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Do you see value in taking unpaid internships? Would you recommend that students who are having a hard time getting a job in their field take on relevant unpaid internships? Or is that just a way to sell yourself (and your pocketbook) short?
Unpaid internships can be worthwhile if both the company and the intern use the opportunity in the right way. The intern can benefit from networking opportunities, listing real world experience on his or her résumé, and gaining valuable on-the-job training. The company can benefit by having a new person share fresh perspectives on the business, having additional hands-on support, and giving back to the community by investing in new talent.
The challenge with unpaid internships however, is that some companies take advantage of this set up to gain free administrative labour, rather than offering a valuable on-the-job training opportunity for new workers. Unfortunately, I have met too many individuals who take on long-term unpaid internships during the day, where they are not gaining valuable career experiences. Consequently, they take on non-career related jobs after work in order to pay their bills. Technically, this arrangement doesn’t fit into the proper definition of an intern, but aspiring job seekers often feel they have no other choice.
The good news is, when it comes to unpaid internships, while many job seekers don’t realize it, they can exercise some level of control in the arrangement.
In a paid internship position, you’ll likely be given a job description, be considered an employee, and if that means you have to fetch coffee, file and photocopy papers on a regular basis, so be it, it’s all part of the intern-level job. In an unpaid internship however, you don’t have the same obligations to a company, so you can set some of your own parameters to negotiate the type of training you want to get. If your target company doesn’t agree to your recommendations, you can decide to turn down the opportunity and look for something else.
Some companies will offer unpaid internships, but they’ll cover public transit costs or offer a per diem for lunch, so do your research to find out what norms exist in your industry. Armed with that information, you’ll be able to negotiate a better opportunity for yourself.
Here are some of the most important things to ask yourself as you’re looking for an interning position:
- Can you define what you want to get from the position?
- Do you want a blue chip company’s name on your résumé?
- Do you want to network with leaders in your industry? Or do you want hands-on experience within a smaller organization?
Such questions will help you determine whether a paid or unpaid internship is right for you.
Julie Labrie is the vice-president of BlueSky Personnel Solutions in Toronto.
Have a question about careers, labour law or management? Send it to our panel of experts: [email protected] Your name and address will be kept confidential. | <urn:uuid:7c0debea-edb6-4693-bdd2-7eff79ccab6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/experts/is-there-any-value-in-an-unpaid-internship/article6193696/?cmpid=rss1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942103 | 639 | 1.578125 | 2 |
BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's outstanding external debt increased by 34 billion U.S. dollars in the second quarter to reach 785.17 billion U.S. dollars by the end of June this year, the country's foreign exchange regulator said Monday.
The amount does not include the outstanding external debt of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions or that of Taiwan, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said in a statement on its website.
Of the total outstanding external debt, registered external debt reached 495.07 billion U.S. dollars, while the balance of trade credit between enterprises amounted to 290.1 billion U.S. dollars.
Most of the debt owed to foreign creditors resulted from short-term borrowing, as outstanding external debt with a term of one year or less amounted to 588.22 billion U.S. dollars, or 75 percent of the total, up from 74.2 percent at the end of March, according to SAFE.
Long- and medium-term external debt outstanding amounted to 196.95 billion U.S. dollars.
In terms of currency structure, debt in U.S. dollars accounted for 77.77 percent of the outstanding registered external debt, up 1.1 percentage points from that of the end of March.
Debt in euros accounted for 7.51 percent , down from 8.23 percent in March; while debt in yen took up 6.99 percent, compared with 7.05 percent in March.
According to SAFE data, China accrued medium- and long-term external debt amounting to 21.25 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of the year, as well as repaid 14.78 billion U.S. dollars in principal and 1.2 billion U.S. dollars in interest during the period. | <urn:uuid:5189422e-a90f-4cef-81bd-cf3a286a0e7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-09/17/c_131855948.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942646 | 383 | 1.59375 | 2 |
MaryEllen Elia was appointed Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools in 2005. The district earned its first overall A grade after her first year in office, and has earned three more since.
Ms. Elia began her career as a social studies teacher in New York in 1970. In 1986, she relocated to the Tampa Bay area, becoming a reading resource specialist. She has served as the district’s first magnet schools supervisor, general director of secondary education, and chief facilities officer.
Her honors include the College Board’s Beacon Award, the Inaugural Governor’s Business Partnership Award from the Florida Council of 100, Florida Supplier Development Council CEO of the Year award, College Board’s Outstanding Leadership award, the Florida Association of District School Superintendents’ Award for Volunteer/Community Service, the Dr. Carlo Rodriguez Champion of School Choice, and the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations’ 2007 Superintendent of the Year.
December 19, 2011 / MaryEllen Elia
This year for the first time, Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida participated in the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) -- an initiative that enables us to compare our students’ performance to students in other major urban districts, based
on the same benchmarks.
Full Blog Post ›
September 02, 2011 / MaryEllen Elia
Here in Hillsborough County, Florida, we have been working on several fronts to change the way we hire, place, support, evaluate, and compensate teachers and principals. The work is exciting, challenging, and all-consuming.
"Our desire to bring every good thing to our children is a force for good throughout the world. It’s what propels societies forward." —Melinda Gates
The Global Fund has helped to deliver more than 190 million bed nets to protect families from malaria.
"The world faces a clear choice. If we invest relatively small amounts, many more poor farmers will be able to feed their families." —Bill Gates, 2012 Annual Letter
"When it come to global health, Bill and I are optimists—but we're impatient optimists. Tremendous progress is being made. But there is still so much we're impatient to see done." —Melinda French Gates
In Senegal, 80% of households now have a bed net, helping the number of malaria cases there drop 50% in a single year.
©2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | <urn:uuid:2277dfca-c862-40c9-beab-11194cdc3b8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Authors/E/MaryEllen-Elia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933099 | 502 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Recent research and publications on public opinion
Joint Public Issues: The Lies We Tell Ourselves – ending comfortable myths about poverty Finds 13 million people, including 3.6 million children, are living in poverty in the UK (1st March).
Survation: Living Wage Poll shows 60% of the public support compulsory, universal Living Wage if it costs jobs. Working class voters were most likely to support this. (22nd February)
British Future: The State of the Nation survey ranked income inequality as the UK’s third most divisive issue. (13th January 2013)
Department for Work and Pensions: Charted public views on child poverty. (February 2013)
Grant Thornton: Survey by accounting firm says two thirds of bosses think senior executives are paid too much (20th August 2012)
Washington Post-ABC News. Poll showing the majority of Americans say unfairness in the economic system is a bigger problem than over-regulation of the free market (10th April 2012)
Survation: First UK Poll On Regional Public Sector Pay. Finds 28% think the proposal is fair while 56% say it is unfair (30th March 2012).
BIS: The Kay Review of UK Equity Markets and Long-Term Decision Making, Interim Report. Finds 83% of personal shareholders said “too much emphasis is placed on performance related pay” (29th February 2012)
ComRes: Political poll for the Independent. Shows a majority of people want George Osborne to increase taxes for the rich in next month’s Budget so he can take more low-paid workers out of tax. (28th February 2012)
ICM/ High Pay Centre: Executive pay survey. Public opinion poll finding that 70% are in favour of “binding powers” from shareholders to be able to block pay packages to top executives, and only 1% believe that senior bosses were worth the £4 million that they are earning (30th January 2012)
Bloomberg: Bloomberg Global Poll. Interviews with investors find most think income inequality hinders economic growth and 70% say it risks widespread social unrest (25th January 2012)
National Centre for Social Research: British Social Attitudes 28. Shows that, in 2010, 74% of people in England thought income inequality was too high (but most are sceptical about redistribution). Also finds that private education perpetuates a form of “social apartheid”, giving rise to a political class drawn from a “segregated elite” (7th December 2011).
European Commission. Special Eurobarometer – Social Climate. Finds the majority of Europeans say the way inequalities and poverty are addressed, is bad (January 2010). | <urn:uuid:de1ece9d-be0b-4b55-b97f-4c21a0e64382> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onesociety.org.uk/research/public-opinion/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950788 | 551 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Chuck DeVore, former California Assemblyman has moved to Texas and sings our praises, while pointing out the pitfalls of statist California:
Texas’ bureaucracy, excluding teachers, is 22 percent smaller as a portion of the population than is California’s, with every Texan paying about $467 a year for government retiree benefits, compared to California’s $1,105 in pension costs. Sky-high benefits for bureaucrats may soon cause the bankruptcy of Stockton, California’s 13th-largest city.
California has more government paper-pushers but Texas has 17 percent more teachers per capita, with educational outcomes favoring the Lone Star State. In fact, Texas K-12 schools perform consistently above the national average across age, racial, and subject matter areas, while California schools perform well below the national average.
To support its bloated government, California asks more of its taxpayers who pay 10.6 percent of their income to state and local government, above the U.S. average of 9.8 percent. Texans pay only 7.9 percent. | <urn:uuid:02a024b8-e73c-46db-aedc-67284454dcde> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wingright.org/2012/05/17/devore-how-californias-budget-blunders-led-to-my-divorce-from-the-golden-state-fox-news/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948702 | 219 | 1.609375 | 2 |
1 to 100 Years Project is an awesome portrait project by Belgian photographer Edouard Janssens in which he photographed 100 women and 100 men at each age between 1 and 100. His goal was to show the aging process in a positive manner and to provide an interesting visualization of the link between generations. He didn’t handpick the subjects either — all the participants volunteered through the project’s website (excluding the kids, of course).
Interestingly enough, Janssens himself appears in the project — his self-portrait can be seen at number 50 on the men’s side.
The photographs were also arranged into slideshow videos: | <urn:uuid:caab89c4-3f5a-4c22-891b-175d4e7e926c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://3parts.tumblr.com/post/24499821573/bobbycaputo-100-portraits-of-women-and-men | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969756 | 134 | 1.625 | 2 |
The idea for the Hee chairs derives from an ambition to make an eco-friendly chair where the materials are easily recyclable. Creating a chair from one single material has the environmental advantages of saving transportation between different production sites and simplifying the recycling of materials. The philosophy was taking an archetyppical chair – and perfecting it in every single detail by lifting the design up a level, simplifying it and improving the usability. The starting point was to make a cool and basic chair that would fit most locations – modern but not so typical of the period, that it does not have a long life. There is nothing superfluous or ornamented about the chair and nothing can be removed without losing the function. The chair has a playful expression but does not let the design compromise its purpose. The mentality of using-and-throwing-away is not in harmony with the environmental ambition. Balancing the construction was essential – as was combining aesthetics and function by finding exactly the right thickness of the metal wire. The chair is made from 11 mm metal wire and the form refers to a sketch - a pencil drawing in three dimensions. The Hee chair comes as a lounge chair, a dining chair and a barstool. It is, among other places being used in the new Oslo Opera and the Australian parliament. The chair is stackable and electroplated prior to the powder coating, and they withstand weather throughout the year making it suitable for an outdoor set up. | <urn:uuid:814aa525-7162-4882-89d3-537fb41426cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.finnishdesignshop.com/furniture-lounge-sofas-hay-hee-lounge-chair-hee-lounge-chair-white-p-3729.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966372 | 296 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Has anyone ever had a science birthday party for a kid? We're having my daughter's sixth birthday party next week and a scientist is coming from one of those party companies to do experiments. It's in the afternoon (2-4:30), so no lunch, just snacks.
I'm going to make this cake from Family Fun, but I am really stuck for other food ideas. I will do fresh fruit, probably on skewers with a fruit dip. And probably also some finger jello, though I'm not sure what shape. But other than that, I'm just not feeling inspired!
It seems like there should be lots of options but I can't think of any! Anyone out there ever done a party like this and have ideas?
BTW, my kid and most of the attendees are girls, so I'm trying to stay away from the "gross-out" varieties of sciency foods, although there are lots of those!
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Copyright © 2012
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All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our
Your California Privacy Rights). | <urn:uuid:cf359d41-1647-4158-bcad-12ae77bf1996> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?134584-Food-for-Science-Birthday-Party&p=1571739&mode=threaded | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963729 | 233 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Continued from here.
Tuesday, the third and final day of the conference, began with Conscription and Consequences. The panel was chaired by Robert Kenzer of the University of Richmond, who also commented on the papers. This could have been a subset of the Beleaguered Cincinnatus panel from the day before. First up was Christine Dee with “Now is a Time when Strange Men and Strange Things are in Vogue”: The Provost Marshal’s Agents and the Meaning of Local Resistance in Northern Communities. In this Dee detailed the processes by which communities resisted conscription and the provost marshals’ attempts to enforce it. Attempts by provost marshals to “embed” themselves in communities were resented by residents, and sometimes violence resulted, prompted by both citizens and the PMs. Also complicating enforcement were ethnic differences and contested citizenship. PMs during the war deputized locals and formed paramilitary bands to gather up deserters and evaders, and bounties were awarded. Even after the war, the PMs continued their activities in communities, not only in collecting deserters and evaders but also others who committed crimes against the military.
John Sacher’s paper, titled Confederate Substitutes and Principals: A Preliminary Analysis, covered a topic that is rarely discussed, that of the policy of the hiring of substitutes by men (principals) drafted into the Confederate army. While the policy was outlawed and all principals were subsequently ordered into the army, Sacher argues that the use of compliance of principals with the order as a sign of Confederate loyalty is a slim reed. Rockingham County, VA is the focus of Sacher’s study. (An interesting tidbit – at one point newspapers encouraged women to mail petticoats to principals.)
The 10:30 session was to be chaired by Ethan Rafuse, whose misadventures resulting in his inability to attend can be found here. Susannah Bruce, who was to comment, took on the additional duty of chairing The Influence of Military Operations on Politics and Policy in the Trans-Mississippi. I took more notes during this session than in any other, perhaps because it dealt with the Trans-Miss theatre, with which I am least familiar. Fellow blogger Drew Wagenhoffer would have been in heaven, I think. Terry Beckenbaugh started things off with The Economics of Race: Major General Samuel Ryan Curtis’ Policies toward African-Americans and Native Americans in the Trans-Mississippi, 1862-1864. Perhaps best known for his victory at Pea Ridge, Curtis was a Whig turned Republican who repudiated racial equality while at the same time believing that a person could not be property. As his Army of the Southwest marched through Arkansas (cutting his supply line and living off the land well before the idea occurred to the likes of Grant and Sherman), Curtis freed slaves and gave them confiscated cotton, thus vesting their interest in Union victory. Curtis believed that the possibility of being accused of inciting servile insurrection was worth the risk if his actions damaged the enemy. Later, Curtis’ treatment of the Indians when he moved further west was very severe, giving John Chivington justification for the Sand Creek Massacre when he said there could be “no peace until the Indians suffer more”. While contrabands were working toward the same end as Curtis – Union victory – the Indians were not; they were in the way.
Jeff Prushankin’s paper, Politics as War by Other Means: The Gray-Lewis Louisiana Congressional Campaign of 1864, examined yet another little discussed topic – the effect of the conduct of the war on political elections in the Confederacy. The war didn’t last long enough for the effect to be realized on a national level, but the Gray-Lewis campaigns illustrate how it manifested on a smaller scale. There was a good deal of conflict between Richard Taylor’s command in Louisiana and that of Edmund Kirby Smith’s in Arkansas – it would seem that Smith was behaving somewhat selfishly (I don’t know much about it, but imagine you can find out more in Jeff’s fine book which I have yet to read). Orders were given and disobeyed, reenforcements withheld, arrests made. Taking advantage of this Crisis in Confederate Command was Union general Nathaniel Banks. It was no surprise that the Confederate public took sides with Taylor or Smith. Two candidates for a vacant congressional seat emerged, with one being perceived to support Taylor (Henry Gray) and one Smith (John Langdon, though his camp denied any ties to Smith). The election turned into a referendum on Smith and Taylor, with the Taylor candidate (Gray) winning. Gray went to Richmond and presented evidence tying Smith to the illegal cotton trade, and the tide of public opinion turned decidedly against Smith across the Confederacy.
In Pressured on Every Side: Conflicts between Military and Civilian Priorities planning the Camden Expedition of 1864, Alfred Wallace (yet another Penn Stater) looked at the conciliatory policy practiced in Arkansas by Frederick Steele. Steele encouraged his troops to fraternize with the residents of Little Rock, where in 1863 there seemed to be a significant Union sentiment. While the ranks seemed to support Steele, his cavalry commander, Davidson, angry that Steele was breaking down his horses in frivolous races, claimed his conciliatory policy was folly and that only long-hidden Unionists were taking the loyalty oath. The rumor soon spread that Daniel Sickles was headed to Arkansas to displace Steele. While that didn’t come about, General James Blunt arrived in Fort Smith, found conditions unfavorable and began lobbying for Steele’s job. All of these factors affected planning for the upcoming Camden Expedition. Wallace seemed to feel much of the criticism of Steele was warranted.
I went once again to McGillan’s for lunch, alone this time as Dana had left that morning and Tom and Angela were visiting Independence Hall. After lunch I hit the book vendors once again, making four purchases at a hefty discount – it seems the booksellers were very anxious to move product as the conference came to a close.
For the final, 2:30 session of the conference I chose Gearing Up for the Civil War Centennial in the High School Classroom, chaired by Andrew Slap with coments by Ronald Maggiano of West Springfield High School in Virginia. This panel was organized by fellow blogger Kevin Levin, which makes this summary easy: his presentation is posted by him here, and he briefly recapped the conference here. I’ll let Kevin speak for himself, and just add that his paper, Using Ken Burns’s The Civil War in the Classroom, was superbly delivered and well received. James Percoco, whose book Summers with Lincoln I had just purchased upstairs, was next with Monumental Memories of the Sixteenth President. His PowerPoint slide presentation was an encapsulation of his book: Percoco uses the stories of seven important sculptures to tell the larger tale of Lincoln, the Civil War, and emancipation. After the session was over Mr. Percoco was kind enough to sign my copy of his book.
Afterwards I went out into the hallway and said my goodbyes. I made sure to again thank Carol Reardon to hepping me to the shindig - I was really glad I went. I took a quick circuit around the first and second floors one more time to get a last look at the fine artwork (I’ll talk about that and more in Part IV). Just before leaving, I was checking out a plaque memorializing the nine regiments raised by the Union League during the war. Kevin Levin crept up behind and whispered “Take a long look Harry; it’s probably the last time they’ll let us in this place.” For the most part, he’s probably right, but the League is absorbing the old Civil War and Underground Railroad Museum collection into its own impressive holdings and will house the whole thing in their building, which will be accessible by the public.
I walked to meet my ride to the airport at The Locust Bar at 9th & Locust, had a couple of cold ones, and was off to catch my 8:00 PM flight for Pittsburgh. It was a nice surprise to see Lesley Gordon sitting in the seat behind me, though that arrangement wasn’t conducive to much conversation.
All in all the Society of Civil War Historians first conference appeared to me a success, and I think I’ll keep my membership active with the intent to attend the 2010 conference in Richmond. I hope to see many of you there. | <urn:uuid:ffef0abd-4a20-4512-b0a7-695785e3e801> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bullrunnings.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/society-of-mostly-civil-war-historians-part-iii/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=a4d6f3de1a | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977757 | 1,784 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Mark Rasch at Security Focus is discussing whether there should be strict liability for data breaches so that those whose information is compromised may sue for damages: Strict liability for data breaches?.
I just recently gave this a bit of thought for an upcoming article for the Ontario division of the Canadian Bar Association's privacy section. Unless there is an actual misuse of the information leading to a loss, the biggest impediment under traditional tort law is going to be proving an actual injury. The tort of negligence requires there to be (i) a duty of care, (ii) a breach of the standard of care and (iii) an injury of some sort directly related to the breach. For most individuals whose information is lost, the injury is an increased likelihood of identity theft or other fraud, and quantifying that risk is mostly speculative. The courts of Canada generally have not been very amenable to compensating bare risks.
PIPEDA itslef contains provisions that allow an aggrieved individual to seek damages in the Federal Court, but there is no mention in the statute that it creates a strict liability tort or waives the usual requirement for demonstrating injury. So far, nobody has taken their complaint seeking damages that far.
We may get some clarity about this if the class action lawsuit against CIBC ever makes it to court in Ontario. Much of the injury claimed in the statement of claim relates to the time and expense related to more vigilant credit and account monitoring. (There is also a claim related to emotional distress and the class is seeking punitive damages.) Hopefully the court will address this question, if it does get to court.
While American legislators are thinking about this issue more than Canadians, it is worth thinking if there should be an entitlement to statutory damages for a failure to notify individuals if sensitive personal information (the disclosure of which can be harmful) is compromised without giving the individuals notice. This would avoid tussles in the court rooms and would give businesses some certainty of their actual exposure. We may even hear about it at the upcoming five year review of PIPEDA.
In the meantime, anybody advancing a claim under this sort of theory of liability will be taking a gamble on the possibility of recovering anything. | <urn:uuid:18ba7a02-d78c-40ea-ae52-fe38b2cd23ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.privacylawyer.ca/2006/02/strict-liability-for-data-breaches.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937974 | 447 | 1.75 | 2 |
This is rather off-topic, but there was a good question in the Rumors thread: PhoenixPhilly posed the plaintive ponderable, "(what the heck is a cat-bird's seat anyway?)"
The Internet is a marvelous tool, boys and girls:
>"...Red Barber announces the Dodger games over the radio and he uses those expressions....'sitting in the catbird seat' means sitting pretty, like a batter with three balls and no strikes on him."
Red Barber, for you non-baseball fans, was not a fictional character. He was a popular radio announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1940s and '50s. Barber had a musical, soft Southern accent that somehow seemed perfect for Dem Bums, and he in fact did use those Southern expressions. After he retired, he wrote about his long career in baseball in Rhubarb in the Catbird Seat. Barber claimed to have picked up the phrase from a fellow poker player. It's definitely Southern, and probably 19th century, but is officially listed as "origin unknown."<
Based on that description, I'm not sure that Gillick is actually in the catbird's seat - as of this writing, we still have Burrell and everyone knows we don't want him - but it's a nice place to shoot for. | <urn:uuid:817b9e7c-6cd3-458e-bfef-907dc63a4725> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thegoodphight.com/2006/12/7/1302/20221 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985162 | 271 | 1.703125 | 2 |
TUAW's Daily iPad App: Decibel Meter Pro
Have you ever wondered just how loud a noise is? During a recent review of the SoundJaw iPad accessory, I needed to see if it really increased the volume of the iPad's speaker. What did I use to measure the sound level for the review? The iPhone version of Decibel Meter Pro (US$0.99, universal), a fun -- and useful -- app to measure the max, peak, and average dB (decibel) levels associated with a sound source.
To use the app properly, you must point the iPad's microphone (it's at the very top between the power button and headphone jack) directly towards a sound source such as a speaker. The app shows four meters, all of which rotate so that they're always vertical. There's one that displays peak sound pressure level as a number, one for max, and one that displays an average. There's also a large combo needle-type gauge that displays both peak and average dB levels.
Decibel Meter Pro provides four separate frequency weightings -- A, B, C, and Z (unweighted). According to the built-in users guide, "these weighting filters emphasize or suppress certain aspects of a frequency spectrum compared to others." The A-weighting is used most commonly since it measures sound pressure level with more sensitivity at the higher frequencies, just like the human ear.
During my tests with the iPhone version of the app, I found myself confused about certain aspects of sound pressure measurement, so I decided to check with the folks at Salt Lake City-based Performance Audio who make Decibel Meter Pro. I'm always used to waiting for a few days for answers, so I was shocked and pleased when I received an answer in just minutes. The support for Decibel Meter Pro is some of the best I've ever seen for any app.
Thanks to the "install once, install everywhere" setup for universal apps, I am able to enjoy Decibel Meter Pro on both my iPad 2 and iPhone. I find myself using the app a lot. I have a little bit of tinnitus in my left ear, so I find myself concerned about loud noises. I've measured the crowd noise at a Major League Baseball game (86 dB), at my desk (52 dB), and in a favorite restaurant during a busy time (72 dB).
There are a couple of little things to be aware of. First, tapping on the screen or rubbing against the iPad case will bump up the Max dB reading, but you can lightly tap the Max dB meter to reset it and get a more realistic reading. The other oddity is that when you first launch the app, the Max and Peak readings are huge numbers. Keep watching the Peak reading for about 30 seconds, and you'll see that it resolves into a reasonable number. You'll need to tap on the Max dB meter to reset it from the huge number you'll see. Finally, the app is advertised as having a decibel reference chart (it's shown in the description), but it's not actually in the app.
At US$0.99, Decibel Meter Pro is a bargain. It's a great tool for anyone who is concerned about noise levels or who needs a tool for measuring just how loud the neighbor's barking dog is.
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- Twitter updates its OS X client | <urn:uuid:bf8794d0-a607-4324-9bba-3a3eb5583563> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tuaw.com/2011/07/05/tuaws-daily-ipad-app-decibel-meter-pro/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935753 | 777 | 1.515625 | 2 |
In 1987 Aina Parmelee opened an art gallery, in Fort Lauderdale, with a specific philosophy. Parmelee wanted to bring a little of the excitement of New York`s SoHo district to South Florida. Parmelee liked the foot-traffic society of New York City, with intriguing art galleries packed together one after the other.
Aina Parmelee was an art teacher turned full-time graphic artist whose works are included in permanent collections across the country. Mrs. Parmelee, was a 30-year resident of Pompano Beach, before passing away. She was a well-known sidewalk artist who sold her works at many local and regional art shows, including the Las Olas Arts Festival. | <urn:uuid:a049ae24-4f6f-445b-9b39-6a575f612aa1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://broward.org/ARTS/PUBLICART/PADTOUR/ARTIST/Pages/AinaParmelee.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954106 | 147 | 1.546875 | 2 |
On November 2, 1994, a memorandum was issued by Anthony R. Kane clarifying that a State is to use its own procedure for procurement of goods and services, including right-of-way services, in accordance with 49 CFR 18.36(a):
When procuring property and services under a grant, a State will follow the same policies and procedures it uses for procurements from its non-Federal funds. The State will ensure that every purchase order or other contract includes any clauses required by Federal statutes and executive orders and their implementing regulations.
49 CFR 18.36(a) allows States to determine the contracting method. FHWA is committed to affording States the maximum flexibility allowed by the regulation. We do not believe it is necessary to revise the delegation of authority on this matter, as it has been given to the States (and LPAs) through the Departmental regulation. This delegation is consistent with our Agency philosophy for program administration.
States are allowed to use various contracting methods, such as:
Issuance of 49 CFR Part 18 superceded previous FHWA guidance for Local Public Agencies (LPAs) procurement procedures. Mr. Kane's memorandum clarified that 49 CFR 18.37(a) requires the State to administer sub-grants to local governments in accordance with the State's own procedures. Local government subgrantees (LPAs and MPOs) are to follow procurement procedures specified by the State. In keeping with the State's overall responsibility to administer sub-grants, a State can allow a local agency to follow its own procedure, if found to be acceptable under State law and procedures. Purchase orders and contracts must include any clause required by Federal statutes and executive orders, and their implementing regulations.
One of the contracting methods allowed, the qualifications based negotiation, also known as procurement under the Brooks Act or A/E procurement, has been the subject of many recent discussions with right-of-way contractors. Qualifications based negotiation was used and widely accepted prior to 1972. Congress enacted the Brooks Act to clarify the legality of this procurement method. The Act provided the legal basis to use qualifications based negotiation for Federal procurement. Many States enacted similar laws (called mini-Brooks Acts) to provide a similar purpose, but with their own interpretations and/or limitations. There is nothing in the legislative testimony regarding intent to limit its use to only one profession. Nothing in the history suggests an attempt to mandate the use of this method for any purpose or profession.
The legislative history of the Brooks Act clarifies that this method of procurement is cost competitive and that its use protects the interests of taxpayers. It points out the need to look at overall or total costs to the taxpayer, including costs associated with loss of quality. It addresses the benefits to be gained by discussing alternate methods of delivery and new concepts during the qualifying stage.
Most States have laws that set the parameters for State procurement. The use of qualifications based procurement for right of way services is acceptable if a State's own procurement procedures allow such selection criteria.
Many States that are prohibited from using qualifications based procurement have found they can use the two step process that combines qualifications based negotiation with competitive bids. It qualifies as a competitive negotiation method. The first phase starts with a request for proposals. Discussions regarding qualifications, staffing, scheduling, delivery of a quality product, and work experience occur during the first phase. Often, three to five of the most qualified contractors are selected and are asked to submit a bid. The second step, the bidding process, qualifies this method as a competitive negotiation procurement.
A cooperative agreement between FHWA and the International Right-of-Way Association was signed in 1999 which provides expanded training opportunities for States, LPAs and consultants.
Apprentices and trainees are compatible with quality service. We encourage States and contractors to train new personnel in the right-of-way services field and include these personnel on contracts. In fact, we seek arrangements for FHWA right-of-way Professional Development Program participants to complete developmental assignments with right-of-way service contractors. | <urn:uuid:64de68f3-22c3-40f7-aa8d-6f848c58be88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/real_estate/practitioners/right-of-way/program_administration/fhwacgsc.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947483 | 827 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Solving the "fiscal cliff" problem won't mean the end of nasty political battles in Washington. The new Congress coming in January will probably be even more partisan than the last.
WASHINGTON — Whether or not the "fiscal cliff" impasse is broken before the New Year's Eve deadline, there will be no post-cliff peace in Washington.
With the political climate toxic in Congress as the cliff's steep tax hikes and spending cuts approach, other partisan fights loom, all over the issue that has paralyzed the capital for the past two years: federal spending.
The first will come in late February when the Treasury Department runs out of borrowing authority and has to come to Congress to get the debt ceiling raised.
The next is likely in late March, when a temporary bill to fund the government runs out, confronting Congress with a deadline to act or face a government shutdown. The third will possibly be whenever the temporary bill replacing the temporary bill expires.
While Congress is supposed to pass annual spending bills before the start of each fiscal year, it has failed to complete that process since 1996, resorting to stopgap funding ever since.
Influential anti-tax activist Grover Norquist predicted in an interview with Reuters that conservatives would wage repeated battles with President Barack Obama to demand budget savings every time the government needs a temporary funding bill or more borrowing capacity.
The so-called "continuing resolutions" to which a divided Congress has increasingly resorted to keep the government operating, provide a "very powerful tool" to pry out spending cuts, said Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.
Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee said he will not be satisfied until there are substantial cuts to federal retirement and healthcare benefits known as entitlements, producing savings in the $4.5 trillion to $5 trillion range.
"Unfortunately for America," said Corker, "the next line in the sand will be the debt ceiling."
Most observers see the $16.4 trillion debt limit as the true fiscal cliff in the new year because if not increased, it would eventually lead to a default on U.S. Treasury debt, an event that could prove cataclysmic for financial markets.
The Treasury Department said on Wednesday it would start taking extraordinary measures by Dec. 31 to extend its borrowing capacity for about two more months.
It was a deadlock over raising the debt ceiling in August 2011 that prompted a deficit reduction deal that led to a key fiscal cliff component, the $109 billion in automatic spending cuts on military and domestic programs.
If the fiscal cliff's spending cuts or tax increases are left even partly unresolved on Dec. 31, the political combat over them will carry over into the new Congress, possibly simultaneously with the debt ceiling debate.
"We would be pessimistic of a quick fix" if the deadline is missed, Sean West, head U.S. analyst at Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy, said in a note to clients. "The political climate will be poisoned. The new Congress will need time to settle in."
"We are concluding one of the most unsuccessful Congresses in history," Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., declared in a statement on Saturday, "noteworthy not only for its failure to accomplish anything of importance, but also for the poisonous climate of the institution."
Dingell, 86, is the longest serving member of the House, elected first in 1955.
Historically, bitter struggles in Congress like that over the fiscal cliff lead to further resentment and strife in a cycle of cumulative grudges that now spans nearly 30 years.
Many analysts and lobbyists in Washington believe the strife could get even worse because the new Congress convening on Jan. 3 will include fewer members from moderate or swing districts and more from districts tilted heavily to the left or the right.
Republicans in particular are likely to face their most serious re-election challenges in 2014 not from Democrats but from conservative Republicans challenging them in primary elections.
"Ironically," said a post-election analysis published by the law firm Patton Boggs, "the voters have elected a 113th Congress that may be even more partisan than the 112th."
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Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/msnnews | <urn:uuid:bf004aed-8c09-49b4-a412-283c92ffe396> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.msn.com/politics/analysis-after-fiscal-cliff-more-battles-new-cliffs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948788 | 899 | 1.671875 | 2 |
This Starcraft controller was designed as a contest entry. The goal of the contest was to provide a custom controller for the Starcraft Real-Time-Strategy game that shared some of the features seen in First Person Shooter controllers.
The design started as rough sketches. From the there button layout was prototyped before actually building a virtual model of the entire controller. A rendering of the model was submitted as a contest entry, and we’re glad it was also seen through to a physical device. This involved sending the design files off for 3D printing. What came back was painted and assembled to achieve the beautiful look seen above.
On the right is a stick that acts as the mouse controller. The buttons on the left are just the most necessary of Starcraft control keys. They all map to the appropriate keyboard keys and the device enumerates as an HID keyboard so no button mapping is necessary. That being said, a player does have the option of remapping if the layout doesn’t suit. | <urn:uuid:4919071d-f768-4a21-816a-c692edfed2a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hackaday.com/2012/07/10/custom-starcraft-controller/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+hackaday%2FLgoM+%28Hack+a+Day%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971615 | 202 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Each year, I read through the new Nielsen Co. statistics on coupon usage with great interest. It's a common misconception among non-coupon users that coupon shoppers have low incomes, are disadvantaged or are struggling financially and need to use coupons to get by.
Nothing could be further from the truth! According to Nielsen, the biggest users of coupons are Caucasian women under the age of 54 with college degrees and average incomes of more than $70,000 per year.
Take a moment to re-read that statistic. It contradicts just about every preconceived notion of a coupon shopper. What Nielsen calls "heavy coupon users" are mainly college-educated younger women with higher incomes.
Nielsen tracks even more categories of coupon shoppers, too. In the "coupon enthusiast" category, things start to get even more interesting. An enthusiast is defined as someone who uses 104 or more coupons in a six-month period, and enthusiasts accounted for 65 percent of all coupon use and 18 percent of all unit purchases last yea. Avid coupon users purchased nearly 20 percent of everything bought with a coupon last year.
Exciting stuff, no doubt. Coupon enthusiasts love coupons and use lots of them regularly. But here's another surprising statistic from the report. Just 22 percent of shoppers are responsible for 83 percent of all coupons redeemed last year. Aside from enthusiasts and heavy coupon users, the remaining 88 percent of shoppers used just 17 percent of the coupons redeemed.
So who's not using coupons? Often, it's people who could benefit from coupon savings the most. Of 100 shoppers who make less than $20,000 annually, just 1.6 use coupons to their best advantage.
Why lower-income shoppers don't use coupons much has always puzzled me. Coupons represent free money, and even if you're not a heavy user or enthusiast, the savings add up. But quoting from Nielsen's report, "In essence, the better-educated and more affluent consumers are much better at looking for deals, as they recognize the value of money."
My experience as a coupon workshop instructor seems to confirm the study. My Super-Couponing classes are consistently well attended, drawing a hundred or more people a night, and often have long waiting lists. But I also try to reach specific audiences that I feel might also benefit even more from coupon savings, and attendance at those workshops has surprised me.
Once, a library that had hosted Super-Couponing many times asked if I'd consider translating my workshop into Spanish. The library is located in a community with a large Hispanic population where many families struggle financially. Each time I taught Super-Couponing there, the library consistently filled its auditorium to capacity. The staff felt there would be great interest in a Spanish coupon class, too. I agreed to translate my workshop presentation and materials. On the day of the class, 17 people showed up - in a room that held 200.
A few months ago, I was asked to speak to a group of residents who live in public-assisted housing -- people on limited incomes, who presumably could use ideas for stretching a budget. The coupon class was promoted well to hundreds of residents. While I have become accustomed to walking into a room packed to the walls night after night, here I was quite surprised to see just three people in attendance.
Does this mean that the Spanish-speaking population or people on assisted living don't want to use coupons? Not necessarily - and I sincerely hope that the people who did attend these workshops were able to benefit from them. But there are certainly other reasons people don't use coupons. We'll discuss these in next week's column.
Jill Cataldo, a coupon workshop instructor, writer and mother of three, never passes up a good deal. Learn more about couponing at her web site, www.supercouponing.com. E-mail your own couponing victories and questions to [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:6b37f1ff-626f-4261-b2f4-366c1ef94431> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news-daily.com/news/2011/jan/25/coupon-shoppers-by-the-numbers-jill-cataldo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964915 | 807 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Posted: December 14, 2012
The term "right to work" has been in the news a lot this week. On Tuesday, Michigan became the 24th state to enact right-to-work legislation. It means unions can no longer require workers to pay full dues, even if they're working in a union shop.
Please follow our community discussion rules when composing your comments. | <urn:uuid:283c0e95-cf2f-4d61-94b0-a22546b2e80d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ideastream.org/news/npr/167230621 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972866 | 77 | 1.75 | 2 |
Wall Street, Coming to Your Town! (and Destroying It)
Photo Credit: Songquan Deng / Shutterstock.com
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This article originally appeared in Dissent Magazine.
The European debt crisis, and the ensuing austerity-fueled chaos, can seem to Americans like a distant battle that portends a dark future. Yet a closer look reveals that the future is already here. American austerity has largely taken the form of municipal budget crises precipitated by predatory Wall Street lending practices. The debt financing of U.S. cities and towns, a neoliberal economic model that long precedes the current recession, has inflicted deep and growing suffering on communities across the country.
In July 2012, Mayor Christopher Doherty of Scranton, Pennsylvania, reduced all city employees’ salaries to the minimum wage. With a stroke of his pen, wages for teachers, firefighters, police, and other municipal workers, many of whom had been on the job for decades, dropped to $7.25 per hour. The city, the mayor explained, simply could not pay them more. Ron Allen, who reported the story for NBC Nightly News, repeated this assessment. Cities like Scranton, he said, “just don’t have the money” to pay city employees more than the minimum wage. Officials blamed the crisis on a declining tax base, on reduced revenue from the state, and on public sector labor contracts that the city could no longer afford.
What does it mean to say that a former steel town in decline “just doesn’t have the money” to pay its bills? It means that it no longer has access to credit markets controlled by the big banks. For years, Scranton officials, like officials across the United States, have been selling municipal bonds to finance everything from basic services to development projects. Scranton’s problems careened out of control when they city’s parking authority threatened to default on its bonds. Wall Street responded aggressively by cutting off its credit line, and city workers paid a steep price. American-style austerity arrived in Scranton under the guise of budget cuts blamed on public employees, whose salaries and pensions had nothing to do with the economic crisis.
Scranton’s problems are hardly unique. Municipalities across the country are grappling with declining local tax revenue and reduced federal funding in an era when growth and development are equated with prosperity. This toxic mix has produced a $3.7 trillion municipal debt market, a revenue juggernaut for Wall Street. Municipal bonds are issued by virtually every city, county, and development agency in the United States. The number of taxpayer-backed bonds in circulation is five times higher than only ten years ago. This means that the world’s largest financial firms now hold the purse strings for everything from essential services like sewage treatment plants to large-scale developments such as sports arenas. Municipal bonds are extremely profitable for investors because they are tax-exempt and, like mortgages, can be packaged into securities.
How Did We Get Here?
Part of the municipal debt story can be traced to New York City’s 1975 fiscal crisis, when the city almost defaulted on its debt. New York was able to avoid bankruptcy at the last moment by issuing guaranteed bonds backed by public pension funds. As a result, the Emergency Financial Control Board, the municipal body that controlled the city’s bank accounts, was in the position of rewriting the social contract, exerting control over labor at every level. Union leadership agreed to the deal because they feared a bankruptcy filing would void labor contracts. Only after the city had disciplined the unions did the federal government move in with rescue loans.
New York City had been debt-financed since the 1960s. But the fiscal crisis of 1975 inaugurated a new funding paradigm for distressed municipalities: taxpayer-backed debt is issued to service the debt already on the books. American municipalities are now increasingly financed not with public money, but with private loans, and the pace of this shift has accelerated since 2008. The Center on Budget Policy and Priorities recently reported that thirty-one states will face unsustainable budget gaps in 2013. | <urn:uuid:fb9b49b1-b0dd-4bab-b020-881301de16e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alternet.org/economy/wall-street-coming-your-town-and-destroying-it | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953018 | 857 | 1.539063 | 2 |
I will say this: I found the book a fascinating, enjoyable and well-researched read. I was disappointed to see no mention of some of the newest cosmological theories, which, as they include information theory (the entropy of a black hole being connected with how many bits of information it has inhaled, for instance), seem inextricably connected to the current cultural zeitgeist - the basic thesis of the entire book being the "braiding of science and culture." But it's no great loss. There is plenty already.
The two stories I wanted to share begin with Georges Lemaitre. Lemaitre was an astronomer and physicist, the first to suggest a "Big Bang" (expansion) model for the universe, but also a Catholic priest. Lemaitre was thus more-than-averagely equipped to understand the connections between science and religion, and the dangerous weight that they could impress on one another. When Lemaitre learned in 1951 that Pope Pius XII gave full endorsement of the Big Bang cosmological model (as presented in the combined work of Lemaitre himself, Gamow, Alpher and others), his response is telling: he was "horrified." The pope proclaimed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences that "present-day science... has succeeded in bearing witness to the august instant of the primordial Fiat Lux.... Hence, creation took place.... Therefore God exists."
Lemaitre, understanding that any scientific hypothesis could be overturned if the data disagreed, traveled to Rome and "counseled the pope against linking the faith to any contingent scientific hypothesis" [pg 202]. Both science and religion were important to Lemaitre - so important, in fact, that he would not allow either one to direct or support the other. There's something to be learned here, even if the fans of Intelligent Design (and, in ironic fact, those vehemently opposed to ID) refuse to learn it.
The second story is about homeland security - long before the term "homeland security" existed. In the early 80's when Reagan was president, a burgeoning network of Earth-orbiting GPS satellites was finally coming into its own. More satellites were being launched throughout the 80's, but, at the time, GPS technology was limited to those with a security clearance: before 1983, GPS was entirely a classified military effort. But what happened next should be a lesson in how to correctly deal with international threats.
On September 1st, 1983, Korean Air flight 007, on the final leg of its journey from New York to Seoul, veered off course and strayed into Soviet airspace. Crossing over the Kamchatka Peninsula, the passenger plane was shot down by two Soviet fighter jets. All 263 passengers aboard were killed, including a US Senator. Reagan responded first with horror and outrage at the Soviets, but then did something which seems almost the opposite of his Republican legacy George W: he declassified GPS [pg 240]. Instead of responding to the perceived Soviet threat by tightening the leash on "secure" information (such as we do now, after 9/11), he made it openly and publicly available. And now, the Cold War is over and GPS is one of the most successful technologies out there. Perhaps we could learn by example and try opening up our files on nuclear energy.
I leave you with this thought from the book.
Rather than make claims of final theories, perhaps we should focus on our ever-continuing dialogue with the universe. It is the dialogue that matters, not its imagined end. It is the sacred act of inquiry wherein we gently trace the experienced outlines of an ever-greater whole. It is the dialogue that lets the brilliance of the diamond's infinite facets shine clearly. It is the dialogue that instills within us a power and capacity that is, and always has been, saturated with meaning.... With each step we gain a deeper sense of the awe and beauty that suffuse the universe's essential mystery. | <urn:uuid:42b086cb-445d-437d-b37b-a9efd59c2cf2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://missatomicbomb.blogspot.com/2012/04/its-about-time.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969128 | 815 | 1.632813 | 2 |
In a converted factory in New York’s Union Square neighborhood, a woman’s delicate voice floats from a spacious fifth-floor apartment outfitted as a music studio with a baby grand piano, microphones and sound system, and electric keyboards. Every so often, the voice halts, awaiting instruction.
A vocal student is practicing with vocal coach and singer Norma Garbo ’72. Garbo reveals that her studio is where she coached country star Taylor Swift and “American Idol” judge and songwriter Kara DioGuardi, and where the rock band Scissor Sisters currently trains.
Garbo was president of Cabrini’s Women’s Chorale for three years. She then attended Villanova University’s theatre program. The next summer, Garbo met her ex‑husband, a professional studio musician in New York, and packed her bags to move to the Big Apple.
Vocal lessons with renowned instructors helped refine her singing, and taught her how to read and write music. Soon she was booked to record advertising jingles. Then she landed backup gigs with superstars like Billy Joel, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, and disco artist Gloria Gaynor.
Garbo’s friend, composer Artie Resnick (who penned chart-topping hits “Under the Boardwalk” for The Drifters and “Good Lovin'” for The Rascals) in 1978 asked Garbo to provide vocal instruction for his wife, Susan.
She became Garbo’s first student, and Garbo’s practice grew by word-of-mouth. Today, Garbo’s students devote the first portion of each lesson with a series of 14 exercises that correct breathing and use the body to project the voice. Students then warm up singing scales with piano accompaniment. Students use the remainder of the 45-minute lesson to sing pieces they are preparing to perform, as Garbo coaches them on proper position of the jaw and tongue, pronunciation, and vocal techniques.
Garbo credits her Cabrini education—including a minor in secondary education and student teaching experience—with giving her the confidence and ability to become an instructor.
“Cabrini brought me to the point where I knew I could teach,” Garbo says. “Teaching is similar to performing. Whether it’s a great song or words of wisdom, unless you grab your audience’s ear, you can’t be heard.”
In the late 1980s, the Manhattan School of Music contacted Garbo regarding an open position as instructor of jazz and pop music. She accepted, and was a faculty member for 16 years. While teaching, she continued to perform at high-profile venues such as the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Mass.; the 1989 Inaugural Ball for President George H.W. Bush; and upscale Manhattan hotels such as The Plaza, The Waldorf-Astoria, and The Pierre.
One of Garbo’s former students from the Manhattan School is launching the International Music College from her hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, and she appointed Garbo head of the commercial vocal department. In her new role, Garbo soon will be teaching voice—via Skype—to students all over the world.
Today, Garbo sings with a few notable orchestras in New York, including The Peter Duchin Orchestra. She says it keeps her fresh because it provides variety.
“On these jobs, I do music from the Great American Songbook to rock ‘n’ roll and R&B,” says Garbo. “I get to do a whole gamut of styles.”
And after more than three decades, Garbo says she still beams when a student uses the knowledge she tries to impart, and improves vocally. “To see a student grow to the extent where they become a star, or become better than their potential, is so rewarding,” she says.
“The Norma Garbo Technique,” a comprehensive vocal lesson, is available on CD. For information, contact | <urn:uuid:9e409827-de88-4415-a536-a156b9586531> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cabrini.edu/About/Profiles/A-World-of-Good/Norma-Garbo.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951053 | 855 | 1.703125 | 2 |
I hate glomming on to a blog chain, but I’m going to link to AIGameDev’s article on an article (which may very well be about an article.) The title is Watching Level Designers Use Scripts to Disable Your Autonomous AI: Priceless – which just about covers it. Alex does a nice job of not just reporting on it, but explaining the mindset and even the things to watch out for.
Regular readers of my other blog, Post-Play’em will know that I talked about the idea of scripts over-riding AI behaviors in Call of Duty 2 in a post entitled Call of Duty 2: Omniscience and Invulnerability. Specifically, this was in reference to one of the behaviors mentioned in the other article where an AI agent takes on a temporary god-like quality of invulnerability until such time as he finishes a scripted event – at which time he is no longer important to the level designer’s wishes and is cast back into the pot of cannon fodder so that I can mow him down properly.
Getting back to the initial topic, my thought is that part of the issue between artists/level designers and programmers may very well be that the level designers don’t have a trust in the capabilities of autonomous AI agents… or even and understanding of what could be done with them.
For example, with the use of goal-based agents such as those found in F.E.A.R. (related post), rather than a designer saying “I want the bot to do A then B, then C on his way to doing the final action of D.” he could simply tell the goal-based agent that “D is a damn good goal to accomplish.” If constructed properly, the agent would then realize that a perfectly viable way of accomplishing D would be via A-B-C-D. The difference between these two methods is important. If C is no longer a viable (or intelligent looking) option, then the scripted bot either gets stuck or looks very dumb in still trying to accomplish D through that pre-defined path. The very nature of planning agents, however, would allow the agent to try to find other ways of satisfying D. If one exists, he will find it. If not, perhaps another goal will suffice.
The problem is, while AI programmers understand this concept (especially if you are the one who wrote the planner for that game), level designers and particularly artists, may not have an intuitive grasp on this. They are cut more from the cloth of writers – “and then this happened, and then this, and then it was really cool when I wrote this next thing because I wanted the agent to look smart, and then this…” That is being a writer - and is why many games continue to be largely linear in nature. You are being pulled through an experience on a string of scripted events. (See related post on Doom 3′s scripting vs. AI)
So, can the problem of designers trumping AI programmers be solved? It will always be there to some extent. But education and communication will certainly help the matter. | <urn:uuid:35d6c131-2b2b-427b-93f7-151890ff64c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://intrinsicalgorithm.com/IAonAI/2008/01/level-designers-trumping-ai-programmers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969614 | 649 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The new year began with some political drama, as last-minute negotiations attempted to avert sending the nation over the "fiscal cliff." Technically, we actually did go over the cliff, however briefly, as a host of tax provisions and automatic spending cuts took effect at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2012. However, January 1, 2013, saw legislation--retroactively effective--pass the U.S. Senate, and then later the House of Representatives. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) permanently extends a number of major tax provisions and temporarily extends many others. Here are the basics.
Managing investment risk is the most important factor in developing your portfolio. Projected or expected returns are meaningless if not viewed through the lens of potential risks.
Managing investment risk involves several steps:
• Identifying your Risk Profile
• Identifying investment risks
• Matching your investment portfolio risks to your Risk Profile
• Monitoring and adjusting your portfolio to match changes in your Risk Profile, goals and time horizons.
Before you file that copy of your tax form in the back of the drawer, spend a few minutes to see what it can tell you about your finances. You can quickly see how much you are spending, paying in taxes and saving for the future. This is valuable information to see if you are moving closer to your future financial goals. Here is how to do it...
"Financial planning is investing"
Although investing is one component of good financial planning, it is not all about investing. Financial planning includes spending & saving (budgeting), risks management, investing, insurance, estate planning and more. While you might not need to get involved with these topics at each point in your life, most people encounter them at some point. Early in life, managing your cash flow to create savings is critical. Without savings, there is nothing to invest. Likewise, managing risk to avoid catastrophic losses will help you retain what your investments have grown. Looking at all parts will help you develop a successful plan.
People who are concerned about outliving their assets...
What is your "Number" and how you will manage it?
How much do I need to be able to retire comfortably?
I'm retired - What is the best way to obtain the income I need from my assets?
A multi-Billion dollar Ponzi scheme based in New York - No surprise; there are lots of questionable financial whizzes on Wall Street.
$350 Million lost to an investment firm in Sarasota - Now that is news! How soon we forget that some advisors, even those close to home, may not be good for our financial health. Remember 2007 when Capital 1st Financial was found to be defrauding seniors? Or some recent real estate investments?
It is January. After another tumultuous year, we have a fresh start on the calendar and for many a desire to improve their financial security.
People who thought they were doing the right things, investing conservatively and living within their means, found they are paying for the sins of others. The price of gasoline hit all time highs and then plummeted to less than half within six months. If we didn't believe we were tied together economically, last year erased any doubt. We also found that many we trusted with our money were not so concerned with our well-being. It proved a difficult year in which to protect our loved ones.
Ask 10 people what a financial planner does and you're likely to get 10 different answers.
The trouble is, all of the answers may be correct, depending on the financial planner. I'm not going to attempt to answer the question for other financial planners. I'm going to tell you what Tom Roberts does at A New Approach Financial Planning.
First, I'm not in competition with the financial planners or advisors that only accept high net worth clients. Many planners will only accept clients if they have a minimum level of investable assets or income. I'm after the everyday, middle income person or family that may have a large amount to invest or nothing to invest.
Personal Finance Workbook for Dummies by Sheryl Garrett
The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin | <urn:uuid:1e3f5f17-f9a9-47e9-8d06-bed7352a419b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.anewapproachfp.com/news-a-tips/financial-planning | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959817 | 884 | 1.742188 | 2 |
A Quinnipiac University survey released Thursday showed that 92% of respondents support expanding background checks to all gun sales. In households with guns, support was 91%.
However, a majority of households with guns opposed a renewed ban on semi-automatic weapons, while the full survey showed 56% of respondents backed the provision.
The poll also found that 46% of respondents believe the NRA better reflects their views on guns, compared to 43% for Obama.
Diverse views in America
Obama acknowledged on Thursday that Americans have diverse views on the issue, depending on where they grew up and how they live.
"There are different realities and we have to respect them," he told House Democrats at their policy retreat, noting rural hunters and urban dwellers come from distinct gun cultures.
At the same time, the president called for action, saying "there are commonsense steps we can take and build a consensus around, and we cannot shy away from taking them."
Earlier this week, White House spokesman Jay Carney made clear that the goal was progress on reducing gun violence, rather than any specific provision.
Carney called proposals backed by legislators from both parties "the first progress we've seen in many, many years dealing with gun violence." But none of the measures he mentioned -- expanded background checks, cracking down on gun trafficking, criminalizing "straw" purchases in which legal buyers obtain weapons for those unable to do so -- included a new ban on semi-automatic weapons.
NRA President Bob Keene said he expected few substantive changes in law because "people are smarter than politicians," which means "common sense ultimately prevails." | <urn:uuid:50fb3ebf-1463-4f83-bacc-f4de021a659e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wesh.com/news/politics/Gun-legislation-moving-away-from-weapons-ban/-/11788048/18468734/-/item/1/-/r9o6bp/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97232 | 330 | 1.609375 | 2 |
CNN recently ran a story showing that most Americans have taken a break from Facebook for several weeks or more.
Personally, I spend most of my waking hours on a computer (either at work or home), and hardly ever stray more than a few steps away from my cell phone. But when I think about many of my favorite memories, a lot of them have nothing to do with a computer or cell phone.
So, have you ever taken a Tech Timeout™? Something as simple as turning off the cell phone at dinner with your significant other or family is a pretty easy way to start.
Here is the challenge: Pledge to turn off all the technology in your home (yes, even your cellp hone), for at least ONE HOUR a day, and get to know your family better. | <urn:uuid:c7478198-6682-4b83-84d5-82d42682476a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lowersouthampton.patch.com/blog_posts/tech-timeout-starts-this-week-in-pennsylvania | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971252 | 162 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Censorship and self-censorship take centre stage in a first of its kind conference taking place in Sarajevo, 13 – 14 October as the state of (independent) public service broadcasting, challenges to the legal environment and the economic constraints of media and employment conditions for members of the media in South Eastern Europe are explored in a conversation led by the OSCE.
“Politicians must understand that media are not their private property,” said the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović at the event.
“On the contrary, any democracy relies on media as a watchdog for governments and businesses,” said Mijatović.
Back in April 2011 the Friedrich Ebert Foundation – Regional Project South-East Europe commissioned the Institute of European Media Law to conduct a study not only to explore the market and legal conditions of the media sector in the countries concerned, but also identify suitable remedies that could be suggested in order to help improve, and overcome possible shortcomings in, the situation actually encountered.
In the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina for example Radenko Udovicic found that despite 11 daily newspapers and 20 periodic publications, “there is no law which directly regulates the operation of press media outlets. Newspapers are registered at cantonal and entity
level. The issue of journalistic professionalism and ethics is resolved through the Press Code of BiH, based on self-regulation,” says the report.
“This region has seen enough fragmentation and incitement to discord. The media play a leading role in promoting intercultural understanding and reconciliation in defending their own freedom,” the OSCE Representative sought to underline.
The OSCE Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media in cooperation with the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina are the patrons of this “OSCE South East Europe Media Conference in Sarajevo”, held in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 13-14 October 2011.
Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Fletcher M. Burton, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH and Peter Sorensen, Head of EU Delegation/EUSR BiH gave openning remarks.
Journalists, academics and expats in South East Europe gathered to discuss challenges and ways forward hoping to contribute to raising awareness among decision makers and help identify possible solutions to the problems.
All details on the conference can be found here: oscebih.org/Page.aspx?pageid=8&lang=EN
A first conference, was ended with a first joint and signed declaration of all present, “On the Road to Media Freedom.”
Let’s revisit this with time to see if progress is made as further Blakan nations get green lighted for accession talks to the EU (see Montenegro, 12 October).
Also, interesting to watch will be Al Jazeera’s future influence in the region, after several hiccups, it opens its doors to offices in Sarajevo, Zagreb and Belgrade on November 1, sources in Sarajevo have reported to Eurocentrique.
Alia Papageorgiou in Brussels | <urn:uuid:515fa969-fe81-4832-bdda-668061da9fde> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eurocentrique.com/2011/10/14/sarajevo-osce-delves-into-se-eus-media-self-censorship/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935186 | 673 | 1.78125 | 2 |
CRS: Proposed U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement, April 18, 2007
Wikileaks release: February 2, 2009
Publisher: United States Congressional Research Service
Title: Proposed U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement
CRS report number: RS21846
Author(s): Martin A. Weiss, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Date: April 18, 2007
- U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick signed the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on September 14, 2004. The implementing legislation was passed by the House on December 7, 2005, and passed by the Senate and cleared for the White House on December 13, 2005. The agreement was signed into law by the President on January 11, 2006, as the United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (P.L. 109-169). Under the agreement, all bilateral trade in consumer and industrial goods will be duty free and 98% of U.S. agricultural exports will be duty free. The FTA is to support economic reform, both within Bahrain, and throughout the Middle East. | <urn:uuid:2c5c5128-65cd-4edb-a805-acd046601e46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wikileaks.org/w/index.php?title=CRS:_Proposed_U.S.-Bahrain_Free_Trade_Agreement,_April_18,_2007&oldid=54099 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940843 | 235 | 1.796875 | 2 |
In today’s Irish Independent there is an article by Celine Naughton entitled “Why women shouldn’t think of abortion as a ‘dirty little secret”. The article is about a new website which has been set up by two women Lynn Coles and Bernadette Goulding and which aims to provide support to women who are struggling after having had an abortion.
Bernadette Goulding is quoted as saying “we can’t change the past, but we can spare people years of suffering and help them move forward to a brighter future.” A good idea surely. Not according to the National Women’s Council of Ireland.
The article quotes Susan McKay, director of the NWCI as saying “the NWCI supports a woman’s right to choose. Abortion is a serious undertaking and women don’t go into it lightly but for many it is the right decision. And while there may be sorrow, there is no need for remorse or regret.”
This position of the NWCI underlines beautifully one of the fundamental problems with the feminist movement in Ireland. It does not embrace all women. Just like the constant campaigning for better child care and shared parenting, we hear little about supporting women who choose to take a break from the world of work to stay at home and look after their children. It seems to be assumed that all women want the same thing. That we all define ‘success’ in the same way – and we don’t.
Now it seems that our reaction to abortion should be the same – no remorse, no regret. Women (like men) are not a homogenous group. We are not all the same. I am not at all surprised that some women feel deep hurt and regret after an abortion. Why are these emotions not considered a valid response to a huge event in a woman’s life?
I support a woman’s right to choose – in every sense. In her choice of work, in her choice of childcare and I certainly would wish to see women who are hurt by abortion being supported in their journey back to wellness.
As I have written before, march on sisters but remember many of us are hearing a very different drum. | <urn:uuid:886567cb-d501-4fab-88d0-046e32864fd0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://barbarascully.blogspot.com/2011/07/national-some-womens-council.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969149 | 462 | 1.640625 | 2 |
'Things To Do' Index |
is internationally known for it's active lifestyle and abundance of great
activites. Quite simply, Colorado is a wonderland of things to do; we
couldn't possibly mention them all. The State's freeway systems can quickly
take you to anywhere in the state. Obviously the state has some mountains
and weather so one should allow more travel time during snowy days or
nights. Nevertheless, there are innumerable activites that can be accomplished
in a single day. This state offers boating at the Pueblo Reservoir, camping
in several National Forests, skiing world class champagne powder at over
40 resorts, "Classic" rock climbing routes, hunting, fishing,
mountain biking, golfing, and countless other activities.
arts and humanities are also well supported here in Colorado. The state
boasts hundreds of venues with a wide array of offerings. Classic art
is on Display at the Denver Muesuem of Art. The Natural History museum
is home to a large dinosaur bone collection and plays regional host for
traveling exhibits such as Ramses II. There is also a vast offering of
Pioneer, Indian, mining and other local history preserved at the original
sites. The Golden Pioneer Musuem and El Pueblo Museum located near Colorado
Springs are just two examples.
The mountains offer Coloradans a unique musical atmosphere with the mountains
themselves used as
amphitheaters for a majesticly beautiful setting. Red Rocks amphitheater
has been host to symphonies, rock and roll, country western, and all other
types of music concerts. Red Rock is a nationally renowned venue, playing
a full schedule every summer.
Feel like amusement? You are in luck, there are plenty of places to go.
North Pole City, located outside Colorado Springs, has Christmas all year
round. Six Flags Elitch Gardens is located in Denver, as well as Lakeside
Amusement Park. Places to cool off in the water are also available. Elitches
has a water park and Waterworld is recognized as one of the largest parks
in the nation. | <urn:uuid:914c775a-ccdd-413a-af60-f56a554d4640> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.realestatebroomfieldcolorado.com/things.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942814 | 447 | 1.695313 | 2 |
By Sikivu Hutchinson
In the 1990s, The O.J. Simpson murder trial polarized America and highlighted domestic violence as a national cause célèbre. At the center of the storm was Simpson’s wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, a blond, Orange County-bred woman who’d suffered years of domestic abuse by NFL legend O.J. Simpson, deified as a pop culture god. After Simpson was acquitted of murdering Brown Simpson, white America wanted his scalp. Nicole was the perfect victim, the beautiful tragic heroine who died too young at the hands of a savage. The so-called “trial of the century” hinged on redeeming a white woman’s honor and bringing her Negro killer to justice. Brown Simpson was grieved globally, and transformed into a symbol of the deadliness of intimate partner violence and martyr of a legal system—signified by the “dumb” biased black female jury that acquitted Simpson—run amok.
The underside of the verdict and the global valorization of Nicole Brown Simpson was the disreputable black female abuse victim. Each year thousands of black women are shot, stabbed, stalked, and brutalized in crimes that never make it on the national radar. Black women experience intimate partner violence at a rate of 35% higher than do white women. Intimate partner violence is a leading cause of death for black women, yet they are seldom viewed as proper victims and are rarely cast as total innocents. This is the backdrop to the tale of a group of white high school students in New York who thought it would be cool to don blackface and reenact the 2009 beating of pop star Rihanna by Chris Brown at a pep rally.
Like the gleefully bloodthirsty white audiences that gathered to view 20th century lynchings, there has always been a robust market for white consumption of black pain. A big part of the white audience’s glee came from not seeing Rihanna as a proper victim. For white Middle America, intimate partner violence is only funny as spectator sport if the person being beat is viewed as other. From the right wing’s Moynihan-esque propaganda on black welfare queen matriarchs to recent abortion-as-black-genocide messaging, black women’s bodies are fair game for institutionalized acts of violence, terrorism, and control. So for a lily white school to find the brutal beating of a black woman hilarious is par for the course in a misogynist white supremacist culture that deems black women less than human.
There is a deep connection between the current backlash against human rights for women and the white kids’ pep rally. During the recent presidential debate, gender justice issues were reduced to hollow rhetoric about equal pay. Mitt Romney prattled on about having “binders full of women” while President Obama tried to link the provisions of the Affordable Care Act with improving employment opportunities and equal pay for working women. Although Obama rattled off a few vital health and family planning services provided by Planned Parenthood, the GOP assault on abortion rights went unmentioned. Violence against women comes in many forms, and by ramming through law after law of draconian anti-abortion, fetal homicide, and “personhood” policies through state legislatures nationwide the GOP has become the foremost lynch mob of civil rights. As the poorest, least compensated women in the workforce, women of color suffer disproportionately from the dismantling of reproductive health care. But they are also brutalized by both parties’ promotion of corporate handouts, tax cuts for the wealthy, and denigration of social welfare programs that specifically target poor and low income families.
Yet, violence against women of color is so far outside of the radar of social justice organizations, much less the context of mainstream politics, that it even elicits little outrage amongst many young women of color. Over the past few years, whenever I have classroom discussions about the Chris Brown/Rihanna incident students roll their eyes and snort in exasperation. Some girls dismiss the issue as an endless rehash. More insidiously, others express the view that Rihanna was somehow complicit in her own beating. She must have done something, she must have hit him first, she must have provoked it in some way with her mouth, attitude, body—is the typical blame-the-victim refrain.
Not seeing themselves portrayed as worthy of human dignity, respect, and value has inured them to the unrelenting violence of explicitly anti-black anti-female media images. According to a Pitzer College study, girls who are consistently exposed to “sexist violent rap videos were more accepting of teen dating violence.” Training young women of color to come to voice, to identify the normalized violence that they experience on a daily basis, is one of the biggest challenges of feminist of color organizing. Critiquing the pep rally incident, my Women’s Leadership Project students all agreed that the brutal beating of a Taylor Swift, a Britney Spears or even a Nicole Brown Simpson wouldn’t fly as spectator sport at a black high school. The tragedy is that they all believed that Chris Brown’s beating of Rihanna would.
Sikivu Hutchinson is the author of Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars and the forthcoming Godless Americana: Race and Religious Rebels. | <urn:uuid:131478c6-376c-46ce-98c9-a20e206d784f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thefeministwire.com/2012/10/the-spectator-sport-of-bashing-black-women/ | 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 | 0.951621 | 1,103 | 1.78125 | 2 |
In these troubled and uncertain times we need stories of love between people and across cultures. Orestes, from Greece to Australia is one such tale, simply and beautifully told by accomplished writer Ann Tregenza.
Orestes is a strong yet sensitive young Greek man who migrates to Australia in the 1950s. Like the albatross, Orestes travels great distances across water, imbued with strength and determination. Another thing Orestes and the albatross have in common is that they choose a partner for life? but who will Orestes choose?
"I first met Ann in 1969 at the historic first Writers Retreat that I organised at the University of New England. She had been selected from a large field along with Frank Hardy, Judith Wright, Kenneth Slessor and Les Murray and held her own with them. She continues to be extraordinarily productive and versatile. Reading Ann?s work is a rewarding investment in Australian literature. She is a remarkable writer."
Dr Derek Whitelock, author and former academic
"This has captured the Greek?s passion for his homeland, the spirit of his traditions and the determination to make good."
Mary Michaelides, Australian of Greek Parentage | <urn:uuid:f7f43a53-0f74-49a2-9a31-ce0a074fa6e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sidharta.com/books/index.jsp?uid=88 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962092 | 246 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Carlin Robinson, 12, walks from her grandmother’s car to the school bus in Manchester, Ky. Her house can be seen in the background. A study published in 2010, investigating high obesity rates in the town found that residents used cars to minimize walking distance, to the detriment of their health.
Photograph by Linda Davidson / The Washington Post via Getty Images.
Yall, read this.
I’m convinced the fact I literally cannot walk as a simple part of my daily routine, that I physically cannot walk to work, or the store, or the coffee shop, in my current living situation, is among the primary causes of the stress and anxiety that never leaves me totally alone. | <urn:uuid:056190b7-e6ba-4fad-bfbe-c3d8bca89b7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bradleywarshauer.tumblr.com/post/21033542481/carlin-robinson-12-walks-from-her-grandmothers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950561 | 144 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Thanks to Francesco Fullone, The Cosenza Exchange is proud to have the Catasto from Vacarizzo which was completed in 1753. These records will allow the descendants of Montalto to go back even further to research their ancestry. During the time period this Catasto was completed the frasioni of Vacarizzo was called Baccarizzo. If your wish to view the Catasto in it's original form you may view it here.
It is important to make a note about the surnames in this Catasto. There are a number of surnames in this Catasto that are spelled different than surnames in later years. For example, Leonetti is spelled Lionetti (there are also a few diLionetti names) in this Catasto. Some surnames have di or d' added to the beginning of the name. Names like Filippo can be diFilippo in this Catasto. Please check multiple spellings of the surnames you are searching for and check the index page for under the letter D to see if your surname had a d' or di during this time period. If the surname you are searching for begins with De like DeLuca, DeSeta, etc. you will find your ancestors under diLuca, diSeta, etc.
The first section of the Catasto is the general catasto. This includes normal households of Baccarizzo citizens who were born and living there.
The "Forastieri" section literally translated means stranger. Abitanti indicates that although these people were not born in Montalto, they were living there at the time this Catasto was done. This section of the catasto lists citizens in Montalto, but not born there. Where their place of birth is indicated, It is listed on the page. | <urn:uuid:a33c039d-82ed-4099-8004-a94658e707cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cosenzaexchange.com/montaltouffugo/vaccarizzo/catastoindex.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958913 | 385 | 1.84375 | 2 |
| ||Poll: More Republicans now say Afghan war not worth fighting|
The Washington Post
By Scott Wilson and Jon Cohen
[Printer Friendly Version]
A majority of Republicans say for the first time that the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll that comes as the continuing U.S. presence in that country is emerging as a key point of contention in the presidential race.
The poll findings are likely to present a challenge for Republican front-runner Mitt Romney, who has said that the goal in Afghanistan should be to defeat the Taliban on the battlefield.
President Obama stepped back from that goal during his 2009 strategy review and has set the end of 2014 as the departure date for all U.S. combat forces.
Overall, the Post-ABC News poll reflects a country bone-weary of war after more than a decade of fighting in Afghanistan and, until late last year, an almost nine-year engagement in Iraq.
Public support for the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan has fallen to an all-time low, with only 30 percent of respondents saying it has been worth fighting.
Since the 2001 invasion, almost 2,000 U.S. troops have been killed and more than 15,000 have been wounded in Afghanistan. According to the poll, two-thirds of Americans think the war has not been worth fighting, equaling the most negative public assessments of the U.S. war effort in Iraq.
Although foreign policy has been a peripheral issue in the presidential campaign, the poll’s findings highlight the difficulty Obama and Romney face in explaining U.S. policy to an increasingly war-weary electorate.
Obama, who announced the deployment of 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan at the end of 2009, is now drawing down those forces with the goal of turning over security responsibilities to Afghan troops by the end of next year. The president intends to bring home all U.S. combat troops by the end of 2014 — and he is tapping into the nation’s war fatigue on the campaign trail.
“For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq,” Obama told an audience in Hollywood, Fla., at a campaign fundraising event Tuesday. “And we’ve begun to transition in Afghanistan to put Afghans in the lead, bring our troops home.”
But Romney, whose résuméis thin on foreign-policy experience, has criticized Obama’s management of the Afghanistan war.
In particular, the former Massachusetts governor has said that he would have listened more closely to his commanding generals, who have urged Obama to keep troops in place longer, and not set a specific timeline for withdrawal. Romney says that Obama’s doing so has allowed the Taliban to simply wait out the U.S. military.
“The governor’s position is that Americans are understandably tired of this war, and he recognizes that, in the end, the Afghan people have to prevail,” Richard S. Williamson, a senior foreign policy adviser to the Romney campaign, said in a recent interview. “But we have handicapped them by setting early withdrawal dates, by not being able to forge a more stable NATO coalition and by not broadening the political base in the country.”
The war effort has been rocky, and Obama at times has had trouble convincing his political advisers that Afghan President Hamid Karzai is a trustworthy partner in a risky endeavor to change the course of the war.
As public support for the war has faded — except for the ephemeral bump that followed the killing of Osama bin Laden — Obama heads toward November with Afghanistan as an uncertain asset in his reelection bid.
The Post-ABC News poll found that 48 percent of the public support his handling of the war and that 43 percent disapprove.
Almost two weeks after he outlined his surge policy at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in December 2009, a Post-ABC News poll found that a slight majority approved of Obama’s management of the war.
For Romney’s campaign, the slip in Republican support for the war could pose political difficulties, placing him outside the majority view of his party. For the first time, more Republicans and GOP-leaning independents oppose the war than support it, with 55 percent saying it has not been worth the costs.
The findings come a month after a U.S. soldier is alleged to have killed 17 Afghan civilians in what witnesses said was a house-to-house rampage. The soldier, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, had deployed three times to Iraq before arriving in Afghanistan in December.
The poll found that Americans are unsure about what, if anything, the incident reveals about the toll of the war on U.S. troops.
But eight in 10 of those polled say there should be limits on how long service members can be deployed to combat areas. | <urn:uuid:9dc4deb5-0918-470c-8803-cee2102c3658> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.e-ariana.com/ariana/eariana.nsf/allDocs/AED51C7A315AA5EA87257A380027EE70?OpenDocument | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966582 | 1,010 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Do you (or someone you know) have a chest illness? CHSS is here to help you!
This section provides information about:
- Your lungs and how you breathe
- The most common chest conditions: what they are and how you may feel
- Tests and treatments for chest conditions
- Living with a chest condition: tips to help you look after yourself and control your symptoms
- Where to get help
How CHSS can help you
- You can talk, in confidence, to one of our Advice Line nurses
- You can order / download health information resources: including booklets and factsheets
- You can get support in the community through our Affiliated Chest Groups and our (pilot) COPD Support Service
Find out how CHSS helped Jack after he was diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). | <urn:uuid:5fd5d048-49df-4c3e-98a6-55fee8beff53> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chss.org.uk/chest/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946385 | 176 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Ant House by Makinohara: Minimalist and Simple Home Designing
Ant House by Makinohara is a simple home design perfect for you who looking for a fresh design. Makinohara-based design studio mA-style Architects has designed the Ant House project. Completed in 2012, this minimalist house located in Shizuoka, Japan. Japanese studio mA-style architects have completed a metal-clad house with a smaller wooden house inside. The outer wall of black covers the whole cube, and that screens the visual field completely. The ambiguous space has been created devoid of partitions to make free use of the space and enable the home dwellers to constantly see each other during daily life, which goes against the typical preconceptions of a Japanese home. Through the heavy door, the space turns into a yellow color covered by larch plywood. It seems that the world changed. It looks like a cool hiding place. A perimeter corridor lined with nooks and cubbyhole storage leads towards the dining area and kitchen in the rear of the home.
The minimalist Ant House by Makinohara belongs to a married couple and their three children. The playhouse-like structure has a gabled rooftop that just skims the uppermost ceiling of the two-storey residence in Makinohara, which itself is a rectilinear box. The space also enables us to see each other. The space that has no partition does not have usual conception as a room. A primary stairway leads to the upper level master bedroom and children’s area which parallel the free space.
Ant House by Makinohara windows and skylights permeating the walls introduce daylight into the internal space. Located at the centre of the house, the little structure contains living rooms on both levels, while bathrooms and a closet are also slotted inside it on the ground floor. The blank is free, the sunlight and the wind comes into the space from aperture. In the night time, we can hear the singing of insects and also can feel moonlight. In the cube which was covered by a black wall the free world becomes larger like an ant’s nest. The space turns to vivid yellow covered by larch plywood. There you go dude the simple and minimalist house design.
Image Gallery "Ant House by Makinohara: Minimalist and Simple Home Designing", Total 18 Photograph
Here's part 18 photograph in the gallery of Ant House by Makinohara: Minimalist and Simple Home Designing Be sure to not overleap whatever on the complete tales of Ant House by Makinohara: Minimalist and Simple Home Designing by watching the complete of these 18 photograph at below. | <urn:uuid:3ca0ff9a-f4e5-462c-9062-ddf65b638b84> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.arcbike.com/ant-house-by-makinohara-minimalist-and-simple-home-designing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952411 | 557 | 1.78125 | 2 |
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“The Women Jefferson Loved” Author to Speak at UW
March 26, 2012 — Virginia Scharff, historian and author of "The Women Jefferson Loved," will give the Women's History Month keynote talk at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 29, in Room 310 of the University of Wyoming Classroom Building.
The memorial lecture honors longtime UW faculty member Katherine Jensen, who died in 2010. She was a distinguished professor emerita in gender and women's studies, as well as one of the program's co-founders and former directors.
Scharff is a distinguished professor of history and director of the Center for the Southwest at the University of New Mexico. Her most recent book, "The Women Jefferson Loved," was named a "New York Times Editors Choice." She puts Jefferson's free and slave families into the same story and reveals how Jefferson's love for women shaped his ideas, achievements and legacies.
Other scholarly publications Scharff has written are "Taking the Wheel: Women and the Coming of the Motor Age" (1991); "Twenty Thousand Roads: Women, Movement, and the West" (2003); two textbooks, "Present Tense: The United States Since 1945" (1996); and "Coming of Age: America in the Twentieth Century" (1998); and the edited volume, "Seeing Through Gender" (2003).
The event is sponsored by Gender and Women's Studies, Wyoming Humanities Council, UW Alumni Association, the Department of History and MFA Creative Writing Program.
Women's History Month will feature author and keynote speaker Virginia Scharff, who wrote "The Women Jefferson Loved," at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 29, in Room 310 of the Classroom Building. | <urn:uuid:2b3eed87-00f8-409a-a0ba-164f4cc7bc8e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uwyo.edu/uw/news/2012/03/the-women-jefferson-loved-author-to-speak-at-uw.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95282 | 364 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Life had literally been a blur for 87-year-old Maxine Kaehler for the past 18 years as three age-related eye conditions gradually worsened vision in both of her eyes. Her vision deteriorated so much that by 2008 she could not drive, or read the newspaper or a restaurant menu.
In May 2008, Maxine had a partial-thickness cornea transplant on her right eye to treat Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy. The results were almost instantaneous.
“After the transplant, I realized there were words on the buttons on my microwave, and then I looked at my dishwasher and noticed the same thing. I couldn’t believe it. I was just pushing random buttons before because I couldn’t read what was written on them,” says Maxine with a laugh.
If you know Maxine, you know that seeing little details are important to her daily routine as a retiree. Some of her favorite hobbies include embroidering, playing cards with friends and cooking.
Maxine worked for almost 10 years as a nursing home cook after her husband passed away. Before that, Maxine cooked three large meals daily for eight to 20 people, including her husband and seven children, on the family farm in St. Charles, Minn.
How it all started
One day in 1991 while driving to church, Maxine suddenly had difficulty seeing. “My vision became blurry,” Maxine says. The next day, she went to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. “Everything I do is at Mayo Clinic,” she says. “I’ve been a Mayo patient since I had appendicitis surgery when I was 4 years old, and haven’t gone anywhere else since.”
In 2001, Maxine was diagnosed with macular degeneration, an age-related condition that causes the macula, a part of the retina (a tissue at the back of the eye), to deteriorate. She was referred to John Pach, M.D., a retina specialist, who continues to treat her today.
By April 2008, Maxine became blind in her left eye from macular degeneration and the vision in her right eye was poor. With her remaining eyesight deteriorating, Dr. Pach referred her to Sanjay Patel, M.D., a cornea surgery specialist. “I know the doctors here have what I need or will find what I need by working together. I trust them,” says Maxine.
A moment of clarity
When Maxine saw Dr. Patel to discuss cornea transplant options, she was anxious and depressed because of her vision problems. “Before surgery, I kind of wondered if I could go through with it,” she says. “My visit with Dr. Patel made me feel at ease and realize that this is what I had to do. He gave me peace of mind. I was scared but decided to do it. He said, ‘I can help you.’”
“Cornea transplant surgery can make a noticeable impact on quality of life and helps patients like Maxine return to their previous lifestyle, and the daily activities and hobbies they like to do,” says Dr. Patel.
Maxine’s vision changed from 20/200 in May 2008, before cornea transplant surgery, to 20/40 in January 2009. For most people, 20/20 vision is considered ideal vision.
“Every time I come in for a follow-up clinic visit, my vision keeps getting better and better. I couldn’t imagine not doing it. Now, I’m in a much better mood,” says Maxine. “I can pick up a newspaper and read it without a magnifying glass unless it’s in very, very fine print. I love to embroider, and all of a sudden I discovered I could thread a needle and embroider again. I also can now read signs on the road.”
“I’m enjoying life now. In fact, my son in Indianapolis has an airline ticket lined up for me to go there and visit. The two youngest of my 20 grandchildren are going to be performing in a play and dance recital. I look forward to seeing them perform in person,” says Maxine, with an emphasis on “seeing.” | <urn:uuid:2e053daf-c092-4b3f-8e77-da6e21a0eb1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sharing.mayoclinic.org/2012/12/15/life-isnt-a-blur-anymore-after-cornea-transplant-surgery/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98101 | 906 | 1.625 | 2 |
Arches National Park contains an incredible display of some of the most interesting geologic formations on the planet and as the name implies, many of them are aches. In fact, there are over two thousand natural stone arches in the park. Probably the most famous arch in the park is Delicate arch, which requires a little hiking to get to, however spending a sunset at the arch is certainly one of the best sunsets you will ever see.
Delicate Arch lies on the edge of a precipice about one thousand feet above a salt valley and can be viewed from either side of the valley, although from the opposite side of the valley you are probably a mile or so from the arch. Deb and I observed the arch from both sides of the valley, which made for an enjoyable afternoon of hiking, although carrying thirty pounds of camera gear felt like three hundred pounds by the time we were finished.
We first hiked the Delicate Arch Viewpoint trail, which is an easy 1.8 mile loop that gains about three hundred feet in elevation from the trailhead. The view across the salt valley to the arch is impressive however you will need a long lens to photograph the arch from this vantage point. This first shot was taken from the natural amphitheatre across the valley from the arch with a 400mm lens. The little guy in a bright red shirt sitting alone on a boulder looking at the arch makes this shot.
The hike to the base of the arch is a bit more arduous, and climbs about 500 feet over a trail that creates a round trip of just over three miles. It’s an interesting trail in that you don’t see the arch until the last few feet of the hike, but what an incredible sight when you come out from walking along a sandstone wall and catch that first view of the arch. About five hundred feet before reaching the top of the trail, your can see Framers Arch in the sandstone wall that blocks the view of Delicate Arch. You have to climb up the wall about twenty feet, but viewing Delicate Arch through Framers Arch makes for a good photograph.
Delicate Arch overlooks a salt valley with the La Sal mountain range in the back ground.
As the sun goes down over the horizon the natural red rocks take on an amazing colour.
Sunset at Delicate Arch.
Seeing the Delicate Arch was one of the many highlights of our trip to the canyon lands area of the States and I trust these images encourage you to make the trip! | <urn:uuid:23fca7ce-e81b-4f6b-b214-a979d62f1313> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scottmartinphotography.ca/2012/04/delicate-arch-arches-national-park-moab-utah-usa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955316 | 514 | 1.742188 | 2 |
...when seconds and minutes count.
The Emergency Department (ED) at St. Joseph's Medical Center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is dedicated to providing emergent care to the surrounding community. St. Joseph's Emergency is equipped with 23 beds and has over 42,000 patient visits each year.
Our Emergency Department is equipped to care for patients across the lifespan. The ED handles all types of emergencies, from minor medical problems to trauma. St. Joseph's renown cardiac excellence extends to the ED, where fast response times for treating heart attacks (acute myocardial infarctions) is top priority. We take pride in providing our patients with the care they need in those critical, life-saving minutes.
St. Joseph's Emergency Department is staffed with physicians, mid-level providers, and nurses that have received advanced training and certification in the area of emergency medicine and nursing. Our dedicated emergency team is here 24/7 and always ready to care for your emergency medical needs!
St. Joseph's Emergency Department
1800 N. California Street
Stockton, CA 95204
Hours: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- Acute illness
- Emergent medical problems
- Heart attack
- Trauma care
- Respiratory difficulties
- Emergency orthopedics
- Gynecological emergencies
- Neuro-surgical emergencies
- Interventional cardiology
- Staffed with an Emergency Physician 24/7
- Full-service hospital | <urn:uuid:c8bbcb08-39d5-4ffd-a7ed-ca209e246b5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stjosephscares.org/Medical_Services/SJMV2_M120681 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933441 | 306 | 1.507813 | 2 |
A while back I was able to have a conversation with Xinyu from the Slow-Chinese podcast. (Not to be mistaken with a similar sounding site SlowChinese.com) He’s really cool and quite an interesting guy. If you don’t know about the SLOW CHINESE podcast we both highly recommend it. Mx actually really enjoys it. Not for the slow part, which is probably as annoying to her as VOA slow English is to me, but she likes the podcast for the culture, his own experiences and the fact that it doesn’t sound like some boring language monologue. She even learns a few things from each one! (and she’s from China!)
We both agree that the podcast is on the intermediate level. There are many new words here and there but he provides a transcript for a low price on the site so you can follow along. For beginners, it’s always good to try and immerse yourself in the language, get the pronunciation, and his is good, and the inflection and the tones and the general feel for Chinese. Elementary learners try and pick out a few words that you might know here and there. Advanced, um… well, you can listen to it sped up to a Mickey Mouse voice and see if you understand it!
But it’s SLOW…
Some out there say that SLOW CHINESE might not be a good idea. The rationale is that “Slow Chinese isn’t natural.” Totally understood and totally agree. But one of the most common complaints about learning Chinese is that those Chinese people just speak so darn fast! Well, now they don’t. I just chock it up to the plethora of amazing resources that all of us Chinese learners have out there on the world wide web.
Now the interview…
1. Where are you from?
Taizhou, a seaside city in Zhejiang Province.
2. Can you tell us your favorite thing about your hometown.
We have a kind of noodle with ginger juice in the soup and more than half of the bow is filled with sea food, like crabs, schrimps and clams. It’s my favourite food, and is definitely nowhere to find outside my hometown. Another exciting thing is, when you have normal meals (rice with dishes) in my hometown, to have 2/3 of the dishes sea food is quite normal, we have the greatest sea food production in Zhejiang.
3. Are you in school or are you working?
I’ve just finished my bachelor study in Beijing and am going to study industrial design in Germany in October.
3a. Will you continue your SLOW CHINESE PODCAST while in Germany?
Yes, of course.
4. What are you studying? Where do you work?
Germanistics. I don’t work, I’m in Beijing at the moment, but will go home soon, to stay with my family before I leave for Germany.
5. What do your parents do?
They are workers.
6. What caused you to start the website and podcast?
I know Slow German and have heard of Special English from VOA, they’ve helped me quite a lot during my language study, but then I realized there’s no Slow Chinese, I thought it should be quite easy and fun to do in my spare time, so I wanted to do it. I have experience in running websites and am not bad at graphic design, and by recording my songs I’ve learned how to make midi melodies and mix tracks.
6a. Will you do a podcast about your hometown of Taizhou?
It sound like a good idea.
7. Do you have a lot of visitors to your site?
Yes I think so, but not enough. I have never advertised for it, there’re still great numbers of Chinese learners who don’t know Slow Chinese. Most of my visitors are itunes users so they may not need to visit my page but subscribe the podcasts.
8. There are many people studying Chinese but your podcasts are for people who are somewhat advanced in Chinese. Why did you choose to do more advanced level?
First, I have seen or read some Chinese-learning materials, they’re always so funny and affected, always starting from Ni Hao and Xie Xie. So I think there should have been many people who are waiting for materials of some higher levels. Second, I haven’t studied teaching Chinese. What I can do is write how I normally write and write what I think may be interesting.
9. Where do you come up with the topics for your shows?
Since opening the website, I began to observe everything around me. What we do and say in daily life may be interesting for Chinese leaners. Readers also write to me and tell me what they want to know, and these topics are always prior to mine.
10. Do you think of yourself as a kind of ambassador for China to people learning Chinese in other countries?
No. When I’m writing and recording podcasts, I may be like an ambassador, introducing China. But I actually do it like I’m simply telling friends about my life in China and share interesting things with them. I talk about everything, likes and dislikes. An ambassador say only good things about his country.
11. If you could tell North Americans or European or Australians ONE THING about China that they should know, what would it be?
Not every Chinese is totally satisfied with his country but everyone does want it to be better.
12. Tell me one hero that you have.
No, at the moment. But I quite admire those people who stick to their dreams and never give up under the pressure of life.
13. What kind of music do you like?
Rock and classical.
14. What kind of books do you like to read?
All kinds of books except those teaching people to achieve quick success.
15. Where do you want to be in 10 years? What do you want to be doing in 10 years?
I want to be a designer. I want to have my own studio and do design for myself. Of course I will keep adding contribution to exchanges between China and the world.
16. What advice would you give to people studying Chinese?
Come to China, but don’t have to stay in Beijing, learn Chinese calligraphy and make a Chinese girlfriend. If your love of China is based on ancient China, then you may be disappointed because you can only experience it in classrooms and books. But anyway, modern China is very fascinating. A good way to understand China and learn Chinese is traveling through it.
17. What will you miss most in China while living and studying in Germany?
My family and girlfriend, and Chinese food.
Go check out his website today! | <urn:uuid:a743baaf-8091-48c9-8611-5b70816bdfe4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mandmx.com/tag/interview/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965584 | 1,441 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Korean nationals fined for entering SS Yongala shipwreck
6 January 2012
Two South Korean nationals received fines after pleading guilty in the Townsville Magistrates Court today to charges related to offences under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976.
The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution informed the court that Mr Seonjin PARK and Ms Hyerim JEON had on the 4 January 2012 made illegal dives inside of the wreck of the SS Yongala located in Great Barrier Reef waters south of Townsville.
Mr Park, 27, received a $1000 fine and Ms Jeon, 25, a fine of $750.
Crew members from a Townsville based dive company ‘Adrenalin Dive’ reported they had observed the two South Korean nationals scuba diving well inside the hull in the middle of the cargo area of the shipwreck. In a submission to the court Mr Park advised he had entered the hull of the shipwreck on two occasions.
The wreck of the Yongala lies within a protected zone declared under the Act and requires a permit from the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities to enter.
Divers are able to visit the site with a commercial operator that holds the appropriate permit.
Dive Permits set out what activity can take place in and around a shipwreck site. A key condition of the permit for the Yongala is that ‘penetration dives’ (going into or under an opening within the wreck) are strictly forbidden. Commercial dive operators are required to inform their customers of what activity they can undertake at the shipwreck site. ‘Penetration dives’ are prohibited to limit the physical impact of divers on the wreck and for the safety of divers.
The passenger and freight steamer SS Yongala went down with the loss of 122 lives in a cyclone between Mackay and Townsville in 1911. It has since become one of Australia’s premier dive sites, attracting between 4000 - 6000 people a year.
Currently there are approximately 8000 shipwrecks around Australia that are protected to ensure they are conserved for their historical significance and maintained for recreational, archaeological and educational purposes.
Members of the public with any information about activity in or near historic shipwreck sites can contact the department at [email protected]
The maximum penalty for a breach of dive permit conditions is up to $2 000 in fines or 2 years in jail. For more information about the protection of Australia’s historic shipwrecks go to www.environment.gov.au/heritage/shipwrecks/index.html | <urn:uuid:073a82f4-9593-4889-b51a-727f4c9265fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.environment.gov.au/about/media/dept-mr/dept-mr20120106.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956736 | 534 | 1.546875 | 2 |
This week’s Research Hero is Robert B. Cialdini, Regents’ Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University. Prof Cialdini’s research focuses on, but is not limited to, social influences and persuasion. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award of the Society for Consumer Psychology, the Donald T. Campbell Award for Distinguished Contributions to Social Psychology, the (inaugural) Peitho Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Science of Social Influence, the Distinguished Scientist Award of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, and has been elected president of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology. Professor Cialdini’s book Influence: Science and Practice, which was the result of a three-year program of study into the reasons that people comply with requests in everyday settings, has sold over two million copies while appearing in numerous editions and twenty-eight languages.
I wish someone had told me at the beginning of my career to avoid being overcommitted and, thereby, constantly rushed. In my experience, it is the single self-inflicted problem that, when left to expand, has most undermined the joy of doing research.
I most admire academically William McGuire because he was the consummate combination of big-picture theorist and precise-picture experimentalist.
The project that I am most proud of took me out of my comfort zone as a researcher predicting (mostly from theoretical formulations) the responses of experimental subjects (mostly college students) in controlled settings (mostly laboratories) and put me, as a kind of secret agent, in the training programs of the influence professionals of our society. There, I recorded the lessons taught to aspiring salespeople, marketers, advertisers, managers, fund-raisers, public relations specialists, and recruiters. My intent was to find out which practices were roundly judged to work powerfully time after time, figuring that thriving influence organizations would instruct their influence agents in those techniques. So I answered the organizations’ newspaper ads for trainees or otherwise arranged to be present in their classrooms, notebook in hand, ready to absorb the wisdom born of longstanding experience in the business of persuasion. That experience of going to the field for evidence, rather than only to the laboratory, changed my perspective on the most productive ways to study the social influence process.
The one project that I should never had done, in keeping with my answer to question #1, was always the one that was so attractive that I agreed to it even though I already had too many projects on my plate to accept another. The consequence was that, invariably, all the projects suffered from my inability to give each the time, energy, and focus it deserved.
The most amazing or memorable experience when I was doing research occurred during one of a series of meetings with the local blood services organization to get their assistance with a research project investigating how to get citizens to give blood. Although we thought that we had made a compelling case for mutual benefit, the organization’s chief administrator hung back from authorizing our project. It wasn’t until a junior member of his staff quietly informed us of the reason for her boss’s reluctance that we understood what we had left out of our persuasive approach. “None of you has given blood yet,” she whispered during a break in the meeting. Mildly chastised but properly enlightened, we asked just before the meeting’s close how we might contribute to the organization’s important goals by donating a pint or two of blood ourselves. An opportunity was arranged, blood was drained, and full approval of our project followed within the week.
The one story I always wanted to tell but never had a chance doesn’t exist, as I am an inveterate story-teller.
A research project I wish I had done would have followed up empirically on a theoretical piece I wrote a few years ago in which I offered a rationale—beyond the traditional one based on the economic consequences of a damaged reputation—for why organizations should steer sharply away from unethical persuasive practices: Those practices will lend themselves to the attraction and retention of employees who find cheating personally acceptable and who will ultimately cheat the organization as a consequence. Fortunately along with a pair of brilliant collaborators, Jessica Li and Adriana Samper, I am finally beginning that project.
If I wasn’t doing this, I would be looking for a way to do this.
The biggest challenge for our field in the next 10 years is demonstrating convincingly to individuals outside of the academic research community the value of our thinking, findings, and (research-based) approach to the problems they confront regularly.
My advice for young researchers at the start of their career is always have a foil. For maximum scholarly impact, never test your hypothesis just against the null. Always test it against at least one competing conceptual hypothesis.
I got interested in doing research on social influence because I was raised in an entirely Italian family, in a predominantly Polish neighborhood, in a historically German city (Milwaukee), in an otherwise rural state. I often ascribe my interest in the social influence process to an early recognition that the groups populating those settings had to be approached somewhat differently in order to obtain their assent, sometimes to the identical request. It also struck me that one reason for this complication was that the social norms—the characteristic tendencies and codes of conduct of the groups—differed. Therefore, if I wanted to maximize compliance with a request from a member of one or another of these groups, it would be wise to take into account the dominant social norms of that particular unit.
My recommendations for young researchers interested in studying social influence is get into the field. It’s possible to do soundly conducted, properly controlled studies and experiments in naturally-occurring settings. It might be substantially more inconvenient; but, provided the work is soundly conducted and properly controlled, the data will be more meaningful—and the effort consequently worth it. | <urn:uuid:2785f5b0-54f7-4be3-b925-5fc43afb7bb8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://indecisionblog.com/category/research-heroes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968825 | 1,224 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Students attend Business ChallengeSeveral students from the Jamestown area completed the 32nd annual Business Challenge on the campus of Dickinson State University from June 21-26.
Several students from the Jamestown area completed the 32nd annual Business Challenge on the campus of Dickinson State University from June 21-26.
Attending were Sophie Miller, Adrian; Katelynn Hansen, Jamestown; and Andrea Roorda, Sanborn. These students were among the 150 participants who attended the weeklong program which provides students and educators with a better appreciation and understanding of business and entrepreneurship.
Business Challenge is supported by community and state donors. The attendees participated in competitions and learned about teamwork, leadership and setting real-life goals. Participants also gained a better knowledge of North Dakota’s economy and became more aware of what North Dakota has to offer.
The event provided educators and high school students an opportunity to run their own business, write a marketing plan, hear success stories, and meet some of North Dakota’s most influential people.
To learn more about Business Challenge, become a sponsor or register to attend, visit the Web site at www.gobusinesschallenge.com; call 701-483-2515, 1-800-279-4295, ext. 2515, or e-mail katherine. mehrer@dickinsonstate. edu. | <urn:uuid:eb854a80-d78c-49b9-9c8b-3f0107f97d69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jamestownsun.com/event/article/id/89827/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944128 | 282 | 1.515625 | 2 |
INDIANAPOLIS – Antique Helper is holding boutique auctions beginning April 21, 2012 with an important selection of historically-significant art by African-Americans (1900-2000).
Managed by Thom Pegg, of Tyler Fine Art in St. Louis, each boutique auction will be comprised of 20-30 lots that relate to a common theme. The sales will be part of the company’s monthly art and antiques events.
The earliest painting featured among the lots of African American art was completed circa 1910. It is an elegant still life, titled, Mountain Laurels, by Charles Ethan Porter, a highly collected artist from Connecticut.
Several of the artists represented worked at the Southside Community Center in Chicago in the 1940s. This was a hub for African American artists and intellectuals in the Midwest.
One such work, Eldzier Cortor’s Interior with a Woman, is a steamy interior with one of the artist’s stunningly beautiful African American female figures depicted as the central subject.
Pegg believes this painting will likely exceed its pre-sale estimate of $30,000 to $50,000.
Augusta Savage, an important African-American woman artist from the Harlem Renaissance, is represented with her most well known sculpture, Gamin, circa 1930. Gamin depicts a young savvy street urchin beaming with street smarts and innocence. A similar example is part of the permanent collection at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Artworks by Abstract Expressionist Norman Lewis and Magic Realist, Hughie Lee-Smith have recently sold for well in to six figures. A large work on paper done in 1964 by Lewis seems very attractive with an estimate of $3,500 to $4,500. Lee-Smith’s Monarch, an oil depicting a young African American boy is expected to bring between $8,000 to $10,000.
Other important African-American artists featured in the sale include Romare Bearden, Charles Alston, Walter Williams, Charles Sebree, Elizabeth Catlett, Claude Clark, Benny Andrews, and J.W. Hardrick.
The auction will take place on April 21, 2012. A preview reception is planned for April 20, 2012. A online preview catalog will be posted online. | <urn:uuid:7277d7ce-c52e-49a5-8aa3-cc3d6ce769b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.antiquetrader.com/antiques/inaugural-boutique-auction-features-african-american-artists-april-21 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944974 | 468 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Sat November 17, 2012
A Sequester Is A 'Jelly-Like Mass,' And Other Notes On Fiscal-Cliff Jargon
Originally published on Sat November 17, 2012 7:48 am
Here's a quick rundown on three of the most impenetrable terms related to the fiscal cliff. For more, see our post, The Fiscal Cliff In Three And A Half Graphics.
The sequester is a bundle of spending cuts that kick in automatically next year unless Congress acts to block them. This makes sense, given that sequester means "to set aside." It's like a bunch of money is getting set aside and not spent.
But when I looked up "sequester" in the OED, a much more obscure definition seemed to capture the feel of the broader political mess that's happening here:
A jelly-like mass gradually hardens and becomes ossified, surrounds, like a sheath,..the necrotic bone, which is then called a sequester.
2. Doc Fix
Two words: "Doc," as in "doctor." So far, so good. But what is "fix" doing there? Is something broken?
Yes. In particular, the formula Congress uses to determine Medicare payments to doctors is broken.
Years ago, Congress created a formula to limit the annual increases in Medicare payments to doctors. But when it came time to actually adhere to the formula, Congress balked. But instead of getting rid of the formula altogether, Congress passed a temporary fix.
This happened again and again over the years. The most recent temporary patch is set to expire at the end of this year. If it expires, Medicare payments to doctors would fall by 27 percent.
3. AMT Patch
It's not a Boy Scout merit badge. It's a weird tax thing Congress does every year.
The alternative minimum tax was created as a tax on people with high incomes who met certain criteria. But it wasn't indexed to inflation. As a result, it tends to cover more and more people every year, as inflation drives up wages for everyone.
Congress keeps intervening — patching the law, if you will — and passing temporary, one-year measures that prevent the AMT from applying to middle-income workers.
If Congress fails to patch the AMT, it will mean a tax increase for millions of households.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The debate over the fiscal cliff has a vocabulary all its own with the phrases pinging back and forth that a lot of us don't know, or even worse, think we do, but might be wrong. So, we've asked David Kestenbaum of Planet Money to join us for a brief explainer. David, thanks so much for being with us.
DAVID KESTENBAUM, BYLINE: Sure thing.
SIMON: Let's start with the obvious one, the so-called fiscal cliff. There's been a lot of talk about whether or not that phrase is just a little dramatic. Where does it come from?
KESTENBAUM: Weirdly, it was popularized by a guy who's not known as being quotable. In fact, his job is to not say anything very exciting. I'm talking, of course, about Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve.
BEN BERNANKE: As we had expected, however, these factors prove transitory.
KESTENBAUM: So, Scott, let me just paint the scene for you. This is the House Financial Services Committee back in February. Members of Congress looking totally zoned out, some of them clutching cups of coffee, and then this just kind of tumbles out of Ben Bernanke's mouth.
BERNANKE: I think you also have to protect the recovery in the near-term. Under current law, on January 1, 2013, there's going to be a massive fiscal cliff.
KESTENBAUM: So, he says the words fiscal cliff.
SIMON: As soon as I heard it, I was about to yeow.
KESTENBAUM: It's a concrete thing - he said the word cliff. So, some member of the press somewhere was awake. There are headlines saying Bernanke warns of fiscal cliff. Apparently, the term fiscal cliff had been circulating around Capitol Hill, but this really puts it out there. I should say the Congressional Budget Office - it's been writing reports about this - and they call it the fiscal tightening or fiscal restraint. And some people have said, you know, it's really a fiscal slope. But once you say fiscal cliff there's sort of no going back.
SIMON: Yeah. Let me ask about phrases like loopholes and deductions. And put it this way: are one man's loophole another man's lawful deduction, or even a tax incentive?
KESTENBAUM: They're exactly the same thing. I mean, if it benefits you, it's a deduction; if it benefits someone else, it's a loophole. Do you own a home, Scott? I think you do, right?
SIMON: I own an apartment, yes.
KESTENBAUM: OK. So, you get to deduct your interest payments. So, to you...
SIMON: A tax incentive for strengthening our community.
KESTENBAUM: I'm a renter.
SIMON: It's I believe what you meant to say, yes.
KESTENBAUM: So, I'm a renter. To me, that's a loophole. You have a kid, right?
SIMON: Two, as a matter. But believe you me, they're anything but loopholes.
KESTENBAUM: I have one too. That's a great tax credit, I like to call her.
SIMON: All right. A money suck, but a tax credit. OK, yeah.
KESTENBAUM: I mean, if you're a politician looking to eliminate something, it is definitely a loophole.
SIMON: You've got a special affection for this phrase doc-fix - doc hyphen fix - which is...
KESTENBAUM: Let's take this in pieces, Scott. The first doc, the first half, my guess is for doctor. Fix implies you got a problem. This relates to one of the spending cuts that's in the fiscal cliff. And it's a scheduled cut to the amount of money that Medicare pays for doctors. And when you think of the fiscal cliff, we often think of, you know, oh, it's all a result of this gridlock earlier this year. This is a fiscal cliff that happens every single year. The cut to doctor pay, it was supposed to be a way to keep medical costs under control, but every year Congress had said not this year, not this year. Let's not cut the payments for doctors. So, they've put it off for so long now that if they cut does happen this year, it would cut physicians' payments for Medicare by like 30 percent, which would be gigantic. So, the question is: are they going to put it off again or are they going to fix it? And that's the doc-fix.
SIMON: Speaking of doctors, Dr. Kestenbaum, I think I'm suffering from sequestration. And is there a pill to clear it up? What is it exactly?
KESTENBAUM: This always seemed like a really weird phrase to me. So, it is basically a reverse of the bulk of the automatic spending cuts that will happen unless Congress does something. And I looked up sequester in the dictionary, and it doesn't really seem to match up except for, you know, if you think of it as like setting aside money that you don't want to be spent. There is one definition I will share with you. It's the last one listed...
SIMON: This is when we give a timeout to our children, we're sequestering them, right?
KESTENBAUM: Or something mean you do to a horse, a male horse.
SIMON: Oh yes. I get it now, right. Beg your pardon, yes.
KESTENBAUM: I will share with you the last entry in the Oxford English Dictionary definition. Sequester: a jelly-like mass gradually hardens and becomes ossified, surrounds like a sheath the necrotic bone, which is then called the sequester.
SIMON: That's it.
KESTENBAUM: I think that's what they're talking about.
SIMON: Planet Money's David Kestenbaum. Thanks so much.
KESTENBAUM: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | <urn:uuid:6f559b65-94ad-40f8-8714-78fb5b303416> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ripr.org/post/sequester-jelly-mass-and-other-notes-fiscal-cliff-jargon | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964768 | 1,826 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Credits: MIKE DREW/CALGARY SUN/QMI AGENCY
Internet pornographers steal the explicit pictures young people post of themselves and their friends, and put them on other websites, according to a British study released Monday.
Analysts at the Internet Watch Foundation spent 47 hours looking at data collected throughout September and found 12,224 photos and videos of sexual acts or poses uploaded to (usually) legitimate websites like social networking sites. Of those, 10,776 (or 88%) were found to have been "scraped" and loaded on more than 68 other so-called parasite websites.
The parasite websites contain collections of sexually explicit images, the report says. Most of them were created with the express purpose of displaying young people.
"I came to regret posting photographs of myself naively on the Internet and tried to forget about it, but strangers recognized me from the photographs and made lewd remarks at school," reads one excerpt included in the IWF's report, the name of the minor withheld. "I endured so much bullying because of this photograph and the others...I was eventually admitted for severe depression and was treated for a suicide attempt."
Not only did the volume of images alarm researchers, so did the lack of control users have over their own photos.
"Once an image has been copied onto a parasite website, it will no longer suffice to simply remove the image from the online account," IWF CEO Susie Hargreaves said. "We need young people to realize that once an image or a video has gone online, they may never be able to remove it entirely."
The report wasn't able to take into account whether the young people in the images had posed willingly. | <urn:uuid:2f2ac923-06ef-42b8-9d3e-b29184ae4027> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/sciencetech/archives/2012/10/20121022-123310.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972254 | 348 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The Africa Cup of Nations was first played in 1957 and is actually older than its counterpart in Europe, the European Championships, which only began three years later.
The first Nations Cup tournament saw only three teams compete – hosts Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia – after South Africa, originally scheduled to play, were expelled from the newly-formed Confederation of African Football and the competition due to apartheid. They would not return for almost 40 years.
Egypt were the inaugural champions that year, the first of their record seven titles, which puts them comfortably ahead of Ghana and Cameroon, who have four titles to their name.
The Pharaohs have recently dominated the competition, winning a trio of consecutive titles between 2006 and 2010, before their aging squad failed to qualify for either 2012 or 2013.
The Egyptians were champions in 1959, before hosts Ethiopia won their one and only title in 1962 as the tournament switched to being played in ‘even’ years; something which CAF would reverse some 50 years later for the 2013 tournament to be held in South Africa.
By 1962 the field had grown to eight teams, and Ghana then embarked on a period of dominance as they won four of the next 10 tournaments. However, their last win came in 1982, meaning they have had a 30-year wait for their next title. They will be among the favourites in 2013 though.
Sudan claimed their one and only title in 1970, while Congo-Brazzaville did likewise in 1972. DR Congo, who have also gone under the name of Zaire, had success in 1968 and 1974.
Nigeria won their first of two titles in 1980, before repeating the triumph in 1994. It has been a long wait for the Super Eagles since then though.
Cameroon’s rise to power came in the 1980s when they won the Nations Cup in 1984 and 1988, before another two successes in 2000 and 2002.
Ivory Coast’s only success came in 1992, when they beat the Black Stars of Ghana 11-10 in an extraordinary penalty shoot-out in the Final that had finished 0-0 in Senegal.
Other winners of the title are Morocco (1976), Algeria (1990), South Africa (1996) and Tunisia (2004), and most recently Zambia (2012), making it a fairly exclusive group of just 14 countries to have won the title in the previous 28 installments of the competition. | <urn:uuid:81552546-f262-4c67-a41e-15a62d611278> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kickoff.com/afcon2013/history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983887 | 488 | 1.78125 | 2 |
CNN's Jim Acosta on Tuesday's Situation Room asked what many will think was a truly offensive question.
"If you were to somehow beat the first African-American president, what would you say to the black community to assure them that you would be their president also?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
JIM ACOSTA, CNN: African-Americans have a tremendous sense of pride that there is the first African-American president in the White House. If you were to somehow beat the first African-American president, what would you say to the black community to assure them that you would be their president also?
The first thing that should grab your eye is the word "somehow."
The economy stinks, the right-track/wrong-track numbers are upside-down, and the polls show a very tight race.
As such, how does Acosta think Romney winning is a long shot?
But even more offensive was asking how the Republican presidential nominee would "assure" blacks he's "their president also."
Did Romney only represent whites when he was governor of Massachusetts? Does Obama currently only represent blacks?
Fortunately, Romney answered the question with aplomb:
MITT ROMNEY: I want to be the president of all the people of America. I want to help all the people of America. You don't get into a race like this with myself and my family and do the kind of work and commitment that we've put forward without the passion to help all of America. And the people who really need the help right now are the people in the middle class, people who have fallen into poverty. I know how to get them help. The president doesn't.
As for Acosta, he should be ashamed of himself.
(HT Dan Gainor) | <urn:uuid:d517f2db-0697-43d3-9f4b-12a4c92f0e1a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newsbusters.org/print/59102 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977211 | 368 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Los Angeles Times
May 5, 2007
Pg. 1 Column One A Baghdad photo shop whose orders once celebrated life now does a brisk business in memorial collages and images of carnage.
By Edmund Sanders, Times Staff Writer
Baghdad — FROM his cramped storefront in central Baghdad, Mazin Farouq gets a clear picture every day of what's going on in his country. Actually, he gets dozens.
Farouq, 37, runs a photo lab in the Iraqi capital, and he cherishes printing images of smiling subjects and celebrations. Graduations. Weddings. A baby's first steps. Even the occasional racy shots of a frolicking couple.
But these days most of his orders are daily reminders of Iraq's bloody civil war: memorial portraits of "martyrs" or grisly prints of the latest carnage — car bombings and torture victims.
The tiny photo shop is an open shutter onto Iraq's woes, and Farouq has reluctantly plunged into a somber new specialty.
"Almost all my work now is focused on martyrs," he said. "This job is my mirror to know what is going on in my country. And things are getting worse."
He held up a picture of a little girl with a stuffed animal at her feet and scanned the image into a 10-foot-long photo processor.
"This one just came in today. She was killed by a car bomb with her parents." He shook his head. "The photo is brand new. It was taken just a couple of days before she died."
He used to dote over each picture, sharpening contrast, adjusting light and finding the perfect tint for green grasses and blue skies. Now he's fixing the reds in a pool of blood.
The change, he said, began last year, with the increase in car bombs, death squads and gun fights. Instead of the usual orders to develop film shot at birthdays, get-togethers and soccer games, distraught family members poured into his shop carrying snapshots of recently killed relatives and requesting Farouq's help in creating memorial portraits.
At first the requests struck him as odd. Before he knew it, they became the mainstay of his business.
Some mourners seek simple enlargements to display at funerals. Others prefer elaborate collages, mixing pictures of the deceased with images of Islamic shrines or scenic landscapes. Some request a black sash draped over the top corner, others prefer colorful backgrounds of flowers, waterfalls or clouds. Most are finished with the victim's name and a short Koranic verse.
After the funeral, the computer-generated portraits usually end up in the family home. "They hang the pictures on the wall to help them remember," Farouq said.
He works closely with Samir Abdul Munim, a Baghdad sculptor who now earns his living restoring damaged photos and, more recently, also creating memorial collages.
"With the increase in people dying, this work has increased, too," he said.
IN a studio above Farouq's shop, Munim scrolled through background options he offers customers. Shiites often request famous shrines, such as the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf, or painted portraits of martyrs, such as Imam Hussein, the 7th century hero who was Ali's son and the prophet Muhammad's grandson. Sunnis lean toward scenes from Mecca.
One recent job started with a snapshot of a 3- or 4-year-old boy wearing an orange basketball tank shirt. He is seated proudly atop a plastic tricycle, his scraped knees hugging the sides.
Using computer clipart, Munim transported the child into a Disney fantasy world far different from the Baghdad he lived in. Mickey Mouse dances by a white picket fence. Donald Duck hangs from the handlebars while Dumbo soars overhead. "The Happy Martyr" reads the caption.
Munim doesn't know the boy's age or the circumstance of his death. It's too painful to delve.
"I don't ask about the details," he said. "I don't want to know."
Portraits may reflect the personalities of the deceased. A sunset might be used for a person who was not particularly religious. A person from Najaf might be pictured in front of one of the city's famous shrines.
Sometimes parents bring in military photos of sons killed in action, but ask that the uniforms be replaced with civilian clothes. If a religious person died before being able to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, the family may use the background collage as a way to symbolically fulfill that wish.
"It's a way of honoring those who have died," Munim said.
Memorial collages began to appear in Iraq in the 1990s, but were relatively rare. At first, they were created by cutting up photographs with scissors, arranging the pieces atop one another, and then taking a new picture. The portraits improved dramatically after the 2003 ouster of Saddam Hussein, when designers got easier access to new computers, digital equipment and software programs.
Farouq fell into the photo-processing business almost by accident. As a young Christian growing up in the southern city of Basra, he was imprisoned for three months by Hussein's regime for refusing to serve in the military. In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, his family moved to Baghdad when their home was destroyed by cluster bombs.
Farouq took odd jobs, working in a food factory and selling soap and perfume from a street stand, until a neighbor encouraged him to apply for an opening at a photo lab. By 2004, he had saved enough money to open his own business with some partners. (One of his partners is an Iraqi photographer who works for The Times' Baghdad Bureau.)
At first, Farouq's business boomed, despite the rise in violence after the U.S.-led invasion. Hussein's downfall had brought an end to economic sanctions and a surge in spending as Iraqis bought imported electronic goods, including telephones, satellite dishes and, fortunately for Farouq, cameras.
NESTLED off what was once Baghdad's busiest shopping avenue, Farouq was well positioned to take advantage. His processing machines ran 24 hours a day, and sometimes he was so busy he slept at the shop. He earned enough to get married, to a childhood friend from Basra. Last month they had their first child.
But like many other small- business owners in Iraq, Farouq found that life got harder as the U.S. occupation wore on and civil war began. By last year, sectarian fighting and government-imposed curfews had begun to cripple commerce. Business dropped 75% in 2006, he said.
Farouq still works six days a week, but the only steady business that doesn't involve death and destruction is the booming demand for passport photos. "Everyone is trying to leave Iraq," he said, shrugging.
He acknowledges that the memorial portraits can be depressing, but he doesn't dare turn customers away.
Nor does he reject clients who bring him rolls of film with gruesome images of explosions, fires or corpses. Most are victims or their relatives, seeking to document their suffering in hope of filing compensation claims with the U.S. military or Iraqi government.
Rarely do clients warn Farouq about the content of the film, he said, perhaps fearing he might reject the work. Usually it's not until he's inserted the amber negatives into his machine that the appalling images come into focus.
One recent job involved pictures of an Iraqi driver shot in his car by U.S. soldiers. Relatives said the shooting was a mistake. Another family needed evidence that their apartment building had been destroyed by a car bomb, but amid the pictures of debris was a decapitated body, an image that still haunts Farouq. The worst were pictures of a man tortured and killed with an electric drill.
"There are so many horrendous pictures," he said.
AT first, the images moved him to tears or turned his stomach. Now they've become oddly normal.
"It breaks my heart, but these things are becoming common."
The new reality of his work has been hard. Farouq once related closely to the happiness of the photos he processed. Now, with the images having turned gruesome, he tries to leave his work at the shop, seeking comfort at home with his wife and newborn. Like many Iraqis, he's trying to save money so he can leave the country. He hopes to open a photo lab someplace less stressful.
"I worry how this is affecting my psyche," Farouq said. "These images are imprinted on my mind." | <urn:uuid:aaeb7ab3-6af2-49a4-85f5-f75f8c31f178> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.military-quotes.com/forum/iraq-portraits-grief-t36859.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97804 | 1,785 | 1.523438 | 2 |
BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE
Though some teacher may have made you think that all poetry is deadly serious, chock full of coded meanings and obscure symbols, poems, like other works of art, can be delightfully playful. Here Bruce Guernsey, who divides his time between Illinois and Maine, plays with a common yam.
The potato that ate all its carrots,
can see in the dark like a mole,
its eyes the scars
from centuries of shovels, tines.
May spelled backwards
because it hates the light, | <urn:uuid:ddc559a2-413d-488d-af9d-d677b1785f04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.librarypoint.org/taxonomy/term/59?page=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95723 | 122 | 1.59375 | 2 |
A sampling of editorials from around New York
Two years ago, the federal Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission said the 2007 collapse on Wall Street followed "pervasive permissiveness" by regulators, and high-risk behavior by home buyers and owners, mortgage lenders, investors and financial institutions.
According to the report, the three ratings agencies — which got paid from $250,000 to $500,000 to grade each collateralized debt obligation — "were essential cogs in the wheel of financial destruction."
As the housing boom ended when borrowers could not keep up with mortgage payments, thousands of AAA-rated securities based on those debt obligations collapsed as well.
For its part, S&P, a unit of New York-based McGraw-Hill, called the lawsuit meritless and said, "Claims that we deliberately kept ratings high when we knew they should be lower are simply not true."
But the federal complaint includes a wealth of embarrassing e-mails and other evidence that S&P analysts had recognized the financial problems early.
Standard & Poor's says other agencies also gave the same high ratings and that the federal government itself failed to predict the subprime mortgage crisis.
Mr. Holder said the lawsuit, which is the result of a probe that began in 2009, has nothing to do with S&P's decision in 2011 to drop by a notch its rating on long-term U.S. debt. The downgrade came amid the dispute between the White House and Congress over borrowing.
Lack of oversight by the government did play a central role in the 2008 financial collapse. But high credit ratings on certainly toxic mortgages inflated the housing bubble.
It remains for Congress to find a way to make sure once and for all that credit on Wall Street and elsewhere is rated objectively — based on fact, not fiction. | <urn:uuid:ce3ca134-09ab-4b5a-a5bd-3f23bb7431a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.northjersey.com/news/international/192022301_A_sampling_of_editorials_from_around_New_York.html?c=y&page=9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963992 | 369 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Today's headlines include previews of how Medicare and other health policy issues might playin tonight's vice presidential debate.
Kaiser Health News: FAQ: The Health Law Coverage For Immigrants
Kaiser Health News staff writer Julie Appleby reports: "The U.S. is home to more than 21 million immigrants who are not citizens, and for many of them, health coverage is a concern. That is partly because so many of these immigrants, both those who came here legally and those who do not have permission to live in the United States, work in lower wage jobs that don’t include health coverage" (Appleby, 10/11). Read the story.
Kaiser Health News: Capsules: Study: CMS Penalties Don’t Change Hospital-Acquired Infection Rates; Adderall For Healthy Kids: A Cost Shift To Medicaid?
Now on Kaiser Health News' blog, Julie Appleby reports on a development related to hospital-acquired infection rates: "A Medicare payment policy designed to push hospitals to cut their infection rates has had no effect in reducing two types of preventable infections among patients in intensive care units, researchers say in a study out Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine" (Appleby, 10/10).
Also on the blog, Jenny Gold reports on a development regarding Adderall and healthy kids: "Doctors in Georgia are prescribing ADHD medications to help low-income children struggling in elementary school, even when they do not have an attention deficit disorder, reports a front-page article in Tuesday's New York Times" (Gold, 10/11). Check out what else is on the blog.
The New York Times: This Election, A Stark Choice In Health Care
When Americans go to the polls next month, they will cast a vote not just for president but for one of two profoundly different visions for the future of the country's health care system. With an Obama victory on Nov. 6, the president's signature health care law — including the contentious requirement that most Americans obtain health insurance or pay a tax penalty — will almost certainly come into full force, becoming the largest expansion of the safety net since President Lyndon B. Johnson pushed through his Great Society programs almost half a century ago (Goodnough and Pear, 10/10).
The New York Times: Six Things To Watch For In Biden-Ryan Debate
Will Mr. Ryan be tempted to repeat a staple of his and Mr. Romney's stump speech, that the president has plundered $716 billion from Medicare to pay for "Obamacare?" There is danger there. Mr. Ryan incorporated the same $716 billion savings into his House budget this spring, and he has now renounced that plan because Mr. Romney promises to "restore" the money to Medicare. Mr. Biden would love to see Mr. Ryan, a self-described "numbers guy," get lost in the weeds of budget baselines and other details that he sometimes uses to explain this discrepancy. But the trap seems too easy (Gabriel, 10/10).
The Associated Press/Washington Post: 5 Things To Watch For Thursday Night In Biden-Ryan Vice Presidential Debate
Expect to hear lots about the House Republican budget plan written by Ryan. Biden's sure to criticize Ryan's spending cuts and Medicare proposal as too extreme. Even GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney has distanced himself from some of Ryan's more controversial ideas (10/11).
The Washington Post: Obama Vows More Aggressive Debate Approach Against Romney
Romney advisers have called Obama's questions about their candidate's honesty evidence that the president is unable to defend his record on job creation, health care and the management of the deficit. … In the radio interview, Obama said he expected the race to turn back his way, beginning Thursday night with the vice-presidential debate. He also dismissed the Democratic angst that has followed his performance in Denver as the same misplaced doubts that dogged his campaign four years ago (Wilson and Nakamura, 10/10).
The New York Times: Voters Give Romney Better Grades For Leadership, Polls In 3 States Find
Mitt Romney is seen by more voters in three battleground states as a strong leader after his dominant debate performance last week, but perceptions that the economy is improving remain a buttress for President Obama as the 2012 campaign comes down to its final weeks. … The president's support is built on strengths that have been evident for months. In the two states where he holds an advantage overall, Mr. Obama has consistently outperformed Mr. Romney on a series of issues, including international affairs, health care and Medicare (Shear and Thee-Brenan, 10/11).
The Washington Post: Romney Shifts To More Moderate Stances On Taxes, Immigration, Health Care, Education
The final weeks of the presidential campaign are bringing Mitt Romney full circle, back to a question that has tugged at him for nearly two decades: What does he really believe? Although he declared himself "severely conservative" during the ¬Republican primaries, the former Massachusetts governor has been sounding more moderate in recent days. There may be room for argument as to whether Romney's positions are changing. But the emphasis and tone with which he describes them unquestionably are — on issues that include immigration, taxes, education and health care (Tumulty, 10/10).
The Washington Post: Romney Appears To Pivot On Abortion
Mitt Romney, buoyed by recent polls that show him ahead of President Obama after a strong debate performance, appears to have modified his stance on abortion, a key issue among social conservatives, a voting bloc that has been skeptical of the Republican nominee in the past. In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Romney seemed to back away from his antiabortion position, suggesting that he would not actively pursue legislation that would outlaw abortions, a key objective among social conservatives (Henderson, 10/10).
NPR: Romney's Remarks On Abortion Cause A Stir
Just how many abortion positions does Mitt Romney have? Once again, that answer is unclear. This time the confusion began Tuesday, during a meeting with the editorial board of the Des Moines Register. "There's no legislation with regards to abortion that I'm familiar with that would become part of my agenda," Romney said. … But the comment about not pushing abortion-restricting legislation surprised those on both sides of the abortion debate (Rovner, 10/10).
The New York Times' The Caucus: Obama Campaign Says Romney Is Misleading Voters On Abortion
President Obama's campaign on Wednesday accused Mitt Romney of "cynically and dishonestly" trying to hide his real position on abortion and contraception after the Republican presidential candidate said he could not think of any abortion-related legislation that would be part of his agenda in the White House. Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Stephanie Cutter, the deputy campaign manager for Mr. Obama, scoffed at those remarks, calling them a desperate attempt to mislead voters about his real intentions on the subject (Shear, 10/10).
The New York Times: A Feisty Debate Crystallizes Differences In Tight Massachusetts Race
Elizabeth Warren and Senator Scott P. Brown kept the pressure on each other throughout a feisty, hourlong debate here Wednesday night. … Asked where he would cut the government, Mr. Brown cited President Obama's health care law, which, he said, was crushing Massachusetts businesses. He said the law would remove $700 billion from Medicare, an assertion that Mr. Romney made in last week's presidential debate (Seelye, 10/11).
Los Angeles Times: Berman, Sherman Mix It Up – Again – In Congressional Race Forum
Both supported the Affordable Health Care Act and said Wednesday that it had already provided access to healthcare for thousands of uninsured people and was a good first step. And each said he wanted "comprehensive" immigration reform, including securing borders, providing a path to legal residency for otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants and sanctions against employers who hire workers without proper documentation (Merl, 10/10).
The Washington Post: Kay Coles James Featured In New George Allen Ad
Republican Senate candidate George Allen on Wednesday released a new TV ad, the second featuring Kay Coles James, his secretary of health and human resource when he was governor. … Democrats have also questioned James as a surrogate in an election in which Kaine has sought to make women's health issues a focus. As director of public affairs for the National Right to Life Committee, James opposes abortion (Vozzella, 10/10).
The Wall Street Journal: Medicare Shift Fails To Cut Hospital Infections
A high-profile Medicare policy that sought to reduce certain hospital-acquired infections by cutting payments tied to treating them turned out to have no impact, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine (Mathews, 10/10).
Check out all of Kaiser Health News' e-mail options including First Edition and Breaking News alerts on our Subscriptions page. | <urn:uuid:afbf266b-0012-43c9-81c2-ae87327f0a45> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2012/October/11/thurs-first-edition.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95391 | 1,838 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Great white shark killed California surfer, officials say
updated 9:43 PM EDT, Wed October 24, 2012
Officials released a photo showing teeth marks on a surf board made by a shark that killed a surfer in California this week.
- The great white shark was at least 15 feet long, officials say
- Authorities release a photo showing teeth marks on a surf board
- 39-year-old Francisco Javier Solorio died in the attack
- Four friends were riding waves off Surf Beach at Vandenberg Air Force Base
Los Angeles (CNN) -- A great white shark was responsible for killing a surfer in Southern California this week, authorities said Wednesday.
Officials released a photo showing marks from the shark's teeth on the bottom of a surf board.
"The shark in this tragic incident has been positively identified as a 15- to 16-foot great white shark," the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
A shark researcher made the determination after examining the body of Francisco Javier Solorio Jr., who was bitten on the left side of his upper torso Tuesday, the statement said.
The shark attacked when the 39-year-old was riding waves with three friends off a beach at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
One of the friends saw the attack, swam over and pulled Solorio out of the water and onto the beach, Sgt. Mark Williams with the sheriff's office said. The friend gave him first aid while another called for help, he said.
Paramedics pronounced Solorio dead at the scene, the sheriff's office said.
In October 2010, another shark attack killed a 19-year-old college student off the same beach at Vandenberg.
That shark, described as being 14 to 20 feet, bit off the left leg of Lucas McKaine Ransom of Romoland, California, while he was Boogie Boarding with a 20-year-old male friend, authorities said.
Ransom was a junior at University of California at Santa Barbara and was majoring in chemical engineering.
Surf Beach is one of three that sit on the coastal military base and is the only one open to the public, a military spokesman said Tuesday.
Solorio, who was from Orcutt, just two miles from Vandenberg, wasn't affiliated with the military base, said a Vandenberg spokeswoman.
Opinion: Even after attacks, sharks need protection
CNN's Amanda Watts, Michael Martinez and Diahann Reyes contributed to this report.
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It's an essential part of any trip, an activity we all take part in. Yet almost none of us are any good at it. Souvenir buying is too often an obligatory slog. | <urn:uuid:299bee32-5c81-400a-8e06-16b6f12230ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/24/us/california-shark-attack-death/index.html?iid=article_sidebar | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96229 | 994 | 1.5 | 2 |
Was NRA chief right to blame media in Trayvon Martin case?by Opinion Staff
If National Rifle Association Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre’s speech Saturday to the NRA convention in St. Louis could have been choreographed, it would have featured black clouds and lightning, with a few images of the Grim Reaper.
Mr. LaPierre warned members that these are “the most dangerous times in American history.” Huh? The Civil War, the Depression, World War II, 9/11 weren’t worse?
The problem, apparently, is the Obama administration, which according to Mr. LaPierre has agents out looking to confiscate every gun in the country. Mitt Romney pandered to that sentiment, too.
It’s all bogus, but conventions are about rousing the faithful.
Then Mr. LaPierre made reference to “one of Florida’s many daily tragedies,” to mount an assault on the media. He blamed reporters, without naming the case, for hyping the Trayvon Martin case in pursuit of ratings and ignoring other shooting victims who also were young, black and male.
He cited several such victims and called the media “a national disgrace.”
Not surprisingly, Mr. LaPierre missed the point of the Trayvon Martin controversy.
In those other cases, police have arrested suspects or are looking for them. In the Martin case, no charges were filed against the shooter, George Zimmerman, until Mr. Martin’s father raised a public protest because his son had been unarmed and walking home when the armed Mr. Zimmerman stalked the teenager, ignored a police dispatcher’s order to stop and shot Mr. Martin dead.
The race angle that Mr. LaPierre brayed about came into play because of the failure to file charges.
That failure is linked to the state’s “stand your ground” law, which the NRA pushed for seven years ago.
The law has been the main focus of the Trayvon Martin case. So much for Mr. LaPierre’s comment that the NRA doesn’t discuss such cases without a “thorough understanding of the facts.”
News organizations have made mistakes in the Martin case. NBC edited Mr. Zimmerman’s comments to the dispatcher, making it sound as though Mr. Martin’s race was the sole reason Mr. Zimmerman pursued him.
But Mr. LaPierre wants to blame the media to distract attention from the law that may allow Mr. Zimmerman to walk.
What do you think? Was the NRA chief right to blame the media in the Trayvon Martin case? Leave a comment or click on the link below to take our poll. | <urn:uuid:15e29333-01ff-45b7-97e1-3e2e7fa906b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2012/04/18/was-nra-chief-right-to-blame-media-in-trayvon-martin-case/?cp=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953934 | 555 | 1.570313 | 2 |
In the damp, pre-dawn darkness over Zuccotti Park, three thousand people were ready for a confrontation. Police vans interspersed with news vehicles surrounded the block. Volunteers with brooms hastily swept up the last of the debris in advance of the coming order to evacuate.
But the order didn’t come. At 6:30 a.m., the crowd broke into wild cheers at the announcement that Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the landlord company of the park, Brookfield Office Properties, delayed a planned cleaning session. This would have driven out Occupy Wall Street members and subsequently made it harder for them to return and assemble. Despite some scuffles and fifteen arrests at the subsequent victory march down Broadway, a big showdown was averted.The protests grew over the weekend and lead to even more arrests.
The delay, which occupiers claimed as a victory, showcased the high level of social organization and political capital the movement has amassed. The cleanup was announced on Wednesday but most protesters didn’t learn of it until Thursday, giving them 24 hours to rally the opposition.
A massive cleaning campaign by park volunteers, a call summoning thousands of supporters to the park at 6 a.m., an emergency press conference convened by City Council members and a public relations bombardment of Brookfield Office Properties all occurred in a single day, causing the company to withdraw its request and agree to negotiate with the protesters over park sanitation.
“This shows that [Occupy Wall Street] can mobilize lots of people in a short amount of time,” said Daphne Carr, a demonstration supporter.
The following day, movement supporters rallied across the United States and the world to show solidarity. Close to ten thousand people arrived in Times Square and had a tense standoff with mounted police. About 70 people were arrested throughout Saturday, including 24 people who gathered at a Citibank. Bank employees said that the protesters were disruptive but the Occupy Wall Street website says that the arrested were trying to withdraw money and close their accounts.
Bloomberg expressed displeasure with the political pressure exerted by elected officials on his weekly radio show, Friday morning. “If those elected officials had spent half as much time trying to promote the city to get jobs to come here we would a lot more ways towards answering the concerns of the protestors," he said.
A Showdown Looms
Brookfield Office Properties owns Zuccotti Park but the space is open for public use as a result of a zoning agreement that the company has with the city. In exchange for making the space available, the city granted Brookfield leeway in how tall adjacent buildings can be built.
The company sent a letter to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, saying that the “manner in which the protesters are occupying the Park violates the law, violates the rules of the Park, deprives the community of its rights of quiet enjoyment to the Park and creates health and public safety issues that need to be addressed immediately.” The letter also said that conditions in the park have deteriorated to unsanitary and unsafe levels and tenants in nearby buildings have filed many complaints. The letter went on to ask the police to help clear the park in order to undertake “cleaning, inspection, damage assessment and repairs.”
On Wednesday, Bloomberg announced that cleanup of the park would begin at 7 a.m. on Friday. Flyers were distributed throughout the park on Wednesday and Thursday. In addition, the mayor’s office, Brookfield and the New York Police Department issued a new set of rules prohibiting laying down and bringing tarps, mattresses and sleeping bags to the park, all necessary parts of the occupation’s infrastructure.
Many protesters said that the concern about sanitation and safety was a ruse and that the mayor’s and Brookfield Office Properties’s real desire was to shut down the demonstration. “It’s farce,” said Fox James, one of the ten members of Occupy Wall Street’s own cleanup crew. “He wants us out of here.”
Bloomberg’s girlfriend, Diana Taylor, sits on Brookfield’s board of directors, prompting suspicions among demonstrators and the media that there was collusion between the company leadership and the mayor. The mayor’s office did not return calls requesting comment about this issue.
Occupy Wall Street and its supporters issued a massive call for action in response to the upcoming cleanup and eviction. Online, the group told as many people as possible to arrive at 6 a.m. and form a human barricade around the park, to prevent the police from clearing everyone out.
Attorneys from the National Lawyers’ Guild who have donated legal expertise to the protesters, sent Brookfield Office Properties a letter saying that the upcoming action “raises serious First Amendment and other legal concerns” and that “there is no basis in law for [the company’s] request, nor has [the company] cited any. Such police action without a prior court order would be unconstitutional and unlawful.” The working group asked the company to sit down and negotiate with the protesters regarding the maintenance of the park.
Council members who support the occupation who received the news on Thursday, held an emergency press conference across the street from Zuccotti Park, organized by the Working Families Party.
As WFP’s Bill Linton tried to start the press conference, a white shirt police officer stood between him and the cameras, requested his driver license and asked that Linton follow him. Linton began the press conference in spite of the request. The officer eventually stepped out of the frame. At the end, he gave Linton back his ID, saying that this could have been averted if the organizers notified DCPI in advance.
Politicians who showed up to speak included Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio, Sen. Jose Serrano, former Assemblyman Richard Brodsky and council members Leticia James, Linda Rosenthal, James Sanders, Ydanis Rodriguez, Charles Barron, Jumaane Williams, Daniel Dromm and Margaret Chin whose constituents include Zuccotti Park’s neighbors in District 1.
“My constituents wrote to me and said they support the protesters,” said Chin. “We call on the mayor to do everything he can to let this peaceful demonstration continue.”
A few of the council members struck a skeptical tone. “All of a sudden, the most important thing in the city is cleaning up Zuccotti Park,” said Williams. Brodsky added: “That Park has never been cleaner. If the cops are sent there, it will be to crush a movement.”
Occupy Wall Street mobilized dozens of volunteers to sweep trash, scrub and squeegee the pavement, throw out garbage and rearrange the piles of furniture and personal belongings. The volunteers worked through the night. In the morning, debris such as cigarette butts and small trash was cleared out of the space even though personal belongings still formed large, tarp-covered piles in the park. Some protesters took their things to nearby storage lockers donated by the United Federation of Teachers.
By 6 a.m., the crowd had assembled and was ready for arrests. At 6:20 a.m., the deputy mayor released a statement saying that the cleaning is postponed due to Brookfield Office Properties withdrawing its request to the city. The statement reached the demonstrators about ten minutes later, prompting a massive cheer and temporarily breaking down the crowd-powered announcement system.
A group of protesters staged an impromptu victory march down Broadway, many of them walking off the sidewalk. This prompted multiple scuffles with police who tried to control the crowd on foot and on scooters. About a dozen people were arrested in the vicinity of Bowling Green.
Brookfield’s statement said “At the request of a number of local political leaders, Brookfield Properties has deferred the cleaning of Zuccotti Park for a short period of time while an attempt is made to reach a resolution regarding the manner in which Zuccotti Park is being used by the protesters.” The company’s spokeswoman declined to elaborate further on how these resolutions would be reached.
The mayor’s office did not say whether police would enforce new regulations against laying down and using tarps and mattresses in the park but the mayor suggested in his radio program that the decision will, for now, be Brookfield’s. A police officer on the scene, who did not wish to be named, predicted that the immediate future of the protest would be business as usual. “That’s what I like,” she added.
As the morning crowds began to disperse a little, Jordan McCarthy, a member of Occupy Wall Street’s cleanup crew, leaned triumphantly on her broom. “We better get a lot of respect for this,” she said. “Revolutions begin with cleanliness.”
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Computer networks crash at South Korean banks, media companies; North Korea attack suspected
SEOUL, South Korea — Computer networks at major South Korean banks and top TV broadcasters crashed en masse Wednesday, paralyzing bank machines across the country and prompting speculation of a cyberattack by North Korea.
Screens went blank at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT), with reports of skulls popping up on some computer screens, the state-run Korea Information Security Agency said — a strong indication that hackers planted a malicious code in South Korean systems. Some computers came back online more than 2 1/2 hours later.
The shutdown appeared to be more of an inconvenience than a source of panic. There were no immediate reports that bank customers’ records were compromised. It also didn’t affect government agencies or networks essential to the country’s infrastructure, such as power plants or transportation systems.
Still, it raised worries about the overall vulnerability to attacks in South Korea, a world leader in broadband speed and mobile Internet access. Previous hacking attacks at private companies compromised millions of people’s personal data. Past malware attacks also disabled access to government agency websites and destroyed files in personal computers.
The shutdown comes amid rising rhetoric and threats of attack from Pyongyang in response to U.N. punishment for its December rocket launch and February nuclear test. Washington also expanded sanctions against North Korea this month in a bid to cripple the regime’s ability to develop its nuclear program.
North Korea has threatened revenge for the sanctions and for ongoing routine U.S.-South Korean military drills it considers rehearsals for invasion.
Seoul believes North Korea runs an Internet warfare unit aimed at hacking U.S. and South Korean government and military networks to gather information and disrupt service.
Seoul blames North Korean hackers for several cyberattacks in recent years. Pyongyang has either denied or ignored those charges. Hackers operating from IP addresses in China have also faced blame.
The latest network paralysis took place just days after North Korea accused South Korea and the U.S. of staging a cyberattack that shut down its websites for two days last week. Loxley Pacific, the Thailand-based Internet service provider, confirmed the outage but did not say what caused the shutdown in North Korea.
Shinhan Bank, a major South Korean lender, reported a two-hour system shutdown Wednesday, including online banking and automated teller machines. It said networks later came back online, and that banking was back to normal at branches and online. Shinhan said no customer records or accounts were compromised.
The other bank, Nonghyup, also a major lender, said its system eventually came back online. Officials didn’t answer a call seeking details on the safety of customer records.
Jeju Bank said some of its branches also reported network shutdowns.
At one Starbucks in downtown Seoul, customers were asked to pay for their coffee in cash, and lines were forming outside disabled bank machines. Seoul is a largely cashless city, with many people relying on debit and credit cards to pay for goods and services.
Broadcasters KBS and MBC said their computers went down at 2 p.m., but officials said the shutdown did not affect daily TV broadcasts. Computers were still down more than three hours after the shutdown began, the news outlets said.
The YTN cable news channel also said the company’s internal computer network was completely paralyzed. Footage showed workers staring at blank computer screens.
KBS employees said they watched helplessly as files stored on their computers began disappearing as the computer went into shutdown mode.
“It’s got to be a hacking attack,” Lim Jong-in, dean of Korea University’s Graduate School of Information Security. “Such simultaneous shutdowns cannot be caused by technical glitches.”
The South Korean military raised its cyberattack readiness level but saw no signs of cyberattacks on its networks, the Defence Ministry said.
No government computers were affected, officials said. President Park Geun-hye called for quick efforts to get systems back online, according to her spokeswoman, Kim Haing.
In 2011, computer security software maker McAfee Inc. said North Korea or its sympathizers likely were responsible for a cyberattack against South Korean government and banking websites earlier that year.
The analysis also said North Korea appeared to be linked to a 2009 massive computer-based attack that brought down U.S. government Internet sites.
Pyongyang denied involvement.
But the accusations from both sides show that the warfare between the foes has expanded into cyberspace.
Last week, North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency accused South Korea and the U.S. of expanding an aggressive stance against Pyongyang into cyberspace with “intensive and persistent virus attacks.”
South Korea denied the allegation and the U.S. military declined to comment.
Lim said hackers in China were likely culprits in the outage in Pyongyang.
But signs Wednesday pointed to North Korea, he said.
“Hackers attack media companies usually because of a political desire to cause confusion in society,” he said. “Political attacks on South Korea come from North Koreans.”
Last week, North Korea’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea warned South Korea’s “reptile media” that the country was prepared to wage a “sophisticated strike” on the country.
Orchestrating the mass shutdown of the networks of major companies would take at least one to six months of planning and co-ordination, said Kwon Seok-chul, chief executive officer of Seoul-based cyber security firm Cuvepia Inc.
The company that provides network services for the companies that suffered outages said it did not spot signs of a cyberattack on its networks, said Lee Jung-hwan, a spokesman for LG Uplus Corp.
Lim said tracking the source of the outage would take months.
Associated Press writers Sam Kim and Foster Klug contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:4a425b9c-de1b-49c1-84a5-cf67396f0e05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fftimes.com/node/258251 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960791 | 1,248 | 1.679688 | 2 |
When Kathy Nickolaus, the county clerk in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, spoke to the press on Thursday after revealing that she had failed to count more than 14,000 ballots in the hotly contested state supreme court election, one might have expected her to offer her resignation.
Instead, Ms. Nickolaus blamed “human error” for the problem, which resulted in the failure to tally any votes from the city of Brookfield, which accounts for about 11 percent of her county’s voters. Most of the 14,315 uncounted votes were cast for the more conservative candidate, David Prosser.
As a result, Mr. Prosser — who had been about 200 ballots behind JoAnne Kloppenburg in a contest that seemed bound for a recount — had a net gain of more than 7,500 votes, and now has an overall lead of about that size. Although the election may still go to a recount, it is now highly unlikely that the outcome will change, unless another county discovers a discrepancy of the same magnitude, but in Ms. Kloppenburg’s favor.
The human who made the error was none other than Ms. Nickolaus, who said she had failed to save a computer file after entering Brookfield’s results. It is hard to excuse the mistake, which was of a considerably larger magnitude than anything that happened in an individual county during the controversial recounts in Florida or Minnesota.
There are, of course, suggestions in some liberal-leaning blogs that Ms. Nickolaus (who has worked for Republicans in the past) is attempting to steal the election. But a look at the turnout estimates in Waukesha County, before and after the problem was corrected, suggest that her mistake was probably an honest one. The original turnout figure was somewhat lower than what might have been expected statistically, and the revised one is more in line with reasonable expectations.
In the gubernatorial election in 2010, Waukesha County, a Republican stronghold, had the highest turnout among the 72 counties in Wisconsin. Of its 261,405 registered voters, 188,278, or 72 percent, cast a legal ballot in that race, well above Wisconsin’s statewide turnout of 62 percent.
The county also had above-average turnout in the primary in February, in which Mr. Prosser, the incumbent, and Ms. Kloppenburg won the two spots on the general-election ballot in a four-candidate contest: the county’s turnout in the primary was 14 percent, compared with the state average of 12 percent. The same holds true for the presidential race of 2008, when 89 percent of the county’s registered voters cast ballots, compared with 86 percent for Wisconsin as a whole.
By contrast, when Waukesha County’s results in the judicial election were first announced results on Tuesday night, the turnout appeared to have been 42.3 percent, slightly below the statewide average of 42.7 percent. Now, with the Brookfield ballots included, the county’s total is now 47.8 percent, more consistent with its past pattern of slightly exceeding the statewide figure.
Each election is different, of course. The fact that Waukeshans voted at higher-than-average rates in the past wouldn’t guarantee anything this time around. And this election was unusual — a contest for a pivotal court seat, but also something of a confidence vote on Gov. Scott Walker, who has been engaged in a fierce battle with unions and their supporters and has seen his popularity wane in public opinion polls.
So it might be useful to look at turnout figures from other counties in Wisconsin, whose figures (as far as we know) are reasonably sound. Here is a graphic, for instance, comparing turnout rates in last year’s gubernatorial election with the judicial election on Tuesday. The red circle represents the originally reported figure for Waukesha County, and the green circle its vote after the recanvassing. The blue circles represent the other 71 counties in Wisconsin.
As you can see, turnout in 2010 was a reasonably good predictor of the turnout this week. Based on 2010, Waukesha County’s turnout “should” have been about 51.5 percent, plus or minus some margin of error. Its revised figure of 47.8 percent is closer to that expectation than the 42.3 percent figure originally reported.
We can also look at how turnout in the presidential election of 2008 compared with this week’s election:
This model predicts that Waukesha County’s turnout ought to be about 44.6 percent, which is in between the original and revised figures. Note, however, that the data does not fit quite as well: the results from the other counties are more spread out along the regression line. What that means is that 2008 turnout did not predict this year’s voting as well as 2010 turnout did. Though this evidence is more equivocal as to which turnout figure is the right one, it’s also less salient to the question.
The same holds true for the February supreme court election:
Here again, Waukesha County’s expected turnout falls between its original and revised figures. But again the fit is not terribly strong, so this represents a rougher guess than we get from using the 2010 data.
A better way to think about this is in terms of a 95 percent confidence interval, or margin of error. For instance, based on the 2010 data, we’d estimate that Waukesha County’s turnout should have been 51.5 percent, plus or minus 7.8 percent, meaning that there was a 95 percent chance that the true figure was in the range of 43.7 percent to 59.3 percent. The original turnout estimate, 42.3 percent, falls outside this range, meaning that we can be fairly confident that something unusual (like failing to count an entire city’s ballots) had occurred.
True, if we attempt to forecast Waukesha County’s turnout based on the 2008 or February 2011 data instead, the original turnout figure falls well within the margin of error — but so does the revised one, so this doesn’t tell us anything especially interesting.
If one wanted to argue that Waukesha County’s turnout ought to have been moderate or low — despite its having been above-average in the past — a reasonable justification might be that the county doesn’t have very many unionized workers, and is dominated by white-collar private businesses like General Electric, which has a large complex there. Union workers, especially in the public sector, probably had the most at stake in the judicial election, since the winner is likely to be called on to rule on the controversial legislation that state Republicans passed to roll back collective bargaining rights.
No data is available on unionization rates at the county level in Wisconsin. What we can look at, however, is the percentage of workers in each county who work in state or local government, about half of whom are unionized statewide. This data is available in the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. It turns out that about 7.5 percent of the employed population in Waukesha County works for state or local government, as compared with 11 percent for Wisconsin as a whole.
So far, the best predictor we’ve found of turnout in this week’s election is turnout in 2010. If we run a regression analysis and also include the share of state and local government employees as an explanatory variable, it does have a statistically significant effect (provided that we weight the regression by the number of registered voters in each county). However, this reduces the turnout prediction for Waukesha only slightly, and the figure that was originally reported still falls outside the 95-percent confidence interval.
The same holds true if we run a “kitchen sink” regression analysis that includes a couple of other variables that appear to have some predictive power, like the percentage of people who voted for Governor Walker in November and the percentage of voters who are white.
I’m deliberately not going into very much detail on this analysis because it basically tells us the same story that the simpler approaches did: There is no evidence that Waukesha County’s revised vote count is unusually high, whereas there is some evidence that its original vote count was unusually low.
This evidence is reasonably (though not overwhelmingly) convincing: Waukesha County’s turnout rate was too low according to some versions of the model, but it was a modest outlier rather than an extraordinary one. Put differently, if there hadn’t been some concrete reason to suspect that the original figure was off, I don’t know that it would have raised any red flags from a statistical perspective.
Nevertheless, if you want to allege that there’s a conspiracy afoot, the statistical evidence tends to work against you. Waukesha County’s revised turnout figures are pretty normal for Waukesha County, a wealthy, white suburban county that usually votes at high rates, whereas its original figures were at the low end of reasonable expectations, given the way the rest of the state voted.
Also of note is that the number of votes that Ms. Nickolaus says she failed to count in Brookfield, amounting to 11 percent of the county total, is in line with the proportion Brookfield normally represents: the city supplied 11 percent of Waukesha County’s total vote in both the 2008 and 2010 general elections.
If this was a conspiracy, it was one executed with an extraordinarily high degree of cunning and competence. I’m more inclined to think that Ms. Nickolaus, who has drawn complaints for her sloppy management practices in the past, is no savvier than she seems.
If you’re still not persuaded, you’re welcome to play around with the data yourself, which you can download as an MS-Excel file here. | <urn:uuid:84b17dfb-173a-4c63-b6e9-ff693162dbf0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/140186/debate-andor-discourse-awesome-post-in-wisconsin-waukesha-county-clerk-finds-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969272 | 2,070 | 1.609375 | 2 |
MUMBAI: The BMC-appointed consultant's overestimation of generation of carbon credits during the Gorai dumping ground's closure project has not just caused the civic body embarrassment but also translated into a Rs 15 crore loss.
The BMC had got Rs 24.5 crore from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in exchange for the estimated generation of 4.3 lakh emission reduction units over five years, starting 2009. One emission reduction unit, or a carbon credit, equals one tonne of carbon dioxide reduced. There are two kinds of emission unitscertified and verified emi ssion reductions (CERs and VERs; see 'Trade in Pollution' ).
Of the total 4.3 lakh un its, till June 2012, the project was to generate 2.7 la kh units. However, just a fraction—14 ,477 units—was actually generated.
The ADB, in a formal communication , therefore asked the BMC to either pay back the entire amount or bridge the gap between the estimated and actual units generated by buying 4.3 lakh emission reduction units from the open market—which is expected to cost approximately Rs 15 crore. The BMC has decided to opt for the latter; a proposal for purchasing the units will be tabled at a civic standing committee meet next week. The remaining Rs 9 crore would be adjusted till 2014.
The consultant, IL&FS, was appointed in 2008 to study the amount of carbon credits the Gorai dumping ground's closure would generate. It had estimated 12.3 lakh emission reduction units over 10 years and 4.3 lakh over five years. Based on this report, the civic body entered into an emission-purchase agreement with the ADB and, in 2009, pre-sold the units for five years, for Rs 24.5 crore. The consultant was paid a fee of Rs 1.2 crore in 2009. Going by the estimate, the BMC was to get Rs 72 crore for ten years.
The BMC has now issued a showcause notice to the consultant asking for the reasons why its estimate was way off the mark. "We have asked the consultant to return the fee. We have also asked it to conduct all the formalities for purchasing CERs from the open market, to be returned to ADB, free of cost," said Mohan Adtani, additional municipal commissioner.
The scientific closure of the Gorai dump started in 2007, following a Supreme Court order on a petition filed by the locals against the BMC. The closure was completed in 2009.
The failure has also toppled BMC's plan to set up a 2-megawatt energy plant from gas generated from the project.
The draft letter submitted to the standing committee mentions the consultant did not take into account debris and plastic waste, which on being processed, does not generate gas. Also, it did not take into account 10.03 lakh metric tonne of waste at the site before the closure began. Of this, only 2.34 lakh tonne was available . It adds that due to the city's climate waste is decomposed easily. | <urn:uuid:81680312-d163-4d8a-8769-08534a633479> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-22/mumbai/34021706_1_gorai-dump-emission-reduction-carbon-credits | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960188 | 626 | 1.75 | 2 |
Google Mania (Part 3): How It’s Playing Out in the Courtroom
Posted By Kacy Miller on Monday, August 29, 2011
If you’re wondering how Google, Facebook, Twitter and researching jurors plays out in the courtroom, check out the cases below. The growing use of social media and internet use in the courtroom setting is murky at best, but juror use of social media seems to be a definite no-no. Attorneys who use the internet to research jurors seems to be an increasingly more acceptable practice; however it does vary by jurisdiction. As we learn of new trends, cases and laws we will be sure to report them here!
Facebook and Blog rants cause juror to be excused from service. (July 2010)
In a Missouri products-liability case (Khoury v. ConAgra), defense counsel learned of a juror’s bias after the panel had been sworn in. After jury selection, defense counsel reviewed the juror’s Facebook page and personal blog. Both suggested a very strong anti-corporate sentiment that was not disclosed during jury selection. Defense counsel moved to excuse the juror from the panel, and the judge agreed.
Judge says “No Googling in my courtroom!” but appellate court disagrees. (August 2010)
In a New Jersey medical malpractice case (Carino v. Muenzen), plaintiff counsel was actively Googling jurors during the voir dire process. An exchange occurred between the judge and plaintiff counsel whereby the judge proclaimed, “the rule is it’s my courtroom and I control it.” Plaintiff counsel was forbidden from Googling jurors because opposing counsel did not have laptops in the courtroom and the judge felt it gave plaintiff counsel an unfair advantage.
An appellate court opinion (decided August 30, 2010) ultimately upheld the verdict, but did find that the lower court judge had improperly prohibited plaintiff counsel from conducting online research.
“…conclude that the judge acted unreasonably in preventing the use of the internet by [plaintiff] counsel. There was no suggestion that counsel’s use of the computer was in any way disruptive. That he had the foresight to bring his laptop computer to court, and defense counsel did not, simply cannot serve as a basis for judicial intervention in the name of ‘fairness’ or maintaining ‘a level playing field.’ The ‘playing field’ was, in fact, already ‘level’ because internet access was open to both counsel, even if only one of them chose to utilize it.”
Because jury selection took two days, the appellate court also stated that defense counsel “could have researched the prospective juror lists overnight or during breaks, and certainly could have done so before the testimonial portion of the trial started on the third day.”
Don’t “Friend” jurors (especially if you’re a criminal defendant)! (June 2011)
The Georgia Macon Sun News reported that a Peach County juror (already selected to serve on an aggravated assault case) reported to the Court Clerk that a friend of the criminal defendant sent her a “Friend” request on Facebook. In response to the “Friend” attempt, the judge requested a review of the defendant’s recorded jailhouse phone calls. Turns out, the defendant had specifically asked his girlfriend to contact three identified jurors. The judge immediately dismissed the jury…and revoked the defendant’s bond. In an effort to ensure a fair and impartial trial, the judge also asked trial counsel to consider the possibility of a change of venue or sequestering the new jury.
If a juror keeps secrets during voir dire, it can be grounds for a new trial. (July 2011)
In a recent Manhattan federal court tax evasion case (U.S. v. Daugerdas), the defense team requested a new trial on the basis that a juror withheld critical information during jury selection that, had it been known, would have caused her to be released from the panel. Defendants claim the juror failed to inform the court that she had a law degree and has been suspended from practicing since 2007. She also allegedly failed to share her current status of criminal probation for two shoplifting charges, and her outstanding warrant for disorderly conduct. I have not found any documents detailing how the trial team learned of the alleged misconduct, but one can reasonably surmise that the information was learned from Internet research.
California jurors who use social media can be held in contempt. (August 2011)
California Governor Brown signed California Assembly Bill 141 on August 5, 2011 which took typical jury instructions to refrain from social media and/or researching during trial up a notch. It now includes contempt of court charges for violating the instructions. The new law not only forbids jurors from using social media or electronic devices (including the iPhone, Blackberry, etc.) to research or discuss the case, but it also bans jurors from using any electronic device to contact court officials.
The bill includes the following excerpt regarding punishment:
“This bill would make the willful disobedience by a juror of a court admonishment related to the prohibition on any form of communication or research about the case, including all forms of electronic or wireless communication or research, punishable as either a civil or criminal contempt of court pursuant to those provisions.” | <urn:uuid:0a44d5cb-2a59-4488-8ea0-7d3a2183e793> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://courtroomlogic.com/2011/08/29/google-mania-part-3-courtroom/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962639 | 1,115 | 1.828125 | 2 |
A court in Moscow has ruled that three members of the female punk group Pussy Riot must remain in custody for six months after singing a protest song in Moscow's main Orthodox church, prompting Amnesty International to reiterate its call for their immediate release.
Maria Alekhina, Ekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, who are accused of “hooliganism on the grounds of religious hatred”, face possible prison sentences of up to seven years.
“These three activists have now been behind bars for months,awaiting a trial that should not be taking place, ” said Amnesty International Europe and Central Asia Programme Director John Dalhuisen.
“Even if the three arrested women did take part in the protest, the severity of the response of the Russian authorities and the detention on the serious criminal charge of hooliganism would not be a justifiable response to the peaceful – if, to many, offensive - expression of their political beliefs.”
The preliminary hearing of the case will continue next week, on 23 July.
“The Russian authorities must drop the charges of hooliganism and immediately and unconditionally release these three women, ” said Dalhuisen.
Amnesty International considers the activists to be prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs.
The protest song Virgin Mary, redeem us of Putin was performed in Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow on 21 February 2012 by several members of the feminist Pussy Riot group with their faces covered in balaclavas.
The song calls on Virgin Mary to become a feminist and banish Vladimir Putin. It also criticises the dedication and support shown to Putin by some representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church.
It was one of a number of performances intended as a protest against Vladimir Putin in the run-up to Russia's presidential elections in March.
The Russian authorities subsequently arrested Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova on 4 March and Ekaterina Samutsevich on 15 March, claiming they were the masked singers.
One of the women, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, admitted to being a member of the larger ‘Pussy Riot’ group and taking part in the protest while the other two deny any involvement in the cathedral protest.
Since its establishment in 2011, the Pussy Riot group has conducted several performances in public places such as the Moscow underground, Red Square and on the roofs of buses.
In media interviews the group members have stated that they protest against, among other things, stifling of freedom of expression and assembly in Russia, the unfair political process and the fabrication of criminal cases against opposition activists.
The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly held that freedom of expression applies not only to inoffensive ideas, “but also to those that offend, shock or disturb the State or any sector of the population”.
“Even if the action was calculated to shock and was known to be likely to cause offence, the activists left the Cathedral when requested to do so and caused no damage,” said Dalhuisen.
“The entire action lasted only a few minutes and caused only minimal disruption to those using the Cathedral for other, notably religious, purposes.”
“The broader political context surrounding the anti-Putin protests at the time – and the anticlerical, anti-Putin content of the activists’ message (themselves unpunishable) – have clearly and unlawfully been taken into account in the charges that have been brought against them.”
A video montage of the song available on the internet has led to a wide debate about the protest. The press secretary of President-elect Vladimir Putin called the protest despicable and said it would be followed up “with all the necessary consequences”.
Although a representative of the Orthodox Church initially called for mercy for the protestors, subsequent statements by representatives of the Church have called for harsh punishment and for the women to be prosecuted for inciting hatred on grounds of religion. The women’s relatives have reportedly also received anonymous death threats. | <urn:uuid:627dcd5a-b767-4325-9aae-c4c02269c4da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.amnesty.org/es/node/33306 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960482 | 846 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Fall is here! Which means, for those of us living here in Seattle, rain. A lot of rain. Driving rain. Endless driving rain. I’m pretty sure that last November it actually rained every day. However, any experienced Northwestern cyclist can tell you that the best way to combat the crushing depression of the winter months (other than maybe buying a SAD lamp) is to keep riding your bike! And what this means, is fenders.
There are many different types of fenders. Because I insist on riding completely impractical bikes, my only option are the clip on, or “fairly ineffective,” type of fenders.
These fenders are convenient because they simply clip on to the seat stays and fork blades of the bike, and don't need any eyelets or mounting hardware. They’re inconvenient because they don’t really work very well, and as a result my bike is always dirty
and my feet are always wet and sad.
So, despite the more involved mounting process, full fenders are a better option. They provide much greater coverage, which is great for your bike because it keeps it clean, prolonging the life of your components, and great for you because it keeps you more dry, prolonging the life of your ride. A great example of full fenders are the ones that Fritz has on his bike. Look at that clean bike!
And look at those happy feet!
“But wait!” you might say. “I ride a racy road bike! I don’t have room for fenders! Or eyelets!” Not to worry! Both Fritz and myself have extensive experience putting together custom fenders to fit on even the most race-oriented carbon fiber speed machine. There are several ways we can do this, but our most common method is to actually fabricate some mounts out of rack struts (thin, rectangular pieces of steel) and use these to clear the tight spaces in between the tires and brake calipers. In the case of bikes without eyelets, we can use different types of clamps to keep the fender stays attached to the frame.
So why wait! Get some fenders! Keep your feet dry! | <urn:uuid:9da58486-634a-440a-9c19-ae7c4c3b4b50> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dutchbikeco.com/_blog/Dutch_Bike_Co_Weblog/post/Feet_and_fenders/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959977 | 460 | 1.539063 | 2 |
The Kimmel Scholar Awards were created in 1997 to further the careers of gifted, young scientists involved in cancer research.
Sridhar Ramaswamy, MD, awarded the Sidney Kimmel Foundation Award in Translational Research
The Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research has selected fifteen scientists from across the United States to receive two year grants under the Foundation's on-going Scholar program. A total of 145 talented cancer researchers have been provided with grant money since the Foundation's inception with each receiving a $200,000 award to further a specific cancer research project.
The Kimmel Scholar Awards were created in 1997 to further the careers of gifted, young scientists involved in cancer research. Scientists are selected who show the greatest promise and innovation, but whose careers have not been sufficiently advanced to provide them the critical mass of prior research that typically justifies receiving major awards from the National Cancer Institute and other funding sources.
Sidney Kimmel, the organization's founder and chairman ofthe board of Jones Apparel Group and president of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, meets each year with the Foundation's medical advisory board and observes as the esteemed group of leading cancer doctors narrows down the applicants to the top fifteen. This year there were nearly 200 grant applications for review.
Many of the exceptional young scientists who have their careers 'jump started' by the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research go on to receive millions of dollars in funding from the NCI and NIH and make significant contributions to the field of cancer research. Many report that they might never have achieved such success without first receiving the Kimmel grant.
Sridhar Ramaswamy, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital received his award for “Creating bioactive feeders for cancer discovery”.
Learn more about the Sidney Kimmel Foundation.
U.S. News & World Report ranks Mass General the #1 hospital in America based on our quality of care, patient safety and reputation in 16 different specialties. Learn more about why we're #1.
Search the archive for previously published news articles, press releases and publications.
Departments and Centers at Mass General have a reputation for excellence in patient care. View a list of all departments. | <urn:uuid:c12f8f1a-e5a6-44f9-81f6-4f3aa7eb41af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.massgeneral.org/cancer/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=2727 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945572 | 436 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The flicker of the newsreel defined World War II and Korea for viewers on the homefront, while Vietnam was the “television war,” with grainy color 16mm unspooling on the nightly news. The first Gulf War was glowing green night-vision footage and smart munitions obliterating targets as filtered through the abstractly smooth cruise of sky-high aerial surveillance. Digital video is the medium of America’s post Sept. 11 wars. Light, unobtrusive, affordable, capable of going anywhere and capturing almost anything, it has fueled an ever-growing number of cinematic accounts of what it’s like on the ground in Iraq or Afghanistan, within the U.S. lines or without. Reporters and soldiers return home and write books, many of them indelible accounts, but it’s not hard to imagine that such documentary footage will provide and deepen our understanding of these conflicts, in the years to come, and in the decades after that. Two new documentaries not only provide glimpses of almost unimaginable situations half a world away, they also hint at how much interpreting of this footage we all have left to do.
Journalist Sebastian Junger and photojournalist Tim Hetherington spent the better part of a year embedded with the U.S. Army’s Battle Company of the 503rd Infantry at a far-forward base in the Korengal Valley, an isolated hotbed of Taliban activity. They came back with Restrepo (Virgil DVD and Blu-ray), as intimate an account of American troops fighting the “war on terror” as we’ve yet seen. That intimacy comes from the intimacy of the embed; Junger and Hetherington weren’t retreating to a hotel in the Green Zone every night, but roughing it with the soldiers on the scrubby slopes of the Korengal, burning their own feces and ducking under near constant fire, armed only with DV cameras.
The one framing device used in this straightforward account involves the figure who looms largest over Battle Company’s tour and the resulting film: Pfc. Juan “Doc” Restrepo. Introduced mugging for a home-video camera in the first scene, Restrepo was killed soon after the company moved into its crude new base. The death of such a beloved member of the unit clearly haunts the men, and when they establish another forward base from the forward base, they name the tiny hand-dug outpost after him. His memory is always with them, as is, no doubt, the memory of what happened to him.
Restrepo features much that’s familiar from similar accounts—go-nowhere meetings with local leaders, profane bullshit sessions, soldiers blowing off steam by silly dancing to cheesy disco—but also things never seen in a wartime doc before. During one of the many firefights the filmmakers are on hand for, tracers go zipping across the Korengal’s vertiginous terrain in an image as unforgettable as any seen onscreen this year. And when another loved and respected member of the company is killed in a firefight, Junger and Hetherington are right there, capturing the troops’ reactions. One soldier bursts out crying, a response both startling and moving in its humble humanity. One soldier interviewed mentions reservations about dubbing the forward base Restrepo—it was, after all, a horrible place. It must be a source of enormous satisfaction and pride for all involved that a film this compelling and important bears his name.
The Oath (Zeitgeist DVD) presents an altogether different view of the war between America and Islamic extremists over the past decade, with an altogether more ambiguous figure at its center. Laura Poitras’ documentary focuses on two men, in fact: Abu Jandal, once a committed member of Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden’s personal bodyguard, and Salim Hamdan, Jandal’s brother-in-law and once a driver for the Al-Qaeda leader. Firebrand Jandal recruited Hamdan for jihad, and in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, Hamdan was arrested and detained at Guantanamo Bay. Jandal was arrested, too, but he cooperated with the American FBI; the beginning of the war in Afghanistan still going on in Restrepo was delayed while agents debriefed him.
Poitras’s cameras find Jandal free and working as a taxi driver in Yemen. He has earnest discussions with devout young men, telling them stories of his glory days as a jihadist, but he demurs when it comes to whether or not he’s “recruiting” them. He disavows the Sept. 11 attacks, and then disavows his disavowal. And he allows Poitras to place a camera in his cab, trained on his face, as he chats with, cajoles, and lies to his fares. It seems he is who he appears to be—a former member of Al-Qaeda’s inner circle—but the extent to which he is or is not that same person now is unknowable. Meanwhile, Hamdan serves an indefinite detention at Guantanamo, sues Donald Rumsfeld, is the first detainee convicted at a tribunal, finishes his sentence, and returns home to Yemen never having spoken to Poitras or any Western media, coming off rather well in absentia compared to his brother-in-law. The Oath is an enormously subtle film, not least in showing that what these two men were to blame for and to what extent they deserve what they each got is unknowable as well. | <urn:uuid:2d93691e-0b59-4476-8f29-787181d95e70> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.metropulse.com/news/2010/dec/15/restrepo-and-oath-show-different-perspectives-war/ | 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 | 0.96006 | 1,163 | 1.640625 | 2 |
In 1996, author Steve Englehart wrote a 96-page pitch for DC Comics' alternate reality Elseworlds imprint. Titled "The Tragedy of Batman, Prince of Denmark," this comic took the superhero and placed him smack dab in the midst of William Shakespeare's famous tragedy.
Unfortunately, DC Comics decided not to publish Steve's treatment. But fortunately for us, Englehart agreed to share an excerpt of this Bard-meets-Bat mash-up with io9. Here's the introduction to the Dark Knight's lost Danish adventure.
(I should start off by explaining my experience with Hamlet. I've seen quite a number of versions of the play, and am well aware of the continuing controversies over how to play the prince. I have certainly never seen a version where I went along with everything in the interpretation. So about a year ago I pulled out the family Shakespeare and read through the thing myself, with my own authorial eye toward reconciling the mood swings. To my own satisfaction, I did. This story, of course, is a pastiche, but it follows the arc I found.)
The Tragedy of BATMAN, Prince of Denmark
"To be the Bat, or not to be…"
Bernardo and Horatio are on the night watch when they spy a spirit walking the battlements - a spirit who looks much like the recently deceased and well-beloved King of Denmark, now succeeded by his brother, who has also married the late king's wife. The sentinels go to Hamlet, son of the dead man, a friend of their own age, and a dark-haired Bruce Wayne type in a land of blonds. It gets Hamlet thinking, which is his main interest in life.
Hamlet sits with his uncle, the new king, and his mother. King Claudius always wears dark leather, even in relaxation, while Queen Gertrude wears creamy lace; a greater contrast could not be imagined. The King tries to get Hamlet out of his foul mood, but Hamlet is a typical college student, all dark cynicism to start with, against all authority to start with. He's dissatisfied with the world in general, and has the rich kid's luxury to be so. "Oh, that this too, too solid flesh would melt…!" And now his father may be a ghost, whose flesh has melted. The darkness and strangeness of his vision keeps drawing him away from the tawdry lights of court, into his mind…
Laertes, a more forthright youth, leaves the court with his father, Polonius's, blessing. Polonius also advises his daughter Ophelia to pull back from Hamlet, because, as a prince, he's out of her league. But she shows no signs of obeying. She's not a rebel like Hamlet but she aspires to be Hamlet‘s girl.
The next night Hamlet, Horatio, and Bernardo stand watch at midnight, and see the spirit return. Hamlet chases after it and has a private conversation with it, as his friends somehow lose track of them. The Ghost says he was murdered by his brother, the new king, and his wife, Hamlet's mother. He calls upon Hamlet to avenge him. Hamlet swears dramatically to avenge his father's death, and lightning flashes above them. However, Hamlet's flaw is that he lives in a world of the mind. Actual action means commitment, a choice, and he prefers the endless ambivalence of thought.
Shaking off his two friends as they finally find him, Hamlet stalks the dark halls of the castle, making fantastic, blood-thirsty plans for revenge (in his mind). But when he finds himself near his mother's apartments, he is balked by his love for her. "It cannot be truth, that she is involved," he tells himself, "so I must wait and watch, to learn the truth." And then he hears the harsh sounds of animal lust beyond her closed door. This is all too real for an abstractionist to take in. He stumbles onward, and runs into Yorick, the Jester (visually, a mediæval Joker, with the distinctive Joker face; but as a character, something very different). The Jester, more clever and quick than Hamlet, worms the story out of him, and then advises him that if he wants to watch without being seen to be watching, he should emulate a jester - be a fool, and so be ignored. This is something Hamlet can do: avoid real action by letting his fertile mind run riot, while telling himself that he is acting. The Jester thus becomes his spiritual advisor, easing on the way he really wants to go.
Polonius sends his servant Reynaldo to Paris to find out what Hamlet when he visited there. He wants tales of debauchery he can lay before his daughter to head off her love affair. But then Ophelia comes and says Hamlet's acting very strangely, which may make things simpler. Polonius encourages her doubts and unease.
Word of Hamlet's new weirdness gets to the King. That worthy calls in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet's boyhood companions, and has them check on Hamlet's state of mind. This is what Hamlet has been waiting for: action involving the mind. So he plays the madman very convincingly. But in the larger context of Denmark, this is not good news for the King, because Fortinbras, the King of Norway, is making noises about attacking Denmark, and the King might need the Prince. There are many swirling clouds in the palace's atmosphere.
Polonius tells the King and Queen that Hamlet has gone mad out of frustrated love for Ophelia.
Hamlet comes in being a smart-ass, which he can do under the guise of madness. He manages to take a few sharp swipes at the King and Queen without, he thinks, incurring any risk. But as his mother, the Queen can see through Hamlet pretty well - better than her new husband, who was merely an uncle. She loves her son, but she fears him now, too. What is it that has driven him mad? He loved his father, and he doesn't understand the ways of the older generation. She talks with him privately, to gauge if he's a threat, and though he parries her, he realizes he's not as slick as he thought. And he knows directly confronting the King and Queen is a dangerous thing. He leaves, wondering furiously if his big plan is doomed to failure like so many of his plans.
Alone in a deserted turret of the castle, Hamlet calls himself a coward and berates himself. The Jester comes and talks with him, advising him to take his adoption of a false persona a step farther. If he, Hamlet, can't make himself act, why not "become" a man dedicated to action? "They'll still know who I am," complains Hamlet. Then why not wear a mask? Something designed to show those who encounter you that you're no one to be trifled with? Something to strike fear in their hearts! At that moment, a bat flies through the turret window. And so is born…the idea for the Bat-man.
But Hamlet still doesn't do anything. "To be the Bat, or not to be…"
The King has had his men keep an eye on Hamlet, and they report that the Jester has been seen whispering in his ear. The Jester is seized and taken to the torture chamber in the castle's depths. The King grills him mercilessly, but through all the excruciating and increasing agony, Yorick refuses to divulge what he and the prince discussed - and so the Jester is murdered. Because he was a friend of Hamlet's, his body is dropped into quicklime to quickly burn away the flesh, before being disposed of by night in an unmarked grave.
Hamlet soon learns of the Jester's fate; it's a small world inside the castle. And finally - finally - he decides to become the Batman. He goes to the battlements and kneels where he met the ghost. "I swear by the spirit of my father to avenge his death by spending the rest of my life warring upon his murderers!"
It is a liberating thing for him, as the Jester prophesied. He enjoys creating the mask and the cape. He enjoys running free over the moonlit rooftops of the castle grounds, convinced his ghostly father is watching him. He revels in the superstitious fear he inspires in the night watch who see him. And then he finds Bernardo foully murdered, like his father.
In his new persona as an action hero, Hamlet is sure it has to do with Bernardo having witnessed and alerted him to the ghost. Thus, Horatio is also in danger, and the Bat-man runs directly to Horatio's apartments. He surprises two assassins there to kill his friend, and throws himself into combat, without thinking, without wanting to think but just act. He battles the assassins tooth and nail until they fall to their death through the windows. But, afraid that his friend will recognize him despite the mask, the Bat-man will not linger. He warns Horatio to stay on his guard, and he is gone. He makes his way back to his deserted tower and hides his Bat-costume behind a loose stone in the battlements there.
But he hates to do that, because the Bat-man, Prince of Denmark, is finally fully alive.
Comic industry legend Steve Englehart has written everything from Captain America to the Justice League to the Avengers to one of the first unofficial Marvel/DC crossovers. You can pick up a full copy of The Tragedy of Batman, Prince of Denmark should you run into him at conventions. His most recent novel, The Plain Man, was published in 2011 by Tor Books.
Unrelated top image from 2008's Batman #682 by Grant Morrison, Lee Garbett, and Trevor Scott. Second image from Detective Comics #620 by Norm Breyfogle. Second middle image from Batman #200 by Mike Friedrich. Third middle image via the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths animated film. Bottom image by Dick Giordano from 1998's Batman: Dark Knight of the Round Table. Hat tip to CBR. | <urn:uuid:d6f31265-d366-4945-b2a2-ccc750690e6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://io9.com/5876735/the-batmanhamlet-crossover-that-never-was | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979945 | 2,172 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The University Project
University Schools Board of Governors voted in the fall to expand the school by 500 students to help fend off cuts to education funding during the past couple of years. Despite the $10 million cost to add the additional students, the expansion will help the school offer more competitive salaries and keep from cutting further, board members said.
University broke ground within weeks of announcing it was expanding and will open its new, 75,000-square-foot, 500-student middle school and 1,000-seat high school gymnasium in fall 2013.
While many parents of current students were not happy with the expansion, board members believed it was the only way the school could continue its 100-plus-year, self-guided learning philosophy.
State law does not require charter schools or districts to bid out projects, so University turned to an old friend in Roche to build the new school that will house the K-12 charter school’s sixth, seventh and eighth grades.
Roche was the general contractor on the current University Schools facility. His children attended the University Laboratory School when it was on the University of Northern Colorado campus as a semi-private school and graduated from University High School in its current location. He has been a supporter of the school from the beginning, so his bid leaned in favor of the school. Both the football and baseball field are named in his honor for the key contributions he’s made to the school during the years.
The $10 million price tag for the new University school is substantially less than the $30 million John Evans project for several reasons. At 75,000 square feet, it is about 25 percent smaller. Roche bid the price at nearly the same cost per square foot as he built the original building, and District 6’s cost estimates include demolition and clean-up of the current John Evans building.
The new University middle school will be two levels with 21 classrooms, three full science labs, an art room, a band room, a choir/drama room, a media center, a library, computer stations, warming kitchen and lunchroom, special education office and teacher offices adjacent to the classrooms. Each classroom will have amplified sound systems, and the security will be maintained with a card access system for exterior doors and security cameras. In addition, a 1,000-seat, four-locker room, varsity gymnasium for the high school will also be built in the new school, but have an outside entrance.
The board’s president, Chuck Olmsted , said he’s excited about the changes it will bring to the student population.
“This is an opportunity to expand our population to a larger portion of our community,” Olmsted said. “The diversity that will come with this expansion will enhance all our education.” | <urn:uuid:425a18db-14cf-4127-b591-1955a761cc43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.greeleytribune.com/news/local/4842423-113/university-board-current-schools?layout=320 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97101 | 578 | 1.523438 | 2 |
After the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy in the city, voting may have been a second thought for more than a few New Yorkers.
But for others it was worth standing on line in the cold for hours or trekking through their still blacked-out neighborhoods to be able to exercise their basic right to cast a ballot in the general election yesterday.
Voters took to the Internet to document their sometimes frustrating experience getting to the polls and casting their ballots.
There were broken voting machines in Manhattan. In Coney Island, voters waiting for rides on public shuttle buses to relocated polling places said they were passed by repeatedly without being picked up. At other sites, there were a shortage of ballots. And even Mayor Michael Bloomberg had trouble voting — he reached over the table and found his own name in the voter registry after a poll worker failed to do so.
City Councilman Jumaane Williams documented problems across his Brooklyn district on Twitter, including “insanely long” lines, shortages of pens, poll workers instructing voters to vote down one party line and voters simply being turned away. In some tweets, he addressed the city’s Board of Elections directly.
“This is outrageous, disgraceful and disrespectful to what voting should be @BOENYC I didn't think you could top the primary, but CONGRATS!” he wrote, referring to this year’s primary when the Board was criticized for handling vote counting in key races.
Board spokeswoman Valerie Vazquez said there were a number of difficulties during the day caused by the fallout from the storm. The Board consolidated or relocated about 60 poll sites that were damaged by the storm, and announced the new locations less than 72 hours before voting began.
“We worked diligently to communicate these changes to New York voters and our poll workers,” she said. “We know that some voters experienced long lines here in New York — much like voters across the United States — as is common with high voter turnout associated with a presidential election.”
Voters also encountered problems acting on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recently signed executive order that allowed New Yorkers to vote at any polling place in the state. Not only were displaced voters turned away in Manhattan and Queens, but also upstate in Rensselaer and Albany counties.
Good government and civil rights groups said they were swamped by calls from voters complaining and seeking assistance.
While the state was not considered competitive for the presidential election, with New York’s electoral votes going to Barack Obama as expected, the real fights were at the state and local levels.
In the 15th State Senate District in Queens, where Hurricane Sandy’s destruction is absolutely inescapable, Republican Councilman Eric Ulrich was challenging incumbent Democrat Sen. Joe Addabbo. Ulrich told reporters as he cast his ballot yesterday that Democrats were trying to “obstruct the election” by waiting until Monday to announce emergency polling places.
He and Addabbo both suspended their campaigns in the wake of the storm.
Sen. Joe Addabbo declared victory at Woodhaven House around 12:30 this morning. He told the crowd: “Our attention and prayers tomorrow should be to the victims of Hurricane Sandy." However, Urlich was not ready to concede and told supporters that paper ballots needed to be counted.
The outcome of the race in the 15th district could help determine the control of the State Senate. Republicans currently control 33 of 62 Senate seats.
Another key race, in the 46th Senate District upstate — created during the latest redistricting process — Cecelia Tkaczyk and Assemblyman George Amedore both declared victory. Early this morning, Tkaczyk was ahead by 139 votes but further counting is very likely. The district was thought by many to have been tailor-made by Republicans to secure them another Senate seat, but as election day neared Tkaczyk made large gains, according to a Siena College poll.
Democrats won a seat in Rochester where Ted O’Brien defeated Assemblyman Sean Hanna in a race to replace retiring Sen. James Alessi.
Republican Sen. James Saland, who voted for same-sex marriage, trailed his Democratic opponent Terry Gipson by 1,600 votes and a recount is expected.
The 40th district race between controversial Republican Sen. Greg Ball and Democratic challenger Justin Wagner appeared to be contested despite the fact that Ball declared victory early on in the night.
Steve Napier, a spokesman for Wagner, issued a statement saying the race was too close to call. "We will pursue a full and fair count of all ballots, and we are confident that in the end Justin Wagner will be seated in the New York State Senate,” he said in a statement.
Conservative Democrat Simcha Felder appeared to be the clear winner in the 17th district in Brooklyn. Felder has indicated he may caucus with Republicans despite the results of the election. The Daily News reported yesterday that a deal has already been struck for Felder to join the Republican Conference.
Further, if Democrats pull ahead in the count, they still may not gain control as the breakaway Independent Senate Democrats have vowed to stay independent no matter what the outcome of the election is.
Democrats appeared to pick up at least five seats in the Assembly. Assemblyman Vito Lopez won reelection despite the sexual harassment scandal that hangs over him. Another scandal plagued politician, Assemblyman William Boyland, also retained his seat.
Not enough votes had been counted by press time to determine the winner in the special election to fill the City Council seat in the Bronx vacated by disgraced politician Larry Seabrook. Former union organizer Andy King was leading, with 33 percent of precincts reporting.
Voting results are unofficial until they are certified by the BOE. | <urn:uuid:d271d6c1-14ea-4178-bb84-25a84050f403> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gothamgazette.com/index.php/elections/1574-new-yorkers-line-polls-to-vote-despite-storm-troubles | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979159 | 1,194 | 1.820313 | 2 |
The below article is composed by Elaine McPartland who is associated with “Consolidated Credit” as their community writer. You can add her at her google+ profile.
When talking about stock investments, the first thing that comes to mind is wealth. It is true that most people who put their money into business stocks do so to multiply it, live a comfortable life, excel at getting rich in the process. However, there is one other area where having stock investments can help you. It is surprising, but stock investments can actually be used as one of your debt reduction strategies to help you pay your credit card bills. By making sensible choices, you could outpace your debt interest rates and achieve the relief you’re after.
Yet, it is sometimes better to deal with the credit on your own than having to seek external help to pay your debts. In this regard, making stock investments could be the ideal way for you to get credit card debt relief. In fact, there are several ways in which they can help you out.
Here are the top ten ways stock investments can help you with your credit card debt.
Using Stock Investments as One of Your Debt Reduction Strategies:
1. A New Revenue Stream
Naturally, you would make money from your stock investments through the dividends the company pays you. It would open a new revenue stream for you and you can use the extra money to pay off your debt. With more residual income, repayment becomes easier.
2. Greater Savings
As your income increases, you can save more money. This means that your future gets secure to a great extent. With your financial future taken care of, you can use your current income through your job/business to pay your credit card debt.
3. No Stress
The reason why credit card debt becomes a major issue is because of the stress involved. There is too much pressure on you to make the payments on time. As you can easily make the payments after the stock investments, the stress is released and you feel relaxed.
4. Focus on Other Ventures
Getting peace of mind with regards to your credit card payments, you can look towards starting a new business or finding a new job. You don’t have to hang on to your current job for the sake of paying your credit card bills.
5. Improve Net Worth
Each share you purchase entitles you to a certain portion of the ownership of the company. This boosts your net worth considerably enabling you to obtain credit on favorable terms and low interest. You can borrow money to pay off your credit card debt and repay the new debt easily.
6. Multiply Your Money
The best thing about making an investment is that you can multiply your money several times over. Even if you start with a small amount, your wealth can grow over a period of years. That way, you have more money, which effectively makes dealing with debts easier.
7. Debt Settlement
Adding an investment to your name would improve your credit score considerably. Hence, the credit card company or bank would be willing to offer you debt settlement, an option exercised by borrowers to get credit card relief. Websites that offer credit counseling like http://www.consolidatedcredit.org are a great resource for getting help.
8. Consolidate Your Debt
You can show your increased revenue and improved net worth to the credit card company and negotiate a lower interest rate. This is known as debt consolidation. When the interest rate is lower, you can pay off the money without too much hassle.
9. Reducing the Impact
There are several debt management programs offered by lending companies and they are willing to help you find the best way to repay the money. However, you can only opt for debt management if you have the money to pay the debt. You can get it through stock investments.
10.Getting Professional Help
Having more money enables you to get professional help for credit card debt relief. Credit counseling agencies are a great resource for getting help. You can afford to pay their fees and charges.
As you can see, stock market investing can be an effective aide with your debt reduction strategies. With a little bit of homework and research, you can manage your own debt and pay it off if you make sensible choices about the right stocks to invest in.
- How Much Could You Save Paying 0% Interest Using Balance Transfer Credit Cards?
- When It Might Be Time for a Debt Management Plan
- The Advantages and Disadvantages of Unsecured Loans
Image courtesy of jannoon028 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net | <urn:uuid:b54e6bb2-9312-43ac-a327-c0c0442a29ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mymoneydesign.com/personal-finance-2/credit/stock-investments-debt-reduction-strategies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959719 | 935 | 1.742188 | 2 |
So I've been reading a lot about the importance of soaking raw almonds that have their brown skins still on them (in salt water) to remove the enzyme inhibitors, tannins, etc.... but what then of making raw almond butter? I also understand that nearly all almonds grown in the U.S. are "pasteurized" or heated to some extent and aren't truly raw anyhow... But just out of curiosity, does anyone know if the skin is as important when making raw almond butter? I've tried searching the web and just really can't find an answer... Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!! | <urn:uuid:2817ec1b-784d-4202-995b-1e756db828e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goneraw.com/print/28809 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972481 | 125 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Ross, C. (2012) Are the Sleeping Giants Awake? Non-Profit Universities Enter Online Education at Scale Boston: The Parthenon Group
Interesting report comparing growth of online enrollments between the for-profits (e.g. University of Phoenix) and not-for profit (private and public universities) in the USA.
Definition here is important. The report has a difficult graph to read (Figure 1) of the largest online schools, in terms of ‘online only enrolments, 2011‘, broken down by whether they are for profit or not for profit, and the not-for profits by whether they are ‘inclusive‘ or ‘selective‘.
1. The study identified 10 non-profits with over ’10,000 students in online courses‘ (I am assuming these are students taking credit courses):
- Southern New Hampshire University
- Penn State University’s World Campus
- UMassachusetts Online
- University of Maryland University College
- Park University, Missouri
- Thomas Edison State College, New Jersey
- Central Texas College
- Western Governors’ University
- Excelsior College, New York
- Rio Salado Community College, Arizona.
2. The Apollo Group (which includes the University of Phoenix) singlehandedly enrolls more students in the U.S. than the ten largest non-profit institutions combined.
3. Most selective non-profit universities have thus far chosen to not enter the online learning space. While these institutions make up almost half of the approximately 18M annual post-secondary enrollments, they currently represent less than 20% of all online enrollments.
4. Almost 50% of online students …opt to apply only to a single school. Less than one in five students applies to a minimum of three schools.
5. Online education has historically experienced minimal cost competition, but the emergence of nonprofit institutions in the online space will almost certainly change that.
6. Students appear willing to pay a price premium for stronger brands. ‘The role of brand and marketing in general is under-leveraged broadly in education today.’
7. Despite being late entrants, non-profit institutions…are quickly earning a reputation for providing a quality product to students.
8. Likely, a small number of rapidly expanding institutions will ultimately emerge from the pack and be able to leverage increased revenue and brand awareness to attract faculty, improve the student experience, and build new relationships with employers. The race is on to scale as quickly as possible, and the winners will almost certainly be those institutions that can differentiate themselves in the eyes of students, faculty, and accreditors.
I am somewhat surprised, not so much by the 10 institutions listed here, but the assumption in the report that these are the only non-profit institutions with 10,000 online student registrations or more in the USA. I would have expected universities such as Wisconsin, Purdue, Central Florida, Florida State, the Colorado Community College System, and many others to have more than 10,000 online student course enrollments a year, although I accept that few will have as many online course enrollments as most of the 10 institutions listed. Many (such as Penn State and UMUC) have been offering online credit courses on a large scale for over 15 years so are hardly ‘new entrants.’
It is important to note that this report refers exclusively to the USA. For-profits so far have made little headway in Canada. Perhaps for this reason, Canada is also likely to have at least 10 non-profit universities and colleges with 10,000 online student enrollments or more. Here is my list (I’m guessing – anyone with more accurate ‘official’ figures please correct me):
- Simon Fraser University, British Columbia
- Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia
- University of British Columbia
- Athabasca University, Alberta
- University of Ottawa, Ontario
- Laurentian University, Ontario
- University of Guelph, Ontario
- Télé-université, Québec
- Laval Université, Québec
- Memorial University, Newfoundland
I don’t have any way to even guess online enrollments for colleges. Anyone from a Canadian two year college with more than 10,000 online student enrollments, please let me know.
However, none of this should distract from the main message of the Parthenon Report: that there is plenty of scope, especially for selective institutions, to expand rapidly into online learning for credit.
If they do, though:
- they will need this to be a major institutional strategy,
- they will need to scale up considerably,
- there will be increasing competition so success will be determined eventually by a combination of pricing, brand, and above all quality in supporting online learners.
- they will need a sensible business plan to fund it (see Phil Hill’s excellent dissection of the failure of the University of California Online’s debacle)
I suspect all this applies just as well to Canada as to the USA. After all, the market is not limited to only Canadian students. Although we do have some bigger players, with the possible exception of Athabasca and Télé-université, which are exclusively distance education institutions, no Canadian ‘selective’ institution is really operating at a very large or strategic scale at the moment. Why not? | <urn:uuid:d9d41835-706c-41fb-87be-644de78a3d26> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tonybates.ca/2012/10/11/are-public-universities-and-colleges-the-sleeping-giants-of-online-learning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936842 | 1,117 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Overview of the Conduct Process
When an incident is documented, reports are forwarded to the Coordinator of Student Conduct Systems. If there is determination that a violation of the Code of Student Conduct has occurred, a charge letter to the student(s) involved is generated. The student charged with the violation(s)will be referred to either a Residence Life Administrator, the Residence Hall Conduct Board, the Committee on Student Conduct, or the Coordinator of Student Conduct Systems. The hearing officer/board to which the student is referred is based on a student's conduct history and the severity of the alleged violation. A hearing will proceed to determine the responsibility of the student.
Following a hearing, the student will receive a Sanction Notification Form. The student is responsible for signing and returning the last page of the form back to the Office of Student Affairs. If a student does not sign the Sanction Notification Form or indicate a desire to appeal within 48 business hours of receipt of their letter, this indicates the acceptance of the outcome.
If the student is found responsible for violating the Code of Student Conduct, and determines their outcome isn't appropriate, the student may request an appeal by indicating this option on the Sanction Notification Form. The Office of Student Affairs will then contact the student to set up an appeals hearing with the appropriate administrator or hearing board. The student will then receive written notification of the outcome of their appeal.
When an incident occurs in the residence halls, reports are reviewed by the Coordinator of Student Conduct Systems. Violations that are likely to result in a warning and educational sanctions are referred back to the building Area Coordinator (AC). Violations that are likely to result in the student being removed from the residence hall or repeated violations of previous behavior are referred back to the Director of Residence Life (D of RL).
The AC/D of RL will schedule a hearing with the student to discuss the incident and determine responsibility. If appropriate, the AC/D of RL will then outline the resulting sanction.
Incidents that are determined by the Coordinator of Student Conduct Systems to be outside of the boundaries of the building AC, and when it would benefit the student to hear from their peers, will be heard by the RHCB. The student(s) being charged will receive a charge letter that outlines the potential violation(s) of the Code of Student Conduct and the time and date for their hearing before the RHCB. Information regarding the opportunity for a pre-hearing with the Coordinator of Student Conduct Systems is included in the charge/hearing notice. Students may also enlist the help of a Procedural Advocate.
Incidents that take place outside of the residence halls and/or are determined to be outside of the purview of the RHCB will be heard by the Coordinator of Student Conduct Systems. The student will receive a charge letter that outlines the alleged violation(s) of the Code of Student Conduct, provides information regarding student rights and responsibilities, and gives the student a date and time for their pre-hearing with the Coordinator of Student Conduct Systems.
During an administrative pre-hearing, the Coordinator of Student Conduct Systems, explains to the student the conduct process and the Code of Student Conduct violations outlined in the charge letter. This is also an opportunity for the accused student to explain his/her side of the story, indicate whether he/she is willing to take responsibility for violating the Code of Student Conduct, and provide information regarding witnesses. The student will also be given the option to have a Procedural Advocate.
The student at this time has an opportunity to take responsibility for the alleged violations against them or request a hearing. During this meeting, charges may be dropped or amended.
If necessary, a hearing will be scheduled at this point. At the outcome of the hearing, a sanction is decided if the student is found responsible for violating the Code of Student Conduct, and a sanction form is generated. The student is responsible for signing and returning the Sanction Notification Form to the Office of Student Affairs. If the student has been found responsible for the violation, they have 48 business hours to turn in their written statement and form indiciating they are planning to appeal.
The Committee on Student Conduct (CSC) is a hearing body comprised of students, staff, and faculty. The CSC serves as a dual board that hears both original conduct cases and appeals cases.
The CSC will hear mid-level conduct violations where the behavior takes place outside of the residence halls, and it is determined by the Coordinator of Student Conduct Systems it would be more beneficial for the student to meet with a board as opposed to an individual hearing officer.
An appeals request from an accused student is received by the Office of Student Affairs. Upon receiving the request for an appeals hearing and the students written rational for his/her appeal, the student is sent information regarding the appeals process. Prior to the appeals hearing, the student is strongly encouraged to set up an appointment with the Coordinator of Student Conduct Systems to talk through the appeals process.
A Procedural Advocate is available for the appeals process upon the student’s request. The student, and the Procedural Advocate, if requested, will be notified of the date, time, and place for the appeal hearing. After the appeal is complete, the student will receive a letter outlining the decision made by the CSC. | <urn:uuid:95cce3ee-dbe5-4af3-98ff-a694c5702ae1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utica.edu/student/conduct/disciplinary.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958762 | 1,082 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Are You Getting the Greatest Tax Advantages From Your Capital Expenditures?
by Kris Houghton, CPA, Meyers Brothers PC
Each year, many business fail to realize all the potential tax benefits associated with the acquisition of capital assets. Sometimes more importantly they fail to fully understand how these benefits increase cash flow. Most specifically, they do not avail themselves of the election to expense a portion of their current year acquisitions and they fail to realize losses on automobiles when they trade them in.
EXPENSE TREATMENT FOR SMALL BUSINESS INCREASES
Since 1982, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has allowed small businesses to elect to expense or write off certain types of purchased business property rather than having to capitalize and depreciate them over time. There is a tax benefit in the rapid write-off because the business gets the full deduction for the equipment purchase in the year it acquires the equipment, rather than over the depreciated life. This deduction will shelter income from taxes based on the tax bracket of the business and/or its shareholder. For example, an "S" corporation whose Massachusetts' shareholder is in the top tax bracket will save almost 45% of the qualified expenditure in taxes because of this provision. Hence the cash flow increase.
Starting in 1999, taxpayers who purchase qualifying business property will be able to write off up to $19,000 (up from $18,500 in 1998) of the purchase price in the year acquired. In 2000, the write off increases to $20,000.
Of course there are limitations on the amount and type of property that could be expensed. For example, equipment purchases over $200,000 go towards reducing the amount available for the election dollar for dollar until the benefits are completely phased out. In 1999, the benefit is fully phased out when equipment purchases reach $219,000. To be eligible for the election, qualifying property must be used 50% or more for business. For example, Joe purchased a computer, which he uses both in his business and personally. In the year he acquired the computer he used it 40% for business and 60% personally. Joe was unable to use the expense election because his business use fell below 50%. If his computer is otherwise deductible he will still be able to write off his business use by depreciating his computer over 5 years.
Certain types of property such as real estate, lodging or passive activity property are not eligible for the election.
Your tax advisor can show you how to take the best advantage of the small business election to expense your equipment purchases as well as the cash flow benefits that should be evaluated as part of this process.
TRADING IN YOUR BUSINESS VEHICLE
Do you write off costs associated with your business auto? If so, you should give as much thought to the tax consequences of selling your vehicle as you did when you bought it. A tax trap may catch you if you don't carefully consider the decision whether to "trade-in" your vehicle or "sell" outright.
Trade-ins are subject to the like-king exchange rules, which means that no current gain or loss is reported in the year of sale. If you trade-in your vehicle, the use of the like kind exchange rule is required and not elective. Of course, this is good if you have a gain because you get to defer it; however, if you have a loss you may want to use the loss to offset current income.
With today's auto depreciation limits it's easy to end up with a high-cost vehicle which has a fair market value less than the tax basis (cost less depreciation). Rather than losing the current benefit of the loss in a like-kind exchange, you should sell your old vehicle outright for cash. This will allow you to take the loss in the year of sale.
Let's look at an example. Suppose you purchased an Explorer to make business deliveries. You paid $32,000 for the vehicle but now you realize it's not big enough to do the job. You took one year of depreciation at $3,060 leaving a tax basis of $28,940 ($32,000 - $3,060). Because of the heavy mileage you've put on the vehicle the fair market value is only $24,000. If you sell your Explorer outright you will be able to take a loss in the current year of $4,940 ($24,000 sales price less $28,940 tax basis). If you trade in the Explorer that loss will be deferred into the new vechicle's basis and won't be available for you to use this year. Further, the new vehicle will be subject to the depreciation limits as well. Your tax advisor can calculate the tax basis of your business auto and help you determine whether you're better off selling your vehicle and taking the loss or trading in your vehicle and rolling your gain into your new purchase. Additionally, if you own larger style SUVs or trucks, you should verify the gross unloaded weight of your vehicle to determine if the depreciation limitations apply.
A common mistake made relative to depreciation is limiting vehicles that fall outside of the general rule that allows larger style SUV's and trucks to qualify for full depreciation due to their gross unloaded weight. A very effective alternative to the troublesome depreciation limitations on vehicles would be to lease. Then rather than purchase, this will be a future article to look for from your business partners at Meyers Brothers, P.C. | <urn:uuid:7a815466-f993-4d1a-878a-240899d5b061> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.umass.edu/fambiz/articles/money_issues/are_you_getting.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96307 | 1,112 | 1.554688 | 2 |
by Andrew Madanjian
On November 5, the Key Club hosted the Red Cross’s annual blood drive at Woburn Memorial High School. The event, originally scheduled for last Monday, was postponed after school was closed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. In spite of this delay, the blood drive was as successful as ever with over 80 students and teachers volunteering to donate blood.
Red Cross was present at the school all day to accept blood donations. Despite some nerves going into the event, all of the students present were enthusiastic to take part in the blood drive. Volunteers were given pizza to help them recuperate from giving blood.
Key Club President Mikayla Essigmann, who this year organized and ran the event for her second time, was happy to play such a role in helping give back to the community. Having donated blood three years in a row, Essigmann sees the blood drive as an opportunity for the students of this school to give back and help save lives.
“Key Club is devoted to helping the community and the school, and the Red Cross is a great organization as well. The blood drive helps promote students’ awareness for problems in this country. It shows that our school is involved in helping out the community,” said Essigmann.
The prospect of needles, veins, and blood can be intimidating, but all of the students who participated were brave and willing to face their fears for a good cause. Senior Larissa Almeida, who gave blood for the first time yesterday, put aside her hesitations in order to help save lives.
“I’m not really skinny and I’ve been eating a lot so I won’t pass out. I’m nervous, I don’t like needles. I have a family member who needed a blood transfusion once, and he had a weird blood type so it was hard for him. This really can save lives,” said Almeida.
Senior Kristen Buehler was nervous about giving blood, but she recognized it as a chance to help people in need.
“I was freaking out because it was my first time giving blood and I saw someone faint earlier in the day. I was talking to Mr. Gibbs because with Hurricane Sandy, there has been a big need for donations. I was glad to be able to help with that,” said Buehler.
The experience of donating blood has been rewarding to all those who participated.
“I feel really good after giving blood. It makes me feel like I’m saving lives,” said Essigmann.
Not only was the student body a part of the blood drive, but teachers from the high school participated as well. Spanish teacher Katelyn Nickerson, who has donated to this event twice before, was happy to know how much good her small contribution could do.
“I feel great knowing I could help three people with just one pint of blood and only 45 minutes of my time,” said Nickerson.
Woburn Memorial High School, Key Club, and Red Cross were all proud to host this blood drive and help those in need. | <urn:uuid:fa92d71c-3186-4166-a536-732895fc7032> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://woburn.patch.com/blog_posts/woburn-high-school-hosts-annual-blood-drive | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985348 | 656 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Business execs like cloud more than IT leaders
Survey finds that the arguments for cloud computing appeal more to business executives than their peers in the IT department
The putative benefits of cloud computing are more appealing to business executives than to IT leaders, a survey of over 1,000 executives has found.
The survey, conducted by independent analyst company Horses for Sources and the London School of Economics, presented respondents with a list of potential benefits of cloud computing. In almost every case, a greater proportion of business executives said the benefit appealed to them “as it pertains to [their] job” than of IT executives.
This was especially true for proposed benefits including “We can implement business apps we need much quicker”, “Cloud empowers us to access best-in-class applications quickly”, and “Cloud enables us to focus on transforming our business, not IT”.
“As we suspected, the dynamics driving the future direction of cloud adoption within the business functions is going to come from the business function leaders who ‘get it’,” remarked Horses for Sources founder and former AMR and IDC analyst Phil Fersht.
This finding could be interpreted as evidence that IT executives are less excited about the prospect of cloud computing as it threatens the status quo in the IT department.
Alternatively, it could be taken as a sign that cloud computing vendors have had more success selling the vision of cloud to business execs than to IT professionals who, having typically experienced technology hype cycles first hand, tend to be more cynical.
Either way, the perception of cloud computing among executives should not be mistaken for evidence of its true merits, as few organisations have yet adopted cloud computing to any great extent.
Further findings from the Horses for Sources / LSE report are to soon be released. | <urn:uuid:34681569-4be4-497e-9631-737edacba3a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.information-age.com/it-management/outsourcing-and-supplier-management/1296293/business-execs-like-cloud-more-than-it-leaders | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958222 | 375 | 1.578125 | 2 |
“And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.” [Quran: 51: 55]
In this day a time, it takes a special someone to break through to all of us and give us that much needed reminder to shift us into gear! Shaykh Abu Eesa Niamatullah brings that and more, in his “Raising The Game” speech at IlmFest 2012. His understanding of today’s lingo and the world we live in gives him an added edge, when giving potentially life changing lectures such as this one.
In this talk, Shaykh Abu Eesa reminds us of many of the great lessons and advices from our beloved Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (May God’s peace and blessings be forever upon him). One of these lessons is that of “Takleef”, our legal responsibilities. “As the best of creation, unlike the Angels and animals, we have a duty and many obligations to fulfill. If we let our desire grab hold us, then we are no better than the animals and fall into a category of people that are promised Hell Fire.”
The quote from Imam Ash-shafee left me in deep thought…. “Ya allah, you gave me Islam, and I did not ask for it! Give me Paradise, and I am asking for it!” But, as Shaykh Abu Eesa conveys to the masses, you have to work for it! Islam is a way of life, with obligations and prohibitions, and it is not for the disingenuous.
Shaykh Abu Eesa will be launching his new course in Manchester (UK), Protect This House: Based on Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, starting October 5th! The course is set to take the AlMaghrib world by storm as Abu Eesa will be teaching us about perfecting our relationships with our parents, extended families, in laws and raising children!
Check out www.almaghrib.org/manchester
Contributed by: Br. Yusuf Sneed | <urn:uuid:38f9e699-053a-4116-b10f-4fec1bf768a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://almaghrib.org/blog/2012/09/21/raising-the-game/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931546 | 432 | 1.5625 | 2 |
President Higgins launches ‘Being Young and Irish’
08 September 2012: President Michael D. Higgins paid a return visit to DIT Bolton Street this weekend to formally launch his “Being Young and Irish” initiative – a consultation with young people across the country to explore their vision for Ireland and what they can do to contribute to ‘taking charge of change’. The event, which was the first of four regional consultations, was attended by one hundred 17 – 25 year olds. Over the next three weekends consultations will take place in Monaghan, Cork and Galway.
President Higgins at the launch of "Being Young and Irish"
In his opening address, President Higgins told the participants “You have the opportunity today to articulate that kind of society you seek to live in with others, grow older in, and in the future hand on to other generations... You also have the opportunity to share and reflect on, to suggest and decide the kind of arrangements, choices, and compromises you seek, that you are willing to live with, and make to achieve that vision.”
President Michael D. Higgins with, left, Professor Brian Norton,DIT, and right, Olivia McEvoy, Project Manager of ‘Being Young and Irish’, and Dr. Mike Murphy, DIT.
In addition to those participating in person in the regional consultations, the President has extended an open invitation to all young people across Ireland to make their own submissions to “Being Young and Irish”. You can share your views in text, video and/or audio format – see http://www.president.ie/youngandirish/ for how to make your voice heard. The deadline for submissions is the end of September.
At the end of the consultation process, a team of researchers from Dublin Institute of Technology led by Drs. Kevin Griffin and Matt Bowden will capture the ‘spirit, the heart and soul of the process’ in a final report to be presented to President Higgins and to be discussed at a seminar in Áras and Úachtaráin later this year.
As President Higgins departed, Professor Brian Norton presented him with a memento of his visit - a framed print, depicting the Irish International Exhibition of 1865’, held at Earlsfort Terrace. President Higgins had been particularly taken by the image on his visit to the campus earlier this year to mark the centenary of Bolton Street.
Professor Brian Norton presents print of Irish International Exhibition of 1865 to Úachtarán Michael D. Higgins
The ‘Being Young and Irish’ event was organized by the Project Manager, Olivia McEvoy, and a team of young volunteers. McEvoy paid tribute to DIT colleagues in the Buildings Office and Information Services for all their support in facilitating the event and to Aramark who provided the catering.
View video from the event
Team DIT at the launch of "Being Young and Irish"
President Higgins with facilitators and volunteers, and researchers Drs Kevin Griffin and Matt Bowden, DIT
President Higgins briefing participants and volunteers
President Higgins with Professor Brian Norton, President of DIT, and Dr. Mike Murphy, Director and Dean of the College of Engineering and Built Environment | <urn:uuid:608df669-cd22-4394-8756-226d2909adba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dit.ie/news/archive2012/presidenthigginslaunchesbeingyoungandirish/ | 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 | 0.942795 | 664 | 1.640625 | 2 |
American diamond official urged to resign
VICTORIA FALLS, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's diamond conference was rocked by controversy Tuesday over the Kimberley Process, the world diamond trade regulatory body, whose chairwoman was publicly asked to resign because she is American.
Gillian Milovanovic, the American chairwoman of the Kimberley Process, came under a barrage of criticism from African delegates at the Zimbabwe Diamond Conference for allegedly not doing enough to persuade the U.S. government to lift trade restrictions on Zimbabwe's state-owned diamond mining companies.
South Africa's Kimberley Process monitor Abbey Chikane accused Milovanovic of having a conflict of interest because she is American. Chikane alleged Milovanovic has failed to follow African delegates wishes to promote the trade of diamonds dug up from Zimbabwe's notorious Marange field in Europe and the United States.
The state-run Zimbabwe Mining Development Company and Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe are on the U.S. sanctions list, because of evidence of the Mugabe government's state violence and human rights violations.
"There is a danger of having a chairmanship that will fragment the organization because you are conflicted ... you are then supposed to recuse yourself," Chikane said to Milovanovic in front of the conference.
"When South Africa takes over the chair next year we will solve these issues," said Chikane, who is chairman of the South African Diamond Board.
Zimbabwe Mines Minister Obert Mpofu told Milovanovic that most traders and investors at the conference, mostly of Indian and Arab origin, were "scared" of her presence at the conference, which was sponsored by President Robert Mugabe's government.
"They are coming to me whispering, scared that they will be heard by the Americans who will interfere with their accounts," Mpofu said. "But it will not stop us from what we are doing," he said, referring to Zimbabwe's diamond trade with India and Dubai, which has been criticized for alleged corruption through price fixing.
Other delegates from Africa, India, Israel and Dubai told Milovanovic that because of U.S sanctions against Zimbabwe, the Kimberley Process is unwittingly promoting the illicit trade of Zimbabwe diamonds and creating the same conflict diamonds it is trying to prevent from being traded.
Milovanovic told the delegates that she would not respond to their criticism.
"You are looking for something very dramatic from all this but you are not going to get it," she said. "I'm not a dramatic person by nature."
Milovanovic said her position on the Kimberley Process had no power to influence the U.S. imposition of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
The U.S Embassy said U.S. sanctions against Zimbabwe's state-owned mining companies are separate from the Kimberley Process. Michael Gonzalez, the political and economic officer at the embassy in Harare, said the American sanctions against Zimbabwe's mining companies have nothing to do with the Kimberley Process but are a bilateral issue. He said Washington has imposed sanctions because of its concerns over state violence.
Zimbabwe's "attorney general and security chiefs must start honoring the president's calls to end violence so the sanctions can be removed," said Gonzalez.
Mugabe's government staged the conference in the resort city of Victoria Falls to gain international credibility for Zimbabwe's huge production of diamonds in the Marange fields in eastern Zimbabwe. But the Mugabe government's efforts to win respectability have been overshadowed by allegations that $2 billion of diamond proceeds have been stolen by Mugabe's cronies. Zimbabwe government officials denied the charges of corruption in the report by the Partnership Africa Canada, a group campaigning against conflict diamonds.
Since 2006, Zimbabwe has mined Marange — one of the world's largest diamond deposits — producing rough stones worth an estimated $2 billion per year. Yet the report charges that the funds have not reached the Zimbabwean treasury to help the impoverished country. Instead the diamonds have enriched Mugabe's close associates and an international ring of traders, according to the report. | <urn:uuid:de3de21c-376f-4185-8c63-982207695e76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.northjersey.com/news/international/179124701_American_diamond_official_urged_to_resign.html?page=all | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962322 | 826 | 1.53125 | 2 |
A service dog from Central Nebraska is helping victims of a tragic shooting in a big way.
His name is Moses, and his job is to help bring comfort to people affected by the school shooting in Newtown.
The one year old Golden Retriever is a K-9 Parish comfort dog at Christ Lutheran Church in Cairo.
His handlers say Moses has a way with people.
Students in Newtown were able to talk to Moses and pet him to ease their fears and anxiety during their first day back to school.
"There was a lot of anxiety especially in the parents and the teachers in the elementary school," said Handler Jaci Knuth.
"You could tell it helped those kids relax in a new building and new environment," said Handler Nathan Knuth.
Moses and his handlers spent a week on their trip to Newtown.
Moses also brings comfort to the community of Cairo as well! | <urn:uuid:c563daaf-6f8d-417a-bcaa-0b33b79dd789> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.1011now.com/community/headlines/Central-Nebraska-Service-Dog-Helps-Victims-of-Tragic-Shooting-187224581.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990368 | 184 | 1.523438 | 2 |
George Galloway - Security or Free Speech?
“This is not charity. This is politics”
George Galloway is appealing his ban on entry to Canada, imposed by the Government of Canada in March 2009, ahead of a proposed speaking tour. The proceedings have been temporarily delayed as his lawyer suffered a minor spill. However, the case will draw interest for a number of reasons related to freedom of expression, especially given that Mr. Galloway is a sitting Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom. The appeal by Mr Galloway is not without irony. When the radical Dutch MP Geert Wilders wanted to enter the United Kingdom to give a speech there, Mr Galloway was one of those who supported a ban on Mr Wilders travelling to the United Kingdom.
Behind the mixed claims about freedom of expression, however, lie a series of other problems, many of them directly related to security issues. Mr Galloway has been involved in activities where he has given money to HAMAS. This organization and its affiliated groups have been proscribed as terrorist groups by several countries, including the EU, Canada and America. Mr Galloway has stated that the money has only gone to the HAMAS’s Ministry of Health to help pay salaries for doctors and nurses.
However, Mr Gallowayâs case is complicated by his own statements, some of which demonstrate a conflict of interest in using money intended for a charity which is going to political purposes instead. Mr Galloway was asking for donations to support his trip to Gaza and the financial donations he was making there. The potential donations were to go to âViva Palestina.â The problem is that Viva Palestina is not a registered charity and it has a solely political objective. A member of Viva Palestina, attorney Lamis Deek from New York, has noted this. It was suggested instead that monies intended for Viva Palestina could be sent to the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organizations/Pastors for Peace, which is a registered charity. Such donations do get a tax receipt, which means that the taxpayers of America were indirectly funding Mr Gallowayâs activities.
Mr Galloway was counselling potential donors to send money to Pastors for Peace which would then be forwarded to him. He stated that: âYou can do it online, we will not be crossing into Gaza until the 13th. Any penny you can send between now and then, which incidentally is not coming to us but to the respected Christian organization, Pastors for Peace, who are our sponsors, no breaking of the law here, all US laws have been observed here, and complied with here.â
The obvious issue here is that Mr Galloway is stating that he is being sponsored by Pastors for Peace, (a registered charity) and that the money will be used for political purposes. It is not altogether clear that this is in fact legal. Soliciting funds for one charity to be resent to another organization is grounds for that charity to lose its tax exempt status. And, as Mr Galloway himself noted about the event as he gave the money to HAMAS, âHere is the money. This is not charity. This is politics.â
The major issue that needs to be examined here is as follows:
Mr Galloway appears to be soliciting money to be sent to a registered charity (that issues tax receipts) which will in turn be sent to him for political purposes. This would, on the surface, appear to be a means of deliberately circumventing the rules put in place to stop charities being used to fund politics. It is using the tax exempt status of a charity to support the activities of another organization.
Mr Gallowayâs case also casts light on an issue that is problematic in Canada. Are various groups, which are funded either directly or indirectly by the Canadian taxpayer, having their monies sent overseas to organizations that misrepresent themselves as human rights organizations or charities when they are in fact political organizations? Are Canadian taxpayers aware that some of these organizations are dangerously close to violent organizations that advocate political violence as a means of political problem solving?
One of the inadvertent side effects of Mr Gallowayâs case is that is activities in the Palestinian Territories, America and the United Kingdom may draw significant attention to similar activities in Canada.
The opinions expressed in this blog are personal and do not reflect the views of either Global Brief or the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs. | <urn:uuid:3e23cac5-5b59-44b6-a5b1-d2ca5b3651d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://globalbrief.ca/tomquiggin/2010/04/26/george-galloway/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979265 | 903 | 1.726563 | 2 |
High court upholds Yunus sacking
Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus, has lost a high court appeal against being sacked from his own bank, Grameen. Yunus, aged 70, was fired last week on the orders of the country's central bank. The bank claims he has held the position of managing director illegally since failing to seek their approval when he was reappointed in 1999.
Backed by a high-profile international campaign, he defied the bank's order, returned to Grameen's headquarters in Dhaka and lodged an appeal against the decision.
Sara Hossain, one of Yunus' lawyers, said the court's decision came as no surprise.
"The court has just upheld the illegal order of the Bangladesh bank", she said. " This is a sad day for Bangladesh."
Judge Muhammad Mamtaj Uddin Ahmed told the court that it was 'crystal clear' that the order to remove Yunus from his post as managing director was legal.
He added: "The mandatory retirement age for bank officers is 60, so he has also exceeded his retirement age long ago."
Yunus is celebrated worldwide for tackling poverty, throught his pioneering 'microfinance' cash loans to small farmers and villagers. Since its creation in 1983, the work of Grameen Bank has been copied in developing countries around the world.
Supporters say his troubles began in 2007, when he floated the idea of forming a political party which drew anger from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She has accused Yunus of sucking blood from the poor and pulling a financial trick to avoid paying tax.
The removal of Yunus from the bank sparked street protests in Bangladesh and condemnation from overseas.
It has not yet been decided if he will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. | <urn:uuid:a678626d-5fc5-4bab-8a61-d788f987b236> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.english.rfi.fr/asia-pacific/20110308-high-court-upholds-yunus-sacking | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980658 | 371 | 1.796875 | 2 |
“We tied the knot, and, after 33 years of traveling together and living together, this is still the person I want to spend the rest of my life with,” Videgain said.
The Rev. Karen Stoyanoff, the minister of the Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church in Costa Mesa, walked around the courthouse with a black stole draped around her neck adorned with pictures of a cross, a Star of David, a crescent moon and the symbols of three other religions.
Stoyanoff was one of a handful of clergy, mostly from nondenominational churches, offering to conduct marriage ceremonies for newlywed same-sex couples.
Dan Burton, who came out to protest the event, said he was vexed that ministers could condone an act that he believes is forbidden by the Bible. He carried a sign that read, “Legalizing sin will not save you on judgment day.”
“The reason I think it’s such an issue is that gays are trying to appropriate something that’s not theirs in nature,” Burton said.
Although the state Supreme Court ruling doesn’t confer many additional rights on gay partners — who already had rights, such as the ability to adopt children under California law — Burton said it legitimizes the act of same-sex unions, which church doctrine prohibits.
The Unitarian Universalists draw from many different doctrines, not just the Bible, and in this instance Stoyanoff says it’s a legal matter, not a religious one.
“We have many sources of wisdom in the Unitarian Universality church, and we don’t make distinctions among them,” she said. “We don’t say ‘Here is one piece of wisdom that is the right thing, and here is one that is the wrong thing.’” | <urn:uuid:ef5c9ee2-7b0f-4fca-b847-95fb7b28a99b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.dailypilot.com/2008-06-18/news/dpt-gaymarriage06182008_1_gay-partners-couples-same-sex | 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 | 0.966039 | 387 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Local survivors remember Pearl Harbor
A dozen mark 70th anniversary of attack
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Did you know?
• The national Pearl Harbor Survivors Association will disband at the end of the year. The Pacific Northwest Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors will continue Vancouver’s annual Dec. 7 commemorations.
PEARL HARBOR SURVIVORS
Members of the Vancouver chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association (not all attended Wednesday’s event), plus three Portland-area survivors who attended the commemoration:
• Larry Lydon, USS San Francisco.
• Joseph Bailey, USS Whitney.
• George Bennett, Ford Island.
• John Bruening, Schofield Barracks.
• Bernard DeGrave, USS Montgomery.
• Gebhard Galle, USS Nevada.
• Paul Johnson, USS Castor.
• Marvin Kaufmann, USS Whitney.
• Harold Lacy, USS Tennessee.
• John Leach, USS California.
• Don Raymond, USS Sunnadin.
• Ralph Laedtke, USS Solace.
• G.R. Hatton, USS Worden.
• Ed Cogan, Hickham Field.
• Gene Cole, Bellows Field.
• Albert Montague, submarine base.
Some of them realized our nation was at war when machine gun bullets started buzzing around them.
A few sailors knew something was wrong when their ships shuddered; in one case, the jolt was strong enough to knock breakfast off the table.
Wednesday marked the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on America’s Pacific stronghold, which plunged the nation into World War II.
When a dozen local Pearl Harbor survivors gathered to mark the anniversary, it was a chance to share some of those stories — and to honor more than 2,300 military personnel who were killed on Dec. 7, 1941.
Don Raymond said he was among those who survived machine gun fire when the quiet Sunday morning skies over the harbor suddenly erupted with Japanese warplanes.
“I still have a machine gun bullet at home,” Raymond said.
Larry Lydon was eating breakfast aboard the USS San Francisco when his ship was hit.
“My breakfast jumped off the table, and onto the deck,” Lydon said.
The event also provided a chance for some veterans to learn a little more about events they were in no position to see.
“I wish I could tell you about it, but I was four decks below,” said Gebhart Galle, who was aboard the battleship USS Nevada. “We took five six bomb hits, and a torpedo in the bow and started to sink.”
The crew had to find alternate quarters, Galle said. “They didn’t have enough bunks. They put us in a ballpark, and that’s where we slept for three or four nights.”
“I can’t give you a story” about the start of the attack, said Gene Cole, president of the Portland survivors’ chapter. “I was on the other side of the island.”
Cole was a crew chief with an Army Air Corps unit based at Bellows Field; their initial notification came while listening to the radio as they ate breakfast.
Cole said he left half his breakfast on the table and ran to the flight line just as Japanese warplanes arrived to machine-gun the field.
“They missed me a little bit,” Cole said during the observance in the Centennial Center, Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at The Quay.
The commemoration was capped when Ralph Laedtke, master of ceremonies, cast a floral tribute into the Columbia River in remembrance of those who died.
Not that Laedtke or other survivors who dealt with the aftermath of the attack have forgotten.
Laedtke, a pharmacist’s mate on the USS Solace, wound up working in the hospital ship’s morgue later that day. He wrote up one death certificate noting that 26 men were unidentifiable. They were burned beyond recognition.
Paul Johnson said he and his USS Castor shipmates pulled 20 oil-covered casualties from the water.
“Not a one of them lived,” Johnson said.
Many of the survivors were expecting a similar fate, said Harold Lacy, a crewman on the battleship USS Tennessee.
“Nobody expected on Dec. 7 that we’d live through the war,” Lacy said. “We were going through battleships pretty fast. Our odds of surviving were pretty slim.” | <urn:uuid:494cd591-eaa5-4810-974d-bd4cf9f7beda> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/dec/07/local-survivors-remember-pearl-harbor/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952808 | 977 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Achieving meaningful change requires collective action. We encourage students, faculty and staff to take an active role in developing and promoting green initiatives on campus. Thanks to their work, our campus is now home to a number of local, national and worldwide environmental programs, ranging from energy competitions to video-based awareness initiatives. These programs have helped foster an awareness of green initiatives that enable the university to decrease its solid waste percentage and energy conservation rates.
Office of Sustainability
The Office of Sustainability offers a limited number of paid and unapid internships during the academic year and summer. Interns work on a variety of projects related to campus sustainability and take a leadership role in coordinating volunteers and campus outreach projects. In addition interns will be able to take part in the day-to-day activities in a dynamic office setting and work with the Sustainability Manager, the university planners, and facility managers. Interns must work at least seven hours per week in the Department of Facilities at General Services. To apply, download an application and return it to [email protected].
If you are not ready to commit to an internship (or one is not available) but would like to be involved, you can volunteer. Volunteers can work any number of hours and do not have to fill out an application. Sign up to receive our newsletter to stay in touch with opportunities and email [email protected].
Here are some projects that students can help with:
The Adopt-A-Campus cleanup campaign was instituted in 2006 to remove litter and debris from high-traffic areas of campus. The campaign recruits students, faculty and staff members to adopt and pledge to keep one of eight designated areas of campus clean. Adoptions can be made individually or as a group, and several clean up sessions are held annually.
Since its inception, the Adopt-A-Campus campaign has improved the quality of Towson’s environment and contributing to campus appearance. It is jointly run by the Office of Student Activities and Facilities Management.
Annual Environmental Conference
Taking place each April, Towson University's Environmental Conference is developed by TU students, faculty and staff to raise awareness amongst the campus community about environmental topics, issues and solutions. Typical conference themes are sustainability, the impact of individuals and communities on the environment and actions that individuals and communities can take to positively impact the environment and create a more sustainable world. Members of the campus community gather to hear presentations from faculty, students and environmental leaders in the Baltimore region.
Each October, the university celebrates sustainable action and education during Campus Sustainability Day. A range of programs, events, informational displays and giveaways help to spread awareness of global sustainability initiatives and invite students, faculty and staff to take part in the campus's sustainability goals. TU celebrated the 2011 Campus Sustainability Day on Wednesday, October 19 with a recycling challenge, free bike maintenance, local/organic foods in dining halls and free t-shirts.
Earth Month Events
Every April, the university celebrates Earth Day with a month of activities aimed at promoting awareness and education of sustainability environmentalism. Events include recycling collections, round table discussions, film screenings, and art competitions.
Energy Conservation Contest
TU’s University Residence Government (URG) holds an annual Conservation Contest among campus residence halls to raise awareness of energy usage and encourage students to take personal responsibility for reducing their energy intake. Throughout the month of February, the energy usage of each residence hall is tracked and compared with its usage during February of the previous year. The building that has the largest year over year energy reduction wins the contest, and the building’s occupants receive free burritos. In 2009, the winner was Scarborough; in 2010, West Hall took the prize; and in 2011, Tower B came out on top.
RecycleMania is a recycling and waste minimization competition held among more than 600 colleges and universities across the United States. During the ten-week competition, institutions track and submit their recycling and refuse statistics, which are then ranked according to the total amount of recycling collected, recycling collected per capita, total refuse collected, and recycling rates. The competition not only educates and energizes the campus community in recycling, it also helps Towson to benchmark itself against similar universities.
The 2012 RecycleMania competition will go from January 22 to March 31. A complete listing of weekly recycling and trash totals during the competition is available on the TU RecycleMania Standings page.
Students broke ground on the Towson University Urban Farm in spring 2010. Students were given a plot of land near the Administration Building, which they tilled and prepared for planting. They plant seeds in the garden during springtime and tend to it throughout its growth and into harvest in the summer and fall. Vegetables such as sweet potatoes, corn, and tomatoes are grown in the garden and donated to local non-profit organizations.
Wonder where the dining hall trays went? As part of our Trayless Tuesdays program, the Glen Marketplace and Newell Dining Hall go trayless every Tuesday to reduce food waste, decrease the energy and water used to clean trays, and encourage healthier eating habits. Join us in one of the dining halls today and Go Green!
Reusable Mug Program
Towson University's reusable mug program enables students, faculty and staff to receive a discount on all drinks purchased in a 20oz. insulated Go Green mug, which is available at Brick Street Cafe, Arts Cafe, The Den, Fresh TRAX and Paws Cafe for $6.99. Refills with the Go Green mugs are $1.09 for fountain beverages, tea and coffee. Trade in your personal reusable mug and become part of the Go Green mug program, mugs sold at a discounted price of $3.99.
Each semester, Towson University places donation boxes in residence halls during student move-in and move-out. Students place their unwanted furniture, clothing, computers and non-perishable foods in the boxes, and at the end of the move-in/move-out period Aramark collects the contents and distributes them to local charitable organizations. In the past, items have been donated to organizations such as Bea Gaddy. Look for flyers in your building for information on donation box locations.
Each spring, the university coordinates an annual recycling drop-off which enables students, faculty and staff to sustainably dispose of used personal electronics, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, printer cartridges, metals, and single stream materials. This year's drop-off, held Wednesday, April 20, collected nearly 5,500 pounds of recyclables.
Go Green Orientation
Towson’s freshman orientation weekend includes a “Go Green” program in which students learn how they can go green on campus and engage in discussions about environmental initiatives. The program introduces students to representatives from environmentally-focused campus groups and provides them with information about how to get involved in green efforts. This year's Go Green Orientation focused on how to green your dorm room.
Office of Sustainability
General Services Building, Room 132A (map)
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | <urn:uuid:2e0314a6-ab8b-4fed-9a07-5903e7ae8464> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www2.towson.edu/adminfinance/gogreen/involved/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943572 | 1,480 | 1.789063 | 2 |
What is your perception of the state Liquor Control Board?Most persons -- and in particular those with even a meager understanding of the relevant issues -- would find it difficult to respond sensibly by selecting a single letter. The most likely explanation for this circumstance is that the poll's designer could not identify, let alone explain, the relevant issues at gunpoint. It would be impossible for this poll to generate useful data.
A.It serves the public's good by limiting its access to wine and spirits
B.It's an effective generator of state taxes and revenue.
C.It's outdated and is no longer useful or relevant.
D.I don't understand why it is needed.
Cue Tom Corbett, the Post-Gazette and others relying on this poll to advance their muddled "positions" on the Liquor Control Board.
Infinonytune: What's Made Milwaukee Famous Has Made A Loser Out Of Me, Jerry Lee Lewis | <urn:uuid:466f7ef2-dd12-4a93-834c-5834e9f0527d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://infinonymous.blogspot.com/2011/03/adventures-in-method-journalism-letting.html?showComment=1300853241342 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932796 | 199 | 1.5 | 2 |
Rule 233 of Pensblog.
Anytime the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, Prince of Wales Trophy, or the Stanley Cup is in play during a game, a post must be authored.
The Canucks clinched their last Stanley Cup appearance on May 24, 1994. Strangely enough in a game 5.
They lead the Sharks 3-1 thanks to the Sedin twins who have unlimited points in the series and a powerplay that is clicking at 28.8% or roughly 26 percentage points better than the Penguins powerplay.
Picture: a team actually practicing a powerplay.
An interesting note about Clarence S. Campbell:
NHL President, Campbell is perhaps best remembered for suspending Montreal Canadiens superstar Maurice "Rocket" Richard for the remaining three games of the 1955 regular season and for the entirety of the playoffs. This decision came about as a result of Richard's actions during a March 13 game between the Canadiens and Boston Bruins; Richard had gotten into a vicious stick-swinging fight with the Bruins' Hal Laycoe, and when linesman Cliff Thompson attempted to restrain Richard, he received a punch in the face for his efforts. On March 17, Campbell attended a game at the Montreal Forum between the Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings. Throughout the first period he was taunted and pelted with debris by outraged Montreal fans, who saw him as a prime example of the city's English-Canadian elite oppressing the French-Canadian majority. After a tear gas bomb was released in the arena, Campbell exited the building, the game was forfeited to the Red Wings, and the Forum was evacuated. What ensued was a full-fledged riot in which 60 people were arrested and $500,000 in damage was done. | <urn:uuid:970db149-4899-45a4-a675-a10dcd667764> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thepensblog.com/tpb/may2011/canuckssharks-game-5-900-clarence-s-campbell-bowl-in-attendance.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976289 | 348 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Despite a last minute promise of emergency loans by the euro zone, Greece’s future grew more perilous this week as widespread violence in response to austerity measures forced a cabinet reshuffling.
Tens of thousands of angry Greeks protested in Athens on Wednesday and Thursday over plans to raise over 6 billion euros through tax hikes and deep spending cuts. The demonstrations turned ugly as pockets of violence erupted and protesters attacked police, causing officials to send tear gas into the crowds. For the past two weeks Syntagma Square in Athens has been flooded with growing numbers of angry protesters eager to make their voices heard.
The past two weeks of increasingly hostile and violent demonstrations in Athens indicate an unprecedented level of discontent among Greek citizens that could prove explosive. The austerity measures have engendered broad-based antipathy and privatization plans have rattled the cages of public-sector employees and truculent Greek unions. The nation’s abysmal fiscal track record and widespread corruption problems leave many skeptical that new bailout measures will do more than provide a temporary bandage to a deep problem. Widespread public protests could spark increased violence, prompting action by the military to restore order.
Patching together a temporary reprieve
In response to the anti-government demonstrations and political defections, Greek Prime Minister Papandreaou reshuffled his cabinet and replaced his finance minister on Thursday to form a team that could move forward with painful austerity measures and avoid a Greek default on its national debt.
EU Economics Commissioner Olli Rehn tried to soothe international markets by issuing a statement on Thursday that he expected a euro zone meeting this weekend to approve a new tranche of emergency funds for Greece. Rehn also said he expects a final decision on a long-term bailout package to be made in July. Rehm’s comments were followed today by statements by French President Sarkozy and German Chancellor Merkel in which they closed ranks on their commitment to defend the euro. These statements appeared to have the intended effect today, driving up U.S. and European stocks and causing a drop in the bond market.
Despite this short term reprieve, a resolution to Greek debt crisis remains elusive. Euro zone officials found little to agree on when they met in Brussels on Tuesday to craft a second bailout estimated near 90 billion euros to remedy a Greek debt predicament that is quickly spiraling out of control. At the center of the controversy was a German proposal to require all 27 EU member countries to contribute funds administered by the European Commission as part of a new bailout package to help prevent a Greek sovereign debt default. The UK, which is a member of the EU but not the euro zone, strongly objected, insisting that the Greek debt crisis is a euro zone matter exclusively and not an EU matter. Berlin had been insisting on the involvement of banks and private investors to share the debt burden – which the European Central Bank staunchly opposes for fear of causing contagion across Europe – but altered this stand today when Chancellor Merkel said that private investors should only participate on a voluntary basis.
Market confidence sinks
Market confidence plummeted this week amid fears of a Greek default. The euro hit a record low against the Swiss franc yesterday and slid against the dollar. Large protests in Athens and the failure of European officials to broker a deal in Brussels drove up the cost of insuring Greek debt against a default to a record high and left investors jittery over the possibility of financial crisis spreading across Europe.
Market outlooks were slightly more positive early last week after European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet indicated willingness to approve bond rollovers in Greece as part of the privatization measures. With the ECB fiercely opposed to debt restructuring of any sort, European officials are considering voluntary rollovers for private investors with Greek debt holdings. The announcement eased some investor’s concerns of growing instability and caused modest market gains. However, rating agencies responded with skepticism saying that any such rollovers would be considered coercive and equivalent to a Greek default. Italian central banker and possible future president of the ECB, Mario Draghi said Wednesday, “We should exclude all concepts that are not purely voluntary or that have any element of compulsion,” according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Social unrest within Greece as well as tensions internationally will continue to amplify market effects. Voluntary debt rollovers are unlikely to calm investors as the threat of downgrading and default from rating agencies looms overhead. Amid tensions on all sides, Greek and European officials will find it extremely difficult to buoy markets in such volatile waters.
Some signs of progress
There have been some positive indicators as Greece announced the first step in raising money through state-owned assets early last week, selling a 10 percent share of telecommunications company OTE to Deutsch Telekom. The 400 million euro deal is small compared to Greece’s 330 billion euro debt, but ECB officials assert that Greece has marketable state-owned assets that can amount to 300 billion euros, according to the New York Times. Other German companies have shown interest in acquiring Greek assets for low prices. The Wall Street Journal reports that German company Fraport AG is looking into a 55 percent stake in Athens International Airport.
Privatization instead of social cuts will likely prove more popular over the short term and will bring in immediate income, granting the government some breathing room both domestically and with the EU. External oversight is critical to the process, as true privatization requires a complete revamping of the economic culture to a deregulated capitalist system. However, such measures have already caused friction with unions as some 500 million workers began a nation wide strike Thursday, something that could further cripple the Greek economy. Strikes and protests also threatens the process of attracting and reassuring international investors, which Greece must do in order to sell enough state assets to make raise sufficient capital.
Rising public clamor over Greece’s euro zone future
EU leaders continue to stress solidarity as public discontent continues to grow. German Chancellor Merkel categorically stated that Greece’s exit is, “not in our interest” and that “the euro zone should avoid giving the impression that its members can be divided.” Leading European economists at a recent Brookings Institute seminar in Washington D.C. called the idea of a Greek exit from the EU “purely hypothetical” and “absurd.” However, Greece’s departure is clearly a topic of discussion among EU members. Luxemburg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker recently admitted, “…the question of Greece's withdrawal from the monetary union is certainly being discussed in public.” According to Mark Weisbrot, Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, “as much as the move might cost Greece in the short term, it is very unlikely that such costs would be greater than the many years of recession, stagnation and high unemployment that the European authorities are offering.”
Conflict over crafting a workable bailout plan will likely strain the EU’s formal commitment to keeping Greece in the euro zone. Even so, it remains unlikely that European official’s will capitulate at this point. From a EU perspective, the significant consequences of a Greek exit and the shockwaves of market instability it would likely cause across Europe seem less desirable than hefty bailout payments at the moment. However, public calls from within for Greece to leave the euro zone are likely to increase as the uncomfortable impacts of austerity measures are felt at home and Greek discontent reaches a boiling point.
No easy way out
Along with pressure from European officials and protesters, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou faces growing pressure from his own Socialist party. Papandreou’s decision to reshuffle the cabinet was announced after he opted against an earlier offer to step down and form a coalition government if the opposition agreed to the austerity program.
Growing dissent within the prime minister’s own party indicates that protests have had a significant influence on lawmakers. Papandreou will find it increasingly difficult to muster the necessary support at home to back the IMF/ECB bailout measures. However, should a vote of confidence in parliament scheduled for Sunday on the new cabinet succeed, Papandreou will likely have the necessary votes to push through a medium-term plan later this month, a move that will procure bailout funds and surely incite further popular antipathy. With no good options left, the next few weeks will pit the EU’s resolve to keep Greece afloat against fierce Greek public opposition to reforms. Moreover, perceived government incompetence combined with growing public instability raises the possibility of a move by the military to take control of the government.
Lisa M. Ruth is a former CIA analyst and officer. She is currently Managing Partner of C2 Research, a boutique research and analysis firm in West Palm Beach, Florida and is Vice President at CTC International Group, Inc., a private intelligence firm.
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Ready, Set, Goal!
by Myeashea Alexander
Our theme this month was ‘Ready, Set, Goal!’ As we say goodbye to January, I don’t want us to say goodbye to our goals as well. I wanted to share with you some great points I’ve learned over time and throughout the month.
1. “Follow leaders, not followers”- When we envisioned this site, we imagined a place where all the people we admire would come and be inspired as they inspire us. When we surround ourselves with people on the actual and perpetual pursuit of excellence we are transformed by the experience. As we achieve our goals, others will be transformed by us. So stay engaged with our team and build a supportive team around you!
2. “It’s not where you start, it’s how you finish”- Situations will come and go, but they will go. We can be at our lowest point one day and our highest the next. Allow these experiences, good and bad, to fuel your aspirations and your character.
3. “You become what you think most of the time. Your outer world ultimately becomes a reflection of your inner world. Your outer world of experience mirrors back to you what you think about most of the time. Whatever you think about continuously emerges in your reality.”
4. You Are Your Own Worst Enemy- “Unsuccessful, unhappy people think and talk about what they don’t want most of the time. They talk about their problems and worries and who is to blame for their situation. But successful people keep their thoughts and conversations focused on their most intensely desired goals. They think and talk about what they want most of the time.”
5. Don’t Wish Upon A Star! Goal Upon A Piece Of Paper!! - Most people don’t know the difference between a goal and wish. Here in lies the problem. “Be happy,” “be rich,” “have a hot spouse”- all of these are wishes. “A goal… it clear, written and specific. It can be quickly and easily described, measured, and you know when you have achieved it or not.”
6. “Happiness is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal, or goal”. - Earl Nightingale
7. “Goals enable you to instill meaning and purpose into everything that you do”- Goal setting is so powerful that just thinking about them makes us happy. When we achieve them, even small goals, we become happier and more confident. We make our future achievement limitless.
8. You Run The Show!: It is unfortunate that most people make it all the way through their adult lives blaming someone else for their problems and circumstances. STOP IT! You are trapping yourself in the past and are locked in a prison of negative emotion. This kills faster than plague- fear, self-pity, envy, jealousy, ego, anger, inferiority! Everybody has something! This is how people will relate to you. If you are someone to be pitied, no one will take your goals seriously. If you are someone to be admired, people will work with you, if only to be a part of your legacy! Make the decision that the trials of your past do not need to be the trials of your present and future. Stop justifying, rationalizing, and excusing why you can’t, don’t or won’t do something. No one else is responsible. Apologize, forgive, rectify and move on. One monkey don’t stop the show!
9. Educate Yourself! - As an anthropologist, I see people take a snap shot of a situation, apply their singular world view, and proceed argue, fight, etc. against it without a full understanding of what is occurring. These people are showing their values. When we work in service of others it is important to remember that understanding should be as holistic as possible. As leaders, in many ways we guide others. What values do you seek to instill? How would you feel if you had the flu, looked awful and someone saw a picture of you and proceeded to tell the world ‘_______ is a drug addict’? We do this all the time, as a society!! We do it in politics, environment, school, entertainment, etc. And we make it acceptable to not be critical thinkers! Our goals require our critical thinking skills! We can’t know everything, but we can remember before we apply outrage (emotional response), let’s act on reason.
10. Know What You Want- Socrates said “the unexamined life is not worth living.” When we work towards our goals, completing them takes strategy, thought, relationship development, skill enhancement, and action. We must constantly be in tuned with our weaknesses and our strengths. Through these acts we are clarifying and sharpening the people we are, and becoming the people we want to be. Confidence, self-respect, self-trust, happiness all comes from us learning from our past, our failures and triumphs. “You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.” We think you can achieve your goals!
We hope that you go through the year empowered, enlightened, and strong! Go forth and goal!!
*Recommended reading and quotes: Goals! How to Get Everything You Want by Brian Tracy | <urn:uuid:1a42560e-ad6f-4c1a-a4d4-5213c9c06340> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reenvisionyourfuture.org/post/16817715159/ready-set-goal | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960605 | 1,145 | 1.703125 | 2 |
In early clinical trials, Acomplia is looking promising. But with only 3,000+ people tested so far, it's far from being approved by the FDA. And even as effective as Acomplia appears to be in early tests, much of the hype is overblown: daily walking or cardiovascular exercise results in far more weight loss. So does giving up the consumption of soft drinks or refined carbohydrates like white flour or added sugars. There are far more effective ways to lose weight and keep it off than popping a diet pill.
Yet the idea of a diet pill is seductive. It's something that doesn't require any exertion whatsoever, and that makes it a perfect fit for many Americans, who seem increasingly unwilling to actually take any action in order to achieve lasting results. What they want is a magic weight loss pill. And so far, Acomplia looks like the closest solution we've seen yet.
The real test, of course, will come when the potential side effects are fully examined. Will the drug be the next Vioxx or Fen-Phen? Unfortunately, we can no longer trust the drug safety review process of the FDA, meaning that even FDA approval is no guarantee that the drug is safe. We'll only know the answer to that question after a few million people start taking the pills. No doubt, obese Americans will be lining up to volunteer as guinea pigs for this one: weight loss with no effort? Sign me up!
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2010, Adams created TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural living video sharing site featuring thousands of user videos on foods, fitness, green living and more. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org
Have comments on this article? Post them here:
people have commented on this article. | <urn:uuid:e198644d-50d0-4e35-b2e6-71d1cf7a3201> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.naturalnews.com/002313_Acomplia_weight_loss.html | 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 | 0.960393 | 577 | 1.765625 | 2 |
For those who sincerely think HOW to innovate
Airline business makes its revenue and in turn profit per seat per mile flown. Naturally it is in their best interest to put more seats in the aircraft and the airline manufacturers have to oblige to see that its customers remain profitable. From 31 inch it may be reduced in future to 25 inch to accommodate more passengers. I recollect Principle 16 Partial or Excessive Action which reads “ If exactly the right amount of action is hard to achieve , use… Continue
Mumbai suburban trains are like Bhel Pots. They accommodate different ingredients of human personas making travelling as delicious as Mumbai Bhel. Some of the ingredients of this moving Bhel Pot are gamblers, readers, dozers, chanters, chatters, amateur singers & the grumblers (you can add your own to make it tastier).
Added by Prashant Yeshwant Joglekar on January 1, 2010 at 10:11am — No Comments | <urn:uuid:d7023c65-1ebe-4aaf-a4f2-d027888e5a98> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://trizindia.org/profiles/blog/list?month=01&year=2010 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9435 | 200 | 1.570313 | 2 |
It turns out that ClioSoft created a visual diff tool aptly named Visual Design Diff and for fun they held a contest to see who could identify the four changes made to the following schematic:
Now draw your attention to the follow modified schematic:
Their interactive game had over 300 contestants give it a try. The winner was DI Stefan Lukas, Manager Design Applicaitn Engineering Graz, Infineon Technologies Austria AG. Stefan won an iPad, then decided instead to donate the prize amount to his favorite charity.
In case you are going crazy trying to find the four differences, here is the answer:
LVS tools are a text-only method to point out differences between schematic netlists and now you have a visual tool to consider adding to your transistor-level IC design flow, called VDD. I can see that this kind of tool would save you many hours of frustrating manual debug in quickly finding what has changed on a schematic over time. | <urn:uuid:b06e4aba-2636-45e6-83b8-7950396d46af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.semiwiki.com/forum/content/1020-what-just-changed-my-transistor-level-schematic.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964139 | 193 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Hospitality Management: What to Expect
The Hospitality Management program at the University of South Carolina is consistently ranked in the top 10 and provides undergraduate students with countless unique and highly sought after opportunities. Tourism is the #1 industry in South Carolina, which gives Hospitality Management majors at the University of South Carolina a wide array of internship opportunities. You will get a great deal of hands-on experience through at least two required internships. In your courses, you will develop important skills including analytical, communication, organization, time management, human resource management, service management, and technology skills. You will also develop technical skills in finance, accounting, marketing, and gain knowledge of specific subject matter such as restaurant management, club management, hotel management, and tourism management. As a Hospitality Management major, you will be able to experience a wide-range of learning techniques in your courses including hands-on labs, field trips, group projects, computer simulations, and event and festival planning. You will be able to take what you learn inside the classroom to the community by participating in internships, student clubs and organizations, volunteer opportunities, and study abroad. Hospitality Management majors may also choose to pursue a Concentration in Club Management.
The following courses fulfill some of the course requirements for a Bachelor of Science with a major in Hospitality Management:
- Introduction to Hospitality Industry
- Hotel Management
- Quantity Food Production
- Foundations of Tourism
- Club Management
- Hospitality Practicum
- Functional Accounting I and II
- Computer Applications in Business
Students wishing to pursue the Concentration in Club Management are required to complete 15 credit hours of course work including Club Management, Club Cuisine and Service, Advanced Club Management, and the Hospitality and Tourism Internship. A detailed list of degree requirements can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin.
Enhancing your Experience
Study Abroad allows you to earn academic credits toward your USC degree while seeing the world! Overseas study can complement any academic program or major. Hospitality Management majors at USC have traveled all over the world including China, Costa Rica, and Italy. Students have even studied abroad on a cruise ship in the Caribbean! While studying abroad, you will learn research skills, tourism management, cultural sensitivity, and hospitality management. You will also learn a great deal about wine, food, and culture. You are encouraged to visit the Study Abroad Web site for more information on opportunities to broaden and extend your knowledge and perspectives.
Student Organizations can be instrumental in helping you adjust to life on campus and network within your field. The University of South Carolina has a family of nearly 300 student organizations. As a Hospitality Management major, you may want to get involved in the Club Management Association, Professional Convention Management Association, and the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality. Students must receive an invitation to join Eta Sigma Delta Honorary Society. Involvement in these organizations is a great way to network, meet new friends, develop leadership skills, and attend national conventions and other events. You can also seek out volunteer opportunities that relate to your major. Find a student organization on campus that interests you!
Graduate School is one of many possibilities following graduation. Many graduates go on to pursue graduate degrees in Hospitality, Tourism, Finance, Education, or Business Administration.
Distinguished Faculty can help enhance your overall academic experience while at the University. Ed Coon has been on the faculty for thirty years and has received the Teacher of the Year award multiple times. Dr. Cathy Gustafson teaches a Club Management certification course and has been awarded teacher of the year several times. Dr. Sandy Strick is also an outstanding faculty member who wrote one of the first textbooks in meetings and conventions. She is also a certified wine educator.
Departmental Scholarships may be awarded to outstanding entering freshmen or current students. The College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management awards more than 35 scholarships each year.
Internship and Research Opportunities
Internships can be an important asset to your overall educational experience. Internship experiences often help you confirm your career interests, give you hands on experience in a professional setting, help build your resume, reinforce what you’ve learned in class and can often lead to full-time employment. Likewise, pursuing professional research opportunities as an undergraduate student can also help enrich your academic experience while at the University. As an undergraduate student, you can work closely with faculty research mentors and explore a discipline that interests you. Both internship and research opportunities help you build a competitive edge in the job market.
Hospitality Management majors at the University of South Carolina have had a wide range of exciting and unique internship opportunities. Students have interned at the Masters Golf Tournament, Walt Disney World, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Kiawah Island, resorts and coffee groves in Brazil, boutique hotels in New York City, Alaskan resorts, and on a variety of cruise ships.
Hospitality Management majors have countless career opportunities and often pursue careers as restaurant managers, catering directors, hotel managers, human resources managers, private club managers, event planners, wedding planners, festival planners, meeting planners, directors of convention and visitors’ bureaus, chamber of commerce directors, and tourism managers. Many graduates also pursue careers in food sales and beverage distribution. The average salary for Hospitality Management majors five years after graduation starts at $40,000 and is often higher in major cities and resort areas.
Elizabeth Kornhoff’s experiences and degrees from the University landed her an exciting career as an Operations Manager at Candlewood Suites in North Charleston, S.C. Elizabeth received both her bachelor and master degrees from the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management at USC. Elizabeth performs a wide-range of tasks from hosting and cooking for the Wednesday Night Guest Social to maintaining housekeeping, front desk, and maintenance. The Candlewood Suites in North Charleston was the first Candlewood Suites to open in South Carolina, which allowed Elizabeth to gain some unique insight. “I was able to help in the opening process. It was great to see what all goes into building and opening a hotel,” she said. While at USC, Elizabeth attended career fairs to help get her foot in the door to interview with companies. She encourages current students to be proactive, as well. “Start applying for jobs in advance before you graduate,” she said.
About the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management
The School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management (HRTM) at the University of South Carolina is accredited through Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration. Tourism is the #1 industry in the State of South Carolina, which benefits HRTM students at Carolina. It is one of just two Club Management Association of America certified programs and is one of only six universities offering Introduction to Master Sommelier Training. The school boasts excellent facilities including the McCutchen House Food Laboratory. The School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management offers a Bachelor of Science with a major in Hospitality Management, Bachelor of Science with a major in Tourism Management, a Masters of International Hospitality and Tourism Management, and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) in Hospitality Management. The School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management is in the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management.
Points of Pride
- The School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management has consistently ranked in the top 10 of undergraduate Hospitality Management programs.
- We are accredited through Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration.
- We are one of two four-year degree programs certified through The Club Management Association of America. | <urn:uuid:d378a16a-4877-4928-ba75-efcc3aab64d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sc.edu/admissions/learn/majors/hospitalitymanagement.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945419 | 1,567 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Planning for a Financially Secure Retirement
Being ready for a financially secure retirement takes planning that begins early and never really ends. Children grow up. Incomes rise or fall. The time left between work and retirement narrows. But let's focus on best practices during the ages of 55 to 69.
- Now is the time to save aggressively for retirement. You're probably in your peak earning years, so put away as much as possible as often as you can. And be sure to take advantage of so-called "catch-up" clauses that allow you to increase contributions to retirement plans.
- Look at your current spending and estimate whether your retirement needs will be met by income from Social Security, savings and withdrawals from your retirement plan.
- Shift to a more conservative investment strategy as retirement nears.
- Consult with a financial planner at least five years before you retire to make sure you are on a sound financial track.
- Consider long-term care insurance.
- Make sure your will and estate planning documents reflect your current wishes.
- Contact OHSU Foundation for charitable giving strategies that will benefit you, your heirs and our mission.
The U.S. Social Security Administration's website can help you estimate the amount of monthly benefits you'll receive from Social Security.
- Go to www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.
- Click on "Estimate Your Retirement Benefits" (button in the middle of the page).
- Be ready to provide your name, Social Security number, date and place of birth, and mother's maiden name.
- With a few more clicks, you get an estimate of your future benefits. | <urn:uuid:fe69a40d-6bc2-4155-b751-6a7cf23d8bf8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/about/foundation/way-to-give/gift-planning/rss-feed.cfm?contentType=article&orgId=33&articleId=9228 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935804 | 341 | 1.804688 | 2 |
- Last Updated: 9:18 AM, January 31, 2013
- Posted: 11:28 PM, January 30, 2013
Wall Street is again irrationally exuberant.
That’s the phrase, of course, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan used in 1996 to describe the stock market, which was rising for no reason other than the fact that the Fed was printing money like crazy.
Greenspan knew the problem he was causing but didn’t want to do the thing necessary to stop it — raise interest rates. He was afraid to get the Bill Clinton White House mad at him.
Well, history is repeating itself. And if you are an investor in the stock market, take heed: You better watch out. Take your mom’s advice on this one, it really is better to be safe than sorry.
Stock prices usually rise when the economy is doing well. That’s basic stuff but something you should be reminded of. A good economy equals strong corporate profits. And that combination leads to stocks becoming more valuable.
That’s not happening today.
In fact, the market is defying economic logic as it hasn’t done since the recent financial crisis.
Yesterday morning, Wall Street woke up to shocking news when the Commerce Department announced the nation’s gross domestic product declined 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter.
Experts had been expecting growth of 1.3 percent, a paltry rate, far below the 3.1 percent reported during the third quarter, which included the pivotal months right before the election.
And considering how much money the Fed is providing the economy through its quantitative easing experiment, even 3.1 percent growth is nothing to get excited about.
As expected, though, The Street shrugged off the abysmal GDP figure because it knows from experience the Fed will be there to bail out the stock markets, also known as the only thing going right for the economy over the past five years.
The Dow Jones industrial average, in fact, is 254 points away from its 2007 all-time high.
But here’s the problem.
Despite what financial media talking heads are saying (in hopes of keeping stock prices — and their incomes — up) that 0.1 percent drop in GDP could actually be the start of another recession.
Look, I’m not rooting for this to happen. But there’s a big difference between hoping the economy is doing better and it actually improving. And right now all Wall Street and politicians have is hope.
What’s more, that number would have been considerably worse if Commerce hadn’t pushed its inflation adjustment down to an unreasonably low level. The decline could have been a full 1 percent or more without that adjustment.
Wall Street also dismissed the GDP drop because it rationalized that:
* Hurricane Sandy hurt the East Coast economy
* The fiscal-cliff fiasco caused companies to pull back, and
* Government spending declined.
All of that is true.
The federal government also overspent in the third quarter because it was a good thing to do before the election. It then pulled back on spending during the last quarter.
And Sandy did slow growth, followed almost immediately by the positive impact of reconstruction.
There are always extraordinary events that affect the economy. And the first quarter is already filled with unusual occurrences — like the fact that all Americans saw their take-home pay decline because the Social Security tax rose.
And the automatic government spending cuts that’ll occur March 1 will certainly slow the economy even more. (Get ready for the calls for those cuts to be delayed.)
Washington can only delay the cuts and the upcoming discussions on raising the debt ceiling for so long. Eventually those issues will come back into the headlines and — rightfully — scare the hell out of businesses and consumers alike.
The one thing The Street has going for it is that the Fed definitely doesn’t want financial market turmoil at a time this. So Fed chief Ben Bernanke will do all he can to keep stock prices rising, even though that is not his job.
But what can he do?
The Fed has been practicing the voodoo economics of money-printing for years. And despite Bernanke’s blessed quantitative easing, we are still having this discussion about poor economic growth and recessions.
The Fed’s policy-making Open Market Committee concluded its two days of meetings yesterday. And guess what? The Fed didn’t have a magic solution because there isn’t one.
The Fed said it will keep stimulating the economy. So what!
Unless you believe the Fed will suddenly find its mojo, employ the same philosophy investing with Wall Street that you’d use at a casino.
Don’t invest more than you can afford to lose.
Prepare yourself. Tomorrow’s employment report could be one of the most confusing, misleading and ridiculous of them all.
How do I know?
Because the job figures for January that are put out on the first Friday of February are always tough to understand due to the curious outlier that I’ve pointed out in this space: seasonal adjusted numbers. Last year, when you looked at the raw data, there was an actual, unadjusted loss of 2.86 million jobs.
Don’t expect a pretty picture this year, either. | <urn:uuid:599c541c-1bd4-491f-ae96-78fb142d575c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/gdp_setback_exposes_pre_shrunk_economy_PgwVqTF0ryturNfRuYgevL | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959069 | 1,114 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Across the country, state budgets are back in the black after years of belt-tightening and spending cuts. From California to Florida, in nearly every state, the economic recovery has produced a surge in tax revenue.
For governors and state legislators, that's produced a new question: how to spend the money.
The past three years have not been easy ones for elected officials. Nearly every state requires them to produce a balanced budget. And with declining revenue from sales, property and income taxes, that has meant big spending cuts. | <urn:uuid:9effac78-7f50-4d22-a9b5-a5de7ad36a13> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kunc.org/term/budget?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967036 | 107 | 1.820313 | 2 |
The blind man had found a jar of batter in the refrigerator and was pressing waffles into shape between the hinged metal pans of a waffle iron. Luka could see the batter sizzling and darkening as it spilled over the circumference of the pan.
-The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
When I was growing up my favorite breakfast was buttermilk waffles with just butter. Syrup was sometimes applied, but I often felt it wasn’t needed. Now my tastes have changed somewhat, and my husband prefers savory more than sweet breakfasts, so I rarely make myself waffles any longer. The Brief History of the Dead gave me a good excuse to have them this past weekend.
As you can see though, I wound up with pancakes instead.
The story is that my waffle iron wasn’t agreeing with me. After creating an abstract and disjointed waffle I decided to give up and make pancakes out of the batter. I have to be honest. I am not exactly what you’d call an expert at making pancakes. They don’t usually turn out that perfect golden color, and they often don’t taste quite right. It’s (usually) easier for me to make waffles because all you have to do it throw the batter into an iron, wait eight minutes, and then you’ve got waffles! Pancakes are a whole other story, but after a couple of tries they did seem to make it. (Congratulations little pancakes!)
Waffles (or Pancakes!)
From the wonderful Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
- 1 1/4 cups flour (I used plain all-purpose white flour)
- 2 Tbsp. sugar or other sweetener
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/3 cups milk (I used soy milk)
- 1/2 Tbsp. egg replacer mixed with 2 Tbsp. water
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add soy milk and egg replacer and stir just until flour is moistened. (For thicker waffles or pancakes, use only 1 cup milk.) Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while skillet heats, and then stir gently one more time before using.
Heat non-stick griddle or skillet (sprayed lightly with non-stick spray) over medium heat until drop of water sizzles. Pour batter by scant 1/4 cupfuls onto hot griddle, making a few pancakes at a time. Cook until tops are bubbly and bubbles burst; edges will look dry. With pancake turner, turn and cook until undersides are golden. Place on warm platter; keep warm.
Repeat until all batter is used, brushing griddle lightly with salad oil, if necessary to prevent sticking. Serve pancakes with syrup or other topping as desired.
I think I need to practice making pancakes – and figure out what is going on with my waffle maker. Apart from that I think that they turned out pretty well. I did put syrup on these, but there was still that little girl in me that was thinking “No, don’t put syrup on there!” But the adult in me was thinking “The syrup will make the pictures look better!” The now-me won over the then-me, but I still won. And I still had pancakes. | <urn:uuid:aa7115a8-11c2-44b9-9458-adad96143d84> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.noveleats.com/bread/the-brief-history-of-the-dead-vegan-waffles-or-pancakes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956394 | 712 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The Associated Press
The recent "fiscal cliff" agreement in Washington preserved tax rates that investors with moderate to low incomes pay on investment income such as capital gains and stock dividends. Not so for top earners, who will pay higher rates on income earned this year.
Below is a look at the rates that taxpayers in the highest bracket will pay on investment income earned in 2013, compared with last year's rates. The top bracket includes taxpayers with adjusted gross income of $450,000 and up for couples filing jointly, and $400,000 for single filers.
The 2013 rates include a new 3.8 percent tax to pay for President Obama's health care overhaul. That tax applies to taxable investment income for joint filers with adjusted gross income of more than $250,000 and single filers earning $200,000. So taxes on investment income will also be higher for taxpayers with earnings above those thresholds.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A Maryland man is charged with poking holes in meat packages.
This U.S. city is buying $30M worth of iPads for its students.
These are the unique names celebrities give their children. (Gallery)
What can happen to you when you don't get enough sleep. | <urn:uuid:1d53f6ca-0216-4abe-ab9f-2a53fb7a461f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wtop.com/249/3225899/Top-tax-rates-on-investment-income-under-new-law | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961507 | 269 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Pascal Campion – Making Moments From Everyday Life, 1
Pascal Campion is a French-American illustrator and animator. He is mostly influenced by everyday events. His simple shapes, lines and lighting give a whole new world, happy and warmhearted. He just makes everything seem so warm and every image really feels like it has a story behind it.
“What are you thinking about when you are drawing?
When I’m drawing, I’m thinking about what the characters in my image are thinking, what they did the moments before the action they are doing in the image, the morning before, the days before. I sometimes think about what their jobs are, and how were there parents, and all that helps me figure out what the environment they live in looks like.
I also like to think about what the reader is going to think If I omit a few details, or if I add too much… is it going to help them figure out the story or confuse them?
I try to figure out the type of lighting and temperature I want this slice of life to be in, and based on that and the environment, I find a color palette that suits me and the image.” | <urn:uuid:800ee203-ffaa-4659-8e8c-3daf52119226> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.worthwhilesmile.com/pascal-campion/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969938 | 250 | 1.710938 | 2 |
An independent financial adviser hired by the state says the land U.S. Sugar wants to sell for Everglades restoration is worth $930-million — not the $1.3-billion the state announced last week it is willing to pay.
Only if all of U.S. Sugar's holdings are included — 187,000 acres of land, plus a sugar mill, railroad and citrus operation — would the value reach $1.3-billion, according to a Nov. 13 letter from Duff & Phelps, the state's New York financial adviser.
The letter is dated the day after Gov. Charlie Crist unveiled a deal in which the state buys 181,000 acres of U.S. Sugar's land, and nothing else, for $1.34-billion.
The letter from the firm's managing director, Andrew Capitman, was posted Tuesday on the Web site of the South Florida Water Management District, the state agency in charge of the buyout.
Sugar officials scoffed at the Duff & Phelps opinion, which cost the water district more than $1-million. U.S. Sugar vice president Bob Coker dismissed the financial adviser as "Huey, Dewey & Louie" — Donald Duck's cartoon nephews — and said the firm "probably shouldn't be licensed to work in Florida."
He contended the land is so valuable that "some people think the state is getting the Hope Diamond at cubic zirconia prices."
He and sugar lobbyist J.M. "Mac" Stipanovich, who helped negotiate the deal with the state, contended that the letter had been posted on the district's Web site to fuel opposition to the price.
"I suspect it was requested by someone who intends to oppose the buyout," Stipanovich said.
Sugar farming south of Lake Okeechobee has long been considered a major obstacle to the $10-billion plan for restoring the Everglades. Environmental groups sued to challenge the practice of backpumping farm runoff containing phosphorous, pesticides and other chemicals into the lake. After a judge ruled for the environmental groups, the water district board voted in August 2007 to end the practice.
The sugar company dispatched Stipanovich and another lobbyist to ask Crist for relief. Instead, in that November 2007 meeting, he proposed the state buy out the company and all its facilities. Eight months later, in June, Crist unveiled the result: a tentative deal for a complete buyout that would allow turning the sugar land into a network of marsh treatment areas and reservoirs to clean and store water before sending it south into Everglades National Park.
But in succeeding months, as the Wall Street meltdown jeopardized borrowing that much money, state officials decided they didn't want the sugar mill, railroad or citrus operation.
So Crist announced last week that the state would buy 181,000 acres of the company's land for $1.34-billion. The revised deal is supposed to be voted on by the Water Management District's governing board next month.
The water board has hired three appraisers to review the price of the land. In September, district officials also hired Duff & Phelps to review the buyout and provide them with a "fairness opinion" as to whether the sale represents a fair deal for the taxpayers. Although the opinion cost the water district more than $1-million, Coker considers it worthless.
"That valuation was done for a business deal that's not currently on the table," he said.
The Duff & Phelps letter addresses the original deal, not the new one. Two appraisals, done Oct. 25 and Nov. 1 by experts hired by the water district, said the land would be worth $1.3-billion.
Water district spokesman Gabe Margasak said the Duff & Phelps opinion "is not an appraisal and does not provide a conclusion about the value of the acquisition relative to its public purpose." He said the agency "remains committed to achieving an acquisition that provides the best possible returns for our taxpayers, our communities and America's Everglades." | <urn:uuid:2a9f5b29-823d-442e-839f-0c072674f603> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wetlands/adviser-tells-state-land-in-us-sugar-deal-worth-less-than-florida-offered/908657 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961832 | 835 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Steve Jobs, the Apple founder and former CEO who masterfully marketed ever-sleeker gadgets that transformed everyday technology, from the Apple Macintosh to the iPod and iPhone, has died. He was 56.
Apple announced his death without giving a specific cause.
"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," the company said in a brief statement.
"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve"
Jobs had battled cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant in 2009 after taking a leave of absence for unspecified health problems. He took another leave of absence in January _ his third since his health problems began _ before resigning as CEO six weeks ago. Jobs became Apple's chairman and handed the CEO job over to his hand-picked successor, Tim Cook.
The news Apple fans and shareholders had been dreading came the day after Apple unveiled its latest version of the iPhone, just one in a procession of devices that shaped technology and society while Jobs was running the company. | <urn:uuid:ab9b70c6-b358-4453-ae51-f9a6456f1dc7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?61852-R-I-P-Steve-Jobs&p=230525 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987483 | 227 | 1.664063 | 2 |
All this does is prove how defiant religious organisations are willing to be to let themselves discriminate. It seems with religion its not acceptable to differ from the religious text UNLESS its in their interests.
Hypocrites indeed. This law needs amending asap to stop it being used like this. Personallly, I don’t think beliefs should be covered by the same legislation as ‘who people are’. Logically, you could ‘believe’ anything and say the law allowed you to do so. But, of course, we’re not all as bigoted as certain members of certain religious groups so we wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing.
Pink News keeps saying that Catholic care in Leeds was the last Catholic Adoption Agency. This is not true. St. Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society got permission from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator to change it’s rules so it could still refuse same-sex couples after the new laws were brought in. St. Margaret’s was helped by the SNP Scottish Government to do this and they are currently allowed to refuse same-sex couples.
I wonder How many times they talked about the children needs in the court not there, I think they should redo the whole adoption agency laws to state that by no means should to views or beliefs of the agency placed on the children.
Should this not be also against they EU equality laws that will help us soon get gay marriage!
The thing is, I think this confirms my view that the exemption to allow gay organisations to discriminate against heterosexuals is misplaced; and here we are, it has come back to bite us.
If there was a general sexual helpline, I’d be outraged if it were closed to gay people because we couldn’t reasonably advise the heterosexual majority. And so it must be the same in reverse.
Let’s not forget that when the next Tory government abolishes the Human Rights Act, as they’re committed to do, they will remove a substantial barrier preventing discrimination against LGBT people in Britain.
@6 Good point worth remembering!
I think this legislation should be amended a.s.a.p. ´Loopholes´? Discrimination is discrimination, no matter WHO is doing it.
We discover (to no surprise) that the Catholic Church employs the lowest of slime as their legal representatives. Clearly the wording of this law, despite its good intention, needs amending to prevent this sort of homophobia from recurring.
Catholic Care claims to act on behalf of the most difficult to place children.
Yet, as any secular agency will tell you, it is their LGBT clients who are the most willing to take on children with severe problems – often after they have suffered multiple rejections by prospective heterosxual adoptees who are lookingfor a “perfect” child.
If Catholic Care had the interests of the children at heart, they would therefore welcome LGBT prospective parents with open arms.
That they do not reveals their true motives. And it is the children that suffer. Shame on them.
xians are the enemy of lgbt equality and human rights and where they are involved with lgbt organisations and groups they are acting as fifth columnists. They are not to be trusted.
not all Christians are homophobes – it seems like the majority are though
The important thing now is not to let this agency receive any financial support from any public body. | <urn:uuid:d1dbe8bc-15da-455f-9d6c-c8ab3cf076e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/03/18/gay-protection-loophole-allowed-catholic-adoption-appeal/comments/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968983 | 718 | 1.710938 | 2 |
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