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In Gale v. First Franklin Loan Services (--- F.3d ----, C.A.9 (Nev.), July 12, 2012), the United States Court of Appeals considered whether the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”) required a loan servicer, that is also the original creditor, to respond to a borrower’s request for information about the current owner of the obligation. The court ruled that TILA requires only servicers that are assignees, and not original creditors, to provide that information.
In 2006, Richard Gale (“Gale”) refinanced his home in Las Vegas with First Franklin Loan Services (“Franklin”). Franklin was both the creditor and servicer for the loan. The deed of trust designated Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (“MERS”) as the trust beneficiary. Facing financial difficulties, Gale stopped making payments on his loan in 2008. In June 2008, Gale sent a letter to Franklin explaining his circumstances and discussing possible ways to avoid foreclosure. To ensure he was reaching the right audience, Gale also asked Franklin to provide the name and address of the true owner of the obligation or holder of his promissory note. Gale did not receive a response from Franklin and wrote again in August 2008, receiving no response. By 2008, Cal-Western Reconveyance Corporation (“Cal-Western”) had been substituted as trustee on Gale’s deed of trust. Cal-Western recorded a Notice of Trustee’s Sale of Gale’s home.
Gale filed suit against all of the financial institutions involved, seeking injunctive relief against foreclosure. Gale alleged federal violations of TILA for the failure of Franklin to respond to his correspondence, and wrongful foreclosure and breach of fiduciary duty under Nevada law. The district court dismissed both Gale’s federal and state claims. Gale appealed.
The court reviewed 15 U.S.C. § 1641(f)(2), the language of TILA that Gale alleged Franklin violated: “Upon written request by the obligor, the servicer shall provide the obligor, to the best knowledge of the servicer, with the name, address, and telephone number of the owner of his obligation or the master servicer of the obligation.”
The court found that the language, viewed alone, could reasonably be construed to mean that Franklin was required to respond to Gale. However, a broader analysis of § 1641 reveals that the section is intended to apply to the duties of entities who are purchasers or assignees of mortgages, not original creditors. Construed in that broader context, the court said, “liability for failing to respond attaches only to those servicers who are also assignees of the loan.” Because Franklin was not an assignee of the loan, but rather the original creditor, it cannot be held liable for failing to respond, the court ruled. “It would be anomalous for Congress to randomly impose a duty on servicers in general in a section otherwise completely devoted to describing the duties of assignees,” the court said. The district court therefore correctly dismissed Gale’s TILA claims.
Although Gale’s federal claims were dismissed, his state claims of wrongful foreclosure and breach of fiduciary duty had been “refined on appeal.” The court determined that the district court should consider whether Gale’s claims warrant further consideration in state court.
The district court’s judgment was therefore affirmed in part, vacated in part, and remanded. The dismissal of Gale’s TILA claims was reversed but the dismissal of his state claims was vacated and remanded.
If you have any questions concerning the content of this Legal Alert, please contact the following from our office, or the attorney with whom you normally consult.
Bruce A. Scheidt or Amara Harrell | 916.321.4500 | <urn:uuid:983225cc-66a2-4ec2-aa1d-dc383dd9af57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/loan-servicer-that-is-also-the-original-77670/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958262 | 813 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Work collaboratively to find easier, more accurate and better ways to model, predict and verify a home's energy consumption.
Latest Activity: Mar 18
I'm trying to figure out %age of energy savings from a variety of upgrades in a 10,000 sf building that has had deferred maintenance and a disfunctional heating system.I'm using Energy Pro software…Continue
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This discussion forum is to attempt to answer Steve's question regarding better ways to model domestic hot water systems. Here is his question. "Things appear rather quiet over here in Building…Continue
Started by James White. Last reply by Steve Waclo Nov 24, 2010. | <urn:uuid:dddb6639-ed8e-454e-bc9f-e75adf88b6f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/group/buildingsimulations?xg_source=activity | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940417 | 201 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Barco’s Nightingales Foundation
Barco’s Nightingales Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Barco’s Uniforms,
producer of medical and other uniforms. Focused on helping children in need
while highlighting the role that nurses play in providing medical care, Barco’s
Nightingales Foundation has helped provide 1,600 surgeries for
children around the world. In 2009, as Barco’s Uniforms celebrated 80 years
of business, they generously sponsored 80 surgeries to commemorate this
Johnson & Johnson
The Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies provides ReSurge with thousands
of dollars worth of medical supplies and equipment, which means that
more of our precious financial resources can be dedicated to providing life-changing
surgeries for children in need. They also have provided funding to
help increase the surgical capacity in developing countries.
Loupes Around the World
In 2007, Loupes Around the World was founded to provide surgeons in developing countries with the loupes they need to better operate on their patients. Surgical loupes are magnifying glasses that allow surgeons to see smaller delicate structures when operating. Since 2008, ReSurge's programs have benefited from the donations Loupes Around the World has made to its partners around the world.
Since 1978, Mobile Instruments has been providing quality surgical equipment maintenance and repair to hospitals nationwide. For more than five years, Mobile Instruments has been generously repairing and sharpening some of ReSurge's most important surgical instruments free of charge.
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC)
Since 1998, RMHC has granted more than $5 million to sponsor ReSurge
trips and training and support for local doctors to provide year-round care to
impoverished children. More than 15,000 children have received life-changing
surgery because of RMHC’s partnership with ReSurge.
The Smile Train
This international foundation is dedicated to providing free, safe, high-quality
surgery for the repair of cleft lip and palate deformities of children in developing
countries. They provide funding for care in 78 different countries. The
Smile Train often works through other organizations that actually manage the
surgery providers. ReSurge has been one of The Smile Train partners since
their formation in 1999.
Syde Hurdus Charitable Foundation
Year after year, the Syde Hurdus Charitable Foundation helps support lifechanging
surgeries, speech therapy, medical education and empowerment
programs, helping to create year-round access to medical care in developing
countries. The New York-based Syde Hurdus Charitable Foundation was
created from the estate of Ms. Syde Hurdus, a well-known clothing designer
who cared deeply for the welfare of children around the world.
Other Long-term Partners
ReSurge also would like to give special recognition to our long-term partners
for their two decades of dedication and commitment to ReSurge’s mission,
volunteers and outreach centers. Their ongoing support has helped ReSurge
grow its work and expand into new sites around the world. On our list of longterm
partners, ReSurge would especially like to acknowledge the following
foundations: the Tosa Foundation, Grousbeck Family Foundation, The May &
Stanley Smith Charitable Trust and the T & T Family Foundation. | <urn:uuid:874837b5-8411-4a4a-941a-bd007d809917> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://resurge.org/about_us/story_foundations_and_corporations.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933783 | 710 | 1.601563 | 2 |
One Tagalog word for which no exact translation in English exists is “kuryente.” It literally means “electric current,” but the word can be applied to the practice of spreading sensational but faked news in order to produce a media jolt. One newspaper translates “kuryente” as “a bum steer”; others have rendered it as “actually but not really” or “confirmed but not definite.” At any rate, the phrase applies perfectly to the storm of bogus rumors swirling around the Trayvon Martin media feeding frenzy. The Daily Mail reports:
Fake Will Smith tweet about Trayvon Martin sweeps the internet — and Spike Lee retweets wrong address for George Zimmerman. … Man tweeting as Will Smith tweeted angry post about no justice for Trayvon — Spike Lee retweeted incorrect Florida address for Trayvon’s killer, George Zimmerman — Man posing as Will Ferrell also tweeted about high-profile case.
Americans are no stranger to the phrase “fake but accurate.” But kuryente takes things to another level where the lie becomes the truth; or worse, to where nobody can tell the difference.
The couple who actually live at the address which Spike Lee wrongly believed to belong to George M. Zimmerman now fear for their lives. The address was actually associated with the electoral roll of a different Zimmerman — George A. Zimmerman — though of course such fine distinctions are lost in the wash. As for the “Will Smith” tweets, the author of his missives is actually a “white man from Nashville, Tennessee.” Nor is Will Ferrell the Will Ferrell — his spokesman says his tweet was a hoax.
Not that it will make any difference. The main thing about faked news is that it shouldn’t matter whether it is in the slightest degree true. It is far more important for the news to confirm what we want to hear: our deepest suspicions about our neighbor or our wildest vanities about ourselves. People will believe it because they want to. As for the truth, well what about it?
Even the most basic facts becomes surprisingly irrelevant. Media Matters, for example, apologized to Matt Drudge after accusing him of being a “racist demagogue” for running a fake photo of the victim — only to discover it was actually a real photo. You would have thought Media Matters would know true from fake to play the fact-check game, but really, why would factuality be important?
Winston Churchill once observed that “a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” The immense power of kuryente consists in that it operates in the world of myth. It does not belong in the universe of fact. Hence what happened when, who liked what, what reasons there were for which: these are irrelevant.
Kuryente addresses what some might call a “deeper truth,” and it is therefore proof from falsification. You cannot falsify the re-telling of a myth. Take The Protocols of the Elders of Zion for example:
The Protocols purports to document the minutes of a late 19th century meeting of Jewish leaders discussing their goal of global Jewish hegemony by subverting the morals of Gentiles and by controlling the press and the world’s economies. It is still widely available today — still presented, typically, as a genuine document — on the Internet and in print in numerous languages.
Even if you could show that none of the events, meetings, or correspondence depicted in Protocols ever took place, it could never meet the objection that, taken as a whole, the narrative still contained the “truth” about the Jews. In that plane, evidence has no place. What predominates in that airy sphere are symbols, sacraments, and chants.
One of George Orwell’s most important insights is that all totalitarian ideologies — all methods of control — fundamentally required a religious liturgy to persist. It was faith — or its evil twin prejudice — that you really had to appeal to. | <urn:uuid:8c39b6b3-badf-4a1f-bf24-e13d6a89f6cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2012/03/27/the-secret-chord/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952729 | 842 | 1.742188 | 2 |
By Freedom Riders to Free the Scott Sisters
Oct. 26, 2010
As Freedom Riders from the summer of '61 prepared for a 50th reunion
visit to the "New Mississippi" with a red carpet welcome by governor
Haley Barbour, some were appalled to discover last week that a piece
of the "Old Mississippi" still exists.
Set to visit Parchman prison and see what it has become, they learned
of two women, the Scott sisters, who have been incarcerated there for
almost 20 years, each serving two life terms for the theft of $11.
The victims of the crime and the perpetrators have all sworn that the
women were not involved.
Why the draconian sentences? There is speculation that the sisters'
father had declined to pay off the sheriff.
Scott County, Mississippi, is a dry county. According to court
records, the sheriff secretly allowed night clubs to serve drinks
privately for a fee - $100 a week. The sisters' mother, Evelyn Rasko,
says that when Jamie and Gladys Scott's father arrived with his
family from Chicago in the early 90's and bought his nephew's night
club, he declined to pay the fee.
"I will get you one way or the other, even if it is through your
daughters!" deputy Marvin Williams, now deceased, is reported to have
said. And it would appear that he did. A trio of teens was arrested
for a minor robbery. By coercing testimony from a 14-year old,
telling him, according to the victim, that he would be sent to
Parchman and he would "be made out of women" - raped - if he did not
implicate the Scott sisters, deputy Marvin Williams appears to have
built a phony case. The sisters were arrested, told by their
attorneys not to speak during the trial, and were sent directly to
Parchman, where they still sit today, almost 20 years later. One of
them is dying.
Inadequate treatment for diabetes can cause both kidneys to fail.
Jamie Scott's kidneys have both failed. She is going to die soon if
she doesn't get proper treatment. Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour
has referred the whole matter to his Parole Board. But he can release
the sisters tomorrow, he has that power.
On behalf of the sisters, the Freedom Riders to Free the Scott
Sisters committee has just released the following request to Governor Barbour:
"As we plan to celebrate our 50th Freedom Rider reunion next May in
Jackson, we respectfully ask you to commute the Scott Sisters'
sentence or pardon them well before then. We hope to see that,
because of your justice and compassion, these two women are no longer
imprisoned in the very place where we did time.
In the words of the Prophet, Isaiah 42:7, we call upon you, [t]o
bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, them that sit in darkness
out of the prison house."
Whether Jamie Scott dies in Parchman for a trumped-up offense depends
now on Governor Haley Barbour's signature.
Philip M. Posner
Freedom Riders to Free the Scott Sisters
268 Bush Street, Suite 3602
San Francisco, CA 94104
The full text is online at http://www.frwg-ss.blogspot.com. | <urn:uuid:1d820848-231e-4d8f-8d9e-8606b14d766a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sixties-l.blogspot.com/2010/10/1961-freedom-riders-call-for-prisoners.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960609 | 713 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Thoughts may be ephemeral, but a tweet, apparently, is forever.
A Criminal Court judge in Manhattan ruled on Monday that Twitter must turn over to prosecutors messages sent by a Brooklyn writer during the Occupy Wall Street protests last fall. In doing so, the judge, Matthew A. Sciarrino Jr., indicated that although private speech was protected, the same did not apply to public comments on Twitter.
“The Constitution gives you the right to post, but as numerous people have learned, there are still consequences for your public posts,” Judge Sciarrino wrote. “What you give to the public belongs to the public. What you keep to yourself belongs only to you.”
The writer, Malcolm Harris, was one of about 700 protesters arrested in October while walking on the roadway of the Brooklyn Bridge. He was charged with disorderly conduct, a violation. In January, the Manhattan district attorney’s office subpoenaed all messages that he had posted to Twitter from two days before the Occupy Wall Street protests began in September through the end of 2011.
Mr. Harris’s messages, which are no longer publicly available, are of interest to prosecutors because they may contradict an argument they expect him to make at trial: that the police led or escorted protesters off the pedestrian paths and into the bridge’s roadway.
His lawyer, Martin R. Stolar, filed a motion to quash the subpoena, saying it had not been delivered properly, was overly broad and was issued for an improper purpose.
Judge Sciarrino dismissed the motion in April, writing that Mr. Harris lacked the standing to oppose the subpoena because under Twitter’s policies, he had granted the company the “worldwide, nonexclusive, royalty-free” right to distribute his messages, which were all publicly available.
Twitter itself then sought to quash the subpoena. But in the decision released on Monday, Judge Sciarrino ordered it to turn over Mr. Harris’s messages. While noting that laws regarding social media were evolving, he held that public speech, regardless of the forum, did not enjoy the same protections as private speech.
The case over a minor criminal charge raises significant issues in the still-new area of social media.
As is becoming more common, prosecutors requested Mr. Harris’s postings and member information directly from Twitter, which then notified Mr. Harris. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, arguing that prosecutors should be required to obtain a search warrant from a judge for each request and that the person whose posts were being sought should have an opportunity to oppose the demand in court.
For law enforcement, social-media postings that document a person’s immediate thoughts and precise location provide a potent tool.
“We are pleased that the court has ruled for a second time that the tweets at issue must be turned over,” said Daniel R. Alonso, the chief assistant district attorney in Manhattan. “We look forward to Twitter’s complying and to moving forward with the trial.”
Twitter had argued that demands for postings and account information placed it under an undue burden of either turning over the information or fighting each request on behalf of its users.
In a statement, the company said it was “disappointed” with the ruling and was considering its options.
“Twitter’s terms of service have long made it absolutely clear that its users own their content,” the statement said. “We continue to have a steadfast commitment to our users and their rights.” | <urn:uuid:711bb32b-d294-46c4-8cae-fade9462d481> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/judge-orders-twitter-to-release-protesters-messages/?ref=technology | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966851 | 741 | 1.585938 | 2 |
“I know of no elite and no tribunal which can take upon itself to judge what a film will unleash in its immeasurable course. The only jurisdiction to which a film should be subject concerns its style and its expressive power. The rest is a mystery and will always remain so.”
- Jean Cocteau
My latest post for TCM’s Movie Morlocks is a compilation of quotes from Jean Cocteau about classic films and their stars. From my post:
“When Jean Cocteau’s name surfaces most of us think of the visionary artist, poet and director who made films such as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1946), BLOOD OF A POET (1930), LES PARENTS TERRIBLES (1948) and ORPHEUS (1949). Cocteau is all these things and more but he also happens to be one of my favorite film critics. I hesitate calling Cocteau a critic because it’s a term I’m not particularly fond of. Cocteau was first and foremost a film fan. A genuine cinephile and a champion of the cinematic arts. His affection for the medium and the people who made the movies he loved is self-evident in the many journals and letters he left behind. He wasn’t ashamed of expressing his outright devotion to the cinema. His passions and prejudices shine like beacons on the printed page pointing readers towards great films and great performances. Cocteau is one of a handful of writers that inspired me to start writing about film and I often return to his work for inspiration.
Today I thought I’d let Jean Cocteau takeover and share some of his most insightful and interesting comments about classic films and their stars. These quotes were compiled from various sources including Past Tense: The Cocteau Diaries Volume One, Opium: The Diary of a Cure and the essential Art of Cinema.”
Make your way over to the Morlocks to read Cocteau’s thoughts on films like Orson Welles’ MACBETH and Robert Wiene’s THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI as well as many actors including James Dean and Bridgette Bardot. | <urn:uuid:b9cb81a5-973f-49ea-9a64-235340ab0e22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cinebeats.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/a-film-is-a-petrified-fountain-of-thought-jean-cocteau/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957625 | 479 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX)
Ex-Gay Addresses Disney Board of Directors
Questions gay lobby for rejecting equality for ex-gays
“Disney’s diversity training emphasizes gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders, but fails to include ex-gays,” explained Quinlan. “Ex-gays remain closeted because they are not protected by diversity policies and are subject to open disapproval. Employees who support the ex-gay community are also not welcome to express their views.”
In response to the resolution asking for inclusion and diversity for the ex-gay community, Daryl Herrschaft, director of the workplace project at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, was quoted by Daily Finance as saying that the resolution is “wrongheaded.” The Human Rights Campaign, known as HRC, is the nation’s largest gay rights organization advocating for gay equality.
“How can HRC demand gay equality when it refuses to extend equality to others?” asked Quinlan. “HRC demands that gays and transgenders be included in diversity policies, but belittles ex-gays who ask for the same rights that gays and transgenders currently enjoy. HRC insists that men can change their gender to become the opposite sex, but refuses to acknowledge that men like me can change our sexual orientation from gay to straight.”
Every year the HRC Foundation issues a Corporate Equality Index which rates American companies on their equal treatment of gays, bisexuals, and transgenders. HRC gave Disney a 100 rating, its highest score. HRC rated Disney on its corporate nondiscrimination policy, diversity training, benefits, employee resource group and diversity council, advertising to gays, sponsorship of gay community events or organizations, and for not engaging in action that would undermine gay and transgender equality.
“Is it a conflict of interest for any corporation in this country to donate money or other form of support to HRC, which then rates those same corporations on corporate equality?” asked Quinlan in his speech to the Disney Board of Directors.
“Disney, your equality index score is -0- for ex-gays and their supporters. You should treat former homosexuals with the same respect and benefits you give to gays and transgenders.”
“This week HRC is celebrating the first gay marriages in
The Disney resolution needed a vote of 3% to pass for inclusion at next year’s meeting, and received approximately 2%. Quinlan is gratified by the support he received from shareholders present at the meeting. “Shareholders applauded, shook my hand and said it was about time this happened,” said Quinlan.
###Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays ( | <urn:uuid:9ce1e26e-9ff2-4629-9f34-8e3ff289d5bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pfox.org/Ex-Gay_Addresses_Disney_Board_Directors.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959918 | 573 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The reference guide to data centre automation
Our weekly white paper trawl
This week's trawl through the Reg Library results in three of our most popular whitepapers about data centre-y things. Let's kick off:
This monster of a book is sponsored by HP - the table of contents alone runs to 10 pages. Co-author Don Jones, of Realtime.com says in his foreword ,that the title is by no means a "paid advertisement or white paper". And he's right, there. More than 800 people have downloaded this paper and feedback has been very good.
There is an exhaustive checklist to plough through, but underpinning everything is the notion that the guide will "help IT departments to perform more tasks with fewer resources. The importance and value of automating standard IT operations can be significant in data centers of any size. The goal is to significantly lower IT operational expenses while at the same time improving the end-user experience. Whether you’re a CIO or IT manager looking for ways to improve efficiency or a member of the down-in-the-trenches IT staff, you’ll find valuables concepts, methods".
This paper from Double Take Software examines the "high cost, complexity and potentially dangerous shortcomings of a recovery strategy based on traditional tape backup. That's fighting talk, in some parts.
So what's the alternative? According to Double Take, what you need is "continuous data replication to a remote recovery sites over existing WAN connections".So where does that get you?
"Exponentially better remote disaster protection" at no extra cost or complexity and access to new data acceleration technologies that speed up remote recovery performance over the WAN, says Double Take.
You can guess what this company does for a living. The paper contains an overt pitch for Double Take technology and a case study. But there is also a solid exposition of what's wrong with tape backup - And the case for continuous data replication is interesting enough.
According to this APC paper, oversizing is the single biggest avoidable cost associated with typical data centres and network rooms. The paper examines the huge impact this has on lifecycle capital costs and on operating costs.
The author acknowledges that the current method of planning data centers and network rooms is logical - given the constraints of design and the unpredictability of the future power requirements. But help is at hand: an architecture and method for avoiding oversizing is sketched out here.
APC's whitepapers should be a model for other vendors to follow - full of facts, strong on thought leadership, and zero on self-serving sales pitches. ® | <urn:uuid:86ee7f36-4bb2-430d-bab4-c670857858be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/31/data_centre_whitepapers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941998 | 541 | 1.546875 | 2 |
"We have made a study of the accidents that have occurred during the last 12 years. A total of 237 lives have been lost and 200 have been injured in the accidents that occur in the fireworks units," an official of Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association (TNFAMA) told IANS over phone from Sivakasi.
He said most of the accidents happen in small and medium-sized units owing to the casual attitude of the workers.
TNFAMA has around 700 units as its members and the total industry turnover is around Rs.2,000 crore logging an annual growth rate of 10 percent.
Industry officials told IANS that there are a lot of units that do not maintain proper accounts and if that is taken into account the industry size will be much more.
"Accidents in professionally-run units are almost nil and, if at all there is an accident, the casualty will be mostly a single worker," V. Ramamoorthy, managing director at Jubilant Crackers told IANS over phone from Sivakasi.
There are around 200 units in Sivakasi that are run professionally following all safety rules, he said.
Crackers are produced in small rooms with space for not more than four people. The rooms have four doors so that the workers can rush out in case of any emergency.
The small units allegedly employ inexperienced workers during the Diwali season in order to meet the demand, which in turn results in such accidents.
Sivakasi, also known as 'kutti' or 'mini Japan', is one of the oldest and biggest firecrackers manufacturing hubs in India.
Nearly 90 percent of the country's fireworks are made in Sivakasi. And 80 percent of the safety matches are made here.
Low rainfall and dry climate are conduce for this industry to thrive. Some products are also used by the airports to scare away the birds.
Sivakasi is also known as a major offset printing hub rolling out calendars and diaries.
Chennai: During the last 12 years, a total of 237 lives have been lost due to accidents in 88 fireworks units located in Sivakasi. The government has tightened its controls on the safety measures installed by the units, said an industry official.
First Published: Wednesday, September 05, 2012, 21:54 | <urn:uuid:9db7dc54-ad80-450f-9bc4-84bdf5c14bd7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://zeenews.india.com/news/tamil-nadu/237-lives-lost-in-cracker-unit-accidents-in-sivakasi-in-12-years_797954.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973191 | 484 | 1.6875 | 2 |
In response to:
V224 Passenger Guest Rooms.
There continues to be a major problem with having sufficient accessible cabins available on most major cruise ships. This problem is BOTH due to an insufficient number of cabins on even the most recently built ships, as well as the common practice of allowing anyone to book these cabins far in advance of the cruise, regardless of having an actual need for an accessible cabin. Many passengers try to book these cabins because they are larger than comparably priced cabins although they do not require the accessible amenities. Most cruise lines allow this, and most have no mechanism for later requiring a move of these passengers to another cabin when someone requiring an accessible cabin tries to book one. Many travel agents even encourage their customers to do this. If accessible cabins were only available to those with a documented need, and these cabins were held until a reasonable period prior to the cruise before being released to non-disabled passengers (such as the final payment date), more cabins would be available for those who actually need them. This is comparable to allowing non-disabled drivers to park in handicapped parking space if there is no one with a disability already parked there.
In addition, the actual number of mobility accessible cabins needs to be greater than it is currently, and greater than what is proposed in the regulations by at least 1/3. With an aging American population, more and more people have mobility disabilities traveling,the number of passengers who are semi-ambulatory and use "scooters" for mobility around ships has jumped significantly in the last few years. Since most cruise lines no longer (appropriately) allow these scooters to be stored in hallways at night, this creates a much higher demand for accessible or semi-accessible cabins by those who are actually ambulatory for short distances. Cabin doorway width is the major obstacle for many of these scooter users, who may be ambulatory enough to use a standard cabin, but also must be able to get their scooter into their cabin doorway. Increasing the number of cabins with wider doors in addition to those with fully accessible bathroom facilities would help with this problem.
San Diego, CA | <urn:uuid:93da8f4c-8c3b-4777-936d-83d67c1ab315> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.access-board.gov/pvaac/comments-rev/dunn.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968451 | 440 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Given the mystery as to the cause of death when it actually happened, I was surprised the allegation of poisoning wasn't more widespread but there was an allegation of poisoning from an authoritative voice, that of Israeli journo, Danny Rubinstein. I posted on his interview with Keshev, The Centre for the Protection of Democracy in Israel, back in 2006. The link to the interview is now broken but here is what Rubinstein had to say back then:Eight years after his death, it remains a mystery exactly what killed the longtime Palestinian leader. Tests conducted in Paris found no obvious traces of poison in Arafat’s system. Rumors abound about what might have killed him – cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, even allegations that he was infected with HIV.A nine-month investigation by Al Jazeera has revealed that none of those rumors were true: Arafat was in good health until he suddenly fell ill on October 12, 2004.More importantly, tests reveal that Arafat’s final personal belongings – his clothes, his toothbrush, even his iconic kaffiyeh – contained abnormal levels of polonium, a rare, highly radioactive element. Those personal effects, which were analyzed at the Institut de Radiophysique in Lausanne, Switzerland, were variously stained with Arafat’s blood, sweat, saliva and urine. The tests carried out on those samples suggested that there was a high level of polonium inside his body when he died.“I can confirm to you that we measured an unexplained, elevated amount of unsupported polonium-210 in the belongings of Mr. Arafat that contained stains of biological fluids,” said Dr. Francois Bochud, the director of the institute.
In my personal estimation, based on several findings and testimonies, we poisoned Arafat. Writing that today seems like an exercise in futility: 'those Arabs, with their imagination, and their conspiracy theories, etc.'. It is so opposed to our narrative and so identified with theirs, that I can't put that in. I think that's true for today's media in general: it's careful not to target sacred cows. In the end, all the systems adopt an approach held by part or most of the establishment.There are many reasons why the zionist establishment would want to ignore Rubinstein. He opposes the Law of Return and he makes no bones about describing Israel as an apartheid state. Of course many people say both of those things but he was the first prominent Israeli journalist that I know of to say that Yasser Arafat was poisoned.
The al Jazeera piece concludes thus:
A conclusive finding that Arafat was poisoned with polonium would not, of course, explain who killed him. It is a difficult element to produce, though – it requires a nuclear reactor – and the signature of the polonium in Arafat’s bones could provide some insight about its origin.Look again at what Rubinstein said:
we poisoned Arafat.He wasn't talking about himself. | <urn:uuid:61123236-d86b-483d-8f8f-afa991362f4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jewssansfrontieres.blogspot.com/2012/07/arafat-poisoned-danny-rubinstein-told.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979223 | 621 | 1.78125 | 2 |
(Dec. 21, Fourth Sunday of Advent)
Cycle B Readings:
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
- – -
By Sharon K. Perkins
Catholic News Service
For the second time, we’re getting ready to put a house on the market, which usually means going over it with a fine-toothed comb and looking for potential deal breakers. Then comes the inevitable question: Given our budget, what absolutely has to be repaired, remodeled or replaced, and what can we let go?
Watching TV shows on home remodeling and “house-flipping” doesn’t help. They prompt comparisons between our home and the showcases, inspiring more fix-up projects that require even more time and money. For us, it usually comes down to praying for guidance, making tough choices and hoping we get it right in a real estate market we don’t know.
In the first reading of this fourth Sunday of Advent, King David saw a problem and envisioned a building project that sounded good at the time — erecting a dwelling for the Ark of the Covenant — so that the house of the Lord of Israel would measure up to those of his neighbors’ gods.
But neither David nor the prophet Nathan “got it right.” In a play on words, God made it clear that the dwelling was not David’s to build; rather, the Lord would raise up from David’s descendants a royal “house” that would have a significance far greater than anything he could imagine.
Luke’s Gospel picks up that theme and, not accidentally, mentions that Mary is betrothed to Joseph, a member of “the house of David.” But in a startling turn of events, the angel Gabriel makes it clear to Mary that the child whose coming he announces will fulfill the promise made to his ancestor David — not through the intervention of flesh and blood, but by the power of God — and in this way, “the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
Though the outcome was beyond Mary’s comprehension, she “got it right” by trusting in God’s promise and its incredible implications for future generations.
Every day we find ourselves in situations that cry out for answers and appeal for “quick fixes,” and too often we first look to our own insufficient resources for solutions. Christ’s coming, announced anew every Advent, breaks through our shortsightedness, carries us beyond our inadequacies and calls us to hope beyond our imagining.
In what present situation are you trying to rely on your own inadequate resources to “fix” a problem? How can you more fully rely on God’s power and find hope in God’s promises? | <urn:uuid:4710f160-eee2-4105-a804-3dcb8ce2b206> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2008/12/20/word-to-life-christs-coming-calls-us-to-hope/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=39170bc4ce | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949549 | 587 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Just two weeks away from the Olympic Opening Ceremony, the British government has announced thousands of additional soldiers will be sent to provide security at game venues.
Updated at 2 p.m. ET: LONDON — Britain's military was asked to provide an 3,500 extra personnel for the Olympic Games with only 16 days to go before the opening ceremony, government sources told NBC News on Wednesday.
Private security contractor G4S conceded it may not be able to supply the numbers of guards — made up of certified security workers and temporary recruits — it had originally agreed.
A company statement said: "We have encountered some issues in relation to workforce supply and scheduling over the last couple of weeks, but are resolving these every day and remain committed to providing a security workforce for the start of the London 2012 Games.
"Our planning with [The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games] and other security agencies allows for a variety of contingencies which have been reviewed in the build-up to the Games. We accept that the Government has decided to overlay additional resources," the statement added.
It would be potentially a major embarrassment for Olympic organizers who have insisted plans are in place to ensure the games is safe.
Matt Dunham / AP
In this May 3, 2012 file photo, Sergeant Craig from Britain's Royal Artillery regiment holds a high-velocity missile, or HVM, lightweight multiple launcher during a media event ahead of a training exercise designed to test military procedures prior to the Olympic period in Blackheath, London.
G4S has a contract reportedly worth almost $460 million to provide the personnel, many of whom are still being trained.
The military had previously been asked to provide a total of about 13,000 personnel, including up to 7,500 for civilian security at games venues. The remainder will be involved in military operations linked to games security.
Sources told NBC News that some of the extra 3,500 will come from a contingency of 1,000 soldiers on standby for Olympic emergencies.
The news follows reports last month of serious concerns within the Home Office -- an equivalent to the Department of Homeland Security -- that G4S would be unable to meet its obligations for the Olympics.
In June, ITV News reported concerns at the effectiveness of security provided by G4S staff under training for the Olympics.
Simon Israel, the Home Affairs Correspondent for Channel 4 News, posted on Twitter that G4S would be fined $77,000 for each day it failed to provide the agreed number of personnel.
Have also been told G4S penalised Ã�£50000 a day per venue for not meeting staffing levels at venues— simon israel (@simonisrael) July 11, 2012
It is the largest British security operation carried out in peacetime.
Thousands of new recruits are being trained to operate x-ray machines, search vehicles and stand guard at Olympic venues across the country.
Such is the scale of the operation; the training will continue right up until a few days before the opening ceremony.
More than 100,000 people applied for the 10,400 temporary jobs in what G4S had described as one of the biggest paid recruitment drives in Britain this century. Last week, Ian Horseman Sewell, managing director of G4S Global Events, told Reuters in an interview that the company was "absolutely on track to deliver".
The issue of security is a particularly relevant one to Olympics organizers. The decision to award the Olympics to London was announced on July 6, 2005. Just a day later, London suffered its worst peacetime attack when four suicide bombers killed 52 commuters.
Msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson and Reuters contributed to this report. This story was first published by ITV News, the UK partner of NBC News.
More London 2012 coverage:
- Disabled visitors face high hurdles to London Olympics
- Terror suspect's eye color? Flying cameras to spy during Games
- Londoners express hopes, frustrations as Olympics come to town
- Flagship McDonalds in Olympic Park becomes super-sized
- Olympic torchbearers race to cash in
- Will world's most expensive cable car be ready for Olympics?
- Now towering over London: 'The Godzilla of public art'
- Venues for the London 2012 Olympic Games
- Bad neighbors for Team USA? Occupy camp faces ax
- VIDEO: Olympic torchbearer proposes mid-relay
- Brits revel in gloom ahead of Games, but don't believe the gripe
- Olympic housing crunch: Landlords evict tenants to gouge tourists
- At London Olympics, dogs have sniffed out key anti-terror role
- Slideshow: When the Olympics is your neighbor
- Go behind the scenes with our 'TODAY in London' blog | <urn:uuid:4127797c-6cf6-4a2e-b400-14aae3a6bad2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/11/12683677-uk-military-asked-to-cover-3500-olympic-security-worker-shortfall?pc=25&sp=50 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957827 | 983 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Cost of Online Bachelor Degree Programs
The following short article is written to provide general advice about online education and degrees, not just information specific to WGU. If you have specific questions about WGU, feel free to inquire online or speak with an enrollment counselor (1-866-225-5948).
Obtaining an accredited bachelor's degree online can cost as little as one-quarter of what a degree from a conventional, out-of-state or private university may cost. Prospective students can save money by attending a state school, but even then, an online bachelor's degree program may cost about half the price.
How do you pay?
Some online universities charge per credit hour. Others charge a flat rate per semester to take as many classes as you’d like in that semester. If you are extremely disciplined and motivated to complete your degree in one or two years, the latter option offers the best value for your money.
You can lower costs considerably by obtaining financial aid. Student loans are a good way to get the money to pay your tuition with lower interest rates than using a charge card or personal loan. Some students may qualify for grant money as well.
Be wary of “cheap” schools
If a school’s pricing looks too good to be true, the school may not have earned accreditation. Degrees from non-accredited schools are generally not accepted by employers or other schools. | <urn:uuid:e837b98a-dee3-4ead-82d6-7da725a1aa1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/resources/tips/getting_your_bachelors/cost | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95257 | 292 | 1.523438 | 2 |
I was just wondering if anyone could tell me who might have made this wonderful large bird sculpture. http://i1.tinypic.com/2dkg13r.jpg
It is very large, the bird has a wingspan of 14", its 8" tall and 10" long. It is also VERY heavy!
The way it looks as though it is flying over the waves is really clever and well done.
I wondered if it may be Italian, but really am not sure at all so have put on the main glass board and the Murano board.
I've scoured my glass books and found in Pina Circa Fifties Glass on page 48
"Crystal dolphin figure attributed to Seguso Vertri d'arte, full figure perched on an ocean wave pedistal"
which looks as though it could be from the same stable, so to speak, as mine. | <urn:uuid:f01d0481-cd41-431a-ae0f-faa2692deb8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,7178.msg60799.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978208 | 185 | 1.828125 | 2 |
IT – means information technology? Well yes but for me it also means Inspiring Teaching! Some people like the technology to lead teaching – I like the teaching to lead the technology. If you can find a product which helps to enhance your teaching and thus the learning of your students you are on a winner.
This blog is created by Clare Wallace, an ICT teacher based in Ireland. It came out of a smaller project I was doing in my school, where I created a moodle forum for staff every week. In 2010, I decided to return to Ireland and staff in my previous school requested access to the content. Out of this grew the inspiringteaching blog.
Your comments/contributions are always welcome.
You may also be interested in my youtube channel, delicious tags and my netvibes site – all of which can be accessed through the front page of my site. | <urn:uuid:3c0a9cfb-5e45-4fef-a3e8-925a19507746> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://inspiringteaching.com/wordpress/?page_id=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968227 | 181 | 1.742188 | 2 |
State officials said Wednesday that a revitalization of Alamogordo's downtown area, generally recognized as New York Avenue south of Tenth Street, could improve business and possibly attract more.
The organization, Main Street New Mexico, goes by the motto that if you plan for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic. If you plan for people and places, you get people and places.
Pamela Lee, a member of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, said the commission first began mulling the possibility of applying with the state for the city to participate in the program late last year.
"We felt it would be beneficial," Lee said, adding that the redevelopment of downtown areas has worked for other New Mexico communities, making them more attractive to business.
According to a presentation Wednesday night by members of Main Street New Mexico, which operates under the state economic development department, the downtown part of a city was historically its commercial and social hub.
That largely ceased to be true following the second world war.
Twenty three New Mexico communities participate in the main street program, including Albuquerque and Las Cruces.
Presenters said at a public meeting Wednesday night the main street program helps towns and cities revamp their downtown districts through a multi-faceted approach including marketing, retail events and community-oriented volunteer efforts.
City Planner Marc South said in "round numbers" that Alamogordo would have to contribute about $90,000 over three years to the program to participate. Business owners in the downtown district would have to pony up about $90,000 a year over three years.
Lee said downtown merchants had showed some interest in the program, but the details still needed to be "fleshed out."
Presenters said the city should expect to spend about $15,000 in the first year it participates in the program, which is a multi-year process that includes state and national certifications.
South addressing a question from an audience member who asked if the program can be used on other parts of the city said the program is meant to focus on one area, in part to prevent sprawl, which leads to increased expenses, as infrastructure needs to be built in new areas.
He characterized the program as a "rifle shot" as opposed to a "shotgun" blast, though presenters said a community can do what they want with the program.
The city must apply to the state economic development by March 7, and Lee said there is a possibility all the necessary preparations might not be complete by that date.
Presenters said the State Legislature will select one or two communities to bring into the program and should announce them in May. For Alamogordo to participate, the city commission must pass a resolution of support. | <urn:uuid:7c821a42-0736-4447-87c6-f259c906ece2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alamogordonews.com/sept11/ci_22546468/city-mulls-program-that-could-help-revitalize-downtown | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973843 | 563 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Okay, I have a teeny tiny confession to make.
I ate one of the bananas without telling you. But it was just a teeny tiny one, and it was, quite bizzarrely, the only one that was yellow. Completely yellow in a field of green. And I ate it without photographing a thing.
I was quite surprised to find that it tasted much like a banana. Any banana really. Nice and sweet and not floury, but a normal tasting banana nonetheless.
I kind of thought that fireworks might go off at the first taste, you know?
Anyway, that's neither here nor there now, because I am now a little worried. The rest of the bunch is definitely yellowing, veeeery slowly, but it's also doing something else too.
Their little stems are withering.
That can't be good. Nowhere in the literature on the growing of bananas is withering stems mentioned as a good sign.
I will cry if I have ruined another bit of produce from my garden. Why are they withering? | <urn:uuid:aafb8516-e81e-4907-abd9-bf2aa2d7256d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mudpiehomer.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-may-or-may-not-cry.html?showComment=1297950806051 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975329 | 221 | 1.5625 | 2 |
WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans blocked action yesterday on legislation proposed by the Democrats to curb speculation in energy markets and reduce record oil prices.
The measure, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, didn't get the 60 votes required to end debate and bring it to a final vote. The tally was 50-43.
Republicans want to be able to debate numerous amendments to the legislation, including expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. Reid, of Nevada, said the Republicans were trying to talk the legislation to death. He proposed limited amendments, with the goal of moving the measure before Congress leaves for its August break.
"It looks increasingly unlikely that the Senate will move Reid's aggressive antispeculation measure before the August recess," Christine Tezak, analyst for Stanford Group Co. in Washington, said in a note yesterday.
Speculators are being blamed by Democrats for 30 to 50 percent of the cost of oil.
Crude oil futures hit a record $147.27 a barrel on July 11 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and average US pump prices for gasoline hit a record the same week. Crude has since dropped about 16 percent, and fell $2.23 a barrel yesterday to $123.26, a seven-week low. | <urn:uuid:299d0eae-75aa-45a4-844a-2e9eb19ecfa6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/07/26/oil_speculation_bill_blocked/?page=full | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971702 | 256 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Charlie Baker is far from a people person. Yet despite his crippling shyness, his close friend has decided to give him a “vacation” in a personalized torture chamber - a cabin full of strangers with whom he will be forced to exchange introductions, give pleasantries, and most terribly of all, respond to during conversation.
Just when this ordeal seems too much for Charlie to handle, an alarmingly perfect opportunity presents itself. By introducing Charlie as a foreigner who doesn’t speak a word of English, Charlie is no longer required to talk at all. However, when his exotic flair becomes the focus of the lodge, Charlie’s struggle to maintain his façade grows more involved than he ever planned it to be.
H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program's April presentation of “The Foreigner” was fraught with hilarious antics from start to finish.
Written by the American playwright Larry Shue, “The Foreigner” premiered off-Broadway in 1984 with a successful run matching his other works, such as “The Nerd.” Since then, “The Foreigner” has enjoyed the status as a staple of community and high school theatre, garnering hundreds of performances, including an off-Broadway revival in 2004.
The story follows Charlie as he learns the inner workings of a bed-and-breakfast lodge in rural Georgia and the conspiracies that infest it, all while continuously expanding his made-up culture into an all-encompassing, outlandish pretense.
Undertaking an incredibly challenging task, student John Ponder White assumed the role of director. Fulfilling his responsibility completely without any adult assistance, White made strong choices and aptly interpreted the play. By casting Kamau Mitchell, an African-American, as Charlie, White created a more harrowing journey for the titular character — facing not only xenophobia from the locals but also presenting an accurate portrayal of the infamous racism of the Ku Klux Klan.
White’s stagings made use of the Black Box setting, utilizing all parts of the acting area with a suitable amount of movement. The sets were brought to fruition with the utmost frugality, creating the lodge’s hunter-green sitting room, complete with country-style rockers and a topographical map of Georgia. Cost: $6.30.
As Charlie, Mitchell capitalized on the physical comedy his role offered in the first act and proved his ability for vocal variety in the second. As a near-silent character for half of the play, Mitchell’s subtle reactions and uproarious facial expressions made him stand out in nearly every scene. As he “learned” English, Mitchell’s phony accent became more prevalent, easily switching between the roles of a beleaguered Englishman and naïve foreigner. With unmatched expressiveness in face and body, Mitchell’s performance hit high points in highly farcical moments while also portraying a clear dramatic progression from a shrewd stranger to a falsely foreign raconteur.
Shelly Smout, as Betty Meeks, took on age well, completely encapsulating her condescending yet affectionate character. As Froggy LeSuer, Charlie Mai employed a thick cockney accent and created an amusing chemistry with Charlie. With his portrayal of the “slow” Ellard Sims, Rhys Davis tastefully and accurately presented a character with a limited mental capacity, never overacting. This delicate part required both dramatic control and comedic nuance.
Exploring identity, insecurity and cultural acceptance with a familiar comedy, “The Foreigner” at H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program left none feeling out of place, with the only truly foreign concept being hate or intolerance.
Cappies is a critics and awards program for high school theater. In this program, high school students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools and write reviews for local newspapers. At the end of the year, student critics vote for awards that are presented at a formal Cappies Gala. | <urn:uuid:226b60cd-6cac-46f0-a071-8607e6128883> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://clarendon.patch.com/groups/opinion/p/cappies-review-the-foreigner-at-h-b-woodlawn | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960092 | 831 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Recycling program wins kudos
The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has won the city's Green Ribbon Award for Recycling. The congregation has implemented a full recycling program, including cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminum and steel cans, office paper, magazines, printer cartridges, and florescent light tubes. The congregation was featured in the city's quarterly recycling newsletter, which goes to every business and residential address in the city. It will also be featured in a TV commercial to be made by the city recycling center.
Sidney Stevens, chair of the congregation's green space committee, said the congregation is becoming known for its recycling efforts and other “green” initiatives, and local environmental groups are beginning to ask to partner with it on various projects. She credits a dedicated group of members and church staff with initiating the recycling effort.Other green initiatives the church has undertaken include a lecture series on environmentally sensitive building techniques, publication of a booklet of recycling and waste reduction tips, and a native plant sale. The church also purchases about a quarter of its energy from wind power. | <urn:uuid:5e9935b4-4acd-49fe-98d9-1cde937a18cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uuworld.org/2004/04/newsenvironment.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961836 | 227 | 1.835938 | 2 |
London, Feb 5: A new, pop-up hot yoga studio that travels around offices offering quick classes during workers’ lunchbreaks.
Devotees claim hot yoga – the exercise is performed at a high temperature – can calm the mind, help stretching and ease physical woes.
Its celebrity fans include Andy Murray and Lady Gaga, the Daily Mail reported.
Heating the studio to the required temperature often means going to a specialist gym but these new portable “hotpods” aim to change that.
Resembling giant inverted bouncy castles, they are plugged into the mains, then inflated and heated to 38C.
An instructor uses the space – specially designed with curved walls and muted colours to be relaxing – to guide a class of up to 20 people through an intense hour of yoga.
Once the lesson is over, the studio is deflated and folded away.
Hotpod yoga was launched in three London locations last month, and is now expanding nationwide.
“We wanted to focus on people who are busy and have little time to exercise,” former strategy consultant Max Henderson, who set up the company with a childhood friend, yoga teacher Nick Higgins said.
He said that hotpod Yoga is perfect for corporate businesses because yoga is great for de-stressing as well as being a strenuous workout, burning up to 700 calories in an hour. (ANI) | <urn:uuid:7e214e1a-9200-4bd3-836a-165faf4cec2b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indiatalkies.com/2013/02/andy-murray-huge-fan-hotpod-yoga.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968013 | 286 | 1.554688 | 2 |
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News: Analysis & Commentary: COMPUTERS
IN IBM'S CORNER: A BRAND-NEW HEAVYWEIGHT
The G4 could reverse Big Blue's mainframe sales slide
Only computer makers have problems like this: In each of the last three years, IBM has shipped 50% more mainframe computer power than in the prior year. Yet IBM's mainframe revenue keeps tumbling--an estimated 20% since 1994 (chart). Says Chairman Louis V. Gerstner Jr.: "We have to get the economic model to the point where we don't keep losing revenue even though we're selling more."
That time could be at hand. On June 9, IBM will bring out its latest generation of mainframes. Known internally as G4--for fourth generation--the machine costs less because it uses the kind of chip and disk-drive technology found in personal computers. IBM's mainframe execs are also taking other lessons from the PC industry, including speeding up product cycles and adopting popular, industry-standard software.
The result is the hippest mainframe yet--to hold off the powerful "servers" that use Intel Pentium chips. The new IBM machine comes with cryptography software burned into the chips, making the G4 a good choice for running an electronic-shopping outpost on the Web, for example. Also, instead of just using traditional mainframe programs, the G4s can run off-the-shelf programs, including those written for the Microsoft Windows NT and Unix operating systems. By yearend, Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Java software for the Web will run on IBM's big iron, too.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS? But can IBM sell enough G4s to reverse the pattern of the past few years? If G4 demand enables IBM to ship 57% more mainframe computer power in 1998, says International Data Corp., the company will see an increase in mainframe revenue. That's doable, since IDC predicts customers will soak up 65% more power in 1998 and 59% in 1999. "We see a lot of things that suggest to us that there could be substantial growth, but we're not going to predict it," Gerstner told analysts on May 7.
Despite the chairman's caution, investors are encouraged. After a 2-for-1 split on May 9, IBM's stock is in the mid-80s--near its all-time high. The price reflects expectations for the G4 as well as already strong results in PCs, services, and disk drives. "They could have a really good second half--that's clearly the potential," says Salomon Brothers Inc. analyst John B. Jones Jr.
Why is mainframe demand strong? Corporations are awash in data that only the biggest machines can handle, and new applications such as electronic commerce and data mining are better suited to big number crunchers. "Seven years ago, we said the mainframe was dead," says Philip G. Heasley, vice-chairman of First Bank System Inc. "Now, we have [machines] 20 times bigger than we ever dreamed the mainframe would be."
SPEEDY DEVELOPMENT. And the price is right. Analysts expect the G4 to cost about the same as large-scale Unix systems--$9,000 per million instructions per second (MIPS) of computing power. Gartner Group analyst Michael Chuba figures the price will be 50% less by the end of 1998. That's because IBM is speeding up development to remain competitive, especially with Pentium servers using Windows NT. With the G4, IBM proved it can create new machines at a PC-like pace. It went from drawing board to production in nine months, compared with the three years required at the beginning of the decade. "We don't intend on standing still," says Linda S. Sanford, general manager of IBM's mainframe business.
Playing by the rules of PC economics may mean lower profit per machine. But IBM enjoys a multiplier effect from mainframes that helps compensate: Sales of high-margin disk drives, software, and services boost total mainframe-related revenue to $20 billion a year.
Still, IBM mainframes will face their biggest challenge ever: William H. Gates III has beefed up Windows NT to take on the "mission-critical" jobs for which companies still purchase these big machines. IBM is fighting back, however, adding 400 new applications that were never available on a mainframe. According to Sanford, half the IBM mainframe computing power sold last year went for new programs. "It's critical for them to get more applications," says Merrill Lynch & Co. analyst Daniel Mandresh.
So far, Big Blue still has the edge with corporate computer buyers. "The current version of NT is not enterprise-ready," says Leon B. Billis, chief information officer for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the U.S. But there's always the next version. So even though insurance giant Aetna Life & Casualty Co. still finds NT wanting, Chief Technology Officer R. Max Gould is betting that Gates will fix any shortcomings. "Where will we be in the year 2005?" he asks. "Clearly, Gates has been gaining share all the time." And that's one PC-industry truism Gerstner can't choose to ignore.By Ira Sager in New YorkReturn to top | <urn:uuid:2ee5b89b-64e4-488f-9fd3-131a29f5d0cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.businessweek.com/stories/1997-06-15/in-ibms-corner-a-brand-new-heavyweight | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93666 | 1,129 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Yes! Our bags are "number 4" (linear low-density poly-ethylene bag). However, many municipal recycling programs do not allow curbside recycling of plastic bags. For this reason, many grocery stores have a bin set aside for you to recycle your bags ethically. Ask an employee at your store if they participate in a bag recycling program. If you are curious why our bananas sometimes have plastic bags, it is at the request of specific stores. | <urn:uuid:24053877-719a-4345-9925-ca2b11b58cca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://equalexchange.coop/products/bananas/faqs/if-my-equal-exchange-bananas-come-plastic-bag-bag-recyclable | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939216 | 94 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Slight Gain Forecast For Retail Sales
WASHINGTON (AP) — A FactSet survey of economists suggests there was cautious consumer spending in February as Americans balanced a surge in hiring against higher taxes and gas prices.
Economists forecast that Commerce Department data due out Wednesday will show retail sales rose 0.2 percent in February, only slightly better than January’s 0.1 percent increase.
The retail sales report is the government’s first look at consumer spending, which drives about 70 percent of economic activity.
Some of the anticipated increase likely went to cover higher gas prices. The national average price for a gallon of gas went from $3.42 on Jan. 31 to $3.78 on Feb. 28.
Still, any gain would indicate that Americans kept spending in February despite an increase in Social Security taxes that has lowered take-home pay. | <urn:uuid:d211566a-bd78-4a9b-9f4d-9057b518d60d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://k2radio.com/slight-gain-forecast-for-retail-sales/ | 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 | 0.961475 | 176 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Careers That Don't Require You to Commute Farther Than Your Living Room
Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, caused quite a stir this week when she told her employees they would no longer be allowed to work at home. And in doing so, both sides of the always contentious debate have sprung into action either supporting Mayer's decision or lambasting it.
Mayer and Yahoo! have said their policy is not a referendum on the wisdom of working at home, but simply what's best for the company. They feel nothing truly replaces face-time and person-to-person interaction, which means collaboration and physically being present in the office is essential for success. After all, the knock on working from home has long been that employees take advantage.
On the flip side, Mayer's critics have jumped at the opportunity to point out how archaic they believe her work-from-home ban is. Especially in the Internet age with Yahoo! being an Internet company, some people feel ignoring the technological advances that allow many people to do their jobs from anywhere is going to backfire. And if workers are unmotivated at home, they'll most likely be unmotivated in the office as well.
Regardless of which side of the debate you find yourself on, we've got some great jobs that lend themselves well to working from home -- assuming that kind of thing is allowed.
Got a phone and an Internet connection? Then why go into the office?
As a customer service representative you'll be taking calls from customers, troubleshooting, and selling products over the phone -- things that hardly require a cubicle in an office. This allows companies to reduce costs while also allowing employees more flexibility. That's probably why 25% of US call center representatives work from home, according to a survey from Yankee Group.
The level of expertise needed for each of these jobs will vary, but one thing generally remains the same -- this is a job that can usually be done from home.
Tech support personnel provide technical and network problem resolution to customers while guiding users through step-by-step solutions. They most often tackle problems that include resolving username and password problems, uninstalling/reinstalling basic software applications, verifying proper hardware and software set up, and troubleshooting email issues.
Doctors are highly skilled, very busy people who are too busy seeing patients to do the more routine parts of their job. That's where medical records transcriptionists enter the equation.
These workers take the audio recordings from doctors -- including all the medical terminology and abbreviations -- and convert them into written reports. With the Internet and e-mail, these recordings can be sent electronically to transcriptionists who work from home as opposed to coming into the office on a daily basis. And with this information stored on servers instead of in file cabinets, it allows instant access to patient information.
Although transcriptionists might feel like they're looking at a foreign language sometimes with all the medical terminology, translators actually do deal in different languages.
Translators must correctly interpret speech or text from one lanuage to another, while maintaining its accuracy and original meaning. Although some interpreters may get called in to court to translate for a witness or defendant who speaks another language, much of the work can often be done at home as many translators are self-employed.
The best part about writing? You can do it from anywhere. Including home.
Web writers are paid to write articles to specific website that keeps readers interested and turn them into repeat visitors. Due to the recent need for quality content that is keyword rich for search engine optimization and often doubles as advertising to sell products and services, web content writer jobs are on the rise. Whether you're hired by one company or you freelance, this is a job that has a great amount of flexibility and freedom.
SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYST
Median annual salary: $50,594
We know what you're thinking: Work-at-home + anything with "social media" in the job title = not a real job. Au contraire.
Just because someone is a "Social Media So-and-So" doesn't mean all they do is play around on Facebook and Twitter all day. Sure, social media analysts have to track the conversations happening on Facebook and Twitter regarding their brand or company, but it doesn't end with responding to those comments online. Analysts are responsible for tracking followers, likes, click-through rates and creating metrics to track it all and determine if social media efforts involved in marketing campaigns are paying off.
It's an important mix of marketing, advertising and technology skills to do this job correctly.
Are you good with technology plus you have an eye for design? Web designer might be the perfect career.
It's safe to say this whole Internet thing is here to stay, which means every company has an online presence. For many people, that's the first thing they see when looking for more information on a business. So it's more important than ever to roll out the virtual welcome mat and give customers a solid first impression.
While not all web designers can work from home all the time, many in the profession find they can work from home more often than not for a better work/life balance.
Some people look for a job that will allow them to travel, but travel managers are the ones who actually make that travel possible.
Corporate travel managers spend their days coordinating airline flights, train rides and other modes of transportation for office personnel traveling both domestically and internationally. And since a large part of their job consists of combing through airline itineraries, travel websites, and calling around for discounts on the best travel deals, it's a job that lends itself perfectly to working from home.
WEB CONTENT MANAGER
Median annual salary: $84,647
What do you get when you combine writing, editing, web design and project management skills? The web content manager.
This is a position charged with creating and maintaining a website's editorial voice for all aspects of the company's online presence. Whether it's writing content, editing, finding and managing writers, or working with a technical team to maintain site standards during new development projects, the content manager is responsible for maintaining a consistent look and feel throughout all web properties.
Thankfully doing this job doesn't require heading into work every day, because writing, editing and web design are all tailor-made for a work-from-home job.
It doesn't matter whether you work from home or in the office, because you should be seeking fair pay no matter the circumstances. And Salary.com can help you with that.
The first thing you should do is research, so you're able to come to the table armed with the knowledge of what your job is worth. Use our free Salary Wizard below to find out what's a fair salary for your position. You can enter your location, education level, years of experience and more to find out an appropriate salary range before you negotiate. | <urn:uuid:6dd43502-5059-42f2-a26b-4634995a5c21> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mysanantonio.com/jobs/salary/article/9-Jobs-That-Let-You-Work-from-Home-4317675.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957016 | 1,427 | 1.75 | 2 |
With few – if any – big ticket items for the Hunter announced in last night’s federal budget, the question people must now ask is ‘what does the fineprint contain?’
The Hunter, quite rightfully, has been under the
spotlight for some time; and there is no question that the
mineral-rich region has contributed much to the nation’s ability to ride out the global financial downturn.
But the answer to how much benefit the Hunter will now reap from that contribution depends on what side of the political fence people sit on.
Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon says mining tax profits will come back in the form of future infrastructure projects.
That may be so, but for the time being those infrastructure projects remain unspecified.
For some people, however, the budget will mean a real difference; the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, for example, has has been likened to the introduction of Medicare.
Low to middle income families have also welcomed the modest tax cuts for those earning up to $80,000 a year.
Money for the Pacific Highway, aged care and dental services are simply long overdue.
Predictably, Paterson MP Bob Baldwin claims the government has failed to deliver any real benefits to the people of the Hunter.
He believes that given its major contribution to the national economy, the Hunter has not received its fair share of the rewards.
Much will be made of the fact that the Gillard government has turned a $44 billion deficit into a $1.5 billion surplus and it, without doubt, is a significant achievement.
But as is often the case, the devil may well be in the detail. | <urn:uuid:06fcd882-73fe-4608-bc0d-413676c3dc4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/story/100864/hunter-deserves-bigger-slice-of-pie/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962198 | 344 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Harrier Hound-What is the harrier hound? What is its size, etc.?
The harrier was an old-time rabbit hound. Its size is between that of the beagle and the foxhound.
Harding, A.R.. 3001 Questions and Answers. Columbus, Oh: A.R. Harding, 1913.
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Order Online 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week, 365 Days a Year | <urn:uuid:c3d87a87-3917-403d-9f3f-5bb173fff772> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huntingblades.com/harrierhound.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94079 | 132 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Prominence is an upcoming science-fiction adventure game from Digital Media Workshop. The game invites players to explore a space colony that belongs to an advanced civilization known as the Letarri. After years of drifting across space without a home, the Letarri discover a habitable planet. An advance ship is sent to the planet to begin the colonization process. However, something goes wrong with the mission. It will be up to the players to find out what happened to the colony. As Prominence nears completion, we caught up with Mike Morrison from Digital Media Workshop to find out more about the adventure.
[Adventure Lantern]: How would you describe Prominence?
[Mike Morrison]: Prominence is a first-person, point-and-click PC adventure game set in a science-fiction world where the player is cast as a crew member on a colonization mission. The mission teeters on the brink of disaster and the future of the colony and its people are in the hands of the player.
[AL]: What can you tell us about the storyline?
[MM]: Itís about the fate of a race of people called the Letarri. Theyíve been refugees for hundreds of years and now theyíve finally discovered a remote inhabitable world. The player is part of a small vanguard crew, and their mission is to go to this far-off planet and build the first base on the surface for the incoming colonists.
There are just over 30 members in the vanguard crew, but their vessel is designed to travel to the planet and then become an orbital factory, using nanotechnology to fabricate structures and components that are shuttled down to the surface and assembled by the small crew with help from a variety of vehicles, robots, and machines.
Unfortunately, the mission has gone awry and bad things have happened. The player has to unravel the clues, determine what went wrong, and then decide what they want to do about it.
Meanwhile, millions of Letarri are slowly making their way to what they believe will be their new home. Their fate rests in the hands of the player.
[AL]: What kind of a setting did you create for the game?
[MM]: Well, itís a science-fiction game, but we wanted it to be based - at least somewhat - on reality.
A few years ago, I was working on a team in a visual effects guild. We had a client who needed 3d visualizations to support a proposal for the long-term colonization of Mars. It was a fun project and gave me the opportunity to learn about the real-world challenges and necessities of real interstellar colonization.
Of course, we donít have the technology level that the Letarri have. I think when you say, 'science-fiction', people expect a certain amount of 'future' in what they experience. So we worked hard to try to give real meaning to most of what you see in the game, even if it's much more advanced technology than what we might have here on Earth. Whenever possible, every object - whether itís a room, prop, machine, computer system, or other object - was designed for a purpose. It has a role or meaning to the mission.
[AL]: How will the players interact with the environment?
[MM]: Each environment in the game has been fully built in 3D, and as players move through each area theyíll experience it via animated transitions, which really give a sense of scale and dimension to each area. Rather than just clicking to move forward and jumping to a new location, theyíll get to see what itís like as they move from one location to the next. So right away we're really trying to put the player into the world.
Then we have various times in the game where the player changes the environment through their in-game actions. They might restore power, make some repairs, activate some machinery, blow something up, etc. which may change one or more environments - sometimes quite drastically.
[AL]: What kind of challenges can we expect to encounter?
[MM]: Prominence includes a tasty mixture of puzzles. There are the classic use-inventory-object-on-environment type puzzles in a myriad of flavors plus some variants that may require construction or deconstruction of items. Sometimes inventory items are used in conjunction with some other type of environmental interaction. And then there are a couple of 'gotcha' puzzles where that classic adventure gamer tactic - running around picking up everything that's not bolted down - can come back to bite you. Kevin will get mad at me if I say much more about that...
We also have many GUI puzzles. How could a science-fiction adventure not have some cool touch-screens and interfaces and other goodies to play with, right? Computer systems, both graphical and text-based, appear in Prominence and the player will get to use them to do all kinds of neat stuff to help them on their adventure. Many are unique, some are used a few times with varying levels of difficulty as the game progresses, and there's a really cool holographic system where you get to go into a ... hmm, I better not ruin the fun.
As the game progresses, the player also gets some additional tools/abilities that they can use to help them solve puzzles and unravel the mystery of what happened (and what they can do about it).
Thinking about it now, I'm realizing that we rarely use only one mechanic in a given puzzle. We have lots of hybrid cases where a puzzle uses both inventory and GUI steps on the way to being resolved. I think the reasons for that are, first, the game world was built around the sense of realism that I mentioned earlier, so the systems and interactions required are understandable because they're rooted in reality. Second, they're based on the events of the story - not based on arbitrary puzzle counts or obscure mechanics. By following the story, you'll generally have a good idea of what needs to be done and usually a basic idea of how it might be possible.
[AL]: The Prominence Web site indicates that the adventure will have multiple endings. Could you elaborate on this?
[MM]: At a key moment in the adventure, the player will make a critical choice that will take them down one of two possible routes. Each of those routes is separate and has different content, puzzles, and gameplay, and also contains multiple outcomes. So there are several ways that the story can 'end'.
[AL]: Can you tell us a little about the development team?
[MM]: The core team since development first began has been Kevin [McGrath] and me. Kevin handles the programming. Iím responsible for all the art, along with the business, PR, and other operational duties for the studio. Story and design are shared between us.
About once per week, Tom [Griffith] and I get together in the studio to work together on the audio. We're longtime collaborators on a variety of audio projects.
We've had other help over the years at various times from freelance and volunteer supporters, and we are currently assembling a crack team of beta testers for the final push toward completion.
[AL]: How long have you been working on the project?
[MM]: About five years, including pre-production. It mostly came down to the old rule: fast, good, or cheap - pick two. We didn't want fast and cheap because it wouldn't be good, and we couldn't afford fast and good, because it wouldn't be cheap. So we chose good and cheap and it wasn't fast.
[AL]: What were some of the challenges you faced while designing the game?
[MM]: Budget and scope were two of the biggest challenges. Because weíre such a small team, we had to come up with creative ways to approach various hurdles in development. Finding balance in every detail of the game became a very important part of the development process.
[AL]: When can we expect the game to be released?
[MM]: Prominence is scheduled for release on Windows PCs (XP/Vista/Win7) later this year.
Adventure Lantern thanks Mike Morrison for taking the time to answer our questions. Judging from Mr. Morrison's responses and the initial screenshots, Prominence is shaping up to be a very compelling science-fiction adventure. Exploring the colony and working on the multi-layered puzzles Mr. Morrison described sounds exciting. If you like sci-fi themes, Prominence is most definitely worth putting on your radar. To find out more about the upcoming adventure, visit the official Prominence Web site. | <urn:uuid:72feac56-0b80-473c-9e3d-7cd9e0917ead> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.adventurelantern.com/previews/Prominence/Prominence.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962964 | 1,775 | 1.8125 | 2 |
IESE Professor Researches Credit Agency Diligence < Back
IESE Prof. Gaizka Ormazabal has participated in a newly-released study on credit agency diligence, published this month in The Accounting Review of the American Accounting Association.
The study examines evaluations of the credit-worthiness of large bank holding companies and identifies how risk was assessed in significantly different ways by the bond market and the major credit-rating agency, Standard & Poor's.
The study was carried out by Mary E. Barth of Stanford University, along with Prof. Ormazabal and Daniel J. Taylor of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
"It's not surprising that we encountered two markedly different ways of assessing risk given the continuing disagreement among accountants as to whether asset securitizations most fundamentally are sales or collateralized borrowings," says Barth in an interview with Accountingtoday.com, which has highlighted the study.
In the study, the authors found that "the securitizing firm's credit risk is positively related to the firm's retained interest in the securitized assets and unrelated to the portion of the securitized assets not retained by the firm." | <urn:uuid:968e73c8-5ccd-4026-a6f2-48fa32ad84ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iese.edu/Aplicaciones/News/view.asp?id=3451&k=iese_professor_researches_credit_agency_diligence | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956228 | 241 | 1.523438 | 2 |
The Star Tribune provided some insight into why the Suburban World Theater in Uptown sits vacant despite Uptown’s big retail boom going on around it. The article cites the listing agent saying that the property has plenty of interest “but the cliffhanger is it’s [historic] and not everybody knows that. So once they dig into talking to the city about it, they don’t even come close to touching it.”
For background, the inside of the theater is an incredible space with Mediterranean-inspired walls that make way to a star-studded sky of a ceiling. It was built in the 1920s and was a movie theater playing decent films most of that time. I remember watching Titanic there in the 1990s when it was still operated by Mann Theaters. Later it became a Cinema Grill and then the most-recent owner tried to broaden the space into an event center.
Historic Preservation as a barrier?
While historic preservation concerns from possible tenants certainly will be an issue in its reuse, I find it hard to believe it is the reason why it’s been sitting vacant. The real issue is likely economics. The previous owner bought the building after it failed as a Cinema Grill. As an outsider, it didn’t appear that much was invested in making the space a viable event center, which is what the owner was trying to operate. There is minimal lighting on the inside, which makes events using a speaker less desirable.
A pair of garage-style flood lights provided general lighting. As I was told by real estate insiders, this was the result of the historic preservation requirements that the walls and ceilings remaining in their historic condition. Those sources indicated that they believe that the lighting could be solved but would require creative approaches that would likely be significantly more expensive than standard approaches.
If a new tenant wants to gut the space and start over, then absolutely the historic preservation would be in the way. But that aside, could the property be used with the walls and ceiling largely remaining untouched?
Or is something else in the way?
As I understand it, the previous owner lost the property in foreclosure to the bank and now the bank is trying to sell the property. A number of users have looked at the property, and according to the Star Tribune, that list includes a church, bar, restaurants, and yoga studio.
One user that considered the property, one of my sources said, felt that it was too small to make it viable as an event space or performance venue. The crux of that user’s concern was that they would need to sell alcohol to make money but in doing so, would be required by the City to make 60% of their food/beverage revenue from non-alcohol sales. This would require their concept to be food-heavy and for those who know entertainment, people don’t tend to go dine while watching concerts or performances…they drink.
What to do?
The City is dotted with shuttered theaters across its neighborhoods. Some have been revived (Parkway), converted (Varsity), or lost to the wrecking ball (Oak Street Theater). Others sit vacant, such as the Suburban World in Uptown, El Lago in Lyn-Lake, or Hollywood in Northeast. These buildings have tremendous civic value, as they often are architecturally interesting, have cultural significance to the community, and were public gathering spots.
I think it is time we re-evaluate our liquor laws and have a conversation about whether entertainment venues should have some exemptions from the 60/40 food to alcohol rules. This would lead to all sorts of questions, such as:
- what sort of entertainment should receive that exemption?
- could the venue be open as a bar during non-performance times and if so, how much?
- should the city, and how would the city try to be fair with establishments offering non-exempt entertainment?
- how to address livability concerns given that new unrestricted liquor establishments can’t open outside of Downtown now (generally) and it would be a new experience for many residents near commercial property?
- should this exemption only be made in certain zoning districts with certain conditions that must be met, such as how close they are to residential property?
There is a lot to consider but there are potential upsides, such as:
- reusing difficult properties.
- providing amenities to the city in the form of entertainment destinations.
- increasing jobs at the neighborhood level.
- creating additional foot traffic for adjacent businesses.
- increased property tax base through the successful reuse of property.
- supporting the arts by expanding the venue base.
I am advocating that this conversation should take place, as I think it is more appropriate for the Suburban World Theater to be reused as an entertainment venue than to become a yoga studio or an Old Navy outlet (please help me). At least reuse hasn’t brought us an adult movie theater like what happened to theaters across the United States in the 1960s/1970s. | <urn:uuid:8746fe05-a9d5-4129-be52-33c538966a6a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ouruptown.com/2012/12/suburban-world-theater-sits-empty/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973282 | 1,035 | 1.609375 | 2 |
POSTCARD FROM POLAND
Poland Continues As Bright Spot in Region
IMF Survey online
February 3, 2012
- Country was able to spend during economic crisis
- Growth supported by high domestic demand
- Banking system well capitalized
Poland was granted a precautionary loan under the IMF’ Flexible Credit Line in 2010 but hasn’t needed to draw on the funds.
How did Poland manage to weather the global crisis with some of the highest growth rates in Europe and a stable banking system when most of its neighbors in the region faced―and continue to face―so many problems?
In an interview with IMF Survey online, Mark Allen, the IMF’s representative for eastern and central Europe based in Warsaw, discusses Poland’s secret to success.
IMF Survey online: Poland’s economy has been very resilient since 2008, and the country continued to fare quite a bit better than some of its European neighbors in the past year. Why is that?
Allen: Poland is in some ways more like a large emerging market, a version of Turkey or Brazil or possibly China. In the four years since the crisis began, the Polish economy grew by 15 percent and the nearest competitor in the European Union, which was Slovakia, grew by 8 percent. So the performance has been extremely strong.
Poland has benefited from being a large economy with quite substantial domestic demand. There has been public investment growth, with Poland experiencing some of the highest in Europe in the course of the last year. Consumption has held up well, in some measure thanks to European Union funds flowing into the country. And the government was in a position to deploy a countercyclical fiscal policy―in other words, putting more demand into the economy during a time when it was under pressure.
IMF Survey online: Was Poland able to weather the current crisis mainly because of the work the government did before 2008, which gave the Poles, as you pointed out, extra money to spend once the downturn hit?
Allen: Exactly. They didn’t allow the boom in the banking system and the housing boom to get out of hand. They didn’t run large fiscal deficits before the crisis. Their debt, even though, at close to 55 percent, is a little bit high by emerging market standards, did not give rise to concern.
So yes, the fact that the economy was in a good position going into the crisis really has helped Poland enormously.
IMF Survey online: And yet no one is immune in the current environment, especially given the ongoing crisis in the eurozone. What are the key risks the Polish economy faces this year?
Allen: Well, the main risks to Poland are from factors outside of its control. The IMF has downgraded its forecast for the global economy, and we’re now expecting the eurozone to be in a slight recession this year.
Poland could be affected in three ways. The first is through external demand. The Polish economy is dependent on exports to the eurozone, and through the eurozone to other parts of the world. So the export channel is one way Poland could be affected by this slowdown in the eurozone and in world growth.
The second issue is that capital to emerging markets could be more difficult to come by. When financial markets are concerned because the amount of money flowing to emerging markets declines, this can cause downward pressure on the exchange rate. Here in Poland, although the problem is not as severe as elsewhere, there are quite a lot of foreign exchange mortgages whose repayment burden would go up if the exchange rate depreciated.
And the third channel through which Poland might be affected is through problems in the West European banking system. About two-thirds of the national banking system is owned by banks headquartered outside Poland, mostly in Western Europe. If the parent banks are having difficulties in recapitalizing themselves or in obtaining liquidity, there could be some spillover to the subsidiaries in Poland. Having said all that, our assessment is that Poland is fairly well placed to deal with these problems.
And finally, the banking system itself is well capitalized and highly profitable, and in rather better shape than in many other countries.
IMF Survey online: If the Polish banking system has been deleveraging, can you explain the ways in which it has been happening? Have parent banks been selling off assets or raising capital?
Allen: The Polish banking system is well capitalized because the financial supervisors insisted in 2010 that all profits be retained by banks rather than distributed. And since the banking system was profitable, this gave the banks quite a capital boost. It’s true that raising new capital on the markets is fairly difficult, but the Warsaw Stock Exchange is pretty liquid and so it’s possible that more capital could be raised in that way. But the basic way in which capital has been raised by Polish banks has been through the retention of profits, and they will do so again this year for those banks whose capital falls below the rather high level defined by Polish regulations.
That said, there is a problem of non-performing loans on banks’ balance sheets. But again, the problem is not as severe as in a number of other countries. And the domestic banking system is actually much less leveraged than the banking system of the parent banks in western European countries.
IMF Survey online: Poland hasn’t needed to draw on the IMF’s Flexible Credit Line, but it’s there in case it needs it. Yet there have also been reports recently that Poland will help boost the IMF’s lending capacity. How does Poland manage that process?
Allen: The Flexible Credit Line for Poland has been extremely useful. Of course, they haven’t drawn on it because they haven’t been facing a crisis. But it’s precisely the availability of that funding from the IMF that has given a lot more confidence both to the government and to the financial markets. It’s quite remarkable, when talking to Polish officials and to people in the financial markets, how often and how positively they mention the support the credit line has provided.
But you may correctly ask: if Poland has a credit line from the IMF in case it has problems, why is it also going to contribute money to increase the IMF’s lending capacity?
The answer is twofold: First, this is a European Union response to the need for a stronger IMF, and Poland as a European Union member wants to make its contribution. The way it does so is by lending or by making part of its foreign exchange reserves available to the Fund. If the IMF were to use this money, it wouldn’t cause balance of payments pressures for Poland. It would just be a change in how its foreign exchange reserves are invested.
If Poland needed to draw on the credit line, however, then we would not use Poland’s contribution to the IMF’s lending capacity. But in the event that, as we confidently expect, Poland will not have to use the credit line, then making money available to the IMF out of Poland’s foreign exchange reserves is a very sensible and generous way to go.
IMF Survey online: When we last spoke in March 2010, you described the mood in Poland as upbeat. Has this changed?
Allen: Well, I think the people are quietly confident, but not complacent about the current situation. They’re aware of the storms outside. A large public investment program is winding down so there’s somewhat less stimulus from public investment. But the figures on private investment are pretty good, and consumers still seem to be pretty confident.
■ This interview is an edited version of a podcast with Mark Allen, conducted on January 25, 2012. | <urn:uuid:866c7fd0-586d-4938-b42f-d2867f68545d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2012/CAR020312A.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972011 | 1,584 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Politics has just become even more crowded.
After the Rotherham by-election Ukip is confirmed as Britain’s fourth mainstream party.
Ukip has long been vying with the Lib Dems for third place in opinion polls but in last Thursday’s three by-elections Ukip did even better, getting almost twice as many votes as the Conservatives and Lib-Dems combined.
Is this a change in the political weather or another flash in the pan, like the SDP in the early Eighties? Then we had clearly distinct parties. Both Tories and Labour had mass memberships and a substantial class base of diehard supporters.
The Liberals also held a pivotal position but when the far Left gained dominance in Labour politics, moderates led by Roy Jenkins deserted. They formed a Liberal/SDP Alliance which won 25 per cent of the vote in the 1983 election, rivalling Labour’s 27.6 per cent and coming second in nearly 70 per cent of Conservative-won seats.
There isn’t a town or street that a Ukip campaigner cannot win support on
Jenkins hoped to “break the mould” of British politics but Margaret Thatcher achieved that by destroying socialism as an electoral force. Tony Blair realised Labour could win again only if it dumped its left-wing baggage but it came at the expense of Old Labour’s soul.
When in 2005 he turned the tables on the Tories and defeated them for the third time David Cameron became his mirror-image.
Embarrassingly in retrospect Call Me Dave pronounced himself “heir to Blair” and set out to “detoxify the Tory brand”, declaring war on his party’s traditional supporters.
Terrified by accusations of “Tory cuts” he endorsed Gordon Brown’s disastrous spending spree, pledged to increase overseas aid, ruled out tax cuts or new grammar schools, hugged hoodies and put a windmill on his roof. His tactic to defeat Labour was to steal Blair’s clothes and wear them. The result of this political cross-dressing was predictable. He failed to win against the most unelectable, economically disastrous and personally miserable Labour Prime Minister ever.
Hence the Tweedledum Dave and Tweedledee Clegg coalition. They look the same, sound the same, have similar educational and family backgrounds and pursue the same metropolitan liberal agenda from gay marriage to wind farms.
With Miliband also explicitly targeting the centre ground Ukip’s leader Nigel Farage says: “You cannot put a cigarette paper between them.”
They all want to stay in the EU no matter how bad the deal we get. They all accept its open-door immigration policy, which drives down working-class wages and increases pressure on housing, schools, hospitals and social services. They all support EU “green” policies which add £250 a year to the average household power bill, will shut 30 per cent of power stations by 2020 and pepper the countryside with thousands of ugly, noisy, expensive and inefficient wind turbines.
They all back the European Convention on Human Rights, despite Strasbourg judges putting the rights of Islamist fanatics before Britain’s national security.
The Lib/Lab/Con pledges “bonfires of regulations and red tape” yet simultaneously promotes more and more pointless, nanny state laws. Its latest busybodying nonsense is a minimum alcohol price, aiming to cut binge drinking by outlawing supermarket £10 food and wine mealdeals!
Like the blanket smoking ban, only Ukip opposes it, on libertarian and practical economic grounds.
Ukip fills the vacuum created by Blair’s “end of ideology”, where most major differences
between the old parties have been removed. As Rotherham proved, Ukip attracts disgruntled former Labour voters as well as Tories. Having topped the poll in Hull in the 2009 European elections and beaten the Tories in Sheffield’s council elections last year Ukip may already be Labour’s main opposition in the north.
The Lib Dems used to be the party of protest but joining the coalition ended all that. Just as importantly, growing EU control of so many aspects of daily life has made Westminster and its old parties more and more irrelevant to ordinary people.
Ukip offers a distinct alternative. Farage says: “there isn’t a town or street that a Ukip campaigner cannot win support on.
There are no ‘no-go areas’ as there are for the old tribal parties.” Why is this? It campaigns to limit immigration, save the £53million a day which EU membership costs us, end namby-pamby law and order policies and the human rights racket, restore grammars and revive social mobility, let landlords offer designated smoking areas inside pubs, end political correctness and nanny state bossiness. All this resonates with people in deprived urban estates as much as country villages and smart suburbs.
Frantic Tory MPs, fearing Cameron will lead them over an electoral cliff, clamour for an electoral pact with Ukip. They fail to understand that England is now a fourparty system and Ukip is not just a refuge for battered Tories.
As the only mainstream party committed to leave the increasingly unpopular, expensive, intrusive and unsuccessful EU, Ukip is a permanent part of the political furniture. This is a fundamental realignment of British politics. Things will never be the same again. | <urn:uuid:9772c189-4e55-47f1-8e66-cfca257eca52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/362020/Ukip-s-changed-politics-forever | 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 | 0.951745 | 1,114 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Cast and Crew: Robert Wise (Director); Lois Maxwell
What It’s About: Anthropologist Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson) invites three strangers to join him in investigating Hill House, a 19th century mansion with a history of tragedy and supernatural activity so extensive that it is said it was “born bad.” They are psychic Theodora (Claire Bloom); mousey, isolated Eleanor (Julie Harris), who experienced a poltergeist; and skeptical playboy Luke Saderson (Russ Tamblyn) who is to inherit the mansion. Markway’s exact aims are unclear, as is the true nature of the house, but one thing is certain: one of Markway’s guests brought their own demons with them.
Why Watch it Today?: Today’s film was based on Shirley Jackson’s novel The Haunting of Hill House. Jackson was born 95 years ago today in 1916. The Haunting is an excellent adaptation of Jackson’s novel, and one of the all time great haunted house films, perfect for a cold December evening. Pop some popcorn, make some hot cocoa, snuggle up under some warm blankets, turn down your lights and be prepared to pay very careful attention to every noise your home makes when you finish. | <urn:uuid:fda53c44-1672-4089-9b4e-7593c3c4d8ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://leagueofdeadfilms.com/2011/12/14/december-14th-2011-the-haunting-1963/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950918 | 264 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Over the weekend, Seth Godin blogged about making timely decisions. It brought to mind a number of items worth additional discussion. One of my favorite sayings is "we should do something" when managers are shown a potential issue. It is usually followed up with a flurry of meetings, too much information, and less than a clear path forward. While frustrating, it became clear over time that we often lack a process to consider, debate, and ultimately put ad-hoc course corrrections into action. It was also appearant that we suffer from a culture that uses information overload to decline action based on the need for additional information.
To make a little more sense of it, here is a two by two grid that shows the risk and rewards of whether action was created and whether it was correct or not. The goal of this was to highlight perhaps the personal motivations behind action or lack thereof.
Creating action is more likely to cause the extremes in risk versus reward, while delaying or taking no action is often the safer route. While companies need to take risks to lead within the market, employees may not have the same motivations. Is the potential for a promotion, worth the risk of falling out of favor? Do we, as company policy, reward action financially? Is a failed action the same as a failure to act? | <urn:uuid:6c7954e4-ee30-44fd-a6be-a37f00b4abce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://perf-mgt.blogspot.jp/2009/04/is-failed-action-same-as-failure-to-act.html | 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 | 0.975221 | 269 | 1.65625 | 2 |
How to franchise my business
Warning about bad franchising advice
If you, like many other see the successes of franchising and therefore think you should be franchising your business, don’t rush straight in with the first advisor you come across. There are a number that do invest in the best ethical advice and practices, which will give your business the strongest foundations. However, you need to make sure you know how to identify them.
Franchising is not an out-of-the-box solution, as every business will have its own intricacies and will need specific advice and agreements for the business to be run properly.
There are a number of advisors, including consultants and solicitors that will be more than happy to take you money in turn for advice on franchising. This advice can sometimes be very objective and well thought out – but sometimes this franchising advice can be nothing more than your first step to disaster.
For a start, avoid stock franchise agreements. Cheap generic agreements at best mean you can end up wasting a small amount of money – at worse you can lose a lot more. Don't be caught out by thinking that you can reduce franchising costs with cheaper off-the-shelf agreements or consultancy from those that don't have the expertise.
The bfa has developed standards over many years to help you get the right advice when franchising your business and we urge you to make sure that your professional advisors are bfa accredited. There are advisors that are not bfa accredited that can offer similar standards, but you may find it difficult to know whether they are good enough or not.
Without making sure your business is set up properly or that you have the right legal documentation you run the risk of your franchisees not being able to gain finance from the banks. You will also certainly make the task a whole lot harder when trying to gain bfa membership to show that you are a proper ethical franchise, as your business will be open to a number of possible problems.
Take a few minutes to go through some of the franchising key facts and advice pieces on the bfa website. It will help you franchise your business better and with the confidence that you are spending your money correctly for your business. | <urn:uuid:da75fd84-ab31-485b-8d04-8b2b53dad91a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thebfa.org/franchise-my-business | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964586 | 452 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Obama’s record in Muslim world has strides, setbacks
WASHINGTON – Images of angry mobs in Arab cities burning American flags and attacking U.S. diplomatic posts suggest the Muslim world is no less enraged at the United States than when President George W. Bush had to duck shoes hurled at him in Baghdad.
But more than three years after President Barack Obama declared in Cairo that he would seek “a new beginning” in U.S.-Muslim relations, a closer look reveals strides as well as setbacks.
One U.S.-led war is over and another is receding, although there are questions about whether America has made lasting gains in Afghanistan.
If you have any technical difficulties, either with your username and password or with the payment options, please contact us by e-mail at [email protected] | <urn:uuid:cec78ffc-f647-438d-afc1-a96845beec7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nwherald.com/2012/09/20/obamas-record-in-muslim-world-has-strides-setbacks/azb4wkb/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95815 | 170 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Many - it's how milk chocolate was made for a long time, before drying technologies were invented. It's also the reason crumb was invented. Wet milk brings with it a host of challenges, microbiological and physical. It'll be quite challenging for the average joe to successfully incorporate fluid milk into a moldable chocolate. I'd strongly urge you to take the dried milk approach.
Even for those well versed in the practice of making chocolate, with lots of years of experience and fancy machines - most will elect to go the route of dried milk.
Thanks sebastian, But would you say making milk chocolates from liquid milk would be more appealing or would have a better quality?
is a red car better than a blue car? 8-) appeal and personal preference are multidimensional - and dependent upon many factors that have nothing to do with the final product itself, but involve perception. folks might perceive it to be better because it's made with liquid milk. will it taste different or feel different? that depends entirely on how you process it.
I agree with Sebastian on this one - it really depends how you process and WHO you get your milk from, be it powdered or fresh. Not all milks are created equal, just as not all beans are.
Why not try some small test batches and see for yourself what YOU think about flavour, whether or not the process is worth the outcome, not to mention whether it's viable in your business plan?
I'd be happy to hear your opinions/results!
Hi great guys i will ahve to try this out, i always thought liquid would actually sieze the chocolate in a santha.
If you're aiming for bars as your finished product, obviously you'll have to take some liquid out, as fresh milk is largely water and you won't finish with a very solid product.
If I were experimenting with my own supply of fresh milk, I'd be looking at an evaporative/dehydrative process prior to putting it in the santha.
arghhh thats what i thought :(. has anyone tried to do praline filling in a santha?
Under no circumstance do i advocate adding fluid milk to your santha. Unless you've got a very good understanding of the microbiological dangers (and controls), and have the appropriate equipment in addition to your santha to help control that, i'd urge you to steer clear from this approach. | <urn:uuid:40bd5d1e-f690-4398-87c4-f25a526c23df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thechocolatelife.com/forum/topics/using-milk?commentId=1978963%3AComment%3A126221&xg_source=activity | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973907 | 498 | 1.632813 | 2 |
While the in-transit crisis was resolved short of going to court, it is time to litigate other important matters. It has been years in coming, but it is now time to implement the last resort. The pending litigation discussed below is unprecedented and will be the most important in international hunting history. It will have worldwide impact. Counting the two polar bear suits, Conservation Force is launching no less than six suits against the USF&WS.
On January 6, 2009, Conservation Force and its allied partners filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue the Secretary of Interior, Director of Wildlife and the Regional Solicitor for the Pacific Southwest Region. That notice arises from the USF&WS’s seizures and forfeitures of trophy shipments because of mere technical and clerical mistakes. After a seizure the USF&WS has maintained that the trophy is “contraband;” therefore, the hunter’s innocence or lack of personal fault is no defense. Hunters have had to forfeit their trophies regardless of the price of their hunts or their service to conservation.
In 2001, Congress passed a law to protect citizens from abusive seizures/forfeitures from government agencies. That was the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act, 18 USC 983. The USF&WS, its Office of Law Enforcement and the Solicitors of the Department of Interior have repeatedly refused to honor the new legislation. Instead, they maintain the statutory protection intended for “innocent owners” is not applicable to wildlife seizures because they are “contraband.” They repeatedly cite court cases that predate the reform of the law. And contrary to what they say, the law defining “contraband” doesn’t include trophies at all.
We are of a far different view, as we have seen hunters lose everything from argali to elephant trophies. Consequently, Conservation Force has been waiting for the right case to arise and take to court for the benefit of everyone. We now have that case. Unless the USF&WS favorably responds to the notice, we will be filing a petition for declaratory and injunctive relief in Federal District Court to resolve the law and end the abusive regulatory practices once and for all.
The case chosen is one where an airline lost the shipment documents, including the CITES export permit, on a leopard trophy. The airline explained the situation, and the export country issued a replacement export permit. There is a special CITES Resolution that provides for a replacement permit in such circumstances, but, as usual, the USF&WS did not honor it. Of course, it was not the hunter’s fault at all, and the forfeiture of the trophy was an excessive penalty for a mishap that was absolutely harmless.
A petition for remission and then a petition for reconsideration was filed on the basis of the innocent owner defense and the CITES Resolution that expressly provides for replacement export permits in the inevitable cases of permit loss. The petition also rested on the excessive penalty or proportionality argument. It was denied in full by the Assistant Solicitor on the basis that the leopard trophy was “contraband.” Who could be more innocent than a hunter waiting at home when paperwork is lost by the transporting airline and there is no dispute about the legality and identity of the trophy?
The case will establish once and for all whether the innocent owner defense applies to hunting trophies. It will decide if lawfully taken hunting trophies are “contraband” simply because of clerical and technical errors and mishaps, expirations, etc. It will decide the applicability of the US Constitution’s due process clause to the property rights of hunters regarding their trophies. That is an important standalone issue by itself. It will determine the applicability of the “excessive” fines clause of the US Constitution to the forfeitures that have been taking place at an increasing rate when the penalty is disproportionate to the harm done. I repeat, the errors are after the fact and do not harm anyone.
We have confirmed that over the last several years the number of seizures and forfeitures has skyrocketed, and little consideration is being given to the innocence of the hunter/owner and no consideration is being given to the proportionality or excessiveness of the forfeiture to the technical offense that has done no harm. The Law Enforcement Office and the Solicitors treat trophy trade as “unfavored” trade instead of “conservation hunting.” In most instances the hunting is favored by CITES and other authorities by quotas of the Parties at CoPs, non-detriment determinations and even enhancement findings. The Solicitors that should provide relief instead act as enforcement reinforcement. They turn a deaf ear because the trophies are, they claim, contraband.
It is long past time that we all join forces to do this through Conservation Force. We need your financial support to do it. Believe me, your trophy may be next if you have not lost one or more invaluable trophies already. Hunters pay for conservation in developing nations, but are treated like criminals at home upon the importation of their trophies. Enough is enough. It is growing far worse. There is no choice but to seek the help of the courts, but to succeed we must have your support.
A second notice of intent to sue that we have filed involves the failure of the USF&WS to issue permits at all when the species are listed as “endangered” and also the failure of the USF&WS to downlist foreign species when it is in their conservation interest to do so. This is not one suit, it is a multiplicity of suits that will have to remain confidential until each is filed. This is the year that the property interests hunters have in their trophies will be determined as a matter of law. It is directly at issue in both of the polar bear cases Conservation Force has filed (appeal in 9th Circuit for spring 2008 trophies and suit in D.C. to invalidate the species’ listing). It will be directly at issue in suits filed for not timely downlisting different species and for failure to grant various enhancement permits. Ultimately, the suits will decide everything from the import of black rhino to China’s argali.
On January 13, 2009 Conservation Force filed the 60-day notice of intent to sue on behalf of itself and those it represents, including seven (7) other organizations. These suits are long overdue challenges of the USF&WS’s permitting and downlisting practices under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We dare not make public at this time anything more than the notice to sue until the suits are filed. The “Re:” to the notice reads “Obstruction of Foreign Programs/Failure to Issue Enhancement Permits.” The notice reads as follows:
Dear Secretary Kempthorne and Director Hall,
This is a 60-day notice of intent to sue under the Endangered Species Act. It is for the illegal practice of not issuing trophy import permits for “endangered” listed species under the “enhancement” provisions of the ESA. That practice is contrary to published FWS regulations and violates the mandatory obligation to “cooperate” with the conservation efforts of foreign nations. The USF&WS has a history of listing foreign game species over the objection of foreign nations without rational consideration of the efficacy or the negative impact on the conservation efforts of the foreign nation, then not exercising its authority to support and encourage conservation programs through the issuance of trophy import permits that would “enhance” the survival of the listed species in the wild. For example, two such species are the Suleiman markhor taken in the Targhor Project in Pakistan and wood bison taken in the Yukon, Canada. Import permits applications for both of those have languished within the USF&WS for the length of the present Administration. The knowing obstruction of some of the foremost sustainable use projects in the world and the indifference to permit applicants’ “due process” and property rights continues to be unconscionable and illegal. Those are just two examples.
The prior Administration was ready to correct these illegal practices, but this Administration has delayed and denied that reform. We know and understand that the USF&WS and DOI have recommended the enhancement practice and would have adopted it but for the failure of this Administration to accept the recommendations. That leaves us no alternative but to sue.
This is also notice for the failure of the USF&WS to make a timely 90-day determination on the petition to downlist the Yukon wood bison and a 12-month finding on the petition to downlist the Suleiman markhor in Pakistan....
We incorporate by reference herein all the prior pleas, requests, comments by Conservation Force and those it represents and diplomatic protest by foreign nations. This is final notice.
In short, the Administration reneged. These suits will once and for all determine the applicability of the concept of sustainable use to the conservation and recovery of listed species. They will determine if hunters can be a force for the conservation of game animals. They will determine the rights and fair treatment of hunters themselves, as well as their conservation interests. I must humbly apologize to those hunters whose trophies have rotted while waiting for the promised reform within the USF&WS. The promises are over. But for the misleading promises given to us, we would have taken action before. Now we have no choice. Late as it is, it is now or never.
We need your support. Send your tax-deductible contribution to Conservation Force at P.O. Box 278, Metairie, LA 70004-0278. | <urn:uuid:5f8e1267-d146-4cb5-abfc-57d9c545dfaa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huntingreport.com/conservation_force.cfm?id=156 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948657 | 2,011 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Meet a midwife from HartlandPublished 12:00pm Thursday, February 21, 2013
HARTLAND — When she was a child Rachel Knudson saw film of a baby being born. She asked her parents what kind of job helps women deliver babies.
“I have always wanted to work with birthing women,” she said.
She went to college with plans to become a doctor but found Western medicine wasn’t for her. Instead, she became a midwife. The 35-year-old is the owner of Gentle Hands Midwifery, based north of Hartland at her home, 68846 327th St.
Her home, however, isn’t where she does most of her work. She goes to the homes of the pregnant women she serves.
An obstetrician makes the rounds in a hospital and might see the expecting mothers for five to 10 minutes. A midwife, Knudson said, might spend two or three hours during visits. They develop trust.
“I really like the relationships I get to build with my clients,” she said.
Even during labor, nurses are keeping doctors informed of the mother’s progress. The doctor swoops in during pushing to deliver the baby. Sometimes, the doctor a mother might have seen during the pregnancy isn’t the one who delivers the baby.
A midwife, she said, is in the room the entire time of labor.
“My clients like the continuity of care,” Knudson said.
Midwives work exclusively with low-risk families. Someone expecting triplets or facing health problems likely isn’t going to seek a midwife.
Couples choosing birth with a midwife instead of a doctor do so for these common reasons:
• They want to give birth to the baby in their home, perhaps because of tradition or for religious customs.
• They are concerned about the high rate of Caesarian sections given in hospitals. As recently as 2009, the C-section rate was one in three women.
• They do not want to be treated as a patient, which is what some women feel when in hospitals. Being pregnant is not an illness; it is normal.
Midwives, she said, have a reputation for focusing on nutrition and fitness of the expecting family during pregnancy, in addition to monitoring the usual signs such as blood pressure, heart rate and baby position. She said midwives are highly successful at helping mothers lactate by birth.
They visit once a month until 28 weeks, then every other week until 36 weeks, then weekly. They prepare a room in the home for the birth so when the mother goes into labor, everything is ready. The midwife knows how to deliver the child, and if complications arise, an ambulance is called.
Midwives do not induce birth with medicine. Knudson said many mothers feel it is better to let the baby determine when it wants to come out. Midwives also do not offer painkillers.
The midwife stays afterward to examine the newborn and make sure the mother is healthy and nursing. There are five postpartum visits.
“It’s not always an easy job, but it is incredible,” she said.
Knudson has delivered about 100 babies. She assisted with an additional 100 births during her apprenticeship in New Mexico.
She went to school at the National College of Midwifery, in Taos, N.M., and the House of the Matrona in Asheville, N.C. In Minnesota, midwives are not required to be licensed.
She charges a flat fee of $3,000. Consultations are free. She accepts clients within a two-hour drive. She also can make arrangements for water birth.
Gentle Hands Midwifery can be reached at 507-845-2554. | <urn:uuid:28bd5ac7-5395-439a-b53d-3e795f48efbe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.albertleatribune.com/2013/02/21/meet-a-midwife-from-hartland/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977067 | 806 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The window film community, like many industries, can have a difficult time getting through to state legislators. Whether it’s lack of understanding or just a lack of concern, lawmakers don’t have window film high on their list of priorities. So when the industry can get an opening with a legislator, it’s something to be celebrated.
That’s what happened when the International Window Film Association (IWFA) and film dealers and distributors in New York were able to get a state legislator out to Tint King in Colonie, N.Y. (a suburb of the state capitol), for an educational session. Assemblyman Michael J. Cusick (D) and one of his aides made the trip to Tint King, owned by David and Sandy Zel, after he introduced a law that would have restricted visible light transmittance (VLT) on all windows to 70 percent with exception of the rear window (if mirrors were on both sides of the vehicle).
The IWFA contacted Cusick after he proposed the law and discovered that he was interested in learning more about the business. At Tint King, Lynwood Butner, IWFA’s legislative consultant, David Metcalfe, a sales representative for Bekaert Specialty Films in Clearwater, Fla., and the Zels taught the assemblyman about film and how his proposed law would affect the industry. Not only did Cusick witness demonstrations, but he also learned that, under his law, the windows on new SUVs would be illegal in New York.
“I thought that he seemed pretty open-minded about film when he was there,” David Zel said. “I think it was more of a case that he wasn’t educated or familiar with window film percentages and things like that. We basically showed him that what he had proposed would make all auto glass illegal. We showed him what 50 percent looks like. He obviously saw that those were very light films.”
Unfortunately, not all legislators are as open minded as Cusick. Many have, in fact, proposed laws that could hurt both the industry and the consumer. This keeps Butner, his staff and many local film dealers and distributors very busy. Here’s a look at some of the hot spots:
As Butner fights these laws, he’s working with Cusick’s office to try develop a law similar to the one in Massachusetts that allows 35 percent VLT all the way around the vehicle and has language for multi-purpose vehicles.
“We have tried to provide sample legislation to the assembly in New York in hopes that they would recognize the benefits of putting legislation in that would make enforcement easy for citizens as well as members,” Butner said.
The association is also busy fighting two bills (Assembly Bill 3387 and Senate Bill 1640) that would add tinted or shaded windows to the list of items inspected during the annual safety inspection. While other bills proposing similar legislation failed in New York, Butner knows he must track it.
“In the past, these bills never advanced,” he said. “But you can’t take these things for granted. We need to be aware of them, let our members be aware of them and track them to make sure we keep up with what’s going on.”
“There are areas where authorities aren’t enforcing the film laws,” Fair said. “When tint shops are using 35 and 50 percent film, they’re not getting hassled. They take that as enabling them to install the product legally. But what happens when the cop in his area retires and a new guy comes in and shuts the film dealer down? These tinters don’t understand they’re under a lit firecracker.”
To standardize things, the IWFA, with the assistance of Fair, have worked with Pennsylvania State Representative Joseph Preston (D) to introduce Bill 277. The bill specifies 35 VLT percent on the rear window, 70 VLT percent on the front and sides, medical and multi-purpose exemptions and stiffer penalties for lawbreakers. Right now, Butner is trying to arrange a meeting between Pennsylvania officials and a local dealer to do a demonstration, similar to what he did with Tint King in New York.
But the process still has along way to go, according to Fair. Members who are getting by with tinting in the state are upset that it could be passed.
“We can’t get the tinters to back it up,” she said. “They claim that if they can’t put the film they had been putting on the driver and passenger’s side, they’ll be out of business.”
Because of this, Fair isn’t hopeful.
“The only way it has a chance to pass is if the industry [manufacturers and distributors] go straight to [the state capitol in] Harrisburg and hire a lobbyist,” she said.
“This is for people with medical conditions, such from cancer, leukemia and eye sensitivity, that can’t have light on them as they conduct their normal business,” Butner said. “This bill would allow them to get [lower] levels of visible light transmittance on their window film to help their medical condition.”
Another bill would have eliminated the term reflectivity from the law and substituted the term absorption. As most people inside the industry know, it’s difficult to measure absorption.
“The only way you can do it is go through a fairly lengthy process,” Butner said. “You have to take the amount of light transmitted and the amount of light reflected. Then you can come back to the remaining amount, which is being absorbed.”
Butner contacted Senator John Cherry (D) and provided him with technical information on reflectivity, absorption and reflectance and eventually the bill died.
“With the assistance of a lot of members in Michigan and manufacturers, we were able to provide them with different types of film so they could understand what we were talking about,” Butner said.
“We’ve had a long-time problem with illegal tinting,” he said. “For the past couple of years, I’ve complained to the highway patrol and written letters, but they just shrugged me off.”
Then Hartman started running into important people. He tinted windows for a lady in the highway patrol who said the cops weren’t enforcing the law because they eventually wanted to get film banned. Then, as he was Christmas shopping, he saw an influential state legislator (for whom he once did work) who said the highway patrol wouldn’t enforce the film law because they wanted more money and officers. Eventually their goal was to have a “no film” law.
The last thing Hartman wanted was a film industry running rampant without laws. So he worked with the industry, contacting the IWFA, and went to the local authorities, talking to a local sheriff and the head of law enforcement. Now the enforcement head is working out a policy that Hartman hopes will end illegal tinting. Butner gives Hartman all the credit for this.
“Hartman has been invaluable to the industry in Nevada from his activity on this particular piece of legislation,” Butner said. “ He identified a potential piece of legislation that would have eliminated the film law in Nevada, he contacted the office and looked at the types of educational materials we could use [to help the authorities in Nevada].”
Like the Zel’s, Hartman has proven that a small film dealer can have a big impact on the legislation in his state.
“That’s the type of interaction we need,” Butner said. “It truly is a partnership to make these things work. It’s really extremely critical that we have that kind of ability to work with the local [film dealers] on these types of things.”
“The requirement that film is part of safety inspection program had some problems in other states,” Butner said. “In other cases, it’s done on the spot by the enforcement official.” | <urn:uuid:e1b5bc88-8654-4273-be3c-50464aba58f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usglassmag.com/Window_Film/BackIssues/2005/May-June%202005/LegislativeBattles.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97503 | 1,743 | 1.664063 | 2 |
I, like many others in the meet and greet section, had a few fish in the bowl when I was a kid. I always liked them but I was not diligent enough, didn't look after them, they passed on, and dad wouldn't buy me more as a life lesson. Now that I am in my mid 40's I am older and wiser (wife isn't so sure about more mature though) and I have been thinking about getting an aquarium for a few years.
So I announced before xmas I was interested in putting together an aquarium and the wife looked at me like I was from mars. I mentioned I could get a bearded dragon instead. She said fish are fine.
So now that I sorta kinda have permission I dove into research. I am a tad anal about doing things the right way and this time it seems that is in my favour. I didn't know the difference between a nitrogen cycle and a unicycle. Now I know just about enough to be dangerous, just hopefully not to the fish.
After reading a lot on the net, and especially in this forum, I am planning on getting a 55-75G ish size tank and build it planted. I am looking into "themes" from a region of the world but am undecided and am open to suggestions. A couple of Byron's tanks from the Amazon look very interesting. One issue we have is VERY hard water in Alberta so at this point am unsure how that will affect the fish/plants from the Amazon. More research is obviously required.
I am glad to be here. It looks like a lot of people that enjoy their hobby and are happy to help. And boy do I need the help :) | <urn:uuid:7ebdcd10-e676-4e60-ac83-d738d98479a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/meet-community/greetings-frozen-north-34452/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98836 | 347 | 1.75 | 2 |
The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) is the professional association that represents certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) in the United States. With roots dating to 1929, ACNM sets the standard for excellence in midwifery education and practice in the United States and strengthens the capacity of midwives in developing countries. Our members are primary care providers for women throughout the lifespan, with a special emphasis on pregnancy, childbirth, and gynecologic and reproductive health. ACNM reviews research, administers and promotes continuing education programs, and works with organizations, state and federal agencies, and members of Congress to advance the well-being of women and infants through the practice of midwifery.
Please be advised that ACNM does not certify or license Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM) or Certified Midwives (CM).
For official information about the certification status of CNMs or CMs, please consult the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) at www.amcbmidwife.org.
For official information about whether a CNM or CNM holds a current state license, please consult the website of the state licensing board for midwives in the state where that midwife practices. Click Here to download a list of the state licensing boards for CNMs and CMs. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)
Advancing the health and well-being of women and newborns by setting the standard for midwifery excellence.
ACNM works to establish midwifery as the standard of care for women. We lead the profession through education, clinical practice, research, and advocacy.
Our Core Values
ACNM values excellence in midwifery education, clinical practice, and research. We are committed to upholding the highest clinical and ethical standards, professional responsibility, accountability, and integrity.
ACNM evaluates, publishes, and showcases scientific evidence to improve professional practice. We are committed to upholding the most rigorous clinical practice standards in the midwifery profession and applying this knowledge and clinical expertise to help women make the best health decisions. We strongly support the use of quality measurement to improve care.
ACNM promotes certification of midwives based on completion of nationally recognized, accredited midwifery education programs in accordance with the International Confederation of Midwives global standards for education. We support interprofessional education of midwives with other health professionals to improve maternity care and women’s health services.
ACNM celebrates and supports a diverse midwifery profession. ACNM embraces those prepared dually in nursing and midwifery and those prepared directly in midwifery.
The woman is at the core of our practice. ACNM and its members respect a woman’s lifecycle events. We approach life events, such as puberty, birth, and menopause, as physiologic transitions that are best supported by education and midwifery expertise.
ACNM members provide primary and maternity care services to help women of all ages and their newborns attain, regain, and maintain health. We emphasize health promotion and education, disease prevention, and informed decision-making.
Our members build partnerships with women and their families by listening and providing information, guidance, and counseling in a shared decision-making process. We partner with other members of the health care team through collaboration and referral to provide optimal care and to advance the integration of midwifery care into the health care system.
ACNM amplifies women’s voices on health issues. We advocate on behalf of women and families, our members, and the midwifery profession to eliminate health disparities and increase access to evidence-based, quality care. This includes the promotion of standards for entry to practice and continuing competency; funding for education and reimbursement for services; and increasing the visibility and recognition of the value of midwifery care.
ACNM promotes the profession of midwifery globally. We foster quality and innovation in midwifery education and support the strengthening of the profession worldwide through education, regulation, and association-building as keys to improving maternal and newborn health.
Source: ACNM Board of Directors, approved April 2012 | <urn:uuid:77058a7e-a91e-4adc-b1d7-b407b93771a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.midwife.org/about-acnm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935045 | 858 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Nutrition expert comments on calorie content ruling
Midmorning talks with nutrition expert and former USDA official Luise Light, about a federal judge's decision to strike down a requirement that restaurants in New York City post calorie content on their menus. Light was the creator of the original USDA food pyramid.
- Luise Light: Former USDA director of dietary guidance and nutrition education research. She was one of the architects of the original food pyramid. She is the author of "What to Eat: The Ten Things You Really Need to Know to Eat Well and Be Healthy." | <urn:uuid:6ac39158-067f-430d-8514-a9ed0aac83ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/09/14/midmorning3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942094 | 112 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Comparison of health-related outcomes for arthritis, chronic joint symptoms, and sporadic joint symptoms: A population-based study
Arthritis Care & Research , 06/08/2012
Canizares M et al. – Chronic joint symptoms (CJS) was reported by 10% of the adult population. Similarities in outcomes to arthritis suggest that CJS has a substantial impact in the population and that ‘arthritis’–management advice is likely needed for this group. | <urn:uuid:abcb9c2a-d9ce-4112-acf2-b816bde334d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mdlinx.com/orthopedics/news-article.cfm/4098633/0/arthritis/next/23?source=scroller | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941532 | 97 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The group originated in Ozone Park, Queens in 1957 when they were teenagers. The original members were Nick Santamaria (aka Nick Santo, lead), Mike Mincelli (first tenor), Frank Reina (second tenor), Vinnie Naccarato (d. 26 December2008) (baritone), and John Cassese (bass). They were all around 15 years of age at the time and still in school. Vinnie, Mike, and John all went to John Adams High School, while Nick was a student at Woodrow Wilson and Frank attended Franklin K. Lane. Mike Mincelli, started the group and recruited the members. In the spring/summer of 1958 the final member was recruited and really got things together. They originally called themselves "the Supremes" but soon changed to "The Capris". It is often thought their name came from the island of Capri, since the boys were all Italian, but Nick confirmed in a 1993 interview with Greg Milewski, that they named themselves after the 1950s Lincoln Capri.
By 1958 the group had started gaining experience and popularity by performing at local venues, school dances and churches. They attracted the attention of independent record producers. Soon they would record their first single. | <urn:uuid:dbb833ba-de82-49a8-acc9-85ba8cedd8dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://977music.com/index.php?p=sn_view_group&id=1749 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986227 | 257 | 1.664063 | 2 |
® S HD™ System, the state-of-the-art,minimally invasive surgical system that combines computer and robotic technologies to create a new type of surgery known as robotic-assisted surgery. Eisenhower Medical Center was the first facility in the Coachella Valley to offer this less invasive technology.
While Eisenhower physicians use the da Vinci System extensively for minimally invasive prostate and hysterectomy surgeries, this advanced technology is being used increasingly in cardiothoracic surgery. In April 2010, Eisenhower Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Joseph Wilson,MD used the da Vinci System to perform a mediastinal (middle of the chest) excision.“This particular patient had a cancer in her mediastinal area between her heart and lung,” shares Dr.Wilson.“Ordinarily, in traditional surgery, we would have had to make a four to five-inch incision to remove the tumor.With the da Vinci, the incision is just one to two centimeters [less than 3/4 inch]. I was able to perform the procedure and remove the tumor, which was encapsulated, with little problem and less trauma to the patient.”
Indian Wells resident Shirley Peterson went to two other hospitals before arriving at Eisenhower and Dr.Wilson.“Both hospitals recommended chemotherapy right away,” shares Peterson.“My oncologist Dr. Tom Reynolds really encouraged me to get a plan in place and seek out other options, and gave me the names of several doctors. That is how I arrived at Dr.Wilson’s office and learned about the thoracic surgery option using the da Vinci.”
Shirley Peterson was very impressed with not only Dr.Wilson, but also his staff as well.“Dr.Wilson told me this was the least invasive approach, and told me I’d be out of the hospital within a day,” says Peterson. “It was his confidence in the procedure, and his overall manner, that made me sure that this was the right thing to do.”
She is delighted with the results.“It’s a wonderful thing to be able to have that type of surgical procedure done,” explains Peterson.“I had a little pain after the surgery and took a prescribed pain medication for only four days after the surgery…and that was it. The three little dots [incisions] that were on my side are all healed up. I can even go back to wearing a swimsuit.”
Eisenhower physicians have been using the da Vinci system for about two and one-half years, and the technology has become routine for many of the surgical procedures performed at the Medical Center. The da Vinci procedure offers a host of benefits for patients including: shorter hospital stays, less pain, less risk of infection, less blood loss, less scarring, faster recovery and a quicker return to normal activities.“It has really been a blessing for our patients to have this technology available here in the desert,” says Dr.Wilson. | <urn:uuid:3c2ae2d5-f2e3-46e6-9b1f-733025c66949> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.emc.org/healthyliving.cfm?id=855&action=detail&dataRef=1892&source=511&issue=556&geo= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96836 | 638 | 1.8125 | 2 |
QoLT Systems Iterative Design
(formerly Engineer/Stakeholder Sessions)One goal of the Person & Society Thrust (PST) is to facilitate incorporation of social science input into the development of each QoLT Systems within the Center. This project aims to systematically elicit stakeholder input for a project in each QoLT Systems, to facilitate a dialog between engineers and stakeholders, and to summarize stakeholder input for engineers to use going forward in the development of their projects.
One of the defining features of the QoLT ERC is the influence of the PST in engineering design. This project contributes to this QoLT goal by making stakeholder input available in a systematic and useful way.
Major barriers include lack of input from potential users and stakeholders in the design of QoLT with a corresponding lack of interaction between engineers and users early in the design process. We used a qualitative approach grounded in social science research methods to elicit this input in a systematic way, to avoid common problems often found in focus groups such as disproportionate emphasis on input from a small number of participants, and reluctance to share unpopular (but important) opinions in a group setting or to those whose work may be criticized. The methodology split the sessions into three parts: an initial engineer presentation, individual stakeholder interviews, and a guided engineer-stakeholder discussion focusing on the critical aspects of the technology that emerged during the interviews.
The systematic methodology used in the engineering-stakeholder sessions draws from methods used in the mental models approach, a cutting edge research methodology used to bridge multiple disciplines to help people with different backgrounds communicate efficiently. The innovation of breaking the group discussion into individual interviews paid off in terms of the richness of feedback obtained, and was informally reinforced by some stakeholders’ comments that they were sharing relative critical information, which they would have been hesitant or unwilling to say in front of a large group including the engineers working on the project.
Engineer-stakeholder sessions have been conducted for all four QoLT Systems projects, and informal feedback was provided to the engineers involved with each project during the discussion phase of each session. Formal feedback on all four sessions is currently being prepared and will be delivered to all interested parties, including stakeholders, engineers and others. | <urn:uuid:6e779223-0c7f-41e4-9364-f66325aa6041> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cmu.edu/qolt/Research/projects/past-projects/engineer-stakeholder-sessions.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945033 | 457 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Laurent send us this post about this unique wine, please enjoy it without moderation ...
Julie Gonet-Médeville is often called “l’antiquaire de Sauternes.” It’s a curious title. What does this lively young woman have to do with antiques? The answer lies in her family history: For more than half a century, the Médevilles have let their Sauternes age for decades in concrete vats. The wines never see the inside of a wooden barrel—they go directly from vat to bottle.
Like so many great discoveries, this original method came about by chance. In the 1930s, Julie’s grandfather, René de Médeville, was feeling the effects of the economic slump that had hit the whole area. He decided to build concrete vats to replace the barrels that were both costly and hard to come by. After a few years, he observed that the wines were breathing well, maturing more slowly and developing more complex aromas. Thus Château Gilette, a Sauternes petit cru, became legendary for its old vintages.
Unlike her two older sisters, Gonet-Médeville, 30, always wanted to be a winemaker. After studying law, she worked alongside her parents for seven years and, in 2004, officially took over her family’s properties: Gilette, Les Justices (a more traditional Sauternes) and Respide-Médeville, which produces red and white Graves. She also brought something new to the table: Champagne Gonet-Médeville, a small house founded by her husband, Xavier Gonet, a young champenois oenologist.
Does the couple ever get confused, what with producing wines that are so different from one another? “In a profession like winemaking, which can be tough and repetitive, diversity’s a good thing,” they insist. And although they’d like to experiment a bit on the Graves property and in Champagne, it’s hands off at Château Gilette: “You have to get used to the idea that wine put in a vat today won’t be sold for another 20 years,” Gonet-Médeville says. “It’s a whole different relationship with time.” | <urn:uuid:813870b8-f2b6-4baa-8481-88c95e5784da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://southsiders-mc.blogspot.com/2008_12_29_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952184 | 507 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Supportive Doula Services
Margie Levy, Certified Doula
Serving the Greater Los Angeles Area since 2002
*Please provide your due date, name of your care provider, where you plan to give birth, and the area in which you live.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Compassion. Experience. Reassurance.
What is a birth doula?
The word "doula" originated in ancient Greece and simply meant "servant". In terms of childbirth, it now refers to a non-medical professional who provides continuous physical and emotional support during labor, childbirth, and immediately after. Imagine if you could take your childbirth educator with you to your birth - that is what is like to have a birth doula!
Studies have shown that hiring a doula can help reduce the use of interventions in childbirth and improves the experience overall. Click here for details.
Doulas do not give medical advice or perform or interpret medical procedures such as vital signs, fetal heart tones, or vaginal exams. As a doula, I give birthing parents the information they need to make their own informed decisions and I am supportive of those decisions no matter what.
I consider it a privilege and an honor to be invited to attend the birth of a new baby. | <urn:uuid:e5f26e81-3bf4-4e7b-9505-c528238cfe6b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.supportivedoula.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934825 | 265 | 1.75 | 2 |
AMES, Iowa -- Iowans can make their voices heard about creating a more vibrant food system at the Iowa Local Food Summit on Tuesday, April 3.
The summit will include conversations and workshops about how to meet the goals outlined in the Iowa Local Food and Farm Plan, developed by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in response to state legislation passed in 2011. The plan outlines broad goals for the production, processing, distribution, marketing and consumption of local food. It aims to increase the profitability of local foods and the number of jobs along the food chain.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey will provide a welcome to the attendees. “We have made progress in making more local foods available in Iowa, but we still have work to do,” Northey said. “This conference will help showcase some of the successes and bring all the stakeholders together to address the challenges. There are great opportunities on our farms and in our rural communities due to the growing interest by consumers in taking advantage of local foods, and this conference will help make sure Iowa doesn’t miss out on those opportunities.”
The team members of the Iowa Local Food and Farm Program have met some of these recommendations, and continue making progress toward others. They now hope to extend the conversation into a diverse cross-section of Iowans interested in providing input into addressing the challenges and barriers that still exist.
“As we overcome these barriers and face the challenges, we have the opportunity to build on the strong agricultural tradition of Iowa farmers and spread the net to prove that we can truly be part of the solution to feed Iowans with Iowa-grown and raised products,” said Lynn Heuss, the Local Food and Farm Program assistant coordinator.
The summit will take place at the Scheman Building on the Iowa State University campus from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The keynote speaker, David Dahlquist, is a nationally recognized public artist and teacher who will speak about creating a local sense of place that embraces food, history and culture.
Register for the event online, or download the mail-in registration form, at www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/localfood/home.html. The regular fee is $20 and the student fee is $15 ifor those who register before March 30. There is an additional $25 charge to attend the local foods dinner, which starts at 6 p.m.
The event is sponsored by the Leopold Center, ISU Extension and Outreach, ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. | <urn:uuid:922e2a75-5f52-44da-b743-957294305df1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.extension.iastate.edu/node/2491 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942574 | 539 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Yoga series part 12: Abdominals
Abs aren't just there for six-packs; they make you a better cyclist too
We've been banging on for weeks now about how yoga can help your core, those deep structural muscles that hold it all together when you're on (or off) the bike. The abs are the muscle group you'll most likely think of when you're trying to improve your core, but we'd urge you to look after them in tandem with the other muscles in your trunk, or you'll end up with an inbalance.
With that warning out of the way, on to the exercises.
Road.cc's resident yoga expert Karen Burt demonstrates the 'boat pose' - an exercise that can be adapted for all abilities, and poor inflexible Tony only gets to stage 1.
But the beauty of yoga is the speed at which you'll find yourself improving, and you can take it further as you feel ready and your core muscles strengthen. Karen goes on to show the further stages, which you can move onto.
You'll find you shake when you do the exercises, and that'll show you where the weakness is in your core, and you can work on that by moving in and out of the posture.
Once you've mastered this exercise, try building it in with the other road.cc Yoga for Cyclists videos to build your own personalised yoga regime to keep you fit and flexible through the new season.
For the full series of road.cc Yoga for Cyclists videos click here. | <urn:uuid:a97241d6-61af-4b75-98be-ba729c2c35a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://road.cc/content/news/73828-yoga-series-part-12-abdominals | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971921 | 315 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Casco Bay Island Compound
Medieval Castle in the Midwest
Gaudy Gilded-Age Mansion
Location: South Portland, Maine
Set so close to the ocean that the edge of the swimming pool seems to empty onto the beach, this '50s construction in southern Maine might seem like quite a deal, but considering what erosion could do to this seafront spread, some engineers reports may be in order. Priced at $1,600,000, the house boasts stunning water views from broad single-pane windows, that precarious pool, four bedrooms, and an interest in nearby conservation land. Then again, a couple decades of nasty nor'easters might leave the next owner pitching a tent on that conservation land. | <urn:uuid:7170025f-ce71-4e2b-95e0-9b62b7bc2616> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/10/an-erosion-prone-maine-mansion-at-the-mercy-of-the-atlantic-ocean/246076/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93726 | 149 | 1.734375 | 2 |
I mentioned that my dad had given me some boxes filled with my grandmother’s writings. They were old beer boxes. It’s always been his way of storing and hauling things, in beer boxes, a trick I supposed he learned in college. Beer boxes are free, after all. Go to any liquor store and they’re bound to have at least a few cardboard boxes they’re willing to give you. Beer boxes are sturdy enough, built for holding bottles or cans, and they have handles. Go to the liquor store on the right day, and you’ll hit a jackpot of dozens of boxes, perfect for moving day. It was one of those moving days, when my grandmother moved from the house where she spent most of her life, where she raised her children, in Hampton Virginia. She moved to Hagerstown, Maryland, to be closer to the rest of our family. She was in her mid to late sixties then, I think. Dad did most of the moving himself. Over the course of several trips, he packed, loaded and hauled most of my grandmother’s belongings. Her new, but smaller apartment wouldn’t hold everything, so the writings were carefully removed from their original file cabinet and transferred into a set of brown cardboard boxes emblazoned with the irrelevant phrases “Bud Ice” and “Corona” where they remained, stored in the basement, for about 20 years.
Now, here’s a difficult riddle! Say you loaded up some very similar boxes, 20 years ago, while loading dozens of other similar boxes, and someone asks you, 20 years later to recall the specifics: what order were these papers in before you loaded them into these boxes? I didn’t bother asking dad that one.
It’s an important question, though. The wiki at the library at UNC gives a great overview of some first principles to consider, during an archival project:
When you survey your collection, pay special attention to the order of the materials. A basic archival principle is “respect pour l’ordre primitif,” which is French for “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Maintaining the original order established by the creator of a collection preserves contextual information that may be important to researchers. The original order itself may also make an important statement about its creator. Using the original arrangement scheme, moreover, may save the processing staff valuable time and energy. Retaining the basic arrangement as received, when possible, is part of the archivist’s responsibility to preserve historical documents in as close to original form as possible. Keep in mind that respect pour l’ordre primitif does not preclude tidying up the materials or adding a supporting superstructure to aid in description and cataloging.
I can only assume that unloading a file cabinet would proceed from the front to the back, which wold put things that were at the front of one drawer at the bottom of one box. Luckily, at the bottom of one box was an envelope, which contained the manuscript labeled “First Best Poems”. I decided to start with that, assuming that it would have been the thing most readily at-hand within the original arrangement. The other things were generally grouped according to type: poems were together, novel and novel drafts were together, plays and play drafts were together, short stories, essays and miscellaneous notes were grouped and then there was the correspondence, which is somewhat tricky because it also contains drafts from all of the aforementioned groups, but nearly all of it is inside of its original, post-marked envelope. It is all, all of it, remarkably well organized.
It turns out that my grandmother’s mother, Bessie Lynn Hufford (1882-1975) had worked as a librarian and was also a published writer. (I found at least one newspaper article written by my great-grandmother, published in the Indianapolis Star on June 27 1929 June 27). My dad tells me that, as a young girl, my grandmother had devised her very own card catalogue system for her books, as a way of emulating and learning from her mother.
I can’t keep the beer boxes, though. I’m worried that the cheap cardboard may have chemicals in it which might contribute to the yellowing and decay of the papers inside. Already, many of the paperclips around those papers have rusted, causing stains around the margins of some of the pages.
So, in summary, this is what I’m doing to protect and organize the collection:
- remove the files from the old beer boxes and use library-quality document storage boxes instead
- remove all metal clips, rubber bands, fastners, etc.
- replace envelopes (many are very yellow already and contain metal clips) with good folders. (I prefer folders with the tabs that go all the way across).
- be certain to document/store envelopes that are labeled, post-marked, etc. so that the new folders retain all the information provided by the original folders.
Some of this good equipment is expensive, compared to ordinary office supplies, so it will take me some time to get all the ideal materials, but this is the eventual plan. In the interim, I’m using ordinary folders and a banker’s box. | <urn:uuid:10a1dcc6-aca9-4cd4-a0a8-eff710173faa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nocategories.net/ephemera/literary-estate/my-grandmothers-writings-part-two-file-cabinets-and-beer-boxes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968538 | 1,120 | 1.726563 | 2 |
I have hair on my upper lip. Is there a way to get rid of it permanently? I wax my upper lip but it's annoying to have to keep doing it. - Marla*
The only way to permanently eliminate unwanted hair is a process called electrolysis. Electrolysis is performed by inserting a tiny needle into the hair follicle and using an electric current to kill the hair root. Electrolysis can be expensive, painful, and even time consuming: Removing upper lip hair may take a total of 4 to 10 hours over several visits.
In some cases, electrolysis can cause dry skin, scabs, scarring, enlarged pores, and swelling. If you decide to try it, it's best to have the procedure done at a dermatologist's or other doctor's office to make sure it's done properly and safely.
Hair can be removed semi-permanently with laser hair removal, which is also expensive and can lead to swelling, irritation, and changes in skin pigmentation. In addition to waxing, other temporary options include depilatories made for the face, plucking, or bleaching.
If you are interested in a more permanent method of hair removal, talk to your primary care doctor or visit the American Academy of Dermatology website to find a dermatologist in your area. | <urn:uuid:60cd370e-5c0b-4bdb-a0b7-05ad4628a09d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=NiswongerChildrens_Hospital&lic=362&cat_id=20773&article_set=41799&ps=204 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965699 | 271 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Libya and Western Hypocrisy
The West has been lying, cheating, and deceiving people...
Just last week President Barack Obama, President Nicolas Sarkozy, and Prime Minister David Cameron wrote an op-ed in which the three imperial powers jointly defend their ‘intervention’ in Libya. While it may seem like a legitimate argument, what the op-ed shows is Western hypocrisy and lies.
They first state the reasons that for the ‘intervention’ into Libya, saying:
“We must never forget the reasons why the international community was obliged to act in the first place. As Libya descended into chaos with Colonel Gaddafi attacking his own people, the Arab League called for action. The Libyan opposition called for help. And the people of Libya looked to the world in their hour of need.”
For some reason, the irony of that statement goes unnoted. They argue that the “international community” went into Libya because “Gaddafi [was] attacking his own people” and “the people of Libya looked to the world in their hour of need.”
However, aren’t the citizens of Bahrain, Yemen, and Djibouti also being attacked by their respective governments?
Aren’t they just as deserving of help as the Libyan opposition? The three leaders expose their own hypocrisy, yet don’t even realize it!
Their second argument is that they had UN backing and that “the United Nations Security Council authorized all necessary measures to protect the people of Libya from the attacks upon them.” What is conviently ignored, however, is that the airstrikes have also been killing civilians and rebels. These events have been highly publicized and the fact that they refuse to acknowledge them only serves to show their arrogance and refusal to admit any wrongdoing. The trio states that “Tens of thousands of lives have been protected. But the people of Libya are suffering terrible horrors at Gaddafi’s hands each and every day.” Yet they refuse to acknowledge the “terrible horrors” that the Libyan people are suffering at their hands.
Most interestingly in the op-ed, the trio openly admits that they are seeking regime change in Libya. Last month UK Prime Minister David Cameron stated that there would be “no regime change [in Libya], no occupying force.” Yet he and his cohorts state:
“Our duty and our mandate under UN Security Council Resolution 1973 is to protect civilians, and we are doing that. It is not to remove Gaddafi by force. But it is impossible to imagine a future for Libya with Gaddafi in power” (emphasis added)
After all the rhetoric from the US, the UK, and France about there being no plan to overthrow Gaddafi, they finally admit their imperial goals. They plan to overthrow the Gaddafi government in order to form “a genuine transition from dictatorship to an inclusive constitutional process.” One must wonder how much change will actually occur when the head of the rebel Libyan government was an ex-minister in the Gaddafi regime.
In that same paragraph, the trio states that it would be an “an unconscionable betrayal” of the “brave citizens” of Libya if they were to stop bombing their country. However, wasn’t it also “an unconscionable betrayal” of the people Egypt when the US backed Mubarak, who constantly oppressed his citizens? Isn’t it “an unconscionable betrayal” of Palestinians when the Israel kills civilians and the US and its allies do nothing?
The West has been lying, cheating, and deceiving people for much too long.
The people of Libya need to reject both the Gaddafi regime and the Western-controlled opposition government and find a new way to govern their country where neither madmen nor puppets dictate their lives, only then will the Libyan people find freedom.
Devon DB is 19 years old and studying political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University. | <urn:uuid:606bd1e2-d224-491c-aed5-ec5d202a6c61> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalresearch.ca/libya-and-western-hypocrisy/24434 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974583 | 824 | 1.59375 | 2 |
The situation – SAP ERP Accounts Payable
SAP ERP FI and SAP Accounts Payable (AP) is considered a core application within the SAP business framework. Almost every company using SAP has deployed this core SAP functionality. SAP FI has been around since the earliest versions of SAP.
In the past the exchange of billing information happened in form of paper invoices that got processed manually, coming in through the central in-house mail service, being approved on paper and then processed off the paper form by a companies invoicing department. Only then the automation provided by SAP ERP FI started to kick-in and the process was well documented and automated from here on.
The problem – Paper based processes create a gap
While many companies adopted electronic document management systems, most of them initially opted to store documents for long-term retention in an archive, but shied away from fully automating the process. This created a significant lack of insight into the process. Invoices had been legally delivered to the buyer, but no electronic record was created until a few days or even weeks later, in case of a lengthy internal approval process. Any exemption handling required creating paper copies, in-house paper routing, and inefficient, sometimes duplicate, record keeping in different departments.
Cash flow management requires more and better views into payment obligations as companies want to be more in control of their assets. Missing insight into the payment process creates internal overhead for servicing vendor inquiries. Invoice payment exceptions like price or quantity discrepancies are not resolved efficiently internally.
The solution – Significant process improvements through digitizing records
Today more and more companies realize that they cannot afford ineffective invoice handling anymore. The solution is simple – digitization of invoices (for those coming in on paper) needs to happen at the beginning of the process, ideally combined with state-of-the-art optical character recognition (OCR) to reduce manual capture of invoice information. Other communication streams need to be supported: invoices through EDI, payment portals or email need to flow right into the system. All information should be available in one central place, including a clear view on the payment and exception status of a particular invoice.
We can help – xft invoice manager
xft invoice manager seamlessly combines all the above mentioned input streams and presents all information in one central place: the invoice monitor. From here, all payments can be processed and tracked, drill-down capabilities exist to explore details on a specific payment process, and structured or ad-hoc workflows can be started to resolve any payment issues around price and quantity discrepancies or non-matching invoices with missing approvals. The built-in reporting mechanism integrates with Microsoft Excel for easy data exploration and all information is documented automatically in a compliant way in the underlying SAP archiving solution.
xft invoice manager based on the powerful xft business framework for SAP fills the final gap and ultimately allows for efficient invoice processing and fully compliant processes, allowing you to turn your Accounts Payable organization into a best-run business amongst an advanced group of industry leaders. | <urn:uuid:f5504fbb-256c-451e-bad1-8953b31533ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.xft.de/en/solutions/accounts-payables.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93876 | 623 | 1.578125 | 2 |
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrives at the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the US Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States. AFP PHOTO/POOL/WIN MCNAMEE
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senior U. S. defense officials say Pentagon chief Leon Panetta is removing the military's ban on women serving in combat, opening hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs after more than a decade at war.
The groundbreaking move recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff overturns a 1994 rule banning women from being assigned to smaller ground combat units. Panetta's decision gives the military services until January 2016 to seek special exceptions if they believe any positions must remain closed to women. | <urn:uuid:3c37cf63-c86f-4da4-b33a-179320d51315> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/military/article/293507/162/Panetta-opens-combat-roles-to-women | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948341 | 163 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The EFP is offered in September, January, and May. There are two sections of the EFP, EAP 103 and EAP 104, which are run and offered by the Faculty of Education.
Accepted EAP 103 applicants commit to 20 hours per week for one 12–week session. During this session, students are permitted to enrol in one academic course.
There are two ways an applicant can enrol in EAP 104: successful completion of EAP 103 or meeting the required English scores for EAP 104. EAP 104 applicants commit to 20 hours per week for one 12–week session and may enrol in up to two academic courses. Successful completion of EAP 104 guarantees students to enrol in full academic programming.
In the classroom, students engage in activities designed to increase their skills in English and academic study strategies as well as in Intercultural communication and university life. Within the context of themes and units relevant to their programs of study, students focus on building their vocabulary and grammar skills while applying these to increasing their proficiency in academic reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Unit topics include cutting edge topics like sustainability, innovation, design, media, technology, diversity, language, and global trends. Each of these units gives students the opportunity to research and discuss questions with the instructors, UBC professors, research librarians, and university students. Through the development of their language, as well as their skills in critical thinking and collaboration, students are encouraged to find their unique voices in this new environment so that they can engage with the community in meaningful ways.
Cultural Immersion Activities
Students have the opportunities to participate in a multitude of events in order to get them immersed with Canadian culture. Some of the events include participating in Canadian sports, such as curling where as other allow students to embrace the multiculturalism of Canada through attending event such as aboriginal drum circles. Additionally, students will be able to take part in every day outings such as going to a hockey game or simply having a picnic in by the lake. School spirit is also a vital part of cultural immersion. Students will have many opportunities to volunteer on campus as well as enjoy varsity games and network with other students. All events are geared towards truly feeling Canadian while improving language skills, making new friends and getting over potential culture shock.
Computer and Language Labs
Students will have the opportunity to work one-on-one as well as in same groups with the Teacher’s Assistances in order to maximize their understanding with the concepts covered in class. In one-on-one meetings, students have extra time to ask questions or get clarification on class material. They are also able to do extra work in order to master the English language. Students are also able to work in small groups with the TAs should they be struggling with similar materials. During computer lab, students are able to work on-line at their own pace to help solidify and master the concepts covered. There are many different skills that they are able to cover with the online work including speaking, writing, reading and listening components. Additionally, students are able to take part in a conversation club where they are able to address different topic and practice their oral stills. Some topics include learning slang, dealing with culture shock, learning idiomatic expressions as well as conversing about topics that are interesting to the students.
EFP students are fully integrated into the campus community and may enroll in one or two academic courses with all other first-year students while upgrading their English levels. EFP students, with the assistance of an EFP and Academic Advisor, enroll in academic courses related to their degree program; Bachelor of Science, Applied Science, Arts, Management, Human Kinetics, or Fine Arts. EFP students benefit by being enrolled in academic courses simultaneously as they are able to be a part of their faculty cohort, earn credit toward their degree programs, and improve English comprehension levels based on area of study.
|Download EFP Brochure
7 MB PDF
Last reviewed 4/17/2013 2:38:39 PM | <urn:uuid:e95e0bc4-f03f-4c89-a87d-f72b7cd98d2d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/students/efp/academics/structure.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971677 | 822 | 1.632813 | 2 |
LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Former U.S. Senator Warren Rudman, a moderate New Hampshire Republican known for a budget deal that helped slash government deficits in the 1990s, died on Monday at age 82, state officials said.
Rudman, who served in the Senate from 1980 to 1993, was best known for his work in the 1980s on what became known as the Gramm-Rudman Act — a bipartisan budget agreement that provided automatic cuts to federal spending if the deficit exceeded certain targets.
A platoon leader in the U.S. Army in the Korean War, Rudman was a successful New Hampshire lawyer who was appointed attorney general for the state in 1970. In 1979, he defeated John Sununu, a future New Hampshire governor and chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush, in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate and went on to beat incumbent Democrat John Durkin.
He later became the top Republican on the Senate committee investigating the White House's role in the Iran-Contra arms scandal under President Ronald Reagan and helped shepherd the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter, who had worked under Rudman in the New Hampshire attorney general's office.
He declined an invitation to become secretary of the treasury under Democratic President Bill Clinton.
Rudman's passing was mourned by both Democratic and Republican officials. "He always put principle over politics and fought for what he believed in," said Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, in a statement. "Senator Rudman's willingness to work across party lines to get the job done remains an example for all elected officials."
After retiring from the Senate, he served on a number of defense and intelligence advisory boards and practiced law in Washington with the firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
"Although I had a lot of interests, the deficit, the national debt, and adequate military spending were things that I was the most interested in," Rudman said in an interview with researchers from the University of California in 2010.
He saw the problem of persistent deficits as more than a problem of just the political class.
"Frankly, I blame the American people as much as I blame Congress," he said in the same interview. "They talk a great game, the American people do. ... Once you get into specifics, you suddenly realize the American people were against deficit spending, as long as it didn't affect anything that they benefit from, which is where we are today."
(Editing by Paul Thomasch and Bill Trott) | <urn:uuid:291ec463-2845-445c-82b7-83c913fdc4a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://whbl.com/news/articles/2012/nov/20/former-senator-warren-rudman-budget-deal-architect-dies-at-82/ | 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 | 0.978854 | 536 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Companies Act 2006
The Companies Bill, formerly the Company Law Reform Bill, became law in November 2006.
Thanks to campaigning by Friends of the Earth local groups and activists, we have achieved some important improvements to UK company law.
The Government has recognised that UK companies need to be made more accountable.
This is an important first step, and this fantastic achievement is a testament to the power of campaigning.
I've had more letters from constituents about trade justice and the Companies Bill than any other issue since I became an MP.
Ed Balls MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury
What did we achieve
Social and environmental reporting
All listed companies are now required to report on:
- Environmental and social issues
- Employee matters
- Issues down supply chains
The Government will also review in 2 years whether compulsory reporting standards are needed, and to ask NGOs what they think.
Company directors are also now obliged, not only to maximise profit, but to also consider their business' impacts on communities and the environment.
Friends of the Earth was campaigning on the Companies Bill as a member of the Corporate Responsibility (CORE) Coalition and the Trade Jusice Movement (TJM).
CORE and TJM say:
We are not aware of any other country in the world that demands in written law a directors' duty on environmental and community impacts.
Friends of the Earth activists and campaigners have played a major role in what many have called one of the biggest public campaigns on any issue in the UK this year.
There is, of course, a long way to go, but we have made a good start.
The Companies Act is an important step forward on the road to better corporate accountability.
Did you know?
The Companies Bill was the biggest Bill ever to pass through Parliament, with the final version having to be printed in three separate books as it wouldn't all fit into one.
Press for change
Without your help, we'd be unable to win campaigns like these. Stay in touch - join the email list for action updates direct to your inbox.
Companies Bill verdict
(PDF† 58K) November 2006
Make business work for people and planet - Companies Bill verdict. What did we achieve through campaigning on the Companies Bill, formerlly the Company Law Reform Bill.
Company law takes a step forward
The Government has cleaned up the muddy waters of corporate transparency through changes to company law.
© Friends of the Earth | <urn:uuid:7b5b58b5-df8b-403b-ab18-25777dfe4130> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/success_stories/companies_act.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958732 | 498 | 1.835938 | 2 |
B O O K
Sparks of the Divine: Finding Inspiration in Our Everyday World by Drew Leder contains 100 reflections on the holy detective work we all have to do to find signs of the Divine in our daily experiences. With a smorgasbord of lively, illustrative material, Leder, a professor of Eastern and Western philosophy at Loyola College, Baltimore, tutors us in the art of uncovering spiritual meaning in nature, objects, places and events. He advises us to become "slow-motion mystics" who are open to the residues of grace that can trigger attention, gratitude, meaning and joy.
Leder regards a cloudy day as a chance to pause and do some inner exploration or healing. He recommends that the next time you pass a tree, you feel the exchange of breath and life between you and it. The author sits in front of his computer and sees it as a model for a well-functioning mind. He looks at a windshield wiper and wonders what he can clear away in his cluttered life. A fire hydrant becomes a teacher of unplugging the energies you keep locked inside. He suggests we muse on the spiritual meanings that come while we are watching a sports event, blowing bubbles, putting on our pajamas and using our toasters. Rounding out the usefulness of this book, Leder adds 15 guided meditations to help readers achieve a fresh appreciation of the world. This spiritually literate work ends with five practices that will come in handy on your mission to find the Holy One in unexpected places (Sorin Books, 2004).
M O V I E
A Very Long Engagement reunites French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and actress Audrey Tautou, who showed their immense talents in Amélie. This World War I romantic drama is filled with colorful characters. Amid the terrors of trench warfare, it conveys the deep yearning of a determined young woman to find the man she loves who is missing in action.
Mathilde is a perky young woman has a limp as a result of a bout with polio. She lives on a farm in Breton with her aunt and uncle. When Manech, her childhood boyfriend and fiance, goes off to war, she is confident he will return. When he doesn't, she hires a detective to find out what happened. Through letters, photographs, interviews with wartime survivors, news items and trips to wartime archives, Mathilde's quest takes her deep into a tangled and complicated story involving five men sentenced to death for trying to escape from duty. One of these was Manech.
Tautou shines in the role of Mathilde, a woman who suffers one setback after another and yet refuses to give up her search. Her love for Manech is an ardent flame that is maintained in the face of innumerable disappointments, dead ends and mistaken notions. For all romantic souls, this is a film to savor and take to heart. It depicts the unswerving course of true love (Warner Independent Film, R--violence and sexuality).
© 2013 Augsburg Fortress, Publishers | <urn:uuid:eaaf1990-234c-43e4-bc64-adeda6a7449f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=4871 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940928 | 635 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Search Current and Past Exhibits
Art in the Parks
Through collaborations with a diverse group of arts organizations and artists, Parks brings to the public both experimental and traditional art in many park locations. Please browse our list of current exhibits below, explore our archives of past exhibits or read more about the Art in the Parks Program.
Art Students League, 2nd Annual Model to Monument (M2M)
June 22, 2012 to May 2013
59th to 72nd Streets
Riverside Park South, Manhattan
Map/Directions (in Google Maps)
In its second consecutive year, The Art Students League of New York’s “Model to Monument” program will return to Riverside South with seven new sculptures designed by its students. These accomplished artists, though quite varied in their chosen themes and media, are addressing the over-arching theme of flux. This emerged naturally during the course of discussions about what the participating artists find unique and inspirational in the public space of Riverside Park. Included in the exhibition are Sequoya Aono, Roberto Franzone, HakSul Lee, Damien Armondo Vera, Olga Rudenko, Michael Cloud Hirschfeld, and Renata Pugh.
A collaborative installation created by the team is also on concurrently on view in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. The sculpture titled, Mask, by M2M’s previous roster, has been altered- revamping the object into a new work they call, BioMask- a more tree like version of last year’s monumental sculpture. | <urn:uuid:46bae1aa-d6bf-4350-a212-5743babe0746> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nycgovparks.org/art/year2012/riversideparkfund.org | 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 | 0.939579 | 317 | 1.515625 | 2 |
A Day of Wonder
What a day today was. In the morning we made a visit to the Methodist minister, Mark Stephenson, who runs “Salty Prints.” This is an economic development project he started over 20 years ago. Now they do all of the publishing for Upper Room Africa and for a lot of NGO’s and other groups. What I loved about him was his clear playfulness and sense of joy and wonder about what he is doing. He plays with it – from the signs around to the laughter among he and his colleagues it is clear that there is a very real sense of the joy that Jesus talks about among them here.
He talked with the boys about how they should use their interests, to connect with what they are seeing on this trip and realize that one day connections will arise from this that will benefit them far beyond what they think about now – when Dad drags them along to boring conversations like this with Methodist ministers! There were signs around the place that all had a playful sense to them. There were plays on words. There were funny pictures. It was just lovely. Just lovely. I like to think that there is that playful sense around Broadway at home – but we could certainly make more visible signs of that playfulness around our place, I thought. But it just made me delight in our life together in Indianapolis and connections with places, like this, a world away!
We left there and headed back to St. Paul’s and grabbed some lunch at a gourmet burger place. Then we headed off to the Waterfront where we visited the Two Aquariums. They call it two aquariums because the two oceans meet here. And because of the warmer Indian Ocean and the colder Atlantic Ocean the varieties of marine life are incredibly diversified! I was also impressed with how well the place was made to connect with young people – both Conor and Jordan really enjoyed it here. They knew how to connect with a sense of playfulness in young people. One of my favorite examples was a commercial they had playing -- It showed a crowd swimming on the coast and then fleeing from horror out of the water. I thought it was a scene from Jaws it was so well shot. Finally, people are gasping looking out at the water and you see a chair floating in the water and then the words “last year 696 people were killed by chairs. 9 by sharks. RETHINK THE SHARK.” Kathy and Jordan stayed and watched the next commercial – same thing but this time with kites (Kite killers? I had no idea!).
Then in the evening I headed out to Guguletu to speak with the leadership of the JL Zwane Presbyterian Church. What a wonderful time. When I stood up to speak with the pastor, Spiwo, offering translation into Xhosa – I almost burst into laughter at the idea that here I was speaking to folks who live in this township, in a Presbyterian Church, in South Africa about things that we are doing and talking about at Broadway United Methodist Church in Indianapolis. Spiwo had told me he wanted me to talk about the Roving Listener. He also wanted me to talk about the theology of witnessing to abundance where the world sees poverty, etc… But the main thing he wanted to talk about (and I couldn’t believe that it took coming to the other side of the world to find someone who sees, with such clarity, the things that I believe) was this idea that the role and call of the church has as it’s responsibility to bear witness to the life of Christ, the presence of the Spirit in the world (not just in the church)! He was delighted to hear that the Roving Listener wasn’t going to talk just with people who are members of Broadway, but with our neighbors. He said, in front of his leaders, that he tried to talk with his congregation about that – but that they didn’t understand why that was important.
One of the first questions came from the Methodist Bishop who asked what training we had given the Roving Listener to do his work. I laughed out loud. I said, “No one has been doing anything like this – so there was no handbook out there for us to use. We just set him to working and then to talking about it and it has changed and grown and will continue to, I’m sure.” At this Spiwo was laughing – and he said to the bishop, “ah, you Methodists, always need training. What happened to the way Jesus did things – that’s what they are doing at Broadway -- just responding to the world around him and finding something new to do?” It made me think of the varieties of the way Jesus healed people of blindness (differently nearly every time). And thank God for that. And the way we are called to imitate Christ – perhaps in this way – by responding creatively to the situation before us.
As I drove back to St. Paul’s late at night with the lights of the city gleaming before me I shook my head and laughed to think of finding myself in Africa – talking about Broadway and learning from folks here some truths about us a world away. It makes me wonder. | <urn:uuid:4d773691-5b20-4366-8065-644fa780ffe5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.traveljournals.net/stories/20587.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987272 | 1,083 | 1.523438 | 2 |
New Delhi, Mar 17: Relations between Indian and Pakistan have touched a nadir due to some unsavoury and nasty activities on the part of the latter in recent times.
The recent attack by militants, suspected to be of Pakistan origin, in Bemina, Srinagar, has caused considerable consternation in India.
The last straw has been the resolution passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on Mar h, 14, 2013, condemning the hanging of Afzal Guru, and demanding that his body be returned to his family.
Both houses of the Indian Parliament gave a strong riposte the very next day by, “calling upon the National Assembly of Pakistan to desist from such acts of support for extremist and terrorist elements.”
The beauty is that India is, at the moment, the least of Pakistan’s worries.
As Pakistan completes the first ever full term of its parliament and heads for an election, the report card over the last five years presents a dismal picture. Poor governance, lack of security, failure to stem ethnic and sectarian conflicts, corruption and polarised politics etc., is what has marked the political landscape of the country in the last five years.
This description of the state of affairs comes from a Pakistani journalist of repute. None of these problems have been created by India
So far as its security is concerned, Pakistan’s abiding worry stems from its western border with Afghanistan rather than the eastern border with India.
It is on the western border that the country has to contend with a security nightmare that seems to be beyond the capacity of its discredited army. The insurgents from Afghanistan as also the inbred Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, kidnap, mutilate and kill Pakistani soldiers with impunity.
American troops in Afghanistan have no qualms in launching drone attacks deep into Pakistan territory and targeting some militant, but mostly civilian people.
The critical internal security situation in Balochistan, Karachi, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan etc needs no elaboration, bomb blasts that kill and maim innocent civilians are an everyday occurrence in all of these places. India has no role to play in the security mess that Pakistan is enveloped in.
India has, on the other hand, exhibited exemplary restraint by not exploiting the tenuous conditions in Pakistan with military or political intervention as it could have done quite easily.
Yet, Pakistan is not relenting from its diabolic machinations to create unrest and turmoil in India.
For a moment, let us assume that Pakistan has a very genuine concern for Afzal Guru and his family. If such is the high moral threshold being adopted by the Government of Pakistan, then why was a similar resolution not passed when Ajmal Kasab, a citizen of Pakistan, was executed by India?
Before this, why were the bodies of the Northern Light Infantry soldiers of the Pakistan Army not even acknowledged, let alone accepted in the aftermath of the Kargil War of 1999?
Clearly, Pakistan plays politics of opportunism designed to discredit India; there is not even an ounce of righteousness in its actions.
There can be a number of other reasons leading to the anti-India posture adopted by Pakistan in recent times. The acts could well be part of a grand design of the political leadership of Pakistan to garner some brownie points in view of the forthcoming elections since Pakistani political leaders traditionally harbour a misperception that anti-India rhetoric provides the best route to electoral victory.
The posture could also be an offshoot of the perceived humiliation suffered by Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf during his recent visit to Ajmer Sharif in India.
The Dargah Diwan, Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, refused to welcome him as a protest against the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistani Army on the Line of Control.
For a politician with a feudal mindset, this would constitute a considerable loss of face, especially so, when elections are around the corner.
While maintaining this highly noticeable anti-India posture, Pakistan does not hesitate to indulge in its time tested diplomatic double game.
During a recent visit to the United Kingdom, the Pakistan Prime Minister took great pains to impress upon British parliamentarians that his country has taken a “leap forward” to improve ties with India and that bilateral relations are moving in the right direction.
On the ground, the “leap forward” is translating into a step up in proliferation of terror in India and issuing of provocative statements whenever an opportunity presents itself.
The end result of these parochial policies and political tomfoolery is that Pakistan is losing out on support from where it is most needed.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar keeps talking about a “trust deficit” coming in the way of improving ties between the two nations. How can trust between two parties be built when the whole relationship is viewed with extreme malevolence by one of them?
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has, on many occasions, gone public with his intention of walking the extra mile so far as Pakistan is concerned, and, he has extended himself to this end a number of times.
Now, a situation has come by when he has been compelled by negative circumstances, to state that, “India cannot have normal ties with Pakistan unless and until the terror machine which is still active in Pakistan is brought under control.” Things cannot get more dismal then this.
The end result is that there is minimal trade, strained diplomatic relations, tenuous people to people contact and social strife between the two countries. Even the hockey series to be played in April this year has been postponed. If only someone could make Pakistan realise that targeting India is not in its interest. One can only hope and pray that the next government in Pakistan will exhibit more maturity and understanding of what is good for the country and what is not.
Attn: News Editors/News Desks: The views expressed in the above article are that of Mr. Jaibans Singh. (ANI) | <urn:uuid:c11c9a48-ef90-4779-acf8-95b81fb3c305> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indiatalkies.com/2013/03/targeting-india-pakistans-interest.html | 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 | 0.963721 | 1,234 | 1.664063 | 2 |
The truck driver was happy to talk about his Mormonism. One of the tenets of his religion is the importance of bearing witness to wonders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"It's a wonderful religion," he said. We were standing by the road as he talked; there was a strong wind from the west and little sand eddies at our feet. "It's so inclusive."
By that he meant that everyone had a chance to be an LDS, as the members of that denomination prefer to call it. That's why the Mormons are baptizing dead people - to give them a shot at the Celestial Kingdom. Even dead gentiles - that's what LDS folks call non-Mormons - have a chance at heaven.
We are offered another chance to convert after we are dead. This seems an easy call to me; if I die and wake up in Mormon heaven, you bet I'm going to convert. "Turns out you guys were right all along. I would have bet against it, but what did I know? OK, in LDS heaven it's good to be a Mormon. Count me in."
No other religion I know of has that fabulous option. I'll keep being a nonbeliever in this life while holding my options open on all decisions to be made after I die. If I turn out to have an opinion, I will reassess. I don't believe in the fiery pit of hell, either - I may regret that.
But I doubt it.
Sister Thomas and Sister Carter were also blissed out by the idea of the Celestial Kingdom. "We'll be there with all our families," said one. "I hope they have food there." "How could they not have food there?" said the other, veering perhaps a little far afield from orthodox theology.
Sister Thomas and Sister Carter were on a mission, and at the moment we were their mission. In Salt Lake City, tours are offered of Brigham Young's house from when he was governor of Utah. Noting the federal government's prohibition on polygamy, he kept one wife there and the others scattered about the valley in rural townships.
I had hoped to have a nice history lesson from a knowledgeable docent (I do love docents, don't you? Always so perky and filled with facts), but I got the sisters asking me about my reasons for being there and answering all questions about their religion.
How about that whole "mark of Cain," black-people-can't-be-bishops thing? "That was never official doctrine," one of the sisters said, as the other one shook her head mournfully. I didn't know enough to pick that nit.
That religion is of interest right now because one of the candidates for president belongs to it. It holds some pretty incredible views - American Indians are remnants of the lost tribes of Israel, who somehow made it across the water and changed their religion while doing so.
More to the point: The Mormon Church has been funding anti-same-sex-marriage legislation across the country. They strenuously and generously back antiabortion laws of whatever hue. They are a playah, as they say, and with a president in the White House, they will undoubtedly become even more influential.
As I've said before, I don't think the LDS is a cult - or all religions are, take your pick. Religion minus time equals cult. We doubt the LDS more because Joseph Smith was a historical figure who left a trail of paperwork, legal proceedings and newspaper clippings. But who knows what scam artists were involved in the founding of anything 15 or 20 centuries ago?
Brigham Young was the St. Paul of the LDS; he took these people across the wilderness and settled in Salt Lake, which no one else wanted, it being in a dry, harsh climate. It's a wonder what faith and a little irrigation will do.
Brigham Young wanted to found the nation of Deseret, a theocracy that would stretch to the Mexican border and out to California. He wanted to be president of the United States, too, and make that country a theocracy too. This eradication of the line between church and state seems burned into LDS doctrine.
I know that when Jack Kennedy ran in 1960, his Catholicism was defused as an issue by talk of tolerance being a hallmark of the American electoral system. That was brought up again when Obama ran. Surely we should extend the same courtesy to the supernatural beliefs of Mitt Romney.
Maybe this will all be moot. If not, watch and wait.
In my post-dead life, I hope to make decisions informed by the tenets of whatever.
Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: She opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words "EAT ME" were beautifully marked in [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:34f71245-aa40-4218-b340-0b21f8482b78> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/carroll/article/They-just-wanted-to-convert-me-4001681.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985141 | 1,011 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Inside Israel 1:16 AM 5/24/2013
Middle East 12:39 AM 5/25/2013
Middle East 12:15 AM 5/24/2013
Life Lessons with Judy Simon
Torah Tidbits Audio
Yisrael Medad is a revenant resident of Shiloh, in the Hills of Efrayim north of Jerusalem. He arrived in Israel with his wife, Batya, in 1970 and lived in the renewing Jewish Quarter, eventually moving to Shiloh in 1981.
Currently the Menachem Begin Center's Information Resource Director, he has previously been director of Israel's Media Watch, a Knesset aide to three Members of Knesset and a lecturer in Zionist History. He assists the Yesha Council in it's contacts with the Foreign Media in a volunteer capacity, is active on behalf of Jewish rights on the Temple Mount and is involved in various Jewish and Zionist activist causes. He contributes a Hebrew-language media column to Besheva and publishes op-eds in the Jerusalem Post and other periodicals.
Elul 28, 5770, 9/7/2010
So, it is to be "no Jews allowed".
Mahmoud Abbas of something called the Palestinain Authority is quoted by local Arab news sources as declaring that no Jews will be permitted to reside in Judea, Samaria and the new Jerusalem neighborhoods once peace is agreed upon.
I wonder where all the Arabs of Israel will move to?
That is a logical question, no?
After all, we wouldn't want to be part of a discriminatory policy.
Think about that.
Tags: Politics & Gov | <urn:uuid:d90f3e2d-3a9f-421b-9ca9-155b8f5fe6df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/4358 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936951 | 336 | 1.78125 | 2 |
More secondary places in further schools measure
HUNDREDS of extra secondary school places are set to be created in Sheffield - despite the closure of two city high schools in the last four years.
A baby boom has already resulted in 800 extra primary school places being added, and there are plans for two further primary schools.
But as the children get older, new secondary school places will be needed for them before the end of the decade.
The council says extra places will be created by expanding existing schools and could also be ‘through new provision’.
It comes after Abbeydale Grange and Wisewood schools closed in the face of fierce opposition.
Toby Mallinson, chairman of Save Our Community Schools group which campaigned against the merger of Wisewood and Myers Grove to form Forge Valley School, said: “We said all along pupil numbers were going to rise. We told the council and they ignored us.”
Green Party central ward Coun Rob Murphy, part of the campaign to save Abbeydale Grange School, said: “We said pupil numbers were going to rise and the closure was unnecessary.”
And Jean Gleadall, who chairs Wisewood Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, added: “I’m disgusted. All the heartache of closing our school has been for nothing.”
Coun Harry Harpham, council deputy leader, who took the decision to merge Wisewood and Myers Grove as cabinet member for education, said: “It was based on figures provided at the time by officials and due to the need to remove surplus places as a condition of securing funding to rebuild secondary schools from the Government.”
Coun Colin Ross, Liberal Democrat opposition deputy leader, added: “Decisions taken regarding Abbeydale Grange were made on the facts available and population growth in the east of the city fails to justify keeping an under-used school in the south west of the city open.”
A council spokeswoman said: “Births are continuing to rise and by the end of the decade, the council expects to need around 500 additional secondary school places across Sheffield.
“The council is now working with heads and governors in secondary schools to look at how these places can be provided through a range of options that will mainly be by increasing the intakes of existing secondary schools, but could also mean new provision.”
Two primaries in Shirecliffe and Fir Vale are expected to be constructed and made ready for September 2014 at a cost of £11 million, as the population steadily increases.
The schools will be academies and located where the demand for places is greatest - but the future prospect of new primaries in Dore, Totley and Crosspool is not being ruled out.
Schools in the affluent suburbs are becoming over-subscribed because of a general increase in the number of applications.
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Weather for Sheffield
Sunday 19 May 2013
Temperature: 9 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North | <urn:uuid:7e75c38f-9a93-4e06-ace8-605762d874d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/more-secondary-places-in-further-schools-measure-1-5410645 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968482 | 661 | 1.523438 | 2 |
EIMS Business Continuity
EIMS’ policy is to pre-empt catastrophic business failure by ensuring business continuity. EIMS is a multi-site, multi-national organisation, with a network of distributed offices, people and technology. It is this organisational architecture, designed to have no single point of failure, which is at the heart of our business continuity strategy.
Many details of our data security measures and disaster recovery procedures are confidential, and available on request under NDA. What follows is a broad outline only.
Our business relies on information and communication technology to operate. We operate multiple, independent data centres, each of which is capable of supporting business operations. These data centres are separated by long geographic distances, such that damage to one is extremely unlikely to involve damage to another. Each data center has multiple (between 2 and 6) communications lines to the outside world, such that damage or congestion on any one line will not affect the others. All lines support both voice and data, such that failure of one line will not completely disable any one service. Each line is provided by a different telecommunications provider, and runs over a different route, such that no single JCB digger or explosive device would disable communications.
Each data center contains all the usual high-availability technology available in a modern data centre, including highly available servers, with multiple power supplies, network connections, RAID disk storage, data backup and restore, air conditioning, load-balancing, Uninterruptable power supplies, and in our main data centre, backup generators in case of prolonged power failure.
This means that in the event of complete failure of one data centre, at least one of our data centres will be accessible from each of our operational offices in every circumstance except a massive global fuel shortage or a nuclear holocaust, in which case we’ll probably have other things to worry about than whether or not EIMS is still operational.
All major offices are connected both to the internet and directly to our data centres via multiple leased lines. Lines are provided by multiple different telecoms providers, running over different routes, such that damage to any one line of communication will leave the other operational. Each line is capable of supporting both Voice and Data communications, ensuring that the office has ‘always-on’ access to both our data centers and the internet, Small / back-office operations may use DSL backups in place of leased lines, for reasons of economy.
In addition to technology, each office has a self-contained complement of management and operational staff, such that it may operate independently for day-to-day operations. This means that campaigns being conducted on behalf of clients can be operated from any customer-facing center, even if another center or head office goes offline. At the time of writing, EIMS operates 3 customer-facing offices and 3 back-office operations which are capable of performing their functions independently for weeks or even months at a time. As project information is stored in the data-centers in a standard format, campaigns can be moved from one office to another, albeit at a reduced capacity in the short-term.
In summary, EIMS has a ‘high-availability’ business architecture. Business continuity is assured by having no single point of failure in terms of technology, premises, people and processes. Should a major disaster such as a bomb or a falling airplane cause the complete failure of any one data center or operational center, the other centers would continue to operate, albeit at a reduced capacity.
© EIMS Ltd. Any re-use of any element of this website, including without limitation all text and graphics, whether in part or in whole, whether modified or not, must acknowledge EIMS with a clearly visible link back to www.eims.biz, such link should be placed in reasonable proximity to the re-used element, and should link as closely as possible back to the original element. | <urn:uuid:5abf03a3-04b4-44ef-b3f3-2d6a7d73aa4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eims.biz/legal/disaster-recovery-policy.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938029 | 803 | 1.65625 | 2 |
By Sam Gringlas, Daily Staff Reporter
Published February 11, 2013
Two members of Zeta Beta Tau, a brotherhood no longer recognized by University Greek Life or ZBT nationals, offered to speak with the Daily but required viewing and approving the article before being published, which Daily policy forbids.
More like this
Seiler said if the newly installed presidents saw more balanced coverage without an “ulterior motive,” they would likely feel more comfortable speaking with the media.
In “Pledged, the Secret Life of Sororities,” journalist Alexandra Robbins goes undercover to provide an inside look at sorority life, investigating issues such as hazing and psychological abuse.
In an email interview, Robbins said lack of openness is often dangerous and makes reporting incidents, such as hazing, more difficult.
“Secrecy makes it more difficult for a reporter to penetrate an organization,” Robbins wrote. “When members won't talk to the press, we have to take alternative — and sometimes less desirable — measures, like going undercover, to share the story.”
Still, Seiler said not all information has a place in the public discourse.
“I think if there’s something negative going on, is it the business of everybody?” Seiler said. “Does it serve some purpose to have it out in the media? And I would say sometimes negative things have a purpose. But if we’re taking positive steps not just to deal with those incidents and taking those steps throughout the year, then that information can be positive.”
The consequence of secrecy
While mostly respectful, these interactions are not void of tension. Often the stakes are high and the repercussions are vast, especially when this relationship plays out at the federal level. Forty years after Watergate — the infamous Washington Post investigation that launched a revival of investigative journalism and the resignation of a president — wrongdoing, misuse and injustice remain as prevalent as the year Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s reporting rocked the nation.
Anthony Collings, a University professor of journalism ethics, knows the implications of secrecy first hand. As a former CNN reporter covering the Iran-Contra Affair — a political scandal in the late 1980s during which the Reagan adminsitration secretly sold weapons to Iran despite an arms embargo — Collings clearly remembers an interview with then-Congressman Dick Cheney.
“I remember that he would not answer my questions other than to keep repeating the same basic idea, but I wanted to find out more what happened,” Collings said. “There was no way he was going to help and my guess was being a Republican, he wanted to protect the Republican administration.”
Collings recalls the frustration of not being able to provide the public with the full truth of the scandal.
“Secrecy makes sense in some cases; obviously they’re protecting their sources and their methods,” Collings said. “When it gets excessive, then they’re depriving the public of information the public has a right to know.”
But while Watergate-esque investigative reporting may seem sexy, its implications have very real consequences.
“The biggest change in the media profession is the rush to judgment — the rush to get something out — and I think everyone that’s on the media side of things rushes sometimes because they want to be the first one to get the story,” Ablauf said. “Sometimes there’s going to be things that fall through the cracks that they don’t fact check; they don’t have their information accurate.”
But when reported ethically and accurately, tough stories can be powerful. It can mean the difference between stagnation and progress and between continued misconduct and justice.
On Capitol Hill, behind committee meeting doors, stadium gates and fraternity house fences, secrecy reverberates.
Every gate has its keepers; every day the interactions between sources and journalists continue to pulsate. | <urn:uuid:4eefc5c9-7cdb-4909-bc89-f2617a1c4a2d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://michigandaily.com/news/record?page=0,3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956403 | 825 | 1.679688 | 2 |
MARK MADISON: Hi. Today is June 30th, 2011, and my name is Mark Madison. We're in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, at the Student Climate and Conservation Congress, and we're very fortunate to be able to do a quick Podcast with Gary Ferguson, a writer and naturalist, speaker, and for this week our naturalist in residence for Sc3.
And let me tell you a little about Gary. Over the past 25 years, he's written for a wide variety of publications ranging from "Vanity Fair" to the "L.A. Times." He's the author of 18 books on science and nature, including the award-winning "Hawks Rest" published by National Geographic Adventure Press, as well as a keynote presenter at conservation and outdoor education gatherings, including this one. His newest book and currently in production is called "The Carry Home," a celebration of the outdoor life shared between Ferguson and his late wife Jane.
A lot of Gary's writing arises out of his intimate experiences. He's had quite a few adventures. He's trekked 500 miles through Yellowstone to write "Walking Down the Wild." He spent a season in the field at a wilderness therapy program where his book "Shouting at the Sky"-- and he journeyed 250 miles on foot for "Hawks Rest" and followed the seasons of the first 14 wolves released into Yellowstone National Park for my favorite of his books, "The Yellowstone Wolves: The First Year." Gary has written a lot of books. We recommend you check them out, and he's been incredibly inspirational here at the Sc3 working with youth in a variety of ways, speaking to them and helping lead a nature writing workshop and even talking to them about wolves.
So, Gary, thank you so much for coming to Sc3. What was it like working with the students out here?
GARY FERGUSON: You know, I can't overstate how impressed I've been with these students. Sometimes I must confess I get a little worried and down in the dumps over what I imagine the trend being in our culture at large. I mentioned a few days ago a recent study that suggests the average 14-year-old will by the time she's 76 have spent 28 years actually plugged into some kind of technology, and as wonderful as those technologies are, and I use them myself almost every day, I think if that's all we have, it's starts to deaden the imagination, and imagination, as Einstein and others have said, is so critical to our ability to think outside the box, to enjoy life, and certainly to meet the kinds much complex challenges that we face, including climate change, and these students are clearly both technologically savvy and in full possession of their imagination, their curiosity, and the questions they've asked and the insights they've given me have inspired me to go home and keep up the good fight.
MARK MADISON: Now, Gary, you've written, as I mentioned, a lot of books. I'm not even sure if-- what did I say 18-- if that's still accurate--
GARY FERGUSON: I believe that's true.
MARK MADISON: One thing I've noticed about your books is they're often experiential in that you seek out challenges or new experiences. What is your writing style?
GARY FERGUSON: Well, I'd say-- I've been doing this for 25 years now, Mark, and the first 10 or 12 years I was writing mostly, I guess you could say, about the tracks that humans have left in nature. So sometimes those were eulogies for lost places, they were sounding the alarm bell for unsustainable practices that were harming perhaps wildlife or other aspects of our ecosystem. But increasingly in the last 10 or 12 years I've been more interested in the tracks that nature leaves in us, and there's increasing evidence back to youth again that just the smallest dose of nature on some kind of regular basis, 20, 30, 40 minutes a week, can actually help moderate attention deficit disorder, for instance. It in younger children seems to be a critical aspect of developing creative capacity and critical thinking. So I'm looking at nature now through that lens to see what it has to offer us and what the experience of it can really mean for our lives and our ability to think and live well in the world.
MARK MADISON: Gary, you give a lot of inspirational talks around the country to young people and adults. What is your personal environmental ethos?
GARY FERGUSON: Well, I think that the thing we need to do is, immediately, and I'm thinking mostly in the face of complex issues like climate change, which often I think for folks just seems so complicated and so hopeless that the instinct is to turn away, but I'm often reminded of the Chinese idiogram, the written language, for "crisis" happens to be "danger," the word for "danger," over the word for "opportunity." And no matter how dire our circumstances are, in fact, it's an opportunity to become very conscious and very present, and the notion of going through the day and perhaps turning off the lights when you leave the room or walking instead of always jumping in the car, those aren't, to me, sacrifices so much as opportunities to drive your life deeper into your day-to-day activities. So I think if we could just shift and not see this as a hopeless thing that can never be solved, but rather an opportunity for us to become a little bit more aware, we, in fact, would end up enjoying our lives and at the same time being a little bit better for the planet.
MARK MADISON: That's great. Let me go out with a two-parted question. We talked about youth and nature, getting them out in nature. What was your favorite thing to do in nature when you were young? And what's your favorite thing to do outside today?
GARY FERGUSON: Well, my brother and I-- I grew up in Northern Indiana, so it wasn't overly wild, but my parents were convinced that it was important for my brother and I to have a place where we could climb trees, and they went out and bought a quarter-acre lot, in fact, it was completely undeveloped all around it, so it felt like thousands of acres as far as my brother and I were concerned, and we would go down there every weekend, no house on the property or anything, and we would camp out.
And my favorite thing was, after my brother and I mowed some lawns and got a little money, we bought a couple pairs of green rubber boots and we would play in the stream and tromp up and down and look for various aquatic creatures and build temporary dams out of rocks and race sticks and all the other things that kids playing in nature can do to activate their imagination.
Now my favorite thing to do remains, as it has been for many years, is actually backpacking. I still love the feeling of being self-contained, of throwing a pack on and going out for seven or eight or ten or fourteen days and being able to spontaneously go wherever the mood suggests you should go, sleeping under the stars.
I live very near Yellowstone, so sometimes those nights are anxious if I'm in grizzly country by myself. Then every snap of a branch is, I'm sure, in my imagination, a grizzly perhaps coming to get me. So it's an interesting opportunity, though, to look at your own fears and your own comfort level in nature.
And I also find that when I'm doing that kind of activity it's one-- one of the guarantees for me is that I will be fully in the present moment. After a couple days out, no longer regretting things in the past, no longer worrying about things in the future. I'm just fully present in what's happening around me. And to cultivate that skill of presence, I think, is absolutely essential to go through life with some chance at
deep joy on a regular basis.
MARK MADISON: Gary, if people wanted to learn more about where you might be speaking or your books, is there a web site you could send them to?
GARY FERGUSON: Yes, my web site is www.wildwords.net.
MARK MADISON: Great. And you're traveling around teaching and speaking and doing a wide variety of things, and they can find that out on the web site?
GARY FERGUSON: Yes, they can, at least my professional activity. Some of my hikes that I go on I don't bother putting up there, but, yes, they can certainly find out where I'm traveling and what I'm talking about in any given week.
MARK MADISON: Great. And hopefully we'll get you back at NCTC before too long.
GARY FERGUSON: Would love to.
MARK MADISON: Thank you very much, Gary. Thank to those of you who took the time to download this Podcast, and we'll have another one up in a couple days. So thanks again.
GARY FERGUSON: Thank you, Mark.
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How worship on earth invites the atmosphere of heaven
It doesn’t take a prophet to see that the earth is in a crisis, and it doesn’t take a pessimist to see that much of the church is lukewarm. Yet it is in this environment that the Lord is raising up a worldwide movement of prayer and worship. In an hour of confusion, as chaos grows and darkness deepens, the Lord is awakening the dawn of a new day (see Is. 24:15). We see the dawn breaking upon the horizon with songs of worship in this dark night; it is a global house of worship made up of the entire body of Christ.
But the day is not dawning without conflict. The battle at the end of the age will be a battle for the passion of man, a war between two worship movements. Even now Satan is assaulting the cultures of the earth in an unceasing demonic campaign to raise up a worldwide worship movement (see Rev. 13:4,8,15). He is enticing people to worship themselves, which will lead them to worship him. But Jesus also has a plan in His heart, and His will not fail.
Around the globe young people are catching a glimpse of the beauty and worth of Jesus and how He is worshipped in heaven. As they begin to understand the authority they have in intercession, they are taking their rightful place in the kingdom and will bring a multitude with them to the throne of grace.
This is a sign of the times, the beginning of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that in the last days a song would be heard from the ends of the earth (see Is. 24:14-16; 26:1; 27:2; 30:29, 32; 35:2,10; 42:10-12; 54:1). Young adults are responding with great hunger to Jesus. One place we see this is in onething, our annual four-day young adult conference, to which approximately 25,000 came last December. They did not come for good music, but for an encounter with Jesus.
Beyond the Music
This worldwide song will usher in the second coming of Jesus (see Is. 42:10-14). More than a song, it is a movement of prayer, of intercession—it is a cry for justice to prevail in every sphere of life. The many strands of the tapestry of this prayer and worship movement are beautiful and precious to the heart of God. I am going to focus on the centrality of worship.
The cause of much of the crisis we are facing is that humankind has forsaken its primary purpose: to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (see Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37). The crisis in society is meant to wake us up so that we turn to God and bring the lost to Him. But even salvation is not the end of the story. Worship is.
Worship is a vast subject, involving our reaction to God and our relationship with Him. I am often asked how I keep Jesus in the center of my worship. I am perplexed by the question, because if Jesus is not in the center, what we are doing is not worship; it is “just music.”
Worship is a response to something that we see and to Someone we adore. In order for the worship movement to be more than a festival of good music, singers and musicians must grow in the knowledge of God above all else.
We cannot lead people where we are not going. As leaders of worship we must actually worship; to worship, we must see; to see, we have to know the Word of God.
The church and the world has had its fair share of “flaky” musicians, but the Lord is gathering an army of young adults who, like King David, will have hearts after God—hearts that will search the Scriptures and be well-acquainted with the Spirit. Through an army with such a heart, worship will explode around the globe.
The significance of music itself in this worship movement cannot be underestimated. Music is one of the most powerful realities of the human existence because the human spirit is musical. Music has the ability to touch the deepest part of us, simultaneously focusing the mind, spirit and emotions.
Melody and rhythm write truth, or lies, on the heart, as if programming a computer, so to speak. We have a much better chance of remembering something if we set it to music. God knows this about our human design because He created us this way. I believe He designed us for music because He Himself is musical.
The Word and Music
If music helps people “feel” the truth and remember it, what power there is when the Word is combined with music! You can speak about God’s personality, and people will be touched; but if you sing that same truth with anointed, prophetic music, people will feel the truth. They will understand it and remember it because they will wake up the next morning singing it. In this worship movement Jesus is raising up theologians who know the Word of God, who sing and have the tongue of a ready writer, ready to describe Him (see Ps. 45:1).
Music is a universal language. It is instinctive. Every culture has a musical expression that brings people together. Music has the power to unify a group of people. The best way to get an entire stadium of people saying the same thing, feeling the same thing, talking to the same Man at the same time is through music.
As we lift our voices in song we become one voice and one heart, standing before Jesus in adoration. Individually we may have our eyes closed in a worship service—gazing on Jesus, singing straight to Him—yet corporately we become one body.
On Earth as It Is in Heaven
Worship is a mysterious reality, and we have yet to fully understand its mystery as it relates to the bride of Christ. Chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation describe the worship order around God’s throne: Those nearest to Him agree with Him in 24/7 worship and intercession. People from every tongue, tribe, nation and people group will join the angels around the throne, on the sea of glass, declaring the worth of Jesus in proclamation, music and song.
Though there will be different tongues and languages, the truth is the same, the heart of worship is the same, and the same Man is being adored. Thus we will truly be one bride before God’s throne—one bride, with different cultural expressions, made up of the fiery hearts of love of individual believers. Worship will be offered “on earth as it is in heaven” (see Matt. 6:10).
Worship is a doorway to the prophetic, connecting us with the heart of God. The writer of Hebrews describes Jesus standing in the congregation singing praise to the Father and declaring His name (see Heb. 2:12).
One specific way He does this is through us, His people, as we declare God’s praise. As we stand before Him in adoration, powerful declarations of truth can come forth in worship settings: through the Word and the Spirit we hear His thoughts and sing them over congregations, over the nations, over our circumstances. The spirit of prophecy will be seen in singers, songwriters and musicians as we continue to come before Him day and night. It becomes a perpetual conversation with God, through His Word, by His Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is using worship to draw the hearts of many, old and young alike, to Jesus. The anointing of the Spirit on our worship music tenderizes our hearts, increasing our desire to love Jesus and our ability to actually feel love for Him. At the same time, we are empowered to do good works as the anointing to love Him sustains our hearts in our acts of service.
As darkness deepens and the great shaking comes to the whole earth, people will be looking for answers. The beauty of Jesus, declared through true worship, will be a key to bringing understanding, comfort and love to a people seeking truth in the midst of chaos.
Two worship movements are being raised up, one born in darkness, the other in light. Satan works aggressively, elevating gifted artists in an attempt to build his own counterfeit end-time worship movement. But God is sovereign, and many young musicians who once dreamed of becoming famous rock stars are being persuaded, by God, to join the true worship movement. It’s exciting to see Satan’s investments in the youth of the nations being snatched from him for the glory and adoration of Jesus!
At the end of the age, the beauty of Jesus will be stronger than the allure of self-promotion and sensual pleasure. Jesus’ worship movement will be stronger, more creative and more anointed than anything Satan can vomit from the pit of hell. The battle is real, but Jesus will win the hearts and the passion of many in the generation before His return.
Jesus, our magnificent obsession, the eternal King, the Lamb, will receive the worship due His name. The Branch of the Lord will be seen as beautiful and glorious, and He will win the hearts of a generation (see Is. 4:2).
Let the song arise ... to the end!
Misty Edwards helped start the International House of Prayer in 1999 and has been a worship leader and songwriter at IHOP-KC since then. She gives oversight to the IHOP-KC prayer room and all the worship leaders, musicians and singers. | <urn:uuid:45f016f4-2bac-4131-9977-839fc9ec90b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/features/19193-more-than-songs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958619 | 1,993 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Lost generation? Recession and the young
We’ve been talking recently in vLabs blog about how unemployment is affecting young people in the UK; looking at
the role of volunteering as a lifeline
the role of volunteering as a lifelineduring hard times, how employers could help and some of the creative ways young people have been responding to adversity.
Of course, the recession is not just impacting on young people in the UK.
Here, I thought I would share some of the best journalism I’ve come across which highlights how young people are being affected
by the recession in other countries.
The New York Times leads the way with an interesting look at the development of Rural Labour Squads in Japan. In
Europe, TIME’s cover page story, ‘Generation Disappointment’, looks in-depth at the impact of the recession on young people in Spain. Foreign Policy magazine looks wider, at how young Europeans face a declining jobs market, ‘Europe’s New Lost Generation’.
In the US, PBS and the veteran broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff have recorded a great series of interviews in, Generation Next: Tough Choices, looking at how 18-to-25-year-olds or trying to start their lives in one of the most challenging economic times in recent memory. For the figures and trends of youth unemployment in the US, check out Bob Herbert’s Op-Ed.
In this context, v has been working hard to get volunteering seen as an important part of the response to youth unemployment.
We’re thrilled to be hosting with the RSA a lecture by Professor David Blanchflower, the leading labour economist and recent member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee from June 2006-May 2009, who will deliver a keynote address on the recession and the young.
We’ve then got an impressive panel lined-up – David Willetts MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Universities and Skills, Terry Ryall, CEO, v, Wes Streeting, President, National Union of Students and Miles Templeman, Director-General, Institute of Directors – to debate what can be done to prevent a generation losing hope and opportunity. | <urn:uuid:bcea0636-b670-4eda-bad5-c28aa587d657> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://labs.vinspired.com/lost-generation-recession-and-the-young | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938939 | 456 | 1.59375 | 2 |
This tea comes from a plantation in the southeast of Sri Lanka and is famous for its long leaves, distinguishing it from other Ceylon teas, which generally have small leaves. In contrast to other Asian countries, tea-growing in Sri Lanka, previously known as Ceylon, is a relatively recent phenomenon dating from the 19th century.
This tea has a fully bodied flavor featuring subtle chocolate flavors. May be enjoyed with a dash of milk in the morning.
We suggest to enjoy this tea in the morning.
Main flavor: Unflavored
Suggestions for preparing
4.4 oz Metal Tin
Metal tin containing 4.4 oz of loose tea. Hermetic and easily recloseable, which allows the tea to preserve and keep its flavor. Re-usable, this metal tin can be refilled with Kusmi loose tea or muslin bags. | <urn:uuid:31cdf00b-6a09-4c20-81d8-c57b9e1f43fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://us.kusmitea.com/our-teas/tea-blends/op-ceylon.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946545 | 175 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Posted: Oct 16, 2012 6:28 PM by Caroline Flores - [email protected]
Updated: Oct 16, 2012 6:42 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - City crews are preparing to repair parts of Ocean Drive and Shoreline Boulevard that are sinking. As we reported a year ago, the roadway has started to buckle near the Holiday Inn and Cole Park. The park was renovated about three months ago, repairs were made to stop it from sinking, now the city says it's time to fix the road.
Twelve months ago the city says they noticed two parts of Ocean Drive were beginning to sink, the road in front of Cole Park and the road between Elizabeth and Buford.
City engineers say this area in front of Cole Park began to sink because Cole Park was sinking. The city fixed that issue this past summer and are now looking to fix the road's pavement along the park. That temporary fix is costing the city $200,000 and will only last five to seven years. Meanwhile, the area along Ocean Drive between Elizabeth and Buford hasn't been fixed. So, we went to the city to find out why.
"We're continuing to monitor that today. It's not yet a safety issue today. But we're monitoring it. So, if it becomes one, we can get in there and do something," said city engineer Dan Biles.
Biles says they have been monitoring the section of road since last year.
The city conducted a survey done on Ocean Drive between Elizabeth and Buford and found it has been sinking at least half an inch every month.
Biles says based on that data, the city will need to make repairs to that roadway in two years. The problem is the city doesn't have any money to fix it. The 1.25 million dollar project has been included in the upcoming 2012 bond election, which the city hopes voters will approve.
So I asked Biles if there was any type of budget for the streets and he said no. "The only funding source for street reconstruction is the bond program," said Biles.
So if the bond package with streets doesn't pass there is a chance the street won't get fixed until bond 2016.
The Ocean Drive project will go to the voters on Tuesday, November 6th. If voters approve the city's bond package, permanent repairs to this roadway will begin sometime next year.
In the meantime if immediate repairs to the road are needed, Biles says he would have to work with city leaders to figure something out.
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FCC Public File of Records, Reports, and more | <urn:uuid:c5c13c9a-9991-445c-a5ab-ebea3ff1a77b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kristv.com/news/6-investigates-sinking-pavement-on-ocean-drive/ | 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 | 0.965757 | 677 | 1.53125 | 2 |
“Voice of the Customer” – VOC in short – is a key topic in all kind of customer service, TQM or Six Sigma training and related project work. There are two main categories for VOC data, reactive and proactive. Proactive data is collected with methods like focus groups, interviews, observations, surveys or test customers, whereas reactive data is mainly based on customer complaints, feedback, hotline data or warranty claims. The nature of the human being restricts itself almost always to negative comments through reactive data channels. Continue reading →
Habit 2: Believe in the Moment of Truth
The Moment of Truth is the short timeframe when a customer experiences the product or service that many people have prepared often over many months. It is the moment when a small, often unintentional mishap has the huge potential to spoil the result of hard work by others in the organisation behind the scenes. Good process managers know this and put their focus on the Moment of Truth.
When Jack Welch explained his view on management he used to draw a company structure against the common understanding upside down. His explanation went somehow like that: Continue reading →
A team spends months on improving customer-facing branch processes of a bank. After benchmarking with sister companies across the world and after carefully mapping out process steps they come up with an improved flow that drastically reduces the processing time for branch customers. It surely looks like a nice success story. However, they get devastating feedback from the customers whilst piloting the solution in five branches. Why? Continue reading →
A typical Friday evening starts with a family dinner in a nice atmosphere. This time we decide to visit one of our favourite restaurants for a light dinner with Sushi. Upon arrival we are amazed.
Usually, this place is packed on a Friday evening. Today, more than half of the seats are empty. Therefore, going in and taking a seat at the conveyor belt is very easy. Before the waitress has a chance to approach us we have taken some plates with Sushi already. Continue reading →
Everyone, undoubtedly, has had the unenviable honour of experiencing ‘bureaucratic government processes.’ Be it applying for your first ID or passport, to initially obtaining a driving license and the inevitable dealings with the tax man. Judging by the time it takes and the “milestones” or number of departments one has to go through when dealing with German government bodies, the processes behind ID, passport or driving license must be highly complex and are usually being done by constantly overworked people.
Continue reading → | <urn:uuid:b493652a-6cf0-4d02-b958-5f28cec78437> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.coe-partners.com/tag/moment-of-truth/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958495 | 519 | 1.695313 | 2 |
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Kate Bainbridge, a former schoolteacher who was similarly misdiagnosed in the 1990s in England, has since recovered enough to communicate by using a computer. "It really scares me to think what might have happened to me had I not had the scans," she wrote in an e-mail to a journalist in 2007. "They show it was worth carrying on even though my body was unresponsive."
This year, Laureys further challenged presumptions of the quality of life for postcoma patients with a survey in the British Medical Journal of locked-in patients. Such people sustain a brain injury that results in paralysis so severe they can control only their eye movement, even as their consciousness network remains intact. The journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby, perhaps the most famous such patient, earned fame through a memoir, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which he dictated by blinking.
In the immediate weeks after their injury, locked-in patients show intense activity in a region of the brain associated with anxiety and emotion, but they eventually adjust. Laureys' survey of 168 locked-in patients found that while a minority--just 7%--reported life to be "miserable" and were lobbying to be euthanized, a vast majority said they were "happy" despite their condition. "That result showed that we should be very careful not to presume that we know the subjective experience of a noncommunicative patient," Laureys says. "That has profound implications for families and doctors considering whether to withdraw life-sustaining treatment."
But those implications can cut two ways. Truly vegetative patients who remain awake but unresponsive for more than 12 months following traumatic brain injury or three months after cardiac arrest or stroke are classified as permanently vegetative. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1990 that such patients may have their feeding tube withdrawn if they have a living will, if their legal proxy so desires or if there is strong evidence that the patient would want to die.
There is no known time limit, however, for when a minimally conscious patient might suddenly return to full awareness. In 2003, 39-year-old Terry Wallis of Arkansas emerged from minimal consciousness and regained fluent speech after lingering in a nursing home for 19 years after a car crash. Using diffusion tensor imaging, a novel brain-scanning technique that maps the intact internal cables in the brain, Schiff found in 2006 that Wallis' brain had undergone axonal sprouting. New connections had been made among existing neurons.
All families with a vegetative loved one imagine that he or she will be the next Wallis, though few are. So even with the dignity and perhaps comfort of the patient on the line--not to mention the welfare of the family's wallet--it can be agonizingly difficult to pull the plug. "The right to die is an important principle," Laureys says. "But doctors must also be clear that we can't always give a certain prognosis." | <urn:uuid:dfc5af51-982d-4f0d-acea-21f1f73e999a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2099727-5,00.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 | 0.976835 | 612 | 1.835938 | 2 |
The Other Half
KALPANA SHARMA, The Hindu
By focusing on individuals like Irom Sharmila, the cause or reason for protest is often forgotten. In this particular case, the cause — repeal of the AFSPA — is crucial.
She appears in our line of vision, and then disappears. When we see her, we remember. When we don’t, we forget.
When Irom Sharmila, that frail woman from Manipur, with a feeding tube taped to her nose, was asked to travel to Delhi earlier this month, it was “news”. Her name was in the newspapers, her image on television channels. Yet, how many people really knew why she had been brought to Delhi, why after six years had a court summoned her to face charges under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code for attempting to commit suicide?
In 2006, Sharmila travelled to Delhi for the first time in her life. In fact, it was the first time she sat in an airplane. Then she had travelled to Delhi by choice. She did so because she reckoned, and rightly so, that her voice would only be heard if she went to Delhi. And she was not wrong. As she sat at Jantar Mantar, continuing a protest that began on November 2, 2000 demanding the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Manipur, the “national” media paid heed to her voice, and relayed it to a wider audience.
And how did the authorities respond? By charging her for attempting to commit suicide and force-feeding her. Eventually, Sharmila returned to her hospital jail in Imphal, where she is forcibly fed through that tube in her nose. She has remained in that room, a year at a time. A court in Imphal charges her under the same section of IPC, imprisons her for a year, the maximum sentence, releases her, and then arrests her again when she refuses to break her fast. Every year, around this time, this little drama is enacted. The local press takes note; the national press generally ignores it. And Sharmila continues to protest.
Now, in addition to the court in Imphal, Sharmila has to face the court in Delhi. When she appeared earlier this month, she told the judge: “I love and respect life. I want the right to live as a human being. Mine is a non-violent protest to get the government to meet my demands.” This does not sound like a woman who wants to kill herself. Yet, the law says she does, because she will not eat. And so this case will also continue. And once again, on May 22, she will be brought to Delhi. And we will have another chance to remember who she is, what she stands for, and what she is asking.
Sharmila’s story is extraordinary and bears retelling. Several books have already been written about her, the latest by journalist Minnie Vaid titled, Iron Irom, Two Journeys. It is a slim book that recounts Sharmila’s journey and Vaid’s own journey into Manipur, a place “where the abnormal is normal”, as she aptly puts it. But even as Sharmila’s trials, determination and amazing courage are remembered, and lauded, one should not lose sight of the central issue over which she is so agitated.
In India, we elevate individuals and forget the cause. We need heroes and heroines, more so at a time of visual media. But in fixing on individuals, the issue, the cause, the reason for protest sometimes gets forgotten, or under-played.
In the case of Sharmila’s fast, the issue is crucial. AFSPA has been in force since 1958. The army insists it is essential; for the civilian population it means the denial of basic rights and nurtures a culture of impunity in everyone with power.
If you go to Manipur, you will understand why Sharmila will not relent. They do not have the freedom we take for granted. Nor the basic infrastructure. Daily life is incredibly difficult. There are shortages of every kind — water, electricity, fuel, food, medicines. Not for a week, or a month, but for years. Those of us living in so-called “undisturbed” areas do not have a clue what life is like for the ordinary Manipuri, someone who wants to lead a normal life, a peaceful one, without bomb blasts or armed men patrolling the streets or curfews or extra-judicial killings in broad daylight.
Manipuris escape this hardship by running away to our big cities. Thousands of them have joined the service sector. Does anyone ask them about Manipur? Do people even know they are from Manipur? People like them, living on the periphery, are constantly lectured about “integrating” with India. It is India and Indians who need to “integrate” with the northeast and Manipur and not the other way round.
Eight years ago, in 2005, the Justice Jeevan Reddy committee, set up to review AFSPA in Manipur by an earlier version of the government at the Centre, submitted its report. It recommended that AFSPA be withdrawn. The government paid no heed.
More recently, the Justice Verma Committee, set up after the Delhi gang rape, strongly recommended that the provision in AFSPA that grants armed forces personnel immunity from facing rape charges in a civilian court, be removed. Once again, this escaped a hearing-impaired government.
What will it take for the deafness of the government, and its obduracy, to give way to a listening ear and an open mind on the issue? How many Sharmilas will it take? Should all of us who care, who feel outraged at this state of affairs, decide to become Sharmilas?
- Iron Irom’s long protest penned #AFPSA #Vaw #Womenrights (kractivist.wordpress.com)
- Social activist Irom Sharmila to appear in Delhi court today #AFSPA #Vaw (kractivist.wordpress.com)
- #IromSharmila appears before court, refuses to plead guilty #AFPSA #Suicide #Vaw (kractivist.wordpress.com)
- Irom Sharmila Re-Arrested, Continues Her Fast Unto Death Demanding Repeal Of #AFSPA #Vaw (kractivist.wordpress.com) | <urn:uuid:a2a1b13f-852a-4f1c-a5f9-1036961db29d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kractivist.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/india-i-am-irom-sharmila-afspa-vaw/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959262 | 1,371 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Postmodernism and Islam
Predicament and Promise, 2nd Edition
Published June 10th 2004 by Routledge – 312 pages
Can West and East ever understand each other? In this extraordinary book one of the world's leading Muslim scholars explores an area which has which has been almost entirely neglected by scholars in the field - the area of postmodernism and Islam. This landmark work is startling, constantly perceptive and certain to be debated for years to come. | <urn:uuid:ce308d89-5b6c-4525-9b53-01222e87101b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.psypress.com/books/details/9780415348560/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960803 | 94 | 1.671875 | 2 |
And, there is not a more important time to preserve multistakeholderism! In a time where governments shut their ears to the rule of law, they give in to excessive lobbying and they appear to disregard processes based on checks and balances, ICANN (along with the IGF) are the only true and remaining environments that support multistakeholder governance arrangements. So, it was interesting to see how the relationship between Dr. Crocker and the GAC would play out. I think he did a pretty good job. He asserted his role without distancing the GAC or becoming their puppet. He has a technical background, after all, and he understands (perhaps better than the most of us) what the imposition of bureaucratic processes can potentially cause. But, that doesn't mean that he can make the GAC problem disappear.
The wish of the GAC to acquire a more decisive role within ICANN is getting more real and more threatening. The relationship between ICANN and the GAC has always been awkward, but became particularly problematic at the latest stages of the new gTLD program over intellectual property and competition issues. This time, although the tones were somewhat lower, they followed the same pattern of disruptive behaviour. The GAC had an issue with the way Registrars were not willing to implement a set of recommendations driven by the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA). The Registrar community was not willing to accept these recommendations without initiating a Policy Development Process (PDP), a justification that left the GAC unimpressed and pissed them off.
Suddenly, Registrars became the most controversial group of ICANN 42. The GAC sought to recalibrate and assert its place by taking this issue straight to the Board, seeking to bypass the miltistakeholder model of the GNSO. This action by the GAC is problematic and manifests its inability to adapt to the new governance reality of the Internet. In general, governments find it difficult to accept that the processes have changed, having moved away from the bureaucracy associated with them; the decision-making process has been taken away from the hands of the governments. But, that shouldn’t mean, at the same time, that governmental input is not required. It does mean, however, that governments should accept the processes established by the community and participate ‘on an equal footing’.
In general, the ICANN community does a pretty good job in monitoring and fighting for the multistakeholder model. In contrast, it is the actions of the GAC that confuse and frustrate the multistakeholder community. Last year, this frustration had to do with the GAC's intervention on the trademark issues and its disappointing failure to support the multistakeholder model of the Special Trademark Issues (STI) team; in Dakar it was the GAC's wish to bypass the processes of the GNSO.
The GAC is proven to be a highly dysfunctional body. But, this follows the general pattern that governments have decided to follow in the context of Internet governance - a denial to see that they have entered an uneven battle with the Internet itself, its evolution and capabilities. The disappointing fact is that the GAC appears neither willing to adapt nor, at the very least, give a try to the multistakeholder model. It continues to adopt an arrogant attitude of superiority over ICANN although so far it has failed to provide good alternatives to the various issues; it continues to stall the various processes and create a negative environment amongst all ICANN stakeholders, who end up feeling de-valued; and, it continues to operate on what seems the position of a handful of governments.
This latter issue is rather troubling. Although reassurances are made every time that the GAC position represents consensus, one cannot help but wonder how real a consensus this is. In the open sessions, many of the governments do not even speak; in some instances, GAC positions are drafted only by one government; and, unreasonable and mistaken requests are made to satisfy certain and known interests. For example, after the Registrars turned down the GAC's request and the issue was brought to the attention of the Board, the US Government made the following ridiculous suggestion, citing an unverified discussion, which took place at the ICANN meeting in Singapore and which suggested that something like 20% of Registrars may be bad actors. I was told in Dakar by some Registrars that this was not a statistical fact, but a random figure. Based on this abstract example, in Dakar, the US Government publicly demanded that ICANN de-accredits these 'bad actors'. Just like that - without proper evaluation, without the courtesy to request an investigation on the issue. This is a problem. The fact that Governments are making these suggestions without realizing the potential impact they might have, is – by itself – a testament to their ignorance.
So, here we are fighting for multistakeholderism and the ability of the community to participate, succeed, fail, get angry, get passionate, get active - in one word ENGAGE. The GAC may appear as a collective body right now, but this is because they all appear to fight for the same goal. I am wondering whether once they achieve to ascertain their control over ICANN, this collegiality will continue or whether (a most likely scenario) we will go back to a dysfunctional, intergovernmental structure that doesn't understand the Internet and is all about sovereignty and dirty politics.
Participating in ICANN, therefore, becomes crucial. And, ICANN should encourage this participation and seek to support those policy directions that are made by – and for – the community. | <urn:uuid:a246fa89-5cb2-44a3-93d0-5b509cf967a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.komaitis.org/1/category/governmental%20advisory%20committee/1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965383 | 1,153 | 1.640625 | 2 |
|Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York|
Secretary-General Visits Gaza UNRWA Projects, Expresses Concern
over Plight of Palestinians Jailed in Israel
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:
Today the Secretary-General travelled to Gaza and visited a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) housing project and a school, where he joined girl students in their classroom. He also met with children who suffered serious injuries during the conflict. He was deeply moved by their stories.
Unfortunately, representatives of civil society cancelled a scheduled lunch to protest against the situation of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The Secretary-General regrets this missed opportunity for an important exchange with Gazan civil society representatives.
The Secretary-General is concerned about the situation of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Last night, he met with the Palestinian Minister for Prisoners Affairs, Issa Karake, and received a letter outlining specific concerns.
The United Nations continues to call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law.
* *** *For information media • not an official record | <urn:uuid:a952034b-945a-4926-953e-f40e3105e873> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2012/sgsm14090.doc.htm | 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 | 0.946383 | 235 | 1.609375 | 2 |
In a bid to exercise stringent control on the export and import quality of tea, the Tea Board of India has said that from February 2013, international trading of tea would be allowed only if it conforms to the parameters laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India .
The stipulation follows the various quality issues that have cropped up in recent years regarding Indian tea. “The Tea Board of India has taken firm steps to protect and enhance the image of Indian tea globally, and to ensure that only tea worthy of the tagline ‘Indian tea’ is exported,” a Tea Board release said, adding that random testing would be carried out to check quality. The Tea Board of India has established a Tea Council of North India and another for South India to put in place an online mandatory mechanism to track all exports and imports and ensure that quality norms are enforced. The mechanism is being designed by NSE-IT, and it would be hassle-free and paperless. Details would be posted on the website of the Tea Board from Januray 1, 2013, the release said. Even as India struggles to hold it markets for its best-known commodity exports, quality issues have plagued exporters with complaints flowing in, especially from quality conscious countries such as Iran and Japan, alleging presence of contaminants such as iron filings, artificial colour, and pesticide residue levels. | <urn:uuid:4b86a425-7b9d-4ee1-bed4-9d19d38f077b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/tea-board-sets-quality-norm-for-exports/article4148954.ece | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958926 | 277 | 1.71875 | 2 |
ECHOage is a charity-driven, eco-friendly online birthday party service where children learn the value of giving and receiving while celebrating. No matter what a child’s theme or venue, any party can easily be ECHOaged. All a child has to do is choose a cause and invite guests. Guests RSVP and contribute online as the child watches the contributions grow. After the party is over, ECHOage sends half the money collected to the child so they can buy one meaningful gift. The other half of the funds go to the charity the child has chosen. Easy on guests, good for the environment and meaningful for children.
Here is a sample ECHOage party thrown by Brittany Cerenza!
Meet Brittany Carenza, age 12, from Westwood, New Jersey. This young philanthropist did the hula at her ECHOage birthday “beach” party while raising money for a cause close to her heart. By ECHOaging her party, she asked her friends to make an online contribution instead of bringing a present to her party. ECHOage sent her half the money to buy herself a birthday gift from all her friends and the other half was donated to Autism Speaks, Brittany’s charity of choice.
THE GIFT: “I’m still thinking about it. I’m going to get an iPod or save up more money for a laptop.”
THE CHARITY: “There are some people in my family who have autism, so I chose Autism Speaks because it made me feel like I was doing something for them. I see my one cousin a lot, he’s seven years old. Knowing someone with autism has affected me because it helps me notice how lucky I really am to have what I have. I try to play with my cousin, but he has pretty bad autism so it was easier to play with him when he was younger. We are kind of close, but he is in his own world. He knows my name though.”
MONEY RAISED for Autism Speaks: $129.62
THE PARTY: “It was a beach-themed party, so we played volleyball and kickball. We turned our garage into a luau tiki hut and put sand all over the floor. There were flowers on the walls and leis for everyone to wear. I wore a hula skirt. It was really fun. We had a BBQ and served hamburgers and hot dogs and chips. We had an ice-cream cake and a big cookie cake. We had a lot of different kinds of music, some Lady Gaga and some beach music. We told people to bring their bathing suits because we threw water balloons at each other.”
THE ECHO: “Having an ECHOage party felt better than getting presents because I knew that I wasn’t getting the money for myself – I was helping kids in need. I think the kids might be able to get different toys or learning devices.”
MOM SAYS: “My daughter Brittany has always had a desire to help others, so an ECHOage party was a definite for her when I told her about it. When she was reviewing the charity choices, Autism Speaks was her first choice because of her two cousins who have autism; one is seven and the other is 21. Brittany saw her seven-year-old cousin grow up and was moved to help others in the same situation and their families and to find answers to the puzzle surrounding autism. I am so proud of Brittany and I am certain she will want to have another ECHOage party next year.”
To book an ECHOage birthday party for your child or to save the date, visit www.echoage.com | <urn:uuid:8486f622-b104-4971-8d4e-6aee4ae78562> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2011/03/12/echoage/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=104f7cb3e5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980479 | 779 | 1.75 | 2 |
Legacy of Rescue: A Daughter's Tribute by Marta Fuchs
Price: $9.99 USD. 46640 words.
Published on November 28, 2012. .
An illustrated intergenerational memoir of the author’s father and the Commanding Officer who saved him and over 100 other Hungarian Jewish men in forced labor under his command during the Holocaust. Captured by the liberating Russian Army, Zoltán Kubinyi died a year later in a Siberian labor camp. Due to Morton Fuchs' testimony, he was posthumously honored as a Righteous Among the Nations. | <urn:uuid:a577f82e-e648-43d9-b822-519e3828f15b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.smashwords.com/books/tags/intergenerational_relationships?adult=off | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96763 | 123 | 1.617188 | 2 |
A local program aimed at helping battered women is in need of money.
The Refuge House is the only program in the Big Bend that provides women and children with domestic violence intervention and sexual assault programs. Refuge House directors say they're working harder than ever to end violence against women, but money is always a problem.
"This year we served about 6,800 women and children, which is pretty astronomical when you consider there's only about 35 of us spread over eight counties," said Kelly Otte, Refuge House Executive Director.
"It's hard, you're growing, trying to expand your services and at the same time you're doing it with restricted funding and with funding that, well it’s not limitless and sometimes the need seems limitless,” said Karen Price, Special Projects Coordinator.
Refuge House officials say they're still at least $50,000 short of covering this year's expenses, but the Refuge House is one step closer to reaching its goals this weekend thanks to some dedicated organizations.
Saturday morning 60 people sweated their way around FSU in a 5-K run/walk to benefit the Refuge House. Women's law symposium of Florida State put on the event and those who competed were more than happy to dish out the entry fee.
“I'm definitely glad the money is going to something good. I can run for free any time but if I'm going to pay for it, I hope it's going to something that's a good cause,” said runner Ben Wilder.
A few hours later a Tallahassee preschool held an art show, serving up some delicious spaghetti for those who attended. Organizers were able to write out a check for $750 to give to the Refuge House. | <urn:uuid:1d4029be-67e6-42dd-94fc-c292ea74f2f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/622211.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978978 | 356 | 1.539063 | 2 |
The Tool Kit is an online newsletter that comes to its subscribers’ mailboxes twice a month. In Translorial, we offer a quarterly digest of Jost’s most helpful tips from the past season. BY JOST ZETZSCHE © 2012 INTERNATIONAL WRITERS’ GROUP, COMPILED BY YVES AVÉROUS
I was just reminded of a new search engine called DuckDuckGo. Apparently it’s rapidly gaining in popularity after some of Google’s recent privacy controversies. The makers of DuckDuckGo have paid heed to Google’s struggles and go to great length to ensure the privacy of your searches.
Now, DuckDuckGo is not necessarily a replacement for Google or Bing. In fact, if it does not find what you’re looking for, it gives you links to both Google and Bing. But beyond that, it has certain features that make it a nice addition to those engines.
DuckDuckGo specializes in quick answers, called “zero-click info,” data that is presented to you on the top of the page. For example, enter “age of Besse Cooper” to receive this supercentenarian’s shocking exact age to the day. Or enter “weight of egg” and get the average weight of an egg.
DuckDuckGo derives these kinds of functions from WolframAlpha, the search engine that likes to make you feel stupid. But there are also other things that are specific to DuckDuckGo. Say you can’t decide on whether to go out on a date tonight or not. Type in “yes or no” and you’ll get the randomly generated answer faster than plucking the petals from a daisy. (You can also try things like “CAT or TEnT”. Or my son’s prom date quandary last week — “Gabby or Emily.” His answer was Emily.)
There are plenty more DuckDuckGo uses that you can find here. My favorite, though, is the !bang feature. This allows you to directly search within certain websites by using a code preceded by an exclamation mark. For instance, entering !a zetzsche into DuckDuckGo immediately opens Amazon and shows my new book with Nataly Kelly right at the top. Entering !yt jeromobot brings up Jeromobot videos within YouTube. (And there are some new ones here!)
Writing in style
The 4th edition of the (English) Microsoft Manual of Style was published a few weeks ago. The many non-English versions of Microsoft style guides are available for free on the web. But it is indeed worth a mention because a whole chapter (Content for a Worldwide Audience) is dedicated to writing for translation- and localization-related purposes. Some of that content is on the Microsoft blog, including the interesting guidelines for writing for machine translation, but there’s plenty of other stuff in the chapter that you can find only in the actual book.
Still, is this helpful for folks like us who “only” translate? I think it is, if you look for relationships with clients that go beyond just receiving and returning jobs. One part of our work as translators has to be that of a consultant, especially when working with small and midsize companies who have not been exposed to translation questions. This kind of consulting is not only profitable but obviously very helpful in our later translation work. Being able to present clients with well-written and well-researched materials like those in the Microsoft style manual has to be an asset that speaks in our favor.
Time to manage
Last month I mentioned that I would look at the new version of Translation Office 3000. And so I did.
TO3000 has been one of those products that I’ve been rather unabashedly bragging about as one of the tools that I use for myself and really like. It’s a software program that allows freelance translators to do many of the menial tasks that we need to do, including bidding for projects, tracking projects, invoicing, and managing payments. The program, developed by AIT, uses a database for your clients’ information, your pricing, your payment methods, etc., and it also allows you to run reports on individual clients, projects, or time periods. TO3000 includes a sophisticated word-counting tool (that counts words in files as you invoice or bid for them) and a tool that allows you to enter and process weighted rates for TEnT-processed data.
OK, so now on to the new version. This version allows you to choose between two different workflows: one allows you to do everything on the basis of projects (actual billable tasks have to be added); the other allows you to forego that step and just work on the task level. Three versions ago, the latter workflow was the default way and many — including me — have never really appreciated the more cumbersome project-based workflow.
There are now differently priced versions that essentially differ in the number of clients you can enter, the number of file formats that are supported for automatic word counts, and some customizability. You can find the differentiations along with the prices of the different versions listed here.
Now, if you outsource jobs regularly or even once in a while, this tool is not for you. But if you work on your own and just need to take care of your own billing and tracking processes, it’s a fabulous tool.
Oh, and before I forget, the upgrade process did not go quite as smoothly as could be hoped for: I ended up having to manually move some of the templates for invoices as well as the actual file that contained all my previous data. But it was nothing that couldn’t be achieved after a little head-scratching. (Maybe in future builds those problems will be solved. JZ to AIT: Hint, hint.) JZ | <urn:uuid:2b2415e8-e107-4062-bea7-2dab8c7b5c26> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://translorial.com/2012/05/01/the-translorial-tool-kit-duckduckgo/ | 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 | 0.947662 | 1,256 | 1.601563 | 2 |
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Climate and energy dependence fears are overblown, Exxon CEO announces in a speech.
It should come as no surprise that the CEO of ExxonMobil downplayed fears about natural gas drilling and climate change in a recent speech. CEO Rex Tillerson said that fears about natural gas drilling and "fracking" are overblown. He blamed the fears about fracking on "lazy" journalists and said the natural gas industry's biggest challenge is "taking an illiterate public and try to help them understand why we can manage these risks," the Associated Press reported.
Tillerson did at least acknowledge that the burning of fossil fuels is warming the planet, which is a change from the previous Exxon CEO, the AP reported. However, Tillerson was confident that "we'll adapt" to the change.
More from GlobalPost: When the BRICs crumble
"The fear factor that people want to throw out there to say 'We just have to stop this,' I do not accept," he said, Reuters reported.
Tillerson also insisted that the company is making "no money" on US natural gas due to low prices, the Wall Street Journal reported. The comments come as Exxon is exploring the possibility of exporting natural gas from the US.
Environmental groups and scientists are concerned about "fracking" for natural gas in part because some companies, including Exxon, have been reluctant to disclose the chemicals they use in their fracking fluid, which may contaminate drinking water, ProPublica reported. In April, the New York Times reported that Exxon has pushed for legislation about fracking fluid disclosure that has major loopholes. The Exxon-backed legislation would have easily allowed companies to keep the contents of their fracking fluid under wraps if they were deemed "trade secrets," the Times said. | <urn:uuid:3769d391-d362-4d15-a12f-298b450bb9fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/120628/climate-change-isnt-big-deal-exxon-ceo-announces | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960042 | 360 | 1.5 | 2 |
<<Why would you have to convert MP3s? iPods play them.>>
Several people, in dealing with ipods have had to convert their formats because they will not play them. "You know that iPods play music, but that doesn't mean that every type of music file will play on your iPod or in iTunes. Same goes for iPods that can display images or play videos." - Support.Apple.com (http://support.apple.com/kb/TA38530?viewlocale=en_US)
Whereas Windows Media Player supports all of the following:
"Windows Media formats File name extensions: .asf, .asx, .avi, .wav, .wax, .wma, .wm, .wmv
Note Windows Media Player versions 6.4 and later support .wmv files.
Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) File name extensions: m3u, mp2v, .mpg, .mpeg, .m1v, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .mpe, mpv2
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) File name extensions: .mid, midi, .rmi
Apple QuickTime, Macintosh AIFF Resource File name extensions: .qt, .aif, .aifc, .aiff, .mov
Unix File name extensions: .au, .snd" - Support.Microsoft.com (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/234019)
<<How many people would do this anyhow? True, it might be a nice feature, but is it really necessary.>>
This becomes a problem when your computer crashes, catches a virus, or just breaks and you loose that particular computer with which you have registered your ipod. When you purchase an ipod, you actually register it and name the relationship so that it may recognize your computer. Unfortunately, I have had MORE THAN A FEW customers that have had something sad happen to their pc or mac and no longer have access to it. My customers are usually happy that they still have their precious media on thier ipod until they realize that if they try and add to it from a friend's computer because they don't have theirs, they can't. The ipod displays a message basically saying, "That's NOT the computer I made friends with, and if you want me to make a new friend, you have to empty me and start over." This wouldn't be such a problem if the same situation didn't apply to purchasing a new computer to replace their old. They never have the access to move files or back them up to perhaps another computer they have at home for just such an unfortunate incident. And by the way, if there happens to be any malfunction in the ipod, the customer may send it back to Apple only to find that the best solution Apple has for solving freezes, arbitrary errors and erasing of media is deletion and a reset. This spells the death of thousands of songs, pics, and movies that may or may not be available anymore.
<<There are a lot of accessories, but I have never had any issues finding which one go with my model. Most of the differences are attributable to the form factor changes. But, over the life cycle of a product line, some things do change. Some changes appear arbitrary, but some are done to move the products capability forward (e.g., replacing the Firewire port with the dock connector).>>
This issue is simply one of convenience and money. For instance, let's say you purchased a $179 Altec Lansing docking station for your ipod nano (1st generation), and you're excited to get a new iPhone and use your docking station. You get your new $299 16GB iPhone home only to find that your docking station doesn't support the iPhone. Those kinds of things that I see everyday at work with things like docking stations and FM transmitters (which the ipod didn't bother to include) just irritate my customers, and my customers and I seem to agree that it's too much money to waste on compatibility.
<<The Zune has few accessories. But, the Zune product has been on the market for far less time as well (and it never sold anywhere near the same number of units as iPod).>>
I only thing that the Zune has fewer accessories because it needs fewer. What else do you need? A case? There are cases. An FM transmitter? It has one. A voice recorder? It has one. Docking station/radio or portable speakers? Those are on the shelves at your local electronics retailer. Do you really need anything else? As for the comment about Zunes in particular - it's not that I favor Zunes so much as I favor any other non-Apple mp3 player. There's Sansa, there's Sony, there's Zune. I actually have a Korean made mp3 player that has been doing well for me for 4 years now. It's a one by one inch cube, their customer service is great, and it's practically indistructible (I'm clumsy and have stepped on and dropped it before).
As to the number sold (LOL) I've never been into fads and popularity, so of course when I see 14-yr-olds coming in for a $300 iTouch because their friends have it, I'm gonna say it sells because it's in! | <urn:uuid:49106486-19de-4c74-9ad0-bf4355a886cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.cnet.com/7723-7595_102-274245/ipod-classic-vs-zune-80/?messageId=2644445 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962126 | 1,121 | 1.789063 | 2 |
“I ask myself repeatedly: Why do I keep all these books that only in some distant future may be of use to me, titles so far away from my usual interests, which I once read and have not re-opened their pages in years. Perhaps even never! But how to get rid of, for example, Call of the Wild, without destroying one of the bricks of childhood; and Zorba the Greek, which sealed with tears the end of my youth; Twenty-Fifth Hour, and so many others, expelled some years ago to the highest shelf, where it lays untouched and silent, with holy fidelity that we ascribe to ourselves.
It is often more difficult for me to get rid of a book than to acquire a new one. Tomes adhere to the shelves in this pact of necessity and oblivion, as if they were witnessing a moment in our lives, which we long consider gone. But while they are still there we consider them part of ourselves. I notice sometimes that people inscribe day, month, and year when they read a book, build a kind of secret calendar. Others write their name on the front page before they lend a book to someone, they write in their diary who borrowed it, and add the date. I saw stamped volumes, as in public libraries, or marked with a business card inserted discreetly between the pages. Nobody wants to lose a book. We prefer to lose a ring, a watch or an umbrella rather than a book that we may never even read again, but which retains in its title a lost emotion.
It is true that the size of a library is important. We show off books as though a great open brain; a miserable pretext and false modesty. I knew a professor of classical languages who specifically prolonged making coffee in the kitchen to allow a visitor sufficient time to admire the titles on the shelves. When he realized that the visitor had ample opportunity to study the collection he entered the room with a tray, smiling with satisfaction.
As readers we spy on our friends’ libraries, if only for fun. Sometimes to find a book we want to read, but do not own, sometimes to find what the animal of our acquaintance has consumed.
We leave the friend sitting in the living room, and when we return we find him standing and sniffing among our books. But the moment comes where volumes exceed the invisible boundary that we designate for them, and pride turns into burden, because from now on the space will be a problem.”
Carlos Maria Dominguez, The House of Paper [my quick / rough translation]
Spying on our friends’ libraries? Stalin said that if you want to know the people around you, you ought to find out what they read. But how do you go about it in the age of e-books? | <urn:uuid:a65a9270-7c61-4906-b17f-946214d830d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spywriter.wordpress.com/tag/libraries/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958821 | 576 | 1.835938 | 2 |
In Kabumpo in Oz, Ruth Plumly Thompson began to find her own distinctive Oz voice.
She also found her own elegant elephant.
Kabumpo in Oz begins with a literal bang, as a scrumptious pink birthday cake explodes at the birthday party of one Prince Pompadore of Pumperdink. (If you are wondering why immortal people who never age need birthday parties...well, Thompson explains that in Oz you age, or not, as you choose, but that shouldn’t stop you from the fun of having a birthday.) Not only are all of the guests tragically covered in cake and frosting, which is just terrible when you are an elegant elephant wearing fine silk court robes (and if you are wondering why an elephant is wearing fine silk robes, I can only say, well, it’s Oz) but they are also greeted with a terrifying message. The Prince must marry a Proper Fairy Princess within a week, or his entire kingdom will disappear forever.
The question is, what, precisely, is a Proper Fairy Princess? Kabumpo, the Elegant Elephant, ornament of the court, the only one to stay calm in the crisis, suggests that the Proper Fairy Princess must, of course, be Ozma, the little fairy ruler of Oz. The King, Queen and Prime Pompus, perhaps concerned with what they’ve heard about Ozma’s leadership abilities (or lack thereof), and also concerned about the distance between Pumperdink and the Emerald City, instead suggest that the prince wed Princess Faleero, a hideously ugly old fairy. Determined not to let the prince suffer such a hideous fate, Kabumpo kidnaps the prince and heads to the Emerald City. As in all good fairy tales, they run into Complications. For yes, this tale begins as a fairy tale, in the classic “prince must find and win the princess” style—although, admittedly, it’s not often that said princes need to be kidnapped by elephants.
Said complications include the rather terrifying village of Rith Metic, a place constructed of—gulp—math books and numbers that walk and talk (I sense Thompson and I had similar feelings about math in school); Ilumi Nation, where candles walk and talk; and returning villain Ruggedo, now fully established as the Oz’ series ongoing Big Bad. Well, in this case, initially a Small Bad, living with a chattering rabbit named Wag who has a thing for socks.
Ruggedo has been, delightfully enough, spending his time rewriting his personal history on six small rocks and playing dreadful songs on the accordion. The sound is enough to send Wag fleeing for his socks and his wooden doll, Peg Amy. (We all have our needs.) Soon enough, however, Ruggedo mistakenly brings Peg Amy to life and turns himself into a giant—with Ozma’s palace balanced precariously on his head. Shrieking, he flees, with his giant steps swiftly taking the palace, and its residents, out of Oz. Ozma, of course, is incapable of rescuing her own palace (did you expect any other response at this point?) leaving it up to Kalumpo, Prince Pompadore, Peg Amy, and Wag (mourning his socks) to mount a rescue.
The book focuses on the trappings of royalty, and on people concerned with finding—or maintaining—their proper place in society. Characters continually obsess over appearances and proper behavior for their rank and condition. To be fair, this is partly because one of them has been turned into a giant with a palace stuck on his head. It would worry anyone. But the concerns of others often seem overwrought, or even inappropriate. In the middle of a desperate chase to save Ozma, the Elegant Elephant is so worried about the damaged state of his robes that he has Peg Amy fix them. The prince assumes that no one will believe he is a prince after he has burned his hair. As most of Ozma’s palace falls into an enchanted sleep, the Tin Woodman...carefully polishes himself.
Peg Amy, the living wooden doll, takes these fears to the most heartbreaking level. She may have memories of another life, and a gift for making devoted friends, and a kindly heart. But none of that, she fears, makes up for being just a doll:
“Why, I haven’t even any right to be alive,” she reflected sadly. “I’m only meant to be funny. Well, never mind!”
Other Oz characters, however constructed, had always taken their right to live for granted. Indeed, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Patchwork Girl had often insisted that their materials made them superior to “meat” people, since they did not have to eat or sleep. This reasoning never occurs to Peg Amy. Unlike the Patchwork Girl, who refused to enter the subservient role planned for her, Peg Amy unhappily accepts her servant position, and decides to justify her existence through work, with the traditional feminine tasks of mending and sewing, by the less traditional methods of helping the group save Ozma and her friends, and by helping Pompa marry Princess Ozma.
None of this goes as well as planned. Although Pompa, noting that all princesses must marry the princes who rescue them, does propose to Ozma, to her credit, the Ruler of Oz does not think that getting rescued is a great basis for a marriage, and refuses him.
Kabumpo in Oz may have begun as a traditional fairy tale, but it does not quite end like one. Not only does the prince not win his expected princess, but the tale also requires a second, somewhat muddled, ending. And in the end, Kabumpo in Oz is less about the prince, and more about the lessons Peg Amy and Kabumpo learn about appearances and true royalty. And if it is somewhat jolting to read Thompson’s suggestion that Peg Amy earns her happy ending by embracing a more traditional, subservient role, after several books rejecting this pathway for women in Oz, Thompson adds the counter examples of Glinda (masterful as always) and Ozma, both refusing to accept the places fairy tales would place them into.
Kabumpo in Oz is not flawless. As I mentioned, the ending is muddled, and in an odd scene midway through the Wizard of Oz appears, advising everyone to be calm, smiling as if he knows exactly what is going on and will explain it momentarily—and then disappears for the rest of the book. I have no idea what this scene is doing in the book; its truncated nature reads like an authorial or editorial error. But this is a considerably more enjoyable introduction to Thompson’s Oz books, with their myriads of tiny kingdoms filled with young princes and princesses tailor-made for adventure. (She would later claim that Oz has 705 of these kingdoms, theoretically giving her material for 705 books, had she been so inclined or physically capable.)
I don’t want to leave without mentioning the eponymous character, the pompous but kindly Elegant Elephant, who would return in later books, and the hilarious scenes with the Runaway Country. Tired of waiting to be discovered, the Runaway Country has decided to step up—literally, on ten large feet—and run off to find settlers of its own who can develop it into a “good, modern, up-to-Oz kingdom”—never hesitating for a moment to kidnap our heroes in this quest. I admit that I had an environmental twinge or two while rereading this passage, along with an urge to shout, “No! Run away before you get developed and over-developed!” But things may be different in Oz, and in a book exploring the need to submit to your role in life, it’s rather delightful to find a land stubbornly refusing to do so.
Mari Ness hasn’t been kidnapped by any Runaway Countries yet, but she rather likes the idea. She lives in Central Florida. | <urn:uuid:150e9a9c-ecc6-4a3f-a79b-a3cc1282a821> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/02/an-an-elegant-elephant-in-fairyland-lemgkabumpo-in-ozlemg | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968749 | 1,705 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Listen to the stories from Caroline Keem who found forgiveness in an email flame chain and Madeline Bialecki who learned that the act of forgiving may be accepting people at their word.
Michael McCullough describes science that helps us comprehend how revenge came to have a purpose in human life. At the same time, he stresses, science is also revealing that human beings are more instinctively equipped for forgiveness than we've perhaps given ourselves credit for. Knowing this suggests ways to calm the revenge instinct in ourselves and others and embolden the forgiveness intuition.
A special edition of the full-length tracks of the music played in the program. We asked for your song recommendations and chose more than a dozen. Listen and read some of the reasons why these songs were recommended.
Pertinent Posts from the On Being Blog
The story of a woman whose son was murdered, and her struggle to end the cycle of violence in north Minneapolis.
When a poet is assaulted in a grocery parking lot for the length of his shorts, what does he do? Write a poem. A guest post from Luke Hankins.
McCullough's reference to Mad Max and Death Wish prompted us to put together cinematic revenge moments for the program. In the end, it didn't fit but why not let you hear them?
We asked for your song recommendations, and you delivered scores of them.
About the Image
"Cool Jeweled Dreams (Oceans in the Sky)" accompanied by the photographer's caption: "And suddenly, they could reach out and touch their dreams, for God had made the impossible… possible.
Voices on the Radio
Host/Producer: Krista Tippett
Senior Editor: Trent Gilliss
Technical Director: Chris Heagle
Senior Producer: David McGuire
Associate Producer: Nancy Rosenbaum
Associate Producer/Online: Susan Leem
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Coordinating Producer: Stefni Bell
In a few breathtaking months, we've culturally moved from seeing Wall Street as an icon of thriving civil society to discussing its workings with book titles like House of Cards and Animal Spirits. As part of our ongoing Repossessing Virtue series, we look at what science is learning about trust, fair play, and empathy — and what these qualities have to do with human character and economics.
How do we prime our brains to take the meandering mental paths necessary for creativity? New techniques of brain imaging, Rex Jung says, are helping us gain a whole new view on the differences between intelligence, creativity, and personality. He unsettles some old assumptions — and suggests some new connections between creativity and family life, creativity and aging, and creativity and purpose. | <urn:uuid:0627e19d-66ae-481e-8713-c2c00c47993f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onbeing.org/comment/2727 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945445 | 549 | 1.648438 | 2 |
What is IPTV?
IPTV (Internet Agreement Television) is a arrangement area agenda television casework are delivered over the internet by application Internet Protocol. The video channels and programs are delivered to the television sets through a broadband connection, instead of getting delivered through the accepted cable or advertisement formats. The video streams are encoded into a alternation of internet agreement packets and again agitated out through the accessible internet agency which can be accustomed by anyone by accepting a set-top box and a cable for the service. IPTV is about provided arranged with the VoIP and the internet admission which is referred as "Triple Play" service. So this account is a complete amalgamation that allows barter to watch TV, browser the internet and authoritative a continued ambit calls application the VoIP. This account is about provided by a account provider application a bankrupt arrangement infrastructure. | <urn:uuid:883d50e3-ecac-42a3-823f-515b77a3437b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thailandtv.net/dnn-tv/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937076 | 172 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Clowns Without Borders was founded in Barcelona in July 1993. The idea began when Tortell Poltrona, a professional clown in Spain, was invited to perform in a refugee camp in Croatia. This performance unexpectedly attracted audiences of more than 700 children, proving to Poltrona that there is a great need for clowns and entertainment in crisis situations. He founded Clowns Without Borders to offer humor as a means of psychological support to communities that have suffered trauma. Read the UNHCR interview with Tortell Poltrona.
Another project was organized for May of 1993, and this time two more artists, Boni & Caroli, accompanied Tortell, traveling and performing in the refugee camps in Croatia. What followed was a wave of performers and shows in the ex-Yugoslavia region from Spain. Soon Clowns Without Borders organizations sprung up in France and Sweden. The CWB movement expanded into other areas of conflict, from the Western Sahara, to Palestine and Israel, to Columbia and other countries throughout Central America. By the year 2000, over one hundred expeditions had been launched.
CWB-USA Is Born
After traveling to perform in Guatemalan refugee camps in Chiapas, Mexico (1987) and in South African township schools (1991), Moshe Cohen participated with the French, Clowns Sans Frontieres, in Croatia (1994) and performed in eleven refugee camps in eight days. He then started Clowns Without Borders-USA in 1995. Clowns Without Borders-USA continues to be a grassroots, volunteer-run organization. With the support of many volunteers, and the hardworking board, the organization continues to strive to bring laughter and humor to children and persons in areas of crisis.
CWB Around the World
Now with Clowns Without Borders organizations in nine countries (Spain, France, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, South Africa, Canada and the United States) we hope to work together to send at least one hundred projects throughout the world each year. | <urn:uuid:32506b48-4d23-44f2-8a33-1f9b9791349f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clownswithoutborders.org/about-us/history/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95372 | 405 | 1.789063 | 2 |
The Obama Administration Doubles Down on the War on Terror
In the seven weeks since the killing of Osama bin Laden, pundits and experts of many stripes have concluded that his death represents a marker of genuine significance in the story of America’s encounter with terrorism. Peter Bergen, a bin Laden expert, was typically blunt the day after the death when he wrote, "Killing bin Laden is the end of the war on terror. We can just sort of announce that right now."
Yet you wouldn’t know it in Washington where, if anything, the Obama administration and Congress have interpreted the killing of al-Qaeda’s leader as a virtual license to double down on every “front” in the war on terror. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was no less blunt than Bergen, but with quite a different endpoint in mind. “Even as we mark this milestone,” she said on the day Bergen’s comments were published, “we should not forget that the battle to stop al-Qaeda and its syndicate of terror will not end with the death of bin Laden. Indeed, we must take this opportunity to renew our resolve and redouble our efforts.”
National Security Adviser John Brennan concurred. “This is a strategic blow to al-Qaeda,” he commented in a White House press briefing. “It is a necessary but not necessarily sufficient blow to lead to its demise. But we are determined to destroy it." Similarly, at his confirmation hearings to become Secretary of Defense, CIA Director Leon Panetta called for Washington to expand its shadow wars. "We’ve got to keep the pressure up,” he told the senators.
As if to underscore the policy implications of this commitment to “redoubling our efforts,” drone aircraft were dispatched on escalating post-bin-Laden assassination runs from Yemen (including a May 6th failed attempt on American al-Qaeda follower Anwar al-Awlaki) to Pakistan. There, on May 23rd, a drone failed to take out Taliban leader Mullah Omar, while, on June 2nd, an attempt to kill Ilyas Kashmiri, a militant associated with the 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai, India, may (or may not) have failed. And those were only the most publicized of escalating drone attacks, while reports of a major “intensification” of the drone campaign in Yemen are pouring in.
In the meantime, President Obama used the bin Laden moment to push through and sign into law a four-year renewal of the Patriot Act, despite bipartisan resistance in Congress and the reservations of civil liberties groups. They had stalled its passage earlier in the year, hoping to curtail some of its particularly onerous sections, including the “lone wolf” provision that allows surveillance of non-US citizens in America, even if they have no ties to foreign powers, and the notorious Section 215, which grants the FBI authority to obtain library and business records in the name of national security.
One thing could not be doubted. The administration was visibly using the bin Laden moment to renew George W. Bush’s Global War on Terror (even if without that moniker). And let’s not forget about the leaders of Congress, who promptly accelerated their efforts to ensure that the apparatus for the war that 9/11 started would never die. Congressman Howard McKeon (R-CA), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, was typical. On May 9th, he introduced legislation meant to embed in law the principle of indefinite detention without trial for suspected terrorists until “the end of hostilities.” What this would mean, in reality, is the perpetuation ad infinitum of that Bush-era creation, our prison complex at Guantanamo (not to speak of our second Guantanamo at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan).
In other words, Washington now seems to be engaged in a wholesale post-bin Laden ratification of business as usual, but this time on steroids.
Perhaps after all these years the nation’s leadership was simply unprepared for bin Laden’s death and hasn’t been able to imagine switching directions readily, or perhaps the war on terror has simply become a way of life. Certainly, the Obama administration has a record of translating potentially propitious moments for change into strategic paralysis.
Remember, for instance, the president’s day-one-in-the-Oval-Office pledge to close Guantanamo within a year? Six months later, the administration had doubled down on the idea of the indefinite detention of terror suspects and so effectively made Obama’s promise meaningless. It’s a pattern that’s repeated itself when it comes to the Afghan War, the trial in New York City of 9/11 “mastermind” Khalid Sheik Mohammed, and other crucial matters.
But think about it for a moment: Should the postmortem to bin Laden be just a continuation of the same-old-same-old? Shouldn’t there be a national pause for reflection as the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approaches? Wouldn’t it make sense to stop and rethink policy in the light of his death and of a visibly tumultuous new moment in the Greater Middle East with its various uprisings and brewing civil wars?
Why has an administration that prides itself on thinking before doing pushed on without a moment’s reflection? Why shouldn’t the president establish a commission filled with at least a few new faces (and so a few new thoughts) to assess what a war on terror might even mean today? And why not insist that, until the findings of such a commission come in, there will be no new expenditures, legislation, or policy decisions to continue -- let alone further expand -- that war, its detention policies, or for that matter the Patriot Act?
Were the President to establish such a commission, here are five symbolic steps it might recommend -- hardly the only ones, but a start -- that could help set the U.S. on another path and put the war on terror behind us:
1. Concede that there is no more tangible endpoint for the war on terror than the death of bin Laden: Rather than trying to banish the term “war on terror” (as the Obama administration did in 2009), let’s face it squarely. Practically speaking, at the moment as for the past near-decade, it is little but a catch-all phrase for “endless war.”
Our commission would have to face a basic question: If we are not to commit to war without end, what could the “cessation of hostilities” possibly mean when it comes to American terror policy? Any attempt at a definition would have to grapple with the real meaning of bin Laden’s death. After all, it may be the only tangible victory we’ll ever have. What a moment, then, to announce that the war on terror has now passed out of its “war” phase and entered a phase of risk management.
At present, Congress is considering an expansion of the Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) that it passed on September 14, 2001, and that allowed “the use of force against those nations, organizations, or persons [the President] determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided” the attacks of 9/11. The current version builds upon the previous open-ended war model and actually expands the number of possible targets for the use of force to those who “have engaged in hostilities or have directly supported hostilities in aid of a nation, organization or person” that is engaged in hostilities against the U.S. or its coalition partners.
Nor does it have an end date. How long this overly broad, overly vague policy would remain in effect remains unknown. It would be far better if current and pending revisions of the AUMF were more honest in acknowledging that the counterterrorism policy it promotes is slated to last indefinitely, much like the “wars” on drugs and organized crime. This would, at least, put in front of lawmakers the appropriate question: Are you willing to authorize military force as your perpetual state of risk management against an ever-expanding list of enemies? Perhaps, in the context of an endless state of war (and the expenses that would go with it), Congress might prove more circumspect about granting such broad powers to the president.
2. Release John Walker Lindh: This would be a symbolic act of compassion, a way to turn our attention back to the first moments of the Bush administration’s disastrous Global War on Terror, and perhaps help along the process of heading Washington in new directions. Lindh, you may remember, was the young man captured and turned over to U.S. forces by Afghan allies in the early weeks of the invasion of Afghanistan.
An American who had spent time with the Taliban and was ready to fight for them (but not against the United States), he was the first person against whom the Bush administration, in one of their favored phrases, “took off the gloves.” He was mistreated and abused while wounded. Later, faced with the prospect of never emerging from jail, he provided information to the authorities in exchange for a 20-year sentence in a plea deal.
Even George W. Bush described him as a “poor boy” who had been “misled,” an upper-middle-class American kid whose teenage identity issues sent him deep into the fundamentalist part of the Muslim world, though with no indication on his part of any interest in jihad, nor the slightest idea that the United States would invade Afghanistan and he would find himself on the other side of the lines from his own countrymen.
Lindh’s mistreatment in Afghanistan and subsequent sentencing here were essentially acts of symbolic revenge for the tragic death of CIA agent Mike Spann, the first official American casualty in what was already being called the Global War on Terror. His sentence was also meant as a warning to others who might consider his path.
As it happened, the judge in charge of the case acknowledged that there was absolutely no evidence Lindh had been involved in Spann’s murder. Bewilderingly enough, he nonetheless allowed the prosecutor to tie Lindh inexorably to Spann's murder through the emotional testimony of Spann's father at sentencing.
The U.S. government was sending a message. If this country would punish one of its own in such a fashion without evidence of a crime or even of theoretical allegiance to the idea of jihad against the West, what wouldn’t it do to its foreign enemies?
In prison, Lindh has since committed himself to the quiet life of a scholar of Islam. Many who have followed this case think that, at age 30, he should be returned to his family.
Lindh’s release would be a signal that the United States was ready to return to an era of calm justice and that the war on terror, with all its excesses, was truly coming to an end.
3. Create a rehabilitation program for releasing Guantanamo detainees currently assigned to indefinite detention: In the same spirit, it’s time to signal that, along with the war on terror, the paroxysm of fears that led us to detain individuals who had not committed crimes, but were otherwise deemed harmful, has come to an end. The Obama administration’s most recent directive on Guantanamo follows its long-hinted-at intention to hold approximately four-dozen Guantanamo detainees in indefinite detention for a variety of reasons. Bottom line: although there is insufficient evidence to convict them, administration officials have determined that each of them could pose a danger to this country, if released.
Under U.S. law, detention without trial poses constitutional problems, which is why Guantanamo detainees were granted habeas corpus rights by the Supreme Court. Similarly, under the laws of war, the detention of prisoners is only justified while hostilities are ongoing. If there really is no "war" on terror, it is hard to justify holding detainees indefinitely without a fair adjudication of their rights in a court of law.
Why not, then, consider creating an American version of the de-radicalization or rehabilitation programs that flourish elsewhere in the world -- notably, for example in Indonesia -- as a prelude to release for those where the evidence for a trial is absent? A rehabilitation program might steer individuals towards non-violent behavior, whatever their ideological leanings; it might re-educate them on the subject of Islam; it might introduce notions of rights and liberties. Religious leaders, psychologists, and counterterrorism officials could fashion such a program jointly as they do elsewhere in the world. President Obama surprisingly inserted the word “rehabilitation” in his March 2011 directive on the future of Guantánamo (“Executive Order -- Periodic Review of Individuals Detained at Guantánamo Bay Naval Station Pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force”). Why not use this milestone moment in the war on terror to follow up in a concrete fashion?
4. Revisit the issue of prosecuting those responsible for America’s offshore torture policies in the Bush years: The Obama administration made a decision not to investigate or prosecute the creators of the torture policy that defined the Bush administration’s interrogation tactics in its war on terror. They did so, its officials claimed, in an effort to focus on the overwhelming issues the new presidency had to confront. They were visibly eager to avoid stoking a bitter partisan battle that they feared might further divide the country.
They banked instead on the idea that the lawyers and politicians responsible for that torture policy and the “black sites” and “extraordinary renditions” that went with it would quietly fade into the woodwork. This has obviously not been the case. On the contrary, in recent months former officials and members of the Bush administration have openly re-embraced those policies. In the aftermath of bin Laden’s death, as if on cue, they immediately flooded the newspapers and air waves with unsupportable claims that torture had led Washington to the al-Qaeda leader and should be a crucial part of the American arsenal in the future.
Forget for a moment that torture has still not been shown to have extracted valuable information (not otherwise available) from terror suspects. We know, in fact, that on a number of occasions it led investigators down the wrong path. More importantly, it was a symptom of the war-on-terror frenzy that gripped this country and led it down the wrong path.
We now have all the proof we need that pretending torture never happened, legally speaking, only helps keep us embroiled in that “war” and the emotions it evokes. If the war on terror is ever to end, then tolerance for the support of torture has to end as well. Nothing would accomplish this better than the actual prosecution of the American crimes of that era -- or at the very least, the investigation and official condemnation of those who sidestepped the constitution and diminished the moral standing of the country at home and abroad.
5. Restore permanently to the Department of Justice responsibility for trying terrorists from around the globe: Since the fall of 2001, the Justice Department has been largely deprived of its portfolio for trying terrorists captured outside the United States. With the exception perhaps of cases involving terror attacks on military targets, there is no reason Justice should not prosecute such cases, as in the 1990s it successfully prosecuted the conspirators who first attacked the World Trade Center, as it did in the African embassy bombings cases, and as it has recently done in Chicago in the case of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was convicted of providing material support to the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. (He was acquitted of conspiracy charges in the Mumbai bombing.) Since 9/11, the ability of judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys to understand terrorism cases and try them responsibly has, if anything, increased immeasurably, while the military commissions system instituted by the Bush administration at Guantanamo and kept in place by President Obama has crashed disastrously and repeatedly on the shoals of politics, misinformation, and faulty procedure.
Whatever a commission might do when it came to bringing the war on terror officially to an end, this is the moment -- with the death of bin Laden, the Arab uprisings, and the 10th anniversary of 9/11 -- to do it and to begin to seek ways to defend America even while guiding us back to our true self: a country with respect for the law, restraint when it comes to the use of force, and rights for all.
Karen J. Greenberg is the executive director of the New York University Center on Law and Security, author of The Least Worst Place: Guantanamo’s First One Hundred Days, editor of The Torture Debate in America, and a frequent contributor to TomDispatch.com. Research for this piece was contributed by Susan Quatrone, Gil Shefer, Camilla McFarland, and Dominic Saglibene from the NYU Center on Law and Security. To listen to Timothy MacBain’s latest TomCast audio interview in which Greenberg discusses how fear of terrorism increases presidential power, click here, or download it to your iPod here.
This article first appeared on TomDispatch.com, a weblog of the Nation Institute, which offers a steady flow of alternate sources, news, and opinion from Tom Engelhardt, long time editor in publishing, co-founder of the American Empire Project, author of The End of Victory Culture, as of a novel, The Last Days of Publishing. His latest book is The American Way of War: How Bush's Wars Became Obama's (Haymarket Books). | <urn:uuid:5cf4ec1f-bd15-4f65-a63a-f302b2082b1e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.zcommunications.org/the-obama-administration-doubles-down-on-the-war-on-terror-by-karen-j-greenberg | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960433 | 3,659 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Two US-based internet-monitoring companies say Syria has shut off the internet nationwide.
A blog post on Renesys, a US company which tracks internet traffic worldwide, said that at 12.26pm in Damascus, Syria’s international internet connectivity shut down completely.
Akamai Technologies also confirmed a complete outage.
The Syrian government has previously cut phone lines and internet access in areas where regime forces were conducting major military operations.
An activist near Damascus who gave his name as Abu Sham said the government had cut the internet in the southern neighbourhoods of the capital on Thursday.
Another activist, Abu Qais al-Shami, who lives outside the country, also said land-lines, mobile phone signals and the internet were cut in several of the capital’s southern neighbourhoods, including Yarmouk and Tadamon, around noon.
He said he had been able to communicate with contacts in Syria by using satellite telephones.
Elsewhere in the capital, warplanes bombed Kafr Souseh and Daraya, two neighbourhoods that fringe the centre of the city where rebels have managed to hide out and ambush army units, opposition activists said.
The past two weeks have seen military gains by rebels who have stormed and taken army bases across Syria, exposing Assad’s loss of control in northern and eastern regions despite the devastating air power he has used to bombard opposition strongholds.
According to a pro-government TV station, Syria’s minister of information said that “terrorists”, not the state, were responsible for the outage.
“It is not true that the state cut the Internet. The terrorists targeted the Internet lines, resulting in some regions being cut off,” he was quoted by al-Ikhbariya as saying.
State TV quoted the telecommunications minister as saying that engineers were working to repair what he said was a fault.
Meanwhile Syrian rebels battled forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad just outside Damascus on Thursday, restricting access to its international airport. The Dubai-based Emirates airline suspended flights to the Syrian capital.
A rebel fighter who identified himself as Abu Omar, a member of the Jund Allah brigade, told Reuters that insurgents fired mortars at the airport’s runways and were blocking the road linking it with the capital.
He said insurgents were not inside the airport but were able to block access to and from it. Another source in a Damascus rebel unit said mortars had been used in clashes near the airport but did not know whether rebels had fired mortars directly at the airport.
Their accounts could not be immediately verified because of severe restrictions on media access to Syria.
An official at EgyptAir said it had cancelled its Friday flight to Damascus due to the “deteriorating situation” around the airport. He said the airline would hold an urgent meeting in the next few hours with Egyptian officials to discuss halting all flights between Egypt and Syria.
[VIA The Raw Story] | <urn:uuid:e21f1447-852a-4c35-ad70-22c2b5e151a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nwotruth.com/syria-shuts-off-internet-access-across-the-country/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978642 | 609 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Worlds Contending: Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra
Although the Concerto for Orchestra is Bartók's largest orchestral composition and one of the last works, it has received comparatively little attention in the scholarly literature. One reason for this may be the suggestion that it is artistically inferior, a compromise for the sake of financial success and public acceptance. This position is challenged through an examination of the circumstances surrounding the commission of the work, and its relation to Bartók's biography.
The main body of the thesis deals with the music itself in a comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of nine analytical approaches--the extent of serious criticism on the Concerto. Some of theses analyses are more successful than others in discussing the work in a meaningful way. More importantly, the interaction of theses analytical methods allows for the emergence of a pattern in the music which is not evident to the same degree in any of the individual analyses. The interaction of these diverse approaches to the Concerto, which both confirm and contradict each other at various times, provides a wider analytical perspective through which it becomes possible to suggest that the Concerto for Orchestra is characterized by a dynamic principle of conflict or "Worlds Contending," from the title of a poem by Bartók. Thus, an understanding of the work is heightened by the extension of the analytical perspective. | <urn:uuid:518ffbe8-fe5e-4efb-afe1-bd338c3316ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digitalcommons.mcmaster.ca/opendissertations/2685/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940966 | 277 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Don't let the title fool you in the upcoming release: Wargaming.net
is rolling out not only its first American-line of aircraft for their MMO World of Warplanes
, but will be rolling out the initial tech tree for German aircraft as well, including the first ever fighter jet, the ME 262, from the end of the World War II era. The unique MMO continues to expand, along with its player base, making it stronger on both ends. Going along with the 30s and 40s theme of the aircraft, we hope that many developers follow suit with being innovative and unique instead of following formulas to re-hash a game into a new version that just looks the same with a different aspect.
World of Warplanes Unveils USA Aircraft
Initial American Tech Tree Revealed
London, UK, Paris, FR and San Francisco, CA (20th January, 2011) — Wargaming.net, the award-winning videogame publisher and developer, is proud to introduce the initial tech tree of the German aircraft for its anticipated flight combat action MMO World of Warplanes. Players will have 19 warplanes to explore from two lines of light and heavy fighters.
The first iteration of the German tech tree will be available upon the game's release scheduled for 2012. World of Waplanes will expand its fleet of German warbirds to more than 90 models.
"German engineers were never afraid of innovative design in their aircraft," said World of Warplanes producer Anton Sitnikov. "They embodied their ideas into impressive mass-production models and astonishing prototypes, and we are proud to include them into World of Warplanes."
German warplanes are famous for their fast altitude climbs and power dive attacks. Players will be able to control such famous Luftwaffe machines as the Bf. 109G, one of the most dangerous opponents of the allied forces, and the Me. 262, the first jet fighter interceptor used during WWII.
Find more about World of Warplanes at:
About World of Warplanes
World of Warplanes is the flight combat MMO action game set in the Golden Age of military aviation. The game continues the armored warfare theme marked in the highly-acclaimed World of Tanks and will throw players into a never-ending tussle for air dominance.
World of Warplanes will allow players to build full-scale careers as virtual pilots offering machines from several key eras, from1930's biplanes to the Korean War jet fighters that led the way to modern air forces.
World of Warplanes will feature a wide range of warbirds, each of them unique in their effectiveness and behavior. Virtual pilots will choose from three main warplane classes - single-engine light fighters capable of engaging enemies in close dogfights, heavy fighters with their deadly straight attacks, and strafing aircrafts, the fearsome threat to ground targets.
Every plane will feature multiple variations of ammo types, engines, and other crucial modules, and their various combinations will allow players to pick the optimal configuration for the most effective behavior in combat. | <urn:uuid:bbd9a76e-06c9-4c92-a835-af20dc77aba3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gamingnexus.com/FullNews/New-US-and-German-Aircraft-for-World-of-Warplanes/Item25355.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940793 | 618 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Alongside Switzerland and Germany, the United States and Singapore maintained their positions, in sixth and 10th places, respectively. Sweden, the only other country in the top 10 to fall, dropped from fifth to ninth.
Among developed economies, New Zealand and Japan improved strongly; the former climbing to12th from 19th and the latter moving up eight positions to 14th. Emerging market economies reported mixed levels of progress, with India being the only BRIC nation to move up in the rankings. In this category, rising stars include Panama, climbing from 56th to 37th, and the Philippines, which climbed from 94th to 82nd on the back of policy improvements supporting the industry.
As well as providing insight into how countries are fostering the development of their travel & tourism industry, the report also offers a snapshot on the health of the industry and its role in driving global economic growth. With travel and tourism accounting for one in 11 jobs globally, the report highlights that the industry has proven resilient during the global economic downturn and can be a key factor in paving the way for developing and emerging markets to diversify into higher value economic activities.
MENA regionIn the MENA region, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the top performer. "The UAE - ranked 28th in the global Index - continues to lead the region thanks to rich cultural resources and a slew of international fairs and exhibitions, said George Atalla, Partner with Booz & Company. With its year-round sunshine, white-sand beaches, shopping malls, entertainment centers, recreational facilities and some of the finest restaurants in the world, UAE is definitely a popular tourist destination "Despite the impact on natural resources, the country has managed to build a thriving travel and tourism industry. It is also a world-class international hub for global air travel."
In second place for the region is Qatar (41st globally), a nation that boasts well-developed ICT and tourism infrastructures as well as excellent air transport and sports infrastructure. "Qatar's ability to offer tourists a safe and secure environment compounded with its role as a transport hub has significantly enhanced its travel and tourism competitiveness," added Antoine Nasr, Senior Associate. "Due to the economic boom, business tourism has significantly increased.
Ranked fourth in the MENA region, Bahrain has fallen 15 places since the 2011 assessment, namely due to security concerns. However the country maintains a number of clear strengths. Those include a highly-evolved transport infrastructure, skilled human resources and strong price competiveness.
Lebanon ranks 8th in the region and 69th overall with a number of cultural attributes, including five World Heritage cultural sites and some creative industries. Perhaps more importantly, Lebanon is ranked 1st out of all countries for its affinity for Travel & Tourism, with tourism accounting for a significant amount of economic activity, a very positive attitude toward foreign travellers, and an appreciation of the value of the country's attributes for tourism.
"Egypt, ranked 10th regionally, drops 10 positions in the global assessment to reach 85th overall, probably the result of the continuing unrest in the country. Most notably, the evaluation of the safety and security environment has dropped to the lowest position of all countries covered in the Report," added Atalla.
The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index covers 140 countries and uses a combination of data from publicly available sources, international travel and tourism institutions and experts. It also incorporates the results of the Executive Opinion Survey, a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the World Economic Forum and its network of partner institutes (research institutes and business organizations) in the countries covered by the report. The survey provides data on many qualitative institutional and business environment issues.
The report's cross-country analysis of the drivers of competitiveness in travel and tourism provides comparative information that is useful in business decision-making and supporting policies of governments wishing to improve their travel and tourism environments.
In addition, the report includes contributions from industry experts. Several chapters explore issues such as how visa facilitation can play a role in stimulating economic growth; the importance for policy-makers to leverage local competitive advantages to thrive in a volatile environment; the impact of the tourism sector on employment creation; and how the connectivity that aviation sector creates sustains economic development.
The report also contains detailed country profiles for the 140 economies featured in the study, including a comprehensive summary of their overall positions in the Index and a guide to the most prominent travel and tourism competitive advantages and disadvantages of each. Also included is an extensive section of data tables covering each indicator used in the Index's computation.
The World Economic Forum produced the report in close collaboration with its Strategic Design Partner, Booz & Company, and its Data Partners, which include Deloitte, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The Forum also received important feedback from Industry Partners in the effort, namely Airbus/EADS, BAE Systems, Bahrain Economic Development Board, Bombardier, Delta, Deutsche Lufthansa/Swiss, Embraer, Etihad Airways, Jet Airways, Hilton, Lockheed Martin, Marriott, Safran, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and VISA. | <urn:uuid:a2718c18-fb00-4a2e-80fb-3efd07c46160> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ameinfo.com/travel-tourism-report-focuses-reducing-barriers-332863 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936639 | 1,077 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Physics tells us that everything carries unique vibrations; in other words, a signature pulse. In that sense, everything is alive. I am alive. You are alive. He is alive. She is alive. They are alive. We are alive. And the trees are alive. And the rivers are alive. And art is alive. And God is alive. And if God is alive, then either God is one of us, which can not be true because there would be no free will, or God is all of us. If God is all of us, then either we are all separate and divine entities leading self-preserving existences or we are all a part of one God and when one gets sick the entire body gets sick. | <urn:uuid:73b65821-ea64-4b73-b4a2-9c6fdfc588cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.templeilluminatus.com/profiles/blogs/all-in-all?xg_source=activity | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947237 | 149 | 1.835938 | 2 |
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