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After days of radio silence from the Washington Post, the paper’s ombudsman, Andy Alexander, has sent out the following statement (via Think Progress) about the George Will column that misrepresented the facts on global warming:
Thank you for your e-mail. The Post’s ombudsman typically deals with issues involving the news pages. But I understand the point you and many e-mailers are making, and for that reason I sought clarification from the editorial page editors. Basically, I was told that the Post has a multi-layer editing process and checks facts to the fullest extent possible. In this instance, George Will’s column was checked by people he personally employs, as well as two editors at the Washington Post Writers Group, which syndicates Will; our op-ed page editor; and two copy editors. The University of Illinois center that Will cited has now said it doesn’t agree with his conclusion, but earlier this year it put out a statement (http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/global.sea.ice.area.pdf) that was among several sources for this column and that notes in part that “Observed global sea ice area, defined here as a sum of N. Hemisphere and S. Hemisphere sea ice areas, is near or slightly lower than those observed in late 1979.”
Washington Post Ombudsman
Hilzoy at the Washington Monthly shows that the statement Alexander cites in fact points to the opposite conclusion from the one Will drew from it.
But engaging at this level of detail is sort of beside the point. As the Post knows, every reputable scientific organization that has studied the issue has confirmed that global warming is occurring. Will’s column was intended to mislead readers into believing that not to be true. That’s the case whether or not it contained a statement that meets the Post’s criteria for factual inaccuracy.
Late Update: Matthew Yglesias at Think Progress says it better than we could:
As for why it’s okay for Will to write stuff that isn’t true, the Post didn’t have much of substance to say. They picked one of debunked subsidiary claims, and said they think Will is right, though they acknowledge that the very organization Will was citing as an authority says Will is wrong. One could say that on this subsidiary point, Will perhaps made an honest mistake that the Arctic Climate Research Center has since corrected. But the Post instead says that Will is right and the Arctic Climate Research Center wrong about what the ACRC’s own research says. Meanwhile, they have nothing whatsoever to say about the other problems with the column.
These problems, it should be said, include Will’s overarching thesis. Will wrote, and is trying to get readers of The Washington Post to believe, that there was a scientific consensus about global cooling in the 1970s. This is false. Post readers are being deceived. And the Post is standing by the deceivers.
This started as a problem for Will, his direct supervisors, and the Post’s ombudsman. But now that the Post as a paper is standing behind Will’s deceptions, I think it’s a problem for all the other people who work at the Post. Some of those people do bad work, which is too bad. And some of those people do good work. And unfortunately, that’s worse. It means that when good work appears in the Post it bolsters the reputation of the Post as an institution. And the Post, as an institution, has taken a stand that says it’s okay to claim that up is down. It’s okay to claim that day is night. It’s okay to claim that hot is cold. It’s okay to claim that a consensus existed when it didn’t. It’s okay to claim that George Will is a better source of authority on interpreting the ACRC’s scientific research than is the ACRC. Everyone who works at the Post, has, I think, a serious problem.
Late Late Update: Carl Zimmer, who writes frequently about science for the New York Times, goes into more devastating detail to show that the very statement the Post cites rebuts Will’s point.
If someone from the Post’s crackerjack multi-layer squad of fact-checkers had bothered to pick up the phone, they could have simply asked, “Is it indeed true that global sea ice levels now equal those of 1979?”
And they would have probably gotten an answer like this: “Well, what do you mean by now? Today? And what do you mean by 1979? Exactly thirty years ago today? If that’s what you mean, the answer is no.”
A good fact-checker would then say, “Well, it seems this claim is based on an article that came out January 1.”
To which the scientist would say something along the lines of, “At that point it was near or slightly lower what was observed in late 1979.”
At the very least, that discrepancy would have to be corrected. But a good fact-checker would see a deeper problem, saying, “Whoa, that changed a lot in a month and a half.”
Which would then lead to a discussion of the fact ice cover is such a noisy process that picking out a single day to compare these numbers does not say a lot about how it is affected by climate change. Climatologists look over longer time scales.
A good fact-checker would also learn that almost all climate models project that increasing greenhouse gases will cause a decrease in the Northern Hemisphere sea ice area over the next several decades, but the response of the southern hemisphere is less certain. In fact, evaporation caused by the warming might lead to more snowfall onto the sea ice. If the southern ice expands, it cancels out some of the retreat of the northern ice. And lo and behold, the northern hemisphere ice is almost a million square kilometers smaller than it was in late 1979, and the Southern Hemisphere ice is about half a million square kilometers bigger than in late 1979. So not only is Will wrong on the particulars of his statement, but he’s wrong on what it means about climate change. A good fact-checker would make sure that this was fixed too.
How can I be so confident that a good fact-checker would learn this? Because it is in that same January statement from the Center that the Post cited as “evidence” that Will was correct. | <urn:uuid:1fd06fcb-bab9-4747-a37c-a1935e4bca02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/post_ombudsman_responds_unconvincingly_on_will_col.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971722 | 1,376 | 1.796875 | 2 |
A Warm Welcome to Saxony’s Most Beautiful Knight’s Castle
Medieval Kriebstein Castle is situated in Middle Saxony, right at the centre of the triangle between the cities of Dresden, Chemnitz and Leipzig.
Saxony’s most beautiful knight’s castle, a closed, fully preserved and completely reconstructed building complex from Late Gothic times, rises on a steep rock towering over the Zschopau River.
Discover its 600 years of history when visiting it and feel as if you were back in the Middle Ages. Apart from its castle museum, Kriebstein has numerous events, guided tours as well as its castle inn »Zum Hungerturm« to offer.
Today’s highlights to the visitor include a tour of the monumental residential tower, from its lowest cellar up to the medieval and historically preserved floors under the roof, of the castle chapel with precious murals from around 1410, of the Kriebstein Room, of the furnished interior used by the Arnim family and also of the castle well.
Various banquet halls are available for weddings, family parties and business functions as well as for events of any kind. | <urn:uuid:2009678b-6b33-43a0-ad1f-9a347540c327> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.burg-kriebstein.eu/en/homepage/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953521 | 245 | 1.6875 | 2 |
At the Republican nominating convention in Tampa, a digital "debt clock" kept updating instantaneously the level of federal red ink as it pushed mercilessly toward the $16 trillion mark. The national debt passed that milestone during the Democratic convention in Charlotte. Not surprisingly, the Democrats didn't have a debt clock. The debt has grown by 50 percent since Barack Obama took office, and they hoped no one would notice.
The Democrats, however, dutifully declared from time to time during their gathering that the nation must get its financial house in order. Unfortunately, they were all but mute on how to accomplish this, other than calling for higher tax rates on the wealthy. Everybody other than the economic illiterate understand this will do little to balance the federal budget, but it fits well into Obama's class-warfare re-election theme.
In a throw-away line in his acceptance speech, the president also endorsed the debt reduction principles set down by his own Bowles-Simpson commission. But if that's truly the case, why did he turn his back on the commission after it released its report nearly two years ago? Does the president really endorse Bowles-Simpson and its tax and entitlement reforms, or is he prevaricating? That's a question Mitt Romney should ask the president during their debates.
The ironic aspect of all the convention blather is that the two political parties spent $136 million in federal money to help bankroll their made-for-TV and the Internet extravaganzas. You'd think that if the leadership of the parties really means what it says about fiscal responsibility, the first thing Congress would do is end convention subsidies. The conventioneers could still get together to wear their silly hats and shout their silly slogans, but taxpayers wouldn't be footing a large part of the bill.
Don't expect that to happen. The quadrennial nominating gatherings have lost all their functional meaning, since the presidential choices are known long before the conventions, But they're a publicity bonanza for the parties. Carefully scripted speeches read from TelePrompters are useful in stirring up the true believers and the gullible. Political parties, however, aren't the government, and they shouldn't be treating the federal Treasury as their personal piggy bank.
My dueling columnist colleague Stephen L. Goldstein thinks the GOP convention heralded the end of the Republican Party. He's correct that Republicans face challenges that, if not met, will lead to the party's demise. Republicans must do a better job reaching out to a larger cross-section of voters. In the ranks of top elected and appointed officials, the GOP has a solid roster of women and minorities, but in the trenches, the ranks are too thin.
The Democrats, however, are stuck in the 20th century. Their message that Americans are beholden to the state, and that central planners can work miracles isn't going to resonate in the individualistic age of iPads and smart phones. As for buying votes through federal handouts, that strategy won't work for much longer since the money has run out. The time-honored Democratic approach of scaring senior citizens into voting for them by claiming Republicans will undermine Medicare and Social Security won't hold up either, for the same reason.
The nation has arrived at a critical stage in history. The two major parties had better rise to the occasion right now, or a third will arise to challenge them.
Kingsley Guy duels the issues with Stephen L. Goldstein on alternate Fridays. E-mail him at [email protected].
Watch 'Barry Epstein Live' Fridays at 10 a.m. on http://www.wrpbitv.com with Sun-Sentinel columnists Dr. Robert Watson and Kingsley Guy. | <urn:uuid:0d63edaf-c588-4035-acff-d1babfb2d4d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-09-14/news/fl-kgcol-oped0914-20120914_1_debt-clock-democratic-convention-gop-convention | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968549 | 770 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Here is a common question that has multiple answers and methods to reach the ability to do pullups and pushups. You have to start somewhere. Check out the request:
Dear Mr. Smith: I have begun to follow your 90 day wkout. I am a young woman in my 20’s, and I am in EMT/Paramedic school, and I have never been able to do a real push up. Do you have any pointers on how I would be able to progress to accomplishing this goal? Also do you have any pointers on doing pullups? Any help would be a godsend and greatly appreciated.
Yes — there are many ways to build up your strength to do pullups and pushups and to be honest the common denominator between men and women who can do these exercises is that they practice pullups and pushups. But how to you get to the level where you can actually practice these calisthenics?
Overweight? First, it helps not to be overweight. The more weight you have to pull over the bar or push off the floor the harder it is on a beginner. The good news is that you can do both weight loss and strength building at the same time, but it requires exercise AND eating right.
You can still practice both exercises through the use of weight machines, dumbbells, and assisted versions of these exercises.
Some of the assisted versions of the pullup and the pushup are the following:
Negative or Assisted Pullups - Get your chin over the bar and let yourself down slowly to perform a negative repetition. Do 2–3 negatives but stop doing them if you cannot slowly control yourself to the down position (arms straight). Slowly is defined as 3–5 seconds slow pullup DOWN motion.
Assisted Pullups means someone helps you up and over the bar but you do MOST of the work. Having a partner push up about 25% of the lift will allow for you to feel 75% of a pullup weight in motion. Eventually you will see a pullups doing these exercises every other day for a few weeks. Once again if 20–30 lbs overweight, you may have to be more patient with your pullup progress until you drop to a normal weight zone for your height.
Knee pushups — This is an assisted pushup. This is a great way to get to a true failure point in a set of pushups. Once you fail at regular pushups, drop to your knees and do as many knee / assisted pushups as you can. You will see this version is just as tough. The goal is to try as many regular pushups as you can then resort to knee pushups when you fail. Do this every other day as well.
Bench Dips — Another version of a shoulder / tricep exercise is the bench dip. Sit on a bench or chair and slide to the edge. Grab the edge of the seat and lower your hips off the seat so your shoulders lower to about your elbow height. This will work the triceps / shoulder muscles.
Dumbbell Version — The muscles that work when you do pullups are your grip / forearm, biceps, shoulders, and back muscles. You can work these muscle groups by doing the following exercises:
Bicep Curls - Bring the weight from your waist to your shoulder simply by bending your elbow and flexing your grip and bicep muscles.
Rows - Bend over at the waist and with both arms or just one holding a dumbbell bringing the weight from the ground to your torso.
For pushups you need to work the chest, front shoulders, and triceps. To do this add the exercises of chest press, shoulder press, and tricep extensions.
Chest press is the pushup but with weight and you are on your back on a bench pushing the weight from your chest by extending your arms vertical.
Shoulder Press (military press) works the shoulder / tricep muscles. Simply push the dumbbells from your shoulders to over head extended arm position to work these muscle groups.
Tricep extensions — you can top off your dumbbell workout with tricep extensions by isolating your elbow over your head and take the weight behind your head to over your head. Just bend your elbow to do this movement to isolate the tricep.
Machine Version — There are machines that mimic the pullup and the pushup and you can adjust the weight to under your body weight or above your body weight as you gain strength.
Pulldown Machine — this is the $1000 pullup machine. It mimics the pullup by you selecting a weight that you can do 10–15 reps and pulling a bar attached to a cable / leverage machine to your collar bones.
Gravitron - This machine is specifically designed to assist with pullups and dips. Position yourself on a padded lever that is attached to a weight stack. The more weight you apply to the lever the easier it is to perform either the dip or pullup. This is basically the $1000 spotter. When you do not have a partner to assist you over the bar and you have a gym, the Gravitron works well.
Chest or Bench Press — Once again the $1000 version of the pushup. But you can add / subtract weight you push by simply pulling a pin. You may fail at pushups but by decreasing the weight so you can do 15–20 reps you will build the muscle stamina and initial strength needed to do pushups.
Hope that helps — even though there are several options and many more that I did not touch on (free weights, rubber bands, TRX, etc) the only thing that will get you better at pullups and pushups is YOU doing some version of these exercises every other day for several weeks. Good luck | <urn:uuid:22aee05f-d6b2-4bde-bf95-d2523b6215e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://military-fitness.military.com/2012/08/pullups-and-pushups-how-to-start.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943962 | 1,196 | 1.734375 | 2 |
The fact of the matter is that General Clark was absolutely right. McCain's service, while heroic and honorable, is not very relevant when it comes to preparing him to be the military's ultimate commander. His experience didn't involve executive decision making in the military, or global strategy. Very few candidates for the presidency have had the experience in life that prepares them for that role. In fact, McCain said it himself in 2003, that some of our best Commanders in Chief had no military experience at all.Jac says:
[I]s it true that McCain is "reluctant to talk about" his heroism in Vietnam? I don't know. But he hasn't been reluctant to say "I'm John McCain and I approve this message" in an ad showing footage of him as a POW, intercut with a closeup of McCain with the word "hero" emblazoned on his forehead....I think there are some things that Barack Obama has tried to place beyond debate, such as the things his wife has said in political speeches on his behalf.
No matter what your opinion is of Barack Obama, I think you have to give him this: he'd never approve an ad that was based on highlighting a specific argument for why he's qualified to be president, but then later try to shut down any rational discussion of that precise point.
Recoiling, disgust, and outrage — it's a response of a kind. A gesture. An expression. It's a move in the debate. The question is whether it works as a good enough statement. You can ask someone a question to which they will respond with an icy "How dare you ask me that?" When are you going to feel chastened and apologize, and when are you going to call their bluff?
I think in the case of McCain's experience in Vietnam, he really is best off not attempting to articulate how it might be a qualification. It's something that he did, something that happened to him, and it is what it is. We all know it and can rely on it to the extent we see fit. There is nothing more for him to say about it. If he were to begin to talk about what it was like and how it has formed him as a man, it would seem immodest and extreme. He would have to put us all in our place, and he might seem like an angry old man of the past. The silence is eloquence enough.
ADDED: Jac has done an update and he links approvingly to this:
Oh, lord! That was such an offensive attempt at a gotcha! MSNBC is a piece of work. | <urn:uuid:a9ab32fb-6cb5-474a-b45c-795d4f1c4c13> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.althouse.blogspot.com/2008/07/should-mccain-be-asked-how-his.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989751 | 539 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Mexico's Leadership In Tourism Is Recognized By The Countries Of The UNWTO
CAMPECHE, Mexico, Oct. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Tourism Ministers and representatives from more than 50 countries recognized Mexico's leadership in tourism during the 94th Session of the Executive Council of the UNWTO which took place in Campeche, Mexico. The Secretary General of the UN agency, Taleb Rifai said Mexico serves as an example to the world thanks to the efforts of the Federal Government to foster tourism development.
During the final session, the Secretary General praised President Felipe Calderon for his efforts in the Federal Government in support of the tourism industry.
"Mexico's leadership in tourism has been outstanding and the results demonstrate that National Agreement for Tourism has been a resounding success, I trust that the next government will continue this work so that Mexico remains as one of the most visited countries in the world," said Taleb Rifai.
The 94th Session of the Executive Council of the UNWTO has advanced the development of global strategies to increase tourism globally. During the two-day meeting, the representatives of the countries that compose this UN agency analyzed the strategies to boost the development of the industry. The event helped evaluate actions to promote growth through the facilitation of migration and visa elimination that will help generate more jobs in the industry.
The role tourism can play to stimulate growth in the face of a global economic crisis was highlighted during the event; it is an engine for development and source of employment. Gloria Guevara, Secretary of Tourism of Mexico pointed out that, according to a study by Oxford Economics for the UNWTO, tourist activity can generate up to 5.1 million new jobs in the G20 Economies in 2015 if the countries apply the correct migration measures to facilitate travel and tourism.
She mentioned that, in the case of Mexico, the current administration has accepted American visas to enter the country and said they are working on eliminating visas between countries of the Pacific Alliance (Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru); this will increase the number of visitors between countries.
The Secretary of Tourism pointed out that in 2011 Mexico reached a record of 191.5 million visitors (national and international) and according to forecasts, this year will close with more than 200 million travelers continuing the trend up to 2013.
Tourism is a priority industry that represents 9% of world GDP. The forecasts by UNWTO indicate sustained growth for the following years reaching a billion international travelers in 2012 and 1.8 billion by 2030.
The importance of tourism for the economy and world employment was highlighted; it represents a spillover of 6 billion dollars and tourism represents 8% of global employment. It is estimated that each job in the tourism industry will foster the creation of 2 more in other economic sectors. Tourism employs 6 times more people than the auto manufacturing sector, 4 times more than the mining sector and a third more than financial sector.
The minister of tourism of Kenya, Danson Mwazo, spoke about the richness of Mexico and particularly about Campeche (where the meeting took place) and its rich Mayan history. He also praised the strategies developed to foster tourism by Secretary Guevara.
The Minister of tourism of Romania, Cristian Barhalescu, said the meeting in Campeche exceeded all expectations and said Mexico has placed tourism at the top of the agenda worldwide.
Romania will take temporarily the presidency of the Executive Council while the vice-presidency will be taken by Jamaica. The countries in the meeting also decided to make Serbia the next host of the Executive Council Meeting of the UNWTO in 2013.
SOURCE Mexico Tourism Board
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Request more information about PR Newswire products and services or call us at (888) 776-0942. | <urn:uuid:7df25826-a166-4f41-94a5-5f46406f3822> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mexicos-leadership-in-tourism-is-recognized-by-the-countries-of-the-unwto-175995851.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932184 | 884 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Photo: Anchor Babies
A federal Judge has ruled that the state of Indiana can not deny paternity documents for children born in the US because their parents are illegal immigrants and do not have Social Security Numbers.
The challenged policy calls that paternity affidavits filed by unmarried parents must contain both parents’ social security numbers or they will be sent back to the health offices unrecorded.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt issued the ruling Thursday in a lawsuit filed by parents who say a state policy requiring the numbers violates their children’s rights. The judge agreed the policy resulted in discrimination against an American citizen.
Judge Pratt issued a preliminary injunction barring the policy .
Indiana state officials argue that the policy was meant to reflect state and federal law, states attorneys have not decided whether they will appeal. | <urn:uuid:d75661e8-8eb3-40dc-9ad3-ea25e5ccc57e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/latino-daily-news/details/federal-judge-bars-indianas-attempt-to-amend-birthright-citizenship/4776/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962244 | 165 | 1.742188 | 2 |
LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kobe Bryant has undergone a procedure in Germany to try to strengthen his arthritic right knee, according to a report.
Citing four unidentified sources familiar with the situation, The Los Angeles Times on Friday reported that the Lakers superstar had a procedure about a month ago that is a derivation of platelet-rich plasma therapy. The Times says PRP procedures are less invasive than many surgeries involving the knee.
Bryant, who turns 33 next month, has been bothered in recent seasons by an arthritic joint in his right knee. He has undergone three other knee procedures since 2003, including surgery last July to remove unspecified loose bodies.
Bryant sat out a majority of the Lakers' practices this past season and saw his scoring, shooting percentage and minutes decrease in his 15th NBA season. He has three years and $83.5 million left on his contract with the Lakers.
Bryant declined to comment to the Times.
The Lakers cited the lockout, which prevents teams from discussing players, in declining to comment Friday on Bryant's reported knee procedure.
In the PRP procedure, which takes about an hour, a small amount of blood is drawn from the patient's arm and spun in a centrifuge for about 20 minutes to isolate platelets. With guidance from ultrasound, the platelets are then injected into the injured area to try to stimulate tissue repair.
Tennis star Rafael Nadal, golfer Tiger Woods and Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward reportedly have undergone PRP treatments for their knees.
Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com | <urn:uuid:5f8cc9f1-de0d-44df-9876-48097d665b80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jul/01/report-kobe-bryant-undergoes-knee-procedure/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958703 | 337 | 1.546875 | 2 |
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Cardiogolf and What it Does for Your Game
It is recommended that we exercise at least 30 minutes 3-5 times a week so I suggest any person interested in golf check out Karen Palacios-Jansen’s DVD Video on Cardiogolf. She has developed an exercise DVD that helps you target certain areas of your body to get the best results for playing golf. She includes with this DVD a 27” golf club she calls a Cardio Club. With this short club and the DVD Video you can exercise in your home and develop the right swing that will help improve your golf game.
Karen has divided her DVD into six sections which start with Swing Fundamentals, Muscle and Joint Warm Up, Arm Workouts, Body Workouts, Groove your Swing and the Cool Down and Stretch. If you follow along with Karen as you watch her DVD and using the 27” club in no time you will have your swing grooved to help lower your score.
The Cardio Golf Club is weighted like a regular golf club and it helps you get the benefits of proper exercise and in a short period of time. This club can be used indoors or outdoors, I would suggest you pick a proper area in your home. I was not careful as I did break one of my light fixtures on one of my full swings. Karen offers this DVD and club on her web site which I will include the URL with the price of $59.95 and free shipping.
I highly recommend Karen Palacios-Jansen’s Cardiogolf workout system to improve your golf game and give you a good workout for a healthy body. It is especially recommended for beginners to groove that swing. With all the suggestion for a good exercise workout it will condition you to not get over tired while playing 18 holes of golf. Try to use her suggestions before you start your golf game or go to the driving range and do these exercises before you hit a bag of balls.
I have used Karen's small club when I exercise and it remind me each time of a proper golf swing. I would recommend ordering this DVD with the small club and get in shape for more golf this summer. Since I can play golf all year long but I still exercise before I go to the driving range. My game is improving as well.
Content copyright © 2013 by Letta Meinen. All rights reserved.
This content was written by Letta Meinen. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Letta Meinen for details.
Website copyright © 2013 Minerva WebWorks LLC. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:cf74893e-b4f6-47c7-b746-138842b6a48c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art33198.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935238 | 577 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Monday and Tuesday, residents in the City of Rifle were under emergency water restrictions after a city tank ran out of water. Even though the problem is fixed for now, officials say it doesn't mean the city won't see more problems as they move into the summer months.
Rifle resident John Nevonen says when he woke up Monday morning, something wasn't right.
"I got up and there was no water in the house," said Nevonen. "I opened the facets and they were draining, so we knew there was a water break or something going on."
As it turns out, something was going on. City officials say a filtration issue and heavy water use by residents during a very hot week led to a huge problem at the city's water plant.
"A portion of our system was not able to keep up with the demand and a storage tank rand out of water," said John Hier, Rifle City Manager.
From 6:00am to 12:00pm Monday, hundreds of residents in the northeast portion of Rifle had no water in their homes. As a result, the city had to place a ban on all lawn watering and asked residents to use as little water as possible inside their homes through Tuesday night.
Tuesday, the city said the tank is full again and that restrictions would be lifted at midnight. But as more people continue moving to the area, and as temperatures continue to stay hot, officials say Rifle residents shouldn't be surprised if they continue to see more yellow signs posted around the city, listing water restrictions.
Hier says the current facility, which was built in the 1970s, has been giving the city problems for the last ten years.
"We're developing plans to either replace, or refurbish, or add on to those facilities within the next five years," said Hier.
But until that happens, he says with what they've seen this week, more restrictions may be in store as the city moves into the heat of summer.
"We're reviewing the necessity for possibly putting into effect some more permanent restrictions," said Hier. "But we've made no decisions on that at the moment."
Nevonen says while more potential restrictions this summer may mean his lawn won't be as green, he says he's good as long as he doesn't find himself in the same situation he did Monday.
"We have tremendous growth here," said Nevonen. "We're going to have to tolerate some of these things until bigger facilities are built."
City officials say there were no problems with residents following the restrictions and want to thank them for their help and patience. | <urn:uuid:406b3752-6c79-4226-b3a8-e810a30493a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbc11news.com/localnews/headlines/20210599.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990037 | 531 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The story of John and his odyssey to an enchanted island which has created in him an intense longing. John's pursuit of this longing takes him through adventures with such people as Mr. Enlightenment, Media Halfways, Mr. Mammon, Mother Kirk, Mr. Sensible, and Mr. Humanist and through such cities as Thrill and Eschropolis, as well as the Valley of Humilation. The first book written by C.S. Lewis after his conversion, The Pilgrim's Regress is, in a sense, a record of Lewis's own search for meaning and spiritual satisfaction that eventually led him to Christianity.
Customer Questions & Answers: | <urn:uuid:2cc98ea3-68f1-48d0-874e-17dd36ea6fe8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://answers.christianbook.com/answers/2016/product/6018/wm-b-eerdmans-publishing-co-the-pilgrims-regress-questions-answers/questions.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982197 | 132 | 1.734375 | 2 |
TODAY | August 28, 2012
>> bit. nbc's lester holt 12 miles outside of downtown new orleans in belle chasse , louisiana . good morning to you.
>> reporter: savannah, good morning. dozens of families spent the night in the auditorium behind me, one of the shelters put in place here for those part of a limited mandatory evacuation. here is why. if you look at the map of louisiana that finger that sticks out in the gulf, that's where we are, plaquemines parish . the mississippi river runs up the middle. the levees on the side, some built up since katrina . the others simply aren't strong enough to hold back the storm surge they expect here later today. the approaching storm is called isaac, but it's the legacy of katrina that sent many fleeing to higher ground .
>> that's why i'm leaving, me and my grandbaby. i can get another house, vehicle but i can't get another life.
>> reporter: plaquemines par ickes where katrina came ashore seven years ago. vulnerable then and parts of it vulnerable for now. cars lined up for the ferry to cross to the east shore of the mississippi to relatively safer ground just hours after a mandatory evacuation order took effect.
>> they are on edge. this is a big storm. nothing like katrina . but the whole south end of this parish was under water and people were kept out for months.
>> in new orleans, devastated lower ninth ward, the scene of bitter misery in 2005 and where a slow rebirth had finally begun to take hold. many of those new homs built by actor brad pitt and residents boarded up. it now sits behind stronger and higher levee walls along with flood gates and better pumps. this time the system will hold.
>> we've rehearsed, "we've checked out our systems and we're comfortable with our preparations.
>> but lisa haywood would be comfortable sitting out the storm elsewhere. she and her family decided on her own to evacuate.
>> i have faith in god. i don't have faith in those walls.
>> reporter: the uncertainty of isaac's landfall has left them uncertain. states of emergency from louisiana to florida. you'll be hard pressed to find water or batteries this morning in places like gulf shores , alabama and equally hard pressed to find someone in mississippi who doesn't have a harrowing tale of hurricane katrina .
>> the day before katrina i owned three houses. the day after katrina i was homeless.
>> for hundreds of miles the rituals of impending disaster, boarding up homes, topping off gas tanks and waiting.
>> the message for our citizens is not to take this lightly.
>> and around here, that is the enduring lesson of katrina .
>> yeah i fear all storms. you never know what you're going to get.
>> about 7,000 people here in plaquemines parish are part of that limited mandatory evacuation. but the city of new orleans , they have great confidence in that new system of levees. no mandatory evacuation there. savannah, they told folks to shelter in place and hunker down. as al said, this one is going to take a while to pass.
>> lester holt , so many bad memories. thank you so much. | <urn:uuid:e90d67e1-0bde-47a7-98a1-f734ed8a3f67> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.today.com/video/today/48810745 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965597 | 719 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Most of my philosophical work is based on the dialectical or deconstructive technique of taking a set of premises and pushing them to their limits so that they turn into the opposite of what they are trying to assert. I generally do this by building models of theories within a particular domain and then pushing them to the point at which they become monstrous and self-contradictory. This technique often uncovers the limits of our knowledge and I am particularly interested in deconstructive readings of scientific theories that show how little we know about the world.
An overview of this approach can be found in the introduction to my recent book What We Can Never Know, which applies this technique to contemporary theories about space, time, madness and knowledge. In other work, I have applied this methodology to philosophical ideas about the profundity of wisdom, utopia in America and alienation in the modern subject.
The key place that self-reflexivity plays in my work has had an important influence on my philosophical style. Although my texts' surface level explains the arguments as clearly as possible, I am often attempting to enact things with language that are complementary to what is being said. The problem with this approach is that people often get stuck at the surface level and I sometimes wonder whether it would be better to have a less digestible style that forces people to struggle with the content and potentially pay more attention to the many different levels of the text.
In my recent research on machine consciousness I used the relationship between the phenomenal and the physical to develop a systematic approach to the science of consciousness. I have also carried out innovative work on synthetic phenomenology and I am currently working on a book about human and machine consciousness.
An interest in the nature and purpose of philosophy led me collaborate with Havi Carel on the Philosophy As... conference at Senate House, London in November 2002, which brought established academics, graduate students and artists together to discuss the nature and purpose of philosophy. The success of this conference and follow-up workshops led us to co-edit a book based on this topic, titled What Philosophy Is. | <urn:uuid:dc58a826-dfb5-45de-b5ec-ad5d8e27cc5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.davidgamez.eu/pages/philosophy/index.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958344 | 422 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Preparedness was the theme of the day as over 212 Boy Scouts from three states came together this month for the annual Radio Merit Badge program at Ham-Com 2012 (June 8-9), the state’s largest Amateur Radio convention in Plano, Texas.
Scouts learned new skills and got a close look at the latest Amateur Radio gear during the day-long event at the Plano Convention Center.
This popular Radio Merit Badge program strives to cover all of the badge requirements in a fun and interactive way, and to highlight the importance of Amateur Radio as an emergency preparedness tool. Scouts at this year’s event enjoyed special speakers, class participation activities and actual on-air contacts with radio “hams” around the world.
Citing the need to “plant seeds for the future,” Ham-Com began sponsoring the program a decade ago at their annual Amateur Radio convention by offering free admission and meals to Scouts in uniform. Their goal was to inspire Scouts to pursue Amateur Radio as an avocation, or to perhaps put their newly-learned radio skills to use during times of disaster when normal communications systems are knocked out.
Richard Phillips and James Alderman have been conducting the day-long program at Ham-Com for the past eight years and have seen attendance levels steadily increase. They estimate close to a thousand boys have been through their program so far.
As the Radio Merit Badge program has gained popularity in the Scouting community, Ham-Com’s support has grown also. Now Scouts can take their Amateur Radio license exam at no charge during the event.
Allan Batteiger teaches Amateur Radio license classes in the local community and heads up the exam team for the event. This year two lucky Scouts who passed their license exams were each presented with a special bonus—a brand new ICOM V80 handheld radio and matching antenna courtesy of Ham-Com and Diamond Antenna Corporation.
Event organizers faced a unique, although daunting challenge this year when a computer glitch failed to shut down the online class registration system once all available seats were filled. By the time the error was discovered, almost 600 boys had signed up for the Radio Merit Badge program—three times more than the classroom would seat!
Phillips and Alderman decided to try and accommodate overflow crowds by making this year’s program a “doubleheader”—two Radio Merit Badge programs back-to-back in a single day.
Even with two packed sessions, scores of boys who had pre-registered had to be turned away. But stay tuned! Another Radio Merit Badge class is being planned for later this summer.
(Contributed by Allan R. Batteiger, WB5QNG) | <urn:uuid:644d1e1c-41ea-4249-9d89-2d990e83466b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arrlwgd.org/2012/07/17/radio-merit-badge-doubleheader/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957928 | 559 | 1.640625 | 2 |
BMW main office
Completed in 1998, it was designed by the Kenzo Tange Associates Italia studio. The building has eight floors and measures 42 meters tall.
Made of three basic units, whose structure was built with much-sought first class materials. The metallic fašade was built through a system of painted steel, while the windows allow a large amount of light and sound-proofing. The show-room, in particular, is characterized by ceramic granite flooring, and fašade panels that flow from straight to curved tempered glass with steel detailing and backing.
Kenzo Tange (Osaka 1913 – Tokyo 2005)art period
from rationalism to the present | <urn:uuid:8e1cb020-e663-4d01-9e82-1ecb19519efb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.visitamilano.it/turismo_en/percorsi_ed_itinerari/index.html?id=34020&idsoggetto=33065&idbonsainode=0&urlp=BMW_main_office_33065 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963283 | 140 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Claude Paris / AP
Opponents to government plans to legalize same-sex marriage, adoption and medically-assisted procreation for same-sex couples, shout slogans during a demonstration, in Marseille, southern France, on Feb. 2. Placard reads "Mom and Dad, it's natural."
"Une mère, un mari, un mariage" (One mother, one husband, one marriage): This is the call to arms for those opposed to the legalization of gay marriage and gay adoption in France.
Under this banner thousands turned out on Saturday for demonstrations organized in every one of France's 96 regions.
The French parliament adopted Saturday the main clause of a bill that would allow same-sex marriage and grant gay couples the right to adopt children.
Deputies voted 249-97 to back the clause.
About 1,000 people holding signs that read, "We are all born of a man and a woman" gathered in Paris not far from the parliament building, Reuters reported. Protesters also assembled outside the town hall in Lyon.
The umbrella group for the anti camp is called "manif pour tous" (a pun: manif, or demonstration, for everyone as opposed to marriage for everyone). Spokesman Tugdual Derville said it would be a symbolic day, illustrating that opponents "are present everywhere in France."
The group was behind a huge rally in Paris attended by between 340,000 and 800,000 people on Jan. 13. Saturday's event, according to Derville, is for those who want to demonstrate but perhaps do not have the means to travel to Paris.
So what exactly are they protesting against?
They insist their movement is not homophobic, that it is the legalization of gay adoption that they are against as this amounts to the breakdown of the traditional family.
They say children have a fundamental right to have a father and a mother.
"We must think of future generations. Not only of the desires of adults today," Derville told NBC News.
But those in favor have vocal support, too.
"Marriage should be a simple contract between two individuals. Let's make it available to all couples eager to make this contract to each other," Christophe Barbier, editor of the influential L'Express weekly news magazine and a supporter of the law, told NBC News.
The opponents, Barbier believes, are "afraid that after civil contracts (between homosexual couples), and now marriage, the next step will be IVF (for lesbian couples) and surrogate pregnancies (for gay men)."
Other countries in Western Europe -- such as Belgium and the Netherlands -- have already legalized gay marriage. But nowhere has the opposition been as vocal as in France -- not even in Spain and Portugal, which are predominantly Catholic like France.
This opposition may seem at odds with France's 'liberal' reputation. But Barbier insisted to NBC News: "France is not liberal, neither economically nor socially. France is conservative -- and occasionally revolutionary."
President Francois Hollande was confident the legislation would pass thanks to his Socialist Party's majority. Legalizing gay marriage was a manifesto pledge during his 2012 election campaign.
According to Barbier, for political reasons the president had to fulfill this pledge: "Francois Hollande needs to deliver on the promises made during his campaign: In the economic field, this is difficult, with social issues, it's easier."
Luckily for him, he also appears to have the backing of the majority of French voters.
A recent poll for Atlantico.fr carried out by Ifop found that 63 percent of people in France support the legalization of same-sex marriage. Forty-nine percent supported gay adoption.
This does not diminish the fervor of those opposed. According to a poll cited by "Manif pour Tous" only 6 percent of people see this issue as a priority.
"The priority is the economy, housing and jobs, so politically the president should have the wisdom to renounce this project," said Derville, the group's spokesman.
A poll by Yougov for Le Huffpost (the Huffington Post's French-language edition) backs this up, finding 72 percent feel the debate has already gone on for too long.
Unfortunately for them, the real debate in France's National Assembly just started on Tuesday and is due to run for two whole weeks -- including weekends. | <urn:uuid:062f711d-3066-4550-bf2b-a9a0a3b71b55> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/02/16817729-why-some-in-supposedly-liberal-france-are-up-in-arms-about-gay-marriage?threadId=3658340&commentId=73899758 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9632 | 894 | 1.773438 | 2 |
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White and malicious faces peered through the doorway. There was an ugly murmur coming up the staircase. Many habitants had heard Louis Trudel's last words, and had passed them on with vehement exaggeration.
Chaudiere had been touched in its most superstitious corner. Protestantism was a sin, but atheism was a crime against humanity. The Protestant might be the victim of a mistake, but the atheist was the deliberate son of darkness, the source of fearful dangers. An atheist in their midst was like a scorpion in a flower-bed--no one could tell when and where he would sting. Rough misdemeanours among them had been many, there had once been a murder in the parish, but the undefined horrors of infidelity were more shameful than crimes the eye could see.
To the minds of these excited people the tailor-man's death was due to the infidel before them. They were ready to do all that might become a Catholic intent to avenge the profaned honour of the Church and the faith. Bodily harm was the natural form for their passion to take.
"Bring him out--let us have him!" they cried with fierce gestures, to which Rosalie Evanturel turned a pained, indignant face.
As the Curb stood with the paper in his hand, his face set and bitter, Rosalie made a step forward. She meant to tell the truth about Louis Trudel, and show how good this man was, who stood charged with an imaginary crime. But she met the warning eye of the man himself, calm and resolute, she saw the suffering in the face, endured with what composure! and she felt instantly that she must obey him, and that--who could tell?--his plan might be the best in the end. She looked at the Cure anxiously. What would he say and do? In the Cure's heart and mind a great struggle was going on. All his inherent prejudice, the hereditary predisposition of centuries, the ingrain hatred of atheism, were alive in him, hardening his mind against the man before him. His first impulse was to let Charley take his fate at the hands of the people of Chaudiere, whatever it might be. But as he looked at the man, as he recalled their first meeting, and remembered the simple, quiet life he had lived among them--charitable, and unselfish--the barriers of creed and habit fell down, and tears unbidden rushed into his eyes.
The Cure had, all at once, the one great inspiration of his life--its one beautiful and supreme imagining. For thus he reasoned swiftly:
Here he was, a priest who had shepherded a flock of the faithful passed on to him by another priest before him, who again had received them from a guardian of the fold--a family of faithful Catholics whose thoughts never strayed into forbidden realms. He had done no more than keep them faithful and prevent them from wandering--counselling, admonishing, baptising, and burying, giving in marriage and blessing, sending them on their last great journey with the cachet of Holy Church upon them. But never once, never in all his life, had he brought a lost soul into the fold. If he died to-night, he could not say to St. Peter, when he arrived at Heaven's gate: "See, I have saved a soul!" Before the Throne he could not say to Him who cried: "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"--he could not say: "Lord, by Thy grace I found this soul in the wilderness, in the dark and the loneliness, having no God to worship, denial and rebellion in his heart; and behold, I took him to my breast, and taught him in Thy name, and led him home to Thy haven, the Church!"
Thus it was that the Cure dreamed a dream. He would set his life to saving this lost soul. He would rescue him from the outer darkness.
His face suffused, he handed the paper in his hand back to the man who had written the words upon it. Then he lifted his hand against the people at the door and the loud murmuring behind them.
"Peace--peace!" he said, as though from the altar. "Leave this room of death, I command you. Go at once to your homes. This man"--he pointed to Charley--"is my friend. Who seeks to harm him, would harm me. Go hence and pray. Pray for yourselves, pray for him, and for me; and pray for the troubled soul of Louis Trudel. Go in peace."
Soon afterwards the house was empty, save for the Cure, Charley, old Margot, and the Notary.
That night Charley sat in the tailor's bedroom, rigid and calm, though racked with pain, and watched the candles flickering beside the dead body. He was thinking of the Cure's last words to the people.
"I wonder--I wonder," he said, and through his eyeglass he stared at the crucifix that threw a shadow on the dead man's face. Morning found him there. As dawn crept in he rose to his feet. "Whither now?" he said, like one in a dream.
|Art of Worldly Wisdom Daily|
In the 1600s, Balthasar Gracian, a jesuit priest wrote 300 aphorisms on living life called "The Art of Worldly Wisdom." Join our newsletter below and read them all, one at a time.
Shakespeare wrote over 150 sonnets! Join our Sonnet-A-Day Newsletter and read them all, one at a time. | <urn:uuid:d478d853-9c83-4bfc-a96c-1702a81dcf58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.online-literature.com/gilbert-parker/right-of-way/22/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984249 | 1,217 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Egyptian authorities denied eight US-run non-government organisations permission to operate in the country on Monday.
Licences were denied to the eight, which include the election-monitoring Carter Centre, because their activities "breach the country's sovereignty," according to the Social Affairs Ministry.
The Carter Centre's Egyptian head Sanne van den Burgh said it had not yet formally been notified that its application for a licence had been denied, but would "decide on its next steps" after being contacted by the ministry.
The electoral commission has said it will allow local monitoring groups to observe the elections, but is still considering whether to extend the right to international groups.
The step comes a month before the first presidential elections since former despot Hosni Mubarak was overthrown last year.
Tensions around the election have been raised by controversial rulings from the electoral commission, which recently disqualified 10 hopefuls from running from office on technical grounds.
Three men formerly considered to be frontrunners are on the list of 10 including Muslim Brotherhood candidate Khairat el-Shater, Islamist conservative Hazem Salah Abu Ismail and former Mubarak-era spy chief Omar Suleiman.
In addition, the ruling military junta approved a law on Monday passed by parliament to ban all Mubarak-era officials from running.
The electoral commission will now rule on whether this applies to those who filed their candidacies before the law was approved, such as Mr Mubarak's last prime minister Ahmed Shafiq.
Fire Minister Brandon Lewis probably had a fair idea what Sir Ken Knight would deliver when he asked him to conduct an "independent" report into fire and rescue services in England.
As LGBT activists worldwide celebrate anti-homophobia day we are reminded of prevailing prejudice
Bradford has seen the launch of a new campaign to battle the sources of child sex exploitation - and combat far-right bids to make it a racial issue | <urn:uuid:7b1ba766-1642-4984-b860-9a9e7f94e559> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/layout/set/print/content/view/full/118196 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969438 | 388 | 1.546875 | 2 |
It’s official: more women are approaching men in the dating stakes and a recent book in Serbia reveals a more liberal attitude. So is the Balkan woman moving towards a western, less conservative European model? We hear from Balkan guys and girls
Are Balkan women more promiscuous?
(Image: (cc) Έλενα Λαγαρία/ Elena Lagaria/ Flickr)
4votes plus 5 votes moins
‘From what I have seen in the last two decades, women are becoming more likely to approach a man rather than always waiting for the man to ‘make the first move’,’ explains Tony White, a British Australian transactional analyst. However, there’s a catch; these approaches usually remain limited to ‘first base’. ‘Most women will not sexually approach a man with the idea of having full sexual contact. That motive for the sexual approach remains in the realm of the male psyche, so not much has changed really.’
Women are making more advances | But they’re not as advanced as men
However, there are some exceptions from the rule. ‘Some women can have a number of different male partners in a relatively short space of time,’ explains White. ‘Most women who enter such a phase of promiscuity usually have a low self-esteem and thus the repeated sexual contacts can be a kind of self harm which is an expression of their self loathing. It’s just not a natural thing for women to do. At the same time a man who has a series of female sexual partners in a short space of time might be viewed as successful one but to be honest, I don’t think people view such a person in a favourable light.’
‘Women are first to condemn a member of their own sex’
The controversial Serbian rapper Ognjen Kostic aka Struka, who often sings about promiscuous women, agrees: ‘The Balkans is still a conservative region. For men promiscuity is understood as a virtue while girls are criticised. Women are also the first to condemn a member of their own sex. If something is characterised as bad it should be same for everyone.’ But at the same time, Struka also says: ‘Criticism (from the women) should be constructive, to make girls think about their behaviour and to stay on the right track.’
Struka: ‘Oci u Oci’ (‘Face to Face’) | Featuring well-behaved dancing ladies
One recent controversial book on the subject is based on a true story of a young woman who gradually becomes promiscuous. Over 130, 000 copies of Grabljivica (‘Predator’) have been printed for a price of 199 dinars each in Serbia. A website soon followed with a forum where women discuss men, sex and are able to write to the main character of the book in the hunt for advice. It proves that the taboo has definitely shaken up the minds of new generations of women. The book was slated as sex-tinged ‘pink novel’, to which its author retorts via email, ‘What does it means to be promiscuous? Who decides how many partners you’re allowed or not?’ Simonida Milojkovic, who is also a Serbian journalist, admits it’s discriminatory to say that being a ‘female predator’ is unhealthy and unnatural for a woman: ‘However, just as we women don’t like men who behave better than the most well-trained puppy, is how men don’t like women who ‘attack’ and chase them. I respect women who go against it, but then they shouldn’t complain and cry because they have to sleep alone.’
Grabljivica (‘Predator’) and its sequel | In this controversial book a girl moves to the city to find wonders galore
Whatever the polemic, the book is a hit. ‘A lot of guys are scared of the new, reversed roles but are quite keen to become ‘victims’ of the new, ‘predator’ woman,’ says Matko Cerniar, 28, offering a male perspective from Croatia. ‘I don’t like the term predator,’ admits one female reader from Montenegro, ‘but I’ve had many sexual partners. It’s part of maturing. Many behave in a similar way but prefer to keep it discreet. I’m not ashamed of my choices but I do hate the question of how many men I’ve had so far. That makes me a bit ashamed, but just because of the criticism in society I guess.’ Simonida confirms that its normal to have a more secret sex life in Serbia. ‘There’s no difference between the west and here, just that the former are more open.’
No wonder Balkan women are more conservative. ‘Women in Serbia are conservative in the sense that they prefer to depend on someone for their financial state and happiness,’ says Belarusian Alla Levcovets, 23, who lived in the UK before moving to Serbia half a year ago. ‘In general, women here prefer men to be dominant in a relationship. The situation is different in western Europe where women are independent, prefer to earn their own money and where marrying early is highly unpopular.’ The average marrying age is after 25 and around 30 in Sweden and Denmark. ‘In the last decade there’s been pressure to give birth before turning 30,’ says Marija Senic, 24, from Serbia. ‘But more and more are panicking less, unlike our mothers who more commonly married in their early twenties. Women should enjoy their youths, date more men and not stay with that first boyfriend like our mothers did. Open relationships aren’t a bad concept, although I’m not sure how widely accepted that is here.’
‘Don’t stay with that first boyfriend like our mothers did’
The undeniable western influence first came in through the media, bringing more self-confidence, freedom and new horizons. ‘Western culture is appealing because it envelopes a sense of ‘freedom’ which other cultures don’t share – though ‘freedom’ can be both positive and negative,’ says Macedonian Saska Dimitrovska, 23. The question is if the possibility for new choices really goes along with the current social climate, strong-rooted habits and, after all, a female’s nature.
cafebabel.co.uk works only thanks to your contributions. Read about these proposed issues, react, argue, propose your own angles or information bites
- Food - 3d printed in the future?
- Half-time-vegetarian - how is that supposed to work?
- Youth unemployement in Europe - is money the right solution ?
- Hunt the alternatives/new communities in Europe
- Electrosensitivity: is technology killing us? | <urn:uuid:f3425080-fbc1-41a4-b1ed-78f9b53c1b02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/35208/serbia-book-predator-promiscuous-women-balkans.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955202 | 1,507 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Rhetorical question from The Atlantic Cities:
In 2010, Poland's National Library performed a survey to determine the reading habits of the Polish citizenry. The results were not buoying: 56 percent of Poles had not read a book in the past year, either in hard or electronic form. Just as bad was that 46 percent had not attempted to digest anything longer than three pages in the previous month – and this included students and university graduates.
So architect Hugon Kowalski conceived of a new kind of library that he hopes will one day be built in Mosina, a town just south of Pozna?. On its first floor, it's all bibliotheca: Patrons squat on moddish stools among stacks and stacks of books. But then it gets weird: In the middle of the library is a glass column full of water and flailing human bodies. Go up one level and you're suddenly in the middle of a vast swimming facility, complete with a snaking water slide that takes whooping swimmers on a ride inside and outside of the building.
Kowalski got to thinking about his watery wonderland of reading after consulting surveys that showed Poles "rarely indicated" a desire to build new libraries. Rather, they wanted to see more sports halls, pools, kindergartens and retail shops. So the architect decided to supply the public with a fun reason to repeatedly visit a mixed-use library facility. If it so happens that bathers exit the pool's locker room with a fierce desire to consume Hans Fallada, that's just a happy side effect of the building's design. | <urn:uuid:05f0f38e-4244-4ebc-a930-64c103e23326> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lisnews.org/would_more_people_use_the_library_if_it_had_a_water_slide | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964631 | 333 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Entrepreneurs too often fumble employee training
Published: Saturday, November 17, 2012 at 9:16 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, November 17, 2012 at 9:16 a.m.
One of the common mistakes entrepreneurs make is how they hire and train, or should I say, do not adequately train, new employees. Most owners look to see if an applicant has had prior experience in the type of job responsibilities they need to staff.
After they hire a person, they usually define the activities of the job for them. If there is a job description, it usually defines the duties of the job only.
While this is all well and good, rarely do the owners or the job descriptions clearly define the results the employee is to achieve. Most owners explain the job duties and train new employees in the mechanics of the job, and then they simply tell them to “do a good job.”
A major problem is that the owners do not define what a good job looks like. One major reason for this is that business owners usually do not establish quantified, measurable goals for their people.
Without being able to actually measure results, doing a good job becomes subjective. More importantly, what a good job looks like to the employee is often very different than the owner’s idea.
Another key reason for employee problems, lack of results and employee turnover is that owners usually train new employees on basic duties, such as operating the cash register and using credit cards, but rarely do they train employees on customer interaction techniques to enhance sales. If you go to a chain restaurant, for example, servers will always try to push a desert. Training employees on key behaviors and how to interface with both customers and other employees is a missing link in far too many businesses.
Very often employees are not given clear guidelines on their approval authorities. For example, can an employee discount damaged merchandise, match a competitor’s price in a newspaper ad or initiate a service call on malfunctioning equipment?
I once worked for a Fortune 500 company where my boss told me that another manager, who reported to him, would also be working for me. After about two months of continued conflict between the other manager and me, we both went to our common boss to get it straightened out. This lack of clarity often results in frustration and anger on both the part of an owner and the employee. This leads to poor morale, which in turn leads to poor results and high employee turnover. High employee turnover rates severely cripple businesses. I see far too many businesses with high employee turnover rates that have been going on for a long time without any improvement.
Spending enough time properly training your new employees is far too often skipped by owners because they are wearing so many hats; they are often too busy doing everyday work and not spending enough time managing their people. Working hard is important, but spending your time managing the right stuff is priceless.
Bob Papes is a local business expert and the author of two books, “Management During an Economic Crisis” and “Turnaround.” His email address is: www.rpapes@bellsouth.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:bd2fda8c-8ddf-4bd7-8f2d-7a53f8595791> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20121117/ARTICLES/121119808/1001/rentals?Title=Entrepreneurs-too-often-fumble-employee-training | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971659 | 679 | 1.664063 | 2 |
November 25, The Solemnity of Christ the King.
Cycle B. Readings:
1) Daniel 7:13-14
Psalm 93:1-2, 5
2) Revelation 1:5-8
Gospel) John 18:33b-37
When I was 16 years old I went to a youth conference where Sister Thea Bowman was the presenter. Close to 1,000 teens were packed into a room and this slight woman held everyone’s attention as she extended her index
finger and began to sing in a way I had never before experienced, “This little light of mine….”
She sang slow and sweet, calm and powerful, inviting and engaging, soothing and challenging, all at the same time. It was a moment I have never forgotten. As we all joined in the familiar chorus, the song was transformed from a fun campfire singalong to a commissioning of young disciples.
People of all ages, especially youth and young adults, are searching for purpose. In 1991, Michael W. Smith sang a song that expresses this plight perfectly: “Lookin’ for a reason/Roamin’ through the night to find/My place in this world/Not a lot to lean on/I need your light to help me find/My place in this world.”
Knowing our purpose, our place in this world is a powerful thing. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus reveals his purpose when he says, “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” Jesus solidly knew
what he was put on this earth to do. He revealed the truth in every breath he took, and in his last breath this testimony shook the universe.
To be sure, our purpose may not have as lasting an impact as Jesus’ purpose, but it is no less true that we each are here for a reason. We are all called to let our “little light” shine in our own way, in our own circumstances,
and in our own circles of friends and family. Each flickering flame of lived faith is unique, and it dispels darkness in important ways.
So let us all raise our index finger and to ourselves softly sing, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!”
Who is a person who has inspired you to let your light shine? What do you think is your life’s purpose, your place in this world? | <urn:uuid:909d439b-3f5a-4144-92a3-febef43783bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://northtexascatholic.org/pages/wordlife-article?r=TS465GGMBR&send_to=%2Fpages%2Fwordlife-news&561_page_number=2&607_page_number=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963222 | 534 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Filed underPolitical Blog Progressive
Last night, Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan addressed the Republican National Convention. After a shaky start, Ryan became comfortable with the TelePrompter and delivered a talking points filled speech that was well received in the Convention Hall and drew positive reviews.
But if Paul Ryan tried to submit his speech as a school paper he would draw a F for failing to do even the most basic checking of his facts.
If Paul Ryan turned that speech in to an editor it would be either covered in corrective red ink or unrecognizable if the editor chose to use track changes and emailed it back. Or they would simply reply: start over.
If a CEO received a paper from his staff full of such glairing inaccuracies Paul Ryan would be looking for a new job this morning.
While Paul Ryan is entitled to his own opinions, he is not entitled to his own facts.
Maybe if he spent less time doing P90X and more time doing the most basic research his speech would not have been filled with little white lies.
He lied to America about Medicare. He lied to America about the debt commission. He really lied to America about the stimulus and America’s debt rating.
He went out of his way to lie and blame President Obama for a plant closing that happened when George W. Bush was President. That is a bold lie to tell America when your boss wrote an op-ed that demanded that we “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt”.
Across the Midwest auto plants are adding jobs, like in Lordstown, Ohio where they make the Chevy Cruise and keep adding shifts. If W. Mitt Romney had his way those jobs would not be in Lordstown or anywhere else in the US.
When it comes to the stimulus, Ryan likes to call it “a case of political patronage, corporate welfare and cronyism at their worst.” He lied to a reporter’s face about requesting stimulus money and he lied to America about it last night.
Ryan also lied when he said the “American people were cut off” from the benefits. The payroll tax reduction that put dollars in people’s pockets hardly left them cut off from the stimulus. The stimulus built and repaired roads and bridges they use every day don’t leave them cut off.
Just another Paul Ryan little white lie to America.
The fact is, that Paul Ryan requested tens of millions in stimulus dollars, voted for an alternate stimulus in 2009 and spoke on the House floor of the benefits of stimulus and borrowing money to boost the economy, when George W. Bush was President.
Paul Ryan’s white lie to America on the Debt Commission is that he voted against it. He failed to mention that when he criticized Obama for not acting urgently on the recommendations that Ryan, himself, opposes.
That is a cleaver little lie to America for a deceitful person.
Paul Ryan blamed Obama for the decline in America’s credit rating. That is a big lie coming from the leader of the Tea Party House that scuttled a budget deal and threatened to throw America into default as a temper tantrum.
But Paul Ryan does not want America to know about his tantrums or his record.
The kid has a lot to learn.
But the biggest of Paul Ryan’s little white lies to America was saved for Medicare. Ryan criticized Obama for reductions in Medicare and lied when he said benefits were cut. The fact is, and Paul Ryan knows it, that the cuts are in fees for services and those reductions are used to create efficiencies in the way we deliver health care. That helps the economy and improves the long-term outlook for Medicare.
Raul Ryan, if he were an honest man, would tell you that in his budget roadmap he kept the Obama Medicare payment reductions but used the savings to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, not to reduce our national health care costs.
He also failed to tout his couponing scheme that ends Medicare and raises the cost of health care for seniors while lining the pockets of the health insurance industry.
But Paul Ryan knows that the truth is politically toxic.
So instead he tells lie after lie to America about Medicare, the debt, the auto recovery, the economy and the stimulus. But mostly he lies about his record.
There is a reason that the Obama campaign, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee wanted to make the Ryan Budget the focus of this election.
First, it is the most detailed policy outline of the Republican Party and every Republican has voted for a version of it or promised to support it.
Second, it is a political loser. It is the skunk at the garden party. And that is why Republican House and Senate candidates are not happy with a Romney-Ryan ticket (and Democratic candidates were, to say the least, overjoyed). It is why those Republican candidates have run as fast as they can away from their record of supporting Paul Ryan and his radical plan to end Medicare.
Even W. Mitt Romney immediately tried to distance himself from his running mate. He clearly believed that he could pick Paul Ryan to be a heartbeat away from the presidency but expect everyone to ignore the Ryan record.
A monumentally dumb belief.
About Bill Buck
Bill Buck is a Democratic strategist, President of the Buck Communications Group, a media relations and new media strategies consulting business based in Washington, DC, and Managing Director of the online ad firm Influence DSP. He has over twenty years of international and national communications experience. The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CBS Local. | <urn:uuid:ae353496-2fa8-48b1-8f39-1cc1704267a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/08/30/paul-ryan-and-his-little-white-lies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969793 | 1,163 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Decades of steady tuition increases may finally be coming to an end at American universities: The Wall Street Journal reports that a number of schools are beginning to cut back on tuition increases in response to waning student demand. But these cuts are beginning to take a toll on revenue.
According to a recent survey by Moody’s, the number of schools experiencing a net decline in revenue has shot up dramatically over the last couple years. Four percent of public schools and 10 percent of private schools saw their revenue drop in the last fiscal year; this fiscal year, the decline has risen to 15 and 18 percent, respectively. The WSJ has more:
The financial pressures signal that many schools are starting to capitulate to complaints that college has become unaffordable to many American families, observers say. At least two dozen private colleges froze tuition this fall, roughly double the previous year’s total.
“It’s pretty clear that pricing power of colleges has reached an inflection point,” said John Nelson, a managing director at Moody’s who oversaw the survey team.
For colleges, the declines in net revenue could portend cuts to academic programs and a search for alternative sources of revenue such as more online courses and recruiting wealthy students from overseas who can pay full tuition
College presidents may disagree, but this is actually good news for American higher ed.
The problems facing the industry have become painfully apparent over the past few years: administrative bloat first and foremost, an expensive “time served” approach to credentialing, degree programs that are often an ill fit for the job market, the mismatch between the priorities and cost structures of research universities and undergraduate degree programs and, most importantly, the crippling student debt students have taken on to pay for their degrees. But as long as universities could continue to increase tuition without losing students, they could continue to keep spending money on expensive facilities and massive bureaucracies.
Now that students are finally beginning to balk at high tuition prices, schools will need to be more judicious about where they spend their money. This will be a difficult adjustment for many college administrators and staff, but the end result should be a more streamlined, efficient system that gives students more bang for their buck, particularly if schools begin seriously competing on price.
As always, higher ed combines three functions: ground breaking research, providing a classic liberal education and providing specific skills and competencies that help students earn a living. The training side of higher ed needs to get much more focused and efficient. The liberal education side needs to think hard about what liberal education really is and how it can best be provided. The relationship of the research function to the training and education functions of the university needs to be rethought.
The country needs more higher ed, not less; figuring out what kind of system can provide the level of education we need (and provide lifetime re-education for workers as the job market continues to evolve) at a cost we can pay is going to lead to profound changes in the American university system — comparable to those after World War Two when higher ed went mass market for the first time. | <urn:uuid:1cdda42e-c467-4ef5-8d25-59be3c0cebbc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2013/01/11/revenue-squeeze-hits-higher-ed/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964451 | 631 | 1.828125 | 2 |
October 15, 2008 > How Urgent Care Services Can Help Your Family
How Urgent Care Services Can Help Your Family
Flu Shots and Flu Treatment Available at Washington Clinic in Fremont
The man in front of you in the checkout line at the grocery store doesn't look too good. He has a dry cough, looks feverish and is blowing his nose. Beginning in October, there's a good chance that this man has the flu. But there's a good chance the woman behind you has the flu and doesn't know it.
The best way to protect yourself from falling victim to flu season's wrath is to get your flu shot now. And an easy way to do that is to stop by Washington Clinic/Fremont, the urgent care clinic located on the second floor of Washington West at 2500 Mowry Avenue, just across the street from Washington Hospital.
Don't fall victim to flu season
"In the United States, the 'flu' is expected to affect 5 percent to 20 percent of the population, resulting in 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths annually," according to Frank Zeidan, M.D., medical director of Washington Clinic/Fremont and an emergency medicine physician at Washington Hospital.
By getting a flu shot now, before flu season kicks into high gear, you will have immunity from the most prevalent strains of the virus for the next six months or so, he says. And for anyone who wonders how effective the flu shot really is, Dr. Zeidan points out that the vaccine has an efficacy rate between 70 percent and 90 percent for individuals younger than 65 years old.
For those who are unfortunate enough to come down with the flu, he recommends lots of rest, plenty of fluids and treating symptoms with cough syrup and Tylenol or Motrin. He stresses that children under age 18 should not be given aspirin for treatment of fever or pain due to the risk of Reyes Syndrome, a rare but deadly illness that can develop quickly.
Urgent care services for the entire family
Washington Clinic/Fremont offers both walk-in service and appointments for a range of illnesses and injuries, including treatment of flu symptoms, which may include fever, muscle aches, nonproductive coughing, runny nose, a burning sensation in the eyes and chest.
Other services offered at the clinic include health care services for:
* Colds and coughs (as well as flu and flu-related symptoms)
* Injuries, such as cuts and bruises
* On-the-job illness and injury, or other work-related needs
* Selected physical exams
* On-site X-ray and laboratory services
* Bilingual physicians available
* Work injury management
* Drug and alcohol testing
* Pre-employment physical exams
* Rehabilitation services
Convenience, quality care and affordability
According to Dr. Zeidan, urgent care services offered at Washington Clinic/Fremont play a vital role in health care delivery by bridging the gap between the doctor's office and the emergency room.
"The clinic provides care by a professional physician and nursing staff on a walk-in as needed basis," he explains. "Urgent care services help the patient avoid the overcrowding and higher cost in the Emergency Department for non-emergency health issues."
Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, the clinic offers convenient, affordable and appropriate care, Dr. Zeidan says.
In addition to the clinic's overall lower costs for care, patients will also find insurance co-pays are typically less than in the emergency room. The clinic accepts most insurance plans and bills patients' insurance as a courtesy.
Schedule your appointment today or come on in
To schedule an appointment for a flu shot at Washington Clinic/Fremont, call (510) 608-6174. Walk-in care is also provided.
For more information about Washington Clinic/ Fremont and other facilities at Washington Hospital, visit www.whhs.com, click on "About Us" and choose "Our Facilities" from the drop-down menu. | <urn:uuid:5e80bf94-e2b1-4b3d-b9bc-3c29976385eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tricityvoice.com/articlefiledisplay.php?issue=2008-10-15&file=Flu+Shot+Urgent+Care.txt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95296 | 843 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Frances Young taught theology at the University of Birmingham from 1971, becoming the Edward Cadbury Professor and Head of the Department of Theology in 1986. During her time at the University, she also served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts (1995-7) and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (1997-2002). In 1984, she was ordained as a Methodist minister, and has combined preaching in a local Circuit and pursuing her academic career. In 1998, she was awarded an OBE for services to Theology and in 2004, elected a Fellow of the British Academy. In 2005, she retired from the University.
On 15 November 2005, she preached at the opening service of the Eighth General Synod Church of England, the first Methodist and the first woman to preach at the five-yearly inauguration ceremony. She delivered her sermon at the Eucharist service at which the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, presided.
Her books include both academic and more popular theological writings, drawing on her work on the New Testament and on Christianity in its formative centuries, but also on her experience as the mother of a son (Arthur) who was born with profound physical and mental disabilities.
Frances Young was one of the contributors to "The Myth of God Incarnate"(1977), alongside Don Cupitt, Michael Goulder, John Hick, Leslie Houlden, Dennis Nineham, and Maurice Wiles. This book caused quite a controversy at the time of its publication, as it seemed to cast doubt on the traditional Christian belief in the incarnation.
It is notable that she took a very different line from the other contributors. In her essay "Two Roots or Tangled Mess", she criticised her fellow contributor Michael Goulder for presenting a hypothetical reconstruction which had "an exclusive concentration on one or two specific sources" and thus failed to look at the complexity of the borderlines of Judaism. In "A Cloud of Witnesses", she calls attention to the different forms in which the early Church spoke of Jesus, and suggests also that the idea of incarnation is part of a symbolic or mythological framework, by which she does not mean the terms are false but rather that "they refer to realities which are.. indefinable in terms of human language, and in their totality, inconceivable within the limited powers and experience of the finite human mind."
Trevor Beeson, in his review in Christian Century (August 31-September 7, 1977. P. 74) found her section one of the most important, say that her "contribution deserves the most careful examination".
In the follow up volume, "Incarnation and Myth"(1979), she again looked at what kind of "evidence" existed in the sources, and showed the strangeness of the language used in her essay "God Suffered and Died", and questioned whether traditional concepts of incarnation made sense, and whether they tended to docetism, losing sight of the suffering of Christ: "I find myself able to say: “I see God in Jesus,” and “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself,” and other such traditional statements without necessarily having to spell it out in terms of a literal incarnation. I find salvation in Christ, because in him God is disclosed to me as a “suffering God.” God is not only disclosed in him, nor is revelation confined to “biblical times”; but Jesus is the supreme disclosure which opens my eyes to God in the present, and while remaining a man who lived in a particular historical situation, he will always be the unique focus of my perception of and response to God."
However, after further historical research, when she came to write "From Nicaea to Chalcedon", she remarked that she had changed her views; she now thought that the metaphysical language of the early church fathers did make sense once understood properly "as a result of a more profound engagement with the material in the research", a position she was later to take up in "The Making of the Creeds".
Frances Young is notable for an extensive work in 1985, extensively revised in 1990 on Christianity and Disability, entitled "Face to Face: A Narrative Essay in the Theology of Suffering", which explores both theological and pastoral matters. She has also given talks on this subject, which draws its impetus from her faith, and the need to make sense of her severely disabled son Arthur within the framework of Christianity.
Here she notes that "we are a psychosomatic whole. We cannot be divided into soul and body. I was even more convinced of this by the experience of Arthur. A damaged brain means that the whole personality is damaged, and lacks full potential for development." The biblical view of a person she sees as a whole creature, which is where the idea of resurrection speaks of restoration of the whole; it was later Christianity that brought in Greek ideas about immortality of the soul, and this strangely dualistic way of seeing people. "Granted all the difficulties in asserting a doctrine of bodily resurrection, it does at least preserve that profound integration of our selves which is inescapably part of being what we are in this world and experience"
This also throws up the problem of such suffering and evil and a good God. "The phenomenon of handicap can produce a naive sentimentality which refuses to admit it is an evil, but everything in me protested against it as cruel and unnecessary. And if every individual is important to God, how could he even afflict one of his creatures in this way... denying them the possibility of fullness of life."
She saw her questioning like the story in which Jacob wrestles with God; and will not let God go even when he is marked by the struggle, wounded, a thigh dislocated; he keeps on struggling until he receives a blessing: "In the end Jesus did not waft away the darkness of the world, all its sin and suffering and hurt and evil, with a magic wand. He entered right into it, took it upon himself, bore it, and in the process turned it into glory, transformed it. It is that transformation which the healing of the blind man foreshadows."
Other notable theological work includes "The Making of the Creeds" in which she explained how the creeds arose in the struggle to understand ideas of incarnation and trinity: they were not initially " 'tests of orthodoxy' but as summaries of faith taught to new Christians by their local bishops, summaries that were traditional to each local church and which in detail varied from place to place"
She convincingly explains that, far from being abstract theological mind games, the credal disputes were "fired by concern that the gospel of salvation be safeguarded. At the heart of the life of the church was the belief that salvation was being realised, and at the heart of early Christian theology was a sense of the sacramental and spiritual reality of that salvation." | <urn:uuid:28e1d677-9b20-4af1-808f-5c5a6aa46928> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Frances_Young | 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 | 0.976983 | 1,411 | 1.609375 | 2 |
HOME | LAWS | ORGANIZATIONS | CASES | LEGISLATION | HEADLINES
Nevada Family Surprised at Night by Police and Social Worker
At 9:30, on a weekday evening in Las Vegas, an HSLDA member family received an unexpected visit from the police and a social worker. Less alert, due to the relatively late hour, the family allowed the police into their home after the social worker falsely stated "we do not need a search warrant to enter." The police, not the social worker, were allowed in and left scratching their heads because nothing was wrong. The family called the HSLDA 24 hour hotline and talked with HSLDA Attorney T.J. Schmidt who counseled them to refuse entry to the social worker.
Unfortunately, the social worker chose to make further threats to the family, and indicated that the visit was not sufficient because he was not allowed in and he had not seen and spoken with the children (who were asleep in bed).
Furthermore, the social worker refused to inform the family of the allegations against them. Failure to reveal the nature of the allegations at the initial time of contact violates the new law HSLDA helped enact with the help of Nevada homeschool leader Frank Schnorbus, and ironically the family being investigated. The new law also requires social workers to be trained in their duty to protect the constitutional rights of families. Regrettably, this social worker had not been trained yet.
HSLDA Senior Counsel Chris Klicka called the social worker and explained the law. Finally, the social worker revealed the allegations: there was feces all over the house, the children were home alone for an unknown number of days, there was no food in the house, the children were filthy and their clothes were dirty. All these allegations were false and the result of a malicious anonymous tipster.
Klicka verbally explained, and also wrote a letter, describing the various violations of the family's rights that were made during the investigation, as well as firmly stating that the family would not allow the social worker into their home, or allow the social worker to interview their children.
The family has not been pursued any further since HSLDA intervened. | <urn:uuid:54b53e35-882b-4cc0-95f9-376b16238302> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hslda.org/hs/state/nv/200512070.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985851 | 449 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Which is harder to believe — that Fox News got something wrong or that they apologized for it?
Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy made a statement on the show on Friday to clarify that the show’s earlier report that President Obama had planned to apologize to Japan for Hiroshima was, in fact, not true.
“We’d like to clarify a story we reported on yesterday on this program,” Doocy said. “The story was about a possible apology from President Obama to the country of Japan for the United States dropping bombs on that country during World War II.
“Well,” he continued, “we want to make sure this is very clear. There was never a plan for President Obama to apologize to Japan. We should have been clearer about this, and we’re sorry for any confusion.”
Here’s the video, via Mediaite:
In a segment Thursday morning, Fox & Friends had reported that a Wikileaks cable revealed that prior to a 2009 visit, President Obama was thinking about apologizing to Japan for dropping atomic bombs during World War II. The cable, from US Ambassador to Japan John Roos, supposedly expressed to the Obama Administration that Japanese officials didn’t think it was such a good idea, which stopped the plan in its tracks.
In the F&F segment — with the chyron “Another Presidential Apology” — Brian Kilmeade called this a “personally disturbing” development, and Doocy said it was “jaw-dropping.” At the end of the segment, Gretchen Carlson notes that the White House said the story is not true.
From ABC News:
A senior White House official asserts to ABC News that there was never any plan for the president to apologize for Hiroshima. The cable does not state that the idea was from the U.S. Rather, Roos writes that [Vice Foreign Minister] Yabunaka thought that following President Obama’s call earlier that year for a world free of nuclear weapons, anti-nuclear groups would speculate as to whether he would visit Hiroshima.
From the cable, which you can read in full here: “[Yabunaka] underscored, however, that both governments must temper the public’s expectations on such issues, as the idea of President Obama visiting Hiroshima to apologize for the atomic bombing during World War II is a ‘non-starter.’”
The apology was issued after Mediaite contacted Fox News about the errors. Fox said it would “address” them in Friday morning’s show. | <urn:uuid:5f4d1931-60f4-48b2-9381-d7e4781d522e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/fox_friends_we_should_have_clarified_that_our_repo.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968944 | 542 | 1.5 | 2 |
UPDATE 5-Hurricane Sandy threatens havoc on U.S. East Coast
* Sandy forecast to come ashore on Monday night
* New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston in its path
* Obama asks residents to heed orders of local authorities
* New York, New Jersey, Amtrak transit systems to shut
* New York Stock Exchange trading floor to close on Monday
NEW YORK, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Authorities shut transit systems and ordered some evacuations as tens of millions of people on the U.S. East Coast braced on Sunday for Hurricane Sandy, a gigantic storm forecast to deliver battering winds, dangerous flooding and even heavy snowfall.
Sandy, expected to come ashore late on Monday, could deliver a harsh blow to major cities including New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore and Boston. Its center was forecast to strike the New York-New Jersey area and then move inland toward Philadelphia and the rest of Pennsylvania.
The sheer size of the storm meant its effects would be felt from the mid-Atlantic states to New England. Officials warned of widespread power outages that could last for days.
Officials ordered school closures in many locations, New Jersey casinos and Broadway theaters prepared to close, airlines got ready to cease flight activity in the New York area, and residents cleared store shelves of vital supplies and food.
President Barack Obama asked residents to heed the orders of state and local authorities to protect themselves from Sandy.
``This is a serious and big storm,'' Obama said after a briefing at the federal government's storm response center in Washington. ``We don't yet know where it's going to hit, where we're going to see the biggest impacts.''
Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the evacuation of low-lying areas of New York City, including parts of lower Manhattan, that are home to some 375,000 people.
New York City, New Jersey and Philadelphia transit authorities said they would begin shutting down service on Sunday afternoon. Maryland's transit system, serving some suburbs of Washington, said it would not open on Monday.
Amtrak, the U.S. passenger rail service, said it canceled nearly all service on the Eastern seaboard on Monday and would halt its service north of New York along the Northeast corridor beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Transit systems in Washington and Boston said they planned to operate as usual on Monday as long as it was safe to do so.
Forecasters said Sandy was a rare, hybrid ``super storm'' created by an Arctic jet stream wrapping itself around a tropical storm, possibly causing up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain in some areas, as well as up to 2 feet (60 cm) of snowfall in the Appalachian Mountains from West Virginia to Kentucky.
The New York Stock Exchange trading floor will close on Monday for the first time since 1985's Hurricane Gloria, exchange officials said. All stocks listed on the exchange will trade electronically, NYSE Euronext said.
Nasdaq planned to open on Monday despite the transit shutdown and evacuation orders, with big banks putting up key personnel in hotels overnight Sunday so that they would be able to make it in Monday morning.
The CME said it would suspend floor trading on the NYMEX oil market on Monday, as its building is located in the New York City evacuation zone near the Hudson River. It said that electronic trading would go on as usual.
Airlines flying into and out of New York's three major airports were all expected to cease flight activity at those facilities on Sunday night, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Europe's air traffic controllers told airlines operating over the Atlantic that Sandy could bring winds of more than 50 knots (58 mph/93 kph) to Washington, Philadelphia, Boston and New York airports starting mid-day on Monday.
The Port Authority said that New York and New Jersey tunnel and bridge closures were being evaluated and were highly likely beginning on Monday.
Worried residents in the hurricane's path packed stores, searching for generators, flashlights, batteries, food and other supplies in anticipation of power outages.
New York City, Boston and Washington were among the jurisdictions announcing that schools would be shut on Monday.
Broadway's theaters planned to close on Sunday night and remain closed on Monday.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said his state would face the brunt of the storm and urged all residents to evacuate barrier islands.
``We need to prepare for the worst here,'' Christie told a news conference. The state ordered buses to Atlantic City to evacuate stranded vacationers before the storm's arrival.
Gale-force winds were already starting to hit Virginia and could reach other parts of the mid-Atlantic coast on Sunday night. Tens of millions of people will feel its bluster for as long as two days, officials said.
It could be the largest storm to hit the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In Washington, Obama said officials had assured him that they had all the resources they needed in place, and he stressed that ``it is important for us to respond big and to respond fast'' to the hurricane's onslaught.
``We're going to cut through red tape and we're not going to get bogged down in a lot of rules,'' said Obama, who was having to juggle both his re-election bid and his efforts to stay on top of the storm's impact just nine days before Election Day.
Sandy blew the presidential race off course, forcing Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney to cancel scheduled campaign stops. It fueled fears that the storm could disrupt early voting ahead of the Nov. 6 election.
INSURERS PREPARE FOR STORM
Insurers also prepared for the storm's arrival, activating claims teams, staging adjusters near the locations most likely to be affected and generally getting ready to pay for a potentially huge volume of losses.
While Sandy's 75 mph (120 kph) winds were not overwhelming for a hurricane, its exceptional size means the winds will last as long as two days, wearing down trees, roofs and buildings and piling up rainfall and storm surge.
Hurricane-force winds extended 175 miles (280 km) from the center of the asymmetrical storm, while its lesser tropical storm-force winds spanned 850 miles (1,368 km) in diameter.
``That's gigantic,'' said Chris Landsea, the hurricane center's science and operations officer.
At high tide, it could bring a surge of seawater up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) above ground level to Long Island Sound and New York Harbor, forecasters said.
Sandy was centered about 270 miles (440 km) southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, or 575 miles (930 km) south of New York City, at mid-afternoon on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said. It pushed seawater up over the barrier islands off North Carolina known as the Outer Banks.
Sandy was moving northeast over the Atlantic, parallel to the U.S. coast, at 14 mph (22 kph). It was forecast to make a tight westward turn toward the U.S. coast on Sunday night.
Sandy killed at least 66 people as it made its way through the Caribbean islands, including 51 in Haiti, mostly from flash flooding and mudslides, according to authorities. | <urn:uuid:5303ca59-ee17-4ad7-94f5-7a16b872ee6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnbc.com/id/100056057 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961137 | 1,502 | 1.585938 | 2 |
If you’re somewhat shy or introverted, then learning how to be more outgoing is one of the smartest self-improvement steps you can make. There is no better way to solidify your social life than by comprehending how to be more outgoing and applying it
In my social confidence coaching practice, I frequently teach people how to be more outgoing and social, and I help them make real life progress in this area. I’ve realized that being social is much more a matter of attitude than aptitude, and that the attitude part needs to be handled above all.
Outgoing = Out Going
One potentially illuminating way that I like to look at the word ‘outgoing’ is by dividing the two composing words and making it ‘out going’.
You could take that phrase literally, as in going out of the house more; because many of the individuals who aren’t very outgoing and social spend unordinary amounts of time indoors, alone, and this feeds their shyness.
However, to me it makes more sense to look at it figuratively. Thus, being ‘out going’ means putting your personality out there instead of keeping it hidden, it means expressing yourself fully.
There are multiple things you can do to achieve this. I recommended you start by watching my free presentation on Conversation Confidence. This insightful presentation will reveal to you the real key to gaining confidence and the proven formula for being more outgoing. Go here to check it out.
To assist you understand how to be more outgoing, I will list here some of the most effective ways that I know. These are ways I’ve used myself, and are recurrently used by my coaching clients.
Break It Down and Then Put It into Practice
Do you know this joke: How do you eat an elephant? One piece at a time. Well, this concept applies extremely well for becoming more outgoing and sociable.
When you get frustrated with having few fulfilling friendships, it’s temping to just try to burst out and instantly become that super-sociable person you want to be. Unfortunately, human psychology doesn’t work that way. You don’t just change completely at once.
Real, organic change in how sociable you are happens by setting gradual steps for being more outgoing, and taking these steps one by one. For example, you may start by asking more questions in group settings, and when you become comfortable with that, you continue with making more statements in group settings.
In time, step by step, you’ll eventually find yourself becoming a lean, mean, socializing machine. In learning how to be more outgoing and social, it’s crucial to understand that this gradual process is what works best and to stick to it dutifully.
Lower The Bar
One trait most shy people have in common is that they set lofty social standards for themselves. They demand of themselves to make a great first impression, to be liked by all, and they think that if it doesn’t happen it’s a tragedy.
Even individuals with very sharp people skills can’t rise up to such idealistic standards. Shy people only torment themselves by imposing this kind of standards on themselves.
For this reason, one of the best things you can do to become more outgoing is to lower the bar. If your standard for success is to get everybody to like you, then you’re bound to be shy. But if your standard is simply to have conversations with new people, then you’re bound to be more sociable.
The vital thing you may need to realize is that you don’t have to demand that much of yourself socially. You’re only human, you will connect well with some people, you won’t connect with others at all, and that’s absolutely OK. Accept it and live your life.
Manage Your Self-Talk
I have a (rhetorical) question for you: How does a person set the social bar high for themselves?
The answer is that they do so through their self-talk. They say to themselves in their inner dialog “I must impress this person; they must like me” and other intelligent stuff like that.
Well, people who aren’t very outgoing tend to have many other dysfunctional ways of talking to themselves than the ones that create unrealistic standards. If you analyze their inner dialog, you’ll discover that it’s full of crap.
Thus, in learning how to be more outgoing and social, a very big step is managing your self-talk. This means identifying the stupid, unrealistic or dysfunctional things that you say to yourself and willingly correcting them. I talk in more detail about this in my confidence video presentation.
As you do so in a systematic way, not only that your habitual self-talk changes, but the underlying beliefs change as well. This helps you gain confidence and interact easier with other people.
As you become more outgoing, your people skills get put into practice more and they develop as well. This makes you even more outgoing and you get a positive cycle going, which ends up visibly enriching your social life. And the best part is that in this entire journey, the sky is the limit.
Image courtesy of NicoleAbalde | <urn:uuid:d14127ab-ec85-4ab7-b22b-7225d00d9a33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.peopleskillsdecoded.com/how-to-be-more-outgoing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961571 | 1,098 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The Voice of Hollywood (1930-1931)
The Voice of Hollywood
Produced by Louis Lewyn, Tiffany Pictures
These rare celebrity newsreel short films feature appearances by several acts in a broad mix of Hollywood celebrities, many from the silent era. For some this was their first speaking appearance. Each episode was hosted by a different celebrity of the day, and the program was broadcast to simulate a radio program from the fictional station S.T.A.R.
Hosted by Robert Woolsey
Hosted by Taylor Holmes
Hosted by Don Alvarado | <urn:uuid:3d5cd3b2-8aeb-4edc-b44b-28fc31befecc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.matineeclassics.com/movies/1930/the_voice_of_hollywood/details/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962244 | 118 | 1.546875 | 2 |
E. Cobham Brewer 18101897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Predestined to early death. When a person suddenly changes his wonted manner of life, as when a miser becomes liberal, or a churl good-humoured, he is said in Scotch to be fey, and near the point of death.
She must be fey (said Triptolemus), and in that case has not long to live.Sir W. Scott: The Pirate, chap. v. | <urn:uuid:fa6db0cc-ea10-4d79-a58a-9d7b86e2ae7f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bartleby.com/81/6368.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944626 | 108 | 1.570313 | 2 |
POSTED ON JUNE 30, 2010:
From Deep Within
Two artists fuse other loves and tools for a different canvas
Good As Is. The philosophy of Robert Ryman is evident in Kim Fonder’s own work as she creates non-representational paintings that do not attempt to be anything more than what they are — paint on canvas. Shown is “Strong Will.”
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." This quote by Leonardo da Vinci is the tour de force behind the work of Tulsa-based artist, Kim Fonder. Fonder is one of many artists responsible for bringing large and inventive abstract paintings to the walls of Tulsa.
Fonder is a colorist whose vibrant palette and simplistic compositions see deep inspiration from her life-long relationship with music. The current exhibition of her work, on display at Aberson Exhibits on Brookside, 3524 S. Peoria, is a visual interpretation of the music she listens to as she creates her paintings.
Fonder's compositions are dominated by the relationship between organic and geometric fields of color. Color fields, a characteristic element of her work, are constructed through a rich, layering process involving colors that are sometimes analogous and other times complementary to the painting's dominant color. The nature of the forms present holds secondary importance in comparison to color, the key ingredient in all her work.
Earlier in her career as a self-taught artist, Fonder pursued the art of photography. Now that she has taken up painting, she has been able to apply certain photography principles such as contrast, density and brightness.
Along with principles of photography and her appreciation for music, Fonder finds inspiration in the philosophical ideologies painters, such as Anges Martin, Richard Serra and Robert Ryman. Of Ryman, she said: "He paints from his forms and the paintings evolve, and he makes no excuses for that. He is comfortable allowing the paintings to simply be painting for their own sake. No religious motivation, no deep conceptual idea, just paintings. To me, this is the highest devotion to his art."
This philosophy is evident in Fonder's own work as she creates non-representational paintings that do not attempt to be anything more than what they are -- paint on canvas. This humble attitude regarding art is evident not only in her paintings but in her career as well. Fonder works dually as a painter and as gallery director for Aberson Exhibits. Much of her career is spent putting the work of other artists before her own as she promotes and exhibits their work in the gallery.
Also deeply inspiring to Fonder is painter, Helen Frankenthaler. Fonder holds a deep admiration for the way in which Frankenthaler solidified her own place in art history by creating her own rules for painting and standing behind what she believed in. "My favorite quote of hers," said Fonder is this, 'There are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the rules or ignore the rules. That is what invention is about.'"
Due to the large scale of her canvasses, Fonder chose to complete the majority of her recent work outside. When she is working in her studio, it is filled with glass jars of paint and glass palettes of mixed pigments. Her most essential ingredient for a productive studio space is natural light. "I need to feel as if I am outside even when I can't be outside," Fonder said.
While Fonder exhibits her work most frequently at Aberson Exhibits, she is not limited to the Tulsa gallery and has shown her work in Chicago, New York, Arizona, North Carolina and Oklahoma City.
Fonder's work is currently on display at Aberson Exhibits in Brookside. More information is available at abersonexhibits.com
Some California Love
Having long abandoned traditional paintbrushes that many artists rely on as an extension of their hand, California Bay-area artist, James C. Leonard has adopted an extended palette knife, much like the tool used by window washers, to create his large-scale paintings.
The size of his chosen tool for paint application easily lends itself to large and bold strokes of paint that create beautiful abstract compositions across the canvas. His palette is as inventive as his brushstrokes range in hues from intense reds and ochres, to soft yellows and blues.
"I paint from the inside out," Leonard said. "My inspiration comes from the internal feeling that there is something that can be expressed through me that is larger than myself."
For Leonard, the entire process of thinking about painting and creating work is an organic balance between his role as creator and the painting's nature to unfold according to its own will. Leonard tries to remove his conscious decision-making tendencies during the painting process and allows his subconscious to converse with the colors and forms that evolve.
An exhibition of Leonard's recent work has been on display at Joseph Gierek Fine Art Gallery, 1512 E. 15th St., and wraps up Saturday, July 3.
This intuitive and feeling-based method of painting results in visually rich and complicated works of art that speak to the narrative of the soul rather than that of our surroundings. Leonard's compositions are entirely non-representational and move the viewer's eye vertically or horizontally across the space. This basic movement is complicated by layers of dripped, speckled and fragmented colors that infuse not only a rich language of color, but also a visual history left to be discovered by the eye as it moves across the surface.
Leonard's inventive layering process results in heavy impasto, or textured, surfaces with a glossy, wet shine making them particularly beautiful when seen in person. His deep appreciation of abstract expressionists such as de Kooning, Motherwell and Rauschenberg is clear as his work resonates the emotional and daring achievements these artists accomplished.
There's only a few days -- until July 3 -- remaining to see the exhibition of Leonard's work on display at Gierek Art Gallery. More information about his work is available at gierek.com.
URL for this story: http://www.urbantulsa.comhttp://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A30947 | <urn:uuid:eef2bdaa-b743-48db-899c-04b1181a5992> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/PrintFriendly?oid=oid%3A30947 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969573 | 1,303 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Perhaps nothing is trickier in listing a property than deciding on the right asking price.
Too high, the argument goes, and prospective buyers will eliminate themselves even before seeing the place.
Too low, and the seller risks obtaining what the place is worth.
Finding the sweet spot depends on whether it is a balanced, buyers’ or sellers’ market.
I recently came across a blog post in which market value was well defined by no less than Fannie Mae, which helpfully characterizes it this way:
The most probable price which a property should bring in a competitive and open market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, the buyer and seller, each acting prudently, knowledgeably and assuming the price is not affected by undue stimulus. . .
Implicit in this definition is the consummation of a sale as of a specified date and the passing of title from seller to buyer under conditions whereby: (1) buyer and seller are typically motivated; (2) both parties are well informed or well advised, and each acting in what he considers his own best interest; (3) a reasonable time is allowed for exposure in the open market; (4) payment is made in terms of cash in U. S. dollars or in terms of financial arrangements comparable thereto; and (5) the price represents the normal consideration for the property sold unaffected by special or creative financing or sales concessions granted by anyone associated with the sale.
In other words, as real estate agent Lisa Hicks, the Monmouth, Me., blogger distills it, market value is what well-informed buyers and sellers are willing to accept in today’s market.
As much as I dislike the tactic, it is justifiable to ask for more than a property’s market value in a buyers’ market. That’s because buyers, knowing they hold the best cards, will walk if they can’t negotiate a price lower than the ask.
Conversely, I tend to favor a listing price below my take on the market to encourage multiple offers. Another real estate broker, Dian Hymer in Inman News, considers this option at length and concludes that it’s a reasonable way to go in a high-demand area.
Hitting the fair market value doesn’t strike me as a mistake either. If buyers come in too low, a seller has the option of standing firm.
However, I recognize that the market value approach is somewhat risky: Many buyers just won’t be happy unless they perceive the opportunity of a bargain, and they’ll walk. Yet a buyer and broker who haven’t researched the market to understand a property’s value probably aren’t worth trying to capture anyway.
Sellers and their brokers have to narrow their analysis of the market from region to city to neighborhood and, in the Big Apple, even to block or building. Then, they must judge the active competition and comparative sales over the appropriate time period with a critical eye on property variables and sufficient experience to set the right price.
Most of the time, there is at least a polite struggle between seller and broker as to the correct ask. That can be a good thing, but a seller who tugs too inflexibly for a price that’s too high is bound to lose the war even while winning the battle.
Either way, both client and broker need to understand that listing at a price that produces the best result is as much art as science. And the experience of the broker really should take precedence over the hopes of the seller.
Tomorrow: Compromising positions
To take your own bite out of the Big Apple, start your home search here.
Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
Senior Vice President
Charles Rutenberg Realty
127 E. 56th Street
New York, NY 10022 | <urn:uuid:821a60ce-3042-491f-bbc6-97a86371d043> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://malcolmcarter.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/the-debate-that-wont-and-shouldnt-go-away/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946566 | 791 | 1.617188 | 2 |
First Baptist Church was established in July of 1838 as the third church in Jacksonville. In 1892, the church settled at its present location between Hogan and Church Streets in the heart of the downtown district. The Great Jacksonville Fire of 1901 totally destroyed the church building, but in February of 1903 the cornerstone was laid for a new building. Within one year, the new Hobson Auditorium was completed. The building served as the church's primary worship center until 1976.
In 1940, Dr. Homer G. Lindsay, Sr. became the church’s twentieth pastor. At that time, the church was in serious financial debt. Morale was low. With contributions dwindling, the loss of a seven-story educational building, a debt of $125,000, and no facilities for growth, the situation looked bleak.
However, under the leadership of this young and dedicated minister of the Gospel, a new era began. The church experienced tremendous spiritual, physical and numerical growth. By 1943, the church was free from its financial bondage. In 1948, the first new educational building was constructed debt free.
Another major turning point for First Baptist came in 1969 when the Pastor's son, Dr. Homer G. Lindsay, Jr. was called to the church as Co-Pastor. He served alongside his father until Dr. Lindsay Sr.'s retirement in 1975. From 1969 to 1988, Sunday School enrollment skyrocketed from 2,385 to 14,172. Nine buildings were either purchased or constructed, including the 3,500-seat Ruth Lindsay Auditorium (1976) and the Preschool Building (1986).
In 1982, Dr. Jerry Vines joined Dr. Lindsay, Jr. as Co-Pastor. In 1993, the congregation moved into its present auditorium with a seating capacity of nearly 10,000.
In 2000, Dr. Homer G. Lindsay, Jr. went home to be with the Lord. However, the church's ministry and growth continued under Dr. Vines' dedicated leadership. In 2002, a new Children's Building and Welcome Center opened, bringing all the ministries for children together for the first time and providing space for the Counseling Ministry.
After 28 years as Pastor of First Baptist, Dr. Vines announced his retirement in 2005. He gave his last message at the conclusion of the annual Pastors’ Conference on January 29, 2006. On Sunday, February 19, 2006 Dr. Mac Brunson was unanimously called to be the 23rd pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville.
Burdened by the lack of biblical, historical and moral teaching to the youth of our country, Pastor Brunson compelled the church to open a school that would be God honoring, Bible centered, and college preparatory. Responding to his vision, the church opened the First Baptist Academy in August of 2009 serving Kindergarten through 8th grade. The First Baptist Junior Academy and Development Learning Center ministers to families with children from infants through Pre-Kindergarten. Both schools partner with Christian families to provide outstanding scholastic and spiritual education.
In the same manner, Pastor Brunson realized that reaching Jacksonville for Christ would require taking the church to the people. In 2009, First Baptist launched its first satellite campus in St. John’s County at Ponte Vedra High School. Designed with the same Christ-centered vision as downtown, the South Campus serves as an outreached arm to embrace people in our Southern communities. | <urn:uuid:f3a85fe6-b1ba-4654-bce9-29786b8a7e83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fbcjax.com/downtown/about-us/our-history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975331 | 699 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Just when Zero Dark Thirty thought its problems were over — the senate investigation was closed and everyone seemed to have lost interest in writing about whether or not the film was pro-torture — a new controversy has trickled out of the gates.
The bold opening sequence of the film is simple, striking, and powerful. It’s a black screen with just the voices of victims involved in the September 11th attacks. One of the voices included is of Bradley Fetchet, who worked on the 89th floor of the South Tower. He’d left a voicemail on his parents machine that day. This week, his mother, Mary Fetchet, told CBS News that the filmmakers hadn’t asked for her permission to use his voice and the recording.
Fetchet had used the recording in her testimony in the first public hearing of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, but raised objections to hearing it in the film. In her interview with CBS News, Fetchet said “I used it in situations where I wanted to convey Brad’s story. None of those situations were used for promotional or professional or commercial endeavors.”
So, what is at stake here? | <urn:uuid:7092d5e3-c48d-466c-8d4a-11885d214d3d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://insidemovies.ew.com/tag/controversy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986776 | 248 | 1.835938 | 2 |
"Hi Dearest, I'm Miss Mercy Brent I saw your contact , and i was deeply moved.I think that you are a very interesting person.So I decided to use the chance to get to know you.i dont think that the age appearance is so important. The most…"
Deforestation for cattle pasture in Peru. (Photo by R. Butler) CATTLE PASTURES [Cattle ranching news] The majority of the commercial destruction in the Amazon Basin from the 1960s to early 1990s was not due to logging or mining, but to cattle ranchers and land speculators who burned huge tracts of rainforest before planting the areas with…See More
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When Did You First Realize You Were Green?
When a student asked me about the rain forest and cattle. I did some research on the consumption of green life by cattle for hamburger. Hamburger and steak are meats that is basically not good for human consumption. For one hamburger to be produced 55 feet of grass must be eaten by the cow. For every cow it takes 100 yards (a football field), destroyed each year.
How Do You Want to Make the World a Better Place?
Any way I can
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Hi Dearest, I'm Miss Mercy Brent I saw your contact , and i was deeply moved.I think that you are a very interesting person.So I decided to use the chance to get to know you.i dont think that the age appearance is so important. The most important is what is inside you and how do you feel about the life.I know this life from many sides and I am rather mature already to know how to make people happy.I think we should use every chance to find our happiness. and I am contacting you for obvious reason which you will understand.i am sending this mail just to know if this email address i OK,reply me so that i will send my photo and more details to you,and i have a very important thing to tell you, i still hope for your reply, view my email([email protected]) have a pleasant day, Miss Mercy
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Once again thanks and look forward to your posts. | <urn:uuid:4e9a734a-370c-45dd-8630-81a590c6d9f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mygreenface.com/profile/WiliamMichaelPrince | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957245 | 651 | 1.601563 | 2 |
LETTER: A founding father do-over
A founding father do-over
I do not own a firearm or plan on ever doing so.However, I support the 2nd Amendment and the rights to have firearms. With all of the recent controversy I have given much thought to the 2nd and its meaning. Unlike some paranoid individuals who feel that the 2nd was put in the Constitution to prevent government from invading our homes, taking our weapons, and enslaving society, I believe the Founding Fathers had a much different agenda.
After the Revolutionary War, the militia was disbanded and sent home. There was no standing army and yet there were threats to our countryborders. If a need arose that required a militia, they had only to conscript men who were already armed to form a new army. When the 2nd was written with this in mind, the writers also realized that the only weapons available were single shot, black powder and flint, metal ball muskets and pistols.
Today, imagine that the original founding fathers were tasked with writing the 2nd Amendment with the full knowledge of the history of the past 200-plus years. I will pose 3 possible scenarios.
1. Amendment stands as originally written.
2. Amendment eliminated because it isnít necessary today.
3. Amendment is rewritten allowing citizens to own hand guns, rifles, and shotguns. However all military ordinance, including firearms, ammunition, grenades, missiles, land mines, etc. are unnecessary and illegal for private citizens to own.
I believe that some variation of No. 3 would be enacted, especially when I hear the rampant paranoia of a few people that advocate having these weapons. It is scary, but fortunately those very bright Founding Fathers who got it right would surely get it right again to fit the current times. | <urn:uuid:6c905163-0ed7-4931-be16-d428497d65b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20130126/AIK0203/130129659/1065/mccann-on-road-to-recovery/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982408 | 367 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Wang Lijun, the former police chief at the centre of China's biggest political scandal in recent memory, has been sentenced to 15 years in jail.
"Bo Xilai, despite his impopularity among the majority of the establishment, he still has the support base of the far-left. And these people cannot just be brushed aside. Some kind of accommodation of these people has to be made and this is one of the factors that is delaying unity and harmony and the beginning of the congress."
- Willem van Kemenade, author
From violent death to gang wars, from bribery to political intrigue at the very top, the events surrounding the case have shaken the Chinese leadership and seen the wife of Bo Xilai, an influential communist politician, convicted of murder.
The corruption, party in-fighting and glimpses into a frowned-upon privileged lifestyle that Wang's actions revealed were nothing new as far as many in China were concerned – it had been whispered about and suspected for quite a while. But Wang involved outsiders – and opened the lid to public scrutiny – forcing the ruling party to have to take action just as publicly.
China's ruling party is transitioning to a new generation of leaders by the end of the year. And with social unrest already growing due to a widening wealth gap, the last thing the party needed was a political scandal that further undermined its systems.
Andrew Leung, an analyst, says: "The stability of the party is paramount …and no individual, no matter how able and no matter his track record or connections, would be allowed to threaten the party boat because it’s no good for anybody no matter what his or her affiliations are."
Chinese authorities hope Wang's sentence is enough to show that no one is above the law. Iit could have been much harsher, but prosecutors appealed for leniency because of Wang's "meritorious service" and cooperation in possibly bringing down other, more powerful players.
"There is a large group, in my opinion, that really believes democracy, rule of law and a more representative political system is the answer. Problem is, they don't know how to get there …. And of course there is a big reactionary group within the party which believes the party must hang on at all cost to one-party rule and there's no other alternative to that. So the split is very obvious and I think the Bo Xilai case ... is a syptom of these clashes that are going on within the party."
- Jamil Anderlini, Financial Times
The ruling Communist Party must now decide whether Bo Xilai, a powerful regional party chief who, until Wang's allegations, was seen as a rising star in the ruling party’s hierarchy, will face charges and what his future political career may be.
His downfall has thrown a roadblock in front of a leadership handover that was due to take place at a party congress later this year but which leaders might now have to delay to January.
So, how will the Communist Party manage the consequences of this scandal and just what does it mean for the party as it is about to begin its leadership transition?
Inside Story, with presenter David Foster, discusses with guests: Willem van Kemenade, a political analyst and author of several books on China's foreign relations; Frank Ching, a political commentator and lecturer at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; and Jamil Anderlini, the Financial Times Beijing bureau chief. Jamil has also recently authored a book called "The Bo Xilai Scandal: Power, death and politics in China."
"I think that very few people believe that China is a communist state anymore. People feel alienated .... There is a lot of dissatisfaction within China today between the haves and the have-nots and also between the people who are in power and the people who are a power and who want to be in power. Bo Xilai was very much a controversial figure in China."
Frank Ching, political commentator
THE BO XILAI SCANDAL:
- In March 2012, Bo Xilai, the Communist Party chief in Chongqing, was removed from power
- Soon after that, it emerges that there could be links between Bo and the death of British businessman Neil Heywood
- On April 10, Bo is suspended from his position and his wife Gu Kailai, a lawyer, is investigated in connection with Heywood's death
- Nearly four months later, Gu and a family employee - Zhang Xiaojun, are charged with the killing of Heywood
- In August, Gu goes on trial for murder - a trial that lasts just one day
- On the 20, Gu is found guilty and given a suspended death sentence
- In September, Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun is charged with defection, abuse of power and taking bribes
- On Monday, Wang was sentenced to 15 years in jail - a more lenient sentence than expected because he co-operated with the police investigation | <urn:uuid:717233e3-b5b6-497a-9c00-aca93df70ab2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2012/09/2012925102540819185.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978275 | 1,031 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Mon December 17, 2012
Puppies-for-Rent: One Provo Woman's Controversial Business Idea
It’s a sound that can lift anyone’s spirit and one Brigham Young University student is hoping to cash in on people’s love for puppies.
"Puppies for Rent is a company I started in August. And the purpose of the company is to help puppies to find homes. Basically we take puppies that would otherwise be in a pound, or basically puppies that people are trying to get rid of. We rent them out to families and to students."
Jenna Miller is the founder of Puppies for Rent, and for $15 per hour she will deliver a puppy to your home to play with.
"I love puppies! And also when I deliver them, it makes people so happy... and it’s super cute because they're squealing and they are so excited to see a puppy."
Jenna decided to start the business because most student housing in Provo and Orem will not allow pets to live in them. She says a lot of students rent a puppy to help them de-stress and relax.
Jenna gets the puppies from families that can’t take care of them anymore and keeps them in a relative's home in Orem.
"These puppies are loved, they’re very well taken care of and the goal is to find them homes."
Although Jenna says she has the right intentions, some people aren’t happy with her business practice.
"This is not the right way. This is not the right way to treat an animal. They are not inanimate objects. They are living, breathing creatures with feelings and emotions. And you’re talking about animals who are at the formative stages of their life where they need consistency and they need stability."
That's Carl Arky, the communication director from the Humane Society of Utah. He says the danger of renting out puppies to complete strangers are too high to ignore.
"To put them into unsupervised situations with strangers, who have nothing more than a cursory screening is putting them at risk. Something bad is going to happen."
Carl says renting out a puppy is unethical.
"These are puppies. These are babies. Would we give babies to people we don’t know and say ‘Here, go and see what it’s like to be a parent for an hour or two and pay us about 15 or 25 bucks and hopefully we will get the baby back ok.' I wouldn’t do that, you wouldn’t do that, I don’t know anybody that would do that."
Even though some people disagree with Jenna’s business, she has helped place 11 puppies into homes because of Puppies for Rent.
"People often ask, 'What do you do with the puppies when they grow up?' And we haven’t had a problem with that at all. We’ve placed all our puppies by the time they are 12 weeks which is really fast."
Carl says you can get the same interaction and love from puppies at your local animal shelter, and do it for free.
"Save the money. Go volunteer at a shelter where they need you and they'll welcome your help." | <urn:uuid:d79f7390-3ea8-4264-a4b5-fcd60936452b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://upr.org/post/puppies-rent-one-provo-womans-controversial-business-idea | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968866 | 680 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The theme for our Young Women in Excellence this year was, "Personal Progress: A Pattern for Life". Our Personal Progress Leader, Emily, found the idea here, I believe. I also found some great decoration and cupcake ideas here, after the fact - of course. All cute ideas!*
The invitation was a miniature pattern packet. Information was printed on the back. Each invitation was personalized with a miniature pattern placed inside the packet, with each Young Women's name on it. Let me know if you'd like the template.
- Polly: Is “over the top” put together, perfect hair, apron, skirt and blouse, white socks, shiny or sparkly shoes. BIG bow in hair.
- Molly: Messy hair (such as lopsided and messy ponytails. Too big shirt, half tucked in maybe ripped pocket on front. Chewing bubble gum and blowing bubbles loudly and chewing loudly. Two different colored shoes. Smudge of dirt on her cheek, (but cute).
- Each girl plans to make a blouse.
- Polly: (Opens pattern and reads instructions out loud.) “Use pattern pieces A, B, &C.” Looks for pieces and finds each one. “Here we go.” “I just LOVE following directions.”
- Molly: (Opens pattern and reads instructions out loud). “Use pattern pieces A, B and C.” Looks for pieces but only finds B & C. “Where is pattern piece A?” “I guess I can just use B twice. It’ll be fine. Who needs directions anyway. How hard could it be?” I’ll just do it MY way.
- Both girls pin pattern pieces to fabric.
- Polly: “I just LOVE pinning.” (Proceeds to perfectly pin pattern to fabric)
- Molly: “Hmmm now where did I put my pins? I know I had them last week.” Whatever, I guess I’ll just use this gum.” (Sticks gum to back of pattern piece and sticks to fabric)”My way is soooo much better.”
- Polly (reading pattern directions out loud). “Pin right sides together. “
- Molly: “Pin right sides together” “now which is the right side?” Hmmmmm
- Both girls continue to sew then each holds up their finished product.
- Polly holds up a perfect blouse. “I just love sewing.” “It’s so much fun to make something all by myself.”
- Molly holds up a blouse that is messed up. “What????” “This really stinks!” I’m never going to sew again. What a big waste of time.” “Nothing ever turns out like the picture.”
YW Project Spotlights:
YW Project Spotlights:
The girls were each given a place to display projects they have worked on during the year, as well as time to explain/talk about one of their projects. Parents, leaders and the Young women themselves were given time to see up close what everyone had accomplished (after the closing prayer).*
Closing Comments: Young Women President or Bishop
Closing Hymn: #229 "Today While the Sun Shines"
Closing Prayer: ____________________ | <urn:uuid:ed83b020-6dd7-46c2-8b1c-10f217302a5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://goforwardwithfaith.blogspot.com/2010/09/pp-pattern-for-life.html?showComment=1328071289644 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931627 | 726 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Being English, with friends all around the world, it is interesting to see how quality of life issues are cultural.
Most Quality Of Life websites are based around health or wealth. My websites are no exception, but here on QOL, I like to consider other issues such as inspiration, self-improvement, and social matters. Today, I’m reminded of Donne’s declaration that No man is an island, and inspiration often comes from our social network. A rich social network, enhanced these days by the positive qualities of the Internet, improves quality of life in many ways. Often a passing remark out of a familiar cultural context makes me contemplate how and why we value certain things.
When my friend declared his abhorrence of all things royal, and barfed at Sir Mick Jagger’s title, it got me thinking.
I am no lover of royalty, and I do not believe that kings and queens have any special rights or powers that should elevate them above the rest of us. The USA left them behind, but our royalty is a product of our history. Importantly, the modern world allows them to continue in the role, but most of the decision makers acknowledge that they only hold office by the will of the people.
Anyway, I do not want to turn this into a political debate. There must be some political element to the granting of a knighthood to a rock singer, but I feel the award is much more about social recognition of our country and the rest of the world, rather than royal patronage. Of course, there are many awards for the entertainment industry – Oscars, Emmys, Grammys to name but a few. However, at least in the UK, there appears to be much more esteem in awards from the head of state.
I will never be able to judge personally, but I own the view that a Sir or a Lord has received public recognition for their endeavours. I know that, in the UK at least, a medal from the head of state brings greater kudos than an industry award.
I wonder how that applies around the world, or even if I am right about the UK. What are your views?
Would an award from your head of state, whose views might be totally different from your own, bring higher quality of life improvement than an industry award? I know I’ve touched on politics, but please keep your responses to quality of life and social or cultural issues. | <urn:uuid:c8fad4c1-136b-4a2e-8471-6ee81c7c8b61> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://qol.freedly.com/70/lord-knows-how-titles-help-quality-of-life/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959242 | 500 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Written by: Jackie Morse Kessler
Released: March 20, 2012 by Graphia
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard is the kid that everyone picks on, from the school bullies to the teachers. But things change drastically when Death tells Billy he must stand in as Pestilence, the White Rider of the Apocalypse. Now armed with a Bow that allows him to strike with disease from a distance, Billy lashes out at his tormentors...and accidentally causes an outbreak of meningitis. Horrified by his actions, Billy begs Death to take back the Bow. For that to happen, says Death, Billy must track down the real White Rider—who is lost in his memories.
In his search, Billy travels through White Rider’s life: from ancient Phrygia, where the man called King Mita agrees to wear the White Rider’s Crown, to Sherwood Forest, where Pestilence figures out how to cheat Death; from the docks of Alexandria, where cartons of infested grain are being packed onto a ship that will carry the plague, to the Children’s Crusade in France—all the way to what may be the end of the world. When Billy finally finds the White Rider, the teen convinces the man to return to the real world.
But now the insane White Rider plans to unleash something awful on humanity—something that could make the Black Death look like a summer cold. Billy has a choice: he can live his life and pretend he doesn’t know what’s coming, or he can challenge the White Rider for his Crown. Does one bullied teenager have the strength to stand his ground—and the courage to save the world?
I absolutely loved both Hunger and Rage, so I’m sure that Loss will be amazing as well. I’m happy that it’s out in March!
Kessler really pushes the envelope with her subject matter and I feel as though this one will relate to a lot of people out there (not that her previous two didn’t) and be able to maybe help them a little.
The only thing that I dislike about this novel is the cover. And even with that, it's just how prominent the "Riders of the Apocalypse" is. Then again, this may not be the final cover. It seems to be lacking the glamour that the previous two have. Of course, that my just be me. | <urn:uuid:9ccf3f58-101b-462f-bdd3-6a9cf974a86e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theladycriticslibrary.blogspot.com/2011/09/wish-list-wednesday-number-sixty-one.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962661 | 503 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Amolador is the Portuguese word for grinder, or knife sharpener. These skilled knife sharpeners push their bikes through the streets, playing a distinctive tune on pan flutes to signal their presence.
Their bikes serve as a mobile workshop, with a sharpening stone mounted on the top tube, a tool box strapped to the back, and umbrellas draped over the handlebars.
Apparently there used to be many amoladors, but with the advent of cheap knives and scissors it's a dying profession which is too bad because it's pretty cool.
I found a Popular portuguese saying, "quando há amolador, há chuva": when the knife sharpener is around, it's going to rain.
-words and video by mattquann | <urn:uuid:d9dc76bd-9629-4d91-b3ca-c4fbb2e7e21a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://10engines.blogspot.jp/2011/12/knife-man.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959394 | 164 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Hotel guests, even guests in the most prestigious hotels, must be aware that they always have at least some responsibility for their security. Here are some basic rules to remember:
Bathrobes, ashtrays, wine glasses, and the like are not souvenirs. Neither are towels. If you like, you can arrange to purchase these things at the front desk. This approach is far superior to finding the items listed on your hotel bill because you have been caught in the act.
- Never keep cash or valuables in your room.
- Never open the door when someone knocks unless you know who it is— especially at night. If the knocker claims to be a hotel employee and you have any doubts, call the front desk to ask whether this person has been sent to your room. If not, call hotel security, give your room number, and state that someone is at your door.
- Always double-lock your door. You may want to leave the television on to dissuade burglars.
- If the desk clerk announces your room number in a loud voice and this practice bothers you, as it should, quietly ask for another room and explain that you are being cautious in case someone overheard.
- Don't flash a wad of bills in the hotel bar.
Confirm your departure the day before and verify the checkout time. Usually, you can arrange a late departure if the hotel isn't full. Call the porter to collect your bags. Tip about $1 a bag. If you need to check your bags at the hotel for the day, the porter will take care of it and give you tickets to redeem them.
Motels come in many shapes and sizes. Some offer little more than a bed, bathroom, and television, whereas others resemble small resorts with pools, restaurants, and gyms.
The variety of possibilities is one of the advantages of motel travel. They are usually clustered at the convergence of major highways so that motorists have a wide range of options within the distance of a mile or so.
You can easily make your own reservations, since most major chains have toll-free reservation numbers. Most offer discounts for members of auto clubs, holders of certain credit cards, and senior citizens. In some cases “seniors” can be as young as 50.
When you check in, the clerk may want identification, your driver's license number, and a credit card, even if you are paying in cash.
You will carry your own bags. Ice, snacks, and some personal items like toothbrushes probably will be available at a vending center, usually located one to a floor. Dress is casual, of course, but wear a cover-up at the pool, and avoid dripping all over the lobby. Don't leave children alone in the pool or Jacuzzi.
If you arrive late at night or leave early in the morning, be considerate of those still sleeping. If there is a disturbance late at night, don't elect to straighten it out yourself. Call the front desk, and do not open your door. Tip the maid $2 or $3 for each night you stay.
The Bed and Breakfast
Antiques. A canopied bed. Tea or sherry in the afternoon. A convivial host. These are among the charms of the bed & breakfast.
For the price, often, of a good hotel, you can spend the night in a charming Victorian or colonial-era house, usually an interesting place with interesting owners who have an agreeably old-fashioned idea of comfort and hospitality.
And then there's breakfast. Some hosts offer a simple continental breakfast of juice, coffee, and a roll. Others offer such a variety and quantity of food that you'll feel dazzled—and quite sated after eating! The best ways to find out about B&Bs are from friends or from the many guidebooks that are available in bookstores and public libraries. Always call for reservations. Some establishments require a stay of at least two days.
When you arrive, the host will probably be on hand to greet you personally. He or she will take your bags, help you get settled, and show the dining room and other spaces devoted to the guests. It is very bad form to stray into the host family's living quarters.
A good rule of thumb is to behave much like a houseguest at a friend's home. Avoid loud conversations or television late at night. You may borrow books from the library to read in your room but be sure to return them. Don't use the owner's private telephone without asking first.
Many such places have shared bathrooms, so don't luxuriate in the tub while someone may be waiting. And be sure to leave the tub and the rest of the room as clean as you can reasonably make it.
At breakfast, which is included in the price, introduce yourself and say, “Good morning,” all around. If you don't feel chatty in the morning, just smile and give minimal answers, and people will get the message. Be alert for such signals yourself.
Leave your room reasonably neat and say goodbye to the host before leaving. No tipping is required.
More on: Travel and Vacations
Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Etiquette © 2004 by Mary Mitchell. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
To order this book visit the Idiot's Guide web site or call 1-800-253-6476. | <urn:uuid:e22211d3-82af-49fa-bbda-0e9fdd1aa065> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://life.familyeducation.com/hotels/travel/49064.html?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955296 | 1,152 | 1.59375 | 2 |
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- She grew up with 10 siblings in a devout and strict Catholic home. She went to Catholic schools. Religion was an integral fact of her life.
Today, she credits that Catholic foundation for the analytical thinking that allowed her to question doctrine and spearhead such women's health services as birth control and abortion.
Nancy Tolliver, 70, a pioneer activist for women's reproductive health in West Virginia, retired Dec. 31 from the work that has driven her for nearly half a century.
As an obstetrical nurse, she saw heart-wrenching repercussions of teenage pregnancy that changed the direction of her career.
A fierce advocate of sex education, childbirth education and breastfeeding, she helped organize the Le Leche League here and was a founder and first director of the Women's Health Center.
She retired as director of the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership, a policy-making organization headed now by her daughter, Amy.
"I was born in Mason City, Iowa, one of 11 children in a very Catholic family. My father was in the meat business. We traveled a lot. We would get all the kids in a car and go off to the West, seven children and my parents making that trip across country in a Studebaker.
"When I was about 10, we moved to Turkey for two years. My father was on contract to the U.S. government to help Turkey set up slaughterhouses and packing plants and to develop health policy for meat production. This travel gave me a first-hand view of unbelievable poverty and oppression of women.
"All of my education was Catholic. In St. Joe, Mo., where we lived when I was a teenager, I attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart, a French order of nuns. It was a fabulous education. What I am most thankful for in my life are the people who influenced me to do what I'm doing.
"I had a scholarship to college. That summer, I was working in a Catholic hospital. My aunt, a nurse, was visiting when one of the kids in the family hurt their foot. I was soaking it in a pan of salt water. She said, 'Nancy, you ought to go into nursing.'
"Then, I was working in the hospital one day and the mother superior asked me to meet with her. She said, 'Nancy, I think you need to go into nursing. I've arranged for you to go to Oklahoma City. I've talked to your parents, and if you agree, your dad will take you in two weeks.'
"Off to Oklahoma I went. That's where I met my husband, Frank, who grew up in Mullens. My husband got the job in West Virginia working for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as a psychologist.
"I went to Ohio Valley General Hospital for my psychiatric nursing training. I started working at CAMC as an obstetrical nurse and in the family planning clinic.
"Birth control had just been FDA-approved, so everyone was talking about the pill. In the clinic, I was exposed to the good part of obstetric nursing and the tragedies. And the tragedies seemed to be occurring frequently.
"Adolescent girls would be crying, and here they would have this little baby to take home, and often the parents took that baby and raised it.
"Those experiences touched me. I started asking myself, 'How do I personally control my own reproductive system if I want to have a career and still be a mother?' I was starting to have a little divide between what my church was teaching me and what I was feeling.
"As I got more involved in reproductive issues, I became more passionate about it. In planning sessions, I suddenly realized I was surrounded by a huge number of women who were Catholic. They were recognizing the importance of a woman being able to make decisions about having a baby.
"My passions are totally women's health. The first thing I got interested in was childbirth education and breastfeeding. As I had my own children, there was very little help on what childbirth was and how to manage it.
"I taught childbirth education to couples in the Charleston area for about seven years, four nights a week in a number of places. Thomas Hospital gave me their whole physical therapy room. I trained other nurses to teach childbirth education. We taught thousands of women and their husbands.
"I told Dr. Stabins I wanted to nurse my second baby. He handed me the Le Leche League book, 'The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.' He said it would tell me everything. That was another person who had a tremendous influence on the direction I went in. | <urn:uuid:570706b3-2cc8-4cea-a337-cd85f5a8ce32> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201301270053?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988646 | 963 | 1.601563 | 2 |
COMPANY BASED IN CHICAGO HELPED IN CREATION OF VIETNAM TRAVELING WALL
If you went to the Breese Sesquicentennial this past weekend then maybe you got the opportunity to see the Traveling Vietnam Wall, which is a replica of the Vietnam Wall in Washington D.C. honoring soldiers who died during the war. Dean Dubois, Vice-President of Engineering, with American Laser Mark, a company by Chicago helped with the creation of the wall by adding the names to it.
Dubois said he got involved in the project when they were contacted by a veterans group and they had to build a laser system and write custom software in order to accomplish making the wall.
Dubois said that his company has helped create five of the traveling walls so far and said it took about six months to get ready to start on the project and another two months to run and complete the project.
Dubois said that the experience, working on something that honors war heroes, was different from any thing else, he had ever done. The company does a lot of engrave, but nothing that has that sort of emotional or sentimental value. He said that while working on it, pieces of it were sitting on a table and veterans would come and look at it and would cry, that is when you know there is something very special about what you are making.
He said that the only rule to making the wall was to make it look as close as possible to the real wall in Washington D.C. The traveling wall is made out of aluminum sheets with a black powder coat on it.
The wall was met in Effingham on June 1 and received a motorcycle and police escort into Breese, around 200 motorcycles were in the escort. | <urn:uuid:80b79087-c95e-469d-a9bf-2218ca29e701> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wgel.com/daily/2006/6-8.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986552 | 361 | 1.695313 | 2 |
CNN Dishes Up Pro-Regulation Feast
In a segment only fit to satisfy a regulator’s hunger pangs, CNN’s “American Morning” fed viewers one left-wing group’s most recent attack on casual dining restaurants.
“When you go to a restaurant you better be watching what you’re eating, because some of the calories you get can be extreme,” said reporter Greg Hunter to introduce the “Extreme Eating” segment February 26.
Images of syrup-laden pancakes and chicken wings being pulled out of a fryer flashed across the screen as Hunter said: “Unlike food manufacturers, restaurants aren’t required to have nutrition labels on their menus, so it’s hard to know what you’re eating.”
Hunter then began an interview with Center for Science in the Public Interest’s senior nutritionist, Jayne Hurley, who called for mandatory labeling. The CNN reporter called CSPI “a non-profit nutrition watchdog group” rather than the litigious, pro-regulation group that it is.
The report devoted a full minute and 46 seconds to CSPI, as Hunter and Hurley discussed the number of calories and fat grams in the Ruby Tuesday’s Colossal Burger, Chicken and Broccoli Pasta with cheese and cream sauce and UNO Chicago Grill’s Pizza Skins.
In comparison, Senior Vice President Richard Johnson of Ruby Tuesday was given only 10 seconds to say that the restaurant provides both low- and high-calorie options.
UNO Chicago Grill already provides customers with a computer kiosk that includes all the nutrition information, and Ruby Tuesday has a “Smart Eating” guide on the tables.
“Given the extent of our menu, we cannot conceive of how one could possibly include all of the information for each menu item that covers the legitimate needs of every guest, and believe our kiosk, unique in casual dining, offers the best way to keep our guests informed and safe,” said Frank Guidara, president and CEO of UNO Chicago Grill, in a statement to CNN.
According to the National Restaurant Association, even if menu labeling were possible, it wouldn’t really help because restaurants are all about providing choices to their customers.
“Our research indicates that 70 percent of Americans customize their food choices – which means an overwhelming majority of people aren't just simply ordering off-the-menu anymore. They are tailoring their order, and ordering exactly what they desire,” said NRA’s Steven C. Anderson in a 2003 press release.
“Because of this ability to customize any food item, mandatory nutrition labeling in restaurants as suggested by industry critics in unworkable,” Anderson concluded.
Despite that, New York City will require nutrition labeling beginning in the fall of this year and Hurley agreed with that decision, according to Hunter’s report.
While Hunter did state that UNO Chicago Grill will be trans-fat free by the end of this year, it wasn’t enough for anchor Soledad O’Brien.
“Well, good, they should put the numbers on the menu too,” O’Brien stated emphatically.
Hunter also failed to make the connection between labeling and lawsuits. John Banzhaf of the George Washington University Law School is an attorney well-known for his war on tobacco. Banzhaf has declared “that fat is the next tobacco.” | <urn:uuid:e5ea474a-ee4d-4097-9678-ae2c1a6c1def> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mrc.org/articles/cnn-dishes-pro-regulation-feast | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932554 | 725 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Lethal Injection Debate Heats Up
The debate over the constitutionality and humaneness of lethal injection has just intensified. For the first time on Tuesday, an execution was halted because the drugs could not be successfully administered. Romell Broom, who has been on Ohio's death row since 1984, lay on the table for two hours while executioners tried to find a vein strong enough to withstand the injection. Finally, the execution was stopped after his lawyer convinced a judge to intervene. Today Broom's attorneys filed additional appeals to postpone, if not cancel, his execution, and a U.S. district court has just delayed his second injection for at least ten days.
Not surprisingly, this incident is heating up the national conversation about lethal injection. On Monday, Broom will be deposed about what those two hours felt like. His testimony will be used in a suit that argues lethal injection is cruel and unusual. Ohio public defender David Stebbins, who is working on the case, told the New York Times that Broom "has relevent evidence that needs to be preserved. Mr Broom has, of course, the most relevent testimony of what exactly they did to him and the amount of pain he was put in."
Since 2006, there have been three botched executions in Ohio. Each lasted for about two hours. Three years ago a condemed man in Florida was badly burned after the needle missed the vein and pierced his tissue. When I asked attorney Jen Moreno at University of California—Berkeley's Death Penalty Clinic to explain this pattern, she said that despite the states' promises to improve the system, it remains flawed. "They don't have a good system," Moreno said. "They have problems with protocol, problems with training, and problems with people carrying it out."
Ironically, as Vince Beiser reported for Mother Jones in 2005, lethal injection was originally adopted to make capital punishment more humane. The Oklahoma legislator behind that movement later became a priest who vehemently opposed all forms of capital punishment, including lethal injection. He told Mother Jones, "I always think about my role, whenever I hear about a capital case being tried. It's always me, like an old wound." | <urn:uuid:647e86f0-9f1a-491a-a6e9-25dfd2f8fbc3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/09/lethal-injection-debate-surges | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979801 | 447 | 1.78125 | 2 |
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Will the Boy Scouts soon be welcoming gay youth into their group? The Irving-based organization may toss its long-standing policy against openly gay members.
This “possible change” comes after months of protest.
2012 was quite possibly the year the scouts were hammered hardest for excluding members because of their sexual orientation.
The Boys Scouts of America wouldn’t go on camera to talk about it. But they did hand out a statement saying, “Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction on sexual orientation. That means there would be no national policy. Local troops and parents will decide what they want to do.”
Vonn Trimble is seven years old. This is his first year in the Cub Scouts. His mom, Sara Eddy, isn’t going to take him if the Boys Scouts of America lifts the ban on gay members or leaders.
“I’m not concerned that they’re going to molest him or anything. They do what they can to look out for that,” she said. Eddy’s own sister is openly gay. “This day and age, I think it’s outdated to discriminate against somebody just because of their sexual orientation,” Eddy said.
The Boy Scout ban on gay members is decades old. The organization most recently affirmed it back in September. They say current discussions would not make a place or troop go against their mission, principles or religious beliefs.
Though Vonn’s troop meets in a school, they pray at their meetings.
The Boys Scouts of America say members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.
“I believe that you’re born gay and being around gays isn’t going to turn you gay,” Eddy said.
Gay Rights Groups have campaigned for change over the past year, collecting more than a million signatures. They hail the potential change as a step in the right direction.
The Boy Scouts of America could make their official announcement on the change as early as next week.
(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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The US invasion of Iraq was supposed to turn that country into a better place. Instead, it has led to a doubling of serious childhood malnutrition, and almost a quarter of children being chronically undernourished. Iraq already had appalling statistics in this area due to the cruel international sanctions regime, which is estimated to have killed at least half a million Iraqis children. To make things worse from that baseline really takes effort.
But at least they're starving free, right? | <urn:uuid:42cdb2ea-d9aa-4f8d-9278-afa7c5269188> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2005_03_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985417 | 94 | 1.679688 | 2 |
By Michael Goldstein
By Dennis Romero
By Sarah Fenske
By Matthew Mullins
By Patrick Range McDonald
By LA Weekly
By Dennis Romero
By Simone Wilson
Though there are no official figures, according to Michael Feinstein, Santa Monica's Green mayor, a large percentage of the more than 151,000 registered California Greens are between the ages of 18 and 25. This is not surprising, given that the Green platform is basically made up of all the things we believe in when we have most of our lives ahead of us.
But party membership isn't the only thing going on here. Many of the people actually running on the Green ticket and winning elective office are eyebrow-raising young. For example, 21-year-old Heather Urkuski, Centre Township, Pennsylvania's auditor, was 19 when elected. Todd Jarrell, District 8 city councilman in Madison, Wisconsin, now 23, was 22 when elected. Joyce Chen, a New Haven, Connecticut, alderman, was elected this past November at 22. In Germany and Sweden, where the age limit for national office is lower, Anna Luehrmann and Gustav Fridolin, both 19, were elected to Parliament this past September. The Activist: "What's most important to me is social justice for the youth in my community." —Cindy Santiago, 18
Middle school and high school kids, not necessarily a group associated with political activism, are also going Green. For example, 15-year-old Kirk Podell wore a "Vote for Nader" sandwich board to Thomas Starr King Middle School in Los Feliz during the 2000 campaign and was scuffed up by fellow students. He was 12 at the time. Eighteen-year-old Cindy Santiago made her foray into politics in the ninth grade, when she organized 250 students to "walk off" school in protest of Proposition 21, "an anti-youth proposition" that called for trying "youths as young as 14 as adults."
"What's most important to me is social justice for the youth in my community," says Cindy. "Right now I'm working with community groups to get better relations with the Police Department because there's police harassment and intimidation in my community."
When Prop. 21 passed, Cindy helped establish a community center in her neighborhood and worked with the mothers of the youngsters she felt were being tried unfairly. She's currently the Green student-body president of Santa Monica High. Even in such staid places as Iowa, 18-year-old Kevin Owens, a senior at Kennedy High in Cedar Rapids who was inspired by consumer activist Ralph Nader's presidential campaign, organized an anti-war protest this past October at which 50 students wore black armbands.
"I think what attracts young people to the party is the anti-war stance and decriminalization of pot. They seem to be interested in that," says Forrest Hill, a Green Party adviser at UC Davis, who is doing post-grad work in mathematical ecology. Hill, who attended the first Earth Day in 1970, talks to a lot of kids through his outreach work for the party. "The environment is naturally a priority to kids. I also think that kids are more sensitive to the social injustices around them. As we get older, our priorities change.
"I also think we have a youth bent because we are an activist party; we're in the streets, and kids like activists."
Whether or not youthful attraction grows into an adult relationship remains to be seen, but even some Democrats believe the Green appeal is more than infatuation. "I think they are on their way to becoming a major party," says Ed Espinoza of the National Committee of the Young Dem-ocrats of America. The Canvasser: “It’s the only thing I can do, ’cause I can’t vote yet.” —Alex Davis, 17
SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD ALEX DAVIS GOT INTERested in the Greens this past summer because of Bowling for Columbinedirector Michael Moore. "I read his book and saw his movie," explains the Palisades High senior. "I was listening to KPFK, and I heard him in an interview and thought he sounded really interesting. They actually tried to stop his book from being published 'cause he was making fun of Bush. They didn't want that after 9/11."
Alex, who saw the filmmaker's plea on his Web site for fans to "express their dissent" every day, canvassed an upper-middle-class Santa Monica neighborhood south of Montana with Green Party materials on a sunny Sunday last fall in preparation for the November 5 election. "It's the only thing I can do, 'cause I can't vote yet," says Alex, who excels at creative writing, recently taught himself Final Cut Pro, and hopes to one day make films like Moore. Alex, whose dad is a music producer, is inspired by the political rock band Rage Against the Machine and once met Rage/Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello.
Handing out Green Party information door to door on the weekends during your senior year in high school may seem ineffectual against the Democrats' and Republicans' massive political machinery, but it illustrates a recent study by political researchers Lake, Snell, Perry and Associates that shows that while kids are turned off by the electoral process and corporate politics, they are turned on by community activism.
But it isn't just young people who are losing interest in our electoral process. Voter turnout in the 2000 national election barely topped 50 percent, only slightly less anemic than 1996's all-time low of 49 percent. For organizations such as the Center for Voting and Democracy that make it their business to study the "voter crisis," the problem is distrust in the political system and a scarcity of politicians people can actually relate to or believe in. With a population made up of almost 25 percent minorities, 50 percent women and close to 34 million individuals living below poverty level, the rich white men who dominate the ballots are just not cutting it for huge blocks of the potential voting pool.
Find everything you're looking for in your city
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city | <urn:uuid:01893880-40da-40cf-b581-938afbf4e536> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.laweekly.com/2003-01-23/news/baby-greens/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974324 | 1,301 | 1.828125 | 2 |
UPDATE: "Nike has announced that it has canceled its "That Ain't Right" campaign after it was widely criticized as homophobic by gay bloggers and advertising critics. Via ESPN, here is Nike's statement:
Nike is strongly opposed to discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting athletes regardless of their sexual orientation. The advertisement in question is based purely upon a common insight from within the game of basketball -- the athletic feat of dunking on the opposition, and is not intended to be offensive.
However, after listening to concerns expressed around specific executions, we have decided to drop them from the campaign to underline our ongoing commitment to supporting diversity in sport and the workplace.
Nike has a strong record of support for diversity and is proud to have been honored with a 100 percent score over several consecutive years in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index.(Joe My God)
Nike has released this ad and has plastered them along with others showing athletes faces pushed into crotches in an effort to demonstrate humiliation. Other tag lines seen on ads are “Your mama won’t let you come home after this. What would she tell the neighbors?” The ad campaign was created by Wieden+Kennedy.
Tell Nike that these ads create an atmosphere of homophobia and associate gay acts with shame and embarrassment.
Nike's E-contact form - click here!
Nike World Headquarters
One Bowerman Drive
Beaverton, OR 97005 | <urn:uuid:a4fb5894-cd70-4c0d-bc0c-fd477d3ea6c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://queersunited.blogspot.jp/2008/07/nike-that-aint-right-ad-isnt.html?showComment=1216830420000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975654 | 308 | 1.515625 | 2 |
New Year A Time For Wishing
Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes
Last Modified: January 12, 2011
Bob and Queenie
At New Year's, we're supposed to make resolutions to change our own behavior in the months to come. I think it's more fun to wave a magic wand and change the behavior of everyone else.
Here's what I wish for in 2011:
- I wish that people with cancer weren't beaten over the head with the importance of positive thinking.
- I wish that people with lung cancer didn't get blamed for their cancer.
- I wish that receptionists in every doctor's office smiled and made eye contact with everyone.
- I wish that more family members asked the patient what the patient wanted and didn't assume what the patient wanted.
- I wish that new cancer drugs producing modest benefits weren't marketed as major breakthroughs with exorbitant prices.
- I wish that all journal articles emerging from medical research funded by the government were made available online, without charge, to the public.
- I wish that exercise and nutrition received more attention in cancer prevention, treatment and recovery.
- I wish that people dealing with cancer didn't have to worry about how to pay for it.
- I wish that the relatives, friends and neighbors of people newly diagnosed with cancer refrained from giving advice (except when requested).
- I wish that the prevention of cancer received the same attention and funding as the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
- I wish that everyone with cancer took the time to thank their loved ones for always being there.
- I wish that people didn't assume that the most aggressive cancer treatment was always the best cancer treatment.
- I wish that every cancer patient understood that reality and hope aren't mutually exclusive.
I don't have a magic wand, but I will keep wishing.
Bob is the Executive Director of the Cancer Resource Center. His articles about living with cancer appear regularly in the Ithaca Journal. He can be reached at [email protected]
Reprinted with Permission of the Ithaca Journal
Original publication date: January 8, 2011. | <urn:uuid:9c922cfd-4e36-4887-a66d-a5a8b60a9c1a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oncolink.org/coping/article.cfm?c=6&s=31&ss=206&id=1109 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966691 | 443 | 1.648438 | 2 |
|Received:||3/20/2004 8:56:10 PM|
|Agency:||Federal Trade Commission|
1. The primary purpose of a commercial electronic mail message, regardless of the content, is one in which by straight forward message, or by deceit, (prizes, etc) attempts to get you to buy something or visit a website for the purpose of getting your money. This law is a joke! Spam to my email address has been going up. And I never requested, or talked to 99.99% of them in a previous business relationship. So they don't have that as a reason to email me. | <urn:uuid:b2d2d109-3904-4d9b-a8e5-4f7401bca958> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/canspam/OL-100912.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941017 | 133 | 1.648438 | 2 |
It is taken for granted in the knowledge economy that companies must employ the most talented performers to compete and succeed. Many firms try to buy stars by luring them away from competitors. But Boris Groysberg shows what an uncertain and disastrous practice this can be.
After examining the careers of more than a thousand star analysts at Wall Street investment banks, and conducting more than two hundred frank interviews, Groysberg comes to a striking conclusion: star analysts who change firms suffer an immediate and lasting decline in performance. Their earlier excellence appears to have depended heavily on their former firms' general and proprietary resources, organizational cultures, networks, and colleagues. There are a few exceptions, such as stars who move with their teams and stars who switch to better firms. Female stars also perform better after changing jobs than their male counterparts do. But most stars who switch firms turn out to be meteors, quickly losing luster in their new settings.
Groysberg also explores how some Wall Street research departments are successfully growing, retaining, and deploying their own stars. Finally, the book examines how its findings apply to many other occupations, from general managers to football players.
Chasing Stars offers profound insights into the fundamental nature of outstanding performance. It also offers practical guidance to individuals on how to manage their careers strategically, and to companies on how to identify, develop, and keep talent.
Boris Groysberg is professor of business administration at Harvard Business School.
"[Boris Groysberg's] new book, a meticulous study of the performance of Wall Street analysts, asks the key question: is the success of individual 'star' employees transferable to other businesses? In other words, is it the team/institution that is key to the high performance or is it mainly down to the individual concerned?"--Stefan Stern, Financial Times
"[B]rilliant. . . . [T]he best business book of the year on human capital. . . . [Groysberg's] findings, and the force and richness of both his data and his presentation, should have an indelible effect on how we understand exceptional performance."--Sally Helgesen, Strategy + Business
"What if talent is more like an orchid, thriving in certain environments and dying in others? It's an interesting question, full of nature-versus-nurture overtones; we could debate it endlessly. But Boris Groysberg, a professor at Harvard Business School, has spoiled the debate with an unsporting move. He's gathered some data. And what he discovered forces us to rethink the argument."--Fast Company
"The book is fascinating reading, as Prof. Groysberg digs deeper into the implications for knowledge workers and portability of jobs. . . . [T]here are lessons in here for executives and knowledge workers in general and, more particularly, human resources officials concerned about the talent war for knowledge workers."--Harvey Schachter, Globe & Mail
"Chasing Stars is an important work challenging the myth that talented workers can succeed anywhere. It proves that the best employer-employee relationships are mutually beneficial and that both can gain much from each other if they try."--ForeWord
Table of Contents | <urn:uuid:188a4be6-2eb4-4b04-8914-d5ff0510eb1e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9128.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947002 | 655 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Against the Law
Submitted By Todd on September 24th at 5:26pm
The Massachusetts Republican Party has filed an injunction in a Boston court seeking to block former Democratic Party chairman Paul Kirk from becoming the interim replacement for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.The law creating the appointment power for the Governor was only passed yesterday. But in Massachusetts, a new law doesn't take effect for 90 days unless the legislature passes the measure with an emergency preamble by a two thirds vote. They tried, but fell short, then passed the measure without such a preamble. In other words, by specific action of the legislature, there was no emergency.
Patrick signed an emergency letter that he says allows the law to become effective immediately. Republicans allege in their court filing that Patrick did not have the constitutional authority to do that.Lawyers for the GOP claim the Governor only has the power to pull an emergency chord on his own in special circumstances - ones that don't happen to apply to an empty senate seat.
But State Secretary William Galvin said today the power to make the immediate appointment is "very clearly available" to Patrick.Who can blame Galvin for being afraid to stand up to the Obama administration?
Kirk, the former head of the Democratic National Committee, is set to be sworn Friday.We can't really expect a judge, appointed because of their political activism in support of liberal Democrats, to do better than Galvin. It will be the rule of the (Kennedy) Clan over the rule of law. | <urn:uuid:a6376916-354c-4d87-9c3f-65759f892226> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wrko.com/blog/todd/against-law | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96762 | 310 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Writing with flawed-point Penna
The following fear-mongering comes courtesy of Baptist Press columnist Penna Dexter:
Homosexuals, seeking marriage, say it's their "right." But as homosexuals attain the "right" to marriage, the institution itself loses its distinctive definition as the union between one man and one woman. And, in bestowing marriage on same-sex couples, the court has created other losers, in particular any children of those couples.
Additional losers are:
-- The family. "Gay marriage" in European countries shows us the redefinition of marriage will weaken the family structure.
-- The taxpayers. We will subsidize the fallout from family disintegration.
-- Democracy. "Same-sex marriage" comes to California and beyond because of a court decree, not the vote of a legislature or the people.
-- The church and free exercise of religion. I believe churches that refuse to marry same-sex couples or who preach that homosexuality is immoral eventually will lose their tax-exempt status, or worse. Religious businesses-owners will be forced to hire and retain gays.
Our truth-mongeiring reply:
-Just because you all keeping saying that "one man one woman" is the definition of marriage, it doesn't make it so. Our definition of marriage very much includes same-sex couples. And we're not the only ones. Merriam-Webster, an outfit that knows a thing or two about the meaning of words, is also now including same-sex couples in the marital picture.
-Even if you think gay marriage will corrupt other kinds of children, how can you possibly argue that it will harm the children already being raised by same-sex couples? That's just an absurd argument. Same-sex-headed families are already in place. Bestowing marital rights and benefits upon same-sex parents will only ensure their family's protection.
-The European disintegration argument is SO tired. Studies show that marriage, for a variety of reasons, was on the decline in these nations well before same-sex marriages were legalized.
-If Bob and Tom's marriage is going to destroy your family or your marriage, then your problems run deep. Get yourself to family therapy/marital counseling ASAP!
-How offensive for heterosexuals suggest that same-sex marriage causes a tax burden. Homosexual tax dollars have been subsidizing heterosexual marriage (and its fallout) for eons. What's good for the citizenship-holding, straight goose is good for the citizenship-holding, gander-loving gander!
- As for the democracy argument? STOP OVERLOOKING THAT THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE HAS TWICE APPROVED MARRIAGE EQUALITY! The people have spoken through their elected reps!
-Two words, Ms. Dexter: CIVIL MARRIAGE. For the ten billion and sixth time, we are not talking about religion here! You all are the only ones bringing up religion in the fight for civil equality! As it is now with atheist, interfaith, or non-member couples, the churches will have to decide for themselves whether or not they choose to recognize same-sex marriages on religious grounds.
-Informed by your definitions of "winners" and "losers," Ms. Dexter, we are at this time vowing to never play Monopoly with you.
bravo, Bravo, BRAVO! This was so succinctly and eloquently stated. I can't believe the fear mongering these "good people" try to spread. Good Grief - have they never heard of "Thou shalt not bear false witness!"
Posted by: Tom | Jun 18, 2008 10:25:14 AM
"And, in bestowing marriage on same-sex couples, the court has created other losers, in particular any children of those couples."
Well, that really burns me up. Our children aren't losers by any stretch of the imagination. One is in grad school and one is in college. Our daughter seems to have a very happy marriage. I guess the right-wingers might consider them losers since they have grown up to be fair minded individuals.
Posted by: Mike in the Tundra | Jun 18, 2008 11:22:14 AM
She forgot to add herself to the loser list.
And, good Lord, what happened to that woman's hair?
Posted by: dave b | Jun 18, 2008 11:55:11 AM
wonderfully put Jeremy. When will they stop this tired old rhetoric and listen to another point of view? They might just learn something.
Oh, and dave b
- I believe the 80s happened to her hair, dear, and I'm quite sure it didn't survive.
Posted by: m-no | Jun 18, 2008 1:48:05 PM
m-no, you are correct.
You're a pearl! :)
Posted by: dave b | Jun 18, 2008 8:12:15 PM
Penna: "I believe churches that refuse to marry same-sex couples or who preach that homosexuality is immoral eventually will lose their tax-exempt status, or worse."
As a Mormon could I have sued the church if refused to let me marry a person of another religion in their temple - No.
Racial and religoius discrimination in government and business has been outlawed for decades, but many racist groups continue to exist, enjoying freedom of speech and tax exemption. Why does Penna think it will be any different when equal marriage rights are extended to same-sex couples.
I'm confident that like the Aryan Nations and KKK, Penna and Co. will be free discriminate for many decades to come.
Posted by: GayMormonBoy | Jun 18, 2008 8:34:43 PM
Anyone with that hairstyle cannot expect to be taken seriously. It looks like someone spattered a football helmet
Posted by: Jason D | Jun 19, 2008 10:17:06 PMcomments powered by Disqus | <urn:uuid:7de4d662-06a5-4e1d-84b6-c4bc99fc6b80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2008/06/writing-with-fl.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957485 | 1,243 | 1.789063 | 2 |
It looks like Apple has gotten the go-ahead to continue a suit against eForCity, a company that was manufacturing cheap connectors for Apple devices. This is a topic ripe for discussion, but try as I might to argue against Apple’s position in this particular case, I don’t really see a problem with it except for my fundamental objection to lock-in technologies, and that’s a much bigger issue.
There’s a good discussion in the comments over at Ars Technica; the gist is that while it is of course restrictive and wrong for a company to say “you can’t make things without our permission,” the fact is that the 30-pin connector was designed and patented by Apple, and reverse-engineering for commercial purposes is illegal, plain and simple.
Now, if you couldn’t make without Apple’s permission a USB cable that connected, say, an external hard drive to an Apple laptop, that’d be something worth making noise about. But in this case I think Apple is okay — if you want to do business within their proprietary ecosystem (and make a lot of money by sharing the Apple tax), you have to pay the price and sign up.
Of course, that time may be coming, as Apple is now designing custom ports that combine USB and Thunderbolt functionality. I doubt they’ll lock out normal USB cables, but they are making things more their own every day. | <urn:uuid:afb6b665-4a77-43e4-8921-c9f6d4e58e6e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/07/apple-to-go-forward-with-next-suit-against-3rd-party-accessorizer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96346 | 301 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Dreaming The NewPremiere date:
Tuesday, 9 September 2008 at 21h00Number of episodes:
Dreaming The New is a four-part documentary series that focuses on art, history and culture.Documentaries in the line-up:Dreaming The New: AmaguguOn:
Tuesday, 9 September 2008 at 21h00Synopsis
As we reflect on our history and our own lives, we draw strength from men and women who have dared to dream, dared to fight and dared to live. We draw courage and strength from the people around us within our communities, churches and families.
Fatima Dike and Nico Pooka are just a few of the many who, through their contribution to arts and culture, have changed the lives of people around them.
Amagugu follows the stories of these artists whose lives started as a blank canvas and turned into a Picasso.
Dreaming The New: The Nature Of CreativityOn:
Tuesday, 16 September 2008 at 21h00Synopsis
The Nature of Creativity follows three South African visual Artists - Mthunzi Ndimande, Danelle Janse van Rensburg and Nthabiseng Montshiwa as they reveal the nature of their creativity, their thoughts on education, on curating exhibitions, public art, and most importantly, the love of art itself.
The three artists enroll in an Addict Creative Lab workshop, and then decide to collaborate on an art piece to brand South Africa. The documentary traces their progress, the development of the piece in its different stages and the rush to finish on time. What is the pressure of collaboration? How does it affect an artist’s process?
Will their artwork be accepted by the Addict Creative lab for their next publication? Will it be exhibited? Will their concept of South Africa be enough to take them to the World Creative Forum?
Dreaming The New: Life Is ArtOn:
Tuesday, 30 September 2008 at 21h00Synopsis
Life is Art takes viewers into the world of award-winning theatre director Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom. Paul’s art reflects the broad canvas of our country, forgoing the “rainbow-nation” picture perfect story and focusing on real people with real issues.
*Please note: no available info for the third episode on 23 September. | <urn:uuid:d9457eeb-02b4-44b4-b56d-d18a3c9db411> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tvsa.co.za/default.asp?blogname=sabc1&ArticleID=9111 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940876 | 483 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Collège Municipal Français, Route Vallon
Most people interested in Shanghai history know about the “Cercle Sportif Francais”, the current Okura Garden hotel on Maoming lu. The French Club as it was called in English moved to this brand new building in 1926, from its original location on Route Vallon (today’s Nanchang lu). The very large building previously used was then allocated to house the French High School or “Collège Municipal Français” in French. The garden of the Collège Municipal Français extended all the way to French Park, i.e. today’s Fuxing Park. Unfortunately the park has been separated from the building and a wall is now separating them. It would be extremely difficult to take the same picture again.
Among others, two famous authors attended the teaching of the Collège Municipal Français, Rena Krasno and Liliane Wilens. As explained by the later when we met (see post “a date with Liliane“), students of the Collège Municipal Français were French children and other foreigners, as well Chinese from Shanghai upper class society. Located in the heart of the French Concession, the Collège Municipal Français was very near to some famous residential areas such as Rue Lafayette (today Fuxing Lu) and Avenue Pétain (today’s Heng Shan lu). Since the building was not originaly designed as a school but as an entertainment club, it became a school with a wonderful design, surely giving life long memory to the children who went to school there.
This location was also the seat of the original Alliance Francaise de Changhai, teaching French to Chinese students just like it is today on the Wusong Lu campus. This very large building is still in use without much repair and still has grand style and appearance. It is very well worth a visit if you can sneak in. | <urn:uuid:e250804c-d4e6-4f92-95bf-039f1aa4497f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://shanghailander.net/2010/03/college-francais-rue-vallon/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975399 | 405 | 1.765625 | 2 |
If you're lucky enough to be in Maine this summer, you're sure to come across the trademark fishing boats, lighthouses and lobsters. But you're less likely to see much political activity, despite the intricate and somewhat confounding Senate race playing out across the state.
Maine voters expected anything but an open Senate race a year ago. Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe, who has served the Pine Tree state in the Senate since 1995, announced her retirement in February, sending shock waves through Washington. Snowe's retirement was seen as a big plus for Democrats in a state boasting a deep bench of potential Democratic nominees to run for the open seat.
Angus King, the state's former independent governor, is the strong front-runner. The National Republican Senatorial Committee accused King of making a back-room deal with Democrats to keep their strongest candidates out of the race in exchange for caucusing with them if elected to the Senate.
King, 68, denies any such agreement. He is popular, well-known and independently wealthy, but his candidacy has left some people scratching their heads because he has so far made his bid a referendum on compromise and bipartisan spirit.
"My reason for running is the reason that Olympia retired: When she announced that she was leaving, basically, she was frustrated and couldn't get anything done. That what was when I said, 'Well, if someone with her background, her experience, her seniority, couldn't get anything done, than we better do it a different way,'" King said. "I was in kind of a unique position to do it the different way."
King said he believes the biggest problem facing Maine, and the country as a whole, is gridlock and dysfunction in Washington.
"I think the issue facing the people of Maine is the same issue that's facing the rest of the country which is the functioning of our system," he said. "There are a list of very important issues, starting with the economy and jobs, and then the national debt, and the cost of health care, and a rational energy policy. All of those are important pressing issues, but until we can make the system, and in this case the Senate, actually work, we never get to those issues."
Such a position in the independent-minded state of Maine is unlikely to hurt him. Snowe, after all, was known for being one of the few bipartisan senators in Washington on either side of the aisle. And Maine, despite being written off as a blue state because it tends to go Democratic in presidential elections, is a mixed bag of political ideology. | <urn:uuid:69227cba-dfa9-48a0-bd36-8464b56f1d40> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://[email protected]/Politics/OTUS/maine-senate-race-loaded-intrigue/story?id=16750363 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981553 | 529 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Today on Engineering Newswire, brought to you by Interpower, the premier supplier of power system components for worldwide markets, we’re kicking turtles to make new shapes, enhancing our senses, printing on the Afinia 3D printer, and shooting down drones, with lasers.
We spend the first year teaching children to walk and talk and the rest of their lives telling them to shut up and sit down.
The U.S. Navy's first sea-based, unmanned attack aircraft has been launched successfully from an aircraft-carrier at sea for the first time. The pilotless X-47B, developed by the navy and Northrop Grumman, is designed to take off, fly and land autonomously for missions the navy says will change the nature of sea-based warfare.
What's inside an $18K 20 GHz handheld spectrum analyzer? On this week's teardown, EEVblog finds out.
A scientist in China has produced the lightest substance ever recorded, which he says could provide solutions to heavy problems, such as pollution control. Gao Chou says his carbon aerogel can absorb up to 900 times its own body weight, in addition to displaying other qualities that make it ideal for further development.
After winning the prize of the "Most Frequently Asked Question", Solar Impulse's favorite behind-the-scenes expert uncovers how the pilots go to, well... to the bathroom. Meet Brian and the challenges he's had to face to find the most appropriate solution for this very sensitive issue.
BP is seeking to stop paying millions of dollars in what it calls spurious compensation claims stemming from the catastrophic 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The company warned Thursday that the excessive claims are jeopardizing its financial prospects. It has sought an injunction in U.S....
Google's sixth annual conference for software developers opened Wednesday with a chance for the company to showcase its latest services. Announcements included new features for online games, maps and search, a new music-streaming service and enhancements to its Google Plus social network,...
Tesla Motors Inc. on Wednesday said it is planning a stock and notes offering that includes plans for its CEO and co-founder, Elon Musk, to buy a chunk of the shares himself. The news sent Tesla's stock up nearly 7 percent in after-hours trading, extending the rally in stock of the maker of pricy...
Electronics thermal management innovator Cambridge Nanotherm is to build its first prototype manufacturing plant in Haverhill, UK following the award of £250,000 in matched funding from the UK Innovation Agency - Technology Strategy Board (TSB).
Used in conjunction with HEIDENHAIN’s PWM 20 diagnostic tool, the new ATS (Adjustment and Testing Software) software provides a powerful and easy-to-use platform to diagnosis encoder faults and to evaluate the output signals of HEIDENHAIN encoders.
Ocean Optics has released OceanView spectroscopy software, combining powerful data processing capabilities with a clear graphical user interface for use with the company’s miniature spectrometers. OceanView is highly customizable and includes a schematic view that provides a visual roadmap of data flow from spectral inputs to processed results.
Each year, MIT’s Lemelson program awards an outstanding student inventor for his or her contribution to innovative technology. This year, Nikolai Begg was awarded the $30,000 prize for his portfolio of cutting-edge medical devices. The main inspiration behind his work was a quest to create less invasive surgical tools, and by all means, he is succeeding.
Thomas Research Products (Huntley, IL) has announced an advanced new generation of their Surge Protector product line. The FSP3-277-20K model Surge Protector is useful in avoiding costly problems in 24/7 outdoor applications, including street lighting, big-box retail, warehouses, parking garages, and transportation facilities.
Google Inc. unveiled a streaming music service called All Access that blends songs users have already uploaded to their online libraries with millions of other tracks for a $10 monthly fee. The service puts the Internet goliath in competition with popular paid subscription plans like Spotify and... | <urn:uuid:73318d3a-0c75-4f53-a453-48e674c8906b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pddnet.com/all-content/all?items_per_page=15&page=6&%3Bamp%3Bamp%3Bamp%3Bpage=5%2C1247&%3Bamp%3Bamp%3Bitems_per_page=100&%3Bqt-most_popular=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944442 | 858 | 1.65625 | 2 |
China and Alcoa Buy Stake in Rio Tinto
Big news in the multinational mining world: the Aluminum Corporation of China has partnered with Pittsburgh-based Alcoa (a huge aluminum producer) to buy a 12 percent stake in Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto has been around since 1873 and is involved in everything from coal and copper to salt and sulfuric acid.
The purchase is important because it shows China disapproves of BHP Billiton’s effort to essentially buy up Rio Tinto. China recently inked a deal with BHP to buy more iron ore over the next decade. If the companies had merged, China’s purchasing options would be reduced and so commodity prices (especially for iron ore) could have risen even more. According to the New York Times:
Less than a week before the deadline for BHP to make a formal offer for Rio, Chinalco, as the state-owned Chinese company is called, said the $14.05 billion deal was China’s biggest foreign investment and could lead to a full takeover.
China has been strongly opposed to BHP’s proposed merger with Rio, fearing that a merger of the world’s two biggest resources companies would give the combined company the power to dictate the price of commodities, particularly iron ore, that China needs to sustain strong economic growth. Other large commodity customers in Japan and South Korea have also objected to the BHP proposal.
See also, from Reuters, “FACTBOX-Chinese companies expand mining overseas.“ | <urn:uuid:299724ab-ffa4-462d-879d-0a01d1b0912a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/02/china-and-alcoa-buy-stake-in-rio-tinto/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967356 | 316 | 1.789063 | 2 |
By William Fisher
What could turn out to be an epic battle is brewing in the US Senate. But unlike most of this chamber’s epic battles, this one pits Republican against Republican.
The battle is over the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007. The proposed legislation would repeal provisions of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 that stripped US civilian courts from jurisdiction to hear or consider applications for a writ of habeas corpus filed by aliens detained as enemy combatants.
And the protagonists are arguably two of the Senate’s sharpest legal minds: Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
The principal issue in this latest chapter of the detainee drama is whether congress will, on its own, vote to reconsider a key provision of legislation it passed last year at the suggestion of the Supreme Court – or whether the case will get to the court before lawmakers have a chance to vote.
Legal advocacy organizations such as the Center for Constitutional Rights have already petitioned the high court to review the MCA, and have asked for oral arguments before summer.
Their action has been accelerated by the recent decision of a lower federal appeals court, which ruled 2-1 that detainees in US custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have no right to challenge their imprisonment in federal courts.
The court's decision found that overruling the MCA would "defy the will of congress," and asserted that habeas corpus does not apply to foreigners who are not in the US. It effectively ruled that the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay is a property leased by the US from Cuba, and that Cuba has sovereignty over it.
Ironically, it was a suggestion contained in a Supreme Court decision that led to “the will of congress” -- passage of the MCA. The high court had previously upheld Guantanamo detainees' right to contest their incarceration in two landmark decisions in federal courts, first in Rasul v. Bush in 2004 and then in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld in 2006. That decision followed similar rulings from two lower federal appeals courts.
But in its Hamdan decision, the high court said that Congress could take further action on the issue. That action resulted in enactment of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which stripped civilian courts of jurisdiction as well as setting up special military trials for detainees.
While the senate has been preoccupied with other issues, including the president’s request for emergency supplemental spending to fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007 has been on hold. But now that the emergency funding bill has been passed by the senate and is on its way to a Senate-House conference committee – and then to a promised presidential veto -- congress-watchers are expecting the habeas legislation to re-emerge. That action will no doubt have been made more urgent by the guilty plea of “Australian Taliban” detainee, David Hicks, the first-ever conviction by a Military Commission at Guantanamo.
When the senate begins debating the MCA, Sens. Specter and Graham can be expected to spearhead the debate. Specter will be joined by the powerful chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, a co-sponsor of the legislation, a host of other Democrats, and a few Specter-like Republicans. Graham’s position will have the backing of most Republicans, largely conservatives.
Specter – a former prosecutor – will bolster his position with panoply of complex constitutional as well as moral arguments. But at the core of these will be a straightforward legal contention: If people under the effective control of the US have no habeas rights, why did the framers of the Constitution specify that habeas rights could only be suspended in times of invasion or armed insurrection against the government? Neither of these, he says, is present today. Specter is also likely to emphasize the negative impacts of Guantanamo and its legal failings on America’s reputation abroad.
Graham, an Air Force reserve colonel who has been a military lawyer and judge for 20 years, will take the position that prisoners of war – or those designated as enemy combatants – are not protected by the Constitution and have ever had the right to petition civilian courts to determine their reasons for being held. He is also likely to argue that federal judges are not trained to hear military cases, that hundreds of habeas petitions will clog court calendars for years, that many of the civilian judges and the lawyers involved in these proceedings do not have the necessary security clearances, and that public hearings could well compromise national security by revealing classified information.
Another MCA-repeal bill was introduced recently by Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, who is a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. The Dodd measure would return habeas corpus rights to detainees and clarify other parts of the law.
Sen. Specter, who frequently finds himself at odds with the administration of his own party, appears to be hedging his bets. While joining Sen. Leahy in pressing for the senate to take up the MCA-repeal legislation, Specter has meanwhile submitted a “friend of the court” brief to the Supreme Court in support of a petition for a writ of certiorari that asks the court to hear the case.
The petition was filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights, the legal advocacy organization that coordinates the work of hundreds of pro-bono lawyers who have volunteered to defend Guantanamo detainees. There are still close to 400 prisoners at the Cuban base, many of whom have long since been declared “no further threat” to the US and who are awaiting release.
In his brief, Senator Specter writes, "Congress has struggled with the important constitutional questions presented in these cases. The arguments have been aired and re-aired. The time is ripe for this Court to address the constitutional infirmity of the MCA's attempt to curtail the right of habeas corpus. Habeas must be restored to ensure that the rule of law prevails at Guantánamo."
Wells Dixon, an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights Guantánamo Global Justice Initiative, said, "We are pleased that Senator Specter has joined us in asking the Court to reaffirm the right of the detainees to challenge their detention in a court of law. This will be the third time the Court rules on this issue while our clients have languished for more than five years without a chance to prove their innocence or even, in some cases, have access to an attorney. It is time to return to the rule of law on which our country was founded."
Specter does not discount further efforts by Congress to resolve the issue but argues that the Court has a critical role to play, both in establishing what the Constitution requires and in giving the detainees the opportunity to argue the merits of their cases.
He believes the debate in Congress is ultimately not helping: "While this exchange of ideas is surely healthy and appropriate, the conversation has begun to generate diminishing returns. Meanwhile, the detainees wait, and uncertainty surrounds a fundamental constitutional principle. If the Court declines to resolve these important issues in this term, the detainees could face more than another full year in legal limbo."
Then, even if the Congress acts to repeal the habeas section of the MCA, the new legislation could well face a Bush veto – without the votes necessary to over-ride it.
Thus, Guantanamo is likely to be with us for some time to come – the issue that simply won’t go away. | <urn:uuid:a6b029c4-5206-4569-93ea-361a6867da79> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://billfisher.blogspot.com/2007_03_29_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961342 | 1,542 | 1.8125 | 2 |
What elderly person wants to spend time in an emergency room? They’re so chaotic and uncomfortable that several hospitals have opened calmer, more specialized emergency units particularly designed for their oldest patients.
But how much more distressing is an E.R. visit for someone who’s within weeks of dying?
Dr. Alexander Smith, a palliative care specialist and researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, can recite a long list of reasons that spending hours in emergency rooms doesn’t make sense for people so close to death. “The emergency department isn’t set up for palliative or end-of-life care,” he told me in an interview. “The attitude of people in emergency medicine is to diagnose and fix, not provide comfort.” They’re trained to act; do-not-resuscitate orders or patients’ distaste for aggressive procedures prevent them from acting.
E.R. staff also are usually meeting their patients for the first time and are unfamiliar with their histories, goals and preferences. Add that frail and frightened patients can wait most of a day to be examined, to undergo tests, to get the results. Also add: “stretchers, cold rooms and a guy in the next bed screaming,” Dr. Smith said.
Sadly, though, in a large national study he undertook with colleagues at U.C.S.F. and at Harvard, more than half the older adults who died had gone to an emergency room during the last month of their lives, and the E.R. visit had led most of them straight to a hospital bed.
The study, published on Tuesday in the journal Health Affairs, shows that more than three-quarters of the patients visiting an emergency room in their final month were admitted to the hospital (where 39 percent spent time in an intensive care unit); 68 percent of those admitted to a hospital died there.
The data, drawn from the Health and Retirement Study, trace the histories of 4,158 people over age 65 who died between 1992 and 2006. They were ailing and disabled: More than two-thirds needed assistance with three or more basic daily activities like bathing, dressing and using the toilet. More than a third were nursing home residents, and more than a third cognitively impaired. Though the survey doesn’t specify precisely what symptoms led them to an E.R., we do know that they suffered primarily from heart failure, pneumonia and stroke.
Not only did 51 percent arrive in their final month, but 75 percent went to an E.R. in their final six months, and more than 40 percent of those went more than once. Their average age at death was 83.
This scenario, in which the E.R. acts as a conveyor belt to hospitalization, runs counter to the death most Americans say they want: at home and at peace. But you can see how it might work that way. “When families arrive at the E.R. toward the end of life, they’re in crisis,” Dr. Smith said. “And decisions are made in that moment that affect the rest of a person’s life.”
Not coincidentally, these panicky visits also result in huge bills. The E.R. itself is an expensive place to treat symptoms. Then the visits may trigger many subsequent hospitalizations and I.C.U. use, which cost even more. Historically, a quarter or more of Medicare expenditures happen in the final six months of life; this pattern may help explain why.
What most troubles Dr. Smith and other palliative care physicians, however, is that this represents a poor way to care for the dying. “We can do better to prepare people,” he said.
With franker and more extensive conversations about end-of-life decisions (never easy) and with better outpatient care, reliance on ill-suited emergency rooms might decline. Some of these health problems can be treated effectively outside of hospitals, studies show, and some need not be treated at all, except to relieve pain and distress.
Which brings us, once again, to the magic word. Among these sick old people, so close to death, what group only rarely went to emergency rooms? Those who had enrolled in hospice care at least a month before they died. Just 10 percent of them visited an E.R. in their final month, compared with 56 percent of those who weren’t enrolled.
Most hospice patients don’t enroll that far in advance, in part because “many doctors don’t mention the possibility of hospice until people are at death’s door,” Dr. Smith said. Their care at a crucial time might improve, and Medicare costs might shrink, if more doctors did.
Paula Span is the author of “When the Time Comes: Families With Aging Parents Share Their Struggles and Solutions.” | <urn:uuid:7fc78b56-283d-4923-a70e-314e644a04c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/at-the-end-a-rush-to-the-e-r/?src=recg | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96637 | 1,029 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Shapiro Center for Research and Collaboration
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago's (SAIC) Earl and Brenda Shapiro Center for Research and Collaboration transforms the way faculty and students exchange ideas. The Shapiro Center creates pathways between SAIC and industry partners, other academic institutions, and civic organizations in the city of Chicago and on national and international levels. The initiative was made possible by a generous gift from SAIC Trustees Earl and Brenda Shapiro.
SAIC is a place where culture and innovation intersect in meaningful ways. Faculty research contributes to:
- Cultural and economic development with art and design as the root of innovation and change
- Twenty-first-century learning with art and design as the seeds of exploration and discovery
- Enhanced quality of living with art and design as the bedrock and engine of society | <urn:uuid:ace6d87f-e975-40ab-b557-138ac998d264> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.saic.edu/academics/shapirocenter/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935844 | 165 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Trip Start Jan 16, 2008
117Trip End Jul 28, 2008
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Where I stayed
Sadly, far too many Australians and tourists alike, abuse Uluru as if it is just a natural wonder. It pains me to say it, but for once Germaine Greer was right when she compared climbing Uluru to behaving "as sacrilegiously as if you were to haul yourself up the some of St Peter's Basilica with alpenstock and crampons". With metal poles and chains drilled into the majestic red rock, the infamous "Climb" literally scars the landscape as self-interested individuals do themselves no favours in search of yet another holiday snap. The ultimate tragedy is that the National Park authorities put on a pathetic facade proclaiming the "special relationship" they have with the aboriginals (who incidentally are no where to be seen), but do not abolish the "Climb" through fear it will diminish the number of tourists and prevent them from receiving their bonuses to finance their gas-guzzling 4x4s.
Ok, rant over but it remains an issue that needs to be put to bed once and for all.
It is not until you embark on the breathtaking circumnavigation of Uluru that you truly appreciate its enormity and diverse structure. Its apparent regularity from a distance belies the trenches, gorges and geological abrasions that mark its surface each with a specific meaning to the Aboriginals and their interpretation of the rock's creation. As the sun rises and sets the changing colours of Uluru leave you marvelling at the beauty of nature.
Equally majestic were the mighty-domed rocks of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) 30km west of Uluru. The 7.5km Valley of the Winds trail was one of the most stunning tracks I have ever walked. Traversing through the gorge at 7.30 in the morning with the crisp air lingering in the shadows as the sounds of nature echoed around was one of the highlights of the entire trip. As two kangaroos emerged from the bush right on cue, the view from the Karlingana lookout with the sheer red rock climbing hundreds of metres on either side was utterly sensational.
To paraphrase a former colleague, Uluru-Kata Tjuta may just appear as a load of rocks, but there the most bloody impressive rocks I've ever seen! | <urn:uuid:9e084437-b5c5-494c-b114-e5e79c62d6dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kimandrob/1/1210194000/tpod.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948054 | 512 | 1.5 | 2 |
Hi Everyone, Here is a blog post (Part 1) that I wrote about disability and social media. I talk quite a bit about Braintalk in Part 2 and use general conglomerates of my friends here (to keep privacy intact, but I think you will recognize yourselves!)
Stephen Marche's article "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely" in the May issue of The Atlantic pokes a sharp stick at social media and its effect on our sense of social fulfilment. Marche asserts, "What Facebook has revealed about human nature—and this is not a minor revelation—is that a connection is not the same thing as a bond, and that instant and total connection is no salvation, no ticket to a happier, better world or a more liberated version of humanity."
Caregivers know a lot about the difference between loneliness and solitude. Solitude feels delicious - it's when someone you love and trust takes charge of your loved one and brings him or her somewhere fun, somewhere safe. You, as caregiver, can have a long bath or read a magazine. Solitude is your chance to drink the tonic of silence with no one calling for your help. But giving and receiving care can be lonely because the lifestyle is, by its nature, one of isolation. One mother I know from the parent bulletin boards has not been out to dinner for several years. She and her husband look after their 42 year old son in a home hospital setting. Their older son, also affected by the same genetic disease, passed away at the age of 38 four years ago. I feel that I really know this woman, even though I have never met her. To me, she is a real friend. Perhaps that is because our online relationship is not driven by narcissism, but rather a shared experience of caring for our sons with disabilities. When we talk online, we discuss the perils of severe constipation or the side effects of anti-seizure medications. For my online friend and me, the internet gives us a bridge for conversation about our unique, shared experience.
But there are limitations to Facebook and other social media sites too. For people moving to a new city or country, Facebook and Skype can sometimes hinder settlement. One friend, an expat in England, wrote "I found that using Facebook made me very homesick when I moved here. I have seen several young people spend all their free time on Facebook only to get super discouraged and move home without truly making a go at being in a new city..."
Last summer, my daughter Natalie worked as a research assistant to Daniel Miller (author of "Tales From Facebook", amongst other fascinating works exploring the effects of social media on our real time relations). For his newer research project, Dr. Miller was investigating whether Skype helped or hindered the settlement process of new immigrants. That research is still ongoing. One thing is for certain - lonely people will not be less lonely if they use Facebook. People who are not lonely and who use Facebook or other social media sites to enhance their real time relationships report high satisfaction levels with both their online and their real life friendships.
But the inadequacy of Facebook as a tool for intimate communication is starkly illuminated when serious problems befall the real lives of people. When a friend in London was diagnosed with cervical cancer, she reported that Facebook and Skype were too painful to use with her closest family and friends back home. Nothing short of an embrace would heal her frightened heart, so she closed her online accounts and told her children that she needed them to visit.
So, what kinds of social media can be truly helpful to people who give and receive care? That's the subject of tomorrow's post.
For the original post and live links, go to http://donnathomson.blogspot.com | <urn:uuid:67fe3d3b-214b-4e32-98f1-0ab243a017d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://braintalkcommunities.org/showthread.php/1859-Part-One-Social-Media-and-Our-Families-Is-Facebook-Good-or-Bad | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964687 | 766 | 1.789063 | 2 |
The aim of this project is to determine whether profiling is a valid tool for the state (and its security agencies) in fulfilling its obligation regarding the security of its citizens. The proposed research will include a critical review of literature examining the concept of profiling; its various types; its validity and reliability for the purposes of delivering national security in a non-discriminatory way as defined in Canadian human rights legislation; and its desirability encompassing such considerations as prudence, efficiency and morality. This review will consider the generalizing nature of profiling in the context of human rights and its degree of error when applied in particular cases. The review of literature will cover published and unpublished reports related to the above subject and will include known cases of profiling used in the course of security and policing activities.
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By Alex Stevenson Follow @alex__stevenson
The Commons has called on the government to reform Britain's extradition arrangements with other countries "to strengthen the protection of British citizens".
A backbench motion tabled by Conservative MP Dominic Raab was passed without a vote last night, as MPs placed pressure on ministers to look again at the European arrest warrant (EAW) and the US-UK extradition treaty.
The EAW - currently being used to extradite Wikileaks founder Julian Assange from the UK to Sweden - is criticised because it assumes standards of justice are the same across Europe.
Under the terms of the 2003 treaty with America, US officials can demand the extradition of a British citizen based on only "reasonable suspicion" - whereas US judges can reject a British application if no "probable cause" is shown.
"It is not about abolishing extradition, which is vital to international efforts in relation to law enforcement," Mr Raab told MPs.
"It is about whether, in taking the fight to the terrorists and the serious criminals after 9/11, the pendulum swung too far the other way."
Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon is the highest profile figure facing extradition to the United States. He has exhausted his rights of appeal but the home secretary can decide to withhold his extradition under the European Convention of Human Rights.
"At root it is about the injustice in dispatching someone with Asperger’s syndrome hundreds of miles from home on allegations of computer hacking when he was apparently searching for unidentified flying objects," Mr Raab added.
"Gary McKinnon should not be treated like some gangland mobster or al-Qaeda mastermind."
Two medical experts are currently working on a report to determine whether Mr McKinnon - who has Asperger's syndrome - would have his human rights infringed by being extradited to the US.
"We hope that the experts will report as soon as possible; but clearly a number of issues will need to be considered in depth," immigration minister Damian Green told the Commons.
Former home secretary David Blunkett said Britain needed a rigorous set of rules which could be applied impartially - in an apparent attack against campaigns to save individuals like Mr McKinnon.
"The rule of law has to apply equally and sensitively, but it has to include rules to which we can all adhere," he said.
"The NatWest three, or the Enron three as the Americans prefer to call them, were totally innocent according to their campaigns, and even I began to be convinced that they were, until of course they reached the United States and pleaded guilty."
Mr Green reminded MPs that the coalition government had commissioned an independent review chaired by Sir Scott Baker, which had concluded the current system was operating fairly.
He acknowledged its conclusions had been "controversial" and said "complex and important issues" had to be assessed.
"The debate has provided much more useful information and analysis, all of which I know the home secretary will take carefully into account," Mr Green added.
"As soon as we can, we will announce what action we propose to take in the light of the extradition review." | <urn:uuid:b0cdae22-dcdb-4c1c-afe9-a8fc9c188074> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2011/12/06/commons-backs-extradition-reform | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97505 | 643 | 1.585938 | 2 |
If you are facing a DUI in Colorado, you probably are frightened and stressed, wondering what may be before you. Colorado DUI laws are complex and will require significant study in order to completely understand them. A qualified local Colorado DUI attorney can help you navigate the process through the court system and the CDR (Colorado Department of Revenue). In Colorado, DUI and DWAI (driving while ability impaired) laws both have criminal liabilities attached. You do not have to know you were breaking the law, nor do you need to have any intent to break the law. You merely need to break the law, which involves a BAC (breath alcohol content) of .08, in order to be arrested. Even if your driving is perfect, you will be arrested. A DWAI offense is lesser than a DUI, in that it only requires a BAC of .05 to .08. An arrest will still take place, but punishment will be less. There’s also another way you can be arrested in Colorado that is not as widely known. If an officer has reason to believe you are driving while impaired, you can be arrested for DUI or DWAI without a breath test. You may have been observed weaving in traffic, driving with no headlights, slow acceleration, erratic braking or a few dozen other things. The officer is trained to look for these to enforce road safety laws. Once you are stopped, everything you say and do can and will be held against you in a court of law. The officer is building a case and he or she will often delay the arrest until you’ve given enough incriminating evidence. Be advised -- only after you are arrested will you will be read your Miranda rights.
As in most other states, Colorado will present you with two separate legal cases to defend yourself against. One is a court case in which jail time, fines and fees, and remedial alcohol and drug education will be addressed. The other case is an administrative case handled by the CDR, which will handle the suspension, revocation and reinstatement of your license as well as points against your driving record. The two cases are separate and exclusionary, so for instance if the court case does not require something such as an ignition interlock device, the CDR case maintains the right to do so.
If you are arrested outside your home state, be sure to ask your attorney how this law will impact you.
The punishments listed below are not complete, as there are many factors not mentioned which can change the outcome of your case. If you are under 21, punishments will vary. And if you are charged with a DUI while a minor is in the car, punishments will also change. Contact a specially trained local Colorado DUI attorney who can answer your questions with a free consultation.
Incarceration – 48 hours to 6 months in jail.
Fines – minimum $700 up to $1,000 plus fees
License Suspension – mandatory 120 days; 18 months for refusal to submit to a chemical test
Insurance – SR22 proof of insurance form, mandatory before suspended license reinstated
Ignition Interlock Device – required to be installed on your vehicle if you refused a chemical test. Must be installed on vehicle before license will be reinstated
Alcohol & Drug Education – mandatory completion of a drug and alcohol education program
Community Service – court may choose to require 48 hours community service or home electronic monitoring instead of minimum jail sentence of 48 hours.
ADDITIONAL COSTS AND CONSEQUENCES
Bail – amount set by the court, required before being released after being arrested
Towing – impound fee of $330 plus towing fee if applicable. Vehicle must have current registration before it will be released.
Insurance – required to carry high risk SR22 insurance for three years. As a designated “high risk” driver, your insurance company will raise your rates significantly. Expect your insurance rates to double or more.
Record – DUI conviction can remain on driving record permanently
Employment – offender may lose time off work and possibly even their job.
Immigration and travel – restrictions can apply with certain convictions
Vehicle – possible vehicle seizure for multiple violations
Additional offenses will bring significantly higher penalties, up to 6 years in prison and $5000 in fines. Don’t take a chance with your freedom. It is highly recommended that you contact a qualified DUI attorney right away for a FREE CONSULTATION on your case. It is possible your case CAN be won with the right representation. | <urn:uuid:a3eb6570-bb02-4912-9661-d172011a7dfd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.godui.org/us/colorado | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955069 | 920 | 1.5625 | 2 |
In a time when the workforce is increasingly transient, your ability to identify high-performing and high-potential employees—and that of your managers—is critical. And yet, many struggle to distinguish one from the other, negatively impacting their ability to develop and retain top talent. In many organizations, performance is the primary measure of an employee’s value in the organization. Star performers are promoted and rewarded, while diamonds in the rough become disengaged and move on.
Don’t get me wrong–you should definitely value performance. But if your end goal is to build a more robust talent pipeline (and it should be), performance can’t be the only point of entry. To that end, there are strategies that any manager can apply to develop high-potentials and high-performers effectively.
Step One: Identify
High-performers stand out in any organization. They consistently exceed expectations, and are management’s go-to for difficult projects. They take pride in their accomplishments, but may not have the potential (or the desire) to succeed in a higher-level role.
High potentials can be more difficult to identify, especially for line managers. That’s because most valuable attributes (e.g. stress management, adaptability, business sense) aren’t catalytic in entry-to-mid-level roles. Potential is subjective to what a company values, of course, but there are innate attributes that distinguish them from high-performers.
Line managers’ observations are often limited to the most obvious traits (time management, communication skills, attention to detail). By working with leadership, however, managers can profile the skills that ensure success in key roles—and be on the lookout for examples of both high performers and high potentials from day one.
Step Two: Assess
An established standard of the attributes and competencies of model employees is also an essential part of objective assessment. And though there’s a distinct difference between potential and performance, experts agree that employees should be assessed on competency in both.
Each category requires a different development strategy. With a clearer picture of who falls where, managers can make more informed decisions in how to effectively develop them. For example: High Po/ Low Per employees may need to improve their ability to perform consistently, or may be moved into roles better aligned with their natural abilities. And High Per/Low Po employees would be ideal candidates for soft skill development–or for roles that require more technical skill.
Step Three: Engage and Develop
The important thing about development and engagement strategies (especially for high-potential vs. high-performance employees) is to tailor your efforts to drive the results you want. Typical engagement strategies could look something like this:
Recognition is key for High Per/Low Po employees. They need constant encouragement and challenging assignments. Rather than promoting them to roles they don’t want (or aren’t ready for), give them the independence and engage them with projects that they can take full ownership of.
Alternately, while High Po/Low Per employees are hungry for more high-impact work, they need seasoning. On the job training is a great way to accomplish this, especially when pairing them with high performers. As they develop a stronger understanding of the organization and their role in it, give them projects to manage, new hires to train, and offer cross-training opportunities.
Set Your Line Managers Up for Success
Your line managers are the gatekeepers to your talent pipeline, and they’ve got their work cut out for them. While most will have some natural ability in identifying, assessing, and engaging performers and potentials, few will be adept at all three. If you want to improve your ability to retain top talent, it starts with your line managers. Set them up for success, and invest in their development.
This guest post was written by Kyle Lagunas.
Kyle Lagunas is the HR Analyst at Software Advice—an online resource for HR software comparisions. He reports on trends, technology, and best practices in talent management, with work featured on Forbes, Business Insider, Information Weekly, and the NY Times. | <urn:uuid:34fb39c5-3fd0-4ad6-bac5-1dca42e10ce3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mcnakblog.com/tag/business/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948084 | 864 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Hello, I need help
Hi. so I'm having trouble finding ideas for my IWB! You guys would be of great help if you could give me names of good artists I could critique. I am interested in abstract, and just modern art.... like of modern ideas, scenery...etc! Also, I would appreciate it if you guys just give me come ideas of what I should research on.. maybe something that you have researched in the past and have found interesting?
My teacher is always telling us to just research anything even if it doesnt really relate to the studio work you were/are working on? is that true? thanks in advance! I'm doing really bad with my IWB and any help would be MUCH APPRECIATED!
Jan 2 2011, 7:58 AM EST by
My next Project
I am thinking of something about indian dance or cloth (: and using nail polish and a specific technique of some syrian artist but whats hard is the postion and what i am going to paint . i know the tech. the material ... Got any ideas ?
Nov 10 2010, 1:58 PM EST by
I wrote about themes in my latest blog...
I wrote about themes in my latest blog... maybe someone would be interested to read this:
Looking for Learning, Themes, Freedom and Value (on my blog below)
Program Leader Art 5-12
International School Manila
Sep 30 2010, 7:59 AM EDT by
IB art themes
I found this answer about themes on Yahoo answers and thought it was a good explanation:
"The first thing I suggest is really to think about who you are and the what events have occurred that have greatly impacted your life. IB is very big on you understanding "art in context" so its important for you to show an awareness of this on a personal, local, and global level. Once you begin to consider these things, then you can find some ideas that can be investigated through time and culture. For example, if you're Catholic you go through a process that leads to taking your first communion....what's that all about? Where did it come from? How has it changed through history? How is it different in different cultures? How has this idea been represented through time? Allow your ideas to evolve, it's not necessary to stay on a strict theme...it is important to show connections between ideas."
How do you generate ideas?
All about Themes
Ahhhh...the complicated theme question. What should I do? What is a theme and how should I follow it? Does IB even require a theme? All things related to themes can be added and discussed here. Technically, IB does not require a "theme" but a cohe
**Disclaimer: This website has not been endorsed in anyway by the IBO and is an independent website If you got a 4, add your studio pieces here. It will help give new students an idea of the caliber of work a "4" is. *Remember that there is
**Disclaimer: This website has not been endorsed in anyway by the IBO and is an independent website If you got a 6, add your studio pieces here. It will help give new students an idea of the caliber of work a "6" is. *Remember that there is
Jul 8 2011, 10:49 AM EDT by
IB Art Studio
Welcome to the IB Art wiki! This wiki is a meeting place for IB Art students (and teachers!) of the world to share their ideas and collaborate. Please feel free to add your latest studio piece to the gallery for | <urn:uuid:78677101-bbd6-4f4b-8eb7-b58974105b90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ibart.wetpaint.com/tag/Studio | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960871 | 732 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Renting a home or apartment for the first time can be overwhelming. Below is some basic information about renting that first-time renters can use to reduce the anxiety and ensure that the experience is as smooth and painless as possible.
Finding a Unit
When searching for rental property, it's wise to comb through the real estate listings carefully and compare your options. Don't settle on the first place you visit. Instead, take some time to search for the perfect home. Hire a qualified real estate agent and settle on your target price range before you set the first appointment.
The Cost of Renting
As a renter, you will be responsible for making a payment to your landlord each month. In most cases, the payment will remain the same for the duration of your lease. Most landlords will also require you to pay a security deposit before moving in, which may be refundable if the unit is in good condition when you leave. Finally, because your landlord's insurance policy won't cover your personal belongings, you should also consider purchasing rental insurance to protect your property from damage or loss.
The Application Process
Before you can rent a home or apartment, you must typically complete an application. The landlord or property manager will then review your income and credit information before deciding whether to accept you as a tenant. For this reason, it's important to clean up your credit as much as you can before you apply as a renter.
Signing the Lease
If the landlord approves your application, you will sign a lease, which is an agreement between you and the landlord that defines the terms of your tenancy arrangement. Most leases last for at least one year. However, some landlords are willing to rent on a month-to-month basis.
Following the Rules
Most landlords publish a list of rules that tenants must follow. For example, some landlords may restrict pets, or they may prohibit you from making permanent changes to the interior of the residence. If you break these rules repeatedly, the landlord may evict you, refuse to renew your lease and/or refuse to return your security deposit, so make sure you understand the rules before you sign the lease.
Search for a rental home and research local schools and neighborhoods at homesandland.com.
More tips like this one ... | <urn:uuid:f43c70f3-cc36-450b-9c97-f637b611f58a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.homesandland.com/Tips-For-Renting/First_Rental_Experience/20121230401.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94713 | 463 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Examiners say tests of Ray's gun 'inconclusive'August 1, 1997
Web posted at: 7:52 p.m. EDT (2352 GMT)
MEMPHIS, Tennessee (CNN) -- Tests on the rifle believed to have been used to kill Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were "inconclusive" in determining if it was the murder weapon, according to a firearms examiners' report
The findings were presented Friday to Criminal Court Judge Joe Brown, who will decide if and how new test firings on the .30-06 hunting rifle will be conducted.
James Earl Ray, who was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to King's 1968 assassination, recanted his confession soon after he made it and wants a trial. His lawyers say the rifle tests could support his contention.
The examiners said the evidence was inconclusive, as were previous tests by the FBI and the House Select Committee on Assassinations. They added, however, that "appropriate cleaning" and another test firing of the rifle could produce bullets with markings that are suitable for comparison.
Tennessee Assistant Deputy Attorney General John Campbell said the report shows there is no need for more testing of the rifle. "We're wasting time and resources," he told CNN.
Related sites:Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
Terms under which this service is provided to you. | <urn:uuid:cc0a0b2e-4ff7-4f9e-a839-cc54b12c9c25> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnn.com/US/9708/01/briefs.pm/mlk.ray.rifle/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975582 | 305 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Life Insurance At Age 63
If you are shopping for life insurance in your sixties, then you are probably
concerned about leaving a financial burden on your loved ones. Most shoppers look for life insurance at the
age of 63 so that they can lock in a low rate while they are young and in perfect health. Many parents will
also purchase life insurance for their children at this age. One thing you can be sure of is that you have
plenty of choices for life insurance coverage and the cost is very affordable. Learn more about your options
and compare rates from several highly rated carriers.
Your Options for Insurance In Your Sixties
A sixty three year old has two basic options for life insurance coverage - term life insurance and permanent life
insurance. Term life insurance is temporary coverage that can last anywhere from one year or as long as 30
years, depending on the company that you choose. Term is very affordable coverage because you can get a lot of
coverage for a very reasonable premium. Unlike term insurance, permanent life insurance will last you for your
entire lifetime, as long as you continue to pay your premiums. Your policy will also accumulate cash value on a
tax-deferred basis. Whole life and universal life are the 2 most common permanent coverage options.
Here Are A Few Sample Rates
Here are a few sample rates to give you an estimate of what you can expect to pay for a policy at your age.
These are based on a non-smoker with a preferred health rating. Your rate could be lower or higher depending on
$200,000 10 Year Term Life Insurance:
63 Year Old Male - $865 per year
63 Year Old Female - $645 per year
$50,000 Level Pay Whole Life Insurance:
63 Year Old Male - $1749 per year
63 Year Old Female - $1441 per year
Keep in mind that the actual rate that you will pay is going to depend on several variables such as your smoking
status, your health history, your family health history, your occupation and hobbies, and even your driving
history. Life insurance companies look at all of these things when determining your eligibility for a policy.
What to Know If You Have Health Problems
Although most 63 year olds have excellent health, there are some people who have pre-existing health conditions
from childhood or other things that have developed over the years. In most cases, you can still get affordable
rates for life insurance with a few health issues. The type of policy that you can qualify for and the rate you pay
will depend on what that particular health concern is. For example, if you have type 2 diabetes, then some insurers
will offer you a standard rate if your condition is well controlled. If you have some heart problems or instances
of a past heart attack or stroke, then you may only qualify for a guaranteed issue life insurance policy. It is best to speak with an
experienced agent about your particular health situation because he or she can guide you towards the best carrier
for your needs.
Get A Quote Today and Compare Multiple Rates
The first step when shopping for coverage in your sixties or at any age is to shop around. Whether you need a
temporary policy for a certain number of years or if you want something permanent that will be there for the
remainder of your life, it is very important to compare quotes from several different companies. This is because
rates can vary by as much as 70% from one company to another depending on your age, your health, your smoking
status, and even your driving record. So be sure to get a free rate
quote today. You can view multiple rates in less than a minute and get closer to peace of mind in knowing
that your family is protected. | <urn:uuid:3e63b58c-782e-485d-945d-f714918ccee5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://quotesfortermlife.com/life-insurance-63-years-old.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950587 | 778 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Naxos' six-CD retrospective of Witold Lutosławski's orchestral works is one of the best things that this label has done. Now Naxos, along with the same orchestra and conductor, is turning its attention to the orchestral music of another modern Pole: Krzysztof Penderecki. Penderecki was born in 1933, 20 years after Lutosławski. Unlike his predecessor, he still is alive and composing, although in a style that is markedly different than that which earned him his initial fame around 1960. International attention arrived with Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima – the title was added after the piece was completed. Scored "for 52 stringed instruments," it is a scarifying wall of sound. Penderecki treats the strings like percussion instruments, and conjures wild noises out of them using non-traditional playing techniques. It is a wail, a scream, a sinister muttering, and an orgy of air-raid sirens all in one. Fluorescences, written the following year, out-assaults the Threnody. Here, Penderecki writes for full orchestra, and includes instruments not formally found in an orchestra, including a typewriter (pace Leroy Anderson!); pieces of wood, tin, and glass; and (this time for real) a siren. De natura sonoris II, written a decade later, finds Penderecki refining his sonorist concept. The sounds no longer shock, but they still have the power to provoke debate on whether music can be defined as the organization of noises.
Volume 3 [shortly to be issued on Naxos 8.554492] contains the Second and Fourth Symphonies. Considering Volumes 1 and 2 together, one nevertheless can trace the changes in Penderecki's style through his symphonies alone. The 30-minute First Symphony, written in 1973 for an English engine factory, shows that the composer's sonorist techniques are amenable to symphonic development. Although it is less extreme than the works described above, it still is the work of a composer for whom experimental curiosity is at the fore. By the time of the Third Symphony (begun in 1988, but not completed until 1995), Penderecki has returned to a more traditional language. Striking orchestral sonorities are used, but as a means to expression rather than as an end. The music is tough and biting, but perhaps not as concentrated as it might be. The Fifth Symphony (1992) is even more removed from the sound-world of the Threnody. Here, Penderecki is writing music that would not be out of place in a symphony by Allan Pettersson. The mood is dark and reminiscent of the symphonies of Mahler and Shostakovich. The Fifth Symphony, the composer's most recent, alternates between driving intensity and bitter brooding. In the 60s and 70s, Penderecki may have come to feel that his compositional techniques had taken him as far as he cared to go. His music has remained essentially pessimistic, however.
Wit studied with Penderecki, and also with Henryk Czyz, a conductor who premièred some of Penderecki's music. He is at his best in the symphonies, favoring tempos that are a faster than the composers own, and emphasizing structure in music that tends to be a little loose in this department. He and the Polish orchestra seem a bit inhibited in the shorter works; earlier recordings by the composer and Andrzej Markowski took more pleasure in sound qua sound. Nevertheless, those recordings are difficult to find, and there is a definite need for these new versions. The Naxos Penderecki project is in good hands, and I am waiting to see whether it will extend to the choral works as well. (Kosmogonia, with its fascinating texts alluding to the creation and exploration of the universe, really needs to find its way to disc.) The engineering is good, but not as detailed as I would like it to be.
Copyright © 2000, Raymond Tuttle | <urn:uuid:c87e7857-4523-40b8-876e-39f1aa2bdfe2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/n/nxs54567a.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969043 | 863 | 1.640625 | 2 |
To the Editors:
Martin Malia asks [“Lenin and the ‘Radiant Future,’” NYR, November 1] whether we can say “no Lenin, no communism.” Surely all attempts to answer must take account not only of him but also of the other prominent Bolsheviks of the critical day. When he returned to Russia in April 1917 with his astonishing call for an immediate seizure of power, an old Bolshevik who’d long supported his hard lines expressed the general outrage by denouncing “the delirium of a madman.” E.H. Carr would call the new arrival “completely isolated” at that point—isolated not only from other parties but also from his own extreme one. Solid Bolshevik opinion, stiffened by the arguments of all the lesser leaders, opposed him. After discussion, the Petrograd committee rejected his call by a vote of thirteen to two. That is of course not to say he didn’t then advance and retreat with what Pravda called his “unacceptable” ideas, depending on his reading of the circumstances, nor that one or another form of communism might not have come at a later time—but not the one that did come six months after his return. So isn’t the “big question” forced? If ever events depend on a single person’s notions, will, and skills, didn’t they then?
To the Editors:
In “Lenin and the ‘Radiant Future,’” Professor Malia ably describes the limited degree of Lenin’s dependence upon the writings of Karl Marx. At the same time, he indicates that The Communist Manifesto‘s characterization of the Communists as that single party “understanding the lines of march” ahead of all other parties seemingly anticipates Lenin’s own concept of a dominant, elitist party, viz., the Bolshevik wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party.
Indeed, by a red thread this Marxist characterization in the Manifesto leads to Lenin’s main argument in his germinal 1902 work, What Is to Be Done? (said by Havana hagiographers to be Fidel Castro’s favorite political writing). Namely, as Lenin insisted, in order for the proletariat to acquire revolutionary consciousness, such consciousness must be “instilled” in them by the elitist Communist Party “from the outside.” Russian workers and poor peasants cannot on their own “spontaneously” develop such consciousness. Nor could they acquire it via a German Social Democratic– type labor movement in tandem with democratic parliamentarism.
In his book, Russia Under Western Eyes: From the Bronze Horseman to the Lenin Mausoleum (p. 169), Professor Malia, citing in a footnote (p. 467) my book on P.N. Tkachev, gave passing reference to the People’s Will movement of the 1870s. Malia likewise cited this movement in his NYR review as being an important influence on Lenin’s thinking in his youth.
This is putting it mildly. According to his chief librarian in Geneva, V.D. Bonch-Bruyevich (to cite one authority), Lenin consumed all the works of Petr Nikitich Tkachev (1844–1886). He found in them, “B.B.” disclosed,” Lenin’s own essential point of view. As Lenin advised newly arrived Russian exiles to Switzerland, “Begin by reading and familiarizing yourself with Tkachev’s Nabat [‘Tocsin’]: It is basic and will give you tremendous knowledge.” Lenin’s deep reading of some six volumes of Tkachev’s works, whom one Russian publicist of the early 1920s described bravely as the “first Bolshevik,” probably, in fact, inspired Lenin to pen What Is to Be Done? This was a work that might just as well have been written by the brilliant “Russian Jacobin,” Tkachev. In fact, one of Tkachev’s own proto-Bolshevik writings bears almost the same title (“What Is to Be Done Now?” published in Nabat, Nos. 3–5, 1879) as Lenin’s pamphlet, as does, of course, Chernyshevsky’s novel. For his dictatorship of the workers and peasants, Tkachev had even invented a Committee of Public Safety, anticipating Lenin’s Cheka, Stalin’s GPU, and the later KGB, which bore the initials KOB (Komissiya Obshchestvennoi bezopasnosti).
After Lenin’s death in 1924, the Leader’s obvious indebtedness to Tkachev confronted Soviet publicists with a ticklish problem as they set about fashioning the Stalinesque Lenin Cult. For one thing, it would not do for Lenin to be adumbrated by Tkachev, even though Russian historians (before 1924, that is) freely acknowledged the special Russian alloy of Tkachevism-Leninism. For another, Lenin’s Bolshevism was described (naturally) as a far superior revolutionary creed to any that preceded it. Lenin, after all, was an incomparable “genius.”
As a result, Tkachev’s writings were committed to the Orwellian Memory Hole. Or, as in the Brezhnev period, they were so emendated in a cretinized two-volume edition of Tkachev’s works (in whose introduction the Soviet editors also criticized me and my book on Tkachev—the first in English about him) as to be unrecognizable—either as essential Tkachevism or as examples of proto-Bolshevism foreshadowing Lenin’s ideology.
Albert L. Weeks
Martin Malia replies:
In commenting on Lenin’s role in 1917, both George Feifer and Albert Weeks offer arguments that are not without merit yet are nonetheless inconclusive.
Feifer makes the classic case that since Lenin, on his return to Russia in April 1917, was alone in his Party in advocating an immediate seizure of power, it follows that without him a Bolshevik coup could not have occurred “six months later.” While it is true that Lenin was briefly alone in the spring (and again was ahead of his Central Committee for a time in the fall), these facts can be properly evaluated only in the context of the rush of events in the eight months between February and October.
In April the first Provisional Government was still in power and it appeared that the results of February had been stabilized at a “bourgeois-democratic” level. In this context, advocating an immediate soviet-socialist seizure of power indeed seemed like madness. By June, however, the situation had so radicalized that the government itself was half socialist and all the Bolsheviks had fallen into line behind Lenin. Yet by July, the Party’s worker and soldier base had moved distinctly to his left, thus triggering an abortive insurrection that he had not foreseen and that almost destroyed his Party. In this fluid situation Lenin could only gamble his way to power, in the win-one, lose-one manner that Robert Service describes in Lenin: A Biography. The decisive factor in making this outcome possible thus was less Lenin’s foresight and leadership than a swift decent into anarchy that no party could master until the country hit bottom. And that is when Lenin had the luck to play his October card.
Albert Weeks emphasizes a more telling point in the Lenin debate, namely, his debt to the 1870s “Jacobin” Peter Tkachev. This maverick populist advocated a preventive revolution in Russia that would permit her to bypass capitalism and proceed directly to a socialism founded on the peasant commune. Since the peasants could not make such a revolution themselves, it would have to be engineered by a conspiracy of intellectuals governing thereafter as an enlightened dictatorship. In short, Tkachev to a degree anticipated the Bolshevik vanguard Party, and Lenin assiduously read his works in preparing What Is to Be Done? While all this is true, it is going too far to call Tkachev the “first Bolshevik,” as Weeks does in the title of his quite useful book. The idea of elite revolutionary conspiracy is hardly difficult to come by: it goes back to Auguste Blanqui in the 1840s and indeed to the ultra-Jacobin Gracchus Babeuf in 1796. More important still, Tkachev’s socialism remained peasant-agrarian not proletarian-industrial, a position he defended in a sharp polemic with Engels. And thirty years later Lenin’s emerging Bolshevism most decidedly incorporated whatever it owed to Tkachev’s politics into the Marx-Engels cult of progress through industrialization. Thus, I did not argue for “the limited degree of Lenin’s dependence on…Marx.” On the contrary, I emphasized the clear preponderance of Marxism in his mixed worldview.
On the Karl Marx monument still standing across the street from the Bolshoi Theater, there is inscribed a quote from Lenin that would be touching in its naiveté if it had not been so lethal in its consequences: “Marx’s teaching is all-powerful because it is true.” Lenin never said anything similar about Tkachev, or even about his idol Chernyshevsky. And it is this Marxist pseudo-rationalism that made the “October Revolution” truly revolutionary. For the real Bolshevik revolution was not the comic-opera “armed insurrection” of that month but the ensuing application of Marx’s “all-powerful” science to the building of industrial socialism on the ruins of peasant Russia. | <urn:uuid:5821f519-98b2-4760-b0c4-001580c785cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2001/dec/20/lenin-the-radiant-future/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965912 | 2,080 | 1.742188 | 2 |
St. Cloud looks to lure high-tech businesses with fast Internetby Ambar Espinoza, Minnesota Public Radio
St. Cloud is one of the nation's most wired cities, comparable to major metropolitan areas, including Minneapolis, and there's a new campaign to recruit high-technology companies to the downtown area.
St. Cloud, Minn. — If a fast internet connection sounds like a train barreling down the tracks, then an even faster internet connection might sound akin to the Space Shuttle rocketing into space.
It's that extremely rapid internet connection on which St. Cloud hopes to stake its development. In the 1990s, two competing fiber optic companies began to install fiber optic cables all around St. Cloud and the competition drove down the price of Internet connections. Pegg Gustafson, executive director of the St. Cloud Downtown Council, said that's a selling point for potential businesses and she wants them to know about it.
"We did a whole market research study to find out what people are looking for and now we'll be sending this package to about 310 companies within a five-state area," Gustafson said.
Gustafson's marketing package also has information about St. Cloud's other perks, including a low cost of living and affordable business rent. That's why Tom Grones started his business in St. Cloud nearly 15 years ago. Grones is president and CEO of GeoComm, a company that develops 911 systems for county governments. He said there is still a lot of office space in downtown for new companies.
"These assets we have here in downtown St. Cloud, I think we need to exploit what we see as a distinct opportunity to create a high-tech incubator for downtown, central Minnesota, and the community at large," Grones said.
Grones said he supports new high-tech companies in downtown because he wants to see the business district revitalized.
Scott Warzecha shares the same goals. He's the founder and CEO of NetGain. NetGain remotely runs the Internet servers of businesses and stores sensitive company information from its database center. Most of Warzecha's business comes from the health care industry.
"One of our big reasons for our rapid growth is because of the adoption of electronic medical records," Warzecha said.
Warzecha said if anything ever interferes with the internet connection, it'll get resolved fast because this communication hub is located near banking and government offices, which get serviced first. This is especially important in the medical industry because doctors need to access patient information at all times.
That reliable connection is also one of many factors ING Direct USA has an operation in downtown St. Cloud. ING Direct runs its IT operations and its customer service from St. Cloud.
"At ING Direct we have, with 7.5 million customers, 85 percent of our transactions are done online, so we don't have tellers," said Brian Myres, head of sales for ING Direct. "So the Internet, the Web, is basically acting as the teller, so it's very important that it works 24/7."
Business in St. Cloud is going well for ING Direct. Myres said the St. Cloud facility has the capacity to employ nearly 1,000 people. For now, it has 527 employees.
King Banaian is chairman of the economics department at St. Cloud State University. He said doing business in downtown St. Cloud could help companies make themselves competitive and profitable while saving money, especially during a recession. Banaian said the fact that there are several successful high-tech companies in downtown St. Cloud is telling.
"It's significant as a proof that business can work here and that there is enough bandwidth here to support what those businesses do," Banaian said. "And if it can support them, there's probably enough bandwidth left over for other businesses to take advantage of the location."
Banaian said if more high-tech businesses move into the area, then that will keep the talent pool from the three local universities in central Minnesota instead of outsourcing them to other cities.
There's another central Minnesota city looking to follow in the steps of St. Cloud. Brainerd has a fast internet connection as well, and it hopes to bring in more high-tech businesses.
- All Things Considered, 06/11/2009, 5:25 p.m. | <urn:uuid:469c48af-0c19-4f1e-8aa7-2affdb40b3f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/06/11/stcloud_it_boom | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967311 | 908 | 1.679688 | 2 |
There are so many opportunities to use social media better at associations, and it's exciting to see how those outside of the association world are figuring it out .... like the MIT Admissions office ....
Check these out:
1. The right philosophy: "At MIT, we try to be as transparent as possible - so if you have a question, just ask." They are very clear about their entire admissions process, and encourage interaction with applicants. Associations need to figure out this same type of transparency.
2 "50 things" to learn while experiencing college. Really great advice -- even decades after college. My favorites - "5. Adjust your schedule around when you are most productive and creative. If you're nocturnal and do your best work late at night, embrace that. 7. At least a few times in your college career, do something fun and irresponsible when you should be studying. 17. Working things out between friends is best done in person, not over email. (IM does not count as 'in person.') Often someone's facial expressions will tell you more than his/her words. 21. Welcome failure into your lives. It's how we grow. What matters is not that you failed, but that you recovered."
3. Use your own voice. Always.
4. Give everyone a voice. MIT has sites for those who are accepted, wait listed and not accepted to post their thoughts. This one kid's response to receiving a rejection is classic:
"Dear MIT Committee Members: Thanks for your notification of March 15th. After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your rejection at this time.
This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of schools, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals. Despite your outstanding record and previous experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my current career needs.
Consequently, I will begin taking classes as a undergraduate student in your electrical engineering department. I look forward to seeing you then.
Best of luck in rejecting future applicants. Sincerely Yours, Anonymous #2"
5. There are creative ways to use technology. Look at questions one MIT alum said he'd like to ask prospective or newly admitted students. Can't we figure out how to integrate social media and technologies more too?
"Imagine you could have amazingly good interactive college content on your cell phone that guides you around where you go to school or are looking to go to college. What would that content be like? Who would be speaking? Where would it take you? (Research facility tours, architecture, nightlife guides, Greek system guides, dorm room tours, famous hacks?) What is your preferred way to the get the tour: on your smartphone (video streaming), Ipod (iTunes), rental device (information office), etc.? What do you think of the concept of the business? What specifically is good/bad about it from your perspective? " | <urn:uuid:f8aa6245-2621-4f10-9f38-04769452aae9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cindyae.blogspot.com/2008/03/stopping-by-mit-admissions-social-media.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960228 | 620 | 1.820313 | 2 |
NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 300 points in morning trading Wednesday after Italy's borrowing costs soared, a sign that Europe's debt crisis had spilled into the third-largest economy in the euro bloc.
The yield on the benchmark Italian government bond spiked above 7 percent, a sign that investors are losing faith in the country's ability to repay its debt. Greece, Portugal and Ireland required bailouts when their bond yields rose above 7 percent. Unlike those countries, Italy's $2.6 trillion in debt load is too large for other European nations to rescue.
At the same time, the yield on the comparable 10-year German government bond, widely considered the safest European government debt, fell to 1.70 percent. That's a sign that investors are becoming more fearful and therefore willing to accept minuscule returns in exchange for holding investments they consider safe.
Europe's debt drama continued to play out in Greece. The two main political parties in that country are still engaged in power-sharing negotiations and have yet to name a prime minister to lead an interim government. The new government must pass an austerity package to receive the next loan installment of emergency loans. Without the funds, Greece could default before Christmas.
Markets fear that a chaotic default by either Greece or Italy would lead to huge losses for European banks. That, in turn, could cause a global lending freeze that might escalate into another credit crisis similar to the one in 2008 after Lehman Brothers fell.
Some analysts fear that the euro itself could fall, which would lead to inflation and a breakdown in free trade agreements in the European Union. Together, the countries in the European Union represent the world's largest economy.
The Dow dropped 310 points, or 2.6 percent, to 11,857 as of 10:40 a.m. Eastern. The S&P 500 lost 36, or 2.8 percent, to 1,240. The Nasdaq composite slid 79, or 2.9 percent, to 2,648.
The slide was extraordinarily broad. Only two stocks in the S&P 500 index rose, Yahoo Inc. and Best Buy Co. Energy and financial companies fell the most. JPMorgan Chase & Co. fell 4.3 percent and Chevron Inc. fell 3 percent.
European markets also fell sharply. Italy's benchmark index plunged 4.7 percent. Germany's DAX fell 2.3 percent; France's CAC-40 lost 2.4 percent.
The prices of assets seen as safe havens rose sharply. The dollar rose 1.8 percent against the euro. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.95 percent from 2.08 percent late Tuesday, a steep drop.
In corporate news, General Motors Co. lost 8.7 percent after the company said Europe's economic woes were weighing on its profits.
The Wendy's Co. dropped 4.2 percent after the company said higher beef prices contributed to a larger third-quarter loss.
Dean Foods fell 5.8 percent after the company took a write-down in its fresh dairy business. | <urn:uuid:ddff6d10-9ed0-4cc7-a4dc-81ca024793a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2011/11/dow_average_swoons_as_italian_borrowing.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945977 | 629 | 1.570313 | 2 |
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Fri February 24, 2012
Hezbollah Suspect May Face U.S. Military Commission
Originally published on Fri February 24, 2012 4:18 pm
The Obama administration is seeking to try a Lebanese man linked to Hezbollah in a military commission, expanding the reach of the military tribunal beyond al-Qaida and Taliban suspects for the first time.
The man at the center of the case is Ali Musa Daqduq. He was the last detainee held by American forces in Iraq and had been turned over to Iraqi custody when U.S. forces formally withdrew from Iraq in December.
Daqduq is accused of helping to train insurgents in the use of roadside bombs, and allegedly helped organize a raid in January 2007 that killed five American soldiers and wounded three others.
Apparently the insurgents wore American-style uniforms and carried forged identity cards to get close enough to the U.S. soldiers to kill them. Daqduq was captured a short time later and allegedly confessed to the crimes. He had not, apparently, been subjected to any harsh interrogation techniques when he admitted to being part of the plot. News of the effort to resolve the Daqduq case in a military tribunal was first reported by the New York Times.
"Due to the president's concerns about the crimes Daqduq is alleged to have committed, we are working with Iraq to effect Daqduq's transfer to a U.S. military commission consistent with U.S. and Iraqi law," said Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale. "We are seeking the fastest possible way to bring him to justice."
Many Legal Hurdles
But officials close to the process tell NPR that the effort to bring Daqduq to a military commission is in the earliest stages.
While a prosecutor has drawn up the charges, the chief prosecutor at the military commissions, Gen. Mark Martins, has yet to approve them. Once those charges are approved by the chief prosecutor, they are then forwarded to a convening authority who makes an independent determination as to whether to refer the charges for trial. Nothing beyond the drawing up of charges has happened yet.
Officials familiar with the process tell NPR that the Daqduq charges will likely stay in Martins' office until there is some sort of resolution about whether Daqduq will be extradited to the U.S. or, more likely, taken to a third country to stand trial before a military commission.
Military commissions, by design, can be convened anywhere. They do not necessarily have to take place at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Breasseale said that there are multiple charges against Daqduq, including murder in violation of the law of war, attempted taking of hostages, perfidy, spying and terrorism.
A Special Case
The Daqduq case has been a special one for the U.S. for a number of reasons. He was the last prisoner held by U.S. forces in Iraq, and U.S. officials were concerned that he might be released or returned to Iran if he was left in Iraqi hands. Under an agreement with the Bush administration, however, the Iraq government controlled decisions about prisoners like Daqduq.
Late last year, during negotiations about prisoners, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki refused to allow the U.S. to remove Daqduq from Iraq summarily. The Iraqi leader said he would consider handing over Daqduq to the Americans if formal legal processes are followed. The preliminary charges appear to be part of an effort to do that.
"No doubt this is a very special case," said Matthew Waxman, who was a senior policy adviser on detainee affairs in the Bush administration and is now a professor at Columbia Law School. "And the administration will go to great pains to say this is not an expansion. However, having worked in this area for a while, I've come to learn that there will always be other special cases." | <urn:uuid:c4c1e87c-feac-4cb6-bfdc-572930839fea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wemu.org/post/hezbollah-suspect-may-face-us-military-commission | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969385 | 896 | 1.679688 | 2 |
BREAKING NEWS of the Gitmo variety. From Reuters:
Five of six Algerians must be released after nearly seven years of captivity at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, a federal judge ruled on Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled from the bench after holding the first hearings under a landmark Supreme Court ruling in June that gave Guantanamo prisoners the legal right to challenge their continued confinement.
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has promised to close the prison camp after he takes office in January. Meanwhile, U.S. judges in Washington are moving ahead with case-by-case reviews of detainee legal challenges.
Now the best part of this story is that one of the five Leon ordered released is Lakhdar Boumediene. Boumediene has kicked George Bush and the criminal cabal that has assisted him in committing war crimes and illegal, immoral detentions so many times that you would think the Bushies are rented mules.
Sadly, however, the Bushies are jackasses, not rented mules, and they are still in office. What that would appear to portend is that that means Boumediene, and the other four Leon has ordered released, will likely stay detained pending appeals. The precedent was set not long ago on the Uighurs case.
January 20, 2009 cannot come soon enough for us and for those we have wronged.
UPDATE: Here is the press release issued by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR):
Following Judge Richard J. Leon’s decision today in U.S. District Court ordering the release of five of the six Boumediene habeas defendants, Center for Constitutional Rights Executive Director Vincent Warren released the following statement:
This decision illustrates once again that the arbitrary detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay has been and continues to be unlawful.
Even in a courtroom that was largely closed to the public and the press, and with the detainees allowed only limited access to the proceedings by telephone, the court could find no reason to hold these men. This decision makes it clear once again that even with presumptions in its favor, the government cannot muster the barest evidence in support of its arbitrary detentions. For seven years, the Bush administration sought to avoid the courts because it had no evidence and sought instead to create a lawless prison.
We must note that justice here, however, comes seven years too late. The restoration of habeas corpus is a great achievement, and what is necessary now is for the government to give up this fatally flawed system, rescind the ‘enemy combatant’ labels slapped on recklessly by combatant status review tribunals and return the men at Guantanamo to their home countries or, for those needing resettlement or asylum, to a safe third country.
We hope a new administration makes restoring the lives of hundreds of men at Guantanamo who have never been charged with any crime or tried in a court of law a top priority. Guantanamo Bay is a failure by every measure and must be closed immediately. | <urn:uuid:36dc8ed4-0008-4157-be46-1260687c8d91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/11/20/boumediene-wins-again/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962185 | 621 | 1.609375 | 2 |
We Had five minutes with the International Coaching federation President, Janet Harvey, MCC. Here She gives us the lowdown on how a business coach can help your business.
#1. Business and consumer confidence is at a low ebb right now; do business coaches have a realistic ability to re-invigorate suffering companies? And if so, how?
Yes, business coaches do have a realistic ability. What is challenging is opening the thinking of businesses to consider the creativity that is innate in the people in their organizations. What professional coaching facilitates is an open environment for leaders to pause, reflect deeply, heighten awareness of key strengths, gain clarity about how those strengths operate at the organization currently, consider ways to deploy those strengths in new ways that address areas of low ebb, restore self confidence and self respect by separating who leaders are individually and in the team of the organization from the circumstances that are external, encourage and support focus and to notice the tendency to be swept into the low ebb sooner and choose to focus forward on what alternatives exist. Coaches engage leaders in self dialogue so that they invite team dialogue about what new choices to make in relationship to the external events rather than be passively paralyzed.
#2. How can a company who may be in the in the midst of restructuring wages, staff numbers, and other touchy criteria justify the hiring of a business coach?
Those left behind are expected to perform at a heightened level of productivity and intensity while also absorbing the impact of loosing colleagues who are probably also friends and resisting 'victim thinking' that their job is next. In order to sustain focus on customers and performance results, coaching provides a resource to navigate the emotional blocks and strengthen attention on what creates positive outcomes and results for the organization. This is of course the best win-win formula for the individual and the organization.
#3. How do you go about finding a credible business coach?
#4. How do you know if a coach is any good at their job and how long is it likely to take for a company to start seeing the positive outcome?
See answers above. Creating trust and intimacy that allows for safe exploration of areas to strengthen or develop is an essential characteristic of an excellent coach. With this, coaches challenge leaders to consider new approaches, recognize blind spots and choose a more productive approach, increase agility in situations, relationships and circumstances where success is not being generated or sustained. Awareness and clarity will arise very quickly even after the first session and the behavior change will occur over time. The safer the environment for adopting new behaviors, the faster results will occur. It is very important that leader, coach and organization sponsor co-created the evidence of progress, defined in ways that are observable. Measure a baseline and set goals for positive impact.
#5. What are the key goals business coaches want to achieve within an organisation, how do they go about implementing them?
Business coaches do not want to achieve key goals, clients do.
Business coaches support clients in gaining awareness and clarity about the outcomes and results that are most important, the behaviors and mindset that facilitate those outcomes and results and then explore what must be adopted /changed/adjusted by an individual leader to integrate a more effective approach. | <urn:uuid:2336cf62-30c3-451e-959f-5967e747eb26> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.neweuropeaneconomy.com/home-mainmenu-51/business-coaching/381-quick-five-with-the-icf | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950988 | 656 | 1.53125 | 2 |
|Dere di felen Emion,|
Cym Cyfeiliorn-braith y Llyn
Ar foci Dodin
Codwch, dewch adre.
Come yellow Anvil, stray horns,
Their milk-white milch cow gives milk to every one who desires it; in an endless supply. All persons who drank of her milk were healed of every illness; from fools they became wise; and from being wicked, became happy. This cow went round the world; and wherever she appeared, she filled with milk all the vessels that could be found, leaving calves behind her for all the wise and happy. It was from her that all the milch cows in the world were obtained.
Cras dy fara
Bake your bread,
Soon they were invited to a wedding; the bride was young and fair, the groom a tottering, toothless, decrepit old miser.
In the midst of the wedding feast the gwraig annwn burst into tears, and to her husbands question why she thus made a fool of herself she replied,
Truth is wedded to age for greed, and not for love – summer and winter cannot agree – it is the diawls compact.
|(pron. GWRAGETH ANOON, PLANT ANOON) Faeries of the underworld land of Annwyn. Beautiful, fair, thin, immortal faery people four to six feet in height with long yellow-blonde hair or long dark ringleted hair, pale faces, blue or green eyes, rosy cheeks, long fingers who dress in green or blue & live in rich palaces under lakes. The handsome old men are five feet tall with long white beards and sea green eyes. The lake maidens can be seen rowing golden boats with a golden oar & come out to land to dance at midnight. They can be lured ashore with bread and cheese offerings. Men who marry the lake maidens must never hit them or touch them with iron or they will go back undersea. A man who gives a lake maiden tri ergyd diachos (tree AIR-geed dee-AH-khose) three causeless blows will lose her forever. [The gwraig annwn met her 3 sons: Cadogan, Gruffydd & Emion in Cwm Meddygon (pron. KOOM Meth-UH-gone) Valley, giving them a magic box containing remedies of wonderful power. The farmers name was Rhiwallon. They are called the Meddygon Myddfai: Physicias of Myddfai (pron. meth-UH-gon MUTH-vie)] Their undersea towns and crystal palace are at Crumlyn/Crywmlyn: Crooked Lake, Glamorgan Wales, I Llyn Barfog, Wales, Llyn y Fan Fach: Lake of the Affanc: Dwarves (pron. hleen uh vahn vach), Wales, Chancela fountain, Loire River, France, Donzère, Provence, France & the Valley of Azun in the Pyrenees. Faery bells can be heard tolling from the undersea towers. They guard Excalibur. |
Every New Years morning a door was found open in a rock by the lake leading to a secret passage to a small island in the middle of a lake. Here they found a most enchanting garden, stored with the choicest fruits and flowers, and inhabited by the Gwragedd Annwn, whose beauty could be equalled only by the courtesy and affability which they exhibited to those who pleased them. They gathered fruit and flowers for each of their guests, entertained them with the most exquisite music, disclosed to them many secrets of futurity, and invited them to stay as long as they liked. But, said they, the island is secret, and nothing of its produce must be carried away. The warning being heeded, all went well. But one day there appeared among the visitors a wicked Welsh-man, who, thinking to derive some magical aid therefrom, pocketed a flower with which he had been presented, and was about to leave the garden with his prize. But the theft boded him no good. As soon as he had touched unhallowed ground the flower vanished, and he lost his senses. However, of this abuse of their hospitality the Gwragedd Annwn took no notice at the time. They dismissed their guests with their accustomed courtesy, and the door was closed as usual. But their resentment was bitter; for though the fairies of the lake and their enchanted garden undoubtedly occupy the spot to this day, the door which led to the island has never been reopened.
Their opposite is Tylwyth Teg (Fair Family). (33, 96, 207, 255) | <urn:uuid:6c9d9d92-b09c-4803-8457-6da9d01d2525> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tartanplace.com/faery/merm3.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964683 | 996 | 1.75 | 2 |
Nowhere to Go But Up
A look at the worst performing places in Canada.
High unemployment, meagre incomes, high crime rates, limited public transit and lousy weather; New Glasgow, N.S. has its work cut out for it.
For the second year in a row the town has ranked worst overall, rounding out the 190th spot on the MoneySense Canada’s Best Places to Live 2012 list.
New Glasgow Mayor Barrie MacMillan said he’s been “absolutely devastated” by the rankings in the past. But there’s no time to dwell.
The town is the second phase of a downtown revitalization and commercialization project—which MacMillan says will help create jobs. The unemployment rate in New Glasgow is just under 14%, nearly double the national average. Improvements to the regional hospital and the construction of a $36-million recreation complex are also underway.
It’s worth mentioning that New Glasgow did collect a couple of major awards this past year. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business named it the top entrepreneurial city in Nova Scotia and the 5th best in Atlantic Canada for 2011. The lush town also won a national Communities in Bloom award for its parks, landscaping and conservation efforts.
“We think that our town continues to be a leader in environmental action,” MacMillan said.
This year, MoneySense took a new approach to tackle the lowest ranking cities our list. We’ve narrowed our gaze to focus on the worst performers in each of the most important categories in addition to listing the lowest overall scoring cities.
The goal here is not to chastise these cities and the no-doubt spirited people who live there but to highlight areas where elected officials and residents can work together for positive change. Of course there’s not much anyone can do about the weather but there’s a lot we can do to make our cities safer, more accessible and fun.
In many cases, local authorities are already aware of their weaknesses and some are already working on possible fixes, MoneySense has learned.
Bay Roberts, N.L., a city plagued by staggeringly high unemployment, for instance is launching an online jobs board to help match the right people with the right employers. Brooks, Alta. is working hard to attract and retain doctors and Leamington, Ont. has recently expanded its lunch hour bus routes in an effort to make transit more viable.
Other cities continue to wrestle with the classic chicken-and-the-egg dilemma. The town of Hawkesbury, Ont. for example doesn’t have some of the basic infrastructure needed to attract young families—like dedicated residential neighbourhoods or a movie theatre. But without adequate demand, the ageing city of 11,000 (with four retirement homes) will have a hard time justifying building such amenities.
In the meantime, residents at the bottom of the list are fighting back in their own way. After last year’s Best Places was published, one New Glasgow business purchased a roadside billboard to send this message to Canadians: “New Glasgow: A great place to live.”
The worst performers in the most heavily-weighted categories are:
Fewest Residents Walking/Biking to Work: Vaughan, Ont.
Less than 2% of Vaughan’s more than 300,000 residents walk or bike to work. That’s because many of the city’s post-secondary students and professionals work outside city boundaries, many of them making the daily commute to Toronto. In fact, it’s not uncommon for residents to take multiple transit systems just to reach the “Big Smoke” while others spend hours each week sitting in gridlock on Toronto’s 400-series highways. It’s no surprise then that nearly 20% of all cars on Vaughan roads are 2009 model years or newer.
Least Affordable Real Estate: Vancouver, B.C.
The average selling price on a Vancouver home touched $857,400 last year, buoyed by foreign investors. As you might expect, price tag increases are outpacing salaries. The average household income in Vancouver pales in comparison to other Western cities at $83,487. As a result, it takes more than 10 years for the average resident to be able to afford a home. Things have gotten so bad that Demographia recently named Vancouver the least-affordable market after Hong Kong among large English-speaking urban centres. One can understand why the market is so hot. Vancouver is the second warmest place in the country with just 35 days a year below 0 degrees C.
Lowest Household Income: Hawkesbury, Ont.
Household incomes in this town are the lowest in the country averaging just $50,783. That’s less than a third of what residents in Wood Buffalo, Alta. (the richest Canadians) are averaging at $186,979. But according to the town’s Chief Administrative Officer Normand Beaulieu, the numbers are skewed lower by Hawkesbury’s high concentration of seniors living on modest pensions. Salaries aren’t keeping residents from treating themselves however. The city makes the top 50 in the new car category.
Highest Total Crime: North Battleford, Sask.
North Battleford has seen more than its fair share of violent and petty crime. The area is plagued by a long history of socio-economic disadvantages including low-paying jobs and too few services. Only in the last few months, says RCMP Sgt. Neil Tremblay, has the wider Saskatchewan economic boom started to trickle down to North Battleford in the form of better jobs and resources. That, combined with a new mentorship program for repeat offenders, has already started to have a positive effect on overall crime rates, he said.
Fewest Doctors: Brooks, Alta.
With less than one M.D. per 1,000 residents, Brooks has a doctor shortage and knows it. Fortunately, the city has partnered with nearby Newell County on a physician recruitment and retention program. There’s evidence it’s working already. Online classifieds show a number of local doctors are accepting new patients. On the plus side, average household incomes in Brooks are high at $111,727 and unemployment is low at just 3.7%.
Highest Unemployment: Bay Roberts, N.L.
Bay Roberts is a tough place to be out of work. The jobless rate in this town is hovering around 17%, more than twice the national average. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story, according to Ron Delaney, director of economic development and tourism for Bay Roberts. That’s because they include the wider Bay Roberts area spanning five towns where jobs are scarcer. Bay Roberts proper is actually suffering a worker shortage in the service trades, he said.
Worst Weather: St. John’s, N.L.
Residents of St. John’s are a resilient bunch. The city sees more cold, rainy days than any other in the country, according to our data. How bad is it? The city sees 215 wet days per year for a total precipitation of 1,513.7 mm. Residents of Oakville, Ont. on the other hand enjoy the best weather in Canada recording just 118 wet days per year. It gets worse for St. John’s. The mercury dips below the freezing mark 174 days a year in St. John’s. Those who brave the elements are rewarded however. St. John’s ranks 37th in the nation for average household income at $99,391.
Fewest Jobs in the Arts: Kenora, Ont.
Kenora consistently places last in our culture rankings but that doesn’t mean the city isn’t a vibrant place to live. It does mean that however that fewer people work in the culture, arts and sports industries than anywhere else in the country. Kenora has made culture a priority in recent years and is currently in the second phase a plan to promote local arts, heritage and communications media. Culture aside, Kenora gets high marks for weather (it’s the second driest place in the country) and for percentage of the population that walks or rides to work (10%).
Fewest Residents Taking Transit to Work: Leamington, Ont.
Waiting for a bus in this town can be frustrating. Most routes offer pickups only once every sixty minutes and only during business hours Monday-to-Saturday. It’s no surprise then that nearly 10% of Leamington’s working population walks or rides a bike to work, good enough for a 47th ranking in this category.
Worst Pollution: Thetford Mines, Que. and Saint-Georges, Que.
This year, two Quebec towns share the dubious distinction of being the most polluted city on MoneySense’s annual list. Thetford Mines is located in the heart of Quebec’s asbestos-producing region while Saint-George is a factory town. The air quality in both towns is no doubt affected by local industry but also by blow over from bordering East Coast U.S. states. Air quality aside, houses are extremely affordable in Thetford Mines and Saint-Georges, and both are relatively safe towns.
Learn more about these communities as they rise to their challenges in our 11 Worst Places to Live gallery.
For a full explanation on how we crunched the numbers, check out our methodology. | <urn:uuid:3ea0e3ff-d55e-403e-80a1-c7435f2ff723> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.moneysense.ca/2012/03/20/nowhere-to-go-but-up/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93611 | 1,964 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Dead gray whale lost at sea, for now
April 28, 2009 · Updated 3:46 PM
A deceased gray whale beached on Sandy Point private property near Langley at low tide Monday night, but Tuesday morning's high tide washed the whale out to sea.
The 40-foot, male whale disappeared overnight, despite a large, orange buoy attached to the carcass, said Howard Garrett, co-founder of the Greenbank-based Orca Network.
Orca Network's territory covers Island, Skagit and north Snohomish counties, and volunteers hoped to pull the adult mammal ashore for a necropsy to determine the cause of death, Susan Berta, Orca Network co-founder, said.
Initial reports of the floating carcass rolled in around 10 o'clock Sunday morning, she said, adding that the whale was first seen northwest of Camano Island.
The whale appeared to have died recently and nick marks from orca teeth are visible on the whale's skin, Berta said. The cause of death is undetermined.
Whidbey Island Naval Air Station granted base access to Orca Network volunteers so they group could tow the whale ashore, but their efforts were futile.
Between the wind and tide, a 30-foot crab boat's attempt to pull the whale ashore Monday afternoon was unsuccessful. Tidal currents transported the carcass as far south as Langley.
The whale is currently unaccounted for, and is now effectively off the Orca Network's radar, as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Gray whales visit Puget Sound each spring, dining on sand shrimp as they pause in their migration between California and Alaska. Occasionally one dies in the Sound. In the 1990s, former Congressman Jack Metcalf had one wash up on his beach near Langley, and around the same time another one washed ashore in Holmes Harbor. "Rosie" the whale, whose bones are on display at the Coupeville Wharf, washed ashore north of Lagoon Point. | <urn:uuid:bfd30446-917d-4b19-acd5-549e8dfc2e06> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/43892552.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964719 | 412 | 1.710938 | 2 |
SHAFAQNA (Shia News Association)— UK Parliament’s Intelligence Security Committee (ISC) has admitted that Britain has launched a cyber attack against Iran shortly after the UK spy chief admitted Britain conducted covert operations against Iran.
In its annual report for 2011-2012 to the British parliament, the ISC claimed that Britain’s spies have caused disruption to Iran’ nuclear capabilities saying UK spying agents could access “networks or systems of others to hamper their activities or capabilities without detection.”
Meanwhile, the committee raised “grave” concerns over a security skills issue within Britain’s secret eavesdropping service Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and called on the British government to improve their cyber war capabilities.
In the report, the committee also recommended that enhancing Britain’s cyber war capabilities should include “accessing the data or networks of targets to obtain intelligence or to cause an effect without being detected”.
London’s claims about causing disruption to Iran’s nuclear capabilities come as Fereydoon Abbasi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, says cyber attacks against Iran are ineffective because Iran’s cyber experts can easily block any kind of virus.
The claims made by the ISC comes less than a week after British media reported the head of Britain’s secret intelligence agency MI6, John Sawers, admitted that Britain conducted covert operations against Iran’s nuclear program.
Sawers also claimed that Iran is after obtaining nuclear weapons and could have built such weapons in 2008 hadn’t British spies interfered. Moreover, Sawers claimed that Iran is only 2 years away from becoming “a nuclear weapons state” warning that the Israeli regime may decide to act with military aggression if it thought Iran would be a nuclear power by 2014.
The claims made by British officials come as Iran has cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) more than any other country throughout the history of the agency. Surveillance cameras are operative at all of Iran’s nuclear centers as these centers are being inspected around the clock.
The Islamic Republic of Iran stands for its rights to enhance nuclear energy and has given countless warnings to any foreign aggressor that any military strike against Iran would result in their quick defeat. —www.shafaqna.com/english | <urn:uuid:6dd06940-107f-4478-86d6-7fd12ff40761> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shafaqna.com/english/shafaq/item/5002-uk-admits-to-cyber-attack-on-iran.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955913 | 480 | 1.664063 | 2 |
If you thought Washington—which already took over banking and autos, and is fast-tracking attempts to take over health care and energy—would leave the Internet alone, you were dead wrong. The Internet (perhaps our greatest free market success story in recent years) is squarely in the cross-hairs of the administration and it’s not waiting for Congress to act. The charge is being led by an eager, ideologically committed White House staffer named Susan Crawford. Officially, she is the Special Assistant for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy. Wired Magazine calls her, “the most powerful geek close to the president.” In recent weeks, bloggers and online activists have begun calling Crawford the "Internet Czar." The shoe fits.
As Bill Collier of Freedomist has reported, Crawford has known ties to ACORN, which is one of the participating organizations of her "OneWebDay" project. Crawford self-consciously modeled OneWebDay on Earth Day and the radical environmental agenda that it propelled forward. As Crawford explained her mission to The Wall Street Journal in April: “We should do a better job as a nation of making sure fast, affordable broadband is as ubiquitous as electricity, water, snail mail, or any other public utility.”
In other words, the agenda of her organization is to transform access to the Internet into a government entitlement project, with all the necessary government intrusion and control in order guarantee it to everyone—in the world. Not surprisingly, listed alongside on the OneWebDay participating organizations list is a group called Free Press, which is the biggest advocacy organization pushing the Obama administration to adopt sweeping regulations of the Internet.
Free Press was founded by Robert McChesney, an avowed Marxist who is Washington’s leading advocate of so-called network neutrality regulations who recently argued—on a Web site called SocialistProject.ca—that this type of Internet regulation is a prerequisite for a socialist revolution: “Instead of waiting for the revolution to happen, we learned that unless you make significant changes in the media, it will be vastly more difficult to have a revolution.”
Crawford and McChesney apparently have the full support of the Obama administration and an FCC that is determined to move toward transforming the Internet into a Washington-controlled utility as quickly as possible. The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Julius Genachowski, recently announced his pursuit of precisely the regulations they want.
The FCC isn’t pursuing this just because of orders coming from Obama’s Internet Czar. This goes all the way to the top—Obama himself said on the campaign trail last year: “I will take a back seat to no one in my commitment to net Neutrality.”
It’s of no apparent concern to Obama, Crawford, and Genachowski that net neutrality regulations—which would require network operators to treat every bit of traffic the same way, regardless of whether that makes sense from an engineering or business standpoint—will result in a collapse of private investment in Internet infrastructure, because they regard private investment as unnecessary within their vision of government ownership and control.
Proponents of net neutrality rely on the scare tactic that big bad cable and phone companies will block access to Web sites and cause other mischief unless the benevolent federal government rides to the rescue, and soon. But they’ve been ringing this alarm for the better part of a decade and none of the horrors they warn us about have happened. There is a simple reason—these companies are in an intense competition, especially in the wireless space, which is as cutthroat as any industry in America. If one company tried to block access to Web sites or engage in other mischief, they would lose their customers in droves to the competition.
Net neutrality regulations would destroy private investment and we would end up with a government-owned and controlled network. We’ll have nowhere to go if the government turns out to be not quite as benevolent as some have hoped. That’s a frightening scenario and we should do everything we can to stop the net neutrality regulation that would start us down that path. | <urn:uuid:581a8004-d666-4816-958d-a284eb0138d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/10/05/phil-kerpen-obama-internet-czar-acorn/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955063 | 840 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Cisco CTO: Internet Of Everything Much More Than SDN
When Cisco announced strong earnings during its most recent fiscal quarter, much of the progress was attributed to the networking giant's strides in software-defined networking (SDN).
SDN technology broadly eliminates manual management of switches and other networking hardware by abstracting control to a single administrative console. Such networks factor into many of the IT world's most impactful movements, such as virtualization and cloud computing, but according to Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior, SDN is a constraining concept that falls short of the company's more ambitious vision: an intelligent, programmable network that will not only link billions of devices to the Internet but also, thanks to the data mining the network enables, inject trillions of dollars into the global economy.
- The Untapped Potential of Mobile Apps for Commercial Customers
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Put another way, Cisco's broader vision involves building out the Internet of Everything (IoE). Warrior delivered her remark on Wednesday during an interview with InformationWeek at the company's annual Editors Conference, where she and other Cisco leaders described IoE's disruptive potential, which includes increasing global profits by 21%, or $14.4 trillion, over the next decade.
This bold forecast is rooted in converging technologies, starting with the explosion of everyday objects, from utility meters to iPads, that are now equipped not only to access the Internet but also, thanks to the availability of low-cost sensors, to collect data on an unprecedented scale. These connected devices populate the so-called Internet of Things and Cisco anticipates these objects will see 400% growth over the next few years, totaling 50 billion by 2020. The company has defined IoE as "the network and processes that both unite the objects and supply the analytical muscle to make the collected data useful."
[ Internet of Everything: the future or just more high-tech hype? Read Cisco's Internet Of Everything Plan: 4 Facts. ]
Warrior has been testifying in blog posts that Cisco is serious about its IoE goals. CEO John Chambers revealed just how serious in late February, when he characterized the endeavor as the cornerstone of Cisco's future.
During the interview, Warrior stated that "the future will be about a programmable network that is much broader than SDN." She elaborated that captured data can't be sent en mass to the data center, and that network intelligence, be it at the edge of the network or at the endpoint itself, must negotiate when to crunch numbers locally and when to transmit content elsewhere. This model of distributed networking will, in Cisco's view, involve open APIs along with a new wave of apps that can recognize how the network is architected.
These changes don't necessarily mean that existing infrastructure will need to be replaced. Cisco futurist Dave Evans has suggested that many of IoE's biggest potential benefits, such as near-universal access to healthcare and education, will arise not from futuristic new devices but rather from the simple addition of radios and sensors to many of the objects we already use; a smart bathroom mirror, for example, could be central to extending human lifetimes by decades and perhaps even centuries. Similarly, Warrior said that Cisco's installed user base, which has invested $180 billion in the company's gear, will be able to join the Internet of Everything by exposing existing hardware to open APIs.
"For applications to be aware of the network, you need to create programmability at different levels," she said. "But people are not going to throw away their existing install base and go to something completely new. That would mean huge amounts of capital, and we all know IT budgets are constrained."
Indeed, Cisco's IoE talking points reaffirm business' ability to generate new revenue streams from existing infrastructure. The company's location-based analytics tools, for example, could allow retailers to increase sales via personalized advertising while also monetizing their Wi-Fi networks.
Customers will be able to utilize these APIs with Cisco's One Platform Kit, which includes hundreds of APIs. The company's ASICs, the integrated circuits inside routers and switches, will also deliver programmability. | <urn:uuid:8fdc98e4-f60f-48fc-92de-a7fcd559d80a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.informationweek.com/byte/cisco-cto-internet-of-everything-much-mo/240150927?cid=SBX_byte_related_commentary_Instructional_IT_bill_gates_to_sxswedu_education_change_i&itc=SBX_byte_related_commentary_Instructional_IT_bill_gates_to_sxswedu_education_change_i | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942727 | 883 | 1.734375 | 2 |
A BETTER TOMORROW BECOMES ONE OF THE FIRST REHABILITATION CLINICS IN THE NATION TO OFFER FINANCING FOR ITS DRUG, ALCOHOL AND GAMBLING TREATMENT PROGRAMS
MURRIETA, Calif., May 14, 2008 ─ For many years, consumers have been able to take out loans to finance tummy tucks, breast enhancements and other elective cosmetic surgeries, but they haven’t been able to borrow money to pay for drug or alcohol treatment services that could save their lives.
As a result, many drug and alcohol addicts haven’t been able to get the treatment they need.
The federal government is aware of the problem. In fact, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the federal agency that provides grant funding for drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers across the country, conducted a survey in 2006 and found that 45 percent of addicts were unable to afford treatment for their addictions.
But help is on the way. This week, Murrieta, Calif.-based A Better Tomorrow became one of the first rehabilitation clinics in the country to offer consumer financing for its residential and outpatient treatment programs.
“If you have good credit, we can finance your drug, alcohol or gambling treatment program for as little as $300 to $400 per month,” said Jerrod Menz, A Better Tomorrow’s president. “This is practically unheard of in the substance abuse treatment industry.”
While most major insurers provide addiction treatment as part of their mental health coverage, many are reducing the amount of coverage they provide, thereby shifting more and more of the financial burden to their members. This makes it that much more imperative that patients needing addiction treatment have a way to finance their treatment.
“If they can’t afford treatment in a private clinic, their only option is to go to a government or non-profit treatment program, but space in those programs is often limited,” Menz said.
Based in Murrieta, Calif., A Better Tomorrow has the highest level of accreditation that can be obtained by a drug or alcohol treatment center. The clinic is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), placing it in the top 5 percent of drug and alcohol treatment centers in California. For more information about A Better Tomorrow, please contact Jerrod Menz at (800) 757-9867. Additional information is available on the clinic’s website at http://www.abttc.com/. | <urn:uuid:c637963b-221d-4222-98e2-55f13a1c886a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abttc.net/offers-financing/136/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942522 | 530 | 1.6875 | 2 |
As part of her remit Mary, as famous for her no-nonsense approach to service as anything she achieved in retail, has been asked by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to
- Address the problem of vacant shops
- Adopt new business models for the high street that fit the needs of the modern shopper.
- Prevent the proliferation of ‘clone towns’
- Increase the number of small and independent retailers doing business in local town centres
Her task will not be an easy one. New figures have revealed almost a fifth of Birmingham’s shops are empty as the economy battles to recover from the recession and consumer confidence remains in crisis. 18% of Birmingham’s shops are boarded up, according to a report by The Local Data Company, which has revealed that the city has the 13th highest rate of vacant stores in the country.
High Streets are not only battling recession, powerful out-of-town developments, no-expense-spared supermarkets but, perhaps critically, a change in shopping habits that saw year on year growth in internet shopping of 18% to end May 2011. Ecommerce sites might be tempted to ask ‘what recession?’ but their High Street competitors – and commercial agents - will give them an answer in no uncertain terms.
Yet despite the mouse and keyboard, shoppers still love the experience of shopping – the touch and feel, the smell and taste as well as the sense of service and specialism. This may hold the key to the retail future. As the Coalition will readily admit, government can only play as small part in determining the future of retail outside of increasing consumer confidence but local authorities can play a constructive role that will bring results. Some ideas might be
- Reduced rates for new business during their first year
- Increased ‘zoning’ – the success of the Jewellery Quarter should act as a model for further retail zones
- Go digital – Birmingham CC are keen to create a digital hub and for Birmingham to be seen as a centre for digital excellence. Why not link strategy to retail so High Street retailers are shown how to use social media etc to develop business and build customer base
- Work together – with larger vacant retail units, commercial agents and the council can work to create smaller space for ‘boutique’ retailers – often young and entrepreneurial – creating a unique collective vibe often found in European cities but sadly lacking in Brum.
- Look at the infrastructure – parking is a problem both in numbers and cost. It’s laudable that the Council wants us to use public transport but shoppers often don’t. Accept this fact and make using the car an affordable option – out-of-town stores do!
These are just a few initial ideas for something which it is in everyone’s – commercial property agents, City council, retailers and shoppers – to make successful. If you have any ideas or comments let us know – and you can even let the Mary know at www.bis.gov.uk/highstreet | <urn:uuid:0e8d4408-b721-4fbe-b992-23bcae9827b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cookerudling.com/commercial-property-news/item/31-what-mary-portas-really-found-in-birmingham | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958231 | 620 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Assisted living is a type of residence for seniors who may need help in managing certain basic daily living activities such as cooking meals, bathing or dressing themselves, doing laundry, or taking medications. As opposed to a traditional nursing home, assisted living is for people who need some specific services or a basic level of supervised care but are otherwise free of serious mobility, mental or healthcare issues. Nursing homes are typically for elderly and disabled people with serious, chronic conditions who require intensive medical care from specially-trained, medical personnel.
Seniors in assisted living can maintain an active lifestyle while their family members get the peace of mind of knowing that a caring, well-trained staff is available should their family member need assistance.
What Services and Amenities Are Provided in Assisted Living?
Many assisted living facilities resemble typical apartment communities. Most residents live in single units where a staff member comes each day to help them with chores such as bathing and dressing. Staff members are present 24 hours a day to respond to emergencies and take care of resident’s needs.
The atmosphere at communities is generally relaxed in terms of activities. Meals are provided but typically there are not set dining times and residents can often choose what to eat and where to take their meals. Fitness classes and other recreational activities such as movie screenings or group activities are scheduled on a regular basis. Most communities provide transportation for residents to and from medical appointments, scheduled outings and shopping.
How Much Will It Cost?
The cost of a facility will vary greatly depending on location, quality and number of services provided. More often than not, seniors or their family members pay the cost of living in an assisted living residence, although some facilities do offer financial assistance programs. Medicare currently does not cover the costs of this kind of care and few states are authorized to utilize Medicaid waivers to help families pay for care.
Assisted living can be a great solution for people who do not require the full services of a nursing home and offer a less expensive alternative to home health care. They also allow seniors to cut down on the expense and hassle of owning and maintaining a home.
Written by senior housing writer Jacqui Tom. | <urn:uuid:9d2fee5f-09a4-42bb-949e-9308f4b875bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seniorhomes.com/p/assisted-living/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969092 | 435 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The Division of Liberal Arts aims to develop students' powers of critical thinking and their understanding of the history and criticism of the creative arts, to introduce them to philosophic and scientific modes of thought, and to the study of human cultures and societies. The goal is to refine students' perceptions of both their inner and outer worlds and to help make them both intellectually responsible and creative.
The Liberal Arts Division represents a common ground in the curriculum where students from both the College of Art, Media and Design and the College of Performing Arts meet, offering a unique forum for artistic and academic exchanges.
The BFA in Creative Writing is the first degree program offered through the Division of Liberal Arts at the University of the Arts. This writing-intensive curriculum provides mentorship from a dedicated faculty of published poets and novelists and an inspiring artistic environment in which to write, read and create.
Liberal Arts Administrative Office >> | <urn:uuid:60238cdb-42b1-46cf-8473-65277c07e0a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mailto:[email protected]/academics/division-liberal-arts | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961408 | 182 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Posts from the ‘preaching’ Category
Preaching doesn’t always require many words. In fact, as St. Francis of Assisi once put it, “Preach always. When necessary use words.” And poets perhaps demonstrate this beauty and simplicity of preaching with words so well!
You do not need to leave your room.
Remain sitting at your table and listen.
Do not even listen, simply wait,
be quiet, still and solitary.
The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked,
it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.
- Franz Kafka
Today is the Feast of our Dominican Brother, Saint Martin de Porres (December 9, 1579 – November 3, 1639). He is known for his care for the poor and vulnerable, and care of the sick. Many are the reports of his gift of healing, and he was skilled in the art of healing herbs. Animals loved Martin, and he they; they were comfortable in one another’s presence.
Though the priests of the Order were far more educated then he, Martin continually taught his brothers through example how Jesus taught us to value one another.
It was recalled by his prior that once when Martin was punished for picking up a destitute elderly beggar and placing him in his own bed at the monastery, Saint Martin went humbly to his superior and asked for forgiveness. He said that he didn’t know that obedience took precedence over charity.
He said, “Compassion is preferable to cleanliness. Reflect that with a little soap I can easily clean my bed covers, but even with a torrent of tears I would never wash from my soul the stain that my harshness toward the unfortunate would create.”
Saint Martin is one whose life was a preaching, and when necessary, he could add the right words.
This watercolor painting of Mount Shasta was created by Sister Joanne Cullimore, OP. Mt. Shasta is a majestic snow covered mountain that is part of the Cascades in California. It is one of the state’s 14ers, and stands 14,161 feet high.
Truly, this painting of Sister Joanne Cullimore does all the preaching that is necessary.
God is revealed in creation.
The theme is forgiveness. We know that Jesus taught us to forgive, but when the rubber hits the road, we end up feeling like the sentiment on these bumper stickers that I saw this summer at Descanso Gardens in Southern California.
So, I ask you
- Did the driver and the passenger agree with the sentiments reflected on the side of the car they were sitting?
- If so, would you want to be a rider in that car?
- Is this what we are experiencing as we travel through life today?
- How is it riding in that car?
- Are these the competing voices inside of the heart and mind of the driver?
- How is it living inside my own skin listening to the competing voices?
Right now I’m reading the book Amish Grace, by Donald Kraybill. It’s all about forgiveness. “In the Amish view . . . people receive forgiveness from God only if they extend forgiveness to others.” In other words, they put the words given to us in The Lord’s Prayer into action. The lives of the Amish are a preaching on forgiveness.
Many wondered, following the tragic events of October 2, 2006, if the families of the West Nickel Mines School were merely putting on a show of forgiveness. But no, it is clear that this was something they practiced.So that when they found themselves between a rock and a hard place, their practice of the virtue of forgiveness won out. Thomas Aquinas, that great Dominican theologian from the 13th century would agree that if we practice the virtues, we will be able to exhibit them when it is difficult.
I wonder which virtues I’m cultivating . . .
There’s a wonderful Cherokee story called, “Which Wolf Will You Feed?”* I need to choose one or the other, or they may devour one another. It would be like sitting between those two bumper stickers!
*It can be found many places on the internet; here’s one link.
This Sunday’s first reading is from Isaiah 25:6-10. I’ll let the photo do the preaching.
On this mountain the Lord will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. On this mountain God will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; God will destroy death forever. The Lord will wipe away the tears from every face; the reproach of the people God will remove from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken. On that day it will be said: “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that God has saved us!” For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.
I encourage anyone reading this to read Etty Hillesum’s An Interrupted Life. Her amazing spirit amidst the horrors of the Holocaust is inspiring.
“A desire to kneel down sometimes pulses through my body, or rather it is as if my body has been meant and made for the act of kneeling. Sometimes, in moments of deep gratitude, kneeling down becomes an overwhelming urge, head deeply bowed, hands before my face.” – Etty Hillesum
May the Holy Spirit grant us the same capacity for forgiveness and gratitude.
Sunday’s second reading from Philippians tells us:
“Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
In Sister Adele’s words (some forty years ago):
“My fifty years of life fall into nearly equal parts: a quarter of a century at Dominican college in the ministry of teaching, and a second quarter of a century at the same location in a ministry of preaching -”preaching” that is via the visual arts.
While awed by the world’s natural beauty, a real reflection of the Divine, I feel my kind of art must present more than a straight picture of nature. For this reason, I fracture my original image with another, carefully chosen one, enabling me to utilize the counterpoint capability of the montage technique, to create my Counterpoint Imagery.”
To fulfill the preaching component of this art ministry, the art must be made available for public viewing, hence it is available at this link:
Dominicans have a long history of understanding preaching as being more than standing in a pulpit and delivering a homily or a sermon. The early Dominicans saw their lives – as a community focused on the mission of sharing Christ’s message with the world – as the Holy Preaching. The nuns who prayed in the monastery for the safety and success of their brothers, shared with them equally in the charism of preaching. St. Catherine of Siena traveled, prayed, exhorted, visited the sick and those in prison, wrote letters, dictated The Dialogue. Her life was the holy preaching.
We have a history, from Fra Angelico in the 15th century, to the present time of recognizing that our artists preach through their art. Our sisters have taught in schools and ministered in hospitals. Their lives are the Holy Preaching. Our sisters are involved in parish ministry and serve the poor. Their lives are the Holy Preaching. Many work at effecting changes in systems that are unjust and create poverty. This is the Holy Preaching.
I begin with “Sometimes Photography is Preaching.” Sister Adele Rowland was the first in our community to use that medium in the Holy Preaching, and you can view a few of her photo montages on our congregational website.
This photo, Morning Glimpse, reflects a passage from today’s Psalm 43 is:
“Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on and bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.” | <urn:uuid:28cedf7c-351d-4d41-babd-a9d6faa394de> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://opreach.org/category/preaching/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959982 | 1,788 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Vantage is Futuremark’s DX10 test. It is epecially useful for tracking changes in a single system – especially driver changes. There are two mini-game tests, Jane Nash and Calico and also two CPU tests, but we are still focusing on the graphics performance and on Jane Nash.
Let’s go right to the graphs and first check the overall Vantage results of the default benchmark GPU Test 1 with our overclocked i7-3770K and stock GTX 680 score using the 240GB OWC Mercury EXTREME 6G SSD, the fastest SSD available to us.
Below is the benchmark’s first test, Jane Nash, run at the HD 7970 GHz edition speeds. It is faster than the GTX 680 at 118.24 fps but it varies from run to run by about 1 fps. Remember that we are focusing in on two very specific and yet totally representative runs to give meaning to the charts.
They are very close, but the GeForce has more spikes than the Radeon. Lets’s look at the ranking chart for the GTX 680:
It appears that the Jane Nash scene has been optimized for frame rates and not for smoothness although only .1 of a percent of the time is actually spent at 39fps. Now check out the frame time chart for the HD 7970 at GHz clocks on the same OWC SSD:
The Radeon has less spikes and spends a bit less time at lower fps. However, Jane Nash is a benchmark and not a game although it uses a real scene for benching. Let’s move on to PC games and to mostly completely repeatable benchmarks to see if there are measurable performance differences in gaming between the GTX 680 and the HD 7970 at GHz edition clocks. | <urn:uuid:30b7ea46-54ed-416f-9567-69c0e050efd5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://alienbabeltech.com/main/exploring-frame-time-measurement-part-3-the-gtx-680-versus-the-hd-7970-ghz-ed/4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947944 | 358 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Dr. Kwesiga, an IREX Fellow, is currently a Visiting Scholar based in the College of the Arts Office of the Dean. He is Head of the Department of Visual Communication Design and Multimedia in the School of Fine Arts at Makere University in Kampala, Uganda. His own artwork has been exhibited in England, Netherlands, Belgium, Israel, Cuba, Kenya and Uganda. He has been a Visiting Scholar at Middlesex University in London, where he had previously received his Ph.D. in Art and Design Education. Faculty wishing to bring classes or for further information contact x4185 or [email protected].
Dr. Kwesiga will discuss how art expresses cultural translations in Uganda, both theoretically and with examples drawn from his own work and that of others. The artwork deals with issues of social and cultural continuity in everyday life of a Ugandan. Comprised of different ethnic groupings, Ugandan cultural attitudes, language, and material culture are in transition. Most languages have been lost or have adopted new words and meanings. The city communities can no longer hold onto the cultural tradition, and rural communities who get financial support from urban populations have been forced to tow the new thinking. The three major ethnic categories have forces within them and outside of them, and the Bantu have emerged as dominant with the Nilotes and Nilo-Himites being sub-merged into the Bantu culture and languages.
Most Ugandan cultures have been forced to adapt to what is practiced in other cultures, making a new “Ugandan Mix”, which is reflected in contemporary art trends. | <urn:uuid:aa4beacc-1936-45ef-807d-02026ec56561> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.montclair.edu/news/article.php?ArticleID=10878 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965956 | 337 | 1.84375 | 2 |
During this study, concerns data were collected from 7 elementary physical education teachers in order to determine their types and intensities of concerns as they proceeded through an in-service program, and to determine the degree to which they implemented the proposed changes. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire and open-ended statements of concern were administered to the teachers on three occasions during the 3-month in-service program: at the outset, midway, and upon completion of the sessions. In order to amplify data collected through these instruments, researchers conducted observations and formal and informal interviews. The data revealed three participation styles among the 7 teachers. The 2 teachers who became users of the innovations were categorized as actualizers. The 3 conceptualizers felt positively disposed to the changes but did not become users during the inservice program. The 2 remaining teachers-the resisters-were negatively disposed to the innovations and failed to implement them. Group and individual analyses are discussed as well as factors that influenced the teachers' participation. | <urn:uuid:521b58fd-4d11-406f-961c-8891a663de76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://journals.humankinetics.com/jtpe-back-issues/JTPEVolume6Issue4July/TeachersConcernsandParticipationStylesDuringInServiceEducation?beenCurRedir=1&ActionType=2_SetCurrency&CurrencyCode=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968729 | 198 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Toilet humour starts in our school days. Whether we're two or 20, we can find flatulence funny but this laughing gas is also a social embarrassment and a source of domestic strife.
Now you might think that this article is simply funny, but actually it is a health issue and the good news, if you didn't know it, is that farting is a sign of good health. It means, most likely that you are eating the right foods, foods that are high in fibre, and when you couple that with the fact that colon cancer is in the top 3 of killing cancers, a diet high in fibre, even with all the flatulence, is better for your colon.
Anyway, as it turns out, this group got together to study which foods cause the most flatulence. Of course, if you guessed beans, you're right. " It seems they're a deadly combination of fibre and complex sugars — two of the three biggest wind producers. They pass straight to the colon, where the bacteria think it's party time."
But other foods came up high on the list too, including, according to the accompanying video , fizzy drinks! All those sparkly little bubbles. Guess that'd include champagne too, wouldn't it? And of course, cabbage and veggies were way up there too. Must be awkward for vegetarians with their dependence on beans and vegetables. But I'm sure after some time their systems get used to it.
Funny as it all sounds, this article is a great read, and the video has some choice moments too. (Make sure you watch it) When you consider that the guys involved in this study ate the foods, then went to bed in one room, while one person stayed up monitoring the number of farts ... well I can see one of America's Funniest videos here if anyone took a video of the actual "farty night".
And just imagine the poor guy, Chris, lovingly dubbed the "fart master", stuck in the room overnight, given that "by morning Matt, who ate meat, is at the bottom of the table with eight farts. Next is Joey on 13 with his dairy diet. Eggs gave Tim a total of 17 and Clint's veggies ended up in second place with 29. The big winner by a long margin was Simon and the baked beans with a whopping windy score of 37."
If he didn't die from noxious fumes, he must have died laughing, a bit like the dog in the photo! | <urn:uuid:a513737f-4ed6-46c9-a4f5-5a9a79a68b61> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digitaljournal.com/article/98843 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976609 | 510 | 1.625 | 2 |
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