Datasets:

Haesteining

/

TrainingDataset

like 0

Most e-commerce professionals get their start working on a narrow aspect of online retailing, crafting copy for paid search ads, for example, or coding product pages. Thibaud Clément is taking a different path. Clément, a 23-year-old aspiring e-commerce entrepreneur, is spending a year traveling the world and meeting with e-commerce executives wherever he goes. He plans to start his own business and hopes what he learns between now and October will provide insights that he can turn into a business plan. Even before he began his trip last fall in Asia, he was already something of a citizen of the world. A native of France, Clément received his MBA last year from the University of Ottawa in Canada. While there he took a course taught by Harley Finkelstein, chief platform officer at Shopify, a provider of e-commerce software. When Clément was assigned to do a consulting project with a business he turned to Shopify, and developed a plan for how Shopify could identify countries where its expansion opportunities were particularly promising. That gave him the e-commerce bug. Clément kicked off his e-commerce pilgrimage in China in November, spending most of his time in Beijing and Shanghai. He has since traveled to South Korea, now is in Japan and will soon move on to Hong Kong. Other planned stops on his tour include Thailand, Australia, the United States and South America. Wherever he goes he seeks out online retailers and other e-commerce experts to learn about their businesses, and he’s come up with some valuable information. For example, in South Korea he learned that if you want to send e-mail to consumers in that country you better have e-mail servers based in South Korea. Good to know for any retailer aiming to sell to consumers in that nation, which is among the global leaders in consumer use of the Internet and advanced mobile phones. In China, he learned that there is a big opportunity serving the large rural population, hundreds of millions of consumers who live in towns and villages too small to have major bricks-and-mortar shopping centers. China’s economic boom means there are many consumers in these rural areas with money to spend, but little opportunity to spend it—except online. Plus, he learned, transportation within China is quite cheap, so it’s relatively inexpensive for retailers to move goods from a factory in the northern industrial city of Tianjin, for example, to a village in lightly populated Qinhai province in the west of China. No doubt he’ll learn plenty more in his travels, and it will be interesting to see what Clément does with the knowledge he gathers. One thing I’m quite sure of: The e-commerce world will hear more from Thibaud Clément in the years to come.

<urn:uuid:037bbbd0-ef98-4e22-b55d-13a5c06907e3>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.internetretailer.com/commentary/2012/01/12/first-hand-look-wide-world-e-commerce

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed what many consider to be the toughest gun control legislation in the country, expanding an existing assault weapons ban and limiting gun magazine capacity to seven rounds. NBC's Ron Allen reports. New York lawmakers on Tuesday approved the toughest gun control law in the nation, expanding the state's existing assault weapons ban and addressing gun ownership by those with mental illnesses in the first major legislative action in response to the Newtown, Conn., school massacre. The measure passed the state Assembly 104-43 after passing the state Senate 43-18 Monday. Gov. Andrew Cuomo quickly signed the legislation on Tuesday. "This unfortunately required tragedies and loss of life to actually spur the political process to action," Cuomo said in remarks minutes before signing the bill. "This will be the toughest gun control package in the nation," Sen. Jeffrey Klein, leader of the Independent Democratic Conference that shares majority control with Republican senators, had told The Associated Press. "All in all, it is a comprehensive, balanced approach that will save lives." In a statement Tuesday, the National Rifle Association said it was "outraged" and called New York's gun control bill "draconian." The proposal will include universal background checks, an assault weapons ban, aggressive prosecution of existing laws, and a high capacity magazine ban. NBC's Chuck Todd reports. The vote came as lawmakers in other states as well as the federal government wrestle with how to reduce gun violence after a series of mass shootings. President Barack Obama is set to unveil his own proposals -- based on recommendations from Vice President Joe Biden's gun task force -- on Wednesday. He is expected to focus on both legislative measures and steps that could be taken through executive action. These steps could include cracking down on people who lie on background checks and focusing on improving school safety and mental health care. A federal assault weapons ban would require approval from Congress. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg applauded the state's bipartisan cooperation in a statement Tuesday, and suggested that it "sets an example for Washington to follow." "The responsible and comprehensive gun reform bills the governor signed into law today will help keep guns away from criminals and others who are already prohibited from purchasing them," Bloomberg said. Cuomo, who had called for an overhaul of gun laws in New York in his State of the State address last week, defended the provisions of the law. "Seven bullets in a gun, why? Because the high-capacity magazines that give you the capacity to kill a large number of human beings in a very short period of time is nonsensical to a civil society," Cuomo said, according to Reuters. Called the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, New York's law: - Bans possession of any high-capacity magazines regardless of when they were made or sold. Only clips able to hold up to seven rounds can be sold in the state. Clips able to hold seven to 10 rounds can be possessed, but cannot be loaded with more than seven rounds. If an owner is found to have eight or more bullets in a magazine, he or she could face a misdemeanor charge. - Requires ammunition dealers to do background checks, similar to those for gun buyers. Dealers are required to report all sales, including amounts, to the state. Internet sales of ammunition are allowed, but the ammunition will have to be shipped to a licensed dealer in New York state for pickup. - Requires creation of a registry of assault weapons. Those New Yorkers who already own such weapons would be required to register their guns with the state. - Requires any therapist who believes a mental health patient made a credible threat of harming others to report the threat to a mental health director, who would then have to report serious threats to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services. A patient's gun could be taken from him or her, as well. - Stipulates that stolen guns should be reported within 24 hours. - Tightens the state's description of an "assault" weapon. Previous state law defined an assault weapon as having two "military rifle" features, but the new law reduces that specification to just one feature - Requires background checks for all gun sales, including by private dealers -- except for sales to members of the seller's immediate family. One of the most controversial elements of the bill is the requirement on providers of mental health services. "People who are mentally ill should not have access to guns, that's common sense," Cuomo said, according to Reuters. "That's probably the hallmark of this bill, coming up with a system that allows for mental-health screens." Critics are arguing that the provision is unprecedented and draconian, but it is neither, said Art Caplan, head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center and an NBCNews.com contributor. "For decades mental health workers have had an ethical obligation to report those they think pose a clear and present danger to others to the police and to the person who has been threatened," Caplan said. "Their codes of ethics require them to do so. The new law in New York now makes that reporting a legal duty and gives the therapist a clear set of directions as to how to report and to whom." In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. thanked legislators and said the bill will "provide law enforcement with stronger tools to protect our communities from gun violence, including provisions that better enable us to combat gun trafficking and violent gangs, and others that close the state gun show loophole and regulate large-quantity sales of ammunition and firearms." Critics of the proposal had accused lawmakers of playing politics with citizens' rights and hundreds of gun manufacturer jobs. "We haven't saved any lives tonight, except one: the political life of a governor who wants to be president," Republican Sen. Greg Ball, who represents part of the Hudson Valley, said after the Senate vote on Monday, according to the AP. "We have taken an entire category of firearms that are currently legal that are in the homes of law-abiding, tax paying citizens. ... We are now turning those law-abiding citizens into criminals." Assemblyman Marc Butler, a Republican, represents the upstate district where gun-maker Remington Arms Co., which employs 1,000 workers, is based. He called the closed-door meetings by Senate Republicans and the Democratic majority of the Assembly "politics at its worst." Remington builds Bushmaster rifles in Illion, N.Y. Bushmaster semi-automatic rifles were used in the Newtown shooting and in the killing of two firefighters in Webster, N.Y. The NRA expressed skepticism about the new law in a statement Tuesday: "While lawmakers could have taken a step toward strengthening mental health reporting and focusing on criminals, they opted for trampling the rights of law-abiding gun owners in New York, and they did it under a veil of secrecy in the dark of night." "This legislation is not about hunters, sportsmen, or legal owners who use their guns appropriately," Cuomo said. "It is about reducing gun violence and making New York a safer place to live." Legislators in other states also are moving forward with gun control legislation. In New Jersey, one of 18 new gun bills submitted to the legislature would require gun buyers to submit to a psychological evaluation. A bill requiring gun owners to register annually, and another requiring all guns to be kept in lock boxes when not in use may be introduced in California. In Connecticut, state Sen. Beth Bye wants to limit access to assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and require that firearms be registered by model and serial number.

<urn:uuid:35c3bbd0-7d04-474d-bb50-e81986e7a83c>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/15/16515653-new-york-passes-major-gun-control-law-first-since-newtown-massacre?pc=25&sp=25

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

I am thrilled that our HGTV Dream House on Kiawah Island — the first LEED-certified HGTV Dream House — continues to break public tour sales records, outselling every house before it! While I love the exposure this brings to our Platinum LEED, energy-sensitive approach to building, even more wonderful is that the most money possible is being raised for the local Charleston chapter of Communities In Schools. I chose Communities In Schools as the national non-profit for this HGTV Dream House for several reasons, including my relationship with risk and its ability to bring about change. Now, more than ever in this country, we need to take a risk with our educational system, to really push forward to find out what works, to push the envelope with as many “what ifs” as possible to take schools beyond the status quo. A determination to do it right the first time, with a conscience, is how we started at Dyal Compass, how we entered the energy-sensitive arena — and we haven’t wavered. It’s a no-brainer; after all, not only do you get your money back on energy bills by spending a little more on, say, geothermal heating and solar panels, you also save billions as far as impact on the earth. Clearly, it’s the right thing to do. It’s the same with education: take time to do it right from the beginning, and you’ll get your money back and save billions in the long run. Like the teachers and educators struggling to do the right thing by their students, Dyal Compass is a little guy at the grassroots level. But acting as a team to push things forward, little guys can bring about big change. Just look at what we’ve accomplished, pushing the envelope to not only build with a conscience, but also to break records in ticket sales for the HGTV Dream Home for Communities In Schools. The sky’s the limit! Finally, and closest to my heart, I chose Communities In Schools to honor my sister Janet Jones, a master teacher in Charlotte, NC, and my niece Kristie Oberg, a nursery school teacher in Jackson Hole, WY. I’ve heard their stories and challenges, and I embrace the opportunity to put a spotlight on them. It’s time to rethink our educational system, to update and revolutionize it the way LEED building is transforming the way we build homes. If we join together to do it right the first time, from the beginning — and with a conscience — who knows what records we will break?

<urn:uuid:98514d71-59ca-461e-8bcc-cb6a941ff3ac>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://blog.dyalcompass.com/

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

Of course, when I said close I did not mean next few years, more like Tegmark’s 50 years prediction, that is very short time in human history scale. I have not read anything from most distinguished scientist that is not optimistic in that sense. Who would have thought 500 years ago that we would be sending probes to the edge of the solar system, if you have told anybody that at that time you would have been shot(more like burned) on site! You cannot predict technology. As for religion, you know, humans do not debate for the sake of it, typically it translates into actions, and I guess I was not clear but that is what I meant. Religion does not exist in a vacuum, humans use any tool at their disposal to justify their actions, and the animalistic instinct for survival is alive and well. Animal do not have religion, yet they fight tooth and nail. The communists did not believe in god, but they used that believe to prop up their state (survival again). My point is that based on our present knowledge that allows some distinguished scientists to speculate that simulation might be possible and hence the status of god becomes also possible. The concept of god has its roots strongly in our ignorance as to how existence came to be, but even if that is solved, then we are again will be haunted by the simulation issue. It is not a psychological issue it is a conceptual issue, in the first place. And the rest follows(as an excuse). Religion just like anything else that exists, you can use it for good or for killing people, electing presidents and million other bad things Let us say tomorrow a theory is confirmed that no god and no simulation of existence is possible, would humans calm down. I doubt it; they will find something to fight about, and no shortage of excuses,and now no restraint (defintion of religion). If humans are to become true humans, they must get rid of their animalistic instinct, somehow.

<urn:uuid:89f53460-3ee1-4d6d-9f42-a22d5e04953f>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=2525574&postcount=82

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

However exhaustive and meticulous your current employee appraisal process is, chances are you aren't pleased with the outcome. The primary objective of a performance appraisal is performance improvement, starting with the individual and rolling up to the organizational level. But an individual who doesn't fare well in an appraisal feels demotivated, defeating the purpose of the exercise. Looking deeply at the challenges of the current common appraisal system, a few points stand out: - Appraisals are subjective, even if key result areas are well defined with clear measuring criteria. - Subjectivity is especially tough to eliminate when it comes to employee behavioral (as opposed to results). - Feedback happens only once or twice in the year and is seldom incremental. - Organizational goals are usually not revisited as frequently as they should be, either by team members or by the appraiser, and hence the appraisal may drift away from project or organizational goals. - The appraiser may be biased by recent events rather than able to look at overall, year-long performance. - There is often a failure to deliver a win-win solution to any problem or to motivate team members to take on higher goals. - The "halo effect" can bias an appraiser, when the influence of certain good traits override others. When an organization follows Agile processes, more challenges arise. Agile methodology focuses on team performance more than on the individual. The objectives of the team aren't easily broken down by individual; one cannot appraise the individual on the basis of team performance. Although this is not an attempt to propose a solution for all of the above issues, I do believe there is a workable solution for appraising Scrum team members, one that addresses problems raised while remaining within the Agile framework and philosophy. If a team is self-organizing, per the Agile framework, we can empower that team to raise itself to a "self-appraising team." The self-appraising team We can leverage the spirit of Agile to empower the team to appraise its own team members. The sprint retrospective is done continuously, and it helps evolve and improve team productivity and efficiency. The team determines what was good, bad, and ugly, and it determines what it needs to do to improve. Ideal sprint retrospective meetings are conducted within a candid, honest, and constructive environment. What better platform to appraise individual performance as well? Wouldn't every team member appreciate such an environment for his or her appraisal? Since the sprint retrospective is a time-boxed meeting, my proposal is to use 15 minutes out of this meeting for the purpose of individual team member appraisals. Now we have the right platform, with the right people. The team believes it is the owner of the appraisal process and is empowered to carry it out. The question that remains is how? How and what can be achieved in 15 minutes? During the sprint retrospective, play a game of nominating the best performer within the team, as voted by each team member. On a blank card, each team member writes the name of the best performer. (Important rule: No one is allowed to nominate him- or herself.) The ScrumMaster collects the cards but does not disclose who received the most votes. Instead, each team member first takes two minutes to explain why the person he or she has nominated was the best performer during the sprint. Next the ScrumMaster scores each nominated individual on the basis of number of votes and announces the top three performers of the sprint. Note that we may have seven members in the team (give or take a few), and we've already ranked three of them within first sprint. The most important part of this exercise is getting honest and constructive feedback about the work that's been executed. Each team member who is nominated understands what he or she did that brought on that vote. Other team members can set their own goals about what to do to achieve the same feat in the next sprint. The feedback is delivered by the team, so it is clear, crisp, and close to reality because it is offered by a group of people who work closely with each other on a day-to-day basis. This feedback also removes a great deal of subjectivity, especially around the behavioral aspect, because team members make nominations based on the person's overall performance. Coworkers may choose not to nominate a high performer if he or she demonstrates other undesirable attitudes, such as a failure to support fellow team members. Such ongoing team appraisals of individuals maintain transparency and also help each team member, on a regular basis, understand their performance. For example, if a one-year project runs sprints every two weeks, team members will experience 24 appraisals by the end of the year. This helps avoid disappointments at the final appraisal when raises and promotions may be decided. Benefits of the self-appraising team In summary, the benefits of a team self-appraisal are as follows: - Its inherent transparency eliminates personal bias. - Everyone experiences regular and honest feedback from the team. (This is called 360-degree feedback.) One has the opportunity to receive feedback at the end of two weeks and to improve performance immediately in the next sprint. - The goal is clear, and everyone receives continuous feedback about what's expected from high performers. - The scoring system eliminates subjectivity. - The team does the appraisal itself and thus trusts the outcome of the exercise. - It provides a simple way to align individual objectives to project objectives, thus rolling up to organizational objectives. - The 15 minutes allowed for this within each sprint eliminates the mammoth efforts currently put in for annual or biannual appraisals. Alignment with the Agile framework - Feedback is crystal clear and focused on individuals rather than the process. - The method focuses on measurable performance, not excessive documentation of an individual's performance. - It eliminates negotiation and propagates transparency in the system. - It offers quick and frequent feedback, with frequent opportunities to take corrective action. - It offers an environment of trust and honesty, which supports the development of the team.

<urn:uuid:de92c91a-ced2-4ed5-9d57-d3e7276bd87b>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.scrumgathering.org/articles/421-the-selfappraising-team

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

The organization has undertaken this state project for many years in an effort to encourage students to read, believing that children who own their own books will develop a love for reading. The organization received many thank you notes from students receiving books, reinforcing this belief. In one of these thank you notes, Nayelly Moreno, a student in teacher Jane Owings’ Room 4 at Thomas Jefferson Elementary, said, “Dear, Sir or Mam, thank you for the donated books. I like my book; it’s called Ruby the Copycat. I like it because it is very funny. With real pretty pictures. I love that book; it’s my second favorite book.” The Bee County Retired School Personnel will meet Tuesday, March 5, at 9 a.m. at the community room of First National Bank. The program will be “Forgotten Places in Beeville” presented by Sylvia McCord. All retired school personnel are encouraged to attend.

<urn:uuid:0c9e5a02-74b2-4980-89d0-8a72e5b3d4b8>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.mysoutex.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Retired+teachers+give+books+to+third-graders+to+encourage+love+of+reading%20&id=21831076

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

This session will be a collaborative workshop to solve some of Drupal's usability issues, or at the very least flush out the positives and negatives of many different ideas. All skills sets are welcome, e.g., developers, designers, editors, etc. In fact we've failed if we only get designers. Ten usability issues will be presented. The audience will work in groups, and each group will choose 1 of the 10 usability issues. Armed with the issue, each group member will rapidly sketch out their ideas on how to improve the issue. Don't worry, you don't have to to be good at drawing - it's not a drawing exercise - it's a level setting exercise. After sketching for a determined amount of time, the sketcher will present their solution to the problem. After presenting, each person in the group will offer 3 things they like about the design, and 3 things they dislike. At the end of this session, we'll walk way with key information about the 10 issues. That is, for a given issue, what is the consensus in terms of what people like, vs what they don't like. Perhaps this will negate the need for issues ques that are 250 threads long. All are welcome, but those attending should have a desire to contribute to make Drupal better.

<urn:uuid:2654f342-9470-4b63-a5a1-d16c65125966>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://chicago2011.drupal.org/sessions/collaborative-approach-solving-some-drupals-ux-problems

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Spammers have infiltrated the websites of a number of universities, including the University of Florida, with pornographic images. A story on the technology website ZDNet reports on the problem. It focuses on Harvard.edu, featuring several cases of porn on blogs and other parts of the site. The story also cited examples at other universities, including an image on the UF website. The image has since been removed. A UF spokeswoman said the university, when made aware of questionable elements of the site, deletes anything that violates its acceptable use policy.… Read More » University of Florida dorm dwellers seem to be the poster children for roommate conflicts, and some major media outlets can’t decide whether Facebook is the problem or the solution. First, the New York Times wrote about how Facebook is causing roommates at UF and other schools to talk less and thus intensifying conflicts. Now, the Wall Street Journal has written about how Facebook is helping UF students to meet like-minded roommates and prevent those conflicts.… Read More » The University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications has settled the Mac vs. PC argument, if the college’s new requirement is any indication. The college will require students to buy Mac computers and other technology starting next fall, according to participants in a town hall meeting Tuesday at UF on the future of journalism. David Carlson, director of the college’s new Center for Media Innovation and Research, said that the requirement will be phased in for current students but eventually required of all students when they become juniors.… Read More » University of Florida law professor Michelle Jacobs will be holding a real conference in a virtual world. Jacobs is hosting a conference Saturday in the Second Life virtual world. The technology allows users to create avatars that interact through an online program.… Read More » The counterculture mantra from a generation ago was, “Turn on, tune in, drop out.” For today’s college students, it might be, “Call mom, check in, drop out.” Two recent stories look into the phenomenon of students who have a hard time cutting the cord with their parents. A story in the Palm Beach Post refers to today’s students as the “baby on board” generation, saying technology and other factors have made them overly reliant on their parents.… Read More »

<urn:uuid:60b9c0eb-ddce-403e-b5db-2eb6d7367edf>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://chalkboard.blogs.gainesville.com/tag/technology/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Author: Alethea Kontis Publisher: Harcourt, 2012 Pages: 308 p. Think of your favorite fairy tale and chances are good that at least a part of it is in Alethea Kontis's Enchanted. The story opens with seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, Sunday, writing down her family story when she is interrupted by a talking frog. Everyone knows that a talking frog is an enchanted frog who must be kissed for the spell to be broken. After a friendly conversation Sunday complies with the frog's request for a kiss, but he remains a frog. Luckily they live in fairy tale land where insta-love is not only common, but encouraged, so it only takes three days for her love to be strong enough to transform him back into a man. Unluckily for Sunday she misses the transformation and assumes her beloved frog has perished in a storm. Doubly unlucky for her, her frog has turned into the very Prince thought to be responsible for her older brother's death and her family's misfortune. How can Prince Rumbold convince her and her family that he deserves her love? There are elements of Cinderella, The Frog Prince (obviously), Jack & the Beanstalk, folklore (seventh son stories), fairies, godmothers, and probably more I am forgetting. Fairy tale fans will be entertained by spotting all the references and seeing how Kontis weaves them into her larger story. Kontis does a good job of borrowing familiar elements but still writing her own tale. This is a delightful story sure to please readers. I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links & buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

<urn:uuid:851a77b8-3a5a-4bd6-9eb6-ffdedbb7debc>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://goddesslibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/01/enchanted-alethea-kontis.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

A big city can be intimidating. Tall buildings, narrow alleys, unfamiliar faces everywhere. Beth Bell ’03 wants to show people that a city like Grand Rapids can be an incredibly welcoming place. That’s why she’s part of the “Street Team” for ArtPrize, an international art competition that literally takes over downtown Grand Rapids each fall. As a Street Team member, Beth helps people navigate their way through over 1,500 pieces of art displayed on sides of buildings, on Grand Rapids’ famous “blue bridge” and yes, even in narrow alleys. And tons of people—over 280,000 in 2011—come to Grand Rapids for ArtPrize, many of them from the city’s suburbs and surrounding locales. Beth grew up in one of those suburbs, attending Christian school through middle and high school. She says that coming to Calvin, though relatively close to home, allowed her to become comfortable with people from different backgrounds. Her experiences in the classroom and editing Calvin’s student newspaper, Chimes, gave her the confidence to be a leader—someone who’s not afraid to speak in front of people and give others’ direction.

<urn:uuid:d0003f38-d4a7-46f7-b248-5b1bc640ab3b>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.calvin.edu/verge/2011/winter/on-the-street-with-artprize

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

The proposed bill that will transfer over 900 acres of federal land to the City of La Pine and Deschutes County will really clean up a lot of loose ends for the city. Last week, the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee approved the bill that will give the La Pine Rodeo a permanent home and provide a location for a permanent wastewater treatment plant. Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone, when he was on the La Pine Rodeo Board, began working on getting the parcel of land transferred to the city back in 2005 for the rodeo home. "The Sewer District board had been requesting federal land also. And once we found this out, we ended up putting it all back together in the same bill. And then the City of La Pine, at some point found this odd parcel in the middle of town where the library is; so the thought was, just as a clean up move to put the parcel in the center of town, to ownership with the city and have the library have a long term lease with the city rather than the federal government." DeBone says this is another step in establishing the identity of La Pine, since its incorporation in 2006. He says the bill should be approved by Congress, and signed by the President by the end of the year or it will expire; but the House Committee's approval almost insures its passage.

<urn:uuid:dcbd6340-3426-4476-a320-20079f901e42>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://kbnd.com/kbnd-news/local-news-feed/28071

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] Re: Wet/Dry, Trickle media Adam Shaw wrote: "I'm thinking of going that way instead of using the typical bio-ball plastic setup, and wondering if anyone else has tried it. It's quiet expensive stuff (Matrix is).. Seems that to fill a trickle filter biotower would cost quite a few hundred $$ whereas the bio-balls that I can get will cost around $55.." Go to Seachem's website and read what it says about Matrix. Then go to the Dupla website and read what they have to say about their Biocascades and Minicascades. I realize that for $55.00 the bioballs you are considering aren't made by Dupla but Dupla is the only company that has much which is useful to say about the effective use of such things. And for this comparison, one ball is pretty much like another. Your trickle filter sounds like it was designed and sized to accommodate ball type media (bioballs, shotgun wadding, etc.). These are designed to provide exterior surface area in a format which will resist clogging and channeling of the water flowing through it. The better the design of the bioball, the more surface area and flow-thru it offers. I have owned and used several types of bioballs over the years, and the Dupla Biocascades and Minicascades seem to be well worth the money they want for them (but that's only my opinion). Buy them once, they last forever.... you soon forget how expensive they were in the first place...or, at least, I With any bioball, the available surface area is ALL on the outside. According to Spotte, these things are designed to allow for the formation of a biofilm on the exterior surface of the ball. The "filtration" of your water takes place inside the biofilm, courtesy of the bacteria which create the film. Due to the high oxygen environment created by the "trickle tower", the bacteria which populate these things are aerobic. They live for a few days, do their thing with NH3/NH4 and NO2, multiply like crazy and as the biofilm thickens, the lower layers of bacteria die (from lack of oxygen). The biofilm then "sloughs off" the substrate (the bioball) and is soon replaced by freshly replicated bacteria from the surrounding areas. Its self cleaning and pretty much self maintaining. But it does require a certain volume in order to provide sufficient surface area to support the mass of bacteria needed to handle the ammonia produced by the fish in your tank. They are also considered to be nitrate factories because, if well designed, they are very efficient at converting ammonia to nitrite and then nitrate. Matrix offers both surface area AND internal pore space, much greater than ANY bioball. But it does this at the expense of the voids which help prevent clogging and channeling (water will seek the path of least resistance on its way through the unit). Seachem recommends the use of Pond Matrix for drip tray applications (trickle filters/wet dry filters), most likely to maximize the flow thru characteristics and prevent clogging. With either size of Matrix, it is probably very important that the water be mechanically filtered first - you don't want detritus to get into it and clog up the void spaces between the particles. This need for mechanical "pre-filtering" is probably not as essential for a unit using bioballs as the void spaces are much larger and most detritus would pass right through the balls. With Matrix (or with Pond Matrix), the design of the drip tray would probably also be more important - you want to ensure that the flow of water is evenly distributed so that it gets into contact with the whole body of The internal pore space of Matrix and Pond Matrix is designed to support the formation and growth of bacteria which don't need oxygen (anaerobic) and which have the neat trick of consuming nitrate and turning it into nitrogen gas (NO3 -> NO2 -> N2) which gets released into the atmosphere (and out of your system). That is the theory. In practice, if conditions are not optimal, the conversion process can stall at NO3 -> NO2, and the nitrite can cause problems in your aquarium. The "denitrification" process also takes much longer than the "nitrification" process, meaning that the "dwell time", for water in the system must be longer in order to accomplish the conversion completely. How well this works is going to depend on the design of your filter and upon how well maintained it is. The volume (physical space) needed to hold the amount of Matrix or Pond Matrix necessary to process the same amount of water would most likely be a lot less than the volume needed to hold the equivalent amount of bioballs. Its a trade-off between surface area and void space. In the unit you have, it sounds like you have the space (for bioballs). It sounds like you have way more space than you would need if you used Matrix. It probably wouldn't be necessary to fill all of the available space with Matrix (or, if you did, it could handle a MUCH bigger tank). Just make sure that the design of the unit allows for prefiltering the water BEFORE it flows over the Matrix and it is capable of distributing the water evenly over the whole volume of Then we turn to the real need, in a well planted, lightly to moderately stocked aquarium for auxiliary "biofiltration" in the first place. Do you NEED to do this in your tank? Bacteria capable of converting NH3/NH4 into NO2 and then into NO3 exist on every internal surface of your aquarium (glass, gravel, plants, driftwood). Given a healthy amount of internal circulation (power head to move the water around), these bacteria can handle the waste load from a few fish with no problems. If the aquarium is heavily planted (that IS the type of tanks we are supposedly maintaining and talking about here), the plants themselves get into the act, sucking up the NH3/NH4 before the bacteria get a chance to, thus subverting the "nitrogen cycle" and rendering it moot. Plants can use either ammonia or nitrate as a nitrogen source, (the preference is species specific but that's really beside the point). A well planted, moderately stocked aquarium doesn't usually NEED an auxiliary biological filter. It might benefit greatly from mechanical filtration (to remove particulate matter) but the plants themselves can deal with the waste products from a few fish. If you want to pack the fish in like sardines, or you are keeping big, massive fish, an auxiliary biofilter can add an extra measure of insurance. External wet/dry filters offer a convenient place to put equipment that you don't want visibly in your tank. But their biofiltration function was initially designed with "fish tanks" in mind, not with "plant tanks". What kind of tank do you have or do you want to have?

<urn:uuid:48095cf1-9156-4410-a6e4-8a23b28783e0>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.200210/msg00482.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Department of Finance The Finance curriculum is designed to provide a general program in the financial aspects of business, including financial management, investments, the financial system, international finance, and related areas. The courses are designed to provide students with an understanding of the relationships between business finance and our economic system in the context of analysis and decision making. Courses in banking, insurance, and real estate are also available. David Dumpe Recognized for Excellence in Education by Ohio Magazine December 4, 2012 -- The College of Business Administration is pleased to announce the selection of David Dumpe, Ph.D. as an Ohio Magazine Excellence in Education honoree. Dumpe an associate professor of finance and business administration was not only honored for “Excellence in Education” but also specially recognized as a “Memorable Educator” in the December 2012 issue. Xiaoling Pu’s Research Paper “Limited Arbitrage Between Equity and Credit Markets” published in the Journal of Financial Economics Limited Arbitrage Between Equity and Credit Markets Received 31 May 2011 Received in revised form 2 October 2011 Accepted 31 October 2011 Available online 20 April 2012 Nikunj Kapadia, Xiaoling Pu University of Massachusetts, United States Kent State University, United States To read the entire article go to the Journal of Financial Economics www.elsevier.com/locate/jfec

<urn:uuid:52a11bf0-c82f-439d-92f5-af283b85d740>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.kent.edu/business/finance/index.cfm

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Lancet Series: HIV and Injection Drug Use The purpose of the grant is to support the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in organizing a review meeting for the follow-up of the Lancet Series on HIV Prevention. The Lancet, an independent medical journal, produced a successful themed series on HIV prevention in 2008. As a follow up, a series on the global HIV epidemic among injection drug users was commissioned. Consisting of six review articles, it will be published as a booklet and launched at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Vienna 2010. The goal is to refocus the international HIV research agenda and encourage support to address the broad spectrum of issues faced by injecting drug users. Johns Hopkins University will organize a review meeting for this follow up series, to take place in London in September, which will provide one of the few opportunities for experts to meet face-to-face and exchange ideas. Experts will critically review papers and suggest improvements or further topics for exploration.

<urn:uuid:1ea6c9cb-4e2a-4011-ad13-d19469ac2608>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/about/programs/global-drug-policy-program/grantees/johns-hopkins-university-bloomberg-school-public

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

It is unclear when the Harriman (OF) was found, either 1939 or 1947. The location of the fall was in Harriman, Tennessee. It was not an observed fall. Total known mass of the Harriman is 30 kg and it is classified as a Iron IVA. This specimen is from the Monnig Collection at TCU. ID # Harriman483-4 Weight : 483.4 g A specimen card will be included.

<urn:uuid:125e136b-2d43-43f9-b385-1df3cca8dadc>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://outofabluesky.com/meteorites-for-sale/iron-meteorites/harriman-of/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

POTSDAM Call it a brain gain. Typically, large urban areas mine rural areas like the north country to augment their talent pool but this time, the north country reversed the brain drain. Marilyn Miller Freeman has been named the first Michael E. 78 and Janet D. Jesanis Endowed Chair at Clarkson University. Marilyn Miller Freeman embodies Clarksons evolution to excellence and the aspirations we have for building an exciting vision from a foundation of strength and stability, said Anthony G. Collins, Clarkson University president. She is not only an outstanding scholar aligned to the research pursuits of our faculty, but also a faculty mentor who embraces the roles of service to profession and inspiration to students that distinguish Clarkson faculty in the higher education community. Ms. Freeman spent over three decades as a U.S. Department of Defense researcher and administrator before stepping down in 2012. She was deputy assistant secretary for research and technology for the last two of those years, managing a more than $2 billion annual budget. In that role, she was in charge of 21 laboratories and research, development and engineering centers, with more than 10,000 scientists and engineers dedicated to protecting soldiers. We dealt with body armor and armor for our vehicles, we dealt with making better vehicles, she said. We dealt with large and small arms, ensuring the human dimension was being researched and understanding the effects of brain trauma and traumatic experiences for PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, we did medical research, soldier research – everything a soldier wears, camouflage, boots, food, everything. I was lucky because in my career I was able to work in almost every one of those laboratories. Ms. Freeman is no stranger to the north country; she has kept a vacation home on the Thousand Islands. I love the north country because weve had a summer home on Grenadier Island for 25 years, she said. I said, Gee, Id really like to look at opportunities up there. Clarksons commitment to technological innovation and entrepreneurship were attractive, Ms. Freeman said. I really liked the atmosphere and the values, the opportunities and the progressiveness of the administration, and I like the students a lot, they seem very hard working, she said. I really think the smaller universities offer a tremendously great opportunity for students who often would get lost in larger universities. She and her husband plan to move close to Clarksons Potsdam campus. She received her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. She began her career in 1975, teaching high school math in Englewood, Ohio. I always said I would like to go to academia, she said. I was originally a teacher. I wanted to go back to teaching. At Clarkson, Ms. Freeman will help oversee graduate programs in materials science and engineering. Im kind of not in a specific role as a department director or chair, what I am is sort of an in-between, she said. Her skills at forging interdisciplinary cooperation, honed by her service for the Pentagon, will be harnessed at Clarkson. That is what I did in the army, she said. I had to make sure that you have the right people to work on the problems even if they were in different organizations and make sure opportunities were not just siloed, but that you brought people with the right skills together to solve problems that is something the administration here would like to do. The Jesanis Chair was established by a donation from Michael E. Jesanis, Clarkson class of 1978, and his wife, Janet D. Jesanis, of Sunapee, N.H., in order to create a prestigious faculty chair and attract individuals representing science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Janet and I are thrilled that Dr. Marilyn Freeman has been appointed as the first holder of the Jesanis Chair at Clarkson, Mr. Jesanis said.She has amassed a superlative track record during her outstanding career and were sure she will make a major contribution to the Universitys academic quality and research program.

<urn:uuid:080f83b9-66b4-430c-adac-8d211f666905>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://watertowndailytimes.com/article/20130315/DCO01/703159935/2881

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

How many have truly gone back to their shamanic roots? How many know how to retrieve soul fragments? How many know that the root of the word shalom means wholeness, and the wholeness is the opposite to fragmentation? Were the souls of the native indians fragmented? Of course, everyone that experiences violence of any kind fragments. It can also happen due to operations or car accidents. The soul is fragile, highly sensitive and leaves the body on impact and sometimes just prior to it, the soul is only connected with a cord. Hence, why many who experience operations, do not come back into full consciousness, due the soul not getting back in the body. How many know that the medical profession are doing their utmost to claim our spiritual inheritance and make it their own? What the spiritual know as soul retrieval, the medical profession now call the condition that requires it as DID. The truly holy were healers and knew how to retrieve and redeem souls. Humanity does not require medics to teach us what we have always known to be true. Remember this the medics have been following the healers of this planet, not the healers following the medics.

<urn:uuid:b355a3e9-d303-4830-872b-795b5350a88c>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.republicoflakotah.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=3387&p=15421

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

St Anthony's Catholic School Educating for tomorrow since 1914 Choosing a school for your child is probably one of the most important decisions you will have to make for your child. It is my firm belief that all children are a gift and have a special talent to be nurtured. I believe that St Anthony's Catholic School is a place where your child will be nurtured in Education; academically, physically, socially and spiritually. I believe in the very highest ideals for children. I believe that children should feel happy and safe attending school; that children should experience success, and that children should feel valued and accepted. I believe in building a sense of pride in ourselves and who we are, and being the best that we can be. I believe in quality and excellence. St Anthony's Catholic School is a place where we learn together. The education your children receive will allow them to make informed choices and allow them to take their place in this world, whilst developing the philosophy that comes with being a life-long learner. As a Special Character school we have the best of both worlds. We are able to invest in the children, the very best in Education whilst also developing a sense of wholeness through being able to meet the Spiritual needs of your child. All this is achieved in a caring Christian environment. 'Taste and see that the Lord is good.' (Psalm 34:8)

<urn:uuid:96970e11-d0cd-474f-a0ce-207fd9342f85>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.stanthonys.school.nz/1/pages/1-welcome

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. The point of this paragraph of God's Word is that there will be no escape for any of us who neglects our great salvation. Verse 3: "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" What's the answer to that question? The answer is, There is no way we will escape if we neglect such a great salvation. Now this is a sobering word for the world and for the church, because most people do neglect the greatness of salvation. How many people do you know who give serious, sustained attention to the salvation accomplished by Christ—who love it, and think about it, and meditate on it, and marvel at it, and feel continual gratitude for it, and commend it to others as valuable, and weave it into all the lesser things of their lives, and set their hopes on it? Do you live this way? Is it not astonishing how neglectful even professing Christians are of their great salvation? Is there a sense of greatness in your mind about your salvation? When something truly great is happening, there is an appropriate response to greatness. Do you respond to the greatness of your salvation? Or do you neglect it? Do you treat your salvation the way you treat your will or the title to your car or the deed on your house? You signed it once and it is in a file drawer somewhere, but it is not a really great thing. It has no daily effect on you. Basically you neglect it. So this is an astonishing word to the church and the world. To neglect our great salvation is to come into judgment and there will be no escape. Being a Christian is very serious business. Not sour business, but serious, very serious. A Great Salvation It's not as if he is saying, Don't neglect your arthritis. Or: Don't neglect your dandelions. Or: Don't neglect your spinach. He is saying don't neglect your salvation. Your great salvation. So it's as if he said, Don't neglect your steak dinners. Don't neglect your cancer-healing therapy. Don't neglect your sunrises and sunsets. And don't neglect your Butterfinger Blizzards or your new baby's smile, or your Rocky Mountains, or your Boundary Waters' breezes under the full night sky, or your safe warm bed. It's like that. Only what is it really—this great salvation? What he's really saying is: Don't neglect being loved by God. Don't neglect being forgiven and accepted and protected and strengthened and guided by Almighty God. Don't neglect the sacrifice of Christ's life on the cross. Don't neglect the free gift of righteousness imputed by faith. Don't neglect the removal of God's wrath and the reconciled smile of God. Don't neglect the indwelling Holy Spirit and the fellowship and friendship of the living Christ. Don't neglect the radiance of God's glory in the face of Jesus. Don't neglect the free access to the throne of grace. Don't neglect the inexhaustible treasure of God's promises. This is a great salvation. Neglecting it is very evil. Don't neglect so great a salvation. Because if you do, you will perish without escape. So being a Christian is a very serious business—not a sour business, but a serious business. We are simply blood-earnest about being happy in our great salvation. We will not be deflected by this world into the fleeting and suicidal pleasures of sin. We will not neglect our eternal joy in God—which is what salvation is. We will gouge out our eyes rather than be lured away from eternal life. Now the opposite of neglecting our great salvation is mentioned in Hebrews 2:1, "We must pay closer attention to what we have heard." What we have heard is the message of a great salvation delivered by the Son of God (see Hebrews 1:2). And "paying closer attention" is what "not neglecting" means. That's what we looked at last week. A True Salvation Now this week we look at the reason given in verses 3 and 4 why it is such a contemptible thing to neglect our great salvation. And the reason is that the message of our great salvation has been confirmed by a cluster of reliable witnesses. It is true and its truth has been witnessed to in sufficiently diverse and trustworthy ways that it is evil to reject it. This is the point of verses 3 and 4: Our salvation is not only great, it is true. Of course it could not be great unless it were true. But the focus here is not on how great it is to be saved, but how sure you can be that it is great to be saved. Look at these two verses with me: How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord [contrast "through angels" for the law in verse 2], it was confirmed to us by those who heard [that is, the apostles, the eyewitnesses who heard the earthly teaching of the Lord Jesus], 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. Now what is the point of these two verses? The point is to highlight how bad it is to neglect so great a salvation. But not by focusing on the greatness of the salvation but on the sufficiency of the confirmation of the greatness of the salvation. In other words there are at least two reasons you might neglect something. One is that it is not really great, and so you neglect it and spend your time and energy on something that you think is really great. The other is that, even though it might be really great, you may not have access to sufficient evidence that it really is great. In the first case, you may know the salvation, but you don't think it is so great. In the second case, you neglect it because you don't know the salvation. Witnesses to the Truth of This Great Salvation Hebrews 2:3–4 are intended to say to the original readers—and, I think, to us—there have been more than enough confirmations of the truth of this great salvation for you to believe it and embrace it and love it and not neglect it. Let's outline them and then ask how our confidence rises from these things. There are four stages of witness: When verse 3 says, "It was at the first spoken through the Lord," it implies that God the Father was the first speaker of this salvation. God spoke this great salvation "through the Lord." "Through the Lord" implies that Christ was a go-between for this great salvation. This is the same wording as in verse 2 where the word of the Old Testament was "spoken through angels." So the first witness is God the Father, which is exactly what you would expect if you recall Hebrews 1:1–2—God spoke first through prophets and in these last days he has spoken by a Son. The first witness to the greatness of our salvation is God. 2. The Mediator, Christ Jesus Then the second witness is the Mediator, the go-between, Christ Jesus. "It was at first spoken through the Lord," that is, through Jesus. This is a reference to the earthly ministry of Jesus as he taught and healed and cast out demons and preached the kingdom of God and died and rose again. In Acts 10:36, Peter says to Cornelius that the gospel is, "The word which [God] sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)." So the great salvation was spoken by God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Therefore whatever stamp God the Father leaves on this testimony bears witness to its divine origin and whatever stamp the Lord Jesus leaves on it bears witness to its endorsement by the Son. 3. The Apostles The third witness in the sequence is mentioned at the end of verse 3: "It [the great salvation] was confirmed to us by those who heard." The author puts himself in a group with the readers of the letter and says "us." And then he mentions a group called "those who heard." Heard what? Heard what was spoken by the Lord. In other words, he is referring to the eyewitnesses, the apostles, those who had spent time with Jesus and heard him teach and heard him tell the storm to be still and heard him command demons to come out of people and heard him stump the Pharisees, and heard him teach the incomparable words of the Sermon on the Mount and heard him interpret the Old Testament, and heard him make stupendous claims about his own resurrection and his purpose to ransom many from sin, and heard him speak from a resurrected body and command them to go and make disciples of all nations. These were the ones who had come to preach to the readers of this letter. The readers had heard the stories of Jesus from the very mouths of eyewitnesses. They had heard God and they had heard Jesus by hearing the very witnesses who were there when God spoke through his Son, Jesus Christ. So verse 3 says that the great salvation was "confirmed" by these eyewitnesses. Without these witnesses there would be no faith. These witnesses are the indispensable link to the speaking of God the Father and of Jesus Christ. The firmness of our faith rests on these witnesses. Without them there would be no rock to stand on. These are the foundation. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ—but a word mediated by personal eyewitnesses. 4. God Again The fourth witness in this series is again God himself. The sequence begins with God and ends with God. Verse 4: "God also bearing witness with them [that is, with the eyewitnesses], both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will." God spoke the great salvation into being through Jesus, and now God comes in again to witness to his own word and work. The way he witnesses is through signs and wonders and miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. In other words, when the apostles came to preach and witness to what they had seen and heard, God enabled them to do miracles and he poured out on the new believers gifts of the Spirit. This was God's added testimony to the message of his great salvation. How Do These Witnesses Give a Firm Foundation to Our Faith? Now here's the key question. How do all these witnesses give a firm foundation to our faith in God's great salvation? Why are we more guilty for neglecting this great salvation because there are these four kinds of witnesses? The reason I ask the question is because coming to have a firm and reasonable conviction about the truth is not a simple thing. For example, if God speaks, you can always say, "How do I know it's God?" Or if Jesus speaks, you can say, "How do I know you are not a deluded prophet?" Or if an apostle speaks about seeing the risen Christ, you can say, "How do I know you were not hallucinating? Or maybe you are a con artist and are trying to make a name for yourself." And if someone does miracles, you can say, "Maybe it's magic, or maybe Satan is trying to deceive me." If I told you right now that yesterday, as I was working on this message, I received over the email a story of a miraculous healing in Lyon, France, that led to the conversion of a skeptical unbeliever and former Tour de France cyclist, you could think of a lot of reasons not to believe the story. If I showed you the message on my computer this afternoon, you could say I concocted it or got someone else to for the sake of this illustration. If I said the story was told by the very person whom God used to perform the miracle and gave you his name and email address, you could still come up with a conspiracy theory or a theory of delusion that would make it possible for you not to believe that it happened. And I dare say that if you had been there in the restaurant when Ron Cohen prayed for this skeptic's injured knee, and you saw him lay his crutches aside and walk around the table and begin to cry, "C'est impossible," it would still be possible to imagine an explanation other than that God acted to witness to his great salvation. So here's the question: since it is always possible to doubt a testimony, what causes a person to be properly persuaded? What happens in the mind that brings it to rest in the truth? How do you ever come to have a valid persuasion about someone's testimony—mine, or the apostles' or Jesus' or God's? How does skepticism get replaced with well-grounded faith? This text does not give the whole answer. It simply assumes that God has spoken his great salvation. Jesus, the Lord of the universe was the one through whom God spoke, and so he adds his testimony. The apostles heard Jesus in the flesh and came and preached the great salvation to the readers of this letter. And God added the witness of miracles and gifts of the Spirit. In other words, well-grounded faith comes through a cluster of testimonies. But how, since they can all be doubted if you want to doubt them? The text does not say specifically, but I venture an answer on the basis of some other passages like 2 Corinthians 4:4–6 and Matthew 11:27; 16:17. From Skepticism to Well-Grounded Faith Two things have to happen to move from skepticism to a well-grounded faith: first, a testimony has to make clear something real—the historical and moral and spiritual quality of the reality has to be portrayed clearly; and second, the mind of the listener has to be careful and clean and humble enough to perceive and embrace what is real. In other words, coming to a valid conviction about truth from a testimony is ultimately the coherence or harmony between the mind's view of trustworthiness on the one hand, and the witness's embodiment and presentation of reality on the other hand. Let me say it with a visual aid. The listening mind and the claim to truth in the witness are like a plug and a socket that are supposed to fit with each other so that the current of conviction can flow. On the side of the witness, the plug must be clear—it must show the sharp contours of the historical and moral and spiritual beauty of our great salvation in Christ. On the side of the listener, the socket must be carefully positioned, and clean from substitute realities, and humbly willing to be penetrated by spiritual reality. When this happens the plug approaches and—perhaps for the first time in your life—it fits into the socket perfectly and a deep and justified conviction is born. Hebrews 2:3–4 is saying that the witnesses have done their part. The historical, moral, and spiritual reality of God's great salvation has been displayed. Any lack of conviction on our part—any neglect of this great salvation—is owing not to them but to us. We are the ones who need to change. Our minds are careless or defiled (clinging to false ideas and desires) or too proud to receive the message that we need salvation. So my prayer for us this morning is that God would shine in our hearts and cause sockets to be careful and clean and humble—so that we receive and love God's great salvation and not neglect it.

<urn:uuid:b8f9a147-6536-4f97-ba95-869f35d4f5ab>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/spoken-confirmed-witnessed-a-great-salvation?turn_off_admin_bar=true

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

What is fascinating is that this book was published in 1983, and most of the research was done in 1977-1979. As such, it provides a window into the early days of the hobby. If you are a grognard, or just an OSR enthusiast, I strongly recommend giving it a look. I'm going to break this post up into several parts, as I read the book. This post focuses on the introduction and first chapter, which already has a lot of really neat quotes. In the introduction, he is attempting (as the introduction to any book on roleplaying does) to explain just what the heck these games are. He makes this statement: Gaming fantasy combines the expressive freedom of fantasy with the structure characteristic of games. It is neither as rule-governed as games, because of its fantasy components, nor as free-floating as fantasy, because of its organization, which derives from the gaming model.This is a near-perfect elocution of a position that I've held for a while. It is a roleplaying game. To ignore either the roleplaying in favor of the game mechanics, or the game mechanics in favor of the roleplaying, does the whole a disservice. (As a note, he consistently uses the term "fantasy" rather than "roleplaying" throughout the text. As I understand it, that was fairly common at that point in the hobby. He also uses it to draw connections to psychological studies on fantasies and imaginative play.) Did you know that Henry Kissinger is a big fan of the Diplomacy game? I didn't. That's kind of cool. The book includes a brief discussion of the origin of RPGs. Apparently, the very first pseudo-RPG session occurred when the referee of a medieval wargame was bored, and decided to give each participant additional goals that had nothing to do with winning the battle. Given some of the recent discussions of doing exactly the same thing to spice up 4e combat, I find that intriguing. Most of the research takes place in the author's home of the Twin Cities. Apparently, the local gaming club actually met at the police station, in a community room. Very odd. In a later section, where the author is attempting to paint a picture of the "typical" gamer, an interviewee mentions that he was very surprised that some of these people would be in a police station of their own free will. Of course, comments similar to that also really underscore that this book was written before the "Satanic panic" had taken hold. I haven't come across a single reference to religious issues yet. Another great quote: Children's fantasy is recognized as being shared, as in "playing" house, soldiers, cops and robbers, doctor, or rocket ship. Collective fantasy is seen as childish, even when one wistfully regrets the pressures that cause one to put aside such "foolishness" for the requirements of the workaday world. This childish tradition of collective simulation provided a basis for the development of these "adult" games. The rulebooks and price tag provide legitimacy for what one did for free and freely in vacant lots, tree houses, and public parks.There is one anecdote that I find amazing, and fairly puzzling: Gamers in San Francisco whose characters belong to an evil society planned to attack and take control of a dungeon in Los Angeles. These plans were thwarted by Bay Area gamers who had played the LA dungeon at a convention.I don't really understand this. Did early gamers have some kind of persistent shared world idea, that eventually morphed into things like Living Greyhawk? What would it mean to "take control" of a dungeon? How would you thwart that? Does anyone know? Tune in Monday for a continuation, possibly with answers!

<urn:uuid:16d262e6-e6a1-4d43-80f4-4ff5cce727cc>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://divisionnihil.blogspot.com/2011/06/shared-fantasy-chapter-1.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Are the people of Israel truly modern and progressive Israelis are about to undergo the ultimate test: Will thousands of them willingly gather at one of the country’s best-known sites, remove all their clothing and smile for the camera? Spencer Tunick, an internationally renowned Jewish photographer, has made a name for himself by rounding up huge crowds in locations all over the world, where subjects pose together wearing nothing at all. In 2007, in Mexico City, he shot a mob composed of a record 18,000 nude people, and his most recent project featured more than 5,000 nude Australians standing uncomfortably close together around the Sydney Opera House. On August 16, Ynetnews and The Jerusalem Post reported that Tunick is planning another big project — this time, in Israel. Reports in March had suggested that the shoot might be in Tel Aviv, but Shlomit Yarkoni of Ben-Or Consulting, which is assisting with fundraising, told the Forward that the city site was dropped because of high costs. The new site, the Dead Sea, is hardly a bargain: Event producers are aiming to raise $150,000 so that the shoot can happen in April 2011. Ultimately, the team settled on the Dead Sea for environmental reasons: According to an announcement put out by Ben-Or, Tunick — who has been involved with Greenpeace and did one shoot on a glacier — “has expressed concern for this natural wonder and is interested in raising awareness of its condition through his art.” At press time, Tunick and his crew were off to France, but the photographer’s website offered some insight into how he sees his work: “The individuals en masse, without their clothing, grouped together metamorphose into a new shape…. These grouped masses which do not underscore sexuality become abstractions that challenge or reconfigure one’s views of nudity and privacy.” So here’s some advice for the naked masses who will soon descend on the Dead Sea in the name of art: Check your body for cuts — the salt burns.

<urn:uuid:ae02a92c-da50-45a1-bb17-eed5c67d0073>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://blogs.forward.com/the-shmooze/130120/dead-sea-naked-photo-shoot-in-the-works/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has been briefed by his top national security aides on the government's preparedness ahead of the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The White House said Monday the president and his advisers discussed specific measures the administration was taking to prevent 9/11-related attacks. They also discussed steps that were being taken to protect Americans abroad and U.S. forces serving in combat zones. The White House did not detail any of the measures being taken, noting only that Obama instructed government agencies to do everything possible to protect the American people both at home and abroad. It will be 11 years on Tuesday since the terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. (Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) Conn. zoo officials don't know how this baby got born. More cursing happens in Maryland than across the Potomac River. Emma Watson revels in her post-"Potter" freedom at Cannes. A German official says Justin will have to pay for his monkey's care.

<urn:uuid:3a17dcb2-29d5-4528-b045-3136e91fbe82>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.wtop.com/298/2478865/Obama-briefed-on-911-anniversary-preparations

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

This blog post was published on October 3 2011. § A US drone or US warplanes? Al-Awlaki is not dead Maybe it’s not that important, but there are two versions of Al-Awlaki’s assassination story. One runs on the US media saying that drone is used to kill Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen, and other on the Arabic media says that US warplanes targeted Al-Awlaki (which means that US airbase in a neighboring country is used to target Al-Awlaki). What supports the Arabic version is that, the attack on few Al-Qaeda members is directly reported and published by eyewitnesses in Yemeni Adenalghad, without knowing that Al-Awlaki is the target. This is the story published on the newspaper on 20-09-2011: Local sources in Abyan Province reported on Tuesday afternoon that warplanes believed to be an American raided the tribal areas to the south-west of the Province, where similar attacks have occurred in late 2009 and resulted in the deaths of dozens of villagers. The warplanes hovered in the sky above the mountains before targeting multiple sites in the mountains but did not know until this moment whether these raids have resulted in deaths or injuries. One local resident said he saw smoke rising from the mountains where shepherds gather firewood in wooden storage.

<urn:uuid:ea996a05-7960-446e-956c-d6c275d613f6>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.roadstoiraq.com/tag/yemen/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Bar Harbor officials are chagrined that their port is being left out of discussions over bringing back a ferry service between Nova Scotia and Maine. A study commissioned by Nova Scotia's provincial government found that the Down East port – which was a stop along a now-defunct ferry service that stopped operating in 2009 – would not be along the best route for a revived ferry service, according to the Bangor Daily News. The service to which Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter said his government would commit $21 million over seven years would provide a direct connection between Yarmouth, N.S., and Portland, citing Maine's largest city as "a growing cultural and business center in northern New England" that is "an increasingly attractive destination for visitors from Nova Scotia." Chris Fogg, the executive director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, and Dana Reed, Bar Harbor's town manager, told the BDN that they were disappointed by the study's findings. "We feel there are economic advantages to landing a ferry in Bar Harbor as opposed to Portland," Reed told the BDN.

<urn:uuid:d035d9eb-8094-4e92-9c9f-067154b5422e>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://m.mainebiz.biz/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120913/NEWS0101/120919969/1088&template=MobileArt

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

School had just gotten out and my scout troop was working on putting together a campout. “Where’s Searle?” one of the boys asked. I looked around group and sure enough, Searle wasn’t there. That really surprised me. Searle was the perfect young man. He never missed scouts and never got into trouble. He was small and spoke quietly when he spoke, but he was quite intellectual. In fact, he was so much so that most of what he said went past the other boys. They would be talking about something and he would speak with words that sounded like they came out of a Shakespearean play. The other boys would look at him like he had dropped out of the sky, and then they’d go back to their conversation as if Searle hadn’t said anything. And while the other boys would usually jump headlong into something, Searle would always think through it carefully before he did it. Father’s Day came the next Sunday, and Searle joined us at church. As we met together for our youth meeting, the boys wrote letters to their fathers about what they were grateful for. I had special cards for them to put the letters in to give to their fathers. As the boys passed back their pens and unused papers, Searle accidentally passed me his letter. I glanced at it and almost choked as I read, “I am grateful for a good father who is willing to come and get me out of jail at 1:00 in the morning.” Searle was up for an advancement, and was supposed to stay after the meeting to have a scoutmaster conference with myself and my assistant. As our conference started, I handed Searle’s letter back to him. He blushed when he realized I had seen what he had written. “So, Searle, do you have anything you want to tell us?” I asked. “Well,” he said, “I missed scout meeting last week because it was the last day of school, and some friends talked me into some things.” “What kind of things?” I asked. “Well, it was one thing that led to another, and so on.” he answered, beating around the bush. “And what were those things?” I asked. “Well, at first we were just going to climb up on the water tower after dark. But then one of the guys decided it might be fun to put a goat or two up there. Then someone said it would be more memorable if it was a cow.” He paused as my assistant was having trouble holding a straight face. “Go on,” I encouraged. “Well, we got the cow to the base of the tower, and then we couldn’t figure out how to pull her up. I climbed up on top and rigged a pulley, and the guys on the ground started winching her up. We got her about half way up when she got nervous and started thrashing about. She started swinging back and forth like a pendulum in a hurricane. “That was when the Sheriff showed up. All of my friends ran off, and there I was with that stupid cow tick-tocking along the water tower, and me unable to get down and get away.” When he stopped, he looked at me. “So, do I not get the advancement?” My assistant had tears pouring down his face and was chortling so loud I could hardly talk. “Well, Searle, part of your advancement is based on citizenship. How do you feel about your citizenship when you were trying to put a cow on the water tower?” My assistant reached over and hit me in the shoulder. “Go easy on him. When I was his age, my father would have been glad to find out I was in jail just so he would know where I was.” And with that, Searle got the advancement, but only after he promised there would be no more attempts at putting cows on the water tower.

<urn:uuid:c6d02e62-73da-4850-91b8-6c42786c3ba3>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://ldsmag.com/article/1/11000

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

European Commissioner for Environment Rio+20: Outcome and follow-up Thematic debate on the outcome of Rio+20 at the 482nd Plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee Brussels, 11 July 2012 Ladies and gentlemen, Much has been said in the press and elsewhere about the disappointment many have felt about the Rio+20 outcome. Together with my colleagues in the Commission, I have been clear that we would have wanted more. For example, setting concrete timelines in order to underline the urgent need for action, and upgrading the institutions dealing with international environment issues. But the time for wish-lists is over. It is now time for action. After long negotiations, the EU and its Member States decided it is better to have this agreement, than no agreement at all. Why? Because the final outcome provides a set of priorities and a pathway for further work. And because – as I already said in the European Parliament last week - we need to act urgently, the poorest in the world and the planet, cannot afford delays. Of course, we need to recognise that Rio is only the beginning, but it is a beginning we can build on. It is now up to us to make the best of the results obtained. Green economy, beyond GDP and social aspects One of the main outcomes of Rio is that the world has finally recognised the need to move towards a green economy, towards a sustainable growth model. This in itself is already a very important achievement. One that opens a clear path in the direction the EU has been pushing for. The Rio outcome document acknowledges the important role of an inclusive green economy in achieving sustainable development and poverty eradication. This will enhance our ability to manage natural resources sustainably, increase resource efficiency and reduce waste. The outcome document also recognises the need for broader measures of progress to complement GDP in order to have more solid policy decisions, as well as the importance of corporate sustainability reporting. And it provides the necessary basis to turn these words into action. Social dimension and cross-cutting conditions for sustainable development Rio+20, in addition, has given a stronger social angle to sustainable development, on matters such as decent work, green jobs, and social protection – and at a time when our societies suffer widespread unemployment, this is particularly important. But it is also very important because it has helped to link up all 3 dimensions of sustainable development, and strengthen the message that growth should be not only economically and ecologically sustainable, but also fair, just and equitable. During the negotiations the EU contributed actively to highlighting a range of fundamental, cross-cutting issues. Democracy, human rights, the rule of law, good governance, gender equality and empowerment of women, the role of youth and education, civil society and public participation, are indispensable in achieving sustainable development. Civil society and private sector Another very important outcome concerns the fundamental role of civil society and stakeholders in achieving sustainable development. We can build on this further in our work to help strengthen UNEP. A long-lasting success of our commitments taken at Rio will be impossible without the whole-scale, constructive mobilisation of civil society. A fundamental prerequisite is public participation in decision-making. This is essential to ensuring the transition to an inclusive green economy and the achievement of sustainable development. However, without a strong sense of direction which is shared internationally, civil society action will not achieve its full impact. That is why the EU pushed for goals and targets at global level. I was encouraged to see the very significant engagement of civil society in Rio. This gives me hope that the global goals, even if less strong than we had hoped for, combined with a strong bottom-up movement will actually bring about change faster than we could have hoped for. The private sector was also present in significant numbers in Rio. This is very encouraging. The clear message, on goals, implementation and regulation as a spur to innovation, sent by the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, was very helpful. In addition, we have a number of other instruments to support the private sector in its pursuit of sustainable development. These include the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; the global framework for social responsibility; the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; the 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact; the ISO 26000 standard on social responsibility; and the Global Reporting Initiative. I am convinced that if given the direction and the necessary enabling framework, the private sector, can create investments, prosperity and well-being, decent employment and green jobs, and help to promote sharing of know-how and development and diffusion of innovation and technology. This will be fundamental for the necessary mobilisation of financial resources in much greater volumes than official development assistance. Means of implementation In relation to means of implementation, the EU has taken the position that, first and foremost, each country must take the necessary measures to put in place an enabling environment of domestic policies that is designed to be self-sustaining. Secondly, progress towards sustainable development entails providing the right financing instruments. We repeated our commitments to the Official Development Assistance (ODA), but ODA alone is not the answer. Public and private funding and business expertise should go hand-in-hand to work with innovative methods of financing. And emerging economies should take a stronger role, proportionate to their evolving international status. Thirdly, moving towards more sustainable development also depends on skills, know-how and technology diffusion. In this regard, the European Union research framework programmes are open to all countries, including support to researchers in developing countries. Goals, targets and SDGs The EU made clear over the course of the Rio negotiations that we all needed to agree on concrete actions and specific commitments to translate sustainable development thinking into sustainable development action. That is why the EU developed and continuously advocated proposals for clear, operational goals and targets in selected key areas. Our approach aims to address environmental objectives and poverty eradication at the same time. We did not obtain the timelines we sought, with some exceptions such as the commitment to achieve substantial reductions of marine litter by 2025. But the EU did achieve the integration of most of its proposed targets into the main text in the form of express commitments, for example on future action concerning extending the protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This has reinforced the text to make it more action oriented. The efforts of the EU to focus attention on key issues such as sustainable energy, water, oceans, land and biodiversity, food security or resource efficiency, should also bear fruit in the coming months, in the process to develop Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. For the EU, the work on SDGs should be coordinated and coherent with the review process of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), without deviating efforts from their achievement by 2015. It is important to have an overarching framework for post-2015 that encompasses the three dimensions of sustainable development with goals that address key challenges in a holistic and coherent way. The agreement to launch the SDG process means bringing a fresh impetus to all aspects of sustainable development, and to consolidate our efforts to eradicate poverty and to secure sustainability within our planetary limits. Overall, we also welcome the agreement to reinforce the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development. Rio has reinforced the international environmental governance by strengthening and upgrading UNEP. It will now have universal membership and must become our common home to set the global environmental agenda. In this new set-up, a truly global UNEP will have a new authority that will allow it to take actions that were until now beyond its reach. We will however continue to work, together with our partners, towards the creation of a fully-fledged United Nations Environment Organization, to allow it to function on an equal footing with other UN organizations. The other institutional reform is the decision to establish a new High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which will replace the Commission on Sustainable Development. It should allow the regular participation of Heads of State in reviewing progress on all our commitments. Ladies and Gentlemen, At Rio, we reaffirmed that we share a common responsibility towards future generations. None of the countries and regions present at Rio achieved in full what was wanted initially. This also applies to the EU. But we have worked together to develop common ground. Rio+20 has not gone as far as most of Europeans would have wanted, but the key message today is that the power to turn Rio+20 into a success lies in our hands. It will depend on how strongly we take forward what is in the text. The European Commission intends to do what is necessary to build on what has been agreed. We are looking forward to the EESC views on how this can be done best and count on you to keep the positive energy generated in the run up to Rio alive in the years to come at international, national and local level. We welcome in particular the useful initiatives taken by the EESC to create common ground with comparable organisations in other countries, including our major trading partners, and encourage it to continue this dialogue in the follow-up to Rio. I also very much welcome the idea of President Nilsson to organise this autumn an inter-institutional workshop on the follow-up to Rio. We will not achieve success from Rio+20 with governments alone. The challenge will be to achieve a real commitment on action from non-state actors at international, at national and at sub-national level. Civil society and the private sector will play a fundamental role in delivering green growth and promoting sustainable consumption and production. Indeed, the transition to an inclusive green economy will not happen without this effort. The Rio outcome has many elements required for bringing about change if we really want to build on its strengths, mobilising national and international efforts, including civil society and stakeholders at large. The shared challenge for us all now is to implement in full the potential of the outcome document, and ensure that Rio+20 leads to real action towards sustainable development, an inclusive green economy and poverty eradication. The destiny of making Rio+20 Summit a failure or a success is still in our hands. And we should not fail in making it a success. Thank you for your attention.

<urn:uuid:0677afcc-9763-42e2-8f8b-901224b04c77>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-12-551_en.htm?locale=en

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

A proposed bill introduced in late February has midwives across the state rattled. The South Carolina Lay Midwife Act proposes a host of changes that could be a “de facto ban” on home births and licensed midwives, said student midwife and apprentice Jennifer O'Briant, The bill would require an obstetrician to sponsor and supervise licensed midwives. Midwives, typically not obstetricians, attend home births. O'Briant, a former Aiken resident now residing in Columbia, said that state regulations already require midwives to have a collaborative relationship with an obstetric provider. The bill also defines those in the profession as “lay midwives,” which is someone who “may have had little formal training or recognized professional education in midwifery.” O'Briant said that from 2009 to 2011, there was a 55 percent increase in out-of-hospital births in South Carolina, and this bill could strip families of the choice to choose a safe out-of-hospital birth, especially with the bill's definition of “lay midwives” in place. “It's a reckless piece of legislation with derogatory language, and we were all surprised by it,” O'Briant said. Local midwife Tavish Brinton said that being referred to as a layperson is insulting because of the years of training that is completed to accomplish her profession. Brinton is a licensed South Carolina midwife of 30 years and said a lot of work goes into getting certified. Currently, prospective midwives must pass both the North American Registry of Midwives national written exam and an oral exam offered through S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. The bill proposes to change the process of midwife licensing by calling for an advisory committee to be established under the state Board of Medical Examiners, which would handle certification. Elizabeth Alger is a licensed midwife apprentice who said that requiring the supervision of an obstetrician is not economically feasible. She added that the standards set by DHEC for licensed midwives in this state are more stringent than what is required by the North America Registry of Midwives. “If there is anything that South Carolina midwives are not, it's uneducated,” Alger said. Ashley Stevenson, co-leader of CSRA Birthing Connections, had a midwife and planned a home birth though she had to have a Caesarean section. Stevenson said that midwives do not handle any high-risk pregnancies, and if a problem arises during a home birth, she said a licensed midwife is competent enough to know when a trip to the hospital is necessary. Brinton said if this bill were to pass, women would lose the freedom to choose to give birth at home or in a birth center rather than a hospital. “This is an option in maternity care that is very much worth preserving, and this is the option of normal, time-intensive prenatal care and physiologic conduct of labor and birth,” Brinton said. The bill has sparked a lot of concern and attention around the state. More than 4,500 have signed an online petition started by O'Briant on Sunday. Calls made by the Aiken Standard to the bill's co-sponsors, which includes representatives Kris Crawford, J. Anne Parks, Robert Ridgeway III and Phyllis Henderson, were not returned by press time. Crawford did tell WLTX in Columbia that the purpose is to ensure that the care provided by midwives is compliant to the standards of the health care industry and that the bill needs more work.

<urn:uuid:e56d0b64-bff9-4c98-a14a-d66f948d4cc4>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20130307/AIK0101/130309720/0/AIK0103

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

|Donations to China's quake-hit regions near 16 bln yuan| BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- As of Wednesday noon, donations to China's quake-hit regions had reached 16 billion yuan (2.29 billion U.S. dollars) and 1.764 billion yuan had been forwarded to the earthquake-affected areas, according to the Information Office of State Council. The foreign countries and international organizations that provide aid to China include: Great Britain will provide an additional 1mln pounds worth of relief materials, with its total aid funds and materials adding up to 2mln pounds. Slovakia will provide about 1.425mln worth of relief goods. Belarus will provide 20 tons of relief goods. The Arabic Diplomatic committee in China had donated 50,000 RMB. The Caribbean Diplomatic Group in China had donated 48400 RMB. Madagascar will provide 100,000 dollars of aid. Singapore will donate 200,000 U.S. dollars. Albania has donated 40,000 U.S. dollars. The Slovenian government Thursday decided to send 100,000 euros (some 154,000 U.S. dollars) in aid to China. The Croatian government decided to donate some 200,000 euros to the victims of the devastating earthquake in China The Czech Republic will sent medicines, mainly antibiotics and painkillers, worth one million crowns (60,000 U.S. dollars) to quake-hit China. Finland will provide about 500,000euros to China. The German government announced that it will provide another 1 million euros (1.54 million U.S. dollars) in aid for earthquake victims in China. Canada is contributing 1 million U.S. dollars to support the International Red Cross's effort on emergency quake relief in China. Turkey has provided 2 million U.S. dollars in financial support. Australia will contribute 1 million Australian dollars (0.94 million U.S. dollars) to support emergency relief efforts in China's earthquake-ravaged Sichuan Province. The Italian government had offered to China material assistance worth 500,000 euros (778,750 dollars) on Saturday. Relief materials from Russia, Spain, Pakistan, Singapore and Philippines have already arrived in Sichuan. Russia delivered on Monday the fifth batch of humanitarian aid to China including tents, blankets, a mobile hospital and medicine. So far, Russia has delivered some 120 tons of humanitarian aid to Sichuan. The Committee of 100 (C-100), an organization of prominent Chinese Americans, Monday received 500,000 U.S. dollars from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Ukraine sent its first batch of humanitarian aid to China. An Il-76 transport aircraft took off from the Ukrainian capital of Kiev Tuesday evening, carrying about 25 tons of aid to China, an official from the Ukrainian Emergencies Ministry told Xinhua at Boryspol airport. The plane was carrying tents, blankets, quilts, medical equipment and instruments, all urgently needed in the quake-hit Sichuan province. The second batch will be sent on May 22. The first batch of relief goods donated by Saudi Arabia arrived in Chengdu, capital city of the earthquake-hit Sichuan Province Tuesday afternoon. the relief goods include 14,000 tents and blankets, instant food, milk powder for children and rescue tools. They are badly needed in the quake-hit area. The relief materials delivered Tuesday is part of the 10 million U.S. dollars worth of goods provided by Saudi Arabia. Three more batches are to follow. Saudi Arabia has decided to donate another 85,000 tents, 400,000 awnings and 500,000 blankets Tuesday following the previous donations of 50 million dollars in cash and 10 million dollars worth of relief materials for China's quake zone. Morocco has offered China emergency humanitarian aid worth one million U.S. dollars following the deadly earthquake in China's southwestern province of Sichuan, the MAP news agency reported Tuesday. King Mohammed VI, who made the offer, had earlier sent a condolence message to Chinese President Hu Jintao, in which he expressed shock and sadness over the quake. Major U.S. companies have been actively contributing to the relief efforts . Nearly 80 U.S. companies have contributed to the relief efforts, with the cash donations amounting to over 30 million U.S. dollars. The German Red Cross will send a mobile hospital to Chengdu.The hospital, with 120 beds, a clinic, an operating room, a delivery room and a pharmacy, can provide medical services for an area of up to 250,000 people. Germany will also send 15 experienced technicians and medical experts to operate the facilities and train local staff, according to the RCSC. Medical teams from Japan, Russia and Italy are also expected to arrive in the disaster-affected areas after Tuesday, according to the RCSC. South Korea announced on Tuesday that it will provide China with an additional emergency assistance worth 4 million U.S. dollars to help it recover from the May 12 earthquake. The South Korean government offered funds and aid materials worth 1 million U.S. dollars to China last week. A team of 41 South Korean rescue workers and four medical staff is operating in the earthquake-affected Sichuan Province. The United States government and people from all walks of life have so far donated 34 million US dollars in capital or materials to China's quake-hit area. According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US government has decided to offer an additional 1 million dollars worth of materials, including food stuff, generators, air compressors and electric cutters to China's quake-hit Sichuan province. The newly announced relief funds and materials are expected to arrive in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, aboard a US special plane on May 21. The US companies were also active to provide relief funds and materials to Sichuan by various means. It said 26 U.S. companies have recently donated or pledged to donate an additional 10 million dollars in cash or materials following the previous donations of 12 million dollars worth of funds and materials. The relief materials donated by Jordan arrived in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's quake-hit Sichuan Province, early Wednesday morning, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. According to the Ministry, the relief goods include tents, mattresses and medical equipment. They are urgently needed in the quake-hit areas. Mauritius donated 300,000 U.S. dollars. The Western Australian government will donate 1 million Australian dollars (0.95 million U.S. dollars) to help relief efforts following last week's devastating earthquake in China's Sichuan Province.

<urn:uuid:9ee73192-1b7c-4041-92c5-71a04eaed0c3>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.chinaembassy.bg/eng/dtxw/t456553.htm

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Nevada's tussle with Utah over Snake Valley water is about as close to a pioneer-era water war as things get in the 21st century. But a new twist could be the beginning of a truce. An independent panel of Utah water attorneys appointed by Gov. Gary Herbert says the Snake Valley Water agreement with Nevada would be an "equitable" deal for the Beehive State. That opinion will be a hard sell in arid Millard County. Commissioner Daron Smith said Monday that Millard County remains steadfast in its opposition to the agreement that could leave Utah's western counties more dry than they already are. "That agreement calls for a 50-50 split," he said. "But if they start to drill, Nevada could end up with all the water." Smith said Millard County has its own proposal that it wants to run past the governor before he signs the Snake Valley water deal. A spokesman for Herbert said the governor is not ready to sign the agreement but released results of the newest legal review Monday for public review. Thirsty Las Vegas is the driving force behind a proposed $15.5 billion project to pump desert groundwater there. In 2009, after several years of negotiation, Utah and Nevada seemed to have reached an agreement on how to split up groundwater in the Great Basin along the Utah-Nevada line. But under pressure from west Utah water users and conservationists, Herbert balked at signing the agreement. In August, Pat Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, sent an email to her board saying it should sue Utah for failure to sign the agreement. In the meantime, Herbert appointed Steven E. Clyde, Dallin W. Jensen and Warren H. Peterson to review the 2009 agreement to determine if it is good for Utah. "The agreement allocates this shared groundwater resource on an equal 50-50 basis," it reads in part. "Through a tiered development approach, the agreement protects existing Utah appropriated water rights for uses including irrigation, stock water, and domestic use and for habitat protection at Fish Springs." The attorneys also state that the agreement affords environmental protections. "Steps will be taken to assure the quantity and quality of the available groundwater Supply is maintained, to minimize adverse impacts to existing uses, and to minimize environmental impacts," the review states. But Steve Erickson of the Great Basin Water Network called those assurances "illusory." "We've done a detailed analysis of that in the past," he said. "The agreement sets up an adversarial process where people will have to prove they've been impacted by pumping." Although the agreement sets out a 50-50 split, Erickson and Millard County say it will be more like a 7-to-1 split with Nevada getting the larger portion. "I hope the governor has the good sense to reject this superficial and flawed analysis," Erickson said.

<urn:uuid:6c9d6abc-1b23-4626-8894-828d78110966>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/55172176-78/agreement-utah-nevada-groundwater.html.csp?page=2

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

International (MNN) ― India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal are areas of the world where being a Christian can be a struggle. It can cost you your life. Despite the struggles, many people are coming to Christ, and churches are growing at incredible rates. Lars Dunburg with Global Action says this is a challenge. "There are not enough seminary-trained pastors to go around to all those churches," he says. "Some of them have absolutely no training." Dunburg says that's why they've started Glomos, or Global Mobile Studies, for their village pastor program. "We launched this program 10 years ago, and so far we have trained a little over 15,000 pastors." Without the program, "Heresy would creep in, and people wouldn't be fed," Dunburg says. Currently, Global Action is hold GLOMOS in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Ukraine, El Salvador and Honduras. "People are standing in long lines to get into the programs because they have seen the effectiveness." Global Action is doing this in six countries. "Every place has a waiting list of a couple hundred people, plus we have 30 countries that have asked for us to start this program." GLOMOS is in-depth training. "It's an academic program, taught in a non-academic way," says Dunburg. The year-long training is economical and effective. "Pastors get training and materials, and when they graduate we give them a library of 10 books because most of them only have the Bible. The program costs $930. That is one-percent of what it costs to put a person through seminary in this country."

<urn:uuid:9336efd8-bec5-4497-aa62-537ea7651165>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/13997

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

There were over 600 umpired games, not counting Playoffs and All Star Day during the last season. Towards the end of the season it became increasingly difficult to find umpires due to graduations, finals and other activities. SRVGAL will still be offering Umpire Clinics again this year so please be sure to sign up if you are interested. Behavior Toward Umpires Providing well-trained umpires for over 60 teams (10U – 18 High School) is a tremendous task. The umpire organization in SRVGAL represents over 100 dedicated youths and adults who are on the field during games to provide safety and fairness for all teams. Umpire coordinators work diligently all season to provide coverage for the high volume of games played. Parents and coaches need to keep in mind how difficult it is to be an umpire, especially if you are young. We continue to lose many umpires every year because of the harassment they receive from coaches and parents. The role of umpire must be recognized and respected by the coach, the team, and the parents. Youth umpires must be given the same respect as the adult umpires. New umpires must learn positioning, signs and timing of calls. If you are patient and positive, that umpire will become experienced and confident. That umpire could be YOUR child! The umpire in a softball game has complete authority over players and coaches from the moment that the umpire walks onto the field until the game is over. Coaches, players, parents, and spectators shall never argue or dispute the decision of the umpire, make negative or derogatory remarks or gestures towards an umpire, or otherwise behave irresponsibly or bring the game into dispute. Remember, it's only a game. We have established the following standards for SRVGAL umpires: 1. All umpires must be ASA certified —- we'll provide the training to achieve this. 2. For 1st-year umpires, attendance will be required at two preseason clinics that will encompass both rules and mechanics. Of course, ASA certification through another organization will satisfy this requirement. 3. If you are a returning 2nd-year, 3rd-year, 4th-year, etc., umpire, you need only attend one training clinic -- preferably, a SRVGAL rules/mechanics clinic. 4. All umpires will be expected to officiate some games at the white and blue levels. Assignments will be made primarily by availability and level of experience —- not by preference. No one will be asked to umpire games beyond their abilities. 5. All umpires will be required to wear protective equipment (face mask, shin guards and chest protector) at all games. This equipment will be supplied by SRVGAL or personal gear, of course, can be used. 6. All umpires must be 13 years old by the beginning of regular season games. 7. Umpire scheduling will be made exclusively through the use of the online scheduling system available on Sportability. 8. In prior years, we have had many committed and dedicated people performing the umpiring duties for SRVGAL and, for this, we are very grateful. Unfortunately, our past experience has involved many umpire "no-shows" leaving games without an umpire. We hope that this year, our umpire program will be made up a group of people having committed to working with us to virtually eliminate all cases of umpire "no-shows" and uncovered games. "No-shows" will be kept track of and will effect future umpire assignments. Umpire Scheduling Guidelines 1. No SRVGAL umpire may be scheduled to umpire the games of girlfriends, sisters, daughters or other close relatives. 2. Every attempt should be made to ensure that an umpire does not even umpire in the same league where there is a girlfriend, sister, daughter or other close relative. 3. There are exceptions to these: a.) if we have no alternative, we can relax the guidelines, especially in the white divisions and b.) in the case of an umpire being at a game and the assigned umpire is a "no-show." If you are a 1st-year umpire, you will be required to attend two clinics -- at least one of them should be a SRVGAL clinic. If you are a returning umpire (2nd, 3rd, or more years), you need only attend one clinic—preferably a SRVGAL clinic. Umpire Pay Schedule The pay scale has been devised with an emphasis on trying to get umpires to return and continue to work with SRVGAL: 1. New umpires and umpires with no SRVGAL experience (1st-year umpires) will be paid $33 per game. 2. Umpires with one year of SRVGAL experience (2nd-year umpires) will be paid $40 per game. 3. Umpires with two or more years of SRVGAL experience (3rd-year and higher umpires) will be paid $45 per game. 4. If umpires wish to work together to do games (2-man mechanics), the pay will be $22 each. SRVGAL has routinely paid for only one umpire per game. It is highly recommended that 1st year umpires work with partners, particularly for the 1st half of the season. 5. In cases where the Board of Directors approves the use of two umpires (such as for playoff or championship games), the umpires will be paid based on the their experience (the established scale this year as described above). The Umpire Game Card/Pay Slip (PDF) is the form that every umpire must use to document their participation in their scheduled games. To receive payment, the umpire must complete this form, have it signed by the game coaches, and then send it to the SRVGAL Treasurer. The Treasurer will send payment within two weeks of receipt of the Game Card. The second page of the Game Card provides an area for documenting any unusual game event.

<urn:uuid:2b3aad08-d8a1-43c9-a87d-3ce961a5ecf3>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://srvgal.org/umpires.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

In a very strange discovery, a Brazilian boy has been given the name 'Magnet Boy' after realizing that metal objects stick to his skin. Paolo David was nonchalantly fetching a knife and fork for his dad before they stuck to his torso. The 11-year-old has also carried scissors, spoons and large casserole pots. David is said to be perfectly healthy, although there is no explanation for his ability. Originating from Rio Grande do Norte state in eastern Brazil, David has become a local celebrity. "In school, everyone asks me to put things on my body, they think it is a trick," he said. Amazingly, this isn't the first case of magnetic mayhem. Earlier this year it was reported that Ivan Stoiljkovic - a six-year-old Croatian, has the same ability of carrying items on his torso. Stoiljkovic's list includes spoons, mobile phones and frying pans. His family says he can carry a total of 25kg in metal. And if that isn't enough for you to digest, throw Brenda Allison into the mix. The 50-year-old was cited last year for attracting both magnetic and non-magnetic objects. Allison's body also interferes with car alarms and TV signals, although she finds it highly embarrassing.

<urn:uuid:0a36f4bf-f427-42bd-9ebd-e2e7feaacd92>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/308938

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Loosely based on a short story by Stephen King, The Lawnmower Man was the first film to explore virtual reality technology and boasts a dazzling collection of computer-animated sequences. The story concerns the slightly-mad scientist Dr. Lawrence Angelo (Pierce Brosnan), who as part of a secret government agency called Cybertech has been experimenting with something termed "intelligence enhancement." By using drugs and virtual reality technology, Angelo has managed to boost the IQ of experimental chimps. But he also makes them more aggressive and, bit by bit, they go insane. When one of his animal subjects goes on a rampage, Angelo decides to go for a human guinea pig instead -- Jobe Smith (Jeff Fahey), a slightly retarded man who cuts his lawn. Not only do Jobe's intelligence and sex-drive improve thanks to Angelo's regimen, but he also develops extrasensory perception. As Jobe's mental and emotional state keeps increasing, so does his strength. As he gains more power, Jobe becomes angrier and more vindictive until he vows to get even with all the town's people that patronized him and treated him badly. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

<urn:uuid:b9f8904d-922a-4413-a8b5-d4f6c274646c>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.hollywood.com/movies/170778/the-lawnmower-man/synopsis

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

CLICK AN IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW Bora Özkök, whose first name means "strong hurricane wind" in Turkish, was born and grew up on the Mediterranean coast in Adana, Turkey, where his mother was a school teacher and his father a pediatric doctor. His interest in folk dance is rooted in his childhood, when his parents took him to watch, but not participate in, folklore shows. From the age of eleven, Bora attended a private school in İstanbul, where English was the main language. During the eight years he spent there, he was outstanding in his studies and in sports, excelling in swimming, soccer, wrestling, water polo, and ping-pong. At the age of fifteen, Bora was a member of the Turkish Olympic swim team in the Rome Olympics of 1960. Bora represented Turkey in nine different countries as a member of the national team, breaking many records in the backstroke and freestyle events. One accomplishment was winning the 20-mile Turkish Marathon Swim in 1966 in eight hours (he lost 28 pounds during the event!). Upon graduation, Bora continued at a private architectural school for a year. Then, in 1965, Bora came to the United States on an athletic scholarship granted by the University of California at Berkeley, where his major was in architecture. At Berkeley, he was an All American in soccer in 1967 and won the Most Valuable Player award for that year. In 1969, Bora was selected as one of the twelve outstanding foreign students in America, chosen from 1,000 Middle-Eastern nominees from 500 universities and colleges in the United States, and the outstanding representative of Turkey. He graduated from Berkeley in 1971 with a Bachelors Degree in Architecture. Bora began folk dancing at Berkeley in 1967, and learned his first Turkish dances during a visit to Turkey in 1970 from members of the Turkish National Folk Dance Ensemble. After his return that same year, he taught at the San Francisco Kolo Festival and the rest, as they say, is history. He is quick to give credit to his friend Tom Bozigian for guidance in folk dance teaching. Bora is not only an outstanding dancer and inspiring teacher, he is also a talented musician, playing music for the dances he teaches. Adept at using various ethnic musical instruments, he accompanies his teaching by playing the Turkish zurna (horn), tulum (bagpipe), kaval (flute), and davul (drum), as well as the saz, clarinet, mey, recorder, harmonica, banjo, and mandolin. In 1975, Bora played the zurna as accompaniment to famed Jamila Salimpour's danse orientale dancers at the San Francisco Renaissance Faire. In 1976, Bora arranged and accompanied the performing tour of FOTEM (Folk Training and Education Center of Istanbul) across the United States. It is unfortunate that anti-Turkish factions in the United States at the time used these artistic and cultural events as their forum. After returning to Turkey in 1976 to complete his Turkish military obligation and retain his Turkish citizenship, Bora spent years doing research into the dances of his native Turkey with the Turkish State Folk Dance Ensemble, and collecting dances and music in Turkish villages. Since 1979, Bora has directed the Turkish Dance Seminar at Lake Abant, Turkey, followed by a tour of Turkey. He is also the director of the Mid-America Folk Dance and Music Conference (M.A.D), which is held annualy in August at the University of Windsor in Canada. Bora has taught at most of the major folk dance camps across north America, such as and Holiday Camp, the San Diego State University Folk Dance Conference, Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference, and Stockton Folk Dance Camp in California, and at many colleges and universities. He has taught in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia. He also was invited to teach a Black Sea suite to the the Pittsburgh-based Duquesne University Tamburitzans. Bora is the director of Cultural Folk Tours, Inc., conducting tours to Turkey which take you to see the Ottoman Military Band in İstanbul, the spiritual Whirling Dervish ceremony in Cappadocia, native folk dancing, a live gypsy orchestra, and much more. In recent years, Bora has been into running his tourist business and out of dance teaching, but may be willing to do workshops again were the conditions amenable. He brings with him his records, instruments, drums, wooden spoons, woven socks, books of dance notes, and costumes. Be sure to ask him to play the zurna for you -- a real treat! Among Bora's publications and dance syllabi are Bora has produced several fine records (from which he sells cassette tapes, no CDs yet) of Turkish dance music on his BOZ-OK label which are available from your local folk dance recording outlet or directly from Bora himself. Dances Bora has taught include Agir Kovenk, Agrı Oyunu, Ali Paşa, Ararat, Ata Bari, Avreş Elazig, Bariş Halayi, Baş Bar, Bengi, Berde, Berde oun Havasi, Bır Mumdur, Bitliste Beşbin Hane, Bombili, Bübül Oy, Çapik, Çayda Çıra, Çeçeno, Çepikli, Çıçıt, Dambasi, De Get Bayburt, Deli Horon, Delile, Delilo, Derhule, Dokuzlu-Antep, Düz Horon, Eminem, Erzurum-Kiz, Esmer, Garzané, Garzané Bitlis, Gul Dali, Gün Ola, Güzelleme, Halay, Harmandali Zaybek, Hora, Horon Kurma, Hoş Bilezik, İşte Hendek, İstıp, Kabadayı, Kalayçı, Kamber, Karsi Bar, Karşılama, Kavak, Keçiko, Kemane, Kemençe, Kız Hazneden, Kız Oyunu, Koçeri, Köroğlu Daglari, Konyali, Leylim, Lo Berde, Lorke Lorke, Mani, Miço, Muş Bari, Oğuzlu, Oğuzlu Antep, Papuri, Rençber, Sadiye, Saç Bağı, Sallama, Sivas Kız Dansları, Tonya (Duz Horon), Turkish Syrto, Türkmen Kızı, Tuvak, Üç Ayak, Veysel Barı, Yahsinin Gelini, Yarım Kasap, Yavuz, Yaylalar, Yenı Yol, Yoğurt, and

<urn:uuid:886270c5-20ef-4f93-bc1e-c257f254810b>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.phantomranch.net/folkdanc/teachers/ozkok_b.htm

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

The Kreeger Museum is a private, non-profit art museum located in the former residence of David and Carmen Kreeger at 2401 Foxhall Road, NW, Washington DC. The building was designed in 1963 by Pritzker Prize winning architect Philip Johnson with Richard Foster, on five and a half wooded acres overlooking the nation’s capital. The collection features 19th and 20th century paintings and sculptures, with works by internationally known artists such as Boudin, Cézanne, Monet, Moore, Picasso, Rodin, and van Gogh. Also included in the collection are outstanding examples of traditional African and Asian art. The museum is open to the general public on most Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and offers pre-booked tours each day from Tuesday to Friday at 10.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. American Guest House in Washington DC

<urn:uuid:ee1a45fd-a8c4-48e7-8bc8-3571a814f9a0>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.americanguesthouse.com/blog/tag/van-gogh-washington-dc?wpmp_switcher=mobile

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

The South African Army has reintroduced specialists to its Infantry Formation, including motorcycle, horse-mounted, dog handling platoons, as well as trackers, the types of units that gained fame during the Bush War. Lieutenant Colonel Dawid Oss is project leader for the re-establishment of the specialist capability within the infantry. With the withdrawal of the Army from the country’s borders, the work was given to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the government of President Thabo Mbeki allowed almost limitless immigration into the country, a policy which proved disastrous. It was followed by vast numbers of illegal immigrants flooding South Africa and a rise in crimes involving human trafficking and poaching. Now that the Army is returning to the borders under Operation Corona, cross-border poaching and cattle theft, for example, have already dropped. Oss told Digital Journal: Project leader for specialist capability, Lieutenant Colonel Dawid Oss. “We started three months back. Currently, the motorcycle company is already in place, the dog platoon is already in place and the horse platoon is also in place, and also a couple of the visual trackers.” He said the units would be deployed to the town of Musina, on the border with Zimbabwe. He said they would only deploy two groups at first. The army will deploy: “The motorcycles and the dog capability. Since the environment doesn’t need the horses, we are not going to use the horses on the short term. The horses are going to be deployed from next year, March. So I can say the capability is resuscitated.” Colonel Raymond van Zanten spoke about Project Warrior, aimed at upgrading the infantry’s equipment. He spoke about the R4 automatic rifle, which is a licence-built version of the Israeli Galil rifle. Van Zanten said: “The R4 is our standard assault rifle. It’s been with us since the mid-70s; a very reliable and successful weapon. However, to keep in pace with the rest of the world there are quite a few modifications that we are making.” The Colonel explained there were three sub-types, the Standard Rifleman, the Marksman rifle and the Grenadier: “On the Marksman rifle we’ll be putting a four-power telescopic sight, different handrails and a telescoping butt which is adjustable to make it fit a lot of our lady soldiers who are a lot smaller. They have a problem with the butt on the R4s. It will be a telescoping collapsible butt.” Of the coming Marksman version, he said: “These will be issued to the designated marksman within a section and will give them a better capability out to 600 metres with the R4.” (A Section is usually 16 soldiers, or half a platoon, equivalent to an American squad) “The Grenadier will be a bottom-slung 40mm grenade attached to the R4 rifle. The Standard Infantry Rifle will have a reflex sight once again giving the Infanteer a better capability of seeing the target and operating with both eyes open. Added to this will be the bayonet which is coming back.” The modifications were expected to take the infantry rifle through the next 10 to 15 years, at which time the Army would look at purchasing or designing an entirely new generation of assault rifle.

<urn:uuid:9c61f801-0831-43de-89a1-ac9d4a272e12>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/310529

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

By Tina Comeau With the ferry service running between Digby and Saint John, N.B. sidelined by mechanical issues and weather during on some recent days, there is deepening concern over the detrimental impact this is having on the lobster industry, which is causing one group to once again call for the replacement of the aging vessel. The Bay of Fundy Marine Transportation Association says cancellations of the service due to mechanical issues or weather conditions at this time of the year could be disastrous to the lobster industry in southwestern Nova Scotia, which is shipping lobsters to markets for the Christmas and New Year’s sales. “This couldn’t come at a more crucial and inconvenient time, particularly for our local lobster industry,” said association chair Jim Thurber in a Dec. 19 media release. He said the impact could possibly be measured in millions of dollars and it could spell long-term financial hardship for many small companies. “What we have here today is a perfect economic storm comprised of mechanical unreliability, adverse weather and peak market demand.” Marc Surette is the executive director of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association. He is also a director on the marine transportation association. He says a very large percentage of the lobster industry in southwestern Nova Scotia relies on the Princess of Acadia service to get its product to markets in the United States and to airports south of the border where it is shipped to overseas markets. But he says more and more in recent years the service is becoming unreliable, in industry's opinion. “There are people that are missing air connections because of this, and going by roads adds that extra seven or eight hours and a lot of costs," he said. "We’re in the peak shipping season and when we don’t have a ferry we can rely on to get our product to airports in Boston and New York we’re in trouble.” Surette said the industry is finding that unlike 10 years ago when the vessel would sail in many conditions, over the past three or four years it is being cancelled on days when you wouldn’t necessarily expect it to be. “I think both the federal and provincial governments, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are supportive of the ferry with the partnership arrangement that they’re in,” said Surette, who says there has to be discussions about the future of the service and a future vessel. “I think it’s time for all three governments to take a serious look at this and come up with a long-term solution because what we have now is not a service, it’s cross your fingers and hope, and that’s not the way the lobster industry can run.” And, Surette noted, it’s not just the lobster industry that’s impacted when the service is cancelled. The groundfish industry is also impacted. “Some of the smaller processors that don’t own quota are relying on fish that comes out of Boston and they’re having trouble getting that fish up here because trucks are just so far behind schedule that nothing is coordinating well,” he said. “It’s a logistical nightmare.” Thurber said for the past number of years the Bay of Fundy Marine Transportation Association has been stressing that the current vessel has reached the end of its reliable service capacity and that the fishing industry sees the solution to this as replacing the aging ferry with a newer vessel. It’s especially important given what the ferry means to the economy of southwestern Nova Scotia, said Thurber. “After the Christmas and New Year’s period they’re not going to be able to move nearly as much product because this is the most lucrative time of the year for the industry,” said Thurber. “And given the stresses already in place because of low prices and high catches this is causing incredible anxiety within the fishing community.” Decades ago there was year-round ferry service between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor. Eventually, though, ferry service became seasonal. A ferry service in Yarmouth, should one return, is only expected to be a seasonal service, which is why, Surette said, focus must be given to replacing the ferry in Digby. “For the fisheries we need the Digby service,” he said. As for whether cancelled sailings could impact the price paid for lobster, Surette said it could be a concern if inventories can’t be moved. “This time of the year we want to ship as many lobsters as possible and this is certainly jeopardizing that. People are rethinking how they’re going to get through this. The costs associated with driving around are astronomical for the trucking companies and the shippers,” he said, and then there is the concern over how much of the inventory can be moved out if people are missing connections to air freight. “If we have guys that can’t make commitments or can’t make those sales in the Christmas season, all of a sudden we’ve got lobsters floating around that are not supposed to be here come January,” Surette said. “So it’s just one more blow to what has been a very disappointing lobster season so far for everyone.” SEE RELATED STORY BY CLICKING HERE.

<urn:uuid:986b5306-8de3-414a-96d1-f5b302cfd160>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.thevanguard.ca/News/2012-12-19/article-3143841/Ferry-cancellations-big-concern-to-industry/1

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

I highly recommend you find a copy of the 1984 Gabler edition of Ulysses if you can. It's a large softcover book, full size, w. grey cover, red and blue title on the front, and "The Gabler Edition" as the banner. This is the "corrected" edition, absolutely the most accurate and authentic edition ever. When it first came out, rumor was that it was a "computerized" edition, whatever that means. It was in fact not. What was done was to take ALL existing editions and scan them into font recognition. Also scanned were all correspondences between Joyce and the publishers, his changes, their revision, his objections to their revisions, etc. Every possible scrap of text was scanned. Then a comprehensive comparison was made by computer, listing all the differences. Each was flagged with a footnote showing where the difference came from (1922 Paris 1st printing, 1924 revised, 1926 revised -- all from Shakespeare, Paris. Then the 1934 Random House (US), 1936 Bodley Head (UK), winding up w. a 1961 Random House and a 1968 Penguin, plus several interim revisions. I myself have the following editions: several copies of the 1986 Gabler (I've always got one in the trunk of my car for "emergencies" ha ha. The 1984-86 Gabler 3-volume hardcover synoptic and summarized version -- this is the one containing all the repetitions and differences, each teeny change flagged as to which edition it came from. A Viking paperback edition, an original 1934 Random House, a 194? Bodley Head, and, treasure of treasures -- a 1924 first edition from Shakespeare & Company, Paris! Anyway, after the synoptic edition was ready, scholars pored over the differences, researched back into original Joyce manuscripts and correspondence, and verified that some errors had never been corrected. You have to realize the task -- Ulysses is a hugely complex book just on its own. Consider that Joyce send chapter by chapter to the publisher, much of which was typeset my French-speaking printers, and the usual errors crept in. Joyce would fix the galley and send them back, but often that never got done -- Joyce's eyesight was now failing and he was trying to concentrate on The Wake. Nobody on the Gabler team took liberties. All changes were carefully authenticated via Joyces's earliest manuscripts and his later corrections. Then after careful consideration, the many teeny changes were made and a new corrected version prepared, then reviewed, edited, and rechecked. Example of a small change: at the Hades chapter (graveyard) Bloom sees or imagines a whiff of grave gas and imagines it's toxic. "One whiff and you're a goner" but Joyce originally wrote "One whiff and you're a gomer", a pun and also a slang term used at the time, like now. Many small typos and puns like this were fixed. Check in your copy at the end of the Ithaca chapter (next to last, just before Molly's soliloquy) and see if it ends with... "Where?" or whether, just under the "Where?" there's a big black dot. The dot is intentional, mark of a scientific proof, like saying "QED". Joyce had a tussle of a time getting that dot added because they'd think it was a blotch and take it out. The biggie however is the "great" puzzle of the novel. Stephen, in the Proteus (beach chapter 3) remembers asking of his dying mother (or trying to ask) "What is that word known to all men?" and later, in the Circe (brothel) scene, confronted by his mother's ghost, he asks again "What is that word known to all men?" Neither time he receives a reply. But newly found and omitted by an editors error, is a passage of 3-4 lines in the Cylla (library) scene, when Stephen asks himself, "Do you know what you are talking about? Love, yes. Word known to all men" Love is the answer. Heck, John Lennon could have told you that. And of course, the book is based on love, or the need for love, and Molly finally answers Yes, Yes I will. Yes. A reaffirmation of love. Anyway, find yourselves a Gabler edition -- they're cheap, well made, large print, and this edition is the most complete and authentic available.

<urn:uuid:8c05aaed-ba15-4d37-b7f2-db3b6a66fe61>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?57945-Find-a-1984-Gabler-edition-if-you-can&s=

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Texas Hold'Em Tips from The Poker Practice Now that you've acquired your basic knowledge of the game, it's time to get to the fun part: strategizing. In a game as complicated and challenging as Texas Hold'em, you can be sure that there are a lot of different tips and tricks out there. These tips range in complexity from simple moves to tips that even the professionals have yet to fully master. We've searched many different sources to compile our list of the best professional Texas Hold'Em strategy. As you develop your own Texas Hold'Em strategy, put as many tips as possible into play - you're sure to discover a few that are particularly helpful to your poker style. Don't forget that practice makes perfect - try executing your strategy as many times as you like by playing free poker games at The Poker Practice. - To avoid one of the pitfalls of new players, don't fold when you can check! Checking means that you pass the turn without betting-it's basically an opportunity to continue the game without investing any chips. If you were thinking about folding, but all of the players in front of you are checking, check as well. - Don't hold high hopes for unrelated cards. Even if you have a 5 and a 2 with the potential of making a straight, the chances of this actually occurring are not worth betting on. - Don't be afraid to fold if you have poor pocket cards. Folding is one of the commonly executed moves you'll see in professional tournaments. Remember that poker is a game of survival - by folding and not investing all of your chips, you preserve the chance to continue to the game's end. - When you're holding a pocket pair, play high value pairs aggressively and low value pairs (6 or less) with caution. - If you start out with a great pair of pocket cards, eliminate players before the Flop to increase your chances of winning. To do this, push the bets high before the Flop drops. Players who have bad pocket cards, but might get a lucky Flop, will be forced to fold. - Study the community cards carefully. There's often more than one possible winning hand combination located within these five cards. If you forget which cards are there, or are so excited by something in your hand that you're closed to other possibilities, you may pay dearly for your lack of observation. - During the course of the game, if you see that someone's chips are dwindling, try to eliminate the weak player. Force the player to go All-In by making a bet for his amount of chips - hopefully he'll lose the bet and be eliminated, bringing you one player closer to the top. - Along the same line, be aware that players with small amounts of chips often try to raise bets to scare other players and win small pots, or even steal blinds. These players are trying to make fast money - don't let them start to gain in chip standing again. - Play from your position. If you're an "early player, "play only strong hands you're ready to invest in because later players will likely raise. - Play your cards "close to your vest."Keep your pocket cards hidden and play the game without revealing any emotions. Be aware of personal habits-twitches, smiles, phrases - that might give away your pocket cards. Maintain a poker face to keep your opponents guessing. Some professionals have taken to wearing sunglasses or hats to mask their expressions. - Study the way your opponents play. Make observations about their playing style by trying to read "tells" or what they give away about their cards. For example, maybe Player X's eyes always light up when he likes the community card, or, when bluffing, Player Y constantly sips his drink. - Lie. That's right, lie. In Texas Hold'em, this is called bluffing, and it's one of players' favorite tricks. Bluffing is an art that can be used in many different ways to manipulate people into thinking that they know your intentions. While difficult to master, bluffing can transform your entire game, so it's worth practicing the technique. - Take advantage of casino bonus code and poker bonuses to help boost your roll. If you loss your money too fast with their free chips, try out another casino or poker.

<urn:uuid:39b31dda-192d-4117-bc70-d7be023034c3>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.thepokerpractice.com/tips/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

I didn't start out wanting to be a business reporter or a commentator on personal finance. Not by a long shot - I wanted to cover politics. And, like a lot of grads today - I hit the job market at a terrible time. A deep recession hit this country in the early 1980s, and in 1981, I was happy to even land a job. I went to work for a small daily newspaper called The Lima News in Lima, Ohio, which at the time had a population of about 50,000 and a Ford plant. My beat was City Hall - I spent endless hours covering City Hall meetings. I was happy as a clam. But then a funny thing happened. The local Ford plant began laying off people lots of people. And the layoff packages back then, well, they weren't as good as they are now. After several months, folks started forming informal bartering arrangements, trading toilet paper for light bulbs. The effects began to ripple: Other businesses that were reliant on Ford employee spending had to lay off people as well. It was horrible to watch. I wrote stories about how people were coping with the situation. And about how the mayor and the city council of that town tried to resurrect their economy -- and lure new business. They set up special economic development zones and romanced scores of corporations. But nothing really worked. And so, at a fairly young age I learned something fundamentally important: that the private sector - business, not government - had the real power to make a difference in people's lives - to send the kids to school with a full lunch pail - to put food on the table - to provide. I don't think a lot of Americans have that confidence in companies and the private sector right now - and that's what I worry about. They think the government can fill the gap ... and it can't. The government doesn't have the money or the know how to create wealth - it can only disperse other people's money. Today, a lot of people believe that the private sector - companies and businesses - are the problem - that they monopolize the money. More than three-quarters of people surveyed in a WSJ poll said the nation's economic structure is out of balance and favors the rich over the rest of the country. For that reason, we need to painstakingly rebuild our faith in the power of the country's private sector. Because it's companies that will hire the jobless, companies that will expand payrolls, and companies that will seed the growth of this economy. Today Lima is in better shape. It's diversified its economy and grown. It's doing better. And, the rest of us can, too.

<urn:uuid:83258a4e-0eda-44e1-ab0b-931f951baa45>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/willis-report/blog/category/The+Lima+News

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

I found the borers after work on Thursday, the first of June. I had been expecting them, watching for them, dreading them. We had made our best chemical defense. And in fact I had begun to think we had escaped. The plants were flourishing, pumpkins were growing. But then the pumpkins that had been swelling in size each day suddenly stalled the last week of May. And several leaves on Amy's hospital plants turned yellow and began to die. So I knew then that our luck was not holding up. The last weekend in May - Labor Day weekend - Amy had rushed into the house announcing there was a strange bug flying around her jack o'lanterns. She and Tony snatched up a butterfly net and went to chase it. These squash vine borer moths are like no other moths I know. They look very much like a fat hornet with soft, dusty wings. Their wings are part black, part transparent, and they have a bright orange-red abdomen with black dots, and furry black muffs on their antennae like a Russian Cossack's hat. They don't flit and flutter like a moth. Nor do they buzz and hover like a hornet. Rather they swoop and swirl about the plant, dashing in and out of the leaves, like a housefly making a dive for a bowl of sugar. They are quick. And this makes them very hard to catch. You can't slam the net down from above or you'll crush the plant. Even swooping the net from side to side risks taking out a few leaves. So you have to wait until the moth is on one of its swirling ascents, and try to scoop it out of the air and into the net in a graceful, all-in-one motion that carries it to the ground and traps it there. After several attempts Tony caught one this way, with Amy hopping and shouting excitedly from the sidelines. She crouched down eagerly to examine the terrible demon. She saw instead a feeble, helpless and beautiful creature caught in the white netting. And she was tempted to let it go. But I put a stop to that. It was only one. But I knew there must have been more. Each laying dozens - hundreds? - of eggs. So I got down on my hands and knees and I crawled into the mess of vines in Amy's Hospital and I began to search. The moths seek out most any member of the squash family - cucumbers and watermelons and pumpkins - as the special food that will be devoured by their babies, the moth larvae. The moth lays its eggs, one at a time, on the vine, often at the base of a leaf stem, and when the egg hatches 7 to 10 days later, it immediately burrows into the center of the vine and begins to devour it, tunneling and hollowing out the insides of the vines and destroying all the tissue that carries food and water to the plant. So after four weeks of this the vine, of course, dies. And about that time the larvae eats its way out of the vine and drops into the dirt and digs down a few inches, spins a cocoon, and huddles there through the winter. The next spring it pupates, emerges as a moth, and goes looking for pumpkin plants. As I crawled my way along the vine, gently pushing aside the prickly, scratchy leaves, I wondered why on earth Mother Nature thought squash vine borers were necessary. Was there at one time a crippling surplus of cucumbers and pumpkins that threatened to drown out some part of the food chain, so the borer evolved to reduce the exploding pumpkin population? What use was a creature that existed only to lay an egg, devour a plant, and create more of its kind to lay more eggs and destroy more plants? It seemed so pointless and destructive. But I realize I could say this of just about any living creature, including humans. We are born, we kill and eat a lot of stuff, and then we make more of ourselves before we die. And then I saw it. In the green shade of the leaves, at the very base of a stem, there was a hole in the stem with a damp, crumbly-looking brownish red substance oozing from it. It looked like something that had been chewed up and spat out. Except it actually came from the other end - borer poop. More accurately, it was chewed up, digested and pooped out pumpkin plant. The absolutely conclusive sign that borers were at work. I scraped away the dirt from the vine and gently squeezed it between my thumb and index finger. A definite soft spot, as if it was hollow in one place. From past experience, I knew this is where I would find the moth larvae. "Amy!" I called. She was there in an instant. "Please go ask Tony to get me an X-acto knife." Time to operate. I carefully sliced into the vine with the thin blade, feeling firm flesh give way to a hollow center. Slowly, I moved the blade along the length of the vine, cutting about half-way through, until I had a two-inch long cut. I put down the knife and gently pried the vine apart. I leaned in close to get a look inside the vine and bumped heads with Amy, who also was leaning over to peer inside the vine. Squash vine borer larvae are grotesque creatures. We beheld a grub-like caterpillar, about an inch long, with viscous white guts held inside a shapeless sack of translucent, tissue-paper skin. It's plump body was segmented and surprisingly agile as it twisted and squirmed to get away from my knife. At one end of the larvae, almost as if glued there, was a disproportionately small brown bead of a head. This part was oddly fascinating to me. I had broken into this creature's world shockingly uninvited and now I was about to pull it from its squishy green womb and kill it. With savage satisfaction. All those weeks of research and preparation. All the back-breaking work. All the drip hoses and misters and shade cloths and compost and fertilizer. All the money! And this spineless worm of a creature was destroying it all with nothing more than a hearty appetite. With the tip of the X-acto blade I speared the larvae and pulled it out of the vine. "Here Amy," I said, dropping the squirming white blob into the palm of her hand. "Squish this." Amy was not at all bothered by the site of the bug larvae in her hand. But she didn't at all like the idea of squishing it. "Mommmmm," she protested. "I can't kill it." "Then take it to your dad and tell him to squish it," I said. This she gladly did. For the next hour, Amy was my faithful partner as I went on my borer hunt. I checked leaf after leaf, scraping away the dirt to reveal the soft, hollow vines and crumbly brown poop. I sliced the vine, speared the larvae and deposited it in Amy's waiting hand. I was obsessed. I was doing tremendous damage to the plant. Many times I wouldn't find the larvae on my first cut - it would already have moved further up the vine. Sometimes as I pried the vine open I would catch a glimpse of the larvae's tail squiggling away out of sight into some crevice or hole it had bored deeper into the heart of the vine. And so I would have to cut my way in after it. I told myself the borer, left alone, would do far more damage than the surgical slices of my X-acto blade. But who knows? With every discovery of another grub, I felt more ticked off. How many of the dang things were there? I extracted more than a dozen of various sizes from Amy's hospital, and then moved over to the LaRue. By this time, the LaRue had grown to be huge - about 25 feet long and 20 feet wide at its base, then narrowing toward the tip in the classic Christmas tree shape. And it was only six weeks old! But crawling underneath its canopy of leaves, about 2-feet high, I saw the borers were there, too. Just a foot away from our biggest pumpkin growing on the side vine there was a three-inch long soggy, rotten mess left behind by a borer. If this vine fell apart here, the pumpkin would be cut off from the main vine and face certain death. My knife slipped easily inside, cut away some of the goopy rot, and found two bloated larvae gorging on my pumpkin plant. I personally squished these. As I moved along to the main vine, I found more. The vine of this giant pumpkin was much different from Amy's skinny jack-o'lantern plants. This vine had been finger-thin and delicate green when I had buried it a few weeks ago. Now it was a sinewy, woody vine about an inch in diameter. I cut along its length and pried it open and discovered grub after grub after grub. I had to dig deeper to find these larvae, as there were more places to hide inside this bigger vine. So I did more damage. I tried my best to tie the split vine back together with a plastic band. But it was a very messy process with dirt falling into the open vine and larvae guts spilling into the cavity as I speared each grub. What would the vine do with all this? Did it have any chance at all? When I checked the last length of vine, I quit. I knew for certain that I hadn't gotten them all. That was impossible. There were hundreds of leaves. But maybe I had gotten enough to give the plant a fighting chance. I backed away from the plant on my hands and knees and stood up. It was slightly disorienting being on my feet again. I was hot. I was tired. My skin was sweaty and prickly and itching from crawling among the pumpkin leaves. I went into the house and made straight for the shower. After my slaughter of the borers, I felt strangely at peace with the situation. Life throws all kinds of curves and you do your best to catch them. When you can't, you chase the ball. It was a disaster but it didn't feel too much like a disaster. We would learn from it. We wouldn't give up. We'd wait and see what happened next. Tony didn't take it quite as well. He was despondent. I had battled borers many times before in my garden, though the stakes had never been this high. Tony, however, had never even heard of squash vine borers before a few months ago. He had taken all my warnings and fretting seriously. He had repeatedly doused the plants with insecticide - a systemic insecticide that we had vainly hoped would kill the grubs once they began to chow down. But it's the sort of thing you don't really understand until you see it in action. Now he had seen. He was frustrated and horrified at how quickly all our work had been destroyed by this slime bag of a borer. He was also very relieved. In two days, I would leave for Houston. If I hadn't found the borers myself before I left, the plant would have wilted and started to die while he was in charge. And then I would have blamed him.

<urn:uuid:98aa5426-7093-48fd-9c63-8e3c4c95ef03>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.backyardgiants.com/diary06.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

The DFL isn’t wasting time in spending money we don’t have. This MPR article is about a report that says we should “bolster the Environmental Quality Board.” First, let’s start with the basics. Let’s start with who the EQB is: The EQB consists of the commissioners of nine state agencies and four citizens. It was created in 1972, but over the years its staff has shrunk and it seldom has the resources to fulfill its original mandate of studying and coordinating on issues that go beyond the purview of a single state agency. The first question I have is simple. Is the EQB necessary? The second question is simple, too. What official responsibilities does the EQB have? Third, are the EQB’s official responsibilities counterproductive? Fourth, since this agency was created in 1972, has anyone thought about how the EQB’s official responsibilities might be streamlined or eliminated? This part is exceptionally telling: …over the years its staff has shrunk… Simply put, the DFL, now that they’re in full control, wants to start growing government, spending money recklessly and increasing government intrusion into our lives. Does anyone think that they aren’t itching to start raising taxes? Does anyone think they can’t wait to ‘make departments whole’? Before I leave this part, this is a sign of what’s to come. Alida Messinger is a strident militant environmentalist. She’ll insist that the environment be give a high priority. Since she essentially owns the DFL, ABM and an environmental organization (Conservation Minnesota), she’ll surely get what she’s demanding. The budget Gov. Dayton signed in 2011 was for $34,350,000,000. If anyone thinks this budget will be less than $39,000,000,000, they’re kidding themselves. It isn’t a stretch to think Gov. Dayton’s next budget won’t be more than $40,000,000,000. That means he’ll need to sign the biggest tax increase in Minnesota history. That’s doomed for failure because the economy is shrinking. That means the estimates he’ll get from the Department of Revenue won’t come close to the revenues he’ll actually collect. That means oversized deficits, likely the biggest in Minnesota history. Job growth, at least the jobs that aren’t tied to the DFL’s annual debt bill, will disappear. Within 2 years, Minnesota’s economy will be worse as a direct result of Gov. Dayton’s and the DFL’s policies, budgets and tax increases. Faced with the choice of paying excessive taxes while the economy shrinks or paying lower taxes into a growing economy in North Dakota, many businesses will migrate to North Dakota. The DFL won’t have anyone to blame for impending financial disaster that they’re about to embark on. Republicans can’t filibuster and they certainly don’t have the votes to prevent this disaster. That means the $7,000,000,000-$10,000,000,000 biennial deficit heading our direction will be the millstone tied around their necks alone. Comments welcome at Let Freedom Ring.

<urn:uuid:c62736c5-74f5-4339-af75-170f6a4d4a9e>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.looktruenorth.com/limited-government/360-ever-expanding-government/20656-let-s-eliminate-the-eqb.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Most Active Stories KRWG.ORG-The Region's Home Page Tue April 7, 2009 Biased and Racial Based Profiling Banned in NM By KRWG Staff Las Cruces, NM – Tuesday, Governor Bill Richardson signed legislation prohibiting racial and biased-based profiling by law enforcement officers. The new law makes it illegal for law enforcement officers to investigate anyone relying solely on the person's race, ethnicity, color or national origin among a list of other things. The proposal was sponsored by State Representative Nathan Cote, of Las Cruces. It also requires the Attorney General to establish independent procedures for investigating any complaints. New Mexico is the 23rd state in the nation with a law banning biased-based profiling. Several organizations including the NAACP and LULAC voiced their support for bill.

<urn:uuid:8722a64d-ec84-4e2f-924d-00f7a05b32df>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.krwg-tv.org/post/biased-and-racial-based-profiling-banned-nm

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

The billboards are inviting Christians to be more Christian by not excluding gays and lesbians from their churches, while asserting that it is OK in the eyes of God to be homosexual -- a practice thought by many conservative Christians to be an abomination. The "Would Jesus Discriminate" campaign is sponsored by five DFW Metropolitan Community Churches, whose congregations are predominantly gay and lesbian. The purpose of the campaign is to "engage people in a friendly discussion about Jesus' message of inclusion," according to the whywouldwe.org Web site. With statements such as "Jesus affirmed a gay couple" and "Ruth loved Naomi as Adam loved Eve," the billboards assert homosexuality has been around for thousands of years. The billboards also offer a scripture reference that is meant to validate the message. Each billboard also asks the reader, "Would Jesus discriminate?" So, what do you think about the billboards? Leave your comments below.

<urn:uuid:e8d181fb-8dbf-4988-a4f3-9309366a3769>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Churchs-Billboards-Affirm-Gay-Love-58116877.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

The peak oil crisis: Wall Street comes to reality The day was a long time in coming. For many months now, world oil production has remained essentially flat and world oil exports have fallen while world oil prices just climbed and climbed. Poor country after poor country was priced out of the market and world oil stockpiles started to melt. Yet as the world lurched towards the mother of all economic crises, the major media of the country led by Wall Street’s own Journal remained strangely silent. From time to time they would report some good news such as “billions of barrels found 25,000 ft under the Gulf” or “steaming out sticky oil will save us.” However, they never got around to asking what is involved in extracting oil from deepwater wells or just where all that tar-melting steam was coming from. Anyone who questioned that oil production could keep on growing for the foreseeable future was castigated as lunatic fringe. This make-believe world finally came crashing down on Monday when the Wall Street Journal published a front-page story admitting there was a big, big problem with oil production just ahead. Now the flagship of economic journalism does not come to such a decision lightly. To admit that you have been dead wrong in ignoring the most important economic issue the world is likely to face in the next century certainly strains your journalistic credibility. There must have been hours of agonized meetings in the offices of senior Journal editors as they hashed out just how to break the news that world oil production was about to peak without admitting that the world is arriving at peak oil. The solution turned out to be rather ingenious. Write a story about a new kind of “plateauing oil” that has just been recognized while continuing to bash the old “peak oil.” Sophistry? Of course, but it enables the Journal to maintain that all-important face. The title of the Journal’s story sets the stage “OIL OFFICIALS SEE LIMIT LOOMING ON PRODUCTION.” The first sentence carries the message “A growing number of oil-industry chieftains are endorsing an idea long deemed fringe: The world is approaching a practical limit to the number of barrels of crude oil that can be pumped every day.” There you have it. The story is not portrayed as “evidence is growing that world oil production will soon go into decline.” It turns out that the real news is that an increasing number of oil-industry leaders are afraid that the world is approaching “a practical limit” on oil production. “Practical limit” is a nice touch which sweeps a number of issues under the rug. To give the Journal its due, right up front they lay out the magnitude of the problem - “The world certainly won't run out of oil any time soon. And plenty of energy experts expect sky-high prices to hasten the development of alternative fuels and improve energy efficiency. But evidence is mounting that crude-oil production may plateau before those innovations arrive on a large scale. That could set the stage for a period marked by energy shortages, high prices and bare-knuckled competition for fuel.” After so much honesty the Journal, unfortunately, falls back into its old ways by attempting to make a distinction between what it is telling us as news and the old “peak oil theory.” The following paragraph from the Journal’s story is a gem. “The current debate represents a significant twist on an older, often-derided notion known as the peak-oil theory. Traditional peak-oil theorists, many of whom are industry outsiders or retired geologists, have argued that global oil production will soon peak and enter an irreversible decline because nearly half the available oil in the world has been pumped. They've been proved wrong so often that their theory has become debased.” “Proved wrong so often?” “Debased”? As could be expected, peak oil adherents were apoplectic at these words. The web was instantly populated with reasoned refutations and charts which ask, “What on earth are they talking about?” The answer probably is in the way large institutions such as the Journal pass important stories through layers of editors – not just to get the commas right but to insure political correctness from the paper’s perspective. The “debased” paragraph plays such a discordant note, it can only be a political afterthought from management. The story then goes on to explain “plateauing” oil. “The new adherents...don't believe the global oil tank is at the half-empty point. But they share the belief that a global production ceiling is coming for other reasons: restricted access to oil fields, spiraling costs and increasingly complex oil-field geology. This will create a global production plateau, not a peak, they contend, with oil output remaining relatively constant rather than rising or falling.” Once the story gets beyond the “face saving” it does a credible job in explaining why the world will soon be facing a major shortfall in oil production -- “The emergence of a production ceiling would mark a monumental shift in the energy world.” The “expanding pool of oil, most of it priced cheaply by today's standards, fueled the post-World War II global economic expansion.” “Since 1990, despite billions in new spending, the industry has found only one field with the potential to top 500,000 barrels a day.” “Some of the most promising geological formations are in locations that are inhospitable, for reasons of geography or, especially, politics and strife.” “Labor and construction bottlenecks also are making it difficult to develop proven fields.” The Journal’s story marks an important turning point in the public’s understanding of peak oil. Now that the ice has been broken by the flagship of the financial press, it will not be long before others muster the courage to explore and discuss the ramifications of “plateauing” oil. This cannot be a bad thing for as the notion that we are entering the greatest paradigm shift of the last 100 years sinks in, people can start preparing for it.

<urn:uuid:dba25074-5771-42f0-ae40-9223317769ea>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.resilience.org/stories/2007-11-21/peak-oil-crisis-wall-street-comes-reality

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Americans and their health - A little good news Iíve always marveled at my ability to remember lyrics to songs I havenít heard in decades when simple things, like the first name of a person Iíve known for 25 years, escapes me. In 1983, Anne Murray had a hit song called Little Good News. The one line of the song I often sing to myself is the one that goes, "We sure could use a little good news today." Even though the lyrics for the song were written over 20 years ago, it amazes me how true they still hold for today: "Iíll come home this evening, Iíll bet the news will be the same. Somebody takes a hostage, somebody steals a plane. How I wanna hear the anchor man talk about a county fair, and how we cleaned up the air, how everybody learned to care. . . . We sure could use a little good news today." I offer the thought bullets this month in the interest of a little good news. I was prompted to write on this subject after reading a couple of the quotations from the narratives from Wellness IN the Rockies. One female in her early 40's said, "It just seems like everywhere you turn, weíre being bombarded with how bad we are. Weíre fat and we eat too much, and we donít exercise enough. And itís all negative, and itís constant, and itís day in and day out." Another female in her mid-40's said, "The media says you need to be skinny, and then exercise people come and say you need to exercise and so itís kind of like this guilt trip on you. . . . They say [being fat] is a health risk, too. . . . It probably makes it worse. It probably makes us eat more, because itís so hard to lose weight and so hard to exercise. Sometimes you just . . . give up." It sure WAS good to hear a little good news today! Imperatore G, Cadwell BL, Geiss L, Saadinne JB, Williams DE, Ford ES, Thompson TJ, Venkat Narayan KM, Gregg EW. Thirty-year trends in cardiovascular risk factor levels among US adults with diabetes: National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1971-2000. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2004;160(6):531-9. Horovitz, B. General Mills cereals go totally whole grain. USA Today, September 20, 2004. Kraft to launch improved nutrition labels. Food Ingredient First. On-line newsletter, October 7, 2004. Compiled by Betty Holmes, MS, RD to Thought Bullets--main page. Return to home page.

<urn:uuid:38d982ed-e57e-4710-95c2-be9a29e85012>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.uwyo.edu/winwyoming/bullets/2004/bullets11-04.htm

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

If you don’t know the work of producer Val Lewton, you should. Lewton came up working for David O. Selznick, and then accepted an offer from RKO in the early 1940s to head up their horror film unit, using pre-sold titles, miniscule budgets, and existing sets to create a series of Gothic films to rival those of Universal, then the reigning kings of 1940s horror. Instead, Lewton created a series of poetic, atmospheric masterpieces, working with directors Jacques Tourneur, Robert Wise and Mark Robson (Wise and Robson both apprenticed under Lewton; Wise, an editor who had cut, among other films, Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane , was anxious to direct, and Lewton gave him the chance to do so). It all happened very quickly, and Lewton’s reign was brief but incandescent; in slightly less than four years, he produced, designed, and brought to life eleven films, of which nine comprise the body of work on which his reputation rests. Lewton’s key films are: Cat People (1942) I Walked With a Zombie (1943) The Leopard Man (1943) The Seventh Victim (1943) The Ghost Ship (1943) The Curse of the Cat People (1944) The Body Snatcher (1945) Isle of the Dead (1945) Click on any of the titles above for more information on these films. Just for the record, Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie (Jane Eyre transported to the West Indies, with remarkable results), The Seventh Victim (devil worship in Greenwich Village), The Body Snatcher and Isle of the Dead are my personal favorites. Much has been written on Lewton’s tragically short career; perhaps one of the best overviews of his films in the first major book on his work, Joel E. Siegel’s Val Lewton: The Reality of Terror; there are also no less than two box sets of DVDs of Lewton’s work, and several documentaries. Lewton’s films aren’t really horror films at all, as everyone now realizes; they are the deeply personal testament of a literate man, steeped in the classics, who saw a chance to bring his vision of the world to the screen, and seized it with both hands. When Lewton departed from RKO, his career was essentially finished; he died at the age of 46 on March 14, 1951, after a series of heart attacks. Lewton’s films can be seen again and again, revealing with each viewing multiple levels of depth and detail that makes his work as resolutely modern as Universal’s 40s horror films are now dated; Lewton’s world is the world we all live in, with its joys, difficulties and problems, and his films, very much a product of wartime America, resonate in our consciousness today as much as they ever did. Below: Val Lewton in the projection room at RKO, mid 1940s.

<urn:uuid:d2ea34ce-736f-45eb-8ec1-d86102fed316>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://blog.unl.edu/dixon/2011/09/03/val-lewton/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Akbar's deserted capital gets new tourist lounge For tourists visiting Mughal emperor Akbar's deserted capital Fatehpur Sikri, a new facility was opened by Le Passage to India (LPTI), India's premium award winning 'destination management' company. Fatehpur Sikri is a world heritage site that badly lacked basic amenities for tourists. The new facility, the first of its kind, was inaugurated by Deepak Bhatnagar, executive director of Le passage to India, Friday. Located at the Gulistan Tourist Complex in Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, the lounge would offer guests a chance to relax between tours. Comfortable seating and refreshments will be offered to tourists to help them unwind in comfort. "The lounge is part of Le Passage to India's commitment to better serve customers around the world. This is an innovative concept, and we hope guests will grow to like it," Arjun Sharma, managing director, Le Passage to India, told IANS. Headquartered in New Delhi, Le Passage to India has 25 offices across India. It has won the National Tourism Award four times, consecutively.

<urn:uuid:b348a4ab-8499-4fb6-a1f5-2cf70efe7e5b>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.newkerala.com/news/newsplus/worldnews-117713.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

In the bad old days before Muammar Gaddafi cleaned up his act, international isolation and confrontation with the west were a normal state of affairs for Libya. But now the Jamahiriya – the "state of the masses" – is mired in an embarrassing crisis with Switzerland that has escalated into a Europe-wide travel ban for the country's leaders and top officials. From Gaddafi downwards, no senior Libyan is allowed to visit the Schengen area, the 25-country passport-free zone that includes most EU member states, as well as non-EU Switzerland. The trouble began in 2008 over the arrest in Geneva of Gaddafi's son Hannibal on charges, later dropped, of mistreating two domestic employees. Libya retaliated by arresting two Swiss men on visa charges, cutting oil supplies and withdrawing billions of dollars from Swiss banks. A controversial public apology by the Swiss president failed to end the affair. Switzerland struck another blow by banning 188 named Libyans, in effect the country's entire ruling elite. Other Schengen members were required to follow suit. Italy protested, suggesting it valued its relations with Libya, its main energy supplier, more highly than its Alpine neighbour. In mid-February Libya hit back by stopping issuing visas for Schengen nationals. Diplomats say a solution would probably involve dropping the Swiss blacklist in exchange for the freedom of Max Goeldi, the remaining Swiss national in prison in Tripoli. But there is no deal in sight. Britain, ironically, is unaffected because it has an opt-out from Schengen and controls its own borders. Given its past, deeply-troubled relations with Libya, from support for the IRA to the Lockerbie bombing, there is relief in Whitehall that the UK is not involved. No one wants lucrative business opportunities to be lost because of another overreaction by the famously mercurial colonel. The problem was sufficiently worrying for Libya's man in London, Omar Jelban, to convene a rare press conference at the Knightsbridge offices of the people's bureau (embassy) to "clarify" Tripoli's position. "It is now difficult for any EU citizen to come to Libya," he said on Tuesday, insisting that Libya had been forced to take reciprocal action because of Swiss bad faith. "We are ready to resolve this problem with the Swiss. This is a bilateral issue that has nothing to do with other European countries." Libya wants arbitration to settle the dispute. Spain, which holds the EU presidency, is doing its bit. So is the European commission, which spent months trying to defuse an earlier crisis over Bulgarian medics convicted of trying to infect Libyan children with HIV. This latest affair shows alarming signs of getting out of hand. The Hannibal problem was compounded when the Swiss voted in a referendum to ban minarets. Last month, Gaddafi used a speech on the birthday of the prophet Muhammad to call for "jihad" against Switzerland and to lambast it as an "infidel and obscene state which destroys mosques". Clarification quickly followed that he didn't mean a real war but rather a "struggle" on many fronts. But more damage had been done by his theatrics. "The leader's speech reflects the anger of the Muslim people against the Swiss decision to ban minarets," explained Jelban. "This was seen as an insult to their religious beliefs and symbols. There are many ways of jihad." Libya then announced a total trade and economic boycott of Switzerland. Tripoli then opened a second front, after a US state department spokesman asked about the threat to the Swiss, made a flippant remark about Gaddafi's speeches "not necessarily (making) a lot of sense". On Tuesday, Tripoli got the public apology it had demanded from Washington after bluntly warning US oil companies that billions of dollars worth of investments could be at risk. "I should have focused solely on our concern about the term 'jihad', which has since been clarified by the Libyan government," said the chastened spokesman, PJ Crowley. "I regret that my comments have become an obstacle to further progress in our bilateral relationship." Gaddafi-watchers say the key to understanding these rows with the Swiss and the Americans is his acute sense of personal honour – the slight to his son, his family and to himself. In reflective moments, Libya's diplomats must sometimes hark back to simpler times before their leader abandoned terrorism and weapons of mass destruction and came in from the cold.

<urn:uuid:57f61f84-a306-42da-92da-9abc6c0a8057>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/10/libya-switzerland-gaddafi-feud

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

A group of Berthoud residents who were successful in getting a measure on the ballot in November that asks voters to close medical marijuana dispensaries in the town will hold a public forum on Wednesday. With two renowned speakers, the public forum will also focus on Amendment 64, the statewide ballot measure that asks voters to legalize marijuana and regulate it like alcohol. "Our primary concern is getting the dispensaries out of Berthoud and stopping the legalization of it statewide," Berthoud resident Dwayne White said. The speakers are Tom Gorman, director of the Rocky Mountain High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and Dr. Christian Thurstone. Thurstone is medical director of one of Colorado's largest youth substance abuse treatment clinics and an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Denver, where he conducts research on youth substance use and addiction. In research published this year, Thurstone co-authored a study that concluded diversion of medical marijuana was common among adolescents in substance treatment. Of 164 Denver-area teens in treatment, the study found that nearly 74 percent of them said they had used someone else's medical marijuana. A concern for area youth was one of the key reasons that White and other residents initiated the effort to ask residents to ban medical marijuana dispensaries. Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith has advocated against the message medical marijuana dispensaries send to children, and Berthoud police have linked the dispensaries to an increase in crime and marijuana problems at local schools. "Berthoud has a problem with marijuana and kids," White said. "I've got eight grandkids in Berthoud and I do not want this anywhere around my grandkids." The issue committee hosting Wednesday's forum and urging a "yes" vote on Question 300 relating to dispensaries on Berthoud's ballot and a "no" on Amendment 64 is called "StopMJinBerthoud." The opposition's campaign is led by Michele and Kevin Ballinger, owners of Berthoud's only medical marijuana dispensary, Herb's Medicinals. What: Public forum on Berthoud's ballot Question 300 and statewide Amendment 64. When: 7 p.m. Wednesday. Where: Community room of the Berthoud Fire Protection Building, 275 Mountain Ave. Last month, White attended a public meeting sponsored by the opposition. In addition to patient testimonials, that meeting featured Dr. Alan Shackelford, a Harvard-trained physician and researcher who advocates for the use of medical marijuana. Shackelford argued that misuse of alcohol and prescription drugs is far more dangerous to teens than that of marijuana. "We know we got a real slanted view of marijuana with that presentation," White said. "We just want people to come out and listen to the truth about marijuana." Jessica Maher can be reached at 669-5050 ext. 516 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @JessicaMaherRH.

<urn:uuid:8c2c81c0-1bb0-4dbc-bab5-319ef1c1113d>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.reporterherald.com/news/larimer-county/ci_21721656/berthoud-forum-marijuana-will-address-both-town-and?source=most_emailed

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

As is the case in too many cities in the United States, even after more than 4 years since the beginning of the foreclosure crisis, Chicago’s homeowners have been hard hit. In March of 2012, nearly 667,000 Chicago area homes were underwater, and 13% of those homeowners were also delinquent on their mortgage payments for three months or more. Add to these troubling statistics Chicago’s above-average unemployment rate which, as of May 2012, was 9.8%, and the city’s condition appears even more dire. Chicago has been willing to take aggressive (though problematic) actions to solve problems brought on by the financial crisis. One such move was the passage of the vacant building ordinance which landed a leading role here at Crunched Credit on two separate occasions (click here and here). And, once again, Chicago has managed to catch our attention with its recent decision to consider a plan to “use the power of eminent domain to purchase underwater mortgages out of securitized packages of loans at a steep discount, write them down to fair market value and then create a new mortgage with a much reduced principal and monthly payment.” Sound familiar? It should. San Bernardino County recently entered into an agreement with two of its cities, Fontana and Ontario, to create the Homeownership Protection Program Joint Powers Authority (“JPA”) “to assist in preserving homeownership and occupancy of homeowners with negative equity within the Parties’ jurisdictions, avoid the negative impacts of underwater loans and further foreclosures, and enhance the economic vitality and the health of their communities” which “may include the Authority’s acquisition of underwater residential mortgage loans by voluntary purchase or eminent domain and the restructuring of these loans to allow homeowners to continue to own and occupy their homes.” Click here for more information about JPA, eminent domain, and a discussion of just a few legal challenges to the proposal. For an interesting read, see the fact sheet of Mortgage Resolution Partners (“MRP”) (the venture firm that proposed the eminent domain plan). Chicago’s plan “recognizes that the best way to keep troubled homeowners in their homes is by reducing the principal on their mortgages, thus lowering their debt burdens and more closely aligning their mortgages with the true value of their homes.” Forgive me if the following observation seems obtuse, but doesn’t this recognition assume that the solution to the problem is keeping struggling homeowners in their homes? This assumption may be useful for sound bites and re-election campaigns but is it really the best thing for the housing market? What about the effects of unemployment (both Cook County (9.8%) and San Bernardino County (12.6%) have high unemployment rates)? Aren’t they the real driving forces behind people’s refusal to buy new homes or refi (assuming if a homeowner has no job (and no job prospects), he or she may consider alternatives to staying in the home or refinancing to lower his/her monthly mortgage payment (e.g., moving, selling or walking away)) despite historically low rates? As we all have experienced for a number of years now, high unemployment means a decrease in consumer confidence, less discretionary spending and more strain on government resources (as more people are eligible for social safety nets) which leads to higher taxes (sometimes) the debt ceiling crisis and so on, all of which begets higher unemployment. And the cycle continues. In addition to concerns that the eminent domain proposal may not work either to help keep homeowners in their homes or to prop up the value of home prices, consider the very real possibility that the proposal may end up doing more harm than good: The implementation of the eminent domain proposal could increase the cost of lending, investors in mortgage securities could demand higher interest rates or abandon the market altogether and homeowners may still end up defaulting, all of which may cause housing prices to fall even further. Moreover, according to a new Moody’s Investors Service analysis, should such proposals be adopted nationwide (which seems highly unlikely), mortgage bond investors could see defaults rise by more than 30%, leading to losses for investors. Reportedly, the San Bernardino eminent domain proposal would affect less than 1.5% of private-label security loans in the area, as the mortgages are bought out of pools, which amount could increase as the idea gains traction in other areas. But is this amount really enough to change the trajectory of the housing market? Further, only homeowners who are current on their mortgage loans would be eligible, and the plan would not apply to mortgages backed by Freddie or Fannie. Add to the scenario the facts that apparently private mortgage securities now fund less than 1% of all new loans and the U.S. government currently backs about 90% of all home loans, and it’s difficult to envision how this proposal would end up helping those homeowners most in need. On the other hand, assuming that the proposal survives the plethora of legal challenges it is likely to face, private investors expect returns as high as 30% from their investment in MRP. MRP expects to receive a fee of $4,500 per transaction. This proposal could, in fact, lead to the stabilization of home prices and the minimization of future defaults. It might cause, in certain areas, an increase in consumer confidence and discretionary spending (especially if homeowners feel their personal net worth increase as a result of a spike in the value of their homes). At the very least, it could open the door (and already has) for candid discourse about the housing crisis and what plans, solutions and government programs have not worked and are not working. From this vantage point, it is clear that the failure of the housing market to recover, slow (glacially slow) economic growth and stagnant job growth are causing people to think outside the box. Maybe a little ingenuity (spurred by the private sector) is exactly what we need.

<urn:uuid:2a92b2b3-c6ae-4f4e-8c37-d1b25270543c>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/use-of-eminent-domain-to-seize-mortgages-90445/

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

Published February 20, 2013 | Fox News Latino In 2010, two California Highway Patrol officers came under gunfire when they were helping a fallen officer. The officers, Rafael Rivera and Sean Haller, braved the gunshots to try to save a local policeman, Javier Bejar, who was shot while serving a warrant to a man wanted in a series of arsons. Haller and Rivera engaged in a shootout with the suspect, and Rivera made diligent attempts to remove Bejar from the line of fire. Rivera continued trying to move Bejar even as the suspect began firing directly at him. For their bravery, Rivera and Haller are among 18 recipients of the Public Safety Medal of Valor. The honor, which Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder presented Wednesday at a White House ceremony, is the highest national award of its kind for law enforcement officers and firefighters. The award recognizes “officers who exhibited exceptional courage in saving and protecting others and whose heroic actions were above and beyond the call of duty,” according to the Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site. The medal, awarded annually, grew out of an act of Congress in 2001. The White House issued a statement saying Officers Rivera and Haller exhibited great personal courage, while putting themselves in danger in their efforts to save Officer Bejar’s life. As Haller fired at the suspect, Ricky Liles, Rivera managed to move Bejar from the scene. Bejar, whom the suspect shot with a high-powered rifle that was outfitted with a scope, did not survive. Bejar was a five-year veteran of the Reedley Police Department, where he first started working when he was just a teenager. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

<urn:uuid:e0ef6014-2984-4678-a3db-f01e62f2109a>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/community/2013/02/20/latino-officer-among-white-house-medal-valor-honorees/print

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

I asked my Facebook and Twitter friends, "If you could have one innovative educational idea funded, what would it be?" Here's what they said: David Give every kid a laptop. Turn it into a virtual textbook from the 1800s. Make them read it and write a paper synthesizing what they've learned. Either that or putting exercise bicycles (or just those yoga balls) for students to sit on in class. Automating performance based assessment so teachers could actually teach again. Give every child a multiple-choice literacy test in January. Spend the two months before the test drilling them on the skills they will need for the test. Give them lots of practice tests so they can hone their test-taking skills. Make the data from these tests available to the teachers no later than July, so they can see what skills their students were having problems with during the school year. I realize that this is the system that's in place now. But it would be nice to have it funded. I think bill is on to something Have Google put each grade level curriculum in an easily accessible format for self learning. Provide every child with a laptop. Get rid of all schools, textbooks, teachers, and boards of ed. Let the kids and their parents take responsibility for their progress. Huge tax cut for all with money not being wasted on inefficient school system. Portability (netbooks + wi-fi + online collaboration) leveraging social media to create more change. Laptops (small) for every student, with software Install streaming servers in every school and load it with best practices and videos Mobile learning would be my choice Creative globalization - encouraging students to become actively involved in creative change in community, nation & world about. Provide each one of my students a Kindle I would have the greatest resource funded...teachers...teachers are my districts greatest and most innovative educational resource. For more ideas join the "One Innovative Educational Idea" discussion on Classroom 2.0.

<urn:uuid:2a809d92-dcda-4e97-8dfa-563d9c1f65dd>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2009/03/if-you-could-have-one-innovative.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Last week we began concluding our series on The Work of Our Hands. The separation of faith and calling by Christians, along with the loss of the Biblical doctrine of work, had a devastating effect on the landscape of American culture during the 20th century. As Christians today, we are once again called to integrate our faith and our work. We are to use our vocational calling to influence our communities, our nation, and the world. Theologian Geerhardus Vos described it this way: [Christ] cannot be quiet and inactive in us. His kingdom is only fully manifest when we are so governed by His Word and Spirit that we are wholly subject to Him. Christ is the anointed King, not only over His church, but also He has been given to her as Head over all things. Hence, in the activity of believers, by which His rule is realized, lies also the urgency to work in all spheres of life. For the Reformed believer Christianity, by virtue of its covenantal character, is a restless, recreating principle which never withdraws itself from the world, but seeks to conquer it for Christ. Note the beautiful balance in Vos’ words, as pointed out by my friend Bill Edger: Our work is in every sphere of life. We are cultural beings. Yet no work is an end in itself. Our cultural involvements are the reflection of the deeper reality of our relationship with God. When seen from this prospective, each one of our vocational callings is Kingdom work. Jesus announced at the beginning of his ministry that, “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15). We have already seen how Christians in the last century truncated the four-chapter redemptive story to two chapters, Fall and Redemption, putting the emphasis of the Christian life on salvation. While we do not want to under-emphasize the importance of salvation, we must acknowledge that this is not all there is to the gospel. Tim Keller once said that if he had to define the Gospel in a single statement, he might do it like this: Through the person and work of Jesus Christ, God fully accomplishes salvation for us, rescuing us from judgment for sin into fellowship with him, and then restores the creation in which we can enjoy our new life together with him forever. Without understanding that Christ died on the cross not only to save us but also to restore all things, Christians get the impression that nothing much about this world matters. Grasping the full implication of the gospel should make Christians interested in both evangelistic conversions, as well as service to our neighbor and working for peace and justice in the world. Cornelius Plantinga, in his book, Engaging God’s World, suggests as Christians we must: . . . prepare to add one’s own contribution to the supreme reformation project, which is God’s restoration of all things that have been corrupted by evil. The Old Testament word for this restoration of peace, justice, and harmony is shalom; the New Testament phrase for it is ‘the coming of the kingdom.’ You can find the Old Testament’s teaching about shalom especially in the prophets, and you can find the New Testament’s teaching about the kingdom especially in the Gospels and in some passages of St. Paul’s epistles. According to Scripture, God plans to accomplish these projects through Jesus Christ, who started to make “all things new,” and who will come again to finish what he started. In the meantime, God’s Spirit inspires a worldwide body of people to join this mission of God. The Kingdom of God is to encompass all spheres of life, especially our work. As agents of that Kingdom, we serve as salt and light wherever the Spirit leads us. Emphasizing this point, Douglas Groothuis writes in his book Truth Decay that, As Christians incarnate their world view in public life they help reverse truth decay in myriad ways. In the midst of the fragmentation of postmodern pluralism, the Christian sees all things as unified in God’s overarching plan for the universe, summed up in the supremacy of Christ. All has meaning in reference to that fixed—and living—point (Col 1:15-20). How do you see your work as ushering in the Kingdom of God? Leave your comments here. - Part 1: Establishing the Work of Our Hands - Part 2: You are Called to be a Servant - Part 3: What We Can Learn About Sacrifice from John Calvin’s School of Death - Part 4: Are You Young, Restless and Reformed? - Part 5: Using Economics to Understand the Biblical Concept of Work - Part 6: Our Calling to Reweave Shalom - Part 7: Daniel, an Example of Reweaving Shalom - Part 8: Our Calling to Restore Culture - Part 9: Christ and Culture - Part 10: It’s Personal: Tales of Comparative Advantage - Part 11: Can Christians Today Really Impact Culture? - Part 12: Getting Down to Business and Changing the World - Part 13: How Do We Shape Culture? - Part 14: Cultural Change – Is It Possible Today? - Part 15: He Who Dies With The Most Toys Wins…Or Does He? - Part 16: Fear of A Meaningless Life - Part 17: Kingdom Work - Part 18: The Power of Ideas - Part 19: Putting It All Into Practice - Part 20: A Wing and A Prayer Sign up to get the ‘Creativity. Purpose. Freedom’ Blog delivered to your inbox daily.

<urn:uuid:e6c90c26-a41a-420c-97ca-2186248efb56>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://blog.tifwe.org/kingdom-work/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Curbed picks up a story from the Los Angeles Business Journal that exposes a small group of Beverly Hills merchants who oppose a Westside Subway stop at Wilshire/Beverly Drive due to fears of lower income subway riders tarnishing the gloss of Rodeo Drive. Another worry is something many businesses – regardless of clientele income – have when it comes to the subway: will construction drive business away? Although one merchant has a class warfare twist on this issue too, fearing that ritzy business may be replaced by lower end business that cater to subway riders. Reverse gentrification, anyone? Reorganizing the Bus System within the Network Hierarchy (The Transport Politic) I’ve been waiting to hear what Yonah Freemark, prolific transportation writer for The Transport Politic blog, had to say about last week’s N.Y. Times story about L.A.’s bus service changes. Well his response is here and like his blogging brethren Jarret Walker (Human Transit), he feels the Times fails to understand that creating a cohesive transit network is more important than trying to provide a small group of people with direct service. But he does feel Metro has failed in properly publicizing and explaining this fact. He then uses the rebranding of the bus system in Lyon, France as an example of how to do it right. Subway Crush No Longer Gets Weekends Off (N.Y. Times) The subway system in New York City is no longer just a service functioning mainly to get city commuters too and from work. This Times article reveals that weekend service on the subway is more popular (and crowded) than ever, with ridership numbers that rival the weekday rush hour. One reason? A generational shift. As car-averse, transit-hungry Millennials move into the city and surrounding burroughs weekend trains tend to fill with young revelers, shoppers and service workers. Spaniards Trade Cars For Lifetime Trolley Pass (Shareable: Cities) Now here’s an interesting idea that we’ll probably never see in the States. The city of Murcia, Spain offered car owners a lifetime trolley pass in exchange for giving up their cars… permanently. The cars that were traded in were then put on display around the city, parked in impossible places to drive home the point of how much space the vehicles take up. I only wonder what sort of contract folks had to sign to ensure that they never ever buy a car again.

<urn:uuid:a2f3f7c8-efc4-4d0e-a2f2-f103d2c59a05>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://thesource.metro.net/2011/07/12/transportation-headlines-tuesday-july-12/comment-page-1/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Front Page Titles (by Subject) Costs and Decision-Making: Mixed Models - Cost and Choice: An Inquiry in Economic Theory, Vol. 6 of the Collected Works Return to Title Page for Cost and Choice: An Inquiry in Economic Theory, Vol. 6 of the Collected Works The Online Library of Liberty A project of Liberty Fund, Inc. Search this Title: Costs and Decision-Making: Mixed Models - James M. Buchanan, Cost and Choice: An Inquiry in Economic Theory, Vol. 6 of the Collected Works The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan, Foreword by Geoffrey Brennan, Hartmut Kliemt, and Robert D. Tollison, 20 vols. (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1999-2002). Vol. 6 Cost and Choice: An Inquiry in Economic Theory. About Liberty Fund: Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals. The copyright to this edition, in both print and electronic forms, is held by Liberty Fund, Inc. Fair use statement: This material is put online to further the educational goals of Liberty Fund, Inc. Unless otherwise stated in the Copyright Information section above, this material may be used freely for educational and academic purposes. It may not be used in any way for profit. Costs and Decision-Making: Mixed Models In any real-world political setting, collective decisions are made through institutional processes that usually reflect some mixture of the purely democratic and the purely authoritarian models. Most individuals participate, directly or indirectly, in the formation of group decisions, but some persons participate more fully than others. That is to say, the effectiveness with which particular individuals and groups influence decision-making is widely variable. In such a setting, the costs that influence the choice calculus of an individual participant depend, first, on his own personalized or individualized share in an anticipated payment or outlay and his evaluation of this outlay in terms of his own foregone enjoyments. In addition, he must evaluate the enjoyments that he thinks others must forego as they are subjected to the taxing process. Only if each participant in the group-decision process should evaluate the foregone enjoyments of all others as equally important with his own would the distribution of the anticipated tax payments make no difference in the “costs,” as these influence or modify decisions. If each individual, no matter what his power over collective decisions, should subjectively value the prospective tax dollar paid by each other person equally with his own, then neither the distribution of decision-making power nor the distribution of tax shares would modify the costs which are the obstacles to choice. In such a limiting case, orthodox cost-benefit measurements might be reasonably accurate representations of choice-influencing costs and benefits. Merely the requirements of such a model are sufficient to indicate its manifest absurdity.4 Defenders of cost-benefit estimation may respond here by stating that collective decisions, however and by whomever made, should be guided by the project comparisons that the estimates reveal. The purpose of cost-benefit analysis, this argument suggests, is not that of ascertaining genuine opportunity costs in a choice-influencing context, but rather that of laying down rules for choice. But why should objectively measurable costs be taken to reflect “social cost” under any reasonable meaning of this term? The evaluations of individuals should be relevant in any attempt to derive normative statements, but these evaluations bear little direct relationship to measured outlays for the several reasons noted, the most important of which are, of course, distributional. At this point, the defender of cost-benefit orthodoxy may reject the implied limitation of his estimation procedure to objectively measurable cost and benefit streams. He may suggest including in predicted costs and benefits some estimates for subjectively valued, but objectively immeasurable, characteristics of alternatives. With this step, however, the whole analysis is subtly converted from one that can claim potential agreement among competent scientists to one that is purely subjective, not to the actual decision-makers, but to the economist who offers his normative advice. The cost-benefit expert cannot have it both ways. He cannot claim “scientific” precision for his estimates unless he restricts himself rigidly to objectively observable magnitudes. But if he does this, he cannot claim that his estimates reflect reasonable norms upon which “social” choices should be based. [4. ]It is interesting to note that sophisticated cost-benefit analysts recognize the relevance of the distribution of tax shares (or benefit shares), while at the same time they fail to recognize the relevance of the distribution of decision-making power. The oversight of this second distributional effect stems, of course, from the paradigm in which “costs” exist as objectively quantifiable magnitudes, unrelated to the choice process. Among the applied welfare economists who have examined the methodology of cost-benefit analysis, only Roland N. McKean seems to be aware that a problem so much as exists here. See his paper, “The Use of Shadow Prices,” in Samuel B. Chase, Jr. (ed.), Problems in Public Expenditure Analysis (Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1968), pp. 33-65. For a specific discussion of the importance of the distribution of tax or benefit shares, see the paper by Burton A. Weisbrod, “Income Redistribution Effects and Benefit-Cost Analysis,” pp. 177-208 in the same volume.

<urn:uuid:275aa3bd-b6fe-46cf-a362-47986865e32b>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1068&chapter=106173&layout=html&Itemid=27

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

The PDF files on this website may be viewed or printed using Acrobat Reader from Adobe. PAC Activity Increases in First Six Months of 2011 Federal political action committees (PACs) registered with the Federal Election Commission reported raising a combined $328 million, spending $253.7 million, and contributing $148.3 million* to candidates, parties, and other committees from January 1 through June 30, 2011. These sums represent increases of 19.8 percent in receipts, 9.6 percent in disbursements, and 8.9 percent in contributions to candidates and other committees over the totals of the first half of 2009, and increases of 20.7 percent, 11.8 percent, and 9.8 percent, respectively, over the same period in 2007, the first six months of the last presidential election cycle. From January through June 2011, PACs contributed $92 million to candidates, representing an increase of 2.2 percent compared to 2009 six-month totals, and a decrease of 1.7 percent from the same period in 2007. Party committees received a combined $16.7 million from PACs, an increase of 10.4 percent and 3.1 percent over 2009 and 2007 figures, respectively. PACs made $22.8 million in contributions to other PACs between January 1 and June 30, 2011, an increase of 22.9 percent and 25.7 percent, respectively, when compared to 2009 and 2007 six-month contribution summary data. The tables included with the Commission’s press release provide summaries of PAC financial activity for the first six months of each election cycle beginning with 2001, including the number of PACs registered, a summary of PAC contributions by recipient, and a list of the top 50 PACs for 2011-2012 in terms of receipts, disbursements, and contributions to candidates and other committees. The press release also includes data for committees that engage in only independent spending, which are also sometimes referred to as "Super PACs," that have registered or filed a statement consistent with the language recommended in Advisory Opinion 2010-09 (Club for Growth) or Advisory Opinion 2010-11 (Commonsense Ten). As of June 30, 2011, filings submitted to the Commission show that these groups raised $26.6 million and spent $6.6 million. For additional information, the full text of the Commission’s press release as well as downloadable data in Excel and PDF formats are available at http://www.fec.gov/press/Press2011/20110909_6mthPAC.shtml. * This figure, which represents data reported in PACs’ summary filings, includes PAC contributions to state and local candidates and other groups not registered with the Federal Election Commission. This figure is therefore larger than the sum of the contributions to federal committees. (Posted 9/16/11; By: Dorothy Yeager) Latest Articles by Category:

<urn:uuid:7cc40ffc-7826-4c62-978b-049abed92d98>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://fec.gov/pages/fecrecord/october2011/2011pacmidyear.shtml

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Sen. Brown, Warren wrangle over weak jobs report BOSTON (AP) -- A weak jobs report is providing fodder for the state's contested U.S. Senate race, with each candidate using the numbers to fault their rival. Republican U.S. Senator Scott Brown said the addition of just 96,000 jobs across the country in August shows the economy is weighed down by skyrocketing debt and the threat of tax hikes. He said his Democratic rival Elizabeth Warren would make the problem worse by pushing for higher taxes. Warren faulted Brown for voting against bills she said would have supported thousands of jobs in Massachusetts. She said Brown and Republicans are dug in and have only one solution -- more tax cuts for the wealthy. The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent in July, but only because more people gave up looking for jobs.

<urn:uuid:d4f549fb-b109-4514-aed7-1d86658f6435>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/politics/massachusetts/12008474084333/sen-brown-warren-wrangle-over-weak-jobs-report/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

I’d like to share with you a few ideas on a subject that is not entirely uncontroversial – not least in the light of comments over the past year from the European Patent Office and Alison Brimelow about “global warming” within the IP system. I intend to explain why it can be profitable – at least, for certain innovations – to systematically file (so called) “bad” patent applications that are allowed to lapse once they have been published. Here at Awapatent we make it clear that our job is not about creating intellectual property protection, but about helping our customers to turn their innovations into business opportunities – sometimes, but by no means always, with the help of IP rights. This means, therefore, that my job involves determining how my clients can maximise the profitability of their innovations rather than simply working out how to provide legal protection for these innovations. In the case of one client, for example, we have developed a highly useful system for categorising innovations based on their function and market value. 1) Innovations that win consumers: innovations that attract consumers away from competitors who do not have access to the same technology should be protected by patents in the relevant markets. 2) Innovations where patent protection would undoubtedly produce a commercial benefit, but which nevertheless are of lesser strategic importance: one example of this is when using the patent as a bargaining chip when negotiating with subcontractors and other stakeholders. 3) Innovations that can not be used to secure a competitive advantage, but where it is important to establish freedom to operate. The classic method for establishing freedom to operate is to describe an innovation in publications, particularly in scientific journals. In recent years it has also become possible in some instances to publish a description of the innovation in prior art databases such as ip.com. In theory this is sufficient to make it impossible for a competitor to protect the innovation by patent. In fact, theoretically, all I would need to do is simply to publish the details on this blog, provided that it is subsequently possible to provide convincing proof to confirm the date of publication. The problem in relying on these methods, however, is that even skilled patent examiners can miss these sources. The fact is that, when it comes to determining the existence of relevant prior art, they are considerably better at searching through patent databases than they are at searching in any other sources. The strategy we use is therefore quite simply to file patent applications even for innovations for which we are only endeavouring to ensure ourselves of freedom to operate – and to let these applications lapse as soon as they have been published. A patent application published by USPTO, EPO, WIPO or the UK Intellectual Property Office is the best guarantee for ensuring that patent examiners all over the world will find it. The cost of the application is, of course, one factor to be borne in mind when making such a choice; another is which market the innovator is interested in. The cost of formulating the claims is, however, negligible, as it is the description itself that is of interest. One possible counter-argument is that patent applications involve far more expense than, for example, a prior art database publication. But this does not take into account the whole picture. A published patent application is a much stronger assurance that no competitor’s patent application will be wrongly approved: this reduces the risk of having to initiate very costly oppositions, appeals procedures and court cases, which can result in costs far in excess of the expense of filing a patent application. Tommy Somlo, European Patent Attorney

<urn:uuid:6270cb9e-5222-4922-bc7f-7d051082c115>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.awapatentipblog.com/author/tommysomlo/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Over half of the consumers surveyed by Gigya have used the social sign in feature, but the remaining folks were either confused by it or concerned about how businesses would use their data. Interestingly, nearly 60 percent of those that use the social sign-in feature do so because they have so many different login names and passwords for sites that it’s hard to remember which one goes with which. It’s also disturbing that 63 percent of consumers believe that their social data will be sold by businesses collecting it. To ease consumers’ feelings of how their data will be used, Gigya suggests that businesses that use the social sign-in feature be as transparent as possible regarding how they will use the data. Almost half of consumers surveyed (49%) said they would be satisfied with a short message explaining what data is collected and how it would be used. Valuable data is made available through social sign-in. That data can certainly enhance the consumer-brand experience across multiple touchpoints and add even more relevance to campaigns and promotions. But consumers have to feel comfortable with using it, or all bets are off. The more clear you are about how you use the information, the more likely it is for a win-win. They benefit from the convenience. And you benefit from obtaining a deeper understanding of individuals within your audience. But it starts with confidence. How do you address privacy with social sign-ins? We’d love to hear from you.

<urn:uuid:d08627c8-5fe4-4191-9a58-e89eb026bf1f>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://lunchpail.knotice.com/2013/01/21/social-sign-in-and-the-importance-of-privacy-rules/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

College of Education and Teacher Education Teacher Student Services College of Education Academic Services The College of Education’s Academic Services offers several types of assistance important to students enrolled in teacher education programs. Students in teacher education programs are academic majors in the colleges of Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Sciences, Liberal Arts, Science, and Technology. The College of Education offers licensure majors in the fields of elementary education, social studies education and special education, and non-licensure general education majors. The Academic Services within the College of Education assists all students in teacher education, regardless of the college in which their major is housed. Services include advising and recruiting, field experiences and licensure. The College of Education Office of Advising and Recruiting is staffed by professional advisors who are available to assist students academically and personally throughout college. In addition to discussing course selection and registration each semester, academic advisors will help students explore personal, academic and career goals. In the course of their studies, students may encounter many situations governed by state laws and University regulations. Examples of such situations include meeting teacher licensure requirements, enrolling in courses at other institutions for transfer to Purdue, exploring honors programs, applying to graduate schools, seeking information about educational loans, etc. The academic advisors of the College of Education or the Office of the Dean of Students will be able to advise and assist students in searching for appropriate and accurate information. Students should seek such advice as early as possible after entering Purdue and whenever the need arises during the undergraduate years. A thorough study of this College of Education catalog also is recommended, although it does not contain all University regulations and procedures. From time to time, students will be given notice of required actions (other than those listed in this catalog) through campus mail or electronic mail. Both prospective students and current students are welcome to contact the College of Education Office of Advising and Recruiting. See www.education.purdue.edu/advising for more information. The Office of Professional Preparation and Licensure processes students’ applications for all teacher education programs, provides information about programs available at Purdue and monitors students’ progress for retention within programs. Admission to the Purdue University Teacher Education Programs is a separate and distinct step beyond admission to the University, and the standards for admission to, and retention in, teacher preparation programs are higher than those required to remain in good standing within the University. This office also provides explanation and interpretation of teacher licensing requirements. Students who have completed teacher education programs are evaluated and recommended for licenses. This office maintains licensing records and provides accreditation support. See www.education.purdue.edu/oppl for more information. The Office of Field Experiences coordinates all placements in area schools in order to provide students with the early field experiences and student teaching experiences required in all teacher education programs. See www.education.purdue.edu/fieldexp for more information. The Technology Resources CenterThe Technology Resources Center (TRC) provides curricular materials, instructional resources, and technology support and service for educators. It assists students, pre-service teachers, faculty and staff to ensure that they possess the necessary skills to use technology in support of their professional goals. This includes a 24-workstation computing facility, software and equipment checkout, and an e-Portfolio development site.

<urn:uuid:cc37d3fb-042a-4621-b71e-0b2a56ebfe5a>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.purdue.edu/catalogs/education/services.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Mozilla has returned to its arguments against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and co-signed a stinging letter in opposition along with a handful of prominent internet entrepreneurs. Mozilla has already been frank about its opposition to the bill and turned its homepage over to arguments against SOPA as it began to crawl closer into view. Now that it is close enough to see its teeth and the whites of its eyes the organisation has made the arguments again in a letter co-signed by a number of other internet luminaries, including Sergey Brin, Reid Hoffman, Arianna Huffington and Jerry Yang. "We urge Congress to think hard before changing the regulation that underpins the Internet. Let's not deny the next generation of entrepreneurs and founders the same opportunities that we all had," the letter said. Unsurprisingly the letter asks that Congress acknowledge that SOPA will have nasty unintended consequences, including total monitoring of web services, uploads and downloads, which will have a chilling impact on industry and innovation and deny web site owners the right to due process of law. Like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and its friends did this morning, Mozilla's letter also suggests that SOPA draws the US into the style of government that it usually decries when countries like China or Iran do it. SOPA could also undermine the security of the internet by changing its basic structure, they add. The SOPA and PIPA bills look more and more likely to be adopted by the US government, and like the UK's Digital Economy Act have been criticised and condemned ever since they were first proposed. We don't know who the US Congress might listen to with arguments against these bills, but this salvo, and the one from the EFF, do have some rather important people behind them. Mozilla's letter is signed by a who's who of the internet, including Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales, Twitter's Biz Stone, Chad Hurley, the co founder of Youtube, and Mark Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape, while the letter from the EFF is undersigned by just about everyone who ever did anything important during the creation of the internet. We can't help but think that if the US Congress won't heed the warnings of all these serious, knowledgeable people, it will deserve what it gets. µ Uses 20 percent less power than traditional systems It's becoming more prevalent in car research and development Sign up for INQbot – a weekly roundup of the best from the INQ

<urn:uuid:5ef1f9a2-76dc-43a4-a75f-aaafdb55cefa>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2133038/mozilla-friends-firm-sopa-opposition

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

World Forum for Democracy 5 to 10 September 2012, Strasbourg, France The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe was an active partner in the World Forum for Democracy, which took place in Strasbourg from 5 to 11 October 2012. The Forum was attended by leading international figures, experts from politics, civil society and academia. The aim was to identify new lines of action for strengthening democracy all over the world. Through the exchange of experiences and perceptions, the Congress’ involvement in the main events of the Forum highlighted the importance of the local and regional level in democratic process and the principle of subsidiarity. Congress representatives participated in the plenary session and in several thematic round tables and conferences. (more...) John Warmisham: ''Building active citizenship goes hand in hand with boosting citizen participation'' [10/10/2012] “The quality of local democracy is an essential building block for the quality of regional, national and international democracy,” stated John Warmisham, Congress member and the coordinator for the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW), at the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg, on 10 October. He also addressed the participants on the duty of local authorities to ensure that citizens actively participate in public life and recalled the attributes necessary to achieve this, such as civic and human rights education, as well as access to democratic mechanisms. John Warmisham stressed the need for practical implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level, and the revised European Charter on youth participation at local and regional level. Participatory democracy: nurturing active citizenship [10/10/2012] “All democratic public action should focus on citizens as the main political players in the participatory democracy model,” said Andrée Buchmann, member of the Alsace Regional Council (France) and member of the Congress’s Chamber of Regions, speaking at the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg on 9 October 2012 during the working session on “Participatory Democracy: the citizen, an active political player”. She highlighted the need to educate citizens “fully informed of their rights and civic duties.” Pointing to the importance of local and regional authorities in this process, and the initiatives of the Congress such as European Local Democracy Week, Ms Buchmann concluded her address underlining the fact that “by introducing education in democratic citizenship at local and regional level, we will provide citizens with the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding for participating in democratic processes.” Strasbourg Club: the Congress advocates education for democratic citizenship [09/10/2012] “The future of European democracy, including local democracy, is based on building up a participatory democratic model. This meeting of the Strasbourg Club stresses the role not only of active citizenship but also of education for democratic citizenship as vital elements in developing such participation”, said Keith Whitmore, President of the Congress, at the 10th meeting of the Strasbourg Club organised as part of the World Forum for Democracy on 9 October 2012. “We in the Congress are convinced of our duty to support the creation of a general framework for education for democratic citizenship in our societies”, explained Antonella Cagnolati, Director of the Congress, presenting a range of tried and tested tools from all over Europe, including European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) – an annual pan-European event which was initiated by the Congress. She added, “ELDW is an excellent example which is now being implemented by hundreds of municipalities in more than 30 European countries”. The Forum was opened by Thorbjørn JAGLAND, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Roland RIES, Senator-Mayor of Strasbourg, Ban KI-MOON, Secretary General of the United Nations, Moncef MARZOUKI, President of the Republic of Tunisia and Tawakkol KARMAN from Yemen, the Nobel Peace Prize winner 2011.

<urn:uuid:684e314c-a1fe-493b-9ad2-371fda515b33>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.coe.int/t/congress/files/events/2012/20121005-forum/default_en.asp

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Sally Neighbour; 26/4/10 France’s move to extend its ban on the Islamic headscarf and outlaw the full-face veil appears to be catching on. Belgian MPs will vote on whether to prohibit it and similar laws have been drafted in Italy. Europe’s rising Muslim population, which exceeds 20 per cent in some cities, has ensured a groundswell of support for these moves. The debate in Europe has stirred interest in Australia too. Some commentators have seized on calls to ban the burka, which they judge to be “un-Australian”. Others, including this writer, saw the French move as a xenophobic overreaction, more likely to inflame social tensions than ease them. However, this glib interpretation does not withstand an hour’s conversation with a key architect of the hijab ban, French scholar Gilles Kepel, who visited Australia recently.Kepel was a member of a commission established by the French government in 2003, which recommended forbidding the hijab, along with other religious symbols such as the Jewish yarmulke and large Christian crosses, from government-run schools. Kepel is no xenophobe. He’s the son of Czech migrants and has an Algerian wife. He is also one of the world’s most esteemed authorities on political Islam.

<urn:uuid:e398791d-140f-4b19-9a4b-f6489cc1b789>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.missionandjustice.org/tag/muslim/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Tags: In This Issue, Home & Food, Infant & Baby, Kids, Parenting, Preschool, Toddler, Tweens & Teens Honoring the Blended Family September 01, 2010You've found someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. You or that special someone have already started the adventure of Parenting and therefore are merging more lives than your own as you plan to get married. According to the recent National Vital Statistics Report, one of three Americans is now a stepparent, a stepchild, a stepsibling, or some other member of a blended family. More than half of Americans today have been, are now or will eventually be in one or more step situations during their lives. Now in 2010, blended families are projected be the predominant family form in the U.S.; there is a pattern of success for blended families that has an astonishing 84 percent success rate. Putting your marriage first is the best way to begin a new chapter together. Discussing the sensitive needs of the children and committing to over-communicating with each other about the heart-felt details of what your new life will be like between yourself and your child's "other" parent are at the forefront of every blended family. It is critical to maintain trust, confidence and a sense of compassion for everyone involved, beginning the day you start dating through the engagement and marriage. Talking points when things get serious Single parents, along with their children, have often endured emotional damages that created a bond between them few can understand. When a new adult with intimate relationships with the family becomes involved, children need to be nurtured and communicated with – at their level –and have their questions answered accurately and respectfully. It is a tragedy to merely assume your child understands your feelings for this new person in your lives and what's transpiring between you and your future spouse. "The child did not choose this scenario, so however this plays out, each child needs to be responded to differently because their needs are different," said Chad Sudsberry, licensed mental health counselor and attachment specialist, with offices in Avon and Indianapolis. How you connect with your child is a unique as they are. When they are ready to talk about heart-felt issues is something only parents can tune into and with the gravity of merging families, one has to be ready every moment of every day. "Universal play time is more specifically setting time aside for the parent and child to have time to talk and play. Adolescents do hit and miss communication, meaning they wait until the parent is not paying attention to spring something on them as opposed to the parent pursuing the child to create an avenue for them to have dialogue," said Sudsberry. "Just because you decide to get married, doesn't mean your child doesn't have needs, so including them in the decision is helpful. As parents, you have to know what makes the child feel special or let them feel how they want—even if they aren't into wedding plans. Meet them where they are not where we want them to be." Moving forward as a family Even with the distractions of wedding planning, at least one of the betrothed has to be the roots of the family – focusing on the future, the big picture, life after the big day. With this, the couple can keep the routines and normalcy of their family lives intact while being aware of the emotional needs of the child and each other. "One of the main challenges that everyone in the family has to deal with for the wedding and years to come is loyalty issues. Children will be wondering where your loyalty lies – with me or the new boyfriend or girlfriend and they will test that and want varying degrees of assurance. They feel they have lost one parent already and now they are aware that the other has found a new adult to share their life with so they may wonder, will they lose this parent too," said Dr. David Chaddock, director of Center Point Counseling, Indianapolis. "Their question may be, what does this new merger mean; while the parent is excited, hopeful about their new love and the future. Parents want the Kids to be hopeful and optimistic, too, and hopefully they will be, depending on how they've handled the courtship and how long ago the divorce or separation has been. Conflicting loyalty issues are the major cause for divorces in second marriages." The wedding and events leading up to Consider thinking through to what you want your child to be exposed. Have conversations about the implications of marriage both spiritually and legally. In detail, describe what events will take place before the wedding day, who will be around the family and for how long. With a joyful spirit, describe the exciting times ahead for the child or children and the happiness and potential challenges that come from being a new family. Being a part of the wedding planning or wedding party includes a lot of fun and responsibility and potentially being around some mature situations. Think carefully what you promise your child when discussing how they can participate in the events leading up to the wedding, whether standing up with the couple or choosing the type of cake you'll eat. Younger children can take simpler roles including flower girl or ring bearer. At this age, it's important to find someone to care for the child during the day or week of festivities while the bride and groom are otherwise occupied. "Flower girls and ring bearer should at least be four years-old and no older than 10. Kids who are 10 and older are perfect junior bridesmaids and junior groomsmen. Ushers, guest book and program attendant should at least be 13 years old. To keep focus on the couple and not the children, have them go and sit down during the ceremony," said Darcie Kornmeyer, vice president of Circle City Planners. On the wedding day, the new spouse may want to make a vow of commitment to the children as a part of the ceremony. The couple should first exchange vows to each other then the children can be asked to join the couple, if this is something of interest. Sharing promises for the new family can be symbolized with a special gift or tangible reminder of the vow – a necklace, family medallion or other gift that will last a lifetime. "As for the honeymoon, I've heard of families having the kids' document or video their experiences everyday while the newlyweds are on their honeymoon. And have the bride and groom do the same. Then compare the videos at the end of trip," said Kornmeyer. This person, with whom you share values, inspires you to grow personally and professionally, makes you laugh, carries your burdens and holds your hand through controversy and triumphs will do the same for the children in your life. The couple commits to love each other on their wedding day and love the children in your lives as their own as you enter into your next happily ever after. Nikki Keever is a freelance writer living in Noblesville, Indiana with her husband, stepfather to her son and father of their two children.

<urn:uuid:ad2d85ad-9889-45d5-8baa-b9d53ce0826c>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.indyschild.com/Articles-i-2010-09-01-246643.112112_Second_Weddings.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

|Enter Stage Right hands out its awards... The Earth is Flat Award A celebration of the inane, insipid and asinine... web posted March 3, 2003 In principle there is nothing wrong with taking a zealous approach to the causes you believe in. The danger, however, lies in the way you are zealous. If you take the wrong way, you and your movement come across as a group of people lacking dignity and common sense. You hurt your cause more than you can ever help it. Or, if you really want to bungle things up, you can do what the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has done. In their drive to convince all of us that meat is murder, PETA has launched a new and truly tasteless campaign (http://www.masskilling.com/). They have decided to equate the killing and eating of chickens and other animals to the murders of millions of Jews, Slavs, Gypsies, political prisoners and the other enemies of Adolph Hitler's Third Reich. Invoking the words of the late writer and Jew Isaac Bashevis Singer (presumably to give them some cover when the controversy broke, the organization says killing animals for food isn't far off from killing humans. "[A]s long as human beings will go on shedding the blood of animals, there will never be any peace. There is only one little step from killing animals to creating gas chambers à la Hitler and concentration camps à la Stalin. There will be no justice as long as man will stand with a knife or with a gun and destroy those who are weaker than he is." they quote Singer as saying. Doubtless PETA knew ahead of time that this would create a buzz and that's why they did it. As one blogger pointed out, if they withdraw it, it will be on their own terms. Their message got out and the portion of the population who are morons enough to believe it can point to the fact that PETA withdrew it out of "sensitivity." That said, the evil morality that would equate an animal's life with a human being's life is little different from the same morality that was responsible for the Holocaust. As we stated in the pages of this magazine back in May 2000 on a related subject: "Nature -- whether the Earth itself or all animals (with the exception of human beings) -- have an intrinsic value [to people like PETA]. These things should be valued for their own sakes irrespective of any criteria. Any use of animal or mineral outside of worshipping it is morally wrong and even inherently evil, depending on the level of supposed transgression. Man becomes a target of environmentalists because it is a creature that must adapt its environment and use nature for its own ends: survival. That means that man is evil and an aberration in the scheme of things. Their philosophy holds that the more successful that man is, the more evil he is. The theory of intrinsic value relies on removing the concept of a moral value from purpose or good from its beneficiaries. [Man's] inclination towards good means that he must adapt nature to create value, something that is evil to the environmentalists. For an intrinsicist, man is evil because he seeks his good, a clanging contradiction if there ever was one." Sounds like PETA to There is an old Serbian proverb that says vinegar in freedom tastes better than honey in slavery. This award is meant for events and people Enter Stage Right considers to be positive. current Viinegar in Freedom Award. Have someone you want considered for the Earth is Flat Award or the Vinegar in Freedom Award? E-mail ESR with your candidates! © 1996-2003, Enter Stage Right and/or its creators. All rights reserved.

<urn:uuid:a35c7c6b-4cd9-4363-8d1f-3d059854841a>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0303/award.htm

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

This doctor's profile is from the April 2008 Washingtonian Top Doctors issue. To access the full Top Doctors database, click here. After young Philip Bobrow limped through the MCAT exam required for entry into medical school, he crossed the Atlantic and enrolled in med school in Rome. There was one problem: He didn’t speak Italian. To learn the language, he followed his host family’s advice: He found a pretty girl and struck up conversation. At night, he translated his Italian textbooks into English. Three years later Bobrow got into several medical schools in the US, including George Washington University and the State University of New York at Buffalo. When his father, who had funded the Italian adventure, heard the tuition price at GW, he told his son, “Pick any winter coat you want.” Bobrow survived Buffalo’s winters and came to Georgetown for his residency in orthopedic surgery. He’s been in Washington ever since. This year, he was among the biggest vote-getters in our survey of physicians to identify Washington’s top doctors. Orthopedists are in demand today, Bobrow says: “People are much more active. Years ago, they were happy just to walk down the block without pain after surgery. Now they want to know when they can ride their bikes again.” See a profile of breast-cancer specialist Colette Magnant here. See a profile of pain-management specialist Lee Ann Rhodes here. See a profile of neurology specialist Kalpana Hari Hall here.

<urn:uuid:01371c73-65e1-4a5d-a83f-b94c0c21c672>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/print/2008/04/01/top-doctors-2008-people-are-much-more-active.php

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Cataloguing the uniqueness of an individual immune system offers a new understanding of disease. Gold nanoparticles illuminate faint traces of disease Lessons from nanotechnology can help synthetic biology mature. Foundation Medicine is offering a test that helps oncologists choose drugs targeted to the genetic profile of a patient's tumor cells. Has personalized cancer treatment finally arrived? A newly discovered hormone mimics the effects of exercise Medical technologies are too rarely evaluated with scientific rigor. Internet pioneer Larry Smarr's quest to quantify everything about his health led him to a startling discovery, an unusual partnership with his doctor, and more control over his life. One writer wondered if cows' milk was the key to human longevity. A better definition of consciousness will help with tough ethical choices. A leading researcher says digital technologies are about to make health care more effective. But is so much data really beneficial?

<urn:uuid:29c9c29a-45d4-45d3-ac0c-72e081f48206>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www2.technologyreview.com/features/?topic=biomedicine

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Raleigh-Cary has been named the Healthiest Housing market in 2011 by Builder Magazine. The results of the study which is based on a number of metrics show the Carolina’s and Texas as really leading the way out of the housing slump. The Raleigh market as in other parts of North Carolina did not go hog wild ( I like that saying) back in the boom years and so prices did not have to go far to be in line with the market. The factors influencing the growth of the Raleigh-Cary area and the Triangle area in general, are the employment opportunities, a large college educated population, growing industries like bio-technology, computer science, certain manufacturing. The availability of affordable housing, a wonderful climate with four seasons, access to the ocean and the mountains. The schools in parts of the Triangle are some of the best in the country. Three major universities, Duke, NC State, and UNC at Chapel Hill are all based in the Triangle and draw a tremendous amount of students from all over the country and the world and some of them never leave, in fact their parents move here after visiting! This source of very well educated, doctors, scientists, engineers, computer programmers attract employers who are also drawn to the area for the lower cost of doing business here. The other areas of the Carolina’s that ranked were Durham-Chapel Hill , at number 3 and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia at number 8. Call (919) 601-2268 or email irishdavid2011@gmail .com

<urn:uuid:096bef9a-7235-4cca-8d3e-e4c1081cdae2>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://davidhodoherty.com/channels/activerain/topics/raleigh_housing_market

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

AArrive in Delhi at any time, pickup and transfer to your hotel included. There are no planned activities, so check into to the hotel (check-in time is 12.00 midday) and enjoy the city. In the evening you will meet your fellow group members to go over the details of your trip. Check the notice board or ask reception where and what time the group meeting will be held. Dive into the heart of India’s capital to explore Old and New Delhi. Visit Delhi’s famous Jama Masjid (Great Mosque) and climb the minaret for a bird’s eye view of the old city. Walk through Chandni Chowk, one of India’s oldest and busiest markets, and learn the history of the Sikh religion at the important Gurduwara, (Sikh place of worship) Gurdwara SisGanj. Stop for photos at the colourful spice market before finishing at Connaught Place, one of the most prominent architectural remnants of British rule. The Masjid-i-Jahan Numa, commonly known as the Jama or Jarna Masjid (Great Mosque) of Delhi is the principal mosque of Old Delhi in India. Masjid-i-Jahan Numa means "mosque commanding a view of the world, " whereas the name Jama Masjid is a reference to the weekly congregation observed on Friday (the yaum al-jum`a) at the mosque. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and completed in the year 1656 AD, the Jarna Masjid is the best-known and largest mosque in India; its courtyard can hold up to twenty-five thousand worshippers. The mosque houses several relics in a niche in the north gate, including a priceless copy of the Qur'an written on deer skin. The Sikh holy site of Gurdwara SisGanj stands at the site where the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was beheaded in 1675 on the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for refusing to accept Islam. During a time when the emperor was waging a war against Hindus, Guru Tegh Bahadur argued for freedom of worship and was executed as a result. Before his body could be quartered and exposed to public view, it was stolen under cover of darkness by one of his disciples, Lakhi Shah Vanjara, who then burnt his house to cremate the Guru's body. The severed head (Sis) of Guru Tegh Bahadur was recovered by Bhai Jaita, another disciple of the Guru, and cremated by the Guru's son, Gobind Rai, later to become Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last Sikh Guru. The giant circle of New Delhi’s Connaught Place, sitting at the centre of any map of Delhi, radiates with roads like spokes from a wheel. The circle’s obviously Victorian architecture was modeled after the Royal Crescent in Bath, England. Later after lunch we head on for a 5 hours drive to a small town of Shekhawati - Mandawa. Shekhawati a region in the colourful state of Rajasthan is better known as an open-air Art Gallery. With mansions after mansions of old business families and nobles, painted with rich natural colours and depicting a variety of stories, beliefs and changes in Indian culture. In some of these paintings you will also find the use of real gold and silver. We take a three hours drive to the desert city of Bikaner. Our stay here is at a heritage property once the residence of one of the families of nobles. Bikaner is a 15th century kingdom primarily inhabited by trading communities and animal rearers. Even today this city abounds with Camels, infacts a whole breed of camels is named after the city. The Bikaneri camels are strong, well built and are generally used to carry loads. You can see camel carts just about every turn in Bikaner. Here we visit the 16th century Junagarh Fort, one of the best maintained fort and museum, and also take a stroll in the old bylanes of the city with its intricate carved Havelis and interesting local markets. We also drive down to the small town of Deshnoke about half an hour away where rats are revered by the locals. If you don't have a liking for the rats you could opt to stay out and enjoy the beautifully carved door way and the small market around. There is also an option to visit the Camel Breeding centre (one of its kind in this part of the world), the very site of camels returning after their daily graze is breathtaking. And you can go for a small camel ride if you desire in the arid countryside. After breakfast, this morning we drive down to the twin city of Bikaner - Jodhpur. The drive takes about 5 hours. Jodhpur is more popular as the Blue city, a colour that reflects from the walls and the roofs of the old houses giving a blue tinge when observed from the ramparts of Mehrangarh Fort. The city itself is located at the base of the fort and the clock tower markets are always abuzz. Mehrangarh Fort, built in the 15th century, is spellbounding as it hangs over the cliff merging with the hill below. The ramparts even today tell story of the battles that the fort faced. As we climb up the winding road through the seven imposing gates, it takes us into the by gone era of princes. It has a well stocked museum, and even an astrologer sitting in the courtyard who loves chatting with the visitors. This morning we take a Jeep Safaris into the countryside visiting tribal hamlets of Bishnois and Prajapats. Bishnois are a strong agrarian community who lives on 29 eco friendly comandments given by their founder. There have been stories where this community had done various sacrifices in saving flora and fauna of the region. Prajapats are weavers who weave small rugs of cotton and also live on animal husbandry. We then head into our first rural stay of Chandelaogarh. The nobles of Chandelaogarh are related to the principality of Jodhpur and have taken extreme steps in developing the village and its community. They started Sundar Rang which is a women cooperative where women of the village and surrounding hamlets are taught and supported in working on the local crafts which are then sold in the markets to get a regular income for these families. The village itself is a mirror of this state, with various communities living in harmony. You take a stroll in the village and its markets to go for a much closer local interaction. Drive time - 6 hours Morning after breakfast we drive to the venice of the east - Udaipur. We stop enroute at the exotic marble temples of Ranakpur. The grand temples of Ranakpur were built in the 15th and 15th century by a local Business man under the patronage of the rulers of Mewar. The temples are constructed in marble where you the Cupolas, turrets and the mounted shikharas rising from the hill. There are about 1444 marble pillars, each of them carved exquisitely. Udaipur was founded in the 16th century when the ruler of Mewar found refuge in this hilllocked place and after blessings from a local sage decided to establish his capital city here. With artificial lakes to harvest the river water in abundance in this valley- this place is aptly considered the most romantic city of India. The charm of the town lies in its winding streets going up to the Jagdish Temple which is the heart of all the activity. You can stroll down the market or spend an afternoon in many of the roof top restaurants overlooking the lake. Here we visit the magnificient City Palace Museum with multiple view points for the Pichola Lake and the Jagdish Temple. We also go on an afternoon boat ride on lake Pichola to experience the stunning view of the city and palaces along the water. Drive time - 4 hours Today we drive to a small rural town of Jojawar. A small principality with its own fiefdom, the erstwhile family still resides in the Rawla - a royal abode. Here we take walk around the village and surrounding hamlets interacting with different tribals - the Rabaris (Cattle herders), the Garasiyas (farm dwellers) and the Gadulia Luhars (rural ironsmiths). Here we also undertake a small train safari with the local villagers through the picturesque Aravali ranges. Drive time 6 hours After breakfast this morning we drive to the capital of the state of Rajasthan - Jaipur. Jaipur is the most colourful of the cities. Known as the Pink city after the rusty colour that the walled city bears - Jaipur is a traveller's destination. With beautiful palaces, forts, gardens, temples and unending market streets. It has everything that the colourful state has to offer. Here we visit the 15th century Amber Fort and palaces Amber about 10 Kms outside the walled city was the earlier capital of the region. Nested in the Aravali ranges, it had a series of forts, frontier, millitary and residential. The city had beaitiful homes of nobles and business families and temples all over. When Jaipur was founded, everybody migrated to the new modern capital. Today a lot has been restored by the Archeological Survey of India. The Mirror Palace and the Jaivilas or the victory palace are the jewels of this beautiful palace. We also take a photo stop at the Hawa Mahal (Palace of winds) and visit the City Palace Museum and Jantar Mantar Observatory in the walled city. Jantar Mantar is one of the series of observatory built by Emperor Jai Singh, who was a renowned student of Astrology. Even today astrologers gather here and work out the Hindu Calander every year. The masonry structures are pretty accurate in calculating time, and location of various planets and constellations at a point of time. Jaipur is also the shopping hub of India. Textiles, Gems, Jewellery, Blue Pottery, Carpets, hand made paper- You name it and this city sells it all. Johari Bazaar, Hawa Mahal area and MI Road are the main shopping hubs. Do not forget the thumb rule of shopping in India - Bargain!!! Drive time 5 hours After breakfast we drive to Agra, stopping at the Ghost City of Fatehpur Sikri, before our arrival at Taj Mahal for our sunset visit. Fatehpur Sikri was founded by the mighty Mughal Emperor Akbar who chose this place to create a new capital for India. It took about 12 years to construct this massive palace complex and the walled city along the artificial water reservoir. The city was inhabited for two years when scarcity of water and problems in distant regions forced them to leave the place. Fatehpur Sikri reflects the religious tolerance and understanding of the country and its various rules. The Diwan - E- Khas, Akar's palace, The five storied palace are some of the interesting parts of this monument. Agra came into prominence in the 15th and 16th century when Lodis and then Mughal made it their capital and most parts of the country were governed from here. Today it is famous for the Taj Mahal. Known as one of the wonders of the world, this Marble masterpiece is a stunning example of the perfect interplay of art and architecture. Made in the memory of his wife Mumtaj Mahal, this mausoleum today houses the remains of both the king and the queen. Various epic stories are woven around this beautiful monument which are best discovered in the premises of Taj itself. Drive time 5 hours. This morning after visiting the Agra fort, we drive to Delhi arriving by late afternoon. The Agra Fort was built by Emperor Akbar in 1565, and this imposing structure had additions by various rulers. Shahjehan brought the white marble which stands as a contrast to the otherwise rust colour. But more than that, the fort gives some beautiful views of the Taj at a distance. It is believed that Shahjehan was house arrested by his son here and he died overlooking the Taj Mahal. In Delhi, you have an evening free. You could perhaps go down to Hauz Khas Village or Dilli haat for a last minute shopping drive and join the group for an optional last dinner with your CEO. Our trip ends today. You can depart any time. However the check out time is 12 noon but you could use the hotel to keep your bags if you are out exploring Delhi.

<urn:uuid:26e0c49b-471f-406c-8e3d-35c63761c459>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.statravel.com/tours-and-treks/Asia-&-Middle-East/Land-of-the-Maharajas-23-AHLM

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Owner: Southern Pacific Railroad Public Access: yes Location: Click Here Related Website: Click Here Access Via: Public road Fishing Regulations: Click Here Fishing Supplement: Click Here Ten miles south of the town of Dunsmuir off of Interstate 5. The site provides swimming and fishing access to the Sacramento River easily found from the road. Small undeveloped trail passes the railroad tracks and leads to the river. Take caution while crossing the tracks. The water flows at a nice pace and there are many rock formations as well as an island in the middle of the river. There are no shallow wading areas for children. The area is private land but the site is a known river access spot and is sponsored by the Cantara Trustee Council as well as the United States Forest Service. Upper Sacramento River Mixed forest with conifer and alder trees as well as willow shrubs. Rainbow trout are the predominant species of fish but there are some brown trout as well. Current Land Use Adjacent Land Use Small urban area of Conant. From Interstate 5 take the Conant Exit. Go east underneath the freeway and take the first right turn, which is a dirt road. Park facing the train tracks and walk 100 yards until there is a small trail that leads to the river.

<urn:uuid:8cf38df1-3234-4d28-a2bf-60dabe833b44>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.sacramentoriver.org/access_site.php?access_site_id=230&activities=Photography&Strangecode=e7guu3upul54s5tschl9o76v96

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

In looking at In Our Time and A Moveable Feast, we've mainly focused on Hemingway as a young man: fit, young and heading for the stratosphere. But as Mogger64 noted in his original nomination, it's significant that A Moveable Feast was "written at the end of his life". It isn't quite the work of an old man. Hemingway never made it that far. But it's pretty much the last word from someone on the way out. It speaks as loudly of Hemingway at the end of his career as it does of the beginning. - Tell us what you think: Star-rate and review this book And that career was remarkable. He had done it all by 1956, when he was spurred into reminiscence following the rediscovery of some old Paris notebooks which had lain for many years in a trunk in the basement of the Ritz hotel. He'd won the Nobel prize. He'd won the Pulitzer prize. He'd sold hundreds of thousands of books. He'd inspired dozens of imitators. He'd become an adjective and a legend. His life outside writing was just as celebrated: the bull fight aficionado, the boxer, the big game hunter, the fisherman, the friend of Spanish Republicans, the man who liberated Paris. Papa: the tall, handsome, heavyweight alpha male. But by 1956 all that was heading into memory, if it had ever really existed. Plenty of people said his writing had long since gone into decline, although that's a debate we could profitably have here. (Most writers would settle for a fallow period that included The Old Man And The Sea and A Moveable Feast.) Physically and mentally, however, there was no question that he was struggling. His once-powerful body, already softened by years of good living and hard drinking, took a pummelling in the years after the war. A car crash in 1945 smashed his knee. Two successive plane crashes in 1954 gave him severe concussion, a broken skull, cracked discs, burns, kidney and liver ruptures and a dislocated shoulder. Then he was caught in a bush fire for good measure. Add to that his wounds from the first world war, insomnia, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and a dangerously increased alcohol intake to counter all the pain, and you have a sick man. Elsewhere, his literary friends (and enemies) were dropping like flies. He'd been through three divorces and his children – especially his youngest son, Gigi – were all troubled. He was becoming increasingly convinced (rightly as it turned out) that the FBI were trailing him. He also suffered – as did so many in his family – from depression. He was, in short, a wreck as he struggled to complete his Paris sketches. A Moveable Feast should be seen as the product of a man in terminal decline as much as the triumphant recollection of one beginning to realise his true powers. Except, it doesn't read like that. One of the most impressive things about A Moveable Feast is how sure and how hopeful it seems. How much fun it all is. Although, of course, we shouldn't ignore the bitterness and unpleasantness. "The rich" who would do so much to sour Hemingway's life come in for some stick. So too does Pauline, his second wife, the woman who took him from the Hadley he speaks of so fondly in the book. And then there is the Ford Madox Ford business, labelled "excruciating" by Reading Group contributor OshiMichi. Here was a man who helped Hemingway a great deal. A writer who, for the Good Soldier alone, deserves the title "great". A man who, by all accounts, fought bravely in the first world war, and suffered dreadfully – he had poison gas to thank for heavy breathing Hemingway remarks upon. And yet Hemingway treats him with vicious contempt. Personally, I don't object to the story as much as OshiMichi. The business with the drink orders is amusing (rudeness to waiters is always a reliable shorthand for an ugly personality), and Aleister Crowley's cameo made me laugh, first time around. It's also probably true that Ford was unpleasant company. Plenty of others wrote similar things about the ugly, smelly, wheezy old walrus who, by the 1920s, seemed a relic from another age. I should also say that this chapter is based on those notes from the trunk. Perhaps we can forgive this as a product of the young generation doing as it should and sticking two fingers up to the one before. Or perhaps I should stop making excuses for Hemingway. After all, it's his faults as well as his astonishing talent that make him such a fascinating character. The ultimate truth is that the story leaves a bad taste. The young man left it out. (It was originally written for Fiesta.) The older man put it back in. (Even if we can never be certain that he would have kept it in the final version.) The older man, however, could also write sentences like this: "His talent was as natural as the pattern that was made by the dust on a butterfly's wings. At one time he understood it no more than the butterfly did and he did not know when it was brushed or marred. Later he became conscious of his damaged wings and of their construction and he learned to think and could not fly any more because the love of flight was gone and he could only remember when it had been effortless." "I do not think I had ever seen a nastier-looking man... Under the black hat, when I had first seen them, the eyes had been those of an unsuccessful rapist." "As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans." He could craft moments like that are delightful, awful, joyful, and horrible by turn; writing that is eternal. Even at the end, Hemingway could still do it. Or, at least, he could until he was sent for electroshock therapy, which ruined his memory. In his introduction to the revised 2009 edition of A Moveable Feast, Patrick Hemingway includes his father's "last piece of professional writing", an attempted forward to the memoir: "This book contains material from the remises of my memory and of my heart. Even if the one has been tampered with and the other does not exist." Early in the morning of 2 July 1961, Ernest Hemingway pulled down a shotgun from the rack, loaded it, put the barrel in his mouth and splattered his brains over the vestibule of his house.

<urn:uuid:e42ab439-b16c-4344-9eb1-9dc5df995bca>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/may/25/moveable-feast-struggle-hemingway

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

(Secretary of state, Hillary…) WASHINGTON: Secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, would be the best Democratic Party candidate to run for presidency in 2016, a top US Senator has said. "I think she would be incredibly well-poised to be our next Democratic president," Kirsten Gilliband, the New York Senator, told BuzzFeed, an internet site, in an interview. Gillibrand had replaced Clinton as the New York Senator after the later was appointed as the secretary of state in the Obama Administration. Time and again Clinton has said that she would not run for presidency and would go into private life after her current stint as the Secretary of State. She has also said that she would not be occupying this post in the second term of the Obama Administration. In her interview, Gillibrand said that she would ask Clinton to run for presidency in 2016. "I'm going to be one of the first to ask Hillary to run in 2016," Gillibrand told BuzzFeed, saying she "certainly hope[s]" Clinton will run for president. Clinton, the former First Lady and the ex-Senator from New York, had unsuccessfully ran the Democratic Party presidential primary in 2008 elections, which she lost to her current boss, Barack Obama. "I think she's extremely well prepared. I think her experience as Secretary of State has not only elevated her stature and experience, but she's proven she's someone who can get things done and I think she'd be an outstanding candidate," Gillibrand said. In the interview, Gillibrand described Clinton as her political role model. "When she was the first lady, she went to China and she made her famous speech about women's rights where she said women's rights are human rights and human rights are women's rights. "It really inspired me to get more active in Democratic politics," she said. "I thought, if wanted to ever be on that stage with her, I'd have to get involved in politics," Gillibrand said.

<urn:uuid:288b27f7-ba55-4ade-8a48-055a26158d99>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-22/us/31224870_1_gillibrand-hillary-clinton-human-rights

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press WASHINGTON — In promising a U.S. military pullout from Afghanistan will begin in July, President Barack Obama is permitting his commanders to decide critical details, including the number of troops to depart first and whether any of those will be combat forces, administration and military officials said Sunday. Providing that leeway is important to Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. It allows him to pace this year's phase of the withdrawal in a way that preserves combat power through the end of the traditional fighting season in October or November. Obama said in a national address Wednesday that he was ordering 10,000 troops home by year's end; as many as 23,000 more are to leave by September 2012. The 33,000 total is the number that Obama sent as reinforcements in December 2009 as part of an effort to reverse the Taliban's momentum and hasten an eventual political settlement of the conflict. The U.S. and its allies plan a full combat withdrawal by the end of 2014. "Starting next month, we will be able to remove 10,000 of our troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year," Obama told the nation last week. He did not say how many would leave in July. In congressional testimony Thursday, neither Petraeus nor Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provided details on what the July pullout would look like. Petraeus, who is leaving his post this summer, said he was returning to Kabul to work out details of how he will fulfill the order to reduce by 10,000 by year's end and by an additional 23,000 next year. There currently are about 100,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Mullen indicated that Obama was giving commanders wide latitude to shape the withdrawal, so long as they meet the president's broad timelines. Petraeus and his designated successor, Marine Lt. Gen. John R. Allen, "will be given the flexibility — inside these deadlines — to determine the pace of this withdrawal and the rearrangement of remaining forces inside the country," Mullen told the House Armed Services Committee. Allen's Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. Other administration and military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Obama has left it to Petraeus to determine exactly how big a reduction to make in July and whether they include combat forces, so long as the drawdown reaches 10,000 by year's end. Those officials said it was agreed that no reductions in July was not an option. Through his spokesman in Kabul, Petraeus on Sunday declined to discuss the subject of how the July phase of the withdrawal will be executed. Petraeus, in line to be CIA director, told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday that Obama chose a faster-paced troop withdrawal than Petraeus had recommended. But Petraeus said it was understandable that Obama had weighed more than strictly military factors, and that Petraeus supported the decision. Obama's troop withdrawal plan was criticized Sunday by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich. Rogers said he thinks the president shaped his plan mainly to fit the needs of his 2012 re-election campaign rather than the needs of commanders in Afghanistan. "Unfortunately I think this was more written by the political shop than by the Pentagon," Rogers said on CNN's "State of the Union." In an interview on the same program, the top House Democrat, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, acknowledged that domestic presidential politics played a role. She said he had hoped that Democrats who comprise Obama's base of political support would have some influence over his Afghan war decision. - Mitt Romney talks IRS, AP records, Benghazi... - LDS missionary 'stable' following hit-and-run... - Treasury IG says Obama administration... - Girl gets surprise reunion with dad at Rays... - A look at why the Benghazi issue keeps coming... - Pa. coffee run leads to hatchet hitchhiker... - Steven Powell will not be released from... - One month later: Boston Marathon victims... - Mitt Romney talks IRS, AP records,... 51 - 'Unprecedented': Obama administration... 27 - Attorney General Eric Holder says he... 21 - Journalists push back against Obama... 21 - Angry Orrin Hatch: IRS guilty of... 19 - IRS lacked 'sensitivity' in screenings... 17 - House chairman sees IRS targeting as... 16 - Angelina Jolie announcement leads to... 12

<urn:uuid:643faa93-fb61-45e2-861d-e79a0b482554>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700147279/Obama-giving-commanders-leeway-in-Afghanistan.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Spain Sinks Deeper Into Periphery on Debt Rise Tuesday, 21 February 2012 | 11:00 Spain’s debt load is set to double from where it was when Europe’s sovereign debt crisis began, eroding the economic advantages that distinguished it from the region’s periphery and helped shield it from Greek (1004Z) contagion. Finance chiefs meet in Brussels in the latest effort to save Greece from default. Spain went into the crisis with public debt of 40 percent of its gross domestic product, compared with an average ratio of 70 percent in the euro region. The European Union forecasts its debt will have almost doubled by next year, as Moody’s Investors Service says Spain is losing one of its “key relative credit strengths.” Investors give Spain a discount of just 30 basis points on borrowing for a decade compared with what they charge Italy, down from 200 basis points at the end of last year. Spain’s 10- year yield is 5.18 percent, up 33 basis points since Feb. 1. “Time is working against Spain and that is why deficits have to be brought down sharply before the critical 100 percent debt-to-GDP mark is breached,” said Georg Grodzki, who helps oversee $515 billion as global head of credit research at Legal & General Investment Management in London. Aaa to A3 The European Commission forecasts Spain’s debt load will climb to 78 percent of GDP in 2013, compared with a euro-area average that will have swollen to 91 percent. Spain’s indebtedness will have increased almost two-fold since 2008, while Italy’s jumps by just 13 percentage points to 119 percent, EU forecasts show. Moody’s, which in 2001 rated Spain Aaa and Italy three steps lower at Aa3, now rates both nations at A3, four notches above junk grade. Spain’s deficit-reduction efforts are being hobbled by a relapse into its second recession in as many years. The International Monetary Fund expects the economy to contract 1.7 percent this year, preventing the nation from meeting its budget goals. The deficit, which the government estimates amounted to 8 percent last year, will narrow to 6.8 percent this year and 6.3 percent in 2013, the Washington-based lender forecasts. The goal for this year agreed with the EU is 4.4 percent. The debt load may also swell as the government offers support to lenders as it tries to clean up a banking system saddled with 175 billion euros ($230 billion) of troubled assets linked to real-estate. The government plans to buy from banks bonds that convert into equity under certain conditions, it said on Feb. 2, without saying how much it may have to spend. The bank-rescue fund, known as the FROB, has the capacity to borrow as much as 90 billion euros and the debt it sells counts as public borrowing. “The problem with Spain lies with the hidden risk from the potential transfer of banks’ debt to the state’s balance sheet,” said Thomas Costerg, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank in London. “The government is skating on thin ice.” Members of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government, in power since Dec. 21, have said the nation will struggle to meet the 4.4 percent deficit target this year while the economy shrinks. The 8 percent shortfall estimated for last year compares with the previous administration’s target of 6 percent. A “discussion” on the goals between Spain and its European partners will start after the commission publishes its growth forecasts on Feb. 23, Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said last week. EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn urged Spain on Feb. 14 to spell out what additional austerity steps it will take on top of the 15 billion euros of tax increases and spending cuts announced in December. “For now, abundant liquidity is overwhelming fundamental concerns such as deficit over-shooting, but the latter will again come into sharp focus later this year,” said Michael Derks, chief strategist at FXPro Financial Services Ltd. in London. As three-year loans to banks by the European Central Bank underpin demand for government bonds, Spain has raised about 30 percent of its planned bond issuance for 2012, according to UBS AG. Still, the Treasury paid an average of 3.332 percent to sell three-year bonds at its most recent auction on Feb. 16, compared with 2.861 percent two weeks earlier, reflecting the 33 basis- point rise in yields on the existing 2015 bonds. “The markets have been paying insufficient attention to the fundamentals,” said Nicholas Spiro, managing director of Spiro Sovereign Strategy in London. “The recent uptick in the secondary market could be a foretaste of things to come if the Greek crisis escalates further.”

<urn:uuid:ef46be8b-4553-48d8-825c-00a3f822c46c>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/News.aspx?ElementId=356b93a2-aef0-4dbe-8963-8ce0311b399c

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

[erlang-questions] Erlang is the best choice for building commercial application servers Thu Mar 15 17:23:18 CET 2012 On 03/15/2012 06:48 AM, Torben Hoffmann wrote: > On 15/3/12 10:52 , Joe Armstrong wrote: >> On Thu, Mar 15, 2012 at 9:52 AM, Torben Hoffmann >> <> wrote: >>> On 15/3/12 2:31 , Miles Fidelman wrote: >>>> Richard O'Keefe wrote: >>>>> There is often surprisingly little connection between the speed of a >>>>> _language_ (implementation) and the speed of _systems_ built using it. >>>> Which is almost the point - there's a rather direct correlation between >>>> the speed of a system, and how well the system architecture aligns with the >>>> constructs and run-time environment of the language it's implemented in. >>>> If you're building a system that is highly concurrent in nature, >>>> implementing it in Erlang is a big win, while implementing it in Java is a >>>> big loss. Yes, you can take something that's inherently concurrent, and >>>> design an efficient Java design, but you end up with something that's a >>>> conceptual mess. >>> That is a very good point and rhymes well with the maxim of choosing the >>> right tool for the job at hand... something that can be extremely difficult >>> for all of us since we all have our favourite tool. Hint: learn more than >>> one tool! >>> It triggers me to take a step back and take another stab at the original >>> topic of this thread. >>> When I did my grass root (read guerilla warfare) work to be allowed to use >>> Erlang for a project in Motorola the question of performance never became a >>> serious issue. >>> Why not? Because it was easy to see that if Ericsson could write telephone >>> switches in Erlang it would have sufficient horsepower to do the things >>> needed in another telecom system. >>> The big worry was: "Who is using Erlang?" which comes back to the "Nobody >>> has been fired for choosing Microsoft | IBM | Oracle"-maxim. Eventually I >>> managed to gather enough evidence through the Erlang community (I am >>> eternally grateful for the not-to-be-made-public inputs that I received from >>> other Erlang warriors) to convince management that it would not be a >>> dead-end to try out Erlang. >>> And now I will allow myself to digress from the original topic for a very >>> personal experience... working with Erlang has been the best experience of >>> my professional life. >>> Why? Because it was simply the right tool for the job at hand! It allowed us >>> to get a lot done since the semantic gap between the domain and the >>> programming language was so small. Not only did we get a lot done - we also >>> had very few errors and when we had errors it was very easy to debug, fix >>> and an re-deploy them. (During Interoperability testing with our competitors >>> we had turn-around times on bugs of 15 minutes versus their 1 day... I rest >>> my case!). >>> So I am all for Joe's approach to project funding: get a prototype going and >>> then evolve it into a product in small increments. You will get a prototype >>> very fast - this mailing list is great for advice on how to wire things >>> together and it is not that difficult to get a quick'n'dirty solution done >>> in Erlang even without being an expert. >> Actually this is how to make money :-) > You're right! >> "All" you have to do is: > Let me fill our story from Motorola into these steps!! >> a) - choose a new and "likely to be trendy" standard > We started with a prototype for a simple version of our big system. >> b) - implement it *all* in Erlang >> c) - do significant work with the standardization committee > Massaged senior management and ended up being asked to choose any of three dormant projects to implement. >> d) - make a product > Did that. It was a 4 year journey in total - well worth the ride. >> e) - give the product away or sell it > This was kinda out of my hands, but it did make some money for Motorola. >> f) - sell support > Not likely to happen - after I left it is most likely that the "real" product will be implemented in something that works, i.e., C/C++. > But you have a great action plan!! I agree that there has been lots of negativity in the past connected with statements at previous startups like: 1) "Erlang is just a prototype language" 2) "Erlang is only a testing language" 3) "Erlang is a ghetto" I don't believe these statements, but I believe that their existence and continuation is unfortunate. I think the only thing that may perpetuate these types of statements, is a lack of clear statements about Erlang's intent by current practitioners (as it is meant to exist in current products). I understand that we have newer products, like RabbitMQ and Riak which can help provide examples of Erlang success within production (much of the previous success coming from ejabberd). I am just disappointed by how these statements are very persistent, and may often prevent the use of Erlang. More information about the erlang-questions

<urn:uuid:d54fc980-a67d-4ae5-b39c-703623e4ee87>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://erlang.org/pipermail/erlang-questions/2012-March/065165.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Both being states that have dared to pass voter ID laws. Madison (AP) — U.S. Justice Department officials say they plan to monitor elections in Wisconsin and Florida on Tuesday. The Justice Department routinely deploys observers to monitor elections across the country, with an eye toward discriminatory voting practices, harassment and intimidation. Both Florida and Wisconsin will hold primary elections on Tuesday. The agency issued a statement Monday saying it plans to monitor polling sites in Florida’s Collier, Hendry, Lee, Osceola and Polk counties as well as in Milwaukee.

<urn:uuid:42bfa3b1-2aee-40f0-8c4b-fb5167558cab>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://weaselzippers.us/2012/08/14/holders-doj-to-monitor-polling-sites-today-in-wisconsin-and-florida/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

(Source: HUD) – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today released several model programs designed to help communities get Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds more expeditiously to residents struggling to rebuild, repair or restore their homes. These program designs can be adapted to a locality’s unique needs and readily implemented so each community does not have to develop entire new programs on their own. “Providing these ready-made programs to communities will help them get resources where they are needed more effectively and efficiently,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, who also serves as Chair of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force. “We are committed to working with our federal, state, local and tribal partners to get assistance to families who are struggling to rebuild as quickly as possible.” The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, signed into law by President Obama on January 29, included $16 billion in CDBG-DR funding. HUD announced the first allocation totaling $5.4 billion to five states and the City of New York eight days later. HUD will announce additional allocations in the coming months. HUD has worked closely with state and local partners to identify opportunities to expedite this assistance. The model programs announced today cover three likely areas of need that communities would use CDBG-DR funding to meet: Housing Rehabilitation: HUD has also developed a model of a program that would get CDBG-DR funds to homeowners to help them repair and rehabilitate their homes. Housing Counseling: HUD is releasing a program guide that will support state and local governments using CDBG-DR funding to help affected homeowners connect with a reliable housing counselor in order to navigate the affordable options to rebuild, repair or relocate. More than 100 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies, with proper training and support, are available to help homeowners assess what they can afford, negotiate with insurance and mortgage companies, apply for affordable home repair loans and grants, and get their finances and their home stable and secure. With an investment of CDBG-DR funds, housing counselors would be able to provide this service free to homeowners and be an important safeguard against scammers that are unfortunately taking advantage of an already vulnerable population. Housing Buyouts: Buying out homeowners in particularly flood-prone areas can be a cost-effective option to reduce future risk. The model program announced today reflects the potential importance of such programs and the need to ensure that any such process is locally driven. These programs could be funded with the first round of CDBG-DR funding or with subsequent rounds and could be used by state, local and county governments applying for CDBG-DR funding. HUD has worked closely with a range of federal, state and local stakeholders to develop these programs and is committed to working with them as needed to help communities meet their unique needs.

<urn:uuid:67519002-a985-432d-9cf9-764226c739b8>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.loansafe.org/hud-searching-for-those-struggling-to-rebuild

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

This is an extremely interesting document that everyone should read. A BBC article wrote this about the document (these are excerpts that I found especially poignant), The operations described in the document include a surprising range of military activities: public affairs officers who brief journalists, psychological operations troops who try to manipulate the thoughts and beliefs of an enemy, computer network attack specialists who seek to destroy enemy networks. “Information intended for foreign audiences, including public diplomacy and Psyops, is increasingly consumed by our domestic audience,” it reads. “Psyops messages will often be replayed by the news media for much larger audiences, including the American public,” it goes on. “Strategy should be based on the premise that the Department [of Defense] will ‘fight the net’ as it would an enemy weapons system,” it reads. In closing the author wrote, And, in a grand finale, the document recommends that the United States should seek the ability to “provide maximum control of the entire electromagnetic spectrum”. US forces should be able to “disrupt or destroy the full spectrum of globally emerging communications systems, sensors, and weapons systems dependent on the electromagnetic spectrum”. Consider that for a moment. The US military seeks the capability to knock out every telephone, every networked computer, every radar system on the planet. Are these plans the pipe dreams of self-aggrandising bureaucrats? Or are they real? The fact that the “Information Operations Roadmap” is approved by the Secretary of Defense suggests that these plans are taken very seriously indeed in the Pentagon. And that the scale and grandeur of the digital revolution is matched only by the US military’s ambitions for it. Now read it for yourself and come to your own conclusions. Department of Defense Information Operations Roadmap Full PDF

<urn:uuid:b36a5361-c656-4664-b246-55b701710861>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://endthelie.com/books-and-reading-material/resources/declassified-government-documents/department-of-defense-information-warfare-manual/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

1998 Mercury Sable Repair Question Mercury Sable Brakes Problem No. The shoes will not be held out to the drums and will have to move way too far to apply the brakes. That means the brake pedal will go too far. The pistons will pop out of the wheel cylinders. Even if they can be reassembled, brake fluid will contaminate the friction surfaces. Pressing the pedal more than half way to the floor can damage an older master cylinder. It will also result in greatly reduced braking power to the front brakes. That can land you in court when the other guy caused a crash by running the red light. An insurance investigator and shrewd lawyer will convince a jury you were partly at fault because you were less able to avoid the crash. 17,337 answers provided

<urn:uuid:63ed0b62-069a-4c4f-bd6b-0b1b601006b5>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.2carpros.com/questions/1998-mercury-sable-you-drive-without-automatic-self-adjuster-installed-on-drums

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Matt Ridley's latest book, The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves, is a dense but fascinating argument for why life is going to get better and better. Ridley's optimism has to do with specialization, trade, globalization, networks, cooperation, exchange--there'll be more of it, all, he says. Especially as ideas cross-pollinate: "when ideas have sex" is when civilization flourishes. I found the book highly stimulating. First, Ridley synthesized and expanded on ideas I was already loosely familiar with. It was helpful to think back to these different books, and to try to draw some connections. His discussion of the interplay of ideas reminded me of Steven Johnson and Frans Johansson; his discussion of evolving modern prosperity remidned me of Nick Schulz and Arnold Kling; his discussion of why globalization leads to huge creative gains reminded me of Tyler Cowen; his discussion of why we're pessimisstic despite the good news reminded me of Gregg Easterbrook; his discussion of non-zero sum global cooperation reminded me of Robert Wright. And of course his basic theses about trade and exchange draw on Adam Smith's foundational work. Second, Ridley taught me several new things. For example, he spends a good chunk of time discussing global food shortages and "renewable" energy. He covers these topics with an overt libertarian bent, admittedly, though in a style that's never dogmatic. My favorite sentences/paragraphs from the book are below. All are direct quotes from Ridley, but the bold emphases are my own. At some point, human intelligence became collective and cumulative in a way that happened to no other animal. Imagine if the man who invented the railway and the man who invented the locomotive could never meet or speak to each other, even through third parties....I shall argue that there was a point in human pre-history when big-brained, cultural, learning people for the first time began to exchange things with each other, and that once they started doing so, culture suddenly became cumulative, and the great headlong experiment of human economic "progress" began. Exchange is to cultural evolution as sex is to biological evolution. Specialization encouraged innovation, because it encouraged the investment of time in a tool-making tool. That saved time, and prosperity is simply time saved, which is proportional to the division of labour. The more human beings diversified as consumers and specialized as producers, and the more they exchanged, the better off they have been, are, and will be. Today, of Americans officially designated as "poor," 99% have electricity, running water, flush toilets, and a refrigerator; 95% have a television, 88% a telephone, 71% a car and 70% air conditioning. Cornelius Vanderbilt had none of these....In Europe and America rivers, lakes, seas, and the air are getting cleaner all the time...Today, a car emits less pollution travelling at full speed than a parked car did in 1970 from leaks. Time: that is key. Forget dollars, cowrie shells or gold. The true measure of something's worth is the hours it takes to acquire it. If you have to acquire it for yourself, it usually takes longer than if you get it ready-made by other people. And if you can get it made efficiently by others, then you can afford more of it....This is what prosperity is: the increase in the amount of goods or services you can earn with the same amount of work...A three minute phone call from New York to Los Angeles cost ninety hours of work at the average wage of 1910; today it costs less than two minutes. The Easterlin paradox does not exist. Rich people are happier than poor people; rich countries have happier people than poor countries; and people get happier as they get richer. It is probably true that the rich do lots of unnecessary damage to the planet as they go on striving to get richer long after the point where it is having much effect on their happiness -- they are after all endowed with instincts for "rivalrous competition" descended from hunter-gatherers whose relative, not absolute, status determined their sexual rewards. Let it never be forgotten that, by propagating excessive caution about genetically modified food aid, some pressure groups may have exacerbated real hunger in Zambia in the early 2000s. "Declaration of interdependence" Think of this: never before this generation has the average person been able to afford to have somebody else prepare his meals. Reciprocity means giving each other the same thing (usually) at different times. Exchange -- call it barter or trade if you like -- means giving each other different things (usually) at the same time: simultaneously swapping two different objects...Barter is a lot more portentous than reciprocity. After all, delousing aside, how many activities are there in life where it pays to do the same thing to each other in turn? "If I sew you a hide tunic today, you can sew me one tomorrow" brings limited rewards and diminishing returns. "If I make the clothes, you catch the food" brings increasing returns. Indeed, it has the beautiful property that it does not even need to be fair. For barter to work, two individuals do not need to offer things of equal value. Trade is often unequal, but still benefits both sides. This is a point that nearly everybody seems to miss.... I am saying that barter -- the simultaneous exchange of different objects -- was itself a human breakthrough, perhaps even the chief thing that led to the ecological dominance and burgeoning material prosperity of the species...Economists see barter as just one example of a bigger human habit of general reciprocity. Biologists talk about the role that reciprocity played in social evolution, meaning "do until others as they do until you." Neither seems to be interested in the distinction that I think is vital, so let me repeat it here once more: at some point, after millions of years of indulging in reciprocal back-scratching of gradually increasing intensity, one species, and one alone, stumbled upon an entirely different trick. Adam gave Oz an object in exchange for a different object. A trillion generations of unbroken parental generosity stand behind a bargain with your mother. A hundred good experiences stand behind your reliance on a friend. The long shadow of the future hangs over any transaction with your local shopkeeper...My point is simply this: with frequent setbacks, trust has gradually and progressively grown, spread, and deepened during human history, because of exchange. The working poor give a much higher proportion of their income to good causes than the rich do, and crucially they give three times as much as people on welfare do. On average, when it lands in a town, Wal-Mart causes a 13 per cent drop in its competitors' prices and saves its customers nationally $200 billion a year. The size of the average American company is down from twenty-five employees to ten in just twenty-five years. This is what it would take to feed nine billion people in 2050: at least a doubling of agricultural production driven by huge increase in fertiliser use in Africa, the adoption of drop irrigation in Asia and America, the spread of double cropping to many tropical countries, the use of GM crops all across the world to improve yields and reduce pollution, a further shift from feeding cattle with grain to feeding them with soybeans, a continuing relative expansion of fish, chicken and pig farming at the expense of beef and sheep (chickens and fish convert grain into meat three times as efficiently as cattle; pigs are in between) - and a great deal of trade, not just because the mouths and the plants will not be in the same place, but also because trade encourages specialization in the best-yielding crops for any particular district. There is not a single example of a country opening its borders to trade and ending up poorer. Farm subsides and import tariffs on cotton, sugar, rice, and other products cost Africa $500 billion a year in lost export opportunities -- or twelve times the entire aid budget to the continent. Rural self-sufficiency is a romantic mirage. Urban opportunity is what people want. Not long ago, demographers expected new technology to hollow out cities as people began to telecommute from tranquil suburbs. But no - even in weightless industries like finance people prefer to press into ever closer contact with each other in glass towers to do their exchanging and specializing, and they are prepared to pay absurdly high rents to do so. United Nations' best estimate is that world population will probably start falling once it peaks at 9.2 billion in 2075.

<urn:uuid:381e4142-4bb9-4362-8708-a3ab2d8f7b6b>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.bigben.blogs.com/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Compilation of 2011 news... Why are there "finishers" and "quitters" in our e-Learning courses? Mr. Armel Lozano provided us some hints from his thesis “Conditions Leading to Completion and Discontinuance of Enrollees to ATI e-Learning for Agriculture and Fishery Program in Eastern Visayas”. Twenty-five (25) farmers, housewives and out-of-school youths of barangays San Miguel and San Julian in Eastern Samar received their certificates of participation in the Season-Long Farmers Field School (FFS) on Off-Season Vegetable Production on December 17, 2011. The four-month FFS started in July 2011 in partnership with the local government units and provincial government of Eastern Samar. The activity was done in response to the clamor of the farmers for knowledge on improved system on vegetable production, especially off-season vegetable production. With the weaning out of the Techno Gabay Program (TGP) to ATI, comes the challenge to better equip extension workers to carry out the program modality to hasten modernization process for extension service in agriculture, forestry and natural resources and environment. This led to the approval of the proposal for two batches educational tour of TGP implementers that was submitted by the Visayas Consortium for Agriculture and Resources Program to ATI. RA 10068 also known as the Organic Agriculture Act outlines the policy to promote, propagate, further develop and implement the practice of organic agriculture in the Philippines. One core area of operation provided in the Act is the implementation of organic agriculture programs, projects and activities that include the provision and delivery of support services. Baybay City, Leyte. Twenty-nine agricultural extension workers (AEWs) from the Irrigated Rice Production Enhancement Project (IRPEP)-focused municipalities of Leyte, Samar, and Northern Samar provinces finished the season-long training of trainers’ course on rice-based production technologies. The ceremony was held at the Visayas State University (VSU) Gymnasium on November 18, 2011. The Visayas State University-based ATI-RTC 8 hosted the islandwide training of trainers (TOT) on lowland rice quality seed production and community seed banks on November 7-11, 2011. Thirty ATI, DA-RFU, and Office of the Provincial Agriculture Office staff from the Visayas regions participated in the said training at the Center for Continuing Education, VSU, Babybay City, Leyte. ATI 8 brought together the 4H club leaders and members in the west part of Samar Island specifically from the municipalities of Gandara and Sta Margarita for a three-day training on project management and skills enhancement on November 7-9, 2011 in Brgy. Balud, Sta Margarita, Samar. The 52 4Hers went through leadership and management modules designed to further strengthen their capabilities. They reviewed the 4H club development programs and their roles in the development endeavors of their communities. The ATI 8 conducted the 2nd leg municipal-wide AgriPinoy briefing and teknoklinik in October 2011. The leg started simultaneously in the municipalities of Matag-ob in Leyte and San Sebastian in Samar on October 3. It ended in Biliran of Biliran province and in Lawaan of Eastern Samar province on October 21. There were 18 technokliniks in 18 municipalities, three municipalities per province throughout the region. The changing climatic condition of the world has threatened agricultural production, altering production cycles and incedence of pests and diseases, affecting suitability of land and water for food production among others. Agriculture needs to be resilient against climate change. Filipinos consume rice as staple food and rice is commonly grown using monocropping techniques, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change-induced biological hazards. In a call to increase rice production through the strong participation of the marginal upland rice farmers, the ATI-RTC VIII implemented the training on upland rice production on September 26-30, 2011. Twenty-four agricultural extension workers (AEWs) from Samar island participated in the short course. With the enablement of the upland rice farmers and provision of the right technology, it is hoped that the conservative production capacity of 30 to 40 cavans per hectare would increase to 80 to 90.

<urn:uuid:85c2b2bd-f48c-4e05-970b-ae083b5d3bad>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://ati.da.gov.ph/rtc8/category/ati-rtc-8-vocabulary/2011-news

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Thru 03 June 2012 At Huis Marseille [“My journeys have been idiosyncratic, often purposeless, not so much to commit journalism as to travel for its own sake.”] The images of the South African photographer Guy Tillim (1962, Johannesburg) display an analytical precision that never fails to stir up the emotions. His photographic career began in the latter years of apartheid, and this period continues to affect his work. In the ten short years that he has worked as a freelance photographer for local and foreign media, including Reuters and Agence France Presse, he has moved away from photojournalism and towards a much more humane and subtle approach to his themes. After the successful publication of Congo Democratic in 2006 Guy Tillim decided to pursue a non-political subject, and in 2010 he bought a catamaran and sailed from New Zealand to the Polynesian islands. In the wake of the British explorer Captain James Cook (1728–1779), and more than a century after the painter Paul Gauguin (and numerous other artists), he sought to portray the modern landscapes of these ‘paradise islands’. His intensely light, vividly colourful, windblown landscapes occasionally call to mind the paintings of the Douanier Rousseau, but Guy Tillim’s photographs also reveal these landscapes as being new, up to date, and full of life. These are images that live long in the mind. They also advance the art of photography, for Guy Tillim’s work seems to have liberated the genre of landscape photography from every cliché that had ever crept in over the years. In collaboration with the Stevenson Gallery in Cape Town. A book with the same name will be published in 2012 by Prestel Verlag. [ “In reading the accounts of the artists who accompanied Captain James Cook, Guy Tillim was interested to note that their debates on-board ship around the subject of the representation of landscape are very similar to those we have today: how much do you ‘give’ a scene and how much do you let it speak for itself?”] In brief: Guy Tillim was born in Johannesburg in 1962, and went on to study economics at the University of Cape Town. He started taking photographs in the 1980s, first with the Afropix collective, and later also for important foreign media. He has won many prizes, including the DaimlerChrysler Award for South African photography in 2004 and the Leica Oscar Barnack Award in 2005. Guy Tillim’s eminently collectable books include Jo’burg, 2005; Petros Village, 2006; Avenue Patrice Lumumba, 2008; and Roma, Città di mezzo, 2009. Tuesday–Sunday, 11–18 hr Huis Marseille is the first Museum for Photography in Amsterdam. It has been a platform to show photography's rich history for over more than ten years.

<urn:uuid:7210077c-94cb-42b8-9eca-6e5bd0dc2539>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://artspotter.com/events/second-nature

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

We’ve had UFOs and Water Droplets, but never before have we seen an Unidentified Flying Water Droplet! Even if this is just an area of land that Google hasn’t got the image for, then what happened? How did the satellite miss it? Is there some sort of anti-photography cloaking-device located here? Conspiracy! Conspiracy! Via Digg.

<urn:uuid:8a89a086-c4f0-4f20-a2d5-19411d63b48c>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://googlesightseeing.com/maps?p=1232&c=&f=q&hl=en&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=17&ll=37.979268,-84.419632&spn=0.007949,0.019945&t=k

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

The story of Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace is not all that interesting: another pretender, another cheat, another liar, another bully. The world is full of them. In one sense, it feels better to forget about them, let them fade into oblivion. In another sense, it’s good to confront our own vulnerability to the myth-making prowess of accomplished crooks and to recognize the difficulty we have freeing ourselves of their myths. It happens not just in sports, but in many walks of life. Armstrong was a great sports hero because he battled back from cancer and won the Tour de France for seven straight races. He consistently denied that he used performance-enhancing drugs, even as other cyclists were caught. Anyone who challenged his veracity was subject to vicious attacks. Meanwhile, he was making millions in prize money and endorsements and was promoting an image of himself as a wholesome all-American hero working through his foundation to help victims of cancer. It was all a fraud. He was not a hero. He was a self-serving liar, who made a fortune by promoting an image. The image was a fake, and everyone who was inspired by his athletic achievements or his good deeds was duped. We know all this because of Armstrong’s admissions in his celebrated interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which he acknowledged the drugs and the lies. He tried to defend himself by saying that what he did was part of the prevailing culture of cycling. Everyone was doing it. Of course, drugs would not have been the prevailing culture except for the lies that everyone was telling. And Armstrong, as the greatest cyclist of all, was a big part of the culture. What he took to be expiation was actually a self-indictment. He is not the only myth-making fraud in sports or American life. The list of disgraced athletes is long, including that roster of stars who were not inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa. There have been others, including Rafael Palmeiro and Mark McGwire. Reaction to the Armstrong confession has included a tendency to let bygones be bygones: He has made his confession; let him move on. The underlying assumption is that he is a good person who got caught up in something. This tolerance for fraud is founded on the premise that his sports accomplishments grant him a stature that demands our admiration. How liberating it is to free ourselves from thralldom to that myth. What is there to admire in someone so self-obsessed and hungry for money and fame that he fashions a life of lies? And sports is not the only arena where lies and self-obsession have enthralled people to a myth. Think of the myth of the Wall Street titan and the obeisance he has required from the American people, who have been taught to believe that the riches of the plutocrat endow him with great qualities. This myth has cost the nation far more dearly than the myth of heroism surrounding our sports frauds. We have learned that the limousine class has perpetrated a Ponzi scheme vastly more damaging than the crimes of Bernie Madoff. And when the edifice fell down around them, we had to cough up our own money to put it back together again. “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain,” said the Wizard of Oz. The myth advanced by the wizard was all part of Dorothy’s dream, but it was part of a story told during the Great Depression when the American people needed to disenthrall themselves from the wizards of Wall Street and other charlatans who had wrecked the nation. Lance Armstrong is just another charlatan, one with unusual powers of physical endurance. So what? The grand showmanship of his confession is just part of his game. - Most Popular - Most Emailed - MEDIA GALLERY

<urn:uuid:1d5c14c9-6d2a-4338-bbe9-5f274422557c>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://timesargus.com/article/20130119/OPINION01/701199985

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

US 5918748 A An automatic teller machine has an input hopper (20) into which checks and banknotes for deposit can be put. An imaging and sorting device (22) separates the banknotes and checks from each other. The banknotes are fed to a temporary banknote storage device (24) and the checks are fed to a temporary check storage device (26). A receipt for the number of items of each kind deposited is issued to the depositor. A further imaging device (28) may be provided for subsequent more detailed examination and further sorting of the deposited items. The subsequent examination preferably takes place when the machine is not being used by a customer. 1. An automatic teller machine (ATM) comprising: an input device into which items can be deposited; an imaging and sorting device which sorts based on captured images and for (i) examining deposited items to determine whether the deposited items are banknotes or cheques, and (ii) sorting the deposited items into a group comprising banknotes and another group comprising cheques; temporary storage devices for storing the two groups of sorted items; and a printer for issuing receipts showing the respective number of items sent to the storage devices. 2. An ATM according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging device for subsequent examination of the contents of the temporary storage devices. 3. An ATM according to claim 2, wherein the imaging device examines the contents of the temporary storage devices during times of non-use by customers. 4. An ATM according to claim 3, wherein the imaging device examines the contents of the temporary storage device containing banknotes for denomination. 5. An ATM according to claim 4, further comprising (i) banknote storage devices for storing banknotes of individual denominations, and (ii) transport means for conveying sorted banknotes from the imaging device to the banknote storage devices depending upon the denomination of the banknotes. 6. A method of handling deposited items including banknotes or cheques at an automated teller machine (ATM), the method comprising the steps of: (a) examining deposited items to determine whether the deposited items are banknotes or cheques; (b) sorting the deposited items of step (a) by means of a device which sorts based on captured images, into a group comprising banknotes and another group comprising checks; (c) storing the two groups of sorted items of step (b) in storage devices; and (d) printing receipts showing the respective number of items sent to the storage devices. 7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of: (e) examining the contents of the temporary storage devices by means of an additional imaging device. 8. A method according to claim 7, wherein step (e) includes the step of: (e-1) examining the contents of the temporary storage devices during times of non-use by customers. 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein step (e-1) includes the step of: (e-1--1) examining the contents of the temporary storage device containing banknotes for denomination. 10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of: (f) conveying sorted banknotes to banknote storage devices depending upon the denomination of the banknotes. A further imaging device 28 is provided for a more detailed examination of the banknotes held in storage device 24 and of the cheques held in cheque store 26. Banknote examination may include sorting them into their denominations and/or into quality. Cheque examination may include reading the machine readable information printed on a cheque and possibly also the handwritten information. The cheques may be endorsed and sorted. FIG. 1 also shows a mechanism for delivering banknotes speedily to a collection point 32. Stacks of banknotes are held in cassettes 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48. The different cassettes may hold notes of the same or different denominations as considered appropriate, in anticipation of demand. Known picker devices (not shown) are provided for extracting notes from the cassettes. These devices may include vacuum-operated moveable suction pads. A transport mechanism comprising a linked set of conveyer belts having three linked sections 1, 2 and 3 transports notes from the picker devices to their destination. In a conventional ATM this destination will be collection point 32. However the mechanical complexity of removing notes from the cassettes and transferring them to the transport mechanism is a limiting factor in the speed of transfer and introduces a delay that is noticeable to the customer. To reduce the delay two additional auxiliary stores 4 and 5 are provided. These stores are similar in their construction to the temporary storage devices 24 and 26. The three linked conveyer belt sections 1, 2 and 3 have various functions. Notes extracted from the cassettes by extraction means (not shown) driven by a motor 50 are loaded onto section 2. They can be transported from section 2 either to collection point 32 or else to the appropriate one of auxiliary stores 4 and 5. Notes can also be withdrawn from either one of stores 4 or 5 and deposited onto section 1 of the conveyer belt. From section 1 notes can be transported to collection point 32. The third section 3 of the conveyor belt operates to transfer notes, if they are of appropriate denominations as determined by imaging device 28, from the temporary banknote storage device 24 to auxiliary stores 4 and 5 when vacancies occur in those stores. Carrying out such a transfer in preference to the removal of notes from the main store may be preferable. In operation, a customer deposits items of the kind that would be handed to a bank teller, and more specifically banknotes and cheques, into input hopper 20. He will have a card carrying personal bank account information encoded on it by a suitable encoding medium such as a magnetic stripe. The card is inserted into a slot (not shown) and the customer may also be required to enter a personal identification number (PIN) through a keyboard provided for that purpose. This procedure is designed to ensure that the correct account is credited with the items deposited. The deposited items are then examined in imaging and sorting device 22. Banknotes are sent to banknote storage device 24 and cheques to cheque storage device 26. A tally of the numbers of items of the two types is then printed and issued to the customer as a receipt. This operation is rapid so that the customer has not long to wait before his receipt is issued. A further store 30 is also provided, and may be a multi-compartment bin. One compartment is used to store any note received by the temporary banknote storage device 24, and not required for recirculation, e.g. large denomination notes. Another compartment is used as a purge bin for mispicked notes. The further store 30 is loaded by Section 1 of the conveyor belt system. In order that the invention may be more fully understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the main operating parts of an automatic teller machine embodying the invention. FIG. 1 shows a receiving arrangement by means of which banknotes and cheques may be deposited by a customer. Items for deposit are put into input hopper 20. They are transferred from there to an imaging and sorting device 22 where the banknotes and cheques are separated, with banknotes going to a temporary banknote storage device 24 and cheques going to a temporary cheque storage device 26. Devices 24 and 26 may take a variety of physical forms. Examples are storage stacks, a circulating storage device such as a belt or drum, or a device employing one or more spiral belts. Devices 24 and 26 are chosen to have low inertia so that they receive items as fast as possible so reducing overall transaction times. The storage devices can be of the kind that dispense items either on a "last in first out" (LIFO) or on a "first in first out" (FIFO) basis. This invention relates to automatic teller machines (ATMs). Now that ATMs enjoy wide acceptance by customers of banks it is desirable to provide facilities for the automatic deposit of the kind of items of bank business, such as banknotes and cheques, which are accepted by bank tellers. Such automatic deposit facilities are known. The known facilities are one of two kinds. In one kind of facility the customer puts all the items he wishes to deposit into a special envelope and inserts the envelope into a designated slot in an ATM. A receipt is given, basically just for the envelope. The contents of the envelope are later processed manually in the traditional way. In the other kind of facility individual items are deposited and are then examined with the aid of an imaging device. A detailed receipt is then issued to the waiting customer. However the detailed examination of each item takes time and during that time the ATM is unavailable for use by any other customer. This reduces the number of customers that an ATM can handle in a given time and so its usefulness. It is an object of the invention to reduce the time in which a customer needs to spend at an ATM while still providing an attractive service. According to the invention there is provided an automatic teller machine comprising an input device into which items can be deposited, characterized by an imaging and sorting device for examining deposited items to determine whether they are banknotes or cheques and sorting the items into two groups, one group comprising banknotes and the other group comprising cheques, temporary storage devices for storing the two groups of sorted items, and a printer for issuing receipts showing the respective number of items sent to the storage devices. In an ATM embodying the invention the speed of issue of a receipt will be much faster than the time taken to issue a detailed receipt. Thus the period of perceived use of an ATM by a customer will be reduced. On the other hand the customer will find that such a receipt will be more reassuring than a receipt for a mere envelope the contents of which are unspecified. Preferably a further imaging device is also included for subsequent examination of the contents of the temporary storage devices. Means may also be provided for carrying out banking transactions on the items viewed by the further imaging device. Such transactions may include printing endorsements on the cheques and further sorting of the banknotes into denominations and quality. The subsequent examination preferably takes place when the machine is not being used by a customer. Citas de patentes

<urn:uuid:45492826-2cc2-4414-af94-276563dcb24f>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.google.es/patents/US5918748?dq=flatulence

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Tuesday, October 26, 2010 Different (can be/is/might not be) good Back when I was teaching a million years ago, I had this cute little poster (that has long since gone the way of Goodwill), with a group of stodgy penguins standing apart from one obviously doing-a-jig penguin in a loosely tied, striped necktie. The caption? I just gotta be me. I thought about that this morning as I sent off The Kiddo to school. It's Red Ribbon Week, a week dedicated to teaching drug abuse awareness and helping kids hopefully make the right choice. Each day, the kids can dress up as something ... today it was Dress Like a Rocker and Rock Out to a Drug Free Life. All weekend, The Kiddo has been planning her outfit. She's been looking up (with my help, of course) pictures of Madonna and the girl-bands of the 1980s. She was thrilled with her ensemble -- black glittery leggings, a hot pink tank-top - black net tutu skirt combo, gobs of jewelry, her hair twigged up in a Bam-Bam ponytail and decorated with a long glittery scarf. I even helped her finish off the ensemble with a plenteous amount of purple eyeshadow. (And no, I didn't get a picture. Had to do the makeup and the hair and that meant we were lucky to get out the door on time. I'm praying that I can get one this afternoon.) But when we pulled up to the school, The Kiddo hesitated. Most of the kids she saw climbing out of cars were wearing the usual kid-camo of tee-shirts, hoodies and jeans. "Mommy, are you sure it's rocker day?" she asked. A long silence ensued from the back seat. Finally, in a very quiet voice, she announced, "I'm gonna wait to see if anybody else is dressed up." A backwards look into my own experience of these particular types of dress up days told me that the tardy bell might ring before she saw another kid with her daring. "I tell you what," I told her. "If you get in there, and you are the only one dressed up, you can always call me and I'll bring you a change of clothes." That was enough of a guarantee. She hopped out of the car and headed up the walk to the door. It's 9:11 as I write this, and so far, my cell phone and the house phone has remained silent. I think I'm past the danger point. What does all that have to do with writing, or for living, for that matter? Different can be/is/might not be good. Take your choice, because every permutation of that sentence is spot-on true. We writers want to know the exact "rules" of a genre or a sub-genre -- the exact mix of romance to mystery in a romantic suspense, the right time-span between The Meet and The First Kiss in a romance, the proper amount of sizzle in an inspirational, the maximum amount of tell we can have before we're no longer showing, the genre that is selling now, so no agent or editor will immediately single our way-too-different query out and file it in the round file. Like The Kiddo, we want to blend. We want to swim along in schools of similarly-colored fish so that we don't stick out. And while that camo will protect us from getting laughed at by agents and editors and the publishing biz, it also keeps us hidden from agents and editors and the publishing biz. It's the old saw about risk: the risks are in direct proportion to the rewards. Your way-out-there idea? Yeah, it might get laughed out of an agent's office -- maybe even fifty agents' offices. But then again? It might be the Next Big Idea. So rocker-up, like The Kiddo did this morning. Go on out there and dare to be different. Just make sure your mom's at home and able to bring you a change of clothes if worst comes to worst.

<urn:uuid:849f0010-b67f-43d4-895b-01e2db8ad5df>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://cynthiareese.blogspot.com/2010/10/different-can-beismight-not-be-good.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

The Rocks of Kilimanjaro? So I picked up the May issue the other day, and was disheartened to find an article on so-called "Endangered Places", i.e. legendary travel destinations that should be seen sooner rather than later because forces are now at work that will soon diminish their experience. These range from Hemingway's hilltop villa in Cuba (crumbling after years of tropical storms and plain ol' neglect) to the Maldives (an island chain in the Indian Ocean which may be mostly underwater by 2100). But the one that really bugged me was the entry relating to how warming temperatures are altering Mount Kilimanjaro. Here's what the article had to say about the future of Africa's and one of the world's most iconic mountains: Kili's rep as a "doable" summit is in doubt. Last January a rockslide above the Arrow Glacier base camp killed three Americans who were en route to the roof of Africa. The slide's cause remains unknown, but the 19,341-foot peak's fast-melting glacial cap may have had something to do with it. Mount Kilimanjaro is losing its signature white crown. Of the peak's original glaciers, first mapped in 1912, only 20 percent remain, and no new snow is accumulating up top. Global warming is the primary suspect behind the major meltdown, but deforestation at the base of the mountain may also be a factor. In short, the loss of Hemingway's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" icon is far from metaphorical. This has special significance to me because, strange as it may sound, my mom and I have talked for years about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro someday. I'll be honest, I don't know if it will ever happen; I've researched the project, and we're talking about $5,000 a piece just to get started. But there's something nice and encouraging about just knowing it's out there, if we could just somehow find a way to get to it. Now we may even lose that consolation. Climate change and other environmental concerns have troubling implications for the ultimate future of humanity and billions of other living things with which we share this planet, but one of the effects that I find most personally heartbreaking is the fact that every day the world becomes a slightly less-interesting place. Kilimanjaro will still be there ten or a hundred years from now, but it won't be the same mountain Hemingway wrote about. The loss to the world won't be monetary, but it will be real all the same.

<urn:uuid:fb988d95-8318-42ae-a2d5-019795980f15>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://yukonsully.blogspot.com/2006/04/rocks-of-kilimanjaro.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

|Remade jam- thicker and more spreadable. Yay!!!| This is a picture of my thin jam after making it the first time. Notice that the peaches had risen to the top and the clear juices were at the bottom. When the jar was tipped over, it was the consistency of syrup and, of course, the components of the jam were not dispersed evenly. |Jam before being remade. Notice that the peaches are at the top and the peach syrup is at the bottom. Not exactly the jam I had in mind.| |Ingredients for remaking the jam including the syrupy jam in the big bowl.| So, remember, if you make a jam that is too thin and are not happy using it as a syrup over ice cream or cake, it can easily be remade using the ratios of ingredients above. If you used liquid pectin or no pectin, visit the Montana State University Extension page for ratios to fit your recipe. Two Peach Jam- makes six to seven 8 oz jars I have made this jam before with excellent results when using ripe but not overly juicy fruit. In the case of the remade jam discussed in this post, my fruit was overly ripe resulting in the thinner set jam. If you make this with appropriate fruit (don't experiment like me), you should have no problem. The recipes comes from The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving and can be made entirely with yellow peaches as well. 4 cups peaches, peeled, pitted, and finely chopped (2 cups yellow, 2 cups white) 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 box (1.75 oz) regular powdered pectin 5 cups granulated sugar Combine the peaches, lemon juice, and pectin in a large nonreactive pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add the sugar all at one time and stir constantly until it returns to a rolling boil. Boil for one minute. Remove from the heat. Skim the foam from the top with a clean spoon. Ladle the jam into hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth. Place sterilized lids and rings on the jars, and process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Allow the jars to rest five minutes in the pot before removing them to a clean towel to cool. Check seals after 24 hours.

<urn:uuid:a61f03ac-6471-420e-bb57-f5521c6cbd89>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://headspacecanning.blogspot.jp/2012/06/remaking-peach-jam.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

"The Skin of Our Teeth" * * * 1/2 David Cromer's celebrated off-Broadway staging of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" just hit the one-year mark. But Jeff Christian's cunning and sometimes breathtaking production of Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth" for The Artistic Home provides plenty of reasons of its own for re-examining Wilder's influence. The New Whimsy school of playwriting exemplified by Sarah Ruhl owes a huge debt to Wilder's 1942 play for its use of bold metaphors, unapologetic archetypes, and absurdist anachronisms. Ice Age, flood, warfare -- no cataclysm is too large for Wilder's imagination, and the Artistic Home's design team, and set designer Joseph Riley, rise to the challenge in the small space. George and Maggie Antrobus (the surname comes from the Greek for "human") of Excelsior, N.J., must contend with each of these disasters while trying to protect their children -- murderous son Henry (once named Cain) and spoiled daughter Gladys. The family maid, Sabina (a saucy Maria Stephens), offers pithy, localized meta-commentary to the audience ("I saw both David Cromer's and Anna Shapiro's productions of 'Our Town'") while wooing Henry with her come-hither charms. Newsreels set the scene with a "Father Knows Best" wink at all-American wholesomeness -- but as the disasters build up, the family spirits sink and rise repeatedly. This is a tricky play to get right in our age of easy irony and off-the-shelf nihilism. Wilder leaves no doubt that he believes in the power of family, literature, and human inventiveness (Henry Antrobus is the creator of both the wheel and the alphabet) to carry the species through our darker days. But Christian's cast builds the tension and sorrow bit by masterful bit, moving nearly seamlessly from the first act's absurdity (complete with baby dinosaur and wooly mammoth) to the bleak blasted world left after global warfare. Real-life husband-and-wife John Mossman and Kathy Scambiatterra imbue the Antrobus marriage with all the weary affection and jaundiced suspicions longtime couples carry in their bones. And though it's easy to categorize Wilder's view of women as Maggie's domestic virago vs. Sabina's scheming vixen, Scambiatterra explodes that view with a second-act speech in which she calls out her husband for his narrow views of female nature. "We're not what you're all told and what you think we are: we're ourselves. And if any man can find one of us, he'll learn why the whole universe was set in motion." The universe that Wilder set in motion in "The Skin of Our Teeth" occasionally feels overstuffed, but never insignificant. Through March 21 at The Artistic Home, 3914 N. Clark St. $25-$27 at 866-811-4111 or theartistichome.org "Living Quarters" * * * Archetypes are also on hand in Strangeloop Theatre's production of Brian Friel's seldom-revived "Living Quarters," in which the ancient tale of Phaedra and her fatal love for her stepson, Hippolytus, is transmogrified to a domestic Irish drama. Set in Ballybeg, the mythical Donegal town that functions as Friel's version of William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County, the play uses a narrator named Sir (played by a woman, Jillian Rafa) who takes the family through the events that culminate in tragedy. Commandant Frank Butler (James Houton) has returned to Ballybeg a hero after saving the lives of nine U.N. peacekeepers. He wants nothing more than to bask in newfound glory and the arms of his young second wife, Anna (Shannon Bracken), but he doesn't know that Anna has been dallying with his estranged son, Ben (Martin Monahan). His three daughters, particularly London-dwelling Helen (Danni Smith) bring their own collection of grievances to the proceedings. Thomas Murray's staging falters only when the emotions are forced to histrionic levels near the end, and mapping the Greek tale onto the Butler clan doesn't always feel natural. But given how seldom this play is produced, fans of Friel's muted poetry should welcome this young company's foray into his work. Through March 14 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St.; $15 at 773-276-0458 or strangeloop

<urn:uuid:c8a5fb0e-67cd-46d4-8296-30946f6db8e4>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-02-26/entertainment/ct-ott-0226-on-the-fringe-20100226-23_1_wilder-revives-teeth

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Japan to announce Osprey safety finding soon CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Japan said Wednesday it might announce its findings on the safety of the Marine Corps’ Osprey aircraft within days, a move that likely will determine the fate of U.S. plans to begin air operations by the helicopter-plane hybrid here this fall. The announcement is expected Friday or no later than early next week and will wrap up Japan’s investigation into the Osprey safety record, including an April crash in Africa that killed two Marines, a Ministry of Defense spokesman told Stars and Stripes. The United States has said it will not fly the MV-22 over Okinawa and mainland Japan until its ally is satisfied the aircraft is safe. Last week, Pentagon officials briefed a visiting team of Japanese investigators on the fatal incident in Morocco, which the military blamed on human error. The Marine Corps said the pilot and co-pilot made aerial maneuvers that created a strong tailwind and caused the aircraft to nosedive into the ground, killing two crew chiefs. The military investigation found no mechanical or safety feature failures that could have caused the incident. Safety concerns in Japan have dogged Marine Corps plans to replace its aging Sea Knight dual-rotor helicopters at Futenma air station on Okinawa with the Osprey beginning in October as part of a global overhaul of its fleet. The Ospreys are capable of longer flights than the Vietnam-era Sea Knights and would routinely commute between Okinawa bases and U.S. bases across the Japanese mainland, according to plans released by the Marine Corps. Even if the Japanese government finds the Osprey to be safe, the deployment is still likely to face strong public opposition across Japan. The sentiment is strongest on Okinawa, where residents have long feared U.S. military aircraft accidents around the Marine Corps’ Futenma air station and other U.S. bases. Opponents across the island are preparing for a large opposition rally on Sept. 9 that organizers claim could draw up to 50,000 people. On Wednesday, a 69-year-old Japanese Osprey protester, accompanied by residents with banners and signs, completed a weeklong hunger strike outside the fence of the Marine Corps headquarters on Okinawa. Tomoyuki Kobashigawa said Tuesday he was inspired to protest by a 1959 crash of an Air Force jet into an Okinawa neighborhood and elementary school that killed 17 and injured 121. In 2004, a Marine helicopter from Futenma crashed into a college campus near the air station causing some injuries, smoke, fire and confusion but no deaths.

<urn:uuid:3b4865d1-2fa0-4340-b124-3f251d3af37d>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/okinawa/japan-to-announce-osprey-safety-finding-soon-1.186530

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Clinton Bed and Breakfasts The city of Clinton is located in Anderson County, Tennessee along the Clinch River. Enjoy a weekend in Appalachia at a Clinton bed and breakfast or Clinton inn. Historic Downtown Clinton is an attraction in itself with many local shops and restaurants. The Museum of Appalachia is a living history museum dedicated to the pioneer and frontier life located on a working rural farm. You can learn about the past as your experience the culture of today. The Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute and contains over 250,000 artifacts. Local events include an annual sheep shearing in the spring, visitors can partake in all activities, learning to sheer a sheep themselves! In second week of October, Clinton puts on one of the most authentic folk festivals with music and crafts. Dont forget to buy a souvenir at the many gift and craft shops. Fill your belly at the Apple Blossom Café or the Golden Girls Restaurant before heading back to your B&B for the night. Center map on a City, Neighborhood or street address Showing results 1-2 of 2 B&Bs in Clinton

<urn:uuid:884dc7d0-b2aa-4ae5-8f72-977f0a59972c>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.bbonline.com/united-states/tennessee/clinton/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Dominican Republic Farms and Farmland for Sale The purchase of farmland by foreigners in the Dominican Republic, where ownership and operation of agricultural property is not only possible but encouraged, is a growing trend. There are many beautiful farms for sale on this Caribbean Island, of varying sizes, suitable for different uses. Typically, a single farm might provide for a small herd of dairy cows, a fish-farm, plantain production and some acres in melons, cocoas or pineapples. The soil is well-drained and rich, of volcanic origin. A wide variety of crops flourish on Dominican farms. These include bulk crops like sugarcane and rice in the lowlands and various tubers, bananas, plantains, avocadoes, citrus, melons and pineapples on up-country farms. Luxurious dark cocoa and world-class Arabica coffees grow at higher altitudes, warmed by the tropical sun and benefiting from abundant rainfall in many areas. That same rich earth may also support farms dedicated to the raising and nurturing of animals. Beef cattle ranching is widespread in the country as is dairy farming. Other properties specialize in equestrian breeding and training, some producing world renowned Paso Fino horses. Other farm raised animals seen in the Dominican Republic include goats, sheep, poultry and pigs. An unusual but increasingly popular form of farming today involves the raising of edible fish, such as Tilapia, or sweet-water shrimp. With almost 30% of the total land area of the country suitable for crop production and about 17% of the labor force engaged in farming, agriculture remains the primary occupation of the Dominican population. For a person or group considering a farm, the Dominican Republic is a natural choice, being blessed by nature’s abundance and populated by a friendly, eager people skilled in most aspects of land use. Select Caribbean Properties is well equipped to assist you in finding your dream property. Farms are the ideal place for those who seek a tranquil and private lifestyle while still keeping busy. We at Select Caribbean have found the most lush and fruitful farms that the Dominican Republic’s north coast has to offer. Building a magnificent villa on property such as a farm would bring you ample land with gorgeous views in a variety of country settings that only the Dominican Republic can offer. From gentleman farms to working ranches, we try to find the best available. We have found perfect situations for many clients who desire that tranquil lifestyle and privacy that “fincas” provide.

<urn:uuid:b830fb64-fd57-47ce-97e8-15a84af6600b>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.selectcaribbean.com/dominican-republic-farms.html

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Street Fighting Stone: Mick Jagger Talks Miles, International Times, 17 May 1968 This conversation was taped over cups of tea at my house on Lord North Street one afternoon a few days after the famous anti-Vietnam war demonstration outside the American Embassy on Grosvenor Square. Both Mick and I had been there when the police charged the crowd on horseback, injuring hundreds of demonstrators. The tape gives a good idea of Micks political and mystical views at that time, halfway through the sessions for Beggars' Banquet. It was originally published in the underground newspaper International Times, where it was printed in green over a clashing red background, rendering it virtually unreadable! Total word count of piece: 6410

<urn:uuid:572dcad7-f36d-41ea-9efc-240d4c9d6bcd>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/street-fighting-stone-mick-jagger-talks/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

MoT staff entered their adult years at a point of truce with Barbie®. We’ve healed the childhood scarring of the Unachievable Barbie Figure®, and overcome the aesthetic damage wrought to our architectural sensibilities by Barbie’s Dream House®. We went our way, Barbie® went hers. Or so we thought. Had Barbie® remained in her rightful place in her Stepford Wifesque alternate universe, we would never had said a word. Then Architect Barbie® was foisted upon us, and we had no choice but to respond. And now, what fresh hell is this? It’s Museum Collection Barbie®, here to aggravate us in all new ways. It’s one thing to do a stupid cartoonish interpretation of women in a profession which is historically unsupportive of its female minority as a glib marketing ploy dressed up as some kind of grrl-power actuator; it’s another thing to blaspheme three treasures of art history. We are not amused. Museum Collection Barbie® is the brainchild of Mattel® designer Linda Kyaw®, whose career appears to be based on watering down and stealing (oops, we mean “adapting”) the work of actual artists. This series of three dolls “inspired by” the work of Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt is the worst kind of re-heated schmuck. What was the inspiration, besides some memo from a CEO hoping someone would breathe some life into this horrifyingly outdated brand? According to the giddy writeup on “Barbie Collector,” Ms. Kyaw® ”wanted to do something different.” Well of course. So where does “different” start? We suppose, the difference is, instead of looking to dune buggies and malt shops for inspiration, she looked to “the most iconic paintings of all time.” Well of course! Oh wait, here’s the twist: “with an emphasis on fashion.” That’s definitely what we also learned in Art History 101: art is about fashion, especially if a lady is in the picture, cuz ladies are there to wear pretty clothes. Or, at least, maybe that’s what we would have learned if we had cut most of our Art History 101 classes to go to the mall. If that was the case, we too might be more open to the fluffy treatment of, say, Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest creative and inventive minds ever in the history of the universe. Speculation about the identity and meaning of his most famous and enigmatic portrait, commonly known as Mona Lisa (ostensibly the inspiration for ye olde damsel doll, but you be the judge), has prompted untold hours of conversation in graduate seminars and countless thesis pages. But it poses only one question to Ms. Kyaw®: what’s she wearing on her legs? That is the mystery posed by the Mona Lisa: no one knows what’s she’s wearing below the waist! Could it be goucho pants? A hot mini? Capri pants? Jeggings? oh please let it be jeggings!!! Alas, no, it’s just the big skirt of a big dress that makes Mona Lisa Barbie® appear to be all decked out to serve mead at the Renaissance Faire. To the credit of painter Ei Fong, at least she is not made up as if she just got her free Urban Decay Makeover at Ulta, like most Barbies®. But that’s the best we can say for her. Come on: even Dan Brown‘s goofball treatment of Leonardo’s art is more intellectually stimulating than this. Next! The second Museum Barbie® Barbie® actually did call for interpretation, since there is no pretty lady in Iconic Painting Number Two: Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night of 1889. What’s the challenge for Ms. Kyaw® here? It could have been an interesting study on the trope of the woman’s body as landscape, or something to do with an interpretation of Van Gogh’s stunning brushwork. But no: it’s an effort to make this masterpiece of Post-Impressionism “trendy” and “to fuse the original painting with an edgy dynamic.” Because nothing honors the memory of a tragic genius (and probable suicide who suffered epilepsy, delusions and various psychoses) like an edgy dynamic. What form does this trendy edginess take? Starry Night Barbie® gets a twirly circle skirt that swirls around, get it, like the swirly sky in the painting. Get it?!?!? And then that hard part again, with the legs sticking out under the place where the frame would have been. Oh I know, swirly shoes! And her Barbie Blonde® hair is all curly-swirly too! And an inexplicable black crud crawls up her dress like sea weed or something? Wait: a sea metaphor? I thought we were looking at the sky? Maybe that’s part of the edgy dynamic as well. If Van Gogh was alive today, perhaps he’d take that knife that he used to whack off his left ear and gouge out his eyes to save himself from seeing this nightmare. Oh that’s it, let’s call it Starry Nightmare! Oh, you guyz, that’s so mean! And then there’s the third one, from just a few years after the Van Gogh, since apparently Barbie’s® Barbie Art History® knows nothing before the Renaissance, and the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries are like so boring, and then the greater part of the twentieth century would be just too hard to figure out! :( So here is Gustav Klimt’s first Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Thank goodness, another lady in a pretty dress. Not only is she a pretty dress, it’s a sparkley dress, and she has a nutty hair-do that pretty much means the doll designs herself! (That’s so awesome, since it must have been exhausting to work out that Starry Nightmare dress and shoes.) Oh but here’s the weird thing, that Adele lady was a real lady. A Jewish lady in Austria. (Could this be the first Jewish Barbie®? Who missed that marketing opportunity?) This is where it gets a little weird if you bother to look into the actual, what’s the word, biography. Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, maybe even eventually Katy Perry (oh you know she’s dreaming of it) sort of put themselves out there as characters that are amenable to the glamour-doll treatment. But Adele isn’t like that. Adele died young, in 1925, which means she at least didn’t have to witness the nastiness with the Nazis. She died with the wish that her paintings (this and another portrait by Klimt, and three Klimt landscapes) would become available to the public, specifically the public in Vienna. But her husband had to flee the Nazis, and like so much art during that period, ownership of Adele’s things was confused and contested, and it took significant work by lots of people for the rightful heirs to get their art back . . . so that they could take it to America, celebrate capitalism, and sell them for bajillions. (Adele’s famous portrait went for $135 million, the highest price paid at that time for a single painting; it is on view in New York at the fabulous Neue Galerie; the others are in the hands of private collectors.) Klimt’s Adele 1 is more than a fancy lady in a pretty golden dress. It’s the centerpiece of a story of real artistry and political chaos, the rights an responsibilites of governments and individuals to the public, and as explained in this good article, “justice and redemption after the Holocaust” as well as “another tale of the crazy, intoxicating art market.” Setting aside the tragedy and sadness of its historical context, the story of Adele’s portrait is a story of ownership. Ultimately, who owns art? Who has rights to its inspiration? Where is the line between homage and plagiarism? Or respectful deference and cheap knock-off? The three paintings featured here have withstood time, critics, war and changing tastes to emerge as major landmarks in western art. Their reward: a broader audience than they were first created for, some of that gained through cheap reproductions on tote bags, t-shirts, coffee mugs. At least, most of the time, such reproductions are relatively true to portraying the original, and one might hope, raise some cash to support the museum that houses the thing. At best, they inspire contemporary artists to do something new, in that competitive spirit that has moved art along since Knossos. At worst, they are bastardized into flagrant commercial enterprise with no redeeming value above and beyond pop culture, which has plenty of other shallow pools to drink from. At the very worst, they glamorize a noble remnant of tragic history at the national and personal levels. These dolls represent neither imaginative play nor clever collector activity. If Barbie® is going to venture into the land of art history, she ought to get at least one of those things right. But her art is lazy, and her history is shameful.

<urn:uuid:0862ac67-5617-4ae6-9324-facfee69b017>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://mattersoftaste.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/the-barbieriffic%C2%AE-barbies%C2%AE-of-the-museum-collection-barbie%C2%AE-collection/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

In an interview with Christianity Today, GOP presidential candidate and metro Atlanta resident Herman Cain was asked about race and discrimination: “Do people still discriminate in some small ways against certain people because of their color or their religion? Yes. But it is nowhere near where it was 235 years ago. Whether we will ever reach that utopian level of all men created equal and all men being treated equal, I don’t know. You know, the journey in life is to strive to be better and better every day, to strive to be more Christ-like. Whether or not any of us get to the level of Christ himself, I doubt it, because we are human. You have secret thoughts, and only God and Christ knows those secret thoughts. And they may not be Christ-like.” That’s well put. Later, however, the interviewer asks Cain about a speech he gave last month at a church in Milner, Ga., in which Cain recounted his successful battle against cancer. (A video of the speech is below; the section in question begins at the 5:00 minute mark). When he learned that his surgeon would be a Dr. Abdallah, Cain said, he initially balked. But when the physician’s assistant reassured him that “Don’t worry, he’s a (Lebanese) Christian,” Cain reports that he “felt a whole lot better.” The interviewer uses that incident to inquire about the appropriate role for Muslims in this country: “The role of Muslims in American society is for them to be allowed to practice their religion freely, which is part of our First Amendment. The role of Muslims in America is not to convert the rest of us to the Muslim religion. That I resent. Because we are a Judeo-Christian nation, from the fact that 85 percent of us are self-described Christians, or evangelicals, or practicing the Jewish faith. Eighty-five percent. One percent of the practicing religious believers in this country are Muslim. And so I push back and reject them trying to convert the rest of us. And based upon the little knowledge that I have of the Muslim religion, you know, they have an objective to convert all infidels or kill them. Now, I know that there are some peaceful Muslims who don’t go around preaching or practicing that. Well, unfortunately, we can’t sit back and tolerate the radical ones simply because we know that there are some of them who don’t believe in that aspect of the Muslim religion. So their role is to be allowed to practice their religion freely, just like we should be allowed to practice our religion freely, and not try to convert the rest of us.” “Their role is to be allowed to practice their religion freely … and not try to convert the rest of us.” In other words, they better not get too pushy, right Mr. Cain? They better recognize their place. They can be equal, but … not THAT equal. The remarks are particularly interesting in the context of the rest of the interview, in which Cain makes a pitch for political support from the Christian evangelical community. (Cain himself is an associate pastor at Antioch Baptist Church North in Atlanta). One of the defining characteristics of the evangelical movement is the importance it places on, well, evangelizing. You know, trying to convert the non-believing and thus save their souls. Like many in the Muslim faith, they see it as part of their religious duty. Apparently that’s OK for Christians in this country, but not for others. – Jay Bookman

<urn:uuid:164256ff-7f63-44f7-9193-9ca45e04cecc>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2011/03/22/herman-cain-drops-a-friendly-warning-to-american-muslims/?cp=all

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

Obsessed with our kids' happiness In her time as a therapist-in-training, writer Lori Gottlieb has noticed a trend among young parents: paying too much attention to their kids' happiness. She believes that the attempt to shelter children from any painful feelings is having the opposite of its intended effect. - Lori Gottlieb: Journalist and author. Her article "How to Land Your Kid in Therapy" appears in the July/August issue of The Atlantic.

<urn:uuid:32a6b6a9-f64c-4c46-bdcd-f7df9408bdc1>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/06/14/midmorning2

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

New York: Hepatitis C Infections Found in Clinic Patients March 6, 2009 Four patient-to-patient hepatitis C virus transmissions at a now-closed Manhattan hemodialysis clinic that occurred during 2005-2008 were likely due to improper infection controls, according to a New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) investigation. Five additional patients might also have acquired HCV while receiving treatment at the unit, the Life Care Dialysis Center at 221 West 61st St., CDC reported Friday. A patient complaint in January 2008 that the clinic was dirty prompted the NYSDOH investigation, said Dr. Jenifer Jaeger, a CDC officer assigned to the state and the report's chief investigator. In July 2008, NYSDOH received reports of three dialysis patients acquiring HCV during the preceding six months, and subsequent investigations uncovered six additional HCV seroconversions during 2001-2008. More patients may have been infected, but the investigation focused on just the 162 patients who were receiving dialysis at the clinic as of July 1, 2008. Of the nine seroconversions identified, four were genetically linked to four different patients at the clinic. All four patients and their respective HCV source patients had dozens of treatment days in common, and two of the four had been hooked up to the same machine as their HCV source patient. Source patients could not be identified for the five other cases, but none of the five had known HCV risk factors, and only two had health care exposures outside of hemodialysis. The clinic tested patients for HCV erratically, and it did not inform those who seroconverted, the report said. Health investigators described the center as filthy; they said employees did not wash their hands and failed to consistently wear gloves when treating patients. Dried blood was observed on dialysis machines, treatment surfaces and the surrounding floor, and bleach solution for cleaning was improperly stored, prepared, and used, the report said. Many staff members were unaware of written cleaning and disinfection policies at the large, for-profit unit, which treated 70-100 patients at 30 stations. The full report, "Hepatitis C Virus Transmission at an Outpatient Hemodialysis Unit -- New York, 2001-2008," was published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2009;58(08):189-194). New York Times 03.06.2009; Roni Caryn Rabin The Association of Syringe Type and Syringe Cleaning With HCV Infection Among IDUs in Budapest, Hungary This article was provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a part of the publication CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update. Visit the CDC's website to find out more about their activities, publications and services.

<urn:uuid:04ccfb88-2d12-4bfb-bf79-66a5030180cd>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.thebody.com/content/art50758.html?nxtprv

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Property Buying Guide Shared ownership means owning part of a property with another party (usually a Housing Association) and paying rent to them for the part that they own but allow you to live in. They do not live in the shared ownership property with you. You can increase your share as time goes by, sometimes to 100%, this is called 'staircasing'. To progress with shared ownership, you will need a shared ownership mortgage. Shared ownership means having to save for a smaller deposit and a taking out a smaller mortgage as you will only own part of the property. If you have some deposit saved, contact a mortgage advisor about the shared ownership mortgage. See our summary video of Shared Ownership. The government's shared ownership schemes are not exclusively key worker shared ownership schemes. These schemes are operated under the name 'New Build HomeBuy' and are open to first time buyers who have a household income of £60,000 pa or less. Most shared ownership schemes require you to have some sort of a deposit and costs of up to about £3000 may be charged. The main advantage of shared ownership is that it can make getting onto the first rung of the property ladder affordable. Another great advantage of shared ownership properties is that they tend to be new or refurbished. In some areas, stamp duty on shared ownership property is waived. You will need a small deposit, a shared ownership mortgage to buy your share and a sum of money to pay for administration costs. Most shared ownership schemes are administered by local HomeBuy Agents. To find out who your local HOmeBuy agent is, email [email protected] shared ownership mortgage advice Shared ownership mortgages are offered by many mortgage lenders and if you are considering taking out a shared ownership mortgage you should seek specialist, no-commitment, shared ownership mortgage advice. Buying your first home, you will also need a solicitor for conveyancing, wills, agreements etc. Shared Ownership in a nutshell: - You own part of the property and pay rent to a co-owner in addition to your mortgage payments - Usually operated though local council or housing association - Brand new and refurbished properties available - Properties available on open market (see sites like Rightmove, Zoopla and Prime Location) - You can start owning as little as 24% of the property and buying more, known as staircasing. Rents decrease - The deposit and mortgage requirement will be lower as you are only buying part of the property - You still need 10% deposit but just of the share you are buying - Service charges can bump up monthly costs You will You will need to contact an independent shared ownership mortgage advisor to assess your requirements and they may also put you in contact with the right HomeBuy agent. You are under no obligation when you contact a mortgage advisor. As well as taking mortgage advice you could contact your local HomeBuy Agent to find out if you might be entitled to a shared ownership property - keep your options open at this stage. To find out who your local HomeBuy agent is email [email protected] stating your location. When people talk of 'do it yourself shared ownership' they usually mean buying property with another investor, taking out a shared ownership mortgage on the part you own and paying rent to the other private property investor for the remainder. If you are thinking of buying a property with a friend, family member, stranger or co-investor, this is known as joint ownership or joint equity. This can be combined with shared ownership. More about shared ownership in our guide: What is New Build HomeBuy and how does it work? l Who is eligible and what are the selection criteria? l Special features and how to apply l What is involved with shared ownership and who can apply? l How do I increase my share and how much do properties cost? l What rights and responsibilities do I have? l Are there restrictions on resale? l Can I buy with someone? And what about finance and legal issues? l Where do I start and what happens next? l What questions should I ask? l Will shared ownership really enable more first time buyers to buy a home? l Shared Ownership Mortgage basics l Benefits and pitfalls of shared ownership l Shared ownership schemes run by house-builders l The First Time Buyers Initiative/English Partnerships Some local shared ownership HomeBuy agents: Let us search for your local HomeBuy Agent: email [email protected] Useful external links: Most useful and most popular pages on this site: Shared Equity l Look for your First Property l Seek First Time Buyer Mortgage Advice l See our Best First Mortgages Comparison Table l Find out about First Time Buyer Mortgages l Find out How to Buy a House l Learn all about The First Time Buyer Mortgage

<urn:uuid:37a68c54-0110-43e5-b3ee-7af5c725cbf9>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://firstrungnow.com/shared-ownership/

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

NEW YORK (AP) -- Twitter users were unable to access the micro-blogging service for about an hour on Thursday. San Francisco-based Twitter said on its status blog that its engineers were investigating the issue. About an hour later, it said the issue had been resolved. The short messaging service was working again by early afternoon. The company declined to say how widespread the outage was or what caused it. Outages were once a relatively common occurrence for Twitter, but that was several years ago when it was new and trying to manage growth. It was shut down at least twice in August 2009, once for several hours, when hackers hobbled the site in a "denial of service" attack. There was no indication Thursday that the outage was the result of malicious attacks. The Associated Press

<urn:uuid:289e9acb-4042-4b59-ba05-8e1b026afceb>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.news10.net/news/national/197984/5/Twitter-site-down-for-brief-outage-

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en