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The farm I was visiting is next to the one pictured here - Ontario's new wind farm.
These windmills stretch as far as you can see, on both sides of the road. Amazing and so BIG! Ontario's new green power source!
Back to the reason for the trip. Can you guess what I brought home?
This farm has everything, well everything except a milk cow. They have horses.
They have geese and ducks.
Great bug eaters, but not as great as these guinea fowl, which they also have. Guineas are so cool!
They have turkeys,
and they have chickens.
They have fields full of goats and newly born kids! Lots and lots of boar meat goats and two dairy goats.
Do you see what else they have?
They have Great Pyranees Dogs!! These belong to the LGD class (Livestock Guardian Dogs). The Great Pyranees is the standard by which all other LGD's are judged, the prime, most sought after, biggest and best of the Livestock Guardian Dogs!
These are HUGE dogs! Massive, but called the "Gentle Giant" of the dog world. The breed is thousands of years old. They were used to pull carts and guard sheep in the Pyranees mountains. They have been bred to protect for many, many generations. Their chase instinct is almost non-existant and they don't "herd" everything. They are not herders, they are guardians, gently, quietly watching. They are pacers, traversing the area of their home, alert for danger at all times. They bark often, whenever there is something to warn us about. HUGE dogs!! Much bigger than a golden retriever.
Not only do they have these great dogs, but they have puppies!!!
Now can you guess what I brought home with me yesterday?
They keep the puppies with the kids, for awhile, until the puppies get big enough to be too rough for the new born kids (which is about now). Aren't they just adorable??
This is Jake. He came to live with us yesterday. He weighs about 40 lbs and he's only NINE WEEKS OLD! He's huge! He was still nursing three weeks ago! It's all I can do to pick him up and carry him down the front steps to the yard. He's still too uncoordinated to walk down them. He trips and falls down if left to himself. Because of his size, its easy to forget just how young he is.
He has a black spot on his left ear, a small one right on the top of his head and a little, lighter one on his back. | <urn:uuid:41f0dfa7-d14a-4f24-be2c-d48c896bc847> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://providence-acres.blogspot.com/2010/03/surprise-addition-to-our-family.html?showComment=1270949171446 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98357 | 561 | 1.5 | 2 |
Government reviewing applications for deepwater Gulf permits
U.S. officials on Friday could not offer a firm date when deepwater permits to drill for oil in the Gulf of Mexico will be issued, as crude posted its highest weekly close in more than two years.
"We are carefully and rigorously reviewing drilling plans," Michael Bromwich, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the offshore drilling regulator, said at a news conference. "I am quite confident we will again get to the point where we can begin issuing deepwater permits."
A drilling ban put in place after BP Plc's disastrous Macondo well blowout last year in the Gulf was lifted in October, but no new deepwater drilling permits have been approved yet.
U.S. crude oil futures posted their highest weekly settlement in almost 2-1/2 years on Friday on supply disruptions due to the revolt in Libya.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar told reporters the situation in Libya was "not changing at all what we are doing here" and the government felt no pressure to hurry its permitting process.
Bromwich and Salazar were in Houston to peruse a pair of rapid-response systems designed to stop or contain a future Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a requirement for companies under new U.S. drilling regulations.
The systems developed by the Marine Well Containment Company, a $1 billion nonprofit partnership of oil majors that operate in the Gulf led by Exxon Mobil Corp, and Helix Solutions Energy Group Inc, an independent producer and well-intervention company.
Post-Macondo, deepwater oil and gas producers must show they can deploy such systems as required to get drilling permits approved by U.S. regulators to get permits approved. | <urn:uuid:be099bc6-cd8b-40e5-807c-581d3cfda968> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/42403/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961477 | 357 | 1.570313 | 2 |
September 17, 2012
Subject: College of the Ozarks Files Suit Against Government Departments
On the 225th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, the College of the Ozarks is seeking the enforcement of the rights guaranteed to it by the Constitution by suing the federal agencies tasked with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
“The so-called Affordable Care Act is government at its worst,” says College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis, while announcing the College’s litigation against the U.S. Departments of HHS, Labor, and Treasury. September 17th is the 225th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. “This is not a partisan issue. It is a constitutional issue, and the College wants its rights respected and enforced, instead of being trampled upon,” Davis said. “The Constitution still matters.”
The College objects, on the basis of its religious beliefs, to the Contraceptive Mandate contained in the Act as it relates to elective abortion, abortifacient drugs, and education and counseling about these subjects. Despite the fact the College has been judicially recognized as a religious institution, it is not religious enough to meet the narrow definition created in the Act for a religious employer. Further, the College is not religious enough to qualify for the safe harbor created by the government in response to criticism about the Mandate.
The government actions, in issuing new interpretations and clarification of the Act in direct response to legal challenge, are an effort to manipulate the court’s jurisdiction and avoid judicial review. The College seeks a determination that the Act violates numerous constitutional and statutory provisions and asks for protection so that it is not placed in the untenable position of choosing to obey the law or ignore its religious beliefs.
Dr. Davis states that in his opinion, “Such legislation flies in the face of religious liberty that the founders of our country sought to protect and many have died to defend. Religious liberty is at the heart of this issue, and we Americans better wake up. Now that God has been removed from public schools, shoved off the public square, we now see that a faceless group of unelected government bureaucrats have decided to redefine what constitutes a religious employer. We want to know: Who decided that we need a ‘new definition’? With whom did the regulators consult on this description? Who wrote this restrictive description? What’s wrong with the commonly used exemption that religious institutions have used for years? This could never get through Congress. Only the ‘regulatory process’ is all that is left to circumvent the will of the American people. It’s just more evidence that our own government has become like a cancer, slowly eating away at our Constitutional rights. It’s time to say, ‘Enough is enough,’ and to reverse the socialist course we are on.” | <urn:uuid:ca3d220c-d676-46be-bfbe-4ba06c174d59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cofo.edu/content/PR/pressRelease.aspx?id=8f80d618-5239-48a7-a74e-d95600ad00a0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964427 | 606 | 1.554688 | 2 |
|(ps. these living herbs are from my farmer friend maggie's greenhouse)|
this year, i was determined to start my own herb garden.
i wanted to add a bit of green to our kitchen and also to spice
up my vegetarian dishes with a little home-grown flavor.
i bought a basil, curly parsley and lavender plant and placed
them on a small tray on my kitchen table where i thought there would
be plenty of sunlight and plenty of opportunity for me to whisper lovely
things into their leaves, like: "grow, please, grow."
but unfortunately, my dreams for an herb garden withered and died
as quickly as my plants did. they dried up. they looked parched.
i watered them. i moved them to a new location, in our bedroom,
with all of our other happy thriving plants- but it didn't matter.
they are now outside on my back porch as one last ditch effort
to resurrect a failed dream and grow something. anything!
have you had any luck growing an herb garden?
i would love to hear your advice!
here are some great ideas for around the web:
conserve space and turn herb gardening on its head with these sky planters.
i wonder if growing them upside down helps?
the owner of this mini indoor herb garden recommends lots of light & fresh air.
perhaps my little ones didn't get enough of either?
growing all the herbs together in one big container looks like something i have to try.
my in-laws do this, but as you see, they have quite the green thumbs.
vertical gardening is another unique way to grow herbs. i had nick drill holes into
some tomato cans, but didn't want to shock my herbs by transferring them.
maybe i should have???
the writer behind this impossible to kill herb garden says that my basil plant & parsley
may be brought back to life with some more sunlight and some more water.
lastly, how disgustingly cute is this mason jar herb garden?
i think i need to try this one, like, yesterday. | <urn:uuid:1ae80f83-7a1b-41c8-b012-ce6bde971ae3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://glimpseofglamour.blogspot.com/2012/07/growing-herbs-takes-thyme.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969448 | 439 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Many of the games from Minute to Win It are fairly simple to play, but High Roller isn't one of those. In this game you'll be using a cup to stack dice in piles by swirling the cubes, tilting the cup, and hoping for the best.
Scoop and stack dice into piles of three, four, and five using a cup. This is a tricky one folks.
The only simple thing about this game is the equipment needed to play. Here's what you'll need to gather up:
- 12 standard dice (don't use anything fancy here - the game is difficult enough as it is)
- One large plastic drinking cup (more on this below)
- A table
- A one-minute timer or stop watch
The show recommends a plastic cup that is stiff, with a 90-degree angle from the bottom to the sides. They also recommend that you don't use a cup with ridges on it, and I'll add that it shouldn't have a pronounced lip either.
How to Play
To set up the game, place the dice on the table but make sure that none of them are stacked one on top of the other. Place the cup near the dice.
Here's where it gets tricky, and make sure you visit the link below to see the accompanying video if you get confused. When the one-minute timer starts, take the cup and scoop up three of the dice. You can position the dice on the table with your hands, but you cannot use your hands to get the dice into the cup itself - you have to use the cup and only the cup. Once you have three dice in the cup, you're then tasked with making them into a tower by stacking them one on top of the other - once again, using only the cup.
In order to stack them, the video shows you how to swirl the cup and use the force of that swirling to get the dice stacked. The real trick is to get them out of the cup fast enough that they stay piled up.
After you successfully stack three dice, you do it all over again using four. Then, as if that weren't enough, you have to make a tower of five dice. All three must be completed in one minute or less.
Oh yes, you'd better believe there are rules to follow with this game! High Rollers is a tough game, and these rules make it just a little bit tougher. Behold:
- You may not use your hands to scoop the dice into the cup, aid in pouring them out of the cup, place them in stacks, or center them. Basically the only things your hands can do is place the dice on the table before scooping, and hold the cup.
- When you're stacking the dice, you must use the swirl and dump technique. While it's possible to just slowly "pour" the dice one on top of the other, this isn't how the game can be won. Swirl and dump only. The cup has to be completely inverted.
- You may only have the exact number of dice in your cup as you're tasked to stack. So, if you're working on the three-dice stack, you can't have five dice in the cup to try and better your odds of stacking three of them.
- Each stack must remain standing, without assistance, for three consecutive seconds in order to count. The final stack of five must have its three seconds contained within the one-minute overall time.
Tips and Tricks
If you want to have any hope of success with this game, you'll have to practice. Try using different swirl speeds for starters. The really tricky part isn't in the scooping or swirling, but in the release. Work quickly and accurately. Practicing this game will help to improve your scooping time (and time is vital in this one), and give you a feel for how you can get those dice stacked with the swirl and dump technique.
The blueprint with video instructions for this game can be found at NBC.com. | <urn:uuid:4b384396-db48-467b-ad09-e22e6b50f762> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gameshows.about.com/od/minutetowinitgames/g/Minute-To-Win-It-High-Roller-Game.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963867 | 831 | 1.6875 | 2 |
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.
Last week we took a brief look at the Eternals known as Ancients -- immortal beings that were worshiped largely by the night elves, though other races also paid their respects to these ancient beings. This week we'll be moving from the demigods of the night elves to the gods, demigods and Loa of the trolls. The pantheon of Loa is vast and largely undefined, though we've seen glimpses of gods here and there, and will see at least one more of them during the Echo Isles event that will be coming sometime before Cataclysm's release. Some of the Loa gods referenced in today's article originate from the Warcraft role-playing games, and should not be taken as full-on canon as a result, however there are several other Loa that are featured in game.
To begin, the Loa are essentially primal gods, with each god representing a different animal or domain. Where the Ancients covered various types of creatures, the Loa cover various aspects of creatures -- there's a very subtle different between the two. The Loa tend to be a little darker, and some could be called "evil." In order to make this a bit more organized, I'll be sorting the Loa according to tribe.
The Amani Empire was once one of two ruling empires prior to the rise of the night elves. After the Sundering, the Amani were largely relocated to the Eastern Kingdoms, and suffered great losses at the hands of the humans and the high elves during the Troll Wars. Formerly a member of the old Horde, the Amani tribe led by Zul'jin pulled its support and took a neutral stance on the world, until the blood elves were taken in by the new Horde. Zul'jin, enraged by the apparent treachery of the Horde, vowed to take his revenge. In the Burning Crusade raid , it appeared as though he was doing just that, by creating avatars of the troll gods, or "forest lords."
- Nalorakk: Nalorakk is the lord of the bears.
- Akil'zon: Akil'zon is the lord of the eagles.
- Jan'alai: Jan'alai is the lord of the dragonhawks.
- Halazzi: Halazzi is the lord of the lynx.
Ula-Tek: Not mentioned in Zul'Aman is the serpent goddess Ula-Tek. What's interesting about Ula-Tek is that she is one of many "snake gods" in Warcraft lore -- there are a ton of snake gods out there, she just happens to be the serpent goddess of the Amani.
The Gurubashi Empire was the other ruling empire prior to the rise of the night elves, and it was massive. When the Sundering hit, it suddenly found itself split into many, many different locations -- most of the Gurubashi remnants were relocated to Stranglethorn Vale, but some fragments remained on Kalimdor, and they are the desert trolls we see in Tanaris today. A lot of Gurubashi history surrounds the Loa, and one god in particular:
Hakkar: After the Sundering, the Gurubashi Empire began to crumble. In desperation, the Gurubashi turned to their gods to help them, and caught the attention of one of the most evil Loa in the entire troll pantheon -- Hakkar the Soulflayer. Hakkar was a blood god, some believe he may even be the son of an Old God or even an Old God himself, though this has never been proven. Hakkar helped the Gurubashi regain their power, but at a price -- he demanded daily sacrifices for his own purposes.
What Hakkar was really after was a physical form -- as a blood god, what he wanted most was ... blood, and lots of it. Once he regained physical form, he could devour the blood of all mortal creatures, even the trolls that worshiped him. The Gurubashi realized this after some time, and the resultant upheaval caused one of the worst wars in troll history.
The strongest of the shattered tribes of the Gurubashi rose up against Hakkar and his priests, the Atal'ai, and while they were successful at destroying the avatar of the blood god and banishing him from the mortal world, the fractured remnants of the Gurubashi splintered even further as a result. In the end, the Gurubashi Empire collapsed, and most of the followers of Hakkar were shoved back into Zul'Gurub, the rest fleeing north to the Swamp of Sorrows, where they promptly built another temple to Hakkar.
The activities of the remaining Atal'ai trolls didn't go unnoticed. Ysera, Aspect of the Green Dragonflight caught wind of the temple in the Swamp of Sorrows and the plans of the Atal'ai, and smashed the temple under the marshes, which is why the Sunken Temple we see in game today is ... sunken, and why there are green dragons constantly patrolling the area around the instance. Unfortunately the incident didn't kill off all of the Atal'ai, and some remained deep within the Sunken Temple to resurrect Hakkar, believing that if this were accomplished, Hakkar would bring his servants immortality in gratitude.
It was discovered however that this could only be accomplished within Zul'Gurub, the old capital of the Gurubashi Empire. The summoning was completed, and Hakkar returned to the physical realm once more. The trolls of the surrounding lands sent in priests, champions of other primal gods, in order to defeat Hakkar -- and Hakkar promptly enslaved them and fed off of their powers. Reports of his immortality have been somewhat exaggerated however, as players can venture into Zul'Gurub and kill him. Whether he is dead-dead, or only mostly dead remains to be seen.
The primal gods of the Gurubashi are animal spirits, and the few known are as follows:
- Shadra: Shadra is the spider goddess, her venom used as a powerful poison for weapons.
- Shirvallah: Shirvallah is the tiger god.
- Bethekk: Bethekk is the panther goddess.
- Hir'eek: Hir'eek is the god of bats.
- Hethiss: Hethiss is the snake god, not to be confused with Ula-Tek. No relation!
Bwonsamdi: This guy is a little different. Rather than representing an animal spirit, Bwonsamdi is the Loa of the dead. He watches over the spirits of those who have died, and is mainly referenced by the Darkspear in the upcoming Echo Isles event. However, the Darkspear were originally part of the Gurubashi Empire and worship many of the Loas of the Gurubashi as a result, so Bwonsamdi may very well be a Loa from the Gurubashi pantheon.
As mentioned above, the Sandfury Tribe was originally part of the Gurubashi Empire. After the Sundering the Sandfury were obviously split from the rest of the trolls, and worshiped their own Loas possibly as a result of this. Only two have been discovered to date:
- Kimbul: Kimbul is the god of tigers, worshiped primarily by the Sandfury tribe in the deserts of Tanaris. He doesn't seem to have any relation to Shirvallah. Other names for Kimbul include Lord of Beasts, King of Cats, and the Prey's Doom.
- Mueh'zala: Mueh'zala is referenced as being a god of death like Bwonsamdi. The Sandfury tribe in Tanaris worships him as well. Other names for Mueh'zala include Father of Sleep, Son of Time, and the Night's Friend.
Before there were Amani, or Gurubashi, there were the Zandalar -- the progenitor race for all trolls of Azeroth. The only known Loa of the Zandalar is Zanza the Restless, who may very well be the spirit of an ancient Zandalar troll. He exists in game in Zul'Gurub and will offer players a variety of items for various classes in the form of armor enhancements. What exactly Zanza is the Loa of is unknown, however Hakkar seems to hold no power over him at all -- which makes him a very powerful being indeed.
The Drakkari Empire's origins are a little odd. These guys were driven out of the more "civilized" troll lands long before the Sundering and settled in northern Kalimdor. Why were they driven out? Because they were so violent, so cruel, and so bloodthirsty that they were considered complete barbarians. Complete barbarians in the eyes of the Amani and Gurubashi Empires. Yeah, these guys were pretty brutal. The Loa of the Drakkari are as follows:
- Sseratus: Sseratus is the serpent god of the Drakkari. No relation to Ula-Tek.
- Har'koa: Har'koa is the goddess of the snow leopard.
- Rhunok: Rhunok is the god of the arctic bear.
- Quetz'lun: Quetz'lun is the god of the wind serpents.
- Mam'toth: Mam'toth is the god of the mammoths.
- Akali: Akali is the god of the rhino.
- Dubra'Jin: Dubra'Jin is a forgotten god whose shrine is located just west of Gundrak. Little is known about Dubra'Jin, other than that he will protect trolls who honor him via sacrificing raptor eggs.
- Zim'Abwa: As with Dubra'Jin, little is known of Zim'Abwa. Making an offering at his shrine will imbue the player with an attack power buff, so it can be assumed Zim'Abwa is a warrior or fighter of some sort.
- Zim'Rhuk: Zim'Rhuk is also known as "The Wise One." Making an offering at his shrine will imbue the player with -- you guessed it -- wisdom, or rather a buff that acts much like the Blessing of Wisdom that paladins offer.
- Zim'Torga: Zim'Torga is a forgotten goddess also known as the "Mother of Prosperity," and will imbue players with a buff similar to Blessing of Kings when left an offering.
Loas of the Shadow hunter
In the Warcraft RPG books, several other Loa are mentioned though no reference has been made to them in game as of yet. The Loa of the Shadow hunters are all references to Loa from Haitian Voudou. Shadow hunters in Warcraft are essentially the masters of voodoo magic -- they walk the line between light and dark and deal primarily with the spirit world. However unlike the witch doctors commonly associated with troll voodoo, the shadow hunters actually have a special bond with the Loa, and are granted abilities with the spirits' blessing.
While the Loa of the shadow hunter have not been mentioned in game, it's still worthwhile to give them a brief once-over:
- Legba: Legba is the Loa of speed, and grants shadow hunters his speed as well as his grace.
- Dambala: Dambala is yet another serpent Loa, no relation to any of the various other snake gods and goddesses mentioned above. He teaches shadow hunters the art of moving silently and swiftly.
- Lukou: Lukou is the Loa of Healing and Respite, and grants shadow hunters the ability to heal. While Lukou can grant the ability to heal, she has no power over the undead, like Holy magic commonly practiced by priests and paladins.
- Ogoun: Ogoun is the Loa of war and teaches shadow hunters the art of hexes and curses.
- Shango: Shango is a Loa god who is the controller of the Realm of Storms -- essentially, he's a thunder god. He teaches the shadow hunter how to throw lightning in the form of "stormspears."
- Samedi: Interestingly, Samedi is the god of death and the restful sleep of the dead, and is a reference to the Loa that Bwonsamdi references -- Baron Semedi, the Loa of the dead in Haitian voudou. Bwonsamdi may be Blizzard's effort to bring these little known Loa into World of Warcraft, though whether we will see any of the other Loa listed here mentioned is unknown.
The limited amount of information involving troll Loa and gods can be frustrating to those trying to research troll lore. However for the active roleplayer it presents a unique kind of open canvas -- trolls have gods for just about everything under the sun, and the number of gods in the troll pantheon has never been fully defined. This leaves an almost limitless amount of room to play when roleplaying a troll character, and creates all kinds of opportunities for myths and legends. Need a god? Make one up -- the trolls have so many, it's not far-fetched at all to produce one that was previously unheard of.
While the Ancients of night elf lore are not only benevolent for the most part, but take an active role in shaping the world, the Loa and gods of the trolls are far more subtle in their efforts. They don't seem to intervene unless they are actively called upon, or channeled into some sort of avatar to do their work for them. The Ancients actively participated in the War of the Ancients because they saw the world in peril -- the Loa on the other hand were completely absent from the picture, busy with their own purposes. Whether or not we see any more of these Eternals come Cataclysm has yet to be seen -- although rumors abound about the efforts to destroy Hakkar in Zul'Gurub, and how they may not have been as effective as previously thought...
Next week, we'll be looking into Eternals of a different kind -- the Titans, creators and organizers of worlds. Just think of them as the universe's interior designers. Be sure to check back next time for more information on these curious demigods and their influence on Azeroth present-day, and in Cataclysm! | <urn:uuid:a5a6ba46-00ff-4b93-8168-70cd2c1365d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/07/17/know-your-lore-the-eternals-part-two-the-loa-gods-of-the-tro/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967359 | 3,079 | 1.539063 | 2 |
The Monterey Institute’s campus community launched a fundraising drive today aimed at supporting relief efforts in area of Japan devastated by the recent earthquake and tsunami.
First Student-Driven Symposium on Foreign Language Teaching a Huge Success
March 13, 2012
“Celebrating Foreign Language Education: A Monterey Bay Symposium” was organized by students from the Teaching a Foreign Language (TFL) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) degree programs at the Monterey Institute, with the help of faculty and staff.
The symposium was held on Saturday, March 10 and was a great success, drawing over 160 participants from the Monterey Institute and other educational institutions in the Monterey Bay region. The full-day schedule offered opportunities for teachers, students, administrators and other professionals to discuss current trends and issues in the field of foreign language education. The event was a wonderful success and it appears likely that the 2012 event will be known as the first annual teaching foreign language symposium when it is repeated next year.
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The US-Russia Virtual Science Challenge for Youth, a program developed and implemented by the Monterey Institute’s James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, was cited in a State Department news release as an example of cooperation between the two nations. | <urn:uuid:0a76f067-bcb8-46a5-aef1-215c25dadddb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.miis.edu/about/newsroom/stories/node/26152?page=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94936 | 276 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The mission, passion and work of Children's Mercy Hospitals and
Clinics is not limited to inside the walls of our buildings
throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area.
For instance, we have offered specialty outreach clinics
decades, taking our physicians to other cities to share our
expertise and special brand of care with children and families
throughout Kansas and Missouri. And now, Children's Mercy is
responding to the needs of children and health care providers
around the world with partnerships, educational opportunities and
medical programs, wherever it is needed.
In addition to the programs outlines below, in late 2010,
Children's Mercy announced an agreement with Mexico to exchange
medical, nursing and administrative personnel, establish pediatric
continuing education opportunities, conduct medical research, and
develop a joint referral system for patients. Children's Mercy
already has similar partnerships with pediatric hospitals in Panama
City, Panama, and Guangzhou, China and is establishing educational
relationships with hospitals in the Ukraine, Egypt and other
"It is exciting for us to have strong partnerships with these
international hospitals as well as with a neighboring nation," says
Warren Dudley, Vice President of Market Development and Outreach.
"It truly helps us establish ourselves as a pediatric institution
that knows no borders."
Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics receives requests for
patient care services from more than 36 countries. Our
International Services department coordinates care for the children
and families collaborates with medical professionals to enhance
medical care and education by sharing expertise and knowledge to
improve the health care of children all over the world.
International Medicine Opportunities
Children's Mercy supports opportunities for experiencing the
practice of medicine and health care outside the United States. Our
Graduate Medical Education Office can provide expert advice on
planning and preparation.
In addition, more than 40 doctors and nurses from around the
world have visited Children's Mercy since 2007 as part of education
programs in general and cardiac surgery, cardiology,
gastroenterology, neonatology, hematology/oncology, nursing,
pediatric intensive care, graduate medical education and
administration. These visitors were from China, Japan, Thailand,
the Ukraine, Peru, Panama, Argentina, Spain and the United Arab
"I gained much more than I gave in Lesotho. I was reminded
of how much suffering occurs daily in many parts of the world. Most
of the children I saw were battling AIDS and had lost one or both
of their parents to the same disease. Yet, the children continued
to smile and the families were gracious for everything the doctors
at the clinic were trying to do. It is very humbling to see so many
people making the best of horrible situations. At that same time,
it serves as an inspiration to value all of the opportunities
available and to work harder, learn more and give back to those who
may need it."
- Jennifer Goldman (Alumni, 2009) | <urn:uuid:59405475-04b2-487f-bbf3-fc313961aa85> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.childrensmercy.org/About_Us/About_Childrens_Mercy/In_the_Community/Global_Partnerships/Global_Partnerships/Programs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950379 | 621 | 1.617188 | 2 |
A strong education system is a keystone to Albemarle’s economic vitality. Education provides opportunity and skills to all students and helps each to achieve to the best of his or her ability and become a productive adult. When county taxpayers invest in education, they are “buying in” to the corporation at the lowest cost possible. Successful students will have more productive lives, be employed, support their families, and make contributions to our society as their strengths dictate. If we cut the essential educational processes and students fall behind or through the cracks in our safety net, higher costs will be paid in the future for many other social and justice services.
Everyone has high expectations for continued improvement in operations. With concerned citizens electing committed and energetic school board members, I am certain we will not be disappointed. | <urn:uuid:f6dc4dc2-de81-4c3d-93c0-a9df27856565> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://annmallek.com/wordpress/tag/public-education/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963663 | 165 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Popular hotels and destinations
to Mr Visserplein
to Plantage Kerklaan
In a city as prominent as Amsterdam, you would expect to find a Botanical Garden and this city's inner garden will certainly not disappoint. It contains one of the oldest Botanical Gardens, not only in the Netherlands, but in the world.
It was first established in 1638 and, over the centuries, it has grown and diversified into the beautiful green oasis we see today. Many wonderful and exotic plants were added to the collection during the 17th and 18th centuries due to the rich ship cargoes of the Dutch East India Company.
The gardens now consist of over 4000 different species of plants, ranging from desert dwellers to colorful tropical wonders. Some plants are over 300 years old.
A prominent feature within the gardens is the 'Three c... read more | <urn:uuid:884eb835-1726-4f36-9560-e048caa56348> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cityscouter.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958321 | 180 | 1.585938 | 2 |
MMV guest edits a special focus issue on malaria drug discovery in Future Medicinal Chemistry
The December issue of Future Medicinal Chemistry will be dedicated to antimalarial drug discovery and guest edited by Jeremy Burrows, MMV's Head of Discovery.
"Interest in malaria drug research has undergone radical renewal in the past decade," said Jeremy. "The disease places an unacceptably huge burden on vulnerable populations around the world. It is clear that new tools to control and eliminate this fatal disease are urgently needed. This issue of Future Medicinal Chemistry reflects this urgency and brings to light a broad spectrum of exciting research focused on malaria."
The issue includes numerous contributions from leading experts around the world who reveal the latest thinking, from target-based drug discovery through to high-throughput screening of the whole cell. Contributors also explain the growing appreciation that malaria eradication will require novel and innovative interventions to block transmission of the parasite and radically cure relapsing malaria.
"The Malaria Eradication Agenda challenge is ... tough," continued Jeremy. "And so it's reassuring to know that researchers and drug developers are at their innovative best in malaria drug research, seeking drugs that not only cure, but also block transmission and counter resistance."
All articles from this issue will be free to access until the end of March 2013 from the journal's website. | <urn:uuid:378e4505-0829-415e-833c-d1f76ed1963a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://allafrica.com/stories/201212170637.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935062 | 272 | 1.65625 | 2 |
So far, website designing has created furore in the IT industry. The reason being it has been claimed as an effective and affordable marketing tool by business marketers. Strangely, many believe that they are over with their duty once they've got their business website designed by a designer or a company. The shortcoming that is generally witnessed in these cases is that websites tend to fall down on the charts if they're not maintained well.
Website Maintenance is a broader term and includes many a things. From updating website content, to making tweaks in to the design of the website after some time comes under website maintenance. Maintaining the credibility of the website is also a significant part of website maintenance that most of the business owners usually ignore. For websites that have an option of user comments or feedback generally require content moderation.
There are many such platforms where business organizations promote their brand like forums, social networking sites, chat rooms, message boards and many others that work on the basis of regular feedback or comments. And it is only here the idea of content abuse comes to the fore. The websites that are always found loaded with comments demand moderation, infact maintenance.
Role of Content Moderators
Moderators are the only solution to it. Whether you do it yourself or avail the services from a company offering professional content moderation of website content, but your website needs it. Moderators make sure that the safety of a website is maintained. They remove any reproachful remarks or comments that show criticism or pose a threat to the business or brand image.
What is done under Content Moderation?
When moderators begin the task of moderating content of the website, they ensure that the comments or feedback posted on the client's website adhere to legal issues, copyright concerns and are in accordance to the content management practices.
Their prime objective is to maintain the website honor and make the website safe and engaging. To authenticate content of the website, they make sure that all the posted information, remarks or comments are as per website's defined guidelines.
Moderators offer absolute technical and customer support. They rip out everything they feel might damage the reputation of the company, but do it maintaining business attitude and professionalism.
So the crux is, businesses dealing in forums, or have chosen to endorse their website on social platforms; should opt to hire services of a professional content moderator.
Ethan Dao is the Managing Partner of a Web design Company New York, MNM LIT. MNM LIT is a jointly affiliated company empowered with a pool of experienced web content moderators. The company has rendered effectual, affordable website maintenance services.
Author: Ethan Dao / Posted: 10-08-2011 | <urn:uuid:103a5603-64d4-4710-affb-6ced4ab5d03d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.awdp.org/blog/275/articles/539/Content-Moderation-A-Critical-Part-Of-Website-Maintenance | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950307 | 546 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Free testing of jewelry items for low-level radioactivity is being offered by a Hellertown businessman.
"We have been in contact with various government agencies like the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Bureau of Radiological Health regarding this problem. We have been advised that radioactive gold has caused at least 14 confirmed cases of skin cancer. Other items such as imported cloisonne from China and certain gemstones have also been reported to be radioactive. It is for this reason that we are offering this testing to our customers and to the public," said Robert Gilman Jr. of Gilman's Lapidary and Jewelry Supply, at Lost River Caverns, Hellertown. | <urn:uuid:1c9f9b6d-ada4-4e60-a957-a7aa07fefeea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.mcall.com/1984-05-04/news/2414540_1_radioactive-gilman-testing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968961 | 136 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Skip to comments.Obama's honeymoon with media is history
Posted on 01/26/2010 11:02:20 AM PST by jazusamo
He has an official pre-presidential logo and a dramatic custom-built dais with columns even before he arrived at the White House. President Obama drew instant love from the press, who were captivated by the image before them.
Mr. Obama garnered more coverage and more positive coverage than former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan during their comparable times in office, according to a study released Monday by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA).
Much of the Obama coverage was breathlessly positive, even melodramatic. But then something happened.
"The press stopped covering President Obama the historical figure, and started covering President Obama the politician. It took a few months, but many journalists started returning to their old critical ways, and the coverage went negative," said CMPA Director Robert Lichter, who conducted the research in conjunction with George Mason and Chapman universities.
"Barack Obama had his honeymoon, but now the party's over. He got all the spectacular stuff when he was just beginning. Still, there's a silver lining for Mr. Obama his coverage would be envied by other recent presidents," Mr. Lichter added.
Indeed. The analysis was based on 3,859 news stories that appeared on the ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts, plus in the New York Times, Time and Newsweek from Jan. 20, 2009, through Dec. 31, plus a separate analysis of 1,728 stories on the Fox News Channel "Special Report."
During the entire first calendar year of his administration, Mr. Obama's mainstream media coverage was almost "perfectly balanced" he rated 49 percent positive and 51 percent negative evaluations by sources and reporters.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Tell that moron to get real. Balanced? No Fn way.
Oh sure, I'll believe this when pigs fly !
So why should anyone believe that this organization recognizes bias when they see it?
All things considered, it still is.
Is the media finally seeing that the party is over, that it’s time to get to work? It may be to late for the media since they didn’t want to see what was really going on. I believe that the general public no longer trusts them.
“By Sources” must mean bloggers and posters (including every negative comment on FR about BO.
It makes you wonder what they consider negative. Not openly gushing and drooling and more “nuanced” praise instead?
Utter BS. They are still relentlessly promoting, covering for him , deliberately ignoring negative stories about him and his administration and reliably attacking conservatives and his critics.
You mean the CMPA isn’t balanced? /sarc
I do believe his media praise is going to start taking a hit.
The point is that he is still getting 39% positive, that is staggering considering the p!$$ poor job he has been doing. There is no question that the media is in the tank for Obama still and they are finding it harder and harder to swim out.
If you want to see the definition of a biased WH reporter, check out Chuck Todd. Todd’s analysis often includes statements about what “we” need to do, including himself as part of the Obama team. If the day’s news is bad for the Obama WH, Chuck Todd looks like his puppy died. If the news is good for the Obama WH, Chuck Todd is visibly giddy.
Chuck Todd could be the poster boy for what’s wrong with the MSM.
The MSM is still deluded
I believe the media is starting to realize they can only go so far with their phony support and Obama’s reaction to Scott Brown being elected has had a lot to do with waking them up.
"His quest to secure the 2016 Olympics for Chicago failed in spectacular fashion," commented Fox News' Bret Baier in October.
Reporting the negative news should not count as a negative article...I suspect it did.
I don't. Want proof?
Listen to the overall media after he gives the State of the Union speech.
My guess would be F Chuck Todd got lots of wedgies and gym shorts pulled down in the high school locker room.
He just looks like the type.
Good example of an unabashed Obama media supporter that doesn’t even try to hide it, he and those like him should take up a different line of work.
I agree, their reporting after his SOTU will tell us if it truly is changing.
This goofball also forgets how the media slurped all over the Clintons.
What should be pointed out and shouted from the rooftops from now on is that the media bears primary blame for foisting this travesty on the country with their criminally biased and irresponsible coverage of the 2008 election and of Zero’s ascendancy to the Oval Office.
This should be driven home relentlessly.They should be made to pay for it by having their credibility thoroughly discredited for a generation.
It's getting to be a long time since that has happened.
Nothing will change until people cancel cable and sat TV service. We will keep losing until then.
Well, Chrissy Tingle-leg is still hot for Obozo.
“Balance” always depends on where you place the fulcrum.
LOL! I doubt Chrissy’s love for him will ever die.
Actually, I was surfing channels and happened to land on Chris Matthews twice now...he seems to be turning it around. He’s still pro Obummer, but he’s now questioning his guests in a much more probing way, disagreeing even, and really took Howard Dean (that giggling fool) on a few days back. Also, I think Chris Matthews is looking lack luster and washed out...I’m hoping he’s had an epiphany(sp?) and it’s wiping him out. About time.
I detect a tinge of “yeah, we were biased, but that’s all better now” here. Sorry, folks. Credibility is as difficult to get back as virginity.
All news vs. FOX I guess= balanced?
You know, I consider Fox to be moderate and balanced -- there are plenty of things on Fox that upset me and make me yell at the TV. It hardly spoonfeeds me all the news that I really want to hear, in a manner which is guaranteed to make me feel good. Nope. There's leftwing propaganda on Fox too. Just not as much.
But for the Leftist fanatics, Fox is an extremist station that taints all of American journalism by giving insufficient obeisance to Obama.
Good point and I know for most all of us there are very few with credibility nor is that likely to change.
This guy was dropped on his head as a baby. 49/51?
I would say, 80/20 and not like, excluding talk radio, Washington Times and Fox.
Matthews was very hard on Slick, for a year or so, when it looked like Slick might go down for obstruction of justice. Of course, he was very hard on George W, for a decade, in an attempt to keep his liberal media bona fides.
I do wonder now if Matthews was really that in love with BO, or if he just jumped on the bandwagon, knowing that the Clintons neither forgive, not forget, and that he couldn't get the Acting Deputy Undersecretary of the Interior for Public Restrooms in National Parks to come on his show in a Hillary administration.
If the honeymoon is over, I guess that makes his media spouses nymphomaniacs, cuz they’re still humping away.
HISTORY?? You’re KIDDING, right? Figure Katie and Olbermann are going to support the republican next time??!!
Just like the As-Seen-On-TV infomercials which make wild claims about a new product. “He will bring peace and prosperity and green to our planet. He will perform miracles and make our enemies love us.”
MSM acted as the producers of the OBamaRama infomercial and the Democratic party acted as the company selling ObamaRamas. At first people clamored to buy this new wonderful-can’t do without-Presidency but soon found out that it didn’t work like they promised and was way too expensive. Getting Conned leaves a bitter taste in people’s mouths. You can do most anything but don’t betray their trust.
Now people don’t want the MSM to make anymore infomercials and they won’t buy any products from the Democratic party for a long time,
this is from the Washington Times? We’re doomed
will he ever be the old chrissy that once guest hosted for Rush and felt that McCain deserved the presidency?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works. | <urn:uuid:91c1fba9-f1bb-4c14-9959-c7350c7183e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2437736/posts?page=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971535 | 1,952 | 1.609375 | 2 |
If you have a bottom spring kit, as I do here, start weaving your header. If you don’t have a bottom spring kit, cut a thread three times the width of your loom. Engage the shedding device, weave it to the threaded bar, wrap it around the threaded bar, change the she and weave it back to the other threaded rod. Tie the two ends tightly around the threaded bar. This will serve as a base for starting your weaving. Make sure the two threads make a straight line. Arrange the warps so that they are evening spaced at ten ends per inch. Then begin weaving a header.
Two weave a header: cut a manageable length of warp thread and weave it back and forth for about a third of an inch. This header will be folded over to the back of your weaving when you finish your piece. Be mindful to not pull too tightly at the sides of your weaving but also to not leave loops at the edges. Beat it down with a tapestry beater or, if you don’t own one a kitchen fork.
End your header about six warps in and begin a weft of just silk where the header ends. Remember, you always want your ends hanging to the back of the piece. You will begin new threads when old ones end, if possible. The back will not show. It will be lined in silk. So it can be a complete mess.
Thread a beading needle with beading thread. Tie a knot so that it forms a loop. Loop the silk weft into the loop and load your beads onto the needle. They will easily slide onto the silk weft. Place the strung beads into the shed (the space between the raised and lowered warps) and push them down into the V. Pull tightly on the silk weft so that there is no loop at the end and it is wrapped snugly against the opposite warp thread. The beads are hard so they will prevent your from pulling in at the edges. In fact, if you warp was at all uneven, the beads will even everything out nicely.
Warp the silk around the warp thread to keep that last bead in place. Change the shed and weave the silk weft to the other side. Weave until your run out of weft and then begin a new color where the original weft ended. Weave that color for two passes. You are now ready to add a second and third color.
You will be inserting these two additional wefts in opposite directions. The second weft (the salmon colored weft in my example) will head toward the existing turquoise weft. The sage weft will be headed away from the turqoise weft. By doing this, your wefts can cross into each other’s territory and still be in the correct shed. This is a kind of difficult concept to understand before you’ve played with it. So now that we’ve got our silk wefts in place, let’s play with them.
Weave the sage weft into the salmon wefts territory but don’t go past the tail of the salmon weft. Weave the salmon weft back to meet the sage weft, wrapping around a common warp. Weave the turqoise weft back to the right. In this case, I’ve wrapped it around the next door warp but could have wrapped it around a common warp.
Keep playing with this method for a while. I will show you pictures of each row I weave. As I mentioned, you can either wrap around common warps or not. For this technique it makes little difference although one does have a natural tendency to wrap around common warps.
You have just learned how to:
Weave several wefts in opposite directions.
Create shapes (note the salmon shape you’ve created).
To end the three wefts, first weave the right ones toward each other and end them by sticking their ends to the back of the weaving. Then weave the left weft to the left warp. Weave it until it is used up and then replace it with an entirely new color. I used the color we began with. Weave a few passes and then thread with beads and weave a row of beads.
Weave the silk weft until it runs out. Add another silk weft and weave a couple of rows.
Add some railroad yarn to the silk and weave the two at the same time. This will add both texture and some great color to your piece.
End the silk/railroad combination weft and replace with two different colors of silk also to be woven at the same time.
Next we are going to weave sections of diagonal shapes. End the double silk weft by wrapping around the outside warp so it hangs to the back of the piece.
My piece is 40 warps so I will make each shape 10 warps wide. The best way to guide yourself through this is to stick markers in the warp so you can see where you will begin and end a shape. You are going to be weaving these four single silk wefts in the same direction.
Start like this: The four wefts begin and end where the markers are.
Weave the right weft to the left first. Weave the next three wefts in order to the left.
Next, weave the left weft to the right but weave over one more warp. Do the same for the other three wefts. The goal is to create a diagnol shapes by weaving over one warp when you go to the left and reducing by one warp when you weave to the right.
Follow the pictures. Your left shape is gong to get bigger and bigger whereas your right shape is going to shrink.
At some point you can remove the guide threads as they won't be necessary.
To end the left weft wrap around the end warp so it is hanging to the back.
Insert a new silk weft.
Weave it for a few passes.
Add a second weft to the existing weft that is longer.
Weave until you run out of the first silk. Replace with a new silk weft to add to the existing weft.
Weave until you run out of one of the silk threads and replace with railroad yarn.
End the railroad yarn and replace with silk weft.
Weave a couple of rows of silk weft.
You can continue to play with adding and replacing wefts. I will be teaching additional techniques but they can be anywhere on this piece. What we have just woven will actually be the flap of your piece. Or you can wait until next week and weave along with me. | <urn:uuid:cf57ac52-87f5-43d0-9154-f7f99c20ac98> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://awordfromelena.mirrixlooms.com/2012/06/silk-purse-weave-along-week-2-weave.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93193 | 1,380 | 1.726563 | 2 |
By Elizabeth Vana Bryant, HSC legal volunteerThe Visit
This week, a close friend received a surprise visit from her local school district. It was, of course, a crazy (i.e., typical) homeschooling morning-the house was a mess, my friend was in disarray, and the doorbell rang. Expecting another homeschool family who was due to visit, she flung the door open to find a man in a suit!
He introduced himself as the Private School Liaison from her local school district's Department of Pupil Services and Attendance. Quickly coming to her senses, my friend immediately stepped out onto her front porch, and closed her front door firmly behind her.
The school official stated that he was visiting the new private schools in the district, and, in Impressive Official tone, demanded to see “all the administrative documents.”
Luckily, my friend knew her legal rights. She responded, “What exactly would you like to see? I understand that there are only certain documents which you are entitled by law to see.”
Now, it was the official who was on the defensive! Taken by surprise, he began sputtering, “Uh, you know, your administrative documents.” My friend firmly (albeit nervously) asserted, “Could you show me the code sections on that?” She knew the law, and he clearly didn't.
Mr. Liaison began fumbling through his notes and his department's worksheet for the names of the appropriate documents. She allowed him to search in uncomfortable silence. She did not assist him in any way, nor did she offer any additional information or friendly conversation. Finally, he located some departmental notes and asked for her R-4 (private school affidavit) and attendance records.
My friend simply said, “Oh, those I can show you. Let me get them for you. Please wait here.” She went into her house, closing the door behind her, leaving the official standing alone on the porch. Of course, her heart was racing and it was difficult for her to think straight as she ran through the house! Fortunately, my friend had had the foresight to have prepared a fire-engine red binder last October, just in case this occasion should arise.
In her thin red binder, my friend had filed the following items:
- A copy of her Private School Affidavit, printed off of her computer at the time she filed electronically.
- A copy of the computer-generated confirmation number issued when she filed electronically.
- The white U.S. Postal Service proof of mailing from when she sent her confirmation copy to the California Department of Education.
- The date-stamped green U.S. Postal Service Return Receipt which was proof that the California Department of Education had received her confirming copy.
- Attendance records for her school. My friend prints forms off her computer: one sheet per child per month. Each day of the month is then manually marked [P]resent, [W]eekend, [H]oliday or [S]ick, and the abbreviations used are explained in a key at the bottom of each page.
- A city business license. While most homeschoolers do not obtain a business license, my friend runs a private ISP which includes her child and some of her homeschool friends, so she thought a city business license was an appropriate acquisition. She tells me that it was very easy to obtain, it's free (since she doesn't earn thousands of dollars, she qualifies for Small Business Exemptions), and it looks really official.
- Printed copies of selected sections of the Educational Code (the law) that pertain to homeschooling, including California Education Code §48321.5(e).
My friend keeps “clean” copies with no underlines, no notes on them, in her red binder. (Her marked up copies are elsewhere in her home, so that officials cannot see her notes.) My friend told me that if Mr. Liaison had become insistent, she might have shown him the clean copies of the laws to which they must both adhere. She grabbed her red binder off the shelf and dashed back to her front porch, firmly closing the door behind her, again. She assertively (yet politely) opened her binder directly to the private school affidavit and showed him the Postal Service return receipt.
When Mr. Liaison asked, my friend politely verified that the number of students enrolled was still accurate. At his request, she quickly flipped through the stack of attendance records, not really stopping long enough for him to read the details or the students' names on the sheets. Once she presented the Private School Affidavit and attendance records, and it was clear that he was getting nothing further, the school official realized the visit was over. He gave my friend his business card and offered his assistance for locating curriculum before departing. My friend was polite, but firm, in bidding him goodbye.
Know your rights
You have a constitutional right to privacy, guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. School officials have no authority to enter your home without a warrant. But, if you do permit them to enter, anything that they see or that you reveal to them can be used against you later.
Therefore, be polite, but be firm. You should request the school official's business card or other official identification at the outset of the visit. Don't chat; keep conversation to a crisp, businesslike minimum. Don't allow the school official into your house. Leave him outside on the doorstep, and close the door behind you so he cannot peer over your shoulder.
Public school officials only have the right to view your private school affidavit (R-4) and attendance records. They may verify the attendance of an individual pupil (i.e., “Does Amy Smith attend this school?”) but they must request this information by pupil name. They are not entitled to a list of all of the students in the school, nor may they ask to talk to the students.
Don't allow your children to answer the doorbell during school hours. Even when school officials “play dumb”-like my friend's experience where the official fumbled for the names of documents-assume that they are like Detective Columbo, who used to bumble in order to get people to let down their guard. The officials will broadly request “all your administrative records” even if they are only entitled to a few of them.
Do not offer additional information. Know what they are entitled to see, and stand up for your rights. Remember in all your dealings that you are a Private School. This is not about "homeschooling." It is about the legal requirements for Private Schools, whether that be the Our Family Academy or the major parochial school in town. Discuss all official issues acting as Director of your Private School.
Make your “inspection file” now, not while the school official is on the doorstep. When he is on the doorstep, you will probably be nervous. If you are nervous, you are far more likely to (1) provide unnecessary information which opens you to scrutiny, or (2) be unable to locate necessary information, which will also jeopardize your position.
Some people proudly keep all their homeschooling records in one single file folder. But how well does this work when the school official is at the door? School officials are not entitled to see most of the records which established private schools must maintain, including tuberculosis vaccination records, courses of study, and teacher qualifications. And you certainly do not wish to display other information you might maintain, such as journals, reading lists, curriculum, or copies of student work. If you keep all these in one folder, will you be able to extract your private school affidavit and attendance records from this thick mass when the official asks for them? What is the likelihood that you will accidentally display one of the other unrequired documents in your hurry? If you keep your attendance record in your personal calendar, would you want that school official scrutinizing your planned events as he views the attendance record?
It's quite calming, our friend says, to know that your “ducks are in a row” when you run to pick up that waiting red binder with an official at your door! If you are prepared, you will be confident. Keep your private school affidavit (and the proof that the California Department of Education received it) in the same place as your attendance record. Maintain an attendance record which does not have extraneous information on it. Keep your record easily accessible; my friend keeps hers in a bright colored binder so that she will be able to locate it quickly, no matter how messy her house is, (because you know that the day a school official shows up will be the day when your house is in the depths of disorder!).
My friend's encounter shows that you can meet your local school official and live to tell about it! You can successfully defend your Private School. All that is required is a little planning, preparation, confidence, and knowledge of your legal rights. For more information about your legal rights, see the legal section of our website at www.hsc.org.
Elizabeth Van Bryant is one of several members of HSC who are licensed attorneys in the State of California. These members volunteer their time answering general legal questions that are sent to them through the HSC website or e-list. This advice is not intended to create a lawyer- client relationship or to constitute legal advice. No two factual situations are exactly alike. Therefore, people who ask questions should always do their own research and/or consult their own counsel.
When Officials come knocking at your door . . . But I'm in an PSP!
by Joanne Poyourow
Even if your student is enrolled in a PSP (Private Satellite Program), many of these recommendations still apply.
Know your rights
Enrollment in a private (“homeschooling”) PSP is exactly the same, legally, as enrollment in the local parochial school in your neighborhood. You're the Parent, your child is the Student, and your PSP contact person is like the “School Principal.” The major difference is that you, not any agent of the PSP, are the teacher.
If school district officials come knocking, simply inform them that your child is enrolled in such-and-such Private School. Beyond proof of enrollment, you as Parent have no further obligations. Politely and firmly instruct officials to direct all further questions to the PSP contact person. It is not up to you to produce attendance records, R4s, or any items proving the existence or validity of the PSP. Again, be polite and businesslike. Don't allow the school official into your house, or get chatty, or display unrequired documents, or permit him to speak with your children. You are not required to do any of these things and the official has no authority to insist upon them. Recall the Columbo example from this article: anything extraneous could potentially be used against you. Be cautious and wise.
Your PSP should give you documents that are proof of enrollment. The exact format of these documents varies by PSP. You might have a Student Identification Card, a letter certifying enrollment, or another document that proves your student is enrolled at the PSP. Additionally, have available the name, title, and phone number (business card, perhaps?) of your PSP contact person.
In the main article we mentioned preparing a separate “inspection file.” You should do this for an PSP enrollment as well. By placing your student's proof of enrollment document, together with the contact information for the PSP, in a separate file (for each child) ahead of time, you won't be fumbling around with an official standing at the door.
Joanne Poyourow directs Ballona Neighborhood Learning Center, a private PSP for homeschoolers. | <urn:uuid:2a01f118-d188-4f2b-9a22-123918fb20ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hsc.org/when-officials-come-knocking-at-your-door.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971026 | 2,471 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Israeli Consul General Speaks to Tough Crowd
March 29, 2004 2:22 PM
Yossi Amrani, consul general of Israel, spoke to an international relations class on March 15, explaining and defending Israeli policy before a tough crowd of more than 50 students.
Before Amrani's arrival, Dr. Dwight Simpson, the class professor, emphasized the need for courtesy, but much of the audience simmered with banter that indicated hostility toward Israeli policy. One student even asked if he could walk out during the consul general's presentation.
"That would be extremely discourteous," said Simpson. "If you're going to walk out, do it now."
Amrani came to the class at 10:35 a.m. and spoke for about 30 minutes, sitting on the table in the front of the room with his arms crossed across his chest or with fingers laced over one crossed leg. The facial expressions and body language of both himself and his audience told of mounting tension as he spoke.
Amrani began by describing how Israelis feel about the need for a Jewish homeland. He pointed out that the Jews have lived around Jerusalem for the last 2000 years, though in varying numbers. He also said that the Jews' connection with the land was also rooted in Judaism, pointing out that Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life, the place toward which Jews pray.
“It’s not a question of right, it a question of who we are (as Jews),” he said.
Amrani said he thought both Israel and a Palestinian state could coexist, but pointed out that Arabs living in the area in 1948 refused an offer from the United Nations for a state of their own. Since then, Arabs’ refusal to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist has made peace impossible.
“You can not negotiate with someone who wants to kill you,” he said.
Amrani also explained that Israelis feel their very existence is at stake every time there is a terrorist attack, but acknowledged that Palestinians probably feel the same way when Israel makes a heavy-handed response.
“There is a psychology of fear throughout the whole region,” he said.
Amrani also said that Israelis never target children, school buses, and other areas where non-combatants congregate. That is the difference between the Israeli response and the terrorism of the Palestinians, he said.
Amrani took questions for thirty minutes after his speech, and the simmering hostility in the room between audience and speaker at last flared up when some students asked hot-button questions.
One student asked about the fence being built around the country to protect Israelis and why it was in Palestinian territory.
“I feel that the fence is not the Berlin Wall or the China wall,” Amrani responded. “We’re building the fence as a defense measure. The fence is movable. The fence is not built to separate Palestinians.”
The student then questioned Amrani’s use of the word fence, saying, “It looks like a wall to me.”
“Five percent of the 200 miles is a wall, 95 percent is a fence,” Amrani retorted.
The last question of the day came from a student, Emilie Fauquet, asking Amrani to define terrorism.
"I suggest you look it up in a dictionary," Amrani said, which produced laughter and groans from the audience.
Fauquet began to interrupt, but was cut down.
"If you were appropriate, you would let me finish," Amrani said coldly. He proceeded to define terrorism as the targeting of innocent people for political and religious gain, and again emphasized how Israel had never targeted children or other innocent non-combatants.
Toward the end of the class the air had become tense as Amrani continued to answer student questions. After Amrani answered the last question, he quickly thanked the class and left the room. Applause was polite; some students shook his hand and thanked him as others shook their heads.
Many students left quickly to gather their thoughts while others stuck around and discussed what they just heard.
“He evaded the question on terrorism,” said Fauquet after class. “I hate how he said, ‘We don’t target Palestinian kids. ”
“In general he was a passionate guy,” said James Adamson, 24. “Some of the students' questions were inflammatory and unintelligent. Mr. Amrani seemed to stay coherent and cognitive the entire time.”
“I thought he was amazing,” said Morgan Samuels. The international relations major said she agreed with everything he said and it was nice to hear someone with similar views.
“His tone of voice was very discriminating-oriented,” said Nour Mansouri, a student wearing a shirt that said “Free Palestine” on it. “He seemed to revolve around the questions people asked with out actually answering them. He was very one-sided.”
In a brief interview after class, Amrani said he came to SF State as part of reaching out to all universities within the area. He said the future of America is in today’s classrooms and it is important that future leaders know Israel’s point of view.
Deeann Mathews and Richard McKeethen contributed to this report.
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Copyright © 2008 [X]press | Journalism Department - San Francisco State University | <urn:uuid:104132d1-d14d-480d-998f-e10b50b5f146> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/news/000992.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977324 | 1,174 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Ajijic Lake Chapala Mexico: Life in a privileged climate
The north shore of Mexico’s largest natural lake is blessed by nature. Located at the same latitude as the Hawaiian Islands, its tropical heat is tempered by altitude. The Chapala lake shore is a mile high, the same as Denver. In fact, National Geographic rates its climate as the best in the Americas.
Once known as Mexico’s inland sea, the long blue lake nestles amid indigo mountains in the Sierra Madre Occidental. Charming towns and villages line the shore, each one with its own unique ambience, its own allure. The most popular are Chapala and Ajijic, but there are many more options for the lifestyle you love.
Chapala is only a few hours’ flight from the U.S. and Canada
Guadalajara – Mexico’s second largest city – is just an hour’s drive, yet Lake Chapala has the peacefulness of small town living. Forty-five minutes away on a good highway, the Miguel Hidalgo International Airport means you’re only a few hours’ flight from loved ones back in the U.S. and Canada. Chapala’s northern shore is the single most popular area for Mexico retirement.
AccessLakeChapala.com lets you leisurely explore the area in each location: Chapala, La Floresta, San Antonio Tlayacapan, Ajijic, San Juan Cosala ( Raquet Club) and Jocotepec
Like Venetian palazzos, Mediterranean style mansions line the sea wall walk, or malecón in Chapala. It leads to the pier that juts out into the lake to end in a picturesque kiosk. The municipal seat of lakeside towns, Chapala has a lovely air of yesteryear with beautiful Victorian architecture. The traditional municipal market is a good place to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables, but a large new supermarket is another option. A modern bus station connects the towns themselves with buses leaving every 20 minutes or so, and links the lake shore with the state capital and points beyond. A yacht club, tennis courts, and lakeside promenade lure you outdoors to enjoy the sunshine.
Chapala rental options and houses sales tend to be single family homes with gated parking in the front and sunny gardens in the back; property taxes are low. Cable TV, high speed Internet access and flat fee telephone plans keep you connected.
AccessLakeChapala.com has a great selection of real estate and rental properties for those who consider on staying longer.
San Antonio Tlayacapan: A traditional Mexican neighborhood
San Antonio Tlayacapan is a Chapala side town of its own. The plaza with its wrought iron bandstand is a block from the shore, across from the church dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua. Home of the Lakeside Little Theater, San Antonio also boasts upscale gated communities with single family homes at accessible prices. Some of the best priced homes can be found in this town, and there is a good supply of rentals. Expats live side by side with Mexican neighbors in a community of real friendship.
Mailboxes, Etc., is located in San Antonio. Super Lake is a small food store stocking hard-to-find items from North of the Border. Next door, the liquor shop is well stocked and sells Cuban cigars, rolled by hand in the store. Tony’s Meats cuts roasts, chops and fillets to order, and a seafood shop is located a few doors down. Seven-Eleven, furniture stores and a variety of other shops line the highway. San Antonio also includes the new Wal-Mart Super Center within its limits.
Ajijic, home of fisherman, artists, artisans and expats
The fisherman’s village of Ajijic is home to more expats than any other Chapala lake shore community. Home of the Lake Chapala Society, Ajijic’s cobblestone lanes invite exploring on foot. Galleries, boutiques and jewelry shops vie with restaurants of every kind. A weekly street market, or tianguis, provides shoppers with farm-fresh fruits, vegetables and cut flowers, seafood brought that morning from the coast, and a wealth of useful items in breathtaking array.
Hotels range from the beautiful lakeside properties that fill up with city folk at the weekends to cozy bed and breakfast inns. Renting in the area is available during the winter high season or all year round, and most shopping is usually within walking distance of the plaza.
San Juan Cosala: Thermal spas and Racquet Club living
Further west along the carretera is the town of San Juan Cosalá. Heated by underwater volcanoes, thermal mineral pools are renowned for their curative properties, and popular balnearios (swimming pools with restaurants, terrazas and gardens) are located along the shore. On the mountain side of the highway, Racquet Club homes line cobblestone streets named for Jimmy Conners, Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg and Arthur Ashe, as well as Raul Ramirez, Pancho Gonzalez and other Mexican tennis stars.
At the top of the hill with a spectacular view of the lake and mountains, Coxala is a spa and gourmet restaurant housed in architectural replicas of pre-Hispanic monuments.
Jocotepec: All the beauty of Lake Chapala living with fewer tourists
At the western end of the carretera, Jocotepec is a traditional Mexican town with two large churches on the plaza, one on either side of the highway. Its recently refurbished lakeside promenade, or malecón, is a privileged spot to watch the sunset over the Chapala lake vistas. Cabañas set around a pool in splendid gardens are a popular choice among hotels, and tourists enjoy restaurants serving spicy birria, a savory goat meat stew that is a regional favorite.
Jocotepec is home to fewer expatriates than other towns along the northern shore, and homes in Jocotepec are quite accessible. This town also hosts a weekly tianguis street market where locally grown raspberries and blackberries are wonderfully inexpensive, healthy and delicious. | <urn:uuid:fd46bbac-ac72-47c7-8a2a-17b625fae7cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.accesslakechapala.com/location/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936804 | 1,298 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Energy is the lifeblood of the global economy. Factories need energy to run, and goods need fuel to get shipped.
So it is wise for investors to keep an eye on trends in the energy sector as a way to gauge the status of the economic recovery — or, when trends are ugly, a sign that investors might be in for a bumpy ride.
There are a host of indicators and headlines relating to oil and energy consumption, but here are three recent reports I found that I think are particularly telling.
All three should set off warning bells, and investors should take note:
The UCLA Anderson School of Management teams up with employment services firm Ceridian Corporation to track real-time diesel fuel consumption data. The pair’s most recent report shows an alarming decline in use of the key fuel.
Specifically, the “Pulse of Commerce Index” — that’s the official name for the diesel data — fell 1.7% in January following a 0.4% decrease in December. January’s figures are not just down month-over-month, but also off 2.2% from last year.
Click to Enlarge Most disturbing? The diesel index shows almost zero growth since the summer of 2010. Check out the chart.
“It seems difficult to square the behavior of the PCI with the evident improvement in a number of economic indicators, most notably the increase in payroll jobs and the decrease in initial claims for unemployment,” said Ed Leamer, chief economist for the index.
In short, something doesn’t add up.
This index is not a magic measuring stick. But diesel obviously is a crucial part of the national economy and a good proxy for rail traffic and truck traffic … and thus worth paying attention to.
Click to Enlarge As with diesel, broader gasoline deliveries reflect the ebb and flow of the economy. Check out this chart about monthly total U.S. deliveries as measured by the U.S. Energy Information Administration:
This data is most interesting because it is raw. It is not “seasonally adjusted” or modified based on flash estimates and revisions. It is, for all intents and purposes, real demand.
The biggest takeaway? Retail gasoline deliveries are well below 1980 levels, with no sign of rebound, despite the fact that the recession is “over.” | <urn:uuid:f82782ba-65b2-4efe-adf0-99e7c1d54ed3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://investorplace.com/2012/02/3-shocking-energy-trends-that-should-scare-investors/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936445 | 486 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Resilience won't get rid of the heartbreak, but it will help you cope with the loss — whether it's a break up, death, end of a friendship, job loss or any other setback you might experience. If you look deep within yourself, you can find the power to deal with your inner-ache and bounce back stronger and smarter.
More from YourTango: Love and Dreams
How will it make you smarter? Because every time we face a challenging situation, we come away with knowledge and experience to cope better the next time. While it may seem futile during your heartbreak, afterwards, you can take comfort in the fact that you are growing emotionally as a person.
It's possible to obstruct the grieving process by ignoring your true feelings. Grief is the appropriate response to loss as is experiencing the natural realm of emotions; anger, sorrow and pain are an integral part of healing.
The important thing is that you continue to function physically and psychologically. Building resilience isn't about dealing with things on your own. As a matter of fact, asking for support from others is a critical way in which we improve the resiliency of our emotions. How Having Faith Can Help You Find True Love
A bump in the road of your love life doesn't have to break you. These five tips for building personal resilience can be your guide to an easier healing process:
1. Find comfort in the discomfort. Allow yourself to feel. Experience the full gamut of emotions during your loss without any denial. Something important to you ended and you need to acknowledge that without placing blame on anyone or anything, even yourself.
2. Take care of you. Eat healthy, get adequate sleep, exercise, hydrate and take the time to put yourself first. Pamper yourself without feeling guilty about it. Go out and do something just for YOU.
More from YourTango: How Having Faith Can Help You Find True Love
3. Learn from the experience. You need time to heal from your loss. This timeframe can be different for each situation and individual. Take this time to reflect on what went wrong (being honest to yourself is key) and what you can do next time to course-correct. Few things are as valuable as a lesson learned.
More breakup advice from YourTango Experts: | <urn:uuid:83261080-5697-4a21-a8e7-e63389f147fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yourtango.com/experts/ceo-marcia-wieder/break-5-ways-boost-your-resiliency-expert | 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 | 0.947253 | 470 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Apple's popular iPod player marked its fifth anniversary as a cultural phenomenon that helped bring music into the digital age and reap billions of dollars in sales for the US company.
The California-based company launched its mini music player five years ago on October 23, 2001 and has never looked back as sales of the trendy gadget have continued to skyrocket.
Apple shipped over eight million iPods during its fiscal fourth quarter, marking a 35 percent increase in such shipments over the year-ago quarter, according to the company's latest earnings statement released last Wednesday.
"This strong quarter caps an extraordinary year for Apple," the company's chief executive Steve Jobs said last week, noting that the group had sold over 39 million iPods during the past year.
And the sleek little music player has already become the "first cultural icon of the 21st Century," according to Michael Bull, a media lecturer at Britain's University of Sussex, who is researching the social influence of the iPod.
Apple has shored up the diminutive music player's popularity and ease of use by making it compatible with Windows PCs, and in 2003 the company launched its iTunes online music store enabling iPod devotees to download their favourite hits.
Current visitors to the iTunes store can also download films and popular television programs.
However, industry competition is mounting, and software giant Microsoft announced in September that its Zune MP3 music player will hit US stores on November 14 as it seeks to challenge iPod's grip on the lucrative market.
South Korean electronics giant Samsung has also started marketing its own MP3 player called the YP-Z5 in a bid to challenge Apple's dominance over the music-player market.
Part of the iPod's success can be attributed to its small size, the smallest model easily fits in a shirt pocket, and its hefty memory which allows owners of the larger models to store up to 20,000 songs.
Its international appeal was also helped by the fact that Apple designed the iPod's menu in multiple languages, including Japanese.
An 80GB model, which sells from 249 dollars, holds up to 20,000 songs, up to 25,000 photos and will also store up to 100 hours of video.
The pocket-size iPod shuffle by comparison costs 79 dollars and can hold up to 240 songs.
Indeed, the iPod has become so ubiquitous that Mazda, General Motors and Ford recently teamed up with Apple to provide iPod-compatible equipment in their cars.
Popular with students and young hipsters, iPods have, however, been snapped up by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and US President George W. Bush, according to media reports.
Last week, Apple said its most recent quarterly profit jumped 24 percent from a year ago to 546 million dollars as sales of iPod music players and Macintosh computers gathered momentum. | <urn:uuid:2d43da00-43a1-4923-adc3-6aeea8376906> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=18712 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968481 | 566 | 1.625 | 2 |
Marketing polymath Seth Godin was asked for his distinction between an idea and an invention on his blog today. I think it is important and worth sharing right here:
An idea is something you can write about in a science fiction book.
An invention is when you build something that people who read about it in the science fiction book said was impossible
Before we venture into our next startup and invest capital (Human or Financial) it is worth knowing which one we have.
Seth Godin has an interesting idea of being Famous to the Family. Which is similar to my definition of cool: the stuff that matters, to the people who care.
This short interview is a 5 minute investment worth making.
- Decide who your family is.
- Build them stuff they really care about.
- Enjoy doing it enough, to be able to continue without riches.
- Be patient.
I was asked to answer a few questions at a talk I gave last week at the Nationwide Networking Event. It was aimed at Small businesses with the topic about new media and the advantages of being small. I thought it was a nice snippet of ideas worth sharing here.
Q: What type of changes can we expect from media in 2010 and how do we need to prepare for it as business professionals?
A: Media will fragment further, it’s increasingly like fashion with new ideas appearing daily. The art of value, like with fashion is by going with the classics and choosing the right style for the brand you want to build. Match your environment, by being involved in the right channels.
Q: Where do you see the role of the blog in the future?
A: Increasingly important. Blogs are a trusted source, because bloggers become, or are an expert on their topic of choice. This is because all good blogs are topic specific. And people want to deal with experts.
Q: What can we expect from the evolution of twitter and our capacity to use it as a marketing medium?
A: If we use it as a marketing medium we’ve already lost. It’s a conversation…. Conversation can turn into business, but it is primarily a conversation. First we need to be a resource. A resource to others, from which we can build trust and valued relationships. These may eventually lead a business relationship.
Q: What trends are coming from America that we need to be aware of?
A: Trends are global now. We don’t have to look overseas to see it. Things arrive simultaneously. It’s not like it was 20 years ago where our friends return from sojourns overseas to tell us all about the cool things they saw, and we have to wait for them to appear in our market a few years later. Now it’s on our desktop the day it happens. This is been further facilitated by web tools such as Springwise, Twitter and Youtube.
Q: How do we (small business people) benefit from the changes in the media landscape?
A: Barriers to entry have been removed so anyone can play. But it requires a long term consistent effort. New media requires a low financial investment, and large human capital input. Where as old media requires a large financial investment with little human effort. At least now we have to choice. In addition large companies have been (so far) pretty bad at using new media. It creates an advantage for us.
Q: How can we better utilize technology tor reduce our costs and increase our profits?
A: Shift from being doers, to becoming project managers. Outsource where ever possible. It’s easier now with all the tools we have at our disposal like elance and skype. Why do we even need an office? Is it because we need to, or because we don’t trust the people we work with?
Q: Your blog has 50,000 readers a month, how did you do that?
Q: What is the meaning of micro brand building and how would it be relevant to soloprenuers?
A: Build your personal brand first. That’s the first part of micro branding, becoming known for something. Having a skill you can share with others. Then eventually cross fertilize to your business brand.
Q: What are the simplest things we can do to build a micro brand?
A: Have a tight focus area of interest. Share our lessons honestly and openly. Frequency of output.
Q: How do we protect our brands?
A: Not with IP and legal stuff…. Most of that is a simple waste of money. We protect it with customers, innovation and reliability.
Q: What one piece of advice would you give to those of us that need clients and need them quickly?
A: Cold call. Not on the phone, but turn up and talk.
Q: What books have influenced you?
Q: What marketers / speakers have influenced you?
A: Steven Wright (comedian) he taught me how to flip my perspective for alternative solutions.
I know I am being a bit of a dog with a bone here. But we really need to put this ‘Free’ stupidity to rest once and for all. Sure it’s semantics, but this is what the Free model really is:
Delayed Revenue Model
If we have a so called ‘Free’ model, we are simply providing resources (at out cost) in order to extract revenue through alternative means later, or via a trade sale to incumbents who see value in what we have created. In both cases the ultimate goal is Revenue.
In many ways it’s riskier to go down the free track, simple because time and money are inextricably linked. If we don’t end up ‘Monetizing’ (another word I hate) then we are simply in the wealth transfer business.
I am on Twitter – Click here to follow me
Here’s a list of brands for which I am personally brand loyal with. And to the right of each brand I have a given a reason.
Brand & reason
Qantas Domestic: They are the only full service domestic airline in Australia.
Ripcurl Wetsuits : They are simply the best quality, and the warmest. I will never, ever switch as the cost of getting it wrong is $600+ mistake. I also love the brand history.
Collingwood FC: I am a fan and I support the club, in this category performance wont create switching, but it does reduce my purchase frequency
iphone: I love it’s seamless funcationality and integrating so much, I find it hard to believe a better option will ever exist. I don’t even mind putting up with a few dropouts
Crumpler Bags: I love their design, and functionality, I also love the story of how they started and the fact the owners are from my local city.
Seth’s Blog: I know I’ll get a golden entry aroud once a week.
Twitter: It’s the only social network which suits my attitude & lifestyle. I like it’s brevity & immediacy.
Google Search: Works best. Would switch if better one came along. On occasion I now search on twitter for attitudinal & results based on timeliness.
Lavazza Coffee : Best tasting Roast & ground coffee after trying many others.
If we are fortunate enough to have a level of brand loyalty, then it’s equally important that we understand why we have it. In the case of Qantas, it’s more serendipitous than through providing a super product. Notice I’m only loyal with domestic travel, I’ll switch to Singapore or Cathay on international travel. Other brands like the Collingwood football club suffer from reduced revenue rather than losing market share. And Google, well they are only as good as their product where the switching costs are extremely low…. Once upon a time I was loyal Yahoo search…
The point for startups is simple. The reasons for brand loyalty are varied. Generating it is almost always related to having an awesome product. If our product isn’t awesome enough, then we need to ‘Awesomize it’. Only then will the brand story matter. Once we get loyalty our next job is to build a wall around it where switching costs are too high.
I took this quote from Seth Godins latest micro book Tribes:
“Do you beleive in what you do? Every day? It turns out that belief happens to be a brilliant strategy”
This resonates with me because it will motivate us to find solutions that ‘non believers’ will be too inept, apathetic or bored to uncover.
Entrepreneurs ought launch something they beleive in conceptually, not just financially. | <urn:uuid:0036f550-704d-478e-9942-4763cab6fc5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://startupblog.wordpress.com/tag/seth-godin/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954625 | 1,851 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Sorry, no definitions found.
“At the sound of her voice — or perhaps it was his real name that startled him so — Arnold Pitts, the Pig Man, aka the Porcine One, aka John Pendleton Kennedy, dealer in fine porcelain, made the most fitting little squeal, threw his trash can in the street, and began trotting away as fast as his little legs would carry him.”
“Blue ear disease, also known as Porcine Reproductive ”
“Porcine circovirus 1 (PCV-1) is a small circular virus composed of a single strand of DNA.”
“Porcine circovirus type 2 - better known in the swine world as PCV2 - has become increasingly important for hog producers to control through the use of vaccines.”
“Keep the Porcine Penn around a long time, until forced to fire his double-dealing butt?”
“Porcine Fantasy is from Comic Book Nerd (the indispensable Von Sholly epic satire from TwoMorrows - you want one, hurry up!) and pretends that Gilbert (Freak Bros, Wonder Wart-Hog) Shelton tried out for Stan Lee's nascent Marvel comics group way back.”
“Reagan' recession was Carter's, it started in 1977 and lingered by Porcine flu for nearly 5 years until Reagan's tax cuts took effect.”
“Porcine shrine approaches the dialect, in foodie lingo.”
“Porcine aviators could make a landing on the Potomac.”
“-- Because we reject the worn-out politics of fear that Clinton has so passionately embraced, starting way back when with surrogate Bob Kerrey's "Obama-is-Muslim" slurs, continuing with the dissemination of the ludicrous "Arab garb" photos and the 60 Minutes "as far as I know" vaudeville routine, through The Porcine One's racist depiction of Obama as some kind of streetcorner coke-dealer, and the 3AM phone-call campaign, ad infinitum, ad nauseum ...”
These user-created lists contain the word ‘Porcine’.
During the month of October, post at least 10 new words to this list. Make sure you cite where you read the word (book/author/pg) and quote the context/sentence where you found it. If someone has a...
Looking for tweets for Porcine. | <urn:uuid:420dffa5-0e91-43ce-bfb3-78dc04a6eda0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordnik.com/words/Porcine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947285 | 540 | 1.601563 | 2 |
CodeIgniter Application from Scratch Part 1
Part 1 of a series of videos where I will show the entire process I went through to create the site www.onewordpicture.com. The first couple of episodes won’t be terribly interesting for you if you want Codeigniter tutorials but things will definitely get more interesting as I get going on the coding aspects in later videos.
I created this site for the purpose of screen recording every single minute of the development so I could do a tutorial series – it could still be an interesting and fun site if people used it but that wasn’t the idea!
I wanted to show the HTML/CSS development process. I wanted to show how I design my database and my codeigniter project and how I put it all together.
I’ll be fast forwarding a lot of the moments where I get stuck but sometimes I will show them too as the process I go through to figure things out might be useful for some people. After all I have never been taught any of this and I don’t do this for a living – and I’ve managed to create a fair few useful apps in the 2 or so years since I first started to teach myself HTML.
I strongly recommend you watch all my videos in full screen mode. It’s the little button on the bottom right of the video. You will be able to see everything much better if you do. | <urn:uuid:ff41b841-1fab-4e79-a049-312f1f5e5907> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.simplycodeigniter.com/2010/10/codeigniter-application-from-scratch-part-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941772 | 294 | 1.726563 | 2 |
The State of California Toxic Substances Control is located on the corner of Oakdale Avenue and Prairie State. It works in conjunction with the EPA to implement and execute environmental law and policy. The office provides consumer information such as how to dispose of ink cartridges, batteries, refrigerators and other toxic waste. The staff holds public meetings and panel discussions throughout the year. The goal is to provide safety and to protect public health and the environment. Visit the <a href="http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/">website</a> to learn about volunteer opportunities. | <urn:uuid:f3ede402-eedc-46d3-81a4-68768e3022cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://northridge.patch.com/listings/state-of-california-toxic-substances-control-southerna4e51de5d1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930819 | 117 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Once more the storm is howling, and half hid
Under this cradle-hood and coverlid
My child sleeps on. There is no obstacle
But Gregory's wood and one bare hill
Whereby the haystack- and roof-levelling wind,
Bred on the Atlantic, can be stayed;
And for an hour I have walked and prayed
Because of the great gloom that is in my mind.
I have walked and prayed for this young child an hour
And heard the sea-wind scream upon the tower,
And under the arches of the bridge, and scream
In the elms above the flooded stream;
Imagining in excited reverie
That the future years had come,
Dancing to a frenzied drum,
Out of the murderous innocence of the sea.
May she be granted beauty and yet not
Beauty to make a stranger's eye distraught,
Or hers before a looking-glass, for such,
Being made beautiful overmuch,
Consider beauty a sufficient end,
Lose natural kindness and maybe
The heart-revealing intimacy
That chooses right, and never find a friend.
Helen being chosen found life flat and dull
And later had much trouble from a fool,
While that great Queen, that rose out of the spray,
Being fatherless could have her way
Yet chose a bandy-leggèd smith for man.
It's certain that fine women eat
A crazy salad with their meat
Whereby the Horn of Plenty is undone.
In courtesy I'd have her chiefly learned;
Hearts are not had as a gift but hearts are earned
By those that are not entirely beautiful;
Yet many, that have played the fool
For beauty's very self, has charm made wise,
And many a poor man that has roved,
Loved and thought himself beloved,
From a glad kindness cannot take his eyes.
May she become a flourishing hidden tree
That all her thoughts may like the linnet be,
And have no business but dispensing round
Their magnanimities of sound,
Nor but in merriment begin a chase,
Nor but in merriment a quarrel.
O may she live like some green laurel
Rooted in one dear perpetual place.
My mind, because the minds that I have loved,
The sort of beauty that I have approved,
Prosper but little, has dried up of late,
Yet knows that to be choked with hate
May well be of all evil chances chief.
If there's no hatred in a mind
Assault and battery of the wind
Can never tear the linnet from the leaf.
An intellectual hatred is the worst,
So let her think opinions are accursed.
Have I not seen the loveliest woman born
Out of the mouth of Plenty's horn,
Because of her opinionated mind
Barter that horn and every good
By quiet natures understood
For an old bellows full of angry wind?
Considering that, all hatred driven hence,
The soul recovers radical innocence
And learns at last that it is self-delighting,
And that its own sweet will is Heaven's will;
She can, though every face should scowl
And every windy quarter howl
Or every bellows burst, be happy still.
And may her bridegroom bring her to a house
Where all's accustomed, ceremonious;
For arrogance and hatred are the wares
Peddled in the thoroughfares.
How but in custom and in ceremony
Are innocence and beauty born?
Ceremony's a name for the rich horn,
And custom for the spreading laurel tree.
"So let her think opinions are accursed."
Much as I love his lyrical lines,
Glad I am I'm not Yeats' daughter. | <urn:uuid:9a5ec62e-f9ab-4b45-8619-45fef1e7a9db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mrshappyhousewife.com/parenting/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942804 | 814 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Before visiting the Westone Laboratories I wondered what their key to success was. What did they do differently than their competition to make their product so popular.
Walking in the front door at Westone there was an LCD monitor that read "Westone welcomes High Altitude Tennis." We felt welcomed and comfortable. Shortly after Jeff K. walked through the doors and greeted everyone with handshakes and smiles, then quickly whisked us off to show us around the compound.
First we saw the conference room, which was almost like walking into one of the rooms from the show Cribs on MTV, kind of a Cribs conference room addition if you will. Records and pictures of artists that use their product hanging from the walls, it was awesome! Next was the Top Gun hallway. Westone also makes in ear monitors for jet fighter pilots... pretty awesome!
Next we went to the operations area where all the Westone products are made. Everyone had a station and a specific task that they were working on. The amount of detail that went into each individual product was inspiring. Every product that Westone makes is made and shipped in house, not many companies have this luxury. It seemed that since they were able to do everything from the Westone Compound it ensured that their product would maintain its high quality. Another factor was that Westone had high standards for every phase of their business.
By the end of the tour Jeff K. had painted a very clear picture of how Westone Music Products has become a leader in the in-ear monitor industry. High Standards and attention to detail equals high quality. And for those to work successfully there has to be an organized approach to success. Westone has this!
At High Altitude Tennis we strive to make this our standard. I remember when I first started teaching tennis I did a drill that almost everyone reading this article has done before... Approach, volley, volley, overhead. I remember doing this drill many times as a player and many times as a coach. Every time from both perspectives it was organized chaos. Not enough information being taught or received and very rarely was there accountability for a missed shot.
At HAT we are working hard to do our part to bring discipline to each and every one of our programs. Have you watched a high school or college basketball, football or wrestling practice lately? The intensity and attention to detail is far superior than your typical tennis practice. We aim to learn from these sports to ensure that our players are hard working, respectful and responsible young adults that can succeed not only on the tennis court but in the real world. | <urn:uuid:e25c61f2-0c65-40b8-9aa6-9ba6553becc3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.highaltitudetennis.com/1/archives/07-2011/1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987797 | 526 | 1.523438 | 2 |
CHP stats tell all: L.A. motorists can't drive in the rain
You know what they say: Angelenos don't know how to drive in the rain.
Many drivers didn't disprove the stereotype as they battled rain-slicked roadways during Thursday's storm; the California Highway Patrol reported more than five times as many accidents in an eight-hour period than on a non-rainy day.
Between 12:01 a.m. and 8 a.m. Thursday, there were about 188 collisions within the CHP's jurisdiction in Los Angeles County, the agency reported, compared to about 36 crashes in the same period a week ago. L.A. drivers can perhaps be cut a bit of slack since last Thursday was a holiday.
There were some major crashes — a big rig jackknifed on the 5 Freeway in Glendale and a fatal crash closed the 134 in Toluca Lake — that snarled the morning commute, but CHP Officer Ed Jacobs said the most common incidents were single-car spin outs.
"People are driving too fast for the roadway," Jacobs said. "Slow down. It's really simple. There is no other thing to do."
Jacobs called the number of accidents reported so far Thursday "huge" but said it was typical for a rainy day in Los Angeles.
But is it proof L.A. drivers can't handle the rain?
"You'll have to draw your own conclusion on that one," Jacobs said.
— Kate Mather | <urn:uuid:a52e6c2e-bb09-4a34-b8d1-be2b49220666> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/11/los-angeles-drivers-rain-weather-chp.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+lanowblog+%28L.A.+Now%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979444 | 313 | 1.5 | 2 |
Considering the important role of research and policy analysis in the development of appropriate policies and legislation responding to the challenges faced in the area of competition law and policy, and consumer protection, UNCTAD created the Research Partnership Platform (RPP) in 2010. RPP is an initiative that aims at contributing to the development of best practices in the formulation and effective enforcement of competition and consumer protection laws and policies so as to promote development.
RPP brings together researchers from research institutions, universities, competition authorities and civil society, and provides a platform where they can undertake joint research and other activities, exchange ideas on the issues and challenges in the area of competition and consumer protection faced particularly by developing countries and economies in transition.
The role of UNCTAD is to facilitate and provide guidance on the research and analysis undertaken by researchers within RPP, with a view to benefiting from the research findings in its technical assistance and capacity building activities. The research undertaken within the RPP would result in joint publications (research papers, policy briefs and research]based analytic notes) on competition law and policy, and consumer protection issues.
Since 2010, the members of the RPP, interested researchers and UNCTAD staff get together at the margins of the annual session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Competition Law and Policy, and exchange views on ongoing projects and discuss new research proposals.
Currently we have two active projects under the RPP, one on competitive neutrality; and the other on competition law and the State both led by prominent academics in this field. During this yearfs RPP meeting, we will discuss the developments within the two ongoing projects mentioned above and hear two new research project proposals. | <urn:uuid:845f6288-11ab-4bac-b409-b2af8f9cf4fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://unctad.org/en/pages/MeetingDetails.aspx?Me=,,ows_Title,descending&meetingid=129 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936201 | 336 | 1.6875 | 2 |
I've seen manufactured ones for use in offices, but there's different fire codes for home vs. offices, so I don't know they'd necessarily be allowed. In those cases, a track was mounted to the floor & ceiling, then the wall panels and doorways were installed.
the panels were fairly lightweight (I'm guessing, they used metal studs, insulation for sound dampening, and possibly lauan or other thin plywood. Some of the others were just large window segments.
I also remember hearing of a company in um ... Norway / Sweden, some Scandinavian country, where they had a mostly pre-fab house design w/ all load on the exterior walls, and some way of re-arranging interior walls. I found "A House for all Seasons", an article in a 1990s Popular Science that describes something similar. One thing they mention is that the wall panels are relatively narrow, which likely cuts down on weight, so they can be easily re-arranged. (and they're using drywall, it said).
If I were doing it, I'd do :
- attach a 2x4 to the ceiling and floor where I wanted the wall to be. (and if it wasn't on an outside corner, leaving enough space for one section out, likely where they doorway was to be).
- Make a series of panels with plywood sheeting, extending about 1 to 1.25" past the base of the wall at the top and bottom.
- Slide the sections into place, then screw the wall sections at the top & bottom into the 2x4s.
- Install the doorway (although I'm not 100% sure how to secure it).
- Install baseboards & crown molding to hide the gaps at the top & bottom.
- Cover & seal the gaps between panels with battens.
... although, I'm not even sure if it's legal due to fire codes. (there might be issue with using plywood for walls, particularly in a bedroom).
If you needed electrical in the wall ... I'd probably go low, instead of high, and build a long chase first, then drop the wall sections on top of it. (I don't know if there's any codes to keep you from having all outlets being inches from the ground; they allow 'em in the floor, so I'd think it would be okay).
... and that makes me think ... another good place to break the wall would be at chair-rail height, if you wanted to cut down on the weight of panels, as you could hide that seam, but I'd be worried about keeping it rigid at that point so the whole wall doesn't flex.
update : and I'm assuming this is for bedrooms only, not wet walls. | <urn:uuid:33981ea6-83d4-4a66-86ec-30d4eee55a7b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/3020/is-there-a-way-to-build-interior-walls-that-are-easy-to-change?answertab=votes | 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 | 0.971879 | 569 | 1.585938 | 2 |
I saw this cute idea over on No Time for Flash Cards.
- cut bananas in half,
- put in a popsicle stick,
- dip in melted white chocolate,
- place on wax paper,
- add eyes using jelly beans, m&ms, or chocolate chips!
You can freeze them, or eat them as soon as the chocolate sets.
The boys thought it was so fun to make these, and they were quite yummy too! | <urn:uuid:36d0f128-f5a2-4e01-bc65-380a772baa2d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.littlefamilyfun.com/2011/10/banana-ghosts.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96324 | 96 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Cec Strine, teacher at Cranbrook Schools Brookside of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, can speak to the impact of community support on an individual. As a salivary cancer survivor, she shared with me the importance of the Cranbrook family, as she took the disease head on:
“The extended Cranbrook family supported us so much. People that you didn’t even know about… who quietly had cancer.”
Joining together with Sarah Jacobs, an alum, parent and breast cancer survivor, the two created an idea: a victory lap against cancer around Kingswood Lake.
Tomorrow, September 27th, will be the first annual “Cranbrook Envisions a Cure Walk” sponsored by the school’s Cross Country Team. Like many things, this event has been a community effort. From the event logo (designed by a 6th grader within the school system) to the preparation for the big day, this has been yet another project where Cranbrook students, faculty, parents, grandparents, alumni and friends were able to join forces.
Cec is close to the Imerman Community for several reasons. Not only was she a teacher of Jonny, who attended Cranbrook as a student, but she also participated in a 1-on-1 pair-up relationship through IA. Tomorrow, she will be walking in memory of her mother to: pay tribute to those battling cancer, support research for a cure, and celebrate life. JI is excited to be amongst those attending, as well as a featured speaker.
“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.”- Maya Angelou.
Cec shared that this (above) has touched her through her cancer journey. Though cancer is an ugly disease, she had found that it was also a blessing in disguise and an opportunity for her to give back to those who had shown her love and support. The cancer walk is the perfect opportunity to come out for Cranbrook, Cec, and those fighting cancer all around the country. Stop in and cheer on the walkers!
Optional donations will be made to Imerman Angels. | <urn:uuid:f98df890-6d4f-4e71-95dc-ed1f179b3c3b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://imermanangels.org/blog/?tag=bloomfield | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979584 | 465 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Contemporary Logistics, From Pre-Manufacturing To Acceptable Delivery
Source: Computer Sciences Corporation
As a business analyzes its costs of operations, logistics typically appears as the second largest element, following the cost of purchased goods and service. Most companies have been pursuing improvement in this critical element of cost for half a century or more, often with very credible results. Many organizations continue the pursuit of logistics excellence with the aid of trusted partners or external constituents, including those companies interested in assuming the responsibility for some or all of the process steps. The purpose of this paper will be to briefly explore this contemporary approach to a fairly standard and stable business practice, that of packaging, loading, storing and transferring goods across an extended supply chain. | <urn:uuid:8f82affb-1b94-40b9-8845-593a4ad34f94> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.techrepublic.com/whitepapers/contemporary-logistics-from-pre-manufacturing-to-acceptable-delivery/2517851 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948103 | 147 | 1.765625 | 2 |
I was trying to get away from the “all-Trayvon-Martin, all-the-time” coverage for an evening, but I came across an article from Thomas Sowell that made perfect sense, as usual.
Author Harry Stein………asks a very fundamental question: “Why, even after the Duke University rape fiasco, does the media continue to give credence to every charge of racism?“
Let us talk sense, like adults. Nothing that is done to George Zimmerman — justly or unjustly – will unlynch a single black man who was tortured and killed in the Jim Crow South for a crime he didn’t commit.
There is no question that we are living in a society today that is conflicted on race. On one side, you have the folks that truly are following what they’ve been taught since birth: to judge someone by the “content of their character, not the color of their skin” (sound familiar??). On the other side, there are those who are seemingly consumed with race, and manage to inject it into every topic, every issue, even ones that have nothing to do with race.
These people will insist that the United States is “racist”, even after a horrific Civil War, 50 years of the Civil Rights movement, Affirmative Action, and on and on, …ALL of which ultimately led to the election of Barack Obama. To still portray our nation as inherently racist is ridiculous. In fact, we’re the least racist country in the world.
From Dennis Prager:
And when any of these people come here, they are accepted as Americans the moment they identify as such. If someone — from anywhere, speaking any language, looking like a member of any race — becomes an American, he or she will be regarded as fully American.
This is not true elsewhere.
A third-generation Turkish-German, whose German is indistinguishable from the German spoken by an indigenous German, will still be regarded by most Germans as a Turk. The same holds true elsewhere in Europe.
Most Americans were hopeful that the election of a black president — thereby making America the first white society in history to choose a black leader — would finally put to rest the myth of a racist America. More than three years later it seems not to have accomplished a thing. I now suspect that if the president, the vice-president, the entire cabinet, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and all nine justices on the Supreme Court were black, it would have no impact on blacks who believe America is a racist society — or on the left-wing depiction of America as racist.
Quite so. You have the usual Race Industry hacks, all jockeying for position to exploit Trayvon for their own gain. Worse than that, because of the sensationalism and hype in the Martin case, we have “get-even” crimes occurring now, and they aren’t even getting mentioned in the news.
Walter Williams highlighted this problem recently, as well:
Let’s look at some non-news cases. On March 14 in Tulsa, Okla., a white couple suffered a home invasion by Tyrone Woodfork, a 20-year-old black man. Ninety-year-old Bob Strait suffered a broken jaw and broken ribs in the attack. His 85-year-old wife, Nancy, was sexually assaulted and battered to death, ending their 65-year marriage.
On March 4, two black Kansas City, Mo., youths doused a 13-year-old boy in gasoline and set him on fire, telling him, “You get what you deserve, white boy.” Last summer, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel ordered an emergency shutdown of the beaches in Chicago because mobs of blacks were terrorizing white families.
Several years ago, in Knoxville, Tenn., a young white couple was kidnapped by four blacks. The girl was forced to witness her boyfriend’s rape, torture and subsequent murder before she was raped, tortured and murdered. Before disposing of her body, the three men and one woman poured bleach or some other cleaning agent down her throat in an effort to destroy DNA evidence. A jury found the four guilty, and they were sentenced, but because of the judge’s drug use, a retrial is being considered.
None of those black-on-white atrocities made anywhere near the news that the Trayvon Martin case made, and it’s deliberate. Editors for the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune admitted to deliberately censoring information about black crime for political reasons, in an effort to “guard against subjecting an entire group of people to suspicion.”
Williams’ conclusion? Cases like this will continue to be ignored in the media:
….. because black-on-black crime, like black-on-white crime, does not fit the liberal narrative of the continuing problem of white racism.
And now, on top of all this, another race meme has begun to appear recently: “If we don’t re-elect Obama, it’s only because we’re racist“.
Let’s show the race-hustlers the door, folks. Don’t give the race-obsessed media so much as the time of day. And maybe, just maybe, someday we’ll be able to have a decent discussion on race that doesn’t include the term “racist”.
Now THAT would be change to believe in. | <urn:uuid:e2ba4b52-f588-40ff-812b-11636b192c04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thabto.wordpress.com/tag/obsessed/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967155 | 1,151 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Facebook recently added more capabilities including allowing twitter @ replies in Facebook messages. As fun as fbook can be, there are now many dangers lurking in simple things like status updates and photo tagging. Be careful out there. Let’s look at some of the bad (and occasionally funny) ways Facebook can go wrong.
4. The Artsy Photo:
“Look at me! I’m so artsy! I think a lot. I want everyone to think that I am too cool for Facebook and that I rarely ever think about it, but I went to the beach to play guitar just so I could put this awesome shot on my FB profile! Did I mention I love playing the guitar?”
And finally, science (and Ron Burgandy) explains why Facebook chatting is like playing with fire for those of the female persuasion…
Repeated conversations among adolescent girls, known as co-rumination, can be unhelpful, particularly if it is about romantic disappointments.
Frequently discussing the same problem can intensify into an unhealthy activity for those who use Facebook and other electronic means to obsess about it, according to the researchers.
But you want to know how using Facebook can go amazingly, spectacularly RIGHT?
Become a fan of the pimped out LaxAllStars facebook page! You’ll occasionally see exclusive Facebook content so fan us, tell your friends, and maybe even and leave us a message or story idea.
(Yeah, you knew a shameless plug was coming at some point. Don’t act surprised.)
Update: even CNN is talking about Facebook today on their front page. Freaking copycats. | <urn:uuid:472d9bbd-ea1b-444b-b92e-320c25c70311> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://laxallstars.com/when-facebooking-goes-horribly-wrong/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944785 | 340 | 1.75 | 2 |
Why Is Scalia Such an Asshole?
Soon after launching himself headfirst into the twenty-first century with a Twitter account, Benedict XVI retreated quickly to the safety of the Middle Ages. He greeted Ugandan politician Rebecca Kadaga, a nasty piece of work who promotes a Kill-the-Gays bill as a "Christmas gift" for her people. She earned the Pope’s blessing for her zeal in trying to snuff out that country’s beleaguered LGBT community.
Not to be outdone, Antonin Scalia pimped out his own American brand of Gay-hate when he asked, "If we cannot have moral feelings against homosexuality, can we have it against murder?" The Italian American Supreme Court Justice then went on to say he was not equating homosexuality with murder.
Actually, he was and he knew it.
"I’m surprised you aren’t persuaded," Scalia said to the young man who called him out on his hatred. So why did Scalia lie, then act like he said something clever? Because he feels that he does not owe gay people the common courtesy of treating us as equals. Cutesy word games are what we get, not rational discourse. There is no need to engage in meaningful dialogue with a dog, chair or fag. The basis of Scalia’s disdain: his faith.
It does not have to be this way. Most Roman Catholics are supportive of the LGBT community. But the nearer one gets to power in the Church, the more homophobic one is expected to be. The internal contradictions inherent in hiding behind Jesus and Mary while attacking the LGBT community are enough to make very clever people like Scalia really, really stupid. They utter nonsense, then defend themselves with transparent sophistic quips that are equal parts Orwellian doublespeak and clown show.
If Scalia could, he would do exactly what Rebecca Kadaga is doing in Uganda. He would legally equate homosexuality with murder, and propose severe penalties to discourage it, just like murder.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, both Italy and Uganda have saints whose hagiographies encourage the faithful to attack Gays. Scalia has Bernardino of Siena for inspiration, a misogynistic Italian anti-Semite who saved special venom for homosexuals, calling for them to be burnt in this life and the next. For Bernardino, homosexuality was every bit as bad as murder, if not worse. He warned communities that homosexual men (it’s always about the men) in their midst would lead to the destruction of everyone. "They are all sodomites!" he exclaimed. "And you are in mortal sin if you try to help them!"
For her part, Kadaga has the example of Charles Lwanga, the Ugandan saint who was burnt alive by a tyrannical king. A pervasive rumor given for his execution was that he refused to sleep with his Muslim sovereign, a story that equates the evils of homosexuality with both murder and Islam. When Kadaga met with Benedict, she gave him a picture of Charles Lwanga. The lessons of faith-based hatred were obviously not lost on her, and Benedict blessed her for learning them so well.
Neither Benedict nor Scalia has condemned Kadaga. And we must be realistic about the future. The current pope will not change his mind about us, and he will cling to his position as long as he lives. Until Benedict is dead and the Church can free itself from his homophobia, we must deal with an institution that wishes us dead, despite the majority of the faithful (please God, prevent this pope from being assassinated - all we need is another martyr). Until Bernardino is cast out of the community of saints, and the martyrdom of Lwanga is based on fact rather than rumor, we can expect Kadaga to give Ugandans Christmas presents fit for an episode of American Horror Story.
And Antonin Scalia will keep on being the asshole he is. | <urn:uuid:019dd5e2-7d5f-4a79-a738-7afb80a878b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.edgeprovidence.com/index.php?ch=columnists&sc=mickey_weems&id=139885 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971297 | 798 | 1.671875 | 2 |
When it comes to technology, the answer to the question "How fast do you want to go?" is often "How fast can we go?" From processors to internet connections, so long as the price is right, faster is generally better as far as consumers are concerned.
So it's somewhat surprising that a survey of 3,000 consumers in the U.S. conducted by investment firm Piper Jaffray found tepid demand for next-generation 4G LTE network technology.
4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) delivers mobile network speeds up to ten times faster than 3G networks. In real world usage scenarios, 4G LTE networks from major carriers like Verizon generally deliver throughput of 5 to 12 Mbps on downloads and 2 to 5 Mbps on uploads, although higher rates are not uncommon during non-peak hours.
But as reported by AppleInsider, according to Piper Jaffray's research, consumers apparently aren't chomping at the bit for 4G LTE as more and more devices that can take advantage of 4G LTE networks become available. A full 47% of the consumers polled indicated they didn't believe 4G LTE was necessary; just 15% stated they believed 4G LTE was superior.
For carriers investing billions in rolling out 4G LTE, that's probably not the best news in the world, although it's safe to assume that as consumers become more familiar with 4G LTE (perhaps through the release of the iPhone 5), opinions will change to some extent.
But even if consumers aren't hot on 4G LTE yet, the roll-out of faster mobile networks is good news for publishers and retailers. Skyrocketing mobile usage is having a significant impact on both groups - and creating new challenges. While consumers may not see an immediate need for 4G LTE specifically, one of their biggest complaints about the mobile web experience is slow page loading times.
Tablet users, many of whom use their tablets through mobile connections, expect websites to load within seconds, and one study released earlier this year found that 71% of mobile users expect pages to load as fast on their mobile devices as on their desktops. For publishers and retailers, the message is clear: if you're not fast, it's going to be hard to profit from mobile usage.
That has made mobile website performance optimization an increasingly important specialty, but in many cases, the biggest factor in a good experience is one that publishers and retailers can't control: the quality of the mobile connection. 4G LTE won't alleviate all of the problems in this area, but it will certainly help, whether consumers recognize it or not. And that's good for everybody. | <urn:uuid:78c0b231-965b-4dee-b863-8f64810d945b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://econsultancy.com/ie/blog/10589-consumers-may-not-care-about-4g-lte-but-it-s-good-news-for-publishers-and-retailers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963846 | 537 | 1.703125 | 2 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2012
Governor and Mrs. McDonnell Launch Year of the Historic Home Website
RICHMOND—Governor McDonnell and Mrs. McDonnell are pleased to announce the launch of the Year of the Historic Home website. In September, Governor and Mrs. McDonnell signed a proclamation recognizing 2013 as the Year of the Historic Home and the new website, www.historicalhomes.virginia.gov, features information on the participating houses around Virginia and tools for citizens to interact with Virginia’s rich cultural history.
The Governor and First Lady are pleased to initiate this new effort to recognize the importance of the many historic homes around the Commonwealth as they commemorate the bicentennial of the Executive Mansion. Virginia has more than 100 historic homes that span from pre-Colonial times through the Modern era, all of which provide an abundance of cultural, historical, and architectural information and promote an understanding of, as well as an interest in, Virginia’s story. Most of these homes are open to the public as museums and historic sites, and have drawn visitors from around the country and even from around the world. Included on the new website is a video PSA graciously donated by PixelDust studios in Washington DC, featuring First Lady Maureen McDonnell and the voice of Salvatore Vecchio, a voice actor of many National Geographic series.
In addition to the interactive features on the new website, the Virginia Time Travelers Program has also been revived for this initiative and students and families are encouraged to participate. In order to achieve the status of Master Traveler, students must download a passport from the website, visit eight participating homes in Virginia, and mail the completed passport to the Executive Mansion. All Master Travelers will be recognized on the website, receive a certificate signed by the Governor, and be entered to win additional prizes.
Both the website and the Time Travelers Program are part of the initiative supported by the Secretary of Natural Resources, the Department of Historic Resources, the Virginia Association of Museums, and the historic homes in Virginia. By highlighting the educational value of these homes and promoting tourism to the sites, the Governor and the First Lady intend to ensure their vitality and enhance their value as Virginia cultural assets.
Managers of historic homes that should be included in this celebration or are currently listed and would like information updated should contact Audrey Trussell at [email protected].
Check out the Year of the Virginia Historic Home Video!
Belle Grove Plantation ~ Birthplace of James Madison
Made the Video!
Don’t forget to “Like” Us on Facebook! | <urn:uuid:6416d430-83f2-4aad-8592-3052ab29a236> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://virginiaplantation.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/news-release-from-governors-office-belle-grove-plantation-made-the-video/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934799 | 546 | 1.625 | 2 |
How do you find a source of training advice you can trust? Is the bird training world really as brutal as some make it out to be, wrought with conspiracies against individuals, professional jealousy, and continual arguing over methods? Who do you believe?
No one. That’s right, no one. All the highly respected trainers I have met or seen in action do not work in isolation. It’s not a huge community, and most bird trainers from zoos and shows know each other — the “degree of separation” probably averages 1 or 2. Attending the IAATE meeting in Cincinnati this year, the collegiality among trainers from different parts of the country — and the world — was even greater than I expected, and I learned as much from talking to people as I did from the talks. If there’s a conspiracy out there to shut out particular trainers, it must be super secret, because no one I’ve ever met knows about it. Or perhaps more likely is that you reap what you sow, and those who cultivate sound training practices, professional friendships and sharing of information earn that respect.
Avoid: Sites [trainers] that lack any references or affiliation to other materials and professionals known in the field. Established professionals usually work together in a cooperative and/or collaborative way with other recognized professionals. This usually includes references to other sources of information and products on their sites in addition to their own. — Barbara Heidenreich, Good Bird Blog
Observing the trainers I have learned the most from, it’s also striking that they rarely toot their own horns, claim to be “the best,” or that they are the only one to ever do this or that. They do not make promises about training outcomes, or take ownership of established methods by branding them as their own. Training is a science, and like other sciences, is built on what has come before. Good practitioners recognize this. “Revolutionary” is pretty much reserved for those exercise machines advertised late at night on infomercials. The art and science of training is an ongoing learning process that takes patience. It really is true that “the more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” Anyone who believes they don’t need to learn more is only at the outer layer of a very large onion. (To paraphrase Donkey.)
Continued education, and close mentorship with respected, well-known professionals in the field is paramount. . . . Courtesy, reliability, and accuracy are also trademarks of the “expert”, as is willingness to share freely their knowledge. — Animal Education Foundation
These are some things I ask about trainers:
- Can they give you good references? If not, run, don’t walk. Expert trainers work with others and never stop learning, whether it is through informal relationships or formal collaborations. Any good trainer should be able to provide several names of professional trainers who can vouch for their ability. Talk to them, and ask them about the other references as well. Is this trainer someone who has really made a difference?
- How do they care for their own animals? Do they know about mental and environmental enrichment, and practice it? Do they feed a balanced and varied diet that includes fresh food? A good deal of training is about relationship building and general standards of care — what happens outside the training session does matter.
- Is there a strong emphasis on fast and/or easy? This is typically an indicator of exaggeration, a shallow understanding of training principles, or over-reliance on weight management.
- Who have they learned the most from? Who has had the biggest influence on their training, and why? Can they recommend to you a few other good sources of training information? Every single trainer I know who is respected among their peers can and will refer you to others that you can learn from as well. While it’s good to work with a single trainer on specific problems to avoid giving mixed signals to your birds, any good mentor will encourage learning as much as you can from other sources they trust.
With the internet there is the possibility of sharing information now as never before, but it also opens up the door to just about anyone who wants to call themselves an expert. The cream of the crop among trainers are those that can convey more than just instructions; they demonstrate the principles they are teaching in every interaction with birds. It’s a rare gift, but well worth seeking out those who have it. | <urn:uuid:57e6ce94-c380-496b-a4ee-a03237253e54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://carlylusflightblog.com/2009/08/conspiracies-jealousy-brawls-oh-my/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972673 | 933 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Recent cord cutting numbers of about 400,000 last quarter might not prove a threatening trend, but that's not the number that matters. Looking at the various earnings reports of the cable and satellite companies, Reuters' Yinka Adegokes found that around 400,000 people stopped paying for television. Those numbers might sound a little ominous, but actually don't amount to anything scary, as AllThingsD's Peter Kafka points out. He puts the estimated net loss at a higher 425,000 thousand for the quarter. But that evens out with the 422,000 subscribers the industry added last quarter. "They still ended up adding more than 200,000 subscribers by the end of 2011. That’s barely any growth at all — something like 0.2 percent — but it’s better than a loss," he writes. That matches similar trends we found the other day: Flat cable growth. So the cable industry shouldn't worry then, right? Not exactly. These reports don't (and can't) include the people who never had cable in the first place: Call them the cord-nevers.
RELATED: Netflix Moves Away from Movies with End of Epix Deal
Cord-never numbers are particularly hard to measure. A cable company, of course, can't report the amount of people who never subscribed to them in the first place, but we can do some piecing together to get an idea of the changing trends. U.S. census data found that 1.8 million new households were formed, but that only 16.9 percent of those signed up for pay-TV services, according to Ad Age's Dan Hirschorn. The TV industry has been flat for years; U.S. households continue to rise. Meanwhile, as cable subscription rates have stayed flat, Internet subscriptions are on the rise. Comcast added 156,000 net broadband subscribers, an 8.4% increase; Time Warner added 59,000 residential high-speed Internet subscribers. While something like 100 million U.S. households subscribe to TV services, the U.S. 2010 census data had 120 million households with Internet -- those numbers have only risen since then, with these companies reporting increased subscriptions. And what do people do on the Internet? Watch things. Though the most popular Internet activity, as of 2010, was social networking, video saw a 12 percent increase, according to a Neilsen report. Though, those numbers include people with cable.
RELATED: Roku's Big Investment Means More TV on Its Box
These cord-never numbers matter more than the cable-cutters because the people who tend to not ever sign up for cable are young -- and the youth is the future. Americans ages 12 to 34 are spending less time in front of the TV, found another Neilsen study. As of February 2012, for three quarters in a row, there have been declines in viewing among Americans under 35, The New York Times' Brian Stelter reports. He attributes this decline to a shift to streaming. "Young people are still watching the same shows, but they are streaming them on computers and phones," he writes. Right now the cable industry has maintained stable subscription rates because of an elderly population that's watching television more, adds Stelter. But, those people won't be around to change the future. The broke twenty-somethings who survive off of Hulu, Netflix, bootleg streams of their favorite shows, and stealing each others' HBO Go passwords now, might get used to a life without paying for cable, causing a generational shift in the way Americans consume things. That's what the cable companies should worry about . | <urn:uuid:0f56d9b1-b769-49f5-b9d5-c89130ec89a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.yahoo.com/forget-cord-cutters-cable-companies-worry-cord-nevers-161055968.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957209 | 739 | 1.671875 | 2 |
ObamaCare so dramatically expands government control of health care that eventually all medicine will be rationed via politics.
But unlike McCaughey, whose claim that people would not be able to purchase health care services outside the Clinton administration's proposed system of managed competition was demonstrably false, the WSJ is making a slippery slope argument that can't be disproven. Nonetheless, it's absurd. Does anyone outside the WSJ think that "all medicine" in the US will be rationed?* Note that doing so would require government to bar people from privately contracting for medical services. That is extremely unlikely to happen regardless of whether the health care plan in Congress passes or not.
Later in the piece, the WSJ goes on to make the point that cost controls on spending in Medicare and the public option are inevitable:
As Congress's balance sheet drowns in trillions of dollars in new obligations, the political system will have no choice but to start making cost-minded decisions about which treatments patients are allowed to receive. Democrats can't regulate their way out of the reality that we live in a world of finite resources and infinite wants. Once health care is nationalized, or mostly nationalized, medical rationing is inevitable—especially for the innovative high-cost technologies and drugs that are the future of medicine.
It's certainly also possible, as the WSJ implies above, that similar limitations will be placed on regulated private health insurance plans at some point in the future. However, these scenarios still fall short of supporting the claim that health care will have been "nationalized" or that "all medicine will be rationed via politics," both of which imply total government control of the health care sector. | <urn:uuid:308b6689-ea4b-4d16-92af-a5595545cf3c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brendan-nyhan.com/blog/2009/11/wsj-slippery-slope-nonsense.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963185 | 341 | 1.78125 | 2 |
In an all-too-common tragedy these days, a poorly catechized Catholic attends a worship service at a megachurch, mistakenly believing the worship service simply to be a modern, non-Catholic version of the Mass. The Catholic feels emotionally drawn to the megachurch worship service and decides Mass, in comparison, is boring. A typical view might be, “Wow, I’m being fed here like I’m not being fed at Mass.”
The American Heritage Dictionary defines megachurch as “a large, independent, usually nondenominational worship group, especially one formed as an offshoot of a Protestant church. Also called seeker church.”
“Large” is right. Among the better known megachurches are Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston (attendance 43,500), Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago (attendance 23,000), and Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church (attendance 20,000) in my backyard in Orange County, California.
Many megachurches are known for their concert-style worship services, consisting of passionate preaching accompanied by emotionally driven music.
I often hear stories about local Catholics in my diocese who venture into one of Saddleback’s worship services—only to be “sold” on this new style of worship, and never again to return to the Catholic Mass.
“Something for Everyone”
From a superficial perspective it’s easy to see why ill-informed Catholics can be drawn in so easily. A quick visit to Saddleback’s Web site (saddleback.com) reveals a veritable menu of Sunday worship services to satisfy the taste of just about any self-indulgent seeker. For example, consider these six offerings, as described on the site:
- Worship Center Times: You’ll engage in an array of contemporary worship music and enjoy live teaching that is video cast to our other venues.
- Fuel Times: FUEL is our newest venue for young adults ages 20s to 30s (but everyone is welcome). Join us in Refinery main auditorium for live teaching, worship, food, and relationship building. All of this and more, packed into a shorter service.
- Overdrive Times: This service is filled with guitar-driven, rock-infused worship sure to amplify your experience. You’ll feel like you’re worshiping in a musical concert setting! The message will follow, video cast live from the Worship Center.
- Praise Times: This venue is filled with inspiring gospel music that will move your heart and encourage your spirit. The gospel choir will get you up off your feet in whole-hearted praise to God. Worship is followed by the video cast message.
- Terrace Cafe Times: Grab a cup of coffee and relax in this outdoor worship environment. Located on the top of the Plaza Building, the Terrace Cafe is a perfect place to bring your friends for fellowship and a casual worship experience.
- Traditions Times: Enjoy a warm, small church community and a traditional approach to worship through hymns and choruses.
Now, each of these forms of worship can be perfectly fine. The problem arises with the gross misconception that such worship is in any significant way comparable to the Catholic Mass. The truth is there really is no comparison at all.
The First Lord’s Supper
The evening before he was crucified, Jesus and the apostles shared a meal. At the Last Supper Jesus very plainly explained to the apostles how he wanted them to worship:[H]e took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Lk 22:19-20)
These words must have been quite enlightening to the apostles, as they finally understood what Jesus meant when he said, “[H]e who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jn 6:54).
The apostles also understood in Jesus’ words both the authority and the commandment to “do” perpetually in worship what Jesus had just instituted: the Eucharist.
The Day of Obligation
The apostles went on to teach others this sacred, God-instituted form of worship. This is evident is Paul’s words to the Church at Corinth:
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Cor 11:23-26)
Paul was not at the Last Supper, so he undoubtedly received this from the Lord through the other apostles. And in this passage we read that he has already delivered it himself to the Church at Corinth.
Scripture reveals that the Eucharist was celebrated on Sundays: “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread . . .” (Acts 20:7). That the celebration took place on Sunday makes sense because Jesus was resurrected on that day (Mk 16:9).
Down through history, the Church Fathers attest that the Eucharist has been the constant and most sacred form of authentic Christian worship. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Catholic Church continues this form of worship and obliges Catholics to participate.
The authority to oblige Catholics in such a way was endowed to the Church by Jesus himself. He said first to Peter and later to all of the apostles, “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19, 18:18).
The Church has always recognized in these words the authority to enact disciplinary laws which the faithful must follow. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
The power to “bind and loose” connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce doctrinal judgments, and to make disciplinary decisions in the Church. Jesus entrusted this authority to the Church through the ministry of the apostles and in particular through the ministry of Peter . . . (CCC 553, emphasis added)
Today the obligation to attend the Mass is found in the Code of Canon Law: “Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation . . . On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass” (CIC 1246 §1–1247).
Symbol or Reality?
Not long ago, Rick Warren announced, “We’re adding the Lord’s Supper . . . to 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm Sunday evening services every week!”
Some people have wondered whether “the Lord’s Supper” at Saddleback Church is the authentic Eucharist. The answer is no. The power and authority to consecrate the Eucharist has never been available to just anyone; it has always been necessary to be appointed by one of the apostles or their successors. Luke provides evidence of this: “[T]hey [Paul and Barnabas, in this case] had appointed elders for them in every church . . .” (Acts 14:23). As does Paul: “This is why I left you [Titus] in Crete, that you might amend what was defective, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you . . .” (Ti 1:5).
The term “elders” in these passages is translated from the Greek word presbyterous, from which we derive the English word priest. It is clear in the passages just cited that priests were necessarily appointed in every Church. In part, this was for the valid consecration of the Eucharist.
Since megachurches like Saddleback Church do not have priests ordained by successors of the apostles (i.e., Catholic bishops), they do not have the power or the authority necessary to consecrate the Eucharist changing its substance into the body and blood of Jesus.
Also, I’m not aware of any megachurches that recognize the life-giving presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, for Catholics the “source and summit” of the faith. In describing its Lord’s Supper, Saddleback Church’s Web site states: “The elements of bread and wine or juice are symbols of Christ’s broken body and shed blood. Communion is not a means of salvation.”
Mass Is Not Optional
There is no comparison between a modern megachurch worship service— however entertaining it might be—and the Eucharist instituted by Jesus. A person should never mistake such megachurch worship as any sort of alternative to the Mass. And, if he’s a Catholic, he must never neglect his obligation to participate in the Mass.
If a Catholic wishes to indulge in megachurch worship, and he can do so without endangering his own faith or scandalizing others, he is not explicitly forbidden from doing so. Even so, he cannot licitly participate in a megachurch communion service. This is forbidden by the Code of Canon Law: “Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone, who likewise receive them licitly from Catholic ministers alone . . . ” (844 §1).
The bottom line is this: Jesus didn’t instruct the apostles to perpetuate megachurch-style worship services, nor did he indicate that such worship would be life-giving. But he did institute the Eucharist, commanded the apostles to perpetuate it, and promised life to those who participate in it. Don’t we owe it to him to worship as he commanded? | <urn:uuid:1ac80889-7f65-4181-8917-b6327e02a42d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/worship-the-way-god-commanded | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962318 | 2,219 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The school shooting in Connecticut has re-ignited the debate over gun laws in the state of Washington. Friday, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn called on the legislature to make changes to existing laws.
McGinn said the legislature's unwillingness to act on this issue is putting children at risk. “The question on everyone’s mind is: what can we do about this?” McGinn said at a news conference.
McGinn said the solution is in the hands of lawmakers. “Our state legislature has the authority to take much more meaningful actions on gun control, including closing the gun show loophole,” he explained.
McGinn says that loophole allows people to buy guns at a show without facing the same background checks they would in a retail store. It's something that California and Oregon have outlawed.
McGinn was not the only one calling for action, gun control advocates are hoping the tragedy will bring change. “We have to make sure that these 20 children didn't die in vain,” Ralph Frascitelli said.
Frascitelli is on the board of Washington Cease Fire and said they’re lobbying lawmakers to toughen laws for underage possession. The group says it’s just the beginning of reforms to gun laws they would like to see on the state and federal level.
“This is domestic terrorism,” Frascitelli explained. Frascitelli says they’re looking for solutions that involve compromise.
“Middle ground between the right to own a gun and a public health issue” he said. “We're not arguing the second amendment but we don't need assault weapons.”
After the attack in Connecticut, Seattle police tightened security around local campuses. Chief John Diaz says fully securing a campus is difficult and problematic.
“We may get to the point where one of things we have to do is everyone going in and out of a metal detector” he said. “You hate a world like that, but it may occur.”
Everyone agrees there are no easy answers or solutions, but McGinn says inaction is not a solution. “Those that oppose those changes will try to ride it out and it's the duty of the people and it's the duty of elected officials to keep the pressure on,” he said. | <urn:uuid:2e6612a2-81b9-4a1b-8e6e-2a36f5331b58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nwcn.com/news/washington/183609881.html?ref=next | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968753 | 487 | 1.710938 | 2 |
“In 1998, I saw a presentation about integrated systems at a [National Electrical Contractors Association] NECA seminar. This year we’re going to do close to $7 to $8 million on integrated systems, not including the additional sales generated for the electrical side of our company. When we started the information technology division, it consisted of one field technician and myself. Now we have 12 people inside and 40 working in the field,” said Bob Riel, vice president, Information Technologies, Dynalectric Information Technologies of San Diego.
Integrated systems and a system or network integrator’s role are part of a changing marketplace being prompted by the rapid technological changes in building systems automation and integration. “Today some of the specialty systems are under Section 13, 15, or 16, which means you end up with multiple contractors with minimal coordination and no integration. In the past, these systems were minor and didn’t have that big of an impact on the job. They were also proprietary and incapable of integration. Today, with the availability of open protocol technology and customer demand, they are a major consideration on all jobs,” said Riel.
The Consumer Specifications Institute’s (CSI’s) announcement in June 2000 of its intention to update the Master Format System prompted submission of proposals. NECA’s proposal would expand the electrical division, 16, to include all power, communications, and control systems used in today’s integrated buildings. Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI) and others have banded together to propose splitting off telecommunications, local area network, security, audio-video, and other types of low-voltage wiring into a new Division 17.
According to Riel, if it’s pulled out of Division 16 and put in 17, electrical contractors will either see a shrinking market for their services or will have to bid Division 17 as well as 16. If they bid under Division 16, they either hire more subcontractors or perform the work themselves. A system or network integrator configures the systems to work together, evaluating each product or system and its associated software for its ability to communicate via an open protocol. According to Ed Murphy, apprentice coordinator, Santa Clara Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC), “Instead of putting three devices in a room—to monitor lights, temperature and occupancy—we would just wire one but you need a computer to configure these. It’s a phenomenal growth area.”
One universal control-networking platform made up of intelligent devices that can sense, process, communicate, and control a multitude of applications ranging from handheld instruments to large process control systems is called LonWorks. The protocol is freely published and allows the contractor to inexpensively implement a reliable control network.
Echelon Corporation, a Palo Alto corporation, introduced LonWorks in 1991, and it is supported by more than 4,000 companies. Neuron chips form the heart of most LonWorks nodes and function as a micro-controller, but are also able to communicate with each other via LonTalk protocol (a registered IEEE protocol) and an external transceiver.
“Lots of protocols are open, but the question I ask is, ‘is it viable?’” said Riel. “The true test is how many manufacturers have adopted it into their products. With LonWorks, there are thousands of different manufacturers producing equipment.”
The General Services Administration (GSA) recently used an open LonWorks network in retrofitting the E.M. Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago. The agency did not have to rely on proprietary products, which allowed for both standardization and a competitive bid environment.
“At a $1.4 million job we’re doing for a retirement community, we’re providing the security access, nurse call, CCTV, patient wandering and fire alarm systems,” said Riel. “Normally, these systems would be provided with very little integration. The expertise and value-added that we bring is that we don’t use subcontractors. We can program and maintain it ourselves. More to the point, we can make them work together. Instead of having five PCs, one for every system, we have one computer, one network, and one software. Not only does this result in construction savings to the owner, but it also reduces the cost of maintenance of the facility because the operations personnel won’t have to learn five different programs...
“There’ve been times when we haven’t been the low bidder electrically but because we have the systems all included in our price and all done by us, not by subcontractors, we got the job.” EC
CASEY is a freelance writer based in Venice, Calif. She is the author of Women Invent! and can be reached at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:22622f71-610f-45ab-a790-067b5b90f758> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ecmag.com/section/systems/seizing-opportunities-install-open-systems | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942424 | 1,015 | 1.757813 | 2 |
SXDFC From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 1999 posts, RR: 20 Posted (1 year 2 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 7647 times:
Can anyone provide any pictures of the interiors of Air Indias planes during the 1970's, and 1980's.. I remember seeing a clip of an older documentary about the 747, showing what looked like a somewhat exotic interior of a new AI 742, which sparked my interest to make this thread. Thanks in advance!
[Edited 2012-05-03 18:15:07]
ALL views, opinions expressed are mine ONLY and are NOT representative of those shared by Southwest Airlines Co.
gr8circle From Canada, joined Dec 2005, 2985 posts, RR: 5 Reply 5, posted (1 year 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 6568 times:
I don't have pics but I can throw some light on this, having flown extensively on AI in the 70's and 80s...
The B707 fleet had two distinct interiors: the 707s had off-white interiors, with images from Indian mythology on the walls.....there was a difference in the interiors of the 707-337s and 437s.....
On the 742 fleet, the early 1970s deliveries had a distinct interior, somewhat similar to the 707's; the planes delivered in the mid-70s had distinct pink walls and the planes delivered in the late 70's had cool blue walls.....all had images from Indian mythology and ancient Indian temples.....carpets were also matching with the walls..... bulkheads, partitions and the bar in first class had fine gold leaf designs.....all main doors usually had the maharaja painted on....
All in all, the planes were like art galleries....but starting with the 743s which came in 1988, AI switched to plain white interiors.....
CRJ900 From Norway, joined Jun 2004, 2079 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (1 year 1 week 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 5262 times:
Haha, the 1970s were such a colourful decade, lots of happy colours and prints - a pity I was just a wee kid during that decade and don't remember much. Love looking at old photos, though, I wore orange shirts at the age of four
Today, aircraft are so boring, Eurowhite on the outside and gray on the inside.
What does not exist one does not miss... I remember doing many long haul flights in 1980s on DC10 with only white screen IFE and some music channels. But I was never bored. The whole flight was an event, take off was something so cool, they showed some cartoons after take off, the kiddy bag was full of things to do. I know these things would be found as boring by children in present times, but then it was really cool One high light for me was duty free as I would get a candy box, it was like a tradition we had. Also, I think children were not so demanding as they are nowadays. When my parents told me to calm down if I went a bit restless, I'd listen to them. Often I slept the rest of the trip, too much excitement for a little guy! Times have changed. Just the other day I read about a kid who was poking a news paper and commented "this is not working"
WA707atMSP From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 2037 posts, RR: 13 Reply 13, posted (1 year 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 4619 times:
The Spring, 1974 issue of Airliners International (the fourth, and last, issue of this fantastic magazine that died far too soon) has an article about a trip from JFK to JNB on the following equipment:
JFK-LHR: AI 747
LGW-Freetown-Monrovia: BCal VC10
Monrovia Roberts Field-Monrovia Spriggs Payne: Liberian National DC-3
Monrovia-Abidjan-Accra: Ghana Airways F.28
Accra-Lagos-Entebbe-Nairobi: Ethiopian 707
Nairobi-Johannesburg: BOAC 747
The article's authors describe the interior of their Air India 747 as follows:
"National Airlines became Feminist Enemy Number One because of what it did outside its planes: the girls' names spashed on the sides of the planes, and the not-very-subtle-at-all 'Fly Me' advertisements circulated in the media. Inside, although decors may vary, National aircraft aren't any sexier than an Eastern or Branniff or any other airliner. The feminists haven't bothered with Air-India, probably because it has only one flight a day into the United States, but we would advise them to stay off that flight if they want to maintain normal blood pressure.
Air India, you see, has placed the sex appeal inside the plane. The walls of its 747s are covered with schematics of flute-playing dancing girls and smiling fat cows. On the middle walls, covering the movie screens, are murals depicting the Krishna legend, the life of a famous god who specialized in tricking and seducing women. Upstairs in the first class lounge of the 747 one wall is covered with paintings from the Elora Caves...you guessed it, half nude women".
This magazine comes up for auction a couple of times a year on Ebay, and it is well worth purchasing for the account of this trip alone!
gr8circle From Canada, joined Dec 2005, 2985 posts, RR: 5 Reply 14, posted (1 year 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 4375 times:
Quoting WA707atMSP (Reply 13): Air India, you see, has placed the sex appeal inside the plane. The walls of its 747s are covered with schematics of flute-playing dancing girls and smiling fat cows. On the middle walls, covering the movie screens, are murals depicting the Krishna legend, the life of a famous god who specialized in tricking and seducing women. Upstairs in the first class lounge of the 747 one wall is covered with paintings from the Elora Caves...you guessed it, half nude women".
I guess the poorly informed author of that article wasn't aware that tourists from all over the world go to India to admire these cave paintings and scupltures that date back to a couple of thousand years ago and depict ancient Indian culture......many of the locations, such as the Ajanta and Ellora caves and specific ancient temples in India which were the inspiration for the AI interiors of the 60s and 70s, are internationally recognied heritage sites..... | <urn:uuid:546067a4-555c-4216-a055-6502a5d32f4f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/5456489/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962823 | 1,401 | 1.632813 | 2 |
This one confused me. I managed to get the correct answer after about 10 seconds, but it was more luck than judgement.
I got the part where you have to follow the laser beam around the mirrors, but didn't realise it had marked out a large arrow.
Instead, I imagined the beam shooting around the room, then bouncing off the mirror just above C, going through the pen and hitting the mirror to the top right of B, then shooting out the B door. So I guessed B must be the exit!
If you don't know much about lasers, you might not realise that they aren't just used by rampaging aliens in the movies!
In fact, laser pointers are great for making straight beams of light. Typically, the beam will be powerful enough to reflect off any shiny surface it hits.
There is a large arrow hidden somewhere within this room.
Take your time and look around for where it could be.
Do you think the laser pointer can shed some light on this situation?
Perhaps it can help you find the room's hidden clue.
The small arrow is probably a good place to start with the laser pointer.
Can you make a shape out of the laser pointer's beam when it reflects off the mirrors?
Return to the puzzle contents.comments powered by Disqus | <urn:uuid:ca741fb0-f736-4435-96a8-71097acebdb5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.canihaveago.co.uk/professor-layton-series/puzzle-008-mirror-ballroom-spectres-call-solutions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96057 | 267 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Future of state estate taxes hangs on U.S. "fiscal cliff"
(Reuters) - Falling off the "fiscal cliff" is a bad thing, right?
Not necessarily for some state governments that could begin collecting more in estate taxes on wealth left to heirs if the United States goes over the "cliff," allowing sharp tax increases and federal spending cuts to take effect in January.
In an example of federal and state tax law interaction that gets little notice on Capitol Hill, 30 states next year could collect $3 billion more in estate taxes if Congress and President Barack Obama do not act soon, estimated the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank.
The reason? The federal estate tax would return with a vengeance and so would a federal credit system that shares a portion of it with the 30 states. They had been getting their cut of this tax revenue stream until the early 2000s. That was when the credit system for payment of state estate tax went away due to tax cuts enacted under former President George W. Bush.
With the return of the credit system next year as part of the "cliff," states such as Florida, Colorado and Texas - which have not collected estate tax since 2004 - could resume doing so. California Governor Jerry Brown has already begun to add the anticipated estate tax revenue into his plans, including $45 million of it in his 2012-2013 revised budget.
Brown may or may not be jumping the gun.
CLOUDY CLIFF AHEAD
The outlook on the "fiscal cliff" coming up at year-end is uncertain. Democratic President Barack Obama has said he hopes for a last-minute deal to avert it. That would need to get done soon, with Congress just now coming back from its holiday break.
Chances of an agreement became more remote last week after Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives fumbled their own legislative attempt to prevent the fiscal jolt that economists say could trigger a recession.
House Speaker John Boehner abruptly adjourned the chamber for the holidays after failing to gather the votes from within his own party to pass legislation he and other Republicans had drafted, after walking out of negotiations with Obama.
Weeks of inconclusive political drama over the "cliff" have focused largely on individual income tax rates and spending on federal programs such Medicare and Social Security, but many tax issues are also involved, including the estate tax.
At the moment, under laws signed a decade ago by Bush, the estate tax is applied to inherited assets at a rate of 35 percent after a $5 million exemption. That means a deceased person can pass on an inheritance of up to $5 million before any tax applies. Inherited wealth passed to a spouse or a federally recognized charity is generally not taxed.
Obama wants to raise the rate to 45 percent after a $3.5 million exemption. Republicans have called for complete repeal of the estate tax, which they call the "death tax," though Boehner earlier this month called for freezing the estate tax at its present level. It was difficult to determine what the Republicans want after last week's events in the House.
STATES STAND TO GAIN
If Congress and Obama do not act by December 31, numerous Bush-era tax laws will expire, including the one on estate taxes. That would mean the estate tax rate will shoot up next year to the pre-Bush levels of 55 percent after a $1 million exemption.
It would also mean that for the first time in years, a portion of that estate tax would go to the states, through the return of the credit system.
Under that old law, estates paying the tax could get a credit against their federal tax bill for state estate tax payments of up to 16 percent of the estate's value.
If the fiscal cliff were allowed to take hold unaltered by Washington, 30 states would again automatically begin getting their share of federal estate taxes. The state laws are generally written so the state estate tax amounts are calculated under a formula based on the amount of the federal credit.
This would help states that have struggled with lower tax revenues since the 2007-2009 financial crisis and resulting recession, according to research by the Pew Center on the States, though painful federal spending cut backs would also hurt the states.
(Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Cynthia Osterman)
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Our favorite projects involve creating large murals using natural beach grasses,
flowers, or plants
that are impressed into the clay and then cut, fired and glazed. If you have a favorite plant,
are we can make a mural to bring a bit of nature into your kitchen or bath.
We also have hundreds of antique Indian Batik fabric stamps
which create very interesting designs
when impressed in clay.
Flat floor murals give a nice splash of color and design.
The above mural is in Townbank, NJ,
a community with a whaling history.
One of the fun things about handmade tile is that it doesn't
have to be square. We try to let the design
dictate the size and shape of our cuts. | <urn:uuid:8ce1f545-94a7-4e02-ba21-69ef99f4a903> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rowehousetile.com/id2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934433 | 158 | 1.585938 | 2 |
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Many among the thousands of evacuees from California's wildfires were suffering from stress and worry about their homes after seeking shelter at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, said a pair of Navy medical volunteers Wednesday.
Navy medics Daniel Brautigam, left, and Jacob Hackfeld volunteered to help wildfire evacuees.
The stadium -- home to the NFL's Chargers -- at one time housed 11,000 evacuees, but that number dropped to 7,500 this morning.
Of the thousands of people who've been sleeping, eating and passing time at the arena, many are showing symptoms of stress, said Petty Officer Daniel Brautigam.
Patients are showing "a lot of smoke-induced nausea," he said. "A lot of people are watching TV while they're here -- they're watching their houses burn."
Brautigam said the word "panic" came to mind to describe how some evacuees were feeling. "But it's not. People are just worried sick. That phrase alone explains it all." Watch sailors tell more about treating evacuees »
According to the San Diego's mayor's office, medical staff treated between 70 to 100 people since the stadium opened to evacuees.
He said counselors are being made available to the evacuees at Qualcomm, where volunteers have also been providing food, tents and cots to families and others fleeing the fires.
"We've been working nonstop now for about 48 hours with a few hours of sleep in between -- just enough to get well-rested," said Brautigam.
Brautigam and another sailor, Seaman Jacob Hackfeld, stepped forward on their own to offer medical services after their nearby base was evacuated.
Hackfeld said he was "sitting on my couch watching TV and I'm thinking to myself, why can't we come out here? The community provides for us -- the military. Why can't we give back to them all the things that they've given to us?"
Although both men said they helped in the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina, they said the emergency response to both disasters was markedly different. "Here you have complete organization," Brautigam said. "You have a community coming together getting things done, helping people out -- cooperation between civilians, military, everybody. See dramatic photos of the disaster »
"Here everybody comes together, and we're all just people. I think that's the most important thing that's going on right here right now. The main focus is just getting people the help that they need."
About 300 convalescent patients who had been evacuated to Qualcomm from nearby facilities were expected to be returned later Wednesday, said George Biagi, spokesman for the San Diego mayor.
More than 20 fires have scorched 400,000-plus acres from the Mexican border to northern Los Angeles County and inland into the San Bernardino Mountains since the weekend.
Statewide, an estimated 950,000 people have sought refuge from the fires in shelters, hotels and at friends' homes.
The National Weather Service said a red-flag warning for extreme gusty winds was in effect through 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET) Wednesday, but forecasters said firefighters should see an end to the Santa Ana winds that have fueled the fires by Thursday.
Some residents won't have to wait for Thursday to get home. People who evacuated earlier this week from Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Ranch and Del Mar Heights can go home immediately, San Diego emergency spokeswoman Lynda Pfieffer said Wednesday morning.
The blazes have killed one person and injured at least 70 more. Thirty-four firefighters have been hurt, authorities said. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Kiran Chetry and Miriam Falco contributed to this report.
All About Wildfires
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To our most reverend and holy brother Boniface, Gregory, servant of the servants of God.
A sentence of the teacher of all nations, the celebrated Apostle Saint Paul, tells us that everything helps to secure the good of those who love God. Therefore when we learned from your report that God in His mercy had loosed a great number of the German people from the toils of paganism and had brought as many as a hundred thousand souls into the Church through your efforts and those of Prince Charles, we raised our hands in prayer and thanked God, the Giver of all good, for having opened the gates of mercy and love to make known to the West the path of salvation. Glory be to Him for ever.
You tell us that you have made a journey into Bavaria and found the people there living in a manner contrary to the ordinances of the Church, and that, because they have no bishops except Vivilo, whom we consecrated some time ago, you have, with the approval of Odilo, Duke of Bavaria, and the nobles of the province, consecrated three other bishops. You say also that you have divided the province into four districts, so that each bishop may have his own diocese. In carrying out our commands and in performing the task that was enjoined upon you you have acted wisely and well.
Continue, reverend brother, to teach them the holy, Catholic and apostolic traditions of the See of Rome, so that the ignorant may be enlightened and may follow the path that leads to eternal bliss.
As to the priests whom you have found there, if the bishops who ordained them are not known to you and a doubt remains whether they were true bishops or not, let them be ordained by a bishop and fulfil their sacred charge, provided they are Catholics of blameless life, trained to the service of God, were versed in the teachings of the Church and fitted to hold office.
Those who were baptized with a formula expressed in a heathen tongue, provided their Baptism was performed in the name of the Trinity should be confirmed with sacred chrism and the laying-on-of-hands.
Bishop Vivilo was consecrated by us. If, however, he has deviated from orthodox teaching in any point, correct and instruct him according to the traditions of the Church of Rome, as you have learned them from us.
We command you to attend the council which is to be held on the banks of the Danube and, vested with Apostolic authority, to act as our representative. As far as God shall grant you strength, continue to preach the word of salvation, so that the Christian faith may increase and multiply in the name of the Lord.
You have no permission, brother, to remain in one district once your work there has been completed. Strengthen the minds of your brethren and the faithful who are scattered throughout the West and continue to preach wherever God grants you opportunity to save souls. When the need arises consecrate bishops according to canon law in your capacity as our representative, and instruct them to observe apostolic and Catholic doctrine. In this way you will assure yourself of a great reward and win over to Almighty God a perfect people. Do not shrink, beloved brother, from difficult and protracted journeys in the service of the Christian faith, for it is written that small is the gate and narrow the road that leads on to life.
Continue, then, brother, the exemplary work you have begun, so that in the day of Christ you may be entitled to say in the presence of the saints at the day of judgment: ” Here stand I and these children the Lord has given me. I have not lost any of them whom thou has entrusted to me.” And again: “It was five talents thou gavest me, see how I have made profit of five talents besides.”Then you will deservedly hear the voice of God saying: “Well done, my good and faithful servant: since thou hast been faithful over little things, I have great things to commit to thy charge: come and share the joy of thy Lord.”
May God preserve you, most reverend brother.
Given on the fourth day of the kalends of November, in the twenty-third year of our loving and august lord Leo, by the grace of God emperor, in the twenty-third year of his consulship and the twentieth year of the Emperor Constantine, in the eighth indiction. | <urn:uuid:3e91ea53-f410-439b-855a-2e9545691f1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://saints.sqpn.com/pope-gregory-iii-writes-to-boniface-about-the-organization-of-the-church-in-bavaria-29-october-739/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976579 | 917 | 1.578125 | 2 |
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Officials for the West Virginia Fire Commission have filed a complaint against the Cabin Creek Volunteer Fire Department for a long-running lack of training for the department's firefighters.
According to the complaint, filed last month, Cabin Creek fire officials have consistently been unable to provide documents showing equipment tests and have not been able to adequately train their firefighters.
According to findings by the state Fire Marshal's Office, only about 38 percent of the department's firefighters have basic firefighter training, only about 22 percent have hazardous materials training and none have first aid or CPR training. None of the officers of the department have officer training, state fire officials found.
Cabin Creek fire officials have 30 days to respond to the complaint. Officials for the volunteer fire department could not be reached for comment on Monday.
If left uncorrected, the fire department could lose its state certification, though the repercussions of losing certification are not clear. An official contacted at the state Fire Commission would not discuss details of the case, saying it was a legal matter.
C.W. Sigman, Kanawha County's deputy emergency services director, said Cabin Creek's fire department could lose state funding or be barred from operations if the problems aren't corrected. "I guess we'll see," he said. He said state fire officials have recently filed complaints against about half a dozen fire departments around the state that have persistent training problems.
Sigman said the Cabin Creek VFD has about 15 members.
However, Sigman said Kanawha County is trying to help provide training for the department. He said five firefighters recently completed basic training, and others are expected to follow.
"They have been working on it," he said. "We want them to be the best they can be."
Reach Rusty Marks at [email protected] or 304-348-1215. | <urn:uuid:c5b7a706-a341-4ca5-9d88-42620e4e1e2d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201303040217 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973348 | 389 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Hillary Clinton to meet Uganda's Yoweri Museveni
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has flown to Uganda on the latest leg of her Africa tour, condemning autocratic rule on the continent.
She is due to meet Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a key ally in the US's campaign against Islamic extremism.
Ugandan troops are in Somalia under the banner of the African Union to fight al-Shabab Islamist rebels.
Earlier, in Senegal, Mrs Clinton said Africa had too many autocratic rulers who cared little about their citizens.
She ruled out resuming US aid to Mali until the military - which staged a coup in March - handed power to a democratically elected government.
She also voiced concern that Guinea-Bissau, to the south of Senegal, which experienced a coup in April, could become completely dependent on Latin American drug traffickers.
Ms Clinton held up Senegal's democratic transition from long-serving President Abdoulaye Wade to his successor, Macky Sall, as an example to the region.
"If anyone doubts whether democracy can flourish in African soil, let them come to Senegal," she was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.
BBC Africa analyst Martin Plaut says Mrs Clinton's visit to Uganda will be among the most important of her 11-nation tour.
Regional security is expected to dominate her discussions with Mr Museveni, a staunch US ally who has been in power since 1986.
Ugandan troops are fighting al-Shabab, which pledges loyalty to al-Qaeda, in Somalia. US special forces, meanwhile, are helping Ugandan troops to track down Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel leader Joseph Kony, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes.
From Uganda, Mrs Clinton will travel to South Sudan, becoming the most senior US official to visit the country since it became independent last year.
The tour also includes a private meeting with South Africa's anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, now 94, in his home town of Qunu.
Her last stop will be Ghana, where she will attend the 10 August state funeral for the country's late president, John Atta Mills, who died last week. | <urn:uuid:d17e5cd9-8bb1-430f-a63c-41303c1248ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19102692 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967015 | 465 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Marty sasses Doc for his sucky demonstration (“Why don’t we just set fire to me now instead of going to all that trouble?”) and Doc shrugs and says it’s just a demonstration, obviously things will be different in real life. It should work. Marty questions the use of the word “should” and Doc - kinda tears into him.
Well, how can I guarantee you this will work? It’s a scientific experiment…
He then goes on to list things that could go wrong, including:
- a cop car cuts Marty off
- “that beautifully engineered car breaks down during the run”
- Marty misses the hook
- an old lady out wandering the streets at 10:04 pm steps in front of the car (seriously)
- lightning strikes early or late
- the newspapers got the time wrong
And that last point actually raises kind of a big issue! We’re told that lightning struck at exactly 10:04 pm, and the characters know this because that’s when the hands on the clock froze. But the clock tower wasn’t built with a second hand! For all we know lightning strikes at 10:04 pm and 35 seconds, which is a concern any plan Doc and Marty have that relies on split-second timing.
When I was a kid and believed movies didn’t make mistakes because an adult would’ve caught them at some point so clearly the problems I saw had logical solutions, I decided that at some UNSEEN point in the story Doc wandered into the clock tower to examine the gears and determined that it was 10:04 pm and zero seconds (or maybe one second, the movie stretches things out for dramatic impact). If he couldn’t get access to the gears, then he snuck out one night to the clock tower ledge (which we know he can get access to so this totally works) and examined the clock hands SUPER carefully with a protractor so that he could measure their angles and from that deduce approximate seconds. However, none of this is ever shown anywhere EXCEPT IN MY IMAGINATION THAT IS and so having Doc draw attention to the idea that the time could be off, without offering a solution to this obvious plot hole all the characters seem to be deliberately overlooking, is a super weird choice. I guess it’s there to build a kind of crappy suspense, because we’ll all be wondering if this whole plan is stupid until the end?
All that aside, this page DOES end on an awesome note:
There was a knock at the door. Doc Brown and Marty exchanged anxious glances.
”Biff,” Marty said. “Somehow he got out of the shit and followed me.”
And I love love love the “SOMEHOW” there, like it’s inconceivable to Book Marty that once someone is sitting in a pile of shit they would not try brainstorm some escape out of it (“maybe I should stand up, and leave the shit?).
Also, we future people about people trying to “get out of shit” all the time (i.e., “My roommate is so lazy: he’s always trying to get out of shit like doing the dishes”) that to me the phrase “get out of THE shit” is hilarious and 100% what I’m saying from now on.
“My roommate is so lazy; he is always trying to get out of the shit.”
-Me, from now on, not even joking
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The pressure on councils to foster local economies has never been stronger
Councils have faced reductions in available public funding in the face of growing demand for their services. As for businesses, they continue to experience difficult trading conditions that threaten survival, says the Scottish Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
The trade body emphasises that business does not expect their council to transform the local economy single-handedly, but they do expect local government to do all it can to support businesses to grow.
The FSB does not underestimate the huge service delivery challenges facing councils.
However, it says, these problems will only be compounded if economic growth and employment is not given a boost.
“We know that local government has come a long way in the last five years,” says Andy Wilcox, the FSB’s Scottish Policy Convener.
“But with small businesses likely to create the jobs the country needs, we expect the full support of our councils to promote economic growth.” In the FSB’s manifesto for the council elections, it calls for: Economic development departments to be given a stronger role to champion economic recovery across all local government departments; The use of public procurement spend to more effectively develop local economies; Building on work to tackle youth unemployment by placing greater emphasis on creating jobs in local businesses; Focussing planning reform on providing a better service to small business applicants; And to make it simpler for businesses to comply with local regulation by developing a more co-ordinated, standardised approach.
The FSB’s view of the challenge for local authorities chimes with Councillor Pat Watters, outgoing Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) president: “Local authorities have coped well with financial pressures and councils continue to face tough challenges from reducing budgets and growing demands for services. This has always been the conundrum councils have had to wrestle with particularly in times of a downturn in the wider economy.
“As I have often said myself, neither challenge nor change is new for local government, but the current pressures on finances from reducing budgets and growing demand for services are substantial, indeed it could be argued that they have never been greater.
“Demand for our services will unfortunately always outweigh our ability to pay for these however our focus remains on how best to improve outcomes for people and communities across Scotland. The bottom line is that we live in a demand led society. People want the very best results from their public services.
“To make that happen, the Christie Commission showed that we need to invest in prevention across the whole of the public sector, and do more to ensure that services work together to focus on what matters most to communities our joint working with the Scottish Government around community planning partnerships will ensure that we continue to strive towards this goal.” But the sometimes contrasting approaches of council departments can frustrate business owners.
“Our local economic development office have been great in helping and supporting us to develop new areas of the business and to support marketing,” said one. “Staff are very friendly and helpful in providing useful information. Where the information is not known they always do their best to find out from other sources within the council.” But he added: “Policy and procedure within other departments of the council have proven to be both costly and time consuming and has resulted in our business postponing certain projects and business development plans.” A construction company manager said: “Our biggest issue in dealing with councils is prequalification questionnaires – they are extremely onerous and time consuming – they all want the same information – just asked from slightly different viewpoints.
“Time spent completing different formats with similar information is time lost on winning more business. The additional requirement now as opposed to five years ago means we need double the amount of administrative staff to deal with the same level of turnover. It is driving small business away from the public sector market.” Frustrations were echoed in the experience of a restaurant owner: “Having invested heavily in a new business, we were stopped from continuing refurbishment by the planning department, which set us back approximately eight weeks.
“In business terms we had already employed staff and had set an opening date, which meant two months’ expense without revenue coming into the business. This had a huge knock-on effect, which we are still trying to recoup.
“We eventually involved our councillor, who assisted in the conclusion of an unfortunate event. If the council had been slightly more flexible and adopted a common sense approach this need never have happened.” Andy Wilcox added: “The recovery is everyone’s business. We must see all parts of all of our councils consider their role driving growth. Every department should be signed up to that goal, thinking about how their behaviour is impacting on local businesses and how they could improve.
“Local government is going to face some tough times over the next few years. But things will only get worse if we don’t get local economies moving again. In practice, this means the procurement department really understanding how taxpayers’ money is spent locally. It means cross-department consistency in regulation. It means getting planning moving and reasonable, proportional local fees.
“In the short term, we need to see our local authority leaders, both members and officers, coming up with and driving local recovery plans which understand the importance of local growth.” There is a growing belief that the devolution of economic power to councils by the Scottish Government should be extend. The think-tank Reform Scotland believes that business rates should be returned to local control: “Just as it has been argued that there is little incentive for the Scottish Government to improve the economic environment if any increase in revenue as a result of improved growth is returned to Westminster, the same can be said of our councils and business rates,” says Reform Scotland chairman Ben Thomson.
“Devolving business rates to local councils would give local authorities a real incentive to increase economic growth and address specific problems they are facing.
“Councils would have an incentive to provide an attractive economic environment, but the decision would be up to them. For example, a council could seek to increase business rates which might have the effect of increasing income in the short term but is likely to lead to poorer economic performance and lower income from business rates in the longer term.
“However, the increase in local financial accountability is more likely to give councils an incentive to design business taxation policies and broader local economic development strategies to support the growth of local businesses, encourage new business start-ups and attract businesses to invest since this will benefit the council directly by increasing its income from business taxes.
“Although some more rural areas have a smaller business tax base than the big cities, giving control over the tax to the authority gives the power to adjust it to local circumstances. For example, while rural areas may not have the big shopping centres of the cities, they do have high streets, many of which are suffering. Being in full control of the tax would enable councils to experiment with schemes such as offering a year’s business rate holiday to companies which locate in their high streets.
Reform Scotland also believes that councils should be fully in control of their council tax. In other words, they should be able to raise or lower the rate and change to whom and how it applies.
And it goes further: “We would also argue that councils should be able to introduce new small taxes, such as bed taxes, where they feel they are appropriate for their area. If the electorate disagrees, they can vote the councillors out,” says Thomson. “Such small schemes also increase diversity and allow other councils to learn from the experiences. Importantly, it also makes councils less dependent on central government grants.” | <urn:uuid:f948c1fc-2938-4f9a-897f-007a69c57e04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.holyrood.com/2012/04/business-sense/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968691 | 1,604 | 1.632813 | 2 |
When it comes to homeland security, President Obama’s first year in office was a nightmare. In September, Nidal Malik Hasan, a radicalized Army major, murdered 13 defense department employees at Ft. Hood, Texas. Shortly thereafter, Najibullah Zazi was arrested before he and compatriots were able to carry out an al Qaeda-inspired plot to conduct suicide bombings on the New York subway system. Then, on Christmas Day, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, at the direction of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, attempted to kill himself and the 278 passengers aboard a transatlantic flight as it approached Detroit. And to top things off, by the year's end, nearly four dozen Muslim-Americans had been indicted or arrested in connection with terrorist plots originating in the United States or aimed at targets in the U.S.
If there is any good news for the administration, a recent report by the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security has this last number dropping by more than half, to 20, in 2010, and with the number of Muslim-Americans attempting to carry out attacks at home dropping from 18 in 2009 to 10 in 2010.
However, these numbers should provide cold comfort for those whose job it is to worry about homeland security. For one thing, the fact that there were ten Muslim-Americans involved in plots against domestic targets in 2010 is still almost double the number on average for the years 2002-2008. Moreover, some of the plots, if they had been carried out successfully, would have resulted in a large number of deaths and casualties, with the planned attack on the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland and the attempted car-bombing in Times Square being the most notable examples.
No less disturbing was the release last week of a report by Senators Joseph Lieberman and Susan Collins, chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, on why the government failed to prevent the deadly attack at Fort Hood. It's a virtual compendium of the still-existing fissures and flaws that mar the domestic counterterrorism effort, which, coming up on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 attacks, is a pointed reminder that there is still work to be done.
First off, the report makes it clear that there was no excuse for the Army to have not dealt with Major Hasan well before he went on his killing spree. Peers and superiors alike recognized his inability to disassociate his own views from those of Islamists and his obsession with issues such as whether Islam forbade American Muslim soldiers from taking part in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. His scholarship was seen for what it was: ideologically driven, with little or no professional content. He was, as an instructor and colleague noted, a “ticking time bomb.” But none of that prevented his superiors from giving him laudatory officer evaluations. As the Senate report pointedly puts it, “these evaluations bore no resemblance to the real Hasan.”
It is difficult not to conclude that various forms of “political correctness” were at work here. Pseudo-academic freedom, combined with worries by Hasan's superiors and advisors about being seen as insensitive to Islam, created a dynamic that led the Army to keep passing Hasan along, indeed even promoting him. Unfortunately, as the report pointedly notes, it's not clear in the aftermath of the shootings that this has been corrected. Neither the Pentagon's review nor Secretary Gates's subsequent directives implementing the recommendations of the review directly address the issue of Hasan's own Islamist views or the threat posed by Islamist radicalism more generally. “DoD's failure to address violent Islamist extremism by its name,” the senators suggest, means that the subject remains “taboo.”
No less worrisome is the report's account of the FBI's handling of the Hasan case. Here was an Muslim-American in the U.S. military who was in direct email contact with Yemen-based cleric Anwar al-Awlaki—someone well known in counterterrorism circles as being the intellectual godfather of previous domestic terrorism plots—but given only the most cursory of reviews by the FBI. How and why that happened is the meat of the senators' report. | <urn:uuid:7b726ec0-463c-443a-931e-dc53da3d5f33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.weeklystandard.com/keyword/Umar-Farouk-Abdulmutallab | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974482 | 854 | 1.703125 | 2 |
One must look into all the advantages and drawbacks of Fleet Management when they are planning to go in the fleet business.
Some of the advantages of fleet management are:
Drawbacks of fleet management:
There are no big drawbacks of managing a fleet instead its advantages has a never-ending list. It helps the work to be done easily with less number of people and still the productivity increases.
An owner must keep these advantages and drawbacks of Fleet Management before going in for the fleet business.
Ask Questions? Discuss: Advantages and Drawbacks of Fleet Management
Post your Comment
Ask your questions, our development team will try to give answers to your questions. | <urn:uuid:fade11af-0d20-4143-bc36-a465bc0e8b63> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.roseindia.net/technology/gps/fleetmanagement/advantages-and-drawbacks-of-fleet-management.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951222 | 135 | 1.554688 | 2 |
If you are involved in a supermarket floral operation,
everything you do is somehow vitally connected with the
operations of your total store plan. According to the Food
Marketing Institute, food sales are a $1 trillion business in
the United States, and nearly half of that huge sum is earned by
the restaurant industry, especially fast food. Already,
competitors for food sales have cut the number of potential
grocery store customers almost in half.
The implications are important: There is serious competition for
food customers, and that competition directly affects you. Your
customers are food customers shopping in your store.
Aiming your marketing and promotional events toward specific
customers in your store can help to increase your floral sales.
In this article, you’ll learn about three groups of
shoppers—women, men and teenagers—and discover strategies on how
to increase your share of their floral dollars.
the female customer
According to the Society of American Florists’ (SAF) fourth
edition of The Changing Floriculture Industry: A Statistical
Overview, your primary floral customer is the female head of the
household, who usually is a member of a two-person family. Her
children are probably grown and have moved away. She is highly
educated, wants a high-quality floral product that gives her
personal satisfaction and enjoyment, and is usually buying
flowers for her personal use.
Your approach to the female customer should focus on the quality
and benefits of your floral items. Long-lasting flowers, new
varieties, easy-to-care-for items and fragrant florals are all
key motivators for your primary customers.
Your in-store signage is an important part of your marketing.
Make sure the pricing is clear and the information on the signs
is understandable. Wording like “assorted blooming” or “consumer
bunches” is unclear and not very helpful to female customers. Be
specific: “Hydrangea and lily plants, $9.99 each,” or
“Carnations, $4.99 a bunch.”
Pay attention to your UPCs, making sure the prices are clearly
marked on the labels. More customers than you might think will
return items to the buckets if they cannot determine the prices
quickly and easily.
A knowledgeable sales staff is important, too. Consider these
results from a recent study examining how gender influences the
shopping experience. According to He Buys, She Shops: A Study of
Gender Differences in the Retail Experience, conducted by The
Verde Group; the Jay H. Baker Retailing Initiative at the
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; and
WomenCertified, a consumer advocacy group, 24 percent of women
surveyed are loyal to stores with associates who are familiar
with products and where to find them. Six percent of women walk
away from retailers because of unavailable sales associates.
the male customer
Floriculture sales in the United States total about $19.5
billion in all categories—cut flowers, potted flowering plants,
foliage plants, bedding and garden plants, cut cultivated greens
and propagative materials. And your average floral customer
spends about $55 per year on floral purchases, SAF’s The
Changing Floriculture Industry: A Statistical Overview reports.
Finding a new floral customer can be the best and most effective
method to increase your sales and profits. Consider targeting
men for growth in floral sales.
Men make up about 21.4 percent of your floral sales, the SAF
report reveals, a figure that offers a lot of room for growth.
Here are easy tips to remember when offering floral products to
a male customer.
• He is probably in your department because he wants to buy
flowers as a gift. It is vital to have upgraded and gift-ready
items for the male customer. He wants to get in and get out.
• He probably does not have a firm idea in mind of what he wants
to purchase. Simple signs that identify “Perfect for Gift
Giving” or “She Will Love You for It” are easy to make and will
communicate the message quickly and effectively.
• He is not concerned with the cost as long as he feels the
value is there. Start with a higher price point because you can
always come down. Have upgraded dozen roses in the cooler with
prices clearly marked. More often than not, the rose
arrangements will be gone when you come in the next morning.
Roses that are not arranged will not sell.
• He does not know much about flowers and will rely on you, the
expert, to help him make his decisions. Your experience will be
invaluable when recommending the perfect floral gift. The He
Buys, She Shops: A Study of Gender Differences in the Retail
Experience study reveals that 68 percent of men surveyed said
stores that win their loyalty have sales associates who help
them find the items they want, and quickly.
• He will return over and over again if he feels comfortable
with his purchases. However, the gender study says 5 percent
will walk away and not return if they can’t find the products
they are looking for.
Being involved in high school activities has become a new and
exciting way to increase your floral sales and generate a new
customer base—teenagers. Tracy Terrace, vice president of sales
and marketing for Aerial Bouquets, offers these suggestions for
tapping into high school “spirit week” or homecoming activities
in your community to generate new sales.
• Early preparation is the key to creating a successful event.
Begin your planning in June for the fall season. If you
supervise several stores, make it easy for the floral
managers—pull all the key ingredients together, including party
favors, mascot plush, mascot balloons and so on. Use a supplier
that can do most of the legwork for you. Choose customized
floral items that can be used for the entire school year.
• Pick only one or two of the largest high schools in your area.
If you attempt to create a display for all the schools in your
community, you may end up creating clutter and confusion in your
displays. Do some research to find out school colors, school
mascots and when key events take place. Be aware that school
events will begin a week or two in advance, so be prepared to
manage your inventory.
• Meet with your store manager to develop a game plan. Identify
custom products and cross-merchandising ideas that will work
with the bakery, deli and snack departments.
• Create a team spirit display within your department by
offering school logo items and floral arrangements in the school
colors. Members of your department or the entire store can
participate in spirit week activities by wearing football
jerseys, playing the school fight song over the intercom system
and displaying school banners. Have as much fun as the
neighborhood during this week.
the apple pie strategy
McDonald’s asked every customer, with each order, if he or she
would like an apple pie? That simple question to every customer
generated millions of dollars in additional sales. Here’s an
opportunity to increase sales by having your store’s front-end
cashiers ask a simple question: “Would you like to try our
floral ‘Item of the Week’?”
• Begin by organizing with your store manager. You will need
displays and point-of-purchase materials at the front of the
• Select an easy item with customer appeal. Alstroemerias are a
good choice because they are long lasting, easy to care for and
come in many colors.
• Prepare a script for cashiers. Add tips about the item that
will appeal to customers. Your supplier should be able to help
• Sample products in advance. Start by training the cashiers
about the product that will be featured. Some stores have given
each cashier a bunch of the featured item to take home and
enjoy. This has proved to boost cashiers’ confidence when they
encourage customers to try the Item of the Week.
• Have charts with care-and-handling tips at the registers.
Offer handouts when customers buy the feature items.
• Place Item of the Week signs on the backs of the registers
where they face customers as they are waiting for their
transactions to be completed. This will reinforce the Item of
the Week and encourage impulse sales.
• Encourage employees to wear buttons saying, “Ask me about the
Item of the Week” to stimulate interest in the promotion.
For added incentive, companies can monitor each store daily
during the promotion. Publish results daily for the top sales of
a single cashier and the top store in the chain. An incentive
program should include store managers and front-end managers.
Promotions linked to school events truly tie your store closer
to the community, a key ingredient to competing in today’s
marketplace. Here are more school activities that offer floral
• Back-to-school activities, including football and cheerleading
practice. Put together a display of school colors and mascots,
and show your community spirit.
• Homecoming dances, proms and graduations are all potential
sales events. Parents (mothers especially) will be in the store
for the entire week before each event getting ready to entertain
the kids with football and mascot cakes, cupcakes (a growing
category), snacks and all things available to decorate in school
colors. Moving related floral items like balloons, mascot plush
and cut flowers in school colors to the bakery and deli
departments make it easy for moms to grab and go.
• Encourage ordering in advance with a mini display (balloon
bouquet, mascot bear and flowers) at a school’s front desk with
a note saying the items are available at your store.
• Although spirit week often culminates in September or October
and usually is tied to homecoming, many schools have added a
spirit week to their spring calendars. Call schools in your area
to find out if they offer spirit week in the spring, too.
• In some areas, it has become a trend for a boy to present his
date’s mother a rose when picking up the daughter for a dance.
Emphasize this add-on sale when orders for corsages are placed.
• Typical customers for high school floral purchases are
boyfriends and girlfriends, best friends, siblings, parents,
grandparents and neighbors.
The three demographics profiled—women, men and teens—are keys to
your floral department’s growth. The simple yet effective
marketing strategies outlined in this article can increase
sales, build loyalty and strengthen ties to your community.
Pam Smith, AAF, PFCI, is director of marketing for Nature’s
Flowers and an editorial adviser for Super Floral Retailing. Her
background includes five years as a supermarket floral director,
10 years with Teleflora and eight years as a traditional
florist. You may reach her by phone at (314) 966-5763.
You may reach Amy Bauer by e-mail at
[email protected] or by phone at (800) | <urn:uuid:4bd71ff0-9f2e-4fef-899c-89b6d928e3a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://superfloralretailing.com/march2008/IndustryTalk.html | 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 | 0.932786 | 2,450 | 1.59375 | 2 |
A Crabber’s Tale of Fear in the Icy North
This is a gripping memoir of a winter season of crab-fishing in the Bering Sea, filled with scary moments, killer ice, risky work, and—for the lucky ones—financial rewards. For others, surviving was their reward.
Just 25, Joe Upton was the youngest guy aboard when the 104-foot Flood Tide pulled out of Seattle in March 1971 headed for Dutch Harbor with 700-pound crab pots stacked three deep on her deck. The top-heavy load caused some anxious moments later when the vessel iced up. The crew went to work with hammers and baseball bats as howling winds roughed up the seas and the Flood Tide rolled from side to side, threatening to capsize while everyone held their breath.
BERING SEA BLUES is a thinking-man’s book of the TV series “Deadliest Catch” because Joe Upton did a lot of thinking that winter working 12- to 14-hour days in weather that would scare most mariners away. He figured if he challenged fate in the Bering Sea crab fishery too long he would wind up either rich or dead, or both.
Joe Upton "describes in vivid detail the drama and hair-raising adventures of life aboard a crab vessel."
"If you had ever told me, in the years I lived on Unalaska Island, that the fishing life would become the stuff of prime time TV, I would have laughed all the way to the Elbow Room. Who, other than those who lived with fishermen could ever understand, or ever care to understand, that life?
Bering Sea Blues is a fine addition to the literature of the crab fishery. How it really is, is one thing. How it really was, well, that's another. And for how hairy and scary it used to be, Bering Sea Blues is your book!"
----Rebecca Goodrich, Alaska Cabin Bookshelf
"Joe Upton is an excellent writer ... if you love seeing or reading about
crabbing in the Aleutians and Bering Sea, you will thoroughly enjoy this
account. If you don't, but have a friend who does, be a pal and buy a copy."
----Dee Longenbaugh, Sitka (Alaska) Sentinel
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joe Upton was a commercial fisherman for 25 years in Alaska and Maine. He is the author of seven books about Alaska. Joe lives with his wife on Bainbridge Island, Washington, and Vinalhaven Island, Maine. | <urn:uuid:39d2c5c1-0b68-421e-a0d3-0b4d629ad65a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.epicenterpress.com/getpage.cfm?file=book7118.html&userid=37797271 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955259 | 529 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Staff Picks of the Week:
Memorial Day 2013
Memorial Day 2013 Preaching Bundle »
Greater Love Video Illustration » Everlasting God Worship Music Video »
Sabbath Sabbath Preaching Bundle »
1 Outta 7 Video Illustration » Before The Throne… Worship Music Video »
James presents a problem everyone has, arrogance, also called pride. It is a real problem when it is found in the church. Evidently it was a problem in the church at Jerusalem and at times is a problem in every church.
When I played the trumpet I noticed that each section had very different hand shakes. The trombones slide their arm forward and backward in a slide movement when the shook hands. Tuba players hugged and said hello since their instrument went around them or sat down to say hello during concert season. Flute and oboe simply annoyed others with their shrill voices. Clarinetists would move their fingers rapidly on the back of your hand. But trumpet players would grab you hand forcefully and say, "Hi, Iím better than you."
During the days when Mohammed Ali was a great boxer, he would go around in his arrogance and say that, "He was the greatest." Humility was never his strong suit. One day, back in his prime, he was on an airplane and the plane was ready to take off and the flight attendant had repeatedly told him to put on his seat belt. He finally told her, "Iím superman and superman donít need no seatbelt." The flight attendant didnít hesitate a minute but shot back with, "Superman donít need no airplane either, now buckle up."
James presents a problem everyone has, arrogance, also called pride. It is a real problem when it is found in the church. Evidently it was a problem in the church at Jerusalem and at times is a problem in every church. He identifies two ways in which arrogance surfaces in our lives. Thankfully we also have the scriptures to tell us the truth.
Iím Better Than You
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But youówho are you to judge your neighbor?
In his little book Illustrations of Bible Truth, H.A. Ironside pointed out the folly of judging others. He related an incident in the life of a man called Bishop Potter. "He was sailing for Europe on one of the great transatlantic ocean liners. When he went on board, he found that another passenger was to share the cabin with him. After going to see the accommodations, he came up to the purserís desk and inquired if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the shipís safe. He explained that ordinarily he never availed himself of that privilege, but he had been to his cabin and had met the man who was to occupy the other berth. Judging from his appearance, he was afraid that he might not be a very trustworthy person. The purser accepted the responsibility for the valuables and remarked, íItís all right, bishop, Iíll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other man has been up here and left his for the same reason!í"
All of us have a problem with making snap judgments about people. We stereotype according to clothing, race, sex, nationality, etc. Honestly, can any of us say we really believe the stereotypes about people? And yet we find ourselves agreeing with others about what people are.
A schoolteacher decided to travel across America and see the sights she had taught about. Traveling alone
- All Sermons on Humility
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- Scripture on Humility
Join the discussion | <urn:uuid:23753c2c-20a3-4601-9e80-2bc44f1c9cba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-cure-for-arrogance-don-jones-sermon-on-humility-112236.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981171 | 837 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Derek E. Bambauer of Arizona has written Privacy Versus Security, forthcoming in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. Here is the abstract:Legal scholarship tends to conflate privacy and security. However, security and privacy can, and should, be treated as distinct concerns. Privacy discourse involves difficult normative decisions about competing claims to legitimate access to, use of, and alteration of information. It is about selecting among different philosophies, and choosing how various rights and entitlements ought to be ordered. Security implements those choices – it intermediates between information and privacy selections. This Article argues separating privacy from security has important practical consequences. Security failings should be penalized more readily, and more heavily, than privacy ones, because there are no competing moral claims to resolve, and because security flaws make all parties worse off. Currently, security flaws are penalized too rarely, and privacy ones too readily. The Article closes with a set of policy questions highlighted by the privacy versus security distinction that deserve further research. | <urn:uuid:be59d198-ac30-4e32-93ff-73b85cd31999> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pubcit.typepad.com/clpblog/2013/02/derek-bambauer-paper-on-privacy-vs-security.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931433 | 201 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Posts Tagged type
As you may have heard, it was announced today that Steve Jobs passed away. He truly was a great creative man who had a knack for being able to tell what people wanted before they wanted it. If only some of us magicians could master that!
Of course he’s responsible for more than a few things, like creating computers and hand-held devices that are as beautiful as they are easy to use, or changing the way people buy and consume media.
I’d like to direct your attention to an article, One thing we owe to Steve Jobs, published on CNN, that credits Jobs for the fact that you have the choice of a multitude of fonts on your computer. It’s a very interesting story and offers a small look into Jobs’ life you may not have known existed.
For a little more inspiration, here is A Collection of 60 Inspirational Steve Jobs Quotes About Life, Design and Apple.
Mr. Jobs, thank you for being a great example of creative thinking, leadership and good old hard work. Take a load off, sir…you deserve it.
My wife rolls her eyes at me every time I point out a font, saying “There’s Neutra” or “Man, I love Rockwell.” Then I give her a hard time whenever she critiques stitching in some embroidery or the quality of a costume. (She’s a seamstress.) Being a designer, I notice the use of many fonts out in the real world, mostly ones that I’ve used before or use on a regular basis. That being said there are a number of fonts that make designers cringe when they see them used.
Here are a few of the usual suspects.
Comic Sans: This font and Papyrus (below) I would say are tied for first place on this list. Comic Sans I’ve seen most with people trying to “spritz up” Word documents, reports and PowerPoint presentations. It would seem that this font feels most at home in Microsoft desktop publishing programs. People like it because it looks different and has a hand-drawn feel to it but really it was only intended to be used for text in cartoons or, ehem, comics. It’s not suited for business use. Check out Ban Comic Sans.
Papyrus: This font’s largest fault is that it is grossly overused. Sure it has a unique exotic look to it, but you see it in more places than the invisible deck! Plus there’s the added benefit of the horrible kerning between uppercase and lowercase letters built right in! Really, you don’t even have to do anything! By the way, according to Wikipedia, even the font’s creator agrees the font has become overused.
Well, there you have it. What fonts do you love or love to hate? Let’s hear it in the comments!
What can I do to improve how my type looks? I’m glad you asked. Here are five tips you can use that will instantly make your type look better.
Kerning is the space between letters. When your kerning is all helter skelter, things just look “off” and you might not be able to put your finger on the issue right away. It brings an unnecessary tension to what you’re designing. In most design programs you can adjust the kerning between letters. Below is an example of good vs. bad kerning. In the top example, I went a little out of my way to create bad kerning for example’s sake. As you can see there are letters that are too close together as well as too far apart confusing the eye and the mind. The bottom shows how nice the text looks with proper kerning. It is easier to read and understand.
Beware of two round letters next to each other such as “bo,” “oc” or “oo.” Two round letters will optically look like they’re further apart when they’re really not. You might kern them closer together a little to offset that. As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. Just don’t beat it to death.
Tip: If you’re using the Adobe Creative Suite, try selecting all your text using the “Optical Kerning” setting. You’ll find this is a quick and easy way to make your kerning look sharp.
2. Use fonts within the same typeface
If you want a nice unified look within your design, you should try sticking with one typeface and using the different font variations within the typeface. For example, the typeface would be Gotham and you would use the different font variations of bold, light, italic or otherwise. You might try using the standard weight font for all your normal copy and a bold or heavy weight for headers. You could use an italic or oblique font for emphasis or quotes. Here’s an example:
3. Use a contrasting typeface
Building off the last tip, something else you might try is to use a contrasting typeface. When using different typefaces together it’s a good rule of thumb to use no more than two together. Also, make sure you don’t use two that look similar to each other. People might think it is a mistake. You’re going for contrast here, so make it look different. Since above I used Gotham, a sans serif typeface, I’ll pick something that has serifs. I’ll use Minion Pro for the subhead to contrast the Gotham main copy.
4. Use a contrasting size
Using contrasting sizes in your designs in general can help to add visual interest. Try using that principle in your type. To really go all out, try doubling the size from the main copy.
5. Add some color
Finally, this may not come as a surprise, but hey! Add some color into the mix. See my last post about Kuler to help you out.
What have you done to try and make your type stand out? Let’s hear it in the comments! | <urn:uuid:b9ba222e-bbef-4649-af3f-cc33f935333e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.themethod.co/?tag=type-2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935287 | 1,301 | 1.695313 | 2 |
In ongoing coverage of a scandal, crime or even a lengthy political career, newsworthy persons begin to take on titles that become hard to shake."alleged swindler" Lewis H. Hoff or "troubled pop star" Britney Spears, whose new titles are so oft-mentioned they might as well be Christian names.
One such title, which has had a pretty long shelf life, resurfaced in a story today about Massachusetts Treasurer Timothy Cahill, who has left the Democratic party and plans to challenge governor Deval Patrick as an Independent next election.
Additional information at the bottom of the story reveals that the Republican bid in the gubernatorial race is being sought by "convenience store magnate" Christy Mihos.
Mihos is a Massachusetts politician and former gubernatorial candidate who made a lot of money running convenience stores. According to his website, Christy's Markets was at one time the second largest convenience store chain in New England, before Mihos and his brother sold many of the stores to 7-11, keeping a few remaining locations in Cape Cod.
OK, so he's a convenience store big shot, but is he a magnate?
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, run by historian Douglas Harper, the word magnate can be traced back to 1430 and is derived from the Latin "magnus," which means "great." It refers to an important or powerful person and seems to have replaced baron, tycoon and, more recently, mogul, as the vogue phrase for referring to people who grow exorbitantly rich doing a very specific thing.
Some recent references to magnates in the pages of the Republican include:
- Real estate magnate Mortimer Zuckerman, who was a victim of the elaborate Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Bernard L. Madoff (whom many compared to alleged swindler Hoff).
- Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, in a story about farm subsidies designed for small farmers that gave half a million dollars to one of his heirs.
- Firearms magnate Daniel B. Wesson, who once kept an impressive home in the city of Springfield.
- Colorado beer magnate Peter Coors, who Beer Nut George Lenker reported was arrested for driving under the influence.It's unclear how Mihos got pegged with the nebulous title of "convenience store magnate," or why it stuck. The first reference in Republican archives to the term was on January 24, 2006, when he first chose to run for governor as an Independent. But it doesn't appear the Republican coined the term: The Boston Globe and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette both used the term contemporaneously.
It seems Mihos isn't the first to be given the title, either. A Drake University newsletter from January 23, 2006 - just one day before the Republican story - refers to W.A. Krause, co-founder and owner of Krause Gentle Corp., as a "convenience store magnate."
The term also appears in this review of the famous "Simpsons" episode "Lisa the Vegetarian," which refers to character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon as a "convenience store magnate." Though one could argue that Nahasapeemapetilon is hardly a magnate, as the official Simpsons character directory states that he is only employed at one Kwik-E-Mart and doesn't even confirm that he is the principal owner. | <urn:uuid:11813186-15ed-4a50-8ff7-4ee48012413a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.masslive.com/localbuzz/index.ssf/2009/07/question_of_the_week_whats_a_m.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968727 | 708 | 1.726563 | 2 |
This post is related to the project plan to get in a few new themes into Drupal 7 core. It will list some of the pros and cons of using the 960 Grid System. If you didn't know, it's what most might define as a "CSS framework". This specific framework was created by Nathan Smith. He states that it was started before Blueprint. I have mistaken it myself as a Blueprint derivative since it is a very similar system. But they both were inspired I believe by the same sources. You can read about the background on 960 in his journal.
Now, why would we want a CSS based framework to begin with? Well, it gives web designers and developers an easy way of constructing layouts amongst other things. It does this by having predefined class names that give positioning rules and dimensions to any block level html to which it is applied. If your familiar with the idea behind the CSS Zen Garden, it is a complete 180 from that where the markup is the expected constant and the styling rules are left up to you to change.
I believe the Zen Garden is great for what it demonstrated. That the separation from markup and presentation can be achieved but it comes at a cost. Jeff Croft explains it in a short post. Pure separation is not practical. When was the last time anyone has redesigned a site with pure CSS? Everyone can agree on semantic markup. Semantic classes on the other hand should be used within reason. It helps no one but us building our sites.
Now here's a list of the pros on 960 and frameworks in general:
- Lightweight. A hair under 5k for all the 3 styles. 3.7k for the layout styles and the rest are for text styles and a few reset rules.
- Easy to understand. There are a few group of class names where each increment from 1 to 16. Once you understand each group, that's all there is. .grid-[x], .prepend-[x], .append-[x]
- Comes with templates in various formats for use while wire framing or designing. It also has a sketch sheet for print. Helps workflow big time and keeps your mind in the framework while drawing out rough drafts. An even bigger plus that comes with this is *better communication* amongst your team members. Once everyone knows what they are working with, there's no guessing on how the layout is implemented. Everyone should be able to dig in immediately.
- Use of a common language for presentation. Related to the previous point, it can help with support if there are enough people using it.
- Awesome for prototyping and getting something up quickly!
–Notice what Mark Boulton is prototyping with for the drupal.org redesign? It's Blueprint and working within 960 would be just as easy.
- Not limited to your standard 3 column layouts. You can mix and match however you want. The grid is a building block so you can mix and match for very complex layouts.
- Very similar to Blueprint and this approach is well known by the web community.
- Working within the framework can minimize browser quirks. Namely IE6 & 7. You won't be completely rid of them of course but it will more likely come from your own custom styles than the rules defined by the framework.
- Automatic right to left language support. I added this myself. More on this below.
- Makes little assumpsions on what you want for a starting point. No colors, and very minimal for typography styles.
–Also listed as a con. Depends on your point of view.
And the cons of 960:
- Although the layout possibilities are numerous it is still rigid. Fixed width at 960 pixels and if you're designing a complex site, you have to work within the framework closely. But if you needed it to go beyond 960 for whatever reason, you can continue the pattern where 960 leaves off. Anyone who insists on fluid widths will not be happy with the system.
- Unsemantic class naming. But as I mentioned before, it's really not an issue. It's listed anyway because I know there are a few out there who do care more than me.
- There could be more templates (.tpl.php) being copied over to just to sneak in classes but I don't foresee this to be a big problem. It's almost always done already. -Allowing hook classes within all templates may alleviate that. All themes based on this framework will definitely require their own page.tpl.php so it goes against the idea of pure css based themes. I already mentioned why it wasn't practical though.
- Makes little assumpsions on what you want for a starting point. No colors, and very minimal for typography styles. I would personally like better text styles. Maybe mash-up the best of Blueprint and 960? Blueprints coloring I could do without but I do like their typography a bit more.
Here are the sample themes I promised. "ninesixty" is the base theme with 960 included. Please read the page template, the read me file and explore. I did modify the 960 styles so it conforms more to Drupal standards.
Two things I added was a .push-x & .pull-x class for custom layout ordering that's independent from source order. Also added a 960-rtl.css file. All I had to do was reverse the rules so you'll automatically get rtl support for the rules defined in the framework. The examples provided supports it so check it out.
"carrot" is a sample subtheme I created late last night. I don't see this as core material. It's just a sample. I went from the sketch sheet, drew out the sections on the grid I wanted the theme to fit into with a few notes on color and pulled it all together in about 4 hours from start to finish.
Please download Drupal 7.x-dev and play with them. You can also change "core = 7.x" from the .info file to "core = 6.x" to get it working on Drupal 6. There may be small issues in doing this.
Ninesixty is in my sandbox on d.o under /contributions/sandbox/dvessel/ninesixty/.
<em class="tips>Consensus on a framework theme must be reached by November 14, 2008.
UPDATE 12/14/08: The base theme has been updated. The README.txt file has all the details. | <urn:uuid:e0af983b-80a1-44ea-81cf-f9c0d2a627a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://groups.drupal.org/node/16457 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954963 | 1,337 | 1.710938 | 2 |
The last time we had a president who didn’t associate himself with a party was 1776, when George Washington was awarded the position. Since then, voters have slowly become more focused on a candidate’s attachment to political parties rather than political platforms.
If you’ve ever told yourself that you completely agree with either party on every issue, you are either drastically uniformed or truly blinded by political bias.
We are fed caricatures of the candidates that distract us from how similar they are. Despite the concept of Romney as a disconnected elitist and Obama as a man of the people (an image that, along with his strong speaking skills, got him elected in 2008), what we’ve really got is two lifetime politicians with law degrees from Harvard who are worth more money than most of us will ever make.
While many call the election a decision between the lesser of two evils, it is not that. It is, however, a compromise.
If you approach the election as a series of decisions regarding specific issues, you will quickly realize that some of your views lean Democratic and others Republican. You’ll also realize how similar the two candidates are in many areas.
As we approach Election Day, voters have the responsibility of not only learning the candidates specific stances on certain issues, but also deciding which of these issues are the most important to them.
Personally, while I am beginning to lean a certain way, I have yet to dedicate my vote to either candidate.
I’ve come to accept that I probably won’t make a truly informed decision until 2016 or even 2020. But by November 6, I will have a candidate I am knowledgeable about and can stand next to on the issues I think are the most important.
Comments are closed | <urn:uuid:2fea5ec3-aa18-4c91-8a99-4a5f768318a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.acuoptimist.com/2012/10/politics-requires-compromise/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982626 | 364 | 1.703125 | 2 |
This month, as unleaded gasoline prices increased for 17 consecutive days (to a national average of $3.647 per gallon - up 11% thus far this year) and West Texas Intermediate crude joined Brent crude in breaking through a $100 per barrel level, energy prices emerged as a full blown political issue. While President Obama conveniently claimed that rising prices were the consequence of an improving economy (they're not, and it isn't) Republican fingers began to point sanctimoniously at current drilling policies. And while none of the accusers had any idea why prices were actually going up, the award for the most dangerous 'solution' must go to Bill O'Reilly at Fox News. The master of the "No Spin Zone" announced that high pump prices could be permanently brought down by a presidential order to restrict exports of refined gasoline. Not only does Mr. O'Reilly's idea demonstrate contempt for the U.S. Constitution but it also displays a thorough lack of economic understanding.
Oil and gas prices are high now for a very simple reason: the U.S. Federal Reserve has gone on an unapologetic campaign to push up inflation and push down the value of the U.S. dollar. Just last week on CNBC James Bullard, the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, stated this unequivocally. What is somewhat overlooked is the degree to which an inflationary policy at home creates inflation abroad. Many countries who peg their currencies to the U.S. dollar need to follow suit with the Fed. As China, for example, prints yuan to keep it from appreciating against the dollar, prices rise in China. This is especially true for commodities like crude oil.
Many critics, such as Mr. O'Reilly, have relied on a limited understanding of the supply/demand dynamic to question why gas prices are currently so high at home. With domestic gasoline production at a multi-year high and domestic demand at a multi-year low, he logically expects low prices. But he fails to grasp the fact that the price of gasoline is set internationally and that U.S. factors are only a component.
O'Reilly's loudly proclaimed solution is to limit the ability of U.S. refiners (and drillers) to export production abroad. If the energy stays at home, he argues, the increased supply would push down prices. Although O'Reilly professes to be a believer in free markets he argues that oil (and gasoline by extension) is really a natural resource that doesn't belong to the energy companies, but to the "folks" on Main Street. What good would "drill baby drill" do for us, he argues, if all the production is simply shipped to China?
First off, the U.S. government has no authority whatsoever to determine to whom a company may or may not sell. This concept should be absolutely clear to anyone with at least a casual allegiance to free markets. In particular, the U.S. Constitution makes it explicit that export duties are prohibited. Furthermore, energy extracted from the ground, and produced by a private enterprise, is no more a public good than a chest of drawers that has been manufactured from a tree that grows on U.S soil. Frankly, this point from Mr. O'Reilly comes straight out of the Marxist handbook and in many ways mirrors the sentiments that have been championed by the Occupy Wall Street movement. When such ideas come from the supposed "right," we should be very concerned.
But apart from the Constitutional and ideological concerns, the idea simply makes no economic sense.
In 2011 the United States ran a trade deficit of $558 billion. For now at least America has been able to reap huge benefits from the willingness of foreign producers to export to the U.S. without equal amounts of imports. China supplies us with low priced consumer goods and Saudi Arabia sells us vast quantities of oil. In return they take U.S. IOUs. Without their largesse, domestic prices for consumers would be much higher. How long they will continue to extend credit is anybody's guess, but shutting off the spigots of one of our most valuable exports won't help.
In recent years petroleum has become an increasingly large component of U.S. exports, partially filling the void left by our manufacturing output. According to the IMF, the U.S. exported $10.3 billion of oil products in 2001. By 2011, this figure had jumped nearly seven fold to more than $70 billion. How would our trading partners respond if we decided to deny them our gasoline?
Keeping more gasoline at home could hold down prices temporarily, but how much better off would the "folks" be if all the prices of Chinese made goods at Wal-Mart suddenly went up, or if such products completely disappeared from our shelves because the Chinese government decided to ban exports that they declared "belonged to the Chinese people?" What would happen to the price of energy here if Saudi Arabia made a similar decision with respect to their oil?
But most importantly, limiting the ability of U.S. energy companies to export abroad will do absolutely nothing to improve the American economy. As a result of our diminished purchasing power, American demand for oil has declined in relation to the growing demand abroad. Consequently, we are buying a continually lower percentage of the world's energy output. Consumers in emerging markets can now afford to buy some of the production that used to be snapped up by Americans. If U.S. suppliers were limited to domestic customers, then prices could drop temporarily. But what would happen then?
With the U.S. adopting a protectionist stance, and with gasoline prices in the U.S. lower than in other parts of the world, less overseas crude would be sent to American refineries. At the same time lower prices at home would constrict profits for domestic suppliers who would then scale back production (and lay off workers). The resulting decrease in supply would send prices right back up, potentially higher than before. The only change would be that we would have hamstrung one of our few viable industrial sectors. (For more about how diminishing supplies could exert upward pressures on a variety of energy products, please see the article in the latest edition of my Global Investor newsletter).
Mr. O'Reilly can spin this any way he wants it, but he is dead wrong on this point. It is surprising to me that such comments have not sparked greater outrage from the usual mainstream defenders of the free market. To an extent that very few appreciate, America derives a great deal of benefits from the current globalization of trade. Sparking a trade war now would severely reduce our already falling living standards. And given our weak position with respect to our trading partners, such a provocation may be the ultimate example of bringing a knife to a gun fight.
Rather than bashing oil companies, O'Reilly, as well as other frustrated American motorists, should direct their anger at Washington. That is because higher gasoline prices are really a Federal tax in disguise. The government's enormous deficit is financed largely by bonds that are sold to the Federal Reserve, which pays for them with newly printed money. Those excess dollars are sent abroad where they help to bid oil prices higher.
For years, mainstream economists argued that as long as unemployment remained high, the Fed could print as much money as it wanted without worrying about inflation. The argument was that the reduction in demand that results from unemployment would limit the ability of business to raise prices. However, what those economists overlooked was the simultaneous reduction in domestic supply that results from a weaker dollar (the consequence of printing money).
I have long argued that neither recession nor high unemployment would protect us from inflation. If demand falls, but supply falls faster, prices will rise. That is exactly what is happening with gas. The same dynamic is already evident in the airline industry. Fewer people are flying, but prices keep rising because airlines have responded to declining demand by reducing capacity. Since seats are disappearing faster than passengers, airlines can raise prices. At some point Americans will be complaining about soaring food prices as much more of what American farmers produce ends up on Chinese dinner tables. Because the Fed is likely to continue monetizing huge budget deficits, Americans are going to be consuming a lot less of everything, and paying a lot more for those few things they can still afford.
For full access to the March 2012 edition of the Global Investor Newsletter, click here
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Please feel free to repost with proper attribution and all links included.
Read more posts on Euro Pacific Capital » | <urn:uuid:b036d75d-35ea-45b3-b8b7-68f25b7e9761> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.businessinsider.com/no-easy-fix-for-gas-prices-2012-3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964102 | 1,762 | 1.765625 | 2 |
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Well, Windows does that very well nowadays. If you prefer vendore-supported
binary-only drivers, why the hell would you install Linux anyway ?
Major systems vendors and Linux
Posted Mar 1, 2007 10:31 UTC (Thu) by dale77 (guest, #1490)
Posted Mar 1, 2007 13:17 UTC (Thu) by vonbrand (subscriber, #4458)
Linux itself (and the major distributions too) is 100% open. The "non-open" parts are not Linux.
You might well be happy now with the "0.1% non-open stuff", but just try to update the software on the machine (or migrate to another distribution), and you'll learn about pain. Then consider that the binary blobs will be abandoned (together with the hardware) in some 2 or 3 years time, and your perfectly working machine becomes a brick (or worse, is running obsolete, security-wise bug-ridden software).
Posted Mar 1, 2007 13:29 UTC (Thu) by lysse (guest, #3190)
That aside, maybe that's for your system today. What will you do when your next computer has 20% non-open parts? Or when the computer after that needs a binary-only SATA driver? Or when the one after that will only allow you to install a pre-approved operating system?
For by agreeing to compromise on the sufficiently useful bits, you're telling the industry that closed hardware is perfectly acceptable, so long as the returns justify it. It is your right to do so - but is that really the future you want to bring about?
Posted Mar 1, 2007 20:43 UTC (Thu) by wilck (subscriber, #29844)
When these new users have a good primary experience, they may actually stick with Linux, and after learning a bit more, actually prefer hardware that needs no proprietary drivers.
Hardly anybody (except for RMS, perhaps) has been totally anti-proprietary all their lives. You start out small, you grow. In the beginning, people will not be ready to accept that they have to pay more for their hardware, or to make do without important parts of the functionality (such as 3d).
Posted Mar 2, 2007 3:19 UTC (Fri) by liamh (subscriber, #4872)
Posted Mar 12, 2007 12:26 UTC (Mon) by lysse (guest, #3190)
Don't you think RMS would have been a good deal less tolerant of Solaris had Sun withheld details of how to make system calls on the grounds that it was "proprietary information"? (Or had Sun prohibited redistribution of any software compiled with their C compiler under GPL-like terms, for that matter?)
Posted Mar 12, 2007 12:14 UTC (Mon) by lysse (guest, #3190)
- hold it a second! I use Linux more or less exclusively, but I've never thought of myself as a Linux _customer_, and I never will; I think even the term entrenches us in a commercial-software mindset, where there's a sharp divide between producers and consumers of software.
Such a divide is both contrary to the whole nature of a Unix-like system (as well as to what RMS was trying to do) and anti-freedom.
Linux doesn't need customers. It needs _participants_. Leave the consumption to Windows.
Posted Mar 1, 2007 23:45 UTC (Thu) by man_ls (subscriber, #15091)
That's not to say that you are impure or unclean or any such nonsense if you use proprietary drivers; do as you like with your machine. It's only that they are not suited for beginners, and therefore a bad pick for preinstallation.
If you set up a system for beginners, what do you prefer? Tell them that they have no 3D at all, and they would need a different video card for that; or give them an unaccountable machine you cannot properly diagnose? It depends of course, but unless it was for a hardcore gamer I would choose no proprietary drivers. I think it is the proper course for the Dells of the world too; that road leads to using Intel integrated drivers, and if Nvidia and ATI want a piece of the action they will have to open their drivers. So we all benefit in the end.
Posted Mar 8, 2007 15:56 UTC (Thu) by robert_s (subscriber, #42402)
Copyright © 2013, Eklektix, Inc.
Comments and public postings are copyrighted by their creators.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds | <urn:uuid:42141a1e-8744-4145-838f-882cb7a96808> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lwn.net/Articles/224194/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947624 | 1,051 | 1.601563 | 2 |
NRA Chief Says Group Accepts Background Checks
Posted at: 01/17/2013 9:54 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of the National Rifle Association says the organization has no problem with tighter background checks of gun purchasers.
But association president David Keene also says too much emphasis has been placed on banning certain firearms.
In an interview on "CBS This Morning" today, Keene argues, quote, "The real question that needs to be addressed is not what we do about guns, but what we do to make our schools safer."
The NRA has come under close scrutiny in the wake of Newtown, Conn., shootings that killed 20 children and six adults.
Keene said officials should focus more attention on a "devastatingly broken mental health system in this country," if they genuinely want to end gun violence.
He said the NRA has been "generally supportive" of stronger background checks.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) | <urn:uuid:f3cc3585-c88a-47da-8d15-b6ff6cde4f89> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S2899752.shtml?cat=10373 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931137 | 215 | 1.53125 | 2 |
On the spring side of the calendar, extending the school year to avoid August and September heat can cause scheduling issues with graduation venues and curriculum problems with AP testing, which typically occurs in May.
A late-starting summer also can put high school students looking for summer work at a disadvantage and can run up against summer college semesters for graduating seniors looking to get a head start on higher education.
"June is usually the month everybody is out looking for jobs," Principal Hess said.
In addition to comfort, a benefit of air conditioning in schools is the flexibility it brings to the calendar, from determining the start and end dates of the school year to offering the facilities for community events during the summer, Horsley said.
"The school is intended to be a community hub," he said. "They're really hot in the summer, so they don't get used."
Granite School District policy requires school officials to record daily classroom temperatures after May 1 and before Sept. 15 and engage in a mitigation plan in cases of excessive heat.
Cyprus has been operating at a "caution level," which dictates that school officials encourage students to wear lightweight clothing and take frequent water breaks.
If temperatures increase to an "extreme caution level" of 90 to 99 degrees or a "danger level" of 100 degrees or hotter, additional actions are required — including the possible dismissal of classes.
- Frances Monson, wife of LDS prophet, passes away
- Mia Love announces she's officially running...
- Fly a flag for Cody: Army confirms Utah man...
- GOP delegates reject changes to nominating...
- Mitt Romney to live in Utah — at least...
- 1,200 gather in Salt Lake, take part in...
- Hundreds of volunteers tackle service...
- Airport TRAX ridership remains strong weeks...
- Frances Monson, wife of LDS prophet,... 65
- Mitt Romney to live in Utah — at... 46
- Mia Love announces she's officially... 26
- GOP delegates reject changes to... 24
- Utah GOP convention agenda includes... 20
- Angry Orrin Hatch: IRS guilty of... 19
- Mormon missionary age announcement... 15
- Swallow headlines spark question:... 12 | <urn:uuid:5d1f25cb-0d74-4efb-8a96-e630b8b152ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865561452/School-districts-working-to-beat-the-heat.html?pg=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935829 | 454 | 1.546875 | 2 |
CAMERA Media Analysis
05 August '11
A little over a month ago, as anti-Israel activists gathered in Greece expecting to embark on their journey to the Gaza Strip, Ha'aretz published a column by would-be flotilla participant,Gabriel Matthew Schivone ("A Moment before boarding the next flotilla," June 24, 2011).
Schivone is identified as "a Chicano-Jewish American from Tucson, and coordinator of Jewish Voice for Peace at the University of Arizona." Schivone begins his column: "You might wonder what would motivate a Jewish American college student to participate in what may be the most celebrated -- and controversial sea voyage of the 21st century. . . ."
Schivone emphasizes his Jewish identity no less than eight times, and repeatedly emphasizes the influence of his identity on his anti-Israel activity. For instance, he writes, "I am one of a growing number of American Jews who are determined to shake off an assumed -- and largely imposed -- association with Israel"; "For our part, we Jews launched an initial chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace at the UA campus. . . ."; "Through JVP, I discovered there were a great many others like me, who were experiencing profound internal conflicts regarding Israel"; ". . . we as Jews had an alternative to either unquestioning support of Israel (the status quo) or staying silent and thus supporting it by default. I myself was silent and timid for much too long.
"We are committed to acting out of Jewish ethical traditions. . . ."
But there is just one problem -- Schivone is not Jewish. On Aug. 1, Valerie Saturen of Tacoma, Wash., who personally knew Schivone, penned a letter-to-the-editor in Ha'aretz, writing:
In his editorial about joining the flotilla to Gaza, Gabriel Schivone represented himself as a Jewish college student. I feel I must point out that this not his true identity, but one he has created in order to generate insider credibility, shield himself from accusations of anti-Semitism, and resonate with a target audience.
I met Gabriel in 2004 while attending the University of Arizona, where we became very close friends. I am a strong supporter of Palestinian human rights and agree with Gabriel that the blockade of Gaza has caused great humanitarian suffering. However, readers have a right to know the facts and reach their own informed conclusions.
Gabriel is not Jewish, whether in terms of ethnic ancestry, religious belief, or cultural identity. He has never identified as a Jew until it became useful in advancing his political agenda. During the High Holiday season of 2007, Gabriel told me that he discussed Israel with campus representatives of Chabad, identifying himself as a Jew. When asked why he did this, he explained that he has a distant Jewish relative and that "you use what you have."
In all the time I've known him, he has never expressed feeling morally conflicted about Israel, nor has he succumbed to pressure to be "silent." The editorial's narrative is not Gabriel's story, but one crafted to lend moral and emotional weight to his argument while appealing to the young, college-aged Jews whose participation is so vital to the pro-Palestinian movement.
The aim of this letter is not to discredit that movement or the flotilla, or to take a political side, but to alert readers to specific distortions in this editorial. It is a shame that the war of narratives so readily eclipses and manipulates the truth.
Ha'aretz uncharacteristically gives Schivone the opportunity to reply to Saturen's letter. Aside from attacking Saturen, he confirms having known her, and does not deny that his sole connection to Judaism is one distant relative.
Thus, an anti-Israel activist who falsely identifies as Jewish enjoys the platform granted by Ha'aretz to publish a manipulative and deceptive column. As Saturen suggests in her letter, international anti-Israel activists place a premium on the participation of Jews in their activities. In this case, the flotilla organizers seemingly scored big -- a Jewish participant, and writing in an Israeli media outlet, to boot. Claims of anti-Israelism and anti-Semitism are thus defused.
While Ha'aretz did commendably publish Saturen's letter, the damage was already done. Schivone's column ran when the flotilla was in the headlines, and garnered a much greater readership than the letter which appeared just a few days ago, when few recalled the original piece. In light of Ha'aretz's unprofessional failure to fact-check, the paper has once again lent a hand to Israel's delegitimizers.
If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page. | <urn:uuid:5c1ae68a-854e-43fa-8e22-a205670f2efe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://calevbenyefuneh.blogspot.com/2011/08/camera-would-be-flotilla-participant.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953824 | 996 | 1.65625 | 2 |
In a competitive context that is characterized by globalization and high economic and financial instability, companies must adapt their strategies in order to take advantage of new markets (Flint, 2004). Several empirical studies underline how business relationships are important for companies to develop their activities and business and to survive on national and international markets (eg. Hakansson, Snehota, 1995; Hakansson, Prenkert, 2004; Hakansson, Waluszewski, 2002; Johanson, Mattson, 1988). Other studies highlight that also cultural aspects are critical in establishing business relationships and in enhancing and maintaining ongoing business (Usunier, 1996; Hall 1976; Herbig 2000; Ghauri, Usunier, 2003; Fletcher, Fang, 2004).
The aim of this paper is to describe how Italian companies approach the Chinese market and in particular, how they have changed their business model to face the Chinese challenge. Particular emphasis will be given to relationships and their importance to achieve a long-term competitive advantage on that market.
The results of a both quantitative and qualitative research are presented. In the quantitative phase the behavior of Italian companies operating in China is analyzed through questions about the operative approach (marketing policies, instruments, product and process for quality certification) and the strategic approach (entry mode and approach to different targets), together with the results they achieved and the criticalities they had to face.
The qualitative phase is focused on business models and marketing policies that Italian companies adopt when operating in the Chinese market. For this, in-depth interviews were conducted with some "best in class" companies.
An evolutionary model on sustainable internationalization is then proposed. | <urn:uuid:b7c65e17-2e88-4a2e-bd92-fd0d8eb8bdeb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marketing-trends-congress.com/taxonomy/term/2774 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938342 | 335 | 1.804688 | 2 |
D.L. asks from Wood Ridge, NJ on October 03, 2009
Hi, I have a 19 month old son and im trying to change his routine, he has been having sleeping issues where he wakes up after sleeping for 5-6 hours then wont go back down for 3 hours! so i realize its time for a change he used have breakfast at 830-9 then down for a nap at 1030-11 wake around 1230-1 lunch at 130 bedtime 7pm.....what times are other 19 month olds out there taking there naps and bedtimes..just looking for some changes on nap times, breakfast times and lunch and dinner times thanks!
3 moms found this helpful
D. answers from New York on October 04, 2009
When my kids were this age they dropped their morning naps. One nap a day is good at this age. My kids bedtime routine started at night at 7:30, lights out before 8. And their nap during the day was after lunch at about 1. So I'd stop the morning nap.
M.T. answers from New York on October 04, 2009
My 19 month old son wakes at 7am, has breakfast at 8am, lunch at noon, and naps from 1 to 3pm. We put him down for the night at 8:30pm and he's usually asleep by 9 at the latest. I have found that one nap, closer to the middle of the day helps.
T.Q. answers from Albany on October 04, 2009
My son in 19 mos. also. He generally gets up between 6:30 and 7:00 and has breakfast between 7:00 and 8:00. Usually he has a small morning snack around 10:00 (depending on breakfast) and lunch around 11:30 or 12:00. He goes down for a nap after lunch (usally about 12:30 or 1:00) and sleeps for about 2 hours. He goes to bed about 7:30 pm... How long does he sleep at night? I think kids this age average about 11 hours or so. Does he only take 1 nap each day?? I think all together the average is about 11 hours of sleep at night and 2 hour nap eache day... (give or take and hour or so).
N.H. answers from New York on October 04, 2009
My youngest, who'll be 3 in 3 weeks, has had pretty much the same time schedule since birth. We just cut out a couple naps since birth.
Luckily,she gets to go to work with me, and we leave just after 6:30 am (I get her up at 6), do bus run, and get home around 8:30. We have breakfast, reading time, tv time, then nap time around 10. She likes to play at nap time, so I leave her in her bed until around 1 pm. She plays, sleeps, plays and sleeps again. She entertains herself and plays with her toys. This is her "quiet time".
After nap time, we have lunch, then back to work at 2, home at 4:10, dinner around 6, and bedtime around 8:30.
This schedule works great for us and she is not cranky or hard to talk to. It's days when we go shopping instead of take a nap that she can get a little difficult and whiney.
Have you tried to move his bed time a little later or his nap time a little earlier? This may tire him out enough to help him sleep better.
Another thought, how active is he before bedtime/naptime? Have him do some exercises, or take a quick run outside, around the house, make a game of it. I used to do this with my son, now 8. I'd have his sister run with him around the house to tire him out, burn up some extra energy; I'd time them, and because she was so much older, she would have to do 2 laps to his 1. Then we'd eat dinner, then shower, then to bed much easier than on nights we didn't do this. got a trampoline? this helps to tire out my littlest one.
M.L. answers from Dallas on October 03, 2009
My 17 month old gets up at 8 and we eat breakfast. Snack about 10:30 and he is ready for a nap by 11 or 11:15. He sleeps anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, he never sleeps past 1pm. Then we eat lunch, snack at 5, dinner at 6:30. 7:15-7:30 starts the bath and bed routine. I think it would be easier if he would nap after lunch, say 12 or 1, but he is tired by 11.
M.B. answers from New York on October 04, 2009
Every kid is different and of course the schedule has to work for the whole family, but here's the schedule that my son & daughter were on at that age:
Wake-up - between 6 and 7
Breakfast - 7:00 or 7:30
Snack - 9:00
Naptime - 11:30 - 2:30 or 3:00
Snack when wake up
Bedtime 7:00- 7:30
Best thing about this schedule was that we could do an activity in the morning and in the afternoon. Hopefully a slightly later nap will make him more tired (sleep longer during the day ) and less overtired before bedtime, which I have read is one of the main reasons that kids wake up before their full night's sleep.
I hope that helps - good luck!
C.H. answers from New York on October 04, 2009
I have a daughter who is 21 months old. She gets up between 6:30 and 7 every morning. Eats breakfast at 8 and then eats lunch around 12:30. I have her take a nap a 1 and she sleeps until 3 and sometimes 4. She goes to bed at 8pm. This routine works great for us. Remember every child is different - some require more sleep than others. I allowed my son to make his own routine but he is the oldest and I did not have other routines to deal with. He was a great night time sleeper (12 hours) but only took a 1 to 1 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon.
K.B. answers from Rochester on October 04, 2009
Kiddo usually wakes up around 7:30am, breakfast at 8:00/8:30. Lunch around 12/12:30, nap from 1-3:30/4, dinner around 6pm, bedtime at 8pm. | <urn:uuid:4bfddf5f-1275-48b3-945a-1d2739d58455> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mamapedia.com/article/napping-routines | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979923 | 1,381 | 1.609375 | 2 |
In March, as part of Glasgow's annual Aye Write! festival, 15,000 free copies of From Glasgow to Saturn: Fifty Favourite Poems by Edwin Morgan (as voted for by his readers) will be distributed across the city via libraries, schools and bookshops. Morgan's is the first poetry collection to be selected as a "city read" anywhere in the UK - a demonstration of Glasgow's devotion to its inaugural poet laureate, a post created for him in 1997, who has chronicled and mythologised the city for over half a century. It is the climax to a year that would count as remarkable in the career of any poet, never mind one who'll be 88 in April. The rapturous reception last spring of his latest collection, A Book of Lives, was followed in October by the news that, in the wake of his 2004 appointment as Scots Makar (national poet), the Heritage Lottery Fund had awarded the Scottish Poetry Library a grant of £50,000 to acquire and house his extensive archive. Weeks later, A Book of Lives was shortlisted for the 2007 TS Eliot prize (in the end, it lost out to Sean O'Brien's The Drowned Book). "Thank God we have Edwin Morgan to tell us how to live and keep on living," says the poet Kathleen Jamie. "I'm half Morgan's age. To have half his zest would be wonderful."
Flashes of the celebrated zest remain in Morgan's easy laugh and manner, despite his failing health. He isn't short on grit, either. He lives in a residential home, his yellow room cheerful with books and paintings, including the deep-toned portrait by his friend and fellow Glaswegian writer and artist Alasdair Gray that is reproduced on the cover of Fifty Favourite Poems. He begins by apologising for what he calls his "hesitancy". "I had a small stroke last week, and am having to fish around for the words. It's an awful nuisance," he explains, with fine understatement.
In the event, the words flow, as they always have. Born in Glasgow's west end on April 27 1920, the only child of strict Presbyterian parents, Morgan felt himself a bookish anomaly in a house of desultory readers. He was unhappy at school, where he was seen as a swot ("I wasn't - I just happened to get good marks"). He lacked sympathetic friends with whom he could discuss his burgeoning literary interests. It was assumed he would follow his father - a clerk and later director at the iron and steel merchants Arnott, Young & Co - into shipping, but from early on he was certain his future lay elsewhere. "It surprised the family," he remembers. "I just discovered when I was, oh, 12 or 13, that I was very interested in language - and this showed itself as poetry. There was no looking back."
He overcame a dearth of books at home by persuading his parents to foot the membership bills for several of the city's many book clubs. Morgan read eclectically, nurturing early enthusiasms for canonical English writers, from the Gawain poet to Milton and the metaphysicals, and developing a passion for the 1936 edition of the Faber Book of Modern Verse that would cast a long shadow over his work for years to come. "I loved that book; it was a revelation to me," he recalls. "I was very much into American poetry, and the Faber had a strong American influence." On the contents page, alongside the roll-call of American greats - ee cummings, Charles Olson, Robert Lowell - are the names of poets whose work has since dropped out of favour, but whom Morgan is quick to praise. "Laura Riding - I thought she was wonderful. Hart Crane, too."
Along with Alasdair Gray, Morgan has painted a picture of post-war Scotland that has had a great influence on subsequent writers such as AL Kennedy, WN Herbert, Irvine Welsh, James Kelman. But Morgan has always looked further afield. His correspondence with Haroldo de Campos, one of the Brazilian pioneers of concrete poetry, led to a fascination in the 1960s with the contours of words on the page that influenced his writing for many years. It surfaced in poems such as "The Chaffinch Map of Scotland", in which the various Scots words for the bird are ranged into a linguistic map of the country, and "The Loch Ness Monster's Song", which begins with the hopeful "Sssnnnwhuffffll?" and ends when the lonely monster descends once again into the depths of the loch with a mournful:
His interest in foreign poetry took hold as early as 1937, when he enrolled at Glasgow University. Though nominally an English student, he also took classes in French and Russian and taught himself "a good bit of Italian and German" along the way. His university career was interrupted by the second world war, which delayed his graduation for six years, but his interest in European poetry - in particular the French symbolists (Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine) and Russian modernists from Mayakovsky onward - remained. After initially registering as a conscientious objector, Morgan eventually served with the Royal Army Medical Corps; in writing terms, he describes the period as "a blank".
After graduating, he took up a lectureship in Glasgow's English department, where he rose to become emeritus professor before his retirement in 1980. While he found the relationship between teaching and writing an uneasy one ("there were several times," he admits now, "when I very nearly gave up the university job, but I never quite dared take the risk"), the relationship between writing and translation was endlessly fruitful.
He has published two fat books, Collected Poems and Collected Translations, and looks on the Translations as "Collected Poems Number Two". "It wasn't exactly the same as the poetry I was writing off my own bat, but I really did take translation seriously - I found I could easily imagine myself to be, say, Montale, or Brecht ... Translated poetry filled the no-man's-land between my own work and other writers', and I found this fascinating to explore.
"You're beginning with a poetry that's not the same as yours, but it puts out little claws which latch on to your own poetry, and which end up influencing you. I felt I was pushing the art of translation a little further forward."
This ability to project himself into the minds of others is a defining feature of Morgan's poetry, as well as the grounds for his success as a translator. Within his own work, he voices poets and aliens, midges ("Attack, my little Draculas, my Amazons!") and the Mummy of Rameses II ("M' n'm 'z 'zym'ndias, kng'v kngz!"), with equal facility - but it is, perhaps, in his love poetry that his gift for self-effacement has been most consistently and effectively applied.
Morgan didn't publicly come out as gay until his 70th birthday, despite a 15-year relationship with the man to whom he dedicated his 1982 collection, Poems of Thirty Years. Given that homosexuality was not decriminalised in Scotland until 1980, he had to be discreet when dealing with the subject in his work. In his earlier poetry, he relies heavily on gender-neutral labels; the lover who "no tender kisses ... forbore" in 1952's sumptuous "The Vision of Cathkin Braes", for example, is referred to throughout as "my honey" and "my love". Elsewhere, as in "Strawberries", probably his best-known love poem, the sensuousness surfaces in "the strawberries glistening / in the hot sunlight ..."
"It was something I wanted to write about from quite early on," Morgan says of his homosexuality. "Even if it wasn't being spoken about openly, I was able to draw sustenance from it ... It took a long time for me to risk being unguarded; it depended on changes in society, changes in the law, changes in the people I knew. But I had a kind of confidence that I would be able to be open eventually - and meanwhile it was so much a part of my own life and character that it was bound to be a part of the poetry."
James McGonigal, one of his literary executors and a long-time friend, believes that this oblique approach to his sexuality had a positive effect both on the poetry itself and, more significantly, on his country. "He makes this a love poetry for the whole of humanity," he suggests. "It's inclusive: men and women can read themselves into it. Scotland took a long time to warm up to the idea of homosexuality, but Morgan was already so much a part of people's hearts that, by the time they discovered he was gay, they'd accepted him."
His later love poetry, in which the barrier has been removed, is less playful, but sings with a special kind of clarity. A Book of Lives concludes with a 50-verse sequence, "Love and a Life", in which Morgan revisits the loves of the past six decades with total freedom. Hamish Whyte, Morgan's publisher at Mariscat Press, which first brought out the sequence as a pamphlet in 2003, remembers his reaction on receiving it. "Eddie wasn't sure if he wanted to publish the poems, as they're so very personal," he recalls. "But he sent me the manuscript, and my partner [the poet Diana Hendry] and I sat up all night reading. We said to him: you have to publish these. Even now, years later, I cry reading them."
As love poems, the sequence is uplifting; as the work of a poet in his 80s, it is remarkable. The absolute necessity of love - to life and work - is summed up at the end of a poem to a man known simply as G. who, despite declaring "Ah love ma wife", kisses the poet "at Central Station, on the lips in broad daylight". Love, Morgan concludes, "will not be denied / In this life. It is a flood-tide / You may dam with all your language but it breaks and bullers through and / blatters all platitudes and protestations before it, clean out of sight".
The expansiveness of this final statement is typical of Morgan. "I have friends who are very pessimistic. They say you can't possibly be an optimist nowadays. But I think, taking the longer view, you can still be as optimistic as you want. I'm convinced of this. I've had some bad times and I'm not too well now, so I suppose I have reasons to be pessimistic, but even now, in the last part of my life, what's there is still something I can be glad of, and use. There are very good reasons for thinking things are OK. And I go on doing that."
Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Beat poets | <urn:uuid:a2c58135-a5c4-429d-8f04-c08cf3d446fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/jan/26/poetry | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98745 | 2,288 | 1.554688 | 2 |
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Treatment Of Insomnia
May 18, 2013 By 1 Comment | <urn:uuid:39f7f838-32a0-4222-8a1d-15bcd4dd59e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://brainfoggles.com/treatment-of-insomnia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970468 | 678 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Skip to comments.Boy Scouts review controversial anti-gay policy
Posted on 06/06/2012 4:13:18 PM PDT by Hunton Peck
The Boy Scouts of America is considering a newly-proposed resolution that calls for ending a 102-year-old policy theyve grappled with in recent years: banning gay scouts and scout leaders, gay advocates told msnbc.com on Wednesday. Though the organization said it would review the proposal, a spokesman insisted there were no plans to change the policy.
The new policy would throw out the national ban and allow local chartering organizations to decide whether or not they would accept gay youth and leaders, said Zach Wahls, an Eagle Scout who has advocated for the change, citing unidentified people he spoke to within the organization.
Boy Scouts of America spokesman Deron Smith said a resolution to amend the national policy to allow each of the Scoutings chartered groups to set its own standards regarding gay members was turned in by a voting member before April 30, the deadline for submitting resolutions.
While well carefully consider this resolution, there are no plans to change this policy, he said noting that resolutions and petitions on the matter were not unique and dated back to 2000, when the Supreme Court heard a challenge over their stance (the justices sided with the Boy Scouts in the lawsuit involving a former Assistant Scoutmaster who was gay, citing the protections of the First Amendment).
Wahls, the son of a lesbian couple, last Wednesday delivered a petition bearing 275,000 signatures calling for an end to the 102-year-old policy and the reinstatement of Jennifer Tyrrell to her post as den mother after she was ousted in April because she is gay.
Wahls said he was absolutely ecstatic when he heard about the proposal to change the policy, saying it would be akin to the repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a...
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.msnbc.msn.com ...
(Plus, note the abuse of the word "controversial" to mean "My sicko friends and I don't like it".)
One deduces that, the proposal’s having been made, procedures require they “consider” it.
It will never happen.
Normal people don't consider the long-held, highly admirable moral standards of a private organization, and the attempt to inculcate those standards into boys and young men as “controversial”.
Only propagandizing, hate-filled perverts, intent on the destruction of the moral fiber of America, who call themselves journalists, do.
No, but the fact that some, including some in the media, want it to happen is another indication of how evil the folks who claim to just want “equality” and “compassion” for all really are.
“It will never happen.”
I hope you are correct, but I am not as optimistic as you are.
The Two-Deep leadership has rendered the ban moot. The problem has always been that gay men join the troops and hide where you don’t find the problem until it is too late. It’s easier to deal with them openly.
I think gay Scouts are allowed. Half the time, they are just attention-whoring.
Policy should stand as is. Especially being in the field, the opportunities are too great for pedophiles to take advantage of young boys. Since I have not been involved in scouting since I was a kid, I wonder if they have a two adult policy to prevent where an adult and a kid are alone by themselves ?
Who signed off on Zach's eagle application ?
I don’t think there is a chance this would get approved. Why? The largest group the charters boy scout units is the LDS. And that means lots of money to National. Allow gays, and the LDS creates its own youth program, the BSA loses a ton of members, and you get the idea... so not gonna happen. By the way, I am a District Commissioner.
Make changes to the policy at the risk of killing the organization.I won’t support any childrens organization based on sexual preference.At that age sex need not be any part of it. No queer scout masters, period. These freaks need to join the priesthood if they want free access to young boys
If the Scouts cave on this, it will mean the end of the Scouts.
There’s a poll at the site, at the end of the article, for those who might want to FReep it, asking whether the BSA should change its anti-molester policy.
Right now, the results are:
Total of 2,194 votes - click on the “Display Comments” bar below to sort comments
Formal name is Youth Protection, but yes, 2 deep leadership.
No Scout, unless they are directly related by blood to the adult, is to be alone with an adult, out of sight of others, at any time, especially in tents.
These are BSA rules and any legitimate Troop organization will enforce this at all times.
This is done for 2 reasons...
1. Protect the Scout from a predator or other abuse.
2. Protect the Adult from a false accusation of abuse.
There is absolutely no reason for a non-related adult to be alone with a Scout, out of sight, in private.
When backpacking with the Scouts, I’m normally the “sweep” or tail-end Charlie, the younger guys just run circles around me.
The chances of being “alone” with a Scout on the trail in that position, are pretty high, but I ALWAYS insist on staying on the trail, out in the open at ALL times.
There’s a picture of Zach at the story. He has a pronounced five-o’clock shadow and his uniform looks a bit too small for him.
I’d hazard a guess that his two lesbian “moms” got together well after he made rank, and worked his mind over fairly dramatically.
I hope so to...
but I have to tell ya, the trends on the recent polling are decidedly going in a gay way. Worse, if you look at the demographics by age, the young simply don’t seem to understand that gay = bad. If we don’t see a massive midlife change from those generations... gay will end being good.
The church I usher at has that same rule as well. In my position as part time instructor at the University, even with adult females, I apply this rule to myself where I either meet with them in an open area or go to email. And I have to say, I have had many very good looking girls in my classes.
> Formal name is Youth Protection, but yes, 2 deep leadership.
> No Scout, unless they are directly related by blood to the adult, is to be alone with an adult, out of sight of others, at any time, especially in tents.
It was effectively the end of Scouting in Canada. All 6 kids in my family were involved in Scouts or Girl Guides back in the 60s and 70s. None of our children have been involved. No way I’m turning over my son to an organization that no longer stands for the moral development of young men.
Bingo. The LDS church adopted and supports the BSA as the appropriate program for the young men. LDS troops are typically small organizations within the membership of a 500 person "ward". Most of the troop members are also members of that ward. Scout masters are usually "called" by the Bishop from a worthy member of the Elder's Quorum. It's usually a two to three year assignment.
The troops that are at risk are one's sponsored by a school PTA. That is the kind of troop where I became an Eagle Scout. It turned out that one of our assistant scout master's was a pedophile. He was molesting small children at the daycare center operated by his wife. When he was arrested, his son disappeared from view. It was a major embarrassment. In later years, I learned one of the scouts was queer and plying his perversion with some of the scouts in the troop. Ewww!
Use this link to vote:
FREEP THIS POLL ***PING!***
FRmail me if you want to be added or removed from the Fearless Poll-Freeping Freepers Ping list.
And be sure to ping me to any polls that need Freepin’, if I miss them.
(looks like a medium volume list) (gordongekko909, founder of the pinglist, stays on the list until his ghost signs up for the list)
The BSA’s problem was that they didn’t enforce the ban and as a result thousands of scouts were molested. Common sense tells you that you don’t send boys into the woods with homosexuals.
I spent last weekend helping my Eagle Scout son working on his son's Eagle project.
Should this decision be taken, I can see three generations of Scouts in my family walking away. Sadly, but walking away.
I bet the LDS leads it. You see, there’s this man named Mitt Romney.....
Outwardly gay adult males having unsupervised sleepovers with young boys. What could possibly go wrong?
It’s not like there is a track record of scout masters molesting young boys, is there? That only happens in the Catholic Church, I hear. And that’s because the Church is “evil” and supplies the young boys to the men and then covers everything up.
Schools would never do that. And the scouts have never needed to because gay men love boys and would NEVER do anything to harm them. < /sarc >
The sex positive agenda considers adolescents to be willing partners and orgasm to be a birthright to be enjoyed at every age.
They fund the agenda with tax dollars in schools and hospitals.
They consider all moral judgments against any sexual pairings to be “wrong”.
The goal is out there for anyone who investigates organizations like SIECUS and Kinsey and Reich.
We had boys in our family molested in the boyscouts in the 70’s. It was a national pedophile ring set up in the Boy Scouts. If they do this, the boy scouts won’t be safe for boys anymore. They go to summer camps and on overnights with these pervs.
I hope they do not do this.
Now 56% yes, 43% no....could use some more Freeping....
As for guys who like guys being Scout Masters? I do not want someone who is so weak willed as to have sexual conduct with someone with the same parts and willing to fiddle around in the back area, to be alone with my children or anyone's children. They can call it natural all they want, but it shows a weakness in their sexual restraint.
My sons' troop is a homeschool troop. We are religious about following the rules to protect both the boys and the adults.
I am proud to say that my oldest is having his Eagle board this week! I really hope he does well.
Rush is right when he says these nuts would go go apoplectic if there was a test of "sexuality" before birth and people start aborting due to it's results. How fast would the homosexual maffia want to stop these types of abortions?
I agree. Not one more dime from me and I’ve been supporting the Scouts for 45 years when I started as a Cub Scout and my dad was a Scoutmaster in the Ventura CA region and my mom was a Den Mother for Webelos.
Yep, that was my first thought after ignoring the headline and reading the paragraphs posted above. Ironically, a story like this will only fire up the normal people who support the BSA and harden the resolve of the Boy Scouts to continue to turn away homosexual scout leaders who want to take little boys off into the woods.
If they all tossed $100 in the pot, they could start their own Queer Scout League and leave the Boy Scouts alone!
Good point, and a good indicator that they don’t really believe — despite their claims — that homosexuals are born. They know they have to make them from normal kids.
Me neither. The Fruity Front is determined to corrupt
every venerable institution they can.
Here we go down a slippery slope. I’ve known 10 homosexual individuals in my life time. My life career in counseling and hearing people’s confessions. The 1st homosexual guy I knew had 2 Mexican boys, age 8 and age 10 in his home as toys. I know this because it was our family. Another individual was a religious leader in Guatemala, my last count was 21 young men he had defiled, whose lives were ruined, and their marriages they tried to establish were always on the brink. I’ve never known a homosexual who wasn’t attracted to ‘little boys’, and thought it clever to introduce them into the alternate lifestyle. I’ve never met a homosexual who really opposed predators of small boys. I’ve heard and seen dozens of testimonials on DVD, video on Internet, and they all get inititaed into the counter lifestyle by an older adult. This wouldn’t be so personal, if it wasn’t something I’ve lived with.
I don’t think there’s a chance in the world the Boy Scouts will make any changes. They will “consider” the proposal, they will reject it categorically, and they will move on.
The Youth Protection rules are good, as is the greater awareness of the dangers homosexuals pose for children, but the rules rely on the good intentions of the vast majority of adult participants. Any toleration of people who are known to want to have sex with the Scouts - whether it’s adults or other boys - is a tacit acceptance of the sexual abuse that will occur.
Caving means they're just one more organization cowed by the demands of a tiny, deviant minority. Nothing makes them stand out, so they eventually fade into irrelevance and oblivion.
The LDS Scouting units have had their share of scandal as well.
The LDS also register every registered church member of that ward who is of scouting age, regardless of activity and/or participation. Thus, their real numbers are grossly overinflated.
But, they do still send in that all important $ to BSA National.
This is a flagrant violation of the Scout Oath. What part about being “morally straight” don’t they understand???
I refer the perverts to the Sandusky trial.
” One deduces that, the proposals having been made, procedures require they consider it.”
Then immediately reject it.
There is a posting from the B.S.A.’s Facebook page that there is no plans to change this policy, and that the reports are false.
The fact that this comes from PMSNBC should be a huge tipoff.
(Mom of a soon-to-be 2nd year Webelo and wife to the assistant den leader)
“Oh, look! Another proposal to admit self-proclaimed rump rangers to Boy Scouting!”
“Where’s the cat? We need him to crap on the proposal!”
I suppose this will cause another round of MSM “Scout bashing”
It’s just ALL GAY, ALL the TIME with these people. So glad there are no important issues in the U.S. which need to be discussed. GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY. Shove it down our throats. | <urn:uuid:fcca618e-4582-4e84-9cd4-2b211ec9a98c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2892419/posts?page=50 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967964 | 3,333 | 1.632813 | 2 |
scionite0 sends us to Rolling Stone for an in-depth article on Wal-Mart and the music business. Wal-Mart is the largest music retailer selling "an estimated one out of every five major-label albums" in the US. Wal-Mart willingly loses money selling CDs for less than $10 in order to draw customers into the store, but they are tired of taking a loss on CDs. The mega-retailer is telling the major record labels to lower the price of CDs or risk losing retail space to DVDs and video games. (Scroll to the bottom of the article for a breakdown of where exactly the money goes on a $15.99 album sale.) "[A Wal-Mart spokesman said:] 'The record industry needs to refine their business models, because the consumer is the ultimate arbitrator. And the consumer feels music isn't properly priced.' [While music executives are quoted:] 'While Wal-Mart represents nearly twenty percent of major-label music sales, music represents only about two percent of Wal-Mart's total sales. If they got out of selling music, it would mean nothing to them. This keeps me awake at night.' [And another:] 'Wal-Mart has no long-term care for an individual artist or marketing plan, unlike the specialty stores, which were a real business partner. At Wal-Mart, we're a commodity and have to fight for shelf space like Colgate fights for shelf space.'" | <urn:uuid:730f84eb-ba00-424c-be39-68607b17f684> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.slashdot.org/story/08/03/25/1856245/must-a-cd-cost-1599 | 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 | 0.938137 | 293 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Five are dead in a lifeboat drill and three others are injured following a freak accident that took place on the Thomson Majesty ship off the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands on Sun., Feb. 10, 2013. All eight people dead or injured in the drill were crew members. Although there were 1,400 passengers on board, none of them were involved in the incident, according to U.S. News.
The five dead in the lifeboat drill perished when a lifeboat on the British cruise ship toppled over and landed upside down in the water. Of the three crew members injured in the accident, one was treated and released at a local hospital in La Palma while the other two were expected to be discharged as well.
All of the victims, the three who were injured and the five who are dead, in the lifeboat drill were male. Their names have not been released, but they comprised men from Greece, the Philippines, Ghana and Indonesia.
The cause of the freak accident is still under investigation. | <urn:uuid:a6c4b1fe-4e17-445a-80a4-882ae38ea867> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.examiner.com/article/5-dead-lifeboat-drill-3-others-injured-freak-accident | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988555 | 208 | 1.65625 | 2 |
The government's disaster relief manager sought on Sunday to assure people in Florida that federal aid is in place to help with recovery efforts from the latest hurricane bearing down on the state.
In a briefing with agencies involving in responding to natural disasters, Michael Brown thanked representatives for their work in the aftermath of hurricanes Charley and Frances.
He also told the officials that Floridians will depend on such help more than ever after Hurricane Ivan, which is projected to make a direct hit on Cuba before it moves into the Gulf of Mexico or South Florida on Monday.
Mandatory evacuation orders for tourists and 79,000 residents were in effect for the Florida Keys.
"They got hit twice and are about to get hit a third time," Brown told a roomful of Federal Emergency Management Agency (search) employees at the agency's headquarters.
"They are looking to us, looking to everybody in this room and everybody on the ground, to help them out and give them some comfort, let them know that we care and that we're there to do whatever we can," said Brown, undersecretary of Homeland Security (search) for emergency preparedness and response.
"There's one more to go, and I haven't looked to the far Atlantic yet to see what's out there."
FEMA's response division director, Eric Tolbert, said despite incredibly intense working conditions, morale remained high among the on-the-scene relief workers in Florida.
He said many employees are working seven days a week, and the agency is setting up a rotation system to allow them at least a day of rest weekly.
"The morale is still high," Tolbert said. "The folks are holding up very well, and we closely watch that. I personally watch that."
He said he is confident "we're going to be OK going into yet a third operation."
Tolbert said supplies on order also are arriving on schedule.
Attending the meeting were representatives from the Defense Department, the FEMA-administered National Disaster and Medical System, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. | <urn:uuid:ec2250be-5fb6-4537-8886-ea3ff592f964> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,132199,00.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973152 | 426 | 1.640625 | 2 |
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida -- Some bystanders are calling it a cruel case of animal abuse, but a trio who apparently snatched up ducks from at least two areas of the city won't be charged.
According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, three people were reportedly grabbing ducks by the neck and tossing them into cages in the back of a pickup truck. Dispatchers got a call that the ducks were being taken from a pond at 110th Ave. N. and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., then received another call from 16th St. N. around 62nd Ave. N.
"They probably already had about 25 to 30 ducks in the back of their truck," said one witness who didn't want to show her face.
But regulations regarding the taking of ducks basically say no harm, no foul.
"We have parts of our city ordinance that identify these wild ducks as nuisances, so from the standpoint of the police department doing anything, there's really nothing we can do," said Mike Puetz with the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Florida Fish and Wildlife rules don't consider the ducks a protected species, so taking them isn't against the law unless there's abuse or cruelty involved. That's where there's a difference of opinion.
"To throw a net over a bird and cause it to sink to the bottom of the water, in my eyes, would be abuse," said the witness who called police. "If you did that to a human, without a doubt, it would be abuse." | <urn:uuid:9ece8407-62c7-47ec-b9ef-2d6ed62624f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wtsp.com/news/national/article/266931/79/Ducks-taken-from-ponds-but-snatchers-wont-face-charges | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982393 | 317 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:49 pm
Post subject: She was born with Her eyes wide open
Hi fellow parents!
My first daughter Teresa named after mother teresa was born with her eyes wide open through a ceaserian operation, and she was facing upwards, we were told by the Doctor that it was extraordinarly because babies should face down wards. Can someone provide an answer to that? | <urn:uuid:0f93f249-78ae-483b-8502-f66ba6c701a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://talk.askbaby.com/viewtopic.php?p=2673 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.996637 | 85 | 1.625 | 2 |
Project hopes to build vision for Upstate's future
Survey to ID goals for growth
Published: Monday, March 1, 2010 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, March 1, 2010 at 12:10 a.m.
A nonprofit organization formed to foster regional collaboration and growth is preparing to launch a broad public survey to create a shared vision for the Upstate's future.
"We're going to be asking people what matters most to them," said Ten at the Top Executive Director Dean Hybl, who was hired in January after leading a similar effort in Central Florida. "It's to tell us what residents and community leaders want for the future, what's important to them and how we can move as a region collectively to reach our desired future."
Ten at the Top, or TATT, was formed in 2005 as Upstate Together. The organization in 2009 hosted Upstate Reality Check, where nearly 500 civic and business leaders from 10 counties spanning South Carolina's northwest corner, from Greenville and Spartanburg to Greenwood, shared their ideas about growth of the region.
Based on the results, TATT's board of directors of public, private and nonprofit leaders hired Hybl. An office was set up in the headquarters of Upstate SC Alliance, another nonprofit that targets economic development. TATT seeks to go beyond economic vitality to also encompass natural and cultural resources, education and quality of life, Hybl said.
"Upstate Alliance does a great job in terms of economic development as far as looking for opportunities to create new companies and jobs across the entire region. Another organization, Upstate Forever, is engaged in natural resources," he said. "The hope is (TATT) will serve as a convening place for… the broader issues."
Upstate Alliance is currently focusing on luring four main industries -- automotive, advanced materials, BioSciences and energy -- to the region, said Marketing Vice President Jennifer Noel. She said TATT is a logical partner in developing infrastructure and additional needed elements for new businesses and employees that become part of the Upstate.
"It's important for TATT to understand the industries we are bringing in," said Upstate Alliance President Hal Johnson. "With that, there are going to be needs for housing and commercial development. The question is, how do we as a region plan for those needs and where does it go."
Housing the two agencies together pares down overhead and allows the elimination of duplication, he added.
"They have a mission and we have a mission, but our audience is really the same," he said.
"It just made sense to be working out of a place that is already a hub of regional activity," he said.
Based on information provided by the U.S. Census Bureau and a demographic study that includes more extensive job types than the census tracks, TATT projects 234,000 new residents, 118,000 new households and 203,000 new jobs in the Upstate by 2030.
"Do we want to grow by chance, or by choice?" Hybl said.
About $30,000 of $350,000 received from donations and a matching grant from Advance SC for Upstate Reality Check was used to start TATT. Another $75,000 Advance SC grant is keeping the organization in motion.
Several funding partners also have stepped up, Hybl said. The hope is for public, private and civic funds to sustain the effort.
"We are not right now asking local governments for funding," Hybl said. "At some point we will ask these entities for funding, but now understand the economic challenges they face. We hope as the vision moves forward and its value is recognized there are opportunities for local funding.
It would show there is understanding of the importance of thinking and acting regionally."
TATT plans to unveil its public survey strategy in March.
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:af76fe29-4e7e-479c-815e-734ea18e5a4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100301/ARTICLES/3011011?Title=Project-hopes-to-build-vision-for-Upstate-s-future | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966812 | 828 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Every day, questions about IT service management and IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) cross my path. Some are very basic, while others are more complex and process-specific. Over the next few months, I'll periodically address some of these questions.
Where did ITIL come from?
The United Kingdom's Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency in Norwich, which at different times has been an agency of HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office, created the Government IT Infrastructure Management Method in the mid-1980s. The objective of this agency was to create a consistent, reliable model for IT service management that would promote operational efficiency. The intent then -- as it is today -- was to distill best practices from many sources in order to build a proven model and avoid "re-inventing the wheel." When the public sector began to take interest in this work, a name change was necessary. The result was "IT Infrastructure Library" -- or ITIL.
The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in the UK owns the ITIL trademark. Recently, the OGC announced that the APM Group and the Stationery Office won the competition for day-to-day stewardship over ITIL accreditation services and publications strategy. The OGC will continue to own the ITIL trademark and will act as steward over the direction of ITIL. The effect of this shift in responsibilities is not yet clear.
Why should companies
ITIL proposes that in order to improve service quality, IT must organize activities around standardized process and perform these activities repeatedly. By implementing ITIL, organizations can not only improve the level of service delivered to the business, but they can also realize cost savings through increased productivity and efficiency. Additionally, process standardization helps reduce the risk of errors. Even greater cost savings, efficiencies and risk reduction can be realized when ITIL processes are automated.
Where do I start with an ITIL implementation?
You can start implementing ITIL anywhere your IT operations could use improvement. You don't have to start with any one process in particular. Many organizations start with incident management, while others start with change management. Some focus on the relationship between existing processes, such as incident management and problem management. But ITIL doesn't dictate exactly where your implementation should begin. That's why it's a good idea to assess the current state of affairs in your IT organization and determine where your organization is experiencing the most pain.
Is ITIL the only best practice I need in IT?
No. ITIL is a very adaptable framework for designing and managing key IT processes in order to optimize the quality and efficiency of service delivery. But it is not a panacea. For example, if you need a better approach to project management, you should look at PRINCE2 or the Project Management Institute. If your organization has governance and audit issues, you should consider COBIT. You may also want to try the capability maturity model and application services library for software quality and maintenance, respectively. In fact, there are best practice frameworks for all aspects of IT. ITIL is just one.
Can I buy ITIL-compliant software?
Not really. ITIL is not a standard, and compliance implies conformance to some sort of industry standard. Vendor software solutions can support ITIL and be specifically designed to facilitate its implementation -- but technically speaking, there is no such thing as an ITIL-compliant product. Both the OGC and the IT Service Mangement Forum, the user group focused on IT service management, warn against listening to claims of ITIL compliance from vendors or "independent" authorities.
Standards such as ISO 20000 can be based, in part, on an effective ITIL implementation, but that doesn't mean you've achieved ITIL "compliance." It simply means you've implemented ITIL well enough to support your ISO 20000 compliance initiative.
How much money will I save by implementing ITIL?
The savings achieved by implementing ITIL can come in many forms. Much of it often comes from the automation of inefficient manual processes. Some of it can come from making better use of existing IT assets. Additional gains can be achieved by eliminating downtime and/or providing a competitive advantage to the business. Ultimately, the only way to measure return on investments in ITIL implementation is to capture baseline metrics from your current operations. How many person-hours does it currently take to resolve a given problem? How much downtime are you experiencing and what does it cost your company? By comparing your pre-ITIL baseline to your post-implementation results, you should be able to financially quantify benefits in a variety of areas.
About the author: Brian Johnson is one of the original authors of the first ITIL books and an ITIL senior practice manager at CA Inc. He has also authored more than 15 books on ITIL or related topics and is the founder of itSMF, a professional organization focused on IT service management and ITIL. | <urn:uuid:d62a385b-1769-449f-91fc-aebbb8db9aea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://searchcio.techtarget.com.au/news/2240022173/ITIL-FAQs-Part-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948739 | 1,004 | 1.617188 | 2 |
With the heightened awareness around anything ‘green’ companies are starting to realise the value communicating their environmental initiatives has in attracting and retaining talent.
International employer brand strategist and author, Brett Minchington MBA discusses the role of ‘green’ recruiting and provides some tips for companies planning to trial ‘green’ initiatives.
Minchington defines, your employer brand as, “The image of your organization as a ‘great place to work’ in the minds of current employees and key stakeholders in the external market (active and passive candidates, clients, customers and other key stakeholders. How your company is perceived as an environmentally friendly employer may well be the difference between whether talent choose to work for you or your competitors.”A recent survey of more than 2,200 adults carried out by US market research firm Harris Interactive found that 36 per cent would be more inclined to work for a ‘green’ company, while 59 per cent believe their current employer should be doing more to improve its environmental performance.
More than two thirds of Generation Y workers, typically characterised as people born after 1980, said they wanted their employer to be environmentally friendly compared to just 52 per cent of baby boomers.
Adopting strong green policies may also save you money when looking to recruit younger staff. Almost a third of respondents said that they would be willing to sacrifice a portion of their salary to work for an environmentally friendly firm with Generation Y workers saying they would sacrifice, on average, 6.2 per cent of their wages. In contrast, environmentally conscious baby boomers would be willing to sacrifice just 2.5 per cent.
One of the best known cases of promoting green initiatives for recruiting advantage is GE. In 2006 GE posed a challenge to University students, asking them to develop an environmental project on a budget of $25,000, which they could implement on their own campus. The contest called the Ecoimagination Challenge had students come up with brilliant ideas.
An Internet site reported the progress of the contest and the website even had a link at the bottom saying ‘Jobs at GE.’
The final winners were students of Massachusetts Institute of Technology for their design of a solar powered processor and some of the winning team were subsequently recruited into GE.
The concept was simple; GE was declaring its campaign to save the environment through the contest and at the same time inviting job applications. This was a nice piggyback campaign to woo the best talent from colleges.
Whilst the prize money offered by GE may be out of reach of most SME’s they can learn from how the world’s top employer brands are leveraging their environmental initiatives to attract and retain talent.
The Body Shop uses its career website to promote its environmental commitment – ‘At the heart of our business are our values. In everything we do we are committed to helping protect the planet, defend human rights, activate self esteem, and support Community Trade and creating animal cruelty free cosmetics. It's not just part of our jobs, it's part of our DNA.’ Your career is a cost effective way of communicating your ‘green’ philosophy to potential hires.
Minchington recommends the following initiatives which can assist to enhance your employer brand through promoting your commitment to a ‘greener’ environment:
- Only accept job applications and resumes online – it will save paper, envelopes, stamps and fuel
- Reduce your reliance on newspaper job ads – online sourcing and advertising reduces the size of newspapers, magazines and newsletters. Post open positions on your career site and connect electronically to job boards
- Include corporate social responsibility statements on your web site, in recruitment and product brochures
- Include details about your commitment to the environment in offer letters and job descriptions
- Offer subsidized employee bus pools to encourage commuting employees and provide them with free or subsidized parking
- Made a video that shows how your employees are environmentally minded, and post it on YouTube and your career site
- Enter your company in environmental awards and contests
- Add environmentally friendly footers, such as ‘think before you print’ to your email signature
- Reward employees that use public transportation or walk/bike to work
- Give to charitable contributions to organizations that fight global warming
- Send stories about your ‘green’ initiatives to the media and get written about. | <urn:uuid:85e7cdf1-fbe2-46c5-a49d-ed8cc549b1b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brettminchington.com/free-resources/strategy/19-how-green-is-your-employer-brand.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95776 | 888 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Studies Find Anthrax Causing Changes in Mailing PreferencesTwo new studies reveal that the recent anthrax threats have changed the way consumers respond to direct mail.
One study, from CLT Research, the information solutions division of Protocol Communications Inc., New York, found that 27 percent of U.S. adults have changed how they handle their mail since the discovery of anthrax being distributed through the mail. However, perhaps because of the holiday season, 38 percent said they would miss their catalogs if they no longer received them.
The report also found several simple measures direct marketers can use to allay consumer fears. Of those surveyed, 63 percent said they preferred direct marketers to send communications on postcards when possible, minimizing communications that use envelopes. Transparency is also a key to see contents in an envelope or a catalog.
CLT Research conducted the national telephone survey Nov. 7-9 to examine how the anthrax threat to the mail has affected the U.S. population.
Another nationwide survey, by Boston-based strategy firm Dove Consulting, found that 32 percent of respondents said the threat of anthrax has made them consider receiving utility and other statements online rather than in the mail. The rest, however, said the anthrax scare has not changed their habits.
The top reason consumers gave for considering online bill presentment is concern over lateness of mail. Fifty percent of people who changed their view of online bill statements since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks cited lateness. But 45 percent raised concerns over the handling of mail, making that the second-biggest motivator.
"The national crisis has sparked new interest from people who previously paid bills through the mail," said Richard Crone, vice president at Dove Consulting. "The motivation is simple. People want to protect themselves and their families - and they want to make sure their bills arrive on time. And paying bills online meets both of these needs."
The study also found that since Sept. 11, 7 percent of U.S. consumers have signed up for online bill presentment or upped the number of bills they receive online.
Crone said consumers who are uninterested in electronic billing either do not have enough information about it or have not been contacted by billers that offer the alternative.
"Reasons for the large percentage of consumers who remain uninterested in switching to electronic billing may be the lack of education and direct promotion by billers," he said. "[But] promoting electronic billing on the outside of the biller's envelope is just one step to increasing adoption." | <urn:uuid:544423c0-e647-453c-a238-4cf15db380f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dmnews.com/studies-find-anthrax-causing-changes-in-mailing-preferences/article/75544/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965323 | 517 | 1.75 | 2 |
Mitt Romney is casting the 2012 campaign as “free enterprise on trial” – defining free enterprise as achieving success through “hard work and risking-taking.” Tea-Party favorite Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina says he’s supporting Romney because “we really need someone who understands how risk, taking risk … is the way we create jobs, create choices, expand freedom.” Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donahue, defending Romney, explains “this economy is about risk. If you don’t take risk, you can’t have success.”
Wait a minute. Who do they think are bearing the risks? Their blather about free enterprise risk-taking has it upside down. The higher you go in the economy, the easier it is to make money without taking any personal financial risk at all. The lower you go, the bigger the risks.
Wall Street has become the center of riskless free enterprise. Bankers risk other peoples’ money. If deals turn bad, they collect their fees in any event. The entire hedge-fund industry is designed to hedge bets so big investors can make money whether the price of assets they bet on rises or falls. And if the worst happens, the biggest bankers and investors now know they’ll be bailed out by taxpayers because they’re too big to fail.
But the worst examples of riskless free enteprise are the CEOs who rake in millions after they screw up royally.
Near the end of 2007, Charles Prince resigned as CEO of Citgroup after announcing the bank would need an additional $8 billion to $11 billion in write-downs related to sub-prime mortgages gone bad. Prince left with a princely $30 million in pension, stock awards, and stock options, along with an office, car, and a driver for five years.
Stanley O’Neal’s five-year tenure as CEO of Merrill Lynch ended about the same time, when it became clear Merrill would have to take tens of billions in write-downs on bad sub-prime mortgages and be bought up at a fire-sale price by Bank of America. O’Neal got a payout worth $162 million.
Philip Purcell, who left Morgan Stanley in 2005 after a shareholder revolt against him, took away $43.9 million plus $250,000 a year for life.
Pay-for-failure extends far beyond Wall Street. In a study released last week, GMI, a well-regarded research firm that monitors executive pay, analyzed the largest severance packages received by ex-CEOs since 2000.
On the list: Thomas E. Freston, who lasted just nine months as CEO of Viacom before being terminated, and left with a walk-away package of $101 million.
Also William D. McGuire, who in 2006 was forced to resign as CEO of UnitedHealth over a stock-options scandal, and for his troubles got pay package worth $286 million.
And Hank A. McKinnell, Jr.’s, whose five-year tenure as CEO of Pfizer was marked by a $140 billion drop in Pfizer’s stock market value. Notwithstanding, McKinnell walked away with a payout of nearly $200 million, free lifetime medical coverage, and an annual pension of $6.5 million. (At Pfizer’s 2006 annual meeting a plane flew overhead towing a banner reading “Give it back, Hank!”)
Not to forget Douglas Ivester of Coca Cola, who stepped down as CEO in 2000 after a period of stagnant growth and declining earnings, with an exit package worth $120 million.
If anything, pay for failure is on the rise. Last September, Leo Apotheker was shown the door at Hewlett-Packard, with an exit package worth $13 million. Stephen Hilbert left Conseco with an estimated $72 million even though value of Conseco’s stock during his tenure sank from $57 to $5 a share on its way to bankruptcy.
But as economic risk-taking has declined at the top, it’s been increasing at the middle and below. More than 20 percent of the American workforce is now “contingent” – temporary workers, contractors, independent consultants – with no security at all.
Even full-time workers who have put in decades with a company can now find themselves without a job overnight – with no parachute, no help finding another job, and no health insurance.
Meanwhile the proportion of large and medium-sized companies (200 or more workers) offering full health care coverage continues to drop – from 74 percent in 1980 to under 10 percent today. Twenty-five years ago, two-thirds of large and medium-sized employers also provided health insurance to their retirees. Now, fewer than 15 percent do.
The risk of getting old with no pension is also rising. In 1980, more than 80 percent of large and medium-sized firms gave their workers “defined-benefit” pensions that guaranteed a fixed amount of money every month after they retired. Now it’s down to under 10 percent. Instead, they offer “defined contribution” plans where the risk is on the workers. When the stock market tanks, as it did in 2008, the 401(k) plan tanks along with it. Today, a third of all workers with defined-benefit plans contribute nothing, which means their employers don’t either.
And the risk of losing earnings continues to grow. Even before the crash of 2008, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics at University of Michigan found that over any given two-year stretch about half of all families experienced some decline in income. And the downturns were becoming progressively larger. In the 1970s, the typical drop was about 25 percent. By late 1990s, it was 40 percent. By the mid-2000s, family incomes rose and fell twice as much as they did in the mid-1970s, on average.
What Romney and the cheerleaders of risk-taking free enterprise don’t want you to know is the risks of the economy have been shifting steadily away from CEOs and Wall Street – and on to average working people. It’s not just income and wealth that are surging to the top. Economic security is moving there as well, leaving the rest of us stranded.
To the extent free enterprise is on trial, the real question is whether the system is rigged in favor of those at the top who get rewarded no matter how badly they screw up, while the rest of us get screwed no matter how hard we work.
The jury will report back Election Day. In the meantime, Obama and the Democrats shouldn’t allow Romney and the Republicans to act as defenders of risk-taking free enterprise. Americans need to know the truth. The only way the economy can thrive is if we have more risk-taking at the top, and more economic security below.
This post originally appeared at Robert Reich’s Blog and is posted with permission.
One Response to “Free Enterprise on Trial”
You still don’t get it, the biggest riskless enterprise is congress and the ivory white towers of academia, who with little to no real world experience institute legislation or economic theory with complete ignorance of the unintended consequences that will surely follow. The seeds of our current state of affairs were planted in the 90’s, when politicians forced structural changes upon lenders (backed up by countless academic studies), in order that politicians could fulfill their utopian view that every American should own a home. Never mind that it was economically impossible. | <urn:uuid:bb876fea-60b8-4aae-9a25-474f0708f185> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.economonitor.com/blog/2012/01/free-enterprise-on-trial/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962732 | 1,582 | 1.523438 | 2 |
NATO officials are in Turkey to plan a proposed Patriot missile deployment. Turkey has said putting the missiles along its border is a "purely defensive" move to protect against spill-over Syrian civil war violence.
A delegation of German, Dutch and US officials met in Turkey Tuesday, a Turkish diplomat told the DPA news agency.
Turkey had officially asked NATO last week to station the missiles along its border with Syria, which is currently engaged in a civil war. NATO is expected to give a formal decision next week.
The missiles, Turkey said, would be "purely defensive," and would not lead to the creation of a no-fly zone over Syria. Germany considered those two elements to be the most important conditions for participating in the mission.
Syrian rebel forces have called for the establishment of an internationally-enforced no-fly zone over Syria as a defense against Syrian military airstrikes. Many foreign governments are opposed to the idea for fear of becoming involved in the ongoing conflict.
According to Turkish sources, said DPA, around 30 experts from Germany, the Netherlands and the US had traveled to Turkey. They met with members of the Turkish Joint Chiefs of Staff before heading to the southeast of the country, near the Syrian border.
Locations in the southeast province of Hatay, as well as the eastern provinces of Gaziantep and Sanliurfa are being considered for the rockets. The experts are reportedly exploring the logistical and security needs of the potential sites.
The experts are not only taking into consideration potential threats from Syria, but also infrastructure, including roads, power and accommodation for the expected NATO force of approximately 170 troops that would be deployed to man the rockets.
Within NATO, only Germany, the Netherlands and the US have Patriot missile capability. The German Bundestag is expected to decide in December whether to send troops to the Turkish-Syrian border.
Syria resumed air strikes on targets near the Turkish border on Monday. According to Turkish reports, a Free Syrian Army command position adjacent to Hatay Province was bombed, while attacks continued Tuesday just a few hundred meters from Turkish territory.
dr/hc (dpa, AFP, Reuters)
For German football fans, days don't get any bigger. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, the best two Bundesliga teams, are battling it out for the most coveted trophy in European soccer. Who’s got the upper hand?
Hoffenheim prevailed 3-1 in the first leg of their relegation play-off against second division Kaiserslautern on Thursday night. But the Red Devils' away goal gives them a fighting chance in next week's return match. | <urn:uuid:310432ca-6949-4c9b-bb6e-1d2a7748a1d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dw.de/nato-scouts-missile-sites-near-turkey-syria-border/a-16409175 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969075 | 536 | 1.601563 | 2 |
A coda to the coda - Mike Beggs’ piece on Graeber’s Debt in Jacobin, and the ensuing discussion in comments here at CT, has given rise to a further exchange in which J.W. Mason defends Graeber on money, and Mike Beggs restates and extends his position.
Mike sees Debt as “a move in an interdisciplinary struggle: anthropology against economics.” But most of the key arguments of Debt are better seen as part of an intradisciplinary struggle within economics. Admittedly it takes some unpacking, but Debt‘s key themes are in close harmony with the main themes of heterodox economics work going back to Keynes; while the “economics” that Beggs opposes to him represents only the discipline’s more conservative wings. … Debt‘s demonstration that money obligations are historically prior exchange of goods maps onto the insistence of Marx, Keynes and their successors that under capitalism, money values are logically prior to the production and consumption of real goods and services. … Debt‘s distinction between money and credit systems is not just an exercise in classification, but corresponds to a distinction that has has preoccupied many classical and modern economists, and has important implications for monetary policy in addition to the vaster cultural and political-economic ramifications Debt focuses on. … when Mike says that Debt exaggerates the importance of the system of payments, it is because he is coming from a narrowly orthodox view of what monetary economics is about, and why money matters. If your economic vision is shaped by more heterodox traditions — or by the responses to the financial crises of the past few years — the economics of Debt will seem more congenial.
The debate between Josh and I centers on the question of whether or not the distinction between a ‘commodity/fiat money economy’ and a ‘credit money economy’ is a useful one in understanding our present economic system and its history. He thinks it is so useful as to be the central dividing line in economics; I think it is liable to mislead. The rest of the disagreement comes, I think, because Josh conflates the commodity/fiat-credit money economy divide with other divides in economic thinking. So he seems to that if I challenge that distinction, I must be a quantity theorist, must believe that money is simply a veil, neutral in its economic effects, and must misunderstand how banking works. In fact we are on the same side in all those other dichotomies, but Josh for some reason continues to maintain that if I disagree over the core distinction, I must be standing on the other side of all the others. … I think the ‘commodity/fiat money economy’ – ‘credit money economy’ divide is a problem; and … that the rest of his criticisms rest on the conflations with other theoretical dichotomies. | <urn:uuid:ee2eab4d-d6ae-46d9-bccc-749ec8e573ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://crookedtimber.org/category/david-graeber-debt-seminar/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95045 | 597 | 1.742188 | 2 |
LEWISTON, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- For the last ten years, Lewiston schools have seen such a large population growth that the elementary schools cannot sustain it under current district lines, according to Lewiston Superintendent Bill Webster.
That's why Webster has proposed a redistricting that would send about 230 students to different elementary schools.
"There are few issues less emotional than redistricting," said Webster, describing the parent phone calls his office has received since the plan was announced.
The proposal would, in effect, distribute the district's poorest students and English Language Learners throughout the district's six elementary schools, instead of keeping them in a concentrated area.
"We've had growing enrollment for the last 10 years or so, so some schools are bursting at the seams," said Webster.
He said some schools have open classrooms, while others are running out of space.
The proposal can be reviewed in greater detail on the district website.
The school committee will ultimately decide on the redistricitng propsal at the end of February.
Before that, there will be parent meetings at each of the schools. The schedule can be viewed here.
Sonia Taylor, a member of the school committee and a parent in the district, said she has a number of concerns.
First, she thinks moving students to different schools will limit parent involvement, especially for those without their own form of transportation.
She also said transportation costs for the district could increase, as more students could need buses when they used to walk to school.
Taylor added that it would not be fair to parents who have moved to different areas of town to ensure their children would go to a certain school.
"It is not a crime for people to work hard, and to choose homes in areas that they feel is going to be a better environment for their children," said Taylor.
Her ultimate fear is such a sweeping change could push more students in the direction of charter schools.
Superintendent Webster said the commitee will announce a decision with enough time for parents to plan for the next school year.
He said the district will continue to review requests for school choice and accomodate as many as possible.
He said he would also consider a proposal to add more mobile classroom units, instead of implementing the redistricting proposal. | <urn:uuid:b2be015b-37c1-4e06-be98-102970ef47a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wlbz2.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=224238 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97918 | 472 | 1.734375 | 2 |
38 posts and columns on hack
News Bytewidely publicized security breach, Evernote said it planned to add additional security features to its product, according to a statement made to Information Week on Tuesday. The plan is to roll out “two-factor authentication” later in the year, which typically involves sending a code to a user’s separate device (often a cellphone) that is then used during login. Google and Facebook both use the security feature.
News Byteofficial Twitter account, which has a following of upward of 100,000 users, was hijacked by hackers on Monday morning, resulting in multiple vulgar tweets streaming from the verified account. It seems to be the handiwork of Anonymous, which is claiming responsibility from its own official Twitter account. Twitter did not respond to a request for comment. Update: As of 10:15 am PT, the Burger King account has been suspended.
News Byteclaimed responsibility. Users who click on infected Tumblr sites are spammed with a flood of racist messages. At approximately 10:27 am PT, a Tumblr spokeswoman told AllThingsD: “Tumblr engineers have resolved the issue of the viral post attack that affected a few thousand Tumblr blogs earlier today. Thank you for your patience.” | <urn:uuid:96f59048-dc0b-462d-8a10-58df3cba9187> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://allthingsd.com/tag/hack/?by=mikeisaac | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962951 | 255 | 1.710938 | 2 |
The Commonwealth Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Maldives, Sir Donald McKinnon, said the Report of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) is a turning point for the country to leave the past behind and move forward.
In a statement after his visit to the Maldives from September 8-12, McKinnon revealed that he had met with key stakeholders to discuss how the Commonwealth can best assist Maldives in taking forward the recommendations made by the CNI.
He further expressed pleasure that all stakeholders have accepted the report despite any reservations they might individually hold.
“The Commission’s report provides key recommendations on issues that need to be addressed to strengthen democratic practice in Maldives. I am heartened to hear the commitment of the government to take forward key reforms to strengthen democratic institutions,” said Sir Donald.
“Democracy is not just the responsibility of the government, but also of every institution and all citizens. The Commonwealth stands ready to work with the Government of Maldives and its people to enhance democracy, the rule of law and human rights. I am also pleased to hear that the Parliamentary Committees are expected to resume work soon and that the People’s Majlis is scheduled to reconvene on 1 October 2012.”
He encouraged the people of Maldives to work together to heal the political divide in the country.
“Democracy is not a destination, but a journey. I hope that every institution, political party and individual citizen will make it their business to be part of that journey,” said Sir Donald. | <urn:uuid:99a6ab5f-a3e3-4eef-abd1-48261d88ff33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/44529 | 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 | 0.959485 | 320 | 1.5625 | 2 |
READ THE USUAL biographical account of how Leslie Caron made the leap from French baby ballerina to Hollywood star, and it begins as follows: Gene Kelly is in the audience in Paris when Ms. Caron, 16, becomes an overnight sensation in the 1948 premiere of "La Rencontre" ("The Encounter"), David Lichine's experimental, and acrobatic, ballet about Oedipus and the Sphinx. Two years later, Mr. Kelly chooses Ms. Caron as his partner for the film musical "An American in Paris." But the fact is that he had been unable to meet her backstage after "La Rencontre." The young dancer had fled because she was overcome by shyness.
A different story, with a darker twist of backstage intrigue, surfaces when retold recently by Ms. Caron in a recent conversation about her ballet background. That aspect, rather than her more frequent work in dramatic films, will be highlighted this week in the dance series "Capturing Choreography: Masters of Dance and Film," presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Ms. Caron will be on hand to comment on the clips from her musicals (including the 1980 French film "Tous Vedettes") that will be shown Wednesday and Thursday nights at 8 at the Walter Reade Theater.
At 63, Ms. Caron clearly has a full plate these days. She mentioned that she is a partner in an inn in Burgundy and last year took on major acting roles in two dramatic films that have yet to be released in the United States: "Funny Bones" and "Let It Be Me."
Recalling the fateful night that impressed Mr. Kelly and changed her career, Ms. Caron noted that after her triumph in "La Rencontre," it was instant hostility from other female dancers, not shyness, that caused her to "rush home, undress and go to bed."
Ms. Caron carried the youthful hurt of that evening long enough to describe it in "Curtain Call," one of the remarkable short stories she published in 1982, in a collection significantly titled "Vengeance." Violent passions, sometimes acted upon, run through these tales of complex emotions.
The bitterness she once expressed about ballet life has now receded. Looking back, she recalled the creative atmosphere of postwar French ballet as exciting, and she remains fiercely loyal to Roland Petit -- the young choreographer who had just made his own name when he invited her as a teen-ager into his Ballets des Champs-Elysees in 1947. She arrived in Hollywood in 1950 and four years later went on leave from MGM to dance with Mr. Petit's second troupe, Les Ballets de Paris, on Broadway; in 1955, he choreographed two of her films, "Daddy Long Legs," with Fred Astaire, and "The Glass Slipper."
"Fred was ashamed of his long feet and large hands," Ms. Caron said. "He would keep two fingers together to make his hands look smaller. He felt he couldn't do ballet but he had great gifts."
Although she pays tribute to Mr. Kelly for introducing her to a new range of dance styles, she considers Astaire the more natural dancer because "he had wonderful breath control."
Dancing was Ms. Caron's birthright, and perhaps it was fate that her mother, who was American, was a dancer named Margaret Petit. After studying in Seattle at the Cornish School (whose alumni include Merce Cunningham), Ms. Caron's mother appeared, like Martha Graham, in John Murray Anderson's "Greenwich Village Follies" in the 1920's.
"My mother had seen Nijinsky and Pavlova," Ms. Caron said. "But at that time, the only outlets for American dancers were revues and Broadway shows. I have seen certain numbers she created after Nijinsky. In one, she was dressed up as a faun."
Ms. Caron's mother divorced her first husband, a banker from Seattle, after visiting Europe, where she fell in love with a well-to-do French pharmacist named Claude Caron. | <urn:uuid:6be443b0-2479-4328-92af-7afcc9ad7dfd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/12/movies/dance-the-ballerina-in-leslie-caron-the-actress.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978942 | 854 | 1.53125 | 2 |
When packing for a summer holiday it can be easy to get carried away, and if you are one of many who pack everything but the kitchen sink, you might be surprised to learn that 41% of travellers forget to pack at least one important holiday item in their suitcase.
A study, carried out by Viking River Cruises, found that almost 15 millions holiday essentials were left behind every year, and as a result, travellers were spending up to £118 million (yes million!) to replace items such as mobile phone chargers, suntan lotion and flip-flops!
Stress and haste are to blame for our forgetfulness, as those questioned during the survey revealed that they were “too busy to pack mind fully in the run up to their break”.
Books, sunglasses, toothpaste and toothbrushes all made the top 10 list of those items we are most likely to forget, but many holidaymakers claimed that they never leave the ‘real’ essentials behind, and that food favourites including marmalade, pork pies and brown sauce always make it into the suitcase, along with a fancy dress costume for ‘good measure’!
A second survey by Post Office Travel Money shows that Spain is the cheapest destination to replace your forgotten travel essentials, but if you are heading to Cyprus, you could be in for a hefty bill.
For us, there are only three important travel essentials – Passport, credit card and toothbrush, but ultimately, as long as you have the first two, you can travel anywhere in the world! | <urn:uuid:051c5e2b-4b54-4034-8000-54680dd1dd6c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://equatours.me/tag/suitcase/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970868 | 319 | 1.671875 | 2 |
When he looks back on campaign 2008, what will Obama most regret? I suspect it will the same thing John McCain most appreciated: the now-famous off-hand comment to Joe the Plumber. It’s not, said Obama, that I want to punish success. I merely want to “spread the wealth around.”
That was indeed a revelatory statement. I think it was the second most alarming thing he said in the entire campaign (more on the most alarming thing in a moment). Taken together with other observations by Obama–his almost equally infamous lament in a 2001 interview that the Supreme Court had not ventured into “issues of the redistribution of wealth,” for example–it gave the electorate a rare glimpse behind the carefully constructed “yes-we-can” façade of Obama the messianic healer into the grim “no-you-can’t” engine room of his leveling political philosophy. Let’s say that Obama was successful in overcoming what he disparaged as “essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers and the Constitution” on what government should be required to do to, or for, citizens; let’s say that he succeeded in transforming the Constitution from a “charter of negative liberties” into a menu of positive prescriptions: what then?
It’s my sense that more and more people are asking themselves that question. What, when you come right down to it, would an Obama administration mean for me and my family? What would it mean for the United States? What would happen after all the Greek columns were retired and Obama stepped from the hustings into the Oval Office? Political campaigns thrive on the intoxication of possibility. They end with the sobering strictures of the indicative. Compromise. Trade-offs. Competing interest groups.
It’s easy to see why Obama was (as Colin Powell put it) an “electrifying” figure. Leave aside the $650 million he raised (you can buy a lot of “electricity” for $650 million). Obama was young. He was suave. He exuded energy and confidence. He was the anti-Bush: a first-term Senator who had already distinguished himself as the most left-wing inhabitant of that august chamber. Above all, he was (at least in part) black. What better receptacle for the hopes and dreams of liberal, guilt-infatuated America? What prodigies of expiation might be accomplished were this young, charismatic, half-black apostle of egalitarian change elected President of the United States?
His comment to Joe the Plumber gave us some indication: he would set about trying to “spread the wealth around.” But redistributionist initatives do not take place in a vacuum. They unfold in a context of moral expectation. And this brings me to what may be the most alarming thing Obama let slip in the course of his campaign. I mean his suggestion, uttered in the final few days of the race, that those who do not favor higher taxes are guilty of “selfishness.” (In criticizing his tax and welfare plan, Obama said, McCain and Palin “wanted to make a virtue out of selfishness.”)
I know, I know: nannies through the ages have upbraided their charges with complaints about “selfishness,” an unwillingness to “share,” etc., etc. Such moralism might even be an admirable trait in a nanny. The question voters are beginning to ask themselves in earnest is whether they want a President who regards himself as a sort of super-nanny, supervising the behavior of his charges, i.e., U.S. citizens.
We know what a President as nanny-in-chief looks like, because we had one in Jimmy Carter. In 1979, Carter took to the airwaves to berate the American people for their lack of moral fiber and profligate appetite for energy. Obama echoed that rhetoric when he said, in the course of his campaign, that
“We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times . . . and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK.”
People sat up when they heard that: We can’t drive the sort of car we want, eh? We can’t eat as much as we like, or keep our houses at a temperature we find comfortable? We should alter our behavior to court the approval of “the rest of the world”?
That Carter-moment was soon buried in the progress of the campaign. It deserved more than the flurry of concern it elicited. It showed, just as Obama’s call for the redistribution of wealth shows, the sort of thing he intends to do to address the “selfishness” he perceives in the American people.
Remember his call for “a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded” as the military”? Remember his suggesting the creation of “national service” programs” that high-school and college students would be required to participate in? Those, too, were initiatives meant to combat our “selfishness.”
As I observed in this space a few weeks ago, Obama espouses a form of what James Piereson has called “punitive liberalism.” Because he regards the American people as essentially selfish (a sentiment memorably reinforced by Michelle Obama when she described the America was “just downright mean“), Obama cannot help regarding success as a form of failure. That side of Obama’s program does not play well outside his inner circle, so he has been careful to overlay it with seductive talk about “tax cuts for 95 percent of taxpayers”–an absurdity on the face of it since 43 percent of those who file do not pay any income tax at all. (Meanwhile, it is worth remembering that those reporting the top 1 percent of adjusted gross income pay nearly 40 percent of all income taxes collected, while the top 5 percent pay more than 60 percent. To use another word Obama likes, is that “fair”? How much more does want?)
“Selfishness” can be a vice. It can also be another name for that “well-ordered self-love” that Thomas Aquinas extolled as “right and natural.” (I have more to say about selfishness and altruism here.) But the important issue facing the American people at the moment is whether they wish to elect a commander-in-chief or a nanny-in-chief. Obama’s seductive rhetoric and and emollient promises have not been able to conceal his ambitions to become America’s protector and nanny-in-chief. He wants you to be happy–but on his terms. He wants to tell you what to drive, what temperature to keep your house, how much to eat. He wants to conscript your children in “voluntary” national service programs that are all-but-mandatory. He wants to determine how prosperous you will be allowed to be–and then to tax you back to a pre-determined level if you make too much. He has similar plans on the international front. He craves approval for America from the “international community, which means he will do everything he can to accommodate that community. He dislikes criticism so much, he is willing to call upon his supporters to silence journalists and besmirch the character of Joe the Plumber, using supposedly protected state information to do it.
In short, it’s your life and Obama wants to run it for you. On Tuesday, Americans will have the choice between electing a leader and a chaperone. Obama has vastly out-spent and–it saddens me to say–out-campaigned McCain. But that doesn’t mean he is better suited to lead America in this difficult time. I suspect that, in their heart of hearts, most Americans know that. | <urn:uuid:58768902-919e-4bb1-b98f-4043582ccc59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pjmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/11/01/commander-in-chief-vs-nanny-in-chief-or-two-cheers-for-selfishness/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975108 | 1,709 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Constitutional Court rapporteur Ali Rıza Çoban said the amended presidential law is in violation of the Turkish Constitution. He submitted a report earlier this month regarding the appeal filed by the main opposition party stating that in his opinion the incumbent president's tenure is seven years and that he is eligible to be re-elected. However, the rapporteur's opinion is not binding on the court. The top court's decision rules out the possibility of holding a presidential election as early as this August, and therefore does not jeopardize the ambitions of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to move to the presidency.
The decision could have gone three ways. First, the court could have found the bill challenged by the CHP to be perfectly in line with the constitution. In that case, Gül’s tenure would have expired in 2014, but he would have been barred from seeking re-election. This option, favored by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), would have allowed Erdoğan to step down as prime minister a year before his time was up and seek election as president. Meanwhile he would have had sufficient time to transition Turkey’s government from parliamentary to presidential.
The second possibility was that the court might have cancelled the bill, prompting elections to be held in August. Bringing the presidential election forward would have affected Erdoğan’s political schedule as he would be forced to find a replacement for leadership of his party, while also forgoing amendments to the system granting more powers to the president.
The third option was that the court would find a middle ground, allowing the presidential election to be held in 2014 while allowing Gül to seek another term in office. This was an option likely to pit Erdoğan and Gül against one another. The court has decided to adopt this third approach.
Former Constitutional Court rapporteur Osman Can told Today’s Zaman that all three options could be defended from a legal point of view. “All three have a basis in the current Constitution and could be easily defended one way or another,” he said, stressing prior to the release of the court’s decision that the court may have to come to a decision on a legal basis without any consideration for political implications.
“The court based its decision on rights and freedoms. Our rapporteur friend [Çoban] must have thought that removing the right to be elected for another term infringed on the rights of Mr. Gül. Obviously the court’s decision confirmed this approach. This has a strong basis in the constitutional law,” he explained.
Reşat Petek, a retired chief public prosecutor, told Today’s Zaman that the court decision reflects a very well balanced view. “This has protected the rights of the incumbent president without restricting Mr. Gül’s right to be elected,” he said.
Ever since Gül was elected president in 2007 there has been debate over whether he would serve five or seven years. The debate stems from a legal package presented by the government in a referendum after Gül’s election in 2007 including a change enabling voters, rather than Parliament, to elect the president.
Due to a miscalculation in timing, the package was put to a public vote on Oct. 21, 2007, after Gül became president. The package included changes to the term of office for the president and deputies, shortening parliamentary terms from five years to four and reducing presidential tenure from one seven-year term to a renewable five-year term.
Soon after approval of the legislation in Parliament, the CHP claimed that the amendment was unconstitutional and vowed to challenge it in the Constitutional Court. Commenting on the debate over his tenure in late January, Gül said he had nothing more to add on the issue, “But if the main opposition party claims that this contravenes the Constitution, I think they should take the issue to the Constitutional Court.”
The law further states that the seven-year term should apply only to the current president and thereafter ought to be reduced. Gül will be the last to serve for seven years as changes made to the presidency during his term have reduced the time in office thereafter to five years, but the court’s decision says Gül is eligible to run for another term if he chooses to do so. | <urn:uuid:68835490-1234-4b76-af69-233ae147fb41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=283615 | 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 | 0.980401 | 900 | 1.554688 | 2 |
I treat these circles as roundabouts, which is what they ought to be. The desired traffic-control dynamic is inherent in their function. Upon approach, you must slow down, look carefully past the sculptures and vegetation, and yield or stop, depending on the presence of other traffic. Cautiously negotiating your way around the circle and through the intersection is a natural reaction--a stop sign is utterly superfluous.
A recent article in The Atlantic compared traffic control in the United States with that of Great Britain. Over there, stop signs and red lights are far less common, while yields and roundabouts rule. Here in the prophylactic provinces, there's a thicket of signs and lights nagging you at every turn. The article laid out statistics showing that the British strategy significantly improves safety.
The author, a Duke University psychology professor, concluded that U.S. drivers are in effect being trained to drive according to signs rather than conditions, whereas British drivers, out of necessity, pay more attention to what's going on. With a right of way, you always have to judge the situation before proceeding. The responsibility to determine if it's OK to slide on through rests with the driver, not some sign.
One look at Officer Unfriendly's face on the day in question told me that this was not the U.K., and it was not OK to slide through stop signs.
My subsequent visit to traffic school offered an interesting corollary to the professor's conclusion. The room was full of pissed-off people who had been nabbed by automated cameras while running red lights. Several of them argued vigorously with the instructor, niggling over tenths of a second and the placement of cameras and painted lines.
The instructor--I'll call him Sgt. Doug--was a compact, powerful man of military bearing. He exhibited the sort of skill at psychological manipulation that comes with Special Forces training, and he generally did a masterful job of handling the class. However, despite patiently and earnestly pointing out several times that Arizona leads the nation in red-light-running fatalities, and that the issue was really human lives, people couldn't get past their own narrow, selfish viewpoints and see it his way.
The most recalcitrant offender was a crusty old math teacher with fire-goggle glasses, monkey-shit-brown polyester pants and a raft of pens in his shirt pocket. Armed with a sheaf of papers containing the photos and formulas that proved his innocence, he clung bitterly to his precious measurements and expert analysis of the engineering failures that had led to his unjust apprehension. The more Pocket Protector Man stubbornly refused to accept responsibility, the more it bugged me. Finally, I piped up that I almost became one of those red-light fatalities years ago, and I agreed that the point is corpses, not fines or a lost Saturday.
Suddenly, Pocket Protector Man was way into my personal space, standing over me and shoving his theorems under my nose. I resisted the urge to apply an unorthodox Heimlich maneuver to his concave plexus, but I did toss his misguided thesis on the floor, calmly asserting, "I don't care about your papers." This triggered a dangerously deep-seated reaction in Sgt. Doug, who moved down the aisle like a Green Beret who had just spied a couple of skinny commies. The two of us were threatened with ejection, and Pocket Protector Man was told to stay after class.
A few days later, I tried to contact Sgt. Doug. I wanted to tell him that I was impressed with his performance and ask him if he ever got through to Pocket Protector Man. I wondered whether he thought Americans could ever be mature and responsible enough to make the British way work here. And I wanted him to know that my red-light anecdote was about a younger, stupider iteration of me that had almost crashed into somebody in his haste to arrive a little bit less tardy to work. Alas, he never called me back.
I don't run red lights like I did 15 years ago--one near-statistical experience was enough for me. But darned if those traffic circles don't still look like roundabouts ... | <urn:uuid:5fa5950a-537a-44fe-aeb2-321682e0a532> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/guest-commentary/Content?oid=1091935 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980268 | 864 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Mid Devon Council have released a statement saying that they will be reviewing the current street-naming situation at the end of the month.
The council's leader says he hopes apostrophes will be re-instated.
“The convention not to use apostrophes when naming new streets has been in place since long before this administration took over. Personally I’m not happy about using English that’s incorrect and don’t find this acceptable.
We are reviewing the situation and I shall be recommending to Cabinet on 28 March that they amend the policy so that street names may indeed in future have apostrophes”.
Mid Devon Council has issued a statement defending its decision to ban the use of apostrophes in new street names:
“Our proposed policy on street naming and numbering covers a whole host of practical issues, many of which are aimed at reducing potential confusion over street names. Although there is no national guidance that stops apostrophes being used, for many years the convention we’ve followed here is for new street names not to be given apostrophes.
– Communications Manager Andrew Lacey
In fact, there are currently only three official street names in Mid Devon which include them: Beck’s Square and Blundell’s Avenue, both in Tiverton, and St George’s Well in Cullompton – all named many, many years ago. No final decision has yet been made and the proposed policy will be discussed at Cabinet. The next meeting of the Cabinet is on 28 March.”
Mid Devon Council is banning the use of apostrophes from newstreet names in the district because it says they can cause confusion.
So no more St Mary’s Close or George’s Square for new developers in future. So far the Council has not explained exactly who might be confused
The apostrophe often causes arguments for scholars when it is used incorrectly. There is even an Apostrophe Protection Society which was started in 2001 with the specific aim of preserving the correct use of the punctuation mark. | <urn:uuid:c8a03694-7387-49a5-bc5a-b258f52090c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/story/2013-03-15/council-bans-apostrophes-on-road-signs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942816 | 426 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina – Thomas Skains, AGA chairman, and chairman, president and CEO of Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc., spoke today at the 24th World Gas Conference about the outlook for the U.S. domestic natural gas industry and its role in a global energy economy. Specifically, Skains addressed some of the strategies America’s natural gas industry is pursuing and the unique market and regulatory conditions under which it operates.
“Perhaps never in its history has the U.S. domestic natural gas industry experienced more changes than it is right now, and this is just the beginning,” noted Skains. “The largest change affecting the U.S. market is an increasingly home-grown supply portfolio, led by unconventional onshore shale gas. The abundance of American natural gas resources is a fundamental change – a paradigm shift – in conventional wisdom. Natural gas prices have changed as well; gas purchased by utilities in June of this year cost on average 68 percent less than in June of 2008.”
Skains also spoke to broader topics including natural gas supply and demand, conservation and energy efficiency, natural gas supply diversity and energy legislation.
“Natural gas is a clean, efficient and abundant U.S. and global energy resource. The wide-scale use of natural gas in residential, commercial, industrial, power generation and transportation applications is good for the global economy, the global environment and for the global energy consumer,” Skains concluded. | <urn:uuid:e63a82d8-b8c1-4332-bd9d-af61c132ccb8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aga.org/Newsroom/news-releases/2009/Pages/AGAChairmanTellsWorldGas.aspx?PF=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937351 | 302 | 1.671875 | 2 |
If turning an orangutan into a sex slave is evil, what does it mean to do that to a human?
by Jess McCabe // 15 November 2007, 10:59
An organutan has been rescued from a "prostitute village" in Indonesia, according to Vice magazine.
The magazine interviewed Michelle Desilets, director of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation - incidental to this particular story, this organisation does some really good work agitating to protect the organutan, which is threatened by the insatiable demand for the palm oil that is used to make everything from cosmetics to food to biofuels.
However, in this case she was talking about the rescue of Pony:
An orangutan from a prostitute village in Borneo. We found her chained to a wall, lying on a mattress. She had been shaved all over her body.
If a man walked near her, she would turn herself around, present herself, and start gyrating and going through the motions. She was being used as a sex slave. She was probably about six or seven years old when we rescued her, but she had been held captive by a madam for a long time. The madam refused to give up the animal because everyone loved Pony and she was a big part of their income. They also thought Pony was lucky, as she would pick winning lottery numbers.
Yes, like Warren Ellis, and also Vice, this story makes me cringe with shame over the behaviour of the human race.
It carries on:
It took us over a year to rescue her, because every time we went in with forest police and local officers we would be overpowered by the villagers, who simply would not give her up.
Best of all, no one was ever convicted of any crime, according to Desilets, because of the poor law enforcement in Indonesia.
But. And I would just like to stress again that I think the actions of these people was beyond dispicable. The way this story is framed is extremely problematic.
A little while back, What About Our Daughters and others posted about the huge media storm that was whipped up when an American football player called Michael Vick was caught in a dogfighting scandal. The basic jist of WAOD and others' arguments was that a case of animal cruelty was getting an awful lot more attention than cases of violence against women.
While I get the point, at the time I was a bit worried that this was playing one problem off against another problem, to the detriment of the very, very serious issue of animal cruelty. Yet anyone who has watched Animal Hospital or those shows about the US animal rescue service on cable, will know - there's a market of sympathy for small furry creatures that doesn't seem to exist for human women.
And this is a pretty hideous example of this quandry:
Did the clients realize that they were in fact getting an orangutan?
Oh yeah, they would come in especially for it. You could choose a human if you preferred, but it was a novelty for many of the men to have sex with an orangutan.
What?! OK, I realise that on top of the animal cruelty yuckiness there's also a bestiality yuckiness which must partially prompt this question and answer, but what both the magazine and Desilets seem to be tacitly implying is that the exploitation of the women in that "prostitute village" would somehow be better. According to this Unicef report on trafficking in Indonesia from a few years ago:
In Indonesia, it is estimated that 100,000 children and women are trafficked each year. Child prostitution is on the rise, and one third of the sex workers are being under 18 years old. The underlying causes of child trafficking include poverty and lack of economic opportunities for young people, the low status of girls, high demand for commercial sex, cheap labour, weak law enforcement, discrimination and conflict. Surveys on trafficking and sexual exploitation conducted in East Asia, including in Indonesia, show that trafficking of children is lucrative, well organized and linked to criminal activity and corruption. It is also transnational, often hidden and therefore hard to combat.
So while the horrific treatment of Pony the orangutan does make me sick to my stomach, so does the completely blase way that the story ignores the women and children who we can easily imagine might still be stuck in that village. That, to me, is also a sign of the moral bankrupcy of the human race.
Photo by Lex in the City, shared under a Creative Commons license | <urn:uuid:e1ce4410-468a-4827-b43e-cb2935bd1735> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2007/11/if_turning_an_o | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978769 | 939 | 1.578125 | 2 |
WASHINGTON, June 6 (UPI) -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Sunday he found some common ground in an energy bill offered by Democrats but not when it comes to a new energy tax.
In an appearance on ABC's "This Week," Cornyn said there were "positive steps" in legislation offered by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, Ind-Conn.
"The acknowledgment that we can't completely cut off ourselves from domestic sources of oil and gas. That we need to explore nuclear power. That's certainly an important part of the overall picture," Cornyn said. "But where I disagree with them is that we need to tax the American consumer and the American business at a time when -- with an energy tax -- a new energy tax, when unemployment is at 10 percent.
"You know, if we do that then we're going to kill a lot of jobs that currently exist.
"So we need to be very careful here. I think rather than try to hit a grand slam home run, I'd like to work with Senator Kerry and others to try to do -- you know, hit some singles and develop nuclear power, battery technology that will help us deal with our environmental concerns. And then let's look to divert more of our demand to natural gas, which we have in plentiful supply."
Kerry, also appearing on the show, said he was "delighted" to hear Cornyn's willingness to work with Democrats "to put America on the course to true energy independence and self-reliance and to begin to wean ourselves from our addiction to oil."
"China, India, Germany, Japan, other countries are using American discovered technologies in solar and wind, and they're rushing them to the marketplace," Kerry said. "The United States is losing a major economic transformational moment. Until we begin to do something -- you know, since 9/11, we now actually import more oil than we did before 9/11."
"It's insulting to common sense."
He said a comprehensive energy policy that prices carbon will mean "less pollution, better health, better national security, better competitiveness, increased ability to provide our own national energy policy, and we will create millions of jobs.
"But let me tell you, you know, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams and Babe Ruth never stepped up to bat in the World Series and said, 'I want to try to hit a single.'"
|Additional U.S. News Stories|
BRIDGEPORT, Conn., May 17 (UPI) --More than 20 people were injured Friday when a commuter train in Connecticut derailed and struck a train moving in the opposite direction, officials said.
WASHINGTON, May 17 (UPI) --James Taylor will headline a concert at the White House next week, when the Library of Congress honors Carole King with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
SAMNING, China, May 17 (UPI) --A Chinese man who was abducted as a child about 23 years ago said he was able to find his family with the help of Google Maps. | <urn:uuid:219f8e28-79a2-462d-ac55-b871c0244b11> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/06/06/Cornyn-says-no-to-Dems-energy-tax/UPI-65801275841341/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96984 | 643 | 1.515625 | 2 |
ResumeWritingService.biz want to remind you that one of the things you’ll be asked to write while applying to the university is a letter of application. This letter, which is also known as personal statement, includes your motivation (why are you going to enter exactly this university), your achievements and features (what experience you have that is referred to your further activity, what personal qualities help you to fulfill your aims) and your goals and plans (what are you going to achieve being a student, how university can support this process and what benefits can you gain for it instead). To write an outstanding intentional letter you have to get acquainted more closely with the university, be in a good mood and take into account some more details recommended by our Resume Writing Service:
- first of all, make a plan. Every impressive application letter was written according to a plan.
- avoid using “I”. As you’re writing a personal statement you have the full right to use “I”, but be careful with it: too much of such pronouns make unpleasant impression, as if you’re reading an appraisal letter.
- be relevant to the requirements given by admission committee and mention only the most important information in each paragraph.
- you shouldn’t write only about your positive results and achievements. If you had failures and they taught you something new – highlight them.
- be specific and avoid clichés. Just remember, that such letters are read one by one during a couple of days, so you have to be unique and make impression.
- provide your application letter writing with examples: short stories that leave a smile on your face will definitely warm hearts of admission committee.
- describe yourself as a whole-hearted person: you may show your weaknesses, but remain yourself.
- express your wish to be the student of this university, but don’t suck up. Just show that you admire the work they do and that you’re interested to be involved in.
If you are not sure whether you can craft an outstanding letter of application yourself, ask our Resume Writing Service for help with your application letter writing! We will gladly provide you with any kind of assistance. | <urn:uuid:90a93be1-4ead-4d5a-b438-49a34acd078b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.resumewritingservice.biz/tips/writing-letter-of-application-for-a-first-time-things-to-do/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954018 | 454 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Too much to do? Not enough time in the day?
Does that sound like you? It sure sounds like me at the moment. It doesn’t rain, it pours.
The world definitely seems to be spinning faster with every passing year and sometimes we just have to take a breath and get our priorities straight. Because although multitasking – becoming masters of doing numerous things at once – may be seen as a great thing, it is not the be all and end all cure. We can become so busy that in fact nothing important ever gets accomplished and we remain forever in catch-up mode.
And some tasks, those that can make the biggest difference in the long term, may require massive action, focus and concentration. If we really want to achieve them, we have to make sacrifices in the short term, set our priorities and focus now, to achieve a better, brighter tomorrow.
So of all those balls you are juggling today, which one will you commit to achieving? Which one will you commit to taking to the next level. If you are not setting your priorities, who or what is?
Don’t give up what you want most for tomorrow for all the things you “have” to do today. | <urn:uuid:1074e644-8169-484c-b78e-27c5889bffb2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://annamanderson.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/today-or-tomorrow/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963281 | 253 | 1.65625 | 2 |
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