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The warnings come a day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton testified to Congress about the September attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi that killed four Americans, including the ambassador to Libya. They also come as French troops battle al-Qaida linked militants in Mali, and follow the deaths of dozens of foreigners taken hostage by Islamist extremists in Algeria—though it remained unclear if those two events were linked to the European nations' concerns about Libya.
The foreign ministries of the three countries issued statements variously describing the threat as specific and imminent but none gave details. Germany and Britain urged their nationals still in Benghazi to leave "immediately" while Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesman Thijs van Son said that "staying in this area is not to be advised."
It was not immediately clear how many people could be affected; Britain's Foreign Office said likely "dozens" of its citizens were in the city, while van Son said there are four Dutch citizens registered as being in Benghazi and possibly two more. Several countries have for months advised against all travel to the city, especially after the U.S. mission was attacked, and local residents said that many foreigners had
Benghazi, a city of 1 million people, is a business hub where many major firms employ Westerners. It also was where the Libyan uprising against longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi began in 2011. Gadhafi was eventually toppled and killed after NATO backed the rebel movement, and the Arab country has since struggled with security. Al-Qaida-linked militants operate in the country alongside other Islamist groups.
Adel Mansouri, principal of the International School of Benghazi, said U.K. and foreign nationals were warned in the last few days about a possible threat to Westerners.
He said the school's teachers were given the option of leaving but decided to stay. The school has some 540 students. Most are Libyan with some 40 percent who hold dual nationality. Less than 5 percent are British while 10 to 15 students have U.S.-Libyan nationality, Mansouri said. Classes were not due to resume until Sunday because of a holiday Thursday.
"We told the British ambassador we are staying, and we'll be in touch," said Mansouri, himself a Libyan-British dual national. "We don't see a threat on the ground."
Saleh Gawdat, a Benghazi lawmaker, said French doctors who were working in Benghazi hospitals have left the city and that the French cultural center has closed out of concerns about potential retaliation over the French-led military intervention in nearby Mali, which began two weeks ago.
Violence in Benghazi has targeted both foreigners as well as Libyan officials in recent months—with assassinations, bombings and other attacks.
In addition to the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. mission, an Italian diplomat's car was fired on by militants in Benghazi. The consul, Guido De Sanctis, wasn't injured in the attack earlier this month, but the incident prompted Italy to order the temporary suspension of its consular activities in the city and send its foreign staff home.
Islamist extremists are often blamed for targeting security officials who worked under Gadhafi, as a kind of revenge for torturing or imprisoning them in the past. Many city residents also blame Gadhafi loyalists who they say are trying to undermine Libya's new leaders by sowing violence.
Ibrahim Sahd, a Benghazi-based lawmaker and politician, said that the new government is putting together a plan to beef up security in the city and this "might have worried the Westerners of a backlash."
Noman Benotman, a former Libyan jihadist with links to al-Qaida who is now an analyst at London's Quilliam Foundation, said other groups inspired by the terror network have been gaining a following since Gadhafi's fall. There have been nearly a dozen attacks against Western targets in Libya recently, he said.
"It's the same al-Qaida ideology that is driving these militants," Benotman said.
He added, however, that the militants were unlikely to target oil or gas installations in Libya because they need support from the population. "Targeting these installations would turn Libyan workers and tribes against them," he said.
Oil companies working in other parts of Libya said they were aware of government warnings to citizens but there were no immediate plans for evacuations.
Associated Press writers Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, Juergen Baetz in Berlin, Maggie Michael in Cairo, Paisley Dodds and Gregory Katz in London and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:102d0d90-d2cd-4c2a-9d3b-9914626aae62> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/world/ci_22441369/dutch-britons-germans-warned-leave-benghazi | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980836 | 944 | 1.734375 | 2 |
“It’s a very physical chess game. You’ve got to think three moves ahead, and you’ve got to be strong and fit.”
Match racing dispels stereotypes about the genteel etiquette of sailing. It’s more about get-out-of-my-way than right-of-way. Opponents try to anticipate each other’s tactical maneuvers and trap them into bad positions.
“There is a lot of yelling between boats because it’s aggressive racing,” Tunnicliffe said. “You want to draw a penalty.
“Part of my job is to yell at the umpires to assess penalties, but they usually don’t listen.”
Tunnicliffe, Vandemoer and Capozzi have specific duties that must be performed seamlessly because every second counts.
Tunnicliffe drives the boat while processing information from her crew.
“Anna has a natural feel for what makes a boat go fast,” Capozzi said. “She’s like a quarterback. She wants the ball. She wants to move forward.”
Vandemoer sits in the middle and is in charge of trimming the mainsail and spinnaker downwind and countering the opponent’s tactics upwind.
Capozzi sits in the front, where she handles the jib and evaluates the course situation, distance to the mark and wind speed. Downwind, she attaches the spinnaker.
An efficient team
When everything goes right, their teamwork is as fluid and poised as that of the Miami Heat. They knew each other in college and each has been successful in her own right.
“We are three headstrong women who can be a little obnoxious with our sarcastic humor,” Vandemoer said. “Then we flip a switch, and it’s time to go to work. No baloney, no egos. We want to make rational decisions, not emotional ones.
“On land, we can be silly. People say, ‘How do those goofballs even make it around the course?’ ”
Said Tunnicliffe: “On the water, we respect each other. On land, we’re the best of friends.”
The four-year Olympic campaign cost $400,000. They spent most of the first year raising money. They are used to earning their own way. Tunnicliffe worked at an antiques store in high school to help pay for equipment and trips. In college, she worked as a gym monitor.
She thrives on challenges.
“She is by far the fittest woman in the Southeast U.S.,” said Brad Tobias, Tunnicliffe’s coach at CrossFit Coral Gables. “I can’t compare her work ethic to any other person.”
Tunnicliffe always has been a fitness fiend. It runs in the family — her mother runs marathons, her brother does ultra-distance events and her father still sails. Her punishing Crossfit regimen has increased her strength, which is apparent when you see her ripped stomach muscles. Core and shoulder strength is essential to her role as skipper.
“She can deadlift 275 pounds,” Tobias said. “She beats all the guys at pullups.”
The extra muscle helps Tunnicliffe and her teammates reach the maximum weight of 450 pounds for their event; more weight counters the wind.
Tunnicliffe wants to compete in the CrossFit Games in 2013. In 2008, her mother registered her for a half Ironman triathlon six weeks after the Olympics. She finished second in 5:20. Her goals include racing America’s Cup and perhaps the Volvo around-the-world race.
“Women’s sailing is progressing,” she said. “But it’s tough to make a living.”
On the rare occasions when Tunnicliffe relaxes, she likes to play the cello, as she has since age 6. Or she goes windsurfing with her husband.
“But then it gets competitive,” she said with a smile.
As a girl, she used to sail the coasts of England and Scotland with her parents. She resisted taking the tiller.
Now she can’t take her hands off it. She sees another gold medal on the horizon. | <urn:uuid:2f5ffb83-0130-495a-b70e-ca045019636b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/23/2865067_p2/anna-tunnicliffe-chasing-an-olympic.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95773 | 952 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Thursday, 11 June 2009
H1 N17 Virus Hits Man City Dressing Room.
Reports are coming in suggesting that players in the Manchester City dressing room may have contracted the dreaded H1 N17 virus.
Doctors have only recently identified the new strain of the Pig Flu virus but believe it has been active although undetected in Tottenham for a number of years. Labelled the H1 N17 virus, this is a peculiarly specific, yet virulent, form of the disease, which targets the brain and the nerves that carry messages through to the leg muscles.
Chief Medic Manny Lyfebotes explained: "The H1 N17 virus has evolved in a very specific way, putting up a wall between the signals in the brain and the muscles in the legs. It leads to a complete breakdown in the ability to coordinate the feet."
Doctors were first alerted by the numbers of people falling over in the street. "We thought it was down to alcohol consumption at first," Lyfebotes explained, "but when top athletes started to manifest the symptoms we decided it was worthy of investigation. The results staggered us."
Apparently, the disease affects the young and old differently. "For people under the age of 30 it leads to the loss of coordination in the legs and feet", Lyfebotes continued. "But for older people, it manifests itself in bouts of completely irrational thought processing and a loss of understanding of the value of money. In some cases, it can result in head twitching too."
Having identified the strain, the medics are now conducting tests on a number of high profile potential victims. Manny Lyfebotes continued: "At present, our investigations are centred on dos Santos, Bale, Bentley, Huddlestone, Hutton, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Darren Bent. All arrived at Tottenham full of promise but seem to have contracted the disease. Any schoolboys moving to the district also seem to lose all their natural ability and disappear within three or four years. When was the last Tottenham youngster capped for England?"
He added: "The most interesting cases are Martin Jol and Juande Ramos, however. They arrived in Tottenham with big reputations but were struck down with the post 30 form of H1 N17. Amazingly, however, simply moving away from the district has apparently led to a complete recovery. We need to identify how this self correction mechanism works in the hope of saving the careers of dos Santos and others."
Asked if Ledley King was a victim, Lyfebotes responded: "Probably not, that is down to the amount of alcohol he consumes on a Saturday night."
The spread of the virus to Manchester is of particular concern as it suggests the virus has evolved to the point where it can be communicated through limited contact. Lyfebotes told us, "This is a worrying development. We thought the virus didn't travel very well but it appears this is, in fact, another related symptom of the disease. It would appear from our investigations in Manchester that victims of H1 N17 may become completely disorientated if transported more than three miles away from their familiar surroundings. This is obviously very debilitating, especially if you are Brazilean."
A new vacine has been developed called 'Arryflu but it is very expensive. Some reports suggest that each dose costs as much as £56m, although the going rate in Manchester is rumoured to be £100m.
Asked if Craig Bellamy was perhaps a victim, Lyfebotes responded, "Probably not, he is just a gobby Welsh tosser."
Posted by Hammersfan at 11:32 | <urn:uuid:957c4ef1-fda4-43c9-9e96-7ba2efefe5ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thegamesgonecrazy.blogspot.com/2009/06/h1-n17-virus-hits-man-city-dressing.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975164 | 743 | 1.65625 | 2 |
December 2, 2005
Worldwide officer shortage is around 10,000
There is currently a worldwide shortage of around 10,000 ships' officers--and a "significant" surplus of ratings.
Those are two of the findings in the he fourth BIMCO/ISF Manpower Update which was published today.
The report is the result of over a year's work by BIMCO, ISF and the Institute of Employment Research at Warwick University, collecting data from maritime administrations and shipping companies to build up a comprehensive picture of the global situation regarding the availability of seafarers for the world's merchant fleet.
The worldwide supply of seafarers is estimated at:
Worldwide demand is estimated at:
The update thus reveals a continuing shortage of qualified officers, of around 10,000 or 2 percent of the total workforce, and a significant surplus of ratings.
Key issues arising from the report include:
The continuing supply shift from OECD to the Far East, South-East Asia and Eastern Europe.
An increasing overall demand for seafarers, with particular pressure on certain grades and ship types.
Aging OECD senior officers and a lack of replacements from elsewhere.
The need to increase training and recruitment and to reduce wastage.
In summary, BIMCO and ISF conclude: "there is a modest shortage of officers worldwide and a continuing surplus of ratings. While the shortfall of officers is smaller than forecast in 2000, certain sectors of the industry have experienced severe shortages, and the continuing growth of the world fleet, combined with work pressures on crews, indicate that demand for qualified seafarers will continue to increase over the next decade. This demand will only be met if the increase in levels of recruitment and training is maintained and if wastage rates are reduced." | <urn:uuid:58f257da-765f-4a18-a3ed-e48214d0d5a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://marinelog.com/DOCS/NEWSMMV/2005dec00025.html | 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 | 0.944642 | 358 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Toydom’s Million-Dollar Undertakers (Jan, 1954)
Toydom’s Million-Dollar Undertakers
Past masters at turning famine into feast. Bob and Howard Lederer make their unusual fortune by rejuvenating toy flops.
By Frank Lynn
THE Lederer Brothers, Bob and Howard, do not mind being called the Undertakers of the Toy Industry, nor do they mind much that their large loft on the third floor of 39 West 19th Street, in the heart of New York City’s manufacturing area, is called a flop house. For Bob and Howard are owners of the Lederer Industries, a firm that thrives on the mistakes of others.
When a toy, novelty, or children’s book fails to make the grade in Santa’s billion-dollar wonderland, chances are that it will wind up in the Lederers’ toy mortuary at a rare discount. The item is then analyzed for its failure and, when corrected, new ways are found to merchandise it.
No item is too wacky or too large for the toy salvagers as long as it has a use and a definite value.
Last year they handled such sundry items as 100,000 dull gray saxophones, half-a-million Hopalong Cassidy multi-colored lithographed jiggle cards, a million assorted comic books, 50,000 cute cuddly dolls whose “flesh” had turned yellow, and some 250,000 secret writing pads on which messages can be written with invisible ink and decoded with a messy liquid potion.
These items, and countless others, were resold for advertising use and giveaways to bakers, butchers, shoe stores, jewelers and department stores. Merchants discovered long ago that by giving junior a free pencil box or useful plaything costing less than a dime, they could attract more parents to their stores.
Many department stores also stimulate off-season business in various departments by promoting special toy sales. As an example, one California store periodically offers the public $1.00 to $3.00 values for only $.88 per item. The bulk of these underpriced novelties comes from the Lederer “flop house.”
The firm also gift-wraps about 3,000,000 surprise packages each year and an equal number of grab bags which are given away by department store Santas at Christmas time.
Howard Lederer pointed to a large display of toys in his office and explained: “All these toys flopped for one reason or another. A few were too fantastic even for the fertile imagination of our modern smart youngsters. Others were just plain over priced, and still others were overruns. Here’s an item, for instance, that fooled one of the shrewdest toy manufacturers in the business,” said Howard as he showed us a plastic spaceship set.
It seems that early in the Spring of 1952 an enthusiastic toy tycoon retooled his plant at a great cost to produce miniature spaceships. To enhance the package, he consummated a deal to use the likeness and name of Captain Video, a TV Space Man, who wields untold influence over the nation’s space-happy kids. The magic of Captain Video’s name on each set was expected to set the toy world on fire.
By the time Christmas rolled around, the toy tycoon was in a sweat. Captain Video and his spaceship toppled to earth and flopped into the waiting arms of Bob and Howard Lederer.
Why did this set flop? Howard explains it this way: “Give a kid a couple of six-shooters and a western outfit and he can have all kinds of fun chasing other buckaroos or bad men. But take this miniature spaceship set Why do kids dislike it? Because they can’t get into a spaceship and ride it in any simulated action that would zoom them to other planets.”
How did the flop brokers correct the mistake? They simply broke up the thousands of sets, gift-wrapped each of the spaceships, and sold them to premium users as individual giveaways.
One of the biggest problems of the Lederers is finding buyers for some of their’ weird duds and surplus goods. Last year, for instance, the firm purchased about 50,000 surplus M-1 U. S. Government eye-shields. Toy buyers didn’t seem to cotton to the item, nor did the specialty stores. For a while it appeared as though the flop brokers would be stuck with a dud. Then, __ one day, brother Bob examined one of the eyeshields and noticed that it had a rather wide plastic band on top of the glasses suitable for an advertising message. He made up a sample and, after an exhaustive show- ing to prospective customers, he finally disposed of more than half of the stock at three-and-a-half cents per item. Originally, they cost Uncle Sam sixteen cents each. A few months later the balance of the stock was unloaded to a merchandise speculator at a penny-and-a-half per item. Later the Lederers learned, to their amazement, that the speculator had resold the eyeshields to Uncle Sam at sixteen cents apiece.
“There’s a market for everything,” mused Howard, “but the trick is to find it. Hardly anything we buy ever goes unsold. Once, we bought 100,000 plastic wedding bands; 200,000 old jig-saw puzzles, and also a million lollypops.
“How did we unload these burdens? Well, we dug up a prize candy manufacturer who took the rings off our hands and found, to our surprise, that jig-saw puzzles were the rage in South Africa. Then we found a vending machine outfit who was happy to get the lollypops.”
The brothers’ late father started the Lederer Industries 50 years ago as an advertising novelty house. When Bob and Howard got out of school they joined the firm, and that’s when they- decided to branch out into the toy business. The first batch of toys imported from Germany failed to sell for one reason or another. Rather than unload them as distress goods, one of the brothers got the bright idea of gift-wrapping each toy and then selling them as surprise packages. When a sample was shown to a Sears, Roebuck toy buyer he liked the idea and, without hesitation.
bought the entire stock of 18,000 packages —sight unseen.
Other firms asked for similar gift-wrapped surprise packages and grab bags and soon the Lederers found themselves in a new, novel business.
One of their sources for obtaining merchandise for surprise packages was in the distress merchandise field. They also took toys off the hands of manufacturers who had no warehousing facilities, and they frequently bought over-run merchandise at discounts.
As their surprise-package business boomed and their buying power increased, they subsequently contracted for the entire output of several toy factories on a yearly basis.
In addition, they developed a giant container in the shape of a pencil and filled it with pencils, a ruler, and an eraser, and included this item in grab bags. When they discovered that they could print an advertising message on the cardboard pencil holder, they began selling it as an advertising novelty. Today, the Lederers assemble and produce more than 200,000 pencil sets a week. Shoe stores and other merchants use them as giveaways to get the kids into their stores.
A few years ago, the Lederers acquired the German patent to a novelty called “The Burning of the Maine.” The idea of this chemically treated oblong sheet of paper was to light it with a burning cigarette and then watch the likeness of the Maine catch fire and “sink” into the deep. To make the novelty more appealing for American consumption, the Lederers renamed it the “Magic Race” and turned it into a horse race game. The suspense as to which horse would win, place, or show provided so much amusement for kids from six to 60 that the game soon became a national craze. Jockeys and horse trainers in particular found unlimited fun in these races that couldn’t be fixed.
Recently, a merchant mariner bought 1.000 race forms from Howard Lederer. A month later, he returned for another 1,000 and, several months later, he repeated the order. Curious, Howard asked the gob what he was doing with the novelty.
“Oh,” whispered the sailor, “I run these horse races aboard ship. I collect a dollar from each of six players and pay off five to the winner. I make a buck on each race!”
The Lederers estimate that this is by far their most cheaply priced novelty and they sell millions of them each year at less than a penny each.
In a year’s time the Lederer brothers buy from 40,000,000 to 50,000,000 toys. And many of them, like cigars that convert into American Flags and Angels on wings, sell for under a nickel.
Every now and then, young, frustrated toy makers will wind up with their unsalable products at the Lederer plant because they find that it’s a pleasure to do business with them.
Not long ago a young man who held a responsible position with a large department store found himself with a stock of 25,000 unsalable baby shoes. He showed a sample of the shoes to Howard and asked if he would take the lot off his hands. But the experienced, wise Howard would have nothing to do with the item mainly because the shoes had no play value whatsoever and last, but not least, the latex formed shoes gave off an odoriferous odor that would knock the stuffings out of any buyer with a quick sense of smell.
“Many flops in the toy and novelty field,” said Howard, “are due to the novice who doesn’t understand the needs of the market. An inventor has what looks like a natural. He spends all kinds of money, much of it borrowed. and then goes broke because his idea wasn’t suited to the needs of buyers.
“By and large, though, failures in the toy industry are the result of 90 per cent poor management and 10 per cent bad luck. Luck is a very important factor in the success of many toys and novelties.”
The Lederer boys advise new toy or novelty manufacturers to seek professional advice before embarking on a venture that may quickly bankrupt them. “Money can be made with toys and novelties,” said Howard, “but you’ve got to find a new twist in marketing them. Our twist is to capitalize on the failures of others.” | <urn:uuid:f8026dc4-2069-4ede-b7f5-6aa04268ca48> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.modernmechanix.com/toydoms-million-dollar-undertakers/1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964747 | 2,254 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Heart and compassion compliment each other profoundly. A compassionate heart is like breathing to some, a burden to others, and yet foreign to many more. As the post voices below, to Chasity, compassion is a quality she collects in spades and gives unselfishly.
Elementary school, 4th grade gym class. My class was sitting with their backs against the bleachers, which were pulled in to make space available for more than one class playing at a time. We had gotten done with gym class and were waiting for the bell to ring to send us back to home room.
I was sitting quietly still trying to hide the new tennis shoes my Mom and Dad had bought me the day before. I was wearing them reluctantly because I had my suspicions that my classmates would notice they were different and attack. The wildcat blue shoes had a bright yellow swoosh that resembled a Nike’s but it was backwards.
Earlier that morning I had pleaded with both parents that they weren’t like everyone else’s shoes and “they” (the kids at school) were going to notice. My mom said something to the effect of, “Oh, Honey, no they won’t. They look so good.” Even at that age I realized my parents had done the best they could so, I sucked it up and marched off to the 4th grade in my bright blue and yellow “sort of” Nike shoes.
As I sat there at the end of gym class, I thought to myself, “I made it”! No one has noticed my shoes. Most of the day is behind me. I took a deep breath and smiled. As I looked down the line at my class, some boys were crawling around not able to stay still. I caught eyes with one. We locked eyes and then I watched in slow motion as his eyes looked at my shoes. I looked at my shoes then back at him and watched his mouth start to utter the words I was hiding from all day. At a volume the entire line of kids could hear, “Where’d you get those shoes?” ”Those aren’t Nike.” ”Those look like Goodwill shoes.” he started to get laughs and attention so the remarks continued.
I remember this story every time I struggle to find purpose and identity. How long have you struggled hiding the shoes you thought everyone would make fun of?
My aunt, who oddly enough is only two years older than me, was my idol. I followed her everywhere. Whatever she did I wanted to do. When she entered the seventh grade she went out for basketball, so I did too. And much to my surprise, I was good at it. Dribbling, passing, shooting, defense, I picked it up and excelled at the technique quickly. By the end of my 5th grade season, as a Red Hot, my team depended heavily on my skills to help us be successful.
I’ll never forget being late to one of the games and when I came in the door my coach smiled really big and said, “Thank goodness! Boy, did we need you to get here!” I thought, WOW, what an awesome feeling. This is so sweet. I always want to be good at this. I always want to be needed.
While playing High School basketball, I delivered. I had managed to develop a talent, sharpen a skill. Peers where amazed and trying to catch up to my athletic ability. If I had worn those blue and yellow backward Nike swoosh tennis now…everyone would want a pair. Coaches celebrated and my parents were proud. I had found my identity.
Obviously, I have or have had other identities. I am an older sister, the oldest daughter. I have been a wife, I am a coach, and business owner…but nothing has guided my life quite like being an athlete. This one piece of my life has helped build my character and strengthen me physically and mentally. It has socialized me and taught me how to play as a team. It taught me how to fall and work harder. It brought the calm of victory and satisfaction in exhausting all I had.
What has become your identity? Mom or Dad? Successful business owner? Wife or husband? Being known as strong with the right answers? Being independent of needing anyone?
There is a childhood Bible song that goes;
“I’m yours Lord, everything I am, everything I’m not. I’m yours Lord, try me now and see, see if I can be completely yours.”
I’ve been going to bed and waking up with my identity for so long. I seek it’s comfort with…”Lord, just one more year here, just one more month, just one more experience.” But HE whispers, “I have plans for you daughter. Let go and let me.”
Two Arm DB Row
Max Support hold for seconds
10-Back Squat 75/115
10-Back Squat 75/115
10-Back Squat 75/115
Post impressions and time to comments. | <urn:uuid:c1a3265f-36cd-4a2e-b1d5-7d6c77c03670> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gopractice.biz/2012/02/let-go-and-let-me/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984727 | 1,081 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Today the President signed an Executive Order (E.O.), “Prohibiting Certain Transactions with and Suspending Entry into the United States of Foreign Sanctions Evaders with Respect to Iran and Syria
,” providing the U.S. Treasury Department with a new authority to tighten further the U.S. sanctions on Iran and Syria.
This E.O. targets foreign individuals and entities that have violated, attempted to violate, conspired to violat
e, or caused a violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran or Syria, or that have facilitated deceptive transactions for persons subject to U.S. sanctions concerning Syria or Iran. With this new authority, Treasury now has the capability to publicly identify foreign individuals and entities that have engaged in these evasive and deceptive activities, and generally bar access to the U.S. financial and commercial systems. | <urn:uuid:f981fc0c-40de-4b36-9a2e-029e868bfe2b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20120501.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937909 | 175 | 1.765625 | 2 |
One of the premier business districts of Mumbai is Nariman Point. All the major offices of the city are located at this bustling business hub. This vibrant city of India gladly boasts about this area as it is one of its main attractions. So, during your Mumbai trip don’t miss out the opportunity of visiting this place. After getting a brief view are you interested in updating your knowledge with more relevant information? Then just have a look!
This commercial district was named after Khursheed Framji Nariman. He was a Parsi prophet and he was lovingly called as Veer Nariman. He was also an active Congress Leader and corporator of Bombay Municipal Corporation. Before the year 1940, this area was a part of the sea. Khursheed Nariman proposed to retrieve this particular area near Churchgate. Just after his proposal the task of reclaiming this area started and garbage from several parts of the city were actually dumped at this place in order to fill in the shallows. Moreover, concrete cement and imported steel were also used for the reinforcement work. The entire cost for this reinforced work was estimated near about Rs. 3 lakhs in those days (now Rs. 10 crores). During the 1970s, the additional reclamation work was carried out. It was regarded as a construction boom period, which saw various commercial high-rises at this region.
It is situated at Marine Drive’s extreme southern tip. Some of the renowned business establishments of this place are –
This place is easily accessed from the rest of the city, so reaching Nariman Point is not at all a problem. You can reach this place from any corner of the city by boarding local train and buses or by hiring autos and taxis. Nearest railway stations are Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Mumbai Central. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is located at a distance of approximately 25 km.
Last Updated On: 2011/07/15 | <urn:uuid:87b161dc-0b97-48ed-8baa-4056644bf154> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indfy.com/maharashtra/mumbai/tourist-places-to-visit/nariman-point.html | 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 | 0.981552 | 396 | 1.765625 | 2 |
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Parents of children killed in the Newtown school shooting called for better enforcement of gun laws and tougher penalties for violators Monday at a hearing that revealed the divide in the gun-control debate, with advocates for gun rights shouting at the father of one 6-year-old victim.
Neil Heslin, whose son Jesse was killed in last month’s massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary, asked people in the room to put themselves in his position as he questioned the need for any civilian to own semiautomatic, military-style weapons.
“It’s not a good feeling. Not a good feeling to look at your child laying in a casket or looking at your child with a bullet wound to the forehead. It’s a real sad thing,” said Heslin, who held up a large framed photograph of himself and his son.
A handful of people at the packed legislative hearing then shouted about their Second Amendment rights when Heslin asked if anyone could provide a reason for a civilian to own an assault-style weapon.
“We’re all entitled to our own opinions and I respect their opinions and their thoughts,” Heslin said. “But I wish they’d respect mine and give it a little bit of thought.”
The hearing by a legislative subcommittee reviewing gun laws offered the first public testimony by family members of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary, where a gunman slaughtered 20 first-grade children and six women. Adam Lanza had killed his mother in their home across town and then drove to the school to carry out the shooting before committing suicide. The testimony was expected to continue late into the night.
Members of the Connecticut State Police firearms training unit brought weapons to the hearing to provide state lawmakers with a short tutorial on what’s legal and illegal under the state’s current assault weapons ban, passed in 1993. The group included an AR-15, the same type of rifle that was used in the Sandy Hook shooting.
Many gun rights advocates, wearing yellow stickers that read: “Another Responsible Gun Owner,” were among the estimated 2,000 people at the hearing. Metal detectors were installed at the entrance to the Legislative Office Building, and some people waited as long as two hours to get into the building in Hartford.
Many spoke about the need to protect their rights and their families’ safety.
“The Second Amendment does not protect our right to hunt deer,” said Andrew Hesse of Middletown. “It protects our right to self-preservation and preservation of our family. The right to bear arms.” Continued...
Elizabeth Drysdale, a single mother from Waterbury, spoke of three recent incidents that caused her to fear for her safety. She said she should be able to choose the size of magazine and type of firearm to defend herself.
“Don’t my children and I deserve your support and consideration to be safe,” she asked lawmakers.
Judy Aron of West Hartford said bills such as those requiring gun owners to have liability insurance and ammunition taxes only harm lawful gun owners.
“Every gun owner did not pull the trigger that was pulled by Adam Lanza, she said.
The state’s gun manufacturers, meanwhile, urged the subcommittee to not support legislation that could put the state’s historic gun manufacturing industry at risk.
Mark Mattioli, whose 6-year-old son James was killed at Sandy Hook, got a standing ovation when he said there are plenty of gun laws but they’re not properly enforced. He urged lawmakers to address the culture of violence.
“It’s a simple concept. We need civility across our nation,” he said. “What we’re seeing are symptoms of a bigger problem. This is a symptom. The problem is not gun laws. The problem is a lack of civility.”
Two Southbury natives who survived a mass shooting last year at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., urged lawmakers to address online, private guns sales that don’t require background checks. Stephen Barton and Ethan Rodriguez-Torrent also want to require background checks for purchases of so-called long guns and not just handguns.
State Rep. Arthur O’Neill, R-Southbury, who has known Rodriguez-Torrent since he was a child, predicted state lawmakers will reach a compromise on guns.
He said lawmakers’ minds have changed since the Dec. 14 school massacre. Continued...
“Dec. 13 was one way of looking at the world, and Dec. 15 is a different way of looking at the world,” he said.
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Stephen Frye has covered the police beat and courts for The Oakland Press and now serves as online editor for www.theoaklandpress.com.
Informs on and discusses current matters of legal interest to readers of The Oakland Press and to consumers of legal services in the community.
Caren Gittleman likes talking cats. She'll discuss everything about them. Share your stories and ask her questions about your favorite feline.
Roger Beukema shares news from Lansing that impacts sportsmen (this means ladies as well) and talks about things he finds when he goes overseas to visit his children, and adding your comments into the mix.
Join Jonathan Schechter as he shares thoughts on our natural world in Oakland County and beyond. | <urn:uuid:a97b9f7e-1619-4dd1-a19b-2ef5a43cfd60> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2013/01/28/news/nation_and_world/doc5107208005e2a787001541.txt?viewmode=default | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961715 | 1,449 | 1.65625 | 2 |
The report into the derailment of an express passenger train at Marshmoor in 1946.
This document was published on 24th February 1947 by Ministry of Transport.
It was written by Lieut. Col. G. R. S. Wilson.
This item is linked to the Accident at Marshmoor on 10th November 1946
The original document format was Stapled Book, and comprised 8 pages.
This document was kindly sourced from Stuart Johnson and is in our Accident reports collection. It was added to the Archive on 30th October 2006.
This document is Crown Copyright, and is subject to the terms governing the reproduction of crown copyright material. Depending on the status and age of the original document, you may need an OPSI click-use license if you wish to reproduce this material, and other restrictions may apply. Please see this explanation for further details.
"The 4.45 p.m. express passenger train, No. 177, from Newcastle to King's Cross, comprising 12 bogie vehicles hauled by a 2-6-2 type tender engine of the V2 class, was travelling at about 55 m.p.h. on the Up Main line, when it became completely derailed, except for the leading pony wheels of the engine, as it entered an easy right handed curve, approximately 400 yards south of Marshmoor signal box. There were screw couplings in front and rear of the leading coach; otherwise the train was Buckeye coupled throughout.
The train ran for approximately 295 yards beyond the first mark of derailment, and all the couplings held. The engine and the 12 coaches remained in fair line and, except for the fourth which was overturned on its right hand (corridor) side and the fifth which was partially overturned, came to rest upright or nearly so; apart from broken window lights and other superficial damage, the coach bodies were intact, though there was a good deal of damage to bogies and undergear. Except for the brake rigging, the engine was practically undamaged. The train was lightly loaded and fortunately there were no serious casualties; 7 passengers complained of minor injuries and shock, but none required hospital attention."
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Please consider donating to help with our running costs. | <urn:uuid:1272adc1-5e22-4417-a2dd-25752b999ba3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=851 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971101 | 502 | 1.789063 | 2 |
What If Android Lost the Patent War?
While you're at a store innocently trying to decide between a Samsung Galaxy S and an iPhone 4, there's a war taking place among the makers of those fantastic little computers that fit into the palm of your hand, one that could ultimately affect the choices available to you and the cost.
Smartphones, the hottest and highest-growth segment in consumer electronics, have become the latest playground in the patent arms race that accompanies every flourishing technology industry. The patent system is certainly complex—the Financial Times estimates that as many as 250,000 patents are at stake in a smartphone. Some patents are arguably ridiculous, too; for example, Apple has a patent for being able to call numbers cited in emails. All of the chaos and preceived absurdity of patent law is on display in the recent litgation over Google Android. And it's just getting started.
In recent months, Apple's lawyers have been aggressively suing Android manufacturers HTC and Samsung for various technologies, from the "look and feel" to how it connects to broadband networks. It's clear that Apple has its patent strategy aimed squarely at the number one rival to its iOS mobile operating system, Android, which is now embedded in 40 percent of all U.S. smartphones compared to Apple's 26.6 percent, according to June figures from comScore.
Veterans like Microsoft, Nokia, and Apple, each have tens of thousands of patents each, while Google's portfolio is reportedly on the low end—"under 1,000."
"Google's always been late to the game with patents. I think it's because there's a tone at Google that software shouldn't be patentable," said a third-party developer who declined to be named. "Apple's been the opposite—they're relentless in protecting whatever intellectual property they generate."
Publicly, Google seems to take an ambivalent view towards patents as being mutually exclusive with innovation. Just last month Google chairman Eric Schmidt, vowing to defend HTC, slammed those who bring up patent lawsuits: "We have seen an explosion of Android devices entering the market and, because of our successes, competitors are responding with lawsuits as they cannot respond through innovations," he said. "I'm not too worried about this."
But now that Apple is making life difficult for any popular Android manufacturer, there's a rallying cry over the need for Google to step up and protect its manufacturers. In that same interview, when asked whether or not Google would provide financial support to HTC in case it loses, Schmidt simply said, "We will make sure they don't lose, then." Apple doesn't always win. In June, it lost an epic two-year case against Nokia, and now has to pay billions of dollars for past and ongoing licensing fees to the Finnish manufacturer.
The patent war has polarized those in the tech world, with some admiring Apple's aggressive patent-building strategy, and others defending Google's relative indifference engaging in the controversial patent system. But beyond that, what will happen to Android if its manufacturers lose their patent lawsuits?
If Apple wins both HTC and Samsung battles, one of three things could happen:
1. HTC and Samsung would be ordered to pay ongoing royalties to Apple for every smartphone it makes.
2. The courts could issue an injunction banning infringing Samsung and HTC devices.
3. Apple could choose not to license its intellectual property to Android manufacturers.Click here to see the three scenarios played out:
blog comments powered by Disqus | <urn:uuid:5a4ed155-64e9-4ab6-9f48-41a373f36021> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2390536,00.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95947 | 709 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The Perltec Colibri decor is based on natural cotton material combined with high transparent glass. To produce the decor sheets, cotton is processed, transforming it from its flaky and fibrous state into a solid, transparent material, called Acetat. The transparent cotton based plastic is colored with pigments, by hand. First each single color of the final design will be pressed in a monochrome block. According the desired pattern, a single acetat colour gets cutted and combined with one of the other colours and pressed to a new block. These two-tone blocks are cut again, treated by hand and combined with other blocks, until the desired design is created. This procedure of production is based on a more than hundred years old tradition. In this way patterns are created that resemble naturally grown structures. The design Colibri interprets the splendid silky plumage of the bird. The decorative sheet is sliced from the final solid block, like a veneer. To get the finished Perltec product, the design sheets are combined through glass composite technology with Optiwhite glass plates on both sides. Each panel is a one-off. The result is a rich pearl look with three-dimensional depth effect. The design Colibri is usable from both sides. Standard sizes of the panels are 600 x 600 mm and 600 x 1200mm, with smoothed or polished edges. Standard thickness is 9 mm. Smaller customized sizes and any customized thickness superior to 9 mm is possible on request. Added designs, effects or colors inside the glass are also available on request. | <urn:uuid:ba47c665-8a1f-4a28-9c4b-fbb55ef7d026> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://materia.nl/575.0.html?user_material[material_uid]=2364&featured=1&cHash=a729ed2a25 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934186 | 318 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Kaplan International Colleges:
Kaplan International Colleges offer summer English courses in the South of England for young children and teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18. Our summer ESL programs are taken by students from all around the world who wish to learn English in the UK and experience English culture and hospitality first-hand. Our summer courses for juniors are held in the following locations in the South of England: London, Leeds, Bath, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Stamford and Torquay.
Summer English courses in the UK for young children and teenagers include:
- 15 lessons (45 mins per lesson) of English language tuition per week for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. In the Salisbury English summer school, a more intensive English program of 30 lessons per week is also offered. Students are taught in international classes according to their level of English, which is assessed upon arrival at our junior English school. Throughout the course, each student's progress is monitored by our school staff. The maximum number of students in each class is 15, ensuring that each student receives the individual attention that they need.
Our junior English classes emphasize building confidence and developing English language fluency in a lively and authentic language context. Kaplan uses a set of teaching materials specially designed for juniors at our English schools. Our skilled and friendly teachers will ensure that all classes offer learners a diverse mix of activities. We strive to provide classes that are both enjoyable and challenging for juniors.
We also offer:
- Full activity program plus excursions
- Full board residence/homestay accommodation
- Full induction on the first day at school
- Class attendance certificate
- Learning materials
- Student folder and stationery
- 24-hour emergency helpline
Summer Festival - the Big Event of the summer!
Designed specifically for young teenagers, The K Festival brings the students from all our centres over the UK together for a day of laughter and friendship. The festival will have live music, entertainers, sports competitions and much more. Most excitingly we are going to make an attempt to break a world record so that everyone who attends will have a memory that they can take home and share.
For further information on any of the summer ESL programs in England offered by Kaplan International Colleges including dates and fees, please email us via our "Contact Us" page. | <urn:uuid:9f8f2957-6bf6-408d-8461-ce45bb7b6424> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.learn4good.com/schools/uk_england_summer_english_courses.htm | 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 | 0.930873 | 475 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Sokka is a fictional character and one of the main characters in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and voiced by Jack DeSena. In the film version, The Last Airbender, in which is his name is pronounced differently, the character is played by Jackson Rathbone.
In the show, 15-year-old Sokka is a warrior of the South Pole's Southern Water Tribe, a race of people who can control water. He, along with his younger sister Katara, discovers an Airbender named Aang, the long-lost Avatar, and accompanies him on his mission to win the Fire Nation and bring peace to the world.
Concept and creation [change]
Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko said that Sokka was originally designed to be much more low-key, but when his comedian voice actor Jack DeSena came in and brought liveliness to his character, they began writing towards that strength. Much of Sokka's dialogue and actions are derived from improvisations and intentional exaggerations on DeSena's part that the writers chose to include within scripts.
Sokka grew up in his village and trains the warriors of his village. Forced to mature quickly when his mother Kya was killed in a Fire Nation raid, he cultivated his warrior skills with a militant zeal, while his sister Katara did chores and practiced waterbending. When Sokka was thirteen, his father and the other village men left to help the Earth Kingdom to fight against the Fire Nation, leaving him and his sister to look after their tribe with their grandmother, Gran Gran. As the oldest male left in the South Pole, Sokka came to assume a semi-leadership role by the time he was sixteen, fiercely protecting the village from any possible outside threats while trying to train children to be a new generation of defenders.
While on a expedition, Katara and Sokka discovered Aang inside an iceberg with Appa. After Katara freed him, Sokka initially believed that the Aang might be a Fire Navy spy, and he eventually grew xenophobic enough to banish him from the village. Upon discovering that Aang was the Avatar, destined to master all four elements and bring peace to the world, Sokka relented, realizing that they had a common enemy in the Fire Nation. He then set off with Katara and Aang on their journey to find a waterbending master at the North Pole, determined to hone his warrior skills by way of fighting Firebenders along the way. Fire Nation general Zhao killed Tui (the moon spirit) causing the moon to turn red and then vanish as during a lunar eclipse, thus preventing the waterbenders from using waterbending. Princess Yue (one of Sokka's love interests, the other being Kyoshi warrior Suki) then becomes the new moon by giving her life energy to the moon spirit, thereby restoring the moon in the sky and the abilities of the waterbenders.
In "Sokka's Master" (the 4th episode of third season) Sokka expresses self-doubt that he is not as useful to the group as his companions. Inspired by his friends' encouragement, he seeks out a master to learn the sword. Rather than fighting with brute force and flawless technique, Sokka's creativity and heterodox approach to things are the cornerstones of his technique, and his master claims that in time Sokka will be a superior swordsman. As he departs, his master gives him a game piece that was previously established as a sign of connection to the secret society known as the Order of the White Lotus.
In the two-hour series finale, Sokka and Katara meet with Katara's Waterbending master, Pakku, who has now married their grandmother. In the battle against Ozai, Sokka, his girlfriend Suki, and Toph destroyed a Fire Nation airship and use it to destroy others of its kind while Aang duels with the Phoenix King (Ozai). Sokka and Toph are separated from Suki and attack another airship, but Sokka breaks his leg and strains his arm grabbing hold of Toph, who was falling off the ship. In a compromised position, the pair are attacked by two soldiers, whom Sokka defeats at the cost of his sword and boomerang. As he and Toph are on the edge of the crashing ship, Suki arrives with another airship and saves the two. With the battle over, the trio reunite with Aang and the vanquished Phoenix King. At Zuko's coronation, Suki is reunited with her fellow Kyoshi Warriors, Sokka and Katara are reunited with their father, with the rest of the group reunited with their friends. In the end, Sokka is seen at Iroh's tea shop in Ba Sing Se where everyone teases a painted picture he created of the entire team, wherein he altered some factual details to make the scene more "memorable".
Other media [change]
In the live-action movie The Last Airbender by M. Night Shyamalan, Sokka is played by Jackson Rathbone. His name is pronounced "So-kah," but in the show it's name pronounced "Sah-kah". Several important changes to the character's personality were made. In the film he is no longer the comic relief, nor does he exhibit any inventive abilities or usefulness in battle. He rarely shares screen time with Aang, the main hero, or contributes in any way to the plot. M. Night Shyamalan has said in an interview that these decisions were made in order to "ground" the character.
- Nicole Sperling, "Movies," Entertainment Weekly 1026 (December 17, 2008): 15.
- Pittarese, Frank (2006). "Nation Exploration". Nickelodeon Magazine (Winter 2006): 2.
- "The Avatar Returns". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. 2006-02-21. No. 2, season 1 (Book 1).
- "In Their Elements." (September 2006) Nick Mag Presents, p. 7
- "The Guru". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. 2006-12-01. No. 19, season 2 (Book 2).
- "The Boy In The Iceberg". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. 2005-02-21. No. 1, season 1 (Book 1).
- "Bato of the Water Tribe". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. 2006-10-07. No. 15, season 1 (Book 1).
Other websites [change] | <urn:uuid:44519da4-15ae-42c0-a577-0bed4bf1eee7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokka | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970345 | 1,386 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Alright, friends. Get yourselves a cup of coffee and a muffin…it’s story time.
Yes, I still have 20 cans of pumpkin in my basement…after the great pumpkin shortage of 2009, one can never be too prepared. But anyway, make these pumpkin gingerbread muffins.
*substitutions: 2 cups of whole wheat flour vs. 1 cup, applesauce for the oil, 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar instead of 1 cup of regular sugar.
Now that we’ve covered the snack part, it’s time for a lesson. When I published Patrick’s guest post as part of the 12 days of giving series, I alluded to the fact that fair trade might not be as fantastic as it sounds…here, Patrick presents another solution.
Patrick: I will be the first to admit that in today’s coffee world, where you can find anything from Organic to Fair Trade to Bird Friendly-certified coffee, the last thing most people want to worry about is another coffee certification. But before you give up on this blog, what do you really know about the Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or Bird Friendly Certified coffee that you bought this morning?
The whole point of certifying a coffee is that the end consumer knows that certain standards have been met, but these standards are often so complex that it would take a college course to understand them all. There is a certification just starting to grow in the coffee world that is refreshingly simple and, in my opinion, much more beneficial to farmers:
Direct Trade Coffee.
There are three simple guiding principles behind Direct Trade Coffee:
(1) High wages.
(2) High quality.
(3) Direct purchasing through a relationship between farmer and buyer.
Since Direct Trade is a new idea, these ideals manifest themselves in different ways. Industry leaders like Counter Culture Coffee, Intelligentsia, and Stump Town Coffee Roasters each have their own standards for what these principles mean, but these standards all include a minimum purchase price, minimum cup quality, and minimum amount of contact between farmer and the company. Although Counter Culture may set quality standards based upon their proprietary tasting system, while Intelligentsia bases it on their own system, these companies are establishing their own set of guidelines they think best fulfill the three guiding principles.
In my mind, Direct Trade is the logical step forward from the current obsession with Fair Trade. First, Direct Trade is set up so that buyers, not farmers, pay fees. Fair Trade, on the other hand, requires large up-front costs from the farmers themselves. This policy actually excludes the small-scale, independent farmers that consumers often associate with the Fair Trade logo!
Second, Direct Trade is more sustainable. Since Direct Trade is as focused on quality as it is on price, it gives farmers a reason to continually improve their coffee growing and harvesting techniques. Fair Trade certification says nothing about the quality of the coffee. As such, people often end up paying a premium for inferior coffee grown by a large coffee plantation that can cover Fair Trade Certification costs. At least it has a Fair Trade Certified sticker on the bag, I guess.
Counter Culture Coffee
Finally, even though we may just be “average coffee drinkers,” we should still have the opportunity to learn how our morning coffee got to where it is today. When buying a Direct Trade coffee, coffee shops will know if it came from a small-scale, independent farmer or a large-scale plantation, how much was paid for the coffee, and probably more than we would ever actually care to find out. With this knowledge, it is no longer coffee intermediaries, exporters or importers, or even local coffee shops that determine who we buy our coffee from and how much we pay them. It is us, the coffee drinkers of the world, that get to make this important choice.
I think we buy fair trade products to feel better about ourselves, but in reality, do we know what this certification really means? I had never heard of direct trade before, and I find the difference from fair trade both significant and interesting.
Have you heard of direct trade? What are your thoughts on direct trade vs. fair trade? | <urn:uuid:de8c0f70-9940-4911-a97b-c6f24abbc511> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://healthnut-em.blogspot.com/2011/01/snack-and-lesson.html?showComment=1295375131758 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958645 | 870 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Introduction: a look in the past
All the way up to SAP Business One Release 6.5, the license information was stored inside the SBO-Common database. This caused an interesting side-effect: by copying the SBO-COMMON database, you also got a copy of all the licenses in that database. It was no wonder that SAP soon fixed this loophole. Starting with B1 Release 2004, there was a new service called the License Manager. The License Manager brought us a whole new smorgasbord of pain points. Before Release 2004, if you had a working database connection, you were most likely also able to log into SAP B1.
The License Manager is a bit different animal, as it is tightly interwoven with Windows authentication. One of the first issues I remember resolving in the ramp-up for 2004 was connecting to the server from a B1 client on a workstation that didn't belong to the same Windows domain as the server. It turned out that either the client and the server need to be in the same Windows domain (or ActiveDirectory) or alternatively the userid used to log in to the workstation also needs to be found on the server as a local account, with exactly the same password on both accounts. Thus, instead of a two-level authentication (SQL Server and B1), there are now three levels: Windows network authentication, SQL Server authentication and B1 authentication.
Another issue came up with the security fixes in Windows Server 2003 service packs. Those service packs were so effective in closing the security holes that the clients once again could not log in to the server. The reason was that the License Service is dependent on DCOM and the security fixes made the DCOM Settings too strict. There are excellent SAP Notes (Nrs 833798 and 824976) on this issue, so I will let the readers who need this information look them up from the Service Marketplace.
In the rest of this blog, I will present some of the issues that I've witnessed during my four-year journey with the License Manager. I am assuming that everyone's already read the SAP Business One License Guide that comes with the B1 installation media. I will try not to repeat the issues documented there. Some of the issues discussed here are discussed in SAP Notes or in the Forums, but anyway I thought it would be useful to have a single document putting all these issues together.
License Manager FAQ
Q: When exactly do we need the License Manager ?
A: The B1 clients (as well as the DI Server and all the DI API-based client applications) only need to connect to the License server when logging in. After the users have been successfully logged in, you could even restart or completely stop the License server without the logged-in users ever noticing it.
Q: How does the License Manager store information about which licenses have been allocated to which user ?
A: The following image is taken directly from the License Guide:
The License Guide explains that "the license mechanism in SAP Business One is implemented using a License Service, a License File, and an external API". The license file is used to import new licenses to the License Service, but SAP does disclose where these imported licenses actually are located. Not that we need to know it, though. In fact, it' more useful to know the file that stores information about how those licenses are allocated to users. That file actually exists in the program folder for the License Manager. For B1 2005 SP1, the default installation folder is C:\Program Files\SAP\SAP Business One ServerTools\License. If the License Manager has been in use, you should be able to locate a file called B1Upf.xml. I'll return to this file regarding the issue of reclaiming 'lost' licenses.
Q: It Takes several minutes to log into SAP B1, even from a fast local network. How to fix this?
A: This issue is often a result of having had two active network interface cards in the server at the time of installing the license service. This is a known bug addressed in some SAP Notes. SAP has promised to fix this in some future release. Meanwhile, you can get the issue fixed by uninstalling the License Service, then making sure you only have one active NIC on the server and reinstalling the License Service. I've seen cases where the login time dropped down from 2-3 minutes to about 5 seconds after doing the fix.
Q: I have trouble importing the new license key. What to do?
A: There are a number of reasons that might be causing this. One particular thing which will always cause a license key import to fail is having the DI Server service started (with active sessions) while you're doing the import. It is always safest to stop all the other SAP B1 Services (except the License Service) when doing the license key import and also restart the License Service just prior to the import.
As a precaution, it might be a good idea to have all the users who need the system on that day already logged into B1 when doing the import. If anything goes wrong with the import, those users can continue using B1 without ever noticing the problem. That'll buy you some precious time.
Quite often, just trying the import once again will get the desired result. However, sometimes it seems that the keys sent by email are somehow corrupted. You might want to go to the Service Marketplace and download the key directly. This has fixed the problem for me several times.
Q: How to recover when all licenses are used up after a B1 client crashes?
A: If a B1 client crashes, it still reserves the "slot" on the license sserver that it reserved during login. As the License service limits the maximum number of simultaneous sessions for a single named user to two, you could still log in to B1 after recovering the client from the crash. However, another crash will leave both of your sessions reserved. What to do next? You could do as the License Guide instructs: wait for 3 minutes and then try connecting again so that the reserved connection has timed out. If you're in a hurry, you could also restart the License server, which actually clears up all the information about the users who have logged in. Restarting the License Manager might take a minute or two, but it is anyhow faster than waiting for timeout. Those users who are already logged in are not disturbed. Remember - License Service is only needed at login.
Q: My userid requires two licenses when using two databases. What is the problem ?
A: The funny thing about the License Service is that while B1 (or rather SQL Server) database is case insensitive regarding userid's (you cannot for instance create users 'User1' and 'user1' in the same B1 database as the database treats them as identical), the License Service isn't.
If you have several databases (I suppose everyone has at least a test database), you might easily end up in a situation where you have the same username in different databases but with different case (for instance, user1 against User1). If you wish to use both user accounts, they will gobble up two user licenses. From the B1 user interface, these usernames cannot be changed. Also, it is prohibited to manipulate the database directly.
Luckily, the DI API is permissive enough so that we *can* alter the userid as long as we are only modifying the case. For convenience, here's a simple DI Commander (version 2.0) snippet that shows how it can be done.
Please note that the second parameter of get should in this case be the value that is found in the INTERNAL_K column of the OUSR table.
Q: I'm having problems with login - the wrong license server address keeps coming up. How to fix this ?
A: There is a short reference to the SLIC table in the License Guide: "The SAP Business One workstations read the name of the license service to which they connect from the SLIC table in the SBO-Common database."
The problem is that this doesn't tell anything about the practical implications of this table.
Try running this query from B1 Query Builder or from MS SQL Query Analyzer to get an idea about how it works:
select lsrv from [SBO-COMMON].dbo.slic
It is usually a good idea not to provide the license server address and port when logging in (this applies to B1 clients, DI API and DI Server) unless you absolutely have to. SLIC-table is the place where B1 server stores information about the default address of the license server. Guess how it gets updated? Whenever you specify the License Manager address at login. Well, what's so wrong about that?
Let's say that we have one user who specifies the address as "192.168.220.20". Another user then logs in with "sap-server1", which happens to be the valid hostname for the server in IP address 192.168.220.20. Both are correct, of course. Except that it could be that some of the workstations may only recognize the IP address but not the hostname (for a variety of reasons that I'm not diving into deeper here). Once the SLIC table contains an address that the B1 client cannot resolve, the user can no longer log in.
The good thing is that once the user types in the correct address for the license server, she can log in. The bad thing is that the UI API add-ons don't follow: they will stubbornly refuse to connect until you can once again log in to B1 without manually giving the License Manager address. This is just one of the many reasons why I hate UI API add-ons so much.
Lessons from the field
For a long time, one of my customers had the license address problem reoccurring each time they rebooted the server. They were able to get rid of the problem by restarting the License Manager and then logging into B1 directly from the server (this procedure was repeated always after a reboot - luckily the reboot interval was pretty long). Eventually I found out what was causing this problem: A DI Server application that was installed on their server had the License Manager address specified in a properties file. Guess what address had been specified? How about 127.0.0.1:30000 ?-) Needless to say, the DI Server application was working just fine. It was just the B1 clients installed on other machines except the server that had problems, as for them the License Service was not located in localhost address :-)
Another similar situation occurred in our own production environment. As I had a License Manager running locally on my laptop, I figured out it would be nice to use this License Manager instance instead of the one located on the server also when logging in to the production server. It worked very nicely, I didn't have to care about all that Domain authentication nonsense. But guess what happened to all those users of the production environment who didn't have a local License Manager ?
Q: I renamed the server that's running the license service. Now the license manager says that I don't have any licenses. What to do ?
A: The Windows hostname of the server is used as one of the ingredients of the hardware key. If you rename the server, the hardware key will change as well. If you can't change the name back, you need to apply for a new license key with the changed hardware key.
Q: I don't see as many licenses in the license management screen as I've bought. What is the problem ?
A: A not so uncommon situation that I've run into with some B1 production environments: a B1 license is assigned to a user that does not exist in any of the current B1 databases. However, this does not automatically liberate the license in License Service, it it was once assigned there.
Typically this would happen if a temporary user was created in a test database, given a license and then the whole database deleted before unassigning the license. As the username is no longer present in B1, you can't use the license management dialog to remove the license from the user.
How to reclaim this 'lost' license to active use? There are several possible approaches:
Method 1:"Raise the dead"
If you know the username that the license has been assigned to, you could of course create it in some test database and then use the license management dialog. Don't do it in a production database, though, as you would end up stuck with a user record that you can't completely delete from the database.
To liberate all the licenses currently assigned in the License Server, you could simply delete the whole file and then restart the License Server.
However, after this you would need to assign all the licenses again. This is perhaps not a problem if you have just a couple of users, but with say 50 users and five add-ons, it would be quite a nuisance.
Method 3:"Seek and destroy"
As the B1Upf.xml file is an XML file, you can stab it with any text editor such as Notepad. While it's not so difficult if you're at least a bit familiar with XML, it's still a bit awkward. Luckily, the XML Notepad 2007, which is available free from Microsoft renders the license assignment file pretty nicely. It allows WYSIWYG-type editing of the user tree. This is my favourite method as it is powerful but still pretty safe. | <urn:uuid:a566d421-1ede-4652-8867-bfe3ce3d4770> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scn.sap.com/people/henry.nordstrm/blog/2008/05/05/license-manager-survival-guide-faq | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953169 | 2,812 | 1.617188 | 2 |
The U.S. government has been caught promoting the delivery of taxpayer-funded welfare benefits to foreigners, and Judicial Watch’s conclusion is that the Obama administration “cannot be trusted to protect our borders.”
Judicial Watch, the Washington watchdog which is known for tracking down and trying to stamp out government corruption, has issued a report revealing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is working with the Mexican government to promote the U.S. food stamp [...]
Salmonella outbreaks. E. coli outbreaks. Millions of dollars in economic losses.
These are among the scenarios the Obama administration warned about last month as it claimed the sequester would force the U.S. Department of Agriculture to furlough meat inspectors.
But while the administration prepares to take that step, it continues to pursue a “partnership” with the Mexican government to “raise awareness” about food stamps among immigrants from that country. When a top [...]
February 19, 2013
The United States Department of Agriculture has been working to dispel immigrants’ concerns that getting on Food Stamps will harm their chances of becoming U.S. citizens.
The USDA addresses those fears in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamp, brochures it distributes to Mexican consulates as part of its “partnership” with the Mexican government “to help educate eligible Mexican nationals living in the United States about available [...]
A cellphone company whose top executive has close ties to President Obama lobbied for and won a piece of a major new government push to provide Internet service to low-income job-seekers, even though critics say the company’s smartphones are poorly suited to the task of helping those in the program find work.
The program’s supporters tout it as a way for the unemployed to learn technical skills, to prepare resumes and [...]
Your own administration during, “Operation Fast and Furious” facilitated and approved the transfer of over 2,000 weapons to the Mexican Drug Cartels who the Mexican Government is at war against and over 60,000 people have been killed. Those same weapons have made their way back into the United States and have been used to kill and injure our citizens and members of law enforcement, yet now you threaten to use
A top aide to Mexico’s President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto says votes to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Colorado and Washington state will force the Mexican government to rethink its efforts at trying to halt marijuana smuggling across the Southwest border.
Luis Videgaray, former general coordinator of Mr. Pena Nieto’s successful 2012 campaign who now heads the incoming president’s transition team, told Radio Formula 970 in Mexico City the new administration has consistently opposed the legalization [...]
Sources inside the Mexican government refuse to confirm that the Mexico government has been in secret negotiations with China over possible crude oil sales to China without using the US dollar.
China officials claim meetings held with the Mexican government and Petróleos Mexicanos (or Pemex) are for investment and economic growth inside Mexico. Crude oil purchases fall under this heading however officials on both sides in the past have stopped short [...]
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican government is battling an egg shortage and hoarding that have caused prices to spike in a country with the highest per-capita egg consumption on Earth.
A summer epidemic of bird flu in the heart of Mexico’s egg industry has doubled the cost of a kilo (2.2 pounds), or about 13 eggs, to more than 40 pesos ($3), a major blow to working- and middle-class consumers [...]
WASHINGTON — Republican congressional investigators have concluded that five senior ATF officials — from the special agent-in-charge of the Phoenix field office to the top man in the bureau’s Washington headquarters — are collectively responsible for the failed Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation that was “marred by missteps, poor judgments and inherently reckless strategy.”
The investigators, in a final report likely to be released later this week, also unearthed new evidence that agents [...]
July 29, 2012
The Central Intelligence Agency’s involvement in drug trafficking is back in the media spotlight after a spokesman for the violence-plagued Mexican state of Chihuahua became the latest high-profile individual to accuse the CIA, which has been linked to narcotics trafficking for decades, of ongoing efforts to “manage the drug trade.” The infamous American spy agency refused to comment.
In a recent interview, Chihuahua state spokesman Guillermo Terrazas [...]
The Mexican government has been distributing information about the U.S. food stamp program through its embassy and dozens of consular offices, a partnership that one Republican senator says is the latest example of an “aggressive” push to “expand enrollment regardless of need.”
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, raised concerns about the program in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack — one week after he [...]
Evidence has been discovered that terrorists are crossing into the U.S. from the Mexican border. The Federal Government is trying to to keep this alarming discovery secret.
May 7, 2012
Mexican government officials blasted the U.S. government for “failing to prosecute a Border Patrol agent” who admitted he shot an illegal alien at the U.S.-Mexican border nearly two years ago. An investigation revealed that the agent was being assaulted with rocks thrown by a gang of Mexicans, according to a legal watchdog group based in the nation’s capital.
The controversial shooting incident occurred in the summer of 2010 [...]
#1 A secret panel of government officials can now put American citizens on a “kill list”. A recent Reuters article explained that no law established this secret panel and that there are no laws which govern it….
There is no public record of the operations or decisions of the panel, which is a subset of the White House’s National Security Council, several current and former officials said. Neither is there any [...] | <urn:uuid:e71af316-18a8-4135-83f7-5bd82c915335> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://investmentwatchblog.com/tag/mexican-government/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946321 | 1,261 | 1.585938 | 2 |
EDIT I might add that all the spent-fuel pools are still intact. There recently was a story in the NY Times about what a PITA it will be to unload them, and how potentially dangerous they remain. The spent-fuel pool in #4 exploding and flinging out its contents was supposed to be the source of the rods and pellets. It didn't explode.
It was clear last year when they took radiation measurements and got cameras into the pools that the spent fuel was intact in the racks even though there was a significant amount of debris in the pools.
none of such was clear about reactor #3 's pool. The nice clean looking pool (with the grid that is above the actual fuel looking partially molten in a few places), was the reactor 4 pool, the one that was unloaded at the time of accident but the building nonetheless blew up, making for the first time in history that 4 reactors out of 3 blew up (the official explanation was that hydrogen from some other reactor blew into the reactor 4 building).
Dmytry, You won't have to go back more than a page or so in this thread to find the report that all four pools are intact, and please link for us this image of "partially molten" fuel. And only (
) three secondary containment buildings blew up, not four, see http://atomicpowerreview.blogspot.com/2 ... -view.html
1: the one that didn't blow apart is the worst contaminated (and had an explosion somewhere on the bottom of the secondary containment), 2: the third one had so much debris in it you can't see jack shit, I don't care what reports say, there was a video to see. The pool is intact in the sense of holding water.
edit:Here, the pool #3, full of debris. In light of possibility of geyser, you can't know none of the fuel was thrown out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuvPBuqjImI
For the spent fuel pool #4, i think i posted high res extracted frames a while back. There's the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unvcryGXNv4
. At start on front, and at about 14 seconds on the left you can see distorted grid (the video quality though suck and there's plenty of video compression distortion, i had the original from tepco's site, i'll see later if i still have it. I think i posted extracted frames here before). Afterwards the video proceeds to zoom in at some of the best looking fuel bundles in the entire pool, which would be pretty amusing if it wasn't sad.
The grid of pens for the fuel is not some willy nilly inaccurate contraption by a drunk metalworker. It is precise as to avoid jamming. The only way for the top grid to lose shape is for the water to run down and the fuel to overheat. Note also that only a small fraction of fuel pens would be expected to be damaged by heat - those holding the most recently unloaded fuel. The non-damaged fuel pens provide good reference.
edit: Found one of those frames. http://dmytry.com/tmp/059_things.jpg
The 6 is some filters. The 1 and 5 are damaged, the 3 and 4 are intact references, the 2 is not fuel.
edit: a top of 1 fuel bundle spotted left standing in #3 mess: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmgGdi4k ... re=related
. I guess you can say that its proven that a fuel bundle remained in the pool. Now if we could only see what the hell happened to the 3 to 8 neighbours of this fuel bundle.
Bottom line is, some really heavy shit fell into spent fuel pool which is some 12 meters deep, and which was boiling. Tall columns of water do not boil nicely like a kettle. The water boils at 120 degrees celsius at the pressure of 2 bars, i.e. at depth of 10 meters. The 20 degrees Celsius correspond to thermal energy of 80 kJ/kg. The heat of vaporization is approximately 40 kJ/mol , and 1 mol of gas occupies volume of 22 litres. That is, 1 litre of water heated up to the boiling point at the bottom of the pool will explode into up to 44 litres of steam at surface. Expect some serious burps as it boils. Combine this with the fuel tubes having been crushed and broken by various crap that fell in. And you get yourself dirty geyser action. | <urn:uuid:ae6fa4e7-afe4-491c-b357-8d097b8b6619> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=22896415 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968104 | 952 | 1.773438 | 2 |
The National Basketball Assn. has had its share of style-savvy players — and even coaches (paging Pat Riley). But it wasn't so long ago that the biggest fashion statement on court or off was Dennis Rodman dying his hair the colors of a fruit bowl and Shaquille O'Neal wearing baggy suits — definitely a mixed bag.
Think about it: It can be hard to find the right clothes when you're somewhere around the NBA average of 6 foot 7.
But today — witness Stoudemire, Griffin and Wade — even the tallest players sport a trim and tailored look. Having a personal stylist is de rigueur. Nattily attired, high-profile players grace the covers of glossy style magazines and sit front row at fashion shows next to Vogue's Anna Wintour.
The athletes' fashion side projects and brand endorsements have become so common that the league's acronym might as well be "National Bespoke Assn." And it's not just about court shoes anymore. The Celtics' Jermaine O'Neal recently launched a menswear label dubbed Le Jaunty. Stoudemire is collaborating with designer Rachel Roy on a collection for women (spotlighted by Women's Wear Daily last week). And the Lakers' Kobe Bryant has partnered with Nubeo on a line of ungodly expensive watches.
It's hard to reconcile the wardrobe of today's hardwood warriors with the laissez-faire look of the league circa 2005, when the NBA felt compelled to institute an official dress code.
"The dress code was part of a larger discussion about the business of basketball, the players' role in it and projecting a positive image," said Michael Bantom, senior vice president of player development for the NBA. "It was something that teams had dealt with on an individual basis. Some teams had their own dress codes, others didn't."
But as of the 2005-06 season, off-court players engaged in team or league business were required to wear collared dress shirts or turtlenecks, dress slacks, khakis or dress jeans with "appropriate shoes and socks." Players at games but not in uniform were additionally required to wear a sport coat, dress socks and dress shoes or boots. T-shirts, sports jerseys, shorts, headphones, sunglasses worn indoors or headgear of any kind were prohibited while a player was on team or league business.
Many observers — including Bantom — see that as the first ripple in what would eventually become a change in the way professional basketball players approached their clothing choices.
"True to their competitive nature, once they started dressing up — and seeing how good they looked — they started competing with each other to see who could dress the best," Bantom said. "The evidence of that can be seen in their interest in fashion and the exposure they're now getting because of the way they're dressing."
That meant players were no longer simply satisfied with the convenience of one-stop custom clothiers such as Élevée in Van Nuys, which in 2005 laid claim to half of the NBA's players as clients. Stephon Marbury once placed an order for 82 suits — one for each regular season game — and longtime customer Shaquille O'Neal was known to order 52 shirts and 20 pairs of trousers at a clip.
But after the dress code was implemented, some pro ballers took a page from the music and movie industry celebrity playbook and began to engage the services of personal stylists.
"Before the league changed the rules, it was pretty simple," said Paige Geran, a stylist who has worked with Kobe Bryant for the last year and a half. "The guys would just wear suits for every game so they'd just buy them in bulk."
After the rule change, "the more savvy guys — the Kobes, the LeBrons [James] and the D-Wades — they started turning to stylists because they enjoy fashion and wanted to look a little more unique. A stylist can bring a lot to the table for them — they're getting to wear stuff that a man who is 6 foot 3 can wear."
Geran's comment underscores a crucial point: buying off-the-rack clothes — especially dress shirts and tailored suits — isn't an option for most players. And when a guy's workaday uniform is, in fact, a uniform, there is all the more reason to kick things up a notch.
The sartorial sea change led to recognition not only in men's style bibles GQ and Esquire, but also in sports media. ESPN the Magazine's first dedicated fashion issue hit newsstands in March with the Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose on the cover. The month before, Sports Illustrated published the results of a poll of 137 NBA players, asking which of their basketball brethren had the best fashion sense off the court. The Miami Heat's Wade took top honors as an all-star of style, followed by Bryant in second place and Wade's teammate James in third. Fifteen players made the list, including New York's Carmelo Anthony in fifth, Stoudemire (13th), and Laker Derek Fisher (14th).
Wade is a "Gucci-Ralph Lauren guy," says L.A.-based stylist Calyann Barnett, who has worked with Wade since 2007 and recently added Laker Lamar Odom to her roster. "Those companies make shoes, jackets and sweaters that will fit him right off the rack."
Bryant gets everything custom made, according to his stylist, Geran. "I've even got some companies that don't do made-to-measure but will do it for him," she says.
Bryant's body lends itself to the suit silhouette. "He has broad shoulders and a narrow chest — kind of a runway look," Geran explains. Made-to-measure Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana are current favorites. For custom dress shirts, Geran swears by Anto of Beverly Hills; for knits, she turns to John Varvatos; and for dress shoes, it's Gucci and Louis Vuitton.
Both stylists point out that custom-made George Esquivel shoes and Tom Ford suits and accessories have found favor throughout the league.
Just as with other celebrities, sometimes designer merchandise is made available to the athletes for free, for the publicity value when a high-profile player is seen at a major event. But "it really would depend on the athlete and what he is attending, just like a celebrity," Geran said. "In my opinion, most of the stuff that people are trying to give for free are things I don't want. A lot of the free stuff that people supposedly get is a myth to me. It's not a ton of 'good' stuff. It's things here and there. Discounts, yes. Good free stuff, not really."
Although the regular season is over, that doesn't mean anyone is slacking off in the style stakes. The playoffs are the Oscars red-carpet season of pro basketball. With fewer teams, higher-profile games and more postgame interviews, wardrobe scrutiny is more intense than ever — which is why Wade has some surprises up his custom-made sleeve.
"We're going with even more colorful pocket squares, and we've shortened his pants hem, so look for tons and tons of colorful socks — and suspenders," Barnett says. "And he started wearing this diamond lapel pin made by Jason of Beverly Hills, so you'll definitely see that."
A reminder, perhaps, of an even more highly prized Jason of Beverly Hills accessory, one that even the best stylist couldn't procure — last year's Lakers NBA Championship ring. | <urn:uuid:44668e7e-184a-43d8-8669-040aa1f9dd43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/fashion/la-ig-basketball-20110417,0,3457368.story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974103 | 1,605 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Good people stay in refugee camps till their children are dead or criminalised. Bad people try to get them out of there, to a new life and a good school.
This is the Tony Abbott position, along with piracy to keep them from that good school. Kidnapping these children on the high seas and dumping them back in Indonesia, or near it.
Bishop Power on Fran Kelly a few minutes ago said this was wrong. A Catholic like Abbott, he said the future Prime Minister’s attitude was not Christian and Jesus, a refugee himself when fleeing Herod’s persecution into Egypt, illegally perhaps, had a different view. The parable of the good Samaritan shows that people not of your faith can be good people, and they are good people if they help a stranger in need. He also said, in Matthew 25:
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepare for the Devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
It is a big step for Tony Abbott to choose hellfire eternal over being good to a needy stranger but it is a choice he has made. He must now I think renounce his faith as he renounced Craig’s vote, or run, run, run like a rabbit from the Cathedral, the way he does, whenever that lesson is read, or loving his neighbour is commended from the pulpit, to his ongoing disgust.
He is in such a moral mess, a mess of his own making, that I fear for his health. Piracy, in order to keep children from a good school in Australia, and it is not only sinful in the rulings if any faith, but a breach of international law occasioning arrest and trial at the Hague.
What a piece of filth you have, my dear old friend, become.
And it’s a pity. | <urn:uuid:d426f219-0b69-4d9a-8e60-ece9a3a9ceef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ellistabletalk.com/2012/07/10/abbott-vs-christ-1-tony-gamely-chooses-hellfire/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976169 | 537 | 1.523438 | 2 |
California and Boston took top honors in the Center for Digital Government's Best of the Web awards program. These annual awards, given by a subsidiary of e.Republic, Inc. (which owns Governing), highlight the top 10 state, county and city portals in the nation that show the highest levels of innovation, functionality and efficiency. The winners for the state and city categories made Web accessibility on mobile devices a priority in 2010.
The top state honor went to California's government portal, CA.gov. Among the site's numerous new features was mobile.ca.gov, a state portal specifically designed for mobile devices.
"You can go on and just look at the applications that have a mobile configuration. Other states have it where you go on, look at a site, and you might or might not be able to look at [the applications] from a mobile device," said California CIO Teri Takai.
"We believe that access to the Internet through mobile devices is going to be one of the fastest growing ways that people are going to access information," Takai continued, "and we want to be ready for that."
She credited the site's win to the employees who redesigned the site. "We just turned everybody loose and provided the tools for them to be successful," she said.
One Best of the Web judge made a similar observation about the value of having so many cooks in the kitchen. "It turns California's biggest challenge (extreme decentralization) into an asset," the judge wrote.
In addition, CA.gov features numerous new applications, including one that pairs citizens seeking volunteer opportunities with appropriate organizations. Another application directs military veterans returning to civilian life toward potential job opportunities. Another feature gives citizens a close look at the reconstruction of the Oakland Bay Bridge. The California Office of the State Chief Information Officer put together much of the technology used for the various applications and taught individual agencies how to make their own applications with it.
"Very innovative and excellent use of Web 2.0 technologies," another judge wrote. "Content is very well organized resulting in a great user experience. The Smart Search allows you to enter a California ZIP code and find localized service and information."
Boston's website was recognized as the top city site for 2010. One of Boston's new mobile device applications alerts citizens when their cars have been towed, and instructs them on where and how to retrieve them. It also explains the reason for the tow.
"This one really changed the way people deal with being towed," said Bill Oates, Boston's CIO.
In the past, according to Boston Department of IT spokeswoman Sara Walsh, a citizen would first notice his or her car was missing and then wonder whether it was stolen or towed. Then the person would call the police department and then the state police, depending on what road the car was on. Citizens frequently made 10 to 12 phone calls before locating their cars, she said.
Now, alerting citizens immediately of a towing saves them money because Boston's towing lots charge for each 24-hour period the cars reside at them, Walsh explained. "If you were at work and you got towed, you may not notice it until you get home after business hours," she said. "That's already a 24-hour fee. You may not get it until the next day."
Boston's website also features mobile applications for alerting citizens before street cleanings occur so that they have a chance to move their cars before getting towed. Another mobile application enables them to submit service requests, like pothole repairs, and notifies them when requests have been executed. And the site's new Citizens Connect feature aggregates more than 300 citizen transactions in a central spot, for which the city's Web team labeled each service with self-explanatory language, rather than government jargon.
"Good use of Web 2.0 tools," a judge wrote about Boston. "The site offers the ability for users to translate the site in multiple languages and return back to English if necessary."
Chesterfield County, Va., won the top county spot. County staff believes the site's primary improvement is its clean new layout, said Robert Freeland, manager of digital government for the county. The previous website design was "sort of like the old tacky lights tour," he said.
"The unique presentation layer offers an intuitive user interface," wrote a judge about Chesterfield County. "Good use of graphics, easy consistent navigation."
The top five winners in each category are listed below. For information about the finalists, please visit the Center for Digital Government website.
You may use or reference this story with attribution and a link to | <urn:uuid:af99391b-8858-4a4d-a45a-a8f96413a246> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.governing.com/topics/technology/CA-Boston-Mobile-Apps-Best-of-Web.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962465 | 947 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Police shot and wounded a 23-year-old gunman who opened fire on a Harlem street Sunday evening, cops said.
Franklyn Nunez was in stable condition at Harlem Hospital with wounds to his chest and thigh after the 6:30 p.m. confrontation outside a 99-cent store on Frederick Douglass Blvd. and 143rd St.
Police said they recovered the suspect’s Colt .45.
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Nunez was part of a crowd hanging out on the street but started to walk away as police approached.
Nunez broke into a run as the two cops started to follow him.
“He turns and fires a .45-caliber Colt 1911 pistol twice,” Browne said.
One of the officers returned fire twice, hitting Nunez twice, he said.
Although several witnesses said they did not see Nunez holding a gun as he was shot while leaping over a car, a police source said the young man had the firearm in his hand when he hit the sidewalk.
“The cop saw he was getting away and shot him,” said Jasmine Little, 19, of Harlem.
In the immediate and somewhat chaotic aftermath of the shooting, some Harlem residents sought to view the shooting in the broader context of race and recent gun violence, recalling the cases of Ramarley Graham, 18, who was fatally shot by a police officer in the Bronx last month, and Trayvon Martin, 17, whose death in Florida has set off a national outcry in the weeks since he was shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer.
The victims in those shootings were unarmed.
Some residents berated officers as they gathered at the scene of the gunfire, apparently unaware of the circumstances of the shooting. One man shouted, “No justice, no peace!” — a phrase repeated often, and conveyed on signs, at recent rallies organized in the Florida teenager’s memory.
“Trayvon will raise the spirits of everyone who is shot like this,” said one woman, who gave only her first name, Jo. “But as you can see, it’s still going to happen.”
Immediately after the shooting, the scene grew tense as a crowd gathered and began chanting “No justice. No peace!” | <urn:uuid:5f080511-a644-498f-92bf-0593cd9fb738> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://harlemworldmag.com/2012/03/26/nypd-shoot-23-year-old-gunman-in-harlem/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980754 | 478 | 1.5 | 2 |
WASHINGTON, (AFP) - An obese death row inmate in the US state of Ohio has asked a court for a stay of execution, saying lethal injection would be "torturous and lingering" due to his weight.
Ronald Post, 53, was convicted of murdering a hotel clerk during an armed robbery and has been on death row for 28 years. He is scheduled for execution on January 16, a state prison official said.
Post now weighs more than 480 pounds (220 kilograms).
"Given his unique physical and medical condition, there is a substantial risk that any attempt to execute him will result in serious physical and psychological pain to him, as well as an execution involving a torturous and lingering death," says a motion filed by his attorneys.
"Ronald Post is not asking for a stay because he is obese," his attorney Joseph Wilhelm said in a statement, citing other legal issues in the case that he says are unresolved.
But Wilhelm said an anesthesiologist had determined that "Ohio's execution protocol simply will not work on Post. If it kills him at all, it could take up to 16 hours."
The lawyer has invoked Post's right under the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects citizens against cruel and unusual punishment.
Unlike other states, Ohio only conducts executions by lethal injection, with a single dose of pentobarbital. No alternative method is offered.
In the court papers filed last week, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, lawyers say that four years ago, emergency medical personnel at a university hospital in Ohio had to try three times to insert an IV into Post's arm.
The execution gurney table also might not support Post's weight, the filing said.
Post has tried to lose weight through exercise, but joint problems have impeded his efforts.
At one facility, "he used that prison's exercise bike until it broke under his weight," the court filing says.
Post asked to be allowed to undergo gastric bypass surgery, but his request was denied. His severe depression makes dieting difficult.
Wilhelm said Post should get a stay of execution due to other mitigating factors in his case.
"Ronald Post deserves relief from his death sentence because of numerous questionable legal issues in his case. If he is executed, he deserves the quick and painless execution promised by Ohio law," the lawyer said. | <urn:uuid:ba03bb48-04e4-4d1b-b796-8c84c809f5f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/health/detail/5?page=19&token=ODkwODgzZjQxMmViNDA2OTNlNzU5YzY4YWY4NDdj | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986881 | 484 | 1.523438 | 2 |
As Kenya continues to transition from a one-party nation to a liberal democracy, churches from various traditions are coming together to encourage constructive dialogue between the two major political parties and restore peace. The narrow re-election of President Mwai Kibaki, a Catholic, over opposition leader Raila Odinga sparked allegations of fraud and led to violence and rioting that has left an estimated 600 dead and 200,000 forced from their homes.
Aaron Sundsmo of Amahoro Africa, a Christian peace organization, asks Christians worldwide to push for an international focus on the concerns that come out of poverty and to assess how to give practical aid to those affected by the conflict. “The church needs to be involved in both prayer but also in voting and in the whole political process,” Sundsmo said in a newsletter. “And [Christians] should start studying politics and getting involved in political parties to make a change. Those people who want to see change, they need to be involved in the political process. God will honor that.” | <urn:uuid:96b97899-c390-404e-bf04-ff17c3cec697> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sojo.net/magazine/2008/04/christians-push-peace-kenya?quicktabs_top_magazine_articles=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965672 | 216 | 1.75 | 2 |
Early baseball in Massachusetts/Predecessor Game 38
From SABR Encyclopedia
|Spread of baseball: Home -> Massachusetts -> Early baseball in Massachusetts/Predecessor Game 38|
|This record has been submitted recently, and has not yet been reviewed. This does not imply that the information is incorrect, but that it is not yet included in official datasets. This notice will no longer appear once the record has been reviewed.|
|Name of game||Wicket|
"WICKET BALL – The ball players of this city [Hartford CT] met with those of Granville Mass. [about 12 miles east of Springfield] in accordance with a challenge from the latter . . . on Wednesday last, for the purpose of trying their skill at the game of "Wicket." The sides were made up of 25 men each, and the arrangement was to play nine games, but the Hartford players beating them five times in succession, the game was considered fairly decided, and the remaining four games were not played."
Pittsfield Sun, Sunday, July 2, 1840; reprinted from the Hartford Times. Provided by Richard Hershberger, 7/30/2007. Note: It may be that the match was a best-of-nine set of games to a specified number of runs. Was this arrangement common in wicket? | <urn:uuid:c5e1c310-4a9e-4e5b-88d9-17480e8a1531> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sabrpedia.org/wiki/Early_baseball_in_Massachusetts/Predecessor_Game_38 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964541 | 272 | 1.5625 | 2 |
WAWG receives award for environmental excellence
November 28, 2012
The state of Washington’s highest environmental honors went to WAWG and the Ritzville Warehouse Company during the wheat growers’ annual awards banquet.
The Department of Ecology (Ecology) presented two Environmental Excellence Awards at the event, singling out the two entities for their “extra mile” work to protect the environment while they do business that supports Washington’s economy.
Ecology Regional Director Grant Pfeifer presented the award to WAWG for supporting and participating over the years in the efforts of the Agricultural Burning and Research Task Force. Pfeifer said the task force has “...improved the lives of Eastern Washington citizens by eliminating smoky days while maintaining fire as an important tool for farming.”
The agricultural burning task force has been working with WAWG and its membership for 20 years to develop and support Ecology’s agricultural burn program.
“We have worked as a team to make our internationally recognized smoke management and permitting program successful in Washington and a model for others,” Pfeifer said.
Early this year, the task force reinforced its commitment to clean air by voting to increase the acreage fee to help keep the program alive and well. That’s a fee that some wheat-farming task force members have to pay, too.
Pfeifer also presented an Environmental Excellence Award to John Anderson, president of Ritzville Warehouse Company, for going through big growth and changes over the years while still complying with all air quality regulations. | <urn:uuid:9043bd6a-aaa5-4d0a-af45-cbf583d445bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wheatlife.org/Dec2012_airaward.html | 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 | 0.945714 | 325 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Earthquake-report.com was created by the same people who wanted to do something constructive when the Haiti earthquake struck. Our goal was making an iPhone app that would be able to trace people if they where caught in the rubble and to facilitate immediate messages to friends and family in case of safety.
We encourage New Zealanders to install and register the application and to use it as much as possible if a serious aftershock would strike again.
Another MAJOR ISSUEÂ we experienced today in Christchurch, is that the Cell Phone Towers were still working well on batteries, even when the power was out.
This is the review published in Appcraver.com, a specialized review site for iPhone applications
Though I™ve seen a pretty wide variety of iPhone apps in every category and admittedly don™t know all of them by a long shot, Quake SOS is the first app I™ve seen that is designed for use in a natural disaster emergency. A combination of an alert system for victims of earthquakes and an earthquake information guide, Quake SOS is a free app and requires registration to use effectively.
Quake SOS allows users to provide contact information of family and friends and to alert them if you are in an earthquake. You can notify your contacts that you are safe, or that you need help, whichever your situation would warrant.
Other useful information includes an earthquake database of sorts that updates every time you launch Quake SOS. It provides information such as when and where earthquakes have occurred, the Richter scale magnitude and depth of the quake, and a map displaying the actual location.
Registered users can notify others if they felt the quake and see the number of users reporting safe. Quake SOS also includes news pertaining to specific quakes.
While the one notable issue regarding the effectiveness of Quake SOS is the fact that a signal is required for it to work, it remains a plausible source of information and assistance in the face of a natural disaster. The signal requirement could certainly pose a problem, depending on the situation. Obviously smaller quakes probably won™t take out satellite towers and internet signals, but larger ones certainly could. In that case, no information could be sent or gathered. It would really depend and reliability is certainly unpredictable.
Available for free in the iTunes App store : | <urn:uuid:b2f06a70-1709-4886-b16b-ec310d1dd19f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://earthquake-report.com/2010/09/04/quakesos-a-free-iphone-app-of-big-value-in-case-of-an-earthquake/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952333 | 466 | 1.53125 | 2 |
University of Michigan planning bachelor's degree in information studies for 2014
The way the world disseminates, collects and consumes information is rapidly changing and the University of Michigan is seeking to expand its academic programs to reflect that shift.
U-M's School of Information and the provost office are petitioning the Board of Regents during its Thursday meeting in Dearborn to approve a new bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in information.
U-M currently offers master's and doctoral degrees in information. The School of Information was established in 1996, replacing the School of Information and Library Science.
"The radical transformation of our world by personal computing, the Internet and intelligent mobile devices is clear. Something of deeper intellectual significance has happened in tandem with the technical and commercial developments," U-M Provost Philip Hanlon and Jeffrey K. MacKie-Mason, dean of the School of Information, wrote in a memo to regents. "Information has crystalized as a genuine academic field of study that provides a coherent perspective on what makes information valuable, memorable and powerful in our lives and societies."
According to Hanlon and MacKie-Mason, the program will teach strategies for changing information flows, eliciting new or hard-to-gather information, making information accessible, and aggregating, presenting and analyzing information.
The proposed program was approved by Information faculty in February and, if approved by regents, would begin in the fall of 2014.
The School of Literature, Science and Arts currently jointly administers bachelor of arts and science in informatics, which 141 undergraduates were enrolled in last year. Those students take classes in LSA, School of Information and the College of Engineering and can specialize in data mining and social computing, among other things. Career choices for such students range from data analysis to e-marketing to algorithm engineering.
Another 381 students are enrolled in master-level degrees and 49 are pursuing their doctorates. Hanlon and Mackie-Mason said the new degree offering "will build on... initial exploratory efforts in providing information education for undergraduates."
Although bachelor's degrees in information studies are gradually becoming more common, many schools don't offer them. The highly ranked University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill information school offers a bachelor's degree in information science, but the similarly ranked school at University of Illinois does not.
This is the second degree expansion for the U-M School of Information this year.
In December the Board of Regents approved a new master's degree in health informatics, a field that leverages information technologies to maintain and improve health and patient care. That program begins this fall. | <urn:uuid:6c4f203d-80bd-4ab3-99dc-d9fc6fda6619> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://annarbor.com/news/university-of-michigan-may-offer-bachelors-in-information-in-2014/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944839 | 539 | 1.585938 | 2 |
CAMP PENDLETON - On a complex battlefield where the enemy blends
in with the civilian population, Marines are often forced to make
View A Video
Is the bulge beneath the Iraqi man's clothing hiding a bomb? Is
the apparent cell phone being carried by another actually a
remote-control device ready to set off a roadside bomb?
Inside a former tomato plant two miles down a dirt road near
this base's Camp San Mateo, a $2.5 million "Infantry Immersion
Trainer" is helping Marines prepare for that kind of scenario, the
kind troops face routinely on the dusty streets of Iraq.
Using simulators and actors portraying insurgents and Iraqi
civilians, the high-tech training center offers troops a virtual
combat environment experience.
"We are in the throes of an irregular war and we owe it to our
Marines to prepare them to make the right legal, moral and ethical
decisions," said Col. Clarke Lethin, chief of staff of Camp
Pendleton's I Marine Expeditionary Force.
"What they face in Iraq is one of the toughest things to
replicate in training," he said.
Lethin and Marine Corps officials walked about 75 defense
industry representatives through the simulated village Tuesday and
told the group that they were ready to buy their best ideas to
enhance the training experience.
The industry reps also were in town for a two-day weapons and
equipment exhibition that starts at the base this morning.
Tuesday's focus, however, was all about training Marines in how
to tell friend from foe, when to shoot and when to hold back.
One of the Marines showing how the troops react in the various
scenarios was Lance Cpl. Jason Trehan, a 24-year-old Ohio native
who returned from his fourth Iraq assignment in November.
"It's pretty realistic and a lot like what we do face," Trehan
said. "It could be bigger, though. Bigger is always better," he
said, in reference to the somewhat cramped series of rooms and low
Trehan said a higher ceiling that would accommodate rooftops
would more accurately depict a typical Iraqi village.
One of the defense industry contractors, former Marine and Iraq
veteran Eddie Wright, 32, of Seattle, said the facility reminded
him of the streets of Fallujah - streets where he lost both his
hands to a rocket-propelled grenade attack in April 2004.
"This gives us an urban environment much like the fight we are
in now," said Wright, who was awarded the Bronze Star with a combat
decoration for valor.
He now works as the military training coordinator at Strategic
Operations, a 20-acre virtual training facility for the military
and law enforcement in San Diego.
A lance corporal assigned to Camp Pendleton's 1st Reconnaissance
Battalion when he was injured, Wright was eventually promoted to
sergeant before being medically retired from the service.
He said the simulated village, its actors and projection screens
get "Marines thinking the way they're supposed to."
Opened in December, the center joins simulated villages at
Miramar Marine Corps Air Station and the Air Ground Combat Center
at Twentynine Palms as places that train local troops before they
head off to Iraq. | <urn:uuid:4796936b-f9b4-42a9-9c3d-f98f24cc78ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2008/jan/16/marine-training-gets-high-tech-help/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959403 | 700 | 1.515625 | 2 |
ReadWriteWeb provided details on near field communication (NFC) might be used by foursquare to make it easier to check-in to certain retail venues without the need to open the app and manually perform a search. Using NFC, the user merely swipes the mobile device near an NFC tag. Since people merely forget to "check-in" this new option certainly facilitates the process and lowers the barrier to utilizing location-based apps. It might even further the benefits of location-based adverting. See also our coverage of Blue Bite (1, 2).
by Joe Francica on 11/28 at 12:02 PM |
TripAdvisor have launched a set of free android apps providing city guides for 20 popular world cities, and for the maps they've used
Each of the following cities has a dedicated app on the android marketplace: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Florence, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Las Vegas, London,
Los Angeles, New York City, Orlando, Paris, Rome, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, and Washington D.C.,
This means the apps are free and can be downloaded and hosted on the phone.
- OpenGeoData Blog
Here's the press release
on the map. It notes: "Mapping is provided by MapQuest. Map data by OpenStreetMap and contributors and released on a cc-by-sa 2.0 license."
In what I believe is a momentously progressive move for open data in South Africa, NGI [ National Geo-spatial Information aka South Africa's national mapping organisation] is in the process of signing an agreement with OSM. It is a modified version of NGI’s standard ‘Map Data Services Provider’ agreement whereby third parties can distribute NGI data. What this means is that OSM will incorporate all the most recent South African topographical vector data from NGI. NGI data have been free and open for several years but this will make them accessible as never before.
NGI will retain copyright over its data and they will be distributed under OSM’s Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic licence and in future under the Open Database Licence.
In return, NGI will obtain updates and corrections as generated by OSM’s community of contributors and incorporate them into its data maintenance workflow.
by Adena Schutzberg on 11/28 at 06:32 AM |
Pulse, still in Nokia Beta Labs, aims to be a "one click" soution to share and archive all the relevant data of a mobile conversation. The example in the video below is not all that compelling: Mom at kid's soccer game, captures daughter scoring on video, shares with Dad, plans celebration over pizze, sends Dad map. It's very private and apparently stores all the data for each Pulse "conversation." Like many in the YouTube stream comments, I'm not sure I get it.
by Adena Schutzberg on 11/28 at 03:00 AM |
"Customers aren't saying, 'give me the data in this format; they are saying give me the data!'," says Scott Robinson, Pitney Bowes Business Insight's (PBBI), Director, Global Data Products. "As we start this concept of making the data on demand ... we are going to market with the notion of Geosk as a fulfillment platform."
It's always been a dilemma for most geospatial professionals to have immediate access to data. Unlike the 1980's when data was delivered on tape or even the early 90's when data was delivered on tens of CD's, today it is unacceptable not to have immediate access. With cloud storage offering better options to host larger data sets, business models are emerging that allows users to take down data on demand.
DigitalGlobe's ImageConnect, GeoEye's EyeQ, and Esri's ArcGIS Online are all offering options for taking down data on demand. But PBBI wants to take it a step further by putting an emphasis on content management. "The area that we think as potentially big opp. Is in content management…where is data that we purchased; where is that project data that we did; where is that content that we purchased, said Robinson."
PBBI's technology stack is comprised of WeoGeo forming the backbone with Safe Software's FME serving to extract data as needed by the client. The ability to deliver data in exactly the right format and extents was key. Clients want to immediately know what data is available and can they see it. PBBI's objective was to cut the cycle times for getting data to the customer. In addition, Robinson sees PBBI on a metadata journey to provide clients with value and currency because he believes it forms the backbone of search.
With Geosk, officially launched last week, their data as a service (DaaS) platform, PBBI is taking their library of data and offering a one-stop shop for demographic and business data. But Robinson sees some hurdles ahead. "The challenge will be how we evolve this. Today it is a download model; can it evolve to support a web app and not deal with any locally stored data." Robinson thinks this is the next wave and the ability to accessing hosted data and rent it. Today the ability to "cookie-cut" only the data you want from a certain area in place now as is per unit pricing. Licensing is always going to be a challenge but PBBI thinks it has thought the problem through and believes it has a leg up on the competition.
by Joe Francica on 11/28 at 02:25 AM | | <urn:uuid:b226a16d-2ac2-4428-b04b-636995244e25> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apb.directionsmag.com/archives/2011/11/28/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936649 | 1,163 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Indonesia finds black box part of crashed Russia jet
An Indonesian search team has found part of the black box of a Russian Sukhoi Superjet plane that crashed killing all 45 people on board.
The plane vanished 50 minutes after taking off from Jakarta for a brief demonstration flight on 9 May.
The voice recorder, which was badly burned and had lost its distinctive orange colour, was found about 100m from the tail of the plane.
The flight data recorder remains missing, officials say.
Earlier reports suggested that both parts were recovered.
"The thing that we found is CVR or cockpit voice recorder," Daryatmo, the head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, said during a press conference.
"I asked the controllers in the field and all rescuers, especially the rescue team from military and police to continue searching for FDR (flight data recorder)," said the official, who goes by one name.
Tatang Kurniadi, who heads the National Transportation Safety Commission, said the data from the device that was found would be analysed in Indonesia with help from Russian experts.
It will take between two to three weeks for any details to be revealed, says the BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta.Sales tour
Eight Russian pilots and technicians, Indonesian airline representatives and journalists were among those said to be on board the plane.
The plane took off from east Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma airport at 14:00 (07:00 GMT) on 9 May, on its second flight of the day.
At 14:50, it was recorded as dropping from 10,000ft (3,000m) to 6,000ft near Salak, a peak measuring 7,200ft (2,200m).
Villagers living in the area reported seeing a plane flying low into the mountain area.
The crash came with Sukhoi officials on an Asia-wide tour to show off their aircraft to airline firms.
The Superjet, a mid-range airliner that can carry up to 100 people, is military plane-maker Sukhoi's first commercial aviation plane.
It was created by a joint venture, majority-owned by Sukhoi, with Italy's Finmeccanica and a number of other foreign and Russian firms also involved. | <urn:uuid:21a5280a-2750-4532-8a42-43d5372c2ad8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18081983 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972998 | 474 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Months after a vote allowing its police officers to carry Tasers, West Point City Council formally agreed Monday on the makeup of a formal committee to review its use of force.
Council voted unanimously to form a Taser Use Review Committee, which will be in place for 24 months and made up of three members from law enforcement groups such as the Georgia Sheriff’s Association and other outside agencies. City Manager Ed Moon will choose the three members.
It’s a drastic change from the first “Citizen’s Review Committee” that first was proposed as a condition of allowing Tasers on the streets. Council had been split on the formation of a citizen’s group and debate had at times turned divisive.
The disagreement came to a head in September when council split down the middle on a vote to officially form the group and Mayor Drew Ferguson IV chose not to break the tie
“Everyone agreed this was the best route to go,” Ferguson said of Monday’s vote.
After both sides compromised, Councilman Ben Wilcox proposed last week that the members who were not in favor of a review committee at all would drop their objections if it was formed as a Taser use committee made up of law enforcement representatives.
“This gave everyone peace of mind,” Ferguson said. “This is a committee that will be transparent and serve the community well. (Council) really put some thought into this and worked on a tough issue. They realized progress is what happens when compromise is made.”
West Point police have had Tasers for about three months now, but have yet to use them in an incident. | <urn:uuid:6f950354-2d64-4e51-a564-4ad748cca20f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lagrangenews.com/view/full_story/20412110/article-West-Point-creates-Taser-review-group?instance=popular | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98132 | 340 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Age 93, of Aiea, Hawaii, passed away May 3, 2012 in Honolulu. Born March 24, 1919 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Shiro was the owner and founder of Shiro’s Saimin Haven w/locations in Waimalu, Ewa Beach and Waipahu. He was a proud graduate of McKinley High School’s class of 1937 and was inducted to the McKinley High Wall of Honor and the McKinley High ROTC Wall of Honor. He was active in community service, giving motivational speeches to Senior Citizens’ Clubs statewide, to various elementary schools, Rotary Clubs and other organizations. He served as a chef for Governor Burns. He was one of the first cooking instructors at Kapiolani Community College. He was one of the original instructors for the Weed & Seed Program in Ewa Beach. In 2007, he was invited to speak at Japan’s Waseda University. In 2003, he was proudly recognized as a Statesman of Goodwill by Governor Linda Lingle.
For over 30 years, he penned hundreds of original poems and sayings which he published weekly in Dining Out.
He is survived by son, Alan (Theresa) Matsuo; daughter, Linda Matsuo & Aaron Lee; 6 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren.
Visitation 4:30 p.m. Wednesday (May 30) at Mililani Mortuary Mauka Chapel; Funeral Service 6:00 p.m. Casual Attire. No flowers, please. | <urn:uuid:9f33af61-a918-47a9-b46c-b9329233cc33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://obits.staradvertiser.com/2012/05/27/franz-shiro-matsuo-aka-mistah-saimin/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961869 | 318 | 1.5625 | 2 |
By Dr. Joyce The Caring Heart Spokane, Wa.
“…And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” (Matt. 6:12)
Yes, forgiveness is good for the healing of the souls of the wounded
ones, and also for the physical health of the body. Smoldering anger
and resentment help no one and solve nothing, but rather perpetuate
dysfunctional unharmonious relationships and lives. When the
persons involved in the hurtful happening are normally healthy mental and
emotional beings, forgiveness can offer a new, clean start to the
relationship. A good, new, fresh start, and with sensitive people
involved, harmony can grow.
But, under other circumstances, forgiveness by itself can be DANGEROUS! Verbal and physical abuse are absolutely rampant in our culture these days. Abusers are NOT normally mentally and emotionally healthy, but have core personality problems they are not aware of. They believe they are just fine, have no idea they are really abusers, and haven’t got a clue as to what is driving their harmful behavior towards people and animals. Usually, even with a cooperative abuser and a carefully planned therapeutic program, treatment takes several years and may or may not be successful.
THEREFORE, BE AWARE! The typical abuser loves to have a helpless, sweet, weak, forgiving victim, often blaming the victim and telling the victim it is all his or her fault. Wives, especially, often go overboard trying to please the abusing husband, going through thousands of painful, traumatic episodes, and making endless excuses for him.
In such cases where real abuse is occurring, kind, forgiving, treatment and being a “doormat” will not help the abuser or anyone else. What is needed are firm limits on the abuser and a comprehensive therapeutic program with a very skilled therapist. If true remediation of the abuser is not possible because of uncooperativeness, lack of money or lack of other access, the victim simply needs to get away from and live away from the abuser. Just like animals need to be taken away from cruel, negligent owners, wives, children, friends, aged parents, workers on the jobs, and etc. need to get away from habitual abusers and to stay away all possible. Abusers can and will continue to destroy. Forgiving them “77 times 7” just gives them convenient freedom to go on with a willing victim who lacks insight as to what is really going on.
Years ago it really bothered me about how the forgiveness doctrine was implemented by church leaders. The hurting person was told he or she was the faulty one because of having not forgiven, therefore having a faulty relationship with God. The answer for the whole problem was to forgive. That would fix everything! The hurting person was told he or she was still hurting because of not having forgiven. The person who did the hurting thing was, for some inexplicable reason, entirely excused and just fine. Free to hurt again. And again. Relationship problems were never really explored or dealt with either, and so no problems were solved.
In contrast, as a Washington State employee, I was involved in many problem situations. I remember meetings in which all aspects of a problem were explored, and, if certain personnel had caused a problem, that was pinpointed, and the person told to stop causing the problem, and better ways of doing things were talked about until the best arrangement could be agreed upon, In short, the wisest supervisors really looked into what had gone on to cause the problem, and if certain persons were to blame in ways, they were held ACCOUNTABLE! The guilty parties were not treated unkindly either, but were listened to, understood, and asked to change what they were doing. Actual problem solving had taken place in a very good way. (Seems to me that when paychecks are at stake, like they are with state employees, people are much more willing to “shape up.”)
God is talked about as being a just God. Expecting a traumatized victim to go on forgiving only to be traumatized again and again IS NOT JUSTICE, KINDNESS, or anything of the kind. People keep hurting because they have been hurt, not MERELY because they haven’t forgiven. Usually, if not always, a lot of different, extremely uncomfortable feelings are going on in a person who has been assaulted in some way. They can feel terrified, low self-esteem, depression, confusion and, where loss has been involved, grief. Anger, which forgiving is designed to take away, is certainly not the only overwhelming feeling the person is experiencing. A traumatized individual is just that – tramatized He or she needs much time to pass in a safe place in order to process, mentally and emotionally, what has happened. Talking with God and sensitive, loving others can make the vital difference in healing. In the end, such mental and emotional healing cannot be hurried; it takes its own time. Hopefully, deep scars will not have formed.
Yes, people who have been hurt should forgive, when they are ready. But, how unkind it can be to tell a traumatized person that the ONLY thing wrong with them is that they have not forgiven.
Copyright 2011 The Caring Heart Dr. Joyce | <urn:uuid:851c346b-3b5b-40d3-a7c8-295ff9307ba2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.all-creatures.org/tch/forgivebut.html | 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 | 0.97841 | 1,097 | 1.796875 | 2 |
A Better Solution For Federal Education Spending & Controlling Future Tuition Increases
As Obama and Romney lay out their plans for Federal Education Funding Reform, I thought it would be a good time to summarize the two sides of the issue so that my fans, followers, and connections can decide for themselves.
Full Disclosure: I will, as always, give my opinion on the issue, which happens to be a non-partisan policy suggestion.
Four-Year College costs have risen 72% above the rate of inflation over the past decade.
According to the Bank of New York, Americans owe over $900 billion in student loans
The average American borrower owes over $24,000 in student loans
To combat rising costs, President Obama has proposed raising the Maximum Pell Grant award (a program which costs American Taxpayers approximately $36 billion each year) from $5,500 to $5,635 next year. He would also extend the “American Opportunity” tax credit (which he originally enacted in 2009) at a cost of $13 billion dollars each year.
Romney/Ryan would hold the Maximum Pell Grant Award at $5,500/year, and push for more private loans instead of federal loans, thinking this would lower rising costs over the long term (though they do not spell out exactly how that logic plays out).
The real problem here is that colleges have not been held accountable to keep their costs under control. Obama’s strategy attacks a side-effect of this problem, by trying to give students more money to counter the effects of the rising costs, but his strategy ignores the actual issue of rising tuition costs. Romney’s strategy is largely undefined, and seems to be aimed at lowering total federal spending on education, but it is not clear on how this will improve the situation.
Better Solution – Only Offer Federal Loans For Colleges Who Keep Tuition Steady
We should not offer federal loans to students attending universities who continue to raise their tuition…PERIOD.
In short, if a college raises their tuition year over year, every one of their students should instantly become ineligible for federal student loans the following year. If this were to happen, thousands of students would likely have to face a decision on whether to transfer schools.
Wait, wouldn’t this hurt the students and not the universities? Absolutely not! And here’s why…
How hard do you think this would make universities work to control costs and keep their tuition costs steady? Suddenly, colleges would be forced to control costs, budget more effectively, and keep tuition rates steady year over year. The Federal Government could help students more with this simple, cost-free rule change than it ever will by throwing money at side-effects of the actual problem. | <urn:uuid:9fb71796-9780-458e-9acd-e43541554ff5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://toddhagopian.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/a-better-solution-for-federal-education-spending-controlling-future-tuition-increases/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960941 | 559 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Mon October 22, 2012
Quinnipiac Poll has Obama up by five points in Ohio
President Obama leads GOP challenger Mitt Romney by five percentage points in the critical swing state of Ohio, according to a Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times poll released Monday morning.
But a poll from Public Policy Polling, a Democratic polling firm based in North Carolina, released an Ohio poll Saturday that showed only one percentage point separates Obama and Romney - 49 percent for Obama, 48 percent for Romney.
The new Quinnipiac Poll credits a large gender gap for the finding that Obama has 50 percent support in Ohio as opposed to 45 percent for Romney. It showed 55 percent of women voters backing Obama, compared to 40 per cent for Romney, while Romney led among male voters 51 to 44 percent.
"The good news for Gov. Romney is that he has sliced President Obama's lead in half in the last month,'' said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the polling institute at Quinnipiac University, which polls in key battleground states. "The bad news for Romney is that no Republican has ever won the White House without carrying Ohio and the challenger is running out of time to make up the remaining difference."
In Ohio's U.S. Senate race, Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown held a nine percentage point lead - 51-42 - over state treasurer Josh Mandel.
Quinnipiac polled 1,548 likely Ohio voters between Oct. 17-20. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 percent. | <urn:uuid:a5d0f66d-d7fe-49cb-b072-74200ffb57d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wvxu.org/post/quinnipiac-poll-has-obama-five-points-ohio | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946186 | 313 | 1.5 | 2 |
Sewickley police among those warning residents to be wary of phone scams
By Kristina Serafini
Published: Wednesday, January 30, 2013, 9:00 p.m.
Updated: Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Local police are reminding residents to be careful about what personal information they give out over the phone.
In the past few weeks, two Sewickley residents reported they either had been scammed out of money or the victim of an attempted scam.
One resident told police he had been swindled out of more than $1,500 over a two-month period this past fall after receiving a call from someone telling him his computer was infected with a virus.
When the resident reported the incident earlier this month, he told police the caller said they would need $10 and the man's bank account number to fix the issue.
A short time later, he noticed $768 missing and called his bank to report the transaction and close the account.
The man told police he was again contacted by the same individual who apologized for the mistake and said he would need the man's new account number to refund the money.
The man gave the caller his new account number and later noticed two withdraws of $405 from his account.
Sewickley Chief Jim Ersher said these types of scams are nothing new.
“It's a constant thing. People always have to be careful of what info they give out,” he said.
Like Sewickley, police in other areas around Pittsburgh said they sporadically receive reports from residents who have gotten phone calls from people trying to cheat them out of their money.
Police said the phone calls run the gamut of reports that a family member has been jailed in another country and money is needed for the person's safe return to promises that sending in a small amount of money will yield a big return.
“They take different forms all of the time,” Baldwin Borough police Chief Michael Scott said.
These types of calls began to surface about 10 years ago as ever-growing technology has made them easier, Scott said.
Sewickley Capt. Rich Manko said the Internet makes it easier for crooks to target individuals.
“In today's age with Google and Mapquest (a person) can zero in on your house with search criteria,” Manko said.
“A little bit of information can be dangerous.”
In an effort to make residents aware, Scott said he typically reviews incidents of phone scams at borough council meetings.
In Ross Township earlier this month, officer Michael Thomas sent those on his Crimewatch email list a scam warning involving Duquesne Light.
Officials from the power company reported some customers receiving calls stating if a payment wasn't made, their service will be terminated immediately.
The customers were instructed to purchase pre-paid credit cards to pay off the alleged amount.
Duquesne Light officials said the company does not call customers on the day of a scheduled termination for non-payment, nor does it ask customers to purchase pre-paid credit cards to submit payments with.
When it comes to dealing with these types of calls, use common sense, police advise.
If the caller says a relative is in jail and money is needed for bail, try contacting the family member first before handing over money to a stranger, Scott said.
The same goes for callers claiming that you've won a sum of money, but must pay a fee in order to get it.
“If you won money, why would you have to give them money to get it?” Whitehall deputy police Chief Richard Danko said.
Ersher said the best line of defense is to know who you are doing business with and not giving out personal information over the phone.
“And if it sounds too good to be true, it is.”
Stephanie Hacke contributed to this report. Kristina Serafini is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-324-1405 or [email protected].
- Pets set to take center stage in Sewickley
- Sewickley Unleashed returns May 18
- Annual Nationality Days festival to be held Friday-Sunday in Ambridge
- After 19 years, students from St. James School in Sewickley take Battle of the Books title
- Author’s first novel has Sewickley flair
- Photos: Mr. Quaker Valley pageant held
- Editor’s Notebook: At a garage sale, it is much more fun to be the buyer
- American Cancer Society seeking Sewickley Valley volunteers for historic study
- Full weekend of Memorial Day activities planned in Sewickley
- Funding needed for Sewickley theater
- Quaker Valley senior earns Eagle Scout honors
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Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers. | <urn:uuid:3fcbb945-e739-427a-97e2-5f647e4ff0e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yoursewickley/yoursewickleymore/3355457-74/police-money-phone | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96582 | 1,046 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The Gaza truce: Is the Muslim Brotherhood now a “peace partner”?
Hamas will certainly claim victory from having survived Israel’s latest onslaught and from striking fear into Israelis by firing missiles as far north as Tel Aviv, as well as advancing its strategic goal of lifting the blockade. But a truce that requires Hamas to enforce the peace with Israel also poses challenges to a movement that claims the mantle of “resistance.” While the smaller Iran-aligned Islamic Jihad in Gaza has signed on to the truce as well, Hamas will be forced to restrain Salafist groups– possibly even violently. That will be a test. Many of these militant organizaitons are composed of former Hamas fighters disillusioned by what they see as the movement’s abandonment of resistance.
There is another irony. Rather than marginalizing and isolating Hamas–a stated U.S. and Israeli goal–Israel’s operation “has only enhanced the centrality of that organization,” notes Council on Foreign Relations analyst Robert Danin. “That by-product is entirely consistent with Israel’s aim — to compel Hamas to take responsibility for developments in Gaza… Israel’s goal now is not to destroy Hamas, but to compel it to behave more responsibly and keep order in Gaza. Much of the mortar fire over the past year against southern Israel has been launched by groups more radical than Hamas. By holding Hamas responsible, Israel inadvertently bolsters Hamas’ standing and legitimacy as the ultimate power-broker and arbiter in Gaza.”
That opens interesting possibilities. If things are normalized in Gaza with Hamas in charge, Hamas effectively becomes a second Palestinian mini-statelet. Some Israelis believe that would be a very good idea. | <urn:uuid:86791b77-cd0b-47c6-aff2-898e9f368a97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2012/11/22/the-gaza-truce-is-the-muslim-brotherhood-now-a-peace-partner/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955214 | 359 | 1.695313 | 2 |
- Oct 28, 2008 1:29 AM EST
- [num] Comments
I'm writing this because of a rhetorical question posed at the Digital Photography School: "Do Photographers have Rights?"
If you're a photographer sooner or later someone's going to ask you to stop taking pictures. It's happened to me more than once--a few days ago in a local state park! In this post-9/11 world you might think it's warranted. In fact a few years ago New York was considering banning photography in the subway. They relented.
"Not having a ban will not hinder the NYPD's efforts to safeguard the city's vast transit system. - NY Daily News 5/22/05
The New York City decision was made after careful thought and advice. That's not how it works for most of us taking pictures while out-and-about. You point your camera. Someone gets ticked. Words are spoken.
Surprising to most people whose picture is being taken--you can't just say no. The subject of a photograph has few rights to prevent his picture from being taken. I am not a lawyer, so I sought one out to help. Carolyn Wright is an attorney who maintains PhotoAttorney.com a site to protect your rights as a photographer. So does the subject have a say, Carolyn?
"Generally, when people are in public areas, the people have no expectation of privacy so the photographer does not violate anyone's right of privacy when taking their photo. "
Therefore, if you can see it from the street or other public place you can snap away. But taking a photo doesn't open up the flood gates for free and unfettered use.
"After the photo is taken, however, the photographer should be concerned with the person's right of publicity. A photographer violates a person's right of publicity when, without permission, the photographer uses a photo of a person for the photographer's own benefit, sometimes referred to as "commercial" use as opposed to an "editorial" use."
A textbook example, literally, is Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co. A freelance photographer working for a TV station shot the entire human cannonball flight of Hugo Zacchini at a local fair. Then they played it back on the news. Mr. Zacchini said, "Whoa!" OK--not exactly, but he complained that the TV station was guilty of "unlawful appropriation" of his "professional property." The United States Supreme Court agreed.
Even with the "higher ground" of this being a newsworthy event, Zacchini's performance was not the TV station's to take. So it's not what you take a photo of as much as it is what you do with it and who benefits.
If you'd like to stay on the safe side, you can always carry your rights in your camera bag. Attorney Bert Krages has created a printable PDF to give you "quick access to your rights and obligations concerning confrontations over photography."
Rights and propriety are not always the saw thing. As Attorney Wright says, what you can do isn't always what you should do.
"Even when a photo is used editorially, the person in the photo (or the child's parent) can get upset when you show photos without the person's permission. Especially in the post 9/11 era, people get spooked by photographers. Photographers must decide for themselves whether they want to risk the potential to anger others. But photographers shouldn't be intimidated from exercising their rights."
My layman's translation of her words: "Don't be a jerk... but don't be intimidated."
- Photo & Imaging | <urn:uuid:1b8a701b-bc63-40a4-a66a-923194575a71> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://appscout.pcmag.com/photo-imaging/274455-free-online-legal-advice-for-photographers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968862 | 754 | 1.648438 | 2 |
This little Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia) is as much of a late spring treat as lily-of-the-valley or lilacs. A perfect rock garden plant, it tolerates part shade but will also bask in the sun. It is hardy to zone 4. This purple variety is an eye-catching show-stopper that would be stunning en masse.
Also available in pink and white, the little hanging flowers are pristine little badminton birdies with intricate petal detail and a cluster of yellow stamens. It is a native Missouri wildflower.
This little baby came from my days at the Minnesota State Horticultural Society (I get a little rush of homesickness when I think back.) The Hort Society was holding a Spring Plant Sale, with plants primarily purchased at the late, great Shady Oaks Nursery in Owatonna, Minnesota.
I was at the plant collector stage of my horticulturism. When I saw a plant that intrigued me or was a populuar variety in the gardening tribe, I purchased it. (Look I have a purple coneflower, a ‘Sum and Substance’ hosta, a Bergenia.) This is an important time in a plantperson’s development. It’s when you discover what your true loves in the plant world are. You must go through this stage before you progress to the planting in three, fives, and sevens.
My yard is peppered with souvenirs of this period and I love each and every one. | <urn:uuid:8232c69f-4593-408b-97de-515f13ef32de> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gardendrama.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/34/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938618 | 324 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Quality Education in the Benedictine Tradition
Donna A. KeanExecutive Director of Prevention ProjectsPhone: 724-805-2050Fax: 724-539-1710
Add-On Training This is a three-day training for elementary or secondary staff joining existing core teams in established SAP’s. Add-On Training meets all Commonwealth of Pennsylvania guidelines and standards for SAP training. Click on the Training tab in this section for upcoming training announcements. Group Facilitators’ Training This is the two-day training in intervention, aftercare and school-based group issues for individuals who have completed initial training or will be co-facilitating school-based support groups. This training meets all Commonwealth of Pennsylvania guidelines for SAP training. Click on the Training tab in this section for upcoming training announcements. Thematic Workshop These are one-day informational sessions on SAP topics based on needs and current issues expressed by SAP Core Teams. They are offered three times a year, and are held on campus at Saint Vincent College. Click on the Training tab in this section for upcoming training announcements. SAP In-Services Half or full-day programs for teams or other faculty and staff, especially designed to meet school and individual needs. SAP Team Maintenance Half or full-day sessions conducted by a trained facilitator. Team maintenance is designed to assist teams to identify communication, leadership, and decision-making patterns within their team and to determine their impact on team effectiveness. Team Consultation SAP consultation is available for regular team meetings, case staffing, interventions, policy review, planning, and program development. Educational Support Team (EST) Update The EST Update is a newsletter provided eight times a year highlighting training and professional development opportunities, awareness campaigns, resources, and timely informational topics on the issues and concerns addressed by those in the SAP field. Click on the EST Update tab in this section for the latest issue.
The Pennsylvania Association of Student Assistance Professionals (PASAP) is a non-profit membership organization. PASAP’s mission is to address the influence of alcohol, other drugs and mental health issues that affect the welfare of our youth. PASAP is committed to providing support and networking in the areas of prevention, intervention, treatment, aftercare, ongoing support services and education to all individuals or organizations who foster this same commitment. For more information, visit http://www.pasap.org. | <urn:uuid:2f831abc-1dd1-454d-ab09-1036c0d9a7a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stvincent.edu/Majors_and_Programs/Outreach_Programs/Prevention_Projects/Student_Assistance_Program/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930735 | 485 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Top 10 food styling tips for bloggers
March 3, 2011 in Tips
1. Beautifully styled food starts with your shopping. Be fussy about choosing the most beautiful, vibrant, interesting and aesthetically pleasing fresh and dry produce.
2. Your propping needs to be thought about before you even start on the food. Decide on a style you like and start a small collection of props that you can mix and match in shots. You don’t have to spend a fortune – many of the best and most interesting props can be found in skips, junk yards, charity shops, auctions or your granny’s cupboards! Look out for interesting shapes, textures and patterns, but never allow the props to overshadow the food, which should always be the star!
3. Prepare your food with love and careful consideration. Good knife skills, interesting shapes and thought for how you want the end result to look will help bring out the best in your food and style. Cut food differently to how you normally would and watch out for interesting patterns, shapes and textures in the food.
4. It’s important to think about the beauty of the end result when assembling food for cooking. Don’t just throw something together, especially if it can’t be changed once set from cooking. Be careful when mixing ingredients so as not to damage or squash them. Create peaks and valleys when filling pies or tarts to add interest to the shape. We like drips and splodges, as they are rustic, homely and help the food look yummy!
5. Be open to shooting stages as you go, especially if your raw ingredients, assembly techniques or process steps are beautiful. Step-by-step shots can help explain a process more easily than words, can make for an interesting story montage and could even be used on their own if the end result is less than perfect!
6. Do a little cooking test first where appropriate. That way, you can decide the best method for the most attractive result. Keep a close eye on food while it’s cooking, as you might just rescue that lopsided cake or almost burnt chicken! Try and retain the bright colour of fruit and vegetables as much as possible, even if it means saving a handful back that have been barely cooked to use as ‘hero’ pieces when assembling.
7. When plating up, view the food roughly from where the camera angle will be. Carefully place each component of the dish on individually. Consider a good balance of colour and shape. Watch out for dark holes or gaps and favour oozing, succulent, golden, vibrant and delicious-looking pieces of food (the ‘heros’) on top. Ensure you see at least a piece of each of the components of the dish.
8. Save final flourishes until you are completely happy with your arrangement of the food, camera and props. Last-minute flourishes include glazing with oil or honey to give instant vibrancy, warmth and yumminess to the food, the addition of sauces, herbs, sprinkles of salt and pepper and dustings of icing sugar or cocoa powder. Add these a small bit at a time, snapping after each addition. It’s easy to add more, but not so easy to take it off!
9. When it comes to photographing the food, think about the composition of the shot. Are people involved in holding or eating the food? Is there an elaborate table setting or a simple plate of food? Or maybe the food is on a tray or in a lunchbox on someone’s lap? Consider your angle too – you might shoot from straight overhead, close in on the food, a very symmetrical shot where the food is lined up or even cut out part of the dish to avoid symmetry altogether. Your composition is as important as your food styling and photography skills.
10. Finally, look closely at other food photography, picking out what you like most about a particular shot. Be inspired by this as a starting point for your own creation, then work with what you have and all of the tips above and you are well on your way to improving your food photos for blogging!
Happy propping, cooking, styling, photographing and blogging, but most of all, don’t faff about for too long and get eating and enjoying! | <urn:uuid:4dfb0fe8-528d-4cb5-b569-2095e8093840> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.irishfoodbloggers.com/2011/03/03/top-10-food-styling-tips-for-bloggers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947341 | 902 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Growing Good People Through Work, Study, and Community
Just outside Asheville, North Carolina, bordered by the Craggy Mountains and located in the Swannanoa Valley on the banks of the Swannanoa River, Warren Wilson College students are busy moving the cows to their next pasture and cutting locally harvested lumber at the on-campus sawmill. A writing class meets beside beds of greens raised for campus salads, tended by the student garden crew. And just a few steps from my office, the greening crew prepares the campus quarterly energy usage report to evoke our conservation consciousness.
Don’t be fooled by the idyllic sound of all of this. You would be mistaken to assume we are less of a college and more of an extended commune from the 1960s. You may be enchanted by the young woman on the farm crew who drives past in a tractor on her way out to the field—it’s such a romantic sight. But there is so much more behind this seemingly eco-nirvana.
Warren Wilson College sits on 1100 acres and includes the core campus, a working farm, organically managed gardens, and 700 acres of forests and trails. We are a work college, meaning that in addition to academics, our students work 15 hours a week on crews that are responsible for every aspect of campus operations. They also provide 100 hours of service to the greater community before graduation. Most students, however, are not satisfied with this and find they want to contribute more. This is a rigorous college. Imagine being a freshman and taking on such a workload. One of the many things our students learn here is that through engagement, interests and capabilities are awakened.
Years ago, when I first went to work for Outward Bound, I was awed by the positive change unleashed in students’ lives when they discovered they were capable of so much more than they dreamed. Time and again, through wilderness challenge, students overcame fear and adversity and learned “to serve, to strive, and not to yield.” This experience has served as a touchstone in my life and has provided optimism in dark hours. Our capacity to solve the challenges before us is relatively untapped. The possibilities for positive change are limitless, if only we strive.
This same underlying ethos is present here at Warren Wilson. We are a distinctive liberal arts college in that we believe liberal learning in the 21st century calls for more engagement. We teach critical thinking skills for this next generation of leaders and believe the best way to do that is to drench students in academic learning and immerse them in situations that demand that they practice these skills. It’s hard work, but they realize what they are capable of while they practice what they’ve learned. They come to find that the interdisciplinary problem solving they learn in the classroom provides the framework for the sustainable solutions they seek to implement in work and service.
A member of INSULATE!, Ian Higgins shares his take on Warren Wilson, work, and his plans for the future. Listen to his story...
Students take a lot of initiative on this campus. At a campus-wide meeting about climate change, students proposed to weatherize homes near campus for families living below the poverty level. In just two years, these students formed a community-based weatherization program called INSULATE! through Warren Wilson’s Environmental Leadership Center and partnered with the College’s Service-Learning Program, the “first year” program’s faculty, and community organizations to recruit volunteers and homes for the weatherization work. Students spend their weekends weatherizing local homes, measuring the carbon savings, and understanding the lives of the homeowners they assist. This past semester, with support from the local utility company Progress Energy, students designed and held a workshop for colleges and universities seeking to replicate the model. Imagine the life lessons learned conceiving, researching, successfully implementing, and then promoting this program.
Years earlier, in 1998, a group of students who were aware that Warren Wilson would be expanding enrollment proposed that the College commit to a “green dorm” and include them in the planning process. The administration agreed, and a design team was formed consisting of students, staff, faculty, administrators, and architects who met weekly to plan what would later be called the EcoDorm. This building, they determined, would be a model of energy efficiency, sustainable decisions, and responsible lifestyle practices. When the plan was complete, more than 17 student crews participated in its construction. Its first Residence Director (a student) worked with EcoDorm residents to develop a lifestyle contract that included a pledge to use no hairdryers or personal fridges, to cook as a community at least once a week, and to live in a manner that honored community values. It is the only dorm in the nation to achieve the LEED Existing Building Platinum certification—a distinction inspired by the students who called for a “green dorm.”
For many students at Warren Wilson, living in a community that strives to practice its values in daily ways, for all its challenges, is very fulfilling. Learning how to participate as a responsible, contributing member of a strong and healthy community is an important part of a well-rounded liberal arts education.
We are convinced that the best way to educate students to become this kind of citizen is to engage them in responsible living. Our Triad curriculum, which in addition to challenging academics includes participation in the College’s work program and service to the local community, is how we teach. In and out of our classrooms, we encourage students to seek out their own interests and get involved. This is a relatively easy task because so many of the students who come here want to change the world and are eager to start now. Providing students with opportunities to connect with “place” through academics, work, and service; to identify their areas of concern; and to get involved in solutions results in a meaningful, wondrous education at Warren Wilson. Students not only receive a top-notch education, but also graduate with real work “know how” and multiple skill sets that enable them to confront and take on issues that make a difference locally and globally.
Margo Flood wrote this article for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas with practical actions. Margo is the Executive Director of Warren Wilson College’s Environmental Leadership Center and its Chief Sustainability Official. She joins the College, where she has worked nearly ten years, in its mission to educate, inspire, and act on behalf of environmentally, socially, culturally, and economically just communities.
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Independent. Nonprofit. Subscriber-supported. | <urn:uuid:05952af7-6c1b-470f-8889-8718b2d9e5df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yesmagazine.org/for-teachers/teacher-stories/growing-good-people-through-work-study-and-community?icl=email_edjan10&ica=8_Ystory2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968637 | 1,380 | 1.609375 | 2 |
"Using the APIs from your Flash or Server Side framework couldn't be simpler. If you know how to make an http request, and how to process a JSON response, you are in business," says Mark Lucovsky. Here's a simple example for web search:
There are some differences between the old SOAP API and the REST one.
- the new API doesn't require a key
- there's no limitation for the number of queries
- it's much easier to use
- you can use the REST API for web search, but also for image search, news search, video search, local search, blog search and book search.
- you need to send "a valid and accurate http referer header"
- you can only get up to 8 results in a single call and you can't go beyond the first 32 results
It's interesting to notice that Yahoo's search APIs are more developer-friendly and, although they require an application ID and have some usage limitations (5,000 queries per IP per day), they offer more features and they are more flexible, by also including XML output. Another important difference is that Yahoo doesn't require "a valid and accurate http referer header".
Philipp Lenssen suggests that it's much easier to just screenscrape the results, but search engines could change their code or block your requests.
Update. Check this excellent interview with Mark Lucovsky, who mentions that the API has been available for almost two years, but it wasn't officially documented: | <urn:uuid:584fd308-d23c-433d-9a48-639f258b8616> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/04/google-search-rest-api.html?showComment=1208964360000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939762 | 307 | 1.742188 | 2 |
John Astleford Jr., P.E., Astleford Inc., Stone Mountain, Ga., found this grounded conductor connection hanging outside an open junction box with no cover when he was checking an electric oven for widely varying temperatures. This was part of a branch circuit that was run to a wall-mounted oven that was supplied from a 120/240V, single-phase, three-wire system.
All of the wires were loose from each other and were making intermittent electrical contact. No wire nuts were used, and only a loose covering of vinyl electrical tape was wrapped around this terrible splice. The “hot” conductors were also twisted together in the same manner and were also covered with vinyl electrical tape. The junction box was located behind the wall-mounted oven, and no connectors or cable clamps were on the incoming and outgoing cables. The box was not properly grounded. The third grounded conductor in the photograph comes from a receptacle feeding an outlet box for a cord and plug connected 120V microwave oven that is a part of the equipment installation.
The equipment was grounded using a conductor that was grounded at the service entrance panelboard as permitted by old Section 250-60 as an exception when four conditions are met. John cited the following violations: Sections 370-4, all metal boxes shall be grounded in accordance with Article 250; 370-16 number of conductors in box; 370-17 conductors entering box shall be protected from abrasion; 370-18; 110-12(a) unused openings in boxes shall be effectively closed; and 110-14(b) improper electrical connections and splices.
Editor's Note: Section 250.140 in the 2002 NEC still permits use of the grounded conductor to also serve as an equipment grounding conductor for the frames of ranges and clothes dryers for existing branch-circuit installations only. New branch-circuit installations must comply with 250.134 and 250.138. | <urn:uuid:ad6a245b-8cfc-402f-8611-71de8153cebf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ecmweb.com/cee-news-archive/not-so-nice-splice | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968437 | 393 | 1.804688 | 2 |
MTL Motivators: Maximising Your Potential
In "Maximising Your Potential" Motivators, you'll find some of the most memorable quotes on self-development, success, and achieving your goals. Read what Mark Twain thinks you should be doing in 20 years from now; who Superman star, Christopher Reeve, thinks is a real hero; why Dolly Parton puts up with rain, and how James Dean thinks you should live your life. There are 100 slides in this uplifting collection. Browse through them for your own inspiration and pleasure. Share them with others in your work or social network. Or use them in imaginatively on training courses.
"Maximising Your Potentia" Motivators: Our Top 5 Quotes
It's hard to select 5 quotes from this collection as the best, as there are so many. But here goes.
1. "Goals are dreams with deadlines." (Diana Scharf Hunt)
2. "God doesn't require us to succeed; He only requires that we try." (Mother Teresa of Calcutta 1910 - 97)
3. "Your goal should be just out of reach but not out of sight." (Denis Waitley and Reni Witt)
4. "If you build castles in the air, your work need not be lost: that's where they should be built. Now put foundations under them." (Henry Thoreau 1817 - 62)
5. "It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled but it is a calamity not to dream." (Benjamin Elijah Mays)
"Maximising Your Potential" Motivators: "Poster Post-Its"
This collection of "Maximising Your Potential" Motivators is great for looking at in any spare moment of the working day to give you a boost in motivation and confidence. You can also use them in training room exercises such as "Poster Post-Its". To play "Poster Post-Its", simply select up to 7 or 8 quotes from the collection and write them out on large A1 flipchart paper. You could start with those above. Post them around the room. At any time during your programme, maybe when people are feeling a bit low in energy, hand everyone a set of post-it notes and invite them to wander round and write down any comments (anonymous or otherwise) to place on the posters. Others can add comments to your comments. Very soon you'll find the room buzzing with renewed energy.
Price of this product: £5.97
This product can be downloaded directly from this site. | <urn:uuid:34234002-2e6b-4ec6-bb01-672c3592ebb7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.managetrainlearn.com/product-info/maxpotential-motivators/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93713 | 542 | 1.664063 | 2 |
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INDEPENDENCE — It used to be that undereducated adults were able to get into high-paying jobs in the Twin Counties through fields such as manufacturing, construction and agriculture.
Today, those jobs are in short supply or have moved offshore, making a high school diploma or equivalent that much more important.
The Mount Rogers Regional Adult Education Program has set out to change the high percentage of residents who do not hold a high school diploma by offering General Education Degree (GED) classes frequently and at no cost to residents.
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Made my Gaia a little dress and added a tiny bow, she needs a boy Chaco for Valentines Day ;} <3
Ecuadorian purple tarantula (Avicularia purpurea)
Found mainly in the Northern half of South America, the Goliath Bird Eater is the largest of all tarantulas in the world, with a leg span of 1 foot. As you may have guessed, this particular spider eats birds, making it a lot more terrifying than your average house spider. They spend most of their time living in their burrows (or burrows they’ve stolen), and only venture out a few feet to feast. To make matters worse, not only do they eat birds, they can, unlike most spiders, hiss at perceived threats, their bite is quite painful, and they can flick their hair at you, which can be extremely irritating to skin, eyes and lungs. They are considered to be extremely aggressive, and it is advised against keeping them as pets.
uhhh no tarantula preys solely on birds sorry
the diet of a t. blondi consists of mainly invertebrate prey with an occasional small rodent or reptile.
this post has so much bs in it wow.
why do people try to make animals sound as terrifying as possible?
t. blondi venom is quite weak. their bite wouldnt be too bad. it may feel like a kitten bite. and they arent “extremely aggressive” but they are hard to keep in captivity because they die pretty easily and are very sensitive.
please don’t make bull shit posts about tarantulas in an attempt to frighten people.
My little Rosie posing for my photography project. Had to share the pose. See the red? yup that’s her mouth and you can sort of see her fangs too. Best shot out of all the 30+ pictures I took from the “fighting” scene I’m TRYING to make.
She’s a cutie… Just sittin’ on my leg.. Hehe
Misdreavus, after his last molt.
Mature, dark and mysterious, and surprisingly attractive now, but hard to photograph.
amazon saffire pink toe
i feel like there really isn’t a color or color combination that does not exist on some tarantula, somewhere.
like someday someone will find a colony of fuzzy eight-legged beasties covered in rainbow paisleys, living deep in an Indonesian jungle
My Hecate dressed as a Bat for Halloween :)
please vote for her in this contest : http://www.facebook.com/PETCO?v=app_429634960426421&app_data=action%3Dcontest_view_entry%26id%3D3892594
submitted by earth-inspired
aw little baby avicularia versicolors
Avic Sp. Peru purple :)
Awww! Cute babies ♥_♥!
squishy lil spidies <3
^^ You are all insane D; wtf„ I wanna like burn them all…
Yeah that would be rather insane too considering how much money they are all worth. I’ve already sold most of them :3
you could buy a nice little pair of shoes or a couple shirts or a nice dinner for you and a friend for just what one is worth.
PS these are living creatures and its not ok to say things like that!!! respect all animals even if they are much smaller than you!!!! this is someones work and they have worked hard to produce these little guys.
anyway, cute avics. i want one!!!
This is infinitely precious
Tarantulas come in all shapes, sizes and colors. While the vast majority are browns and black, many species are instead vibrant hues that can dazzle the eyes of even the most ardent bug-hater.
yes good somebody finally made a tarantula rainbow | <urn:uuid:748c05ac-056f-401a-83b3-c917f47f4c65> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jayrockin.tumblr.com/tagged/tarantula | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942857 | 832 | 1.671875 | 2 |
An alternative investment is an investment that is not one of the three traditional asset types (stocks, bonds, mutual funds). Most alternative investment assets are held by institutional investors or accredited, high-net-worth individuals because of their complex nature, limited regulations and relative lack of liquidity.
Alternative investments are favored mainly because their returns have a low correlation with those of standard asset classes. Because of this, many large institutional funds such as pensions and private endowments have begun to allocate a small portion of their portfolios to alternative investments.
At Wayne Messmer & Associates, the alternative investments usually fall under the income producing portion of the products we offer. We serve as the bridge, allowing individual investors to invest alongside the big institutions like Harvard or Yale. These investments include but are not limited to equipment leasing, business development, and non-traded real estate investments trusts. We want to highlight “not limited to” because adapting to the constantly changing times and markets means we are constantly researching alternative investments and opportunities for our clients. In many cases, what you are investing in is a company’s ability to pay its’ bills rather than their ability to turn a profit. That is a powerful distinction particularly in the market we have experienced in recent years.
Like all investments, these are NOT suitable for everyone.
If you would like more information about alternative investment opportunities, call Wayne Messmer & Associates at 888-265-7443. | <urn:uuid:5dbf1a74-83fe-49e7-ad24-6c4ad80d6512> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.waynemessmerandassociates.com/what-financial-services-we-provide/alternative-investments.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962005 | 293 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Here is the reason why tourist destinations in China are full of trash during the Golden Week holiday. According to an article by Xinhua News, as of October 3, the forth day of 8-day holiday, the 119 tourist destinations under direct monitor have already received over 604 million person-times, an increase of 30.64% compared to the same period last year. The Mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen in the city of Nanjing received as many visitors as 10 times of its optimal capacity. The Gulangyu Island in Xiamen received 9 times of its visitor capacity. The Forbidden City in Beijing, 5 times.
Numerous popular tourist destinations across China have been reported to launch emergency plan for visitor overcapacity– Thousands of tourists were stuck on Mount Hua on October 2 due to cable car overcapacity; both Mount Tai and Mount Lu had to stop selling tickets for a short period and call local police force to evacuate crammed tourists.
These stories aren’t uncommon to see during the several public long holidays in China. Part of the reason of such concentrated traveling is the lack of an effective system of paid holidays. For most of the working class in China, “paid day off” either doesn’t exist at all, or exist only on paper. But with increased disposable income, Chinese consumers crave for travelling. The end result is that everybody plans their trips during public long holidays when everybody else is out traveling, too. Instead of enjoying their trips, all that is left to enjoy are crowds.
“Where do you see ‘people mountain people sea’?” has been trending on Sina Weibo, China’s most popular microblogging service, for two days. Many netizens have uploaded picture of incredible crowds across China.
On Gulangyu Island in Xiamen. It’s optimal for the island to hold 17,000 visitors, but now there are more than 100,000.
Shopping area on the island
Beach on the island
People waiting in queue to get into the Forbidden City in Beijing
People waiting to go up Mount Huang in Anhui province
The Duan Bridge in Hangzhou. Duan means broken in Chinese. Many netizens joked about the bridge wasn’t far from being broken with so many people on.
Dameisha Beach at Shenzhen
Nanjing Confucius Temple, or the Fuzimiao
At last but not the least, the almighty Great Wall…of people | <urn:uuid:68775780-5327-4654-80fc-8ab3611ddf53> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://offbeatchina.com/people-mountain-people-sea | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957312 | 518 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Editor's Note: President Obama announced Wednesday his plans to withdraw 10,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and a total of 33,000 troops by next summer. But for some Afghan Americans, such a quick military withdrawal may not be good for Afghanistan.
FREMONT, Calif. -- Many Afghan Americans in this Bay Area city, home to the largest community of Afghans in the western world, say they do not support the rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Interviews with community leaders and activists reveal that many Afghan Americans fear troop reductions will result in civil war and unchecked Taliban control.
While the American public may be growing tired of the 10-year-old war, over at the De Afghanan Kabob House in Fremont, owner Aziz Omar said he believes the mission is far from over. Afghanistan has “been through hell for the past three decades,” he said. “So hopefully it gets better, but we need to be there in order to keep those fanatics out of the picture.” He was referring to the Taliban.
Born during the Soviet invasion, Omar has direct experience with war in his home country. But he said the Taliban are far worse than Soviets. “They don’t believe in peace and they don’t believe in human rights so we need to crush the Taliban whatever it takes.”
A professor at Cal State University, East Bay, and the host of a satellite TV show, Farid Younos is generally far out of the mainstream. But on the subject of troop withdrawal, he said he reluctantly agrees with other Afghan Americans who support a continued American presence.
“Americans are a total failure in Afghanistan militarily, economically, socially,” he said. However, he said that he recently came to the conclusion that a withdrawal would now be unwise. “Without the presence of a foreign power the government will fall in the hands of the Taliban,” he said.
Mizgon Zahir-Darby, executive director of the Afghan Coalition in Fremont, offered a similar perspective. “The biggest fear of the Afghan community is that it will return back to a pre-9/11 state,” she said. However, she added that such a view is tempered by her understanding of the costs of the war. “I know people who were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. We want them back.”
Imam Safi Yullah, who works at the Mosque of the Muhajireen, said he generally avoids talking about politics. A religious man, he said he believes that “Islam wanted peace not only in Islamic countries but all over the world.” Still, he said, the war is ongoing in many provinces and he wonders “how they are going to take care of all of those if the American troops withdraw from that area.”
Obama’s speech comes at a time when American support for the war is waning. In recent surveys, the majority of Americans no longer believe the war is worth fighting. Many conservative politicians are finding it increasingly hard to reconcile hawkish foreign policy objectives with calls for deficit reductions. Republican presidential candidates Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul have all publically called for a quick exit.
Opposition to the war extends to the military ranks. Jake Diliberto is a marine corporal who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He still talks like a marine; he spelled his name using the military phonetic alphabet — Delta, India, etc. But now he works with a group called Veterans for Rethinking Afghanistan.
In an interview before Obama’s speech, Diliberto said that however many brigades Obama plans to bring home, it won’t be enough. Upon returning home, he said, “Everyday I had to live with the question: Was that worth it? And it was unequivocally no.” He said he believes this opinion to be widespread—among the American public, soldiers, government officials and Afghans, at home and abroad.
“I sat with hundreds of mullahs and leaders of mosques,” he said. “I have not met one person in Afghanistan who thinks the war is a good thing except for perhaps General Patraeus.”
But while some Afghan Americans may agree with his characterization of the conduct of the war, many do not agree with his prescription for the future.
Afghan Americans must weigh a desire to bring American troops home with concern for friends and family abroad.
For Zahir-Darby, this is a delicate balance. “We can’t afford it anymore,” she acknowledged, but wondered how we could possibly leave things as they are. “We’re training a whole bunch of Afghans to be police, but now we’re leaving with guns in their hands—really?”
USDA guidelines for a healthy diet introduced earlier this year call on Americans to consume…
Editor's Note: President Obama announced Wednesday his plans to withdraw 10,000 troops from Afghanistan by the…
Malalai Joya was 26 when she became the youngest woman ever elected as a member… | <urn:uuid:1aba392c-a87d-48f1-b669-7676540345b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newamericamedia.org/2011/06/afghan-americans-fearful-of-quick-withdrawal.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970507 | 1,074 | 1.820313 | 2 |
After passing note and saying he's sorry, Fairmount student shoots self in classFAIRMOUNT, N.D. – The school in the small southeastern North Dakota town of Fairmount is letting students go home for the day and calling in counselors after a high school boy brought a gun to class and shot himself.
By: Forum and wire reports, INFORUM, Forum and wire reports
FAIRMOUNT, N.D. – The school in the small southeastern North Dakota town of Fairmount is letting students go home for the day and calling in counselors after a high school boy brought a gun to class and shot himself.
Principal Jay Townsend says the boy survived what officials believe was a suicide attempt Thursday morning. He says the boy did not threaten anyone else.
The boy was coherent when he was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Breckenridge, Minn., which is 15 miles away, Townsend said. The hospital declined to release any information about the boy because he's a minor.
Students told The Forum that the freshman student was in a freshman algebra class. The class started at 8:30 a.m. The students said about 10 minutes later the boy handed his girlfriend a note, told the teacher "I'm sorry," and then shot himself.
The students, who weren't in the algebra class, said they didn't hear the gunshot, but heard crying and screaming.
They described the boy as a bright student who enjoyed playing the guitar.
After the incident, the school was put into lockdown for about an hour.
Mayor Jon Nelk, who is also a firefighter and whose daughter is a freshman at the school, called it "a tragic day" for the community of about 370 residents.
"It's going to shake up the community for a long time," he said. "The city's prayers and thoughts go out to the young man and his family and friends."
Nelk said his daughter was not in the room where the freshman boy shot himself, but that "all of the kids in that area of the school, in that grade, were very, very shook up."
Many parents went through similar emotions, Nelk said.
"When I picked my daughter up there were a lot of parents picking up their kids," he said. "Most of the parents were scared, not knowing exactly what happened, just hearing that there was a shooting."
Townsend says the school has about 110 students. About 370 people live in the town. | <urn:uuid:2ab77c76-baaa-4cae-9de1-fa1ecc5b5be8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/69928/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989265 | 512 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Yemen turmoil costs industry, trade sectors $17 billion: report
Months of political unrest in Yemen, which crippled the Arab country’s economy, have cost its industrial and trade sectors at least $17 billion, the Saudi state news agency reported Wednesday, quoting the deputy chairman of the Yemeni Chamber of Commerce as saying.
Losses in the past six months reached at least $17 billion due to the political crisis in Yemen, SPA quoted deputy chairman of the chamber, Mohammad Mohammad Salah, as saying. Yemen’s GDP totalled $28.3 billion in 2010.
Salah also said that a large number of factories and plants had closed down, laying off tens of thousands of workers.
He said the country was undergoing an economic disaster.
More than five months of protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 33-year rule has led to a shortage of fuel, food, water and electricity.
The International Monetary Fund said in July that inflation in Yemen could surge to as high as 30 percent this year.
The IMF last month also reversed its view on the economic outlook for Yemen, forecasting GDP will shrink this year but did not give a precise forecast, against a forecast in April for 3.4 percent growth. In 2010 the economy grew 8 percent.
Yemen, where a third of the population faces chronic hunger, is the Arab world’s poorest country with per capita income of below $2,600. Poverty, corruption and soaring unemployment have helped fuel the protests, which began in January.
Yemen’s mainstream opposition coalition said Tuesday it would set up a “National Council for the Forces of the Revolution” to lead the efforts to oust Saleh.
Saleh, who has clung onto power despite protests and international pressure, left the country in political limbo when he flew to Saudi Arabia last month to seek treatment after suffering high-degree burn injuries in a bomb attack. | <urn:uuid:4100c58e-3ed5-4c10-964d-6211e9c3eb5f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.albawaba.com/yemen-turmoil-costs-industry-trade-sectors-17-bln-report-384190 | 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 | 0.966519 | 398 | 1.578125 | 2 |
A ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court blocks proof-of-citizenship requirements on federal voter registration forms, but leaves open the possibility of amending the form to include Arizona's stricter standard for verifying citizenship.
In a 5-4 decision the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that crime suspects need to speak up if they want to invoke their legal right to remain silent. The ruling highlights the limited reach of the famous Miranda decision.
Constituents frequently contact their Congress members with questions or requests for help with Medicare, Social Security and other government programs. But when it comes to Obamacare inquiries, some GOP lawmakers say they won't assist constituents or will forward the calls to the Obama administration.
Source: The Washington Post | Nation |
June 17, 2013
The faces of more than 120 million people are in searchable photo databases that state officials assembled to prevent driver’s-license fraud but that increasingly are used by police to identify suspects, accomplices and even innocent bystanders in a wide range of criminal investigations.
Across the country, states and districts are increasingly funneling public funds to religious schools, private nursery schools and a variety of community-based nonprofit organizations that conduct preschool classes.
Source: AP/Reno Gazette-Journal | Nevada |
June 14, 2013
In his veto message, Gov. Brian Sandoval said the universal background checks provision "imposes unreasonable burdens and harsh penalties upon law-abiding Nevadans, while doing little to prevent criminals from unlawfully obtaining firearms."
Source: Newark Star-Ledger | New Jersey |
June 14, 2013
A three-judge appellate panel has rejected a challenge to Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to call a special election to fill the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s seat in October, three weeks before the regularly scheduled November election.
Officials across Texas are scrambling to reverse the federal government’s decision not to free up more funds to help rebuild the town, where a fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 and destroyed schools and homes.
Occupy protests spread around the country in 2011, mostly by citizens who were taking aim at the country’s income disparities and what they saw as an overly cozy relationship between federal politicians and Wall Street financiers.
Nationally, six straight years of revenue declines have put enormous pressure on state and local governments, nevertheless, some are thriving. Standard & Poor's, the credit-rating agency, reports that it issued more bond upgrades than downgrades in 2012.
The Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Care Act are in full swing. With the influx of people who will be applying for benefits and the ACA requirement for online enrollment, it is more important than ever to verify the identities of those accessing benefits up front. | <urn:uuid:7b916341-71f9-4cf4-92a1-e97bccb89116> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.governing.com/news/federal/?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940316 | 560 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Playing any kind of instruments involves lots of practices, passion and skill. Piano is one such instrument that requires lots of devotion and skill to be played correctly. However, choosing the right instrument is also important in order to produce good music. The name of Yamaha piano is popular not only because of the big brand name of the company, but the world class quality and unique features of the instruments made by the company. Be it Yamaha 03 pianos or Yamaha 88 key pianos; you can get the same remarkable quality in each of the instrument made by Yamaha. There are several reasons why one should choose Yamaha pianos over any other pianos available in the market.
The Yamaha pianos are made of superior materials and by the experts of this industry, which ensure the richest and purest tone of the instrument. Tone is the most vital attribute of any instrument and Yamaha gives you the guarantee of flawless tonality of your piano.
The keys of yamaha 03 pianos or Yamaha 88 key pianos are made with world class technologies that ensure the soft and smooth touch of the keys. They are accurately responsive to your every touch and you can smoothly move your fingers on them to produce exotic music.
Again the superior workmanship and top class materials ensure the rich and perfect tuning stability of the Yamaha pianos which is highly important for a piano player.
The wide range of yamaha pianos offers you to select your favorite one. These beautiful masterpieces will surely enhance the beauty of your room.
The pianos from Yamaha are lifetime investment. They are so durable and of high quality that you don’t need to buy pianos after every 5 or 10 years once you buy pianos from Yamaha.
These are the major reasons why people chose the pianos of Yamaha over other pianos and enjoy flawless music that can make their life more beautiful. | <urn:uuid:f4bd13ef-5165-46e1-aea3-e5e7b4c3e950> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tablezine.com/category/hobby-recreation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935942 | 375 | 1.617188 | 2 |
|Election Day 2012 marked the end of this year’s political cycle. But, while the election results may have stopped scrolling across the television and computer screens, it is important to remember that we are still facing many serious challenges that must be overcome. Unemployment remains chronically high as our nation’s businesses are faced with tax and regulatory uncertainty. Out of control federal deficits and unsustainable entitlement programs balloon our debt and threaten the fiscal security of our nation. And thanks to a combination of unacceptable tax increases and spending cuts, we are facing a “fiscal cliff” that threatens to plunge our nation back into recession. These challenges may be great, but as elected officials we have a solemn duty to face them.
Sequestration, the $1.2 trillion in cuts to defense and other discretionary spending set to go into effect right after the start of the new year, should be among the first items this Congress addresses as we return to work. As painful as these cuts will be if we don’t meet the deficit reductions required under the Budget Control Act, this country can no longer afford the trillion dollar deficits we have experienced over the last four years. The time for kicking the can down the road is over. The time to take meaningful steps toward returning this country to fiscal solvency is upon us. For sure, sequestration will cut into programs near and dear to conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats. This is all the more reason for us to move together as Americans to reduce our deficits in deliberate, thoughtful ways, rather than using arbitrary and automatic cuts to avoid the tough decisions that need to be made.
We must also work to stop the pending tax hike on the American people set to take place in January. The American people cannot afford a massive increase in their taxes, and our nation’s small businesses, who drive economic growth and job creation, cannot afford a tax increase either. The Congress must understand the importance of reforming our tax code to make it flatter, fairer, and simpler for all Americans. We can reform our tax code to eliminate special-interest deductions and lower rates to encourage greater economic growth. Because the real way to ensure economic prosperity and increased revenues is through common sense economic policies that allow businesses to expand and American ingenuity to thrive and drive our free market.
In the House we have already passed legislation to avert the pending tax hike and give us time to work towards true tax reform. House Republicans stand ready to work across party lines to produce these long term solutions; however, we cannot and will not support big-spending, job-killing, anti-growth policies that would drive our economy into recession, raise taxes on the American people, and further exacerbate our debt problem.
The election is over and the time for politics has passed. House Republicans understand the urgency of fixing the problems facing our nation to ensure that we do not run off the fiscal cliff. We also understand that averting the fiscal cliff is simply one step in an ongoing process to reform our tax code, put our entitlement programs back on a path to fiscal solvency, balance our budget, and restore our nation to economic prosperity through pro-growth economic policies. The American people have entrusted us with a great responsibility. Now it is imperative that the Democrat-controlled Senate join us to work and pass legislation to create an economic climate that puts Americans back to work and puts our nation back on track for long-term prosperity. | <urn:uuid:28fe68e0-1132-4fee-a82f-15ac2caf98d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jeffmiller.house.gov/news/email/show.aspx?ID=NNJHZOZKZCRNLA4KWTGZ4K5O2E | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953297 | 696 | 1.648438 | 2 |
U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips on Tuesday denied the government’s appeal for a temporary stay on the injunction on “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” allowing openly homosexual men and women to enter the military without interference.
The decision was made after a hearing on Monday from which Phillips determined that the government did not provide sufficient proof to the Department of Defense’s claim that lifting the ban on open homosexuality in the military would cause “military unreadiness.”
“While the defendants’ interests in preventing the status quo and enforcing its laws are important, these interests are outweighed by the compelling public interest of safeguarding fundamental constitutional rights,” wrote Phillips.
She concluded, “The evidence the defendants submitted with this application has not demonstrated otherwise.”
The recent decision leaves the Department of Defense and the armed forces in the same position they were in last week, when the government was ordered by Phillips "immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation, or discharge, separation, or other proceeding, that may have been commenced under the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Act." The Marine Corps has reportedly already begun contacting recruiters, issuing them a directive that “homosexual conduct” no longer is a “bar to accession.”
Ranking member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee Rep. Howard McKeon (R-Calif.) denounced Tuesday’s ruling, saying, “This decision could have a negative impact on military and family readiness since the Department of Defense is unprepared to address the issues that are bound to arise from such a hasty change. “
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins also condemned the decision, saying, "Judge Phillips' refusal to grant an emergency stay is an incredible display of contempt for the Constitution and our nation's military leaders who say overturning this law will be enormously disruptive for the men and women who defend our country.”
“It's only logical that a stay should have been granted to avoid the confusion that is already occurring with reports that the Pentagon is telling recruiters to begin accepting homosexuals,” the social conservative leader added.
Despite the ruling, it may be premature for openly gay individuals to apply since the Department of Justice is moving forward with an appeal to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of appeals in San Francisco.
“The federal government is putting them in a position where they can be rejected before they ever put on the uniform,” explained Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for CitizenLink, Focus on the Family’s family advocacy organization.
Hausknecht said he remains hopeful that the appeals court will issue a stay. However, he has noted that President Obama and his administration “sabotaged the case” by failing to appeal related cases to the Supreme Court.
Obama has made it clear that he wants to end the Clinton-era policy and plans to do so legislatively. In a White House press briefing Tuesday, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama plans to press the U.S. Senate during a lame duck session to pass a defense authorization bill that would end DADT.
“The president believes that the policy will end under his watch precisely because in the defense authorization bill pending in the Senate is a provision that would repeal what the president believes is unjust, what the president believes is discriminatory,” said Gibbs.
The bill has already passed in the House of Representatives.
Hausknecht said Obama’s effort is politically motivated and meant to energize his base. “The people that want to turn the military into a political issue are missing the point of the military, which is to win wars,” he commented.
DADT was made law in 1993 as a compromise between a conservative Congress, which advocated a ban on gays in the military, and then-President Bill Clinton, who advocated against it. Under the policy, gay and lesbian service members are restricted from openly acknowledging or exhibiting conduct that betray their sexual preference. Doing so would lead to dismissal. According to a 2005 U.S. Government Accountability Office report, the DADT law has resulted in over 10,500 dismissals between 1995 and 2004.
Phillips, a U.S. district court judge for the Central District of California, ordered the halt to DADT legislation in reaction to the lawsuit brought by Log Cabin Republicans of America, which challenged the 1993 law. Last month, Phillips determined that DADT was unconstitutional. And last week, she ordered a nation-wide injunction to halt DADT discharges.
According to Hausknecht, a repeal of DADT will hamper military chaplains and Christian soldiers from expressing their faith.
“Any kind of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal puts the religious liberties of Chaplains at risk,” he noted. | <urn:uuid:4b7a8c90-6f60-49c1-acce-91212c2f829e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.christianpost.com/news/judge-denies-request-for-stay-on-dadt-injunction-47271/ | 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 | 0.963506 | 1,022 | 1.695313 | 2 |
5:02 PM EDT, May 12, 2012
In one episode of the ribald old television show "Married With Children," the delightfully dimwitted Kelly Bundy is justifiably worried about a pending high school math test, although she has other assets that often serve her well.
As the episode begins, she is studying sample math questions at her kitchen table and gets completely befuddled by one that asks how many potatoes there will be in each portion if 50 potatoes are divided in half. "I know, I know!" she finally blurts. "Short skirt for math Monday."
Later in the episode, Kelly returns home, slightly disheveled and wearing an oh-so-provocative short skirt and tight top. "Well, I passed math," she triumphantly announces with a smile. "French, too, and I'm not even taking that."
You can see why Kelly Bundy would have vigorously opposed blah school uniforms.
I thought about that "MWC" episode Friday when I saw the front page of The Morning Call. The story said the Allentown School Board's Education Committee has again raised the "itchy subject of requiring school uniforms."
The idea has been around for years, but lately it seems to be gaining momentum because of "scantily clad students who ignore the district's unenforceable dress code to act sexy or defiant, or think their particular style is just fine."
The new mandatory rules could begin with the school year starting in September 2013 for elementary schools, 2014 for middle schools and 2015 for the city's two high schools.
The advantages of uniforms include fewer distractions, less bullying based on sartorial disapproval, an end to offensive displays such as street gang symbols, and a ban on sexually suggestive or crude outfits, such as pants that sag low enough to show off underwear — not to mention less expense for parents.
The school board, meeting Thursday evening, decided to let Superintendent Russ Mayo go forward with the implementation of a plan for uniforms, starting with letters sent to parents and others on May 30 regarding the formation of a uniforms committee this summer. The committee will do some studies and make its recommendations next January, and the board can act on them around that time.
Although Allentown has a dress code, stipulating what can and cannot be worn, board member Joanne Jackson, a teacher in Bethlehem, said that dress codes do not work, because students simply break them on purpose to exert power.
(That reinforces a point I've stressed for years — public school faculty members and other school officials should have the power to throw problem students out on their ears, shifting the burden of proof to the brats and their parents before they are allowed back in any publicly-funded school.)
Friday's story pointed out that parochial schools and charter schools (part of the public school system) require uniforms, with excellent results, as do eight other school districts in Pennsylvania. The Stroudsburg Area, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh school districts are among those that have uniforms for all grades.
The Tamaqua Area School District has had a partial school uniform requirement since 2005, with mandatory collared dress shirts or knee-length skirts and a limited range of colors, and a ban on baggy pants, shorts and jeans — but no specific uniforms.
There have been suggestions for school uniforms in the Catasauqua Area School District, but officials settled for a tougher dress code last September, and may revive the uniform idea later. Hoodies and tight jeans are still allowed, but not cleavage-advertising blouses, short-short skirts, pants that reveal skin, or spandex that reveals other things.
Personally, I never had to wear uniforms when I attended public school as a boy and I got in a lot of trouble. To be honest, however, I probably would have managed to get in trouble even with a uniform.
Later, when I helped teach English in Japanese schools as part of the U.S. People to People Program, I had my first close look at school uniforms. I thought they worked great, but I felt Japanese educators went a little overboard with discipline and those shaved-to-the-skin haircuts for boys and soup-bowl haircuts for girls.
In Allentown, more recently, parents who responded to surveys at various times said they favored a requirement for school uniforms by margins ranging from 63 percent to 86 percent.
That might be because the parents can weigh the cost of uniforms (a student could get by with just two or three, if necessary) against the cost of closets full of a separate funky Abercrombie & Fitch or Aeropostale outfit for each day of the month.
That leaves the nonfictional Kelly Bundy types and the hoodlums who want to display their gang symbols and colors — or underwear and tattoos — as the main opponents of the school uniforms idea.
Young people might even get the idea that taxpayers are going broke to provide education in the public school system, as opposed to providing fun and games.
Although some math test scores may suffer in certain situations, the overall advantages of unsexy school uniforms seem to heavily outweigh the disadvantages.
Paul Carpenter's commentary appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Copyright © 2013, The Morning Call | <urn:uuid:291e64f6-9e0f-47fb-b3c9-2245e05de49c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mcall.com/news/local/carpenter/mc-pc-allentown-school-uniforms-20120512,0,4028699,print.column | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968059 | 1,079 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Being a police officer was more than a job for Mike Renfro — he believes it was a calling from God.
As a master electrician, Renfro could have made more money and been safer rewiring homes instead of fighting crime, but that was not where his heart was.
He began being a reserve officer during his spare time while working at the Borden’s Milk plant, where he retired after 23 years. Since he had a day job, Renfro often worked the graveyard shift for the department.
“I put 25 to 40 hours in at the police department,” he said. “I was like another officer. I just didn’t get paid for it. That’s how much I enjoyed being a policeman.”
The semantics of police work were a lot different in 1974. The department did not have its own building or a dispatch center, although there was a holding area for criminals. The department’s phone line ran to a small, steel box in the heart of town at the intersection of U.S. Highway 69 and Texas Highway 16.
Renfro said the one officer on each shift waited near the box for assignments, but if they were out on a call, there was no way for the public to reach them.
Later that year, a dispatcher position was created, but he went home at midnight, leaving a single officer to his own devices.
“It was you, God and Smith County, and after midnight of course, Smith County was 30 minutes away if you needed any back up,” Renfro said. “So what you did was, you handled it yourself … You didn’t have walkie-talkies. You didn’t have portable radios.”
Officers did have a way to contact Smith County in their cars, but the technology was antiquated and slow. Renfro said officers learned to be self-sufficient. He said high-speed chases were particularly tricky.
Renfro went full-time with the department in 1994. During his tenure, he filled nearly every role on the department’s payroll including patrol, animal control, sergeant, field training, code enforcement, firearms instructor and range master. Police Chief Daniel Somes said Renfro trained all but two of the 14 full-time officers, including him.
Somes said that when he started with the department in 1999, it was still running shifts with one officer. Since Renfro lived downtown, he was the best option for backup and kept his gear handy in case he was needed.
“In the old days, dispatch would call Mike, and he would come running,” Somes said. “If he was in his PJs, he was in his PJs and he would grab a shotgun and come to your location.”
Officers said Renfro became a father figure to them all, teaching them and listening to their concerns.
Police Detective Mike Lazarine recalled a time when he needed help and his mentor answered the call. Lazarine said that about 2003, officers switched off working a dispatch shift in the office.
One night, he dispatched an officer to a wreck on Interstate 20, but when the officer arrived, the man in the vehicle was unstable and attempting to walk into oncoming traffic. When the officer pulled him away from certain death, the man became combative and began hitting him in the head and chest.
Lazarine quickly called for the second on-shift officer to drop what he was doing and help. As he was trying to call Renfro at home for a third set of hands, the phone lines were backed up with calls from residents telling him an officer was fighting on the side of the road.
Lazarine said each every officer has a similar story, of Renfro saving the day and making sure the officers came out of a situation unscathed. Renfro said he viewed all the officers as sons and wanted to ensure their safety.
“If you need me, I will come running with a smile on my face and bells on my toes,” he said he liked to tell the young officers.
Renfro said he worked 10 years on night shifts, and then he was moved to days.
“I got to where I could see better at night than I could in the daylight,” he said.” I was almost like a cat at night.”
In addition to working as an officer and electrician, Renfro was very active in church life. He is a licensed minister and choir director for a church in Tyler.
“I used tell people when I arrested them, I’ve got three choices: I can marry you, bury you or arrest you,” Renfro said. “You’re not my type, so you only have two choices, and all I need to know is where do you want the body sent?”
Now that he has retired from his second career, he will focus on working as a locksmith. Renfro learned the trade from a friend in Mineola who wanted to make sure Renfro had something to do after he retired.
“It’s like who would you want unlocking your car — a stranger or a retired police officer,” Renfro joked.
Somes said Renfro will be missed, but he has no doubts if the department called him in a time of need, Renfro would still answer the call.
“He will be sorely missed, and I think his impact will be felt for a long time,” Somes said. “He’s family and always will be. ... He has a servant’s heart, he really does.” | <urn:uuid:21b0e6f4-16e6-4464-8ea0-336e580544f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tylerpaper.com/article/20130113/NEWS01/130119911/0/COPYRIGHT | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991224 | 1,204 | 1.671875 | 2 |
“Is Love a Choice?” was a question posed to me several months ago. I reverberated that question to friends and family since then. What intrigues me most is the resistance to accept Love as a choice. It is as if people know the answer in their heart, and want an exception to the rule. Yes, Love is a choice, and I believe it is difficult to accept “Love is a choice” because of the immense responsibility that comes with it. A reasoning mind says, if Love is a choice, then I am responsible for the Love (or lack thereof) in my life. Resistance to this universal law of attraction is actually pushing Love away, out of your life.
Love is not about finding the right person; Love is about being the right person. That is a powerful concept. One so powerful that many are afraid to accept it. There is another option: Instead of being afraid of your power, you can choose to embrace it and empower your life. You are the Love there is to be (in your life, in your home, in your world). You are not here to be a victim of your circumstances; you are here to spread the Love. It begins with you. You can only give what you have.
Are you a loving person to yourself? Do you forgive yourself? Do you keep your commitments to yourself? It is hard, if not impossible, to practice outside yourself what you are not practicing within yourself. Lurking in the shadows, bigger than life sometimes, are those fears of achieving, conforming, and perfecting. And in front, proud and center, at the heart of all, is Love. It is ours for the asking and allowing. Choosing Love is an act of consciousness. It is you coming from a place greater than yourself and using that energy to be love.
Sure enough, we will blunder and fall into our shadow at times. The hope I have for myself is that I detour less often and course correct more quickly. And, use my mistakes as opportunities to show my imperfections and authenticity, and offer unconditional acceptance and forgiveness to myself. This is what my children teach me, and I am learning to reciprocate. Imperfection, unconditional acceptance, and forgiveness are gifts of Love. Compassion, kindness, humility, and patience are the reflections of Love. To offer these to my children is a true inheritance and a life of plenty.
Emily’s homemade Valentine’s Day card to me read: “I am Val the Valentine’s Penguin and whenever you feel sad, look at me. I will warm you up like a rainbow and bonfire at the same time.” Thank you Emily for this visual reminder that love is a choice and available to me always. We can celebrate Valentine’s Day every day, if we choose to. Love is a lifestyle, and a way of life. It is responding from our best and highest self. To live with more love and less fear is to have an amazing and audacious life. This is conscious loving.
“Life in abundance comes only through great love.” ~ Elbert Hubbard
If you have Love in your family and Love is God, then your home is heaven on earth. Love is your choice in every moment. It is available to you in every moment, every day. All the love you need is within, just uncover from the weeds of fear and create heaven on earth for your family. Conscious Loving is your power to transform your home. Choose Love. | <urn:uuid:a8d2ee07-f155-4596-8a59-d37a33eb188a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mychildsgardener.com/610/choose-love/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960321 | 725 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Lenovo Launches Its First ThinkPad Chromebook for Schools
It looks like Windows 8 just got detention. Lenovo is targeting the education market with a new laptop powered by Google’s OS instead of Microsoft’s. The ThinkPad X131e Chromebook is a ruggedized device that Lenovo says will make the lives of school administrators easier while providing students and teachers access to thousands of apps.
Apparently, Lenovo’s Windows-powered X131e for schools wasn’t cutting it, as this Chrome OS variant will tap into Google’s Apps for Education as well as its Chrome Web Store. And because this version of the X131e operates mostly in the cloud, IT teams will be able to manage security with less effort via a single dashboard. In fact, an IDC report claims that Chromebooks require 69 percent less labor to deploy and 92 percent less labor to support than Windows machines.
The notebook itself features an unnamed Intel processor, an 11-inch, anti-glare display with 1366 x 768 resolution, three USB ports and both HDMI and VGA ports. Lenovo didn’t provide exact battery life estimates but claims the X131e can last an entire school day.
What separates this Chromebook from the likes of Samsung’s Series 3 and the Acer C7 is its durability. There’s a rubber bumper and reinforced corners on the X131e to prevent drop damage, and the hinges were tested to last more than 50,0000 open-and-close cycles. All of this ruggedness adds up to a chassis that weighs 3.9 pounds, which is fairly portable but considerably heavier than the Samsung (2.4 pounds) and Acer (3.1 pounds) Chromebooks.
According to Lenovo, the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook will be available starting February 26th via special bidding, but pricing has not yet been announced. | <urn:uuid:9509820f-c745-4305-b9fc-006ac4f6033b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.laptopmag.com/lenovo-launches-its-first-thinkpad-chromebook-for-schools | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933701 | 383 | 1.625 | 2 |
Seaside Resident Wins Award on Behalf of Indian Women
February 17, 2011
In June of 2009, Seaside resident Louise Berry met women leaders in Himachal Pradesh active in Ekal Nari Shakti Sangathan, a social movement working to secure land rights for single women throughout India. On behalf of ENSS, Berry is one of three winners in the Property Rights: Identity, Dignity & Opportunity for All competition, and a $50,000 award will go to ENSS.
There were 211 applicants from 47 countries to the online challenge, led by Omidyar Network and Ashoka’s Changemakers. The competition is designed to recognize innovators that are enhancing access to land rights for the world’s poor and marginalized populations.
Since 2009, Berry has worked with her daughter, Humboldt State University professor Kim Berry, and Monterey resident Jennifer Erickson to educate the public about the single women's movement. They launched a blog to bring attention to rural Indian women "who have been economically and socially marginalized by virtue of their single status."
"I felt I just had to do something to support their cause,” Louise Berry said in a statement. “Their determination and strength inspired me to help them realize their goal of gaining access to land for the creation of new families of single women and their children." ENSS
In her competition application, Berry wrote, ENSS "designed a plan to create a new family formation, the "naya sasural" (new marital family): an older single woman joins with a younger single woman and her children to create an economically viable, mutually supportive family unit."
With the award, ENSS plans to create a pilot program of five naya sasurals (comprised of 10 single women and their children) to demonstrate the value of these new family formations, and the importance of long-term land lease rights.
Kim Berry speaks tonight on the single women's movement, Feb. 17, at 6pm in the Karas Room of the Library and Technology Center at Monterey Peninsula College. Sponsored by the Reentry and Multicultural Center. Free. | <urn:uuid:1db3226c-dbde-47b4-9b33-578415542eb5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/weblogs/news-blog/2011/feb/17/seaside-resident-wins-award-on-behald-of-indian-wo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952795 | 442 | 1.5625 | 2 |
By Laurence Norman
BRUSSELS (MarketWatch)—European Union finance ministers are likely to give Spain the green light to relax its budget deficit targets at a meeting Tuesday, according to people familiar with the matter, with a draft document saying the country’s 2012 budget deficit target will be changed to 6.3% of gross domestic product.
The officials Monday said there was a last-minute push to add the issue of Spain’s deficit target to the agenda of a meeting of EU finance ministers Tuesday. One official said all but two member states had agreed.
A draft set of conclusions on the Spanish fiscal situation, said that Spain “fulfils the conditions for the extension of the deadline” for returning its deficit to 3% of GDP and that it would therefore be given an extra year--until 2014--to meet the 3% goal.
The draft says Spain’s new deficit target for 2012 should be 6.3% of GDP, compared with 5.3% of GDP previously. The new figure is in line with the European Commission’s spring forecast of the deficit. The 2013 deficit target would be 4.5% of GDP and the 2014 goal would be 2.8%.
The draft document sets a number of goals for Spain in exchange for relaxing the targets.
It says Spain should now present by the end of this month a detailed “multi-annual” budget plan for 2013-14 setting out “structural measures that are necessary to achieve the correction of the excessive deficit.”
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It says Spain must adopt “without delay” new austerity measures for 2012 to meet this year’s target and that the Spanish government must “stand ready to adopt further measures should risks to the budgetary plans materialize.”
It also commits Spain to set up an independent budget office to oversee fiscal policy and says that Spain should accelerate its deficit reduction if the economic situation proves better than expected.
Spain will also have to report every three months on its progress in meeting the goals, the draft document says.
The draft document also states that Spain’s budgetary position “has deteriorated substantially” over the last few months, mainly due to a sharper-than-expected economic slowdown.
Earlier this year, EU finance ministers had refused to accept the new Spanish government’s decision to change its 2012 deficit target to 5.8% of GDP, insisting that it be reduced to 5.3%. At the time, the decision was seen as an effort by Brussels to show that its new fiscal rules must be respected. | <urn:uuid:4974f68f-0e18-486b-ae40-05ac56d6b84e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marketwatch.com/story/spain-to-get-leeway-on-deficit-targets-2012-07-09 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9524 | 586 | 1.71875 | 2 |
adidas today unveils the new adipure Trainer, the first barefoot training shoe designed specifically for the gym. Promoting pure and natural movement by harnessing the body’s natural mechanics, the adipure Trainer activates and strengthens muscles, builds balance and promotes dexterity.
“A lot of engineering went into making your foot a high performance machine,” said Mark Verstegen, founder of Athletes’ Performance. “To achieve your full potential during a workout, focus on how your foot interacts with the ground in the same way you think about how your hand interacts with a ball or a bat. Using your foot’s natural power and movement will help you strengthen muscles you never knew you had in your feet, lower legs and throughout your core.”
Featuring an independent toe separation design and a quarter-inch minimalistic profile, the adipure Trainer allows your foot to be close to the ground for optimal speed, balance and agility during a workout.
“My feet are able to move naturally in all directions and I can work muscles from my toes all the way to my calves,” said U.S. women’s national soccer team midfielder Heather O’Reilly when testing out the new adipure Trainer. “The adipure helps me improve my balance and increase my foot and leg strength to help me play a full 90 minutes at my highest level.”
“When I tested out the adipure I could immediately feel the muscles in my feet and legs were getting a different kind of workout,” said New York Giants rookie wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan. “Every advantage I can get in the gym to better prepare for the season will pay off on the field.”
The barefoot-shaped construction of the adipure Trainer mimics the foot’s anatomy creating a natural-feeling shoe that still protects the skin and provides traction and durability.
“The adipure Trainer is for athletes who want to maximize their workout in the gym to get better for game day,” said David Baxter, adidas America vice president of sport performance. “In almost every sport, your foot is the first part of your body to absorb impact or get you moving, so it’s crucial for your feet to provide balance, flexibility and strength. This piece of equipment is designed to help athletes strengthen their feet and lower legs while still providing comfort and protection during their strength training and conditioning workouts.”
Available this November for $90 in four colorways for men and two colorways for women, athletes can find the adipure at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Foot Locker, Sports Authority and shopadidas.com.
adidas develops high performance apparel and footwear to help athletes train, compete, prepare for and recover from their sport. For more information visit www.adidas.com. | <urn:uuid:5f7957b9-49ec-437f-8f7b-2072896e299c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lacrosseplayground.com/adidas-unveils-new-barefoot-training-shoe/ | 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 | 0.93808 | 592 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Business Advice for Mompreneurs
You have a great idea, a plan of action and you’re ready to start your at-home business – so now what? Balancing a business and a family from home sounds great in theory, but it can get a bit overwhelming in practice. When you have work to do and the baby starts crying, your child gets sent home sick and you run out of milk, work might have to wait.
There is no magical way to achieve business success while raising your children and keeping your house sparkling clean. Different techniques will work for different people, so it might take some trial and error before you figure out what’s best for you. The following advice can help you work through even the most chaotic days.
Map out business time
Creating and sticking to specific working hours is the essential step in developing a strong work routine. Whether you choose to work for five hours at a time or carve out shorter blocks at specific intervals, it is essential to make your business a priority.
Having a schedule can also help children get accustomed to sharing you with your work. While your child is doing homework, you can get to work as well. Try scheduling working hours when your child has activities planned. Children often have an easier time adjusting to changes when a routine is worked out. Making your kids a part of the schedule can help make it easier on your entire family.
Make adjustments without giving up
Obviously, even the best schedules are not always possible to follow. Things will come up; plans will be delayed or ignored altogether. Setbacks are inevitable, but how you deal with them is important. Don’t let last minute changes derail you entirely.
If you are unable to get your work done as planned, try to reschedule it. If it is impossible to get it all done, figure out small tasks that you can get done. Every little bit helps, so take a few moments to return a phone call or send some emails. These small accomplishments can help you transition back to business mode when your schedule returns to normal.
Master the art of creating goals
Goals should not be considered an abstract hope for your business. You should create goals that have tangible outcomes. Create short and long-term goals that cover every aspect of your business. You can make goals about your schedule, sales, customer relations and work-life balance.
Monitoring your goals is a crucial part of the process. Keep track of your successes and goals that didn’t work out as you hoped. Measuring the progress of your goals can teach you a lot about your business. You can learn where your time is best spent and figure out how to keep growing. Best of all, you can celebrate the victories that come along with goal-setting.
Mend problems right away
Being your own boss means that every issue is your responsibility. Ignoring problems or putting off dealing with them will only hurt your business. Negative experiences can lead customers or clients to lose faith in your business. Word of mouth can spread quickly through social networks and undo a lot of your hard work. A website crash can deter potential customers. Make sure to address problems as they arise to keep them from growing.
Even if you are incredibly busy, take a few moments to make a call or send an email. If you can’t address the problem right away, you can at least assure your customers or vendors that it has been acknowledged and offer a timeline for fixing it. Think of business problems in terms of your children. If your children are sick, you treat them immediately. If your business is suffering, work on making it better.
Mentor other Mompreneurs
When your business becomes a thriving success, give back to others facing the same struggles. Offer advice, write a blog post or schedule a phone call. Networking is a huge part of business, so don’t ignore it just because you work from home. Not only can you help out your peers, but you will also benefit from their unique knowledge.
Running a business is a constant learning experience. Reaching out to help guide others can help you as well. You might find new business opportunities or arrange to trade services with another business owner. Making contacts with your peers can also be therapeutic. After all, no one knows the ups and downs of working from home quite like another Mompreneur. Being there for one another with empathy and advice can help make each of your businesses happy and successful.
Erin Palmer is a writer and editor for Bisk Education. She works with several top-tiered universities, such as Villanova University’s HR certification programs. Erin can be reached on Twitter @Erin_E_Palmer.
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In accordance with the Terms of Service, submitting a comment grants Entrepreneurial Woman Magazine a perpetual license to reproduce your words and name/web site in attribution. | <urn:uuid:38027433-0053-4498-8622-d21e319046fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.entrepreneurialwoman.ca/2012/04/04/business-advice-for-mompreneurs | 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 | 0.955601 | 1,021 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Nursing and Midwifery
The DMU School of Nursing & Midwifery is based in the City Centre of Leicester within the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences. The School is located in Edith Murphy House, which has recently undergone extensive refurbishment and modernisation, Classroom teaching occurs across the University campus with a suite of clinical skills facilities in the Hawthorn Building.
The Nursing & Midwifery courses within the school have been commended by a recent NMC visit on a number of areas, in particular, practice learning which includes our effective partnership working with Trust colleagues and the excellent work around the patient and public involvement within all of our courses.
The academic and research staff within the school are all registered nurses and midwives with designated link areas in practice, which enables them to keep in contact with students and staff when on clinical placements. Some of the teaching team participate in new nursing and midwifery initiatives, whilst others are undertaking PhD research projects or writing textbooks with a good national reputation.
Learning Beyond Registration (post registration)
According to ‘The Code; Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives’ (NMC 2008), as a registered nurse or midwife you are required to keep your knowledge and skills up to date throughout your working life’ and ‘…take part in appropriate learning and practice activities that maintain and develop your competence and performance’.
Whilst such requirements can be met in a variety of different ways, here at De Montfort University, registered nurses and midwives have a number of study opportunities for learning beyond registration/post registration to meet both professional and personal education requirements.
Preparing for caring
Nurses are in a unique position within the health care provision, and can work in a wide variety of settings. It involves caring for individuals, families and communities in order to maintain levels of good health.
A midwife is a health professional who supports women during pregnancy labour and the postnatal period as an autonomous practitioner.. Pregnancy and birth are unique experiences, and a mother always remembers her midwife. DMU run a number of programmes and modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level which support the midwife in her practice.
Learning Beyond Registration|
This provision has been developed through the University's partnerships with the Health Education East Midlands Local Education Training Board and colleagues from a wide range of specialities within the acute, primary care and independent healthcare sectors.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines palliative care as “the active total care of patients whose disease is unresponsive to curative treatment.
Providing you with the skills, experience and confidence you will need for safe practice as a registered nurse or midwife.
This section of the website is for mentors or for those want to train as a mentor for nursing and midwifery students.
Master's and Research opportunities | <urn:uuid:90497ed6-ddc5-4057-81b2-52cf96c8895f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dmu.ac.uk/about-dmu/schools-and-departments/school-of-nursing-and-midwifery/school-of-nursing-and-midwifery.aspx?ContensisTextOnly=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954423 | 590 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Pat Adams, from left, shakes 4th District Congressman Scott DesJarlais' hand as Julia Pirtle smiles Wednesday at the Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City, Tenn. After a short meet and greet the congressman answered a few questions concerning health care reform, small businesses and other subjects.Photo by Allison Carter /Chattanooga Times Free Press.
TRACY CITY, Tenn. — The owner of the state’s oldest bakery on Wednesday blamed widespread job cuts on government regulations, and her congressman promised to help her.
Entering its 109th year of business, Dutch Maid Bakery has four full-time employees at two locations. It recently staffed 14 workers at its two sites, but occasional turnover led to steep unemployment benefits and other financial losses, according to owner Cindy Day.
U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., visiting the bakery as part of his weeklong “Job Creators” tour, sympathized with Day and claimed “the federal bureaucracy” charges employers $8,900 per employee to keep up with regulations.
Asked to give examples, DesJarlais mentioned minimum wage increases, unemployment benefits and Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines.
“That’s a lot of cookies at 69 cents each,” Day said, adding the two dozen residents who’d come to see DesJarlais were “more customers than we’ve had all week.”
DesJarlais, of South Pittsburg, characterized unemployment benefits as an “impediment” to small-business job creation, which he said he was elected to expedite.
Three counties in Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District — the state’s largest, curving across 24 counties from Southeast Tennessee to a point below Nashville — are among the top 10 counties in Tennessee with the highest jobless rates, including Scott County at 23.2 percent. More than a quarter of the district’s residents depend on food stamps for groceries and other necessities, according to the U.S. Department of Human Services.
Small-business gripes expanded to the federal government after DesJarlais’ meeting with Day concluded. Residents went after the Environmental Protection Agency — one called it the nation’s “shadow government” — along with President Barack Obama’s health care reform plan.
As a collective groan swallowed a question about “Obamacare,” DesJarlais replied: “That’s a program people didn’t ask for, can’t afford and don’t want — nobody has stopped complaining.”
Several said health care reform prevented them from hiring more workers. The president’s plan offers some small-business owners a choice between paying a $2,000 penalty or buying $8,000 health insurance benefit plans for each worker.
The congressman offered few specifics about how he could encourage deregulation, but he said the nation’s lawmakers had “two to six years” to repair the nation’s finances.
“Stay tuned, watch what happens over the next few months,” DesJarlais told the crowd.
Chris Carroll covers federal politics for the Times Free Press. A Chattanooga native, he went to Red Bank High School and graduated with honors from East Tennessee State University. Chris investigated violent crime, municipal government and hospitals before taking the political beat. For tornado coverage, he and Pam Sohn won a first-place Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors deadline reporting award. In 2010, Chris won the Golden Press Card Award of Merit and another deadline reporting ...
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There was a strong sense of frustration at a recent meeting in Tracy City, a small Grundy County community not ... | <urn:uuid:2ff57d0a-b74b-4896-a8e5-4be22ea09033> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/mar/24/businesses-say-bureaucracy-hurts-hiring/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949694 | 892 | 1.570313 | 2 |
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From Barnes & NobleThe Barnes & Noble Review
When President Kennedy conceived of the Peace Corps, he probably didn't imagine that it would give birth to a body of such poignant and powerful travel literature. Peter Hessler's River Town is a delightful addition to the pantheon of Peace Corps literature that recounts the trials and triumphs of "the toughest job you'll ever love."
The erudite Hessler volunteered to teach English literature at a teacher's college in Fuling, China, a small city -- by Chinese standards -- of 250,000 along the Yangtze River. Fuling wasn't renowned for anything in particular, but the city's fate was soon to change as the Chinese government unrolled its highly controversial Three Gorges river dam project. Hessler beautifully depicts the rhythms and sounds of a sleepy city on the cusp of great transition. He alternates descriptions of his daily adventures in Fuling with character studies of its notable, colorful, and sometimes wacky residents. He excels in bringing Fuling to life and sharing with the reader its unique qualities and complexities.
But it's in the classroom that Hessler finds writer's gold. His wry and warm descriptions of his students and their stories are rich and real, and make for excellent reading. The tales include Hessler's role in aiding an individualistic student's quest for government-suppressed information and advising a naïve graduate on the trappings of men and life in the big city. There are also tense sessions with Hessler's fiercely patriotic, party-line-toeing Chinese-language tutor, whose daily debates and language lessons he describes as "opium wars."
By far the most brilliant aspect of River Town is the way in which Hessler uses his students' own words -- from their essays to retellings of the plays they put on in class -- to provide insight into the experiences of a new generation of Chinese people. His students' perspectives on communism, democracy, America, civil liberties, and the great protagonists of English literature are simultaneously earnest and priceless, and Hessler's clever use of them to enrich his own narrative is the mark of a great storyteller.
Hessler also travels extensively throughout some of China's far-flung, lesser-known regions. His encounters on boats and trains provide another look at the issues facing China at the end of the millennium: its struggle for identity, its tense relationship with itself and other countries, and the basic human struggles of its massive population.
While each Peace Corps experience brings with it a host of unique and compelling circumstances, Hessler's two years in Fuling coincided with several especially important moments in modern Chinese history. Among them were the death of Deng Xiaoping and Britain's transfer of Hong Kong back to Chinese control, both in 1997. These events serve as the context within which Hessler explores and explains China. By his own admission, he was only able to scratch the surface of this multifaceted, intricate, and deeply complicated country during his two years of Peace Corps service. But readers doubtless will be moved and enlightened by Hessler's stories of life in China. His thoughtful and well-written account will enrich and educate, as well as incite a yearning within readers for more information about this incredible land. (Emily Burg)
Emily Burg is a New York-based freelancer. | <urn:uuid:5faa3e7a-6abe-49a0-9246-c363f8db04af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/river-town-peter-hessler/1100616902?displayonly=exc&ean=9780060855024 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964821 | 684 | 1.75 | 2 |
About Continuing Education
Connecting the resources of the University with the needs of the community.
Continuing Education at Grand Valley provides programs and services that link the needs of lifelong learners with the resources of the University.
- is a resource for faculty, learners, and departments
- is a resource for community members and organizations
- responds to the expressed needs of the community
- facilitates lifelong learning opportunities
- facilitates innovative educational opportunities
We are your resource and we're ready to help.
Page last modified March 13, 2008 | <urn:uuid:c1845380-7457-478c-976e-ffdebba019f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gvsu.edu/learn/about-continuing-education-6.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940523 | 107 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Medina Journal-Register — ARLINGTON, Va. — In a solemn ceremony at one of our nation’s sacred sites, four local veterans who answered the call to service seventy years ago honored their brothers and sisters who’ve come to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
A group of more than ninety veterans and their families were in Washington last week as part of the 2012 Patriot Trip, a four-day experience organized by Assemblyman Steve Hawley.
Among the veterans attending the fifth-annual event were World War II veterans Stanley Stefaniak of Medina, Mike Paduchak of Kendall, Don Nagle of LeRoy and Nick Zinni of Batavia. Saturday, they played a central role in the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unkowns.
With instructions from the sentinels who protect the tomb, Stefaniak, Paduchak, Nagle and Zinni stepped forward with silent reverence to place a wreath at the burial site for unknown war dead from World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Their dignified act was observed with pride by the rest of the Patriot Trip and assemblage of visiting veterans, Girl Scouts and families.
”This is the greatest honor we can bestow on our fellow veterans,” Stefaniak, who served as an operator of a power station at a military installation in the Arctic Circle during the war, said before the ceremony.
Stefaniak and his felow veterans were serious in their responsibility, following the precision of a member of the tomb’s honor guard with a march to the tomb and salute after presenting a flowered wreath.
Afterwards, they all smiled with relief as they were cheered by their trip-mates.
”That wasn’t too hard,” said Zinni, who served as a radioman in South Pacific.
”That was worse than going into battle,” joked Paduchack, who wore his Army uniform in the ceremony.
Paduchak’s uniform bore the the Combat Infantryman Badge he earned in combat during the liberation of Europe. As the young but serious sergeant who led the veterans through the ceremony personally thanked each man afterwards, he reached to his uniform as presented Paduchak with his own CIB.
The gesture deeply impressed the Patriot Tour’s attendees.
”(For the Tomb Guards) everything has to be perfectly creased and pressed, and he walked away out of uniform,” Kevin Sheehan of Albion said after seeing the medal transfer. “That’s respect.”
Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place of two presidents and thousands of men and women who’ve served their nation. It is also where soldiers whose identities are not known have been guarded continuously by the sentinels of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment since 1937.
The ceremonial changing of the guard is often marked with the placing of a wreath at the site, an occasion that the Patriot Trip’s attendees had experienced as observers but not participants.
”This was something that we really wanted to do, especially for our World War II veterans,” Hawley said.
Arrangements were made with both the Army Honor Guard and a local florist, whose beautiful wreath of fresh red and white flowers was funded by the Lincoln Post 1483 Ladies’ Auxiliary.
The wreath remained at the gravesites as the changing of the guard ceremony commenced with dedicated precision — with one sentinel relieving another, taking his post as the protector of the tomb.
The Patriot Trip began in 2008 following Paduchak’s urging of a project to provide World War II veterans the opportunity to experience the recently-built monument commemorating their service. Many have continued to come in the ensuing years.
Nagle, who served in naval aviation at air stations along the eastern seaboard and was one of the men training for the invasion of the Japanese home islands before the war came to an abrupt end, has attended all but the first trip; Stefaniak has come three times, Paduchak twice. This was Zinni’s first trip.
The trip’s first year was made up largely of World War II veterans, but later years have brought more veterans from later eras. For the men who received rounds of applause and cheers Saturday for both their service seven decades ago and at the memorial, the trip is an event they hope to keep attending.
”I’ll do it every year I can,” Stefaniak said.Contact reporter Jim Krencik at 798-1400, ext. 6327. | <urn:uuid:2d14983b-516c-40c8-8d2b-01b56775b757> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://journal-register.com/local/x964644404/Unknowns-honored-by-local-veterans | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970483 | 975 | 1.539063 | 2 |
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Regional rival Turkey offers diplomatic support and hope for Greek financial institutions.
ISTANBUL, Turkey — Greece, embroiled in its worst economic crisis in living memory, has received an offer of support from an unexpected source.
While the headlines are filled with strikes and violent riots in Athens, as the country staggers under $400 billion in debt, increasingly expensive repayments and a junk status credit rating, Turkey is reaching out diplomatically and — the Greeks hope — soon financially.
Turkey's rise as a powerful regional actor stands in contrast to the trajectory of its age-old rival across the Aegean.
The Turkish economy is on fire. Growing at an average yearly rate of 6 percent between 2002 and 2008, this year Turkey is set to grow faster than any country in the European Union — which has thus far refused to admit Turkey to the club, in part because of Greek opposition.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week led a 300-strong delegation of Turkish officials and businessmen to Greece for a visit aimed at a soothing the often antagonistic ties between the neighbors and helping Greece out of its debt crisis.
"Those who write history will write that two ancient civilizations, two important actors are now embarking on a path towards peace and friendship," said Erdogan at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou.
Even just a few years back it would have been difficult for most Turks to imagine their prime minister extending a helping hand to this longstanding rival.
The two neighbors share deep ties, but an even deeper sense of rivalry. Since Greece won independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832, the two sides have fought four major wars. While the relationship has become more cordial over the last decade, territorial disputes over the Aegean Sea remain a thorn in the side of these two NATO allies. Looming even more heavily is the ongoing issue of Cyprus, whose Turkish and Greek peoples remain divided.
Meantime, Greece’s biggest bank is relying on Turkey to pull it through the economic crisis. With an eye toward benefiting from Turkish economic growth the National Bank of Greece SA plans to open 75 branches across Turkey this year.
The reasons for the expansion are clear — even last year, before the full weight of crisis hit, the National Bank earned more at its Istanbul-based Finansbank AS unit than it did in Greece. And it’s not just the National Bank. While Greece’s four largest banks saw their combined profit drop 41 percent last year, Turkish banks increased profit by almost 50 percent.
“The purchase of Finansbank by the National Bank of Greece was better than a good investment, it was excellent,” said Devrim Baykent, Vice President of Bank Relations at Finansbank.
Finansbank is the brainchild of renowned Turkish finance guru Husnu Ozyegin. In 2006 Ozyegin finally cashed in on his prize investment — which he had built up from a single branch in the late 1980s to what is now the 5th largest private bank in Turkey — selling 46 percent of the shares of the Turkish branch of Finansbank to the National Bank.
With a notoriously volatile economy throughout the 1990s, Turkey has its own tales of banking blues. Since the economic crisis of 2001, however, the banks have recapitalized, reduced inflation, cut state debt and greatly increased transparency.
“The beginning of the decade was tough for us,” Baykent said. “But afterwards we sat down and did our homework. Now look at us.” | <urn:uuid:73b24bc7-8f3a-4719-82be-f157e9ad748d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/turkey/100517/greece-turkey-economic-crisis-cyprus | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961712 | 736 | 1.835938 | 2 |
James C. Robison.Throughout Kansas the name Robison is indissolubly linked with her great Percheron breeding establishmentWhitewater Falls stock farm, which from a small beginning in 1884 has grown to be the most important enterprise of its kind in America, and of which the subject of this review has been since 1895 an interested principal, for many years the managing executive, and since 1909 the sole owner. James C. Robison was born in Pekin, Ill., July 24, 1872, a son of the late Hon. J. W. Robison, a sketch of whose life precedes this article and his wife, Sarah A. (Woodrow) Robison. His early education was acquired in the public schools of Tazewell county, Illinois, and Butler county, Kansas. This was supplemented by a one-year course in the agricultural department of the University of Illinois, of Champaign, and later he attended the Wichita Business College at Wichita, Kan., receiving the first diploma issued by that institution on his graduation. On completion of his education he returned to Butler county and was in the employ of his father on his stock farm near Towanda. In 1895 he became the junior member of the firm of J. W. and J. C. Robison, a business partnership which remained unbroken until a year previous to the death of the senior member, in 1909. The history of the growth and development of the business of this firm covers to a large extent the identification of Mr. Robison with the commercial affairs of this section of the state. In 1879, the late Hon. J. W. Robison secured the land now included in Whitewater Falls farm. In 1884 his first investments in Percherons were made. In 1895 James C. Robinson became a partner in the enterprise as above stated. The farm proper, consisting of 1,920 acres, devoted chiefly to Percherons, while still permitting of extensive feeding operations, lies along the Whitewater river. The hill slopes contain an abundance of limestone, which gives added strength to the native grasses, and the fertile bottom lands, are not surpassed elsewhere. Five hundred acres of bottom lands produce alfalfa, and doubtless much of the success in the development of the Percherons is due to the limestone grasses and the alfalfa. Five imported stallions have successfully headed the stud. The first, Norval, half brother to the famous Brilliant, was used for ten years, Social, a son of Sultan, was in service eight years; Laschine, a French gold medal winner, died after two years' service; Fantone was used a similar period; Casino, the greatest of them all and winner of 115 firsts, has been the head of the stud since 1902. Since 1884, when the first investments in Percheron were made, the business has been gradually and substantially extended and the character of the stock improved until at the present time, it is rated, by those who should know, as the leading Percheron breeding establishment of America. Robison Percherons have been awarded prizes at the World's Fair at St. Louis in 1904, International, American Royal, at the state fairs of Illinois, Missouri, Virginia, Indiana, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma and at Toronto, Canada. At the World's Fair at St. Louis the Robison exhibits won a greater number of prizes than any other Percheron breeder and their show entries were, all but two, foaled at Whitewater Falls farm. The famous six horse team of the Kansas State Experimental Station at Manhattan is from this farm and the experimental stations of Oklahoma, Washington, Arkansas, Colorado and Texas have drawn upon the farm for mares, a recognition of the superiority of this stud. The records of the eleven public sales of this farm furnish the most decisive evidence of the public's confidence in the stock offered. In 1902, twenty-three head brought an average price of $472.23; in 1903, thirty-five head, $463.00; in 1904, forty head, $495.00; in 1905, forty-four head, $468.98; in 1906, forty-two head, $638.70; in 1907, sixty-one head, $598.71; in 1908, fifty-four head, $661.11; in 1909, fifty-nine head, $684.10; in 1910, fifty-eight head, $671.00; and in 1911, fifty-six head $674.50.
To the intelligent and persevering effort of "Jim" Robison this successful accomplishment is due. For more than a decade he has been the active force, and since 1909 the sole owner of the farm and stud. He has builded on a brood basis and his handiwork has more favorable recognition of the best informed in his line wherever Percherons are grown in numbers in America. Probably no establishment of its kind in this country represents as large an investment in lands and improvements, over $40,000 having been expended in suitable buildings for the proper carrying on of the enterprise, and in the essentials of sanitation, light, water and character of construction, nothing which money could procure has been overlooked. The Whitewater is a beautiful stream bordered by a generous growth of elm, walnut, hackberry and sycamore. Located within two hundred feet of the farm residence is a delightful waterfall that runs its course by day and by night as the years pass. It is from this beautiful fall that the farm takes its name. Within the home are numerous silver trophies which bear witness to victories won in many exhibitors' contests. On the library walls hangs a fine study in oil of a group of Percherons with Casino in the foreground. The farm has been the scene of many charming hospitalities and here the visitor ever receives a warm welcome. The dedication of the great central barn occurred on June 5, 1909. Two thousand invited guests were transported by special train from nearby towns and cities and made merry at the largest barn dance ever held in Kansas. Mr. Robison is a Republican in politics and, while essentially a man of business, is active and influential in party affairs. In 1909, he was appointed by Governor Stubbs a member of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture to fill the unexpired term of his father, Hon. J. W. Robison. He was elected to membership on this board in January, 1911, and is a director. He is a member, has served one term as president and is a director in the Percheron Society of America; has also served as a director of the American Royal Live Stock Show; has gained the Scottish Rite degrees in Masonry, and is affiliated with Midian Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Wichita.
Mr. Robison married on Feb. 2, 1897, Miss Bertha Ellet, daughter of William H. Ellet, of Eldorado, and granddaughter of Gen. Alfred W. Ellet, one of the first settlers of Butler county. They are the parents of four children, viz: William Ellet, born Nov. 8, 1897; Ruth, born June 27, 1903; Alfred Ellet, born May 13, 1905; and Amy, born March 19, 1900, who died Aug. 3, 1900. Mr. Robison is a man of strong character and powerful individuality, gifted with keen intuition, has constructive and executive ability of high order and is admirably fortified in knowledge of the questions and issues of the hour. He has ever been a loyal and progressive citizen of Kansas and a firm believer in her future advancement, as in the past he has been an active worker in her development. Mrs. Robison is a woman of broad culture and extensive travel, a charming hostess and prominent in the social life of Butler county.Pages 850-852 from volume III, part 2 of Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. ... / with a supplementary volume devoted to selected personal history and reminiscence. Standard Pub. Co. Chicago : 1912. 3 v. in 4. : front., ill., ports.; 28 cm. Vols. I-II edited by Frank W. Blackmar. Transcribed December 2002 by Carolyn Ward. This volume is identified at the Kansas State Historical Society as microfilm LM195. It is a two-part volume 3.
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Advise to Investors: Shun War Headlines
PERIODS of military conflict - including subsequent peace conferences - are times when individuals should take particular care to protect their financial position, analysts caution. It is only right to ``manage one's investments at a time of crisis, whether that situation is a stock market crash, as occurred in October 1987, or a military conflict, such as the Gulf crisis,'' says James Stack, publisher and editor of InvesTech, a financial newsletter published in Whitefish, Mont.Skip to next paragraph
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The reason is all too clear: In the case of major conflicts, stock markets tend to react swiftly to what happens on the battlefield or at the peace table. After the initial bombing raids last Wednesday night, for example, world markets quickly rallied, buoyed by upbeat reports from the Gulf. By noon Thursday, the Dow Jones industrial average had climbed about 81 points.
In the case of the Gulf war, no one knows with certainty how the oil-rich region will look in political and economic terms after a cessation of hostilities. ``If I had only one piece of major advice to give, it would be to turn your back on the Gulf and the stock market - in terms of financial considerations - and come back to it a week or so later,'' says Mr. Stack. In other words, base your planning on long-range financial goals, not on what's happening in the Gulf on any given day.
``A person should position [their assets] based on the underlying US economy, not what's happening in the Gulf,'' says Eric Hanson, a financial consultant with Fraser Management Associates, in Burlington, Vt.
In the case of new assets, Mr. Hanson believes that as much as 30 to 50 percent could be put into equities; the rest could be held in cash or its equivalents to ``see what happens in the weeks ahead.''
Although the Gulf war could add $28 billion to $86 billion to US military expenditures, according to a Congressional Budget Office report, not much of that will actually come from US taxpayers. Saudi Arabia and other US allies will cover most of the costs. Thus, Stack doesn't believe that the Gulf will have a significant impact on the US economy. Some analysts, assuming a jump in oil prices, predict that a long war could could deepen the recession. But Stack is assuming that the conflict remains localized, and Israel and Iran are kept on the sidelines.
Stack is wary of buying ``crisis'' commodities, such as gold or oil stocks. But it is time, he maintains, to start buying carefully selected equities for reasons irrespective of the Gulf - particularly falling interest rates. ``The Gulf crisis,'' he says ``has been a terrible diversion to the most dramatic shift in US monetary policy over the past month since the stock market crash of 1987.''
``Separate your investment strategy from the political turmoil and the stress regarding the military conflict,'' he adds.
George Jacobsen Jr., chief investment officer and one of the founders of Trevor Stewart Burton & Jacobsen Inc., an investment management firm here, also holds that individuals should take a long-term view. The Gulf crisis ``does raise the risk of higher inflation on a short-term basis.'' So some long-term, top-quality, bonds could be attractive. He also favors buying selective equities, including some stocks in the energy energy-service sectors. He cautions against ``waiting for the Gulf conflict to be over before getting back into the market,'' noting that investors who did that during the Korean War turned out to have a long wait.
What individuals most certainly should not do is play the market based on day-to-day war news, says Thomas O'Hara, chairman of the National Association of Investors Corporation, Royal Oak, Mich. ``If you try to shift assets back and forth [between various investments] you're more likely to make a mistake,'' says Mr. O'Hara. His recommendation: Stick with stocks of the better-performing United States corporations. The managements of those businesses, he argues, will change their policies during periods of crisis to best protect their own market performance, and, in doing so, he notes, they also protect the assets of their investors. | <urn:uuid:b227d839-f1e9-4677-bb30-e15610276a61> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csmonitor.com/1991/0122/fwal22.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956142 | 869 | 1.75 | 2 |
Reflections by Comrade Fidel
This Reflection could be written today, tomorrow or any other day without the risk of being mistaken. Our species faces new problems. When 20 years ago I stated at the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro that a species was in danger of extinction, I had fewer reasons than today for warning about a danger that I was seeing perhaps 100 years away. At that time, a handful of leaders of the most powerful countries were in charge of the world. They applauded my words as a matter of mere courtesy and placidly continued to dig for the burial of our species.
It seemed that on our planet, common sense and order reigned. For a while economic development, backed by technology and science appeared to be the Alpha and Omega of human society.
Today, everything is much clearer. Profound truths have been surfacing. Almost 200 States, supposedly independent, constitute the political organization which in theory has the job of governing the destiny of the world.
Approximately 25,000 nuclear weapons in the hands of allied or enemy forces ready to defend the changing order, by interest or necessity, virtually reduce to zero the rights of billions of people.
I shall not commit the naïveté of assigning the blame to Russia or China for the development of that kind of weaponry, after the monstrous massacre at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ordered by Truman after Roosvelt’s death.
Nor shall I fall prey to the error of denying the Holocaust that signified the deaths of millions of children and adults, men or women, mainly Jews, gypsies, Russians or other nationalities, who were victims of Nazism. For that reason the odious policy of those who deny the Palestinian people their right to exist is repugnant.
Does anyone by chance think that the United States will be capable of acting with the independence that will keep it from the inevitable disaster awaiting it?
In a few weeks, the 40 million dollars President Obama promised to collect for his electoral campaign will only serve to show that the currency of his country is greatly devaluated, and that the US, with its unusual growing public debt drawing close to 20 quadrillion, is living on the money it prints up and not on the money it produces. The rest of the world pays for what they waste.
Nor does anyone believe that the Democratic candidate would be any better or worse than his Republican foes: whether they are called Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum. Light years separate the three characters as important as Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King. It is really unheard-of to observe such a technologically powerful nation and a government so bereft of both ideas and moral values.
Iran has no nuclear weapons. It is being accused of producing enriched uranium that serves as fuel energy or components for medical uses. Whatever one can say, its possession or production is not equivalent to the production of nuclear weapons. Dozens of countries use enriched uranium as an energy source, but this cannot be used in the manufacture of a nuclear weapon without a prior complicated purification process.
However, Israel, with the aid and cooperation of the United States, manufactured nuclear weaponry without informing or accounting to anybody, today not admitting their possession of these weapons, they have hundreds of them. To prevent the development of research in neighbouring Arab countries, they attacked and destroyed reactors in Iraq and Syria. They have also declared their aim of attacking and destroying the production centres for nuclear fuel in Iran.
International politics have been revolving around that crucial topic in that complex and dangerous part of the world, where most of the fuel that moves the world economy is produced and supplied.
The selective elimination of Iran’s most eminent scientists by Israel and their NATO allies has become a practice that motivates hatred and feelings of revenge.
The Israeli government has openly stated its objective to attack the plant manufacturing Iran’s enriched uranium, and the government of the United States has invested billions of dollars to manufacture a bomb for that purpose.
On March 16, 2012, Michel Chossudovsky and Finian Cunningham published an article revealing that “A top US Air Force General has described the largest conventional bomb – the re-invented bunkers of 13.6 tones – as ‘fantastic’ for a military attack on Iran.
“Such an eloquent comment on the massive killer-artefact took place in the same week that President Barack Obama appeared to warn against ‘easy words’ on the Persian Gulf War.”
“…Herbert Carlisle, deputy chief of staff for US Air Force operations […] added that probably the bomb would be used in any attack on Iran ordered by Washington.
“The MOP, also referred to as ‘The Mother of All Bombs’, is designed to drill through 60 metres of concrete before it detonates its massive bomb. It is believed to be the largest conventional weapon, non-nuclear, in the US arsenal.”
“The Pentagon is planning a process of wide destruction of Iran’s infrastructure and massive civilian victims through the combined use of tactical nuclear bombs and monstrous conventional bombs with mushroom-shaped clouds, including the MOABs and the larger GBU-57A/B or Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) that exceeds the MOAB in destructive capacity.
“The MOP is described as ‘a powerful new bomb that aims straight at subterranean Iranian and North Korean nuclear facilities. The giant bomb –longer than 11 persons shoulder to shoulder, or more than 6 metres from end to end’.”
I ask the reader to excuse me for this complicated military jargon.
As one can see, such calculations arise from the supposition that the Iranian combatants, numbering millions of men and women well-known for their religious zeal and their fighting traditions, surrender without firing a shot.
In recent days, the Iranians have seen how US soldiers occupying Afghanistan, in just three weeks, urinated on the corpses of killed Afghans, burned copies of the Koran and murdered more than 15 defenceless citizens.
Let us imagine US forces launching monstrous bombs on industrial institutions, capable of penetrating through 60 metres of concrete. Never has such an undertaking ever been conceived.
Not one word more is needed to understand the gravity of such a policy. In that way, our species will be inexorably led towards disaster. If we do not learn how to understand, we shall never learn how to survive.
As for me, I harbour not the slightest doubt that the United States is about to commit and lead the world towards the greatest mistake in its history.
Fidel Castro Ruz
March 21, 2012 | <urn:uuid:dca3d9fa-fa3c-4c8d-b81b-04c69cfbe989> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.adelante.cu/english/index.php/reflections-by-fidel/272-the-roads-leading-to-disaster.html?Itemid=54&option=com_content&id=272:the-roads-leading-to-disaster&view=article&month=2&year=2012 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958895 | 1,362 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Videos » Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012The spirit that drove those commercial sailors along the web of trade routes, deep into the bleak latitudes of the Southern Ocean and around the world’s most dangerous capes, emerges today in the form of the Volvo Ocean Race, a contest now seen as the pinnacle of achievement in the sport.
The first edition of this sporting adventure came in the wake of two remarkable sailors of the last century, Sir Francis Chichester and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, men who drew worldwide acclaim for amazing solo voyages around the planet. Inevitably their success led to talk in international sailing circles of a race around the world for fully crewed yachts. It became a reality in 1973 with The Whitbread round the World Race, the longest, most demanding and perilous sporting contest the world had known.
Dangerous it was. In that very first race three competing sailors were lost after being washed overboard during storms. This led to the inevitable call for that inaugural contest to be the last, but the desire for unbridled adventure and great competition led to the race being staged every four years.
The re-badged Volvo Ocean Race was run for the first time in 2001-02. Today it is, quite simply, the ‘Everest of Sailing’.
During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which starts in Alicante, Spain in October 2011 and concludes in Galway, Ireland, during early July 2012, the teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles of the world’s most treacherous seas via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape Horn to Itajaí, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient.
Each of the entries has a sailing team of 11 professional crew and the race requires their utmost skills, physical endurance and competitive spirit as they race day and night for more than 20 days at a time on some of the legs. They will each take on different jobs onboard the boat and on top of these sailing roles, there will be two sailors that have had medical training, as well as a sailmaker, an engineer and a dedicated media crew member.
During the race the crews will experience life at the extreme: no fresh food is taken onboard so they live off freeze dried fare, they will experience temperature variations from -5 to +40 degrees Celsius and will only take one change of clothes. They will trust their lives to the boat and the skipper and experience hunger and sleep deprivation.
The race is the ultimate mix of world class sporting competition and on the edge adventure, a unique blend of onshore glamour with offshore drama and endurance.
It is undeniably the world’s premier global race and one of the most demanding team sporting events in the world.
For more details visit http://www.volvooceanrace.com
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The mission president's wife was making cookies in England when the jaw-dropping phone call came.
The ensuing conversation changed Heidi S. Swinton's life.
LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson was on the line and he wanted Swinton to write his biography.
"I was shocked," Swinton said.
She had met President Monson a few times but didn't know him well. She could think of a hundred other people more qualified to do the project. She was in Europe. She felt overwhelmed, but how do you say no to the prophet? The award-winning author and screenwriter was about to climb the Mount Everest of Mormon literature.
"President, I would be honored," Swinton said.
Exactly 26 months later, on Aug. 18, Swinton was smiling as she stood next to the tall church president as he pressed the button to fire up the printing press for a 588-page book titled "To The Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson."
"What an incredible experience to spend your time studying such a great man," Swinton said. "There is nobody in the world right now just like him."
A product of countless hours of researching, writing, endless editing and fact checking, the recently released volume chronicles the life of a man who has spent decades serving and reaching out to others around the world. Page after page is filled with typical President Monson accounts that touch the heart and inspire. There are quotes from other general authorities, colleagues and those in his inner circle that provide insight into his personality and character. There are more than 140 rarely seen color and black-and-white photos.
Cory Maxwell, Deseret Book director of publishing, said the hefty book is a treasure trove of inspiration.
"I have a hard time thinking anyone could read this book and not feel inspired," Maxwell said. "I just came away so impressed with this great man and his ability to combine attention to the needs of the global church with his remarkable ability to render service to the individual."
Swinton first met President Monson when she was working on a PBS television project about Joseph Smith, "American Prophet." At the time President Monson gave her a blessing: "You can't write about a prophet without getting a blessing from a prophet," he told her.
In June 2008, when he asked Swinton to pen his biography, he reminded her of the blessing and said it would stand to serve on this project as well.
"I had that security … and that was very important to me. But I was still scared to death," Swinton said. "But it worked. I got a lot of good help from wonderful people, and it made all the difference."
While assisting her husband, Jeffrey C. Swinton, in presiding over the England London South Mission, Heidi Swinton worked all hours of the day. She carried her laptop around the mission and ducked into cold church classrooms when possible.
After returning stateside in summer 2009, Swinton was provided a desk outside President Monson's office in the Church Administrative Building, where she had access to 45 years of his daily journals, letters, talks and files. When she had a question, she popped her head into his office.
For two years she didn't sleep well at night and blank computer screens haunted her thoughts.
On those days when she struggled, she only had to reach for a binder on the shelf and read something. More often than not it was exactly what she needed. That's when she knew she was getting help from unseen sources.
"I had the weight of responsibility of writing about a living prophet. I felt I had to be good, so the Spirit would stay with me," said Swinton, who attended the Northwestern graduate school of journalism. "Did the heavens open and fabulous things show up on my screen? No, I had to work for it."
"Story" isn't the preferred term for President Monson; "personal account" is more accurate, Swinton said. "These are true experiences. 'Story' implies you have a little fun with the details," she said.
Swinton's favorite personal account from President Monson is told in the introduction. On his first free weekend in months, in December 1979, the young apostle flew more than 5,200 miles and crossed behind the Iron Curtain at Checkpoint Charlie for one purpose: to give Inge Burkhardt, the wife of a friend and German church leader, a blessing.
She also loves an experience when President Monson went to the hospital to give one of his former missionaries Dan Taylor a blessing. He ended up giving two blessings — one to a Dan Taylor he didn't know but happened to run into, and another to the Dan Taylor he knew.
"To the rescue — that is what he is all about," Swinton said. "He is all about doing the Lord's work."
The biography contains accounts many Mormons have heard in general conference as well as never-before-heard tales. His favorite TV show is still "Perry Mason." He loves hunting and fishing. He loves musical theater and adores Birmingham roller pigeons.
Maxwell has listened to the 16th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a number of years and thought he knew a fair amount about the prophet.
"I found out there was a ton I did not know," he said. "I love biographies of church presidents. You can take different insights, and there are great gospel lessons or character traits that get illustrated. They can inspire the rest of us and help us try to become better people."
A quote Swinton obtained from President Boyd K. Packer, president of the church's Quorum of the Twelve, summarizes President Monson the best: "He is more Christlike than the rest of us. He is known for emphasizing and elevating things that are most important, the ordinary things. He is one for whom the widow and the orphan are not just statements in a book."
The balancing act
Swinton's first draft contained 900 pages. President Monson read it, loved it; then she cut it to around 600, a necessary step.
The manuscript was passed to Emily Watts, one of Deseret Book's most experienced editors, who was told she had roughly three months to review the material and catch any mistakes.
"I would have liked six months," Watts said. "Let's face it, 600 pages is a lot of words, a lot of life to cover."
Watts compared the editing process to a circus performer doing a high-wire balancing act. When you see the incredible act, it's graceful, beautiful and perfect. "It looks so effortless," she said. What you don't see are the hours of practice, broken bones and mistakes. "It's an incredible balancing act these people do behind the scenes," Watts said.
Watts has edited the biographies of other church leaders and said each is unique. In addition to catching grammatical errors and inaccuracies, it's the editor's job to assure the story stays true to the main character. In the end, reader enjoyment is the goal.
"Heidi has done a remarkable job selecting the materials that really give you the sense of a remarkable man," Watts said.
Numerous people contributed to the successful outcome of the project, Maxwell said. It was invigorating, and everyone gave a golden effort for President Monson.
"We have an opportunity to be involved with a lot of really wonderful and important books, but nothing rises above the level of working on the biography of a church president, particularly a living prophet," Maxwell said.
'Befitting of a prophet'
Before his 1963 call to be an apostle, President Monson managed the Deseret News printing press and was an expert in all aspects of the printing business. As a result, he had the final say in all materials used in his biography.
Swinton said the prophet often used a pica ruler to check the margins, type size and other measurements. He selected the finest-quality paper, including marblelike end sheets, and helped design every element of the cover. In addition to the glossy photo pages, there is even a ribbon secured to the binding.
"He was very much a part of that process, as you would expect given his background, and he made great decisions," Swinton said. "It was fun to watch him pull out that pica rule and say, 'Well, let me see now.' It was really remarkable to watch."
Watts described the book as beautiful.
"It's so gorgeous. It's very befitting of a prophet's biography," she said.
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Crate training a puppy is the quickest and easiest way to keep your home a 'puddle-free' zone!
Find out why it's so effective, and how to get started here!
There's a very straightforward way to teach a pup to eliminate where you want him to, while at the same time minimizing the number of accidents he has, it's called puppy crate training!
Housebreaking is one of the very first, and most important, tasks all new puppy owners have to deal with, and it can also be one of the most challenging ones too - but it doesn't have to be stressful or frustrating, for you or your pup.
You might be wondering exactly why using a crate is so great, and may even feel that you don't want to put your precious baby in a 'cage'... but there's no need to worry!
I have all the information you need to understand not just how it works, but why your puppy will soon enjoy being in his crate and why that's completely natural for him.
A dog crate is truly an amazingly versatile piece of equipment and it's not just an effective puppy housebreaking tool.
Using a crate (sometimes called a 'kennel' or 'cage') is going to help both you and your pup in more ways than you might think, and as dogs are naturally 'den' animals, your little guy - or gal - will feel safe and secure in his crate.
As he gets older he'll actually enjoy being in his own cozy, safe little hideaway.
There are many different styles of crate to choose from, but some are better suited to puppies who are being housebroken than others!
Check out my Choosing The Best Dog Crate page to find out more.
Your puppy will most likely not have spent much time in a crate
before he comes to live with you (except perhaps during travel, or if
his breeder started him on housebreaking) so crate training will be new
The main reason why crate training a puppy is so effective is that it taps into your pup's natural desire to keep his 'den' clean.
In the wild, puppies would toddle out of their den to eliminate - even if it's only two tiny puppy-sized steps outside! This is instinctive behavior and is hard-wired into their little brains.
Now, your little guy has never seen a real 'den', but being in his crate will trigger that deep-seated instinct and he'll naturally do his very best not to pee or poop until you let him out.
Although crate training a puppy will help make housebreaking much easier for you both, your puppy is a baby and has other natural instincts to deal with too. One of them is that he instinctively wants to be right next to his pack - and that pack is now YOU.
He feels anxious and worried if he's away from you (because in the wild a puppy who gets separated is vulnerable and in great danger). This is why he will cry and complain and fuss and whine at first.... not because he hates his crate!
Of course, he's perfectly safe... he just doesn't know it yet. And as he's a domesticated dog and not a lone wolf, he needs to get used to being separated from you from short periods, so it's okay to ignore the fussing.
Click on the banner link below to get all the tips and advice you need to handle your puppy's crate-training-induced-whining!
When you're crate training, it makes the whole process a bit easier if you let your pup get used to his new crate, and feel comfortable around it, before he has to spend much time actually inside it.
Something worth mentioning here is that you should never use the crate as punishment. Your pup needs to think of his crate as a safe, happy place where he gets the chance to chew on his very favorite toys! Putting him in his crate as a punishment or when you're angry with him will undo all the hard work you invested in the first place.
Here are some basic rules of crate training and a few ideas for ways in which you can help your little one get accustomed to his new crate and learn that it's a fun place to spend time -
Now you know all the benefits of using a crate to housebreak your puppy, and how to handle the introductions, you'll need a straightforward guide to how to actually use it!
Luckily, I have one all ready for you :) Click on the banner image below to get started....
One of the reasons for crate training a puppy is that it helps to keep him safe - but there are a few things you need to do to make sure he stays that way.
His crate is meant to be your puppy's safe haven, and as such he has a right to some peace and quiet and to feel safe when he's inside.
I love the '...For Dummies' series of dog training books, and have several of them on my bookshelves.
This is another one that hits the spot! The very words 'house-training' can strike fear into the heart of puppy owners everywhere! But you won't need to panic if you have this book in your own, personal collection.
Written with a good dose of humor, this house-training handbook is packed with practical tips and information to help you tackle the challenges of house-training with confidence.
Topics covered include :
Understanding your puppy's instincts and learning style, the right approach to housebreaking, a list of the equipment you'll need and lots of tips, help and advice on training a puppy to eliminate where you want them to - whether that's outdoors or inside on pee pee pads or some other indoor potty option.
Whether you're a newbie, or an experienced puppy parent...if you have a puppy, you need this book!
You'll can also find more puppy training (and dog training) books on my Dog Training Books page. A good book is worth it's weight in gold.
If you're not a fan of traditional books, there's a fantastic housetraining e-book that's perfect for you. It covers everything you'll ever need to know about crate training your puppy.
Written by an expert in the field (with over 50 years experience breeding, raising and training puppies) it's literally the best on the market... and will answer ALL your questions.
Find out more by clicking on the banner image below... | <urn:uuid:cc133169-4478-4e4a-b819-99fde0205d55> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/crate-training-a-puppy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979765 | 1,330 | 1.5625 | 2 |
NEW DELHI: Air-India has finally woken up to the threat from the aviation hub being created in the Middle East, more specifically in the United Arab Emirates. The latest irritant is from Air Arabia — a UAE-based low cost carrier, which has asked for government permission to operate in India.
The country's international carrier finds itself in a situation where its yet-to-be-born baby — Air India Express — may be headed for a miscarriage because of the frequencies and flight dynamics of carriers in the UAE. Air India Express, the low-cost carrier from the Air India stable, plans to operate specifically on the Gulf route.
Only last month, another UAE-based airline, Etihad Airways launched its maiden flight between Abu Dhabi and Mumbai.
Air-India has reasons to be concerned. Air Arabia's return ticket between Colombo and Abu Dhabi is almost 50% cheaper than that of Air India. Also, since Air India's low-cost airline is expected to be launched only around April '05, the UAE-based airline would get a headstart.
Etihad Airways, meanwhile is already believed to have stepped up the offensive by offering a sub-Rs 25,000 promotional fare to London. Officials say that if Air India's venture suffers, it only means government money goes down the drain.
According to sources, Air-India has already voiced its concern over the development and it is believed that the ministry of civil aviation is sympathetically disposed towards it.
But since there are other arms of the government like the ministry of external affairs who have a say on such issues, it is not clear yet what is ultimately going to be decided. | <urn:uuid:91e0ce8e-e727-405c-8667-0e63401f36c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2004-10-08/news/27385401_1_air-india-express-low-cost-airline-air-india | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957868 | 340 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Frame to Frame
Rouge Parole Shares the Most Human Side of the Tunisian Revolution
When Elyes Baccar began filming uprisings in his home country of Tunisia at the end of 2010, there wasn’t a plan of what his feature documentary would become. With a filmmaker’s intuition he just captured the energy, knowing it would be something big.
“Step by step, the subject came up. While everyone was filming with small cameras and bringing news, I was thinking this agora, the old Greek term meaning everyone is gathering and talking, is the most beautiful gift of this revolution,” said Baccar. “This population was kept silenced for more than 20 years, and now everyone is talking.”
The footage took shape as Rouge Parole, a vivid cinema verité that spans the country, capturing the testimony of Tunisians of all classes and opinions, profiling a country in redefinition, after ousting President Ben Ali from power following 23 years of autocratic rule.
While outside news agencies helped spread information from within Tunisia and around the world, Baccar strove to capture the elements overlooked by headline-seeking reporting. Stories of mothers losing their sons, of the elderly clashing with the youth over ideology and a candid moment where Tunisians peer into a bookstore containing formerly-forbidden literature.
“The problem that we are facing with the news is that they were going into sensational things. […] It was the same point of view of the injuries, the sit-ins, but there was no humanity in the treatment,” said Baccar.
Baccar lets his people tell the story of the revolution, and the result is a complicated and intimate account. Feelings of frustration and excitement bubble within the frames, delivering an inspirational message steeped in realism.
“The path was between frustration of what we have lived before and excitement of what we are living now,” said Baccar. “And at the same time there’s fear about what is going to happen next. Not the same fear as with Ben Ali. It is [a question of] how we’re driving this revolution.”
It’s an exciting kind of fear, one that leaves the filmmaker anxious but confident in the newly elected government to take the necessary steps towards a free Tunisia.
As a filmmaker, Baccar’s main aim was to capture the human Tunisia, to remind its citizens what exactly is worth fighting for.
“When you take the role of director, you are not a politician, you need to bring out the lost values, the forgotten values, when everyone is speeding to bring the news. You have to stop a little bit, to go in-depth into the picture and bring the human values, and to share them.
“This is the most important thing, to share today,” he continued. “We in Tunisia have been desolated for so long, and we have to talk about many issues because [they used to be] forbidden. Today, when we say ‘degage’ to Ben Ali, we open a new era. We want to build bridges, communication, and at the same time self-confidence in our values. Ben Ali, like all dictators, tried to erase identities of his people.”
That freedom to speak is central to Rouge Parole, and handling this responsibility will be the true test to the Tunisian people.
“After this revolution, we brought up our values to the nation in order to share them. They are universal, human,” said Baccar. “We want to be respected, but before anything we have to respect ourselves, and that was the first battle against the regime.”
Rouge Parole / Nov. 14 / 7:00 p.m. / Cinema Politica H-110 more info | <urn:uuid:cd692d71-75a2-4385-aa11-6822b068ee84> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/2197/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961156 | 808 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Published: 2/8/2013 3:01 PM | Last update: 2/8/2013 6:05 PM
Is it wise to consolidate KTA's operations with those of KDOT?It may make sense to merge the Kansas Turnpike Authority with the Kansas Department of Transportation, particularly if it really can save the state $15 million a year without degrading the quality of the turnpike. But lawmakers are understandably skeptical about those savings and about whether the real motive of the merger is to divert toll revenue to help cover state budget shortfalls.
Gov. Sam Brownback proposed the merger during his State of the State address, saying the two highway departments were one of the clearest examples of duplication in state government.
His budget projects those savings to be $30 million over the next two fiscal years, with that money transferred to the state general fund to be spent elsewhere. But it's unclear where the savings are coming from.
Brownback has noted how the KTA and KDOT both have salt storage facilities in Emporia. There also might be some efficiencies by combining work on snow removal or road design, though the same work still has to be done.
But does that really add up to $15 million a year in savings?
KTA officials note that there is already a lot of cooperation between the two agencies, and a merger isn't required to increase that. In fact, state law already requires cooperation.
Lawmakers also question whether it makes sense to get rid of KTA, which uses no state tax money and has kept the turnpike in top condition since it opened in 1956. "We really need to be very careful with the changes that we make," said Sen. Les Donovan, R-Wichita.
The Kansas trucking industry, which accounts for 39 percent of turnpike revenues, also is concerned. Tom Whitaker, executive director of the Kansas Motor Carriers Association, wrote in a message to his membership that the change "would subject the turnpike to the bureaucracy of a state agency, as opposed to the business model used by KTA, and diverts highway user fees generated through tolls to the state general fund."
That said, there also has been some criticism over the years about a lack of transparency at KTA. And cost never seems like much of an object for KTA, which has a sizable cash reserve.
Combining KTA and KDOT might save significant money. But the administration needs to spell out those savings and show that they are real.
If the merger really will save $15 million a year, and those savings won't hurt the quality of the turnpike, then great. But if the savings are a lot lower, it doesn't make sense to "fix" something that isn't broken.
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Click here to read the entire policy | <urn:uuid:def86f77-3f34-43b5-bc1e-72da190d57bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hutchnews.com/Columns/Sat-guest-edit-2-9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956893 | 697 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The Nikolausfeier is just around the corner, and I would like to inform you of a few details about this yearly event. Our students and teachers enjoy preparing for this celebration, and we like to invite you to support us with your holiday spirit.
Nikolausfeier, December 10, 2011 at 9:45 a.m.
The Nikolausfeier will be in the Rainbow Theater and will, as always, be festive and fun. The students prepare short programs with their teachers to show off their German skills. After each performance we will sing the traditional Weihnachtslieder, and everybody is welcomed to sing along. And of course, Sankt Nikolaus will be visiting as he does every year, -especially since all of our students have been so good and studied very hard!
The preparation for the Nikolausfeier and the final production of each class is part of our curriculum. Students learn new words and important social skills, and cultural information. All students are encouraged to participate, they should study their lines, and songs as part of group participation. It is also fun to be part of this wonderful and magical event.
Annual Silent Auction
It is part of the Nikolausfeier, immediately following the students’ program, and takes place in the lunchroom. It is an important fund raiser for the school and the proceeds will be used for special programs, such as updating the DVD library, visits to the Children’s Theatre or going to the German Movies, or for performances by German actors such as “Kiepenkasper,” and for scholarships, etc. Traditionally, every family donates an item for the auction. Ideas for items are holiday food baskets, home made items, small plants, gift certificates, wine, airplane tickets, theater tickets. If you ask a business for a contribution, you can download a “Letter for Donations” from the website by clicking on “Downloads and Forms”, www.germanlanguageschool.org .
We would appreciate it if you could drop off your auction item(s) on Saturday, December 3, during school hours; or Friday evening December 9, between 6 and 8 p.m.; or on the day of the Nikolausfeier before 9:30a.m. The tables will be ready for the display, as well as the auction sheets.
Please pick up your items after the auction!! We cannot make deliveries J!
Cookies for the festivities during the Auction
It would be very much appreciated if every family could bring some cookies to share. Please bring your cookies to the lunchroom on your way to the theater. Thank you so much!
For several years we asked our parents to PLEASE make a Small Donation to the Charity, “Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets”
Last year Jutta Huxhage and her students made and sold Christmas stars after the performance. The proceeds were donated to “Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets” in Seattle.
This is a charity that was founded by a teacher and provides temporary housing, food, cloths and education for kids who would otherwise live in the streets. I like to ask you to bring a small item to the Nikolausfeier and drop it in a marked bin at the entrance to the Rainbow Theater. No child should live in the streets!
These kids are in need of clean socks, shampoo, blankets, food, and things most teenagers would like.
We will bring the items to the house for these kids at 1814 Summit Avenue, Seattle WA 98122.
Thank you for your kindness. It will make the holiday season even brighter!
I wish you all a happy and joyous holiday season. | <urn:uuid:3a0f0f9d-75c7-401e-8c59-5b44ddcd39ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://germanlanguageschool.org/German%20Language%20Schools/uncategorized/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959194 | 775 | 1.632813 | 2 |
When Dara-Lynn Weiss’s daughter, Bea, tipped the scales at 93 pounds at age seven, doctors uttered the words no parent wants to hear: clinically obese. After visiting a pediatric obesity specialist, Weiss and her husband put their daughter on a strict diet. Bea lost 16 pounds the following year and by her next checkup, she was a healthy weight for her height.
A success? Yes, but bittersweet – won through calorie counting, denied desserts and almost daily disappointments. In an article in Vogue magazine last March, Weiss admitted to a number of foibles, ranging from her own issues with dieting to a now-infamous incident at Starbucks in which she berated a barista over the calorie count – and a verboten pile of whipped cream – of the kids’ hot chocolate, dumping her daughter’s half-finished drink in the garbage before storming out.
Critics were swift to call her selfish and irrational, suggesting a serious risk of long-term damage to Bea. Weiss begs to differ. In her just-released memoir The Heavy: A Mother, A Daughter, A Diet, Weiss argues that while her methods may seem flawed, she had the best intentions at heart. She says her experience also highlights a number of the challenges in the fight against childhood obesity. We spoke to Weiss from her home in New York.
Is it reasonable to put a child on a diet?
Every child who is overweight or obese got there in their own way. My own child was not a junk-food-eating, video-game-playing, lazy, unhealthy child. She had a very healthy diet, she got the normal amount of activity. The subtle lifestyle changes you’re told will solve childhood obesity did not apply. The only thing that did work was a really structured, fairly strict but healthy diet. Every child is different.
Oddly, the regimen that worked included foods that many people would consider unhealthy!
I am a huge proponent of 100-calorie snack packs. And that was ironic. I never had junky processed foods. Now, there was a good reason to have them around. In a world where this sweet little girl who loves to eat is being told no, you can’t have that a lot, it was nice to be able to say, “You want cookies? I can give you cookies!”
What about exercise?
A lot of people said why don’t you just get her to exercise, have her join a sports team? There’s conflicting wisdom. I’d read with great interest research papers that have come out in the past couple of years saying exercise does not play as great a role in weight loss as we once thought and taken to an extreme is counterproductive. I made sure exercise was a big part of her life. She joined a karate dojo and went twice a week and took a dance class once a week. I wasn’t pushing her to run an hour a day.
Was the response to the Vogue article what you’d been experiencing in public with Bea, writ large?
What I found interesting and frustrating is that I wasn’t that different from other parents. I’m not the only mom telling her kid not to have a second slice of cake. But I’m the only mom of an obese kid telling my kid not to have a second slice of cake. And that makes me different. I found that unfair and that was part of why I forced myself to do this publicly.
I just saw a headline asking if I was the “worst mom in America.” It’s shocking. But what mom wouldn’t help their child with their obesity if they couldn’t do it? Can we expect every mom with an obese child to be perfectly patient and sensitive? and do and say the right thing? No. That’s impossible. And that’s why so many moms of obese children don’t do anything.
But are there moments that you regret? Do you wish you’d avoided Starbucks that day? Or writing about it?
I struggled with it every day. There’s what she wants and you want to make your child happy and give in as much as you can, while keeping them on track. And that story was an example of how difficult it is. You want to say yes. You want to have that moment like every other kid and mom, where they go and have a yummy hot chocolate on a cold day. Suddenly it blows up and someone’s given her something that’s totally derailing our plans. I continued to have these awkward moments because I didn’t want to say, “No, here’s a banana.”
So did you see it as prepping her for the real world?
I wish she didn’t have a health problem that required that kind of care but she understands that she needs to manage this. For sure my proudest moment was not any number on the scale, but when I sent her off to three weeks at summer camp. I was truly going to be out of the picture. When I came to that camp after three weeks, not only had she not put on weight but I saw her participating in every food occasion in a responsible way. At lunch she got the chicken and the broccoli and they offered her three different kinds of starch and she said “No, no and no.” And she went past the lemonade and the fruit punch and got a water. There was a snack bar you could go to and take free food, all day. What she was up against was astounding. She didn’t feel deprived. She felt in control.
What does she tell you about the past few years in the trenches?
I don’t think she feels we’re not still in the trenches. It’s an apt analogy because I think she feels we’re soldiers together. Believe me, she wishes she could eat differently, and I do think it’s a bit of a loss of innocence for a child so young to be aware of the impact that eating can have on her health. I think she finds me annoying insofar as I deny her permission when she’s not sure she can have something like dessert. I was concerned that I would turn into the food police and she would start hiding things from me and resenting me. And that didn’t happen. I give her credit for that. I assume I didn’t do anything right.
And what about balancing telling the story with Bea’s privacy?
There’s no reason this should be a shameful private issue. It’s a health concern of millions of people and we should all be supporting each other on that. Having said that, she’s a little kid and while I thought my article would start a conversation, it started a firestorm and I didn’t want her being any sort of target. Now, there are no pictures of her anywhere. I’m intimidated.
So, what’s for dinner tonight?
A carefully measured chicken cutlet with vegetables and that will leave her room for dessert, so a little frozen yogurt.
This interview has been condensed and edited. | <urn:uuid:8f696000-0b8a-48e9-a31c-873247fff34a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/why-this-mother-put-her-seven-year-old-on-a-diet/article7549065/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980883 | 1,521 | 1.640625 | 2 |
HELLERUP, Denmark—Renal disease increases the already elevated risk of stroke or systemic thromboembolism that accompanies nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (Afib), reported MedPage Today.
Among patients hospitalized with Afib, those with either non-end-stage or end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) had significantly higher rates of stroke or systemic embolism compared with patients free from renal disease (6.44 and 5.61 versus 3.61 per 100 person-years), according to Jonas Bjerring Olesen, MD, of Copenhagen University Hospital Gentofte in Hellerup, Denmark, and colleagues.
Warfarin therapy was associated with decreased risks in the overall cohort (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.62) and among those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.74), but the reduction did not reach statistical significance for those with non-end-stage chronic kidney disease (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.01), the researchers reported in the Aug. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
However, bleeding risks, which also were increased in patients with kidney disease, were magnified with the use of warfarin, aspirin, or both.
"The net clinical effect of warfarin treatment requires careful assessment in patients with chronic kidney disease, and the data do not provide clear guidance regarding indications for anticoagulant therapy in patients with both atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease," Olesen and colleagues wrote.
"Certainly, close monitoring of the international normalized ratio is required when warfarin is administered," they continued. "Ideally, the role of warfarin (or of other, newer anticoagulant agents) in patients with atrial fibrillation who have chronic kidney disease should be evaluated in a clinical trial." | <urn:uuid:5b2c5126-1622-40eb-b81d-753a694a3216> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.renalbusiness.com/news/2012/08/in-afib-bad-kidneys-raise-stroke-risk.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937775 | 409 | 1.757813 | 2 |
San Francisco Chronicle – October 30, 2004
By Sheila Erwin, Special to The Chronicle
It’s a hot day in October, and outside near the garden boxes at the Taylor Maid Farms Coffee/Tea Warehouse in Sebastopol, yellow jackets swirl around our heads and ankles. But Marjorie Wallace, 78, better known in Sebastopol as the Garden Goddess, and a lifelong environmental activist, seems to be immune to them.
“They don’t bother me none, do they bother you?”
“Yes, they do,” I say tartly, having been stung more times than I’d like to remember. I swat at them with my sweaty hands, remembering the bad dreams I’ve had about them.
“Don’t wave your arms at them, they’re attracted to that,” Wallace says, looking cool as she rocks serenely in a weather-beaten gray rocker. Her wrinkled hand repeatedly slips from the rickety rocker’s broken arm. However, she sits just long enough to humor me, and hands me a sprig of lemon verbena to sniff before she tends to her garden.
For eight years, Wallace has taught Sebastopol how to grow organic food. Her fertile Eden, once an acre at the Sebastopol Community Garden, is a now a portable garden planted in apple boxes donated by Taylor Maid after the land she used was purchased by Sebastopol Skate Park. She attributes much of her holistic gardening knowledge to growing up on a ranch in Wyoming, where her ancestors were homesteaders. Both her parents were farmers and passed on their knowledge of herbs and plants to their children.
“In my day, there was no use of pesticides, and we only used horse and cow manure. We grew everything we ate but the flour, sugar and the coffee.”
Neighbors helped erect the log house of her childhood. “It was all made of cottonwood logs and chink, mud and straw used to fill in the middle. Neighbors always helped each other, and when a child was about to be born, a couple of women were chosen to assist at the birth.”
Wallace talks to her plants, convinced that her encouragement affects how they grow. She believes plants have feelings, and I agree, but I’m a black- thumbed gardener, and the plants don’t seem to appreciate me the same way.
“You’re sure looking pretty this morning,” she says to a monstrous purple butterfly bush.
The bush spreads across an entire apple box and reminds me of an old Tarzan movie where the villain is devoured by a gigantic fern.
Wallace sticks her strong, thick fingers into a crate of deep black loam full of writhing worms, and encourages me to do the same. I close my eyes and gingerly stick my pinky in, withdrawing it quickly with visions of fleshy invertebrates crawling up my arms.
I learn that the worms are fed organic scraps, and their waste, or castings, releases nutrients into the soil. Vermiculture also greatly reduces the volume of garbage, as 1 pound of worms can eat a half-pound of food scraps a day.
Inside their eight boxes, worms are fed cardboard, coffee grounds, coffee cups and employees’ discarded lunches.
Wallace glows with motherly pride as she shows me the lush rope of vines with full ripening gourds adorning a fence. “See this gourd over here?” she says. “That will be sold to an artist in Sebastopol who will make them into lamp shades and musical instruments.
“Here’s another gourd. See this tiny white one? Hippies make espresso cups out of them.
“People keep stealing my gourds,” Wallace says with irritation. “So I try to hide them behind some of my other plants. Once they came at nighttime and stole a wheelbarrow with plants in it.
“When we had the community garden, homeless people used to help plant and spread the compost. I never had to ask them. The next day the work would be completed.”
The garden guru has taught all the employees of the warehouse to cultivate plants. “They are thrilled to see their garden become more beautiful each year,” Wallace says.
“Some of the kids once thought that you had to plant at midnight with the new moon. It doesn’t matter what time of the night it is, it’s just that the root crops, onions, turnips, carrots and beets, go deep into the earth and need the light of the moon to flourish. I’ve also taught them to recycle pallets, something they hadn’t thought was possible.”
Wallace attributes her good health to eating raw foods. “When I come here to tend the plants, I eat strawberries, celery and radishes for breakfast. Now I’m strong enough to move a bed,” she says with a laugh.
Her long white braid falls over her shoulder. She lifts up a bedraggled brown stem of burdock and frowns, noticing how dry it is.
“Burdock is an important plant; it can be used in stir-fry and used like ginseng.”
Burdock, she tells me, is also an herb known for its detoxifying and antibacterial effects. I notice that there’s not a single plant Wallace can’t identify and describe the medicinal properties of.
Inside the warehouse, she introduces me to Coalmine, a spiked blue-haired rocker from the band Spindles, who gives her a hug.
“I’ve been to his concerts and enjoyed them,” she says.
Many of Coalmine’s fellow band members also work at the warehouse. The employees give her ear-to-ear smiles as they pass by. And I realize that I’m in the midst of a living archetype, the mother, the nurturer, the healer. .
That night I dream that I’m in a community garden humming with people just like me, learning to garden. I’m in awe of the lush and vibrant red, green and purple leaves of lettuce I’ve grown, and I notice a rhubarb plant drooping for lack of water. Wallace appears with a white pitcher of water. Her loving hands guide me, and I wake up knowing that I’ve been transformed by the garden goddess. | <urn:uuid:764c7725-6ef1-4320-a99f-8ffac67ee2fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://taylormaidfarms.com/news/sebastopols-earth-mother-teaches-workers-to-grow-food/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958991 | 1,391 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Canned Food Art Sculpture to Be Erected at Ralph Ellison Library
What will the Oklahoma Food Bank need during the holiday season? A Great Pyramid of Food, that’s what.
You can contribute to the creation of a sculpture made of canned food by bringing some “building blocks” of food to the Ralph Ellison Library, 2000 NE 23rd Street. The construction of the sculpture will take place on Saturday, November 20, beginning at 11:00a.m. The sculpture will remain on display at Ralph Ellison before the canned food is donated to the Oklahoma Food Bank.
“I know we’re not supposed to play with our food,” said librarian Anna Todd, “but just this once I think it’ll be okay. We’ll make sure the cans stay in good shape for their trip to the Food Bank.”
The Oklahoma Food Bank is especially appreciative of non-perishable foods as it is in need of food all year round and not just during the holidays, when giving is at its height.
“A lot of good people who are going through tough times right now need our help,” added librarian Taryn Kingery. “This food sculpture is our way of drawing attention to the problem of hunger and kid around a little at the same time.”
For more information about the Ralph Ellison Library Canned Food Art Sculpture, call the library at 424-1437. For more information about this or any Metropolitan Library System program, visit the MLS website, www.metrolibrary.org.
The Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County includes 12 libraries and five extension libraries. Libraries include Belle Isle, Capitol Hill, Ralph Ellison, Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library and Southern Oaks in Oklahoma City, as well as Bethany, Choctaw, Del City, Edmond, Midwest City, Village and Warr Acres. Extensions are located in the communities of Harrah, Jones, Luther and Nicoma Park and include Wright Library in Oklahoma City. You can also reach us at www.metrolibrary.org. | <urn:uuid:14b4ff20-4eef-4012-b1fe-a925a5e647d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mls.lib.ok.us/mls/mls_news/2010/canned_food_art_sculpture_2010-11.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94517 | 438 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Wrapping up a morning of hearings on the state’s 2011 budget and the monster cuts that could come with it, Scott Austensen, the deputy state school superintendent for finance, touched not one, but two third-rails of Georgia politics.
First, he told lawmakers at the Capitol, the state needs to look at reducing the 180-days of instruction now required for K-12 students. Secondly, lottery money could be used to offset some technology expenditures in public schools – something lawmakers haven’t approved in years.
Afterwards, in a scrum with reporters, Austensen said that, depending on the severity of cuts to come, budget writers need to look beyond the teacher-training days now used for mandatory time off:
“Thus far, the six-day furloughs have come out of professional development days because – by law – even though the governor [declared] the furlough days, he didn’t change the requirement of 180 days or the equivalent…
“We’re suggesting looking at how deep those cuts may be. If it’s another six days, well, maybe that’s professional development. But if it’s going to be more than six days, we need to look at giving school systems the ability and flexibility to reduce some of those 180 days.”
For instant updates, follow me on Twitter. | <urn:uuid:3915df7d-4e11-4b4d-bbe0-6358468c2015> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2010/02/23/education-official-consider-reducing-180-day-school-year/?cp=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94496 | 288 | 1.539063 | 2 |
| Work on the fudge recipe continues. Although I have been very busy with other things, I could not resist sharing my latest recipe idea. Last weekend when I was causing my Memorial Day ruckus and getting my Twitter account temporarily suspended, I was enjoying elderberry fudge.
As some of you probably know, elderberry is the queen of the berries with respect to flavonoid content, and Vitacost offers some fine elderberry extracts in order to maximize the flavonoid content. With elderberry combined with cocoa, this fudge is a literal flavonoid blast!
I must apologize that this recipe is still experimental, and I am having a hard time getting exact portion measurements, so you might have to adjust the ratio of elderberry extract to cocoa powder in order to get the desired consistency. It should also be noted that this preparation is likely easily adapted as healthful and delicious cocoa/berry spread and syrup. In fact, this preparation is so beneficial and tasty that I thought it imperative to share the recipe, even though it is still somewhat unfinished.
The key idea was to substitute elderberry extract for the agave nectar from the previous fudge recipe. Unlike the agave nectar, elderberry extract has concentrated astringent solutes, so that it is necessary to add quite abit more extract than agave nectar in order to match the moisture content. In my judgement this also made the fudge much more sticky, and so I have adjusted the recipe and preparation in order to address this problem and reduce the preparation time.
Before proceeding with the recipe, it should also be noted that the elderberry extract is far more expensive than agave nectar, so it is likely that this recipe is more for special occasions. Here is the recipe for two portions.
2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
4 tablespoons elderberry extract
1/2 teaspoon low lignan flax or olive oil Mix ingredients and/or knead until the desired consistency is obtained. It may be necessary to add more cocoa or extract in order to obtain the desired result. If you scale up, use a food processor and save yourself much work. You might obtain soft granules that look a little like coffee grounds, which works pretty well. Press the fudge into suitable containers and cut into squares. If you are using highly concentrated extract, then it might be necessary to sweeten with a teaspoon of agave nectar. Substitution of other fruit concentrates, such as cranberry, pomegranate, blueberry, or cherry will likely work as well, although the flavonoid content will be somewhat lower. The oil reduces the stickiness and makes the fudge easier to handle, but it also likely improves the absorption of the flavonoids vastly. In my subjective experience, this recipe is comparable to parsley in terms of the flavonoid impact. Please enjoy this delicious fudge, and the intended health benefits as well! Write in and let me know what you think of it.
Follow Michael L. Love: | <urn:uuid:53324667-ff7e-403b-b3c1-9bad24ea5d20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gnudarwin.wordpress.com/category/the-diet/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955964 | 619 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Katie Pell grew up in Wilmington, Del., in the '70s "in the last house on the block" adjacent to a wooded area with a creek running through it. It was where all the neighborhood kids escaped for various rites of passage, from playing hide-and-seek to smoking that first reefer.
One day the artist, who's lived in San Antonio since 1995, was visiting home, walking through the woods with her daughter, then 11.
"She asked, 'What are all the words written on the trees?'" Pell recalled recently. "And I looked around and began to recognize all these people who had carved their names in the trees, and I started remembering all these stories."
Pell, who teaches at the University of Texas at San Antonio, had a brainstorm.
The result is "Woods," a forest of a dozen floor-to-ceiling tree rubbings made on cloth with wax crayon currently on view in Artpace's upstairs Hudson (Show)Room.
Pell's installation is part of a new exhibition called "New Works Now," which features recent art by five former Artpace International Artists-in-Residence from Texas: Alex de Leon (1996), Katrina Moorhead (2005), Juan Miguel Ramos (2002) and Lordy Rodriguez (2001). Pell was a resident in 2006.
The 46-year-old artist explained that she stapled long strips of white cloth to the trees and then transferred not only the gnarly bark texture of the trunk to it with crayon, but pocket-knife carvings - part graffiti, part hieroglyphics - such as: Tom + Karen, Nov. 28, 1976. Pell says she recognized "all these guys" from the old days, at least one of whom spent time behind bars. One carving reads: "Do Not Carve on Trees."
"There is just something wholesome and unwholesome about it," she said.
Either way, "Woods" is a wide exposure of a long-gone life when kids were kicked out of the house in the morning to fend for themselves. It is an exercise in memory - nostalgic without being sentimental - dealing with cultural identity and evolution - or perhaps revolution.
According to exhibition organizer Mary Heathcott, Artpace's deputy director, the show was inspired by the importance of place and its relationship to identity and culture. She says she "wanted each artist to reflect on the significance of his or her surroundings."
"New Works Now" remains on view through Sept. 20.
Ramos captures a San Anto vibe in his looped, 2:40-minute video "Yo Vendo Unos Ojos Negros," which features animated couples dancing to old-school Latin Breed Tejano against a swirling 360-degree, live-action background shot in a St. Mary's Street bar.
"It's kind of a surreal juxtaposition of the subjective and the objective," said Ramos, a UTSA grad who co-founded San Anto Cultural Arts.
The idea, says the artist, who's also a musician, came out of a conversation with a fellow player.
"We had this fantasy where we'd start a band that played the music I grew up with," he said. "You listen to Tejano radio now, and it's overproduced, all synths. What I like about this is the old-fashioned instrumentation; you don't really find that kind of thing anymore."
The idea is for the left-footed, young animated couples in the video - drawn by hand in a comic-book style, then scanned into the computer - to get their sea legs on the dance floor. Pretty soon, they're dancing like their elders.
"It tells you about a place - in this case, San Antonio," Ramos said.
De Leon says his art is "basically a reflection of things I see and hear."
"When it gets to the point where it really bugs me," he says, "I get it out by making art."
A printmaker by training at the Kansas City Art Institute, the Edinburg native works in metal and ceramics, painting simple, repetitive graphic elements - guns, cop cars, liquor bottles, skeletons - on vessels and tiles.
"Just a Few Beers" features fizzing beer cans orbiting the surface of a large purple urn.
De Leon explained that the piece was inspired by a friend who drank a case of beer in one sitting.
"He said he was going to drink one beer every 20 minutes," he says. " 'I'm pacing myself,' he said. Then he drove home. He almost made it, too. The cops got him about a block away from his house. He was drunk with stupidity."
Given the almost daily headlines of DWI accidents in San Antonio, the work seems especially immediate.
De Leon wants his work to be "accessible to anyone."
"I don't want you to have to be familiar with the work of (artist Willem) de Kooning to understand it," he said.
Rodriguez's "Small Drawings" comprises 100 of them, all 10-by-14 inches, arranged in a grid pattern of five rows of 20. These are fast "warm-up" exercises in which he tries "to figure out what my visual alphabet is" before moving on to larger works.
"You can't just sit down cold and start working on a big drawing," says the artist, a Filipino who grew up in Louisiana and Texas and currently lives in California.
The drawings, on paper with multicolored markers, draw on a variety of interests, from animal patterns and gift wrapping to flags and T-shirt designs. Many resemble aerial maps or scenes on a microscope slide.
"I've done 400 of these so far, and I want to get to 1,000," Rodriguez says. "I do one or two a day. The idea is to run out of ideas, to empty that mental pail in your head to make room for more stuff."
Inspired by a trip to Iceland, Moorhead's "Tabletop Blue Rainbow. to settle an argument" is a multimedia work that is an elaborate explanation of how to create a moonbow, also known as a lunar rainbow, which is produced by light reflected off the surface of the moon rather than from direct sunlight. Moorhead, who teaches at the University of Houston, achieves a bit of alchemy with the piece, using a variety of materials, from optical glass and Icelandic feldspar to athletic tape and a damaged projector screen. | <urn:uuid:bd193b73-e25b-4e63-8c26-985a1c59eaa9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/visual_arts/article/Sense-of-place-pervades-New-Works-Now-3574347.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973142 | 1,365 | 1.71875 | 2 |
People from the crowd watching the Omaha Women’s Triathlon Sunday helped save a swimmer who went underwater during the race, reported KETV-TV.
The woman was already out of the hospital Sunday night.
“It didn't seem real at first. I mean, I heard the whistle,” described David Seevers.
Seevers was on the shore at Lawrence Youngman Lake Sunday morning, cheering on the athletes and taking pictures.
Seevers heard a woman crying for help, just 50 yards from shore.
"In her voice you could tell that she was in big trouble,” Seevers said.
Seevers jumped into the water without thinking.
“It was at that point that I just dropped my camera and dove into the seaweed and started swimming out to them,” described Seevers.
Seevers said by that point, the woman was unconscious. A kayaker was also trying to save the woman.
“I was pushing the kayak, pulling the swimmer,” said Seevers. “Others were just supporting her, just trying to get her to shore as fast as possible. It was very scary. I did not know if she was going to make it at that point.”
Paramedics were waiting, ready to give the swimmer mouth to mouth resuscitation.
“I heard them yelling, get the paddles out and everything,” said Seevers. | <urn:uuid:f8736bb0-69f8-41a0-a348-638776862a48> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kcci.com/news/central-iowa/Spectator-saves-woman-during-triathlon/-/9357080/14459640/-/ga31xoz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992779 | 302 | 1.679688 | 2 |
This Is Your Time - One Year Later
- Friday, April 14, 2000
As we reflect back on the one year anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School, words cannot express the impact that this event has had on the entire world.
Many artists wrote songs about what happened and how we can accept the challenge to become more bold with our faith. Although none received the widespread attention and response of Michael W. Smith's "This Is Your Time."
People respond to music that moves them. It's obvious that Michael, together with lyricist Wes King, found a poignant way to present Cassie Bernall's story in a way that is honoring and inspiring.
We're pleased to be able to present the music video of this song in its entirety - including footage of Cassie herself, at the beginning of the clip.
The video was filmed on the shores of Cape Cod, and was directed by Ben Pearson and Brandon Dickerson for Pearson-Taylor Productions and Spiral Films.
|Watch "This Is Your Time" |
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"This Is Your Time is an important record to me personally," said Smith. "I wrote the title cut after participating in the memorial service for Columbine High School students in Littleton, Colorado. The song was inspired by Cassie Bernall, the student who said she believed in God and lost her life for it. It was her time, and now I believe it's our time to pick up the torch and live our faith boldly."
Visitors to crosswalk.com named "This Is Your Time" as their favorite song of last year. For all the winners - click here!
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Add Crosswalk.com content to your siteBrowse available content | <urn:uuid:b7a20135-9bac-46d0-8f00-0ce5f056dd5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/music/this-is-your-time-one-year-later-541060.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952255 | 510 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Bath is an unincorporated community in Bath Township, Clinton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated just north of exit 92 off Interstate 69, about 5 miles (8.0 km) north of East Lansing. The community itself has no elected officials nor any separate governmental functions from the township and only serves to generally describe the central business district of Bath Township centered at Webster and Clark roads. Bath is also the home of the 2007 Class C Boys Basketball State Champions. On May 18, 1927, in what became known as the Bath School disaster, Andrew Kehoe, a cash-strapped farmer and local school board member killed his wife, bombed every building on his farm before explosives he had secretly hidden under the school building located in the central business district went off. He later drove to the school in a truck rigged with more explosives which he detonated next to the school superintendent. In all, Kehoe killed 44 people and himself, in the worst school violence in U.S. history. Only half of the 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of explosives set under the school went off, probably greatly lowering the death toll. Thirty-eight out of the 314 students, three teachers, the superintendent, the postmaster and a local farmer assisting at the scene were killed. Most of the dead were students from second to sixth grade. Fifty-eight others were injured. | <urn:uuid:d51fd2c8-91dc-4462-bbc9-643a41b8df7e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://openjurist.org/law/non-profit-law/michigan/bath | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985297 | 281 | 1.671875 | 2 |
The McCann case
The plot thickens
The latest developments in the disappearance of a three-year-old
THERE is not much that fascinates the great British public more than a juicy “whodunnit”, especially where the victim is a beautiful blonde child. Photographs of little Madeleine McCann have scarcely left the front pages of the British press since she disappeared on May 3rd from the holiday apartment rented by her parents in Portugal's Algarve. Her distraught parents, both doctors, won praise for their energetic and dignified campaign to keep their daughter in the public eye in the hope that she would soon be found.
But three months later, in an extraordinary twist, Kate and Gerry McCann have become the main suspects in what appears to be developing into a murder inquiry. Nothing has yet been made explicit. And so far, the couple remain simply “arguidos”, or formal suspects. Yet the Portuguese press has been stuffed with speculation and tip-offs from anonymous police sources.
While gleefully repeating it all the next day, the British media has been scathing about almost every aspect of the Portuguese system, from its supposedly bungling police to the vagaries of its criminal code. Some of the criticism, such as the failure to seal the crime scene promptly, seems justified. But other complaints, including the police's failure to keep Madeleine's parents and the press sufficiently informed, appear to arise from a misunderstanding of the differences between Britain's common-law system and Portugal's quite distinct civil-law tradition.
In Britain, details of an investigation can be reported usually until someone is charged. Thereafter, a virtual gag is imposed on the press until the case comes to trial. In Portugal, it is the other way round. Nothing about a criminal investigation is supposed to be reported until charges are brought (though leaks ensured acres of coverage in the Portuguese press). This is a two-step procedure, starting with the naming of official suspects, which requires relatively little evidence, before progressing to a formal indictment if more conclusively damning evidence is found.
In the McCanns' case, this stage has not yet been reached. A 1,000-page dossier has been handed by the prosecutor supervising the case to a judge, not to ask whether charges should be brought—the prosecutor takes that decision—but rather to ask for his permission either to make an arrest (Kate McCann appears to be the main suspect), or to carry out some special procedure.
The McCanns, now back in England, have promised to return to Portugal if they are wanted for further questioning. They might have other ideas if they are actually faced with arrest and prison. But Portugal could issue a European arrest warrant—a fast-track extradition process requiring no hard evidence of guilt. Although the couple could contest it, legal experts think it unlikely they would succeed. Whatever now happens, Madeleine will not yet fade from public view.
From the print edition: Britain | <urn:uuid:2ec07270-593d-4894-9e36-ee208800bb8c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.economist.com/node/9804214/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964555 | 605 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Teacher Appreciation Day is May 8, and we know parents are always looking for special ways to recognize their children’s teachers. So we went to the experts and asked them what would make their day extra special!
“With ages I teach, I’d just be happy with a card, sign or verbal thank you. But a treat or gift card to coffee shop is awesome!!! It’s nice to be thanked or to be reminded that I’ve made a difference or had some impact in the child’s day/year/life/etc. I like coffee and at the HS level, we hardly ever get thank you’s of any kinds or treats, so that would be something fun (and relatively cheap/simple from families end).” – Laura Hensley, grades 8-12, Art, Mound Westonka High School, Mound, MN
“I’d like my parents & students to show me they appreciate me by giving me handmade pictures put together in a book.” – Michelle Thiele, Kindergarten, Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School, Cuddlebackville, NY
“I would love for my students and parents to thank me for all I do with a simple hug and thank you. A Build- a-Bear with a heart warmed and kissed by them would be great to have, as it would remind me from day to day that I am appreciated. My students brighten my day when I’m down and the parents that are active in their students’ lives gives me the encouragement to keep going even when I feel like I can’t go any further.” – Teralyn Butler, Career & Technical teacher, Dillard High School, Fort Lauderdale, FL
“As a teacher I find the gifts that I like the most are gifts that my kids made for me or gifts that I can use in my classroom. For me its not about the gift but about knowing that your parents and their children understand the sacrfice you give and that they show their appreciation even just a card that says Thank You is enough.” – Brittani Hickey, teacher at ALCCC in Oconomowoc, WI
“For Teacher Appreciation Day, I would love to receive cards or letters from my students and their parents describing something they have learned, some way they have grown or improved in my classroom, or a special memory of something that made a difference in their lives. It would mean a lot to me to know that I have done something positive with my students that will contribute to their success as they grow up. I also love Build a Bear. Some of my furry friends and their clothes are in my classroom. My students enjoy playing with them from time to time, and my favorite sits on my desk. A gift card to our local BABW would be a really thoughtful, personal way for students and their parents to say “thank you”. It would demonstrate a thoughtfulness for my personal interests, and it would give me a chance to have fun making a special friend in memory of this class.” – Tracy Robert, Intermediate Special Education Teacher, Grades 3-5, May Ann Binford Elementary, Albuquerque, NM
“I would LOVE for parents and students to appreciate me with a cute bear holding some packages of plain and peanut M & M’s and maybe gift cards to Carrabbas or Olive Garden or for a massage or to Ross or JC Penneys for Teacher Appreciation Week. I pour my heart and soul into my students doing my best to make learning about music as fun as possible. I try to make them laugh and explore sides of music they’ve never heard of before because my goal is to instill a love for the Arts in them at the earliest age possible. I’ve been teaching 23 years and this would be a GREAT gift to receive during Teacher Appreciate Week! I LOVE what I do and can’t wait to get to school each day to see my students – they are AWESOME!” – Cherylann Bellavia, Lutz Preparatory School, Lutz, FL
“My students come from difficult life situations…so what I ask for them is simply to continue their education with success to make a better life for themselves, to realize that there are many opportunities available to them.” – Tama Price, 2nd grade, Sue Cleveland Elementary School
“I would love to have my students/parents show appreciation by making or giving me something that is really personal to me. I often share personal stories with my first graders in order to show them how to make personal connections. For example one of my favorite cookies to make are the peanut butter with chocolate kisses in the center, I would love for someone to bring me some they made and say “we made these because we know they are your favorite”. That would show me that they really have taken the time to get to know me as a person. A simple thank you for helping my child is enough to brighten the most dim day, I would love to hear that from my parents and students I would also get a kick out of seeing what BAB a student would make and how they would dress it to represent Mrs. Robinson!” – LaTisha Robinson, 1st grade, New Carrollton, MD
“The way I would like to be appreciated is by a simple “thank you for all you do!” My job is wonderful and rewarding in many ways. I have really come to appreciate every teacher I’ve had in my educational life. They are amazing people who go far and beyond the expectations of the public. Thank you!” – Ms. Salazar, 2nd grade, Los Ranchitos Elementary, Tucson, AZ
“Seeing my students’ achievements is enough for me. A thank you goes a long way too.” – Andrea, 6th grade special education, Cranbury School, Cranbury, NJ
“I just feel appreciated when students are respectful and responsible and work as hard as I do in preparing the classes. I love to see them using what they learned in class in their daily life and just be grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow. I feel appreciated when parents volunteer at our school and take time to participate in school activities and the PTA.” – Carina Coria, Spanish teacher, Hillcrest Jr. High, Murray, UT
“My teacher Miss Young is one of the nicest teachers I have ever had. She never yelled even the tiniest bit. She corrects us in a nice way. I never want to leave 4th grade because of her. She acts like a kid sometimes. Anyways she should be appreciated by everyone pitching in some money for her to go to a nice place. Or people giving her flowers. Maybe something even more. She deserves the best. In my opinion, as a student, she is the most styling, nicest teacher that I have EVER had. I hope she knows how much I appreciate her!” – Natasha, Arrowhead Elementary in Collegeville, PA
“[The school where I teach] is a very rural town with many second language learners. I appreciate the thank yous and hugs the most. I also enjoy when they write to me and let me know something that I have done that helped them or inspired them. Gifts are never necessary, [I get] more joy out of hearing I have had an impact on their life in some way.” – Carrie Rocha, 5th grade, Riverdale Elementary School
“I don’t teach at a school. I run a Sylvan Learning in San Marino, CA. I love when my students show me a good report card, but I do appreciate it when my students show their appreciation with flowers or Starbucks. But my students also know I have a thing for stuffed animals.” – Michelle Holbrook, Sylvan Learning Center, San Marino, CA
“Some of the best things are the notes I have received from students and parents throughout the years thanking me with thoughtful words. I keep a lot of those so on the rough days I can read them and remember why I love what I do! I also love gift certificates to book stores because I can buy books for my classroom that I do not have! Also, a new one I received this year was a book with a picture of the student and the author inside the front cover!” – Michele
“I love my job and would happily do it every day without formal ‘appreciation.’ I feel appreciated when my students really learn something I’ve taught them and when they show up at my classroom door every morning with smiles on their faces, ready to learn something new.
That being said, I think the best way to show appreciation to a teacher is to ask what that teacher needs for his / her classroom. I don’t know if many people realize it, but teachers spend quite a bit of their own money buying instructional materials and supplies for their students. Many, like me, also buy snacks for their students to eat if they come to school with an empty belly. I probably average at least $100 per month on classroom materials. In place of ‘teacher gifts’, I would love to see more ‘classroom gifts’ – gift certificates to teaching supply stores, manipulatives for the class to use, books, CDs, etc.
A Build-A-Bear gift certificate would also be happily accepted. I buy two identical bears at the beginning of each school year to be the ‘class pet’ (one is a backup, just in case). A different child takes the bear home each Friday and writes about what he/she did with it!” – Rachel Montgomery, 1st grade, Donna Wernecke Elementary School, Sharyland, ISD
How are you planning on showing your appreciation on Teacher’s Day? | <urn:uuid:b372f413-e158-486d-a676-6487ba8bb48d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.buildabear.com/2012/05/01/teachers-day-how-to-show-your-appreciation/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=e60e0e8ee0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976821 | 2,069 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Building a foundation
Shaw got its start in 1946 as Star Dye Company, a small business that dyed tufted scatter rugs. The events that transformed the company into the world's largest carpet manufacturer are too numerous to write…or even fully know. But the philosophy guiding those events meeting customers, determine their needs, and supplying those needs hasn't changed much through the years.
In 1958, with $300,000 in sales, the company expanded dramatically and soon started finishing carpet as Star Finishing Company.
In 1967, a holding company was formed to acquire Philadelphia Carpet Company, founded in 1846. The holding company added Star Finishing to the fold one year later, marking the company's first move into carpet manufacturing. The holding company went public as Shaw Industries, Inc. in 1971 with approximately $43 million in sales and 900 employees. In 1985, Shaw made its first appearance on the list of America's largest corporations--the Fortune 500--with more than $500 million in sales and close to 5,000 employees.
Continually differentiating its service and adding value for customers motivated every major move in the company's development, such as the following:
- Generating its own yarn supply with the 1972 purchase of its first yarn plant
- Seeing the potential of newly developed continuous dyeing processes and acquiring its first continuous dye plant in 1973
- Creating its own trucking subsidiary, dramatically improving shipments nationwide
- Significantly expanding direct sales to retailers beginning in 1982
- Establishing regional distribution centers across the?United States
- Modernizing plants and equipment in the early 1980s, allowing it to respond quickly to such breakthroughs as stain resistant carpet
- Decreasing the consumption of fuel, water, and electricity in the manufacturing process and finding innovative recycling solutions.
- Acquiring Amoco's polypropylene fiber production facilities in 1992 and providing consumers popular Berber styles
- Starting the rug division in 1993 and the hard surfaces division in 1998 with the launch of Shaw Ceramics, later creating Shaw laminates and Shaw hardwoods
The desire to be the industry's low-cost provider was also a determining factor in Shaw's decisions, namely the acquisitions that brought such respected names as Cabin Crafts and Sutton under the Shaw umbrella. It also played a role in one of the largest and most significant moves in the company's history: the merger of Shaw and Queen Carpets.
On January 4, 2001, Shaw began a new chapter in its long and varied history with the completion of its sale to Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the holding company of renowned investor Warren E. Buffett. Berkshire Hathaway is known for buying and holding businesses that have a dominant market share, have strong management teams, and are considered undervalued in the stock market. With the move, Shaw ended its tenure as a public company.
Today, with the leadership of Vance Bell, CEO, and Randy Merritt, President, Shaw is a full-service flooring company with more than $4 billion in annual sales and approximately 25,000 employees. The employees' daily efforts illustrate their commitment and their determination to stay on top in an ever-changing and highly competitive marketplace.
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Adding Value Through the Years
honesty, integrity, passion. | <urn:uuid:a4c329fa-d27f-4cc5-9606-4c812a2dde4c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://shawfloors.com/About-Shaw/History | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962328 | 666 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Adult and Pediatric Urology Group, P.A., is a practice that offers the most current diagnostic and treatment options to patients of any age. They offer specialties in many different areas within the urology field which include the following:
OTHER CONDITIONS TREATED
ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC OPTIONS
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Care for Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Since early prostate cancer does not cause symptoms, if you are 50 or older, you should be screened each year. For those diagnosed with prostate cancer, we offer the most advanced therapies: hormonal, seeds/radiation, nerve sparing radical, laparoscopic and robotic prostatectomy.
More on prostate cancer.
Treatments for all Your Prostate Problems
Know the symptoms of prostate trouble:
- Weak or interrupted flow of urine
- Urination that wakes you at night
- Having to urinate often
- Still feeling the urge to go, even after you've urinated
If you suffer from any of these symptoms, call us. We have the experience to diagnose prostate trouble early, when it's easiest to treat. Often, the answer is medication. Other times, office procedures such as microwave therapy are needed. You can feel confident that we'll help in the way most appropriate for you.[ back to top ]
More on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
More on prostatitis.
Kidney and Bladder Cancer Care
Every physician in our practice has a personal interest and a good deal of specialized training in urologic oncology (study of tumors/cancers). We were the first practice in the area to offer bladder replacement surgery and laparoscopy. We use advanced techniques such as renal cryotherapy, laparoscopy and partial nephrectomy to treat kidney tumors. Ask one of our doctors if one of these leading-edge procedures is right for you.
More on bladder cancer.
More on kidney cancer.
Help for Incontinence/Weak Bladders
If you have trouble controlling your bladder, especially when you laugh, sneeze or lift something heavy, you are suffering from urinary incontinence. And you're not alone. More than 13 million Americans share your problem.
Bladder control problems are most common in women, especially moms and older women. We have the expertise and technology to correct urinary leakages. These include in-office urodynamic testing and nonsurgical treatments such as pelvic floor rehabilitation, bladder training and medications.
Surgical solutions include transurethral bulking, outpatient bladder suspension (TVT), vaginal sling suspension, artificial sphincters and bladder pacemakers. Bottom line: Urinary incontinence is a widespread ? but not widely discussed ? health problem for many women and men. We can help.
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More on urinary incontinence.
Fertility Control (Vasectomy and Vasectomy Reversals)
Whether you are interested in the most effective method for male birth control, a no-scalpel vasectomy, or you want to start a new family and need a vasectomy reversal, we can help. We do vasectomies in the office in about 20 minutes with very little discomfort.
More on vasectomy, including no-scalpel
More on vasectomy reversal.
Prevention and Treatment of Kidney Stones
Did you know that up to 85% of all kidney stones result from not drinking enough water? Kidney stones are serious business and require immediate attention. They may start as a minor discomfort in the kidney area but can soon develop into a very painful condition. But there are ways to prevent this problem. If kidney stones are discovered early, they can often be treated easily, without major surgery.
There are a number of ways to treat kidney stones. Let one of our doctors help you choose the best method for you.
- Shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL)
- Scope extraction (ureteroscopy) with holmium laser
- Mini-incision removal (percutaneous nephrolithotomy)
Nearly half of all kidney stones come back within five years, but proper care and regular checkups can prevent further episodes. Remember, it's important to drink lots of water and catch kidney stones early, so call us at the first sign of trouble.[ back to top ]
More on kidney stones.
World-Class Leading-Edge Pediatric Urology
Children suffer from as many urologic problems as adults. They can have congenital abnormalities such as undescended testes in male children, hydronephrosis (a "stretching" or dilation of the collecting part of the kidney, often the result of a blockage in the ureter), renal obstruction or reflux disease.
Our board-certified, fellowship-trained pediatric urologist has the specialized training, skill and experience to help your child with virtually any urologic condition. Ask your primary-care doctor to refer your child to us and take comfort in the fact that your child will receive world-class care.
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More on pediatric urology. | <urn:uuid:42aaa37d-7613-4f57-8352-78937be2b0bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.adultandpediatricurology.com/services.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935021 | 1,074 | 1.625 | 2 |
The Difference a Father Makes by Ed McGlasson
Price: $4.99 USD. 25300 words.
Published by Ampelon Publishing on May 6, 2010. .
Former NFL lineman and pastor Ed Tandy McGlasson challenges dads to excel in fatherhood and equips them to do so. He demonstrates how we can set up goal lines in the lives of children, marking when they enter into adulthood. He contends it is a must -- and a father's job does not end there. In a powerful way, he answers the "Yeah, but how?" question every man asks after being challenged. | <urn:uuid:655ceda9-8424-42d4-8f2c-5e7fe9b67054> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AmpelonPublishing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948783 | 125 | 1.671875 | 2 |
That prickly gadfly of gaikokujins, Debito Arudou, has done it again, diminishing a worthy topic — in this case, international child abduction — into dross with a leaky, untrained pen.
His labored prose is tolerated when he protests monthly in “Just Be Cause” for The Japan Times. I wince through his columns to extract kernels of truth since, applaud or abhor him, Arudou’s voice clangs out consistently and sincerely against injustice.
I may be a writing snob, but I recognize Arudou’s work to fight discrimination in Otaru’s public baths, his extensively researched “Handbook for Newcomers, Immigrants and Migrants in Japan,” and his website, debito.org, as all necessary resources for victims of prejudice.
Yet reading a novel in Arudou’s underwhelming style insults the seriousness of international child abduction, the literary form itself, and any reader expecting something more than sludge.
With his debut novel, “In Appropriate,” Arudou goes beyond any column in its capacity to spread slime. His characters resemble nothing more than slanderous caricatures. In one short book, he manages to reduce Japanese women to one of two extremes: the Asian sexually free goddess or the hermetically closed puppet of a domineering family.
Japanese father-in-laws are sneaky, intractable and evil; the mother in law is barely mentioned. (The protagonist can not even remember her name.)
Even minor characters are stereotyped, from dim-witted and prejudiced Japanese officials to a coldly distant, bigoted estranged father.
Arudou remains steadfast in unfurling aspersions: His protagonist, Gary Schmidt, possesses every undesirable trait associated with the expat man in Japan. A most unpalatable hero, Gary resists any appeal for sympathy and suffers his “tragedy” with no discernible growth. A young Lothario in the early stages of flashback in the novel, Gary reduces the burgeoning love for his future wife to something revered mostly for its heightened sexual appeal: “after all, the harder the case, the sweeter the snatch.”
Gary remains, alas, the same one-dimensional cretin through the final pages of the book, facing “the next stage of his life” — following his failed abduction attempt in Thailand, a place favored over others because “the women there are not only attractively Asian, but also more warm and accommodating than he had experienced anywhere.”
Why should we care for Gary’s pain? A university dropout who admittedly “milked both eikaiwa sectors” thanks to his “charm, good looks and party attitude” to make a modest, temporary success in a country he derides at every turn, he self-righteously attempts to steal his teenage daughter and 11-year-old son — “rescuing them from the racist, oppressive attitude” of his family in Japan after nearly 15 years of flaccid acceptance.
All sympathy flees as Gary paints even the children in stereotype: the angry, programmed teenaged girl versus the confused affable son.
The only character even remotely sympathetic is the American lawyer at the consulate, Scott Rostow, who advises Gary that “these kids aren’t toddlers. They’re teens who have been in Japan their entire lives. And you’re just going to take it upon yourself to take them away?”
Hardly illuminating wisdom, but it’s the best you can expect from this book.
As for plot, pacing and style — little of anything worthy resonates. In Arudou’s hand, plot inconsistencies fumble an awkward structure and dialogue jars the ear with inauthenticity. Neither suspense nor tension enlivens the action.
With every advance a foregone conclusion, the plot serves only to forward numerous opportunities to insert one of Arudou’s trademark diatribes, covering everything from discrimination against foreigners to Japan’s postbubble recession.
Fighting social injustice in Japan for foreigners has become Arudou’s lifework. In this book, though, the responsibility to refine his main weapon — writing — cries out more loudly than any of his accurate criticisms of Japanese policies.
If I could prick his conscience, I would tell Arudou to learn how to convey compassion in characters amid multifaceted issues, to discover the merits of presenting a balanced argument instead of venting blindly, to recognize his own limitations, and to improve his nonfiction writing style before venturing into fiction.
Readers who want a personal glimpse into the often tragic world of international child abduction may want to try a novel by someone who takes good writing, not simply issues, to heart. This one is simply a tragedy of hubris — in every way most inappropriate. | <urn:uuid:cc5d184e-22a8-4d6b-9303-cd42c3fff316> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2011/07/31/culture/literary-sludge-insults-child-abduction-issue/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95367 | 1,030 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Last week, Praxis guest blogger Zane Friedkin drew on principles of Kantian ethics to build a case against the Obama administration’s drone campaign in the Middle East and North Africa. I agree that Kant can help guide the debate, and I too have serious misgivings about the recent escalation of drone warfare. But on reflection, I do not think the categorical imperative equips us to justify those misgivings. Nor am I sure that “alienating humans from the very real and often destructive consequences of their actions” is the heart of the problem — or anything new, for that matter. The best case against drone warfare as it is being waged lies in the fact that the campaign is being conducted in secret, shrouded from public view, unguided by any clear standards and immune from oversight.
I’ll explain shortly. First, recall how Zane indicts drone warfare on Kantian grounds. Here is his first salvo:
[P]ro-drone pundits, including Shane and Plaw, fear the threat of “uncontrolled proliferation.”...The underlying assumption is that the right to aggression is unilateral. Imagine the response from the US defense department if a Yemeni insurgent group were to develop its own Predator drone and send it to the United States to assassinate a citizen identified by behavioral patterns. Yemen would likely be subject to massive destruction. The establishment position on drone warfare and on the rights to the technology of aggression thus clearly violates Kant’s universality principle.
The logic holds on a basic level: if you cannot fathom other states employing the military technology you are using to wage war, you should not use that technology yourself. If you are worried about the proliferation of a certain type of weapon, that’s a good sign you are ethically bound to keep your gun in its holster.
Considered from a broader perspective, this application of Kantian ethics hamstrings states in strange and probably undesirable ways. Consider the “death ray on wheels,” a high-powered laser capable of shooting down missiles that is now being tested by the United States Army. Should the U.S. halt development of this defensive technology because it would not want rival states to develop it? Should the American military park all of its F-22 fighter jets because other states have inferior technology in their fleets? Should we find ways to dismantle ourselves as a superpower because we fear other states achieving this status?
If Kant’s universality principle entails what Zane thinks it does, the precept would seem to lead us to the untenable conclusion that states may not pursue a comparative advantage in military might or strategy. Similar difficulties arise when Zane turns to the “humanity as an end” formulation of the categorical imperative, according to which individuals should be treated as ends in themselves, never as mere means:
Advocates of drones, as we have seen, tend to see the broader war effort as justified. Civilian deaths are therefore “collateral damage,” inevitabilities, externalities, necessary as we pursue our noble objectives. Thus, innocent civilians killed are perceived not as an end but as a means to an end — further evidence that drone policy clearly violates core principles of Kantian morality. We may see Kant’s humanity principle as a direct metaphysical condemnation of exploitation — literally, the use of humans as means to a further end.
The claim is buttressed by recent evidence that drone strikes have caused significant numbers of civilian deaths. But, again, the Kantian principle, in Zane’s hands, overreaches. All forms of warfare cost innocent lives, whether by design or by accident. Some kill indiscriminately and maximize civilian deaths; nuclear warfare is a moral atrocity for this reason. But conventional warfare can be tragically costly as well. If anything, drone warfare is better on this score than other methods: it at least aims to kill particular combatants rather than cause mass civilian casualties.
Applying Kantian ethics to military matters is problematic for a more basic reason: the categorical imperative applies to individual moral decisions rather than to acts by sovereign states. In his political writings, Kant foresaw a time when standing armies would gradually be abolished and perpetual peace would be established. But in the meantime, nothing in his political philosophy requires states to unilaterally disarm or abandon weapons that give them an advantage over potential enemies. “At the stage of culture at which the human race still stands,” Kant wrote in his “Speculative Beginning of Human History,” “war is an indispensable means for bringing it to a still higher stage.” Kenneth Waltz observes in a 1962 article in the American Political Science Review that Kant’s idealism is tempered by a strong dose of realism in the realm of foreign affairs:
Kant...at once condemns war and demonstrates that its occurrence is expected rather than accidental. In the end we are left not with a confident foretelling of “the end of wars and the reign of international law” [Edwin Mead] but with a deeper appreciation of the causes of war and the immense difficulty of doing anything about them.
So we would misapply Kant’s categorical imperative to read it as a condemnation of armed combat in general or of drone warfare in particular. Another strand of Kantian political ethics, however, provides a strong argument against the secrecy of the United States’ remote-controlled killing: the duty of “publicity” that Kant describes in the second appendix of “Perpetual Peace.”
“Every legal claim must be capable of publicity,” Kant writes. “All actions relating to the right of other men are unjust if their maxim is not consistent with publicity." Kant’s explanation strikes at the heart of the drone debate:
For a maxim which I may not declare openly without thereby frustrating my own intention, or which must at all costs be kept secret if it is to succeed, or which I cannot publicly acknowledge without thereby inevitably arousing the resistance of everyone to my plans, can only have stirred up...opposition against me because it is itself unjust and thus constitutes a threat to everyone.
While specific covert measures may be necessary at times militarily, operating a campaign of remotely piloted aircraft under complete cover of secrecy is incompatible with Kant’s publicity requirement and clears a path for Obama and future presidents to send missiles anywhere in the world without explanation or accountability. President Obama seemed to admit as much, and betray his worry about the lack of standards guiding the program, late in this fall’s presidential campaign. This was the basis of Will Wilkinson's Kantian critique of Obama in the Economist last week. New Yorker writer Amy Davidson describes a “scramble in the White House, when it looked like Obama might lose, to try to write down some rules for when the President could order targeted assassinations, ‘so that a new president would inherit clear standards and procedures.’ ” This hasty attempt to lay down principles for the use of drones leads Davidson to wonder about the president’s judgment:
When it comes to “kill lists,” Obama’s weakness has been to act as though the clarity of his judgment is the same thing as a clear standard; perhaps the thought of losing gave him a sense that this wasn’t the case. But what was most vivid for those in the present Administration, in their vision of President Romney haphazardly dispatching drones? Their distrust of Obama’s successor, or embarrassment about what they might be leaving, unattended to, on the Oval Office desk?
In an excellent post last month at the Monkey Cage, “How to Improve the Drones Debate,” Omar Bashir explains his proposal to enhance accountability through independent oversight. A panel would be charged with determining whether the drone program is satisfying “the requirements of necessity, discrimination, and proportionality” prescribed by just war theory:
Inconsistent studies of post-strike damage have not settled the issue, and we can’t simply take the Obama administration at its word. Instead, the government needs something beyond existing congressional review to demonstrate credibly to audiences at home and abroad that too many civilians are not dying compared to the threat posed by targets and to show that there is appropriate cause for deeming individuals targetable.
This oversight, which can ideally provide some indication when strikes begin to violate the requirement of proportionality, may be the key to preventing “endless war”: it might help us know when, if not already, campaigns have taken out so many targets that further killing cannot be justified.
Oversight measures like these may prove ineffectual in reigning in an “endless” barrage of Hellfire missiles around the globe; drones may become an even more widespread tool in international conflicts. But at this point the jury is out on whether drones represent a brave new world in military weaponry or simply the latest technology toward which traditional standards of just war theory should be applied.
Follow Steven Mazie on Twitter: @stevenmazie | <urn:uuid:9a0ac105-5bae-4b16-a21f-e5fb637ff3d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bigthink.com/praxis/rethinking-the-kantian-attack-on-drones | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950124 | 1,871 | 1.5 | 2 |
October 28, 1999
The Force Behind ‘The Group Room’
Schimmel, 45, is the creator and executive producer of "The Group Room," the only nationally syndicated radio call-in show for cancer patients, their families and friends. The show grew out of Vital Options, a support group Schimmel started for young adults with cancer 15 years ago, following her own diagnosis of breast cancer. At the time, she was only 28 years old.
"I was a classic example of a delay in diagnosis, because doctors are not necessarily looking for cancer in young people like they do in older people," Schimmel said. "Fortunately, Vital Options raised awareness of the prevalence of cancer among people ages 17 to 40, and now there are support groups across the nation."
Schimmel was recently honored by Hillel at Valley and Pierce Colleges as one of their "36 Distinguished Individuals" who have made a difference in the Jewish community. In addition to numerous speaking engagements, she currently serves on Assemblyman Robert Hertzberg's Women and Family Advisory Commission and works with the UCLA School of Medicine Doctoring Curriculum Program, assisting in a program to sensitize physicians-in-training to the emotional needs of their patients.
As if the radio show, public service and personal appearances aren't enough, in May, Schimmel saw the release of her book, "Cancer Talk: Voices of Hope and Endurance from 'The Group Room.'" Chapters outline the different areas of life affected by undergoing treatment for the disease, from diet and hair loss to the doctor-patient relationship and dealing with cancer in the workplace. It has already sold more than 11,000 copies in its first run.
For a key chapter addressing the spiritual side of being a cancer survivor, Schimmel sought input from her father, Rabbi Meier Schimmel, founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Meier in Studio City. Selma credits her father with giving her the strength to survive cancer and to help others; they became especially close during her student years at UCLA when, a year prior to Selma's diagnosis, her mother died from a swift and brutal form of ovarian cancer.
"My parents were supposed to leave for Israel on a sabbatical and within weeks she was diagnosed and died," Schimmel said. "My father then had to cope with my getting cancer. He's had to go through a lot in his life but he's always taught me by example that the greatest mitzvah is helping the sick. When I started Vital Options, he was the first one I went to and he opened up the synagogue to us. I knew a few other young adults at UCLA who were also undergoing cancer treatment and our first group met in Beth Meier's social hall. Then an article ran about us in the Los Angeles Times and the group just exploded."
Schimmel ran the group for almost ten years. By 1993, the combination of an economic recession, restricted funding going toward more high-profile diseases and the rise of other support groups for young adults took its toll on Vital Options. Seeing the growing trend toward Internet use and the explosion of online chat rooms, Schimmel decided to take the group in a new direction and launched "The Group Room," which, in addition to its radio broadcasts, also "meets" online via its website (see below for details).
In producing the show and the website, Schimmel relies on not only her vast network of contacts established over 15 years in the field, but also her team of researchers including Vital Options' Public Affairs Director Eric Rosenthal and Group Room Production Assistant Michelle Rand. Together they provide the most current information on advances in cancer research.
Regulars who share the airtime on "The Group Room" include medical advisors Dr. Michael Van Scoy-Mosher, co-chief of hematology and oncology for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Leslie Botnick, a radiation oncologist and CEO of Valley Radiotherapy Associates Medical Group, and Halina Irving, a licensed therapist in private practice. Prior to appearing on "The Group Room," Irving ran the Vital Options support group for nine years and is both a breast cancer and Holocaust survivor.
"The universal concern is the fear of recurrence - will I remain cancer-free or not?" Irving said. "For young people, there are additional issues, for example, social isolation. When you are in your 60s, you are likely to have friends and colleagues who have been diagnosed with cancer, but among young people there is less support. Also, young cancer patients are just beginning their professional and financial lives; some are also starting families and a diagnosis of cancer interrupts all that."
For these reasons, Irving advocates finding support from outside the patient's immediate family, whether in therapy or by participating in programs like "The Group Room."
"Even though patients get love from their families, they get the greatest support from people who are going through what they are going through," she said.
Irving said the attitude towards cancer has changed markedly in the 10 years since her own diagnosis.
"There is much more openness, more freedom to speak about cancer," she said.
"We just need to get the word out, especially about clinical trials. I am alive because of someone's willingness to participate in one of these trials. We need to create a dialogue so people will understand they are not guinea pigs, that they will not be left without treatment. We have seen dramatic advances in the treatment of childhood cancers because 70 percent of children with cancer are involved in clinical trials. Yet only two percent of adults with cancer participate, mostly because doctors cannot keep track of all the studies. That's where "The Group Room" can help."
"The Group Room" is broadcast locally every Sunday between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on radio station KRLA 1110-AM. For national air times, call (818) 788-5225 or check out the website at www.vitaloptions.org.
Creating a Cancer Clearinghouse
What if you or someone you love were recently diagnosed with cancer? Wouldn't it be a relief if you could go online and simply look up every ongoing clinical trial and all the current information about your particular form of the disease in a database?
That is the mission of Gary Kramer and his family, who are building the Joyce Foundation. Named for Joyce Kramer, Gary's mother and a Jewish day school teacher who lost her battle against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1996 at the age of 52, the Foundation was created to provide information both via a fully-staffed hot line and the Internet.
Kramer, a longtime San Fernando Valley resident and owner of two ComedySportz franchises, admits it is an ambitious project.
"There are about 2,500 clinical trials going on at any one time, more than half of which are sponsored by the National Cancer Institute," Kramer said. "There's no way any one doctor can keep track of all those trials but that is what we will be doing; presenting information that is up-to-date and accurate."
Kramer said the Foundation anticipates about half of the database will cover clinical trials. The other half will address conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation along with their side effects and possible conflicts with other treatment protocols, as well as information on diet and experimental drugs. He emphasizes that the Foundation will give no recommendations, only information.
"We simply want to give people all the options, in language they can understand," he said.
Since establishing the Foundation in 1997, the Kramer family, which hails from New Jersey, has recruited prominent local physicians for the project's board of directors. Author and Harvard Professor Stephen Jay Gould also serves on the Foundation's honorary board.
While family members back East seek medical specialists to review data and provide referrals, Gary Kramer is busy recruiting donations. The Foundation has been able to raise $75,000 over the past year, primarily from private donations and fundraising events by ComedySportz' improvisation clubs and Le Tip, a business networking group. So far, the Foundation has not been able to reach the desired goal of $500,000 to launch the database. "Right now the resource we need most is money. It is very expensive to have the staff to provide the services for what we're trying to do and you can't hire staff until you have the funding," Kramer said. "But the need is so dire and there is nothing like it out there. For $500,000 we can save literally thousands of lives."
Interested contributors can send donations to: The Joyce Foundation, P.O. Box 223, Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034. For more information, call (888) 755-0100 or visit the organization's website at www.cancerinfo.org -- W.M. | <urn:uuid:0ae7b0ac-72b7-46f4-a40d-bb251b73ca1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jewishjournal.com/health/article/the_force_behind_the_group_room_19991029 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971438 | 1,822 | 1.601563 | 2 |
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) & Association For Residency and Citizenship of America (ARCA)
December 1, 1998
On December 12, 1998, beginning at midnight and ending at noon, many immigrant families in the Houston area will hold a candlelight "FAST FOR JUSTICE" at Guadalupe Plaza (Jensen and Navigation) to seek support for a just solution for late amnesty class members. You are invited to participate in the 12-hour fast, or the Closing Ceremony from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, or just for a few moments at your convenience.
Your presence is important in sending a message to appropriate federal authorities that, as Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, the new Chair of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, stated: "Late amnesty applicants have not been treated fairly. The INS admitted that it wrongfully denied these applicants the opportunity to apply for legalization under the 1986 immigration law. In addition, just as the courts were about to rule in favor of these amnesty applicants, these law-abiding individuals were further persecuted when Section 377 of the 1996 immigration law passed and stripped the courts of their jurisdiction over their cases."
For this reason, 350,000 immigrants nationwide, 20,000 in Houston, are left in "legal limbo." Their work permits are canceled. They can be detained and deported. They are unable to travel to see families in countries of origin. These families, who have resided here for at least 17 years, are experiencing hunger, loss of jobs, evictions and separation from US citizen children.
Houston's Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza declared: "The children of these immigrants, many of whom are US citizens, are the real victims of this cruel and heartless action of our government. Their parents are denied the ability to provide food, clothing and other basic necessities for them. A nation that is committed to "justice for all" is shamed before the world for its lack of human compassion for these children and their parents who only want work to fulfill their obligations to their families...We will not cease to remind our government of its obligation to US citizens who are children of Immigrants."
Help us correct this injustice by joining us at the "FAST FOR JUSTICE." Pledge your commitment to call for an administrative solution for these hardworking immigrants so that these families are protected from deportation, can have their work permits renewed and their applications processed for permanent residency.
Please RSVP at (713)926-2799 by December 10 International Human Rights Day.
Maria Jimenez &
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