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Samsung has had to stop selling its Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the US after Apple paid a bond, bringing a court-ordered ban into effect.
Apple enforces Galaxy Nexus smartphone ban in the US
It follows a preliminary ruling that the South Korean company had infringed four of the iPhone maker's patents.
Apple had to take out a $95.6m (£61.1m) bond to cover Samsung's losses should the final judgement go the other way.
The Next Web reported that Google now planned a software update to its Android system to circumvent the ban.
In the meantime the search giant has amended the listing for the Galaxy Nexus handset on its Google Play store to read: "Coming soon".
Other US sites offering the smartphone are expected to follow.
Although the Nexus is less powerful that Samsung's Galaxy S3 model, it has had a high profile.
Google handed models out to developers at its recent I/O conference in San Francisco and had intended it to be the first phone to be offered the Jelly Bean Android update.
Apple's complaint alleged that the Nexus infringed four intellectual properties granted to it by the US Patent and Trademark Office:
the use of a single search interface - such as Siri - to retrieve information from a range of systems using a number of techniques
the use of a sliding gesture to unlock a touchscreen device
a text input interface that tries to anticipate which words the user wants to type and makes recommendations
a way to manipulate structures - such as phone numbers or postcodes - within computer data
Although the judge accepted all four technologies appeared to have been used without Apple's permission, the Foss Patents blog noted she ruled only the search interface technology infringement could be said to threaten "irreparable harm" to the US company were she not to grant a ban.
Stripping back search
According to reports, Google's software patch will include changes to its quick-search and voice-search facilities, limiting them to web-based results.
A spokesman for Google was unable to provide the BBC with further detail.
A spokeswoman from Samsung said it was disappointed US shoppers would be unable to buy its device for the time being.
"We will continue to pursue an appeal of the Galaxy Nexus preliminary injunction, which we filed on July 2 to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit," she added.
"Meanwhile, we are also working closely with Google to resolve this matter, as the patent in question concerns Google's unified search function."
Apple declined to comment.
Source:BBC Technology News
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All World ICT News | <urn:uuid:bfe4c443-cff2-43b8-9735-736f8a7c80d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.openictghana.com/index.php?p=163078 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951812 | 538 | 1.53125 | 2 |
If you’re a tourist, and have a one way flight ticket to Latin America, chances are you won’t even be allowed to board the flight. Better read this article first.
One way flight tickets to Latin America are designed for residents of countries in Latin America. If you’re a tourist from somewhere like Europe or North America, when you go to check in for a one way flight you will often be asked for proof of residency in the country you are flying to. If you can’t produce a passport from the country you are flying to, you’ll often be told you cannot board the flight unless you fork out for a return ticket. This is because most countries state that tourists must have an onward ticket to be allowed entry into the country. Don’t get stung!
Generally speaking, a travel agent won’t even allow you to book a one way flight without checking with you that you do have right of residency in that country. The problem comes from booking online with sites like Expedia and Travelocity - they don’t bother checking. A lot of people get caught out.
About Onward Tickets
Open jaw tickets are fine. An open jaw ticket is a flight into one country and out of another country. Almost all airlines offer them. So flying from Europe to Brazil, and returning from somewhere as far afield as Mexico is fine - you just have to prove that you’ve got a ticket back to your home country from somewhere.
If you’re still determined to get a one way flight ticket, there is a way around this, though expect some hassle along the way. You could by a one way ticket to a country (say Venezuela - often the cheapest destination to fly to in South America) and purchase a cheap separate flight from Venezuela (or whatever country) to a neighbouring country (eg. Colombia). At least this will allow you to get into Venezuela as you can prove you have a flight ticket out of the country. You could then not bother to take the second flight you booked (in this example Venezuela to Colombia) and travel between countries overland. The problem with this is that at any point on whatever border crossing an immigration official could ask for evidence of your outbound flight. If you can’t show a flight back to your home country, you’re stuck. Expect big hassles. If you can demonstrate that you have a big bank balance it will help, but you’ll still be in for all sorts of hassles.
If you do take this approach, it’s probably best to design some kind of fake outbound flight ticket. Follow this link for a Word File blueprint of a fake E-ticket to use for immigration purposes - as it’s all in English, chances are that the immigration officials will take one look at it and believe it. Make sure you put in your correct name, the name of a suitable airline, different dates and flight times to suit you and change the destinations and airports too.
Buying one way flight tickets to Latin America really is more hassle than it’s worth. When you want to return to your home country, you’ll normally end up paying for a new return flight anyway because there are very few one way flights offered from Latin America to other destinations. | <urn:uuid:464c9161-5027-4987-b0e3-a5c1ea0b0794> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bigtravelweb.com/travel/2008/10/27/about-one-way-flights-onward-tickets/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943416 | 685 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Berwick-upon-Tweed is England's most dramatic walled town, standing right at the Northern-most tip of Northumberland. It has certainly attracted its fair share of famous admirers in the past. Lancastrian painter L.S. Lowry was a huge fan of the town and today there is a specially created Lowry Trail for those who want to explore his favourite holiday resort named Berwick
Look around and you can see evidence of that past - Berwick was captured or sacked 13 times before 1482 when it fell into the hands of the English - in its Elizabethan Town Walls that were built to keep the invading Scots out of the town. Built between 1558 and 1570, the walls were the most expensive building project of England's Golden Age. Why not stay in a Berwick cottage for a week or two to be able to truely appreciate the history and culture that surrounds this area.
From the top of these walls you can take in some spectacular views over the wide estuary of the River Tweed including Stephenson's famous viaduct bridge, hailed as one of the finest in the world and is now lit at dusk.
Go inside the formidable walls and you'll find a charming and eclectic Georgian market town with a huge range of things to do and enjoy. In terms of places to stay, you'll be spoilt for choice with everything from small, homely Berwick bed and breakfasts to Berwick hotels and self-catering cottages.
Berwick is home to a thriving arts and culture scene which includes the Maltings Theatre and Arts Centre, and some great museums - try the Berwick Barracks and Main Guard - and galleries, as well as unique events such as the Riding of the Bounds and Border Marches, celebrating the unique town boundaries.
Berwick is also easy to get to, it is just off the A1 and has its own East Coast Mainline railway station. Visitors to the town walls can also enjoy The Berwick Museum and Art Gallery and The Gymnasium Gallery.
The regular market days are Wednesday and Saturday. Visitor enquiries please contact Berwick-upon-Tweed Tourist Information Centre. Stall enquiries please call: 0845 6006400.
Learn more about market days in Northumberland
More information about the town can be found on the Visit Berwick website. | <urn:uuid:4562bd17-0e53-4bcd-87b7-d5b2a9732672> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.visitnorthumberland.com/berwick-upon-tweed | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968635 | 484 | 1.554688 | 2 |
KING HILL, Idaho -- The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is asking for the public's help after a large sturgeon was found poached near the Kings Hill bridge by the Snake River.
Officials believe the incident happened on or around Nov. 7.
The sturgeon in question was likely five to six feet long, and could have weighed up to 150 pounds or more.
Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game personnel say it's hard to know exactly how old the fish could be -- estimating it could have been up to 50-years-old.
Scott Grunder with IDFG says similarly large sturgeon are "irreplaceable" due to their ability to spawn and produce thousands of eggs.
Grunder says the harvest of large sturgeon led to the species' decline in the Gem State.
While it's legal to catch and release the monster fish, Idaho anglers haven't been allowed to keep sturgeon for over 40 years.
Anyone with with information about this case is urged to call the Jerome Regional Fish and Game Office, at 208-324-4359.
Citizens Against Poaching is offering a $1,000 reward for information. The CAP hotline can be reached at 1-800-632-5999 -- 24 hours a day. | <urn:uuid:4a21fd5f-1e56-49cf-9425-b4e1fe30f179> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.krem.com/news/northwest-news/178217201.html?ref=prev | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966425 | 267 | 1.6875 | 2 |
We were on a mission, my wife and I. Her grandparents had for years lived in the west of Ireland, and our route through the country happened to take us to the tiny village of Cong, which my father-in-law said was near the house. We had no directions to the home, though, just a name and a photo.
Sue went in to the tourist office in town and explained the predicament: We were visiting from Canada and were looking for this house that her grandparents once owned. It's called Moytura House.
The woman behind the counter was unfazed. "Oh, you mean Oscar Wilde's old house."
"No," Sue replied. "I mean the house my grandparents once lived in."
"And Oscar Wilde," she said, looking at the photo. "That's it."
So it was that we learned that my in-laws once lived in Oscar Wilde's summer retreat. (Weirder still, we found the place was recently owned by The Edge of U2. His ex-wife has it now, although I wouldn't have been surprised to learn that Liam Neeson had picked it up for a spell.)
Discovering a personal Wilde connection, while unexpected, seems entirely fitting while visiting Ireland, a country with literary roots so deep it feels like you can't swing a cat without hitting a famous author's birthplace, or haunting ground, or muse. The Irish are proud of the connection, too, and quick to note that four of their countrymen have won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Dublin is not the only place with strong literary connections, but it's a good place to start.
CITY OF SCHOLARS
In the beautiful park that sits next to St. Patrick's Cathedral lies the writers' walk, a series of plaques that pay tribute to some of Ireland's greatest authors: George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift and on and on. A stroll along here is like peering at the starting lineup of the Irish Author All-Stars, and gives a good indication of this small country's big contribution to the art of letters (stpatrickscathedral.ie). A short walk to the east is Merrion Square Park, home to a statue of Wilde (he was born across the street) and etchings of some of his great lines. "I can resist everything except temptation," for example.
The truly dedicated can take walking tours of the city that follow in the route that Leopold Bloom, protagonist of Joyce's Ulysses, famously took on June 16, 1904. The Martello Tower at Sandycove, starting point for Bloom's journey, now a Joyce museum (visitdublin.com), is about 10 kilometres south of the city centre. There are celebrations throughout the city each year on June 16 -- Bloomsday-- that are largely co-ordinated by the James Joyce Centre on North Great George's Street (jamesjoyce.ie). The centre includes exhibits worth seeing on other days of the year, too. Dublin Tourism also offers a podcast (visitdublin.com/iwalks) that allows users to do their own Bloomsian walking tour of the city, including places like Davy Byrne's pub where he had lunch, and St. Andrew's Church, where he savoured "the cold smell of sacred stone."
THE GANG'S ALL HERE
The Dublin Writer's Museum on Parnell Square (writersmuseum.com),which resides in a house in the city's charming Georgian district that once belonged to the Jamesons of Jameson's whiskey fame, has modest displays and an assortment of original works from some iconic authors, but the audio tours also delve into some of the political writings that factored into Ireland's turbulent past, from the rebellion of the United Irishmen to the Easter Rising to the granting of Home Rule.
BOOK OF KELLS
The library of Trinity College Dublin on College Green (tcd.ie/library) is home to the Book of Kells, an ancient rendering of the first four gospels by some very patient monks. The level of detail in the lettering and illustrations is remarkable. Visitors here can learn about the process of creating the illuminated manuscript, and see explanations of some of the intricate drawings. Fitting for a book with such religious connections, there is a hushed reverence about the place. Almost as interesting is the library's Long Room, a cavernous space with stacks and stacks of vintage texts. The library remains in use for students, but is hands-off to the public.
JAMES JOYCE SAT HERE
Dublin has more than 700 pubs, and almost every one of them claims a connection to some writer or another. But the best way to delve into two of Ireland's most famous exports -- words and Guinness -- is on the Literary Pub Crawl (dublinpubcrawl.com) that begins at Duke's tavern. Tours include stops in four pubs (it rotates among 10 in total) and a pair of guides/actors explain the literary connections and perform scenes from Irish works. Outside Davy Byrne's, for example, we hear from a book by Brendan Behan, who was famously sozzled enough that he may well be connected to most of the 700 pubs. Behan, we later learn, visited Ontario in 1963. Asked what he thought of Canada, he replied: "It'll be nice when it's finished." The cost is reasonable. Pints extra.
THE GUINNESS STOREHOUSE
OK, this isn't really a literary stop but it is the most popular attraction in Dublin (guinness-storehouse.com). And the glass-enclosed bar on the 7th floor that offers a 360-degree view of the city does have quotes from famous Irish writers on its many windows. So you can justify a visit there in a pinch.
Seamus Heaney is unique among the four Irish Nobel winners in that he is alive. Now 70 and living in Dublin, he was awarded the Nobel in 1995 for his poetry. And in the same way that W. B. Yeats is connected to the land around Sligo where he spent many of his younger days, Heaney drew much of his inspiration from the farmland and hills in the Magherafelt region of Northern Ireland that he knew as a child. Bellaghy Bawn, a fortified home in the small town of Bellaghy with ties to the Ulster Plantations of the early 17th-century, has been turned into a museum partly dedicated to the history of the area and partly to its famous son. The Seamus Heaney Library occupies the upstairs of the former home. It includes exhibits about his work, such as the original version of In Bellaghy's Graveyard, scrawled on foolscap, which Heaney wrote to mark the opening of the refurbished Bawn, which is operated by the government as a historic site (ni-environment.gov.uk). It doesn't boast a roster of icons to rival Dublin, but Belfast has some literary stars of its own. C.S. Lewis was born here, and the house known as Little Lea on Circular Road, where the family lived from 1905 to 1930, is thought to be the inspiration for Professor Kirke's home in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The guidebooks note, however, that Little Lea is a private residence, so do not expect a tour. Belfast also has a literary pub, The John Hewitt (thejohnhewitt.com), that compares well to any in Dublin. Cave Hill, the mountain that rises above the city, looks like a sleeping giant in profile and is said to have inspired the characters in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels.
'COME AWAY, OH HUMAN CHILD, TO THE WATERS AND THE WILD'
William Butler Yeats lived for years both in Dublin and abroad, but it is the northwest county of Sligo that is most associated with his work. The Yeats Society (yeats-sligo.com)has its headquarters on Hyde Bridge in the centre of the coastal town of Sligo, where you can pick up instructions for the self-guided Yeats Trail, a series of loops that include stops relevant to the man's life and work. Sites include the beaches and race tracks of Rosses Point, the hills and waterfalls of Glencar Valley and the modest gravesite of W. B. Yeats, at Drumcliffe Cemetery, eight kilometres north of Sligo in the shadow of the imposing flat-top mountain Ben Bulben. Those looking to walk off an Irish breakfast can take a 45-minute hike up Knocknarea Mountain (sligotown.net),about five kilometres west of Sligo. From the summit, Yeats country unfolds below, offering a panoramic view of this part of the isle of saints and scholars.
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News | <urn:uuid:4ee53f81-8fe6-4ae0-a130-5bc71509912d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.windsorstar.com/mobile/travel/destinations/literary+trails+Ireland+lead+just+about+everywhere/2020055/story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971639 | 1,850 | 1.84375 | 2 |
What is a kampong? It's a place where you can find attap houses and everything is simple in a kampong. There's only one kampong left in Singapore and I want to introduce it to you guys. It is Kampong Buangkok (Chinese: 罗弄万国村) located near Hougang. It was built in early 1965 and is now the only kampong village you can find in Singapore.
The moment you step into the area, you will feel as if you are back in the early days when cats and dogs are running around, there are dirt tracks instead of tar roads, attap houses with zinc sheets as roof tops, not many cars around, most of the people dress simply with a sarong (a cloth used to wrap around the lower part of the body) for the Malay community there, surrounded by tress and plants, and friendly people which is the nicest thing you can find.
If you guys want to visit the place for a shoot, there are lots of interesting things to shoot and residents there are friendly enough to bring you around or share with you how life is in a kampong. I remembered there’s a friendly old lady who helped me chase away a dog to allow me to continue walking further in. So don’t worry, I’m sure there will be a resident there to bring you around. I hope lomographers can visit this place before it’s gone. | <urn:uuid:aac70f89-eb9a-4f06-a28c-bfe1d946984d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lomography.com/magazine/locations/2012/02/27/an-old-kampong | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970581 | 310 | 1.570313 | 2 |
I've mentioned before that I don't have much of a green thumb. I'd love for my yard and flowerbeds to look great, but I need a lot of guidance and help to know what kinds of plants would do best in which spots. Then, once they're in, I need even more help to keep them growing well. Luckily, there's lots of help out there. Miracle Gro recently introduced a team of real-life gardeners who share their tips and experiences to help the rest of us ~ they even have helpful videos to show you exactly what to do in different situtations.
I've learned that Fall is a great time for adding some new plants or shrubs to your yard. The ground is still warm so new roots can take hold, but it's not so sweltering hot that tender new plants dry up before they even have a chance to grow. (Plus, it's not nearly as uncomforable to be outside working). I recently spent several days outside tackling an overgrown jumble of shrubs (and weeds) near our pool.
I'm not going to lie, it was hard work cutting and digging out all the old shrubs and putting in the new ones, but I know it'll look so much better by next year when we start our pool season. I'm also confident that my new shrubs have a great chance of surviving my "brown thumb" thanks to the Miracle Grow Tree and Shrub soil that I used around my new plants.
Check out the Gardenieres site for lots of fantastic tips and videos to help with your Fall planting. I really like this video sharing 10 Common Things to watch out for when gardening. (Believe me, I need all the tips I can get!)
Also be sure to check out Miracle-Gro Facebook page for even more tips and great info. You can talk to fellow gardeners and share your own gardening stories. | <urn:uuid:3c5cd305-b14d-4f75-8ccd-9c0cc1c375cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cometogetherkids.com/2012/10/fall-planting-time.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974853 | 389 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Summer aka durian season is here. Or actually not here, but in South-East Asia. It's often called the king of fruits there.
Only about a third of the big fruit is edible. About 30% of the calories come from fats. The seeds inside are toxic (unless cooked). It emits an overpowering aroma and odor, which most people would not describe as pleasant. It's armed with sharp thorns all over ('duri' means thorn). However many animals (including tigers) seem to love it.
Anyway, here are some great quotes about durian:
"Completely rotten, mushy onions".
- Chef Andrew Zimmern
"It smelled like you'd buried somebody holding a big wheel of Stilton in his arms, then dug him up a few weeks later... It's taste can only be described as… indescribable, something you will either love or despise. Your breath will smell as if you'd been French-kissing your dead grandmother."
- Ex-cook-who-tells-stories Anthony Bourdain
"Like eating sweet raspberry blancmange in the lavatory".
- British novelist Anthony Burgess
"…it's odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock."
-Travel and food writer Richard Sterling
"A rich custard highly flavored with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but there are occasional wafts of flavor that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine… It's neither acid nor sweet nor juicy; yet it wants neither of these qualities, for it is in itself perfect. It produces no nausea or other bad effect, and the more you eat of it the less you will feel inclined to stop… as producing a food of the most exquisite flavor it is unsurpassed."
- British naturalist Alfred Wallace in 1856
On first tasting it, I thought it like the flesh of some animal in a state of putrefaction".
- French naturalist Henri Mouhot
"The most accurate description by far is that of a sewer full of rotting pineapples."
"The durian's smell is its outstanding feature - it is pungent, a bit like a clogged drain or rotten eggs."
- Financial Express
Be as it may, durians from different species can have significantly different aromas. The degree of ripeness has an effect on the flavor as well.
If you are not familiar with durian, try eating a piece when you can. It will be an unforgettable experience for sure. And you'll feel so grateful that there are ordinary fruits like bananas.
My favorite way to enjoy durian is to blend it in a smoothie. The following recipe has worked well for me:
- about 150 g durian (seeded)
- 1 cup of blueberries
- 1 red or pink grapefruit
- a few bananas (as many as you like and your blender fits). | <urn:uuid:a2525312-48b0-468d-b8e4-70b3000edf76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://paleo-runner.blogspot.com/2010/06/summer-aka-durian-season.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949279 | 618 | 1.75 | 2 |
The only possible surprise in this story is the possibility that it could surprise anyone at all.
Americans’ distrust in the media hit a new high this year, with 60% saying they have little or no trust in the mass media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly. Distrust is up from the past few years, when Americans were already more negative about the media than they had been in years prior to 2004.
Let’s look at a couple of reasons for this distrust. NBC is a good place to go.
This week, an old audio tape of Barack Obama surfaced. On that tape, he said that he believes in the distribution of wealth. Rather than play that audio, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell claimed that it had not been “authenticated.” So she didn’t play it for several hours, until they came up with a longer version of the tape. By that point, the White House had already acknowledged that the voice on the tape was that of the president, and he had said what he said. On Twitter, NBC’s Chuck Todd would approvingly re-tweet a Slate story by Tim Noah dismissing the “redistribution” remark as something both Obama and Romney believe in. NBC/MSNBC didn’t slow down to “authenticate” the Romney “47 percent” tape, though, despite the questionable edit that comes directly after Romney makes his controversial remark.
By the way, just how controversial was it to say that government dependence is too high and distorts our politics? To the MSM it was a game-changer, but to 64% of Americans it was reasonable and they agreed with it.
But getting back to the Obama “redistribution” tape. Waiting for authentication was an interesting take, coming from a woman who’s show literally manufactured a “gaffe” from a Mitt Romney appearance a few months back. In that appearance, Romney compared the sandwich ordering touchscreen systems at WaWa convenience stores to the inefficiency of government services. Mitchell turned that moment into “Isn’t Mitt out of touch for not understanding those touchscreens!” Mitchell’s producers had to deceptively edit Romney’s soundbite to make their point. Later, they had to apologize for getting caught.
NBC was also behind the false claim that Florida night watchman George Zimmerman targeted Trayvon Martin because he was black. NBC deceptively edited Zimmerman’s 9-11 call to make it sound as though he racially profiled Martin before killing him. That deceptive edit made it onto the Today show and stirred up a national fracas, and today Zimmerman stands trial based in part on NBC’s actions. The network confined its firings to low-level local employees, when the network’s New York producers put the false edit on the air. ABC News also aired a deceptive edit in connection with the shooting, manipulating surveillance video to conceal the wounds that Zimmerman suffered during his fight with Martin.
The multiple, compound errors all told one story, curiously enough: That George Zimmerman was guilty of murder, before he had even been charged.
Looking at more recent stories, the New York Times — alleged paper of record — didn’t even manage to get a story published on Libya in its print edition yesterday. At all. The paper got around to addressing the security scandal unfolding after that attack in the middle of the afternoon. Where did we learn the most useful facts about Libya? From blogs and the overseas media, not the US mainstream media. The US media was too busy blasting Romney for speaking up for the freedom of speech to report that Obama’s administration was and still is attacking free speech.
Related: A hot mic captured several so-called mainstream media reporters in cahoots to create a narrative regarding Mitt Romney’s statement about the attacks in Cairo as they unfolded.
After two awful weeks for Barack Obama that included his Democrats booing God, a terrible jobs report, terrorist attacks in the Middle East on 9-11, and administration spin about those attacks that no one believes, the media would have you know that Mitt Romney has had a terrible week.
Do you want to talk polls? MSM outfits routinely oversample Democrats in their polling, report what they have found with their thumbs in the scale as “news,” all to push a narrative that Obama is winning and Romney is hopelessly losing. Do you want to talk issues? Try finding a fair and factual story on any of the following issues: abortion, same-sex marriage, religious liberties, Mormons, Muslims, evangelicals or just about any other social issue. In the MSM, abortion is always good, everyone supports ssm, none of Obama’s policies have negatively impacted religious liberties, Mormons and evangelicals are always suspect while Muslims are always given the benefit of the doubt. Even when they’re proven mouthpieces for our enemies, like CAIR, the Muslim group that the MSM routinely quotes as benign when they’re the smiley face glued onto the global jihad.
Media malpractice is a never ending story, but I’ll stop ranting there.
The bottom line is, if you distrust the mainstream media, it’s because you’ve been paying attention. | <urn:uuid:e036993e-b0bc-45e7-bf26-b3cced96e50b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/09/21/gallup-americans-distrust-of-the-media-hits-all-time-high/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967912 | 1,094 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Wildlife Violator Compact Tops Legislative List
By DAVID RAINER
With the Alabama Legislature scheduled to convene this week after spring break, several pieces of legislation could affect those who enjoy Alabama’s great outdoors.
Although there are several “housekeeping” bills that are outdoors-related, the one with the potential to have the most impact would be House Bill 631. The legislation – sponsored by Reps. Earl Hilliard Jr., Thomas Jackson, Artis “A.J.” McCampbell and Chris England – would authorize the Commissioner (Barnett Lawley) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to enter into a Wildlife Violator Compact with other states.
“This would be a legal agreement which allows member states to treat non-residents from other member states the way they treat their own residents,” said Corky Pugh, Director of DCNR’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division. “It would be similar to the way states handle a driver’s license suspension. If you were arrested for DUI in Alabama and lose your license, you couldn’t drive in other states either.
“It works to the benefit of the lawful, ethical hunter and basically keeps Alabama from being a refuge for hunters who have lost their privileges in others states. And it doesn’t cost us anything.”
Allan Andress, WFF’s Chief of Enforcement, said the compact would make it easier to deal with violators in the field.
“If a nonresident comes to Alabama and commits a minor violation, in Alabama that person may have to be carried before a magistrate,” Andress said. “It’s a significant inconvenience to them and an expense to us to carry them to jail or take them before the magistrate.
“Under the Wildlife Violator Compact, if a hunter is from a member state, they can take a written citation and go on their way. The same applies to someone from Alabama who receives a citation in an member state. If a person is arrested in a member state and they do not respond to the citation, then that state can suspend their hunting and fishing license. And all member states can also suspend hunting and fishing privileges until the citation is settled.”
The compact would provide Alabama with access to a nationwide database of violators across the nation. Andress said 31 states, including all of Alabama’s neighboring states and Louisiana are already a part of the compact.
House Bill 501, sponsored by Rep. Jackson, repeals several outdated provisions in the law dealing with commercial fowl hunting preserves, like minimum acreage, fencing, signage and number of birds released and harvested.
“This bill also creates an alternate license that many of the bird hunting preserves have been asking for,” Pugh said. “The license would be sort of like a charter boat license that covers everybody on board. The preserves would be able to buy a proprietor’s license for $500 and that would cover everybody who hunts there. That’s for released birds only and does not cover other game like deer and turkey.”
House Bill 500 updates the law on the scientific collector’s permit, which hasn’t been updated since 1935.
“A collector’s permit is required for anybody to possess live, protected species,” Pugh said. “The fee in the existing law is $1. It costs us more than the $1 to administer it. The law provides for the collection of protected wild animals, birds or bird eggs for scientific purposes. Collectors must file an application and each situation may be a little different. A lot of it is professors with graduate students who are doing research projects.”
The bill would establish three different types of permits with different fees. A general permit for individuals would be $50; educational permits $10; and master collecting permit (more than one individual) $100.
On the saltwater side, two bills by Rep. Spencer Collier are up for consideration. House Bill 572 spells out exactly who must be in possession of a commercial hook and line license.
“This better defines commercial hook and line and what gear can be used under that hook and line license to include gigs, cast nets, rods and reels, trot lines, spear guns and bows and arrows,” said Chris Blankenship, Chief of Enforcement with the Marine Resources Division. “This gear was already covered for the recreational angler in last year’s legislation that increased prices for fishing licenses.”
House Bill 555 deals with bait shrimping and is legislation Marine Resources didn’t propose but doesn’t oppose. It allows live bait vessels that are shrimping in areas open to commercial shrimping to use trawls larger than 16 feet. In any area that is temporarily closed to shrimping, and in designated live bait areas, the 16-foot trawl requirement would still be implemented.
Under current law, bait shrimpers are limited to one basket of shrimp on board boat or truck. This bill would allow them to have two baskets on the boat or truck and up to 4 baskets in the bait shop or place of business.
In the Senate, one piece of legislation would adjust the requirement of a Social Security number (SSN) to buy an Alabama hunting or fishing license.
Senate Bill 9, sponsored by Sen. Rusty Glover, would amend the current legislation to require only the last four digits of a person’s SSN.
“We opposed the Social Security number legislation when it came up several years ago,” said Commissioner Lawley. “The genesis of this legislation was that it was tied to the dead-beat dads at the federal level. We were told that if Alabama didn’t pass the law the state would become ineligible for money that helps fund welfare. It passed over our objection. We were not in favor of having to collect Social Security numbers. It was just one more obstacle to buying a license. This bill would allow us to collect just the last 4 digits, which is much more palatable.
“I know when I went to New Mexico to hunt Merriam’s turkeys, all I had to provide were the last four digits, so I don’t see why we couldn’t do that. Of course, we will check with DHR (Department of Human Resources) to make sure we don’t jeopardize any of their funding.”
One piece of legislation that is no longer on the agenda is House Bill 499, which would have established a seven-day youth deer hunting season the week prior to the opening of regular deer gun season.
Rep. Ken Guin agreed to pull the bill and substitute a House Resolution that requests the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board establish a four-day youth deer hunting season.
“We’re not sure how the school administrators would have reacted to a seven-day youth season,” Lawley laughed. “The board was certainly receptive to the idea of a four-day youth season, but they won’t vote on it until the May meeting.”
PHOTO: If House Bill 501 passes, bird hunting preserves will be able to purchase a $500 license to cover hunting privileges for all its clients. | <urn:uuid:7aafdad7-1836-4e85-abe9-abe3441b631e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://[email protected]/oaonline/legislature09.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961235 | 1,536 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Met with silence
Recent Israeli army aggressions against Palestinian charities, beauty salons and shops show unequivocally that Israel is morally lost, writes Khalid Amayreh in Nablus
If you still think there are red lines that Israel has not crossed with regard to its treatment of Palestinians, don’t be too sure. In recent days and weeks, the Israeli army has been vandalising, ransacking and confiscating Palestinian civilian institutions in the West Bank’s largest towns and cities, including Ramallah, the seat of the so-called Palestinian government.
Frustrated eyewitnesses and tearful victims spoke of “unprecedented brutality” and “Gestapo-like behaviour” as Israeli occupation forces moved throughout the central and northern West Bank to destroy what was left of the Palestinian charity sector upon which thousands of impoverished Palestinian families depend for their livelihood.
Israel had been targeting orphanages and boarding schools as well as soup kitchens and sewing workshops serving orphans in the Hebron region. The campaign of terror, with many hair- raising scenes of cruelty and moral callousness, has seriously raised the level of hostility and hatred for Israel.
Palestinian livelihood, like Palestinian lives, appears irrelevant to Israel. It is, after all, the tormentor, murderer, and perpetual oppressor of the Palestinian people.
The latest savagery occurred last week when dozens of Israeli army vehicles, including armoured personnel carriers, stormed the main business district in Nablus, 90 kilometres north of Jerusalem. Nablus is one of the cities the Palestinian Authority (PA) had declared “sovereign”, especially after the deployment of hundreds of US-trained and well armed “security forces”.
When Israeli soldiers violated the city last week, Palestinian security forces were nowhere to be seen. The invading Israeli troops stormed schools, commercial malls, sports clubs, cultural centres, a key medical centre, a TV station, beauty salons as well as numerous NGO offices, ransacking and destroying equipment. In one instance, educational aides — including human skeletons, microscopes and school furniture — were smashed and thrown into the street.
Moreover, soldiers stole computers and many electrical and electronic appliances from the targeted buildings, all declared “property of the Israeli” army. At the Afaq TV station in downtown Nablus, the Israeli army confiscated all its equipment and furniture, “then they left on the front door a military order of its closure for one year,” said station owner and director Issa Abul-Ezz in a statement sent to Al-Ahram Weekly.
The most draconian barbarity, however, targeted a commercial mall consisting of dozens of shops. The Israeli army closed the premises, warning that any Palestinian entering the multi-storey building would be arrested and imprisoned for five years.
In Ramallah, Israeli soldiers stormed the municipal council building of Al-Bireh, Ramallah’s twin-town, located a few hundred metres from the headquarters of PA President Mahmoud Abbas and the office of his Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The Israeli soldiers, with sledgehammers and welding equipment, forced open offices, confiscating computers and destroyed furniture.
Again, PA forces remained confined to their barracks “in honour of agreements and understandings” with Israel. PA officials, including Prime Minister Fayyad, have argued forcefully that all social, cultural, educational, athletic and commercial institutions targeted by Israel functioned according to the law and were involved in nothing of concern to Israel whatsoever.
“These are legitimate Palestinian institutions, and targeting them is aimed at weakening and humiliating the Palestinian Authority,” said Fayyad while inspecting the targeted buildings. He added that he would complain to the United States as well as to Tony Blair, the Quartet’s envoy to the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. Neither has uttered a word criticising the latest Israeli savagery.
The Israeli occupation authorities claimed the targeted institutions were owned or run by religious individuals who might be sympathetic to Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement. However, the Israeli army, and its intelligence arm, Shin Bet, failed to produce any evidence whatsoever linking the institutions to acts of violence.
Ironically, it is provocative actions like these that seriously weaken the image of the PA while strengthening Hamas. Fayyad said the Israeli onslaught on Palestinian charities and other institutions would radicalise Palestinian society and deepen hatred for Israel. It is evident, however, that Israel is indifferent to the long-term effects of its vindictive actions against Palestinians. Drawing satisfaction at seeing Palestinians suffer seems to be the main Israeli motive.
The harsh onslaught on the city of Nablus, and the embarrassment this onslaught has caused to Israel’s peace partner, the PA, has drawn few reactions from an international community that appears to have lost hope of restraining Israel’s wild savagery against virtually helpless Palestinian victims.
The most outspoken response came from Louisa Morgantini, vice- president of the European Union, who called the Israeli raids “a clear violation of international law”.
“The ongoing raids, closures, and confiscations by the Israeli army against institutions, associations and evens schools in Nablus are illegal actions, representing not only a clear violation of international law and more suffering and injustice against the Palestinian population, but also a direct attack on the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s government.
“Incursions, arrests, closures, sound bombs exploding during nightly invasions, and now also the order to close the Nablus mall, including 50 shops and offices, threatening anyone who enters the mall to be imprisoned for five years: these orders by the Israeli military are illegal and invalid.”
On 10 July, Fayyad toured Nablus and urged shopkeepers and residents to reopen their stores and to resist non-violently. The Israeli army responded to Fayyad’s “defiant posture” by re-entering Nablus and sealing additional premises and by renewing warnings that violators of Israeli military orders would be imprisoned and have their homes blown up.
Fayyad, infuriated and clearly embarrassed by the audacity of the Israeli raids, called on Hamas to work towards the formation of a national unity government, because “this is the only way to present a united Palestinian front in the face of the Israeli aggression.”
Israeli society, which has been drifting stridently towards Talmudic fundamentalism and jingoistic fascism, generally ignored its army’s shameful behaviour in the West Bank. There were two exceptions. First, the small but noted Israeli peace group, Gush Shalom, published a statement in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz entitled “Orphans and widows”.
The statement read as follows: “As part of the actions against Hamas, the Olmert government is destroying orphanages, schools and charities in the West Bank. There are no other institutions to take their place. Orphans, widows and poor people will be thrown into the street. Will this isolate Hamas? On the contrary.”
The other exception was an article written by the non-conformist columnist Gideon Levy, also published in Haaretz. Levy spoke of the horrific oppression the Israeli army is meting out to the Palestinians. “Thus the occupation proves once again that there is no place in Palestinian lives that it cannot reach, and that it has no boundaries.”
“An army that closes a school, library, bakery and boarding school; soldiers who raid a licensed commercial television station, confiscating its equipment and threatening its closure, as happened recently at the Afaq TV station in Nablus… These operations broadcast a message loud and clear: the occupation has lost all moral inhibitions and any shred of wisdom.”
“How wretched is an army,” Levy continued, “that empties storerooms of food and clothing for the needy; how ridiculous that the army signs orders to close hairdressing salons; how pathetic is a military raid on bakeries and how cruel is an occupation that shuts down clinics on any pretexts.”
It is important to keep in mind that these views in no way reflect the collective conscience of Israel’s overtly racist society. Therein, the dominant response to the occupation’s atrocities is silence. | <urn:uuid:133c9c24-6c00-47d8-8229-85fd9eb500e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/met-with-silence/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960689 | 1,720 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Lorus Therapeutics Announces a Key Scientific Publication on Therapeutic siRNA in Cancer TherapyTORONTO, March 1 /CNW/ - Lorus Therapeutics Inc. ("Lorus") (TSX: LOR; AMEX: LRP), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the research and development of pharmaceutical products and technologies for the management of cancer, today announced publication of scientific data from preclinical studies demonstrating the antitumor activity of its lead small interfering RNA (siRNA) candidate, siRNA-1284.
The article titled "RNA interference targeting the R2 subunit of ribonucleotide reductase inhibits growth of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo" was published online today in the peer-reviewed journal Anti-Cancer Drugs and will appear in print in the April issue. The paper presents data indicating that siRNA-1284 significantly decreases the expression of the R2 subunit of ribonucleotide reductase in a range of human tumor cell lines in vitro. Lorus' research demonstrates that down-regulation of R2 led to a significant decrease in tumor cell growth and subsequent cell cycle inhibition in vitro. siRNA-1284 also demonstrated potent antitumor activity in vivo in xenograft models of human cancers including renal cell carcinoma, melanoma and colon adenocarcinoma. This article marks Lorus' first major publication of detailed scientific findings for research in the area of RNA interference and siRNA technology.
"We are pleased with the publication of these data in Anti-Cancer Drugs and see it as further validation of Lorus' progress in translating RNA interference science into clinically relevant therapeutics," said Dr. Aiping Young, Lorus' President and CEO. "Gene silencing by RNA interference is a valuable tool in gene function studies and a novel therapeutic approach to drug development. The results presented in this publication further validate R2 as an important antitumor target."
siRNA is a novel class of molecules that can decrease cellular target RNA expression through an antisense process known as RNA interference (RNAi). Because of its target specificity, RNAi is increasingly being examined as a potential therapy for a variety of diseases including cancer. From an evolutionary perspective, RNAi helps protect cells from viruses and transposable genetic elements in addition to carrying out more routine cellular tasks essential to development and growth. In mammalian cells siRNAs have been shown to be the most effective tools for RNAi, allowing for the development of clean and easily regulated methods for disruption of gene expression. siRNA technology allows for a range of new applications including target validation for drug discovery and medical therapeutics.
Lorus is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of novel therapeutics in cancer. Lorus' goal is to capitalize on its research, preclinical, clinical and regulatory expertise by developing new drug candidates that can be used, either alone, or in combination with other drugs, to successfully manage cancer. Through its own discovery efforts and an acquisition and in-licensing program, Lorus is building a portfolio of promising anticancer drugs. Lorus has several product candidates in multiple Phase II clinical trials and has completed one Phase II and one Phase III clinical trial. Lorus Therapeutics Inc. is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol LOR, and on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol LRP.
Forward looking statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to: our research program plans, our plans to conduct clinical trials, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies and the regulatory approval process, our ability to fund future research, our plans to obtain partners to assist in the further development of our product candidates, the establishment of corporate alliances, the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements including words such as "continue", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "will", "should", "may", and other similar expressions. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others: our ability to obtain the capital required for research and operations, the inherent risks in early stage drug development including demonstrating efficacy, development time/cost and the regulatory approval process; the progress of our clinical trials; our ability to find and enter into agreements with potential partners; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; changing market conditions; and other risks detailed from time-to-time in our ongoing quarterly filings, annual information forms, annual reports and annual filings with Canadian securities regulators and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the assumptions set out in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Information Form underlying those forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and we do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. We cannot assure you that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.
Posted: March 2007 | <urn:uuid:c8144d92-8cc6-4bf1-bcc4-72886183f1e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.drugs.com/clinical_trials/lorus-therapeutics-announces-key-scientific-publication-therapeutic-sirna-cancer-therapy-259.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 | 0.934868 | 1,197 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Top 100 Artists of All Time 80 – 71
The Top 100 Artists of All Time, Artists 80-79. For further information as to how the list was created, please click here.
80. Stan Kenton
Many have made the mistake of purchasing one of Kenton’s CDs entitled “Balboa Bash”. Don’t let the title fool you, there is nothing on there that you want to bal to. However, if you are looking for a delightful vocal featuring June Kristy on vocals (and the whole band!), check out “Tampico”.
79. Larry Clinton
Horn player Larry Clinton made most of his money, outside of recordings, from college proms and hotel ballrooms. But don’t let that fool you, Clinton recorded some of great swingin tracks: Zig Zag, Dipsy Doodle, and a rather tame, albeit interesting, version of Sugarfoot Stomp.
British dance bands of the 1920s and 1930s formed in dance halls and hotel ballrooms creating a unique style of swing jazz — a unique blend of popular American jazz and a ‘peculiar British sense of rhythm and style’. Ambrose and His Orchestra was one of those bands who I had stumbled on one day at my favorite record shop in Pasadena, CA (Canterbury Records). If you run across Ambrose, check out Cotton Pickers Congregation, Streamline Strut and Hide and Seek.
77. Don Ewell
The amount of amazing artists and music continues to astonish me. It was until a few months ago that I found Don Ewell, jazz pianist, and his upbeat and swingin version of Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me. Man that song is sweet!
76. Mary Lou Williams
Jazz pianist and composer, Mary Lou Williams wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements, and event wrote some for the likes of Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. Williams found work with Andy Kirk, and wrote for his Twelve Clouds of Joy, such great songs as “Walking and Swingin” and Little Joe From Chicago.
75. Louis Prima
Yes, Louis Prima. Once you get past the Gap commercial of 1998, and Jump Jive and Wail (the bane of every swing dancers’ existence), Prima’s collection of music is fabulous. And let us forget that Prima did write the swing epic, Sing Sing Sing. If you aren’t into the later ‘Vegas Years’, check out Louis Prima’s New Orleans Gang. At The Darktown Strutters Ball and of course the original version of Sing Sing Sing are great samples of his early band (Pre Brian Setzer annoyance).
74. James P Johnson
Arguably one of the most important pioneers of stride piano. Teaching such piano pioneers as Fats Waller and Willie The Lion Smith. My Favorite Track: Walkin’ The Dog.
73. W.C. Handy
One of the most influential American songwriters in history. Handy, a blues player and composer, is credited for creating the contemporary form of the blues. My favorite song written by Handy, St. Louis Blues. I’m not sure there is a version of St. Louis Blues I don’t like.
72. Horace Henderson
Younger brother of bandleader, Fletcher Henderson, Horace was known mostly for his arrangements for such notable artists as Benny Goodman, the Casa Loma Orchestra, and Jimmie Lunceford. Horace is credited with writing Big John’s Special, Christopher Columbus, and Hot and Anxious, which later became In The Mood (also see Tar Paper Stomp); all three songs at the core of any swing dancers collection.
71. Albert Ammons
A boogie woogie piano player from the 30’s, Ammons boogie woogie really swings. Ammons, along with Peter Johnson, are credited with launching the Boogie Woogie craze with their appearance at Carnegie hall in 1938 for the Spirituals to Swing concert.
Check out the list: | <urn:uuid:366b5bca-8ce0-4755-98a3-bae7c7356367> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.euclidsfifth.com/top-100/top-100-artists-of-all-time-80-71/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939534 | 856 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Hawaii refracts on team names; 'Rainbow' back
HONOLULU (AP) Hawaii's athletic department is scrapping a plan to drop the word "Rainbow" from its men's teams' nicknames.
The university announced Tuesday it is changing its football, baseball and other men's team nicknames to the Rainbow Warriors - a name previously used by the football team but dropped in 2000.
The changes take effect July 1. All Hawaii's women's teams will continue to be known as the Rainbow Wahine. "Wahine" means "woman" in Hawaiian. | <urn:uuid:a54b2251-957e-4851-b24e-ed6b941bf668> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stats.washingtonpost.com/cfb/teamstats.asp?team=0091&report=teamhome | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971237 | 123 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Iranian oil workers had to jump for their lives when part of a multi-million dollar oil platform began to sink into the Persian Gulf.
New video of last week's sinking shows the workers running along the structure and diving into the water as the ‘jacket’ of the $40 million rig plunges under the waves.
The rig was being installed in the South Pars field by Iran’s POGC and the builder Iranian Marine Industrial which is controlled by the country’s Revolutionary Guards, says Dow Jones newswires.
Reuters reports the local Mehr news agency saying Iran had asked for foreign help to retrieve the oil rig from 80 meters down in the Gulf.
Iran is faced with an import ban of key oil exploration technology, and has embarked on building its own equipment. | <urn:uuid:f9a648c6-ad82-4fee-8534-0c362564b694> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rt.com/news/iran-oil-rig-accident-383/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976667 | 164 | 1.640625 | 2 |
KARACHI - The Karachi police and intelligence agencies on Friday foiled an attempt to smuggle antiquities worth billions of rupees and arrested two persons in connection with the attempt.
In a recent meeting, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee had unveiled that at least 40 antiques were stolen from National Museum Karachi in 1986.
Further, the NA body had said some 12 mummies of Buddha were also stolen from the same museum in 1995.
Some mummies were also stolen from the Archeology Museum Taxila in 1995.
Eleven of those, however, were later recovered.
Around 138 antiques were stolen from Fort Museum Lahore in 1996, while 61 antiques of silver and copper were burgled from Taxila Museum in 1999, the committee had said.
On Friday, law enforcement officials acted on a tip-off and arrested a driver and a conductor of a trawler which was transporting a container.
The security personnel intercepted and searched a container in Awami Colony, Korangi and recovered valuable, including ancient idols, statues and various utensils.
The antiquities included 10 idols, a number of small statues and various utensils, hidden underneath cleaning items, bales of straw and other miscellaneous items such as furniture, slippers and water coolers.
Intelligence officials said most of the antiquities had been stolen from various museums across the country, including the Swat museum. Some of the items were believed to have been smuggled from Afghanistan. The antiquities cost billions of rupees, an official said.
The centuries-old antiques are said to be remnants of ancient Budhist civilization from across South Asia, including Afghanistan. Karachi police started investigation and raided various localities for the arrest of the member of the racket.
“The arrested men told the police that they were moving towards Rawalpindi while they picked the container from Bin Qasim Port,” an official said.
The NA standing committee on culture said 324 antiques were stolen from different museums of the country during the past 21 years and the police had only recovered 11 of them.
Several historical antiques have been smuggled abroad.
Of them, the United States returned 38 while authorities in the Culture Ministry are in talks with the French authorities for the return of 17 other. | <urn:uuid:567e2ef9-1a25-46d3-b551-2395803f1dc4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/07/07/news/national/karachi-police-foil-attempt-to-smuggle-antiquities-worth-billions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972119 | 472 | 1.703125 | 2 |
What exactly do Classis majors study?
Classics as a discipline involve the study of the languages, history, literature, philosophy, art history and archaeology of the ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Thus, while it is a historical discipline to a certain extent, it is truly an interdisciplinary field of study.
What jobs are possible with a Classics major?
Classics majors go on to many interesting careers. Since the study of Classics involves so many different aspects of academic study, Classics students receive training that prepares them for a wide variety of professions – including many that people wouldn’t normally associate with Classics. Did you know, for instance, that Ted Turner (the founder of CNN) was a Classics major in college?
Classics students continually report that they “learned how to learn” while studying Latin or Greek. They also become better writers since they learn how to analyze languages and many different genres of literature. The critical thinking skills they developed as Classics majors enable them to excel in a variety of professions ranging from medicine to journalism to teaching.
Prospective employers are often not as interested in WHAT your major is, but rather your passion, level of commitment, eagerness and ability to learn new things. In which other major can you tackle a language, history, philosophy, art history, mythology, architecture, literature and archaeology?
What are recent graduates doing now?
One recent graduate is working at a law firm but will soon leave to teach English abroad. She loves literature and hopes to become a writer when she returns. Another graduate was inspired by a research project he completed on farming in ancient Italy and is pursuing an advanced degree in economics toward study contemporary land use with an eye to helping developing countries.
What opportunities are there to bolster my resume while I'm in the program?
Internships. The most directly applicable internships are tutoring (Latin or Greek) and, if the student is interested in teaching, conducting student teaching, which is set up through the education program at UST.
Study abroad. While we do not have an official study abroad program, there are many opportunities to study classical civilization abroad, particularly in Rome and Greece. Some former students have even studied Latin or Greek in Scotland and England.
Study abroad always enhances an individual’s life experience and learning. Contact with different cultures broadens perspectives and often leads to developing a greater ability to accept those who see things differently from yourself. Through a familiarity with a different culture, people are often able to develop new perspectives not only about others but also about themselves and their own culture.
Faculty at work
Our faculty members principally teach, but they also write. They have been involved with student-faculty research partnerships at other institutions before coming to UST, so such collaborations will most likely appear here soon.
What jobs are possible with a Classical Civilization major?
- Research and policy analyst
- Information specialist
- Business manager
- Production manager
- Public relations specialist
- Sales representative
- Conference relations specialist
- Data coordinator
- Communications media planner
- Public policy analyst
- Public interest lobbyist
- Foreign service agent
- Press secretary
- Legislative assistant
- Field representative
- Diplomatic staff member
- Public relations specialist
- Executive manager
- Public administrator
- Research and development specialist
- Community affairs specialist
- Higher education administrator
- Foreign service representative
- Museum worker
- Foundation worker
- Travel agent
- Teacher/college and high school | <urn:uuid:ada5da36-9da0-4231-bebc-a7dda700e05b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stthomas.edu/admissions/undergraduate/majorsacademics/majorsminors/classicalcivilization/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9507 | 711 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Networking | News
Illinois District Chooses Comcast Ethernet for Cloud, Virtualization Services
Township High School District 214 in Illinois has chosen Comcast Metro Ethernet services to provide cloud computing, virtualization, streaming video, data, and voice services to support more than 12,000 students.
District 214's network supports more than 6,200 computers, 1,300 VoIP phones, 850 iPads, 225 IP cameras, 400 wireless access points, HVAC management, and a virtualization project that has saved the district more than $330,000 in hardware replacements and $45,000 in energy costs.
The district, recognized by the Center for Digital Education and the National School Boards Association as a top 10 technology school district, recently moved to online enrollment for all incoming freshmen and launched a pilot project that allows students to videoconference with medical professionals through laptops.
The district is also "exploring an inter-district videoconferencing system for office meetings, which would increase efficiency and reduce travel time and mileage reimbursement expenses," according to information released by the district.
"We believe the future is in cloud computing and virtualization is the first step to bringing the district to a completely cloud-based environment," said Keith Bockwoldt, director of technology at District 214. "Kids today are growing up in a digital world, and we want to prepare our students, educators, and community for the future. Comcast's Metro Ethernet gives us the capacity and bandwidth to deliver cloud, virtualization, streaming video, and other bandwidth-intensive systems to better serve our students and help keep us on budget."
Township High School District 214 serves eight communities with six high schools and three alternative programs. Located 25 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, it is the second largest high school district in Illinois and ranked in the top four percent of the state for academic performance.
More information about Comcast Metro Ethernet services is available at business.comcast.com.
Joshua Bolkan is the multimedia editor for Campus Technology and THE Journal. He can be reached at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:2d2811c7-8a67-4a24-9050-0d9ffd3a5749> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thejournal.com/articles/2011/10/27/illinois-district-chooses-comcast-ethernet-for-cloud-virtualization-services.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940134 | 428 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Dr. Shoshana Bennett answers an important uncommonly asked question, "Can A Father Get Postpartum Depression or PPD?"
Read the full transcript »
Question: Can a father get postpartum depression/ PPD? Dr. Shoshana Bennett: Actually yes, yes, fathers can get depressed postpartum. It is not due to of course the reproductive hormones, the estrogen or progesterone plummeting, like it might be in the woman, but fathers do get depressed at a lower rate, but they are at highest risk when their partners, in other words, when the women have postpartum depression. If they have a history of depression or another mood disorder, they are at risk also. Sometimes if they have had obsessive-compulsive disorder in the past, they might get a bout of intense, serious obsessive-compulsive disorder or depression or anxiety. With men, it manifests mainly as anger and short temperedness. Sometimes rage. This could also be due to sleep deprivation that the father is incurring as well as the mom, but yes, absolutely, men can be depressed. I often receive calls from women who may or may not have postpartum depression, but she is worried about her spouse. "Is it possible, Dr. Bennett?" and I will say, "Absolutely, yes," and guide the men in the right direction. Either I work with them directly or make sure they get the help that they need. | <urn:uuid:30a25a76-bc72-48bb-aa67-37e2ee6bf9ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthline.com/hlvideo-5min/postpartum-depression-and-fathers-231380170 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956856 | 296 | 1.679688 | 2 |
As I’ve noted here before, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has an ongoing proceeding asking “How Will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?” The agency has hosted two workshops on the issue and a third is scheduled for June 15th at the National Press Club. Recently, the FTC released a 47-page staff discussion draft entitled “Potential Policy Recommendations to Support the Reinvention of Journalism,” which outlines dozens of proposals that have been set forth in recent years to “save journalism,” “reinvent media,” or support various forms of so-called “public interest programming.” [I've embedded the document down below.] Although the FTC makes it very clear on the first page of the discussion draft that it “does not represent final conclusions or recommendations by the Commission or FTC staff [and] it is solely for purposes of discussion,” the document is drawing scrutiny and raising concern since it might foreshadow where the FTC (and Obama Administration) could be heading on this front.
Some of those raising a stink about the FTC draft include: Jeff Jarvis (“FTC Protects Journalism’s Past“); Rob Port (“Federal Government Considering “iPad Tax” To Subsidize Journalism“); Mark Tapscott: “(Will Journalists Wake up in Time to Save Journalism from Obama’s FTC?”); and Andrew Malcolm of the Los Angeles Times (“Obama’s FTC Plan to Reinvent America’s News Media“), who says, “this FTC study is rated R for anyone who thinks the federal government, the object of copious news coverage itself, has no business deciding which sectors of the private media business survive and thrive through its support, subsidies and encouragement with things like tax incentives. Yet that’s what this Obama administration paper is suggesting as another of the ex-community organizer’s galactic reform plans.” Ouch!
I’ve spent a great deal of time considering many of the “reform” proposals that the FTC outlines in its discussion draft and, along with Berin Szoka, recently released a 5-part series of papers and filed 80 pages of comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in its “Future of Media” proceeding, which shares much in common with the FTC’s “Will Journalism Survive?” proceeding. Not all of the ideas floated in the FTC’s draft document are toxic, but some are very troubling and fit squarely in the red or yellow zone of that chart above, which plots a range of media policy options that the FTC or FCC might pursue.
As the FTC draft is structured currently, it appears to have been heavily influenced by the radical activist group Free Press and its founder Robert McChesney, the prolific neo-Marxist media scholar from the University of Illinois. I’ve explained in detail here before the dangerous ideas floated by McChesney and Free Press. For background, see:
- Free Press, Robert McChesney & the “Struggle” for Media, Aug. 2009
- A “Public Option” for Media? The Free Press Plan to Put Journalists on the Public Dole, Nov. 2009
- What the Media Reformistas Really Want, Aug. 2008
- Socializing Media in Order to Save It, March 2009
McChesney and his Free Press disciples have called for a “post-corporate” media world in which the state essentially serves as both a benefactor and partner of the press. Their “public option” for the press would essentially upend private media and toss the First Amendment into the dustbin of history. I encourage everyone who thinks I am exaggerating to read Chapter 4 (“Subsidizing Democracy”) of McChesney’s new book with John Nichols, The Death and Life of American Journalism as well as the “National Journalism Strategy” that Free Press released last year.
Those two works read like a Soviet-style 5-Year Plan for the Press. Massive subsidies. Massive taxes. Massive state meddling into virtually every aspect of the media marketplace and journalistic profession. And if, after reading those documents, you still don’t think they are out to destroy the private provision of media in America, you might want to check out this interview McChesney did with the Canadian-based “Socialist Project” in which he confessed that “the ultimate goal is to get rid of the media capitalists,” and noted that, “unless you make significant changes in the media, it will be vastly more difficult to have a revolution.” Similarly, in his book with Nichols, he concludes by noting that “We have responded in a time of crisis not with tinkering reforms but with revolution.” They sure have!
For some reason, the FTC seems enamored with these dangerous ideas. McChesney and Free Press are cited over a dozen times and their proposals show up almost verbatim throughout the FTC’s discussion draft. Moreover, McChesney was recently invited to one of the FTC’s workshops to deliver a major address on these issues. Finally, what makes me particularly nervous is that Susan DeSanti, the person running the FTC’s effort, has praised McChesney and Nichols’ “excellent book” despite its call for radical steps that would essentially hobble private media and impose crushing taxes on just about everyone in sight to subsidize public, state-blessed media.
I sincerely hope that the FTC’s “discussion draft” is just that, and nothing more. I’m fine with discussing kooky Marxist ideas all day long. I just hope our government isn’t getting ready to start imposing them upon us. | <urn:uuid:824c6af2-3738-4526-8a77-a134d2fc02ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://techliberation.com/2010/06/04/ftc-draft-plan-to-save-journalism-drawing-scrutiny-raising-concern/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944784 | 1,220 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Package? What package? No wonder National avoided over-selling the contents of their plan to make housing more affordable. The plan looks more like a rough first draft.
As Annette King, Labour's housing spokeswoman noted, the Government's long-awaited announcement was a combination of "considering new ways", "undertaking more inquiries", "doing more work" and "undertaking evaluations".
The lack of detail serves to illustrate one thing: when it comes to increasing the housing stock, there is not a lot central government can do unless it is willing to spend big bikkies.
Apart from fiscal restraints, National is not keen on being blamed for doing anything which might end up seeing many voters' prime asset - the family home - losing its value in cold, hard monetary terms.
There is comparatively a lot more that local government can do. Yesterday's announcement consequentially upped the pressure on local bodies - notably the Auckland Council - to make a "commitment" to making land available for new housing.
Bill English, who was the lead minister in putting the package together, talked of giving councils a "clear sense of direction".
But it seemed designed more to provide cover for giving a clear sense of direction to major changes to National's bete noir, the Resource Management Act. As well as housing, the modifications will make it quicker for shopping and industrial developments to get planning approval.
Buried in the announcement is a new provision which will see consent applications for undefined "large regional projects" referred directly to the Environment Court rather than first being heard by local or regional councils.
Such a provision currently only applies to proposals of "national significance" which the Minister for the Environment can refer to a board of inquiry or the Environment Court for a decision.
The reaction to yesterday's housing plan may have been ho-hum. But National could be grateful for one thing: the Government has finally steered political debate on to something it wishes to talk about, rather than being hostage to what Opposition parties would prefer to debate. | <urn:uuid:e7a39f18-fbdc-40d5-9409-e4075342af38> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nzherald.co.nz/news/print.cfm?objectid=10843788&pnum=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956724 | 412 | 1.765625 | 2 |
a young adult moving out into the "cold, cruel world," the automotive
industry has practically tattooed a bull's eye on your forehead. Frequently,
young adults have problems with buying a car simply because they don't understand
what they are getting into. However, there is some hope if you plan ahead and
understand the complexities of what to do if problems arise later with the vehicle.
In Washington State there is a Lemon Law for new (and some nearly new) motor vehicles. This law (RCW 19.118.031) simply states that an owner of a vehicle that has substantial and continuing problems with warranty repairs is entitled to an arbitration hearing through the Attorney General's Office free of charge.
Be aware, that not all vehicles are eligible. According to the Washington State Attorney General, "an owner can request an arbitration hearing under Lemon Law at anytime within 30 months of the original retail delivery date." You do not have to be the original owner to request arbitration, if you request it within two years of the delivery date to the original owner and during the first 24,000 miles of operation. The request must still be made within 30 months of the original delivery date regardless of how may times the car has been sold.
Some vehicles are not covered at all. If your vehicle does not meet the criteria below, an arbitration hearing will not be granted:
• Trucks over 19,000 pounds gross weight
• Motor homes with defects only in the dwellings, office, or commercial space
• Vehicles purchased or leased by a business as part of a fleet of 10 or more
• Motorcycles with engine displacements of fewer than 750 cubic centimeters, however, if your motorcycle has a larger engine it could be covered
According to Paul Corning, the Administrator of the Washington State Lemon Law Administration, all states have some form of vehicle warranty enforcement law. "Most states have a Lemon Law that creates a legal course of action providing the basis for consumers to sue the manufacturer."
An arbitration hearing is meant to be an easier process than a trial hearing. The arbitrator is like a judge in a trial; they will hear both sides of the case and then make a decision based on the evidence. Both parties (the owner and manufacturer) will have a chance to present their cases, may use any documents, witnesses, and other evidence to support their case. Once your case has been accepted for arbitration you will get more information on exact procedures and how to prepare for them.
Keep in mind that all states' rules and regulations are different. To find information about your state's law, check for links provided by the International Association of Lemon Law Administrators (IALLA) at http://www.ialla.net/. | <urn:uuid:44313c19-e444-43e8-a637-58cfd7f597e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.atg.wa.gov/TeenConsumer/transportation/lemon_law.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954452 | 556 | 1.679688 | 2 |
1 April 2002
Life in the slow lane
By Gregory Hale
You know those times when you are stuck behind a car in the passing lane? The car is going about 10 miles under the speed limit. You can’t see the driver over the steering wheel. His right turn signal has been on for about 2 miles. Once again, a driver in the fast lane is playing it safe, but totally unaware of everything else going on around him.
A great measure of your company’s success will be how productively it spent the recession of 2001. Is your company going slow, playing it safe and unaware of its surroundings? Or is it clipping along, savvy about competitors, new developments, and the like?
Take a look at Dow Corning. It spent a good chunk of time during the recession in Chapter 11, but its bad times didn’t hold it back. It is attempting to do something that has not worked very well with other companies in the past year or so: starting a Web portal, called Xiameter, that will sell the company’s product at low price with on-time delivery. Company officials have pledged that customers will get the lowest price Dow Corning can offer.
The initiative is hardly pathbreaking. But at least Dow Corning’s not drifting along—it’s taking action.
How about your company?
There are people out there in the industry spending way too much time talking about the good old days and wondering where they went. How many times have you heard, "It didn’t used to be this way"? They’re right—it has never been this way.
Instead of trying something new, those people shrug their shoulders and keep talking to the same customers. Dow Corning is taking a more positive approach. It attempted to understand the nuances of the bad economy, saw how the company fits in, and then hit the ground running.
A pretty nimble move for a bankrupt chemical maker.
What companies need now more that ever is strong leadership, from the executive suite all the way over to the plant floor. As we are finding from companies going down the tubes, you don’t need someone who says all the right things but rather a leader who has a vision and will bring your company out ahead. With the unemployment rate falling to 5.5% in February from 5.6% in January and businesses adding 66,000 jobs to the payroll, all the signs are there for a turnaround.
These are just signs. You and your company have to keep going full bore. Now comes the hard part in this industrial endurance race. We know the end is near; we just aren’t there yet.
If you aren’t ready to make another big push, no problem. Just jump in your car, flip on your turn signal, and keep driving.
Do you see a turnaround in the offing? Talk to me: [email protected] or (919) 990-9275.IT | <urn:uuid:dfa8f3ff-14e6-482d-85db-180f5d2ac595> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.isa.org/InTechTemplate.cfm?Section=Archives4&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=12795 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96203 | 621 | 1.5 | 2 |
Plagiarism Claim Due to Lack of Attribution, Superintendent Says
Bedminster's Carolyn Koos said she wrote a message that mirrored one written by another superintendent.
Bedminster Township School Superintendent Carolyn Koos has taken down from the website a message she sent out to the community with comments similar to those written by another superintendent—and she said Thursday that it is all a misunderstanding due to lack of attribution.
In her new year’s message sent out Jan. 2, Koos wrote: “There is no question that the name Bedminster, whether in reference to the city or the school district resonates great pride to those who live, work and are educated here. This is a great asset for our school community and was the impetus for our school district’s current mission statement: 'Bedminster-Developing World Class Learners and Global Citizens.'"
This mirrors the beginning of a letter written by Bettendorf Community School District Superintendent of Schools Theron Shutte, in Iowa: “There is no question that the name Bettendorf, whether in reference to the city or the school district resonates great pride to those who live, work and are educated here. This is a great asset for our school community and was the impetus for our school district's current mission statement: 'Educational excellence is the foundation of the Bettendorf Community School District. Working in partnership with the family and community, we will instill and nurture in all students the knowledge, skills, creativity, and confidence to pursue their dreams and to succeed in a global society.'"
Koos said the possible plagiarism was due to her accidental lack of attribution.
“In my haste to provide an inspirational message for Bedminster, I put the comments of Dr. Shutte into my message and should have been attributed to him,” she said.
“It was a mistake, and when I then attributed it to him, I took it down because it became a distraction,” she added.
Koos was working in Illinois before moving to Bedminster, and before that she was in Galesburg, Ill., traveling back and forth to Bettendorf while she was on the city council.
“I decided not to rerun for the council because it was too far,” she said. “I still attended Bettendorf functions throughout my tenure in Illinois.”
Koos, who said she met Shutte while working on the Bettendorf City Council, said she has an email from him indicating his permission to use the similar statements in her messages to the community.
“I have been stating these same principals for years,” Koos said. “Dr. Shutte does not regard this as a problem, and I have an email indicating his permission.”
“I have been and am committed to these commonly held educational principles,” she added.
Koos has since taken down the original message and posted a new one on the school website concerning the new year.
This is the full text of her new message:
"A new beginning! Hopefully 2013 will bring you and your family good health, happiness and prosperity. I hope you had an enjoyable winter break and were able to get some rest.
Sometimes it is good to take a step back and reassess everything in our lives. How can I improve, am I as efficient as I should be, am I spending enough time with my combined family of nine children and fifteen … no wait … two more were just born around the 1st of January … seventeen grandchildren. I have made plenty of mistakes both at work and at home. I then reflect about times when I had a dream and a vision for my new role as superintendent at Bedminster, it was filled with excitement and passion for not only the school but the community.
The Bedmister school community truly aligns with our current mission statement: 'Bedminster-Developing World Class Learners and Global Citizens.' Whether it is our dedicated teachers, committed parents, devoted Board of Education or our enthusiastic and supportive community, the top priority and commitment is to develop a top learning organization of excellence. We must be mindful of those who share their time and talents to make our school a beacon of high ideals and values of education. On behalf of everyone here, thank you to those who have given your time, resources and shared your talents in support of our students and staff.
Creating a culture requires a vision and mission of what is possible, a plan to set it in motion and the practices to provide ongoing improvement. Bedminster has that sense of teamwork and ownership, a commitment to fulfillment of the vision and mission, emphasis on professional development, encouragement of innovation and creativity and stakeholder communication.
Every school district wants excellence, but Bedminster is unique. The community holds high their traditions and high standard way of being rather than just existing-status quo. Bedminster is a culture of synergy; it is energized and goes beyond the ordinary.
Deal & Kennedy's research shows that organizations that 'have cultivated their individual identities by shaping values, making heroes, spelling out rites and rituals and acknowledging the cultural network have an edge.'
What will be the hallmarks for Bedminster School and the community? How will we know that we are an inspiring community and top notch learning environment?
Our District Evaluation Advisory Committee (DEAC) committee is a prime example of how we can work together as a united front-teamwork with all stakeholders at the table and hold the ability to maintain an environment of learning excellence and professionalism.
Bedminster is an excellent school district because we have a community who is devoted to a tradition of excellence. That is the Bedminster culture—that is the way we do things around here.
A new beginning. Let us take a step back and assess all that is dear to us in our community. Bedminster is at an important juncture. The greatest challenge before us today is, how we continue to enhance the sturdy, long-established superiority of academic standards and development of Bedminster. Looking down the road of time—what would the future say about our educational decisions and values? Today, Bedminster’s learning environment and culture is making the right decisions for our greatest and most precious pride—our children and students.
Carolyn R. Koos"
Koos said she does not know what day the new message was posted on the website. | <urn:uuid:943fb556-e1e8-41fa-a535-5691c3d019ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bernardsville-bedminster.patch.com/articles/possible-plagiarism-due-to-lack-of-attribution-superintendent-says | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964236 | 1,311 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Forget what you learned in math class. In Washington, four can be greater than five.
Take the recent move by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, to designate NATO ally Turkey as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) — putting Turkey on a par with serious l malefactors Burma, China, North Korea, Sudan, Uzbekistan and the other usual suspects.
The nine-member, bipartisan commission originally split 5-4 to give Turkey that status. But then one of the five-member majority, Don Argue, former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, switched — apparently too late to meet a March deadline set by commission chairman Leonard Leo, executive vice president of the Federalist Society.
The tiny (budget $3 million, staff of about 20) advisory panel has long been, as our colleague Michelle Boorstein noted, “rife . . . with ideology and tribalism” and oft-accused of an anti-Muslim bias. (And the members are not even paid.)
The annual report usually comes out at the end of April but was released March 20 because five commissioners’ terms were expiring March 21, which would leave the panel without a quorum.
The five majority/dissenters issued a statement saying that, even so, there was “ample time to reflect” Argue’s changed vote and keep Turkey’s lesser “watch” designation, as opposed to a CPC designation.
Those on the “watch” list include India, Russia, Venezuela and Cuba, which is now hosting Pope Benedict XVI; the pontiff is drawing huge crowds to Masses around the country, including one attended by Fidel Castro’s brother, Raul, the president.
Well, at least the Cubans let the pope in. Better than the Chinese and Vietnamese. | <urn:uuid:136fa8a1-2a9b-4081-9cab-548fecdbaf90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/post/turkeys-religious-freedom-rank-splits-panel/2012/03/27/gIQAazqzeS_blog.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956711 | 391 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Getting Students to Show Up: Practical Ideas for Any Outreach Event - From 10 to 10,000
Whenever I talk with youth workers at big events, I see the same look in their eyes. It's the look of, 'I want to pull off an event like this.' I regularly get phone calls from youth workers around the country saying, 'We've never done anything like ... +
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Whenever I talk with youth workers at big events, I see the same look in their eyes. It's the look of, 'I want to pull off an event like this.' I regularly get phone calls from youth workers around the country saying, 'We've never done anything like this before, but we wanted to do a big evangelism event . . .' At 80% of the events I speak at each year it seems as if the youth worker in charge expected large numbers, only to get a fourth of his or her expectations. The heart is there and the motives are pure . . . but the experience and know-how are in short supply. Most youth workers would love to pull off successful outreach events, if they only knew how. Youth workers are only learning how to program outreach events by 'trial and error.' They need a resource to not only teach them the basics in programming outreach events, but also give them tools and examples that actually work. This book will help them understand the mindset of this outreach crowd, and give them the tools to plan effective outreach programs. The book will show them examples of how NOT to do it, as well as giving them 'ready-made' events that work. It will also provide the basics such as the importance of DRAW, and aligning every single element with the events PURPOSE. The target market is all youth workers who want to plan weekly outreach programs, big events, or campus programs. A secondary audience would be student leaders who want to learn how to run 20 minute lunchtime 'Bible Clubs, ' geared for outreach. Youth workers would be the gatekeepers to this audience, because they are the ones who would purchase the books for their student leaders
|Author||McKee, Jonathan R.|
|Foreword by||Johnston, Kurt|
Click the google preview icon below for a limited preview of this title.
(If no icon is shown, preview is not available for this title.) | <urn:uuid:ee119a71-df4c-49d5-a3c1-dffde42bdb08> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.berean.com/product/362619/Getting_Students_to_Show_Up_Practical_Ideas_for_Any_Outreach_Event__From_10_to_10000/McKee_Jonathan_R.__/Books_Education_/0310272165_9780310272168_ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93601 | 557 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Safety at Sea: When Fury Overtakes a Cruisers’ Safe Haven
Anchoring lessons are learned, some the hard way, when a freak winter storm blows into Mexico's Bahía de Banderas.
Thirty minutes later, the storm hit at near full force, spinning Ceilydh, our Wood’s Meander 40-foot catamaran, 180 degrees and placing her at the head of the fleet, with a lee shore astern. The massive noise of the wind drowned out the thunder, but bolts lit up the sky all around us. While Evan monitored things outside, I kept an eye on the GPS and turned the radio up to full volume. It was clear that things were going very wrong. Anxious disembodied voices on the VHF wavered in and out. A voice reporting a dragging boat faded into other frantic voices: “Close your through-hulls!” and “Mayday!” and “It’s blowing 77! Now 82!”
|The author and crew of Ceilydh, a 40-foot cat, fared well in the storm.|
Our anchor held, but the two 100-foot steel fishing boats immediately upwind were dragging toward us—and the rest of the fleet. I called a warning over the VHF while Evan turned on the engine. But because of the line around the prop and the force of the wind and seas, we weren’t sure it would help. We made a plan to slip our anchor and sail out under staysail if we couldn’t avoid the fishing boats. I got Maia into her life jacket, and I mentally prepared to lose Ceilydh.
The fishing boats dragged past, eerily close, one on each side of us while their crews struggled for control in the driving winds, pelting rain, and turbulent seas. They didn’t hit anyone else because, unknown to us, all the boats around us had dragged away.
Ceilydh came through the blow relatively unscathed—a situation that may have been due more to luck than skill. Our bow roller was damaged, requiring replacing, and our anchor line partially chafed through, but that was the extent of our damage. But we were curious to learn how the other boats had fared, wondering if we really had just been lucky or if there were clear lessons to be learned. So several days later, we invited the crews of five other vessels to share their experiences and tell us what they learned. | <urn:uuid:eb4b186a-ad63-409d-ba2c-fac1d14a8d6a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cruisingworld.com/people/passage-notes/safety-at-sea-when-fury-overtakes-a-cruisers-safe-haven?page=0,1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971097 | 519 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Cycling eyewear is a great way to protect your eyes from sun, wind, and debris. At the Bike Shop, we carry a wide selection of cycling sunglasses, RX prescription sunglasses, sports eyewear, and more.To prevent injuries to your eyes while cycling, you need to go pro – as in protective eyewear.
With the arrival of spring and more people heading outside for fun and exercise, the Bike Shop cautions even casual athletes to protect their sight by keeping fashion eyewear off the streets & trails and wearing proper protective eyewear instead. Even non-contact sports such as tennis, golf and fishing pose a moderate to high risk of eye injury because of flying objects, such as balls, racquets and hooks.
Conventional frames and lenses do not meet the minimum requirements for impact resistance in most sports, which can turn a small collision into a sight-threatening injury. Sports-protective eyewear is tested to meet rigid standards and some have been independently verified and received the American Optometric Association (AOA) Seal of Acceptance. | <urn:uuid:1071ce18-65c8-4d21-a367-0441fb82b6c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bikeshop-lv.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=545&Itemid=150 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946835 | 220 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Spain is the third largest producer of wine in the world!
I lived in Spain for ten years, so even though it doesn’t run through my veins, it is my adopted homeland and this is where my passion for wine began.
And passion is something that the Spanish hold true, in everything, especially their wine.
When you take a sip of Spanish wine, it literally transports you. The mountains, the air, the history, the culture, the music and dancing, the food, the people- explosion! Like all excellent winemakers, they have reflected the heart and soul of the land in their wines.
Steeped in history and tradition, the wines are still made using age old processes but now young, pioneering winemakers are refining techniques alongside developing new ideas. Such ideas are harvesting at night to allow aromatic International white grape varieties to be produced. Plus blending of their Regional grapes varieties with these well-known International varieties (in some areas).
Also since 1999, they have been allowed to irrigate their vines as there is an obvious lack of rain throughout the summer. Therefore more varieties of grapes can be grown, especially more recognisable ones, and used for blending. Also, this irrigation improves the quality of their own Regional grapes.
Furthermore, it is now more common for winemakers to use more French oak, rather than American oak in their barrel ageing which has a huge impact on quality and flavour.
Spain produces fabulous aged reds, sparkling, crisp cavas, sherries and refreshing white and rosé wines. There is so much to choose from. With all this development and progression, however, they still hold onto traditional techniques, providing the consumer with a superb array of wines to discover.
The Cava is made via the same process as Champagne (the Traditional method), however different grapes are used. So even though the style is the same, the taste is completely different. I will write further information about sparkling wines and fortified wines (e.g. sherry) so watch the Wine Angel blog page for further updates.
The top two classified regions in Spain are Rioja and Priorato. These are known as DOC(Denominación de Origen Calificada).
It is also worth noting the ageing classifications. These range from Joven (young) to Gran Reserva. There are minimum requirements by law in Spain as to the length of time a wine must be aged, however these are usually completely exceeded!
It is interesting to know that the Gran Reservas aren’t necessarily the best, even though they are meant to be from the better vintages. They usually are the best of course! However, on a trip to Rioja, I tasted a much more superior Reserva wine from the same vintage and same vineyard?! This is a matter of personal taste and just shows you the effects of ageing and developing a wine. Get exploring!
- Joven is young wine. This is bottled in the year after the vintage.
- Crianza red wines need a minimum of two years ageing, six months of these in an oak barrel. Whites and rosé crianza wines must have been aged for a minimum of one year.
- Reservas are better wines, aged for a minimum of three years for red wines, one of which in an oak barrel. For whites and rosés, this requirement is two years, with six months in an oak barrel.
- Gran Reservas are usually the best and most expensive and are only produced in the best vintages. This classification is mainly only used for superb red wines, white ones are rare. They must be aged for a minimum of five years, two years in oak barrels and then the further time ageing in the bottle. Of course, these wines can and are aged for a lot, lot longer and can be kept in your cellar for many years after purchase.
See the main regions of Spain to find out more information on their Classic Styles, Main Grape Varieties and Must Tastes! | <urn:uuid:09480c95-e1c9-439a-b699-1df5a92a2c81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wineangel.co.uk/spain-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959174 | 827 | 1.664063 | 2 |
by Dawn Farmer
“Be fair, be decent… be honest, tell the truth, be educated, seek a better life and help mankind.” – Helen Thomas, on the values imparted by her parents.
This extraordinary woman has dedicated her life to seeking the truth for the benefit of all humanity. Often described as the First Lady of American journalism, Ms. Thomas has practiced her profession for sixty-seven years. She has been a pioneer – the first woman appointed Chief White House Correspondent for United Press International (UPI) and the only female print journalist to accompany President Nixon to China on his historic trip in 1972. Ms. Thomas was also the first female officer of the National Press Club, first female member (later president) of the White House Correspondents Association, and the first female member of the Gridiron Club. After 57 years with UPI, she resigned to join the Hearst Newspapers as a columnist writing on national affairs and the White House.
The senior member of the White House Press Corps, Ms. Thomas has known and questioned every president since Kennedy in 1961 and written four books about her tenure. She holds the distinction of having the only chair in the White House press room labeled not with the name of her employer, but with her own name.
Helen Thomas’ amazing career has not been without controversy. She is known for direct and pointed questions. After a lifetime censoring her own opinions, she gave an off-the-record comment to the Daily Breeze in Torrance, California, calling George W. Bush the “worst President in American history.” When then-White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer confirmed she had said it, she lost her prestigious front-row position in the press briefing room and was moved to the back row. Ms. Thomas’ ostracism came at a very crucial moment in 2003 as President Bush gave a press conference in which he told the reporters that America was on the verge of war. Ms. Thomas recalls that no reporters within view of the President asked him why, and the President did not call on her from the back of the room.
Ms. Thomas wrote a polite note to President Bush apologizing for calling him the worst President. He graciously replied, then called on her at the next press conference. True to her profession, she took the opening and asked him then, “Why did we go to war?” After that, she said, she was put in the deep freeze.
Ms. Thomas has also spoken candidly about what she sees as the degradation of the White House press itself. A famous incident came in April 2008 when the White House finally acknowledged the US had tortured suspected terrorists. When not one reporter questioned why President Bush had earlier denied using torture, Ms. Thomas asked her fellow reporters, “Where is everybody?”
She received 50 bouquets of flowers and cards from her colleagues saying, in effect: we’re here, we’re here.
“Look, you said this yesterday, and you’re saying this now,” expressed an exasperated Ms. Thomas. “How can you approach the American people with this? We’re supposed to be an informed people. We can handle the truth.”
Ms. Thomas has also been quoted as saying the only truism in life is change. She feels sure the press will wake up, come out of their coma and, when she retires, take up the work she has started.
Helen Thomas you deserve the spot atop our masthead because you have lived your convictions. Your words and questions bear witness to the power of truth. You have always asked why. We salute you, Helen Thomas.
Hear Helen Thomas in her own words | <urn:uuid:e64f549b-112a-4fc3-ba6f-f69de17c15ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scholarsandrogues.com/2009/05/20/honoring-helen-thomas-the-first-lady-of-american-journalism/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978033 | 772 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Contact: Len Feldman (916) 747-3657 or Dina Martin (650) 552-5491
CTA President Barbara E. Kerr testified before the Assembly Education Committee on April 25 on behalf of AB 1236
SACRAMENTO – President of the California Teachers Association, Barbara E. Kerr, urged a legislative committee Wednesday to approve a comprehensive CTA-sponsored measure that would, for the first-time, mandate kindergarten for all five-year-olds and provide all four-year-olds with kindergarten readiness programs within the state’s public school system. The bill aims to offer all youngsters equal opportunities for success.
CTA President Barbara E. Kerr addressed the Assembly Education Committee at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday to seek lawmakers’ approval for AB 1236 by Assembly Member Gene Mullin (D-San Francisco).
AB 1236 seeks to ensure that all students receive rigorous academic preparation – appropriate for their age – that will help them succeed in school, in college and in the increasingly challenging world of work.
The bill reflects studies showing that early, appropriate academic preparation is vital to students’ success all through their careers, but that confronting youngsters with too rigorous academic challenges before they are developmentally and socially mature enough can be counterproductive.
“California’s high academic standards have resulted in an evolution of kindergarten into a rigorous academic environment that prepares children to succeed in later grades. To succeed in kindergarten, children must be prepared to learn, and they must be developmentally ready to take on the challenges of our state standards. AB 1236 will help prepare all students for these challenges and make sure they are ready for kindergarten,” said CTA President Kerr. “It will provide all California children with an equal opportunity to succeed.”
The measure has three major components. The bill will, for the first time, make kindergarten attendance mandatory for five-year-olds, and it will require children to be five on or before September 1 of the year in which they would start kindergarten. Currently, youngsters may start at ages as young as 4 years and six months if their school is on a year-round calendar. AB 1236 will also create a comprehensive, voluntary kindergarten readiness program for all children one year prior to their start of kindergarten.
If approved by Assembly Education, AB 1236 will head next to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. | <urn:uuid:6e3a8ab0-d693-4c2f-b628-ee652b72e441> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cta.org/en/About-CTA/News-Room/Press-Releases/2007/04/20070424.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945036 | 487 | 1.679688 | 2 |
New technology keeps mechanics honest
Tips help get fair shake at repair shop
Your 2001 Toyota Camry comes to a sputtering stop.
You call a tow truck and are brought to the nearest service station. The mechanic on duty says you need a new alternator, which will cost you $500. You usually like to get a second opinion on repairs if you can, but towing the car to another shop is going to take more money and time.
You don't have much of a choice but to get the repairs, At the same time, you don't want to get ripped off. Now, with the help of a little 21st century technology, you can quickly and easily double check any mechanic's honesty.
Check repair costs online
RepairPal.com launched in 2007 to "provide drivers with the most accurate, unbiased and useful car ownership information available," according to its website.
RepairPal can find out the estimated cost of repairs for any make or model made after 1990. You choose your zip code, car details and then select a specific repair.
In moments, you are given an estimated cost or repairs, broken down by parts and labor and what you should expect to pay at an independent shop versus a dealership.
There is also a detailed explanation of what the specific problem is, what causes it and things to be aware of when fixing it. The site is run by automotive experts and says it is not affiliated with any automobile manufacturer, dealership, parts provider or auto repair facility.
The site also has an extensive auto shop directory and expert insights and advice from certified mechanics.
The site also provides a centralized location where your records can be stored for the entire ownership cycle of your vehicle. A coming feature will send you emails that will remind you of an upcoming oil change or scheduled service.
RepairPal also has an iPhone application that can be downloaded for free so you can get accurate auto help anywhere you have cell phone service.
Let your car tell you what's wrong
A device called the CarMD can take things even a step further than by giving you a quick diagnostic readout of your car's engine.
For around $120, you can buy a CarMD and no longer have to rely on your mechanic for an accurate computer reading of your auto.
Here's how it works:
Every car manufactured in the United States -- foreign or domestic -- has a small plug-in called a 16-pin data link connector, which is usually located under the dashboard on the driver's side. By plugging in the small CarMD device into the DLC, you can get quick computer readouts of your car's engine.
The first step gives you a quick read of the engine's health by displaying a green, yellow or red light. Green means good, yellow or red means something is wrong and needs further investigation.
If you get a yellow or red readout, log onto the site and plug the CarMD into your computer's USB port to view the cause and probable cost to fix it. CarMD doesn't cover every problem your car might have, such brakes or batteries, but it does cover most of them.
"Basically, (CarMD) covers anything related to engines, emissions, the transmission or the oxygen sensors. It's about 80 percent of the systems on the vehicle," said Kristin Brocoff, product manager for CarMD.
Any time your check engine light comes on, you can run a quick CarMD check before you even bring it in to a repair shop. That way, you will know the problem and probable cost before your mechanic does, and the chance of you getting ripped off should lower significantly.
You can also get readouts of the engine's health before a long road trip, check the health of the engine of a used car you are thinking of buying and smog test your car.
Other helpful resources
Finding a good, trustworthy mechanic is sometimes a difficult thing, but there are a few resources that can help in the process.
The popular national radio talk show "Car Talk" has a database on its website called the "Mechanics Files" of 16,000 mechanics that have been recommended by the Car Talk community.
The website Angie's List also has an extensive database of mechanics that have been rated by its users.
And if the aforementioned CarMD or similar devices are out of your price range, many auto parts stores will provide a free scan of your vehicle should your "check engine" light come on. Just call the stores in your area first to see if they offer such a service.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:16bf402e-9d90-4310-82e3-b85615c1a435> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news8000.com/spotlight/2013-autos/New-technology-keeps-mechanics-honest/-/4465280/6885742/-/format/rss_2.0/view/print/-/1066l4cz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959134 | 955 | 1.5 | 2 |
Gaza engineer still in isolation despite deal
RAMALLAH – A Gaza engineer kidnapped by Israel in the Ukraine last year is the last remaining prisoner held in solitary confinement, after the hunger-strike deal sought to end the practice, his lawyer said Tuesday.
Dirar Abu Sisi is still being held in an isolation cell in Ashkelon prison, while all others have been returned to normal wards, lawyer Karim Karim Ajwah said, noting his case was “kept secret in an unusual way.”
Abu Sisi disappeared in February 2011 while traveling on a train in Ukraine and Israel later announced that it was holding him in a southern Israeli jail.
A former head of the Gaza power plant, he is accused of working with Hamas to improve its rocket technologies.
Abu Sisi threatened to refuse food and water if promises to move him from solitary confinement are not fulfilled.
He asked his lawyer to contact Egypt to intervene in his case, after the country brokered a deal last Tuesday between Israeli authorities and Palestinian prisoners to end a mass hunger strike in Israeli jails.
The agreement included a commitment to move isolated prisoners to normal cells within 72 hours, according to prison representatives.
- Israel’s prison regime can no longer go unnoticed (altahrir.wordpress.com)
No comments yet. | <urn:uuid:32063a32-88ff-4937-82f8-a501a4ab904c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://alethonews.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/gaza-engineer-still-in-isolation-despite-deal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975617 | 270 | 1.578125 | 2 |
NCROWAN-L ArchivesArchiver > NCROWAN > 2006-06 > 1151725321
Subject: Linthicum Mysteries in need of Answers. Is there a Linthicum in Your Past ?
Date: 30 Jun 2006 21:42:01 -0600
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Linthicum Mysteries in need of Answers. Is there a Linthicum in Your Past?
Thomas Francis Linthicum, SR (2/23/1716 – 2/10/1807 MD) and Elizabeth Williams (5/1/1724 MD -??) had sons:
Richard Linthicum (2/9/1745 MD – 1819 NC) Note 1
Thomas Francis Linthicum, JR (?? -??) Note 2
Available evidence indicates that one of the above two Linthicums (Note 3) took 3 sons and 3 daughters to North Carolina in the late 1780’s. Ref. B indicates they were Betsy (Elizabeth) Thomas, Daniel, Sr., Richard, Peggy, & Polly.
The surnames resulting from the marriages of the descendents of these seven individuals number over 50 within 4 generations and span many states. My hope is that at least one of these unions resulted in a family that had the means and the interest to trace and record their family histories and passed it on to their descendents.
I have every reason to believe that my line comes from Daniel, Sr.’s son John W. Linthicum and his son William A. Linthicum but hard facts in institutional documents are difficult to come by. I would appreciate the opportunity to share information with anyone who has any information, whatsoever, on these Linthicums who migrated from Maryland to the Guilford Co., NC area in the late 1770’s or early 1780’s.
Terry L. Linthicum
3700 S. Westport AVE, #1958
Sioux Falls, SD 57106
Note 1) Estate settled in Guilford County, NC in 1819. This and other evidence would indicate that Richard did not die in 1759 as indicated in “The Linthicum Family of Anne Arrundell Co., MD and Branches” as published in Maryland Historical Magazine, Vol XXV, No. 3, pp 275-283, Sept 1930. (Ref. A)
Note 2) Thomas Francis Linthicum, JR. is not mentioned at all in Ref. A. In Matilda Badger’s book, “The Genealogy of the Linthicum and Allied Families (Ref B), there are no dates for any life event and no wife is shown for this individual.
Note 3) The answer to this question is another subject in itself but given the paucity of information on Thomas Francis Linthicum, Jr. and the total lack of any evidence of his presence in NC, one would not be unjustified in questioning Ms. Badger’s statement on p78 of Ref B., “Thomas Francis Linthicum, Jr., (From p12) according to tradition, received a cool reception from his Tory wife upon his return from fighting in the Revolutionary War.; forthwith he took his three sons and three daughters to North Carolina---“. It should also be noted that the above Richard Linthicum (1745-1819) is said to have married Mary Sherwood (3/31/1753 MD –1/1/1790??). Their daughter Elizabeth (1774 MD- 1834 NC) appears to be one and the same as the Betsy in the six kids someone brought to NC. Mary was the brother of Daniel Sherwood III who married Richard’s cousin Frances Linthicum. Daniel Sherwood III sold his Maryland property and moved to Guilford!
Co., NC during this same time period. A Daniel Sherwood and a Richard Linthicum are shown being close neighbors in Guilford County, NC in the 1790 Federal Census much as a Richard Linkom and a Daniel Sherwood are shown as living in the same area in the 1776 Maryland Census of Talbot Co. | <urn:uuid:d12bfae7-0665-4f87-a813-5f4286cbe4af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://searches2.rootsweb.com/th/read/NCROWAN/2006-06/1151725321 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93648 | 880 | 1.53125 | 2 |
One of the examples he shows is how Rebecca Black's viral hit video/song "Friday" still ranks highly on a innocent search of the word "friday." If you were living in a cave last year, "Friday" became a huge hit mostly because it was so bad that you had to experience it at least once. Unless, you were a 13 year-old girl. Then you probably thought it ranked right up there with Justin Bieber in the pantheon of greatest music of all time.
And that's the problem when we try to define "quality music" (or quality anything for that matter). As the saying goes, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Skrillex's music might be nirvana if you're into EDM, but it might be the depths of audio hell if you're into Nirvana the band. And likewise if you're a big dixieland fan or marching band fan, or classical music fan, or hip-hop fan....... you get the point.
In fact, Frank Sinatra is regarded as one of the greatest singers and musical icons by most of the world (take a look at this footage of Ol' Blue Eyes in the studio), but I had a very knowledgeable and well-thought-of music professor from a major university write me about his poor technique and phrasing and how it crushes him that the masses over-rate him so. Quality is a moving target.
That's one of the reasons that I try to never make blanket statements like "This is bad," "This is good," or "This is mediocre" when doing the weekly song analysis on my Big Picture production blog. What I consider good or bad is probably exactly the opposite of someone out there, and who am I to say that they're wrong?
Music is something that you can't touch, but it can touch you. It's all about how it speaks to you and makes you feel. It might be a hook, an arrangement, a melody or lyric that has that special spark that only you hear, even if the rest of the world doesn't. It's your special connection that takes you to another dimension that maybe only you can get to, and only from one particular song. Who is any one else to dare comment on that connection?
That's why it's so important for an artist to keep searching for an audience, because regardless of what kind of music your doing and your proficiency level, your audience is out there. It may be just a dozen people, but they're waiting for you to find them. The music you make will be really important to them, even if the rest of the world doesn't get it.
Making a hit is really, really hard, even for the best hit makers. When a song becomes a "hit" (meaning that some group of people immensely dig it), it's happened for a reason. There's magic that's involved that should at least be appreciated, even if you can't get your arms around it. Any music that touches the heart of another is special. The smartest in our business know enough to learn from that and apply it to their own work. Because in the end, music quality is a moving target. Hitting the bulls eye is the tough part.
Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.
Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks. | <urn:uuid:9073e5c5-a8d8-4ea9-bb68-fb67b8781c29> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://music3point0.blogspot.com/2012/06/quality-is-moving-target.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971512 | 725 | 1.617188 | 2 |
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said that the Federal Railroad Administration has received 278 pre-applications for grant funding totaling $102 billion. The money will come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail competitive grant program.
“The response has been tremendous and shows that the country is ready for high-speed rail,” Secretary LaHood said. “It’s time to look beyond our highways and invest in public transportation services like rail, which will enhance regional mobility and reduce our carbon footprint.”
Pre-applications by region:
Total Number of Pre-applications Submitted: 79
Total Requested Funds: $35 billion
Total Number of Pre-applications Submitted: 44
Total Requested Funds: $16 billion
Total Number of Pre-applications Submitted: 47
Total Requested Funds: $13 billion
Total Number of Pre-applications Submitted: 108
Total Requested Funds: $38 billion
Forty states and the District of Columbia filed pre-applications. While not all proposed projects can be funded, the Department will work with states and regions to identify priorities and prepare for ongoing high-speed passenger rail development.
Congress passed the Recovery Act, which included an $8-billion competitive grant program as a down payment to develop high-speed and intercity passenger rail networks. The President has proposed a continuing $1-billion annual investment to further this effort.
The Department of Transportation issued a strategic plan for high-speed rail in April 2009, followed by guidelines for states and groups of states to apply for the economic recovery money in June 2009. The Department expects to announce the first round of merit-based grants in the fall.
The final application deadline is August 24 for funding on individual projects and planning, and October 2 for corridor programs. | <urn:uuid:964a99e3-2e9f-4708-8dfb-f8bc3f57cd04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rtands.com/index.php/news/fra-receives-278-pre-applications-for-hsr-funding.html?channel= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94298 | 394 | 1.617188 | 2 |
It's hard to believe that 12 months already have elapsed since we launched All for Good.
A lot has changed in the world. President Obama passed health care legislation. Copenhagen yielded important progress on climate change. Haiti brought out some of the best impulses of the American people and citizens from around the world. BP squandered our collective patience and pushed America well "beyond petroleum" and (hopefully) past the breaking point of our addiction to Big Oil.
Yet, despite all the challenges, something has changed.
I see it in my students at UCLA Anderson who fill my class on Social Entrepreneurship to capacity. I hear it when people tell me how much they enjoy drinking Ethos Water or reading the GOOD.Is Blog. I know it when I learn about the growing popularity of the local chapters launched by Acumen Fund to engage its many supporters. I can touch it when my neighbor asks if I am going to upgrade in the fall to the new Nissan LEAF (maybe).
It's happening, all around us, in subtle and significant ways. An Economy of Integrity is taking shape, built brick by brick, inch by inch, minute by minute. Ordinary, pragmatic people are choosing to forgo a lifestyle of consumption and opting instead for an ethos of citizenship. We may find ourselves on Eaarth but people are mobilizing, responding, creating anew in ways that should inspire all of us. It could be as small as an occasional rideshare or a DonorsChoose birthday gift or as major as applying to the Peace Corps. Nonetheless, it is spreading as we speak.
To some, such small steps might seem like the starfish thrown back to the ocean. But I can see millions of these little guys flying back into those waters every day. Most know the insight of compound interest. I think there is a social parallel: compound impact. Little steps every day add up, especially at scale. And community engagement is infectious in the best way possible. Once you start, it's hard to stop. I imagine a world with less episodic volunteering and and sustained citizenship. That could be a lot of starfish.
I'd like to think that we are doing our very small part with All for Good.
Can we alone change the world? Hardly. Can we make a difference? Hopefully. But only if we are participating in the service ecosystem. Perhaps stretching the field in new ways but doing so in collaboration with the remarkable nonprofit organizations, impact-driving businesses and dedicated public servants that endeavor to strengthen local communities and support the causes on a daily basis.
To that end, we deeply value our partnership with the Obama Administration that enables serve.gov. But we know that we need to do more. We need to proceed with humility to augment the ecosystem, not work around it. We need to share our technology with other innovators, not keep it for ourselves. We need to leverage the social graph, not reinvent it, and empower others to help each other.
Based on these requirements, we are proud today to announce the launch of our Go Local campaign. We think Go Local is an innovative way to build upon our belief that everything counts and everyone matters. We want to share our world-class technology and 200,000+ service opportunities with the city halls and local leaders who are doing so much good in their cities and towns across the U.S.
Local is a big deal here at the 2010 NCVS. The Cities of Service campaign launched last September by Mayor Bloomberg is getting a lot of attention. Hats off to the Rockefeller Foundation for their support of this important effort. It's a very thoughtful program intended to catalyze a service effort and even fund "chief service officers" in local governments across the country.
We believe that Go Local might be a useful tool for participating communities and their constituents. Go Local allows a user to navigate through local versions of the All for Good API. With just a few clicks, an individual can download a unique version of the All for Good application, integrating our world-class database on a City Hall website, Facebook page, personal blog, etc. If a person does not see his or her community represented in our library, it's simple to use our wizard to create a brand new widget, customizing it with just a few clicks and making it available for anyone to see.
At a time when government budgets are strained, the needs of local communities are greater than ever. We hope that many people will take advantage of the Go Local program. If even a few of cities find that Go Local enhances their online presence and enables more people to serve, we will take that as a sign that our first year might have been worthwhile, but the best is yet to come.
Heading into the second half of 2010, there are many opportunities ahead of us. I hope that we will continue to grow -- more listings, more distribution and more developers. I hope we can strengthen our existing relationships and explore how we might bring more value to our partners.
In some cases, this might involve bringing content more exposure. Other times, we will attempt to share resources. In other other situations, we will share contextually relevant opportunities. Finally, we will strive to collaborate with the accelerating open source movement for social good, whether it's the pioneers at places like Mozilla Foundation, TechSoup, and Social Actions or with exciting new players like The Extraordinaries, OpenAction.org, and SocialVest. In fact, we might even take things to a deeper level with the right partner...
There is a lot to do in the weeks, months and years that lie ahead. As we scale Go Local and upgrade AFG, we hope that we can strike new relationships and deliver more value all the players in the service ecosystem. Look forward to keeping you posted on our progress.
Better yet, come join us on the journey.
Follow Jonathan Greenblatt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/J0NATHAN_G | <urn:uuid:18d56c0a-8bd6-44e6-a8c1-b86c27ee4420> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-greenblatt/everything-counts---growi_b_629786.html | 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 | 0.952081 | 1,216 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Launceston Hotels: Launceston, located in Cornwall, is one of the more ancient boroughs in the local area. The immediate vicinity is commonly known as the gateway to Cornwall. Visitors will find there are plenty of sights to see and enjoy in the local area. In addition to a variety of churches there are also many other notable buildings that should not be missed while in Launceston. Visitors will also find there are ample shops for exploring as well as dining establishments. There are also plenty of accommodation options in Launceston as well as in the local area.
Book Launceston hotels, Launceston Bed and Breakfasts or other Launceston accommodation below.
|World hotels > Europe > United Kingdom > Cornwall > |
The geography of the Cornish town of Launceston truly makes it the gateway to Cornwall. Launceston has many delights to offer its tourists. To get a brief overview about the historic significance that town once held, Lawrence House Museum provides good opportunities. The museum tells the narrative of the town's development from the medieval age to contemporary times.
The next stop can be the lofty Norman Castle which still stands proudly and controls the overall surrounding of the town. If one truly wants to appreciate the grandeur of medieval monarchs then the castle provides ample evidence. The castle is built on an important geographical location, as it used to provide the opportunity to the native army to safeguard the incoming and outgoing passages of the river.
The traditional small English towns portray the tranquility and calmness and Launceston is too known for its calm life. The town still holds markets which are granted by the British government and people from neighbouring villages flock here for simple trading options. This trade stirs the calm environment of the town for a while but the evenings of the town are always known for its harmony.
The town preserves the specie of otter at its Wildlife Centre, and families with children often visit this centre to enjoy their day out. The centre is designed in such a manner that kids can get the close up views of their favourate animals. Special precautionary measures have been ensured to keep the visit of the tourists in alignment with international standards.
We hope you enjoy your stay in one of our cheap Launceston hotels, mid range or luxury Launceston hotels. | <urn:uuid:f5b56226-e230-484c-a621-cfe9f8706b2b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/launcest.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967252 | 470 | 1.742188 | 2 |
This year, one of the baskets was full of grapes that she made into grape jelly.
Her daughter, Cathy Martin, loves her mother's beet pickles. Her other daughter, Coral Bower, lives in South Carolina, but she is not left out. She likes green beans.
"I take them to her. I can her about 14 pints."
Canning was a little more challenging this year
Canning this year was a little more challenging because Tarkington had to buy a new canner after the Environmental Protection Agency declared the safety valve on her pressure cooker as unsafe because it had lead in it. She didn't know how to use the Mirro brand pressure cooker she ordered from Wisconsin, so she took it to the Boyle County extension office for help. The staff there couldn't provide much direction, but they did encourage her to put her canned goods in the fair.
With the help of her husband, Horace, she eventually got the hang of using the new pressure cooker.
"My husband kept reading and looking and said, 'Let's try it.'"
Tarkington has kept track of her daily canning. In addition to the standard canned goods such as tomato juice, green beans and pickles, she has placed okra, onions, beets and pepper rings in jars.
"Some people like them on pizza," she says.
She also makes salsa and likes to use Miss Wages' mix.
"This year, I had to use Ball. That's all I could find."
With the tomato juice, she likes to use it in the winter to make chili and soup.
"I like it once in a while with a little sugar in it and get it cold and drink it."
Elderberries are another unusual item that she makes into jelly.
She freezes corn
About the only vegetable that Tarkington doesn't like to can is corn.
"I love my corn frozen. It tastes like you went out and picked it," she says, noting that she bags it with a Food Saver that seals in freshness.
Normally, she works like the little red hen, completing the project from start to finish.
"Sometimes my husband will help me, but I like to get by myself and do my work," she says, noting that her husband does like to cut the okra off the plants. He also likes to turn the crank for making tomato juice.
Even with her garden work, Tarkington finds time to grow flowers. Each spring, she spends three months working at Griffith's Nursery.
Although the summer days are growing shorter, Tarkington is not slacking off. She has plenty of pickle making ahead.
"I've got another row coming in and I'll really make them then."
Fresh Kosher Style Dill Pickles
30 to 36 cucumbers cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces
3 cups vinegar
3 cups water
6 tablespoons salt
Fresh or dried dill
Wash the cucumbers. Make a brine of the vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a boil. Place a generous layer of dill, 1/2 to 1 clove of garlic (sliced) and 1/2 tablespoon of mustard seed in the bottom of each clean, quart jar. Pack the cucumbers into the jars. When the jars are half filled with cucumbers, add another layer of dill and complete the packing of the jars. Fill the jars to within 1/2 inch of the top with the boiling brine. Put cap on jars, screwing the band tight. Process 5 minutes in boiling water bath.
1 pound ground beef
Medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup rice or corn cooked
15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 can tomato soup
Six large, bell peppers
Brown the meat and onions and drain the fat. Mix with other ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes and stuff in bell peppers that have been boiled for five minutes. Freeze and when ready to eat, microwave for 10 minutes and sprinkle with cheese. | <urn:uuid:ab7d0bee-afa1-4dae-8880-538a9d14bb85> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.centralkynews.com/2004-08-18/features/24878729_1_canning-green-beans-blue-ribbons | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968993 | 843 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The Australian Altruism Foundation dinner and presentation of the 2006 Turtle and Humanitarian awards was held in Melbourne on Thursday May 3. The awards recognise and honour those who "stick out their necks", not for themselves, but for the greater good. Acknowledgment is given to those people in every walk of life who demonstrate the best attributes of leadership.
Shane Holst, the President of the Altruism Foundation, said that "is imperative for the word 'leadership' to be understood, to stand for something wise, decent, and honest if humanity is to reach its greatest and most brilliant potential."
When the turtle "sticks out his neck" he is vulnerable. And so it is for recipients of the Turtle Award, one of whom was Jane Dai, who was an award recipient in the Spiritual category.
Ms Dai is Australia's ambassador for the Petals of Peace project.
"This initiative assists in raising public awareness of the needless suffering of innocent children in China," said Mr Holst, "and encouraging children to actively participate in contributing towards a more peaceful and tolerant world."
Petals of Peace visited schools and also established a website "so children could learn more about the folding of an origami lotus flower as an expression of hope for other suffering children", said Mr Holst.
Ms Dai's husband is believed to have been murdered by Chinese security officials in 2001 because he practised Falun Gong, a meditation discipline that the Communist regime has brutally persecuted since 1999.
Since that time, Ms Dai has embarked on a journey to raise awareness of the brutality of the persecution, which has taken her to the UN human rights commission in Geneva and many countries throughout the world.
On the night of the Turtle awards she accepted the honour with her young daughter Fadu by her side.
"This award is not only for me, but for Falun Gong," said Ms Dai. "For Falun Gong teaches me for what I am...to always think of other people first and all the practitioners around the world, because they helped me.
"On the table, everyone got the lotus flowers under a little bookmark saying Falun Dafa is Good, Truth Compassion Tolerance ... it is beautiful," she said.
The recipient of the Australian Humanitarian Award in the Charity Category was Philip Wollen, who gives away over 90 per cent of his income. Mr Wollen does not fund-raise. The only money he gives away is his own. He supports 250 plus groups in over 30 countries. He provides them with money, advice and facilities. When he spots a need in the community he finds a way to fill it. Mr Wollen says: "Governments can't do everything and it is 'un-Australian' to expect it. Individuals, on the other hand, can do anything."
Christa and David Bidgood were recipients of the Turtle Award in the category of Altruism. They are the founders of the Australian Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. The couple "stick their necks out for the common good" on a daily basis.
"Our society is often dictated by alcohol and drugs. There is a disease," said Ms Bidgood, "called alcohol and addiction which causes fragmentation of our society and culture, and our families as well, and what we endeavour to do is assist to rebuild and restore their lives and rebuild their families…the very foundation of our society."
The night's guest speaker, Bev Brock, told the 200 guests at the dinner: "I really think what we are seeing here tonight are ... people who are committed to help in the wider community, who give freely of themselves."
"And I am very sure that every one of these people has self-worth, because a community is only as good as the individuals in it." | <urn:uuid:877667eb-0ded-449f-956a-004b7ffcf2cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/7-5-6/54943.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974367 | 775 | 1.539063 | 2 |
FAA keeps beating the drum for higher taxes
As pilots know, forecasts can be unreliable
The drumbeat continues: Very light jets are going to darken the skies, more passengers mean lots more airplanes, the FAA funding system is so horribly broken that it can't possibly pay for fixes to solve an overloaded air traffic control system.
This time it was FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and her boss, Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, making the arguments at the FAA Forecast Conference on March 15 and 16.
"Manufacturers like Cessna and Eclipse are preparing delivery of thousands of new very light jets, with the potential to usher in the largest increase in air traffic since the 1960s," said Peters.
"If we don't get the stable financing we need, NextGen will be the solution to a problem that we anticipated and studied but failed to really address," said Blakey.
But do the administration's pronouncements represent prophecy or fallacy?
Looks like the latter. Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group Corp. told AOPA recently that the aircraft volume projections are unrealistic.
"VLJs will be a nice enhancement to the air charter system, but they won't have a huge impact on air traffic. The predicted demand for VLJs in the air taxi market is based on unrealistically low fares and unrealistically high utilization."
Aboulafia said that 600 to 800 business jets of all sizes would be added to the fleet each year. Nice growth, but not overwhelming.
The predicted growth in airline passenger numbers may not be as traumatic on the system except perhaps in the passenger terminals as the FAA predicts.
The airlines carried 741 million passengers last year, and they are "on course to carry one billion domestic passengers by 2015," said Peters.
A corresponding increase in the number of aircraft in the system? Perhaps not.
Airline departures last year were down 3.1 percent, while the number of passengers rose slightly less than 1 percent, according to Department of Transportation data.
"More people are flying on fewer flights," said Andy Cebula, AOPA executive vice president of government affairs. "And other data indicate that even the regional airlines are moving to larger aircraft to fly more people with fewer aircraft."
And the contention that only a change in the FAA funding mechanism to higher taxes as well as user fees could fund air traffic control modernization?
"The FAA says that short-term NextGen projects would cost $4.6 billion over five years," said Cebula. "Assuming that the federal general fund continues to pick up a piece of FAA's budget, the government's own data show that the current funding system would provide $20 billion over the same time period from the aviation trust fund that could be used to pay for NextGen."
And while Administrator Blakey told the forecast conference that the FAA needed "stable financing" to pay for NextGen, "the truth is that this administration has tried to create instability by asking Congress for less money than the FAA needs to meet its obligations to airports and system users," said Cebula.
"They want to take many of the decisions out of the hands of Congress, but Congress has always come through with what the agency really needs. So what's unstable about that?"
March 16, 2007 | <urn:uuid:d8599395-cf8f-4201-ab29-aae1d1a3631f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2007/070316funding.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964579 | 670 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Will Microsoft's New 'Ultra-Mobile' Computer Fly or Flop? Past Experience Offers Some CluesPublished: March 22, 2006 in Knowledge@Wharton
Although Microsoft recently unveiled an 'ultra-mobile personal computer,' or UMPC, in a move to fill a market niche between laptops and handheld computers, it remains to be seen whether this latest innovation from the software giant will be a hit or flop. While Microsoft is following a "build-it-and-it-will-sell" strategy with the UMPC, technology history is littered with innovative products that never found a market, say experts at Wharton. As Wharton professor of operations and information management Eric K. Clemons puts it: "Build-it-and-it-will-sell strategies are a mixed bag."
Regardless, the initial reaction to the UMPC, announced by Microsoft on March 9, will become clear in just a few months. The first UMPCs -- small computers with 7-inch screens that are designed to occupy a niche for consumers who want a device larger than a handheld yet smaller than a laptop -- are expected in the second quarter ending June 30 from electronics manufacturers such as Samsung, Founder and Asus. UMPCs, priced between $599 and $999, promise to run all the applications that a Microsoft Windows desktop computer does.
On the plus side, products like cell phones and the iPod didn't initially strike consumers as must haves, but became big hits. On the other side of the ledger, products like Apple Computer's Newton, a handheld computer that debuted in August 1993, was a commercial flop in large part because its handwriting recognition software didn't perform well. Microsoft, for its part, has attempted to create new categories of computers before, as with its Tablet PC, which analysts say has yet to be a big seller beyond select industries such as health care and financial services. However, even commercial flops can be deemed a success if they blaze a path to new categories of products. For instance, Apple's Newton was an early disappointment, but forged the way for handhelds like the Palm Pilot 1000, launched in March 1996.
So what will be the fate of Microsoft's UMPC, formerly codenamed "Origami"? According to Clemons, there is potential for the devices, but he won't know how much until he gets to play with one. Kendall Whitehouse, senior director of advanced technology development at Wharton, says the UMPC is a good way for Microsoft to spread its software into all forms of devices as they begin to converge. Wharton marketing professor Eric Bradlow suggests that Microsoft has a sales challenge convincing consumers they need another device that is a "tweener" between a laptop and a handheld. Jagmohan S. Raju, also a Wharton marketing professor, predicts that the UMPC will have a tough time competing due to its high price. And Robert Shelton, co-author of Making Innovation Work (Wharton School Publishing), describes the UMPC effort as another attempt by technology companies to use innovation to create new markets by finding just the right mix of size, functionality and price.
In any case, it may still be early in the UMPC's evolution. Research firm Gartner notes that the UMPC may not reach its potential for another two years -- when battery life improves and prices come down to $400 from the $599 to $999 estimated sales price today.
No matter how the UMPC fares, it could turn out to be a worthwhile experiment for Microsoft, which can afford to tackle new markets with the UMPC and Xbox 360 video game console because it had $34.7 billion in cash and short-term investments as of December 31, 2005. "In some ways it's not atypical of Microsoft to invest a lot in a technology that may not deliver an immediate return," says Whitehouse. "It has been pouring resources into the Xbox for quite a while."
Microsoft's UMPC effort may not need to be a short-term financial success to be a long-term winner, adds Raju. "To propagate its software, Microsoft has to have some control over hardware. Eventually there will be one portable device that is more user friendly than a cell phone masquerading as a computer."
The Sales Pitch
According to Bill Mitchell, corporate vice president of Microsoft's windows mobile platforms division, the UMPC is targeted at consumers and businesses that don't want to compromise computing power but want mobility. Windows-based UMPC devices will generally weigh less than 2 pounds and have a 7-inch screen size that can be navigated with a touch screen, keyboard or handwriting. Battery life is estimated to be at least 2.5 hours with a 30-60 gigabyte hard drive.
The UMPC will be able to play videos, video games and music, and can operate all the software a consumer would on a home computer. "We believe that UMPCs will eventually become as indispensable and ubiquitous as mobile phones are today," says Mitchell in a question and answer session on Microsoft's web site.
Microsoft's first challenge is targeting a market that could be hard to define, notes Bradlow. "Microsoft is trying [to attract] those people who want the benefits of a PC, but the portability of a handheld device. Microsoft is relying on its brand and product equity to draw consumers from both segments." If Microsoft can't convince these consumers, the UMPC will fail. "When products like this fail -- and they commonly do although this one may succeed -- it is because they don't deliver desirable benefits to either segment and it gets caught as a tweener product," says Bradlow.
His concerns were echoed by research firm Gartner. In a report from analysts Leslie Fiering, Van L. Baker and Brian Gammage, Gartner noted that the UMPC is "neither PDA (too large to be pocketable) nor notebook (too small to be a useful PC)." Gartner also said that hardware limitations, notably the cost to build the device and battery life, means "it isn't possible to produce compelling UMPC products."
Whitehouse, however, notes that Microsoft could be on to something in the long run with the UMPC. Microsoft's concept -- that consumers and workers want a portable device that runs the full spectrum of PC software -- has potential. "Traditionally, people make compromises to be mobile. What if you can have full-blown Windows in a small form factor?"
The big question is whether Microsoft can convey those benefits to gain wide scale adoption. New technologies that offer clear benefits can create new markets, Bradlow notes, adding, however, that "these benefits need to be substantial, easily understood, and knowable without actually trying the product."
According to Raju, the big hurdle for Microsoft will be convincing buyers that they should pay more than $500 for a device. Ultimately, the UMPC will compete with lower-cost rivals targeted at developing markets, such as the Simputer, a computer that costs about $200, says Raju. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is also trying to create a $100 laptop for developing countries. These devices differ from the UMPC because they will rely on a network to store digital files, but, he adds, "you don't have to have storage as long as you are connected to the Internet."
Playing the Convergence Game
Whitehouse argues that Microsoft's primary goal with the UMPC is to establish its software in as many markets as possible. Viewed in that context, the Xbox is a way to put Microsoft into the living room. Windows Mobile, a version of Windows for handheld devices, puts the software giant into the mobile phone market. The UMPC devices would make the full version of Windows more mobile and fill a niche between handhelds and laptops. "It's clear there are multiple paths to convergence," says Whitehouse. "And Microsoft wants to be in all of them."
He suggests that the trend toward device convergence may be driven from three different starting points:
- The cell phone moving up to become more like a computer;
- The personal digital assistant (PDA) adopting more of the features of both a computer and a phone;
- The PC becoming more mobile via ultra-lightweight laptops and devices like the UMPC.
"This contraption gives Microsoft a foothold in all three," he says. "You can debate about which device will ultimately win, but if you are Microsoft, you don't care. In the short term, it's not clear there will be any demand for this. But in the long run, this is a bet that no matter how convergence plays out, Microsoft will be there. Part of this is about Microsoft seeing a trend and putting its stake in the sand."
Clemons agrees that Microsoft's goal is to get its software into every possible computing category as they converge. But he adds that Microsoft's UMPC will have to offer the utility of multiple devices in a smaller space to be successful. For example, Clemons has two Apple laptops, one with a 12-inch and one with a 17-inch screen. The 12-inch works well when Clemons is stuck in the middle seat on an airplane. The 17-inch works better if Clemons is less mobile. If the UMPC can perform better than the 12-inch laptop in a tight spot, Microsoft could have a hit, he says. "I would have to hold one and see if it is dramatically easier to use than my 12-inch laptop in a tight space and if it offers dramatically better functionality than my cell phone computer. If it falls in between, it's doomed. If it offers tremendous improvement in portability over the laptop and functionality over the cell phone, then at least some segment of the market will be all over it in a hurry."
For now, however, the UMPC may be a product without a market. "We wonder if the device isn't a little heavy when compared to the Blackberry and phone/PDA devices people already carry in their pockets," says Laura Lederman, an analyst at William Blair & Co. "At this point in time, we do not know if there is a large market for this midsized multifunction device."
Determining whether the UMPC is successful will take more than a few quarters, says Shelton, adding that the time frame to judge success could take years. "There's a lot of jockeying going on [in the device market] and it's really about finding the right mix of size, price and functionality." Indeed, Microsoft's Mitchell notes that the UMPC is the company's "first step toward achieving a big vision."
According to Bradlow, one way to gauge the success of the UMPC will be to look at different time frames. If the UMPC doesn't sell well initially, yet leads to further computing advances, Microsoft could have a short-term failure and a long-term success story. "Microsoft may, and probably does, have short-run and long-run reasons for entering this market," he says. "Even if the product fails at some level, there may certainly be other benefits to consider."
For instance, Shelton says one long-term benefit from the UMPC experiment would be to determine what size screen is needed for fully functional mobile computing. "Obviously it will come down from a computer and up from a phone. To drive further UMPC innovation, Microsoft says it is enlisting partners, such as Samsung and Intel, to improve the devices. This approach would mean that Microsoft could "look to focus on a problem and then figure out the marketing," says Shelton.
Such an approach toward new products has worked before. Shelton notes that when Procter & Gamble created Pringles potato chips, the product initially struggled. Once P&G began marketing Pringles as a snack food and not a potato chip alternative, the brand did well. In a similar fashion, Microsoft could create a product category and then find a new market for it.
Bradlow, however, says there are dangers to creating new products without considering the market first. In fact, Microsoft only has to look at its Tablet PC to see the risk. "It failed because it did not solve an underlying need," says Bradlow. "People were quite satisfied with the products that they had. The additional benefits that the Tablet PC offered at its price point were not particularly attractive." | <urn:uuid:40c8d43f-bc78-4fb2-8b71-29de38406ae5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1426&source=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962387 | 2,548 | 1.59375 | 2 |
An Invisible Woman Taught Me German
Try this amazing and free online language course.
One of the best language lessons of my life came from a randy invisible woman named X, a talking owl with her own creepy theme song, and young sleuths with relationship issues. I recommend this strange experience to anyone trying to learn German on the cheap. It worked because it wasn’t what I expected. Most self-teaching language courses instruct by making you listen to boring people do boring things, dragging you along while voice actors make endless trips to the market, hotel reservations, and visits to the doctor. You might learn something, but it requires enormous dedication to slog through the tedium to get any real benefit.
Needing to learn German, I thought I would find something for 20 bucks that would be dull but help me with the basics. Instead I stumbled onto the language courses from German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, extensive and absolutely free offerings that are quite possibly the most unusual language courses around. They’re well worth checking out if you want to learn German. And if you don’t, they’re still an interesting window into new ideas for teaching language, and even give a little insight into the economic change rocking Europe.
Last summer, I had to improve my German because I was going to spend two months reporting in Germany on a Burns fellowship. When I speak of “my German,” I’m being awfully generous. I took a few classes in college, which, let’s be honest, was some time ago. I’ve been in Germany many times, but it’s not an easy place for a native English speaker to learn the language. A large portion of the population speaks flawless English. They’re typically amused and friendly with those who attempt their language, but unsurprisingly, they’d rather talk in their gently accented English than a foreigner’s broken German.
Once in Germany, the fellowship would provide me with Goethe Institut instruction, the gold standard. But I was only getting two weeks of coursework, so I wanted to learn something ahead of time. Part of my fellowship included time as a guest journalist on Deutsche Welle’s news team, which is how I learned about the free language courses on its website.
Deutsch—Warum Nicht? (German—Why Not?) is the most extensive program for beginners. Roughly 26 hours long, the series hits all the expected grammar and vocabulary points. But it does it through a kooky cast of characters, led by X, the aforementioned invisible woman. She has a cartoonish, high-pitched voice and a creepy crush on Andreas, the main character in the series. She’s constantly nagging him to be her boyfriend. It’s probably best that Andreas never takes the bait, but X hovers through the series to keep things weird.
Radio D is a shorter, less extensive course, but doesn’t skimp on the strange characters and oddball storytelling. It’s basically a Teutonic Scooby-Doo, with overt sexual tension among the young mystery-solvers. They investigate weird occurrences like crop circles, Beethoven’s ghost, and a Hamburg shark. (As in Scooby-Doo, you’ll see the ending from 1.6 km away.) When they get stumped, they query their talking computer Compu, who has impossibly advanced speech recognition, yet for some reason still whirrs and clicks like a 1970s adding machine. Sometimes a spooky talking owl named Eulalia lends a hand, flapping in on a cloud of horror movie sound effects.
In both series, characters careen through delightfully ridiculous plots, visiting cities all across Germany. It’s all hopelessly kitschy, and that’s why it works. I kept listening to hear what bizarreness would unfold next and maybe to see if any of the characters would hook up. (No dice.) At no point was it anything like any language course I’ve ever heard. Well, maybe at interludes, where cheerful and mostly British-accented narrators help with grammar.
A boldly different kind of language program is needed, because it’s hard to get people interested in German these days. Except in high-level theology or hard science, other languages are perceived as more useful to various constituencies. Chinese is the hot language for big business. Spanish is growing in America. Diplomats study Arabic. French and Italian are sexy.
That’s a tricky challenge for Deutsche Welle, since one aspect of the broadcaster’s government-funded mission is promoting the German language. It helps now that Germany has a red-hot economy compared to its neighbors, some of whom are diligently conjugating German verbs with hopes of finding work. The roll at my German class read like a checklist of troubled EU economies, packed with Greek, Italian, and Spanish surnames.
But DW needs to go further to expand the field of German speakers, and offering extensive, free language-courses resources is one part of that. Producing courses that are often nontraditional and sometimes just plain odd is a tactic to make it more interesting to study German. | <urn:uuid:af16646b-3ad5-46fb-b63c-d76a2b31fc31> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.slate.com/articles/life/culturebox/2012/01/learning_german_online_for_free_the_amazing_courses_by_deutsche_welle_.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960902 | 1,093 | 1.757813 | 2 |
by H.E. Ambassador Le Luong Minh, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam
at the Debate of Security Council on “The situation concerning Iraq”
New York, 21 January 2008
At the outset, I would like to join the previous speakers in thanking the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, for his introduction of the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Assistance in Iraq (UNAMI). I thank the Secretary-General for his report. I also thank the Representative of the United States, Ambassador Khalilzad for his briefing.
The report of the Secretary-General presents us with a mixed overall picture of the situation in Iraq in the reporting period. On the bright side, my Delegation is pleased to note that despite extremely difficult circumstances, the people of Iraq have persevered in the political transition process set out in resolution 1546 (2004) and entered a new phase of striving for unity, stability and development. The marked reduction in the number of violent incidents, the gradual assumption by the Iraqi authorities of the control of competencies for security, the process of implementation of Article 140 of the Constitution and the reinforcement of the Jaysh al Mahdi ceasefire... are positive developments. On the dark side, my Delegation shares the concerns of the Secretary-General about daunting challenges that the people of Iraq still face in the quest for peace, security and development. Attacks against civilians, outbreaks of sectarian strife, lack of consensus in promulgating key legislative documents, the escalation of border tension and the worsening humanitarian and human rights situation with unresolved plights of almost 4 million refugees and internally displaced persons continue to pose serious challenges to the Government and people of Iraq. In the present situation, the role of the United Nations in Iraq in the political process, constitutional support, electoral assistance and especially humanitarian assistance and national reconciliation is of still greater importance. We commend WFP, WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, UN-HABITAT, UNFPA, UNHCR and other UN agencies for the activities they are undertaking in Iraq under what described by the Secretary-General as “extremely difficult conditions”.
Viet Nam highly appreciates and supports the efforts undertaken by UNAMI in the implementation of its expanded mandate under resolution 1770 (2007). At the political level, we support the efforts of the parties concerned in advancing the political process, promoting national dialogue and reconciliation. We remain convinced that reinforcing the constitutional review process, disbanding militias and armed groups, curbing illicit use of weapons, improving the livelihood of civilians and the conditions of refugees and displaced persons, as well as strengthening the rule of law are amongst important measures that can help Iraq tackle existing problems.
On the economic front, we encourage the Government of Iraq to undertake specific measures with a view to achieving tangible results in poverty reduction, public services provision, job creation and institutional strengthening. In our view, these are essential to create a sound basis for the reconstruction work to be effective and sustainable. We reaffirm our support for the activities undertaken within the framework of the International Compact with Iraq. In implementation of its expanded mandate, UNAMI should continue to assist Iraq to undertake effectively these measures.
My Delegation is encouraged by efforts by the Government of Iraq to strengthen constructive cooperation and dialogue with regional countries on economic, security, energy and humanitarian issue. We share the assessment that the reduction in the number of violence incidents in September, October and November last year are partially thanks to the increase in this co-operation. We hope that this type of co-operation and dialogue will take place not only with Iran and Syria, but also with other neighboring countries concerned with a view to ease border tension, prevent further hostilities and resolving humanitarian issues. In the context of continued difficulties almost in every field, the role of the international community in general and of the regional countries remain instrumental in helping Iraq respond to various security, humanitarian, national reconciliation and socio-economic development challenges. Viet Nam will continue to support the political process in Iraq and the effort of the parties concerned aimed at restoring peace, stability, unity and prosperity of Iraq. We support the efforts of the Iraqi people in rebuilding their country and look forward to developing political, economic, commercial relations with Iraq when conditions permit.
I thank you, Mr. President. | <urn:uuid:7a0e1d7c-20ba-41be-8892-0126148cec36> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vietnam-un.org/en/vnun.php?id=46&cid=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937298 | 877 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Disciples of the Illinois Shaolin Kung Fu school will display the power and self-control of the martial arts discipline in a show at Benedictine University’s sixth annual Festival of Asia from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, at the school’s Krasa Student Center, 5700 College Road, Lisle.
Grand Master Yang Chen, an expert in Shaolin-style kung fu and the school’s instructor, will lead his students in a demonstration of several types of authentic kung fu, including the use of traditional weaponry such as nunchucks and staffs.
Last year, audience members gasped as a member of the school used a sledgehammer to crack apart a concrete block that lay resting on the back of another school member.
This year, Chen also will offer six free tai chi lessons to visitors of the festival.
The Festival of Asia not only is meant to be entertaining and exciting, it is an experience that showcases Asian culture and tradition. It includes traditional Asian cuisine, music and dance performances featuring Benedictine students, according to Elsie Yuan, executive director of International Programs and Services at Benedictine.
Attendees can participate in table tennis tournaments, view a cooking contest, and shop in an Asian-style market that features authentic clothing, jewelry, art and more.
The festival began in 2008 to recognize and celebrate the university’s budding Asian programs, as well as the small number of Chinese students who came to study at Benedictine.
Since then, the university has expanded its academic programs in China and Vietnam. Today, 110 Asian students are enrolled throughout Benedictine’s Lisle and Springfield campuses, Yuan said.
“This has been a great opportunity for Benedictine to provide this experience for Asian students while they are away from home,” Yuan said. “This provides them with the chance to celebrate the Chinese New Year, the Vietnamese New Year and the Asian Spring Festival with the local community.
“This event is also about promoting cultural understanding by bringing people from diverse backgrounds together. It’s about opening the door for people to interact and learn from one another, which hopefully leads us to build a more connected and mindful world community.”
Admission is $20, which includes a family-style lunch. For tickets or information, call the Office of International Programs and Services at (630) 829-6354.Copyright © 2013 Paddock Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:efdbadd8-8117-4a9e-9ad7-b58f5c2ff7a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130205/news/702059799/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944988 | 516 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The definition of lactic technology to me ultimately resides not in terminal pH, but in the degree of casein degradation before adding rennet, and also the amount of rennet added. It has to do with the core reason that casein micelles aggregate.
In full rennet, there is only a small amount of acid present before rennet add... usually no more than .18 TA (6.5 or higher). In semi-rennet/semi-lactic, there's a wide range, but usually rennet is added around 6.0-6.2, when there's a good deal of casein degradation. And the coagulation is a mixed type... part lactic, part rennet. Rennet is added in the right amount to ensure the initial set occurs at 5.2-5.4.
And then in full lactic, it's a straight shot, acid and culture texturization via exo polysaccharides makes for the set. Here, pH is key, because micellar aggregation depends very heavily on the acid developed.
TA by itself won't really reduce the amount of acid... it modifies the curve. You can still get to 4.6 with TA. You time the make, though, to drain higher than 4.8, say, 5.0, and then also use a semi-lactic approach.
It will be different, that's why you should do a blend meso/TA to increase flavor. End result is a more stable cheese, ages slower. | <urn:uuid:739691d0-9339-4490-963f-78ed27948cdb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9168.msg65078.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931563 | 319 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Being a coach takes passion and dedication. Being a great coach, however, often requires additional guidance and support. The National Coaching Certification Program was developed by CAC and its partners to give coaches that extra advantage.
NCCP workshops are designed to meet the needs of all types of coaches, from the first-time community coach to the head coach of a national team.
The NCCP is comprised of three streams and a total of eight “contexts”, each with its own coaching requirements. Each sport is responsible for identifying how many of the eight contexts are relevant to their sport. As part of the program, all coaches (regardless of sport or context) are trained in ethical decision-making and sport safety. | <urn:uuid:8d318239-97f4-4467-b74f-bd65b026c669> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://badminton.ca/Coaches/NCCP_Transition.aspx?sflang=en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983263 | 150 | 1.65625 | 2 |
It only took one song, the organ-driven number one smash "96 Tears," to make
into garage rock legends. Eccentric frontman
," once he had his name legally changed) cultivated an aura of mystery by never appearing in public without a pair of wraparound sunglasses; he frequently claimed he had been born on Mars and lived among the dinosaurs in a past life, and that voices from the future had revealed he would be performing "96 Tears" in the year 10,000. On a more earthly level,
' sound helped lay down an important part of the garage rock blueprint, namely the low-budget sci-fi feel of the Farfisa and Vox organs (most assumed that "96 Tears" had featured the former, but
later remembered using the latter). What was more, they were one of the first Latino rock groups to have a major hit, and
's sneering attitude made him one of the prime suspects in the evolution of garage rock into early punk.
were formed in 1962 by bassist Larry Borjas
, his cousin, guitarist Bobby Balderrama, and drummer Robert Martinez
; they soon added vocalist ?
(the general consensus is that he was actually Rudy Martinez
's brother, though a few sources identified him as Reeto Rodriguez) and organist Frank Rodriguez
. By most accounts, all the musicians were born in Texas, of Mexican descent, and grew up in Michigan in the Saginaw/Bay City area. Taking their name from a Japanese science fiction film, the band played its first gigs in the small Michigan town of Adrian in 1964, and soon moved its home base from Saginaw to Flint. Larry Borjas
and Robert Martinez
were both forced to leave the band for military duty, and were replaced by bassist Frank Lugo
and the Martinez brothers' brother-in-law, drummer Eddie Serrato. Shortly afterward, ?
wrote the lyrics a song he called "Too Many Teardrops" and showed them to the rest of the band; the title was changed first to "69 Tears," and then the less suggestive "96 Tears." The song became a hit at the Mt. Holly ski lodge/dancehall, where the band played regularly, and in early 1966 they recorded it for the small local label Pa-Go-Go, owned by the band's manager. It became a regional hit in Flint and Detroit, attracting interest from several major record companies; ?
decided to sign with the Philadelphia-based Cameo-Parkway, chiefly because their label was his favorite color, orange.
Now blessed with national distribution, "96 Tears" raced up the pop charts and went all the way to number one in the fall of 1966, becoming one of garage rock's all-time classics. The band's first album, naturally also titled 96 Tears
, was released by the end of the year, as was its follow-up single, "I Need Somebody," which just missed the Top 20. Released in early 1967, "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" was a minor hit, but the group's second album, Action
, sold disappointingly; moreover, Cameo-Parkway was experiencing financial difficulties, and was later taken over by ABKCO chief Allen Klein. The Mysterians
departed, recording singles for Capitol in 1968 and Tangerine and Super K in 1969, to no commercial avail (during this period, bassist Mel Schacher
served a short stint in the group prior to joining Grand Funk Railroad
). They also cut an album for Ray Charles
' TRC label that went unreleased.?
regrouped the band in the early '70s and tried again, recording singles for Chicory in 1972 and Luv in 1973 to no response. Bobby Balderrama formed a short-lived band called Inflight during the '70s, and ?
left music to become a dog breeder. ? & the Mysterians
reconvened in 1978 to cut some demos with producer Kim Fowley
, and played a reunion concert in Dallas in 1984, the tapes of which were later released by ROIR; that year they also opened some gigs for Tex-Mex rocker Joe "King" Carrasco
. In 1997, ?
was directed by the voices he heard from the future to reunite the group again, with a lineup of Balderrama, Rodriguez
, and brother Robert
. Since Allen Klein refused to reissue any of the group's original recordings (or even license "96 Tears" for compilations -- hence its absence from Rhino's mostly comprehensive garage rock box set Nuggets
), they re-recorded their debut album for Collectables and released it as Question Mark & the Mysterians
. In 1998, they issued a live album on Norton Records, Do You Feel It Baby?
, that was recorded at Coney Island High and received warmly by their cult fan base of garage rock aficionados. 1999 brought the release of another, somewhat better-produced two-disc set of re-recordings, More Action
, this time released on Cavestomp (it was later condensed into the 2001 single-disc release Feel It!: The Very Best of Question Mark & the Mysterians
). Meanwhile, Balderrama formed the Robert Lee Band, a blues outfit that played around Michigan and recorded an eponymous album for the local Bullfrog label. Unfortunately, there remains no official CD release of the Mysterians
' original recordings. | <urn:uuid:97fafbb7-7834-4c2d-a117-dd33982ae123> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.boom973.com/Music/Artist.aspx?id=5207 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977231 | 1,122 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Despite lacking the public charisma of his predecessor, Pope Benedict in just eight years was able to carve out his own legacy, in significant part by continuing John Paul's work in different ways.
Pope Benedict XVI hit his head during his March 2012 trip to Mexico, the Vatican said Thursday, but officials denied the accident had any "relevant" role in his resignation.
After Pope John Paul II died in 2005, hundreds of thousands thronged into St. Peter's Square, chanting, "Santo subito!" ("[Make him] a saint now!") There will be no such chants in the piazza on the day Pope Benedict XVI relinquishes the office of Bishop of Rome.
Fifty years ago Thursday, the fourth child from a family of Italian sharecroppers convened a epochal meeting of Roman Catholic Church leaders designed to "open the windows" of the nearly 2,000-year-old institution and let some of the modern world's "fresh air" inside.
Along with his policy prowess and campaign cachet, Rep. Paul Ryan has another factor working for him as Mitt Romney's choice as running mate. Chemistry. That's what's implied, at least.
The Vatican and a breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics appear to be nearing an agreement that could bring the group back into Rome's fold and end a quarter-century of schism.
Washington-area Catholics attending Mass on Christmas Day will find major changes in the familiar language of the liturgy after the introduction of a new English version, which some have welcomed as "poetic" and others criticize as "clunky and archaic."
English-speaking Roman Catholics who have attended Mass regularly for years found themselves in an unfamiliar position Sunday, needing printed cards or sheets of paper to follow along with a ritual many have known since childhood.
If the experience of the faithful in other English-speaking countries is any indication, American Catholics are in for a bumpy transition as they encounter the most sweeping changes to the text of the Mass in more than 40 years. | <urn:uuid:407f41ce-caa4-4060-abc5-92a9810d7261> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/second-vatican-council/25025/t/stories/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97057 | 413 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Pehaps this is in part a result of our faithful "frontline activists" who were part of the most recent (and other) "Journeys" in Texas? Thanx for ALL you continue to do worldwide. Connie
Is the tide turning against the death penalty?
Mon, Dec 13, 2010
A new report by the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty illustrates how doubt is casting its shadow over the justice system in the state. Only eight people were sentenced to death by Texas juries this year, a record low since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Juries opted for life sentences without parole and rejected death sentences in three other cases.
Three prisoners received last-minute reprieves from the Supreme Court, and serious questions were raised about wrongful conviction in another case where Texas had already executed Claude Jones. Also, six prisoners had their sentences reduced on appeal, meaning that prosecutors, judges and/or juries had made serious errors in seeking justice.
The full press release, including links to interactive maps and the full report, can be found here:
Only 2% of Texas Counties Imposed Death Sentences This Year, According to New Report from TCADP
Death sentences, executions drop in 2010 as concerns about reliability and fairness continue to plague Texas death penalty system
(Austin, Texas) -- Death sentences in Texas have dropped more than 70% since 2003, reaching a historic low in 2010 according to the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty's (TCADP) new report, Texas Death Penalty Developments in 2010: The Year in Review. TCADP, an Austin-based statewide, grassroots advocacy organization, releases this annual report each December in conjunction with the anniversary of the resumption of executions in Texas in 1982.
Juries condemned eight new individuals to death in Texas in 2010, which is the lowest number of new death sentences since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Texas' revised death penalty statute in 1976. These new sentences occurred in six counties: Brazos; Dallas; Harris; Nueces; Rusk; and Travis.
Recent sentencing trends illustrate the arbitrary and biased imposition of the death penalty. An analysis of data from 2007 to 2010 reveals that only 21 counties - 8% of the 254 counties in Texas - meted out death sentences over the last four years. Out of a total 43 death sentences imposed statewide between 2007 and 2010, Dallas County leads with seven, followed closely by Harris County, with six new sentences. Bexar and Travis Counties each accounted for three new death sentences since 2007. Nearly three-fourths of all death sentences in Texas over the last four years have been imposed on people of color - 40% African American, 30% Hispanic/Latino, and 2% other.
As part of the report, TCADP has produced two interactive maps highlighting new death sentences by county from 2007 to 2010 and from 1976 to 2010. Clicking on each county reveals the total number of sentences, the number executed, the number awaiting execution, and the number exonerated. See below for links to each map.
The number of executions also dropped in 2010. The State of Texas executed 17 people, the lowest number since 2001. The state remains the nation's leading executioner, accounting for approximately 37% of U.S. executions in 2010. The number of executions in Texas this year represents a smaller percentage of the national total than it has in recent years, however.
"Texas - along with the rest of the nation - is moving away from the death penalty," said Kristin Houlé, Executive Director of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. "The system is broken beyond repair, and the continued decline in new death sentences shows that jurors and prosecutors in Texas are seeking other ways to address violent crime."
Concerns about wrongful convictions and emerging evidence of wrongful executions dominated headlines this year. On October 27, 2010 Anthony Graves walked out of the Burleson County Jail after spending 18 years in prison - including 12 years on death row - for a crime he did not commit. Prosecutors dropped all charges against Graves and declared him innocent after conducting their own investigation of the case. His conviction was based on the testimony of Robert Carter, who was convicted and executed for the same crime in 2000 and who recanted several times, including from the gurney. Anthony Graves is the 12th person in Texas to be wrongfully convicted and removed from death row and the 138th nationwide.
The ongoing inquiry into the case of Cameron Todd Willingham also underscored the fallibility of the system. Willingham was executed in 2004 for setting a fire to his Corsicana home in 1991 that killed his three young daughters. The Texas Forensic Science Commission admitted "flaws" in the science used to convict him. In January it will hold a special meeting with some of the fire experts who have examined the case since the time of conviction and concluded that there was no evidence to support the finding of arson.
In another case of "flawed" science, recent DNA testing of evidence that was used to convict and execute Claude Jones ten years ago this month revealed that the strand of hair belonged to the victim, not to Jones, as a forensic expert testified during his 1990 trial. While the DNA results do not exonerate Jones, they raise serious questions about the reliability of his conviction.
Other highlights of Texas Death Penalty Developments in 2010: The Year in Review include the following:
• In three capital murder trials, juries rejected the death penalty and opted for a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Over the last three years, juries have rejected the death penalty in a dozen cases (two each in Travis and Bexar Counties).
• Three inmates scheduled for execution in 2010 received last-minute stays; the execution date of another inmate was withdrawn. On March 24, Henry "Hank" Skinner received a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court shortly after eating his "last meal." In October, the Court heard arguments to determine whether Skinner can seek access to post-conviction DNA testing through the federal Civil Rights Act. Texas officials have refused to release key pieces of evidence gathered at the crime scene in 1993 for testing.
• At least six inmates received reduced sentences in 2010 and were removed from the death row population, including several inmates whose death sentences were overturned because jurors did not hear mitigating evidence during their original trials. Three other inmates died in custody, including Ronald Chambers, who spent 35 years on death row and was awaiting a fourth sentencing hearing related to the 1975 murder of Mike McMahan.
• A nationwide shortage of the first drug used in the lethal injection protocol, sodium thiopental, led some states to postpone executions as their supplies dwindle or expire. In November, officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice revealed that they had enough drugs on hand to execute 39 people, but that doses of sodium thiopental will expire in March 2011.
• There currently are 317 people (307 men and 10 women) on death row in Texas. Texas holds the third-largest death row population in the nation, after California (713) and Florida (393).
"2010 may go down in history as the 'Year of Doubt,' when case after case exposed the flaws and failures of the Texas death penalty and shook public faith in the criminal justice system to its core," said Houlé. "During this time of fiscal crisis, TCADP urges all elected officials to take a good hard look at the death penalty system and ask whether this is a good use of tax payers' dollars when there are alternative ways to protect society and punish those who are truly guilty."
Texas Death Penalty Developments in 2010: The Year in Review is available online.
http://deathpenaltyblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/12/is-the-tide-turning-against-th.html OR click here | <urn:uuid:c7769342-2712-4ec7-ad8a-027be67f4192> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thejourneyofhope.blogspot.com/2010/12/texas-is-tide-turning.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963684 | 1,621 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Dispute over electoral district at root of Belgian stalemate
Belgian lawyer and political scientist Vincent Défraiteur (right) explains Belgian politics to visitors and staff at the Forum of Federations.
Vincent Defraiteur, one of the Forum of Federation’s Young Professionals, gave a lunch-and-learn presentation on May 28, 2008 titled BHV - Three Letters for a Belgian Nightmare. Mr. Defraiteur, a political scientist and lawyer for the Belgian legal firm JDDV Advocaten in Brussels, explained that the huge gains made by Flemish confederalists and secessionists in the Belgian general elections of June 2007 were the result of deep frustrations about the political stalemate concerning the electoral district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (BHV).
In a 2003 ruling, the country's Constitutional Court ordered the Belgian government to abolish the electoral district, which currently allows that district’s voters to choose their senators and EU representatives from either a French-speaking list or a Dutch-speaking list, even though the district is in Dutch-speaking Flanders. Mr. Defraiteur explained that the Constitutional Court ruled this discriminatory and called on the government to rectify the situation by July 2007 at the latest, either by allowing Flemings to stand for election in Wallonia, or by no longer allowing Walloons to do so in Flanders.
So, as Mr. Defraiteur pointed out, the discussions about the electoral district lie at the heart of the debate about the future of Belgian federalism. It symbolizes how entrenched the two Flemish and the Walloon communities have become.
Mr. Defraiteur spoke at the Forum’s offices in Ottawa. | <urn:uuid:f4b4185f-cb32-4cb8-80fb-1fe39f87cb2d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forumfed.org/en/events/28_05_08.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937252 | 360 | 1.757813 | 2 |
The League of Women Voters of Florida, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information on the League, visit www.TheFloridaVoter.org.
Tallahassee, FL - September 12, 2011 -
Today, the League of Women Voters of Florida and Democracia USA, represented by the Brennan Center for Justice, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and pro bono attorneys from the law firm of Bryan Cave, filed a motion to intervene in the State of Florida's lawsuit against the Department of Justice over the state's new elections law. Since the state withdrew the four most contentious sections of the law from DOJ review last month, a federal court must now decide whether or not to "preclear" the law under the National Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The League has advocated against preclearance, arguing that Florida's new law will reduce opportunities for voting and unlawfully restrict voter registration, disproportionately affecting Florida's minority population.
According to League President Deirdre Macnab, "when the state of Florida decided to submit sections of HB 1355 to a federal court in Washington, D.C. for review, we were determined to have the League's concerns heard. We want to ensure that the court hears evidence that this law, if precleared, will have a very real and harmful impact on Florida's voters and, in particular, its minority voters."
LWVF Executive Director Jessica Lowe-Minor elaborates, "the sections of this law that we believe will suppress voter participation are the ones the state now wants a court to approve. We believe the court will agree with us that this law is unfair to voters, serves no legitimate purpose, and disproportionately impacts minorities. The state's decision to pull these provisions from the Department of Justice and instead pursue a lengthy, expensive lawsuit shows just how problematic these provisions are. Although we feel confident that the law will eventually be overturned, this lawsuit creates unnecessary delays for voters and unnecessary costs for Florida taxpayers." | <urn:uuid:5d915591-1cfe-457a-9413-6a75053a17a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wctv.tv/news/courtcases/headlines/League_Takes_Legal_Action_on_New_Elections_Bill_129645958.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934672 | 426 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Mao called in Liu and Zhou. He had a question for them: “How can you make a cat eat pepper?”
Liu spoke up first. “That’s easy,” said the number two man. “You get somebody to hold the cat, stuff the pepper in its mouth, and push it down with a chopstick.”
Mao raised his hands in horror at such a made-in-Moscow solution. “Never use force… everything must be voluntary.” Zhou had been listening. Mao inquired what the premier would do with the cat.
“I would starve the cat,” replied the man who had often walked the tight-rope of opportunity. “Then I would wrap the pepper with a slice of meat. If the cat is sufficiently hungry it will swallow it whole.”
Mao did not agree with Zhou any more than with Liu. “One must not use deceit either - never fool the people.” What, then would the Chairman himself do? “Easy,” he said - concurring with Liu at least on that. “You rub the pepper thoroughly into the cat’s backside. When it burns, the cat will lick it off - and be happy that it is permitted to do so.”
Mao, by Ross Terrill.
Sadly, this little story came on the tail end of how Mao got a number of Shanghai business owners to accept state ownership of their companies.
Right, because rubbing a pepper on a cat’s ass with the intention of causing it pain won’t require any ‘force’ whatsoever. Try that with 2 of my four cats and you should probably wear gloves, but I hope you don’t.
The cat says Maow. | <urn:uuid:9b1f91ae-f946-4841-8381-e32becf51d8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bootsandsabers.com/index.php/weblog/permalink/how_do_you_get_a_cat_to_eat_pepper/ | 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 | 0.972652 | 380 | 1.53125 | 2 |
WXIA -- The Pentagon's decision to lift the ban against women in combat will take the age-old battle of the sexes into the real-life theater of war.
"I will tell you that there are some men I would never want to serve in a foxhole with," said Goldie Taylor.
"And I'll tell you that there are some women on this planet that I would not want to be a in a foxhole without."
Taylor is a political commentator who served in the Marines.
"They don't put a gun in your hands unless they understand that you are prepared to follow through and do the job," she said emphatically.
"It's a bad idea whose time has not come," said John Douglas, offering the opposite side of the argument.
Douglas is a Newton County Commissioner and a retired Army officer. He's also a former state senator and chairman of the Veterans Military and Homeland Security Committee.
"It's an idea that came from people, who in spite of their protestations, have despised the military since Vietnam, who've used it as a left wing social laboratory the last four years and look to do that the next four years."
Douglas says there is no evidence that women serving in combat has ever been successful, even in the Israeli military.
"It impacted unit cohesion,"' he said. "It introduced a sexual tension into these units that have to literally live on top of each other for months."
He said if you don't believe the sexual tension part, just ask General David Petraeus. If the men at the top can't behave, he offers rhetorically, why would the young troops on the ground?
But Taylor believes the women can take care of themselves.
"No matter what their gender happens to be you want them fighting alongside you. And some of this has to do with physicality the rest has to do with heart." | <urn:uuid:d9a4349f-c6f3-4b68-8c35-ef50eaf4d3a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.11alive.com/rss/article/273805/3/Debating-the-Use-of-Women-in-Combat | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981444 | 388 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Nkayigwa is quoted as saying politicians are now resorting to corruption and bribery because they are not paid much money. I am not saying they earn money by the buckets but we all know they are faring far much better than most in society.
Cabinet Ministers are well provided for. There is no doubt about that. Parliamentarians earn a base salary of at least P15 000, add their other allowances and you reach P20 000 with ease. Now, a good number of those have not even been to university-and in the world we live in today some university qualification is what earns you more money. Read me well, I am not saying university education means you are better, I am saying as per the standards and policies set by the politicians themselves, you need to have been at university to earn certain amounts of money-just like they do the public service.
Councilors earn a base line of at least P6000 and have their own little allowances that hike this to beyond what many graduates actually earn. And council, remember, is where the least of educated elected representatives end up. I acknowledge some are smart and some are educated. My point is the bulk majority are people who qualified by virtue of attending the most funerals - again you say attending those is a good thing for social support and I agree. But you must agree with me that the job description of a councilor is more on providing for local governance to help reduce death rates and enable people to bury their own relatives without relying on social security. So, they are doing a good job but in the process are shirking their real responsibility for what is politically expedient.
All these guys chose public office. They asked citizens to give them a chance to represent their interests. Just like they often say national athletes are volunteers, they too volunteer albeit with salaries. If they want more money, they must take cue from others who left the public service for the more lucrative private sector. It is just the way it is. If you got elected because you think it is a job then you are in the wrong area.
It is even more difficult to contemplate why councilors would demand more money at a time when their own city is not much to talk about. Many people are poor; many do not have running water and electricity still. Street lights in many parts of this city are a nightmare and recreation parks lie in desolate state. Why then do they want more money since they are neither creating money nor allocating what they have been given in a way that serves the public better?
They say because some are resorting to corruption. Well, if you resort to crime then you belong to jail. You are some of the most privileged of people in this country yet you cry for more money. How about the guy who sweeps the streets and the guy who takes care of the city sewer system, the fire fighter, the special constable and others? Some of these are not only more educated but come out as smarter than some councilors.
Bring solutions to your people. Grow this city and come up with better alternatives to generate money. If you do this, then you can get salary increments two fold. You do not justify an increase by a rise in criminal activity among politicians. Show us the impact you are having in our lives, the stress of dealing with people who cross the flow so often it has lost meaning is currently what disturbs the public yet you want more money! More money for what and on what basis? If you cannot serve the public then let those who want in not for the money take over. | <urn:uuid:9d76d618-c63f-48f1-982c-97b432586af6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mmegi.bw/blogs.php?cid=1&aid=428 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977002 | 725 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Hermitage education programs for school groups are available Monday–Friday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. To ensure the dates of your choice, we recommend scheduling as far in advance as possible. Contact the Hermitage Education Department at (201) 445-8311, ext. 33 (Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.).
All programs begin at the Hermitage Education & Conference Center. Please plan to arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled start time of your program to allow for disembarking from your bus and entering the building. The Hermitage Museum does its best to accommodate late groups but reserves the right to adjust or shorten programs as circumstances demand. All changes are discussed with the visiting teachers. The Hermitage Museum does not have indoor eating facilities; however, groups may picnic on the grounds.
1.5-2 hours. Maximum group size: 4 classes (depending on season; call for information). Fee: $5/person.
We offer education programs for pre-K through 12th grade on a wide variety of subjects that meet NJCCC Standards. Our most popular programs are listed below.
For information about current offerings, please contact Education Coordinator Diane Knispel at 201-445-8311, ext. 33, or by e-mail at [email protected].
Colonial Life during the Revolutionary War (NJCCC Standards 6.1, 6.4)
Students will explore Colonial America and the Revolutionary War by visiting The Hermitage and hearing the story of the resourceful Theodosia Prevost, the American wife of a British officer who entertained George Washington, Aaron Burr, the Marquis de Lafayette, and William Paterson in her home, The Hermitage. Students will discuss Theodosia's life and decide whether she was a Patriot, a Loyalist, or just dedicated to her family.
In this program students will begin to compare and contrast life in Colonial America to modern-day life by touring parts of the historic Hermitage and viewing artifacts, textiles, and clothing from the Colonial period. This program can be adapted to emphasize Colonial life or the Revolutionary War based on teachers' and students' needs.
The Civil War in New Jersey (NJCCC Standards 6.1, 6.4 )
Why were some New Jerseyans considered "Copperheads," and why did the Rosencrantz family, who lived at The Hermitage, have sympathy toward the South during the Civil War? Students will explore issues concerning the North and the South in the years of the U.S. Civil War, discussing how the establishment and abolition of slavery affected the Rosencrantz family (and New Jersey generally) in the 19th century, as well as Elijah Rosencrantz's cotton warp mill and the Industrial Revolution in Bergen County.
Machines and Mills (NJCCC Standards 6.1, 6.4)
How did the Industrial Revolution affect the Rosencrantz family who lived at The Hermitage? Find out how they started a cotton mill and harnessed water power from Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, and why they permitted the railroad lines to go through their property. Also, study how the mills gave the family money to redesign The Hermitage into the Gothic Revival Style that it is today and what modern conveniences they had when the house was finished
Local History/Life during the 19th Century (NJCCC Standards 6.1, 6.4)
Gain knowledge of what life was like for the Rosencrantz family during the 19th century by listening to stories of the children's lives, the toys and games they played with, the clothes they wore, and more about The Hermitage during this time period.
Explore The Hermitage and its past through the use of primary documents from the people who lived on the property to George Washington, who visited in 1778. Discuss why primary documents are so important and what can be learned form reading them. A full house tour for the students is included.
Evolution and Preservation at The Hermitage
How has The Hermitage been sustained over time, and what changes have occurred to the house and property over its 300 year history? Discover how The Hermitage was preserved by the people who lived here and how citizens fought to make it a National Historic Landmark to keep the home and property safe for future generations to enjoy.
Architecture (for High Schools)
Discover how The Hermitage National Historic Landmark went from the Dutch colonial style of the 1760s to the Gothic Revival style it is today. Students will learn about various architectural styles that were popular over the centuries, why styles changed, and how owners of The Hermitage felt it was important to modernize their home. A full tour of The Hermitage will be given along with the history of the people of the home.
1 hour. Maximum group size: 1 class. Fee: contact the Hermitage Education Coordinator.
Teachers must provide a large table at the front of the classroom for all programs. For PowerPoint presentations, please arrange for a screen to be set up in the room. Consecutive programs must be held in the same location.
For information about our current offerings, please contact Education Coordinator Diane Knispel at 201-445-8311, ext. 33, or [email protected] | <urn:uuid:fe43b80f-e077-47d3-a2a1-c0fb5aeecbcf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thehermitage.org/programs/programs_school.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945389 | 1,117 | 1.8125 | 2 |
- Special Pages
JUBA, South Sudan: The armies of South Sudan and Sudan yesterday said they were pulling troops from contested border areas, in the latest attempt to set up a buffer zone after fighting last year.
Defence ministers from Juba and Khartoum agreed last Friday on steps to implement the demilitarised zone, which was never put into effect despite commitments by their presidents last September. A regional political expert expressed doubt that the latest effort will succeed, calling the deal poorly drafted and difficult to monitor.
South Sudan’s army spokesman, Philip Aguer, said soldiers would take around two weeks to withdraw southwards from a series of flashpoint border areas.
Troops must “start moving to the designated areas, 10km away from the buffer zone,” Aguer told reporters, reading a letter with orders from the army chief of staff.
In Sudan, a statement yesterday from Defence Minister Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein said his forces were committed to the timetable signed under African Union mediation last Friday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“From yesterday our troops started withdrawing from the buffer zone,” he said.
President Omar Hasan Al Bashir and his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir committed in September to “immediately” implement the demilitarised area as part of key agreements they hailed as ending conflict, after battles along their undemarcated frontier in March and April.
The September pacts also called for an opening of the frontier for trade and passage, and a resumption of South Sudanese oil exports through northern pipelines.
None of those measures took effect because of Khartoum’s accusations that South Sudan supports rebels north of the border. Juba denies the charge and in turn says Khartoum backs insurgents on its soil.
“It’s very difficult to monitor, to verify,” a regional political expert said of the demilitarised zone, which is supposed to be monitored by observers from Sudan, South Sudan and abroad.
The expert, who asked not to be named, said the pact is vague on some points including who would provide a battalion of troops to protect the monitors.
“This agreement is very bad,” he said, adding that some people in both Sudan and South Sudan have no interest in a troop pullout.
“This process will stop, for sure,” the expert said. “This current position between peace and war is suitable for them.”
Troops are to be withdrawn to their respective sides of the buffer by March 24.
South Sudan won independence in July 2011 after a referendum set up under a 2005 peace agreement that ended more than two decades of civil war.AFP | <urn:uuid:4f1bb6ef-02c1-4003-b19b-b46e1c5094bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/middle-east/228746-sudan-south-start-pulling-troops-from-tense-border.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969293 | 564 | 1.695313 | 2 |
- The first option would be to manually water the grass using a hose. This is not a bad idea if you have other container plants in your yard that need to be watered. It would also work best if you have moderate temperature since you won’t need to water everyday.
- The second option was to use a traditional above ground sprinkler, like the one below. These actually come in very handy and worked perfectly to keep everything alive when I went on vacation for 10 days (I used a timer, more on that below). You can set it up anywhere you want to best water the yard and it will cover more space than in ground sprinklers. They’re also very fun to run through on a hot day.
For a while I used the sprinkler in front of the planter because it hit both planters and the surrounding plants.
However, before we considered sprinklers an option, my plan was to run the hose through the back of the planter and set the sprinkler up on the grass. To reduce the amount of overspray, I purchased some marine epoxy at Home Depot. The plan was to fill the sprinkler holes on either end of the sprinkler to only allow the water to eject in the middle, thus only watering the grass and not the wall/concrete.
The epoxy plan was thwarted when we came up with the ‘in ground’ sprinkler system idea. While I was a little apprehensive on how it would work, it was incredibly easy…and pretty cheap.
Actually it was free for me since my dad had all the scrap supplies at his house; however, I would still say for others it would be a decently cheap project. If you had none of the equipment/supplies at home, it would cost you about $100. I gave my best estimated costs at the bottom of this post.
Please forgive the fact that I don’t have a supplies picture for you. Much of the pipe construction was done by my father at his house and then brought to my house for installation. Before I show you the details, here is a diagram of what we did to help you understand.
I’ve struggled with how to really step you through the installation, so I’m hoping the above diagram helps a little. If you can’t tell, the aqua diagram is the pipe/sprinkler construction. Please reference the pictures, I’m not sure I was able to capture this best with my words.
We ran the piping across the entire length of both planters. The first step for installation would be to drill holes all across the back. We started the holes on the far left since it was closest to the water source.
We used standard white PVC piping, I believe it was 1/2 inch. The pipe was attached to a connector that would allow the hose to thread into the pipe, thus allowing the water to feed down the pipe and to the sprinkler heads.
Half way across the first part of the planter we attached a sprinkler head to the PVC piping using a ‘T’ connector. We chose to run them behind the grass because the dirt and flowers would hide them later on.
The metal U clamp was not necessary, the dirt held everything just fine.
The next length of pipe was connected to the first sprinkler head and threaded through the hole we drilled through the middle of the larger planter.
We followed the same steps in the second half of the larger planter, connecting a sprinkler head about half way across, using another ‘T’ connector.
Then we ran the piping through the right side of the larger planter and straight through to the smaller planter. Yes, the piping shows if you look between the planters; however, this allowed the hose pressure to water both planters without a second water source.
The pipe is easily hidden by a large pot.
The same process was followed for the last, smaller planter. We ran the piping half way across the planter and installed a sprinkler at the end, using an elbow connector. There was no need to extend the pipe across to the other side of the smaller planter.
Once everything is installed and dry we turned on the water to test it out.
I can now use the sprinklers to water just the grass and a few small container plants around the edges. I’m no longer wasting water on the cement or the wall, which will save me on my water bill, and piece of mind.
I still need to plant grass in the last planter, but once I do, the water will keep it alive. The dog will probably kill it shortly after.
Now, I mentioned a water timer at the top of the post. For those of us that do not use in ground watering systems, you can still use a timer. The timer connects directly to the water source and can be set to go off at any time and up to several times per day/week. The timer runs off batteries.
If you want to run two hoses off your water source, just purchase a ‘Y’ connector and hook the timer to one end and a separate hose to the other. That way you have a dedicated water line to your sprinklers and a separate hose that you can use in the yard.
Now that I’m done blabbing about my new sprinklers, let me say that I’m not a sprinkler expert in the least. Nor am I a landscaper or anything else remotely related to an expert in this stuff. This was all new to me and I honestly walked around asking my dad to hand me the blue goop (thread sealant) and the cutter thingy (pipe cutter). I feel like I need to say this because this process may not work for you. You may need to make adjustments to fit your situation and an expert may be necessary. While I’m happy to make suggestions & share ideas, I am not an expert. Safety first people!
One thing I’m always looking for when reading DIY blogs is not necessarily how to do something. I’m usually more interested in how much it cost. If it costs too much, I will likely look elsewhere for another solution. So while I don’t have the exact costs since we used mostly scraps, I’ve outlined an estimate of how much this would have cost if I needed to buy the supplies. I’ve also included costs of items you may already have in your garage, such has spade drill bits and pipe cutters.
Estimated Project Cost Breakdown:
PVC Pipe 1/2 Inch (about 20 feet) = $8
PVC Pipe Connectors – qty 8 = $.25 each ($2)
Sprinkler Heads (qty 3) = $10
PVC Hose thread Connectors = $1
PVC elbow connector (qty 1) = $1
PVC ‘T’ Connector (10 pack) = $3
Pipe Cutter = these seem to average about $15
Spade Drill Bit (for drilling large hole through the planter) = $6 (or buy a set of several sizes for about $15)
Pipe Thread Sealant = $7
Basic Hose = $15
Water Timer = $32
Total Estimated Project Cost (if you had to buy everything): $100
I’m hoping this will give those out there with concrete yards some encouragement to do something new and fun. You aren’t stuck with concrete, just try to think outside the box for a unique solution.
SHOWING THE LOVE!
Linking To: Between Naps on the Porch, Making the World Cuter, Today’s Creative Blog, Not JUST A Housewife, Ginger Snap Crafts, Blue Cricket Design, We Are THAT Family, Savvy Southern Style, Very Merry Vintage Style, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Beyond The Picket Fence, The ArtsyGirl Connection, The Shabby Nest, French Country Cottage, The Not So Functional Housewife, Addicted 2 Decorating, Ohh Baby Designs, Dear Creatives, Funky Junk Interiors | <urn:uuid:4e685e10-7f02-4c81-93fb-c6f1c846db34> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://changingmydestiny.wordpress.com/2011/10/29/installing-sprinklers-when-growing-grass-on-concrete/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954561 | 1,706 | 1.578125 | 2 |
"Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey"
I’ve never been a fan of Elmo; I felt he overshadowed the awesomeness of Grover. But after watching the documentary Being Elmo I can’t dislike Elmo anymore, because then it would seem as though I disliked Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind that famous red face. The film is a wonderful look behind the iconic character and makes you think that maybe dreams can come true.
A gentle natured man, Clash embodies the spirit of Elmo. He grew up in Baltimore in the 60s and 70s as a fan of Sesame Street and all things Jim Henson. He fell in love with puppetry at a young age and started making his own puppets and performing puppet shows for neighborhood kids. While it was clear that he had skill, his “playing with dolls” was frowned upon by fellow high school students. But in the end, he was voted "Most Likely to be a Millionaire."
Clash stuck with it, and eventually landed a job on “Captain Kangaroo” and “The Great Space Coaster.” This lead to his ultimate gig, Sesame Street, made possible after he met Muppet designer Kermit Love and got the official Henson connection.
In theory, Elmo represents love, childhood, and innocence. After seeing the film, it’s easy to see why small children fall in love with the Muppet. The bottom line is that Elmo loves every single one of them unconditionally, and what kid doesn’t want that? | <urn:uuid:a355a353-2720-4916-adcd-9dc4682b15e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aadl.org/node/205610 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97608 | 335 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Pharmaceutical costs linked to number and type of health risks
Measuring the relationship between employees' health risk factors and corporate pharmaceutical expenditures. Burton WN, Chen CY, Conti DJ, Schultz AB, Edington DW. J Occup Environ Med. 2003. 45: 793-802.
To quantify the impact of different health risk factors on pharmaceutical expenditure.
3,554 employees of the US-based company Bank One, who participated in a pharmacy benefit plan and who had completed a health risk appraisal (HRA).
HRA data were compared with pharmaceutical costs in 2000.
- Age and sex had significant a significant effect on pharmaceutical costs, and being an ex-smoker, having high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, a high body mass index and reporting fair or poor self-perceived health were all significantly associated with raised drug-related costs.
- After controlling for age, sex and the number of self-reported diseases, each additional risk factor was associated with an average annual increase in pharmacy claims costs of US$76 per employee.
- However, lack of physical activity, heavy use of alcohol, failure to use seat belts, dissatisfaction with life or job, and stress were not related to pharmaceutical costs.
- The average pharmaceutical costs were $425 for low-risk employees (0-2 risk factors), $591 for medium- risk employees (3-4 risk factors), and $915 for high-risk employees (≥5 risk factors).
What does this mean?
Programs that target modifiable risk factors might reduce pharmaceutical costs. Of note, the modification of some risk factors could, however, lead to increased costs (e.g. drug therapy for high cholesterol levels). | <urn:uuid:3ee0d77e-6530-4ca8-aa71-333249bae294> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vielife.com/compendium/en-us/expenses/18/pharmaceutical-costs-linked-to-number-and-type-of-health-risks | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957342 | 350 | 1.710938 | 2 |
First Impressions using the iPad2
February 7, 2012 Leave a comment
As a person who knows relatively little about techology, I have found the iPad 2 surprisingly easy to use. Within a week I have downloaded a multitude of applications which have been both interesting and useful to my studies. For example, the ‘iTunes U’ app enables you to download podcasts and videos of lectures from universities around the world. Many universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge, have their own pages featuring collections of lectures and information from various schools. Perhaps this could be something for the Leeds University Business School to consider as it seems to make learning material increasingly accessible.
Other applications which I have come to rely on include news apps, for example Bloomberg and Zite (a bespoke newspaper). I was also impressed with the vast content which can be accessed freely from ‘iBooks’. The calender application has been useful, however it would be beneficial if the personal iPad calender could link with the university system so that any timetable updates, such as an additional dissertation briefing, could be added directly to the calender. Hence it seems that over time tablets could possibly provide increasingly innovative methods of interacting with students.
Whilst I have benefitted from the constant access to news and information, the iPad has not proved to be of much use in lectures so far. I find it much easier to take notes on paper, however I am looking to buy a stylus for the iPad so that I can test if this may be more practical. | <urn:uuid:5f513e1e-8404-44f2-9274-51b98c30cc23> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ipadsontrial.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/first-impressions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966452 | 312 | 1.734375 | 2 |
The Rise and Rise of Irish Whiskey
More people are drinking more Irish whiskey around the world. While some drinks categories rise and fall with fashion and changing tastes, Irish whiskey consumption continues to grow - currently at a rate of ten per cent a year.
Irish whiskey may be the smallest of the ‘big four’ - Scotch, Bourbon, Canadian and Irish - but it is the fastest growing of them all. It is also growing faster than any other spirits category globally, higher than tequila, vodka, gin and other established categories.
Many commentators and connoisseurs in the industry attribute its success and popularity to its authentic heritage, the time and care involved in its production and, above all, to the smooth and accessible taste of Irish whiskey. With these attributes, the outlook in international markets is very positive.
History & Heritage
Read about the history of Irish Whiskey - from its birth in the 6th Century to the present dayFind out More
While all are produced in a broadly similar way, each country's style has its own special characteristics to discover and savour.Find out More
Factors - Natural, Human and Extra
Find out about the natural ingredients used to make Irish Whiskey and the man-made process to convert them into Irish Whiskey.Find out More
Irish Whiskey vs. Scotch Whisky
While all are produced in a broadly similar way, each country's style has its own special characteristics to discover and savour. Find out about the differences between Irish and Scotch.Find out More | <urn:uuid:2166ef8f-80e8-4c73-97f9-1425fbc75347> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tullamoredew-usa.com/irish-whiskey/default.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930922 | 312 | 1.664063 | 2 |
GIS is quickly moving into the future with 3D
Esri’s Lawrie Jordan talks about GIS as ‘critical infrastructure’
By David Krapf, SPAR staff
April 17, 2012
HOUSTON - “In the world of 3D, it is truly the most exciting
times I can think of in the last 40 years,” said Lawrie Jordan, director of
imagery at Esri, and special assistant to Jack Dangermond, the company’s
president, as part of his keynote address at the SPAR International conference
Jordon touched on more than a few GIS trends he is seeing,
including the “convergence” of GIS and 3D imaging technology, an uptick in
cloud computing, and a “stunning” increase in the use of mobile technology. “An
exciting area we see is measuring and capturing volunteer geographic
information from social networks and social information, and, of course, the
technology and science behind GIS is evolving very quickly,” he said.
Another positive trend, Jordan told SPAR attendees, is that
the governance issues are “coming together with regard to open data policies.”
Taken together, the aforementioned developments are forming “a very strong and
very positive trend that we believe are setting the stage for a much better
understanding of the world in which we live.”
Jordan added that in GIS, there is now a trend toward what
he terms as “global persistent surveillance.”
“We’re trying to capture, measure, monitor, and map
literally everything that moves or changes on the planet,” he said. “We then
want to connect all of these different layers and look for patterns and trends
and form some meaningful analysis that helps us see and answer some complicated
What is needed is a framework to bring it all together — a
“special” type of infrastructure to handle the varied data. “I like to think
that GIS is a form of critical infrastructure,” Jordan said, much like a power
grid or the oil refinery and pipeline complex.
The cloud-computing trend is important and is not going
away. It is democratizing GIS software; instead of tens of thousands of dollars
for software licenses, he said, access can now be had for hundreds of dollars
and only when the need is there for the software to accomplish specific goals.
Further, the cloud offers the ability to store huge volumes of data and apply immense
CPU processing power without the user needing to invest in such capabilities on
Jordan also talked about VGI, volunteer geographic
information, which is becoming increasingly popular in the GIS community. “We
can almost think of this as citizens with sensors. Almost everyone has a cell
phone, have cameras that are GPS enabled and capture quite a bit of
information,” he said. How can this crowd-sourced data be harnessed by GIS
professionals looking to learn and document ever more about their environments?
He added that social media, Facebook, Twitter, “are a
dramatic new component of geographic information systems.” And increasingly,
the information remarkably is not that error prone.
For the defense industry, this is a “gold mine of
opportunity for them to look at patterns, social patterns around the world,
look for trends, collect intelligence, and other information through social
“I think social media is really adding a new dimension that
I am excited about,” he said. | <urn:uuid:1e89fbd7-d663-438f-a77e-a37577746641> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sparpointgroup.com/News/Vol10No17-GIS-is-quickly-moving-into-the-future-with-3D/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940621 | 759 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Photos for New Listings in Saratoga, Campbell, and Los Gatos will start next week.
Dear, First Time Home Buyer
So you’ve found a good paying job, moved out of your parent’s basement, living independently now, thinking about buying a home but WAIT… you want a new car too don’t you?
Yup we’ve all been in that situation, more so if your a guy, but hey girls like nice cars too.
You’re thinking, “I’ve got a good job, some money in savings, why shouldn’t I splurge a bit?”
The answer to that is a little thing called debt to income ratio. What is debt to income ratio? Basically a debt-to-income ratio is the percentage of your gross monthly income (before taxes) that you spend on debt. This will include your monthly housing costs, including principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and homeowner’s association fees, if any. It will also include your monthly consumer debt, including credit cards, student loans, installment debt, and… yes your NEW CAR PAYMENTS.
For example, say you earn $5000 a month and you have a car payment of $400. Using an interest rate of 8.0%, you would qualify for approximately $55,000 less than if you did not have the car payment. Even if you feel you can afford the car payment, mortgage companies approve your mortgage based on their guidelines, not yours.
Another thing you probably should not do when considering the thought of buying a home is moving your money around.
Back in the sub-prime lending days most lenders did not care if you had a job, income, or a brain. All you had to do was sign at the bottom saying that you did, how easy is that?
However after the housing bust lenders are very strict when it comes to lending on loans. Most likely, you will be asked to provide statements for the last two or three months on any of your liquid assets. This includes checking accounts, savings accounts, money market funds, certificates of deposit, stock statements, mutual funds, and even your company 401K and retirement accounts.
If you have been moving money between accounts during that time, there may be large deposits and withdrawals in some of them. The mortgage underwriter (the person who actually approves your loan) will probably require a complete paper trail of all the withdrawals and deposits. You may be required to produce cancelled checks, deposit receipts, and other seemingly inconsequential data, which could get quite tedious
Because of the many legal and tax situations that can arise through the sale and purchase of real estate ALWAYS consult with your ATTORNEY and/or ACCOUNTANT before making ANY decisions in ANY transaction
* THIS ARTICLE WAS POSTED AT Thomas Feng’s Bay Area Connect * | <urn:uuid:8c33f1e0-b605-4fa9-b41b-25d80d999c0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bayareaconnect.com/04/01/2012/dont-make-big-purchases-before-buying-home-debt-to-income-ratio-thomas-feng/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959979 | 595 | 1.640625 | 2 |
(In which I enumerate some of the games that I have played or learned here at Carleton.)
I was going to spend the end of the last post talking about a game called Ninja that I learned at a birthday party recently. Then it occurred to me that there are really a lot of games that I've learned at Carleton, or that are played a lot here, and I could spend a whole post describing such games. So that is what I did. The rules for one of them (you'll see which one) ran a little long, so I limited it to three games, but I hope you'll enjoy them just the same. Ladies and gentlemen, I now proudly present...
Three Games I Learned at Carleton College
Game One: Ninja
As previously mentioned, I learned this at a friend's birthday party not too long ago. It is an invigorating game, and to play it well, one needs quick thinking and reflexes, as well as politeness and a concern for the well-being of one's fellow players.
It begins with everyone standing in a circle with their hands stretched out in the center of the circle. The first person to get bored of this arrangement will draw his or her hands back from the center and strike a ninja-like pose. Everyone else will follow suit, until all players are frozen in a unique battle stance.
Then one person announces that he or she will go first, and makes a short, continuous motion. While he or she is making this motion, the other players may move too, but as soon as the person whose turn it is stops moving, everyone else must also stop. Then the next player clockwise in the circle makes a motion, and so on.
The person whose turn it is has a goal. The goal is to kill the other players, as politely and gracefully as possible. You kill someone by touching one of their hands with one of your hands while it is your turn. The other players will try to move their hands away from you while you are making your motion, so this can be difficult.
You could manage to kill your opponents by waiting until it is your turn, pausing for a long time, and then slapping the hand of the person next to you before they realize that you are moving. But this is bad form. You are supposed to kill your opponents politely and gracefully. So what you should do is pay close attention to whose turn it is (which is sometimes harder than it sounds), and when it is your turn, quickly but carefully try to tap the hand of a player nearby before they register that it is your turn and that they need to be moving their hands out of the way.
When a player is killed, they leave the circle, and when one player remains, he or she is the winner. However, the primary draw of this game is not the thrill of victory, but the fact is that it looks really cool when played correctly.
Game Two: Secret Service
This one is a very simple party game, but it only works if everyone around you knows how to play before you start.
Nobody ever says "Let's play Secret Service." Instead, the person who first has the idea to play Secret Service puts two fingers to his or her ear as if listening to a very small wireless communication device. Other people notice this and do the same. When only one oblivious person is left without their fingers to their ears, everyone else yells "Get down, Mr. President!" and piles on top of them.
If you are good at Nose Goes, you will be good at Secret Service.
Game Three: Silent Football
It has come to my attention that a certain esteemed online encyclopedia has deigned the subject of the great sport of Silent Football worthy of an article. While I am certain that the information contained in said article is useful as a survey of the warped and denatured variants of Silent Football common among barbarian peoples, let it be understood that the article must in no way be mistaken for an accurate portrait of the true rules and bylaws of Silent Football as it is played at Carleton College, which I will make an attempt to set down here for the edification of my readers.
Silent Football is played in a seated circle. Chairs, couches, pillows, and the floor may be used as seating, in whatever combination the players see fit.
The Importance of Formalism and Restraint.
The most important aspect of silent football is, indubitably, that of formalism. While playing Silent Football, a sense of propriety must be maintained at all times - in manner of speech, mode of action, and, perhaps most crucially, restraint from laughter.
For some reason which the foremost Silent Football researchers have been thus far unable to discern, players of Silent Football occasionally suffer from a sudden and uncontrollable urge to burst out laughing. This urge must be stifled at all costs, for grave reasons which will become clear later on.
Proper Names and the Commissioner.
A formal game calls for formal names, and thus each player must be referred to with their appropriate honorific (Mr., Miss, Mrs., Dr., etc.) followed by their unabridged first name. The single exception to this rule is that a certain important person (generally the person who has introduced or proposed the game) must be referred to as Mr. or Madam Commissioner.
Opening the Round.
Before the first round, the Commissioner gives an explanation of the rules of Silent Football, together with a brief history of the traditions associated with it, making certain to emphasize the necessity of formalism. Then, when everyone is ready, the Commissioner says "Let's begin the round," and everyone tips his or her hat toward the center of the circle in a gesture of goodwill and optimism. If for some reason a player is not wearing a hat, an imaginary hat will do.
When the round is in session, absolute attention must be given to the game, and the concentration of the body of players must not be interrupted by any disruptive sound. If a player wishes to speak, he or she must raise his or her hand and wait for the Commissioner to call on him or her by acknowledging him or her with his or her honorific and full first name.
Passing the Football.
When the round begins, the Commissioner is in possession of the football. The football, unlike the hats, is required to be imaginary.
Once one has the football, one's prerogative is to rid oneself of it again. The football is passed from one player to another by one of the following four methods:
-The tap. The bearer of the football taps his or her right or left knee up to three times. The football is thus transferred to the person sitting that many places to the bearer's right or left.
-The zoom. The bearer of the football dramatically swings his or her right arm around so that the elbow is near the nose and the fist is near the left ear, as if swirling a cape over the lower half of the face. The person to whom the bearer's elbow points becomes the new bearer. It can occasionally be difficult to see to whom the bearer's elbow is pointing; to combat this element of ambiguity, it is suggested that the bearer make unmistakable eye contact with the person to whom they wish to pass the football. This may resemble a longing gaze or a vicious leer depending on the context.
-The shrug. After receiving the football, a player may shrug, which returns the football to the person who had it before.
-The shwoop. This works exactly the same as a shrug, except that instead of shrugging, a player holds his or her arms in front of him or her to make an "X" with his or her forearms, then rapidly collapses the "X," folding his or her arms like a genie. The football returns to its previous bearer.
Restrictions on Passing.
The same mode of passing the football may not be used four times in succession.
One must never shrug immediately after a shwoop, or shwoop immediately after a shrug.
Reports to the Commissioner.
If a player comes to be in violation of the rules, it is the duty of the other players to file a report with the Commissioner. This is done as follows: the player who wishes to file the report raises his or her hand and waits for the Commissioner to call on them. When (or if) the Commissioner wishes to do so, he or she calls on the player by saying, "Yes, Mr. Samuel?" (or whatever the name of the player may be). The player responds, "Mr. Commissioner, it has come to my attention that Miss Julia has zoomed the ball for the fourth time in a row." The Commissioner replies with something to the effect of "You are correct; Miss Julia has indeed zoomed the ball for the fourth time in a row. She is awarded one demerit."
If the Commissioner does not agree that Miss Julia has violated a rule, he responds with something like "Mr. Samuel, I am afraid Miss Julia has only zoomed the ball for the third time. There will be no punishment for Miss Julia." At this point, Miss Julia may raise her hand, wait to be acknowledged, and say "Mr. Commissioner, it has come to my attention that Mr. Samuel has made an erroneous report regarding the number of times the ball was zoomed," and Mr. Samuel may be in hot waters.
The Commissioner may decide that an infraction (such as making a disruptive creaking noise when shifting in one's chair) is too mild to receive a demerit, and will only deliver admonishment.
The Commissioner is expected to pay very close attention, but may not make a report to himself, as this would be a sign of impending mental collapse and would be very indecorous behavior.
When making a report to the Commissioner, a player:
-may not laugh, of course
-must refer to everyone by his or her formal name
-must begin with "Mr./Madam Commissioner, it has come to my attention that..."
A player in violation of the conventions of report-filing is liable to be reported as well, which occasionally leads to chains of faulty reports, like so:
(Mr. Alexander raises his hand.)
Madame Commissioner: "Yes, Mr. Alexander?"
Mr. Alexander: "Miss Commissioner, it has come to my attention that Samantha has shrugged in response to a shwoop. This is a dreadful offense which no reasonable citizen could allow to go unreported."
Madam Commissioner: "You are correct, Mr. Alexander. Miss Samantha has indeed shrugged in response to a shwoop. The ball remains with Miss Samantha, and she is awarded one demerit."
(Miss Samantha raises her hand.)
Madame Commissioner: "Yes, Miss Samantha?"
Miss Samantha: "Madam Commissioner, it has come to my attention that Mr. Alexander has neglected to refer to me by my formal name. If shrugging a shwoop is dreadful, then disregard for formal names is... simply insupportable."
Madame Commissioner: "Miss Samantha, while I might not go so far as to use such a strong word as 'insupportable,' it is true that formal names must be used at all times, and Mr. Alexander is in violation of that principle."
(Mr. Alexander raises his hand.)
Mr. Alexander: "Madame Commissioner, it has come to my attention that Miss Samantha laughed briefly while making her last report."
Madame Commissioner: "You are correct, Mr. Alexander. One further demerit to Miss Samantha."
Reports to the Commissioner must also be made if a player is unaware that he or she is in possession of the football, though in some cases the Commissioner may award a demerit to a person who failed to make it clear to whom the football was being passed, instead of the person who is unaware of his or her possession of the football.
The Commissioner is bound by honor to give himself demerits if others report his errors.
The End of a Round.
It is among the duties of the Commissioner to sense when a natural time might be for the round to end. When such a time has arrived, the Commissioner waits (or requests) for the ball to be passed to him or her, then says, "That concludes the round. There is now an open forum."
At this point, laughter is once again allowed, often to the relief of all present. People may talk amongst themselves, and the players' demerits are erased. When any and all tension has been sufficiently relieved, and the players wish to play another round, the Commissioner announces that a new round has begun, everyone tips their hats, and play continues.
Demerits and Punishment.
There is no one winner of Silent Football; it is over when enough rounds have been played. However, while there may not be a win condition, there is a rather unfavorable outcome which a player may incur, and that is what happens when he or she amasses three or more demerits. At this point the Commissioner ends the round and asks the offending player to repair to another room while the remainder of the group decides on a suitable punishment.
Punishments may include being forced to stand on one's head for a certain amount of time, being obliged to speak Russian or Chinese at certain times (for people who are learning Russian or Chinese), or having the rules modified specially for you. In a game I played, one person was compelled to make reports by saying, in the style of Mr. T, "I pity the fool who shwoops a shrug" instead of the customary "Mr. Commissioner, it has come to my attention that Miss Emily has shwooped a shrug." If he forgot to abide by this rule, other players were allowed to report him by saying "I pity the fool who fails to pity the fool who shwoops a shrug."
Some players of Silent Football have remarked that devising punishments for one's fellow players is "the point of the game." Perhaps if one is in a particularly uncharitable mood, this is an accurate assessment of the game's charms, but I would posit that the "point" of Silent Football is to test one's ability to retain composure when one's friends have made it difficult to do so.
So there we have some of the interesting stuff I promised. There is an end-of-the-year post coming up, too, and I'll make at least one interesting announcement in it, so stay tuned! | <urn:uuid:ec7f25dc-d8ee-40a0-8805-c2c947eaccfd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/blogs/collinhazlett/?story_id=636448 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97567 | 3,017 | 1.765625 | 2 |
While waiting for a group of tour participants aboard his kayak on Cape Island Creek, Bob Lubberman made a new acquaintance when a 4-foot great blue heron landed on the nose of his boat. It's not an entirely new experience for the owner of Miss Chris Kayak Rentals and Tours, as opportunities to commune with nature came often as he crabbed and fished as a child from his grandmother's dock. Now he's able to connect visitors to this ecosystem as they independently paddle rented sit-on-top kayaks or as they participate in guided kayak or boat tours.
Paddlers on kayak tours often catch close-ups of ospreys, terns, and other birds, and see diamondback terrapin turtles sunning themselves on the shore or trying to hold their own ice-cream cones. Day and sunset tours let guests explore the wildlife-rich salt marshes, and night tours led during high tide let them paddle over grassy terrain to otherwise inaccessible areas. Guests explore similar territory on tours aboard the Osprey as they watch migrating shore birds or look out on the harbor's historic buildings. Kayak tour guides include an associate naturalist and a Cape May Bird Observatory field associate, and land-based staffers maintain a touch tank on the Miss Chris mooring dock, which they temporarily fill with conches, eels, and other sea life pulled up using open-sided conservation traps. | <urn:uuid:2af8024d-5ccf-4383-a765-f7d0ed4160a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.groupon.com/local/dover-de/things-to-do | 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 | 0.949075 | 291 | 1.523438 | 2 |
6. Remove the 2 pivot bolts.
7. Lift the bucket assembly out of the car.
8. Remove the other end of the crank rod from the bucket pivot.
9. Remove the two brass bushings from the stock bucket.
Be very careful. You will have to reuse these. Gently tap the bushing out using a hammer and small socket.
10. Here is everything that came in the kit.
And here it is removed from the plastic.
11. I couldn't figure out what these 6 odd sized washers were for.
They are used as spacers during the headlight lid reinstallation.
12. The rounded part of the new bucket is the top.
13. This square "step" on the side tells the difference between the left and right buckets.
The "step" goes towards the outside of the car - towards the fender. The inside has no "step".
14. These are the floater rings.
Notice how these have red dots on them? They are for the drivers side. Also notice that each ring is arranged for one hole in the middle and two holes on the outside.
15. Here are the tabs that you will use to attach the headlights to the floater rings.
16. Here is what they look like attached.
Notice that the tab faces towards the back of the headlight?
I tried to put this together backwards the first time.
17. Attach the headlight and floater plate to the bucket by using the longer screws and the springs like this.
Thread the screw about a ¼" through the back of the bucket like this. | <urn:uuid:2cc9c132-9f3d-4bd9-9234-55b1cad74593> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://miata.net/garage/bsplow/page2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937544 | 341 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Report: Online sales cost state $708M in lost taxes
WASHINGTON — Booming sales on Cyber Monday might have meant savings for consumers, but they could also have meant lost revenue for the state of Arizona, a new report said.
The National Conference of State Legislatures said Arizona will watch an estimated $708 million in sales taxes go uncollected this year on online and catalog purchases, the ninth-highest amount in the nation.
Besides costing the state, online sales also put brick-and-mortar retailers at a disadvantage, said Arizona Small Business Association CEO Rick Murray.
"How do we level that playing field?" Murray said. "In Arizona it can mean several hundred dollars on some purchases. It's a huge issue for some of our small businesses."
Those complaints have led to pushes in Washington and in state capitals to require that online retailers collect sales taxes for states where they send the goods they sell.
They come as Cyber Monday sales - online purchases made on the Monday after Thanksgiving - hit a new high for a second consecutive year.
IBM reported Tuesday that online sales Monday rose more than 30 percent over Cyber Monday 2011, as shoppers not only took advantage of online deals but free shipping offers. And, in most cases, no sales tax.
A bill introduced in Washington in 2011 would address that last advantage by letting states apply their sales taxes to online purchases - with an exemption for businesses that have less than $500,000 in remote sales a year.
Under the Marketplace Fairness Act, states would first have to simplify their tax laws before being allowed to levy sales taxes on online purchases.
"At a time when state budgets are under increasing pressure, Congress should give state and local governments the ability to enforce their own laws," said the bill's sponsor, Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., at an August hearing.
"This will give states less of an excuse to come knocking on the federal door for handouts and will reduce the problem of federal attached strings," Enzi said in testimony to the Senate Commerce Committee.
In Arizona, supporters of the Marketplace Fairness Act include the Arizona Retailers Association and real-estate firms Vestar Development Co. and WDP Partners LLC, according to MarketPlaceFairness.com.
"It is like the title reflects. It is all about having an opportunity to compete fairly," said Michelle Ahlmer, executive director of the Arizona Retailers Association. "What we are focused on is the fairness more than the revenue."
Seattle-based Amazon.com, which has distribution centers in Phoenix, is also a supporter of Enzi's bill.
Arizona last November charged that Amazon owed the state $53 million in uncollected sales taxes from March 1, 2006, through Dec. 31, 2010, according to the company's most recent quarterly earnings report. While the report said the tax bill was "without merit," Amazon also said that it had entered into a settlement with Arizona.
Amazon will begin collecting and remitting Arizona sales tax beginning Feb. 1 for physical goods and July 1 for digital products and services.
"We are thrilled with the agreement that Arizona reached with Amazon," Ahlmer said. "We think that puts them in the position of being a true Arizona business partner."
The settlement with Amazon comes after state lawmakers earlier this year rejected a bill that would have achieved, at the state level, what Enzi is proposing on a federal level.
"Arizona is a state that would rather control its own destiny," Murray said. "But some folks think there should be something done on a national level because with Internet sales there are no borders."
"It is something that will have to be done in Congress. We have done what we can in the state legislature," she said.
Even if the tax issue is settled, Murray said online firms still have other advantages, such as not having to pay overhead on a physical storefront.
But Rick Marcum of the Yavapai College Small Business Development Center, said the gap between online and brick-and-mortar retailers may be narrowing.
"I've had a couple of them (small businesses) complain, but that is ending with Amazon next year as they will start collecting tax," Marcum said.
"From our small businesses, we hear more complaints about places like Wal-Mart. They have three physical stores here in Prescott," he said. | <urn:uuid:c3fba592-2937-4cf7-a27e-044036fda0d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ktar.com/22/1591642/Report-Online-sales-cost-state-708M-in-lost-taxes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971031 | 897 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Opening of Darwin exhibition
Dr Barry Jones introduced by Dr John Hirst, 9 December 2008
DENNIS GRANT: Ladies and gentlemen, to introduce our guest speaker tonight, may I introduce the deputy chair of the National Museum of Australia, a wonderful scholar of Australia history and the scholar emeritus at Latrobe University - Dr John Hirst.
Dr JOHN HIRST: Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Darwin exhibition that we are opening is in this direction. This way are the permanent exhibitions, and the first gallery you come to is called Old New Land. That gallery displays how the first European settlers in this place found the flora and fauna so puzzling. The scientists found it puzzling. Darwin when he was here found it puzzling. He wrote that ‘if you were an unbeliever’ - this is a wonderful play with himself - ‘you might think there had been two creators’. But then he rapidly went on to say in his diary ‘that of course there was only one creation but there was a great amount of variety within it’. He was still a long way from developing his theory on evolution but you can see - and we all know this about the voyage of the Beagle - that the thinking had begun. We have a particular reason for being very interested in Darwin and we are very pleased to have this exhibition from the American Museum of Natural History and pleased to have Alan Draeger and his colleague Katy McDonald here. I also welcome Robert McKay and Carol Henry from Art Exhibitions Australia. The staff of the Museum also deserve our thanks not only for putting this exhibition in place but for creating a sort of annex which discusses Darwin in Australia. We can’t be too proud about Darwin in Australia. Though he found the flora and fauna fascinating, he was half disgusted by the people and he didn’t think this place had much of a future.
As you have heard, Dr Barry Jones is to open the exhibition. He is well known to most of you. For our foreign visitors and guests, he was previously the Commonwealth Minister for Science. He was also, and I am sure he is prouder of this, one of the first if not the first writer to tell us about the new world of IT, which he did some decades ago in a book called Sleepers, Wake!.
I learnt recently a new thing about Barry Jones. He is the only single person to be a member of the four learned academies of technology, science, humanities and social science. These are not honorary positions. He has earned his right to them all. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Barry Jones.
BARRY JONES: John, Alan, Dennis and friends, thank you very much for the generous introduction. I am particularly excited to be here and very flattered to be asked to open this exhibition because Darwin is a real hero. If you think that this speech sounds like a work in progress or, as we sometimes say, ‘winging it’, it is. But I don’t need to explain that in Canberra because this is what politicians or ex-politicians habitually do. But until I actually saw the exhibition itself, which I had the opportunity to do from mid-afternoon on, although I thought endlessly about Darwin and continued my reading a good deal, I didn’t know exactly what I was going to say because I didn’t know exactly what it was that I would be reacting to.
You have to understand the significance of what you are about to see which is not one but two exhibitions folded into one: the first, Darwin, which comes from the American Museum of Natural History and has been curated by Niles Eldredge about whom I will say something in a few minutes; and then next to it is the very interesting but smaller exhibition called Darwin in Australia, which Michael Pickering has curated. It is fascinating to see the two exhibitions together.
It is interesting that Darwin sometimes claimed that it was his observation of slavery in South America which was a major factor in his interest in natural selection. One of those nice coincidences that life abounds in - although it appears in Niles Eldredge’s book, you wouldn’t pick it up from the exhibition itself - is that Abraham Lincoln, who effectively freed the slaves in the United States, was born on the same day as Charles Darwin, 12 February 1809. In February we will be celebrating the 200th birthday of two of the great seminal figures of the nineteenth century. Each, I am sure, must have been aware of the other and must have been aware of the coincidence of sharing the same birthday in the same birth year, but I don’t recall any reference to the fact in his letters.
In this excellent book by Niles Eldredge called Darwin: Discovering the Tree of Life, he begins with these words:
Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 - the very same day as Abraham Lincoln. Both men shook the world in their own time. Both detested slavery. And both now have their images on the low-denomination (hence more common) paper currency of their natal country. Lincoln, of course, is on the five-dollar bill. Darwin is on the British ten-pound note - where he replaced another prominent Victorian figure, Charles Dickens, in 2000..
The reason why Darwin placed higher than [William] Shakespeare, [Isaac] Newton, Elizabeth I, and Queen Victoria remains unexplored. Eldredge continued:
For what Darwin did was to transform the prevailing view of stability - of the earth, of all the species on earth, and not least the stability of society’s strata - into a picture of motion. Let enough time go by, and the laws of biological transformation will inexorably and inevitably transform life on earth. Old species will go, replaced by new ones.
Darwin was a prodigious worker. He was also a great organiser of material. I couldn’t help thinking about one of the parallels between the work of Darwin and the work of James Murray, the editor of the great multi-volume OED [Oxford English Dictionary], and their period of work overlapped. Both developed a great network of correspondents who would carry out work in entomology and etymology respectively and send specimens to be catalogued.
Janet Browne, one of Darwin’s great biographers, estimated that Darwin’s postal bill - and I apologise for not checking the figures - was around 800 pounds per annum for stamps. That was a time when penny post was absolutely standard. He used his family effectively. He had ten children, and they all were set to work to help catalogue the material.
Darwin’s great work was initiated and stimulated to a large extent by his travelling around on the Beagle in that great voyage from 1831-36. The most significant site that he went to was the Galapagos Islands because he couldn’t help but be struck by the astonishing species variation between the various islands in the Galapagos. Even though the distances between them were not very great, they were great enough to have a process of being undisturbed over a long time where species could develop factors which were specific to the actual environment that they were in.
Then Darwin travelled across the Pacific, went briefly to the Bay of Islands in New Zealand and then came on to Australia. In the 61 days he spent in Australia he began in Sydney, went from Sydney up to Bathurst and looked at the Blue Mountains. He then went down to Tasmania and spent quite some time in and around Hobart - he climbed up Mount Wellington. He then went off to Western Australia to what we now call Albany but to the area that was then called King Georges Sound. And then back to England collecting, collecting, collecting all the time.
There was a number of very powerful intellectual influences. One was his own grandfather Erasmus Darwin, a very powerful speculative thinker, who wrote a book called Zoönomia in which he speculated about something very much like what Darwin came up with: the idea of the survival of the fittest, the struggle for survival and what we now call an evolutionary process. While his grandfather had the speculation he didn’t have the hard data - it wasn’t a process driven event, as we would say under the Rudd regime, and there hadn’t even been an inquiry into it. But he had the idea.
An interesting writer and publisher called Robert Chambers wrote quite a useful speculative book around 1844 [Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation] which anticipated some of the ideas involved in evolution but not the techniques, not the way in which it actually worked. Robert Chambers’ work also wasn’t based on any kind of empirical data or on observation, it was simply based on speculation. In the exhibition you will find some useful material which will enable you to understand about Robert Chambers’ work in the 1840s.
Darwin was also very much influenced by the important pioneering economist and authority on population, Thomas Robert Malthus. In the film treatment he is described as ‘Malthouse’, but JM [John Maynard] Keynes, who knew a lot about these things, was very emphatic that the pronunciation was ‘Malthus’ because it is really a corruption of the words malt and house, although I concede it is a bit more awkward to say ‘Malthousian’ rather than ‘Malthusian’ which we are so used to. I think Malthus is really right. Perhaps in the next iteration of the exhibition you might give some thought to changing it. In Malthus’s very famous essay on population, he took the view that species produced more than the ecology was able to support and as a result those that died were those that were weaker. You have a process of the survival of the fittest.
Anyway, Darwin had this mass of material but, because he was independently wealthy, he didn’t need to publish or perish. There are probably very few scientists with as strong an economic background as he had. His father had been a very successful investor. When Darwin died he left a fortune. Darwin had in mind the idea of publishing something very much like On the Origin of Species but then was overcome with anxiety about what how his work would be interpreted. He was particularly sensitive that he would become subject to attack and that his work would seem as overturning the conventional views about the immutability of species.
The result was that he postponed and postponed - this is very well set out in the exhibition here - until his hand was forced in 1858 by the revelation that Alfred Russel Wallace, working independently in Indonesia, or the Dutch East Indies, had come up with virtually the same conclusions but not in quite the same detail as Darwin. This meant that unless Darwin published what he was working on then all the credit and the recognition was going to go to Wallace. Darwin found that excruciatingly painful.
The result was that on 30 June 1858 at the Linnaean Society in London there was a joint presentation of two papers on evolution and the process of natural selection - one by Wallace and the other by Darwin. Interestingly, the two authors didn’t attend the presentation - they had people doing it for them. In the case of Darwin, his paper was presented by the great geologist [Charles] Lyell and the great botanist [Joseph D] Hooker. But from the beginning Wallace very generously conceded that, although Darwin had been very slow to publish, the detail of his observations and the work that he had put in his notebooks was far more sophisticated, detailed and advanced than the work that Wallace had himself done.
I should draw your attention to an interesting passage in the 20 November 2008 issue of Nature which had Darwin as its figure on the cover. Janet Browne, the biographer of Darwin whom I mentioned before, wrote a very interesting essay in which she was making the point that at various times Darwin’s history has been recognised or commemorated in different kinds of ways.
For example, in 1882 when Darwin died, he had originally wanted to be buried in the graveyard next to the church in Down close to where he lived in Kent. But a group of three Thomas Henry Huxley, Francis Galton and an interesting figure John Lubbock, later Lord Avebury - the man who coined the words ‘paleolithic’ and ‘neolithic’ - organised and persuaded the Dean of Westminster Abbey that Darwin was important enough to be buried in the Abbey. But not only that he was sort of Christian and, as he had no clear theological position, was even more appropriately buried in an Anglican institution. But the emphasis at the time was to say that Darwin was a good man, that he wasn’t an atheist and that his teachings were absolutely no threat to religion or moral values. That was the view taken about Darwin in 1882.
The year 1909 is interesting because it is the centenary of Darwin’s birth and the fiftieth anniversary of the publication On the Origin of Species. Oddly, in 1909 Darwin’s theory was seen as being under a bit of a cloud. People perhaps took the view then, ‘Well, it was an interesting theory and very courageous, but it’s been overtaken a bit by subsequent scientific research.’ It was seen to be threatened by the new science of genetics, which suggested that in fact species were much more mutable than Darwin had recognised. You didn’t need a long period of time; you didn’t need generation after generation; with Drosophila and other species it could happen comparatively quickly so it could be a short process.
The other factor was that the interpretation of the geological record seemed to suggest that evolution was rather a simple process, a kind of a straight line process. One might even call it intelligent design; that is, it was aiming in a particular direction and each new species that comes out is better than the one before. There were so many different forms of fragmentation - it was popular for people to come out with their own varieties of emphasis in biology - the result is that Darwin’s one big idea seemed to some extent to be a bit sidelined and wasn’t as important. So 1909, the centenary year, represented a bit of a doubt.
By 1959 Darwin is on the upswing again with the impact of the concept of biological systematics and the integration of three elements - genetics, population statistics and selection theory - and the argument that evolution can take place at three levels: at the molecular, at the genetic and in the environmental world of organisms. It also meant the end of Lamarkism, which was blown out of the water, and was also an attack on directed evolution. After 1959 you have this heavy revival of interest in the extraordinary variations in species going on in the Galapagos.
In 2009 Darwin’s reputation in most parts of the world is probably at its highest point. It is true that polling suggests that 57 per cent of US citizens appear to accept the intelligent design alternative and that Darwin has to fight to keep his place in the sun.
One more point before I wind up, which is not mentioned in the exhibition but which I think is very interesting and the historians here tonight might be interested in this, is the connection between Darwin and Marx. It is not even mentioned in the index of Eldredge’s book. The connection between Darwin and Marx is complex, and not all is known. Marx sent Darwin a copy of the second German edition of Capital in 1873 and received a courteous, if somewhat opaque, acknowledgement. Although Darwin could understand what was written in German, he wasn’t fluent and certainly wasn’t very comfortable reading German.
Then when Marx died in 1883, a year after Darwin, at his funeral, Friedrich Engels compared the two great evolutionists as one was the evolutionist who worked in human nature and the other worked in human history. It is also true that Darwin corresponded with Marx’s son-in-law, Edward Aveling, who was very unhappily married to the tragic but remarkable figure Eleanor Marx, who was Karl Marx’s favourite daughter. Isaiah Berlin had it wrong. Darwin wrote a letter which at one stage was thought to be directed at Karl Marx, but it is almost certain now that it was aimed at Edward Aveling, the son-in-law.
We have a remarkable record of a great life, somebody who really transformed our thinking about the world; somebody who for much of his life had a debilitating illness, although we are not quite sure what it was. One view is that he suffered from Chagus disease, which you pick up from a parasite in South America and has symptoms like sleeping sickness, and he certainly had long periods of melancholia and periods when he couldn’t work. Nevertheless he produced no less than 16 books.
When we look back at Darwin’s achievement, we can see he is not only one of the great figures of the nineteenth century but one of those figures whose thinking absolutely shaped the twentieth century and well on into the twenty-first. I have been warned by Dennis [Grant] that all costs I have to use the magic words: I now declare the exhibition open.
Disclaimer and Copyright notice
Date published: 18 December 2008 | <urn:uuid:88cb75d6-630b-4ced-ad02-cc038bcdec97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nma.gov.au/audio/transcripts/darwin/NMA_Jones_20081209.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985157 | 3,603 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Dwolla is a relatively new online payment system that's designed to hit PayPal where it hurts: the transaction fees.
PayPal transactions, as well as credit-card payments, incur fees based on a percentage of the transaction amount in addition to a transaction fee. Dwolla transactions cost 25 cents each.
The whole idea is to move cash cheaply--for businesses and for consumers. Dwolla founder Ben Milne says his retail payment kiosk is cheap, too. It's virtual, relying on Web-connected point-of-sale systems on one side and consumers with smartphones on the other. A consumer selects the store he or she wants to pay and enters the amount on the smartphone app; the register clerk can see a payment come in and close the transaction. In the future, Dwolla's mobile app, which is currently very bare-bones, will get location awareness so it will know what store you're in when you go to use the system to send a payment.
But Dwolla is about more than saving consumers and retailers money on fees, Milne says. It's also closely tied in to social networks, today's de facto address books. From the Dwolla site, you can pay anyone in your Facebook or Twitter circle. All you have to do is start typing in their online name to find them.
With Paypal, you can pay people if you know their e-mail address. Back in 1999, the company that eventually became PayPal had a strong person-to-person angle, except instead of relying on smartphones and the Web, the original PayPal made it possible for Palm Pilot users to "beam" money to each other over their devices' infrared links.
Can Dwolla become the next PayPal--the scrappy payment company that's more convenient, more personal, and cheaper to use than the big guys (debit cards, credit cards, and PayPal itself)? And, more importantly, when you're dealing with a service that connects to your bank account, is scrappy what you want?
… Read more | <urn:uuid:dc25cc63-7148-486b-96a1-34bd2df1a2da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.cnet.com/8300-5_3-0-7.html?keyword=banking | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955424 | 413 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Unfortunately domestic violence does occur and this is something that we take very seriously. No individual should have to fear for their safety or the safety of their children. Domestic violence includes both physical and mental abuse as well as threats and intimidation from a family member. It can be a one-off incident or a pattern of behaviour over many years.
Domestic violence often constitutes criminal assault. If the situation is serious and you or your children are in immediate danger then you should contact the local police station immediately and seek their assistance. The police are under an obligation to treat domestic violence and abuse seriously and cannot simply dismiss the matter as a “domestic incident.”
As well as bringing (or sometimes instead of) criminal charges it is often possible to obtain a civil court order (also known as an injunction) to exclude the abusive person from your home or other property (this is called an occupation order) and prohibiting the abusive person from further abuse (this is called a non-molestation order). If a non-molestation or occupation order is breached it is likely that this will in itself amount to a criminal offence. If you inform the police of the breach they should arrest the offender and prosecute them. The offence is one for which the Court can award a prison sentence.
Effects of breaching a non-molestation order or occupation order
The breach of a non molestation order is a criminal offence and the police should immediately arrest anyone who is alleged to have breached such an order. Anyone found guilty in criminal proceedings of breaching a non molestation order could be imprisoned for up to 5 years. A breach of a non molestation order can also be enforced through contempt of court proceedings.
If a power of arrest is attached to an occupation order then if the order is breached the police should arrest the offending party and present him to the Court to be dealt with.
Our approach to costs is open and frank. Our charges are calculated on the basis of the time we spend working on your matter. The hourly rates for the different levels of experience of our team members are competitive. Family problems and relationship breakdown can be stressful enough without the additional worry of meeting legal fees and we are often able to agree litigation funding arrangements to suit your particular needs and circumstances. | <urn:uuid:76137e99-9ff0-4165-aba5-f3e403492516> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.curzongreen.co.uk/family-law/domestic-violence.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966251 | 454 | 1.757813 | 2 |
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CSO - The approach of the April 15 filing deadline for filing federal income taxes has tax scammers popping up in larger numbers online even as a new phishing trend called long-lining is starting to pick up steam.
The Internal Revenue Service has already put scammers on notice: "As tax season begins this year, we want to be clear that there is a heavy price to pay for perpetrators of refund fraud and identity theft," Internal Revenue Service Acting Commissioner Steven T. Miller said in a statement. "We have aggressively stepped up our efforts to pursue and prevent refund fraud and identity theft, and we will continue to intensely focus on this area."
Those efforts are part of a year-round campaign by the IRS to attack tax fraud. For example, the number of identity theft probes by the agency tripled to 898 in 2012, from 276 in 2011.
Sentencings of identity thieves during the period also jumped -- to 223 in 2012, from 80 in 2011 -- as did jail time for persons convicted of ID theft. Those convicted were sentenced to serve an average of 48 months in prison last year, four months more than in 2011.
Online scams this year are similar to those in the past, according Cameron Camp, a senior researcher with Eset, of San Diego, Calif. "There isn't much variation on existing scams," he said. Fake tax preparation, bogus problems with tax returns and identity theft with intent to file a fake return are some of the common scams.
There's no relief after the tax deadline passes, either, he said. "After the April 15 deadline, you'll start seeing a raft of emails saying there's a problem with your return; you need to send us $500 to fix it,."
While tax scammers are recycling old material, they appear to be changing their proclivities, according to Don Jackson, a senior security researcher with Dell F-Secure in Atlanta, Ga. "The big difference this year is we're not seeing as many exploits," he said. "They're not using vulnerabilities in browser software as much as they have in the past. What we're seeing is more social engineering attacks."
He explained that messages will contain links to online forms where scammers hope to harvest information from a target or to a PDF version of a form that contains an information-stealing Trojan.
Tax scams, though, aren't the only ones phisher have latched onto; a new technique called "long-lining" is growing in popularity, too.
Long-lining combines the credibility of a spear phishing attack with volumes of a generic spam campaign. Unlike conventional mass phishing exploits, the 'hooks,' or email messages, used in long-lining are highly variable rather than identical, making them largely undetectable to traditional signature and reputation-based security gateways.
The messages are typically varied by IP address of origination, subject line and body content.
The body content also includes multiple mutations of an embedded destination URL, which typically leads to a site with a positive reputation that's been successfully compromised prior to the attack. The compromised Web destinations are loaded with hidden malware either before, during or sometimes after the attack wave has begun. | <urn:uuid:c7f709d4-996a-4175-b953-e2479d0e650e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/030413-39tis-the-season-for-tax-267361.html?source=nww_rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960877 | 690 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Is it time to "Un-Stockpile" your forages?
Nov 23, 2009
Every 30 days of grazing stockpiled forage provides a co$t $aving$ that is practicaly equivalent to increasing your calving rate by 8-10%! 30 days of winter feed is usually the minimum producers can expect from stockpiling forages like Tall fescue in the Southeast if both new growth and subsequent grazing are well managed.
Further North (like where we’re located in North/East PA), stockpiled forages offer 2,000-2,500 lbs. of forage on a dry matter basis. With fertilizer, production can be increased by 1,000-1,500 lbs./acre. This is for forages such as tall fescue and/or orchardgrass mixed with legumes like Red/White Clover or Alfalfa. Letting cows harvest the forage (rather than making hay out of it), and then feeding it to them, is where the obvious savings occur especially now that Diesel is on the rise AGAIN!
Stockpiled forages also provide flexibility.
One stockpiling advantage is it assures grasses will be replenishing and storing carbohydrate root reserves during the critical fall period, which will build stronger root systems. If the grass to be stockpiled is Tall fescue, this may be the best use for it. Cattle that reluctantly graze fescue in August and September find fescue in November & December to be very palatable. In addition, fescue will maintain its forage quality and tonnage better than other cool-season pasture grasses throughout the winter.
The key is to start “from scratch”. Either by grazing the pasture to the recommended minimum height, mowing a last cutting of hay or brush hogging the forage to a consistent height. In the Southeast the chief stockpiling strategy for tall fescue is to fertilize pastures from mid August to early September. Apply 40-50 lbs./acre of nitrogen. Apply the same rate of N for Bermuda grass 6-8 weeks before the first expected frost. If a tall-fescue pasture contains 35-40% legumes, extra nitrogen isn't required. If legume levels are less than that, apply up to 50 lbs./acre of N. The later in the season you begin stockpiling, the less forage you will grow, but the quality of it will be better.
Just turning cattle out to graze stockpiled forages may only utilize 30-40% of the stands.
50-60% utilization may be accomplished with rotational grazing, 65-75% with “frontal grazing”.
“Frontal grazing” is when you start your cattle in the part of pasture where water is available and move the grazing front further from the water every few days. Allow cattle enough forage for 3-4 days and then move the fences. That will almost double the amount of utilization you can get.
When pastures contain legumes “flash grazing” can also increase utilization. “Flash Grazing” is when you allow your cattle to graze long enough to utilize the legumes (which they consume quickest), then pull them back off until you're ready to utilize the grass stockpiled there.
If one of your goals is maintaining the sod in your pastures/paddocks (and it should be), you have to be concerned about crowding it too tightly and you may need to remove cattle from the pasture during a muddy period such as what we’ve been dealing with in the North/East since last April!
In the North/East, most producers will delay grazing stockpiled forage until at least the end of October. Many can graze it into December. Making the decision to stockpile forage is about balance. There's the balance between available forage and the nutritional needs of cattle, as well as balance between management goals, resources and alternative strategies.
Measure What You Have
Measure your pastures forages canopy height at various locations within the pasture with a grazing stick that you can obtain through your local NRCS or FSA office. They are yardsticks that also include numeric tables with a range of estimates for pounds of dry matter (DM) per acre inch based upon the stand's density. If you’ve never seen someone use one before it saves ALOT of frustration on the part of the producer if you/they ask someone at the NRCS/FSA Office (the Grazing Specialist if one is available), to show you how to use the information on the stick.
NOW GET OUT THERE AND GRAZE!! | <urn:uuid:edc2474d-3af4-4463-ba5f-6023befe1351> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.agweb.com/agday/blog/100_Grass-Fed_139/Is_it_time_to_Un-Stockpile_your_forages_14232/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940085 | 966 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Student arrested for hacking Prime Minister’s Twitter account
22-year-old Aekawit Thongdeeworakul, a fourth year architecture student at Chulalongkorn University, could face up to two years in prison if found guilty of illegally accessing computer systems without authorisation.
Thailand’s Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, had her Twitter account hacked last weekend – and her followers saw a stream of messages criticising her leadership.
The hacker’s final tweet read:
"If she can't even protect her own Twitter account, how can she protect the country?"
The minister told members of the press that the alleged hacker believed his actions were innocent “as he didn’t realise it would be a big deal.”
According to the ICT minister, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had her Gmail account hacked on September 30th by unknown people, and her password was disseminated across the computer underground.
From the sound of things, Ms Shinawatra was not following my advice onhow to stop your Gmail account being hacked.
Thongdeeworakul is said to have subsequently used the information to gain access to the prime minister’s Twitter account. The IP address used to access the account ultimately lead investigators back to Thongdeeworakul.
The architecture student remained silent at the press conference, shrouded by a baseball cap and dark sunglasses.
Remember folks – just because you can access someone else’s email, Facebook or Twitter account without the owner’s persmission doesn’t ever mean it’s an acceptable thing to do. In fact, it’s breaking the law and could lead to you getting in a lot of trouble.
- Thai student Aekawit Thongdeeworakul arrested over alleged hacking of prime minister’s Twitter account (100gf.wordpress.com)
- Thai prime minister Twitter hack suspect charged (go.theregister.com)
- Arrest in Thai PM Twitter hacking (bbc.co.uk)
- Student ‘confesses’ to hacking Thai PM’s Twitter account (tphnewsfromtheworld.wordpress.com) | <urn:uuid:bfde4ad5-caf2-4d3f-ae8b-01563bfe2f99> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogoholic.in/2011/10/10/student-arrested-hacking-prime-ministers-twitter-account/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930631 | 464 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Today, Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement regarding the passage of H.R. 4078, the Regulatory Freeze for Jobs Act:
"To cut unemployment, we need to slash the red tape strangling small businesses. I agree with Steve Jobs when he said "Government needs to be a lot more business-friendly. It's easier to build a factory in China and almost impossible to do so these days in America, largely because of regulations and unnecessary costs.' Our bill imposes a moratorium on any new significant regulatory action, save for health and emergency, until unemployment drops to six percent nationally. There are nearly 13 million Americans looking for a job, and they need government to work with businesses to promote hiring - not act as an additional burden.
"Since President Obama took office, we've seen an unprecedented amount of costly and burdensome regulations heaped on business owners. In the past three years, regulations deemed economically significant have increased 52%, while regulations published just this year will cost American businesses $56.6 billion."
"House Republicans have passed over 30 jobs bills to cut the red tape holding back job-creation; it's time President Obama and the Senate stopped blocking these pro-growth bills and started working with American job-creators." | <urn:uuid:6fcca10a-a248-44c7-a347-6260b9355291> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://votesmart.org/public-statement/728778/kinzinger-votes-to-freeze-regulations-on-job-creators | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942863 | 268 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Around the time of the founding of the United States, the Mexican state of Guanajuato became home to of the one of the biggest silver mines in the world, which produced as much as 2/3rds of the world’s supply of silver at its peak. Today it’s not precious metal that’s driving Guanajuato’s booming economy, but cars, as the world’s automakers flock to Central Mexico. Between 2005 and 2008, GM, Ford and Michelin dumped $1.8b into production in the state, and the expansion is still picking up steam. In the last year, Volkswagen invested $800m in engine production capacity in Silao, Pirelli built a $210m facility and Mazda just revealed it would build a new compact car plant there in June. Toyota is said to be the next to set up shop in Guanajuato, but for the moment Honda is the latest automaker to announce new operations in Guanajuato, as Automotive News [sub] reports the Japanese automaker will spend $800m on an assembly plant there. Honda, which is fleeing a strong yen which has battered Japanese exports, will start building 200k subcompacts per year in 2014. Clearly Guanajuato’s got it’s automotive mojo flowing… but are the days of new Japanese transplant factories in the US over? Is it only a matter of time before the coyotes start smuggling Detroiters into Silao, Celaya, and the Puerto Interior??
Find Reviews by Make: | <urn:uuid:050e2ac1-247c-4b0d-9bba-05b600a99185> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/08/honda-joins-the-guanajuato-gold-rush-toyota-on-the-way/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949147 | 322 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Why We Need More STEM Graduates
On October 28, a week before the presidential election, the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard introduced a white paper that lays out a comprehensive plan for Australia to attract qualified Asian immigrants. Australia's Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Bowen said that Australia needed to attract highly skilled Asian immigrants to bring their specialist skills to Australia in order to boost the economy. He said the top 10 sources of highly skilled immigrants in Australia were India, which provided 23% of its immigrants in 2011; as well as China, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam. Australia intends to increase the number of international students in Australian universities by streamlining the immigration process. Similar white papers have been issued by Canada, which has now made pathways for skilled immigrants and investors to migrate to Canada easier. UK has similar plans, and the UK Border Agency revised its guidance last June for skilled workers and investors. In the US, foreign students contribute, according to various sources, an upwards of $21 billion to our economy -- no small chump change. It is good business for the US economy that we continue to encourage and seek foreign students, and to streamline the process for them to emigrate to the US. That process begins at the consulate, where the welcome mat is laid out for foreign students. I have often had the displeasure of informing highly skilled foreigners completing PhDs and Fellowships that it could take them almost 10 years to obtain their green cards. So it is with pleasure, after this election that I read that both political parties are willing to exchange and compromise on comprehensive immigration reform that includes good news for STEM graduates and other highly skilled workers who want to come to the US.
The US's Position
Two-thirds of the US's immigration is family-based, while the other third is employment-based. This is in stark contrast to Canada, where employment immigration is the major contributor to the Canadian population. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has implored various national leaders and prominent politicians to continue immigration reform. Such politicians includes pragmatists like Lindsey Graham, Chuck Schumer and John Boehner; but excludes Chuck Grassley and Mitch McConnell, who have spoken against immigration reform in the past.
The US proportion of graduating students who attend college in the US is slated to fall to 17.8% by 2020 from 23.8% in 2000, while the share of China will rise 9-13% and India will rise 6.5-7.5%. The implication of this is that India and China will have larger populations of college graduates than the US. The US needs an educated population to remain globally competitive. China has made investments in its workforce, which is the core of its economic strategy; and in India, a culture of higher education propels young people to go beyond the undergraduate level and attain Masters and PhDs.
A Global Force
If the US does not encourage more educated and productive people to enter and remain in the US legally (this includes engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers as well as lower-skilled workers) we will lose the race in global competition. A recent report from Organization for Economic Co-Operation Development (OECD)'s states that, "the balance of economic power could shift dramatically over the next 50 years." According to this report, China could become the world's largest economy by 2016.
To ensure long-term increase in productivity, living standards and higher income per capita, the US needs a qualified population. One of the pathways to economic growth is either locally qualified workers or imported workers. According to the Wall Street Journal, citing a recent Deloitte consulting survey, there are about 600,000 US manufacturing jobs going unfilled during a period of high unemployment due to "workforce shortages or skills deficiencies in production positions such as machinists, craft workers and technicians." US manufacturers have gotten out of the habit of running in-house apprentice programs; therefore, US manufacturers require ready-made "plug-and-play" workers to fill these deficiencies. We can either use homegrown workers, or "plug-and-play" workers through immigration.
It is an economic necessity, and it in our best interests, to reform our immigration policies -- our country must move forward and remain a global force. We need workers both at the high levels, as well as the lower levels, to fill labor-intensive jobs and to reverse brain drain. We need workers who are qualified now.
Originally published at http://lawyersyoucantalkto.com/blog/2012/11/14/why-we-need-more-stem-graduates/ on November 14, 2012
Nalini Mahadevan heads the immigration practice at The Lowenbaum Partnership, LLC, where she and her group represent employers and individuals globally. She specializes in complex employment based cases. She was the past Chair of the Missouri Bar Immigration Law Committee. She is an adjunct Professor at Saint Louis University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri. She is also a prolific speaker on immigration topics regionally, statewide and locally and a frequent blogger. | <urn:uuid:7e2542a6-251c-4946-8bc2-59ddd89d9257> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://discuss.ilw.com/content.php?859-Article-Why-We-Need-More-STEM-Graduates-by-Nalini-S-Mahadevan | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963888 | 1,032 | 1.84375 | 2 |
A Steamboat Springs School Board plan to revisit class-size policies is proving to be the catalyst for a full-scale evaluation of district staffing levels and funding priorities.
Analyzing discrepancies between two class-size policies -- the district's policy mandates no greater than an average of 20 students to a teacher while the administrative team's policy uses a 19-to-1 ratio for the elementary schools and an 18-to-1 ratio for the secondary schools -- likely will involve policy revision. That revision will require examining the larger issues of current staffing levels, the district's budget and funding priorities.
And at the heart of the issue is dwindling district revenue and the oft-asked question of what are appropriate class sizes for Steamboat's public schools.
It's a question Superintendent Donna Howell and her administrative team began working on last week. The answer likely will be more complex than a simple ratio.
"The community does value small class size, but nobody has identified specifically what that is," Howell said. "This is not a one-activity process. This is going to take time."
Howell said she envisions a discussion that involves the values of the community, the factors most important to education and what's affordable for the school district.
"It will be an interesting couple of weeks," she said.
The half-cent tax
Most would agree it's been an interesting decade for the school district when it comes to class size. Motivated in part by growing class sizes and the belief that smaller classes result in better student achievement, voters passed in 1993 a half-cent sales tax for education.
Twenty-two teachers later, the Education Fund Board has met its promise to reduce class sizes, board President Jim Gill said.
"We've contributed to smaller class sizes in the district," he said. "People forget where we would be without the Fund Board."
Those 22 teachers have helped the district drop its class sizes from an average of more than 25 students per class to an average of 20 students per class.
Still, debate has raged over the issue in the past couple of years. Most recently, the School Board accepted a two-teacher increase, one for each elementary, funded by the tax -- but not before saying allocating existing teachers among the schools should come before taking on the salary of more employees.
Strawberry Park Elementary Principal John DeVincentis said fifth-grade classes at his school would have been as large as 27 and 28 students without the extra teacher.
"Any school district without a half-cent sales tax has 27 (students in a class)," he said. "Why should we have 27 with a half-cent sales tax? We'll spend a lot of money on a computer or a building, but student contact time is the most important."
Balancing the factors that most impact education against the costs associated with them will be an important part of the discussions taking place during the next couple of weeks.
The 22 teachers hired using the half-cent sales tax come with a price tag of more than $1 million, Finance Director Dale Mellor said. Last year, the district paid about $600,000 of that total, and the Fund Board paid $500,000.
"The district can't continue to fund the class sizes we're at," School Board President Paula Stephenson said at a Monday board meeting.
Mellor is projecting a $220,000 deficit for the 2004-05 school year. Because 80 percent of the district's budget is spent on personnel, cutting employees is often the only way to significantly cut costs.
Some School Board members and district administrators believe the Fund Board should pay most, if not all, of the cost of small class sizes. They say the Fund Board usually only pays the salary of an additional teacher for the first year, after which the district must pick up the tab.
"The Fund Board never said we'd fund 100 percent of whatever it takes to keep class sizes small," Gill countered.
If the Fund Board paid the majority of the cost, it would come at the expense of other projects and programs funded by the tax.
"It would be nice to say, 'Fund all small class sizes,' but then you lose funding for those other things," high school Principal Dave Schmid said. Those other things include computers, a middle school expansion project and content standards and curriculum staff, to name just a few.
Other educational factors
Like others in the district, Schmid said he doesn't know what appropriate staffing levels will look like. Research provides some answers -- depending on what side of the class-size fence a person is on.
"Current research says the most critical factor (in education) is a well-trained, highly qualified teacher in the classroom," Howell said.
General consensus is that between 17 and 20 students is ideal at the elementary level, with slightly smaller classes for kindergartners. But without a quality teacher, class size can be a moot point.
Some research places educational factors such as challenging learning experiences, principals who are instructional leaders, professional growth for staff and curriculum coherence ahead of class size.
"There's such a misperception on the importance of class size," Howell said.
Class load vs. class size
While most of the attention given to the class-size issue has focused on the elementary schools, the district's secondary schools face their own staffing dilemmas. With expansive course offerings and specialized teachers, the middle and high schools can't rely on a simple student-to-teacher ratio.
The middle school moved to a flexible schedule three years ago in an effort to reduce each teacher's class load, meaning the total number of students each teacher sees in class during a day. In the past, most teachers saw between 120 and 140 students a day. That amounts to a lot of time spent grading assignments rather than providing individualized attention, Principal Tim Bishop said.
Under the school's flexible schedule, class sizes increased from an average of 22 students to about 27, but class loads were cut in half, to the extent that the school's sixth- and seventh-grade teachers see about 55 students each day. Because of the school's abnormally large eighth-grade class, those teachers see about 95 students a day.
"We believe this is what's best for kids," Bishop said. "While there may be more kids sitting in front of a teacher at one time, teachers are seeing half the number of kids as before, and the contact time is greater."
After three years under the flexible schedule, middle school officials point to fewer discipline problems and better student achievement and say both are likely a result of the stronger relationships forged between students and teachers.
The high school also emphasizes the importance of class load and personalization.
"The number of kids you're responsible for is just as important as the number of kids in your class," Schmid said.
Some teachers at the high school still teach 120 students or more.
'We can't have everything'
DeVincentis, one of the district's most vocal advocates of smaller class sizes, said he's happy with the current sizes at his school, where the ratio peaks at 21-to-1 in the fifth grade and is as low as 16-to-1 in a couple of grades.
"This is the first year I'd say I'll never go back and ask for another teacher, given these class sizes," he said.
Other district principals, while acknowledging lower class sizes are always welcome, also believe current levels are reasonable. But those opinions might change if the district is forced to cut personnel for the next school year.
The upcoming administrative-team discussions will focus on district-wide staffing, not just the needs of individual schools.
"We've never done that before," DeVincentis said. "I agree with (Howell's) process. I'm counting on a good, positive discussion.
"The first thing is to see what everyone has. If we have to cut a teacher, where is the best place to cut?"
Howell envisions the process unfolding like this:
"We start with an honest conversation -- what we have now (in terms of staffing levels), if that's appropriate and how we make an adjustment given our present financial situation while also being sensitive to the needs of teachers," she said. "If we don't reach common ground, I'm not going to work for consensus for three months. I'm going to make a decision based on my professional experience, and I'll include the dissenting opinions."
Results of the discussion could evolve into a blueprint for district funding priorities -- what costs the School Board will cover from the general fund.
Regardless, choices will have to be made, Howell said.
"I think the biggest issue is how we balance dwindling resources with community values and our responsibility to have the most highly trained, qualified teachers in our classrooms," she said. "We're going to have a dilemma in front of us because we can't have everything." | <urn:uuid:b793229f-4661-4d29-ba14-ae243fb0073c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2004/jan/10/coping_with_class/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969981 | 1,838 | 1.609375 | 2 |
I’ve been working on a Python program today that monitors which application I’m using. For now it’s writing the data with a timestamp to a text file. But of course I want to share this data on numuseum. I’m now researching the use of sockets. As only just discovered that Flash can also work with sockets… That’s very interesting for me, I should be able to push life data to a Flash film. Wow!
I’ve been working really hard the last weeks. I’ve started to develop the Flash web application. I started with the calendar part which gets all the different days from the database and presents a nice, scrollable and selectable list of days. The user can choose from which days she wants to see data. They are grouped by month and presented in a visual hierarchy. As you can hear I’m pretty happy with it and especially happy with how smooth the coding is going.
I must confess I’m very happy with ActionScript 3. What a robust language! Once you get the hang of it (and it is quite a difference from the first handful of methods and from AS1 too) it’s great to work with. So now I’m ready to start with Google maps and the projection of the data.
Onto the part where I lost some… I’d already done quite some work on the communication between the Arduino and the Nokia. Except for the formatting I could receive data from the Arduino on my phone. As I needed to fill the database for my web app I tried running the old (working) scripts on my phone. I could make a Bluetooth connection but the communication didn’t work and I often got the message error(13, ‘Permission Denied’), a dreaded message which I thought I’d solved. So I tried installing a new version etc. No luck. As I’m running out of time for the presentation on the 19th I decided to fake the data so I could at least continue with my development.
So now I’ve manipulated the data from my collecting silence database. I wrote a Processing script which loops through all the lines of my database dump and creates new SQL queries from the existing data and writes them to a file. I could then import the queries and now I have a nice database on AQAb filled with almost 1000 rows of data. I do feel a little naughty but it’s the only way I can continue with my work at the moment. My knowledge of Python on mobile devices is too limited. And now I can’t even run the Scriptshell without errors, *sigh*
Oh yes, I’ve also done a video and photo shoot with Hans, my model. Pfff, filming is a true profession. I hope I’ll be able to make something presentable of the shots when editing. It’s a challenge to keep track of everything when you have to be director, producer and cameraperson at the same time.
I’m continuing my quest for my mobile app. It’s at the heart of sharing the data I capture with my sensors. After I’ve started the program it should:
Connect to the Arduino board very n minutes (2 for example)
Arduino should start the sensors
wait for a few seconds (they need heating up)
loop through pins a, b, c, d (NO2, CO, O3, temperature)
check smell flag
turn of the sensors
Loop through the Arduino values
Store them as a Python dictionary
Get the latitude and longitude from the internal GPS
Store them in the same dictionary
Connect to the internet
Post the dictionary content to a PHP script (which writes them into a database)
I’m relieved that I’ve made some progress. Yesterday I made a connection to internet and posted variables to a (very basic) PHP script. Today figured out the elegant data type called dictionary. http://docs.python.org/tutorial/datastructures.html#dictionaries It’s a kind of array but you can store key:value pairs. So they’re ideal for creating POST variables to send to a PHP script and very easy and flexible to build. I build a little air quality table that stores all the sensor data, date and time and whether or not the smell was nice at the time of the measurement (more about that some other time). Once I’d manage to store all the values in the database it was time to look for code to read out the GPS values. I came across this great tutorial with a tiny bit of code. http://www.scribd.com/doc/8981028/Tutorial-PythonForS60 Enough for what I need.
Of course the code will have to include error handling. The next step is connecting to the Arduino.
After working with the program for a bit it’s clear that it sometimes takes quite some time for the GPS values to be found. Earlier I had a field in my database table which would insert the data and time at the moment the data was posted. This may very well not be the time the air quality is measured so now I use the phone time which I can also read and format easily with two lines of Python code. Love that language!
Last week I did some research on Python for mobile devices. I was so enthusiastic about the documentation I found online and the apparent ease of the language that it was also clear to me what Smartphone I would buy. After quite some hesitation I decided to go for the Symbian based Nokia N97. It beat the i-Phone because I’m already used to Nokia, it has a real keyboard, a 5 mega pixel camera and it runs on Symbian. I found this great tutorial by one of the authors of ‘Mobile Python: Rapid prototyping of applications on the mobile platform.’ I haven’t bought it yet. I’ll see how far I can get without it as there is lots of info to be found online. They do have a chapter on interfacing with an Arduino board which isn’t in the code section. To get started you only need a simple text editor and the latest stable Python for S60 (Pys60) programs which you must upload to your phone. At this moment they are the Python_1.9.4.sis and PythonScriptShell_1.9.4_5thEd.sis as my phone runs on the latest, 5th edition of Symbian. They are not at the top of the maemo list so it took me a while to find out which versions I had to download. I installed them with my Nokia software. All I had to do was to write a little script:
appuifw.note(u"This works", "info")
For example and store it as a .py file. Upload it to my phone. Then go to the Pys60 program on my phone, run the script and see the following astonishing result ;-)
Even though the result is of course very simple a ‘Hello World’ script is quite rewarding because you know the routine of writing and uploading and you know your software is working correctly. I’m really looking forward to programming scripts on my phone because so much is possible. From databases to turning your phone into a server! | <urn:uuid:27dc7503-5d71-485f-a7b6-189b94f4a962> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.numuseum.nl/blog/tag/python/ | 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 | 0.931244 | 1,546 | 1.640625 | 2 |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The nation's largest union of government workers chose a new leader on Thursday as its members grapple with efforts around the country to weaken labor rights or cut public employee pensions and benefits.
Lee Saunders was elected president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. He had been the union's No. 2 official and becomes its first African- American president.
Saunders takes over from Gerald McEntee, the legendary leader who over 31 years built the union into a political powerhouse that regularly spends more than any other to help Democrats win office.
Saunders' victory over rival Danny Donohue with 54 percent of the vote is likely good news for Democrats who hope the union keeps up its massive political program. Donohue, leader of the union's largest local in New York, ran as a reform candidate promising to cut back the largesse devoted to national politics and spend more resources on building up local offices.
The contentious race was largely a referendum on which candidate was better positioned to lead the union through difficult times for public workers.
State and local governments have laid off thousands of workers to save money, pushed measures that curb bargaining rights or banned the automatic deduction of union dues in paychecks.
The election at the Los Angeles Convention Center took place just two weeks after unions suffered a major setback in Wisconsin when they failed to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker. The governor has won plaudits in other states where some GOP officials want to make a similar push against unions.
The union has about 1.3 million active members, including nurses, snow plow drivers, sanitation workers and correction officers. But it has struggled in recent years, losing about 10 percent of its ranks since 2009.
Saunders pledged to mobilize members to better promote the work public servants do as a way to counter those who seek to balance state budgets at their expense.
"We know that Wall Street and their allies are engaged in an all-out assault against our members and the services we provide," Saunders said. "They know that AFSCME stands in the way of their efforts to destroy the middle class."
Donohue said he wanted to focus more resources on mobilizing members and less on national Democratic elections. He blamed McEntee for creating a culture of "checkbook unionism" that too often bankrolled candidates without tending to the union's base.
The union is expected to spend about $100 million this year to help re-elect President Barack Obama and boost dozens of other Democrats running at the state and local levels. | <urn:uuid:abe38b43-f278-495b-9f3e-5c32343f5967> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.benefitspro.com/2012/06/22/largest-public-worker-union-elects-new-leader?t=employee-participation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971207 | 518 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Prof Steve Jones - Is Human Evolution Over?
When: Thursday 22 October at 7pm (preceded by light refreshments and the AGM to which all are welcome)
Where: THINKTANK Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham in Theatre - Level 2
Many people are convinced that somehow the human race is in decline - an idea which can be traced to the Ancient Greeks. In its modern form the notion is seen in evolutionary terms as bad genes taking over. I will argue that everything we know about human evolution (which is a lot) argues for the opposite: that at least in developed countries, and at least for the time being, human evolution has slowed down or stopped.
Professor Steve Jones is a leading geneticist and regarded by many as 'this century's Charles Darwin'.
This is a free event but booking is advisable at www.thinktank.ac/adult - just scroll down to find the event! | <urn:uuid:928e73f5-aebc-4a16-bd57-6597f8f9f04f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www1.aston.ac.uk/staff/aspects/events/archive/prestige-lecture/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95676 | 191 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The U.S. Postal Service celebrates five newspaper comic strips with its new Sunday Funnies stamps. The 44-cent First-Class stamps honor comic strips: Archie, Beetle Bailey, Dennis the Menace, Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes.
"Like stamps, comic strips often tell a story through humor, adventure, fantasy and sometimes even drama," said U.S. Postal Service Eastern Area Vice President Megan Brennan. "Today, we are gathered to commemorate five of our country's most beloved comic strips and dedicate an amazing stamp pane that represents a unique part of American culture."
Here are some details about each of the stamps from the USPS release:
The Archie stamp features Archie sharing a chocolate shake with brunette Veronica Lodge on his right and blonde Betty Cooper on his left. Offering an idealized portrait of American adolescence, Archie existed only in comic-book form before debuting in newspapers in 1946. A typical small-town teenager with a knack for goofing things up, 17-year-old Archie Andrews is often torn between haughty Veronica and sweet Betty.
The Beetle Bailey stamp features Beetle, smiling calmly while Sarge loses his cool. A military strip with universal appeal, Beetle Bailey first appeared in September 1950. Possibly the laziest man in the army, Private Beetle Bailey is an expert at sleeping and avoiding work. His chronic indolence antagonizes Sergeant Orville P. Snorkel, who is tough on his men but calls them "my boys."
The Calvin and Hobbes stamp captures the precocious six-year-old and his tiger pal making scary - and ridiculous - faces. Calvin and Hobbes explores the fantasy life of six-year-old Calvin and his tiger, Hobbes. The inseparable friends ponder the mysteries of the world and test the fortitude of Calvin's parents, who never know where their son's imagination will take him. The strip ran from November 1985 to December 1995.
The Dennis the Menace stamp features five-year-old Dennis dressed in red coveralls and striped shirt running off to some new adventure. Dennis the Menace follows the antics of Dennis Mitchell, a good-hearted but mischievous little boy who is perpetually "five-ana-half" years old. His curiosity tests the patience of his loving parents and neighbors, guaranteeing that their lives are anything but dull. The comic debuted in March 1951 as a single-panel gag.
The Garfield stamp features the crabby tabby standing back to back with Odie, a carefree, energetic dog. Garfield first waddled onto the comics page in June 1978. Self-centered and cynical, Garfield hates Mondays and loves lasagna. He lives with Jon Arbuckle, a bumbling bachelor with a fatally flawed fashion sense, and Odie, a dopey-but-devoted dog. | <urn:uuid:610cea23-ad81-4c6b-a7cc-9cec79b03300> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shoppingblog.com/sunday-funnies-comic-strips-debut-on-stamps-7161026 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949399 | 575 | 1.695313 | 2 |
For some time now, we have been corresponding with Rami Abdel Rahim, a Palestinian residing in London. Rami categorically rejects the notion of a "right of return" for reasons grounded in practicality. Ynet news has published an interview with him that is well worth reading. An excerpt:
May Rami's views be widely heard and influence others.
"Most Palestinian refugees who live in Lebanon are not concerned about returning to Palestine or to Israel because we have been outside of Palestine for 60 years," Rami Abdel Rahim, a 26 year-old Palestinian living in London, said.
"If we returned to the Palestinian territories, we would feel like second class citizens," he added. "We have different accents. We don't have any homes in West Bank and Gaza. For us, it will be more desirable to live in Arab countries and Europe," he explained.
"No one wants to live there, not because we don't like our country Palestine, but because we can't live there," Rahim added. "If we all went, it would destroy the Palestinian economy. If we got an opportunity to live in Europe, we would enjoy a good standard of life. We can visit Palestine," he said.
"I'm Muslim and I practice my religion and pray every day. I don't feel that talking about where refugees prefer to live will make me a traitor or that I'm working against the Palestinian case," Rahim said. "We want to have an independent Palestinian state, but a lot of refugees will prefer to live in the West if they got that opportunity. Actually, all of the second generation Palestinians born in Lebanese refugee camps don't think about returning to Palestine or living there permanently... from a religious point of view, we have the right to choose what we want if that will make our life better, including living outside of Palestine," he added. | <urn:uuid:016de086-48b7-44dd-9cc7-93db75fd7f5d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/07/dissenting_from_the_enforced_p.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974323 | 383 | 1.695313 | 2 |
HTML5 isn't solving mobile dev issues yet
HTML5 will likely make mobile development easier but not for some time, a group of wireless experts said Monday.
“HTML5 is not a panacea. It won’t solve all your problems,” said Ted Woodbury, an executive with AT&T. “It won’t be a disaster but I think people will always do both” apps and HTML5 sites. Woodbury and others spoke at Mobile Northwest, a conference in Seattle that is organized by the Miller Nash law firm.
Companies have been debating the value of HTML5, which allows developers to build new kinds of features into Websites so that sites behave on mobile phones like applications.
“We’ve run into the limits of what HTML5 can and can’t do and it’s painful,” Woodbury said. He expects the standard to improve over time, though.
Some people are looking to HTML5 as a tool that will make it easier to write an application once and see it work well across the many different mobile platforms. “We have customers who believe HTML5 is the future so why make an app,” said Hans Gerwitz, a director at Frog Design, a company that designs and builds apps. “Others think HTML5 is the new J2ME and will save us.” J2ME was positioned as a platform that would let people write an application that could run well on many different phones.
Whether a company should use HTML5 instead of building an application depends on what functions the company is trying to create, Gerwitz said. Content-oriented apps like those that publish news or weather are best developed using HTML5 instead of a standalone app, he said.
Most of the experts think that HTML5 will advance enough to become widely used and when that does happen, it might create some significant changes in the market. Woodbury predicts that in 18 months the shift to HTML5 will boost Web application stores, which will then “take a serious bite out of the OS-driven app stores,” he said. | <urn:uuid:85c49a98-99cc-46c4-9a4f-b36beddbb89f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.macworld.com/article/1159922/html5_mobile_development.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959824 | 437 | 1.8125 | 2 |
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With another holiday season here, it’s often time to take a look at what manga series make good gifts. Though let’s get a bit more specific. What if you want someone to read titles that presents characters plagued by personal issues and the stress of the worlds they reside in? Have I got some ideas for you. Here are some of today’s top awesome English-licensed manga that dives deep into the recesses of the mind.
MONSTER, Pluto, 20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa - The first is a very suspenseful title that makes you think twice about saving one’s life sometimes. The second is a re-telling of the one of the first anime ever shown, Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy. The third is a title about a group of regular folks taking a stand against a masked messiah and his cult. All three titles are EXCELLENT looks at the nature of humanity in all aspects and have amazing characters anyone can relate to.
Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata - Barring the controversy that it has caused over the world, this is still a solid psychological title that focuses so much on mind games. The fandom for Death Note is still going strong today.
Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya - The name sounds cute, but this is a shoujo manga that has a lot of emotional depth. People sometimes forget how messed up the members of the Sohma Family are in this series.
Durarara!! by Ryohgo Narita & Akiyo Satorigi - This is a great series on the power of groups and also the power of Internet users.
REAL by Takehiko Inoue - A gripping story about life outside of basketball. If you know someone who’s aspiring to be a better person, please show them this series and help them gain a new perspective of life.
Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi - The story sounds bright at first, but things get darker and darker as it goes on. There’s a great emphasis on strategy. Yes, its reputation for being on hiatus knows no bounds, but if you want a complex plot and frightening villains in a shonen battle manga, this is it.
Dorohedoro by Q Hayashida - If Raptor Jesus ever became a manga star, this would be his title. An extremely graphic title that covers an amnesiac with a lizard head trying to figure out who he really is. You get to see the wacky motivations of characters living in a world where everything is dark and horrifying. This is a must-read for those that love to make wisecracks about bad situations.
Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki - A series that you have to read pretty carefully to fully understand the story. It’s also a homage to Alice in Wonderland, which everyone knows is one big psychological study in a fantasy setting. Every character from this series is in need of a psychologist, too.
Neon Genesis Evangelion by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto - Arguably the most psychologically-compelling anime series of all time in manga form.
Black Jack by Osamu Tezuka - Psychology of the medical world at its finest by the God of Manga himself. Before Dr. House, there was our scarred black-and-white-haired hero.
While there are so many other notable titles that aren’t listed (xxxHolic, Eden: It’s an Endless World!, Gakuen Alice, Mars, Akira, Gantz, Loveless, etc.), these are THE titles that are sure to jump-start the brain if you want some mental stimulation.
What other psychological-themed titles would you recommend to readers?
Happy mind-analyzing this holiday season! | <urn:uuid:9b286531-fd0f-40bf-bfdf-6baf6c3dc955> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mangatherapy.com/post/38228055818/psychological-manga-gift-guide-mental-stimulation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94499 | 836 | 1.53125 | 2 |
I don't know about you, but to me, the end of every year seems like an endless stream of spending money. Expenses like gifts for family and friends, endless grocery store runs for holiday meals, travel costs, and higher heating bills might make you throw your hands in the air and fall off your financial course. Don't lose perspective as you head into the final days of 2009 just because you've become accustomed to taking out your wallet.
Keeping up with your healthy financial habits will set you up for a smooth transition to the New Year. Continue doing all of the things that have made you successful this year, like packing your lunch and using coupons. It's easy to fall into an all-or-nothing mode with money, so stay strong and start planning for 2010 as we approach the year's end. | <urn:uuid:7c23bc5d-402c-441e-a0e6-4da4b8f9cd54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.savvysugar.com/Year-End-Money-Tip-Get-Head-Start-6781335 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966302 | 165 | 1.554688 | 2 |
- In Pictures
- Taste of Tribeca
- Under Cover
Scores of 9/11 family members from around the nation convened at the National Sept. 11 Memorial plaza on Tues., Sept. 11 to commemorate the deaths of their loved ones. The ceremony, held annually at the World Trade Center, omitted speeches by dignitaries for the first time — part of a nationwide initiative this year to scale back 9/11 commemoration events. As usual, neither local residents nor first responders were permitted to attend the ceremony.
The program began shortly after 8:30 a.m. with bagpipers and drummers marching alongside an American flag carried through the memorial to the stage, where the Young People’s Chorus of New York City performed the national anthem. Moments of silence were observed throughout the morning at the times of the W.T.C., Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania plane crashes, in between the emotional reading by family members of the 2,983 names of those who died on 9/11. The participants also read aloud the names of the deceased from the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The program concluded with a performance of taps by three trumpeters from the New York Police Department, the Fire Department of New York and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department.
Though 11 years have passed, Alyson Lowe, from Fayetteville, Arkansas, felt emotionally exhausted before and during the ceremony. Lowe’s sister Sara Lowe, a flight attendant, was on the American Airlines jet that struck the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. that day.
Lowe said the diminution of the ceremony didn’t bother her — particularly if it benefits the Downtown community. “If it gets smaller, that’s fine, or even if it stops altogether, that’s okay,” she said. “We know that it’s really disruptive to the people who live and work down here, and we’re mindful that they deserve to have their lives get back to normal.”
Victor Santillan, whose sister and cousin were among the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald workers who were trapped on the top floors of the North Tower, was also indifferent about the non-participation of Mayor Mike Bloomberg and other politicians the day of the ceremony. “As long as people are paying respect to lost ones,” he said, “I’m okay either, or.”
Attending the ceremony at the plaza, rather than on barren land at the site, makes such a difference, he said. “For so many years, we had to trek down the stairs, and we weren’t really able to go around.”
Commenting on the plaza’s makeup, Santillan said, “The fact that they were able to do the waterfalls is a long-lasting tribute to our family members.”
9/11 Memorial’s ‘community evening’ offers quiet reflection
In advance of the more publicized commemoration ceremony, the 9/11 Memorial invited Downtown residents to spend an evening at the Memorial plaza on Sun., Sept. 9. Passes were provided by the 9/11 Memorial through Community Boards 1, 2 and 3. While some tourists were still present, the plaza was less crowded and even more serene than usual, providing several hours of peaceful reflection for locals who were deeply affected by the disaster.
Though artist Diane Blell, who has lived on Cedar Street since 1977, can see the memorial from her apartment window, she hadn’t paid a visit to the plaza until that evening. “I saw the construction taking place every day,” she said, “but once it was done, I just didn’t have the heart to come. But I’m so glad I came tonight. It’s so graceful and reverent, and it has a purity that I didn’t expect.”
Blell was hit hard by 9/11, even though she wasn’t in her apartment that morning. The wreckage and debris caused by the collapse of the towers all but made her homeless for a year, as she was forced to sleep on friends’ couches.
She was especially moved by the sense that, upon stepping foot on the Memorial plaza, she had truly regained her home. “It’s a beautiful testament, and it just feels so perfect,” she said.
Pine Street resident Bill White visited the memorial that night not only because he is a local resident, but because his connection to the W.T.C. dates back to the 1993 bombing at the site. At that time, he was the assistant director of disaster services for the Greater New York branch of the American Red Cross.
“Taking the time to reflect on these events is such a personal matter for people of this community, and it’s even more personal for me because of my previous involvement in the site,” said White. “So I think that being invited here tonight sends a very meaningful message to the community.”
White added, though, that some frustration has arisen from the politically charged conflicts that have stalled construction on the 9/11 Museum, the opening of which has been delayed several times in recent years.
“I’m not sure how to feel about the museum yet,” said White, “but I, and I think many other people as well, have certainly been troubled by the negative events that have resulted from its development so far.”
Lowe said it was “very painful” that the museum didn’t open in time for the anniversary — particularly since, as many agree, it is partly attributable to a clashing of politicians’ egos. “The names are beautiful…but we want faces to go along with them,” she said. “So we’re hoping that they’ll stay true to their word and that they’ll finish.”
9/11 Memorial and Museum President Joe Daniels, who was present on the plaza during the community event, acknowledged a sense of incompleteness that he feels will exist as long as the museum remains unopened.
“I’m committed [to its opening],” he said, “and it’s also personal for me, because anytime I start something, I want to see it through.”
He continued, “All I can say is that we’re not done yet, and we won’t have the feeling that we have really done our jobs until the 9/11 Museum opens to the world.”
But local residents weren’t the only visitors of the plaza that night — and for one particular group of out-of-towners, debates about construction meant little compared to the sheer power of experiencing the Memorial.
Master Sergeant Lance Loalbo and three other members of the U.S. Air Force had come from performing the ceremonial flyover at the U.S. Open in Queens. The group was heading back to their base in North Carolina the next morning, so they took advantage of the little time they had left by pacing quietly along the plaza.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Loalbo, as his gaze shifted between the reflecting pools at ground level and the frame of 1 W.T.C. rising above. “Just to walk here, just to be here. It’s huge.” | <urn:uuid:6b803d7e-10b7-40c6-8a7d-4aa79dce02a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.downtownexpress.com/2012/09/12/911-anniv-ceremony-toned-down-from-last-year/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975696 | 1,576 | 1.710938 | 2 |
For several weeks I heard
talk at home about fantastic looking heart-shaped cookies that my daughter
wanted to make. She had taken a children's cookbook out of the library with the
word "Princess" somewhere in the title and the book, with it's bright pink
cover, became a fixture on our breakfast bar. With each passing day more and
more pages were flagged with pastel-colored sticky notes, identifying the many
recipes she wished to try.
A call home earlier today
gave away the secret that the cookies were in production. I say production
because what I learned on that call is that these were no ordinary,
kid-friendly (read: easy to make) cookies that could be whipped up after
school. While a quick read of the recipe and it's mention of ‘shortbread
cookies' made my partner think they would be a breeze to make, the reality had
been a bit more complicated. To achieve the results of the alluring photo in
the princess cookbook would take time and dedication. And dinner would be
either leftovers or late.
When I got home from work my
daughter couldn't wait to show me the cookies. She was so proud of all the work
she had done to create them and had to explain their provenance.
First step: shortbread dough
rolled out and cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. While those were cooling,
another batch was made but these were cut twice: once with the same cookie
cutter and then a second time with a smaller, heart-shaped cookie cutter to
pull out an inside heart. During all this baking, cutting and cooling the white
chocolate needed to be melted and cooled. It would be spread on the bottom
shortbread and while still sticky, the heart-shaped frame would be positioned
on top. When the white chocolate was dried the finishing flair was raspberry
preserves which filled the inside heart.
The end results were
beautiful and delicious, perfect in every way and worth the effort. | <urn:uuid:6c3f3d65-e579-466c-8cfe-a041a3e63185> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://familyyear.com/blogs/calendar/archive/tags/Seasonal+Rhythms/February/food/default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981096 | 426 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Not all holiday jobs are created equal. CareerCast.com developed a quasi-scientific method to peg which ones are best and not the best.
Pay is important and so is the projected rate of employment growth through 2020 as forecast by the U.S. Labor Department. That takes into account the potential of income growth over time as well as the likelihood of unemployment.
Other issues also play into the ratings such as the amount of stooping, crawling and heavy lifting, stressful public contact and exposure to toxic fumes you're likely to face with specific holiday positions.
Below — in no particular order — are some of the best and the worst, according to CareerCast.com.
Santa Claus: The man in the red suit is at the top of the holiday job pyramid. The best stand-in Santas can earn more than $100 an hour, according to PayScale. And what's not to like about making children — and their parents — smile?
Retail salesperson: Jobs are available for those who don't mind waiting on customers, stocking shelves and manning cash registers. The National Retail Foundation estimates retailers are creating about 600,000 jobs during the holiday season.
Waiter: Who doesn't eat out during the holidays? Restaurants gear up for the influx of guests, which explains why 45 percent of all part-time positions are in food service. Think of the tips.
Package deliverer: Online shopping only seems to be getting bigger, and someone has to deliver all that loot. The U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service and FedEx all staff up to meet the holiday demand. And no sleigh driving is required.
Not as good
Santa's elf: Face it, you're not the big guy. You're the one leading sometimes terrified kids to Santa's throne and telling agitated parents the wait won't be much longer.
Pay isn't great either, according to CareerCast.com. Think minimum wage. And competition for the jobs is intense, especially among teenagers who are trying to bank a few bucks.
Christmas tree lot attendant: If it's annoying enough to deal with shoppers who want you to haul out 20 trees before they find the perfect one to take home, think about the likelihood that on some days you'll be stuck in the cold or rain. Then there's the matter of getting covered in tree sap as you tote, hoist and tie trees to the top of car roofs.
Airport worker: Travelers are stressed. Lines are long. There are inevitable delays. “Many airports bulk up on hired hands,” according to CareerCast.com. However picking up a holiday job at the airport can make for a stressful working environment. Plus the pay for some jobs is minimum wage; the hours aren't exactly 9 to 5; and the chance of turning the holiday gig into a full-time position is slim, according to CareerCast.com.
Taxi driver: The job is hard enough when the roads aren't jammed. But when travelers are anxious about getting home in time for dinner or wondering whether they'll get along with their cranky relatives, the anxiety intensifies. Especially for inexperienced drivers hoping to pick up extra cash from a surge of holiday travelers.
And according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, taxi drivers have a higher than average rate of work-related injuries because of car accidents, robberies and assaults from violent passengers. Drivers work alone and often carry large amounts of cash, making them vulnerable to thieves, according to the bureau.
Last year, 63 taxi drivers and chauffeurs died as a result of on-the-job transportation accidents and homicides, according to the bureau's census of fatal occupational injuries. | <urn:uuid:45fb9c24-281f-49e0-a972-e1c141c794b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/Better-to-be-Santa-than-his-elf-4068019.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958057 | 758 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Four-Legg'd Quaker, 1664
I don't really know what to say about this one. At first I thought that the order of images couldn't be narrative, but I was quickly proven wrong. The ballad actually is about bestiality, believe it or not, and it doesn't omit any of the gory details. Basically this Quaker, Ralph Green, "caught a foal and mounted her," but not, shall we say, in the normal equestrian fashion. When the horse's owner catches him in the act, Green tries to bribe him, but the owner replies, "dost think it lawful for a piece / a filly foal to bugger?" Well, there's really no way to answer that question, so Green is sent to jail. Then it seems he marries the horse because it can't be proven that he raped it, or something like that, and the final stanzas call for the gelding of all Quakers because if they joined the army they would give all their fellow soldiers "the staggers," which I take is some venereal disease.
This ballad reminded me of a movie that I heard about last year, Zoo, which I am too afraid to see. Also, is the Quaker lecherously sticking out his tongue? And I don't even want to think how many animals and animal-human hybrids had to have sex with each other to create the figure on the far right. That's a lot of bestiality! Although he may be a cast member from an early modern Island of Dr. Moreau.
This ballad is indicative of a strand of Royalist writing during the Interregnum that used bestiality as a metaphor to satirize religious, political, or social disorder. Apparently, Cavaliers really hated Quakers, who they viewed as sexually perverted, horse-loving, incestuous freaks. It seems like the real concern, however, is that the Quakers would join the army or otherwise gain lots of power in Parliament. The author of the ballad, Sir John Berkenhead, wrote many such satires. The Four-Legg'd Quaker was included in a collection of Royalist poems, ballads, jokes, satires, and bits of poesy called The Rump, published in the 1660s. This just goes to show us once again how much fun the Cavaliers were! I love the idea of them all roving around during the English Civil War writing dirty satires about Puritans fucking horses.
Would you like to learn more about bestiality metaphors in Reformation satire? Of course you do! I suggest Mark R. Blackwell's "Bestial Metaphors: John Berkenhead and Satiric Royalist Propaganda of the 1640s and 50s." Modern Language Studies. 29.1 (Spring, 1999): 105-130. | <urn:uuid:e43504df-775a-4916-a64c-39af3e5e7c64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lolmanuscripts.blogspot.com/2008/03/four-leggd-quaker-1664.html?showComment=1207138080000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973852 | 603 | 1.8125 | 2 |
White House Gives Itself Deadline on Sequestration Details
August 7, 2012
The White House has a month to explain how it will handle across-the-board budget cuts set to take effect early next year, under legislation signed by President Obama on Tuesday.
The new law requires the administration to detail to Congress every account that would be affected, along with the estimated amount of the reduction in each case down to the program, project and activity level. The cuts, formally known as sequestration, would slice about $109 billion in next year's discretionary spending starting Jan. 2 unless lawmakers and the White House agree on a long-term deficit reduction plan required by last year's Budget Control Act.
The administration, which maintains that the two sides will eventually reach a deal, has been reluctant to spell out how the looming cuts would affect individual agencies. The Office of Management and Budget only last week signaled that it would begin discussions with agencies on the subject. The scope of the cuts, however, can only be calculated once fiscal 2013 funding levels are known, acting OMB Director Jeff Zients said in a July 31 memo. For now, agencies "should continue normal spending and operations since more than five months remain for Congress to act," Zients said. | <urn:uuid:e1281479-cd94-44c1-8787-4a863050e213> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ncmahq.org/NewsPublications/CMNewsDetail.cfm?itemnumber=12638 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960656 | 254 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Republican members of the House of Representatives don’t seem too happy today.
As the House prepared to vote on the $700 billion measure intended to ease the growing credit crisis, Republican lawmakers took turns lambasting the bill on the House floor. Many stood at the podium in outrage, loudly urging their fellow representatives to shoot down the measure.
“Madam Speaker I have this bill, it’s over 100 pages long,” said Rep. Ted Poe of Texas, raising a copy of the measure over his head and displaying a picture he had brought of a battered Uncle Sam. “That means it’s a billion dollars a page. New York City fat cats expect us to pay for it. I think not.”
“Here’s Uncle Sam,” he added, pointing to the picture of Uncle Sam. “He’s all beat up because he’s broke.”
Mr. Poe’s theatrics were preceded by a stern speech by Gresham Barrett, a Republican from South Carolina.
“We cannot allow the American taxpayer to become the insurance policy for financial decisions that didn’t quite turn out as planned,” he said. “I fear that this legislation erodes accountability and the freedom that comes with it.”
“When it comes time to vote on this bill Madam Speaker, I will be voting no.”
Another Republican, Jeb Hensarling of Texas, in a calmer tone, said the bill had too many “bad” elements and would take America in the wrong direction.
“I fear that ultimately it may not work,” he said. “I fear that it is too much bail out and not enough work out. I fear Americans will inherit the mother of all debts.”
Some Republicans said the bill would set in motion bailouts for one bank after another.
“If you do this, you are going to start the dominos falling,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert, another Texas Republican, as he jabbed his finger into the podium. “People have talked about this precipice. Making this vote, passing this bill, is jumping into the precipice, because next we have to come bail out the community banks that are doing just fine.”
The bashing got so brutal that even some Democrats raised their eyebrows at the criticism, suggesting that Republicans were revolting against the Bush administration.
“Madam speaker, I believe the gentleman was a little too harsh on the Bush administration,” Rep. Barney Frank, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said after one Republican blasted the bill. “I understand his point of view.” | <urn:uuid:3305e775-a1ea-4091-b856-c8bd72f8d2a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/house-republicans-lambaste-bailout-bill/?apage=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97006 | 568 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Crossbow / Draw-Lock Permit
GFP Permitting Office
A Crossbow/Draw-lock Permit is available to any person who is permanently incapable of using a bow and arrow due to the loss of or use of one or both arms, caused by birth defect, injury, disease, or who is confined to a wheelchair.
- Crossbows used for hunting shall have a minimum pull of 125 pounds and be equipped with a functional mechanical safety device.
- Telescopic sights and lighted sight pins are prohibited.
- The bolts shall be equipped with a broadhead blade made of metal, with at least two cutting edges, a cutting diameter of at least 7/8 inch wide, and except for turkey hunting the blade must be at least as long as it is wide.
- This permit also entitles a person to use a bow that is equipped with a draw-lock device that holds the bow at a partial or full draw.
- A person issued a crossbow/draw-lock permit may not possess a firearm in the field nor be accompanied by a person carrying a firearm during any season restricted to archery, except for those persons who possess a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon.
The crossbow/draw-lock application has a section that must be completed and signed by a licensed physician or chiropractor that will document the medical condition, disability, or injuries that permanently restricts the applicant from using a conventional bow and arrow. This portion must be completed for both new and renewing permits. The physician or chiropractor is required to list a date of recovery for the applicant. | <urn:uuid:43b819cf-bc99-45d6-ab3d-b534a5444884> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/accessibility/crossbow-drawlock.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949693 | 325 | 1.75 | 2 |
More and more online display inventory is being purchased via ad exchanges than ever before. On these platforms, advertisers utilize technology to bid on each and every ad impression in a real-time marketplace based on the value they put on the viewer. For example, retargeting has become a popular tactic as advertisers are able to tag (and then buy ads exposed to) users who have already shown interest in them by visiting their site. This technique has proven to be very effective, with higher than normal click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and other key performance indicators (KPIs).
Currently, more than 400 billion global monthly impressions are up for bid to online marketers -- that translates to about 150,000 ads each second during high internet traffic times!
Tap into new digital knowledge.
Want to stay on top of the latest developments in using ad exchanges? Attend ad:tech San Francisco, April 11-13. Learn more
Since the first banner ad was sold more than a decade and a half ago, it's no big surprise that publishers have aggressively sought ways to increase revenue by optimizing their ad inventory. Because so much of online inventory goes unsold or dropped into remnant channels for a micro-fraction of what can be made from presold, premium inventory, ad exchanges were an organic evolution in the ecosystem. A successful model was already in place with paid search where advertisers bid in a real-time, auction environment for ad impressions. As with paid search, exchange ad inventory is optimized by capitalist equilibrium -- some inventory is worth pennies, some is worth tens of dollars. Either way, ad price is determined by what the market is willing to pay.
Because most of the transaction is automated by technology, exchanges are very efficient for publishers to monetize previously unsold inventory without the need for robust sales teams, as well as for advertisers to buy direct inventory without middle men (such as ad networks) inflating costs. This has led some industry experts to predict that the market share of exchange vs. traditional online display buying methods will grow quickly in the next several years. In fact, this may have set off a revolution in which we will see more and more inventory moved to digital channels -- it might not be all available in real-time, but the efficiencies of this model cannot be denied. It's very possible that one day that any inventory that can be sold this way, will be sold this way... not just online, but TV, print, radio, etc.
The debates of the value of audience vs. context, technology vs. manual expertise, commoditization of inventory and its effect on our industry, etc., are already taking place in board rooms, industry conferences, and the blogosphere. As exciting as the new opportunity might be, there is resistance from the owners of the status quo, who will find their importance and market share drastically reduced by this evolution. As well, there is concern about the quality of this inventory and, as is always the case when targeting individual users, there will be privacy issues to take into account.
Regardless of the positive and negative context surrounding ad exchange buying, there still exists some mystery into how the technology actually works. Below is a top-level overview on how a publisher impression gets passed through the exchange value chain and ultimately gets served as an ad to the end user.
Note: This entire process happens in less than one-third of a second.
An online user makes it to a publisher's site via a link or direct URL typed into a browser. The page loads and swoosh...
The publisher ad server
...the site's ad server recognizes that an ad box is on the page that needs to be filled. Publishers have a variety of choices on where to buy inventory. They can have in-house sales teams that work to presell their best (premium) inventory, ad networks that agree to help sell the inventory (either on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis), and, of course, ad exchanges, where advertisers can bid, in real time, for the impression.
So the first-party ad server may put the ad impression up for bid on the exchanges directly or through...
The publisher's tools
...which can enable them to let the impression be handled by yield optimizers (such as Rubicon, Admeld, and PubMatic) that can help them maximize their site revenue. They can consult with optimization service teams to help set pricing, decide what kind of ad units should go on specific pages, make deals with ad networks and exchanges, etc. As well, these partners can offer propriety technology to facilitate and optimize ad sales.
If the publisher tool decides at this time that the best value for the impression is on an exchange, it will send the impression there.
Currently, there are only a handful of "major" ad exchanges:
- AdECN (Microsoft)
- DoubleClick Ad Exchange (Google)
- Right Media (Yahoo... currently testing real-time bidding)
These media entities have direct deals with publishers, networks, or publisher tools to sell inventory on their open platforms. On its DoubleClick Ad Exchange, for example, Google has migrated inventory from its very successful AdSense program, which enables it to sell advertising this way on literally billions of web pages. Exchanges negotiate rates with the media providers and get paid to simply handle the transaction.
Advertisers and their agencies can elect to "get a seat" on these exchanges in order to be involved in the bidding marketplace. Exchanges have self-service, back-end platforms that media buyers can log into, set up and manage campaigns, and run analytics reports to analyze and then optimize their accounts without ever talking to a sales person.
However, many advertisers elect to not work with exchanges directly, and opt to use a demand-side platform (DSP) as their trading desk of choice. | <urn:uuid:fe683b59-ba9e-438f-be67-9943d058d10e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/28506.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954877 | 1,198 | 1.601563 | 2 |
"To really mean that the presence and the activity of the God of love, who can make us love our neighbors as ourselves, is our hope and the hope of the world--that this God is the secret of our flourishing as persons, cultures, as interdependent inhabitants of a single globe," says Miraslav Volf in A Public Faith, "is today's most fundamental challenge for priests and ministers, and Christian lay people."
Why is that so great a challenge? Because, he says, it is really humanly difficult to believe "that God is fundamental to human flourishing."
It's easy to say, but, "as a rock-bottom conviction that shapes the way we think, preach, write, and live," to believe that God is fundamental to every inch of our lives is, he says, profoundly difficult for all of us.
I'm thankful this morning for that lesson in living from Miraslav Volf, and the life line of a thousand Zuni deer hand-painted on a thousand traditional Zuni pots, each of which points us at a similar truth--to wit, that nothing we experience in life is unrelated to our hearts. | <urn:uuid:ed6fb711-1b13-4c12-8567-6f664375a9bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://siouxlander.blogspot.com/2012/10/morning-thanks-what-to-believe.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960941 | 236 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav
Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India
Contact No. – 09415777229, 094055338
Statement by Madan Mohan Malaviya
The object of the special session of the Sanatana Dharma Mahasabha is to focus and voice the most informed and most esteem able orthodox opinion on some questions, including those relating to the removal of untouchability and temple-entry which has been agitating the sanatanist world on one side, and those who are described as reformers on the other. I have been distressed to note differences between the two sides becoming acute, and it is evident that if these differences are unsolved, the Hindu community would be further divided and weakened. The differences are largely due to misunderstanding, and this, in its turn, is due to a great extent on imperfect knowledge of what the Shastras have laid down for our guidance in important matters in question. It should not be necessary to say that Mahatma Gandhi cannot desire to injure sanatana dharma. He has proved to the world that he is willing and determined to throw away even his life in the attempt to serve the country by removing disabilities under which the vast number of those who belong to it labour, so that they may enjoy the full benefit of being Hindus and remain contented and happy members of the community. It is equally necessary to say that sanatanists who do not agree with Mahatma Gandhi’s proposals or methods are not wanting in sympathy with the depressed classes.
This being so, I am confident that it is possible to arrive at a solution of the problem in conformity with the Shastras which should be acceptable to both sections of sanatanist opinion more advanced and less advanced and which should establish peace and religious unity among the Hindu community on a basis that will endure. From statements recently made by Mahatma Gandhi, it is clear that he is not only willing, but anxious to show every respect for the orthodox opinion. From utterances of several esteemed exponents of sanatana dharma, it is also clear that they are willing to move forward to bring about an understanding which will be consistent with the Shastras. This being so, I believe that, by dispassionate consideration of the Shastras by those who claim to expound them, it will be generally conceded, rules of action can be laid down which would secure the most liberal and practicable advance for the humblest Hindu and satisfaction to the most orthodox conservative opinion which is willing to act in conformity not merely with the letter, but also with the spirit of the Shastras. I have convened the Mahasabha with the conviction that such a unity can be brought about among the sanatanist Hindus and appeal to all of them to make such contribution to the success of this effort as lies in their power. To prevent misunderstanding, I wish to make the position clear. Speaking in 1923 as the President of the Hindu Mahasabha of Holy Kashi in the presence of great gathering of learned and pious men, I pleaded that opportunity should be afforded even to the humblest Hindu to have a purifying and ennobling darshan of the deity whom we adore in our temples and offer his prayer to Him.
I urged that this may be done in conformity with rules which may be laid down in that behalf and further urged that other disabilities from which the depressed classes suffered should be removed. I still hold the same opinion and have publicly repeated it many times during the last few years and last few months, but have never been able to approve of recourse to Satyagraha with the object of getting the temple opened to the depressed classes. I do not think it right that this kind of pressure should be exerted in a matter where religious convictions and practices come into play. Those who adhere to the orthodox view have also got their convictions which are deep-seated and come down through the ages. I believe that it is the sacred duty of those of us who differ from them to do our best to bring about a change of those convictions. But by the very nature of the case, this duty demands that we should attempt it by resort to peaceful persuasion only. This was laid down in a resolution which was passed by the Bombay public meeting held immediately after the Poona Pact over which I presided, and at which, the All-India Anti-untouchability League was established for the purpose of carrying on propaganda against untouchability. That resolution stated that “for this purpose steps should immediately be taken to secure as early as possible that
(a) All public wells, schools, roads, saris, dharmashala, crematoriums, burning-Ghats, etc., should be declared open to the depressed classes and
(b) All public temples should be open to members of the depressed classes provided that for carrying out (a) and (b) no force or compulsion be used but resort shall be had only to peaceful persuasion.” It is both just and expedient that the solution of such a question should be one that would satisfy the community as a whole. In my opinion, such a solution can be reached only by the method of argument and persuasion with the help of those scholars who are versed in the Shastras and who desire the good of every section of the community. It is to bring about such an agreement and solution that I have invited the special session of the Sanatana Dharma Mahasabha, and I am hoping and praying too that God will bless the attempt and crown it with success. Towards this end, I intend to place the following concrete proposal before the Mahasabha, that for the uplift of the depressed classes, the following plan may be adopted:
1 (a) Samskar and updesh initiation and instruction known as diksha. This will consist
(a) Of prayashchittam penance and purification;
(b) Tyag giving up carrion and beef, leavings of dishes (uchchhishta), wine;
(c) Diksha receiving mantram, either ashtakshar mantram (with or without wearing tulsi bead); panchakshar mantram (with or without wearing rudraksha bead);
(d) Achara grahana daily bath and daily prayer (morning and evening), daily reading of the sacred book (teaching every man, woman and child to read and write will be an integral part of the scheme);
(e) Vrata vows observing five necessary vows which are prescribed for all castes, ahimsa, satya, asteya, shaucham and indriyanigraha, (heartlessness, truth, non-stealing, purity of body and mind, and control of senses);
2 (a) freedom to join public meetings and public schools;
(b) use of public wells, roads, parks, saris, dharmashala, burning-Ghats, etc.; and (c) entry into public temples for devadarshana and stuti. If the scheme is approved, the giving of diksha should be completed within a month. The carrying out of this scheme will mean a great social, religious and spiritual uplift of the classes. It will mean making them Harijans in the full sense of the term. This will be only one of the proposals to be placed before the gathering of Acharya and learned men. There will be many proposals before them for their consideration. There is every hope that with God’s grace result of deliberations will be one which will be welcomed with joy by all followers of sanatana dharma and all well-wishers of humanity. | <urn:uuid:e452f162-33f5-4f0b-8ec8-003941923012> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.internationalpeaceandconflict.org/profiles/blogs/statement-by-madan-mohan-malaviya | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962729 | 1,586 | 1.6875 | 2 |
So is inflation really worse for pensioners? 'Silver RPI' shows cost of living rose slower than average for over-55s in 2012
By Adam Uren
The cost of living rose at a slower rate for the older generation than it did for the average UK citizen during 2012, data indicated today.
The over-55s experienced slightly lower inflation of 2.94 per cent last year, compared to the 3.09 per cent as measured by the retail prices index for the general population - that is the finding of the 'Silver RPI', calculated on behalf of Age UK Enterprises.
The Sliver RPI weights the components of the official retail prices index to reflect the spending patterns of over-55s, who are traditionally thought to suffer more than average from inflation as items like heating and food - which can rise in price suddenly - make up a greater proportion of their overall spend.
New figures: The Bank of England will this week warn that the cost of living could continue to rise above the 2 per cent target rate over the next two years.
Squeezed households are braced for more inflation misery this week as the Office for National Statistics publishes the January consumer prices index tomorrow. The Government's preferred measure is set to show inflation remain at the December level of 2.7 per cent but Investec's chief economist Philip Shaw thinks it might be down slightly at 2.6 per cent.
That is still well above the 2 per cent target.
And the Bank of England, which has already warned
that inflation will remain uncomfortably high in the next two years and
likely to stay above 2 per cent target for some time, releases its quarterly Inflation Report on Wednesday.
Governor elect Mark Carney, who will replace Sir Mervyn King in July, has hinted he may replace the straightforward inflation target with something that allows the Bank to promote economic growth.
It's the second quarter in the row that the Silver RPI has come in below average RPI but the gap has narrowed from September, when it was 2.35 per cent for over 55s and the 2.65 per cent for the rest of the UK.
Age UK Enterprises managing director Gordon Morris has warned that with utilities prices having gone up since the turn of the year, over 55s will be hit in the pocket further in 2013.
Struggling: Age UK Enterprises has said the rise in utilities prices will impact on inflation for older people in the first quarter of 2013.
He said: 'The Silver RPI is likely to further increase this year as we see the impact on 12-month inflation rates from increases in utilities prices in March.
'What's important to remember is that older people are less able to plug the financial gap and make up any shortfall as the are invariably on fixed income.'
The cost of living was lower for over 55s than the general population in 2012, Age UK says, mainly due to the rise in the cost of clothing or footwear, which are more commonly bought by younger people.
The Silver RPI is put together based on the rising or falling costs of the 'shopping basket' of items used to calculate Headline RPI, which is then weighted to take into account the different spending habits of over 55s.
Many of those working are finding their budgets squeezed by rising costs at a time when their salaries are not increasing at the same level.
The older generation is similarly struggling with poor returns on savings and annuity rates which are in the doldrums.
Mr Morris added: 'Tailored products and services designed to meet the individual needs of this demographic and help them better manage or maximise their money are key.
'Older people should be encouraged to shop around as much as possible to secure the best deals on the market.'
The Government has tried to mitigate the pain on pensioners by guaranteeing a 'triple lock' rise in the state pension for three years, meaning it rises by whichever is the higher of 2.5 per cent, the average wage increase, or the CPI index.
This guarantee was made to soften the blow of switching the mechanism for state pension rises from the RPI in 2010 to the traditionally much-lower CPI - which unlike the RPI does not take into account housing costs such as rent, mortgage interest and council tax.
However, the rise which come in at the beginning of April is calculated based on the CPI rate in September before, which stood at 2.3 per cent, hence it will rise by 2.5 per cent this April.
Since then however, CPI has rose to 2.7 per cent in December, while RPI stood at 3.1 per cent. | <urn:uuid:14e2c49d-ee7b-4287-ae9d-12200e639093> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2276958/Inflation-slower-rate-55s-rest-UK.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965517 | 956 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Tue January 8, 2013
Owensboro Hospital in Need of More Doctors
Based on a study, the Owensboro region needs additional primary care physicians. Owensboro Medical Health System is recruiting two dozen doctors this year to meet the needs of the hospital's service area in western Kentucky and southern Indiana.
The local economy stands to benefit.
OMHS spokesman Gordon Wilkerson says physician recruitment is much like starting a small business.
"A physician is going to, just by effect, bring patients and that creates jobs in other areas like nurses, x-ray technicians, pharmacists, and so forth," said Wilkerson.
OMHS sees its new facilitiy, which scheduled to open in June, as a valuable recruitment tool.
Arts & Culture | <urn:uuid:eff57e1b-5754-4ca2-86c9-301ad8df0f71> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wkyufm.org/post/owensboro-hospital-need-more-doctors | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958584 | 156 | 1.5 | 2 |
IRANIAN PRESIDENT SAYS HOMOSEXUALITY IS 'UGLY'
Tue, 25 September 2012Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told CNN that homosexuality is "ugly" and that the West must not expect it be accepted in other countries.
Ahmadinejad, who famously claimed in 2005 that homosexuality does not exist in his nation, was interviewed by Piers Morgan in a programme broadcast on Monday.
"Let me ask you this, do you believe anyone has given birth through
homosexuality? he asked Morgan.
"Homosexuality ceases procreation. Who has said that if you like or believe in doing something ugly, and others do not accept your behaviour, that they're denying your freedom?"
Ahmadinejad also told Morgan that homosexuality is akin to behaviours such as stealing and that if one country accepts stealing as legitimate it should not expect other countries to do so.
"..if you, if a group recognises an ugly behaviour or ugly deed as legitimate, you must not expect other countries or other groups to give it the same recognition," Ahmadinejad added.
When Morgan asked the president what he would do if one of his children was gay, Ahmadinejad avoided the question.
Homosexuality is illegal in Iran with penalties including execution. Human rights activists have claimed that between 4,000 and 6,000 gay men and lesbians had been executed in Iran since 1979 for crimes related to their sexual preference. | <urn:uuid:0989c944-5f3d-42f1-9ac1-cce0c7b224d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mambaonline.com/article.asp?artid=7435 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970258 | 298 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Getting Ready to welcome Yr 7 and 8 into Secondary from 2015
The move of Year 7 to secondary in 2015 marks a big change in the Queensland Education system. Catholic Education is getting ready for this change and plans are well underway. You can be assured that:
Student well being is paramount in all our planning
We will be working in partnership with families to find the right secondary option
First class facilities have been planned and approved
Curriculum for middle years is being extended
Teachers and other staff are to receive quality professional development
All of our secondary and P-12 schools are accepting enrolment applications for Year 7 and 8 in 2015. A short video explaining our preparations has been developed and can be viewed from here.
I encourage you to visit our schools’ websites for more details of what they offer and to download an enrolment application form.
Director – Catholic Education Office
Our vision is to offer life-long Catholic Education so that each person may know and come to be identified more fully with the living Spirit of Christ. This Spirit, working through the faith community, calls all involved in Catholic education …. to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with their God. (Micah 6:8)
Defining feature 2013: Continuous Improvement through Renewal | <urn:uuid:c141abba-462a-459a-8bf2-46f585c67211> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.twb.catholic.edu.au/Pages/default.aspx?sdupgwelredir=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951965 | 264 | 1.625 | 2 |
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