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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 20, 2012
Media Contact: Ashley Wiggin, [email protected], 206-221-2456
By Sumalee Oakley
On November 9th, Teri Oelrich, RN, ’84 BSN, MBA, gave a brown bag presentation to architecture and health sciences students about her unusual career trajectory which eventually led to her starting a successful Portland-based healthcare design firm. After she finished her BSN degree, Oelrich gained more than nursing experience while working in every department within Swedish Medical Center. During her time in the pediatric ICU, Oelrich began envisioning more effective ways to plan and organize space in order to influence the environment in which patients “receive care and caregivers give care.”
Teri Oelrich HeadshotSeeking to broaden her professional background, Oelrich entered an MBA program at Syracuse University and earned her MBA in Statistics in 1989. Her interest in healthcare and consulting converged when she answered an advertisement in the consulting division at NBBJ, the global architecture, planning, and design firm. One of her first projects was to “size” Seattle Children’s Hospital, and since then, Oelrich has helped plan and design more than seventy hospitals. As she explained, the challenge of healthcare design is to size hospital square footage and staff space for twenty years into the future. This boils down to projecting how changing demographics, population shifts, and cultural norms may impact the hospital space.
Although she loved working with NBBJ, Oelrich decided she wanted to spend more time with her family and so launched her own healthcare consulting firm, Nightingales Healthcare Consulting. Oelrich noted that the firm’s name pays homage to Florence Nightingale, who worked with an architect using evidence-based design to construct a hospital with ideal treatment and healing conditions. Oelrich collaborates with architects, engineers, hospitals, and financial managers on designing everything from emergency rooms and individual units to grand master plans. She explained to her audience that healthcare design differs from other types of types of design in which, by convention, “form follows function.” In healthcare design, “form follows function follows workload”—that is, the workload of the nursing and medical staff. She pointed out that given a poorly-designed floor plan, nurses will find a way to “control the space” by improvising, for instance, more centrally-located nursing stations. Robust healthcare design facilitates rather than hinders the work of nurses. Likewise, good healthcare design takes into account the patient experience, which means imagining the spatial needs of their families and caregivers. Having witnessed so many caregivers struggle to figure out where to place themselves, Oelrich designed hospital rooms that subtly demarcate zones easily recognizable to caregivers as their own spot. A study confirmed Oelrich’s belief that thoughtful design makes economic sense as well: the average length of stay (ALOS) for patients housed in such rooms was shorter and compensated the initial expense of the new building.
Here at the School of Nursing, Oelrich made an impact on the space of learning when she gave a generous gift to help purchase the mannequins and other equipment that provide a simulated healthcare environment for students. She continues to advocate for the profession and practice of nursing as well as expand the horizons of what a nursing background can accomplish. Last but not least, as a proud UW SoN alumna she roots for the Huskies in Oregon where she now lives, but notes that it is by no means an easy task to be a Husky in a sea of Ducks!
The University of Washington School of Nursing is consistently a top-rated nursing school, according to U.S. News & World Report. Ranked No. 2 in research funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2011, the UW School of Nursing is a national and international leader in improving the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities. The school addresses society’s most pressing challenges in health care through innovative teaching, award winning research and community service. For more information, visit www.nursing.uw.edu.
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How to Record the Purchase of a Fixed Asset
Fixed assets are those items that you can’t immediately count as an expense when purchased. QuickBooks 2012 can help you record and track your fixed asset purchases. Fixed assets include such things as vehicles, furniture, equipment, and so forth.
Fixed assets are tricky for two reasons: Typically, you must depreciate fixed assets, and you need to record the disposal of the fixed asset at some point in the future — for either a gain or a loss.
Accounting for the purchase of a fixed asset is pretty straightforward. Here is how a fixed asset purchase typically looks.
If you purchase a $12,000 delivery truck with cash, for example, the journal entry that you use to record this purchase debits delivery truck for $12,000 and credits cash for $12,000.
Within QuickBooks, this journal entry actually gets made when you write the check to pay for the purchase. The one thing that you absolutely must do is set up a fixed asset account for the specific asset. In other words, you don’t want to debit a general catch-all fixed asset account.
If you buy a delivery truck, you set up a fixed asset account for that specific delivery truck. If you buy a computer system, you set up a fixed asset account for that particular computer system. In fact, the general rule is that any fixed asset that you buy individually or dispose of later individually needs its own asset account.
The reason for this is that if you don’t have individual fixed asset accounts, later on the job of calculating gains and losses on the disposal of the fixed asset turns into a Herculean task.
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Beyonce recently shot the video for “I was Here” on the floor of the U. N. General Assembly as reported by NYdailyNews. She did this performance in order to promote World Humanitarian Day. The U.N. General Assembly created World Humanitarian Day in 2008 to commemorate the Aug. 19, 2003, killing of 22 people in an attack on the U.N. offices in Baghdad.
Beginning Aug. 19, the video of the song can be seen on the star’s official web site, as well as at www.whd-iwashere.org. The latter site aims to provide a place for people to write about individual acts of good they’ve performed, as well as encourage others to come up with their own.
Beyonce performed in front of a custom screen, specially created for the event. As she sang, the screen filled with images of U.N. aid workers on the scene in various wars, famines, and floods around the world. Check put the pics.
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Syd Mead's Land Yacht was commissioned by Playboy Magazine as the ultimate go-anywhere, do-anyone ride in an alternate Blade Runner-meets-Ladies Man future. Despite the 70's look, its predictions of modern driving technology are surprisingly accurate.
Mead's Land Yacht debuted in the June 1975 issue of Playboy, serving as both a roving bachelor pad and a vision of future travel. It's designed with a central computer system which manages vehicle systems as well as the duties of over the road driving, leaving you to lounge in the luxurious cabin and leather recliners.
When you aren't underway there's a rooftop bed for a little open air entertaining, but that's not the limit of accommodation. There are also multiple big screen TV's for entertainment and several recording cameras scattered around to make the viewing content. Technology extends to other goodies, too, as phones are wired through the cabin.
The driver controls the vehicle from a central driving position with a joystick, while infrared cameras pierce the night and project an image in front of the driver. Considering how many of these conveniences exist in modern motor homes — and our modern voyeuristic tendencies — Mead deserves credit as a successful futurist. [AngieAudio]
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Crisis diplomacy at a time of dramatic changes
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has arrived in Doha. The capital of Qatar is the first stop on his trip to the Gulf region, the Middle East and Turkey from 4 to 8 June. In making this trip, he aims to get a firsthand view of the situation and assess the risk of the violence in Syria infecting the rest of the region.
Westerwelle with the Prime Minister
During his visit to the region, Foreign Minister Westerwelle will meet with vital partners to discuss possible steps to be taken in order to see Kofi Annan’s peace plan for Syria finally implemented. The German Government remains committed to the goal of finding a political and diplomatic solution in Syria. The Foreign Minister’s trip is part of Germany’s broader policy of intensive crisis diplomacy at a time of dramatic changes in the Arab world. The Gulf states play an important role within the Arab League and the Group of Friends of the Syrian People. As a pivotal power in the region, Turkey is crucial to solving the crisis in Syria.
In Doha on 5 June, Minister Westerwelle issued the following statement:
We want a political solution because we believe that a military escalation could start a conflagration engulfing the whole region. And that has to be prevented. Therefore it is important to hold talks in the region now.
Westerwelle’s talks during the trip will also touch on the ongoing crises and tensions in the region such as the Iranian nuclear programme and the Middle East conflict.
The first leg of his journey takes the Foreign Minister to Qatar. He plans to engage in talks there with the Emir of Qatar as well as the country’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs on 5 June.
From there, he will travel on to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). On 5 June, Westerwelle will also meet his UAE counterpart in Abu Dhabi. On 6 June, he will give a speech at the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and meet representatives of the UAE Federal National Council.
On 7 June, the third stage of Westerwelle’s visit will see him in Istanbul, where he will take part in the Global Counterterrorism Forum and discuss the situation in Syria with Turkey’s Ahmet Davutoğlu and other Foreign Ministers in a number of prior and parallel meetings.
For the fourth and final leg of his journey, on 7 and 8 June, the German Foreign Minister will be in Lebanon. The country has been increasingly affected by the crisis in Syria. In Lebanon, Minister Westerwelle wants to work towards deescalating the situation.
Intensifying bilateral relations with the Gulf states
On the Persian Gulf, the agenda will also include strengthening bilateral relations with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The latter is celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations with Germany in 2012.
Before the start of the talks, Westerwelle said: “We intend to intensify our economic relations with the Gulf states, above all in the energy and health sectors.”
Germany’s commitment to Lebanon
Fast patrol boats deployed as part of UNIFIL
© picture alliance / dpa
Westerwelle’s visit to Lebanon at the end of his journey on 7 and 8 June is intended in part to underline Germany’s commitment to stability in the country. He will meet Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour and Nabih Berri, the Speaker of Lebanon’s Parliament. In view of the upcoming extension of the UNIFIL mandate, Foreign Minister Westerwelle also intends to meet with representatives of the German UNIFIL contingent.
This is Westerwelle’s sixth trip to the Arabian Peninsula. It is the third time he has been to Qatar and the UAE, and his second visit to Lebanon, the first having been in 2010.
Last updated 05.06.2012
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Guyanese, Jamaicans top list of CARICOM nationals denied entry to Barbados
Jamaica (Jamaica Gleaner) – Jamaican and Guyanese citizens account for the vast majority of CARICOM nationals who have been refused entry into Barbados over the last five years, according to statistics compiled by immigration officials there.
However, the statistics, which are among the evidence tendered before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in the Shanique Myrie case, have shown that the majority of CARICOM nationals seeking entry into Barbados came from Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
According to the data, 2128 Guyanese nationals and 1,485 Jamaicans were refused entry into Barbados between 2007 and last year.
By comparison, the figures show that for the same five-year period, Barbadian immigration officers refused entry to 131 St Lucians, 134 Trinidadians and 372 citizens of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
A breakdown of the numbers for last year shows that 42,295 Trinidadians visited Barbados, but only 28 were refused entry. It also revealed that 29,781 citizens of St Vincent and the Grenadines visited Barbados, but only 41 were refused entry.
By comparison, 12,888 Jamaicans visited Barbados last year and 204 were refused entry; 163 of the 21,358 Guyanese who sought entry were refused.
The Jamaican Government joined the Shanique Myrie case last year as an intervenor and is seeking to prove that there has been a “persistent and relatively constant disparity” in the number of Jamaican nationals denied entry into Barbados when compared with nationals from other CARICOM countries.
Apart from the damages being sought by Myrie in the landmark case, the CCJ is being asked to interpret the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and provide a clear position on rights and privileges it provides for Caribbean nationals.
Among the rights the CCJ is being asked to adjudicate are freedom of movement, the right to hassle-free travel within CARICOM and non-discrimination on the basis of nationality as well as the obligations of member states in carrying out their functions to ensure respect for and protection of the human dignity of every individual.
Myrie has alleged that she was subjected to two painful and embarrassing cavity searches, and held in a dark, filthy cell for several hours before she was deported to Jamaica in March 2011.
The case will shift to Barbados on March 18 when lawyers for the government will begin presenting their witnesses.
Following this, they will travel to Trinidad and Tobago to make final submissions to the CCJ.
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Sun Media Corporation is the owner of several widely read Canadian tabloid newspapers. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. It is a subsidiary of Quebecor Media. Quebecor Media Inc is a Canadian media company It is a subsidiary of Quebecor Inc
At present, Sun Media is largely absent from the Vancouver, British Columbia newspaper market, aside from the minor 24 Hours paper (which is co-published with the Jim Pattison Group); establishing a Sun newspaper there has proven difficult due to the existence of both the broadsheet Vancouver Sun and the tabloid Vancouver Province, both of which are owned by CanWest Global. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal The Jim Pattison Group is Canada’s third largest privately held company and in a recent survey by the Financial Post, The Jim Pattison Group was ranked as Canada’s Broadsheet is the largest of the various Newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages (typically 22 inches or more The Vancouver Sun is a daily newspaper first published in the Canadian province of British Columbia on February 12, 1912 A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest The Province is a daily Newspaper published in British Columbia by the Pacific Newspaper Group Inc, a CanWest Global Communications Canwest Global Communications Corp () operating under the corporate brand Canwest, is one of Canada 's largest International media companies In the mid-1990s Sun Media attempted to establish itself in Vancouver by publishing a daily sports newspaper there, but the experiment was not a success.
The Calgary Sun is a daily Newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Edmonton Sun is a daily Newspaper published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Ottawa Sun is a daily Tabloid newspaper in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The Toronto Sun is an English language daily tabloid Newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Winnipeg Sun is a daily Tabloid -sized newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Le Journal de Montréal is a daily Tabloid Newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is the largest-circulation Le Journal de Québec is a French-language daily newspaper in Quebec City, Quebec ( Canada) Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal The Jim Pattison Group is Canada’s third largest privately held company and in a recent survey by the Financial Post, The Jim Pattison Group was ranked as Canada’s The London Free Press is a daily Newspaper based in London, Ontario, Canada. The Delhi News-Record is a newspaper owned by Sun Media that serves the Delhi area in Ontario, Canada Saugeen Shores is a town in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, formed in the 1990s as municipal restructuring merged the towns of Southampton, The Simcoe Reformer is a Newspaper circulating in Norfolk County Ontario and Haldimand County Ontario, both in Canada. The Beacon Herald is a daily newspaper published in Stratford Ontario, Canada The St Thomas Times-Journal is the city newspaper of St Thomas Ontario, Canada, owned by Bowes Publishers Limited Subsidiary of Sun Media Corporation CKXT-TV (known on air as SUN TV) is an independent broadcast Television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario
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Patent law shortcomings patently obviousPUBLISHED: 21 Oct 2011 00:14:00 | UPDATED: 21 Oct 2011 09:55:06PUBLISHED: 21 Oct 2011 PRINT EDITION: 21 Oct 2011
Samsung tablet sales have been halted in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands because of patents lodged by Apple. Illustration: Michele Mossop
The battle for supremacy in the multibillion-dollar gadget market started years before the latest smartphones and tablets went on sale, when the world’s biggest technology companies began filing thousands of patents to protect huge intellectual property investments.
For years these battles have largely been confined to the United States, where damages measured in hundreds of millions of dollars have been commonplace since the 1990s, but now they’ve gone global, hitting Australian courts with dramatic effect.
Korean gadget maker Samsung Electronics is an obvious victim, after being prevented from selling products in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands, after falling foul of patents lodged by key market rival Apple.
The two companies are also locked in legal battles in the US, Japan, South Korea and in European countries.
While the stakes are incredibly high for the companies involved, and have major implications for consumers, they also raise larger questions about patent law and its ability to deal with information technology disputes.
In the fast-paced tech world, where a shiny gadget can become an unused trinket within six months, concerns are rising that the courts cannot keep up. Months spent arguing in a courtroom about the validity of a product bring it closer to obsolescence.
The Australian Patent Office only started considering the IT sector in the 1980s under pressure from the industry.
“That led to great difficulties in terms of patent officers evaluating applications because they didn’t necessarily have patents on the register or strong expertise in those sectors,” says Australian National University associate law professor Matthew Rimmer. “That has created debates about the quality of patents being granted. Once something is examined and accepted by the patent office it becomes incredibly expensive to challenge.”
This perceived lack of local expertise has led to suggestions that patent officers have failed to adequately apply standards of novelty and invention. There are also concerns about the costs associated with pursuing patent infringement and validity litigation.
The patent dispute between Apple and Samsung has shown that interlocutory injunctions are more likely to be granted under Australian law when the product alleged to infringe has yet to be launched.
The court makes the assumption that the patent is valid unless there is strong evidence to show that it is not. In granting a temporary injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 earlier this month, Federal Court judge Annabelle Bennett ruled that there was “sufficient likelihood” Apple could prove infringement.
The problem this raises in the IT industry is that products cost billions of dollars to develop and have a relatively short shelf life – today’s latest and greatest gadget is often superseded and effectively obsolete a year later. In granting an injunction, the court has effectively killed the product in this market.
Innovation Minister Kim Carr’s Raising the Bar Bill, put before the Senate in June, seeks to reform Australia’s intellectual property system to encourage local investment in research and technology. A significant aspect of patent reform in the bill deals with raising the quality of granted patents by lifting the standard of proof examiners must apply under law when assessing if something is new and inventive.
“There is a perceived problem that it is too easy in Australia to get patents granted, and I think the bill addresses this quite nicely,” says Janelle Borham, principal of IP specialist law firm Griffith Hack. “In Australia, you can sometimes get patents granted for subject matter that you would find difficult to get through in the US and Europe.”
While the patent dispute between Apple and Samsung has highlighted difficulties faced by the legal industry in dealing with fast-moving technology issues, Mallesons Stephen Jaques partner John Swinson says it has also shown the tech industry that it needs to be better prepared. He praises Bennett for delivering a detailed judgement that ran to hundreds of paragraphs within two weeks of the final hearing. “The courts are saying as best they possibly can that they will work as fast as the parties,” Swinson says. “Samsung was aware of the patents and that they could have been sued.
“When we do work with the drug companies, they prepare court materials before a product launch if they think they might get sued. The fact is that Samsung wasn’t well prepared here.”
In the United States, technology patents first gained public attention back in the mid 1990s. One of the first high-profile cases was Stac Electronics versus Microsoft concerning compression technologies. A Californian jury originally awarded Stac $US120 million, but the matter went to appeal. The two parties eventually reached a settlement in which Microsoft made a $US39.9 million investment in Stac and paid another $US43 million in patent royalties.
“That gained people’s attention and showed that when you’re dealing with technology, patents are the most valuable weapon,” Swinson says.
While patent disputes are not new to the technology industry, there is an expectation among legal experts that the stoush between Apple and Samsung will escalate and draw in other big names. This is likely because the products at the centre of the mobile gadget wars – smartphones and tablets – pitch the formerly distinct mobile phone, consumer electronics and IT companies into direct competition.
All of the major players have huge patent arsenals at their disposal, and more than ever is at stake. Where previous battles were fought over a piece of hardware or software worth hundreds of dollars, the rivals in today’s gadget wars are seeking control over entire ecosystems that have far greater value because they reach far beyond technology products into everything from books and games to music and movies.
When Google announced it would pay $12.5 billion for Motorola Mobility back in August, its largest acquisition, management cited “anti-competitive patent attacks” from Apple and Microsoft as one reason behind the deal. It was stockpiling patents in readiness for a fight.
News of the Motorola deal came just weeks after the internet giant lost a bidding war for a stack of patents held by networking equipment maker Nortel. Google had opened the bidding at $US900 million but a consortium of technology companies, including Apple, Microsoft and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, eventually shelled out $US4.5 billion to walk away with the spoils. Google warned that its rivals would use the patents to make it expensive for phone makers to license its Android operating system. All three have competing systems and would stand to win a much bigger share of the market by weakening Android’s appeal.
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 injunction has dealt another blow to an already struggling retail sector, which has waited patiently for a serious iPad rival to emerge. Local telco consultancy Telsyte estimates that the sales ban will cost retailers about $30 million in lost sales during the second half of the year.
It has been reported that some consumers are buying the tablet overseas to get around the injunction imposed by the Federal Court, which Rimmer says raises the possibility of further legal actions alleging authorisation of patent infringement.
Although patent laws are vital to prevent companies getting a free ride, he says, the legal process must spare a thought for the humble consumer. “I’m concerned about the impact on consumer interests. They are not well represented in the disputes so far. I wouldn’t want Apple to monopolise the phone, tablet or music market. The intellectual property regime needs to ensure that there’s adequate space for competition and for consumer interests to be properly respected.”
with Alex Boxsell
The Australian Financial Review
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TRANSFORMED FROM TRUTH
In the May-June issue of Together: Worldwide Church of God News, WCG reported:
New name for WCG online education
We are pleased to make two announcements. Our online graduate program will now be known as Grace Communion Seminary; secondly, we are opening enrollment to WCG members who have bachelor degrees.
The name Grace Communion Seminary (GCS) has been adopted as an appropriate description of the theological content and level of our online graduate program. Ambassador College, a California Corporation, will now be doing business as Grace Communion Seminary…
“Assimilating New People” seminar…
Randy Bloom (a member of the CAD Ministry Development Team)… conducted this workshop for Abundant Grace Fellowship in Ft. Myers, FL…
The truth is that WCG is using the term “grace” a lot these days. However, notice what the NIV teaches about some who did that:
They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality (Jude 4, NIV).
And truly, that is what happened to WCG. Those there simply do not understand grace. WCG now teaches license to sin, but they like to use the term grace as a cover.
They really need to study what the Bible really teaches.
Several articles of related interest may include:
What Did Jesus Teach About the Ten Commandments? This article quotes what Jesus actually said about them (His words are in red).
Were the Ten Commandments Nailed to the Cross? Some have said so. This article provides some biblical quotes to answer this important question.
What Did Paul Actually Teach About the Ten Commandments? Many say Paul taught against the ten commandments. Is this true? This article quotes Paul with his words in green.
Are the Ten Commandment Still in Effect? This article quotes the ten commandments and combines some of the previous articles into one article about the ten commandments. The commandments are shown at Mount Sinai, before Mount Sinai, in the teachings of Jesus, after the crucifixion, and in the teachings of Paul. It addresses the most common “traditions of men” regarding them as well.
Were the Pharisees Condemned for Keeping the Law or Reasoning Around it? Many believe that the Pharisees were condemned for keeping the law, but what does your Bible say? If they were not condemned for that, what were they condemned for?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings.
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New Interactive Campus Maps
ASG and UA officials have created a new, more interactive version of a campus map, an official said.
The digital map can be found at campusmaps.uark.edu and is integrated with Google maps.
The goal of the new map is to help students and visitors who access information on mobile devices such as cell phones, tablets, etc. The new map will be “much more convenient and useful” for those using mobile devices, said Chris Nixon, director of digital design and development in the Office of University Relations,.
“We tried to make everything on campus searchable and shareable so finding buildings or specific locations will be as easy as possible,” Nixon said.
Features for the new map include bus routes and parking lots listed by color, a system that identifies the best walking routes between two locations on campus, lists of bicycle racks, motorcycle parking and computer labs, information about each building on the map and much more.
This map only starts the process of adding new features, design development officials said. Future features may include a Senior Walk look-up, real-time tracking of buses and handicap accessible routes.
Lauren Waldrip, outgoing vice president of ASG, thinks the new map will benefit students—especially students that are new to campus, she said.
“I think the new interactive campus map will benefit our students,” she said. “An application is something virtually all students can conveniently access in just seconds. University Relations has done an excellent job developing this tool that students will use on a day to day basis.”
Kate Ross, a freshman Spanish major, said the new interactive map is an excellent tool to have upon entering college at UA.
“When I came here last fall, I had an idea of where things were but it takes a while to get a full grasp of campus. With a map that you can access anywhere from your phone you’ll never get lost. And you won’t miss the bus anymore,” she said.
The web page for the new map may be found at campusmaps.uark.edu.
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While last month was Microsoft and Tech Ed, this month is Sun and JavaOne. While last month Microsoft didn't have much to say at TechEd, it seems that there is a little bit of developer news at JavaOne.
Of course, some of the key pieces of news at JavaOne were the release of JavaFX 1.2 and the first public preview of JavaFX TV. Also coming from Java in the future are a visual designer for creating JavaFX applications. This was previewed at JavaOne today. Also released was JavaSE 6 Update 14. The big new feature in SE seems to be the "G1" Garbage Collector. Of course support for Windows 7 and IE 8 are also added.
What is a keynote without a few statistics to toss around. Sun indicated that there are 6.5 million Java developers world-wide. The Java platform is on more than 800 million desktop computers. It is on over 7 billion internet-connected devices. It is on 90 percent of desktop and laptop computers. It is on 85% of mobile devices. It is in TVs. Java is out there.
One of the editors on my team is attending JavaOne in San Francisco. Glen Kunene was at the keynote and wrote some of his thoughts in his blog entry, Ellison Hints at Oracle's Java Priorities: JavaFX-based OpenOffice Apps and Mobile Devices. Glen stated that in the keynote, Larry Ellison of Oracle challenged Sun's OpenOffice and JavaFX groups to innovate. Ellison also wondered out loud why Sun/Oracle couldn't produce mobile devices based on the JavaFX platform.
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For those of you who are legal junkies, and you know who you are, the Patent Doc blog breaks down the major arguments presented by Myriad in its appeal of Judge Sweet's District Court decision to invalidate patents relating to BRCA 1&2 - ruling that isolated gene sequences was not patent eligible as it ran afoul of prohibitions on patenting "laws of nature".
Myriad makes a whole series of arguments attacking standing of plaintffs, jurisdictional decisions made by the District Court, as well as arguments on merit - including citations of the recent Bilski v. Kappos decision that came after the Myriad/University of Utah verdict.
What is not covered in this summary/analysis is the Government's [subsequent] decision to file an amicus brief that backs the notion that isolated DNA should not be patentable - in opposition to longstanding practice of the USPTO. The article notes the USPTO has issued 2,645 patents with claims to "isolated DNA." The Government's brief did back the Myriad position that manipulated DNA could be patentable.
There will be enough fun to go around for everyone on this one!
Posted by Bruce Lehr October 31st 2010.
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Panel dissects, analyzes Calif. propositions
To take a break from this season’s heavy focus on the presidential race, the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics hosted a panel discussion Tuesday evening to call attention to another side of the upcoming election: California’s ballot initiatives.
The panel discussion in the Taper Hall of Humanities focused on several of the eleven initiatives voters will see on the ballot next Tuesday, then opened up for student questions about any of the propositions.
Panelists at the event, titled ‚ÄúSchools, Taxes and Crime: Making Sense of California‚Äôs Ballot Initiatives,‚ÄĚ included campaign experts and students from USC‚Äôs political organizations. Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute, moderated the discussion.
The four panelists offered their perspectives on Proposition 30 and 38, two competing initiatives that propose different tax increases that would allocate money for the California K-12 public education system.
Rose Kapolczynski, a former campaign manager for Sen. Barbara Boxer, said she personally supports Prop. 30, Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax plan. His plan would raise taxes on the wealthiest Californians and increase the sales tax across the board.
Kaplczynski, however, predicts the measure is unlikely to pass.
‚ÄúIt‚Äôs always very hard to raise taxes on anyone,‚ÄĚ she said. ‚ÄúAnd when you have two competing tax initiatives, that obviously creates doubt for voters.‚ÄĚ
Fritz Pielstick, political director of the USC College Democrats, said his organization supports Prop. 30, but not Prop. 38.
‚ÄúRaising taxes on the wealthy, who are already doing well in this economy, makes it a fair ballot measure,‚ÄĚ he said. ‚Äú[Prop. 30‚Äôs] sales tax is also fair because there is a direct correlation between the taxes you pay and how much you consume ‚ÄĒ you have some autonomy over your own taxation.‚ÄĚ
Maddy Lansky, president of the USC College Republicans, said Republicans are often faced with the choice between supporting social services like public education and avoiding tax increases. Lansky said her party opposes Prop. 30 and Prop. 38 because there are other solutions to the education crisis that don’t involve raising taxes.
The conversation then turned to Proposition 32, which would prohibit deductions by corporations and unions of employees’ wages for political use.
Pielstick opposes the measure because it allows large corporations who don’t depend on payroll deductions for campaign contributions to continue wielding political influence, while impeding the influence of other special interest groups like teachers and firefighters.
‚ÄúRepublicans generally support this measure because it gives an unfair advantage to corporations, who tend to contribute to the Republican Party,‚ÄĚ he explained.
The panel then discussed Proposition 37, which would require food manufacturers to label their products if made from genetically engineered organisms.
Fiona Hutton, president of consulting firm Fiona Hutton & Associates, said support for Prop. 37, which was initially very high among California mothers, has waned since the campaign opposing the proposition has exploited two small problems in the initiative: the cost impact for consumers and bizarre exemptions to the rule.
Prop. 37, Hutton said, has also garnered significantly more attention from the electorate than other measures.
‚ÄúThere‚Äôs been a lot of chatter about 30 and 38 but [Proposition 37] is something different,‚ÄĚ explained Hutton. ‚ÄúThat‚Äôs why it has traction.‚ÄĚ
Hutton said that tax initiatives, such as Prop. 30, on the other hand, are often misunderstood, and voters aren’t alarmed by the repercussions that could arise if they don’t pass.
‚ÄúA ‚Äėyes‚Äô vote on an initiative requires inspiring passion in the electorate,‚ÄĚ said Hutton. ‚ÄúI just don‚Äôt think the governor has produced a visceral message on Proposition 30.‚ÄĚ
Pielstick said the reason for the enthusiasm gap is because voters can more easily visualize the repercussions of Prop. 37, which affects the everyday activity of purchasing food.
‚ÄúThe scope of people who can tangibly see the effects of 37 is much larger [than 30 and 38], even though the actual effect is much smaller,‚ÄĚ Pielstick said.
Lansky also noted that because Prop. 30 and Prop. 38 compete with one another, voters find themselves confused.
The panelists also addressed the issue of low voter turnout. Kapolczynski explained that voters often have two major questions that prevent them from casting their vote: ‚ÄúIs my vote meaningful?‚ÄĚ and ‚ÄúIs voting easy and does it fit into my life?‚ÄĚ
‚ÄúThe first stems from cynicism about government, and we can‚Äôt change that,‚ÄĚ Kapolczynski said. ‚ÄúBut we can address the second. We can make it easier for people to vote.‚ÄĚ
Kapolczynski supports switching entirely to voting by mail, which she said is extremely effective and saves money.
Gwen Holst, a freshman majoring in philosophy, politics and law and neuroscience, said the panel was useful because it addressed the messaging behind propositions.
‚ÄúTonight I learned more about the machine behind the passing and marketing of propositions than the actual subject matter of them,‚Ä̬† Holst said. ‚ÄúPromoters of the propositions need to spell out to people that schools will be shut down, not just that school districts need more money.‚ÄĚ
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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- With an estimated 300 hostages currently in the hands of Somali pirates, the first attack on a pirate land base by the European Union's anti-piracy force Tuesday was a delicate one: In all, several speedboats were destroyed as well as fuel and ammunition stores, alliance officials said.
No lives were lost in the attack on the base north of Haradheere, a major pirate stronghold, and no Somalis were injured, the EU said.
“We believe this action by the EU naval force will further increase the pressure on and disrupt pirates’ efforts to get out to sea to attack merchant shipping and dhows," said the commander of the naval force Somalia, Rear Adm. Duncan Potts.
"The local Somali people and fishermen, many of whom have suffered so much because of piracy in the region, can be reassured that our focus was on known pirate supplies and will remain so in the future,” he said.
Potts added that no European forces landed on Somali soil during the operation, which he said was approved by Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional federal government.
The attack marks a significant shift in anti-piracy operations and was designed to deny the pirates a haven on land, according to the naval force.
Somali pirates operating from the chaotic, lawless state have seized dozens of ships and hundreds of crew members in recent years, demanding multimillion-dollar ransoms to release vessels. They have attacked ships almost 2,000 miles from the shores of Somalia.
According to a report last year by the Colorado-based One Earth Future Foundation, Somali pirates attacked 237 ships in 2011 and hijacked 28. It estimated that Somali piracy cost $7 billion last year, including increased security, fuel and insurance, 80% of which was borne by the shipping industry.
The EU anti-piracy operation, established in 2008, involves about 1,500 military personnel, nine ships and five maritime patrol planes, policing an area seven times the size of France off the Horn of Africa. The area including the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean includes some of the world's most important shipping routes.
One of the force's main roles is to protect vessels carrying World Food Program humanitarian aid.
NATO and other countries also have ships patrolling the area.
The attack, carried out early Tuesday, involved helicopters and maritime aircraft, according to a statement by the naval force.
Bile Hussein, a pirate, said the attack blew up a key supply center, the Associated Press reported. He said nine speedboats were destroyed. Pirates often use speedboats launched from "mother ships" that may resemble fishing vessels to attack ships off Somalia.
"They destroyed our equipment to ashes," Hussein said. "It was a key supplies center for us. The fuel contributed to the flames and destruction. Nothing was spared."
The EU naval force announced in March that it would begin attacking pirates on land.
"The focused, precise and proportionate action was conducted from the air and all forces returned safely to EU warships on completion," a naval force statement said Tuesday. "Whilst assessment is ongoing, surveillance of the area during the action indicates that no Somalis were injured ashore as a result of EU action."
The latest hijacking by Somali pirates came last week, when a Greek-owned tanker, the Smyrni, was seized off the coast of Oman. The tanker was carrying a cargo of 135,000 tons of oil. It was the first successful hijacking of an oil tanker this year.
Somali pirates are currently holding 17 vessels.
Ships traveling in waters off Somalia often carry armed security guards, and use other deterrents to keep pirates from boarding, including razor wire.
-- Robyn Dixon
Photo: In 2010, a pirate keeps watch on the coastline near Hobyo in northeastern Somalia. A European naval force attacked supplies of Somali pirates on Tuesday. Credit: Mohamed Dahir / AFP/Getty Images
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WASHINGTON — Rick Perry won't even entertain the notion that Texas will ever again elect a Democrat in a statewide political contest.
“The biggest pipe dream I have ever heard,” he told the Wall Street Journal over the weekend.
Well, Democrats beg to differ. And they're launching a new group today determined to make Perry's “pipe dream” into every Republican's worst political nightmare.
The new Democratic organization, called Battleground Texas, is designed to make Texas a politically competitive state by reaching out to Texas women and mobilizing Latino, African American and other minority voters who make up a majority of the state's population but not its registered voters.
Battleground Texas is modeled on “voter engagement” projects that helped President Barack Obama carry swing states including Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Nevada and Colorado.
No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Texas since Jimmy Carter won a narrow victory in 1976. Republicans haven't lost a race for statewide office since 1994, and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney took Texas by a comfortable margin of 16 percentage points last year.
Despite that track record, Democrats are convinced that demographic changes and hard-right positions taken by prominent Texas Republicans can lead to a politically competitive state within six years. But their challenge is considerable: Among the 10 states with the largest percentage of Latino voters, only Texas and Arizona voted Republican in 2012.
“With its size and diversity, Texas ought to be a place where local races are hotly contested and anyone who wants to be president has to compete,” said Jeremy Bird, founding partner of 270 Strategies, a Democratic consulting firm based in Washington and Chicago. “We know part of the problem is too few Texans are participating in the democratic process.”
As senior adviser to the new organization, Bird said his goal is “bringing some of the best talent and strategies in politics to the Lone Star State to help expand the electorate by registering more voters and by mobilizing Texans who are already registered but haven't made their voices heard.”
Electoral participation by Latino voters in Texas has historically lagged the national average for Hispanic participation and runs far behind turnout for Anglo and African American voters.
The group also is hoping to implement the successful strategy of freshman Texas Democrat Pete Gallego of Alpine, who unseated Republican Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco of San Antonio by identifying voters considered less likely to vote and mobilizing them to turn out on Election Day.
Gallego's strategy resulted in major Democratic gains in rural areas with a growing Latino population and helped him overcome Canseco's edge in heavily Republican San Antonio precincts.
Battleground Texas plans to build the Democratic Party from the bottom up, registering voters even in heavily Republican areas and encouraging Democrats to field candidates across the state.
Top Republicans — other than Perry — have expressed concern that Democrats could make inroads in Texas. State GOP Chairman Steve Munisteri said recently that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could transform Texas into a “lean Republican” state rather than a solid GOP bastion if she chooses to seek the presidency in 2016.
“In not too many years, Texas could switch from being all Republican to all Democrat,” freshman Republican Sen. Ted Cruz warned recently.
That's why Battleground Texas — website: BattlegroundTexas.com — is using Cruz's quotation as its unofficial battle cry.
But Perry isn't buying the talk of a competitive Texas anytime in his life.
“The University of Texas will change its colors to maroon and white before Texas goes purple, much less blue,” Perry recently told the Journal.
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Jackson v. Virginia - 443 U.S. 307 (1979)
U.S. Supreme Court
Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307 (1979)
Jackson v. Virginia
Argued March 21, 1979
Decided June 28, 1979
443 U.S. 307
Petitioner was convicted of first-degree murder after a bench trial in a Virginia court, and his motion and petition in the state courts to set aside the conviction on the ground that there was insufficient evidence of premeditation, a necessary element of first-degree murder, were denied. He then brought a habeas corpus proceeding in Federal District Court, which, applying the "no evidence" criterion of Thompson v. Louisville, 362 U. S. 199, found the record devoid of evidence of premeditation and granted the writ. Applying the same criterion, the Court of Appeals reversed, holding that there was some evidence that petitioner had intended to kill the victim.
1. A federal habeas corpus court must consider not whether there was any evidence to support a state court conviction, but whether there was sufficient evidence to justify a rational trier of fact to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In re Winship, 397 U. S. 358. Pp. 443 U. S. 313-324.
(a) In re Winship presupposes, as an essential of the due process guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment, that no person shall be made to suffer the onus of a criminal conviction except upon sufficient proof -- defined as evidence necessary to convince a trier of fact beyond a reasonable doubt of the existence of every element of the offense. Pp. 443 U. S. 313-316.
(b) After In re Winship, the critical inquiry on review of the sufficiency of the evidence to support a criminal conviction must be not simply to determine whether the jury was properly instructed on reasonable doubt, but to determine whether the record evidence could reasonably support a finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The relevant question is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. The Thompson "no evidence" rule is simply inadequate to protect against misapplications of the constitutional standard of reasonable doubt. Pp. 443 U. S. 316-320.
(c) In a challenge to a state conviction brought under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, which requires a federal court to entertain a state prisoner's claim that he is being held in "custody in violation of the Constitution
or laws or treaties of the United States," the applicant is entitled to habeas corpus relief if it is found that, upon the evidence adduced at the trial, no rational trier of fact could have found proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Pp. 443 U. S. 320-324.
2. A review of the record in this case in the light most favorable to the prosecution shows that a rational factfinder could have found petitioner guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of first-degree murder under Virginia Law. Pp. 443 U. S. 324-326.
580 F.2d 1048, affirmed.
STEWART, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which BRENNAN, WHITE, MARSHALL, and BLACKMUN, JJ., joined. STEVENS, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which BURGER, C.J., and REHNQUIST, J., joined, post p 443 U. S. 326. POWELL, J., took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.
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Retail sales in Europe have been hit hard by the economic crisis, but as retailers struggle to navigate through the storm, they shouldn’t lose sight of the region’s longer-term shopping trends. Online sales have been growing there—rising 31 percent across France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom in 2007, according to the latest available aggregate data. Some signs indicate that Internet sales will continue to grow during the recession: last December, for example, UK online sales were up by 30 percent, compared with those of the previous year—even as sales in stores fell by 1.4 percent, British Retail Consortium figures show.
Our research, conducted last year before the crisis hit in earnest, suggests that to develop successful online strategies in Europe, retailers will need a deep understanding of factors such as levels of broadband penetration and the shopping attitudes that differentiate European retail markets. We queried 20,000 consumers in four large and culturally diverse ones—France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom—as well as in the United States, for reference purposes. The goal was to learn about the shopping patterns and experiences, online and offline, of different retailers and product categories.
Not surprising, we found that broadband penetration can drive online sales growth. The United Kingdom, for instance, is rapidly catching up with online sales levels in the United States as UK broadband access levels approach US ones (Exhibit 1). Likewise, in Germany broadband penetration rose from 9 percent in 2003 to 45 percent in 2007 while online sales, excluding services and travel, increased to €13 billion, from €6 billion. The relationship didn’t hold in all markets, however. France, for instance, matched Germany’s broadband penetration rates in 2007, but its online retail sales were no more than half as high. Other factors, such as the reliability of home delivery systems and the passage of laws that guarantee a shopper’s right to return goods, can also affect online sales growth. A retailer must evaluate the potential barriers and the likelihood of overcoming them when it decides whether entering a new market is likely to be worthwhile.
Broadband penetration can strongly drive online sales growth.
Such factors don’t reveal the whole picture, though. When we segmented our survey respondents, we found varying attitudes to online shopping within and among the four European markets. These differences suggest that retailers looking to move online or to raise their Internet sales must not only target the right segments but also take national variations into account before they develop a specific marketing mix.
Two segments with a natural affinity for online shopping emerged across most product categories. The truly multichannel “24-hour shoppers” love shopping and use the Internet to explore new ideas as well as to look for goods and services. “Time-pressed optimizers” find the Web a quick and hassle-free way to buy the things they need. But several segments, each with distinct characteristics, are averse to shopping online. “Store-loving loyalists,” for instance, enjoy the experience of shopping in stores with family and friends. “Anxious store shoppers” are particularly nervous about products and prefer to evaluate them in person. The consumer segments that have positive attitudes about online shopping are much larger in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States than they are in France (despite the country’s relatively high broadband penetration) and Italy. Large consumer segments in France and Italy are preoccupied with prices, brands, and service but have no strong preference for shopping on- or offline.
Retailers must determine which segments to pursue and then develop strategies that cater to the needs of those segments online. In the apparel industry, for example, we identified seven consumer segments (Exhibit 2). Retailers can benefit from the sizable German and UK segments—which have an affinity for online sales—providing rich, exciting Web content for the 24-hour fashion lovers and by improving processes and reliability for time-pressed optimizers (Exhibit 3). Nonetheless, it may be necessary to manage a trade-off between these two segments: the high-quality video offering that would excite the first may be an off-putting distraction for the second. In countries where segments with an affinity for online sales are smaller, retailers could invest in attracting certain consumer segments. In France, for example, retailers seeking to build an online presence would have to decide whether and how to address the needs of the “price-oriented bargain hunters”—that 24 percent of French shoppers who enjoy browsing in stores for the best bargains—by finding online ways to recreate a “rummage” experience.
Research revealed seven consumer segments in the apparel industry.
Retailers must tailor their marketing strategies to the segments prevalent in each national market.
This segmentation of European consumers will help retailers design effective marketing strategies with an appropriate mix of sales outlets and online channels for the target segments. It will be more necessary to tailor offers to each of them as more shoppers go online. With the recession making people ever more careful about how they spend their money, the pressure on retailers to market goods in smart and cost-efficient ways can only increase.
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The second quarter recipient of the Hands of Hope campaign is Young Families Early Head Start (YFEHS). YFEHS provides comprehensive childcare and child development and support services to 32 infants/toddlers, including those with disabilities, and their low-income parents. The parents of the infants/toddlers reside within Yellowstone County and are primarily teenagers completing their high school education, as well as parents obtaining post-secondary education/training in college or technical schools, and working parents.
Educational goals are the primary focus of YFEHS however, case management services are also provided to assist families in reaching other goals, which often include finding adequate housing, obtaining health and dental care, and addressing a limited means of transportation that often impacts many areas of their lives.
A waiting list of at least 30 infants/toddlers has been in place since YFEHS opened at their current location in October of 2007. The waiting list has been as high as 47.
The donation provided by Western Security Bank assisted in the construction and completion of 3 additional classrooms with the ability to provide services to an additional 16-24 infants/toddlers and their families.
In addition to the monetary donation, Western Security Bank employees volunteered their time to construct new cribs and rearrange furniture in preparation for the opening of the new classrooms.
If you would like additional information for Young Families Early Head Start, please contact Debbie Reichert, Executive Director at 406.259.2007.
|ADDRESS:||1020 Cook Avenue, Billings, MT. 59102
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Risk & Resiliency in the New Normal
Deloitte Insights Video
The pervasiveness of smart devices, social media, mobility, and the proliferation of data, are making agencies more vulnerable to privacy breaches, fraud, and espionage from Cyber criminals, hackers, nation states, and insiders. Today, it may not be a question of “if,” but rather “when” your network and/or data will be compromised. Creating a more secure environment is more challenging and rewarding. Federal agencies are taking steps to be more proactive in detecting and deterring threats, and be more resilient to the many faces of risk.
Tune in to learn more about Cybersecurity in the era of friends, allies, and invisible enemies.
Sean O’Grady: Hello and welcome to Insights. Every day, Federal agencies are the targets of millions of cyber attacks, whether they know it or not. Today we'll talk about how Federal agencies can be more proactive in detecting and deterring threats and more resilient to the many faces of risk. Joining this broadcast remotely from Washington, DC, are Linda Solomon and Amry Junaideen. Linda is a Principal with Deloitte Consulting and leads Deloitte's Homeland Security practice which has served the Department of Homeland Security since its inception in 2003. Amry is a Principal with Deloitte & Touche. He also leads the Federal Cybersecurity and Technology Risk practices. And here with me in the studio is Ryan Brewer. Ryan was the Chief Information Security Officer and Director for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and he's now a Senior Manager with Deloitte & Touche.
We're going to begin in DC with Amry. Amry, how has the cyber landscape changed and what kinds of threats do you feel agencies are facing today?
Amry Junaideen: The cyber landscape has changed a tremendous amount over the last several years. Number one, the pace and rate of technology adoption that Federal government agencies are going through right now is tremendous, whether you are talking about cloud computing, mobile computing, the adoption of social media as a tool that's being used in business – tremendous change there. Also, the complexity of government operating environments including the sophistication of a global supply chain – I think that's another one. And the third item really is around the adoption of cybersecurity as a mission imperative. So those would be the three primary changes in the landscape.
In terms of threats, I would put them into three categories. First is the threat from nation states. There are nation states out there every single day waiting to steal our secrets, whether it's secrets about an F-16 jet fighter or about some aspect of our critical infrastructure. Second is the threat from various criminal networks that exist all over the world, particularly in places like South America, Asia, Eastern Europe, engaging in activities such as committing fraud on identity theft and things of that nature. The third threat category is around insider threat, the growing threat that comes from trusted insiders abusing their privileges to steal information and data.
Sean: Thank you very much for that, Amry. I'm going to bring it up here to New York and Ryan, who's sitting beside me. So, you were the Chief Information Security Officer of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. What were some of the major challenges that your organization had to address to carry out your mission?
Ryan Brewer: One of the main tipping points started quickly after I took the position at CMS where we had a data call from the Department of Homeland Security. After about four days of working with the teams, it was clear we didn't have good grasp of how many data centers we had working on our behalf and the number of IT assets in those data centers. So the strategy that we developed was quite simple. The first thing we had to do was figure out what we actually have running on our networks in real time. We executed a plan over an 18-month period to map out the topologies of all of our infrastructures across approximately 100 data centers and then roll out an enterprise-wide vulnerability management program. That led us to know in real time how many assets we had on the network on a daily basis within all those data centers.
Sean:The cyber landscape is changing every single day, how can you plan to be proactive to fight cybersecurity issues?
Ryan Brewer:It’s very challenging and a lot of organizations struggle with it and we did at CMS. What you have to do is actually take the benefits of situational awareness and everything that you’ll gather from that and not only explain it in cybersecurity terms, but also translate it into business language.
You want to be able to present that to the executives in a way they can digest it and it will resonate with them. That's the way you're going to be able to drive that change. Another key factor with that is leveraging all that continuous monitoring data. What you want to do is leverage that across the other programs so you can actually cut costs across those other programs. That's where you'll get a good return of investment for it.
Sean: Thank you very much for that, Ryan. I'd like to turn our attention back down to Washington, DC, and to Linda. Linda, given the accelerating frequency and the intensity of cyber attacks, it seems like it's becoming more of a question of “if,” not “when,” a Federal agency might be affected by these kinds of attacks. What steps do you see agencies taking to be more ahead and more resilient?
Linda Solomon: Thanks, Sean, and first, let me just say up front that the concept of staying ahead in cyberspace has a very limited time span as I'm sure we can all imagine, and, just to size the issue that our Federal government faces, the Department of Homeland Security reported in 2010 alone, the Federal government, all of its networks, experienced more than 450,000 cyber attacks on average each month. That's 15,000 attacks a day. So the issue is enormous, and the Federal government certainly is intensifying its efforts in the whole cybersecurity space. DHS is playing a key role in driving this focus specifically on the civilian side of the government, and as you might imagine, as is the case with physical security, the whole concept of a multi-layered security approach is critical to addressing cyber attacks and putting the right type of security in place.
I think there are three areas that the Federal government continues to focus on. One, protecting against attacks that occur every day, the 15,000 attacks I just talked about. The Federal government continues to expand the EINSTEIN program which is the early warning program that basically identifies unusual network traffic and patterns that allows security officials to identify and respond to potential threats. Two, the Federal government is focused on and must continue to focus on identifying vulnerabilities, weaknesses in the system.
You know, today, the Federal government, for the most part, has been faced with fighting this issue on an agency by agency basis. The Federal government must come together in more of a collaborative fashion, look at the entire picture in terms of threats, best practices that are being employed, and develop a comprehensive strategy towards attacking cyber [threats].
And then also, in terms of addressing vulnerabilities, really working with the private sector to make sure that the supply chain, a defense strategy is in place. And finally, we’ve got to anticipate future threats. The Federal government has get better at doing that; they have lots of data to use, to perform analytics on, and that is going to help in terms of moving the needle, in terms of identifying what threats are likely to occur in the future.
Sean: Wow, Linda, 15,000 a day. That's clearly a very staggering number. I'm just interested to know if throwing more technology at it is the only solution or are there other solutions to fending off these cyber attacks?
Linda Solomon: The simple answer, Sean, is no, technology is not enough and, like most efforts, beyond technology, people and culture play key roles. I bet if you were to ask any Federal agency today what their top challenge is in terms of addressing this cyber security issue, they're going to talk about the acquisition and development of skilled cybersecurity resources. It's a big problem. Federal agencies are working with universities and colleges to really help shape programs to ensure that the right people are getting developed and skilled in the whole cyber area.
Beyond the people challenge, I think there is also an important kind of cultural challenge from the standpoint of everyone plays a role, every employee in the federal government, every employee on the private sector side, every citizen in this country has to become more aware, has to take responsibility. We’ve got to take this topic seriously.
Sean: Linda, thank you very much for that. I'd like to return to Amry Junaideen who's there with you in the Washington bureau. Amry, how do agencies keep cost reduction from undermining the cyber progress to date and cyber initiatives going forward? How do those costs and keeping those costs under control not negatively influence the mission?
Amry Junaideen: I think it's a business reality that everybody is going to have some impact from a cost reduction perspective. It's a reality of a situation we're facing from a macroeconomic and a budgetary perspective, and even an important issue like cyber is probably not going to be immune from facing budget cuts and facing the threat of reduction of resources. So, what does this mean? This means that we've got to do more with less. If you take a page from the book of the private sector when we went through the great recession a few years ago, many private sector organizations, including those in the critical infrastructure area, had to basically do all kinds of creative things using technologies and all kinds of other techniques to do more with less, because that's the business reality.
So let's talk about two or three specifics. One is you're going to make sure that cybersecurity is tied to your mission and your mission objectives. If you basically regard security as a compliance check, I think, you lose the battle. So by [aligning to the mission], you basically protect some of the funding and keep it on the front lines of somebody's attention span.
The second thing is using all of the technological advances available to us from the variety of vendors that are out there to make sure we've got the latest in technologies that can actually help us monitor cyber risks and cyber threats and help us actually do this better. And the third element that I would focus on is to make sure that we're focusing on risks that have the highest impact to the mission.
The bottom line is if everything is the focus, nothing is. So having the process in place to make sure you understand what your specific risks are that undermine your mission and your objectives, I think those are some ways that you can make sure that your cyber environment is protected, is safe, and you're able to do it with less resource. Because let's remember, any effective operating environment needs to have good cybersecurity. That way you gain the trust and confidence of your stakeholders.
Sean: If everything is the focus, nothing is. Very interesting. I'd like to ask one last question. It's for all three of you but I'd like to bring it here to New York with Ryan first, and that is we've been talking about cyber and cybersecurity as it pertains to the Federal agencies, the US government, but really this appears to be an issue that is growing and not isolated to just the US government. This is something that is global, so looking into that crystal ball, how do we continue to fight against this in 2020?
Ryan Brewer: It's a good question. I mean, if you're going to learn from anything in history, let's look back 10 years. We were faced with operating system and application level vulnerabilities. Well, guess what? We're still faced with those today. We still struggle with them, and the malicious actors are still going to take that low-hanging fruit if they have a chance to. It's a simple business decision. Another key point is something that Amry alluded to earlier. If you don’t have a good understanding in real time of what your risks are within your organization, it's going to be really challenging and for you to recover from that, from any type of cyber event. Cyber events are global, so being able to recover from that is something you have to work on by knowing where your risks are in real time.
Sean: Amry Junaideen, back to you down in Washington, DC. How do you see cybersecurity in the next ten years?
Amry Junaideen: Ten years is almost a lifetime in this rapidly advancing technological world we live in, but if I can take my crystal ball out and think about that for a moment, number one, I think we need to have more adaptive risk management systems that try to keep up with the adversaries and our enemies out there. Right now, the issue is that we're always playing catch up. I think Linda alluded to this earlier. So in ten years, the first thing I would like to see is a more adaptive risk management environment where we are keeping up and perhaps even getting ahead of the threat environment.
Number two, Linda also talked about culture change. That's really important. Global culture change as it relates to cybersecurity, global cooperation among nations working together and helping solve this cybersecurity problem. Let's not forget that real trusted partnership between the private and public sector. And the third item, last but not least, is how about some artificial intelligence, self-learning, adaptive technology that identifies threats out there and figures out how to fix the problem with little to no human interaction. That'll be pretty nice.
Sean: And, Linda, your final thoughts?
Linda Solomon: Well certainly, Sean, my colleagues have hit on the critical topics and I certainly agree with their comments. I'm going to come at this from a slightly different perspective. I believe that from a management [perspective], driving towards results in terms of all the things that you know, the Federal government and private sector need to do in this arena of protecting our information and data networks, we've got to take on the approach of what gets measured gets done. I think that one of the critical elements of the go-forward plan as we march towards 2020 is going to be a uniform performance management system that we use as a nation to measure what we're accomplishing and understand where we're failing, where we need to take a different turn. That's got to be a focus of this effort. So I think you've heard the technical answer from my colleagues. I think it's also important to put the right performance measurements in place so that we can make sure that we are headed on the right path in solving this issue each and every day.
Sean: Well thanks for that, Linda, and thanks to all the guests for today's program. We've been talking risk and resiliency in the new cyber normal with Linda Solomon and Amry Junaideen in Washington, and Ryan Brewer here in New York. If you'd like to learn more about Linda, Amry, Ryan, or any of the topics discussed on today's broadcast, you can find that information on our website. It is www.deloitte.com/insights/us. For all the good folks here at Insights, I am Sean O’Grady, we will see you next time.
Join the Conversation
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Across the pond, a metastasizing financial scandal has now claimed the careers of two of London’s highest-ranking bankers: Marcus Agius, chairman of Barclays, and Robert Diamond, the bank’s CEO. Agius resigned Monday morning, a week after Barclays admitted to illegal interest-rate manipulation and agreed to pay $450 million in penalties. Diamond followed suit this morning.
For all the buzz, it may be hard to see why the Barclays imbroglio matters in the U.S.—and what exactly the bank did to earn record-breaking fines and two top-level departures. But despite all the financial jargon, the scam is far less technical than it sounds, and a version of it is taking place right here at home, for some of the same reasons.
Why? From British indexes to American school districts, banks have more power than ever to twist interest rates in their favor. Throw in traders’ desire to hit good personal numbers by the end of the year—bonus season—and you have all the makings of a multinational scam.
“That culture can breed these kinds of behaviors,” said Bob Barbato, a professor of business ethics at the Saunders College of Business in Rochester, N.Y. “When you dangle incentives in front of people, they find a way to get them. They’re like the squirrels in my backyard: they’ll find any way to get the food. Their IQ goes way up.”
Barclays’ sins centered on a type of international interest rate that most non-day-trading Americans haven’t ever heard of. It’s called LIBOR, the London Interbank Offered Rate, and it’s an average of how much English banks charge to lend money to one another. Though it may sound like a Turkish dessert, these little London numbers have enormous global power. LIBOR is used to set prices on over $350 trillion in securities worldwide—and 90% of all American commercial and mortgage loans are tied to its value. (The city of Baltimore alone has $300 million in LIBOR contracts.) So nudging those numbers just a fraction of a percent could make you billions—and seriously rip off the rest of us.
At the same time, scores of American banks now stand accused of manipulating rates here at home by meddling with municipal-bond auctions. The twin scandals depend on the same factors—insider information and bonus-based incentives—and both teach the same sober lesson: messing with your loan payments is one of the easiest rackets around.
Let’s start in London. You might think that manipulating LIBOR, one of the most important numbers in finance, would be difficult. It’s not. All you need to do is give a barely wrong answer to one question, once a day. Every evening, Thomson Reuters asks a handful of major banks how much they think it would cost their traders to borrow from another bank. They cut out the highest and lowest answers, average the rest, and voilà: LIBOR.
Most major banks have special treasury departments that are in charge of answering that one simple question. But over the last few years, the banks have had two enticing reasons to give lowball answers. The first is self-defense: During the credit crunch, no bank wanted to say how much others were charging them to borrow, which would have revealed baseline risk and rendered them vulnerable to speculative attacks.
“When you dangle incentives in front of people, they find a way to get them. They’re like the squirrels in my backyard: they’ll find any way to get the food.”
The second reason is even simpler: profit. Say you’re a trader at a big bank, and you just sold $100 million in a LIBOR-indexed security to a major American city like Baltimore. The lower LIBOR is, the less you have to pay out in interest. Remember, your year-end bonus is pegged to how much you make for your desk. And you’ll make more for your desk by paying Baltimore a lower rate—a rate which depends on LIBOR.
Now let’s say you work a floor below your bank’s treasury department. Why not walk upstairs and tell your buddy there that you’ve looked at the market and you’re sure you can get low interbank borrowing rates?
Daylian Cain, who teaches behavioral business ethics at the Yale School of Management, says that a scandal like this may not even require conscious corruption—just year-end incentives plus sloppy reporting.
“At the time, they kind of believe their own numbers,” Cain said. “You often won’t register that you’re doing something wrong.” And of course, there’s always fear of missing out. “One of the most perilous thoughts a trader can have is, ‘If I don’t do this, someone else will.’”
It’s well-known that Wall Street’s bonus culture is both cutthroat and zero-sum. A bonus can comprise up to 70 percent of a trader’s compensation, and the competition—stoked by blog posts and barroom talk—is fierce.
“We need to get people to second-guess themselves,” Cain said, “and realize that business is not just a game. It might be a game for them, but it’s my life savings they’re playing with.”
If banks all submit low numbers, as Baltimore alleges they have, they will depress LIBOR, pay less in borrowing fees, make more money for traders, and send them home with fat bonuses. Who loses? Only those with money in a LIBOR-based security: a pension fund, a corporate bond, an interest-rate swap, a home loan. That is to say, almost everybody.
Here in the U.S., we don’t have LIBOR: our banks’ interbank borrowing rate is set by the Federal Reserve. But we still have a lot of financial self-dealing and rate-fixing in the American municipal-bond market, where towns and cities go to borrow money to build schools, hospitals, and bridges. Here the scandal is more local. As Matt Taibbi has reported, for years bankers have been using Barclaysian tactics to cheat local jurisdictions out of billions. Again, the scam depends on inside information and fudging self-reported numbers.
Here’s how it works: When a town wants to borrow money, it usually has an auction to find a lender. Big banks compete to undercut one another with competitive lending rates, and the lowest bidder wins. In a fair contest, the banks keep bidding until the town gets a fair rate. But like a Barclays trader walking upstairs, these banks walk across the street to the other bidding banks, and whisper what numbers they plan to offer. Effectively they say, “We’ll offer 5%, you offer a point higher; next time, we’ll trade places.” By divvying up different loans, the banks can extort artificially high rates.
Most schoolboard officials and city councilmen never knew they were being cheated. It’s a scandal that has already resulted in 15 convictions and $700 million in fines, with cases pending against UBS, Bank of America, Chase, and Wells Fargo.
Again, the individual traders—sometimes thousands of miles away from the towns they buy from—have a huge incentive to share inside information. It can turn a low-paying debt security into a lucrative one, and nudge your desk’s numbers from a sad Christmas to a healthy bonus. And if a trader thinks that “everybody’s doing it,” as Cain put it, “he doesn’t see that he’s putting anyone’s reputation at risk. He doesn’t see his own bias.”
In classical economics, there’s no more common culprit for market failure than information asymmetry. That is, when the guy on one side of a trade knows way more about it than the guy on the other side. In both scandals, all the information pooled in one place: the banks themselves. When Reuters collected LIBOR numbers, it had to trust that Barclays and the other banks were giving good-faith answers. When American towns auctioned off their debt, they had to figure the bidding would be blind. But when the same people who set the rates are the ones that stand to make the most off them, it’s not hard to see why subtle fixing is so alluring.
To top it all off, there’s the element of moral hazard: Those responsible for the LIBOR and municipal bond scandals—a small subsection of shark traders—made short-term gains on their trades which resulted in healthy year-end bonuses. But now, after year’s end, the rest of the bank bears the delayed cost. And by now, those responsible for the wrongdoing may be long gone.
“Many of the individuals concerned in the trader conduct, in particular, are in fact no longer with the bank,” Barclays said in its regulatory statement today. “For certain individuals that remain, we took action to withhold bonus payments pending the outcome of the investigation.”
The fallout goes well beyond the fines. When Barclays announced the fines last Thursday, its shares dropped 17 percent, wiping out almost $5.8 billion in value. (Paradoxically, Barclays’ $450 million settlement with the regulators might be a longer-term victory for the bank, as other major firms—HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup—are being investigated for the same basic crime. Barclays wants to be the first fined, and the first forgotten.)
In the end, the conflicts of interest are the same in London as in Poughkeepsie—and so are the public losses. Bonus boosterism and self-dealing run through both rate fixing scandals. And barring a change in the payout culture, no fine is likely to curb them.
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In response to the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) announcement two weeks ago that it will conduct field tests of prototype White Spaces devices, including tests at a sports and an entertainment venue, several large-scale productions and events have offered their locations for these tests.
In a letter dated July 8, 2008, Louis Libin, president of Broad-Comm, Inc. and chairman of POLCOMM2008, which coordinates the wireless microphone frequencies during the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, wrote: “We believe these conventions would provide a perfect opportunity to conduct further testing regarding the efficacy of these devices. It would provide a real experiment during an event that employs hundreds of wireless microphones and frequencies.”
Daryl Friedman, vice president, Advocacy & Government Relations for The Recording Academy (NARAS), wrote a letter dated July 17, 2008, stating: “We firmly believe that the Commission should move with extreme caution before approving any new portable device operations in the TV Band. We would be happy to help coordinate an FCC visit to the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago on August 1, 2008.”
Most recently, Don Lepore, producer of NBC’s hit television show Nashville Star, today expressed his concern regarding new devices in the White Spaces and invited the OET to come to Nashville, writing: “To put it in its simplest form, the perception that there is significant fallow ‘white spaces’ in cities like Nashville is just wrong. Nashville Star wants to extend its expertise and facilities to the Commission as it sets forth to execute the Commission’s testing plans at an entertainment venue.”
The FCC recently began field-testing, which is open to the public and will take place over a four-week period with specific dates, times, and locations being updated regularly at the FCC website.
“We’re pleased to see this response from the Recording Academy, POLCOMM, and the producers of Nashville Star, and we hope that the Commission will consider taking them up on their offers,” says Mark Brunner, Shure senior director of Public and Industry Relations. “There simply is no substitute for these types of ’real world’ scenarios for the OET to conduct its field tests in order to determine what will be required to protect wireless microphones used in high-profile applications.”
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by a coalition of students concerned about the siege on Gaza
Stanford students, faculty and alumni will gather at White Plaza Friday, November 16 at noon to sit in solidarity with the residents of Gaza currently under siege by Israeli military forces. They will protest the Israeli assault and economic chokehold on Gaza, and will rally students to demand that the University divest from companies implicated in the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine.
A coalition of concerned students have been meeting since Wednesday, when Israel first commenced the “Pillar of Defense” – a naval, air and artillery offensive on the besieged territory of Gaza. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated civilian regions in the world.
The coalition has planned a sit-in that will symbolize the Israeli blockade and siege of Gaza. Allied faculty have confirmed their attendance in support.
Given the death of many Palestinian civilians and our complicity in this violence as Stanford students, we have a responsibility to do something about it.
Since November 8 – when Israel first began violent aggression against Gaza, killing six civilians, including three children – at least 23 more Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli attacks, including another six children. Israeli strikes have injured over 300 Palestinians in this time. The IDF has attacked over 500 targets in Gaza since the formal Israeli offensive began.
The blockade of Gaza – created by crippling sanctions from Israel and Egypt – limits Palestinian access to the outside world, including access to food and medicine. Such conditions constitute what can only be described as an open air prison. Continue reading
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By Jim Schutze
By Rachel Watts
By Lauren Drewes Daniels
By Anna Merlan
By Lee Escobedo
By Eric Nicholson
Take Chris Bryant. I met Bryant while he was lurking on the College Confidential site, sharing war stories with fellow students. His has more bullet holes than most. He graduated from Klein Forest High School in Houston two years ago. Despite scoring 1510 on his SAT and graduating in the top 2 percent of his class (at a 5A high school) as an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction, he was rejected by every school to which he applied. Except for Texas Tech.
Fast-forward two years later, when he applies to transfer to several schools. He says nothing has changed about his numbers, but this time he was accepted to Rice and three Ivy League schools and wait-listed at Harvard. "Which is interesting," Bryant says, "because supposedly transfer admissions are tougher than regular admissions."
Bryant is now deciding whether to attend Dartmouth College or the University of Pennsylvania this fall, though he still hasn't counted out being admitted to Harvard. He has no idea why he was rejected the first go-around or accepted this time.
People prey on this confusion. There are books, Web sites and highly paid consultants that all promise they know the secret to "getting in." It's a cottage industry that has sprouted several other cottage industries. But none of them has the golden ticket that guarantees admission. Except for the well-heeled sons and daughters of rich alumni who donate buildings, no one does.
"I think that's one of those things that escapes parents," says Jon Mamula, who's been a counselor at Highland Park High School for six years. "They think, 'We've got to get up in that ranking. We've got to...whatever.' I truly believe the system works in that they're looking for a good fit for their class, and they're looking for diversity. So schools will take people who, for whatever reason, stand out. It could be their essay. It could be that they've done thousands of hours or hundreds of hours of community service for a good cause. It could be because they have leadership in the school, or it could be class rank, GPA and/or test scores."
This leads to kids chasing their collective tails: Prospective students don't know which colleges will be the right fit for them, so they apply to a few more schools. Flooded with more applications, the schools' decisions to admit or deny become all the more arbitrary. Leading the next graduating class to apply to even more schools. And so on.
"Here's an example," says Marsha Meyers, a consultant at Cohen's College Connection. "Last year, Washington University had, oh, I think 26,000 or 28,000 applications for 1,200 spots. OK? So that kind of says it."
"Just because people were really paranoid," Mathai says. "And for good reason. So I went ahead and applied to tons of places. But I probably should have narrowed down that list a little bit." She laughs.
"I just felt like I was doing something that I had to do and that everyone was telling me that I had to do," she says. "And I was applying to schools that people were telling me I should apply to. In terms of where I wanted to go, I was pretty much happy if I got in anywhere, and I would figure out what I wanted from there on. There was no school that I really, really, really wanted to go to. Which is, I guess, why my list was so freakishly long."
Mathai ended up being accepted at Rice, which is where she'll be in the fall. She's happy with the end result, happier still that it's all over, that the decision has finally been made. But Mathai wasn't as stressed about getting into a good school as some of her friends and family. She knew she'd be fine.
OK, scratch that: She knew she'd be fine after her SAT score came back. Not so much when she took her first pass at the PSAT in her sophomore year. She did well, scoring a 185--the average score, according to the College Board, is around 147--but it put her "in a scared mode, a panicky kind of feeling." (The PSAT compiles three separate numbers--verbal, math and writing, scored on a 20-to-80 scale--into an overall total.)
"There are people that do test preparation that think it is a game," says David Dillard, who's run the business for 12 years with his wife, Karen. "Approach it as all you have to do is know the tricks, and it's a demeaning test, so just learn the tricks and go do it. If it were that simple, all you would need is a list of the tricks and a little bit of time to work on it. Life is not that simple."
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Paradox writes "Java developer Justin Gehtland recently tried re-implementing one of his web applications in Ruby on Rails instead of his normal Java Spring/Hibernate setup. His analysis of overall performance and application size was startling, to say the least. The Java app's configuration alone was nearly the size of the entire Rails codebase, and Rails application was significantly (15%-30%) faster! At the same time, the Ruby community is abuzz because Ruby is getting a new optimized bytecode compiler for its upcoming 2.0 release. Will Ruby on Rails become even faster as a result?"
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Intel's chief chipman: '22nm better than expected, 14nm on track'
'After 14nm? My lips are sealed'
IDF 2012 The low-voltage performance of Intel's 22-nanometer chip-baking process turned out better that the company had predicted, and the development of next year's 14-nanometer process technology is proceeding swimmingly, thankyouverymuch.
So said Chipzilla's head of process technology, Mark Bohr, speaking at a tech session during the company's Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco on Wednesday.
And he should know. Bohr is a senior fellow in Intel's Technology and Manufacturing Group, and the director of the company's process architecture and integration efforts. In simple terms, he creates the stuff that chips are made of.
He was also the unfortunate star of Mark Bohr Gets Small , an Intel-created video that attempts to explain the tri-gate transistor technology that debuted in Intel's 22nm "Sandy Bridge" chips. That technology, Bohr told his IDF audience, "looks like it's going to be extendable to a couple more generations, as well."
It also turned out better than expected. Armed with an array of charts and graphs, Bohr explained how the tri-gate transistors' current leakage and sub-threshold slope – essentially the voltage rise before a transistor turns on – were more efficient than Intel had predicted they would be.
"What we're running in production is better than what we announced in May of last year," he said. That's A Good Thing™ — both contribute to a processor's low-voltage performance by allowing transistors (all else being equal) to perform better and use less power.
Bohr also discussed the progress of Intel's next process shrink. "The 14-nanometer technology is in its full development phase," he said, "and it's on track for production readiness around the end of next year."
Not that the shrink is going to be an easy one. The transistor pitch – essentially the distance between two transistors – in the 22nm tri-gate technology is 80nm, which is the smallest pitch that can be produced using single-pattern lithography, Bohr says.
"The next generation, 14," he said, "we're going to have to convert to double patterning to get tighter pitches." Double patterning – as might be obvious – requires an extra step in the lithography process. An extra step – equally obvious – adds extra cost.
But that won't make 14nm chips more expensive, Bohr assures us. "Although wafer cost is going up, it's still being offset by the improved density," he said. "At least for Intel, our cost per transistor continues to go down with each generation on a very steady trend, from 32 nanometers to 22 nanometers to 14 nanometers."
Cost is not the only challenge in moving down to 14nm, Bohr said. For one thing, there's the problem of creating the interconnects in a chip so dense with transistors. "Well, you've got skinnier wires," he said, "and can you get copper stuffed into that shallow trench with good reliability, good performance? We have that challenge."
But the interconnect challenge is still on track, he insists. "We're doing it," he said. "I'm confident. I know that we can do this on 14."
But what about beyond 14nm? Well, Intel's research group is exploring a host of technologies to take Moore's Law down to 10, seven, and even five nanometers. On one of his presentation slides, Bohr listed some of the technologies under study, including III-V and 3D transistors, graphene, extreme ultraviolet lithography, dense memory, materials synthesis, thinner interconnects, photonics, and nanowires.
When asked why carbon nanotubes weren't included that laundry list, since they had been on a similar slide last year, Bohr said, "We like to put the latest fads on that slide, so graphene's on that slide – that's the latest fad."
He also made it clear that a list was all he was prepared to provide. "I always get questions of 'Which ones are the promising ones?', and you can't pay me enough money to answer that question." ®
During his presentation, Bohr displayed a slide (right) that showed the similar slopes of defect-density improvements of 32nm and 22nm manufacturing processes, but which omitted any specific – and possibly incriminating – numbers on the defect-density y-axis. When asked if his omission of the numbers was intentional, he responded in mock shock: "Was it a mistake that I left the numbers out? Yes! Oh my goodness, how could I have done that? But, gee, time is up, so ... "
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Congratulations to the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County and ecomaine for winning the 2009 ASME Facility Recognition Awards for large and small facilities, respectively. ASME selects winners based on environmental performance, innovative and technical contributions to solid waste processing, health and safety records, and facility economics. The awards were accepted today during an awards luncheon at the 17th Annual North American Waste-to-Energy Conference in Chantilly, VA. Ecomaine and the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County are both associate members of the Energy Recovery Council and exemplify the outstanding performance and achievement in the waste-to-energy sector.
The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County owns the North County Resouce Recovery Facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. The facility combusts 1,800 tons of trash per day and has an electric generating capacity of 62 megawatts. The facility was opened in 1989.
ecomaine is municipally owned and operated by 21 communities in southern Maine. It's waste-to-energy facility, constructed in 1988, is located in Portland, Maine and processes 550 tons of trash per day and has an electric generating capacity of 15 megawatts.
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According to recent polling, only 17% of Americans stand on the principle of the Rule of Law.
We can say this, because only 17% of Americans understand that however exercised they may feel about the AIG Bonuses, the money does indeed belong to those who earned it; their right to it has been guaranteed by contract, a contract that was agreed to prior to the insolvancy of the Financial Products division; this contract was upheld by Congress when it took it upon itself to bail the division out rather than let it enter Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.
The Rule of Law is not the same as rule by legislation, nor by legislators. The Rule of Law is a principle that stands above the particular laws written in a country, and it opposes the rule of men, in which the law is made to be a respecter of persons. The Rule of Law requires that the rules, known to all beforehand, must be applied equally to all; justice is blind to the status of the person being judged.
On the other hand, the rule of men implies abitrary application of laws and regulations that can be applied differently in response to the circumstances and/or the status of the person being judged. Thus, it is impossible to know beforehand what the rules are and how they will be applied. In a land with arbitrary government, officials, judges and politicians use their position to apply the law in such a way as to favor those they like and destroy those that they do not like. This is what is happening as the Attorneys General of Connecticut and New York mount the bully pulpit against those AIG executives who have decided to keep their contractually agreed upon bonuses rather than returning the money to government. The AGs are doing so in order to make political hay by inciting mob anger against the executives in order to draw attention away from their own venal ambitions. The AGs are using fear and intimidation in the court of public opinion rather than applying the law in a court of law. They intend to "name and shame" people who keep the money.
And in the course of countless interviews during which these men, who are sworn to uphold the law, are feted and congratulated for "sticking it to the rich", not one journalist has asked the AGs what law these bonus keepers have broken.
That is why it is so good to see one man finally ask the question, and to observe Connecticut AG Blumethal's deer-in-the-headlights response:
GLENN: Now, the one thing I was going through the interviews with you and nobody's asked this question and I'm just dying to know and I know you'll have the answer. What law did the AIG executives break when they took those bonuses that were mandated by a legal contract?
BLUMENTHAL: The AIG executives did not themselves break a contract.
GLENN: So then why were you going after them?
BLUMENTHAL: Well, we're not going after them.
GLENN: You were.
BLUMENTHAL: Going after the bonuses.
GLENN: It's their bonuses.
BLUMENTHAL: We were going after the . . .
GLENN: No, their bonuses.
GLENN: They are their bonuses. They earned that money. What right, what law did they break that gave you the ability in Connecticut to go after those bonuses?
BLUMENTHAL: Well, let's take it one step at a time. The money they received came from us, the taxpayers.
GLENN: Oh, I know how this works. I'm asking you, sir. You're the attorney general. I'm asking you for the law that they broke that gave you the ability. Are you not the defender of the law in Connecticut?
BLUMENTHAL: The law that they broke
BLUMENTHAL: is the law that requires that they serve the public interests, that bonuses that they
GLENN: What law is that? Wait, wait, what law is that, sir? You're the chief law enforcement officer. What law say that again? I don't recognize that law. It sounds like a good policy. It sounds like a good rule of thumb but I'm not sure I recognize that law. Could you give that to me again?
BLUMENTHAL: Well, you know, again these funds belong to us, the taxpayer.
GLENN: No, no, sir, look, you know what you've done? You know what you've done? You have you are an insult to George Washington, sir. George Washington made it very clear that we are a respecter of laws, not of men. For your own political gain you have decided to go after these people at AIG because it is a popular thing. And while I may agree with you that it is obscene, I would like to know, sir, not what's right as a rule of thumb, not what makes us feel good. You, sir, are to protect people and to stand for the law in Connecticut. So again I ask you, sir, what law gave you the right to go after them, what law did they break? . . .
--Fox News (March 30, 2009). Transcript of the The Glenn Beck Show. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/23425/.
This man, like many of our public officials at all level, does not apply principles to his job.
Rather he is influenced by the direction of the winds of public opinion; twisting this way and that, doing what is politically expedient.
A similar pragmatic approach can be seen in most of the discourse of our day; the question is never: "by what right?" "by what law?" "by what truth?"; rather people ask: "by what opinion?" "by what popular majority?" "by what spin?"
If as Hayek said, nothing differentiates between liberty and tyranny so much as does the Rule of Law, then we are in the sad state of watching our liberty slip away at the hands of men such as Blumenthal, who encourages mob rule ("It's outrageous!") in order to further his own political ambitions.
By what right, Mr. Blumenthal? Show us the law!
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Saucymayo – What do you have against mayonnaise? The Great White Hope
Apparently, in the previous post I gave the impression that Saucyman had some sort of anti-mayo basis. Two things: Yes, I do not like mayonnaise and my writing has improved to a point that I can convey an opinion without directly expressing it.
I could tell you that it is an emulsion; liquid and fat locked together in an unnatural state that is either an offense against our maker or proof positive the expression ‘like oil and water’ is a lie. But it isn’t like that- I like most emulsions, I just hate mayo. This animus towards mayonnaise is lifelong. As a saucyboy, I called it ‘white death’, making me not precociously ironic, but singling me out as the only Midwesterner who objected to processed soybean oil on white bread.
Mayonnaise is believed to descended from the noble aioli – a thickened sauce of eggs, garlic and olive oil that is said to have originated in Provence and/or Catalan. According to food historian Andrew Smith, mayo was not mentioned in domestic cookbooks until the 1880s. By 2000 Americans purchased more than 745 million bottles of the condiment. That is the type of growth that has only been matched by the expansion of the American waistline - so what happened to make mayo so popular?
The French, or more accurately the influence of French chefs helped promote mayo to the masses. Fashionable restaurants such as Delmonico’s began offering mayonnaise to customers. Mayo based sauces like tartar, countless special sauces, became popular and mayo became the go to ingredient for almost every kind of salad dressing made – think Caesar. It was bottling really helped mayo reach its ubiquitous pantry status. 1911 – 1912 saw the birth of Hellmann’s, first in wooden packaging, then a glass jar. About the same time, Schlorer’s and Gold medal mayo took to the jar. A little later Kraft’s Miracle Whip began sponsoring a radio show boosting the brands popularity and the rest is bland white history.
Learning how to extract flavor from your ingredients is the essence of cooking. Wrapping things in bacon, dousing them in hot sauce, salting them to death, pickling foods in acid/vinegar or slathering in mayo – all can stimulate and satisfy the taste buds but it doesn’t take talent – and that isn’t even my objection. People don’t need to be talented cooks, possess subtle taste buds or have exquisite taste to enjoy food…If I have some rare roast beef, bread baked that morning & aged cheddar; what does mayo have to offer that combination? Even if the bread isn’t the greatest and maybe the roast beef is a little dry, does mayo from a jar really help the flavor of anything or is it just convenient and customary? Everyone gets to answer that question for themselves but if I need to add a little fat and moisture to a preparation, I am going to think about sour cream, avocado, yogurt, garlic roasted in olive oil, mustard, horseradish, butter, tomato sauce before the thought of using mayonnaise ever comes up.
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Michael Robertson thinks people should be able to listen to their digital music anywhere on any device. That’s exactly what MP3tunes sets out to do.
Robertson, the founder of MP3tunes, is a huge advocate of cloud based music services. He’s no stranger to the vengeance that record labels have when it comes to protecting digital song copyright law (as they define it.) In fact, he’s actually taken it on the chin before against the record companies – in the late 90′s he founded MP3.com, which he eventually sold to CNET after losing an expensive legal battle with Universal. His new service MP3tunes is currently involved in a lawsuit with EMI over copyright infringement issues.
“I think ownership is critical important in the digital age and worth fighting for.” said Robertson. “I think consumers should be able to choose where they want to use their digital property as they can with their physical property. I don’t want a corporation to be able revoke or limit access – as we’ve seen happening with Apple and Amazon.”
MP3tunes currently has over 500,000 registered users who upload their entire music collection to servers and access it from wherever they want. MP3tunes works on multiple smartphones platforms: Android, iPhone/iTouch, (iPad version waiting for approval) and many Internet radio devices (it’s compatible with devices that use vTuner and Reciva firmware.) This week they’ll introduce a deal with Roku that will enable access to music lockers on televisions.
Currently, the business model is a freemium model that offers listeners smaller sized lockers for free and charge a subscription fee for more storage space. But additional revenue sources like e-commerce and advertising may be in the cards as well.
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Language Fees Cut for Summer
Lower tuition for beginning intensive courses meant to accommodate students and professors
The Daily Bruin
By Greg Swartz, Bruin contributor
UCLA OFFICIALS recently announced the university will offer financial incentives to students who enroll in language intensive courses during the summer.
Currently, 16 beginning-level language courses are offered through the summer incentive program.
By offering those courses during the summer, professors are free to teach more advanced courses during the normal academic year, said Kathleen Micham, the marketing manager of academic program development.
The summer language courses offer students a convenient opportunity to fulfill their language requirement, she added.
Students enrolled in these courses automatically receive a tuition discount of $800 for 12-unit courses and $1,000 for 15-unit courses, said Elizabeth Kivowitz Boatright-Simon, a UCLA spokesperson.
The courses last 20 hours each week for eight or nine weeks. Mitcham said the courses allow students to learn faster and to develop solid skills and that they are ideal for developing language skills before studying abroad or taking a more advanced language class.
For some languages, the summer program also offers what it calls Language Intensives in L.A., which allows students to experience real dialogue by venturing into the city, said Olga Kagan, a professor in the department of Slavic languages and literature.
Since Los Angeles has a robust and varied language community, students may directly experience real speakers of languages like Russian, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, Kagan added.
An example of one of these intensives is a trip to a Russian bookstore in Hollywood, where students converse with patrons and the owners to bolster their conversational skills, Kagan said.
Prior to excursions, the courses focus on important vocabulary and phrases specific to the experience, Kagan said. These intensives are also important because they expose students to the culture of a language instead of simply to the words in a textbook.
The summer language intensives help students to advance both their speaking and listening skills through these immersion experiences, she said.
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In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, hundreds of men identified as members of alQaeda were captured and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
There, they were subjected to sexual humiliation, sleep deprivation, dehydration, extreme temperatures, waterboarding, being chained to the floor for hours in their own waste, and other so-called "enhanced interrogation" techniques even as the president was assuring the world that we don't torture because we are America and America doesn't do that sort of thing.
The president was, of course, lying. And having thus sold our national honor, you might wonder what we received in exchange.
The answer: nothing.
At least, not if the case of one Abu Zubayda is in any way representative. According to a March 29 report in The Washington Post, U.S. officials were convinced they had themselves a real, live alQaeda leader in Zubayda, who was captured in Pakistan in 2002. Under pressure from the Bush White House to get something out of him, they resorted to waterboarding and other coercive measures.
Out came a flood of names and plots and details. Security was tightened, millions were spent chasing it all down, and all of it was for nothing. Every investigation launched as a result of Abu Zubayda's revelations fizzled. It turned out that, far from being an alQaeda leader, he was a midlevel associate. The Post says most of the information he gave that proved in any way useful came during ordinary interrogation. The things he said while being tortured by the nation that does not torture were apparently just to make the pain stop.
The Post report is but the latest in a litany of revelations all suggesting the same thing: that in the wake of Sept. 11, a frightened nation betrayed one of its core principles the rule of law for the fool's gold of security.
We tortured and then rationalized with stark illogic. Indeed, it's worth remembering that when this debate was at its zenith, proponents, including columnist Cal Thomas, U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, defended torture by pointing out how well it seems to work for counterterrorism expert Jack Bauer. One wondered sometimes if they were aware that Jack Bauer is a character on a TV show, 24.
And it occurs to me that if we're going to use TV characters to frame this debate, M*A*S*H might be a better choice. Our Bushera policy on torture, after all, suggests nothing so much as a White House run by Frank Burns, the supercilious super patriot who saw enemies of America's goodness behind every mess hall and latrine and chased them with a spectacular zealotry unimpinged by logic, common sense or simple decency.
Burns was, of course, a caricature of the Red Scare America of the 1950s where forces of paranoia and fear led by Sen. Joe McCarthy fought supposed "commie" infiltration by surveilling, blacklisting, haranguing and harassing innocent Americans, ruining their livelihoods and lives while doing little harm to any actual communists. And if, 20 years later, that mindset had become a recognizable comic "type" played for laughs, that doesn't mean the nation's capacity to again lose its mind to fear and paranoia had lessened in the slightest.
That is what we are learning here, as revelations of Bushera excesses continue to drip like water upon the stone of public conscience.
People came out of the McCarthy era marveling at how easily fear and paranoia had stampeded us into surrendering principles that are supposed to define us. Mark my words: We will look back on this era the same way.
Once again, we have sold our national honor for fool's gold. And once again, we will live to rue the deal as fools usually do.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Leonard Pitts Jr., winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, is a columnist for the Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, Fla. 33132. Readers may write to him via e-mail at [email protected]. He chats with readers every Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EDT at Ask Leonard.
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View 2 photos, or upload your photo.
Grand Spectacle of the World is a major attraction and is located in the Tianhe Village. The attraction includes six landscape wonders, nine natural wonders as well as 3 plant wonders.
Visitors can see European gardens, Japanese gardens, Chinese gardens, British gardens and much more. It includes statues collected from twenty different countries, six theaters as well as many recreational areas.
Things to Do
Located in a suburb of Guangzhou, Tianhe, the Grand Spectacle of the World or Scenic Park is spread over an area of around 480,000 square meters. The park has been established with an investment of 567 million CNY. It is considered one of the top scenic locations in Guangzhou and has also been praised as Guangzhou Tourism’s Moon Project.
A Comprehensive Attraction
Grand Spectacle of the World is a very impressive attraction since it has gathered some of the most wonderful views in the world of entertainment performances, customs, national traditions, horticulture, architecture, sculptures and nature and has vividly reproduced them as the artistic and cultural highlights of all five continents. It is a comprehensive, large scale attraction which mixes participation, stimulation and appreciation. Its exclusive feature is that it makes real scenes even more real due to its fascination and uniqueness.
The Main Attractions
The Grand Spectacle of the World has been divided into various horticultural areas, 4 entertainment areas and 6 theaters along with an American street, Mexican Market, Italian Street and Arabian Market that integrate all the functions of shopping, dining and entertainment together.
Location And Background
Grand Spectacle of the World is located in the village of Tianhe Dongpuhuang in the Guangdong Province. The sceneries depicted in the park are inspired from actual spots all over the world. These sceneries have been built in an area of around 480,000 sq m and an investment of around 600 million CYN. The park was officially opened to the public in October, 1995.
Grand Spectacle of the World has a lot of activities and attractions. It has four main gardens known as Japan gardens, British gardens, European gardens and Chinese gardens. Here, visitors will find some of the most renowned natural sceneries of the world along with beautiful views and many interesting activities. The park also has six very large theaters, 4 large recreational areas, architectural highlights from 20 different countries as well as a whole range of facilities.
Visitors will find several different attractions to keep occupied. Grand Spectacle of the World showcases landform spectacles, delicacies, snacks, entertainment options and buildings from more than 26 countries throughout the world. Other than that there are also shops where visitors can purchase souvenirs and handicrafts.
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| 0.96115 | 559 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Here's a little excerpt from an article by Dr. Michel Odent, noted French obstetrician.
"According to traditional wisdom in rural France, a baby in the womb should be compared to fruit on the tree. Not all the fruit on the same tree is ripe at the same time. A fruit that has been picked before it is ripe will never be fit to eat and will quickly go bad. It is the same with a baby. In other words, we must accept that some babies need a much longer time than others before they are ready to be born. If you have some apple trees in your garden, you will listen to your common sense and choose an individualized and selective approach: you will not pick all the apples on the same day."
A recent client was concerned that she would be induced, as she had been in her first pregnancy. I had the confidence to tell her that her physician would not induce labour, even if she reached 42 weeks, as long as she and the baby were well. I could say that with confidence because I have been working closely with this particular group of family doctors for almost 20 years. This gave her peace, and she was able to relax. Soon after, she went into labour on her own, well after the typical "10 day limit" imposed in most North American hospitals. All was well. She could hardly believe the wonderful difference from her previous, induced, labour.
I live in a bubble, working as I do with midwives and family doctors who respect the current research, dare to challenge hospital protocols, and fully respect their clients' rights. I am fortunate to work in collaboration with caregivers who dare to wait, who only induce women if it is truly medically indicated (even if it causes a fuss with other staff!) In reality, this means I rarely see a woman face induction.
I am glad that I only work with caregivers who follow the best care practices. We work in concert with each woman and her body. Labours start on their own, women dance and move freely, women are continuously supported, women do not face regular interventions, women give birth standing, kneeling, or wherever they choose, and the women reach to pull the babies to their breasts. (Left brain dominant? Click here.)
In birth, we are not the keepers of the power, each woman's body is. Yes, we have to do our homework and ensure that everything we do is supported by the best evidence. But, after a while, the 21st century knowledge is only a backdrop to the ancient truth of birth.
So, if a woman's body is the tree, then the apple will fall, as it should, whenever it is ready, and will rest on soft safe ground. And the orchard keepers will be sitting, as they should, with their hands beneath them, in the shade of the tree. - Jacquie Munro, Vancouver Doula
Jacquie Munro, founder of the "Slow Birth" movement, is an experienced doula and childbirth educator and is well-known for her individualized, intuitive approach to supporting families in the childbearing year and beyond. Since 1987, she has provided support at over one thousand births, at home and in hospital, and taught thousands of expectant parents. At home, Jacquie lives only a bike ride away from four generations of her family. You can usually find her at the park or beach, playing beside her twin grandsons who call her "Deecy".
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Preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CT-RT) improves local control in T3-4 rectal cancers. Results of the FFCD 9203 randomized trial
Reviewer: James M. Metz, MD
Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Last Modified: November 1, 2005
Presenter: J Gerard
Presenter's Affiliation: Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Nice, France
Type of Session: Scientific
There has been a dramatic shift over the past few years to using preoperative radiation therapy for rectal cancer as opposed to using it in the postoperative setting. Some of the initial studies that showed a benefit to this shift used radiation therapy alone. This study compares the use of radiation therapy in the preoperative setting to the addition of 5FU to the same schedule.
Materials and Methods
- Patients < 75 years old with T3-T4 rectal cancer that was palpable on digital rectal exam were eligible
- Randomized to Radiation alone (RT) of 45 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks vs CT-RT which included the same radiation plus bolus 5FU and Folinic Acid (FA)
- Surgery was performed after 3-10 weeks.
- All patients were scheduled to receive adjuvant 5FU-FA for 4 cycles postoperatively.
- Patient characteristics were well balanced between the randomized treatment arms
- Pathologic complete response rate was 3.7% (RT) vs. 11.7% (CT-RT)
- 5 year Local failure rate was 16% (RT) vs. 8% (CT-RT)
- There was no difference in DFS or OS between the groups
- There was no difference in the sphincter saving surgery rate
- Grade 3-4 toxiticy was 2.7%(RT) vs. 14.6% (CT-RT)
- An analysis of different years based on the type of surgical excision that was available during accrual was performed - standard resection (1993-1998) vs. Total Mesorectal Excision (1999-2003). Local recurrence was 18% vs 11% (93-98) and 14% vs. 5% (99-03) both in favor of the CT-RT
- Combined CT-RT improves local control, sterilization of the surgical specimen with mild acute toxicity
- CT-RT does not improve survival or improve sphincter preservation
This study adds to the growing body of literature supporting the use of preoperative radiation therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer. The addition of chemotherapy clearly improves local control which adds to the historical data supporting 5FU being used with radiation. This study uses rather antiquated chemotherapy with 5FU given as a bolus infusion. Most centers have moved to using 5FU as a continuous infusion or orally to better complement the daily radiation therapy. This study did not improve the sphincter preservation rate, which is different from the results of the German Rectal Study. However, the tumors in this study were lower and more likely to be involving the sphincter, which may explain this result. Further studies, adding newer agents to preoperative radiation therapy are warranted. Ongoing studies include the addition of oxaliplatin, erbitux, and bevacizumab to this regimen.
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<urn:uuid:39f26d51-74b8-4bc1-8dc0-f7381727986e>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://oncolink.org/conferences/article.cfm?c=175&id=1328
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en
| 0.942484 | 684 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Connect to share and comment
Italian PM's political allies lambaste his support for air attacks on Libya.
ROME, Italy ― Italy, the closest European country to Libya, has provided crucial support to the coalition striking against Muammar Gaddafi’s forces. It has eight jets at the ready, and has granted its allies the use of seven air bases.
But the crisis has revealed the weakness of Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s embattled prime minister, whose political allies are balking at the military action.
“They will take away our oil and gas, and millions of immigrants will come to Italy,” said Umberto Bossi, leader of the anti-immigration Northern League party and a crucial ally in Berlusconi's government, before the military strikes began last weekend.
The rebellion in Berlusconi’s corner is growing: He already had to rely on opposition votes to pass a resolution on the Libyan intervention and might have to do so again in the coming days.
Italy's foreign minister, Franco Frattini, on Monday threatened to deny access to Italian bases should command of the operations not be given to NATO ― a move opposed by France, which is currently directing the strikes along with the British and Americans.
“Italy's position vis a vis the Libyan crisis is a difficult one,” said Alessandro Campi, a political analyst. “Berlusconi built a relationship with Gaddafi that was not just political, but personal.”
If Rome’s caution in supporting the strikes has bordered on “ambiguity,” he said, it’s because of Italy’s strong economic and geopolitical ties with Libya.
In 2008, for example, Italy signed a controversial “friendship treaty” with Libya. It stipulates that Italy will give Libya $5 billion over 20 years to invest in infrastructure and development in compensation for Italy’s colonial past. The treaty said that the projects would go to Italian contractors — for example, a motorway stretching along 1,050 miles of Libya's coast that has been assigned to Italy's Impregilo. If the Libyan government changes, said Nicola Borri, an economist with Luiss University, the contracts might go elsewhere.
But it's not just that, Borri said: “Libya gives Italy 25 percent of its oil and 10 percent of its gas, mostly through long-term contracts with Italian companies at below-market prices. Would they be renewed under a new leadership? And who would be called to develop Libya's resources?” New companies, such as France's Total, might step in to fill the void.
More controversial, however, are Libya's stakes in key Italian companies, such as Finmeccanica — a defense conglomerate — Fiat and Unicredit, Europe's third largest bank. “Those assets,” said Borri, “are now frozen, but will eventually have to be put for sale again. This is particularly worrisome for Unicredit: Libya's 7.6 percent stake might change the control and management of the bank, and no Italian investor, or group of investors, has enough money to buy it all.”
Italian politicians’ fears about France’s dominance of the Libyan campaign reflect economic fears for Italy should France dominate a subsequent peace. In the face of that discomfort, Berlusconi has not played his cards well, Campi said. “He left the initiative in other people's hands and now, should Gaddafi fall, France and the U.K. would be the ones to reap the most benefits. On the other hand, if he stays, Berlusconi will be accused of the typical Italian move: turning his back on an ally in times of need.” In both cases, Italy could lose its economic pre-eminence in Libya.
The economic hit on Italy because of the changes in Libya might be compounded by an influx of migrants on Italy's coasts. Lampedusa, a small Italian island in the Mediterranean just 70 miles from Libya, is swamped with migrants from Tunisia and Egypt. The migrants far outnumber local inhabitants as they wait for transfer to mainland Italy, where they will be processed by immigration authorities.
This plays well with the anti-immigration platform of the Northern League. Italy's interior minister, Roberto Maroni, a Bossi man, has been speaking of the risk of “millions” of Africans flooding Italy ever since the start of the uprisings in North Africa earlier this year. With Libya on the verge of collapse, his warnings hold more weight.
Immigration could become the main issue in key local elections next May. Berlusconi fears his own party will suffer at the hands of the Northern League, further increasing its clout in his government. “Bossi's party,” said Campi, “already sets the agenda in key policy areas such as the economy, security and immigration. It is the true axis of the government.”
A poll by Lapolis showed that eight out of 10 Italians favor a diplomatic, rather than military, solution to the Libyan crisis. Even though Berlusconi risks losing further popular support while he is already weakened by sex scandals and sluggish economic recovery, he has stuck with his NATO allies on Libya — for now.
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<urn:uuid:2d503772-ec35-4a17-9235-51db8b8a78bc>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/italy/110322/silvio-berlusconi-libya
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en
| 0.964066 | 1,096 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, has dispatched a senior aide to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following reports of mass rapes during a four-day rebel siege of an eastern township.
Aid groups were reported saying that nearly 200 women were sexually assaulted in recent weeks by rebels within miles of a UN peacekeepers' base in North Kivu province.
One aid group said many of the women were gang-raped by between two and six armed men.
According to UN figures at least 154 civilians were raped and assaulted by rebels from the Mai Mai militia and Rwandan Hutu FDLR who occupied the town of Luvungi from July 30 to August 3.
Outraged over the incident and due to its seriousness, Ban quickly moved to send Atul Khare, his assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, to Congo.
A statement issued by his office said Ban had instructed Margot Wallstrom, his special representative for sexual violence in conflict, to take charge of the UN's "response and follow-up".
In a separate statement, Wallstrom said "this terrible incident confirms my general findings during my recent visit to [Congo] of the widespread and systematic nature of rape and other human rights violations".
"This terrible incident confirms my general findings ... of the widespread and systematic nature of rape and other human rights violations"
Margot Wallstrom, UN special representative for sexual violence in conflict
Ban has made protecting civilians and combating sexual violence, especially in Congo, central themes of his stewardship of the world body.
Will Cragin of the International Medical Corps (IMC) had told the Associated Press that aid and UN workers knew the FDLR and Mai-Mai rebels had occupied Luvungi and surrounding villages the day after the attack began on July 30.
Three weeks later, the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo issued no statement about the attacks and said on Monday that it was still investigating.
Cragin told the Associated Press that his organisation was only able to get into the town, which he said is about 16km from a UN military camp, after rebels withdrew on their own on August 4.
"There was no fighting and no deaths, Cragin said, just "lots of pillaging and the systematic raping of women".
Luvungi is a farming centre on the main road between Goma, the eastern
provincial capital, and the major mining town of Walikale.
Four young boys were also raped, according to Kasimbo Charles Kacha, the district medical chief.
UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said the peacekeeping mission has a military operating base in Kibua, about 30km east of the village, but villagers were prevented from reaching the nearest communication point as FDLR fighters blocked the road.
Civil society leader Charles Masudi Kisa said there were only about 25 peacekeepers and that they did what they could against some 200 to 400 rebels who occupied the town of about 2,200 people and five nearby villages.
"When the peacekeepers approached a village, the rebels would run into the forest, but then the Blue Helmets had to move on to another area, and the rebels would just return," Masudi said.
"During the attack [the rebels] looted [the] population's houses and raped several women in Luvungi and surrounding areas," Stefania Trassari, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said
"International Medical Corps (IMC) reported that FDLR systematically raped the population during its four-day stay in Luvungi and surrounding areas. A total of 179 cases of sexual violence were reported," Trassari said, adding all of the cases
were of rape against women.
The IMC said it was treating the victims.
|MONUC was based in the DRC since 1999 to help the government gain control of the east [AFP]
"Nearly all reported rapes were described as having been perpetrated by two-to-six armed men, often taking place in front of the women's children and husbands," it said in a statement.
The United Nations has withdrawn 1,700 peacekeepers in recent months in response to demands from the DR Congo government to end the mission next year, but still supports operations against several armed groups in the country's east.
Roger Meece, the new head of the UN mission called MONUSCO - which replaced predecessor MONUC - said last week that the rebels were still a huge threat to the population and the UN would keep trying to wipe them out.
Special representative Wallstrom said in April the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from the country would make the struggle against endemic rape "a lot more difficult".
Accurate figures for sexual violence are hard to come by as many rapes are unreported but according to the UN, at least 5,400 women reported being raped in neighbouring South Kivu province in the first nine months of 2009 alone.
MONUC had been in the former Belgian colony since 1999 to help the government of the DRC as it struggles to re-establish state control over the vast central African nation.
A war from 1998-2003 and the ensuing humanitarian disaster have killed an estimated 5.4 million people in the country.
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<urn:uuid:aabca839-1b6e-40b9-a4de-5126400a8d1f>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2010/08/20108252253185894.html
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en
| 0.979813 | 1,089 | 1.609375 | 2 |
One of the most common initial searches we conduct on almost each matter is the verification of a Social Security Number’s owner. The below FAQs provide a basic grounding in how the SSA administers SSNs. (There actually is a logical structure in place!)
- Do I have to get an SSN?
- The IRS declares US Citizens who receive income are required to have an SSN and employers are required to report income to the IRS using this SSN.
- Can I give up (renounce) my number?
- The SSA does not recognize any procedure for renouncing your SSN. The one exception is that a parent who can show that a number was assigned to their child without the parent’s consent and that parent can get the number removed from the SSA’s records.
- How do I get a replacement card?
- You can get a replacement card from the Social Security Administration, using form SS-5
- Can I get a new number?
- Someone is offering to get me a new SSN; is this legal?
- The SSA does not have a specific set policies about issuing new SSNs. They will only rarely issue a new SSN to someone who has a significant problem with a stalker or identity theft. In either case, the local SSA office must be convinced that you have tried all reasonable avenues for handling these problems, and the problem continues to reappear because someone is tracking you through your SSN, or because the identity thief continues to create new false credit reports via misuse of your SSN. The SSA has a new publication on what to do When Someone Misuses Your Number discussing Identity Theft in general terms. It says If you can prove that you’re being disadvantaged because someone used your Social Security number, visit your local Social Security office to request a new one. If you’ve done all you can to fix the problem and someone is still using your number, under certain circumstances, the SSA may assign you a new number. They do recommend that you file a report with both Social Security Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271 and the FTC.
- What do the first three digits of my SSN say about where I was born?
- The details are available below. The first three digits reflect the location of the residence given on the application for an SSN. They used to depend only on the SSA office that issued the number. The SSA regularly publishes tables showing the latest numbers being issued for each area.
THIS DATA IS STRICTLY FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
1. The same area, when shown more than once, means that certain numbers have been transferred from one State to another, or that an area has been divided for use among certain geographic locations.
2. Any number beginning with 000 will NEVER be a valid SSN.
3.Blanks indicate new designations not yet assigned.
4.700-728 Issuance of these numbers to railroad employees was discontinued July 1, 1963.
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<urn:uuid:c4835427-9cc2-413e-96cb-0d73ca107213>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://beaconbulletin.com/tag/social-security-number/
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.935265 | 628 | 1.546875 | 2 |
A kinked hose and a bent pipe have been reinterpreted as a piece of interior plumbing hardware in the form of the Ceramica Flaminia Fold Faucet. It has been manufactured of a gleaming chrome material, sculpted with smooth contours and a formal fullness, with unexpected features interrupting its flow.
Lorenzo Damiani designed three models of the tap that might be used for bathtubs, washroom sinks and kitchen basins. A pair of these exhibits not one but two distinctive creases in the strong metal, reducing the openings in the tubes to slender slits through which the water must pass. This affects the shape of the stream dispensed and provides a playful twist to the polished aesthetic of the fixtures.
The Ceramica Flaminia Fold Faucet is accompanied by towel racks and hooks, a toilet paper holder, a toilet bowl cleaner and a shelf to match for a whimsically winsome collection.
Kinked Bathroom Taps
8,008 clicks in 48 w
More Stats +/-
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http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flaminia-fold-faucet
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en
| 0.939747 | 215 | 1.53125 | 2 |
8.31.06 Barlow Was Right
[This article originally ran in the 8.31.06 issue of Metroland Magazine]
An interesting lil’ unit came whizzing through the ether a few months ago. The Cato Institute, the extreme right-wing conservative-to-the-point-of-libertarian think tank issued a policy report entitled Amateur-to-Amateur, The Rise of a New Creative Culture
(www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6359). In the piece, a couple of Cato scholars make the case that copyright law, as presently configured, exists primarily for the preservation of the entrenched “copyright industries,” and that the arrival of the internet and digital media have made these “copyright industries” less important. The conclusion is maybe the time has come, as it has come before, to take a hard look at our current regime of copyright laws.
The study looked at what’s been happening on the internet, and discussed the theories of John Perry Barlow, the ex-Grateful Dead lyricist who in the early ‘90’s began publishing tomes about digital media, the web, and the end of copyright as we know it. Barlow has been mocked, ridiculed, and marginalized relentlessly by Big Media for years. One copyright newsletter I get constantly refers to him as a leader of the “anti-creator crusade.” The Cato study concludes that Barlow was pretty much right.
The Cato folks describe traditional copyright as centralized and “imperial,” which was fine when the production of the creative works was largely the work of big movie studios, record companies, etc., when these entities controlled the major facets of creation, selection, promotion and distribution of creative works.
But the internet has changed all of that. Anybody with a laptop and half a brain can now do everything these industries used to do. And most of these folks don’t give a good goddamn about copyright law. They just want to be heard.
Look at creation. My laptop came with a recording studio in it. I haven’t had time to figure out how to use it, but it’s there. Lots of people are making their own recordings at home, and the cost of going to a studio has even dropped precipitously. Last year a student of mine, armed with a digital camera, shot two original feature films on a budget of exactly zero dollars. He’s gotten a distribution deal for both of them. Look at the homemade stuff on YouTube. Cruise the bands on MySpace, giving away music. Look at all of the blogs, where people are posting essays and commentaries about everything.
The mantra from the RIAA and the MPAA, their justification for suing their own customers, is that if people don’t pay for music and films, no more music and films will be made. Think again. A study released earlier this week found that there is actually more original music being created in the United States today than ever before. I suspect that goes double for films.
If what they mean is that no more “You, Me and Dupree” movies and no more Paris Hilton CDs will be made, well, I, for one, am down with that.
Look at selection. Used to be that the major copyright industries were the filter, and, by releasing only few works, decided what it was we would listen to, watch, and read. No more. Everything is publishable by anyone. Everything is out there, and the public can decide what’s good. And it does.
Promotion? I no longer advise music clients to advertise in traditional media. Working the blogs and MySpace is infinitely more effective. And you get feedback, good or bad, immediately.
Distribution? Step one: point. Step two: click.
What’s going to be the result of this? Is copyright dead? Are the studios going to crumble?
No. Copyright will always be around, but our relationship with it is changing. Copyright should continue on as an important weapon against piracy and stealing, but those terms need to be realistically defined (no, Junior, downloading a movie is NOT the same as stealing a car). Copyright’s application will be more limited than it is now, and it should be applied to truly encourage creativity, not be used as a tool for stifling competition.
The Big Media companies will get a whole lot smaller as their relevance fades. It’s really just a matter of market share. The music industry will probably take the biggest hit, as people have been listening to digital music for 20 years now, and the industry has been repeatedly hoisted on its own petard by an astonishing series of tactical blunders, like refusing to sell music online and suing its own customers. The film industry will get smaller, but should hang in there. People like movie stars, big movies, and critically, the shared experience of watching movies in big rooms full of strangers. But the importance of the big studios, the number of “stars”, and the dominance of big films will shrink. The jury’s still out on publishing. The world of book publishing is easily as intolerably corrupt as the music and film industries, but people like their books. I do. I don’t wanna read a book off my computer. Magazines will take the biggest hit, and one would hope that desktop publishing and internet-based and independent booksellers will to some degree at least dent the banal hegemony of the major publishing houses.
Things are changing fast, and soon they will be very different. And better.
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<urn:uuid:53328e99-0bb8-4847-920d-8c54e4a9835e>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://rapponthis.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_archive.html
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en
| 0.961325 | 1,180 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Feature by Hull City Online
Updated Thursday, 2nd November 2000
Douglas 'Dally' Duncan - Outside left (1928-32)
03.09.28 Oldham Athletic (a) 1-0
Aberdeen Richmond (August 1928)
Derby County (March 1932)
(Derby County) FA Cup Winner 1946
Scotland Youth: 1 - 0;
Scotland: 14 - 7;
Aberdeen Richmond Amateur
A Tiger is an animal of graceful and majestic movement and Duncan epitomised these characteristics fully. In addition he combined them with such talent. Christened 'Dally' by the fans for his apparent nonchalance, it was merely a ploy to hypnotise his opponent. Then, like a Tiger sensing a kill, he would pounce, swiftly moving inside from the touch-line to unleash a shot of enormous power. Although his artistry was often too rich a dish to be served up as Northern Section fare, he made his mark at Hull there is no doubt and his goals were of the highest quality. He played a key role in the Tigers cup run of 1929/30, appearing in every game and scoring the second goal in the first semi-final match against Arsenal.
His talent continued to blossom but with debts mounting, the club were forced to sell him to Derby for £2,000. There his star continued to shine. He gained international recognition, deservedly so, and played with Raich Carter in the Derby team that won the 1946 FA Cup Final.
Throughout their history, the Tigers have been blessed with many players of talent and skill. In the front row of that esteemed group will stand Dally Duncan.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.hullcity-mad.co.uk/feat/edy5/douglas_duncan_28045/index.shtml
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en
| 0.957304 | 344 | 1.5 | 2 |
"Barack Obama: The Story" (Simon & Schuster), by David Maraniss
If nothing else, Barack Obama's presidency has been a boon for the publishing industry.
Beyond his own best-selling books ("Dreams From My Father," ''The Audacity of Hope"), Obama's high profile has inspired books about his mother ("A Singular Woman"), his father ("The Other Barack") and his marriage ("The Obamas"), as well as self-described exposes ("The Amateur" and "Culture of Corruption"), among countless other tomes.
Now comes "Barack Obama: The Story" by David Maraniss, an associate editor at The Washington Post who spent four years traveling the globe and researching "the world that created Obama."
The result is an exhaustingly thorough book -- probably too thorough for most readers -- on Obama's forebears and early life. The level of detail extends to listing the names of his maternal grandfather's El Dorado High classmates, a rambling five pages about Wichita being a "military-industrial dynamo" around the time of Pearl Harbor, the address of the Nairobi-area house where his paternal grandfather worked, ruminating for a dozen pages on the dynamics of Obama's Punahou School basketball team and pointing out neighborhood landmarks on Obama's walk from his apartment to Columbia University.
Some interesting tidbits: Obama reportedly watches the TV show "Mad Men." In a high school pal's yearbook, he wrote: "Some day when I am an all-pro basketballer, and I want to sue my team for more money, I'll call on you." Obama's first serious girlfriend, predicting the kind of person he would end up with, presciently composed this diary entry after their breakup: "That lithe, bubbly, strong black lady is waiting somewhere!"
Maraniss also reveals discrepancies in "Dreams From My Father." For example, while Obama was told by his mother, Ann Dunham, that his father, Barack Obama Sr., left them to pursue his doctorate at Harvard, Maraniss found that Dunham fled Hawaii to Washington State less than a month after the younger Obama was born, a year before the older Obama left for the Northeast. Some of these discrepancies Maraniss chalks up to family myths or fudges about sensitive topics. Others are more blatant, like Obama's inflated description of his first job out of college. The author attributes these exaggerations to Obama taking literary license.
Maraniss says in his introduction that he wanted to end the book before Obama's entry into politics, but he cuts it off after Obama's time as a community organizer in Chicago, before he attends Harvard Law School. Obama's time as a law student was almost certainly more significant in shaping the person he has become than the lives of long-gone relatives he never met, and should have been included.
Overall, the book paints a picture of Obama -- cautious, deliberative, low-key -- that has remained largely consistent, from childhood to the present.
More than an engaging biography, "Barack Obama: The Story" reads like a long history book. Even those intrigued by Obama's personal story may find it difficult to slog through the minutiae.
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<urn:uuid:6b395e9c-f704-4de4-8095-3899fc6f3a76>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.crescent-news.com/ap%20entertainment/2012/06/26/review-book-details-history-of-obama-s-early-life
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en
| 0.963897 | 662 | 1.734375 | 2 |
It is at the same time the island port. Despite of the fact that it suffered significant damage after the 1953 earthquakes, it preserves many of the magnificent elements of the past.
What to see in Zante:
The Solomos Square surrounded by buildings with characteristic traditional architectural features of the island, arch-shaped windows and arcades. The bust of D. Solomos national poet of Greece dominates in the centre. Here you can also find the Public Library (with 55.000 volumes), the Post-Byzantine Museum of Zante exhibiting treasures such as statues trimmed with gold, icons and art woodcuts.
The Post- Byzantine Museum of Zante in Solomos square, exhibits treasures such as statues trimmed with gold, icons and art woodcuts.
The coastal road known as Strata Marina (K. Lomvardou street), which is one of the most frequented part of the city, with cafes, bars and restaurants, from the Solomos Square up to the church of the patron-saint Aghios Dionysios.
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<urn:uuid:8823ede3-4aef-4cbb-9d89-d3753026a68e>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://visitgreece.gr/en/touring/on_foot/on_foot_zante
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en
| 0.945343 | 217 | 1.578125 | 2 |
As fuel prices across the country pass $4 a gallon, many states are offering motorists at the start of the summer driving season suggestions and some solutions for relief.
Plans pursued by states range from widely discussed proposals to suspend gas taxes to exploring flex-time hours for state employees and allowing campers to store their recreational vehicles longer at state parks. Some motorists, as well, are cutting back their driving or take advantage of vacation destinations closer to home.
One of the most generous proposals is from Alaska, where the high price of oil sold there is funneling money into its budget, at the same time it became the first state to see the average price of regular gas hit $4 a gallon. The national average is $3.80 a gallon as of May 20, according to AAA.
Gov. Sarah Palin unveiled on May 16 a proposal to give residents $100-a-month debit cards for gas, heating fuel, electricity or other energy purchases.
Read the full report States Scramble to Ease Pain at the Pump on the Stateline.org Web site.
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<urn:uuid:415a96f6-3a40-48fe-b1f6-6b2c4761c261>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=39566
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en
| 0.957178 | 219 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Jeffco Public Schools Food and Nutrition Department employs approximately 600 full and part-time employees, who prepare over 6 million meals a year. Food and Nutrition Services is a self-supporting, no General Fund monies are utilized to support these operations. The district participates in the USDA School Lunch, Breakfast and commodity food programs.
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
Summer Food Service Breakfast
Providing Healthy Meals at Schools
The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 brought new regulations to the National School Lunch Program aimed at helping to decrease the incidence of Childhood Obesity in our country. As a result of these changes students will be offered meals that offer:
• More fruits and vegetables
• Meals with fewer calories, less fat and less sodium
• Leaner proteins, with more meat-free alternatives
• Right-sized portions of more satisfying foods
• More whole-grain options
This PowerPoint describes the changes that students will see in the school lunch line.
MealpayPlus is an online payment system that allows parents to pay for their student's meals online 24-hours a day using a bank account or Visa or Mastercard credit cards. This system simplifies bookkeeping and helps to ensure your child always has lunch money. Access MyPaymentsPlus.Free and Reduced Meals
Some children may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals. To apply for free or reduced price meals, use the application below:
Children who are eligible for free or reduced priced meals, may also qualify for other fee waivers. When completing the Free and Reduced Price Meal Application, parents must consent to the disclosure of the application information for use as an application for other fee waivers. Check boxes designating what programs the information can be used for are included on the bottom of the meal application.Health Inspections
The Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment conducts Jeffco Schools Food Services Health Inspections. Current report results are available through the health department Web site.
All reports are also available for viewing at the Food and Nutrition Services Office, see contact information on the right.
Linda Stoll, MPH, Executive Director of Jeffco Food Services, was named as winner of the Silver Leadership Award during the Foodservice Achievement Management Excellence Awards competition. She was recognized as a director who demonstrates outstanding leadership, dedication, fiscal achievement and innovation in menuing/merchandising.
- Jeffco school students are enjoying fresh food made with Colorado Proud products through the Chefs Move 2 Schools initiative. The program is part of Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign.
- MyPaymentsPlus Alert - Fee
Visit the Healthy Living Web site, which is designed to provide parents and students with an interactive tool to access the nutrient data from our, breakfast and lunch menu items. You will also find lesson plans and more.
Department Policies Related to Food and Nutrition
District Policies Related to Food and Nutrition
Jeffco Public Schools has created policies and procedure to ensure the health and well-being of our students:
- Food Services - Policy EF
- School Wellness - Policy ADF
- Free and Reduced Price Food Services - Policy EFC
Jeffco Education Center,
1829 Denver West Dr. Bldg. 27,
Golden, Colorado, 80401
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HERETAUNGA Lodge No, 115 + Star Of PETONE Lodge No. 45 - 1924
I have taken some extracts from the Hutt City Library site from the page
Lower Hutt Past and Present (1941)
I highly recommend a visit to their site for some wonderful info and photos of that district and the early settlers.
I am doing some short overviews from their database:
journal 1 - settlers of LOWER HUTT 1839 - 1941
journal 2 - the PILGRIM MOTHERS of the Hutt Valley
journal 3 - PETONE's first 100 years, - list of names
journal 4 - PETONE men who fell WWI - list of names
journal 5 - FREEMASONRY - Ulster Lodge No. 62
journal 6 - LOYAL PETONE LODGE - No, 6542
journal 7 - Ancient Order Of Foresters - COURT EPUNI, 7314
journal 8 - INDEPENANT ORDER OF RECHABITES
journal 9 - PETONE Branch - Hibernian Australasian Society 1910
journal 10 - PETONE PIONEER BRANCH - Oddfellows
journal 11 - HERETAUNGA LODGE & STAR of PETONE LODGE
journal 12 - PONEKE LODGE - Ancient Order of DRUIDS
journal 13 - PETONE Town Board - formed 1881
journal 14 - HUTT RIVER BOARD - formed 1879
(additions in italics or capitals are mine)
- (remember the article was written in 1941)
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODDELLOWS
HERETAUNGA LODGE No. 115
STAR OF PETONE LODGE No. 45
... The Independent Order of Oddfellows established a subordinate lodge in New Zealand in the year 1862, and since that time has spread from the North Cape to the Bluff, until to-day there are 255 male (subordinate lodges) and 82 Rebekah lodges, with 20,000 members.
The order, through sound policies, has accumulated large reserves, and each valuation discloses large actuarial surpluses. All funds (sick and funeral) of each lodge are controlled by the Grand Lodge, and thus all lodges (male and female) are insured against any extraordinarily large expenditure on these accounts. This ensures that no lodges of this order will be weak financially.
The Heretaunga Lodge No. 115 was established on August 7, 1924, through the efforts of several members resident in Petone, with the assistance of the Wellington Centre. It was recognized then that, Petone being a growing district, there was a necessity for the order to open here, to assist its own members resident here, and their friends. From that date, when the lodge opened with 25 members, it has steadily grown and has taken its place in the community alongside other orders for the relief of sickness, etc., until to-day, it is recognized as fulfilling all the obligations of the order—Friendship, Love and Truth.
The society being non-political and non-sectarian, all can combine for the good of the community and without prejudice to their beliefs, political or otherwise. Following its ideals, and to give the same ideals to the gentler sex, the Star of Petone Lodge No. 45 was established on July 25, 1925. Both lodges meet regularly for mutual relief, after which meetings social gatherings complete the evenings, so that all may broaden their outlook.
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Quick Index Board Index Home FAQ Site Map
|Darcy, the Conversationalist -- Week 5 (Long)
Written by gianni
(5/10/2010 12:18 a.m.)
Chapter 43 -- Pemberley
Mrs. Reynolds says
After exhausting his ability to speak, he flees the field again in silence and confusion.
Never in her life had she seen his manners so little dignified, never had he spoken with such gentleness as on this unexpected meeting.
He returns to them, having "lost none of his recent civility".
he asked her if she would do him the honour of introducing him to her friends.
He enters into conversation with Mr. Gardiner.
The conversation soon turned upon fishing; and she heard Mr. Darcy invite him, with the greatest civility, to fish there as often as he chose while he continued in the neighbourhood, offering at the same time to supply him with fishing tackle, and pointing out those parts of the stream where there was usually most sport.
After the men walk together separately from the women for a while, Lizzy finds herself walking next to Darcy.
After a short silence, the lady first spoke.
Darcy replies, ending with the revelation that the Bingleys will arrive the next day.
"There is also one other person in the party," he continued after a pause, "who more particularly wishes to be known to you. Will you allow me, or do I ask too much, to introduce my sister to your acquaintance during your stay at Lambton?"
They now walked on in silence, each of them deep in thought.
He invites her into the house; she refuses. Long silence. The Gardiners arrive: he invites them all in; they refuse.
He hands the ladies into the carriage; they leave.
Lizzy and the Gardiners discuss the events of the day, evaluate their experience with Darcy.
Chapter 44 -- An Introduction
Darcy introduces Georgiana; Lizzy and Georgiana are both flustered. Georgiana is quickly seen to be shy rather than proud. Darcy announces the imminent arrival of Bingley; he arrives, his usual confident, well-spoken self.
The Gardiners see clearly Darcy overflowing with admiration.
Sorry, I just have to put in the wonderful sentence, "Bingley was ready, Georgiana was eager, and Darcy determined, to be pleased," with regard to Lizzy's doubt about giving a favorable impression. I'm not sure how I can justify it in my focus, but how can one just pass by such a line! --well, I guess it does say something about Darcy's attitude and behavior?
Darcy continues the favorable impression from the meeting at Pemberley: in all that he said she heard an accent so removed from hauteur or disdain of his companions, as convinced her that the improvement of manners which she had yesterday witnessed however temporary its existence might prove, had at least outlived one day. ... Never, even in the company of his dear friends at Netherfield, or his dignified relations at Rosings, had she seen him so desirous to please, so free from self-consequence or unbending reserve, as now, when no importance could result from the success of his endeavours, and when even the acquaintance of those to whom his attentions were addressed would draw down the ridicule and censure of the ladies both of Netherfield and Rosings.
Darcy gets Georgiana to invite the travelers to Pemberley two days later.
The Gardiners decide that as far as their acquaintance reached, there was no fault to find. ... they soon became sensible that the authority of a servant who had known him since he was four years old, and whose own manners indicated respectability, was not to be hastily rejected.
The townspeople of Lambton have nothing to accuse him of but pride. It was acknowledged, however, that he was a liberal man, and did much good among the poor.
Darcy and Mr. Gardiner arrange to meet at Pemberley the next day before noon.
Chapter 45 -- Visit to Pemberley
Miss Darcy, on her brother's entrance, exerted herself much more to talk, and Darcy encourages both Lizzy and Georgiana to converse.
Lizzy impresses Darcy favorably with her calm response to Caroline's attack (the reference to the militia leaving Meryton).
When Darcy accompanies Lizzy and Mrs. Gardiner out of the house, We learn that Darcy has spoken of Lizzy in such terms that, when the Bingley sisters criticize her, Georgiana [was] without the power of finding her otherwise than lovely and amiable.
Darcy returns; rebuffs calmly Caroline's criticisms of Lizzy until she exasperates him with his own words (She a beauty!—I should as soon call her mother a wit.), ending the exchange with "Yes, ... but that was only when I first saw her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance."
Chapter 46 -- Revelation
Chapter 47, 48, 49, 50 -- not present
Chapter 51 -- A Wedding
Chapter 52 -- not present
Groupread is maintained by Myretta with WebBBS 3.21.
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A survey has discovered that the number of people willing to tell strangers they share unlicensed music has decreased a little in the last twelve months.
The MusicAlly survey has been called good news for executives in some places over the last few hours, and perhaps it is: at last, something they can point to to pretend that the last ten years and millions of dollars spent fighting filesharing has been a success.
It's not really such good news, of course - MusicAlly don't know where they've all gone:
MusicAlly's MD Paul Brindley told us more research was needed to find out where they were going, pointing to the rise in popularity of Bluetooth device-to-device transfers and instant messaging.
"More fans are regularly sharing burned CDs and bluetoothing tracks to each other than file-sharing tracks," says MusicAlly.
But there are other forms of instant gratification than acquiring a recording. An earlier MusicAlly survey, conducted in January, highlighted the importance of YouTube as a music source: 31 per cent of the yoof demographic listen to streaming music, compared to 18 per cent of the general population.
The whizzing CD burner is back? It's going to be cassette tapes again before you know it...
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Total Eclipse of the Art
Black Square: Malevich and the Origins of Suprematism
By Aleksandra Shatskikh (Translated by Marian Schwartz)
(Yale University Press 346pp £25)
Russian television, notorious for state propaganda, has its civilised side. A recent episode of the weekly debate show Cultural Revolution, hosted by Mikhail Shvydkoy (Vladimir Putin's special envoy for international cultural cooperation), recently asked, 'Is Malevich's Black Square a Big Con?' Almost a century since Kazimir Malevich first hung his canvas, icon-style, in the upper corner of the 'Last Futurist Exhibition of Paintings 0.10' in Petrograd in December 1915, this question still arouses feeling.
Facing an audience of artists, historians and museum curators, the distinguished film directors Andrei Konchalovsky and Alexander Mitta took opposing views. Black Square is not a work of art, Konchalovsky argued, waving printouts of Andy Warhol's Dollar Sign and Damien Hirst's shark in formaldehyde to illustrate his perfect agreement with the early-20th-century art critic Alexandre Benois, who saw in Malevich's painting the 'principle of vile desolation ... the desecration of all that is beloved and cherished, flaunting its desire to lead everything to destruction'. Not at all, Mitta responded: Malevich's work was a new basis for art, divinely beautiful, a great metaphor containing a whole world of meaning.
The voices from the studio floor were impassioned. Another film-maker saw in the painting a vision of the hell that opened up as the Russian Empire was destroyed during the First World War and the Bolshevik Revolution. 'Black Square IS art!' the elderly actress Nina Arkhipova exclaimed, recalling the emotional impact of first seeing it in Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery and the strange sensation of penetrating its blackness. 'Come and see it for yourselves,' the Tretyakov's head curator begged the audience, holding up a book of icons for comparison, and marvelling at the inexplicable matt surface of Malevich's black paint. At the end of the show, the art critic Aleksandra Shatskikh took the microphone to counter Konchalovsky's insouciant philistinism. Seemingly drawing on the limitless energy that she says she finds in the work, she gave a rapid-fire explanation of the paradoxes of Malevich's 'zero of form'. Everything you say about Black Square is true, she told Konchalovsky, but everything that I or anyone else says about it is equally true. It is a beginning and an end, art and not art; it is the absence of perspective, weight and weightlessness, an unfathomable depth combining all colours and no colour. The painting rises from the most profane to the most sacred, she concluded: it is the cosmic abyss and the perfect sign of human civilisation.
Although statements such as this are sparse in Shatskikh's remarkable new study of the origins of Black Square, the book is uncompromising in its underlying insistence on the importance of this single work. Shatskikh believes in the force of artistic inspiration. 'The Russian avantgardist's principal creation', she insists, 'was revealed to him as the result of powerful spiritual tension, in a moment of ecstatic illumination.' Her book is a painstaking labour of restoration. Through close analysis of the work's origins, she powerfully asserts the uniqueness of Malevich's 'discovery of nonobjectivity' and its 'long, hard, and organic maturation'. She reconstructs the history of Malevich's short-lived artistic movement Fevralism, the immediate (and immediately buried) predecessor to Suprematism. She sets out to disprove the views of critics who regard this Russian movement as derivative of Cubism and Futurism, as well as those 'scholars practicing gender discourse' (as she disdainfully calls them) who have convinced themselves that Malevich 'borrowed' the discovery of nonobjectivity from his female colleague the artist Olga Rozanova. Taking apart Malevich's own fictions (among other sleights of hand, he backdated works to 'correct' his own artistic biography), Shatskikh establishes a chronology of the works that led to Black Square, and is able to give, through a feat of scholarly detection clinched by the postmark on an envelope, a precise date for the painting itself: 8 June 1915.
How would Malevich, who was fascinated by the discoveries of physics about the incorporeal energy of the universe (gravitation, electricity and radioactivity), have regarded the recent x-ray of his iconic canvas, which revealed that Black Square was painted at urgent speed over another composition made up of polychromatic geometric forms? With time, these underlying colours have begun to show through the craquelures on the square's surface. The artist had been working on another abstract canvas when he had an overwhelming vision of the black plane. The verbal leitmotif 'partial eclipse', which appears in his Fevralist canvases Englishman in Moscow and Composition with Mona Lisa and which had been nagging at him for months, was suddenly transformed into a 'total eclipse', the world as nonobjectivity.
Although this was a solitary moment of creative intuition, Malevich worked among other artists. Shatskikh analyses his collaborations with avant-garde poets and artists in theatrical productions, exhibitions and the Supremus project, which incorporated a journal (Supremus) and a creative society. Malevich's legacy is caught up in the chaos of the 20th century, which scattered and erased so much historical treasure. The backdrops to his artistic career were world war, revolution and Stalinism. In his years of Suprematist experiment, Malevich was surrounded by brilliant women, among them the 'Amazons of the Avant-Garde', who were celebrated in the late 1990s in an exhibition at New York's Guggenheim Museum: Alexandra Exter, Natalia Goncharova, Liubov Popova, Olga Rozanova, Varvara Stepanova and Nadezhda Udaltsova. While giving these artists their due, Shatskikh also recovers the forgotten biography of Natalia Davydova, a cultured landowner who 'played a pivotal role in introducing and affirming Suprematism', but who later disappeared 'due to her tragic life, mangled by Russian history'. Davydova's Ukrainian estate, Verbovka, was home to an innovative handicrafts artel. Malevich's work on abstract designs for applied artwares that were displayed in Davydova's 1915 exhibition of decorative arts moved him decisively forward on his path to Black Square.
The richest source for Shatskikh's research is the private collection and archive of the Russian scholar of the avant-garde Nikolai Khardzhiev, who died in the Netherlands in 1996. Part of his treasure trove of 20th-century art-historical treasures - the Khardzhiev-Chaga Art Foundation - is now held in Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum. Some of the hoard, which Khardzhiev jealously guarded for many decades in his Moscow apartment, has been lost without trace. The largest part, which was confiscated at Sheremetyevo airport as Khardzhiev tried to smuggle it out of Russia in 1993, is sealed until 2019 in a state archive in Moscow. The gripping, extraordinary story of the partial preservation of this collection is mainly consigned to Shatskikh's footnotes. It involves allegations of grand theft, multimillion-dollar fraud, the world's top art galleries, missing masterpieces, the capricious destruction of cultural artefacts, secret police and possibly murder. Malevich, who reduced form to zero, has become a commodity of rare price. In 2008, a Suprematist canvas of 1916 broke records for Russian art, fetching $60 million at Sotheby's.
In this light, Aleksandra Shatskikh's disinterested examination of the creative evolution of Malevich's principal work feels redemptive. English-speaking readers with a serious interest in the history of art should take pleasure in her distinctive combination of scholarly discipline and passionate appreciation. Malevich said that as he covered his canvas with black paint, 'fiery lightning bolts' crossed in front of his eyes. In the age of television, his cracked square still has the power to provoke puzzlement and awe.
Exclusive from the Literary Review print edition. Subscribe now!
Rachel Polonsky is a lecturer in Slavonic Studies at Cambridge University and a Fellow of Murray Edwards College. Her most recent book is Molotov's Magic Lantern: A Journey in Russian History.
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Today is a big day for OpenDNS. We announced we’re now 50 million strong. More than 50 million people around the world — from our home base in San Francisco to some of the planet’s furthest reaches — choose OpenDNS. They are Chief Security Officers at Fortune 50 enterprises, small business owners, parents looking to keep their kids safe online and people who care about having a safer, more reliable Internet experience.
It’s a big responsibility to build a service now chosen by 50 million people. That’s a lot of people. Years ago I started getting tapped on the shoulder while doing something like waiting in line wearing an OpenDNS t-shirt. “Hey, I love OpenDNS!” they’d say. It was always an incredibly cool, proud experience for me. At first it only happened in San Francisco, a hub of tech acitivity, and I figured that’s probably why. But then it started happening everywhere I travelled, all over the world. And I knew we were doing something right. Today I’m humbled by the fact that OpenDNS is chosen by 1 in 3 U.S. public schools, is running on half of all college and university campuses and so many businesses and homes.
And we’re just getting started. The culmination of several critical factors is driving massive growth for OpenDNS.
— First and foremost, demand for a faster, more reliable DNS service, provided by a trustworthy and privacy-sensitive company such as OpenDNS, continues to grow. Individuals want a DNS service they can count on for 100 percent uptime, and businesses and schools want a single, reliable DNS service for all locations that can be managed centrally.
— Second, OpenDNS has developed pioneering ways to secure Internet connections and offer an unprecedented level of control through the DNS. OpenDNS services have long blocked phishing domains, but today OpenDNS Enterprise uniquely blocks malware and renders existing malware infections unthreatening by preventing infected machines from phoning home to their command and control. This protects users, and helps businesses prevent the leakage of sensitive data from their network. The service is lightweight, easy to deploy and easy to manage. It’s one of the strongest areas of growth for OpenDNS and is being embraced by thousands of academic institutions and businesses, including some of the largest companies in the world.
— The way in which people access the Internet is changing. No longer do people connect to just one network. Today they connect not just on mobile devices, but to multiple WiFi networks in a single day using multiple devices. DNS is used in all of these access methods and we’re making that easier than ever.
Some other updates for you (a few of which have already been announced on this blog, but we’ll recap):
— The lights are on at our beautiful new headquarters: If you’re in the area, drop by and visit our gorgeous new headquarters at 145 Bluxome Street. (A call first would be appreciated.)
— Welcome OpenDNS Vancouver: Vancouver is a fantastic city, and full of top engineering talent. So it made a whole lot of sense for us to open up shop there. A whole lot of cool stuff if being engineered there, as I type, in fact. And we’re hiring up there, too.
— DNSCrypt is changing the game: If you consider yourself a technical person, check out the preview of DNSCrypt, the OpenDNS-invented technology that’s laying the groundwork for a safer mobile Internet experience.
— Strong management makes everyone stronger: I’m thrilled that we can now call Dan Hubbard our CTO (former CTO of Websense), Mark Kreitzman our head of Alliances (formerly same role at Cisco/ScanSafe — and who you should email to partner with us!) and Josh Redner (former sales leader at Good Technologies, AirMagnet and Fluke Networks) our VP of Corporate Sales.
As always, this is your OpenDNS. We always want to hear what you think of what we’re doing, and what you want us to deliver. 50 million thank yous for your support. And a dancing banana.
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Brown was born and raised in Wilcox County, Ga. He got his doctorate in pharmacy from Mercer University before he moved to Cedartown, where he worked for Moore's pharmacy. After working at Moore's, Brown decided to open his own pharmacy just down the street at 546 North Main Street. Later in his life, Brown served as a city commissioner for Cedartown.
The pharmacy featured a soda fountain and snack bar, as well as an ambulance service in the 1970's. Brown took pride in having an area in the back of the store for people to sit around and socialize.
“A lot of problems were solved and a lot of politics were discussed around this table,” said Ray Merritt, a long-time friend of Brown.
“This was a community pharmacy,” said Terry Wheeler, who worked as an EMT for Brown's ambulance service. “This was not just a place to come and get your prescription, this was a place to come and ask questions and get medical advice,” said Wheeler. “He ran this place like they would have at the turn of the century.”
Brown collected many antique items from the area and displayed them in his store. The photographs and items are still on display, reminding customers of the rich history of Cedartown and Polk County.
As time moved on, the county began running their own ambulance service and many large chain pharmacies moved into the area. Brown's became one of the few remaining privately owned pharmacies in Cedartown.
“When the chains came through there were only a few pharmacies left where people could come in and socially interact with the pharmacist,” said Wheeler. “When people come into the chain pharmacies, they don't get a chance to interact with the pharmacist, but Wilburn always prided himself in having that interaction with the customers.”
Brown was also known to many of his friends as a caring and trustworthy man.
“The biggest thing he had with his customers was trust,” said Wheeler. “He built a trust and friendship with everyone. There were no 'big I's' or 'little you's' with his customers, he treated everyone equally.”
Mike Nix, who worked as a pharmacist with Brown, remembers how much Brown cared about his customers. Nix remembered a time when a couple had just come into town and their little girl had an ear infection and needed some medication. Nix said he asked if he should hang the bill up for them to pay later in the week. Brown told him just to throw it away, that they couldn't pay for it. Nix asked Brown why he gave them the medicine and Brown said that it was important to help out that little girl; Brown said “I just couldn't let her go without her medication.”
“If we could give out a humanitarian award, he would be the candidate,” said Wheeler.
Brown passed away at the age of 81 on the first of August 2012. Ownership of the business passed to Judy Brown, his wife; Denise Wallace, his daughter; and Lee Brown, his son. Lee Brown said he plans to keep the pharmacy open and Nix will be taking over as the pharmacist.
Nix has been a pharmacist since 1976. He had a store of his own in Atlanta before he came to work with Brown in 1984 as a relief pharmacist. He worked at several pharmacies around town and retired from Wal-Mart, He came back to Browns around the first of the year.
“Wilburn took me back like I had never left,” said Nix.
“I worked about 25 years for the chains, and this side [of the business] is much more relaxed and personal,” said Nix.
Nix said that the first thing he plans to do is to get more customers into the store.
“A lot of people thought we were closed because Wilburn died and just stopped coming in. We want to get the word back out that we're here and running as usual and we want to run it like Wilburn ran it before,” said Nix.
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On the one-year anniversary of her paralysis, tenacious dancer and gymnast Tresa Honaker will don bionic legs, a step she hopes will lead her to one day dance once more.
“I want to walk again,” Honaker said. “I want to dance again.”
On this day one year ago, Honaker, 47, fell 15 feet while practicing an aerial dance at The Center for the Arts in Grass Valley — a shattering crash that severed her spine and left her paralyzed from the waist down.
Honaker had been renowned locally for her aerial dancing, an aspiration attained through physical dedication, she said.
“At that time, I was probably healthier than I was in my entire life,” Honaker said.
After the fall, it would have been easy for Honaker to spiral into depression. But she’s not one to give up or shy away from a challenge.
“Do I settle into what I have and make the best of it, or do I keep pushing to get something back?” Honaker asked. “I would rather end my life pushing the limit.”
Honaker views her paralysis the same as she viewed returning to dancing after years away from it in her 20s — a challenge she said required her to catch up with dancers who had kept with it. In coming back, she said she had to retrain her body.
“I kept thinking, ‘Even though I’m older than most people I hang out with, I can learn this,’” Honaker said. “This is just a different set of circumstances,”
In the intervening year since her injury, Honaker has explored a multitude of physical therapies, meeting folks from the disabled community and raising funds for her treatment — all in an effort not to be bound by her circumstances.
“It was what I did,” Honaker said. “I just want to feel connected again.”
Prior to her fall, Honaker had subsisted as a hairdresser, a profession impeded by her being in a wheelchair.
“Right now, I need to find another way to collect income,” Honaker said, “because I’m basically living off Social Security for my basic needs.”
Nearly $30,000 was raised in the last year to support Honaker — most of which came from Nevada County, she said.
“Everything they did and everything they told me, it blew me away,” Honaker said. “I had no idea that many people cared.”
Among tactics that have included yoga and acupuncture, Honaker has visited Grass Valley’s Spring Hill Physical Therapy, Oakland-based Axis, a “physically integrated” dance company, as well as meeting the Sundance Channel’s “Push Girls”, which follows a group of paralyzed women in Hollywood.
She’s also a member of Team Colours, a Southern California wheelchair company.
“I try to stay active as much as possible. I lift weights, and I push around town (in my wheelchair),” Honaker said.
“When I go out and get winded and my muscles ache, that reminds me of who I am.”
Honaker has also worked with Project Walk, an intense activity-based spinal injury recovery center in Carlsbad that bucks the notion of compensating a disability and instead attempts to reestablish neural activity to areas of paralysis.
“They push you hard,” Honaker said, noting that the demanding physicality of the therapy is a welcome reminder of her aerial dancing.
“It’s a little expensive, but I get a lot out of it,” Honaker said.
It was a bit of luck that Ekso Bionics became interested in Honaker as somewhat of a test pilot for its wearable robot, or exoskeleton, geared to enable people with lower-extremity paralysis or weakness to stand and walk.
Honaker remains the artistic director of AirAligned, a Grass Valley group she founded specializing in the theatrical aerial dance, featuring acrobatics and dance while performers hold onto a fabric. She still teaches classes there.
A relative of a student works at Ekso, Honaker said, and he heard of Honaker through the grapevine.
Honaker was fitted Thursday for the Ekso suit, she said, which is a ready-to-wear, battery-powered bionic device that is strapped over the user’s clothing, according to the company’s website.
Usually, individuals begin using a walker and progress to crutches.
The company plans to launch a personal version in early 2014.
“Ekso coming up was really good for me because standing upright and walking is the best thing for me right now,” Honaker said. “It will give me the strength to look forward.”
Honaker is expected to give the suit a test run today, which just happens to be the one-year anniversary of her paralysis. Honaker described that as a weird coincidence.
“It’s really strange that it’s on the same day,” she said.
Honaker hopes to continue to use the Ekso suit at the company’s site as frequently as possible — once a week if allowed, she said.
“I don’t want to forget what it’s like to be me,” she said.
To make a contribution to Honaker’s recovery, visit her website at www.airaligned.com to donate via PayPal or at Tri-Counties Bank (formerly Citizen’s Bank).
To contact Staff Writer Christopher Rosacker, email [email protected] or call (530) 477-4236.
“I want to walk again. I want to dance again.”\n
— Tresa Honaker
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Glenn Rutland has been in the classroom for more than 30 years. During that time she has taught Physical Science, Earth and Space Science, Life Science, and gifted learners in Middle and Elementary schools in Georgia and Florida. Glenn is currently teaching 5th grade at Holley-Navarre Intermediate School in Navarre, Florida.
Glenn was a finalist for the NASA astronaut Teacher in Space program. As a result of this accomplishment she has been a member of NASA/NEAT (Network of Educator Astronaut Teachers) for the past five years. Glenn presents many teacher workshops using materials and knowledge gathered from the NASA education program.
Glenn is also a teacher coach for the ZERO-G flights and a Hawking Fellow. Glenn distributes her microgravity lessons to teachers and students alike so that her microgravity experiences are spread throughout her district.
Rothschild Middle School Teacher of The Year, Holley-Navarre Intermediate Teacher of the Year, Air Force Association State of Florida Aerospace Teacher of The Year and Wilmington College Educator Alumni Award are just a few of the accolades that Glenn has received during her teaching career.
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New Melasma Treatment for Pregnant Women
POSTED: Monday, January 11, 2010 - 11:47am
UPDATED: Friday, June 4, 2010 - 12:00am
You might not notice it if you passed her on the street, but Maria Roques has melasma. And it bothers her everytime she looks in the mirror.
"This one over here is starting to get a little darker," Maria Roques said.
Melasma is hormonal disorder causing dark patches in the skin and most often, it's seen in pregnant women. "My first child, my first pregnancy it started to appear, but again, when you're pregnant all this stuff starts to happen," Roques said.
It's a common problem, affecting 45 million people worldwide, but because it's most noticeable in women with darker skin, it carries a confidence crushing stigma in Latin and African American cultures. "Since my mother and my sister have it, I thought it was normal and I thought it would go away," Roques said.
Until recently doctors say there wasn't a very effective treatment for the condition -- but fractionated laser resurfacing is changing all that. Microscopic laser columns penetrate the dermis of your skin creating tiny wounds. Those wounds stimulate the collagen and elastin production healing the spots from the inside out.
"It's probably the best treatment currently available for the treatment of melasma. Someone like Maria will have a significant improvement and will drop from a four down to a one or even a zero," Dr. Bill Johnson, an esthetics specialist, said. Because melasma is a chronic condition, the treatment is not a cure. "She very likely though will require some maintenance treatments over time," Dr. Johnson said. But it will help Maria get her pre-baby face back once again.
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Scott Gold of the Los Angeles Times is the first mainstream reporter on the story about a new order of priests to be called Missionaries of the Gospel of Life. The order will devote the majority of its efforts to resisting abortion and euthanasia through political organizing.
The report quotes extensively from the Rev. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, founder of the new order, and from Bishop John Yanta of Amarillo, Texas, who will provide the order with cost-free housing.
Gold’s writing is mostly balanced, with the usual qualifiers of partial quotes and “what they describe”:
They also will “bring healing and forgiveness” to those who have had abortions and will provide what they describe as counseling services to women who are “tempted to abort their child,” [Pavone] said.
Gold checks in with the local Planned Parenthood chapter, which expresses its concerns about the new order’s founding:
But in a prepared statement, Planned Parenthood of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle expressed concerns that the society could attract extremists who might resort to violence to further the antiabortion cause.
Planned Parenthood said it feared that people trained by the society would use hardball tactics against healthcare providers, such as organizing clinic blockades.
Healthcare professionals and women’s right advocates often criticize such tactics as acts of intimidation intended to shame women who already are facing difficult decisions
If there is increased activity of that sort, Planned Parenthood said, money likely will be diverted from healthcare to security. And if women are afraid to go to area clinics, the number of unintended pregnancies could rise, the group’s statement said.
It’s worth mentioning here, as Gold does not, that Priests for Life repudiates all violence, and has offered $50,000 to those whose tips help authorities arrest vigilante killers.
While we’re on the subject of the culture of life, pundit Anna Quindlen has determined that no such thing exists:
It is an empty suit of a phrase, absent an individual to give it shape. There is no culture of life. There is the culture of your life, and the culture of mine. There is what each of us considers bearable, and what we will not bear. There are those of us who believe that under certain conditions the cruelest thing you can do to people you love is to force them to live. There are those of us who define living not by whether the heart beats and the lungs lift but whether the spirit is there, whether the music box plays.
Again we see the quasi-Gnostic notion that Terri Schiavo’s spirit departed her body 15 years ago, except this time Quindlen attributes this finding to — brace yourselves — doctors: “A raft of doctors said over the years that Terri’s reactions were purely reflexive, that she would not recover, that she would never be more than the vessel in which her spirit once lived, like a music box that no longer plays.”
It’s always good to hear about the interaction of faith and medicine, but I would worry if my family doctor began referring to any patient as a music box that no longer plays.
Quindlen is unequivocal in explaining where she stands in the debate about end-of-life issues:
Last week my father and I received this short e-mail from my sister, a public-school teacher in San Francisco:
i’m telling you both this now
if i am ever in a ‘persistent vegetative state’ please let me die
do not have a feeding tube put in me
and in no uncertain terms: do not let the united states government get involved.
No public official is going to tell me how to xoxo my sister. No church, no court. The Schiavo case has asked us to look at our own definition of life, not at some formless notion cobbled out of the Bible, medical textbooks and impersonal sentiment.
Quindlen can call that position whatever she likes, but she lacks the moral authority to deprive others (including Pope John Paul II) of the phrase culture of life.
If that gives Ms. Quindlen the heebie-jeebies, she’ll have to get used to it.
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1-19 Torrington Place
9th and 10th Floors
London WC1E 7HB
Tel: +44 020 7679 1843
Managing Stress at Work - Appendix 2
Check List to Assist in the Identification and Management of Workplace Issues that Might Have an Adverse Effect on Health and Work Performance
UCL has a duty of care towards its staff and a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment. This checklist (Word doc) is designed to provide UCL managers and staff with guidance on the practical steps they can take to avoid or address workplace issues that might have an adverse effect on health and performance. The checklist aims to support managers in the implementation of UCL’s employment policies.
The checklist can be used to
- Identify workplace issues that might have an adverse effect on health and work performance
- Identify reasonable adjustments that could be implemented to reduce the risk of adverse effects
- Identify sources of practical and emotional support at work
Sources of information, support and guidance to help in this process are available here.
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A long-standing criticism of the N.B.A. has been the influence of referees on the flow and outcome of games – especially how, when, and in what context certain fouls are called.
Given the presence of ever-improving video technology, it is inevitable that a good number of foul calls could be proven incorrect. Problem is, unlike with instant replay in the N.F.L., there is no mechanism for N.B.A. refs to right such wrongs, short of altering the severity of a flagrant foul.
Which is why the league needs to move from referee-whistled fouls and adopt a practice as time tested as the game itself: letting the players call their own.
Well, kind of.
Anyone who has played pickup basketball can appreciate the noble nature of the “call your own” code. Without referees to adjudicate physical transgressions, opposing teams are often compelled – as much psychologically as politically – to call only fouls that everyone on the court could be reasonably expected to call.
Obviously, the stakes of today’s multibillion dollar N.B.A. are far too high for us to naively expect such blacktop honor to carry the day. Still, giving players – or more accurately, the teams themselves – more control over how fouls are called could lend the league a level of authenticity often doubted by the modern sports fan.
Here’s how such a system would work, broken down into some basic guideposts:
Each game would include six referees; three on the court, and three in a “review booth” at the scorer’s table.
The three on-court referees would weigh in on the game’s less controversial issues like traveling, loose ball fouls, as well as any fouls in the area beyond the free throw line.
The big change would be that each team would appoint two representatives – “team refs,” for lack of a better term – to stand along the baseline and call fouls on the opposing team committed in the area below the free throw line.
When a team representative calls a foul, the three-member sideline team would immediately review the call, using every camera angle necessary, and by a simple majority determine whether a foul had been committed.
If a foul is upheld, standard rules would apply. If it is not upheld, the opposing team would be awarded the ball and a one-shot technical.
Team representatives would also be permitted to challenge offensive foul calls made by the on-court referees, to the tune of three per half.
Clearly, the success of such a drastic overhaul would hinge on how quickly the video could be effectively reviewed and the sideline judgment rendered. But there is a lag between a whistle and the resumption of play, so even if it took a bit more time to get the right call, a few seconds in exchange for more accurate officiating hardly seems a devil’s deal.
We may actually end up seeing fewer fouls called – particularly late in games, because one bad decision by a team ref could mean the difference between a win and a loss. That would not only help make up for any time lost during the sideline review process, it could also preserve a game’s rhythm and flow, often now compromised by referees’ attempts – however noble the intention – at “game management.”
Part of the charm and appeal of sports lies in its unpredictability, and the elements of chance and subjective folly that make them closer proxies to the injustices of real life than they might otherwise be. But sports are best served when the next day’s water cooler conversations are of spectacular plays, and not wayward whistles.
It would not a be a cure-all, but a “call your own” system could help the N.B.A. prove it really wants to let its players play.
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Recently, I posted about the social value of blushing. There are similar echoes today in an article on physorg. Here's an excerpt:
Embarrassment is one emotional signature of a person to whom you can entrust valuable resources. It's part of the social glue that fosters trust and cooperation in everyday life.See? Blushing is a good thing.
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Hospitals Losing Workers as Healthcare Jobs Grow
It's important from an HR perspective that hospitals invest in maintaining and managing a good workforce, says Shebani Patel, a Director within PwC's Saratoga Group, who oversaw the collection of data for this hospital sector report. "They do that by having strong quality of hire," she says. Quality of hire, as measured by PwC's report, is the rate of first year turnover. Measuring this rate is a good indicator of an organization's effectiveness in hiring, orientation, and assimilation strategies, says the PwC report.
Melissa Knybel, RN, BSN and Director of Operations at Randstad Healthcare agrees. "That one year of experience is a very key indicator, because once you have that one year of hospital-based experience under your belt, you literally are employable by so many other employers," she says.
The economy, while it was weaker over the past few years, contributed to steadier retention levels. As it has strengthened, and job growth has recovered, experts are crediting part of higher turnover rates to an increase in the confidence of the healthcare workforce.
"People are wondering, 'Am I at the right place?'" says Patel. "There's nothing better than a little change in the economy to give people that boost, that feeling that, 'OK, I can consider what other opportunities are around.'"
The first year of service turnover rate for nurses (22.2%) is not surprising because of the standard experience of a first-year nurse, says Knybel. "They're at the bottom of the totem pole, usually working the night shift, or they don't have the number of hours they were hoping for."
- How Medical Debt Forgiveness Benefits Hospitals
- Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scores 'Depressing'
- Patient Harm Data to Remain on Medicare's Hospital Compare Site
- Quiet ORs Better for Patient Safety
- Tavenner Confirmed as CMS Administrator
- Building a Better Healthcare Board
- Healthcare Leaders Sound Off on Organized Labor
- Esther Dyson's Population Health Dream
- CMS Seeks to 'Rapidly Reduce' Medicare Spending with $1B in Grants
- Rural Healthcare Can Entice the Best and Brightest
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Oh, the pommelo (pummelo, pampelmousse, pamparapanasa in Telugu) is a different, delightful citrus altogether. Unlike its smaller cousins, the oranges, tangerines and such, whose interiors are softer, more wet and sections therefore slightly, just slightly, harder to peel without squashing, these are well defined. Unlike them though, this is more difficult to get through, because of its very thick rind and very fibrous interiors, but once you open it, it’s a juicy treat. This citrus fruit is quite an individual, its bittersweet taste sets its apart from the sweet-sour tang of its ilk.
My grandmother had a tree at home which died only in the last couple of years. I remember my aunt bringing it to a friend’s house, where the Aunties, who were making a vegetable salad for lunch, very matter-of-factly cut it up, scooped the flesh and put it in. It made a pretty picture alright, pale pink flesh and all, I remember thinking, but who would ever use that in a salad? (I had yet to evolve, as you can guess.) And how could they mix up such an increasingly rare fruit with plain old vegetables and not savor it by itself? Then came lunchtime, and the salad, with a very plain dressing of olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper came alive with the texture of these pommelo chunks. What were the rest of the ingredients? Onion, cucumber, carrot is what I remember, and some moong sprouts as well. Well, I may be imagining the sprouts but they go well with citrus fruit, I know that for a fact. I’ve even seen recipes for pommelo salads with shrimp but am yet to try them. There’s a yellowish-fleshed variety as well.
I’ve eaten pommelo marmalade once – that was the first time I got to know the English name of this fruit. My friend’s mother had made it from one fruit and ended up with quite a lot. The little browsing that my lately faulty Internet connection permitted me to do told me this fruit’s rind is better used for candied peel and that it’s native to South-East Asia. I still like it best sans embellishments, in all its natural glory. And I like to have it all to myself.
Last weekend, on a sudden trip home for Vinayaka Chaturthi, I noticed carts selling these. This is the only time I see them in the market. Then they made their appearance on the dining table in a relative’s home. I ate greedily, and was thrilled to carry the leftovers home and eat more. Our hostess sent over one more that evening, and I bought a couple more. One more that miraculously appeared in the fruit bowl at home made its way into my bag, Dad and Mom telling me very graciously that neither of them would eat it when I asked them if they minded. “Keep some for my guide,” said The Spouse, who’s working towards a Ph. D, “at least from my share of the fruit,” only to be told he didn’t have a share. I now have two more left. The first was peeled painstakingly, shapely, for the camera, and a knife plunged and dug through the second to rapidly fill a bowl with the booty, which made a delicious, light chilled dessert after a busy day at work.
This is my submission for Kalyn’s Weekend Herb Blogging this week, hosted by Myriam at Once Upon a Tart this week.
Weekend Herb Blogging Pommelo, pummelo, pampelmousse, pamparapanasa Fruit
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Biodiversity and Trade
Wild Atlantic salmon 'under threat' from escaped farmed fish and sea liceGuardian Unlimited | 07 Apr 2011
Scottish salmon industry criticised by leading anglers group which says government fish farm inspections are 'too lenient'. Fish farms are being frequently hit by parasite infestations and mass escapes that threaten the survival of the UK's wild salmon stocks, a leading anglers' group has said....
Anne the elephant leaves Bobby Roberts circus after cruelty inquiryGuardian Unlimited | 31 Mar 2011
RSPCA and police called in after Animal Defenders secretly film circus worker kicking and beating Anne the elephant. One of the country's most famous circuses has become a target for animal welfare activists after a worker was secretly filmed beating an elephant. Police were called to the Bobby Roberts Super Circus big top near Knutsford, Cheshire, as families from the audience leaving the performance were heckled by protesters.
The week in wildlifeGuardian Unlimited | 25 Mar 2011
Spring sightings, music for plants and flood-escaping spiders - the pick of this week's images from the natural world.
Plan to end discards protects fishermen for the long haulGuardian Unlimited | 01 Mar 2011
Throwing away thousands of tonnes of fish is unacceptable. At last the problem is getting a serious airing in Brussels. Half of the fish caught in the North Sea today are thrown away, dead, because of an EU fisheries policy that is no longer fit for purpose. We can all agree that the system is broken - throwing away thousands of tonnes of edible fish is unacceptable. But on Tuesday we heard a bold proposal from the European commission that would aim to eliminate discards.
Eco-campaigners hang 'dead sharks' from iconic Liver BuildingGreenpeace UK | 21 Feb 2011
Bosses arriving for work this morning at the giant food company Princes were confronted with the consequences of the destructive, shark-killing fishing methods used to catch the tuna for their tins. 21 February, 2011 ...
The week in wildlifeGuardian Unlimited | 18 Feb 2011
A cold cabybara has a warm shower, a black bear is disturbed from hibernation and a displaced orangutan explores a fresh clearing for a palm oil plantation.
Pandas are political animalsGuardian Unlimited | 13 Jan 2011
Cute, yes. But pandas are also powerful diplomatic assets for China, as well as consummate fundraisers. The apparent newsworthiness of pandas coming to Edinburgh zoo may be largely down to the public's delight in this distinctive bear. But the lobbying for them underlines that the panda has become more than a zoological curiosity. With the rise of modern China, its black-and-white emissary has become an increasingly political animal.
Princes tinned tuna linked to mass shark deaths as Tesco does u-turnGreenpeace UK | 09 Jan 2011
Princes – who sell more tinned tuna than any other company in the UK – have been caught using a fishing method which is responsible for catching sharks and turtles, and possibly even dolphins, a new report reveals today. The food and drink company, owned by Japanese giant Mitsubishi, has been...
The week in wildlifeGuardian Unlimited | 03 Dec 2010
A buffet for macaque monkeys and snow-covered animals are among the pick of this week's images from the natural world
Attenborough to host 'Hope 4 Apes' eveningGuardian Unlimited | 01 Dec 2010
On 6 December, Sir David Attenborough will host an evening with leading ape conservation experts, highlighting the plight of the apes and the reasons for optimism.
Fishing nations agree slim Atlantic tuna quota cutReuters | 27 Nov 2010
Fishing nations agreed on Saturday to a slim reduction in quotas for catching giant Atlantic bluefin tuna, whose stocks have plunged as fishermen strive to meet demand from sushi lovers.
MP calls for ban on hunting of 'majestic' lionsEpolitix.com | 17 Nov 2010
Andrew Turner MP calls for an international ban on the hunting of lions ahead of his Westminster Hall debate on government policy on lion trophies and the protection of lions.
Animal welfare concerns Britons more than food safetyGuardian Unlimited | 17 Nov 2010
EU-wide survey shows while cloning and GM foods dismay other countries, here livestock conditions cause the most worry. Britons seem more worried about the welfare of farm animals than health risks from food, an EU-wide survey revealed today. While concerns in the UK over pesticides, pollution,...
Summit must tackle impacts of food productionGuardian Unlimited | 21 Oct 2010
Nagoya delegates need to plan how the world achieves food security, before ecosystems reach critical tipping points. Governments from around the world will arrive in Nagoya, Japan next week for the high-level ministerial segment of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting. Their task is daunting. Even the modest target set in 2002 of reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 has proved beyond the reach of current strategies.
Letters: The challenge facing biodiversityGuardian Unlimited | 20 Oct 2010
Next week, the conference of the parties to the convention on biological diversity meets in Japan. The meeting presents Defra secretary of state, Caroline Spelman, with a global stage to share her government's ambition to "protect wildlife and ... restore biodiversity". We applaud this intent and...
Should I wear the fur coats I have inherited?Guardian Unlimited | 19 Oct 2010
Is wearing a fur coat always wrong, even if it means getting rid of a garment that could keep you warm in the winter? I am Italian. I know it might sound superfluous as a statement, but, here in England, I feel cold. When my mother passed away last year, I inherited seven of her furs. These furs...
Biodiversity: Variety as the spice of life | EditorialGuardian Unlimited | 19 Oct 2010
Conservation is quite literally vital. This is a challenge that calls for serious science, serious action - and serious money. This has been the International Year of Biodiversity and a UN gathering in Nagoya, Japan, is getting under way, charged with launching a 10-year strategy to avert the...
WWF on stopping species lossGuardian Unlimited | 18 Oct 2010
Representatives of governments from around the world are gathering this week in Japan in an effort to halt the decline of the planet's animal and plant species.While George Monbiot examines the prospects for the meeting today, we're joined tomorrow at 1pm for a live chat with Mark Wright, chief scientist at WWF. He will be here to help answer any questions you have on biodiversity, the meeting itself and the bigger issue of species loss globally.
'Last chance' to save species in the wildGuardian Unlimited | 16 Oct 2010
Leaders of the few remaining countries where tigers are still found in the wild are preparing for a make-or-break summit in Russia, which they believe offers the last chance to save the critically endangered animal. The Global Tiger Summit in St Petersburg next month will bring together the 13 countries that still have wild tigers, along with conservation organisations, in an attempt to thrash out a global recovery plan. Britain and the US are also being urged to attend.
U.N. must not rush genetic resources protocol: lobbyYahoo! News | 06 Oct 2010
The world should not rush to reach agreement on a United Nations protocol that could have a huge impact on businesses by setting rules for access to genetic resources and discoveries a Japanese lobby said on Wednesday.
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Tobacco bans could block the way to badges
By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER and ALEX LEARY
Published January 25, 2005
TAMPA - Smokers, put down that nicotine stick and take note: If you want to be a cop in Tampa Bay, you might want to kick the habit.
Smokers already are shunned from restaurants, malls and movie theaters. Now the sheriffs in Hillsborough and Pasco counties say they will ban cigarettes and other tobacco products from the mouths and lungs of their forces.
Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee and Pasco County Sheriff Bob White won't hire people who are smokers, cigar users or tobacco chewers, even if they only indulge when off-duty. Sworn deputies already on the force will be encouraged to toss their Marlboros and Camels whenever on duty and in public.
In Pasco, the Sheriff's Office will only hire applicants who do not smoke or use any tobacco products "in any way, either on or off duty" and have not used tobacco in the previous six months. The policy, which took effect last week, won't apply to current employees, but spokesman Doug Tobin said, "we believe all employees could benefit by participating."
The two agencies are the latest to embrace a movement seen in law enforcement and emergency rescue agencies across the country, from Pinellas County to Boca Raton to Seattle.
The primary goal of the Pasco ban, Tobin said, is to promote good health. It also could lead to lower health insurance costs for the agency, which has about 1,100 full- and part-time employees.
Hillsborough's sheriff says the smoking ban is part of an overall emphasis on "wellness" that he laid out last week in a plan for his first 180 days in office.
"I'm not going to be out smoke-testing them or anything," said Gee, a nonsmoker who took office earlier this month. "But we want them to set a good example for people who may look up to them as role models."
He plans to set up a wellness program that emphasizes the need for his 3,000 employees to eat better and exercise more.
Fitness standards for new hires will be higher, and the annual fitness evaluation for deputies likely will become more challenging as well, he said.
The ban on hiring smokers takes effect immediately, with the rest to follow in the months to come.
Like the Pasco sheriff, Gee sees a financial benefit for the Sheriff's Office in banning tobacco use. If there are fewer nicotine addicts, he said, it's likely the Sheriff's Office won't have to pay as much for employees' medical costs. "So we're trying to have a healthier work force," he said.
Gee said he is still ironing out the provisions of the tobacco ban. For example, it's not clear what - if any - penalty there will be for violating it.
In some departments, violations can lead to dismissal. A seven-year veteran of the Fall River, Mass., Police Department was fired in 2003 after an anonymous letter disclosed the officer was smoking off-duty at a party. The officer had signed a contract pledging not to use tobacco, according to news reports.
In Pasco, applicants will have to sign an agreement stating they do not now and will not in the future use tobacco, Tobin said.
While civil liberties advocates are wary of these smoking bans, Hillsborough and Pasco are not alone in their no-smoking stance.
State law, for example, prevents firefighters from smoking.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has banned smokers from its pool of new hires since last fall. Also, prospective deputies undergo polygraph questioning about smoking and are tested for nicotine during a physical. If an applicant fails, he or she must wait six months before seeking employment again, said sheriff's spokesman Mac McMullen.
"I'm not going to be out smoke-testing them or anything. But we want them to set a good example for people who may look up to them as role models."
--DAVID GEE, Hillsborough County sheriff
The Clearwater Police Department has had a ban on hiring smokers since 1988.
The U.S. Supreme Court in 1996 upheld the city of North Miami's policy barring the hiring of job candidates who smoked within the year before they applied.
In 2001, Temple Terrace adopted a city policy banning the hiring of smokers, including people who smoke only away from their jobs. Three years later, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that Temple Terrace's policy was legally sound.
Howard Simon, executive director of the Florida American Civil Liberties Union, said that while there is legal precedent for such tobacco restrictions, enforcing them puts agencies at risk of violating employees' privacy.
"We're talking about what people do on their own time, in their own back yards," Simon said. "On some days, people might like to pig out on their couch watching football with a quart of ice cream. That's unhealthy, too, but people have a right to do that.
"At some point, we have to draw the line between what is an employer's business and what isn't."
When he took office last year, Tampa police Chief Steve Hogue announced that fitness would be a priority. He required every employee with a badge to pass a physical agility test within a month of his arrival.
But the Tampa Police Department has no restrictions on smoking, said spokesman Joe Durkin.
Neither does the St. Petersburg Police Department when it comes to hiring officers, according to spokesman Bill Proffitt.
Gee stressed that he doesn't want to become the fitness cop - telling his employees what to eat or how much time to spend at the gym. He isn't exempting himself from the new fitness standards.
"I started running again because I knew I was going to ask other people to get in shape," he said.
"I'm just trying to be realistic."
--Staff researchers Caryn Baird, Kitty Bennett and Cathy Wos contributed to this report. Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler can be reached at 813 226-3373 or [email protected]
[Last modified January 25, 2005, 01:21:08]
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International Delegation Visits JCSU as Part of DNC Tour
As part of Johnson C. Smith University’s participation in events during the Democratic National Convention (DNC), the University partnered with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce to host a luncheon on September 3 for 75 leaders from around the world who are members of the International Leaders Forum of the National Democratic Institute.
The foreign delegates represented current or former heads of state, ministers and leaders in parliament, political parties and the D.C.-based diplomatic corps. Their DNC site visit to JCSU and other locations in Charlotte focused on the key areas of energy, education and health services.
In his luncheon address to the foreign delegates, Johnson C. Smith University President Ronald L. Carter described the effects of the changing educational and political landscape on students, educators and the global economy. “Our students will not only have an intellectual awareness of the world but identify themselves as global citizens,” said Carter. The challenges we face today as a nation, Carter said, involve providing access to higher education for a student body that is becoming increasingly diverse and financially challenged. Citing a disturbing trend of rising costs of education in the midst of declining incomes, Carter said “we must not limit access to education, but open the door wide.”
By 2015, the majority of the U.S. population will be people of color, Carter said. “We have experience in educating that one segment of the emerging majority.” Johnson C. Smith University joins the 125 Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country with a successful track record of serving 300,000 students a year. Educators need to help the new majority of students develop the vision and emotional strength required to succeed, as well as provide the academic support services, scholarships and grants needed to graduate, Carter added. He cited financial support, particularly through Pell grants, as a critical factor in student retention and success. Pell grants, he said, have been at risk in this political campaign. With a 1,120 percent rise in college costs over the past 30 years, Pell grants today cover only 36 percent of college costs, compared to 77 percent in 1980. “The last cut in the Pell grants,” Carter noted, “could impact 62,000 to 100,000 students in the U.S.”
The delegation continued its visit, observing the convention proceedings and taking part in a series of bipartisan panel discussions on the U.S. political process, foreign and domestic policy issues, and media coverage defining the presidential election cycle.
Founded in 1867, Johnson C. Smith University is the premier independent urban liberal arts university located in the heart of Charlotte, N.C. It offers a progressive liberal arts curriculum with 23 fields of study to more than 1,600 students. The University prepares students for success through excellent academic programs with a focus on servant leadership, civic engagement and global responsibility.
###Return to Latest News
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Merck Serono Announces Positive Results From Phase III Diet Study of Phenoptin for Phenylketonuria
GENEVA, Switzerland, January 16, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Merck Serono today announced positive results from the Phase III diet study of Phenoptin(TM) (sapropterin dihydrochloride), in combination with diet, in 4-12 year old patients. Phenoptin is an investigational oral small molecule, being developed in partnership with BioMarin, for the treatment of patients with phenylketonuria (PKU), who have elevated phenylalanine (Phe) levels. The results show that all pre-specified efficacy and safety endpoints of the double-blind, placebo-controlled study were met. Phenoptin treatment caused a significant increase in phenylalanine tolerance as well as a reduction in blood phenylalanine levels. In addition, the data showed that Phenoptin was well tolerated in younger PKU patients who were under dietary control.
Dr. Harvey Levy, Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Senior Associate in Medicine and Genetics at Children's Hospital Boston, stated, "This is the first time a controlled study has demonstrated the potential of tetrahydrobiopterin, or 6R-BH4, to liberalize diet in PKU patients. If approved, Phenoptin offers patients who respond to BH4 a real opportunity to relax their diets and the possibility to perhaps reduce or even eliminate the need for nutritional supplementation from medical food."
Key findings from the study:
- In the primary endpoint, Phenoptin enabled a mean increase of 20.9 mg/kg/day in Phe supplementation for those patients on Phenoptin (p<0.001). Patients treated with Phenoptin were able to, on average, double their baseline intake. At week 10, they were able to take a mean total Phe intake of approximately 43.8 mg/kg/day, while maintaining controlled blood Phe levels. The mean Phe tolerance represents approximately half the amount of Phe in a normal diet.
- The two secondary endpoints were also met:
- Phenoptin provided a mean reduction of 148.5 mmol/L (from a starting mean of 275.7 mmol/L) in blood Phe level from baseline to week 3 (prior to Phe supplementation) (p<0.001).
- At the end of the study, patients on Phenoptin were able to increase their daily Phe supplement by a mean of 20.9 mg/kg versus a mean of 2.9 mg/kg for placebo patients (p<0.001).
- The incidence and types of adverse events were similar in both the placebo and Phenoptin groups and all reported events were mild or moderate in severity. There were two serious adverse events (one in the Phenoptin group and one in the placebo group), neither of which were considered drug-related. The most frequently reported adverse events were headache, abdominal pain, fatigue, and diarrhea.
The 11-week multi-center double-blind, placebo controlled Phase 3 study enrolled 90 patients between the ages of 4 and 12 years, with blood Phe levels below 480 mmol/L. Patients were screened for responsiveness to Phenoptin with an open-label one-week treatment at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day (Part 1). Of the 89 patients who completed Part 1, 50 subjects demonstrated a blood Phe reduction of at least 30%, and 45 were randomized to Phenoptin (20 mg/kg/day) or placebo in a 3:1 ratio, and enrolled in the 10-week double-blind, placebo-controlled portion of the study (Part 2). For the first three weeks, patients maintained their pre-existing restricted diet with no supplementation of phenylalanine. Thereafter, every other week, specific amounts of phenylalanine were added (or removed) to the restricted diet of each patient according to pre-defined blood phenylalanine levels. The maximum amount of Phe that could be added to a patient diet during the study was 50 mg/kg/day.
BioMarin and Merck Serono remain on track to file the New Drug Application in the US and Marketing Authorization Application in Europe for Phenoptin in PKU in the second and third quarters of 2007, respectively.
Phenoptin is an investigational oral small molecule therapeutic for the treatment of PKU. The active ingredient in Phenoptin, sapropterin dihydrochloride, is the synthetic form of 6R-BH4 (tetrahydrobiopterin), a naturally occurring enzyme cofactor that works in conjunction with phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) to metabolize Phe. Preliminary clinical data have suggested that Phenoptin has a potential to produce significant reductions in blood Phe levels in the subset of patients who are BH4-responsive. BioMarin and Merck Serono estimate that Phenoptin could be a potential treatment option for approximately 30 percent to 50 percent of the estimated 50,000 individuals in the developed world who have been diagnosed with PKU.
Phenoptin received orphan drug designation to treat PKU from both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMEA). If Phenoptin becomes the first drug therapy approved for the treatment of PKU, Phenoptin would receive seven years of market exclusivity in the United States and 10 years in the European Union for this indication. Additionally, the FDA has granted Phenoptin Fast Track designation, which is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of new drugs that are intended to treat serious or life-threatening conditions and that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs.
Under the terms of the agreement with BioMarin, Merck Serono has exclusive rights to market Phenoptin in all territories outside the United States and Japan. BioMarin has exclusive rights to market Phenoptin in the United States.
PKU, a genetic disorder affecting approximately 50,000 diagnosed patients in the developed world, is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). PAH is required for the metabolism of phenylalanine (Phe), an essential amino acid found in most protein-containing foods. If the active enzyme is not present in sufficient quantities, Phe accumulates to abnormally high levels in the blood and brain, resulting in a variety of complications including severe mental retardation and brain damage, mental illness, seizures and tremors, and cognitive problems. As a result of global newborn screening efforts implemented in the 1960s and early 1970s, virtually all PKU patients in developed countries have been diagnosed at birth. The only treatment currently available for PKU patients is a highly restrictive diet that most patients fail to adhere to the extent needed for achieving adequate control of blood Phe levels.
Positive Results from Phase III Clinical Study of Phenoptin for PKU
Positive results of a Phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study of Phenoptin (sapropterin dihydrochloride), an investigational oral small molecule for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU) were reported on March 15, 2006. Results confirmed that all pre-specified primary and secondary endpoints were met and data demonstrated a statistically significant reduction at six weeks in blood phenylalanine (Phe) levels (p<0.0001) in patients receiving Phenoptin, compared with those receiving placebo.
Some of the statements in this press release are forward looking. Such statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Merck Serono S.A. and affiliates to be materially different from those expected or anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on Merck Serono's current expectations and assumptions, which may be affected by a number of factors, including those discussed in this press release and more fully described in Serono's Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2006. These factors include any failure or delay in Merck Serono's ability to develop new products, any failure to receive anticipated regulatory approvals, any problems in commercializing current products as a result of competition or other factors, our ability to obtain reimbursement coverage for our products, the outcome of any government investigations and litigation. Merck Serono is providing this information as of the date of this press release, and has no responsibility to update the forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.
About Merck Serono
Merck Serono is a global biotechnology leader, with sales in over 90 countries. The Company is the world leader in reproductive health, with Gonal-f(R), Luveris(R) and Ovidrel(R)/Ovitrelle(R). It has strong market positions in neurology, with Rebif(R), as well as in metabolism and growth, with Saizen(R), Serostim(R) and Zorbtive(TM). The Company has recently entered the psoriasis area with Raptiva(R). Merck Serono's research programs are focused on growing these businesses and on establishing new therapeutic areas, including oncology and autoimmune diseases.
Bearer shares of Merck Serono S.A., the holding company, are traded on the virt-x (SEO) and its American Depositary Shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (SRA).
Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with sales of EUR 5.9 billion in 2005, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by about 35,000 employees (including Merck Serono) in 56 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck's operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds a 73% interest and free shareholders own the remaining 27%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.
CONTACT: Merck Serono , 9 Chemin des Mines, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland ,www.merckserono.ch; Corporate Media Relations, Tel:+41-22-414-36-00;Corporate Investor Relations, Tel:+41-22-414-36-01
Ticker Symbol: (NYSE:SRA)
Terms and conditions of use apply
Copyright © 2007 PR Newswire Association LLC. All rights reserved.
A United Business Media Company
Posted: January 2007
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It’s coming into fashion – this living in community thing, although it’s hardly a new idea – actually it is rather quite ancient.
But, having 16 years of intentional community living under our belts, I believe, the people at Open Hand, Inc. have some valuable perspective regarding what it means to live “in community.”
Here’s a few fundamentals from me. Others (in the same community) may see things quite differently. This is one of the joys of being in an intentional community, everyone gets to uniquely see, know, and interpret everything. We are a group, but there is no expected or imposed “groupthink” – of course it happens (the groupthink thing, given that when people spend a lot of time together and read a lot of the same books it is inevitable – but it is not expected).
First: If you wish to establish an authentic community it is essential that you make room in your heart (whatever that means), head, and home for people who are different, sometimes very different, from yourself.
Diversity (which cannot carry restrictions) and full acceptance (which cannot carry restrictions) are at the heart and core of sharing life in an intentional community. If you only want people much like yourself in a community you will not taste the fullness of what it means to live in intentional community. In our 16 years we have had HUNDREDS of guests from dozens of countries. Some have stayed for a few days; others have stayed for years. Some got close; some remained at arm’s length. All chose us and in a VERY few instances (I can only remember three) we had to say no. Few have been “like” us, and I am not sure who “us” would be were I to have to articulate it. The “us” changes.
Second: If you wish to live in authentic community it is essential that you give up ALL belief in your ability to control others, to control outcomes, to control very much at all. You are PART of, you are ONE with, you are in the driver’s seat of your own life ONLY. The minute you try to drive (control or “will” others) you have ceased to be an authentic community and have become something other than that. This issue of control extends even and especially to your children – where of course, a lot of the impulse to control is really tested.
Third: When you live authentically within an authentic community almost all your ideas and dreams will be modified and improved (most of the time) by the very process of being together.
I must also briefly note that community living, intentional community living, is not some flashback to Woodstock or to hippie communes, and nor is it some form of “communism-light.” (These are all things that I have heard said about us over the years).
At Open Hand, Inc., we all live in our own homes. We each pay our own bills, have our own jobs, and we do not put all our resources into a common pot. We are free to attend any church, or no church at all. We are not free because of some decision by the leaders of Open Hand, we are free simply because we are human. No one at Open Hand would even consider restricting the freedom of another, and nor would we deem to determine where or if someone should go to church.
But, we do dream great plans together and even watch a few of them come to fruition. We talk a lot, we support each others goals. We get behind each other. We are friends. We are intentional about our friendships. No one is “the leader,” there’s no handbook on how to be one of us, there’s no training program or qualification required.
Fourth: We don’t “own” or “claim” people or efforts as “ours.” For instance, we have been part of stimulating and facilitating and overseeing (ominous word) and “planting” (there’s a good church word) “works” (another churchy word) for years but we really don’t care who claims the credit or even if our name is attached to the endeavors. We already know it is not by our genius alone and we already know it takes MANY to make things “go” and be successful and so I say all power to those who wish to wear the efforts of others like a badge or a trophy. Go ahead, get all the credit you think you deserve.
Fifth – and I am going to close with this for today – my sons are ALWAYS surprised when they meet people who tell us they don’t know their neighbours.
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Santa Cruz County History - Films
Santa Cruz Sentinel-News, Morning Edition. June 10, 1916. p. 3
SMUGGLERS CAPTURED IN CAVES ON CLIFF DRIVE
A score of Santa Cruzans turned movie actors yesterday in helping to film "The Smuggler's Awakening," a thrilling one-reeler which the Santa Cruz Film Producing Company is completing this week, under the direction of Leon D. Kent. These local "first timers" acquitted themselves with great credit in following out the orders of Mr. Kent in putting on the various scenes. We are safe, absolutely, in saying that most of the characters needed no make-up whatsoever. They were the "reel" articles, as for instance, the group of fishermen gathered from the wharf headed by George Ripp, who will show up in giant form in the film. E. V. Moody and others worked in the exciting chapters. There were other local people who took part in the band of smugglers who lived and dwelt in caves and caverns along the rugged cliffs, where the smuggling boats could operate undetected.
The story as written by Mr. Kent is a very interesting one. A bank clerk lives beyond his means and gets into a battle with John Barleycorn, who seems to show superiority in the clinches. Debauches lead to his dismissal from the bank. His wife is neglected, poorly clothed and scantily fed until she is sick and weak. The husband asks her for the watch fob left by her father when he died, so that he can sell it to buy booze. The wife makes a dash to the dresser and grasps the locket. The excitement brings death and she falls to the floor. The bank clerk thinks he has killed her and takes the first train to parts unknown.
The little boy of the family, not realizing the seriousness of the situation, plays by the side of his dead mother, finally picking up the locket. He toddles out into the street and climbs into a taxi. The taxi driver is not aware of his little passenger until he arrives home. The child is adopted.
Twenty years elapse and the father becomes king of the smugglers. The son, grown up, is a U. S. Customs officer who starts out to find the smuggler's den among the cliffs. He becomes infatuated with the daughter of a fisherman. One day he is seeking for the smugglers' den when he is accosted by the law breakers and forcibly taken down into their cave, where lots are drawn to see who will shoot him. By means of the locket the chief of the band discovers the officer to be his son. The execution is stayed.
The fisherman's daughter sees her lover dragged into the den. She tells her father, who in turn notifies the sheriff, and the fishermen are gathered and armed for the raid. There is excitement in every foot of the film. The smugglers are attacked underground. The leader is fatally shot and as he is dying asks his son to forgive him and forget him.
The caves on the Cliff Drive at the end of the car line afford a perfect spot for the spectacular work. The smugglers can be seen going and coming from their cave, which has two outlets, one at the top and the other opening on the water side. An interior was taken showing the officers coming down into the cave. At one of the caves while a scene was being enacted an extra large wave butted in and treated the actors to a bath without cost.
The leading parts are taken by Miss Nan Christy, Mrs. Connolly and Messrs. Kent, Connolly and Unger. Scenes will be taken at the old wharf this morning, when one of the Faraola launches will play a part. A skiff will also be taken to the cave on the cliffs for another scene.
Director Kent rushes the work along with wonderful skill and ability, and with an able corps of leading actors and actresses the work goes smoothly and without a hitch. It was a big day's work yesterday. The intention is to complete this film today, as Mr. Kent does not believe in Sunday work.
Out on the cliffs yesterday there were scores of people who watched the actions as the pictures were being taken, and all showed a great deal of interest. From what was seen yesterday "The Smuggler's Awakening" will be as lively as the best one-reelers that have ever been shown on a screen.
Copyrighted by the Santa Cruz Sentinel-News, Morning Edition. Reproduced by permission.
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Writer, keynote speaker, broadcaster and blogger, Iain Dale is one of the UK’s favourite political commentators.
Former US ambassador to Mexico & Venezuela, Jeffrey Davidow is a keynote speaker on the international stage particularly covering US policy toward Latin America
Huw Edwards is the main presenter on BBC News at Ten. He also appears regularly on the radio and has covered the last two General Elections on Radio 4
Responsible for the successful food launch, The Black Farmer® label, Wilfred is a classic entrepreneur with an “anything is possible” attitude.
Gavin has anchored BBC News 24 since 1997. Gavin joined the presenting team of Newsnight in January 2003.
Author and Journalist, Jonathan Fenby's vast experience of China and Hong Kong ideally positions him for both after dinner or keynote speeches on these topics
Niall Ferguson is one of the world's leading historians of the global economy.
An award winning journalist, former adviser to the Prime Minister, TV panellist and cult football column writer, Daniel Finkelstein is a sought after speaker
Bobby Friedman, writer, broadcaster, journalist and keynote speaker, is author of Speaker John Bercow’s biography, Bercow: Rowdy Living in the Tory Party.
Sir David Frost is one of the most respected television personalities, a superb after dinner speaker and exceptionally accomplished conference facilitator
Rock star and humanitarian, Sir Bob Geldof is a legend in his lifetime and one of the most sought after speakers in the world today
Sir Peter Gershon was head of the Office of Goverment Commerce and is now Chaiman of National Grid. His career has spanned both the private and public sectors.
Former President of France, Valery Giscard d'Estaing was a leading figure in the development of the European Union and is international keynote speaker
Misha Glenny is an international expert on cyber security and organised crime. A trained actor, his keynote speeches are full of life, passion, experience and a dose of intelligent humour.
The longest standing Spanish President is a sought after keynote speaker. His experiences of the politics & economics for Spain & Europe provides insights for all.
As a keynote speaker, former President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev reflects on the past and warns against dominence of any one political system
Former chief leader writer and regular columnist for the Times newspaper, Tim Hames has the inside scoop on the murky goings on in the political and financial landscape.
Noreena Hertz is an engaging and passionate futurist and speaker who builds a compelling case for a new kind of business environment
Lindsey Hilsum is the Channel 4 News International Editor, and a leading foreign correspondent. She is an experienced keynote speaker and conference facilitator.
Presenter of the National Lottery programme Jet Set, Eamonn Holmes was the face of breakfast television for over 12 years
A talented after dinner and keynote speaker, Michael Howard speaks about his experiences in politics, as well as law, transatlantic relations and economics.
Simon Jack is a financial journalist and broadcaster, who has recently taken up the post of Business and Economics Presenter on Radio 4's Today Programme. He is an experienced an adept awards host and keynote speaker.
Chief of the General Staff of the British Army, General Sir Mike Jackson is a powerful keynote leadership speaker
An expert on emerging markets and India in particular, Adit Jain is an adviser to multinationals and is a highly regarded international keynote speaker
The Times and London Evening Standard journalist, Simon Jenkins, is an engaging and knowledgeable commentator on the world we live in today
Well-known broadcaster and journalist, MP Boris Johnson is the Mayor of London
Jo Johnson MP is a Contributing Editor to the Financial Times and is in demand as a keynote speaker and commentator on the UK and global economy.
Tessa is a warm and funny personality with a wealth of experience to share. Tessa is an experienced topical keynote or after dinner speaker.
Professor of Theoretical Physics and author of 'Hyperspace' and 'Visions', Dr Kaku explains his predictions for science & the impact on business and society.
Anatole Kaletsky is former Economics Editor, and former Editor-at-Large of The Times and writes on economics, politics and financial markets. He currently writes for Reuters and the International Herald Tribune.
A child chess prodigy who started playing as a five year old, Garry Kasparov qualified as an International Chess Master at the age of 16
Katty Kay, BBC World News Washington anchor, takes an unbiased look at America’s election-year politics and offers insights on the important political and economic stories in the US and around the globe.
Charles Kennedy is a widely experienced speaker whose ability spans business and political seminars through to light-hearted after-dinner speaking.
Helmut Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and chairman of the CDU from 1973-1998.
In the current economic climate, the former Chancellor, Lord Norman Lamont is an excp speaker and much in demand on the corporate speaking circuit
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer and internationally esteemed authority on economic policy and the impact of climate, Nigel Lawson is a highly regarded conference keynote and after dinner speaker
Former editor of the Today programme, Rod Liddle is an entertaining after dinner speaker with a great knowledge of politicians - especially useless politicians.
Ken has twice held the chief executive office in London's local government. He led the Greater London Council and was London's first Mayor.
Presenter of Newsnight and other news coverage, Emily Maitlis has vast experience of business, news and journalism from all corners of the globe.
Former Journalist of the Year, Andrew Marr explores life in politics, media and the world today, and is both an after dinner and keynote speaker of note
Political broadcaster, conference speaker & facilitator, Daisy McAndrew is Economics Editor of ITV News and their most senior female reporter.
Former Ambassador for Great Britain to the United States, Sir Christopher Meyer recounts amongst other stories how he introduced Bush to Blair.
Christopher Monckton, is a leading authority on the subject of the environment and is in great demand as speaker for corporate and governmental organisations
An accomplished award winning Interviewer, Dermot Murnaghan spent 5 years presenting BBC breakfast and in 2008 moved to Sky to present "Sky News Today"
Sir Richard Needham's experience in the business and politics makes him ideally positioned to speak on risk taking, turnarounds and innovation
Publisher, writer, business consultant, TV presenter, conference facilitator & high profile speaker covering business topics, current affairs & politics
From business to politics, Asda Chairman to Chief Executive of the Conservative Party, Archie delivers speeches on leadership, change and customer service
Former Conservative MP and Minister for Transport for London. Ran for London mayor as the Tory candidate in the 2000 and 2004 elections
European Political Editor, Robin Oakley OBE is an insightful and interesting keynote or after dinner speaker on political or horse racing issues
As one of the most high profile serving police officers in the force today, Brian Paddick captivates, challenges and informs through his keynote speeches.
Journalist, author, TV personality and former parliamentary sketchwriter for The Times, Matthew is an adept and charismatic after dinner speaker
Ex-Governor of Hong Kong in charge of the handover to China in 1999, Lord Patten is an expert in emerging markets and a sought-after keynote speaker and commentator on world affairs.
Author, Broadcaster and Journalist, Jeremy Paxman has built his reputation on his tough questioning of politicans and public figures
As political correspondent, cutting through the spin of the political landscape, John Pienaar is ideally suited for both after dinner and conference speaking
A charismatic and engaging speaker, Michael has made the successful move from politics to TV & journalism, as well as being the UK's favourite single mum!
Vikas Pota is a commentator on all aspects of the UK-India business relationship and Indian political scene, and is called upon regularly as a keynote speaker
Jonathan Powell was Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007. He was responsible for co-ordinating all work in No.10.
John Prescott is one of the most famous political faces from the Tony Blair Government. An ideal speaker on the environment, sustainability, leadership & politics
Jeff Randall was appointed Editor-At-Large of the Daily Telegraph in November 2005, after nearly five years as the BBC's Business Editor.
Rodrigo Rato is an experienced political and economic keynote speaker as a former managing director of the International Monetary Fund and Minister of Economy in Spain
Jeremy Rifkin talks on the economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts of new technologies introduced into the global economy
Former President of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson is an outstanding international keynote speaker
With an abundance of amusing anecdotes, BBC Political Editor, Nick Robinson is an interesting after dinner speaker, keynote speaker, conference & awards host.
Former top policy advisor in the Clinton administration, James Rubin is a keynote speaker & presenter of his own Sky show, commentating on world events
Professor of Economics & economic advisor, Xavier Sala-i-Martin is an international conference speaker on globalisation, economics & finance
Multi award winning actor and director, Richard Schiff is an accomplished after dinner speaker speaking on acting, politics and 'Inside the West Wing'.
Hagai Segal specialises in Middle-Eastern affairs, terrorism and geo-strategic risk issues - he is a fascinating and challenging conference speaker
Political correspondant, author, after dinner speaker, awards host and a roaring success when appearing on TV programmes such as 'Have I got News for You'
John Simpson is as interesting and talented on a podium speaking as he is behind a camera reporting in war zones
Presenter of The Politics Show, Jon Sopel is one of the lead presenters on BBC News 24 and is an excellent conference speaker, facilitator, chairman and host
Dr Tim Soutphommasane is a political philosopher whose thinking on patriotism, diversity and national identity has been influential in reshaping debates in Australia and Britain.
Political & economic commentator, Philip Stephens is Financial Times Associate Editor & twice-weekly columnist, an author & conference speaker.
Jonathan Tepper is an Economist and Founder of Variant Perception, a global macroeconomic trading and research group which provides a unique view on financial markets.
Vice chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe and former Director General of the CBI
Director of global forecasting at the Economist Intelligence Unit, Robert Ward is a leading Asia specialist having previously experience of Japan & the Koreas.
Former North America Editor for the BBC, Justin Webb is an experienced conference facilitator and keynote speaker on politics and current affairs.
Colourful and outspoken, Ann Widdecombe has been Member of Parliament for Maidstone since 1987
World-renowned economist, commentator and keynote speaker on global economic and business issues, in particular the impact of China and the emerging markets.
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Civil servants and quango chiefs who earn more than the Prime Minister have no right to keep their salaries secret, the Information Commissioner has ruled.
Christopher Graham's ruling came as he ordered the publication of the identities of 24 high-earning public sector workers who tried to avoid being named, under a new transparency drive.
The Cabinet Office last year published lists showing that 332 civil servants and quango chiefs have salaries of more than £150,000. Of these, 49 were paid more than £200,000, with the largest package of £390,000 going to David Higgins, the chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority.
The names of 24 people receiving taxpayer-funded salaries of more than £150,000 were withheld from the list after the individuals involved refused permission to reveal their identities.
Mr Graham has now ordered the Cabinet Office to reveal their names, saying: "If you are earning over £150,000 working for a body that is funded by the public purse, then there is now a legitimate expectation that your name and salary details will be disclosed. Being open and transparent is an integral part of being accountable to the taxpayer and, like it or not, this level of disclosure goes with the territory."
Mr Graham's order comes in response to a complaint under freedom of information legislation, and the Cabinet Office has 35 days to appeal against the decision or reveal the names.
In his report, Mr Graham wrote: "Those who receive some of the highest salaries in the public sector should expect certain information on their public or work life to be made public, including detail of their remuneration. If it was the expectation of these senior public officials that their names would not be released, it would not be a reasonable one.
"There is a strong, legitimate public interest in the public knowing how its money is spent, how public sector salaries compare with those in other areas, and how money is distributed between different levels of staff. This is facilitated by the public knowing which individuals ... draw a relatively high salary from the public purse.
"On balance, it is the commissioner's decision that releasing this requested information would be fair."
The Cabinet Office welcomed the decision and said it intended to release the 24 names as soon as possible.
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), tome I was commissioned to write by InternetNZ in 2007.
By respecting and acknowledging the pioneers who bought the Internet and
related technologies to New Zealand and presenting a clear timeline of
events and related commentary, both inform vital discussion on what’s taking
shape out here at the literal edge of the world.
Knowing our history, whether personal, cultural or
technological, helps provide context for the journey. If we know where we’ve
come from and how we got this far we can get a better idea of where the next
wave of visionary thinking might be taking us.
The history of computing and the internet is
littered with prognosticators who got it wrong and inventors or investors
who were wiped out by the next wave they didn’t see coming. The primal catch
cries at the dawn of the computer age were that we would soon be working a
four day week and broadband would see our ghost towns repopulated with vital
new businesses and wealthy knowledge workers.
The reality for most of us is that rural is still
remote and struggling with under par communications and we’re working longer
hours than ever before, often struggling to keep pace with the technology
and the new skills required to meet workplace and social demands.
Competitive pressures require us to do more with
less. Instead of translating that into smarter thinking and working, too
often it means less people to share a growing workload, the wages are lower
and there’s less time to contemplate what happened to our three day weekend.
The seductive promises of technology still have us
believing the brave new world is just around the corner once we master the
latest, slimmest, fastest, smartest tools.
New Zealanders generally working longer hours than
those in most other western nations, but it’s not been showing up in terms
of productivity. There’s little evidence it has increased our export
revenues, our quality of life or delivered the keys to future wealth and
The huge shift, particularly in the past two years
has been the pervasive use of social networking, which probably says a lot
about our real world and virtual desires. We desperately want that more
leisurely lifestyle but the goalposts keep moving.
We want to be involved, connected, part of a
community of likeminded people in mutually beneficial relationships that go
beyond sharing photos, videos, music and bucket list updates.
Google, Skype, Facebook and YouTube for example,
have given us common tools to communicate in a rich and increasingly
interactive way. We clearly like this, and in the process of finding friends
we never knew we had and reconnecting with our wider networks, a growing
sense of context is emerging.
Real social networking
The promise that broadband internet would reverse the great exodus from our
rural, provincial or small towns is not so far fetched. Like so many New
Zealanders I left the provinces in the 1980s to extend career opportunities
that were otherwise unavailable.
I lived in Auckland for over 25-years and mostly loved it but as a writer,
with a wife who is an artist, I can live anywhere as long as there’s good
broadband and social connections. Clearly one is provided and the other is
something you have to develop.
From our new home in the a small coastal village
of Haumoana I can view the ever changing light reflecting off Cape
Kidnappers and see more stars on the velvet black of a cloudless nightsky,
than I ever could in Auckland. In the 18 months of living here we have felt
more in touch with the seasons and the tides, enjoyed homegrown produce and
caught fish along the shingly beachfront just across the road.
We have been welcomed into a community where
people smile and wave and stop for a leisurely chat without looking at their
watches. I haven’t worn a watch for the past year. In short I feel
Having broadband means I can still ply my trade as
a scribe, writing and researching for books or mainstream and trade
publications. I still spend far too many hours looking through the wrong
window in my endeavors to earn a living but there’s less of the old anxiety,
more of a desire to go for a walk and a sense of being part of a real
Most New Zealanders are still struggling to get basic broadband of at least
3-5Mbit/sec but we’re told we’re on the cusp of the promised land of fibre
to the home. As we awaken to the transformational capabilities of gigabit
fibre, small towns and rural communities have a very real opportunity to
reinvent themselves for the return of the diaspora.
On a recent walk I discovered the green piping being dug into the curbside a
km away is in fact fibre – the future is getting closer every month. So how
will that impact my business, my street or community?
Down to the Wire and Connecting the Clouds
provide foundational history of what it took to get this far and the
obstacles and challenges along the way. It’s imperative we don’t repeat the
mistakes; instead of cramping the visionaries as has happened in the past,
we should listen to them and give their ideas room to breathe.
We’re in the middle of writing history; when the
dust settles if it ever does, will we have found the creative balance
between online and street level social networking? Will we be using the
tools of technology to live the life we dreamed and have redefined ourselves
as a nation with a more evenly distributed future or will we have become
"the tools of our tools" as Thoreau put it? Let’s ramp this discussion to
the next level.
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SPARC (spark of potential: artist reflect on creativity)
How do visual artists view creativity? Where and how do they get their inspiration? Explore the inner world of being creative through examples of artwork. Hear and read thoughts of artists, see artists creating art, and add your own thoughts on creativity.
Will this project spark your interest in arts and creativity?
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Skip to Main Content
Sparse representation has found applications in numerous domains and recent developments have been focused on the convex relaxation of the lo-norm minimization for sparse coding (i.e., the ℓ1-norm minimization). Nevertheless, the time and space complexities of these algorithms remain significantly high for large-scale problems. As signals in most problems can be modeled by a small set of prototypes, we propose an algorithm that exploits this property and show that the ℓ1-norm minimization problem can be reduced to a much smaller problem, thereby gaining significant speed-ups with much less memory requirements. Experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm is able to achieve double-digit gain in speed with much less memory requirement than the state-of-the-art algorithms.
Date of Conference: 13-18 June 2010
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Syria’s Assad says country in a ‘real state of war’
Explore This Story
BEIRUT—Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Tuesday his country was in a real state of war and gave no sign of a softer approach towards a pro-democracy revolt by ordering his newly appointed government to direct all policies towards winning.
“We live in a real state of war from all angles,” Assad told a cabinet he appointed on Tuesday. “When we are in a war, all policies and all sides and all sectors need to be directed at winning this war.”
Assad snubbed countries that have been calling for him to step aside, saying the West “takes and never gives and this has been proven at every stage”.
Meanwhile, the UN peacekeeping chief has told the Security Council that it’s too dangerous for UN observers in Syria to resume their mission.
A diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity said Tuesday that Herve Ladsous told a closed council meeting that the mission could restart at some point but that for the time being, it’s too dangerous.
UN forces in Syria repeatedly came under fire before the UN suspended the 300-member mission earlier this month.
Maj. Gen. Robert Mood, the mission’s head, told the council at the time that the observers had suffered direct fire at least 10 times, had been in several indirect fire incidents. He said nine UN vehicles had been damaged or struck by small arms fire.
READ MORE: Arab Awakening coverage
With files from the Associated Press, Reuters
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- Blue Jays blast Orioles, 12-6
- Four people facing charges in hacking death of British soldier
- Tim Bosma homicide: Second suspect Mark Smich appears in court
- Could the Rob Ford crack scandal contaminate the right?
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House gives preliminary OK to bill that supporters say preserves religious freedom, but opponents say allows discrimination
Topeka The Kansas House on Wednesday advanced legislation that would allow a religious defense to discriminate against gays.
Two Lawrence representatives attacked the bill, called the Kansas Preservation of Religious Freedom Act, as an attempt to destroy a city of Lawrence anti-discrimination ordinance that includes sexual orientation.
In an impassioned speech, state Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence, said, “I am very proud of my Lawrence community, and I’m very proud of the ordinance that we passed.” Ballard added, “Discrimination is an injustice. It is an injustice to everyone.”
House Minority Leader Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, said, “I don’t believe it is ever right to discriminate against someone because of their sexual orientation.”
But State Rep. Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe, defended his bill, saying it was meant to make sure government could not infringe on an individual’s religious beliefs.
“Free exercise of religion is at the core of who we are as a people,” Kinzer said.
Davis asked Kinzer if under Kinzer’s bill an apartment owner could cite his religious beliefs to fight a complaint if he refused to rent to a same-sex couple.
“That is generally correct,” Kinzer said.
Davis said that was unfair to the city of Lawrence, which is the only city in Kansas that has an anti-discrimination ordinance designed to protect people based on sexual orientation.
State Rep. Charlie Roth, R-Salina, said that Kinzer’s legislation was “homophobic” and that it will hurt Kansas’ image. “It sends the message that Kansas is not welcoming. Kansas will become known as the land of the pure as defined by the few,” Roth said.
But Kinzer said local units of government should not be allowed to engage in religious discrimination against its citizens.
The bill was approved 89-27. Ballard, Davis and state Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, voted against it. State Reps. Anthony Brown, R-Eudora, and TerriLois Gregory, R-Baldwin City, voted for it.
The bill would prohibit state and local governments from substantially burdening a person’s religious beliefs unless the government can prove that the burden is advancing a compelling government interest and is the least restrictive way of advancing that interest.
The measure is supported by Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration, the Kansas Catholic Conference and Concerned Women for America of Kansas. It was opposed by Lawrence officials, the Kansas Equality Coalition and the state chapter of the National Organization for Women.
Right before advancing the Kansas Preservation of Freedom Act, the House gave preliminary approval to putting a chapel for prayer and meditation in the Statehouse.
Both proposals will require a final vote before going to the Senate. Those votes will probably be taken Thursday.
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Hundreds of UC San Diego service workers hit the picket line Monday to protest unfair wages. It marked the beginning of a five-day walkout at University of California facilities across the state.
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees officials say their workers' wages are dramatically lower than those paid to community college workers in the state.
The union's Jorge Olvera is a groundskeeper who has been working at UCSD for 23 years. He says the strike was the only option.
Olvera: There's no loyalty coming back from this university in terms of the years that we spent for this institution. It's not just about money. It's about respect and dignity for the workers who have given this university the best years of their lives. I think it's a shame that ninety-six percent of the workers have to quality for some sort of financial assistance from this state.
UC officials say they want talks to resume, and for strikers to go back to work.
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Hints & Tips
There are huge opportunities for SMEs in the Public Procurement market. At our procurement conferences held in 2012, businesses attending were surveyed and said that the three biggest challenges to taking part in public procurement were :
(a)the tendering process itself,
(b)understanding how government departments and organisations buy their goods and services followed by
(c)- unnecessarily high qualification levels.
On the back of this we have pulled together some hints and tips to help you to increase your chances of success when tendering!Download Our Procurement Jargon Buster
Q & A from procurement conferences
- The three year rule can often present a real barrier for SMEs particularly those supplying services. Why is this used?
Regulation 25 of Public Contracts Regulations 2006 allows, for supplies and services contracts, Contracting Authorities to take into account, at selection stage, the goods sold or services provided by the supplier in the last three years. This is one of the criteria which can be used to evaluate the technical and professional ability of the supplier and if used would normally be scored. If it is used, a question relating to it would be included in a Pre-Qualfication Questionnaire (PQQ), however, for the vast majority of supplies and services competitions run by CPD a PQQ is not used and instead they might ask for a minimum number of years experience as a minimum requirement. The public sector needs to be assured that applicants for public contracts are suitable in terms of their legal standing, financial status and technical capacity to deliver the contract as required. No supplier should be invited to tender (or to participate in the dialogue or negotiation stages) if assessment of the information provided establishes that they are incapable of performing the contract.
- What in your experience is the single biggest reason that tenders are rejected?
Tenders and applications seeking to be invited to tender can be excluded on any of the grounds listed in Regulation 23 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 eg. for convictions for bribery, corruption etc, however, this is rare. Some tenders/applications will not get through the selection stage because they did not met the minimum requirements of economic and financial standing or techncial and professional ability set by the Contracting Authority or did not get a high enough score to go through to the next stage. A poor Health & Safety response where a minimum standard has to be met often results in rejection in construction contracts. Poor responses, lacking in detail and relevance to the contract, will result in low scores and others being shortlisted.
At the tender stage tenderers might not comply with key elements of the specification and get rejected, tenders though are seldom rejected. It typically comes down to not fully addressing the quality issues in the tender submission - eg, citing experience on past jobs instead of setting out the proposals for the job in question; not providing enough detail in the answer; or simply not providing a good response.
- What is EU threshold?
They are thresholds set by the EU for supplies, services and works contracts. Contracts with a value above the applicable threshold (and to which exemptions do not apply) must comply with the EU Procurement Directives and UK Implementing Regulations. The current threshold for supplies and services contracts is £101,323 and for works contracts it is £3,927,260.
- What critera is used for evaluation?
The Procurement Board has determined that contracts should be awarded on the basis of objective criteria which ensure compliance with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union principles, and which guarantee that tenders are assessed in conditions of effective competition. This permits the use of one of two award criteria: “the most economically advantageous tender” (MEAT) and “the lowest price”.
MEAT is a combination of price and quality. The Procurement Board has also determined that contracts are to be awarded on the basis of MEAT with any exceptions being subject to formal approval by the Head of Procurement for the relevant CoPE.
- Low prices does not always represent value for money.
This is a true statement. The Procurement Board has determined that contracts are to be awarded on the basis of “the most economically advantageous tender” (MEAT), which is a combination of price and quality.
- How are tender specs assessed to ensure public spend is achieving best value?
The Northern Ireland Procurement Board has determined that contracts should be awarded on the basis of objective criteria which ensure compliance with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union principles, and which guarantee that tenders are assessed in conditions of effective competition. This permits the use of one of two award criteria: “the most economically advantageous tender” (MEAT) and “the lowest price”.
MEAT is a combination of price and quality. The Northern Ireland Procurement Board has also determined that contracts are to be awarded on the basis of MEAT with any exceptions being subject to formal approval by the Head of Procurement for the relevant CoPE.
- What business supports if any are available to help SMEs understand the Procurement process?
CPD does not provide in house training as it cannot favour a particular industry sector to type of business, although it regularly sends representatives to events such as "Meet The Buyer" events being run by various organisations including the Social Economy Network to explain various aspects of the procurement process e.g etendering. InterTradeIreland's Go-2-Tender programme gives companies the confidence, knowledge and practical skills to tender successfully for public sector contracts on a cross-border basis through a series of workshops and mentoring sessions. InvestNI also provides workshops to help businesses to submit tenders.
- How does a new company produce financial records for 3 years as is often a requirement?
For Supplies and Services contracts where Economic and Financial Standing is being assessed CPD currently ask for two years audited accounts. Where a company has been trading for less than 2 years they are asked to supply information for the period of trading. If there are no audited accounts, management accounts are asked for.
- Why do Health Estates Ni use rota based prequalification?
Health Estates Investment Group (HEIG) has maintained a Register of Contractors with an associated rotation system for the production of select lists for works below the EU Threshold for more than 20 years. This has proved to be a very efficient methodology for producing a list of suitable contractors and sub-contractors with the required technical ability to carry out works in the heath sector. Over the years, this system has received positive feedback from the NI Construction Industry.
- Are there opportunities for Precision Engineering to supply to the public sector?
All tendering opportunities above £30k being run by CoPEs can be found on eSourcingNI.
- Where do you find subcontracting opportunities?
CPD lists all contracts it awards on its website at: http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/cpd. On the Investment Strategy Northern Ireland (ISNI) information website: http://www.isni.gov.uk/ you can find information on planned ISNI projects and contracts.
- Will CPD follow the rest of the UK and start to introduce community benefit requirements for public contracts?
CPD already includes community benefits or social clauses in its contracts. Last year 53 apprentices and 22 unemployed people were employed on contracts awarded by CPD. CPD is also producing a guidance note on model sustainability clauses (including social clauses) to be included in contracts.
- Given the proposition that there is a 19bn opportunity how much of that is currently being awarded off the island?
The figure is £1.908bn not £19bn. This is the amount of procurement spend put through CoPEs in Northern Ireland. Only 5% or £0.0954bn is awarded to suppliers outside the island of Ireland.
- At what level are full blown tenders required ?
- For bodies which are subject to NI Public Procurement Policy, Procurement Guidance Note 03/10 requires tenders to be sought for procurements over £1,500. Centres of Procurement Expertise (CoPEs) may choose to make slight variations this to suit the particular circumstances of their business.
- Why are local government not subject to NI Public Procurement Policy?
- As regards District Councils, the Executive accepts that their different and separate framework of accountability must be recognised and, under existing legislation, compliance with this policy can only be on a voluntary basis. However as is the case for all NI public sector bodies, District Councils are subject to UK and EU Procurement Legislation.
- Why is the figure of 30k used? Surely it should be much lower.
- Procurement Control Limits are recommended as the optimum level required to ensure that the transaction cost of procurement procedures is efficient, whilst maintaining a sufficient level of supplier sourcing to achieve best value for money through competition.The Review of Public Procurement, recommended that the Procurement Control Limits used by Northern Ireland Departments, their Agencies and Non-Departmental public bodies, for the procurement of general goods, services and works should be reviewed regularly.They were last reviewed in 2009 and the review took into consideration case law, Interpretative Communications emerging from the European Commission and the adoption of electronic sourcing and tendering systems. They are due to be revised again shortly and as a result of the decision by the Procurement Board to reduce the threshold for advertising tenders to £20k.
- What list must I be on to tender?
- There are no lists you must be on to tender with the exception of Framework Agreements. After a Framework Agreements is awarded only those suppliers listed on the framework can bid for any competitions being run from it. A competition is run to appoint suppliers to the framework in the first place. We would recommend you register on eSourcingNI which is the etendering platform used by CoPEs and on which contracts over £30k are advertised. Buyers can use it to identify potential bidders for procurements under £30k. More recently a number of councils have started using eSourcingNI as their etender portal.
- What percentage of micro-businesses win tenders?
- We do not currently hold information regarding the percentage of contracts awarded to micro businesses, however, during 2009 - 2010, 64% of the contracts awarded by CoPEs were for contracts with an estimated value of less than £30k and 39% were for contracts under £10k.
- Why is tender assessment criteria 90% price driven and not previous performance?
- It is a matter for Contracting Authorities to determine the weightings to assign to supplier selection and tender evaluation criteria for specific contracts on a case by case basis. For regulated contracts (usually those above EU thresholds) previous experience (not performance) can be used as a selection criteria to select suppliers to invite to tender. Price is an award criteria used to evaluate tenders.This is the second stage of the process.
- What direction is being given to CoPEs for dealing with very low prices?
This is covered in The Public Contracts Regulations 2006. If an offer for a public contract is abnormally low the contracting authority may reject that offer but only if it has—(a) requested in writing an explanation of the offer or of those parts which it considers contribute to the offer being abnormally low;(b) taken account of the evidence provided in response to a request in writing; and(c) subsequently verified the offer or parts of the offer being abnormally low with the economic operator
- At lowest price should specialist work not be given to the companies that can and actually do the work?
- The Procurement Board has determined that contracts are to be awarded on the basis of “the most economically advantageous tender” (MEAT), which is a combination of price and quality.
- ROI and NI public contracts are regularly advertised - which we have taken time to respond to - that never materialise.
- It is unusual for a contract never to materialise if advertised on eSourcingNI but a Contracting Authority is not obliged to accept any tender.If this occurs the contracting authority should inform tenderers.
- Please tell us more about how consortia cover insurance requirements
- For works contracts CPD ask for the consortium as an legal entity to have the required insurance for the project. It does the same for Supplies and Services contracts if the consortium has come together to form an legal entity. If it isn't a legal entity the prime contractor must have the required level of insurance.
- Price always seems to be the driver, quality is way down the list - it therefore means companies can not compete
- The Procurement Board has determined that contracts are to be awarded on the basis of “the most economically advantageous tender” (MEAT), which is a combination of price and quality. The weighting attached to price is a matter for the Contracting Authority and is dealt with on a case for case bases.
- Tenders are usually for standard items or services how do you advise introducing an innovation not on a tender list?
- We assume you are asking how do we encourage innovation in procurement competitions? This can be done by expressing specifications in terms of output and performance. It can also be done by allowing variant bids.
- Why were the advertising thresholds established at those specific levels?
- For contracts below the EU thresholds Procurement Control Limits are recommended as the optimum level required to ensure that the transaction cost of procurement procedures is efficient, whilst maintaining a sufficient level of supplier sourcing to achieve best value for money through competition.The Review of Public Procurement, recommended that the Procurement Control Limits should be reviewed regularly.They were last reviewed in 2009 and the review took into consideration case law, Interpretative Communications emerging from the European Commission and the adoption of electronic sourcing and tendering systems. They are due to be revised again shortly and the Procurement Board will be reducing to £20k the threshold for advertising tenders.
- Why are tenders not spread over many companies to ensure public spend is spread through out the island?
- Procurement Regulations require that contracts are awarded to the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). MEAT is a combination of price and quality.
- If the same regulations apply, why are the spend levels different across the procurement organisations?
- The procurement organisations and the bodies they are procuring for are very diverse and have different requirements and budgets, therefore their spend levels are different.
- When will all public sector bodies be on esourcing. e.g. councils?
- NI Procurement policy requires that Centres of Procurement Expertise to use eSourcingNI. Councils are not covered by the policy and are therefore free to choose their own etendering system, however, 9 councils currently use eSourcingNI.
- Is the encouragement of subcontracting consortia an attempt to spread less opportunity across more but smaller companies?
- The purpose is to try and increase opportunities for SMEs
- If you are applying for a contract of less than 125k, why do you need a turnover of over 1m? How do we increase our turnover?
- This is not always the case. Turnover can be a useful and simple measure of capacity to deliver but not the only measure. Different annual contract value to turnover ratios can apply. We cannot advise on how you can increase your turnover.
- What systems are in place to evaluate supplier performance during the contract?
- CPD has produced a Procurement Guidance Note setting out the procedures and principles for contract management. It is available in the CPD website.The level of contract management depends on the nature, complexity and value of the contract.
- Has the use of framework agreements changed? If so, how and when will these be used?
- Framework Agreements continue to be used where appropriate.
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64,000 Florida votes for president did not count
Votes not valid
A new report shows that nearly 64,000 voters in Florida did not wind up voting for president.
State election officials compiled voting data from all 67 counties in the state. They found that the number of voters who did not cast a "valid" vote in the race for president was .75 percent. That's the same rate as it was back in 2008. This number includes people who wrote the wrong name on the ballot, left the ballot blank or voted for more than one candidate.
President Barack Obama won Florida - and its 29 electoral votes - by slightly more than 74,000 votes over GOP nominee Mitt Romney.
The state report also found that the percentage of people voting on Election Day dropped from 2010.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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As Diplomatic Mission to the UK we advocate a peaceful Palestinian state with secure and internationally recognised borders encompassing the West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as the Capital of Palestine. We believe that through international support, recognition and advocacy of a self-governing and viable Palestinian state we can help to facilitate peace in the region. In order to establish the foundations of the state-building process it is necessary for Israel to end its Occupation over the Palestinian Territories, and return to the borders of 1967. The United Nations has since advocated this vision in its Security Council Resolution 242 and 383, which calls for respect and acknowledgement of the state’s integrity and sovereignty as a necessary requirement for the advancement of peace.
The Palestinian Mission in the UK now has its 5th representative in London, Ambassador Manuel Hassassian. Building on the work of his predecessors, Ambassador Hassassian continues to develop institutional and official links with the British government and the public, so that together we can facilitate the peace process and construct a viable solution that will see to the protection of, and reestablishment of the right of Palestinians to live freely once again in their homeland. The role of a Palestinian representative carries great responsibility and expectations as our struggle for statehood and independence continues. Our function as the Palestinian Mission consists of furthering political and cultural empowerment and generating awareness of the Occupation in Palestine, and to represent the interest of the Palestinians in the Diaspora. We recognise that the Mission plays an instrumental role in society and we will continue to improve and develop our bilateral relations with the government, parliament, political parties, diplomatic corps, partner organisations and the community at large.
We hope that the New Year will bring us closer to realising our vision of a Palestinian state and restore hope in the lives of Palestinians who have been suffering for too long under occupation, forced to flee from their homes and families, and the thousands of lives lost in protecting our homeland. The Occupation has lasted over 60 years: it remains our paramount duty to bring an end to the illegal Occupation and injustice inflicted upon our people, and hold Israel accountable for its policies and actions.
We welcome your support of our website as participants and members of the community; we hope you will find it to be a place where all opinions are considered and respected. Our website is constantly evolving into what we hope will be not only an important tool for all, by presenting news and vital information to the public, but also a forum in which academic research in the field of Palestine is shared and voiced. We hope that we can expand our network and engagement with the community and in doing so bring the issue of Palestine to the forefront.
Let us look to the future with determination and confidence about the work still to be done and what there is still to be achieved.
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Allotment Vegetable Growing
|Monday 20 May 2013
Allotment Growing Advice - UK Seed Suppliers
UK Seed Suppliers Information
UK Seed Suppliers, seed merchants supplying seeds to the UK and online shopping
One of the great joys of mid-winter is sitting down with the seed catalogues and deciding what to buy. New varieties of seeds, old favourite seeds. Masses of choice and not enough room to grw them all! Many seed merchants now offer online shopping or at least will send a catalogue to you.
Established in 1855 and now one of the most famous seed merchants, they have a reputation for quality and reliability. As well as seeds, they supply potatoes, onions, garlic, fruit trees and bushes, flower seeds, plants and gardening equipment.
Excellent web site with good choice of seeds and other products. Organic emphasis. Worth ordering their catalogue.
Excellent range of flower and vegetable seeds, great value bedding plants, inspirational perennial themes and fruit, potatoes and vegetables plants plus special offers.
Featuring fresh premium quality seeds for immediate worldwide delivery of over 5,000 sought after species and varieties, suitable for both the amateur home gardener and the specialist plant collector. Our site is updated at least once a day and over 96% o
D T Brown tend to be on the allotment gardener's favourite list as they supply a good range of vegetable and flower seeds at competitive prices plus seed potatoes, onions, garlic, shallots, fruit plants and accessories.
Choose from a full range of flower and vegetable seeds, bulbs, fruit, plus annual and perennial plants for pots, patios and all around the garden. Extensive range at reasonable prices. Good service too.
We now have all the main vegetable varieties in our Catalogues. We still specialise in beans and herbs and continue to grow these in large numbers. For the last 18 years we have promoted the cultivation of herbs and top yielding beans
Respected supplier with large range of flowers, vegetables, organic varieties, sprouting seeds, plants, grass seeds and sundries.
The king of the show bench, 10 RHS gold medals, Medwyn can certainly grow vegetables. The site contains hundres of articles about growing for show as well as selling his specialist vegetable seed.
You'll find no hybrids or genetically modified seed here - just varieties that do really well and taste great when grown by hand on a garden scale. Many are rare heirlooms, and all are open-pollinated (non-hybrid) so you can save your own seed for future
Welcome to our Mammoth Onion web site. Vegetable Seeds and Plants may be ordered by fax, by phone by post or now you can order on line direct from this site. Plants are only available to customers within the UK.
Supplies seeds of Italian ingredients you can grow yourself, plus culinary equipment recipes and information. Well worth a visit.
The varieties listed in our catelogue have been carefully selected with the serious exhibitor and discerning gardener in mind. As an exhibitor myself, I am only too aware of the need not only for outstanding varieties, but also for top quality seed. Our a
The only link sends an email to request a catalogue.
Suffolk Herbs is the most comprehensive stockist of organic seed varities in Europe!
Seedsman, Maltsters, Country Stores & Agricultural Merchant
We supply a range of vegetable, herb & flower seeds including organic vegetable seeds. All seeds are very competitively priced and of the highest quality. Great service as well as a useful list of garden jobs for each month and garden news.
High quality seed potato growers and suppliers. Any quantity, large or small.
SowGreenManure provide the finest range of Green Manure Seeds ideal for the home grower, allotments or smallholder.
When John Sutton founded his company in Reading in 1806, he could not have foreseen that it would grow to become the number one seed brand and a name well known and respected not just in Great Britain but throughout the world.
Flower seeds, vegetable seeds and herb seeds for your garden or allotment from across the world ? together with variety information sheets / growing details ? only ?0.95 per packet.
Moles Seeds is a leading supplier of commercial quality ornamental and vegetable seed throughout the UK and overseas. We are proud of our reputation for 'Quality seed : Quality service'.
Unwins are one of the most established seed & plant suppliers in the UK. Their website offers a comprehensive range of seeds, plants and trees as well as full growing instructions. Their paper catalogue contains a wonderful range of sweet peas!
Established UK seed supplier , offers free catalogues and a wide range to order online.
Original Touch supply authentic Italian vegetable, salad and herb seeds direct from Italy. All seeds come in large glossy packets as sold in Italian garden shops! Many unusual varieties are on offer, as well as Italian cookbooks, pest and weed control.
Established in 1895 Jamieson Brothers of Annan are specialist seed potato suppliers and producers.We sell high grade Scottish seed potatoes and have exclusive varieties only available from our new online shop.
Fantastic value for the highest quality vegetable seeds in the UK. Over 300 varieties with next day shipping.
SimplySow provide a wide range of vegetable, herb & flower seeds for the home gardener or allotment holder. Prices are very competitive, and postage & packing is just 95p per order. Full growing instructions supplied with all seeds. Friendly service.
Mail Order suppliers of Vegetable Seeds, inc Tomatoes, Chillies, Potatoes, Onion Sets and Garlic, plus more. Offers smaller quantities of F1, Open pollinated, Heritage and Organic seeds at great value prices. Also has a selection of flower seeds.
Tomatopedia is an online tomato store. We provide growers with the largest selection of tomatoes available. We have over 600 tomatoes with more added daily. They are offered to you by Tomatopedia and are sourced from seed suppliers around the world.
Why not add your link to this site? - it's free and helps people find you
To add your site - <click here>
seed, merchant, seed merchant, UK, online, shopping
The Essential Allotment Guide
All you need to know!
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During Developmental Disabilities Awareness month, SHC/The Arc of Medina County will celebrate 60 years of service to the community by hosting a Sprout Film Festival on Saturday, March 16, 2013. The film festival will take place at the Highland High School Auditorium, 4150 Ridge Rd., Medina, OH 44256. Shows will take place at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“We chose the Sprout Film Festival to kick-off our year-long celebration because the film festival best exemplifies SHC’s commitment of advocacy and care to individuals with disabilities. Our organization was founded on the principles that each individual should be valued for their unique personality and abilities and the films we selected convey this belief,” said Melanie Kasten-Krause, executive director of SHC/The Arc of Medina County. More than 15 unique and inspiring films will be showcased between two shows.
The Sprout Touring Film Festival from New York City features a select group of life-affirming films related to the field of developmental disabilities. Some are as short as two minutes; others are closer to 30 minutes and feature individuals in college, as artists, and as athletes. All are thought provoking, uplifting and even funny!
The Sprout Film Festival aims to raise the profile of individuals with disabilities by showcasing their lives through documentaries, animations and first-person narratives. It’s truly a celebration of ability and talent. The goal is an enjoyable and enlightening experience that will help breakdown stereotypes, and promote a greater acceptance of differences and awareness of similarities.
Shows are open to the public and will be held at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. and will feature different films and themes. Tickets are free and to reserve tickets online, visit www.shc-medina.org or contact SHC/The Arc of Medina County at 330-722-1900, ext. 265
SHC/The Arc of Medina County is celebrating 60 years of care, training and adult education, supported employment, housing, and recreation to both children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities in Medina County. SHC serves as the local chapter of The Arc, is a United Way Partner Agency, and a founding member of LEAVE A LEGACY® program. For more information about programs and services, call the SHC/The Arc of Medina County office at 330-722-1900, or 1-877-546-8568, or on the web at: www.shc-medina.org.
This story was provided by an individual or organization for use on the Ohio.com community site, http://www.ohio.com/upublish. We do not endorse and cannot guarantee the accuracy of this posting, though we do reject announcements with inappropriate content. You can read our full user agreement here.
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BMW is pursuing goals to reduce the environmental footprint of its plant in Spartanburg, S.C. Sean Noonan, chief financial officer at the BMW Manufacturing Company and head of sustainability program planning, said in an interview Thursday that much of the heavy lifting had already been done and that further progress at the plant would be measured in smaller steps.
Mr. Noonan spoke Thursday in New York as part of the Investing in a Sustainable Future conference held by The Financial Times. He said the company had stated goals to lower consumption rates of energy and water per car produced, as well as emissions from the plant. “It’s a process of continuous improvement to achieve those targets,” he said. “We look at how much waste is coming out of each work station, and there’s competition to reduce it. We’re also looking at ways to avoid the waste in the first place.”
Mr. Noonan said it was difficult to translate how meeting those goals necessarily would translate into sales gained or lost. “You can’t really determine that,” he said. BMW was compelled to push for greater efficiency because “it’s our responsibility,” he added.
Mr. Noonan delivered a point-by-point summation of BMW’s sustainability efforts at Spartanburg, beginning with keeping the building cool. “It’s very hot and humid in South Carolina, so it’s been necessary to use air-conditioning in the plant,” he said. “That’s unusual to do in the European production environment, and it’s a significant factor in our energy use.” In an interview after his address, Mr. Noonan said a team of associates was able to reduce the cooling load by insulating the duct work and reducing the overall humidity in the plant, which made the environment feel cooler than it actually was.
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The 10 Top Things to Know Before Becoming a Franchise Owner
Guest columnist and author Joel Libava tells readers what they need to know before they commit to a franchise.
If you’re thinking of becoming your own boss, investing in a franchise business is one popular option that may be worth looking into.
However, as tempting as it may be to just type the word, “Franchise” in your favorite search engine to “See what’s out there,” you’re going to need to know several things first.
1. The franchise model
It’s been called the greatest business model ever invented, and has enabled hundreds of thousands of people that never owned a business before to do just that; become owners of their own business.
The premise is simple; someone comes up with an idea for a product or service, implements it, and starts a business. The business turns out to be easily replicated. (Think pizza.) This person doesn’t really want to just use all of his or her own money to grow the business, so the hunt for an investor or two begins. It turns out that getting some investors is a smart choice.
It’s just that the investors in this case are not only going to buy into the business; they’re going to run it too. As franchisees. That’s right; the person who came up with the business idea is now going to be the franchisor, and will be using other people’s money, i.e., franchisees, to grow the business.
2. Your risk tolerance
Investing in a business (franchise or non-franchise) is risky. There’s no way to completely mitigate your risk, but there ways to lower it. Are you prepared to risk your own money in a business venture?
One thing you can do to make sure that you’re really ready to write a check to a franchise company is this: Look back at some of the major decisions involving money that you’ve made over the years. How were you able to handle the “risk” part of those decisions? Did you analyze things for weeks, maybe even months on end? Or, did you do some research, and make your decision relatively quickly?
Bottom line; make sure you can handle the risk.
3. The rules
Franchising is not a free for all; it can’t be. Can you imagine going into your local McDonald’s for a Big Mac only to find out that the franchisee decided to discontinue it?
Before you commit to becoming the owner of a franchise business, make sure that you understand the rules. All franchises have them, and need them. Rules maintain the consistency of the products, the services, and the brand.
4. Your personality type
Before you become a franchise owner, do a self-check. Telling yourself that you’ll follow the rules in a franchise business, then actually following them once you become a franchisee are totally different things.
Some self-reflection is definitely warranted here. For example, in a corporate setting, there are always rules to follow. How did the rule-following work out for you? Were you generally comfortable with them, or did you have a problem following them? Did you feel that the rules that were in place didn’t apply to you? Dig deep here; either you’re a rule-follower, or you’re not.
If you don’t generally follow the rules, don’t buy a franchise. It could turn out ugly.
5. Your finances
If you don’t know where you stand financially, you’ll waste an awful lot of time learning about and getting excited about franchise opportunities that may not even fit your budget.
Do a simple net worth statement before you start your franchise search. Add up your assets. Then add up your liabilities. The difference between the two is your net worth. You’ll need this information for the franchisors. (Most franchises have a minimum net worth requirement)
6. How to search for a franchise by not searching for a franchise
Searching endlessly online for that perfect franchise may sound like the right way to find one, but it’s not. Trying to figure out what’s what without customizing your search can be a massive waste of time.
Instead, grab a legal pad and write down your top professional skills. In addition, write down some of the traits that tend to define you. Are you outgoing, or are you introverted? Are you highly competitive? Are you good with details, or are you a big-picture person?
7. How to find possible matches
Now that you’re armed with your top skills and some of your more dominant personal traits, it’s time to start your search for a franchise. Go to your favorite online search engine and type in “franchise opportunities,” or “franchises for sale,” and start digging in. You’ll see specific franchises come up, as well as a number of franchise directory type websites.
Here’s the trick; only request information from those that seem to be a fit for what you wrote down on your legal pad. See No. 6. And don’t forget to make sure that your net worth meets the minimum requirements.
8. How to do proper research
Once you’ve found some franchises that could turn out to be a match, it’s time for you to do your research. You’ll find that some of your questions can be easily answered by your franchise development representative, while others can’t.
For instance, unless franchisee sales and earnings figures are clearly disclosed on the Franchise Disclosure Document, (which you’ll receive from the franchisor) your franchise representative cannot answer any earnings-related questions. But don’t worry; all you have to do is ask the current franchisees. In most cases, that’s where most of your answers about the business will be coming from anyway.
9. You’ll need a business plan
Don’t even think of going into your local bank to apply for a small business loan without a formal business plan in your hands. The lender will want to see your projections and hear your story. There’s great business plan software available that can help you create one.
10. Your decision day will arrive
The entire franchise discovery and research process will probably take two to three months to complete. Eventually, you’ll have to make a yes or no decision.
You’ll probably be a little nervous. After all, it’s not like your starting a new job. If you buy a franchise, you’re going to have real skin in the game, and it’s a game that you’re expecting to win.
You can win, if you focus on choosing an opportunity that’s really right for you, that you’ve done terrific research on, and that easily fits into your budget.
Joel Libava is the author of Become a Franchise Owner! The Start-Up Guide to Lowering Risk, Making Money, and Owning What You Do, Wiley, December 2011.
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In an email, Richard Chappell, the owner and operator of the philosophy blog Philosophy et cetera (which I highly recommend), asked that I clarify my position on the relationship between morality and reasons for action.
I have broken the relevant parts of his email out into what I think are the five central claims.
C1: I am guessing that you accept what we might call "Rational Egoism", or the view that one only has reason to fulfill their own desires.
C2: But then you must agree that the amoralist (who has no desire to be moral) has no reason to be moral if he can get away with being wicked.
Then he asks,
C3: Why not say that other people's interests (which you would explicate in terms of their desires) can provide us with (normative) reasons for action, just as our own can, whether we like it or not?
Mr. Chappell also adds the following:
C4: Of course, only our own desires can be (explanatory/motivating) reasons causing our action. . .
C5: . . .but that doesn't entail anything about what normative reasons for action there might be, at least not without some extra assumptions.
Answering this question will require two fine-grained distinctions.
Having a Reason vs. There Exists a Reason
First, I want to distinguish between “having a reason” and “there exists a reason.”
There is To answer this question, I would like to propose a fine distinction that Mr. Chappell blurs in his question. It is a distinction between “having a reason” and “there exists a reason”.
The only reasons for action that are real – that exist – are desires.
However, there is a distinction between the desires that a person has, and the desires that exist. I have all sorts of desires – thus, I have all sorts of reasons for action. However, it is clearly not the case that my reasons for action – my desires – are the only desires that exist. The planet is filled with all sorts of beings, each with their own desires (reasons for action). Those desires also exist.
Therefore, the set “has a reason” for any particular agent is an extremely small subset of the “reasons that exist”.
Desires and Motivating Reason – Rephrasing C2
Second, I want to distinguish between having a desire to be moral, and having a motivating reason to do the right thing.
A desire to be moral is one specific desire out of countless possible desires. I will interpret this as a “desire that I do the right act”. A person with a desire to be moral only needs to know that a particular act is a right act, and he will have a motivating reason to do that.
Yet, an individual can lack a desire to be moral, and still have a motivating reason to do the right act. A parent’s desire “that my child is healthy” is not identical to a desire “that I do the right act.” A parent who has the first desire but not the second will be motivated to care for his child’s health, without having a desire to be moral.
From this, I infer that C2, as written is false.
C2(a): The amoralist (who has no desire to be moral) can still have a reason to be moral, even if he can get away with being wicked, but only if being moral will fulfill some other desire that the amoralist has.
“Rational Egoism” – C1 and C4
In C1, Mr. Chappell used a definition of “Rational Egoism” that is ambiguous.
One possible definition – the definition under which I would say that C1 is true, is: R1: The reasons for action that a person has are his or her own desires.
This, however, would make C1 (accepting rational egoism) and C4 (accepting that a person’s motivating reasons are his or her own desires) identical.
Mr. Chappell cannot consistently assert:
- C4 is “of course” true.
- C1 is logically equivalent to C4
- C1 implies C2
- C2 is false
If we have to break this contradiction, where do we break it at?
I would suggest that we break it at (2).
“Rational egoism” contains two parts; only one of which is contained in C4. The other is:
R2: The only desires that a (rational?) being has are those that concern his or her own welfare.
When we add R2, we can see how C1 implies C2.
The “rational egoist” has no motivating reason not to be wicked when he can get away with it – because the rational egoist has no other-regarding desires.
However, I can reject C2 because I can (and do) reject the second component of “rational egoism” – the absence of other-regarding desires.
Back to Reasons: C1 vs. C5
Now, please note the subtle shift in Mr. Chappell’s language between C1 and C5.
In C1, Mr. Chappell uses the phrase “has [a] reason”. In C5, he uses the phrase “what normative reasons for action there might be.”
This is the distinction between the reasons that a person has, and the reasons that exist.
I have already written that the reasons that a person has is a small subset of the reasons that exist. From this, I agree that the fact that only the reasons that a person has can be the immediate cause/explanation of his actions does not imply that these are the only reasons that exist. Other reasons can (and do) exist. They simply cannot be the immediate cause/explanation of any agent’s actions.
However, these other reasons that exist can be a distant cause of a person’s actions in two ways; one blunt, and one subtle.
(1) The blunt way in which other reasons can affect an action is through the fact that “being a danger to fulfilling the desires of others makes me a threat, and gives them reason to do me harm.”
That is to say, if I thwart their desires, I am at risk of suffering all sorts of harm that they may visit upon me.
(2) The subtle way in with other reasons can affect an action is that those other reasons give other people an incentive to mold my desires.
These are motivating reasons for them to cause me to have desires that will tend to fulfill their desires, and to inhibit in me desires that will thwart their desires. Thus, even though my own desires are the immediate cause of my action, what those desires are molded, in part, by what others have reason to cause my desires to be.
On these grounds, I note that when a parent scolds a child, the parent uses the statement, “You should be ashamed in yourself. The parent is talking about the desires and aversions that society has reason to cause each individual to have, not the reasons that the person being scolded actually does have. From the point of view of the person being scolded, moral claims concern the other reasons that exist, not the reasons that the agent has.
Furthermore, I argue that this roughly – very roughly – defines the difference between law and morality. There is a large degree of overlap but, roughly, law defines the threats we make against those who do wrongful actions, whereas morality concerns the desires and aversions we seek to cultivate in people that will prevent them from being a threat to others.
One significant area of overlap relates to the concept of just and unjust laws. The difference here rests on whether the laws established in (1) are those laws that a “good person” – as defined in (2) – could support. Laws can, in fact, be just or unjust.
So, here is my view.
A0: The only reasons for action that exist are embedded in desires.
A1(a): The only reasons that a person has for any action are those embedded in his or her own desires.
A1(b): The desires (or reasons) that a person has may be other-regarding; an agent can have a desire that another person be well off.
A1(c): If “rational egoism” means “A1(a) is true”, I accept “rational egoism”. If “rational egoism” means “A1(a) is true and A1(b) is false”, I reject “rational egoism.”
A2(a): The amoralist (who has no desire to be moral) can still have a reason to be moral, if the other reasons he does have are other regarding or reasons that tend to fulfill the desires of others.
A2(b): One has to assert that A1(b) is false to get to the conclusion that a person with no desire to be moral has no reason to be moral.
A3(a): The set of reasons that exist is much larger than the set of reasons that an agent has.
A3(b): Other people’s interests (desires) are (normative) reasons for action, just as our own can, but they cannot be the immediate cause of that action.
A4: Of course, only our own desires can be (explanatory/motivating) reasons causing our action. This actually simply restates A1(a).
A5: However, this does not entail that no other normative reasons for action exist, at least not without some extra assumptions. Indeed, other reasons (desires), in addition to those that are the immediate cause of an agent’s actions, certainly do exist.
A6: Moral statements are not statements about the reasons for action the agent or the person being spoken of have. They concern the reasons for action (desires) the subject should have given the reasons that exist; what others have a reason to cause the person being subject to moral praise or condemnation to have.
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How we dress can say a lot about who we are. Some people like to dress extravagantly. Others dress more conservatively. There was one lady in our church who used to wear these beautiful hats. There are others who wouldn’t wear a hat if you paid them. All this said, it shows us that we are each unique in how we dress. For the most part, we have much freedom in how we dress.
In the spiritual realm we have a way that we are called to dress, and we should be diligent in dressing this way every day! We read about it in Ephesians 6:10-17, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”Just as a soldier wouldn’t go out to battle without putting on his armor, so we too must wear our armor. We do this because ‘our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’ We need to understand that we are indeed in a battle. Satan is at work, trying to deceive us, and dissuade us from God’s truth. If we stand strong, dressed in the armor of God, we can be victorious each and every day! Blessings.
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When I met La Moyne in 1951, she was working at the Colorado Springs Telephone Company. Each day as she rode the bus to and from work, she used Scripture cards to memorize Scripture.
The Scripture she was memorizing when we met was I Corinthians 10:13:
"There hath no temptation(testing) taken you but such as is common to man:
but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that youmay be able to bear it."
That 'way' of course is the Faithfulness of God.
A poet said:
"I've tried in vain a thousand ways
my fears to quell, my hopes to raise.
But what I need, the Bible says,
Is ever only Jesus"
When God became Man in Christ and dwelt among us....
He underlined all the Promises as true!
II Thes. 3:3:
"The Lord is faithful Who shall establish (stabilize your life) in His way and keep you."
At age 11, I took God at His word, was saved which was the greatest miracle of my life.
Now almost 70 yrs. later, my life affirms this to be true! He will never leave me nor forsake me!
Therefore feed on God's faithfulness as good dairy cows do when a farmer bids them to come for feeding or milking. Each morning (and evening), my Dad, my three brothers and I milked 20 cows.
Dad would call them and they knew his voice and would come running as they knew Dad was faithful. Would that we be that regular at God's calling and feeding.
Don't be stubborn by listening to others (or gadgets) and miss God's call. It's harder for God to get our attention now as it sometimes seems 'gadgets' are more important than time with God. This paper is an SOS for us who try to relate to the younger generation....be patient with them, but firm in your convictions and your example.
There is no substitute for God. Tell them...but better yet show them!
You CAN make a difference!
Many people think that ministry is only via church-related work, but there are MANY ways to minister. Any ministry we do in Jesus' name has to feed on God's Faithfulness and if so, God will honor it.
Recently our son Kevin retired after serving 29 yrs. as an Oklahoma State Trooper.
He said that there was never a day that he dreaded going to work as he LOVED his job.
During the first ice storm after Kevin retired, I told him that I imagined he was grateful that he didn't have to be out in that weather. He replied, "I miss helping people."
He is now ministering in new and different ways as he and his wife, Michelle own three 'Just Between Friends' franchises. Since children outgrow clothes, toys and strollers so quickly, this is a great ministry....especially in these difficult economic times.
If you'd like to learn more about Just Between Friends, you can look it up on:
www.jbfsale.com/home/ or saintcharles.jbfsale.com)
We are only channels, but sin and selfishness can plug the channel from receiving all that God desires to give us, then via us to others.
Therefore take all that God gives....and give all that He asks!
While preparing this paper, I took a break to water the flowers in our backyard as it's been a long time since we've had any rain. I noticed this morning that it looked like the flowers had grown an inch or more...and one was even blooming.
God's Faithfulness can do for us what that water did for those flowers!
Earlier this week La Moyne rec'd a good report on her Coumadin level (which has been very erratic since her heart attack in Jan.) To celebrate, we stopped to get a Subway sandwich, forgetting that it was lunch time, so there was a LONG line.
Instead of fuming/fussing, La Moyne began talking with a college student who was in line behind her. When we were ready to leave, the young lady said that she would like to have information about our website so we gave her one of our cards.
To me this was an instance of La Moyne 'blooming where she was planted'.
Blooming where we're planted can make a difference not only for now....
but hopefully for Eternity.
The Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah prophesied in difficult times wrote:
"I recall about the Lord and it gives me hope. The Lord's mercies are new every morning and great is His Faithfulness. It is good that we hope, wait patiently and see the Lord work". (Lamentations 3:21-24)
'Have Faith In God' (by B.B. McKinney)
Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely.
He sees and knows all the way you have trod;
Never alone are the least of His children;
Have faith in God, have faith in God.
Have faith in God when your prayers are unanswered,
Your earnest plea He will never forget;
Wait on the lord, trust His word and be patient,
Have faith in God. He'll answer yet.
Have faith in God in your pain and your sorrow,
His heart is touched with your grief and despair;
Cast all your cares and your burdens upon Him,
And leave them there, oh, leave them there.
Have faith in God though all else fall about you;
Have faith in God, He provides for His own:
He cannot fail though all kingdoms shall perish.
He rules. He reigns upon His throne.
Have faith in God, He's on His throne,
Have faith in God, He watches over His own;
He cannot fail, He must prevail,
Have faith in God, Have faith in God.
Read more articles by Travis Wiginton or search for articles on the same topic or others.
Glorious and Precious friends, Travis and La Moyne: Our true God has greatly blessed us with your friendship and care. God's aim is to delight our hearts through your love, and your wonderful care for us,who are part of your readers.
Glory be to God--and a bouquet of a Million, Red, Thank You Roses for your great sincerity in writing from your heart and from your life! We are honored to have you in our life ..Amen
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Adapting tradition to current times: keys to the international expansion of Lácteos Martínez.
Author: Rodrigo García Fernández/©ICEX.
Publication Date: 06 Jun 2012
Over 50 years of cheese-making, combining the traditional goats’ cheese recipe from Los Cameros mountains (La Rioja) with more diverse options that suit a varied demand. This is the history of Lácteos Martínez in a nutshell, together with their commitment to raw material quality and their increasing presence in international markets.
The economy of Haro, the wine-producing capital of the region of La Rioja Alta, has much more than just its famous cellars. One example is the cheese factory Lácteos Martínez, one of the strongest companies in the sector in northern Spain. It recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, which provides the perfect excuse to analyze its history and plans for the future.
Sonia Martínez is the company’s commercial manager and is part of the board of directors, together with her three siblings. If we talk to her we quickly realize that she is dedicated to the business world and is passionate about the products she defends so diligently. “Our parents gave the four of us the mission to spearhead the growth and development of the family company, which was established in 1961.”
That year, a dream that is closely connected with her homeland, La Rioja, began. Jesús and Justa, Sonia’s parents, were working in Bilbao (Basque Country, 100 km / 62 mi from Haro) when they got the opportunity they had been waiting for: to return to their land of origin. They came back with a project in mind – to recover a culinary memory from their childhood: “Some of my father’s ancestors came from a region in the mountains called Los Cameros, where special cheese was made for centuries, with goats’ milk from small herds, almost exclusively produced for their own consumption,” Sonia tells us.
Origin and history
The cheese factory was established in the dynamic city of Haro, a communication hub between Castile-Leon, La Rioja and the Basque Country. Tradition was the priority from the outset, as they got the milk from native goats: “The company did not have its own herd but it collected the milk from herds in the towns near Haro, and from the region of Los Cameros. It gradually grew and ended up using almost all the milk coming from the region’s goats. That is why one of the cheeses is called Los Cameros – currently our most famous one.
The years went by and the company grew, but they never left tradition aside. Sonia explains it in detail: “Milk ferments have experienced a spectacular evolution over the past two decades, so the process of making cheese has changed. But it is true that there are several aspects of traditional cheese-making that our company has wanted to preserve over time, and in some ways they affect our products’ personality. For example, we still like to use natural rennet. This is not as common in cheese factories with a large production volume, as they tend to choose genetically engineered or microbial rennet.”
Another trademark of their products is that they use natural mold in the ageing stage, to create natural rinds and to produce very particular aromas. “We know that the mold treatment is very delicate but we work with professionals who know everything about it. We control the growth of the mold by dipping the cheese in olive oil, which is one of the most natural anti-mold products.”
DOP Queso Camerano
This great effort to keep the cheese-making tradition alive has brought them another great achievement: the creation of DOP Queso Camerano cheese. This great effort to keep the cheese-making tradition alive has brought them another great achievement: the creation of Protected Designation of Origin Queso Camerano cheese. The company Lácteos Martínez actively participated in the creation of this quality mark, in a collaboration project with La Rioja University and the Government of La Rioja, to recover the historical recipe of Camerano cheese. The study included historical research that took them back to the 12th century, when Gonzalo de Berceo (the first known writer Spanish) mentioned Camerano cheese in some of his works.
Lácteos Martínez currently markets two products under the DOP quality mark: aged and semi-aged Los Cameros cheese. According to Sonia Martínez, “we must admit that it is cheese with limited production because it can only be manufactured with goats’ milk from certain regions in La Rioja, but it is true that it is very popular in international markets because the protected designation of origin mark helps to market it, and this enables us to present our other cheeses.”
Entering new markets
Lácteos Martínez’s range of products includes many references and formats, which adapt to new markets trends and innovative formats aimed at groups of professionals. Sonia Martínez admits that “most of our international clients ask for our 100% sheep’s milk aged cheese, because it is the most famous type of Spanish cheese abroad. Distributors look for cheese that stands out from other sheep’s cheese made in Europe, but unpressed or soft cheese. Mixed milk cheese, which we market already cut and ready to eat, is also very popular.”
Europe is their natural export market. “They are popular in countries where there is a long tradition of consuming dairy products, such as Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark... but we are also starting to work with the Russian market and gradually entering the US. Our next goal includes two more regions: Central and South America. Venezuela and Mexico are two countries that consume a lot of cheese and we want to be present there in the next few years.”
Regarding distribution channels, Lácteos Martínez tries to use a combination in order to make the most of every opportunity: “We have special formats for the hotel & catering sector, retail or specialized stores and for large-scale distribution. Our strong point, in any case, is our relationship with importers who distribute in specialized stores, where there is a more personal relationship with the client and we can answer any questions about the product and show how we are different from the competition,” Sonia explains.
Is it necessary to have special certifications to enter new markets? “We have different certifications that we use as a way of introducing our company (ISO 9000, ISO 14000), and we comply with all the requirements set out by the European Union, whose regulations may be the strictest in the world. However, the best way to present our production process to large clients is to show them round the plant itself, by inviting them to discover first hand the internal quality control methodology that we have developed.” These visits are not only available to professionals – tourists and cheese lovers can also visit the cheese factory every Saturday from April to October.
The Martínez family has managed to make their parents’ dream international, and they have also helped to make La Rioja known also as a land of cheese. And of course, their entrepreneurial spirit is as strong as ever, and as well as the well-established cheese project, the family has embarked on two new adventures now: production and marketing of organic extra virgin olive oil, under the make Autrigón, with the PDO Aceite de La Rioja quality mark; and of course, wine – the Señorío de Cameros cellar. Wine, cheese and olive oil, all from the same family. A real foodie temptation.
Rodrigo García Fernández is specialist food journalist and editorial coordinator of www.foodsfromspain.com.
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Ruling lets S.C. students earn credit for religion classes
In a ruling that advocates called "a tremendous victory for religious education," a three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the right of a school district to award high school credit for religious courses, as long as they meet secular standards.
The decision, which stemmed from a 2009 lawsuit filed against Spartanburg District 7, gives a constitutional stamp of approval to a 2006 South Carolina law that authorized school districts to accept credit from "Released Time" courses using the same criteria as for accepting credit transferred from private schools.
"We see no evidence that the program has had the effect of establishing religion or that it has entangled the school district in religion," the Richmond, Va.-based judges wrote.
"As was the General Assembly and school district's purpose, the program properly accommodates religion without establishing it, in accordance with the First Amendment."
The Freedom from Religion Foundation, which litigated the lawsuit on behalf of Robert Moss, Ellen Tillett and their daughter Melissa Moss, who attended Spartanburg High School at the time, plans to ask the full appellate court to review the case, Anne Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Madison, Wis.-based group, told GreenvilleOnline.com.
"It's almost outrageous that someone could get academic credit for religious indoctrination during Released Time instruction," she said. "I don't think that most people in South Carolina would think that makes sense."
The 4th Circuit Court has a strong record on separation of church and state issues, she said, including rulings restricting sectarian prayer in government meetings.
"So there might be the votes on there to look at this," Laurie Gaylor said, "because we feel that it's a very damaging decision."
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1952 that Released Time programs don't violate the First Amendment's prohibition against government establishment of religion so long as they are taught off campus and aren't promoted or supported by public schools.
Janice Butler, executive director of Christian Learning Centers of Greenville County, said the ruling will allow students "to continue their Bible education and be able to exercise their religious rights in order to do so."
"We're praying that things will go well for all Released Time programs all over South Carolina," she said.
Her program "ministers to" 1,800 students in Greenville County Schools — but only 39 of them took the credit-bearing high school courses during the 2011-12 school year, she said.
The rest attended a one-day-a-week program for middle-school students that substitutes for a "related arts" class they would have taken at school otherwise, she said.
The high school Released Time program, which was offered but without credit prior to the 2006 state law, is taught by accredited teachers and covers the standards required by the state for credit toward a diploma, Butler said.
The law allows students to take two of their seven electives in Released Time. The state requires 24 units for graduation.
More than 250,000 children in 32 states, including 12,000 in South Carolina, take Released Time classes each year, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represented the Spartanburg school district, along with a local law firm.
The idea behind allowing credit for Released Time was to make the Bible courses more feasible for students, lawmakers said at the time.
Two years ago, when budget cuts forced a reduction in course offerings in high schools, the Greenville County School Board increased the number of Released Time credits the district would accept from one to two.
Barnett also writes for The Greenville News.
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SCHOHARIE - The leading edges of a massive and powerful Hurricane Sandy started lashing upstate New York as darkness fell Monday, knocking out power, threatening lakefront homes and shutting down government, business and schools as the worst of the winds still lay ahead.
True to predictions, the storm crunched the East Coast with heavy storm surge, soaking rains and whipping winds that toppled trees and took down power lines. By early evening, more than quarter-million people, most in the New York City area and Long Island were without power.
In the Hudson Valley, a water treatment plant was shut down in Ulster County when flood waters entered the grounds. County officials were looking at other potential flooding trouble spots and opening shelters.
On Lake Ontario, some people who live along the lakefront were encouraged to leave their homes as waves up to 10 feet were predicted on shore and up to 20 feet out farther.
Automated calls went out to warn around 13,000 Rochester-area residents who live in lakeside communities. Residents were told that if they didn't feel safe, there were five shelters opening around the city, said Monroe County spokesman Justin Feasel.
Emergency officials next door in rural Wayne County also suggested that residents right on the shore evacuate their homes.
"Certainly we don't want them to be in trouble and then need help getting out. We'd rather them spend the evening in a nice hotel with a glass of wine and a nice dinner," said county emergency management director George Bastedo.
If the wind was a worry, there was also a sense of relief that flooding was less a concern.
During the day across the state, from the Hudson Valley to the Adirondacks and west to Buffalo, anxious upstate New Yorkers remembered the flooding wrought by a double-whammy last year and stocked up on supplies, boarded up windows and fled flood-prone homes.
Municipal offices, colleges, and dozens of school districts across the state shut down Monday, hours before the storm - a hybrid behemoth forming as Hurricane Sandy merges with a winter storm from the west and an arctic blast from the north - was expected to arrive with heavy rain and wind gusting to 65 mph. The National Weather Service predicted sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph Monday afternoon through Tuesday, and one to six inches of rain.
The wind was expected to cause even more damage than usual because it was coming from the north in a region where trees are anchored against the prevailing west wind, the weather service said. Pine trees, with their shallow root systems, are the most likely to be toppled.
Some minor stream flooding was predicted in the Catskill Mountains. Flooding was forecast along the Hudson River at Poughkeepsie on Monday night due to the Atlantic storm surge, and wind-driven waves were expected to cause lakeshore flooding along Lake Ontario in western New York on Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo called up an additional 1,000 National Guard troops, doubling the superstorm force he called up Sunday.
In the rural village of Schoharie 25 miles west of Albany, Leslie Price was packing up Monday morning at the trailer provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after her home was washed away by Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011. Her sister, Lonie Putman, was helping Price and her two cats move to a hillside cabin owned by a stylist who works at Price's hair salon.
"We've got to get the cats out," Putman said.
Price, also the Schoharie village clerk and treasurer, said about 300 homes were damaged in last year's flooding. She said 58 homes have been repaired and people have moved back in, but most of the others remain empty. Price reopened her flood-damaged hair salon on Aug. 28, the one-year anniversary of Irene.
"By Thursday, we'll know if we have an office or not, if we have a trailer or not," Price said. She said Irene's flooding took everyone by surprise, but she's determined not to be a victim this time.
In Elmira, near the Pennsylvania border in western New York, shoppers stocked up on last-minute supplies at Tops Supermarket as the first cold rain started falling at midday. Susan Calabrese put her head down in the rain as she rolled her cart loaded with four, one-gallon jugs of water.
"I got a lot of stuff but a lot of places are out of water," Calabrese said. "Tops got an emergency supply."
Calabrese lost her power last year during Tropical Storm Lee last fall, and during a tornado in July. She fully expects to lose power again in this storm.
"We have lots of soup we can heat up on the grill," Calabrese said. "We just have to stay warm, if we lose power, with our kerosene heater. It's all we have."
Don Hall of Elmira stocked up on toilet paper, milk, bread and food he can grill. Hall was confident that emergency officials could set things right quickly, and said the tornado in July might actually make it less likely that power will go out.
"It should have gotten rid of all the riskier trees," Hall said.
Further west, roofer Jeffrey Marsh was boarding up the windows at his two-story house on the shore of Lake Ontario at Wilson's Harbor, in Niagara County. He and his wife and their 1-year-old son will ride out the storm at home.
"What really can you do?" he said. "Board up what you can and hope for the best."
Associated Press writer Michael Hill contributed to this report from Elmira and AP writer Carolyn Thompson contributed from Niagara County.
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San Antonio (KTSA News)--Each time you fly out of San Antonio International Airport, you are paying an extra fee that is going towards improving a number of homes in the city.
The Acoustical Treatment Program, which was launched back in 2006, is designed to make neighborhoods located near the airport more compatible with airport noise by providing acoustical treatments to older homes.
"The Passenger Facility Charge is a charge that when you fly out of San Antonio, there's a $4.50 cent fee that's on that ticket. That comes back to the airport to do a lot of different kinds of projects, and the noise program is just one of those," said Frank Miller, Aviation Director at San Antonio International Airport.
Miller said it costs on average $30,000 to $35,000 per home, and the program has already made improvements on 1,000 homes with around 2,200 more homes to go.
"The cost to improve these homes varies depending on the neighborhood and the size and age of the home," said Miller, "And that cost goes into all of the work to replace windows, to replace doors, the architectural work that has to be done; there's fence as well that has been replaced."
Miller says 20 percent of this program is funded by the Passenger Facility Charge, while the other 80 percent majority is funded by the Federal Government.
The program celebrated its 1,000th completed home with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the home of Annis Fisher Monday afternoon.
"I can't hear my car beep when it says 'I'm locked' now. I don't hear the dog next door. I don't hear the trash truck that came down the street this morning like I should of; I mean, it's strange things that you don't even think about that I don't hear no more," said Fisher.
San Antonio Councilwoman Elisa Chan also attended the ribbon cutting ceremony, at which she claimed the program had a 98 percent satisfaction rate among those who have already received the repairs.
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Andrew Greeley – Well, the Irish aren’t much into showing affection. There was crisis when we were wiped out in the Depression and my father went into the gloom. But surely in the years when I was an adolescent during the war years, there was, I would say, a rebirth of affection there.
“Don’t ask for an easier life, ask to be a stronger person.”
“The unexamined life is unworth living.” — Socrates
“A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.” — Thomas Jefferson
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster – For when you look long into the abyss,
the abyss also looks into you.” — Nietzsche
Filed under: Famous, Famous Quotations, Famous Quotes, Famous Sayings, Quotations, Quote, Quotes | Tagged: Famous Quotes, Famous Sayings, Quotations, Quote Of The Day, Quotes, Sayings | Leave a Comment »
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Iran's powerful Guardians Council has winnowed the field of hundreds of aspiring presidential candidates to four men, all of whom are current or former senior officials, excluding all bids by women or independent candidates to succeed incumbent Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
The clerically dominated vetting body approved the candidacies of Ahmadinejad, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Musavi, former parliament speaker Mehdi Karrubi, and former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps head Mohsen Rezai. It rejected 471 other applicants.
Iran's reformist camp is represented by Musavi and Karrubi, each of whom is considered a serious challenger.
Rezai, a former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards who is among the five Iranian officials wanted by Argentina for their alleged role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center, is widely regarded as a dark horse, with little chance to win the race.
The same day as the Guardians Council announcement, incumbent Ahmadinejad announced the successful test-firing of a new missile capable of reaching Israel and Southeastern Europe.
With Tehran bracing itself against outside scrutiny over its nuclear ambitions, and with Moscow and Washington debating the necessity of a U.S.-backed missile shield in Europe, the firing of the missile was seen as a possible attempt by Ahmadinejad to draw public support ahead of the June 12 election. Incumbent Attacked
While Musavi, Karrubi, and Rezai have all began campaigning, the Iranian president has not officially launched his campaign. But he has already been accused by his three rivals of getting an early start to his campaign by using his presidential powers and government resources to travel to Iran's provinces to buy votes.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (left) has made his preference clear.
Ahmadinejad's government has denied the accusations, and the president himself has blasted the criticism of his recent travels as "election immorality."
The incumbent's challengers have also blamed him for the poor state of Iran's economy.
The 55-year-old Rezai has warned that Iran is headed toward "an abyss," while Musavi has pointedly asked where the oil money that the Iranian president promised to bring to people's tables has gone.
Ahmadinejad is also come under criticism from his opponents for his confrontational approach to international issues, and his questioning of the Holocaust.
"First of all, the Holocaust existed," Karrubi said in a recent video interview posted on his campaign website. "Secondly, the Palestinians themselves say, 'What [is the use] of bringing such things up?' Thirdly, it [the Holocaust issue] is not related to us."
The 72-year-old Karrubi, who ran against Ahmadinejad in the 2005 election and has received the backing of some prominent reformist figures and of pro-reform student groups, is considered a serious challenger.
But many expect the 67-year-old Musavi to be Ahmadinejad's main challenger. The former prime minister, who describes himself as a fundamentalist reformer, has been publicly backed by former President Mohammad Khatami.
"I consider Musavi a religious intellectual," Khatami recently told backers in an effort to encourage them to throw their support behind Musavi. "Musavi's dedication to morals is among his outstanding traits, as is his sympathy for people."
Musavi, an architect and a painter by trade, has been praised by many for his management of Iran's struggling economy while running the government during the eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s.
He has promised to pursue detente with the West but has said that Iran must first gain international trust over its nuclear program. However, he has stopped short of saying Iran should halt its controversial uranium-enrichment activities, which have raised fears in the West that they could be part of an effort to build nuclear weapons.
Ahmadinejad leads several official polls that have been made public by Iranian media, although many question the reliability of the polls. Observers widely agree, however, that while Ahmadinejad will face a tough race, he will be hard to beat.
Former President Khatami (left) has backed Musavi (right).
He reportedly has the support of the powerful Revolutionary Guards, and Musavi and Karrubi have complained that state broadcasters give the incumbent biased coverage.
The hard-line president is also believed to have the backing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Khamenei has not publicly expressed his support for Ahmadinejad, but as Paris-based political analyst Hassan Shariatmadari told RFE/RL's Radio Farda, there have been strong hints.
"Without naming any of the candidates, Khamenei has clearly introduced his candidate -- which is Ahmadinejad -- to the people," Shariatmadari said. "What is more important is that he makes signals to the Guardians Council, the Basij force, and other key bodies that can interfere in the election [to Ahmadinejad's advantage]."
Among those deemed not fit to stand for office by the 12-man Guardians Council was female parliament deputy Rafat Bayat. As a conservative, Bayat's registration had pundits speculating whether the watchdog body might approve her candidacy, seeing as the Guardians Council had said there was no barrier to a woman running for the presidential office. Overall, more than 40 female candidates did not make the final list.
More predictably, the candidacies of two former lawmakers who have been critical of the Iranian establishment were not approved. The majority of those disqualified lacked political experience.
Mohammad Seifzadeh, a prominent lawyer who heads the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, says the screening process by the Guardians Council prevents the election from being free and fair.
"The election is a race between government candidates, not people," Seifzadeh says.
The election campaign for the June vote will go on until June 10. The Interior Ministry has said that the results will be announced a day after the June 12 election, and there will be a runoff between the two leading vote-getters if no one wins a majority in the first round.
About 46 million Iranians are eligible to vote.
Ahead of the June balloting, human rights activists warned of an increase in the repression against government critics, women's rights advocates, and student activists in the country.
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Men at Work
The literary masculinity of Cormac McCarthy.
Click here to read more from Slate's Fall Fiction Week
One begins The Road, Cormac McCarthy's new masterpiece, awaiting the moment when the burned and ravaged deathscape that surrounds his unnamed male protagonist and the man's young son will exhaust itself; when they'll look around a bend or across a ridge and see color and life—a natural world they can engage with. That's how it works in "Big Two-Hearted River," Ernest Hemingway's famous post-World War I short story, to which The Road seems to allude directly. Hemingway's story is the apotheosis of a form of literary masculinity that features men in contention with the natural world, testing their expertise against it and finding, in their mastery of it, meaning—even grace. McCarthy is no stranger to this brand of masculinity, but here he invokes it as a self-conscious memory, a literary past that hovers in the reader's imagination, reminding us of forms of masculine pleasure and satisfaction that have been irrevocably lost in the post-apocalyptic horror he's conjured. With only the corpse of a natural world to grapple with, McCarthy's father and son exist in a realm rarely seen in the ur-masculine literary tradition: the domestic. And from this unlikely vantage McCarthy makes a big, shockingly successful grab at the universal.
In the fictional realm Hemingway defined and epitomized, since visited by writers like Norman Maclean, William Kittredge, and Rick Bass, the natural world acts as a means of sublimating and exorcising men's emotional states. In Hemingway's case, its hallmark was a subdued meting out of descriptive detail that suggested emotional restraint, even repression. In "Big Two-Hearted River," the perennial Hemingway protagonist Nick Adams returns, wounded from war, to the town of Seney, only to find it burned to the ground. "There was no town, nothing but the rails and the burned-over country," the story reads. "The thirteen saloons that had lined the one street of Seney had left not a trace ..." In a nearby river, Nick sees trout—the same he imagined fishing for during the nights in Italy (related in another Hemingway story, "Now I Lay Me") when he was wounded. "Nick looked down into the clear, brown water, colored from the pebbly bottom, and watched the trout keeping themselves steady in the current with wavering fins. As he watched them they changed their positions by quick angles, only to hold steady in the fast water again." The sight of trout lifts Nick out of his dark mood; nature is a haven from the injuries and disappointments human beings inflict upon each other. Hemingway often voices this pessimism, but it is nowhere to be found when his protagonists are in the natural world, even when Nick Adams confronts the destruction of the town he remembers. "Seney was burned, the country was burned over and changed, but it did not matter. It could not all be burned."
In The Road, everything is burned—the result of an apocalyptic event (whether of natural or human origin is never clear) that killed virtually all forms of life and that threatens, a decade later, to wipe out the human race. There is no limit to the devastation, only new forms of its expression, and McCarthy renders these up in lush, sensuous prose that belies the inertness of its object and keeps the reader in a constant state of longing and alarm. "The soft black talc blew through the streets like squid ink uncoiling along a sea floor and the cold crept down and the dark came early and the scavengers passing down the steep canyons with their torches trod silky holes in the drifted ash that closed behind them silently as eyes." But these gorgeous descriptions are a foil, a tease—nature as we know it exists only in the dreams and memories of the man and in the questions of his son, who was born days after the apocalypse and talks of crows, the sun—now permanently obscured—and the blue sea with the same mythical longing one hears in today's children's talk of queens and dragons. Early in the novel, the man looks at a river now empty of life and recalls seeing trout: "He'd stood at such a river once and watched the flash of trout deep in a pool, invisible to see in the teacolored water except as they turned on their sides to feed. Reflecting back the sun deep in the darkness like a flash of knives in a cave."
The man, who goes unnamed, is an outdoorsman in the Hemingway tradition. His savvy and wits kept him alive through the apocalypse—he began filling a bathtub with water as soon as he heard the explosions—and have sustained him and his son through the following years of misrule by marauding gangs of thugs who steal, kill, and eat the only fresh food still available: human flesh. His keen instincts rescue the pair several times over the course of the book as they head south, toward the coast, hoping for warmer weather. He's good at building and repairing things, and McCarthy enumerates the mechanics of this work with a meditative absorption that evokes Hemingway. Here the man repairs the wheel of their cart: "… He pulled the bolt and bored out the collet with a hand drill and resleeved it with a section of pipe he'd cut to length with a hacksaw. Then he bolted it all back together and stood the cart upright and wheeled it around the floor. It ran fairly true."
Our literary expectation is that the man's ingenuity will redeem him, but while it's true that he and the boy survive a number of scrapes in The Road, the agony of the novel is that things are getting worse, not better. At one time the man used to teach the boy lessons, but that has fallen away. Now he's coughing up blood and knows he will soon die of some affliction to his lungs—perhaps caused by the explosions and ceaseless fires that still burn. On a denatured planet, the man's survival skills are focused purely on scavenging for and protecting his son, whom he cares for with passionate devotion. The bulk of The Road consists of the rituals of child-care and child rearing, which McCarthy renders with a tenderness that is a world apart from that of Nick Adams, whose father delivered a child before his eyes and inveighed against masturbation, bestiality, and fear of the woods. In a bomb shelter the man finds underground, he tries to cut the boy's hair: "He tried to do a good job and it took some time. When he was done he took the towel from around the boy's shoulders and he scooped the golden hair from the floor and wiped the boy's face and shoulders with a damp cloth and held a mirror for him to see."
Later, when the boy is sick, McCarthy writes of the man: "He held him all night, dozing off and waking in terror, feeling for the boy's heart. In the morning he was no better. He tried to get him to drink some juice but he would not. He pressed his hand to his forehead, conjuring up a coolness that would not come. He wiped his white mouth while he slept. I will do what I promised, he whispered. No matter what. I will not send you into the darkness alone."
It's worth asking whether this passage would seem mawkish if the parent in question were a woman—whether the literary trappings of self-conscious maleness are what allow McCarthy to maintain such agonizing pathos while inoculating him against sentimentality and, by association, triviality. His single failure in The Road, interestingly, comes in his treatment of the boy's mother, who appears in an early flashback to inform her husband that she's chosen to kill herself rather than face the end of the world. The lifeless rhetoric McCarthy ascribes to her as she justifies abandoning her child makes for a two-dimensional contrast to the lively characterizations of father and son.
Beyond the immediate struggle for survival, the deep struggle explored in The Road is that of raising a child in a world without hope; and for the boy, the complementary challenge of assuming the responsibilities of manhood in such a world. There would seem to be nothing to sustain these two—the natural world exists only in effigy, and the remaining humans have mostly sacrificed their humanity as the price of survival. Yet the boy is constantly seeking to define a moral structure he can live by—one that accounts for the fact that his father doesn't help stray people on the road, but still ensures their own distinction from the cannibals. After they discover a basement full of human prisoners who will be used for food, the boy asks: "We wouldn't ever eat anybody, would we?"
No. Of course not.
Even if we were starving?
We're starving now.
You said we weren't.
I said we weren't dying. I didn't say we weren't starving.
But we wouldn't.
No. We wouldn't.
No matter what.
No. No matter what.
Because we're the good guys.
And we're carrying the fire.
And we're carrying the fire. Yes.
The existence of a moral structure—the will to do good—is the soaring discovery hidden in McCarthy's scourged planet. He evokes Hemingway's literary vision in order to invert it, first by eliminating the promise that nature can provide a refuge from human destruction (an appropriate revision in our era of nuclear rogues and global warming) and finally by giving us redemption in the form of the love between a parent and a child—their desire to be good although it serves no purpose. McCarthy is overt in his suggestion that this vision is holy. As the dying man is cared for by his son, he describes the boy as being surrounded by light. Watching him, the man seems to address some higher power directly with his mind: "Look around you, he said. There is no prophet in the earth's long chronicle who's not honored here today. Whatever form you spoke of you were right."
In the novel's final passage, eerily reminiscent of "Big Two-Hearted River," McCarthy returns to the image of trout: "Once there were brook trout in the streams in the mountains. You could see them standing in the amber current where the white edges of their fins wimpled softly in the flow … On their backs were vermiculate patterns that were maps of the world in its becoming. Maps and mazes. Of a thing which could not be put back." Hemingway's emotional and spiritual refuge is long gone. But the redemption, McCarthy seems to say, was in us all the time.
Jennifer Egan's new novel, The Keep, was published this fall.
Illustration by Rob Donnelly.
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R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe recorded this greeting for the four person crew of the Atlantis, NASA's final space shuttle mission. The message was received by the astronauts yesterday, and starts off with a brief a cappella performance of the band's 1992 hit "Man on the Moon." The song is obviously very appropriate for the occasion, but beyond that, Stipe's location for the call was also quite fitting. "I recorded "Man on The Moon" for NASA in Venice, Italy, where Galileo first presented to the Venetian government his eight-power telescope, and in 1610 wrote "The Starry Messenger (Sidereus Nuncius)", an account of his early astronomical discoveries that altered forever our view of our place in the universe," Stipe said in a statement.
Picks From Around the Web
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An eruption of violent unrest across the Middle East is confronting President Barack Obama with the most serious challenge yet to his efforts to keep the Arab Spring from morphing into a new wave of anti-Americanism – and he has few good options to prevent it.
Less than two months before the U.S. presidential election, a spate of attacks on embassies in Libya, Egypt and Yemen poses a huge dilemma for a U.S. leader who took office promising a “new beginning” with the Muslim world but has struggled to manage the transformation that has swept away many of the region’s long-ruling dictators.
On top of that, even as he tries to fend off foreign policy criticism from Republican rival Mitt Romney, Obama is grappling with an escalating crisis in U.S.-Israeli relations over Iran’s nuclear program and increased bloodshed in Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad has defied international calls to step aside.
Obama’s Middle East woes deepened this week with a series of mob attacks on U.S. diplomatic compounds and the killing of America’s ambassador to Libya. Demonstrators were incensed by a U.S.-made film they consider blasphemous to Islam.
With the White House fearing further violence in the region after Muslim prayers on Friday, Obama and his aides were scrambling to re-calibrate their approach to the problem. Warnings were issued to Muslim governments around the world that they would be expected to help protect U.S. interests.
All of this may simply point to a larger challenge that will endure well beyond November’s U.S. vote – an apparently growing gulf between the United States and increasingly assertive Islamist forces within the Middle East.
The irony is clear.
With his vaunted 2009 speech in Cairo, Obama had hoped to “reset” relations with the region and ease some of the ill feeling stoked by the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and “war on terror” rhetoric of Obama’s Republican predecessor, George W. Bush.
The Obama administration was caught flat-footed by a wave of pro-democracy revolts last year that toppled autocratic leaders – some, like Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, a longtime U.S. ally. But Washington gradually gave cautious backing to the goals of the Arab Spring movement.
Now, with much of the U.S. optimism that accompanied the Arab world’s uprisings seemingly gone for good, Washington faces an apparent rise in Islamic activism and declining influence over countries it once counted as allies.
OBAMA STILL POPULAR
“There are a lot of moving parts and it’s important not to make too many generalizations,” said Hayat Alvi, lecturer in Middle Eastern studies at the U.S. Naval War College. “But it does seem that the politics are getting more complicated as we go forward, not just in the region but also here in the United States.”
Within the region, Obama himself remains much more popular than many predecessors. But scenes of U.S. embassy property being trashed first in Cairo and then Yemen in anger at the film insulting the Prophet Mohammad were potent reminders that potentially violent anti-Americanism remains very much alive.
The most serious attack killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three of his colleagues in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi – a city saved only last year from the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s forces by Western air power during Libya’s civil war.
While Libya’s government was swift to condemn the attack there and pledged to work with the United States to find those responsible, it was the equivocal initial response from Egypt’s new President Mohammad Mursi – condemning the video but not the Egyptian mob – that infuriated Washington.
Obama pointedly told the Spanish-language network Telemundo that Egypt’s Islamist-led government should not be considered a U.S. ally, “but we don’t consider them an enemy,” he added. Obama later spoke to Mursi and delivered a blunt message that Egypt must cooperate in protecting American diplomatic facilities.
The White House will be watching closely to see that Mursi follows through. At stake may be the fate of $2 billion a year in foreign aid, much of it for the military, that the United States gives Egypt, a source close to the U.S. administration said.
“The Egyptian authorities can’t play any sort of a double game here,” said Ari Ratner, a former Obama administration appointee, Middle East expert and now fellow at the Truman National Security Project. “If the government of Egypt still expects to get significant American aid and investment, (it needs) to be very clear on the unacceptability of these events and actively work to calm the situation.”
Mursi, however, may feel he has little choice. Like the government of Pakistan, also often accused of a “double game,” he must walk an awkward path between the superpower whose support he needs, and extremists – or even simply regular voters – in his country with strong religious or nationalist views.
POLITICAL WORRIES DRIVING RHETORIC?
That those leading the United States have their own political pressures is clear.
The speed that the diplomatic mission attacks became politicized highlights the domestic dangers for Obama whatever he does, particularly with Romney accusing him of “apologizing for America”.
Romney faced his own backlash at appearing to play politics with the issue, with pundits across the political spectrum accusing him of opportunism during a national tragedy.
But clearly feeling the pressure, Obama kept up his defense of his Middle East policy on Thursday and sought to prevent public opinion from turning against him on the issue.
“Now I know that it’s difficult sometimes seeing these disturbing images on television because our world is filled with challenges,” he told a campaign rally in Colorado. “This is a tumultuous time we are in. But we can and we will meet those challenges if we stay true to who we are.”
At the very least, the events of this week will deepen the already-profound caution over getting further involved in Syria, underlining misgivings about allowing rebels there to get more sophisticated and lethal weapons.
“The U.S. is not going to jump into the fray in Syria,” said Alvi, of the U.S. Naval War College. “Even before the attacks in Benghazi and Cairo, they were gun-shy.”
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UnNews:China launches its first manned mission to Iraq
From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
27 September 2008
Galaxy China continued it's expansion into the hearts and minds of us all by successfully launching three taikonauts deep into Iraq oil reserves several weeks ago according to some guys in a boat with a telescope.
China, posturing itself as a kinder, friendlier nation willing to co-operate in matters such as recognizing human rights, hosting non-biased Olympic games and using earthquakes to launch payloads and unsuspecting people into orbit, has now taken the next logical step- invading Iraq in a show of solidarity with other world superpowers. Although initial plans were for a gourmet Chinese food stand, inspectors were quick to note that the massive 40000KM steel pipeline extending from the back of the building "couldn't possibly be soy sauce". Cooks onsite noted that whatever the stuff is, it has been filling up the basement and soiling the complex cat-skinning station. Furthermore, things in the kitchen keep catching on fire- although most customers think it looks cool and tip more.
Following China's lead, all world governments abandoned their prospects for alternative energies and sustainable technologies that could withstand the harsh environments of space. The completely sustainable world is for sale and the market has been invigorated, also inspired recently by Sarah Palin's willingness axe national parks in the name of commerce. It is now in full-blown swing. "There are rumors that other forms of life may exist there... somewhere... in all of that infinite- practically renewable- blackness..." mused philosophers milling about in the street attempting to absorb the new paradigm while improving their street cred. Investors rushed to and fro, tripping over each other to purchase vast tracts of land. Private security firms rubbed their bellies.
"Well, " General Norman Hardass considered, "I do like those noodles... ok. Charlie can stay."
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Tri States Public Radio Staff
Tue June 26, 2012
Paraguay's Ousted President Desires Return
Originally published on Tue June 26, 2012 8:06 pm
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
In Paraguay, another presidential contest. Fernando Lugo was impeached last week in a rapid trial. Some have called it a parliamentary coup. Lugo's initial reaction was one of acceptance. But now he wants back in, and he's gaining some outside support. For more, we turn to Simon Romero of The New York Times. He's covering the story, and we reached him in Rio de Janeiro. Welcome, Simon.
SIMON ROMERO: It's good to be here.
CORNISH: Initially, former President Lugo was - he accepted the result of the parliament, and then he changed his mind. What happened there?
ROMERO: Well, it was a surprising acceptance, especially after the way in which the trial was held just in the span of a few hours in the capital. Senators convened a meeting and read accusations, put him on trial, did not give him more time to mount his defense and then ousted him from power. He initially accepted that verdict, but a few days later, he said he was reversing his position and said that he would try to build a popular movement aimed at returning him to the presidency. He considers the results of that trial illegitimate and affront to democracy in Paraguay.
CORNISH: I've read that some countries in the region have withdrawn their ambassadors. Can you talk about what the reaction has been politically?
ROMERO: That's right. The reaction has been almost uniformly critical of Paraguay's move to oust Lugo, led by Brazil but also you have countries like Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, all of them withdrawing their ambassadors for consultations, criticizing the move, calling it a parliamentary coup, a constitutional coup. Some have even called it a gol-peachment(ph), which combines the words in Portuguese for coup and impeachment.
CORNISH: Simon, help me understand the politics here. Why countries in the region are backing Lugo versus the parliamentary government?
ROMERO: They've signed a pact with one another in South America to prevent such ousters from taking place, and they're extremely sensitive to anything approaching a coup, especially in a region that's had a long history of dictatorships. They're saying that they're aiming to protect democracy in Paraguay. At the same time, though, you have Paraguay's new leaders, both in the legislature and now in the executive branch, of course, saying exactly the opposite, that that what they're doing obeys the letter of the law of the constitution in Paraguay.
CORNISH: I want to take a step back here. I mean, what was the official reason Paraguay's parliament voted to impeach him, and what's the reason people believe - or at least give us a sense of the broader context behind his ouster.
ROMERO: Well, there are various reasons foremost amongst them was the violent clash this month between police and squatters that left 17 people dead in a remote region of Paraguay. That clash really spoke to the inability by Lugo to resolve festering inequalities in Paraguay, especially when it comes to landholdings. Paraguay is one of the most unequal societies on Earth when it comes to distribution of wealth, distribution of income and distribution of land. Lugo was elected back in 2008 with very high expectations to try to resolve some of these problems.
He was not able to do it. And in the end, it was one of these clashes that actually seems to have undid him or at least there was the pretext for removing him from office.
CORNISH: How have voters reacted to this, and is there any chance that Lugo will take back the presidency?
ROMERO: It's just not clear right now. Lugo does have a base of support. He does say that he's going to mount some sort of popular movement aimed at returning him to office. The situation in Paraguay does seem to be relatively calm, but at the same time, Lugo is just getting started, of course. He says that the resistance is just beginning.
CORNISH: Simon Romero is covering the ouster of Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo for The New York Times. Simon, thank you.
ROMERO: Audie, thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
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A few days still remain to catch the Amigos del Arte exhibition at MALBA. (… till February 9.)
Curators Patricia M. Artundo y Marcelo E. Pacheco have excelled at the extraordinary challenge in pulling together the dizzying range of Argentine artists whose works were displayed in the exhibition space sponsored by the Asociación Amigos del Arte on Florida street between the years 1924 – 1942. …….and here’s a peek at Florida street during that time:
A cool touch to this MALBA show is the entrance: a black-and-white image of the original showroom is projected onto a walled curtain through which you must pass through to view the artwork. The curtain/projection screen momentarily confuses some visitors who stand before it not sure where to go. Eventually someone makes the first step in parting the curtain and others figure it out.
With the range of artistic styles on display the overall effect is rather jarring. If you’re familiar with Argentine art or visited many of the museums in Buenos Aires, then you already will have seen many of the works presented. There’s the usual suspects: Xul Solar, Berni, Quinquela Martín, Pettoruti, de la Cárcova as well as Fader, Foner, and Figari. And there’s a slew of others. Additionally, there’s a bit of sculpture (only a few heads), music (that was a popular listening station) and a mini-cine as part of the exhibition. I made the mistake of visiting MALBA on the crowded, free Wednesday. The little cine and the listening stations were the most popular while others strolled by the paintings on the walls. As always in museums, certain folks are engaged with close examination of the paintings while others merely give a passing glance.
As with the nature of this specific exhibition, with a focus on the association that sponsored the earlier displays of these works in the early/mid-20th century, you don’t learn much about the artists. But I was delighted to see several examples of works represented by the Artistas del Pueblo, which may very well be my favorite movement among Argentine art. A wonderful exhibition on these artists was held last year at the Imago Espacio de Arte on Suipacha street.
Did someone say oligarchy?
MALBA’s exhibition is an attempt to “reread” the Amigos del Arte. From the exhibition’s introductory pamphlet: “Amigos del Arte is understood as a space for art exhibitions administered by a group whose members represented the landowning oligarchy, or, to put it differently, the Buenos Aires high society.” [emphasis mine]
Considering the agricultural-government conflict of this past year, it was amusingly unexpected to see the historical relationship between the city’s rich and the campo so clearly spelled out. Of course, everyone knows that, no need to hush hush about the word.
I’m looking forward to learning more about the Amigos del Arte through the 300+ page catalog published along with the exhibition. But I really want to learn more about all these artists and not their patrons: talking about art is a fun parlor game for intellectuals but has nothing to do with creativity.
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Factory orders surged in January
U.S. orders for machinery and other factory goods that signal business investment surged in January, indicating confi-dence in the economy.
The Commerce Department said on Wednesday that orders for so-called core capital goods, which also include equipment and computers, rose 7.2 percent from December. It was the biggest gain in more than a year and higher than the initial estimate the government made last week of a 6.3 percent.
Total factory orders fell 2 percent in January from December, but that was mostly because of a steep decline in volatile aircraft and defense orders that was also reported last week.
Demand for durable goods, items expected to last at least three years, dropped 4.9 percent. Demand for non-durable goods, like chemicals and paper, rose 0.6 percent.
Economists pay closer attention to core capital goods because they are a good measure of business investment plans. The category excludes aircraft and military orders, which can fluctuate sharply from month to month.
An increase suggests companies kept expanding their production capacities in January, even as taxes rose and automatic government spending cuts loomed.
Nearly all Americans who draw a paycheck began paying higher Social Security taxes on Jan. 1, while income taxes increased for the highest-earning workers. The automatic spending cuts that kicked in on Friday could force the Defense Department and other agencies to trim their budgets for this year.
— The Associated Press
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Our family loves Halloween, and one of our favorite fall traditions is reading spooky stories before bedtime in the nights leading up to Halloween. Amp up your Halloween celebrations by unwinding with some spine-tingling stories. Here are a few awesome new books to add to your collection of spooky Halloween reads.You might also like:
That One Spooky Night is a collection of three graphic stories about kids that set out to trick-or-treat only to be met with several scary situations. Follow along as a broom searches for a witch, as mermaids occupy a bathtub and as a batty celebration unfolds. These three strange stories all unfurl on that one spooky night when all the kids and ghouls come out to play. This is a great read for kids ages 7-10, but even older kids will get a kick out of David Huyck's eerie illustrations. The comic book format will draw in even the most reluctant readers.
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Those who have not yet voted for their favourite seven Finalists in the New7Wonders of Nature are being urged to do so immediately because of the traffic surge that the campaign website is set to experience in the coming days.
“People should try to vote online today or tomorrow, because all the indications are that traffic at new7wonders.com during the final 48 hours before voting closes on Friday at 11:11:11 a.m. GMT will be phenomenal,” said Eamonn Fitzgerald, Head of Communications at New7Wonders. “We cannot guarantee that everyone who wants to vote via new7wonders.com will be able to during these peak days, which is why we’re issuing this appeal now.”
Although the new7wonders.com servers and systems have been upgraded to deal with the expected surge, extreme peaks of traffic could still disrupt these contingency plans.
While it has been possible to vote on new7wonders.com for the Finalists in the New7Wonders of Nature for more than two years now, human nature suggests that some people like to leave things to the last minute, so for those seeking other ways of voting, there are up to three additional options:
1. With the New7Wonders of Nature Facebook app at www.facebook.com/New7WondersofNature, where members of the social network can vote directly for their chosen 7.
2. Through the dedicated international telephone voting lines (which work from most but not all lines/countries), where voters follow the voice prompt to choose their one preferred Finalist. Dial one of these three numbers +1 869 760 5990, +1 649 339 8080, +44 758 900 1290, and insert the four digit code for your chosen Finalist.
3. In the countries that are N7WN SMS national telephone voting enabled, voters can send a SMS to support their one preferred Finalist. SMS voting countries include Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Poland, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Tanzania, Vietnam and the UAE.
Voting for the New7Wonders of Nature is set to significantly beat the record set in the first campaign to choose the man-made New 7 Wonders of the World that culminated in 2007. Voting ends at 11:11:11 a.m. GMT on 11/11/11.28 FinalistsAmazon
The Amazon Rainforest, also known as Amazonia, the Amazon jungle or the Amazon Basin, encompasses seven million square kilometers (1.7 billion acres), though the forest itself occupies some 5.5 million square kilometers (1.4 billion acres), located within nine nations. The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rainforests and comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world. The Amazon River is the largest river in the world by volume, with a total flow greater than the top ten rivers worldwide combined. It accounts for approximately one-fifth of the total world river flow and has the biggest drainage basin on the planet. Not a single bridge crosses the Amazon.Angel Falls
Angel Falls is the highest waterfall in the world, at 1,002 m, and is located in the Canaima National Park in Bolivar State, along Venezuela’s border with Brazil. It is more than 19 times higher than Niagara Falls. The uninterrupted descent of water falls 807 m.Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy is renowned for having the highest tides on the planet (16.2 metres or 53 feet). One hundred billion tonnes of sea water flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy twice daily – more water than the combined flow of all the world’s fresh water rivers. Fundy’s extreme tides create a dynamic and diverse marine ecosystem. The Bay is renowned for its coastal rock formations, extreme tidal effects (vertical, horizontal, rapids and bores) and sustainable coastal development. It is also a critical international feeding ground for migratory birds, a vibrant habitat for rare and endangered Right whales, and one of the world’s most significant plant and animal fossil discovery regions. The Bay of Fundy is located between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on North America’s east coast.Black Forest
Black Forest (Schwarzwald) is a wooded mountain range in southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the mountain Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 meters. The region is almost rectangular with a length of 200 km and breadth of 60 km.Bu Tinah Island
Off the western shores of Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, lies a unique natural treasure, wild and undisturbed by human activity: Bu Tinah Island. Bu Tinah’s thriving ecosystem forms a unique living laboratory with key significance for climate change research. An undisturbed paradise, Bu Tinah has much to teach mankind about environmental protection and survival. This distinctive natural habitat has shallow waters, seagrass beds and tall mangroves, set amid extensive coral reefs. It hosts beautiful and endangered marine life. Seabirds, including flamingos and osprey, various species of dolphins and the critically endangered hawksbill turtle live in Bu Tinah. The island’s waters host the world’s second-largest population of dugong, a large marine mammal that is threatened worldwide. Bu Tinah Island, rich in biodiversity, lies within the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve - the region's largest marine reserve. Its protection and survival must be ensured.Cliffs of Moher
Located in county Clare, the Cliffs of Moher are amongst the most impressive places to see in Ireland. The cliffs consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale and sandstone, with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. One can see 300 million year old river channels cutting through the base of the cliffs.There are many animals living on the cliffs, most of them birds.Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is a salt lake between Palestine and Israel to the west and Jordan to the east. At 420 metres below sea level, its shores are the lowest point on Earth that are on dry land. With 30 percent salinity, it is 8.6 times saltier than the ocean.El Yunque
El Yunque National Forest, formerly known as the Caribbean National Forest, is located on the island of Puerto Rico. It is also the name of the second highest mountain peak in the Forest. El Yunque is the only tropical rain forest in the United States National Forest System.Galapagos
The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator, 965 kilometres west of continental Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are all part of Ecuador's national park system. They are famed for their vast number of endemic species.Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon, created by the Colorado River over a period of 6 million years, is 446 km long, ranges in width from 6 to 29 km and attains a depth of more than 1.6 km. During prehistory, the area was inhabited by Native Americans who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves.Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the planet’s largest coral reef system, with some 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2,600 km over an area of approximately 344,400 square km. It is the biggest single structure made by living creatures and can be seen from outer space.Halong Bay
Halong Bay is located in Quáng Ninh province, Vietnam. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. The bay has a 120 kilometre long coastline and is approximately 1,553 square kilometres in size with 1969 islets. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves, other support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Another specific feature of Halong Bay is the abundance of lakes inside the limestone islands, for example, Dau Be island has six enclosed lakes. All these island lakes occupy drowned dolines within fengcong karst.Iguazu Falls
Iguazu Falls, in Iguazu River, are one of the world's largest waterfalls. They extend over 2,700 m (nearly 2 miles) in a semi-circular shape. Of the 275 falls that collectively make up Iguassu Falls, "Devil's Throat" is the tallest at 80 m in height. Iguazu Falls are on the border between the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones, and are surrounded by two National Parks (BR/ARG). Both are subtropical rainforests that are host to hundreds of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna.Jeita Grotto
Jeita Grotto is a compound of crystallized caves in Lebanon located 20 km north of Beirut in the Valley of Nahr al-Kalb (Dog River). This grotto is made up of two limestone caves, upper galleries and a lower cave through which a 6230 m long river runs. Geologically, the caves provide a tunnel or escape route for the underground river. In this cave and galleries, the action of water in the limestone has created cathedral-like vaults full of various sizes, colors and shapes of stalactites and stalagmites, majestic curtains and fantastic rock formations. The total length of the cave is more than 9000 m and there is one among the biggest stalactites in the world hanging 8,20 m. The grotto accommodates a huge hall with a distance of 108 m from the ceiling till the water level.Jeju Island
Jejudo is a volcanic island, 130 km from the southern coast of Korea. The largest island and smallest province in Korea, the island has a surface area of 1,846 sqkm. A central feature of Jeju is Hallasan, the tallest mountain in South Korea and a dormant volcano, which rises 1,950 m above sea level. 360 satellite volcanoes are around the main volcano.Kilimanjaro
Snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the most famous and highest freestanding mountains in the world, rising from the north-eastern part of Tanzania. Kilimanjaro stands at 5,895 metres (19,336 feet) high above sea level. Kilimanjaro comprises 3 volcanoes of which the most famous (and the most recent), snow-capped dormant Kibo stands at 5,895 m (19,455 ft). The mountain is situated in the Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania. The trek crosses five distinct vegetation zones, namely lower slopes, rainforest, heath and moorland, alpine and desert and the glaciers/summit. Within each zone there is an association between altitude, rainfall, temperature, plants and animals. The name Kilimanjaro, is thought to be a combination of the Swahili word Kilima, meaning “mountain,” and the Kichagga vernacular language word ’Njaro’, translated as “whiteness,” giving the name White Mountain itself.Komodo
Indonesia’s Komodo National Park includes the three larger islands Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller ones, for a total area of 1,817 square kilometers (603 square kilometers of it land). The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon. Later, it was also dedicated to protecting other species, including marine animals. The islands of the national park are of volcanic origin.Islands of the Maldives
The Maldive Islands make up an island nation consisting of 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean. They are located south of India’s Lakshadweep islands, about 700 kilometers south-west of Sri Lanka. The Maldives encompass 1,192 small islands, roughly two hundred of which are inhabited.Masurian Lake District
The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland is a lake district in northeastern Poland containing more than 2,000 lakes. It extends roughly 290 km eastwards from the lower Vistula River to the Poland-Lithuania border and occupies an area of roughly 52,000 square kilometers. The lake district was shaped by the Pleistocene ice age. Many of its hills are parts of moraines and many of its lakes are moraine-dammed lakes.Matterhorn/Cervino
The Matterhorn/Cervino is perhaps the most familiar mountain in the European Alps. On the border between Switzerland and Italy, it towers over the Swiss village of Zermatt and the Italian village Breuil-Cervinia in the Val Tournanche. The mountain has four faces, facing the four compass points, respectively, with the north and south faces meeting to form a short east-west summit ridge. The faces are steep, and only small patches of snow and ice cling to them; regular avalanches send the snow down to accumulate on the glaciers at the base of each face.Milford Sound
Milford Sound, located in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island, is located within the Fiordland National Park. It runs 15 km inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1200 m or more on either side. Among its most striking features are Mitre Peak, rising 1,692 m above the sound, the Elephant at 1,517 m and resembling an elephant’s's head, and Lion Mountain, 1,302 m, in the shape of a crouching lion. Lush rain forests cling precariously to these cliffs, while seals, penguins and dolphins populate the water.Mud Volcanoes
The term mud volcano or mud dome is used to refer to formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases, although there are several different processes which may cause such activity. It is estimated that 300 of the planet's estimated 700 mud volcanoes are found in Gobustan, Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea. In Azerbaijan, eruptions are driven from a deep mud reservoir which is connected to the surface even during dormant periods, when seeping water still shows a deep origin. Seeps have temperatures up to 2–3 °C above the ambient temperature. In 2001, one mud volcano 15 kilometers from Baku made world headlines when it suddenly started spewing flames 15 m high.PP Underground River
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 km north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. It features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The underground river is reputed to be the world's longest. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water's edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave.Sundarbans
The Sundarbans delta, at the mouth of the Ganges river, is the largest mangrove forest in the world, spreading across parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. The Sundarbans features a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests. The area is known for its wide range of fauna, with the Royal Bengal tiger being the most famous, but also including many birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes.Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a South African icon and the only natural site on the planet to have a constellation of stars named after it - Mensa, meaning “the table.” The flat-topped mountain has withstood six million years of erosion and hosts the richest, yet smallest floral kingdom on earth with over 1,470 floral species. Table Mountain boasts numerous rare and endangered species. It is the most recognized site in Cape Town, the gateway to Africa, owing to its unique flat-topped peaks which reach 1,086 m above sea level.Uluru
Uluru (Ayers Rock) is one of Australia's most recognisable natural icons. The world-renowned sandstone formation stands 348 m high above sea level with most of its bulk below the ground, and measures 9.4 km in circumference. Uluru appears to change color as the different light strikes it at different times of the day and year.Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is a volcano east of Naples, Italy. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting. Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. It has erupted many times since and is today regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.Yushan
Yushan, part of Yushan National Park, is a central mountain range in Chinese Taipei and it also the name of the highest point of the range. It is also called Jade Mountain and its height is 3,952 m above sea level. The park is also known for its diverse wildlife and ecology. The environment around Yushan itself spans from sub-tropical forests at its base to alpine conditions at its peak.
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The Trento Conservatoire was formally established in 1980, although its origins date back to the early 19th century, when the city’s Philharmonic Society (1795) and the Philharmonic School (1815) were created. In 1905 the former High School for Music (run by Vincenzo Gianferrari and housed in the building in via Verdi) was still a section of the Philharmonic Society but during the Second World War (1943) the city started taking over its management gradually. This was formally consolidated in 1951. At the end of the 60s began the procedure for its state recognition which had been first obtained for some teachings (organ, piano, violin and viola, cello, oboe) and then also for the teaching of composition, bass, flute, clarinet, trumpet and trombone, guitar. In the meantime the annexed Junior Department was instituted (1970) and so, needing more space, the Institute moved to its new headquarters in via S. Maria Maddalena (1974-1975).
On 1 October 1980 the Municipal High School for Music became the State Music Conservatoire and acquired the separate section of Riva del Garda. After that it took on the name of “Francesco Antonio Bonporti” as a tribute to the early 18th century composer and one of the most important musicians from Trentino. In 1987-1988 the experimental five-year music course was launched.
Riva del Garda
The Riva del Garda Conservatoire was founded in 1970 as a project of the local authorities and in the footsteps of the existing Civic Music School founded in 1956. It was first instituted as a branch of the C. Monteverdi Conservatoire of Bolzano, then it went under the direction of the G. Verdi Conservatoire of Milan in 1975 and in 1980 it finally became a branch of the F.A. Bonporti Conservatoire of Trento. The Institute is housed in a lovely building placed near the Inviolata Church and is equipped with a modern auditorium opened in 1987. It includes a middle school and during its forty years of activity it gradually extended the number of the main and subsidiary courses and received students also from the other province surrounding the Garda Lake. The presence of the conservatoire favoured and promoted the organization of different important musical events, both national and international, such as the Festival Musica Riva.
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- Aug 2012
Falling asleep#108-08-2012, 08:45 AMMy 8 month old has sleeping problems. It's a struggle to get her to sleep, whether for naps, or nighttime. She will sometimes fall asleep in the swing, but she's about 10 days from outgrowing that. I nurse, rock, walk, and sing, but she does everything in her power to stay awake. Sometimes, it takes 4 or more hours just to get her to sleep. She wakes up between 5 and 6 no matter what time she actually falls asleep. So, if she finally falls asleep at 11, she only gets 6 hours that night. She doesn't get near the 14 - 16 hours of sleep the books say she should be sleeping. Some days, she barely gets 8 hours in a 24 hour period. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to help her fall asleep?Tags: None
New Forum Member
- Sep 2012
#209-30-2012, 04:33 PMi'm new to all of this, and i'm actually seeking advice for this, not at night...but with my caregiver (my parents).
at night, we have a routine, and it really seems to help. every night, we give her a bath, then rock her to sleep. she now knows, that when she takes her bath, it's time for bed soon and calms herself down.
i think it's important to read her "sleepy" signs.. my little ruth rubs her ear when she's tired. or, she'll start to whine/cry while playing with us. when she does these things, i know to give her a little bit. i talk to her a lot, and let her know we're going to change her diaper then it's bath time. don't try to make her sleep when she's not ready...or keep her up when she's showing signs. it's important to pay attention to what she's telling you, so she can learn what she's doing by following your lead... she might be showing signs of being tire, but she doesn't know she's doing them. when you catch on to what she's subconsciously saying, and follow through and answer her needs, it helps her understand.
i highly suggest starting a routine, and sticking with it.
New Forum Member
- Jul 2011
#310-02-2012, 09:56 PM
With my second child I threw the book out the window, slept with him in my bed from day 1, let him nap when he wanted, often in my arms....and despite others telling me I was making a rod for my own back and that he was much too clingy to me, at 2 he now naps peacefully and sleeps well at night. I don't know if you co-sleep or if that is an option for you, but I found that making the bed safe and cosleeping with both my kids has allowed me to relax and get much more rest. Often I am asleep before them which seems to help them nod off.
I remember the hours and hours of pacing with my eldest , getting more and more frustrated, desperate for him to get the sleep he "needed" and I contrast this with the time I have spent snuggling in the dark with my youngest, nursing him to sleep or just holding him while he chattered quietly and it really is night and day. My eldest started sleeping more about a week after we brought him into our bed too.
One other point to mention is that my eldest is nearly 4 now and still does not sleep as much as the books recommend. Whereas my youngest would happily sleep a couple of hours more...we are all different in that way.
A few other suggestions.... White noise really helped with my eldest and we gradually phased it out, bath or tv around bed time stimulate him way too much, I have always kept the room dark at night, as I am close my kids do not seem to mind it, although I have read others especially those in their own rooms may like a nightlight, my niece started sleeping on her own once her fear of the dark was addressed. I would also recommend turning off or removing any electronics from the bedroom, some people, babies can be especially sensitive to the radiation even from electric clocks, wireless Internet etc.
Lastly, do not underestimate the discomfort of teething, even if they are not crying about it...I found with both of mine that they would have weeks when they really struggled to sleep, and it nearly always co-incided with teeth coming in. Obviously ensure that she is physically comfortable.
Hope some of this is useful to you, as they all say...this too shall pass. It will get easier, or at least the problems will change with time! I do recommend the book for a good range of tips to help babies and toddlers sleep, especially if you are determined to have her sleep at certain times, by herself. But if you can relax around it I would suggest just letting go, following her cues and trying bringing her to bed with you when you are ready, even if it means bringing your own bed time forward for a while.
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