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12/07/2010 5 Comments
There seems to be a common misunderstanding that people on the autistic spectrum may experience difficulty in living a ‘normal life’, meaning those affected by it’s syndromes and disabilities cannot function well throughout everyday activity without getting confused or needing assistance.
Yes these thoughts are occasionally justified, however it isn’t unusual to also find brilliant minds who constantly challenge past beliefs with great success coming from hard work.
As autism has always had an incredibly complex and mysterious past in terms of confirmed diagnosis, many famous people who have shown great creative flair throughout life have been credited with having the condition but never received any confirmation to answer any questions that they possibly had about themselves. Read more of this post | <urn:uuid:9a957237-c4e3-41a3-90b8-30b76bef620c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://myautisticlife.wordpress.com/tag/achieving-with-autism/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97482 | 150 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Big thanks to Upworthy for sharing this heartbreaking video of what is believed to be the first audio recording of NYPD stop-and-frisk procedures, including one cop telling the guy that he’s going to arrest him because he’s a “mutt” and threatening to punch him in the face and break his arm.
“We’re gonna go out there and violate some rights” is a phrase one officer (whose identity is obscured) says is used to pump the cops up to go out and get some “250s” (Stop, Question, and Frisk). And cops don’t have the option not to do 250s, as there is a quota and often payback for the cops who choose to do less 250s.
One quote by retired NYPD officer Julio Valentin, now of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, explains that of the 600,000 people who were stopped, only 1% were carrying weapons, and one of the prime means of selling this program is the claim that they are getting guns and other weapons off the street.
And this problem will NOT get better as long as there are quotes of how many 250s cops have to get and how many arrests are made.
What do you think is the solution for ending this form of racial profiling? | <urn:uuid:c7db51a7-1652-4844-ab57-5f43d450604d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://goodmenproject.com/good-feed-blog/video-secret-recording-and-investigation-into-nycs-stop-and-frisk-program/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978149 | 272 | 1.710938 | 2 |
I’ve just finished Kathleen Ann Goonan’s thoughtful and optimistic novel, and I’m not quite sure how to describe it, or exactly what to say about it.
On one level, it reminded me of Connie Willis’ Blackout/All Clear. It’s clear that Ms. Goonan is in Ms Willis’ league when it comes to WWII research. She has inserted portions of her father’s own WWII diary into the pages of this novel. The portrayal of 1940′s Europe seems very real and bombed out, and everyone’s a chain smoker. So that must be right, eh?
On the other hand, I found an emotional distance from the characters. You really only get inside Sam, and that’s mainly through Ms Goonan placing her father’s voice/journal entries into the character’s mouth/pen. Twice toward the end of the book, Sam has a Cat’s-In-The-Cradle moment, “When did my kids grow up?” And the reader wonders about it, too. Why were we introduced to these kids, and why does it take thirty years for people to stop fumbling around with the mysterious device that incorporates physics, biology, and time and actually do something?
In War Times explores one great idea–my own definition for a science fiction starting point. Building on the familiar territory of alternate universes, Ms Goonan weaves in supporting themes of jazz, conspiracy, and mainly a wistfulness about living in an ideal world. The jazz is close, but not quite note perfect. The conspiracy elements are not quite menacing. You know the main characters are being watched. But the watchers don’t seem to care very much. The pacing of the novel is quite largo. As a reader, I wondered where it was going. The idea was fascinating enough that I was hooked to see how the novel would unfold. But impatient readers are not going to wait.
The fantastic sequences hit the reader fast, and a few pages later, as the characters, especially Sam, are wondering if it really happened, I found I was wondering too. I would turn back a few pages and try to catch more of what I just read. That didn’t seem to work, and it’s a credit to Ms Goonan’s literary skill that you just have to go slowly as you progress through this novel. Then hold on for the interruptions.
The conclusion comes quick. It gets set up well. But it’s rather predictable. And optimistic to the extreme. And that’s all I’ll say about it. | <urn:uuid:5dc432ca-5910-4022-964e-55afd69bd0e1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://catholicsensibility.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/on-my-bookshelf-in-war-times/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=55bb07b550 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964498 | 558 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Today, a group of Massachusetts state senators introduced a resolution calling for a constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC. The effort was led by Sen. Jamie Eldridge, a member of People For the American Way Foundation’s Young Elected Officials Network.
Michael B. Keegan, President of People For the American Way, said:
“I congratulate Sen. Eldridge and his allies for bringing this resolution before the people of Massachusetts. In its decision in Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court overturned a hundred years of established law to give corporations enormous power to influence elections. Americans across the country have reacted strongly against a ruling that empowers big corporations to drown out the voices of ordinary citizens in the debates that shape our representative government.
“The effects of the Citizens United decision are so disastrous that the only way to fully fix the damage it has done is to pass a constitutional amendment to restore elections to voters. It’s a big step, but one that Americans across the political spectrum have declared themselves willing to take. I urge the Massachusetts legislature to stand up for the rights of individuals in our democracy, and encourage other state legislatures to follow suit.”
The text of the Massachusetts resolution can be found here. | <urn:uuid:1779b2a1-d442-4461-bb83-e775096cef1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pfaw.org/press-releases/2010/06/massachusetts-senators-introduce-%e2%80%9cfree-speech-people%e2%80%9d-resolution | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939673 | 261 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Hempfield woman honors Marine she never knew
By Mary Pickels
Published: Sunday, January 27, 2013, 12:01 a.m.
Updated: Sunday, January 27, 2013
The stainless steel bracelet Roxanne Dreher slipped onto her right wrist more than 40 years ago is battered, its lettering barely visible.
She put on the Missing In Action bracelet as a freshman at Springdale High School in 1971 to honor the man whose name is inscribed on it: Sgt. Orval Skarman.
A 20-year-old Marine from Duluth, Minn., Skarman was declared missing in South Vietnam on Jan. 15, 1968, a month before his tour of duty was up.
Precisely five years later, the United States announced a suspension of attacks against North Vietnam. And 40 years ago today, the Paris Peace Accords were signed by official delegations of the United States and North Vietnam, though fighting continued until the last Americans evacuated Saigon in April 1975.
“I decided to make a commitment to wear (the bracelet). It was pretty much the thing to do at the time,” said Dreher, 56.
Ads for the bracelets — 5 million were sold in five years — urged, “Please order a POW/MIA bracelet and pledge to wear it until your soldier comes home.”
Dreher did, with three exceptions.
High school officials twice told her to remove the bracelet before sports events. During her Sept. 4, 1976 wedding, she briefly entrusted it to the pocket of the groom, Terry.
Otherwise, she has not parted with the bracelet, even through multiple surgeries when doctors agreed to cover it with gauze.
“It's almost like an appendage,” said Dreher, of Hempfield, a district manager for Curves.
“I'm not sure it was so much a personal commitment with the soldier as it was support of the cause — keeping faith that these guys were coming back,” she said.
“It was a time that was so tumultuous. The Vietnam War was such an ugly war,” she said. “I get worried sometimes people will stop telling the stories.”
The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office lists 1,600 Americans who served in Vietnam as missing. Skarman remains on that list, said Maj. Carie Parker, director of public affairs.
“That is a presumptive finding of death. It means (a soldier) has not been identified and the family does not know his whereabouts,” Parker said.
One of Skarman's two sisters, Karen Wipson of Duluth, was amazed to learn someone still wears a bracelet with his name.
“I even quit wearing mine. That does not mean I don't think about him,” she said. “I'm very impressed. Thank (Dreher) for thinking about him.”
Officials presume Skarman, heading to China Beach on leave, “hitched a ride” aboard a Marine CH-53 helicopter that crashed on Jan. 8, Parker said.
“We know nothing,” Wipson said. “(He disappeared) about a month before he was supposed to come home. Mom had the freezer full of things he loved.”
The Marine's mother, Anne Skarman, 97, is “still a pistol,” Wipson said.
Seven years after he was classified MIA, the family had Skarman declared dead and held a service. They provided DNA samples for comparison if remains are ever found, Wipson said. “The Department of Defense assured my mother they would never quit looking,” she said.
“He was a good, all-American, nice-looking boy, lots of fun. Any mother would have loved him for a son,” Wipson said. “He decided he wanted to go to college, but he wanted to get (service) out of the way.
“Some people are not meant to be old. He is 21 in my mind. ... We never felt like victims, ‘Woe is me,'” she said.
John Wicklund graduated with Skarman from Denfeld High School in 1965.
Wicklund, of Colorado Springs, recalled Skarman was “as typical a kid as you could find. He loved playing baseball on the sand lot by our houses and was good at it. We always wanted Orv on our team,” he said.
“I joined the Navy almost exactly the same time as he joined the Marines, and I never saw him after that,” Wicklund said. “I, too, continue to wear Orval's bracelet on my wrist, and it will be with me until I die.”
A priceless thing
Parker said the POW/Missing department often gets calls from people hoping to return bracelets to soldiers' families. If an address can be found, the office returns them.
Dreher has never tried to contact Skarman's family.
“It's not about me. It's about me being able to tell the story through this little piece of steel,” she said. “Every time I hear the ‘Star-Spangled Banner,' or Pledge of Allegiance ... I remember to pray for him and keep all soldiers in my heart.”
Unless a family member asks for Skarman's bracelet, Dreher will keep wearing it.
“It's the most priceless thing I own. It's probably the proudest thing I've done,” she said.
Mary Pickels is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-836-5401 or [email protected].
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Judy Seigel ([email protected])
Sat, 29 May 1999 04:21:24 -0400 (EDT)
On Fri, 28 May 1999, Keith Schreiber wrote:
> This might also be a good time to point out that very few if any of the
> seccessionist/pictorialist types and others making Pt/Pd prints 100 years
> ago (Stieglitz, Strand, White, Brigman, Kasebier, Evans, Weston, etc.) were
> hand-coating their paper. It wasn't until after the commercially made papers
> were no longer available that hand-coating became a necessity for those who
> wished to continue working in Pt/Pd.
Excellent point... and while we're at it, how about the fact that those
guys didn't care a fig for how many hairs you could count on someone's
head. They printed platinum palladium in the same soft focus they printed
gum in... often, usually...
> Personally, not coating my own paper would take all the fun out of the
> process. And while I think Palladio makes a good product it is rather
> expensive. If I want to spend more on materials, I'd rather it be on exotic
My thought is it makes most sense for one who wants some prints without
having to lay in all the makings & get up to speed on the coating and
details of paper, combos, etc. Or did. I called to verify the new phone
number today, left a message, & on return my answering machine had a
message from Surah Steinberg that they're out of paper. If there were
details, the machine, obeying the command of ALL machines in this house
containing CHIPS, mangled and then swallowed them, but the impression left
was that there isn't / won't be more for a while at least.
> And Judy - one more little thing: regarding abbreviations for platinum and
> palladium, *Pt* is the correct chemical abreviation for platinum and *Pd*
> for palladium. This only matters because because I've seen some folks on the
> list use "pl" to mean platinum while others use it to mean palladium.
> Usually what is meant can be understood from the context, but this could be
> a source of confusion for novices.
Hmmmm.... well, I've seen folks say "Liquid Light" when they mean
Silverprint SE-1 emulsion, but I think the confusion is from terminology,
not abbreviation choice. There's a general tendency to call the prints
"platinum" even when they're all palladium.... but if someone thinks when
I write pl-pd that I'm writing palladium palladium, I think they need more
help than I can give them.... And now, Keith, you've really messed me up.
Am I supposed to remember which one I had wrong !! ???
OK, if I read you correctly -- should be written pt-pd? If you'd told me
that last month, I could have saved several mistakes in the upcoming
issue. (But I may just have room left to put in a note that it's your
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Thu Oct 28 1999 - 21:39:35 | <urn:uuid:6d096f86-676d-48ec-a5fc-2ddeff62c7aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usask.ca/lists/alt-photo-process/1999/alt99b/1082.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950926 | 715 | 1.53125 | 2 |
SailPoint has recently released their survey results regarding employee behavior with respect to corporate data. An interesting figure indicates that 24% of the surveyed Brits mentioned they would copy electronic data and files to take with them when they leave a company.
This figure should certainly raise concern and comes as no surprise. In fact, a similar survey conducted by Imperva in 2010 covering 1000 individuals in London demonstrated how severe this problem really is. That survey showed that 79% of the respondents mentioned that either their organization does not have data removal policies (upon employee departure), or they were unaware of such policy. Furthermore, the vast majority (85%) stores corporate data in home computers or personal mobile devices. This is an immediate consequence of the trend called “Consumerization of IT”. While the common belief is that the insider threat is usually a corporate spy or a revenge-seeking employee, the reality is more mundane. As it turns out, it is the average Joe that represents the most probable threat. Employees enjoy legitimate access to sensitive corporate data while on the job. They use their access privileges to rightfully create copies of the information as they process it for their daily tasks. Upon leaving the organization, many individuals do not care to remove copies of sensitive information, and in some cases even develop a sense of personal ownership towards it. What should organizations do to prevent this data getting out of control?
- Enforce strict access controls over critical data. This access control should be based on a business need-to-know level. This cannot be achieved by a singular project but rather imposes a process of constantly evaluating user access privileges
- Monitor access to sensitive corporate data and maintain a detailed audit trail.
- Detect abusive access patterns to sensitive corporate data | <urn:uuid:2a46c71e-5969-4936-bf0a-815c12952456> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.imperva.com/2011/07/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950212 | 349 | 1.625 | 2 |
I Utterly Reject The Term ‘Reverse Racism’
Posted by Casey on June 29, 2009
Today we had a great ruling by the US Supreme Court in favor of 1 hispanic and 19 white firefighters. The were denied promotion because they were white, or at least … they weren’t black.
In the simplest terms possible that is what happened. They scored well on their promotion exam while the black firefighters scored poorly. Therefore, it would be wrong to promote them because they did so much better than the black firefighters. So the test results were thrown out. Nice huh?
While we could focus on numerous issues with this case, and I might in future posts, I want to pay special attention to the term used to describe this case by the MSM. That term is ‘reverse racism.’
What is reverse racism?
Try to find the definition in the dictionary (the real one), and it isn’t there. The term has been manufactured by our society in an effort to belittle white people … period, end of story.
Reverse racism is what they call it when white people are discriminated against based on race. Racism is when white people discriminate based on race. This leads to so many idiots perpetuating the pathetic myth that only white people can be racist. In the twisted new age definition of racism I suppose that would be true. However, the true definition of racism is pretty clear.
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2 : racial prejudice or discrimination
Notice the dictionary makes no distinction who can, and can not, be racist? That would be the same dictionary that has no definition of reverse racist … just so know.
This brings me to my point. I utterly reject the term ‘reverse racism.’ It implies that only whites can be racist on a regular basis, and anytime they are discriminated against is so rare that a new term must be created. It’s all garbage, and any mature person knows that.
There is no such thing as reverse racism … it does not exist. There is only racism. Either you are the victim of it, or you aren’t.
38 Responses to “I Utterly Reject The Term ‘Reverse Racism’”
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Last week the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights delivered a major judgment in the case of Mouvement raëlien suisse v. Switzerland, no. 16354/06. This will certainly prove to be a leading European case with regard to content and viewpoint based restrictions on the freedom of expression in a public space. It is also notable because the Court was very severely split – 9 to 8 – which is not only a rarity, but highlights the controversial nature of the case and its uncertain precedential value for the future.
Very briefly, these were the facts: the Raelian movement is an organization that claims that aliens have visited the Earth, leaving us a message or two; that science (well, their science) should replace religion; and that the best form of government is a ‘geniocracy’, i.e. rule by the highly intelligent over the masses of the mediocre. The organization has been labeled a cult by many due to the demands it makes of its members; it has also been the subject of several child abuse scandals, since the organization’s founder apparently thought that children should be sexualized, and some of the organization’s leaders practiced what he preached. Today, however, the organization disavows that earlier part of their doctrine.
Here’s the Court’s own description of the particular facts of the case:
14. On 7 March 2001 the applicant association requested authorisation from the police administration for the city of Neuchâtel (the “police administration”) to conduct a poster campaign in the period between 2 and 13 April 2001. The poster in question, measuring 97 cm by 69 cm, featured in the upper part the following wording in large yellow characters on a dark blue background: “The Message from Extraterrestrials”; in the lower part of the poster, in characters of the same size but in bolder type, the address of the Raelian Movement’s website, together with a telephone number in France, could be seen; at the very bottom was the phrase “Science at last replaces religion”. The middle of the poster was taken up by pictures of extraterrestrials’ faces and a pyramid, together with a flying saucer and the Earth.
15. On 29 March 2001 the police administration denied authorisation, referring to two previous refusals. It had been indicated in a French parliamentary report on sects, dating from 1995, and in a judgment of the president of the Civil Court for the district of La Sarine (Canton of Fribourg), that the Raelian Movement engaged in activities that were contrary to public order (ordre public) and immoral.
16. In a decision of 19 December 2001 the municipal council of the city of Neuchâtel dismissed an appeal from the applicant association, finding that it could not rely on the protection of religious freedom because it was to be regarded as a dangerous sect. The interference with freedom of expression had been based on Article 19 of the Administrative Regulations for the City of Neuchâtel (the “Regulations”); its purpose was to protect the public interest and it was proportionate, since the organisation advocated, among other things, human cloning, “geniocracy” and “sensual meditation”.
The decision was later upheld by the Swiss courts, essentially on the same grounds.
The question that the European Court was to answer was thus whether this ban was in accordance with the freedom of expression under Article 10 ECHR. Notably, the restriction on expression was based on both the content and the viewpoint of the message, seen not only as the pretty anodyne poster, but as the poster taken together with the content of the website to which it refers. However, the restriction on expression was not total, but was confined to the organization’s use of a dedicated public space, to which individuals do not have unconditional or unlimited access.
The Court upheld the restriction as proportionate, for a number of reasons. First, it emphasised the importance of the margin of appreciation in this context and the need for the Court as an international supervisory mechanism to defer to the judgment of the domestic authorities (paras. 59-66). The breadth of this margin, or the extent of this deference, would vary depending on the type of speech in question – for instance, commercial speech is deserving of less protection than political speech. And how should we characterize the Raelian aliens poster with a reference to their website? According to the Court (paras. 62-64):
In the present case, the Court observes that it can be reasonably argued that the poster campaign in question sought mainly to draw the attention of the public to the ideas and activities of a group with a supposedly religious connotation that was conveying a message claimed to be transmitted by extraterrestrials, referring for this purpose to a website address. The applicant association’s website thus refers only incidentally to social or political ideas. The Court takes the view that the type of speech in question is not political because the main aim of the website in question is to draw people to the cause of the applicant association and not to address matters of political debate in Switzerland. Even if the applicant association’s speech falls outside the commercial advertising context – there is no inducement to buy a particular product – it is nevertheless closer to commercial speech than to political speech per se, as it has a certain proselytising function. The State’s margin of appreciation is therefore broader. … In such cases, the national authorities are in principle, by reason of their direct and continuous contact with the vital forces of their countries, in a better position than the international judge to give an opinion on the “necessity” of a “restriction” or “penalty” intended to fulfil the legitimate aims pursued thereby. … For this reason the management of public billboards in the context of poster campaigns that are not strictly political may vary from one State to another, or even from one region to another within the same State, especially a State that has opted for a federal type of political organisation.
Bearing this margin of appreciation in mind (paras. 71-72):
In finding the refusal to authorise the campaign in question to be justified, the Federal Court successively examined each of the reasons relied on by the lower courts as justifying such refusal, namely the promotion of human cloning, the advocating of “geniocracy” and the possibility that the Raelian Movement’s literature and ideas might lead to sexual abuse of children by some of its members. … Even though some of these reasons, taken separately, might not be capable of justifying the impugned refusal, the Court takes the view that the national authorities were reasonably entitled to consider, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, that it was indispensable to ban the campaign in question in order to protect health and morals, protect the rights of others and to prevent crime.
In conclusion (para. 75):
[A] distinction must be drawn between the aim of the association and the means that it uses to achieve that aim. Accordingly, in the present case it might perhaps have been disproportionate to ban the association itself or its website on the basis of the above-mentioned factors (see, in this connection, Association Rhino and Others v. Switzerland, no. 48848/07, §§ 66-67, 11 October 2011). To limit the scope of the impugned restriction to the display of posters in public places was thus a way of ensuring the minimum impairment of the applicant association’s rights. The Court reiterates in this connection that the authorities are required, when they decide to restrict fundamental rights, to choose the means that cause the least possible prejudice to the rights in question (see Women On Waves, cited above, § 41). In view of the fact that the applicant association is able to continue to disseminate its ideas through its website, and through other means at its disposal such as the distribution of leaflets in the street or in letter-boxes, the impugned measure cannot be said to be disproportionate.
In a nutshell, the ban was proportionate because (1) the speech was not political, and was indeed analogous to commercial speech, and thus the national authorities had a wide margin of appreciation; (2) the content of the speech ran against the Swiss ordre public, by being anti-democratic, pro-cloning (more specifically, by refering to Clonaid, a commercial entity offering cloning services) and potentially capable of furthering the sexual abuse of children; (3) and the Swiss authorities allowed the organization other avenues of free expression, e.g. through their website.
As I said above, the Court’s decision was made by 9 votes to 8, and the swing vote, as it were, was that of its president, Judge Bratza, who in his concurring opinion puts great emphasis on the need to defer to domestic authorities. The dissenting judges, on the other hand, take great exception to the majority judgment; 7 of the 8 dissenters have a joint dissenting opinion (which is also quite rare in the European Court), 3 of these 7 have a separate joint dissent, and finally the eighth dissenter has his own individual opinion.
For reasons of time I will not elaborate on the dissents in detail, but they provide a lot of rich material – and for that reason alone this is an excellent case for teaching purposes. The dissenters draw extensively on comparative experiences, particularly those of the US Supreme Court whose First Amendment jurisprudence is much more allergic to content and viewpoint based restrictions of this sort. Indeed, I imagine that US scholars would point to this case as paradigmatic evidence of the slippery slope to which content based restrictions on speech might lead. Of course, like its European counterpart US jurisprudence itself proceeds from content-based categorizations of speech into boxes deserving of varying levels of protection (e.g. political, academic, artistic, commercial, obscenity and so on). On the other hand, while different conceptions of judicial deference certainly exist in US constitutional law, as the highest national court the US Supreme Court is a signficiantly different position than the European Court, which is supra-national in nature, and accordingly both less powerful and more sensitive to the need to accommodate diverging approaches to human rights protection in the Council of Europe’s 47 constituent nations.
That said, even with these broader issues aside the judgment is sure to attract significant criticism for its approach to the characterization of the speech at hand (it is really analogous to commercial speech merely because it contains a link to the organization’s website) and because of the quite weak justifications for the ban given by the Swiss authorities, which the majority itself acknowledges would not withstand individual scrutiny on their own terms but somehow survive together. The main driving force of the decision seems to be the margin of appreciation, particularly in the current political context where several states, particularly the UK, criticize the Court as being too activist or interventionist, with Judge Bratza in particular using his presidency to defuse this political row and (at least for the time being) create a somewhat more deferential Court (see also this earlier post on the Scoppola prisoner voting decision). And of course the fact that the Raelians are a bunch of nutters didn’t help the cause of free speech much. | <urn:uuid:ce006779-dd8e-4975-a760-a26d75ee11a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ejiltalk.org/content-based-speech-restrictions-in-the-european-court/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964096 | 2,356 | 1.726563 | 2 |
According to some recently published data from Insight Strategy Group, users have mixed feeling about brands using social media. It is a place where the majority of users prefer to give a brand feedback, but at the same time, find it intrusive is a brand reaches out to them.
There’s always an exception to the rule, and because numbers don’t always tell the whole story, I’m pairing up the study’s data with some real-life examples from yours truly:
Study Data - 64 percent said they “hate” when they are targeted via their social network profiles.
On Twitter, brands begin to follow me based on words I use when tweeting or the 140-character bio I have written for myself. Here are three examples of brands that have followed me in the past week on Twitter:
Do these brands have any relevancy to me, despite a trigger word I must have typed to prompt them to follow me? No. The “Home Business AAA” looks like a scam. I rent an apartment, and therefore have no need for Champion Windows. And if Domino Sugar knew anything about me, they’d know that I don’t cook (much) or bake (at all).
Do I “hate” that I’m targeted via my Twitter profile? No. Despite following me on Twitter, these brands have never perused any interaction with me.
Takeaway For Brands: Strategize who you communicate with instead of shooting in the dark, hoping to hit something.
Study Data - 60 percent find it annoying when brands communicate with them via Facebook or Twitter.
Had any of the above companies tried to communicate with me, despite any relevancy to my wants or needs, I would have been annoyed. But the good experiences far outweigh the bad.
Take the examples to the right:
In the first example, APMA (the American Podiatric Medical Association) was clearly monitoring Twitter for conversations surround Podiatry and appropriately responded to my tweet!
In the second example, I was so delighted with my first experience with StubHub, I wanted to give them a shout out. I was happy to see that StubHub response and will definitely use them again in the future.
Last example: I @ mentioned one of my favorite artists and she replied. Annoying? Quite the opposite! It’s great to know that the people behind the brand are attentive and responsive.
Takeaway For Brands: Reach out when appropriate and in the appropriate manner. Don’t know how to deal with an angry user? See this.
Study Data – 55 percent feel that they can have a strong impact on a company by writing about it on a social networking site
55 percent believe writing about a product, service, or show on a social networking site is the best way to give a company feedback
As you can already tell, I’m in the 55%. To me, social media is my preferred channel of feedback to a company.
To brands, they should harness the good from dealing with feedback in a public manner. Why? Here’s how Social Media Examiner explains it:
When a negative issue comes up, a common gut reaction is to ask to move the conversation offline. But when you do this, the world can’t see all the effort you put into fixing the problem.
Nobody sees the private email where you give that sincere apology. We can’t search for that phone conversation where you politely explain why the situation happened in the first place
Takeaway For Brands: Whether you want to use your social media channels as a way for customers to provide feedback or not, your customers do. Prepare for it. Make a plan. | <urn:uuid:d2d5c5d4-b510-470f-8e37-53eba0b17fb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hellotarte.com/blog/2012/02/23/when-data-doesnt-tell-the-whole-story/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939139 | 768 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Acts of the Apostles 14:20-28; 15:1-4
Prokeimenon. Mode 4.
Their voice has gone out into all the earth.
Verse: The heavens declare the glory of God.
IN THOSE DAYS, Paul went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to lconion and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed. Then they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia; and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. And when they arrived, they gathered the church together and declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they remained no little time with the disciples. But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, reporting the conversion of the Gentiles, and they gave great joy to all the brethren. And when they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.
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The English text of the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles is based on the Revised Standard Version from "The Apostolos" by Holy Cross Press, Brookline, MA.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible is copyrighted 1946, 1952, 1971, and 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. and used by permission. | <urn:uuid:b72734ca-001a-4a0f-b922-742824d323fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goarch.org/chapel/lectionary_view?type=E&code=14&event=0&date=5/17/2012 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97889 | 516 | 1.59375 | 2 |
D2Care was started in 2006 by a dedicated group of individuals to educate the public and dog care professionals about deaf dogs. Most of us own deaf dogs and have first-hand experience.
We know that there are other organizations working for deaf dogs: some are rescues, some are web-based support and education sites, and some are individuals attempting to fill a need. So why another organization? We believe it is important to foster a membership-based organization involving members in the decision-making. Our members pay dues and they vote for the Board of Directors. This is not true of many non-profit organizations.
Our members are dedicated individuals, devoted to promoting awareness of and actively advocating for deaf dogs. Our name, mission statement, motto, and founding Board members were all voted on by a group of like-minded individuals. They were also been consulted during the writing of our Bylaws. We understand that it only makes us stronger to utilize the knowledge, skills and talents of our diverse membership by keeping them actively engaged in the business of the organization.
We are still in the process of applying for non-profit status. See our News area for progress updates. Our Board is committed to working closely with our members to be sure the organization reflects what they want the organization to be. While we are still in the planning stages, we are working on various ways for our members to contact and interact with their Board of Directors.
Our organization's objectives and purposes are:
- Connect with the general public, veterinary professionals, rescue organizations, purebred dog clubs, breeders, and others about living with and training deaf dogs, through the development and sharing of resources and educational programs.
- Support, advocate, and implement research to provide quantifiable data on deaf dogs.
- Develop educational programs to encourage positive attitudes towards deaf dogs, and work to dispel the misinformation and mythology surrounding deafness in dogs.
- Advocate and encourage acceptance and participation of deaf dogs in recognized canine activities, including (but not limited to) Obedience, Agility, Rally, Tracking competitions, as well as Therapy Dog or Search and Rescue work.
- Develop a positive, supportive, and educational resource environment (through the use of our website and other educational formats), for anyone working or living with deaf dogs.
- Support and encourage rescue organizations to accept deaf dogs, by providing resources and funding (based on need and purpose for funds).
- Connect deaf dogs needing homes with caring, appropriate families, by dedicating a portion of our website to list biographies of deaf dogs available for adoption. | <urn:uuid:88e97016-8ac3-451c-b724-d25b88391107> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://d2care.org/aboutus/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961946 | 522 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Guam jobs to get military boost
By Audrey McAvoy
By Audrey McAvoy
CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawai'i — The U.S. military plans to use Guam workers and contractors wherever possible as Japan and the United States spend more than $10 billion moving 8,000 U.S. Marines and their families from the southern Japanese island of Okinawa to the U.S. territory over 10 years, the deputy U.S. Pacific commander said yesterday.
Even so, Lt. Gen. Daniel P. Leaf said the small labor force on the island of 170,000 people means that the military will probably have to use outsiders to build housing and other facilities for the Marines.
The relocation, designed to reduce the U.S. troop presence on densely populated Okinawa while keeping the Marines in a strategic location, will more than double the number of U.S. troops based on Guam.
There are currently 6,500 troops assigned to the island, more than half of whom are in the Navy. The move will mark the largest realignment of Japan-based U.S. troops in 50 years.
"We would like to utilize the resources on Guam first," Leaf said in an interview. "There is not enough labor currently on Guam but we want to put priority on leveraging the labor pool that is there."
Developing construction worker apprenticeship or training programs to prepare Guam's labor force would be "a pretty smart thing to do" but the military hasn't made any decisions on the issue, Leaf said.
Leaf said it would be inappropriate to favor any particular company or group of companies in awarding contracts. At the same time, however, the military intends to give maximum benefit to Guam, he said. The Pentagon will decide how contracts are awarded but details need to be worked out, he said.
The move has the potential to create a public works bonanza on Guam, where the unemployment rate hovers over 7 percent and per capita income languishes at about $22,600 — a little more than half the U.S. average of $42,000.
The arrival of the Marines and their dependents is expected to boost the island's population by some 10 percent.
Japan, which is footing close to 60 percent of the $10.3 billion relocation bill, is expected to have a significant say in how the money is spent.
The general said the military will be able to fit the Marines on land it already owns and won't need to acquire new acreage. The U.S. military controls more than a quarter of the island.
Pacific Command officials will launch a campaign to inform islanders what changes are in store for Guam when Adm. William Fallon, the Pacific commander, approves the relocation plan, Leaf said. That is expected to happen next month.
Even aside from the Marine relocation plan, the military has been investing more in Guam as it places forces closer to where they might be used.
The military has moved three nuclear-powered attack submarines to Apra Harbor since 2002. Last year, the Air Force started rotating F-15s and B-2s to Andersen Air Force Base from the U.S. mainland and Alaska.
The military has been upgrading the infrastructure at Guam's naval and air bases to accommodate the increased use.
Guam is about 3,700 miles southwest of Hawai'i and about 1,500 miles southeast of Tokyo. | <urn:uuid:7b2db28f-c0c6-466e-9be6-9b785c86e0d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jun/02/ln/FP606020354.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959529 | 702 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Jan 9, 2011
Dr Mimiko also has to come up with tough targets for his commissioners. For instance, the education commissioner has to cut class sizes to 35 within a year or lose his job, the works commissioner must tar 500km of road a year or lose his job, the health commissioner must cut infant deaths by 10% a year or lose his job, the water resources commissioner must give 5,000 people potable water a year or get kicked out.
Dr Mimiko must also come up with revenue generating programmes designed to make Ondo State self-sufficient without any federal allocation. He should have projections that look like this: cocoa – $10bn; bitumen – $10bn; tourism – $10bn, palm oil – $5bn, timber – $5bn; transport – $5bn; kolanuts – $5bn; cassava – $5bn.
Would you say the government has achieved any of these ? | <urn:uuid:c5146634-14b1-4dde-8a8d-07eb296ad792> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.allondostate.com/news-analysis/questions-from-the-past-series-one | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966814 | 195 | 1.75 | 2 |
Radiofrequency ablation is an outpatient procedure. You should arrange to have someone drive you home following your treatment. Do not take anti-inflammatory medication for several days prior to your procedure, to help prevent excess bleeding. Although the actual treatment is short, the preparation and aftercare process usually totals a few hours.
For the procedure, two thin needles are inserted into the facet joint under X-ray guidance. After you receive numbing medication, the radio waves are delivered through the needles. This generates heat around the nerve, which destroys (ablates) the nerve’s ability to send pain signals. The needles are removed after the treatment. You may receive pain medication to take at home.
You may experience a slight increase in pain for the first few weeks following radiofrequency ablation however, your treatment, if successful, should last a few months. Following treatment, your doctor may recommend that you participate in physical therapy to strengthen your spine to help prevent the pain from coming back. As the nerves regrow, radiofrequency ablation may be repeated. | <urn:uuid:1a7668e4-a6fe-40d2-ae30-c6c9b7468c45> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.arcare.net/tabid/13594/mid/23085/ContentPubID/645/ContentClassificationGroupID/-1/Default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946356 | 213 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Obama says this has been a "pressing issue on people's minds," and tells an audience of middle-class taxpayers the deal would, among other things, extend unemployment benefits for Americans "who are still out there looking for a job."
He voiced regret that the work of the administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill won't produce a "grand bargain" on tax-and-spend issues, but said that "with this Congress, it couldn't happen at that time."
Officials familiar with the negotiations say an agreement would raise tax rates on family income over $450,000 a year and increase the estate tax rate. .
Previously posted: WASHINGTON (AP) — The contours of a deal to avert the 'fiscal cliff' emerged Monday, with Democrats and Republicans agreeing to raise tax rates on family income over $450,000 a year, increase the estate tax rate and extend unemployment benefits for one year, officials familiar with the negotiations said.
But with a midnight deadline rapidly approaching, both sides were at an impasse over whether to put off automatic, across-the-board spending cuts set to take effect on Jan. 1, and if so, how to pay for that. Democrats want to put off the cuts for one year and offset the so-called sequester with unspecified revenue.
Officials emphasized that negotiations were continuing and the emerging deal was not yet final. President Barack Obama was to speak about the status of the negotiations from the White House early Monday afternoon.
The proposal in the works would raise the tax rates on family income over $450,000 to 39.6 percent, the same level as under former President Bill Clinton. Also, estates would be taxed at 40 percent after the first $5 million, up from 35 percent to 40 percent. Unemployment benefits would be extended for one year.
A Republican official familiar with the plans confirmed the details described to The Associated Press.
The officials requested anonymity in order to discuss the internal negotiations.
Urgent talks were continuing Monday afternoon between the White House and congressional Republicans, with longtime negotiating partners Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell at the helm.
An agreement on the proposed deal would also shield Medicare doctors from a 27 percent cut in fees and extend tax credits for research and development, as well as renewable energy.
The deal would also extend for five years a series of tax credits meant to lessen the financial burden on poorer and middle-class families, including one credit that helps people pay for college.
The deal would achieve about $600 billion in new revenue, the officials said. | <urn:uuid:3e7cff41-fce4-494d-b432-41a757005230> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.romenews-tribune.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Update-+Obama+says+fiscal+cliff+deal+in+sight%20&id=21278016 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969597 | 522 | 1.601563 | 2 |
When the female
plant is not allowed to pollinate, it grows full of resin that
was intended to make seeds. False seed pods swell with THC laden
resin and the pistils turn red and orange and withdraw into the
pods. Then the plant is harvested.
Seeds are not part
of the bud when the flowers mature. This is called Sinsemillia,
and simply means "no seeds". | <urn:uuid:baa62151-6bfe-4aba-90f9-b5d3e4e46cf4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cannabis-seed-banks.com/cannabis-sinsemillia.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941173 | 89 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Engadget is reporting an interesting bit of information about some internal goings-on with Valve. Not satisfied with merely dabbling in the hardware market by way of the Piston/Steambox quasi-console, apparently Valve is looking into “wearable computer” development. Just what that means is anyone’s guess – Michael Abrash, the information source, seems to only insist that it has nothing to do with glasses (that’s more of a Google thing anyway), which leaves us to speculate on just what this could possibly be. Well, I’m more than willing to take a shot in the dark on this one, and I’ve got just one word for you: hats. Computer hats. From the future.
Think about it. When it comes to clothing, hats are the one thing Valve is known for. There are dozens and dozens of hats in Team Fortress 2, they’ve even put some on their co-op multiplayer robot avatars in Portal 2, and you’d be a fool not to expect that Half-Life 3 – whenever it shows up – will be heavy on the hat-related tie-ins as pre-order bonuses, and probably extra hat content for Gordon Freeman himself. So right away a hat makes the most sense for Valve in a ‘corporate vision’ kind of way.
“But Victor”, you ask. “What advantage would a computer hat grant? Hats can be cumbersome, you shouldn’t wear them indoors, and you have to doff them in the presence of a lady (applies to octogenarians and hipsters only).” All true, I admit. Still, it gives Valve a leg-up (or a head up) on their closest potential competitor in this field, Google. Think about it. What can support more weight: the top of your head, or your ears? Unless you’re a Ferengi, your head wins by a mile. Now, remember that additional weight means greater flexibility in terms of technological capability, features, and as a result potential pricing. While Google is trying to con ignorant consumers into paying around 250 dollars for their silly little glasses, Valve’s going to be cornering the market on 2000 dollar quad-core fedoras.
And just to drive the point home: it’s well-known that Gaben is a big fan of linux and open source software in general. And what’s one of the varieties of linux out there? Why, just a little thing called Red Hat. Coincidence? Not insofar as I’m willing to admit.
Valve. $2500 dollar octo-core linux-running computer-hats. 2014 at the latest.
Mark my words. | <urn:uuid:1186e867-d099-46ff-aa89-bdf178f9a5d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gamingtrend.com/2013/02/14/valve-dabbling-in-wearable-computers-says-valve-employee/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94197 | 576 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Architect Frank Gehry is to design the Guggenheim Foundation's largest museum in the United Arab Emirates.
Gehry also designed the Guggenheim in Bilbao
The museum, which will cover 30,000 square metres, will be built in the capital city of Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim's flagship museum for modern and contemporary art is in New York but there are branches in Bilbao, Berlin, Venice and Las Vegas.
US architect Gehry also designed the Bilbao Guggenheim in Spain. The Abu Dhabi museum should be built by 2011.
Construction is due to begin shortly on Saadiyat Island, which is being developed as the city's cultural district, government officials said.
Known more for its oil and tourism industries than its culture, the museum will be the first major art showcase in the city.
"Today's signing represents the determination of the Abu Dhabi government to create a world-class cultural destination for its residents and visitors, "said Abu Dhabi's crown prince Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a statement.
The chairman and chief benefactor of the Guggenheim Museum quit last year following a row over its future.
Peter B Lewis, who had held the post since 1998, blamed "differences in direction" between himself and museum director Thomas Krens.
The pair were reportedly at odds over plans to turn the New York-based art museum into a global brand.
Mr Lewis, a billionaire, donated about $77m (£41m) to the institution during his time as chairman.
He told the New York Times that he believed the museum "should concentrate more on New York and less on being scattered all over the world". | <urn:uuid:f6590c05-e2e7-4530-ae12-89ccab6ff6a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5161320.stm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955683 | 356 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Tell a friend about this book...
Subject: I have found a book that I think you would enjoy
Bunny School A Learning Fun-for-All - Learning Fun for All
It's time for school, and the day is packed with activities and fun! Whether these little bunnies are making sweet music, growing a plant, or sharing at show-and-tell, everyone enjoys the pleasures of learning. Rick Walton's rhyming text and Paige Miglio's detailed illustrations are a treat that will make any toddler eager for school to begin. | <urn:uuid:8b3f8c7d-669e-4de5-9a90-32f8ef332f11> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.paperbackswap.com/Bunny-School-Learning-Rick-Walton/book/0060575085/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952059 | 112 | 1.546875 | 2 |
George and Catherine Wheel Alley.-East out of Bishopsgate at No. 260 (P.O. Directory). In Bishopsgate Ward Without.
First mention : Lockie, 1810.
Other names : "George Wheel Alley" (O.S. 1875 and 1880). "Catherine Wheel and George Yard," "Katherine Wheel and George Alley" (O. and M. 1677-Boyle, 1799). "Rose Alley" (Rocque, 1746).
In P.C. 1732 there are two courts here out of Bishopsgate named "Catherine Wheel court" and "George yard" respectively, and it is probable that different portions of the court were known originally by the two distinct names, and that in course of time one or other of the names began to be used for the whole court, and finally the two were used together as one name.
There was an inn of the same name here (Lockie, 1810). | <urn:uuid:dd5976f5-d0c6-45c0-b23a-2f7a4efaaa96> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.motco.com/Harben/2281.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958284 | 202 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Trophy Waters, Ontario Canada
The establishment of the Trophy Waters area is an exciting development in the history of fisheries management in Northwestern Ontario. Now visitors, businesses and local residents can look forward to a sport fishery that will be every bit as good, or better than it is now. And it is great now!
The concept for Trophy Waters is born out of a genuine desire to maintain and protect fantastic, but fragile fisheries. A decline in the quality of the fishing experience was simply not an option, nor was stocking or other means of artificial propagation. The goal was and continues to be to provide a quality sport fishing experience in a scenic, pristine wilderness setting by managing self-staining, natural fish stocks.
In the Trophy Waters, fish can still be caught, kept and eaten but the emphasis is no longer on the full and heavy creel. In the colder waters of the north, fish live a long life but grow slowly and high harvest rates cannot be maintained indefinitely. By ensuring minimal harvest levels on lakes with superb fisheries, it is possible to keep great fishing great forever. Catch and size limits have been put in place to achieve that goal without diminishing today’s great fishing opportunities and experience.
In the Trophy Waters, catch and release is a natural method of protecting the fishery while giving the angler the optimum fishing experience. Best of all, when you leave Trophy Waters, you’ll leave knowing that the great fishery you just experienced will be available to you for years to come because the Trophy Waters program is there to guarantee it. | <urn:uuid:aa615e9c-155a-4800-afdf-3a87177a584d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crowrock.com/fly-in-camp/trophy-waters/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952906 | 316 | 1.804688 | 2 |
The Adventures of Mongy the Bay Frog
Chapter 3: Mongy the Bay Frog's meets Ringo the orangutan
By Christa Maas
Mongy was sitting on the hotel couch, propped up on top of a stack of pillows and looking very much like the frog prince in the fairy tales. He was watching TV, with a very interested and intelligent look on his face, (as far as frog faces go) even though he did not understand a word of what was said. He was nibbling on a batch of his favorite fish food cookies. We had just arrived in Borneo and Mongy and I were really tired.
We had arrived there at last- (after a troublesome affair slipping Mongy through customs) on the exotic island of Borneo! Mongy, although he is usually more of a night person ( ehem... frog), quickly fell asleep on the little thrown I had made for him. Tomorrow would be our first day in the country and we had planned a trip to the Tanjung Putting National Park in southern Kalimantan. This National Park is a protected rain forest and is the home of the Orangutans.
The next morning we got an early start and soon we had reached one of the many Orangutan feeding platforms built by the Orangutan Foundation. I was ready to sit there and wait, to see what would happen, but Mongy jumped onto the platform and started croaking. Well no, it wasn't a croak, it was more of an eerie sounding chant that stirred in me instincts and feelings long forgotten, but undeniable.
"It's like a song, Mongy," I suggested, "but what does it mean?"
"It's the call of the jungle" Mongy explained "Humanity once knew this call, but today only the world's native tribes still remember it. It means "here I am and I am part of nature, too."
Sometimes, I am really impressed with my friend Mongy! I couldn't believe my eyes when I suddenly saw a huge Orangutan cautiously peeking at us through the thick foliage of the jungle. I was so surprised; I just stood there with my mouth open, unable to say a word.
But Mongy was not surprised at all. "Hello, Mr. Orangutan" said he "I am Mongy the Bay Frog and this is my friend, Christa."
"Hello, Mongy and a good day to you Christa, it's nice to meet you. My name is Ringo Tang. What's wrong with her, Mongy? Is she... you know... a little slow?"
"Oh, no" laughed Mongy "it's the first time she has ever heard the call of the jungle."
"Well" grunted Ringo Tang "I am not surprised. I almost forgot it myself at one time. It happens to humans and their pets... or their captives".
I finally managed to close my mouth and contribute something intelligent to the conversation: "Have you ever been in captivity, Mr. Ringo Tang? What happened? Please, tell us your story!"
The Orangutan looked at me thoughtfully for a long time and then he replied: "Yes, I will tell you my story, but I want you to promise that you will let other humans, and especially the small ones know about it, so that they will learn to help protect me and my family in the rain forest."
Mongy and I both promised we would, and if you are reading this now, please remember to tell it to others as well.
Ringo Tang sat down comfortably next to us and started to tell his story.
"My mother used to call me "my little joy" and we lived a happy life playing hide and seek in the rain forest, cuddling, or eating rambutan fruits and bananas. Orangutan mothers only give birth to two or three babies in their life and I was her first born. I was a happy little baby and together with my family lived a cheerful and peaceful life.
We have always feared the humans, but the native Indians of Borneo understood the laws of nature and only took from it what they needed to live and they never destroyed our home.
But then, one day, the enemy humans came; the tree killers with their loud metal teeth, the deep diggers who poison the earth looking for golden rocks, the planters who plant palm oil trees and the hunters. They destroy the forests and the land and for that they receive some paper, which they really like very much and call "money".
The rain forest became smaller and smaller and our family became hungry. We started to go to the enemies planting grounds for food. My mother knew this was dangerous, but I was a baby and didn't understand. I only remember a terrible loud sound, louder than any thunder and then I saw that my mother was hurt and they took her away.
I cried out for her and I remember her saying very softly: "Ringo, never forget the call of the jungle. I will find you! Look for me! Never forget who you are!"
Mongy was truly upset. "What happened to your mother? Did she recover? Where is she?"
"Patience, dear Mongy" replied Ringo "We were the lucky ones, but listen, and be patient!"
Patience is not a word Mongy likes very much, but he had decided he wanted to hear all Ringo had to tell, so he sat down quietly again as the Orangutan continued:
"They put me into a small dark box and onto one of the stinky, bumpy machines they use instead of their legs. I was so afraid. They put me in a place where I could not play and be happy. They fed me food that made me sick, and I became sad and lonely. Then one day, I heard the stinky motor machine again and after another bumpy ride a stranger put me into a cage.
I was so frightened and I tried to hide deep inside the cage, but it was open to all sides and I was in one of these open places without trees where humans exchange things for paper. The stranger started yelling:
"Orangutan baby for sale! Make your child happy! Forget the puppy dog! By and exotic pet for him!"
Then, suddenly there was a lot of commotion and the stranger started running from other humans. He was afraid of them! I think they call them "the authorities"
"What are sorrowties?" asked Mongy, who loves complicated words.
"Authorities, Mongy" I explained "They are like the people who make sure others follow all the rules. It's forbidden to sell Orangutans, you know".
"Yes, that's right!" said Ringo Tang, apparently starting to like me. "The next thing I knew, one of the authorities people picked me up and said
"Poor little fellow! Let's take you to the care center!"
I didn't understand what that meant. But, they loaded my cage onto another motor stink machine" - sigh—" they have so many of them! We went for yet another bumpy ride, but I was too weak to feel anything anyway, it didn't matter anymore. I had given up. I had forgotten who I was.
That's when I met the professor. Kind and gentle eyes looked at me and she said in a soothing voice:
"Lets’ have a look at you. Oh, no, what have they done to you, you poor little guy! We better take you to Quarantine and get you well again"
Mongy jumped up all exited again. There was another complicated word!
"Quackentine" he chanted " Quackentine, Quackentine!"
Oh, Mongy! Sometimes you are really a handful! I said "It is not Quackentine, it's Qua-ren-tine and it means that you are kept separate from others, because you might be sick."
"Oh, sorry" replied Mongy, a little downhearted.
"What was Quarantine like? Did you get well, soon? I asked Ringo Tang.
"I don't remember how long I was there. But, there were many humans in white clothes and sometime they pricked me with metal things. But I started to recover and the professor always came to visit me. I liked her very much. After I got stronger, they took me to a little training forest. I sat there and didn't know what to do. I was very confused and wanted to go back to my cage at the care center. But then I looked up and I saw others, just like me! And suddenly I remembered my mother! I remembered what she had said to me:
"Ringo, never forget the call of the jungle. I will find you! Look for me! Never forget who you are!"
I sat down and cried "Mother! Mother! Where are you?" I remembered the call of the jungle "Mother! Mother! I cried over and over. And then a miracle happened! It was my mother who came to me from the top of a tree. I had never learned how to climb a tree, so she had to come down to me.
"Oh, my little joy! She cried "I thought you were lost forever! But you have found me! You have not forgotten! My baby, my beautiful little boy! But you have grown so much! Oh, what a wonderful thing the professor has done for us! How lucky we are!"
"Buhuhu" went Mongy "That's so wonderful. Buhuhu! What a touching story!"
But tears of happiness don't hurt, and Mongy, Ringo Tang and I didn't mind at all that we had to wipe our noses with the back of our hands, or paws, or fins or whatever.
But I did have one question to ask:
"Ringo Tang, who is the professor?"
"She is called Biruté Mary Galdikas, and she is my hero!" answered Ringo. "She saved my life and my mother's life. I will never forget her".
Well, kids now you know how we met Ringo Tang. We spent a lot of time in Borneo, and I will continue to tell you stories about our adventures there very soon.
But now, Mongy is sitting next to me hopping up and down, wanting to say something.
"What is it, Mongy?"
"Christa, the professor is my hero, too."
Isn't that something! That Mongy always wants to have the last word!
Chapter 1: Meeting Mongy the Bay Frog
Chapter 2: Mongy the Bay Frog's Family
Chapter 4: Mongy the Bay Frog's meets Rhett, the journalist
The Adventures of Mongy the Frog
kids.mongabay.com is published under a creative commons license. | <urn:uuid:3ea9da01-c990-4972-81f9-1fe6e29de180> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kids.mongabay.com/mongy/3.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980654 | 2,289 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The new '05 Mustang has taken the automotive world by storm. In car-oriented circles, the '05 is a hit, and Ford is in the company of one when it comes to offering a modern, American designed and built, V-8-powered ponycar-a class the Mustang invented in 1964.
As the lowest-priced 300hp new car on the market today, the buzz for the '05 goes beyond the core group of Mustang enthusiasts. In fact, you can bet the '05 will likely bring many more new buffs into the fold, people who didn't consider themselves Mustang fans before this car was introduced.
Many of us Mustang devotees feel that late-model Mustangs and supercharging go hand-in-hand, mainly because the two- and four-valve 4.6L V-8s in the pre-'05 cars respond so well to forced induction-a fact not lost on Vortech Engineering. The company got its hands on a three-valve '05 Mustang GT as soon as it could begin development of a supercharger system for the new car.
That car, the Windveil Blue Mustang GT you see here, is the first '05 to get the supercharger and ancillary components that go along with it. Using as the foundation one of the most popular-size blowers Vortech makes-the V-2 SQ S-trim-the package has essentially the same content as the systems that fit '03-'04 GTs and Mach 1s. The main difference is the inclusion of a DiabloSport Predator handheld programmer.
A popular way to go for many dyno-tuning shops when tweaking supercharged '03-'04 Mustang Cobras, the Predator reflashes the '05's Motorola-made Spanish Oak processor (which replaces the not nearly as powerful EEC V) so the car can be tuned to run with the blower. The Predator allows Vortech (or a subsequent tuner) to modify the car's factory programming to add more fuel, remove timing, and check and clear diagnostic codes. While this is a simplified way to describe what the Predator will do and what has to be done to make the '05 Mustang run with the blower, the bottom line is, getting these cars to operate correctly in supercharged form will be entirely possible. Furthermore, though not related to blower tuning, you can adjust the Predator for gear-ratio and tire-size alterations, as well as data log, for up to 90 minutes.
These and other unique features-such as the blower mounted on the driver side of the engine and the availability of an air-to-water aftercooler that's configured for the '05 that will make the system a high-output setup-mean the main objective of having a package available for the '05s has been successfully achieved. As with any other Vortech blower kit for 4.6 Mustangs, several other major components are also included, such as higher-capacity fuel injectors, a high-flow bypass valve, and the usual Vortech-style bulletproof mounting bracketry. The other standard supporting parts like oil-feed and drain assemblies, all inlet and discharge connections, and other related mounting hardware are also included.
As is the case for most late-model Mustang applications, Vortech offers the supercharger in a standard satin finish or with a polished housing, and both are available in either standard or high-output setups, which adds the aftercooler. Pricing at this point ranges from under $4,000 (standard kit with a satin finish) to a little over $5,000 (high-output kit with a polished finish).
The car featured here is equipped with a standard system that makes about 8-9 psi of boost. The high-output air-to-water aftercooled system pullied to produce around 10-11 psi will be available by the time you read this, and this car will be used to prototype that setup.
Vortech forecasts that the three-valve 4.6 with the standard system and correct tune will produce around 410 hp at the flywheel. The engine and high-output aftercooled system is likely to produce upwards of 450 hp at the flywheel. Take approximate parasitic drivetrain losses into consideration, and these figures will equate to somewhere around 350-380 rear-wheel horsepower, factoring in variations with each individual car. | <urn:uuid:a758ef26-61b2-428b-bf4b-572be849e59a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mustangmonthly.com/featuredvehicles/mump_0506_300_horsepower_2005_ford_mustang/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939835 | 914 | 1.515625 | 2 |
A potentially life-saving "emergency bra" invented by a Ukrainian doctor has gone from award-winningly odd idea to actual commercial product. The bra, which doubles up as a pair of gas masks has gone on sale online for $29.95, Fox reports. Inventor Elena Bodnar, who witnessed the devastating effects of the Chernobyl disaster, says readily available gas masks could have prevented many cases of radiation sickness.
"Ladies and gentlemen, isn't that wonderful that women have two breasts, not just one?" Bodnar said last year when collecting an "Ig Nobel" prize for the invention. "We can save not only our own life, but also the life of a man of our choice next to us." A "counterpart device for men" is in the works, according to CNET, but no word yet on what form it will take. | <urn:uuid:54191bd3-e6d4-4614-8e6f-3ab276d49227> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newser.com/story/101350/emergency-bra-now-on-sale.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958912 | 179 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Community pledge for old school site
A FORMER school site could be transformed into a multi-purpose community facility.
East Chevington Parish Council Chairman Scott Dickinson has revealed that the old Druridge Bay Middle School site has been included in the Labour Party’s future capital works programme.
The plan is to consult residents about opening the centre, which could be used by local sports teams and clubs, providing changing rooms and training facilities for practical learning.
This pledge will be carried out if Labour takes control of the county council in elections later this year.
Coun Dickinson said: “It was a devastating blow the day the county council agreed to close and demolish our school, taking jobs and community benefits with it. I have fought to have this included in Labour’s plans and I am delighted that it has been.”
The final bell sounded at the Hadston Road school, which was then named James Calvert Spence College, in July 2011 and it was demolished soon afterwards.
A decline in student numbers meant the governing body of the Coquet Federation proposed to close the Hadston Road facility and merge pupils with the South Avenue site in Amble.
The move was agreed by the county council’s Executive in 2011.
Coun Dickinson believes the centre, at an estimated cost of £2million, would bring much needed benefits to the community.
He said: “Currently, Hadston organisations are temporarily housed at Hadston House. This new facility would allow them to move into purpose-built premises.
“It’s also suggested that the site can be utilised by young people’s clubs from Red Row Welfare during the winter as they currently have no location.
“While the building would be mainly used for sports, it is planned that it will also be able to house other groups which need larger spaces and training facilities for young and unemployed people.”
Coun Dickinson said it was too early to consult people about the issue, but the community will play a vital role in deciding what is built when the proposal has been firmed up.
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Weather for Morpeth
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: West
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east | <urn:uuid:9cb1402d-7c59-49f0-98f8-8b0224ada6c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.morpethherald.co.uk/community/community-pledge-for-old-school-site-1-5457339 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970154 | 494 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Where is Iowa City?
Iowa City is 220 miles directly west of Chicago on Interstate 80. It's also within a 4 to 5 hour drive to Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, Omaha, Kansas City and St. Louis. It has the cultural, educational, social and political opportunities of a bigger city with the values and ambiance of a midwestern town. It's clean, safe, nothing is farther than a 15 minute car ride, it has a great city bus system (with bike racks!), wonderful parks, bike and hiking trails, sports, schools and even sailing. Those who have lived here and left, frequently return because what they were looking for was in their own back yard. But we're not the only ones who think Iowa City is great:
- No. 5 best-educated city under 250,000 (USA Today, 8/09)
- No. 2 Best Places For Business And Careers - Smaller Metros, (Forbes, 3/08)
- Top 10 Up-And-Coming Tech Cities 2008 (Forbes, 3/08)
- Best Towns 2007 (Outside Magazine, 8/07)
- 50 Best Places to Live and Play (National Geographic, 8/07)
- Top 10 Most Affordable Places to Live & Work (Sperling's Best Places, 3/07)
- The 2009 "Best Doctors in America" database recognized 56 physicians from UI Children's Hospital
- No. 5 in "Best Places to Begin a Career", No. 13 for "Top College Towns for Jobs", and No. 5 for "Best Places for Business and Careers" (Forbes 7/09)
- 10th Smartest City in the Nation (Forbes 3/08)
- Best Midwestern Towns (Outdoor Magazine, 8/07)
- #8 Up and Coming Tech Cities (Forbes 3/2008)
- Best Places to Live and Launch (Fortune Small Business, 3/08)
What's the weather like in Iowa City?
It depends on what you like. Our weather was a lot better than the East Coast this year! For about two weeks every winter it's very cold and windy and for two weeks every summer it's really hot and humid. The rest of the time it's pretty nice. We consider our weather character building.
- The average warmest month is July and the coolest month is January.
- The average temperature in the summer is 72.6 and in the winter, 23.7.
- Average number of sunny days is 166.
- The highest recorded temperature was 104°F in 1988.
- The lowest recorded temperature was -26°F in 1996.
- The maximum average precipitation occurs in August, average annual rainfall is 35".
- Average snowfall is 28" (with an average of 16 days of measurable snowfall per winter).
What is there to do in Iowa City when you're not working?
There are 15 different festivals and art fairs, plus concerts and race events. There are many music venues, sports events and neighborhood street fairs and garden walks. We also have a really big mall and several smaller ones, 50 parks, 9 golf courses, 6 public tennis courts, 6 public pools, some lakes and a reservoir with trails, camping & boating. There are hiking and bike trails, some famous bookstores, a ton of galleries and excellent museums. There are half a dozen or more performing arts venues. There's always something going on.
What's Iowa City like for kids and families?
There's ice skating, bowling, organized sports, public parks, miniature golf, a great public library, a toy library, fun centers, swimming pools and 3 beaches, 9 museums including a children's museum, dance companies and public recreation centers that feature many activities for kids and families at little or no cost. We also have 20 movie screens and 50-licensed daycare providers. The Iowa City schools are perennially ranked among the top schools in the nation. Iowa City is unique in the facilities and services available for individuals with disabilities. Many families who have a family member with a disability are reluctant to leave Iowa City because they cannot duplicate those services in another location.
Are there any job opportunities for my spouse/significant other?
Yes, in May 2011, Iowa City had an average of 4.2% unemployment (compared to 9.21% nationwide). Also check out The University of Iowa's Dual Career Network.
How ethnically diverse are the patients?
Like a lot of university towns, we have a large international community. Growing cultural diversity is another reason Iowa City is an interesting place to live. Diversity is embraced and celebrated with city and university events, festivals, clubs and programs. The University works hard to recruit and retain minorities with its affirmative action policies. About 15% of Iowa Citians are non-white, this percentage is paralleled in our clinics.
What are the fellowship opportunities available?
Ten to 12 fellows train in our accredited fellowship programs each year. We have fellowships in all of our sub-specialty areas. Most are one-year fellowships but 2-year fellowship opportunites are available as well.
Is this a family friendly program?
We love children and support residents and fellows in their efforts to balance work with family life. We have several dual physician families and understand the stresses. Women receive up to 6 weeks of paid maternity leave after delivery. Men get 5 working days off for paternity leave. There are several childcare facilities near the hospital and one on-site. The training program also has activities during the year where all family members are invited.
Is there sufficient patient volume so that I can have multiple exposures to a variety of eye diseases and conditions?
Our patients represent all age groups and all socioeconomic strata and they present with virtually all acute and chronic conditions of the eye.
The UIHC is a tertiary care center and our department receives referrals for specialized services from Iowa and neighboring states. Some patients travel from outside the continent to be seen by our physicians.
In an average year, patient visits per sub-specialty are approximately:
- Cornea: 7,000
- Comprehensive Ophthalmology: 13,000
- Glaucoma: 6,000
- Neuro-Ophthalmology: 3,000
- Oculoplastic Surgery: 4,700
- Contact Lens: 4,500
- Pediatric Ophthalmology: 8,000
- Retina/Vitreous: 16,000
- Vision Rehabilitation: 2,800
- Other: 500
Is there a research requirement for graduation?
Participation in research is an integral part of the training experience. Projects may be done in collaboration with a faculty preceptor who will be involved in all phases of the project. Each fellow presents the results of his/her research at the department's resident and fellow research day.
What's so good about Iowa?
- Our faculty are really nice, and exceptionally dedicated teachers too.
- We have a diverse faculty with wide-ranging clinical and research interests.
- Some of our faculty are internationally known and have been with us for many years.
- We also have several bright young faculty who bring new interests and enthusiasm to the practice.
- All the subspecialties are represented in our training program.
- Our programs, clinical and teaching are consistently ranked in the top ten nationally.
- Our residents are great people and they make exceptional ophthalmologists.
- Iowa City is a highly intellectual community with premier arts events that are accessible to residents both in terms of cost and location.
- We have an outstanding school system for children in grades K-12.
- A great training program and a high quality of life.
- We want you to succeed. | <urn:uuid:e2022064-f70f-474d-86d3-9ac958bc7a6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uihealthcare.org/GME/ResProgInsidePages.aspx?id=226820&taxid=225603 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955553 | 1,601 | 1.554688 | 2 |
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AICPA CPA Insider November 15, 2010
Published on November 17, 2010
Gaming Audit & Accounting Guide
This guide provides "how-to" guidance on planning, performing and reporting on Gaming engagements, as well as information for members in practice in the Gaming industry. It explains the accounting and auditing for many types of Gaming industry issues, including up-to date information such as recently issued Accounting Standards Updates and GASB Statements and their effect on the industry. This Guide has been fully conformed to reflect the new standards resulting from the Clarity Project. | <urn:uuid:8417110e-1c8f-4bea-bc4c-12b26095201e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aicpa.org/PUBLICATIONS/NEWSLETTERS/AICPACPAINSIDER/2010/NOV/Pages/default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956249 | 127 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Virtue or positive value.
(AMc‑90: dp. 173; l. 97'; b. 22'; dr. 9'; s. 10 k.; cpl. 17; a. 2 mg; cl. Accentor)
Merit (AMc‑90) was laid down 15 August 1941 by F. L. Fulton Co., Antioch, Calif.; launched 4 January 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Walter H. Eels; and placed in service 28 March 1942.
After shakedown along the coast of California, the new coastal minesweeper was assigned to the western sea frontier force. Transferred 16 March 1943 to Naval Local Defense Force, 12th Naval District, she continued her sweeps and patrols to protect San Francisco Harbor as a major departure point for men and materials to the Pacific fighting fronts. Regarded as surplus following V‑J Day, she was placed out of service 10 December 1945 and struck from the Navy list 8 May 1946. Eight months later Merit transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service. | <urn:uuid:34e7473e-79db-42ec-bdc7-da340b0f748f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m9/merit.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935485 | 215 | 1.796875 | 2 |
The Isolated Childrens' Parents Association (ICPA) has welcomed a Senate recommendation to boost payments for students who have to move away to attend university.
A Senate committee says the Federal Government should give students an annual payment of $10,000, which is not subject to parental income or an assets test.
ICPA spokeswoman Lorraine McGinnis says it would help encourage more rural students to continue their education.
"Independent youth allowance is a welfare payment," she said.
"What this [recommended allowance will do] is to allow people to relocate to a major centre to continue their tertiary education.
"Remembering that these students, or the families of these students, have already incurred considerable cost getting their children through secondary schooling because they've had to live away from home." | <urn:uuid:01128ba4-77e8-4dab-a5ba-fc1eebaa6124> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/21/2777762.htm?site=northqld | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96743 | 162 | 1.835938 | 2 |
EYEBEAM PRESS RELEASE:
No word from the American artist 24 hours after being taken into Chinese custody.
Powderly was in Beijing to unveil a project made with pro-Tibet activist group.
New York City, August 19, 2008, 7:30PM EST- Artist and Eyebeam alum James Powderly was detained by Chinese authorities in Beijing early Wednesday, according to a message received by Students for a Free Tibet around 5PM Beijing Standard Time, said an SFT spokesperson. The message, sent through the social networking site Twitter, read “held since 3AM”, said friend and SFT board member Nathan Dorjee. Powderly has not been heard from since-more than 24 hours later-and his whereabouts remain unknown, he said.
“Freedom of speech has always been central to James’ practice, and we support this commitment. Most importantly, we hope for his quick release,” said Eyebeam Executive Director Amanda McDonald Crowley. Powderly was a fellow in Eyebeam’s R&D OpenLab in 2005-2006, and a senior fellow in the OpenLab from 2006-2007.
Powderly is also co-founder of the Grafitti Research Lab, a project developed during his fellowship at Eyebeam. He was in Beijing collaborating with the activists to project messages onto the facades of prominent Beijing buildings using a laser beam and stencils. The artist was detained before the planned launch of the project-dubbed the “Green Chinese Lantern”-in which a beam of light would be used to display graphics and text on structures up to two stories high, said Dorjee. It is unclear how Chinese authorities learned of the plan.
Also today, five activists with Students for a Free Tibet were detained after displaying a banner that spelled out “Free Tibet” in LED Throwies, the open source technology pioneered by the Grafitti Research Lab and popularized online and worldwide. This brings the number of SFT protestors detained in Beijing to 42. In the majority of these cases, the individuals were heard from and deported within 6-12 hours of their arrest, said Dorjee.
Upon learning of the detention, fellow artist, collaborator, and current Eyebeam senior fellow Steve Lambert said, “He’s an amazing, entertaining, brilliant, and committed person. Not all of us have the courage to travel to China to make such a statement at a key time like this. He’s a great friend and obviously, like so many others, I’m concerned about his well-being. I hope he’s allowed to return home as soon as possible.”
The L.A.S.E.R. Stencil technology is a modification of the GRL’s L.A.S.E.R. Tag, which was featured in the 2007 Eyebeam exhibition Open City. This portable, updated version is the size of a flashlight, requires one person to operate, and is intended for use with homemade micro-stencils.
Students for a Free Tibet, a group with more than 700 chapters worldwide, has been staging protests in Beijing over the course of the past two weeks. According to Dorjee, who is also the group’s technical advisor, GRL technology was an ideal fit for the spectacle of the Olympics, and called the GRL the “go-to group for open source urban expression”.
For the latest information and images, please visit the website of Students for a Free Tibet. Additional images for download: | <urn:uuid:b994e843-f0b3-4dfa-a183-6ce60f6b0a81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://antiadvertisingagency.com/grls-james-powderly-detained-in-beijing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96324 | 736 | 1.5 | 2 |
By Mirembe Martina
A story has been circulating about a Ugandan woman who turned into a snake after allegedly stealing money from a Sudanese man.
We have confirmed reports that the story is a hoax as the woman does not exist.
The story which has been circulating in a local newspaper, ‘Kamunye’ is a fraud. The pictures on the newspapers come from youtube, a video which was posted of a snake in Indonesia which looked like a human and a dog.
It has been circulated that the woman, whose name has never been identified was a street walker (prostitute) and had gone with a Sudanese man to offer her services. However, upon reaching the bedroom, he went to freshen up and she got a chance to escape.
It is reported that the woman fled with a lot of money and the man’s laptop and in revenge, the man bewitched her and she started turning into a snake.
The horrific story however is not true as there is no supporting evidence to prove that the woman exists. The photograph used was obtained from a video from Youtube which was first posted in 2009 December and re-posted in 2010 January.
It is believed that the authorities are hunting down those who came up with this story which has made people wonder if it is actually possible for one to turn into a snake.
The same story has been circulating around in Ghana about a woman who allegedly turned into a snake and entered the church and as they tried to kill the snake, a woman emerged convincing people that it her who had turned into a snake. | <urn:uuid:974af317-3c7b-45f5-b3a0-b78e744f7123> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ugandapicks.com/2012/06/story-of-ugandan-woman-turned-into-snake-a-lie-77658.html/comment-page-2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990199 | 328 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Originally Posted by vhang123123
Ya....you get your point.
How about i write it down and your all help to improve the language as well as checking the grammar error ? Can ??
here...is a teacher's spring seasons:
Can you help to improve the story and checking the grammer mistake.I do it by myself , not copying from other.And i think the story should be lengthen.
First two sentences should be put into one, and the "on bed" part sounds bit weird.
Third sentence - A baby cry, or a sound of the baby crying. Smoke spreads through, not to.
Fourth and fifth sentence can be merged.
Sixth sentence is written is present, while previously you were writing in past tense. It looked like they were welcoming a new family member.
instead of flower
, unless that was your intention.
Just write "Her name was Ester". The way you wrote is more poetic, and it doesn't really fit with the rest of the story (unless that was your intention).
Either "She lived happily for twenty years..." or "Living hapilly for twenty years, eventually she decided..."
English in capital letters.
"It was still spring season there", or something among those lines.
As she was moving out of the town, she saw (noticed) blossoming trees shaking their branches for a good bye.
Or something similar to that.
Got instead of get, to learn, to improve.
Just a quick check. You need to work on your grammar skills quite a lot. I'm not expert (yet), so I just have given you some simple tips that I would give to any elementary school student. | <urn:uuid:e785ae7c-513a-4682-b652-cd035eff357b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.playdota.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5784874 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975975 | 352 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Maine Government News
First Lady Ann LePage Encourages Mainers to Thank a Veteran
August 10, 2012
First Lady posts a video address on Governor LePage's new YouTube page.
AUGUSTA – On Friday, First Lady Ann LePage posted a new video to Governor Paul LePage’s YouTube channel discussing Maine’s soldiers and veterans, their sacrifices, and their families. She also discusses the recent Maine Silver Star Honorable Service Medal ceremony, which took place at six locations statewide and honored veterans in Maine who have received a Purple Heart award.
The address, approximately three and a half minutes long, is part of a larger effort from First Lady LePage to acknowledge and support Maine soldiers and veterans. In the video, she specifically requests Mainers take a moment out of their day to thank a veteran for the sacrifices they make to defend our freedom and liberties. The full transcript of the video is as follows:
Hello, I’m First Lady Ann LePage. I wanted to speak to you today about some very special people. These people are your family members, your friends and your neighbors. That of course, is enough to make them special to you, but what makes them heroes to all of us, is their service. I am speaking today about our veterans.
My top priority is to honor our service men and women. The sacrifices they make every day, for you and me, are a reminder of what makes Maine and this nation proud, free, and strong. Those sacrifices are as diverse as the people themselves. A mom who says goodbye to her children as she heads off for duty; A dad who leaves behind his family that must become even stronger while he is away; individuals who travel the globe to secure our freedom, ensuring that all of us back home can live our lives in peace.
Sadly, there are times when we have glaring reminders of sacrifice. Those who gave their lives for their country, and those who are wounded in battle and must live with the scars while maintaining their sense of family and community with dignity.
In this country and in this state, we recognize those who have died and those who have been wounded in battle with the Purple Heart. The original Purple Heart, then called the Badge of Military Merit, was established by George Washington in 1782. These medals are given to veterans and family members as a small token of the American people’s appreciation of their courage. Here in Maine, since that awful day of September 11th, 2001, 335 Purple Hearts have been awarded, including 38 who were killed in action.
The Governor and I continue to keep these individuals in the hearts and minds of all Mainers by further recognizing their sacrifice. On Tuesday, August 7th in the Hall of Flags of the State House, we held the Silver Star Awards Ceremony. The Silver Star Honorable Service Medal is a special award given by the State of Maine to Maine veterans who have received a Purple Heart. We were proud to welcome veterans going as far back as World War II. To meet them, to be with them, and to see their continued pride in their service was such a wonderful honor. Silver Star ceremonies will continue throughout the state as we reach out and truly thank those Mainers who put country ahead of Self, and in doing so, earned their way into the hearts of all of us.
I know we all have busy lives with work, school and spending quality time with our family and friends. But I want to ask you to please take some of that time and thank a veteran. You’ll see them in uniform at the malls and at the airports; you’ll see special license plates recognizing their service; and you’ll see reunions in your own neighborhood when that man or woman, son or daughter, comes home into the open arms of loved ones. Take just a moment to say thank you. Thank you for your service, thank you for your courage, and thank you for your honorable decision of serving in this nation’s military. Our state and our country are stronger because of you, and we’ll never forget the sacrifices you have made that allow us the freedoms we enjoy every day.
God bless our troops, God bless the State of Maine, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you.
To see the video, click here
For more information on First Lady LePage, click here | <urn:uuid:60f65c38-0dfc-47a7-abdc-63bf32af4835> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Portal+News&id=427447&v=article-2011 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971226 | 900 | 1.570313 | 2 |
One of the big questions that consumers have
when shopping for a hybrid on the new or used car market is “How long will the
batteries last”. That question is the one that at times keeps people previously
interested in a hybrid from buying due to the thought of an expensive battery
replacement years down the road.
Consumer Reports Car Blog has
answered the question of how well a used Prius performs recently. The blog got its
hands on a 2002 Prius that has 206,000 miles on the clock, put the car on the
test instruments, and pitted it against a 2001 Prius that they tested back when
the car was new with 2,000 miles on the clock.
are very impressive. The 206,000-mile Prius performed nearly identically to
the 2001 Prius. When the editors tested the 2001 Prius with 2,000 miles on the
odometer, it racked up highway mpg of 48.6 and city mpg of 30.5. The 206,000-mile
2002 Prius on the same instruments coughed up 46.3 mpg on the highway and 32.1
mpg in the city. This brought the overall combined fuel economy number to 40.4 mpg
compared to the new 2001 Prius combined rating of 40.6 mpg.
The 2002 Prius with 206,000 miles on the clock is
also reportedly still on the original battery, engine, and transmission. The
performance tests show that the car is just almost exactly dead on with the
performance when new despite all the miles driven.
The editors at Consumer Reports note that replacement costs for the Prius battery could be as much
as $2,600. However, they point out that a Prius owner could likely get a unit
from a junkyard for about $500.
Toyota unveiled the latest hybrid called the Prius
V back in January. | <urn:uuid:c981e4cc-103f-443f-b42a-a2101ae566a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=20940&commentid=656707&threshhold=1&red=4715 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938367 | 401 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Three constitutional initiatives are on the ballot with elections for state and county leaders. There's a lot of issues to process, and election day is coming fast.
Voters who live in the Lee County Schools district will have the opportunity to choose the man who will be superintendent for the next four years.
It's not a decision that should be made lightly. This is one that requires a lot of homework because so much is demanded of our schools. The superintendents can't do everything, but they play a huge part in setting the agenda and tone for the district.
The decision between incumbent Mike Scott or challenger Jimmy Weeks is the most immediate to voters who have children or grandchildren in the district. But choosing a school superintendent should be important to voters who don't have children in the district; your tax dollars fund the schools, too.
But beyond taxes, it's in all of our best interests to have strong public schools. Quality schools boost the community and property values. They are a key component in economic development. Business and industry need well-prepared employees. Those ambitious well-prepared employees will want quality schools for their children, or they may choose to work elsewhere.
We need well-educated young adults to keep our communities vibrant in the future. It doesn't happen by accident.
Lee County Schools have seen some amazing progress and growth. Achievement test scores are trending up. School district taxes are down slightly.
But the district can't rest on its laurels. Classrooms, especially on the north side, are bulging. There are significant achievement gaps. Graduation rates aren't where they need to be to prepare children for the new economy.
Today, Parents for Public Schools is hosting a forum to give Lee County voters a closer look at Scott and Weeks. The event will start at 6 p.m. at the Saltillo Community Center, located in Saltillo City Park.
You'll get to hear both men answer questions about their vision for the district, student achievement, parent involvement, overcrowding and preparing students for the new millennium.
They'll also be opportunities for the audience to submit questions in writing during the forum.
I'll be one of three panelists along with the Rev. David Walker and Shane Hooper. I don't have children in Lee County Schools, but I occasionally get the privilege of attending Lee County school board meetings for the Daily Journal.
Come join us for an insightful evening. An hour's worth of homework can go a long way in the voting booth.
Michaela Gibson Morris is a Daily Journal staff writer. Contact her at (662) 678-1599 or [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:273a5173-f02d-40f4-8336-0b4ac5704d76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://djournal.com/pages/full_story/push?article-MICHAELA+GIBSON+MORRIS-+Time+for+some+election+homework%20&id=16188560 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962565 | 547 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Excise Tax Alert
- First, dentists will not be responsible for collecting, reporting, or paying the new 2.3 percent tax.
- Second, the tax on “devices” specific to dentistry will in many cases be applied to the materials from which dental devices are manufactured rather than to the customized items supplied by a dental laboratory, whether or not a device is ultimately adjusted and adapted by the dentist for a patient. “Device” is used as a term-of-art since many “devices” would be more commonly described as “products,” “materials,” or “substances.”
- Third, the tax will result in some increased costs for dentists and dental patients.
- Fourth, dentists should be alert in reviewing manufacturer and vendor price lists and invoices to make sure that the 2.3% tax is not being applied as a general cost increase with respect to all items, but is only being applied in cases where the law so requires.
The points listed above are derived from the new IRS regulations that “affect manufacturers, importers and producers of taxable medical devices,” as well as from informal conversations about them that the ADA has had with the IRS.
Final regulations published in the Dec. 7 Federal Register apply to sales of taxable medical devices after Dec. 31, 2012. There are some 180,000 taxable devices by IRS estimates, including dental devices approved by the Food and Drug Administration for human use. Of course, the tax will apply to all non-excluded “medical devices” a dental practices uses, but to put things in perspective, the total number of devices that are specific to dentistry based on IRS definitions, is approximately 130.
The regulations do not create a special rule or carve-out for dental devices. Dental devices subject to the tax are those listed by the FDA in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 872—DENTAL DEVICES. This is the FDA list that places dental devices into Class I, Class II, or Class III. The ADA compiled list includes each of the items designated a “Dental Device” by the FDA and the FDA subcategory into which the device falls. Subcategories include, for example, “Surgical Devices,” and “Therapeutic Devices.” All devices listed are subject to the excise tax unless they fall under an exclusion.
The major exclusion from the device tax is provided by the “retail exemption,” which is a simple test to apply in many cases, but which may be a little more difficult to apply in others. For example, any device/product that appears in the FDA list with the letters “OTC” in front of its name is clearly excluded from imposition of the tax. This “safe harbor” for items explicitly designated as being “over-the-counter” products or devices is easy to understand and apply.
It can also be safely assumed that certain other listed devices, such as power toothbrushes, manual toothbrushes, dental floss, and teething rings are not subject to the tax. In yet other instances, the IRS itself may not be quite sure whether a product is entitled to the retail exemption. Dentists and patients may be the best source of information about such products that might include, for example, intraoral dental wax or mechanical denture cleaners or sleep apnea devices.
When it comes to determining in a closer case whether the retail exemption should apply the IRS has said that it will take a “facts and circumstances” approach. It has designated a number of factors that will go into its evaluative process, but there is no history as yet as to how these factors will be weighted or applied. How long it may take the IRS to do this generally or in a particular situation is anybody’s guess, but given the number of medical devices the IRS estimates there are and considering the many other things that are on the IRS’s plate it’s probably safe to say that it won’t be anytime soon.
Unless contrary guidance is issued in the future, it appears that so long as such “devices” can be purchased at retail the tax will not apply even if they are also sometimes supplied, or even are primarily supplied, by dental laboratories or dental practices.
In reviewing the list of FDA dental devices and applying the retail exclusion, it may seem quite arbitrary as to which devices will and will not be subject to the tax. In fact, certain distinctions may appear downright illogical. This results from the fact that the FDA list was compiled for reasons wholly unrelated to any sort of taxation, but it is now being used by a taxing body for tax determination purposes.
With respect to the “materials” versus “completed device” distinction mentioned earlier, it is perhaps easiest to understand by referring to the items listed under the “Prosthetic Devices” subcategory of the FDA list. Materials used to make prosthetic devices, such as noble metals, or materials used in restorations, such as dental amalgam, appear on the list. But prosthetic devices themselves, such as dentures, are not listed, and the restorations made from restorative materials are not listed either. Closely related to this subject is that, according to what the ADA has heard from the IRS to this point, dentists will not be considered “manufacturers” of dental devices merely because they perform restorations or assemble and adjust prosthetic devices. These means dentists will not be responsible for applying, collecting, or reporting the device excise tax in connection with the work they do, or otherwise.
The Association has urged Congress to repeal this Affordable Care Act tax. Support for delayed implementation appears to be growing in the “lame duck” session of the 112th Congress, and the IRS and Treasury Department “continue to study” such issues as the tax treatment of medical software licenses and the taxability of donated medical devices and medical convenience kits. In fact, the IRS has continued to call for public comments on some of these matters. There is uncertainty, as well, on how the tax may be applied to dental prosthetics and appliances manufactured overseas.
But unless something changes, the first device excise tax deposit from manufacturers and importers, covering the first 15 days of January, is due Jan. 29 under the current rules. However, the IRS offered temporary relief to device manufacturers from timely deposits for the first three calendar quarters of 2013 “in consideration of the short time frame between the effective date of the tax and the due date of the first deposit, and in the interest of sound tax administration.”
Some dentists have received letters from dental laboratories attempting to explain the tax and how it will be applied. At this point, there may be some differences of opinion between various stake holders as to how the tax will work. Bear in mind that dental labs and dental supply companies will likely pass the cost of the tax along to their dentist customers. The ADA plans to reach out to manufacturers and vendors in order to express dentistry’s view of the limits on the device tax and to come to a unified position as to how the tax should be applied and collected. The Association will continue to track the new medical device excise tax and will provide information through Association media including the ADA News. | <urn:uuid:71d5ab2d-0111-4db5-a273-d5f79d35bab5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ada.org/8053.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964293 | 1,533 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Web Date: March 13, 2012
Dow Sponsors Sustainability Fellows
Over the course of the program, Dow and the university hope to attract 300 Dow Sustainability Fellows, including masters, doctoral, and postdoctoral students from fields as diverse as chemistry, engineering, economics, law, public policy, and architecture. The university will begin receiving applications from students for the program next fall.
“They will be inspired to work together, as they would in the real world, to develop concrete solutions, actionable solutions on how we can all live cleaner, and actually greener, and sustainably on this precious planet of ours,” said Dow CEO Andrew N. Liveris in announcing the fellowship program before a gathering of the Detroit Economic Club.
“The uniqueness of this program is that it is not rooted in one discipline or any unit of the university,” noted University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman at the event. “It is as broad and comprehensive as sustainability itself.”
Dow hopes to reap a business benefit from the program as a potential future employer for the fellows. “Hopefully some of them will work for Dow eventually,” Liveris noted. Dow and the university will share any intellectual property that emerges from fellowship research projects.
The fellowship program is one of several investments Dow has made with academic partners in recent months. Last October, the company said it will spend $250 million over 10 years to support breakthrough chemical technologies at 11 major universities and help increase the number of chemistry and chemical engineering Ph.D.s at the schools. Last month, Dow said it will donate $3.5 million to the college of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, to rebuild the school’s undergraduate teaching labs and design a green-chemistry-based curriculum.
With the University of Michigan program, Dow hopes to foster new thinking about sustainability. “Most people believe we actually need to make a choice: growth of the economy on the one hand, protection of the environment on the other,” Liveris said. “But that truly is an old paradigm.”
- Chemical & Engineering News
- ISSN 0009-2347
- Copyright © American Chemical Society | <urn:uuid:a4414a10-af83-4e26-8939-98684090cbdc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cen-online.org/articles/90/web/2012/03/Dow-Sponsors-Sustainability-Fellows.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946065 | 459 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Dr. Evan Wood, MD, PhD, ABIM, FRCPC is a lead researcher at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) and Director of the BC-CfE’s Urban Health Research Initiative (UHRI), whose mission is to improve the health of individuals and communities through research to inform policy.
In addition, he is the founder of the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy, which is dedicated to public education and supporting an evidence-based approach to policy for illicit drugs. He is an internal medicine physician specialized in inner city medicine, a clinical epidemiologist and internationally recognized expert in drug addiction and related policies.
Early in his career, Dr. Wood focused on the development of HIV treatment strategies, and he made several discoveries that contributed to the revision of guidelines for the initiation of antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive adults. He has taken special interest in HIV treatment strategies among HIV-positive injection drug users. He is the founding principal investigator of Insite, North America's first and only medically supervised safer injecting facility, and has been widely involved in evaluating illicit drug policies with a special focus on injection drug use.
Dr. Wood’s clinical and current research focuses inner city medicine issues as well as policies as they relate to treatment and prevention issues facing injection drug users, as well as public health and HIV prevention strategies for street-involved youth.
He has co-authored over 350 scientific papers and has received international recognition for his research. He was selected for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Peter Lougheed Award Award as the nation’s top New Investigator applicant in 2003, received the Ron Ghitter Award in Human Rights in 2006, was the recipient of a leadership award from the Canadian Medical Association in 2007, and in 2010 received a physician of the year award from the British Medical Journal for his groundbreaking research in HIV, public health, illicit drug policy and addiction. In 2011, he received a Distinguished International Scientist Award from the U.S. National Institutes on Drug Abuse to support research collaborations with addiction researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.
Dr. Wood helped establish the UHRI in 2007 based on peer-reviewed funding obtained from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the US National Institutes of Health. UHRI research programs are based on a network of studies that have been developed to help identify and understand the many factors that affect the health of urban populations, with a focus on substance use, infectious diseases, the urban environment and homelessness.
Dr. Wood is an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Drug Policy and serves on the editorial boards of a host of addiction and infectious disease journals. He has been widely quoted in Canadian and international media including over 300 times in the last 5 years, and has contributed columns to top newspapers in Canada and abroad including the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the National Post, the Vancouver Sun, the Los Angeles Times, and CNN online. | <urn:uuid:ff92a0e6-3998-4a05-a790-3fc1c0671c3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cfenet.ubc.ca/about-us/team/wood-e | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96264 | 609 | 1.53125 | 2 |
What Makes a Good Movie: Writing or Special Effects?
Let me start off by saying I am a hard-core fan of special effects. Now with that said, the question that I bring to the table tonight is, “Do special effects make a good movie, or does a good story make a good movie?” Bringing this all to light for me was HBO last night showing the orginal Alien. I’m flipping through the channels, I begin to watch, as happens to me on many classic sci-fi movies. Now as I’m watching the original Alien movie, I noticed that a lot of the halls, aisles, and walkways are dark and not well lit. It makes me wonder, “Did they create this dark and gloomy place to tell the story, or did the story decide the effects of the hall and the lighting?”
I personally believe that if you go back through a lot of the older movies that you will find that most of them have stronger stories then exist in modern-day movies. I also believe that over the years the storytelling itself has gotten weaker, and the special effects have gotten better. The special effects getting better, I believe, has contributed to what could be lazy writing or high demand of the market product. High demand of the product, I think, can take some blame for what’s going on. What I mean by this is you have such a broad way to distribute products, and so many people in so many markets that the demand for more and more content has weakened the quality of such content.
I also believe that a good story can never harm the success of the movie. Equally I don‘t think that good special effects could harm the success of a movie either. Before some of you and my editor jump out of your seat and scream that I’m wrong, please remember, I did say good special effects or good stories. With all that said, there are a ton of classic stories that would have been enhanced immensely with good quality special effects. Having those special effects in my opinion would have only enhanced the quality of for example the original Doctor Who series, the original Star Trek, modern day special effects in the original Star Wars. Story quality alone, however, proved to be strong enough of a factor in these high quality original stories.
Modern day special effects, on the flip side, allow some movies with very poor storylines, or weak storylines at the very best, still be successful in today’s marketplace. Now is this caused by a change in the audience and their expectations, or is this caused by the same thing that makes the classics good? With some elements so strong that, regardless of the quality of the remainder of the content, it’s still good. I for one believe that we have seen recently very few examples of both quality stories and quality special effects.
Some of these examples include the recent series of movies put out by Marvel, including The Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, and in addition to these, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. With there being so few examples of good quality writing and good quality special effects combined in one movie, it’s hard to determine what causes success and what causes flops. Some of this is marked up to luck or is there really some magical formula that some people know, and that the rest of us just don’t understand.
I look forward to the day when the market starts a change in each of us to demand a little bit higher quality. Well, who am I kidding? I watch so much crap I need to be one of those first people to change the way I picked stuff to watch. I enjoy a lot of this crap. I also overlook a lot of the flaws and enjoy things for what they are. So maybe we’re better off just the way it is? | <urn:uuid:8f7a9c2f-dcac-4079-80f9-aec6aa5e8747> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scififx.com/2012/07/what-makes-a-good-movie-writing-or-special-effects/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963863 | 791 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Volunteers gather to plant trees at Chattanooga's National Cemetery
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WRCB) -- Under an overcast sky 200 volunteers ranging from a 91 year old World War II veteran to an 8 year old cub Scout gathered to plant 80 trees in the Chattanooga National Cemetery Saturday morning. The volunteers came from throughout the region and represented diverse civic, veterans and patriotic organizations.
The group organized themselves into Planting Teams who brought their own planting tools. Each team planted from two to four trees. The planting was coordinated by Rear Admiral Noah Long, U. S. Navy (retired), a past chairman or the Chattanooga Area Veterans Council and a Master Gardener, in conjunction with the Urban Forestry Department of the City of Chattanooga.
The department, headed by Army veteran, Gene Hyde, was able to provide the trees as a result of a foundation grant.
Cemetery Director, Deborah Kendrick, thanked the CAVC, the City of Chattanooga, and the assembled volunteers. She noted that this effort will help ensure the beauty of the cemetery for years to come.
Planting Teams were provided by the Vietnam Veterans of America Unit 203, the American Legion Post 95 of East Ridge, Soddy Daisy High School JROTC, and the East Gate High School JROTC. The Marine Corps and the Navy provided teams composed of active duty, reserve and retired personnel.
The two area Sea Cadet programs from Signal Mountain and Chattanooga each sent approximately 20 cadets that helped out on multiple sites with other teams. The Knights of Columbus and the Signal Mountain Lions Club worked with the Sea Cadets. A Girl Scout Troop from East Ridge Community Center planted a potential replacement for the historic Washington Hawthorn.
The area gardeners were well represented by a team of Master Gardeners, a team from the Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs Dist III members, and one from The Garden Club of Signal Mountain TFGC. Individual volunteers from the Coast Guard and the Submarine Service filled in with other teams.
The trees planted were all native to this region to provide historic context and to insure maximum survival. | <urn:uuid:54108fa0-065d-4385-9c17-4fcbbadf9b0b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/20298511/volunteers-gather-to-plant-trees-at-chattanoogas-national-cemetery | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94383 | 425 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Some of the largest, most influential newspapers and media companies in the country have tried it: The New York Times. The Washington Post. The Chicago Tribune. Gannett. AOL.
None has succeeded. Yet.
Their quest to reach readers and advertisers at the hyperlocal level — covering events town by town, neighborhood by neighborhood — has been beset with false starts, red ink and, most recently, an ethics scandal.
The Post, the Times and a group of six Gannett newspapers in New Jersey each abandoned their efforts to cover microcommunities.
AOL, which has invested millions of dollars in Patch.com, its network of hyperlocal websites, hasn't found a way to make a profit. Patch lost more than $100 million last year, according to some estimates, red ink that spreads throughout more than 860 communities in 23 states.
Started in 2007 with a $1.1 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Chicago-based EveryBlock was running out of cash. After shopping for investors, it found a deep-pocketed owner two years later in NBC Universal.
Then there'sTribune Co.
The Chicago Tribune's parent company has egg on its face after revelations that its partner in producing hyperlocal news, a third-party content provider named Journatic LLC, had been using false bylines on some of its stories.
A follow-up investigation by the Chicago Tribune also found plagiarism and fabrication in another story, resulting in the paper about a week ago indefinitely suspending the use of Journatic editorial content.
Aside from ethical issues, questions remain about the model. While the market has identified a need for hyperlocal content, no one has figured out how to make it a successful business. That uncertainty hasn't stopped a number of players eager to join the fray, including Joe Ricketts, the billionaire whose family trust owns the Chicago Cubs.
"There's a whole class of advertiser who was shut out by (higher) newspaper rates, and readers who never got truly local news from their metro newspaper," said Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at New York University and a prominent media critic. "The problem that Journatic was trying to solve is worth solving."
The media business fascination with hyperlocal news is a reflection of the enormous cultural shifts hastened by America's migration online.
For the better part of two centuries, print newspapers owned the market for information, holding a virtual monopoly over local advertising. Then along came the Internet, which tore that business model to shreds, allowing anyone to produce a version of the hometown newspaper. All it took was an element of curiosity and access to a computer.
On the other side of newspapers' value proposition — advertising — even greater forces were working to dismantle the traditional business model. Why pay to take out a classified in a newspaper whenCraigslist.orgwas free? Profits took a dive. Newspapers cut costs, tightened their focus and hemmed in coverage.
They also started to fight back. Afraid of ceding any more territory to the Web, newspapers launched initiatives of their own.
The challenges have proven nearly insurmountable. Journalism, even without the costs of a printing press and distribution, is an expensive endeavor because of the salaries for reporters and editors. The competition has grown more fierce. And because the idea is still so new, a clear picture of who wants hyperlocal news, which type and who will foot the bill has not emerged.
"The unsolved problem is how to deliver a high-quality informational good at lower costs," Rosen said. "That problem remains no matter what happens with Journatic. I think the economics of the industry will lead to more such attempts, and (news organizations) will learn from the failures."
The Chicago Tribune started producing hyperlocal community news in 2007 in both print and online under the banner TribLocal. The first incarnation relied on people in the community providing news and information about their communities on everything from crime to new-business announcements.
But questions about the quality and quantity of user-generated content dogged TribLocal, and the Chicago Tribune started hiring more reporters, editors and freelancers in 2010 to provide most of the news content, said Gerould Kern, the Tribune's senior vice president and editor.
Late last year,Tribune Co.began exploring ways to increase the amount of hyperlocal content but at a lower cost. Company executives reached out to Brian Timpone, an ex-journalist who in 2006 helped start BlockShopper, a website that writes stories about residential real estate transactions.
He started selling real estate stories to the Chicago Sun-Times, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle and other newspapers, later expanding into community news. Timpone also raised money from local investors, including Timothy Landon and Tim Knight, former Tribune Co. executives. | <urn:uuid:54c18f9d-da3d-4f48-a19b-f6574c136ec0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-22/business/ct-biz-0722-hyperlocal--20120722_1_hyperlocal-content-hyperlocal-news-media-companies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956584 | 993 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Today’s New York Times has an article relating to my blog post last week regarding the tenth anniversary of Regulation FD and Disclosure. The article can be found at:
It is great to see the mainstream press focusing on the issue of web disclosure. While I obviously agree with the points that the article makes, the interesting thing for me is the focus on Wall Street. While Wall Street is important here, the bigger issue is the way that uneven disclosure hurts retail investors.
Individuals who neither have the technology nor time to monitor numerous corporate web sites are at a distinct disadvantage in situations where companies use advisory releases or limit disclosure solely to their corporate websites.
As one of the people who commented on the Times article stated, "disclose means making something visible for an audience, not just making it visible." This is a key point and one that should be top of mind at all times to all who are involved in the financial communications field. It cannot be understated.
Unfortunately, it is a message that is not always appreciated by all.
The New York Times article also quotes an unnamed corporate lawyer who implies that by limiting disclosure to a corporate website, a company can avoid sharing its information with third parties thereby mitigating the risk of leaks. What this lawyer is recommending is nothing less than communications agoraphobia!
PR Newswire has been in business for over 55 years handling market-moving information well in advance of such information becoming public. We have invested millions of dollars in security and training and background checks to ensure that leaks do not happen. Simply stated, leaks do not happen. Basing an argument on the most remote “what if” is specious at best; irresponsible at worst.
Thankfully, the majority of corporate lawyers I’ve spoken with contend that a company that limits disclosure or that engages in selective disclosure is making the lives of its shareholders and journalists who follow the company more difficult - and may be creating the exact uneven disclosure situation that Reg FD was designed to prevent.
Using a corporation's website should be a key part of a company's disclosure methodology as long as it is part of an integrated disclosure strategy that employs all push and pull elements available to a company. Anything less is just an attempt to take a shortcut at the expense of one’s investors, stakeholders and the public at large. It is wrong. Plain wrong.
The good news, however, is we are seeing more and more respected thought leaders, such as Andrew Ross Sorkin, call out these inequities and praise the true value of full and fair disclosure.
Authored by Scott Mozarsky, chief commercial officer, PR Newswire.
For more ideas on engaging investor audiences online, read PR Newswire’s new paper, IR Rising, on how IROs are leveraging online content to build audience for key messages. | <urn:uuid:72a27ec7-5cf0-4b1d-accf-a5df5e5fed31> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.prnewswire.com/2010/11/09/some-clarity-on-web-disclosure-and-transparency/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=9233933e84 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945202 | 580 | 1.75 | 2 |
How Many Apps Are on Your IPhone?
All week, we're using the Macworld Twitter account for some informal daily surveys about iPhone use. (We're also giving away some cool iPhone-related schwag: custom, Macworld-logo iPhone cases from various vendors.) Yesterday, I covered the results from Monday's survey, which asked Macworld's Twitter followers which four apps had earned a place in their iPhone's Dock. Today I take a look at the responses to Tuesday's question: "How many apps are on your iPhone?" (We instructed followers to reply with the number listed in Settings -> General -> About -> Applications, which tells you how many non-stock applications are installed on your iPhone or iPod touch.)
A total of 599 people submitted valid responses by our 5pm PST deadline--an even bigger response than the previous day. As a thank-you, we randomly picked one respondent, @SympaChou, to receive a Macworld-logo, Contoured Nylon Case with Flipcover from Shinnorie. SympaChou, by the way, has 98 apps on his iPhone.
As for the rest of the readers who answered our question, while our survey shouldn't be confused with a scientific one, it let us examine the use of third-party iPhone apps among a self-selecting group of Macworld Twitter followers. Here's how that use breaks down.
The largest group of respondents (32.4 percent) currently have 26 to 50 third-party apps installed, with the next largest group (26.2 percent) having 51 to 75. Just over 16 percent having 76 to 100. Taken together, that means 75 percent of our respondents have 26 to 100 apps installed.
That leaves roughly 25 percent for the extremes: 14.2 percent of respondents have over 100 third-party apps installed, with fewer than five percent having over 125. At the other end of the spectrum, only 11 percent of respondents have 25 or fewer apps installed.
In other words, third-party apps are quite popular among Macworld's Twitter followers. But we suspected that already. Here are some other interesting bits of data:
- The lowest number submitted was 4 apps.
- The highest number reported was 190. Wondering how someone could have so many apps installed with only 11 Home screens available, each holding 16 apps? It turns out that under the iPhone 3.0 software, you can install a much larger number of apps--some people have speculated an unlimited number. It's just that you can only see the apps on those 11 screens. To launch one of the hidden apps--or to even know that it exists on your iPhone--you must use 3.0's Spotlight feature.
- If you add up the responses from all 599 people, the total number of third-party iPhone apps reported amounts to 37,729. Which means that the average number of installed third-party apps among our respondents is 63. For you stat junkies, the median is 58 and the mode is 48 (which had 15 occurrences, although there were a good number of other numbers with 12, 13, or 14 occurrences).
Me? I've got 124 apps according to Settings -> General -> About -> Applications, although I've got a heck of a lot more in iTunes that aren't currently installed on my phone--but that's a question for another day (hint, hint). You can follow @macworld on Twitter to participate in the other surveys this week; just respond to our morning question each day. We'll randomly pick another (US-resident) respondent each day to receive a case. | <urn:uuid:2aba8493-41b1-45f2-b252-4b9d79acfdef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcworld.com/article/167289/article.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953868 | 742 | 1.671875 | 2 |
What Was Your Favorite Moment of the Presidential Inauguration?
There were several highlights during the inauguration ceremony. Tell us what you found to be most memorable.
President Barack Obama was sworn in today for a second term in office.
The day was historic in that Obama is one of just a handful of men who have been re-elected to lead the United States.
But also that his swearing in fell on the annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr's birthday and in the 50th anniversary year of King's March on Washington to deliver the "I Have a Dream" speech.
Today's festivities included a 19-minute speech from the president in which he gave a shout out to southeast Michigan when he said, "Our journey is not complete until all our children from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherised, and always safe from harm."
It also included performances from celebrity singers and an inauguration poem.
Will this day resonate with you or your community? Tell us why in the comments. And vote in our poll for your favorite moment of the day. | <urn:uuid:98077766-4603-4224-8930-7dacd6aa8041> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://novi.patch.com/articles/what-was-your-favorite-moment-of-the-presidential-inauguration | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977831 | 234 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Wedding Season is about to begin - and whether you're a bridesmaid or a bride, you don't want to forget the Eucalan!
Don't let an unexpected stain ruin your special day! Your "emergency" kit should include lipstick, band-aids, safety pins, tissues, and Eucalan stain-treating towelettes. They will quickly clean up any little marks that get on your dress, be it make-up, food, or bird poop (yes, those outdoor photo shoots can get messy!). Bring enough for each person in your wedding party as well as your mother and mother-in-law, too.
After your special day, the hem and train of your wedding dress will most likely be filthy, and it will definitely need a good cleaning before being put away. Cleaning and preserving your dress couldn't be easier (or more cost-effective) with Eucalan:
• Add Eucalan to washing machine or bath tub and fill with tepid water.
• Immerse dress in water and allow to soak for 15 minutes.
• Add Eucalan full strength to tough stains and rub gently with a soft tooth brush until stain disappears.
• Squeeze dress with hands to incorporate soap and water through the fibres.
• Soak dress for additional 15 minutes.
• Remove from water and squeeze or spin out excess water.
• You may roll in a towel being careful not to get beads stuck on towel fibres.
• Hang to dry away from direct sunlight or heat. | <urn:uuid:b7d05aeb-672a-4007-bb0f-485413dd1485> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eucalan.typepad.com/eucalan-delicate-washa-whole-new-spin-on-laundry/2012/03/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93505 | 323 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Today was the day many in the city of Clayton have been waiting for, the first look at the new police station on Brentwood just across from Shaw Park. The building which now houses the police was once a commercial building with residence rooms on the third floor. Interestingly, the third floor remains a rental unit residence and the city will be receiving market value in rent each month. The other 3 floors-basement, first and second are all set up for everything a modern department needs.
The original structure was built as a residence and commercial building in the 1950's by Sidney and Jane Studt who modeled it after the famous Williamsburg Virginia Governor's Palace constructed by the British in the Colonial era. The Palace was the residence of 7 British governors and 2 American governors, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson. After Jefferson the state capitol was moved to Richmond. The exterior of the Clayton building does look much like the palace although on a smaller scale.
The Studt's lived on the top two floor for over two decades. The middle portion of the Palace is remarkably like the Brentwood building. The daughter of the Studt's was in attendance-Janey Symington wife of Stuart Symington Jr. son of the former Missouri senator.
The renovation includes the introduction of the most energy efficient materials and infrastructure including rooftop solar arrays which is a machine used to generate EU from the sun and is the equivalent of many normal solar panels.
The community was invited to the ribbon cutting and tours this morning and many took advantage of the opportunity.
Here the ribbon is cut with members of the Board of Aldermen and Mayor along with the Symingtons, Police Chief, Director of Public Works, Parks and Recreation and others who worked on the building as architects or construction.
Then the tours began and if you'll notice the incredible woodwork which is throughout the main floor and is original. Everything possible was done to save it while getting out all the old heating, cooling, electric and plumbing.
On the first floor off the main entrance is the municipal court.
Going to the right from the main doors will take you to the hallway and receptionist.
Also there is a room they call the sympathy room where witnesses or victims can find a restful place to recover, maybe meet family.
Then my favorite because you so seldom get to see this,
And last the exercise room
Then on to a quick look at the basement where all the machinery is purring away. | <urn:uuid:9de7233a-7d8d-4a28-ba18-7c9018e8bfeb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://respublica.typepad.com/respublica/2013/01/cutting-the-ribbon-on-the-new-clayton-police-station.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966821 | 499 | 1.578125 | 2 |
NSW shoppers complain about whitegoods
Market watch top headlines
SYDNEY, Feb 18 AAP
February 18 2013, 12:56AM
Used cars, white goods and coupons are among the products most complained about to NSW Fair Trading.
Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said the agency had received 44,016 complaints last year, up from 42,585 in 2011.
"The volume of complaints in the number one category (electrical, whitegoods and gas appliances) is a concern," Mr Stowe said.
"To go from 2,611 complaints in 2011 to 4,252 in 2012 is significant.
"In 2012 there was a spike in complaints about extended warranties and evidence of some major retailers failing to deal with consumer concerns directly, leaving Fair Trading as a defacto complaints handing department. "
Mr Stowe said unsatisfactory or non-performance of a service, refund or repair disputes, defective or sub-standard goods, misleading or deceptive conduct and overcharging were constant themes across all categories of complaint.
He encouraged consumers to come to Fair Trading for help.
Other products on the top ten list of most complained about products included travel, jewellery and furniture. | <urn:uuid:50eff4a6-f1e0-4498-9c68-b195ef0a14cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tradingroom.com.au/apps/view_breaking_news_article.ac?page=/data/news_research/published/2013/2/49/catf_130218_125600_1838.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942004 | 245 | 1.5 | 2 |
IU study: Spending on national security has $8.3 billion impact on Indiana
Oct. 6, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Defense spending's impact on the Indiana economy has more than doubled in the past decade. More than 1,100 Hoosier companies were successful in attracting $4.4 billion in contracts from the U.S. departments of Defense (DoD) and Homeland Security (DHS) in 2010, supporting an estimated 38,600 Indiana jobs.
A new report released today (Oct. 6) by the Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business also found that the ripple effects from these defense contracts generated another $3.1 billion, for a total of $7.5 billion in combined economic benefit to the state.
When the payrolls for DHS personnel and DoD employees at military facilities such as Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center, Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center and Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex are factored in, the overall economic impact of military spending on the state totals $8.3 billion and 56,600 jobs.
The $8.3 billion figure is a conservative estimate of the DoD and DHS impact in the state. The analysis could not include spending on equipment and supplies at military facilities like Crane or Camp Atterbury, because the information was not publicly available in the USAspending.gov database.
"Defense contracts have provided a well-needed shot in the arm to Indiana's economy, boosting the state's employment in order to meet the increased demand for defense goods and services," said Jerry Conover, director of the IBRC. "Given that 80 percent of contract dollars over the decade were dedicated to purchasing manufactured goods, U.S. defense agencies were key customers for many Indiana manufacturers during a period of overall employment decline in this sector."
"This report reveals that even though the national economy has struggled throughout the last decade, the state of Indiana has quietly established itself as an elite environment for defense-related companies to thrive," added Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman.
In 2001, Indiana was home to fewer than 400 defense contractors, who brought in just $1.8 billion in such federal contracts. In 2008, the awards of defense-related contracts peaked at a value of $7.8 billion -- nearly four times greater than in 2001. The value of defense-related contracts awarded has declined both in Indiana and nationally since then.
Over the decade, Indiana companies have attracted a total of $43.5 billion in defense-related contracts. The rate of growth in Indiana was nearly twice as fast as the increase in total U.S. defense contract dollars.
Timothy Slaper, director of economic analysis at the IBRC, noted that not only did the defense spending create jobs, but they were well-paying jobs in an era of stagnant wage growth. Defense contracts are heavily concentrated in high-technology, high-paying industries.
"Indiana's professional, scientific and technical service providers have seen a steady increase in recent years. Contract dollars to the industry more than doubled between 2005 and 2010," Slaper said. "This suggests that the DoD and DHS are contracting with Indiana businesses for services that require higher human capital, which is a welcome sign to Indiana economic developers attempting to complement the state's already strong manufacturing base."
Defense-related jobs in manufacturing had an average compensation above $90,000, which, in 2010, also was roughly $20,000 higher than the average for all manufacturing jobs in the state.
Indiana jobs directly supported by defense contracts had an estimated average compensation of $64,000 in 2010, compared to $44,600 average for all jobs in the state.
As a result, government revenues generated by defense contract payrolls produced $375 million in federal revenues in 2010 along with $240 million in state and local government collections.
An area for potential growth is educational institutions as defense contract recipients. The total value of all defense contracts awarded to universities in 2010 was only $16 million. Purdue University led the way with about roughly $8 million, followed by the University of Notre Dame and IU. More than half of contracts to educational institutions ($9.8 million) were designated for research and development, with another $4 million allotted for education and training services.
Below are more highlights from the report:
- Indiana's four largest defense contractors claimed 71 percent of the state's 2010 contract dollars, led by AM General ($1.1 billion in contracts), Rolls-Royce Group ($733 million), Raytheon ($665 million) and ITT ($392 million).
- More than 80 percent of Indiana's 2010 defense contract expenditures were concentrated in three counties: Marion, St. Joseph and Allen. However, defense spending also made significant contributions to some smaller counties, including Whitley (which ranked fifth among all counties), Lawrence (sixth) and Dubois (seventh).
- Defense contracts are the dominant source of all federal awards to Indiana, accounting for 84 percent of all federal contract dollars in Indiana. Additionally, four of Indiana's top five federal contractors are in the defense industry.
- More than three-quarters of Indiana's 2010 defense contract dollars were concentrated in three industries: transportation equipment manufacturing (48 percent of the total); computer and electronic product manufacturing (20 percent); and professional, scientific and technical services (10 percent).
- With an employment multiplier of 2.1 in 2010, every 10 jobs at local defense contractors generated an additional 11 "ripple effect" jobs in other Indiana businesses.
- Contract awards to minority-owned businesses in Indiana have skyrocketed since 2006, growing from a total of $27.7 million to a 2010 total of $139.1 million. The minority group to see the largest percentage increase in dollars awarded over this period was Hispanic-owned businesses, growing from $1.9 million in 2006 to $37.2 million in 2010. The largest overall recipient group, and the second-fastest growing in terms of contracts, was Asian/Indian-owned businesses, which grew their contracts from $10.7 million in 2006 to $81.8 million in 2010. Black-owned businesses more than doubled their contracts in four years, growing from $8.7 million in 2006 to $18.1 million in 2010.
The complete report is available online from the IBRC at http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/. The study was supported by funding from the Indiana Economic Development Foundation and from Conexus Indiana and its corporate partners. | <urn:uuid:c58b6f2f-31e4-4382-b1fe-4085a62470a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kelley.iu.edu/News/List/page38118.cfm?itemurl=/cms/include/newsmedia/items/19805.html.xml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962434 | 1,341 | 1.609375 | 2 |
BAKER, DEWITT CLINTON
BAKER, DEWITT CLINTON (1832–1881). DeWitt Clinton Baker, businessman, was born in Portland, Maine, on November 23, 1832, the son of Symonds William and Mary Ann (Watson) Baker. He was educated at Gorham Academy and Bowdoin College in Maine and was believed to have been an apprentice in the printing business in Portland. He made a trip to Texas from Maine by way of New Orleans in a sailboat, the Billow, with a group of surveyors before 1850. About the same time he moved with his family to Austin, where he was in the drug business for twenty-five years. He married Mary Elizabeth Graham on May 28, 1861, and they became the parents of nine children. Baker was appointed to keep official weather records in Texas. He helped establish public schools in Austin and was the inspector of schools from 1872 to 1877; Baker School in the Hyde Park area of Austin was named in his honor. He probably organized the first Bible society and the first public library in Austin and was treasurer of the Austin Library Association in 1875. He was the author of a number of poems; one called "Sketches of Travel in Texas" appeared in the Portland Transcript. He published A Brief History of Texas from Its Earliest Settlement (1873) and A Texas Scrap-Book (1875). Because of ill health he retired from the drug business and was employed by the Internal Revenue Department. Baker was a member of St. David's Episcopal Church and served as senior warden and superintendent of the Sunday school for several years. He died in Austin on April 17, 1881, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery. The Baker home, which was built in 1871, was purchased by a University of Texas sorority in 1968; a historical marker was dedicated at the property in 1971.
Austin Statesman, April 19, 1881. Frank Brown, Annals of Travis County and the City of Austin (MS, Frank Brown Papers, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin). Vertical Files, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin. Vertical Files, Austin History Center.
The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article.Jeanette H. Flachmeier, "BAKER, DEWITT CLINTON," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fba26), accessed June 19, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. | <urn:uuid:8b42bd32-9b5b-4879-a704-b6e84224db6a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fba26 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977706 | 546 | 1.710938 | 2 |
The $50.7 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package is currently being debated in the House. Monday night, the Rules Committee approved 13 amendments for floor consideration. After neglecting to schedule a vote on an aid package that had been approved by the Senate in the last Congress, the House rushed to pass a $9.7 billion bill to bolster the federal flood insurance fund and is now hashing out the rest of the package.
The $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal is now officially half-complete. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has estimated that American ports are spending between $6 billion and $8 billion annually in local, private and federal funding in preparation for increased maritime activity and deeper draft vessels as a result of the expanded Panama Canal, and foreign ports are rushing to do the same.
ON THE HILL
President Obama signed into law the $9.7 billion bill replenishing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). After the House dragged its feet on voting on any Sandy relief measure in the 112th Congress, the House separated the $9.7 billion flood insurance portion of it as a separate bill for quick passage. The law will increase the NFIP’s borrowing authority from $20.75 billion to $30.425 billion and will allow the NFIP to meet obligations to policyholders affected by Sandy.
While over 90 amendments were proposed to the Hurricane Sandy relief bill, HR 152, the House Rules Committee approved 13 for floor consideration. HR 152 is a base bill that only provides $17 billion of the $50 billion package. The remaining $33.7 billion originates from a Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) companion amendment for long-term projects. One of the remaining thirteen amendments under consideration would offset the $17 billion bill with 1.63 percent across-the-board cuts to domestic and defense spending. Other amendments seek to restrict or clarify how the money is spent, to ensure that it is spent on either disaster-affected areas or projects.
AT THE AGENCIES
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced that contractors have completed the first phase of emergency work to remove rocks that have held up barge traffic in the drought-stricken Mississippi River. The Army Corps of Engineers has been battling the drought in the Mississippi River for more than a month. Relieving the Mississippi River by diverting water from the Missouri River, is, however, off-limits to the corps under a 1940s-era flood control law. Apart from continued rock removal, the corps has few options in its arsenal left. Further water loss to the Mississippi will jeopardize the viability of the waterway for cargo ships and interrupt supply chains.
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will continue to serve as secretary through the second term of the Obama administration Under Napolitano, Customs and Border Protection and the Border Patrol have grown substantially. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has announced he will turn over the helm of the Department of Transportation but has set no timeline for his departure.
The GAO has released a report that advocates for fees on motorists based on miles-traveled to achieve more efficient and equitable system of funding the Highway Trust Fund. Passenger vehicle drivers would pay between $108 and $248 yearly in mileage-based fees, whereas the average total of federal gas tax revenue per driver is about $96. The GAO has estimated such a system would cost more to administer than collecting gas taxes.
The FAA is investigating an incident last week in which a Boeing 787 Dreamliner was leaking fuel. The FAA’s investigation will involve a comprehensive review of the Dreamliner, including its critical systems, design, manufacture and assembly.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed rules mandating electric vehicles produce a minimal level of sound so pedestrians and cyclists can hear the vehicles when they are travelling 18 miles per hour or less. The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010 requires the NHTSA to implement sound rules on electric vehicles for increased awareness and safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
IN THE STATES
Virginia: Gov. Bob McDonnell unveiled his plan to alter the state’s financing of transportation and infrastructure projects, and has proposed eliminating the state’s gas tax and replacing it with increasing the state’s sales tax from 5 percent to 5.8 percent. McDonnell’s plan would not eliminate the 17.5 percent state tax on diesel fuel. The plan would also impose a $100 yearly fee on alternative fuel cars, and put $1 billion from Internet sales tax revenue that would originate from a proposed bill in Congress towards transportation financing as well. McDonnell estimates his plan would raise about $3.1 billion over five years. Virginia’s current transportation system is projected to run out of money in 2017.
Maryland: Gov. Martin O’Malley announced the Maryland General Assembly may consider funding state transportation through indexing the gas tax to inflation or increasing the state sales tax in an effort to fund needed transportation infrastructure. The Maryland state gas tax has remained 23.5 cents per gallon since 1992. Raising the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent or indexing the gas tax to inflation is estimated to increase tax revenues about $700 million per year.
Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s increased toll rates by 10 percent on cash customers and 2 percent for E-ZPass customers on January 6. The increase in tolls is estimated to increase toll revenue by $25 million in 2013. | <urn:uuid:e5e2ab03-0997-4d8c-a6d3-d766bf6c1f1e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hotbuttonblog.com/2013/01/articles/infrastructure-alert-january-15-2013/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954198 | 1,130 | 1.695313 | 2 |
|hope college > campus offices > cit|
Because technology requests normally outnumber funds available, it is important that they be evaluated against each other so that priorities can be properly understood. While a rolling request process would be ideal, it is impractical when requests exceed funds available. Therefore, the college uses a semi-rolling process to ensure that requests are quickly and fairly evaluated and approved. Under this system, the time from request to installation should range from six to eight weeks.
Requests are routed from individual faculty or staff member to department chair or director to divisional head (Dean or Vice President). Requests are evaluated jointly by divisional head and the Director of Computing, and approved, denied, or deferred according to justification and funds available.
General timelines for requests are as follows (exact due dates are set by divisional head each year):
Before divisional heads set exact due dates for requests, approximate budgets will be set to provide an idea of the amount of money available. Department chairs or directors are strongly encouraged to meet with CIT staff to discuss technology strategies and determine accurate budget amounts for requests. These strategies (justification) and budget amounts should be included in detail in the requests.
The Standard Computer:
Due to the rapid change in computer development, it is impossible to define a standard computer in lasting detail. However, CIT establishes a standard several times a year. This standard computer is capable of meeting the personal productivity needs of faculty and staff. These needs generally include word processing, spreadsheet, e-mail, WWW, and other software along with sufficient excess capacity to meet expansion for the next several years. If a faculty or staff member needs more capacity than this standard allows, he/she must either request additional funds or supply them from departmental, divisional, or grant funds. These additional expenditures must be approved by the divisional head and Director of Computing.
Computers for New Faculty:
New tenure-track faculty receive a new standard computer package, and are expected to use the departmental laser printer or local draft-quality printer. Any costs above the cost of the standard package are to be paid for by departmental and/or divisional funds, with approval from the division head and Director of Computing.
New term-appointed faculty are given the best available equipment, as determined by the divisional head and Director of Computing. It is important to request equipment as soon as a term-appointed faculty member is hired.
Computers which were used by departing faculty are reallocated according to the decision made by the divisional head and Director of Computing. These computers do not necessarily remain in the same department or division.
Computers for New Staff:
New staff are expected to use the computer left by their predecessor. In the event that the new staff member is filling a newly-created position, it is up the department director to make a new computer request to his/her division head.
Sabbatical and Library Carrels:
Faculty on sabbatical and/or using a Library carrel are expected to leave their office computer for their replacement, unless other arrangements are made.
Using Departmental Funds to Purchase Technology Equipment:
For technology hardware (computers, fax machines, printers, etc.) purchases over $200, approval from the division head and the Director of Computing is required.
If it is necessary to purchase a computer outside of the normal timeline, the following procedure is to be followed:
The request be made in writing to the divisional head, with a copy to the Director of Computing.
If approved, the department purchase the computer out of their own
or divisional resources.
At the normal request time, the department list the computer need that was purchased early as top priority request for computers (if not then the "loan" would not be repaid).
Hope College | Computing and Information Technology | 110 E. 10th St. | Holland, MI 49423 | <urn:uuid:bddc0a58-8ba9-46d5-b6d9-3adf2e31a377> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hope.edu/resources/cit/policies/allocate.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951113 | 804 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Updated 20 May, 2013, 4:38 pm IST
Web Traffic to Increase Four-Fold by 2015
| by Rossi Fernandes |
Cisco, the networking solutions company has projected that web traffic of the entire world is going to go up by four times by the year 2015. Three billion users are expected to be using the internet by then. The total amount of bandwidth used in the year will be an approximate 1 zettabyte.
Average connection speeds to touch 28 Mbps
The countries that will see the most growth will be countries in Africa and the Middle East. The traffic in this region is expected to be double at least during this period. Latin America is also said to see the next biggest growth. It is expected that there will be more than two connections per person. Broadband speeds are also said to increase, which will in turn, increase the amount of traffic. The average broadband connection speed will rise from 7 Mbps in 2010 to roughly 28 Mbps in 2015. The growth can also be attributed to the increased popularity of devices connected to the web. While desktops and notebooks won’t be as popular as tablets, for example, it’s the growth of product categories such as e-book readers, televisions and photo frames that will contribute to the amount of traffic.
20 May, 2013, 01:04 PM
20 May, 2013, 12:54 PM
20 May, 2013, 12:32 PM
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Sai Krishna Vajjala
Mon May 20, 14:58:17
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Mon May 20, 14:29:11 | <urn:uuid:b376de3e-5477-499c-a009-39441405a61f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tech2.in.com/news/general/web-traffic-to-increase-fourfold-by-2015/224422 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936537 | 386 | 1.710938 | 2 |
ZURICH.- The Kunsthaus Zürich
s 2010 program is dominated by the museums centenary: on 17 April 2010, Carl Mosers flagship building on Heimplatz will be one hundred years old. Switzerlands oldest combined collection and exhibition space will treat visitors to some high-calibre shows, dedicated to 18th-century art (Salomon Gessner), Van Gogh, Cézanne, Monet The Bührle Collection, and the contemporary photography of Thomas Struth, among other things. The high point of the fall season is a homage to Picasso.
The Kunsthaus Zürich published the program for its centenary year in 2010 today. Common to all of its upcoming events is the Kunsthaus Zürichs own collection and its ties to Zurich, to the museums patrons, and to the artists who have benefited from the exposure provided them by the Kunstgesellschaft. A variety of rarely seen works on loan from institutions around the world will enhance exhibition activities in 2010.
Georges Seurat: Figure in Space.
Until 17 January 2010.
Georges Seurat (18591891), the leading exponent of the Neo-Impressionist school of drawing and painting, cast his landscapes, seascapes and human subjects in an innovative light. The inventor of the Pointillist technique, whose severe compositions were admired by the artists of the Bauhaus movement, left behind an oeuvre that is seldom exhibited. The 70 pieces on show include loans from the worlds most renowned collections.
20 November 2009 7 February 2010.
The winner of the 2009 Picture Ballot is Herbstmeer XI (1910) by Emil Nolde (18671956), chosen by the members of the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft as their favorite. It is shown juxtaposed with paintings and works of graphic art featuring similar motifs. Then, from 17 December 2010 until February 2011, the Kunstgesellschaft will offer members a choice of five contemporary three dimensional works in Sculpture Ballot!
Van Gogh, Cézanne, Monet The Bührle Collection visits the Kunsthaus
Zürich. 12 February 16 May.
The unique private collection of more than 150 pictures and sculptures is among the most significant of its kind worldwide. It comprises masterpieces of French Impressionism by such luminaries as Manet, Cézanne, Monet and van Gogh as well as Picasso, and includes works by Canaletto, Ingres and Frans Hals. The provenance of the pictures collected by the Zurich-based industrialist and art historian Emil Bührle (18901956), along with the circumstances of their acquisition, is addressed in the Kunsthaus presentation and accompanying events. Its exhibition in the generously proportioned space Bührle donated to the Kunsthaus and the city of Zurich will serve as a dress rehearsal for the collection, which is destined to be housed in its own special suite in David Chipperfields Kunsthaus extension when the new building opens in 2015.
Idyll in an Obstructed Landscape: The Gessner Cabinet at the Kunsthaus
Zürich. 26 February 16 May.
In the Europe of the Enlightenment, the drawings and watercolors of Salomon Gessner (17301788) were highly respected. His prose idylls won the Zurich painter-poet world renown, and in North and South America as well as in Russia, Armenia and the Caucasus, Gessner was celebrated for his Arcadian visions. Self-taught, Gessner was instrumental in the development of the sentimental landscape painting, at once meticulously detailed and idiosyncratic. The Kunsthaus show reconstructs Gessners once-celebrated painting cabinet, presented by the city of Zurich to the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft in 1818 on permanent loan as the citys first publicly accessible art exhibition, destined to survive both the Napoleonic Wars and the confusion of the Helvetic Republic and serving as the cornerstone of today's Kunsthaus collection as early as the first half of the 19th century.
4 June 22 August.
Adrian Paci (born 1969) is one of Albanias few internationally known artists. In his work which encompasses videos, paintings, installations and photography he addresses topics such as migration, globalization and cultural identity and demonstrates their effects on the human subject. The Kunsthaus is hosting Pacis first solo museum show in Switzerland. The artist has specially created a new video piece for the occasion.
11 June 12 September.
With the success of his museum pictures in the early 1990s, Thomas Struth (born 1954) ascended to the ranks of Andreas Gursky and Jeff Wall as an art photographer with international reach. From 1973 to 1980 Struth studied painting with Gerhard Richter and photography with Bernd Becher at the Art Academy of Düsseldorf. In addition to cityscapes and museum pictures, Struths photographic oeuvre also encompasses classical portraits (including his celebrated families) as well as architectural studies and landscapes. Largeformat and developed in thematic series, Struths work inhabits the realm between documentation and interpretation, between studies of society and psychological excavations. With his contemplative and circumspect methodology, Struth pays homage not only to the history of classical photography but also to contemporary art. The Kunsthaus Zürich hosts the kickoff to Struths first major European survey exhibition.
Giant Herbs and Monster Trees: Drawings and prints by Carl Wilhelm Kolbe.
10. September 28. November.
C.W. Kolbe (17591835) is one of the most intriguing figures in German art at the turn of the 19th century. With his fantastical, virtually surreal landscapes featuring woods and marshes, he exerted a considerable (albeit long underestimated) influence on the graphic arts between Sturm und Drang and Romanticism. From 1805 to 1808 Kolbe lived in Zurich, where he produced engravings based on aquarelle gouaches from the estate of Salomon Gessner. As a souvenir of his sojourn by the banks of the Limmat, he presented the Künstlergesellschaft with a drawing. The fear of radical change lurks in his Arcadian fantasies.
15 October 2010 30 January 2011.
Pablo Picassos first-ever museum retrospective was mounted at the Kunsthaus Zürich in 1932, curated by the still-controversial master himself. It was a signal moment in the history of modern art, a one-of-a-kind event that is now looked upon as a milestone in the annals of the exhibitions shown at the Kunsthaus Zürich. In tribute to the centenary of its founding, the Kunsthaus presents a brilliant homage to the artist featuring works from his early days as well as his blue and pink periods, his Cubist phase, and his urbane classical period. By means of 60 masterpieces originally selected by Picasso himself, the revival traces its forebears influence on the history of the artists reception and its exemplary significance for the relationship among artists, art dealers, museums and cultural institutions. Thanks to the support of the most renowned collections and private lenders in Europe, the USA and Japan, the Kunsthaus show promises to be the highlight of the museums centenary year. | <urn:uuid:26f2940d-f6a2-483d-875b-1687719940cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=33732&int_modo=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954443 | 1,537 | 1.679688 | 2 |
A burst of 8 links for you to chew over, as picked by the Technology team
Note: document is a PDF.
OpenStreetMap, the project to create a free map of the world, has reached one million signedup users this week.
OpenStreetMap involves "mass collaboration", attracting large numbers of contributors all around the world to create a new map from scratch (without copying from existing maps). Anyone can sign up at openstreetmap.org and add information about their neighbourhood to the map, using simple editing software.
On Sunday (6th Jan) the count of users registered on the OpenStreetMap.org website passed one million.
Did we mention that it's British? Congratulations to its founder, Steve Coast. (CA: On a panel in 2006 with Coast and Ed Parsons, then of Ordnance Survey, I confidently asserted that OSM would never get the scale of users it needed to get to OS-quality detail. Then the Free Our Data campaign succeeded, Parsons went to Google as a head of maps technology, and the OS data went free and was incorporated into OSM,)
We recently crossed an important and exciting milestone for the company. LinkedIn now counts over 200 million members as part of our network, with representation in more than 200 countries and territories. We serve our members in 19 languages around the world.
I'd like to thank each of you for helping build the LinkedIn network into what it is today. It's been amazing to see how our members have been able to transform their professional lives through LinkedIn. You truly grasp the power of LinkedIn when you start to focus on these individual success stories.
Any chance of a deathmatch with Google+?
H.264 is used in videocameras, Blu-Ray discs, YouTube, and more. But most organizations using it must pay patent royalties to a group called MPEG LA that licenses H.264-related patents on behalf of their many owners.
Google has tried to spur adoption of VP8 instead, which it's released for royalty-free use. One major area: online video built into Web pages through the HTML5 standard.
However, VP8 hasn't dented H.264's dominance, and VP8 allies failed in an attempt to specify VP8 as the way to handle online video. As a result, HTML5 video can be invoked in a standard way, but Web developers can't easily be assured that a browser can properly decode the video in question.
Google, through Motorola Mobility, is also a member of the H.264 patent pool group. If MPEG-LA decided to sue over VP8 or VP9 infringing, Google would be suing itself.
Late last week, BGR wrote about a recent report suggesting Microsoft's share of the global smartphone market would overtake Google's share in 2015, and Windows Phone would become the best-selling smartphone platform in the world at that point. On Tuesday, the Pyramid Research analyst responsible for the report published a follow up explaining that her findings were misinterpreted. Pyramid's Senior Analyst Stela Bokun explains that Windows Phone is poised to overtake Android's massive market share much earlier than that -- as soon as 2013, in fact.
A classic of its kind.
Stewart Butterfield, co-founder:
Because the guy who owned the domain http://flicker.com wouldn't sell it and we loved the name. Dropping the "e" was Caterina Fake's idea -- I was against it at first because it looked so wrong, but I eventually came to see the wisdom: it was easy for us to get the domain, but it was also more distinctive & recognizable, easier to search for, etc.
Yahoo won the rights (?) to flicker.com in June 2010, as the next answer below Butterfield's explain. Quora, meanwhile, remains an excellent place to find top-level people answering real questions.
We got to see a smartphone running Ubuntu up close for the first time today. It looks like it works and all, but this article will most definitely not be a "hands-on" report--we weren't allowed to put our hands on it.
Canonical demonstrated a Galaxy Nexus running Ubuntu's phone interface at the Consumer Electronics Show, but product manager Richard Collins explained that the company isn't quite ready to let us use it. "We're just doing all of the driving for the demos for now simply because we understand how the experience works," Collins told me when I asked if I could test it out. In other words: No touching!...
The biggest challenge for Canonical may be convincing carriers and phone makers to sell Ubuntu phones and put some marketing muscle behind them.
It's the last sentence which is the meaningful one. Canonical's interface might work wonderfully, but without scale, it's essentially just a ROM for Linux desktop users.
Dropbox on Wednesday announced tighter integration of its cloud storage and file-sharing service with Samsung products, from smartphones to televisions.
Dropbox said the deeper integration includes several new Samsung devices, such as the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Grand smartphone and smart cameras. Samsung cameras will automatically push the photos to Dropbox's cloud storage service.
Just a thought: if Samsung bought Dropbox, Apple would be screwed - inasmuch as Samsung could stall the development of Dropbox on iOS, or let it die. That could lead to users abandoning the iOS platform quite fast.
A word-processing application was necessary back when printing was a daily activity. Heck, we'd print all kinds of ridiculous things in the '90s: résumés, term papers, holiday letters, dungeon master's character sheets ... uh, I mean, résumés. Résumés.
But eventually I, like many others, simply stopped needing to print. Everything I wrote I transmitted electronically or put on a webpage. And really, good riddance to printing. Printing is horrible. Printers are horrible. Printing software is what people in Dante's Ninth circle of Hell are condemned to use over and over. A pox on you if you ask me to print something these days; a plague on you and your house if you ask me to fax something. A good text editor--BBEdit, or any of the dozens of excellent Dropbox and iCloud-based iOS editors--is now my writing tool of choice. Memorize a few pieces of Markdown syntax and kiss a "word processor" goodbye.
Read on for the most fabulous dissing of spreadsheets and presentation software. | <urn:uuid:3301bde5-f9e2-4565-9acf-4134d50218b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2013/jan/10/technology-links-newsbucket?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fmedia%2Frss+%28Media%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944809 | 1,323 | 1.625 | 2 |
Harrison Ford might have made it look easy to play a super cool archaeologist adventurer, but if his original script notes are any indication, he actually put a lot of work into Indiana Jones.
A few days ago, we showed you a trio of gorgeous plot maps diagramming the entire original Star Wars trilogy. Now the same artist has mapped the first three Indiana Jones adventures, and the results are equally dazzling.
Quick, what's the first scene you think of when we say Raiders of the Lost Ark? Unless you said "giant boulder" or "melting faces," you're probably thinking of Indiana Jones gunning down a swordsman in the middle of an Egyptian market. It's an iconic Indy moment, but it was almost something much more elaborate.
We know, you've seen Raiders of the Lost Ark a hundred times. So have we. But have you ever noticed an appearance by two characters from co-writer George Lucas' other iconic franchise? That's right. You might not have known it, but Raiders features droids.
Presented without comment....
San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge—a frequent guest star in sci-fi movies and TV—turns 75 years old this weekend. Opened in 1937 after four...
Image of the Day: Ark of the Cakenant groom's cake
Though writers are usually the originators of all those great sci-fi moments we know and love from the movies, actors deserve some credit. Not only do they embody all those iconic characters we have on our t-shirts, but they're also capable of remarkable acts of spontaneous creativity, and it's often those moments that are more memorable than the planned ones.
The man behind much of the look and style of the original Star Wars trilogy has passed away at the age of 82. Ralph McQuarrie, who also did design work on Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. and several other classic films, died Saturday.
Ever have that strange sense of déjà vu watching Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark? Well, somebody else did, too, and matched up mirror images from vintage Lost City serials and paired them side-by-side to compare. The result will give you jungle fever and have you seeing double for days. | <urn:uuid:eef4c5cf-f59a-4c77-9bb3-c129704ddb66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blastr.com/tags/raiders-lost-ark | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954776 | 463 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Season 2 - Episode 10
10 - The Pentagon Papers--Daniel Ellsberg
When defense expert Daniel Ellsberg worked on a secret government study in 1969 about the Vietnam War, he realized that American leaders were lying to the public--they knew it was not a winnable war. Ellsberg decided to secretly copy the study and give it the nation's top newspapers. The "Pentagon Papers" became a national scandal. Ellsberg talks to William Shatner about his reasons for breaching top-secret confidentialities, and the remarkable aftermath of the groundbreaking media and legal battles over the "Pentagon Papers." | <urn:uuid:df2180b4-5d8b-495a-9d7d-cf8a70a47ac8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biography.com/tv/aftermath-with-william-shatner/episodes/10-the-pentagon-papers-daniel-ellsberg | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941961 | 128 | 1.6875 | 2 |
There is a saying in the world of dog care and training: “Your dog is smarter than you think.” If you don’t give your dog something to do, he or she is going to find something to do. Chances are, you’re not going to like what they find for themselves.
Since the day I brought home my first dog, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, I have known this to be true. I was rewarded for my belief when I asked my canine trainer friend, Allison Jamison Woosley, for some advice on keeping dogs mentally stimulated, and she responded with the very same phrase.
The reasoning is simple according to Jamison Woosley. “Consider being trapped inside a house with absolutely nothing to do for eight or nine hours. Dog’s can’t watch TV or read a book, or even dust or vacuum to keep themselves occupied.
I think most humans, after a nap perhaps, would go stir crazy. It’s no different for your dog, and your dog is asked to do this in many cases day in, day out up to five days a week.”
When dogs create something to break up the monotony, we usually consider the results to be destructive. They will tear up shoes. They will rip the stuffing out of your couch. They will spend all day barking.
My Corgi, Bailey, spent her days chewing through the baby gates we used to keep her confined to the kitchen area. Even if your dog does manage to behave for the hours you’re gone, as Jamison Woosley puts it, “By the time you get home from work they are likely to be wound up and hyper for any interaction, right when you are exhausted from a long day of work.”
The good news is that it’s really pretty easy to keep your dog occupied. If your dog is like most, acquiring food or treats is a great motivator. You can even turn your dog’s breakfast into a game that lasts for much of their morning. Several different dog toy and product brands make puzzle games for your dog. Instead of putting food in their bowl, you put the food or treats inside the puzzle, and your dogs will spend hours getting it out. My favorite product brand is Kong because most of their toys are tough enough to withstand a lot of chewing.
Jamison Woosley suggests there are less expensive ways of doing the same thing, using empty paper towel rolls with the ends folded, or an empty peanut butter jar. Of course both will likely be shredded by the end of the day, which is better than your shoes.
One of my favorite suggestions by Jamison Woosley is the “Find It” game, which she describes this way.
“’Find It’ means something is buried and they should seek it out. Start easy by placing a treat on a chair and say ‘Find It.’ Offer praise when they get the treat. Eventually you can hide treats all over the house and when you leave, cue your dog to start the hunt game of ‘Find It’.”
Finally, if your dog is social, you might consider taking him or her to doggie daycare while you’re gone to work, or hiring a dog walker to break up the monotony and work out some excess energy. Even a few times a week can make a big difference.
For more on positive reinforcement training visit www.happydogky.com.
Category: The Pet Buddy
About the Author (Author Profile)
After 25 years as a journalist and television production executive I turned
my career 180 degrees and opened a pet care business; Home Buddies
Louisville. I couldn’t abandon journalism altogether though, so now I write
The Pet Buddy, a weekly column to help you improve the lives of your
four-legged family members. When I’m not hanging out with my wife Julie and
our rescued fur-kids you will find me on a bicycle racing for The
TwinSpires.com Cycling Team. | <urn:uuid:ff63edf4-e862-4664-a9f7-67ff60dd5fae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.voice-tribune.com/life-style-2/the-pet-buddy/is-your-dog-bored/?ajaxCalendar=1&mo=12&yr=2012 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955091 | 862 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Berry College's Child Development Center is a laboratory preschool and child care center operating as an entity of the Charter School of Education and Human Sciences. The staff is committed to providing stimulating, enriching activities that promote cognitive, physical and social-emotional growth. The indoor and outdoor environments are set up to encourage active learning in which children's heads, hearts and hands are engaged. The center is open to children of Berry families, as well as
the general public.
Families may choose between half-day preschool (7:30-1:00) or extended childcare hours from 7:30-5:30. Classes are PreK3 and PreK4. The preschool year runs from August-May with summer day camp offered in June and July from 7:30-5:30.
The Child Development Center operates on the log cabin campus in Atlanta Hall and Faith Cottage under the guidance of the director, Ann Tankersley, and Dr. Jackie McDowell, Dean of the Charter School.
Monthly tuition for the 2013-2014 school year:
Full day $ 560.00*
Half day $ 510.00*
Tuition is payable in ten equal payments from August through May to the Berry College Office of Business and Finance.
*Tuition includes breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack.
The Berry College Child Development Center admits children of any race, creed, sex, national and ethnic origin, or qualified handicap. The Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, age, national and ethnic origin, or qualified handicap in administration of its educational and admissions policies or other center administered policies.
The Child Development Center is located on the log cabin campus. The two buildings that house the Center, Atlanta Hall and Faith Cottage, were built in 1910 and have been renovated for the Center's use while preserving the unique historical heritage of the buildings.
This location provides a safe, supportive environment for growing children. The college campus offers a unique environment with acres of lawns, historical landmarks, wildlife and numerous natural resources. The children and teachers can explore the outdoors as well as utilize the playground spaces located between the two cottages. | <urn:uuid:5cd37583-d5b6-455c-9a1f-280a30da9311> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.berry.edu/academics/education/childdev/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946743 | 446 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The families of Mostafa Tajzadeh and Mohammad Nourizad have been informed that the two detainees have been banned from visitations after referring to the prison for their visit.
RAHANA: Mostafa Tajzadeh, senior member of the Iranian reformist party, Islamic Iran Participation Front, and Mohammad Nourizad, Iranian writer and filmmaker have lost their visiting privileges in prison.
The families of the two political prisoners were barred from visiting their kin at prison today.
Mostafa Tajzadeh was arrested after the widespread protests to the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009. He was held in prison for over nine months before being given a furlough which lasted five months. He was recalled back to prison in last August.
The opposition claims that Tajzadeh can no longer be visited because he has filed official complaints regarding the interference of security and intelligence forces in judicial matters.
Tajzadeh along with seven other prominent reformists have written an official letter to Ayatollah Larijani, head of Iran’s judiciary to challenge the role of Security forces in the past elections and condemn the “illegal interference” of these forces in determining the outcome of the elections.
Mohammad Nourizad on the other hand has written six letters to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, to criticize the reaction of the government to protesters of the 2009 elections. Nourizad was one of the prominent columnists of the state-backed daily, Keyhan and a staunch supporter of Ayatollah Khamenei and the conservatives. However, his critical view of the crackdown on protesters following the 2009 elections landed him in prison.
In his letters, he has reported suffering severe torture and abuse by the hands of the prison authorities and urged the Supreme Leader to intervene on behalf of abused prisoners.
Ayatollah Khamenei has not responded to any of Mahmmad Nourizad’s letters. | <urn:uuid:773e5114-8895-4725-80ee-e6a9de3eccf8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rahana.org/en/?p=8305 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964737 | 407 | 1.523438 | 2 |
It is almost 20 years to the day since Jon Sobrino, S.J., narrowly escaped being murdered by a government death squad alongside eight others, and he asks now: “What have we learned since this atrocity?” Sobrino will speak on the lessons of martyrs around the globe—including those who actively chose their roles and those who became martyrs unwillingly.
“We have learned that the world’s poor are practically of no consequence to anyone—not to the people who live in abundance nor to the people who have any kind of power. The First World is not interested in the Third World. As history shows, it is interested only in ways to despoil the Third World in order to increase its own abundance,” he has written.
A leading liberation theologian, Sobrino has devoted his life to helping the poor and oppressed.
This event is co-sponsored by the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education. Please join us Thursday, Nov. 5 in the Mission Church at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $25 each; tickets for faculty, staff, and members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute are $20 each; and SCU student tickets are free, but student seats are limited.
For more information or to order tickets, visit the President’s Speaker Series Web site. | <urn:uuid:a88da2b2-a191-4300-aecb-db5ba179c451> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scu.edu/fyi/blog.cfm?c=5922&comm=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971475 | 284 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Queenstown is a destination for people who like to play hard and party harder. They call it the Extreme Sports Capital of New Zealand, and it's a title well-earned. Its proximity to lakes, mountains and rivers offer plenty of locales for adventure.
Queenstown is the birthplace of bungee jumping. The winter ski season is internationally renowned, and in summer Queenstown is popular with rafters, hikers and jet boaters, who can book reservations and equipment at the numerous offices in downtown Queenstown. For a scenic overview of the dramatic landscape, the Skyline Gondola carries passengers to the top of a hill. The Maori Concert & Hangi treats patrons to a feast cooked underground on hot stones while taking in a bit of Maori entertainment. Wine lovers can imbibe to their heart's content at over 71 thriving vineyards that populate the region. There used to be gold in them thar hills – Queenstown was a boomtown during an early 19th century gold rush, and the Goldfields Mining Centre explores that heritage. Queenstown has responded to its influx of tourists by providing an abundance of amenities. Its streets are lined with shops, cafes and clubs to entertain visitors once the skis come off and it's time for a night on the town. | <urn:uuid:bffa6a43-f113-4466-8eeb-44f9a1d414e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://zoomandgo.com/destinations/destination_guide.asp?citk=1717391 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951869 | 257 | 1.53125 | 2 |
A museum dedicated to country star Shania Twain in her hometown is to close after suffering a drop in visitor numbers.
The Shania Twain Centre was opened in the singer’s native Timmins, Canada in 2001 and the singer made sure the museum was well stocked with memorabilia and important artefacts from her music career.
However, the publicly-funded attraction, which cost an estimated $4 million in taxpayers’ money, has struggled to turn a profit and the city’s mayor has now confirmed the building and its grounds will be closed and sold off to bosses of a local mining company, who own a nearby pit.
Mayor Tom Laughren insists the city council’s decision was not “easy”, but was made “for all the right reasons”.
The deal has been in the works for some time, and Twain reportedly removed most of her memorabilia from the building last summer and installed it in Las Vegas, where she is currently enjoying a residency at the Caesar’s Palace resort.
However, city councillor Pat Bamford insists locals remain proud of their most famous former resident: “We’re not severing our relationship with Shania Twain. We’re very proud of her.”
The sale is expected to be finalized by the end of the month. (LR/WNWC/ZN) | <urn:uuid:db3b6c27-7f57-4009-aebb-0e31b6ac44c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wzid.com/news/shania-twain-museum-to-close/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97837 | 282 | 1.546875 | 2 |
About Bones Wiki
Bones is an American drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is a forensics and police procedural in which each episode focuses on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth to the forensic anthropology team of Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan. Emily Deschanel stars in the title role, opposite David Boreanaz as Agent Booth. The rest of the cast includes Michaela Conlin, T.J. Thyne, Tamara Taylor, John Francis Daley. Previous cast members include Eric Millegan and Jonathan Adams.
The series, created by Hart Hanson, is very loosely based on the works of real-life forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, who is herself a producer on the show. Its title character, Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan is named after the protagonist of Reichs' crime novel series. Bones is a joint production by Josephson Entertainment, Far Field Productions and 20th Century Fox Television.
Eight seasons of Bones have been aired on Fox so far. Season 9 will premiere in September 2013. Reruns of previous seasons of Bones began airing on TNT on January 29, 2008. WGN America and MyNetworkTV are both syndicating Bones, which began in the Fall of 2009.
Bones Wikia currently holds 449 articles.
We would appreciate your contributions and edits to help keep this Wiki running.
Kathleen Joan "Kathy" Reichs is a native of Chicago and works as a forensic anthropologist, an academic, and bestselling writer of mystery novels. She is a Professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, but is currently on indefinite leave.
She serves as the producer for the FOX television show Bones. She is the best-selling author of multiple books including Death du Jour, Deadly Decisions, Break No Bones, Devil Bones, 206 Bones and other books.
She has appeared in Rwanda to testify at the UN's Genocide Tribunal. She has assisted Dr. Clyde Snow and the Foundation for Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology in an exhumation in the area of Lake Atitlan in the highlands of southwest Guatemala. She was a member of the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team assigned to assist at the World Trade Center disaster. Read More
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Bones in the News
The show Bones was renewed officially by FOX on January 8, 2013 and Season 9 is premiering in Fall 2013 on Fox Network. The new season will start off where last season ended after Brennan's failed proposal.
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Please add relevant information to these articles to make them as informative as possible. Then buzz me to see what is next on my list. Let's work together to make this wiki the best it can be.
Other FOX TV Primetime Shows | <urn:uuid:10eb6cbf-e203-4135-9055-91d45fc648f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bones.wikia.com/?interlang=all | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950691 | 623 | 1.65625 | 2 |
There's very little official support in the UK for our native craft traditions. Government money is available to craftspeople through the Crafts Council but this is aimed almost entirely at practitioners who work in a modern idiom, and is heavily weighted towards conceptual, craft-as-art, type of work. As a result of this neglect many traditional crafts are on the verge of extinction.
Robin wood, who I interviewed a while ago here, recently got in touch to let me know about a new venture. He is exploring the possibility of setting up a charitable trust to champion and support the traditional crafts in Britain.
Below is a picture of Mike Turnock, the last riddle maker in the UK. The business is viable, but without the means to employ an apprentice, the craft will die when Mike retires. This is the sort of situation which Robin hopes the new trust will be able to help with.
Following on from this article I'm pleased to hear that the Heritage Crafts Association has now been formed. You can visit their website here : www.heritagecrafts.org.uk | <urn:uuid:9f90d7ba-beb2-4675-b510-513da67f3ab6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.beautifulwood.co.uk/blog/tag/traditional-crafts | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957252 | 223 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Venezuela Takes Full Control over Oil Production
Caracas, July 10, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com)— Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA announced that it took full control over all of the country’s oil production on Sunday, including two fields operated by ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil that resisted the nationalization process.
Last January the government of President Chavez had announced that it would nationalize portions of foreign oil production in the Orinoco Oil Belt, where seven transnational oil companies had invested in four major extra heavy oil production projects. All of these were joint ventures with Venezuela’s national oil company PDVSA, which had a minority share. The nationalization process increased PDVSA’s control over the oil to a controlling majority stake of at least 60%.
PDVSA President and Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Rafael Ramirez, explained that for those companies that did not agree to giving PDVSA a majority stake in the joint ventures, these have between June 26 and August 26 to come to an agreement with PDVSA about how their investment would be compensated.
“In fact,” said Ramirez, “currently we are operating 100% of the participation that they [ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips] had and what is missing is an economic agreement, according to which the equipment of the two companies are in a process of negotiation with PDVSA.
ConocoPhillips has already stated that it rejects PDVSA’s offer and wants to take up the matter in arbitration. ExxonMobil has indicated that it is still trying to find an agreement with PDVSA before August 26th.
With the departure of ConocoPhillips, which owned 50.1% of the Petrozuata joint venture, PDVSA will now own 100% of that company. With the departure of ExxonMobil from the Cerro Negro joint venture, PDVSA’s share will go from 41.6% to 83.4%.
Venezuela’s Orinoco Oil Belt, which holds the world’s largest reserves of extractable crude, currently produces 418,000 barrels of oil per day. It is estimated to hold 230 billion barrels of extra-heavy oil, most of which has not yet been officially certified.
Oil Production Stable
Ramirez also issued a statement about Venezuela’s oil production, which according to opposition oil analysts is declining precipitously, is actually holding steady at 3.07 million barrels per day. A recent report in the newspaper El Mundo had stated that the nationalization of oil drills had caused a drop in production, which Ramirez strongly denied.
Actually, a lowering of Venezuela’s OPEC quota has led to a reduction of 195,000 barrels per day (bpd), explained Ramirez, but the year’s average should be at around 3.2 million bpd.PDVSA is gradually absorbing all of the employees who used to work for private companies, said Ramirez, so that last year 5,480 workers joined PDVSA and this year another 1,300 will do so.
Published on Jul 10th 2007 at 6.04pm
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- 1 of 21 | <urn:uuid:7251419d-f0be-4dbe-b050-861e2201eaa7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/2490 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974287 | 676 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Students Loan Deductions
Student Loans are part of the Government's financial support package for students in higher education in the United Kingdom. They are available to help students meet their expenses whilst they are studying.
Under a new student loan scheme, relating to courses starting after August 1998, HM Revenue and Customs is responsible for collecting repayments of these student loans. (The issue and administration of the student loans continues to be handled by the Student Loans Company).
Repayments start once the student loan borrower has started work and has earnings at a rate exceeding £16,365 a year. (Or, once the student loan borrower has started self employment and has profits in excess of £16,365).
In PAYE cases repayments are deducted from earnings by the employer each pay day, using the Student Loans Deduction Tables, (supplied by HM Revenue and Customs).
STUDENT LOAN THRESHOLD APR 13
Per year £16365 (old £15795 – APR 12) or over @ 9% of earnings
Per month £1363.75 (old £1316.25 – APR 12)
Per week £314.71 (old £303.75 – APR 12)
Student Loans Company Website
The Salaries Section is responsible for recording and paying over the repayments to HM Revenue and Customs along with tax and national insurance contributions on a monthly basis.
HM Revenue and Customs will notify the University if there is to be a deduction made from salary. However, any enquiries by students must be directed to the Helpline only on 0141 204 5605 or alternatively visit
Please be advised that the Salaries Section is unable to contact the Student Loans Company on a student's behalf. | <urn:uuid:a0e1bccd-2486-4970-a9b4-10e7d6291092> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/fince/servicesstaff/salaries/statutoryobligations/studentsloan/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968191 | 351 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Looking for ways to increase profits, or decrease losses, corporations have taken on the mantra of "more from less." What exactly does this mean? It means downsizing the number of employees and having the remaining do their work by increasing their workloads. This mantra is used as a battle cry and justification for "trimming waste and fat," and "downsizing" -- people. Yes, there is "fat" that could be trimmed, which includes unnecessary programs, duplication, and expenditures. All of these are symptoms of poor planning, lack of oversight, and poor leadership but are blamed on the workforce.
The justification is only sound if one accepts the premise that the work force is not producing as well as it could because it is lazy, not due to lack of leadership. The mantra was developed out of economic fear. Fear based decisions are always myopic and tend to cause damage equal to, or greater than their benefits. They are also self-serving, and rarely look at the decrier's culpability. Leadership skills include foresight, guidance, and decision-making skills. The mantra covers poor leadership skills by appearing like the culprit has been identified and something is being done about the situation. And of course since the lie comes from "high up," it must be correct. "Weapons of mass destruction in Iraq," was a lie, as was "I didn't inhale."
Through proper management, training and weeding, any employee side issues can be corrected. Of course, proper leadership skills must be taught to managers. I have seen first-hand under-skilled managers. The formerly sacrosanct employee is now not only fair game, they are scapegoats in this era of fear, and near depression level unemployment where anything goes and corporations can get away with almost anything. People are afraid of losing their job and will put up with almost anything to keep them, and corporations are fully aware of this. In fact, they are taking full advantage of this. This harms the employees and will cost the corporation plenty.
I have witnessed, working in a large corporation, employees who have found ways to hide and not do their fair share of the workload. However, most absolutely did. The few that didn't skated by, but nothing was done, and all the staff knew who the slackers were, including management. They are still working for this major company, and their peers resent it, as they have to pickup for the slackers. They also know these added controls implemented where created to handle these slackers. Then everyone became overloaded and stressed. Subsequently, many mistakes were made that cost the company money. Then, there occurred something previously unheard at this company -- three suicides within the last year.
Management has hushed it up and offered the smoke screen of "there were personal factors involved." Did the overload and stress of the mantra push them over the edge? Of course it did, but by washing their hands, management followed Pontius Pilate's example. And there have been costly acts of sabotage. Resentment shows its ugly face.
One of the factors that management has rushed headlong to embrace is intrusive controls and unworkable dictates. These were being implemented during the last year. The long-term staffers (15 plus years) told me they used to love working for the company. Now, if they could find another job they would leave. This was all because of the "1984 Big Brother-like" controls, dictates and obvious change in attitude toward them. The employees had felt a-part-of and loved-by the company, and they loved it. No longer, now they are just assets to be used and abused — "More From Less." These elements, when combined with workloads that can't be accomplished properly, and with integrity, became the hated new workflows of the company.
Integrity is something not thought of by management and seemingly no longer used by them. But how does it apply to the employees? The vast majority of the company cared about the company and its customers. As this was a major insurance carrier, it required a proper investigation of the claim, which takes time. Then the company is protected and the clients paid what is due them. With unreasonable time demands that is no longer possible. The staff told me the new impetuous was closing claim quickly. "Don't worry about be thorough, just make a decision and close it." No one felt right with this, and everyone's decisions varied. Clients were not paid correctly and staff knew it and resented it. This is what integrity is about or in this case the lack of it. It is far more important to people than ever imagined. And when you are told it doesn't matter, just make decisions, you feel nothing matter, the company and yourself included. That is human psychology. How you are treated, you treat others. Look at families, treat your family with love and respect, which includes proper discipline, and they develop and treat others the same. Treat them as disposable assets and you will get the same behaviors from them. Companies are families and the same applies.
Naturally, the ingenious family members find ways to circumvent the intrusive controls and dictates placed on them and reflect ill treatment. Has service to the customer improved, no, it has declined, but management continues on its disastrous path, forgetting their employees who deal directly with the customers. Brilliant — not!
What seems to me to be elementary is that the employee be treated well, in order for customer service to be extraordinary. Heaping more and more on the employees' overworked and overstressed shoulders, is now the norm. Yet management still deludes itself by believing great customer service can be created. I can guarantee, and have seen the evidence, that the opposite will be true. "More From Less" is a delusion of the worst kind.
David Eigen is a psychologist who works with corporations in developing leadership skills and correcting management mistakes. He has published several books. For more information, visit www.davideigen.com. | <urn:uuid:4c49d4a3-1c1a-4422-9cc8-b1cefb6a43c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indianewengland.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=0DAD927ED702470AA557F407F3901B9D | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983575 | 1,226 | 1.804688 | 2 |
The Debt Ceiling Deal, the “Trigger,” and Defense Budget Cuts
The “Debt Ceiling Deal,” a compromise negotiated by Republicans and Democrats over this past week-end (30, 31 July, 11) proposes, among other things, a $350 billion cut in the defense budget over the next ten years. That proposal is bad enough, but … the “deal” also establishes a bi-partisan Congressional committee that will look for ways (determine a path) to cut an additional $1.5 trillion. If that committee fails to reach an agreement, or should Congress fail to enact a plan to reduce spending, an automatic reduction (the “trigger”) in spending will occur, with half coming from domestic spending (about $600 Billion) and half (about $600 billion on TOP of the $350 billion already cut) coming from the defense budget. Overall, defense comprises about 20% of the entire US budget. In 2010, defense spent $530 billion, not including war costs.
“The bottom line is these [initial] cuts [of $350 billion] are not life-altering for the Pentagon,” said Gordon Adams, a professor at American University who specialized in defense spending. “They live to fight another day.” Still, even with cuts of that magnitude, the military would retain its position as the world’s best fighting force, with unmatched capabilities on land, at sea and in the air. But that is of little comfort to defense hawks on Capitol Hill.
But the real pain will come if Congress can’t or won’t agree on a second round of general budget cuts. If that happens, the “trigger” will be pulled and defense will get hit with another $600 billion in cuts over 10 years. “In a scenario where a trigger is activated, you are dealing with cuts far beyond what the Pentagon wanted,” Travis Sharp, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said.
Republican congressmen on the House Armed Services Committee are already denigrating defense budget cuts, saying they risk military readiness. And Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday, “If fully implemented, the consequences to our nation’s defense infrastructure would be severe. And these deep cuts would come at a time when threats to our nation are increasing, not declining.”
Affects of Budget Cuts On Defense
Said John Bolton on July 31, 2011, “Defense has already taken hugely disproportionate cuts under President Obama, and there is simply no basis for expanding those cuts further. Republican negotiators must hold the line, since the Obama Administration plainly will not.”
Army General Martin Dempsey warned that it would be “extraordinarily difficult and very high risk” to cut $800 billion from defense spending as part of efforts to reduce the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt. He continued in his Senate nomination hearing, “National security didn’t cause the debt crisis nor will it solve it.”
General Joseph Dunford, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, said, “I think if they were to exceed $400 billion we would start to have to make some fundamental changes in the capability of the Marine Corps. That would mean a smaller force and a reassessment of its strategic mission.”
General Philip Breedlove, vice chief of staff of the Air Force, said cuts of $400 billion will cause “quite some concern” about money to replace the Air Force’s aging aircraft fleet. Strategic bombers are, on average, 34 years old, refueling tankers 47 years old, and airlift planes 19 years old.
Senator John McCain criticized the pressure to cut military spending without first understanding the impact on strategy. Said McCain, “Defense spending is not what is sinking this country into fiscal crisis, and if the Congress and the president act on that flawed assumption, they will create a situation that is truly unaffordable: the hollowing out of U.S. military power and the loss of faith of our military members.”
Our enemies will take advantage of this “hollowed out” weakness. We will have to spend much more in the future to catch up, fight off threats, and lower our heightened risk.
The Choice Between Defense and Entitlements
Liberals see our nation’s security as a bargaining chip and fail to recognize that defense spending is not the cause of the problem, and that these cuts put our troops and our national security at risk. Observers know the problem is entitlement spending, not the defense budget or a lack of revenue. Defense spending is, at most, 5.2% of GDP, despite wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. Entitlements (Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew from 2.5 percent of GDP in 1965 to over 10 percent today.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) said, “The Army and Marines are stretched dangerously thin, separated from their families, and using hardware that has been chewed up by a decade of fighting.” Randy Forbes (R-VA) said: “If they have to make these cuts it’ll have to come out of personnel, and they’ll have to reduce their force structure, and they’ll have to have a new strategy for how they defend the United States of America.” Congressman Allen West (R-FL) called potential defense cuts “incredible” and “unconscionable.”
Congressional conservatives fought to achieve a balanced budget, while protecting our defenses, and without raising taxes. But the final “deal,” favored by liberals on Capitol Hill and in the White House, sets up America for the worst possible outcome – job-killing tax hikes and safety-risking defense cuts – while entitlement spending continues to rise.
But that’s just my opinion.Rich Mitchell is the Sr. Managing Editor of Conservative Daily News. His posts may contain opinions that are his own and are not necessarily shared by Anomalous Media, CDN, staff or .. much of anyone else. Find him on twitter, facebook and google+ | <urn:uuid:a19c5060-65f1-489b-b690-4b2ef337d5f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.conservativedailynews.com/2011/08/the-debt-ceiling-deal-the-trigger-and-defense-budget-cuts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943388 | 1,295 | 1.523438 | 2 |
For most of its 125-year history, Brighton was a sleepy, rural dot on the map on the edge of the eastern plains, far from the hustle and bustle of Denver. But after the opening of Denver International Airport and the E-470 beltway, all of that changed.
“Suddenly, we were just 20 minutes from everything,” David Ross and Manual Esquibel, the chairman and executive director, respectively, of the Brighton Urban Renewal Authority, wrote in a report released today that highlights $420 million in private investments since BURA was created in 2001.
“Developers turned farmland into residential neighborhoods,” they wrote. “New homes went up faster than we could count them. New investment didn’t happen as fast in older parts of town, because urban development is more complex and often more expensive.”
Despite the growth spurt, much of Brighton, 21 miles northeast of Denver, was as forlorn as Detroit.
“Ten years ago, we had old empty buildings downtown left by the lumberyard and the hospital was leaving downtown; we had whole vacant blocks and aged, worn store fronts; we had no new housing for our seniors and no real entertainment options,” said Alan Lemons, BURA chairman from 2001 to 2010.
The Brighton City Council decided to take control of its destiny, creating BURA. Efforts paid off, not only attracting $420 million in investments, but creating or retaining at least 1,200 jobs.
“Today, we have the cultural center, new healthcare and educational center, modern housing for seniors and new businesses with clean new faces downtown,” Lemons said. “If not for urban renewal, I’m not sure people would even recognize our community as a vibrant place. Our downtown would be dead.”
The BURA 10th-anniversary report highlighted achievements, including the Pavilions lifestyle center, the Armory at Brighton Cultural Center, the Brighton Learning and Resources Campus and two factories opened by Vestas, the giant wind-turbine company.
“Urban Renewal has been a major tool to support reinvestment in key areas of our community,” said Esquibel, who in addition to being the executive director of BURA is Brighton’s city manager.
“Our small but targeted public investments help ‘prime the pump’ for private sector partners to get a project underway.”
The report showcases a wide range of projects and initiatives, including:
- Platteview Landing Apartments, Brighton Village and Hughes Station have added nearly 400 affordable housing units in Brighton.
Arts and Culture
- Thousands of citizens each month visit the Anythink Brighton Library, the Armory at Brighton Cultural Center and Main Street Creatives art co-op and gallery.
- Thirty three buildings have gotten facelifts through façade improvement grants.
- Improvements to Fourth Avenue and Cabbage Street enhance and provide better access to downtown.
- Year-round events and beautification projects to make its downtown more inviting.
- Urban renewal played a role in the Adams County Government Center, Kaiser Permanente offices, Big Lots store and Greenleaf Wholesale and Kitayama Brothers headquarters, as well as new firms related to Vestas.
- Brighton Pavilions lifestyle and entertainment center, Platteview Farms Retail Center, and downtown restaurants such as Pinocchio’s, Flood Stage Ale Works and the Copper Rail.
Education and Training
- The Brighton Learning and Resource Campus is now home to Front Range Community College and Colorado State University classrooms, in addition to healthcare, early childhood education and small business support services.
“Having grown up here, I always felt the Highway 85 corridor gave people a negative impression of Brighton”, said Candace Black, a BURA trustee. “Now you see the AMC Theater and restaurants in The Pavilions and Mi Pueblo Market and Big Lots in the former grocery warehouse area. We’re a progressive city committed to reinventing what we have, while other communities let their older areas deteriorate.” | <urn:uuid:0fc7f7ba-e75b-48be-a30a-ee82e3555765> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://insiderealestatenews.com/2012/05/brighton-420-million-in-investments-1200-jobs/ | 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 | 0.954865 | 852 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Most Active Stories
KRWG.ORG-The Region's Home Page
Tue August 21, 2012
Ethiopia Faces Uncertain Future After Leader's Death
Originally published on Tue August 21, 2012 5:36 pm
Ethiopia's prime minister, Meles Zenawi, has died. He was 57 years old. Meles was reportedly being treated at a hospital in Belgium. He came to power after leading rebels and overthrowing the country's dictator in 1991. He was a key U.S. ally in the war on terrorism, but was also increasingly authoritarian. | <urn:uuid:c6cf758c-7a7f-4d22-bd2f-43e089392866> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.krwg.org/post/ethiopia-faces-uncertain-future-after-leaders-death | 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 | 0.972383 | 119 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Sunday Post column in full (written before the weekend's tragic avalanche deaths in Glencoe)
The Beast from the East and the Pest from the West. You'd hardly think we were talking about the gentle, white fluffy stuff of childhood dreams. Yet we seem to fear its arrival more than the flu. What's going on? Well the prospect of a whiteout sells papers. A London-based tabloid used the Beast headline two months ago. And even though sub-Arctic conditions didn't materialise, it was the most viewed story on the newspaper's website. Are we so scared the winter from hell could be about to return? Cmon – you know which winter I mean. In 2010 snow and icy temperatures meant pipes froze, cars slithered, schools closed, hedges died, tree boughs snapped under tonnes of snow and transport basically ground to a halt. I visited a friend on Skye and was cheerfully stuck there for a fortnight. Trains were cancelled, jack-knifed lorries brought the M8 and M80 ground to a halt for days and the army was drafted in. A Scottish Government Minister had to resign, TV pictures were beamed around the world and let's face it – our stranded, snow-locked nation looked like a right bunch of helpless charlies. It wasn't exactly our finest hour.
Locals came out to bring soup and sandwiches to folk stuck in cabs, cars and lorries on gridlocked motorways – they even took stranded Scots into their homes to use loos, wash and warm up.
Snow brought out the best and the worst in us. We were both the most generous folk towards those in a pickle and the least prepared for it. But then, with few snowy winters and global warming not cooling on the cards, no-one could blame Scots for failing to spend squillions on the kind of snow clearing kit that keeps our Nordic cousins functioning in their predictably icy winters. Snow tyres across the North Sea must be fitted by law every autumn – that means more resilience within Nordic communities. Swedish farmers have contracts to clear snow when it reaches a certain depth and to pre-agreed points on the road. Icelanders put pipes carrying boiling hot water from geothermal springs to heat homes and offices beneath car parks and pavements. Norwegians ski to school and have outdoor nurseries all year round. In the far north even old ladies use wooden sleighs to get out and about. In Oslo city folk go ski-ing before work in the morning and in Helsinki they skate on the frozen Baltic – avoiding icebreaker holes! Indeed folk in the Arctic North long for snow – the brightness lights up the dark, you can walk, sno-mobile or even drive across frozen lochs and go ice fishing. Icelanders leave Xmas lights up until February and all the Nordics make cold, dark days cosy with low lighting and candles inside and even outside in old fashioned lanterns.
Perhaps the biggest difference though is that snow and ice in the Nordic nations don't kill old people through hyperthermia – thanks to great insulation and cheap district heating. This is what we need to get right fast. Maybe then – we can learn to love the arrival of the white stuff – not fear it. | <urn:uuid:1ccc70fe-c914-4079-8173-20ef1c13d29e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lesleyriddoch.co.uk/2013/01/snow-stuff.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963209 | 667 | 1.585938 | 2 |
"Complete Guide To Organic Fabric" in Living Crafts Magazine
Have you seen the Spring 2009 issue of Living Crafts Magazine? Winnie and I wrote an article in it, entitled "Going Green With Organic Fabrics." (On the cover, it's optimistically called the "Complete Guide to Organic Fabric," which I think may be just a tad optimistic for an eight-page article, but I'm not complaining...)
I'm not going to say it's entirely comprehensive -- there's only so much you can say within the word constraints of a magazine article -- but it is a decent introduction to the concept if I do say so myself. We were able to talk with some people who have been innovators in the field for many years while writing the article, including Sally Fox, Matt Mole, Barbara Filippone, and Daniel Sanders, and the piece immediately after ours shows how to sew an organic doll quilt in an afternoon (written by Meryl Ann Butler, whose 90-Minute Quilts book is invaluable if you want quick projects for gifting or just need a nice, easy introduction to quilting). It's a fun magazine, especially if you have small children -- if you don't already subscribe, you may want to pick up a copy of your own.
(We'll also be giving out copies of the magazine at our booth at the Denver Green Festival, May 2-3. As if you really needed a reason besides our shiny happy faces to stop by and see us!) | <urn:uuid:8163e201-d1cb-4a1b-ba1e-5289efb072b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nearseanaturals.com/blog/2009/03/complete_guide_to_organic_fabr.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959736 | 304 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Its gone past 10, time for headphones. Time for awesome.
There’s a higher than average use of the term ‘finger oils’ in the reviews for the new iPhone. You never get that with Nokias.
We often assume that the number of hours spent at work are an indication of one’s effort, interest, and accomplishment. However, in reality, the greatest ideas and the execution of these ideas happen in spurts. The best ideas often do not require a lengthy conception, and the most productive days are seldom the longest. But still, managers instinctually measure employees with an eye on the clock. Working hours remain rigid, and morale suffers when the rules fail to support the ultimate goal: a productive creative workplace. What working conditions are ideal for maximum creativity and productivity?
- via Swissmiss | <urn:uuid:364e1643-d46e-449c-9616-63baf159d6a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://slomoyall.tumblr.com/archive/2008/7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931349 | 170 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Who's Worse Off? Quandaries in the Study of Gender and Health.
from 05:30 PM to 06:30 PM
Professor Ellen Annandale
Department of Sociology
The question ‘who is worse off, men or women’, encapsulates the dominant approach to gender and health research in the medical and social sciences and within health policy and practice today. In this lecture I will explore why research is framed in this way and the negative consequences it has had for the kind of research questions that are asked, the research findings that have been generated, and the approach that has been taken to the healthcare of women and men.
The traditional way of thinking about gender as binary difference within the social sciences, and the increasingly competitive nature of ‘women’s health’ and ‘men’s health’ advocacy within the policy sphere, coalesce to pit the health of men and women against each other in a bid to ascertain who is ‘worse off’ in terms of life expectancy, in the state of their health in the course of their lives, and in terms of their access to healthcare and the kind of care that they receive. This way of thinking also nurtures the rapidly growing ethos of ‘gender-specific medicine’ in its dogged search for biological differences between men and women .I will argue that the supposition of binary gender difference is misguided and that ‘who’s worse off?’ is now the wrong question to ask when studying gender and health. I will explore a different approach which starts from the premise that the lives of many women and men today are not only highly complex but laced with contradictions whereby binary gender difference has not so much been supplanted as combined with diversity as men and women are multiply positioned as subjects in the present market economy, with significant implications for ‘health lifestyles’, health status and healthcare. | <urn:uuid:830b3e0e-9231-4742-a85e-56726581b534> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www2.le.ac.uk/institution/inaugural-lectures/previous/spring-term-2012/tbc-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968681 | 387 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Mobile Tools | Feature
Mobile Apps That Make IT's Life Easier
Six IT professionals share their favorite tools for tackling both tech and everyday tasks.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
Platform: Google Android
Matt Edwards, operations manager for IT at Tri-County Technical College in Pendleton, SC, uses PRTGdroid, a free app from Paessler that connects to the company's network monitoring application (PRTG Network Monitor, which is in use at Tri-County), "so I can look at live or historical details on any monitored device on our network."
But perhaps the most used apps on his HTC Inspire are mail and the calendar. "Getting e-mail notifications immediately about any network or system changes is critical to keep everything running smoothly," he notes.
All of the apps he relies on "help keep me informed of our network and systems in near real-time and help to keep things running 24/7."
Platforms: Apple iPhone and iPad
Network and Systems Manager Matt Barber, at Morrisville State College in Morrisville, NY, has found pTerm for the iPhone "extremely helpful sometimes." As he explains, "It is just a [secure shell] client, but often that is all I need to troubleshoot network issues or make quick changes. I do most of my network changes and quick monitoring with SSH, so being able to do that from anywhere is very valuable."
Besides providing a channel for secure data communication, this app from Instant Cocoa also does xterm terminal emulation.
Wayne State Mobile
Platforms: Google Android and Android Jelly Bean, Apple iPhone and iPad
Rob Thompson, in the Computing and Information Technology organization at Wayne State University (MI), finds his own university's mobile app the most useful for his job as director for academic and core applications.
"Wayne State Mobile lets me check my e-mail, query my work calendar, search for WSU people, find any location on campus, check real-time parking space availability, query my parking balance, read our student newspaper, access secured library resources, view daily campus dining menus, directly contact public safety, and much more," says Thompson. "I use it many times on a daily basis to keep me informed and connected with the greater Wayne State community, and it has become an invaluable tool."
Thompson runs the app on his Galaxy Nexus running Android Jelly Bean.
Platforms: Google Android, Apple iPhone and iPad
Like most people, Purdue University (IN) Director of Informatics Kyle Bowen uses a passel of mobile apps everyday: e-mail, Dropbox, and Evernote.
But the one he highlights above the others is Adobe Ideas, which helps him capture and share visual concepts on his iPhone and iPad.
"Adobe Ideas is a drawing tool with simple controls," Bowen says. "It makes it easy to capture and share visual information. Like the virtual version of doodling on a napkin, this can be helpful for explaining a complex process or planning a presentation." The layers feature is helpful, he adds, "for overlaying yet separating visual concepts." On a tablet the app can be used in a makeshift "pass-and-play" style where multiple people share the same device to build on each other's annotations. "Adobe Ideas also provides a vector output that is efficient for sharing and editing in other tools," he notes.
Platforms: Apple iPhone and iPad, Android, Windows Mobile; BlackBerry edition available in beta
Michael Belote, chief technology officer for Mercer University in Macon, GA, hasn't really found any mobile app that helps him in his IT-related tasks. "There's still a long way to go on that," he says.
But one app he's come to rely on for both work and personal use is Waze from waze Mobile, a GPS traffic and navigation service. The idea is that users share what's happening on the road by keeping the app open on their phones while they're driving. Data that's passively collected is automatically relayed back to the company, which tracks the GPS points of its user drivers. The mapping application offers route options based on traffic conditions.
"I use it multiple times per week, and it has saved me a lot of time and wasted miles," Belote says. "It's free and it has a social aspect that really increases the value." He runs it on both his iPhone and his iPad.
Apple iPhone and iPad, Blackberry, Android, Nokia Symbian S60
Price: $9.99 for Apple, $6.99 for Symbian
George Alaimo, senior multimedia specialist in Information Services at John Carroll University in University Heights, OH, has come to rely on DocumentsToGo, which he runs on his iPad 3.
This mobile and tablet app from DataViz "covers all of the office suite features that I use," he says. This all-in-one application allows users to view, edit, and create Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files; view PDFs; and work with files stored in Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox, iDisk, and SugarSync.
But Alaimo's app choices don't stop there. He recommends a number of tools to his university's mobile user community, including: | <urn:uuid:5624c72a-5adf-45ef-83e8-db274b876389> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/12/06/mobile-apps-that-make-its-life-easier.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939546 | 1,086 | 1.664063 | 2 |
The Peacebuilding & Development Institute is focusing this week on highlighting our Monitoring & Evaluation course within our Summer Professional Training Program in June. Why? Because it’s such a good opportunity. Gain and hone your M&E skills while networking with fellow students, local DC professionals, and international peace builders and practitioners.
Building Monitoring & Evaluation into Program Operations
Instructor: Sarah Cohen Wood
Dates: Monday, June 16 - Friday, June 20, 2008
Location: American University
Cost: $735 for practitioners and professionals, two credits for AU students (includes materials!)
Here’s what people have said about the course and M&E in general:
“If you know your way around M&E, you will never be out of a job.” - Donna Read
“A great skill to have an and excellent workshop to take; the course presents you with perspectives and knowledge from academia, on the ground and within the prevailing development agencies.” -Shezaad Dastoor, SIS MA
“This theoretical and practical course exceeded my expectations and will allow me to do better work for my NGO.” -Ali, Tanzania
“M&E courses are very important, but a conflict-sensitive M&E course like ours will ensure that practitioners “do no harm” to their beneficiaries in the field.” -Saji Prelis, Peacebuilding & Development Institute
“A constant theme throughout the week, and one of the most valuable topics addressed were conflict sensitive approaches to development. This workshop helped highlight the crucial need to include these concepts in any program abroad, in attempts to do as little harm as possible.” -Jennifer Kurtinitis, SIS MA and PDI intern
The Course Description:
This training will provide participants with the opportunity to analyze and understand the role that M&E plays in shaping three projects in conflict affected countries. Participants will work with these projects and design their own M&E framework. At the end of the course participants will have the opportunity to compare their work with donor funded projects and successful M&E frameworks currently used in conflict contexts. The course will focus heavily on participatory approaches to M&E and will also address the complexity of measuring change in conflict dynamics, identifying reasonable measures of impact, and working with local populations to achieve results. A special emphasis will be placed on conflict sensitive M&E approaches and the importance of conflcit analysis and information when designing work in conflict zones.
This training course will be highly interactive in nature and incorporate “real-time” interventions that may be impacted by some of the decisions participants make. Participants will also have the opportunity to meet with some folks from the implementing Agencies and talk about the challenges on the ground related to M&E.
And if all that wasn’t enough, wait till you read about the instructor:
Sarah Cohen Wood is currently the Strategic Planning and Learning Coordinator for the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAID.
In addition to her role as the Strategic Planning and Learning Coordinator for OFDA at USAID, Ms. Wood works in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance and in the past has worked in the Office for Conflict Management and Mitigation and also served as the USAID liaison to the State Departments Office for the Coordinator of Reconstruction and Stabilization. She also worked from 2003-2007 on a USAID funded program called, the NGO Sector Strengthening Program , which is a program that works to enhance the institutional capacities of local NGOs and Civil Society organizations many of them in fragile and post conflict countries. She has worked in several countries in Africa , and specializes in the role of civil society in post conflict and transitioning environments.
She is a specialist in Monitoring and Evaluation and designed the first workshop for local and international NGOs and USAID Mission staff on Conflict Sensitive Monitoring and Evaluation for USAID, which was held in West Africa and focused on the Mano River Region. She has worked extensively with participatory methods for program and planning design, and has applied these to several field settings to enhance the participation in planning with local groups and stakeholders.
Ms. Wood has over 15 years of experience with development planning, project design, monitoring and evaluation systems, training, and community mobilization programming. Areas of expertise include; organizational development, training of trainers methodologies, field methods and data collection, grant and proposal writing, civil society research and conflict resolution, management and mitigation. Ms. Wood is formally trained in field methods, data collection, and evaluation and monitoring for impact.
Ms. Wood is currently also an adjunct faculty member at American University, teaching Conflict Sensitive M&E to graduate level students as well as practitioners working in peacebuilding and development in conflict affected countries. Ms. Wood also has conducted regional trainings in Sri Lanka and West Africa.
Who might take advantage of this opportunity?
2007 non-credit participants include practitioners and professionals from a dozen countries and conflict affected areas of the world, including:
Karin, Program Officer for UN Development Programme in Ecuador
Alfred, Media Specialist for Search for Common Ground in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Maha, Protection Officer for UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan
Barward, Program Officer for Liberia Democracy Watch, Liberia
Christopher, Programme Officer, Mines ADvisory Group in Iraq
Luckshmi, Associate Program Officer for International Relief & Development in Washington, DC
Sound good? Visit http://www.american.edu/sis/peacebuilding for more information. | <urn:uuid:dd3d16fb-7503-4e55-acc7-001ac0d17826> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://peacebuildinganddevelopment.blogspot.com/2008/04/monitoring-evaluation.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939256 | 1,137 | 1.523438 | 2 |
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Ahead of China's leadership transition, media outlets take a hit.
HONG KONG – Heads are rolling at some of China’s most outspoken newspapers, sending a chilling signal to mainland journalists to stick to the party line ahead of the country’s tense political transition this fall.
This week, in quick back-to-back moves, the editor-in-chief of Guangzhou’s New Express newspaper was sacked, and the publisher and deputy editor-in-chief of Shanghai’s Oriental Morning Post were pulled from their positions.
The same day as the announcement, the editorial page of New Express disappeared, along with the paper’s international and national news coverage. The number of local stories was significantly beefed up.
The two newspapers stand out among China’s commercial outlets, which walk a fine line between earning a profit and avoiding the anger of state authorities. Known for its bold front pages, New Express comes from the relatively more liberal media environment of Guangdong province. Meanwhile, the Oriental Morning Post has a particular reputation for strong reporting and feisty headlines: the day after Sichuan province’s 2008 earthquake, the newspaper published a black front-page with the words, “8,533 dead.”
The public firings of the heads of these two papers has reverberated among journalists as a dramatic message to increase self-censorship before the all-important meeting of the Communist Party congress this autumn.
“The leadership transition has a lot to do with it,” says Jeremy Goldkorn, founder of Danwei, a blog on Chinese media. “Everyone is sitting on the fence in China until that happens.”
More from GlobalPost: China or Russia: Who's the bigger problem?
Still, the exact reasons for the dismissals are not clear.
Many speculate that the editor of New Express was punished for running a profile of China’s next generation of leaders — including presumptive president Xi Jinping — earlier this month. But the story was simply reprinted from another Chinese newspaper. In fact, not only was the other newspaper not reprimanded, but as David Bandurski of the China Media Project pointed out, the original article is still available on its website.
The outgoing editor of New Express, Lin Fumin, also gave no clue as to the reason for his sacking. In a cryptic farewell note, he wrote on his microblog that he was getting to “return home” to his “roots” at another newspaper, according to a translation by the China Media Project. He concluded, “today I’ve finally gotten my wish.”
Things are no clearer at the Oriental Morning Post. On the one hand, the piece that allegedly caused the publisher’s firing was an inoffensive interview with an economist who argued that China’s state-owned companies should have a less dominant place in the economy. And the paper’s deputy editor-in-chief, Sun Jian, was apparently suspended for tweeting a picture of a book featuring interviews with the mayor of Beijing during the Tiananmen Square massacres of 1989.
“So what is really going on? The bottom line, we don’t know,” Bandurski writes.
Whatever the immediate cause, analysts believe that the orders to crack came from local party bosses eager to keep a lid on negative press. The Shanghai party boss, Yu Zhengsheng, is expected to join the first rank of the Communist leadership this fall, as is Wang Yang, the party boss in Guangdong province. (Wang, ironically enough, is seen as the figurehead for liberal reform in China.)
More from GlobalPost: In China, infrastructure attempts crumble
“There's been lots of social unrest and protests in Guangdong recently, which has attracted Beijing's attention,” Zhu Jianguo, an independent commentator, told the South China Morning Post. “It's possible that Wang decided to further tighten control of the media to ensure there's zero trouble during the last few months of his tenure.”
In addition to protecting their political fortunes, the party bosses may be responding to signals from the center. In May, the state-owned Beijing Daily published an editorial slamming commercial newspapers such as New Express and Oriental Morning Post for following Western practices in journalism. In particular, they criticized reporting on scandals relating to “tofu architecture” — dangerously shoddy buildings — and toxic chemicals found in food.
Even if the motives for the purge stay hazy, their effect is clear enough: journalists will become more circumspect. Already, censors have issued a rule banning coverage of the one-year anniversary of the high-speed train crash that killed 40 people in Wenzhou. Many expect that enforcement will be strict.
“I don’t predict it getting better anytime soon,” says Goldkorn. “Most people would say that nothing is going to change until well after the leadership transition. Even then, who knows? Nothing Xi Jingping has said suggests that he’s going to want to open up the media all of a sudden.”
More from GlobalPost: Is it time for China to abandon the one-child policy? | <urn:uuid:51a65d53-7d40-4525-9da9-fec60385520d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/china/120720/chinese-media-crackdown | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95767 | 1,094 | 1.601563 | 2 |
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Late pitchman Billy Mays made it famous. The all 'Mighty Putty'. It's suppose to bond, repair and seal almost anything and boasts that it's strong enough to pull a truck!! We try it before you buy it!
'Mighty Putty' is an epoxy distributed by NPI of Trevose, Pa. The package contains three epoxy sticks that must first be kneaded together for a few minutes to activate. When it's ready it turns white. And be ready, the smell is less than pleasant!
We tested the putty on a leaky faucet in the kitchen. It did slow the leak down considerably but doesn't stop it completely. However, that could be because of the high water pressure. If you have a really bad leak, don't expect a complete fix. But for minor drips, it'll probably do the trick.
Next we went to the basement to test its strength. 'Mighty Putty' claims it's strong enough to pull a big semi tractor trailer. Now, for most of us, we aren't going to need to complete such a job. So in place of pulling a truck we made a chain link out of the putty and we tested to see if it can pick up a simple 30 pound concrete block. We let the putty link cure for well over 24 hours and sure enough, the link didn't break while holding up the weight of the block!
'Mighty Putty' also claims it's perfect for fixing ceramics. We succeeded in breaking the handle off of a ceramic coffee mug to test it. But unfortunately during the test the entire mug broke! So, there was two tests done to put the mug back together. We used the putty to try to bond the two pieces of the mug back together as well as use it to make a new handle. After about an hour, the handle works perfectly! However, the poor bond job this reporter did on the actual mug didn't set well, and the mug leaked.
So in the end the 'Mighty Putty' appears to do a lot of what it claims it will as far as somewhat fixing leaks, repairing mugs and holding up to at least 30-pounds of weight. We need to note that you must follow the instructions completely in order for the product to perform at its top ability.
Copyright 2011 WAVE News. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:76e59482-680c-4935-8624-f8a8e5889f99> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kcbd.com/story/15186091/mighty-putty | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972798 | 507 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Jesuits gather in Boston for first worldwide education conference
By Christopher S. Pineo
Catholic News Service
BOSTON - For the first time since St. Ignatius of Loyola formed the order in 1540, Jesuit educators came together from all over the world for the first International Colloquium on Jesuit Secondary Education, with the theme “The World is Our House.”
According to organizers from the host institution, Boston College High School, 400 educators associated with Jesuit schools descended on the campus of Boston College from 61 countries on six continents.
The five-day colloquium offered 52 workshops addressing concerns and topics relevant to Jesuit education, discussion opportunities including panel events and breakout sessions, and keynote talks from eight authorities in Jesuit education.
After a video welcome from Jesuit Father Adolfo Nicolas, superior general of the Society of Jesus, Jesuit Father Jose Alberto Mesa, the order’s secretary for secondary and pre-secondary education, opened the conference with a talk titled “An Eye to the Future: Our Continued Collaboration.”
“This colloquium, the Society of Jesus hopes, is the beginning of a new way of proceeding, a new way of being schools, in the Jesuit tradition,” he later told The Pilot, Boston’s archdiocesan newspaper. “That probably means that we need to take networking and global networking very seriously, and that we need to incorporate that global dimension into our education.”
In another keynote address on “Jesuit Identity in the 21st Century,” Jesuit Father Daniel Patrick Huang, general counsel and regional assistant for Asia Pacific, asked participants to consider a series of questions raised by Jesuit delegates during a recent conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
“How are we bridging the gap between young people and our church, between our school community and the church?” he asked.
Other speakers include the Vatican’s spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, who told participants that while the Jesuits’ education apostolate is an integral part of the church’s missions, it is not the “exclusive property” of the Jesuits and be “shared and lived by others who feel the call.”
“Jesuits may be the animators and custodians of a certain spirit and a certain tradition, but this spirit and this tradition can be subsumed by others who can act with no less conviction and passion,” he added.
Workshops at the colloquium included broad topics such as “What Makes a Jesuit School Jesuit?” and more specific regional concerns such as “How Can We Guarantee a Jesuit Ethos in a New African School?”
John Mark, the director of campus ministry at Boston College High School, spoke about the value of retreats in the life of students enrolled at Jesuit schools.
“Ignatian spirituality should be an open gift. It should be a way of interpreting life. It should be a means through which we just live, through which we just connect to the world,” he said.
His workshop on campus ministry placed the prayer life of students at the center of establishing a Jesuit identity at an educational institution, even when students come from multiple religious backgrounds.
“A lot of things on retreat will speak in more God-language than Catholic-language, per se. Especially when we know that we have Muslims and Jews on the retreat along with Catholic students. We try to expand the wording, the understanding, that takes place,” he said.
Priests, principals, headmasters and educators filled every seat at a workshop on fundraising presented by Jesuit Father Kenneth Boller, president of Fordham Preparatory School in New York.
Father Boller stressed the need to not be afraid to ask donors for money to help schools do the work required by the mission of the society.
“Our founder, whose feast we celebrate today, wrote something over 6,000 letters in the course of his generalate,” he said. “Of those, about 5,000 were written to get support for the various foundations of the new society. So we have a deep spirituality of fundraising going on here in the society.”
On the second day of the colloquium, Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston celebrated the Mass for the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
After celebrating Mass, the cardinal told the Pilot that he was pleased to host the Society of Jesus in Boston for the historic occasion.
“I am sure that it will redound to the wonderful Catholic education that is being provided in our schools, and hopefully will inspire people during this Year of Faith to recommit themselves to the ideas of St. Ignatius,” he said.
Pineo is a reporter at The Pilot, newspaper of the Boston Archdiocese.
Copyright (c) 2012 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops | <urn:uuid:48bd74d0-f25e-45e6-a87e-060e462ca4c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catholicreview.org/article/home/jesuits-gather-in-boston-for-first-worldwide-education-conference | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951018 | 1,029 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Decreasing Term Assurance
The least expensive of the Term Assurances, Decreasing Term Assurance does what it says on the label. The level of benefit decreases as the term of the policy runs; the premiums do not however reduce. The premiums are fixed throughout the policy term, and the premium level is lower than that of Level Term Assurance as a result of the decreasing benefit. This type of life assurance is commonly used to protect Capital & Repayment mortgage debt. Typically the policy reduces the protection assuming a Mortgage Interest Rate of 10%. Many are paying mortgage interest at around 5% and, providing interest rates do not go over 10%, the benefit should reduce slower than the mortgage debt, ensuring repayment of the mortgage debt in full. However, there is no guarantee that the level of cover will match the outstanding debt upon a claim.
- Provides a lump sum on death or terminal illness which can be used to cover outstanding repayments on a mortgage or loan
- The level of cover reduces each year - in line with the sum you owe
- If you die within the term of the policy, it will pay out a lump sum, to help clear whatever is outstanding on your debt at that point
Please be aware that this type of insurance is based on an assessment of the health of the applicant.
The plan will have no cash in value at any time and will cease at the end of the term. If premiums are not maintained, then cover will lapse.
Life Assurance Enquiry | <urn:uuid:deff348b-0f3a-4403-8bbc-8d582b99b544> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tacfs.co.uk/Decreasing,Term,8759,7867,8758,8757.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937869 | 304 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Buying Guide Important: When you plan to relocate your home the first thing comes in your mind would be the moving boxes, which are essential in your moving. You have to choose appropriate boxes that can make your move easy. Else there is a possibility of causing damage to your valuable possessions. You have to be well organized when placing your possessions in the moving boxes and in the way you're packing them. It gives you an idea about the availability of space and relieves stress in your move. There is a thumb rule that each box shouldn't weight more than 50lbs. | <urn:uuid:b25ef6d7-6796-45f2-8bb8-acdcb72c1c11> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mrboxshop.com/index.php?page=shop.ask&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=124&category_id=31&vmcchk=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=99 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956647 | 115 | 1.5625 | 2 |
The Commerce Department has slapped stiff tariffs on imports of Chinese solar panels, imposing 31 percent charges on the products of big Chinese manufacturers like Suntech and Trina. The duties will be retroactive for 90 days.
The preliminary import duties were the result of a dumping case brought by a group led by SolarWorld, the U.S. subsidiary of a German company. The group said Chinese solar panel makers had violated World Trade Organization rules, using unfair cost advantages and selling panels in the United States at below-cost prices to drive U.S. manufacturers out of business. The duties will be reviewed again at the end of the year.
“The verdict is in,” Gordon Brinser, president of SolarWorld, said in a prepared statement. “In addition to its preliminary finding that Chinese solar companies were on the receiving end of at least 10 WTO-illegal subsidies, Commerce has now confirmed that Chinese manufacturers are guilty of illegally dumping solar cells and panels in the U.S. market.”
However, the case has divided the solar industry in the United States. U.S. makers of solar manufacturing equipment and U.S. firms that install solar panels said import duties would raise solar costs in the United States, shrink the U.S. market and hurt U.S. jobs. About half of the solar panels installed in the United States last year were made in China.
“We will fight SolarWorld’s anti-consumer and anti-jobs effort,” said Jigar Shah, founder of Sun Edison and president of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy . A study commissioned earlier by the coalition had said that a 50 percent tariff would eliminate 14,000 jobs in the United States and Shah said the actual 31 percent tariff would also cost thousands of jobs.
Shah said he also feared that China would pursue a trade case against U.S. exporters of polysilicon, a key component for making solar panels. “What we’re worried about is a full -fledged trade war,” Shah said.
But Steve Ostrenga, chief executive of Helios Solar Works, said in a statement that the Commerce decision “underscores the importance of domestic manufacturing to the U.S. economy and will help determine whether the country will be a global competitor in clean technologies or outsource them China.” | <urn:uuid:d7da84f8-783e-4e09-ba22-d61a6d379494> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/us-imposes-tariffs-on-chinese-solar-panels/2012/05/17/gIQAz59XWU_story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959914 | 486 | 1.625 | 2 |
To reclaim its status as a $100 billion company, Facebook Inc. is re-engineering itself into a mobile business.
Such a transformation has been daunting for one of the world's most-trafficked websites. Just over a year ago, Facebook's mobile business barely existed. Less than two dozen engineers were working on mobile applications as the social network focused on growing its desktop business to a billion users. While Facebook was a popular mobile app on Apple Inc.'s iPhones, users complained the software was slow and frequently crashed.
All of that began to shift in late 2011 when Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg realized he had miscalculated. Facebook's own data showed that a large number of users—the company declined to say how much—were going to their phones' Web browsers to access the social network. Meanwhile, mobile startups such as photo-sharing service Instagram were emerging as threats.
"If we are going to be a mobile company at scale, we needed to do something qualitatively different," said Mike Shaver, Facebook's director of mobile engineering. "We needed a nuclear option."
Today, hundreds of Facebook's roughly 1,000 engineers are coding for mobile on any given day, including those acquired from Facebook's purchase of Instagram last year.
Facebook is holding on-campus classes on Google Inc.'s Android and Apple's iOS mobile operating systems. And it has bombarded consumers and marketers with new mobile products, such as a number of mobile-ad formats and a messaging and photo-sharing application called Poke.
"Facebook's initial brilliance was Web development," said Cory Ondrejka, vice president of mobile engineering. Now, however, "I couldn't imagine a model where all of Facebook wasn't working on mobile."
How successful Mr. Zuckerberg and team have been at refashioning Facebook for a mobile world will become clearer Wednesday, when the social network reports fourth-quarter earnings.
In the prior quarter, Facebook showed some glimmers of mobile growth, posting mobile-ad revenue of $153 million, up from zero a year ago.
Those results helped renew investors' faith in the company, whose stock has risen 58% since that last earnings report in October when Facebook was worth about half its $104 billion IPO valuation. On Tuesday, Facebook's stock closed at $30.79, down 5%.
Now, Wall Street will be looking for the company's mobile-ad revenue to more than double from the third quarter, as well as for signs that users are embracing its latest mobile products.
Facebook's missteps with mobile go back to 2006, when the company began building mobile applications. The company bet heavily on HTML5, a programming language that created a basic mobile experience across smartphones and allowed Facebook to be less dependent on Apple and Google's operating systems. But relying on HTML5 also meant Facebook didn't make more fully-featured and speedier apps to run on Android or iOS operating systems.
In October 2011, Mr. Ondrejka and other engineers began discussing rewriting Facebook's iPhone app at an engineering summit. Three engineers began building a prototype.
When Mr. Ondrejka had enough data he met with Mr. Zuckerberg in the office of Michael Schroepfer, Facebook's vice president of engineering. Mr. Ondrejka stood in front of a white board and sketched the architectural differences between the current iPhone application and a rewrite and how they could staff up his team to get it done. Mr. Zuckerberg pressed Mr. Ondrejka for more proof that Facebook could rapidly improve its performance with the rewrite. Mr. Ondrejka assured him he finally had the technical resources and engineering expertise to get it done.
Not long afterward, Mr. Zuckerberg approved the project, which was code-named "Wilde," in reference to author Oscar Wilde.
Mr. Ondrejka's team delivered a working version of the new Facebook app to Mr. Zuckerberg to test a few months later. Last August, Facebook released the revamped mobile app for iOS, followed four months later by an Android version. While the apps don't look different from Facebook's previous versions, they run substantially faster, a critical improvement to help keep users on the mobile app and serve them more ads.
At the same time, Facebook ramped up its mobile-ad offerings. The first mobile ads in March were "sponsored stories," which would link back to a brand's mobile page. To make the ad format work, Facebook had to make sure that marketers had vibrant pages to promote.
"On the Web, you can create an ad even if you don't have a page post, so with mobile, marketers had to think about actively managing their pages," said Gokul Rajaram, who manages Facebook's ads products.
The company had to blow up some preconceived notions of how to make money off mobile. Previously, Facebook expected to profit from the sale of virtual goods in mobile games, much like how it takes a cut of such sales from desktop games that run atop the social network. Instead, Facebook found that many mobile game developers were reaching consumers directly with their stand-alone apps and didn't need the social network to host the games.
"We thought we could replicate" the same games business model on mobile as online, said Doug Purdy, a Facebook director of product management, before discovering that developers were building stand-alone apps, tailored to the Android and Apple operating systems.
So in October, Facebook rolled out a new ad program so developers could pay the social network to promote mobile installations of their games.
Facebook also began recruiting more mobile experts. But because Facebook's mobile apps hadn't been cutting edge and the interview process was choppy, "we lost candidates," Mr. Ondrejka said. While the situation has improved, at the time, "people would fall through the cracks, or they just left."
Internally, Facebook's engineering corps also had to be retrained to better understand mobile technology. In July 2012, Mr. Shaver organized on-campus classes for mobile training, which are taught by outside consultants. So far, more than 400 people have gone through the program.
Still, Facebook's progress in mobile is coming in fits and starts, as underlined by the company's recent Poke mobile app. Released in December, Poke allows people to send messages and photos that self-destruct. The app competes against Snapchat, a popular rival mobile app.
Poke last month briefly hit the top of the most downloaded chart for Apple's app store. But it has since fallen outside of the top 400 free apps, according to data from App Annie, a mobile analytics firm. Snapchat, meanwhile, remains in the top 20.
"Whether it's Snapchat or Twitter...consumers can be finicky," said Aaron Kessler, an analyst with Raymond James Associates Inc. "That's the real question: Does Facebook have staying power on mobile?"
A version of this article appeared January 30, 2013, on page B1 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Even Facebook Must Change. | <urn:uuid:225d0e6f-0fc6-4b0d-95cc-223675a40795> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323829504578272233666653120.html?mod=WSJ_article_TechnologyHeadlines | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967267 | 1,452 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Owning your own home has long been a central part of the American Dream. It’s as American as baseball, apple pie and mom. But according to this column in the New York Times, a lot of moms and moms-to-be are getting short shrift.
On top of their other worries, expectant mothers and women on maternity leave may face another hurdle: Being turned down for mortgages. Some lenders appear to be basing their denials on the retro belief that new moms just don’t go back to work.
It’s against the law to use gender-based stereotypes to make mortgage decisions. And, guess what else? Their assumptions are wrong! Here are the facts:
- In 6 out of 10 families, the woman is the primary breadwinner or a significant breadwinner. Because of the recession, hundreds of thousands more families with young children rely entirely on women’s wages because only mom is working. Women work—and women go back to work—because their families need their income to survive.
- Even before the recession, four in five employed first-time moms were back at work within a year of having a child, and the majority went back within three months. Learn more.
Here’s some good news: The Obama Administration has announced that it will investigate lenders who may be breaking the law and disqualifying women because they are pregnant or on leave. We’re glad that this Administration has jumped on the problem, and hope these investigations are only one part of its response. It seems some lenders, and others who set the standards, need some serious education so they stop penalizing pregnant women and new families!
Not only that, but we think a comprehensive effort to combat discrimination against pregnant women and new moms is long overdue. Because while this news about mortgages is shocking, many of us just aren’t that surprised. After all, claims of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace have been skyrocketing for years now.
New moms get lots of advice about what to eat and what not to drink, and how to decorate the nursery and get ready for the baby. Maybe it’s time we share some advice with employers, bankers, lenders and other institutions about how to treat pregnant women and new moms fairly!
Have you, or has someone you know, experienced problems getting a mortgage because of pregnancy or the birth of a child? Have you experienced other forms of pregnancy discrimination, at work or at school? Tell us your story, so we can share it with the Administration. | <urn:uuid:a82b525f-678f-42b3-907a-25ad88440b56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.nationalpartnership.org/index.php/2010/07/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957868 | 521 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Date of this Version
We present a receiver for a scalable multiple-access inter-chip link that communicates binary activity between two-dimensional arrays fabricated in deep submicron CMOS. Recipients are identified by row and column addresses but these addresses are not communicated simultaneously. The row address is followed sequentially by a column address for each active cell in that row; this cuts pad count in half without sacrificing communication capacity. Column addresses are decoded as they are received but cells are not written individually. An entire burst is written to a row in parallel; this increases communication capacity with integration density. Rows are written one by one but bursts are not processed one at a time. The next burst is decoded while the last one is being written; this increases capacity further. We synthesized an asynchronous implementation by performing a series of program decompositions, starting from a high-level description. Links using this design have been implemented successfully in three generations of submicron CMOS technology.
asynchronous logic synthesis, event-driven communication, neuromorphic systems, pipelining, pixel-level quantization, serial-to-parallel conversion
Date Posted: 28 October 2004
This document has been peer reviewed. | <urn:uuid:0924e864-93f2-4837-a632-52ef928d0d50> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://repository.upenn.edu/be_papers/4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951637 | 246 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Work on a Fishing Industry Tender Boat in Alaska
The Alaskan fishing industry brings in billions of dollars per year. It's incredibly profitable and relies on hard working adventure seekers who head to Alaska each summer to earn their sea legs and keep this industry afloat. One cool job in this industry is working on a tender boat.
Tender boats maximize the efficiency of the Alaskan fishing industry. Fishing boats cruise the waters off the coast of Alaska in search of salmon, black cod, crabs, and other seafood delights. When their boat is full of fish and they don't want to waste time returning to shore to offload their catch, then tender boats come to transport the cargo.
Tender boats act as the middleman between fishing boats and fish processors. Tender boats head out to sea and meet fishing boats that are at capacity. The tender boat buys the fish, loads the fish onto the tender boat, and transports the fish to the nearest fish processing plant where they are bought, cleaned, and processed so they can ultimately end up on your table. The tender boat also resupplies the fishing boats with food, fuel, and anything else they need so that they can stay out longer and make more money.
Maximizing Efficiency Means Making Money on an Alaska Fish Tender Boat
While the tender boat zips back and forth, the fishermen can take advantage of more fishing time and the fish processors can accept more fish. Tender boats range from 50 to 130 feet and usually only have 4 or 5 people on board - a skipper, engineer, cook, and deckhand.
Tender boat jobs require a good set of sea legs and the ability to be a team player. You'll be on a boat most of the time. The crew needs to work as one big team to take care of all boat duties - repairs, navigation, loading, unloading, cooking, and everything else.
You will get paid roughly $100 to $180 per day. This price is often a set amount at the beginning of the season, but it also may be a percentage of the boats income. It's not bad considering that most of your time is spend on the water traveling between boats and processors. Jobs can be hard to come by, but if you find one, you'll be stoked because you get to...
- Be based out of a cool Alaskan port like Whittier, Valdez, or Homer
- Spend your days on the salty breeze of Alaska
- Meet dozens of boat captains
- Collect a good pay check
- Have limited expenses
If you're considering a gig in Alaska next summer, working on a tender boat is an excellent and exciting choice.
A job on an Alaska tender boat is also a great way to make important connections with captains of fishing boats. These connections can really increase your chances of finding a good deckhand job in the future.
Alaska Tender Boat Jobs
In the Members Section of AlaskaJobFinder we provide you some proven tips and strategies for getting tender boat jobs in Alaska. A number of tender boats also post their job openings on AlaskaJobFinder each year. As a Member, you will have access to these job postings and can apply for these positions.
Get started on your Alaska job search now!
Video Tour: Member's Section Overview Video
- View the video for a quick tour of what is included in the AlaskaJobFinder Member's Section | <urn:uuid:6be907f5-f289-4799-85ec-d2156bb2efb0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alaskajobfinder.com/jobSeekers/tender-boats.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953822 | 700 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Despite the abundance of information we have in the niche of sex and everything related to it, many of us are still misguided by popular misconceptions. While it might sound a bit hilarious at first, busting such myths is critical since these can ruin your sex life. Often, people develop a skewed perception of their sexual ability based upon such irrational myths that have been peddled on for many years. Here, we try to reveal the truth behind some of the most common myths about sex.
1. Unprotected sex is fine because my penis is the personification of precision.
Yeah, you can carry on boasting about the fact that so far, you have always been able to withdraw before ejaculating. However, if you think that this form of protection is effective, you couldn’t be more wrong. Just like most organs in our body, the penis too is composed of muscular fibers that controlled via a complex mechanism of commands sent via the nervous system. There is always a possibility of a slight dip in your degree of self-control or alertness levels. It takes the smallest of drops of the ejaculated fluid to establish pregnancy. Is the risk worth it?
2. Premature ejaculation is for the diseased only.
This is a rather common myth about sex. Most men and even women believe that premature ejaculation indicates some sort of a disease or weakness. The fact remains that premature ejaculation affects nearly every other man at some point, during his lifetime. Anxiety, poor nutrition, fatigue or depression can cause this temporary problem in any man.
3. Fantasizing during sex is bad.
A lot of experts have said it before but most people just don’t want to listen. Sex is essentially your mind at work and nothing else. Until your mind is properly stimulated, even an overdose of sexual hormones or Viagra cannot help you perform greatly in the sack. If you think that a fantasy of any sort can raise your performance levels, just use it without any shame or doubt.
4. Some folks are born geniuses at sex.
Reading about movie stars losing their virginity at a very early age or hearing about the sexual exploits of a co-worker might make you think like this. However, there is nothing like a natural-born sexual God. Even today, medical researchers have only been able to identify genes that influences the appetite for sex or our ability to get stimulated. There is no proof to suggest that people are born with a certain degree of sexual prowess. It is a learning curve for everybody. So stop moaning about it and practice more with your girl to become better.
5. The bigger the penis, the better the sex.
Unless you are suffering from a serious medical condition that has abnormally stunted your penis’ size, you have no reason to worry. If are you going to compare your assets with that of performers in X-rated movies, you are never going to be able to shed this insecurity. Yes, a bigger tool might raise the degree of pleasure to some extent but being average-sized is no reason to feel disgusted with yourself, i.e. as long as you know how to use it.
6. She should have orgasmed if you were actually good.
This is another common and an absolutely unreasonable belief about sex. Just about one-third women attain orgasm and that too doesn’t happen regularly. Chances of her hitting the orgasmic high repeatedly are extremely low. Don’t judge your performance based on this criteria alone.
7. Things have to be sensual to get it going.
Some folks have too many preconceived notions and rules about sex. For instance, many believe that absolute privacy and sensual clothing is necessary to make things steamy. However, your sexual inclination is just an outcome of how your mind functions. If you can think erotically or get aroused in seemingly regular environments, your hunger for sex could strike any time. Just watching a lady bent over the ironing table, even with messed-up hair and nomadic nightwear could set the ball rolling for some men.
8. Menstrual cycles are a God-sent, natural form of contraception.
A very common misconception is related to having sex during her periods. It seems that the entire world is convinced that unprotected sex during this phase cannot get a lady pregnant. Yes, according to scientific principles, this is exactly what should happen. However, the human body doesn’t function perfectly at all times. There is always a threat of accidental fertilization. Secondly, the sperm can survive within the reproductive tract of the female for a few days. If a sperm survives beyond the assumed duration of her periods, pregnancy can occur. Unless your lady and you are absolutely sure about her ovulation cycle, don’t take the risk.
You may also like:Are women really so mean to each other? Kate Upton defends her curves! Is it OK to tell a white lie?
You may also visit MensXP.com for more articles:Learn the art of kissing How to stay happy all the time | <urn:uuid:ddadfb29-a04b-4155-a460-37dadc3dc02c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ph.she.yahoo.com/busted-8-common-sex-myths-104100848.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9675 | 1,035 | 1.835938 | 2 |
column: Baking in Kevlar: The sweltering misery of summer police beat walking
Art Fair week always reminds me of my first summer on the job as an Ann Arbor police officer. It was back in the days before the University of Michigan had its own police department and I was assigned a walking beat on Central Campus, more precisely the Diag. I remember many days over 90 degrees and several over 100.
For whatever reason, police command always wanted its beat walkers to walk from City Hall. So as a rookie, you would load up three ticket books (parking, city code and traffic violations) into your back pocket, and since the traffic book was too large to fit in your back pocket, it was kept in the small of your back tucked in your pants.
Associated Press file photo
Normally the walk out to the beat was a pleasant form of exercise and rather uneventful. On the days when the temperature soared into the upper 90s or 100, it was miserable. Veteran officers would catch a ride from another officer to their beat. Younger officers were watched more carefully or “delayed” in order to make sure they walked to their beat. I believe this was called “instilling discipline” in a young officer.
I am not by nature a whiner and have been fortunate enough to really enjoy being a police officer. On those hot days in July walking out to the beat, however, I figured this must be some sort of sadistic command “test” of a young officer’s character. Especially while wearing a “bullet-resistant” (they are not actually bulletproof) vest.
When in uniform I always wear a bullet-resistant vest. One veteran recently summed it up, “If you are going to wear a target, you have to wear a backer.”
For the uninitiated, a bullet-resistant vest is made of Kevlar — a tightly woven nylon that will hopefully trap a bullet fired accurately at the wearer. The many layers of Kevlar are wrapped in thick plastic to keep it dry and effective.
Those “ballistic panels” are kept in place on the body with a cloth cover that used to be cotton but is now Microban, which the manufacturers assures is, “antimicrobial protection which fights the effects of odor-causing mold, mildew and bacteria.”
Wearing a vest is like wearing a scuba diving wetsuit — only heavier — under your heavy cotton and polyester blend uniform shirt. An officer wears a T-shirt under the vest, and, whether the ambient temperature is warm or cold, that T-shirt is sweat-soaked at the end of the day.
The uniform worn by police officers has changed over the years. Until recently, most officers wore heavy wool pants, a uniform shirt and a black-visored hat, like most Michigan State Police troopers still wear today.
This is called a “Class A” uniform, and they look sharp on officers. Class A uniforms are now mostly worn by police administrators or at formal police functions like funerals.
Most street officers now wear “Class B” uniforms, which used to be referred to as “fatigues.” Those uniforms do not look as sharp but are much more functional and supposedly machine washable by officers; Class As are dry clean only.
The upside of the Class B uniform is that it is cheaper, allows greater mobility, has lots of pockets for equipment and is lighter and therefore cooler than the wool uniforms. The down side is that even if they are pressed and starched, they wrinkle within about 90 seconds of sitting down. They also look more militaristic, which seems offensive to some citizens, but they are definitely more comfortable for officers.
Back in the early 1980s the uniforms were all Class A. So when the temperatures hit the high 90s or 100, I was leaving the air-conditioned City Hall wearing wool pants, a heavy non-wrinkling polyester shirt and a bulletproof vest. Top that ensemble off with a navy blue — solar collecting — visored uniform hat, and I was in for a roasty, toasty walk to my beat.
The heavy sweating started around Division Street. The worst thing about wearing a vest is that your perspiration has nowhere to evaporate to because your torso is wrapped in plastic.
The sweat collects — not unlike a “solar still” used in salt-water survival situations — and finds the hollow where your spine runs down your back. Gravity pulls the pooled sweat down your back.
Yes, the Ann Arbor Police Department had a policy that mandated that officers and civilian alike must wear underwear while working at the department. This policy was imposed in the late 1960s, when a records clerk startled a deputy chief while she was scooting around on a low stool filing reports while wearing a miniskirt sans underwear.
By the time I reached the University of Michigan Security base, then located in an office under the carport at 525 Church St., I was soaked in sweat. Whatever sweat did not make the trip to my jockeys had been absorbed into my traffic ticket book’s cardboard cover. The same cover that supplied the numerical codes for the violations was now damp and rubbed into little paper balls adhering to the tail of my uniform shirt. My “Patrol Activity Log” that I had folded and placed in my hat was similarly wet.
I listened closely to veteran officers who told me: “A good beat officer is never cold, wet or hungry in the winter, or hot, wet or thirsty in the summer.” Therefore my beat walking patrol on those days consisted of walking from air-conditioned building to air-conditioned building and drinking from every water fountain I passed. I much preferred “building checks,” visiting the alligators with the oddly bubbling eyes in the Natural Science Building or the feces-throwing monkeys in the dental building to strolling the Diag turned frying pan.
For those S-L-O-W-L-Y strolling through the Art Fair where there are huge crowds, little breeze and hot pavement — dress appropriately and stay hydrated. Hold your child's hand at all times, and remember a baby in a stroller is even hotter than you are, so keep them cool and hydrated or, better yet, get a baby sitter and let them stay home.
Do not bring your dogs to the Art Fair. There is no room for them, and they wind up standing on very hot pavement more than walking. I am the proud owner of two rescued dogs, but I would never subject them to the Art Fair.
Most of all, have fun and stay cool at the Art Fair.
Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware and watch out for your neighbor. | <urn:uuid:d7e133f8-02e1-47e8-9ff8-5cfe6d61bc33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://annarbor.com/news/summer-beat-walking-torrents-of-sweat/?cmpid=mlive-@mlive-opinion-a2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972261 | 1,423 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Update: MIC Gadget says that there is a shutter/overexposure problem with the 1.3 Megapixel camera shutter that Apple is working on and they expect a April-ish type of time frame. We typically put less weight in piggybacking-type reports
Here is more evidence that Apple was (is?) prototyping an iPod nano with a camera on the back and the accompanying hole on the clip. Leaked by the Japanese blog Apple.pro, which leaked a similar set of images in April of last year, the new shots further indicate that Apple could be working (or at least was researching at some point), a next-generation iPod nano with an alleged 1.3-megapixel camera on its back, while still keeping the current model’s size and display.
The hole on the clip looks like it could house camera lens. Such a solution would theoretically separate the camera hardware and electronics inside the diminutive main casing from the optics and sensor hardware integrated on the clip. The clip hole looks very similar to an Apple patent filing published in May 2011, with one of the drawings depicting a belt clip with a hole in the exactly same place as on these spy shots. Two more shots are available after the break.
The publication also pointed to an Apple patent filing from November of last year describing the integrated sound system on the iPod nano, a small piezoelectric speaker integrated into a clip and similar to the iPod Nano’s existing clip. Another possible use of the speaker: Voice-activated Siri control, which would require a network connection that the miniature music player lacks. On the other hand, Bluetooth 4.0 functionality would let the iPod nano become an extension of Siri on your iPhone 4S. Moreover, low-powered Bluetooth 4.0 module would enable other cool features. Note that the Apple.pro blog has been relatively accurate in the past, leaking legitimate images of Verizon iPhone 4 schematics from Foxconn, the mini touch-screen found in the current iPod nano, accurate iPad 2 details, and more.
- Apple replacing original iPod nanos with newest model, iOS 3.1.3 users report difficulties downloading apps (9to5mac.com)
- The next iPod nano is going to have a camera if these new spyshots are real (9to5mac.com)
- LunaTik LYNK iPod nano watchband review (9to5toys.com) | <urn:uuid:34895fde-dfcc-4cb2-8076-6d478621ba69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://9to5mac.com/2012/02/01/the-next-ipod-nano-is-going-to-have-a-camera-if-these-new-spyshots-are-real/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932375 | 497 | 1.539063 | 2 |
In accordance with the National Labor Relations Board’s cease and desist order, AU administrators must recognize and negotiate with the newly formed bus drivers union.
Although the process took entirely too long, we at The Eagle support the NLRB’s decision and the drivers’ choice of collective bargaining. As we noted in a previous staff editorial, everyone has the right to form a union, and the university should do as much as it can to better working conditions for its employees.
AU Solidarity, which garnered more than 800 signatures in support of unionization, deserves a lot of credit for informing and mobilizing the AU community to take action. It filled the void created by President Kerwin and other university officials’ inaction and set an important precedent for other labor groups considering collective bargaining.
But it is important to remember that open negotiations with the drivers are not the final steps in the unionization battle. One of the drivers’ biggest complaints was that they felt like second-rate employees, constantly disrespected by university officials in and out of the office.
Ultimately, no laws or oversight boards can promote fairness and cooperation in the workplace. It is instead the sole task of AU administrators and students to create a positive working environment for everyone. It’s good to hear that process has already begun. | <urn:uuid:7d6c7d6b-601b-41f3-94e6-9be357d4279e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theeagleonline.com/opinion/story/bus-drivers-victorious/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967978 | 266 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Saved Barrow school makes fees easier to afford
Last updated at 15:48, Monday, 11 June 2012
THE new leaders of a saved school say accessibility and affordability is the key to its future.
Generous donations to Chetwynde School’s bursary fund are giving more children the chance to attend Cumbria’s league table-topping school.
Additional pledges of around £150,000 have resulted in Chetwynde being able to offer up to 50 additional means-tested bursaries.
Families can get up to a maximum of a 50 per cent discount on fees, and the school is receiving inquires from the community about this route.
Headmaster Russell Collier, said: “For most people the major hurdle in sending their child to this school is the financial hurdle, therefore the focus is on making it an affordable option for more people.
“With the new bursary scheme Chetwynde can be a viable option for more people than it has been in the past. Up to 50 more bursaries could now be offered, it’s a wonderful opportunity for people to access the Chetwynde education experience.”
The head said bursaries are a long-term commitment and available across the age groups. Bursaries are a confidential agreement between the parents, Mr Collier and the bursar.
Bursary donations were given by parents, ex-pupils, the community, and people also grouped together, including some teachers.
The Governors’ Awards Scheme can offer higher discounts based on rewarding talents in areas such as sports, drama, music and science.
Scholarships are offered for entrance to Year Seven and Sixth Form for academic talent, with up to a maximum of 30 per cent discounts.
A parent campaign was launched in March to save Chetwynde after the former governing board announced the school needed to close in July because of the falling pupil numbers.
The Chetwynde Support Group established the rescue bid and created a sustainable business plan. The group raised £490,000, but a 225-pupil number goal for September fell short. An anonymous benefactor, backed by local business owners, then stepped in and secured Chetwynde’s future by agreeing to buy the school and its building for educational use.
The independent three to 18 years Barrow school is now extending its transport service from September. It becomes wider reaching by covering new areas of Kendal and Witherslack, Windermere and Bowness and into Millom.
Chetwynde will also introduce a train collection point at Dalton station for the train services from Lancaster, also taking in Carnforth, Arnside, Kentsbank, and Cartmel.
Mr Collier said: “It’s a very personalised service.
“It’s using the school’s reputation and making people aware we are an option.”
Chetwynde’s fees remain the same for the next three years.
Chetwynde’s open day is on June 16 from 10am to 1pm. There are tours at 10am and 11.30am.
Potential new parents will receive three vouchers worth £200 each towards items such as uniform and transport.
First published at 13:16, Monday, 11 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Have your say
That's a lot of travelling being proposed, sounds like the school should have gone down the boarding school route. | <urn:uuid:2d9a4743-3b3d-473c-8a69-1245e55cd814> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/saved-barrow-school-makes-fees-easier-to-afford-1.963973?referrerPath=news/business | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963598 | 752 | 1.523438 | 2 |
So you’ve already written down your goals for the year and you’re well on your way to achieving some of them in this first quarter. Do you also need a business plan? Let me ask that question a different way. Do you want to make money from your writing? If your answer is “yes” then you’re really an entrepreneur as well as a writer. A business plan will help you to crystallize your thoughts, organized your goals into a more cohesive structure, and solidify your action plans.
When my husband and I started our first entrepreneurial venture in 1987, we had no idea how to write a business plan. We checked out books from the library, studied industry publications and used spreadsheets to project our income. I guess we did something right because the business we started that year still exists. I’ve learned over time that you don’t have to write pages and pages to have a viable business plan. In fact, there’s a famous book from author Jim Horan that proposes a format for a one-page business plan.
Don’t get too nervous about it! After all, your business plan won’t be written in stone. In fact, most entrepreneurs revise their plans at least yearly. Your plan will be a living, breathing document that will reflect your latest thinking as you move forward as a writer.
So what should your plan include? Let’s analyze some of the different components.
1) State Your Mission The Mission Statement should be anywhere from one sentence to three paragraphs in length and should describe what your purpose is for writing for children. Bestselling children’s author Laura Duksta’s powerful mission is: “Inspiring People to Shine through the Power of Love.” (www.lauraduksta.com). Notice that her mission includes adults as well as children. My mission as a children’s author is to offer valuable lessons through unique stories. I want to create stories that will be read time and time again. I’m still working on creating the right phrase to express this mission more concisely.
2) Describe Your Business In this section you’ll want to provide details on the type of writing you plan to use to accomplish your mission. Are you writing books and, if so, what categories of books do you plan to write? Will you be writing magazine articles or plays? Are you writing fiction, nonfiction or creative nonfiction? What intended age range will your writing span? In addition to the type of writing you plan to do, you’ll want to define how much time you’ll write weekly. If you’re writing part time now and want to make your income full-time from writing, propose a timeline for reaching that goal.
3) Provide a Detailed Marketing Plan Yes, it’s true that writing your book or article is just the first step. Whatever you do to promote and sell your writing belongs in this part of your business plan. How do you plan to get your work into the hands of publishers, agents, schools, libraries, booksellers and ultimately your child readers and their families? How many proposals will you send out to publishers this year? Will you attend conferences and networking events? Will you develop a website to gain registered users and a platform? How can you leverage social media to get your name and your books more known? Will you sell direct at book fairs and other family-friendly festivals?
4) Know Your Competition It’s a good idea to research and explore what your competitors are doing. A thorough knowledge of your competition can help you as you look for new profitable subject areas for books and as you come up with creative ways to market. For example, in a few short weeks “Mars Needs Moms” based on Berkeley Breathed’s fabulous children’s book will be blasted into the media. I’m hoping to release my ebook, “Little Green Men” at the same time and ride the comet of the Mars craze!
5) Project Your Financial Goals How much would you like to earn from your children’s writing this year? What would your income need to be to make a full-time living as a writer? If you want to eventually work full-time as a writer, give yourself a projected deadline for achieving this goal. In addition to projecting your yearly income, you should also project the expenses you’ll accrue as you’re pursuing your goals.
As you meet your goals and grow as a writer your business plan will also evolve. And when you look back year after year, you’ll see your achievements, and ultimately your dreams, being fulfilled.
For more guidance and details on how to write a one-page business plan see Jim Horan’s book:
For a fantastic strategic plan on how to achieve success as a writer see Nancy Sander’s book: | <urn:uuid:d981e5b0-3ed3-47d3-bbea-c8b79b4d683f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art29932.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949798 | 1,029 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Nosy Be, meaning 'big island' in Malagasy, is located off the northwest coast of Madagascar and is a must for all visitors to the country. It is Madagascar's busiest and largest tourist resort and a good destination for a romantic beach getaway, with much better amenities and accommodation options than most of the country. Featuring spectacular beaches such as Madirokely, Belle Vue and Andilana, Nosy Be has some impressive coral reefs, which makes it a popular choice for scuba divers and those who want to try some snorkelling. The island is also known for its verdant tropical forest which is teeming with a diversity of wildlife; the Lokobe Natural Reserve is a gem where fantastic bird watching opportunities abound and a great variety of animals, including the beloved lemurs, can be found. Nosy Be also offers volcanic lakes, great hiking and mountain biking trails, rum distilleries, Ylang Ylang plantations and, in May, the four-day Donia Music Festival, which is a treat for music lovers. Visitors to Madagascar often don't venture far beyond the beautiful island and it isn't hard to see why. Although it can get crowded, Nosy Be still has a sleepy, laid-back atmosphere and hasn't been ruined by its resorts.
Address: 15km off Ambanja on the north-western coast of Madagascar
Transport: Ferries and speedboats leave daily from the ports of Ankify and Fivondronana.
Admission: By speedboat from Ankify: MGD 20,000. Passenger ticket for Fivondronana Ferry: MGD 15,000. | <urn:uuid:fa779588-e8e9-402d-876a-7bdde13aed3b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordtravels.com/Attractions/2922 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954964 | 339 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The search for e-commerce 3.0
E-commerce - the term sounds nearly old-fashioned by now. Aren't we all doing our shopping online?
Well, no. E-commerce is still puny. By some estimates it makes up a mere 5% of all retail.
But it is growing rapidly.
Some of the data points are startling: The Chinese online market place Taobao, for example, sells 800 items a second. German carmaker Volkswagen deals with its suppliers online, in a business-to-business market that turns over 2bn euros a year, according to consultancy Booz & Co.
E-commerce is disrupting more and more markets. This is not just about buying your music, books, travel and electronics online.
One third of all offline buying decisions in bricks-and-mortar shops are now influenced by online behaviour, says Sonali de Rycker, e-commerce specialist at venture capital firm Accel Partners.
E-commerce 1.0 was all about discovering the web and setting up the first online shops. They were imitations of the offline world, with virtual shelves providing breadth and depth of product.
Version 2.0 saw these websites transformed into clever multimedia portals that tried to engage users. They were not just about "pull", where shoppers searched for a specific product and bought it, they were also "push" - convincing customers to snap up that special deal, to follow an impulse, says Ms de Rycker.
Now e-commerce 3.0 is slowly emerging - except nobody is quite sure yet what it will look like.
The quest to get closer to customers featured heavily on the agenda at DLD conference in Munich, a gathering of entrepreneurs, investors and technologists from Europe, North America and beyond, held every year just before the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
For conference participants it was a given that "digital is destroying analogue business models", as one of them put it.
Now, however, this disruptive online world is beginning to invade the world of bricks-and-mortar, and its new driving forces are social networks and mobile phones.Shopping alone, with friends
Shopping should be fun. You go shopping with friends or your partner, discuss what to buy, give and receive tips, wait for compliments as you try on a dress or select a new gadget.
"Remember that shopping is a very social experience," says Ms de Rycker, that "online made… very clinical."
The rise of social networks is changing all that. According to internet metrics firm Comscore, one in five online minutes is now spent on social networks.
Or as Marc Benioff, the boss of cloud software firm salesforce.com, likes to put it: "Facebook is eating the internet."
Combine this network effect with online shopping and you fundamentally change how shoppers behave and how businesses have to operate.
End Quote Michael Lazerow Chief executive of Buddymedia
We don't fill empty holes on websites any more, we engage customers ”
Start with advertising. "We don't fill empty [advertising] holes on websites any more, we engage customers," says Michael Lazerow, chief executive of Buddymedia.
He points to companies like Walmart and Best Buy, with their carefully targeted online promotions advertising and online communities where customers share their likes with friends and family.
Linda Abraham, chief executive of Comscore, believes that websites like Facebook are central for companies to engage their customers.
And this engagement, she says, has a measurable return on investment - if it's done the right way.The Facebook effect
Attract fans, she says. Put creative brand messages in their news feed to cut through. If it's well done, fans will talk about that content and "like" it on Facebook. This content then spreads to friends, amplifying the message. Which in turn results in sales with maximum returns on the investment.
Too many companies, says Ms Abraham, forget about the three steps in the middle, and fail with their efforts.
She cites one example where Walmart got a direct "paid" return of $257 for its direct advertising spend aimed at the company's Facebook fans, but made another $1,173 of revenue as the message spread through their network of friends.
Social, however, is more important than that. Comscore analysis suggests that the actual shopping behaviour of a company's fans is closely mirrored by their friends.
During the recent shopping season, especially the weekend after Thanksgiving, many US retailers saw a tremendous lift through offers given to fans, which were then passed around to friends and family.
US cosmetics chain Sephora, with the help of social media specialists Lithium, has built up a social online experience where female customers share their cosmetics tips - which extends onto the shop floor. Check out a colour of lipstick or nail varnish and ask your online friends whether it suits your type.
End Quote Chris Prescott Chief executive of fantasyshopper.com
You're a young guy and you've bought two different pairs of jeans on Fantasyshopper. For one of them five girls say you'll look good in them, the other gets no votes. Which one are you going to buy in real life?”
More than 80% of online shoppers, says Ms de Rycker, let themselves to be guided by product reviews of their peers.
But Ms De Rycker warns that companies cannot just add a social component to their e-commerce operation. "Social," she says, "has to be part of the DNA of how you sell online."
And nothing is more social than games. Fantasyshopper.com is a British start-up based in Exeter, that has just gained the backing of a stellar cast of angel investors and venture capital firms (including Accel Partners).
Its website is a game, where people can use (free) play money to go shopping virtual versions of real products. Friends give feedback on clothing, recommend other outfits - and Fantasyshopper.com earns money when users click through to the real online shops and buy.
Launched one month ago, the website is growing rapidly in the UK and has plans for international expansion.
Chris Prescott, the founder and chief executive of the start-up, explains the appeal: "You're a young guy and you've bought two different pairs of jeans on Fantasyshopper. For one of them five girls say you'll look good in them, the other gets no votes. Which one are you going to buy in real life?"Mobile impact
The real game changer, though, will be the combination of social online shopping with mobile phones.
Smartphone owners are much more likely to abandon a purchase in a bricks-and-mortar store, because they can get instant reviews, feedback and price comparisons for products on the shelf.
"One in every three mobile (shopping) transactions is done while in a store," reports Ms de Rycker
But what if companies can turn this to their advantage, and deliver a good mobile shopping experience?
David Sable, global chief executive of advertising firm Young & Rubicam, calls mobile phones "the ultimate combination of digital and real life".
He says that they will not just change e-commerce as such, they will change retail itself.
Ms De Rycker says that as "mobile integrates social and retail, [it] will drive a whole new customer behaviour".
Andrew Mason, the chief executive of discount voucher firm Groupon (another of Accel Partner's many investments), told DLD that his firm was trialling a new real-time deal service, where users can check on their mobile phone whether any deals are on offer right now within a few blocks of their location.
As more and more people join the aways-on, always-connected world, the amount of information available to retailers is going to be of staggering proportions.
Cloud computing makes processing these data fairly easy. But which companies will be able to interpret the data in a meaningful way, and use them as a strategic asset?
Those that do will be the big winners of e-commerce 3.0. | <urn:uuid:3c33ca5d-b14b-4663-a74a-d70f1af6142b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16706741 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95465 | 1,680 | 1.609375 | 2 |
1. Any idea what this shrimp is? I haven't seen it before here (Lembeh) and can't find it in any of our books. About 1.5cm long. Apologies for the quality of the photo, it's a still from my video.
2. We keep finding this blenny, which after some research is, I beleive, called and Tribal Blenny and is Atrosalarias Sp. (maybe, I've also seen other names for it), but does anyone have the full classification? It doesn't appear to be in the Fish ID books we have here.
Thanks for any help
Edited by liquidguru, 08 July 2012 - 11:41 PM. | <urn:uuid:ae2ec737-6ce9-4c03-857f-940b20419c65> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=47016 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974766 | 147 | 1.703125 | 2 |
This card pretty aptly captures the turbulent, decades-long sports feud between Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The two cities both had teams in the National League from 1892-1899, but weren't serious rivals. The Orioles were doormats for the first few years before blowing past Pittsburgh and establishing a brief dynasty with the likes of Ned Hanlon, John McGraw, and "Wee Willie" Keeler. But in the 1970s, the Pirates and the "new" Orioles twice did battle in hotly contested World Series; both were heartbreaking for Charm City.
In 1971, the O's were thwarted in an attempt to repeat as World Champions. After taking the first two games in Memorial Stadium, they were swept in the three games in Steel City. The Birds pulled out Game Six, 3-2, on Frank Robinson's desperate base running in the tenth inning. The 36-year-old walked, dashed to third base on Merv Rettenmund's single, and tagged up on Brooks Robinson's shallow fly ball to center field, barreling into home plate just ahead of Al Oliver's throw to force a winner-take-all seventh game. Sadly, pitcher Steve Blass stymied the Baltimore bats for the second time in the Series, twirling a 2-1 complete game victory. After reaching four World Series in six years (winning two), the Orioles would not return to the Fall Classic until 1979...
...When the Pirates again stood in the way of Mobtown's glory. The O's were out for revenge and stormed to a three games to one lead, fueled by an offensive attack that produced 24 runs in those four games. But again, Willie Stargell and company devastated the good guys, who went cold and were outscored 15-2 in three straight losses. Pittsburgh had erased a big deficit to beat the Orioles in a seven-game Series for the second time in the decade. Their rallying cry of "We Are Family", inspired by the obnoxious tune of the same name from the musical group Sister Sledge, served as salt in the wounds of Baltimore's fans.
Then, of course, there's football. My hometown Colts scored the first victory when a flat-topped rookie quarterback (and Pittsburgh native) named Johnny Unitas was cut by the Steelers. He found his way to Baltimore and the rest, as the amorphous "they" say, is history. When the NFL merged with the upstart AFL (American Football League) in 1970, these two teams joined with the Cleveland Browns to switch from the original NFL (now the NFC) to the AFL (now the AFC). It was just a matter of time before their paths crossed in the postseason, which could not have gone worse for the Colts. After winning 21 games (and losing only 7) in 1975 and 1976, they were blown out in back-to-back Division Series playoff games against the Steelers, 28-10 and 40-14. This proved to be the beginning of the end for Baltimore's first NFL team. They would have only one more winning season before bottoming out and eventually leaving for Indianapolis under the cover of night in March 1984.
When the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1996 and became the Ravens, a new divisional football rivalry was born. Though the series was lopsided in the early years (including a 37-0 Pittsburgh romp in 1997), Charm City's new bird developed a hard-hitting defense that was a mirror image of their Steeler foes. The pendulum swung decisively in Baltimore's favor in 2000, as they set the tone for a historic season by shutting Pittsburgh out in the season opener. The Ravens would set a league record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season (165) and win a Super Bowl, something that the Steelers hadn't done since 1979. The following year, the villains in black and gold ruined the opportunity for a repeat, crushing the Blackbirds 27-10. The Ravens wouldn't win another playoff game for the rest of Coach Brian Billick's tenure (through 2007), while the hated Steelers returned to glory by winning the Super Bowl in 2006.
The Baltimore-Pittsburgh rivalry has boiled over in the past three years, with the Ravens embarrassing the Steelers twice in 2006 (27-0 and 31-7) before the tables were turned again in 2007 with a 35-7 pasting on Monday Night Football. This year, the dials have been turned to eleven, with Pittsburgh winning two absolutely brutal games by a combined total of seven points. There have been brutal injuries, heated confrontations, allegations of bounties being placed on players and spitting incidents. Oh, and controversial officiating. It wouldn't be the NFL without shaky referees.
Now the Ravens are looking for redemption and the continuation of an unbelievable season that has seen them flip their record from 5-11 in 2007 to 11-5. A rookie quarterback, a rookie head coach, and a roster of walking wounded veterans have won two straight road games. Now they're walking back into the lion's den to face their bitter enemies, an elite AFC team with a potentially explosive offense, a monster defense, and a more rested and healthy roster. The Steelers have baggage of their own, having lost three straight AFC Championship games at home. I think Sunday's game will be nerve-wracking and incredible, but I wish I had the same confidence about it as I did going into the previous two playoff games. I just can't bear the thought of this enchanted season ending with a jubilant Steelers team punching their tickets to the Super Bowl, having dispatched the Ravens for the third straight time this year. It just can't happen.
Less than forty-eight hours to go. C'mon, Ravens. Win it for the former Ravens. And the Colts. And Frank and the Orioles, while you're at it. | <urn:uuid:27ee7ef3-695b-4499-ac83-5d94fb3c48b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oriolescards.blogspot.com/2009/01/vintage-fridays-1971-world-series-game.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973516 | 1,189 | 1.640625 | 2 |
- Jeffrey E. Barrick 17:01, 2 April 2012 (EDT):Did they replace the telomeres? With what?
- Jon M. Laurent 13:32, 9 April 2012 (EDT): Yes, they did replace the telomeres. However, they just replaced them with a telomere 'seed' sequence so that new cells would have a template on which to build new telomeres.
- Jeffrey E. Barrick 10:11, 6 April 2012 (EDT):General note: I don't like the trend of pasting summary boxes from papers into these Wiki pages. The point of making this page is to digest information into important points and bring together different papers, not reproduce existing information. You already have much of the information in your description, anyway.
- Jon M. Laurent 13:32, 9 April 2012 (EDT):Yeah, I see your point on this. I will remove it.
- Jeffrey E. Barrick 10:11, 6 April 2012 (EDT):Why don't you cite a paper from sequencing T7?
- Jeffrey E. Barrick 10:11, 6 April 2012 (EDT):Can you describe in more detail the method of genome construction they used for T7? They put the segment in a plasmid and changed it, or they PCRed each gene with primers that changed the endpoints like you have pictured? How do they recombine the genomes? Is it by infecting a cell carrying a plasmid with wild-type T7 and screening for recombinants?
- Jon M. Laurent 13:32, 9 April 2012 (EDT): A section on these details has been added.
- Jeffrey E. Barrick 10:11, 6 April 2012 (EDT):There is a 2009 book on genome refactoring that is available for online reading through the library. It describes refactoring the phage M13 genome in an undergraduate lab course at MIT, and actually has some other sections of general interest for teaching synthetic biology. Definitely a good one to cite and maybe mention M13. Are there any other efforts to refactor out there, or has interest waned in this?
- Jon M. Laurent 13:32, 9 April 2012 (EDT):I actually had this book open and intended to cite it, but failed to remember it. I have added a small mention and citation for it. I don't know of any other specific refactoring efforts currently being undertaken (save for the assumption that the yeast refactoring is ongoing). I think maybe the synthetic genome of M. mycoides by Venters group is the only other recent big project that could be called 'refactoring' of sorts. I think that we've successfully shown that refactoring can be done, so the proof-of-principle phase is more or less done. Thus (as evidenced by the yeast project), the major focus now should be, and probably is, on actual useful refactoring. The yeast project is the first step in this direction with the scramble system and removal of amber-stop codons. There are other useful things that can be done though, maybe refactoring E. coli for efficient addition and removal of useful operons, or redesigning synthetic operons, etc. | <urn:uuid:f250545e-e721-4f32-8fef-cd25344e811a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.openwetware.org/wiki/Talk:CH391L/S12/Refactoring_Genomes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951523 | 680 | 1.523438 | 2 |
yes...............................marry a rich woman
Books wise, it does depend on what areas you collect, but certainly the one already mentioned (I don't find his other volume on C19 material half as useful).
You might consider the two volumes on Scandi glass by Leslie Pina
Jenny Thompson/Raymond Slack/the Stewarts/Raymond Notley for pressed glass
Miller's may get bad press on the GMB, but they can be a useful quick guide to finding similarities etc., and lots of fairly good pix of pieces you are likely to actually find (as opposed to museum exhibits).
you must have a good glass dictionary....Harold Newman
If you like uranium glass then you need the two Barrie Skelcher volumes
then there's Susan Tobin for Wedgwood...........Lesley Jackson for Whitefriars and Factory Glass (bit of a misnomer that title I always think).
Marcus Newhall's Sklo Union for Czechoslovakia
Leslie Pina again for Fifties Glass - bit of an overview on mid C20 Italian/Scandi art glass if you like your aventurine inclusions.
Silber & Fleming is a good guide to C19 designs and patterns of mostly utilitarian glass.
Re the cut glass matter, I don't yet have anything really good, so would like to hear other people's ideas myself. I do have 'Art Deco to Post Modernism' - although this is a booklet only (and very useful indeed), but not a book in the real sense.
don't know what others might suggest, but most of the above would be helpful for generall collecting. | <urn:uuid:7ccefff2-6887-4ee0-9426-e2bdd4bc29a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,46148.10.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931532 | 343 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Radio Through the Years: Participate in Its Evolution
"Radio Heads," an homage to the history of that medium, will be held at Middlesex County College during February. The program is a series of performances of radio from years ago to the modern era. All performances will be in the Studio Theater and are free and open to the public.
"Radio Heads is an enjoyable, energetic look at what radio has done for the culture," said Nadine Heller, chair of the Department of Visual, Performing and Media Arts at the College. "The audience will be able to participate in the evolution of radio by touring through a series of curated environments based upon significant moments in radio history. Step back in time to hear historic broadcasts and music. Enter a 1930's living room and sit around the radio to hear the broadcast of the Hindenburg disaster. Cozy up in the front of a classic car and swoon to the hits of the 60s. It'll be nostalgic, educational and fun."
Thursday, February 7, 5-9 p.m.
The opening reception includes a live performance and broadcast of the classic comedy "The Income Tax" from The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, directed by Peter Loewy. This will be followed by a kick-off celebration with New Brunswick's own The Golden Boyz, who will bring their unique live band karaoke experience to the College.
Thursday, February 14, 5-7 p.m.
This program features an original play based on Orson Welles' notorious radio thriller, "War of the Worlds." The performance, directed by Professor Jess K. Smith of Middlesex County College, incorporates live original music by William Sieke, a 2011 graduate of MCC and a composer and member of the band, Hope, Star and Browning. It is followed by a broadcast of apocalyptic love letters, written and recorded by members of the campus community.
Thursday, February 21, 5-7 p.m.
This event includes a live performance of "The Riverboat Runs Aground: Based on a True Story." Directed by Professor Smith, this is a piece of home-grown storytelling by Seattle-based writer and performer Wesley K. Andrews. Rooted in his adolescent years growing up in Fairbanks, Alaska, the stories revolve around a true transformative act of magic and reincarnation. It includes original music by Mr. Sieke and Renee Maskin, a Brooklyn musican, and is followed by a discussion with the writer.
Friday, February 22, 7 p.m.
After a week-long master class with Mr. Andrews, students will perform their original stories in concert with excerpts of his newest piece entitled "War War War," paired with original music by Mr. Sieke. | <urn:uuid:44f2b1b9-d3a6-4181-a9eb-cab792f74586> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www2.middlesexcc.edu/mcc-news/143-news-releases/2003-radio-through-the-years-participate-in-its-evolution.html | 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 | 0.964044 | 564 | 1.539063 | 2 |
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