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The 2009 Report on Manufacturing Innerspring, Box Spring, Non-Innerspring, and Waterbed Mattresses: World Market Segmentation by City Description
This report was created for global strategic planners who cannot be content with traditional methods of segmenting world markets. With the advent of a “borderless world”, cities become a more important criteria in prioritizing markets, as opposed to regions, continents, or countries. This report covers the top 2000 cities in over 200 countries. It does so by reporting the estimated market size (in terms of latent demand) for each major city of the world. It then ranks these cities and reports them in terms of their size as a percent of the country where they are located, their geographic region (e.g. Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, Latin America), and the total world market.
In performing various economic analyses for its clients, I have been occasionally asked to investigate the market potential for various products and services across cities. The purpose of the studies is to understand the density of demand within a country and the extent to which a city mig | <urn:uuid:3c4ef135-cab2-4a2f-88ba-157ab2796fa2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://identi.ca/attachment/55942926 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952844 | 228 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Guest Author - Jay Shaffstall
Getting the right number of players for a game is a bit like getting the right amount of spice in a soup. It's partly a matter of personal preference, and partly a matter of what soup you're making.
The traditional number of players in role playing games is five or six.
This stems from the fact that Dungeons and Dragons is what most people started out playing, and a well rounded group of characters would represent the major classes, with a bit of extra combat power. So you'd have a thief, a wizard, a cleric, a couple of fighters, and maybe one of the other classes, too. You needed all those in the game because typical adventures required all the skills from those classes to succeed.
This runs against literary tradition, where you normally have lone heroes going against great odds, or a pair of protagonists fighting the good fight.
So what's right for your game?
Well, if you're running the traditional D&D game, you'll probably not have less than four players, just to make sure you have enough critical skills in play. If you have fewer than that, you'll probably be playing a bit loose with the rules and allowing plenty of creative solutions to problems. For example, if they don't have a thief, allow the fighter to disarm a trap by tossing a sword into the triggering mechanism.
One technique I used fairly often in my D&D campaigns was to run individual adventures for characters. This would be what their characters were doing between group adventures. These would let the thief plan out city jobs, tweak the thieves' guild, etc. A cleric might need to perform a task for her church, or convert unbelievers, or whatever. This allowed each character to shine in their solo adventure, and feel less like a cog in the party.
When I run Call of Cthulhu, I like to have a maximum of four players. While I've run with more, I find it easier to keep everyone involved with fewer. The mood of the game is such that you really want everyone into the game, not waiting for their chance to do something. Three players is probably my minimum with Call of Cthulhu, because you need to allow for some degree of character death or insanity.
Superhero games are another genre where the literary tradition has solo heroes against villains, with the occasional team up between heroes. The technique I used with my D&D campaigns works well with these sorts of games, too. Another that works well is to have each player create a hero and a villain character, and for one player's hero to be the spotlight character for an adventure. The other players would play their villain characters that time.
The perfect number of players also depends on your gaming group. I've played with some groups that needed a large number of players to have the social aspect to play. Other groups have worked well with fewer players.
So you'll have to figure out what works best for your group, based on the games you're playing and the sort of players you have.
Ultimately, though, if you have people willing to play, that's probably your ideal number! | <urn:uuid:7c3eb4b4-1c88-4205-96de-13ef4bfa7810> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art47684.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980246 | 639 | 1.578125 | 2 |
What We Do
The Affordable Housing Department will provide an opportunity for our constituents to understand, achieve, and reaffirm self-sufficiency through homeownership counseling and workshops for low-to-moderate income families. The following counseling services are provided by our Tucson Urban League staff:
Read more about Affordable Housing
The Henry Ryan and Henry Quinto Learning Centers provide childcare services to children ages 1-12. Both centers provide specifically designed curriculums for the following age groups: 1-2 year olds, 3-5 year olds and school aged children. Visit our centers today so we can meet your childcare needs.
Read more about Childcare Centers
Our Employment and Training Department provides a full spectrum of employment related services, including youth and adult on-the-job training, assistance for school, job placement and summer jobs for youth. Dedicated staff works to prepare youth, adults and dislocated workers for jobs in high demand sectors.
Read more about Employment and Training
The Computer Clubhouse Provides a creative and safe after-school learning environment run by the Tucson Urban League located at 2305 S. Park Avenue. The Computer Clubhouse enables young people to work with adult mentors to explore their own interest, develop skills , and build confidence in themselves through the use of technology.
Read more about Intel Computer Clubhouse
Project YES provides after-school tutoring and mentoring services to children grades K-8 focusing on academic achievement and the development of positive social skills. Each day participants receive homework help and tutoring services in reading, writing and math from caring and dedicated professionals. Youth participants also receive instruction in computer technology, intramural sports, and arts and crafts.
Read more about Project YES Tutoring and Mentoring Program
The Tucson Urban League is dedicated to promoting independence and the free exercise of all individuals in the planning and management of their own lives. This program provides basic support services to Tucson’s low-income aging population to reduce stress and promote health through nutritious meals in a congregate setting, transportation, preventative health services and the opportunity to socialize with their community.
Read more about Seniors’ Breakfast and Lunch Program
The TUL Athletics provides fun, dynamic and structured recreational activities to youth between the ages of 6 - 23. We provide the community with a calendar of events that range from daily fitness classes, specialized MMA/boxing training, basketball tournaments, and kickball tournaments as well as after school programming for elementary and middle school children. Additionally, participants are offered nutritional information and taught the importance of proper nutrition and how it relates to their everyday lives.
Read more about Sports Development (TUL Athletics)
The Tucson Urban League is here to lend a helping hand with your utility and rental bills. The utility and rental services provide rental and Mortgage assistance; emergency gas, electric and water assistance; and utility repair and replacement services to economically disadvantaged adults and families residing within the city limits of Tucson.
Read more about Utility Assistance
The Tucson Urban League Weatherization Program enables low-income households to reduce their utility bills by making their homes more energy efficient. An emphasis is placed on assisting the elderly, the disabled, and high energy users. The following services are offered through the program: | <urn:uuid:e390f591-617a-487e-b499-f3a4f51bc0eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tucsonurbanleague.org/what-we-do | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942429 | 650 | 1.578125 | 2 |
WASHINGTON -- With time growing short and warnings more dire, the first, fragile signs emerged Thursday of a possible compromise to raise the nation's debt limit and avert a potentially catastrophic default on Aug. 2.
Under a plan discussed by the Senate's top two leaders, President Obama would receive enhanced authority to raise the debt limit at the same time procedures would be set in motion that could lead to federal spending cuts.
Word that Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky were at work on the fallback plan came as Obama and congressional leaders met for a fifth straight day in debt-crisis talks at the White House.
McConnell pronounced the session a good one and said, "We're going to continue to discuss a way forward over the next couple of days and see what happens."
A White House official said congressional leaders would consult with their rank-and-file members on the spending cuts and tax increases proposed by one side or the other so far, and negotiators would probably meet during the weekend.
The day's events were shadowed by warnings from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jaime Dimon.
Speaking separately, the two men admonished bickering lawmakers that failure to avoid an unprecedented default could have a devastating effect on an already anemic U.S. economy.
Adding to the urgency, Moody's Investor Service has announced it is reviewing America's bond rating for a possible downgrade, and there was growing concern overseas, too. A Chinese rating agency, Dagong Global Credit Rating Co., also advised of a possible downgrade, and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: "We hope that the U.S. government adopts a responsible policy to ensure the interests of the investors."
It was unclear when McConnell and Reid might unveil their legislation, or whether they would first present their ideas to Obama and others involved in the daily meetings at the White House.
McConnell said the plans had not been discussed at Thursday's White House session, which lasted less than 90 minutes.
One option under discussion by the Senate leaders is creation of a group of lawmakers who could recommend spending cuts, possibly including changes in benefit programs, that would be guaranteed a yes-or-no vote in Congress.
Another would be to couple any presidential request for a debt increase with spending cuts, including some that have emerged in private talks led first by Vice President Joe Biden, and now by Obama.
The seriousness of the situation was underscored throughout the day.
Testifying before a Senate panel, Bernanke said a default would deal a "self-inflicted wound" to the nation's economy, driving up interest rates and slowing recovery from the deep recession.
Dimon, speaking to reporters in New York, said default could prove catastrophic. "Why take that chance? I wouldn't take that chance," he said, answering his own rhetorical question.
Obama met with congressional leaders at the White House for a fifth straight day, although press secretary Jay Carney cautioned not to expect a "hallelujah moment" when it was over.
Talks have been stymied by a dispute over tax increases as part of any deal to cut future deficits. Obama and Democrats want them, while Republicans don't. The concept under discussion by the Senate leaders is a more elaborate version of a plan McConnell suggested earlier in the week to a less-than-enthusiastic reception from conservatives.
In his first substantive remarks on McConnell's initial suggestion, Speaker John Boehner told reporters, "What may look like something less than optimal today, if we're unable to get an agreement might look pretty good a few weeks from now."
Carney said if there was no progress toward a bipartisan agreement on cuts by Friday, "then we have to begin looking at making sure that we fulfill our obligations to uphold the credit rating of the United States."
He did not elaborate.
Whatever choice was made, it was clear time was running out.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner met privately at the Capitol with Senate Democrats, emerging to say: "We have no way to give Congress more time to solve this problem."
So the alarms covered a broad front: Geithner is a senior official in the Obama administration, Bernanke is the nation's central banker and Dimon the head of one of Wall Street's best-known firms.
Similar warnings have been directed at lawmakers repeatedly since Geithner announced that Aug. 2 was essentially the day of reckoning.
The Treasury has been relying on unusual measures since early May to avoid breaching the current debt ceiling, which stands at $14.3 trillion.
Congress and the White House have responded to the warnings with a spate of high-profile meetings -- but little if any apparent progress toward a solution.
Boehner also took steps during the day to present a common front with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, his second-in-command, who has seemed at times to take a dominant role in the White House talks.
Reid criticized Cantor in unusually personal remarks on the Senate floor, saying he "has shown he shouldn't be at the table."
"And Republicans agree he shouldn't be at the table," he added, referring to published accounts of other GOP lawmakers criticizing Cantor anonymously.
Cantor brushed aside the criticism, and Boehner came to his defense at a news conference. "We have been in this fight together," he said, placing his arm around Cantor's shoulder, adding that any report that the Virginian has been "anything less than helpful is just wrong. ... We're in the foxhole."
Cantor and other members of the party leadership balked several days ago when Boehner privately shared details of a possible sweeping deal with Obama that could have meant higher taxes. The speaker announced he would no longer pursue the plan.
Apart from his role in the White House talks, Cantor staged a high-profile walkout from an earlier set of negotiations led by Biden, irritating some Democrats who noted the talks were near an end anyway.
Ironically, the cuts aired in those earlier conservations have moved center-stage in the White House talks, according to officials in both parties.
And Thursday's talks involving Obama were expected to focus in part on cuts in benefit programs, and in part on Democratic calls for higher government revenues -- the very subject that triggered Cantor's earlier walkout.
Democrats have worked assiduously to exploit any differences between the two men. And for now, at least, the attention focused on Republicans has largely obscured the deep divisions among Democrats over the wisdom of reining in the cost of politically popular benefit programs such as Medicare and Social Security.
For their part, Republicans have advanced a stream of conservative proposals that have little chance of clearing a Democratic-controlled Senate.
At a news conference during the day, 10 Republicans took turns making the case for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, expected to come to a vote in the House next week.
Asked if the spending plan they had pushed through the House earlier this year would comply at any point in the next decade with their constitutional amendment, Boehner said, "I don't know, you'll have to ask" Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the Budget Committee and the plan's principal author.
The House-GOP-passed budget would generate deficits for more than a decade into the future, according to the Congressional Budget Office, and add about $9 trillion to the current debt in 10 years. | <urn:uuid:9e28c69b-f85c-41bf-9405-b497fe92d42a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2011/jul/14/debt-talks-bring-possible-compromise/?opinion | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973411 | 1,519 | 1.59375 | 2 |
When we got to Costa Rica, we arrived in the city of San Jose. We're going to be in Costa Rica for three weeks, but we had no plans when we got here. But Mom found a good place for us to start and it turned out to be great. Its name is Turtle Beach Lodge and it was an amazing place. Our guide's name was Mario and he was really knowledgeable. We really liked him.
When we got to Turtle Beach Lodge it was raining, but we didn't mind. After dinner we went on a night walk through the rain forest. We saw two red-eyed tree frogs mating. We were lucky we saw them mating on a branch so low to the ground, since normally they're really high up and you wouldn't get to see them.
The next day we went on a hike to see more animals in the forest. It was really fun because Mario found all kinds of cool stuff, like frogs and lizards. He showed us one tree, that when you cut a piece of the bark, there is this liquid the oozes out and the liquid tasted like marshmallows. We even tried it. Mario showed us a tree where these little bats had made a tent out of a big leaf. None of us had ever seen anything like that, so we were all excited to see them. There was this one spot during our walk where we were surrounded by spider monkeys swinging from tree to tree. Spider monkeys are the most acrobatic monkeys in the world and they were amazing to watch.
For some more adventure, we went zip-lining in the jungle. The zip line was so fun. I loved seeing the jungle from the tops of trees, not the ground. My dad also made video of us doing it, which we were calling the "canopy cam," so check out this video:
That night we went to see a "Caiman Catcher" named Josh. Josh is actually a scientist working at a research center and he goes out in the canals at night to count caimans, so they can tell how healthy the population is. Caimans are like little crocodiles. We went out on Josh's boat with Mario as a driver while Tyler and I helped Josh look for caimans. We found some right away and they were babies. Josh caught one of the baby caimans and he let me hold it. Later on, Josh caught another one that was a yard long, so that was awesome to see a bigger caiman. That one was too big for us to hold, but he let my dad help release it back into the water.
Later Josh found a snake that he had been looking for for months, so he was really excited. It was so funny because before he caught the snake he said, "it's going to bite me." When he caught it, the snake did not bite him because he knew exactly how to hold it and was really calm about handling the snake, so the snake didn't feel scared.
We spent most of the next day out on the lagoons and canals looking for more cool stuff. We saw a river otter in the water, swimming and playing. We really wanted to see an otter when we were in the Amazon, but didn't, so we were very happy to see one here. We then spent the afternoon canoeing and we saw white-faced capuchins. Monkeys are my favorite and they were so cute.
I loved Turtle Beach Lodge and our guide Mario.
'Till the next post! | <urn:uuid:2d6719f1-5b8b-4130-860b-805f94434b1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/archive-blogs/globalbros/2009/06/costa-rica-stefan.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991477 | 724 | 1.632813 | 2 |
San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park
When it comes to zoos and wildlife, San Diego offers animal aficionados two of the most incredible zoos in the world, both of them run by the same nonprofit organization, the San Diego Zoological Society. Each of these attractions will provide at least one full day's worth of entertainment that's suitable for the entire family.
The San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego
Open every day, including all holidays. See Chapter 6 for prices.
Located in Balboa Park near downtown San Diego, the 100-acre San Diego Zoo is home to more than 4,000 rare and endangered animals. Its grounds also hold a prominent botanical collection featuring more than 700,000 exotic plants. Some of the most popular creatures here include black-and-white pandas and the largest collection of koalas outside Australia.
RAINY DAY FUN
It seldom rains hard in San Diego, and animals are sometimes more active when it's cool and damp outside. Bring rain gear and enjoy them. On the few really rainy days, the bus tour will keep you dry, and you can focus on the indoor exhibits such as the nursery, reptiles, and other indoor areas.
When you first arrive at the San Diego Zoo, pick a place to meet in case your group gets separated or splits up on purpose. The Flamingo Lagoon near the entrance is a good spot, and you can watch the colorful orange birds while you wait. Walk there together so everyone knows where it is.
The majority of the San Diego Zoo's animals live in natural habitats, including the following.
Red-haired orangutans and black siamangs, both indigenous to the same Asian rain forest ecosystem, share a jungle habitat. It offers them plenty of places to climb and swing, just as they would in their home forests.
The petting zoo and animal nursery are a big hit with adults as well as kids.
More than seventy of the large, coral-colored birds make their home in the lagoon, and they've been a favorite since the zoo first opened in 1916.
Giant Panda Research Station
One of the zoo's most popular areas ever since giant pandas Basi and Yuan Yuan took up residence in 1987, the panda viewing area has been expanded to allow more and better views of the current residents. When a newborn panda is on hand, lines grow quite long and the exhibit may close periodically to keep the mother and baby from getting too stressed.
Gorilla Tropics/Scripps Aviary
A simulated rain forest is home to the zoo's gorilla family, a troop of bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees), white-fringed colubus monkeys, and a flock of free-flying birds who roost in the aviary.
The equatorial rain forest setting is designed to mimic the real Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Swamp monkeys and river otters are the exhibit's most entertaining creatures. They play together, with the monkeys trying to grab the otters' tails or hitch a ride on their backs. Their companions include hippos, guenons, and monkeys.
A variety of unusual animals live in a replica of an East African kopje (a little hill or rocky island in the middle of grassland). The lions live with klipspringers, dwarf mongooses, and Bateleur eagles.
Monkey Trails & Forest Tales
A forested canyon is home to golden-bellied mangabeys, Schmidt's guenons, large and colorful mandrills (all of them monkeys), exotic birds, pygmy hippos, and a clouded leopard, as well as many other creatures.
Polar Bear Plunge
This chilly environment houses not only polar bears, but also other Arctic animals such as Siberian reindeer, Pallas's cats, and diving birds. You can watch the polar bears swimming underwater as well as on dry land. You'll see a herd of reindeer in the exhibit behind the white bears, just as you might in the wild, but they're safely separated by a protective moat. The diving ducks are also fun to watch.
Rain Forest Aviary
The path through this free-flight aviary leads down from the treetops to the forest floor, and along the way, you will see hundreds of Asian tropical birds.
An amazing collection of slithery pythons, cobras, boas, tortoises, rattlesnakes, and gila monsters live here, along with Galapagos tortoises and other reptiles.
Sun Bear Forest
Energetic Bornean sun bears — named for the yellow patch on their chest — are zoo favorites, climbing trees and looking great for all the photos that get snapped while they're in action.
Malayan tigers live in this rain forest environment, where they have a flowing river and waterfall. They share their home with longsnouted Malayan tapirs and web-footed fishing cats.
Wings of Australasia
You'll see a colorful collection of over 100 birds native to Australasia (Australia, New Guinea, Tasmania, and the surrounding islands), including wrinkled hornbills and Micronesian kingfishers.
Elsewhere in the zoo, you'll find elephants, giraffes, zebras, koalas, and many more creatures to enjoy. Daily shows feature sea lions or explore predators and prey.
Zoo visitors can take a thirty-five-minute guided bus tour to get oriented, and the Skyfari Aerial Tram can be a great shortcut across the park as well as a way to see what the place looks like from above.
JUST FOR PARENTS
The San Diego Zoo allows you to get close to many exotic animals not found in other zoos and offers a variety of animal experiences. However, the animals are kept in a somewhat artificial setting compared to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, where several species live together in groups on spread-out areas, more as they do in the wild. If you have time to see only one of the parks, choose the experience you think you and your children will like best.
For a special (albeit simulated) adventure, try the ENTCO Wild Earth Safari Ride, an interactive experience that takes a driver and photographer on a quest for that “perfect” picture.
If you're in the area when one is scheduled, the overnight Safari Sleepovers are quite popular and a lot of fun. During these fun events, you and the kids aged four and up can enjoy special activities, sleep overnight at the zoo, and enjoy breakfast the next morning before you leave. When evaluating the cost of these special events, don't forget that you will not need a hotel room for the night.
Allow a full day to see everything at the zoo, or if you have less time, pick the most interesting areas and skip the rest. Plenty of walking is required and almost all of the exhibits are outdoors.
The San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park are about thirty miles apart, and if you try to see them both in the same day, you'll end up seeing nothing at either one.
The San Diego Wild Animal Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido
Open daily, including all holidays. See Chapter 6 for prices.
Of all the zoos in America, this one is among the most spectacular in terms of visual appeal, home to 3,500 animals representing more than 400 species.
When you arrive at the Wild Animal Park, pick a place for your group to meet in case you get separated or decide to split up. Just like in the San Diego Zoo, the flamingo lagoon is a good place to meet.
RAINY DAY FUN
Much of the Wild Animal Park is in the open. The Wgasa Bush Railway cars have a roof (but no sides) and may be dry enough if it's not raining too hard. If it's raining hard, you may be better off heading somewhere else.
Most of the animals at the Wild Animal Park don't live in cages, but in habitats where many species roam freely together, as they would in the wild. Guests travel through these areas in an open-sided tram, with a tour guide to explain what you're seeing. The fifty-five-minute Wgasa Bush Line Railway tour (included in your admission) is a highlight, but it's not the only thing to do at the Wild Animal Park. Exhibits include:
This open aviary boasts rare species seldom seen in the wild, prehistoric-looking African open-billed storks, and a host of other feathered creatures.
Besides exhibiting North America's biggest flying bird (the California Condor), this area is home to big-horned sheep and thick-billed parrots.
Heart of Africa
Okapis, warthogs, giraffes, and cheetahs are just some of the eleven species of mammals and twenty species of birds found here.
A thick glass window keeps you safe from the lions, but you can watch them close-up.
Buy a cup of nectar for $2 before you enter this fun exhibit. The next thing you know, your hand, shoulders, and arms will become a perch for a handful of hungry lorikeets (colorful birds a little bigger than a parakeet).
The park has four Asian elephants and four African elephants, and this overlook puts you in the middle so you can watch them all.
Inside this glass-walled greenhouse, you can get a look at smaller creatures such as butterflies, small birds, and insects.
Kilimanjaro Safari Walk
A two-mile walking trail gives you a chance to slow down and see some of the animals in the East Africa Field Exhibit.
Other areas to visit in the Wild Animal Park include the Petting Kraal and Animal Care Center. If you're hungry, you'll find places to eat in Nairobi Village.
The Wild Animal Park also offers a wide range of special activities, including bird and elephant shows, and their animal encounters provide a chance to see some of the animals up-close and learn about them from their trainers.
You and your kids may enjoy one of the park's sleepovers, when the family can stay in the park after closing time, enjoy special activities, sleep in a safari tent, and have breakfast before leaving the next day, or if you'd like to stay late but would rather sleep somewhere else, their Roar and Snore programs offer an after-hours look at the park.
Besides all of this, you can get a bird's-eye view of the park in a helium-filled balloon, take a photo safari, get close to the cheetahs, and ride an animal-themed carousel. Special programs for adults only include behind-the-scenes tours and visits to the animal conservation center and veterinary center. For more information about these tours and activities, call the Wild Animal Park or visit their Web site. | <urn:uuid:d0346d8b-b5f5-4cbf-b07c-4444399aa622> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.netplaces.com/family-guide-to-disneyland/exploring-san-diego/san-diego-zoo-and-wild-animal-park.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93412 | 2,282 | 1.796875 | 2 |
At Least One Poll Goes Obama's Way
President Obama may be losing the electorate on spending, health insurance and grandma's life prospects, but his education policies seem to be winning the nation's heart. The 41st annual Phi Delta Kappa International/Gallup poll of attitudes toward public schools, released this week, shows Americans, like their leader, strongly favor public charter schools and merit pay for teachers.
Like the president, the 1,003 poll respondents are disenchanted with the No Child Left Behind Act, which seeks to force change in schools that do not raise achievement. But they still want annual testing to see how their kids and their schools are doing. The count on NCLB is 48 percent unfavorable and 28 percent favorable. Sixty-six percent favor and 34 percent oppose annual testing.
The margin in favor of charter schools is 64 percent to 33 percent, up from a narrower 49 to 41 percent finding in 2005. Respondents favor merit pay 72 to 21 percent.
And not that anybody cares but me, but these erudite poll respondents think we education reporters are doing a swell job, sort of. Seventy four percent say they are well informed about their local public school situation, compared to 26 percent who say they are not. I must also reveal that when asked if they thought the new media gave a fair and accurate picture of the schools in their community, the vote was closer: 56 percent yes and 42 percent no.
Posted by: catoctin_joe | August 31, 2009 12:44 AM | Report abuse
The comments to this entry are closed. | <urn:uuid:f5e3b423-61f5-4094-92f5-126d6ecde2d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2009/08/at_least_one_poll_goes_obamas.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966734 | 324 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Continuing the exploration of character & performance, Episode 5 digs deeper into what actors want & how the writer & director
can construct a work of cinema that allows for real 3D characters to emerge. Featuring Miranda Otto & Jeremy Sims.
Tags:How to Create a Better Story Using Motion Sketches,celtx,filmmaking,pre-production,screenwriting,scriptwriting
Grab video code:
Male 2: Who is this man? What is he wants? What is he trying to hide? Where he had been? What is he think?
Miranda Otto: Yes, some of you have money. You do something in any. It does well and you feel like, you know, you knowing yourself, you feel like chase something and then you think coming off that you think, “Oh, I know how to act. I can do this.”
It is easy going to a next project and you are going in for the first rate assigned and you sit down and then, you go, “I got no idea.” I do not know? So, every time I part something, it never seems to be alright. He is my next I know I am going to do it.
You know, like in film a lot of the times, people make it easy for you. You feel it not so much but in film they make it easy because you know, if it is a kitchen you are in a kitchen. So, you do not have to imaging inside the kitchen.
So, sometimes I think your imagination gets a bit shot down. So, when with green screen, you back, using your imagination. I mean, how to keep still it. They run around the playground, I am being chase by something and I am stabbing it, and you just have to let your imagination go.
Jeremy Sims: Basically, really good actors can put there heads and rub there tummy at the same time.
Miranda Otto: Part of the key light doing, I think, the greatest thing you could be is not being afraid to file. I think that is the one thing that hold a lot of this back is being afraid to be inappropriate and being afraid to file, and being afraid to be metaphor in some way, or being in a situation that is unsecured.
Male 2: Most writing how to books, focus on the notion of creating three dimensional characters. Obviously, one dimensional characters are in the script, just to move the plot along.
Bad guys in the westerns are just mad. They wear black, they have scars, they abuse animals, nothing they say or do inside a movie except revenge or greed. They are plot devices.
We do not care about them but imaging a villain who you would like. Who we understand. Who we care about. Even when they are doing a upholding things. This is a three dimensional character. This is something in an actor, can see bit teeth into.
The character shade is a writers best weapon. No one may ever read it but you and that is okay. The character is your place to play. It is your place to play and fresh out the character. The things you would like here may never end up in the script but detail description of the physical traits, the height and weight. They are in sequence what drives and what does not.
The history, the unresolved conflict with your mother. May all have no tangible part of the screen play that they inform the writing. They inform there character, that can be inhabit by an actor. The crucial part is not to be afraid to throw this things in and then throw them away.
Miranda Otto: I often sit down and start running a biography and you know, I will sit down and know about you. What dates would I have gone to high school and where would I. And all those things in the end they just completely unimportant but the process of doing that, actually can take you somewhere.
So, a lot of it, you cannot play it. You cannot use it but some how the fact you have done it, can be really useful. Just sitting and thinking it through is a good thing but you can exactly get and go. Okay, in this scene, I am going to show that I went to high school in, you know, 1942 and it was an all girl school. You cannot, but to know it your mind means that it may come in use somewhere, you know.
It just means that in some way you flesh out the character to yourself. So, that when you are in any situation, you feel like you know who you are and what you would do. You are not sort of less stranded thinking. I do not know what I do in this scene.
Jeremy Sims: I am kind of structure Nazi, you know. I like to beat it out and block out and work out what it is, you know. What is the controlling idea of the story and in what does my character illuminate that story or work against it, and if that is the case, they want kiss scene, and if that the case, I think for this are all those, all those reasons are on become a director and a producer.
Male 2: Of course great performances are not just made from the interpretation of the dialogue and the characters on the page. Great performances are made in casting. That process of casting, finding the right feet for the character is a crucial creative role in developing the film. So, from Writer, to director, to producer, through casting agent that process of casting and understanding what the production is looking for is crucial.
Do not be afraid to think about casting. Do not be afraid to imagine who might play the role. Your budget may not be able to afford Al Pacino but that type of person might be exactly who you are looking for and the process of imagining that role, imagining that actor might be just what you need to kick start that next great scene.
Miranda Otto: I think the great thing to do when you first read the script is make a bunch of know it, so that is first rate because you will never have the first rate again. Every time you come back to it, you will always come back to it, which what you already know about it and but sometimes when I have written original know it. so, go back to them when I am working and some of the original as the are the key things that I can work from, you know.
My first impression of things. It starts to get muddy the sooner you start to talk to other people about it and all that it gets filtered in some way. You learn more as you talk but you never had that first impulse again.
Male 1: Do not treat your characters as spokes people for a cause. Do not let them say everything you want them to say. Create characters that have motivations and desires and let them say the unexpected.
Great writing for performance is not about writing great dialogue for actors to say. It is about writing great characters from which play performances can come from actions, desires, motivations, and the unexpected.
This is the playground you are going to let your actors play it. Give them space and they will reward you with the most the most unexpected things that you can never write.
Male 1: I do not know what acting is?
Male 3: Alright, that is really nice. That is a great word. | <urn:uuid:630668ce-3316-4990-9a68-cae38d2831bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://on.aol.com/video/how-to-create-a-better-story---motion-sketches-5-24113561 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977633 | 1,520 | 1.703125 | 2 |
In STACK’s discussions with pro athletes about training gear, one item is frequently left out of the conversation—although a majority of pro athletes use it every day. It’s not cleats, bats, balls or shoes: it’s the mouth guard. Of course, Defender has just the answer with their new “Pro” Mouthguard.
Defender President Joe Pipolo states:
If you’re able to wear a mouth guard like ours, which keeps the lower jaw slightly open and in a slightly forward position, it gives you that pocket of protection, limiting the risk of concussion from a blow. A protective mouth guard like ours gives you a little bit of cushion between the chewing surfaces of the teeth while keeping your lower jaw out of the socket at the base of the brain, which is where you get the concussion from impact. A mouth guard should be your best defense against sports-related dental injury. [But] that’s only true if it’s in your mouth.
Read the article in its entirety at STACK Magazine. | <urn:uuid:40902dd5-2c5d-4c7e-988a-76b48e764e87> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lacrosseplayground.com/defender-mouthguards-mentioned-in-stack-magazine/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938346 | 222 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Benedict and the Lefebvrites; Speaking with Fr. Franz Schmidberger and the Vatican; The skittishness was palpable
By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Rarely has a 35-minute audience, one that didn't even appear on the pope's official list of engagements, made as much of a splash as Benedict XVI's "private" Aug. 29 encounter with Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior of the Society of St. Pius X, the body founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
The "Lefebvrites," known for their adherence to the pre-Vatican II rite of the Mass, split with the Vatican in 1988 when Lefebvre ordained four bishops without the pope's permission.
Benedict has a personal history on this score. It was then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who, in 1988, was asked by John Paul II to oversee negotiations to avoid just such a schism. Ratzinger worked out a "protocol of agreement" with Lefebvre, promising to appoint a bishop to head the society, and requiring only that the Lefebvrites approach doctrinal disputes with "a positive attitude of study and of communication with the Apostolic See, avoiding all polemics."
(CNS/ Catholic Press Photo, CIRIC) Schismatic Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X, is seen near a portrait of Pope Piux X in Econe, Switzerland, in this Sept. 17, 2004, file photo.
Lefebvre, however, balked at the last minute and went ahead with the ordinations. In response, John Paul excommunicated Lefebvre and the four bishops (including Fellay). Lefebvre died in 1991.
Today, the Society of St. Pius X claims roughly 200,000 followers worldwide in 27 nations, with 450 priests, 180 seminarians, 50 brothers and 110 sisters, six seminaries, three universities, and 20 secondary schools and 50 primary schools.
After Fellay's plans for a meeting with the pope became public in July, the Catholic rumor mill had been awash with speculation. Some felt that Benedict XVI would announce a universal "indult," or permission, for celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Missal, the last before the reforms of Vatican II. Others felt the pope would offer the Lefebvrites a special juridical structure, such as an apostolic administration. (A similar strategy was employed in 2001 to reintegrate a group of traditionalist Catholics in Campos, Brazil). Part of this deal, according to the speculation, would have involved "regularization" of marriages performed by Lefebvrite priests and annulments handed out by their tribunals.
None of this came to pass, at least in the immediate wake of the meeting. Instead, both sides issued statements commenting on the positive atmosphere and vowing to proceed "by degrees," but both in their own way acknowledging the serious difficulties that remain.
That doesn't mean, however, that the encounter is without interest.
* * *
On Friday, Sept. 2, I spoke by phone with Fr. Franz Schmidberger, the current number two official in the Society of St. Pius X, and the man who did the preparatory work for the Aug. 29 meeting between Fellay and the pope. Schmidberger was Lefebvre's first successor as Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X.
It was Schmidberger who preached the homily at Lefebvre's April 1991 funeral in Ecône, Switzerland.
In the lead-up to the Aug. 29 encounter, Schmidberger said he met in Rome with five cardinals and other officials of the Roman Curia, including Colombian Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, head of the Ecclesia Dei Commission created in 1988 to meet the pastoral needs of Catholics attached to the old Mass. Those five cardinals, he said, included three currently in the Vatican and two who are retired. Aside from Castrillón Hoyos, he declined to name the cardinals involved.
Schmidberger told me that he believes reconciliation between Rome and the Lefebvrites "is a question of some years, rather than months."
Schmidberger said he was bothered by a Vatican statement after the meeting which spoke of moving towards full communion.
"We have always considered ourselves to be in full communion with Rome," he said. "Talk of restoring 'full communion' is psychological rather than theological."
That Vatican statement also spoke of moving forward by "degrees," so I asked Schmidberger what those degrees might be.
Schmidberger cited the two pre-conditions that have routinely been laid down by the Lefebvrites: the pope should acknowledge the right of any priest to celebrate the pre-Vatican II Mass, and the Vatican should stop referring to the "excommunications" of the four bishops consecrated by Lefebvre in 1988.
At the same time, Schmidberger said, for its part the society should "multiply our contacts with the bishops and the Roman Curia."
Then, Schmidberger said, "We have to have serious conversations about the Second Vatican Council."
"There are many points we simply do not agree with," he said.
Schmidberger cited the council's ecumenical teaching, which he characterized as, "The Holy Ghost has used other denominations as means of salvation." This, Schmidberger said, is unacceptable.
He said the same point applies to the council's teaching on other religions.
Schmidberger also said the society "cannot accept" the council's teaching on religious liberty.
"This is not because it is our position, or because we want to puff ourselves up with glory, but because it is in contradiction with what other popes have said," Schmidberger said. "It is in contradiction, for example, with what Pius IX said in the encyclical Quanta Cura. I really don't see how these two things can be reconciled."
Issued in 1864, Quanta Cura was accompanied by Pius IX's famous Syllabus of Errors, in which religious liberty was denounced as "liberty of perdition."
Finally, Schmidberger pointed to the Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes, which in paragraph 12 says that "all things on earth should be ordained to man as to their center and summit."
"We do not agree," Schmidberger said. "The center and summit must be God."
"These are very substantial points," he said. "It's not just a matter of working out a few minor things."
I asked Schmidberger if, in his view, these theological debates had to be resolved before the Lefebvrites could be reconciled with Rome.
"No, but we have to be able to express our reservations about the council," he said. "We must have this liberty. We must be able to criticize the council. … It's for the welfare of the church. There are profound wounds coming forth from this, and those wounds must be healed."
Hence, Schmidberger said, it's not that Rome must renounce chunks of Vatican II before "normalization" can occur. It's rather that, from the Lefebvrite point of view, a right to challenge the council's teaching must be guaranteed.
Schmidberger, who was present for Benedict XVI's meeting with Fellay, said the pope said nothing about any of this.
"But we are patient," he said. "We have waited years. We can go on waiting."
Finally, Schmidberger addressed what he described as a "calumny" against the Lefebvrites: that they do not accept popes since John XXIII as legitimate.
"We always have held to the pope, we pray for him, and we insert his name in the canon of the Mass," Schmidberger said. "This is an attempt to mix us up with other agendas."
* * *
Both John Paul II and now Benedict XVI have reached out to the Lefebvrites in ways that they have not with other "dissident" factions. This has puzzled some observers, who wonder why Rome has gone to such lengths to reconcile with the Society of St. Pius X, which, after all, has roughly the contours of a mid-sized diocese.
I spoke with a senior Vatican official on this point on Tuesday, Aug. 30. He observed that the Lefebvrites represent the only formal schism in the church in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, which creates a special set of problems. The heart of his answer has to do with the distinction in Catholic theology between the "validity" and the "licitness" of a sacrament.
To take an example, according to Catholic theology, whenever a legitimate Catholic priest celebrates the Eucharist, the sacrament is valid -- the bread and wine really do become the body and blood of Christ. Yet canon law restricts the number of times a priest can say Mass on a given day, twice on weekdays and three times on Sunday. If a Catholic takes communion at a priest's third Mass on a Tuesday, he or she is still receiving the Body of Christ, but it's not "licit" and the priest could get into trouble for doing it (depending on the circumstances).
Hence "validity" has to do with sacramental theology, "licitness" with the requirements of canon law.
Applied to the Lefebvrites, the point is that the bishops consecrated by Lefebvre are fully valid, meaning that they have an undeniable claim to apostolic succession. The priestly ordinations they in turn perform are also valid, albeit illicit. Thus the Lefebvrites can in effect build a parallel church, the legitimacy of which the Vatican cannot challenge, even if it is outside church law.
This is what makes the Lefebvrite situation different, according to the senior Vatican source, from other groups of disaffected Catholics. The concerns of other groups represent a pastoral challenge, but the Lefebvrites are a genuine ecclesiological nightmare -- legitimately ordained bishops acting outside of communion with the pope, spawning an entire ecclesiastical structure that Rome is constrained to recognize but cannot control.
This Vatican official said that it's not just that Benedict XVI sympathizes with some criticisms of the post-Vatican II liturgical reforms, or that as a basic conservative he's more open to the Lefebvrites than, say, to Voice of the Faithful, or that he has a sense of unfinished business from 1988 (however true all these points may be).
At bottom, the official said, any pope would feel a special urgency to try to resolve an honest-to-God schism, because it risks further formal division in Christianity, which, among other things, runs contrary to everything the ecumenical movement has tried to achieve over the past 40 years.
* * *
Both sides were eager not to over-play the Aug. 29 meeting.
As noted above, the Vatican didn't put the meeting on the pope's official list of audiences, and care was taken to ensure that TV crews did not get images of Fellay entering or exiting Castel Gandolfo. Neither Navarro nor any other Vatican official gave on-camera remarks about the encounter.
On the part of the Lefebvrites, the skittishness was palpable.
Journalists had been sent a communiqué by the Italian branch of the society on Wednesday of the week before the meeting, which triggered an avalanche of requests for interviews with Fellay. Spokespersons told journalists that their plans were not yet clear, but if Fellay said anything to the press, it would be at the society's headquarters in Albano, not far away from Castel Gandolfo.
During the morning of Aug. 29, however, spokespersons did not return phone calls.
The result was that a group of journalists, including RAI, TG-5 and Sky (the main television news outlets in Italy), ANSA (the main Italian wire service), the Associated Press and NCR showed up Monday afternoon at the Albano headquarters, where we were detained outside the main entrance. At one point, a car carrying an Associated Press TV camera crew was allowed to enter, only to be expelled a few moments later.
Priests of the society wearing cassocks periodically arrived at the gate to find out who we were, promising to relay requests and get back to us.
In the end, only the RAI crew was allowed to speak with Fellay. After a further hour of waiting, the rest of us were informed that members of the society were praying the breviary and would be unavailable for further comment.
This hesitation is understandable, given that both sides have to worry about forces within their own camps who viewed the meeting with skepticism.
Richard Williamson, for example, another of the four bishops consecrated by Lefebvre in 1988, bristled.
"In fact, a Rome-Society of St. Pius X agreement seems impossible," he wrote in July. "And if the Society rejoined Rome, the resistance of Catholic Tradition would carry on without it, and if the Pope 'converted', then instead of the gentle war now being waged on his right by Tradition, he would be faced with a savage war being waged on his left by the cabal of neo-modernists. Either way, the war goes on between the friends and the enemies of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ."
On the Vatican side, Cardinal Francesco Pompedda, the former prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, told the Italian daily La Stampa that full communion can only be achieved "if the Society of St. Pius X submits itself to the legitimate authority of the Pope" and recognizes the validity of Vatican II decrees.
Pompedda said the society was founded upon "an attitude of condemnation of the Second Vatican Council."
Pompedda said that he did not perceive a "new climate between the two parties." He said that "it was not the Holy See that created the division," but the defiance of the traditionalist groups.
Another Vatican official who has been involved with negotiations with the Lefebvrites put it more simply to me on Sept. 2: "They need to be converted."
Given those reactions, neither Benedict nor Fellay wants to risk the impression of a too-hasty "surrender." | <urn:uuid:2131533d-35d5-44f6-b26c-776045488f2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://catholicforum.fisheaters.com/index.php?topic=621159.msg6078085 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968545 | 3,050 | 1.703125 | 2 |
A spokesman for the disaster management authority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said Wednesday that most of the casualties died when their homes collapsed.
Adnan Khan says 75 people were also reported injured in the floods. He says the rains, which started on Monday, damaged about 1,400 homes in the province.
Pakistan suffers every year from flash floods caused by monsoonal rains.
In addition to the flood victims, Khan says three soldiers are missing following an avalanche in the village of Surgulu Binshahia.
Pakistan suffered the worst in 2010, when floodwaters inundated one-fifth of the country, killing over 1,700 people. More than 20 million people were affected at the time. | <urn:uuid:946e4081-78ad-4a81-a19b-0278f4256ae2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_22531282/flash-floods-kill-29-people-northwest-pakistan | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980867 | 148 | 1.523438 | 2 |
November 5, 2008 | Comments
Was Barack Obama's triumph in the U.S. presidential election determined by "Mad Men" or the "Next Gen?"
Jonathan Klein, president, CNN/U.S., addressed the question -- hours before the polls closed Tuesday -- at Ad:Tech NY, comparing Madison Avenue's old-style media buying approach to the next generation's use of broad-based interactive tools.
"No one has any idea who will be more effective in today's vote," Klein said during the keynote speech. Next-generation approaches included Barack Obama's use of text messages to announce his vice presidential candidate, while John McCain reportedly turned to Google to help him find a running mate.
Early Tuesday, it was still too soon to tell if digital marketing initiatives will turn out the next-gen vote. In Florida, Klein said, voters under the age of 35 represent 25 percent of the registered voters. In early voting, only 15 percent of those casting ballots were under 35. "We don't know how reliable young voters are. That's why text [messaging] is playing a crucial role today as we speak," he said, referring to get-out-the-vote messages delivered by campaigns.
CNN, for its part, is trying to straddle both worlds. "We want to attract the 'Mad Men' viewers and the next generation of views without alienating the 40-year-old and 50-year-old," he said.
A daily e-mail that provided political news updates -- once distributed internally to about CNN journalists and producers -- now appears on CNN's site as part of a blog called, Political Ticker.
CNN has also embraced user-generated content -- political and non-political -- inviting readers to submit news video, photos, commentary, and other content.
For the election, CNN established a voter hotline, inviting people to report problems found at polling places, such as difficulties getting access, missing absentee ballots, or broken equipment. Online, CNN has posted a map of the United States that's accompanied by a breakdown of the top reported problems.
When someone submits a news video or photo, CNN staff seeks to validate the content before its posted on CNN.com or televised. Videos or photos that cannot be validated may be posted instead at iReports.com.
Other speakers at ad:tech said all marketers are closely watching to see what impact digital political campaigns will have on election outcomes. "Obama and McCain have done a fantastic job of activating the digital media space," said Tina Sharkey, BabyCenter's global president.
Group M Interaction CEO Rob Norman said effective political campaigns underscore several points. "It shows that broad reach and high engagement is the center of [political] marketing," he said. And that's achieved by effectively factoring in geography, technology ("how people use it and how it fits into people's lives"), and integrity, he said.
David Morris, chief client officer at CBS Interactive, said media companies have prospered by interest in the political campaigns. "As a media professional, I would like to see this [campaign] go to the end of the year," he said.
As an American, Morris said he feels a little differently. "It's been two very long years of being sold to by multiple people," he said.
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April 7, 2011 at 10:46 pm
I’m intrigued by how little Elizabethan censorship seems to be have been considered by Boyd as part of Shakespeare’s creative process. His “pathological inability” to resolve such debates seems an unnecessary simplification/complication of the problem of state-run (or at least Master of the Revels-approved) media.
See in context
April 7, 2011 at 10:29 pm
I think this is an interesting and necessary point to make–that there is something to the “cycleness” of the cycle. That is, in Boyd’s mind, there is at least some connection to the almost liturgical role of pre-Tudor playgoing that he is seeking to extrapolate from, if not draw upon.
April 7, 2011 at 9:20 am
This essay was of enormous interest to me, as it answered a lot of questions that I had when I was, long ago, trying to write on the play’s history in the theater. When I asked about it in Japan I was told that it was a hard play for Japanese to understand because they had no racism. Even at the time I knew about the Ainu (the American Karen Sunde uses an Ainu as protagonist of the Kabuki Othello) and about the 3 generations that it takes for a Korean to become a Japanese citizen. The point about different equivalents of racism is therefore very interesting, though, like a lot of other things in the essay, it could probably be made more briefly.
I can see the problem of this kind of essay, which needs so much background explanation for an audience largely unfamiliar with the subject matter, and I don’t want to make it longer than it is. At the same time, there were things that I thought needed further explanation: e.g., that the “realistic” style of the production didn’t appeal to audiences (why? or was it the play itself that they didn’t like?) and that soliloquies were apparently considered realistic, which was certainly not the case in western theatre at this period.
So I agree with Sarah that it would be helpful to know more about the theatrical side — though this may be hard to retrieve from such a distance. The adaptation itself, however, presumably shows whether there was a noticeable difference between the linguistic registers of the Othello and Iago characters. Does Iago seem more accessible to the audience and therefore more attractive, because he sounds like them, whereas Othello seems to belong to another world? I think that this point could be relevant to the essay’s main concern, which is the sense of national identity.
I’d say that a lot of cutting could be done in the footnotes. Readers who don’t know Japanese can’t really be told to “see” a work that is available only in that language; they’ll simply have to take the author’s word for it. Perhaps, also, some of the material on the perception of Japan in the west (say, over the Port Arthur massacre) isn’t strictly necessary for the discussion of the production. In other cases, I think we really do need the information but it could perhaps be put more briefly. But this is a very interesting essay with a lot of good material.
April 7, 2011 at 8:53 am
Fascinating. Does this mean that the soldiers were under-rehearsed extras or that they actually thought Washiro was the villain of the piece? From what I have read, many cultures find it impossible that a man who kills his wife can be anything except a villain.
April 7, 2011 at 8:51 am
This is interesting. I always took the extended dance-like sequences of kabuki as an equivalent of soliloquy, since the performer is often alone on stage. No drama, I suppose, always requires a listener. It seems ironic that the Japanese theater was thinking of soliloquies as a sign of the superiority of English drama at the same time that the English-speaking theatre was having difficulty with precisely these non-naturalistic devices (see, e.g., William Archer’s The Old Drama and the New).
April 6, 2011 at 9:50 pm
I agree with jbulman’s comments on the merits of this essay – it definitely adds to our knowledge and understanding of the reception of The Merchant of Venice in the post-war Federal Republic especially in the fraught period of the 1950s.
Yes, there were earlier traditions of philo-semitic readings of Shylock that could be appealed to within the German stage tradition: Rudolf Schildkraut’s portrayal was a famous example in the early 1900s, for example. Then there were portrayals of Shylock that avoided anti-Jewish stereotyping and strove for psychological verisimilitude and intensity, like Fritz Kortner’s versions. Kortner famoulsy reprised the role for television in the 1960s, which falls after the period discussed in this paper. Ackermann rightly points to the ambivalence of the concept of “philo-semitism”. Philosemitism did not always avoid the pitfalls of essentialism or politically ineffectual sentimentality. The allusion to the stage history of Lessing’s Nathan the Wise is germane here: many actors played both Nathan, the positive Jewish exemplar, and the villain Shylock, drawing on the same repertoire of costume, make-up, “Jewish” mannerisms.
There are many illuminating points in this paper – I found the references to the reception of the essay on the play by the Jewish communitarian socialist Gustav Landauer particularly interesting, for example. The title of the article perhaps makes clearer sense to a German reader – “playing away” has various extraneous connotations in English, but the occasional verbal tic should not detract from what is a very worthwhile contribution to the history of both Shakespeare reception and the cultural history of the Adenauer period in West Germany, that was always much more complex than we might assume.
April 6, 2011 at 9:04 pm
Jason Thompson’s comment about ambition is one of the many things that distinguishes Mickey B. from other examples of “prison Shakespeare.” Among other things, it brings the character of Macbeth inside the orbit of convict life. Macbeth is a familiar commodity here, not the fatal exception he may be for other audiences, other actors. Like the convicts, there are many things Macbeth cannot “hope to have” in exchange for his commitment to ambition. By contrast, a recent RTA stage production of MACBETH at Sing Sing prison in Ossining, NY took so traditionalist and cautionary an approach to the play that one could hardly imagine the extent to which the prisoners had to identify with him.
April 6, 2011 at 8:52 pm
I am well aware that intra-prison conflict may make itself felt in the personal lives of friends and family extramurally, I was put off/distracted by the filming of the Lady Macduff murder, which seemed inconsistent with the replotting of the play. It betrayed a kind of emulative dependency on the Shakespeare-MACBETH template that the rest of the script successfully avoided.
April 6, 2011 at 8:47 pm
I like this attempt to connect to the historically specific. But a film like Steve McQueen’s HUNGER mounts a very different, and considerably more powerful connection to “the real” that makes what’s being staged at Maghaberry seem doubly fictive and arguably post “troubles” in orientation. The very act of staging/playing at MACBETH indicates the existence of a “safe space” set at a some remove from the “troubles”.
April 6, 2011 at 6:03 pm
Good point, Sarah, but I think that one of the key differences comes as a result of the fact that theatre making is a thoroughly collaborative process, whereas it’s relatively rare for scholars to collaborate with more than (at most) one or two other scholars on major projects. Theatre makers never make their cultural interventions in such relative isolation. Moreover, the modality of the rehearsal room is one much less insistent on what we might conceive of as the rigour or thought-through-ness of conventional academic inquiry. When one makes a fool of oneself in an academic context, one contemplates retiring and finding something else to do with one’s life (it’s devastating); when one makes a fool of oneself in a rehearsal room, everybody laughs and acknowledges ‘well, that didn’t work then, did it.’ It’s all about the cultural acceptance of risk taking and the understanding that (in the theatre at least) there’s no gain without putting oneself on the line in ways that, in other contexts, might prompt career-destroying derision or condemnation. I think that theatre practitioners should know that scholars can accommodate such ways of working and that they are able to participate in them, or at least observe them without being judgemental. Our hyper-critical, often cynical dismissal of our own work and that of others (often in the name of academic rigour) poses problems in this regard. | <urn:uuid:154e9c94-9ad0-41bd-b9b5-d63accc3bb5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/mcpress/shakespearequarterlyperformance/author/abonnell/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964894 | 1,973 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Chamberlain, Burke areas hit hard by flash floodingLevees topped at Chamberlain campground; 24-hour rainfall reaches 6 inches in Burke area
By: Staff reports, The Daily Republic
Heavy rainfall has exacerbated the high-water problems in the Chamberlain area and elsewhere in the region.
The temporary levees built to protect American Creek Campground in Chamberlain were topped by the Missouri River on Monday night, according to sources in Chamberlain. There have been reports today of roads being washed out by flash floods in the Chamberlain, Lower Brule and Kimball areas. Early reports indicate that a road washout near Lower Brule may have resulted in injuries to motorists.
Some places in that area have received as much as 10 inches of rainfall since early Monday morning, according to local observations.
Elsewhere, the National Weather Service is reporting that around 6 inches of rain fell during a 24-hour period Monday and early Tuesday in the Burke and Herrick areas.
For more reporting on the heavy rainfall and its impact in the area, check this website for updates and see Wednesday's print edition of The Daily Republic. | <urn:uuid:66236f46-ae91-4b16-83de-73e45c0d05e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/event/article/id/53989/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960137 | 224 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Located just 23 miles from the center of Orlando lies the small town of Bithlo, described by some as a “forgotten community.” Despite its central location, the town has numerous problems that affect the population’s education, safety, and health.
On August 29, Adventist University of Health Sciences pooled resources and partnered with United Global Outreach, the organization heading the Bithlo transformation effort, to assist a community that has been overlooked for too long.
The University’s faculty and staff, a team of about 220, rolled up their sleeves and served Bithlo in four main areas: they refurbished a food pantry; facilitated classes at Orange County Academy; assisted with programs at Head Start, an organization for vulnerable children aged 2 to 5; and landscaped a charity processing building.
Daphne Nelson, one of the coordinators of the local food pantry, says the help came at just the right time.
“We have inspection coming up and we were wondering how we would get the building up to speed,” Nelson says. “It is a God-send that you were able to do this.”
The benefits of the service day stretched beyond those in Bithlo, says Tia Hughes, chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy and service day coordinator. It was also a hands-on opportunity to implement the beliefs the University is built on.
“The mission of our University is to educate others to serve in the healing ministry of Christ,” Hughes says. “Service days like the one in Bithlo allow our team, in some small way, to model that to our students.”
Ruby Gutierrez, director of community engagement, says the end goal of the transformation effort is to see Bithlo become a self-sufficient and healthy community and this service day was just the beginning of a long relationship with the community.
During this school year about 200 students will teach health and nutrition classes, other students will travel twice weekly to tutor students, and in celebration of the University’s 20th anniversary, students, faculty, and staff will participate in 20 service projects in Bithlo.
“I can’t think of any better example for our students as to what service learning is about,” Gutierrez says. “To really get involved and become aware of the issues people in their own backyard are facing, realizing they can be part of the solution.”
-by Sarah Crowder | <urn:uuid:6999a32b-bf4a-4334-b911-b625c647369a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fhchs.edu/about-fhchs/news/2012/09/17/university-employees-serve-local-community?page=7&track=fhchs.edu | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966446 | 515 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Students at Biloxi High School will learn the ins and outs of personal finance and planning when Keesler Federal Credit Union offers another round of Money Talks this month.
The sessions, which are completely funded by Keesler Federal Credit Union and open to Biloxi students 16 and older, will be Wednesday, Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29. They will be from 2:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. in the internet cafe.
Money Talks provides insight and knowledge on budgeting, identity theft, credit cards, checking, savings, careers, college financial aid and financial planning for the future. Each participant must complete all four sessions during the specified time to qualify for services offered with the MoneyTalks program.
"About 350 students have gone through this program since Keesler Federal began it as a pilot program in Biloxi in 2006" said
Dawn Power, Financial Education Manager at Keesler Federal. "The response has been overwhelming."
Money Talks is not the first innovative program Keesler Federal has launched at Biloxi High School. Just before school began this year, KFCU opened the Indian Credit Union, a branch at Biloxi High School.
For more information about Money Talks contact Dawn Power, Financial Education Manager at KFCU, at 228-385-4548 or [email protected]
Excel by 5 to present Start Smart/Grow Smart program
Parents of children from birth to age 5 can learn how to prepare their children for organized sports during a program kicking off Tuesday night.
The Excel by 5 Coalition, the city's Parks and Recreation Department and the National Alliance for Youth Sports are presenting the program, which runs through Oct. 12 at the Donal M. Snyder Center on Pass Road.
To learn more about the Grow Smart/Start Smart program, click here.
News and notes
Chicken pox: A kindergartener at Jeff Davis Elementary School has been diagnosed with chicken pox. School administrators have notified all parents through ConnectEd to monitor their children for symptoms. A letter from the Mississippi State Department of Health is also being sent home today with students. To see the letter that had been sent Aug. 23,
Parent Academy: The first Parent Academy is planned for Sept. 14 at the Dukate Building beginning with elementary at 5:30 p.m. and secondary afterward. Topics of interest in this inaugural event: how to access internet information on demand; course syllabi and how to use the information; re-teaching and re-testing procedures. No registration is required for the session.
BHS briefly: WBHS TV broadcasts every Monday during power hour at Biloxi High. BHS will be hosting its first Parent Financial Aid night in the next few weeks. Details will be finalized soon. An admission counselor from Princeton University will be at BHS on Sept. 28 to meet with any interested juniors and seniors.
The ROTC Cadet Oath for the new members will be Sept. 23. The Drill Team will also perform for the student body. The Student Talent Show at BHS is Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Lecture Hall. | <urn:uuid:d4aba879-93f3-48a0-b934-aaee09a4d279> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biloxischools.net/NewsDetail.asp?ID=943 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943808 | 659 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Tefillin cause a scare in New ZealandAnd here we go again.
Once again, we have a scare on public transport because someone has never seen Tefillin. This time it's in New Zealand.
An Israeli tourist visiting New Zealand caused a minor panic on a New Zealand ferry on Sunday after the captain reported to police that a passenger was carrying a "suspicious article," NZTV reported.That's better than what happened the last time. See the links above.
Some media in New Zealand even reported a hostage situation aboard the ferry, even though the passenger was cooperative with police, according to the report.
The man was described as wearing what appeared to be "boxes" with "wires taped" to his body. "One individuals had two boxes attached, one box taped to his leg and one box seemingly taped to his forehead," a transportation services spokesman was quoted as saying in the report.
Jewish websites described the man as having worn his tefillin (phylacteries) on the morning ferry voyage.
He was stopped by police at the ferry's destination after it finished crossing the Cook Strait and was released by the police without being charged. | <urn:uuid:4939487c-e36a-4d20-9080-4e4fd53a8ca5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2010/12/tefillin-cause-scare-in-new-zealand.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98948 | 238 | 1.585938 | 2 |
CHARITABLE GUIDELINES FOR THE YEAR 2010
In accordance with the “Resolution and Declaration of Trust Creating ‘The New York Community Trust’” and the Certificate of Incorporation of Community Funds, Inc., and with §1.507-2(a)(8)(iv)(A)(2)(ii) of Federal Income Tax Regulations, the Distribution Committee of The New York Community Trust and the Board of Directors of Community Funds, Inc., hereby promulgate the following guidelines enumerating specific charitable needs consistent with the charitable purposes of the organizations.
The Trust seeks to strengthen families, develop youth, build community, meet basic human needs, and promote multicultural understanding. To carry out this mission, five areas of activity have been identified by our governing board and are summarized below.Children, Youth, and Families.
People are having difficulty paying for food, just as the rising cost of food and the drop-off in donations are resulting in empty emergency food pantries. Workers who are laid off also lose their health insurance. Households that have never sought government assistance before now need help to pay for necessities such as food and rent, resolve bankruptcies, fight debt collection agencies, and apply for unemployment insurance. We work in partnership with government and private agencies to develop the strength of families and young people, to help the poor become more self-sufficient, to protect the most vulnerable children, to improve policy and services, and to build the capacity of nonprofit advocacy and service agencies. We plan to spend about 20 to 25 percent of our total budget in this area.Community Development and the Environment.
Stable neighborhoods, a vital business community, decent shelter, and a healthy environment are basic requirements for a livable city. The Trust focuses on rebuilding and stabilizing New York’s low-income neighborhoods and protecting the environment. We support community agencies working on these issues at the neighborhood level, and government and nonprofit institutions developing strategies for the City as a whole. Our concern for the environment is not only local, but also national and international in scope. To underpin these and all our programs, we support efforts to improve the functioning of nonprofits and government. We estimate that 20 to 25 percent of our grant funds will be spent in this area.Education, Arts, and the Humanities.
Strong systems of education and justice and vibrant cultural and religious institutions are the hallmarks of a civilized society. As the City’s economy falters, cultural institutions, a key draw for tourist dollars, also suffer. We concentrate on projects that improve New York City’s public education system; promote diversity, equity, and access in the arts; and protect human rights. We also are interested in preserving historic buildings and places throughout the City. We are allocating 35 to 40 percent of our budget in these areas. Health and People with Special Needs.
America’s health care system is fragmented with gaps in service. The current economic climate will disproportionately affect the health of poor elders, children, and people with special needs. While the City has a vast array of nonprofits that provide help, these agencies themselves will lose millions of dollars in donations and grants from corporations and individuals. The Trust supports projects that strengthen preventive health care, improve access to services, promote the efficient use of health resources, and develop the skills and independence of people with special needs. We are allocating 15 to 20 percent of our budget in this area. Special Projects and Philanthropy.
New York City is fortunate to have a strong network of organizations that provide nonprofit management assistance. Unfortunately, these organizations themselves are not immune from shrinking public and private dollars. Our role as one of the City’s major sources of support for technical assistance is especially critical in these times. Our active participation in associations of grant-makers and charitable “watchdog” groups, our cooperative projects with other foundations, and our continuing dialogue with federal, state, and local government officials help assure that our resources are used strategically to address unmet needs, and leverage support for emerging issues. We are working to help nonprofits understand and function more effectively in the ever-changing political and fiscal climate. We are allocating up to 5 percent of our budget in this area. | <urn:uuid:c6700a2e-ed14-42f2-b814-caef5142414e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nycommunitytrust.org/CurrentDonors/DonorFAQs/tabid/188/Default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944187 | 857 | 1.796875 | 2 |
When in port, some of those men will be able to manage it up the ladders with some help. Others will be strapped in baskets and hauled like mummies up the ladder tubes, or out the torpedo loading tubes (not the torpedo firing tubes). "Only 23 injured" certainly is "under-reporting" the disaster. Medical personnel being transferred to damaged USS San Francisco (Jan. 9, 2005)
I was assigned to the USS Ethan Allen SSBN608 as she was being built and took her through her sea trials. If we had not been operating in the "deeps" we would have been a "mysteriously lost" submarine. We leveled out at 2 miles deep; deeper than anything at the time. EVERY log book on the sub was ordered re-written and signed by everyone in the order the original was created! If you have the interest and the time go to (search) SSBN608, on home page on the left click MISC; on next page click on sea tales. About half-way down the list is "Ledoux", click on that. I was surprised that my story of the events was published! It will give you a different perspective of naval operations. I personally had reported a primary system leak (atomic reactor) within 8 hours of the disaster. All officers ignored it until it couldn't be denied any further and 5 days later we made an emergency return to port.
keyboard shortcuts: V vote up article J next comment K previous comment | <urn:uuid:716b9212-7ef5-4fba-a95b-5b082676a7f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bklim.newsvine.com/_news/2011/10/12/8285911-a-veteran-submariners-analysis-of-the-uss-san-francisco-undersea-accident-by-philip-ledoux-jan-23-2005 | 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 | 0.980296 | 302 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Our pastor used to pull out a blank sheet of paper and tell us that we were born like it: clean, innocent, and blameless. However, he’ll start crumpling, tearing and stepping on the sheet as he enumerated the sins we learn to do as we grow up. He’ll recite a long list of sins until the blank sheet of paper is beyond recognition; until it was worthy of the trash can.
It was on January 30th that I decided to turn my Informative speech for my speech communications class into a testimony— the story of how I realized my worth in Jesus Christ. Hands numb and shaking, I tried to articulate what Jesus has done for me and how He changed how I saw myself.
As I was near the end of my speech, I noticed my revised speech plan lying on the table near me. It was a split-second’s decision; though my time was running out, I would do to my speech plan what my pastor did with that blank sheet of paper. I believe that it was the Father who made me do that, because more than making me speak in front of my classmates, He was also teaching me something.
I held up my speech plan to my classmates. “Look at this,” I said. “It’s my speech plan. I worked hard for it. Thought hard for it. Carefully prepared and revised it.” That was when the revelation struck.
Aren’t our lives just like my speech plan? It’s not true that we stay as blank sheets of paper as we grow up. We strive to be something. We struggle to reach our dreams, to prove ourselves. and to draw other people’s attention and approval. We risk, we gamble, and we sacrifice many things in our lives to achieve perfection and beauty. Just like what I tried to do with that speech plan, we all do our best to be the best, to get what we want, to be somebody that we want. We become more than blank sheets of paper. We fill our lives up, we want to become so much more.
There comes a time that we mess up though. We fail that exam, we fail to make it to that university, or we fail to land that job. Our families and relationships suffer problems. We run out of money, we run out of hope, we run out of fervor and passion. We do things we shouldn’t.
All of a sudden, that paper we’d been working so hard to perfect receives a blotch. Then another blotch. The letters fade, and all our efforts seem wasted. It will all come to a point when what we worked hard for such a long time will all come up to nothing because of an unexpected and sudden turn of events.
Yes, all of us have gone through these things. We know how it feels like.
We have nothing else to present to other people. We feel like we have nothing more to offer; we’ve given it all, but it was in vain.
Here’s the good news, though: Jesus came to pick us up and exchange speech plans with us: His for ours. If our individual speech plans would have to be evaluated, our professor, God, wouldn’t have wanted to look at them. They were unacceptable! Jesus Christ’s, however, was clean, organized, beautiful, artistic and excellent; worthy of the Professor’s perfect score and highest remark. This speech plan— this life— is exactly what Jesus Christ gave us so that we can come freely to the Father’s throne. This is grace.
I raised up the crumpled and torn speech plan and carefully placed it between the pages of my journal. “This is what happens when you accept Jesus offer to you,” I said. “The two of you become one. Your failures, mistakes and sins become lost in His great big love. All that God sees when He looks at you is what Jesus has done on the cross.”
You can no longer be called failure, freak, ugly, careless, liar, hypocrite or crazy now that Jesus has been added to your life’s equation. One: His life is yours. Two: the two of you have become One. Your Savior’s involvement in your life changes the game. Victory is yours. You can be sure that whatever may the past hold against you, Jesus is greater than. His plans outstands your past. His capabilities are beyond yours. And all you do is trust Him. Trust Him to get you through. Trust Him to finish what He started in your life.
“You can be sure that this unity will never be broken,” I said, shaking the journal where the speech plan was hidden. “Paul said to the Romans that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow— not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below— indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. You can hold on to that. Jesus was serious as He wrote that through Apostle Paul. He won’t let go.”
He covers our lousy speech plans with His own. He covers us with Himself. We are in our safest and most beautiful place in Him. | <urn:uuid:e443ed71-0519-4b71-867b-e219f08754cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://memberofthebride.tumblr.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975497 | 1,155 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Cyclists are getting proactive against thieves and robbers in the Table Mountain National Park, raising funds independently for surveillance cameras and new crime patrols at hot spots on the mountain.
Tag Archives | mugging
The City of Cape Town is exploring ways of lighting up Signal Hill without affecting ships at sea.
Sandy Bay: Mugging reported between the beach and Sunset Ave
On Tuesday the 5th of March a person was mugged and stabbed at the Devils Peak Quarry (on the mountain)
Grant Rens has reported that there is a crime wave taking place in the Magaliesberg area.
Another mugging has taken place in the Blockhouse / Rhodes Memorial area.
Attacks on the Table Mountain chain and related areas have dropped by at least half compared to the same time last year, the Cape Times reported on Tuesday.
An incident on Sunday 23 September has prompted a general warning to cyclists and runners in the Blockhouse / Rhodes Memorial area
THE Table Mountain Safety Forum (TMSF) has not met for about five months, but members say this does not mean that the crime situation is being ignored.
Samantha reported that friend of hers was attacked and stabbed (not badly, luckily) at the parking lot at the top of Black Hill
Despite 50 additional Table Mountain National Parks (TMNP) armed rangers deployed to guard against mountain attacks last year, criminals continued to rack up an average of three muggings per month, the Table Mountain Safety Action Group says.
A cyclist was mugged on Monday, 13 Feb at 19h00 as he was cycling to the top of Signal Hill
Please be aware that there appears to be a hideout on Mowbray Ridge just above blockhouse, Devil’s Peak…
It is advisable to avoid the Peers Cave area until further notice
The Table Mountain Cableway management on Thursday expressed concern after a tourist mistook a mugger on the mountain for an official guide, the company said.
VISITORS hiking on the Peninsula mountains are warned to be cautious. In a recent mountain mugging incident, Richard Case, who is an experienced mountain climber, and his friends were held at knifepoint while walking along Peers Hill, near Silvermine, along Ou Kaapseweg. Case, 31, who is originally from Cape Town but has been living in [...]
Table Mountain Safety Action Group are asking all past victims of crime to contact them urgently.
Another mugging sees a well know hiker / author, Bruce Mackenzie mugged for his camera and cash.
A hiker fell off a ledge, broke a leg and bruised his ribs while running away from three muggers armed with a knife on Table Mountain at the weekend.
A swift response by security officers led to the arrest of two men suspected of mugging hikers in Cecilia Forest near Constantia.
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- Richard: Nice one guys, I am certainly intrigued. I’ll ha... | <urn:uuid:7188d9cb-75a4-4b48-990f-0144b693d5fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.climbing.co.za/tag/mugging/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951798 | 836 | 1.601563 | 2 |
But I don’t think of “Muslim” as a nation, but a type .What shall we call those people who are from places like Pakistan, Palestine, Eygpt , Iran , Iraq and Saudia Arabia ? Would “Arabs” be correct ? Somehow that seems wrong , but if they are a race, that has to be Arabian doesn’t it ?
You call them Pakistanis, Palestinians, Egyptians, Iranians, Iraqis, and Saudis, lol. And no, they aren’t all Arabs. The Saudi, Egyptian and Palestinian populaces are generally Arabs. The Pakistani, Iranian, and Iraqi populace are generally Persians. The difference between being a Persian and an Arab has aboslutely nothing to do with any religious views or ideological framework. It’s based on where they are from. Persians are areom Persia, the old heart of the Persian Empire. Arabs are generally from the areas on or surrounding the Arabian Penninsula.
This breakdown changes quite a bit though based on immigration patterns between these various countries. Today for example, thanks to Bush’s war, there are a lot more Saudis from the Arabian Penninsula (aka Arabs) fighting turf wars in southern Iraq than there normally are. And millions of native Iraqis hve had to flee the country to escape the violence. So the demographics there today are not close to how they normally are. Demographics in places like Palestine’s territories shift a lot depending on how much progress Israel has made in stealing their land lately.
Arab isn’t a race or religion. It’s just the term used to describe where someone came from like American, or British, or French, or Spanish etc.
You seem to forget, for example, that once a religious fanatic is dead, he cannot backlash in any dangerous way..
You and Dee get dumber by the minute! Killing religious fanatics indiscriminantly and without honest reflection only causes MORE religious fanatics to spring up out of the sand. You jingoists are fucking retarded these days, lol.
You want to be more effective in eliminating the major threats to America? Wage a war on their ideology via the mainstream moderate muslim communities who grossly outnumber the militants. By running in guns blazing as we have thus far in the ‘war on terror’ all we’ve done is make al Qaeda more appealing to mainstream moderate muslims who number over 1.2 bil around the globe.
Killing many thousands of civillians in hopes at getting an ‘evil doer’ or two is not just dumb, it’s fucking dumb! If you are lucky enough to kill the ‘evil doers’, you now have a whole community of moderate muslims on the brink of radicalization as they bury their loved ones. Suddenly the militant ideologies about the evils of imperial America are being proven true to the populace in dire fashion, with the blood of their familes and friends driving them to radicalize. You want to kill off the terrorists? Well you can’t do it in a way that increases their global influence and only causes ten more to spring up every time you kill one. You do it by first undermining the ideological messages that the militans are trying to pass off as Islamic tenants.
Fortunately, as is the case with al Qaeda, those faux tenants involve killing other muslims thanks to Zawahiri and each time other muslims are killed it makes Zawahiri’s message that much more difficult to sell to the muslim world surrounding his gang of nutjobs. You have to erode support by eroding the ideological influence Zawahiri has by showing the muslim world that the US isn’t as imperialistic and careless with its jingoism as much of the world knows we are. We have to change those things and prove to the muslim world that Zawahiri is wrong. Every time we make strides in this effect, it diminishes the status and the threat of groups like al Qaeda.
Luckily, history has helped us out a great deal with the election of Barack Obama. His life story is such, and his policies do much to help this perception as well, that moderate muslims are being forced to re-evaluate what Zawahiri tells them. His points are likely to become old news. The electiction of Obama based even just on who he is and the fact he was smeared as being a muslim and has the name Hussein is is a remarkably effective counterpoint.
Zawahiri has been telling stories, usually true stories, about how horrible American imperialism has been historically in the muslim world. And he was dominating that argument. But the populace there is now hopeful towards an Obama administration and his election has proven Zawahiri wrong on many fronts, like his caricature of America being purely retarded and incapable of ever improving its stature among muslims. He would have you believe every president in our history was like Reagan and the Bushes with their war mongering jingosim and anti-intellectual positions on polciy in the middle east.
In short, stop being a moron. You have to stop the upswell of radicaliztion BEFORE you can hope to target the big dogs. You can’t just wish this problem away nor can you blow it off any map. It’s like a Chinese finger trap. The harder you pull, the tighter it gets. The more we run around bombing ppl indiscriminantly, the more inflamed the problem becames. It’s time to be learn from the past mistakes and try a smarter approach. | <urn:uuid:702541e0-1964-48bd-b093-e4a904ba604b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.samharris.org/forum/viewthread/11107/P45 | 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 | 0.954383 | 1,171 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Our main program on Saturday, November 5, 2011, consisted of members’ accounts of researching family skeletons. Thanks to Ginger Goodell for putting together the very-professional-looking Power Point and contributing the following recap of the individual presentations.
|John W. Davis|
Cheryl Storton described how she discovered the truth about a family tradition claiming her grandfather, John W. Davis (see photo), went to prison for making moonshine, but walked away and never went back when he tired of being there.
Martha Crosley Graham read a family story her grandmother wrote, describing Martha’s Danish great-grandfather’s colorful background and death. Martha’s research separated “truth from fiction.”
Greg Pisaño described his discovery of a family skeleton while going through newspaper microfilm in Arizona’s Sedona/Prescott-area public libraries. His grandfather’s name appeared in headlines as having murdered his wife’s brother at the door of a local saloon. Greg demonstrated how additional research led to more details about this family secret.
Jan Cannon told how she’d asked her grandmother about her great-grandmother, only to be told she’d died young and that her grandmother had no memory of her. After Jan enlisted the help of a professional researcher and another family member doing genealogical research, she learned her great-grandmother’s name and that she’d died in an “insane asylum,” having lived there the last 45 years of her life. Jan described her visit to the institution where she was able to view her great-grandmother’s file, see the grave (a numbered brick), and arrange to have a proper grave marker installed.
Carole Ann Davis began seeking clues about when and how her grandfather came from Germany to the U.S. and eventually won medals for his Spanish-American War participation. Using both Ancestry.com and the LDS Family History Center in Utah, she documented his military service, but was taken aback to discover him on the 1900 US census as an inmate at San Quentin. From there, she tracked down his offense--burglary--and even found his mug shots.
Julia George’s research into collateral ancestors led to a family skeleton who appeared to be an adulterer and a counterfeiter. Looking at censuses and several cities’ newspapers fleshed out more information on this black sheep’s criminal activities.
Lynn Storrs stumbled across news of her father’s previous marriage when her aunt shared with her a prized possession, Lynn’s great-grandfather’s Bible. In it Lynn read a strange woman’s name, a name not found in the family Bible. After talking over her discovery with her mother, Lynn made peace with this upsetting bit of family history, as most of us have likely learned to do with the family skeletons we’ve stumbled across.
Janet Grummit shared the booklet she recently ordered from the Mason City, Illinois Area and Family Historical Society. In it she found a three-and-a-half-page article on a great-uncle charged as an accessory to armed robbery. This was the first she’d heard of this family skeleton. She’s doing further research to learn what became of him. | <urn:uuid:9adc8132-cff2-4ac9-923e-d4f9f7f7bceb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://slocogenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/11/general-meeting-5-november-family.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975139 | 694 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Wallan VIC 3756, AustraliaHistory
15 older records found on this numberPhone Type
Local ServiceLatest Holder
Telstra Corporation LimitedNumbering Area
May 2013Other Formats
0357831278 / 5783-1278 / 57831278 / (03) 5783 1278Statistics for Wallan
In 2006, there were 7,429 persons usually resident in Wallan: 50.6% were males and 49.4% were females. Of the total population in Wallan 0.9% were Indigenous persons, compared with 2.3% Indigenous persons in Australia. more
English was stated as the only language spoken at home by 87.7% of persons usually resident in Wallan. The most common languages other than English spoken at home were: Italian 1.6%, Maltese 0.6%, Greek 0.6%, Macedonian 0.5% and Arabic 0.4%.
54.3% of persons aged 15 years and over usually resident in Wallan were married, 31.9% never married, 11.1% separated or divorced and 2.7% widowed.
The most common industries of employment for persons aged 15 years and over usually resident in Wallan were Road Freight Transport 4.5%, Supermarket and Grocery Stores 3.9%, School Education 3.4%, Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Part Manufacturing 3.1% and Cafes, Restaurants and Takeaway Food Services 3.0%.
* statistcs taken from the 2006 Census for postal area 3756 conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics | <urn:uuid:c4fdd609-0e0c-40a3-8d93-a69c1ed3073d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reverseaustralia.com/lookup/0357831278/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944321 | 320 | 1.695313 | 2 |
In light of the FCC’s holiday approval of the $86 billion mega merger of AT&T and BellSouth, net neutrality may get early attention from the new Congress, now under Democrat control.
Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) are optimistic that a middle-ground solution can be found to protect net neutrality. The controversial issue has become a buzzword for proposed plans to charge preferred customers more money for faster, higher bandwidth service by those who own Internet lines.
"The driving fear [among content providers] is owners of the pipes would set up a situation where access is controlled by how much they pay," Goodlatte told the National Journal. "People would not get as good access to your business if you don’t pay more." Goodlatte said he hoped Congress could prevent the problem by changing antitrust regulations.
The controversial deal broke an FCC deadlock in late December when, as a condition of the merger, AT&T agreed to follow net neutrality principles for 30 months.
Specifically, the telco agreed "not to provide or to sell to Internet content, application or service providers, including those affiliated with AT&T/BellSouth, any service that privileges, degrades or prioritizes any packet transmitted over AT&T/BellSouth’s wired broadband Internet access service based on its source, ownership or destination."
Both Congressmen said legislative action would be needed to resolve the issue on a long-term basis. Democrat control of Congress makes it more likely to happen, Boucher said.
Broadband providers need to have this issue resolved, Boucher told the Journal, adding that nothing is going to pass unless the net neutrality issue is addressed. | <urn:uuid:0b74d2b1-8cab-4550-a959-fb57d70ad80e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://broadcastengineering.com/news/new-congress-could-fast-track-net-neutrality-issue | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947465 | 357 | 1.8125 | 2 |
DEAR JOAN: We frequently walk the Contra Costa Canal Trail between Oak Grove Road and Treat Boulevard, below Lime Ridge. We love observing the ducks and egrets. Lo and behold, recently we saw something unusual.
A creature -- definitely not a duck or an egret -- was swimming very quickly, nearly keeping pace with our walking. It avoided every opportunity to try to get out of the canal.
The flow was cut off earlier for the winter draining so the water is very low. This creature went under the bridge at Citrus Avenue and under the creek (amazing). It then went into the canal intersection and headed north toward Treat Boulevard. Then it climbed onto the straining forks and onto the collected debris. With a good view, we think it was a muskrat.
Where is his normal home? It certainly isn't in the canal. The normally heavy flow would have kept him from going under the two huge obstacles. Comments?
Anna Belle H.
DEAR ANNA BELLE: The Contra Costa Canal has a lot of wildlife visitors. My friend and I walk a section of the trail south of Oak Grove and we've seen some sights.
The water is pumped up from the Delta and so marine life often follows the food, using the canal like a watery highway to travel inland. Muskrats, beavers and otters all have been spotted in the canal.
DEAR JOAN: On our bike ride through Heather Farm Park on Jan. 12, my daughter, Scooter, pointed out these otters. One was busy chewing on a fish or crawdad. We heard from other people who stopped by to watch that these otters are often there. It was a treat for us to be a spectator, too.
DEAR LYNDA: Thanks for the pictures. I've posted them on my "Bay Area Critters" Pinterest board (pinterest.com/gardenjoan) so everyone can see them.
The otters are frequent guests in the Heather Farm Pond, where they find a lovely assortment of food. And sometimes they swim over to the canal and check it out, too.
DEAR JOAN: I live in a hilly section of Orinda, near the country club, looking down on the Lafayette part of Orinda Downs.
On two separate occasions, two of my neighbors have seen wild pigs. They both swear to it.
I am writing to see if you have heard of any sightings of these creatures in this part of Contra Costa County. I don't know if they are dangerous or if they are destructive. Should Animal Control know about this?
DEAR SUSAN: No need to worry about the sanity or sobriety of your friends. They did indeed see wild pigs in the area.
Pigs are not native to California but were established here in the 1700s when they were introduced as livestock. Some of them escaped and became feral. In the 1920s, wild boars were brought to Monterey County to give hunters something new to hunt. Apparently the boars' ability to reproduce was better than the aim of the hunters and before long, they were hanging out with the feral pigs and producing lots of little hybrids. There are now wild pigs confirmed in 56 of the state's 58 counties.
The pigs can be aggressive and should be avoided. They are very destructive to the landscape and can spread disease. The only controls in place are state laws that permit hunting on private land and with a permit.
Contact Joan Morris at [email protected]; or P.O. Box 8099, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. | <urn:uuid:64c6182d-6c07-4348-b47a-c72b51d3ac9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.contracostatimes.com/tri-valley-times/ci_22377841/morris-otters-waters-contra-costa | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970089 | 748 | 1.523438 | 2 |
All Space, All the Time
Is NASA ready for prime time?
- By Todd Kliman
- Air & Space magazine, September 2001
(Page 2 of 5)
An ardent Trekkie, the new administrator turned to the entertainment industry. Goldin created a previously unheard-of role at NASA—that of Hollywood liaison—and in 1997 hired Bobbie Faye Ferguson, a former actress with connections to the Clinton White House, as the director of multimedia services. Ferguson brought a Rolodex filled with show business contacts. Only a few years earlier, NASA had been a reluctant player, but under her direction, it began seeking out Hollywood as a potential partner.
The ending of the cold war had brought a decline of spy films, but as one genre died, another was born. The movie industry could hardly believe its good fortune. Says one producer, “Hey, if [NASA] wants to work with us, great. You’d be crazy to turn that down.” By the late 1990s, the studios were starting to churn out stories about space adventures and heroes, from Armageddon to Deep Impact to Mission to Mars.
Ferguson has since left the agency, but Paula Cleggett, the deputy chief of NASA’s public affairs office, says the agency is still pursuing relationships with filmmakers. “Do we have an office on Hollywood and Vine? No.” But, she says, “We’ll arrange a tour of the Kennedy Space Center, let’s say. Introduce them to specialists. Get them talking, that sort of thing. We want to encourage this. We want to reach as many people as we possibly can, and reaching them through Hollywood is one of the ways to do it.”
This fit in nicely with Goldin’s larger vision of a new and improved space agency. The Administrator’s “care and feeding of the Hollywood studios,” as Cowing puts it, would mean better PR. And that might translate to increased public support and Congressional funding, and perhaps even NASA’s survival as it slouched toward the 21st century without a clear mission, such as landing on the moon.
Meanwhile, the Internet took off, the number of cable TV channels multiplied, and the number of media outlets mushroomed from a handful into thousands. Could the space program, an icon of the 1960s, sell in the fickle new media marketplace? The answer—a resounding “maybe”—came with the Mars Pathfinder landing in 1997. For the first time, images beamed from another planet could be viewed ’round the clock on your desktop computer. The public was fascinated by the novelty of it all: People around the world downloaded pictures of the Sojourner rover rolling across the surreal red landscapes of Mars. NASA’s Pathfinder Web site got 46 million hits in a single day, which was, back then, a record. Surely there was a market here somewhere.
But to talk about a private space information-entertainment business was to talk about a different kind of NASA. Some at the agency did not want to have that conversation. “You had people here who went back to the Apollo days,” says Dwayne Brown, NASA’s acting director of media services. “Historically, this is a very conservative place. There’s a lot of military presence.”
Still, with Radio Shack now filming commercials on board the space station and Pizza Hut sending up pizzas (Tito’s Russian crewmates were the delivery boys, and station commander Yuri Usachev starred in the TV spot), the old ways appear to be vanishing fast. Sensing a new market, Spacehab, a Houston-based firm that builds laboratory modules for conducting research in orbit, last year spun off a venture with the Russians called Space Media, which would use a new commercial module, Enterprise, that the company hopes to dock to the space station in order to “develop space-related media and edutainment [sic] opportunities.” The business plan may have been slightly ahead of its time, however. A year later Space Media was laying off staff, and is now biding its time before rushing to put the first studio in orbit.
While we wait, there’s NASA Television. The agency’s in-house TV channel, which debuted in the 1980s, broadcasts video—mostly, but not entirely, without commentary—of shuttle missions, press conferences, and other events of public interest. The signal can be picked up by any local cable service, and is Webcast on prominent sites like Yahoo. It began, says Brown, “as an engineering tool, monitoring the work that was being done on a particular mission.” At first, when nothing was happening in space, the screen went blank. Today, though, NASA Television has original programming with peppy hosts who, if not quite ready for prime time, add production values to the raw feed. NASA Television is no longer just for agency employees and geeks. “Now it’s defined as a news source,” says Brown. | <urn:uuid:7de0fe54-8ba8-404e-9620-b792f3a6ae8c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.airspacemag.com/space-exploration/All_Space_All_the_Time.html?c=y&page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963226 | 1,065 | 1.648438 | 2 |
>Over on the PUBYAC listserv, Jan Hanson of the Longview Public Library in Washington is looking for it: “A HS teacher called and is asking for ideas of books that illustrate a teen with passion, as in “a passion for dancing” or a “passion for football.”
I love this query; it’s requests like these that make us think about what books for kids do and don’t do. Off the top of my head I think of that Joan Bauer book about a girl with a passion for shoe-selling,
Hope Was Here Rules of the Road, and several of Chris Crutcher’s early books feature teens with a passion for various sports. Oh, and that extremely high-minded but badly dated Madeleine L’Engle book about a fledgling actress, The Joys of Love. What else? Generalizing wildly, too often it seems that intense interest in something that isn’t another person is viewed in YA books as dysfunctional or simply as a way to i. d. a character; i.e. “Jane loves music,” but do we ever see her practice?
P.S. I put Harriet the Spy in the tags because she’s the most passionate person I know in children’s books, plus I’ve just started listening to Catherine O’Flynn’s What Was Lost, an adult mystery that begins, anyway, with a very Harriet-like third-grader. | <urn:uuid:8599dc44-b8b9-4fe2-b450-d2e936dcb6b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hbook.com/2008/08/blogs/read-roger/is-passion-old-fashioned/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951857 | 318 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Volunteers from the East Mississippi Master Gardeners organization began planting vegetables in the raised beds in Monument Park Monday morning.
The president of the Master Gardeners, Marcia Griffis, says she is excited about the planting of the vegetables and believes it will encourage others to do the same.
"We hope that others will come and plant in the other plots, after they see what can happen in this first demonstration plot," said Griffis. "And were just excited about this park. We have been looking forward to helping them for quite some time. "
Monument Park has been built by volunteers and donations, all to add to the beautification of downtown Meridian. The community is encouraged to participate.
Updated: 04/29/2013 - Some local students will receive a college education thanks to a fundraiser banquet.
Posted: 04/14/2013 - Community support has helped a local organization celebrate a big anniversary. | <urn:uuid:4c44355c-689a-4bd7-a688-b2a4c85388ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wtok.com/community/headlines/Master_Gardeners_Take_on_Park_Project.html | 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 | 0.960582 | 187 | 1.601563 | 2 |
When the weather forecast predicts freezing weather, the staff at San Antonio’s Haven for Hope know they’re about to get busier than normal.
“There’s definitely an increased need for services, especially clothing such as coats, scarves and hats,” said Evita Mendiola, of Haven for Hope.
She said there is a definite connection between the population growth at the facility and the cold weather.
“As soon as we get news that the temperature is going to start to dip, we get busy addressing the people’s needs,” she said.
In addition to helping those who show up at the downtown facility, they also actively go out offering help to the homeless.
“Our outreach staff goes to bridges or near wherever people are sleeping outside,” Mendiola said.
“We encourage them to come in and get a meal and get services to get them back on their feet,” she said.
Volunteers, Mendiola said, are what makes their operation a success. | <urn:uuid:dabda071-c23c-4c72-bb8c-8b36875985d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ksat.com/news/Haven-for-Hope-ready-for-homeless-influx/-/478452/17722756/-/jx52clz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974174 | 219 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Washington, DC -
07/17/2009 - Pre-K Now, a campaign of the Pew Center on the States, applauded the promise this week by House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller to act on a legislative package containing a $10 billion, 10-year investment to strengthen state early learning programs, including pre-kindergarten. The proposal, if enacted, would fulfill a pledge by President Obama and arrives at a critical juncture for state leaders working diligently to protect early education funding.
“Pew has supported state efforts to increase pre-kindergarten access and quality for eight years, and the Early Learning Challenge Fund would help continue the drive toward evidence-based early education policy for the next decade,” said Libby Doggett, deputy director of the Pew Center on the States. “This funding will give states strong incentives to raise program quality, demonstrate results and ensure that the children who benefit most from pre-k receive priority.”
The proposed federal “challenge grants” would be awarded to states competitively to support development of comprehensive early learning systems. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia currently offer voluntary pre-k, but despite a doubling of state funding since 2002 to $5.3 billion, only 24 percent of four-year-olds and four percent of three-year-olds were enrolled in 2008, nationally.
Governors and state legislators of both parties have made pre-k a core priority, even amid worsening budget gaps. States such as New Jersey and Texas increased funding for pre-k during their 2009 legislative sessions, and Alaska and Rhode Island approved money for new pilot initiatives. Severe cuts to early learning programs are being debated, however, in Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
“Many state leaders have resolved to spend scarce dollars on high-quality pre-k because it prepares all children for success in school and has proven economic benefits for families and taxpayers, in both the short- and long-term,” said Doggett. “Federal support for state early education efforts has never been more important, and we look forward to working with the Obama administration and House and Senate leaders on Chairman Miller’s legislation.”
The early learning proposal is part of a broader package of higher education and student loan provisions that is expected to receive quick consideration from the House Education and Labor Committee. Chairman Miller’s legislation would reform the federal student loan program to achieve significant savings, including funds to pay for the early learning grants. | <urn:uuid:5b34ec24-8bfa-4e33-a2b3-750535c3885b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=54203 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966706 | 521 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Storm’s Damaging Winds Challenge Property Recovery: Mortgages
The storm battered homes in Eastern coastal states that account for about one out of every five U.S. real estate sales and threatened inland areas with flooding and blackouts. Lenders put transactions on hold and companies like Coastline Realty in Cape May, New Jersey, pulled in their for-sale signs to prevent the wind from turning them into projectiles.
“We’ll definitely see lower numbers in new sales and new applications,” said David Stevens, president of the Mortgage Bankers Association. “We do expect to see lenders put a freeze on properties across the northeast on the shoreline until they can be inspected and assessed for damages.”
Sandy, about 1,000 miles wide, prompted warnings of life- threatening storm surges from Virginia to Massachusetts, emptied the streets of the nation’s largest cities, paralyzed mass- transit systems and lashed the area with gales, rain and even snow. U.S. airlines grounded 9,500 flights and U.S. stock trading is closed through today in the first back-to-back shutdowns for weather since 1888. Losses may total as much as $20 billion, with $5 billion to $10 billion of that insured, according to Eqecat Inc., an Oakland, California-based provider of catastrophic risk models.
Almost $88 billion of homes in seven states were at risk of damage, according to a report by CoreLogic Inc., a mortgage software and data firm in Irvine, California. New York had $35.1 billion of property in harm’s way, New Jersey had $22.6 billion, Virginia had $11.3 billion, and Massachusetts had $7.8 billion. Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania had a combined $11 billion of property at risk, CoreLogic said.
A fire tore through more than 50 homes today in a Queens beach community that suffered heavy flooding, the New York Times reported. On 57th Street in Manhattan, a crane on a 90-story residential building under construction partially collapsed and was dangling over the street. The storm has accounted for 16 deaths, according to the Associated Press.
The storm may also adversely affect commercial properties and securities linked to their debt. New York accounts for 13.2 percent of property loans contained in commercial-mortgage bonds, according to Standard & Poor’s. Loans in Virginia make up 4 percent of deals, while mortgages in Pennsylvania account for 3.4 percent, S&P said yesterday in a note to clients. Debt on New Jersey properties are 3.1 percent of outstanding bonds.
“Given the magnitude of the storm there will be some impact on performance but more so on smaller properties, to the extent there is structural damage to the property and they require significant capital expenditures,” said Deutsche Bank AG debt analyst Harris Trifon. It won’t lead to any significant increase in delinquencies, he said, because most properties should have adequate insurance.
Still, the storm, which forced the cancellation of fixed- income markets, means Wall Street also had to put on hold about $3 billion of commercial mortgage bond sales that included loans to shopping malls, hotels and office buildings.
The U.S. housing market has been recovering this year. The S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values in 20 cities rose 2 percent in August from a year earlier, the biggest gain since July 2010, the group said today in New York. The median forecast of 25 economists in a Bloomberg survey projected a 1.9 percent increase.
The U.S. median sales prices in September rose to $183,900, up 11 percent from a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors. Home sales that month reached an annualized pace of 4.75 million, up 11 percent from a year ago. Pending home sales edged up in September for the 17th consecutive month on a year-over-year basis.
The storm’s central barometric pressure was lower than that of the 1938 hurricane that devastated homes in New York and New England. Flooding from Sandy was reported along the coast from Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts through New Jersey. The storm submerged Plymouth Rock, the landmark in Massachusetts traditionally represented as the place where Pilgrims first stepped onshore in the New World in 1620.
“I have never seen a storm this large in regards to wind flow,” said Rob Carolan, a meteorologist at Hometown Forecast Services Inc. in Nashua, New Hampshire. “So many bad things had to come together all at once. It is going to make the ‘Perfect Storm’ look small. It’s remarkable what an impact this is going to have.”
The “Perfect Storm” struck the U.S. East Coast in October 1991. It later became the subject of a book by Sebastian Junger and a movie starring George Clooney.
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Bank of America Corp. and Wells Fargo & Co. told property managers to make sure their foreclosed homes were secured, David Benham, co-owner of Benham Real Estate Group, a property management company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, said in a telephone interview.
“They told us to do what we can in terms of the building but keep ourselves safe,” said Benham, whose company manages 2,000 bank-owned homes nationwide. Their assignments start with boarding up windows and doors, he said. They expect to complete field reports, including photos, within five days showing damage from the weather, he said.
Freddie Mac said today in a statement that it has authorized servicers to suspend foreclosure proceedings for up to 12 months on mortgages it owns or guarantees in states affected by the storm. Also, the McLean, Virginia-based company said it will permit some on-time borrowers to defer mortgage payments for up to a year, will waive the assessment of late fees against borrowers with storm-damaged homes and will not report delinquencies caused by the disaster to credit bureaus.
Over the long run, the storm could worsen blight on properties in the foreclosure pipeline where owners don’t have the resources -- or the intention -- to maintain the property and the loan servicers don’t have full legal responsibility for maintaining the property, Chris Whalen, senior managing director at Tangent Capital Partners LLC, said during a telephone interview from New York.
There’s a “floating inventory” of abandoned or delinquent properties not available for sale that has been growing in states like New York and New Jersey, where the foreclosure process takes longest, Whalen said.
About 20,000 New Jersey properties facing foreclosure or already repossessed by banks were in Sandy’s path in the counties of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Ocean, Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Daren Blomquist, RealtyTrac vice president, said in a telephone interview.
More than 50,000 New York foreclosures were threatened in New York City’s five boroughs and the counties of Ulster, Dutchess, Westchester, Suffolk, Nassau, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Greene, Columbia, he said.
In Connecticut 3,055 homes in foreclosure could be affected in New London, New Haven, Middlesex and Fairfield counties, Blomquist said.
The storm closed many courthouses where lenders pursue foreclosures, another wrench in a process that takes an average of 1,072 days to complete in New York, the longest process among U.S. states. Foreclosures take an average of 931 days in New Jersey, second-longest, and 661 days in Connecticut, the sixth longest, according to RealtyTrac.
At the current pace of foreclosures, the pipeline of homes with seriously-delinquent mortgages would take 495 months --more than 41 years -- to work through in New York and 425 months in New Jersey, the longest of any states, according to Lender Processing Services Inc. (LPS)
“The magnitude of the damage is not yet known, but none of this can be good for the prospect of getting the foreclosure crisis behind us,” said David Dunn, an attorney with Hogan Lovells in New York.
The Hamptons, on the eastern tip of New York’s Long Island, lost electricity yesterday afternoon, according to Judi Desiderio, president of Town and Country Real Estate in East Hampton. Owners and buyers who plan to live there during hurricane season should factor in the approximately $50,000 cost of having a generator as part of the price of owning property, she said.
Another necessity, she said, is “a bunch of friends who live nearby so you can have a hurricane party.”
To contact the reporters on this story: Kathleen M. Howley in Boston at [email protected]; John Gittelsohn in Los Angeles at [email protected]; Heather Perlberg in New York at [email protected].
Bloomberg moderates all comments. Comments that are abusive or off-topic will not be posted to the site. Excessively long comments may be moderated as well. Bloomberg cannot facilitate requests to remove comments or explain individual moderation decisions. | <urn:uuid:11799bac-6756-46c4-ba4f-7e907c546ab1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-30/storm-s-damaging-winds-challenge-property-recovery-mortgages.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943426 | 1,954 | 1.570313 | 2 |
"When play becomes beset by rules ... kids can lose their natural enthusiasm and willingness to try new things" is the response exercise physiologist Michael Bergeron gave when The Los Angeles Times asked his opinion on organized soccer programs for 3- and 4-year-olds. Reporter Jeannine Stein, who even tracked down soccer classes for 18-month-olds, noted that AYSO lowered its starting age to 4 in 2004. A Herald Community newspaper report on a "pro" coaching program for children as young as 2 quoted one of the coaches as saying, "It teaches them discipline." One mother described the lessons: "It's non-stop, they're always doing drills back and forth."
-- Mike Woitalla | <urn:uuid:5947fed0-d3ca-4d98-b16d-6d41e9afbb1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.youthsoccerfun.com/2007/05/the_assault_on_free_play_drill.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981577 | 147 | 1.679688 | 2 |
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Webb's Parting Shots
To get elected to the Senate, you have to meet certain requirements. You have to be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for nine years, and a resident of the state you represent. Based on Jim Webb's recent performance, I would like to propose a fourth requirement: you have to be a novelist. If we had 100 novelists in the Senate, the body might finally be able, like Webb, to distinguish fact from fiction.
Webb, a Virginia Democrat who has published six novels, announced in February that he wouldn't run for a second term in the Senate. Never a reticent fellow, he has spent the last few months being even more outspoken than usual. On Afghanistan, East Asian security policy, and Libya, Webb has challenged the fictions of the Obama administration. It's refreshing to hear a critical voice in a body characterized these days by compliant Democrats and posturing Republicans.
Consider Webb's views on the use of military force. Last week, he teamed up with Republican Bob Corker of Tennessee to introduce a resolution calling on the president to justify its military actions in Libya. The administration, according to the War Powers Act, must report to Congress 60 days after initiating a military conflict. More than 80 days have passed since the initial attacks in Libya.
The president has argued that he has abided by the War Powers Act by consulting with Congress. In a stinging speech last week, Webb firmly disagreed: "The president followed no clear historical standard when he unilaterally decided to use force in Libya. Once this action continued beyond his definition of 'days, not weeks' he did not seek the approval of Congress. And while he has discussed this matter with some members of Congress, he clearly has not formally conferred with the legislative branch."
Webb is not just concerned about Libya. He takes issue with the administration’s overall approach to the use of force. “You can’t have 535 commanders in chief," Webb told Politico. "But at the same time, we have become — over the past 10 or 11 years — very blasé about the use of military force around the world. I never thought we would be so blasé as a nation in terms of where we’re going in and dropping bombs and doing these sorts of things."
Equally contrarian has been Webb's position on U.S. force structure in Asia. In mid-May, he teamed up with Carl Levin (D-MI) and John McCain (R-AZ) to issue a statement offering an alternative to the current U.S. plan to build another military base in Okinawa and expand the existing facilities on Guam. The Obama administration has been so hell-bent on creating another U.S. base on Okinawa, over the objections of the vast majority of the citizens of the Japanese island, that it went so far as to precipitate the resignation of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama when he had the temerity to balk at the economic and political costs.
At a time when the administration has asked the Pentagon to contribute to overall budget cutting, the price tag for the reorganization of U.S. force structure in the Pacific is both enormous (over $27 billion) and, according to a recent GAO report, consistently underestimated. Webb's alternative – moving capabilities from the aging Futenma Marine air base to the nearby Kadena Air Force base – is not ideal, but it's at least a starting point for discussion. But the Obama administration, which has prided itself on its ability to listen, has closed its ears both to Okinawans and the Webb-Levin-McCain initiative.
Then there's Afghanistan. Webb is no pacifist. He did his tour of duty in Vietnam and subsequently supported U.S. involvement in various conflicts. But he centered his campaign for the Senate on opposition to the war in Iraq and famously butted heads with George W. Bush over his son's deployment in that war. Webb's relatively cautious statements about the war in Afghanistan drew ire from his anti-war supporters as recently as three months ago.
Webb is still cautious, essentially backing the administration's timeline. But in his recent questioning at Ryan Crocker's confirmation hearing to be the new U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Webb wondered aloud whether the "clear and secure" strategy the United States is using in Afghanistan has any real effect on an adversary that can pick up and move quickly to another part of the country (or cross a border into another country). And he received a good amount of press for pointing out that "if there is any nation in the world that needs nation-building right now, it is the United States."
(If you agree with Webb, send a message to your elected representative by taking this poll on budget priorities sponsored by the New Priorities Network.)
Next month, the administration will announce the size of its initial troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. It's likely to be modest. But congressional opposition to the war is increasing alongside public opposition. Webb, who will be a free agent after this year, can and should take the lead in the Senate in pushing for a faster withdrawal from the country.
As Webb finishes out his term, he is up against another public official who's taking his leave: Robert Gates. The Pentagon chief, who has taken some bold positions in the past in opposing certain expensive weapons systems, is spending his final days in office fighting a rearguard battle. He has dismissed the idea of a substantial withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has chided European allies for cutting their military budgets. And he has warned of the dangers of the United States making its own deep reductions in Pentagon spending.
While Gates is spreading his soothing fictions, Webb is raising some uncomfortable facts. The Senate will be the poorer for his absence. If Obama manages to eke out a second term, perhaps Webb could return as the head of the Pentagon to preside over the end of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and a true dismantling of the military-industrial complex. | <urn:uuid:c34b5af5-026e-4638-a062-f286341588a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/06/14-11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967123 | 1,250 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Castle Espie’s Art Gallery, Ireland’s only environmental art space, is hosting an exhibition which will bring Strangford lough to life. ‘Turn Tides and Nests’ is the inspired title of a joint exhibition by artists, Amanda Bradbury and local artist Jennifer Brown, which will take place from Saturday 3rd March 2pm to the 18th March 2012.
The joint event brings two very different mediums and subjects into the frame. Amanda has worked as a professional artist since 1997, but was drawing and observing animals and wild places from a very young age. Amanda is particularly inspired by placing wildlife in their environment and has developed a number of styles ranging from realistic detailed studies to more abstract, inspired by light, colour and form of wild habitats. While working on the interpretative fit out at the new Castle Espie Centre over two years, Strangford Lough could not fail to inspire Amanda and this collection reflects the very essence of this stunning location and the wildlife it supports. This is Amanda’s third exhibition and she has worked on many individually commissioned paintings and illustrations internationally Amanda says, ‘I am looking forward to exhibiting ‘Turning Tides’ for the first time in Northern Ireland. The unique and beautiful landscape and wildlife of Strangford Lough captured my imagination during my time here. WWT
Castle Espie’s stunning views of the Lough makes it the perfect place to show my work’.
Jennifer Brown, a textile artist from Belfast. graduated from the University of Ulster with a BA (Hons) in Fine Craft Design. She creates intricate embroidered pieces of art using hand and machine embroidery. Jennifer highlights, “I love tactile uneven areas and shapes. My love for the work of artists Gustav Klimt and Friederich Hundertwasser is a constant source of inspiration. When starting to make a piece I find it evolves into the shape it becomes through the subconscious imagination and I allow instinct to take over’. Jennifer’s exhibition has been supported by the Arts Council (NI) SIAP Award.
Castle Espie Wetland Centre is open daily from 10am. Access to the car park, visitor centre, shop, Loughshore Café and the Art Gallery is free of charge. The centre is accessible for wheelchairs. Normal admission prices apply to the reserve. For further information on this exhibition, forthcoming events conservation campaigns and closing times please call 028 9187 4146 or visit wwt.org.uk/castleespie. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @wwtcastleespie.
Become a WWT member when you visit and not only will you get your entrance fee refunded, but you can then enjoy great days out for a full 12 months for FREE. Our centre is open 364 days a year and with annual family membership only £66 for two adults and up to six children (or just £5.50 a month, plus a free book for joining by Direct Debit) it ‘pays for itself’ after just three visits. Members also receive an exclusive quarterly magazine, Waterlife, which keeps you up to date on what’s going on at all nine WWT UK
wetland centres and has information about WWT’s exciting conservation projects saving species from extinction and caring for important wetlands around the world. visit http://www.wwt.org.uk/become-a-member/ for details. | <urn:uuid:eeb7de88-bf1c-419e-a0ce-2e5123b63d96> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wwt.org.uk/news/all-news/2012/02/news/news-castle-espie/turning-tides-and-nests-art-exhibition/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947695 | 714 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Newmont Ghana has presented items worth over GH¢ 30,000 to four Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in support the underprivileged in society.
The items include furniture, curtains, and variety of kitchenware, assorted electrical appliances and bathroom wares.
The four beneficiary institutions are United Way Ghana, Compassion Rehabilitation Centre, The Country-Side Orphanage all in Accra, and Village of Hope in Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region.
Speaking at a ceremony in Accra, Franklin Nuamah, Deputy Regional Manager, Support Services at Newmont Ghana, said the donation was part of Newmont's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and aimed at improving the lives of the less privileged.
"As a company, helping the underprivileged is very much in keeping with value of demonstrating leadership in social responsibility" said Mr. Nuamah.
Jonathan Akuamoah, Executive Director of United Way Ghana, who received the items on behalf of the beneficiaries, commended Newmont Ghana for their continuous support. He acknowledged the immense support Newmont has offered the organization since its association with Newmont in 2006.
He said "This donation will go a long way to help the children in the various orphanages to also enjoy decent lives."
Last year, the company also donated a vehicle and an amount of GH¢120,000 to United Way Ghana (UWG) through its Workplace Giving Program dubbed "Boa Me Na Me Mmoa Wo" which is aimed at helping the underprivileged in society. | <urn:uuid:a2af3ec7-0724-4481-8a20-f17257b928ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://allafrica.com/stories/201302041204.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947166 | 325 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Even with Scott Walker’s success, Barack Obama won some bragging rights in the Wisconsin governor’s recall election: Voters said they favored Obama over Mitt Romney in November’s presidential race by a 7-point margin, with advantages for Obama both on handling the economy and aiding the middle class.
Wisconsin voters by 51-44 percent said they’d support Obama over Romney if the election were today, the ABC News exit poll found, by 42-38 percent picked Obama to do a better job than Romney handling the economy and by 46-37 percent preferred the president on “helping the middle class.”
Obama’s lead over Romney was only slightly narrower than his 56-42 percent win over John McCain in Wisconsin in 2008. In a race portrayed as potentially indicative of the president’s fortunes five months from now, it showed that he can remain competitive even in the face of the still-weak economy he’d pledged to repair.
Independents – key swing voters in national elections – said they preferred Obama over Romney by 56-37 percent, again near the Obama-McCain result among Wisconsin independents, 58-39 percent, in 2008. And there was a vast gender gap, with Obama preferred Tuesday by a broad 59-35 percent among women, while Romney led by a closer 52-44 percent among men. In 2008 Obama won women in Wisconsin by 21 percentage points, but also won men, by 7.
The results, analyzed for ABC by Langer Research Associates, provided Obama forces with pushback even as Walker, the incumbent Republican, prevailed in the recall election against Democratic candidate Tom Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee.
Barrett lost to Walker when the two faced off in 2010. One boost for Barrett this year came from turnout among union voters: One-third of voters said they were from union households, up from 26 percent two years ago, and those voters favored Barrett by a broad 62-38 percent. It was about the same margin as Barrett won among union household voters in 2010, although this time there were more of them.
Barely more than half of the state’s voters, 51 percent, said they have a favorable impression of public employee unions; Walker-backed restrictions on such unions incited opposition that led to the recall election.
Voters were closely divided on Walker’s handling of collective bargaining, 52 percent approving, 47 percent disapproving; there was an identical split specifically on the state law limiting the ability of government workers to bargain collectively. Both results included unusually high levels of strong sentiment on both sides. Women were notably more critical of Walker on the union issue than were men.
One striking feature of the Walker-Barrett race was the gender gap; Barrett had a 5-point advantage among women, 52-47 percent, compared with his very slight 51-48 percent edge among women against Walker two years ago. Tuesday, as in 2010, Walker led easily among men – a 19-point margin that produced his victory.
There were differences by education. Looking at white voters, Walker won those who lack a college degree by a wide 61-38 percent, while college-educated whites divided evenly, 50-49 percent. Walker won college- and non-college-educated white men alike, by 56-43 and 67-33 percent. Among white women, however, Walker won those without a college degree by 55-44 percent, but Barrett won white women who’ve been graduated from college, 55-45 percent. (Whites accounted for 91 percent of voters. Nonwhites backed Barrett by a broad 79-20 percent.)
Another result pointed to what may have been a key advantage for Walker: Voters approved rather than disapproved of his performance creating jobs, by 54-45 percent.
Democrats and Republicans were about equally matched, 34-35 percent, similar to 2010 and down from a 6-point Democratic advantage in 2008. Independents were up slightly from two years ago – 31 percent of voters Tuesday, compared with 27 percent in 2010.
Ideological divisions were similar to their levels two years ago – Barrett beating Walker by 8 points among moderates, but Walker coming back strongly among conservatives, who outnumbered liberals by 15 percentage points.
Another result helped Walker: Wisconsin voters by 52-43 percent were more apt to say government “is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals” than to say it “should do more to solve problems.” The former view typically draws more votes for Republican candidates, and indeed Walker led among those who expressed it by 76-23 percent.
Walker had an advantage in turnout: The exit poll found that he beat Barrett by 13 points among voters Tuesday who said they’d participated in the 2010 election. (One in six voters said they didn’t vote in 2010, or voted for someone else; they favored Barrett by 16 points.)
As perhaps expected in a recall election, Walker himself was the issue. Among his supporters, 88 percent said they were chiefly voting for him, rather than against Barrett. Among Barrett’s supporters, on the other hand, it was much more evenly divided – 50 percent were for Barrett, while 47 percent of his supporters said they chiefly were casting anti-Walker votes.
Voters expressed nearly identical opinions of both political parties, with just fewer than half expressing a favorable opinion of either the Democrats (46 percent) or the Republicans (49 percent). And there was a sour note for the recall process itself: Six in 10 said recalls are appropriate only for reasons of official misconduct. They showed up to vote nonetheless.
Finally, all the spending on campaign advertising in the last month – disproportionately by Walker and his supporters – may ultimately not have made much difference: nine in 10 Wisconsin voters said they’d made up their minds at least a month ago.
(This report was updated with the latest exit poll results as of 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, June 6.)
By Gary Langer, with Patrick Moynihan, Gregory Holyk and Lillian Nottingham | <urn:uuid:bd1b93bf-c835-4bc4-9ba4-a013de837fb7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/06/whatever-walkers-fate-obama-leads-romney-in-wisco/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979741 | 1,242 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Merrick, 22nd December 2010ce
Iain Duncan Smith – Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and founder of the supposed Tory conscience the Centre for Social Justice – has set forth his plans for welfare-to-work. People unemployed for a year will do four weeks full time work for no wage, or else lose benefits.
The plan is backed by Conservative leader David Cameron. These two men live in multimillion pound mansions thanks to their wives' fortunes, and from these grand platforms they tell us how important it is to work for your money rather than living on handouts.
To be fair, this isn't a Tory initiative. All the elements and more were laid out by Labour two and a half years ago:
After a year on unemployment benefits, claimants will have to undertake at least four weeks compulsory work in the community. This becomes full-time voluntary work after two years. It is hoped that this will push people back into paid work as they will have to work at least 30 hours a week unpaid simply to claim benefits. They may also have to sign on daily.
Firms successfully returning people to the workforce for the long-term will receive bonuses of up to £50,000.
As I said back then, that – just the bonus, before the firm's standard fees – is equivalent to over 16 years of Job Seekers Allowance. Do we really think that’s value for money? Or does the government just feel better giving the benefits budget to wealthy private firms instead of poverty stricken individuals?
Given there are already people who remove graffiti and pick up litter but who'll now be unneeded, we can sack them, put them on the dole, then re-employ them on unemployment benefits at a third of the price.
This is, by any measure, slave labour. Those who have no other option are forced under threat of destitution or other punishment to do menial work in exchange for basic food and shelter, with no prospect of improving their conditions or of leaving.
This affects more than those on the scheme, as the new pool of dirt cheap labour drags down wages and conditions for the properly employed.
However, this is not the advent of modern slavery in the UK. In 1995 the government introduced the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme for convicted prisoners. Since then, things that were formerly rights such as visits and association with others, have had to be earned. Paid work is mandatory in order to earn a few - very few - pounds a week.
David Taylor, Governor of Wandsworth prison, says
If we did nothing with them at all during their time in custody, what would we have at the end of the process? No-one has had the opportunity to address their offending behaviour or improve their skills to give them the opportunity to be employed.
Packing small items into bags for Wilkinson's or assembling those miniature football shirts that you put in your car window isn't exactly learning a trade. More, because this labour is enmeshed in the prison privileges system; workers who refuse to co-operate are penalised. You can lose privileges – no visits, confined to your cell – because you refused to pack plastic spoons for Sainsbury’s. The more cynical among us might say that coercion is a key part of the world of work. But certainly, the main lesson is to teach prisoners that employment is dull, that the worker is undervalued, and the rewards are nowhere near as good as your life of crime outside.
Currently, the compliant ones get between £4 and £8 a week. This slave wage is not paid in cash but in credit to be spent at the prison shop. Being fed on a malnutrition diet, inmates top it up with snacks from these overpriced tuckshops and other services where the prison takes advantage their monopoly.
Prisoners are also exploited on their phone calls. These cost around five times the price of those made from a public phone box. The prison service receive a 7% commission from BT's profits from the calls.
Surveys consistently show that prisoners pay more for their shopping than the general public. Some items, toothpaste for example, were 20% dearer in prison than in supermarkets. Prisoners' wages have not increased since 1995, when the incentives and earned privileges scheme was launched. Since then, the RPI has increased by some 43%.
As with welfare-to-work, this was a regime Labour revelled in. In 2008 a planned increase in the prisoner wage – from £4 to £5.50 a week – was vetoed by Gordon Brown the day before it came into force.
Our new Justice Secretary Ken Clarke says that prisoners should now get the national minimum wage but with hefty mandatory deductions – “the lion's share” of the wage, they said – going to charities that deal with victims of crime. So serving the sentence given to you is no longer repaying your debt to society, you have to hand over money too.
Because of the threats it functions under, this workforce will be far more compliant than any other and so, like welfare-to-work, it will help to reduce pay and conditions for everybody. It is already doing so as many public services are contracting out to prisons.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue service's residential training centre has a £16,000 laundry contract with HMP Kirkham. "The contract was awarded to the prison as it was the lowest cost," says Keith Mattinson, the fire service's director of finance.
It also puts more people on to the job market. There are 2,467,000 people unemployed chasing 467,000 job vacancies. The unemployed already outnumber vacancies 5:1. The last budget will cause the loss of a further 1.3 million jobs. There are 2.6 million people on Incapacity Benefit. The government's new stringent tests are recategorising 68% of them as suddenly magically fit to work, adding add 1.77 million to the unemployed. Add all this up and the jobless outnumber vacancies 11:1.
Force these five million people through a benefits system being made punitive in the places where it's not dissolved entirely, and there will be massive, dangerous poverty as great swathes of the population struggle to stave off destitution.
This callous attitude to the poorest and most desperate in society unifies the government's approach to the unemployed and prisoners. Neither are there to be assisted into useful fulfilling lives, they are merely population overspill that helps keeps costs down for those that require cheap unskilled labour, there to be coerced into hopeless work for paltry recompense. They are regarded by our cabinet of millionaires as two different regiments in the same army of slaves. | <urn:uuid:ffce8166-6586-4cbe-a212-6f3444de90f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.headheritage.co.uk/uknow/features/?id=105 | 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 | 0.973303 | 1,386 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Posted: May 11th, 2011 | Author: Buster Cookson | Filed under: Technoid Computer News | Tags: apple, iphone, location tracking | Comments Off
In an interesting blip to all the location tracking bluster, Apple has released updated software for iPhones to fix “bugs” that resulted in location data being unencrypted and stored for up to a year. A note included with the update said that the cache of saved data on devices was reduced and that location information would no longer be backed up at iTunes on people’s computers. The software released overnight follows through on Apple’s recent promise to revise the feature that logged users’ movements Apple said the location data won’t be kept for more than a week after the changes to the iPhone’s operating system are installed. ”Apple is not tracking the location of your iPhone,” the California-based company said in its first response to privacy questions raised by a pair of researchers. “Apple has never done so and has no plans to ever do so.”
Turning off the location services feature on an Apple gadget will cause location data to be deleted, the update promised. The changes came in an iOS 4.3.3 software update for iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices. Apple faced a backlash from privacy watchdogs and some indignant iPhone owners after British researchers showed how the surveillance technology could be abused at conference last week. According to the researchers, iPhones and iPads running iOS 4, the latest operating system, were storing latitude and longitude coordinates in a hidden file along with a time stamp and the data was easily retrievable.
“By passively logging your location without your permission, Apple made it possible for anyone from a jealous spouse to a private investigator to get a detailed picture of your movements,” they said. The Cupertino, California-based company has staunchly denied tracking iPhone users, maintaining that location data gathered by the smartphones was used for services such as navigation or targeted ads.
“Apple is not tracking the location of your iPhone,” the Apple said last month in its first response to privacy questions raised by the two researchers. “Apple has never done so and has no plans to ever do so.”
Apple said the iPhone was not logging a user’s location but maintaining a database of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers to “help your iPhone rapidly and accurately calculate its location when requested”. Apple said the location data the researchers were seeing on the iPhone is “not the past or present location of the iPhone, but rather the locations of Wi-Fi hotspots and [mobile] towers surrounding the iPhone’s location, which can be more than one hundred miles away from the iPhone.”
Posted: May 11th, 2011 | Author: Diana Detaux | Filed under: Technoid Computer News | Tags: android, apple, Google, iphone, location tracking | Comments Off
Executives from Apple and Google have told lawmakers that users have control over information used to pinpoint the location of iPhones and smartphones running Google’s Android software.
Guy “Bud” Tribble, vice president of software technology for Apple, told a Senate Judiciary panel in the US on Tuesday that Apple gives users the ability to turn off all location-based functionality in its mobile devices with a single on/off switch, as well as the ability to block individual applications from accessing location information. The company also requires iPhone apps to obtain user consent to access location data, Tribble said.
Alan Davidson, Google’s director of public policy, told lawmakers that the company does not collect any location information unless a user specifically agrees to share it, and allows users to turn off location sharing later even after initially allowing it. Google, too, requires apps for its Android operating system to get user permission in order to collect location data, Davidson said.
Tuesday’s hearing by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law follows Apple’s recent admission that its popular iPhone stores data used to help the device locate itself for up to a year. Apple also said that a software bug has caused iPhones to continue to send anonymous location data to the company’s servers even when location services on the device were turned off.
Faced with an uproar among privacy watchdogs and lawmakers after two researchers revealed the iPhone location tracking practices, Apple has said it will no longer store the data on phones for more than seven days, will encrypt the data and will stop backing up the files to user computers. It also has fixed the bug with a free software update.
Google, too, recently acknowledged that phones running its Android software store some GPS location data for a short time.
Tuesday’s hearing comes at a time when location-based mobile services – from turn-by-turn driving directions to friend-finder applications to local business listings – are exploding in popularity. Device makers like Apple, software developers like Google and third-party apps developers generally rely on GPS technology, cell tower triangulation and databases of Wi-Fi hot spots to track a user’s location in order to provide such services.
Senator Al Franken, District of Minnesota, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, said that while location-based services offer consumers enormous benefits, they also raise serious concerns since location data can be very sensitive and very dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. He noted that the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women in his home state has warned that location-tracking technology can be misused by stalkers and abusive spouses.
“This is a problem … And I think that’s something the American people should be aware of,” Franken said. He added: “I just want to be clear that the answer to this problem is not ending location-based services. No one up here wants to stop Apple or Google from producing their products.”
Franken challenged executives from both companies to require all outside apps developers that make programs for their mobile platforms to adopt formal privacy policies. Tribble said Apple believes that privacy policies alone are not enough. He explained that privacy needs to be baked into products – for instance, in the form of clear on-screen disclosures that notify users how their personal data is collected and tools to control that data collection. | <urn:uuid:440facb3-ccbd-4d1d-a322-54b4175bdc5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.technoid.com.au/tag/location-tracking/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950978 | 1,310 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Highlights From Benedict XVI Papacy
(c) 2013, Bloomberg News.
Here are highlights of Pope Benedict XVI's papacy:
April 19, 2005: Joseph Ratzinger is elected the 265th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and chooses the name Benedict XVI. He replaces Pope John Paul II, who died April 2.
April 24, 2005: The pope celebrates his Papal inauguration mass in St. Peter square.
Dec. 25, 2005: He signs his first encyclical letter "Deus caritas est" in which he points to Jesus Christ's death on the cross as love in its most radical form.
June 22, 2006: He names Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone secretary of state.
Sept. 12, 2006: His lecture at Germany's University of Regensburg, in which he quotes a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who called Islam "evil and inhuman," sparks criticism and violent protests in Muslim countries that force him to make several public apologies.
Jan. 15, 2008: A visit to Rome's La Sapienza University planned for Jan. 17 is called off amid protests by students and professors who accuse the pope of being "hostile" to science.
April 15-21, 2008: During his visit to the United States, he is received at the White House on his 81st birthday, meets with sex-abuse victims from the Boston Archdiocese, addresses the United Nations General Assembly, visits Ground Zero, and celebrates Mass at Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium. In a speech to bishops April 16, he says the Church "very badly handled" the scandal involving pedophile priests and told U.S. bishops it is crucial to protect children from sexual predators.
Jan. 24, 2009: He lifts the excommunication of Bishop Richard Williamson and three other priests who broke with the Church in the 1980s, days after Williamson denied the Nazi Holocaust. The Vatican's delay in distancing itself from Williamson and denouncing his views draws the ire of leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. | <urn:uuid:3d725dc4-36b8-4c7d-abb4-a42662fd1106> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.northjersey.com/news/international/190730951_Highlights_From_Benedict_XVI_Papacy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961894 | 414 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Maurice Boyer, who mostly signed with Moriss, but also with Mo'Rice, drew for Le Pêle-Mêle from 1895. Later on, he was also present in La Chronique Amusante and Polichinelle. His humorous drawings were made in a geometric style that was very modern at the time. He made comics for Le Bon Vivant from 1902, and later on for American Illustré, Le Cri-Cri, Les Belles Images, La Joie des Enfants, L'Epatant, Cadet Revue and Ololé, until the mid-1940s.
Moriss was also one of the regular contributors to comics magazine Diabolo Journal, which appeared from 1906 until 1922/23. He drew the story 'Une Expédition Fort Simple' in 1912. Boyer was also a music hall comedian, as well as an actor in plays like 'Les Vampires' by Louis Feuillade in 1915. | <urn:uuid:8721a4b9-88e2-4e7b-9537-b746863de042> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/moriss.htm?lan=dutch | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979009 | 208 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Any of these scenarios would almost guarantee an Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
TEL AVIV — Two rockets launched from the Gaza Strip today landed in Rishon Letzion, some 7 miles south of Tel Aviv.
No causalties were reported in those rocket attacks, by far the farthest strikes by Hamas in two days of fighting. Rishon Letzion is considered a sister city to Tel Aviv.
Earlier today, three Israelis were killed by a direct rocket hit on their family home in the Gaza border town of Kiryat Malakhi. A four year old Israeli boy and an infant were moderately wounded in separate rocket attacks. [...]
The Hamas leadership in Gaza has also been studying the possibility of assassinating Israeli figures or launching suicide bombings inside Israel, those senior Hamas members said yesterday.
Also being debating by Hamas is the immediate use of antiaircraft and other advanced missiles to target Israel Air Force operations over the Gaza Strip, the Hamas members said.
According to the senior Hamas members speaking to KleinOnline, the responses Hamas is currently debating launching against Israel include:
1) Firing long range rockets aimed at Gedera and Rishon Letzion. Such rocket firing would be considered a strategic game changer.
2) Launching suicide bombings inside Israel. Any attempted suicide attacks would most likely originate with the Hamas infrastructure within the West Bank. Israeli security sources told KleinOnline that Hamas maintains the capability of attempting suicide bombings from the West Bank.
3) Assassinating Israeli figures. The Hamas members said the group is already compiling a list of possible targets but would not comment to KleinOnline about whether those targets were political, military or civilian.
Further, the senior Hamas members said the group is likely to use antiaircraft and other advanced missiles against IAF airplanes operating over the Gaza Strip. | <urn:uuid:e6b31e48-c1a8-43bf-99b0-883a5e3f69c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://weaselzippers.us/2012/11/15/report-hamas-considering-using-its-long-range-missiles-for-attacks-on-tel-aviv-suburbs-deploying-suicide-bombers-assassinating-israeli-leaders/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957678 | 374 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Image via Wikipedia
I've been heads down for the last few weeks getting a project out the door for a new customer. As I mentioned, this involves creating a virtual appliance. I decided, due to the circumstances of this deployment that the best option was the build an appliance factory that is capable of churning out new virtual machines at will. I'm going to describe how I did that in this post.
There are bascially three steps to creating a new image that runs the Kynetx Network Service (KNS):
- Create a new virtual machine
- Install packages and Perl libraries, create users, and otherwise configure the machine to run KNS
- Deploy the KNS code and test it
I was exporing Kickstart files for automatically installing Fedora and CentOS when someone pointed me at Cobbler. Cobbler is a Linux installation server that is simply amazing. It includes templated kickstart files, DHCP and DNS servers, the ability to manage multiple distros and repositories, and a database for keeping it all straight.
You start by importing distros and images, then define profiles that combine those with kickstart files, and finally create system definitions for each machine refering to profiles. I pnly needed one distro, one repo, and one kickstart, so I ended up with multiple systems hanging off of one profile. Once that's done, a command called
koan (kickstart over a network) is used on the Dom0 machine to create virtual machines as defined by the system definitions cobbler.
I carefully edited the kickstart file to create just the machine I wanted with the right packages installed. At this point, I was building new VMs and taking them down 20-30 times a day as I tested this. That's the beauty of automation--tacking up a machine is just dirt simple.
I was lucky that I'd already invested considerable effort in Puppet recipes for building the environment that KNS need to run, so the second step was almost done. In fact, with just a few edits, I had Puppet building the new VMs up.
The third step was also one that I'd spent some time on. I have a custom deploy script (in Perl) that deploys KNS code based on server role and takes care of all the little details like setting up the configuration files for the various servers.
Every system is slightly different, but I think there's a definite distinction between machine setup, system configuration, and code deployment. The first creates a fairly standard environment, the second configures it to a specific purpose, and the third manages the code.
Some thoughts on all of this:
- Some have asked "Why not put the code in Puppet (i.e. why use a deployment system)?" My answer is that code deployment is a dynamic process that I want more control of than puppet's automatic configuration provides. You could probably press Puppet into this, but it didn't seem to fit for me.
- I had to create a simple YAML-based configuration file for KNS to pull everything together. YAML was the right answer for this. I chose to put that configuration file in Puppet, but I think I'll pull it into the deployment process in the future.
- One missing piece is a database that everything can read system configurations from. Cobbler provides a light-weight one that may serve our purposes for a while, but something like iClassify is more flexible. Right now there's system information in Cobbler, Puppet, and the deploy script. There's a way to put additional attributes in Cobbler that we could use in other places.
- All of this--Cobbler, Puppet, and the deploy script--were installed and running on a virtual machine that we call the factory. That one image, once installed in Xen is capable of creating as many copies of each type of machine we run as needed.
- This can all be done on physical boxes too, of course, but I prefer the flexibility of virtual machines--even when only one will be running on the physical hardware. They can be moved, replicated, and managed with a lot more ease that physical hardware. Plus I have the ability to fire up new ones for QA or whatever without buying and installing new physical hardware. When a 8 core, 32 Gb box costs $4K, you can amortize that investment a lot with virtual machines.
Startups need to be lean. Achieving that goal in a compute-intensive business requires automation. Fortunately with tools like Cobbler and Puppet, automating the build-side of your infrastructure is not only possible, but fairly easy. We manage several dozen machines with only a few hours a week of effort. What's more, adding a new box for load or experimenting is as easy as typing a few commands and waiting 20-30 minutes. | <urn:uuid:89448e5e-b797-4507-8622-717d5c3209d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.windley.com/archives/2009/07/automatically_building_configuring_and_maintaining_complex_infrastructure.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951471 | 996 | 1.695313 | 2 |
The upcoming 8.1 update to Windows 8 will offer improved fingerprint security – including the option to secure folders using a fingertip, as well as signing into Microsoft accounts and authenticating online payments.
[UPDATE #1: (21 Dec 2012, 5:30PM) ESET Researcher Cameron Camp has just published the second part of this series on securing your Android device. Read it here on the ESET Threat Blog at Securing Your Holiday Tech Gifts, Part 2: Android Guide. AG] December is upon us, and whether you have a Christmas tree, menorah,
Disasters, new hardware, new software: to the phish scammer, it’s all potential bait for reeling in victims.
[UPDATE: 10/23/2012, 3:00PM — Testing agency AV-Comparatives has reviewed both ESET NOD32 Antivirus and ESET Smart Security for Windows 8 compatibility. I have updated the blog post below. AG] The release of Windows 8 is this week and interest remains high in Microsoft’s new flagship operating system. We have already taken a
[NOTE: For the latest information about compatibility between ESET's software and Windows 8, please see the following blog post: W8ing for V6: What ESET has in store for Windows 8 Users. (10/23/2012, 4:15PM)] Windows 8 will be available to the public in three weeks, and interest in the latest version of Microsoft’s flagship operating system
While I share the reluctance of my colleagues to predict the future, I think there are some trends that can be classified as “reasonably likely to occur” in 2012. I make no promises, but here’s what I think we will see, in no particular order of importance or certainty. We will see increased interest in
Since yesterday’s Much Ado About Facebook post in the ESET Threat Blog, we have written additional articles, received a few comments, and also received updated information on the “threat,” so it seems that now is a good time for a follow-up article. Reports continue to come in of pornographic and violent imagery on Facebook, and | <urn:uuid:93ca280a-49ad-48b1-b4f5-c72fb3e387b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.welivesecurity.com/category/windows/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931995 | 449 | 1.578125 | 2 |
NBC10 Philadelphia - Denise Nakano
Activists are calling attention to Camden's homicide record, but it's the way they are doing it that's causing controversy. NBC10's Denise Nakano reports.
As the city of Camden remains on the brink of breaking its homicide record, controversy is now brewing over the location of the memorial honoring victims of violence in the city.
Stop the Trauma on People (STOP) created the memorial outside Camden City Hall to remember those who have lost their lives to violence in Camden this year. The memorial consists of 58 crosses containing the names of the 58 homicide victims in 2012, which ties a record set in Camden back in 1995.
“We have a very tight family,” said Ketsy Crespo, the sister of one of the murder victims. “So we’re doing this for him and everyone else who lost someone.”
“It’s very real,” said Jinely Rosado of Runnemede. “Sophia Ortiz was my God sister and she was a victim of domestic violence. She passed in May.”
Activists with STOP and Cease Murder Diplomats are fighting to keep the memorial at City Hall so that everyone can see it. Some members of city council however believe the memorial makes it difficult for the city to move forward. The council is gearing up for a ceremony on Tuesday renaming city hall in honor of the late Randy Primas, Camden’s first African American Mayor.
“I can understand what they represent,” said Brian Coleman of the Camden City Council. “I just don’t think this particular location is where we need to set up the memorial.”
Father Jeff Putthoff, the founder of STOP, says the memorial is a way for families to heal and bring awareness to the city’s alarming death toll.
“We’re going to continue to advocate that people have not just the right but that the reality of their life is acknowledged,” said Father Putthoff.
The dedication to Mayor Primas takes place Tuesday at noon. As for the memorial, the council president says there is no timetable for a removal. The issue of whether the memorial will remain at city hall is now in the hands of Camden’s mayor. | <urn:uuid:189e5422-7daf-4336-8ea7-1f10a4958217> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Memorial-for-Camden-Homicide-Victims-Sparks-Controversy--179024561.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962252 | 482 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Installing A Rifle Scope
It’s Not Hard, And A Few Good Tools Help.
Hunting season is not far off and, naturally, all we nimrods will start pondering our choice of weaponry. Some of us will take old favorites. Others will start afresh. Many of the others will want to apply a scope to their new piece. Thanks to the enormous technical resources available to modern hunters, it is simple and any hunter who can field dress a deer can handle a scope installation. We’ll assume you have a typical bolt-action rifle but what follows is applicable to most any rifle. At the expense of belaboring the obvious, make sure the gun is unloaded and no ammo is anywhere nearby.
Once you have your rifle in-hand, decide on a scope. This brief treatise must necessarily confine itself to the installation rather the optics selection but, that said, I will offer one piece of advice. The tendency is to procure scopes of unnecessarily high magnification. All the scope does is provide a more precise sighting picture by putting all sighting elements on one clear plane. It is not a spotting device. All you need is a reticle you can see and place on the kill zone with a little room left over. You don’t need to fill the view through the scope with deer since you then restrict the all-important field of view. I want to see not only the deer but a lot of his surroundings so I can figure out what to do next if something goes off the rails. You can make a grizzly bear out of a prairie dog with a powerful enough scope—if you can find him in the first place.
By Hamilton S. Bowen
>> Click Here << To Read More June 2012 Gunsmithing | <urn:uuid:c2c42782-1ff2-4fb3-9783-67896cc51ba9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gunsmagazine.com/installing-a-rifle-scope/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938019 | 363 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Reasonableness Meets Requirements: Regulating Security and Privacy in Software
Otto, Paul N., Duke Law Journal
Software security and privacy issues regularly grab headlines amid fears of identity theft, data breaches, and threats to security. Policymakers have responded with a variety of approaches to combat such risk. Suggested measures include promulgation of strict rules, enactment of open-ended standards, and, at times, abstention in favor of allowing market forces to intervene. This Note lays out the basis for understanding how both policymakers and engineers should proceed in an increasingly software-dependent society. After explaining what distinguishes software-based systems from other objects of regulation, this Note argues that policymakers should pursue standards-based approaches to regulating software security and privacy. Although engineers may be more comfortable dealing with strict rules, this Note explains why both policymakers and engineers benefit from pursuing standards over rules. The nature of software development prevents engineers from ever guaranteeing security and privacy, but with an effective regulatory standards framework complemented by engineers' technical expertise, heightened security, and privacy protections can benefit society.
On October 20, 2008, Anne Pressly, a television anchorwoman in Little Rock, Arkansas, was discovered in her home after having been attacked and severely beaten. (1) Although she spent the next week at a hospital, Ms. Pressly never regained consciousness and ultimately passed away on October 25. (2) The attack quickly gained national media attention, (3) especially because the beating was particularly savage and yet apparently random. (4)
In addition to attracting national media attention, the situation surrounding Ms. Pressly's attack and subsequent hospitalization also inspired curiosity among hospital employees within the St. Vincent Health System. Within a month of Ms. Pressly's death, the hospital announced the firing of several employees for "improperly accessing [her] medical records. (5)
In cases the media follows, there have been many breaches of patients' privacy rights through unauthorized access to medical records. (6) The suspension or termination of hospital employees often follows such breaches, owing to the strict privacy protections put in place by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (7) and its resulting regulations regarding the security and privacy of medical records. (8) As a news article describing the Pressly situation mentions, however, "you still have to wonder ... why is there not more limited access to those [medical] records--especially with a prominent individual when you could really expect an unauthorized person would get overly curious? Why does the hospital allow any employee access to records they do not need to see?" (9)
The problem of unauthorized access to private information is not limited to the healthcare domain, nor is the general problem restricted to unauthorized access. Personally identifiable information (10)--whether financial, medical, or otherwise private--is threatened by identity theft, (11) data breaches, (12) and fraud, (13) among other threats. Misuse of personally identifiable information has increased as more information enters electronic form, thus facilitating both its exchange and exposure on a larger scale. The transition to electronic record systems has necessitated the development of complex software systems (14) to manage the creation, storage, and transmission of electronic information.
Increasingly, laws and regulations specify how software systems must implement data security and privacy measures. Some legal requirements regarding security and privacy emerge in advance of software system development to control the direction of software use. (15) Other security and privacy requirements emerge in response to perceived excesses or threats from existing software systems. (16) In both scenarios, policymakers (17) must make decisions about the means through which they seek to control software design, development, and deployment. (18) In particular, policymakers must decide which approach--rules, standards, or nonintervention--is most appropriate to protect security and privacy within software. (19)
Once laws and regulations take effect, the policymakers' task may appear complete, as auditors and regulators take over the job of overseeing compliance with and enforcement of these security and privacy requirements. The software engineering community, (20) however, has struggled to manage the implementation of these legal requirements within the software development process. (21) The software engineering community has recognized compliance monitoring as a significant problem, (22) but researchers still struggle to develop methodologies for even establishing, much less monitoring, compliance. (23) Extracting security and privacy requirements directly from legal texts has proven too difficult and error-prone to address the need for compliance. (24) Furthermore, the ambiguity inherent in legal texts raises numerous problems for engineers seeking to implement legal requirements directly into software systems. (25) The disconnect between legal requirements and engineering realities raises serious concerns about the efficacy of emerging data security and privacy protections. Both engineers and policymakers recognize compliance as essential to protecting security and privacy, (26) yet the technical means to establish and maintain compliance are lagging behind the legal mandates. (27) The result is a situation in which Ms. Pressly and her family ostensibly have the protection of the law safeguarding Ms. Pressly's medical records, yet the software systems managing her records are ill-equipped to provide the protection without the possibility of unauthorized access.
This Note seeks to explore the relationship between law and software with regard to security and privacy. Specifically, this Note argues that legal requirements governing security and privacy must take the form of broad standards rather than specific rules. (28) Although software engineers may prefer the ease of implementing rules--with their specific technological mandates--to ambiguous and open-ended standards, security and privacy interests are best protected through standards that leave room for evolution. Broad standards allow the law to capture moving targets; by requiring reasonable software security, for example, the law can continue to mandate strong security measures as industry best practices evolve and improve. Similarly, by including broad privacy protections, the law can capture new threats to privacy as understandings evolve regarding what constitutes personal information or whether previously innocuous information is in fact personally identifiable. (29)
Part I of this Note discusses the various aspects of software that make it unique as compared with other regulatory subjects. Part II discusses the spectrum of choices that policymakers face in regulating software. Part III presents the principal argument of this Note: with regard to security and privacy protections, standards are more appropriate than rules for requirements regarding software systems that are made at the original policymaking level. This Note concludes with some thoughts on how policymakers' use of standards in the first instance is most effective when engineers create rules to meet the standards given to them.
I. THE NATURE OF SOFTWARE
There are several characteristics of software systems that make them unique subjects of regulation. These characteristics center around the nature of software design, development, and deployment as compared with non-software-centric systems. To illustrate these unique characteristics, this Part will compare and contrast software with physical buildings at three key stages: design, development, and deployment. (30) Understanding these characteristics is essential to making an informed decision regarding what form of regulation is appropriate for safeguarding security and privacy in software systems.
The crucial differentiating factor of software-based systems is that software is virtually unlimited in flexibility and scope. (31) Unlike the construction of a building, in which the laws of physics constrain the possibilities lying before the architect, software can be molded into any shape necessary to perform a desired set of functions. (32) From the perspective of the software engineering community, this flexibility has been described in lofty terms: "The programmer, like the poet, works only slightly removed from pure thought-stuff. He builds his castles in the air, from air, creating by exertion of the imagination." (33) Software's malleable nature allows it to encompass far greater complexity than physical counterparts can manage. (34) This same flexibility, however, comes at a great cost: the overall software development process (35) is prone to scheduling delays and constant flux, as stakeholders (36) treat flexibility as a license to change requirements at any time. (37)
The need to define system functionality (38) is the greatest limitation on the scope of software (that is, the tasks that the software system will perform and the features it will contain). Once decisions on the software's scope and function are made, the "creativity of the programmer, the complexity or sophistication of the software itself, or the environment in which it operates" serve to limit the software's theoretical flexibility. (39) Thus, the narrow selection of permitted inputs and outputs (40) for a specific program necessarily limits the virtually infinite reach of software that exists in theory.
Despite the emergence of significant limits on flexibility and creativity imposed during the development phase, these limits are even more constraining in the development of a physical building. First, there are physical limits to the size and scope of a given building; in software, however, it is relatively easy to add new functionality or address evolving requirements even during development. (41) Second, constructing a physical building proceeds in clearly defined stages, and generally architects and builders try to avoid having to undo any portions that have been situated. In software, however, there is comparatively lower cost in changing many elements of the software, no matter how much has been built. (42)
After development or construction has concluded, the first major contrast between software systems and physical buildings concerns the ease of replication. Once developed, a software system can be deployed in a virtually unlimited number of locations with minimal additional effort; replication of physical structures can be accomplished through reuse of the original design, but development must begin anew at each new building site. Further, once its deployment is complete, software is "automated" in its function: no further intervention is required for software to make its determinations of allowable and prohibited behaviors. (43) This behavior may not at first glance seem so different from a physical building: once conceived, constructed, and completed, a building is available for full use. The key difference in this regard between software systems and other regulated entities, such as a building, is the degree of interaction that software possesses. Software may take actions without any human oversight. (44) This automated nature can be a great strength: software can just as easily handle one case as it can handle one billion cases, (45) meaning that software systems can manage a larger number of transactions than any human-driven system could hope to address. A significant difference exists in scale of usage as well: whereas most physical buildings have a relatively low occupancy limit, software may simultaneously accommodate many orders of magnitude more users.
Along with its automated nature, software also produces immediate results. Software therefore can bar prohibited behavior without ever allowing a violation to occur in the first place; (46) similarly, software can permit actions to take place immediately, again without requiring human oversight. In contrast, a physical building can take no action to control its usage: once built, the building's structure may have implications for the building's usage, but not enforcement of the developer's intent. Legal requirements implemented in software provide an immediate interpretation of the requirements as they are represented in the software system--even if the result was not fully understood or even contemplated by the original software developers. (47)
The immediate results provided by software systems directly contrast with another characteristic of these systems: the lack of transparency in software's decisionmaking process. Although an individual interacting with a software system will see immediate results from an attempt to engage in a particular action, software does not provide any explanation of its decisions unless an explanation has been included ex ante within the software. Furthermore, unless the software is updated, software is locked into providing the results programmed in during software development. (48) This differs sharply from interactions with a physical building, in which many (if not all) design decisions are exposed directly to the building's occupants. (49)
The final significant difference between software and its physical counterparts is that software is commonly deployed despite the existence of known problems in the software. There is an understanding in the software engineering community that large software systems cannot be constructed perfectly (that is, without a single bug or vulnerability). (50) This tolerance for bugs and system failures contrasts sharply with expectations for physical buildings, in which compliance with building plans and specifications is generally fairly precise and accurate. This difference in expectations leads to a great variance in maintenance costs after deployment: both buildings and software have an expected maintenance phase after deployment, but for software, the cost of testing and maintaining the final product may exceed the costs of design and development. (51)
II. THE INTERSECTION OF SOFTWARE AND REGULATION
With the increased use of computing technologies in modern society, there has been a corresponding--though lagging--increase in laws and regulations targeting actions that software systems can and cannot perform. Although these laws and regulations target various types and aspects of software systems, (52) this Note will focus on laws and regulations concerning data security and privacy protections.
The idea of regulating software through laws has been called a form of legal preemption. (53) The spectrum of choices facing policymakers who regulate the behavior of software systems includes specifying software functionality directly through the promulgation of specific rules, defining broad standards with which software must comply, and enabling software to take the place of explicit regulation. (54) In addition, policymakers may choose to not regulate software systems at all, leaving security and privacy protections to be handled by market forces. (55) Each of these options is discussed in turn.
A. Preemption through Legal Rules
In the strongest form of legal preemption, laws or regulations "directly establish formal boundaries or requirements for …
Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Reasonableness Meets Requirements: Regulating Security and Privacy in Software. Contributors: Otto, Paul N. - Author. Journal title: Duke Law Journal. Volume: 59. Issue: 2 Publication date: November 2009. Page number: 309+. © 2009 Duke University, School of Law. COPYRIGHT 2009 Gale Group.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means. | <urn:uuid:f71bb40c-d4f2-481c-99da-4960affd0427> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.questia.com/read/1G1-212032979/reasonableness-meets-requirements-regulating-security | 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 | 0.941036 | 2,886 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Source: "Portrait and Biographical Record - Published 1894 by Excelsior Publishing Co., Chicago" Pages 627 - 628
Frank Gottsacker, Secretary, Treasurer and manager of the National Demokrat Printing Company, was born in the Rhine
Province, Germany, June 15, 1852, and is a son of William and Anna Gottsacker. He emigrated to America with his
mother in 1855, his father having come previously. After living four years in Two Rivers, the family settled in
Sheboygan, where they still reside.
Frank was but seven years old When he came to the Chair City. He attended the schools until he was twelve, when he
began learning the printing business in the office of the Sheboygan Zeitung, with Mr. Pott, Sr., continuing with him
until 1867, when he went to Milwaukee, where he was employed for two and a-half years in the office of the
Milwaukee Herold. In 1870, he returned to Sheboygan, accepting the position of foreman in the National Demokrat
office, with Carl Zillier. He bought an interest in the business in 1889, o n the incorporation of the present
Demokrat Printing Company, and was chosen to the position he now holds.
On the 25th of October, 1875, Mr. Gottsacker was united in marriage with Miss Anna Brand. Mrs. Gottsacker was born
in Sheboygan, being a daughter of Andrew Brand. They have five sons and two daughters, who were born in the order
named: William G., Amelia, John, Frank, Annie, Joseph and Peter. All of them were born in Sheboygan.
Mr. Gottsacker and family are members of the Catholic Church. In politics, he is a Democrat, and has held various
official positions. For the years 1883-84, he was Alderman from the Eighth Ward. In 1885, Mr. Gottsacker was
appointed Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue for the First District, which position he resigned after fourteen
months' service, to take editorial charge of the National Demokrat. He has now been connected with that paper for
Our subject is a member of the Sheboygan Board of Education, has served six years as a member of that body, and in
the spring of 1893 was elected for a further term of four years. He has belonged to the Mutual Aid Society for
sixteen years, being its present President, and is also a member and President of St. Boniface's Society. Mr.
Gottsacker has had a long experience in the newspaper business in all its departments, from "devil" to editor and
business manager, but has always discharged ably and well the duties assigned to him. He is now editor and manager
of the most important newspaper in Sheboygan County.
Copyright 1997 - 2009 by Debie Blindauer
All Rights Reserved
Census Records | Vital Records | Family Trees & Communities | Immigration Records | Military Records Directories & Member Lists | Family & Local Histories | Newspapers & Periodicals | Court, Land & Probate | Finding Aids | <urn:uuid:bdf059b0-e592-4da3-9e8f-46da63cf5bde> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sheboygan/bios567.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977999 | 662 | 1.742188 | 2 |
It's easy to find in modern America cultural practices that lead to self-destruction. Some are so obvious that one needs a Ph.D. to ignore them: out-of-wedlock births, divorce, atheism, educational curricula devoid of rigor or truth seeking. Others are destructive insofar as they are not ennobling, for civilization only is ever strengthening its roots or decaying at its core. This latter category is pernicious because it is seemingly innocuous. What's so wrong, really, with kids spending a couple dozen hours a week watching TV and playing video games? What does it matter if few Americans are serious readers of literature anymore? Why raise a fuss because adults dress more and more like their uncouth middle-schoolers? This is the stuff of uptight curmudgeons, after all, and any serious connoisseur of modern movies can tell you that the cultural curmudgeon is always the bad guy.
Our culture feels like a diet of sugary cereal, and so it's with an odd relief that I, in recent weeks, have stumbled upon life-affirming moments that remind me that we haven't all forgotten that community means more than contiguity. The first was a gathering at a friend's church, a celebration in advance of their Lenten observation. Their church has a large immigrant population, and so there was Middle Eastern music, and food, and dancing. Some of them got up and sang songs from the places they've left behind. Old and young mingled with ease, and you could see the children absorbing the traditions of their families. It's a congregation where education is valued, where faith is valued, where there is a sense of community history.
The second moment was a wedding shower for a young man and woman. Dozens of couples came together for food, and afterward we gathered in a large room where the couple told us about their first weeks of dating, exactly what he did when he proposed, what they see in each other. You could tell, in their answers, that their parents raised them with purpose. They live as if they have the sense that there is a greater story in which they have a part. In this they are not afflicted with the terrible smallness that seems to infect so many. Afterward we gathered around them and prayed. I was overwhelmed by the sense of being in the midst of what community is supposed to be, but which I have only known in the later years of my life.
The third moment was hearing my wife describe a baby shower she attended. It was post-birth, so all the women could meet the new arrival, the mother's first. There were the things we associate with every baby shower: presents, snacks, tea. But there was also this: the experienced women in attendance sharing from their hearts about what they have learned as mothers. Half the women in that room had seen their children grow up together, and now found themselves attending the baby showers of their grandchildren. Once again I had this picture of a community drawing together with purpose, and acting with purpose, and taking their words deeper than the superficial, deeper than weather and politics and fashion.
Many of us experience such moments, and I wonder if anyone else feels afterward as I do, that he has briefly drunk sweet water, or eaten healthy food, or heard a lovely song. Such moments make me at once hopeful and slightly mournful---hopeful because there is community all around, mournful because it is no longer a commonality but a relative rarity. And this makes me think we Christians have two tasks in front of us when it comes to civilization: the preservation of what matters and the drawing in of those who have only known what passes for popular culture, which is to say mindless busyness and entertainment. My wife and I came late to genuine community. We are thankful people pulled us in. | <urn:uuid:39916873-e337-4c5c-81c7-a69b9e9e8879> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.worldmag.com/2009/03/civilizing_moments | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982317 | 785 | 1.632813 | 2 |
ANN ARBOR-The private company that operates Ann Arbor's Materials Recovery Facility brought in more money for the city in 2000 than it has in any year since the facility was built five years ago.
In the 1998-99 fiscal year, Casella Waste/FCR, the company the runs the facility, brought Ann Arbor a profit on its recyclables of $2,818. Not a bad profit on crunching up plastic bottles and pop cans. Not bad, that is, until one considers how much the firm placed in city coffers this year: $269,733.
"The market conditions were really good," explains Bryan Weinert, Ann Arbor's manager for resource recovery and waste reduction. "We're extremely happy with the job our private contractor is doing, and expect even greater results in the coming year," Weinert said.
The firm's most recent fiscal performance got rave reviews from the White House Task Force on Recycling, which recently recognized Ann Arbor for meeting the National Recycling Challenge started by then-Vice President Al Gore in 1998. | <urn:uuid:4645e975-266c-4371-88dd-4f77c659cb65> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mackinac.org/3377 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960438 | 218 | 1.773438 | 2 |
April 11, 2012
America has come a very long way in very short period of time, in terms of racial integration and understanding.
But that hard-fought progress is currently under threat, but not from rogue neighbourhood watchmen, as we are led to believe by our media’s divisive coverage and commentary on events surrounding the tragic shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.
In both the media and political classes, there exist individuals who are seemingly addicted to crisis opportunity, and whose shallow efforts threaten to set the country back 30 or 50 years in terms of its social and racial development.
Like fast food, they will use cheap techniques like race-baiting, and tabloid sensationalism to score cheap ratings and even cheaper political points. Their reckless efforts fly in the face of every fundamental principle which the United States was founded upon, principles which each generation has fought for, in some way or another, in order to to improve society over the last 250 years.
The George Zimmerman case has been seized upon by the charlatans, the political classes and the media manipulators – as their latest vehicle for dividing Americans into their respective camps, along the lines of ethnicity, insisting that Martin’s death was caused by ‘racial profiling’ – when no evidence beyond anecdotal has been presented to date to support such an accusation. here we witness both the media and politicians alike, working in concert, to construct the illusion of a race war in America.
But this is only the beginning.
Amidst all the hype and media circus promoted by the likes of NBC, CNN, FOX and and foundation-funded talking heads like Al Sharpton, and even President Obama who injected flammable material into the conversation early on with his comment, “If I had a son, he’s look like Trayvon Martin”- there exists a a dark Zeitgeist, trend, or a wave forming, which is obviously and overwhelmingly antagonistic – and ultimately designed to ‘divide and rule’ the culture.
TV network NBC took race-baiting to new depths, with its own humiliating admission that it had in fact edited and then aired audio clips of George Zimmerman’s 911 call to the police in order to give the impression that the caller, Zimmerman, was racially profiling the victim Martin. In repsonse, NBC scapegoated a producer by firing him, and the network walked away clean from the incident - when other smaller media outlets have had their broadcast licenses revoked for lesser offenses.
On the left, we’ve seen Democrat political operators circling the wagons in order to grab any cheap available air time, gaining political mileage where they can, seizing on a short-term opportunity. On the right, stands an equally bankrupt far right-wing reactionary wave. Both sides are playing along with an artificial Left vs Right paradigm, in a battle where all opposition is controlled by social engineers. This is only the first ‘divide and rule’ phase that social engineers and their political managers have in store for 21st century America.
The biggest danger of the artificial race-baiting which the media and grandstanding politicians have been fuelling is the mob. They are indirectly promoting random racial retaliation.
Last week, Baltimore local news aired a video (below) of a white man being beaten, stripped and robbed by a gang of black youths. The video was posted by the gang on social networks, as a mark of pride by the gang. In the wake of the Trayvon circus, however, it’s highly likely that this type of incident could be racially motivated. Watch:
This was the case with 76 year-old Dallas Watts of Toledo, OH, when a mixed gang of youths beat him within an inch of his life. While Mr. Watts was down, the boys kicked him shouting, “[Get] that white [man]. This is for Trayvon… Trayvon lives, white [man]. Kill that white [man],” according to a police report.
This kind of retaliation is, in fact, worse than the Trayvon Martin tragedy. Why? Because on its face, it is racially motivated – whereas Martin’s shooting has not yet been proven to be so – despite the “progressive” media’s insistence that it is. A single Dallas Watts-type incident could lead to a White Supremacist copycat event, and so on, until we have a race war on America’s streets – one which will surely create more political division.
If there are retaliatory incidents occurring where people are hurt, or killed (black or white) as a result of the media hyping the Trayvon Martin vs Zimmerman case, then the media and certain left-leaning political figures such as Al Sharpton – will have that blood on their hands.
Unfortunately, in this emotive left-leaning media climate, there are are no camera crews outside of the ‘Baltimore Beating’ young white victim’s home, and it’s no surprise that America does not even want to know his name. One might freely pose the question then: if that young victim was black – and beaten, robbed and stripped by a gang of white boys, would the media be swarming around him? Would Al Sharpton be doing media spots with him? Would he spend the next month being paraded on CNN, NBC, the View etc? Would every American know his name? This dichotomy demonstrates the irresponsible, warped and completely divisive agenda the media has when it comes to race in America.
Still, that victim could be anybody, in any state, in any town. There are so many victims these days…
Whether it’s white on black, or black on white violence, the crux of the matter should not be about the color of the victim’s skin. The true focus should be on the violence. This is something everyone can attest to, as we are all victims of violence at one point or another in our lives. Certainly, the New American Police State is the most disturbing trend in America’s arrested development. Why isn’t this the focus of the conversation?
Those who live in the real world know full well that when it comes to race in America, the reality is that a degree of tension will always exist – the country’s own chequered history of race almost guarantees this outcome. There is no utopia, even though many of us still strive towards it. It’s almost as human as it is American. Yet, America has still achieved what so many other nations around the world have failed to do, by providing upward mobility and a level of integration on a mass scale – not seen anywhere else.
One final warning for those in the media who are content to see the races divided and fighting amongst each other. You have breathed new life (luckily not too much yet) back into two irrelevant and completely backward organizations - the Neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement (NSM) and the New Black Panther Party (NBP). Both groups are gaining eyeballs, as they both call for an escalation of paramilitary tension along the lines of race. Listen to the NBP radio interview on Florida radio this week:
The media, and out-of-date liberal activists like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson can at least count the trending of real hate group the NSM and the NBP, as one of their crowning achievements in the wake of Trayvon Martin’s death.
Race wars lead to class war
The next phase is even darker and more insidious. The danger with fomenting a race war in America, is that, by its shallow and artificial nature, it lends itself to a much deeper and much more enduring class war.
The pump has already been prime for a top-down engineered, class war in America, as seen through caste-oriented language adopted by protesters, the media – and everybody else, since last year’s Occupy Movement succeeded in separating the 99% from the 1%.
As seen in the Trayvon Martin case, where “black vs white” has been inserted as the overwhelming theme by social influencers in both the media and politics, these same influencers have already successfully divided our once individualistic society into the pathetic representation of the “99% vs 1%”. At no time during the Occupy experiment did the movement, or the media ever successfully address the fundamental causes of economic disparity in the United States – caused by the Federal Government and private Central Banking Establishment, whose bad management and rigged financial system triggered one of the worst economic meltdowns in global history.
Still though, populist slogans and sentiments will dominate this election year. People believe the system is rigged — and they’re angry, but the irony is that the “99%” will continue to run crying to the Federal Government for ‘solutions’ to their grievances.
Not surprisingly, both the National Socialist Movement and its arch-nemesis, New Black Panther Party, are both essentially calling for “An end to Capitalism in America”, and “a redistribution of wealth’ – not unlike the Occupy Movement. Yet, were any of these groups to get a seat at the political table, they would still be clueless as to what living real socialism is really like.
If you want an indication of the vacant, clueless mentality lurking in the minds of the new ’Romantic American Socialist’ , or more aptly, the Neo-communist, then watch this video shot at an Occupy Camp a few months ago:
The concept of “Mob Rule” is also important in America’s newly divided society. It features heavily in both the racial, and the economic conversations.
In this volatile political climate, the mob will often feel empowered – especially when led by a partisan icon, and this leader will tell them anything they want to hear. Partisan icons generally rule by using fear, and creating class envy.
The current US President is a perfect example of a partisan icon. He received the majority of his campaign money from Wall Street oligarchs and is seen to be hob-nobbing with the rich, playing golf every other day, taking countless vacations, yet still portrays himself as part of the “99%”, or “a man of the people”. Still though, the “99%” have been trained to hopelessly envy this unattainable social status, and celebrity lifestyle. This phenomenon solidifies the President’s cult of personality.
This is the essence of class warfare, right out of radical social engineer Saul Alinsky’s playbook. Imagine a leader who uses the rich to raise money, and uses the poor to crush his political enemies - by rallying the poor, or “disenfranchised” masses against them.
In terms of a race war, a partisan icon will tell the mob that it is they who know justice better than the courts, and after a criminal is sentenced, he will then somehow convince the mob that the punishment wasn’t enough, and only the mob can properly dispense justice.
His tools for dividing society are as follows: left vs right, rich vs poor, black vs white, brown vs yellow, and most importantly… young vs old. “Young vs Old” is what the elites will use as a final battleground in their culture war.
The psyche behind class warfare is not at all alien to our brothers and sisters in Europe, and it has been remained alight in America, smouldering in our political basement since the 1950’s. And it is a dangerous fire – one kept alive by radical social engineers and politicos, many of whom quietly champion the work of role models like Saul Alinsky, and indeed will employ many of the techniques which he laid out for his students in his divide and rule handbook entitled, Rules for Radicals, an encyclopedia for dividing people along political, racial and economic lines in order to achieve full social control over communities.
It is already widely known how the ambitious young Barack Obama was influenced by radical leftist teacher Alinsky in Chicago, and proceeded to follow the path of “community organizer”. In this same fashion, both Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaigns exhibited many of the characteristics of Alinsky’s teachings, and frequently employing class warfare themes as their central tenets.
“Obama learned his lesson well. I am proud to see that my father’s model for organizing is being applied successfully beyond local community organizing to affect the Democratic campaign in 2008. It is a fine tribute to Saul Alinsky as we approach his 100th birthday.”
- Letter from L. DAVID ALINSKY, son of Saul Alinsky
Obama helped to fund an ‘Alinsky Academy’ through his support of The Woods Fund, a nonprofit on which Obama served as paid director from 1999 to December 2002, and sat on the Woods Fund board alongside William Ayers, founder of the Weather Underground domestic terrorist organization.
Should Americans be worried about these social engineering tactics?
Alinsky tactics are being employed again by the White House and all the way down their political chain. But they cannot lead to any lasting solution to our nation’s ills as is evident after 4 years of the White House’s radical community management program, rather they are designed to create even more problems – specifically, problems which only our Federal Government, or our new American Police State is allowed to solve for us.
In the end, the radicals, left-leaning media, and the social engineers may very well achieve what they have set out to do – much to the detrement of our Founding Fathers’ vision for a free, liberty-based society. If successful, they will have created a newly divided, and fully controlled, collectivist authoritarian empire inside of America’s borders.
To paraphrase Johnny Cash, I ask here:
What little will be left, in an empire of dirt?
This article was posted: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 9:41 am | <urn:uuid:94ef856e-0e5b-41a9-893f-6c03204d0f75> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.infowars.com/dear-media-america-doesnt-want-this-new-race-war/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960588 | 2,887 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Old Photos of Football Fans from 1900–1940
More at vintag.es
Countries and people across the globe are having major financial issues, with thousands of employees constantly getting laid off. If you’re in America, I’m sure you’re aware that over 47 million people currently rely on food stamps. Europe’s economic crisis is now worse than the Great Depression. This kind of reality might be overwhelming for some, however humans are capable of adapting.
With the average cost of living having soared over the last few years, food and fuel prices are still up. With the global economy still struggling to recover from the financial crash, many of us are making cuts and trying to save cash where we can. Luckily, it is often the smallest and most easily applicable tips that can accumulate to make the biggest of savings in the most expensive aspects of our lives.
Shopping online can be a great way of making sure you only buy what you need; avoiding ‘tempting’ deals that cause you to spend unnecessary money.
If you are heading to the grocery store, creating a meal plan and writing a list of the ingredients you require for the week will help avoid impulse buys.
Deciding what are necessities and what are luxuries, then cutting down on such treats can reduce your spending.
Cutting out the purchase of cigarettes and alcohol will not only benefit your health but leave you with that extra bit of money for safe keeping.
Avoiding well known brands – be it food, clothing or appliances – and opting for a shop’s cheaper, own brand alternative will make a big saving.
It can be easy to stick with a particular brand or store because you are familiar with it but shopping around can help uncover some much cheaper options.
Genuine Porsche Table Clock, with the case and dial both based on the design of the Porsche 911 instruments. The Alarm features the sound of the Porsche 911 engine…
Here is a small collection of funny vintage photos
See more at vintag.es
Cat beard is the latest bizarre viral photo trend that involves positioning a cat in front of your face in such a manner that your face appear above a cat’s head. If you get the right perspective, the cat’s fur will look like you have a strange beard covering your face.
People who love reading are frequently disappointed by the movie versions of their favorite books. There have been some great films made from books, but typically, movie versions of books tend to frustrate readers because they are not just like the book. When a film director works from an adapted screenplay, the results are not the same as reading the book, for various reasons. For example, a film that precisely follows a novel likely would be too long for most audiences to sit through at a single showing, so some things must be left out. Also, a book can easily convey things to the reader that are much more difficult for a movie to convey, such as background information about the setting, the history and nature of characters’ relationships or even what characters are thinking at certain times.
“The Great Gatsby”
“Life of Pi”
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When you think of the word Journalism many things come to mind, but with the rapid extension of technology progressing through the lives of millions each day, one of the keys is online blogging. An array of thousands take to blogging each and every day, hoping to hit the big time … however, they’ll never make it because they keep making the same mistake.
With great blogging, comes great irresponsibility — I mean responsibility. There’s more to success than just jotting down your ideas on digital-scratch paper and publishing it. Believe it or not, writing the actual post is the easy part. There’s a stack of stairs to climb before viewers will even begin to consider your content. It’s not the fact that what you write is bad, it’s the fact that they just don’t know you, your site, or what you’ll even be writing about in general. However, have no fear, that’s why I’m making this list; to help novices like you spark off your dream career of a well-known blogger.
1. Social Media
Unlike in 1999, where a website consisting of how to fix a clogged toilet would wow the common man, today’s game is another story. Many bloggers, who strive for comments, views, and support, are missing the main step that will actually set their site off. It’s not the content, it’s not who you are, it all starts with Social Media.
Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and so much more opt small writers every day to bigger and bigger writers, until their sites are the next ESPN. When you sign up for a social media page, it’s now your page. When you write your content, post it to the media page, it shoots out not to all your everyone’s, but to everyone who is following you, (if you choose to make a fan page on Facebook that is, which is highly recommended). Look at it this way: if you have a mere 100 followers on your Facebook page, and you shoot a link to all of them every time you post, you can best guarantee at least 40 of them will see the link, and, ranging from the interesting of the content, at least 20-30 of them will click on the link. It’s small, yes, but that’s 20 or 30 more views than you didn’t have before! | <urn:uuid:9bf0875e-02a5-410a-b01d-eb59f170ee00> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://designyoutrust.com/funyeah/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943362 | 1,189 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Monday, October 22, 2007
“Dresden reminded him of Dayton, Ohio...”
Omi's Note: Several of my homies have asked me to write about my view of the city. After living here for close to 3 months, here it is:
When Kurt Vonnegut said that line in his monumental book, Slaughterhouse Five, I was shooked. Dresden, Germany was a beautiful city that was fire bombed by the Allies during WWII killing more people than the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. Slaughterhouse Five was a fictional story centered around the bombing of that city. Of course Vonnegut wasn't saying that Dresden after the bombing looked like Dayton, Ohio. He meant that Dresden looked like the city that was once home to the Wright Brothers before the bombing. The homes are spaced out dramatically. There is so much open space here.
After a few weeks here, I noticed several things. The first thing I noticed is that there are several closed businesses. I have never seen so many closed businesses in my life. Well, I take that back. The Bronx during the 70s and early 80s was in the same situation. There are also several vacant homes and buildings. On my block alone there are close to 4 vacant homes. The home we moved into was vacant for close to five years.
The people look beaten. I know that in the last couple of years several manufacturing jobs have left the area leaving the economy depressed. Many people are moving out of the city. I have realized that people don't even want to be associated with Dayton. I can't say I don't blame them. In the daytime, you can see scores of people in the street drunk and impaired. I have learned that the city is filled with assaults, drunk and disorderly, and breaking and entering. Heads still throw the hands out here.
On the news, I expected to see the same ol' same ol', but even though the city is half black, I find the local news filled with acts committed by whites. Here in Ohio, I have learned that white folks can't stand po' white folks. I think I am reminded of that every day. “You live in Ol' North Dayton with the po' white trash?” (I am dead serious! This is coming from white folks!)
Despite the decadence, I can see the mass potential here. I mean surround Dayton, Ohio so much is going on. Here is an opportunity for folks to come in and own there own with some land, too. I do feel lonely here. Very few conscious folks here. Very few. I think I build with the same person over and over again. I miss building.
Dayton is very family oriented however. There is much to do here for the family. Their children's museum is so gangsta. I love playing there! The park system is the dopest I have seen. All the parks in the system are connected via bike path. While it is true that some folks have been found dead on these paths, I see folks ride them everyday all day.
Dayton has a dope farmer's market. Better than Norfolk and Virginia Beach's are. Dayton is surrounded by several farms so the opportunity to purchase organic food at crackhead prices are everywhere. The cost of living here is so so fly. The dollar really stretches out here. Overall, I give the city a C-. Yet the potential for growth is exponential. We just need some dedicated folk.
Time to build. | <urn:uuid:561bd84b-3d80-45fc-b632-d28a702dcf02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://selfra.blogspot.com/2007/10/dresden-reminded-him-of-dayton-ohio.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98431 | 713 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Article Archive >> Community
Schools in the Spotlight
Schools in the Spotlight
Tech High's AYES Winners- Aaron Mizell and DJ Hamrick from the Auto Tech class at Washington County Technical High School placed second in the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association's Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES) competition in Glen Burnie on Monday, February 6, 2006.
AYES is a partnership between participating automotive manufacturers and dealers, and selected high schools and technical schools. The organization and related programs are designed to prepare students for career positions or advanced studies in the automotive industry.
Washington County Technical High School has been an AYES partner since 2000.
Washington County Public Schools will expand its elementary Magnet Programs to two new schools for the 2006-2007 school year, pending final approval of the FY2007 General Fund Operating Budget. Applications are now available for next fall's Magnet classes in grades 2, 3 and 4 at Boonsboro Elementary Magnet School for World Languages and Global Communication, and Williamsport Elementary Magnet School for Math, Science and Technology. WCPS Elementary Magnet classes offer enriched and accelerated learning experiences for students who demonstrate high academic potential, strong motivation and work ethic, creativity and leadership ability.
WCPS received over 100 applications for Magnet Programs at Emma K. Doub, Funkstown and Fountaindale Elementary Schools. The applicants and students currently enrolled in Magnet classes at these schools may also consider the Boonsboro and Williamsport Magnet Programs for next year. Letters will be sent to parents and guardians requesting their first preference of Magnet programs.
Applications for next year's Magnet classes at Boonsboro and Williamsport Elementary Magnet Programs are available in each elementary school office and at the Office of Funded and Special Programs at the Board of Education. Applications and information may also be accessed on the WCPS website (www.wcboe.k12.md.us). All applications must be completed and returned to the Office of Funded and Special Programs by March 24, 2006.
An Open House for families to tour the new elementary Magnet Schools is scheduled for the following date:
* Tuesday, February 28: 5:00-6:00PM- Boonsboro Elementary Magnet School for World Languages and Global Communication
For more information, contact Dr. Elizabeth Donohoe, 301-766-2992.
Boonsboro High School students will present "Godspell" through Thursday, March 2, to Saturday, March 4, at the school beginning at 7:30PM each day. A matinee also is scheduled for Saturday, March 4, at 3:00PM. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students.
North Hagerstown High School students and staff, and community members, have been collecting school supplies and resources as part of a statewide student council initiative in the ongoing effort to provide assistance for hurricane ravaged areas of the Southeast. The collection focused on sister school Salmen High School in Slidell, Louisiana, which was demolished because of extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina. Over 90% of the student population is still homeless. "It is with great honor and the utmost sincerity that we have taken on this challenge as an opportunity to have a positive impact on these students and their families," said North High Student Government President Ben O'Kane.
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<< back to All Articles | <urn:uuid:b548ec58-cad4-4226-aaaf-2eb57b1147fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.picketnews.com/archiveDetail.asp?cID=3&id=2955 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943838 | 677 | 1.578125 | 2 |
My computer is finally fixed and I have it back so I can start posting regularly again! Just another reason I love Apple. Growing up in Silicon Valley, computer technology and the companies that produced it were everywhere you looked. That included on the menus at local restaurants. Our favorite sushi bar growing up had Silicon Valley themed offerings like the “IBM roll” and “Sun roll”. One of the technology themed foods that I liked the most was “computer chip,” an ice cream flavor from a local ice cream parlor called Ricks Rather Rich. (They have since changed the name of the store to simply Ricks. I guess the “rather rich” part isn’t PC in this health conscious world) “Computer chip ice cream” is chocolate orange ice cream with chocolate chunks. The combination of chocolate and orange has always been one of my favorites and it works wonderfully in ice cream.
I decided to recreate this flavor in a parve ice cream and I was thrilled with the results. It is rich and creamy, with a nice balance of chocolate and orange. Even better it is based off of my quick chocolate ice cream recipe. That means not only is it soy free and vegan, it can be ready to pour into the ice cream maker in less than 5 minutes. It would have been better with homemade fudge chunks, but I was lazy and used mini chocolate chips instead. They were a bit crunchier than I would have liked, but they certainly make this a quick and easy dessert. For anyone who likes those break apart chocolate oranges or chocolate dipped candied orange peel this is a treat that is sure to please.
“Computer Chip” Ice Cream
Makes about one pint
2 cups cold sweetened mimiccreme
1/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
5 drops orange oil, or to taste
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Combine all of the ingredients except chocolate chips in the blender and blend until well mixed. Taste mixture and add more orange oil if desired. Freeze in ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer proof container and freeze until firm. | <urn:uuid:6997d8d4-5fd4-4bd3-9e14-f7d0b9cd814f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.couldntbeparve.com/2010/04/computer-chip-ice-cream/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953869 | 458 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Staff Photo: Jason Braverman . Students work in a microbiology lab at the Life Science building at Gwinnett Technical College.
LAWRENCEVILLE -- When it comes to post-secondary education in Gwinnett County, there are a wealth of opportunities. Locals seeking a career that requires a college education need look no further than their own county.
Nearly a dozen institutions make their home in Gwinnett County, offering a variety of choices for just about any career or trade one might want to pursue.
The Norcross-based institution offers diplomas in high school, college prep, specialized career and certification as well as associates, bachelors and master's degrees.
According to its website, Ashworth is "a worldwide leader in comprehensive, nationally accredited online education."
The college offers more than 115 career-relevant online programs.
Nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council, the institution aims for a "lifestyle-friendly curriculum that let you learn when, where and how you want."
For more information, visit www.ashworthcollege.edu, or call 1 (800) 957-5412.
Ashworth College is located at 6625 The Corners Parkway, Suite 500, Norcross.
Brenau University's Evening and Weekend College
Located in Norcross, the North Atlanta campus offers undergraduate degrees in the fields of education, interior design and business. In addition, masters degrees in occupational therapy and nursing are offered at the local campus.
Programs are designed for people who work, and classes are offered in an accelerated format.
According to its website, Brenau aims to "challenge students to live extraordinary lives of personal and professional fulfillment.
"As students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees or non-degree programs at Brenau campuses and online, each prepares for a lifetime of intellectual accomplishment and appreciation of artistic expression through a curriculum enriched by the liberal arts, scientific inquiry and global awareness."
For more information, visit www.brenau.edu or call (770) 446-2900.
Brenau University's North Atlanta Campus is located at 3139 Campus Drive, Suite 300, Norcross.
DeVry University Duluth Center
Located next to Gwinnett Place Mall in the Koger Center complex, DeVry University Duluth Center offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in some of today's fastest-growing career fields. In close proximity to Fortune 500 corporate headquarters, major financial institutions, and Atlanta's thriving business and high-tech community, DeVry University Duluth provides access to possible career opportunities in a wide variety of industries.
The Duluth Center offers spacious classrooms, a fully wired computer lab, and a commons area. Once enrolled at the Duluth Center, students may also take courses at Atlanta-area locations or online.
For more information, visit www.devry.edu or call (770) 381-4400.
Georgia Campus--Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Located in Suwanee, Georgia Campus--Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine aims to train students from Georgia and nearby southern states to practice osteopathic medicine and encourage them to locate locally upon completion of programs.
In total, enrollment at the college is projected at 687 for the 2011-2012 academic year, compared to 86 students in attendance when the campus first opened in 2005.
In total, 228 first year medical and pharmacy students at Georgia Campus-PCOM were presented their white coat jackets in November during a ceremony at the Gwinnett Center for the Performing Arts.
Georgia Campus--Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine is located at 625 Old Peachtree Road NW, Suwanee.
For more information, visit www.pcom.edu or call (678) 225-7500.
Georgia Gwinnett College
Still a new college, the institution continues to grow. Georgia Gwinnett College opened its doors on Aug. 18, 2006, as the nation's first four-year public college founded in the 21st century and the first four-year public institution created in Georgia in more than 100 years.
Since 2006, the college has grown from 118 students to nearly 8,000.
According to its website, the college aims to "provide access to targeted baccalaureate level degrees that meet the economic development needs of the growing and diverse population of the northeast Atlanta metropolitan region."
For more information about Georgia Gwinnett College, visit www.ggc.edu, or call (678) 407-5000.
Georgia Gwinnett College is located at 1000 University Center Lane, Lawrenceville.
The mission of Lilburn's Gwinnett College is to provide diploma and associate degree higher education programs.
"These programs of high quality are designed to prepare a diverse student population to meet the needs of employees in the legal, medical, and business fields."
"GC has its goal of preparing students academically, intellectually, personally, and professionally for successful careers and advancement.
With day and evening classes available, students can get associate's degrees in business, legal administrative and medical assisting.
Students can also become certified in accounting, massage therapy and computer operations.
For more information, visit www.gwinnettcollege.com or call (770) 381-7200.
Gwinnett Technical College
Since opening in 1984, the local technical college has sought to provide career-focused education and training that support economic and workforce development in the community.
During its history, Gwinnett Tech has expanded its campus to include a variety of new facilities, including the new life sciences center, the corporate training center, environmental horticulture center, the computer training facility and the George Busbee International Center for Workforce Development.
For more information, visit www.gwinnetttech.edu or call (770) 962-7580.
Gwinnett Technical College is located at 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville.
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University's Gwinnett County location at 3555 Koger Blvd., has served the educational needs of adult learners in Atlanta for more than 30 years, offering bachelor's degree programs for working adults.
Based in Florida, the Duluth satellite of this Catholic university offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in several subjects such as criminal justice, teaching and business administration.
Rooted in the 1,500-year-old Benedictine tradition, the University seeks balanced growth in mind, body and spirit for all members of its community.
According to its website, Saint Leo University aims to create a "student-centered environment in which love of learning is of prime importance.
For more information, visit www.saintleo.edu
University of Georgia Gwinnett Campus
The local satellite of University of Georgia aims to be "a highly accessible and vibrant center of advanced learning for non-traditional and working professionals in greater Atlanta and northeast Georgia."
The campus offers 11 master's degrees, four educational specialist degrees, three doctoral programs and three graduate certificate programs.
The full-service campus facility offers IT support, student affairs, a library, UGA Bookstore, security guards, 21 state-of-the-art programs, 60,000 square feet of learning space and computer labs.
The campus is located at 2530 Sever Road, Lawrenceville.For more information, visit http://gwinnett.uga.edu or call (678) 985-6800.
University of Phoenix Gwinnett Learning Center
The University of Phoenix Gwinnett Learning Center in Duluth caters to adults who need to balance their educational needs with professional and family commitments.
It's facilities are focused on those who are considering changing jobs or want to advance within their current company, or are considering going back to school to earn a bachelor's or master's degree.
The local University of Phoenix location largely focuses on business and nursing degrees, but it also offers degree programs in technology, psychology and criminal justice.
The campus is located at 2470 Satellite Blvd., Duluth.
For more information, visit www.phoenix.edu or call (678) 731-0555. | <urn:uuid:b78f3b9f-b5c3-4bac-8abe-092d255baa72> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2012/feb/11/various-institutions-call-gwinnett-home/?opinion | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935699 | 1,682 | 1.664063 | 2 |
U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05), fourth from left, spoke about the importance of local communities working together to advance educational attainment throughout the region at a Forward in the Fifth press conference held April 21 at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset. Jim Tackett, third from left, executive director of Forward in the Fifth, announced Pulaski County schools are establishing a Local Education Affiliate Program (LEAP), which will build upon the “Ring the Bell for Literacy!” children’s reading program. Representing Pulaski County schools and project partners are Holly Bowers, far left, community education director; Carol Sexton, second from left, of the Pulaski County Public Library; Dr. Mike Crowhurst, fifth from left, district grant writer; Sonya Wilds, sixth from left, assistant superintendent; and Beth Hargis, far right, principal of Kentucky Tech Pulaski County Area Technology Center.
The Pulaski County school system has been awarded grant funding from Forward in the Fifth and The Center for Rural Development to advance educational attainment in the region.
The school system will receive $1,500 in “seed money” to address a relevant educational issue in the county and be established as a member of Forward in the Fifth’s Local Education Affiliate Program (LEAP) that works to provide ongoing solutions to some of the region’s top educational challenges.
Jim Tackett, executive director of Forward in the Fifth, announced the award recipients and recognized members of the winning school systems at a news conference held April 21 at The Center in Somerset.
The grants represent the first LEAP grants to be awarded by Forward in the Fifth, a non-profit organization and affiliate of The Center, to engage local communities in working together to identify challenges and implement solutions to improve education.
U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05), who formed Forward in the Fifth with a group of regional educators, parents, and business leaders in 1986, attended the event and stressed the importance of the local affiliate partnerships.
"When Forward in the Fifth was created 25 years ago, we faced much different challenges in education," Rogers said. "The high school drop-out rate was our main focus in 1986, but today, our classrooms are impacted by the drug epidemic, intense bullying, and ensuring students have enough food over the weekend.
“Our teachers, administrators and community members now have a heightened awareness of all the influential factors in our students' success,” he added. “The Local Education Affiliate Program is designed to catapult specific solutions to obstacles our students face both in and out of the classroom."
Pulaski County schools will work with local stakeholders—including the Pulaski County Public Library, Pulaski County Gifted Center, Pulaski County Area Technology Center, Pulaski County Recycling Center, and Reading is Fundamental—to build upon “Ring the Bell for Literacy!” reading program established in 2008.
“The point of this project is to provide motivation to start learning to read,” Dr. Mike Crowhurst, who wrote the grant for Pulaski County schools, said. “As these students learn to read, they can then move on toward learning how to read to learn.”
Kindergarten and first-grade students who read aloud a book from an assigned reading list to authorized school personnel will receive a coupon to ring the Literacy Bell at the Pulaski County Library. Four times a year, the library, located in downtown Somerset, will host Literacy Bell Celebrations for students and their parents.
LEAP grants make funding available to local communities to serve as a catalyst to advance educational attainment throughout the region and help establish a county-specific group devoted solely to the improvement of education.
“Education-related issues are at the heart of many of our region’s challenges today—retention of young people, production of high quality and quantity of skilled workers, health status of today’s workforce, and career readiness,” Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO of The Center, said. “By creating a local education affiliate program, our communities are being proactive and seeking viable solutions embraced by local leaders and residents.”
“It is the responsibility of each community to increase the value of education, not just our schools,” Tackett said. “The creation of Local Education Affiliate Programs (LEAP) encourages everyone to have a vested interest in raising the educational bar by being part of the solution.”
In addition to Pulaski County schools, Monroe and Clay counties will each receive $1,500 in grant funding to address an educational challenge in the region. Each project must be completed within six months of the grant award.
More local Forward in the Fifth affiliates are expected to be created in the future as stakeholders in local communities form partnerships and additional funding support is made available to prospective applicants.
For more information on Forward in the Fifth or LEAP, contact Tackett at The Center for Rural Development at 606-677-6000 or via email at [email protected].
Forward in the Fifth, a non-profit organization and an affiliate of The Center for Rural Development, was formed in 1986 by U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) and other leaders to work to reverse low educational attainment levels in the Fifth Congressional District. The organization strives to engage community stakeholders to advance the value of education; serves as advocates to advance all education systems to improve educational attainment; and supports schools and stakeholders to secure needed resources to improve the quality of education within their local communities.
Enter your number for a chance to win great prizes!
Message and data rates may apply | <urn:uuid:04344211-f93c-4c22-b190-b50eb16bf038> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wkyt.com/wymt/home/headlines/School_systems_in_Pulaski_Monroe_Clay_counties_receive_education_grants__120401274.html?site=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951066 | 1,208 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Conservatives like to say that their position is all about economic freedom, and hence making governmentís role in general, and government spending in particular, as small as possible. And no doubt there are individual conservatives who really have such idealistic motives.
When it comes to conservatives with actual power, however, thereís an alternative, more cynical view of their motivations ó namely, that itís all about comforting the comfortable and afflicting the afflicted, about giving more to those who already have a lot. And if you want a strong piece of evidence in favor of that cynical view, look at the current state of play over Medicaid.
Some background: Medicaid, which provides health insurance to lower-income Americans, is a highly successful program thatís about to get bigger, because an expansion of Medicaid is one key piece of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.
There is, however, a catch. Last yearís Supreme Court decision upholding Obamacare also opened a loophole that lets states turn down the Medicaid expansion if they choose. And there has been a lot of tough talk from Republican governors about standing firm against the terrible, tyrannical notion of helping the uninsured.
Now, in the end most states will probably go along with the expansion because of the huge financial incentives: The federal government will pay the full cost of the expansion for the first three years, and the additional spending will benefit hospitals and doctors as well as patients. Still, some of the states grudgingly allowing the federal government to help their neediest citizens are placing a condition on this aid, insisting that it must be run through private insurance companies. And that tells you a lot about what conservative politicians really want.
Consider the case of Florida, whose governor, Rick Scott, made his personal fortune in the health industry. At one point, by the way, the company he built pleaded guilty to criminal charges, and paid $1.7 billion in fines related to Medicare fraud. Anyway, Scott got elected as a fierce opponent of Obamacare, and Florida participated in the suit asking the Supreme Court to declare the whole plan unconstitutional. Nonetheless, Scott recently shocked Tea Party activists by announcing his support for the Medicaid expansion.
But his support came with a condition: He was willing to cover more of the uninsured only after receiving a waiver that would let him run Medicaid through private insurance companies. Now, why would he want to do that?
Donít tell me about free markets. This is all about spending taxpayer money, and the question is whether that money should be spent directly to help people or run through a set of private middlemen.
And despite some feeble claims to the contrary, privatizing Medicaid will end up requiring more, not less, government spending, because thereís overwhelming evidence that Medicaid is much cheaper than private insurance. Partly this reflects lower administrative costs, because Medicaid neither advertises nor spends money trying to avoid covering people. But a lot of it reflects the governmentís bargaining power, its ability to prevent price gouging by hospitals, drug companies, and other parts of the medical-industrial complex.
For there is a lot of price-gouging in health care ó a fact long known to health care economists, but documented especially graphically in a recent article in Time magazine. As Steven Brill, the articleís author, points out, individuals seeking health care can face incredible costs, and even large private insurance companies have limited ability to control profiteering by providers. Medicare does much better, and although Brill doesnít point this out, Medicaid ó which has greater ability to say no ó seems to do better still.
You might ask why, in that case, much of Obamacare will run through private insurers. The answer is, raw political power. Letting the medical-industrial complex continue to get away with a lot of overcharging was, in effect, a price President Barack Obama had to pay to get health reform passed. And since the reward was that tens of millions more Americans will gain insurance, it was a price worth paying.
But why would you insist on privatizing a health program that is already public, and that does a much better job than the private sector of controlling costs? The answer is pretty obvious: The flip side of higher taxpayer costs is higher medical-industry profits.
So ignore all the talk about too much government spending and too much aid to moochers who donít deserve it. As long as the spending ends up lining the right pockets, and the undeserving beneficiaries of public largess are politically connected corporations, conservatives with actual power seem to like Big Government just fine.
Paul Krugman is a columnist for The New York Times. | <urn:uuid:aefaaba9-c733-4d21-8104-91428316e68f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rutlandherald.com/article/20130305/OPINION03/703059929/0/BUSINESS | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962642 | 944 | 1.507813 | 2 |
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - A federal judge temporarily blocked Kansas from enforcing new abortion regulations Friday that would have prevented two of the state's three abortion providers from continuing to terminate pregnancies.
U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia's injunction will remain in effect until a trial is held in a lawsuit challenging the Kansas rules. A new licensing law and state health department regulations had taken effect Friday, and abortion providers were given the latest version of those regulations less than two weeks ago.
The new law requires hospitals, clinics and doctor's offices to obtain an annual license from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to perform more than five non-emergency abortions in a month. The regulations tell abortion providers what drugs and equipment they must stock and, among other things, establish minimum sizes and acceptable temperatures for procedure and recovery rooms.
In blocking the law, Murguia said evidence presented in court documents showed the providers would "suffer irreparable harm" through the loss of business and patients, and that at least two women currently seeking abortions would be harmed by not being able to go to the provider of their choice.
The licensing law was part of a wave of anti-abortion measures enacted this year by Kansas and other states with new Republican governors or GOP-dominated legislatures. Utah and Virginia are also imposing new regulations on abortion providers, but Kansas moved with unusual speed to enact its rules by Friday - a major issue in the lawsuit.
Supporters contend the new Kansas regulations will protect patients from substandard care. But abortion-rights advocates never trusted the licensing process because new Gov. Sam Brownback is a strong abortion opponent, and anti-abortion groups have advocated such rules for years.
The lawsuit was filed earlier this week by two doctors who perform abortions and provide other services at the Center for Women's Health, in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park. A second clinic, Aid for Women in Kansas City, was allowed to intervene in the case. Neither has received a license.
The state's third abortion provider, a Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri clinic in Overland Park, received a license Thursday.
The Kansas attorney general's office argued that the Planned Parenthood license disproved claims by abortion-rights advocates that the state's new rules were designed to cut off access to abortion rather than protect patients.
Attorneys for the other providers argued that even with Planned Parenthood's clinic allowed to perform abortions, the needs of all patients wouldn't be met.
Murguia, a University of Kansas law school graduate, was appointed to the federal bench in 1999 by President Bill Clinton, an abortion rights Democrat.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment: http://www.kdheks.gov/
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Limited space shouldn't be a barrier to a fun backyard for your toddler or preschooler. You just have to be creative with what you have. Check out our ideas to create a fun backyard for your little one!
Compared to the cost when we were kids, trampolines are surprisingly affordable. They are also much safer, with netting that surrounds them to keep your little one on the trampoline. Preschoolers have endless energy and a great way for them to get it out is to jump, jump, jump. Consider placing a trampoline in the corner of your yard. While space is definitely an issue in a small backyard, if you can make it work, try to purchase a trampoline that is large enough to last for several years and that has room below it (see our next tip). However, if space is at that much of a premium, you can most definitely find a "my first" style trampoline that is more compact. Just remember that if you do choose a larger trampoline, the manufacturer probably doesn't specify it for preschoolers. Constant supervision and immediate proximity are an absolute must.
Double up with sand
A universal truth is that almost all kids love to play in the sandbox. Even most little ones who are unsure of the texture eventually come to love digging and playing in sand. Putting a sandbox in your backyard is a great way to increase its value to your toddler or preschooler. Because you're dealing with limited space, double up! You can dig out the area under the trampoline and build your own sandbox. It's wasted space otherwise -- grass will die because of the lack of sunlight. You can use the flexible planter border to separate the sand area from the rest of your yard. If more than one child will be playing in your yard, remember that it's either/or -- either the sandbox or the trampoline, not both at once!
If placing a sandbox under a trampoline isn't an option, you can always build your own -- this gives you control over the size. For those who are even a little handy, check out thesestep-by-step sandbox building instructions and give it a go. When it comes to sand, it's not all created equal. At a minimum, buy play sand.
Swing from the rafters - literally
Who wouldn't love a giant swing set? Unfortunately, when space it as a premium, large playscapes aren't an option. However, most toddlers love to swing, so consider picking up a portable-style swing, such as the Little Tikes Snug Secure Swing. The manufacturer specifies that it is intended for kids between nine months and four years of age. It's reasonably priced and can be hung from a secure place. Just remember to always test out your hanging structure to be absolutely certain that the swing, plus your child's weight, won't cause it to break. Avoiding an injury is your number one priority.
It's the small things
Young kids don't need giant play structures in your backyard to keep them happy. They love water, so when you're up for careful supervision, you can fill up a small kiddie pool and let them splash away. The pools either deflate or fold up, making them easy to store and space-conscious. Simple push toys are also winners for toddlers. Lawnmowers that blow bubbles, Cozy Coupes that they can start by pushing and eventually learn to ride in and even an old-school corn popper are all great outdoor toys.
||You don't need a huge backyard to have fun with your toddler or preschooler this summer. Survey your space and get creative. Remember, despite what we thought for several years, bigger doesn't always mean better!
More outdoor decor ideas
Table settings for outdoor gatherings
10 Outdoor decorations under $20
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A free public conference will be held tomorrow evening in Belfast to unite supporters of equal marriage rights for gay and straight couples in Northern Ireland into a new campaigning group.
LGBT rights have been the subject of widespread discussion in Northern Ireland recently, with the ban on gay men donating blood coming under increased scrutiny.
Speaking last month on BBC Radio Ulster, Lord Maginnis said marriage for gay couples was something ‘unnatural’ that would be ‘imposed’ on society, calling it a ‘rung on the ladder’ to bestiality.
In the same month, a survey into social attitudes and discrimination in Northern Ireland found a quarter of people would object to having a gay or bisexual neighbour and four in ten would object to a close relative forming a relationship with a gay or bisexual person.
Representatives from numerous bodies including The Rainbow Project, the Northern Ireland NUS, GLYNI, the Gay and Lesbian Youth Northern Ireland and the Queen’s University Belfast LGBT Society, the only University society of its kind in that part of the UK, will discuss lobbying the government for marriage equality tomorrow at a public meeting.
Scotland, England and Wales have finished public consultations on the question of marriage equality. The Scottish government’s decision is due to be unveiled this month. However, Northern Ireland is not yet considering such a move.
The Queen’s University Belfast lesbian gay bisexual and transgender society President Peter Agnew said: “No longer can the government of Northern Ireland afford to allow the infiltration of personal religious belief into its political and social policy; it is time that the leaders of our government take up the charge and shepherd our society into a new era of modernism.
“Denying Marriage Equality sends a message to all peoples of the world that Northern Ireland has not moved forward; that it supports and venerates intolerance and prejudice and wishes to deny its own citizens the right to happiness and equality as every single person, regardless of race, orientation or creed deserves.”
John O’Doherty, Director of The Rainbow Project, welcomed the creation of the campaigning group saying: “The Rainbow Project is proud to stand with all those campaigning for marriage equality and we welcome the creation of this group.
“The right to marry the person we love is a fundamental human right and we have no need for a two-tier system of recognising loving relationships in our society. We have welcomed the consultations on opening access to marriage for same-sex couples in England, Wales and Scotland.
“We hope that the Northern Ireland Executive will follow suit and ensure that the citizens of Northern Ireland are not denied the rights guaranteed to their counterparts in Great Britain.”
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Consumers’ appetite for internet-based on-demand TV is on the rise, and at the same time, people’s use of social media is changing the way they watch TV. These are the most important conclusions drawn in Ericsson ConsumerLab’s TV & Video Consumer Trend Report 2011.
The report clearly shows that consumption of on-demand TV – meaning streamed on-demand TV shows and movies as well as downloaded content – is increasing.
Thirty-nine percent of respondents in the study said they watched streamed on-demand TV shows more than once a week (up from 36 percent in 2010), and 35 percent watch downloaded content more than once a week (up from 34 percent in 2010). Consumption of streamed on-demand movies has also increased.
Anders Erlandsson, Senior Advisor at Ericsson ConsumerLab, says these changes in TV-viewing habits are part of a wider transformation in society.
“Today the general trend is that people want freedom of choice, and media-consumption habits are no exception,” he says. “On-demand TV fits well into people’s lives; TV should adapt to us and our lifestyles, not the other way around. As one respondent put it, ‘I would rather have five shows of my choice than a million channels.’”
The social factor is also becoming more important when people watch TV. Many have already adopted a kind of chatting behavior, sitting in front of the TV with their tablet or smartphone in their lap to chat with other people who are watching the same show.
Niklas Rönnblom, Advisor at Ericsson ConsumerLab, says: “Being able to discuss live sports or TV shows with friends while watching provides added value. This social dimension can increase the value of content that has limited quality on its own. Making fun of a lousy TV show together with friends could actually improve the experience, hence increasing the value of the content watched.”
On a weekly basis, more than 40 percent of respondents use social media while watching TV, and almost one in three chat online. Other common activities carried out while viewing include eating (70 percent), browsing the internet (65 percent) and talking on the phone (50 percent).
However, it is also clear from the ConsumerLab report that broadcast TV continues to maintain a strong position, although there is a downward trend. Eighty-five percent of respondents watch scheduled broadcast TV more than once a week, compared with 88 percent a year ago, and 48 percent watch recorded broadcast TV more than once a week (down from 53 percent in 2010).
The features that TV viewers want the most are high picture quality, the option of skipping commercials, and personalized content. The latter corresponds with the rising trend for on-demand TV, enabling users to watch what they want when they want it.
What people want from their TVs also corresponds well with what they are willing to pay for. Consumers are ready to open their wallets to get access to fresh content such as box-office movies that are still being shown in theaters, and they are willing to pay for good quality and the chance to avoid watching commercials.
Erlandsson says that internet access on TV, app TV and 3D TV are developments that are waiting to take off.
“Consumers want to access the internet on their TVs, but so far the service does not live up to their expectations for speed and ease of use. When it comes to applications on TV, smartphones and tablets set the standard – and compared with them, apps on TV are not as fast or as easy to use and the selection is not good enough. And 3D TV is hampered by the limited amount of available content and the fact that 3D glasses are still too expensive and perceived as disturbing by some.”
The TV & Video Consumer Trend Report 2011, conducted between June and August this year, involved more than 13,000 interviews in 13 countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil, China, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the UK and the US. This quantitative approach was complemented by 22 in-depth interviews with families in Germany, Sweden and the US.
爱立信（中国）通信有限公司 - 北京市朝阳区利泽东街5号爱立信大厦 - 100102 北京 -中国 -电话: +86 10 8476 9000 | <urn:uuid:657e13bb-819b-40ab-a3ec-96f45e3cb2ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ericsson.com/cn/news/111014_consumerlab_244188808_c | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954636 | 951 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Much is being written both for and against America’s use of drones to assassinate those whom Americans consider to be anti-American combatants. Although there is no doubt on which side the moral arguments lie, what’s being written strikes me as nugatory. Pious platitudes, legalistic niceties, and sophistical rationalizations appear to be written by the guilty to convince themselves that they are not the people evil to the marrow that they are, and the dying and the dead couldn’t care less. To them, being killed by a bullet or a bomb fired from an AK-47 or a drone makes no difference whatsoever. Dead is dead. Death cannot be sanitized by pronouncements.
The so called advantages of using drones to kill are undeniable; so are the disadvantages. Arguing about these is futile. The fundamental question is not about the advantages or disadvantages of the means, it is about the rightness or wrongness of the end. In the end, what good does killing do?
Although no one seems to have noted it, I find it interesting that so many of Al-Qaeda’s “senior commanders” were killed by drones while Osama bin Laden, once located and identified, was not. Why? Was it because killing by drone is too unreliable to be trusted for the task? In fact, killing from the air is always unreliable. During World War II, American pilots often mistakenly attacked American instead of German positions. In Paths of death and glory, Charles Whiting quoted people as having said, “American pilots are idiots.
This has happened so often that maybe the US should rethink the whole ‘flying’ thing. Obviously they can’t do it worth a damn,” and the American Ninth Air Force, which flew out of England, was nicknamed the American Luftwaffe because it regularly mistakenly bombed American troops in Normandy. Just imagine the propaganda catastrophe that would have resulted if a drone had been used and missed or killed bin Laden’s wives and children but not him. The entire rationale for the drone program would have been shattered So as good as drones are, there were not good enough for Osama bin Laden.
Air weapons, as the Germans refer to them, have always been oversold. Their effectiveness has never been established. The military impact of air raids has been the subject of decades of controversy. In World War II, RAF Bomber Command destroyed a significant portion of Nazi Germany’s industry, many German cities including Cologne and Dresden, and caused the deaths of up to 600,000 civilians. The stated aim of the offensive was to break the morale of the German working class and it failed miserably.
The indiscriminate nature of the bombing, the heavy civilian casualties and damage stiffened German resistance. Even the effect of Bomber Command’s attacks on industrial production was not major, as little as 3% in some years. This lack of success is generally admitted even though Bomber Command was undeniably massively destructive. Many believe that the bombing of Dresden, when the war was essentially over and which killed 25,000 people, symbolizes the ruthlessness and pointlessness of bombing campaigns. Numerous people, including military officials alive at the time, also questioned the need to atom bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki since it was obvious that Japan had been completely defeated by then. The goal of those bombings was merely the utter destruction of two cities and more than 150,000 civilian lives. Although never admitted, the goal was merely retribution.
The American bombing of Hanoi during the Vietnamese War was similarly ineffective. As with the people of London during the Blitz in World War II, the more America bombed the North, the more the resolve of the people grew. More to the point, the two bombing campaigns against the North resulted from the realization that the war was not being won, and they failed to have any notable effect on the war’s progress. Olof Palme, the Prime Minister of Sweden, compared the bombing to a number of historical atrocities including the bombing of Guernica, the massacres of Oradour-sur-Glane, Babi Yar, Katyn, Lidice, and Sharpeville, and the extermination of Jews and other groups at Treblinka.
Bombing has no function in wars of conquest. Bombers cannot be used to hold territory, but they can destroy everything in it. Air weapons are clearly only destructive. And the destruction clearly has only one function. Although America’s military claims that American war is waged to destroy the enemy’s ability to resist, the real purpose of war from the air is to punish those who dare to resist American ambitions. It is meant merely to punish, to destroy and kill, and the killing of civilians has always been an element of wars of plunder. The lesson air war tries to teach is, Resist Uncle Sam at your peril! But consider this:
In the fourteenth century, a Mongol called Amir Timur conquered a vast empire that stretched from Russia to India and from the Mediterranean to Mongolia. The purpose of his conquests was merely to pillage and plunder. He is remembered in history as a brutal barbarian who razed cities and put entire populations to death, using the victims’ skulls to build grisly towers and pyramids. The rulers of Europe trembled at the idea that Timur’s hordes were at their borders and sent embassies hoping to avoid attacks. In Western history, he is known as Tamerlane.
No essential difference separates the actions of Tamerlane from those of Britain’s Bomber Command or American air wars. Western civilization today uses air weapons as Tamerlane used swords to intimidate and punish those who have the audacity of defy it. In cultures whose goal is plunder, human life has no value. Plunder is more valuable than life. The progress of Western Civilization stalled in the 14th century. Today our plundering elite still live in it.
So arguing over the rightness or wrongness of the use of drones is meaningless. Drones are not evil; killing is! As long as ordinary people acquiesce in the killing carried out by their governments, if drones aren’t used, some other instruments of murder will be.
Ordinary people living in the West and perhaps everywhere are generally of the opinion that government exists for their benefit and security. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ordinary people exist merely to carry out the aims of governments. Now it is being claimed that the aim of government is to preserve life by killing, and most of us are dumb enough to believe it. How else can you explain the American government’s willingness to send more than 4,000 young Americans to their deaths and the maiming of tens of thousands more to avenge the deaths of fewer than 3,000?
John Kozy is a retired professor of philosophy and logic who writes on social, political, and economic issues. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he spent 20 years as a university professor and another 20 years working as a writer. He has published a textbook in formal logic commercially, in academic journals and a small number of commercial magazines, and has written a number of guest editorials for newspapers. His on-line pieces can be found on http://www.jkozy.com/ and he can be emailed from that site’s homepage. | <urn:uuid:c849cbd4-40c1-40aa-98e3-ba2b9bc64c67> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fourwinds10.net/siterun_data/government/weapons/news.php?q=1352989795 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975525 | 1,513 | 1.710938 | 2 |
EXOpc has posted a video of its EXOdesk — an interactive desk environment that lets you do all sorts of tasks on a virtual space on your desk — in action and it looks amazing.
The actual device is a tabletop computer, somewhat similar to Microsoft Surface, offering 40 inches of high definition space, where you can manipulate virtual objects by touching them and dragging them around.
The video offers a taste of what you can do with EXOdesk: add a virtual keyboard, an RSS feed stream and apps to your tabletop surface. A piano simulation app is shown, and though we don't see much of its functionality, it looks stunning when expanded to the entire surface of EXOdesk.
Although the release date is vaguely set for 2012, we already know EXOdesk will cost $1,299. If that sounds like a lot, compare it to the recently announced price of Microsoft Surface 2.0, which is $8,900, and it will suddenly seem like a bargain. | <urn:uuid:6378ea1d-2961-4b8c-afe1-0e9ba5236ab9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mashable.com/2011/11/21/exodesk/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94782 | 206 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Singapore Airlines SQ
Singapore Airlines (SIA)' history can be traced back to 1st May 1947, when Malayan Airways operated its first commercial flight linking Singapore with Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang. The airline was later renamed Malaysian Airways (1963) and Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (1966), which was split in two in 1972, creating Malaysian Airline System (since renamed Malaysia Airlines) and SIA. Over a period of more than half a century, SIA has earned a reputation as an innovative market leader, combining a quality product with excellent service.
SIA has a route network extending to 63 destinations in 35 countries, serving Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle East, the South West Pacific, and Africa.
SIA has one of the youngest fleets of any major airline, with an average age of just over 6 years. The airline operates a fleet of Boeing 777s, Airbus A330-300s, A340-500s and took delivery of the world’s first A380-800 for commercial service in October 2007.
Excellence in customer service has been integral to SIA's success. Superb inflight service is the cornerstone of its reputation for customer service and hospitality. SIA has developed a reputation for being an industry trend-setter. The list of industry-leading innovations by SIA includes being the first to offer free headsets, a choice of meals and free drinks in Economy Class in the 1970s, and the first with satellite-based inflight telephones in 1991. SIA has also taken inflight dining to new heights with the formation of its International Culinary Panel. In 2004, Singapore Airlines created aviation history with the introduction of the world’s longest non-stop ultra long-haul commercial services between Singapore and New York (Newark).
The care and attention that Singapore Airlines gives its customers, symbolised by the Singapore Girl, has earned the airline many industry and travel awards, including Conde Nast Traveller's "Best Global Airline" award for 21 consecutive years, Travel and Leisure’s “Best International Airline” award for 14 consecutive years, and Wall Street Journal Asia’s “Most Admired Singapore Company” accolade for 17 consecutive years. | <urn:uuid:f9ef001f-9526-4b08-a323-4915faeb11ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://staralliance.com/en/about/airlines/singapore_airlines/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945758 | 466 | 1.75 | 2 |
May 5, 2010
Posted: 12:13 PM ET
UPDATE 2:06 p.m. ET: A Facebook spokesperson says the security bug has been fixed; chat will be up shortly.
The blog TechCrunch posted a scary video today.
Writer Steve O'Hear shows that it's possible to eavesdrop on the private live chats of your Facebook friends by previewing your profile through the site's privacy settings.
Facebook shut down its chat function on Wednesday in response the security bug, a Facebook spokeswoman said in an e-mail to CNN.
"When we received reports of the problem, our engineers promptly diagnosed it and temporarily disabled the chat function," the e-mailed statement from Facebook says.
"We also pushed out a fix to take care of the visible friend requests which is now complete. Chat will be turned back on across the site shortly. We worked quickly to resolve this matter, ensuring that once the bug was reported to us, a solution was quickly found and implemented."
The social network's chat feature - which lets people have live conversations through instant text messages - appeared to be "down for maintenance" as of noon ET, when CNN tried to replicated the hack.
Watch the full video to understand how the flaw works.
"I know Facebook wants us to share more information and open up, but I’m not sure that this is quite what they had in mind," O'Hear writes on the blog.
He accesses a friend's supposedly private chat conversation by using a feature that lets people preview their profile through the eyes of their friends. This feature is intended to let people see if they've managed their privacy settings correctly. A person, for instance, might make some Facebook information viewable to everyone, while keeping co-workers or professional contacts in the dark about new photos or status updates.
When O'Hear previews his profile through the eyes of a friend, he pulls up that friend's private chat.
We'll keep an eye on this and let you know if we hear back from Facebook.
From around the web
Are you a gadgethead? Do you spend hours a day online? Or are you just curious about how technology impacts your life? In this digital age, it's increasingly important to be fluent, or at least familiar, with the big tech trends. From gadgets to Google, smartphones to social media, this blog will help keep you informed. | <urn:uuid:cbb99f64-42d2-49cc-83e1-df632a713bb4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/05/blog-finds-possible-security-flaw-in-facebook-chat/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953152 | 494 | 1.835938 | 2 |
An Important Promise
I’ve always loved Hebrews 13:5-6 (“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”), and this morning on a complete whim I decided to look up the rest of the chapter to see what it had to say.
I’m glad I did!
(the full chapter can be found below all this commentary)
v1 – Keep on loving each other as brothers. - Wonderful!¬† Did you know that in the ancient Greek language there are actually four words for love?¬† Agape, Eros, Storge, and the one they use here, Philadelphia. Yep, that’s why Philadelphia is called the “City of Brotherly Love”.¬† The first verse of this chapter is a great reminder that God commands us to love one another.¬† That’s ALL of us.¬† Not just the people you like, or the people who believe the way you do.¬† Even those who are guilty of the worst types of sin (which, by the way, is every single human that has ever walked the face of the earth), we are to forgive and show Christ’s love.¬† Adulterers, murderers, kidnappers, liars, thieves, those who are lazy…the list could go on.¬† John 8 holds the story about the story about the adulteress about to be stoned by the men Jesus were teaching, until Jesus spoke the now famed statement, “Let he who has no sin cast the first stone.”¬† As humans, we have all sinned.¬† Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned & fall short of the Glory of God.”¬† Know what that means?¬† We’re all in the same boat, none better than another.
v2 – Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some have unknowingly entertained angels. - Entertained?¬† God commands us to be entertaining to strangers?¬† As strange as that might seem, when you understand the history behind it it becomes more clear.¬† For one thing, I understand “entertain” as “accommodate” or “be hospitable” rather than something like doing a jig to keep people laughing!¬† In those days, the “motels” they had had pretty bad reps for being immoral places, so the traveling Christians had to find other places to stay in unfamiliar lands.¬† There are actually several places in the Bible where we are told to be hospitable (see this website to read some of the verses).¬† Even though I think this verse is referring to being hospitable to fellow Christians, I don’t think it should stop there.¬† Showing unbelievers hospitality is a really good way to show Christ’s love through our lives!
v3 РRemember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. - I believe this passage is talking about those who were imprisoned and mistreated for the sake of the Gospel, not all inmates and people in suffering for any reason.  However, God loves everyone Рthe unbelievers that are suffering for reasons other than for Him Рand we should show His love as we know it to be.
v4 – Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. - Whoa.¬† A biggie.¬† In light of an article I read yesterday (about a school in the Northeast US being willing to give out condoms to elementary students if they ask for them), I have even more than usual to say about sexual immorality and the world today.¬† Believe me, I have a mega-huge-colossal-giant-humongous soapbox about that one.¬† I’ll save that for another post.
Anyway, marriage is an institution not understood by very many people anymore.¬† I like to think Daryl and I have the gist of it, but I’m sure we fail as often as we’re successful!¬† I think it’s sad though – really sad – that if you look up the definition of “marriage” on Urban Dictionary’s website (I don’t recommend it. Not exactly wholesome stuff, but pretty accurate to the “worldly” point of view) the top definition is “Marriage: The number one cause of divorce.”¬† The next two definitions are “What straight couples have legally and commonly don’t want, and what gay couples don’t have legally and commonly want” and “A license to f***.”¬† When did the AMAZING blessing of marriage become these things to the world?¬† I’m going to have to write an entire post on this – I just have too much to say.
v5 – Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have… – Another big one…one I’m sure I fail at quite often.¬† Remember, one of the Ten Commandments is “Do not covet.” I don’t think people think of that commandment as often as some of the more “important” ones, but God gives it the same importance as not killing someone or worshiping idols (after all, the love of money and material things is considered worshiping an idol)!¬† It’s hard for me to understand any difference between ambition – as in, working toward a goal – and coveting.¬† Maybe they’re not so different.¬† I like being ambitious.¬† I’m working toward having a big enough home that Daryl and I can comfortably have more kids.¬† I’d love to have a huge garden next year.¬† I’m saving to buy a new lense for my 450D so I can do a wider range of photography.¬† Someday, I’d love to have a studio, too.¬† Is it wrong to plan & save for those things because I’m not being content with what I have?¬† I hate to admit, the answer is probably yes.
But then, the second part of that verse: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Wow. What a promise.¬† I’ve definitely had times in my life that I felt completely abandoned and alone.¬† I’ve felt so unlovable, so rejected and uncared for.¬† I’ve struggled with feeling like nobody wanted me around, and feeling like I really have no true friends.¬† But we should always remember we have someone way better than an earthly friend. Better than a brother, even better than our human father.¬† We have an Abba! A Heavenly Father who’s always with us & who’s love for His creation – His children – knows no bounds.
v6, 12, 13, 14, & 15 – “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” - This verse & verses 12-15 of this chapter speak to my heart in a different way, not quite like the rest of them.¬† The writer of this letter is trying to give encouragement to people who are being oppressed because of their faith; people who just might be feeling like they should give in to the world.¬† To me, these verses give more than just encouragement…they’re basically summing up the entire way to be strong in our faith even in light of oppression and discouragement.¬† Verses 12-15 remind us of Jesus being oppressed by men.¬† Jesus spent a large part of his human life being disgraced and hated by people who thought he was wrong.¬† They thought he was a false prophet, a con-artist…a blasphemer.¬† Through their hatred, though, we were given redemption through His blood!¬† Even though we’ll face oppression for our faith as Jesus did, verse 14 says “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” which I loosely interpret as “What we have here doesn’t matter, it’s gonna end.¬† We’re looking for the city that lasts forever – Heaven!”
v7 & 17 – Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. – The emphasis should definitely be on “who spoke the word of God to you” in these verses.¬† So often we hear that as Christians, we are to simply obey those in authority on earth.¬† Well, hold the phone!¬† God commands us to obey earthly authority – even secular ones – because the God says that even the very idea of “authority” comes from Him.¬† He gave us the principle of authority to keep order on earth.¬† However, as Christians, we’re not commanded to obey every law or statute that any Tom, Dick, or Harry that end up in an authoritative position command.¬† If an authority figure issues a law or command that goes against God’s laws or commandments, well, God’s laws trump man’s laws every time!
v8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Let’s think about this for a moment.¬† How many other things can you think of that have been the same since the beginning of time, and will be until the end of time?¬† It’s remarkable to think about God – or Jesus, as the passage says – never changing.¬† Ever. When your whole world is falling apart, you can rely on God.¬† When your parents get a divorce, you can trust God to love you and let you rest in him.¬† When you lose your job and don’t know how you’re going to survive, you can let God carry you through.¬† We trust the sun to come up every morning and go down every night – in fact, we don’t even think twice about the possibility that it won’t.¬† We know it will.¬† Even more should be our trust in God.¬† He will not fail us.¬† What an awesome, life-changing commitment.
v9 – Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. – It’s always kind of amazed me how many people choose to believe in some strange religion (or lack thereof) instead of believing in the one true God.¬† Or, on that note, how susceptible many Bible-believing Christians are to strange “Christian” beliefs that have little to do with being a child of God.¬† The truth is simple – God created us, we (humans) screwed it up, so He sent Jesus to die for our sins.¬† Now, through the power of His blood, we can repent and be forgiven!¬† It has nothing to do with taking special vitamins, understanding some kind of “inner energy”, finding our “spirit guide”, joining any organization, going to a certain type of church, or any of those things.¬† Call me closed minded, but I believe that what I believe is the truth.
v15 – …let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise‚ÄĒthe fruit of lips that confess his name. – Continually!¬† Can you imagine letting every word, every action, every thought be a continual sacrifice of praise to God?¬† That’s what our lives are supposed to be.¬† Not just Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights.¬† Nope.¬† We complain, we argue with God, we have bad attitudes toward Him and other people, we’re not satisfied with what we have…the list could go on for quite awhile!¬† I know my life would be so much better if I remembered that I’m blessed – I’m a child of God!¬† He provided me with an amazing husband, an incredible son, a roof over my head, food on the table, some really great friends, and even my talent for photography and design.¬† I can also give him credit and praise for the hard times in my life, because I know that when I center my life around God and His will for my life, “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him”!
v16 – …do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. – One of the more common things to hear Christians say is that “being GOOD is not enough!”¬† An important thing to remember, though, is that God does command us do good.¬† To share, to be kind, to…well, be good! The greatest way to show God’s love to others (believers and nonbelievers alike) is through kindness and caring, because that’s what God shows to us.¬† He allows us to be punished and reap the consequences of what we sow (as any good parent does for their child), but as 1 John says, “God is love, and anyone who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”¬† If we aspire to be like Jesus, love and kindness are a huge part of it.
So, there it is. I love this chapter.¬† It’s full of such good instruction and even better promises! Thoughts?
1 Keep on loving each other as brothers.
2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise‚ÄĒthe fruit of lips that confess his name.
16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon. 20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 22 Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. 24 Greet all your leaders and all God’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. 25 Grace be with you all. | <urn:uuid:ca214eb8-fc09-4db4-a3bd-ab60ff0eefee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://southernmother.com/2010/06/an-important-promise/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967582 | 3,710 | 1.554688 | 2 |
No pool? No coverage! High risk of many members having the problem? High cost! That's Insurance 101.
These are reasons why Medicare has everyone who works pay into a mechanism which will provide healthcare payments for those over 65. Lots of payers, relatively few recipients. There are also reasons why rational insurance companies try to reduce risk in their pool by not accepting folks with pre-existing conditions. If you try to buy medical insurance when you've got Stage III lymphoma, you probably will cost them a lot of money.
Why then is this a surprise:
Colorado Insurers Say This Will Hurt!
Yet, despite the utter simplicity of the concepts, we still have folks who don't get it. In case you were already gagging and couldn't read through to the last paragraphs of that piece, here they are:
Despite conflicting analysis on whether the current proposal would cut health care costs, Arvada resident Peggy Woodward is confident it would save her money.
Woodward, who was laid off from her telecommunications job a year ago, is about to cancel her health insurance because she can't afford the $223 monthly premium. Under the legislation, she would qualify for a subsidy of about $2,000 per year.
"That's a very significant savings for me," she said. "I do hope they pass it just as soon as possible."
First, I would have to ask why the Denver Post saw fit to ask Peggy Woodward about this? What is her expertise? Why does her opinion have relevance?
Second, notice that discussion of actual cost of a product (healthcare) is not part of her math. She can't afford $223/month. So what? The "legislation" which hasn't been written yet has her believing she would qualify for a subsidy of $2000/year. How does she divine that? Does her "qualifying" require her to still be laid off? No info given.
Third, who really cares if "that's very significant" to her and what she hopes...oh, that's it. She "hopes" for "change" she can believe in! And Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and free cake and balloons for every one.
I guess the Denver Post considers Peggy a counter-balance to the executives of the insurance industry who are encumbered by facts and a bottom line.
Fair and balanced! | <urn:uuid:27f3cbfc-9112-4d41-9dc2-2fc1fed0d641> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thundertales.blogspot.com/2009/10/echoes-of-duh.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983962 | 492 | 1.617188 | 2 |
This Advent season I’m writing reflections on the lectionary Gospel readings forLight Reflections and reposting them here. Please feel free to borrow and steal anything from these that might be helpful in your own Advent sermon,teaching, etc., work.
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be* a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
46 And Mary* said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
Last week I wrote that the terrifying image of Jesus with a winnowing fork is a far cry from the babe in the manger who we anticipate this time of year. This week we are reminded that these two images are not so far apart at all! Whether it’s Jesus at the end of time or Jesus entering into time, the Good News is consistent – his arrival will raise those whom our world sees as lowly and it will humble those we imagine to be mighty.
In the first few weeks of Advent, we’ve mostly pictured Christ’s arrival coming from somewhere distant Continue reading | <urn:uuid:aa086b89-0b37-4b11-ab5c-42604aea389d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thewayofreturning.com/tag/pregnancy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972559 | 533 | 1.734375 | 2 |
BOSTON -- After a record 3.1 million Massachusetts voters cast ballots in 2008, Secretary of State William Galvin on Monday projected that as many as 3.2 million Massachusetts residents could head to the polls Tuesday, with intense interest in the presidential and U.S. Senate races driving participation.
With heavy turnout and a lot riding on the outcomes for campaigns who have spent months locked in tight contests, Galvin said his office had concerns about long lines at the polls, and said any effort by campaigns to interfere with privacy rights of voters would "not be tolerated."
Massachusetts voters during the 2008 presidential election set a record in the state for votes cast and marked the highest voting percentage, at 73.5 percent, since the 1996 presidential election, when 75.1 percent of registered voters turned out.
The greatest participation rate in Massachusetts dating back to 1948 is still the 1960 presidential contest won by John F. Kennedy when 2.5 million residents voted, or 91.7 percent, according to Galvin's office.
Out of a pool of 4.34 million eligible voters this year, Galvin predicted between 3.1 million and 3.2 would vote Tuesday to settle the presidential election and other races, or between 71.4 percent and 73.7 percent of registered voters.
During a press conference at the Statehouse, Galvin said 284,789 voters had requested absentee ballots this election, an increase of about 25,000 from 2008, while the number of
Galvin attributed the changes to less voter registration intensity than in 2008, but greater interest in absentee voting due to publicity in other states about early voting. Massachusetts does not allow early voting, which Galvin described as "absentee voting without the excuses."
One of Galvin's main concerns for election-day is lines and the potential that voting delays will occur when inactive voters -- those who may be registered and eligible but have not voted recently or responded to Census surveys -- turn out and need to show identification and fill out affidavits attesting to their eligibility. He has advised clerks to form two lines for active and inactive voters, but stressed that everyone who shows up to a polling place before 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote even if voting goes past that hour.
"Because of the intensity of this election, especially the United States Senate race here in Massachusetts, and the active interest of the campaign organizations which has been demonstrated to our citizens very thoroughly over the last few weeks, we are particularly concerned about conduct in the polling places," Galvin said.
Galvin vowed to "enforce rigorously" the prohibition on campaigning within 150 feet of polling locations, and said poll observers from campaigns and interest groups would be monitored to prevent interference with the voting process.
"We further expect those in the position representing campaigns as observers will just do that - observe. Any effort to interfere with voting will not be tolerated, and those persons will be expelled from the polling place," Galvin said.
Galvin said that while polls in most communities would be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m., a select number of communities would start voting as early as 6 a.m. He said voters could visit wheredoivotema.com to find their polling location with directions and a preview of their local ballot, and Galvin's office will have a toll-free hotline 1-800-462-VOTE to report voting problems on Tuesday.
Galvin said he was "very confident in the integrity of our voting process," and does not believe there is "rampant voter fraud" in Massachusetts, but would be on the lookout for irregularities.
While President Barack Obama is expected to win Massachusetts over the state's former Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, the contest between U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren remains tight with both candidates barnstorming the state on the final day before the election.
After multiple polls over the past week of campaigning showing Warren holding a small lead over Brown, a UMass Lowell/Boston Herald poll released Sunday night had Brown ahead of Warren 49 percent to 48 percent among likely voters, but trailing Warren 49 percent to 47 percent among registered voters.
The poll surveyed 956 Massachusetts registered voters, 800 of which were deemed likely voters, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 3 and had a margin of error of 4.1 percent. | <urn:uuid:6dccec61-aca3-439b-acea-73b33be9cc05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lowellsun.com/mastatehouse/ci_21938293/record-3-2-million-may-vote-today | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966456 | 887 | 1.65625 | 2 |
My great-grandfather was on the train when this happened (age 4) and was one of only a few to survive. The rescue train dispatched from birmingham actually crashed into the wreckage making it worse. I have a reprint of the two page article from the Birmingham News from the following day. Rumor has been that the engine from the train is still in bottom of the river. I have canoed that part of the river countless times and don't think that it is possible. The pillars supporting the bridge is all that is left as proof.
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The History of the World®
© 2013 Timelines, Inc. The History of Us® is a registered trademarks of Timelines, Inc. | <urn:uuid:e97a9c88-a7fd-4705-8618-43bb1769b75e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://worldhistoryproject.org/photos/2e745a8f6625468472050e2ca428ad6c | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965673 | 152 | 1.5 | 2 |
I reflected some more last night on the future of the land-grant university mission.
One important point we all should bear in mind: Earlier generations of Americans constructed a remarkably diverse and adaptive higher education system.
I like to think of this system as a rich mosaic, the colors of which change constantly to reflect the evolving social and cultural conditions within the larger society. In most states, this higher educational structure is typically expressed as four tiers: start-chartered schools, such as the universities of Michigan, Texas and Alabama; historic land-grant institutions, such as Auburn, Clemson and Purdue universities; former state teachers colleges now functioning as regional universities, such as Sam Houston State and Western Kentucky universities; and the immense networks of community colleges.
In terms of academic standing, the first two tiers, state-chartered and land-grant institutions, are virtually indistinguishable.
Indeed, regional universities and, to an even greater extent, communities colleges, have assumed much of the role of serving remedial students — a task once readily carried out by land-grant universities.
Likewise, many of these institutions have carried this commitment one step further, not only reaching out to under-served students but also under-served populations in general. That raises the question: As historically land-grant undergo their transformation into academically rigorous technological universities, isn’t it possible, if not likely, that many of their traditional land-grant functions, particularly the ones focused on reaching under-served populations, will devolve to regional institutions?
For that matter, who’s to say that this devolution will be limited only to those programs associated with underserved populations?
As I mentioned in my earlier piece, some regional universities are lobbying to acquire stewardship of some of the applied technical programs that, up to now, have been standard offerings at traditional land-grant universities.
As more of these applied teaching courses are acquired by regional universities, how much longer before similar outreach programs follow?
The increasing disengagement from applied agricultural research at many land-grant universities will only contribute to this trend. A close friend of mine, a writer for a farm publication, informed me yesterday that one of this nation’s premiere land-grant universities is considering outsourcing all of its applied agricultural research. If this critical pillar of the land-grant function crumbles, what will remain to support the rest of the structure?
Granted, it’s not my wish to sow pessimism. As I stressed in my earlier piece, though, I do believe that the centrifugal forces drawing land-grant universities away from their traditional functions are exerting a far more powerful tug than the centripetal forces drawing these institutions back to their historically defined roles.
For that reason alone, I’m betting that the centrifugal forces ultimately prevail. | <urn:uuid:43e99a47-ef9c-4eb0-a843-2975ea18143d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://missionextension.wordpress.com/2010/09/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938662 | 584 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Sometimes, going back to your childhood can be a scary experience. That
is something that the makers of “Return To Oz,” in most respects a
sequel to the celebrated classic “The Wizard Of Oz,” didn’t seem to take
into account when writing the script to what ultimately turned out to be
a much darker look at everyone’s favorite Kansas girl, Dorothy.
Released in 1985, the movie
was loosely based
on the Oz series of books written by L. Frank Baum that had inspired the
original film. However, instead of a tornado whisking her away to a
magical land of munchkins and witches, Dorothy instead finds her way to
Oz while escaping from a mental hospital where she has been prescribed
electro-shock therapy. Yes, really.
Played by actress Fairuza Balk (who would later earn notoriety in the
iconic 90’s film “The Craft”), Dorothy finds herself in an Oz that is
very different from the last time she left. The Emerald City and Yellow
Brick Road have been laid to waste, and she has to deal with a vast
desert that transforms anyone who touches it into sand. Not only that,
but everyone she knew from the previous film has been turned to stone –
perhaps because statues were cheaper than purchasing the rights to MGM’s
versions of the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man. There is, however,
Tik-Tok, sort of a poor man’s wind-up robot, and a man with a pumpkin
for a head imaginatively named Pumpkinhead.
Just when you thought things can’t get any weirder, they do. Dorothy and
co. have to contend with the Nome King, who transforms his enemies into
ornaments and keeps them in a vast room, and Princess Mombi, who
replaces her own head many times during her scenes with our heroes. Now,
neither of those things on their own sound all that frightening, but I
remember as a child being terrified of both headless royalty and
ornaments for years after seeing this movie. Particularly tense was the
scene where Dorothy has to guess which ornament is in fact her old
friend the Scarecrow, with all of her friends guessing wrong and turning
into ornaments themselves. The idea that someone I loved could be
transformed into a decorative piece of glass still chills me to the
If “Return To Oz” proved anything about the 80’s, it was that sometimes
you just can’t go back home again. It also proved that the 80’s was all
about retro-futuristic fashion, as various characters in the film
adopted wheeled feet (Wheelers), big hair and pseudo-Victorian dress.
It’s almost like the costumes were co-designed by Jim Henson and
Madonna. Despite not finding a wide audience at the time, it has managed
to grow a sizable fan base over the years as 80’s buffs have uncovered
dusty VHS copies at their local video stores. | <urn:uuid:44a95f46-0bd9-4123-a544-71b03b1c3bb0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.liketotally80s.com/return-to-oz.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96469 | 666 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Term for a slightly less-than-average person only accepted by his peers because he/she boosts their self-esteem due to their ignorance or lack of intelligence. Also begs others to the extremities of their nerves for money/materials. Can be used as a nick-name or noun/pronoun.
Joe:hey Jackson, got any money i spent all mine on gummy bears & weed.
Jackson:(speaking to Walt). Gosh he really makes me mad hes such a Jew.
Walt: Yea he's such a Joe Blow.
Generic term for "the average guy." The "man on the street," so to speak. Sometimes lengthened to "Joe Blow from Kokomo" (after Kokomo, Indiana).
As far as Joe Blow is concerned, the worst thing about the Iraq War is inflated gasoline prices. | <urn:uuid:946c0022-b71d-4f0e-97d3-4003cbdcc750> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Joe%20Blow&defid=3746783 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941379 | 175 | 1.554688 | 2 |
September 16, 2009
Baucus Healthcare Bill Falls Short on Public Option, Employer Mandates and the Effective Date for the Legislation
Although there are many interesting provisions in the Baucus Bill, including a requirement that individuals have health insurance coverage, the establishment of a health care exchange, proposed reforms for the private insurance system including not allowing exclusions for preexisting coverage, and expansion of the Medicaid program for the poor, I want to focus on three parts that trouble me that directly deal with current employee benefits law.
First, the plan does not adopt a public option for health care. Instead, it establishes state-based cooperatives to compete with private health plans. I think this a huge mistake and such coops will be a failure from the start. For the best explanation as to why, here is former Labor Secretary Robert Reich explaining why the public option is so superior to co-ops.
Perhaps even more disappointing from my perspective is that the Baucus Bill does not require employers to provide coverage to workers, like some of the House counterparts bills. Instead, employers with more than 50 workers who do not offer coverage will have to reimburse the government for each full-time employee receiving a health care affordability tax credit in the exchange starting in 2013.
Two thoughts on this one. One, there is no reason to limit this to employers with 50 employers with more. That is the cutoff currently for the Family and Medical Leave Act and it has left a huge number of workers without leave protection. Similarly, this arbitrary cut-off will continue to leave millions of workers at smaller employers without health coverage. As long as we are going to stick with our unique employer-provided coverage, we should make sure all employees can get coverage through their employers. The only other options is for these people to qualify through some other government program like Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security. Yet, those programs do not provide the necessary and timely health treatment that many employees need.
Second, why does this not start until 2013? Assuming the bill passes in 2010, why should a vast number of workers suffer at these larger companies without healthcare? Or put at little more forcefully, how many employees will die in those three years from that delay in providing coverage.
Needless to say, I sure hope that these two provisions are not in the health care reform bill that President Obama eventually signs into law.
The text of the bill, America's Healthy Future Act of 2009, is available here.
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What's the point in employers "reimbursing" the federal government for uncovered employees if there is no public health insurance that the feds can provide?
In my opinion, a bill that requires everyone to buy expensive health insurance from monopoly providers and does not effectively subsidize purchase, limit premiums, or create competition, is not worth having. It is just a giveaway to insurance companies.
Posted by: Alan Hyde | Sep 16, 2009 5:49:16 PM | <urn:uuid:ed20a05c-efa5-4bc2-b974-9df67533bba9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/laborprof_blog/2009/09/baucus-healthcare-bill-falls-short-on-public-option-employer-mandates-and-the-effective-date-for-the.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954909 | 634 | 1.507813 | 2 |
What it would do: Raise taxes on cigarettes to fund cancer research. If approved by voters this June, the ballot measure would impose an additional $1-per-pack tax on cigarettes and an equivalent increase on other tobacco products.
Support: Cycling legend and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong says Californians can help save thousands of lives by funding cancer research in the nation's most populous state. Additional supporters include former state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association and American Heart Association.
Oppose: Major tobacco companies, most notably Philip Morris USA, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and affiliated companies. The California Taxpayers Association and other anti-tax groups say the tax is regressive and could place a future burden on the state if the bureaucracy it creates cannot be supported as tobacco tax revenue declines. The initiative's supporters say the state's general fund would not be at risk.
Campaign donations: Groups supporting the initiative had raised $4.9 million as of May 7, mostly from individuals and organizations such as the American Cancer Society. Those opposing it had raised $39.8 million by the same date, most of it from major tobacco companies and their affiliates. | <urn:uuid:e943b10c-3e9a-4976-836f-df44be0a90ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/may/07/proposition-29-at-a-glance/ | 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 | 0.950431 | 243 | 1.6875 | 2 |
"We're a coastal airport, there are all kinds of birds,"…
NORFOLK — A Delta Airlines flight crew reported striking a bird while on approach to Norfolk International Airport Monday.
The crew of Delta flight 5174 reported to airport officials that a bird struck the aircraft as it approached the airport about 12:30 p.m., said Wayne E. Shank, the airport's executive director. Flight information, posted on the airport's website indicated the flight originated in Detroit.
Shank said there was no confirmed damage to the aircraft and no passengers were injured. The incident did not cause a disruption at the airport, he said.
It is not clear what type of bird may have been involved. Shank said some remains found on the plane's fuselage were swabbed and sent to the Smithsonian Institution for identification, but it may take some time to get the results.
Delta Station Manager Kevin McDaniel could not be reached for further information Monday afternoon.
Shank said bird strikes involving aircraft occur a handful of times each year at the Norfolk airport, but there has never been an incident where a collision caused the plane to fail in flight.
"We're a coastal airport, there are all kinds of birds," Shank said. "It's not something that happens everyday, but it's not real rare either."
The last such incident occurred in April when an adult Bald Eagle was killed by an incoming plane, Shank said. The female eagle was part of a nesting pair at Norfolk's Botanical Gardens that was featured on an "Eagle Cam" along with their three eaglets. | <urn:uuid:39335d93-444a-40c4-adc5-db5ef776d179> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.dailypress.com/2011-09-12/news/dp-nws-norfolk-airport-bird-20110912_1_delta-flight-bird-strikes-wayne-e-shank | 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 | 0.980054 | 325 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Caesar Sebastian/Flickr (Creative Commons licensed)
File photo: Friday of Electric Daisy Carnival 2010, as deadmau5 was playing.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted a set of recommendations Tuesday to create a policy for electronic music festivals, or “raves,” that take place in LA County.
The recommendations come from a county task force on raves. The Supervisors created the task force this past summer after the death of 15-year-old girl who'd attended the Electric Daisy Carnival event at the LA Coliseum.
The Supervisors want strict ID checks at the gates to make sure anyone at a rave is at least 18. They want anyone who's 21 or older to wear wristbands to prove they can drink alcohol legally. The recommendations call for medical staff to be on hand to treat overdoses and other accidents.
The Supervisors also want rave organizers to hand out substance abuse prevention material - and they want public service announcements so people understand the dangers of using the popular club drug ecstasy.
The recommendations also call on rave organizers to plan “cool down” breaks during their dance-heavy events, and to stop the music by 2 a.m. The recommendations aren’t laws, but the Supervisors want to apply to them to all rave events - in public or private venues - in LA County. | <urn:uuid:8c9a816a-2f80-48e3-8fab-b334634bd8ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/12/07/21690/county-raves/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939956 | 277 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Where did Jean-Baptiste Isabey die?
Jean-Baptiste Isabey died in Paris, France on April 18, 1855
Gifted French painter and printmaker, specializing in portraits and miniatures. He enjoyed official favour from the time of Louis XVI until his death. His portrait Napoleon at Malmaison (1802) is considered... | <urn:uuid:6617cd21-063f-4280-a81a-4160d385d345> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britannica.com/qa/83100/where-did-jean-baptiste-isabey-die | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954451 | 76 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Hockey fans, flex your muscles
Both National Hockey League players and owners alike should be ashamed and embarrassed by the ongoing NHL lockout. This is a labor dispute between billionaire owners and millionaire players who can't seem to agree on how to share their surplus of wealth. Meanwhile, these men show a blatant disregard for the thousandaire hockey fans across the United States and Canada who are deprived of the sport they love.
The NHL lockout began on Sept. 15, when the collective bargaining agreement between the National Hockey League and the NHL Players' Association expired before a new deal had been struck. Team owners and players had argued for nearly three months about topics such as salaries, signing bonuses and contract lengths, but a compromise could not be reached. As the anticipated regular season start date of Oct. 11 grew closer, the two parties made little to no progress. On Oct. 4, the first games were officially canceled. The NHL has since canceled all games through Dec. 14, leaving hockey fans everywhere more restless than ever.
When asked why an agreement cannot be reached, most players and owners would say that hockey is a business, and that they are businessmen. They are simply trying to get the best deal possible. The owners won't agree to split revenue 50/50 with the players; instead, they are splitting 0/0.
It seems they have forgotten what hockey really is. Hockey is a game. It's a game they love, a game that they get to play for a living. The people involved in the lockout don't seem to realize how lucky they are. As professional athletes and owners, they are living many people's dream life. Joe Dorish's Yahoo Sports article from November 2011 indicates that the average NHL player is earning $2.4 million per year to do so.
The players and owners feel equally the victims in this situation. But who are the real victims? The real victims are the common people who enjoy the sport of hockey, often as a temporary escape from their difficult lives. It is these people who have made the NHL players and owners as wealthy as they are, whose ticket and merchandise purchases, whose loyal TV viewership, account for the revenue being fought over. Their voices should be heard, but remain silent to the ears of those with the power to satisfy them.
That is why, if and when the NHL season starts, fans everywhere should boycott the league, even if only for a week. This means not buying tickets and merchandise, or even watching the games on TV.
This is not the first lockout in American professional sports, and unless something is done now, it will not be the last. The goal of a boycott would not be to sink the NHL; rather, it would serve as a demonstration of the fans' ability to affect its success. Without the support of the fans, the NHL and everyone who is a part of it cannot and will not succeed.
An act like this would show who truly holds the power in the professional sports business and would set an example for future collective-bargaining negotiations in all sports.
Mike Morlock lives in South Dennis. | <urn:uuid:0e7ff983-aa93-48f0-bacc-6c278dd2d1b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121206/OPINION/212060337/-1/WAP&template=wapart | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981779 | 629 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Controlled by a military junta, the nation of Burma, or Myanmar, has long been isolated as an international pariah state. But a flicker of hope for many Burmese has been Aung San Suu Kyi, who's spent decades defying military leaders in her quest for democracy. Now, the generals have started to implement a series of democratic and economic reforms - which the US and other Western powers have welcomed overwhelmingly. But are Myanmar's military leaders serious about reform? And is Aung San Suu Kyi the one to lead Burma through what could be a rocky transition from international outcast to Asian "tiger?"
Visit the Website: http://www.fpa.org/great_decisions/
Episode #407 / Length: 26 minutes | <urn:uuid:395f8698-168c-458c-8870-5a75d063163a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.klru.org/schedule/episode/239115/?M=kids | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944621 | 158 | 1.539063 | 2 |
- THE MAGAZINE
- BUYER'S GUIDE
Rapidly rising expenses, on-going price competition and pressures to expand customer services. "All of these profit challenges are external to the firm," writes Bates. "That is, they are caused by factors outside the firm's control."
However, according to Bates, some of these "profit wounds" are self-inflicted. Companies have not given as much attention as they should to internal ways of offsetting the expense and margin pressures.
"In particular," Bates writes, "they have not taken the time and effort to ensure that the basic economics of each transaction are sound. In short, most firms are processing too many small, unprofitable orders. Such an internal focus demands treating the average transaction size and its components as factors that can be planned and controlled by the firm.
"The neglect of these factors arises because most executives view order economics as uncontrollable. Customers order the products they want in the quantity they want at the time they want them. Firms with a strong customer orientation not only respect customer ordering desires, they support them enthusiastically.
"However, such a view abdicates decision making in an area that has a major impact on profitability - the workload required to generate a given level of sales. It would be beneficial for firms to identify how they can improve order economics while continuing to give customers as much ordering latitude as possible."
Bates' report goes on to examine order economics in detail, by focusing on three key issues:
- Current order economics
- Transaction planning
- Transaction management
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Why does my period move one day later every single month for as long as I can remember????
Someone please help me I dont understand why that happens, every month I have my period exactly one day later then the previous month, does this happen to anyone else!! Because technically I had my period on the 29th last month and her it is the 29th and no period!! But I guarntee it will be here tomrw is that normal or why does this happen!!! | <urn:uuid:e228bf8f-7249-4b45-b104-e94fbc07173f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cafemom.com/group/30079/forums/read/12383853/Why_does_my_period_move_one_day_later_every_single_month_for_as_long_as_I_can_remember | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970756 | 97 | 1.742188 | 2 |
A Forest Climb for St Athanasius and the Three Monks
January 11, 2009 Length: 16:31
Recorded during a forest walk, this week’s broadcast considers a traditional saying regarding St Athanasius’ encounter with three monks on an island, and the relationship between doctrine and transfiguration.
The present edition of A Word from the Holy Fathers follows a slightly different format than usual. I was recently walking up a small mountainside in northern England and recorded what follows as today’s broadcast during that walk. If I sound a little out of breath in what follows, the listener will know why and will also be able to account for the sounds of nature present throughout the recording from the very beginning.
This week, thanks to the abilities provided by a mobile voice recorder A Word from the Holy Fathers is being broadcast from here, in the midst of a forest at the outskirts of Sheffield, near the famous Yorkshire Dales, some of the most beautiful countryside in all of England. And yet I must confess, at this moment, I can see none of it. I am completely walled in, surrounded at every side by trees – enormous things some of them – some pines and conifers, some deciduous that have turned yellow and red with the signs of the winter season.
This particular section of forest which ascends, what American listeners would likely consider a large hill, but here in Britain certainly qualifies as a mountain, is a typically English country scene. The path is a mixture of mud and stone and to walk it requires a good set of boots, a raincoat, and a willingness to, at least at times, be knee-deep in mud.
And yet, it is a walk that repays its endeavor. I’ve paused just here on a clearing. There’s a pasture descending out to the hills below with probably 50 or 60 sheep grazing peacefully; wondering what precisely it is I’m doing. This particular section of the forest is spotted with little streams. I don’t know their source, but they’re constantly replenished by the rains which fall here on an almost daily basis.
Whenever I find myself walking in this forest, favorite of mine, or indeed in any forest setting, I’m often reminded of that pithy old English saying used to describe a person so caught up in details, the specifics, the facts of an argument that he loses sight of the broader picture – one who cannot see the forest through the trees. It seems an apt saying in this particular set of surroundings.
And it’s interesting to note that in the Patristic corpus, in the writings of the Fathers and Mothers of the Church, we have a saying that says almost the same thing, albeit in a different way. It’s a saying which has many forms. And no doubt, readers will have heard it, perhaps in one of its variations. But in the version that I know it best, the way it was given to me, it’s a saying about St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria – taking up his See as a young man, a young bishop coming into a diocese that had been fraught with conflict and controversy.
We remember St. Athanasius for his defense of the Church’s teachings against Arius and against the thoughts on God that Arius was exploring. So perhaps it’s neither surprising nor unbelievable that the young Athanasius would choose to survey the scope of his diocese, to travel its length and its breadth, to see what was being taught in what were now his churches – whether it was correct or in error and needed instruction.
According to this saying, this tradition, St. Athanasius boarded a ship and set out to sea, for he knew that there was a small island on which three elderly monastics were making their spiritual life. His ship arrived at the island and he was greeted, by these three elderly men, with great love. “Dear fathers,” the bishop said, “Tell me. How do you pray?”
The three monks replied to him, “Dear Bishop, we pray like this: O Lord, we are three and thou are three. Have mercy on us.” Perhaps understandably, St. Athanasius was appalled. “My fathers,” he said, “This is not how we are to pray. This is not a right doctrine of God as Trinity.” And with great humility and enthusiasm, the monks asked their new bishop to teach them, to correct them, to give them the right words for prayer, and a right understanding of the Church’s doctrines.
Not for the first time, I find I need to interrupt recording to wade through some puddles – a bit of mud and water that has accumulated here in the midst of the path.
St. Athanasius began by teaching them the Our Father, The Lord’s Prayer, the prayer of Christ. And he spent some days in their midst, instructing them on God as Trinity, the definition of Father, Son, and Spirit, and how one is to acknowledge them in prayer and in the whole of one’s life. After the course of some days together, the bishop was convinced that they had learned what he had to teach and that he could depart from their midst.
As it were, he boarded his ship in the evening time and set sail. As night fell and darkness descended over the sea, he noticed a light in the distance in the direction from which he had come. And to his wonder and amazement as he stared over his side of the ship, the light drew closer and he was eventually able to discern that it was actually emanating from these three monks, walking towards him on the surface of the sea.
In utter amazement, he stared as they approached the ship, and standing on the surface of the water said to their bishop, “Your Grace, forgive us! Forgive us! We have forgotten the words of the prayer you taught us. Teach us again what we are to pray.” And to this St. Athanasius said to have responded, “No, dear Fathers. It is you who must pray for me. Now go in peace.”
This story is preserved for us an apothegm or a saying of the Fathers of the Church. It has come down to us in a number of forms. At times, the details are a little different – the wording and the images slightly modified. Though the version that I have presented here is, I think, the most traditional and the most widely known. Apothegmata, or sayings of this kind, give us words, images from the life of the Fathers – not necessarily historical snapshots of specific goings on, but true and real proclamations of the Fathers in their example and their teaching. And they are remarkably powerful and moving ways for that truth to be shown forth.
As with the English characterization of a person, as one who can’t see the forest through the trees, this particular story conveys a certain truth about the spiritual and intellectual life. Its point is surely not that the details of truth, of doctrine, as they are proclaimed, are unimportant. It would hardly be fitting to say such things in a story about St. Athanasius, one of the Fathers of the Church noted most for his deliberate and sensitive and focused articulation of precisely those details.
The point is not that they are unimportant, but that true theological vision—the vision of the experience of God is the paramount lens by which such facts, such details, are to be articulated. The true experience of God is the criterion of the Faith, the criterion of doctrinal expression. And the point of this story is similarly not to proclaim that a flawed doctrine of the Trinity or flawed approach to prayer is acceptable, is right, or a thing to be emulated.
Rather the point of the story is to remind that doctrine, teaching, dogma, truth, these critical ingredients to the life and ministry of the Church find the fulfillment in the transfigured person. They are not holy in their own right, as if a statement abstracted from reality had any significance whatsoever. The holiness of the Church’s doctrine abides in its pastoral power to transform a broken life into one that radiates with a light of God.
St. Athanasius shows righteous and holy concern for the prayer of his people. And the chief image that this story gives is his renewed awareness, as bishop and pastor, that the doctrine he has fought and will fight in his life so hard to proclaim and preserve has precisely the power to sanctify the human person. When St. Athanasius sees the three illumined men walking towards him across the sea, he does not behold a vision that proclaims his teaching to be unnecessary or surpassed, but rather which brings into immediate experience relief, the fulfillment of all that he proclaims and teaches as a pastor of the Church.
If I’m sounding a little more out of breath at this stage in the broadcast, it’s because I’m just about to reach the peak of this little forested mountain. Just ahead, I can see a peak in the path, over which I know from my last climb here, there is a landing and the trees part ways. An enormous yellow canopy sits right here at the edge of this forest scene – quite a remarkable sight.
And here as I pass the last tree, into a little clearing at the top of this hill, I am faced with a reward for this journey—a remarkable view of the dales opening out below, robust beautiful hills really as far as the eye can see. If I wasn’t able to see the forest through the trees before, perhaps it’s true that really I’m not seeing the forest now, but I have an altogether different vision, something quite remarkable.
At this particular spot, I’m reminded of one, perhaps, notable difference between our story of St. Athanasius and the three men at the sea and that English saying. Implied in the saying is the idea that there is some separation between the forest and its trees. But what is found in the spiritual life is that the details of life and the vision of true life are bound up one with the other.
The human person, when it reaches the heights of divine vision, of transfiguration, as had those three monks in the saying, does not abandon the doctrines of the Church, the teachings, the ascetical principles of the Christian life. It is not that one chooses forest or trees, but that one finds their intimate interconnection. The vision of God is bound up on in, not other than, the doctrine that enables it in human life.
Through the prayers of our Holy Father, St. Athanasius of Alexandria, and of all the Saints, have mercy on us, O God, and save us. Amen.
"Thank you very much for your tremendous efforts in delivering the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in such a fruitful compilation of podcasts. I am an Orthodox Christian from the Kuwait Parish. Learning from Ancient Faith Radio has elevated my input into our church. On the personal level, you brought me closer to our Lord. I now understand how to live my daily life as an Orthodox Christian." | <urn:uuid:938b7d62-4ad3-4b4f-9df0-82449851550b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/holyfathers/a_forest_climb_for_st_athanasius_and_the_three_monks | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974512 | 2,349 | 1.773438 | 2 |
As the west tightens sanctions and ratchets up pressure on Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has struck back at the United States in an unusual manner by touring through Latin America. This week, the Iranian leader was in Venezuela where he received political support from Hugo Chávez [for a complete rundown of the Chávez-Iranian relationship, see my previous article here] and yesterday Ahmadinejad moved on to Nicaragua where he attended the inauguration of Daniel Ortega, a Sandinista hero of the 1979 revolution who was recently reelected to a third presidential term.
The agreeable reception from Chávez and Ortega comes at a welcome time for Ahmadinejad, whose country has become increasingly isolated diplomatically. Needless to say, however, the U.S. has not been amused by such geopolitical theater. Last week, the Obama administration remarked that Ahmadinejad's trip was a sign of desperation. The tour, remarked the State Department, signified that Iran was "flailing" for new friends as sanctions inflict real economic damage on the Islamic Republic. "We are making absolutely clear to countries around the world that now is not the time to be deepening ties, not security ties, not economic ties, with Iran," warned State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
Sounding the Alarm Bell over Ahmadinejad
As part of its charm offensive in Latin America, Iran has opened an embassy in Nicaragua and says it will invest $1 billion in agriculture projects in addition to building a deep water port in the small Central American nation. In addition, the Islamic Republic will grant a loan for a hydroelectric plant. Nicaragua belongs to Chávez's left-leaning ALBA alliance in Latin America, and currently Iran enjoys "observer status" in the group. In Teheran recently, ALBA member states set up a trade exhibition of their products and Ahmadinejad no less showed up to the event. Thankful for Iran's largesse, ALBA nations have responded in kind by defending Iran's right to pursue an ostensibly peaceful nuclear program.
Predictably, Republican lawmakers have sounded the alarm bell about Ahmadinejad's trip to Central America, a region which the U.S. likes to call its own "backyard." Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has remarked that Ahmadinejad is conducting a "tour of tyrants" which demonstrates Iran's expanding interest in Latin America. "Ahmadinejad's desire to strengthen ties with anti-American dictators and expand Iranian influence in the Western Hemisphere directly threatens U.S. security interests," she remarked, adding "This is a threat which we cannot ignore." Ros-Lehtinen has pledged to hold hearings on the matter to discuss what Obama is doing to counteract Iranian influence in the Western Hemisphere.
From Bolaños to Ortega
Judging from secret State Department cables recently released by whistle-blowing outfit WikiLeaks, the situation in Central America was quite different just a few short years ago and the U.S. had a willing diplomatic partner in the conservative government of Enrique Bolaños. In 2006, the Nicaraguan Foreign Minister told the American ambassador in Managua that he was "personally horrified" at the prospect of Iran becoming a nuclear power, adding that he would not support Iran's bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.
With Ortega's second reelection in late 2006, however, alarm bells started to go off at the U.S. Embassy. Writing Washington, U.S. Ambassador Paul Trivelli noted that while Ortega "needs us much more than we need him," and the new Nicaraguan leader relied on U.S. assistance programs and much-needed foreign investment, nevertheless the Sandinista might strike a more independent foreign policy toward Iran. While predecessor Bolaños had worked closely with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, Ortega struck a number of economic agreements with Ahmadinejad.
Turning up the heat, Trivelli met with Ortega's new Finance Minister to declare that "U.S. investors had begun questioning what sort of economic model the new government plans to pursue." Defensively, the Nicaraguans countered that they would be willing to work with the IMF and World Bank, but the "overriding objective of the Ortega administration is to reduce poverty."
In a testy follow up meeting with U.S. diplomats, the new President of Nicaragua's Central Bank reassured Trivelli that his country would "pursue prudent macroeconomic policy as a way of sending the right signals to investors." Recent economic agreements with Iran, the Nicaraguan noted, weren't a reflection of Sandinista foreign policy but rather represented "an acknowledgment that Nicaragua depends upon the largesse" of the Islamic Republic for oil.
Turning up the Pressure
The Sandinistas continued to adopt a defensive posture with the Americans. In early 2007, officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Managua asserted that Ortega wanted constructive relations with the U.S., but "some Sandinista party hardliners object." To be sure, Ortega sought a "sovereign foreign policy," but Nicaragua differed with Iran over the Holocaust and had made its position known at the United Nations no less. Trivelli was apparently unconvinced by such sincere arguments, however, and later joined with Spanish and German diplomats to express displeasure over "Ortega's contradictory statements and actions regarding foreign affairs."
At a private breakfast with Nicaraguan officials, the U.S. ambassador remarked that Ortega's efforts to "engage pariah regimes such as Iran raise questions about the new government's commitment to maintain an open democracy and friendly relations with all." The breakfast, Trivelli noted, served to put the Nicaraguans on notice that "we and other embassies are monitoring investor relations closely, a message they can use to push back against party radicals urging Ortega to strengthen alliances with Venezuela and Iran."
Lingering Suspicions over Financial Transactions
The cables suggest that the Americans lacked hard evidence about Iranian intentions, but were still paranoid that Ortega would branch out and conduct a more independent foreign policy. While the Embassy lacked reports of "suspicious transactions involving Iran from any of Nicaragua's financial institutions," Trivelli pledged to revisit the question "if Iran steps up its presence in Nicaragua."
What really seems to have concerned Trivelli and his peers was the possibility that Iran might displace U.S. financial influence in Nicaragua. The ambassador remarked that U.S. financial institutions Citibank and GE Financial maintained a controlling interest in two of Nicaragua's top four banks, and an American owned a controlling interest in a third. HSBC meanwhile had recently purchased another bank with operations in Nicaragua.
Shortly after being reelected, however Ortega made disturbing comments contrasting Iranian promises of "unconditional" assistance with the targeted projects of western donors. In an effort to head off Ahmadinejad, U.S. officials warned Nicaragua not to do any business with Iranian financial entities. While the Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledged to pass U.S. concerns on to Ortega, other officials were not as amenable to U.S. entreaties. According to the cables, one "stalwart" Sandinista official at the Ministry of Finance argued that the issue of Iranian finances was "not relevant to his institution."
The documents suggest that Ortega became more and more combative toward the U.S. over Iran and relations became testy. In 2009, the Nicaraguans said "the region was losing patience with the Obama administration" and expected the U.S. to move faster to change development policies and increase aid to the region. Defiantly, Ortega asserted the right of Nicaragua to develop relations "with whomever we want" as a sovereign country. One Nicaraguan official railed that "we don't accept the imperialism of the U.S. to say who is good and who is bad," and Nicaragua would continue to pursue deeper relations with Iran regardless of the U.S. position.
All Revolutions are Not Created Equal
In making overtures toward Nicaragua, Iran has sought to play up the Islamic Republic's revolutionary tradition. In 2007, Mohammed Roohi Sefat, the Iranian Ambassador to Mexico, conducted a revealing interview with a Salvadoran paper about Ahmadinejad's intentions in Central America. "The Iranian revolution," Sefat remarked, "took place the same year of the victory of the Sandinistas." Sefat's remarks echo those of Ahmadinejad, who remarked in Nicaragua that the two countries were joined by a "common enemy."
To be sure, Iran and Nicaragua both staged anti-U.S. revolutions in 1979. However, aside from this common history the two countries share very little in common and I suspect that the alliance will not prove very enduring. If the Arab Spring should pick up steam and spread to Iran, then more moderate elements might take power. Mir-Hossein Moussavi, Ahmadinejad's rival in Iran's previously marred presidential election, said that Ahmadinejad's foreign policy moves had "isolated" and "disgraced" Iranians in the international arena. "Instead of investing in Iran's neighboring countries, the government has fixed eyes and poured money into Latin American states," Mousavi quipped. "The President has obviously failed to get his priorities right."
Nevertheless, as Ahmadinejad continues his tour in Nicaragua and elsewhere, we can probably expect the usual saber rattling from U.S. officials and the mainstream media making the case that Iran represents a true threat to the hemisphere. The bottom line, however, is this: though U.S. diplomats would like to make alarmist claims about Iran's footprint in Central America, the evidence is pretty thin thus far. That won't stop hyperbolic statements from the Republicans and others, however, who still regard Nicaragua as a virtual U.S. enclave.
Nikolas Kozloff is the author of Revolution! South America and the Rise of the New Left. | <urn:uuid:56e58932-3341-4693-a791-61b6e1efcc90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nikolas-kozloff/ahmadinejad-in-managua-wi_b_1199866.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957698 | 2,089 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Perhaps it's relevant that Field also sees global warming as a good thing. Field is listed on the Global Warming Petition Project calling for the U.S. to reject international global warming agreements, while claiming there is “no convincing evidence” that manmade greenhouse gases will disrupt the earth’s climate. On the contrary, the petition cites “substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the earth.”
Field’s support of this global warming refutation was reported in Metroland by Robert H. Boyle, a journalist and activist who criticized Field and his agency for being an industry booster. The article, Field of Distortions, was co-authored by Bruce Ferguson. Given that it lacked comment from Field, I was curious to hear directly from the man who heads the agency that will be in charge of permitting and enforcing shale gas development in New York. I had spoken with Field when I was a reporter for the Press & Sun Bulletin in 2010. At that time, he was defending his agency against assertions by Walter Hang, an activist and head of Toxic Targeting, a firm specializing in documenting pollution. Hang uncovered hundreds of unresolved cases of spills and accidents related to drilling in New York state, contrary to the Mineral Resources Divison’s claim that the state’s record was characterized by “a lack of contamination events” from natural gas development. (More on that further down…) Field, however, is no longer talking to the media, as far as I can tell, and this week he declined an interview with me. I learned from Emily DeSantis, the DEC spokeswoman speaking on Field’s behalf, that “If Mr. Field did sign such a petition, it was in a personal capacity and had no bearings on his professional duties.”
Many will argue, to the contrary, that certain flags go up when a public official who plays a critical role in developing policy on the future of petroleum extraction embraces an ideologically loaded position such as global warming denial. Questions about Field’s pro-industry stance on global warming come as the DEC faces accusations from environmental activists that the agency gave the natural gas industry exclusive and unfair access to draft drilling regulations up to six weeks before they were released to the public or to any other stakeholders. Gas industry representatives purportedly took advantage of this inside information by lobbying to minimize reporting requirements designed to regulate toxic and radioactive runoff from drilling sites. These allegations and other issues will be the focus of a Senate Democratic Conference forum July 18 in New York City, spearheaded by Senator Tony Avella and other elected officials calling for stricter scrutiny of the DEC’s relationship with the oil and gas industry.
So is Bradley J. Field -- the person in charge of overseeing and enforcing a new and unprecedented era of on-shore drilling in New York State -- a climate change denier? And if so, how much does this matter? I asked DeSantis to ask Field directly if he signed the Global Warming Petition Project in a “personal capacity” as to clear the air. “I did,” she replied: “He does not recall.”
Which brings us to why this matters. The response is exactly the kind of equivocation that has characterized Field’s approach to handling the debate over the merits and risks of shale gas development from the beginning. The agency’s position of record, articulated by Field’s staff at public meetings held throughout the state in the advent of the shale gas development in 2008, is neatly summarized in the following memo to Tom Wilinsky, a resident of Sullivan County. Wilinsky wrote to the department, inquiring about necessary steps to ensure that fracking is done safely. This was in May, 2008, long before any policy had been developed or even proposed to handle shale gas development. Wilinsky received this reply:
Oil and Gas development has been taking place in our state since the 1800s. Laws and regulations have been in place to regulate the industry so that property ground water resources are protected. Casing programs are designed to isolate the shallow drinking water from the deeper formations that may be fraced [sic]. The Marcellus Shale is approximately 6,000 feet in Sullivan County, over one mile deeper than drinking water zones. Industry has used horizontal well drilling in New York since the late 1980s. Hydraulic fracturing has been commonly and safely used in New York state for decades. Marcellus Shale fracing operations use fresh water, sand, nitrogen and a diluted soapy solution to fracture the shale. These frac [sic] fluids do not contain benzene, toluene or xylene … The industry is regulated, and the lack of contamination events is evidence that the laws and rules are effectively protecting the environment.The memo echoes reassurances made by longtime Mineral Resources staffers Jack Dahl and Linda Colhart (documented in pages 64-67 of Under the Surface, Fracking, Fortunes and the Fate of the Marcellus Shale) at town forums when residents were first learning they were sitting over one of the largest natural gas fields in the world, and companies were ready to pay big money for the rights to develop it. The prevailing message -- don’t worry, we have it covered -- raises the question: Is this a sufficient level of vigilance from an agency responsible for overseeing the world’s most powerful industry, setting up shop on millions of acres of other people’s land, and exempt from federal and state disclosure and hazardous waste laws?
Contrary to Field’s reassurances, we now know operators have never used fracking with horizontal drilling in New York state, nor have they ever developed shale gas reserves in New York state; fracking employs hundreds of toxic and caustic agents; cement casings fail at least 6 percent of the time and more as they age. Many of these revelations came to light in the public critique of a review of the environmental impacts of shale gas development ordered by Governor David Paterson in 2008. The 1,500-page document, called the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS), gives an assessment of environmental risks (mandated by the governor’s order) of high volume hydraulic fracking that was absent in earlier public presentations by Mineral Resources staff. These risks include depletion of water resources, water pollution from spills, and hazards related to methane migration – caused when drilling opens new pathways for natural gas to move through the ground into enclosed spaces and water wells. Permitting guidelines will be based on this review, which fell by natural selection to the DEC’s Mineral Resources Division. The SGEIS is now under its third draft after a series of intensive public hearings drew more than 70,000 comments critiquing earlier versions that were generally praised by the industry but deemed too weak by critics. The next and final version of the document is expected this summer.
It’s true that New York state operators have used fracking to develop conventional wells – a minor undertaking in terms of scope and impact compared to shale gas development. But even here there are all sorts of inconsistencies between the Mineral Resources Division’s position and the record. There are instances where conventional drilling has caused water pollution, but these are obscured by lack of reporting requirements and enforcement. When claims of water contamination are reported, the DEC Mineral Resources Division, the lead investigative agency, often leaves it up to the industry to settle with property owners who face a high burden of proof and experienced industry legal teams. Such was the case with Dave Eddy, who lived with his wife and two small children in Allegany County, near a non-Marcellus drilling operation by U.S. Energy Development Corporation. When workers began fracking the well in 2009, the Eddy’s bath faucet, which at the time was filling the tub for the kids, produced a foamy, chocolate-brown stream. Testing by the company found the well was polluted with petroleum, according to a letter to the DEC from Jerry Jones, operations manager at U.S. Energy. The company subsequently installed a filter on the home, put the family up in a hotel and offered compensation for the pollution, the letter states. It was the beginning of a protracted and frustrating legal battle with the company.
Some of these cases were picked up by local health officials frustrated with the DEC’s denial of problems. As previously reported in this blog, William T. Boria, a water resources specialist at the Chautauqua County Health Department, tracked more than 140 complaints related to water pollution or gas migration associated with a boom in nearby conventional drilling operations (prior to shale gas development). In a 2004 memo summarizing the issue, he concluded “Those complaints that were recorded are probably just a fraction of the actual problems that occurred.” County health officials tabulated information on 53 of the cases from 1983 to 2008 on a spreadsheet, including methane migration, brine pollution, and at least one in which a home had to be evacuated after the water well exploded. “A representative I spoke with from the Division of Minerals (of the DEC) insists that the potential for drinking water contamination by oil and gas drilling is almost non-existent,” Boria wrote in his memo to a party whose name was redacted. “However, this department has investigated numerous complaints of potential contamination problems resulting from oil and gas drilling.”
The lack of accountability has caused nagging public relations problems for the industry and those who oversee it, not just in New York. Tom Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor, national homeland security director, and paid industry spokesman, told AP reporter Michael Rubinkam last year that energy companies need to do a better job reassuring citizens that they take environmental protection seriously, in Ridge’s words “…. to be concerned about their public image and … to understand what they need to do to improve it."
This very issue came up last week in a post by blogger Andrew Revkin, of New York Times Dot Earth. The post featured the perspective of Auden Schendler, who is vice president of sustainability at the Aspen Skiing Company and author of Getting Green Done: Hard Truths from the Front Lines of the Sustainability Revolution. In Revkin’s post, Schendler reported on many things – namely a project to capture methane waste from a coalmine to power the ski resort. But he had this to say about fracking.
I was at a conference of oil and gas folks, and they said something interesting: “When people started talking about fracking affecting groundwater, we just laughed it off because it’s physically impossible and absurd. And that was a mistake–what happened is that we lost control of the message. We should have said: ‘there are lots of concerns related to the fracking process, air quality, water use, and other issues, and we need to take those seriously. Here’s how..’”
So when will the industry regain control of the message? The discussion now seems stuck on something people like to refer as “nonpartisan science” – which more often than not when used by industry and politicians is code for scientific analysis that supports certain views over others. The fracking debate has become loaded with this kind of science, a fact that shows us, perhaps more than anything, that shale gas development has not been around long enough to generate much in the way of a conclusive body of knowledge and scientific consensus regarding its long-term health and environmental impacts. (Here for example, are opposing studies regarding the global warming effects of shale gas development, one by Robert Howarth and one by Lawrence M. Cathles.) These early studies, in truth, mark the beginning of a long and necessary scientific inquiry. In the meantime, it’s way too early for people to begin closing their minds.
So is Bradley Field, the petroleum engineer and drilling proponent who can’t remember if he is a climate change denier; the holder of a singularly influential position to determine the outcome of shale gas development in New York state as the issuer of permits and the overseer of regulations -- Is this Bradley Field nonpartisan? It’s a relevant question. Elected officials come and go. (Field has already served under five governors.) The policy being derived under Field’s long and unchallenged tenure with the DEC will be enduring.
Correction: The original version of this post inoorrectly cited authorship of the Metroland article, Field of Distortions, to William Boyle. | <urn:uuid:7117f5c7-a1b5-4cc1-a2b0-ac177d073fd9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tomwilber.blogspot.com/2012/07/is-decs-top-regulator-too-close-to-big.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9628 | 2,573 | 1.796875 | 2 |
While many motorcycle enthusiasts will react poorly to the idea of using a trailer to transport their bikes to and from riding destinations, there is actually some merit in doing so. The motorcycle accessory can give riders the ability to bring their sport bikes to all sorts of locations that would be difficult to get to on two-wheels. For example, a trailer can give a rider the option of bringing their bike along for solo drives on a family trip.
“It used to be that most people only bought a trailer to take their bike in for repairs,” explained Frank Esposito, the president of bike trailer manufacturer Kendon Industries. “Now the perception is growing that a trailer can provide a new dimension to their motorcycling experience as it increases the opportunity for adventure.”
Not only does a trailer expand the possibilities for riding, it also cuts down on unnecessary wear and tear on motorcycle tires and parts. If riders transport their bikes in trailers, this reduces the risk of something going wrong with the bike on the way to the riding destination, and it creates extra storage space for motorcycle riding gear. | <urn:uuid:4ec2a648-1739-4ea0-a942-0f75504f8fa4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.twowheelmania.com/2011/11/04/tech-tips-advantages-of-motorcycle-trailers-for-regular-transportation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967697 | 224 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Check our catalog for: The Girl Who Fell from the Sky
This debut novel tells the story of Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I. who becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy. With her strict African American grandmother as her new guardian, Rachel moves to a mostly black community, where her light brown skin, blue eyes, and beauty bring mixed attention her way. Growing up in the 1980s, she learns to swallow her overwhelming grief and confronts her identity as a biracial young woman in a world that wants to see her as either black or white. In the tradition of Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, here is a portrait of a young girl - and society's ideas of race, class, and beauty. | <urn:uuid:6d5d626e-2cf7-48e7-8532-2ac781f0f93a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.waterford.lib.mi.us/print/878 | 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 | 0.956811 | 161 | 1.773438 | 2 |
For a complete history of SLAGA, download the Microsoft Word document, called SLAGAHistory.doc (2 MB) or view the article online at SLAGA History
SLAGA stands for the St. Louis Area Geocachers Association. The purpose of SLAGA is to enhance the geocaching experience for people in the St. Louis area. This is done through the organization of picnics, group cache hunts, lunches, membership training and training of the general public.
Over time, SLAGA has become the driving force behind maintaining a positive relationship between the group and land managers who are responsible for city, county and state parks in Missouri and Illinois. SLAGA is often asked to help educate children and adults on the use of GPS receivers and how to increase their enjoyment of the hobby of geocaching.
SLAGA was loosely formed in 2001 by a group of geocachers in the St. Louis area. Every year officers are elected to help direct the purpose of SLAGA and facilitate the calendar of events. In 2007, SLAGA obtained its 501(c)(7) recreational organizations non-profit status.
Membership to SLAGA is free. However, to help the group pay for administrative expenses, event supplies and web hosting fees - donations are welcome. We also have a once-per-year payment plan called 'Premium Dues', which is a nominal fee to help defray organization expenses. There are perks to becoming a Premium Member.
This web site is a central point of information regarding upcoming SLAGA events. You can get access to multi-media files (audio, still images, videos) that document past events. This is where you find out about the activities and milestone of our members, as well as sign up to become a member. We present general news stories, useful information and internet links related to the geocaching hobby.
Here is a list of activities the SLAGA organization has participated in over the years to promote geocaching and educate the public.
Last Updated (Thursday, 02 June 2011 13:59) | <urn:uuid:c1f388de-92b1-423e-bf55-21f4b4ec8037> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geostl.com/joomla15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946225 | 431 | 1.546875 | 2 |
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Charles Ives is a significant American composer known for a number of innovations that anticipated most of the later musical developments of the 20th century.
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Born in Danbury, Connecticut, on October 20, 1874, Charles Ives was a significant American composer known for a number of innovations that anticipated most of the later musical developments of the 20th century. His father was a bandleader and was his early teacher. Before attending Yale University, Ives composed "Song for the Harvest Season." He composed almost all of his music before he founded his New York City insurance firm, Ives & Myrick, in 1916. He died on May 19, 1954, in New York City.
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Guest Author: responding to Michael Laws
- Bryan Bruce, Inside Child Poverty
Michael Laws. I don’t really want to start a chain of debate on this man’s opinion about child poverty because I have traversed all he has to say before. Nor do I want to fuel his talk show. But because he has attracted some attention recently on the child poverty issue here are my comments.
Yes there are SOME parents in New Zealand who are not as good as they should be.
Yes there are SOME parents who drink too much or take drugs .
Yes there is also a child abuse problem in New Zealand we need to address which is not the sole province of the poor.
But blaming and finger pointing and ” what parents ought to do” does not help the child who turns up hungry and cold to school.
A child does not get to choose its parents.
It is my view that our community has a responsibility to the well being of ALL of our children . That’s why I want to see healthy school meals in ALL of our schools so that our children enjoy the same right to healthy living that Swedish children get everyday.
I have not published Mr Laws piece or supplied the link to it because it is my policy as the editor of this page that I will not publish anyone who wants to shout ” Bad parent” over the head of a hungry child.
There are many,many parents who ( thanks to the economic decisions made by almost 30 years of Neo-Liberal driven governments) are just finding it very, very tough at the moment.
We need to ring fence our kids in these cruel times – not betray them by turning our backs on their most basic needs and closing their schools.
Yes parents should behave responsibly.
But so should we – they are OUR children, OUR future, OUR responsibility.
Chris Trotter: Not So Great Expectations
Fairfax Media: Inequality is now at its highest level
Fairfax Media: Hungry kids scavenge pig slops
= fs = | <urn:uuid:40b00132-d570-43dd-b943-415fd11988d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/guest-author-responding-to-michael-laws/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970764 | 418 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Mark My Words!
By Mark Hasten with Peter Weisz
I was skeptical when I picked up the autobiography of Mark Hasten, Mark My Words! I had never heard of Hasten—proof, once again, that humility is alive and well. A person can achieve great things without making a big deal out of himself.
Not only was my initial skepticism about Hasten wrong, it was repeatedly wrong, for when I began the book I thought I had an easy handle on him. I thought I had encountered a survivor of World War II, and would read another book in what is by now a well-known and somewhat predictable genre: the Holocaust memoir.
It is certainly true that each survivor’s story is unique, and I never cease to be amazed by the fortitude, suffering and singular miracles manifest in each survivor’s tale. But, taken together, Holocaust memoirs project certain familiar guideposts. The beginning of Hasten’s memoir sets off in that direction and my skepticism said: OK, I’ll take one more World War II memoir for what it is.
How wrong I was.
Virtually each chapter in this book is a radical surprise. I mean, who would have jumped from an escape from the evil powers of World War II to the invention of Pringles? Or, going back even earlier, who would have jumped from World War II to the sinking of the Altalena? Or from a successful career in nursing homes to the abandonment thereof for a career in banking? On another level, who would have expected a jump from a struggling young couple too distracted by the exigencies of putting bread on the table to notice Yom Kippur to building Jewish day schools?
However you slice the life of Mark Hasten, it has touched all the major events of Jewish history in the last seventy years: Holocaust, Israel, fabulous economic growth, religious resurgence. It has touched a wide range of notable figures, from Menachem Begin to the Tosher Rebbe of Montreal to the governor of Indiana.
And these distinctions are not even what make the book great. That kudo is to be attributed to Hasten’s sober, dispassionate, lucid and utterly frank telling of his story and of the stories of the historic actors he has interfaced with. His objectivity spares no one, yet is kind. He has the ability to get inside a topic and see it from the protagonist’s perspective, and simultaneously to evaluate what he sees without blinking. He writes this way not only about others and events, but also about himself and those closest to him.
For example, we get a thorough analysis of the most controversial act at the time of Israel’s independence: the sinking of the Altalena. This was a ship that set sail from France to Palestine, laden with hard-to-gather weapons for the burgeoning Israeli battle with the Arabs for survival. The long and short of the story is that the ship (which arrived shortly after the State of Israel was declared) was sunk by agents of the new Israeli government, under orders from Ben-Gurion, carried out by Yitzhak Rabin.
The government apologists say the ship had to be sunk because it was commandeered by the forces of Menachem Begin, who was trying to sabotage the emergent Israeli government by insisting on an armed force of his own. The Irgun apologists say they had had no such intention, and that Ben-Gurion was insanely paranoid, to the point of endangering the new Israeli State by risking a civil war with Jews who merely wanted to offer weapons to soldiers (albeit ex-Irguniks) in the new Israeli army.
Hasten’s view tends closer to the latter, but he specifically disavows any special authority on the question by virtue of his having been on the Altalena himself. For years afterwards he researched the event. He spoke to the participants. Here is the conclusion that his rational, judicial temperament reached: Technical failures in communication between the vessel’s captain and Ben-Gurion’s people on the Tel Aviv shore signaled a major misreading by each party of the intentions of the other.
That rational temperament of Hasten—plus his incredibly dogged determination—led him to great creativity and many patents. Having left Israel, turned off by what he calls its socialist bent, he practically forced his way into an American university program in mechanical engineering, not even knowing English—not to mention not being able to afford the tuition.
Chapters in his book detail, in a very clear and accessible way, how he put his education to work in inventing the snack foods Bugles and Pringles.
Hasten moved on to nursing homes, a field he subsequently abandoned because he took his job seriously enough to be on call twenty-four hours a day, once even hiring a helicopter to rescue his residents during a storm that left them without electrical power. (On another occasion, he posed incognito as a dishwasher to pinpoint and eliminate operational inefficiencies in his nursing homes.)
He next moved into banking. Somehow, at each step of the way, he advanced his Jewish knowledge and commitment, aided by his wife, Ruth Anna, his children and the energetic Rabbi Ronald Gray, whom the Hastens brought to join them in Indianapolis.
The feeling one gets from this memoir is that Hasten has relished each of these stages, fully able to move to the next part of his life without regrets. One might think that a person who worked so hard to perfect his inventive skills as a mechanical engineer would regret leaving them behind by moving into business. However, Hasten found a way to build upon each of his skill sets as he took on a new challenge.
Indeed, one finishes this memoir stunned by the range of Hasten’s achievements but, even more, by the equanimity, the enthusiasm and the great capacity for objective analysis that generated each of them. Of special note is his objectivity in setting forth the potential problems in working closely with family (in his case, his brother Hart) in business.
Hasten worked locally and nationally, committed to his home city of Indianapolis—both to building a day school there and to serving on gubernatorial commissions to advance standards in his industry—and to Touro College, Herut and other national causes. In 2008, the OU awarded the Hastens its highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Proof, once again, that Hitler’s greatest evil was not in denying the right to life, but in robbing the world of who knows how many contributions in countless fields. Mark Hasten is an exemplary model of what a survivor has accomplished. His book, in its enthusiasm and its dispassion, and in its brilliance at filling in context, is a joy to read.
Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, executive editor of the Intermountain Jewish News, is a contributing editor of Jewish Action and the author of the recently published Hallel Hakohen (Jerusalem, 2008), an unraveling of the elliptical commentary of the Vilna Gaon on the laws of mikvah. | <urn:uuid:ce1939e6-9c1b-4781-b771-a8bc431bcbf6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ou.org/jewish_action/12/2009/mark_my_words/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976725 | 1,475 | 1.75 | 2 |
This American Enterprise “scholar” says diplomatic relations have not worked. No matter, we haven’t spoken to the Iranians since April 7, 1980.
Here’s Muravchick’s tirade:
WE MUST bomb Iran.
It has been four years since that country’s secret nuclear program was brought to light, and the path of diplomacy and sanctions has led nowhere.
First, we agreed to our allies’ requests that we offer Tehran a string of concessions, which it spurned. Then, Britain, France and Germany wanted to impose a batch of extremely weak sanctions. For instance, Iranians known to be involved in nuclear activities would have been barred from foreign travel ‚Äî except for humanitarian or religious reasons ‚Äî and outside countries would have been required to refrain from aiding some, but not all, Iranian nuclear projects.
But even this was too much for the U.N. Security Council. Russia promptly announced that these sanctions were much too strong. “We cannot support measures … aimed at isolating Iran,” declared Foreign Minister Sergei V. Lavrov.
It is now clear that neither Moscow nor Beijing will ever agree to tough sanctions. What’s more, even if they were to do so, it would not stop Iran, which is a country on a mission. As President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad put it: “Thanks to the blood of the martyrs, a new Islamic revolution has arisen…. The era of oppression, hegemonic regimes and tyranny and injustice has reached its end…. The wave of the Islamic revolution will soon reach the entire world.” There is simply no possibility that Iran’s clerical rulers will trade this ecstatic vision for a mess of Western pottage in the form of economic bribes or penalties.
So if sanctions won’t work, what’s left? The overthrow of the current Iranian regime might offer a silver bullet, but with hard-liners firmly in the saddle in Tehran, any such prospect seems even more remote today than it did a decade ago, when students were demonstrating and reformers were ascendant. Meanwhile, the completion of Iran’s bomb grows nearer every day. | <urn:uuid:53e4ef4f-31da-40b9-8e34-1cb9330b724e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/tag/uncategorized-2473/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969314 | 454 | 1.640625 | 2 |
From the WSJ:
Australia’s commodities boom created the $200,000 high-school dropout, theworld’s richest woman, and the least affordable housing market on earth. And it could soon put a dent in the makers of Yellow Tail, the best selling Australian wine in America. From the WSJ’s Caroline Henshaw:
Australia’s largest family-owned winery relies on the U.S. for three-quarters of its sales, but the Australian dollar’s rise against the U.S. dollar has made its products less competitive against wines from rival regions such as California’s Napa Valley and South America.
Casella Wines is looking to shave costs and secure a deal with lender National Australia Bank ahead of an extended Jan. 30 deadline. A failure to secure a new loan could force the company to sell off vineyards or other assets, Chief Executive John Casella told The Wall Street Journal.
Casella recorded a loss of 30 million Australian dollars (US$31.6 million) in the last financial year, down from a A$43.5m profit the year prior.
The Australian dollar has strengthened by about 50% against the U.S. dollar since the beginning of 2009, and that’s a big problem for Casella, which can credit the massive success of its Yellow Tail brand in the U.S. to its sub-$7 price point. There isn’t a lot of room to raise prices on a product best known for its price, and the company says Yellow Tail is still selling like hot cakes — it just isn’t profitable any more. The plan is to wait it out and hope the Aussie dollar returns back to earth.
“Provided we have the support of our financiers, we can make little or no money for a year or two,” Casella’s CEO Joan Casella told the Australian Financial Review. “I’m hopeful the dollar is overvalued and we can return to some normality.”
I also head a story yesterday about the publisher, Lonely Planet, another former tearaway export success. You may know it was bought by the BBC a while back. What you may not know is that since then its operations have been stripped back and sent somewhere cheaper. The Lonely Planet office in Melbourne occupies the old Bradmill office on the Marybyrnong. An elegant illustration of the transformation from protected textiles to an intellectual property driven services industry that is now being crushed by the high dollar.
The longer you leave the former battler where it is, the worse this gets. At some point, perhaps already in the rear vision mirror, there’s nothing left to rebound when the currency finally falls. | <urn:uuid:fd8608c9-c99a-4cf2-a23c-f62901543f35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/01/a-million-yellow-tails-netted-for-slaughter/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949456 | 572 | 1.625 | 2 |
NanoMech, was founded in 2002 and creates advanced engineering materials through patent and patent-pending nano-inspired and nano-manufactured product development. NanoMech is a pioneer in applying breakthrough nano-engineered innovations to robust areas of national interest including machining and manufacturing, lubrication and energy, and strategic military applications. NanoMech brings ideas from innovation to implementation, commercializing nanomanufactured products at record speed in the market. NanoMech is a member of President Obama’s Materials Genome Initiative, a public / private collaboration with the aim of doubling the speed and reducing the cost of discovering, developing, and deploying new advanced materials. NanoMech is also a member of the U.S. Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative (USMCI) and the U.S. Technology Leadership and Strategy Initiative, (www.Compete.org) both based in Washington, DC. | <urn:uuid:68609557-2c0b-4d78-9d8c-688cf4433208> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crunchbase.com/company/nanomech | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950966 | 180 | 1.742188 | 2 |
On Friday two weeks ago, we held our Open Source Love Day for October 2010. This day was special in several ways. We strayed very far from the usual schedule for this day, there were several internal tasks that couldn’t be delayed and we introduced a “fun practice” event. But we eventually produced something valuable this day.
The Open Source Love Day
We introduced a monthly Open Source Love Day (OSLD) to show our appreciation to the Open Source software ecosystem and to donate back. We heavily rely on Open Source software for our projects. We would be honored if you find our contributions useful. Check out our first OSLD blog posting for details on the event itself.
- A regular project needed an urgent cost estimation by the whole team. This was the last opportunity because of an upcoming parental leave to have the team together for a long time.
- Another regular project needed an urgent problem solved. This turned out to be so obscure that one of our developers had to be on-site. You can read about it in this blog entry now.
- We received several shipments of office furniture and computer parts. They had to be checked and placed in.
- We had a fun practice event. We discovered the online “game” typeracer and practiced our raw typing skill against each other for some time. Pro tip for beginners: don’t look at the highscores!
On this OSLD, we accomplished the following tasks:
- A new version 1.8 of the cmakebuilder hudson plugin implements several feature requests. You can now choose to NOT clean your workspace before building and set different paths for the cmake installation for every job or node (hudson slaves). The latter option can be applied using an environment variable.
On this OSLD, we also tried the following tasks:
- We keep an eye on Scala and its associated web framework Lift as a promising technology. One issue with Lift that bugs us is the use of “sun bastard format” properties for internationalization. We tried to teach Lift to accept UTF-8 encoded property files. After a lot of “downloading the internet” (you can always tell which project uses maven by their initial setup delay), we quickly implemented our own ResourceBundle.Control. But the Lift framework itself could not be built: “Error occurred during initialization of VM: Could not reserve enough space for object heap”. We ran out of time and will investigate in this issue on the next OSLD.
- Grails is another web framework we use in projects. There are some bugs that really annoy us, and the OSLD is the perfect time to fix them. One of these bugs is GRAILS-6475, which we tried to reproduce with the latest code base. After writing a test case that would go green unexpectedly, we tried to provoke the error by setting up a sample project. The bug didn’t show up there, too. We left a comment in the issuetracker and ceased development.
What were our lessons learnt today?
- You can’t tear off massive amounts of time from the OSLD and expect it to still be working. An OSLD doesn’t scale down apparently.
- Most issues that can’t be done fail with the project’s build. The build process of a foreign project is the most crucial phase in your decision on commitment. If it fails, your participation in the project is at risk. We’ve seen many brittle, undocumented and incredible complex build processes now. And we can state one thing: It doesn’t stop with throwing maven at a project, you still have to “think the build”.
Retrospective of the OSLD
This OSLD was special in the amount of non-OSLD work done. The remaining efforts weren’t as successful as we wished. This has been an ongoing issue with our OSLD for the last months now and we are looking forward to adapt our workstyle to yield better results in the future. The distraction by typeracer was fun, though. | <urn:uuid:05d062cc-e789-4e84-a47a-b5c9499e1816> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://schneide.wordpress.com/tag/osld/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953414 | 854 | 1.640625 | 2 |
A number of area schools are wondering if the second round of increased influenza-like illness (ILI) is coming their way in the near future as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports "high activity" in 29 states, including Minnesota.
While widespread throughout the state, ILI is not yet spreading at an alarming rate within many of the area school districts. Lakeview and Tracy Area Public School districts both saw a spike in the number of ILI around the start of Christmas break, which for most area schools, was on or just after Dec. 21.
"We were hit a little harder before Christmas break," TAPS nurse Mary Carter said. "I'm sure there's flu in the area, and we're still having calls come in that tell us a lab has confirmed influenza, but we're not seeing real high absence records."
Lakeview Superintendent Chris Fenske said he also saw a similar pattern in his district a few weeks back.
"I believe we had around 15 percent of our kids sick on the 21st of December," he said. "There were 47 districts that reported outbreaks the day before, so it was probably a good time for vacation."
According to Weekly Influenza & Respiratory Activity reports, ILI in Minnesota schools is arriving more abruptly and much earlier than the last two years. The number of school outbreaks surged from zero to more than 50 from Week 48 to Week 50 in the year. By the end the December, that number dramatically fell to below 10.
"Influenza, in my experience over the years, is unpredictable for the most part," said Kim Jeppesen, state Department of Health regional epidemiologist. "For so many years, we've kind of been lulled into thinking that it doesn't hit until late February, but we know that the flu season can hit basically around Thanksgiving time to St. Patrick's Day."
During the 2011-12 flu season, school outbreak numbers were fewer than 10 at any given time and were, for the majority of the time, flatlined at zero. Two years ago, the only significant outbreak occurred gradually, from Week 3 to Week 6, where it hit its peak of 30 school outbreaks before gradually declining.
"It's unpredictable on how it will play out," Jeppesen said. "We can't predict where it'll hit or how hard it'll hit. We're seeing some school outbreaks, but it's not as bad as they have been in other years. But it is still early."
Since the start of the 2012-13 season, 138 outbreaks of ILI in schools have been reported, including five this past week (Week 1, Dec. 30, 2012-Jan. 5, 2013).
"It does seem to be earlier than the true influenza season, but it can be anywhere from October to March or April," Marshall Public School lead nurse Deb Herrmann said. "The peak is February or March, but we're taught to be ready for it anytime."
Herrmann said the Marshall district has not seen big numbers yet, and she's hoping that they won't for the remainder of the flu season.
"We're doing quite well in this school now," she said. "There's not too much of an influx of influenza. We have more stuff with the gastrointestinal things. But you just don't know if you're in a pocket that is still going to be hit yet."
As of this past Wednesday, Herrmann said, there were confirmed influenza cases at three of the Marshall buildings.
"Park Side, Marshall Middle School and Marshall High School each had two confirmed," Herrmann said. "But really, we're seeing more gastrointestinal things like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and headaches. We're not seeing much upper respiratory issues like coughs and not a lot of temperatures."
Fenske also reported that while he's not seeing extremely high numbers of ILI, there is still a variety of things going on at Lakeview Public School.
"We have some kids home with flu-like symptoms, like cough, congestion, those kinds of things," he said. "But nothing like the Friday before Christmas break."
Carter reported that since the virus always changes, it's not always easy to distinguish what you're dealing with.
"We have sick kids, which we do all winter long," she said. "But our absent numbers are not quite as bad as before Christmas when we had kids out with a stomach virus and flu-like symptoms. I hope that was our peak, but you never know. Right now, we're seeing a mixed bag of things."
With influenza cases rapidly spreading throughout the state, preventative measures become an important topic of discussion in school environments. Herrmann pointed out that she's hoping that people recognize the signs of influenza and keep their children home, which is the biggest key, she said.
"Don't send them to activities or to school if they have a temperature over 100 degrees, have a cough or sore throat and they need to medicate," Herrmann said. "A student should be temperature-free for 24 hours without being medicated before they come back to school. When we have kids coming to school when they're not supposed to, they end up spreading it to all the healthy kids."
This past weekend, Herrmann said she was impressed to hear that a number of dance teams kept their student athletes home because of illnesses.
"I talked to organizers who said a couple of teams canceled because they had too many kids on the team who were sick," she said. "It's unfortunate to the kids who like to compete, but I'd rather have them keep kids home and get them better than to risk spreading it around more."
A temperature, Herrmann said, is a sign that something is going on inside one's body.
"People shouldn't just medicate and then send their kids to school," she said. "Their body is still fighting something. The child should be in bed, sleeping and recovering."
Like other area school nurses, Herrmann tracks illnesses and encourages parents to communicate with schools when their child is sick. She also keeps in touch with area medical providers. Hearing news of two Minnesota teenagers dying of the flu this season definitely hits home, she said, even though there's no real evidence to suggest that teens are more susceptible to this year's virus.
"The flu can basically kill anybody," Jeppesen said. "It's not that unusual, but when we have children dying, it kind of pops up and we take notice. We don't like to see them die for any reason."
Carter said there have been some reports of students with high fever, aches and cough, which are sometimes accompanied by headaches and a runny nose. But when people get influenza, she said, they're really sick.
"We know it's in the area," she said. "If you have it, you should rest, stay home from work or school, drink lots of fluids and take ibuprofen or Tylenol. If you're short of breath or have concerns, call your doctor. Otherwise, basically stay home and take care of yourself."
There are also a number of other ways to help prevent the spread of germs, the educators said.
"We're really encouraging handwashing," Fenske said. "We have hand sanitizers in classrooms, in computer labs and in lunch lines."
Along with handwashing, Herrmann also suggested coughing into a sleeve, getting lots of rest and drinking plenty of fluids.
"We try to be very vigilant," she said.
Herrmann and Carter are also hoping that the higher-than-normal number of students who received flu shots this year, beginning at the end of September and early part of October, will also help deter any outbreaks in the future. Both licensed nurses felt that this year's flu shot was a good match to the virus.
"We had quite a few kids who got flu shots this year," Carter said. "Public Health worked with schools to get shots to the kids. In Tracy, it was run through our local clinic, Sanford Tracy."
To accommodate students, Carter said, extra hours were even offered through the clinic.
"I think a fair number did participate," she said. "I heard quite a few parents and students talking about taking advantage of it."
Marshall partnered with ACMC and Southwest Health and Human Services Public Health Division to offer flu shots to students in the district.
"They came into the schools, and if a student had a signed parent permission sheet, they could get it right at the school," Herrmann said. "That might have helped us be where we're at now because we had pretty good participation in that."
The same flu-shot process has been done successfully for the past four or five years, Herrmann said, though there's always room for improvement.
"I think parents are appreciative of the service," she said. "If the family had insurance, it was billed to their insurance. If not, then the clinic took care of it or gave a discounted rate. It was a fairly good turnout, but I would like to see it even higher."
Jeppesen said it wasn't too late to still get a flu shot this season, though it takes approximately 10 days for the vaccine to kick in and for your body to start building antibodies. | <urn:uuid:2e2b6581-99ea-4473-842b-2bae92344d4e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/537924/Area-schools-remain-vigilant-against-the-flu.html?nav=5015 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986675 | 1,942 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Choosing a Training Path:
Physician Scientist Training Programs
These are usually programs that combine residency and research training. The motivation to do research and the choice of a research topic is often influenced by the clinical training. This type of program presents the opportunity for clinical training to drive research training. You may be able to apply elective time in your clinical component toward completing a graduate degree. It is important, however, that you have adequate time for high quality clinical training and that the research component provides a solid experience with outcomes including first authored high quality papers. The National Institutes of Health, and National Cancer Institute in particular, have developed special grants for physician scientist training programs. For more information, see www.nih.gov. For information about residency and fellowship training programs in Pathology and/or Laboratory Medicine, see www.pathologytraining.org. | <urn:uuid:1f1d760a-651d-4abf-b61f-106e9183d904> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.asip.org/CareerPath/PSTrainingPrograms.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94007 | 172 | 1.679688 | 2 |
ATLANTA -- Over the next few weeks, you'll be hearing from all sorts of politicians and advocates about how you should or shouldn't vote on the upcoming transportation referendum. The vote happens on July 31st, and early voting has already started.
The 1% tax will fund billions of dollars worth of transportation projects over the next 10 years. Proponents of the tax say we're already paying hundreds of dollars every year in lost time and gas money by sitting in traffic. Opponents say the list is bloated with pet local projects that won't help the larger economy.
Here's the full list of the 157 T-SPLOST projects, so you can see if any of them would actually help your commute. Click on any of the colored lines to see the purpose and cost of each project. | <urn:uuid:1af58954-1771-4ee6-a2d1-52e851938b6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://host-53.242.54.159.gannett.com/news/article/248440/39/T-SPLOST-full-project-list | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963977 | 162 | 1.648438 | 2 |
The New York Times reports today on the trend to drug test welfare recipients, and notes that since July, 7,030 passed, 32 failed and 1,597 did not provide results, according to the state records. The tests have had a net cost to the state but the state has also seen a decline in the number of applicants appears.
Derek Newton of the ACLU calls it a ".4% fail rate." From his statement: "Based on the NYT estimate "that the average temporary assistance applicant receives $253 monthly for less than five months, the state has saved $40,480 in denied benefits due to drug testing. With an average test cost of about $35, the state reimbursed $246,050 for the tests of those who passed. The net loss to the state of $200,000 since July does not include substantial administrative or legal costs.
Since the state requires applicants to pay for tests in advance and testing facilities are not available in every community, it’s impossible to know how many of the 1,597 applicants who did not take the test would have passed or failed or would have lost eligibility otherwise. There are at least 13 reasons other than fear of failure why someone who is eligible for temporary assistance may not complete a drug test." | <urn:uuid:2e6e2e5c-4dd2-4380-8fa7-eeb376ef2a6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2011/10/drug-testing-of-welfare-applicants-is-costing-state-money-but-applications-drop.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975478 | 256 | 1.835938 | 2 |
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