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The path to productivity is not a new assistant or project management software. It’s these four shared characteristics.
Like most everyone else, I worry about productivity. Since there aren’t more hours in the day, how can I get more done? That’s made me reflect on the truly productive people I’ve known or worked with throughout my career.
They all share certain characteristics:
1. They have a life.
Far from being the maniacally focused, late night or early morning types, truly creative innovators or problem solvers have a rich life outside of work. One of the finest CEOs I’ve known, Carol Vallone, founder of WebCT, coached her local softball team. She said it’s where she honed her leadership skills. It also meant she had to take her mind off work and think in different ways. No wonder academic research keeps showing that external commitments are highly correlated with high achievement.
2. They take breaks.
It’s easy to think that you’ll get more done if you never stop. But what’s clear from neuroscience is that we can easily get resource-depleted (tired) and can quickly become rigid and narrow minded (tunnel vision). In other words, we get stuck. Taking a break—just walking around for a minute—can reset and refresh your mind, allowing you to see solutions that another hour at the desk would not have revealed. It’s one reason we often have our best ideas driving home.
3. They’ve often worked in several different industries.
This means that they regularly challenge orthodoxies because they’ve seen different frameworks and approaches. They may not take so much for granted, and have the experience to see the value in re-framing problems.
4. They have great outside collaborators.
Sometimes these collaborators are formal, often not. But their sounding boards aren’t just immediate colleagues or clients. Their wide networks allow them to incorporate a wider range of thinking, contacts and information and they bring light and air into the business.
What all of these characteristics demonstrate is that truly productive people have very wide and rich peripheral vision: external commitments, time to breath, multiple perspectives, and contacts. These individuals bring far more to the table than their immediate task or job requires. They’re productive because they have such rich resources to call upon: science, music, art, literature, theatre, furniture design, pot plants—you name it. There is always much more to them than ever meets the eye. What this means is that the secret to productivity isn’t a new organizer, a piece of software, or a new app. It’s having a whole life.
Author: Margaret Heffernan | <urn:uuid:6fb48f34-d4d1-45e2-ba92-c2d91513dc21> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.horizonspeakers.com/personal-development-secrets-of-the-most-productive-people | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955775 | 576 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Statements about Abortion
Rob Portman shares "radical, ideological views" toward women.
"Marcy Kaptur voted against a ban which would have prevented the aborting of a baby girl for the sole reason that she's a girl."
Access for 12,000 women to use Planned Parenthood -- "not for the right to choose," but for "basic health care" -- was "taken away" by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.
The Obama White House recognizes a "baby that has not been born" for security purposes.
Under a new law, doctors performing drug-induced abortions could be charged if women don’t return to them for follow-up care
"Only 14 percent of Catholics agree with the Vatican's position that abortion should be illegal."
Says a bill requiring ultrasounds before abortions "was supported by Republicans and Democrats."
Says abortion doctors are "flying into this state, performing abortions and flying out."
Says Jeff Wentworth was the only Republican to vote against the Texas measure requiring women to have a sonogram before receiving an abortion.
Says Gloria Steinem once called Kay Bailey Hutchison a "female impersonator."
"Nearly 45 percent of the women who receive health screenings through (the Women’s Health Program) do so at a Planned Parenthood health center."
Says that in fiscal year 2010, "nearly 80 percent of women served" in the Texas Women’s Health Program received services from a provider other than a Planned Parenthood clinic.
Says Romney flip-flopped on abortion.
The administration has issued rules for "$1 abortions in ObamaCare" and "requires all persons enrolled in insurance plans that include elective abortion coverage to pay" an abortion premium.
"This bill allows Virginia to join about 23 other states that have an ultrasound procedure" before an abortion.
Says there have been "well over" 54 million abortions since 1973.
A socially conservative group sponsored a "prayer vigil" to stop people from buying Girl Scout cookies because it thinks the Girl Scouts are affiliated with Planned Parenthood.
"The fact is 90-percent of Down Syndrome children were aborted in this country."
Says Rick Santorum "funded Planned Parenthood."
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Keep up to date with Politifact National: | <urn:uuid:ee873d2f-a752-4d87-a074-039c641dace2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.politifact.com/subjects/abortion/?page=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939084 | 622 | 1.53125 | 2 |
In another major win for consumers, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has denied Texas’ request to delay implementing part of the health reform law. The rule at issue, known as the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) rule, requires that insurance companies spend at least 80 percent of their customers’ premium dollars on actual medical care — not on marketing, profits, advertising and overhead — and to refund the difference if they fall short.
The rule went into effect on January 1, 2011, but Texas and several other states have applied to phase-in the rule so that it would not be fully in effect until 2014. In Texas, 22 of the state’s 34 insurers did not meet the 80 percent standard in 2011 for their customers who buy insurance policies on their own, meaning these policyholders stand to receive an estimated $160 million in rebates by August 1, 2012 in the form of refund checks or credits toward premiums. HHS estimates that Texans will see $476 million in rebates over the next three years. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram explains what this means in more concrete terms:
The largest rebate, $89.6 million, will come from Blue Cross Blue Shield, by far the largest writer of individual health policies with about 55 percent of the market. That rebate comes to an average of about $220 for each of the insurer’s 407,187 covered lives.
The Texas Department of Insurance, like insurance departments in other states, argued that the rule could cause insurers to flee the market rather than meet the standard or pay rebates, leaving fewer choices for consumers who buy coverage on their own. But in our public comments, advocating for the immediate enforcement of the MLR provision, Consumers Union noted that:
- Texas carriers are financially well-positioned to provide rebates.
- Carriers covering more than 93 percent of the individual market stated that they do not intend to exit the market.
- At least 12 carriers are changing their business practices to achieve an 80% MLR. | <urn:uuid:1e873708-1d75-47d5-bc10-b811b35a18c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://yourhealthsecurity.org/posts/2887-hhs-rules-in-favor-of-texas-consumers-insurance-companies-to-rebate-up-to-160-million | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962925 | 418 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Assad Warns West That Any Challenge To Syria Would 'Burn The Whole Region'
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has warned Western powers that any intervention in Syria would cause an “earthquake” that would “burn the whole region”
Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, his first interview since the popular uprising began seven months ago, Assad gave a stark warning to those calling for a Libya-style intervention. “Do you want to see another Afghanistan?” he challenged.
Any interfering in his handling of the uprising would lead to regret, he said, as Syria is "the fault line" of the Middle East. "Play with the ground you will cause an earthquake," he forewarned, adding: "Any problem in Syria will burn the whole region".
His comments follow a call from the United Nations (UN) for the crackdown on the protesters to end.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that Assad must end his regime's "repression and violence". On Friday, Arab League officials joined the condemnation, demanding an end the "continued killings of civilians".
However, Assad remains unapologetic. In the interview he admits that "many mistakes" have been made by his security forces in crushing the protests early on, but maintains that now "only terrorists" are being targeted.
Despite worldwide condemnation, China and Russia have consistently opposed any proposed sanctions and the regime.
More than 3,000 people have died in the unrest since March, when protestors began calling for Assad to step down. | <urn:uuid:245251eb-b519-4d84-81b8-a350b75db6ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/10/30/assad-warns-the-west-chal_n_1065874.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967536 | 312 | 1.796875 | 2 |
A bad week suddenly got a lot better for President Barack Obama, who was criticized by friends and foes for a lackluster debate performance before learning of record fundraising followed by Friday's stronger-than-expected jobs report.
The drop in the unemployment rate to 7.8% provided both a tangible and symbolic campaign boost after analysts and a snap poll said he lost the first debate to Republican challenger Mitt Romney on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a Democratic source familiar with fund-raising confirmed to CNN that the Obama re-election team raised more money in September than any campaign has brought in this election cycle. According to the source, the Obama campaign is expected to exceed $150 million for the month, topping the previous record of $114 million that the president's team raised in August.
The double dose of good news followed a debate performance that was so ineffective, the Washington Post awarded Obama its dubious "Worst Week in Washington" honor.
While Obama's advisers promised adjustments in his approach to the next two debates, the president showed no sign of making any major changes to his campaign themes or messaging in the final month of the race.
Speaking Friday at George Mason University in northern Virginia, Obama laced his now familiar stump speech with new attack lines targeting specific Romney statements from the debate or in reaction to the September jobs report.
"Today's news certainly is not an excuse to try to talk down the economy to score a few political points," Obama said of the employment data and Romney's response that it failed to signal a real economic recovery.
The president then pivoted to an oft-repeated defense of his record that also took aim at his rival's pledge to cut taxes and spending while repealing major legislation such as health care and Wall Street reforms.
"This country has come too far to turn back now," Obama said, adding: "We've made too much progress to return to the policies that led to the crisis in the first place."
To Brown University political science professor Wendy Schiller, the latest jobs figures lend credence to Obama's contention that his policies are making progress, albeit slower than anyone wants. | <urn:uuid:1cbbbe30-f0ff-4845-97a0-9743dac67dbd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kitv.com/news/politics/Bad-debate-good-jobs-report-for-Obama/-/8905242/16876904/-/10e8ik1/-/index.html?absolute=true | 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 | 0.971945 | 426 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Abbie Gardner is a fantastic musician, and when she asked if we could do another song, I was thrilled. I went to her house in Jersey City on Thursday morning and asked if she had anything she was working on that we might look at. (Ending in prepositions! Ah!) Abbie brought out this song, Momma.
Originally this was a simple outline of a song about a girl in love with a boy who kissed just right and loved just right so much so that she went straight to her momma and said, “I’m in trouble I love this guy so much.” Well, we took a look at it and talked about this relationship between this girl and her mother. We found that the song isn’t really so much about a love between a man and a woman, but the relationship between a mother and a daughter. We talked about what kind of mother this woman is: is she caring and totally helpful? Or a bit apathetic? What kind of reaction might she have to this girl who has obviously been in trouble before?
We decided we didn’t want to focus on the daughter’s problem with her man in this song. We felt like we didn’t need to spell it out for the listener, but that capturing a single moment between a desperate daughter and her mother was more important to us in the span of a three and a half-minute song.
One of the best classes I ever took in college was a course called Theater Analysis. I have no idea what lead me to it, actually. I mean, I think I was mostly done with my music credits as a performance major and just needed some more of… something. I’m not sure. We studied Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie among many others. And though I don’t remember our text, I remember this was the first time I was introduced to the word “aesthetic” because it was in the title of the book we were referencing for all the work we were reading. I remember the teacher being really good and very interesting. We used various tools to look at each work: deciphering movement, cause and effect of each character and how the playwrite used word choice and other tools to create his or her vision.
I think I use the tools I was taught in this class on songs, too. In the case of this song, we addressed the daughter and mother’s own history not only together, but as individuals. We came up with the idea that the mother had a similar history of rebellion and relationship trouble that the daughter was creating for herself which is why the mother reacts in such a, “I can’t do anything for you, child” kind of attitude.
Instrumentation: Abbie started playing this song on her Dobro, and I love the sound so much, I left my cello at home! It’s so awesome and makes me want to learn how to play it!
Writing: Took place on Thursday morning. The bulk of the “Momma” chorus’ were already in place, and I just came in and brainstormed ideas. We worked on the general storyline and Momma’s verses together. Abbie had the idea of a kind of call-and-response towards the end, which I really like.
Recording: Took place on Friday (yesterday) morning due to parking restrictions on Thursday. I only had 2 hours on each day to park before I had to move my car, so we just did it in shifts on two different days. What a pain! But it actually made it kind of nice to have a time frame with which to finish.
I’m so glad spring is starting to peek through the cold lately. Outside our window is a huge rock where trees grow. In the spring, the trees start growing their green leaves and make a nice shade into the house. It doesn’t feel like we’re in the city, but we certainly are! New York. What a place.
May your day be well and spring be where you are, too. | <urn:uuid:f31af72c-76d1-4866-8364-db2ae009b49c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://emilyhopeprice.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/83-momma-abbie-gardner/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98702 | 860 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Congress should have heeded his administration's proposal to more closely regulate the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage lenders, the former president tells USA TODAY in his first newspaper interview since leaving office on Jan. 20, 2009.
"The house of cards was built on, you know, risky loans, and I was blindsided by the extent of the crisis," the 43rd president told our colleague Judy Keen.
Bush spoke as his memoir, Decision Points, is to be released to the public on Tuesday.
The president also told Judy that he struggled with the decision to bail out big banks, but "I was concerned about a depression" and "it was one of these decisions where I had to set ideology aside."
For the former president's take on Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, successor Barack Obama, and other matters, check out tomorrow's edition of USA TODAY.
(Posted by David Jackson)
David's journalism career spans three decades, including coverage of five presidential elections, the Oklahoma City bombing, the 2000 Florida presidential recount and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has covered the White House for USA TODAY since 2005. His interests include history, politics, books, movies and college football -- not necessarily in that order. More about David | <urn:uuid:e4010d39-7954-44fb-a703-900703c931f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/11/bush-im-trying-to-regain-my-anonymity/1?csp=hf&loc=interstitialskip | 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 | 0.981003 | 251 | 1.546875 | 2 |
When a police officer is killed in the line of duty, there is always outrage and sorrow from the community and the people he or she has served.
The death of NYPD Officer Peter Figoski of West Babylon was no exception. Figoski was killed in the line of duty by Lamont Pride during a botched robbery in Brooklyn nearly two years ago.
When he was sentenced today, Pride got 25 years to life for the officer's death. He was convicted of burglary, aggravated manslaughter, and second-degree murder, although at trial he avoided being convicted of first-degree murder which would have given him the stiffer sentence of life without parole.
Each day of the trial, police officers were in the court showing support for the family of Figoski.
When a police officer is killed, the brotherhood of police officers come together to support the deceased's family. Police officers really are a family, and when one of them is gunned down on the job, it often feels as though a member of the family has been taken.
As such, there is nearly always outrage when the defendant does not get the harshest sentence possible. As many people often point out in a case like this, police officers knowingly put their lives on the line in the interest in our safety, and therefore if their lives are taken, the public should be protected and the killer put away for life.
What do you think of this case? Should the killer have gotten the maximum sentence? | <urn:uuid:25c3906e-61f5-463e-8147-234de7be8a09> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.examiner.com/article/45-years-to-life-police-murder?cid=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986637 | 299 | 1.75 | 2 |
Daily Topic for December 06, 2009
Muslims usually don’t understand the working of the Holy Spirit. To them, Christians worship three separate gods. Some of them interpret Bible verses that mention the Holy Spirit as actually referring to Mohammed, their prophet. What if they saw God, the Holy Spirit, working in the lives of His children? Could you imagine the difference that would make?
Pray that the Holy Spirit will move in the lives of believers in such a way that Muslim peoples like the Mahras will understand that God is among them, when they see their “Christian cousins” living out the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
There is a flower called the water-meal; it is only about the size of an ice cream sprinkle, and it is known as the smallest flower in the world. Yet, how God must treasure it! Perhaps the Mahras aren’t the smallest people group in Saudi Arabia, but at about 18,000, they are surely small compared to the millions of souls in other ethnic groups. Yet, how precious they are to the Heavenly Father!
The Mahra people aren’t actually Arabs; they are their own unique people. Situated in the southeast part of Saudi Arabia on a desert plateau, they function in tribes within a limited social circle. The women wear their veil both inside and outside the home, and they as well as their husbands are monogamous. They hold to various social classes, which is not congruent with Islam. At this time there are very few known believers in the Mahra community.Learn more at joshuaproject.net
Pray that God will raise up an army of intercessors who will stand in the gap, and that the doors will swing open wide to the preaching of the gospel of Christ. Pray for workers to go into this challenging field, and that broadcasts, literature and the JESUS Film will become available to the Mahras. Ask The Lord of the Harvest for a bountiful movement to Christ among the Mahras.-PE | <urn:uuid:12655945-7677-42b8-b6ce-a2dbdde87605> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/index.php/issue/day/2009/12/06 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964101 | 417 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Video Game Innovator Offers an Inside Look at Virtual Industry at UAlbany College of Computing and Information
Tobi Saulnier, CEO and founder of 1st Playable Productions dishes on Playstation, Nintendo and Pop Culture as part of CCI's "Technology Leaders of Today” Series on Tuesday, Oct. 14
Contact(s): Catherine Herman (518) 956-8150, ([email protected])
|Tobi Saulnier, CEO and founder of 1st Playable Productions in Troy, will showcase video games as a blend of high tech and diverse art as part of the Technology Leaders of Today speaker series. (Photo Mark McCarty)|
"Games have far more influence than just their cultural impact," said Saulnier. "Video games today are also a primary driver of technical innovation and artistic expression. People might not realize it, but games have already started to change how issues and ideas are debated, and how we connect with one another."
The talk will be held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 5 p.m. in the University at Albany Life Science Research Building Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
"We are fortunate to have Tobi Saulnier and her talented team of game designers in Tech Valley," said Peter Bloniarz, Dean of the College of Computing and Information. "Games aren't just fun -- they teach children skills and cooperation, stimulate their imagination, and entertain at the same time. Their virtual worlds are good environments for learning computing and programming concepts."
The Technology Leaders of Today Speaker series is an effort of the College of Computing and Information Women in Technology initiative to highlight women role models in technology. Tobi Saulnier is the only woman CEO of a video game company in the Capital Region. She will share information about the current and future states of the gaming industry and discuss how women in particular can get involved.
"As a young woman taking her first college course on computers, I decided immediately that computing was not for me," said Saulnier. "I spent the next four years avoiding the field entirely. Much to my surprise my next encounter after graduating was entirely different, and I have been playing with computer technology ever since."
About the University at Albany College of Computing and Information
The College of Computing and Information is a unique community of leading educators and researchers and talented students, positioned at the forefront of the information society. CCI's mission is to support world-class, discipline-based research and educational programs related to computing and information. With its partnerships in the corporate, government and nonprofit sectors, the College provides expertise and collaboration efforts that benefit New York State and the nation.
About the Technology Leaders of Today Speaker Series
In January 2008, a series of lectures was launched for women in computing and information fields to present their industry experience. The talks are free and open to all students, faculty and community members. The lecture series mission is: 1) to introduce and inspire options and opportunities for women across campus and in the community, and 2) to dispel the myths about the field of computing. | <urn:uuid:b829877c-8970-4f07-9ca8-3bf89ee686b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.albany.edu/news/release_4519.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950357 | 643 | 1.695313 | 2 |
JERUSALEM (AP) -- A Palestinian protester in Gaza died Friday from Israeli army gunfire, a health official said, as thousands in the Palestinian territories, Israel and neighboring countries participated in an annual protest against Israeli land policy.
Israeli security forces in riot gear deployed in high numbers along the frontiers of Israel and the Palestinian territories in anticipation of a repeat of last year's violence, in which at least 38 people died near Israel's borders with Lebanon and Syria.
But for the most part, protests were small and organizers kept demonstrators from actually marching on the borders.
The "Land Day" rallies are an annual event marked by Israeli Arabs and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza who protest what they say are discriminatory Israeli land policies.
Gaza health official Adham Abu Salmia said Israeli forces shot and killed Mahmoud Zaqout, 21, and critically wounded another man as they were approaching the Israel-Gaza border during a demonstration of a few thousand people organized by the territory's Hamas rulers.
The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots before shooting directly at Zaqout, in accordance with the army's rules of engagement.
The military said it responded to protesters with tear gas in addition to gunfire. Abu Salmia said an additional 37 protesters throughout Gaza were lightly injured, while the Israeli military put the number at about 29.
By midday, skirmishes had broken out between protesters and security forces in the Jerusalem area. Palestinians threw rocks and Israeli troops responded with tear gas, stun grenades and rubber pellets.
Dozens of Palestinians were treated for light wounds in hospitals throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem, including four with serious head wounds from rubber pellets and one hit in the head by a tear gas canister, said Mohammed Ayyad, a spokesman for the Red Crescent medical service in Ramallah.
In southern Lebanon Friday, thousands of Lebanese and Palestinians gathered outside the Crusader-built Beaufort castle 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Israel. Lebanese security forces kept them from moving any closer to the border.
Last year, demonstrators from Lebanon and Syria tried twice to break across the borders into Israel, setting off clashes with Israeli troops in which at least 38 people were killed.
Sobhiyeh Mizari, 70, said she always taught her 12 children "never to forget Palestine."
"We will liberate our land against the will of Israel and its backers," said Mizari, who said her husband was killed in Israeli shelling of Lebanon in 1978.
Among the protesters in Lebanon were rabbis from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect Neturei Karta, a radical anti-Israel group that believes Jews must live without a country of their own until the coming of the Messiah.
In Jordan, thousands of demonstrators gathered a few kilometers (miles) east of Jordan's border with the West Bank, chanting, "Death to Israel." Israel controls the West Bank side of the border.
"Get out Jews, get out. Jerusalem and the West Bank are in the land of virtue, in Arab-Muslim land, and your dirt will stain it," Hammam Saeed, a hawkish Muslim Brotherhood leader in Jordan, told the cheering crowd. Jordanian media reported that representatives from Neturei Karta, which traditionally supports Israel's enemies, were present there as well.
About 2,000 Arab-Israelis demonstrated in northern Israel, where a large portion of Israel's Arab minority lives.
Several dozen Palestinians who live in east Jerusalem waved their national flag outside Jerusalem's walled Old City. "One, one homeland!" they chanted.
Palestinians were banned from entering from the West Bank except for medical emergencies, and police barred Palestinian men under 40 from praying at a volatile Jerusalem holy site, citing security concerns.
The demonstrators performed their communal Muslim Friday prayers where they stood, praying on their flags instead of traditional mats.
They were surrounded by what appeared to be an equal number of Israeli security forces.
"Israel has no trouble with peaceful protest and respects the rights of people to demonstrate peacefully," said government spokesman Mark Regev.
Many Palestinians, energized by Arab Spring uprisings that have overturned decades-old authoritarian regimes, see massive, coordinated marches as one of the most effective strategies to draw attention to their cause.
"After the Arab revolutions, there's awareness of the importance of popular participation," said Arab activist Jafar Farah. "This has rattled the Arab regimes, and now it's frightening the Israeli government."
Associated Press correspondents Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Jamal Halaby in Jordan, Daniella Cheslow in Jerusalem, Mohammed Daraghmeh in Qalandiya, West Bank and Ibrahim Barzak in Gaza City, Gaza Strip contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:7b8088a5-2d03-4bd5-9f93-10fe3d1cdfab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.daily-jeff.com/ap%20international/2012/03/30/gaza-man-dies-as-thousands-protest-against-israel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957501 | 963 | 1.523438 | 2 |
As the economy started improving after the recent downturn, several hydraulic distributors were adding new people that sometimes got in over their head designing circuits for their customers. We received a call from a new salesman asking for our help in solving problems he was having with a system he designed and installed.
He sent the circuit shown at right to us for review and comment. The problems he was experiencing were as follows:
When debugging the system, the customer blew a 25 gpm spin-on filter element off its filter head. He bypassed it for the time being.
The safety ISO-3 “solenoid dump valve” for the accumulators chattered when energized. The customer also indicated the electric motor’s current draw fluctuated.
Another concern was with how high the counterbalance valve adjustment had to set and how the “extend flow control” adjustment was very sensitive.
What would you have advised him to do?
Robert J. Sheaf, Jr. is the founder of Certified Fluid Consultants (CFC) and President of CFC-Solar Inc. CFC-Solar provides technical training, consulting, and field services to any industry using fluid power technology. Visit www.cfc-solar.com for more information.
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All correct solutions will be entered for a chance at a $50 gift card — we will randomly select a winner from all correct answers. The winner’s name will be printed in the next edition of “Troubleshooting Challenge.”
Congratulations to Sam Burkett, Sr. Development Engineer, Hiller Nuclear Range at Rotork, who correctly answered the May Troubleshooting Challenge and was selected for the gift card.
Solution to May’s rock crusher problem
The overheating problem with the rock crusher machine was interesting in that it overheated when idling or coasting but if loaded for hours, the cooler handled the heat exchange.
However, when idling or coasting, the large pressure compensated pump was fully compensated at 3000 psi, and the hot case drain oil was not cooled. The case drain was plumbed directly to the tank while the cooler didn’t see any system oil flow to cool.
We have found that providing the pump case drain with a set of check valves — one with a 5 psi setting plumbed to the tank and the other a ½ to 1 psi plumbed to the main cooler — would have reduced idle heat buildup in the system. When the system is working, fluid flows from the actuators, and while idling, the only heat source from the pump case drain is cooled. This solved their problem.
If the operating system does not require a heat exchanger, but idles for long periods of time, a small air cooled heat exchanger can be installed on the case drain of pump. | <urn:uuid:5da97df6-7606-4a37-956f-b68518074e01> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hydraulicspneumatics.com/hydraulic-valves/circuit-design-when-you-re-new-game | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958063 | 629 | 1.601563 | 2 |
BullGuard introduces cutting-edge anti-malware and anti-theft security for the popular mobile platform
London, 12th May 2011 - Android phones have been rapidly growing in popularity and the appeal of the open source operating system, backed up by impressive handsets from popular vendors, led to it grabbing a market-leading 35% share in Q1 2011. Further reports suggest that the Android Marketplace will overtake Apple's App store later this year, making it the largest application store for mobile platforms.
It hasn't been an easy ride for the OS however, with concerns surrounding security and the presence of malware on downloaded applications highlighting the need for improved protection for smartphones.
A new BullGuard survey has found that just 45% of respondents were aware that a mobile phone could contract a virus, and just 7% already had a security suite installed on their phone. This is despite the fact that 46% typically store bank or credit card details on a mobile, 70% of people use it to browse the internet and 60% download applications to enhance the device.
Claus Villumsen, Mobile Security Expert at BullGuard, highlights the concerns surrounding the recent developments. "So far we're seeing a rather reactive approach from consumers when it comes to safeguarding their phone, but waiting until threats become more widespread or until a device becomes infected is far from ideal. In addition, much of the malware that targets smartphones acts as spyware, which is designed to go undetected. The only sure way to guard against these sorts of hidden threats is to use a strong mobile security suite to root out the malicious code."
The most recent high profile case of mobile malware was reported in March this year, when over 50 applications were removed from the Android Market following concerns that they could contain malware. The attack was dubbed "the ultimate Android Trojan to date", widening concern surrounding the inherent risks of using this system. Google removed the suspect applications and confirmed that it would be invoking tighter security measures to prevent this from happening again, but the nature of the OS is such that similar attacks could surface in the future. In addition, the penchant for users to download applications from unofficial sources means that there are plenty of avenues for malicious users to pursue, and this is something that Android users need to take into account.
Mobile threats haven't been as well publicised as more "traditional" viruses and malware that infect desktop or notebook computers, but BullGuard has made a mission out of making consumers aware that the growing threat on mobile devices has the same disastrous potential as computer based threats, and is providing cutting edge software that is easily available and can help guard against a range of different problems.
BullGuard's Mobile Security 10 provides antivirus and antispyware tools as well as parental controls to help ensure that a phone stays virus-free, but the issue of loss or theft is also a real concern, as it may result in a third-party having access to a range of personal information, passwords and financial data. To address this issue, the BullGuard software includes comprehensive remote protection tools that allow users to locate a phone via GPS, enable a keylock and even wipe the data stored on the device to prevent it from being accessed.
All of these tools come as standard for Android devices, and are backed up by free 24/7 support.
"BullGuard Mobile Security 10 is an essential addition to our range of award-winning security software," says Villumsen, "and means that mobile users can benefit from the same expertise that have made our desktop products so popular. There is no doubt that Android Market is a natural habitat for BullGuard Mobile Security, and will play a significant role in BullGuard's online strategy. After all, Android Market is currently the second largest smartphone app store, only surpassed by Apple's App store. We know the demand for smartphone security is quickly rising and as the Android platform is very exposed to security threats, Android Market is an obvious venue for us to offer our Mobile Security application to consumers."
BullGuard Mobile Security 10 is available to download now from the Android Marketplace, priced at £19.95 inc VAT.
See more at: http://www.bullguard.com/
Launched in 2002, BullGuard is one of the fastest growing security brands. Its philosophy has always remained the same - to combine technical excellence with a genuine understanding of consumer needs, creating simple, easy to use products that deliver universal, complete protection as well as enabling customers to control and manage their digital footprint. | <urn:uuid:f777ddea-a6d9-4401-9e72-e3bda5946a02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hexus.net/tech/items/software/30386-bullguard-launches-mobile-security-android-marketplace/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955597 | 909 | 1.523438 | 2 |
is located in Gallatin, Tennessee, which is 30 miles northeast of Nashville. The college also has degree granting centers at McGavock High School in Nashville and Vol State at Livingston in Overton County. Numerous off-campus operations extend the college’s instruction and public service roles throughout its 12-county service area. Popularly known as Vol State, the college was founded in 1971. A 100 acre tract of land on Nashville Pike was chosen for the new campus. The property was deeded to the State on December 4, 1969. The new college was named Volunteer State Community College, and this was approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents on July 2, 1970. Ground breaking ceremonies for the first four buildings were held on November 5, 1970. Volunteer State has experienced phenomenal growth in enrollment, curricula, staff, program, public service, facilities, and quality over the past 37 years. The main campus of Volunteer State now comprises sixteen buildings, and the Volunteer State campus at Livingston continues to grow. The college has a diverse mix of students ranging in age from teens to senior adults. They come from counties across the service area, many states around the nation, and more than 25 countries. Vol State has more than 70 programs in five grand divisions: Humanities, Social Science and Education, Allied Health, Business, and Math and Science.
Gallatin, TN 37066 | <urn:uuid:7b9b8b4b-d073-43a6-9c8c-784a6d38d6d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://collegeofbusiness.info/workforcedevelopment/volunteer.php?video=VolStateCCBruce1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976316 | 279 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Apache County occupies the North East corner of Arizona covering 11,127 square miles. Apache County is larger than some states and is the third largest of 15 counties in Arizona.
Under the leadership of Sheriff Joseph Dedman Jr., the Apache County Sheriff's Office is responsible for the full time Law Enforcement duties in Apache County including unincorporated towns and housing sub-divisions.
The Apache County Sheriff's Office employs 80 personnel including Detention Officers, Communication Specialists, Administrative and Maintenance staff, as well as 35 certified Deputies. Sheriff Dedman also utilizes volunteer assistance with both the Reserve Deputy program and the Northern and Southern Apache County Posses as well as organized citizen groups for Search and Rescue.
The Apache County Sheriff's Office houses all prisoners from the county courts as well as three incorporated city Police Departments. The Apache County jail also houses inmates from the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Arizona Department of Corrections.
Although a portion of Northern Apache County is Navajo Nation, Apache County has jurisdiction for all the Non-Native American population living on the Navajo Nation.
Along with receiving and dispatching the routine and 911 calls for Apache County, the Apache County Sheriff's Office Communication Center also receives and dispatches calls for 3 Police Departments, 7 Fire Departments, 3 Ambulance Companies, as well as assisting the United States Forest Service and Arizona Game and Fish Officers. | <urn:uuid:8fcc3adb-fa37-4148-8158-8b3626d68cf5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.co.apache.az.us/Sheriff/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953529 | 278 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Obviously you can't plan to rely on just a decoder to play with cw, but for those just learning cw, it can be a useful aid for the learning process. Take that away and there is no reason to even try. There no cw requirement for licensing and no govt agencies use it, so why make these silly points so even more people will feel stigmatized for for not doing it "your way"? It's a hobby for God's sake...it's not that important.
Right, I agree, I appreciate your opinion, it is a hobby and looks like not to be important.
However, a guy that feels stigmatized by this (not mine) thread. and feels demoralized by it for trying to learn CW, is just the guy that better can't start at all, and use a decoder till another toy is passing by to try another mode. He will find out PSK31 is much more suited for him. So stigmatizing is a way of saving time for him, that he should waste otherwise, by trying something for a while (dutch: for a blue Monday) and finding out he doesn't have the perseverance.
You have minority groups, and a lot of members get their self esteem from being or feeling to be a member of such a group. As a rule it are less intellectually gifted people. May be they identify themself by the local soccer club, and feel good when that club wins a match without doing anything else then buying their merchandise, and shouting their lungs out of their throat during a match. They get at least a part if not all of their self esteem from the social clustering.
So, you have motorbikers, when your only hobby is a motorbike, and you have to spend the day with some odd job like cleaning greasy staircases and toilets in Anchorage, and you have no other personal interests, and saved a lot of money to buy the best bike ever, and to pimp it up to make it a custom design, and you join a bikers club, that makes you feel to be someone.
So you start stigmatizing guys in cars, that have no bike, because they want easy transportation, in all weather conditions, they can't even ride a bike, and in the group they are stigmatized as being pedal bin drivers.
Do you really think that there is any pedal bin driver that want to ride a bike for fun in good weather, is demoralised by those statement makers?
Don't think so.
My personal idea is that it is not a way to learn the code by watching a decoder. Decoders can help copy by head in order to prevent strain. Strain is wrong, when you feel easy and relaxed the code enters in your mind as Jesus words in a shaker. http://www.nrc.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ANP-12709202-568x378.jpg
So it takes away the strain because when you missed something you can look at the decoder. It is the wrong way to start with a decoder.
So best thing to do, when you want to breed CW guys, is pointing to the required perseverance, just like the DoD collects guys for heavy military tasks, by pointing to the severe physical and mental requirements and
when you are sufficiently experienced and master copying the code yourself, directing to the right way to learn and saying loud and clear what is the wrong way.
And yes, without government requirements there is sure a good reason to learn the code, you can make low power connections over long distances, like every QRP adept can tell you. Backpackers with a small sun powered trx can safe their life with it. Ask preppers. Above that in contesting and dxpeditions a lot more contacts per unit of time are possible. You don't have to spell "A_of_Alfa" "B_of_Bravo" "Cof_fee"
Rescue amateur service should require it to become a member, they don't because then there are hardly members to manage and when managing is your hobby , you have to drop that essential requirement for preppers and emergency ham radio organisations. | <urn:uuid:e0b8a7cc-b9e2-4cee-adf5-e9025c7e187d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php/topic,86929.msg648653.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969421 | 870 | 1.53125 | 2 |
What else can I do? Although I have devoted half a dozen columns to readers' ideas on saving, you keep sending them, and they are too good to pass up.
They also will inspire many of you to start or keep saving.
Here are a few:
"The key to financial freedom was living on one salary and never changing that outlook, ever, no matter the temptation," said Rita Stanley of Portland, Ore.
When Rita married her husband, James, in 1979, they both worked full-time in Houston and used their combined salaries to pay for living expenses.
"We did not make a lot, believe me," she said. "We saved, of course; I have always saved even while a `poor' student, but we enjoyed life and never felt poor. We made our own decorations for our first Christmas and I remember that fondly. We accepted no money from relatives nor did we ever ask."
What changed their life was a move to California, where James had gotten a better job. It took a month for Rita to find work, and six months to sell their house in Houston.
"So we rented a nice place in California at what we could afford on one salary only, of course," Rita said. "Even when I got a job, we continued living using one salary only. And once we sold the house in Houston, we saved the money we were spending for upkeep of that house."
Since then, the Stanleys have never deviated from that plan -- living on James' salary, even saving some of it, and saving and investing everything Rita has earned. After another move and job change, they were able to buy their current home for $100,000-plus in cash in 1984.
And although Rita has not worked full time since becoming pregnant that year, and does not work for pay now, they also have managed to put away $70,000 for their two children's college education.
"Although times were tight in the beginning, we are now on `easy street' with only one person working," she said.
"By the way, we started saving for our kids' education when they were born. I could only save $5 from each paycheck, but I did. My mom also gave the kids E-bonds for each birthday and Christmas. ... My kids see what we did; I have shown them our finances. They want to graduate from college with no debt, and I am sure they will."
Today, "We continue to save and have no debt at all. My husband is an engineer and makes a reasonable salary, but not the big salary you might think. I am free to do volunteer work and may go back and do part-time work at some point."
Bottom line: "The major trick I wanted to share was living on one salary only, doing it from the get go [the years make the money grow] and sticking to it no matter what the temptation," Rita said.
J.C., another reader from Oregon who asked me not to give out his full name, shares an unusual but effective approach to savings.
Forty years ago, J.C. and his wife received a windfall of $1,000. Rather than splurge, they used it to buy 40 certificates of deposit at $25 each, maturing at different times.
"The people at our savings and loan thought we were a bit daft, but they cooperated anyway," he said. As the certificates became due, the couple would typically roll them over, sometimes adding a little extra money.
"Over the years those certificates have grown into sizable funds," J.C. said. "Occasionally we would cash one for something very special, but usually we just rolled them over and watched them grow. The result was, and is, that we have a very strong, positive cash flow that is pretty recession-proof."
In the investment world, such a strategy of having fixed-income investments mature at different times now goes by the name of "laddering." The idea is to avoid the risk of having to reinvest all your money when interest rates are at their lowest, while also having a steady stream of income coming in.
"We had been doing it for years before it became popular," J.C. said.
I don't know that many banks will let you open a certificate of deposit with just $25 today, but you can always ask. Even if you have to come up with more -- $1,000 should be able to swing it for a CD -- you can start building a "laddering portfolio" or fixed-income investments little by little with your savings, and eventually watch it grow.
Another reader, Rosalie Truman, said she started building her savings with coupons and pennies.
"If I used $1.50 worth of coupons, I immediately wrote a check to myself for $1.50," she said.
"That check was then deposited into a savings account. When the savings account grew to a big enough amount, I bought a certificate of deposit. Any pennies I had were also saved and deposited into the savings account. It was slow at first, but grew beyond my wildest imagination."
That was the beginning and the inspiration. Truman, once a young widow with five children, had the discipline and the resolve to faithfully put away 8 percent of her salary into a company retirement plan, while also saving 20 percent of her take-home pay.
In addition, when her house and car were paid off, she also saved the money that would have gone into the monthly payments.
"I am very proud of this because we all six [she and her five children] have earned college degrees, and I retired at the age of 62 with a total net worth in the seven figures," Truman said.
So my question to readers is, what's preventing you from doing the same?
Humberto Cruz can be reached at [email protected] or c/o Tribune Media Services, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1500, Chicago IL 60611. Personal replies are not possible. Look for other columns by Humberto Cruz in Sunday's Health and Family and Wednesday's Business sections. | <urn:uuid:69e7119d-4394-45af-b9a8-509e0c28f700> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-04-28/business/0304250545_1_big-salary-children-s-college-education-volunteer-work | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985526 | 1,282 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Americans could spend nearly $200 billion less next year on cars, clothes, furniture and other consumer products than they would otherwise if automatic tax increases take effect as currently scheduled, the White House warned in a report issued Monday morning.
Such a crimp on demand would curb the growth of real consumer spending by 1.7 percentage points in 2013 and slow the growth of the overall economy by 1.4 percentage points, according to the report prepared by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers.
The report focused entirely on the impact of Bush-era tax cuts expiring for middle-class taxpayers at the end of the year and a failure to adjust the Alternative Minimum Tax so that it does not suddenly apply to millions of taxpayers who have not paid it in the past. It made no effort to look at the economic impact of deep military and domestic spending cuts also due to take effect in the new year.
A $200 billion decline in consumer spending would be the equivalent of four times what Americans spent on Black Friday weekend last year, or roughly what Americans spent on all new cars and trucks sold in the United States in the last year, the report said. The scaled back spending would stretch across sectors from groceries and gasoline to health care and recreation.
The report was broadly consistent with a similar study of the effects of the so-called fiscal cliff released by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office earlier this month. The White House released it as part of an effort to turn up the pressure on Congress, which has barely a month to reach an agreement with President Obama on how to avoid the tax and spending changes or risk sending the nation back into recession. | <urn:uuid:8fdc5d35-ab90-4890-b20b-9fc7dea8c288> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/26/automatic-tax-increases-could-stunt-economys-growth-in-2013/?ref=business | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965009 | 331 | 1.757813 | 2 |
PDP-11 Controller needed to use a couple of RX33 drive
pete at dunnington.plus.com
Sat Jun 20 10:22:14 CDT 2009
On 19/06/2009 17:38, Johnny Billquist wrote:
> This was definitely in a 4-butten front panel BA23. However, I'm not
> sure the front panel is the only place to blame.
>> *Maybe* the fact that the Ready/Write Protect lines
>> for the 2nd drive are left floating, is somehow confusing
>> the RQDXn controller, but that seems doubtful.
> The RQDX wasn't confused. It was the drives... When the RQDX started
> writing to #0, the write circuitry of #1 also went active. Or if it was
> writing to #1 which also activated the circuitry of #0.
>> Those lines merely report status of the 2nd drive.
>> The Drive Select and Head Select lines don't go
>> anywhere near the front panel, and there are
>> separate signal lines for drives 0, 1, 2, and 3.
> Exactly. Which is why I wonder if the front panel really is to blame for
> the problem.
It's not to blame at all. It has nothing to do with the drive selects.
It might stop a drive working reliably, but it definitely cannot cause
two to be selected at the same time. All it can do is tell the RQDX not
to use the drive.
> Hmm. As far as I can remember, there are no DS jumpers on the drives. If
> you have an RQDXE, you have a bunch of jumpers on that in order to set
> up which drive is which, and all that.
Not entirely. It's intended to provide sufficient connectors and to
route the some DS lines (etc) to the external unit. That doesn't remove
the need to set the DS jumpers on the drive(s) correctly.
> But the backplane of the BA23 don't have any jumpers, as far as I can
That's right, the backplane doesn't.
> And in this case, both drives were RD53s. Properly formatted, DEC
> branded and everything.
Well, those drives definitely have Drive Select jumpers. Look at the
legend on the PCB by contact numbers 32 to 26 on the 34-way connector.
They're the drive select lines, and you'll see they're labelled, and
they go to a set of jumpers right beside the connector position, next to
the terminator resistor pack. If they were "as supplied by DEC" and the
person who installed them assumed the arrangement for a BA23 should be
the same as for a BA123 and didn't change one, they would both be set to
DS3, and so of course they both were selected at the same time. User
error, pure and simple.
The microPDP-11 Maintenance manual says where they are, and moreover it
Always place the first fixed-disk drive in port 0 (left mass
storage slot of the enclosure containing the RQDX controller.
Set the device select to DS3 on any fixed disk installed in port
0 of the enclosure or expansion unit.
Set the device select to DS4 on any fixed disk installed in port
1 (right mass storage slot) of the enclosure or expansion unit.
This rule also applies to any subsystem installed in a BA23
Pete Peter Turnbull
University of York
More information about the cctech | <urn:uuid:abdd4bec-6f0d-449c-aa1a-022db91fbe41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctech/2009-June/067606.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951668 | 757 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, a longtime proponent of deregulation, acknowledged on Friday that failures in a voluntary supervision program for Wall Street’s largest investment banks had contributed to the global financial crisis, and he abruptly shut the program down.
The S.E.C.’s oversight responsibilities will largely shift to the Federal Reserve, though the commission will continue to oversee the brokerage units of investment banks.
Also Friday, the S.E.C.’s inspector general released a report strongly criticizing the agency’s performance in monitoring Bear Stearns before it collapsed in March. Christopher Cox, the commission chairman, said he agreed that the oversight program was “fundamentally flawed from the beginning.”
“The last six months have made it abundantly clear that voluntary regulation does not work,” he said in a statement. The program “was fundamentally flawed from the beginning, because investment banks could opt in or out of supervision voluntarily. The fact that investment bank holding companies could withdraw from this voluntary supervision at their discretion diminished the perceived mandate” of the program, and “weakened its effectiveness,” he added.
Mr. Cox and other regulators, including Ben S. Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, and Henry M. Paulson Jr., the Treasury secretary, have acknowledged general regulatory failures over the last year. Mr. Cox’s statement on Friday, however, went beyond that by blaming a specific program for the financial crisis — and then ending it.
On one level, the commission’s decision to end the regulatory program was somewhat academic, because the five biggest independent Wall Street firms have all disappeared.
The Fed and Treasury Department forced Bear Stearns into a merger with JPMorgan Chase in March. And in the last month, Lehman Brothers went into bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch was acquired by Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs changed their corporate structures to become bank holding companies, which the Federal Reserve regulates.
But the retreat on investment bank supervision is a heavy blow to a once-proud agency whose influence over Wall Street has steadily eroded as the financial crisis has exploded over the last year.
Because it is a relatively small agency, the S.E.C. tries to extend its reach over the vast financial services industry by relying heavily on self-regulation by stock exchanges, mutual funds, brokerage firms and publicly traded corporations.
The program Mr. Cox abolished was unanimously approved in 2004 by the commission under his predecessor, William H. Donaldson. Known by the clumsy title of “consolidated supervised entities,” the program allowed the S.E.C. to monitor the parent companies of major Wall Street firms, even though technically the agency had authority over only the firms’ brokerage firm components.
The commission created the program after heavy lobbying for the plan from all five big investment banks. At the time, Mr. Paulson was the head of Goldman Sachs. He left two years later to become the Treasury secretary and has been the architect of the administration’s bailout plan.
The investment banks favored the S.E.C. as their umbrella regulator because that let them avoid regulation of their fast-growing European operations by the European Union.
Facing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, Mr. Cox has begun in recent weeks to call for greater government involvement in the markets. He has imposed restraints on short-sellers, market speculators who borrow stock and then sell it in the hope that it will decline. On Tuesday, he asked Congress for the first time to regulate the market for credit-default swaps, financial instruments that insure the holder against losses from declines in bonds and other types of securities.
The commission will continue to be the primary regulator of the companies’ broker-dealer units, and it will work with the Fed to supervise holding companies even though the Fed is expected to take the lead role.
The Fed had already begun regulating Wall Street firms that borrowed money under a new Fed lending program, and the S.E.C. had entered into an agreement under which its examiners worked jointly with Fed examiners, an arrangement that is expected to continue.
The S.E.C. will still have primary responsibility for regulating securities brokers and dealers.
The announcement was the latest illustration of how the market turmoil was rapidly changing the regulatory landscape. In the coming months, Congress will consider overhauls to the regulatory structure, but the markets and the regulators are already transforming it in response to events.
Still, the inspector general’s report made a series of recommendations for the commission and the Federal Reserve that could ultimately reshape how the nation’s largest financial institutions are regulated. The report recommended, for instance, that the commission and the Fed consider tighter limits on borrowing by the companies to reduce their heavy debt loads and risky investing practices.
The report found that the S.E.C. division that oversees trading and markets had failed to update the rules of the program and was “not fulfilling its obligations.” It said that nearly one-third of the firms under supervision had failed to file the required documents. And it found that the division had not adequately reviewed many of the filings made by other firms.
The division’s “failure to carry out the purpose and goals of the broker-dealer risk assessment program hinders the commission’s ability to foresee or respond to weaknesses in the financial markets,” the report said.
The S.E.C. approved the consolidated supervised entities program in 2004 after several important developments in Congress and in Europe.
In 1999, the lawmakers adopted the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which broke down the Depression-era restrictions between investment banks and commercial banks. As part of a political compromise, the law gave the commission the authority to regulate the securities and brokerage operations of the investment banks, but not their holding companies.
In 2002, the European Union threatened to impose its own rules on the foreign subsidiaries of the American investment banks. But there was a loophole: if the American companies were subject to the same kind of oversight as their European counterparts, then they would not be subject to the European rules. The loophole would require the commission to figure out a way to supervise the holding companies of the investment banks.
In 2004, at the urging of the investment banks, the commission adopted a voluntary program. In exchange for the relaxation of capital requirements by the commission, the banks agreed to submit to supervision of their holding companies by the agency. | <urn:uuid:72c645e0-c6b4-4398-8f73-b8478bff001d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://finepolitics.blogspot.com/2008_09_28_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964064 | 1,344 | 1.539063 | 2 |
|Click photo to enlarge
Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina
Wake Co, NC
Lat: 35° 53' 09"N, Lon: 78° 42' 52"W
Contributed by Shirley Olson, Mar 04, 2006 [[email protected]].
Total records = 4.
Located at the end of Country Trail in a densely wooded area, which is east of Hwy 1835 and on the west side of Raleigh.
Located in a densely wooded area, this small family cemetery, which has been abandoned for many years, was found by Earl Flannery, while using a metal
detector. He recognized it as the proper location for a headstone that had been left on his driveway 2 years ago,
in April 2004, by a prankster.
Mr Flannery realized that another headstone that had been dropped off at the Wendy's
Restaurant about 30 miles away in Cary, about the same time, must also belong in this cemetery. There had been a
widespread search for that tombstone's home. The police and a lot of interested people got involved, but to no avail, so the
headstone remained in police custody for all this time.
I posted a message on the Internet during the time we were
looking but had completely forgotten about it until 2 days ago when I got a message that the cemetery was found and
one tombstone returned, and that the police were going to bring out the other one.
Mr. Flannery, who had the other headstone, is a computer user and had found my post and e-mailed me. We both notified the police who are delighted to get this off their books. It is like a miracle that this
turned out so well.
Thanks to Mr. Flannery and the Cary Police Dept. which has been
storing the headstone for 2 years there is a happy ending to this tale.
I surveyed this cemetery on Mar 03, 2006.
- Shirley Olson
Carlton, A. E., b. 8 May 1863, d. 4 Jan 1930
Carlton, Elizabeth, b. 11 Jan 1829, d. 1 Jan 1904, with footstone E.C. (the headstone found in Cary at Wendy's)
Carlton, J. M., b, 17 Mar 1853, d. 19 Jun 1925, with footstone J. M. C. (the headstone left on Mr. Flannery's driveway)
Carlton, Mattie E., b. 15 Jul 1873, d. 17 Nov 1891
There is one depression that appears to be another unmarked grave
North Carolina Genealogy Links | <urn:uuid:5559a153-5a6a-4313-858b-07e796220ae6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://interment.net/data/us/nc/wake/carlton/index.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96846 | 553 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Working Title: Learn How to Make A Doco with C31
If you live and breathe filmmaking then listen up! C31 in partnership with SYN and the Victorian Government, is looking for 10 young people from diverse multifaith and multicultural backgrounds.
Find out all about what's on for youth in and around Banyule for the month of July. We'd love to hear from you if you are under 25 and would like to contribute any written, photographic or artistic pieces for inclusion in future issue of The Loop. Email [email protected] for more info or to submit your piece!
PATS is an interactive meeting group that helps provide support and information for Young Carers who are caring for a parent or relative that is effected by a mental health issue. This program is for young carers 14-18 yrs whose parents or relative has a mental health difficulty. In the group you will:
The Office for Youth is seeking applications for the National Youth Week 2012 Victorian Young Member position.
National Youth Week (NYW) is an annual event that is held across Australia to celebrate and recognise the value and contribution of young Australians to their communities by giving them an opportunity to express their ideas and opinions.
The Young Member position is a great opportunity for a person aged between 16 and 25 years to represent Victoria on the NYW National Planning Group and as the Victorian Media spokesperson.
Every year Mission Australia survey young people 11-24 all across the country. This years survey is now open and they need your help! If your in this age bracket please complete this really quick survey now: http://mayouthsurvey.2011.sgizmo.com/s3/
MAFMAD Film Competition The 2011 "Make A Film. Make A Difference" competition is now open. It's quick and simple to enter and all you need is a fresh idea for a short film that will get your mates to think twice about taking risks on the road.
The theme is Party in the Car-we're looking for films that explore the dynamics between young people travelling together on a night out. Two winners will be given $20,000 each to produce their film and will also receive a $5,000 cash prize. | <urn:uuid:72c20d98-85df-49c3-9ec5-fc23fa0b9b8a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://banyuleyouth.com/blog/archive/201106 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949765 | 460 | 1.546875 | 2 |
On Campus, Bishops are ‘Part of the Solution’
In a pointed speech on the prelate's role in a Catholic university, Chicago's Archbishop Francis George asserts that faith and reason are not inevitable enemies
BY James Sullivan
November 30-December 6, 1997 Issue | Posted 11/30/97 at 2:00 PM
WASHINGTON—Archbishop Francis George made the case for the necessary role of the bishop in Catholic higher education last month at Georgetown University's “Centered Pluralism” lecture series.
In his talk, “The Catholic Mission in Higher Education,” the archbishop of Chicago noted that despite his own fond recollections as a member of the teaching faculty of a Jesuit university, he intended his evening's remarks to be those of “a bishop of the Catholic Church.”
In amplifying the role of the bishop in Catholic higher education, Archbishop George maintained that the local ordinary was already “within the Catholic university as teacher of the faith.” And while the university was a setting where faith was expressed through various theological formulations, it remained the responsibility of the Magisterium “to judge theological opinions in the light of the certitude of faith.”
Even as the Magisterium could be the judge of the soundness of theological opinions, Archbishop George maintained that “the bishop is in the Catholic university neither as a watchdog nor an academic lawgiver.” However, a university which calls itself Catholic “cannot separate itself from the community of faith, a community which Vatican II describes as a hierarchical communion.”
“I would respectfully suggest, therefore, that the office of bishop is not a problem in understanding the Catholic mission in higher education; rather, the office of the bishop is part of the solution.”
David O'Brien, professor of history at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass., acknowledged the pointed nature of the archbishop's address.
“From what I have gathered from those attending, the reaction has been one of recognizing the somewhat confrontational nature of the talk.” O'Brien said the archbishop's tone was refreshing inasmuch as there is a danger of “too much pabulum.” Bishops of the Church, he added, “are not simply decorative objects for the commencement podium.”
Certain developments in Catholic higher education in the post-conciliar period have had negative consequences, Archbishop George noted.
“The arrangements of the last thirty years are proving to be unstable,” he said. The archbishop referred to the Land O'Lakes Statement of 1967 and similar documents that followed in the '70s as examples of “mitigated secularization.” Although the signers of these statements, presidents of major Catholic universities, sought “to retain their Catholic institutional identity,” nevertheless, universities “that followed the direction given by these documents were separated from their juridic attachment to the Church.”
Parallel to these university declarations, the archbishop said, were various conciliar documents and pastoral letters of the U.S. bishops relating to higher education, which culminated in formal consultation with the Holy See's Congregation for Catholic Education and its promulgation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Pope John Paul II's apostolic exhortation issued in September of 1990. Subsequent conversations between the bishops and university presidents, focused on Ex Corde Ecclesiae, “have vastly improved the level of trust and communication between the U.S. bishops and the university presidents,” said the archbishop.
In “resolving tensions of the present moment,” Archbishop George said, certain “presuppositions of academic culture” need to be examined, especially those presuppositions “which are antiecclesial.” Here, the archbishop referred to an implicit assumption on the part of some in the academy, that “faith is inevitably the enemy of reason.” On the contrary, said Archbishop George, “the medievals were insightful when they declared, Credo ut intelligam, that reason itself can be enlightened by faith.”
“Do university structures themselves,” he queried, “tend to push to the side any integrating vision, especially one based on faith?"
The theme of an integrating vision within the university dominated Archbishop George's remarks.
“A university may have its bureaucratic house in order,” he said, “but it will not become a place where faith becomes culture.”
The archbishop noted that in the past “the study of theology has served to integrate the Catholic university's curriculum…y giving access to knowledge of the highest sort, it integrates thought and speech and life by grounding all of these architectonically in the sources or natures of things.” Yet theology itself seems to have withdrawn from its role of “preserving the truth of things,” and become, merely, “religious studies.”
A lack of a coherent vision, said the archbishop, has ineluctably led many Catholic institutions to become “highclass trade schools.” The traditional vision of the liberal arts has been lost, he argued. The plunge into careerism or professional training has had the effect, paradoxically, of “narrowing” the field of rational inquiry.
“Reason becomes so narrowly conceived that dialogue with faith is difficult and enlightenment by faith nearly impossible,” the archbishop maintained. And while theology and philosophy have traditionally preoccupied themselves with an exploration of the nature of things, current canons, said the archbishop, blanche at the hint of dogmatism, unaware that “pluralism itself can obscure truth.”
On a more promising note, Archbishop George pointed out that “students were changing.” There are groups of students, he said, on Catholic university campuses “who want a much clearer Catholic institutional identity.” That observation seemed to place the archbishop's imprimatur on the ongoing efforts of a Georgetown student group to return crucifixes to the walls of the Georgetown classrooms. Indeed the group has taken to co-opting the title of the lecture series and applying it to their placards which now read: “Center Our Pluralism: Return Crucifixes to the Classroom.”
In terms of faculty and administrators, the archbishop observed that many of those who had orchestrated the “disengagements of the '70s” were now a “diminishing presence in the '90s.” Yet “new faculty replace those who negotiated the ‘mitigated secularization’ of the last generation.” Many of these ask whether “the price of engagement with the world” has not been too high.
In his talk, Archbishop George suggested some ways in which the presence of the bishop on the university campus might be formalized. A regular Mass and sermon by the bishop in the university chapel would have the effect, he said “of bringing the bishop's teaching Magisterium into the heart of the university.” Also, “structured discussions with the students about their beliefs and with the faculty about their sense of mission … would bring about an invigorating addition to both the bishop's and the university's life.”
The archbishop pursued the issue of the relationship between the bishop and the faculty by calling for contact that would go beyond “purely social or ceremonial” exchanges. A type of “structured availability” should be erected wherein the bishop and the faculty could dialogue.
And in what may promise to be a most controversial proposal, the archbishop called for the establishment by the U.S. bishops of “a kind of accrediting association” for the Catholic university. Such an association could be a positive help, the archbishop said, in enabling “the university itself find direction in its sense of mission.” Commenting on this last proposal, Dr. Joseph Hagan, president of Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., was enthusiastic. “I heartily support such an initiative, as well as other suggestions made by Archbishop George. These are things which we have been endeavoring to establish at Assumption College.”
Dr. Peter Sampo, president of Thomas More College in Merrimack, N.H., applauded Archbishop George's defense of the liberal arts tradition.
“The medievals received the tradition of the liberal arts from antiquity. They were able to assimilate this tradition precisely because the Christian philosophical and theological base was thoroughly humanistic and broad, the very opposite of the narrowness that the archbishop decried in his address.”
The archbishop affirmed the existence of objective truth; the need of the university theologates to remain linked to the bishop's teaching office; the dangers in a pluralism detached from the font of religious faith; and the urgent necessity to recover a unified and coherent vision of the university as a laboratory where faith and reason cooperate.
In his concluding remarks, he maintained that this kind of recovery would require of all the participants “a surrender to the eternal logos incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth.”
James Sullivan is based in Southport, Conn.
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In 2008, accountant and amateur photographer Lee Jeffries was in London to run a marathon. On the day before the race, Jeffries thought he would wander the city to take pictures. Near Leicester Square, he trained his 5D camera with a long, 70-200 lens on a young, homeless woman who was huddled in a sleeping bag among Chinese food containers. “She spotted me and started shouting, drawing the attention of passersby,” Jeffries says. “I could have just walked away in an embarrassed state, or I could have gone over and apologized to her.” He chose the latter, crossed the street and sat with the woman. The eighteen-year-old, whose complexion indicated she was addicted to drugs, told Jeffries her story: her parents had died, leaving her without a home, and she now lived on the streets of London.
This experience had a profound effect on Jeffries, sharpening the focus on the subject matter of his street photography—the homeless—and defining his approach to taking pictures. He didn’t want to exploit these people or steal photographs of them like so many other photographers who had seen the homeless as an easy target. In an effort to make intimate portraits, Jeffries would try to connect with each person on an individual basis first. “I need to see some kind of emotion in my subjects,” Jeffries says. “I specifically look at people’s eyes—when I see it, I recognize it and feel it—and I repeat the process over and over again.” Jeffries tries to keep the contact as informal as possible. He rarely takes notes, feeling it immediately raises suspicion, and prefers to take pictures while he is talking with his subjects to capture the “real emotion” in them. “I’m stepping into their world,” he says. “Everyone else walks by like the homeless are invisible. I’m stepping through the fear, in the hope that people will realize these people are just like me and you.”
Self-taught and self-funded, Jeffries has used vacation time to travel to Skid Row in Los Angeles three times, as well as Las Vegas, New York, London, Paris and Rome, to continue his project. The way that Jeffries processes his images and the heavy use of shadow and light within his pictures is a direct reference to the religious overtones he felt while photographing the beggars and homeless in Rome. The underexposure in camera and process to dodge back light where he wants it—although done in a digital environment—relate more to the traditions of analog printing. The effect of the subjects on the photographer is equally heavy: “When I’m talking to these people, I can’t then leave that emotion, so when I get back to my computer so emotionally involved, sometimes I will start to cry when processing the image,” Jeffries says.
The photographer’s passion has become his life mission. He uses his photography to draw attention to and raise funds for the homeless, posting the images to Flickr and entering the work into competitions. Over the past three years Jeffries has placed third, second and second in an annual Amateur Photographer magazine award contest, and has won separate monthly contests which come with a camera as a reward. Each of the half dozen cameras he’s won has been donated to raise funds for charities, including homeless and disability organizations. The proceeds from Jeffries’s Blurb book, which features homeless portraits, go to the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles and the photographer allows any charity to use his images free of charge. Jeffries also runs the London and New York marathons to raise money for Shelter, a U.K. housing charity. He’s committed himself at a more personal level too, buying lunch for a man who had lost his fingers and toes to frostbite or taking a woman with a staph infection to the hospital when she was sick. Jeffries estimates he has given thousands of dollars to these individuals, but what he has given them in terms of a sense of dignity and outpouring of concern is immeasurable.
Jeffries’s powerful portraits are getting noticed. He recently won Digital Camera magazine’s Photographer of the Year award. There has been an explosion of interest in the last two to three months as the images have been shared across the web, spreading virally via Flickr, Facebook and Twitter, and more recently, appearing on blogs and in mainstream media including the Independent and Guardian. A book is slated to be published next month by Yellow Korner. The increased exposure is welcome news for a man whose self-funded journey can be difficult. “I can’t change these people’s lives,” he says. “I can’t wave a magic wand but it doesn’t mean I can’t take a photograph of them and try to raise awareness and bring attention to their plight.”
Lee Jeffries is a photographer based in Manchester, England. See more of his work here. | <urn:uuid:ee0ac437-e082-433c-90fc-6aff42703b36> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lightbox.time.com/2012/01/26/portraits-of-the-homeless-by-lee-jeffries/photo/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974704 | 1,056 | 1.84375 | 2 |
If you have been following my blogs…
You will know that I am investing my time and energies into person to person lending.
With a wave of person to person lending begin ups over the last few years, the model has proven to be viable (While very early still).
For those of you not familiar with person to person lending it is like a market place for borrowers and lenders to borrow and lend money with each other.
Sort of like the ebay of banking.
The implications for banks of person to person lending becoming more popular are big.
It’s popularity is inevitable as more products are developed to secure the loans through clever risk modeling.
While the industry is young and relatively under developed, we have seen how social networks have changed the world wide web rapidly and I for one can see the same happening in banking.
Hence the investment and interest.
No banks have made an acquisition of a person to person lending market place yet.
When social networking meets financial services we have an interesting scenario for banks to state the least.
Hence the reason why Facebook is more than likely looking at the US person to person lending companies LendingClub and Prosper.
What happens when the products get more innovative and begin to take the risk of default away from the lender through insurance or a reserve fund for defaults?
…a touch of clever marketing and people will get fed up with receiving lousy interest rates from banks, want to take less risk than stocks and not pay management fees on mutual funds, unit trusts and other collective investment schemes.
Person to person lending will become a serious asset class that will grow quick.
So this has all the potential to be a large breakthrough in the way we borrow and lend and something the banks would be crazy not to be looking into.
There is a large problem that will stop the true success of person to person lending…
…banks are responsible for supplying our nation with 97% of our money supply through their loans.
In other words if people stopped borrowing through banks and only borrowed real money from their peers, we would be in a dire depression with no money in circulation.
So the only way for this system to prevail is for politicians to reform the way money is supplied to our economy.
Take away the banks license to print money called fractional reserve banking and the industry can boom.
This special subsidy we pay to banks to grant them to create our nations money supply will keep the person to person lending market relatively small in comparison to banks.
The market will grant for many successful person to person lending companies, but they will never be able to compete with banks until we look at the way money is created.
…our economy will collapse eventually if we do not reform, so this will happen at some point.
Once this happens all banks will only be able to lend real money and they will have to compete with person to person lending companies.
Person to person lending companies do not have the overhead of 200,000 staff and branches across the world so it will be interesting to see how banks plan on competing when they do not have the special subsidy.
Once we are done with this round of quantitative easing to refinance a false economy, we will get the inevitable next financial collapse.
Politicians will blame the banks to move the negative PR away from politicians and over to bankers.
Banks will lose more popularity.
Person to person lending will begin to get more business, allowing it to invest in marketing to make more people aware there is an alternative.
The social networks will acquire or joint venture with the person to person lending companies or person to person lending companies will become more like social networks.
As people stop borrowing from banks and consolidate their debt through person to person networks the money supply will contract further as money is created through bank loans.
During the depression that will follow, the government will begin to look at monetary reform as they realise they can’t refinance through quantitative easing any further.
We have a banking and money system that works.
That I can’t answer, it depends how long we are willing to continue with this quantitate easing ponzi scheme and how long we can pay interest on money that does not exist.
Love it or hate it, let me know what you think below.
source : www.finextra.com
Submited at Monday, July 18th, 2011 at 12:00 pm on Uncategorized by sofia
Comment RSS 2.0 - leave a comment - trackback | <urn:uuid:b658692f-489d-484c-9c0c-c9c66bed834e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogfull.org/person-to-person-lending-can-it-get-as-big-as-banking/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951446 | 924 | 1.570313 | 2 |
By Monica Alonzo
By Ray Stern
By New Times Staff
By Stephen Lemons
By Chris Parker
By Monica Alonzo
By Stephen Lemons
By Robrt L. Pela
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.
--"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
Arizona's got water. It's tucked away beneath the ground, in reserves called aquifers. But when we need it, will it be fit to drink?
In large part, that's up to the Arizona Legislature.
Environmentalists, government bureaucrats, big business and, yes, Super Lobbyists have grappled with that question for years. In 1986, a coalition of representatives from all these interests came up with--and the Arizona Legislature passed--a sweeping law that created the Aquifer Protection Permit Program, designed to keep big business, especially the mining and high-tech industries, from dumping toxic chemicals into the state's groundwater supply, which accounts for about 40 percent of the state's water consumption. This happened only after groundwater pollution became so pervasive that citizens threatened to launch an initiative and write the law themselves.
But the ink was barely dry on then-governor Bruce Babbitt's signature before the Super Lobbyists began to chip away at the new groundwater protection law.
Last year, they won an exemption for sand and gravel companies. This year, the Super Lobbyists want to pass a law that would potentially exempt more industries from regulation.
Dave Kimball, who helped to negotiate the 1986 law, is the leader of the pack, on behalf of his clients, including the Arizona Rock Products Association and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. The environmentalists, who haven't been asked for an opinion since 1986, it seems, sit on the sidelines and shake their heads. And this couldn't happen at a worse time, since Arizona is now contemplating increasing the amount of water it stores underground, through water banking. Water banking, its supporters say, would allow Arizona to hold on to precious Colorado River water the state can't use now, but will need in the future.
Used to be, the Super Lobbyists would use the stealth approach, quietly writing a bill and getting a friendly member to introduce it, hoping that no one would notice as it wended its way through the process. But in recent years, they've had an unlikely ally: the Department of Environmental Quality, which is supposed to be enforcing rules, not fighting for their dilution.
"Every year, it seems like, Kimball comes in with some weakening amendment," says David Baron of the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest, who also worked on the 1986 law.
"I don't think anybody expected that the law would remain in stone," Baron adds. "But there was sort of a gentleperson's understanding that if people were going to change the law, they would sit down with the same group of interests and try to work it out. And these guys never did that. They just waltzed in there every year with these secret bills. . . . Now they don't even bother to do that. They go to DEQ first, get DEQ to sign off and then they introduce them. And they never talk to the environmental community about them."
Why bother, when you're a Super Lobbyist?
Sandy Bahr, the Sierra Club's "conservation outreach coordinator" (read: lobbyist with little power), is often alone at the Capitol in her battles to preserve the Aquifer Protection Permit Program, the centerpiece of the 1986 law. The program requires businesses to get permits from DEQ before dumping chemicals into the state's groundwater.
Last year was a good example. The sand and gravel industry won a battle it had waged for years, finally exempting itself from the permitting process, even though it dumps potentially toxic substances into Arizona's waterways. The miners' argument: that nonmetallic mineral quarrying--crushing and screening conducted in "ephemeral" waters (streams that do not run year-round)--does not threaten the state's environment and groundwater.
Bahr says that's just not so, that sediment left over from the extraction process threatens wildlife along the waterways. If the sand and gravel industry isn't polluting the water, the Sierra Club asks, why are their representatives so busy trying to avoid regulation?
As she often does, Bahr prepared a memo outlining her organization's concerns, and distributed it to legislators. She mobilized her membership--had them call and write and beg their representatives to vote against the bill.
Bahr and Representative Andy Nichols, a Tucson Democrat, even appealed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for help. The EPA agreed with the Sierra Club's position, as reflected in an April 20 letter, from Catherine Kuhlman, associate director of the water division of EPA's Region IX in San Francisco.
The bill passed anyway. Rusty Bowers, a Mesa Republican and chairman of the Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee, tacked it to a bill that authorized DEQ's continued existence.
(The irony is that dumping by sand and gravel companies will still be regulated--but by the feds, instead of the state. The state permitting process is done in conjunction with standards established by the federal Clean Water Act. If the state doesn't regulate the industry, the federal government will.)
"It just epitomizes the hypocrisy of these people [legislators]," Baron says. "I mean, they're always harping about states' rights and state control."
Although the bill passed in the end, Bahr must have had some impact--she raised the ire of lobbyists for the sand and gravel companies. After a hearing one day, a man introduced himself to her as Sam Aubrey, a lobbyist for the Arizona Rock Products Association.
Bahr recalls, "He was really pissed off, basically. He was like, 'Why are you opposing our bill? Why didn't you come to us?'"
Her response: "Last I heard, that was Senator Bowers' bill."
"There's no doubt about it, that a lot of the bill-writing comes from lobbyists and particularly the more powerful lobbies," Bahr says. "And then, of course, they have the audacity to complain when we oppose something that nobody ever asked us about, and of course we would oppose because it's less protective of the environment, and that's our job."
Last summer, long before some legislators had begun toiling on reelection campaigns, Super Lobbyist Dave Kimball released his latest laundry list of concerns about the Aquifer Protection Permit Program. His modus operandi: threaten DEQ with legislation unless the agency buckles to his requests and takes care of them through the less public rule-making process.
Rumored Kimball bills for 1999 would delay permitting requirements for sites including old mines and eliminate "narrative standards" from the permitting process. Aubrey and Kimball did not return calls from New Times.
The narrative standard provision of the 1986 water quality law is an important one, says David Baron, because although identifiable chemicals have already been assigned numeric limits that determine their toxicity when dumped into the water, there are many more chemicals that have not been assigned limits. Thus, the law gives DEQ the authority to assess a chemical and assign it a number. Kimball and other industry representatives have charged that DEQ makes unfair assessments. But instead of addressing individual concerns, they want to significantly limit DEQ's ability to set strict limits.
Baron thinks this is a terrible idea. "If somebody comes along with some exotic, highly toxic chemical, the only recourse of DEQ is to spend two or three years in rule-making to come up with a standard that these guys will take to court," he says. "So essentially, they'll never be regulated."
It is impossible to know for sure what environmental bills will pop up in the next session. Guessing what may be drafted and introduced becomes a game for the players, who in this case include environmentalists, business representatives and bureaucrats from DEQ and that agency's legal counsel, the Attorney General's Office.
An October 26 memo from the AG's Office details DEQ's legislative priorities for the upcoming session, and also includes the Arizona Association of Industries' wish list of a dozen or so items. Included on the industry list is the dreaded "environmental audit bill," which allows polluters to self-police while exempting them from prosecution. The bill made then-DEQ director Russell Rhoades scores of enemies when he announced his support of it in 1996. Even then-governor Fife Symington--no poster boy for the green movement--found the bill too onerous, and vetoed it.
Some speculate that Rhoades' support of the audit bill was a nail in his coffin; he resigned recently, after months of speculation that Governor Jane Dee Hull wanted him out. Now everyone--environmentalists, bureaucrats, the regulated community--is waiting to hear whom Hull appoints in his place. That, Bahr says, will be a signal as to whether she's green or not. The environmentalists were horrified when Hull signed the sand and gravel bill last year, and haven't been thrilled, in general, with her record on the environment.
But few think Hull would back the environmental audit bill, which has also been derided as the "Polluter Protection Act."
And even the legislators most willing to do the Super Lobbyists' bidding may balk at the thought of introducing the controversial measure this session. The AG memo offers it up as an industry priority, but with a caveat: "An environmental audit self-evaluation privilege which would be introduced if there are champions in the Legislature to support it."
And their contributions to statewide and legislative candidates
In favor of changes in groundwater protection laws . . .
Super Lobbyist David Kimball, Gallagher and Kennedy. Kimball gave $1,600. Gallagher and Kennedy gave $7,175. The firm's clients and their contributions: Arizona Chamber of Commerce, employees: $3,837; Arizona Rock Products Association, PAC: $16,325; employees, $925.
Arizona Association of Industries. Its PAC gave $2,310; employees another $1,945.
The mining industry. Mining PACs gave $58,260; employees of mining companies gave more than $18,000.
Against changes in groundwater protection laws . . .
Sandy Bahr, Sierra Club. She gave $85. The Sierra Club's PAC gave $300. Other "green" PACs, including the Arizona League of Conservation Voters, gave $3,000.
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Its an common belief that every family history will uncover at least one of the following:
It is certainly true that you should be prepared to uncover family secrets that are revealed whilst you delve through historical records.
In my own family tree somethings were well known and talked about such as one ancestor being the son of his mother’s employer and not her husband. Another distant cousin had been jailed for manslaughter. One of my great grandfather’s died from the complications associated with syphilis (a much more common disease in the 19th century than you might think).
What we didn’t know until I requested my 2x great grandfather’s police employment records was that he was thrown out for embezzlement. I haven’t yet had a chance to visit Preston to discover the details of his crime to see quite how bad he was.
Another interesting find was brought to light when I ordered my 3x grandparents marriage certificate and their eldest daughter’s birth certificate. When I looked at the date her birth was recorded as the day after their marriage. It does make you wonder if they did make it down the aisle on time or they falsified her birth registration!
A couple of my ancestors have appeared in listings for bankruptcy as these were widely published back then and are well indexed now. At least one went bankrupt more than once so he obviously wasn’t a very good business man.
So keep your eyes open as you look in the records. Dates on certificates and church records can be very informative as can household composition on census returns. | <urn:uuid:d8a605ea-d8b7-4aad-aa94-296d2a268bcf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lakesmum.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/skeletons-in-the-family-closet/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=dd1ec55e91 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988861 | 321 | 1.765625 | 2 |
- "This is Morgan Katarn, leader of the Rebels on Sulon, the only moon of Sullust. I don't have much time left, but with luck, this protocol droid will escape the battle and spread the images of this bloodbath to every planet in the galaxy. To make sure everyone knows our story, I'm recording exactly what happened."
- ―Morgan Katarn recording the events of the subjugation into A-Cee
Prior to 1 BBY, Sulon colonists who were opposed to the Galactic Empire and the SoroSuub Corporation's handling of the moon, quietly organized themselves in armed resistance. They constructed a geothermal energy distribution system called G-Tap to secure their independence from outside power sources and organized colonization efforts to the planet Ruusan.
Eager to clamp down on resistance activity, the Empire sent a small force supervised by the Inquisitor Jerec to subjugate Sulon and destroy the Rebel presence there. Only an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer was sent, as it was believed the operation would not require any larger vessel. Vengeance was commanded by Captain Thrawn while the ground forces were led by Major Noda.
The military operation was conducted with a dual purpose in mind, both destroying the Rebels on Sulon and at the same time lay the blame on the Rebel Alliance by making it out to be their doing. To this end, all soldiers and vehicles were marked with Rebel insignias, although the hoax was only partially successful.
Special elite soldiers from the Empire's Ghost Battalion attempted to track down Rebel leader Morgan Katarn. They destroyed many homesteads and massacred entire families in the process, all in an effort to discredit the Rebels further.
After surviving the initial assault, Katarn organized his volunteer force and attempted to resist further. After days of fighting, the remaining Rebels barricaded themselves in the G-Tap installation, and attempted to hold out for as long as possible.
Despite their efforts, the combined-arms assault of the Empire overwhelmed them and all the Sulon Rebels were killed, save Katarn, who was brought on-board Vengeance and killed by Jerec personally.
Outside the city walls, the heads of Rebels were put on display, with Morgan Katarn's head being prominently displayed, impaled upon a spear made up of bones.
Kyle Katarn received word of his father's death at the hands of Rebels, and became more dedicated to his role in the Empire. He would eventually learn the truth of the slaughter and defect to the Rebel Alliance, and eventually became a hero of the Alliance, the New Republic, and the New Jedi Order.
- Dark Forces Manual: Coded Transmissions (First mentioned)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 140 (KAT5, Kyle Katarn)
Notes and referencesEdit | <urn:uuid:b0ca70dc-49ae-4083-9229-cd463e6c9669> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Subjugation_of_Sulon | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968582 | 569 | 1.75 | 2 |
ďIím getting too old for this.Ē
Those were the words spoken by one of my fly-fishing buddies as we hiked back to the truck over big rocks and up a hill that was steeper than it was on the way down in the morning. I have to admit, he said it seconds before I did.
That was followed by watching another one of my fly-fishing friends, who actually works in a fly shop, imitate an aged farrier as he tried to stand up. Fly-fishing is getting more difficult for those of us with used and abused joints in our bodies.
After seeing how abuse takes its toll on those of us who have reached a certain maturity, I realized we have two choices: We can quit fly-fishing altogether, or we can change how we approach it. My choice is to make a change in the approach. That adjustment is where and how one stands when fly-fishing.
It now seems obvious to me that walking down steep narrow trails to stand on big slippery rocks is not meant for those with a plethora of orthopedic problems. If a high cubic-feet-per-second water flow is added to the mix, old age can be something only thought about as you are swept downstream.
The first thing you have to do, if you havenít already, is get a wading staff. The third point of balance this provides can save you from many a fall. Even if youíre wading in calm water on a relatively flat surface, water produces slippery stuff. And, slippery stuff is the first part of a formula guaranteed to produce a nasty fall.
That said, how can a used and abused fly-fisherman continue to participate in the sport?
The platform change I suggest is to get out of the deep, fast rivers inhabited with big slippery rocks. Further, go places that donít require a long walk.
That sounds easy. But how does one who lives in mountains full of great streams and rivers do this? Well, if money is no object, and youíre retired, spend the winters on the flats in the Bahamas. For those who donít fall into Obamaís tax plan, there are other alternatives close at hand.
I enjoy wading the shores of nearby lakes. Many lakes have gently sloping bottoms that are soft and easy to stand on. They also will produce more than just trout. Bass, panfish, carp and pike can be taken from the easy-wading spots at many lakes.
If a lake drops off to deep water very quickly, a float tube is great. In fact, a float tube will allow you to fly-fish without any pressure on the knees and hips.
If you donít like floating and wading a shore line isnít your cup of tea, then I suggest a boat. It doesnít have to be a big, expensive boat. It can be an inflatable twin-pontoon boat with a trolling motor or an 18-foot aluminum boat with a 15-horsepower motor.
A canoe works well. If youíve never fly-fished from a canoe, practice really close to shore in 2 feet of water. The reason will become obvious in a hurry.
If the sound of moving water in a stream is just too much temptation, make some changes that take your physical condition into consideration. Go to streams that you can approach in a vehicle without long walks in and out. Stay with streams that have a low flow and a gravel bottom.
Becoming a fly-fisherman who is on the verge of being an old codger is not for sissies. But giving up fly-fishing is just not an acceptable option.
Be careful, make some changes, and Iíll see you on the water.
Reach Don Oliver at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:fcc19699-a63f-402a-8030-54fb0a969498> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20120803/COLUMNISTS15/708039986/0/Lifestyle01 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957625 | 807 | 1.5 | 2 |
Paralympic athletes don't receive anything resembling the global publicity or endorsement deals of their Olympic counterparts — but their stories are arguably even more inspiring. That's thrown into stark relief with this epic commercial produced by Britain's Channel 4, the official carrier of the London Paralympics. Set against Public Enemy's "Harder Than You Think," the one-and-a-half-minute spot shows Paralympic swimmers, basketball players, sprinters and other athletes hard at work.
But what makes the ad more powerful is spliced-in footage showing some of the obstacles Paralympic athletes have had to overcome — including war injuries, birth defects and car accidents. The video, called "Meet the Superhumans," has been on YouTube since July, but takes on added meaning this week with the Paralympic Games getting underway. Check it out for yourself above, but be warned — it may put a lump in your throat.
Overall online success is crucial to the Paralympics as well, as Craig Spence, the International Paralympic Committee's media communications director, told Mashable recently. The Paralympic.org website is live streaming nearly 600 hours of footage during the Games, and will also upload an additional 1,000 hours of taped on-demand coverage to the IPC's YouTube channel during the Paralympics' Aug. 29 - Sept. 9 run. The IPC wil also use Facebook and Twitter to push content during the Games, and helps co-manage some of its top athletes' Facebook pages.
“There’s no one website in the world that caters to the Paralympic movement,” Spence told us before the Games. “So our aim for London is that we’ve said our website should be that place.”
Will you follow the Paralympics online? Tell us how or why not in the comments. | <urn:uuid:0a060c46-7274-4d70-b0c0-d3e3a88b59da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mashable.com/2012/08/30/paralympics-ad/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mashable%2Fbusiness+%28Mashable+%C2%BB+Business+and+Marketing%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964791 | 389 | 1.5625 | 2 |
A brand new blasphemy law has been introduced in Ireland. As of now, whoever dares so much as sneer at Christian faith is liable to a fee up to €25,000 in 21st century Ireland.
A couple of questions have been spat out by the neuronal network that resides inside my head.
Does it apply only to atheists or between religions as well? Any good Muslim would claim that Muhammad is God’s final prophet, would that be a blasphemous remark?
How would they intend to uphold this utterly despicable law, anyway? They revert to the methods of good old communism and denounce whoever takes the Lord’s name in vain? That would be childish, wouldn’t it?
Here’s what Richard Dawkins has to say on the matter:
“It is a wretched, backward, uncivilised regression to the middle ages. Who was the bright spark who thought to besmirch the revered name of Ireland by proposing anything so stupid?”
What’s next, Orwellian thought crime? Next thing you know is people getting locked up for merely thinking about nasty things of Jesus Christ. Free speech has been criminalised in a developed European country. | <urn:uuid:7a9b7120-f882-48e4-a5a6-50093386a41e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://geophagus.wordpress.com/tag/free-speech/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96441 | 247 | 1.820313 | 2 |
To Martha, When She and Rass Quit
I saw them oft before
As they passed by the door,
Their merry tones resound
As they wander all around
Through the lane.
They say that in their prime
They were together all the time~
Put it down.
Fri. Aug. 11, 1905: Ther. Warm. Wea. Clds. Rinsed the clothes and dryed them then pressed them the best we could. Went over to spend the night at Bro. Garringer’s, held a sacrament meeting with the Saints. 101) (3
for the building of the Library Building, found the lowest bid to be $9,500, not considering the heating and plumbing which came to $2,600 to erect the building complete for occupancy. They wished the Council to assist them in raising funds...
WEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Built 1915 at a cost of $60,450 55 North 300 West On Feb. 1 , 1977, a Bond Election was held to build a new City Building. The results were a s follows: For--946 votes, and against--1267 votes. July 21, 1977. . . (City...
interest in occupying the new Town Plot. Later in the season a large influx of immigrants from thenorth came in. We were now nearly 1,000 strong--men, women, and children3'*" There were only twelve white casualties of the Walker War. None of these...
trying to become acquainted with the Indian character and language and to establish schools for that purpose. Brother Snow felt that the settlers should help the Indian children learn the English language, teach them to work, and show them the...
men as t r e s waking,' and for even that cloudy vision he was thankful. As he said after prayers that day, 'It might be the Lord's will to grant him sight, and if so his faith should not be wanting to enable him to lay hold of the blessing. '...
Glen Canyon (Utah and Ariz.); Rafting (Sports)--Colorado River (Colo.-Mexico)
rope broke; and after grappling with the muddy bank and water chest-high, they arrived looking for all the world like official river rats. Other crews, too, had been pressed against the muddy banks; and the shirts which had been so white that...
MUTED MOTHERHOOD 50
her staying at home was not what she wanted but it was the only thing they could afford. Thus, these women validated that they are being economically responsible and saving their families money by staying at home.
Is Proud of Two of the Most Beautiful Theatres in UtaK
PARKS & THORLEY THEATRES
Motion, Pictures are Educational as \Veii as Entertaining
For Your Class, Fraternity ana Sorority Sweaters Buy
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THE WESTSIDE GROCERY
Quality and Service
As the old saying goes: "He that tooteth
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LISTEN FOR THE WESTSIDE WHISTLE
PHONE 219 FREE DELIVERY
Suggest the Following | <urn:uuid:0c72d7ec-49fa-4f3b-8475-1dcc427193b0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://contentdm.li.suu.edu/cdm/search/searchterm/pressed | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966555 | 662 | 1.695313 | 2 |
...that we, your writer friends or relatives, are grateful for you love and your acceptance.
We know that while you slog it out in public, working hard to earn a buck, we are keeping our own hours, often working in our bathrobes, if we are not still fast asleep in our warm little beds. We know how much that must rankle as you sit in your cars at the break of dawn, waiting for the heater to defrost your already numb extremities. What you might not know is that we work hard, too, often late into the night and sometimes, while you are sick to death of your co-workers and the stupidity of many members of the public sector, we wish we had co-workers. Sometimes we wish we knew how to manoeuvre among the people. Some of us even wish we had an office Christmas party to attend.
You see, sometimes we wish that our work were not quite so solitary.
While you are guaranteed 10 dollars an hour, at minimum, for your labour, we are guaranteed nothing for ours. We must compete with each other for every story we submit in hopes of publication. And if one of our stories is accepted, for an anthology, the pay rate is, quite simply, poor. The most we can hope for is $100.00 and 2 copies of the anthology our stories appear in. More often, these days, the payment is $50.00 with one complementary copy. Did you know that? Likely not, because it isn't a fact we're eager to share.
Your teenager makes more than that for a Saturday shift at a variety store, and it take a lot longer than 7 hours to write a 4,500 word short story that is good enough, first of all, to be chosen from the hundreds of submissions and secondly, to make us proud of our work.
Many writers are divorced. Often, even if our spouses understood what we hoped for and how we felt, their families didn't. Writers are sensitive people and eventually, if treated poorly, will either stop writing and toe the line in order to be accepted or, more likely, get out.
In some cases, the children live with the parent who offers stability and a decent standard of living. In other words, sometimes when we give up our marriages we give up our children, too.
That is a hurt that never fades.
We are so often alone. Our success depends upon our own willingness to put in the time, the many, many hours, it takes to get good at what we do and then keep on producing quality work. But it also depends on the most ethereal, damnably ungraspable things, things like inspiration and ideas. We must find a new way to work an old theme. The muse, if you will, must be courted successfully or, if you won't, then the dawning of 'the idea' must somehow occur and then be properly nursed to fruition. This one needs to simmer or it'll boil away to nothing, while that one must be squeezed like a sponge or it will do nothing but drip, drip, drip in our brains like a leaky faucet, at best, or the Chinese water torture, at worst. All of that happens before our fingers even touch the keys.
To measure the rewards of writing in terms of dollars would be foolish. The name "J.K. Rowling" is bandied about, a lot, by non-writers, as proof of the riches that writers may enjoy. She is 1 person. There are others, of course, but I promise you, the vast majority of writers are not making much money.
Many of us have never had a book launch. So please, if we're guests at your dinner party or Christmas Cookie Bake and produce our new novels and announce, "Hey look, everybody, I have a new book out!" understand that we're not bragging or preening or begging for praise. We're just happy about the outcome of all that work and think you might like to see what we've accomplished. That's all. You might even recall that we heartily congratulated you on your latest promotion, completed renovation, or new baby. It's the same thing. Honest.
If we give you a copy of that new book please read it. Then tell us this: "I really enjoyed your novel." If the prose is wooden or the story thin, believe me, we'll hear about it. But please don't make us hear about it from you.
And you know what's really great? If your writer relative or friend has recently published a new book, buy it. When she asks if you'd like a copy of her latest, tell her "It's on order," or "I already have one, thank you." I think you'll find the pure gratitude she expresses, however haltingly, (because some writers don't speak as well as they write) will be worth the money. And if someone asks you, "Who do you read?" and your author friend is there, try giving a variation of this answer, which I once heard my good friend say. "I'm a fan of Madeline Moore."
My heart sang.
Please don't see this as a list of complaints. It's not meant to be that at all. Writers are among the most privileged of people. We are people whose job is to do that which we most love to do. We are,whether we are willing to admit it or not, artists. We too have had lousy jobs and we know they suck. Many of us have turned down good jobs, too, jobs that didn't suck in the least, because we knew that we wouldn't be happy for long, though the job was interesting, the co-workers intelligent, and the opportunity for advancement great. In fact I suppose I'm not talking about a job at all, I'm talking about a career. But, in truth, we had no choice. We have to write.
When we come to your house to hang out with you and your friends,some of us are far too loud or excited or oblivious. That's because we spend most of our time alone and being with others turns us on. Or we're in a corner, not speaking, not listening, possibly with an expression of fear or idiotic blankness on our faces. Be patient. We're not really boors or morons. Most of us are hypersensitive and many of us are probably somewhat agoraphobic, so it's hard to be with a gang but we're there because we really, really wanted to try and the more obvious it becomes that we're failing the more desperate our flailing attempts become.
We don't have "a face to meet the people that we meet". We don't own corporate masks. There's just this, the naked, stunned face of a writer out of her element. Forgive us. If you love us, keep loving us. We're sorry if our behaviour is unacceptable or just plain stupid or, on the other side of the coin, seemingly arrogant or painfully intellectual. We really just wanted, if only for a few hours, to be 'one of the gang'. Even if we never say so, we are really, really sorry we failed.
So, on behalf of writers everywhere, during this season of generosity and forgiveness, we ask that you believe this, dear friends and family:
We need you. We love you.
We thank you.
xoxo Madeline Moore
- Madeline Moore
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- While attending a summer writing workshop at Humber College, my tutor, D.M.Thomas, said that I write 'great sex without metaphor,which isn't easy to do.' I made my mind up to become an erotica writer. My first erotica novel, 'Wild Card' was published in 2006. A section from the novel was selected by Scarlet Magazine for 'best oral sex scene' and, as a friend pointed out, an award-winning author was born! My second Black Lace novel, 'Amanda's Young Men' was released in the UK in July, 2008 and in North America in March, 2009. My third novel for Black Lace, 'Sarah's Education,' was published July 2, 2009 in the UK and briefly hit the number one spots on Amazon.co.uk's adult fiction and adult romance best seller lists. It became available in North America on September 1, 2009. Jade Magazine bestowed the 'best cover art, 2009' award on 'Sarah's Education'. In 2009 Humber College invited me to speak at the summer writers' workshop on a panel called, 'Success Stories.' And so the circle closes. | <urn:uuid:714ea3db-fc6a-45b7-b34a-d34635f5ae6b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://moremadelinemoore.blogspot.com/2010_12_12_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975147 | 1,789 | 1.5 | 2 |
Enchanting Leveling Guide—Made Easier for Beginners
Today, internet gaming is rampant especially with students from elementary to high school and even up to college. After school or work, they immediately go to their favorite internet station and play just to pass the time or to serve as a stress reliever. One of the most popular games today is warcraft. Warcraft is a franchise of video games, novels and other media originally created by Blizzard Entertainment. The series is made up of four core games: Warcraft: Orcs & Humans; Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness; Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos; and World of Warcraft. Enchanting is probably one of the most expensive professions in the World of Warcraft. Once the player hits the maximum level, the profits will even be greater. This enchanting leveling guide will provide the player the cheapest and quickest way to level this profession. It uses formulas and strategies obtained only from vendors and trainers.
Enchanting is one of the most expensive professions to level if the player will buy all mats from the auction house. One can disenchant the entire drop and can get and use mats for leveling instead of buying the mats. For example you can farm instances for greens and disenchant them. Materials for high level enchants can be very expensive are very powerful to start selling them. One can put them in a scroll containing enchantments so anyone can enchant item using it and place it on the Auction House. The clients can be searched using the trade channel.
Sometimes you can found people who need an enchantment and have all mats. You can enchant item for them without taking fee, just for skill up. Tailoring and Inscription are good professional pairs for enchanting. For sill leveling, tailoring is recommended because the player can disenchant crafted clothes and get materials for enchanting. On the other hand, with inscription one can create vellums for boosting the enchants sales. However, one may want to take any gathering profession for making gold.
Enchanting- Enhancing the gears with stats
This profession has many useful factors to offer to the player who chooses to level with it. With enchanting, one can enhance the pieces if the gear with greater stats which will give a favorable contribution to the overall output of the spells and the abilities and will surely maximize the character’s performance.
Upon choosing enchanting as one of the primary professions, one will also get the ability to disenchant items. One will be able to disenchant any common, rare and epic item that is not needed into valuable shards, dust or essences. The items that are disenchanted will be used for enchanting other materials and those that are found to be quite valuable will be sold to the Auction House and one can make a nice profit.
How to get the mats?
Disenchanting items are ways to get the mats. In order to get to uncommon or rare items, one should buy them at the Auction House. However, they are time-taking and expensive. The best thing that an enchanter can do is to pair them with other crafting profession such as tailoring.
To begin the enchanting adventure, one should head to the local friendly enchanting trainer. They can be found in all major cities and can easily be located by simple speaking to one of the guards. Once the trainer is found, proceed to train “Apprentice Enchanting” and then open the enchanting icon that can be found in the Spell book. This is where all the new spells can be seen. To begin the player will have Enchant Bracer – Minor Deflection, Enchant Bracer – Minor Health, and Runed Copper Rod. When one first learn Enchanting the player will also gain the ability to disenchant items (green quality or better). At very low levels, disenchanting can even help level one’s enchanting skill. Rods will be required for the enchants. The rods will cost quite an amount at a higher level. As the player makes a new rod, the old one will be used in the process and the new rods will be used for the old enchants that require lower level rods. Players who choose to be Blood Elves have a distinct advantage over other races that choose to level Enchanting. Blood Elves possess the Arcane Affinity passive racial ability which adds a ten point skill bonus to their Elelonchanting skill (this also raises the cap by 10 at each level of enchanting). Players who are blood elves will be able to get a new enchants sooner and will be able to quickly progress through some of the steps in this enchanting leveling guide. | <urn:uuid:eb09215e-1a79-489e-8d10-c396224d0ce1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.worldofwarcraftlevelingguides.org/category/skill-leveling-guides/enchanting-leveling-guide/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936813 | 953 | 1.710938 | 2 |
For the third time in five months, potentially millions of Gmail users were unable to access their accounts in some parts of the world due to an unexplained outage. The e-mail blackout occurred about 2 p.m. EST Monday.
According to some published reports the outage also affected other Google services such as Google Drive, the new cloud -based storage system, Google Docs and Google Play, the mobile apps and content store.
Google did not acknowledge the issue on its own official blog but added its symbol for "service disruption" with Monday's date on the dashboard for Google Apps under Google Mail, Google Drive and Admin control panel/ABI.
Sorry About That
In a later statement published by some media, Google said "we are currently experiencing an issue with some Google services. For anyone who is affected we apologize for any inconvenience you may be experiencing."
Using a New York-based account on Monday we experienced no issues with Gmail, but sporadic reports suggested an authentication issue, particularly when used with Google's Chrome browser.
According to October figures from research firm comScore, Gmail is the world's top e-mail provider, with 287,913,000 unique visitors that month, compared with 286,238,000 for Microsoft 's once dominant Hotmail and 281,722,000 for Yahoo! Mail. The figures were for worldwide users.
"Google's service has become so broadly and commonly used -- partly due to the success of Android phones -- that any problem becomes immediately, often overly amplified," said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.
Could frequent outages hurt Gmail's market share?
"Over time, I don't see the situation changing much -- though it could worsen if continuing growth results in more outages," King told us. "However, I doubt it will materially impact the company's success or position in this market."
He noted that users of e-mail as opposed to texting, instant messaging or other options tend to be older than the "youthful, free-spending consumers sought after by most vendors." And anyway, how much can people complain about kinks in a free service?
But losing access to e-mail seems less of a serious issue than the potential loss of documents, photos or other data placed in the trust of Google via Drive.
Backing Up Is Essential
"The shift toward embracing cloud-like services such as Gmail often happens without much consideration of its long-term implications for critical communications functions (like e-mail)," King said. "Will Google Drive eventually crash? Probably -- that's the nature of the IT beast. The trick lies in determining how you can garner the benefits of that service while also mitigating the risk."
King added that in a world of increasingly multi-dimensional digital communication, its a mistake for users to entrust communication to a single technology, provider or outlet. "That way lies almost certain -- eventually, anyway -- failure."
Based on your interest in this article, here's something that may be of interest to you also:
Recommended Reading: Search & Destroy: Why You Can't Trust Google Inc.
Synopsis: This is the other side of the Google story. In Search & Destroy, Google expert Scott Cleland, shows that the world's most powerful company is not who it pretends to be.
Google pretends to be a harmless lamb, but chose a full-size model of a Tyrannosaurus Rex as its mascot. Beware the T-Rex in sheep's clothing.
Posted: 2012-12-13 @ 7:31am PT
I bought the nexus7 for its bluetooth ability and it was great. Then the update made that feature the worst part of the tablet. My question is: did anybody think to try out bluetooth during the update process (engineers,software developers,etc.)? For at least 30 seconds? …and what does this say about Googles' future updates. I've been a mac user for over 30 years and I have never seen such a blatant oversight such as this in their products. The least I would expect is an acknowledgement of the problem with a small apology and an assurance the problem is being addressed. t.russell | <urn:uuid:753d9ad8-ce9c-4dd5-8edb-12f41a5c1aeb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.data-storage-today.com/news/Google-Apologizes-for-Gmail-Outage/story.xhtml?story_id=120009RFW4LC | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950928 | 856 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Earlier today I was talking with Coach Matt Grahn and we were talking about the blogs and websites out there today that bring us such a great wealth of knowledge. One of my go-to sites is Hoop Tactics. There is a lot of free stuff but also a pay portion of the site that is incredible. Here is a post from Hoop Tactics on the important of goal setting and the necessary follow up action which includes a few great videos as well.
Player Development: Self-Evaluation and Goal Setting
“You can’t play next year’s games with this year’s press clippings.” During the off season players must improve to be successful. Spring is the time to improve individual offensive and defensive playing skills along with recovering, physically and mentally, after a long season.
While things are fresh in their minds, players with their coach’s input, should compile a list of the skills that they did well this past season, along with a list of skills that they must or could improve. They should use this information to set goals and objectives for their off season improvement. Emphasis should be on those skills and techniques that will make them a more solid, stronger, aggressive and intelligent player.
Dreams and Goals
Success is not by chance or luck. Successful people have learned the value of setting specific goals and focusing their efforts toward achieving them. “Goals are the bridges that allow you to cross from DREAMS to REALITY.” A player “without goals is like a ship without a rudder.” Goals are what give direction to physical and mental training and improvement. They are the basis of self-motivation and the foundation of all achievements. However, goals must be personal. Something that players, personally, want and have a strong desire to pursue and achieve. It is because of this intense, personal desire to reach goals that will push them through adversity to success.
“It is not about the shoes” – Click Here to Watch Video (1 min)
Caution: setting goals, like potential energy, is useless until action is taken to implement and achieve them.
High Ambitions, Not Expectations
High expectations can only lead to big disappointments. High ambitions never get disappointed and are a root of all success. Players must stay ambitious, making every day the best it can be. One day at a time. The best and most productive place to be is in the present. Too much time thinking about the past causes regret. Too much thinking about the future causes worry.
Accomplishing goals and making dreams come through is incredibly satisfying. However, it is the journey, not the destination, that is the most important and rewarding part of dreams. Players must never stop improving and making it a goal to get better each and every day in some small way. Daily improvements eventually add up to huge gains. They should always keep moving forward setting new goals and dreaming new dreams. Players may never reach their ultimate, long term dream. However, this is irrelevant. The important thing is that they will become like their dreams.
Player Development: Off-Season Training
Players must take their own initiative and responsibility when it comes to improving their basketball skills. To be successful, they do not need to depend on coaches, parents or personal trainers. In fact, individual improvement is an entirely individual effort. Much of this off season skill development is repetitive, monotonous and tedious – not all fun and games. However, remember: “If it’s going to be. . . It’s up to me.” – George Raveling.
“Just do it!” – Click Here to Watch Nike Video (1 min)
Caution: Off–Season full court games and scrimages only exhibit existing player skills. They do not improve them.
Be sure to check out: http://hooptactics.net/ | <urn:uuid:7fc075a0-0ebb-49c5-9133-7999f7d9241e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hoopthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/07/importance-of-following-goal-setting.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969683 | 809 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Sunday, 14th September , 2008 , 18:11 [pm] | International
Russian foreign minister Lavrov goes to Georgian rebel region
Russia sent its foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to Georgia’s rebel Abkhazia on Sunday to show support for two separatist territories Moscow has recognised.
Lavrov was to have talks with separatist leader Sergei Bagapsh and discuss the opening of a Russian embassy in the capital, Sukhumi, in defiance of the West.
Lavrov was to travel from Abkhazia to South Ossetia, another Moscow-backed separatist region of Georgia, Russian media said.
Georgia denounced Lavrov’s visit as a farce.
“This is a farce,” Georgian Foreign Minister Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili told reporters. “Russia is trying to create the impression that these territories are independent states.”
Lavrov was the most senior Russian official to go to Abkhazia for at least 15 years and his trip came just over a month after the Kremlin sent troops and tanks into Georgia, drawing condemnation from Western governments.gulfnews, Voice of a Nation | <urn:uuid:5200bdd2-0966-4e52-830f-62bc49eefcf5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.baybak.com/wp-print.php?p=2569 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944736 | 236 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Inter-generational conflict and moral panic
I'm still working on a post which tries to explore some of the political science of the recent English riots, but in the meantime I’m struck by the wave of commentary on the riots which positions them as an inter-generational issue. I touched on this in my last post, but only briefly.
And perhaps it’s not surprising that it has taken little longer to emerge. The older generation, who are generally more blind to this issue (what? us? inter-generational beneficiaries?) include the politicians and media commentators who have more privileged access to the media and were therfore able to construct their preferred narratives more quickly.
I was interested in this because in several of the scenarios we’ve done since the crisis, the pattern of inter-generational conflict has emerged strongly. Let’s start with the economist David Blanchflower, who’s been more right than most on both the crisis and the downturn, in the New Statesman:
It is quite clear that the coalition decided very early on to protect the old at the expense of the young, presumably because this was politically expedient. It cut spending on youth workers and youth centres, abolished the Future Jobs Fund and Education Maintenance Allowance for children from disadvantaged families and slashed funding for charities at a time when demand was rising. An explosion in the inner cities was almost inevitable. What the heck did they expect?
On Open Democracy, politics lecturer Andrew Mycock made a similar point, but drew it more widely, albeit in a somewhat moralising post:
There has been a gradual abrogation of the responsibilities of the state towards young people which is rarely acknowledged by politicians. This curtailment of the role of the state has been viewed as politically expedient. Many of the young people most affected are not old enough to vote whilst those who can have become increasingly disengaged from a political system which increasingly focuses on older voters.
The great disconnect
The most entertaining exchange, though, came on the pages of Prospect‘s blog. Prospect’s editor, David Goodhart, had spent time on the blog developing a more literate version of David Starkey’s argument on Newsnight, connecting the riots to hip-hop and Britain’s Anglo-Jamaican experience. The headline caught the tone: “The riots, the rappers and the Anglo-Jamaican tragedy”.
What Davids Goodhart, Starkey and Cameron seem not to understand is that young people, especially those in Britain, live completely different economic lives to their elders. This is the great disconnect. To fail to understand that this massive generational difference in economic plight would not translate into anger is a remarkable failure—or just willful blindness—on behalf of our political and cultural leaders.
Malik points to employment and housing as singificant issues. The unemployment rate for young people is five times that for over-50s; one-third of under-30s live with their parents; those who live in rented accommodation (unable to afford to buy) have seen rent increases far outstrip inflation. And the cuts – as Blanchflower observes above – have fallen disproportionately on the young.
The message is plain: if you’re young, you’ll have to pay your own way because this country can’t afford you—even though we will depend on you to pay for the older generation’s pensions and health care in the coming decade.
If you’re not from here
One of the more entertaining parts of the exchange between Goodhart and Malik is watching two writers engaging in textual analysis of Lethal Bizzle’s rap song, “You’ll Get Wrapped” (yes, I was new to it as well). There’s a line in it which goes, “You don’t come ’round here. You don’t know”. The older Goodhart hears this as saying, if you’re not from here, if you’re not one of us, you don’t have a right to speak. The younger Malik: “Geography matters, and if anything, I’d read Lethal Bizzle’s statement as an invitation to come and witness his reality.”
If you’re not from here, if you’re not one of us… You can turn that on its head, of course. One way of looking at this – which is underlined by the severity of the post-riot sentences – is that we’re seeing a “moral panic”, a term popularised in the early ’70s in his book Folk Devils and Moral Panics by Stanley Cohen which described how “[a] condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests.” Folk devils, meanwhile, are those people who supposedly threaten the social order, and in a moral panic they’re are labelled and ‘othered’. Cohen identifies groups which are repeatedly on the end of moral panics; the first is ‘young working class violent males’.
Labelling the young
Abby Day talks about the way young people have been labelled in a post called “Riots, Respect and Research“:
Mindless, crass, materialistic, and, probably most unforgiveable by those on the left, apolitical. Those are the common descriptors of, principally, the young people involved in last week’s riots. Unsurprisingly, they are the words most commonly employed to describe young people even in the absence of rioting.
Similar stories, in similar tones, she says, are told in Australia and the US, as well as the UK. This is because they are myths, not insight.
And as it happened, I stumbled this week on The Insecure Offenders, a book published in 1961 and written by T.R.Fyvel, a left-wing journalist and sometimes collaborator of Orwell’s. His subject was “rebellious youth in the welfare state”, and he was much taken with the difference between the Teddy Boys of the early ’60s and another group of young people which he called “Thrusters and Drifters”.
In the early ’60s, the Teddy Boys – like their close cousins, the mods and the rockers – were a puzzle. Fyvel suggests tht this was because they were the first generation of working class kids to have money to burn. In contrast, his notes on the ‘Thrusters and Drifters’ culd come from this month’s riot discourse: “An idea of being excluded or unfairly treated, which can set off their floating resentment like a spark of fire, often motivates cases of vandalism”.
One of the reasons for moral panics, it’s argued, is that the underlying phenomenon is too difficult to discuss directly. In the early 1960s, the notion of an affluent working class, which might not behave the same way as the existing middle classes, represented such an underlying social fear. In the end that cohort was the bedrock of Thatcher’s electoral success. Now that 30 years of neoliberalism has once more stripped that brief moment of affluence from the working class – at least in relative terms – the spectre of the young urban poor, and the hidden fear of the return of the English mob, is certainly enough to cause a moral panic. The other question that has emerged in our post-crisis scenarios is, where does the anger go? At least we have one answer to that now.
The painting at the top of the post is ‘When Did You Last See Your Father?’, by William Frederick Yeames, which is in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. It is used with thanks. | <urn:uuid:b504ba5c-db10-4eec-8d1e-721ea2e865f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.resilience.org/stories/2011-08-29/inter-generational-conflict-and-moral-panic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966188 | 1,642 | 1.75 | 2 |
Bullet Security Cameras FAQ
Everything you need to know about your Bullet Security Camera
A Bullet security camera is a great entry level cameras to equip any home, small,medium, or commercial business with. They got their name originally from the very tiny models that looked similar to the muzzle of a shot gun barrel. The cylinder was so slim, that it naturally looked like a shot gun, so the name bullet was coined from it. Bullet security cameras since the early days in the year 2000 have grown to feature infrared lights, varifocal lens, and three axis-adjustment mounting brackets now. Although they are not as small as thier early ancestors, they are still very covert. The great thing about bullet security cameras now is that they can adapt to virtually any demands that arise in security.
View our Most Popular Bullet Security Cameras.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bullet Security Cameras
Learning About Bullet Security Cameras
What is bullet security camera?
A bullet security camera is a type of security camera that looks like a shot gun bullet. They originally were made to be small, covert and cheap. This style of security is very popular and you can find these mounted in residential home settings, small business settings, small, medium, high commercial and industrial settings. Even federal, local, and home-land security government buildings feature certain model bullet cameras in their CCTV applications. Over the last 6 years they are the fastest growing model security camera.
What are the different sizes of bullet security cameras?
A bullet security cameras is a very tiny camera.The majority of bullet cameras are about the size of the palm in your hand. The first prototypes were as skinny as a womens lip-stick cylinders, very tiny. Certain cameras are small and others are larger because of the technology incorporated inside the camera. An Infrared bullet security camera is bigger than the first prototype bullet security cameras. They are about the size of your hand, however, the volume of the camera is larger. The infrared lights make them larger than non infrared bullet cameras. Some bullet security cameras have varifocal lens and larger mounting brackets. As manufactures build different models some cameras are heavier than others and require a more sturdy mounting bracket. This will contribute greatly to the shier size of the camera. Also every size of bullet camera has a particular job or function. So bullet security cameras that are larger were made to accomplish different task. There are currently about 300 different styles of bullet security cameras in the industry.
Why are bullet security cameras so popular?
Bullet security cameras are popular for many reasons. First, a bullet security camera has the ability to accomplish many tasks in just a very easy and simple solution. Bullet cameras can survive indoors and outdoors, some bullet cameras can see in the day and in the night, and they can adapt to changes in every CCTV application. Some bullet security cameras have adjustable lenses that can be manually adjusted to achieve the right picture. All of these features are a great turn-key-solution and are very inexpensive. Unlike c-mount cameras, bullet cameras do not need an extra housing, lens, or bracket. Although some c-mount cameras are said to have better lux ratings, better resolution, and bells and whistles to tweak video rendering, it still is much more complicated for certain applications. Truthfully, that is why there are so many different model bullet security cameras, they all have unique functions.
Are bullet security cameras really weatherproof?
Yes! One of bullet security camera's main features is it's ability to be used outdoors. There are many different models built exclusively to handle certain levels of extreme heat or cold. Most bullet cameras have an IP rating that indicate the level of water abuse they can take. For most bullet security cameras they can be used outdoors in many residential and small business environments. Check out some of our weather proof bullet security cameras.
Can bullet security cameras record video?
Not by themselves! They need to be connected to a security dvr in order to be instructed to record. The digital video recorder most customers use to record video is setup to receive signal from a bullet camera by a bnc connection. BNC connection is the CCTV industry standard for video signal. So there is no way a bullet camera can support the option of recording with a dvr.
What are varifocal bullet cameras?
A varifocal bullet security camera is a camera that has an adjustable lens. There are many different models of bullet cameras that have different ranges of varifocal adjustments. There are bullet cameras that have varifocal adjustments from 4mm to 9mm settings and some with a wider range from 2.5mm to 12mm adjustment. That means you can set to a 2.5mm, 3.5mm, 4mm, 6mm, and so on until you reach the maximum setting for that varifocal lens. This feature is great for being able to adapt to new demands in a security application. Some people purchase these style of bullet cameras, because they are unsure of what lens they really need and need to have some room for marginal error in their field measurements. Nevertheless, varifocal bullet cameras are very popular. You can find infrared varifocal bullet cameras in large quantities on the Internet.
Designing A CCTV System Using Bullet Security Cameras
Are bullet cameras a good fit for a residential setting?
Yes! Residential homes are great fits for bullet security cameras. Majority of people that decide to add a surveillance system to their house mount bullet cameras under the eves of their homes. Bullet cameras are so inexpensive a home owner can spend about $69.00 dollars per bullet camera to cover the most important parts of their property.
Is a bullet security camera hard to install?
A bullet security camera is very simple to install. Although it is considered hard to anyone whom may never ran cable, this could seem difficult. If you think about it the concept for a minute or two, you will see that you have to run both video and power from your camera to your T.V., V.C.R, and or security dvr. This is the most time consuming thing when installing your CCTV system. Mounting the bullet camera is simple. All you have to do is screw in the mounting bracket and adjust the cameras sitting position.
Can I use infrared a bullet security camera indoors?
Yes and no. This is a very sensitive topic, only because it depends on what you are trying to do and the environment at hand. In certain settings, a infrared bullet security camera can be used indoors and in other settings it cannot be used indoors. Infrared bullet cameras have very bright and powerful infrared LED bulbs. These bulbs will reflect of anything that is too shinny. That means any indoor environment that has reflective surfaces like windows, doors, fish tanks, could pose a problem if this is were you want to install your camera. We always recommend using an infrared bullet security camera outdoors. Indoor environments need open space in order to work properly. Even if you use an infrared camera indoors it has to be one without hi-powered LED lights. In small rooms no matter the conditions will just washout your image. If you have to use infrared bullet cameras indoors then make sure it has 12 LED lights or less in order to ensure video recording.
What type of power supply do I need with an infrared bullet security camera?
Infrared bullet cameras, need either a 500 mili amp power supply or 1 amp power supply. Different infrared bullet cameras have different amount of infrared bulbs. They all have hi powered infrared LED bulbs, but a camera with 36 or more infrared bulbs will need a 1 amp or more power supply or available current in order to run functionally. You do not ever want to under power or over power a security camera. If you lost a power supply adapter that came with your bullet camera, then you need to look for the silver sticker on the camera and see what the amperage requirement is or find the original instruction sheet that has the cameras specs. If you cannot find that, then call the store you bought it from and speak to a tech or sales rep right away. They may still carry that model and have specs they can email to you. | <urn:uuid:616968fe-aff8-40a7-bb79-f0d255850cf3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.security-camera-warehouse.com/bullet-security-cameras.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952226 | 1,666 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Compaq Introduces New Mid-range Server
Compaq Computer Corp. today is rolling out what executives say is the most powerful mid-range server.
The AlphaServer ES45 includes up to four 1 GHz 64-bit Alpha chips and supports the Tru64 Unix with TruCluster Servers, Open VMS and Linux operating systems. The ES45 competes with such products as Sun Microsystem Inc.s Blade 1000, IBMs 660 P series and Hewlett-Packard Co.s L3000 servers.
One Compaq official said the ES45 offers powerful 64-bit computing to a new market.
"It really brings to the mid-range the type of performance traditionally offered in the higher-end servers," said Jackie Kahle, vice president of product marketing for Compaqs High Performance Systems Division.
Along with the ES45, Houston-based Compaq also introduced the AlphaServer SC45 system, which uses the ES45 as the building blocks for creating supercomputer systems that can scale up performance to multiple TFLOLPSor trillions of operations per second. The SC45 system uses interchanges that can wrap as many as 128 ES45 processors together and is aimed at projects that need massive amounts of computing, such as research projects.
The technology is available with the Tru64 Unix platform starting at $899,000 for 16-processor systems. Other vendors also have made recent announcements in the area of supercomputers, including IBM and Sun.
High-performance supercomputing has become a high growth area since the recent breakthroughs in genome research, Compaqs Kahle said. Users of Compaqs CS45 include the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center and the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing.
The Pittsburgh center is using 760 ES45 systems and more than 3,000 Alpha processors to create an SC45 supercomputing system.
Compaq also today announced the availability of Oracle Corp.s Oracle9i Real Application Clusters Certified Configurations on the Tru64 Unix-based AlphaServer ES45. The technology will be available preinstalled on the ES45 in November.
The ES45, which is available now starting at $58,000, is aimed at high-performance technical computing, such as telecommunications and healthcare.
Kahle said the ES45 rounds out Compaqs mid-range line of servers, which also includes the ES40, which is comes with less performance at a lower price.
She also said the introduction of the ES45 and CS45 was proof that Compaq was committed to following through on the development road map set out for the Alpha servers even though the company said earlier this year that it will eventually phase out the Alpha in favor of Intel Corp.s Itanium chip technology.
The Itanium decision was one of two recent high-profile announcements Compaq has made. Early last month, the company said that it had agreed to an acquisition by HP, based in Santa Clara, Calif. The move drew criticism from both analysts and investors, sparking a stock sell-off that drove the price of the deal down from $25 billion to less than $17 billion. | <urn:uuid:caf377cc-1115-4fd2-9b5d-29e0487f5c9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eweek.com/print/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Compaq-Introduces-New-Midrange-Server/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942757 | 635 | 1.53125 | 2 |
In this 1978 seminar given at Naropa University, Trungpa Rinpoche talks about the artist's state of mind and how to bring the view of basic goodness to art's practice and appreciation. To illustrate his approach, he demonstrates calligraphy, arranges flowers and objects, reads and talks about poetry, and shows slides from both Western and Asian art. Special features include demonstrations and discussions of dharma art from earlier seminars.
Four DVD's, including PDF study guide.
A short excerpt from the Visual Dharma seminar. | <urn:uuid:d3aaadc0-0a42-4de1-95e8-9e81b13e5aaa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shambhalamedia.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=DVX110 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930525 | 107 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Earlier this spring, The Ladies Rhythm and Movement Club (The LRMC), a knowledge bartering collective based in Toronto, wrote a web feature with tips for starting your own radical peer education group. We had more questions for The LRMC, but also wanted to continue the conversation on what it means to operate on an inclusive feminist mandate. How do we ensure that safe, inclusive spaces exist and that mainstream power structures aren’t perpetuated? What does inclusivity mean? Locating and engaging with these spaces of difference, overlap, and congruence are all part of this conversation.
We invite you to continue this dialogue in the comments.
Shameless: What has been the biggest lesson learned since launching The LRMC? Why? (Or what has surprised you the most?)
LRMC: The biggest lesson learned? Eyebrow care. No, I’m kidding - but that was a great workshop.
We launched The LRMC with a mandate of radical peer education; that knowledge could be in free exchange with knowledge between women in our community who would act reflexively as teachers and students. I think the biggest thing we’ve learned since the launch is just that this system really can work when you’re lucky enough to meet the kind of dedicated, inspired people that we have since we started this project. Every time The LRMC gets together at a skills workshop or seminar, we also see a little bit more of the incredible capacities of the people around us and the dynamic character of the community to which we’re trying to contribute. We wanted to learn new skills without going broke and it turns out, a lot of women feel the same way we do. And now that we’ve launched our website, we get to learn new skills and hear stories every week from contributors from across the country and the U.S., culminating in a new workshop every month in Toronto led by an expert in their field.
Shameless: The LRMC is Toronto-based. If someone (or several persons) want to start a knowledge bartering collective in a town or rural setting that doesn’t have the same population base or resources, what should they know? What tips would you give them?
LRMC: The best tip we could give anyone who wants to start a collective of any kind: do what works. Toronto is a pretty fitting backdrop for The LRMC but it does present its own challenges: there are so many really excellent people, skills, spaces, and inspirations to draw from, but people are busy and often far away from where we hold many of our workshops. We try to embrace what’s available, emphatically and graciously accept what contributors can give, and keep playing jazz until we know what works.
Online communities can easily navigate past city lines and break down the divide between urban and rural communities. We’ve found that since the launch of our blog and website, we’re able to expand our reach to cities and towns across the world, and we embrace anyone who wants to reach out to us over the Internet and become part of the fold.
If you’re in a rural community, or you don’t have Internet access, the same rules apply: do what works. Stir interest with fliers, offer snacks and play loud music until someone talks to you, meet with community leaders; do whatever you can until you have a club of two. It won’t stay that way for long.
Every event, every new column on the website, is a new animal. The LRMC started with two women, a lot of wine, and just a few teachable skills between us. If you’ve got two ideas in free exchange, you’re already well on your way. It won’t be long before others want to get in on the action.
Shameless: It’s not uncommon that groups founded on inclusive principles end up replicating mainstream power structures (what bell hooks calls white supremacist capitalist patriarchy) and don’t end up challenging/dismantling privilege as originally hoped. As a group founded on inclusive feminist principles, what steps are or will be taken to acknowledge varying degrees of privilege among members? OR what steps are taken to ensure that The LRMC is a truly safe, accessible space for women of colour, Indigenous folks, individuals with disabilities, trans and non-binary gendered folks, and queer communities?
LRMC: The LRMC was designed to address problems of marginalization and intersectionality by providing a positive outlet for those affected by it. The LRMC works on a sliding scale of contribution – give what you can and participate when you can. This simply means that the sum of The LRMC’s reach – as an organization, a community, a radical skill-sharing school, or a political combatant against gendered oppression, or discrimination of any kind – is entirely dependent on those who get involved. We make no claim to advance an agenda that specifically addresses issues of race, accessibility, or other types of marginalization that our peers experience, but we do offer a platform from which to express those experiences in a public arena, be it through co-education, art, protest – it’s up to our members.
Shameless: How can The LRMC improve going forward?
LRMC: We’re always looking for more hands on deck. The LRMC operates entirely on the knowledge, support, and dedication of our members, and the best way for us to continue to develop and improve is to keep bringing in fresh meat. If you’re in Toronto and you’d like to attend or lead a workshop, or if you’re anywhere and you want to contribute to the blog, contact us. We’ll do everything we can to put your idea in lights, give you an audience, or just connect you with an extraordinary cast of likeminded people.
Learn more about the LRMC on our website, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook! Contact us if you’re in the Toronto area and you’re interested in participating in our next event, or if you’re anywhere and you want to contribute to our blog. | <urn:uuid:e6ca8e4a-ace6-48e9-b11f-f70a9ce5208e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shamelessmag.com/blog/2012/05/ladies-rhythm-in-motion-club-follow-up-interview/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958426 | 1,277 | 1.78125 | 2 |
About this video
We just finished a short film by Roselynn Akulukjuk called "Aputili?". The name of this cilmate change related piece aptly translates as "Where's the snow?".
Working with Roselynn on this project was amazing. Her and fellow filmmaker and researcher Julie Alivaktuk wanted to interview a local elder about climate change. We visited Anna Akulukjuk and she told us some riveting stories about her life and the changes that she's seen. She talked about growing up and sewing caribou parkas and eating frozen fish because it was so cold in the old days. Now, the weather is hotter, and the warm parkas of the past are not needed much anymore. A simple yet direct observation of how the Arctic and its people are being affected by the warming. Anna indicates that there's not as much snow and sea ice as there used to be. Hence the name of the film: Aputili?
This project was remarkable on a number of fronts. Roselynn and Julie's enthusiasm for filmmaking, interviewing elders, and actually reliving the past was absolutely awesome. Check out the traditional tatoos that Roselynn had painted on to get into character. Very cool. Working with these two young women has been inspiring and intense. I particularly like Roselynn's video given that it's entirely in Inuktitut and uses an elder's words for its content. These young women have mastered both research and filmmaking. Enjoy.
Filmmaker: Roselynn Akulukjuk
roselyn-12 [at] hotmail [dot] com
Producer's Name: Igloolik Isuma Productions and Innusivut
Year of Production: 2009
Region: PangnirtungLESS INFO | <urn:uuid:a654494a-6ee2-4260-b5aa-5a07e8834fd3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.isuma.tv/lo/%E1%90%83%E1%93%84%E1%92%83%E1%91%8E%E1%91%90%E1%91%A6/inuit-knowledge-and-climate-change/aputili-or-wheres-snow-video | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960737 | 364 | 1.828125 | 2 |
If you’re used to having a computer with an internet connection every day, it’s very difficult to lose such a helpful gadget. Having an internet connection provides you greater access to certain things like online shopping, online chat-rooms, dating, e-mails, and instant messaging.
Not so long ago, another new technology was introduced into the internet world. This technology can make a great change in the telecommunications industry. But this should not be taken negatively by the industry; instead, this should serve as an avenue for them to make improvements in order to stay competitive in the world market.
Through the internet, many people are benefited; especially those people who live far apart. You can even make friends all over the world. This new technology is called voice over internet protocol or VoIP. Now, voice information is delivered effectively on the net.
Major VoIP providers like Cisco, 3Com, Netspeak, and VocalTec made efforts to promote VoIP, directory service usage, and the use of signals like touch-tone for automatic voice mail and call distribution.
If you frequently make calls, local or international, then you might consider getting a VoIP service. It can cut down the cost of your telephone bills for you to save money. What you need is broadband connection, and a VoIP service provider to start enjoying its benefits.
But in choosing a particular provider, one must gather information about the different VoIP providers available on the internet or in your locality. Major VoIP providers include:
There are still other providers, and with a lot of them offering their services, choosing the perfect one can be quite a difficult task. This is where VoIP reviews will come in handy. Reviews can help you see the up and down sides of a certain provider. There are reviews conducted by the provider in their websites, but it would be much better to look into independent reviews as they are not biased compared to the other one.
In looking into the reviews, you must ensure that the VoIP provider offers call quality at a reasonable price and other features as well.
Different providers also have different call quality. Since VoIP is new, it has its downside. So you should make sure that the provider can meet this standard.
Most VoIP providers have a range of price plans. Then there are also basic plans, so don’t forget to look into these things before you sign-up. You will not be confused with the plans because it is somewhat similar to the plans offered in cellular phones.
VoIP provider offers added features that you’re traditional phone can’t give like voice mail, call forwarding, account management, and other features. Different providers have different features, and sometimes it would depend on the plan you choose.
Here are some reviews of VoIP providers:
1. ViaTalk – provides inexpensive service with dependable call quality; they offer plans like other leading VoIP providers at a cheaper price; US-based call center and very few complaints
2. Vonage – their rates are slightly higher than other providers because of their best call quality and more features
3. Packet8 – much cheaper than Vonage; you can add video on your calls; call quality is very reliable
4. SunPacket – a lot of features for a low price; can give two phone numbers for free; you can cancel your account anytime you like and they have free trial periods
VoIP is a new technology that is still undergoing improvements. And so, in choosing the right provider, you have a lot of things to consider. There is no one best VoIP provider. These companies are in the market because they have proven their competitiveness. Your job is to identify your calling needs and your budget for making/receiving calls and choose the appropriate provider that suits you best.
If you’re through identifying your needs and wants in a VoIP provider, then you’re ready to look into VoIP reviews on the internet; there are even websites where you can find reviews on almost every provider available. A little research can go a long way.
If you’re tired with your old phone and its gigantic bills, then start using VoIP in calling your family and friends.
Shortcut to vital recommendations about free website traffic – go through this web page. The times have come when proper information is truly within one click, use this chance.
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Our 'flagship' All-In-One' Hosting Package | <urn:uuid:2171f338-80cf-4f47-a3ca-185604f03bc6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thealexangroup-viralspiral.com/conferencecall/voip-reviews-are-helpful-in-choosing-a-provider/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947927 | 942 | 1.804688 | 2 |
work, leisure, savings & retirement report
first members of the Baby Boomer generation turn 60, those working
in the business and technology professions report they're saving
more than they did five years ago. Nonetheless, nearly half say they
are still worried about saving enough for retirement.
By a two-to-one margin (52% to 26%), Baby Boomer professionals are
currently saving more money per month than they did five years ago,
according to a new survey of 2,466 ChangeWave Alliance members aged
42 and over. The July 18-24, 2006 ChangeWave Research survey focused
on Boomer work, leisure, savings and retirement plans.
Cutting Back. When respondents were
asked what - if anything - they are cutting back on to save more
money, the top three areas cited were travel/vacation (10%),
children now out of College/on their own (10%), and eating out (9%)
Saving For Retirement. Focusing
on retirement savings, three-in-ten (29%) Boomer
professionals say they have saved more money for retirement
over the past six months compared to the previous six
months. Only 12% say they have saved less, while another 49%
say they have saved the same amount.
Respondents were optimistic going forward - 28% saying
they'll save more over the next 6 months and only 7% less,
with 56% saying they'll save the same amount.
Such optimism notwithstanding, nearly half (47%) say they
are still worried about saving enough money for retirement.
Biggest Fears. Deteriorating
health (31%) and financial concerns (30%) were the top
retirement fears , but high health insurance costs (10%) and
boredom (9%) also received significant mention.
Punching the Clock. When it comes to work, Boomers are still
punching the clock - working an average of 44 hours per week
at their primary job. And while more than a third (36%) say
they'd like to retire within 5 years, significantly fewer
(27%) think they'll actually retire in that time frame.
Moreover, their working days won't actually end with
retirement. An astonishing two-thirds (67%) of respondents
say they expect to work at some point after they retire.
"All in all, the survey results are upbeat. They show that
Boomer professionals are doing the right thing as they
slowly begin moving towards retirement," says ChangeWave
Research Director Paul Carton. "They are saving more,
working more - and they're also worrying more about what
their lives will be like after they retire."
About the ChangeWave Alliance:
The ChangeWave Alliance is a network of 8,500 highly
qualified business, technology, and medical professionals in
leading companies of select industries-credentialed experts
who spend their everyday lives working on the frontline of
technological change. ChangeWave surveys its Alliance
members on a range of business and investment research and
intelligence topics, collects feedback from them
electronically, and converts the information into
proprietary quantitative and qualitative reports. Visit
About ChangeWave Research
ChangeWave Research, a subsidiary of Phillips Investment
Resources, LLC, identifies and quantifies "change" in
industries and companies through surveying a network of
thousands of business executives and professionals working
in more than 20 industries. ChangeWave has a very unique
asset in its 8,500-member Alliance. Their membership team is
assembled from a broad cross section of more than 20
vertical markets such as telecom, semiconductors, data
storage, and biotechnology, along with a wide range of
professional disciplines including CIOs, IT managers and
programmers, executive management, scientists, engineers and | <urn:uuid:86900db7-d1b4-489b-87d3-fcab40d4d9bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.todaysseniorsnetwork.com/retirement_worries.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942874 | 803 | 1.742188 | 2 |
July 17, 2012
Last week, President Obama unlawfully gutted the successful 1996 welfare reform law, specifically its requirements that recipients must work.
The welfare reform law was very successful. In the four decades prior to welfare reform, the welfare caseload never experienced a significant decline. But, in the four years after welfare reform, the caseload dropped by nearly half. Employment surged and child poverty among affected groups plummeted. The driving force behind these improvements was the rigorous new federal work requirements contained in the TANF law.
Rector and The Heritage Foundation championed the cause of welfare reform in the 1990s and the legislation signed into law by President Clinton drew heavily from his work.
The basic idea of the welfare reform, known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, is that “able-bodied adults should be required to work or prepare for work as a condition of receiving welfare aid.”
But as Heritage Foundation legal experts explain, the administration unlawfully evaded the legislation and illegally and unilaterally cut the requirement. There is a clear “and express, legal prohibition in the 1996 statute against what HHS seems to want to do,” Todd Gaziano and Robert Alt note.
The Heritage Foundation was among the first to expose President Obama’s efforts to undo welfare. Since then, the media has acknowledged Robert Rector’s work on the issue. According to the Associated Press:
‘‘They have arrogated to themselves complete control over this program, and they did it through what’s essentially foul play,’’ Robert Rector, a nationally known social policy expert with the conservative Heritage Foundation, said Friday.
Rector, who helped draft the original legislation, said the administration’s move amounted to an end-run around the law’s work requirement and therefore violates the law.
He was backed up by House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., and Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the senior Republican on the committee that oversees welfare. Camp called the waiver plan ‘‘a brazen and unwarranted unraveling of welfare reform,’’ while Hatch called it a ‘‘power grab.’’
By his actions, President Obama is denying able-bodied welfare recipients the much needed encouragement to seek a fulfilling career. This is unfortunately consistent with his remarks this past weekend: “If you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart.”
If energy equals the capacity to do work, then dignity is the end result of work. When President Obama altered welfare legislation last week so that recipients are not required to work, he effectively denied them of a sense of dignity.
Do you think having a job provides a person with confidence and dignity? | <urn:uuid:a7b750c2-77ab-4c12-8bb0-d470a510a3d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.myheritage.org/news/president-obama-undoes-successful-welfare-to-work-reforms/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971318 | 596 | 1.773438 | 2 |
AIN Blog: Torqued: Emergency AD Inappropriate in Case of Boeing 787
Since when is an Emergency AD used to ground an aircraft fleet, as it has been in the case of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner? First off, let me be clear that if anything good can be said of the Boeing Dreamliner nightmare it’s that no one had to die before the FAA would take definitive action to ground the 787 until its battery fire problems could be investigated properly. That’s a big deal indeed. There’s no question in my mind that further operations without understanding and correcting what was happening to the batteries would have placed an unacceptable level of risk on the passengers, crew and aircraft. I’ve walked through the charred wreckage of too many aircraft accidents–and met with far too many grieving relatives of the victims–not to appreciate the significance of this moment.
Yes, it should be obvious that when the FAA learns of a significant threat to air safety–and an onboard fire anywhere on an aircraft surely qualifies–it has a duty to act, and act immediately. Bureaucrats in Washington cannot allow passengers or crewmembers to be flying guinea pigs while they try to figure out what the problems are and how to fix them. But this is not often the FAA way. Whether it’s held captive to the aviation industry or just has a difficult time making tough decisions, the agency–on far too many occasions–has failed to take appropriate action until after a deadly accident. So often it’s only under the intense media pressure of a disaster, and the unrelenting lobbying of family members of the deceased, that the FAA is finally forced–usually by Congressional direction–to make safety improvements.
And, yes, I know that the groundings in Japan probably forced the FAA’s hand in this case. The FAA issued the emergency AD only after both Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways announced that they would ground their fleets, following the emergency landing of the ANA 787. That emergency landing was prompted by an unusual odor in the cockpit that was traced to a battery fire. Yet it’s still nice to see that the FAA can act quickly in the face of a significant safety question.
And, of course, the problems with the lithium-ion batteries (it’s not exactly a surprise that they have problems with overheating and catching fire) may lead back to the way the FAA certifies new aircraft types. Many of its own engineers have complained in recent times that too much work is delegated to designees and the agency provides so much less oversight than it did in the past. This problem is no doubt exacerbated by the challenges of overseeing development of an aircraft whose component parts are produced all over the world, many of them thousands of miles from any FAA certification office.
Type Certificate Action Warranted
I don’t question that a grounding of the 787 fleet was prudent and necessary in the interests of air safety. But I do question the use of an Emergency Airworthiness Directive to accomplish that grounding, when no fix is provided. There’s no inspection that’s mandated, no corrective action that needs to be taken. The action required is a marvel of government gobbledygook. Under the heading AD Requirements, it states: “[T]his AD requires modification of the battery system, or other actions, in accordance with a method approved by the manager, Seattle Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) FAA.” What does that mean when no method is provided?
What it means to me is that the FAA engaged in linguistic–if not legalistic–contortions to arrive at this method of grounding the fleet. In the process it basically made a sham of the airworthiness directive process. Why does that matter, you ask? Well, first, the government shouldn’t engage in legal contortions for one entity that it perhaps wouldn’t do for anyone else. Process matters, and treating everyone the same is a worthy government goal.
So what I deduce from this extreme stretching of the AD process is that the FAA was trying to ground the fleet without pulling the 787’s type certificate. I can understand that Boeing would have fought hard to keep the agency from pulling its type certificate. Clearly that would have impugned the aircraft and Boeing’s design and manufacturing far more than an Emergency Airworthiness Directive. But does that make it the right thing to do?
Those of us old enough to remember the 1979 grounding of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 remember that it was accomplished by pulling the aircraft’s type certificate. In that case, after American Airlines Flight 191 crashed on takeoff from Chicago O’Hare Airport on May 25, 1979, killing all 271 on board and two people on the ground, investigators determined that the accident occurred because of faulty maintenance procedures. But investigators also found a design flaw in the aircraft. Because of that design flaw, the FAA suspended the DC-10’s type certificate. Once the design flaw was fixed, the FAA lifted the order suspending the type certificate.
The FAA pulled the type certificate because of questions it had regarding the aircraft design, and pulling the type certificate was the only way to legitimately halt operation of the aircraft. The agency didn’t issue an Emergency AD to the aircraft operators, because aircraft operators can’t fix design or manufacturing problems.
Which brings me to the Emergency AD on the Boeing 787. It’s pretty clear that United–currently the only U.S. operator of the type–can’t fix a design or manufacturing problem with the aircraft, its electrical system or its batteries and that any FAA order should have been directed at the manufacturer, Boeing. So what difference does it make? The aircraft is grounded, right? Well, it may end up making a difference when a supposed fix is found for the problem. It’s a lot easier to say that an AD has been complied with than to ensure that the requirements of a type certificate have been met. | <urn:uuid:098c7ab3-5a8a-4a3b-b55e-c0e29aa77b6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ainonline.com/aviation-news/blogs/ain-blog-torqued-emergency-ad-inappropriate-case-boeing-787 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960563 | 1,241 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Two items have come out in the last day or two about drone policy worthy of note.
- Robert Gibbs, now working for MSNBC, sort of tells Rachel Maddow that Brennan — and by extension, Obama — lobbied to make the “unsustainable” drone program less top-secret and more transparent (though obviously not transparent enough). He goes on to imply, at least, that the administration wants to further increase transparency and accountability by taking the drone program away from the CIA and giving it to the military. That doesn’t come close to solving all the many legal issues involving drones, but it would be, I think, a real step in the right direction. The military’s cultural bias is toward more rules, bureaucracy and a chain of command that enables accountability. The CIA’s cultural bias is toward excessive secrecy and no rules.
- Forced by Sen. Rand Paul to answer a hypothetical about use of armed drones against a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil, Eric Holder adds one more reason to the growing list of why he should resign. “It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States,” Holder replied. For example, the President could conceivably have no choice” but to authorize strikes in the case of a second Pearl Harbor or 9/11 attack, in which case Holder would “examine the particular fact and circumstances before advising the President on the scope of his authority.”
Maybe there’s a more complicated legal argument that could convince me, but I’m not buying it so far. Does Posse Comitatus still prevent military operations within the U.S.? I don’t think there’s any doubt the Navy had all the authority it needed to defend Pearl Harbor from attack, but it seems to me there are clear rules differentiating foreign military operations from domestic law enforcement. A new technology shouldn’t upend those rules, certainly not without an act of Congress. | <urn:uuid:e0f77aa0-bb16-4d5b-bc05-daff1e757f06> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.carmitimes.com/article/20130306/BLOGS/303069994/0/religion | 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 | 0.949334 | 444 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Books by Category:
Kerry Kern and Matthew Vriends - All books by this author
Complete Pet Owner's Manual - All books in this series
This sturdy, strong-willed but very loyal dog requires careful training and socializing from the time he is a puppy so that he does not develop aggressive behavior traits. Here is everything a new pet owner needs to know about caring for dogs and keeping them as pets. Titles in Barron’s extensive selection of Complete Pet Owner’s Manuals are filled with useful information and heavily illustrated with high-quality photos and anatomically accurate line drawings. These fact-filled books instruct owners on how to care for dogs, cats, birds, fish, caged pets, reptiles, and virtually every other animal that people are likely to keep as a pet. Books in this series are written by breeders, trainers, veterinarians, and other pet-care specialists. They advise on purchasing, feeding, health care, training, grooming, and all other aspects of responsible pet ownership.
Paperback / 112 Pages / 6 1/2 x 7 7/8 / 2009 | <urn:uuid:b4d96c14-fcc9-47de-86e6-b50551489925> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://barronseduc.stores.yahoo.net/0764142259.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948065 | 229 | 1.757813 | 2 |
California Social Work Licensure
How to become a Social Worker in California...
Below are basic guidelines for those wishing to earn their social work licensure in California. Most procedures and requirements remain constant over the years; however, it is wise to contact the California Board of Behavioral Sciences at (916) 574-7830 to make sure you are on the right track.
Follow the steps to earn your California Social Work License:
A masters degree in Social Work from an approved school is necessary in order to begin the process of licensure.
Additional coursework has recently been added to the list of educational requirements. These courses can be taken during the MSW program or as an Associate Social Worker (ASW) - find more information about ASW in step 2. You can find more information about educational requirements on the following California Board of Behavioral Sciences webpage.
Request information from psychology schools and colleges in California.
Once you have completed your Masters degree in social work, the next step is to begin acquiring experience. However, you must first register as an Associate Social Worker (ASW) prior to logging any hours counting as supervised hours.
You can download the application here.
To Become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California, you will need to acquire supervised experience. A total of 3200 hours of supervised work experience and 104 weeks of supervision is required for licensure.
There are also rules as to the type of supervisor you must have and their experience. These hours are broken down into specific categories and need to be completed within six years of applying for your final exams. More detailed information can be found on the following California Board of Behavioral Sciences webpage. Or download this simplified chart.
Now you can download and submit your examination eligibility application to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Once they have reviewed and accepted your application you will be provided with information about the written exam and clinical vignette exam.
This process can take some time, so being aware of deadlines and keeping your Associate Social Worker license active is important. | <urn:uuid:bc44a7b5-8e55-451b-a012-7b8ff0e8ea16> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.allpsychologycareers.com/social-work-license/california-social-work-license.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941834 | 411 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Tsunami recovery efforts two years later Thousands of people are marking the two-year anniversary of a tsunami that hit in the Indian Ocean by holding vigils on Tuesday. The disaster claimed more than 230,000 lives. The recovery effort continues in many communities. MPR's Cathy Wurzer checks in with one man with Minnesota ties who has helped in Sri Lanka.7:25 a.m.
National Public Radio Stories
Two Years On, Tsunami Recovery Is Lagging
The Asian tsunami of 2004 killed more than 170,000 people in the Indonesian province of Aceh alone, washing away tens of thousands of homes, schools and businesses. Two years later, reconstruction is under way, but serious challenges in housing and infrastructure remain.
Edge of the Rez: A Stranger Among the Hopi
Jonathan Day spent summers with his white father and Hopi stepmother on her reservation in Arizona. He learned about the tribe's traditions and way of life, but he has no illusions that a white man can fully understand what it's like to be an Indian.
National Security Will Top Democrats' Agenda
Democrats take control of the House and Senate next week. That means they will be in charge of all the committees in Congress. And some of the most closely watched committees are likely to be those with oversight of national security issues, including the war in Iraq.
Immigration Policy Likely to Shift in Congress
Immigration is an issue that could be treated differently when the Democratically controlled Congress is seated. Democrats and their Republican allies in both the House and Senate are drafting legislation to tackle the issue after an earlier immigration bill stalled in the Republican-controlled Congress.
James Lawson: An Advocate of Peaceful Change
For more than 50 years, the Rev. James Lawson has taught and practiced the principles of non-violent resistance. The Vanderbilt University professor talks with Steve Inskeep about how those principles apply in a time of war.
Deep Discounts Dent Holiday Shopping Profits
Retailers offered many products at a sharp discount this holiday season. The strategy attracted buyers but put a hefty dent into profits. Retail analyst Kurt Barnard talks with Renee Montagne about the shopping season.
Detroit Suffers Through Auto Industry Realignment
Big losses and intense competition from Japanese automakers prompted major restructuring at Ford and General Motors in 2006. Plant closings were announced and union workers were offered buyout packages as sales of profitable SUVs plummeted.
Israel Attempts to Bolster the Palestinian President
Israel has agreed to remove some of the military roadblocks hindering Palestinian travel in the West Bank. The gesture is aimed at boosting moderate President Mahmoud Abbas in his struggle with the rival Palestinian group Hamas.
Juanita Castro Plots an Independent Path in Exile
Fidel and Raul Castro's sister Juanita, 73, has lived in Miami for decades. She is critical of her brothers' government -- she hasn't seen Fidel since 1963 -- and of the Cuban exile community in Florida. | <urn:uuid:2f1b1a72-2558-4b49-b283-239ede047cd5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/morning_edition/?date=12-26-2006 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955793 | 601 | 1.507813 | 2 |
I have a project at a crag that has only hard (for me) routes. All the routes have low cruxes, right off the ground, as well as hard, tweaky climbing throughout. How do I warm up at a place with no warm-ups
? —Jeff Jackson, Basalt, CO
This is a great question as it's just the sort of thing they forget to tell you in the how-to books. Properly warming up is the biggest determinant of how well you will climb that day. When you simply can't do the good old pyramid-style build-up of three routes in ascending grade order, do a pulse raiser such as a jog-on-the-spot or jump rope for five minutes. Next do some mobility exercises such as shoulder circles and finger clenches. Then, if the crag lends itself, some pull-ups with feet for assistance on a few jugs at the base and some hangs on the least tweaky holds. Next up, and again if the crag lends itself, some low-level traversing, but it sounds like in this case the crag is pretty tough. In which case keep your pump on and simply walk along the base while you traverse with your hands on the holds. If the cliff is overhanging you will be able to recruit the relevant muscles and tendons in a controlled way without tweaking them. (This is also a useful tip for warming up on a steep and difficult woody.) If traversing of any kind simply isn't possible, then get on the least tweaky route. At Rodellar I was once forced to abandon a 5.10 with a mono move and switch to a neighboring 5.11a that had kinder holds. Grab draws, and if the route is way beyond the level of your usual first route, then ask your belayer to take. This way the sequence becomes more like a bouldering warm-up than a traditional-routes warm-up, and hence can work almost as well. You should also stretch your forearms while hanging on the rope. If the terrain is really fierce, simply pull on the draws instead of the worst holds. Forget how this might look to others. You'll be the one smiling when you send your project. The next step is to incorporate some sort of warm-up pump, but you can probably do this on your project by doing links. It's always the first part that will be trickiest at a tough crag. The thing that we love and hate about climbing is that you can't always simulate the gym environment at the crag, but with a little shrewdness you will be able to get yourself in gear without anything going twang. | <urn:uuid:a9690bd0-5684-4bf9-8280-cfe33f1cc0f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/perfect-burn?A=WebApp&CCID=14096&Page=7&Items=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962548 | 554 | 1.640625 | 2 |
The University plans to expand its full scholarships to families with an income lower than $60,000 a year and to replace some students existing loans with grants. Considering that it now costs about $34,000 in tuition alone to attend Columbia, this change is simply a good start.
As a lower-income student at a private university, I understand the struggle to pay for school and the detriment of student loans. So, while I applaud Columbia University for a step in the right direction much more needs to be done, both by these institutions and by the government, to allow the youth who wishes to pursue higher education with every opportunity possible.
Why is education a privilege and not a right? | <urn:uuid:a28d3935-8792-4276-9dcb-4ffe979f151d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://impersonated.blogspot.com/2008/03/columbia-university-expands-finacial.html?showComment=1205371260000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962428 | 139 | 1.5625 | 2 |
To determine if response to immunosuppressive treatment in motor neuron syndromes could be predicted on the basis of clinical features, anti-GM1 antibodies, or conduction block.
Prospective, uncontrolled, treatment trial using prednisone for 4 months followed by intravenous cyclophosphamide (3 g/m2) continued orally for 6 months.
All patients were referred to university hospital medical centers.
Sixty-five patients with motor neuron syndromes were treated with prednisone; 11 patients had elevated GM1 antibody titers, and 11 patients had conduction block. Forty-five patients received cyclophosphamide, eight of whom had elevated GM1 antibodies and 10 had conduction block.
One patient responded to prednisone, and five patients responded to cyclophosphamide treatment. Only patients with a lower motor neuron syndrome and conduction block improved with either treatment. Response to treatment did not correlate with GM1 antibodies.
GM1 antibodies did not serve as a marker for improvement in patients with motor neuron syndrome treated with immunosuppressive drugs. Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis failed to improve irrespective of laboratory findings. | <urn:uuid:1ec1a433-bee1-4aee-950d-b5b430c71ab0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=592747 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945807 | 235 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Forget about hauling a heavy, bulky car seat through crowded airports and narrow airplane aisles. There's a better way to keep your young children safe while flying.
CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System) is designed specifically for airplanes and is FAA certified as having an equivalent level of safety to a car seat for all phases of flight. CARES is manufactured by AmSafe Aviation, the foremost manufacturer of airplane seatbelts and other safety restraints. Best of all, CARES weighs only 1 lb, fits in a 6" carrying case, fits on virtually all airplane seats and takes a mere 1 minute to install.
CARES is designed specifically for aviation use for children age 1 and older who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds. These youngsters are old enough to be in their own seats, but are too small for the seat belt alone to protect them. Their bodies cannot withstand the jolts that are common in routine transportation, much less emergency situations, and they flail forward or slide beneath the seat belt if they are not held securely in place.
Each year more and more young children fly. But until CARES came along, what was missing was a convenient, hassle-free way to keep young flyers safe. Heres what makes CARES such an invaluable travel solution:
* NO RETURNS. EXCHANGE ONLY WITH THE SAME PRODUCT!
There are currently no product reviews. | <urn:uuid:afe8974d-d6a3-4426-9d17-4a68c675251b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tjskids.com/cares-kids-safe-plane-harness-p-1877.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956743 | 286 | 1.539063 | 2 |
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Christen N. McCluney - Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2010 - The Air Force's Air Mobility Command has been able to continue providing airlift capabilities despite the cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano that has troubled air travel, a senior officer responsible for moving military personnel and equipment around the world said yesterday.
"As soon as we saw the potential impact from the volcanic ash cloud forming, we initiated some discussion about possible consequences and courses of action," Air Force Brig. Gen. Randy Kee, vice commander of the 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., said during a "DoD Live" bloggers roundtable.
"This planning turned into reality in a matter of a couple of hours," he added.
Kee added that since rerouting of air traffic became necessary, the command has flown enough people to fill Madison Square Garden, and the equivalent of 175 fully loaded semi trucks of cargo.
"It's very impressive to see how folks were able to reposition," Kee said. "All the people that made this happen are heroes to me. This shows some agility that is exceptional. It's an honor to serve in this great cause."
The control center provides centralized global command and control of both Air Force and commercial contract aircraft that fulfill the nation's military airlift requirements. This involves planning, scheduling and tracking airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation missions, and then tasking those missions to units and providing command and control.
Missions the center oversees, Kee said, range from delivering mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, transporting warfighters and providing humanitarian aid in the wake of disaster.
Since the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano April 16, nearly 400 airlift missions controlled by the center have been rerouted due to the ash cloud that closed much of the airspace over Europe.
"In the wake of disaster, the team has the ability to reroute or cancel flights to ensure the safety of passengers and cargo the planes are carrying," Kee said.
Because volcanic ash is easily ingested by engines and can cause them to fail, he explained, pilots don't fly through ash clouds.
In the early moments of the eruption, the Tanker Airlift Control Center took action to move aircraft, crews and maintenance personnel from Ramstein and Spangdahlem air bases in Germany to staging locations in Spain. This flexibility, Kee said, has allowed those assets to remain in the rotation of aircraft moving troops and cargo to support operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The volcanic ash plume also forced a change in standard aeromedical evacuation operations, including the flight routing that Air Mobility Command uses to move wounded warriors from the U.S. Central Command area to further care.
"Under normal circumstances, the majority of military patients evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan move to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center [in Germany] for care," the general said. "Currently, missions are flying to Naval Air Station Rota [in Spain], where they refuel and then bring the patients back to the United States for care."
When flight routes will go back to normal, he added, depends on the volcano. Officials at the control center are assessing day by day, he said, and don't plan to return to normal routes until they can do so permanently.
"We are watching this carefully," Kee said. | <urn:uuid:d7a23215-9b7f-42a1-b46f-78829368a8c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.militaryfamilynetwork.com/article.php?aid=15287 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955538 | 714 | 1.804688 | 2 |
David Mendosa's Share Posts: http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17
It is especially important for those of us who have diabetes to drink a lot of water, as unexciting as it is compared with all the other beverages that we have available. So I do my best to make it a bit more exciting.
For starters, I filter all my tap water, even though Boulder, Colorado, where I live, has perhaps the highest rated water supply in the country. We are, after all, the only American city that owns its own glacier, and because it is melting so fast we have a lot of runoff!
Then, I keep a couple of canteens in the fridge all the time. Cold water tastes better to me, perhaps because it reminds me of drinking out of cool mountain streams, something that I could do when I was a kid.
Now, I often drink carbonated water. For years I bought plastic (and sometimes glass) bottles of the stuff at supermarkets. I tried all the brands of sparkling water and finally found one that I really like, Germany's Gerolsteiner, and available only in high end markets, like Whole Foods. I dislike the most common brand available in restaurants, San Pellegrino.
But I got tired of the expense and trouble of carting cases of the stuff home every week and of the landfill waste. So, with the encouragement of one of my correspondents I invested in a device that carbonates my own water. A company called SodaStream makes it and delivers a new cartridge every couple of months when I need one. The water that it carbonates tastes every bit as good as the bottled stuff without all the disadvantages that that stuff has.
I drink it straight -- as I am at the moment. Or I make sparkling lemonade with TrueLemon and stevia for a total of zero calories.
We can also flavor carbonated water with lots of different flavors. The SodaStream device comes with samples of many flavors, and the calorie-free ones include orange, berry, lemon-lime, diet root beer, diet pink grapefruit, and diet cranberry-raspberry. Another possibility are the many DaVinci flavors.
I just make sure to cut off my water supply by dinner time. I already make enough trips to the bathroom at night.
Drinking a lot water is the single diet recommendation that all the health experts agree on. They do differ on the amount that they recommend.
Loren Cordain, professor of exercise physiology at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colorado, and the author of the important book, The Paleo Diet, points out that our paleolithic ancestors drank nothing but water. While paleolithic sounds like it was a long time ago, it was only about 10,000 years before now -- the time just before the agricultural revolution -- and that's a blink of an eye in terms of human evolution.
Barry Popkin, professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the author of The World is Fat, emphatically recommends that we drink nothing but water. And lots of it.
But it isn't true that the U.S. government recommends drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. That is an old urban myth, as I wrote in my first book What Makes My Blood Glucose Levels Go Up...and Down? Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller, Kaye Foster-Powell, and I co-authored this book together to explain the glycemic index, and the water section was one that I wrote.
When we are thirsty, water remains our best choice. Even when we are hungry, having a drink of water is a great idea. It can help us feel fuller and therefore make us less likely to overeat. This goes a long way toward keeping our blood glucose levels where we want them to be. | <urn:uuid:12e68a3d-990b-4ca8-9aed-4c5e54d55859> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prevention.com/community/forums/health/diabetes-support-group/diabetics-r-june-13-19?plckFindPostKey=Cat:HealthForum:5121004491Discussion:82d09ecb-68b5-4a21-b8bc-9b0f86191e21Post:041ea6cd-3840-4289-9266-d51a78b64a25 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960164 | 800 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Its portrait of Russia is dated. Its portrait of America is timely—and terrifying.
The middle Reagan years—the fingernail-gnawing, doomsday-clock-watching, pre-perestroika finale of the Cold War—were a dreadful time for movies in general, but they were the heyday of the Armageddon film. The mid-'80s gave us War Games, The Day After, Invasion USA, Testament, Amerika, and The Terminator, and they gave me nightmares. For much of my teens, I had a dream in which I was standing alone, minding my own business, when a huge helicopter gunship would appear from behind a building or a tree or a cliff and start shooting at me. This nightmare was, of course, a tribute to the feverish power of the World War III movie Red Dawn, whose most famous scene involved a Soviet Hind helicopter sneaking up on our American heroes, the "Wolverines," and unleashing a hellfire of bullets against them.
Except for The Terminator, none of the mid-'80s Armageddon movies has had as much enduring influence as 1984's Red Dawn.The film is beloved of American military types. In 2003, the Army named its operation to capture Saddam Hussein "Red Dawn" and dubbed the two Saddam safe houses it was raiding "Wolverine 1" and "Wolverine 2." Recognizing that we're again living in an age of existential dread, MGM recently announced plans to remake Red Dawn. With the Russian army having run rampant over Georgia and the Kremlin hissing over American plans to base a missile defense system in Poland, this seemed the right moment to revisit Red Dawn. I could think of no better way to recall the anxieties of the Cold War than to cheer on the Wolverines again. But Red Dawn did not conjure up the chest-swelling patriotism I felt as a 14-year-old. Instead, it turned out to be disturbing in an entirely unexpected way.
For those arugula-nibbling semi-Americans who've forgotten or never seen it, Red Dawn begins with a Soviet/Cuban/Nicaraguan paratrooper invasion of Calumet, Colo., a town in the foothills of the Rockies. World War III has begun! A few teenagers, mostly Calumet High football players, escape the initial assault in Patrick Swayze's truck and high-tail it to the mountains. Gradually, under the tutelage of Swayze, a slightly older kid who spent his childhood hunting and camping, they constitute themselves into the Wolverines, a band of guerillas who sabotage the Commie invaders, assassinate soldiers, ambush convoys, and blow up the "Soviet-American Friendship Center." At first, the Soviets retaliate by executing "America the Beautiful"-singing civilians; eventually, they send commando units after the Wolverines. In the incoherent climax, Swayze and his younger brother, played by Charlie Sheen, launch a kamikaze assault on the local Soviet headquarters, leaving exquisite corpses in the snow. Meanwhile, the only two surviving Wolverines escape across the Rockies into Free America.
Red Dawn embodies conservative nutterdom in a way few films not made by Mel Gibson have ever managed. If Ann Coulter made a movie, it would look like Red Dawn.This is thanks to director John Milius. Apocalypse Now screenwriter, Conan the Barbarian auteur, and former NRA board member, Milius is a military zealot, infatuated with the warrior code. Red Dawn is really a fetish movie, an ode to guns and blood. The 2007 Guinness Book of World Records judged Red Dawn the most violent movie in history. (Amazing it has not lost this title to a film of the Saw generation, isn't it?) The only extra worth the name on the 2007 collector's edition DVD is the "Carnage Counter," an on-screen census of RPG rounds fired, civilians executed, Soviets killed, and Wolverines martyred. Blood lust saturates the movie: The camera lingers on wounds and corpses; C. Thomas Howell becomes a man by drinking blood; a feral Harry Dean Stanton, playing a gun nut imprisoned by the Soviets, screams at his Wolverine sons, "Avenge me! Avenge me!"
David Plotz is the Editor of Slate. He's the author of The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank and Good Book. He appears on Slate's Political Gabfest.
Clips from Red Dawn © 1984 MGM/UA Entertainment. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:de304e92-9eff-4f1e-ba70-283303168b11> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/dvdextras/2008/10/red_dawn.html | 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 | 0.945055 | 938 | 1.726563 | 2 |
The Giving Pledge, started in 2010 by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates to invite the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to commit half of their wealth to charitable causes, has become a cross-border endeavor with pledges by a dozen signatories from across the globe.
Billionaire families from Australia, Germany, India, Malaysia, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United Kingdom have joined the Giving Pledge, bringing the total to 105 families committed to the pledge, according to a press statement.
The new members come from diverse industry and geographic backgrounds and give to a variety of issue areas. Many of them have been working to make an impact through philanthropy for several years.
The 105 pledgers range in age from 28 to 97. Globally, they represent nine countries. In the U.S., they come from 23 states and the District of Columbia, with the largest contingents from New York and California.
Pledgers give to a wide variety of causes, including education, health, medical research, social services and the environment. Some have already given away the majority of their wealth, while others are just getting started, the statement said.
Following are the 12 new signatories along with excerpts from their pledge letters.
Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro
Net Worth: $15.9 billion (Forbes 2012)
“I strongly believe that those of us who are privileged to have wealth should contribute significantly to try and create a better world for the millions who are far less privileged. I will continue to act on this belief."
Andrew Forrest, non-executive chairman of Fortescue Metals Group, and Nicola Forrest
Net Worth: $5.8 billion (Forbes 2012)
“While giving responsibly is challenging to do well, you will find it even more satisfying than the exhilaration you experienced when creating your enterprises. It was your logic, intuition, focus, foresight, good fortune, relentless determination and work capacity that produced the wealth you now ponder the future of. Yet it is also these same powerful talents that cause you to ask yourself, could I become a major philanthropist and responsibly use my wealth to improve communities and the lives of those less fortunate, potentially touching millions of people?”
Hasso Plattner, co-founder of the software company SAP
Net Worth: $7.2 billion (Forbes 2012)
“More than 20 years ago, I set up a foundation focusing on education and global health challenges. It is extremely rewarding to see the impact money well spent can have. I had the great privilege to study at one of the best German technical universities, University of Karlsruhe, and the education was nearly free. Without question this became the foundation for my personal success.
“On one hand I feel obliged to support the company I once co-founded, and on the other hand I want to give back to the society which enabled my education. The foundation is a way to do both.”
Vladimir Potanin, chairman of Interros
Net Worth: $14.5 billion (Forbes 2012)
“Several years ago I announced my decision to donate a major part of my wealth to philanthropy. I genuinely believe that wealth should work for public good and, therefore, I am trying to make my own contribution toward a better world, especially toward a better future for my own country, Russia.
“I am confident that one cannot solve social problems by simply writing a check. Personal involvement is of great importance, and that is why in 1999 I established my own foundation to support programs in the area of education, culture and philanthropy development.”
Net Worth: Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, chairman of Berjaya Group
$1.2 billion (Forbes 2012)
“I am also keenly aware that there is only so much money that a person needs for himself and his family, and this brings home the sense that when one is blessed with great wealth beyond what is needed, there is a corresponding moral and social responsibility to put the money to good use. For this reason, I have for many years done my part to help the less fortunate and underprivileged through monetary donations and other means of material support. I have also established a foundation known as Better Malaysia Foundation to organize and focus these efforts with the aim of giving back to the community and generally making Malaysia a better place. This, in part, is also to return to society what I have benefited through the support my fellow Malaysians have given to the various businesses of both the publicly listed Berjaya group of companies of which I am the major shareholder and my other privately held concerns.”
Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe, founder and executive chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, and Precious Motsepe
Net Worth: $2.7 billion (Forbes 2012)
“This selfless and compassionate characteristic is part of the age-old African culture of giving and caring for your neighbor and other members of your community. In South Africa it is embodied in the spirit and tradition of Ubuntu/Botho, in terms of which your well-being, happiness and success is dependent upon and influenced by the wellbeing, happiness and success of others…
“[We] recognise the huge responsibility and duty that the Motsepe family has to poor, unemployed, disabled, women, youth, workers and marginalized South Africans. We also have an ongoing obligation of nation building, uniting black and white South Africans and contributing toward making Africa and the world a better place."
Victor Pinchuk, founder and main owner of international investment advisory firm EastOne Group, and of Interpipe Group
Net Worth: $4.2 billion (Forbes 2012)
“My goal in my social investments is to empower the next generation to change their country and the world. To enable them to build a new country based on openness and an understanding of the world of today and tomorrow. My focus is on using innovative approaches to provide access to education, health care and the inspirational power of contemporary art. Combined with modern and innovative business projects, I believe this constitutes a powerful formula for change. I have taken my first steps, with large-scale scholarships programs, opening a museum of contemporary art with free admission, and establishing a network of neonatal clinics—but this is just the beginning.
“I have a particular focus on my own country, Ukraine, and its integration with the world. As a post-Soviet society, Ukraine needs the support of “social investors” in order to implement reforms and to promote ideas like the rule of law. We face a long road ahead compared to Western countries, and we who have already benefitted from change must help more.”
Richard Branson, founder and chairman of Virgin Group, and Joan Branson
Net Worth: $4.2 billion (Forbes 2012)
“‘Stuff’ really is not what brings happiness. Family, friends, good health and the satisfaction that comes from making a positive difference are what really matters.
“Happily our children, who will be our principal heirs, agree with me on this. As and when we take monies out of the Virgin Group of companies the majority of it will be invested in entrepreneurial approaches to help make a difference in the world. We want the value created by the Virgin Group to be used to invest in new collaborative approaches to addressing issues, where business, governments and not-for-profits join forces to create a healthy, equitable and peaceful world for future generations to enjoy.”
John Caudwell, businessman
Net Worth: $2.6 billion (Forbes 2012)
“At the moment, my main charitable cause in terms of passion is Caudwell Children. This charity helps children in dire medical need, whatever their illness. It helps children whose parents don't have the financial ability to help them themselves. Caudwell Children helps about 3,000 children each year, and in some cases completely transforms their lives; in others it makes their lives more bearable, while for some it can make their dying wishes come true.
“My hope for Caudwell Children is that we will eventually help every eligible child in the U.K. and in other countries if I can find like-minded individuals to help me.”
Christopher Hohn, hedge fund manager
Hohn set up The Children’s Investment Fund in 2003, a hedge fund run by his wife, Jamie Cooper-Hohn. Its aim is to donate a portion of its profit to help children in developing countries. TCI gives 0.5% of its assets to The Children's Investment Fund Foundation UK each year, with a further 0.5% of assets for every year during which the fund achieves returns of more than 11%. Bloomberg reported in January that TCI had $8.5 billion under management.
Mo Ibrahim, mobile communications entrepreneur
Net Worth: $1.1 billion (Forbes 2012)
“In 2006 I launched the Mo Ibrahim Foundation to focus on the issues of good governance and leadership in Africa. Good governance is the basket of public goods governments must deliver to its people [including] security, rule of law, economic opportunity, infrastructure, management of public finance, transparency, education, health and citizens’ rights. We need to move from narrative and rhetoric to facts and figures. Our Index of African Governance measures well over 100 parameters to evaluate government delivery in every African country. Effectively, we are producing an annual scorecard to measure performance. The objective is not to name or shame anybody but to understand where we are, what works and what doesn't and to facilitate an objective discussion between all governments, parliaments, academics, business, civil society and beyond.”
David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville, former chairman of supermarket chain Sainsbury’s
Net Worth: $1.1 billion (Forbes 2012)
“The approach of my wife, Susie, and I to philanthropy is very simple. We do not believe that spending any more money on ourselves or our family would add anything to our happiness. However, using it to support social progress we have found deeply fulfilling. We focus on a few areas which require investment and which we care about deeply, and seeing these projects develop and bring major benefits to people has been a life-enhancing experience.”
More Top 10 Lists from AdvisorOne: | <urn:uuid:4ae06b1b-c28d-4ff2-b702-6f46544da1d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.advisorone.com/2013/02/25/12-non-us-investors-who-pledged-half-their-wealth?t=theory-strategy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956328 | 2,164 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Oceana Magazine Summer 2011: Donor Profile: Heather Stevens
Oceana’s newest board member is a psychologist and professor whose affinity for the oceans began at a young age, growing up in the United Kingdom.
Heather Stevens has always had a strong connection to the water. Like all young Britons growing up in the 1960s, she remembers learning about the Beaufort scale of wind in school, and was riveted by Jacques Cousteau’s television show on Sunday evenings.
One of her fondest memories revolves around something fairly mundane: the weather forecast. She recalls listening to the shipping forecast, a daily BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports for the seas around the British Isles, which are divided into 32 areas with distinctive names such as “Viking,” “Dogger” and “Lundy.”
“Nowhere in Britain is more than 200 miles from the sea. The world of sea and the world of land are very integrated,” Stevens said.
Last September, Stevens joined Oceana’s Board of Directors. She is a trustee of the Waterloo Foundation, a supporter of Oceana’s work and one of the biggest environmental funders in the United Kingdom.
In addition to funding projects in global development and child development, the Foundation has supported ocean conservation work, including campaigns to increase marine protected areas and combat illegal fishing. Stevens says that Waterloo considered funding other marine conservation organizations but was especially drawn to Oceana’s approach, particularly in reducing overfishing.
“It was very smart thinking to go to the World Trade Organization and tackle the overfishing issue by tackling the economics and the trade rules on fish catch,” she said, referring to Oceana’s campaign to curb fisheries subsidies. “I thought it was smart to use a bureaucratic tactic to make a worldwide impact.”
She is also passionate about limiting the wasteful amount of bycatch in the fishing industry.
“I feel morally indignant about that as a practice. Nobody would countenance that with cows,” she said. “No other business practice is like that. It can’t be sensible for fishermen, and it’s certainly not sensible for the rest of us.”
A psychologist by discipline, she is also a visiting professor at University of Cardiff in Wales, where she is involved with research in to childhood disorders such as autism, dyslexia and epilepsy. She says there’s a surprising synergy between her psychology work and her ocean conservation work.
Stevens believes that fish oils are vital to the proper development of the human brain. “There’s a groundswell among psychologists that the shift to meat in our diet and to vegetable oils is actually not doing our development any good.”
She and her husband have three teenaged children, and the whole family loves to spend time in the ocean. Most recently they traveled to Oman, where they swam with sea turtles, and they vacation regularly in the Maldives, where they once spotted a six-foot long Napoleon wrasse while snorkeling.
“I’m on the side of the fish,” said Stevens. “The scales are deeply unbalanced, and eventually it will backfire on all of us not to redress that balance between the hunter and the hunted. We’ll take them all before we realize we ought to stop. That’s why I find supporting the work of Oceana so important.” | <urn:uuid:004949c2-b7f5-4b90-893f-8ee220c1e3b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oceana.org/en/news-media/publications/oceana-magazine/summer-2011/departments/donor-profile-heather-stevens | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961627 | 734 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Every once in a while the little farmer is going to need to build a new farm building and carry out repairs and maintenance on his farmyard. Buy construction toys to carry out these odd jobs from JCB toy diggers and toy excavators by Caterpillar for digging sand and dirt. Children will love our selection of traditional yellow toy diggers and loaders carried on large toy lorries to the farm and building sites. Construction toys include JCB toy diggers by Bruder and Britains in scale 1:32 to 1:16.
Toy building sets provide a place to construct buildings, play in sand and create realistic building sites, all in a safe and confined toy construction set to hold your little one's mess. But they also provide realistic surroundings.
Children's toy diggers by JCB make carrying out tasks a breeze. Toy diggers can dig up sand and load it onto lorries as well as digging holes for building foundations and plumbing and are the number one toy to have.
What toy building set would be complete without the use of lorries and vans. Toy lorries are used to carry supplies in and out of the construction set but mostly used for carrying construction vehicles.
Construction sites require specialty vehicles for confined spaces and do jobs your larger toy diggers can't. With JCB toy Excavators you can work on road side construction sites and in small building sites.
JCB toy loaders and forklifts are used for lifting heavy loads. Toy loaders are like diggers, but carry large amounts of sand and dirt and load it on to open back lorries for carrying it away or filling in holes in the ground.
What construction set would be complete without the handy crane. Toy Cranes are used to lift items not possible by the young builders hands. Instead cranes are called in to lift anything from wood to stones.
Build up the budding builders construction set collection with a choice of popular construction vehicles ranging from toy bulldozers, graders and rollers for flattening the tarmac.
Insure the young builder follows all health and safety rules with the use of toy barriers, road safety signs, traffic cones and railings to keep away the public from hazardous conditions on the building site.
Young builder fanatics will enjoy construction extras. Featuring children's JCB helmets and tool sets. Furthermore, we provide the young builder toy diggers, cranes, bulldozers, lorries and construction sets. | <urn:uuid:bba6b1a2-2dd5-4013-a016-099ea9134785> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://toyfarmers.co.uk/farmconstruction.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934413 | 502 | 1.726563 | 2 |
The acceleration stuff is (for the most part) storing the window contents in textures on the GPU, and using the GPU to do the graphics operations. If you don't have a GPU, you cannot accelerate things. Theoretically one could move things on and off the GPU at hotplug time, but that is a recipe for worlds of pain - especially when you consider OpenGL and the like. I don't expect anything like this soon.
Practically, if you want to have screen-like behavior, you need a shadow framebuffer - or at the least a shadow 'windowbuffer'. This *will* have a performance impact, but it can be made reasonably fast. Indeed, the solutions mentioned in the other comments are quite usable. | <urn:uuid:d37a1f85-c38e-4c11-888e-8635f5ae07fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lwn.net/Articles/537462/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956794 | 149 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Research conducted for Cornerstone University’s internal use only is to be forwarded to the CU-IRB chair for review. The chair will determine if the research meets the criteria for not needing CU-IRB approval.
Examples of such research are in-class research exercises, surveys from the Cornerstone community, and surveys having met another university’s IRB approval but requiring distribution among the Cornerstone community.
- For in-class exercises, faculty members should forward the description of the assignments from the syllabus to the chair. If the assignment is used every time the course is taught, the faculty member needs to only notify the chair one time.
- For surveys distributed on campus (except those noted in #1), copies of surveys and their instructions should be forwarded to the chair.
- Surveys that were previously approved by another IRB must show evidence to the chair of that IRB approval, as well as a copy of the survey.
While the above research may not need formal CU-IRB approval, it is expected that all research abides by ethical codes designed for human and animal research.
If a faculty member has students conducting research for an in-class project, students should fill in a proposal similar to the CU-IRB form which should then be reviewed by the faculty member before the student conducts research. CU-IRB approval is not necessary.
WARNING: If one conducts his/her own research without CU-IRB approval, it is not covered by Cornerstone University liability insurance.
Types of Research
- Ethnographic research is subject to the Common Rule (“Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects,” DHHS 45 CFR 46; http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm)
- Although ethnographic research takes place in natural settings and differs significantly from clinical research, ethnographic research projects are subject to review by the CU-IRB to ensure that the participants in the proposed research are not harmed.
- Review of ethnographic research should be commensurate with the level of risk of harm vs. the potential benefits of each specific research project. The review should consider the likelihood or probability of harm, the severity of harm, and the duration of harm. Each project should be examined on its own merit.
- Informed consent is an important part of qualitative research. Much qualitative research is exploratory, and the areas of inquiry may not be apparent even to the research team at the time the study is initiated. Qualitative research should be designed to sustain the consent process throughout the course of a subject’s participation.
- If identifiers must be retained (for longitudinal studies, or where subjects are videotaped or audiotaped), and if the research deals with very sensitive topics, it may be appropriate to seek a certificate of confidentiality to protect against compelled disclosure – by federal, state, or local authorities – of identifying information.
The internet is an insecure medium as data in transit in vulnerable. So, internet data collection is rarely private, anonymous, or even confidential. The potential source of risk is harm resulting from a breach of confidentiality. This risk is accentuated if the research involves data that places subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or could damage their financial standing, employability, reputation or could be stigmatizing. | <urn:uuid:4bf73ef9-61fa-404e-a93c-54fa0a8ccedb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cornerstone.edu/research-requiring-review | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940538 | 689 | 1.507813 | 2 |
In the night of July 30-31, 2000, Karnataka’s most popular actor, Rajkumar, was whisked away by India’s most elusive criminal, Veerappan. Then followed 108 tense days. On September 14, Rajkumar was finally released.
But many points remain unanswered. Was a ransom paid (most recently J. Jayalalithaa said so)? How was the release organised? Who were the key players?
C. Dinakar, then Karnataka’s police chief and now retired, has penned his version of events. Exclusive extracts from his book Veerappan’s Prize Catch: Rajkumar (Konark, Rs 400):
Veerappan is now dreaming of becoming a big political leader a la Phoolan Devi. He needs money for that. Big money. And this is the opportunity given to him by Goddess Babbari Amman to make that money. He is not asking for amnesty. He is asking for recognition. He wants to be a leader.
If he can help others to win elections...why can’t he himself become a member of the Assembly? The policemen who have chased him will then respect him. Maybe he can become a Minister too. The policemen will then salute him.
S.M. Krishna alerts his trusted friend R.T. Narayan to try and provide the resources. Narayan is an Iyengar Brahmin hailing from Mysore. He had set up a small industrial unit in the outskirts of Mysore city by taking a loan from the Karnataka State Financial Corporation. That could not make him prosperous. But people say that was how he got acquainted with Krishna who was in D. Devaraj Urs’ Cabinet...
He contacts liquor barons, industrialists and businessmen and asks for money. It is easy to ask for money now. The demand will be treated as legitimate and reasonable. Of course, the money that comes in is not white or off-white. It is colourful money. And black is the queen of all the colours. ‘Natural black’ is the darkest colour. I receive information that R.T. Narayan is raising Rs 5 crore...
In terms of simple arithmetic, a few crore do not matter. Because the Chief Minister’s post is much more expensive. If anything happens to Rajkumar, S.M. Krishna will have to pack up his bag and baggage, and shift back to his own house. That will be the end of his political career too. He is in his late 60’s. But that is young for political leaders.
14 September 2000
The packages taken by DIG Jayaprakash are loaded into a Tata Sumo. Nedumaran and his two associates leave Erode in the morning and reach Veerappan’s camp. Rather surprising: the short time in which they travel and reach Veerappan’s camp unlike Nakkeeran Gopal who used to wait in the outskirts of the forest waiting for a signal from Veerappan...
This probably indicates the respect and regard that Veerappan has for P. Nedumaran. Veerappan is happy to see them and the readily visible packages. He immediately tells Maran to hunt for a deer and arrange for a feast...
Veerappan chats with Nedumaran and other emissaries. He is in a very happy mood. What has given him a thrill is his talking to S.M. Krishna over the mobile phone.
Ramkumar rings up S.M. Krishna and Nedumaran speaks to him first. Then Rajkumar talks to S.M. Krishna thanking him profusely. ‘I will never forget your help,’ he says. Veerappan then talks to S.M. Krishna and tells him, ‘Avangale vittuttengo.’ (I have released them.) S.M. Krishna thanks them, and in particular Veerappan rather profusely.
Nedumaran and other emissaries want to accompany Rajkumar to Bangalore. But they change their plan after their talk with Krishna, who requests them not to...
Shankar Bidri walks into my chamber around 5 p.m. and tells me that Rajkumar was freed around 4.00 p.m. I wonder why Veerappan releases Rajkumar during Rahu kalam. Or could it be that there was some difference in time between the watches?
‘They have gone to a house in a nearby village. The release will be announced only tomorrow. They want to give time to Veerappan to go to an inaccessible area of the forest,’ he says. It is the house of Ramaraj, President of Bhoothapadi Panchayat, in Unjapalayam Village, about 25 km from Erode.
Rajkumar and Bhanu (one of the emissaries) share a single room in the house. As Rajkumar goes into the toilet, he is shocked to see his appearance in the mirror. He says that he can’t face his fans in that condition. A barber is summoned to give him a shave and haircut, and also dye his hair. Bhanumathi applies cream to Rajkumar’s face, which is somewhat puffed up.
‘You are looking nice,’ she says. He complains of pain in his right knee. He has been having this pain since many years because the cartilage has worn out under the kneecap. There is no cure for it. Bhanumathi applies Iodex Spray. It gives him temporary relief.
Rajkumar is talking in a peculiar way. ‘You came like a Goddess to help me,’ he tells her in Tamil and kisses her on her cheek. Is it that he is overjoyed with his freedom that he does not know what he is saying? Or has he gone bonkers?
While all these developments are taking place, Karnataka STF Chief camping at M.M. Hills just a few kilometres away is blissfully ignorant of them. He sends a message in the night that negotiations are on between Veerappan and Nedumaran for the release of Rajkumar.
S.M. Krishna probably thinks that I am not aware of all the developments. He has obviously taken Home Secretary M.B. Prakash into confidence, as he is found in ‘Anugraha’ at odd hours. Doesn’t Krishna know that even mobile phones can be tapped?
15 September 2000
The media is informed in the morning that Rajkumar was released at 4.30 a.m. today. Intelligence Chief P.S. Ramanujam rings me at about 10.00 a.m. to say that Rajkumar has been released. Poor chap! The Intelligence Chief does not know the sources of intelligence of his own DGP.
He has been tapping all my telephones and mobile phone, and reporting to S.M. Krishna, Mallikarjun Kharge and M.B. Prakash about my activities. That man with the dolichocephalic face does not know that I have learnt the police work the hard way instead of writing books and articles like him. Police work is not done with the nib of a pen. It is a crafty game...
There is a law in our country which requires that every commodity sold in the market should have a price tag. Human beings do not have a price tag. The price of human beings has to be bargained. The price paid for Rajkumar is:
• Rs 5 crore sent by S.M. Krishna through his son-in-law V.G. Siddhartha on two occasions and Rs.5 crore sent by S.M. Krishna through DIG Jayaprakash.
• Rs 1 crore sent by Parvathamma to Chennai and given in Karunanidhi’s house.
• Rs 2 crore handed over personally by Parvathamma to Bhanu in her house in Indiranagar, Bangalore.
• Rs 2 crore given by the film industry people in M. Karunanidhi’s house at Chennai.
Extracted with permission from Konark Publishers | <urn:uuid:945ae661-9383-4f30-8236-057430bf3e70> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/13606/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980642 | 1,746 | 1.5625 | 2 |
News about Roses Bermuda Rose Society and general Rosey News
Read all about our very own Mr Rose from "The Royal Gazette"
Bermuda’s Mr Rose
Bessie's Rose Mystery Rose
A bouquet of these yellow hybrid tea roses were –presented to Bermudian Bessie Ramsbottom when she visited the Rose Test –Gardens in the New York Botanical Garden.
The roses were from unnamed, unregistered hybrid tea seedlings found there. Considered unsuccessful, these seedlings were –destroyed.
Miss Ramsbottom took her bouquet back to Bermuda and her nephew, Basil Hall, managed to get one of the blooms to sprout roots and grow. It adapted fairly well to Bermuda conditions and grows into a sturdy bush 5ft tall.
Its leaves are dark green and glossy and new growth is red. The blooms open from pointed buds and are a –delicate clear yellow colour.
It was named Bessie’s rose on the occasion of Miss Ramsbottom’s 100th birthday in 1994.
Peter Holmes our very own "Mr Rose"
Peter Holmes took home 15 first place prizes for his roses at the Agricultural Exhibition last week. Mr Holmes is a dedicated member of the Bermuda Rose Society and has more than 150 different roses on his Tee Street, Devonshire property.
One of his roses that won many prizes was his carefree beauty rose, a modern shrub rose. It won the best rose in show trophy, best in class, first prize and the bloom progression trophy, a separate entry.
“The trick [to having them at their best for judging] is to catch them when they are just starting to bloom,” Mr Holmes said.
Sometimes knowing the mind of a rose can be a mite tricky. He only won third prize for Bessie’s rose, because of mistiming. Some people say, a real lady never lets herself be hurried, and this proved true with Bessie’s rose, classified as a Bermuda mystery rose, because its original identity is unknown.
“The one I had at the agricultural show hadn’t opened properly,” he said. “That was in the morning when they were judged. By the afternoon, after the judging, it had opened properly.”
In a competition, prize-winning roses have to also be extensively groomed; leaves out of place or with brown spots are a ‘no-no’.
Although Mr Holmes said he “doesn’t do much” to the roses growing in his garden, he and his wife Felicity spend about two hours each day working with them.
The Holmes are of a slightly experimental nature, and are always willing to try new things to improve their garden. Right now Mr Holmes is trying horse manure on his roses. He said it is too soon to tell whether they will be improved by the manure. He has also tried growing roses straight out of large bags of Miracle Grow, a soil mix product.
“It’s worked out all right,” he said. “Next year I might try my own mixture using compost.”
He also feeds his roses twice a year with a mixture that includes bone meal, blood meal and magnesium sulphate, commonly marketed as Epsom salt.
In his back garden he has erected a raised bed of roses with old cedar and spice tree trunks to provide a jungle gym for climbing roses. The rose beds have been raised because he recently had his knees operated on and can no longer bend down as easily.
“I started growing roses about 15 or 20 years ago, but only got into it seriously about ten years ago,” said Mr Holmes, who is a quantity surveyor by profession. “I have always had a green thumb, so I have always grown plants and flowers. We have a slat house full of things. Most of my roses were bought from the Bermuda Rose Society or I grew them myself. They are about $30 for a small cutting.”
Like many growers he highly prizes his Bermuda mystery roses. He has 27 different types in his garden.
“I am most proud of all of my entire rose collection, although some of them grow better than others,” he said. “For example, I have a rose called ‘Françoise Juranville’. It was a mystery rose named after Elizabeth Carswell who is a former president of the Bermuda Rose Society. The mystery of Mrs Carswell’s rose was solved through DNA testing and it was identified as ‘Françoise Juranville’. It is a prolific rambler. It will grow an inch a day if it is not pruned regularly. I have let it go right now because it is flowering. ”
Mr Holmes said if you are looking to start a rose garden, you might start with Bermuda roses, which have grown on the Island for centuries with little intervention. They are survivors and have stood the test of time.
“They tend to do better than hybrid roses which are often meant to be grown in the United Kingdom and the United States and do not like too much heat,” said Mr Holmes. Hybrids are a genetic combination of two different roses, sort of like a mixed breed. They are often flashier and more fragrant than other rose types.
Mr Holmes thought August might be a good time to start a new rose garden, when cooler temperatures and increased rainfall are only a short time away.
“You don’t need to water your roses every day, but they like a bit of water now and again,” he said. “After prolonged periods of drought they do start to droop a bit.”
A good way to learn more about rose growing is to attend a meeting of the Bermuda Rose Society. They will be having their annual general meeting on May 4 at the Horticultural Hall at the Botanical Gardens. The public can have a look at roses on sale for members from 1pm to 2pm. The members’ sale is at 3pm. Membership is $30 annually and the group meets once a month, from October to May.
* * *
Gregg Lowery of Vintage Gardens Antique & Extraordinary Roses. California. http://www.vintagegardens.com/
Gregg's blogg on his recent visit to the Bermuda Rose Society February 2010
Now before you summon up a picture of me sifting sand through my toes on the beach, let me paint a picture rather chilly temperatures—not much different than Northern California at the moment. Roses were leafless, yet blooming. My hosts, Peter and Felicity Holmes took such good care of me that I really wasn't ready to return home today... They kept me stocked with coffee and sandwiches, cold beer and 'Dark and Stormys'—dark Bermuda rum and ginger beer—and all manner of lovely feasts. And the whole community of old rose lovers in the Bermuda Rose Society saw to it that I visited dozens of gardens, nurseries, and the wonderful propagation facility at Tulla Valley. Dinner parties are a splendid respite from pruning!
The roses of Bermuda are a very special thing; and while we often think in America that we invented the idea of collecting old roses and passing them around, the Bermudians have been at it a good deal longer than we have, starting in the early 1950s. They take special pride in having preserved all of the roses that have been found on the islands there, and passing them around so that Bermuda is full of roses, peaking out from every hedgerow of hibiscus, and spilling over the old limestone walls, and climbing up to the glistening white roofs that make Bermuda such a beautiful place.
Over these years the Bermudians have taught us a lot about preservation, and I tried to share with them just how important their efforts have been to the old rose community. Such a dedicated group of people, and they haven't let up in more than half a century.
* * *
One of our favourites for cutting, this has been moved back from the ‘Tea’ classification (though it is obviously a Tea) to Mysteries, because its colouration is at variance with the descriptions of ‘Anna Olivier’ (Ducher 1872) grown elsewhere.. This is a vigorous bush with good form, growing to a height of 5-6 ft. (1.5-1.8 m). The foliage is light to medium green. Buds are pointed, showing faint pink colour and open to buff or pale creamy-yellow high-centred blooms sometimes tinged with pink. Turning a deeper yellow with maturity, the blooms can be as much as 3 ½ in.(9 cm) across. When fully open, the centres are quite muddled. Both peduncle and receptacle are finely bristled. Balls in wet weather and can be prone to blackspot. Blooms all year, prolifically. When the Australian ladies and authors of the book, Tea Roses, Old Roses for Warm Gardens, visited Bermuda in 2010, they were most positive that our Anna Olivier is the rose ‘Etoile de Lyon’. Gregg Lowery of Vintage Gardens agrees with this identification. They also said that in Australia it has been sold under the name ‘Lady Roberts’. | <urn:uuid:7502d039-ae1c-4ef2-9b80-b3d606bdf450> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://barngrove.com/rose-news/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973904 | 1,949 | 1.554688 | 2 |
TOP STORY >>Cabot fears state might pull plug on cheap water
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
A well field located between Beebe and Lonoke currently supplies Cabot with inexpensive water, and the commission that now runs water and wastewater would like to keep it that way for many years to come.
But recently uncovered information has the members worried that when they ask the state for permission to increase production, the answer could not only be “no” but “no and hurry up and shut the wells down.”
The Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission has searched for almost two years for documentation that the city is obligated to pull out of the well field by 2010 as the neighbors of the well field were told by city leaders eight years ago.
Finding none, they went forward with a study by the United States Geological Survey to hopefully show that the aquifer where the wells are located is not being drawn down to an unacceptable level. The current state permit to take water from the aquifer is for three million gallons a day, which is inadequate especially in the summer. The results of the USGS study are expected soon, but meanwhile Bill Cypert, commission secretary, has taken a closer look at the state permit to take water from the aquifer and discovered the documentation that had eluded them.
While the permit does not specify a year when the city is required to pull out of the well field it does clearly say the well field was intended an interim water source until the Lonoke/White Water Project is completed.
That project failed because Cabot pulled out. It has recently been revived by many of the old participants and some new ones who hope to build a water line from Greers Ferry Lake to supply their needs and possibly sell to Central Arkansas Water.
Cabot left the project about five years ago in favor of buying water long term from CAW. Tad Bohannon, the commission’s legal counsel, told the commission Thursday night that the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (formerly Soil and Water) which issued the permit, would likely see little difference between connecting to CAW and connecting to Greers Ferry Lake through the Lonoke/White Project.
Either way, the city well field was supposed to be operating on an interim basis until another source was available.
The longer Cabot can produce its own water, the more money can be saved toward the $32 million estimated cost of connecting to CAW, which will supply the city with water in the future.
Ideally, the commission would like to keep using the wells for the next 43 years and pump as much as 8 million gallons a day. But realistically, the treatment plant and water lines are only capable of producing about 6 million gallons a day, so the commission is hoping to stay in the fields until the system reaches capacity in 2020.
Tim Joyner, general manager of Cabot WaterWorks, said the commission has met twice with the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission and he is hopeful that Cabot will be allowed to keep pumping water.
“They understand completely where we’re coming from,” Joyner said. “We need to pump as much water as we can for as long as we can to offset this cost.”
Joyner said Cabot will still connect to CAW even if the state gives permission to stay in the well field. But by purchasing the least amount allowable under the contract with CAW and continuing to pump water from the wells, Cabot would have to borrow less to pay for the connection. | <urn:uuid:d2aaed27-fc80-4b6c-b482-06ebbb121b4c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.arkansasleader.com/2007/01/top-story-cabot-fears-state-might-pull_12.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974688 | 724 | 1.828125 | 2 |
N. Korea dead last in press freedom: report
By Kim Young-jin
North Korea has again been rated as the world’s worst repressor of the press by a U.S.-based rights watchdog, solidifying its dubious distinction when it comes to media environment.
In an annual press freedom report released Tuesday by Freedom House, the Stalinist State scored 97 out of 100, with higher scores on the index indicating less freedom.
With the score, Pyongyang topped the report’s “worst of the worst” category comprising countries where “independent media are either nonexistent or barely able to operate…and dissent is crushed through imprisonment, torture, and other forms of repression.”
The North maintains an iron grip over its people by blockading outside information while building a personality cult around its ruling Kim family through state propaganda.
Belarus, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan trailed Pyongyang as the worst countries for the press.
The distinction came despite an overall improvement in press freedom worldwide due in large part to popular revolutions that toppled autocratic regimes in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. The North blocked information related to those uprisings from its people.
Following the violent death of ousted Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi last year, sources said the North went as far as instructing its citizens living in Libya not to come home and did not report on the development.
The impoverished North has long been known as one of the worst human rights violators for its sprawling political prisoner system, information blockade and brutal punishment for those who attempt to defect.
Finland, Norway and Sweden ranked first on the list.
The report ranked South Korea at 68, designating the nation as only having a “partly free” press, citing “various pressures (that) impinged on press freedom.”
Among Northeast Asian countries, Japan fared best, ranking in at 37. | <urn:uuid:2486dcd9-60c3-4d4b-913f-b1a82859142e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/05/116_110130.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934161 | 403 | 1.773438 | 2 |
This contest is the most expensive Senate race so far this cycle in terms of money raised -- with both sides raising more than $50 million total.
Spending is very high, as well. More than $33 million has been spent, making it the second-most-expensive Senate race in the country.
The figures are underscored by the fact that both candidates made a pact in January agreeing not to accept advertising by outside groups.
Warren prides herself on her character. She is a Harvard professor with an up-by-her-bootstraps story and a father who worked as a janitor in Oklahoma. But her background is what sparked "Fauxcahontas" -- a controversy over Warren's past assertions of Native American heritage and whether she used that minority status for professional advancement.
It was something of a political miracle when Scott Brown won the right to complete Ted Kennedy's Senate term two years ago, but now the incumbent senator is finding out how hard it is for a Republican to win again in Massachusetts.
Brown is a moderate who often defies his own party. But as Warren reminds voters often, a vote for Brown is also a vote possibly to put Republicans in charge of the Senate.
Brown faces two large challenges: the heavily Democratic makeup of the state's electorate (48 percent Democrats to 12 percent Republicans) and the wide margin by which Obama is leading in the state, though it is Mitt Romney's home state.
Brown has to win a huge percentage of independent voters, who make up about 40 percent of the state's voting population.
The race is a toss-up.
Two former governors are facing off in a race that is going to be defined more by the top of the ticket than anything else, in a seat left open when Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., decided to retire in 2012.
Former Virginia Republican Sen. George Allen trying to reclaim his seat he held from 2001 to 2007. He is running against Tim Kaine, the former Democratic National Committee chairman and also a former Virginia governor.
Both candidates have decent favorability scores, and both are very well funded.
This Senate race, some say, is a proxy for presidential race. There are not likely to be many Obama-Allen voters or Romney-Kaine voters.
Virginia is poised to be hit very hard by the looming threat of sequestration in Congress, the year-end intersection of the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts, the $1.2 trillion in spending cuts Congress imposed on itself when it failed to come up with a deficit reduction plan, and expiring payroll tax breaks.
Nearly 200,000 jobs could be lost in Virginia if Congress does not find a way around the sequester, as many jobs in the state depend on military spending.
The race has been all but tied for the entire election season and will be very close.
The race is a toss-up.
The winner of this state in the race for the presidency might also lift the party's Senate nominee to victory.
Republican candidate Josh Mandel is an Iraq War veteran who served two tours in Iraq. At 34, he serves as the Ohio state treasurer, and he has been a Cleveland-area city councilman and state legislator.
The young challenger is running against the incumbent Democratic senator, Sherrod Brown.
Democrats have tried in the race to cast Mandel as an absentee state treasurer while he's running for higher office. Mandel has said that new blood needs to be in representing Ohio in Washington.
Brown's record has made him a target for Republicans. In 2011 National Journal ranked Brown the fifth-most-liberal senator, tied with four other senators.
Mandel has been a great fundraiser for the Republicans, but Republican groups have also poured money into the state, spending as much as $20 million to get Mandel elected.
Meanwhile, Democrats have also poured money into the state, spending about $8 million for Brown to hold on to his seat.
Sen. Jon Tester, who leans to the right edge of the Democratic Party, is up against the state's only congressman, Rep. Danny Rehberg, R-Mont. Both candidates have deep roots in Montana, and they are battling it out to define the other as more ingrained in Washington culture in this reliably red state.
The incumbent senator has tried to distance himself from President Obama over the course of the campaign, highlighting times that he "took on the Obama administration" with votes in Congress siding against the administration.
But Rehberg has tried hard to connect Tester to Washington and the White House, highlighting key votes with the administration on marquee pieces of legislation such as the Health Care Reform Act and the stimulus.
Outside groups have poured more than $12 million in attack ads into this race.
This seat became available after longtime Sen. Olympia Snowe announced her retirement in February 2012, leaving a scramble to be her successor.
In a state where 40 percent of voters aren't members of either party, the independent candidate in this race, Angus King, is making headlines.
King, Maine's governor from 1995 to 2003, has yet to divulge the party he would caucus with if elected into the Senate.
"I've let it be known that I really don't want to have those conversations," King has said when asked.
Republican Charlie Summers, 52, is a Navy reservist who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and comes from a small business background.
The contest has split the Democratic national and state parties, where local Maine Democrats are backing their state senator, Cynthia Dill. But National Democrats have held off endorsing her.
Recent polling has shown a tightening race.
Incumbent Republican Sen. Dean Heller, who replaced embattled Sen. John Ensign, is challenged by Rep. Shelley Berkley.
Berkley has been the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation into whether she used her office to push policies that benefited her husband's medical practice, which her opponent has brought up often on the campaign trail.
Heller supported Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's Medicare proposals, which Berkley uses against him on the campaign trail.
Republican Heller has attempted to distance himself from the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, at times. Most recently, he disavowed Romney's famous "47 percent" remarks.
"My mom was a school cafeteria cook, so I have a very different view of the world," Heller said in the U.S. Capitol regarding the controversy over Romney. "I do believe the federal government has certain responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is building bridges and roads, and national defense, but I also believe in a safety net for individuals who need the help, so that's why I would respectfully disagree with the comments that he made."
When longtime Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl announced in May 2011 he would not be running for reelection, it left his seat, which he has occupied since 1989, up for grabs.
Former four-term Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson is up against Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin.
If elected, Baldwin will be the first openly gay senator in U.S. history.
A tremendous amount of money from both inside and outside the state has flowed into the race, with Baldwin out raising Thompson nearly three times over -- $7.1 million to his $2.5 million in the summer.
Individual contributions have accounted for 88 percent of Baldwin's haul.
When longtime Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad announced that he would not seek another term in office, it made his seat available.
This is a fun race that features a very personable Democrat, the state attorney general, Heidi Heitkamp, who overcame breast cancer and is running against the new Republican congressman from the class of 2010, Rep. Rick Berg.
North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the country. Key issues in the state are President Obama's health care bill and the Keystone oil pipeline.
This is a Republican state that Romney will easily win, and that should help bring enough votes to help Berg get elected. But the race will be close, especially because this ruby-red state likes to send Democrats to the Senate.
But Republicans see the state as a good chance to pick up a seat from Democrats.
Currently, ABC News rates this race as a toss-up.
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill is trying to defend to hold on to her seat against Rep. Todd Akin.
With McCaskill behind in the polls, the race seemed to be going Akin's way until August, when the congressman was trying to explain his pro-life position and set off a firestorm.
During a TV interview, Akin was speaking about the odds of a woman becoming pregnant from rape and said, "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
The comment was met with immediate criticism, with women's groups and unions lined up in opposition to Akin. Numerous Republicans chastised his comments. Akin would not withdraw from the race despite numerous calls for him to do so.
He recently said that he has no regrets about staying in the race.
"This thing has been a bucking bronco ride," Akin said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It's always worth it when you do what you think in your heart is the right thing to do."
Despite the National Republican Senatorial Committee pulling out money from the state, the Senate Conservatives Fund, a political action committee associated with Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., pledged $290,000 in support of him.
Before Akin's comments, Sen. McCaskill had her share of problems, as well. But McCaskill is up in the polls for the first time in awhile.
Tea party-backed State Treasurer Richard Mourdock defeated Sen. Richard Lugar in a primary upset this year and now faces Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly, a conservative Democrat.
Mourdock beat Lugar by claiming the longtime senator had become too moderate while in Congress. He has tried to highlight Rep. Donnelly's votes, especially for President Obama's health care bill.
Outside interest groups have poured nearly $8.4 million into this race.
A loss by Mourdock of this historically Republican seat could end the GOP's chances at flipping the Senate -- and his recent controversial comments during a debate could hurt him.
During the debate, Mourdock said pregnancies resulting from rape are part of God's plan, tearfully explaining that he only supports abortions when a mother's life is in danger.
Mourdock clarified his comments in a press release and at a news conference the next day, but he didn't apologize, instead accusing critics of twisting his words.
"God creates life, and that was my point," he said. "God does not want rape, and by no means was I suggesting that he does. Rape is a horrible thing, and for anyone to twist my words otherwise is absurd and sick."
At a news conference later he said that his words were "mistook and twisted," and that the uproar is symptomatic of "what's wrong with Washington."
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson faces challenger Rep. Connie Mack, the son of former Republican Sen. Connie Mack, who served Florida in the U.S. Senate from 1989 to 2001 until he declined to run and was succeeded by Nelson.
Nelson's popularity ratings are weak in the state, but Democrats have painted Mack, a four-term member of Congress from Cape Coral, Fla., who is running his first statewide campaign, as hard partying and not ready for the Senate.
In a report covering Sept. 9-30, $4.5 million was spent on TV spots in the Mack-Nelson race. Outside groups financed 48 percent of the ads, the fourth-highest percentage in 15 Senate races reviewed nationwide.
It's been almost two decades since there was a Democrat in the Senate from Arizona, but that could change.
Dr. Richard Carmona, who was U.S. surgeon general under President George W. Bush, was recruited by President Obama to run for the Senate. He is a decorated Vietnam War veteran and Hispanic.
His rival is Republican Rep. Jeff Flake, a fiscal conservative who has earned a reputation for bucking his party. He has called Carmona, "Barack Obama's rubber stamp."
Arizona remains a solid Republican state. The race leans Republican.
This race has been characterized as one of the most negative, with both candidates bashing the other at every opportunity.
Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, has made some headway with her negative ads over Rep. Chris Murphy's missed mortgage and rent payments, and an alleged sweetheart mortgage deal when he was on the House Finance Committee.
Although Murphy has said he want to focus on policy issues, he got a jab in when he pointed out that McMahon was late on her property taxes on her Greenwich home.
In the most recent debate, Murphy accused McMahon of lifting her jobs plan mostly from the Cato Institute and the House Republican websites, but she hit back, saying she had extensively sourced her material.
"Shame on you! You have just accused me of plagiarizing my plan. It is beneath you. You thought this was going to be a coronation, but you're in a serious race with a serious woman."
After losing two years ago to Richard Blumenthal in a bid for the state's other Senate seat, McMahon hopes for a better outcome this time around.
This seat is available after the retirement of longtime Democratic Sen. Daniel Akaka.
Republican Linda Lingle has been casting herself as a moderate in the campaign, hoping to separate voters for Hawaii-born President Obama from their votes for the Senate. Rep. Mazie Hirono, in Congress since 2007, is trying to underscore Lingle's Republican roots and to tie her as much as possible to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
After Sen. Akaka's retirement, Republicans targeted this race as a potential pick-up.
This seat is up for grabs after the retirement of Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Former state solicitor general and Tea Party firebrand Ted Cruz is up against former state Rep. Paul Sadler, a Democrat.
Sadler has tried to label his opponent as a hard-right extremist. The pair bickered during their debates, with Sadler saying Cruz's positions were crazy and even calling him a "troll."
Republicans are hoping to hold on to this Republican seat.
This seat is available after the retirement of Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman, who announced his decision not to seek another term last year.
This race has been competitive from the very start, matching Democratic Rep. Martin Heinrich against Republican former Rep. Heather Wilson.
Wilson represented New Mexico's 1st congressional district from 1998 to 2009, when she left to run unsuccessfully against Democrat Tom Udall for the Senate. Heinrich succeeded Wilson in the House of Representatives, elected in 2009.
With Wilson and GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney both trailing in the state, the Republican Party nationally has been shifting resources away from New Mexico to more competitive states.
This race matches up Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey with Republican CEO Tom Smith in a race that has tightened significantly since the end of September.
Sen. Casey is the son of the late former Gov. Robert P. Casey and a former state treasurer and auditor general.
Tea Party favorite Smith is pretty new to the political scene. The only office he's ever held was as supervisor in a township. He made his fortune in coal mining and has run his family farm.
The race has become remarkably close and competitive this fall. Casey has tried to paint Smith as one who would add to the partisanship that marks Congress, and Smith has said that his background has prepared him better to help solve the country's problems.
Avery Miller contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:e66224bb-9545-4a25-b41a-d6818e1e3e2b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/17-senate-races-watch/story?id=17573625 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975406 | 3,264 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Most everyone suspected
fraud, but these numbers prove it. Needless to say, government and media refuse
to do anything about it.
As each state reported their
final election details, the evidence of voter fraud was astounding. Massive
voter fraud was reported in areas of Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Virginia,
all key “swing states” whose electoral votes returned the dictator to power.
* In 59 voting districts in
region, Obama received 100% of the votes with not even a single vote recorded
for Romney. (A mathematical and statistical impossibility).
* In 21 districts in Wood
County Ohio, Obama received 100% of the votes where GOP inspectors were
illegally removed from their polling locations - and not one single vote was
recorded for Romney. (Another statistical impossibility).
* In Wood County Ohio,
106,258 voted in a county with only 98,213 eligible voters.
* In St. Lucie County, FL,
there were 175,574 registered eligible voters but 247,713 votes were cast.
* The National SEAL
Museum, a polling
location in St. Lucie County, FL had a 158% voter turnout.
* Palm Beach County, FL
had a 141% voter turnout.
* In Ohio County,
Obama won by 108% of the total number of eligible voters.
NOTE: Obama won in every
state that did not require a Photo ID and lost in every state that did require
a Photo ID in order to vote. | <urn:uuid:d6f52749-b863-4fd7-8dc5-2ce35f3b082b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://downwithjugears.blogspot.com/2013/01/obongo-cheated-again.html | 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 | 0.960244 | 316 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The so-called 'Grandparent Scam' Is Back, FBI Warns
The FBI is warning citizens to be aware of the resurfacing of the "Grandparent Scam" -- a con that targets elderly people and can cost them thousands of dollars.
According to the FBI field office in San Diego, Calif., a typical scam goes something like this: You're a grandparent, and you get a phone call or an email from someone who identifies himself as your grandson. "I've been arrested in another country," he says, "and need money wired quickly to pay my bail. And, oh by the way, don't tell my mom or dad because they'll only get upset!"
That is an example of what has come to be known as the "grandparent scam" -- yet another in a lengthy list of frauds that prey on the elderly. To read more: Click Here
Good Luck! -- COMP | <urn:uuid:c0b0233d-0e46-4937-b2df-7d0cfd672fd5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://discuss.pcmag.com/forums/1004433453/ShowThread.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955117 | 188 | 1.523438 | 2 |
| GEO World|
| Indian president begins visit to China|
| Updated at: 1002 PST, Thursday, May 27, 2010|
BEIJING: Indian President Pratibha Patil will seek to soothe trade disputes and recent border tensions in meetings with Chinese leaders in Beijing.
Patil is the first Indian head of state in a decade to visit her country's giant neighbor, an illustration of how ties remain cool almost 50 years after the countries fought a brief but bloody border war.
Patil was scheduled Thursday to meet with Premier Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao before attending a signing ceremony for a number of bilateral agreements. Her six-day visit will also take her to the India pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai and to the central city of Luoyang, where she will attend a temple ceremony commemorating the arrival of Buddhism from India 2,000 years ago. | <urn:uuid:8c8df3fa-e12d-4316-b4f6-bfeab3c863c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geo.tv/5-27-2010/65646.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930656 | 187 | 1.6875 | 2 |
California Governor Jerry Brown has a secret weapon in his fight to close his state's $16 billion budget gap.
Yes, he's doing the usual things politicians do. He's raising taxes; he's making some budget cuts. But to make ends meet he's tapping into a $400 million slush fund provided by the nation's biggest banks.
Of course, that's not what that money was meant for.
Earlier this year, the country's five biggest banks reached a $25 billion settlement with the 50 states over abuses in their mortgage and foreclosure processes. Remember robo-signing?
Most of the settlement money is coming from writing down mortgage debt, but two and half billion is cash, earmarked for the states to prevent foreclosures, investigate fraud, and lessen the impact of the housing crisis.
California's not alone in this. Only half the states - 27 - are using these funds as intended.
The other 23 have found this windfall too tempting to pass up and are dipping into it, like California, to plug holes in their budgets.
Some states are getting creative.
Georgia plans to use its share - $99 million dollars - to attract more businesses to the state. The Georgia Governor's Office saying job creation is the best way to save honest homeowners from foreclosure.
But then there are states like Missouri. The "show-me” state should change its name to the shameless state. Its $40 million payout is going to make up for cuts they previously made to higher education.
Virginia using most of its $67 million to bail out local governments deep in debt, while Texas is depositing its $125 million straight into the general budget.
This is the states' second-largest settlement in history. Payouts like this don't happen every year.
Instead of using this money as intended, to shore up the nation's troubled housing market, politicians are exploiting it so they can put off making tough budget decisions. What are they going to do next year? Hope it's someone else's problem, I guess.
My objection to the settlement is this: It delayed any recovery in the housing market because banks didn't want to lend without knowing how much they'd be on the hook for in a settlement.
Just as bad, a slew of folks who should have lost their homes because they weren't paying their mortgage were able to squat for months and months - living rent free.
None of this helped the average homeowners who were faithfully paying their mortgage. Because there was no recovery in housing prices and the market seized up, sellers and buyers alike stayed home.
Here's the real problem with the management of this settlement: Nobody here seems to be looking out for the homeowner.
And I mean the homeowner who is paying his or her mortgage and owes more than their home is worth.
This is a tragedy.
Get government out of the way and let the market recover. | <urn:uuid:c670cf33-6e40-4c1c-a646-524e85e8ea59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/willis-report/blog/category/Jerry+Brown | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978065 | 594 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Real people... real lives... real communities. That's what we capture on Door to Door, our weekly trip around the National Capital Region.
As we whisk you through D.C., Maryland and Virginia, you'll hear residents talk - in their own words – about the history, culture and flavor of the places they call home.
We hear how D.C. neighborhoods like Cleveland Park were once known as "streetcar suburbs"... and learn about Georgetown's rich African-American history. Plus, we find out how Falls Church, VA has remained the kind of place where you can call the mayor at home... and meet a man whose family has been farming in Mitchellville, MD for more than a century.
So come along as we knock on the doors that make the Washington region an extraordinary place to live.
This map shows previous Door to Door segments, and includes links to photos and show audio. The yellow marker represents neighborhoods featured in Washington, D.C., the blue represents neighborhoods in Maryland, and the red represents neighborhoods in Virginia. | <urn:uuid:cbd91f44-5614-4624-9462-dfb22a80c67a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wamu.org/topic/door_to_door?page=5 | 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 | 0.964899 | 212 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Squeezed together on the bench seat of an old van, Speciose and I couldn’t help knocking into each other as we bounced over potholes, swerved around pedestrians crowding the red clay roads of Kigali, Rwanda. She speaks Kinyarwanda to someone on her cell phone, clothed in vibrant African dress, hair braided like a piece of art.
I only know one language and this woman, living in a third world country, can speak four. I am one of several visiting Americans shifting through her world, fascinated by her skill in translation and bartering.
We eat lunch at separate tables on a crowded terrace overlooking the metal roof skyline of the city. I notice a faraway look; she picks at her food quietly. It leaves me curious.
On my last day in Rwanda, during a final embrace she reveals what haunts her. “The children are starving and we have no way to feed them. Do you think you can help,” she asks hesitantly.
I accept the challenge and together, over five years, we manage to help sustain eighty children – orphaned in the genocide and living in a village of child-headed households. Her courageous question is the seed for our blooming friendship.
Years later, on her first visit to America she sleeps in my guest room, soaks in her first bubble bath, and learns how to load a dishwasher. We share concerns for our children, laugh about picking up after our husbands, shop at Target. Surprised by what we share in common despite our individual circumstances.
Last fall, I find myself seated across from Speciose sharing a meal at her own dining room table, surrounded by her three children. But before we sit down, I ask to wash my hands.
She brings an empty coffee pot with water and asks me to follow her down a narrow hallway, outside to a dusty back yard. On the way, I notice she has no kitchen sink, refrigerator or stove, just a small burner over hot coals lying on the floor.
She gently pours water over my cupped hands and I rub them together. The precious water she carries in a plastic jug for a few miles on foot.
Today, I turn on the faucet to fill my electric kettle, open the cupboard for a tea bag and notice the Rwandan tea I bought with Speciose at the market. I think about how tea makes the list of necessities we purchased for the orphans. Remember asking her, “What about toilet paper, do they have any,” and how she laughs in response, “They are fine to use old magazine pages.”
The day before I leave Rwanda, we’re bouncing over potholes again when she taps my shoulder from the back seat. I turn around to see her smile as if she has a secret to share. She tells me how she finally receives a visa to visit her sister in Canada and thanks me.
They approve a visa because I brought her to the United States and her passport stamps show that she returned to Rwanda, unlike others looking for a way to escape poverty.
She takes flight a few days later, and never returns. Our friendship freezes in that truck like a movie on pause during an interruption that lasts over a year now. And it haunts me like a dream I can’t figure out.
Have you ever had a friendship end abruptly, without explanation?
Some of you may recognize the first half of this story as my essay selected as a finalist for Real Simple’s Simply Stated Blog Contest about unexpected friendship. I decided to share it here with a postscript as I think about how many things in life happen without explanation or happy ending. How faith resides in the the tension of unresolved acceptance. | <urn:uuid:c570bbe9-6845-4f55-a6f0-49cd88e16102> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://redemptionsbeauty.com/2012/04/25/regarding-happily-ever-after/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960583 | 785 | 1.601563 | 2 |
On the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling legalizing abortion, the issue continues to tear the American fabric. Still, Roe v. Wade will probably not be overturned in the foreseeable future, given the likelihood that President Obama will make one or two Supreme Court appointments in the next four years. Given that, and given that the abortion issue has been a bitterly contentious one in this country for the past generation, how might we move the discussion into more constructive, less hateful territory?
I am close to people on both sides of the abortion battlefield. It seems to me that if “pro-life” Americans truly believe abortion is murder, then, given the above reality, the wisest use of their energies would be to work tirelessly to reduce the number of abortions.
If you really want to reduce abortions, then you must really want to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. For some, that means counseling young people to abstain from pre-marital sexual activity. An uphill battle. Some young people will abstain, for sure, but when we talk about unwanted pregnancy we’re not talking only about the young and unmarried. Moreover, thousands of years of human history suggest that the sexual urge — as General Petraeus’s recent troubles show — can overwhelm all other considerations: job and marital security, health, a warrior’s discipline, and fear of an unwanted pregnancy. It’s time to stop pretending that abstinence education is a complete solution to the abortion question.
I pray often, for various things, mostly the health of loved ones. It’s relatively easy to pray. It’s even easier to wring one’s hands, point fingers, and find someone to finance a few billboards. But sincere abortion opponents might also consider something more difficult: starting a discussion with the Catholic Church. I say this as a person who was raised Catholic and who retains a great respect for the belief of my many Catholic relatives and friends.
Some studies show that over 90 percent of Catholic women use birth control. So let’s stop pretending. Let’s talk openly about contraception — and not just for women. Men use birth control, too — a fact too often ignored.
On the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the issue of abortion continues to tear the American fabric. How might we move the discussion into less hateful territory?
On the other side of the aisle, it’s time for “pro-choice” people to speak out loudly — as some have — and say, “We are not pro-abortion!” No one aspires to have an abortion. It is not enjoyable, physically or otherwise. Yet it sometimes seems that asking pro-choice people to say “yes, let’s reduce abortions” is the equivalent of asking NRA members to say “yes, let’s get automatic weapons off the street.” There is no slippery slope here.
It’s so easy to shout, “If you don’t believe in abortion, don’t have one!” on one side, or “Abortion stops a beating heart,” on the other. Slogans make us feel righteous, especially with like-minded friends. But they do nothing to solve the problem.
How about imagining a new America in which people on both sides of this battle sit down — from the local to national level — and say, OK, we’re a million miles apart in what we believe, but there’s one thing we have in common. Without demonizing anyone, let’s work together to reduce the number of abortions. The next step is to ask: How can we educate young people about physical intimacy without trampling on the rights of parents and encouraging premature sexual activity? Why not have more campus discussions on considerate, careful sexual pleasure? How can we respect the belief of those who are against abortion availability, while acknowledging the fact that it is legal and likely to stay that way?
Right now is the moment in our history when instead of making ourselves feel good by shouting slogans, we can take concrete steps to begin peace talks.
The alternative is dissension, bitterness, anger, and . . . more abortions. | <urn:uuid:0c4034e6-263c-4044-808f-aca970659ba4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2013/01/22/finding-common-ground-abortion-debate/rZbQTeskGXCGmULDJ0yEoM/story.html | 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 | 0.939811 | 876 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Can Cloning Save the GOP?
By: John Lillpop
Although mainstream media types are celebrating the “landslide” victory of Barack Obama, the truth of the matter is that the final election results were remarkably close.
So close, in fact, that a campaign of “strategic cloning” by the Republicans could have installed the McCain-Palin ticket in the White House and kept Democrats from gaining more than two seats in the Senate.
Here is how it would work:
By simply cloning the mind of President George W. Bush ~5.9 million times, and allocating those minds appropriately in five key states, the world would be a safer place today.
3,200,000 W. Clones would have given 55 electoral votes to McCain-Palin
1,700,00 W. Clones would put 31 electoral votes in McCain’s column
A mere 601,000 little Dubyas would have made this state a GOP winner!
202,000 Ohioans with better sense would have delivered this one for the good guy.
200,000 W.Clones would have sent 15 electoral votes to McCain.
With a mere pittance of 15,000 George W. Bushes, the Tar Heel state could have done the right thing!
With this redistribution of the electoral wealth, McCain would be president with a grand total of 330 electoral votes, Obama would have 208, and your children and grandchildren would have a decent future.
In addition, under this scheme Elizabeth Dole would have retained her Senate seat in North Carolina, and Saxby Chambliss would have won outright in Georgia without the need for a runoff.
In Minnesota, there is no need for cloned voters, but cloning an honest election board to oversee the recount would help give the nod to Republican Norm Coleman over failed comic and Air America host Al Franken.
In Pennsylvania, John Murtha would have been retired at the tender age of 73.
There would be other residual benefits with an additional 5.9 George W. Bushes running loose: Instructors specializing in English as a Second Language (ESL) schools and purveyors of alcohol rehabilitation centers would enjoy unprecedented growth and prosperity.
Cloning: Can it save the GOP? | <urn:uuid:afc3141b-fb2e-44a0-92b5-0e5012995dee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thelandofthefree.net/conservativeopinion/2008/11/25/can-cloning-save-the-gop/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961262 | 465 | 1.6875 | 2 |
LIONS LOSE - COMMENT ON THE SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT
Bloemfontein - The SA Predator Breeders' Association recently won a Supreme Court of Appeal case regarding the trophy hunting of captive lions - commonly called "canned hunting".
The Supreme Court held the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Mr Van Schalkwyk, did not take a "rational decision" when he determined that captive-bred lions had to fend for themselves in an extensive wildlife system for 24 month before they could be hunted.
There seems to be much misunderstanding in conservation circles about this judgment, so I am going to clarify it, and copy relevant extracts of the judgment below for interested people to read.
In fact, the Supreme Court picked up on a point which we have made right from the beginning, namely, that the 24 month wilding rule was arbitrary and meaningless, having no conservation value.
We maintained that it was nothing more than a pretence; viz: ‘if we can pretend that the lion is wild then we can all pretend that canned hunting has been banned.’ The Minister’s aim was to use this public relations gimmick to deflect public anger, and at the same time allow canned hunting to continue behind the false cloak of regulation. We described the Minister’s 24 month wilding rule at the time as ‘mischievous and misleading.’
The Supreme Court described it as ‘irrational,’ and we cannot fault this characterisation. The 24 month wilding rule was a publicity stunt which had no place in Conservation, and that is exactly what underlies the Supreme Court’s decision. See extracts from the judgment below, in italics.
This judgment, and the current unregulated free for all in captive lion breeding and canned hunting is the clearest indicator of the incompetence and dysfunctionality of SA conservation services. Look at the consequences of their mindless promotion and permitting of this awful industry. Wild lions will continue to be poached and captured from game reserves and neighbouring countries to supply fresh blood for the lion breeders, in order to combat captivity depression. The unnatural confinement of predators has the potential to breed pathogens such as feline AIDS which can devastate both captive and wild populations. The barbaric cruelty will increasingly drive away ethical tourism (our share of world tourism is still a miserable less than half of one per cent!) We get emails every day from outraged tourists who refuse to visit this country. And now the captive lion breeders are moving in to selling lion bones for the infamous Chinese traditional medicine market which has already emptied the forests of Asia of their tiger populations.
In short, thanks to the lack of foresight and intelligence in conservation structures, predators are becoming domesticated livestock – but un-protected by animal cruelty legislation. Imagine the outcry if farmers bred sheep and goats for hunters to shoot arrows in to? Our wildlife desperately needs protection from conservationists; with friends like the current crowd, the lions hardly need enemies.
What this Supreme Court decision reveals is that captive lion breeding has moved out of conservation, and in to agriculture. Lions have become alternative livestock. Our useless Conservationists have allowed the ‘wild’ to be taken out of our wildlife. Why do we waste taxpayers’ money on them?
Campaign Against Canned Hunting Inc
Wilderness, South Africa.
EXTRACTS FROM SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT
“The SA Predator Breeders Association argued against the 24 month wilding period in the TOPS regulations as follows:
1. The period of 24 months bore no rational connection to any legislative purpose of the Act.
2. No rational basis existed for the underlying assumption that a captive-bred lion can be rehabilitated at all.
3. The period of 24 months could not be rationally justified by any information in the possession of the Minister when he approved the Regulations or subsequently.
The appellants, having adopted the stance that a captive-bred lion could not successfully be rehabilitated at all, objected that the 24 month delay was arbitrary and unsupported by any scientific evidence. As will be seen I am of the view that closer examination of the Minister’s reasons bears out their objections.
The evidence placed before the court in the application on this issue may be summarised as follows:
1. The panel of experts does not appear to have investigated the feasibility of rehabilitating lions from a captive environment. It assumed that a captive-bred lion could be rendered self-sustainable by appropriate rehabilitation.
Thus there was no material disagreement between the experts on the question of the prospect of rehabilitating a captive-bred lion. At worst a successful outcome was speculative, at best, very unlikely. This foundation provided no sufficient reason for the Minister to lay a premise of self-sustainability before hunting could be allowed. To do so was not a rational exercise of his power.
It appears from these and other passages in the answering papers that the Minister was motivated by the following considerations:
1. The recommendation of the panel of experts appointed in 2005 to advise him on the compilation of norms and standards for the hunting industry.
2. Public opinion in so far as it was strongly opposed to the hunting of captive-bred lions.
3. The ethical practices of hunting including ‘fair chase’.
To the extent that the Minister was influenced by the report of the panel in reaching his final conclusion on the form that reg 24(2)(b) should take, he was the decision-maker and was entitled and indeed under a duty to take into account all relevant evidence including the views of experts such as the Panel. But in this instance:
i) the panel met, heard representations formulated and submitted its report and was disbanded a year before the draft regulations were published for comment;
ii) the modus operandi in formulating its report was to reach consensus on disputed issues and to reflect that agreement in the report that it submitted to the Minister, without detailing the conflicting views or the motivations for them. The Minister was not therefore in a position to consider or judge for himself concerning the substance or merit of such views but was entirely reliant on what the Panel had regarded as an acceptable compromise;
iii) what Olver and Bothma deposed to in their affidavits in the court proceedings concerning the substance of the panel’s consideration of any matter, its thoroughness or fairness in evaluating conflicts and its reasons for arriving at its recommendations is hearsay and moreover irrelevant to the decision of the Minister unless there is evidence that it was reflected in the report of the experts and was present to his mind in making his decision.
The Minister explained that he himself had been strongly in favour of imposing an outright ban on the hunting of captive-bred lions. His opposition seems to have stemmed from ethical reasons, the prevalence of malpractices in relation to such hunting and the adverse effects on South Africa’s reputation particularly in relation to tourism. The Minister deposed that he was persuaded to adopt the lesser step involved in the formulation of reg 24(2), ‘as recommended by the panel’ with the intention of permitting continued hunting of captive-bred animals subject to its terms. He described this (as the panel had done) as a compromise between those who would tolerate no hunting and those who would allow it. The Minister and his expert witnesses conceded that there was no scientific basis for the assumption that a captive-bred lion could be rendered self-sufficient within any certain period or indeed at all. Such examples of apparent self-sustainability as he offered were shown by the respondent in reply to be in the highest degree unreliable. Nor was the Minister able to put forward any ground that might justify the 24 month freeze. As I have said I understand his reasoning to be that he thought that that would be a sufficient period within which an animal could prove its self-reliance and would afford it opportunity to develop its ‘natural’ skills for use in avoiding those who sought to hunt it, this last apparently regarded by him as humane, ethical and favouring the fair chase principle.
It is by no means clear to me how either ethical hunting (whatever its limits may be) and fair chase fit into a legislative structure which is designed to promote and conserve biodiversity in the wild, and, more especially in relation to captive-bred predators that are not bred or intended for release into the wild. But the Minister’s reliance on the recommendation of the panel is in any event misplaced and represents a distortion of its view. The line drawn by the Minister at 24 months appears to be an arbitrary attempt to cut the gordian knot which linked the two irreconcilable protagonists, without a justifiable basis in fact or expert opinion for choosing that cut-off point. It was both misguided (in its interpretation of the panel’s recommendations) and irrational (in possessing no foundation in fact). Nor as I have pointed out was it related to the statutory powers conferred on him.
No doubt the Minister was entitled to take account of the strong opposition and even revulsion expressed by a substantial body of public opinion to the hunting of captive-bred lions. But in providing an alternative he was bound to rely on a rational basis. The evidence proves that he did not do so. | <urn:uuid:93afbeba-9c64-4502-9275-e0c88d355c16> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cannedlion.org/content/lions-lose-comment-supreme-court-judgment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971089 | 1,890 | 1.65625 | 2 |
On the ballot this season is Proposition 32, an initiative which claims to bring an end to special interests spending in California elections. Sounds like a good idea, if that were what it actually did. Proposition 32 is a reboot of two previous attempts by Orange County based anti-union activists to stop the ability of unions to participate in California politics. Because it targets all unions, rather than singling out public employee unions, it is a version of Scott Walker’s successful efforts in Wisconsin, on steroids.
After the previous failed attempts of Jim Righeimer and the Lincoln Club of Orange County the proponents of Prop 32 determined that the only way they could possibly sneak such a union busting move, would be to conceal it inside a Trojan Horse of campaign finance reform.
At first glance, Proposition 32 might sound fair and balanced, but take a closer look – it’s not what it seems. Prop 32 – more appropriately called the Special Exemptions Act – was intentionally written to create special exemptions for billionaire businessmen, giving them even more political power to write their own set of rules.
Here’s how they’re planning to accomplish their goal:
What the initiative says…
Article 1.5 of Chapter 5 of Title 9 of the Government Code (commencing with section 85150) is added to read as follows:
§85150 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and this Title, no corporation, labor union, or public employee labor union shall make a contribution to any candidate, candidate controlled committee; or to any other committee, including a political party committee, if such funds will be used to make contributions to any candidate or candidate controlled committee.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and this Title, no government contractor, or committee sponsored by a government contractor, shall make a contribution to any elected officer or committee controlled by any elected officer if such elected officer makes, participates in making or in any way attempts to use his or her official position to influence the granting, letting, or awarding of a public contract to the government contractor, during the period in which the decision to grant, let, or award the contract is to be made and during the term of the contract.
What that really means…
Prop 32 exempts thousands of big businesses, which aren’t technically “corporations,” but rather “LLCs” or “real-estate trusts” or any other form of business structure. This includes hedge funds, big Wall Street firms, insurance companies, and thousands of other business entities.
It also exempts secretive Super PACs, which can raise unlimited amounts of money from corporate special interests and billionaire businessmen to support their candidates or defeat their enemies and does nothing to prevent anonymous donors from spending unlimited amounts to influence elections.
What it says…
§85151 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and this Title, no corporation, labor union, public employee labor union, government contractor, or government employer shall deduct from an employee’s wages, earnings, or compensation any amount of money to be used for political purposes.
What it that really means…
The truth is that 99% of California corporations don’t use payroll deductions for political giving, and they would still be allowed to use their profits to influence elections. That’s why corporations spend 15-times as much as unions spend on political contributions, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Unions, on the other hand, use payroll deductions to collect a portion of dues money for political purposes. This is an accepted and practical way for unions to collect the funding needed to compete with the better-funded corporate special interests.
What it says…
(b) This section shall not prohibit an employee from making voluntary contributions to a sponsored committee of his or her employer, labor union, or public employee labor union in any manner, other than that which is prohibited by subdivision (a), so long as all such contributions are given with that employee’s written consent, and that consent shall be effective for no more than one (1) year.
What that really means…
In reality, employee contributions to political campaigns are already voluntary under existing law. The Constitution guarantees everyone that right.
Prop 32 actually restricts that right. It adds a new requirement that even voluntary contributions from teachers, nurses, firefighters and other union members must be accompanied by annual, written permission to use the funds. And payroll deductions are made illegal by Prop 32, even if written permission is given by the employee.
It is also important to remember that no one can be forced to join a union and contribute to politics. Nearly all unions allow members to opt out of contributions to political candidates. Prop 32 makes it illegal to use payroll deductions to collect funding for any political contributions, even if union members specifically authorize those deductions in writing.
Don’t be deceived.
The No On 32 campaign represents more than two million teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses, school employees, and workers in the manufacturing, retail, construction, health care and other industries. Our members are every-day Californians — workers, parents, and community leaders who support adequate school funding, fair wages and benefits, workplace safety, smaller class size in our schools, better health care for children and senior citizens, and safe communities with sufficient police and fire protection.
Among the organizations opposed to Prop 32 is the League of Women Voters of California, California Common Cause, and Consumer Watchdog. Major newspapers across the state see what this initiative really is, a sham. re just some of those publications that have recommended a no vote on Prop 32.
Chico News & Review
Contra Costa Times
Los Angeles Times
Marin Independent Journal
Sacramento News & Review
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Bay Guardian
San Francisco Examiner
San Jose Mercury News
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Rosa Press-Democrat
Ventura County Star
Woodland Daily Democrat
Click Here, if you want to know who is behind Prop 32.
The message is clear; If you vote on no other proposition on the Ballot, you must Vote No on 32 if you oppose unlimited campaign expenditures by corporate special interests in California politics. | <urn:uuid:2ac19062-011b-4d21-83b4-d981ac1eb765> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theliberaloc.com/2012/10/18/vote-no-on-prop-32-not-what-it-looks-like/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942377 | 1,272 | 1.523438 | 2 |
City Administrator Harold Selby wants a water efficiency study performed on Pacific’s water system.
Speaking at the Dec. 18 board of aldermen meeting, Selby said the city is losing 20 to 30 percent of its water and he wants to find out where the water is leaking.
“It could be in metering or it could be the fire department,” said Ed Gass, Ward 1 alderman and former public works director. “They go down and practice burns using thousands of gallons of water.”
Selby said he had been contacted by three different firms wanting to conduct the study at no charge.
“They’re all going to do it for free,” he said. “They’re banking that if we rely on them to find the problem we would probably ask them to fix it.”
Alderman Mike Pigg said if the program is as straightforward as Selby explained it, he’s in favor of it.
“Get it in writing and I’ll go for it,” Pigg said.
City Engineer Dan Rahn said he would put out a RFQ to find a company that wants to do the work.
“They tell us we can save $10,000 a year if we do x y z,” Rahn said. “If we only save $5,000, they pay us the difference.”
Tim Hager, who represents NORESCO, Fenton, is one of the firms that wants to do the study. He said if his firm is chosen they would look at efficiency of the entire water system.
As an example, your swimming pool has a three-quarter hose in there all winter because of water seeping out cracks,” Hager said. “Harold has since fixed the cracks.”
Hager said NORESCO engineers would be looking at total efficiency.
“Our fee would be paid for by the efficiencies we find,” he said.
Engineers would evaluate meters, fire department usage, water conditioning wells and pumps, what the city is pumping relative to what it is metering and being paid for, Hager said.
“You won’t know how much you will save until you do the study,” he said. “Our firm would present the study to you and say here is what we found, here is how cash will flow.”
Alderman Mike Bates questioned why the city staff could not do the job, but Rahn said the private companies that offer the service are better qualified.
“That’s their business. They do those studies for a living,” Rahn said. “They use state statutes to tell us we can save money. If we don’t save money they will reimburse us.”
Hager said the city engineer would sign off on any work performed by his firm. | <urn:uuid:93eb730f-52b5-4e42-b8b0-5174a91bc1f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.emissourian.com/local_news/communities/pacific/article_29be9e2a-6511-5c72-b3b8-602f4c921612.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979121 | 617 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Hello,It appeared that the main point of this video was "whichever side had the best "evidence" and the best "arguments" is the winner". Everybody wants “our” facts/evidences to counter “theirs.” What they really don’t understand, however, is that it’s not a matter of “their evidence vs. ours.” All evidence is actually interpreted, and all scientists actually have the same observations—the same data—available to them. Christians and non-Christians all have the same evidence! The difference is in the way we all interpret the facts. And why do we interpret facts differently? Because we start with different presuppositions; these are things that are assumed to be true without being able to prove them. These then become the basis for other conclusions. All reasoning is based on presuppositions (also called axioms). This becomes especially relevant when dealing with past events. Evolutionists have certain beliefs about the past/present that they presuppose, e.g., no God (or at least none who performed acts of special creation); so they build a different way of thinking to interpret the evidence of the present.For Christians, The Bible is the starting point to interpreting everything around them. So really, it is absurd to use science to "prove" the Bible right. Instead, true observational science is consistent with what the Bible says. (http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n3/science-or-the-bible) Thus, when Christians and non-Christians argue about the evidence, in reality they are arguing about their interpretations based on their presuppositions.Read more at:What’s the best “proof” of creation?http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/wow/best-proof-of-creationOn his comment about "there is no chance that the designer is good, given the pervasive evil in the world", he is forgetting that God's creation has evil because we humans brought evil into the world. The great news is that God loved us so much that he took our punishment for us for rebelling against him. He wants us to live with him in eternal paradise, all we have to do is accept his forgiveness by admitting that you have done wrong is the sight of the Lord, then believing that Jesus is your savior. Now that is an amazing God. Every other false religion is the world requires you to earn your redemption by doing "enough" good works. The one and only god, the Triune God has it set up so that we do not have to earn our salvation. He knows that we could not live up to his standards (ultimate perfection) because we are born human (read: sinful). Read more at:Death and Suffering Questions and Answershttp://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/death_suffering.aspIn fact, there is evidence that he is perfectly good. It is called the Bible. He created a perfect world for us, and gives us the standard of what what is good because he is the creator. Also remember, that the law is designed for humans. God is above the law because he created everything. For example, when a Dad sets a bed time for his child, the rule is just for the child, and does not apply to the dad.Going from that, that is why God came to earth as a man, because then he could be under the law to fulfill it in our stead because we could not.When he brings up the problem of evil, you have to know that Adam and Eve did have free will and they were capable of obeying God's commandment of not eating from the tree. Basically, he told Adam and Eve that they can live like he had created them, or they can choose to turn away from him and live like they want to. We all know what they chose. After they had sinned (rebelled from God, chose to live like they want) nobody after them could obey God's commandments because they were inherently sinful. As a result of that horrible day and horrible outcome, God did make an ultimate good come from the ultimate evil, that is he sent is son, Jesus (100% God and 100% Man), to take our place for us. Again, all we need to do is accept the forgiveness that God has earned for us by believing that Jesus is your savior. Here is a list of articles that deal with God and the problem of evil:God Questions and Answershttp://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/God.aspPlease read the answers in genesis articles before you start knocking down straw men.Thanks!
BTW, I forgot to mention one point about free will. Would you like it if God constantly interfered with your free will every time you were about to break one of his laws. He would interfere many times each day. Do you really want to be a robot?Here is another article dealing with free will:http://www.answersingenesis.org/Home/Area/feedback/2005/0506.asp
I have a problem with the way Witmer sets up this discussion. There can be no evidence for atheism. It's sad, but true. One could always postulate a set of gods who created our universe (or multiverse) with the intention of making it look uncreated. Occam's Razor suggests we should ignore such theories where they make no useful predictions, but Occam's Razor doesn't always lead to the correct solution.Science cannot weigh in on any supernatural theory that does not make empirical claims. Science can only test supernatural claims where the proposed phenomena overlap with the natural world (faith healing, near death experiences, effectiveness of prayer, etc). Atheism (as a lack of supernatural theory) makes no such testable claims. All we can do is disprove the never-ending list of specific claims made by supernaturalists (where we can force them to make specific claims).Larry, you might want to reconsider this claim that "all reasoning is based on presuppositions." Religion and science tackle their assumptions in completely different ways. Good science vigorously tests the inferences that have previously been drawn from the data. Outstanding science throws those inferences out the window. Can you say the same ting about good faith and outstanding faith? Is an outstanding Baptist one who demonstrates convincingly that Paul was not divinely inspired?The developments of relativity, quantum mechanics, and the big bang theory were viewed as revolutionary precisely because they demonstrated previous assumptions were false. Can you name any instance in the history of your religion where previous thinking was universally rejected as false because of new evidence?
Larry, I've already written about Adam & Eve, and the problem of free will. I'll let others comment on the other things you wrote about. But just remember that most of the things we write about are just too brief to show you we do not attack straw men. It would require reading my book in many cases, which is getting favorable reviews.
Larry,All reasoning is based on presuppositions (also called axioms).Not all axioms are presuppositions, some are indeed objectively true (mathematics is full of these). Christians typically propose one of two axioms in their arguments for the existence of god:1) God exists2) The bible is the inspired word of GodIt would be impossible for a skeptic to take one of these two positions as axiomatic and have any meaningful investigation into the believer's argument. Likewise it is impossible for the believer to evaluate the skeptic's evidence against the existence of god while holding as true one of the two axioms. It is only when we say, "I don't know" that we can make a real inquiry into the veracity of the claim.From the available evidence, however, the skeptic often concludes that there is not as much evidence for the existence of the god of the bible as there is against the existence of that god. These arguments are typically made on philosophical grounds although other evidence (such as the errancy of the bible) may be included.On his comment about "there is no chance that the designer is good, given the pervasive evil in the world", he is forgetting that God's creation has evil because we humans brought evil into the world.Are you really taking credit for that which God has claimed to have done himself? If we are to take Isaiah 45:7 as the inerrant word of God spoken through the prophet it would certainly seem that way. Of course many christians will explain away this verse as God merely saying he's given us "free will" to do evil. Or they will claim that it was a mistranslation and that shalom and ra' don't really mean peace and evil but instead more like prosperity and calamity. It's like Evil Light: tastes great, less killing.Now what I want to know is why God put that tree in the garden in the first place.
All this talk of our presuppositions.Most of us skeptics here started out from christian presuppositions. I myself started from the presupposition, instilled in me during early childhood, that God exists and the bible is his word and that the story of creation in Genesis is historical fact.But when a person is willing to examine their presuppositions objectively those presuppositions can be rejected because they simply don't work for a variety of reasons (examples: they are contrary to observable evidence, they are internally inconsistent, they involve moral views which are incompatible with simple decency, and a variety of other ways those presuppositions fail to measure up).Not all presuppositions are created equal. One has the responsibility to ask "what, if anything, should one assume as axiomatic and why"?
Larry:Let's see how many of your misstatements I can correct before the cats call me away from the computer to give them breakfast.Other people have dealt with the question of 'presuppositions' enough to pass on that. But your statement that Evolutionists presuppose no God is a little absurd, given the fact that many 'evolutionists' are believers and Christians, and that probably the majority of Christians, even in the US accept evolution -- in Europe the percentage is at least 90%."Theistic evolution" simply holds that evolution was the mechanism by which their god produced his creation. (I've pointed out in another comment -- on the '5 big rocks' thread -- that creationists are, in fact, insulting their god by portraying him as an incredibly incompetent designer.)You say 'true observational science is consistent with the Bible.' But the Bible was written at a time when the world was seen as the center of a very small Universe and displays this. I also point out the comment about rabbits 'chewing their cud' as a small but telling scientific mistake. (I have been pointing out that, were the Bible actually to have been 'the word of God' one of the best ways of demonstrating this would have been for it to include a few simple unambiguous statements going beyond the known science of the day. It does not.It is hardly absurd to use science to test the Bible. To use a common quote 'God is the author of both the Book of Revealed Truth and the Book of Scientific Truth, and cannot contradict himself in the two books.'Again, I'll leve the 'problem of error' to others, because the statements you make have been discussed elsewhere so totally that my contribution would be a waste of space. You do Exemplify the type of commenter that John refers to -- quoting a major Christian thinker -- when he says that 'someone who is not kept up at night by the problem of error doesn't understand the problem.'If God created a 'perfect world for us' -- disregarding such minor things (not blamable on man) as cancer, tsunamis, earthquakes, along with minor problems directly blamable on God (were he the 'special creator') as sinus problems, flat feet, digestive problems and appendicitis -- why did he, as you claim, create such a contradictory, errant, and frequently absurd book as the Bible. Why did he require a Paul to get the message of Jesus straight? Why did he have to include concepts from Zoroastrianism in Christianity because he 'forgot' to include them in the OT? Why does he include four different contradictory accounts of the 'Trial of Jesus' -- none of which could possibly be true from what we know of the Sanhedrin or of the character of Pilate? Why does he include in the Pentateuch four different sources, each of which have a different conception of god, all of which contradict each other?To continue, why does he first tell the story of 'smoting' someone for not agreeing to a Levirate marriage, then later lessen the requirement and give a ritual to excuse someone, and by pre-New Testament times have abandoned the practice entirely?Why does he include the absurdity of Matthew's 'march of the Dead' onto Jerusalem that has no confirmation from any other source, even within the Bible itself?Cat feeding time. More to come.
Larry:Just a few more.If Jesus was 'God's only son,' why does the opening of Job refer -- in all translations including the KJV and Darby's -- to the (plural) 'Sons of God'? (The NIV translates it as 'angels,' but even it includes a footnote that the Hebrew reads 'Sons of God.')If God condemned all humanity because of Adam and Eve's purported sin, why does the Bible, elsewhere, condemn imputing the Sins of parents onto their children?If the words of the Bible are infallible, and the words of Jeremiah are part of the Bible, and Jeremiah refers to the Pentateuch as a 'scribe-produced lie,' how do you resolve the paradox. (This is why King Josiah needed to get a 'third-rate prophetess' named Huldah to 'testify' to the Pentateuch rather than using the much greater Jeremiah who was 'right at hand')Your turn...
prup, do you have a verse reference for the Jeremiah bit?
Evolutionists have certain beliefs about the past/present that they presuppose, e.g., no God (or at least none who performed acts of special creation); so they build a different way of thinking to interpret the evidence of the present.All science must presuppose natural causes, it is true. As was previously pointed out, science cannot determine if the world was uncreated, or created to look uncreated.However, science can (and has) disproven all of the Answers in Genesis pap. Any time religion makes a claim about the natural world being thus and so, science can and does weigh in. So, when you say the world is 6,000 years old, you are simply wrong. You can say that this means science infringes upon your faith, to which I reply: tough. If you want to believe that faeries exist, fine. But if you want to believe that lions don't exist, then don't safari in Africa, because reality is under no obligation to defer to your superstition.
Post a Comment | <urn:uuid:84c91041-94c9-4d85-831a-f9e28f511400> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2007/10/dr-witmer-on-design-argument-v-problem.html?showComment=1192465860000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969274 | 3,164 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Halloween is past, and the world is still littered with pumpkins. The carved ones have started to rot, while the specimens still intact remain as autumn decorations, perhaps destined to be consumed in bread and muffins and pie.
Likely not, though. We are a country that likes its food pre-packaged with all the hard work done for us. Around this season, that means “homemade” pumpkin delicacies are made with canned pumpkin: mechanically produced, preserved, dulled down, and resweetened with sugar (or, more likely, corn syrup). This is sad to me, and every fall I tirelessly sing the praises of fresh pumpkin. The process is a little more involved than opening a can, but it is still relatively simple, and the results are worth it. (Pro tip: make a pie using fresh pumpkin puree, and you will be everybody’s best friend; this I know from experience.) As you consume any treat freshly made, you may find yourself tasting something you never have before: the actual flavor of pumpkin.
How about that?
To make the pumpkin puree, cut a pie pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and pulp. Place both halves face down in a casserole dish with about an inch of water and bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the meat is soft. When it has cooled, scoop out the meat and puree. You may need to add a little water from the dish to get it to a proper smoothness.
Now that you have delicious pumpkin puree, I present to you my own personal recipe for a simple pumpkin milkshake. It tastes like pumpkin pie in a glass.
¾ cup fresh pumpkin puree
1 cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves to taste
Simply place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. It can be made thicker by adding more pumpkin or cream, or by reducing the amount of milk. This recipe makes about two servings.
Photo: Allan Day | <urn:uuid:f43aaa7f-75c1-44e7-ab65-8ed9a0a059a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m.louisville.com/content/fresh-pumpkin-puree-and-milkshake-recipe-food-dining?device=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947765 | 430 | 1.59375 | 2 |
If a party to a contract either:
- commits a serious breach that goes to the very root, or heart, of the contract; or
- indicates that he does not intend to perform or abide by it,
he is said to have "repudiated" the contract.
Generally, once the innocent party becomes aware of what the other has done, he must elect either:
- to communicate his acceptance of the repudiation, in which case both parties will then usually be discharged from the remaining obligations under the contract, and the innocent party will be entitled to claim damages for any loss caused by the other's breach; or ...
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Site contents published subject to this disclaimer and these conditions of use | <urn:uuid:25079ef2-675e-4b4c-b274-fbac905d034b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.appwinelaw.com/knowledgebase/Detail.php?KnowledgeID=70 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952007 | 177 | 1.53125 | 2 |
December 16, 2010, 3:05 PM
By Cal Fussman
Samuel Aranda/Getty Images
Published in the January 2011 "Meaning of Life" issue
Could you imagine people eating a painting if they could introduce a painting into their bodies? It's probably the artist's dream, and we have the opportunity to do so.
From the beginning I asked myself the whys, and I continue to ask myself.
If you study at the French Culinary Institute, you're at a very good school. You'll probably learn a lot of things. But maybe too many, in order to change things. If this is so good, why do I need to change it?
Yes, it's true, we inserted an air pump into a tomato and blew it up. It was a punky phase that we went through. People have this image of us being polite and serious. But normally, we are quite crazy.
Oh, that's easy. Don't think of the watermelon as a watermelon. Think of it as a tomato. From this point, then, cook it. It's very fleshy fruit. Obviously, you need to have a big piece. Prepare your tuna and, instead of rice, complement it with the watermelon.
People need to understand. If they go to a show on Broadway and find seventy people working but only fifty spectators, how much would the ticket cost? That's what El Bulli's about. There are seventy actors who are playing for just fifty spectators. Is the price expensive? It's relative. How much does a normal dinner at a five-star hotel restaurant cost? Four hundred dollars. It's the same as El Bulli. But you can also think of it this way: How much would it cost to eat something that nobody else is eating?
Two million reservation requests and eight thousand seatings is stupid. Imagine if you were driving a taxi and there were twenty people around your cab trying to get in. You can only fit four. What would you do?
One of the reasons behind transforming El Bulli into a foundation is this: My life has become about getting somebody a table.
I never even dreamed of being a chef, and that's fundamental.
Somebody who's doing an avant-garde discipline is hardly ever happy. The reason is that their search in life has something to do with the avant-garde and they can hardly ever get there. The difference in the story here is that we weren't looking for that.
Yes, I can tell you why God did not want me to like bell peppers. It's necessary that there's something I do not like.
If there were fifty different products that I didn't like, that would be a problem.
There are trillions of different possibilities of combinations in food. Where will you start? That's what we think of as the mental palette.
Salt is the only product that changes cuisine. There's a big difference between food that has salt and food without it. If you don't believe that, ask people who can't eat salt.
You need an entire life just to know about tomatoes.
To do creativity at the level we do it ... five days a week, eight hours a day, it doesn't work. I dedicate more than double the time most people do. Thus, at the same level of talent, I have an advantage.
When we're ill, one of the last things we have that we can enjoy is food.
Risk is to do something that 99 percent of the time would be a failure.
It wasn't that we realized we were revolutionary. It was other people's appreciation that caused us to look back and understand what we'd done and how incredible it was.
When you get back from your day's work, do you interview your wife? No, you'd never think of doing that. Would you think that I'd go back home after fifteen hours of being a chef and continue being a chef?
One person's creative references won't necessarily be useful for another person. Each moment, each person, each situation is different and important. I am married, and very happily married, but we don't have children. If I had children, this interview would be different. I don't know how it would be different, but I know that it would be different.
I used to go to bed thinking, Why did one person like it but the other person didn't? One thought it was too much and the other thought it was not enough. It took me fifteen years to understand. Every person is a world. It's better not to ask. Otherwise, you're going to end up at the psychoanalyst.
When people arrive at El Bulli, everybody goes through the kitchen. It's a way of making them feel at home. When they leave, the only thing I ask is whether they've been happy. Everything in between, I don't particularly care.
You can see it on the Internet now. New society demands that people share their knowledge. It's asking multimillionaires to share their money and creative people to share their creativity. Whoever doesn't share their wealth, be it knowledge, money, or creativity, will be dead.
The framework Obama presented in his speech on counterterrorism also raises some troubling questions and leaves importan...
(The unofficial soundtrack to your weekend...) To the those who gave their lives. Thanks. To the vets who get to m... | <urn:uuid:8ce6a305-f592-43a6-99ee-b38871af47a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/meaning-of-life-2011/ferran-adria-quotes-0111 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983638 | 1,122 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Housing costs are included in the program fee and are based on double occupancy in furnished apartments with cooking facilities; students with special housing needs should contact the ACM office early in the application process. The costs for apartment rent, gas, electricity, and wireless internet are included in the program fee.
While locations may vary each semester, apartments are located in the city of Chicago, close to public transportation and a variety of amenities. The Chicago Program office is easily accessible via public transportation from the various student housing locations.
Students typically live in Hyde Park, Logan Square, or the Gold Coast (though neighborhoods may be subject to change based upon enrollment). Students from the Arts, Entrepreneurship, and Urban Studies academic tracks of the program may be housed in any of the apartment locations throughout the city.
Hyde Park is located on the southeast side of Chicago and is within walking distance from Lake Michigan. It has beautiful housing stock, strong institutions and stores, and it is anchored by the University of Chicago. However, it is much more than a university community. The University of Chicago is an ambivalent presence, sometimes accused by neighboring communities of insulating and isolating Hyde Park while trying to control those neighboring communities. It is the city's most truly bi-cultural neighborhood, where black and white, rich and poor, live together – if not always in harmony, at least in dialogue.
Logan Square, located on the near Northwest side, is a vibrant community at physical and social crossroads. Bisected by Milwaukee Avenue, one of Chicago's most interesting multi-ethnic thoroughfares, Logan Square retains the flavor of the original Scandinavian and Western European settlers while incorporating the influences of the Puerto Rican and Mexican communities to the south, and the Polish enclave to the North. Also running through Logan Square are Logan and Humboldt Boulevards, wide promenades lined by stately turn-of-the-century mansions that stand in sharp contrast to the low-income housing several blocks away. The relatively stable ethnic and economic mix, close proximity to cultural experiences, ranging from Salsa dancing to the avant-garde arts scene of Wicker Park, and the presence of many varied community organizations, make Logan Square an exciting place to come to understand the joys and tensions endemic to living in Chicago.
The Gold Coast (or Near North Side) is a busy commercial and residential neighborhood with an active night-life, located just north of the heart of downtown Chicago. There are grocery and drug stores, restaurants and cafés located within a couple of blocks of the student apartments. Lake Michigan, the shoreline bike path, and the beach are just three blocks east, and the neighborhood of Lincoln Park is about a half mile north. The Gold Coast is an increasingly upscale, bustling neighborhood that contains many of the city’s top tourist sights and entertainment venues.
Video tours of the Chicago Program apartments | <urn:uuid:b1ed4892-068e-4929-b62b-a209bc2043a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.acm.edu/programs/18/chicago/Living_arrangements0.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962559 | 589 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Explore The Loire
The Loire has a justifiable reputation as one of the greatest, grandest and most striking rivers anywhere in Europe. In its most characteristic stretch, from the hills of Sancerre to the city of Angers, it flows past an extraordinary parade of castles, palaces and fine mansions; unsurprisingly, when it came to choosing which should be awarded the title of World Heritage Site, UNESCO simply bestowed the label on the entire valley. Although the most striking feature is the beautiful views, there are simpler pleasures, such as the outstanding food and drink and the noticeably gentler pace of life.
The region’s heartland, Touraine, long known as “the garden of France”, has some of the best wines, the tastiest goat’s cheese, and the most regal history in France, including one of the finest châteaux, in Chenonceau. Touraine also takes in three of the Loire’s pleasantest tributaries: the Cher, Indre and Vienne. If you have just a week to spare for the region, then these are the parts to concentrate on. The attractive towns of Blois and Amboise, each with their own exceptional châteaux, make good bases for visiting the area upstream of Tours. Numerous grand châteaux dot the wooded country immediately south and east of Blois, including Chambord, the grandest of them all, while the wild and watery region of the Sologne stretches away further to the southeast. Downstream of Tours, around handsome Saumur, quirky troglodyte dwellings have been carved out of the rock faces.
Along with its many châteaux, the region has a few unexpected sights, most compelling of which are the gardens at Villandry, outside Tours, and the abbey at Fontevraud. The major towns of Angers, Tours, Nantes, Le Mans and Orléans have their own charms, from Orléans’ astonishing cathedral, to Angers’ lively nightlife.
The Loire itself is often called the last wild river in France, mostly because unpredictable currents and shallow water brought an end to commercial river traffic as soon as the railways arrived, and the many quays remain largely forgotten, except by the occasional tour boat. Such an untamed river also makes for dramatic floods, but for most of the year it meanders gently past its shifting sandbanks, shaded by reeds and willows, and punctuated by long, sandy islands beloved by birds.Read More
First things first; though it is tempting to try and pack in as many châteaux as you can in a short period of time, this is counter-productive and frustrating. It’s far better to aim to visit three or four of the best in the area in which you’re staying, possibly with a one-day trip to one of the most spectacular set-piece châteaux.
Entry prices are undeniably steep, particularly for the châteaux that have remained in private hands – and there are a surprising number of French aristocrats still living in their family homes. This means that picking and choosing the best really will help you. There is no consistency in concessions offered, and children rarely go free. If you’re over 65, under 25, a student or still at school, check for any reductions and make sure you’ve got proof of age or a student card with you. Here’s a rundown of the very best châteaux to aim for:
Chenonceau Renaissance-period château in a glorious setting by the river.
Azay-le-Rideau A marvellous encapsulation of a long-gone period of grandeur and power, in a beautifully serene setting (surrounded by a moat).
Blois With its four wings representing four distinct eras, Blois is extremely impressive.
Chambord A monstrously huge château, the triumph of François I’s Renaissance. The key feature here is the dual-spiral staircase; legend has it this was designed by Leonardo da Vinci.
Cheverny A prime example of seventeenth-century magnificence.
Amboise Urban château which rears above the Loire like a cliff; it’s one of the most compelling and striking Loire châteaux, even if the interior decoration leaves something to be desired.
Loches For an evocation of medieval times, the citadelle of Loches is hard to beat.
Langeais Impressive interiors are the main attraction here, especially the tapestries and intricate tile work.
Other châteaux are more compelling for their contents than for their architecture:
Valençay The interior of this Renaissance château is Napoleonic – and it’s a great spot for children.
Beauregard Most famous for its wonderful portrait gallery.
La Bussière Witness the obsessive nineteenth-century decoration, entirely dedicated to freshwater fishing.
Angers This stark, largely ruined medieval castle houses the Tapestry of the Apocalypse, the greatest work of art in the Loire valley, and worth a visit in itself.
The Loire by bike
The Loire by bike
Thanks to the Loire à Vélo scheme (wloire-a-velo.fr), the Loire valley is now one of the most charming places in the world to have a cycling holiday or take a day out on a hired bike. A mix of dedicated cycle paths and meticulously signposted routes along minor roads now runs all the way along the Loire from Orléans to beyond Angers – a distance of more than 300km. The region around Blois offers an additional 300km network, Châteaux à vélo (wchateauxavelo.com). These routes thread inland among the forests, linking the area’s many châteaux.
Tourist offices provide detailed maps and other information, and you can download most details, including maps, online. French villages are accustomed to cyclists, and most importantly, car-drivers are too.
All larger towns have at least one hire agency. Bikes can also be hired at hotels, campsites, tourist offices, train stations and even restaurants along the way. Orléans and Angers have share-bike schemes like the Paris Vélibs. Many have signed up to the Détours de Loire scheme (wlocationdevelos.com), which allows you to pick up a bike in one place and drop it off in another, paying inexpensive drop-off costs per zone crossed – on top of the bike rental charge.
Food and drink of the Loire
Food and drink of the Loire
The Loire is renowned for the softness of its climate and the richness of its soil, qualities that help produce some of the best fruit and vegetables you’ll find anywhere. From Anjou’s orchards come greengages, named Reine Claude after François I’s queen, and the succulent Anjou pear, Doyenné du Comice. Market stalls overflow with seasonal fruits, particularly local tiny sweet strawberries. Tours is famous for its French beans and Saumur for its potatoes and shallots. Asparagus, particularly the fleshy white variety, appears in soufflés, omelettes and other egg dishes as well as on its own, accompanied by vinaigrette made (if you’re lucky) with local walnut oil. Finally, from Berry, comes the humble lentil, whose green variety often accompanies salmon or trout.
Given the number of rivers that flow through the region, it’s hardly surprising that fish features on most restaurant menus, though this doesn’t guarantee that it’s from the Loire itself. Favourites are sandre (pikeperch, a fish native to Central Europe), usually served in the classic Loire beurre blanc sauce; stuffed bream; matelote (a kind of stew) of local eels softened in red wine and little smelt-like fishes served deep-fried (la friture).
The favoured meat of the Loire is game, and pheasant, guinea fowl, pigeon, duck, quails, young rabbit, venison and even wild boar are all hunted in the Sologne. They are served in rich sauces made from the wild mushrooms of the region’s forests or the common champignon de Paris, cultivated on a huge scale in caves cut out of the limestone rock near Saumur. Both Tours and Le Mans specialize in rillettes, or potted pork (rillauds in Anjou); in Touraine charcuteries you’ll also find pâté au biquion, made from pork, veal and young goat’s meat.
Touraine makes something of a cult of its goat’s cheese, and a local chèvre fermier (farm-produced goat’s cheese) can be a revelation. Four named goats’ cheeses are found on most boards: Ste-Maure is a long cylinder with a piece of straw running through the middle; Pouligny-St-Pierre and Valençay are pyramid-shaped; and Selles-sur-Cher is flat and round.
Though not as famous as the produce of Bordeaux and Burgundy, the Loire valley has some of the finest wines in France. Sancerre, the easternmost Loire appellation, produces perhaps the best white wines in the region from the great Sauvignon grape, and the whites of Muscadet around Nantes are a great accompaniment to the local shellfish. Touraine’s finest reds – Chinon, Bourgeuil and St-Nicolas de Bourgeuil – get their ruby colour from the Cabernet Franc grape, while many of its attractive white wines are made from the Chenin Blanc including the highly fashionable Jasnières. At the other end of the spectrum is the honeyed complexity of Côteaux du Layon’s dessert wines – best with blue cheese or foie gras rather than pudding. Saumur and Vouvray both have sparkling varieties, a fraction of the price of champagne and easily equal to the taste. The orange-y liqueur Cointreau is made in a distillery close to Angers and appears in many cocktails and puddings in the region.
Staying in a château
Staying in a château
One of the great privileges of visiting the Loire is that there are a variety of châteaux that accommodate visitors. The standards range enormously: at the top end of the market, you are guaranteed deluxe accommodation, with room service, all mod cons, excellent food and all the amenities you would expect from a top-class hotel; at the other end, you are effectively staying in a bed and breakfast in someone’s house, which can be pot luck. The following are the pick of the hotels in the Tours area:
Château D’Artigny Nr Montbazon (take D17 from there) t02 47 34 30 30, wgrandesetapes.fr/en/Chateau-hotel-artigny. Stunning, beautifully restored château originally owned by the perfumier François Coty, and decorated in a Neoclassical style. The rooms are all large, lavishly appointed and very comfortable, and the excellent restaurant has sweeping views across the Loire valley. You can take cookery classes and enjoy wine tastings. If that all sounds too tiring, note that there’s a pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna to relax in, along with spa treatments.
Domaine de Beauvois Nr Luynes t02 47 55 50 11, wgrandesetapes.fr/en/Chateau-hotel-beauvois/index.html. Much of the appeal of this beautiful sixteenth-century mansion comes from its peaceful seclusion, with long country walks and beautiful bike rides the order of the day. There are some lovely, quirky touches in the rooms, too, which have beamed ceilings and painted frescoes, and the restaurant offers excellent food.
Domaine de la Tortinière Nr Montbazon t02 47 34 35 00, wtortiniere.com. Delightful family-run hotel, with friendly bilingual owners. Rooms range from the modestly comfortable to the spectacularly luxurious (such as the suites in the turrets, complete with circular bedrooms) and very good food is served in the dining room, overlooking an open-air swimming pool. | <urn:uuid:5e28ad2b-ee44-4838-9d7f-8818c6cf4d4c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/europe/france/loire/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932737 | 2,691 | 1.726563 | 2 |
St. Mark's Hospital is a national and international referral centre for intestinal and colorectal disorders.
As well as clinical services covering all aspects of colorectal disease and intestinal failure, it has many research interests and a very active programme of teaching and education.
St. Mark's Hospital was founded by Frederick Salmon in 1835 to treat patients with anorectal disorders. It was one of the first specialist hospitals and has played a major part in the development of colorectal disease, gastroenterology and nutrition. St. Mark's Hospital and Academic Institute together form a centre for coloproctology attracting practitioners from the UK and overseas to enable best practice to be spread to other institutions.
St. Mark's prides itself on a multidisciplinary approach to individual patients and combines both medical and surgical expertise with specialist nursing and paramedical skills.
Within the North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, St. Mark's Hospital is headed by the Clinical Director, Professor Robin Phillips. The Clinical Director is supported by the Divisional General Manager Specialist Services who together with the Dean of St Mark's Academic Institute, Professor Robin Kennedy, form the Executive of the hospital.
St. Mark's Hospital along with the Hope Hospital, Manchester, are nationally headed to provide the Intestinal Failure Service. The Intestinal Failure Service is commissioned from St. Mark's by the National Commissioning Group for Highly Specialised Services. | <urn:uuid:4620aadd-f81a-4276-9bfa-3ada32172f9a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stmarkshospital.org.uk/about-st-marks | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945775 | 289 | 1.601563 | 2 |
It's no wonder credit card issuers are feeling skittish about risky borrowers. With cardholder delinquency and debt increasing amid a housing and employment decline, issuers are eager to limit their risk exposure.
"I think the standards have been tightened and I think that credit card issuers are quicker to change -- i.e., increase -- your rates," says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com.
There's good reason for issuers to be jumpy. "Generally in normal times, if you look at the hierarchy of what gets paid, it's credit cards that tend to be the last thing if the going gets rough," says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer educational services at Credit.com. Consumers first worry about housing, auto loans, utilities and telephone bills.
He says issuers will still offer new credit and make attractive offers, "but you really have to deserve it. The days of just giving someone a platinum credit card seems to be not necessarily gone, but is just being put on hold for quite some time."
At the moment, issuers are also trying to "whittle out" some of the riskier customers and replace them with lower-risk borrowers, he says.
They determine the riskier subset by monitoring existing accounts. They look at the performance on the accounts at that institution using internal risk scores, as well as the person's credit scores. A spike in risk could result in an interest rate increase, credit line reduction or freezing, or even a closed account. Inactive cards may get closed or not renewed.
This is one time where change isn't a good thing. Issuers will scrutinize suspicious changes in behavior. "Essentially it's things like: Are they paying the minimum payment when they always used to pay the balance in full, do they miss a payment, are they going or getting close to their credit limit?" says Dennis C. Moroney, a research director at TowerGroup, a research and advisory services firm.
|7 tips for protecting your accounts|
|1.||Verify the status quo|
|2.||Avoid 'atypical' activity|
|3.||Keep up the good payment history|
|4.||Don't neglect other bills|
|5.||Check your credit reports|
|6.||Plan ahead if missing a payment|
|7.||Read 'junk mail' from your issuer|
Unfortunately, financial pressures also matter. According to the new 2008 Credit Card Survey from Consumer Action, three out of the top 10 credit card issuers said "market conditions," "the economy" and "business strategies" could trigger a rate increase.
"I think out of your control are any business decisions that they make on a blanket level in regards to the fact that they're doing poorly as publicly-owned companies or anything along those lines. Those are what we call the market conditions-type of repricing," says Linda Sherry, spokeswoman for Consumer Action, a national consumer education and advocacy nonprofit.
"What can you control? You can definitely control whether you don't pay late, whether your payment gets there on time," Sherry says. Overall credit management ranks high up in importance, too, she notes.
Risky borrowers with huge outstanding balances might find their credit limit reduced in the worst way -- lowering it to match the balance, and continuing to lower it to the new balance as you pay it off. This punitive move trashes your credit score, and is meant to get huge balances down or sometimes, to get rid of you as a cardholder.
Your best bet is to pay down balances as much as possible so that any negative changes cause minimal financial impact. Beyond that, avoid giving your issuers an excuse to jack your interest rate, zap your credit line or close your account.
How to protect your credit card accounts
Issuers may have an itchy trigger finger when it comes to penalizing risky borrowers, but they're not out to alienate all their cardholders. Folks with great credit who remain consistent stand the best chance of not experiencing negative terms changes if they keep up the good work.
"The folks who are, unfortunately, going through these types of experiences with default rates, lower credit limits, higher interest rates, issuers closing accounts down on them, suspending HELOCs -- these are generally reserved for people who either are on the riskier side of prime or are just flat-out nonprime, and the lender just doesn't want to do business with them anymore," says Ulzheimer.
Try to stay in the good graces of your creditors by keeping your accounts active, paying down balances and maintaining great credit scores above 700. Heed these other tips to stay in the clear.
1. Verify the status quo
"Step one is to make sure that you do, in fact, still have the same terms that you had originally," says Ulzheimer. Check not only the interest rate on your account, he says, but the credit limit and the grace period. Issuers sometimes shorten grace periods on accounts that aren't generating much revenue.
2. Avoid 'atypical' activity
Consumers spend in patterns, so any atypical moves could cause a drop in your credit score and attract scrutiny from your issuer, Ulzheimer cautions. "You don't want to all of a sudden start revolving a balance just for the heck of it because you want to put more money toward your
401(k) or put more money toward other investments or stick more money in savings. If you have the ability to continue to pay in full, it's probably a good idea to continue to do so."
Ditto multiple balance transfers and credit application sprees. Like someone passing a police car, you don't want to do anything that looks suspicious.
3. Keep up the good payment history
Always pay on time, keep balances low and pay them off every month, if possible. The higher your balances, the riskier you look. | <urn:uuid:25e12816-d4e9-4c90-9cbb-a34bd312318e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/7-tips-for-surviving-the-credit-crunch-1.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960945 | 1,237 | 1.507813 | 2 |
What a long road it's been.
For decades drivers have dreamed of an easier way to get between Bucks and Montgomery counties.
Now that dream is finally a reality.
The new Route 202 bypass opened Monday afternoon.
The 8.4 miles will run between State Route 611 and State Route 63.
Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley calls it a new transportation era in Bucks and Montgomery counties.
With the cut of the ribbon a new way to get between Bucks and Montgomery counties is open.
"This project will enhance mobility, provide a multi-use trail, connections to local roadways and fits into the context, fabric of the surrounding communities," said Lester Toaso, district executive for PennDOT.
PennDOT officials say the 8.4 miles of road cost $200 million.
At times when the legislators wanted to scrap the state funded roadway, community members kept pushing for this roadway to ease traffic concerns.
"It's very rewarding to see something like this come together after 35 years of effort," added George Niblock who helped work on the project.
The stretch of road is also designated as a scenic bypass by Governor Tom Corbett.
"That special designation reserves the scenic view citizens will enjoy while traveling this roadway and makes it eligible for certain funding," said Barry Schoch, Pennsylvania secretary of transportation.
Some still say a scenic view means nothing if the bypass doesn't alleviate the traffic congestion.
"The designers, the engineers, are they held accountable," said protester, Larry Shaeffer. "Do they lose their jobs? No that never happens in the transportation field. Nobody's ever held accountable."
PennDOT officials believe the road way will ease traffic concerns.
There is also a bike path and walkway.
Leaders in Harrisburg are celebrating the fact that the public and lawmakers can get things done.
"It has been, as we all know, a long and hard journey to get here," said Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor, Jim Cawley.
There are 10 intersections along the bypass to service other townships in the area. | <urn:uuid:d80b2103-b300-420e-98a5-c5ff80d99cc5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-southeasternpa/US-202-between-Bucks-and-Montgomery-counties-is-now-open/-/121434/17642228/-/1yyvw4/-/index.html | 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 | 0.96042 | 428 | 1.570313 | 2 |
If the Michael Vick case has taught us anything, it's this: In America these days, killing a dog is worse than killing a person.
Compare Vick's situation to that of another well-known professional athlete, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth. For killing a pedestrian while driving under the influence, Stallworth served 24 days in prison. Vick got two years for his involvement in a dogfighting ring and the death of several pit bulls.
No one is excusing what Vick did. Personally, I was disgusted at the general thuggishness of his behavior and his callous disregard for life. But wasn't Stallworth at least equally callous when he got behind the wheel with his blood alcohol level well over the legal limit?
Another curious aspect of the Vick case is that the usual assortment of race-baiters and bleeding hearts have been so silent. Normally, when a young black man from Vick's socioeconomic background is accused of a high profile crime, we hear loud protestations of racism and endless lectures on why society is actually to blame.
Where are those voices defending Michael Vick? You'd think he'd be the poster child for social victimhood: born to impoverished, unmarried teenagers, raised in a crime-infested housing project. Even his specific offense - dog fighting - is, by his own account, an integral part of the culture in which he grew up.
Surely, if societal factors are responsible for anyone's incarceration, that person would be Michael Vick.
And yet he gets no slack even from the media's most liberal talking heads, nor from self-appointed "civil rights" leaders. (Anyone heard Keith Olbermann defending him, for instance? Or Al Sharpton?) I think we have to ask ourselves why. Could it be simply that he made the mistake of killing dogs instead of humans?
In other words, could it be that aboard the American Left's big pink bus even the bleeding hearts and race baiters take a back seat to the "animal rights" activists? Apparently word that Vick is untouchable has come down from PETA and the SPCA. Not even the normally intrepid (audacious?) Sharpton dares to go near him.
If I'm correct, if the far left has succeeded in convincing us that animals are more important than people, I think that bodes ill for our society. Because then it follows logically that people are no better than animals. Not made in the image of God. Not ultimately responsible for their own actions. Merely possessed of opposable thumbs.
Personally, I believe human beings are a little higher than the animals and therefore capable of redemption. Michael Vick has paid his debt to society, is unlikely to repeat his crimes, and deserves a chance to resume his career as an NFL quarterback. But if that doesn't pan out, I suppose he could try some other way to rehabilitate himself that might satisfy his haters on the left.
Like maybe becoming a drunk-driving wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns.
Rob Jenkins is associate professor of English at Georgia Perimeter College. E-mail him at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:5ed5b6bb-a7d2-4a32-a97a-5b4a424c164b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2009/jul/26/vick-case-raises-concerns-about-society039s-values/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971616 | 645 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Anti-terrorism law struck down by federal judge
"How about a YouTube video? Where is the line between what the government would consider "journalistic reporting" and "propaganda?" she asked. "Who will make such determinations? Will there be an office established to read articles, watch videos, and evaluate speeches in order to make judgments along a spectrum of where the support is 'modest' or 'substantial?'"
Ellen Davis, a U.S. Attorney's office spokeswoman, said the government had no comment.Continue Reading
Plaintiffs' lawyer Bruce Afran called the ruling "very historic" and said it was rare in the last half century that a judge would declare a federal statute unconstitutional for directly intruding on speech.
"But it was a very extraordinary attempt by the government to provide punishment for speech," he said.
Among plaintiffs who testified at a March hearing was Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Christopher Hedges, who has interviewed al-Qaida members, conversed with members of the Taliban during speaking engagements overseas and reported on 17 groups named on a list prepared by the State Department of known terrorist organizations. He testified the law has led him to consider altering speeches where members of al-Qaida or the Taliban might be present.
The judge said that she was "mindful of the extraordinary importance of the government's efforts to safeguard the country from terrorism" and that the high stakes of those efforts and the executive branch's expertise mean the courts owe the political branches "a great deal of deference in the area of national security."
But she said the Constitution places limits on the president's power to act and requires courts to safeguard core Constitutional rights. She noted that scattered cases during World War II when the Supreme Court sanctioned undue deference to the executive and legislative branches resulted in actions that "are generally now considered an embarrassment," such as the internment of Japanese Americans based on wartime security concerns.
Forrest called the government's suggestion that the court's role be limited to a post-detention habeas review "without merit and, indeed, dangerous" because cases would take years to be resolved and are reviewed under a lesser legal standard.
She said if habeas petitions that allow prisoners to challenge their detention are the only way for those detained under the law to gain freedom - even U.S. citizens on U.S. soil - then "core Constitutional rights available in criminal matters would simply be eliminated."
She added: "No court can accept this proposition and adhere truthfully to its oath." | <urn:uuid:33fe2ed0-5035-43cd-93eb-9f3783a198c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81169_Page2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969882 | 514 | 1.804688 | 2 |
The Challenger Deep is an ocean explorer's dream. It's deepest part of the deepest trench in Earth's oceans. As any seaman will tell you, it's deeper than Everest is tall. And as they'll also tell you, it's considered one of man's last frontiers.
Early last year, its lure pitted billionaire Richard Bransonwhose riches allow him to indulge these sorts of outlandish adventure-fantasies with honeyed lines like, "These are the kinds of irresistible challenges that you have to say yes to" and Titantic and Avatardirector James Cameron not only against each other in a submarine race to descend into its depths, but also against a man named Patrick Lahey.
Lahey is the president of a small Florida submarine company called Triton. He's buzz-cut. He curses in a sailor way and not a giggly way. He was raised on a former pirate port by a WWII Royal Canadian Navy man. He's just plain loved the ocean since he was 7. It's almost killed him several times. Once when his oxygen ran out. Another when he was sucked into an underwater power plant pump, and other times with leaks and explosions. And yet he still went to build his own Challenger Deep submarine in a garage. "I'm not a scientist or an engineer, just a high school graduate who became a hard-hat diver," Lahey told the Miami New Times in a profile. "But more people have been to the moon than have been to the bottom of our own ocean. That doesn't make any goddamn sense."
Lahey worked with Cameron on his ocean-exploration documentary Aliens of the Deep, during which Cameron clashed with Lahey's crew after a few submarine failures. But Lahey predicted, "Jim is a brilliant guy, and he may get there first. But he'll get there in a one-person sub that will go in a museum when he's done." Lahey, as it turned out, was right. In late March, James Cameron won, with a solo submarine, the race (though, also, not really: in 19601960U.S. Navy Lt. Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard reached the same depths).
But in another way, Cameron didn't win. "[It's] very lunar, very desolate place, very isolated,"
Of course, the footage is stunning, with the 10-foot squid looming as only a mysterious creature of the deep could. (The things can grow up to four times as long.) It stares, rust-orange and hooded. It stares. Then it disappears.
Since Triton's accomplishment, no voyage has repeated the finding. There's no telling who will see the giant squid next. Maybe a billionaire, or a millionaire, or maybe just a man with a buzz cut. | <urn:uuid:b56b9c20-ee8f-4974-bec7-069d21d89525> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.esquire.com/blogs/culture/triton-submarines-15035734 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976325 | 579 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The Human Services Department said Tuesday the federal government has accepted parts of a planned overhaul of the program providing health care for a fourth of New Mexico's population.
Indians qualifying for Medicare and Medicaid or needing nursing home care will obtain health services through managed care organizations. Other Indians will continue having an option of managed care or a fee-for-service system.
The state initially proposed requiring managed care for all eligible Native Americans, but tribal leaders said that could limit access to medical providers for Indians in remote areas.
The Medicaid overhaul, if fully approved by the federal government, will be implemented in 2014. | <urn:uuid:8f4d40ca-5e7e-44da-8f0e-6b0b5f44f204> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alamogordonews.com/alamogordo-news/ci_22722318/nm-alters-medicaid-proposal-native-americans | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940186 | 122 | 1.601563 | 2 |
acrylic on canvas
30" x 36"
** ye s t e r d a y * w a s * a l l * w e * h a d **
CO2 Art unveils a project that portrays the Earth's receding glaciers based on an abstract conception of what could be exposed when the Glacier is gone.
The artist, Tatiana Iliina-Gooden, has employed her signature strategy of using images that are pleasing to the eye, and expertly painted, to imply a subject that is, in reality, less pleasant to contemplate.
The images, though stark and apparently lifeless, seem to hold out a hope that the planet can continue to be a place of beauty even after the glaciers are gone. At the same time, the viewer is moved by Iliina-Gooden's adept palette knife work to feel a new degree of urgency in relation to the whole global warming situation, as they see glaciers portrayed as dirt, rocks and pools of water.
This first canvas of the project was shipped out today to a buyer in South Africa. | <urn:uuid:da90d514-e6b6-48c6-996c-97ab4216e29e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://co2-art.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950718 | 219 | 1.632813 | 2 |
It's all about perspective. At least, that's what we've gleaned from a Surface skim (hard wink) of this Microsoft patent application. Filed back in December of 2010, the USPTO doc describes a touchscreen tabletop imbued with a "view-restrictive filter" that, presumably, projects content in an orientation specific to a user's viewing angle, switching between diffuse and transparent states. Unsure of just what that means? Imagine, then, an ordinary-looking glass conference table surrounded by suit-and-tie types that, at the flick of a finger, turns into multiple personal computing displays. Bear in mind, this is all conjecture based on some densely-worded legalese and the IP in question's still lingering in a governmental limbo. That said, there could come a day when the Office of the future (harder wink) could look a lot like this. In the tech industry, nothing's off the table (hardest wink). | <urn:uuid:9b6db6ec-67f0-46aa-9379-a51186043fa1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/07/microsoft-patent-application-could-see-a-touchscreen-tabletop-th/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936679 | 197 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Monday, April 6, 2009
William Dwight Hughes & Lennie I. Banks
These articles were transcribed with permission from page 217 of Appanoose County, Iowa (1986) compiled by the Appanoose County Historical Society, Centerville, Iowa.
William Dwight Hughes Family History
(William) Dwight Hughes, son of Benjamin F. and Merica (Petro) Hughes was born September 2, 1897 in Appanoose County, Iowa the youngest of four children. He grew to manhood in this county and on May 27, 1917 he married Lennie I. Banks, daughter of Tom and Eva (Criswell) Banks. Mr. and Mrs. Hughes were farmers and in later years Mr. Hughes worked in the coal mines in the area. Dwight, as he was commonly known, died June 13, 1971 and Lennie died April 30, 1982. They are buried in the Jerome Cemetery.
Dwight and Lennie raised five children: Harold, born October 12, 1918 now lives in Mesa, Arizona; Raymond born July 1, 1921 lives in Bellair Township, Appanoose County; Marjorie (Smith) born July 27, 1924 lives in Corydon, Iowa; Wayne born September 15, 1930 passed away December 6, 1979 having lived and raised his family in Lees Summit, Missouri [See Below]; Glen born February 21, 1933 lives in Summersville, South Carolina.
Wayne Edward Hughes
Wayne Edward Hughes was born September 15, 1930 in Appanoose County, Iowa to Dwight William and Lennie (Banks) Hughes. He was one of five children. He attended Centerville rural schools and graduated from Centerville High in 1947. He worked for a brief time at The Case Company in Bettendorf then spent six years in the U.S. Air Force, part of that time as a dental assistant at the Air Force Base in San Diego, California. He graduated from Centerville Community College in 1956 and from Northeast Missouri State College in 1958. He started his teaching career in Art in Vandalia, Missouri in 1958.
On September 1,1963 Wayne married Sylvia Dee Maune of Columbia, Missouri. He continued his education and received the Masters Degree from University of Missouri in Columbia in 1964.
Wayne and Sylvia moved to Lees Summit, Missouri in 1964 where Wayne taught Art in the Public School until his death December 6, 1979 following a short illness.
Wayne and Sylvia have two children: Doug age 18 and Dee Anne age 15.
In spite of the pain and crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis that was part of Wayne's life for the last twenty years, he never ceased to be a vital father, husband and teacher devoted to his community and profession. His gentle character, sharp wit and good judgement were an inspiration to all with whom he worked and was acquainted. Submitted by Mrs. Sylvia Hughes and Raymond Hughes. | <urn:uuid:f3d02a6d-1251-46c9-aee5-ae1541fcac16> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thejeromejournal.blogspot.com/2009/04/william-dwight-hughes-lennie-iowa-banks.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980265 | 591 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Homeschoolers Shouldn’t Go Out of Their Way to Make Other Homeschoolers Feel Bad
I wrote this rant four months ago and just polished it up to share with you today.
It would seem to me to go without saying that no one should ever intentionally do something to make another person feel bad. Remember ‘The Golden Rule’? If we all lived by it then the world would be a great place. This goes for the homeschooling community as well.
I saw something happen on a chat list and my heart went out to one mother. This mother wrote in saying she is homeschooling two children, the youngest is in Kindergarten. The older child is getting ready to have some medical procedures and there are serious health issues. I bet you can imagine it is on the mother’s mind that homeschooling through the medical treatment will be harder than usual. The mother asked a very specific question. She asked for book suggestions in a certain subject area which are heavy in graphics so the Kindergartener could read the books to herself. The child is reading at a third/fourth grade reading level, so the books were requested to be of that range. This automatically makes the information that the child will be reading above grade level when compared to public school.
I replied with book suggestions that are heavy in graphics because that is what the mother asked for. I also gave a comparison to what other children are doing in that grade in American public schools, as a way to compare that despite the family’s difficult situation; any science she gets at that grade level will be fine and well.
Others responded and boy, did I get annoyed! Why don’t people answer the question that was asked? A few people wrote in that they don’t use many books, that they prefer to do hands on activities such as experiments, etc. One mother wrote about how they do large projects such as learning about constellations by going outside and looking at the stars, etc. A snobbish attitude began to come out as more replies filtered in, that non-book learning was superior to book learning.
Why didn’t those people PAY ATTENTION? This mother is dealing with a child with medical problems. Family life is difficult enough and to be homeschooling while a child is seeking medical treatments such as this child has is very stressful. The mother asked for books the child could read to herself during this special time. Telling this mother that their family doesn’t think book learning is good enough is not helping things! Telling her she should be doing giant projects like learning all the constellations (and that the mother should be learning them as well, to have a full experience of the whole family learning together) is actually pretty harsh. Answering with replies such as those not only is not helpful, as the question that was asked was not answered, but they might actually make the mother feel badly.
I believe that when a person asks a question of us, we should answer the question. If we want to probe deeper and verify that the question being asked is really the question, that is \ alright (but usually is hard to go back and forth to verify what is being asked via email, it can be done much easier in person or if talking on the phone).
I can’t stand the snobbery that sometimes goes on in the homeschooling community. “My way is superior” thinking is wrong and it goes against logic. Every person is unique and learns in different ways. Not every learner wants to learn in YOUR favorite way or in your CHILD’S favorite way.
What matters is that each family and each child within a homeschooling family is treated like an individual who matters. This is not a game which homeschooling parent is ‘right’.
The mother asked for some book suggestions, sheesh! Why did she receive an onslaught from people basically trying to convince her to change their homeschooling method and style to something that, by the way, is NOT possible due to the unique, temporary situation in the family: a major medical problem?!
One thing that homeschooling parents should know right up front is that no two families homeschool in the same way. The family’s experience depends on not only the individual child’s personality but also on the parent’s personality. The dynamic is further affected by the presence of other siblings, if there are any. The experience will be very different if a family has a child who is a baby, a toddler or a preschooler and one or more who are in elementary grades (or older). Once there are two children “in school” then everything changes again. I am struggling with accepting the new family dynamic I have with two children in elementary grades this year. Add on top of all of that, the personalities of all of the people, competitiveness or non-competitiveness of each child and different learning preferences and learning styles, you can see how different each family’s experience is.
Add into the mix, a problem such as illness or a serious medical condition in a child, the homeschooling parent or spouse, or even a grandparent, and all heck can break loose. This goes the same for situations such as unemployment or financial problems of any kind. Families going through this need some tender loving care, not snobbery from others that the way they have to homeschool through that time is ‘not good enough’. I give the families living ‘in crisis’ credit for sticking it out rather than sticking the child in school to alleviate the work load of the parent.
With regard to what method a family uses to homeschool, that can also get more complicated. For example if a child thrives on worksheets but the mother detests them and refuses to use them then that is one situation that may not be ideal for the child. Some of the families I mentioned earlier clearly have parents who love spontaneous, project-driven, hands-on type learning, and their children do also. That is great for them. But I wish they wouldn’t snub their noses at a family who wants to use books (especially during a time of crisis). There is also nothing worse than a parent who wants to teach one way and the child wants to do another. I am glad the parents who love the big hands on projects are having fun with their children, they are lucky. I love hands on projects but so far my children have resisted them, so this is not only personally disappointing for me but it can (and sometimes has) resulted in power struggles and negativity as a result. Another example would be if a parent pushes a child to use a textbook based homeschooling program and the child is bored to tears, but the parent keeps forcing it on them.
Homeschooling parents get enough grief from others just for the choice to homeschool. Why can’t, at least, other homeschooling parents try to be as gentle and kind as possible to other homeschoolers?
If someone asks for a suggestion and you want to answer, do so. If they ask a question, answer that question. Period. I think it really stinks when other homeschoolers have superiority complexes and then try to push THEIR way onto others. It really, really stinks when a homeschooling family going through a crisis gets grief for how they homeschool during the time of crisis. Those parents deserve more credit for staying on the more difficult path. (The easier path being to just put the children in school so as to relieve the homeschooling parent of one less thing on the ‘to do’ list and to lighten their responsibility load to make the parent better able to cope through that difficult time.)
I think that perseverance is one thing that many parents who homeschool possess. We find a way to work around various situations and problems. Whether we diligently search out a book or program that is best for a certain learning style, are able to ditch one thing that isn’t working well or is not as good as we thought it would be to find something better, we persevere. We work through stressful times, most of us don’t quit at the first hurdle.
So let’s rally together and support each other rather than playing games and being arrogant.
(Clarification added 4/26/06: I was annoyed with the chat on the chat list but didn't give my reaction/rant on the chat list to what the others were saying. After I made my book suggestion I stopped taking part in the discussion. Instead I ranted privately about it on my own PC to get it out of my system. And now I am sharing it with my blog readers. I am not a big fan of ranting on chat lists. It can be more trouble than it is worth. That chat list in particular tends to have 'fights' from time to time that I stay out of. I didn't want to be the person who started a 'fight'! Perhaps I should go back into the email archives and figure out who the mother was that asked the question and email her my blog entry? I don't think that I have the time to do that.)
Technorati Tags: homeschooling, homeschooling support, homeschooling methods, homeschooling through crisis, learning styles. | <urn:uuid:2dba8c1a-9d19-4f93-a4dd-f3d5427d786b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thethinkingmother.blogspot.com/2006/04/supporting-other-homeschoolers-and.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978968 | 1,936 | 1.664063 | 2 |
There’s an interesting development happening in professional sports—one that, it seems to me, should have team owners extremely worried.
It’s this: With ticket prices rising seemingly unchecked, and the quality of home entertainment systems rising, growing numbers of fans seem to feel that watching a game on their flat-screen (with 3-D?) for free is preferable to shelling out $100 for a ticket.
Consider the Mets. (If you must.)
The Journal reported yesterday that while the Mets’ home attendance has plummeted about 20% from last year—when the Mets introduced higher ticket prices, but also a new stadium, drawing curious fans—its TV ratings are doing extremely well.
For the more casual baseball follower, access to an LCD screen and other available technologies might make for a satisfactory simulation of a night at the park. Earlier this month, the Yankees played a game against the Seattle Mariners that the YES Network televised in 3D, and Sree Sreenivasan, the dean of students and a professor of digital media at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, pointed out that more sports fans are accustomed to the “three-screen effect.” That is, they are watching a game on their televisions, following it on their laptops and talking or text-messaging about it on their cell phones.
In other words, hardcore fans might actually want not to be at the game, so they can multi-analyze what’s happening. Which makes the Yankees’ decision to ban iPads from Yankee Stadium—on the grounds that they “may interfere with and/or distract any sports participant” (huh?)—all the more asine.
(The Yankees ban so much from Yankee Stadium, they might as well just go ahead and ban the fans.)
But how many casual fans will pay the price of a ticket?
Some team owners are clearly cognizant of this dilemma: As the Times reports today, in their new stadium, the Giants and Jets are countering the quality of home TV by installing larger and more video screens around the stadium.
In recent years, television coverage of the National Football League has become so rich and detailed that teams and stadiums have no choice but to respond with their own technology plays. Last spring the league’s commissioner,Roger Goodell, said the experience for fans in stadiums needed to be elevated to compete with television broadcasts, to keep fans engaged — and to keep them buying tickets — in a challenging economic climate.
The Giants and Jets are also creating iPhone apps pertaining to the game that will only work from inside the stadium. (Apparently they won’t be banning iPads.)
This may work, but I wonder. I haven’t been to the new Cowboys stadium, with its massive video screen—it’s about 80 yards long—that hangs like a LED zeppelin (sorry) over the field, but I’m sure that I’d find the screen distracting. As anyone who’s ever been to a rock show with video screens over the stage can tell you, it is oddly easier to watch the video than to watch the actual performers/players.
Then again, football has to do something, because for most people who aren’t completely football-obsessed, watching football on TV is really a better experience than going to the game. You can see what’s happening better, you have more access to relevant information (injuries, debated calls, etc.), the food is better and cheaper, there’s no traffic coming home from New Jersey.
So we may be moving towards some sort of multi-tasking viewing experience, in which watching a game means watching the field some of the time and electronic media the rest of the time. Doesn’t sound like much fun to me. But will people pay hundreds of dollars a ticket to multi-task as they would at home?
Or—and this is what I’d like to see—declining attendance because of high ticket prices will force the owners to get tough on salaries and cut ticket prices, and games may actually become somewhat affordable again. That’s probably the least likely outcome.
I have no idea which way this will go, but here’s one scenario that would be wonderful: Instead of spending so much time watching games, maybe Americans will spend more time playing them. | <urn:uuid:8d554a17-7934-4e39-b996-82d426bcd45e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.richardbradley.net/shotsinthedark/2010/07/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960252 | 901 | 1.546875 | 2 |
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Thursday, May 23, 2013
Bleeding and Clotting Disorders
Complication from bruise
Five months ago I ran into the corner of a table and bruised my thigh. The bruise has never fully gone away and I have recently noticed an indention in the muscle at the point of the bruise. What could this mean, and can I expect for it to finally fully heal? I am 36 years old and in good health. Thank you for your assistance.
You may have developed a hematoma at the site. Your physician will need to look at it to comment.
Eric H Kraut, MD
Professor of Hematology
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University | <urn:uuid:23a45ff1-d0b1-42b3-a770-35328849e037> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.netwellness.uc.edu/question.cfm/61610.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942586 | 177 | 1.570313 | 2 |
If the goal of terrorism is to cause terror, then the only way to combat terrorism is to not be terrified, right? That’s what I told myself when I decided not to change the plans I had made with a friend last week to see The Dark Knight Rises on her birthday Saturday in the wake of the Aurora shooting. I decided that the right thing to do was to soldier on as though it hadn’t happened. So I entered the crowded Arclight Hollywood Theater, just like I did last week to see Ted, to watch the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. It is a decision that I now strongly regret.
Within the first ten minutes, the violence depicted on screen did much to make me uneasy. I simply could not disconnect the images of a fictional masked individual filled with rage and unspeakable evil shooting innocent people from those of the very real super-villain who killed 12 people and injured 59 others on Friday.
As I watched the character Bane (Tom Hardy) open fire on the Gotham Stock Exchange, I felt nauseous. And it did not get better. Batman, the superhero, does not vanquish evil until the last possible minute (literally, as there is a countdown involved in the plot). So I sat in a theater for two hours and 45 minutes (the movie had no glimmers of hope or bits of comic relief to ease the tension) watching unrelenting terrorism because I was waiting for a hero to save the day.
But that sickness and sadness did not subside after Batman and Catwoman teamed up to defeat the psychopath at the very end of the movie. I had the same horrible sensation as I drove home, listening to the news on the radio about the victims of the Aurora shooting, one of whom was six years old.
I love going to the movies. I go to movies nearly every weekend. The movie theater is where I go to escape. It is where I feel comfortable and safe. It is where endings are always happy and where boy always gets girl. It is where I take comfort knowing that no matter how awful what I am watching on screen is, whether it be Something Borrowed or the violence in The Dark Knight Rises, it will be over soon and that it is not real.
I know that I am not alone in these feelings. I know that everyone who goes to see a horror movie in theaters is inwardly repeating that mantra of “it’s not real, it’s not real.” But after a man violates that sacred place where so many of us feel at home and murders 12 people, it’s much more difficult to say those words. For them it was very real. No part of me was able to enjoy The Dark Knight Rises knowing that while superheroes don’t exist, their foils most certainly do.
I don’t regret going to the theater. I think that we shouldn’t be frightened to go about our normal everyday activities after something like this, which includes escaping reality via the movies. If we are too scared to do that, then we are like the citizens of Gotham: imprisoned by one crazy evil person. That said, I wish I had seen a different movie. Instead of helping me to escape real life, The Dark Knight Rises pushed me further into a nightmareish reality I won't soon forget. | <urn:uuid:6d73e417-cf10-48cd-b233-abfebb1701e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cornellsun.com/node/52016 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968567 | 692 | 1.679688 | 2 |
abbyjean is a feminist with mental illness(es) living in sunny Southern California. She’s particularly interested in how race, class, spoken language, and other identities intersect with disability issues. She loves research and science and policy and hates it when people use junk science to justify bad policy. She also loves music and enthusiastic dancing. She has no real blog but posts a lot of clippings and such at her tumblr.
francis fox piven, who i utterly adore, has evidently been getting death threats after glenn beck has been targeting her on his show. that made it seem like a good time to talk about piven and her ideas and how vital they are in today’s economic and political climate.
i encountered piven in the context of learning the history of the united states welfare program and the history of public welfare programs overall. her book with richard cloward, regulating the poor: the functions of public welfare, is foundational reading if you have any interest in how governments have thought about and justified assistance to people in poverty For an overview of both the book and the history of western welfare programs, i highly recommend this pdf from the benchmark institute.]
the piven/cloward argument is that broad welfare programs and relief are intended first and foremost to prevent people in poverty from upsetting political stability. they’re designed to minimize and mute civil disorder by controlling enough of the unemployed to restore order. the main goal is to prevent civil unrest – rioting, protests, and anything else that would destabilize the existing political order. then, as unemployment declines and economic stability rises, the welfare system contracts, sending people back out into the workforce. this is an ongoing cycle, with regular expansions and contractions of the welfare program:
piven argues that the purpose and intention of welfare programs from the point of view of the government administering them – including unemployment insurance, disability insurance, etc – is to placate and prevent unrest against that government.
this kind of unrest is not unheard of by any means. take, for example, the 1932 bonus army riots in DC, when some 15,000 WWI veterans and their families went to DC to request payment of a bonus for military service. they’d been issued certificates that couldn’t be cashed until 1945 and many had been out of work since the beginning of the depression. president hoover and army chief of staff general douglas macarthur used US military troops to drive all of the veterans off government property, resulting in a melee with shots fired and veteran casualties. this is the kind of unrest these programs are designed to avoid.
programs today sound like they’re to help people and families. there’s temporary assistance to needy families (TANF), and the US just renamed the food stamp program as the supplemental nutrition assistance program. so it’s easy to think about them as charitable gifts to people who we want to do well, as the government stretching out a hand of assistance to those who need a little help. but they are about political control.
it’s easy to see why beck doesn’t like her. tea party conservatives like to think of welfare as uselessly throwing money into the air, creating a class of dependent infants incapable of providing for themselves. thinking of the poor as people who are being systemically denied human rights by a system that placates them in order to maintain power is directly opposed to beck’s view in every way. it describes people in poverty as worthy and independent and most of all potentially very powerful. it describes the welfare payment as essentially a payoff – scraps sufficient only to prevent them from demanding their due. | <urn:uuid:141af8f1-d016-4f9b-b289-dc63b9d1da17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://meloukhia.net/2011/01/guest_post_from_abby_jean_francis_fox_piven.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966116 | 751 | 1.695313 | 2 |
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