This conference is designed to ask, ‘If 9/11 were to happen today, how would our response be different?’ We think it is important to hear from those with responsibility what programs have been developed so that we don’t repeat this recent history,” said Joel Shufro, Executive Director of NYCOSH.
The conference will feature speakers from federal agencies who had responsibility at the World Trade Center-related sites, including:
• John Howard, M.D., WTC Health Program Director and Director of the National Institute for Occupational Health Sciences (NIOSH)
• David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA (OSHA)
• Richard Woychick, Deputy Director, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
• Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Among the policy issues to be discussed are:
• Adequacy of the regulatory framework that is supposed to protect the health of disaster responders, residents, workers, students and volunteers
• Exposure assessment, risk communication, sampling, and data collection and sharing
• The broader human and environmental consequences of large disasters
• Vulnerable populations, including immigrant workers and children
• Access to medical care and workers’ compensation
• Appropriateness and extent of worker emergency preparedness training
Other speakers will include: David Prezant, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at the Office of Medical Affairs for the New York City Fire Department (FDNY); Joan Reibman, M.D., Director of the Health and Hospitals Corporation WTC Environmental Health Center; Laura Crowley, MD, Assistant Professor, Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler of the United States House of Representatives. Linda Rae Murray, M.D., President of the American Public Health Association, will also address the conference.
Responders, recovery and clean up workers and volunteers, area residents, labor union members and members of community, environmental and faith-based advocacy organizations are urged to attend.
The conference will be held at the United Federation of Teachers, 52 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. The cost of the conference is $25, which covers morning coffee, lunch and handouts.
To register go to www.NYCOSH.org. Space is limited. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Advanced registration is required.
For further information call 212-227-6440. | <urn:uuid:2a52e9fe-f7ee-456c-86cf-e0489ed1cc2c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pef.org/conference-registration/?currentPage=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937934 | 759 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Gov. Rick Snyder has signed several tax and regulatory reforms that will help create more and better jobs for Michigan families.
The new laws will encourage economic growth by reducing the Personal Property Tax burden on job providers, bringing certainty and fairness to Michigan’s severance tax structure, and modernizing state regulations.
"Michigan is the nation’s comeback state but our work isn’t done," Snyder said. "We must continually eliminate barriers to job growth by bringing greater fairness to our tax system and efficiencies to government regulations. These latest reforms will enhance Michigan’s competitiveness, which means success for our workers and bright futures for our children. I appreciate the leadership of
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley and our legislative partners as we keep driving Michigan forward."
Bills signed by the governor are:
Personal Property Tax (PPT): The new laws address this obsolete, burdensome tax by eliminating the tax on small taxpayers and phasing it out on manufacturing personal property while protecting local units of government that rely on the PPT. Manufacturers are particularly harmed by the PPT because they rely on expensive tools and equipment, which are subject to PPT, for their operations. Large manufacturers were one of the few groups that did not receive tax relief under the new Corporate Income Tax.
Under the laws, a phase-out of the tax on manufacturing personal property begins in 2016 and all manufacturing personal property will be exempt starting in 2023. Small taxpayers will be exempt from the tax starting in 2014. The changes recognize the vital role that strong communities and schools play in Michigan’s future by providing reimbursement rates to local units of 100 percent for police, fire, jail and ambulance revenue losses and a minimum of 80 percent to reliant local units for everything else. It also holds schools harmless and fully covers school debt.
A portion of the state use tax currently going to the General fund will be dedicated to reimburse impacted local units. The use tax will continue to be capped at 6 percent. The change in the Use Tax will be “revenue neutral” and will not increase total state and local taxes levied in Michigan. The levy will require statewide voter approval in August 2014 before taking effect.
Bill sponsors are Sen. Jack Brandenburg (Senate Bill 1065), Sen. Bruce Caswell (SBs 1066-67), Sen. Dave Robertson (SB 1068), Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (SB 1069), Sen. Mike Nofs (SBs 1070-71) and Rep. Jud Gilbert (House Bills 6022-26).
Severance Tax:This six-bill package brings more certainty to the tax structure for mineral extraction, benefitting both companies and communities. The prior system included property tax, corporate income tax, sales tax and use tax.
The new laws include a 2.75 percent severance tax on the gross mineral value of specified nonferrous metallic minerals, such as copper and nickel. The severance tax replaces the existing array of taxes with a structure that is more simple, fair and efficient. For mines that previously paid property tax on the ore body, a property tax credit will be provided against the severance tax once the mine begins production. The credit will not impact local revenues.
The severance tax will be collected by local units of government with 65 percent of the revenue retained by impacted counties, townships, school districts, intermediate school districts and the School Aid Fund. The remaining 35 percent will go into a rural development fund to support long-term economic development opportunities.
The new tax structure will ease upfront costs for mines, which won’t have to pay taxes until they start extracting minerals. The old property tax system created a barrier to entry for companies, creating tax liabilities even before mining had begun. In addition, the property tax was based on the estimated value of the ore body, not actual mining revenues. The severance tax will make areas such as the Upper Peninsula more attractive for business development and provides communities with a dedicated revenue stream, generating cash flow and allowing U.P. counties and townships to retain their share first.
HBs 6007-12 are sponsored by Rep. Matt Huuki. | <urn:uuid:99a8ae85-e144-4eec-b19c-dd352bcd6efc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Snyder-approves-tax-regulatory-reforms-to-drive-Michigan-s-economic-comeback/-/1719418/17851960/-/item/0/-/wa3i3vz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943471 | 850 | 1.523438 | 2 |
SAN FRANCISCO – A local community organization presented its case against the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in federal court Wednesday morning, alleging that the lab handled potentially lethal chemicals without proper environmental review.
The organization, Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment, challenged the U.S. Department of Energy, which funds the lab, on its methods of dealing with potential terrorist or accidental situations if lethal pathogens such as anthrax were released from the lab facility. The case was presented before a panel of judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, who promised an expedient decision due to the case’s importance.
The lab, which is one of three department labs that the University of California is involved with managing, researches science and technology to solve national security issues.
A panel of three circuit judges listened to and inquired about the oral arguments of both attorneys representing the organization and the department. The community organization has been litigating to stop operations of the Biosafety Level-3 bio-warfare agent research facility — a facility within the lab — since 2003.
The organization contended that the lab did not conduct a deep analysis of how to respond to the consequences of a bio-hazardous chemical being stolen and released from an employee or a terrorist because the lab decided that the probability of those events occurring is too low.
“To analyze something or to not give significance to the situation occurring, you need to first determine what those impacts are,” said Scott Yundt, staff attorney for the organization.
Judge Milan Smith Jr. responded that even the lab’s assessment that the probability of an attack was too low for further investigation is technically an analysis in and of itself.
“The government did a whole lot of analysis — it just did not do what you are asking it to do,” Smith said.
Smith suggested that the organization could continue to litigate because the community group will will never be satisfied with the lab review’s outcome.
In the department’s defense, Barclay Samford, the defense attorney, said the facility works with extremely small amounts of any given hazardous chemical at one time, the employees work with nonweaponized forms of the chemicals and there are only around ten employees who have access to these materials.
Samford agreed with Smith’s conclusion that the lab has conducted an analysis regardless of how the organization approves of the final outcome of that analysis.
On the other hand, Yundt said that according to the National Environmental Policy Act, the lab has provided an insufficient analysis for a potential catastrophic pandemic even if the probability of occurrence is low.
Comments should remain on topic, concerning the article or blog post to which they are connected. Brevity is encouraged. Posting under a pseudonym is discouraged, but permitted. The Daily Cal encourages readers to voice their opinions respectfully in regard to the readers, writers and contributors of The Daily Californian. Comments are not pre-moderated, but may be removed if deemed to be in violation of this policy. Click here to read the full comment policy. | <urn:uuid:da3cdfd6-da3d-4618-9d88-aa1cd6b36eae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailycal.org/2012/01/11/organization-brings-case-to-federal-court-against-lawrence-livermore-lab/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955408 | 635 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Etowah County school system fails to meet goals
Published: Thursday, August 9, 2012 at 10:36 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, August 9, 2012 at 10:37 p.m.
The Etowah County school system for the second year did not meet its Adequate Yearly Progress goal and remains in system improvement.
AYP data released Thursday by the state Department of Education showed four of Etowah County’s schools did not meet the set benchmarks. The Attalla City school system did make AYP, but Etowah High School, which will enter its third year in school improvement, and Etowah Middle School did not.
AYP measures annual objectives in reading, math and other academic indicators mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. It uses student scores from the Alabama Reading and Math Test Plus in elementary and middle schools and the Alabama High School Graduation Exam in high schools, as well as attendance or graduation rates.
According to the Department of Education, 342 Alabama schools — or 25.25 percent of the state’s 1,365 schools — and 26 school systems did not make AYP this year.
In the Etowah County system, Career Technical Center, Rainbow Middle School, West End Elementary School and Southside High School did not meet the set AYP goals. The school system did not meet its goal in reading.
“Well, we’ve obviously got areas we need to work on, but overall, given the 21 different school sites that got tested, we were very good,” Superintendent Alan Cosby said. “Nine elementary schools, two middle schools and six high schools all made adequate yearly progress and met 100 percent of their goals.”
West End Elementary School met 13 of its 15 goals, falling short in its attendance rate. Cosby said the school was at 94 percent and the goal is 95 percent, and the school system will look at a possible appeal of the decision because there was a sickness in the community and school.
Rainbow Middle School didn’t make AYP in reading and math in the special education subgroups. Cosby said 734 students were tested and the areas where the school did not make AYP represents only 6 percent of the overall population.
The career tech center did not make AYP in its graduation rate.
Southside High made 13 of 15 goals, failing to reach benchmarks in reading or math in the free and reduced lunch subgroups. Cosby said that number is based on 15 percent of the tested students.
Cosby said the system will come up with another plan for the special education department. He also said system improvement means 10 percent of the system’s Title I budget will be used to meet goals.
In Attalla, Etowah Middle School met 20 of its 21 goals, missing benchmarks in the special education reading subgroup. Etowah High School did not make AYP in reading and met 12 of its 15 goals.
“We’re definitely concerned about (Etowah Middle and Etowah High), but we’re also pleased with the elementary school and the system making it,” said Attalla City Superintendent David Bowman. “We’re making preparations and working on things for the other two schools.”
Attalla Elementary met 100 percent of its goals.
Bowman said at the middle school, administrators already are building small focus groups for additional intervention based on this year’s data, with smaller groups concentrating on reading and math.
He said the system already is in the process of other intervention at the middle school.
Bowman said the high school will have a new schedule, and the system is working on a continuous improvement plans and other measures.
Administrators at Gadsden City Schools announced the system’s AYP results at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
The system’s eight elementary schools, along with Emma Sansom Middle School, achieved 100 percent of outlined goals. Litchfield Middle School, Gadsden Middle School and Gadsden City High School did not make AYP.
Alabama education officials discussed their Plan 2020 last week, which would replace AYP reports mandated by No Child Left Behind if the state is granted a waiver by the U.S. Department of Education.
Cosby on Thursday said he was encouraged by Plan 2020, which he said should give “more realistic, attainable goals in many ways.”
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:9fdda053-f235-4e43-b88d-048db4798019> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20120809/NEWS/120809796/1017/www.gadsdentimes.com | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970345 | 958 | 1.648438 | 2 |
US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, paid tribute on Tuesday to former South African president Nelson Mandela ahead of his 94th birthday, as having “abiding humility” and “unbreakable will.”
“On behalf of the people of the United States, we would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Nelson Mandela on the occasion of his 94th birthday and the fourth annual Nelson Mandela International Day,” the Obamas said in a statement honoring the anti-apartheid icon.
Mandela’s “extraordinary life and steadfast commitment to the principles of democracy and reconciliation continues to be a beacon for people of all backgrounds who strive for dignity, justice and freedom,” they said, describing his personal story as “one of unbreakable will, unwavering integrity and abiding humility.”
The Obamas said their family “has been inspired by Madiba’s example and has deeply appreciated the time we have spent with him, and his wisdom, grace and generosity of spirit.”
“By any measure, Nelson Mandela has changed the arc of history, transforming his country, continent and the world,” the statement read.
The US first lady met with Mandela on June 11 last year on a visit to South Africa with her daughters.
Obama’s Democratic predecessor, former US president Bill Clinton, meanwhile, hailed his close ties with Nelson Mandela before visiting Mandela’s home in his childhood village.
Clinton spent two hours inside Mandela’s family compound in Qunu, the picturesque southeastern village where the South African leader grew up.
Media were barred from entering the area and Clinton left without speaking.
Before the visit, Clinton opened a library at a primary school together with Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, and his daughter Zindzi ahead of the statesman’s birthday yesterday.
“We worked together as presidents, and even after we left office we continued working together to improve education of the children worldwide in order for them to share the future,” Clinton said.
Mandela, who was president from 1994 to 1999, spent 27 years in the apartheid regime’s jails. He retired from political life in 2004. | <urn:uuid:bff582a3-916e-4665-ae96-38dd8789d32d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2012/07/19/2003538133 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967524 | 465 | 1.835938 | 2 |
February 03, 2005
Marquette's Pacifist Fantasy World
Marquette University is offended by the word "sniper." That seems to be the jist of the school's delayed statement.
The university had significant reservations about the rhetoric associated with this particular group. In the context of the universityís Jesuit, Catholic mission, we could not allow fundraising in the student union for a group whose rhetoric regarding "snipers" could be widely misinterpreted as having a cavalier attitude toward the taking of a human life. In this case the display of the materials that promote the use of violence without appropriate background information was unacceptable.
Yet they claim they support the U.S. military. What do those officials think the military does? They kill people and destroy things. That's the purpose of a military. Tank gunners fire shells that kill people. Pilots aim smart bombs on targets to kill people. Marines toss grenades into an insurgent-infested hovel to kill people. Snipers need their specialized equipment to kill people. That's the cruel, imperfect world we're stuck in. When you support the troops you support the fact that they kill others to protect our country.
Saddam Hussein wasn't toppled with words of peace. His bloody regime was destroyed by people willing to kill and destroy.
Do these officials recall how this nation was founded? America wasn't created from fruitful dialogue with Britain. Her freedom was won with the blood of patriots. That blood allows Marquette University to have the freedom today to shut down a student organization. Marquette University needs to grow up and accept the world for what it is, not the "fuzzy, mushy pacifism" they wished to see.
"MU Shuts Down 'Adopt a Sniper'" | <urn:uuid:3c66a439-21c3-4675-bdb5-6ffe431225f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theamericanmind.com/mt-test/archives/016314.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956231 | 361 | 1.695313 | 2 |
So Iridium has finally announced the contract to build its NEXT satellites, which was won by Thales Alenia Space (TAS) with the support of a stunning $1.8B loan package which will be 95% guaranteed by COFACE, the French Export Credit Agency (ECA). By the sound of it, Lockheed had been confident of winning the contract, but the US Ex-Im Bank simply couldn’t match the level of support offered by COFACE.
Even Iridium appears surprised by the $1.8B Promise of Guarantee, given the suggestions in their March 2010 results call that the company would need to raise additional unsecured or subordinated debt in the public market. We had expected Iridium might need to raise $300M or more in backstop financing, based on Iridium’s April 2010 investor presentation which stated that the company was “seeking support for a[n ECA] facility of approximately $1.5B”. COFACE’s additional support therefore clearly appears to have tipped the balance in favor of TAS, because it removes the risk that Iridium would have faced in trying to tap the public markets at this point in time.
We now expect Globalstar to point out that Iridium has received an even more favorable financing package than Globalstar did last year (when Thermo was required to provide additional backstop funding as a condition of the $586M COFACE-backed facility) and potentially to seek a $200M+ extension of its current facility. This would provide funding so Globalstar could exercise its option to purchase the last 24 second generation satellites, allowing them to add more satellites to their constellation before NEXT becomes operational (and before radiation problems are expected to start impacting their 8 first generation spares in about 2015). Such a facility could also give Globalstar more firepower to market its new second generation services in 2011 and 2012, without the risk of eating into the contingent equity and debt service reserve accounts previously established by Thermo.
The next stage in this war of the Export Credit Agencies may then come in the shape of Inmarsat’s upcoming Ka-band constellation, which we expect to involve 3 or 4 dedicated Ka-band satellites (costing at least $200M each including launch and insurance), providing oceanic coverage to complement and extend its existing FleetBroadband and SwiftBroadband services. With Inmarsat’s new satellites expected to be deployed between 2013 and 2015, an order could well come as soon as this summer, when Inmarsat announces its investor guidance for the next five years. More details of Inmarsat’s plans and our expectations for their future Ka-band revenues were given in the March 2010 report, available to subscribers to our MSS information service.
The competition to build Inmarsat’s new satellites appears once again to be shaping up as a US vs European battle with TAS, SS/L and Astrium all bidding for the contract. Will ECA financing once again prove to be a key factor in the decision, even though Inmarsat has much less need for a guarantee than Iridium and Globalstar? Certainly Inmarsat has not been reluctant to seek cheap government-backed funding when it is available, as seen in its recent European Investment Bank loan to fund the Alphasat project.
In summary, its clear that ECA financing is now going to play a very substantial role in supporting the MSS industry. As a result, the prospects for a long awaited consolidation of the sector appear to be diminishing. That is certainly good news for end users of MSS, as well as service providers and distributors, who will be able to take advantage of an increasing range of competitive alternatives. This is particularly true in the maritime and aeronautical markets, where Iridium is really the only potential MSS competitor for Inmarsat. Indeed Iridium’s ability to serve these markets gives it a much more sustainable long term position than some other systems, because most maritime and aeronautical opportunities are much less likely to be undermined by the buildout of terrestrial wireless systems.
Nevertheless, it also seems hard to justify the $8B+ of capital investment that has been committed by Iridium, Globalstar and all of the other players (Iridium NEXT, Globalstar 2, Inmarsat 4, Orbcomm, ICO/DBSD, SkyTerra and TerreStar) in an industry sector which only generated $1.1B in wholesale service revenues in 2009, and though growing healthily, doesn’t appear poised to breakout from the 8% annual growth rate seen in recent years. Unless new sources of value appear (spectrum monetization being the obvious option for several players) it appears unlikely that all of the MSS operators will be as successful as they and their investors hope.
Indeed the main story of the next decade is likely to be the competition between Iridium and Globalstar, as they both strive to be the second biggest player in an MSS market that will continue to be dominated by Inmarsat, while other providers may fall by the wayside. If Iridium can grow from its current 19% share of wholesale service revenues to about a 25% market share, or Globalstar can grow from its current 5% share to 15% or more (based on its lower cost satellite system), then that should be sufficient to achieve an attractive return on capital for either company. However, with Inmarsat holding a more than 60% market share today, it appears unlikely that both Iridium and Globalstar could achieve this level of success simultaneously. | <urn:uuid:b7880fd4-7d2d-4e1a-b147-61497649a929> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tmfassociates.com/blog/2010/06/02/guaranteeing-a-competitive-future-for-mss/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967277 | 1,155 | 1.742188 | 2 |
I missed yesterday this very important Austan Goolsbee piece on why it will be more difficult than is sometimes supposed to save the Euro by consolidating Europe's fiscal union. Don't repeat my mistake, read the piece: It explains forcefully why full fiscal union probably cannot happen in Europe—and thus why the Euro probably cannot be saved.
[W] thout an exchange-rate safety valve you need an alternate way to rebalance economies. Moving, inflating, struggling, or subsidizing are your only choices—and none of them is easy.
If workers move freely to high-growth areas or if the central bank is willing to loosen monetary policy to get the high-growth economies to start inflating, that can replace the exchange rate as the safety valve. Inflation in the high-growth economies will change the relative real wages between the counties the same way a devaluation can. Labor mobility helps the U.S. in that sense. In Europe, though, mobility between countries with different languages is low and German tolerance for inflation seems even lower. That leaves suffering and subsidies.
Southern Europe can struggle through the problem—grinding down wages through high unemployment and structural labor-market reforms to make a country such as Greece more competitive internationally. History suggests this will not be an easy sell. Wage cuts usually come only after tremendously extended bouts of high unemployment. Structural reforms can take years to actually raise productivity growth rates.
Or Northern Europe could decide, for the sake of a united Europe, that it is willing to permanently subsidize euro-zone countries with low productivity growth. That could be through explicit subsidies or through bailouts and broad-based guarantees. But in the North, subsidies remain anathema. The Germans are quite right that the euro zone was absolutely not created to enable permanent subsidies, and their opposition is easy to understand.
Thus, lacking the normal safety valves to keep dangerous imbalances from destroying the monetary union, the euro hardliners are left with the idea of fiscal union. These hawks, however, misunderstand a fundamental strength of the U.S. fiscal union. They seek a union to impose budgetary discipline and structural reforms on laggard countries while the U.S. fiscal union serves mainly as an engine of subsidy.
Last year, the Economist compiled census data from 1990 to 2009 for all 50 U.S. states on the amount of federal spending in each state minus the amount the state's residents pay in federal taxes. Over 20 years, states like Minnesota and Delaware annually paid in about 10% more of their state GDP than they got back. On the other side, for the last 20 years New Mexico, Mississippi and West Virginia have received annual subsidies of more than 12% of state GDP. While not a perfect measure of subsidy, it conveys the basic point well. These are big. Greece's entire 2011 deficit, for example, was 9.1% of GDP.
The U.S. fiscal union has worked, in no small part, by enabling subsidies to the Mississippis without requiring the approval of the Minnesotas. | <urn:uuid:cc14d139-05d8-4e4a-a5d0-5d2875757c59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/31/euro.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938438 | 629 | 1.8125 | 2 |
An Opportunity for Schools
Kids still need good food, even when school is out. Now it's easy to accommodate them! You can apply to operate the Seamless Summer Option Through the National School Lunch (NSLP) or School Breakfast Programs (SBP). Continue the same meal service rules and claiming procedures used during the regular school year. Although the traditional Summer Food Service Program is still available to schools, the Seamless Summer Option offers a streamlined approach to feeding hungry children in your community.
How It Works
School Food Authorities (SFAS) participating in the NSLP or SBP are eligible to apply for the Seamless Summer Option. Once approved through their governing state agency, SFAs serve meals free of charge to children, 18years and under, from low-income areas.
The types of sites allowed to participate in this option include:
Open sites: all children eat free in communities where at least 50% of the children are eligible for free/reduced price school meals.
Restricted open sites: sites that meet the open site criteria, explained above, but are later restricted for safety, control, or security reasons.
Closed enrolled sites: may be in any community for an enrolled group of low-income children and meets the 50% criteria explained above. This excludes academic summer schools.
Migrant sites: serving children of migrant families.
Camps: residential or non-residential camps.
The same NSLP and SBP rules apply for meal service. Meals served are reimbursed at the NSLP and/or SBP "free" rates. For clarification on how the Seamless Summer Option differs from our other summer feeding options, we have created a comparison sheet. | <urn:uuid:c42ab239-97e3-42f8-9bb1-174aaed7a2b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://education.ky.gov/federal/SCN/Pages/Seamless-Summer-Option.aspx | 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 | 0.939833 | 353 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The Grand Duke arrives
Great Horned Owl -- the Ramble
Photo by Beth Bergman -- 11/06/07
The French once called the bird Le Grand Duc, and small wonder: the Great Horned Owl is way up there in the avian hierarchy. Only a Red-tailed Hawk might stand a chance in combat with the biggest and most ferocious of local owls.
This bird was seen, and photographed by Beth Bergman somewhere between the Azalea Pond and the Oven yesterday. Maybe it's still there today. In any event, Central Park has been visited by royalty. How to find it? Follow the shrieking bluejays, who function as the Royal Announcers: Thieeeef! Thieeef! Thieeef! | <urn:uuid:6deb8095-2110-430e-9366-ffb507682dab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mariewinnnaturenews.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944874 | 159 | 1.804688 | 2 |
VATICAN CITY (AP) - One of Africa's brightest hopes to be the next pope, Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, says the time is right for a pontiff from the developing world.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Turkson said the "young churches" of Africa and Asia have now become solid enough that they have produced "mature clergymen and prelates that are capable of exercising leadership also of this world institution."
Turkson said the Third World doesn't need a pope of its own to thrive. It's done just fine growing exponentially with European pontiffs. But, he said, a pope from the global south, where half of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics live, would "go a long way to strengthen them in their resolve."
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
2/12/2013 8:33:05 AM (GMT -8:00)
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:1cdf31ce-9092-467e-8e4f-466fe0a12b8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kolotv.com/news/internationalnews/headlines/African-Papal-Contender-Wants-Change-190861941.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940704 | 230 | 1.695313 | 2 |
But it is a search engine comes to your target visitor, a visitor who was looking for necessary information and found it on your site. Secondly, the compulsory registration of your thematic center (site) in directories, and ratings. According to recent data published in Runete just 50% of visitors you can get on your site, and they too are targets because most of them are looking for information that is classified in directories by category. Thirdly, in its own mailing topics that will interest your visitors and subscribers. Yes, it's hard work, but that such work leads to good results.
With the help of mailing not only can you prove yourself as an expert and an advertising company, survey, marketing research and it does not matter, you are registered on a paid or free service (details on mailing services, please visit ) Fourthly, the use of viral marketing. Yes my friends, this way really paid off many times and proved to be lethal force. Why is this method? This deliberate speed advertising for the necessary information from one user to another network, without involvement advertiser. E-book is a tool for viral marketing. Just such a tool is to write articles. You prepare the e-book, while preparing for her design and 3d artwork, or you write an article on the interests of your target visitor, place it in your ezine, newsletter of other authors, some free service. In each article (or electronic book) is necessary to place the file sign or advertising material, so that your reader can not only find information but also use it to expand the content of your site. Visit here for free internet marketing courses online. | <urn:uuid:3cb756bc-580c-4056-b9d2-a8aa808732f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aubedesdieux.typepad.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952334 | 334 | 1.507813 | 2 |
To the editor:
It appears that the non-native Marbleheaders are still fighting to eliminate Salem's power plant in every way.
Remembering the early 1950s into the early '60s, most homes on Marblehead's West Shore were summer cottages, slowly being sold for low dollars.
The average price was from $5,000 to $10,000.
No one who was an original or even non-native Marbleheader complained about the power plant.
Now come the 1980/1990/ 2000 newbies who want to make Salem get rid of its power source because some people do not like to look at the plant from their converted summer cottages, which are now year-round homes.
If Salem loses the power plant, taxes will surely be raised.
Now comes the plan: To leave Marblehead, one has two choices — go through Swampscott or Salem.
Why not set up tollbooths where the roads from Marblehead enter Salem?
They could have a pass system for old-time/original/native Marbleheaders who would be allowed to drive through for free, but tax those who live on the waterfront of the West Shore. Seems like it might keep Salem's tax base in place.
If one wants to be known as a 'Header, then pay the toll if you come through Salem. I would bet some Swampscott people might think about this, too.
Who gave anyone from Marblehead the right to have Salem residents pay higher taxes because of some group wanting a view of Salem without smokestacks, etc.?
West Shore residents complain about coal dust from the plant.
Prevailing summer winds are southwest, Salem Willows and Beverly get the coal dust 70 percent of the time. Does anyone from Beverly complain? No.
The complaining factions need to get a life. | <urn:uuid:2652d0aa-ccbe-4052-be42-52e9f59ebf7c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.salemnews.com/opinion/x1224378453/Letter-Complainers-should-replace-Salems-lost-revenue | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964166 | 377 | 1.84375 | 2 |
We had been vacationing in Pennsylvania for years. I had been bitten by that “Genealogy Bug” and we both loved the State and culture. Over ten years ago we made a decision to leave California and move to the Keystone State. Little did we know what life had in store for us because of that decision!
After living in Lebanon for two years, we migrated south to Lititz and lived there for four years. Keeping with our migration pattern, we headed south again and after looking at a total of 38 different houses, found an 1880′s “City Home” in Lancaster. The first time we walked through the front door we felt an immediate connection. As it turns out, there was a connection and I’ll explain that later . . .
Philip Kleiss’ name is familiar to anybody who reads the Lancaster newspapers or watches the evening news. My 6th great grandfather was a Tavern keeper in the heart of the city in the 1700′s. Upon his death two of his sons inherited the Tavern and the building remained on the corner of Queen and Vine Streets. Plans to build a Convention Center in Lancaster included demolishing the tavern . . . until they discovered an underground cistern between it and Thaddeus Steven’s home.
This is the cistern that saved both of the buildings from demolition. They were saved because an archeological dig discovered evidence that the cistern was probably used as a secret hiding place on the “Underground Railroad.” The cistern, Stevens home and my ancestor’s tavern will now be incorporated into the Convention Center as learning center and museum.
Ludwig (Lewis) Leader, a sixth great grandfather, also, was one of the earliest settlers in Marietta, a river town about 15 miles from Lancaster. We have gone to Marietta countless times for brunch, to cemeteries, and just to drive through the town, imagining what it must have been like when he settled in the area. We have even gone through the home he built in the early 1800′s! It was for sale, but had been a neglected rental and Jim said Absolutely No Way!!
Look at it today. Whomever bought it did a wonderful job restoring it; so wonderful that it was on the Candlelight Tour as denoted by the bronze plate next to the door.
Because Lewis’ son, Samuel married Susannah Bischoff, I am in Pennsylvania! After all, I have Susannah’s Bible.
John Niess was my third great grandfather. I knew his name, his wife’s name and his childrens’ names. I had no idea when or where he married. We moved to Lititz because we had joined the Moravian Church. I, naturally, became a member of the Archives Committee in this historic Church and looked thru old Church records in answer to genealogy requests. Imagine my surprise to find John Niess’ marriage record while searching for somebody else! Think he led me to this Church? Not a doubt in my mind!
Michael Auxer(s), one was my fourth great grandfather, the other my fifth great grandfather. Both lived in Elizabethtown and both were weavers. I’ve been in the Church they worshipped in and walked on the streets they once did. I have found the graves of each of their wifes, but not either of theirs! My bucket list includes finding their graves and a coverlet that either of them wove. Philip Kleiss Auxer, was Michael, Jr’s son and my third great-grandfather. In the 1860′s he owned a house west of Elizabethtown in Stackstown, a little elbow in the road.
Now the connection we felt to the house we purchased in Lancaster? While researching the deeds of previous owners, I discovered that my grandmother’s third cousin, Emma Grace Auxer, and her husband Guy B. Eberly had owned the same property in 1923! I was living in the past! I actually lived my life in the same home “shirt-tail” relative had!
The most important move was to Pennsylvania, not necessarily all the locations. It has allowed me to find the stories of my ancestors, walk into buildings they once had and see their lives in that third dimension. The move to Pennsylvania brought them to life, warts and all. They were real people, not just names in my database. We go on with our lives in Lancaster, walking the streets my ancestors did, entering the same buildings they did and visiting the same graves they did. I love knowing that because of what these real people did in the past,
I can truly appreciate living in the present in Lancaster County! | <urn:uuid:b32dffd9-e548-4b45-a733-cf8a183cfed9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stienstradl.wordpress.com/tag/kleiss-tavern/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981542 | 972 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Financial assistance from relatives was needed for almost 20% of UK first-time buyer sales last year, a report has found.
Without this help around £5.3bn worth of property deals would not have been possible.
The report, by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), also found that the total value of first-time buyer transactions fell from £30.2 billion to £28.5 billion per year between 2008 and 2011.
Daniel Solomon, the chief author of the report, said: "To some extent, families have moved in to fill the gap - providing gifts and loans to their first-time buyer relatives.
"Families' contributions have been invaluable, helping thousands to get on to the housing ladder who would have missed out otherwise."
A North London mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was helping her 24-year-old daughter buy her first house, by contributing around the third of the cost, because people were having to wait too long to get on the housing market.
"When I was young, my first house cost £28,000. You couldn't buy a shed for that these days around here.
"Young people are having to wait until their 30s before they can buy. With no (home) building going on things are only going to get worse.
"The rich are getting richer and they can pay unlimited amounts for property whilst the rest are being left behind."
A double-dip recession, pay freezes in the public sector and rising unemployment are all seen as factors prohibiting first-time buyers from getting a foot on the property ladder. Added to this is the reluctance of banks to give credit to households.
An £80bn Funding for Lending scheme has been launched in an effort to encourage lending but any positive results will not be immediately visible.
The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) report found that of all the property deals in the UK last year, only 18% were first-time buyers.
To be considered a healthy market analysts usually look for levels around 40%.
The report spelled out the stark situation: "The UK housing market in August continued to stagnate with no movement in sales levels and slight decreases in supply and demand."
CEBR have predicted that the situation will improve over the next five years as the UK gradually recovers from recession and the Eurozone crisis.
As a result, first-time buyers should become less reliant on families for help. | <urn:uuid:9042c307-f22d-4cba-ba29-14880219f86f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/09/28/first-time-house-buyers-looking-parents-financial-help-says-report_n_1922772.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978362 | 504 | 1.671875 | 2 |
I, Nigel Dorking
by Mary-Anne Fahey
Published by Puffin/Penguin Australia
336 pages, 2007
My Life as a Loser
Reviewed by Sue Bursztynski
Twelve-year-old Nigel Dorking is -- well -- a dork. We’ve all met the kind of boy who is short of friends and long on intelligence, with about a million facts at his fingertips, all of which he tries to impose on everyone in his range. And, of course, if they’re paired off with someone else considered a loser, they can be just as bad as others are towards them. They don’t want to have anything to do with their fellow loser, because then they have to consider themselves as losers.
It takes Nigel almost all of I, Nigel Dorking to understand that his father isn’t worth the bother and that Gordon is a very good father and stepfather. The last scene works very well -- you don’t find out exactly how it will turn out, but you can guess.
Mary-Anne Fahey is an Australian actor who used to be on a skit show called The Comedy Company, playing, among others, a schoolgirl called Kylie Mole who chewed gum while offering the viewer stories about her schoolmates and her philosophy of life. Fahey has done some scriptwriting, but I, Nigel Dorking is her first novel.
The novel is written in the form of an essay for English; this format is fairly common in this type of fiction, but this one ends with notes from the "proofreader" (Mary-Anne Fahey), a glossary of terms used in the book (some of them not real words, or wrongly defined) and a lengthy list of alternative titles.
I am in two minds about this. There are so many novels, these days, seen from the viewpoint of a loser. While everyone has had problems and times when they feel unpopular and unloved, you really have to be able to suggest that the hero has something admirable about him to make it work. Another book written in the last year, Michael Bauer’s Don’t Call Me Ishmael! has a bully who is actually defeated by wit when one of the characters stands up to him verbally. It may not be realistic, but the reader wishes it was. Readers can identify with the characters in the Bauer book, however nerdy, while it’s difficult to identify with Nigel. When he meets a bunch of bullies early in the novel, he hopes to get them on-side by telling them all sorts of fascinating facts and it only leads to a beating. You cringe and wish he would shut up, because the reader, unlike Nigel, can see where it will end.
The bullies are so very nasty, the scene is painful to read. Yet, later in the novel, when Gordon’s terribly cool motorbike-riding son turns up at a school camp, suddenly they’re not so bad. And it’s a scene that has appeared in so many novels before.
You assume from the cover and the way the character speaks that this is going to be a funny book. There are some funny scenes, but in the end, it’s rather sad.
On the positive side, Nigel does end up making his own decisions and solving his own problems, though with help. He is not alone any more.
I must admit, I was expecting to find that Babette was not as bad as Nigel saw her, but she really was nasty, and this made the last scene all the more enjoyable. | June 2007
Sue Bursztynski is the author of several children's books, including the CBC Notable Book Potions To Pulsars: Women Doing Science and Your Cat Could Be A Spy. Her fiction has been published in various SF magazines. She publishes two blogs, a general one at http://greatraven.blogspot.com and a review/SF blog at http://suebursztynski.blogspot.com. She lives in Australia. | <urn:uuid:fa0c704f-731b-4555-a487-5706bcda6c6c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.januarymagazine.com/kidsbooks/inigel.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979895 | 855 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Magnum Degrees (Phaidon Press) is the enormous book from Magnum, the photographers’ co-operative founded by Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa, among others, in 1947. There are simply too many great photographs here for easy looking: 500 pages of compelling images serve in the end to tire one out. The book is proof of the narrow range of documentary photography, despite Michael Ignatieff’s claim in the introduction that these photographs make us “see the world again, in all its astounding complexity.” For there is no complexity in this book: rather a relentless simplification and filtering of the world, which is what photography is largely all about. Ignatieff proclaims the “universality” of great photography and offers an unnecessary and ridiculous defence of Steichen’s “Family of Man” exhibition of the 1950s, which is what this book resembles most, and that resemblance is its greatest weakness. As we page on through the endless stream of images, we are forced to ask: for whom have these pictures been assembled? And the answer is: for the people who are not pictured in the book. The table of contents defines the narrow world of Magnum photography: revolultion, post-Soviets, Hungary, child victims, refugees, Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, Haiti, etc. The smug and hip design—all lower case, tiny unreadable type, captions every which way—guarantees that only the hip elite will even be able to read it. This book is evidence that the photography of Magnum is largely a matter of marketing: defined by a marketplace and designed for a marketplace.
July 23, 2007
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All comments are moderated. | <urn:uuid:fc9a7f14-d771-437c-8a35-5371a1616def> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geist.com/reviews/magnum-degrees/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94496 | 457 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Will the force that put Republicans back in power take its inspiration from Sarah Palin or Ron Paul?
By Leon Hadar
Since the inception of the Tea Party movement, pundits–including yours truly–have been trying to deconstruct the foreign policy direction of what is a coalition of many local and national groups, all of which seem to share a commitment to a libertarian economic policy agenda.
Indeed, a recent study prepared by the Cato Institute refutes the popular notion that the movement is dominated by social-cultural conservatives. As David Kirby and Emily Ekins point out, “Libertarian attitudes are fueling roughly half the tea party activists” who believe that “‘the less government the better’ and don’t see a role for government in promoting ‘traditional values.’” This is a big reason “why the movement has largely focused on economic matters, resisting attempts to add social issues to its agenda,” the two analysts note.
“Tea party libertarians are somewhat younger, better educated and almost twice as likely to ‘never’ go to church than tea party conservatives,” Kirby and Ekins write. “On the issues, tea party libertarians are less concerned than conservatives about the moral direction of the country, gay marriage, immigration, job outsourcing and abortion,” they conclude.
That split between libertarian and conservative tea partiers has been noted by other observers who have described it as a division between two camps: yhe conservatives who support former Alaska Governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin and the libertarians who back Texas congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul.
Interestingly enough, the main ideological split between Palin and Paul has less to with the social-conservative agenda and more with the direction of American foreign policy. “As many frustrated Americans who have joined the Tea Party realize, we cannot stand against big government at home while supporting it abroad,’ Paul posted recently on ForeignPolicy.com. Tea partiers cannot talk about fiscal responsibility, the budget deficit, and spiraling domestic spending while giving a green light to “spending trillions on occupying and bullying the rest of the world” and “without looking at the costs of maintaining an American empire of more than 700 military bases in more than 120 foreign countries.” Tea partiers cannot pat themselves on the back “for cutting a few thousand dollars from a nature preserve or an inner-city swimming pool at home while turning a blind eye to a Pentagon budget that nearly equals those of the rest of the world combined, ” he stressed.
Not surprisingly, Paul and other libertarian figures and organizations opposed the Iraq War and a possible war with Iran, and called for military disengagement from Afghanistan. On the other hand, Palin has been repeating the neoconservative foreign policy mantra since the day she was selected as John McCain’s running mate: America needs to spread freedom worldwide, stay the course in Iraq, use military power against Iran, get tough with Russia, and give to the Generals in the Pentagon all the money they want. Moreover, Palin and former Arkansas Governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, another favorite of the conservative wing of the Tea Party movement, also echo certain messianic overtones in their rhetoric about the Middle East and Israel; they seem to envision a long and costly civilizational struggle with Islam at home and abroad that would not only consume enormous military and economic resources, but would also strengthen the power of the federal government.
During the election campaign most of the Republican candidates, and especially those backed by the Tea Party, refrained from endorsing any coherent foreign policy agenda as advocated by either Paul or Palin. If anything, their responses to questions about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and about America’s role in the world in general were very confused. When pressed for her position on Iraq and Afghanistan, the former Republican Senate candidate from Nevada Sharon Angle explained that “you know, the two wars that we are in right now are exactly what we are in.” And here is what Ken Buck, the former Republican Senate candidate from Colorado had to say about Afghanistan. “The first thing I think we need to do is to make sure that Afghanistan is not a safe haven for terrorists,” Buck stated during a debate. “And when I say safe haven, I’m not talking about that there isn’t a possibility of a terrorist in Afghanistan. I’m saying that when you look at other countries similarly situated–Somalia, Yemen, other countries–that Afghanistan is at least as safe as those countries,” he explained.
The focus of many of these and other Tea Party candidates that were elected (or not) to Congress has been almost entirely on the economy. They are either uninterested in–or not knowledgeable enough about–Afghanistan, Iraq and the other U.S. military interventions that are consuming such a huge part of the federal budget. Under these circumstances, the foreign policy agenda of the Congressional Republicans could end up being dominated by those Republicans who are very interested in the issues, and who receive their talking points on Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia from interest groups, think tanks and media organizations that support costly military interventionist policies around the world–and who are inclined to exploit Palin’s jingoistic rhetoric to rally the Republican troops.
The danger is that those Republican Tea Party members of Congress who are less inclined to focus on foreign policy issues will yield to the guidance and pressure coming from the leading Republican foreign-policy activists. These “Palinites” will probably try to integrate their militaristic and interventionist approach into the grand anti-Obama narrative, which depicts the president as “un-American,” weak, and defeatist in his dealing with Iran and Islamofascism, and an enemy of the Jewish State.
Let’s hope that libertarians and conservatives who understand the relationship between U.S. interventionist policies and the rising U.S. federal deficits will succeed in neutralizing this danger by explaining to the new generation of Republican lawmakers that any effort to reduce the power of the federal government will have to include major cuts in military spending. And that will require a rejection of the policies that rationalize these expenditures.
Leon Hadar is a research fellow at the Cato Institute. | <urn:uuid:84425ac7-555e-4729-99b0-8bc1738762c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/brewing-a-tea-party-foreign-policy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964889 | 1,289 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Jenny Brown April 14, 2012
A neighbouring imposition was used to great effect in this revamp.
The imposing bulk of a brick wall on the two-storey Federation house next door could have been a big constraint on the new back addition to a late-Victorian brick house on a seven-metre-wide inner-city block that Paul Porjazoski of Bent Architecture was asked to design.
The very definite brick wall consumed most of the northern boundary and, thus, much of the opportunity for sunlight.
But, instead of being ''pushed around'' by it, the architect chose to work with ''the potential dilemma that we could never disguise and embrace it as the context that gives this project its personality''.
Indeed, in the reconfigured rooms of the lower storey of what is now a double-level, four-bedroom house, the wall becomes the prime visual asset through charcoal-framed windows set high to the ceiling line to grab what natural light they can.
Asset? In the precinct of Clifton Hill, where late-19th-century industrial buildings nudge late-19th-century residences, red brick is the vernacular so it looks perfectly apt as a featured material.
In extending the old house's footprint slightly into the fortuitously sunny backyard, Porjazoski chose to add even more red brick - this time as a broad, two-metre-wide by 3.5-metre-high masonry pillar on the southern wall. His rationale ''was to reference the brick on the other side and create a space that sits between red brick walls''. It now makes the kitchen-dining-living room ''feel like it could be outdoors''.
When the 3.5-metre sliding doors are rolled away from the north-west corner of the living room, the indoors, floored in messmate timber, meld into the blackbutt deck and that boundary of hard masonry - half a metre beyond the actual house perimeter. It all becomes implied spatial extension.
''By opening the side, we could make the space feel wider than it is,'' Porjazoski says. ''And for us,'' the client says, ''it's more living space. The children are out there all the time.''
Throughout this project, which added an upper storey with three bedrooms, a shared bathroom and five metres of shoulder-height storage joinery running the length of the top-floor corridor and taking advantage of otherwise dead space, the architect has used a lot of cunning contrivances ''to create a light-filled family home with two living spaces, two bathrooms and four bedrooms on a block that is 300 square metres or less''.
The relatively high, 3.2-metre ceilings inherited in the original structure were used to advantage and amped in the back living areas by an additional bank of big clerestory windows that rise to the full height of the raked skillion roof.
''They are there to bring in as much northern light as possible so they needed to be that tall,'' Porjazoski says. ''They couldn't be shy.''
The southern hallway on the lower floor was another once-dark inheritance that had daylight introduced by setting more clear windows above the doorways to rooms including a bathroom, laundry and a sitting-rumpus room with such handsome hardwood bookshelf joinery it also convinces as an adult library space.
Porjazoski refers to the not-incidental natural light feeds as ''highlights''. A skylight above the stairwell serves the same function, as do light-bouncing, ceiling-high mirrors in the family bathroom.
All the new light goes a long way towards making a not-particularly-large house feel much bigger.
''There is - we'd like to think - a clarity to the architecture,'' Porjazoski says. ''It's not overcomplicated. But in a house like this, where everything is defined by the site limitations, it's the light that makes it feel more open.''
Porjazoski pushed back even more on the site constraints by inserting inbuilt furniture in the sitting zone.
In the kitchen, the joinery appears as much structural as practical. Wood-veneered and black-laminated cupboards reach the ceiling around a black, reconstituted-stone island bench.
And the ceiling that defines the kitchen zone is lined in unapologetic yet unexpectedly attractive pressed-cement sheeting.
''We like the idea of using exterior-grade material inside,'' the architect says.
Beyond the kitchen, the ceiling line of the living space takes in an extension of the timber ribbing that forms the exterior pergola. ''Solid Victorian ash beams [were] dragged inside to reinforce the connection between inside and out.''
Porjazoski reckons that the clear lines and context complicity of the renewed house are, in fact, fairly simple architecturally. ''It straightforwardly works with established rules of facing into the sun.'' But he also says it's a thesis ''on how a house doesn't have to be physically big to be impressive''. | <urn:uuid:f62e519a-536b-4d9c-ab84-b9e429e5c718> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m.smh.com.au/domain/renovation-and-decoration/when-fence-sitting-is-impossible-20120413-1wx6a.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946145 | 1,065 | 1.53125 | 2 |
updated 09:45 am EDT, Mon September 25, 2006
ATI Mobility Radeon X1700
While graphics in desktop replacement laptops have seen performance upgrades and even two-chip SLI variants in 2006, the mid-range graphics that thinner, more portable systems depend upon have remained largely unchanged since late 2005. NVIDIA began the series of much-anticipated upgrades earlier in September through the introduction of the GeForce Go 7700; on Monday, ATI announced a sweeping update of its laptop graphics line that improves performance without increasing the power draw. The Mobility Radeon X1700 is a refinement of the mid-range X1600 made on a new strained silicon process that improves performance by a relatively modest amount but should extend battery life. In turn, the X1450 and X1350 are being marketed as alternatives to integrated graphics for laptop builders who need improved 3D performance for Windows Vista. Both share the architecture of the earlier X1400 and X1300 versions and use the strained silicon technique to reduce the heat and power that would otherwise keep them out of ultra-portable systems. ASUS is expected to be the first company to use all three new Mobility Radeons in its laptop line and should announce the new computers soon. | <urn:uuid:457ca3ee-2085-41da-b3d0-13f36a7d97e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.electronista.com/articles/06/09/25/ati.mobility.radeon.x1700/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943165 | 244 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The University of Michigan has a long-standing tradition of students, alumni, and fans gathering to celebrate the football season. Students also come together to enjoy events such as Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day. It is important that these events are conducted in a safe, as well as enjoyable, manner.
Michigan fraternities and sororities are piloting the Michigan Ambassador Program (MAP) in collaboration with LSA Student Government and the Student Athletic Advisory Council. Beginning with the Michigan/Michigan State football game and continuing through the season, Michigan ambassadors will walk through campus neighborhoods and offer suggestions to event hosts to ensure the safety of their events and avoid violation of City ordinances. Participants will not act as law enforcement or a disciplinary group. If they observe a situation that is out of the control of event hosts, they will contact appropriate personnel. The goal is to support a safe and enjoyable environment during high-risk events and encourage citizenship and community responsibility.
The Michigan Ambassador Program is a great way to earn volunteer service hours in order to receive awesome incentives. Besides walking through campus neighborhoods, volunteer service hours can be earned by serving as the point of contact, headquartered in the Michigan Union. For accumulated volunteer hours, ambassadors can earn gift cards to local restaurants, tickets to sporting events, official Michigan athletic apparel, letters of commendation from the Dean of Students, and even the chance to spend the fourth quarter of a football game in a university suite or receive a field pass to a future football game!
MAP will also be a part of the Athletic Department’s “H.A.I.L.“ program, so ambassadors can earn points for that program as well.
Those interested in the program should register here. As a prerequisite to serve, MAP students are required to undergo a training session conducted by the Ann Arbor Police Department, University Health Service, and MAP head representatives to be held Wednesday, October 17th from 8-9pm in the Anderson Room of the Michigan Union. | <urn:uuid:a7dcc06a-3368-4e3f-b910-dddd23770a7b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://greeklife.umich.edu/article/michigan-ambassadors-program | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960133 | 403 | 1.625 | 2 |
Beginning in 1971, the Turbomachinery Laboratory of Texas A&M University (TAMU) organized the first of now 41 consecutive annual turbomachinery symposiums, now known as the TAMU Turbo. In 1984, Texas A&M added an International Pump Users Symposium, now called the TAMU Pump. Almost 30 years ago, both meetings shared three of the TAMU Pumps founding membersIgor Karassik, Charlie Jackson and Ed Nelson. These professionals stood out as unselfish, modest, informed and highly experienced teachers. They were the tutors to the next-generation engineers and have remained without equals.
Both the TAMU Turbo and TAMU Pump symposiums are steered by engineers. As members of the TAMU Turbo and TAMU Pump advisory committees, recognized leaders in the fluid machinery and power generation communities share the task of providing guidance to presenters and attendees. Some leaders are equipment users; others are manufacturers or vendors. Virtually all job functions and user industries are represented at these symposiums.
The TAMU Turbo symposium was established as a forum for users and manufacturers of industrial turbomachinery. Because of many overlapping areas of interest, the program continues to focus on commercial turbomachinery users within the oil and gas, petrochemical and utility industries. Both symposiums have very wide scope and content. The decision to co-locate TAMU Pump and TAMU Turbo events has proved to be successful.
2012: A real success for TAMU
The most recent symposiums featured lectures, tutorials, case studies, discussion groups and short courses, as well as exhibits of the latest services and full-sized equipment. As in past years, the two meetings emphasize technology and troubleshooting. Approximately 3,000 attendees registered for the 2012 event.
Representatives of Hydrocarbon Processing attended the September 2012 events. The technical sessions (lectures, tutorials, discussion groups and case studies) provided opportunities for attendees to expand their personal and professional needs and interests. Moreover, the exhibits featured products from many key manufacturers. Because exhibiting companies send their first-team players to this symposium, attendees were able to touch base with executives and even CEOs of companies with stellar credentials. Executives answered questions from first-time attendees and, a scant few minutes later, greeted the occasional octogenarian who wandered through the 300 exhibits. There was knowledge transfer in the exhibit hall, but there was also the occasional commiseration. Some things were different; there was change, and not all changes affected all parties equally.
Essential elements of TAMU Turbo and TAMU Pump
Because of their relevance, the two symposiums have obviously grown in size and complexity. In 2012, there were 11 short courses (Table 1), 19 discussion groups, and, of course, a highly appropriate and valuable product exhibit show.
TAMU Pump attendees could choose from six additional lectures, as listed in Table 2. This program was focused on pump users. Suitable courses, tutorials and case histories were again part of TAMU Pump. The discussion groups were led by engineers or senior technicians with vast experience; these leaders facilitated discussion from the floor. Attendees from the US and many countries actively participated in the discussion groups. Many attendees used this forum to obtain sound advice from their peers on problems of immediate importance. This author and HP believe that, collectively, the two symposiums are the most valuable events of their genre. Fluid-machinery users should continue to attend both TAMU Turbo and TAMU Pump, especially since they share the same timing and location.
Although the two events have considerable synergism, they do differ. The TAMU Turbo advisory committee members are not the same individuals forming the TAMU Pump board. Each of the two committees are made up of what many consider highly knowledgeable members. Unfortunately, TAMU Pump has recently been quick to reject certain presentation offers. For example, one presentation was encouraged by pump users seeking explanations regarding repeat pump failures. Rejecting solid information by acknowledged experts who had documented years of failure-reduction experience is disappointing; more important, members of the TAMU Pump Advisory Committee should be user advocates that are both knowledgeable and impartial. The users goal is high equipment reliability and low-failure rates. The manufacturers goals are aimed at sales and profits. Finding a balance that serves both parties is a leadership challenge. Participating manufacturers should be encouraged to be more open about their productsgood and bad. Formal presentations should supplement the many informal discussion groups.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, advisory committee members had the experience, desire and motivation to work closely with old and young potential presenters. Senior advisory committee members contributed wisdom and maturity; they also insisted on evenhandedness and civility of discourse. The same attributes are needed at a time when the dissemination of solid facts will help a hard-pressed pump user community eliminate dangerous repeat failures. For a pump user symposium to add more value, steps might be taken to elevate the tone of the discourse and to remember how Karassik, Jackson and Nelson communicated respectfully, authoritatively and without bias. We should all try to imitate them.
Tentative program for 2013
Although the program for September 30October 3, 2013, will not be finalized until March, TAMU Pump has taken steps to emphasize pump failure avoidance topics. For starters, the advisory board is giving consideration to repeating a well-attended tutorial that had received positive reviews in 2012. Put it on your calendar if repeat pump failures are one of your concerns.
Both symposiums can be superb training venues for your fluid machinery professionals. As they then return to your facility after attending in 2013, why not ask them to hand in more than the traditional request for travel expenses? Ask them to submit a 200-word summary of what they have learned and what others are doing different from the way we do it here. That is one method in which you can get top dollar for your training outlays. HP
Heinz P. Bloch resides in Westminster, Colorado. His professional career began in 1962 and included long-term assignments as Exxon Chemicals regional machinery specialist for the US. He has authored over 520 publications, among them 18 comprehensive books on practical machinery management, failure analysis, failure avoidance, compressors, steam turbines, pumps, oil-mist lubrication and practical lubrication for industry. Mr. Bloch holds BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering. He is an ASME Life Fellow and maintains registration as a Professional Engineer in New Jersey and Texas. | <urn:uuid:ce04ee28-892c-4a86-b366-45f6c85a54b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/Article/3137777/Process-Engineering-Construction/TAMU-Turbo-and-Pump-symposiums-still-leading.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958535 | 1,332 | 1.695313 | 2 |
To reduce rates of emissions and energy
Australian logistics provider orders 42 natural gas-powered Isuzu trucks
Toll Group has heightened its commitment to environmental sustainability following a major acquisition of FSR 700 medium-duty model, which brings the total number of Isuzu CNG trucks in Toll's fleet to more than 70. This acquisition is the largest single NGV fleet purchase since the launch of Isuzu's second generation CNG models three years ago.
The company has been conducting extensive natural gas vehicles trials since 2009, which have led to the most recent purchases. "One of Toll Group's key objectives is to look at ways to manage the environmental impacts within our facilities and operations, and act to reduce our rates of emissions, energy and waste," said Toll IPEC General Manager Rodney Johnston.
Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) had worked closely with Toll Group in recent years, and its CNG range comprises four models: NLR 200, NPR 300, FSR 700 and FSR 850, all factory-backed.
"Toll Group is a company that recognized the potential of CNG as a transport fuel earlier than most," said IAL National Fleet Sales Manager, Dean Stuhldreier. “Its acceptance and championing of CNG technology will encourage others to get on board and also reap the benefits.”
Source: Isuzu Trucks | <urn:uuid:de10e32e-e575-47db-b428-51cf1a01d7b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ngvjournal.com/it/home/item/8817 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964998 | 282 | 1.5 | 2 |
For high priced custom doors, you deserve to get it right.
The king studs are the primary support on the sides of the door (they go all the way up to the top plate. However, the jack studs are supporting the header over the door and that is supporting the cripple studs over the header. If this is a load bearing wall, these are all supporting members.
If the jack studs are cut down, they probably need to be cut more than 3/4 inch total to accomodate shims to square the door in the opening. If you take out only 1/2 inch on each side, you have reduced the jack stud by 33%. If this is done in place, you are also stressing the remaining structure of studs, header, etc. in sawing out the excess.
It could be that the overall framing is overengineered enough to survive this assualt, but it is risky, violates most building codes and is a bad way to start a good project.
I would insist that they measure thrice (three times instead of the recommended two) and bring a correctly sized door.
P.S. I had a similar problem with a custom tempered glass shower door that I had waited eight weeks for. They played with cludging it for about a minute and then took it back for a correctly sized piece. It hurts but it is worth it. | <urn:uuid:8d1a546f-0ec5-4b1e-8b3e-20048f2cc88b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/16561/is-it-safe-to-remove-trim-jack-studs-to-make-a-door-opening-wider/16562 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966543 | 289 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Self-publishing a book is an exciting undertaking. Because we understand the dedication that is required to write a quality book, we like to feature our top authors each week so that you can get to know a little bit more about them and their book. This week, we are featuring Mark S. Foster’s A Life of Courage and Love.
In her latest book, self-publishing Outskirts Press author, Mark S. Foster, tells the remarkable story of a woman who agreed to be an “experiment” as an early kidney transplant recipient and went on to become the world’s longest living diabetic kidney transplant survivor, all the while working tirelessly to provide hope to other kidney transplant patients and to the blind.
Marcia Lortscher’s early years showed no signs of the exceptional life she was eventually destined to live. She was born and raised in a comfortable, conservative middle class Catholic family in Denver and she finished college before the 1970’s feminist revolution. She then explored several different career paths before marrying in her late twenties.
Then fate intervened. Marcia had been diagnosed a diabetic at age ten, but just after she married, her kidneys failed. She had been looking forward to settling comfortably into a conventional housewife’s role, but instead doctors suddenly began measuring her life expectancy in weeks. So serious was her condition that her doctors initially demurred at performing a kidney transplant.
She was finally accepted for the operation as an “experiment” and she ultimately became the longest living diabetic kidney transplant patient, surviving for thirty-six years.
Marcia experienced an endless array of harrowing medical problems and she went blind in her early forties, but she devoted her life to serving others through volunteerism. She and her husband had no biological children of their own, but they became surrogate parents to well over a hundred young people whom they called their “kids.” Marcia’s continuing work on behalf of other social service groups eventually brought her widespread recognition as one of the nation’s most valued volunteers.
Although this exceptional woman was uncomfortable with being singled out for praise and disliked being called an “inspiration,” readers of A Life of Courage and Love may decide that that label is, in fact, totally appropriate.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mark S. Foster is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Colorado at Denver, where he taught for 33 years. He was named both teacher of the year and researcher of the year and has published eleven books previously, including works on urban transportation, city planning and the automobile culture in the United States; five biographies, including Henry J. Kaiser, Carl G. Fisher and Quigg Newton; and works on the history of baseball.
For more information or to contact the author, visit www.outskirtspress.com/alifeofcourageandlove.
This author purchased the Book Blast package, saving 25% on 5 powerful marketing services to blast the book into the stratosphere! The Book Blast package includes the following options: Custom Press Release, PR Publicist Campaign, Book Review Submission Service, Book Video (shown above) and Personal Marketing Assistant. Outskirts Press authors can easily and conveniently add this package at any time from the Marketing Options screen of the Publishing Center.
Are you self publishing a book and looking to receive
marketing support and services like this? | <urn:uuid:0b9762af-aa13-44bb-b140-6b5fa65111b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://selfpublishingnews.com/2012/04/29/self-publishing-book-spotlight-a-life-of-courage-and-love-by-mark-s-foster/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971994 | 699 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Low-graphic news index |
Monday, August 20, 2012 - Page updated at 07:30 p.m.
72 rescued when sightseeing vessel takes on water
The Associated Press
The Coast Guard says responders have rescued 72 people on a sightseeing vessel that began taking on water in Alaska's Glacier Bay after reportedly striking a rock.
Coast Guard spokesman David Mosley says there were reports of minor injuries in the incident Sunday involving the 79-foot Baranof Wind.
The Coast Guard says the flooding was contained and there are no immediate reports of pollution.
According to the Coast Guard, 70 people were transferred to the Holland America cruise ship Volendam, which was expected to transport the sightseeing passengers to Bartlett Cove. From there, another vessel will take them to Juneau.
Two others were taken aboard a National Park Service boat, and four crew members remained on board the Baranof Wind.
The Coast Guard is investigating.
Copyright © The Seattle Times Company
Low-graphic news index
Graphic-enabled home page | <urn:uuid:139a5cd9-0151-4763-973a-4ea45f6dbba3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://seattletimes.com/text/2018953250.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952995 | 217 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Johannesburg is the commercial centre of South Africa. Since gold was first discovered there, everything has revolved around money and from the 50th floor of Africa’s tallest building, The Carlton Towers, there is an all-engulfing view of the city’s narrow streets and jungle of concrete and glass.
The African Museum is a contemporary building and one of South Africa’s most exquisite landmarks. It contains a large variety of geological exhibits and detailed accounts of the city’s past surface mining that gave rise to the country’s massive gold rush. The resistance to apartheid is also illustrated, as well as the history of Africa’s native inhabitants who journeyed from present day Botswana to the south of the country.
In contrast to Johannesburg, Pretoria grew at a calmer pace and has developed from a Boer farming municipality into South Africa’s administrative capital. Located on a hill is the Voortrekker Monument that is a reminder of the Boers’ Great Trek and, in 1830, the crucial battle in which they defeated the Zulus.
Sun City is a magnificent fantasy world full of African ambience. The Sun City Hotel is the casino that made Sol Kerzner the richest man in South Africa. The futuristic Cascades Hotel derived its name from its wonderful setting of waterfalls, pools and lush plant life.
The route travels northeast over the misty and one time heavily defended Drankensberg Mountains, in the direction of the Kruger National Park that extends along the border with Mosambique. From Kruger, the journey continues across Swaziland and Kwazulu-Natal to Port Elizabeth on the Indian Ocean’s south coast.
Along the rocky coastline, a road leads to the southernmost tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope. For those lucky enough to experience it, the drive on the spectacular mountain road around the Cape is an amazing adventure. One of the many natural wonders of this unique land that unites European influence with African pride. | <urn:uuid:52185ba2-38d5-4de8-8090-0a718ecd8066> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.travelvideostore.com/travel-video-series/7-days/7-days-south-africa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94029 | 420 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Steven Howards was arrested in a Denver mall after he approached Vice President Dick Cheney and denounced the war in Iraq. Secret Service agents accused him of assault and harassment. He’s suing them now for violating his civil rights. Howards joins us to speak about his ordeal. [includes rush transcript]
Yesterday, a federal lawsuit was filed against the U.S government alleging civil rights violations. The lawsuit was filed by Steven Howards–an environmental consultant in Colorado–who was arrested in June after he approached Vice President Dick Cheney and denounced the war in Iraq. The lawsuit is the third one that’s been filed charging that Secret Service agents or White House staff members violated the law when they attempted to keep people with opposing views away from President Bush or Cheney. In another suit pending in Colorado, two people say they were kicked out of a public event where Bush was speaking because of an anti-war bumper sticker. And in West Virginia the ACLU has filed a lawsuit on behalf of two people who were arrested at an appearance by Bush because they were wearing anti-Bush t-shirts.
- Steven Howards, was arrested in June on harassment charges after he approached Dick Cheney to denounce the Iraq War. He has filed a federal alleging civil rights violations.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Steven Howards joins us now from Denver, where he filed the suit on Wednesday in federal district court. Welcome to Democracy Now!
STEVEN HOWARDS: Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: It’s good to have you with us. Why don’t you explain exactly what happened? What day was it?
STEVEN HOWARDS: I think it was the middle of June, and I was in Beaver Creek, Colorado, with my two kids, accompanying them to a piano camp. And that morning, I had read about the deaths, the rising death toll in Iraq. And who walks by me, but Mr. Cheney. And to be honest, I couldn’t resist the temptation. So I approached Mr. Cheney and told him that I thought his policies in Iraq were absolutely reprehensible.
AMY GOODMAN: Just one sec. He, by himself, walked by you in a mall? Vice President Dick Cheney?
STEVEN HOWARDS: Well, you know, yes. There was apparently — Gerald Ford has an annual kind of get-together of political VIPs, if you will, that — I don’t know — discuss world issues. And I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to cross Mr. Cheney. Mr. Cheney was actually going across an outdoor mall, kind of a pedestrian mall, in Beaver Creek, Colorado. And there were lots of Secret Service agents, but he was walking through, taking some time, shaking hands. There were probably more Secret Service agents there than there were members of Joe Public. But I, you know, I waited my turn, and I walked up to Mr. Cheney, and I told him what I thought. And then I quickly exited, because I didn’t want to create a scene or give anyone opportunity to cause me any problems.
AMY GOODMAN: And so, what happened next?
STEVEN HOWARDS: Well, I then continued on, took my child to piano camp, came back about ten minutes later, because if you know this area, you’ve got to pass through the same area. And I was approached by a Secret Service agent, who accused me of assaulting the Vice President. My eight-year-old son was standing next to me at that point in time. His exact words were, "Did you assault the Vice President?" And I said, "No, I didn’t. But I did tell him the way I felt about the war in Iraq, and if Mr. Cheney wanted to be shielded from public criticism, he should avoid public places."
And I closed by telling the agent that if freedom of speech was against the law, he should arrest me, at which point he grabbed me, cuffed my hands behind my back and started carting me across the mall. I stopped and told him I could not abandon my eight-year-old son in the middle of a public mall, at which point he responded, "We’ll call Social Services." Fortunately, on the way out, we passed my wife, who — my son was with my wife. He had run off in terror. He wouldn’t even talk, he was so scared.
They took me to jail, with my hands cuffed behind my back for three hours. The Secret Service agent told my wife, myself and anyone else that would listen that I was being charged with assaulting the Vice President. Those charges were later reduced to harassment. And two weeks later or three weeks later, the charges were dismissed altogether.
AMY GOODMAN: What happened to you during that time? During that two weeks, did other people see you being arrested? Did they know who you were?
STEVEN HOWARDS: Oh, yeah. Oh, absolutely. No, it was a scene. I was treated as though I was a convict, like criminal. It was horrifying for my kids. And so we waited for a few weeks. Actually, we left. We were going on vacation. We left a few days later. This actually happened two days before Father’s Day, so it was quite a memorable Father’s Day, as you can imagine. We left a few days later for our vacation, and we got back. In the mail, there was a notice that the charges had been dismissed. Apparently, the Secret Service had come to my office and to try to see me, and they would not leave their names. It was very Gestapo-ish, I must say. But I never returned their calls, and I have no reason why they came to my place of work. And that’s it.
AMY GOODMAN: And why have you decided to sue the government now?
STEVEN HOWARDS: You know, because it’s such a transparent attempt to suppress free speech. You know, we view the suppression of free speech and — my family, we view the suppression of free speech and the assault that this administration has made on our constitutional rights to free speech as a greater threat to the future of this country than Osama bin Laden ever will be. You know, first this administration argued that if you criticize their policies, you were in fact providing support to people like Osama bin Laden. You were boosting the threat to national security. Then they suggested that if you oppose their policies, you were actually equivalent to a Nazi sympathizer.
You know, the nation is united on the need to fight terror. That’s not an issue. The question is, the issue is how this administration has gone about choosing to do that. And lots of people are very upset about that.
And now, the administration has forged the final link by suggesting that if you exercise your constitutional rights to free speech in opposing this administration’s policies in Iraq, you are therefore posing a threat to national security and subject to arrest. And I don’t know about the rest of America, but I find that thought and that logic, that twisted logic, absolutely terrifying. So we brought the lawsuit to really expose this issue and to raise the question of, do we in fact still live in a free nation, where people are free to express their opposition to government policies?
AMY GOODMAN: What are you asking for?
STEVEN HOWARDS: Right now, we’re asking for a jury to — we’re actually deferring to a jury to decide what the resolution to this matter should be. We’re asking for some acknowledgement by the Secret Service and by the administration that people have a right to free speech. We’re asking for an apology to my kids for the wrongful arrest and search that occurred. And if any financial rewards or any financial settlement comes of this, that’s great, but that’s not the goal of the lawsuit. And if any financial rewards come, they’ll go to a charitable organization. That’s not our goal here. Our goal here is to prove a point.
AMY GOODMAN: Isn’t the Vice President immune from prosecution as he sits in office?
STEVEN HOWARDS: Yeah, well, actually this is a civil suit. And it’s against the Secret Service officer who did the arrest. After he arrested us and, again, threatened my wife and myself, saying he was going to spend all day Monday in the U.S. attorney’s office ensuring that felony assault charges were brought against us, he then gave us his business card. So we know exactly who arrested us. And this is actually a civil suit against the Secret Service agent.
AMY GOODMAN: Steven Howards, I want to thank you very much for being with us. Again, arrested a few days before Father’s Day on harassment charges, first on assault charges, then lowered to harassment charges, for approaching Dick Cheney in a mall in Colorado. | <urn:uuid:b2aa997f-6e6e-4683-ba6c-4f5d90d2327a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.democracynow.org/2006/10/5/denver_man_sues_secret_service_for | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983106 | 1,885 | 1.789063 | 2 |
I come from a family who takes in strays. Homeless dogs and cats, unwanted gerbils, and homeless goldfish seem to collect in my family members' households, despite frequent proclamations of "no more pets!" In my own case, though I'm not immune to a puppy's beseeching brown eyes or the purring of an Abyssinian, it's orphaned automobiles and discarded motorcycles that tend to follow me home. While it is true that, theoretically at least, a vintage Honda motorbike or old British sports car won't eat you out of house and home, my forlorn mechanical beasts have a way of quickly consuming capital at the same rate as a full-grown Saint Bernard.
Let's consider just the past year. I'll disregard the 1975 Honda CB200T motorcycle that I bought in the spring because there was a specific reason for its purchase: I used it to ride in the Lake Erie Loop, a non-stop charity run around the perimeter of Lake Erie on 30-year-old motorcycles of 200cc displacement or smaller. It ran like a champ and carried me 650 miles around the lake in a mere 14 hours of two-cylinder, two-wheeled madness. But it isn't really an orphan and I went out of my way to buy it, so we can't really call it a stray.
Consider then my 1967 Garelli Rex KL100. This Italian-built 100cc motorbike was unearthed from the dry basement of a defunct motorcycle shop in Milwaukee, where it sat in the dark for more than 35 years. When I picked up in June it was covered in cosmoline, used to keep it from rusting on its trip across the Atlantic, and its handlebars were still wrapped in burlap and tied with twine to the side of the bike. This stylish black-and-white Italian has never had fuel in its tank and has never been ridden. Its Pirelli tires are like new, the dark environment having caused no degradation. I bought it to ride it, but having dragged it home, and realizing that it is undoubtedly the only unridden, unused, and never started 1967 Garelli Rex KL100 extant, I couldn't bring myself to sully its fuel tank with gasoline and deflower it by going for a ride. It now lives in a place of honor in my office, a piece of Italian sculpture about which visitors always comment, sometimes in confused tones conveying that they have no earthly idea why I would have a motorcycle in my office.
It definitely seemed to be my year for bikes. In the '80s Honda went wild with its motorcycle designs. The company offered a bewildering array of engine configurations including singles, twins, V-twins, V-fours, inline-fours, and even an inline six-cylinder. It was crazy and wonderful and today most of those bikes are available for a song, even for someone who sings off-key. Having recently sold my dual-sport KLR, I wanted something to ride around on trails and dirt roads. I wanted it to be small and economical. I wanted it to be reliable. I wanted it to be suitably strange. One model kept cropping up in that mixture, a Honda NX250. Widely known around the world but quite rare in the States, this is a smallish, water-cooled, single-cylinder pack mule that Honda built for just a few years in the late '80s. There was one on my local Craigslist. It had been there for more than a month. For at least a week I managed to ignore the listing--only checking it two or three times daily. Finally I couldn't take it any longer. I loaded up my trailer, drove for an hour each way and came home with a somewhat bedraggled but complete and running Honda NX250. A couple of days cleaning it up, changing the oil, oiling the chain, and flushing the brake fluid and I had the dual-sport that I had been dreaming of.
At the end of last year, as the markets melted and fortunes evaporated like morning dew, more than a few cars got stranded on eBay. These were cars that had been placed on "no-reserve" auctions that could be expected, in normal circumstances, to bring a pretty sum, but whose bidding had stalled when the bottom dropped out. One such car was a 1949 Morgan 4/4 sports car; I threw in a low-ball bid that ordinarily wouldn't be enough to buy a Morgan parts car and was more than a little shocked when it was suddenly mine. It's the third Morgan I have owned. I had a very nice 1959 Plus 4 and a completely disassembled 1947 4/4 but sold both of these cars more than 10 years ago, figuring at the time that Morgans were not that rare and that I could always buy another. In the past decade, however, Morgan prices more than doubled, leaving my chances of Morgan ownership all but nonexistent. Until that twist of fate that destroyed Wall Street and the free enterprise system. To all of you who purchased houses far beyond your means to pay for them, I want to thank you for my Morgan.
My trusty truck and trailer carried me to St. Louis, where Don and his wife had tears in their eyes as they watched me haul away a car that they had owned since 1973. Don was a retired airline pilot who had purchased the car from Donald Hudgins, a fellow airline pilot who liked to import cars from Britain. He had brought the little Morgan over from England, having purchased it from Richard John Leeson from Surrey. How do I know this? The car came with its original green ownership and registration document, one that lists every owner since the car was first sold on March 1, 1949. I am the eighth person to have it.
Morgans all have their own personalities. How could they not? They are to this day built entirely by hand. Modifications are common and indeed the lads at the factory have always been more than accommodating when it comes to adding this or changing that. My car should have a 1,267cc Standard Special four-cylinder engine that Standard (which later owned Triumph) built just for Morgan. Instead, it has an 1,147cc Triumph Spitfire engine and gearbox that were cleverly grafted into the chassis in the distant past. This took place before the car ever found its way to the United States, so the Spitfire motor has actually been in the car longer than the original Standard Special sat under the bonnet. It has the requisite flat radiator and Lucas headlamps and, like almost every British sports car I've owned, the wiring under the dash is a spaghetti-like mess of bare wires, twisted together in the optimistic hope that electrons will flow. The seats are seedy and the paint is scuffed and scratched, but it is a Morgan, and it's mine.
This year is the company's 100th Anniversary and my plan is to get my ratty, scruffy old Morgan up and running in time to attend a few shows and whatever else comes our way. Like an aging tomcat with a torn ear and an oddly disjointed tail, it wears the circumstances of its history with pride and a bit of attitude, another stray that has found itself a home. | <urn:uuid:2fbd5367-316a-465c-bcb4-50090f32f22f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.europeancarweb.com/editorial/epcp_0904_1967_garelli_rex_kl_100/viewall.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98314 | 1,506 | 1.5 | 2 |
COLUMBUS -- Four years ago, 130,000 Ohioans were prohibited from casting regular ballots during the presidential election because their current addresses didn't match the information in the state's voter database.
Secretary of State Jon Husted on Thursday unveiled an online system that would allow registered voters to update their information long before Election Day to avoid being handed a provisional ballot that would not be counted until days later after the voter's eligibility has been verified.
"[The 130,000 provisional ballots were] about 65 percent of all of the provisional ballots cast in the election," he said. "So if voters take advantage of this new tool and update their addresses online, it is likely that a lot fewer of them would have to vote a provisional ballot."
Oct. 9 is the deadline to register for this election as well as to change names and addresses in the registration database.
"People have become accustomed to using eBay, PayPal, banking online, making travel reservations," Mr. Husted said. "It's a system that is something that we do in our daily lives in many ways, and voters will be very comfortable and, frankly, have come to expect these kinds of services."
The Ohio Association of Election Officials applauded the move.
"This is the wave of the future," President Llyn McCoy said. "It is something numerous voters have expressed an interest in, and I'm pleased to see it in place. While not full blown online registration, today's announcement moves us farther down the path to complete automation."
Ohioans will not be able to use the system to actually register. That must still be done by mail or in person at county boards of election or other approved locations with the information entered into the database manually by county employees.
Mr. Husted, a Republican, said he will continue to advocate for a change in state law to allow online registration.
"I believe that registering online would make our system more accessible and more secure," he said. "I think it's an important priority for continuing to improve Ohio's election system."
By visiting www.MyOhioVote.com, voters can update their information after first providing four pieces of information -- their last names, driver's license numbers, the last four digits of their Social Security numbers, and their birth dates.
State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo) liked the move, but said it won't address the larger issue of too many provisional ballots being cast on Election Day.
"The problem of huge numbers of ballots being rejected due to innocent error by poll workers will persist even with this change," she said. "In 2008, in Lucas County, 2,400 provisional ballots were rejected, many due to poll worker error. Even if that were cut in half -- and there is no guarantee that will happen -- that number would still be unacceptable."
Peg Rosenfeld, elections specialist with the League of Women Voters of Ohio, said online registration updates are a good idea -- as long as you have access to a computer.
"But of course we keep reading that there is an electronic divide between the people who are better off and the people who are less well off, and between the young and elderly," she said. "[Mr. Husted] made the point that people can continue to register the old way on paper, and it will be on all of us who've worked for years to get people to register and for the campaigns to register folks and make sure their information is up to date." | <urn:uuid:58c3c550-8ffe-49d9-ac5f-1964e09e442b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.toledoblade.com/State/2012/08/10/Ohio-allows-voter-changes-online.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 | 0.973713 | 706 | 1.648438 | 2 |
World-renowned environmentalist Bill McKibben and students from the Claremont Colleges spoke Sunday about the 5C Divestment Campaign, which calls on the 5Cs to freeze any new investments in fossil fuel companies and divest, or withdraw, investments in five years from direct ownership and from any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds.
The event, held at the University of California, Los Angeles, was part of the "Do the Math" national tour by 350.org, a campaign founded by McKibben that aims to reduce the current level of 392 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 ppm. The organization is currently working with student organizers across the country to start divestment campaigns on over 30 campuses.
The 5Cs were highlighted at the UCLA stop of the tour because they are the first colleges on the West Coast to start their divestment campaign.
Jess Grady-Benson PZ ’14, Kai Orans PO ’14 and Megan Tokunaga PO ’15 led the group of 5C students who traveled to UCLA for the lecture.
Grady-Benson began the event with a speech about the motivation for the 5C Divestment Campaign.
“We are all here tonight because on some level, we are concerned about the future," she said. "The fight to resolve the climate crisis is more urgent than ever."
Although the 5C Divestment Campaign only started last Sunday, an online petition calling on the colleges to freeze investments in fossil fuel companies is already in circulation. Grady-Benson said that getting the 5Cs to disclose their current investments will be the campaign's next step.
“Endowment transparency is going to be one of the things we’re working on in conjunction with this movement in order to make it more feasible and just clear for students to be able to address what investments are being made,” Grady-Benson said.
Tokunaga added that this semester the campaign will focus on building the core of the movement on campus with the help of 350.org organizer Deirdre Smith.
“We will be looking for students across the 5Cs to make our core team," Tokunaga said. "We’ll be setting up the team this semester so when we get back [in January] we’ll be able to start petitioning and working with the board and doing days of action.”
McKibben, who describes himself as a “professional bummer-outer,” focused most of his lecture on the math behind environmental science. He said that it is important to act now, before the damage to the environment becomes “catastrophic.”
In the spirit of the title of the “Do the Math” tour, McKibben introduced a series of numbers that have been confirmed as accurate by the International Energy Agency. He said that, globally, humans can only afford to produce 565 more gigatons of carbon dioxide before the planet’s temperature is raised by two degrees Celsius.
“Anything more than this risks catastrophe for life on earth,” McKibben said.
He also praised grassroots movements like the one taking place at the 5Cs, adding that student involvement is what inspires him to keep working to fight climate change.
“What gives me hope is that there are people, I mean, look, we have people from the Claremont Colleges here and we’ve got pictures of people in 191 countries who are all ready to go, they’re all trying their best,” McKibben said.
Grady-Benson said that she feels excited about how the divestment campaign will be received among 5C students.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out, especially at Pitzer, because Pitzer has these really strong social values and environmental commitments," she said. "We’re really taking this stuff seriously now.”
However, Tokunaga said that she expects the divestment campaign to face a few obstacles in dealing with the administrations and boards of trustees for all of the 5Cs.
“I think fossil fuel companies are really profitable and it will be hard to transfer the funds," she said. "I think working with the board of trustees is going to be difficult. But I guess I’m hopeful. I know it’s going to be hard, but seeing so much interest in this already is a great sign and having the support from 350 is going to help a lot."
Please keep our Community Guidelines in mind when commenting. Thanks for joining the discussion!blog comments powered by Disqus | <urn:uuid:640dce4a-45b4-4001-827b-eb34eaa12b4b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tsl.pomona.edu/articles/2012/11/16/news/3364-bill-mckibben-teams-up-with-5c-students-on-divestment-campaign | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968487 | 975 | 1.71875 | 2 |
The Georgia High School Association recently voted to change the current classification system from five to six classes. You might want to give Raider athletic director Randell Owens a high five.
Madison County is one of the smaller Class AAAA schools in the state. And it is grouped in a region with schools that aren’t close by. Think Rockdale County, Salem, Heritage.
So, Owens sees a shift from five to six classifications as a potential way for Madison County to move back into familiar territory, taking a bus to Franklin County, or Elbert County, not Rockdale County.
The changes will take effect in 2012-2013. The GHSA has had five classifications since 2000. Reclassification and region assignments, however, won’t be official until the fall when school FTE count numbers are released.
“When you have a baseball team traveling to Franklin County for a doubleheader, you’re not paying nearly as much in gas as a game at Salem,” said Owens.
And that’s not to mention the travel time that cuts into students’ study time and cuts down on fans’ incentive to travel to support the team.
Owens said that when Madison County remained in Class AAAA rather than dropping down to AAA, the school took a hit at the gate, bringing in considerably less money since schools from far away won’t bring as many fans as schools from close by.
“The change would help at the gate and with transportation costs,” said Owens. “It’s also a better situation from a competitive standpoint. I think it would help us significantly in several ways.” | <urn:uuid:f2966f52-7393-4f17-86be-ee9aee1810d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mainstreetnewssports.com/archives/3772-Plan-to-add-6-A-classification-could-help-MCHS.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966721 | 346 | 1.523438 | 2 |
If you’re reading this website, you’re a Harry Potter fan. You know every detail of every book and every line of every movie. But are you more of a Chamber of Secrets fan... or do you find yourself drawn more toward The Goblet of Fire. And what on earth does that mean about who you are as a person!?
Relax! We're going to tell you.
Book One: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
If you’re a fan of the first book, you can most likely be described as happy, innocent, and fun loving. You’re not preoccupied with the later conflicts and tribulations of the series. Instead, you’re content enjoying the simple fantasy of a kid becoming a wizard. Some people may think that this makes you childish, but once you finally master that Tarantallegra spell that you’ve been working on, then we’ll see who looks silly!
Book Two: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
You like to indulge yourself in a good mystery such as: What is in the Chamber of Secrets? Who is Tom Riddle? And did Ginny not die because gingers don’t have souls?
Book Three: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Preferring this book could mean that you are a forgiving individual who is willing to overlook somebody’s reputation and give them a second shot at redemption. It could also mean that you have a thing for convicts, which may not bode so well for your future romantic life.
Book Four: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
If you consider this book your favorite, you can consider yourself competitive. VERY competitive. The most competitive. More competitive than all the other competitive competitors who like to compete. You’re so competitive that if there was a competition to see who was the most competitive competitor, you’d win first, second, AND third place. BRING IT ON!
Book Five: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
People who like this book understand and appreciate the value of teamwork. They are loyal to their friends and expect the same loyalty in return. Yet, there is also a righteously rebellious side to them that is not afraid to defy authority in order to protect what is right. Unfortunately, thanks to this book, fans will now forever associate tea-drinking cat-loving plump British women with corporal punishment.
Book Six: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Evil thoughts. Dark magic. Splitting souls. Little hope. Lots of death. Betrayal and cold blooded MURDER! If this is your favorite book of the series, you may want to seek some professional help…
Book Seven: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Favoring this book could mean that you firmly believe in good triumphing over evil. It could mean that you have a climactic personality and embrace the excitement in your life. Or it could mean that you’re a fan of resolution, which is convenient because this post is over right…. Wait for it… Almost there… Now.
Which book are you? | <urn:uuid:16ad430b-ef7c-4aad-8cb0-5a7a3de243d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://community.sparknotes.com/2013/02/01/what-your-favorite-harry-potter-book-says-about-you?comment_id=1912875 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949725 | 655 | 1.507813 | 2 |
October 21, 2009
Wednesday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus said to his disciples: "Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." Then Peter said, "Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?" And the Lord replied, "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master's will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, my Creator and Redeemer, everything good comes from you. You are the one source of peace and happiness. Thank you for bringing me into existence and insuring I received the inestimable gift of the faith. Thank you for accompanying me in every moment. I am grateful for your mercy and love and wish to respond more generously to you in my life.
Petition: Lord, help me to be a faithful and prudent steward.
1. Wanted: Faithful and Prudent Stewards
Anyone who has had a management position knows that one of the riskiest parts of the job is hiring. Very often, it can seem like rolling dice, especially when there is a conflict between what’s read in the resume and what’s felt in the gut. Nevertheless, to make a good hire, you need to have a clear idea of what you want. The Lord has a simple job description for the stewards he is looking to bring on. They must be faithful and prudent. In being faithful, they don’t seek to impose their own vision or desires over his, but rather serve the Master who has given them their commission. Their will is such that they are confident in assimilating the desires of their master. They are able to perceive how to adjust and adapt to the multitude of circumstances that arises. These stewards are constantly applying the old wristband test, “WWJD,” i.e., What Would Jesus Do?
2. Tasting One’s Own Medicine
Having been “hired” by the master, it would be foolish not to expect to be held accountable for the trust that he bestows. Nevertheless, the irresponsible steward indulges his appetites and abuses his authority. The master’s “delay” gives him a false sense of security. Without the natural brake of his master’s watchful eye, his pride gets out of control. Yet the master is bound to return, and the servant eventually experiences the results of his own arrogance: the taste of his own medicine is bitter indeed. The Lord is inviting us to have a greater awareness of his constant presence. His absence and “delay” are only apparent. He is very much present to those who wish to live their God-given charge with integrity and responsibility. His grace is always available to those who live their lives in his presence.
3. Management Styles
The two types of stewards have very different management styles. One beats the servants; the other “distributes the food allowance at the proper time.” We all want to be counted among those faithful and prudent stewards who take good care of those entrusted to us. Yet at times, the responsibility we have seems more burdensome than desirable. While the bad steward indulges his passions, the good steward is in danger of giving into his fatigue and impatience. Frustration is a distinct possibility when it comes to forming others. If the Lord died such a cruel death for our salvation, who can measure the value of a single soul? By contemplating that example, we need to learn to put aside our petty annoyances and instead be faithful in caring for those entrusted to us.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have given me such great responsibility. I am sorry for the times I have offended you, and for when I have not lived up to the trust you have bestowed on me. I promise you that I will strive to reflect your love for those to whom you have entrusted to my care.
Resolution: When my patience is tested, I will pause and ask myself, “How does the Lord want me to handle this situation?”
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Write a comment on this article| | <urn:uuid:99ddb8db-4919-429a-a77d-fe8f2076bacf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catholic.net/index.php?option=dedestaca&id=4043&grupo=&canal= | 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 | 0.968834 | 1,165 | 1.664063 | 2 |
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Session 46 - Interstellar Scattering and Scintillation as Tools in Radio Astronomy.
Topical, Oral session, Tuesday, June 09
We describe the results of a multi-frequency VLBA study of the scatter-broadened images of fifteen compact extragalactic sources. The sources are located along lines of sight which intercept the Cygnus X superbubble. We have used the phase structure function to determine the spatial spectrum of turbulence with high SNR on scales from 100 to 6,000 km. We will discuss evidence for detection of an inner scale length along some lines of sight as well as excess visibility amplitude for projected baseline lengths much greater than the diffractive scale. We also find that most scattered-broadened images are significantly elliptical with orientations which may be related to the large-scale magnetic field orientation in the Cygnus superbubble.
Program listing for Tuesday | <urn:uuid:eb152b3b-3ef4-4384-a267-ec380059381e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aas.org/archives/BAAS/v30n2/aas192/abs/S046013.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93185 | 187 | 1.625 | 2 |
I am at the Hotelympia show at the moment having a great time. Yesterday I was talking to John Gordon and Gwilym Davies about coffee and all the usual stuff baristas talk about. It got me thinking a little about what a good barista is and what it takes to become a good barista. Are the people who compete in a championship and do well good baristas? Simply because they know how to make a good cup of coffee? Does it mean that when you can do latte art you are a good barista?
The answer for me has come to me yesterday. For the last few days I have poured every drink right in front of the customer, as close as possible. I made Gwilym a coffee and he came really close to me to put a bit of pressure on I guess (it made no difference as my hands were shaking anyway because of all the coffee I drunk that day ) It was great and got us talking about latte art. Pouring latte art is great but ONLY if you can do it right in front of the customer. Pouring latte art on the back counter out of sight just doesn’t have the same impact. And pouring it too perfect will make your customer think that it was the machine that did it. Does it make you less of a barista if you can not pour it in front of your customer? No, I don’t think so.
Many people often ask me to make them a coffee. Especially when I go visit them. The problem is that I have no idea how the machine or grinder is calibrated, how old the coffee is and how the coffee is behaving. You can’t just simply walk up to a machine unknown of the coffee and the settings and make a great cup. A good barista knows how to calibrate a machine, not just how to make a cup of coffee. To me, this is one of the most important things that a barista should know: how to calibrate a machine (grinder, espresso machine etc.). This is why it takes me sometimes 10 minutes to make the first cup, and sometimes 30 minutes if I have to clean the machine first.
Another very important factor that makes a barista good at his/her job is the ability to talk. To me it is so important to talk to your customer and to bring across what it is that you are doing. Simply making someone a great coffee is fine and the coffee will surely taste good. If you can make it into a show somehow then the coffee will suddenly become wonderful. I learned this the other day when Colin came for a training course. Colin is a magician and did some tricks on me that I still don’t get . He pointed out that it is not so much the trick itself but the presentation around it. And I so agree! A barista becomes a lot better when he can make a big show out of whole thing.
So, don’t simply pour some latte art but show it off, right under the nose of your customer. Start a dialog and get your passion across. Know how to calibrate your equipment, know your coffee and be able to make the coffee taste anyway your customer likes. Do all these things, and of course SMILE, and in my eyes you are a great barista. (don’t worry though, I love anyone who is interested in learning more about coffee). | <urn:uuid:3090b88b-5f61-4c7c-b523-db5f0b36e73f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://absolutecoffee.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/what-makes-a-good-barista/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966463 | 703 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Word of Mouth and Viral Marketing
Referring a product or service is not a new idea, it’s been around as long as people have—but is the way people make recommendations changing with the times? Despite increased online activity, new research from Mintel shows real-life referrals are still more influential to consumers than those received online.
Mintel’s exclusive consumer survey showed most people who bought a product or service based off a recommendation did so on a referral from a friend/relative or husband/wife/partner (34% and 25%, respectively). Only 5% of respondents bought based on the recommendation of a blogger, the same for a chat room.
“It’s interesting to find that as much time as we spend online, we still prefer a personal recommendation from someone we know and trust,” states Chris Haack, senior analyst at Mintel. “Young adults are somewhat more likely to turn to the Internet for advice and referrals, but even they listen to their peers first.”
Most people base a recommendation on price and convenience, according to Mintel. Especially in the current economic climate, where shoppers are compelled to find the lowest price, it’s not surprising that more than 64% of respondents state that price drove them to recommend a product or service, while quality (55%) and convenience (33%) follow behind.
Mintel reports that Asian and Hispanic respondents are considerably more likely to recommend a product they saw advertised. Asians (14%) and Hispanics (10%) are also more likely to report being influenced by bloggers to purchase a specific product or service.
“The sheer number of people that purchase based on recommendations proves marketers need to pay attention to word of mouth,” states Chris Haack. “It’s becoming easier for businesses to lose control of their marketing messages, so companies need to carefully monitor and respond to consumer conversations about their brands.” | <urn:uuid:d55829e1-c898-49d2-b5d7-28048f612186> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hispanic-marketing.com/bl/research/mintel-finds-people-still-prefer-real-life-recommendations-to-online/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95976 | 397 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Plan Your Visit to the Dire Wolf Project Headquarters
Come observe, photograph, and snuggle with these domesticated prehistoric Dire Wolf dogs in the making. You can learn about their fascinating 24 year history and meet the founder of this new and unique large breed of companion dog.
The Dire Wolf Project headquarters is nestled in the beautiful Sam's Valley in sunny southern Oregon an hour from Crater Lake National Park. This quaint farm housing the majority of dogs from the project is home to sixteen of some of the most beautiful American Alsatians living today. It is the perfect place to come and enjoy.
Please contact the Schwarz Kennels for more information and to plan the details of your trip. See you there!
9 week old American Alsatian puppies. | <urn:uuid:14c4eb8a-b139-45a5-a4c1-4a73cf242dae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.direwolfproject.com/plan-your-visit.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932027 | 153 | 1.804688 | 2 |
My gg-grandfather Joseph Weinhart arrived in New York in 1847 and married Buelah Fish in 1850 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylannia. He was from Germany. Around 1854-55 they along with Beulah's parents and siblings migrated to Dallas County, Iowa. In an interview at a family reunion she stated that they traveled by railroad until they got to Davenport, Iowa. The map shows their migration route to Iowa. The blue line shows the path that Joseph Weinhart made from New York to Pennsylvannia and the green line shows where Beulah Fish's g-grandfather, John Fish, was born (though this hasn't been completely verifyied but all the evidence strongly indicates him as being her g-grandfather). | <urn:uuid:665a06b8-69b5-4b04-97aa-73f2f4be8413> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://les-familygenealogy.blogspot.com/2007/11/my-gg-grandfather-joseph-weinhart.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979882 | 159 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Siam Real Estate
Buying Property and Real Estate in Thailand
Thai law stipulates that a foreigner may not own land in his name, he has the right of ownership of buildings only. If a foreigner wishes to purchase land to build a property he has 2 options.
The land is purchased on a 30 year leasehold, with an option to extend the lease for further 30 year periods. Possession of the land is assured by virtue of the fact that the property occupies the land. The lessor cannot seize the property upon expiration of the lease, as the property is separate from the land.
If a foreigner is going to operate a business in Thailand then he may purchase the freehold of the land through his Limited Company. The land will be owned by the Company, not the individual.
Even recent amendments that allow a Thai spouse (male or female) of a foreigner to buy land require proof that the money used in the purchase of freehold land is legally solely theirs with no foreign claim to it.
If however, what you want is a house, the fact that you can't acquire freehold land should not be a deterrent. You may own the building freehold and together with a well constructed leasehold (typically a 30 year lease with two prepaid 30 year renewals) and a purchase option for the land (that could be exercised in the event the laws of foreign ownership changed - or you sold the property on to a Thai person or legal entity) you will have effective ownership, yet still remain within the laws of Thailand.
Foreigners may own assets in Thailand such as a development constructed on the land. The owners of the development usually set up a legal structure and mechanism which enables the purchaser of the property to own the property.
Here is an example of how this is achieved
Corporate Ownership of property
Thai corporate structures are very similar to British common law.Thai law allows for PLC;s LLC;s Ltd partnerships and other types of corporate entities. Once formed they are referred to as "Juristic perons" in Thai jargon (legal entities). Juristic persons in Thailand which are owned by a Thai majority are considered in terms of property ownership, to be a Thai person and therefore, may own property in Thailand. Note that equitable ownership, which Thai law addresses, does not necessarily equate to actual control of the Juristic Person. The most popular form of corporate land ownership is the Limited Liability Company (LLC).
Control of the Limited Liability Company
Thai law allows the issuing of classified or two tiered stocks. Hence shares of the LLC may be issued as "Ordinary Shares" where the holder of one share is entitled to one vote, and Preferred Shares where a shareholder must have multiple shares in order to obtain one vote. The Thai majority shares may be issued as "Preferred" and the foreign minority shares as "Ordinary". This allows the foreign minority shareholders to hold fewer number of shares, but in fact have control of the company by voting rights.
The land of the development is owned by XYZ Phuket Co.Ltd which in turn is owned by XYZ Phuket Holdings Co.Ltd (XYZCHL). The Thai partner in the development holds the Preference Shares in XYZCHL and the Ordinary shares are owned by XYZ Owners Ltd ("OWNERS"). Each purchaser at XYZ Co.Ltd receives one equal pro rata share of the common stock of OWNERS.
On completion of the agreed purchase amount each purchaser will own a Villa plus an equal share in OWNERS and a lease.
Purchasing a condominium is the easiest, simplest transaction. The law allows foreigners to hold 49% of the units in a condominium freehold while in certain condominium blocks a full 100 % of the units can be owned by foreigners on a freehold basis. One important requirement in order to qualify for freehold status is that the foreign currency funds for the purchase have been remitted from abroad and correctly recorded as such by a Thai bank. The foreign freehold is definitely the preferred structure for purchase of an condominium apartment.
Foreigners have the right to ownership of buildings only, where land is not included. Legal acts are unlimited. A suggestion for foreigners is to lease the land for 30 years with an option to an extension of the lease, then purchase ownership of the house built on the land. Certainty of possession of land and house is assured, by being the owner of the house. The ownership of the land shall be leased out. If arranged as stated above, then the house will be separate from the land, and will not be a component part under the Civil Law. Ownership of buildings can be confirmed, and the lessor cannot seize the house upon expiration of the lease.
See the English translation of the Thailand Condominium Act, the law that permits secure foreign ownership of apartments and condos.
Land Title Search
It is highly recommended that a proper land search at the land office is carried out prior to making an offer. See land titles.
If a second hand property is being purchased, it is essential a building survey is carried out.
What will it cost?
Property tax - Does not apply to property being used for private residential purposes.
Costs only apply upon transfer of ownership. These fall into four categories
- Transfer fees 2.0%
- Stamp duty 3.3%
- Business tax 0.1%
- Income tax (the Thai equivalent to capital gains tax - a variable rate).
Most of the fees are calculated relative to the government's tax assessment value of the property and this value is well below market value.
The precise methods of calculation are complex, but as a rough guide for residential sales, expect the total fees and taxes to work out to be approximately 2-3% of the property market value and usually these costs are split between the buyer and seller.
Is my investment secure?
You should use a reputable business advisor and lawyer, carry out "due diligence", and have a lease agreement prepared. Once this is done, your investment is as secure as anywhere in the world.
There are Thai laws covering "Zoning". We suggest you download a copy of the Thai BUILDING REGULATIONS here which we have had translated into English. | <urn:uuid:b64b4a19-2158-4c09-b989-49f678d17718> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.siamrealestate.com/info/buying-property/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952548 | 1,289 | 1.65625 | 2 |
The drug, PledOx PLIANT, is being developed by Swedish pharmaceutical company PledPharma and has received Investigational New Drug (IND) approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Maria Lundberg, General Manager of Pharmaceutical Development at Recipharm – a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) based in Sweden – expressed in a press release her delight in the company’s contribution to the drug. “Manufacturing material for an FDA-approved clinical study reflects the highest standards of service quality and capabilities,” she added.
The current supportive cancer care market has been estimated to be worth $11.3bn (€8.4bn) and in receiving the nod from the FDA, PledPharma can tap into the US market, described as “perhaps the single most important market” by CEO Jacques Näsström.
The drug, which is to enter Phase IIb clinical trials, is designed to protect cancer sufferers from further complications after chemotherapy including oxidative stress.
The over-production of free radicals in the normal oxidation process causes the burden on the body known as oxidative stress which can be exacerbated by chemotherapy treatment. Oxidative stress can interfere with cancer drugs and cause a number of other complications.
The deal is not the first time the two companies have worked together. Last year Recipharm assisted PledPharma in gaining regulatory approval and restarting clinical trials of its candidate therapy, mangafodipir, after supplies of the heart attack drug ran out. | <urn:uuid:ce715575-c7a6-4ddc-8632-46a4ed753c76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.outsourcing-pharma.com/content/view/print/741252 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952597 | 317 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Yesterday the Large Hadron Collider overheated, but it wasn't because of a software error or terrorism. It was because a bird dropped a piece of bread onto some outdoor equipment.
The LHC's beam wasn't actually operational at the time, so the automatic fail-safe mechanism didn't need to kick in. Nonetheless the operation had to be shut down until the problem was found. No remarks on whether anyone tracked down the bird bomber and compensated it for the lost lunch. [Register via Pop Sci] | <urn:uuid:1f6cac36-c325-4fdc-b2a9-1ae776197285> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gizmodo.com/5397970/large-hadron-collider-overheats-due-to-dropped-chunk-of-bread | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97097 | 102 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Rooted and Grounded
Autumn–and with it comes the time to prepare gardens for winter. As we have several flower beds, it usually takes three or four days to pull out the annuals, the weeds and the dahlia tubers. Wanting to take advantage of the warmth of Indian summer, my husband and I set to work last weekend. In one bed ,weeds had almost taken over. You know, the kind that camouflage as a pretty vine but in truth, set down roots as they travel, wrapping themselves around the plants. Try as I might, I could not get to the base of the stubborn roots. Deep down they went, insuring a new crop in the spring.
As I worked, this scripture came to mind: ‘Let your roots go down into Him (Jesus Christ) and draw up nourishment from Him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught.’ (Colossians 2:7)
Ephesians 3:17 says: ‘May your roots go down deep into God’s marvelous
Roots are the most important part of the plant. Roots secure and establish it in the ground, take nourishment from the soil, feed the plant which in turn produces foliage, flowers and fruit. Without this firm foundation, plants wither and die. Like plants, we too need a firm foundation. Jesus is the rock on which we build our faith. He tells us He is the vine and we are the branches, we have been grafted into the plant as God’s adopted children and we have to remember ‘we are just a branch, not the root.’ (Romans 11:18)
We receive nourishment from Jesus through the Holy Spirit as we read and study the Bible. Listening to God’s word, prayer and fellowship with other believers, all feed the seed of faith. In the parable of the farmer, Jesus said, “the seed planted on good ground is the person who hears and understands the word. This type produces crops – one hundred, sixty or thirty times as much as was planted.’ The more time we spend with the Lord, the deeper our roots go. All the strong winds and storms of life cannot shake our faith, but it grows even stronger through adversity. As time passes, our roots become as the roots of those I was trying to remove from my garden – stubborn, strong and steadfast.
Rooted and grounded in Jesus, we can experience life to the fullest.
‘Then your face will brighten in innocence
You will be secure and free of fear…
You will have courage and hope
You will be protected and rest in safety
You will lie down unafraid
Many will look to you for help…’ (Job 11:15,18,19) | <urn:uuid:943c8c89-e0d6-4bed-9fde-8a1cadc84206> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://momsfirstscreenn.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/encouragement-for-the-day-172/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958996 | 589 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Belittling the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and citing misleading poll data, FOX News Channel guest Robert L. Woodson Sr., founder and president of the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, vigorously defended President George W. Bush's decision to reject his fourth consecutive invitation to speak at the NAACP's annual convention. When FOX News senior White House correspondent Jim Angle -- who was filling in for Hume as host of the July 15 edition of Special Report with Brit Hume -- prompted him on the source of the poll data, Woodson faltered.
From the July 15 edition of FOX News Channel's Special Report with Brit Hume:
ANGLE: Let me ask you first, in your view was the president right or wrong to pass an opportunity to speak?
WOODSON: He was absolutely correct in passing this up opportunity.
WOODSON: And his [chairman of the board of the NAACP, Julian Bond] vilification of the president really does a disservice to the organization, forgetting that 83 percent of blacks no longer look to the NAACP for leadership. And I think that ...
ANGLE: Now where does that figure come?
WOODSON: Well, there are some figures -- there are some surveys done when the black community was asked.
Media Matters for America found no evidence of such a poll. A Washington Post poll from October 16, 1996, found that "more than eight in 10 blacks ... said they felt there is a shortage of black leaders who effectively articulate issues that are important to most African Americans" but did not name the NAACP specifically.
On the other hand, polls show that black Americans hold the NAACP in high esteem. For example, a 2003 poll by Black America's Political Action Committee found that 83 percent of African American registered voters view the organization favorably, compared with only 8 percent who view it unfavorably. The same poll also showed that NAACP president and CEO Kweisi Mfume is among black America's most respected leaders: 44 percent of respondents view him favorably, compared with only 6 percent who view him unfavorably.
Media Matters for America invites Woodson to direct us to the poll he cited, in case we missed it. | <urn:uuid:634b6206-a346-4f68-bf63-56808a648da5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mediamatters.org/print/research/2004/07/16/fox-guest-cited-phantom-poll-to-blast-naacp-and/131455 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959777 | 447 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The New Year has just begun and you know what that means, right? New goals… new diet… new exercise program…. new job?
If you’re unsatisfied in your current work situation, or even if you’re just wondering if there’s something better out there, pick up a copy of New Job, New You by Alexandra Levit. You may know Alexandra from her previous works They Don’t Teach Corporate in College or How’d You Score That Gig?
This time, Levit is tackling career change. New Job, New You is designed to help you discover what’s really driving your career choices, so you can channel those motivations into a more satisfying job and, ultimately, a more satisfying life.
The book gets to the heart of what makes people switch careers, using some of the more common reasons as a framework for the discussion. In Levit’s words, these are:
Family: When true work/life balance becomes a necessity
Independence: When you’ve been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug
Learning: When your bookish, curious side takes over
Money: When an increase in earning potential is on the horizon
Passion: When you yearn to do what you love
Setback: When one door closes, another one opens
Talent: When you’re too good at something not to give it a shot
If any of these strike a chord, New Job, New You could serve as the inspiration for your own career change in 2010 or beyond. But the book does more than help you identify why you may want to move in a new direction, it provides guidance on how that is specific to each section. Levit does a nice job of helping you think through options – listing steps to get your financial house in order before making the leap as an entrepreneur for example – so you can make informed choices as a result.
If – like me – you find that New Job, New You helps you identify what you want out of your career – or even if it leads you to search for greener pastures, you will find plenty of inspiration from others who came before. Since the moment when you take a deep breath and decide to start a new career can be terrifying (yet incredibly liberating), each section features interviews with others who have successfully transitioned from one job to another.
There’s also a forward by Stephen Covey (Hey Alexandra, how’d you score THAT gig?!) that rightly points out this is no longer the age of a hierarchical career model where organizations have all the control. We – as talented employees – have real choices in how, where, and when we work….sometimes we just need a little encouragement to make it happen. Consider this book your paperback “kick in the pants” to get moving.
Emily Bennington is the author of Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job. She hosts a popular blog for career newbies at www.professionalstudio365.com and can be found on Twitter @EmilyBennington or via email at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:60340a58-75ba-4b39-9bb1-4665c10c64bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ysn.com/considering-a-career-change-in-2010/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935176 | 649 | 1.507813 | 2 |
1974...It was year of the Watergate scandal, The Sting was a box-office hit, and aspiring artists and entrepreneurs George Chandler and Reed Hampton fired up their first blacksmithing forge in a drafty old Vermont barn. With anvils, swage blocks, trip hammers and other tools from a bygone era, the two set out to revive the nearly forgotten craft of hand-forging raw metal into functional art. Their innovative designs became recognized for their simplicity and integrity. From these humble beginnings, one of the most respected brands in the industry was born. Today, Hubbardton Forge is the oldest and largest commercial forge in the country with a team of over 200 people creating hand-forged lighting of timeless beauty and artistry…an American wrought-iron renaissance. | <urn:uuid:c3490450-6ed4-4e9d-abde-664634d1c895> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lbclighting.com/hubbardton-forge?dir=desc&global_finish=6934&order=sales_rank&special_price=600-700 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937943 | 157 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Engineering Polymers for the Construction Market in Brazil
The Brazilian engineering plastic demand for construction is growing and will keep growing rapidly in the next years, especially in the big cities, driven by the infrastructure works for the the World Cup and Olympic Games. This will represent an opportunity for manufactures to diversify and reduce dependency from the automotive sector. There is a big potential market to be explored by engineering plastic manufacturers in construction. Applications should be developed with converters in order to meet end-users needs.
1. Brazilian Market for Engineering Polymers in Construction | <urn:uuid:e66aa92a-cf3d-488e-8953-de0a92508ad9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.frost.com/c/10057/sublib/display-report.do?bdata=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5mcm9zdC5jb20vYy8xMDA1Ny9zdWJsaWIvY2F0ZWdvcnktaW5kZXguZG8%2FYW5jaG9yPU5BODgtMDEtMDAtMDAtMDAmY2F0ZWdvcnk9aW5kdXN0cnlAfkBJbmR1c3RyeSBSZXNlYXJjaEB%2BQDEzMzc4ODg0ODk0MjQ%3D&id=NA88-01-00-00-00 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941603 | 111 | 1.554688 | 2 |
You or your partner have a new child. You have an ailing parent who needs around-the-clock attention. You yourself are suffering with a serious illness. All of these are situations that are stressful enough on their own, but having to worry about taking time off from work can just add to the headache.
Fortunately, the government has put into place certain rights for you as an employee that can alleviate some of this worry. Called the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), this law provides you with the opportunity to take time off in certain situations. The time you take off probably will be without pay, but you won't jeopardize your job as a result of being away from work.
President Clinton signed the bill into law in 1993 to provide better balance between work and family. The time you take off under FMLA is separate from the sick days you accrue in working at your company.
You Can Take 12 Weeks' Leave in a Year ...
If you—or your partner—want to take off time when you have a baby, this law allows you to do so for up to 12 weeks. Some companies will provide a portion of that as paid leave, while others will make it all unpaid. This is sometimes called maternity leave, paternity leave (as we become more progressive as a society—dads want time off too) or simply parental leave.
If you're adopting a child or fostering one, you can also take leave to help with the adjustment period. This can help the child settle into his new environment more smoothly.
For those whose spouse, child, or parent is seriously ill and needs extra attention, FMLA allows for time off to help care for them. If you suffer from a serious health condition that renders you unable to do your job, that's also covered.
You Can Take 26 Weeks' Leave in a Year ...
If you need to care for a parent, spouse, child, or next of kin who is a member of the military, or if you yourself are a service member with serious health issues, you can take up to 26 weeks of job-protected leave to recover or be a caregiver.
How to Qualify for Family & Medical Leave
Before you ask for an extended period of time off, make sure you qualify. To invoke entitlement to FMLA, an employee must:
- Have worked at the company a year or longer
- Have worked at least 1,250 hours over the last year
- Work at a location where the employer has 50 or more employees within 75 miles
If you're part-time or otherwise don't meet these requirements, you're not protected by the law. Additionally, you can't use FMLA to care for family members who are not your spouse, child, or parent, and you can't use the time to recover from minor illness, like a cold. If you're not sure if you qualify with your situation, speak to your human resources manager.
FMLA is designed to help keep your job safe while you tend to personal matters that qualify, such as having a baby or caring for an aging parent. If you qualify, you cannot be fired for taking time off. When you return to work your employer is required to put you back in the same job or an equivalent job with the same pay, benefits, and any other perks that you had before.
If you feel that you have been wrongfully terminated when you should have been covered by FMLA, contact your local office of the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division to file a complaint.
Lindsay Olson is a founding partner and public relations recruiter with Paradigm Staffing and Hoojobs.com, a niche job board for public relations, communications, and social media jobs. She blogs at LindsayOlson.com, where she discusses recruiting and job search issues. | <urn:uuid:185832a0-c705-47cd-96bf-47ad7dde59a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/03/12/understanding-your-rights-under-fmla | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973127 | 783 | 1.695313 | 2 |
FILE -- In this file photo taken on Feb. 24, 2013, policeman patrol as faithful gather the last Angelus noon prayer of Pope Benedict XVI, celebrated from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's square at the Vatican. Planning for the moment when the next pope is proclaimed to the world, and for the installation ceremony a few days later, is a big-time guessing game. And that adds up to an ungodly logistical headache for the city of Rome. Nearly everything went smoothly for Benedictís last public appearances, although some faithful panicked during the retired popeís penultimate Sunday blessing from his studio window, when thousands of last-minute arrivals tried to squeeze through three narrow openings through a metal fence ringing the edge of the square. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
ROME (AP) — You’re expecting hundreds of thousands of guests. You don’t know where they’re coming from, or when they’ll arrive. You don’t even know the date of the celebration.
And heaven only knows the name of the man being feted.
Planning for the moment when the next pope is proclaimed to the world, and for the installation ceremony a few days later, is a big-time guessing game. And that adds up to an ungodly logistical headache for the city of Rome.
When white smoke pours out of the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, throngs of Romans will drop what they’re doing and race to St. Peter’s Square to cheer the new pope when he steps out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. If the next pontiff hails from somewhere in Italy, thousands can be expected to pack trains to the capital.
Then there are all the foreigners flying into town to capture the historic moment — an influx that may become overwhelming if cardinals break with tradition and elect the first pope from Latin America, home to 40 percent of the world’s Catholics.
A tented field hospital will go up in a square near the Vatican by the eve of the start of the conclave on Tuesday, ensuring that emergency medical treatment will be just around the corner if any pilgrim feels ill or stumbles in the rush to glimpse the new pope.
While there are no other special plans for the conclave itself, Rome authorities have a detailed game-plan for the papal installation that takes place a few days after the pope is elected. The audience for that momentous event in St. Peter’s Square will include presidents, prime ministers, religious leaders and tens of thousands of pilgrims, along with the throngs of accidental tourists who happen to be in town.
Police helicopters will whirl overhead. Thousands of extra police will be summoned to duty to keep streets safe and unclogged. Officers on motorized rubber dinghies will glide down the Tiber, ready to dive into the river’s murky waters to pick out anything suspicious. Bomb-sniffing dogs will poke their noses down manholes and trash bins in security sweeps along the routes that both VIPs and faithful will cover en route to the square.
As soon as the installation date is known, some 500 Civil Protection volunteers, many of them ready to hop on Segways, will receive phone calls to spring into action. They know the drill for the big day: They’ll report to Rome’s main train station and the subway stop closest to the Vatican before dawn, helping like good shepherds to channel the flock along designated streets, closed to traffic, that lead to St. Peter’s Square.
`’Not even the Vatican knows how big the crowd will be,” said Mario Vallorosi, who heads the Rome office of the government’s Civil Protection service. “It will be affected by who (the pope) is. If he’s a Latin American, he will draw huge crowds.” Conservative crowd estimates, he told The Associated Press, run between 200,000 and 300,000.
Since Benedict XVI gave two-week’s notice last month for his resignation — the first in 600 years — there have been a few `’trial runs” of crowd control and security in St. Peter’s Square. His final public audience drew so many people (some 150,000 people) there wasn’t enough space for all in the vast cobblestone square. Surrounding streets quickly filled up with the overflow, with many faithful watching the pope’s final public Vatican appearance on maxi-screens set up for them.
The Vatican’s own security force, known as the gendarmerie, is in charge of the crowd inside the square and Italian police handle crowd control just outside the Vatican’s boundaries. Security officers from both forces included plainclothes agents dressed up as pilgrims and tourists, listening to the chatter in the square and watching for any unusual movements.
Nearly everything went smoothly for Benedict’s last public appearances, although some faithful panicked during the retired pope’s penultimate Sunday blessing from his studio window, when thousands of last-minute arrivals tried to squeeze through three narrow openings through a metal fence ringing the edge of the square.
Rome enjoyed at least a few days scramble time for those last papal events. Now, uncertainty surrounding the conclave is adding huge pressure.
`’The biggest concern is lack of information,” said Giammario Nardi, the man Rome’s mayor has put in charge of hosting special events.
Nardi insisted the city is not privy to any hints from the Vatican about when the papal installation will take place. `’We’re operating on predictions,” he said, “on what the newspapers tell us.”
Nardi spoke with The Associated Press several hours before the Vatican announced on Friday that the cardinals will start voting for Benedict’s successor on Tuesday, a process that could wrap up in a day or two, or might need more time.
With a shudder, Nardi recalled how ambulances were blocked by the narrow streets of the Borgo, the neighborhood near the Vatican, when faithful couldn’t squeeze into the square and clogged the streets after John Paul II’s death in 2005. In those days crowds turned out day and night to pray at the Vatican and pass by his body as it lay on display in St. Peter’s Basilica.
The decision to set up a field hospital this time is fruit of that bad memory, he said.
The most mentioned date for the new pope’s installation Mass in St. Peter’s Square is Sunday, March 17, exactly a week before Palm Sunday begins Holy Week. Nardi acknowledged that date as the city’s operating `’hypothesis.”
He sighed as he pondered the challenges.
`’The election of an Italian pope or a foreign pope will mean, as pilgrims go, different numbers and different types,” he said, adding: `’It’s not like we have a lot of time between when the white smoke puffs out and the installation.”
Complicating a March 17 papal installation: It’s the same date the capital is hosting the Rome Marathon.
Some 100,000 runners are expected for the race, which traditionally loops near St. Peter’s Square in mid-morning. That’s practically the same time huge crowds could be surging toward the Vatican for a first papal Mass.
Nardi said that the Italian government wanted to cancel the marathon, citing worries about public safety. But Rome’s officials were adamant about holding it, and a compromise was clinched.
If the installation falls on marathon day, the race will go ahead but re-routed away from the Vatican. The marathon’s start will also be put off until early afternoon, when presumably the new pope, pilgrims and Romans will be eating lunch. A main Rome boulevard usually on the marathon route will be fenced off so limousines can whisk VIPs straight to St. Peter’s Square without dodging pedestrians — or marathon runners.
If the marathon weren’t enough, March 17 is also St. Patrick’s Day, with thousands of Irish rugby fans expected in Rome because Ireland plays Italy the day before in the Six Nations tournament.
Benedict’s final public audience cost Rome some euros 500,000 ($675,000) alone, and public events surrounding the new pope’s installation ceremony could cost 10 times that amount.
For example, the city will rent several maxi-screens, at euros 20,000 ($27,000) apiece, to place in streets near the Vatican for faithful who can’t fit into the square.
Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno has taken to passing a collection plate to the central government, but so far Italy’s austerity-minded caretaker premier, Mario Monti, hasn’t dropped anything in.
Whether Rome could recoup some of the costs connected with the papal ceremonies from tourism, including a modest surcharge on hotel rooms, depends heavily on where the pilgrims come from, Nardi said. The number of tourists in the city rose by some 10 to 20 percent for Benedict’s final audience, with many apparently from southern Germany, judging by the many pilgrims waving the flag of Benedict’s native Bavaria.
When Benedict was installed in 2005, an estimated 100,000 Germans turned out for the ceremony, which drew some 350,000 overall.
Just how many people the new pope will attract to the city is an open question, depending a lot on what Nardi called `’charisma.”
Fulvio Paolocci contributed reporting. | <urn:uuid:f86c4ee2-c455-43d4-87b7-4321bd21caf8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.macombdaily.com/article/20130310/NEWS05/130319966&template=printart | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935983 | 2,044 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Guest Author - Mavis Metcalf
It started off innocently enough. A friend was thinking about dropping a stressful job and taking up bird breeding to reduce her high blood pressure and make some money. When she mentioned this to a group of us she received a lot of “don’t do it” from us all.
Let’s examine this a bit closer. Why would all these people – some of who do breed birds tell her not to take up breeding? Are they worried that she might cut into their market & reduce their profits? No, that can’t be it - this is a friend and she doesn’t live close enough to any of us to have any impact on profits.
My reply to her was:
“I haven't done any breeding in several years now, and my experiences are with the smaller & less expensive birds. Some months I was lucky enough to cover my expenses but most of the time, the costs of raising the birds exceeded any money coming in from their sale.
When you're looking after the birds, you may find that your blood pressure goes down as long as you enjoy the cleaning & the time you get to spend with them.
But when it comes to picking the right people for your baby - or having people phone and make an appointment, but then not come - or phone you a week after they have their bird & say they want another one because the last one was caught by the dog or flew out the window - or any of the other ways that dealing with people can annoy you, you may find that your blood pressure is right back up there again.
This is just my opinion, of course, but if you look at breeding as just a hobby that will probably not even come close to paying for itself for several years, you may be able to bring your blood pressure down.”
Another reply she received was:
“Becoming a breeder is NOT the way to lessen your hypertension. It is emotionally and physically demanding. Getting a proven pair of breeders is usually expensive too.”
One more reply was:
“Raising and breeding birds can be heartbreaking and exhausting!) Think of all the sad things that happen with the breeders here. The babies that don't make it (which IS going to happen), the sicknesses that they spend tons of money on, all the supplies you'd need, it would take a long time before you would even make money and you'd probably want to keep all the babies”
Yet another reply:
“IF it is just to make extra money do not plan on it. Most breeders barely break even. I remember someone who had to take a baby tiel into the vet for an infection and it cost 600 + dollars to make it well.”
Now we have to wonder why anyone goes ahead & breeds birds. What is in it for them?
See part 2. | <urn:uuid:cbbfb3b2-563a-4988-b39b-fa4c5b4d7396> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4258.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978957 | 603 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Today is our eighth wedding anniversary.
That’s not so important, really, to anyone except us. But because we got married just as soon as we could, with the first wave of legal same-sex marriages in the United States, this day and this week ring with history.
The hammer that rings this matrimonial bell is, in some ways, a chime of triumph: Since Massachusetts led the way eight years ago, a number of other states have followed suit.
But that same hammer is also a cudgel of anti-gay reaction and homophobic hysteria. Thirty states have amended their constitutions in a way that singles out and punishes our families-most recently North Carolina, where voters passed an restriction not only on marriage, but on civil unions and domestic partnerships, a restriction so vicious and unnecessary that even David Blankenhorn, a prominent backer of the most notorious of all anti-gay ballot initiatives, California’s Proposition 8, came out against it, together with Elizabeth Marquardt of the Institute for American Values, in an April 11 editorial.
"For one thing, it means that North Carolina could not, now or ever, take any step or devise any policy to extend legal recognition and protection to same-sex couples. No domestic partnership laws. No civil unions. Nothing," Blankenhorn and Marquardt wrote. "That’s mighty cold. If you disdain gay and lesbian persons, and don’t care whether they and their families remain permanently outside of the protection of our laws, such a policy might be your cup of tea. But it’s not our view..."
It was, evidently, the view of 62% of North Carolina voters.
There’s good news out there, too, such as Washington State’s lawmakers having approved marriage equality for all families there, and Maine marriage advocates putting a pro-marriage initiative on the ballot for this fall. But the good news feels thin and provisional: It’s a shame and a disappointment that we’re now going along with the idea of voting on people’s rights, and even if we win in Maine it feels like a betrayal of a deeply important core value. As for Washington State, as you might expect, anti-gay forces there are working to put the new law up for repeal at the hands of the voters, as happened at the Maine ballot box in 2009 and California in 2008.
Barack Obama’s attitude toward marriage equality has completed its long epicycle back to what it was in 1996, now that the president has "evolved" back to support for the full legal equality of our families. But will he win in the fall? Mitt Romney, who was governor in Massachusetts in 2004 when the first legal same-se marriages in this nation took place, is poised to pursue a federal amendment that would wipe out the progress we have made over the last eight years. And the Supreme Court, packed with activist judges that effortlessly fly below the radar of conservatives who clamor whenever a "liberal" jurist interprets the law in a way that expands the liberties of minorities, is all but certain to hear important cases on the matter of marriage equality, including a challenge to Proposition 8 (already found by two federal courts to fall short of Constitutional muster) and at least one challenge to the inaptly-named "Defense of Marriage" Act from 1996, a shameful piece of legislative bigotry signed by Bill Clinton that denies our families federal-level recognition in spite of the growing number of states where we’ve won the freedom to marry.
The great French satirical writer Voltaire claimed that things would be better if we could all just tend to our own gardens. My husband and I didn’t need the state to tell us, eight years ago, that we were married; we knew that for ourselves, and it was our business, not the state’s. But because we knew firsthand the inequalities that come with denying families legal equality (and legal existence), we leapt at the chance to assert the validity of our union in the eyes of the law.
Someone once said that a government big enough to give you want you want is big enough to take away what you have. We see that happening in the arena of marriage: Government should not be in the business of telling people with whom they may and may not form civil contracts of any sort. The moment a state government granted marriage to same-sex families, other state governments, manipulated by big-money interests, started to build up bigger and harsher obstacles to families gaining similar recognition.
I’d love to busy myself with my own garden, except that the weeds of bias and legal attack keep threatening to creep in and snuff out the flowers. So, yes: The wedding that took place eight years ago today may be a private occasion for my family, but it was also a public milestone. This eighth anniversary may be a special day for two people under this roof, but it’s also an important anniversary for thousands of others, for whom May 21 was the first day it was possible to marry in the entire history of this, the greatest nation on the planet, the cradle of liberty, and the cauldron of the greatest experiment in history: The experiment of democracy.
Some people like to call marriages like mine an "experiment," and they say this with a sneer or a grimace. They’re right to say that it’s an experiment, because most things in life are experiments; you never know quite how they are going to turn out. It’s not a dirty word, and it’s not a dangerous thing. Human liberty is an experiment, too, and I think it’s quite a good one that’s led to unparalleled god things. But human affairs are complicated, and as we can see from the marriage debate itself we still have not quite figured out where to draw the lines between personal liberty and social curtailment of liberty. People who are afraid that gay spouses will somehow take liberties with the rights of others (religious rights, parental rights, whatever) respond by, well, taking liberties with the rights of others... for example, voting them out of existence.
Will my husband and I still be married eight years from now? Not if the anti-gay crowd get their way. (Sorry, marriage deniers, but if you’re against my family’s right to exist because two gay men are involved, that does make you anti-gay. And yes, it also makes you a bigot. Either own up to it or change your anti-gay ways, but quit pretending otherwise.)
But trample on our garden as they might, our detractors will not take our union away from us. We were together long before we signed that piece of paper. Indeed, five days ago we celebrated our real anniversary... our 27th. The world spins always forward, and the clock only reaffirms our supreme right to family with every passing tick. | <urn:uuid:b9b69ac8-7707-48d0-af51-02b16a4ef362> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.edgedallas.com/index.php?ch=columnists&sc=Kilian%20Melloy&id=133325 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958769 | 1,434 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Mon July 2, 2012
CBS News: Roberts Switched His Vote On Health Care
Originally published on Mon July 2, 2012 1:55 pm
It was much rumored as soon as the 5-4 decision that upheld President Obama's signature health care law was announced.
Chief Justice John Roberts had sided with the liberal wing of the court and he had done so after initially voting in favor of striking down the individual mandate, the part of the law the required every American to obtain health care.
CBS News' Jan Crawford has a scoop today in which she talks to unnamed insiders. They tell her that Roberts first agreed that the individual mandate was unconstitutional and assigned himself the task of writing the majority opinion. During the course of that writing, Roberts changed his mind. Instead, he decided, the individual mandate was constitutional under the taxation power of Congress.
That unleashed feverish negotiations between the chief justice and Justice Anthony Kennedy, the expected swing vote on the case.
Crawford's full piece is worth a read. But here are important graphs:
"It is not known why Roberts changed his view on the mandate and decided to uphold the law. At least one conservative justice tried to get him to explain it, but was unsatisfied with the response, according to a source with knowledge of the conversation.
"Some informed observers outside the court flatly reject the idea that Roberts buckled to liberal pressure, or was stared down by the president. They instead believe that Roberts realized the historical consequences of a ruling striking down the landmark health care law. There was no doctrinal background for the Court to fall back on - nothing in prior Supreme Court cases - to say the individual mandate crossed a constitutional line.
"The case raised entirely new issues of power. Never before had Congress tried to force Americans to buy a private product; as a result, never before had the court ruled Congress lacked that power. It was completely uncharted waters."
Last week, The New York Times tried to explain Roberts' thinking. The analysis piece by Adam Liptak is worth a read. Liptak argues that this decision by Roberts wasn't at all a shift in posture. Roberts very often refers to Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
"In the earlier cases, Chief Justice Roberts had drawn varying lessons from Justice Holmes's observation about the grave and delicate duty the Constitution imposes on the Supreme Court," the Times reports. "Once, he said it counseled caution. Another time, he said it required action. On Thursday, he chose compromise, or perhaps statesmanship." | <urn:uuid:d2b13cb6-d2f4-4d67-8bef-816a955cd180> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kmuw.org/post/cbs-news-roberts-switched-his-vote-health-care | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974032 | 517 | 1.625 | 2 |
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How To Run Your Business Into The Ground
A brief list of what not to do if you want your business to succeed!
I have done quite a bit of networking with other business owners. I love to share ideas and not have to reinvent the wheel on my own every day. Most of the time I meet business owners who are doing many things well and have great information to share.
Unfortunately, I also see business owners every day who are doing things that can only lead to running their business into the ground. Sometimes I think we just don’t see how seemingly small actions lead to big results.
I have personally seen or experienced everything on the list below. If you see yourself in these examples, please don’t beat yourself up or feel bad. Just make a change!
Six ways to run your business into the ground:
- Don’t listen to your customers – when they tell you what they like or don’t like, just ignore them and do what you want.
- Make it difficult for your customers to contact you – make sure you don’t have a phone number or email address anywhere on your website, business card, etc. And by all means, don't have it above the fold on your website.
- Bring your personal difficulties into your business – tell your customers all about the difficulties you’re having with your spouse. Better yet, when they come into your place of business, be on the phone having a shouting match.
- Be flaky – don’t do what you committed to doing, be late, or don’t show up at all and then make excuses for why. Preferably, use the excuse of how busy you are.
- Do the opposite of what you tell your clients to do – don't follow your own advice or service.
- Complain about how lousy business is right now – make sure you tell them about how you aren’t making enough money and don’t have enough clients. Then tell them to send you referrals.
I could go on and on but you get the idea. These things ARE a big deal. Your customers DO notice and it DOES have an impact on your bottom line. You are leaving money on the table by doing these things.
The business that inspired #3 above is now closed. I wonder why.
Instead of the above examples, try these:
- Pay attention to what your customers (and potential customers) are telling you. Both in what they say and what they do not say. You don't have to implement every idea or try to please everyone. Just pay attention and let them know you're listening and value their opinons.
- Please, please, please make it easy for someone to contact you. Your contact information should be clearly visible at the top of your website, not way down at the bottom or only on a contact page. On business cards always have a phone number and an email address.
- There is really no way to separate your personal life from your business. However, you can avoid talking about it with or in front of customers. If you are going through a particularly emotional time, take a break!
- If you are going to commit to something, make sure you can follow through. Under promise and over deliver.If you absolutely cannot avoid being late or going back on what you promised, do not launch into a big explanation (excuses). Apologize sincerely and do what you can to make it right.
- If you are in a position to give advice to clients or customers, make sure you are doing the same. Nothing makes you look worse than being a hypocrite.
- No matter what your bottom line looks like, always speak positively about your business. Talking negatively about your business (or lack thereof) does not instill a feeling of confidence in your customers.
I hope this helps keep your ship afloat!
Learn more about the author, Vicki Garcia.
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No one has posted a comment yet. Be the first! | <urn:uuid:fb277b87-4fbe-4905-88d8-01fbf59a7c6c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://biznik.com/articles/how-to-run-your-business-into-the-ground | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95374 | 838 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Based on the animated television program of the same name, Avatar: The Last Airbender
follows the adventures of a group of kids living in an Asian-inspired fantasy world where the nations have been divided up according to the four classical elements: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Within each nation are people who can control that one element, known as benders. The Avatar is a person who can control all four elements, and is charged with keeping peace between the four nations. However, 100 years previous the Avatar had disappeared, making it possible for the Fire Nation to wage a war of conquest across the world. As the show begins, the new Avatar, Aang (originally an Airbender, hence the title of the series), has been found, and now he must travel the world, learning how to bend all four elements and fighting against the Fire Nation alongside his friends Katara (a Waterbender of the Water Tribe) and Sokka (her older brother).
In the game, the player may choose one of four characters: Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Haru (an Earthbender). Each character's fighting style and abilities are unique, and new abilities can be gained as they earn experience by defeating enemies. Items are also available to assist the player, such as armor, chi, accessories, and healing potions. As an action/adventure game, the gameplay is viewed from top-down perspective, with the player battling enemies and searching for specific items required the complete the quests necessary to progress further into the game. The story unfolds over several chapters, and players cannot return to previous areas.
Set between the first and second seasons of the show, the game follows Aang and friends as they investigate the disappearance of a young Waterbender, and find themselves in pursuit of an inventor named Lian the Maker, who has been forced to create dangerous machines for the Fire Nation. As they travel between the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom, the characters battle Fire Nation soldiers, strange animals, and various machines. Some other characters from the world of Avatar
also make minor appearances in the game, including Prince Zuko, who appears during cut scenes only.
- "The Legend of the Last Airbender, Aang" -- Slang title
- "Avatar: The Legend of Aang" -- UK and Australian title
- "Avatar: Le Dernier Maitre De L'Air" -- French title
- "Avatar: La Leyenda de Aang" -- Spanish title
- "Avatar: Der Herr der Elemente" -- German title
- "Avatar" -- Slang title
Part of the Following Groups
There are no reviews for the Xbox release of this game. You can use the links below to write your own review or read reviews for the other platforms of this game.
The Press Says
There is no trivia on file for this game. | <urn:uuid:ab197027-8045-4dd5-941b-9f128772edde> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mobygames.com/game/xbox/avatar-the-last-airbender | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93555 | 594 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Many consider the iPad to be a content-consumption device, with little to no possibility of creating something with the large screen and limited hardware capabilities. I’d like to say that, with all fairness, those people are out of their minds! The iPad makes it easy to do many things, and can replace laptops for a fair number of people.
Aside from the computer-illiterate, the iPad may be best for writers. How can you turn your iPad into the ultimate writing machine? Read on to find out.
When Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad in early 2010, many people thought it impossible that you’d be able to type accurately at any reasonable rate on a glass touch screen. After all, pundits still regularly mention the iPhone’s lack of buttons as a limitation, and that’s just a phone!
Surely no one would want a netbook-sized device without a physical keyboard! While you could always get a bluetooth keyboard or the keyboard dock, the hinderance to portability is a consequential downside.
So, is it actually possible to type fast and accurately on the iPad without an external keyboard? It turns out, you can definitely type fast and accurately on the iPad virtual keyboard. Keep reading to discover some tips to improve your typing, and find out more about TapTyping, an app that can help speed up your iPad typing. (more…) | <urn:uuid:9ca29317-8a4f-4d2f-a40d-c05b2bd5086d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ipad.appstorm.net/tag/taptyping/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94191 | 286 | 1.578125 | 2 |
There are many ways to get involved with the Student Representative Council. Whether you have five spare minutes each week or are looking for serious responsibility and leadership opportunities, the SRC has a place for you. Service in the SRC gives you a chance to speak your mind on important issues affecting students and to work with the leadership of the university to improve the student experience.
Student Voice Member
Time Commitment: 5-10 minutes/week.
As a Student Voice Member you can share your opinions about a wide array of issues at BYU-Idaho. Each week you will receive a brief survey on topics that are being considered by the university administration. Campus leaders are interested in hearing your input to make decisions that are in the best interest of the students. Your participation will help the SRC more effectively represent the voice of students to the administrators at BYU-Idaho.
Student Voice Volunteer
Time Commitment: 2 hours/week.
In addition to taking the Student Voice Surveys, Student Voice Volunteers attend weekly volunteer groups to help review and sort survey results and discuss student issues. These volunteers provide the SRC with an instant focus group so we can get instant feedback from students on any issues that come up during the week. During these sessions administrators are invited to answer questions about their departments. Additionally, many of the surveys contain open-ended questions where the respondent can type out an answer. Student Voice Volunteers help sort through, summarize, and categorize those responses as well as analyze and propose solutions that are reported back to the administration and the students.
Apply to be a Student Voice Volunteer: http://www.byui.edu/student-representative-council/join-src/student-voice-volunteers | <urn:uuid:50161303-1e70-4f43-be02-fbf91fd64fbd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.byui.edu/student-support/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities/src | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955522 | 351 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Here a couple steps you can incorporate for yourself and your kids:
- Try to keep sweets for special occasions or weekends only.
- Soda is very tempting during summertime: but avoid as much as you can. You do not need the extra sugar. Also, the caffeine from soda will make you feel dehydrated.
- You have to compromise at your meals: If you are going to have a burger opt for a salad instead of fries.
- Stay hydrated with water and not juice! (juice is not worth the extra calories)
- Keep junk food out of the house.
- Try to keep your cheats for vacation or when you go out to eat
- Try to burn some extra calories on vacation by doing something fun. (doesn't necessarily have to be in a gym)
- Take the kids out to play so they are not stuck at home all day.
It is very important to stay active and make your kids stay active during the summer. We do not want any future couch potatoes!!! | <urn:uuid:627c5637-ce03-4d3a-80d0-e71b41b386d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.themaddiet.com/2012_05_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960553 | 210 | 1.828125 | 2 |
BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) ---Despite the snow storm, several people around Bangor made the trip into town Thursday morning just to give the gift of life.
Staff at the Red Cross held a 'Bundle Up Blood Drive' for much of the day on Thursday at their donation center on Odlin Road. People could make an appointment or just drop by to make a donation.
While traffic was slow at times, some people still braved the weather to come out. Many donors said when it comes to giving blood, it's one appointment they wanted to keep.
"There's a lot of disasters going on," said Jean Sherwood of Hermon, "a lot of people that need blood and I think with the bad weather the blood shortage is even worse and I just feel if I can get in here... safely drive and get home...I'll be all set."
The Red Cross says in all they collected over 100 pints at drives in Bangor and Portland on Thursday. If you missed the drive there will be another one coming up at Eastern Maine Medical Center on January 8, 2013. | <urn:uuid:4cfd783f-2d99-4ef3-9806-295604fe232b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wlbz2.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=226017 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973848 | 228 | 1.523438 | 2 |
I recently attended a Manhattan screening of “Promised Land,” a new feature film written by and starring Matt Damon and John Krasinski that aims to examine America’s natural gas drilling boom as a case study in “what happens when real people and real money collide,” as Krasinski explained in publicity materials.
The film opens Friday in New York City and Los Angeles and then expands to more theaters in early January. My sense is that it will not satisfy many people — either as a drama or a potential weapon (for either side) in the fight over hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the drilling method that has opened vast regions of the country underlain with gas-rich shale to exploitation. [Here's A.O. Scott's review ; the screenplay has been posted online by Focus Features if you want to read before you watch.]
An eager young industry deal closer, played by Damon, is dispatched to rural Pennsylvania to push presumably unwary village folk into leasing their farmland. But he runs into more than he expects — both from the community and his own company — and ends up sympathizing with a culture that values land, water and tradition more than money.
The plot has nearly all of the beats, but — regrettably — little of the heart and soul of the whimsical, near mystical 1983 film “Local Hero.” In the new film rural Pennsylvania is a stand-in for coastal Scotland and America’s shale gas bounty takes the place of North Sea oil.
The filmmakers, led by director Gus Van Sant, could have drawn on the real and often wrenching drama in such regions — the struggle between landowners and politicians eager for a way out of longstanding economic decline and those fearing contamination, industrial hazards or a loss of rural character. In my travels last spring and summer in Pennsylvania and New York communities situated over the gas-rich Marcellus shale, I saw plenty of this. Tom Wilber’s fine book on the gas rush in the Northeast, “Under the Surface,” probably came out too recently to provide source material for the filmmakers, but depicts the regional tensions in vivid detail. (I recommend that you read Wilber’s thoughtful, informed assessment of the film.)
While the film nicely conveys the textures of small-town life in gas regions, its main characters too often border on caricature. The industry duo moves from farmhouse to farmhouse, facing a sequence of lone, gullible property owners signing leases over a cup of coffee. That might have been commonplace in 2008 or so in Pennsylvania and other early frontiers in the gas boom, but the norm these days in gas country is savvy landowner associations that approach gas deals with skepticism and lawyers.
The plot at first seems crafted to provide no easy answers. An impassioned environmentalist (Krasinki’s character) is as unappealing as Damon and his equally duplicitous partner, played by Frances McDormand. While the industry team offers town officials manila envelopes stuffed with cash, the activist conducts an absurd classroom demonstration — drizzling a toy farm with toxic chemicals and then igniting it — to make his point.
Whether because of budget constraints or by design, the movie never shows drilling itself, leaving the specter of the industrial invasion of rural America to the imagination of the townsfolk and audience. One way or the other, this works to its dramatic advantage.
The central tension in the story surrounds a planned vote by the town that would ban or allow gas drilling. From Ohio through Pennsylvania and New York, there’s been a building push to fight gas drilling by taking control of energy extraction at the local level through home rule. Tom Wilber, again, is an ideal guide to how this is playing out (mostly in the courts).
Unfortunately, any prospects of a compelling denouement evaporate in the film’s final act, when the plot veers cartoonishly, doing for the gas industry what John Grisham has long done for big law firms.
Nuance leaves the theater.
In the end, because of such missteps, the tussle around the film in recent months between environmentalists and their allies and industry and its supporters ends up (sadly) more interesting than what appears on the screen.
For more background on how “Promised Land” came about (the initial scenario centered on wind turbine developers in upstate New York) and the views of its creators, watch the recent Times Talks discussion with Van Sant, Damon and Krasinski and read the recent Times feature on the film. | <urn:uuid:f0e64faa-ebcc-4409-b6f1-13b722b35228> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/the-unfulfilled-promise-of-promised-land/?ref=gusvansant | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953939 | 945 | 1.671875 | 2 |
If you go
What: “Jungle Bells”
When: 1-2 p.m. Feb. 27
Where: Oxnard College Performing Arts Building, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard
Cost: Free admission, $2 parking
Information: Contact Shelley Savren at [email protected] or 986-5800, ext. 1951.
A performance by actor Barry “Shabaka” Henley at Oxnard College will include excerpts from “Jungle Bells,” a play about an African-American man searching for his identity and ancestral past.
“It’s history; it’s culture; it’s also entertainment,” said Henley, a film, stage and TV actor who has appeared in “Miami Vice,” Collateral,” “Ali,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and “Life.”
Henley wrote the one-man show, to be performed Feb. 27, based on his first trip to Africa in the early 1990s.
“I went to Africa looking for a specific cultural identity. What I found was the direct opposite,” said Henley, 58, a New Orleans native who lives in Los Angeles. “Hopefully people will enjoy the play in a way that makes them laugh and gasp and when they go home they begin to process what they saw and think about what was said.”
The play features several characters including Jupiter, the narrator, a former slave in the 1800s. Another portrayal involves the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in an imagined or rumored affair with Marilyn Monroe.
“Dr. King describes if that were true, what would have happened, and that it’s not true, but so what if it was?” Henley said. “It’s about the separation of human beings and martyrs and saints, trying to humanize them. I want to make people understand that they were just human beings who found themselves in unforeseen circumstances and rose to the occasion.”
The performance also will explore the history of blacks in U.S. stage and cinema, from the first independent black theater company in the 1820s through the 1960s black arts movement to the present.
“I believe the way that history has been told in this country has dehumanized the humans who lived it,” Henley said. “I don’t think any other ethnic group in the world would stand for the misrepresentation and lack of equality. ... I want to bring a slice of history that will illuminate what’s going on. I want people to understand that the people who love and admire the history of black people and people who are pro-black are not anti-white. It’s the opposite.”
Henley’s performance is part of Oxnard College’s Literature, Arts & Lecture Series.
“He’s our featured presenter for African American History Month,” said Shelley Savren, an English professor and coordinator of the series, adding that Henley’s awards include a Tony.
African-Americans have had difficulty breaking into the entertainment industry, Savren said. “Our students see blacks in the media but are not aware of their struggle to get there. Here’s an opportunity to educate them and entertain them at the same time.” | <urn:uuid:8e31034e-fdc1-429a-b66c-fa85e0592a40> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/feb/17/performance-to-focus-on-black-history/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967968 | 724 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Following iPad light painting, we’ve made two films of alternative futures for media. These continue our collaboration with Dentsu London and Timo Arnall. We look at the near future, a universe next door in which media travels freely onto surfaces in everyday life. A world of media that speaks more often, and more quietly.
Incidental Media is the first of two films.
The other film can be seen here.
Each of the ideas in the film treat the surface as a focus, rather than the channel or the content delivered. Here, media includes messages from friends and social services, like foursquare or Twitter, and also more functional messages from companies or services like banks or airlines alongside large traditional big ‘M’ Media (like broadcast or news publishing).
All surfaces have access to connectivity. All surfaces are displays responsive to people, context, and timing. If any surface could show anything, would the loudest or the most polite win? Surfaces which show the smartest most relevant material in any given context will be the most warmly received.
I recently encountered this mixing in surfaces. An airline computer spoke to me through SMS. This space is normally reserved for awkwardly typed highly personal messages from friends. Not a conversational interface with a computer. But now, those pixels no longer differentiate between friends, companies and services.
How would it feel if the news ticker we see as a common theme in broadcast news programmes begun to contain news from services or social media?
I like the look of it. The dominance of linear channel based screens is distorted as it shares unpredictable pixels and a graphic language with other services and systems.
This screen listens to its environment and runs an image search against some of the words it hears. I’ve long wanted to see what happens if the subtitles feed from BBC television broadcast content was tied to an image search.
It feels quite strange to have a machine ambiently listening to words uttered even if the result is private and relatively anodyne. Maybe it’s a bit creepy.
Print can be quick
This sequence shows a common receipt from a coffee shop and explores what happens when we treat print as a highly flexible, context-sensitive, connected surface, and super quick by contrast to say video in broadcast.
The receipt includes a mayorship notification from foursquare and three breaking headlines from the Guardian news feed. It turns the world of ticket machines, cash registers and chip-and-pin machines into a massive super-local, personalised system of print-on-demand machines. The receipt remains as insignificant and peripheral as it always has, unless you choose to read it.
The large shop front shows a pair of sprites who lurk at the edges of the window frames. As pedestrians pass by or stand close, the pair steal colours from their clothes. The sketch assumes a camera to read passers-by and feed back their colour and position to the display.
Computer vision installations present interesting opportunities. Many installations demand high levels of attention or participation. These can often be witty and poetic, as shown here by Matt Jones in a point of sale around Lego.
We’ve drawn from great work from the likes of Chris O’Shea and his Hand from Above project to sketch something peripheral and ignorable, but still at scale. The installation could be played with by those having their colours stolen, but it doesn’t demand interaction. In fact I suspect it would succeed far more effectively for those viewing from afar with no agency over the system at all.
In contrast to a Minority Report future of aggressive messages competing for a conspicuously finite attention, these sketches show a landscape of ignorable surfaces capitalising on their context, timing and your history to quietly play and present in the corners of our lives. | <urn:uuid:4be69799-3665-4c9a-897b-971712d70fd1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://berglondon.com/blog/tag/media-surface/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943154 | 772 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Office of Multicultural Affairs
West Chester University
Sykes Student Union
Hours: M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM
The Office of Multicultural Affairs serves as a primary campus resource for information and materials regarding diversity, cultural sensitivity, and awareness. Through direct training and other programmatic activity, the OMA provides students and others an opportunity to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the value of diversity and multiculturalism within our community.
In collaboration with the Learning Assistance Resource Center (LARC) and other academic support offices, the Office of Multicultural Affairs coordinates various academic support and educational skill-building workshops and opportunities such as tutoring, test-taking strategies, study skills, organization and time management.
The Office maintains and makes available resources on diversity and multiculturalism; as well as information on cultural programs, events and activities on campus and in the surrounding community. Other resources available include scholarships, job listings, graduate programs and volunteer opportunities.
The Leadership Development program provides students with opportunities to enhance their leadership skills through programs and activities such as leadership conferences, workshops, seminars, discussion series, etc. One such program is the Annual Multicultural Student Leadership Retreat, which provides students with an opportunity to expand their understanding of leadership in a multicultural environment.
The following conferences serve to aid developing leaders:
Through sponsorship and collaboration with other campus offices and organizations, OMA offers opportunities for students to develop their various interests, learn about academic majors, and explore potential career options. Workshops help students learn about networking, social and professional etiquette, and other skills essential for academic and professional success. Students are also afforded the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions to strengthen their interpersonal skills.
This program is designed to assist first-year students receiving the Board of Governors Scholarship in transitioning to the university and establishing a firm foundation for success throughout their undergraduate career and beyond. BOG scholarships are merit-based awards granted to incoming Pennsylvania residents who have demonstrated a potential for undergraduate success based on their high school academic record, class rank, admissions test scores, and diversity related activities.
An important component of OMA's mission is to foster unity among multicultural students and organizations. In an attempt to achieve such goal, the Multicultural Organizational Advisory Board (MOAB) was established and entrusted with the task of strengthening coordination among multicultural organizations in the areas of program planning, collaboration, communication, resource sharing and fostering unity in the midst of diversity. | <urn:uuid:45d2f36a-912c-4f60-b375-e2e7a62c95fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wcupa.edu/_SERVICES/stu.mca/whatWeOffer.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943962 | 492 | 1.726563 | 2 |
iPads in the Field
As energy efficiency becomes an ever more important factor in a home’s value, developers and homeowners alike need assurance that their energy investments actually produce the returns they expect. Enter Builders Energy Rater, a home energy rating company that has created a custom FileMaker solution (that run on iPads) to streamline the process of collecting and analyzing home performance data.
“With FileMaker on iPad, we capture data in the field and import it directly to our modeling software—no paper required,” explains Charles Ballard, rating administrator at Builders Energy Rater. “This saves us a tremendous amount of time and enables us to tell customers right off if there are deficient situations that must be corrected before construction can continue.”
Builders Energy Rater is nationally certified in EPA’s Energy Star program, RESNET’s HERS score, and USGBC’s LEED system. Formed as an offshoot of San Antonio, Texas-based Key Insulation, Builders Energy Rater has rated over 6,500 new homes in the San Antonio and Austin markets since 2006.
How It Works
Leveraging the capabilities of the FileMaker Platform, Builders Energy Rater’s inspection management system enables the company to create new types of energy-rating services based on updated regulations and link them with program-specific tasks that must be completed to comply with the latest industry regulations. Each task and its requirements are also associated with a set of skills required to successfully complete the task and assigned to an employee with the appropriate certifications.
When field inspectors sign onto their iPads, they are immediately presented with their tasks for the day. As each task is completed, the data is uploaded to FileMaker Server and exported directly into the company’s modeling software, which estimates the amount of energy a house will consume. Office employees can also access the energy inspection management solution from their desktops via the Internet.
“Construction happens in specific stages beginning with insulation first and then dry wall. So, if the tasks aren’t completed when due, then it might not be possible to obtain the data later,” Ballard points out. “With FileMaker, we can make sure that all tasks are scheduled and completed on time so we don’t miss a step.”
Greater Office Efficiency
Delays of even a day in house construction can be costly. According to Ballard, the average time to rate a house is traditionally 5.3 hours, but with the new platform he expects to reduce that time by up to 20%. “The largest area of improvement is in administration,” he says. “We have eliminated scanning paper forms and re-keying data into the modeling system. And, we’re improving accuracy, too, by the use of intelligent forms that provide the inspector with default data that can be altered as needed, and that review changes to ensure the information is accurate.”
Because all the field inspectors have iPads, unusual conditions can be photographed to provide a better understanding of the situation, resulting in fewer return trips. Photos taken are automatically stored with the right form and linked to the appropriate project.
Raters in the office also benefit by having much of the field data imported directly into the modeling software, without manual data entry, providing more complete information in less time. “All [of this] translates to greater efficiency and higher quality service to our customers,” says Ballard.
Enter your comments in the box below:
(Please note that all blog entries and comments are subject to review prior to posting.) | <urn:uuid:0ecbc73a-4096-4986-9c5d-3bfbb2edf5ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.homeenergy.org/show/blog/nav/blog/page/12/id/390 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933667 | 745 | 1.703125 | 2 |
WineAccess Travel Log
Read stories from the world's greatest wine trails.
Along with Bordeaux and Burgundy, Rhone Valley wines are some of the world's greatest red wines. But keep in mind that the Rhone Valley is really two distinct regions. The Northern Rhone produces powerful, aromatically complex and ageworthy red wines, generally in very limited quantities, from the noble Syrah grape. Traditionally, most Northern Rhone red wines have carried alcohol in the moderate 12% to 13% range, but warm growing seasons like 1997, 1999, and especially 2003, have yielded considerably richer, more powerful, and more alcoholic examples.
The Southern Rhone is a nearly bottomless source of somewhat more rustic and often even richer blends based on the high-alcohol Grenache grape, in a style that can only be described as more "southern" in flavor--that is, Rhone wines offering a richer mouth feel, a more roasted and sometimes liqueur-like fruit character, and notes of wild herbs and spices. Alcohol levels of 15% or higher are not uncommon in the ripest vintages. More than 90% of the Rhone Valley's total production comes from the South, and this area is one of the world's great sources of red wine value.
The Northern Rhone Valley also produces the apotheosis of Viognier, an exotically scented white variety that has been widely planted on several continents in recent years by growers hoping to capitalize on strong worldwide demand. Less exciting than Viognier are the other white wines from the Rhone Valley, most of which are blends based on Marsanne and Roussanne in the North, and Grenache Blanc and less distinguished indigenous varieties in the South. Most of these Rhone wines are characterized by notes of honey, earth, and minerals more than by real freshness of fruit; too often they show more texture and alcoholic warmth than flavor.
Top Expert Rated Rhone Wines Over $50 | <urn:uuid:7744ecaa-f52d-464b-80b2-c8fb975c5edd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/region/rhone?top_tab=over_50&top_rater= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945048 | 407 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Originally Posted by yayien
PS: I think that C++ would be a better choice so as to have better perfs..
For the backend daemon maybe? I think for the frontend PHP is a good choice.
If we use a mysql based configuration for most daemons / services, the backend daemon (runs as root) will have to handle only the file based apache configuration, the initial creation of the website directories and the management of the shell users. I think it should handle only the functions where root priviliges are absolutely nescessary. | <urn:uuid:089df0ee-32bb-4307-9d37-f6edd0d7d6f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.howtoforge.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4587&postcount=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945328 | 118 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Part of Discovery Communications’ menagerie of TV properties, launched in 1999 as Discovery Science, renamed Science Channel in 2003, this little corner of cable universe, featuring, as you might have guessed, science-y programming is reinventing itself a third time: simply as SCIENCE. All uppercase, please. Facing stiff competition from the more popular Syfy, SCIENCE certainly needed some kind of boost to make it more relevant and while new programming like Ricky Gervais’ An Idiot Abroad or reruns of cult classics like Firefly are helping, this new identity certainly demands attention — specially its new logo, nicknamed Morph. The new identity will be implemented on air starting June 8.
SCIENCE’s new on-air look is inspired by the constant transformation of energy and passion for exploring the unknown. Morph celebrates the potential of the future while displaying a willingness to reshape current reality. Interstitials will feature Morph continually changing its shape, texture and sound in a manner that will consistently surprise and challenge even the most audacious of imaginations.
— Press Release
Back in 2007 we reported on the last redesign of their logo which was lackluster at best, clichéd and lame at not so worst. This new logo is so amped up it can barely contain its own excitement and the animations create a very intense and interesting personality — although the animation work is good, the sound is what really drives these idents. This is not to say that the logo is perfect because it surely is not. In fact, there is something really awful about it and perhaps it’s something that will go away once an association has been made with viewers between the logo and the fact that it belongs to SCIENCE, which is: Why does the Morph logo say “sci” and right underneath it is says “SCIENCE”? In two different, yet similar to the un-discerning couch potato, techie sans serif typefaces? It’s redundant and confusing, am I supposed to call the channel sciSCIENCE? We’ll see if they sort this out eventually because this identity has real promise.
The Morph icon itself is an interesting take on the abstract blob-as-logo and the different textures it can take provide potential for a great flexible identity, not too different from yesterday’s Eurostar — where the 1990s and early 2000s gave us logos that could change colors the 2010s is giving us logos that change skins. The typography elements on their own seem fine, if a little expected. I would have liked to see the “sci” version inside Morph maybe take over the other sans which has the annoying decapitation of “i” tittles.
The change in SCIENCE is not limited to the network’s name and packaging. The ideals of the new network identity are ingrained into all aspects of the brand. SCIENCE is now the official home of the Thought Provocateur — the individual who is constantly asking the not afraid to ask “what if?” and “why not?”.
— Press Release
“Thought Provocateur”? No, thanks. Just call me “the demographic.” | <urn:uuid:73324b52-f362-4da1-ac53-93079d15edc5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/meet_morph.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947093 | 665 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The real Medicare spending problem
CBO lowers cost estimates for Medicare in 2020 by 15%
There's been surprising good news lately about health care spending -- its growth rate has been falling over the past three years and far more than anyone expected.
But the news isn't enough to trump Medicare's unsustainable path.
Growth in Medicare spending for hospital stays and physician care has dropped precipitously. It was growing at an average rate of 8.4% between 2002 and 2009. But since then the average dropped to just 2.9% a year, the Congressional Budget Office noted in its latest budget and economic outlook.
As a result, the CBO has lowered its cost estimates for Medicare in 2020 by about $126 billion, or 15%.
That's a nice chunk of change, but it won't do much to alter the fiscal imbalances that Medicare faces. The program is projected to eat up ever larger pieces of the federal budget in the next decade and well beyond.
The primary reason for that imbalance over the next few decades: the aging of the population. The number of Medicare beneficiaries who will be enrolled in the program will grow by 36%, or an estimated 18 million people, between 2012 and 2023. That rising trend is likely to continue, given that the number of Baby Boomers turning 65 is projected to grow from an average of about 7,600 per day in 2011 to more than 11,000 per day in 2029.
"The numbers of people who will be receiving the Medicare subsidies for their health care are growing so rapidly that costs will grow rapidly even if cost per person doesn't grow at all," CBO director Douglas Elmendorf said this week.
Over the next decade, annual net spending on Medicare will jump 80%, from $508 billion this year to $914 billion in 2023, according to CBO estimates. And it will also rise as a share of the economy from about 3% of GDP today to 5% by 2037.
At the same time, the number of workers whose payroll taxes help support Medicare beneficiaries is also declining. In 2011, there were 3.3 workers per beneficiary; by 2030 that number is likely to drop to 2.3; and by 2086, it will be 2.1, according to estimates from Medicare's trustees.
Copyright 2013 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:46ed2c70-1c0c-4bfb-9c4f-c04880325d68> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.channel3000.com/money/The-real-Medicare-spending-problem/-/1644/18445398/-/format/rss_2.0/view/print/-/dfq8x4z/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967924 | 492 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Anthony Weiner resigning: Redistricting key to future of Weiner's House seat
NEW YORK (AP) - With U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner's humiliating exit from office, New York is likely to hold a special election sometime in the next few months to pick his successor, but voters probably shouldn't expect a bruising public contest over the right to go to Washington. The job might not even exist in 19 months.
Because of population shifts, New York state is slated to lose two House seats in 2013, and lawmakers in Albany will spend the next few years redrawing the boundaries of congressional districts in a highly politicized process that could, in theory, wipe Weiner's old territory in Queens and Brooklyn from the map.
Traditionally, lawmakers looking to butcher a district have turned to ones where there is no incumbent, or one with little seniority. That would seem to put the 9th Congressional District at risk for elimination, or at least a bigger overhaul of its borders than other districts in the state.
"The question then becomes, is it worth going for a seat that may not exist?" said Douglas Muzzio, a professor at Baruch College's School of Public Affairs.
That option still could present a good political stepping stone for a Democrat looking to move up the ranks in a highly Democratic city, said Matthew Hiltzik, a public relations specialist and political consultant.
"It's an opportunity to build name recognition, and be in a position to possibly stay in Congress if something unusual happens," he said.
But entering the race could be a tougher call for a GOP candidate, who, if victorious, would be almost certain to see his or her seat gerrymandered out of existence.
"You're not going to recruit a big star to win a seat that's not going to exist," Muzzio said.
Registered Democrats in the district outnumber Republicans in the current 9th Congressional District by three to one, and while neither Barack Obama nor John Kerry had runaway victories there in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections (they both took 56 percent of the vote), other contests with lower turnout have a history of Democratic romps.
Because special elections are held on short notice, there are no party primaries. The candidates are picked instead by party leaders. In Weiner's district, that means the choice will effectively be made by U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley, the party chairman in Queens County, and state Assemblyman Vito Lopez, the party chairman in Kings County.
Prospective candidates are expected to begin privately angling to get the nomination in the coming days, if they haven't started already. The timetable for an election is uncertain.
Under state law, Gov. Andrew Cuomo could call for a special election at any time in the coming weeks or months. The rules would then require that the contest be held in no fewer than 70 days, but no more than 80 days - a window that would coincide nicely with an already-scheduled party primary in September.
A special election would be the latest in a string for the state. Last month in the Buffalo area, a Democrat beat a Republican in a race to succeed U.S. Rep. Chris Lee, who resigned after sending shirtless pictures of himself to a woman he met through Craigslist.
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Here's a visual look at the eight most delicious, disgusting meals in the country. | <urn:uuid:19faf082-169f-42bc-88ce-99997079f1ce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/06/anthony-weiner-resigning-new-york-times-report-weiner-stepping-down-62365.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958123 | 756 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Virgin Wines: Chenin Blanc
Humble Chenin Blanc is one of the most versatile grapes in the wine world. It's relatively easy to grow, productive, and has high acidity making it suitable for use in many different styles of wine. It produces friendly easy-drinking dry white table wines, rounded and palatable, lively sparklers, and some of the finest sweet wine in the world. Take yourself on a tour round Planet Chenin. You'll find many marvels along the way.
Chenin is a high acid grape whose versatility depends on how ripe the grapes are when they are picked. Grapes ripen unevenly even within the same bunches and unripe grapes add leafy aromas to wines if care is not take to exclude them when grapes are picked. Barely ripe fruit is used to make the sparkling styles and dry, medium and sweet styles use increasingly ripe grapes. Flavours associated with all styles of Chenin Blanc include honey, melon and grass and even dryer wines become richer, rounder and more honeyed with age.
A Feast of Flavour
Young dry Chenin has flavours of green apples, vegetal leafy notes, and some citrus, sweeter styles taste of pineapple, exotic fruit and honey. The very finest Chenin Blanc ages very well, developing honey and toast flavours in maturity.
Oh La La in the Loire
The home of Chenin in France is in the Loire Valley; the best wines being made in Vouvray, or Anjou-Saumur where it is used to make a variety of styles. These range from slightly sparkling (or Petillant wines), through to very sweet late harvest dessert wine, as well as dry and crisp Chenins. In Vouvray the soil is particularly chalky, which Chenin Blanc loves, and rich in marine creatures. The chalk allows the vines to develop a large well-drained root system. Calcium rich soil allows the grapes to retain acidity as they ripen. In Vouvray many growers have their cellars built right into the cliffs!
Sweet Little Chenin
Some of the greatest sweet wines in the world are made from Chenin, in Anjou or Saumur, particularly in the Valley surrounding the river Layon where river mists encourage the growth of Noble Rot. The most expensive of these come from Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume, but look for sweet wines labelled Coteaux du Layon, they'll be much less pricey. These sweet wines combine the high acidity of German sweet wines with the body, depth and alcohol of Sauternes.
Chenin with Bubbles
In the Loire Valley in France, Chenin is used to make sparkling wines known as Cremant de Loire. These are lively, bubbly sparkling wines, with bread and toast notes like Champagne, but of course, without the price. If you like your wines with bubbles, try Cremant de Loire for a fantastic Champagne alternative.
South African Steen
In South Africa, Chenin Blanc is also known as Steen and accounts for a high proportion of grapes planted here and totalling twice the amount planted in France. This grape has taken to the climate and soil of South Africa very well, causing it to be adopted by some of the best makers in the world, whose skill and technological expertise are bringing the very best out of this great grape, particularly in Stellenbosch. They are focusing on choosing the best grapes for the best sites and concentrating on old-vine high quality production.
Blend It, Make It, Any-way You'll Like It
As well as being versatile on it's own, Chenin is also great in blends. It pairs particularly well with Colombard, Chardonnay and Muscat, but increasingly, innovative makers, especially in South Africa are trying new matches. Sauvignon, Viognier, and even Riesling can now been found blended with Chenin Blanc for super-tasty and interesting tipples.
There are some fabulous Chenin Blancs being made in the New World in areas other than South Africa. Australia and New Zealand are producing some nice dry Chenins as well as blending it with interesting varietals. There are over 10,000 acres of Chenin planted in Argentina, where it is known as Pinot Blanco, as it is in Brazil, Chile and Mexico. Try Californian Chenin for an interesting American twist on this versatile and gratifying grape. | <urn:uuid:a7406198-241b-4c0d-b97e-92492afa9ed4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.virginwines.com.au/jsp/aboutwine/au/vir/winevarietalstemplate.jsp?wineId=100034&wineName=Chenin%20Blanc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938911 | 936 | 1.710938 | 2 |
GOWANDA - The Gowanda Central School district will participate in an energy efficiency study put on by Erie 1 BOCES. The study was approved by the school board at a recent meeting.
The study ,which will be conducted by BOCES, will install switches into the computer system in the district. This switch will shut down the computer systems at the end of the day in an attempt to reduce the energy and energy bills put forth by the school.
The study is at no cost to the school and will provide power management and end point management software programs to the school. This software will be able to power down the computers at the end of the day and on weekends.
OBSERVER Photo by Samantha McDonnell
Members of the Gowanda Board of Education approved participation in an energy efficiency study put out by Erie 1 BOCES.
"There will be switches that will be set to shut our computers off at the end of the day ... the human being can override it at any point in time and turn the machine on," Superintendent Charles Rinaldi said.
In an unrelated matter, the board addressed changes to the open meetings law. Rinaldi brought up an issue regarding the supporting documents being posted; in particular, the committee for special education (CSE) minutes.
"If we were to release the information that (board members) receive regarding the CSE recommendations it would be possible through the process of elimination to identify the child," Rinaldi said.
Rinaldi recommended to the board that the district does not post this information on the website as well as not posting personal information regarding potential substitutes to protect privacy.
The agenda and supporting documents for the board meeting will be posted on the school's website the Monday prior to the meeting.
The agenda will stay on the website until the minutes from the meeting are approved two weeks later.
The agenda will be removed as soon as the approved minutes are posted.
In other business:
Ross John Sr., was appointed as a volunteer softball coach.
Renee Mathiebe, Joshua West and Stacey Gibbins were approved as substitute teachers.
Marcus Waterman was approved as a substitute for the Seneca language vacancy.
The following sports coaching appointments were made: Darlene Pfaffenbach as jayvee softball coach; Amanda Hillebert as varsity softball coach; Lisa Maybee as assistant varsity softball coach; Scott Bennett as middle school modified lacrosse coach; West as varsity boys track coach; Gibbins for assistant track coach; Jon Warrior as middle school modified lacrosse assistant coach.
Comments on this article may be sent to [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:39d4f255-c59e-4164-a6eb-f57f9f84da21> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/568878/Gowanda-Board-of-Education-approves-study.html?nav=5007 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961451 | 556 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Why is this idea dangerous? Because too many people today believe that a reason not to mistreat tribal people is that they are too nice or wise or peaceful to do those evil things, which only we evil citizens of state governments do. The idea is dangerous because, if you believe that that's the reason not to mistreat tribal peoples, then proof of the idea's truth would suggest that it's OK to mistreat them. In fact, the evidence seems to me overwhelming that the dangerous idea is true. But we should treat other people well because of ethical reasons, not because of naïve anthropological theories that will almost surely prove false.http://www.edge.org/q2006/q06_6.html
The evidence that tribal peoples often damage their environments and make war. | <urn:uuid:56583114-2048-45fd-85b5-41a54840f92e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.edge.org/response-detail/11008 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969818 | 159 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Richton Park, IllinoisRichton Park
is a village located in Cook County, Illinois
. As of the 2000
census, the village had a total population of 12,533.
Geography\nRichton Park is located at 41°28'55" North, 87°43'31" West (41.481992, -87.725352)1
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 8.8 km²
). 8.7 km² (3.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.59% water.
Demographics\nAs of the census
, there are 12,533 people, 4,578 households, and 3,200 families residing in the village. The population density
is 1,435.9/km² (3,714.7/mi²). There are 4,730 housing units at an average density of 541.9/km² (1,401.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 35.70% White, 59.10% African American
, 0.24% Native American
, 1.53% Asian
, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.33% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. 3.86% of the population are Hispanic
of any race.
There are 4,578 households out of which 39.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% are married couples living together, 18.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% are non-families. 26.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.68 and the average family size is 3.25.
In the village the population is spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 78.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village is $48,299, and the median income for a family is $58,661. Males have a median income of $44,637 versus $35,231 for females. The per capita income for the village is $22,626. 7.0% of the population and 4.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 7.2% are under the age of 18 and 14.4% are 65 or older. | <urn:uuid:456cc478-8c90-4750-ad01-ac20d6f8e6c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fact-index.com/r/ri/richton_park__illinois.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961264 | 621 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Last fall I applied for and received a grant that will allow my synagogue to build a new technology lab. Within the next few months we will have a number of iMac desktop computers and a host of iPads being used by our kids and adults alike. In fact, I’m working on a special tutorial program for students becoming bar and bat mitzvah that will run on the iPad. It uses the awesome iOS application MentalCase. More on that at a later date.
When I found out we were getting the grant, I reached out to a number of companies with whom we work for some assistance. Both Kensington and Zagg were fantastic about helping us get some of the accessories we need for the iPads we will be buying. I also realized that, as we do more and more with digital media, there needs to be a good, safe way to protect everything. I’ve had too many times when the backup drive itself failed and while it’s great to keep online back-ups, there is something about the safety and security of being backed up locally that is a huge comfort. For that reason I turned to Drobo and asked if by any chance they might be open to my reviewing one of their systems and then using it in the TSTI computer lab. They were kind enough to send along a review sample of their introductory level RAID backup technology, and I thought we might take a look at it together.
What makes this system so phenomenal, even beyond the really innovative technology they have designed, is that the Drobo allows you to swap drives in the event of a failure or if you simply want to increase capacity without turning it off. Additionally, you don’t need to understand much or anything about RAID technology to make it work, nor do you need to be a computer whiz to use it.
Meet your new storage solution, the safe and expandable Drobo. It’s so simple that anyone can use it, yet powerful enough for business. Drobo connects to your computer or network and provides redundant data protection without the complexities of traditional RAID.
Dynamically expand storage any time: Drobo currently holds up to 36TB, depending on the model, using any combination of 3.5″ disk drives. The Drobo family offers FireWire, USB, eSATA, Ethernet, and iSCSI connectivity options, so you get the data protection you need along with the speed and interface you want.
Redundant Protection, No Headaches: Drobo provides the redundant protection of much more expensive storage in a format you don’t have to configure or manage. Drobo BeyondRAID™ technology, built into every Drobo, delivers all of the benefits of traditional RAID, leaves many of the limitations behind, and brings together enhanced protection, reliability, expandability, and ease-of-use.
Learn More about BeyondRAID Technology »|Get the Drobo Technology Innovation eBook »
Incomparable Expandability: With Drobo, buy just the storage you need now and expand it as the amount of data you need to store grows. Mix and match drive brands, capacities, and speeds. Replace your smallest drive with a larger one and immediately use the new capacity in a matter of seconds. It’s as simple as inserting the new drive into an empty slot or replacing a smaller drive with a larger. Expand up to 24TB on a single volume as larger drive sizes become available. Drobo creates one large storage pool. Dive in and eliminate the need for multiple external storage drives and devices.
Storage on your Terms: Safety access and quick access go hand in hand with Drobo. Whether you’re directly attached to your personal computer, sharing files with others over the network, or backing up a business application—Drobo’s the best choice.
Drobo connects to Mac, Windows, Linux, and server virtualization systems with ease. Everyone can take advantage of simple, powerful, and complete Drobo data protection.
Plug In Peace of Mind: Just plug in Drobo and your data protection is ready. Add disks at any time for additional protected capacity. Drobo can even solve problems by itself. Lights on the front tell you what’s happening—if you can read a traffic light, you’re already a Drobo expert.
The World’s Easiest-to-Use Storage Array: Inside every Drobo is the revolutionary BeyondRAID™ storage technology that protects data against a hard disk crash, yet is simple enough for anyone to use. As long as you have more than a single disk in Drobo, all data on Drobo is safe no matter which hard disk fails. There’s no need to worry about anything else.
Drobo offers a variety of systems. The one that is right for you will depend on where you are planning to use it, what kind of storage you need and how much expandability you will need.
The smallest system, the one we were sent, is still nightly capable.
Let’s walk through the setup process. I was a bit nervous about it since I have never before dealt with RAID, but I found it to be remarkably short and simple.
The first thing you need to do is to download the Drobo Dashboard. The company includes a CD with the unit but it is also available as a download from the website which, of course, is what I did. Is available for both Mac and PC and it installs rather quickly.
Main View: When Drobo Dashboard is launched, it shows all Drobos connected to your computer and scans the network for file sharing and iSCSI Drobos. The front panel of a Drobo is the primary user interface and Drobo Dashboard lets you see in the front panel all your Drobos from a remote location.
Capacity and Tools: Display a detailed, but easy-to-read, capacity chart with a pull-down menu to access common Drobo tools for naming the device, updating firmware, and shutting down. With one click, see exactly how raw disk capacity is being used and how much space is available.
Status: You can get detailed status about the Drobo and its drives. Since Drobo supports mixed drive types and sizes, it helps to know in which bay a drive is located. When Drobo is running low on space, simply remove the smallest drive and replace it with a larger one.
Settings: All of the settings windows are simple and easy to use — as expected with Drobo. General, network, and administrator settings are each displayed in separate screens.
Management Options: Management options such as email notification are easily configured in Drobo Dashboard. IT administrators have the tools to monitor Drobos without any day-to-day effort.
Help and Support: Directions and helpful tips are included on each screen so they are available to you in the right place at the time you need them. You can also access documentation, information, and even register your Drobo from inside Drobo Dashboard.
After installation the computer has to reboot; lately I’m finding fewer programs which require a reboot after install, but it isn’t a big deal that this one does.
Once the dashboard is up and running you need to get moving with the hardware. First, you’ll need raw hard drives. That means you can’t have any connectors on the side, no shielding and no other attachments. Just the hard drive itself. I had more than a few line around because of old computers I’ve dismantled so I didn’t have to purchase any.
The unit the company sent for review has four bays. (They offer units even more bays for large businesses.) The combination of the drives can give a maximum of 24 TB of data storage for this system. (updated)
Because of the odd sizes of the drives I had lying around, we won’t get anywhere near the 24T limit. And for others with multiple odd sized drives, there is a way on the website to calculate what storage capacity you’ll get depending upon the size drives you choose. It isn’t straight addition because the largest drive doesn’t get used for storage.
I put a 500 GB drive into the device along with two 160 GB drives and a single 320GB drive.
I then plugged in the device to a power outlet and used the included USB connection to plug it into my computer. The company also included other ways to connect the device, but because I use the Mac book air I’m stuck with a slow USB 2.0 connection.
The system immediately told me that the drives weren’t fully usable. This was simply because two of the drives came out of my father’s Windows PC. I figured I might have a use for them some day, so I had grabbed them when I finally got dad to convert to MAC. As such, they were not properly formatted for use by OS X.
In order to deal with this I simply opened up my disk utility and looked in the side panel for the hard drives. Formatting took just a few minutes.
This was where I got my first taste of what this system is all about. While I had four hard drives in the Drobo the computer only showed it as a single large hard drive. Turns out the Drobo system takes separate raw hard drives and combines them into one storage space that is redundantly protected. The company calls this a “Drobo disk pack”.
Once this was done I spent some time checking out the dashboard. It shows me the different drives, how the storage is being used, and it offers a number of additional tools.
It also indicates the health of each of the drives.
At this point I realized that I had an additional 500 GB hard drive lying around. It seemed like a good opportunity to check out the hot-swappable nature of it. I had to wait for the system to “rebuild” itself because this was the first time it was being used, but once the green lights turned off on the hard drives I popped out one of the 160 GB hard drives and put in the new one.
Once again I had to format the drive and, once again, it had to rebuild the storage system. Now, however, I had just under a terabyte of storage.
I was actually up and going in fifteen minutes or so. Better still, I didn’t need to understand how it worked and I didn’t need to fiddle around with any settings. Drobo simply allowed me to pop in the hard drive and away it went.
To my mind that is the beauty of this system. It protects your data from a hard drive failure, allows you to have a massive amount of storage, and it doesn’t take any prior experience to use it. It is sophisticated technology but it is hidden behind the simple black box so you don’t have to even think about it as the end-user.
If you have a business or you keep all of your important personal information on a computer (things like pictures, documents, e-mail archives etc.) this is a small price to pay for a good nights sleep. Yes, the least expensive version of the Drobo is rather pricey but how much is your data worth to you? And if you had a hard drive failure and needed to pay someone to try to restore your data it would cost a lot more than the price of one of these. And that is assuming you were able to get your data back at all.
What I Like: Simple to set up and use; Hot swappable drives; Can handle up to 24T of data (updated); Hardware and software work together beautifully
What Needs Improvement: At an MSRP of $399 plus the cost of drives the most basic Drobo system can appear rather pricey. Then again, what is the price of real, effective and simple security?; Not fire and water protective — if there were an ioSafe version would be killer | <urn:uuid:be560bd3-2ddf-41f2-b083-d44f35deee17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://geardiary.com/2012/01/05/the-drobo-data-storage-system-review/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958081 | 2,477 | 1.570313 | 2 |
How can you call the second coming second if your views prove it's fourth?Because I see it as Jesus going through the same process as we go through, being saved in spirit first, then soul, then body. Or the 3 sections of the Temple. So everyone in the outer court is saved in spirit because that part is open to everyone. After that it gets more complicated as you move into the Temple.
So Jesus is first quickened in spirit. But, since he is a quickening spirit, he quickens others.
Ascends to heaven with those. Then soul is the body that Mary sees. This is not yet a glorified body, technically speaking. He ascends a second time and presents his soul to God in the holy of holies. Now the transfer to the Melchizedek priesthood. So glorification of the body is the last, when he ascends a final time to heaven and sits on the right hand of God. Steven sees him there.
That's the best I can do to explain how I see it.
So there is:
Comming 1a - past --> Birth
Comming 1b - past --> Returning after brought people from Noach time to heaven
Comming 1c - past --> Returning from the trip to heaven shortly after He met Mary.
Comming 2 - past --> Millenium
In Revelation we read about Jesus establsihing His Kingdom and several resurrection.
Jesus was the First fruit. First person of the first harvest. I think the resurrection took place during the First Fruit festival day.
Jesus was put in the grave. At some point during the 3 days he was resurrected. (first fruits)
Then He went to prison and led those people away to heaven. Were those people resurrected? If yes it means Revelation already started to unfold because the resurrections are part of Revelation.
Another thing I remember from our previous chats is that you hold the view that the thief on the cross was resurrected that same day or even never died. The thief asked Jesus to remember him when He established His Kingdom.
That would mean Jesus estrablished His Kingdom within a few hours after His death (day was almost over)
That even more overlap with Revelation. | <urn:uuid:8f5c9e27-b345-44aa-a7a6-d267c93243c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tentmaker.org/forum/discussions-on-universal-salvation/please-define-death/msg141055/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968992 | 456 | 1.703125 | 2 |
For anyone facing the prospect of a stay in hospital and a surgical intervention, this will be a major event in their life. One that can be filled with anxiety, emotions, negative thoughts and fears. Hypnosis can play an important role in helping to create a positive mental outlook for any patient having surgery. Hypnotherapy can help the [...]
Articles about healing
Browse through the articles about healing through hypnotherapy and other modalities. | <urn:uuid:42d6127e-a3a2-4d89-aaab-2d0e2576aa34> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hypnotherapyhorizons.com/tag/healing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940951 | 90 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Because settlement meetings are usually a confidential process, the Tribunal does not publish the results.In many cases, the settlement meeting resolves other aspects of the parties’ relationship and has transformative impacts without the adversarial process of a hearing. Many cases resolve on the basis of an acknowledgement that there has been a breach of the Code and an apology. In others, the mediated solution results in systemic change and awards greater than those that might be obtained after a hearing.To translate for those unfamiliar with the process: Should you find yourself on the receiving end of a "human rights" complaint, you will spare yourself a great deal of time, money and anguish if you submit to the (in camera) shakedown at the outset. (Viz the Vancouver comedy club owner, reduced to insolvency because he failed to heed this advice.) You, my friend, are a powerless Hobson, and you had better face up to the grim reality that the all-powerful 'roos offer what amounts to a Hobson's Choice (which, FYI, means you've no choice at all).
The Code provides for the Tribunal to make mediation mandatory. For policy reasons, the Tribunal has continued to keep mediation as a voluntary process although parties may find themselves ordered to attend a mediation where, in the Tribunal’s view, they will benefit from the assistance of a Tribunal member.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Getting 'Hobsoned' in B.C.
Here's a peek down the rabbit hole that is "human rights" hell in B.C. It's a snippet of Chief 'Roo Heather MacNaughton's message in the BCHRT's most recent Annual Report and explains how the state-sanctioned highway robbery works: | <urn:uuid:1e7e5d50-0d5d-43a6-a7f4-8548635c2cb6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scaramouchee.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-hobsoned-in-bc.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946466 | 356 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Youth Culture Window
The Biblical truth about sex is becoming a lot harder for students to accept in society today. Let's face it, the world thinks we should do whatever we feel like, and most teens feel like sex is a pretty good option. After all, they see it on every magazine rack, movie preview, TV sit com, beer ad, on late night cable, and at those very accessible internet sites. They hear it on most radio stations, CD's, in locker rooms, and even at the school lunch table. The message they're hearing is "Do it. Everyone's doing it!" Kids are having sex even younger too. USA Today just reported that over 20% of twelve and thirteen-year-olds have already had sex.
And then we emerge with the message to WAIT until marriage. This message isn't popular for a lot of reasons. One reason is the simple fact that pleasure often wins over truth. Or, to put it another way, the temporary thrill often loses to what we know to be best for us in the long run. So the abstinence message is being fought on all sides . . . after all . . . marriage is a long time to wait for most people. The world is having trouble buying it.
I was just in Virginia speaking and my buddy Todd showed me an article that accurately summarizes the way many feel. The article is in The Washington Post on May 12, 2002, section B7, by Philip D. Harvey. Philip argues against abstinence. Here are a few of his comments:
For the entire article, use this link: http://www.washingtonpost.com
- "The abstinence-only sex education programs in our public schools call for "abstinence until marriage." The federal government spent $115 million on this message last year, and the Bush administration is proposing significant increases for the current year. Sexual abstinence until marriage is now official government policy.
- The average age of marriage in the United States today is 27 for men and 26 for women. The abstinence-only program therefore asks our young people to renounce sexual activity throughout much of the early part of adult life ...
- ... I wonder if those who seriously advocate abstinence until marriage would prefer to see the marriage age come down ...
- ... But in modern industrialized societies, where women have educational opportunities and more than half attend college, marriage in the teenage years will likely become increasingly rare. If we agree, as I think most Americans do, that equal educational and occupational opportunities for women are a good thing, that our society is enhanced and enriched by these developments, then I think we must accept the fact that marriage in the middle or late twenties is the modern societal norm. If that is so, the expectation of sexual abstinence until marriage is utterly unrealistic.
- I would argue also that such an expectation, when translated into a policy (such as federally funded sex education calling for such a restriction), is wrong. It is wrong to expect young people to be sexually abstinent until they are more than halfway through their twenties. Sexual relations are an important component of human happiness, and there is no moral purpose served by abstaining from sex if two people are mature and responsible. Why should they be deprived of sex?"
Phil speaks loud and clear the message that the world is shouting. "Why be deprived of sex?" "Why be deprived of "happiness?""
"Happiness?" Is that what this is about? According to Phil, "mature" adults should be able to make responsible sexual decisions, "getting their freak on" with who they want. Therefore it's okay to have sex before marriage, even with multiple partners, as long as we are "responsible." After all, it would be "depriving" us to have to wait until marriage.
Yet God says wait until marriage. Is it possible that God somehow missed this remarkable truth that Phil has discovered? Maybe Phil has some new insight that God should review. Maybe God could learn from Phil.
Well, I just talked to God, and He is not budging on the issue. He maintains that He is right and Phil is wrong. So the question is . . . who's right? Phil or God?
Some people still might not be convinced. After all, there are a lot of people around today who don't see God and don't see the Bible as an authority. So let's indulge them and look at this logically.
IF PHIL IS RIGHT:
If we researched how "happy" couples were today that were older than 27 years old, we would find the following (according to Phil):
Remember: we aren't selling out momentary pleasure for truth. We're not asking teenage couples during sex whether it's fun or not. We all know that it is fun for the moment. But we're looking at whether people are "happy" in the long run.
- 1. Married and monogamous couples who waited until marriage for sex are much more UNHAPPY or at least they WERE unhappy for YEARS, until they finally were able to get married.
- 2. Individuals and couples who didn't wait- who had sex before marriage with one or more partners are much more "happy." They look back and are pleased that they slept with multiple partners or didn't wait until marriage. Possibly their sex life is even more gratifying because of this experience.
IF GOD IS RIGHT:
If we researched how "happy" couples were today that were older than 27 years old, we would find the following:
- 1. Married couples who waited until marriage for sex are much more HAPPY. They are free from guilt and from fears often associated with sex outside of marriage: AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, rejection, out of wedlock pregnancy, comparison to other partners, exposure, failure, embarrassment, and losing one's partner to another.
- 2. Individuals and couples who didn't wait- who had sex before marriage with one or more partner are much more REGRETFUL. They have suffered consequences physically, emotionally or spiritually because they didn't have the discipline to wait.
In September 1975, Redbook Magazine surveyed 100,000 women. Married women and single women. Women who had slept with multiple partners and women who had only slept with one. Redbook surveyed their background and asked them this question: How satisfied are you with your current sex life? Here are some of the results:
Women who had slept around during their teenage years told Redbook that they weren't as happy with their current sex life. Why? Didn't Phil say these people would be happier? What about the fact that those women who WAITED for sex until marriage experienced orgasm more than twice as often as women who slept around? Maybe Phil should check his data.
- women who were sexually active as teens are more likely to express dissatisfaction with current sex life
- strictly monogamous women experience orgasm more than twice as often as promiscuous women
The 1986 Journal of Sex research did a similar study over 10 years later. Maybe the REDBOOK survey was just bad data. Maybe those were just women in the 70's. Nope. The results were exactly the same. They found that women who waited for sex until marriage were happier with their current sex life.
Imagine that. God's way is better. And we're not even talking about physical consequences like diseases or unwanted pregnancy. We're just talking about perceived "happiness." When we wait for sex until marriage, we'll be happier. We can avoid a lot of emotional consequences.
Sex is worth the wait.
And if you can't wait... then don't put off marriage so long!
, president of The Source for Youth
Ministry, is the author of numerous books including the new
Should I Just Smash My Kid's Phone?
, and youth ministry books like
Ministry By Teenagers
Connect: Real Relationships in a
World of Isolation
, and the award winning book
Do They Run When They See You Coming?
speaks and trains
at conferences, churches and events across North
America, all while providing free resources for youth workers and parents on his
. You can follow Jonathan on
, getting a regular dose of youth culture and parenting help.
Jonathan and his wife Lori, and their three teenagers Alec, Alyssa and Ashley live
CLICK HERE FOR MORE
CLICK HERE FOR MORE | <urn:uuid:def6a397-e65a-4fd6-982e-3b4dc1c89e5d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thesource4parents.com/youthculturewindow/article.aspx?ID=133 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975396 | 1,717 | 1.828125 | 2 |
It was 9:30 a.m. on Monday morning, and Lance Cpl. Diego Cordova was preparing for dinner.
Cordova, who grew up in Jamaica, recently arrived in Afghanistan, where he is serving as an aviation operations specialist with the United States Marine Corps.
“I was a little nervous the first few days after arriving here until I got accustomed to the routine,” he said in a telephone interview from his base. “Not anymore.”
The 20-year-old Marine is the son of Manuel and Nancy Cordova. He was born in Ecuador and moved to the United States when he was 5.
The family eventually moved out to Long Island, and it was at West Hempstead High School where Cordova first began seriously considering the Marines.
“I enlisted when I was 17, and went straight to basic training after high school,” he said. “I’ve been a Marine two years and three days. I’m thinking about it as a career. I’d like to serve for at least 20 years, or as long as the Marines will let me serve.”
His voice brims with pride when talking about his parents and sister attending his graduation at Parris Island, SC watching him march with his training platoon on the camp’s parade ground after receiving the traditional Eagle, Globe and Anchor pin.
The pin symbolizes the transition from a recruit to a Marine.
“My family was proud,” he said. “My mom still worries, as any mom would worry about her son.”
He said his mother wrote sometimes two or three letters a day during boot camp, 13 weeks of physical and mental training and conditioning, and memorization of everything from the code of conduct to the Marine Corps Hymn, all in pursuit of the core values of “honor, courage and commitment.”
Nowadays, he uses Skype and email to touch base with home as often as practical.
But letters and packages from home, he said, whether from family, friends or through collections like the ones taken up by veterans organizations, schools, churches and civic groups, are treasured by the men and women serving overseas.
“Any time I can get a package from home that includes Jelly Bellies, my day is made,” he said. “But it’s also the support from back home that means a lot to us.”
Cordova said he sees Afghan civilians often enough, most of whom are employed in some manner by the U.S. military, though he has not had much opportunity to interact with many of them in either a personal or professional capacity.
His hitch in the country is expected to be about one year, after which he has other ambitions upon return to his unit’s home base in North Carolina.
He would like to study and train for a different kind of overseas duty with the Marine Security Guards, the detail that provides protection at United States embassies and diplomatic posts around the world.
“You need to undergo special training. Not everyone gets chosen,” he said. “But it’s an opportunity to protect Americans and American property in foreign countries.”
Aside from his family, the corporal does miss a few of the culinary delights that are somewhat more available back here at home than at his current assignment.
“On my next leave, the first place I’d go to eat would probably be McDonald’s or Five Guys,” he said.
And he would encourage any young man or woman even considering enlistment to give the idea serious thought — and be ready for hard work.
“The best advice I could give to someone interested in joining the Marines would be to make sure you give it your all,” he said. “Basic training is tough if you tell yourself it’s tough. Always give it your all.” | <urn:uuid:fb037012-2c33-45d9-9274-4feec2c73f8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.qchron.com/editions/eastern/jamaica-marine-just-looks-to-serve/article_caf02a7c-b7d5-5ddf-bbbf-3e3bd9629756.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983596 | 826 | 1.5 | 2 |
Palm Beacher Bobbie Lindsay sent me a note recently proclaiming the success of the first Lionfish Derby and Tasting in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas.
The Palm Beach Shore Protection Board member is an avid diver and organized the event to try to control the population of lionfish, a non-native species, in waters off the Bahamas. The showy fish with the stinging barbs are crowding out mid-size fish there, she says. Some 100 contestants on 25 boats captured 1,408 lionfish on June 5.
“It exceeded my wildest expectations,” Lindsay reports.
Co-organizer Lad Akins of REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation, said the number of lionfish captured shows the “staggering” numbers that have developed there. After the derby, hundreds of the fish were cleaned, filleted and cooked on an outdoor grill — then enjoyed by the crowd.
The owner of a local restaurant is interested in putting the tasty invasive fish on her menu, Lindsay said. “There is no natural predator in the Atlantic Ocean for lionfish,” Akins said in Lindsay’s report. “It’s up to us to go after them.”
The second such event is set for June 17-19 of next year. Get your nets, gloves and appetites ready. | <urn:uuid:a98a7e57-19df-499f-b460-0b6988435e0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thegreenwave/tag/derby/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944013 | 283 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Education construction projects, especially in higher education, often are heavily underwritten by generous donations from alumni or other philanthropists.
That is the case for Cornell University’s planned $2 billion applied sciences and technology campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City. The university is partnering with The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology on the project. The program will be known as Technion Cornell Innovation Institute and will offer graduate and doctoral programs.
Key to the construction plans is a $350 million gift from Atlantic Philanthropies. The founding chairman of Atlantic Philanthropies is Feeney, an alumnus of Cornell. The land for the 2.1 million-square-foot campus is being provided by New York City, which also has promised $100 million in infrastructure upgrades.
Demolition of existing buildings on Roosevelt Island is expected to commence in 2014, and the first campus buildings are expected to open in 2017. Cornell is expected to begin the program in leased space in New York City in September 2012. | <urn:uuid:12a19623-eb53-47d0-b54f-aa8e2b2b04a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://asumag.com/exclusive/donor-driven-201205 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938034 | 204 | 1.742188 | 2 |
"Come in as a stranger and return as a friend" is posted over the entrance to a
notable Amish marketplace in a rural countryside. This is no resort for the jet set, nor does this area attract the mover
and shakers, but it does depict a representative cross section of regional culture. Quality craft creations, functional wood
furniture, plants for your garden and charming apparel entice the buyer. But the draw that grabs your attention is the aroma
of the food. All kinds of edibles and eats. So what's the big deal? If you have ever been to any flee market, you know the
As familiar as the nature of the open air market-place, the real bargains are not up for sale - they are the
buyers themselves. The customers reflect behavioral customs and manners. Even the most casual observer would be struck by
the obese condition of the average shopper. Contrast this state of overblown fat with the slim and trim frames of the
Amish. It reminds one of the difficulties those trapped miners would have had fitting in that narrow rescue lift if
they resorted to the diet of the average American.
Let's face facts, most make unhealthy consumption choices. And they are not limited just to what we eat. But
at what point does the individual surrender their own responsibility for well being and become the instrument for cutting
new ground for public policy? Since our society is supposedly based upon the principle of free association and choice, where
is the line that can be legitimately imposed to establish utilitarian conduct? Should it reside in public policy, in decisions
from courts or in the constantly shifting attitudes of the general culture?
Enter, the likes of John Banzhaf, through a very different gateway from the farmer's market. He's a professor
at George Washington University and engages in legal activism. You may not recognize his name, but you surely know his work.
Most famously, Banzhaf pioneered the notion of suing tobacco companies for the deleterious health consequences of smoking. He started
doing it in the mid-1960s, when everyone thought he was nuts, and he was still doing it in 1998 when the US states successfully
pried hundreds of millions of dollars out of the Big Five tobacco companies as compensation for their smoking-related health-care
costs. If tobacco advertising is now banned on television, and smoking no longer tolerated on planes or in shops and restaurants
in many parts of the United States, it is largely due to Banzhaf's 35 years of campaigning and savvy application of public-interest
Now he has another mission - "If government is willing to regulate, force disclosure of fat and calorie
content, get fast food out of schools, put more health foods in vending machines, install bike racks and showers at public
buildings to encourage more exercise, and so on, great," he said in an interview. "But if government does with obesity
what it did with tobacco, which is largely nothing, then we may be forced to go to our third branch, the legal system."
Well; hold the burgers and pass on the coke, this guy wants to take away my fried chicken! Big Mac's will
be out and soy and salsa in - no more French sauces, you got to be kidding? Just who has the "mad cow disease" ? No doubt
this roar will be heard from the average Joe, but who can dispute that something is wrong and yes, unhealthy in our popular
diet. But the lesson eludes most and certainly escapes Mr Banzhaf and his disciples.
Maybe the answer lies in a comprehensive healthful holistic life style! The Amish example certainly illustrates
an uncomplicated and pure system of values and cultural choices. Could that be closer to the true American tradition? If their
physical condition is healthier, just maybe their values and spiritual orientations may play a role in their cultural choices.
At the core of our shared belief foundations is the acceptance that the individual American has a choice. That means that
he or she, has the ability to be wrong.
Those like the legal eagle who wants to save us from ourselves is surely a stranger to us, while his trade
is all too familiar. Are we really better off as a society when the self appointed and privileged lawyers seek to run our
lives with their legal class actions suits? The question to Mr Branzhaf is whether he can return into our community as a friend?
Let the individual decide, while you encourage the beneficial actions. When is doubt, consume sustenance with the Amish. Their nourishment will reduce your waistline and may well improve and uplift your soul . . .
SARTRE - July 28, 2002 | <urn:uuid:28caa36b-5579-413d-8ae9-f7df1ea19ba2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://batr.org/wrack_/072802.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957982 | 970 | 1.773438 | 2 |
BEIJING, China - China's state media on Thursday attacked what it said were arrogant and prejudiced views of the country's athletes at the London Olympics.
After several days where Chinese competitors have been in the spotlight for winning golds, and drawing questions about doping and ethics, the official Xinhua News Agency and the People's Daily both accused the "Western media" of making up stories.
"By doing so, the Western writers have demonstrated an arrogance and prejudice against Chinese athletes that has ignited widespread criticism from all around the world," Xinhua said in a commentary.
Chinese media, which is all state run, and the public have been upset at by allegations that 16-year-old swimming star Ye Shiwen may be using drugs because of the ease with which she has won two gold medals.
It said Ye has passed numerous drug tests, but "some Western media still turned a blind eye to the test results and continued to show their stubbornness and arrogance."
The People's Daily — the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party — said in a commentary published on its website that criticism of Ye was part of a campaign to discredit China's sporting achievements.
Deeply rooted prejudices lead some Western media into blind ignorance," the paper said.
"Attempts to discredit Chinese athletes and disturb their performance are miscalculated. These shady movements will not affect the morale of Chinese athletes," it said.
China often uses blanket charges that the "Western media" does not understand the country or is biased to dismiss reports it feels are critical or unfair.
"It is irresponsible for the Western media to pour filth on Chinese athletes who won because of hard training and years of arduous preparation," Xinhua said.
China is also under the spotlight after its women's badminton pair of Yu Yang And Wang Xiaoli were one of four doubles teams were disqualified for what appearing to play poorly on purpose to secure a more favourable position in the next phase of the event.
The feeble play was obvious to fans who watched the matches at Wembley Arena and jeered the competitors.
Xinhua said the Western media has to adjust to the fact China is a major economic and sports power. | <urn:uuid:5717cc2c-9131-4f89-be9c-219d28a6b643> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/08/02/china-western-media-olympic-coverage_n_1732028.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977699 | 443 | 1.742188 | 2 |
McDonald's last rolled out the McRib sandwich nationwide in 1994.
Sixteen years ago, a still-youthful Bill Clinton was in his first term, the Republican Revolution had yet to fire its first shot, and Israel had just signed a peace treaty with Jordan.
But one epochal event overshadowed it all: the return of the McRib.
That year, 1994, was the last time McDonald's rolled out the barbecued pork patty nationwide. Ever since, McRib aficionados have had to hunt the elusive sandwich from town to town, tracking its limited releases through websites and word of mouth. But starting Nov. 2, the McRib will be available everywhere for six weeks.
Ten Hours For A Sandwich?
The news has taken the blogosphere, Facebook and Twitter by storm. Ryan Dixon, a graphic novelist and blogger who lives in Burbank, Calif., tells NPR's Guy Raz that he once drove a whopping 10 hours for a McRib.
"One of the major reasons for me why the McRib is the greatest fast food item of all time is it's a sort of our only example of a crypto food," Dixon says. "It's a sort of culinary cousin of a Sasquatch, a Loch Ness monster, a chupacabra." You hear about a sighting, he says, but by the time you get there, the sandwich has disappeared.
Tracking The McRib Online
The McRib hasn't been on McDonald's permanent menu since the 1980s. It was never a huge hit with diners, but among hardcore followers, no other fast food inspires this kind of devotion.
Alan Klein trained as a meteorologist, but the Minnesota man's true love is the McRib. He tested out his storm-tracking abilities by creating a website that lets McRib fans track appearances of the sandwich.
Klein says he first tasted the McRib as a kid, growing up on a hog farm in rural South Dakota. "My dad and I took some hogs into town for sale, and after that, there in Winner, S.D., there was the McRib. It was almost as if we were supporting ourselves by buying a pork product."
A Holy Relic
For Dixon, the appeal of the McRib goes beyond its taste. "It's a sort of holy relic of the time, meaning the late '70s, early '80s, when we celebrated the fakeness of food," he says.
He says nowadays people are devotees of the "Michael Pollan cabal," referring to the author of Omnivore's Dilemma and other critiques on the modern agribusiness.
Back then, he says, "it was like the more fake a food could be, the more popular it was."
The McRib is not a real rib. "The bones in it look like French toast pieces," Dixon says, "and it's fully constructed to represent something that none of the parts that go into it have any relation to in reality."
But that just makes the McRib even more delicious. The sandwich returns Nov. 2, Election Day. Klein and Dixon say it's a toss-up as to whether they will line up first at the polling place or at McDonald's. | <urn:uuid:1c7389e9-faf5-42a8-bea8-650998bb75ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130612737&ft=1&f=1053 | 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 | 0.968819 | 685 | 1.515625 | 2 |
There has been a great deal of recent talk about the new version of OS X, scheduled for release in September. Called Snow Leopard, it aims to offer a range of speed and performance improvements, improve the architecture upon which your applications run, and offer better Exchange support for businesses.
Due to the lack of many new end-user features, it’s set to be the cheapest upgrade to date – priced at only $29. This article will go into detail about the improvements to expect in Snow Leopard, along with offering a few reasons to upgrade.
An intriguing but widely overlooked feature released with Mac OS X Leopard is the ability to share screens wirelessly with other computers in a super fast and easy way. This can be incredibly useful when you want to collaborate on a project together with someone else, or if you’re running several computers in different rooms around the home or office.
In this tutorial I will explain how to set up screen sharing, ensure security is fully considered, and outline how it can be done even if you don’t have a WiFi connection available. | <urn:uuid:01a6c0e3-733b-47aa-930b-c05d5ba5b60c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mac.appstorm.net/tag/leopard/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943864 | 220 | 1.703125 | 2 |
John Han-Chih Chang, MD and Kenneth Blank, MD
Last Modified: November 1, 2001
I am a 20 year old female who has had bilateral breast "cysts" since I was 11 years old. I went to the doctor for this condition 2-3 years ago and again this past August. My doctor claimed I had some type of fibrocystic disease. They have definitely gotten bigger over the years ... almost like it's a big clump of cysts. Lately (over the past week or so) they've really begun to hurt and feel like they might have gotten even larger. Do you have any idea what this might be? Could it be anything more than just cysts at my age?
Kenneth Blank, MD and John Han-Chih Chang, MD, Editorial Assistants for Oncolink, respond:
Thank you for your question.
The condition you describe is likely fibrocystic condition of the breast. Fibrocystic condition is diagnosed upon palpation (feeling) rubbery and cystic areas in a single area or multiple regions in one or both breasts. Fibrocystic condition is the most common lesion affecting the female breast. In fact, the majority of women are likely to have some manifestation of fibrocystic condition sometime in their lifetime. The condition is most commonly seen in women ages 30-50, but is reported to occur in younger women
In addition to feeling cysts and rubbery areas, fibrocystic condition can cause monthly cyclic pain and tenderness. The symptoms often occur one week before the menses and subsides one week later. Treatment is symptomatic and includes analgesics and limiting caffeine intake. Occasionally vitamin E may help relieve pain as may abstinence from alcohol. | <urn:uuid:1d7bfc23-9182-4cd2-b5a0-fe6ac9d41e56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oncolink.org/experts/article1.cfm?id=1200&c=35 | 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 | 0.971711 | 361 | 1.6875 | 2 |
|Thermal Energy Storage of Maine LLC
PO Box 952
Biddeford, ME 04005
To speak with an ETS sales representative, please call 855-207-1600.
|Home||What is ETS?||Benefits of ETS||Executive Management|
Mars Hill wind farm at dusk
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Benefits of ETS
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ETS can play a major role in supporting the development of clean renewable energy in Maine, especially electricity generated from wind, hydro, biomass and tidal sources. Wind blows the strongest during the winter, our coldest months, and on average blows more during off-peak hours than on-peak hours. Electric thermal storage represents a beneficial use for that off-peak wind power by converting it to heat (at 100% efficiency!) that can be released to provide space and water heating 24/7. Steffes Wind Assisted Heating paper
By helping Maine transition from its near-total dependence on fossil fuels for home heating purpose to the use of renewables, ETS can help the State meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieve a greater degree of energy independence. In addition, ETS enhances Maine’s economy by keeping energy related dollars and jobs in the State. The Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security refers to money spent on oil as a “Petro-Dependence Tax” which costs Maine billions of dollars a year. Maine has an abundance of wind resources and a growing number of wind farms. By increasing the demand for off-peak electricity, the use of thermal storage technology allows dollars otherwise spent on imported oil to remain here instead.
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©2009 All Rights Reserved | <urn:uuid:b1eb6731-7937-4ddd-8545-214ac30cefff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mainecleanheat.com/benefits.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938277 | 480 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Chase credit cards
Credit cards have become almost a necessity in today’s world. There are hordes of credit card suppliers who issue thousands of credits cards every day. Chase (of the JPMorgan group) are a well known credit card supplier. Chase credit cards are pretty popular among the masses.
Chase credit cards come with various different benefits and accordingly chase credit cards are classified into various categories. There are general purpose chase credit cards which promise great rates and excellent service. Then there are chase credit cards for people who shop regularly with some retailers. These are termed as rebate cards since they offer rebates on shopping when you shop with certain retailers. These also offer cash rewards. There are entertainment credit cards for people who wish to get VIP access to some concerts, events etc.
Another category of chase credit cards is the travel cards where the credit card holders get travel related discounts and rewards. This category of chase credit cards is very suitable for people who travel a lot. Yet another set of chase credit cards is grouped as auto and gas cards which offer rebates and rewards on everyday purchases. Retail cards are another kind of chase credit cards where you receive points on purchases made using this chase credit card. These points can then be redeemed for shopping certificates, entertainment etc. For students, there is a separate breed of chase credit cards which is called student cards. These student cards help the students in building a (good) credit history and also offer some special benefits for students. Similarly there are college & university alumni cards for supporting your alma mater. There is another set of chase credit cards that operate on similar lines. These chase credit cards are called ‘cards to support organizations’. The organization can be something like a charity or any other organization that you want to support. Then there are military cards that are meant for the members of military (both past and present). You can support your favourite teams or sporting organizations by getting a sports card. Finally, there are business cards which can be used by businesses for organizing their expenses, availing low interest rates and getting other benefits related to business.
Thus chase offers a lot of different credit cards which cater to the different needs of various people. By comparing the features of these chase credit cards and by understanding the main objective behind them, one can easily zero-in on the chase credit card that is best suited to ones needs.
Note: The information given in this article was correct at the time it was written. However, the author does not guarantee the correctness and completeness of this information at any time.Tags: Alma Mater, Card Suppliers, Cash Rewards, Chase Card, Chase Cards, Chase Credit Card, Chase Credit Cards, Credit Card Holders, Credit Cards Credit, Credits Cards, Everyday Purchases, Excellent Service, Gas Cards, General Purpose, Hordes, Rebate Cards, Retail Cards, Student Cards, Travel Cards, University Alumni | <urn:uuid:1250a78a-84af-4aeb-95e5-2eeb856eedee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sacada2.com/chase-credit-card/ | 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 | 0.96978 | 588 | 1.5 | 2 |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wants to turn Medicare into a voucher system and President Barack Obama hopes that fact alone will help him win votes among senior citizens and baby boomers.
But health policy experts, including two analysts who first floated the idea of Medicare vouchers 17 years ago, say no such plan is likely to become legislation – let alone law – until after the next presidential election in 2016.
That is because the mere notion of fundamentally revamping the $590 billion-a-year healthcare program, which serves 50 million elderly and disabled Americans, raises a multitude of policy issues that no politician or policymaker has addressed publicly.
Medicare voucher plans call for converting the popular safety-net program from one that offers healthcare benefits to a system that provides a fixed amount of money that beneficiaries can use to purchase coverage from a menu of private insurance plans.
“Could we enact legislation in the next year or so and implement it two or three years from now? My simple answer to that question is ‘no,’” said Robert Reischauer, a former director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which reviews legislation with budgetary implications.
That may come as news to voters, particularly in battleground states like Florida, Ohio and Iowa, where the Medicare reform plan adopted by Republicans, including Romney and running mate Paul Ryan, is a main target for Democrats who say it would “end Medicare as we know it.”
Reischauer and Henry Aaron of the Brookings Institution proposed a voucher or “premium support” mechanism for Medicare in a 1995 article in the journal Health Affairs widely seen as the first suggestion of such a reform.
On Monday, they spoke at a Washington conference hosted by America’s Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade group. The two men agreed that the Republican plan and others like it that have been floated by independent groups in recent years were not “ready for prime time.”
“I don’t think any of the premium support plans on the table now has gone an inch beyond the specifications that we laid out back then. And I will tell you, we did not design legislation,” Aaron said.
No experts in either the public or private sectors of the $2.8 trillion U.S. healthcare system have said in detail how a voucher system might work. The task require better insurance risk-adjustment mechanisms than are available now, as well as a deeper understanding of geographic variations in medical costs.
‘A ZILLION ISSUES’
“There are a zillion specific issues. And there’s plenty of research, a lot of it unsatisfactory. There’s a lot of practical experience, most of it unsatisfactory,” said Joseph Antos of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, who appeared with Reischauer and Aaron.
“You can’t do this in the next three years,” he added. “Maybe in the next five.”
Ryan, who chairs the House of Representatives Budget Committee, has proposed a version of a voucher plan that includes traditional Medicare as an option for future retirees and caps annual per- capita Medicare spending at 0.5 percent above the rate of U.S. economic growth.
Romney has proposed a similar plan, which appears on his campaign website. Republicans largely adopted the Ryan plan as part of the party platform at their national convention last month in Tampa, Florida.
Critics say Ryan’s main objective is to limit Medicare’s ability to widen the federal deficit by shifting costs to seniors and the disabled. He says the plan would strengthen Medicare for generations to come.
Reischauer and Aaron warned it was not clear the strategy would contain costs, saying political pressure could mount on Congress to do away with spending caps, while private insurers could have difficulty fielding plans that cost less than traditional Medicare.
They said the best route could be to combine a voucher mechanism with reforms being implemented under Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known to voters as “Obamacare,” which Republicans have vowed to repeal if they win control of the White House and U.S. Senate in the November 6 election.
The law, which comes fully into effect in 2014, is supposed to move Medicare away from its current fee-for-service format that offers healthcare providers incentives to drive costs up. It also calls for state insurance exchanges that would offer consumers federally subsidized private coverage.
Reischauer said the exchanges would provide vital lessons for any future voucher system for Medicare. | <urn:uuid:ebb922a0-1b53-4fa0-ad47-6bfe670e9658> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.journal-advocate.com/politics-national/?third_party=republican-plan-for-medicare-could-face-years-of-hurdles | 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 | 0.959832 | 937 | 1.578125 | 2 |
I just got a beautiful Christmas tree at Costco. They have what I initially thought was a great way to contain and transport our tree (and all others). It consisted of putting a plastic net over the entire tree.
It was great to tie down and get in the house, but once I started taking the netting off the tree I realized this huge ball of plastic netting would probably end up in the ocean or some other place where wildlife might try and eat it or get stuck in it.
So now I’m in the process of cutting the entire netting (which covered an 8-foot noble fir) into 2-inch strips. I don’t even know if the netting is biodegradable/recyclable (doubt it).
I don’t mind cutting the netting up to make it safer for our wildlife but am begging you to please, please, please get the word out ASAP while people are still buying trees to please remember to break down the netting!
Sherri Walsh, Rossmoor, Walnut Creek, Calif.
I appreciate you taking the time to alert us to that nasty netting.
While we’re on the subject, does anyone have any better suggestions for dealing with that nasty netting besides methodically cutting it up into smaller pieces? Please add your idea(s) in comments/reply below. Thanks for caring! /Gary | <urn:uuid:3c833807-ddab-49c2-a10a-d2bab586aed7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ibabuzz.com/garybogue/2008/12/16/watch-out-for-christmas-tree-netting-danger/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945622 | 290 | 1.757813 | 2 |
The Georgia General Assembly passed legislation in 2010 that expanded where people with carry permits could take weapons, but churches, colleges and schools were excluded under that law. The law says that students can keep weapons locked in their cars, but not in their dorms or classrooms. Georgia law also prohibits anyone under the age of 21 from carrying a gun for any purpose other than hunting.
The Georgia House may soon be considering House Bill 29, introduced by newly elected state Rep. Charles Gregory, R-Kennesaw, which would allow carrying and possession of firearms on postsecondary school campuses. The bill was pre-filed on Dec. 19, but hasn’t yet been brought forward for committee assignment or debate.
Many legislators, including some from Carroll County, have indicated they are for carrying rights on campus.
The University System of Georgia, however, has lobbied against campus carry and University of West Georgia Police Chief Thomas J. Mackel said Wednesday that he feels firearms and college campuses are not a good mix.
“College campuses have their own set of problems and putting firearms on them will not make them safer places,” Mackel said. “College campuses are now among the safest places in the country. If we allow firearms, I can’t say that.”
He said students often lack maturity and they’re in situations involving alcohol and drugs, which can easily lead to violence.
Students for Concealed Carry is one group pushing for allowing guns on campus. Although the group doesn’t currently have a chapter on the UWG campus, it is active on at least six state campuses, including Georgia Tech, Georgia State, University of Georgia, Kennesaw State University, Southern Polytechnic State University and Clayton State University.
“We’re not trying to say who can carry, but where they can carry,” Kurt Mueller, director of strategy for the national SCC organization, said Wednesday. “Permitted people are not causing problems in other places and it’s reasonable to believe they wouldn’t cause problems on campus.”
Mueller also pointed out that carry permits are only for people age 21 and older and not all students would qualify.
James Camp, Temple, a co-founder of GeorgiaCarry.org, said his group supports House Bill 29 and the right to carry guns on campus.
“It doesn’t open the door for anyone to carry, just those with weapon carry licenses,” Camp said. “They have to go through a background check and it’s only adults, 21 and older. A weapon-carry license is just that. It’s not a license to use a firearm. Other laws govern the use of it, such as anyone using a firearm in a reckless manner or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
But the public might not be ready for campus-carry. In an exclusive 11 Alive/SurveyUSA poll conducted last week, 65 percent of the respondents said the law should remain as it is, banning guns on campus, while 29 percent said students and staff should be allowed to arm themselves on campus.
Some members of the Carroll County legislative delegation on Wednesday spoke in favor of campus carry.
“As a strong outspoken supporter of our constitutional right to bear arms, I would support campus carry,” District 68 Rep. Dustin Hightower, R-Carrollton, said in a e-mail statement. “When we restrict law abiding citizens from carrying a firearm, we are putting them at a great disadvantage when it comes to protecting themselves against those whom do not respect the law or the lives of others. The reading of the 2nd Amendment has always been quite simple for me, ‘the right of the people to keep and bears Arms, SHALL not be infringed.’ When these cowardly, heartless and misguided individuals commit these massacres on school campuses, they are picking these locations for a reason — and that reason is — they know we have disarmed our law abiding citizens and therefore there is no one to point a gun back in their face.”
District 18 Rep. Kevin Cooke, R-Carrollton said he supports allowing campus carry within the state of Georgia.
"Gun-free zones provide areas where law abiding citizens are unarmed and cannot protect themselves," he said. "Individuals with criminal intent know this and take advantage of it. Removing the 'gun free zone' label from Georgia campuses will allow for those law-abiding citizens, with a carry and conceal permit, the ability to protect themselves.”
Although campus carry legislation hasn’t been introduced in the state Senate, District 28 state Sen. Mike Crane, R-Newnan, indicated Wednesday he supports the idea.
“I support the right for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves by allowing them to choose when, where and what means of defense serves them best,” Crane said. “Restrictions only limit those who obey the law and have no effect on the criminal or mentally unstable elements in our society.” | <urn:uuid:5f8316ef-9a94-4f27-a043-205184299591> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tallapoosa-journal.com/view/full_story/21496556/article-Gun-carrying-on-campus-an-issue-with-support-of-some-local--lawmakers--but-not-University-System?instance=west_ga_news | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962057 | 1,047 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Will the US Gov't tell blatant lies to your face that might have a negative effect on your health?
Is the US Gov't an integral part of the corporate power structure in the United States?
YES! To both questions.
Below is an article on USDA declarations that are notrhing but lying bullshit. YES, your gov't lies to you. I have proof in my barnyard and kitchen.
Why would they lie? Because according to this article, the commercial egg business is bigger that GM in this country. If people thought that commercial factory eggs were anything but as perfect on the inside as they are made to look on the outside, they might begin losing business.
Organic Eggs: More Expensive, But No Healthier
By JEFFREY KLUGER Jeffrey Kluger – Thu Jul 8, 3:30 am ET
Most of the time, according to a just-released study by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the eggs are indistinguishable. When there is a difference, it's often the factory eggs that are safer.
What total barnyard shit! Eggs from my chickens are clearly distinquishable from factory eggs on a number of counts. When you crack one open you immediately see the difference. The yolk is a deep rich orange color. If you scramble up a bunch, you will be amazed at how orange they look. I have a mixed flock of different kinds and different generations of chickens. They are all like that as a result of how they eat and live.
The white of an egg is where all of its protein is found; it's made of both thin albumen - the watery fluid that runs farthest from the yolk when the egg is cracked into a cold pan - and the thick albumen, the more-viscous fluid that stays closer to the middle. The greater the amount of thick albumen, the more nutritious the egg.
All the same? Another ridiculous lie. When you crack a fresh egg open like the ones from my barnyard, the albumen all stays in one spot. I'm amazed when I deal with factory eggs at how they run all over the pan. It is a plain out right lie to say fresh organic free range pasture fed eggs are no better than factory eggs even if you're grading them on the albumen consistency.
Surprisingly, the USDA has not devoted a great deal of study to the antibiotic question, mostly because the drugs are used sparingly in the egg-laying industry -
Lies, damn lies and fucking lies. Factory chickens live in cages 4 sq. feet in size with three chickens per cage. They hardly have room to turn around. The cages are stacked high on top of each other in massive warehouse conditions. It is impossible to keep those birds healthy without daily doses of antibiotics. They are as susceptible to infection as any beef in a fattening pen. Maybe the USDA needs to beef up their antibiotic testing program. They're missing something.
My chickens eat a mixture of barley, oats, wheat and soy. They also have complete and total freedom to come and go wherever and whenever they choose. They forage in many acres of pasture and hay fields eating insects, reptiles and lots of green stuff.
Factory birds eat nothing but a green mash that is full of supplements, antibiotic, various protein sources (animal by-products) and mostly factory raised corn.
You tell me, do you think there is a difference?
"But what about "organic, free range eggs" I buy in the store" you might ask.
Here's where the USDA enters the picture again. To be classified "free range," a bird only needs "access" to any bit of bare ground at some point in the day. Really, that is "free range" according to USDA standards. "Organic" simply means that whatever it's being fed is grown with no artificial chemicals, growth enhancers, or drugs. So what is their diet? It's a mash just like other birds that only contains "organically" grown ingredients. Granted, it's better than the standard mash, but not by much, it's still mostly corn and soy extract.
My birds eat whole grain with no corn, run freely wherever they want on a big farm and I can visibly show you how different (and according to USDA standards healtier) my eggs are.
So, is the USDA a bunch of liars? You decide.
But as an aside, I've tried to deal with the USDA for years. They are a high cost presence in our farming community. I have gotten nothing from them. ZERO.
They cater to cattle farmers who play their silly game and apply antiquated environmentally poor and nutritionally questionable methods to their farms.
I've been told to my face, 'no cattle, no support from us. . . might as well rip up your application.'
So much for the gov't trying to help out the struggling family farmer. Might as well sell it all off for condos and let the factory farms have it all. That's what the USDA wants. They are fucking liars. | <urn:uuid:2a2db5bb-fd71-4297-a93c-a700548a1c6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sagacioushillbilly.blogspot.com/2010/07/usda-lies.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966149 | 1,052 | 1.773438 | 2 |
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Information asymmetry is a major problem in the ascending online auction. This research conducted two studies to investigate the impacts of information (positive or negative) and its acquiring cost on information premium and final price. In study 1, 113 undergraduates were randomly separated into two groups. Group 1 was given positive information (i.e., a report showing the strong demand for MP3) and group 2 was given negative information (i.e., a report showing MP3 has a defect in its configuration). The test result indicated that there is a significant difference in the information premium resulting from positive and negative information. In study 2, the test outcome showed that, no matter what information (positive or negative) was given, high acquiring cost will lead to a relatively higher final price, compared to low or zero information acquiring cost.
Date of Conference: 9-12 Dec. 2008 | <urn:uuid:3c8aa49d-e888-4dc6-8e57-712c08a4fab1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?reload=true&arnumber=4780838&contentType=Conference+Publications | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940102 | 179 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be in the Duluth area Tuesday assessing damage from the floods last week, WCCO reports. It’s the first step in getting federal money as the city prepares to rebuild public infrastructure. Flood debris that spilled into Lake Superior is washing ashore in Duluth, including trees, dead animals and storage sheds, WCCO reports.
Road and bridge repair projects will be expensive and time-consuming, KARE 11 reports.
Duluth Mayor Don Ness’s message for potential volunteers in the flood cleanup effort: Be prepared for the long haul, the Duluth News Tribune says. It’ll be months, he said.
The muck left behind by flooding was particularly nasty in Gary New Duluth, where raw sewage backed up into homes WDIO reports.
In hard-hit Carlton County, where as many as 6,000 homes were affected by flooding and hundreds displaced, Moose Lake residents were diving into a massive cleanup and trying to keep their spirits up, Northland’s Newscenter reports. The town is still planning for its Fourth of July parade.
The Duluth band Trampled By Turtles, which has been drawing national attention, is planning a fundraising concert appearance July 8 at the annual Bridge Festival, the Duluth News Tribune reports.
One bit of good news: The vital rail lines connecting the region’s mines with its harbors were largely back in service over the weekend, while one of Duluth’s two scenic railroads is offering limited service, the Duluth News Tribune reports.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is going to visit northwest Wisconsin, including hard-hit Superior, on Tuesday, the Superior Telegram says. | <urn:uuid:cb21443f-b4ad-4422-aaa9-2c8e194c4424> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bringmethenews.com/2012/06/26/duluth-mayor-asks-for-long-term-volunteer-help/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955547 | 350 | 1.648438 | 2 |
It's my party and I'll ride if I want to. Next time you have a glass of something nice in your hand, raise a toast to Copenhagen.
This year - on 04 June 2008 - we can celebrate 25 years of the return of 'Copenhagen bike lanes', or "real" bike lanes as they're often called. AKA Cycle Tracks. The kind with a raised curb on the side, separating the bike lane from the traffic - and a curb on the other side separating the bike lane from the pedestrians.
For the record, there were cycle tracks prior to this, of course, with painted lines separating them from the traffic. Historically, separated cycle tracks criss-crossed Copenhagen but were largely removed during the brain fart that was the 50s and 60s where planners decided the car was a good horse to back.
The return of the physically-separated bike lanes is a landmark. The City of Copenhagen made a visonary choice in implementing them.
On June 4, 1983 the Danish Cyclists' Union, at a large bicycle demonstration, gave a "Cyclist Award" to Jens Kramer Mikkelsen in the form of a two metre long curb. Mikkelsen was the head of the traffic department and later Lord Mayor.
The curb was placed on the bike lane on Amagerbrogade at the corner of Hollænderdybet - just after Amagerboulevard - a sacred shrine for bike culture if anyone wants to start a'pilgrimage-ing.
The photo features the Cyclist Award and the two chaps who made it - stone mason Uffe Mohr [right] and his apprentice Egon Albertsen [left]. | <urn:uuid:d0bfb13d-4c45-4b06-a421-28566b7ea44f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.copenhagenize.com/2008/06/copenhagen-lanes-celebrate-25-years.html?showComment=1212692820000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96273 | 352 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Agile has acquired an increasing profile in today’s fast moving world. Adopting an Agile approach to the delivery of projects provides several advantages, Agile allows the projects to respond to evolving requirements and ensures that the solutions meet business or customer needs , guaranteeing delivery on time, to budget and with at least the minimum useable features. However, Agile is also very flexible, and in addition to being used on its own it can also be used in conjunction with more traditional approaches such as ITIL®, PRINCE2® and MSP®. This Agile Project Management certification provides an entry into project management for developers, analysts and architects accustomed to an Agile environment and a complimentary qualification for established practitioners wanting to broaden their skillset. It has the dual benefit of assisting in an individuals’
The FGI Agile Project Management qualification aims to address the needs of those working in a project-focused environment who want to be Agile. It is an interactive course, with presentation sessions interspersed with group exercises and discussions. At the end of the course, the participants would have a strong understanding of the underpinning philosophy and principles of Agile, the lifecycle of an Agile project, the products produced during an Agile project and their purpose, and the techniques used in Agile. The course also encapsulates and benefits and limitations of Agile, and gives a clear picture of the roles and responsibilities within an Agile project.
FGI recommends this course to practising project managers and Agile team members who wish to become Agile Project Managers.
# # #
FGI are leading suppliers of ITIL®, PRINCE2®, APM, MSP® and Change Management training and Consultancy. Our dedication to these core competencies allow us to provide the highest quality service at the best value for money.
Our successful track record spans over a decade working with the Public and Private sectors alike from all areas of industry. | <urn:uuid:d57aadbe-bbc5-4027-81e1-d78470654b58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prlog.org/11743349-fgi-ltd-announces-the-launch-of-agile-certification-for-project-management.html | 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 | 0.945641 | 399 | 1.640625 | 2 |
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