text
stringlengths 211
22.9k
| id
stringlengths 47
47
| dump
stringclasses 1
value | url
stringlengths 14
371
| file_path
stringlengths 138
138
| language
stringclasses 1
value | language_score
float64 0.93
1
| token_count
int64 54
4.1k
| score
float64 1.5
1.84
| int_score
int64 2
2
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scanned vote totals from special and general elections going back nearly a century are available on the new Minnesota Elections: Dates and Vote Totals page on the Legislative Reference Library’s website.
October 18 marks the next legislative special election. Who won in past special elections? That information has been available on the Library’s Special Elections Web page for some time. Who won in the general elections? You can search by legislative session in the Library’s Legislators Past & Present database.
But what were the vote totals? Who ran and lost? Previously, finding that information required looking up the results of individual races in the Legislative Manuals. Now it's online, the fruits of a long-term project. Legislative Library staff have scanned election results from the Legislative Manuals and made them available in a sortable, useful table.
The table entries link to scans of the Legislative Manual pages, saved as PDF files. The files were made with optical character recognition software, so each can be searched for names. The search results will be imperfect; sometimes the font or faintness of the print meant that words were not detected by the software.
Additions to the table are planned, as we find time. We will add general election primary results. We have identified some special election primary results, too, but they are often difficult to find. We will add a search function across all the years.
Let us know if you find the table useful, or if you find any errors. | <urn:uuid:ab4f4ca8-afdc-42d3-9fbe-438590744ca9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/blog.aspx?articleid=164 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948807 | 302 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Knowing now the dangers of fire retardant to our children, the thought of having my baby face down, or even face up, on a product that is riddled with these dangerous chemicals is frightening.
It is also unsettling to think that a mattress can be labeled “organic”, and STILL contain toxic hormone, reproductive, and neurological-disrupting chemicals. Yes, you read that one correctly. An “organic” mattress does NOT mean “free of toxins” or “natural.” (Something to loose sleep over when it comes to the product your baby spends over half of their young years on.)
You could be getting fooled by toxic marketing techniques! So, before you spend your money to keep your most precious angel safe and dreamy, read this!
Fire Retardant-Free Mattresses, Flame Resistant and Safe
So, since the term “organic” only really means “organic” in the food industry, we dug deep on this topic with mattresses. We had lots of questions and wanted to know the truth.
This is what we found out first. A mattress can be labeled as ORGANIC and still have these potential toxins stuffed inside:
- VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) off-gassing,
- fire retardants
- polyurethane foam (a petroleum-based product),
- and irritants such as sulfur or boric acid.
Yep, that is one long list of toxins that can hide in an “organic” mattress!
So, please don’t be fooled by toxic marketing techniques in this world of unregulated labeling. Keep your babe safe, spend your money wisely, and know what to look for when shopping for products, especially mattresses.
We’ve been doing research on ‘organic mattresses’ for over 6 months and finally found 2 companies we’re a 100% satisified with and proudly recommend our our site.
They use no chemical fire retardants but found a safe and non-toxic alternative to meet strict US fire regulations.
SAFBaby Approved Organic Mattresses Free of Above Toxins
Both Natural Mat and Naturepedic are two mattress companies (that we are currently aware of) that are totally non-toxic, healthy for your child and free of all of the above toxins.
We’ve not only tested both mattresses (we find them both incredibly comfortable), we also asked both Natural Mat and Naturepedic very important questions we needed answered before we could make this post.
There is so much misinformation out there, so the Q and A’s will hopefully answer all your questions as well and you’ll happily purchase one of the mattresses for your little one.
Natural Mat and Naturepedic Review and Q and A | <urn:uuid:94862824-ff30-49e2-ac2a-aed952ef8061> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.safbaby.com/non-toxic-crib-mattress-organic-doesnt-mean-safer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942085 | 586 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Much as I hate the proposals to add light rail commuter trains to Madison, I would love some great train lines connecting our midwestern cities. I don't think people will (or can) give up their cars and use rail lines to travel between home and downtown, but I do think people will use rail instead of cars or planes to travel distances in the 50 to 300 mile range. I hate dealing with the airport, and I'm afraid of flying, so I always drive to go to Chicago or Milwaukee. I'd love to use a great train — and I'd make those trips into the city a lot more often.
Here's the White House press release.
This historic $8 billion investment is expected to create or save tens of thousands of jobs over time in areas like track-laying, manufacturing, planning and engineering, and rail maintenance and operations. Over 30 rail manufacturers, both domestic and foreign, have agreed to establish or expand their base of operations in the United States if they are hired to build America’s next generation high-speed rail lines – a commitment the Administration secured to help ensure new jobs are created here at home.Domestic and foreign? But "new jobs are created here at home." What proportion of the jobs are created here at home? | <urn:uuid:baa6c65d-40a2-4cab-b86f-1acd86c3ed5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://althouse.blogspot.com/2010/01/as-long-as-were-spending-money-i-love.html?showComment=1264793865503 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965332 | 258 | 1.625 | 2 |
Closing Remarks by Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General at the First Meeting of the OECD Global Forum on Value Added Tax (VAT)
Paris, Thursday, 8 November 2012
(As prepared for delivery)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
You know what they say, the way taxes are, you might as well marry for love.
On a more serious note, it is great to be here with you to conclude the first meeting of the OECD Global Forum on VAT. I am delighted to know that we brought together more than ninety delegations with experts representing over eighty countries from all continents, International Organisations, the business community and academia.
It is also great to know that the dialogue over the last two days was intense and conducted in a genuinely inclusive spirit, with a true willingness to learn from each other and work together to improve the design and operation of efficient and equitable VAT systems. This is all great news. Our VAT policies are important tools to foster growth and employment, but also to build stronger, cleaner and fairer economies.
I know that your discussions have been highly productive indeed. And I know that each of you will take home a rich list of reflections and conclusions. But let me focus briefly on three key findings of this Forum that I am sure will drive our efforts in this partnership.
First, VAT policies are playing a strategic role in our recovery efforts, but they could do more.
Many countries are seeking to raise additional revenues from VAT as part of their fiscal consolidation strategies. Between 2009 and 2012, sixteen OECD countries increased their VAT rates. Six more increased their VAT rates. This is reflected in the OECD average standard VAT rate that has risen from 17.7% in 2008 to 19% today. This is quite remarkable considering that the OECD average had remained stable for over ten years before 2008.
Raising the standard rate is the easiest way to increase revenue. However, it has its limitations, in particular for countries that already apply a relatively high standard rate. Another option for governments is to consider broadening the tax base, such that goods and services that are now exempt or subject to reduced rates would gradually be taxed at the standard rate. Let’s not forget the political difficulty of doing so. Exemptions and reduced rates are still widely applied to basic essentials; food, health, education. But studies generally indicate that reduced rates are not an effective way of achieving redistributional or social objectives.
The OECD’s Centre for Tax Policy and Administration has worked on the economic impact of VAT policy and reform and is ready to do more with a view to developing evidence-based recommendations for governments on issues such as the appropriate share of VAT in the overall tax mix, the design of growth-friendly tax policy, options for VAT base-broadening, and policies for addressing social and distributional concerns raised by VAT reforms.
Second, to make the most of our VAT systems we need to close the “black holes.”
The message here is also pretty clear. We need to better administer VAT systems to promote economic activity, but also to eliminate VAT fraud. Complex and burdensome procedures not only have an adverse effect on growth and competitiveness and on tax administration’s efficiency and effectiveness, but also on non-compliance. Well-designed and well-managed VAT systems lead to lower levels of non-compliance, lower administration costs and greater revenue mobilisation.
We need to advance work on assessing and understanding the burden of VAT compliance while thinking about reform and improvement.
For example, now that many governments are facing deficits of up to 10% of GDP, it is increasingly unacceptable that the revenue loss from VAT fraud and avoidance is running at 10% and in some instances, at 30% of potential VAT revenues. This is not just caused by criminal activities, but also by tax evasion and aggressive tax planning.
This is clearly a key priority, and the OECD stands ready to help governments establish effective and targeted countermeasures, including on mechanisms for increasing cross-border information exchange.
The third and final point that I want to highlight is that well designed and coordinated VAT systems are essential to remove barriers to international trade.
Badly designed and uncoordinated VAT systems distort trade through double taxation, but they also create risks of under-taxation and loss of revenue for governments and large revenue risks and high compliance costs for businesses.
This is particularly relevant in the sphere of international trade in services, which has grown steadily over the last years. In fact, between 2000 and 2008, these flows have doubled, with growth rates in the emerging market economies even greater than in the OECD area, reaching a scale to have material effects on government revenues and economic growth.
The OECD is developing the International VAT Guidelines as the future international standard for applying VAT to cross-border trade, for which there is a strong demand from both governments and businesses. An ambitious programme of work will be completed and a first comprehensive set of guidelines will be presented to the international community early next year.
With countries outside the current OECD membership accounting for 30-40% of world trade in goods and services, it is clear that we need to work together and with other international organisations towards a broad consensus on these Guidelines to achieve their wide endorsement as an international standard.
The intense and high quality debate on this issue during this Global Forum has shown that countries around the world share this ambition.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Leo Tolstoy once wrote that all happy families are alike. Most countries with a VAT seem reasonably happy with their system, while recognising that many of the issues they are dealing with are very alike. Although the mix and weight of challenges and priorities and the possible remedies may be quite different, the scope for experience sharing and learning from each other is enormous.
I am delighted to see that all stakeholders have taken full advantage of the opportunities that this Global Forum is offering and are looking forward to continuing the collaborative work with a common objective to improve the performance of VAT and to safeguard its future.
The design and implementation of a VAT is a continuing process of improvement in both design and implementation. The range of challenges means that the VAT will remain on the reform agenda for many years to come. The OECD will continue to be the ally of governments in advancing this reform process through development of international standards and high-quality analysis.
First meeting of the OECD Global Forum on VAT | <urn:uuid:618e7b89-f23d-4f27-ba9f-a15c1d18e962> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oecd.org/ctp/consumption/firstmeetingoftheoecdglobalforumonvalueaddedtaxvat.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955137 | 1,299 | 1.515625 | 2 |
THE MINDLESS SPIRIT OF SPIRITUALISM IN THE CHURCH TODAY
NEW AGE - OCCULT KUNDALINI SNAKE SPIRIT
THE SERPENT SPIRIT OF KUNDALINI
Mindless Men Catching The Fire Of Their Anti-Christ god. God's word proclaims in Ezekiel 13:3, "Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!"
By Synthia Esther
As is written, Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me; seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God. I will also forget thy children."
Kundalini Snake Spirit:
The Dictionary of the Esoteric, Nevill Drury, Watkins Publishing, London, page 175, "Kundalini - From a Sanskrit term meaning "coil" or "spiral," spiritual and psychical energy that may be aroused systematically by techniques of yoga and which can be channelled throughout the chakras from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Kundalini is often symbolized as a coiled serpent and is sometimes associated witht he goddess Kali."
Spiritual Discernment and Biblical Affirmation:
"To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn," Isaiah 8:20
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them...," Matthew 7:15-16
"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them," Ephesians 5:11
"The end of all things is near. Therefore be "clear minded" and self-controlled so that you can pray," 1st Peter 4:7
"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him...." 1st Peter 5:8-9
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." - 2 Timothy 4:3-5
They Laugh, and preach not the word. They girate and fall into trace, and hear not the word. They groove with the music and feel fleshly sensations, yet heed not the word. They shake as if in convulsion, yet see no need for the word. They hiss, moan, groan, growl, bark, howl, and even quack like a chicken, yet know not the word. They fall down as if slane, or like a leaf blown in the wind just because it feels good, yet they can not recite the word. They shout and praise a false Anti-Christ spirit, because they did not meditate, and educate themselves in the word.
They come in droves to revivials from all over the world as if to say, "Show me the signs!" Their leaders and teachers preach contrary to the word of God as if to scream, "Show me the money!" "For such men are false apostles, deceiteful workman, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve, - (2nd Corinthians 11:13-15). All the while demonic hosts swarm the atmosphere, basking in the light of deception, greed, and the human consumption of power.
The crowd calls, "Angels, Angels, Angels, ....We call down Angels, Worshiping Angels, Healing Angels, God's Angels." Who is this god they call to and worship in adoration, blasphamous light, and un-holy flesh filled glory? The Dragon, The Serpent spirit of Kundalini, who whispers sweet nothings in their ear. For without the Biblical word of God, they worship the false spirit of the Anti-Christ, Satan, who comes to show them signs, wonders, and manifestations of his power.
They shout fire, fire, fire, send the fire Lord. The true fire they follow will seek its own end in the pits of hell, if they do not turn from their wicked, self-centered rebellion. The Lord they call out to is Satan himself, as they bask in their deception, leading God's sheep unto eternal doom, depression, and destruction.
The crowd is pleased, for they get what they asked for. The crowd is sick, indwelled by a false spirit, for they refused God's Holy word, which is filled with wisdom and knowledge. They are deceived because they have itching ears, longing for signs, wonders, always satisfying and soothing their addiction to sensationalism. While the true Holy God, Our Messiah, grieves for His children.
Copyright - 2010-2012, Synthia Esther. All RightsReserved.
COPYRIGHT - 2010, SYNTHIA ESTHER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | <urn:uuid:7361571f-adcc-4d99-8ddb-a995dfd7066c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sacredpursuit.org/gpage74.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941885 | 1,160 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Scripture: John 6:41-51
41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." 42 They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, `I have come down from heaven'?" 43 Jesus answered them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
Meditation: God offers his people abundant life, but we can miss it. What is the bread of life which Jesus offers? It is first of all the life of God himself -- life which sustains us not only now in this age but also in the age to come. The Rabbis said that the generation in the wilderness have no part in the life to come. In the Book of Numbers it is recorded that the people who refused to brave the dangers of the promised land were condemned to wander in the wilderness until they died. The Rabbis believed that the father who missed the promised land also missed the life to come. When Jesus offers us real life he brings us into a new relationship with God, a relationship of trust, love, and obedience. And he offers us real life which last forever, a life of love, fellowship, communion, and union with the One who made us in love to be him forever. To refuse Jesus is to refuse eternal life, unending life with the Heavenly Father. To accept Jesus as the bread of heaven is not only life and spiritual nourishment for this world but glory in the world to come. Do you accept Jesus as the bread of life?
"Lord Jesus, you are the living bread which sustains me in this
life. May I always hunger for the bread which comes from heaven
find in it the nourishment and strength I need to love and serve you wholeheartedly.
May I always live in the joy, peace, and unity of the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, both now and in the age to come". | <urn:uuid:714d1abf-9cb0-46df-bc76-055016da6de6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/john641.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977508 | 593 | 1.765625 | 2 |
In NYT letters, February 18, 2003 former United Nations diplomat Phillip Corwin asks a great question about our reinvigorated Francophobia:
"Are we to expect that because the United States reluctantly intervened in a European war six decades ago, and in the process helped liberate France, that France must now blindly obey for the next four zillion years whatever a warmongering American elite decides is just?"
If we cannot refrain from bashing France, is there really any hope for countries in the Middle East?
Corwin asks for some perspective: "It was France that helped America achieve independence from a tyrannical Britain more than 200 years ago. Should the United States therefore be obligated to pledge its blind allegiance to French foreign policy forever after?" | <urn:uuid:5dbcfd61-6ee7-4671-8302-e45ead7151fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.davidhildebrand.org/2003/02/enough-with-france-bashing.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948165 | 149 | 1.757813 | 2 |
What recovery? Many workers still stuck in recession
A survey finds that low-wage employees feel worse off now than they were during the economic downturn.
Those making $35,000 a year or less are not only still feeling the effects of the devastating downturn, but they're unsure if they'll ever pull out of it. A two-part Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey finds that low-wage workers are feeling worse off now than they were during the recession, while The Wall Street Journal finds unemployed Americans feeling similarly low.
The AP-NORC survey found that half of low-end workers were "not too" or "not at all" confident that their jobs would help them meet their long-term career goals. As its stands, only 41% of workers who have been in dead-end jobs for more than a decade reported ever receiving a promotion.
Their unemployed counterparts, meanwhile, are seeing their jobless benefits shrink from recession-era levels as strapped states cut back. Payouts are shrinking, the length of time unemployed workers are offered benefits is shriveling and alternative options keep disappearing.
Their problems aren't solved by newfound employment, either. Through last month, the U.S. economy had recovered 5.7 million of the 8.7 million jobs shed during the recession. Low-wage jobs are usually the first to come back after a slump, and roughly 65% of the jobs added since the recession officially ended in June 2009 have been the low-wage variety.
Among those holding such jobs, 71% worry about not being able to pay bills, 70% worry about unexpected medical expenses and 53% are still concerned about keeping up with the mortgage. While 44% report that their wages have stagnated over the last five years and 20% say that their pay has dropped, more than half -- 53% -- are far more concerned about losing their job than about their current pay.
A full 74% of low-wage workers said they were satisfied with their job overall, according to an AP survey in September, but that's still well below the 90% of all workers who said the same.
Those without jobs, however, need to convince employers that they're worth hiring. Forty-four percent of employers surveyed said it's tough to find people with the appropriate skills and experience to fill lower-wage jobs, particularly in manufacturing (54%).
While 88% of employers said they were investing in training and education for employees, few low-wage workers were aware of or used such programs. If employers need better workers and their employees need more training, someone needs to step up and start making that connection -- before what feels like a recession actually becomes one again.
There are few individuals who are benefitting from the recovery. It is mostly being captured by corporate profits and dividends to shareholders, not trickled-down to employees. Most jobs being generated are low-paying, and those with better jobs have stagnant earnings, working their asses off due to sparse staffing, and hanging on by their fingernails.
The country deserves the direction it elects. 51% says Obama is the answer. Voters had a chance to vot for a man who was employed, and was an employer, both of which Obama has never done. As a conservative, I admit Romney was not my selection for president, but this economy would have had a better chance at yielding positive results.
Defend this, Obama frees 2k illegals from jails, blames others. He stops White House tours. He blames both because of sequestration, an idea HE said he would not stop.
74k dollars a day to run WH tours, 250 million to Egypt.
The man will take this country further down. Maybe he gets at the rich some more, but if you don't believe that you the employee or the consumer won't pay for it, well then you're just not being realistic.
9.5% Unemployment in New Jersey since 2008. Bureau of Labor Statistic, so that's probably low.
Figures lie and Liars figure.
We have MANY talented, educated, and experienced AMERICAN STEM workers sitting idle while low-wage H1-B workers are imported into our country, live 10 people to a 2 bedroom apartment, perform WORSE doing the same job Americans should be doing, but at least the C-level execs are making hundreds of times what the average worker makes so yeehaw for America!
These H1-B workers drive down the wages for all American STEM workers, they de-incentivize future generations from obtaining costly and difficult education, they get experience and training and take it back to their own country.
This is a TERRIBLE situation for American STEM workers AND for the rest of America (except for highly-bonused C-level execs, immigration lawyers, and politicians!).
END H1-B NOW!!!!
woonsocket mayor leo fontaine on the need for change in the food stamp program in the state of rhode island
YEA Oh'bomination..........16.5 trillion debt and four more years.......woooooooo hooooooooo
Why didn't they say this during the elections??
Balance or Growth for the US Economy?
MSN Money Columnist Anthony Mirhaydari discusses whether a balanced budget or a strong growth plan is best for the US.
MSN MONEY SPEWING SOCIALISM...........NEVER ASK HOW OR WHY JUST LOOK AT MSN MONEY WHY THE NATION IS SCREWED!
To those of you who say jobs have moved oversees because of corporate greed, here are some questions for you.
How far out of your way are you willing to go to buy American?
How much more are you willing to pay to buy American?
Is it really corporate greed or union and worker greed that caused jobs to move out of this country?
How many benefits are you willing to give up to have some of these jobs back?
How many of you have agreed with government over-regulation of business?
How many of you have stood side-by-side with your employer to fight over regulation?
I’m sure I can answer for most of the complainers.
Copyright © 2013 Microsoft. All rights reserved.
Quotes are real-time for NASDAQ, NYSE and AMEX. See delay times for other exchanges.
Fundamental company data and historical chart data provided by Thomson Reuters (click for restrictions). Real-time quotes provided by BATS Exchange. Real-time index quotes and delayed quotes supplied by Interactive Data Real-Time Services. Fund summary, fund performance and dividend data provided by Morningstar Inc. Analyst recommendations provided by Zacks Investment Research. StockScouter data provided by Verus Analytics. IPO data provided by Hoover's Inc. Index membership data provided by SIX Financial Information.
About half of all patient admissions come through emergency rooms, creating yet another spending problem.
- Teen's invention recharges cellphones in seconds
- Netflix gets 'Arrested Development' stars cheap
- McDonald's CEO: Relax, Ronald's not bad
- Oklahoma senators change tune on disaster relief
- At software giant SAP, autism is an asset
- Mike Bloomberg's next career: Taxi magnate?
- Shotgun wedding for Saks and Neiman Marcus?
- Charles Ramsey gets burgers for life, but no Big Macs
- New Jersey bar sting turns up 'swill'
[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 has returned to its intraday highs, but the index continues to trade with a loss of 0.5%.
Today's final volume total is likely to come in below average as some market participants leave early for the extended Memorial Day weekend. Through the first two hours of action, only 192 million shares have changed hands on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Little change has been observed in today's laggards while the lone outperforming group, ... More
More Market News
A collapse in the Japanese markets is weighing on U.S. stocks. Is it a buying opportunity? Or a warning sign? | <urn:uuid:9dd273c6-34b9-4b35-a3b0-efb515205909> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=3f88f2c3-5d95-421f-8716-9cdf43a0b5bb | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963819 | 1,666 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Winter Not Over Yet, More Snow Expected this WeekendGrand Forks and surrounding areas got slammed with several inches of snow Friday and it just keeps falling. Some drivers dealt with near white-out conditions today and travel is difficult as roads are covered with scattered ice and compacted snow across the region.
By: Kayla Strayer, WDAZ
Grand Forks and surrounding areas got slammed with several inches of snow Friday and it just keeps falling. Some drivers dealt with near white-out conditions today and travel is difficult as roads are covered with scattered ice and compacted snow across the region.
While the official start of spring is next week, a spokesman with the National Weather Service in Grand Forks says winter weather won't be letting up anytime soon and some residents are finding ways to embrace this news.
Dave Kellenbenz, National Weather Service: "We've had pretty much widespread three to five inches of snow today and this evening."
But all that snow hasn't stopped one dedicated runner from venturing out tonight.
Richard Wakefield: "I try to make it about three times a week."
And Richard, along with everyone else in the region, might be dealing with winter weather for a while yet.
Richard: "I know everybody wants it to leave but the old timers who experienced winter back in the 50's and 60's know what real winter is, so this is pretty minor."
Dave: "We've been kind of spoiled the last few years. This time last year it was like in the fifties, golf courses were opening up."
Meteorologists with the national weather service expect a few more snow storms this season.
Dave: "I think since the winter kind of really kicked in in January it's been pretty active around here."
A storm with school cancellations possible comes right on the heels of the system today.
Dave: "Sunday afternoon through Monday, looks to be larger storm systems spreading significant snow potentially throughout the area with six or more inches possible."
With that news Wakefield offers some advice for those with the winter blues.
Richard: "Everybody take a little time to revisit winter because it's going to be gone soon."
A new bout of snow is expected to come Sunday night and last into Monday. | <urn:uuid:30ed08af-076f-47a9-bf16-f7b984e6aaa1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wdaz.com/event/article/id/16789/group/Reporter%20Stories/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973719 | 466 | 1.664063 | 2 |
The French Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that French people in Muslim countries should exercise caution, to avoid congregating in groups in public places and to avoid “sensitive buildings.”
The travel warning comes a day after Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault expressed “disapproval of any excesses” and urged “everyone to demonstrate a spirit of responsibility,” according to a ministry statement.
The controversial edition of Charlie Hebdo hit the streets of Paris with images of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad that editor Stephane Charbonnier said at a press conference would “shock those who will want to be shocked,” according to France 24. Charbonnier, who is known for his unflattering, mocking depictions of French politicians, posed on Wednesday morning for an AFP photo with his fist raised in defiance, holding up a copy of his magazine. He also told the newspaper Le Monde that the magazine's site had been hacked. The magazine’s website was inaccessible from the U.S. Wednesday morning, suggesting a denial-of-service attack.
In November the magazine published an edition that had a mocking cartoon of the prophet on the cover; the magazine’s offices in Paris’ 20th arrondissement were fire-bombed and its website was hacked.
Paris Mosque rector Dalil Boubakeur and Ahmed Jaballah, president of the Union of French Islamic Organisations (UOIF), appealed for calm at a press conference in Paris on Wednesday.
“We are not like animals of Pavlov to react at each insult,” Boubakeur was quoted by the BBC as saying.
One of the images described by Reuters shows a picture of a bearded man bent over to show his genitals and perineum, with a star covering his anus under the caption “Muhammad: a star is born,” a reference to the controversial film “Innocence of Muslims” that sparked worldwide protests that have claimed at least 28 lives, according to a count by the AP.
The deaths include U.S. ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans that were killed in an attack suspected of having been committed by militants using a demonstration as cover for a rocket attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
The cartoons are reminiscent of cartoons published in 2005 by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Kurt Westergaard, the 77-year-old illustrator of the most controversial of the images –- depicting a bearded man wearing a bomb in his turban with the Islamic shahada inscribed on it –- lives under high security to this day. Two attempts on his life were exposed, including a 2010 forced entry of Westergaard’s home by an ax-wielding Somali immgrant who was wounded in a shoot-out with police. The artist survived by hiding in a panic room (a bathroom with a re-enforced door) built at the urging of local authorities.
The backlash over the publishing of the Danish cartoons lasted for months and led to protests in at least 50 countries and over 100 deaths, according to numerous media account at the time. | <urn:uuid:00716d41-2348-41c6-8c2a-1ffc23d287fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ibtimes.com/muhammad-cartoons-take-two-france-braces-backlash-793176 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973607 | 652 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Vaughn says the books contains profanity and sexual situations. She herself has chosen to not read the book, but has read reviews online and heard from friends who have read the book. "I have been criticized for that, that I have to read it first, but its the same premise, we use reviews before we go see a movie," said Vaughn.
After reaching out to LISD, Vaughn's daughter was given an alternate assignment, something Dr. Lisa Leach with LISD says the district is happy to do.
"It's infrequent, but it's important there is a process when we have a concern, and I encourage any parent who does have a concern to communitcate with his or her child's principal," said Dr. Leach. She is the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum.
Vaughn is happy with how the district handled her request, but is frustrated parents don't have a larger role in which books are chosen for classes.
"The committee that approves these lists, are all inclusive to employees, there are no community representatives, no parent representatives, no student representatives," said Vaughn. This is something she would love to open a discussion to change.
Dr. Leach says educators play multiple roles. "The teachers and librarians are also themselves parents and generally parents in this school system, and so they're looking at it from a parents perspective as well," said Dr. Leach.
Vaughn hopes her concerns encourage other parents, especially those with older students, to stay active. "It's easy for us as our children move into the last few years of their education to give them that freedom, and we want to do that, but look into it, if it's alarming to you, have those conversations with your child, does this make you feel uncomfortable?" said Vaughn.
"Take those extra minutes, to read those syllabus, read those lists, really take a minute to see what's being handed to your children," said Vaughn.
LISD also says they will gladly take any concerns from parents at any time, and the LISD website includes information on how best to contact the district. | <urn:uuid:c1f509c4-14ea-4fef-ac4a-03298e4ed672> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://everythinglubbock.com/fulltext?nxd_id=121332 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984974 | 445 | 1.804688 | 2 |
If you’ve got an email address, you’ve been the target of a 419 scam. Named for Section 419, the portion of the Nigerian Penal Code that addresses fraud schemes, these emails arrive from someone like, “Dr. Denison Eze, executive director/financial controller of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)” who has “Forty Two Million (US $42,000,000.00) accrued from an over-invoiced contract amount for the construction of an Oil Refinery Sub-Stations in Nigeria in 1999.”
The not-so-good doctor needs help in getting the money out of the country and, for some unknown reason, he’s chosen you as his confidant. For your efforts he offers you 15% of the money as a “reward.”
Once you express interest, he mentions that, well, there’s a small catch. Because of various fees, charges, bribes, other incidentals, or maybe simply as a goodwill gesture, he needs you to put up some of your own money, usually a few thousand dollars, to get things moving. Not to worry: You’ll get many times that back once the money is transferred.
It’s all a scam, of course, and the Web site 419 Eater contains dozens of correspondences between 419 scammers and scam busters who bait them along, often for months at a time.
Here’s a video made by two scammers who were told that they might be eligible for a scholarship if they recreated a scene from a famous TV or movie. Happily, they chose Monty Python’s Dead Parrot sketch.
And here’s the original for comparison. (We think the shop keeper in the Nigerian version does a spot-on impression of the original, BTW). | <urn:uuid:037da0f9-26ec-4bc5-8e69-9b11f5dc3de0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.mysanantonio.com/timewasters/2007/09/scamming-the-scammers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940674 | 388 | 1.601563 | 2 |
We are living in remarkable times. The approximately 60-year reprieve from anti-Semitism that the nations of the world have given our people out of pity and sympathy in the aftermath of the Holocaust seems to be coming to an end. Our default status in the world – scapegoat, blame, hatred, anti-Semitism, de-legitimization – is being restored as Israel is no longer the underdog and victim in the world's eyes, but rather somehow we have become the aggressor and the perpetrator.
We sing with great enthusiasm, “When the month of Adar begins, we intensify our sense of joy.” But how can one be happy right now when we reflect on the Jewish condition in the world? What does Adar contain that would allow us to overlook and disregard the threats that Israel confronts, the isolation it experiences and the challenges our people face?
One year ago, the beautiful Fogel family was brutally murdered. Udi and Rut Fogel, together with their children Yoav, 11, Elad, 4, and 3-month-old Hadas had their throats slit while they slept in their beds. Their three surviving children, Tamar, Roi and 3-year-old Yishai, live today with their grandparents who have at an advanced age heroically taken on the role of parents to these young children.
As we mark the first yahrzeit of this atrocity we can't help but ask, where is the simcha [joy] of Adar? How can one feel a sense of joy when incidents like this still happen to our people?
Today we are not safe even among the intellectual elite, even at the highest academic institution in America. Harvard's Kennedy School of Government is hosting a conference entitled: "Israel/Palestine and the One-State Solution," and you can be sure, that one state is not Israel. One featured speaker is Ali Abunimah, creator of the website Electronic Intifada, who opposes the existence of a "Jewish State." Also presenting is Harvard's own Stephen M. Walt, co-author of the anti-Israel book, The Israel Lobby.
Where is the joy of Adar when an anti-Israel group can freely present hate-rhetoric at Harvard?
Yes, some Harvard graduates have written to the university's president to protest their hosting this conference. But perhaps as appalling as the actual conference, is the relative silence of the Jewish community. Where is the outrage? Where are the rallies, letter writing campaigns, protests, sit-ins?
Where is the joy of Adar when a virulently anti-Israel group can freely present their hate-filled rhetoric and advance their one-state-free-of-Jews solution, on the most prestigious campus in America?
Today, even a candidate for public office is not afraid to reveal his blatant anti-Semitism.
Just this past week, Arthur Jones, a republican candidate for Congress in Chicago, said: "As far as I'm concerned, the Holocaust is nothing more than an international extortion racket by the Jews." Jones, who organizes neo-Nazi events in commemoration of Hitler's birthday, continued by calling the Holocaust "the blackest lie in history. Millions of dollars are being made by Jews telling this tale of woe and misfortune in books, movies, plays and TV."
Thankfully, Republicans have not put him on the ballot because of his views. But here is the scary thing. He has collected over 1,000 signatures on a petition to allow him to run. That means that there are more than 1,000 other people in Chicago that share his anti-Semitic views. His candidacy comes now, in the month of Adar, supposedly the most joyous of all months. Where is the simcha?
A Sleeping Nation
When Haman targeted the Jews for annihilation, he said to Achashveirosh, "Let's destroy the Jews." Achashveirosh replied, "Not so fast. I am afraid of their God, lest He do to me what He did to my predecessors."
Haman relieved the King of that fear when he said "Yeshno am echad," which translates literally as “there is a certain nation.” The Talmud (Megillah 13b), using a play on words, explains that Haman was telling the King something much more strategic and insightful. Yoshnu am echad - there is a sleeping nation. They have been negligent of mitzvot, they are divided, fighting with one another and divisive. They are asleep as to what is important and what threatens them, Haman pointed out to the King.
The Jews were on the brink of extinction, because they were asleep.
The Jewish people were vulnerable and on the brink of extinction because they were asleep. Their eyes were closed to what was happening around them. They didn't take the threats seriously. Haman, like so many of our shrewd enemies throughout Jewish history, understood that going about business as usual, living with our eyes closed and sleep walking through life makes us particularly vulnerable and susceptible to attack.
Haman recognized that “there is a nation that is sleeping.” All he had to do was continue to lull the Jewish people into a false sense of security, to breed complacency and apathy, and he could accomplish his goal of ridding the world of our people.
So what spoiled his plan? The answer is simple: Mordechai and Esther stood up and, like an alarm, rang and rang until they woke up our people from their practically comatose sleep.
Mordechai understood that the antidote to “the nation that is sleeping” is as the Book of Esther states, “lech knos kol ha'yehudim - go and gather all the Jews together” and wake them up. He understood that the response to “they are scattered and dispersed” is to bring them together in fasting and praying. That wakeup call saved our people and ignited a response that provided not only the spark that led to military victory but attracted people of Shushan to want to join the Jewish people.
Purim Then and Now
I look around today and can't help but think our people have been lulled asleep into a false sense of security once again, making ourselves vulnerable. Our enemies are no less evil than Haman, their plans no less nefarious, and their goal no less threatening to our very existence. And yet, for so many, it is business as usual, eyes shut to what is happening and threatening us. Now is the time to wake up, now is the time for to come together in prayer, and in fasting, in letter writing, phone calls, advocacy, lobbying and any way that we can raise our voice on behalf of our people.
Do you think Israel is going to attack Iran? Or do you think no attack will take place and Iran will be allowed to go nuclear? Do you realize that either option is an absolute disaster, potentially devastating and earth-shattering? Do you truly understand the scenario and the casualties if Israel attacks Iran? Can you even imagine the rockets raining down throughout the country, terrorist attacks, condemnations from around the world seeking to isolate Israel, a possible embargo?
And if no attack happens, do you understand the threat and reality of a nuclear weapon held at Israel's head?
And if we do understand, how can we possibly remain asleep and go about business as usual?
Purim is unfolding again right before our very eyes. Iran is modern-day Persia and Ahmadinejad is modern-day Haman sharing the same, explicit goal – to wipe out, in minutes, 6 million Jews.
We must not allow that to happen.
We have an obligation to remember Amalek and what they sought to do to us. The Torah says it is not enough to “not forget.” You can be asleep and yet not forget somewhere buried in your memory that these were once enemies. No, we must also “remember” – zachor. We must remember at all times what our enemies are capable of and never feel a false sense of security.
Real joy is being alive, responsive and alert, ready to face whatever challenges may come.
The time has come to wake up, to remember the Fogel family, and to hold accountable people who celebrate such a murder. The time has come to wake up and to raise our voices in protest of anti-Israel conferences at Harvard and at other universities in this country. The time has come to wake up and to vocally reject the candidacy of a man who can deny the Holocaust. And the time has come to wake up and do everything that we can to make sure Iran does not go nuclear.
Perhaps the joy of Adar is the happiness of waking up, of rising from our sleep of recognizing what we confront and stepping up to make a difference. Real joy is being alive, responsive and alert, ready to face whatever challenges may come and to be confident that we will be triumphant, as we ultimately have been throughout our illustrious history.
When Adar begins, we remember enemies past like Amalek and Haman and we focus acutely on our present enemies and stopping them. When we wake up and confront them, that in itself is a source of joy. | <urn:uuid:f5e2135f-ff06-4b27-a1f3-9eaf6d79db48> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aish.com/h/pur/t/dt/Purims_Wakeup_Call.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969238 | 1,921 | 1.8125 | 2 |
New Pope Elected — Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, Now Called Francis I
Jorge Bergoglio, the 76-year-old archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been elected as pope. He is the first Latin American to lead the Catholic Church. Bergoglio, who has taken the name Francis I, is also the first Jesuit priest to become pope.
In his first words to those gathered at St. Peter’s Square, Francis I said, ”Before I give you a blessing, I ask you for a favor—I want you to bless me.”
Bergoglio is believed to have been the runner-up to Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, during the previous papal election. His stances on social issues place him firmly in the church’s conservative wing. His selection of the name Francis is intriguing, in that he appears to be reaching out to the Franciscans, often considered a rival of the Jesuits. The name Francis also recalls St. Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved and venerated figures in Christianity. At least one Vatican expert called the selection “precedent-shattering.”
While in his role as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he clashed with the country’s president over gay marriage and contraception and described gay adoption as discrimination against children. But he was also admired for his humility: he chose to ride public transportation rather than be chauffeured around in a church-provided limousine and cooked his own meals, among other such acts of modesty. | <urn:uuid:78b365e7-d143-49a4-b996-f58809bb3666> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kgab.com/new-pope-elected-white-smoke-rises-from-sistine-chapel/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979921 | 325 | 1.8125 | 2 |
At LG, we have been delving deeply into design and research that takes full advantage of our technologically advanced era. That's why the work of the design team is geared toward the company's vision of becoming a "Digital Life Creator." From a practical perspective, technology is becoming an increasingly important part of our modern lives. A growing number of products come equipped with "intelligent" microchips and networking options.
This design area, though still in its early stages, has great potential.
In this context, design plays a critical role in harmonizing technology and human needs-something that requires designers to put on their "inventing caps." Designers are now charged with predicting emerging needs, designing new worlds and lifestyle concepts, and making their inventions available to the public in a timely manner.
This trend was started by the Life Soft Research Lab, which was established about 20 years ago. Design plays a crucial role at the Corporate Design Center, even if much of the work within the Center remains largely unseen by the outside world. It is there that researchers, designers, and trend scouts predict the future by examining and identifying consumer needs, observing the public's interest in products, and then developing design concepts and solutions based on this legwork.
This means that staffers are always one step ahead of the market and are already working on products for the future. And, apart from its focus on products and technological opportunities, the center also attempts to understand customer and market trends.
LG Electronics has also been pursuing a premium-market strategy in order to participate in the lucrative call for high-end household appliances, mobile phones, and other multimedia products. This is a great opportunity for the company to position itself as an innovative technology firm with a flair for design, and thereby further increasing its market position with a keen focus on becoming a top three global company by 2010.
Related to this initiative, LG Electronics now boasts research and development laboratories in more than 25 locations around the world. R&D investments have been continuously increasing, amounting to US $3.1 billion as of last year. Strategic alliances with technological leaders have also been forged as part of LG Electronics' global strategy for growth.
And, judging by the company's business performance, it is clear that our strategies are working. The company continues to make great strides toward successfully establishing itself in an increasingly competitive design market. LG Electronics' products are becoming increasingly known for their originality, as well as their coherence within individual product lines. | <urn:uuid:ae36902e-07f6-4ab6-b8e3-70e54056c0d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lg.com/global/about-lg/corporate-information/design/design-philosophy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969781 | 503 | 1.757813 | 2 |
The latest is this missive, sent by the Fort Worth Standing Committee to all Fort Worth clergy and 2007 Convention Deputies:
The "something that defies explanation?" This Christmas Card ...
To the Clergy and 2007 Convention Delegates,
The members of your Standing Committee thought you should be aware of this. The Presiding Bishop has done something which defies explanation. This is the Christmas card she sent to Bishop Iker and presumably other TEC bishops. Given the increasing polarization in TEC (and the Anglican Communion) today, the only reason we can see for her to make this choice is that she is only interested in pushing the polarization just that much further.
The Presiding Bishop is an intelligent woman, so this re-interpretation of Scripture to exclude masculine images must be intentional. This card illustrates in many ways the core problem of the General Convention Church. Scripture cannot be made to conform to us, we must conform our lives and our faith to Scripture. We will continue to stand for the traditional expression of the Faith.
The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
... described on the Narrative in the card and on the designer's website (where you can also order cards for your OWN bishop!) as:
Wise women throughout time and in every culture know themselves to be seekers and seers of the Divine. In Janet McKenzie’s interpretation of the Magi, women around the world find an image of the Epiphany that includes and validates their encounters with the One Who Saves, celebrated here in the powerful, protective and tender manifestation of a mother and her child, embraced and nurtured by a loving community.Shocked! Shocked, I tell you! Imagine believing that the Grace of God matters more than the Gonads on the Guys! How dare she? Defies explanation only begins to describe it ... because what Katharine Jefferts Schori has really done is defy not explanation but the patriarchy.
Here is global inclusiveness and a vision of mutuality and interdependence – the giving and receiving of the three gifts essential to life itself: presence, love and daily bread. Epiphany proclaims again and anew: Christ for all people. God’s favor extends to all!
And there's only one response to that ... | <urn:uuid:23241fab-a336-4183-b80a-fc728d9bfa54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://inchatatime.blogspot.com/2008/01/presiding-bishops-action-defies.html?showComment=1199581800000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935956 | 469 | 1.632813 | 2 |
My husband owned a retail business for 20 years. He wrote about 100 checks a month, including payroll. He made about 30 petty cash payments a month. I did all his bookkeeping, but not bill paying.
I would file by month. As items are entered into your bookkeeping/accounting system, file them in that month's folder. A few major suppliers may merit their own folder, but for the most part, you should be able to find a document you need when filed this way. Most documents once entered into the accounting system do not need to be retrieved.
Petty cash chits/receipts should be accumulated in a separate folder or envelope for the month with a running list of what's in it. Petty cash payments tend to be for a limited set of expenses. Once you gain some experience with your specific business, you can create a spreadsheet for petty cash where each line contains the date, the vendor, a column for each of the common expenses from your chart of accounts (for example, Office Supplies, Merchandise, Repairs, Cleaning, etc.) and total. Go ahead and break out the receipt across the accounts when you enter it on the list . Or if you're rushed, at least put the date, vendor and total. Asterisk it to know you need to come back and break it out. Most receipts during the month will fall under a single category and are easy to do. Then, once a month, total, reimburse the petty cash account and enter the total by account into your accounting system. At that point the petty cash envelope can be filed in your monthly folder or folder can be filed behind your monthly folder and a new one started for the next month.
Invoices: The amount of the invoice goes in your accounting system (paid or accounts payable) and the physical invoice goes in the monthly folder. Write the check number and the date and the amount paid (if not obvious) on the document.
Receipts: Go in the petty cash folder/envelope and the purchase information gets handwritten on the spreadsheet.
Delivery Notes: Are these packing slips? They can be stapled to the invoices. Discrepencies in amount received vs. amount on the slip need to be noted and communicated to the vendor. If you are waiting for a credit, these can be in an @WF folder.
Correspondance: Depends on how much of it you have. If it's rare, you could file it with the invoices OR have one folder for the whole year. | <urn:uuid:12c55ea8-cfb0-4f63-8885-d7bdbe019ae3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.davidco.com/forum/showthread.php?7445-Filing-Invoices-Receipts-Delivery-Notes-and-Correspondence&p=51409 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951993 | 525 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Chessington dog saved by Wimbledon surgery after swallowing 90 pebbles
A labrador who “got a bit carried away” had to undergo surgery after swallowing 90 pebbles during a trip to the beach.
Barney, the three-year-old chocolate-coloured dog, started vomiting the stones he ate at the seaside on Monday, September 3, and was taken to a Wimbledon-based animal hospital.
Her owner, Kim Woollard of Almshouse Lane, Chessington, said: “Barney has been to the beach several times before and loves it.
“He’s never done anything like this and it wasn’t obvious while we were playing that he was eating so many pebbles.
“Once we got home he just wasn’t himself and was clearly very uncomfortable.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw the X-ray and what was inside him.
“I’m so relieved that he’s now recuperating safely at home and will be keeping a close eye on him next time we go to the beach.”
After an X-ray revealed the huge number of pebbles the dog had swallowed at Sheerness beach, Kent, Barney was taken to the Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital in Wimbledon Village’s High Street.
Roger Bralow, a vet at Stone Lion, said: “While it’s normal for dogs on the beach to scavenge and, in so doing, swallow a few pebbles, the sheer volume he consumed is unusual and had the potential to cause him serious internal injuries.
“Fortunately, Mrs Woollard acted swiftly in getting Barney to us quickly and he’s now making a good recovery.
“Our advice to owners is to monitor their dogs carefully while they’re on the beach but not to stop them from having fun because that’s what it’s all about.
“It seems that Barney just got a bit carried away.”
What's the weirdest thing your pet has eaten? Leave a comment below or contact the news desk on 020 8722 6333 (Merton) or 020 8744 4262 (Kingston). | <urn:uuid:0cf1663d-04df-4455-b540-c4c1abeb951d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/9921871.Dog_saved_by_surgery_after_swallowing_90_pebbles/?ref=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962092 | 475 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The Tragedy of the Interruption Junkie
Ozan Onay — 15 May 2011
You just found out that your friend has a gambling problem.
What do you do?
If you’re like most people, you would feel compelled to help. You might remind her that gambling is unlikely to deliver long-term happiness. Or, perhaps you might emphasize the cost of her addiction to her loved ones and the broader community. Either way, you would intervene in an attempt to correct her behavior.
So, why sit by while your colleagues are afflicted with an addiction to interruption?
Have no doubt, the Interruption Junkie is a tragic figure in the same class as the alcoholic or gambling addict. Every time he checks his email, a budding creative thought is left unfertilized. Nascent innovations are neglected perpetually, for just a moment, while he responds to a text message, then a push notification, a tweet, a request from a colleague. He sure feels high when he deftly parries ten small problems, but were the problems real or imagined? Were the solutions merely incremental?
Not only is the Interruption Junkie tragically afflicted like other addicts, he is also subject to the same operant conditioning. Like pulling the lever on a slot machine, checking his email constitutes a variable ratio reinforcement schedule. Also, both the drug addict and the Interruption Junkie are engaging in hyperbolic discounting—the immediate high of heroin trumps long-term health considerations; the immediate high of responding to a Skype message trumps long-term substantial accomplishment.
Like most addictions, there are already plenty of resources for those affected. However, there is little literature on preventing this sinister affliction in the workplace. Hear are some approaches that might work for you:
- Don't send emails. At least, avoid sending your colleagues questions or tasks during the work day. Certainly avoid group emails and "reply all". Try to solve your own problems or chat over lunch. Consider scheduling regular "office hours" or 1-to-1 meetings to ask questions en masse. Watch this short video of Skinner discussing operant conditioning and think that every time you send an email you're feeding the pigeon (or paying the slot jockey).
- Be slow. Foster an attitude that interruption is an anathema by responding on your own schedule. Celebrate the completion of long, boring tasks; avoid rewarding responsiveness. Treat focus and concentration as sacrosanct while trivializing small, ostensibly "pressing" tasks. Nothing is urgent enough to disrupt flow.
- Encourage play. If somebody needs a break, it's better for them to mess around on YouTube or do a muscle up than seek relaxation in an activity that needs to appear work-like. If people check their email whenever they need a break, they'll feed the addiction while missing out on the respite they need to re-focus on difficult work.
If you know any techniques for reducing interruption addiction in your workplace, we’d love to hear about them in the comments. | <urn:uuid:831bb289-500e-43e8-8f5c-11c2b4519dd6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://regardingwork.com/2011/05/15/the-tragedy-of-the-interruption-junkie/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946635 | 624 | 1.84375 | 2 |
I found a bottle of Acyclovir in my boyfriends jacket in our home. He said they were antibiotics for the flu or a cold. I have done some research and have found that it is used for herpes, shingles, and chickenpox. I havent found any other uses for it. If there are any please let me know. I need to know if I am at risk of contracting something or even more if my boyfriend is being dishonest with me. Please help!!!
Wow thats scary. I also have only heard of Acyclovir being used for treating herpes. Your boyfriend is probably imbarassed and scared that you'll leave him if you found out. Herpes is one of the most common std's out there, I think it's like 80% of the population have it. I would ask him and assure him that you understand and want the truth. I will attach some more information on herpes and Acyclovir below. Good luck.
Acyclovir is specific for the Herpes family of viruses but does not prevent transmission even if the user does not show any symptoms or skin lesions. From a practical standpoint the risk will be less than if he is showing acitve lesions. if your boyfriend has herpes he should be taking this drug regualrly to suppress blisters and reduce viral "shedding" and you should use a condom in addition. This does not mean he has other diseases which must be tested for individually. You should both get a complete STD screen and go from there for your decisions.
NOTICE: The information provided on this site is not a substitute for professional medical advice,
diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your
physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on Wellsphere.
If you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. | <urn:uuid:76d417f8-9206-4362-8a4a-07ee7507c774> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wellsphere.com/relationships-sex-article/what-is-acyclovir-uses-besides-for-herpes-chickenpox-or-shingles/512538 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974415 | 385 | 1.820313 | 2 |
"Royal Treasures From the Louvre: Louis XIV to Marie-Antoinette," which opens Saturday at the Legion of Honor, brings into view an array of decorative art objects that have seldom, if ever, left France.
The exhibition serves as "a kind of prologue, an overture," Louvre director Henri Loyrette said in conversation, to a five-year programming agreement between France's greatest museum and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
"Royal Treasures" and the long-term agreement arose, Loyrette said, from discussions with John Buchanan (1953-2011), when he was director of the Fine Arts Museums.
"When you do a big exhibition, it's almost always a one-shot," Loyrette said. "A few curators work a lot together for a long time, and that's it. It's not long lasting and not very significant for the institutions themselves. It's more interesting to have this process on a regular basis, which involves all the staff, not only the artistic questions, but education and publications, all that makes a museum today. ... So we had this idea of a five-year partnership."
Refurbishment of the Louvre's 18th century decorative arts galleries occasioned the substantial loans that "Royal Treasures" entailed. But the five-year agreement between the Paris and San Francisco institutions will mean modest projects at first.
The two already planned involve bringing together companion works by single artists owned by the respective museums: paintings by the British Romantic John Martin (1789-1854) and portrait sculpture by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828).
Anticipating public curiosity about the possible loan of Louvre's greatest hits by artists such as Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci and Jacques-Louis David, Loyrette said, "We hope to go through various techniques and departments over time. In the far future, we will have a large exhibition. But we have just begun to discuss it."
"Royal Treasures From the Louvre" will have its constituency, but that does not include me.
I am as much in awe as anyone of the feats of craftsmanship presented here with unexceptionable stagecraft. Consider the 1756 "Figure of a Naiad," with its porcelain figurine stranded beside a gilt-bronze palm tree on the gilt-bronze island of a base. As fantasy landscape sculpture, as well as a product of expert collaborators, the "Naiad" is hard to top.
Plenty of other things here, including the stone-inlaid "Mosaic Tabletop With Emblems of Louis XIV" that serves as one of the exhibition's signature images, will have jaws dropping.
But is yet another "treasures" exhibition the best use of a city museum's straitened resources? The question ought to reverberate though museum culture today. "Royal Treasures" and its ilk on the exhibition front reduce museum-going to the higher window shopping: No, you couldn't afford this - though today's robber barons could - but why, apart from the sting of injustice, should you care?
"Royal Treasures" tries gingerly to make the case that Louis XVI, who lost his head to history in 1793, had more public-spirited bones in his body than his executioners credited. He, after all, first established what became the Musée du Louvre as a public exhibition space.
But the excesses of pre-modernist courtly taste play poorly in postmodernist retrospect. (Startlingly, Marie-Antoinette looks like a minimalist of her day in the account of her affinities given here.)
"Royal Treasures" might seem to have anticipated a Romney presidency, had it not been planned years earlier. Instead, it merely rekindles the Reaganite vision of private wealth and public squalor that has polluted not just politics but also American imagination for decades.
Royal Treasures From the Louvre: Louis XIV to Marie-Antoinette: Decorative arts. Through March 17. Legion of Honor. Lincoln Park, S.F. (415) 750-3600. www.legionofhonor.famsf.org. | <urn:uuid:49e04b62-1a65-44fc-8f9e-1b31c99cca48> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sfgate.com/art/article/Royal-Treasures-From-the-Louvre-review-4044284.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961883 | 887 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Yesterday, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands abdicated her throne in favor of her son, Prince Willem-Alexander. What does that mean exactly? Well, it means she gave up her crown so her son can play a part in the monarchy. This is not the first time a royal has relinquished their seat on the throne. Queen Beatrix’s mother and grandmother both renounced their title so their daughters could take over. Nice gift.
So how could this effect Queen Elizabeth’s brood? Well, after Queen Beatrix’s news spread like wildfire many began to speculate that Queen Elizabeth would follow suit so that her son Prince Charles could take over the throne. The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, and Prince William are sure to be worried as no one really knows what is going on in Queen Elizabeth’s head right now.
Of course, the Duchess should be confident in her future since she has given the Queen the gift of a great-grandchild from her favorite grandson and future heir to the throne. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again… there’s no way Queen Elizabeth will ever allow Charles and his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles enjoy the title of King and Queen. Never. Apart from her own feelings, the public would go wild if she offered up the throne to Charles. The people will not stand for it. Their past as an adulterous couple cheating on the beloved Princess Diana will haunt them to their dying day. A weak man like that will never earn the love and respect of his countrymen.
What do you think readers? Will Queen Elizabeth abdicate the throne so that Prince Charles can know what it’s like to be the King? Are Duchess Kate and Prince William more worried about the throne than the impending birth of their first child? Does any of this matter to my favorite ginger, Prince Harry? Does any one know when he’ll be playing “strip billiards” again?
Photo Credit: FameFlynet | <urn:uuid:59ac8361-0ee8-4111-bdf8-e72ab1fefcfd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.celebdirtylaundry.com/2013/kate-middleton-and-prince-william-fear-queen-elizabeths-abdication-in-favor-of-prince-charles-and-camilla-parker-bowles/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95914 | 420 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Congratulations to President Barack Obama and all the other winners in Tuesday’s election.
Now that the contentious campaign is over, it’s time that our elected officials – and all Americans, really – put their differences behind them and move forward, regardless of political persuasion.
We realize that is no easy task.
The nation remains divided. Roughly half the country voted for Obama, the other half for Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Although the Electoral College tilted heavily in Obama’s favor, by no means is the election result a mandate.
That said, whether you voted for him or not, Obama will be our president for four more years. He is the president of all of us, not just president of the Democratic Party, or of those who voted for him.
We have not supported many of Obama’s policies these past four years, and we did not endorse his re-election. But we don’t support another four years of gridlock. We don’t support the Republican-controlled House standing firmly on one side, and the Democrat-controlled Senate and president standing firmly on the other, refusing to reach middle ground.
That accomplished nothing the past two years. Americans will be no better off – and likely will be much worse off – four years from now if that gridlock continues.
The two sides don’t – and, certainly, won’t – agree on everything. Indeed, disagreement is essential in an effective democracy. But so, too, is compromise, particularly when that compromise is aimed at solving our significant problems.
And our country’s problems are many.
The federal deficit and our national debt are out of control. Under Obama, U.S. debt has increased nearly $6 trillion. That’s more than what it increased in eight years under President George W. Bush.
Our deficit and debt must be reined in.
Obama and a divided Congress must work together to draw up a bipartisan plan to balance the budget in the next four years. That’s going to mean hard decisions about spending cuts, including reform of such entitlement programs as Social Security and Medicare. Republicans also might have to compromise on some modest revenue increases.
But any tax increases must not deter job growth. Unemployed Americans need to get back to work, so they can provide for their families as well as contribute once again to the nation’s well-being.
The election is over. The hard work must begin. All sides need to contribute by working together.
It’s not going to be easy. But it must happen.
The Morris Daily Herald Editorial Board is led by editors Patrick Graziano and Mark Malone. It makes its editorial decisions in consultation with other members of the Herald staff. | <urn:uuid:419f2f43-5f65-4bc5-935a-f0cccd58b675> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://morrisdailyherald.com/2012/11/09/mdh-says-gridlock-be-gone/aojc2gd/?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958315 | 569 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Newly hired rural letter carriers will make 10 percent to 20 percent less than current carriers earn under a new labor pact that will affect 111,000 career and non-career U.S. Postal Service employees.
The labor pact, which takes effect immediately and runs through May 2015, includes a 3.5 percent wage increase and cost-of-living boosts, but it will require employees to pay more for their health insurance. For new full-time carriers, the lower-tier wage scale will be more than 10 percent below that of current employees, USPS spokesman Mark Saunders said in an email.
For new part-time rural carriers, he said, the pay difference will be more than 20 percent
“However, the agreement does not go as far as the Postal Service believes is necessary to overcome our financial challenges,” Saunders said.
Terms of the labor pact between the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association and the Postal Service were set by a three-member arbitration board decision Tuesday.
The part-timers, officially known as rural carriers associates, act as substitutes for full-timers.
Under the agreement, part-timers hired since the previous contract expired in November 2010 will now be subject to the new lower pay scale if they become full-time carriers and will thus take a pay cut, Joey Johnson, a union-appointed member of the board, wrote in a partial dissent to the full panel’s decision.
“To penalize this group of current employees is patently unfair,” Johnson said.
Saunders could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday on how many part-time carriers could fall in that category. In creating a two-tier wage system, the arbitration panel followed a precedent set by the American Postal Workers Union’s labor contract last year.
The move signals a strong likelihood that arbitrators will impose two-tier compensation systems on two other postal unions due for new contracts: the National Association of Letter Carriers and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, which represent more than 240,000 postal employees. | <urn:uuid:51dc0187-35c1-4172-b6ca-dd72fb08c847> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20120705/DEPARTMENTS02/307050001/New-rural-carriers-will-get-paid-10-percent-20-percent-less-than-others?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95462 | 425 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Old Sherman Hospital gets final hurrah before demolition
A portion of the old Sherman Hospital on Elgin's east side is enjoying a final hurrah as a firefighters' training ground before it meets the wrecking ball in July.
All this week, more than 300 personnel from 14 fire departments and protection districts are using a rare opportunity to practice their high-rise firefighting skills in the four-story building.
Fires in high-rises are tricky because they take place while equipment could be several stories below. Because of that, it can take a longer time getting to the fire and the time elapsed could increase the size of the blaze, Elgin Assistant Fire Chief Dave Schmidt said.
One of the exercises Monday involved planning for enough equipment in the staging area, which was two stories below. Firefighters also used the second floor as a command post and searched the fourth floor for potential victims.
Using straw and wood, firefighters are setting fires to different rooms on the fourth floor throughout the week.
After securing permission from Sherman officials for the exercise, the Elgin Fire Department invited firefighters from surrounding communities to practice with them, Schmidt said.
They include fire personnel from South Elgin, the Dundees, Rutland-Dundee, Carpentersville, Hampshire, Pingree Grove, Streamwood, Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Bartlett, Hoffman Estates and Huntley.
"We like to play with our neighbors," Schmidt quipped.
Elgin has several high rises, including the Tower Building and the Professional Building.
Elgin personnel invited the other agencies to come out because if a high-rise fire ever breaks out in Elgin, its fire department might call on them to help out. So it's a good idea for them to get a working knowledge of how Elgin handles those fires.
"It gives us a chance to put some of the things in practice, some things you don't necessarily get to practice," said Batallion Chief John Greene, of the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District.
"We've got the basics down; we're just fine-tuning it."
Demolition is scheduled to start on July 2 and should end by August, said Dawn Stoner, the hospital's project coordinator.
Since it was replaced by a new hospital on Randall Road, the old location was used in the 2011 movie, "Contagion."
The parking deck and part of the old hospital — the oldest portion dates back to 1917 — are coming down. A green space will go in its place and Sherman will continue to retain ownership of the property.
- Share Facebook Twitter
Article sent to (required)E-mail
Article sent from (required)E-mail Name
Subject Line (article title)
Message (optional)Success - Article sent Click to close
Interested in reusing this article?
Custom reprints are a powerful and strategic way to share your article with customers, employees and prospects.
The YGS Group provides digital and printed reprint services for Daily Herald. Complete the form to the right and a reprint consultant will contact you to discuss how you can reuse this article.Need more information about reprints? Visit our Reprints Section for more details.
Contact information ( * required )Name * Company Telephone * E-mail *
Article InformationTitle URL
Message (optional)Success - Reprint request sent Click to close | <urn:uuid:cb7c3e3f-cb49-4f45-b97c-38b4c4fa182a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120625/news/706259666/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936963 | 697 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Washington, DC (AP via USA Today) -- The average U.S. rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage stayed this week at the lowest level on record. Cheap mortgages have helped drive a modest housing recovery and could give the broader economy a jolt at a time when the job market is weak.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average on the 30-year loan was 3.66%. That's unchanged from last week and the lowest since long-term mortgages began in the 1950s.
The average rate on the 15-year mortgage, a popular refinancing option, slipped to 2.94%. That's down from 2.95% last week and matches the record-low 2.94% reached three weeks ago.
The rate on the 30-year loan has been below 4% since December.
Cheap mortgages have provided a lift to the long-suffering housing market. Sales of new and previously occupied homes are up from the same time last year. Home prices are rising in most markets. And homebuilders are starting more projects.
The number of people who signed contracts to buy previously occupied homes rose in May, matching the fastest pace in two years, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday. That suggests Americans are growing more confident in the market.
Low rates could also provide some help to the economy if more people refinance. When people refinance at lower rates, they pay less interest on their loans and have more money to spend. Many homeowners use the savings on renovations, furniture, appliances and other improvements, which help drive growth.
Still, the pace of home sales remains well below healthy levels. Many people are still having difficulty qualifying for home loans or can't afford larger down payments required by banks.
And the sluggish job market could deter some would-be buyers from making a purchase this year. The U.S. economy created only 69,000 jobs in May, the fewest in a year. The unemployment rate rose to 8.2% last month, up from 8.1% in April.
Data by YCharts
Mortgage rates have been dropping because they tend to track the yield on the 10-year Treasury note. Uncertainty about how Europe will resolve its debt crisis has led investors to buy more Treasury securities, which are considered safe investments. As demand for Treasuries increase, the yield falls.
And the yield will likely fall even lower now that the Federal Reserve has said it will continue selling short-term Treasuries and using the proceeds to buy longer-term Treasuries. That goal of the program is to drive long-term interest rates lower to encourage more borrowing and spending.
To calculate average rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country on Monday through Wednesday of each week.
The average does not include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1% of the loan amount.
The average fee for 30-year loans was 0.7 point, unchanged from last week. The fee for 15-year loans also was 0.7 point, up from 0.6.
The average rate on one-year adjustable rate mortgages was unchanged from last week at 2.74%. The fee for one-year adjustable rate loans slipped to 0.4 point from 0.5 point. | <urn:uuid:b1e72c6b-4294-42b5-b4ab-7a361aeb2ace> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wltx.com/news/national/article/192224/142/Thirty-Year-Mortgage-Rate-Stays-at-Record-Low-366 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974111 | 684 | 1.539063 | 2 |
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
How the Gospel Reached the Nelson River Indians
Author: Egerton Ryerson Young
Release Date: October 31, 2007 [EBook #23261]
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OOWIKAPUN ***
That Oowikapun was unhappy, strangely so, was evident to all in the Indian village. New thoughts deeply
affecting him had in some way or other entered into his mind, and he could not but show that they were
producing a great change in him.
and he had become aware of the fact that he was something more than he imagined. While, in his simple faith,
he had paddled along the beautiful rivers, or wandered through the wild forests of his country, catching the
fish or hunting the game, where at times he had heard the thunder\u2019s crash and seen the majestic tree riven by
the lightning\ue000s power, and perhaps in these seasons of nature\ue001s wild commotion had \u201cseen God in cloud and
heard him in the wind,\u201d yet until very lately he had never heard of anything which had caused him to imagine
that he was in any way allied to that Great Spirit, or was in any way responsible to him.
Hearing from some other hunters of a place where grey wolves were numerous, and being ambitious to kill
some of these fierce brutes, that he might adorn his wigwam with their warm skins, he took his traps and
camping outfit and set out for that region of country, although it was more than two hundred miles away. Here
he found tracks in abundance, and so before he made his little hunting lodge in the midst of a spruce grove, he
set his traps for the fierce wolves in a spot which seemed to be a rallying place of theirs. As they are very
suspicious and clever, he carefully placed two traps close together and sprinkled them over with snow, leaving
visible only the dead rabbits which served as bait. Then scattering more snow over his own tracks as he
moved away, in order to leave as little evidence of his having been there as possible, he returned to his little
tentlike lodge and prepared and ate his supper, smoked his pipe, and then wrapping himself up in his blanket
was soon fast asleep. Very early next morning he was up and off to visit his traps. His axe was slipped in his
belt, and his gun, well loaded, was carried ready for use if necessary. When he had got within a few hundred
yards of the place where he had set his heavy traps, he heard the rattling of the chains which were attached to
them, each fastened to a heavy log. This sound, while it made his heart jump, was very welcome, for it meant
that he had been successful. When he drew near the spot where he had set the traps, he found that a fierce old
wolf, in trying to get the rabbit from one of them without springing it, had got caught in the other, and
although both of his hind legs were held by the sharp teeth of the trap, he had managed to drag it and the
heavy log fastened to it to quite a distance.
Oowikapun could easily have shot him, but ammunition was dear and the bullet hole in the skin would be a blemish, and the sound of the gun might scare away the game that might be near; so he resolved to kill the wolf with the back of his axe. Better would it have been for him if he had shot him at once. So putting down his gun he took his axe out of his belt and cautiously approached the treacherous brute. The sight of the man so near seemed to fill him with fury, and, unable to escape, he made the most desperate efforts to reach him. His appearance, was demoniacal, and his howls and snarls would have terrified almost anybody else than an experienced, cool-headed hunter.
Oowikapun, seeing what an ugly customer he had to deal with, very cautiously kept just beyond the limits of the fearful plunges which the chain would allow the wolf to make, and keenly watched for an opportunity to strike him on the head. So wary and quick was the wolf that some blows received only maddened without disabling him.
Oowikapun at length, becoming annoyed that he should have any difficulty in killing an entrapped wolf,
resolved to end the conflict at once with a decisive blow; and so with upraised axe he placed himself as near
as he thought safe, and waited for the infuriated brute to spring at him. But so much force did the entrapped
brute put into that spring that it carried the log attached to the chain along with him, and his sharp, glittering
fang-like teeth snapped together within a few inches of Oowikapun\ue002s throat, and such was the force of the
concussion that he was hurled backward, and ere he could assume the aggressive, the sharp teeth of the wolf
had seized his left arm, which he threw up for defence, and seemed to cut down to the very bone, causing
intense pain. But Oowikapun was a brave man and cool-headed, so a few blows from the keen edge of the axe
in his right hand finished his foe, whose only weapons were his sharp teeth, and he was soon lying dead in the
snow; but his beautiful skin was about worthless as a robe on account of the many gashes it had received,
much to the annoyance of Oowikapun, who had not dreamed of having so severe a battle.
The traps were soon reset and Oowikapun, with the heavy wolf on his back, set out for his camp. As he had
set some smaller traps for minks and martens in a different direction, he turned aside to visit them. This would
cause him to return to his camp by another trail. While moving along under his heavy load he was surprised to
come across the snowshoe tracks of another hunter. He examined them carefully, and decided that they were
made by some person who must have passed along there that very morning, early as it was.
As the trail of this stranger, whoever it could be, was in the direction of the traps which Oowikapun wished to visit, he followed them up. When he reached his traps he found that a mink had been caught in one of them, but the stranger had taken it out and hung it up in plain sight above the trap on the branch of a tree. Then the stranger, putting on fresh bait, had reset the trap. Of course Oowikapun was pleased with this, and delighted that the stranger, whoever he was, had acted so honestly and kindly toward him.
Fastening the mink in his belt he hurried on to his camp as fast as he could under his heavy load, for his
wounded arm had begun to swell and was causing him intense pain. His stoical Indian nature would have
caused him to withstand the pain with indifference, but when he remembered how the wolf, maddened by his
capture, had wrought himself up into such a frenzy that his mouth was all foaming with madness when he
made that last desperate spring and succeeded in fastening his fangs in his arm, he feared that perhaps some of
the froth might have got into his arm, and unless some remedies were quickly obtained, madness might come
to him, to be followed by a most dreadful death.
But what could he do? He was several days\ue003 journey from his own village, and many miles from any hunter of
his acquaintance. He had, in his vanity, come alone on this hunting expedition, and now alone in the woods,
far away from his friends, here he is in his little hunting lodge, a dangerously wounded man.
Fortunate was it for the injured one if he had companions near when the bone was fractured or the flesh torn. If, when accidents occur, the injuries are not considered very desperate, a little camp is improvised and with a day or two of rest, with some simple remedies from nature\ue004s great storehouse\u2014the forest\ue005a cure is quickly effected. If a leg or arm is broken, a stretcher of young saplings is skillfully prepared, interwoven with broad bands of soft bark, and on this elastic, easy couch the wounded man is rapidly carried to his distant wigwam by his companions.
When there are but two persons, and an accident happens to one of them, two young trees that are tough and
elastic are used. Then tops of small branches are allowed to remain, and very much diminish the jolting
caused by the inequalities of the ground. No carriage spring ever more successfully accomplished its purpose.
A couple of cross bars preserve the saplings in position, and the bark of some varieties of shrubs or trees cut
Use your Facebook login and see what your friends are reading and sharing.
Now bringing you back...
Please enter your email address below to reset your password. We will send you an email with instructions on how to continue. | <urn:uuid:f7c3193f-8c92-404b-ab2f-d3228fda3af1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scribd.com/doc/2401835/OowikapunHow-the-Gospel-Reached-the-Nelson-River-Indians-by-Young-Egerton-Ryerson-18401909 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991401 | 2,001 | 1.515625 | 2 |
About the video
Electronic chiptunes guru Sulumi owns and operates Chinese record label Shanshui Records. The artist is most widely known for utilizing 8-bit tones in his music, influencing the digital production and industrial rock he is famous for pioneering. By simultaneously using a Game Boy and his computer to create beats, the producer takes something antiquated and radically transforms it into something innovative. Claiming to learn most from the collaborators on his label, Sulumi is without a doubt one of the most novel music producers on the market.
The Creators Project: When did you start making your own music? Sulumi: In 1997, I was in junior high and I started to play guitar. A year after, I was accepted by Shenyang Music School and formed my first band. Later I went to Beijing and formed my own band. In Beijing, in the summer of ’98, we realized that there were so many good bands and that it was hard to compete, so I took that summer to think about my future and eventually decided to go into electronic music. What was your approach? I didn’t really know what electronic music was at the time, but I was at a friend's house, and he had installed some electronic-music software. I was really intrigued, and I asked him to give me the software to play with. What type of music were you listening to at the time? I listened to a lot of German hardcore trance. When did your style evolve to what it is now? In 2005, I thought to myself, "I have this Gameboy to use, why don’t I try that?" Now I simultaneously use a Gameboy and a computer to make music. What is it in particular that you like about using 8-bit? When I was little I played a lot of videogames. So it kind of reminds me of when I was little. I don’t want to make the same music I made growing up, but I want to take something old and turn it new. Something sexy, or violent, or for dancing. I want to make a more full composition. It's not just 8 bit—sometimes it's 4-bit, sometimes 16-bit. I want to make dance music. What made you decide to start your own music label, Shansui? At that time there weren’t that many labels. I had seen a lot of labels in Germany and I really wanted to have one of my own. In the beginning, were all the artists on your label Chinese? Initially, I involved my friends and family to help with production. But we had some Japanese friends join us, along with people I had met online. When did you start collaborating with other artists? In the beginning, when I was looking for collaborators, my first CD was a compilation of many artists. By the time I released Landscape II, we had better production because I had a much better idea of what I was doing. The first CD is more high energy—it's for dancing. By the time I produced the second CD, it was quieter, more relaxed—it sounds better, in my opinion. What did you learn by becoming a producer? Well, dealing with the artists, communicating with them, figuring out their habits, seeing how they worked… we performed together. This inspired me. I learned so much from the artists on the Landscape records. I'm not a systematical person; when I run into issues, I just try to solve them. So yours isn’t a record company at all, really, but a team of artists working together? We started as friends, just chatting on the internet, talking about what we like to do. We had similar hobbies, and we decided to publish. Since we were starting from the bottom, we weren’t picky for production. But later on we developed stronger ideas of where to publish and our experience helped a lot. In your older songs, there's Chinese melody, but what about your newer songs? What's your direction? Let me take this opportunity to explain my music. At first I liked drums, they were fast and noisy and that’s what I first produced. After a while I listened to more electronic, quieter music. I like fast music, but it's more melodic as a general rule. I added more melody into my music, more baritone. My latest work has slowed down in comparison to my older music. In the past it's always been very young, punkish, full of joy. Now, I like slower, blacker, darker music. Also, I like the Chinese influence. I cant explain it, I just like it. I add a little bit of Chinese music in everything. What's your next step, from a technological standpoint? I still have a lot to learn about technology. But for me, my new music will be recorded and mixed with computers. I want a much more electronic sound, lots of keyboards. I also want to remix some music. I bought some software online to mix on an Ipod. I got some digital-keyboard software as well. I am always learning. I always encounter new challenges. People who make electronic music like I do are the same—we use computer software to make music. We produce sounds with computers, create new sounds, and then we add live music or performance aspects. Our intent isn’t to make software, or promote new software, or show a new invention. So your new direction is going to include more synth and electronic sounds? With a synth, you can't trace original sounds. What I like cannot be replaced by other instruments. | <urn:uuid:aab9c96e-a0f0-4fee-818f-70a5242f11fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/pt-br/creators/sulumi | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986291 | 1,152 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Marijuana Growers: Hang onto your pot, here come the genetically modified genes!
It is painfully obvious that mad scientists have gone wild and are in charge of our health and food supply. And now, they want to grab hold of Mary Jane, Weed, Cannabis, Pot, Marijuana, or whatever else you want to call it.
Yeah, we know it has medicinal properties, and so do they. That is one of the reasons it has remained illegal for so long. Someone growing a plant in their backyard and foregoing over-the-counter pain medication, or making a tincture that helps fight cancer just might cut into Big Pharma profits, and we can’t have that. At least not until it can be strictly controlled by the very drug companies that specialize in delivering, for a hefty price, a barrage of drugs designed to, at the very least, incapacitate, and not actually cure anything.
So, here it is. The start of something big. Marijuana gone GMO:
Greenhouses lined with genetically modified marijuana sit on a mountainside just an hour ride from Cali, Colombia, where farmers say the enhanced plants are more powerful and profitable.
One greenhouse owner said she can sell the modified marijuana for 100,000 pesos ($54) per kilo (2.2 pounds), which is nearly 10 times more than the price she can get for ordinary marijuana.
Local authorities said the arrival of genetically modified seeds, which are imported from Europe and the United States have allowed “a bigger production and better quality at the same time”.
A police commander in the Cauca region where Cali is located, Carlos Rodriguez, said one of the modified varieties goes by the name, “Creepy”.
Another seed modified in The Netherlands is fetching a good price in the area, said a foreign researcher, who asked to remain anonymous. That version, well-known in Europe as “La Cominera”, is named for the Colombian village where it grows.
“La Cominera’s” higher value is due to its increased concentration of THC, the plant’s principal active ingredient, and the modified plant verges on an 18 percent concentration level, compared to a normal marijuana plant’s two to seven percent, said the researcher. (Yahoo News)
Coincidence that this is going on just as Big Pharma is busy patenting a Marijuana pill? Notice that the genetically modified seeds are imported from Europe, the Netherlands and the United States.
Despite the US government’s staunch opposition to medical cannabis farms in Oakland and elsewhere, the feds have begun licensing a whole lot of large legal pot grows throughout the country. But this weed is not for cannabis dispensaries and their patients; it’s for Big Pharma.
The Drug Enforcement Administration told Legalization Nation in an e-mail last week that 55 unnamed companies now hold licenses to grow cannabis in the United States, a fact that contradicts the widespread belief that there is only one legal pot farm in America, operated under the DEA for research purposes. It appears as if the upswing in federally approved pot farming is about feeding the need of pharmaceutical companies who want to produce a generic version of THC pill Marinol and at least one other cannabis-based pill for a wide variety of new uses. (Cannabis Culture)
Let’s see if I have this straight. Marijuana, natural, grown in your backyard: BAD! Marijuana farms, licensed by the feds and operated by the DEA for Big Pharma, and most likely genetically modified in a laboratory: GOOD! Hey, bubee, don’t you understand that this is bad??? So, off to jail you go for growing a healthy plant in your yard, but if you splice genes in a lab and grow a GM plant, changing that plant from something healthy to something designed to kill, patent it, and hand it over to the drug companies to push, then all the riches of the planet are yours, courtesy of your friendly neighborhood U.S. government.
© 2011 Barbara H. Peterson
If you have any doubts about the medicinal properties of natural Marijuana, watch this: | <urn:uuid:1bac0348-2aee-45ee-aeea-fee16711cd4f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://farmwars.info/?p=6322 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944658 | 857 | 1.578125 | 2 |
The presidential campaign boils down to numbers. And The Hill
has come up with several key statistics for President Barack Obama. Here are six of them.
1. The unemployment rate, currently 9.1 percent. Obama may need a rate close to 8 percent for re-election.
2. First-time voters. Polls showed 69 percent of them voted in 2008 because of Obama. He needs to keep their support.
3. The number of troops in Afghanistan. It’s now 100,000. Withdrawal is scheduled to start next month, and its ultimate size could help determine Obama’s fate.
4. The number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq. It has been five this week. And if that number rises, Obama could be in trouble.
5. The number of black voters supporting Obama. It was 95 percent in 2008, and he needs a big turnout from them next year.
6. The Hispanic vote. Obama won 67 percent of it in 2008. He’ll have to work hard to sustain that support this time around.
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:9d3e54bc-dee9-4e70-9119-63b2d0c1345d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/KeyNumbersforObama-sRe-ElectionChances/2011/06/08/id/399268 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961049 | 233 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Hoping to make inroads against Google, Microsoft made its new search engine, Bing, publicly available today.
The new design, along with a new name, is intended to make its technology more user friendly in the face of stiff competition and limited market share.
Please give Bing a try and share what you think. The service was supposed to premiere June 3, but was introduced early as a preview.
Among the differentiators from Google is:
- Searches for videos return clips that can be watched by simply moving your mouse over the results.
- Travel related searches like “San Francisco to Miami flights” returns a ticket price at the top of the results.
- People can get cash back when they buy products from certain merchants that have a Bing symbol displayed next to their links.
- A list of related searches in the upper left hand side of the results page (Google places them at the bottom).
Get a tour of Bing here.
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO, has cautioned that the search landscape isn’t going to change immediately, but rather evolve over several years. So don’t count on hearing people using Bing as a verb, as in “Bing it,” like you do with Google.
Renaming its search engine Bing is intended to help Microsoft with its branding, which even its executives admit, was lacking. Live Search, as its search engine was previously called never caught on and got lost in a mix of other Microsoft Live products.
Google, in Mountain View, dominates the search industry with 64.2 percent in April, followed by Yahoo at 20.4 percent and then Microsoft, in a distant third, at 8.2 percent, according to comScore.
Search engines like Ask.com have tried radical redesigns to garner more market share, but they have largely failed. Ask.com, for instance, rolled back many of its changes.
- Posted by Verne Kopytoff | <urn:uuid:1abe1401-c676-4029-aef9-20fc22f288e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.seattlepi.com/techchron/2009/06/01/microsoft-bing-v-google/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966587 | 406 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn visits Freeport in an effort to send a message to Congress about keeping jobs here.
The Governor stopped by to support Sensata workers who are set to lose their jobs once the company closes and moves it's jobs overseas.
Quinn hopes the Bring Jobs Home Act can provide enough benefits to keep jobs here and help the state's economy.
"This is actually the second time in two years I've lost my job to China."
Cheryl Randecker is one of 170 Sensata workers who will be unemployed when the company leaves Freeport and ships jobs out of the country.
"It hurts because you work and work and you try to make a good living and then it's like a slap in the face from corporations all they want is the money, the greed. Let's make a profit for the stockholders who cares about the people that are actually making the money," said Randecker.
Governor Quinn wants Congress to pass the Bring Jobs Home Act.
The bill provides tax credits to companies who take jobs back from overseas and stops credits for companies outsourcing.
He tells us there are many reasons businesses should stay stateside.
"The cost of transportation, the loss of intellectual property the fact that the workers just don't measure up. Those are big detriment to being in a foreign place," said Quinn.
Quinn isn't the only Illinois politician pushing the bill.
US Senator Dick Durbin is a sponsor. The bill is on hold in the Senate. | <urn:uuid:2b2eaed7-0f7b-45da-b0bb-4fa3d907a146> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wrex.com/story/19127125/governor-quinn-throws-support-behind-sensata-workers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966969 | 309 | 1.625 | 2 |
The Bush Administration Embraces Socialismby Doug Mataconis
The government seized control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac yesterday in a dramatic bid to restore faith in the embattled mortgage giants and arrest a vicious cycle that has driven the nation’s economy into a steep downturn.
Following weeks of round-the-clock planning, Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. announced the takeover to try to stabilize the deeply troubled housing and financial markets. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with a combined 11,000 employees, have funded more than two-thirds of U.S. home loans in recent months, and doubts over their ability to continue doing so had threatened to immerse the economy into even more turmoil.
With home loans harder to come by, buyers have recently been unable to make purchases, causing the housing market to tank further, leaving banks and other lenders with huge losses. Those losses, in turn, have made loans even harder to get.
“Our economy will not recover until the bulk of this housing correction is behind us,” Paulson said yesterday. “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are critical to turning the corner on housing.”
They are, in other words, “too big too fail,” and thus entitled to a taxpayer bailout that makes the 1979 Chrysler bailout look like chump change by comparison:
There is no guarantee that the takeover will work, and it comes at a potentially massive cost to taxpayers. The government has pledged to inject money in the companies in any quarter in which they would otherwise be insolvent — up to $100 billion in total for each company.
While, the stock market seems to be reacting positively to news of the bailout, there is plenty of cause for concern.
For one thing, as the WaPo’s Steven Pearlstein notes, the bailout, while not unprecedented, represents a dramatic change in the nature of the government’s involvement in the economy:
In wresting control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and in authorizing the Treasury to begin purchases of mortgage-backed securities, Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. has taken responsibility for assuring that low-interest loans will continue to flow into the country’s hard-hit housing markets. Not since the early days of the Roosevelt administration, at the depth of the Great Depression, has the government taken such a direct role in the workings of the financial system.
And, as The Cato Institute’s David Boaz makes clear, this could only be the beginning:
[T]he bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is another giant step toward government control of the economy. NPR reported this morning that the government takeover “could turn out to be a smart one.” Yes, if you think nationalization of the means of production just might work. The government is writing a blank check on the taxpayers. It might cost nothing, it might cost $25 billion, it might end up costing trillions of dollars, given the size of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s portfolios and the risk of further large declines in housing prices.
Boaz also leads one to ask a very good question — where in Article II of the Constitution does it even authorize the President, via the Secretary of the Treasury, to do this ?
[S]peaking of the imperial presidency–all these huge new powers and expenditures are being conducted without any sanction from Congress and with little public debate. This isn’t Venezuela, but the executive branch is certainly expanding its powers on its own authority.
But the quote of the day goes to financial commentator Jim Rogers, who noted that this takeover effectively means that the United States is now more socialist than supposedly Communist China:
Rogers is right.
H/T: Club For Growth | <urn:uuid:c8eefacf-2429-4ddc-8f72-bd96a3ee6cb6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2008/09/08/the-bush-administration-embraces-socialism/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950656 | 776 | 1.75 | 2 |
CLINT EASTWOOD HAS been awarded a major new Irish film award designed to honour the memory of one of the most famous Irish-American filmmakers.
The Hollywood legend was awarded the inaugural John Ford Award by the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFA) at a ceremony in California yesterday.
Presenting the award to the Hollywood legend, the Irish ambassador to America Michael Collins said that he was “honoured” to meet Eastwood:
” The selection of Clint Eastwood as the recipient of this inaugural John Ford Award draws a direct ine between two of Hollywood’s greatest and most inspirational and creative figures”.
John Ford, an Irish-American whose parents were raised on the west coast of Ireland, made more than 136 films over 60 years.
His films included The Grapes of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley, Stagecoach and The Searchers.
He holds the record for winning the most Oscars for Best Director, and received 26 Oscar nominations in total throughout his career.
The award will be handed out every year by the John Ford Ireland committee to a filmmaker who has “similar incredibly skill and vision and Ford”.
IFTA has also established John Ford Ireland – an annual symposium in Dublin which will examine Ford’s ongoing influence on contemporary cinema. | <urn:uuid:053bd4e4-a75d-471e-bdb6-79ee71fa2033> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thedailyedge.thejournal.ie/clint-eastwood-accepts-inaugural-irish-film-award-305083-Dec2011/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964529 | 269 | 1.570313 | 2 |
May 1st, 2012
10:55 AM ET
Anthony Youn, M.D., is a plastic surgeon in metro Detroit. He is the author of “In Stitches,” a humorous memoir about growing up Asian American and becoming a doctor.
Full disclosure: I have no complaints about how much I make.
But many other physicians are not as satisfied - a recent study by Medscape revealed that 49% of doctors believe they're not fairly compensated. Of primary care physicians, this percentage increases to 54%.
It’s no myth that doctors are some of the highest paid professionals in the country. So why are they complaining?
It’s likely because of situations like Dr. Peterson’s.
I was the on-call plastic surgery resident one night when a 42-year-old man - let’s call him Dave - was brought into the hospital at 3 a.m. He had fallen off a roof while intoxicated. Dave broke several bones in his face and shattered his lower leg.
I stumbled out of bed and met Dr. Peterson in the ER, where we spent the next three hours assessing Dave’s injuries and repairing his lacerations. Five days later Dr. Peterson and I performed an eight-hour operation, reconstructing his broken facial bones and performing a muscle transfer to help heal his fractured legs. For the next two months, we visited Dave in the hospital each and every day, changing his bandages and making sure he healed properly.
Not once did Dave thank Dr. Peterson for his care.
Instead, Dave took more than $3,000 from him.
Quite possibly no other occupation in the country receives such attention regarding the income its members receive. And that’s not a new trend - more than 70% of respondents of a survey published in the 1985 American Journal of Public Health believed doctors were overpaid.
The Medscape survey found the average physician compensation now ranges from a high of $315,000 for orthopedic surgeons to a low of $156,000 for pediatricians. Sounds pretty good right?
Consider that physicians must complete at least four years of college, four years of medical school, and between three to eight years of residency training prior to becoming a real, practicing doctor. Many physicians don’t start earning “doctor-level” salaries until they are well into their 30s.
A 2009 survey by U.S. News found the typical medical student graduated with $141,132 in debt. The graduates of some schools averaged more than $200,000 in loans.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average computer and information system manager earns $125,660 per year. The average lawyer makes $130,490 per year. Orthodontists take home $204,670. The New York Times recently reported the average base pay for managing directors at Morgan Stanley is $400,000. At Goldman Sachs, it’s $600,000. The average salary of an NFL player is $1.9 million. NBA players average $5.15 million per year.
Just for putting a ball in a hoop.
When you consider these numbers, the thought of pediatricians making $156,000 a year doesn’t seem unreasonable. They often see 50 patients per day, answer our calls at all hours, and keep our kids healthy.
What about critical care physicians? They average $240,000 a year, but are responsible for keeping the sickest of us alive. One-quarter of critical care physicians spend more than 65 hours per week with their patients, not including time doing paperwork.
Unlike most other professions, there is a ceiling to what most doctors can earn. Physician compensation is tightly controlled by the government and insurance companies. Medicine is also the only profession where its members are required to sometimes work for free.
No return on investment
Which brings us back to Dave.
Three months later, I accompanied Dr. Peterson in his clinic to see Dave for a follow-up appointment. Dr. Peterson seemed a bit distracted. At the end of the visit I found out why.
“I’m glad you’re doing so well, Dave,” said Dr. Peterson.
“Yeah, I’m really happy with how things have turned out,” he replied.
“So Dave, this is a little awkward for me, but I need to ask you something. Two weeks ago your insurance company sent you a check for $3,200 to forward to me for all my surgical and office fees.”
“Well, um,” Dr. Peterson stuttered. “We never received it from you.”
“No, you didn’t. I cashed it and spent it.”
“Dave, why would you do that?”
“I figured you’re a rich doctor. I need the money more than you.”
What do you think? Are doctors being underpaid? Tell us in the comments below.
From around the web
About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. | <urn:uuid:a50c5344-6b78-44ae-8307-b4a8bca7d007> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/01/seriously-doctors-say-theyre-underpaid/comment-page-9/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97027 | 1,126 | 1.554688 | 2 |
SANFORD, Florida – George Zimmerman, the man accused of killing unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin, turned himself in at a Florida jail Wednesdy night. Hours before, Zimmerman, who told prosecutors he shot Martin in self defense on Feb. 26, was charged with second degree murder.
From Huffington Post:
The murder charge indicates prosecutors plan to prove Zimmerman shot Martin with malice, though without premeditation. A manslaughter charge would have required prosecutors to prove only that Zimmerman acted unlawfully and with criminal negligence in shooting the teen.
“The difference between murder and manslaughter is your mental state,” said Mark Geragos, a Los Angeles defense attorney, who is not connected to the case. “To elevate it to murder, you have to have the element of malice.”
In Florida, a grand jury must be convened before issuing first-degree murder charges. On Monday, Corey announced that she would not convene a grand jury, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, in the Martin case.
Zimmerman’s first court appearance is expected Thursday where he will plead not guilty, it has been reported. Zimmerman was in hiding for weeks before turning himself in. The lack of an arrest had led to widespread protests and debate over race and a Florida law that gives people wide leeway to use deadly force without having to retreat in the face of danger.
Zimmerman, 28, was questioned by the police the night of the shooting but was released shortly afterwards. Police investigating the case thought there was not enough evidence ‘ to refute his claims of self-defense.’
- Huffington Post and Agencies | <urn:uuid:df60da16-aec2-48e1-ae50-f19fb14a0344> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://4unews.com/world/americas/george-zimmerman-trayvon-martin-murder-charge-jail/40355/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975631 | 333 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Food & Beverages Industry
Food and Drink companies are heavily driven by customer service. The industry is highly competitive. Companies make, serve, move and sell food and drink to all people in the areas of line : at work, at home, in cafes and restaurants, on the move or even at school. With over 3.5 million employed in this sector it shows the wide variety of work available in this sector meaning there will be a job to satisfy all. | <urn:uuid:05fdbb43-cb7e-4859-a90d-3a5ba9bf9825> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.industryspotlight.org.uk/food-beverage/index.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969228 | 93 | 1.648438 | 2 |
In his book Our Sussex Parish, Thomas Geering has a story entitled “The Old Druggist: Her Shop And Her Lodger”. In the story he describes Mrs Gearing (who was the druggist) and Captain Barclay (who was the lodger).
I had never heard of Captain Barclay before, but I have since discovered (through the story and online research) that he was a celebrated pedestrian, who carried out various walking feats, mostly it seems for money, such as walking a 1000 miles in a 1000 hours for a wager of 1000 guineas.
Of course the real interest for me is whether Mrs Gearing the druggist, is my 6x great-grandmother. My gut instinct is that she is, but there is just not enough evidence yet for me to be 100% certain.
My own research has taken my GEERING ancestors back to Hailsham, Sussex. My 4x great-grandfather Richard GEERING was born in Hailsham in 1805 and appears to be the son of James and Ann GEERING. This is really as far back as I can confidently go so far.
I haven’t found a marriage for James and Ann, but it looks like James was the son of Richard and Mary GEERING, baptised in Hailsham on the 26th December 1776. Richard GEERING and Mary JARVIS were married in Hailsham on the 29th August 1776.
The 1841 census shows a household in Hailsham, which appears to relate to my ancestors, but the relationship is a bit confusing, because they are not included in the 1841 census. The first person in the household is Ann GEERING (aged 55), then we have John GEERING (aged 60) and Jane GEERING (aged 35).
Normally if John and Ann were married I would expect John to be listed first, so these are probably not husband and wife (maybe brother and sister). Both Ann and John GEERING have given their occupation as druggist.
John died before the 1851 census, but Ann and Jane are still living together in Hailsham. Ann (aged 67) is shown as unmarried, with the occupation of chemist and druggist. Jane (aged 53) has no occupation and her relationship to Ann is given as niece. My guess is that Jane was the daughter of James, and James was the brother of Ann.
Pigot’s Directory of Sussex for both 1832-4 and 1839 list a Mary GEERING as a “chymist and druggist” in Hailsham. This information may be out of date because I suspect that Mary actually died in 1825.
My hypothesis is that both Ann and James were the children of Richard and Mary GEERING, my 6x great-grandparents, and that the druggist business passed down from Richard and Mary, to just Mary, then to Ann and James, and then just Ann (probably assisted by Jane).
My problem is going to be finding the evidence to support this. The only child that I can find for Richard and Mary GEERING is James, no sign of Ann. I have found three children for James and Ann GEERING, but no sign of Jane.
As you will see in my next post, Thomas Geering’s story about the old druggist does provide a few clues which may fill in some details on the family. | <urn:uuid:7bc755d3-5192-4213-a620-6a36925c83c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wanderinggenealogist.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/is-the-old-druggist-my-6x-great-grandmother-part-1-what-i-know-about-the-old-druggist/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=193d2e3278 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985043 | 724 | 1.734375 | 2 |
This two-story simple Queen Anne house has a truncated hip roof with gabled dormers on all sides. The siding is large asbestos ceramic shingles except one north gable where original decorative square and hexagonal shingles still remain. A single arched window appears in each gable. Eaves have boxed soffits and frieze board underneath. Windows are double-hung, 1/1 in wood. A porch once wrapped around the front and north sides but has been closed in on the north side. The decking still shows through the outside siding. The porch has a bellcast mansard roof with large doric columns. Alterations include poured concrete steps and a metal handrail. The porch has a decorative banister and paneled column base. There is a shed roof addition on the back of the house. This building appears on the 1911, 1925 and 1950 Sanborn map. The 1900 map indicates a building on the property but it has a small square footprint and is located closer to the road than the building as it stands in subsequent maps.
Statement of Significance: This house was one of several owned by the Jagger family, and may have been the home of Ann and Benjamin Jagger toward the end of his life. Benjamin Jagger was born in Yorkshire, England in 1822 and came to the United States in 1848. He arrived in Beavercreek, Oregon in 1872 and moved to Oregon City in 1885. The Jaggers sold this house to the Latourettes, a prominent local family in 1907. The continued to own the property through the 1940s. | <urn:uuid:0bf72eff-a7d6-4f7e-a4e5-5db0998fc121> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.orcity.org/planning/409-john-adams-street-ann-benjamin-jagger-house | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972645 | 331 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Unified Arab Front Calls for More US Pressure on Israel
Arab states are putting up a unified front in pushing for continued U.S. pressure on Israel. In meetings with Kuwaiti, Jordanian and Saudi officials this week, American leaders were given the same message in different forms.
In a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on Monday, Kuwaiti Emir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah said that Israel must concede to Arab demands, as laid out in a 2002 Saudi diplomatic initiative for establishing relations between Israel and Arab states.
"We will implement this peace initiative when Israel implements and fulfills its obligations," al-Sabah said, referring to the Saudi proposal. He added that it is in Kuwait's interest that peace reign in the region.
Kuwaiti Emir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah said that Israel must concede to Arab demands.
The Saudi Initiative, as it is known, calls for a full Israeli withdrawal from all lands under Jewish sovereignty since 1967, including Jerusalem, the creation of a new Arab sovereignty in those lands, and Israeli shouldering of the responsibility for settling all Arabs who fled the 1948 Israeli War of Independence and their descendants. This is termed a "just solution" in the text of the initiative and is understood to refer to Israel absorbing several million more Arab citizens. In exchange, after Israel fulfills these terms, Arab states ratifying the deal would offer a full normalization of relations with the Jewish State.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan took a similar view Monday during meetings between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.
At a joint press conference at the State Department, Clinton said she "expressed our deep appreciation for Jordan's leadership in working with other Arab states to support peace with deeds, as well as words." However, the Jordanian official rejected an American request for the kingdom's adoption of measures that would increase normal relations with Israel.
"In the Middle East, there has been in the past an over-investment, perhaps, by the parties in pursuing confidence-building measures, conflict-management techniques, including transitional arrangements," Judeh said, "and an overemphasis on gestures, perhaps at the expense of reaching the actual end game."
The "end game", in the Jordanian view, required Israel to agree to the terms of the Saudi Initiative. The ongoing process of slow, incremental negotiations has failed, Judeh said, and has "proven repeatedly to be confidence-eroding, rather than confidence-building."
Apparently reading from a nearly identical script, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal also demanded that Israel immediately accept the terms of the 2002 proposal and rejected American efforts at building bridges with Israel before that happens.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday at the U.S. State Department, al-Faisal delcared, "Incrementalism and a step-by-step approach has not and, we believe, will not achieve peace. Temporary security, confidence-building measures will also not bring peace. What is required is a comprehensive approach that defines the final outcome at the outset and launches into negotiations over final-status issues: borders, Jerusalem, water, refugees and security."
Saudi Arabia rejected U.S. calls to take any steps towards normalization or recognition of Israel until the Israelis capitulate. However, he said, the Saudi Initiative offers Israel "an end to their conflict, recognition and full normal relations as exist between countries at peace." He added that the Obama Administration has stated, in agreement with the Arab position, that the presence of Jewish-owned homes in post-1967 Israeli territories is "illegitimate".
Despite the Saudi position, as echoed by Jordan and Kuwait, Clinton said, "Saudi Arabia's continued leadership is absolutely vital to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace." In response to a journalist's question, Clinton added, "We also know that there are a series of issues that have to be resolved. As His Royal Highness said, and as I have just repeated, you have to take those issues issue by issue, but within the negotiations of the comprehensive peace agreement." That agreement, she said, is the ultimate American objective. | <urn:uuid:61e4da94-a24c-4414-8c63-1be802c4c29f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/132716 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960061 | 864 | 1.8125 | 2 |
The portraits were split into a left and a right section, then one side was horizontally flipped to create two symmetrical identities of the subject.
If you have a webcam or an iPhone, visit echoism.org to do this experiment with your face. Now that your face was made symmetrical, do you consider yourself “more” or “less” beautiful? Do you have a best side? Do you even recognize yourself? What is to be said of left and right brain dominance? | <urn:uuid:015f2bce-1e19-41cc-9224-ec6d963c62ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2011/03/20/symmetrical-faces/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968666 | 102 | 1.5 | 2 |
Cpl. Colton Duran hugs his wife Cathia during a return ceremony at the squadron’s hangar aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Stephen T. Stewart / U.S. Marine Corps)
For the first time in history retail sales on Black Friday topped $1 billion as millions of Americans began their holiday gift shopping early — and in earnest. But the momentum didn't stop there as Cyber Monday saw a 30 percent increase in sales over last year.
At first blush this looks like pretty good news. If nothing else it would seem to indicate that consumer confidence is growing, even though by most accounts a broader economic turnaround is still a distant dream. On the other hand, such increased spending — as well-intentioned as it may be — could simply be an indication of an on-going and potentially unhealthy consumerism that is forever seeking solace in the latest, greatest gadget.
I say "unhealthy" not because gift-giving itself is bad but because the media-driven desire to buy this or that can cause considerable stress, particularly if the cost is beyond our present means or the desire is left unsatisfied.
While most of us consider stress no less a part of the holidays than Santa Claus and mistletoe — unavoidable but essentially harmless — medical research paints quite a different picture. In fact, some studies indicate that stress accounts for between 60 and 90 percent of all visits to the doctor and acts as the precursor to a variety of more serious health issues.
The underlying problem, of course, is not one of material lack. If it were, we'd see doctors prescribing fewer drugs and more widescreen TVs. It is, instead, a kind of spiritual void that would have us believe that happiness is to be found in things, that our worth is measured in terms of material possessions, and that this void can only be filled with more spending.
This is not to say that buying fewer Gameboys and Furbys will make us happier and healthier. (I mention this in case anyone reading this column has already bought me a Furby for Christmas). Over the years, however, I've found that it's the simpler gifts that are the most meaningful.
I remember a time during my first trip to Nepal over a decade ago when my hosts greeted me with a garland of marigold flowers. To this day I keep it inside a small earthenware pot as a reminder of what it means to give what you have to another, no matter how simple or insignificant it may seem.
This offering was accompanied by my host saying, "Namaste," along with a slight bow of the head and hands pressed together in front of the heart — an outward expression of the belief that there is a divine spark residing in each one of us. Although I'm not accustomed to greeting people this way, I do make it a habit of seeing the God-given good in others, even if I don't share this sentiment as often or as visibly as I might like.
Whether or not this sort of thing will have any impact on the national economy remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that these gifts from the heart are by far the most readily available, the most lasting — the least expensive — and the most enriching.
Eric Nelson is the media and legislative spokesperson for Christian Science in Northern California. His articles on the link between consciousness and health appear regularly in a number of local, regional, and national online publications.
We welcome your reflections, essays, videos, or news items for possible publication on the On Being blog. Submit your entry through our First Person Outreach page. | <urn:uuid:fd9f4231-6020-4e1a-a7bd-80c9acaa2206> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onbeing.org/comment/604623 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958287 | 749 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Israel must not ignore the Arab Spring
This ship of fools continues to sail as if it can remain entirely untouched by the earthquakes and shock waves in the Arab world.
Three civil wars are going on in the Middle East - in Libya, Syria and Yemen. The Iraqi government is on the brink of dissolution, while Egypt is wavering between a military and a civilian regime and has no idea what sort of regime the popular uprising will create. Lebanon has no government, the Iranian regime is leading an unusual political struggle, and Turkey is electing a new parliament today, one that could generate a constitutional revolution.
And in Israel - nothing. A few dozen protesters trying to cross the border with Syria are "the existential threat." What happens in September, not what has happened in the Middle East since January, is being described as a "tsunami." The ship of fools continues to sail as if it were a floating island for which an Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system is sufficient, something that can remain entirely untouched by the earthquakes and shock waves in the region.
But the possible scenarios are worrisome. In Egypt, for example, the realistic concern is not necessarily that the Muslim Brotherhood will take control of the government, or that a new war will break out on our southern front. Rather, it's over the Egyptian government's policies after the elections there in September. The opening of the Rafah crossing, the unofficial negotiations with Iran over renewing diplomatic relations, protests in front of the Israeli Embassy in Cairo, the Egyptian journalist injured in Tahrir Square after she was suspected of being an "Israeli of German extraction," the demand to revisit the Camp David Accords, at least its economic clauses - all these are signs of the new challenges Egypt is presenting to Israel.
In Syria there are two possible scenarios. If President Bashar Assad survives the wave of armed protests, this will come in exchange for deep political reforms that will uproot his absolute control over the country, or after a bloodbath that will rock Syria and remove its regional influence, at least for the near future. If Assad's regime falls, Syria might find itself mired in a long period of political instability and a violent battle of ethnic cleansing against the Alawite minority. Vying for influence in Syria will be Iran, Turkey, the United States, Russia and the European Union.
Without the "Assad effect," which has for years stopped outbreaks of violence, Lebanon could also descend into turmoil. Hezbollah, having lost its logistic and political crutch, could try by force of arms to build Lebanon to its own liking.
Even far-off Yemen is a cause for concern, particularly because of its location on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which maritime traffic reaches the ports of Saudi Arabia, Eilat and Aqaba. Al-Qaida has a relatively large base in southern Yemen, and Iran has already reported that its submarines have been to the Red Sea to gather military intelligence.
So far, Jordan has escaped the fate of Yemen and Syria, but the dissatisfaction index with the regime is skyrocketing. Jordan is a country without an insurance policy in case of a tsunami, and the implications vis-a-vis Israel need no explanation.
Still not impressed? The next question, therefore, is what U.S. policy will be. The United States, it may be assumed, will make every effort to strengthen its hold on the region following the regime changes. It has already pledged to give $2 billion to Egypt, and it won't refuse aid to Yemen's new government when it arises. The same will be true for the Libyan rebels after their victory. As for Syria, the United States will aspire, along with the European Union, to win the contest against Iran and Russia, and post-Assad Syria will enjoy a warm American shoulder.
But it's not just a question of economic aid. The next move could be an Arab alliance among the new regimes. It will not be a new Arab League, but an arena of coinciding interests in which "old" regimes like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait will interact with the new regimes. It will therefore be an alliance in which the United States aspires to be a dominant partner, and it has a good chance of being accepted as such.
And what of the Israeli "floating island"? About a year ago, U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, who was then commander of the forces in Afghanistan and now heads the CIA, warned that Israeli policy in the occupied territories was harming U.S. interests in the region. If Israel does not change its policy after the dust settles in the region and does not help the United States be the power in the region, it will be categorized as suspicious, if not an outright enemy. And what will Israel then sell to the Middle East and the United States? | <urn:uuid:29816011-b300-4a83-81bd-4319c0474458> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-must-not-ignore-the-arab-spring-1.367176 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959979 | 980 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Welcome to the zombie Oyster’s Garter, resurrected from the blogular grave to eat your braaains. Or at least to pick your brains (which in the context of zombies sounds most distressing.). At the upcoming Science Online conference, I will be co-moderating a panel called “Talking Trash: Online Outreach from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” The other panelists are freelance journalist Lindsey Hoshaw, who made news this summer by crowdsourcing her trip to the North Pacific and writing about it in the New York Times, and photographer/videographer/ocean advocate Annie Crawley, who was with me on the R/V New Horizon as a documentarian for Project Kaisei. (Bonnie Monteleone was originally going to be on the panel but unfortunately had a scheduling conflict.)
We are planning on letting our panel be largely audience-driven, but we would like to get a feel for what you are interested in. (If you are not attending Science Online, fret not – our session will be either livestreamed or recorded or both – if livestreamed you can ask questions on the web.) I can’t speak for my co-moderators, but I don’t want this session to get too hung up on specific marine debris issues – I think it would be much more interesting to talk about our experience trying to meld real-time science, nonprofit advocacy, outreach, and journalism.
Here are some preliminary questions. Please comment and tell us what you think. This is also posted at the Science Online wiki, and you are invited to comment there as well.
- Why is the media & the public so interested in trash in the ocean? Can this interest be leveraged/created for other issues?
- We are three people with different perspectives on what is important in communication: a scientist, a journalist, and a journalist-artist-filmmaker-documentarian.
- What were our disagreements? Here’s a few examples off the top of my head: I did not agree with much of Lindsey’s NYT article; Annie had a tough time getting stressed-out scientists (me included!) to work with her while at sea, SIO is an academic institution while Project Kaisei and AMRF are nonprofit advocacy groups.
- Do we as scientists/journalist/artists have a common goal? Beyond Littering Is Bad? Is loving the ocean enough?
- If we do have a common goal, what are lessons learned from this summer? What would we do differently next time?
- Can we offer advice to other scientists/journalists/artists trying to work together?
- How can scientists, journalists, and educators balance “exciting findings live from the field!” with “highly preliminary unpublished non-peer-reviewed data that our labwork might contradict”? For example, one thing that is tough with advocacy and education is the scientific emphasis on peer-reviewed publication – the timescale is waaaay too slow for good real-time communication. How can we be accurate, entertaining, and educational?
Here’s some background on our experiences in the Gyre:
- SEAPLEX outreach website
- SEAPLEX blog
- SEAPLEX Twitter
- Response to Lindsey’s NYT article
- Video of me explaining SEAPLEX, from before we went to sea
- Blog from SEAPLEX
- Videos from SEAPLEX (not all in playlist are Annie’s – look for Dive Imagination at the beginning)
- Photos from SEAPLEX
- Google map with more videos
- Dive Into Your Imagination main site | <urn:uuid:063bd172-cfcd-4097-9717-6bae818c78e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theoystersgarter.com/2010/01/03/thoughts-on-the-talking-trash-section-at-science-online/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=ca22629ab2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947867 | 769 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Good Morning! This day in Disney history, April 23rd 1957. The Midget Autopia opens in Disneyland. It was the third & smallest Autopia track, following the Tomorrowland Autopia (1955) & the Junior Autopia in Fantasyland (1956).
The Midget Autopia, Was located right next to the Storybook Land Canal Boats, & was for very young guests who were too small to ride the other Autopia attractions. As me More...
I don't remember this at all.. This was before my time. But I can imagine how fun it would be as a kid to drive your own car! I remember being frustrated with Autopia as a kid because I was too small to push the gas pedal and see the road at the same time. My dad had to help me. I would loved to drive smaller cars. Thank you SMK!! This is a great part of Tomorrowland history! Great Disney history post as always!!! - MyPark
946.4 #94 10:19AM
Good morning. I do remember my younger brother going on it. You found a great picture - Tealtownfan
701.8 #145 11:17AM
Thanks for this history! And what a fun photo of Fantasyland, really enjoyed. 😊 - MinnieMousewife
636.1 #174 8:13PM
As always, great post!!! I remember the boats but not the mini Autopia! - Boundin
428.1 #299 8:44PM
I remember the boats too! I wish Disney would do something with that area.. - BombFrog-formerCM 52.3 #3758 11:34PM | <urn:uuid:8c7ee29f-654e-4eda-b76b-6f48898c6940> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mousewait.com/disneyland/user/103902/my-favorites | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956279 | 345 | 1.570313 | 2 |
(CNN) -- If you're like most people, me included, you may have trouble running an Olympics hurdle race without pulling a muscle.
Google is here to help.
The Internet giant on Tuesday embellished its search page with an animated, interactive doodle that lets users run the hurdles by tapping on their keyboards. Tapping the arrow keys makes the hurdler run, while hitting the space bar helps him leap over the 10 hurdles in his path.
Each effort is timed, and runners can earn up to three virtual stars -- think of them as gold, silver or bronze medals. (Note from, ahem, personal experience: If you fail to clear a single hurdle, you win nothing and your runner hangs his head dejectedly at the finish line.)
Bored office drones, say goodbye to your workplace productivity.
Google's online hurdle race coincides, of course, with track and field events this week at the London Olympics.
The brief animation is the latest in an occasional series of interactive Google doodles commemorating special events. Past doodles have let users observe a lunar eclipse, play notes on a virtual synthesizer to observe the 78th birthday of Robert Moog and elude ghosts in a playable online version of Pac-Man, the classic arcade game.
Google users were posting their best hurdle times on Twitter and elsewhere Tuesday and challenging others to beat them. Anything under 15 seconds is pretty speedy.
No word on whether U.S. Olympians Dawn Harper or Lolo Jones had given it a try. | <urn:uuid:cd5a87ec-5ecb-45ba-8ee0-1edaa362b517> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/07/tech/web/google-doodle-hurdles/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947133 | 314 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Open Source Software Is Now a Norm in Businesses
We've already seen mounting evidence that the numerous benefits of open source software are making a big impression on businesses far and wide, and this week saw the release of yet more data corroborating that fact.
Currently in its fifth year, the study's results for 2011 suggest that open source is now fully embraced by organizations in both the public and private sectors, and that user confidence in such open technologies is growing "dramatically," North Bridge said.
'Open Source Has Gone Mainstream'
"When we started this survey five years ago, open source was still a movement that was in its nascent stages and its future was promising but still unknown," said Michael Skok, a general partner with North Bridge. "Since then, the survey has documented the steady rise of open source.
"The results of this year's survey clearly demonstrate that open source has gone mainstream, not just within the vendor community, but within customer organizations of all types and sizes," Skok added.
"Based on what we are seeing from our investments, it's exciting to see new growth driven by the inherent benefits of open source like community-driven innovation and from fast growing markets such as cloud and mobile computing," he said.
Conducted in partnership with The 451 Group, North Bridge's 2011 survey involved more than 20 industry collaborators--including Red Hat, Cloudera, Acquia and JPMorgan Chase--and polled a wide variety of members of the open source community on the key issues, opportunities and expectations for the industry for 2011 and beyond.
More than 450 respondents took part, including representatives from both the vendor and non-vendor communities.
The survey asked respondents about a wide range of issues affecting the open source software (OSS) landscape, including the economic impact on OSS, key drivers and barricades for OSS adoption, and suggestions for building and maintaining a profitable OSS business model.
A Majority Within 5 Years
With greater end-user participation than ever before, the survey's findings suggest that open source software is well on its way to becoming an enterprise majority. In fact, not only did participation span all levels of IT management, from developers to C-level executives, North Bridge says, but--for the first time in the survey's history--end users accounted for a full 60 percent of respondents.
Perhaps most notable among the study's results was the fact that a full 56 percent of respondents believe that more than half of software purchases made in the next five years will be open source.
Existing enterprise users of open source software, meanwhile, are now more focused on mainstream technology issues such as improved operational excellence around areas including support, product management, feature functionality and return on investment. In previous years, by contrast, the legal implications of licensing and conformance with internal policies were bigger concerns.
Price Is Not Paramount
The turbulent economy continues to be good for open source software, a full 95 percent of respondents agreed, though once again--much as in the Linux Foundation's results a while back--free costs were not the top feature of open source software, they said.
Rather, for the first year ever, freedom from vendor lock-in was cited as the feature that makes such software more attractive, respondents said.
SaaS, cloud and mobile were named as the main areas that are driving open source growth, North Bridge reported. In 2010 there were 3,800 new open source based projects in mobile, for example--more than double the number in 2009. Meanwhile, there are now more than 470 open source projects targeting cloud computing.
'The Benefits Are Many and Varied'
"The 451 Group's research has previously shown that the benefits of open source software are many and varied, and The Future of Open Source Survey highlights the fact that multiple factors are driving the increased adoption of open source software, including freedom from vendor lock-in, greater flexibility and lower cost," said Matt Aslett, a senior analyst with The 451 Group.
Indeed, just as governments and organizations around the globe are becoming more transparent, accountable and inclusive, it seems increasingly clear that open source software is becoming the new standard for businesses.
Has your business adopted any open source software yet? Tell us about it in the comments. | <urn:uuid:e1f6611c-8034-4169-ae9d-15d75951d645> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcworld.com/article/228136/open_source_software_now_a_norm_in_businesses.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961157 | 870 | 1.679688 | 2 |
If I did not have time to get to it then it obviously wasn't that important.
Is procrastination "guilt" what arises when we are letting other down. perceived or otherwise, then?
Because if it matterd to us, we would do it?
In other words, we are who we want to be, but pretend to wish we were better so others won't think we are satisfied with our mediocracy?
(my 7th grade teacher stuck me with these thoughts and have always wondered what others believe)
Geez Oscar, you're all over the place here. But I'm going to assume you're serious.
About 8 years ago I got really sick and was hospitalized. In this day and age I was in no danger, they gave me painkillers and an IV and my body fought it off, though by the time I got to the hospital I think they said later my kidneys were shutting down. But weird thing, if it had been 100 years ago they would have gathered around the bed and prayed and we would have found out if I could fight off an attack on my liver. Afterwards I pondered that old thought, if I die tomorrow, or 5 minutes from now, is what I'm doing right now the best thing I could do? I found this thought ultimately to be distracting and paralyzing, because there is always something more "worthy" of being done than what I'm doing now. I replaced the question with one that rang more true with me: is what I'm doing right now:
1) Good for somebody else?
2) Good for me? (put your own mask on before that of a child)
I will still get pangs of guilt around something I know I should have done. Who doesn't? They go away after I do it.
I do believe that several of the world's major religions (not all, as some may think) began with a mystic attempting to liberate people from impossible obligations (eg, many family's impossible expectations of Christmas) that usually served a small elite very well but made their victims miserable. Then of course a religion grows up after the mystic is gone that makes new impossible obligations, but that's another story. Buddha called it "the veil of illusion" that keeps you imprisoned, Jesus said "my burden is light" and other stuff. Reading the best sources we have on the mystics themselves I find very illuminating and liberating.
So, ask a weird question, get a weird answer! | <urn:uuid:487d92c8-ba5b-44e1-9156-dea9970b10dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=91407 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984544 | 508 | 1.679688 | 2 |
McCormick Foundation Gives $330,000 to Stony Brook University to Accelerate National Expansion of News Literacy Program
Stony Brook University School of Journalism has announced that the Robert R. McCormick Foundation is providing a $330,000 grant to the Center for News Literacy to fund the delivery of training and materials demanded by the rapid spread of News Literacy courses.
Some 21 colleges and universities across the country have adopted all or part of the Stony Brook Model, a course aimed at teaching students how best to find reliable information for their lives as citizens. During the same time period, more than 40 high schools have added the Stony Brook Model as a stand-alone course or significant unit within an existing course. This fall, Stony Brook’s Undergraduate Council approved a proposal to offer News Literacy as a for-college-credit “ACE” course. Northport and East Oyster Bay High School on Long Island launched those courses this week.
The Center for News Literacy was established in 2007 at Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism with the mission to educate current and future news consumers. The Center serves as a resource center for universities and high schools across the U.S. The Center also develops programs, designs conferences, seminars, lectures, and workshops that bring together journalists and academics to explore issues related to the reliability of news. With funding from the Ford, Knight, Atlantic and McCormick Foundations, the Center for News Literacy has built an undergraduate course that has been taught to students at Stony Brook and is now being taught at universities around the country.
Read more at:
The United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board announced that Andréa Nesteruk has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship for English Teaching in Italy. She is one of approximately 1,600 U.S. citizens, and the only one from Stony Brook University, who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program during the 2011-2012 academic year.
Dr. Lilianne Mujica-Parodi, an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Stony Brook University School of Medicine and the Director of the Laboratory for the Study of Emotion and Cognition (LSEC), has been named by President Barack Obama as a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their research careers. She is one of 94 researchers in the nation to receive the award this year, and the third from Stony Brook University in the past three years. | <urn:uuid:834249d9-2719-4e2c-adcf-1e9ebdfdca6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eweb.research.sunysb.edu/researchnews/2011/09/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95386 | 551 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2012 Passes House
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the House of Representatives affirmed its ongoing commitment to America’s veterans by overwhelmingly passing the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2012 (H.R. 4114).
“Congress knows that veterans are dependent upon us acting in a timely manner with regards to their needs,” stated Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Chairman Jon Runyan. “By acting on the yearly COLA this summer instead of waiting until the last minute, we tell America’s veterans that we remain dedicated to ensuring that they are given the benefits they were promised when they signed up to serve.”
“Veterans have enough to worry about without the added stress of not knowing if their cost-of-living adjustments will be held up in a political tug-of-war,” said Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “We have an obligation to the men and women who served this nation to make sure we are doing everything we can to keep the promise made to them. Today we upheld that promise.”
If signed into law, H.R. 4114 would increase the annual cost-of-living rate for veterans, which goes into effect on December 1, 2012. It is estimated that this year’s COLA will be approximately 1.9 percent.
The legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration. | <urn:uuid:b591d3e6-df1d-495a-9086-76082d9c6eed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://veterans.house.gov/press-release/cost-of-living-adjustment-act-of-2012-passes-house | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967886 | 311 | 1.65625 | 2 |
FRANKFORT, Ky. (3/16/13) – U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, (KY-01), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power, recently joined with leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to request that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provide further information regarding the President’s climate change agenda for his second term.
Whitfield is particularly concerned with how an aggressive climate change agenda by the President would adversely affect Kentucky’s coal industry.
“Coal is one of America’s most abundant and important domestic energy resources,” stated Whitfield. “I will continue to work to protect our coal miners and protect coal as an essential energy resource. Without coal, consumers will face increased energy costs, making America less competitive in the global marketplace. Roughly 40 percent of our electricity is supplied by coal, and attacking coal as some in Washington tend to do and making it harder for coal-fired power plants to operate will not only hurt our consumers, but will also negatively impact jobs.”
In their letter to EPA Acting Administrator Robert Perciasepe, Whitfield and Committee leaders expressed concern over the impacts of EPA’s recently issued greenhouse gas regulations and the agency’s plans for additional rules that will raise energy prices and impede job creation and economic growth. They also questioned the President’s priorities as the nation confronts a stalled economy and continues struggling to recover from the Great Recession.
They wrote, “As you are aware, unprecedented economic challenges threaten current and future generations of Americans. Our nation faces prolonged high unemployment, anemic economic growth, and a national debt rapidly approaching $17 trillion. The U.S. Senate has not passed a budget in four years, and the President has not yet submitted a fiscal year 2014 budget proposal to Congress. As these pressing fiscal, economic, and employment risks confront American families and businesses, the President announced in his Inaugural and the State of the Union speeches that climate change is one of his top priorities and that he intends to take action in his second term.”
Whitfield and the Committee have a long history of reviewing climate change policies. The letter continues, “Over the past three Congresses, our Committee developed a sizable Congressional record regarding climate change, including dozens of hearings and testimony from hundreds of witnesses. Our consideration of the impacts of climate policies has informed our view that raising the price of energy would hurt households and businesses with no perceptible impacts on global greenhouse gas emissions, weather or climate conditions.
“Notwithstanding the importance of encouraging economic recovery and job growth, EPA has during the President’s first term issued thousands of pages of greenhouse gas regulations that impose additional costs on all sectors of the economy. We are concerned about the impacts of these regulations and also of new additional regulations that EPA intends to issue that will drive up energy prices for Americans, further discouraging economic growth and job creation.”
Whitfield and Committee members have previously written to EPA to seek information relating to the agency’s greenhouse gas regulations.
Information provided by Chris Pack
Photo provided by SurfKY Graphics
Copyright © 2012 SurfKY News Group, Inc. all rights reserved. SurfKY.com is an eNewspaper providing local news FREE to Kentucky 24/7. Read Statewide Kentucky News, Sports, Obituaries and more from the following Kentucky Counties: Calloway, Christian, Daviess, Fayette (Lexington), Henderson, Hopkins, Logan, McCracken, Muhlenberg, Warren, and Webster Counties as well as the Kentucky Lakes Area.
|< Prev||Next >| | <urn:uuid:b511ea12-7d8f-4c42-92fa-eb682ca00ea6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://surfky.com/index.php/news/local/calloway/51-top-news-for-all-sites/28255-whitfield-presses-epa-for-answers-on-climate-change-agenda-for-obamas-term | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944126 | 750 | 1.710938 | 2 |
10 and Under Tennis Inspires Senior Player
At the cusp of 90 years old, Henry Tiberio is still looking to bring a national championship back to New England.
Tiberio has accumulated 21 New England number one rankings in singles, ten New England number one rankings in doubles and five national top ten singles rankings in his age group. He has been ranked as high as number seventh in the world in his age division yet he’s still looking for another win on the tennis court.
“Tennis is a sport you can play your entire life,” said Tiberio. “I get a laugh out of my doctors. Most 90-year-olds they see come in with lots of problems. I’m almost 90 and I still have tennis goals I want to accomplish.”
In 2007, Tiberio competed in the National 85 singles Clay Court Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The 32-draw tournament had him meeting the number one ranked player, Marvin Henderson of Texas, early in the competition. With determination, skill and support, Tiberio surprised Henderson by winning his first two sets and went on to take the tournament title.
And, he hasn’t slowed down one bit since then.
As a self proclaimed 2.0, he still plays regularly on the North Shore of Massachusetts and plans on competing in another national championship in the fall. He has been a USTA New England volunteer since 1956 and USPTA certified since 1974.
He believes the biggest tennis accomplishment that has happened since he began playing, is the development of 10 and Under Tennis.
“It’s so marvelous to see these six, eight, ten year olds hitting with topspin,” Tiberio explained. “These kids have no worries at all. They don’t worry about getting the ball over the net. They simply focus on their technique and they end up hitting these beautiful, deep, high shots.”
Tiberio is especially impressed with the way kids ten and under are learning to serve and their high level of physical fitness.
He says he has seen some children under ten serve like other 14 and 16 year olds. “I see them put all their energy into hitting the ball. If some of these kids continue practicing, they’ll develop a serve that will be impossible to return.”
Tiberio continued, “You have to be in great shape to compete in tennis. Hitting back and forth really challenges your cardiovascular system. These young kids are playing long points and having fun while doing it.” | <urn:uuid:ec4c7d2f-3daa-48e3-8001-1554044f53df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newengland.usta.com/news/10_and_under_tennis_inspires_senior_player/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968937 | 537 | 1.507813 | 2 |
You will be found disabled by Social Security if your medical condition gives rise to symptoms that prevent you from reliably performing a job. IC claimants usually experience symptoms including:
- painful urination
- frequent need to urinate
- abdominal pain associated with physical activities
- poor sleep due to need to urinate at night
- poor concentration and cognitive decline associated with narcotic pain medications
Generally, there is no cure for IC and currently the only real treatment for this condition involves pain medications. If your medical record documents these and other symptoms at a level where your attendance and reliability at a job would be compromised, you are likely to be awarded benefits.
How do we Present a Winning Claim?
As discussed elsewhere on this web site, there are three arguments that a disability claimant can use to argue for a finding of disabled by a Social Security judge. There is no listing for interstitial cystitis, although we can argue that your condition equals other listing level pain conditions.
- Social Security ruling SSR-02-2p offers guidance to Social Security judges about how to analyze IC claims. Social Security rulings basically serve as official guidance to Social Security adjudicators and judges about how to analyze various issues that arise in disability claims. SSR-02-2p talks about findings that equal a listing. This means that a judge could rule, for example, that your level of pain is equal to that of a person with neuropathy, or severe burns or dermatitis who meets Listings 8.06 or 8.08.
The grid rules most likely will not apply because its impairments relate to pain as opposed to problems with the musculoskeletal system.
Usually the strongest argument we can present considers the numerous limitations on your capacity to work caused by your symptoms. In other words, we would argue that your functional capacity to work has been so reduced by your symptoms that you would not be a reliable employee even if asked to perform a simple, one or two step entry level job with a sit/stand option.
Presenting a Functional Capacity Argument in an interstitial cystitis case
A functional capacity argument is well suited to IC because the symptoms arising from this condition are very likely to impair reliability. For example, most IC patients need to use the restroom several times an hour and frequently experience urinary urgency, or the sensation that they need to urinate.
When these symptoms are considered in light of minimum work reliability standards, an IC patient would need multiple (2 to 4 per hour) unscheduled breaks of 5 to 7 minutes, every hour, and during the time that the patient is attempting to perform work duties, her attention and concentration would be limited by discomfort associated with feeling of urinary urgency.
Further, pain at a level which would interfere substantially with attention and concentration and with pace of work is likely to be present. If pain exists at a level 7 or 8 on a 10 point scale that is usually enough to preclude work functioning. Further, if pain and discomfort requires periods of lying down, that would interfere with work capacity as well.
- Social Security explains how judges should evaluate pain claims at Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations, at Section 404.1529 – you can review this section by clicking on the link.
What Evidence do you Need?
Ideally, your medical file should contain records of on-going visits with a urologist and/or pain management physician. Family doctor records are usually acceptable as well, assuming that the family doctor is actively treating the IC.
The most convincing medical records contain documentation that multiple pain medications and other therapies have been tried, and that they have provided minimal relief.
If your treating physician is willing to complete a functional capacity form detailing activity and reliability restrictions, your judge will usually give the conclusions set out in this form controlling weight.
Less Compelling Evidence
Usually, when a judge evaluates an IC case, he will try to determine if your IC results in occasional, mild symptoms, or frequent, severe symptoms. This is why medical records covering several years is especially helpful. There should be no evidence of malingering or drug seeking behavior and you should be compliant with your doctor’s recommendations.
Interstitial cystitis claims are usually given favorable consideration by Social Security judges. There is no cure for this condition and the only treatment usually offered involves strong pain medications. Most IC patients experience significant symptoms that cause reliability problems and if you have support from a treating physician – especially your urologist, you have a strong chance at winning a favorable decision.
Interstitial cystitis case study #1 - 44 year old female with long standing, chronic and severe interstitial cystitis. Her symptoms include severe pain, the need to urinate as many as 3 to 4 times per hour, fatigue and depression. | <urn:uuid:e97f1526-ca13-4570-a2d1-b3002d847743> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.georgiasocialsecuritydisabilityattorney.com/case-strategies-and-case-studies/interstitial-cystitis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947631 | 973 | 1.515625 | 2 |
It is not easy to become successful in today’s market. To reach the desired goal you need to have the potential and the desire to achieve the success. Many people have tried and is truing still today but due to lack of patience they failed in the middle of the way. The term seems to be easy and when you see in the movies you might feel you can achieve it in a short period of time but it is not so. Whatever you see in the pictures or read in the novels are just all created visions of the writer. Hard work and determination is required to achieve the success. Eduard Slinin is the owner and chairman of the corporate transportation group. This company is situated in the city of new work and is known as Ed Corporation. He is a very successful business. He started his business with manufacturing of one car and has become the owner of 1300 manufacturing cars. He has reached this position with his hard work and lots of focus. The company holds a good position in the market today.
Eduard Slinin passed through a tough period of time to become the president. He worked all day and night to build up his empire. His dedication and commitment gives the result today. He excelled in his works and gave outstanding performance. With time he brings lots of changes in the company and today it spread in more than 450 companies all around the globe. It was established in the year 1982 and d it runs from United States to Russia. His hard work and passion changed his destiny immensely. He achieved what he dreamt of.
Edward slinin was a man of great prudence. He achieves everything by his own. There was no one who helped him to take his decisions or choked out the right path for him. He was the backbone of his family. Today he is one of the most famous and richest people. To accomplish his goal he took certain important steps was is really very necessary.
Among that the first step was to use the recent technology which increase the profit and reduce the expenditure. His positive attitude results in the success of the company. Edward slinin understands the meaning of customer satisfaction and he adopts that policy to retain the consumers in his company. He played a safe game always but will full honestly. | <urn:uuid:40c77a2c-7345-4745-ae73-b353862ef39f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://yourgenealogysearch.com/edward-slinin-is-a-famous-person-in-usa.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991315 | 457 | 1.773438 | 2 |
age of three, Elisa Ludwig ’92 loved to sit and read.
“I love being in a world of different characters,” Ludwig
told GA sixth grade English students in Mrs. Kristen Donches’ and Mrs. Glenda
Daulerio’s classes on April 10.
Reading led to writing. A few years down the road, Ludwig
started The Elisa Bulletin, which
featured bands (mostly Duran Duran), movies and the latest trends. She sold it
for 10 cents, but gave a 5-cent discount to family members.
Years later, the Germantown Academy graduate is still in
love with reading, is still penning stories, and fortunately, turning a little
bit larger profit.
“Writing always made me happy,” said Ludwig, who recently released
her debut novel, “Pretty Crooked,” a fictional story about 15-year old Willa
Fox, a new student at Valley Prep, who, in Robin Hood style, steals from the
rich kids and gives to the poor ones after she is welcomed into the inner
circle of the “Glitterati.”
helped bring Ludwig’s book to life by acting in the trailer.
With her recent milestone reached, Ludwig used the
opportunity to talk to young GA authors about her journey to becoming a
professional writer, which coincided perfectly with the sixth grade’s Author
Study project, an ambitious research and writing assignment.
“The project provides students the opportunity to select,
from an extensive teacher-generated list, an author and novel of their choice,”
Mrs. Donches said. “The award-winning young adult novelists range from writers
who create realistic fiction to those whose focus on fantasy. Historical
fiction and science fiction writers are also included on the list.”
Ludwig, who loved young adult novels when she was in middle
school, told students that she was encouraged to return to her roots and write
for teenagers after she submitted a story to a publisher with a teenage
Soon the Vassar College graduate was voraciously researching
and developing a story, a story that after hours of writing, edits and some
fine-tuning, was released with rave reviews to the public in March 2012.
“Every writer has their own path to becoming a writer and to
being published,” said Ludwig, who used to be a staff writer for Philadelphia Weekly and has worked as a
freelance writer for a number of other companies over the years.
Ludwig said she was inspired to read and write by her
father, Dr. Stephen Ludwig, who wrote books and journals.
“I wanted to be like him,” she said. “I came from a creative
Her love of writing only grew when she came to GA in fourth
grade, where she remembered her time studying under Middle School English
Teacher/Assistant Head of Middle School Mrs. Maggie McVeigh 1760 and Mrs. Daulerio
Ludwig also added that she “had incredible English teachers”
in GA’s Upper School, specifically Peter Drewniany 1760 and the late Ralph
Allen, and that “GA definitely prepared me for [college].”
After her presentation, Ludwig fielded a number of questions
from her excited audience and read a snippet of her new book.
“Ms. Ludwig’s presentation was perfectly pitched to a sixth
grade audience,” Mrs. Donches said. “The kids were keenly interested in how her
own experiences at GA informed her choices in the fictional world of Valley
Prep. They asked lots of great questions, many of which will help them as they
begin drafting their own author papers.” | <urn:uuid:45368ff2-50d0-4f07-a818-600cfbb06f8e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.germantownacademy.net/alumni/alumni-spotlight/alumni-spotlight-elisa-ludwig-92/index.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971336 | 802 | 1.507813 | 2 |
ATLANTA-- The mass shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut has re-ignited the never-ending debate over gun control.
With two major colleges situated in the heart of Atlanta students increasingly find themselves sitting ducks when it comes to crime.
There have been a number of armed robberies and other violent crimes reported on and around the campuses of both Georgia Tech and Georgia State University.
The group Georgiacarry.org plans to lobby state legislators in this session to see that college students be given the right to carry guns on campus. Executive Director, Jerry Henry, said it is something other states are already doing including Connecticut.
"These college kids are easy targets. In a gun free zone they're totally helpless to protect themselves. They can't carry a weapon of any kind," said Henry.
Students we found on the Georgia Tech campus seem torn over the idea.
Shailee Thaker graduated just days ago and often made the walk to her off campus apartment.
"I don't think they should allow guns on campus because there's too much that could go wrong. Students could end up shooting their own fellow students possibly," said Thaker.
Alex Dowgwillow also attends the college and said as long as those carrying guns had training he thought it could help.
"I dont think it's going to increase violence at all. The robbers already have their weapons. If a student had a gun it would only be for safety," said Dowgwillow.
Ultimately, it will be up to legislators to back a bill then debate the merits of whether to arm college students but some are already weighing in.
State Senator Vincent Fort said the idea that more guns will make things better is a dangerous idea.
"I think there are things we can do to make locations safer, but this obsessive fixation on being able to bring guns everywhere and make them more available is the wrong way to go," said Fort. | <urn:uuid:1ac6dbd8-15e9-4cec-8b2d-a5cb6bc804cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.11alive.com/news/article/268436/166/GeorgiaCarryorg-pushes-for-guns-on-college-campuses | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981955 | 392 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Business Insider was quick enough to take a screenshot of an unfortunately photoshopped Michael Vick posted by ESPN to their piece “What if Michael Vick were white?” before it was inevitably removed.
The piece itself addresses the question asked how people would reactions to Vick’s career, particularly his dog-fighting arrest, would have been different if he were white. Ultimately the author — Touré — concludes that Vick’s identity and the circumstances of his life are so tied up with his race, it isn’t possible to hypothesize that he’d even be playing football as a white man.
The picture wonders a significantly more literal question, then answers it in the most tasteless way possible.
Interestingly, Touré seems to have had the biggest beef with the picture. From his twitter:
Here’s my ESPN mag essay about Michael Vick & race. http://es.pn/qRFBAH I asked them not to call it What If Vick Were White but they did.
I had no idea they’d put a pic of Vick in whiteface. Makes no sense w an essay saying it’s impossible to re-imagine him as white?
In the magazine world writers don’t title their stories & don’t have a voice in deciding the artwork that goes with their stories.
My essay on Vick is nowhere near as inflammatory as the pic of him in whiteface which contradicts me saying you can’t imagine him as white.
A newspaper can sympathize with ESPN that it’s not always easy to find good art to compliment a story. But, well, it’s not THAT hard either. | <urn:uuid:b827af51-5e5e-469f-a3b3-624a920fe107> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.beaumontenterprise.com/hottopics/2011/08/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98038 | 348 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Installation at the summer 95 sculpture exhibition at Läckö Castle, Sweden
The castle is a touristic place. At nice spots all around the castle Stein installed ten signs, which contained a camara icon and asked visitors to send a photo to
The signs resembled the kind of signs that usualy inform about dangers and prohibitions. They were designed to look official. The Fotos and letters that Stein received in the following months were never exhibited or published, nor did Stein reply to any of the visitors to Läckö Castle, who sent him fotos. Most of them were curious, asking for more information. Few seemed to associate the signs with the ongoing sculpture exhibition
With the installation Stein reversed the artistic process that connects spectator and artist in conventional artistic practice. The Work also experiments with installing meaning and/or imagination in the void. The spectators mind is utilized as a stage for a possible artwork rather than being allowed to consume presentational art in a traditional way. | <urn:uuid:40e020ad-9d35-475d-adf6-b3d0e62e53a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://joaoflux.net/take-a-photo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962134 | 196 | 1.59375 | 2 |
4.1. A range of initiatives to improve the quality of the balance of payments are either under way or planned. These improvements are generally targeted at areas that the analyses in this paper highlight as issues of accuracy or reliability.
4.2. As an illustration of the results already achieved for international services statistics, an article on Developments in Measuring Australia's International Trade in Services, published in International Trade in Services, Australia, 1992-93 (5354.0) describes the data sources currently used, changes made in the collection strategy, data quality initiatives being pursued and the future developments that are expected. The negative bias in initial estimates for services credits and debits, as revealed in the analyses in this paper, largely reflects the success which the improvements noted in that article have already had in producing better measures of international trade in services.
4.3. Another significant area for quality improvement identified in the analyses is in the measurement of reinvested earnings. The degree of estimation that is currently based on extrapolations of annual survey results contributes significantly to revisions to both the income credits and income debits series as well as to the associated capital account series. A quarterly survey methodology is currently being developed and it is expected that quarterly survey data will be incorporated into the accounts in the near future.
4.4. A range of other initiatives have been implemented to monitor quality and indicate areas for improvement in the current account. Work already undertaken in bilateral comparisons of data by region with our trading partners, both within the framework of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation initiative and more generally, has reaffirmed the quality of merchandise trade aggregates. Future work will broaden the country base for merchandise trade comparisons and extend it to cover services and investment data. A particular example of the last point will be the ABS participation, in 1997, in a global Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey being organised by the IMF. It is expected that results from partner countries will be available to check the quality of output from existing ABS collection methodologies. The partner information may also be substituted for data from existing ABS surveys where data collection by a partner country, with better access to counterparties than can be achieved in domestic collections, can better target the required information. In a similar fashion, partner country use of ABS data from that coordinated collection may highlight further quality issues to be addressed in the Australian data.
4.5. More generally, a number of other improvements have already been made, are underway or are planned for the quarterly ABS Survey of Foreign Investment. Improvements in capturing and valuing transactions by nonresidents in securities domiciled in Australia have been undertaken. However, further work is underway to collect a significantly increased range of data quarterly to avoid the necessity for significant revisions (highlighted in the analyses in this paper) that usually flow from the more comprehensive coverage of the annual survey.
4.6. The ABS is also currently reviewing its concepts, sources and methods in light of new international standards being issued for balance of payments statistics. It is expected that the implementation of the new standards, from the September quarter 1997 and October 1997 issues of the balance of payments quarterly and monthly publications, will also bring significant improvements in data quality, particularly for the capital account. The more detailed information required by the standards regarding both transactions in financial instruments and price changes in the holdings of these instruments is expected to improve both the quality of reporting in ABS collections and the capacity of ABS compilation procedures to develop comprehensive estimates. Among the improvements will be the identification and measurement of international transactions in financial derivatives.
4.7. Other quality initiatives will be developed and implemented over time as analysis reveals the need for focus in particular areas and as resources permit identified priorities to be targeted.
This page last updated 20 January 2006 | <urn:uuid:e960b4e0-0fb7-4ab0-861d-3339ddedbc4e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/66f306f503e529a5ca25697e0017661f/8515883e80f53827ca25697e0018fb98!OpenDocument | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942727 | 755 | 1.632813 | 2 |
When I talk about my new book, people often ask what one thing surprised me most about my travels in the world I call the Land of Ballet. What always comes to mind is a single word: generosity.
As a ballet outsider, most of what I thought I knew about the ballet life offstage came from movies and writings that emphasize ballet’s competitiveness, with the adjective “cutthroat” in there somewhere. Not to say that aspect of ballet doesn’t exist, but though it may make for good drama, it’s not the real story.
Again and again among dancers and teachers, I saw examples of generosity that were not simply random, but intrinsic to this world. The real-life counterparts of the ballet teacher who nurtures Billy Elliot and his talent turn out not to be the exceptions but the rule. The die-for-your-art histrionics of The Black Swan and The Red Shoes mercifully exist mostly in the realm of fiction.
If you Google “ballet generosity” you’ll find plenty of hits, mostly mentions of donors’ gifts, with a few citations for The Sleeping Beauty ballet’s “Fairy of Generosity.” They’re important, but the generosity I saw and heard was a different caliber, the moving personal bigheartedness we’re all supposed to think about at holiday time and practice all year round but seldom do.
It’s different in the Land of Ballet. During rehearsals of Balanchine’s Prodigal Son early in my stay at Pacific Northwest Ballet, veteran principal dancer Ariana Lallone shared tips on dancing the Siren with then-corps-member Lindsi Dec, who was tackling the role for the first time. This wasn’t unusual: Those with more experience in roles repeatedly helped those who were new to them, typically their juniors in rank. The most touching example among many I saw was when injured principal dancer Carla Körbes came in to the studio despite an aching back to coach a potential replacement for her lead role in Roméo et Juliette.
Again and again, I saw dancers work through their precious union-mandated hourly break to help out their colleagues or time-pressed stagers and choreographers. Again and again I saw stagers and choreographers and instructors use encouragement rather than disparagement to get their messages through. Though the tough-looking shaven-headed Jean-Christophe Maillot, artistic director of Ballets de Monte-Carlo and choreographer of that Roméo et Juliette, occasionally barked out commands during the heat of rehearsals, he more often prefaced his corrections with the generous phrase, “I think it’s nice if . . .” as a way of softening what could just as well have begun “Do this!” Later, Maillot would say that PNB’s dancers “gave me a lot. There was a real generous feel, a real hunger from them to get something.” Those choreographers who scream, “You mahst geev me more . . . passion!” exist mostly in movieland.
I saw dancers give up vacation time to perfect a benefit performance for victims of Hurricane Katrina two thousand miles away. I saw dancers come in to the studio on their days off to convey their wisdom and experience to students rehearsing a piece the veterans had performed in the past. I saw a principal ballerina spend her lunch hour coaching a young dancer in the fine points of a competition solo. I heard from a PNB teacher how an injured colleague stood in the wings to make sure his understudy—that teacher, back in the day—would succeed in a role he’d been thrust into literally overnight.
I heard dancer after dancer express gratitude for the endlessly generous ballet moms and dads whose time and money got them to and through their dance studies. I saw older students take the time to act as role models graciously answering little novices’ questions. I watched dancers applaud their colleagues in the studio and congratulate them on Facebook. They didn’t have to; they just did.
Generosity simply goes with the territory, in part for reasons that have do to with the team nature of ballet companies and schools and the way dances are handed down through time and space. At a faculty meeting, Peter Boal told colleagues that he asks student dancers to be generous in working with partners, remembering that for a time at the School of American Ballet, the only girl who would dance with him by choice “was five-nine when I was five-four.” That generous soul was Deborah Wingert, who like Boal went on to dance with New York City Ballet.
Back to Prodigal Son again. Like most work in the canon, it’s handed down from body to body, mind to mind. Back in the 1980s, nineteen-year-old Peter Boal was cast in the title role for the first time. “Balanchine had just died, and nobody knew what the coaching was like.” Boal found tapes of Balanchine coaching Baryshnikov in the role, but “sometimes they break into Russian.” Boal wanted to work with Edward Villella, so famous for the role that he titled his autobiography Prodigal Son, but Peter Martins, the new head of City Ballet, wouldn’t go for it. So Boal “hired Villella to coach me. I said, ‘I’ll pay you.’
“He said, ‘I cost one beer.’”
For the holiday season and beyond, I wish you a passel of friends and colleagues as generous as the ones who inhabit the Land of Ballet.
posted November 29, 2011
photo © Angela Sterling | <urn:uuid:c0662a44-e297-48ce-bef3-2c054bda62a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wheresnowflakesdanceandswear.com/what-is-ballet/generosity | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966843 | 1,232 | 1.710938 | 2 |
You are hereHome ›
12/28/2011 First Person Radio
Russell Means is captivating figure of the modern civil rights period in the United States. In our December 28th First Person Radio program, Laura Waterman Wittstock and Miguel Vargas discuss his life. Means, an honorary Ph.D, is writing two books on Lakota philosophy and culture/language. He is battling esophageal cancer and cancer of the lungs but he has chosen traditional Indian medicine and alternative treatment as his approaches toward a cure.
Russell Means by the Decades:
Becomes a national media spokesman for the fledgling American Indian Movement by confronting costumed Pilgrims during a Thanksgiving re-enactment in Plymouth, Mass.
Organizes a protest rally in Gordon, Neb., over the death of Raymond Yellow Thunder, which resulted in manslaughter indictments against two men.
Is arrested along with 80 other people in the 1973 Custer County Courthouse riot, eventually serving one month in jail for his role in it.
Organizes the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation with Dennis Banks and Leonard Peltier, a 10-week siege which made AIM a household word in America. A judge dismisses federal charges against him during a lengthy trial.
Is acquitted of murder charges in the 1975 death of a man in a barroom brawl.
Loses a close election for the presidency of the Oglala Sioux Tribe to Dick Wilson.
Joins a U.S.-backed indigenous tribe in Nicaragua in its war against the communist Sandinista government, causing Means to quip, “I fought the capitalists and I fought the communists.”
Launches a successful acting career with his role in “The Last of the Mohicans,” eventually appearing in at least 32 movies and television shows, including Disney’s “Pocohontas” and Oliver Stone’s “Natural Born Killers,” as well as “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Publishes his autobiography, “Where White Men Fear to Tread.”
Releases two albums of original music.
Ran unsuccessfully for president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, losing to Theresa Two Bulls.
Launched the Republic of Lakotah, an attempt to reassert the original land claims of the sovereign Sioux Nation by withdrawing from the 1851 and 1868 treaties with the United States.
December 28, 2011
KFAI Web Exclusive
Can't get enough of the programs you hear on the air? Then check out KFAI's Web Exclusive programming for the no-holds-barred, uncut content that you won't find anywhere else! New episodes are uploaded every Thursday, so look beyond the radio-dial!
Listen to News podcasts | <urn:uuid:5d46c456-b3a5-40ce-a76a-07e6135edcfb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kfai.org/node/26791?page=0%2C1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948283 | 574 | 1.648438 | 2 |
The only thing that could have gone wrong was a few interest calculations for banks that hadn't bothered to update their software for thirty odd years.
Shoot, I've got some old computers with the old software, all pre Y2K panic, all declared as dangerous at the time, I actually had them running over that week, not one of them had a hiccup. Neither did any of the old computer controlled household goods I had.
Simply put, no computer hardware actually used dates in their operations, they used integers that they converted to dates for display purposes. This was also how the majority of software worked, and still works.
Saying the Y2K averted a disaster is like saying changing from leaded petrol to unleaded petrol stop the world from blowing up. Ie. total BS of no relevance to real life.
Y2K was a major money making con job of an ad campaign, and it worked.
Keep Up with TechRepublic | <urn:uuid:d7e3c7fb-cf00-468d-93bf-556bd408b426> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-320081-3192906 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978623 | 198 | 1.570313 | 2 |
WE WON THE BATTLE, BUT NOT THE WAR
Competing For Staff
Be careful what you wish for, its commonly said, because you may get it.
OK, so youve gotten a booming economy, and your tribe of clients is increasing beyond your wildest dreams. But the catch, like the philosophers nightmare, is that you cant get the people to help you service the business. The competition for lawyers is keeping managing partners awake at night. The financial services industry is hiring accountants at considerably more than you can afford to pay them. You got what you wished for, but
One need only look at the Help Wanted pages of the newspapers and trade journals. CPAs needed. Openings for Associates. Not very appealing in todays competitive market. Nothing much to distinguish your firm from others. Not much to give the applicant who knows he can get the best an exciting feeling of desire to join your firm.
Its a highly competitive labor market for professionals, and one in which you cant always compete in dollars. Whats to be done?
The key lies in the word competitive. If youre competing for staff whether its for professional or support staff -- then you compete as you do for clients. You use the tools of marketing.
As with all marketing, it begins with the customer in this case, the prospects you want to come work for you. In attracting them to your firm, its not a function of what you want, its what they want. Why would anyone come to work for you?
Money, obviously. Its always been at least that. But if you cant afford to match salaries being offered by others, or if theres some other reason that precludes money (such as unfavorable geographic location), what are the other possibilities? What do employees really want?
Abraham Maslow, the humanistic psychologist, spoke of an hierarchy of needs that employees have for job satisfaction. At the base, of course, are the physiological needs, including salary, health coverage, and so forth. Then come safety needs security in both the employment and in the workplace. Next are the belongingness and love needs the feeling that one is part of something, such as a team. And finally and for many people the most important are the esteem needs. The esteem of others and the opportunity for self-esteem.
While most such analysis tends to be superficial and glib, at least Maslows hierarchy tells us that money isnt always everything in job satisfaction. Other values have substance as well. This is a good foundation to understand how to compete for employees in a tight market, when you cant compete with money.
There have been a great many books and studies on what motivates employees, but because every firm is different, you learn best from within your own firm. Look at your own people. Why are they here? What do they like and dislike about your firm?
Unless you have a particularly happy place to work, you may have difficulty getting useful answers by asking directly, but a few staff meetings to brainstorm with the partners and staff on recruiting methods will tell you more than you might expect. Its a simple device, in which you get sound contributions and ideas from people just by asking for their help. And as in any marketing context, defining what you have that best answers the needs of your target audience is the foundation for delineating a position a presentation of your firm or your services that best responds to the needs of your target audience. The position, which must be an accurate representation of what you really are, is the foundation for advertising, for public relations, and for aggressive recruiting.
An ad campaign uses a position as a foundation for appealing to those desires of prospects that go beyond money. Some basics
The following is an actual ad (names changed, of course) that was written from a delineated position. The firm is located in a particularly competitive city for attorneys. What were the three things that the foregoing process showed that distinguished this firm from others? The answer was access, responsibility, and partner path. This is how it came out (this is an actual ad, and may not be used without permission)
IF GROWTH IS IN YOUR FUTURE, COME GROW WITH US
Access to clients and client matters makes you a part of the process -- not an outsider waiting for your turn to get off the bench. As an associate at Smith & Dale, you are hands-on from virtually your first day with us.
We assume that you are a responsible attorney -- and we give you responsibility. Responsibility with clients, responsibility with the firm, responsibility with the legal process.
Your partnership path begins on the day you join us. And if you decide that you don't want to be a partner, or we decide (after a reasonable period of time) that we can serve each other's needs without partnership, we may still value your skills well enough to warrant your staying with us under a different arrangement.
INVESTMENT IN YOU
When you join Smith & Dale, we invest in you -- in your training, in your opportunities, in your skills, in your future. We want you to succeed and prosper, and we'll do everything we can to make that happen.
We assume that with 2 to 5 years of experience in your specialty, you're qualified to join us -- and to participate in our very rapid growth.
Currently, we need...
If our needs match your experience, come talk to us. You'll find we have a lot in common.
- In recruiting, on campus or elsewhere, the focus is also on the same key points, painting a picture of the firms environment and practices with its associates and professional staff. It should be inherent in the firms literature, in its oral presentations, in its interviews and discussions with prospects.
- Public relations plays a significant part in recruiting in a competitive environment. The firms reputation for its professionalism, for its culture and environment, for the success of its people, for its specialties. What works to promote the firm to its prospective clientele works to make the firm attractive to prospective employees.
Recruiting good people must be done as assiduously as prospecting for new clients. Its best done with a concentrated and well planned marketing campaign.
Will it win the superior candidate from the firm offering 30% more money than you can afford? Probably not. Sometimes yes. But it will certainly give you the edge over firms that recruit the old fashioned way. | <urn:uuid:ccdea516-8483-493f-8b68-bedb41b1e815> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marcusletter.com/battle.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971413 | 1,313 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Not only has John Howard lost the election in Australia, he's lost his own seat too. That takes some doing for a sitting Prime Minister. But let there be no doubt - Howard did a good job for his country. ConservativeHome has some excellent analysis HERE. I met John Howard in 1991 when I was doing some consultancy for the Australian Liberal Party on port reforms. I was very underwhelmed and was astonished when he became party leader. But he was obviously an easy man to underestimate. His failure was not knowing when to hand over the reins. I suspect it wouldn't have made a difference to the result, but it would probably have been less of a landslide.
Interestingly, Kevin Rudd could only defeat John Howard by nicking his policies. But this isn't the first time this has happened in Australia. Bob Hawke only won in the 1980s because he adopted many right of centre neo-liberal economic policies, which were then embedded by his successor Paul Keating. But as ever, the dark cloud on the economic horizon for Australia is that the trade unions will again flex their muscles. No Australian government has really successfully curbed their power, and most of Rudd's colleagues come from the trade unions. | <urn:uuid:47bde72b-8891-4a9e-9218-d5871332bd71> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iaindale.blogspot.com/2007/11/defeat-for-right-in-australia.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992168 | 244 | 1.546875 | 2 |
09-01-2009, 11:18 PM
| || |
Originally Posted by gus1911
I've had a BTA in my tank which was perfectly happy where it was for 3 months. After adding my skimmer, moving some other corals around, and adding some new ones, the water currents changed. Apparently my BTA found the suroundings not to its liking and began slowly moving to find some new digs.
It has settled right next to a finger coral, so closely that the tentacles of the BTA are actually entwined with the branches of the finger coral. Neither one seems annoyed or concerned. I thought this meeting of the two would result in severe stinging of the finger coral, possibly leading to infection and perhaps the need to amputate the infected branch.
I've waited all day for the fight to begin, but nothing's happened!! I'm puzzled. I will move the finger coral if the BTA stays put, but why no fight??
I always heard that my RBTA will sting and kill corals. Mine doesn't ever move but he is HUGE and constantly touches my hammer coral and my monti caps. and my green bali slimmer and also one time, my torch coral fell into my RBTA and was probably there all night and I never notice any harm done at all. | <urn:uuid:02f512c1-5753-4a8c-ba62-a670b01e79db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/coral-reef-creatures/anemone-vs-finger-coral-28033/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977305 | 274 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Receive relevant New and Updated programmes: Personal Updates !
|Application deadline:||15 March|
|Tuition fee:|| |
|Start date:||February 2014|
|Credits:|| 120 ECTS |
|Duration full-time:||24 months|
|Delivery mode:||On Campus|
The MSc in Medicinal Chemistry programme is open to Danish and international students. The programme is both practical and research-oriented and reflects the interests of the business community, research institutions and the public sector. It is also flexible and can accommodate the interests of the individual student, who can specialise in a particular subject area while acquiring general competencies in chemistry.
Focus on research
Teaching in the programme is greatly influenced by the research conducted here, as the lecturers are active researchers. In this context, students benefit from the down-to-earth, informal relationship between faculty and students. Students have excellent opportunities for working with researchers in the laboratory. It is also possible to complete a project in collaboration with a private company or a public institution, such as a hospital. For their thesis work, students become associated with a group of researchers of their choice and can participate in the groups research projects, academic discussions and articles.
Students can specialise within a broad area in one of the areas of medicinal chemistry in which Aarhus University is particularly strong: synthesis and analysis of potential new pharmaceuticals; structure, activity and pharmacological characteristics of membrane proteins; microscopic structure of bones and other bioinorganic materials; modelling of proteins and their interaction with pharmaceuticals; and drug delivery and chemical biology.
Not just lectures and lab work
There is more to life as a medicinal chemistry student at Aarhus University than courses and lectures. Student life at the Department of Chemistry is stimulating and varied and centres around Alkymia, the departments student association. The university's various student unions also host meetings about issues relevant to your studies.
Medicinal chemistry graduates work in a wide range of fields and institutions. Most jobs, however, are within research, development and consultancy in both public and private sector, particularly in pharmaceutical and biotech companies. The health services also employ many medicinal chemistry graduates, for example in hospitals, where they may be involved in developing new clinical and chemical diagnostic methods. The skills acquired on the programme are in great demand and can lead to careers in the food industry and the agricultural sector. Finally, many graduates continue their studies at Aarhus University with a PhD degree. Interdisciplinary research projects are very common on PhD programmes.
The Masters degree in medical chemistry counts as 120 ECTS credits and mainly consists of subjects within the chemistry and medical chemistry fields of study. You specialise by participating in course activities and projects and by writing a thesis. During your very first week, you structure your own individual study programme with the help of a teacher from the Department of Chemistry by choosing courses from the course catalogue. Your programme is based on your academic qualifications and interests and the subjects you studied for your Bachelors degree. The plan must be approved by the Board of Studies before you can enrol for examinations.
Forms of teaching
At the University of Aarhus, you are in close contact with researchers in a way that you rarely experience at other universities. The door to the professors office is always open if you need clarification of the study material, and you are encouraged to ask questions at lectures and during exercises. We make heavy demands on your academic skills and independence. In return, you gain considerable benefits in the form of academic challenges and scientific knowledge, in addition to broad competences.
The teaching at the university focuses on independence, critical thinking and collaboration. Part of the teaching is in the form of lectures that introduce new angles to the material compared with the textbooks. The theoretical and practical exercises take place in smaller groups where you study relevant issues in depth. Depending on your choice of specialisation, your main forms of study and work involve laboratory work and the use of advanced experimental equipment such as NMR and X-ray methodologies, as well as computer modelling. The varied forms of teaching, collaboration in groups and the opportunity for close scientific dialogue with the researchers provide you with general competences that are in great demand in the global job market. These competences include abstract, critical and independent thinking, analytical skills and strategic planning. You can use these skills in many contexts even in jobs you didnt know you were qualified for.
A year divided into four terms
The teaching is divided into four terms. Each term consists of a block of seven
weeks followed by an examination period of 24 weeks.
If you have the necessary skills and interest, you have the option of applying
for admission to the PhD programme. You can apply when you have completed your
Bachelors degree and one year of your Masters degree or when you have completed your Masters degree. In the PhD programme, you start working on a research project and are gradually trained through courses and personal guidance to become a researcher.
The following Bachelors degrees qualify students for admission to the Masters degree programme in
* A Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Chemistry from Aarhus University, the University of Southern Denmark or the University of Copenhagen.
The following other degrees can provide admission to the Masters degree programme in Medical Chemistry:
* A Bachelors degree amounting to at least 60 ECTS credits in Medical Chemistry can qualify the student for admission.
Other qualifications can provide admission to the Masters degree programme, provided the university assesses that their level, extent and content correspond to the degrees mentioned above.
In connection with possible admission, further requirements can be stipulated regarding the composition of the degree programme.
It is a condition that the students language skills correspond to a B level in English.
|TOEFL paper-based test score:||560|
|TOEFL internet-based test score:||83|
You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test.
Most European Universities recognise the IELTS test.Take IELTS test
Using the form on this page, you can directly ask questions to the contactpersons at the university.
Fill out your contact information and message. The information you fill out in this form will be sent directly to the university. They will reply to you on the e-mail address you provide here.
mastersportal.eu cannot take any responsibility for the answering of contacts or for the content of their replies. | <urn:uuid:9abf5446-496b-4c7a-9193-49d9707fb261> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mastersportal.eu/studies/31754/medicinal-chemistry.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938538 | 1,316 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Make short term decisions based on curiosity and newness. You can't do the same thing a get a different result. So if you're trying to get a different result, choose the path you haven't taken yet.
Long-term decisions can be made by focusing on the intention and letting go of attachment to the result. For example, say you want to find the love of your life. You don't make decisions about dating someone based perceived qualifications as long-term lifemate material. You detach from the result, i.e. this guy may or may not be lifemate material but that's not the reason I'm going to go out with him. For some things, you have to take the next step in order to get enough information to take the step after that or quit.
So instead, you date with the intention of finding a the right person, but not caring if this particular date is the right one or not. You date because he/she is cute and you want to get to know them better. Then you get enough information to decide whether to go on a 2nd date which will give you enough information to decide if you want to go on the 3rd.
You make the decision that leads to enough information to make the next decision. | <urn:uuid:f8ab4ce2-878c-450d-b3c1-7b1ce76692cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://personalitycafe.com/infp-forum-idealists/107501-young-infps-ask-advice-elders-you-shall-receive-9.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959501 | 257 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Covering more than just the tip of getting the right kitchen knives to adequately prepare foods in any setting. “Go purchase quality knives!” is what is often said… Let me just cut to the chase, that statement alone can be subject to a variety of personal interpretations. Here I’ll provide slices of basic information founded in my own beliefs and opinions.
How many knives? Three (3)
Which specific knives?
French/Cooks/Chefs or santoku knife 6 or 8 inch. These knives are the workhorses! I have found the 8 inch to be best suited to my personal needs in both professional and home settings. Jenna uses an 8 inch as well.
Pairing/Utility Knife: a good solid handled 4 inch blade paring knife for fine detail work, tourne, peeling, and shaping. Back in the day, before fancy machinery, we used this to make potato or turnip roses for parties of 200 – 800 servings (3 roses per person) almost daily.
Boning Knife: A six inch semi-flexible curved boning knife. Great all purpose boning knife that is short, direct, and maneuverable.
TANG: Not the breakfast drink of NASA: A knife handle is just as important as the knife itself. Go for full tang! What that (tang) means is that the knife blade portion that extends into the handle. The tang of a quality knife should be fully integrated into the handle and riveted or completely part of the handle.
Comfort is most important:
How does the knife feel in your hand? This is a very integral part of a knife. It is, in essence, the extension of you.
Materials of the handle: stabilized wood (epoxy/laminate/resinwood), molded or composition plastic, fibrox enhanced rubberized grip, smooth polished wood.
Should feel good in your hand, should not pose safety issues, and should be resistant to abrasions.
The shape of the handle, how it fits and feels in your hand. A knife should feel natural in your hand, it should not put any undue stress on hands or wrists when cutting for lengths of time.
The “balance” of a knife refers to where the weight is in a knife. Is it blade heavy or handle heavy? It should be evenly balanced especially with knives that are specifically used for multiple actions such as slicing/dicing. Again you will be able to “feel” this in your hand as you hold a knife.
Stainless- not a good option, these tend to be very hard to sharpen and used by most that don’t care to tend to knives.
High Carbon Stainless Steel-most commonly used for knives holds a good edge but will need sharpening/honing frequently, resistant to tarnish/rust.
High Carbon Steel-Old school standby used by chefs that know how to take care of them. These hold a great edge but will tarnish/rust if proper care is not taken.
Damascus is for show and shine: an expensive knife that is fashioned from a variety of steels layered together. A finishing touch is an acid etch that exposes lines in the surface of the steel giving it a artistic appearance. It is a tough blade with good edge quality.
Porcelain/Ceramic – Need I even say…the fact that it will shatter (in the kitchen!) if dropped counts this one as not usable in my book.
Remember… a more expensive knife does not mean that the user’s cutting ability will be any better. A knife must be cared for, used properly and feel comfortable while in use. In my next post, I’ll speak to the points of sharpening, as well honing your fine piece of cutlery.
My favorite knives over the years, what feels good in my hand, are as follows:
French Knife 6” or 8“ Henkel (I have an engraved 8″ from my opening team Chef Enrique Rodriguez and Chef Mike Mr-Kenny 1999 Houstonian and Shadow Hawk Golf Courses in Richmond, TX)
The two types of meat aging methods associated with beef are wet and dry. Both methods yield the same end goal which is to make meat more tender, however, the end result is significantly different. In this post I shed light as to the differences and why one is more expensive than the other, how flavor differs, and why one is marketed more than the other.
All scientific jargon aside, both wet and dry aging, in layman’s terms is…controlled rotting. Rotting you say?!?! Yes!!! A very naturally occurring process… in a positive way.
Most beef sold has typically been wet aged and is really not marketed as much as dry. Wet age is just not as exciting and there is not all that much to it. There is simply nothing sexy about vacuum sealed meat resting in refrigerated temperatures. Bring on the beefcake with dry aging and you now have yourself a sexy hunk of meat!
To simplify some of the basics…
A piece of meat (most common are whole boneless roasts or individual steak cuts) is vacuum sealed in a bag and kept free from air.
Kept at 35 – 40 degrees for upwards of 14 days.
At 14 days tenderizing has reached its peak.
There is a natural enzymatic softening (tenderizing) of the muscle fibers that takes place, thus making the fresh meat more tender.
There is minimal, if any, noticeable flavor difference/change.
There isn’t much, if any loss from moisture or trimming.
Not much marketing goes into this, as this is how the majority of consumer and wholesale beef is packaged, stored and handled.
Wet aging is much less expensive to produce (less loss, less time, easier to control).
Colorado's Best Beef All Natural Charolais 14 - 21 Day Dry Aged Carcasses
Dry aging is applied to larger cuts such as full carcasses or sides of beef, full primal cuts or large whole bone in or boneless roasts. Often times rib roasts (rib-eye steaks), short loins (where t-bones and porterhouse are cut from) and strip loins (KC and NY strip steaks).
The meat hangs in a temperature controlled room of about 38 degrees F for upwards of 35 days.
The RH (relative humidity) is between 50 – 60%
The exterior of the meat surfaces is exposed to air and adequate air flow, no two pieces of meat touch. This is important as if two surfaces touch it creates a moisture pocket which would contribute to really bad bacterial growth.
What takes place, as in wet aging process, is enzymatic muscular fiber breakdown, thus tenderizing the meat.
There is a loss of moisture, and with this loss along with the “controlled rotting” a significant deepening of flavors takes place. Beefy, meaty, rich and deep notes takes hold.
Lastly before the meat is sold to you the consumer, the exterior that has dried (rotted) gets trimmed off as it is too pungent as well not good nor pleasant to eat. This excess trimming and loss also contributes to the much higher cost of the dry aged.
There is upwards of 21% loss from the original weight of the beef cut that is dry aged.
A concentration of flavors due to the moisture loss in the dry aging process is what gives it it’s deep, rich and beefy flavor.
Hopefully this simplifies aged beef.
There are many restaurants that practice dry aging in wooden rooms, Himalayan pink salt rock rooms, even so much as airport restaurants and even now some Whole Foods locations.
Summer is here, and that means cocktails. Margaritas. Mojitos. Mexican beer with lime.
I always like it when we get the citrus in a large 25# box for drinks we make at the restaurant… there is a funny little drawing on the side of the lime box showing how to cut the limes to get the most juice. Strangely enough, hardly anyone ever does it.
Cut the lime like this… (but you’ll cut it all the way through)
I think the best thing about cutting it like this at home is that the edges are perfect for squeezing in guacamole and on chips (then sprinkling with salt and chile), and the core section slides perfectly into your bottle of beer. Of course, there is no way to get 100% of the juice, but this way really allows for a good squeeze.
A few lime tips:
Buy the heaviest limes you can at the grocery. These suckers are usually pretty expensive, and you certainly want to get the most bang (or juice) for your buck.
If you think the recipe would be enhanced by the flavor of the zest, by all means use it! I think the zest offers some of the best flavor with any citrus fruit. (I always use a rasp or microplane to zest). I put it almost every recipe that I put the juice in.
Roll the lime on the counter under your hand a few times to release the juice before you cut. It breaks up the membrane inside the fruit.
A warmer lime will give up more juice. Use it room temp rather than from the refrigerator. Some people even microwave them for 10 or so seconds. I don’t.
Use a hand citrus juicer. Put the lime in what looks like backwards. I have seen tons of people use this the wrong way. You want the cut side facing the holes where the juices come out, and the lime gets turned inside out. You can buy expensive ones at a fancy kitchen store, or they come really cheap at a Mexican market. They both make the same margarita!
Use tongs. Lots of chefs grab a pair of tongs to do the squeezing work. Just position the citrus close to the handle, in between the tongs, and squeeze.
Use a reamer. These are great and get out a ton of juice.
Use a fork in the same manner if you don’t have a reamer.
Use your thumb in the same manner if you don’t have a fork.
This week, the kids and I headed to Two Bear Farms, where Bruce Miller has over 250 chickens, all free range, organic and all natural. No hormones, chemicals or pesticides are ever used. Bruce gave us a tour of the property and we really enjoyed hanging out with the hens. It was pretty cool to see how big our chickens will be once they are layers. We have had our 9 chicks for 5 weeks so far, and they have already grown to 4 times the size they were when we first got them!
The coolest thing of the day at the farm was pulling the eggs right out from under the hens… and they were still warm. I am so excited for our fiture with fresh eggs everyday!!
Vivianna and Matteo with the chicks at a couple days old:
One sexy chick and her egg of the day at Two Bear Farms…
Brand new farm fresh eggs won’t peel easily. We tried the other day and it was a disaster. For the most success, 2 week old eggs or older work best. You can tell the day of the year the eggs were packaged by the 3 digit number on the side. All USDA inspected eggs have this numeric indication, which ranges from 001 (January 1), to 365 (December 31).
As eggs age, the yolks flatten out and the whites become thin and watery. You can tell when you crack an egg into a hot pan if the egg is very fresh or not by checking the white. If it holds together tightly, it is very fresh. If the white thins spreads out and is thin, it is older (this does not mean unhealthy or bad, however). We eat older eggs all the time.
A splash of white vinegar and a teaspoon or so of salt in the water may help with both coagulation of the albumen (the white) of any eggs that crack, keeping it together and making it less messy. Mark disagrees and actually makes fun of me for it, I’ve read it may be a wives tale, but I don’t really care. I do it anyway because it doesn’t hurt anything, and it makes sense to me. (I’ve also read scientific reports about protein denaturation and how the acids in vinegar).
The color of eggs (white, brown, green) is just due to the breed of the chicken. Color has no significant bearing on the the flavor of the egg. So spend more money on the brown ones only if you like the fancy color better.
Storing eggs on their side (lay the carton on its side in the refrigerator) if you want the yolks centered for deviled eggs.
Spinning an egg on the counter will help if you can’t remember which ones you have already boiled. A raw egg will wobble like a weeble-wobble. A cooked egg will spin like a top.
Claudine Pepin (her father is Jacques Pepin, so she learned from the best) recommends poking a hole in the base, the flatter part, of the egg with something thin and sharp like a needle There is an air pocket here and it is said this helps for peeling. Just make sure you lightly poke, don’t go all the way to the yolk, just through the shell into the membrane.
Overcooked eggs result in a yolk with a green ring and whites that are very rubbery.
How to boil an egg perfectly…
Place eggs in a pan with cold water. Cover eggs by at least an inch.
bring water just to a boil over high heat.
turn them way down, to a very light simmer for 10 minutes. (8 minutes will give you a softer yolk, 12 minutes will result in a very firm yolk)
turn off the heat and remove, placing the eggs in ice water for about a minute. This will stop the cooking.
either remove and roll each egg on the counter under your hand to crack all over, or pour off the water and vigorously shake the eggs in the pan to crack the shells.
put them back in the ice water for 5 minutes to cool. The mistake we often make is to leave them at this step.
they must be peeled now for perfect removal of the shell.
They will be cooked to a golden yellow, with tender yolks and whites (not rubbery) | <urn:uuid:8aae5e64-45ab-470a-81bf-60778e1a8aed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thelastthingweate.com/?m=201204 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950085 | 3,046 | 1.726563 | 2 |
BOISE -- A group of Treasure Valley high schoolers helped to get a family into their new home before Christmas.
Teaming up with Habitat for Humanity, the group of about 30 high schoolers were determined to get the home built and ready to live in before the holidays.
The students and volunteers sped up the process to make it happen and finished a week early. The group usually takes a whole school year to build a house. This time, they took 120 days because they wanted to make sure one family had a home for the holidays.
The home building project is part of a magnet program for kids from various high schools.
"I always kind of figured it would be kind of nice to know different things about how to build a house and stuff like that, in case I ever run into problems with my own house, my own home," said one participant, Gerron Stirling.
Stirling didn't realize he would be working with Habitat for Humanity until after he signed up.
"I did not realize, and i was actually pleasantly surprised to find out, that we actually build houses for the Habitat for Humanity," said Stirling.
They students work on almost everything for the house.
"From the ground up we start building the floor, we frame all the walls, we do all the exterior work, the interior work, the finishing work, the painting," said Zack Rosse.
They make the houses affordable to live in, by meeting Energy STAR standards.
"From beginning to end, I learned a whole lot of new things, things that i didn't get to learn the first year. It's a lot more realistic knowing that you're actually building a house that people are going to be living in," said Stirling.
When it's all done, the students are there to hand the keys over to the home's new owners.
"It's a really heartwarming experience, I guess, not the sound too cliche. But it's really great to see the family actually get the keys, and they're always so excited," said Rosse.
They get satisfaction knowing they had a lasting impact on the community.
"I think because it's so permanent and it helps out the community because it's not something that you're just going to do one year and that's all it effects, it's going to stay there for forever," Taylor Funk.
This is the third house the group built on Palm Street in West Boise. This one went to a family who moved here from Thailand.
This is all part of a program called Skills USA. Last year, the team placed fourth in the nation out of 39 teams for their work. They'll start on their next home building project in January. | <urn:uuid:21a86e6f-7392-4cd7-932b-f1bc5b00edea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ktvb.com/news/Treasure-Valley-high-schoolers-build-house-for-Christmas-184583651.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983263 | 559 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Paul Wilkes: When in Rome
From John Paul II's funeral to Benedict XVI's election, Beliefnet's correspondent reports on the momentous events in Rome.
The Other German
Snapshots from the Conclave
Collegiality and the College of Cardinals
Anatomy of an Election
Print Out This List
Print Out This List
As I rode to the airport after spending three weeks in Rome, the brilliant purple flowers of the Japanese cherry trees were blazing in their full spring glory. Three weeks before, there was nothing. Brown, naked branches. When I arrived, a pope had just died; I leave as his successor has just begun his reign.
That successor, who appeared unbending as the Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who unequivocally railed against relativism and extolled fundamentalism as the conclave began, became the Benedict XVI who at his installation Sunday proclaimed humbly that he would “...listen, together with the whole church, to the word and will of the Lord.”
This dramatic transformation of a doctrinal watchdog into a gentle pastor has the Catholic world -– and the entire world -– wondering what to make of Benedict XVI. Do his words signal a new, more dynamic and open Catholic Church or, like the blossoms, the flashy onset of still another predictable season?
Many say we should wait and see and, of course, that is what we must do. But let me offer a way to do that. I want to put before you a series of questions, a series of litmus tests, so that we can better evaluate this man -– with the incredibly difficult job he has –- in the months ahead.
Print out this list and tack it onto on your bulletin board or attach it to the refrigerator with a magnet. Every once in a while, take a look. I assembled these questions after consulting a wide range of Catholics -- priests, an advertising executive, a CPA, a former writer for a diocesan paper, an executive at one of our major TV networks, a diocesan staff person, a dozen others.
What do you think? What are your impressions and questions?
Anatomy of an Election
What went on inside the papal conclave that stunned the world not only by acting quickly, but by choosing a conservative loyalist to virtually step into the footprints of the conservative John Paul II?
Someday we may know the full story, gleaned from words spoken openly or leaked inadvertently by one or some of the 115 cardinals of the Catholic Church who were sequestered in the Sistine Chapel and vowed to secrecy—under the pain of excommunication—not to reveal any of proceedings.
But after talking to Vatican insiders and others with years of access to the Curia, and after piecing together shreds of evidence from interviews with church leaders and other experienced Vatican watchers, here is this reporter’s reconstruction of what may have occurred.
Although there had been enormous speculation about the possibility of electing a pope from the Third World, it was obvious early on to Vatican experts that this was an extremely outside possibility. The churches of Africa and Asia, though growing, are still relatively young and fielded no strong candidates. Cardinal Arinze’s name surfaced only to sink quickly; apparently he couldn't gain traction. The church of South and Central America had cardinals like Hummes of Brazil and Maradiaga of Honduras, but at 70 and 62 respectively, both were too young to promise the shorter papacy that cardinals seemed to want following the lengthy reign of John Paul II.
No Americans were ever serious choices; they have neither great support nor standing among their peers—besides which the cardinals would never allow a spiritual seat of power to be occupied by one whose country already powerfully dominates world politics and economics.
As for the Italians, although the name of Tettamanzi of Milan had been circulating for months, if not years, as a sort of John XXIII-type of portly, fatherly figure, he was in fact neither imbedded in the hearts of Italians generally (and this tide of public sentiment is not only an element in papal elections, but part of the home-court advantage of Italians), nor was he considered a major player among the cardinals. That he did not speak English was considered a distinct disadvantage.
As for the progressive cardinals, there were but few of them, and support did not appear to coalesce around any specific candidate. Martini was retired and reputed to have Parkinson’s Disease, Danneels of Belgium, Murphy-O’Connor of Great Britain, and Kasper of Germany, while darlings of those who wanted to set out on the bold path marked by Kasper’s eleventh hour plea, were anomalies among John Paul II's choices, and outnumbered by the vast majority of conservative-leaning cardinals he had appointed. More moderate candidates like Policarpo of Portugal and Lustiger of France would only surface as viable if progressive and conservative voting blocs were deadlocked.
According to aides to two non-American cardinals, Ratzinger entered the conclave with significant backing: Julian Herranz of Spain, head of the Vatican's department for interpreting legislative texts; Dario Castrillon Hoyos of Colombia, head of the department in charge of the clergy; and Alfonso Lopez Trujillo of Colombia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. All three have ties to the conservative renewal movement Opus Dei. Apparently, the Spanish-speaking cardinals didn't back a Latin American candidate, as many people speculated they might.
Now, looking back, the conclave may have played out in a very predictable fashion. As Cardinal Theodore McCarrick said after an otherwise news-less press conference this morning at the North American College, “For us in the conclave, it was a moment of grace. And a time of angst” that they would choose the right man.
So, a certain nervousness was present. The cardinals’ every move had been broadcast around the world for the past two weeks. They were both pleased with the coverage, and they felt vulnerable and overexposed. They knew as soon as the white smoke floated from the Sistine Chapel chimney, they would be descended upon once more to say where the new pontificate would be heading. They wanted to come out with heads high, having proven themselves capable of making such a momentous decision in a reasonably short period of time.
So why not choose a pope who would assure the “continuity” that had become the iconic word in the days before the conclave—and one they all knew well? No one filled that description better than the powerful and popular pope's right-hand man, Joseph Ratzinger.
The histories of papal conclaves tell us that the first vote, which occurred Monday afternoon, is often a straw vote in which dominant candidates receive substantial, but not conclusive, support. Other “favorite son” candidates—for instance, a younger man voting for the venerable cardinal who mentored him, just so his benefactor could take to the grave his single step toward the Chair of St. Peter—would receive a wide but shallow sprinkling of votes. Traditionally, these votes change on the second ballot.
The estimate in the Italian press of Ratzinger’s first-round votes fluctuated between 40 and 50. Who else might have received a substantial number of votes to challenge Ratzinger, creating a deadlock whereupon a compromise candidate would have to be found? That is the mystery we may someday discover. Today, 24 hours after the vote, I cannot find out if there ever was a serious challenger. It may be that the bloc favoring conservatism and continuity were united around him, while those opposed were divided among a number of other candidates.
Cardinal McCarrick experienced angst; Cardinal Marc Oueliet of Canada was so restless he had to reach for a bible in the middle of the night, and then first thing upon rising. He had drawn one of the larger rooms in Domus Sancta Marthae, the residence built especially for the conclaves. Cardinal Ratzinger, now the front-runner, had a room no bigger than a “broom closet,” the Canadian noted.
In the conclave the cardinals wore their elegant scarlet robes, at meals, clerical black. There, at table, and while walking the Vatican grounds, they chose various other cardinals from other parts of the world to speak with, to talk about the qualities of various candidates, the needs of the church. “It was like a tower of Babel,” Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, another Canadian, related to the press after the conclave. “It wasn’t always easy to be understand.” Cardinals sought a common language, sometimes even lapsing into Latin when all else failed.
On Tuesday, chanting the Litany of the Saints, the cardinals filed once more into the Sistine Chapel. Each round of voting was an excruciatingly slow process, taking about three hours, with each cardinal coming forward to deliver his vote and three cardinals doing the tallying. Some men read, others prayed the rosary, or nodded off to sleep.
As the two votes continued on Tuesday morning, Ratzinger’s numbers probably increased, but were not sufficient to elect him. Who was in his camp from the beginning? Certainly, many within the Curia who knew that Ratzinger could be trusted to keep the powerful bureaucracy intact. In matters like this, he was not an innovator. Among the ideologically like-minded, Ratzinger had the advantage of being the conservative star among ordinary conservatives—he had clamped down on alleged abuses in the church language and liturgy, whipsawed theologians, had written the controversial Dominus Iesus which unequivocally stated the primacy of Catholicism and the “deficiency” of other Christian faiths and non-Christian traditions. He was akin to an American evangelical Christian. In Ratzinger’s case: salvation through not only Jesus Christ, but in the Catholic Church alone.
His age was perfect, 78, promising both continuity and brevity, a way for the cardinals to catch their breath after John Paul II’s long reign. And his credentials were impeccable. He had used the buzzword “fundamentalism” triumphantly and unequivocally at the Mass of the Holy Sprit that launched the conclave Monday morning. Although there was a sprinkling of cardinals considered even more traditionalistic than Ratzinger, they were too bizarre and not known well enough to be elected. There were actually not too many to the right of Ratzinger; he dominated and embraced a wide swath of the cardinals.
With the votes on Tuesday morning, his numbers may have grown while no one else’s did. Cardinals remembered little favors he had done for them. (In the press conference today, Cardinal Egan of New York noted that Ratzinger had left a retreat to return to Rome to send him off.) The Third World cardinals, who are equal in voting power but certainly not in influence, knew Ratzinger as their rabbi, their fixer. He could pave the way among curial offices, assist in getting needed aid, push through stalled paperwork. As Dean of the College of Cardinals, all roads led to him. Ratzinger could make things happen; the cardinals felt comfortable because while they didn’t know each other well, they all knew him, somewhat shy, self-effacing, prayerful, helpful, and courteous—as well as decisive and only second in power to John Paul II.
By Tuesday afternoon, perhaps the holdouts were capitulating. It was obvious who was going to win; why keep the world waiting? It would show a bold and clear-headed decisiveness on their part. Cardinals like to leave a conclave having voted for the eventual winner, the man before whom they would soon kneel, and pledge their troth, whose hand they would kiss in the ultimate act of submission to God’s will. After all, there was no real competition. Ratzinger’s name was called out over and over again as the votes were counted. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor of Great Britain recalled to the Associated Press the “suspense” in the great hall as the cardinals in the great room knew that they would soon have a pope. “When the majority was reached, after 77 or 78 votes, there was a sort of gasp all around, and then everyone clapped,” he said. Cardinal Ratzinger’s hands were still. He “had his head down,” Murphy-O’Connor said, “I think he must have said a prayer.”
The cardinals awaited the new pope's formal acceptance. In a low voice roughened by a cold, Ratzinger told them he would like to be known as Benedict XVI, honoring Saint Benedict, the patron saint of Europe, and Benedict XV, the pope who tried to stop the First World War. "I, too, hope in this short reign to be a man of peace," the new pope said, according to Cardinal Francis George of Chicago.
Then, as a body, the group rose to applaud their new leader. There were smiles. Cardinal Joachim Meisner, another German, wept. Joseph Ratzinger looked, according to Meisner, “a little forlorn” as he left to change into his papal vestments in the Room of Tears, given that name because the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church would often break down into tears, realizing what had just happened and what lay ahead.
"It's wonderful to be in a group of 115 people, and you're all equals. You're all talking: Eminence this, Eminence that, first name this, first name that. And then suddenly, one of you is different," said Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington. "He's no longer one of you. He's the Holy Father, the successor to Peter and the Vicar of the Christ."
This fraternity of equals now parted company, never to be the same again. Joseph Ratzinger proceeded to the balcony of St. Peter’s to be proclaimed Benedict XVI, the 265th pontiff. His fellow cardinals crowded onto other balconies to watch him address some 100,000 people below. The new pope was on the balcony for perhaps twenty minutes. After his election, Pope Benedict invited all the cardinals to stay and dine with him, as John Paul had done in 1978. They ate Italian bean soup, chicken cordon bleu and ice cream, washing it down with spumante. At the end of the evening, he returned to the humble room he had left that morning as Joseph Ratzinger to spend the night.
Pope Benedict XVI
With the word “Joseph” the applause erupted from the expectant crowd, which had overflowed St. Peter’s Square. They knew the rest of his name. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, a confidant of Pope John Paul II, his loyal head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was now his successor. He will no longer be Joseph, but Benedict, Benedict XVI, the 265th successor of Peter, the humble fisherman, the rock upon whom Christ founded his church.
There was initial confusion in the square at 6 P.M., Rome time, as the smoke curling out of the Sistine Chapel's chimney was first murky then white, murky, white. But finally the great bell high atop St. Peter slowly began to move. There was no doubt now. “Habemus papam,” as Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez announced from the famed balcony of St. Peter’s, “We have a pope.”
Cardinal Ratzinger had staked his candidacy on two crucial homilies over the past ten days, one of which was a glowing tribute to Pope John Paul II and his legacy at the pontiff’s funeral. The second was a bold statement of his traditionalist thinking at the Mass of the Holy Spirit that began the conclave on Monday. He condemned liberalism and relativism and firmly embraced, “fundamentalism” as the true path for Catholics.
That he was elected so quickly was testament to the collective will of the cardinals—virtually all appointed by John Paul II—that the deceased pope’s strict interpretation and enforcement of Catholic teaching be continued. While it may never be known exactly how the vote went within the conclave, since the cardinals are sworn to secrecy, both the speed and the outcome defied the predictions of most Vatican experts. Most expected the conclave to last until at least tomorrow, as the cardinals searched for a compromise candidate. Most also expressed skepticism that any of the obvious front-runners, Cardinal Ratzinger among them, would be chosen. But there obviously was no call for compromise if Ratzinger won so soundly in just the fourth round of voting.
The mood of the crowd in St. Peter’s was in keeping with the man chosen to be pope—happy the election was over, but restrained. The man who is now Pope Benedict XVI extended his arms to the crowd, clasped his hands together in a victory grasp, but seemed almost to force a smile from time to time. Those who have seen him outside of his official capacities say he is a good dinner companion, extremely intelligent, but a man careful with his words and emotions.
Chants of “Papa, Papa” rose up from the crowd, but died down after no more than a minute or so. It was not the emotional welcome that in 1958, for example, greeted Pope John XXIII, who was beloved by the Italian people and, with his pudgy face, immediately endeared himself to the rest of the world.
Benedict XVI’s more stern appearance was still greeted warmly, and people I talked to as the square emptied after the new pope’s somewhat short appearance and greeting, rendered only in Italian, were generally pleased with the choice. “Brilliant,” said John Goleska of Bristol, England. “ After all, the cardinals know best what we need.” Erich Eitel of Rostock in Ratzinger’s native Germany, who kept his hands reverently folded as the crowd waited for the announcement, struggled to put his thoughts into English. “Consistent” was the word he finally found that summarized his thinking. “Yes, in the line with John Paul II, a continuation.”
Two priests from England were beaming. “Liberal Catholics will just have to get used to it,” they said, their tone more suggestive of an attempt at unity than their actual words. An American seminarian said, following up, “It’ll be okay. It will be a short reign and Ratzinger isn’t all people say he is.”
The installation of Pope Benedict XVI will be held Sunday at St. Peter’s. | <urn:uuid:b541d3a7-e7e0-44ed-902a-ecb502ac8bca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Catholic/2005/04/Paul-Wilkes-When-In-Rome.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976714 | 4,002 | 1.625 | 2 |
January 29, 2013 By Colin Wood
In an attempt to mitigate the digital divide and provide greater functionality to 311 users, Chicago announced a new set of features that can be accessed by texting the city's 311 system. The new features build on the existing SMS system, ChiTEXT, a component of the city's Open311 system. Launched in September 2012, Chicago's Open311 system aims to closely integrate with mobile apps and ultimately, provide greater service for users. ChiTEXT, with its expanded feature set, allows users to complete most 311 tasks solely through texting. Users can then track the progress of their ticket as it goes through the city, in the same way that shipping customers can track their packages online.
Prior to the upgrade, ChiTEXT's functionality was extremely limited, said Chicago Chief Technology Officer John Tolva, explaining that users could just get information, not submit requests for service. “Open311 is a standard open source protocol for letting external developers write applications that access 311 data,” said Tolva. The launch of Open311 in Chicago allowed for simple integration with the mobile SeeClickFix app. Perhaps more importantly, Tolva said, users can follow their ticket's progress with or without a smartphone, thanks to the Open311 service tracker and expanded SMS functionality.
The top 14 reasons people call 311 make up about 70 percent of the city's call volume, Tolva said, and all those requests can now be submitted and tracked via SMS. “This is as much about the digital divide and making sure that no one is disenfranchised here,” Tolva said. “We're absolutely fired up about smartphone apps and things like that, but we have this tool, and frankly, sometimes it's easier just to text, no matter what kind of phone you have.”
Just as mobile apps and websites provide alternate methods for citizens to find information they need, ChiTEXT does its part to take some of the load off the city's 311 call center. The call center, Tolva explained, will never go away. “You're always going to want to have the option of people calling in,” he said. “Some people are just more comfortable with that.” And Open311 and ChiTEXT only address the most common 311 issues -- for more detailed requests, talking to a call center representative is still the best approach.
Enhancing the functionality of ChiTEXT didn't cost the city anything, Tolva said. SMS features were already provided by the city's back-end customer service system vendor, Motorola. Improving the system was a simple matter of capitalizing on what they had already invested in. “The difficulty in it only came in having to script out the questions,” he said. “It's not all that complicated except when you start to think that there are certain requests that require detail.” When a user reports a pothole, for instance, he will receive a series of questions from the system such as, “Is the pothole near the curb line?” or “Does the pothole look like a sinkhole?” The challenge, according to Tolva, was crafting succinct questions that would gather all the needed information as quickly as possible.
As many government agencies have found, the old “build it and they will come” adage doesn't usually hold true for technology projects. Informing the public that these services exist was as important as the services themselves, Tolva said. The city advertises the services through graphics on buses and bus shelters. A lot of people in Chicago text the city's bus and train tracking systems, so the 311 functionality was a natural extension of those services, he said.
The service tracker and its wide accessibility is unique, Tolva said. “There is no other city that has the ability to show where inside the city's internal departments your request is,” he said. “And that's just part of a larger tracker fascination that we have. ... We have bus tracker, train tracker, plow tracker, traffic tracker, and now service tracker.” These types of services make the city's operations more visible, and they also provide opportunities for developers to build applications and even entire businesses on top of what the city started. “I would view Open311 as part of turning the city into a platform,” Tolva said.
You may use or reference this story with attribution and a link to | <urn:uuid:dff1494a-7944-4a1d-b71e-ad44dbab2617> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.govtech.com/Chicago-Open311-Empowers-Texters.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958021 | 913 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Metro Richmond police cracking down on drunk driving
Richmond, VA (WTVR) – Local police are taking steps to keep you safe behind the wheel this holiday season.
On Thursday, Mother’s Against Drunk Driving and Richmond and Henrico Police held a news conference urging you to drive safer by making sure you buckle up. If you do drink at your holiday gatherings, have a designated driver. If you don’t police say they will catch you and you will be arrested.
“It’s not just about catching people who are breaking the law, it’s about helping those who follow the law get home safely as well,” says Henrico Police Chief Doug Middleton.
In 2011, 245 people were killed by drunk drivers on Virginia roads. Police say 100% of those deaths were avoidable. | <urn:uuid:1538f711-504e-4ba0-83d8-d82c875f5276> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wtvr.com/2012/12/20/metro-richmond-police-cracking-down-on-drunk-driving/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963219 | 174 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Ethics, Law, & Workplace Social Media
Yesterday as part of the Business Ethics Speakers Series I host, we held a panel discussion on “Ethical and Legal Aspects of Workplace Social Media.”* It’s a topic that a lot of organizations are thinking about these days, and it raises a lot of tricky questions. How much control should an organization try to exert over employees use of Twitter at work? When two employees kvetch about their employer on Facebook, is that a private conversation or a public one? Is it OK for an employer to gain access to a potential employee’s Facebook profile in order to engage in screening?
For the panel, I invited three of the most thoughtful people I know on the topic. All happened to be lawyers, but all come from very different perspectives and intersect with the topic in very different ways. And all of them were interested not just to talk about the legal standards that apply to social media in the workplace, but also about the ethical principles that ought to underpin such standards.
Mark Crestohl, who chaired the panel, is AVP for Global HR Regulatory Policies at TD Bank. In his comments, Mark suggested that what is most important for employers is to explain to their employees what it expects of them when they engage in social media. Mark explained that at TD, they explain to employees that they must adhere to the bank’s usage guidelines when any one or more of three situations arise: when the employee uses equipment (e.g., a corporate smartphone) provided by the employer; when they use network access provided by the employer; or when they are discussing topics related to TD or the financial services industry.
Panelist Dan Michaluk is a Partner at Hicks Morley, Canada’s largest HR law firm. He said his advice to corporate clients is that then need to have a social media policy that is “risk-based and culture-tuned.” In other words, cookie-cutter policies just won’t do. He also said that clear internal guidelines are important, and that guidelines and policies need to be enforced consistently. But he also warns clients to think carefully before engaging on the ‘hard cases,’ the kinds of cases that test the line between private activity and activity that causes a significant risk to an employer interest.
Finally, Avner Levin is a colleague of mine at the Ted Rogers School of Management, and Director of the Privacy and Cyber Crime Institute. For Avner, the key is to keep having a rich conversation about the issues social media raise. He pointed out that we tend to strive to behave online in ways that mimic the standards we have developed offline. But, he noted, we also seek, online, to present different aspects of our identity to different audiences — our employer, our colleagues, our family, our friends — in the same manner that we do in the real world. His plea was that we do our best to make sure that our workplace policies respect those individual needs and desires.
But that just hints at the rich discussion that went on. You can see the webcast of the event in its entirety by clicking here: Ethical and Legal Aspects of Workplace Social Media.
*The panel was co-sponsored by the Ethics Practitioners’ Association of Canada. | <urn:uuid:f2b9c67d-4294-40e7-a790-92bd65636841> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://businessethicsblog.com/2012/11/07/ethics-law-workplace-social-media/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=ea0388e61b | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967695 | 679 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Sorry, no definitions found.
“Ms. Sprague had spent the afternoon sorting a jumble of new arrivals: 21 boxes of medicine containing dried sea horse; an antique sword inlaid with sea turtle shell; several bottles of foul-looking wine purportedly good for treating arthritis with pickled snakes coiled inside.”
“Getting down on a knee, he filled it with the foul-looking water.”
“Another man, Mr. Gaunt, comes out and yells for Morfin (the first foul-looking fellow) to go back into the house.”
“The narrator of his poem chides pesky bankers who try to sell clients collateralized debt obligations and other foul-looking securities, much like the character in the Dr. Seuss classic who is hounded by Sam-I-Am into eating green eggs.”
“With shaking hands he took a dark foul-looking cigarette from a silver case and lit it.”
“Sam lounged in the smoking car under a foul-looking yellow duster and the wreckage of a straw hat.”
“He allowed Pity to guide him past a patch of foul-looking slush, and said, "Thank you, my dear.”
“Todd got to his feet and crossed the small office to pour a thick, foul-looking dark brew from a pot.”
“The left side was overgrown with foul-looking and - melling weeds and had statuary that was downright disgusting.”
“The mate was rummaging in the huge tool chest at the back, and he came up triumphantly with a big ball of oily rags which he unwrapped to reveal some foul-looking putty-like substance.”
‘foul-looking’ hasn't been added to any lists yet.
Looking for tweets for foul-looking. | <urn:uuid:b01bb85a-096c-47c0-ac4f-95d5fe1a5409> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordnik.com/words/foul-looking | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964438 | 400 | 1.75 | 2 |
After issuing zoning violations to several Charlottesville city homeless shelters that have or threaten to shut down their operations, the city is considering changes to the process that could make it easier for shelters to get special-use permits to operate.
Josh Bare runs a homeless shelter at the Hope Community Center with his father, Harold.
Homeless shelter cited for improper zoning
Board of Zoning appeals denies Monticello Ridge
COMPASS homeless again
Homeless shelter closed over permit
No direction homeless
Help, I need somebody
How the other 20 percent lives
Building a homeless day haven
As C-VILLE reported last week, the latest shelter hit with a violation is the Hope Community Center, a 30- to 40-bed facility opened to the homeless in November by Covenant Church Pastor Harold Bare. Because Hope is located on 11th Street NW in a residential neighborhood, an evening shelter is not allowed under city code. Bare was notified as such at the end of February. The shelter will remain open for the rest of this month as Bare tackles the zoning dispute.
The city is now considering changing its zoning ordinances to allow special-use permits for homeless shelters. It plans to check with other localities for precedents. Even though evening homeless shelters are not technically allowed to operate in the city, it’s exploring the possibility of allowing Bare to operate under a special-use permit for a boarding house, according to city spokesman Ric Barrick. To obtain that permit, Bare would need permission from City Council.
Last year, Bare agreed to rent out the Hope Community Center as an evening homeless shelter to the now defunct organization COMPASS. Neither COMPASS nor Bare sought city approvals. In December, COMPASS fell apart without ever paying Bare, but he opted to operate the shelter with the help of his son, Josh, in order to provide for 20 to 30 homeless people caught in the middle of the disputes. Bare presumed, incorrectly, that as a church-related facility, Hope didn’t need city approval.
PACEM, an interfaith organization, operates a homeless shelter throughout the winter at several local churches in two-week rotations. PACEM, which is run by Mayor Dave Norris, worked out an exception with the city’s Neighborhood Development Services in 2004, granted because the housing is only temporarily provided at any one church.
The deadline has passed for Bare to appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), but the city has granted an extension and the matter could come as soon as the March 20 BZA meeting. Another legal outlet would be for Bare to apply for a special-use permit for a boarding house.
“The city wants to find homes for people who don’t have them,” says Barrick, indicating that Charlottesville is willing to work with Hope as long as it goes through the official zoning process. “As a community, the need outnumbers the supply.”
The need will soon grow, despite warming weather. On March 15, PACEM’s round-robin doors will close as scheduled and suddenly 50 to 60 of the area’s homeless will have nowhere to stay at night. According to Norris, many will move outside to one of the makeshift camps, while others will fall back on their own cunning or the generosity of someone else. Or, at least for a little longer, they can head over to the Hope Community Center.
C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to [email protected].
Correction April 22: This article originally stated that the Hope Community Center was located on 11th Street NE, when in fact it is located on 11th Street NW. The correction has been made above. | <urn:uuid:22eaf90b-4237-4d11-ab6b-da6a154f0146> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.c-ville.com/City_mulls_allowing_homeless_shelters/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959208 | 757 | 1.585938 | 2 |
I recently got a short tour of the normally-closed nocturnal house. This now houses an elderly mouse lemur and a thriving aye-aye family. Sabrina and Warlock produced a son, Dobby, who looks just as eccentric as his elders. He is only the 2nd second-generation aye-aye born in the US, so the Zoo is extremely proud of him. Asked how they accounted for this success, our guide said that it seems aye-ayes like to mate high in the trees, and the nocturnal house has a high ceiling which can be utilized for this romantic purpose.
Several months ago, to general surprise, Sabrina and Warlock produced another baby. It had been expected that it might take the couple five years to have their next child, not just one year. (Ah, high ceilings...) This daughter is allegedly still unnamed. (I find this unlikely. I suspect she has a name but it is being kept secret for one or more of the usual bizarre zoo rationales for withholding such non-Nature Facts. Or they are just embarrassed that they named her Morticia or Grimalkin or whatever.)
I asked about the wrench. “Oh yes,” said the guide. “We give them wrenches for their teeth.” It seems that aye-ayes have ever-growing teeth, like rodents, and need hard objects to gnaw on so their teeth don't overgrow. For this purpose they are given bamboo and hard wood. And wrenches.
The guide, who does not appear to have been at the Zoo very long, seemed to find this perfectly mundane, and offered no explanation for how wrenches came to be the dental device of choice.
(“Sure, we give the aye-ayes wrenches for teething. Just like we give the otters eggbeaters for grooming, and we give the pelicans assault rifles for nest-building. It's environmental enrichment.”)
Until I get a different suggestion, I am sticking with the hypothesis that this practice originated in an aye-aye act of pilferage. | <urn:uuid:355a2798-2dec-49f5-9d30-b251c8836264> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://natureofbeast.typepad.com/the_nature_of_the_beast/aye-ayes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975464 | 439 | 1.75 | 2 |
Minnkota Doesn't Expect Rate Increase for at Least 2 YearsGRAND FORKS (WDAZ-TV0 - Minnkota Power Cooperative doesn't expect to raise it's rates at least for a another two years. That was the word at its annual meeting on Friday in Grand Forks.
By: David Schwab, WDAZ
GRAND FORKS (WDAZ-TV0 - Minnkota Power Cooperative doesn't expect to raise it's rates at least for a another two years. That was the word at its annual meeting on Friday in Grand Forks.
After stuggling last year with a dropping demand in the wholesale eletricity market, Minnkota officials say this coming year will much more stable.
Minnkota Power's 72nd annual meeting has a theme called "Path To Stability. "Last year wasn't so stable. Chairman of Minnkota's Board Collin Jensen says the whole sale market for electricity fell 50 percent from the two previous years.
Jensen says the regional market that spans from Indiana to Saskatchewan has yet to make a comback. He says Minnkota did make cuts where it could, however in the end it was forced last year to pass on a large rate increase.
Minnkota Ceo and President Mac McLennon says the company is on course to do well without an rate increase this year and next. But needed infrastructure improvement could mean other hikes in rates in 2014.
"The challenge with it is we put all this infrastructure in to serve them electricity and turn around and suggest to them to use it wisely meaning it's declining some in its use," McLennan said.
McLennan says one of the benefits of being a member of a power cooperative says if the market turns around, its customers will know it.
"We are not for profit so any extra revenue we make goes to those customers and our members," McLennan said. | <urn:uuid:80a1d56d-ed02-4009-b38c-347bae4b3c10> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wdaz.com/event/article/id/12967/publisher_ID/30/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978715 | 407 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Kashmir is the crown of the Indian continent. Synonyms with “Paradise on Earth”, the state is also known as the Land of Kashyap Rishi. Nestled in between the Himalayas and the Pir Panjal ranges, this “paradise on earth” is jotted with snow capped mountains, turquoise lake, meadows, picturesque landscapes and green rolling of hills. The abundance of natural bounties of the state attracts thousands of travellers, mountaineers, visitors and honeymooners from every corner of the globe. Come and breathe a bucket of air, come and see the mountains soaring high, come to Kashmir and explore the unspoiled and untouched beauty of the place.
The foremost attraction in your Kashmir tour package is the capital city of Srinagar. Srinagar is well known as the “Land of Lakes”. The emerald Dal Lake and Nagin Lake of Srinagar are of mesmerizing beauty. Explore the floating gardens of lotus on the legendary boat named shikara. You can also opt for water skiing on the waters of Dal Lake and in the evening the lake looks stunning with the backdrop of cerise sunset. The gardens of Srinagar with rarest collection of flowering plants are photographer’s paradise. Most of Garden in Srinagar was built by the Mugal Emperor for the beloved wife and friends. So these gardens reflect the importance of love and friendship of the Mugal era. Some of the beautiful gardens in the land of lakes are the Shalimar Bagh, Mugal Gardens and the Nishat Bagh.
The Shankarcharya Hill located at the elevation of eleven hundred feet above sea level. The hill is also known as Takht- I- Suleiman or the Throne of Solomon. The hill has a temple known as the Jyesteswara Temple where the oldest shrine of Lord Shiva. Devotee from far and near come to pay homage to their deity and also to witness the architecture of the temple built in 317 B.C.
Kashmir holiday packages are available online with the easy access of the internet. Opt for a holiday package to Kashmir and land on the scenic land encircled with greenery, serenity, and peace. Gulmarg is an ideal holiday and honeymoon destination. Gulmarg is located at an elevation of two thousand six hundred and fifty meters above sea level. The snow destination of Kashmir blessed with exceptional beauty is a prime ski destination. Thousands of ski enthusiasts pave their way to Gulmarg for a phenomenal skiing and sledging experience. the Golconda Cable Car take you up to 13,000 feet from where you can get the bird’s eye view of the of the sown laden paradise. In the summer when the warm rays of the sun compel the snow to melt, the valley of Gulmarg is now the highest golf course of the world.
Kashmir tours provided by the Kashmir Tourism take you to Ladakh a home of “Adventure Enthusiast” and the “Land of Monasteries”. Ladakh is wedged in between the Great Himalayas, Karakoram Mountain ranges, Ladakh Range and the Zanskar Range. Known as “Little Tibet”, Ladakh is beautifully decorated with gompas, monasteries, monks and religious flag. Ladakh with its mountain beauty and the rich heritage of Buddhism is worth visiting in a lifetime.
Vicky is an eminent analyst and writer in Travel & Tourism related topics. He has authored many books on tour guide for Kerala Tour Packages and India Tour Packages . Find more packages at http://www.indiaholiday.org/ | <urn:uuid:592735d5-3c7c-4179-83e9-f99948656dd0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fubar.com/if-there-is-a-paradise-on-earth-then-it-surely-kashmir/b346299-1173814 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930837 | 766 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Wits Journalism is involved in, runs and/or spearheads a number of projects.
Most of these are designed to give our students experience in the practicalities of their craft - career-entry students are responsible for every facet of Vuvuzela, the campus newspaper and its web edition. At the end of each year, the career-entry students have to complete an 'in-depth project' that results in a website that they produce all the content for. VOW 90.5fm is staffed primarily by students, although not restricted to Journalism students.
Wits Journalism administrates the Ruth First Fellowship, which aims to foster and encourage the work of South African journalists and researchers that follows in a tradition of critical, progressive, independent-minded writing.
In addition, the Wits Justice Project, which investigates the plight of those locked up in South Africa's prisons, many of whom are still awaiting trial after years in jail, is run under the auspices of Wits Journalism.
JournAids is a website that assists journalists in reporting on and about people with HIV/Aids and was launched with the assistance of Wits Journalism, as part of its involvement in the HIV/Aids and the Media Project. | <urn:uuid:ed550fd9-a189-4ec1-ad5f-36b6145b7166> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.journalism.co.za/index.php/projects-grants-a-works.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965727 | 250 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Foiling attempts to follow the money
Illustration: Dionne Gain
There's endless debate and tinkering with bewildering laws. But with hundreds of millions of dollars sloshing around, American politics is a saleable commodity - just like hamburgers and toothpaste.
When you see Mrs Smith at the Safeway checkout paying for a tube of Colgate, the deal is straightforward, transparent.
And for all the angst about secret donations, the same transparency was present when a Las Vegas casino magnate tried to buy the Republican presidential nomination for a friend.
He might have hidden it, but the billionaire Sheldon Adelson chose not to. In recent years he had spent millions to promote the political ambition of Newt Gingrich. And up until the inevitable collapse of the Gingrich campaign this week, Adelson and his wife had invested an estimated $17 million to get the nomination for him.
That the bid failed is not the point - yet Republican primary voters should be thanked for their eminent good sense. But that there could be such a brazen attempt to purchase the presidency by No. 8 on last year's Forbes list of the richest Americans is what is so fascinating.
Despite the acceptance by many in the US media of Gingrich's self-promotion as a genius and a man of ideas, he is more aptly described as a bombastic windbag.
Even hurling millions of dollars at his campaign was unlikely to prevent the inevitable - it expired like a penny cracker.
After the resignation of most of his campaign team last year, Gingrich's march on the White House was heading down the gurgler. But Adelson, worth an estimated $22 billion, rescued it almost singlehandedly, throwing a lazy $5 million to a Super-PAC campaigning on behalf of Gingrich.
As conservative outliers, Gingrich and Adelson are two of a kind, with much in common politically - but the headline issue that binds them appears to be their support for the state of Israel.
"There is not a better advocate for Israel," the publicity-shy Adelson reportedly said of Gingrich in a call to the editor of a Jewish newspaper in New York last year.
With the 78-year-old billionaire virtually owning the Gingrich campaign - he put up an estimated 80-plus per cent of the funding - the unsettling reality was that Gingrich was a single-issue candidate on behalf of a single contributor.
The first $5 million put up by Adelson was a graphic demonstration of the impact of the 2010 Citizen's United ruling by the US Supreme Court, which radically rewrote electoral funding law - it was 1000 times more than the previous $5000 ceiling on how much Adelson might have donated to a campaign.
The court's ruling that corporations are people and therefore are entitled to donate to political campaigns has opened the floodgates, particularly with the advent of so-called super-PACs, lobbying organisations that purportedly have nothing to do with a candidate - but which generally are staffed by loyal, close associates who campaign shamelessly on their behalf.
The court described such corporate spending as ''independent'' of the political process.
But this is not the case - "such spending links candidates to major funders who want something from government, and this may be corrupting," says Trevor Potter, head of the Campaign Legal Centre, an electoral reform group.
Notwithstanding the new ease with which the rich can contribute, some still go to inordinate lengths to conceal their spending - like the people behind F8 and Eli Publishing, both of Provo, Utah, who were listed as $1 million-apiece donors to a Romney-associated super-PAC.
Reporters who went digging found little at the listed address - the same for both entities.
There was nothing in the public domain to suggest that F8 transacted any kind of conventional business and no listings for books by Eli Publishing on Amazon.
Ultimately there appeared to be nothing legally untoward in the donations - a multimillionaire in Utah simply wanted to stay below the radar.
But in trying too hard to conceal his giving, he drew media attention … and there was another perfectly legal way to stay hush-hush.
Super-PAC contributions are revealed in time, which perhaps explains a new shift by wealthy individuals and corporations, to making unlimited contributions anonymously to tax-exempt organisations, such as the US Chamber of Commerce or the Crossroads organisation.
Both organisations undoubtedly are heavily into politics, but they operate under provisions of the tax rules that do not require them to reveal the identity of their financial backers. Such groups have already spent $28.5 million on campaign advertising, mostly in swing states, according to The Washington Post. And they are expected to spend tens of millions more on congressional contests.
It is instructive to look at spending by Crossroads, run by a group of former George W. Bush advisers, including Karl Rove. Crossroads GPS, its non-profit arm, raised close to $40 million from undisclosed donors in the first quarter of this year - compared with just $10 million raised by its affiliated super-PAC, American Crossroads, which must reveal the sources of its funding.
Tax records reveal that 90 per cent of $76 million raised by the non-profit Crossroads GPS last year was donated in the form donations of $1 million or more the donor-names for which will never be revealed, the Post reports.
Some American analysts argue that in the frontline contest, Obama super-PAC spending will likely cancel out that by the Romney-associated organisations. More pernicious, they warn, will be the super-PACS that need only threaten to inject money into a congressional contest - with the objective of bringing candidates into line with elements of their agenda.
In a country in which members of congress often seem to be more in the service of a range of lobbies than of their constituents, that is not as far-fetched as it sounds.
And some 'far-fetched' is good - which is to say that I'll miss Gingrich's pumped-up self-importance and his claimed ''big'' ideas.
History will record them all as it acknowledges that Gingrich is the presidential bullet that Americans avoided in 2012 - a colony on the moon, children to work as school janitors, a United Nations treaty to make ''the right to bear arms [a] universal right''.
Quite apart from his ideas was how he expressed them.
My favourite - "The thing I find most disheartening about this campaign is the difficulty of talking about positive ideas on a large scale, because the news media can't cover it and, candidly, my opponents can't comprehend it." | <urn:uuid:873337e3-1127-4189-b0c3-f4988dd23642> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.watoday.com.au/opinion/politics/foiling-attempts-to-follow-the-money-20120428-1xrgm.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966063 | 1,359 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The tax department released a report that by the start of October, total domestic tax receipts are officially calculated at 90.77 trillion dong, equal to 83.4% compared with targeted 2004 and up 15% against the same period 2003.
“The possibility to collect domestic tax revenue exceeding 5% of the plan and up 10% against the 2003 amount as prime minister Phan Van Khai instructed at the start of 2004 is realistically feasible”, said Nguyen Dinh Vu, deputy head of the tax department.
The major factor driving the high increase in domestic tax receipts is derived from the big jump in the crude oil price to US$50 a barrel, which brought total crude oil tax revenue in the first nine months this year to 25.25 trillion, equal to 98% of the full year’s target.
However, according to Vu Thi Mai, chief of the tax management and collection department (GDT), total domestic tax revenues (excluding crude oil) is estimated at 65.52 trillion dong, equal to about 79% of year’s target and up 22.5% compared with the year-earlier period.
“At present, 12 out of 16 domestic taxes have reached over 74% of the plan”, said Mai. It is noteworthy that domestic tax revenue collected from foreign-invested enterprises increased 36% year-on-year to 9.9 trillion dong. According to Mai, in addition to collecting corporate income tax of over 560 billion dong from Phu My Hung, the high increase in the domestic tax revenue gained from foreign-invested enterprises is because more than 450 newly established FIEs were granted tax codes and officially started operation.
According to GDT figures, tax revenue from the private sector is estimated at nearly 9.3 trillion dong, equal to 78% of the target and increasing 20.2% yoy.
The result shows that the industrial production value of the private sector in the first months this year also increased strongly estimated to have risen 21.6% to take the lead in he industrial output growth nationwide.
However, the picture of the domestic tax receipts in the first months still contains some weak points. Specifically, total tax revenue collected from state-owned enterprises did not meet targets. The GDT said that in the first nine months this year, total tax revenue from state-owned enterprises only reached 23.15 trillion dong, equal to 68.7% of the target, and a marginal increase of 11.3% compared with the same period last year.
“It is unlikely that SOE tax revenue will reach the target and will end the year at around 12% growth,” predicted a GDT official.
The major cause leading to the low increase in tax revenue from SOEs in the first three quarters is due to less then anticipated industrial production value growth of only 12.2%—the lowest rate of any industrial sector. In addition, the policy on unifying the corporate income tax rate to 28% for all businesses from the previous 32% also caused a shortfall of about two trillion dong in estimated SOE tax revenue in 2004. | <urn:uuid:9d39b753-939d-4a04-b41a-6c07a7c06e88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.intellasia.net/tax-revenue-climbs-15-314 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964008 | 644 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Two stories this week demonstrated that Greece isn’t the only thing Europe has to disagree about. Together they both help highlight the problem regulators have worldwide with HFT. The first story,
by the FT’s Jeremy Grant, describes how Italy’s Borsa Italiana is bowing to
Consob pressure and introducing a fee structure that will charge participants more depending upon the number of orders they submit. This effectively introduces a tax on the HFT community because their business model is predicated on a much higher order
to fill ratio. The rationale for this is that HFT somehow distorts markets and so this is needed in order to achieve “stability”. And yet, not so far away, the Swedish regulator claims that
“the negative effects related to high-frequency and algorithmic trading are limited”. Worse still is the situation in Australia where the new ballooning regulation costs are being divided up in accordance with the numbers of orders submitted. Apparently
this is not intended as a direct tax on HFT but a way of reflecting the extra effort involved in supervising these firms. The net effect, however, is just the same.
Part of the problem lies in coming up with a definition of HFT that everyone agrees upon, but the real problem lies with the regulators themselves. When they were busy introducing multi-market structures, why didn’t they think that this would lead to a huge
increase in HFT? Splitting liquidity over multiple destinations and the subsequent introduction of maker taker pricing provides the ideal breeding ground for arbitrage. And, of course, exchanges around the world have been busy building the fastest race tracks
they can in order to attract the same HFT players too.
Maybe it’s because HFT is such a nebulous concept that it becomes such an easy scapegoat. Firms can always claim that any sanctions aren’t really directed at them but, just like Greece, I guess the debate will go on forever. | <urn:uuid:54e294d7-9dc8-4b4b-a551-8a6c7d19ff49> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.finextra.com/community/fullblog.aspx?blogid=6270 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957451 | 412 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Benedict XVI reveals his true self through the projections he makes on a multitude of nameless people that he has no idea who they neither are nor cares to get to know through dialogue. Benedict XVI is exactly as he describes his understanding of Judas to be. For Benedict XVI being over 30 years in the Vatican, as he describes in this address – he was not and is not about faith or love. It is Benedict XVI who had the secret intention of taking vengeance on the Master, which in his case is Christ, Pope John Paul II, anyone who opposed him and then by default all of humanity. It seems practically every time Benedict XVI speaks out against a speck in someone’s eye or group or nation he reveals far more about who he is. This is why his public addresses come across so twisted and confusing. They only seem to make any sense when they are reverted back to him. They become an almost clear description about who he is. Being oblivious to one’s plank in his or her eye is a form of dissociation from reality can render that same person to be in so ways blind and delusional – almost like living in a make believe world. For someone like Benedict XVI this type of delusional thinking has disastrous consequences for all of humanity. Photo
B16 Covert – Ruthless & Deceitful
For more than 30 years, inside the Vatican - as Cardinal Ratzinger, and then in an ever more brazen “no-holds-barred” manner that is ruthless and deceitful after he became pope 2005 - Benedict XVI seems to secretly kept himself hidden in the shadows behind close doors and took his convoluted vengeance out anyone who disagrees with his false understanding about what truth is. These people who were targeted by Benedict XVI many were gay friendly and supportive they mainly were bishops, priests, sisters, academics, etc. These targeted church people were by Benedict XVI’s elaborate design in great secrecy were more than just systematically removed. They were attacked in ways that seem to have been methodically thought out that would ensure their almost complete silence. They were severely harmed - lives were destroyed and many left in near destitute situations that caused unbelievable stress culminating in stressed related illnesses and for some premature deaths. It is the most shocking reaction to realize that these devious attacks were coming from the least likely place anyone could imagine – the Vatican and in particular from Cardinal Ratzinger himself.
Not a pretty picture all done in secrecy - leaving the unsuspecting targeted victim completely dumfounded, as their lives were being instantly reduced to ashes. Many would find themselves for some odd reason isolated from their family and friends and their credibility instantly destroyed without having any real reason, why or how did it happen? However, as with most dark devious crime against humanity as like with all Benedict XVI clandestine activities, e.g. 30 some years of child sexual abuse cover-ups, the Vatileaks, his deliberate orchestrated smoke screens and lack of transparency (seemly whipped up whenever he needs to divert public attention), and his unending Character Assassinations of his perceived opposition (as the news media continues to report) – all his crimes globally are now coming home to roost in the Vatican. We remember the tsunami wave in 2010 in what seemed as an never ending accounts of child sexual abuse cover-ups that basically highlighted Benedict XVI as the master mind behind these child sexual abuse cover-ups.
A quite similar phenomenon happened to President Nixon, but he was only the leader of the USA. Benedict XVI in contrast is a global leader. And he is finding out all too quickly that not even with all the money and strategic planning in the world including even hiring the best and the brightest PR personnel from Fox news – can he stop the magnitude of this tsunami, which is made up of all his deceit from engulfing the entire Vatican, including the hierarchy. This has the distinct feeling of Noah and the Ark mixed with the fairytale of Humpty Dumpty. Photo
Fr. Marty Kurylowicz being attacked by Benedict XVI
I am next in line to be one of Benedict XVI casualties. As a gay Roman Catholic - I have absolutely no recourse regarding my situation – except to make mu case all public. This of course will not stop the Benedict XVI and W. Hurley violent covert operations against me. But it can become a small window into the cloak-and-dagger routine of corruption that is now undeniably characteristic of Benedict XVI, his hierarchy and all their accomplices. In this way Catholics and friends of Catholic can help see that the likes of Benedict XVI’s clandestine activities, child sexual abuse cover-ups, etc. are therefore prevented from ever happening again. Also, I hope it will bring out publically the true stories of all those bishops, priests, sisters, academics, etc. who were on B16’s list to be secretly sabotaged into silence and then later are removed without any public notice or recourse.
Pope Blasts U.K. Anti-Discrimination Laws - February 2, 2010 – In Speech, Benedict Raises Fears that Vatican Could Be Prosecuted for Stances Against Gays
Gay Catholic Priest, Fr. Marty Kurylowicz, 1997 “Coming Out” for “Protection of Children From Antigay Social & Religious Norms” – Vatican Ordered REPARATIVE THERAPY for the gay priest – August 2012
GAY MARRIAGE – Propaganda Tactics|B16’s Naturalistic fallacy & Homosexuality - Dehumanizing, Depriving Civil Rights, Silencing Gays - Covering Up B16 Crimes Against Children 30+yrs? |PART 5
VATICAN: GAY DISCRIMINATION Document Released - July 24, 1992 “…that said homosexuals could legitimately be discriminated against in employment, housing and the adoption of children.”
Vatican attacked for opposing gay decriminalization - December 2, 2008
Vatican OPPOSES UN Declaration on DECRIMINALISATION of HOMOSEXUALITY – December 12, 2008
Sister MARGARET FARLEY - in St. Louis, at the CATHOLIC THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA - A "profoundly important" question for Catholic theologians, Farley said, is: "SHOULD POWER SETTLE QUESTIONS OF TRUTH?" …her students [at Yale] asked…why she stayed in a church…Because the church "is still a source of real life for me," she would tell them. "It's worth the struggle. It's Worth Getting A Real Backbone That Has Compassion Tied To It." – Her book, "Just Love: A Framework for Christian Social Ethics" - 61112
SR. MARGARET A. FARLEY - emeritus professor of Christian ethics at Yale Divinity School – defends her book - “JUST LOVE: A FRAMEWORK FOR CHRISTIAN SEXUAL ETHICS” respecting and supporting GAY MARRIAGE - from Benedict XVI Approved Homophobic Attacks made by Vatican - 60412 Photo
APATHY is a Killer
of all that is
True and Good and Loving
If people’s apathy remains untouched (which is form of collusion) that lets Benedict XVI and his hierarchy ruthless and deceitful tactics to continue unchallenged in their illicit affairs that has already significantly and severely harmed children globally would then further jeopardize in the future the lives of children – all due to our apathy. Remember that there is no civil court in the world that would prosecute Benedict XVI and his hierarchy. Because for decades they truly believed they are above the law, the results now are indicative of their present indifference, arrogance and smugness.
The only stimulus for reform in this regard of the above-described hierarchical corruption rests completely with us that is all the people. Not as a hysterical and frenzy mob – but as individuals who have faithfully studied all the variables involved – including making a personal rigorous self-examination. It is not anti-Catholic to expect the hierarchy including Benedict XVI to remain accountable to the highest degree to Christ and all his teaching as spelled out in the Gospels. It is not only - not anti-Catholic to publically hold accountable our Church leaders – but our sacred duty in the name of Jesus Christ. What is equally important in times like these – that will help us to avoid the grievous sin of self-righteousness that Jesus endlessly condemned throughout the gospels – is first to take the plank out of our own individual eyes – before presuming to do the same to our Church leaders.
The Catholic Church does not belong to Benedict XVI, to do as he pleases - like playing house in early childhood. It is absolutely amazing how Benedict XVI reacts to being brought into the light – much like a vampire. It appears that Benedict XVI to avoid any exposure to the light – takes off in lightening speed to remain hidden in the dark and then from the false security of this darkness he appoints others to do his dirty work. With all due respect - it seems that essentially Benedict XVI is a coward. If we allow Benedict XVI to bully people around - children will not be safe. It could then set a precedence for those who come after him that Benedict XVI’s questionable behavior – is acceptable by all members of the Catholic Church, including our sisters and brothers from other Christian denominations.
Standing Up Against All Odds
We Become A Part Of Something that is Greater Than Ourselves
Every now and then – we must be willing to stand up against all odds, first, by acquiring a well-informed conscience – by thoroughly studying all sides of an issue (though not all the way Benedict XVI describes, which is essentially his demanding absolute blind obedience - the blind leading the blind). Secondly, we must enter into the most sincerest form of pray with Christ – as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Benedict XVI Modus Operandi
Pope John Paul II seemed in all sincerity to have trusted Benedict XVI; (then as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) however, Benedict XVI appears from documented data to have taken great pains to keep secret his activities as the grand inquisitor. This may be his personal style of doing business, which seems to be the case as it has been revealed in the news media since he was made pope in April 2005. However, B16 has been and continues to be surrounded by unending scandals though not all unfounded as it relates to him. There is a substantial amount of documented evidence that indicate his orchestration of the child sexual abuse cover-ups, which would be enough for anyone else to be tried in a civil court. However, because of his diplomatic immunity the search for the truth is a mute issue and as he says in this address it allows him to keep secret his most serious crime of falsehood. This has and continues to be Benedict XVI modus operandi as can be seen in his letter to his bishops demanding total secrecy regarding his child sexual abuse cover-ups. Benedict XVI lives in a perpetual state of secrecy, lacking transparency in all his dealings that is clearly found in his maintaining a constant vagueness in all his addresses – never being clear and direct. This perpetual plank of his lifelong INSINCERITY logged in his eye that he seems unwilling to make any attempt to remove – is as he states himself – “the Mark of the Devil.”
It is utterly audacious of Benedict XVI to narcissistically have been allowed to conceive the idea that he owns the Catholic Church “lock stock and barrel.” The poor dear man – how it must hurt to be so off balanced and out of touch with the Catholic Church [the people] to be so terribly alone. It grieves one to have say that - Benedict XVI clearly hasn’t the slightest clue - what it means to conform oneself to Christ. What appears to be significantly more true is that Benedict XVI wants the whole world to conform to his ways unquestionably – a global blind obedience to him. This is his problem and what a doozie of a delusion of grandeur he has – a most serious false impression of his own importance that is unbelievably harmful to millions of people, globally. How in the name of God was he ever allowed to become pope??? What is so terribly wrong with our Catholic hierarchical system that allowed this catastrophe to take place??? This is an area in the name of all that is good and holy – cries to the heavens to be investigated and to make sure this never ever happens again – for the protection and well-being of children globally. This is the responsibility of every Catholic member of the Church.
GAY MARRIAGE - An 8 Part Series Professionally providing Reliable Authoritative Data & Research – that Challenges the Accuracy & Truthfulness of Benedict XVI & Hierarchy – Public Antigay Attacks, Tactics – 2012
Benedict XVI Anti-Gay Obsession | DISSOCIATIVE - HOMOEROTIC Feelings - NOT Catholic Church DOCTRINE | Crackdown U.S. Nuns Gay Marriage & Permanent Removing Gay Priest 1997 for his efforts to Protect Children
Gay Marriage - No Mystery – Only TRUTH about Child Sexual Abuse Cover-ups Will Set Benedict XVI Free – not FOX NEWS NETWORK PR in an USA Presidential Election Year – A 30 year Web of DECEIT & RUTHLESSNESS is Unending Expense & Global Violence Against Children!
APATHY is a Killer
FLOW, the SECRET TO HAPPINESS – positive psychologist - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: “...understanding what contributed to a life that was worth living...you can find that the lack of basic resources, material resources, contributes to unhappiness, but the increase in material resources does not increase happiness.” “You know that what you need to do is possible to do, even though difficult, and sense of time disappears. You forget yourself. You feel part of something larger.” “BOREDOM begins to be very aversive and APATHY becomes very negative: you don't feel that you're doing anything, you don't use your skills, there's no challenge. Unfortunately, a lot of people's experience is in APATHY. The largest single contributor to that experience is WATCHING TELEVISION…” video & transcript 2004
JK ROWLAND (author of Harry Potter book series), delivers her Commencement Address, at Harvard 6/05/08 - The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the IMPORTANCE OF IMAGINATION – “…many prefer not to exercise their imaginations at all. They choose to remain comfortably within the bounds of their own experience, never troubling to wonder how it would feel to have been born other than they are. They can refuse to hear screams or to peer inside cages; they can close their minds and hearts to any suffering that does not touch them personally; they can refuse to know… those who choose not to empathise enable real monsters. For without ever committing an act of outright evil ourselves, we collude with it, through our own APATHY.” JK ROWLAND - Harvard University – 60508 – video | <urn:uuid:eb195b1c-449d-4643-8bf4-74a3c0169551> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fathermartykurylowicz.blogspot.com/2012_08_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968035 | 3,118 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The former chief jailer of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge has told a joint United Nations-Cambodian court that he "sacrificed everything" for the communist movement and said US policies paved the way for the group's rise to power.
Speaking in court in Phnom Penh on Monday, Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, spoke of how he left his job as a maths teacher to join the Khmer Rouge – an ultra-Maoist revolutionary group blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people.
"I believed my decision was proper at the time. I sacrificed everything for the revolution, sincerely and absolutely," he said.
"I will write a document about the crimes I did to my people at the time and recall the names involved. Where there was cruel activity by myself, I will reveal it."
Duch's testimony comes after he formally apologised last week for the deaths of more than 14,000 people at the S-21 torture and interrogation centre he ran in Phnom Penh.
"I joined the revolution in order to transform society, to oppose the government, to oppose torture"
Kaing Guek Eav, AKA Duch
The 66-year-old former teacher is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Although the tribunal's mandate covers only the Khmer Rouge's time in power, Duch's testimonies later this week are also expected to cover an earlier period before the Khmer Rouge takeover when he commanded a secret jail called M-13.
Nil Nonn, a judge, said it was necessary to hear about M-13 to understand Tuol Sleng's organisational structure, Duch's personality, and the relevance of his role to the Khmer Rouge leadership.
Jean-Marc Lavergne, a French judge, questioned Duch about his past, particularly how he came to be sentenced to 20 years in prison for communist activities against the government of Prince Norodom Sihanouk in the 1960s.
"I joined the revolution in order to transform society, to oppose the government, to oppose torture," Duch said.
Duch recounted his stay from 1968 to 1969 in Prey Sar prison - a facility which he would later use as part of his Tuol Sleng complex.
"That was when prisoners were shot and terrorised for every breath they took," Duch said of his time in the military prison.
US policies blamed
Despite Duch's dedication to communist ideology, he said that he realised that the Khmer Rouge's activities would end up in a "disaster".
He also said that US policies in the 1970s contributed to the communist regime's rise to power.
Duch said he believed the Khmer Rouge movement would have died out by 1970 if the US government under Richard Nixon had not supported Cambodia's military-led government following the 1970 coup d'etat that removed Prince Norodom Sihanouk from power.
"I think the Khmer Rouge would already have been demolished," he said of their status by 1970.
Instead, he said, the Khmer Rouge took what they saw as a "golden opportunity" that was given by the backing given to General Lon Nol, the coup leader, by Nixon and his secretary of state, Henry Kissinger.
Because of this alliance, the Khmer Rouge were able to build up their power over the course of their 1970-75 war against the Lon Nol regime, Duch said.
Critics of US foreign policy at the time say the US agreed to the coup because Washington felt Sihanouk's "neutralist" policies benefited the communists in Vietnam, who used Cambodian territory as a base and supply line.
But the coup triggered a greater Vietnamese communist presence in Cambodia and caused them to vastly increase their support for the Khmer Rouge.
|Duch told the tribunal he knew that Khmer Rouge policies would end in "disaster" [AFP]
Duch is the first of five former Khmer Rouge officials expected to face trial before the UN-Cambodian tribunal.
But with the first trial only just beginning, allegations of corruption are threatening to undermine the tribunal process.
On Monday Peter Taksoe-Jensen, the UN assistant secretary-general for legal affairs, began meetings with government and tribunal officials about allegations that Cambodian personnel taking part in the tribunal were forced to pay kickbacks to obtain their positions.
Defence lawyers and human rights groups have said the allegations, if unanswered, could tarnish the tribunal's credibility.
The allegations also pose a financial threat, as foreign aid donors who provide the budget for Cambodian personnel are withholding their funds until the issue is resolved. | <urn:uuid:8546eecc-5a6b-4ee1-bb77-ca0e852041a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2009/04/20094665612660243.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978928 | 972 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Cooma Rotary Club completes PNG aid project
A service club on the Monaro in the New South Wales south east has completed an aid project in Papua New Guinea.
Five members of the Cooma Rotary Club were sent to a remote village near Port Moresby, last week.
For six days they helped construct three water systems, to help supply the village's houses, schools, medical centre and police station.
The group's leader, Peter Davis, said social issues in the village, and the location of springs meant the local school had cut the water supply to essential services.
He said the work had to be done.
"The background issues were that the medical centre and police station had had no water for two years," Mr Davis said.
"These were servicing an area of a couple of thousand people, so in the space of six days, we built three separate water supply schemes."
Mr Davis said the work highlighted the differences between Australian and Papua New Guinean cultures.
"In our western society, it'd be extraordinary that a school would cut-off water to the one and only medical centre within 40km (of another town)," he said.
Having completed his 36th trip to the country and after working as a trek leader on the Kokoda Track, Mr Davis said the web of social and cultural issues to navigate can be difficult.
"You have to understand what the real problems are, not just what appears to be the problem on the surface."
While Cooma Rotary will continue their aid work in the country over the coming months, Mr Davis said it is important for the villagers not to become dependent on the support.
"I'm mindful not to build up a 'cargo-cult' mentality, so the villagers have to be involved in building the scheme, or wanting it in the first place; being part of the construction and understanding how to maintain it," Mr Davis said. | <urn:uuid:931d5156-2473-473e-ae20-092db9218dc2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-18/cooma-rotary/4320784?section=news | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975577 | 395 | 1.578125 | 2 |
If your life is like mine, you’re busy with work, errands, and chores. I try to cook real food, especially on weekends, but sometimes I’m just tired and would like to eat out–let somebody else cook and clean up. That brings up the BIG QUESTION–where can we go to get food that’s healthy, safe, and, of course, tastes good? My husband and I debate where to go everytime we decide to eat out. Usually we just settle for a “make do.” We try to avoid fast food, find restaurants that serve a variety of vegetables (not just 5 kinds of potatoes and maybe rice), and order grilled meats, rather than fried. But there don’t seem to be very many that offer much choice. And, I suspect that even those that may look (and taste?) okay are not always cooked (with good, healthy fats) or seasoned (without msg, for example) in the best way to promote health and nutrition. The salad dressings are probably made with soy oil, if they’re like the bottled ones you can buy in the grocery stores.
A few local restaurants have been recommended (see comments on the About page) including T’afia, Ruggles Green, and Feast. Their web sites say they use local food and Feast avoids factory farmed animals, even listing the sources for some of their foods. These restaurants are certainly going in the right direction, but, are there any others? What about the rest of Houston? Where do you go? Do you bring your own salad dressing? Do you ask the cook to use butter rather than oil? How do you find a good, real food restaurant in Houston? | <urn:uuid:42129a08-dd2b-4d65-8897-588038ec41d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.realfoodhouston.com/2011/01/29/real-food-restaurants/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968524 | 357 | 1.726563 | 2 |
In discussing the return of the Jews and the fulfillment of the promises to ‘national Israel’ a reader stated,
There is no way that someone can demonstrate that Isaiah 11 has been fulfilled.
I felt that this was not something to be discussed in a comment section, but that it might serve a purpose as an individual post.
The little that I do know of the Hebrew language as employed by the writers of the Old Testament, I realize that many times, parallelism was used to set things off, or to explain things in a different manner. Here, the prophet-poet delivers a passage of hope, twice.
There is the other view, that somehow of the course of time, like Isaiah, there are two writers contributing to this passage. (This is not an argument against inerrancy.) This passage not merely speaks to the establishment of the Davidic monarchy through the Messiah, but serves as a capstone for the previous few chapters.
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins.
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb.
The leopard shall lie down with the kid.
The calf and the lion and the fatling together,
Then a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall feed;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The infant child shall play over the hole of the asp – the toddler shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
It strikes me as I look more closely at the passage that there is a nearly one-to-one correspondence between the virtues of the first part of the text and the animals of the second. Just as wisdom, understanding, counsel and might rest on the shoot of Jesse, so the wolf, lamb, leopard and the little child are celebrated in the second half. As it is the spirit of counsel, might and knowledge of the Lord that triumph at the beginning, so it is the calf and lion and fatling together in the second, with the little child triumphing over them al – by leading them.
But, just who are these animals? In my understanding, they are the Gentile Nations. While Jacob refers to Benjamin as a wolf in Genesis 49.27, we should look at Jeremiah 49.27 which describes the nations around Judah as different animals. Daniel also refers to the Gentile kingdoms in animal terms.
If we understand the animals as Gentile nations, then we can understand the children in the passage as the Jews (Mark 7.27-28). Taking this together, we understand this passage as fulfilled at the start on Pentecost.
The second half of the parallel,
In that day the root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign to the peoples; him shall the nations seek, and his dwellings shall be glorious.
Paul, seeing this passage as being fulfilled, writes,
Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.” And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” And again: “Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!” And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” (Romans 15:8-12 NKJV)
In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant which is left of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Again, we see that these nations were, at least in part, represented at Pentecost,
Par’thians and Medes and E’lamites and residents of Mesopota’mia, Judea and Cappado’cia, Pontus and Asia, Phryg’ia and Pamphyl’ia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyre’ne, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, (Acts 2:9-11 RSVA)
We see again, that this passage of Isaiah, conveniently placed in a single chapter by some 14th or 15th century monk, has been fulfilled.
The jealousy of E’phraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; E’phraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass E’phraim. But they shall swoop down upon the shoulder of the Philistines in the west, and together they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put forth their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites shall obey them. And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the sea of Egypt; and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching wind, and smite it into seven channels that men may cross dryshod. And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant which is left of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt. (Isaiah 11:1-16 RSVA)
Some scholars understand Ephraim, as a whole, to indicate the Gentiles (remember, the northern Kingdom, the Ten Lost Tribes) were scattered among the Nations.
I believe that in the scope of biblical prophecy, this passage has been fulfilled. Paul himself thought so. | <urn:uuid:473f43da-eea0-45c0-8bd9-d3d132b2c3f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://unsettledchristianity.com/category/old-testament/isaiah/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95593 | 1,435 | 1.765625 | 2 |
It's so much easier for voters to stay that way
Because of the much-looser campaign finance regulations these days, the contest in Indiana for U.S. Senate has entered the pricey political stratosphere usually occupied only by the gubernatorial contest. So far, Republican candidate Richard Mourdock and Democratic candidate Joe Donnelly or those supporting them have spent roughly $10 million for TV air time. And the rate of spending is going to accelerate in the last 30 days of the race.
Such lavish spending has many effects, one unfortunate being that is getting easier all the time for the lazy voter and the stupid voter to stay uninformed right up till the time they vote. When a candidate senses defeat, that candidates ads start to go negative, because they work. That brings negative ads from the other side, and the contest descends into the depths of character assassination. By the time Election Day rolls around, those who have relied only on TV ads have only a dim understanding of the issues and have a distorted view of the candidates. And it is a caricature they are voting for.
Efforts to change the situation are not likely to succeed. Every loophole that is closed in regulations tends to create even more loopholes – people with money always find a way to spend it. There are also First Amendment considerations. If any speech should be unfettered in this country it is political speech, and campaign advertisements are political speech.
Fortunately, it is also easier today for those who wish to be smart, informed voters. We no longer have to spend hours or days in the library perusing old newspapers. There are advocacy groups and voting promoters all over the Internet offering a wealth of information on candidates and issues. And we can go to the candidates’ own websites to see their own words unfiltered by handlers or pundits.
There will always be more lazy voters than smart voters. The easier it gets for both groups, the greater the obligation of the smart voters to keep plugging away
Free speech at the plaza
There’s an interesting free speech battle going on over the Allen County Public Library’s plaza. Attorney David Kilhoff, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, wants to use it to stage a demonstration against Obamacare. Library Director Jeffrey Krull says officials haven’t allowed such demonstrations and don’t want anyone approaching patrons as they arrive or depart.
Given the value we place on free speech, courts usually look for a compelling reason to curtail it, such as the need to not impede traffic. The Fort Wayne International Airport offered the very reasonable need to maintain security in the wake of 9/11 as a justification for its “free speech zone.”
It’s hard to see a compelling reason here. We don’t have a right to not be annoyed in public spaces. | <urn:uuid:4d0955cc-fae7-48b9-9925-3b3bb312f54c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121009/EDITORIAL/121009586/1015 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948585 | 577 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Clever control sequence for pre-used console commands
You know how it is, you open a new terminal window assured you know the command you want to use you make a cup of coffee and then you forget the command you where to use. Obviously you need better coffee!
Or you can press the "Control Key + r" and your command prompt is replaced with this
What is so impressive with this control sequence, is that you don't need to remember the whole command and or the command syntax, there is of course a slight draw back, you need to have used the correct command before and the correct spelling at the beginning of the command is most important.
Try the control key command yourself it eases the pressure on the brain stem. | <urn:uuid:82e9970c-049b-4a71-9ffe-87c5f9b8d2db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.soslug.org/wiki/search_your_command_history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933044 | 151 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Situated on the banks of the East River, Brooklyn Navy Yard Building 268, the rusting skeleton of a former ship repair shed, will soon be transformed into “a cathedral of sustainability,” according to Baldev Duggal, founder of Duggal Visual Solutions, who holds a long-term lease on the site from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Duggal will invest $7 million in the building, including $2 million from the city, and plans to blend his industrial printing company with sustainably-designed event spaces to create a new green hybrid called The Greenhouse.
Duggal said he stumbled head first into the green movement after viewing Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth about the effects of global warming on the environment. “That really got to me. I felt we had to start educating our own people to be green,” he said. “It’s good business. We’re not just putting on a show.”
Gregory Okshteyn, principal at Studios GO, has designed the project to reflect its industrial surroundings while synthesizing a complex program. “The program list is two or three pages long,” said Okshteyn. And it continues to evolve: “Mr. Duggal is always coming up with new ideas on a daily basis.” Beyond the industrial space, plans call for a green-product incubator, an eco-lounge with a cafeteria serving farm-to-table food for workers and visitors to the Navy Yard, and event spaces. “It’s ambitious,” said Okshteyn, but his firm, with a background in hospitality design, plans to emphasize the space’s social interaction. “Architects aren’t playing with program enough,” he said. “What if a building is a complete hybrid condition driven by an undefined program?”
To accommodate the programmatic flexibility that Duggal has imagined, Okshteyn kept the design simple. “We approached the building as a motherboard,” he said, “a shell that new technology can later be plugged into. We did the minimum to be the most effective. When things get too complicated, it’s hard for them to evolve.”
A new second floor will be inserted into the existing 30,000-square-foot structure and will be accessed by a grand staircase in the lobby, whose risers will double as the seating for an amphitheater. Duggal’s manufacturing operations are tucked under the soaring second floor in a sealed environment. Okshteyn plans to wrap an 18-foot-tall band of split-faced concrete blocks around the lower floor of the building to emphasize its industrial use, while the second floor, predominantly clad in unobstructed glass, soars 45 feet above. A north-facing wall will contain eight 20-foot-by-20-foot glass windows that can slide open to maximize connection to the water and provide dramatic views of the Williamsburg Bridge.
The Greenhouse’s sustainability goals are just as ambitious as the design. Duggal decided to forego LEED certification for the project but is pushing for a zero-carbon footprint that will allow the building to be completely self-sustaining. A variety of sustainable approaches, both simple and high tech, are planned for the building. Nearly 100 solar panels on the steel and concrete roof will provide electricity for lights inside The Greenhouse, sending surplus energy to its neighbors. Okshteyn is investigating applying solar film to the building’s windows and a 500-gallon tank could harvest rainwater for use in the building’s bathrooms. In addition to high-tech systems, existing glass will be reused in the building and even an 18th-century canon found on the site will be reclaimed as part of the final design.
Phase one of the Greenhouse is under construction and includes first floor manufacturing space and a shelled second floor. Okshteyn said site demolition and asbestos abatement has been completed, and the rest of the space must be ready by October, in time for new printing equipment to be delivered to Duggal.
Of his idea to combine active industrial space with public venues in a sustainable building, Duggal said, “I love to break tradition. Traditions are made to be broken, otherwise we would never have progress.” | <urn:uuid:8e11ae6f-c7dc-4a46-af43-4a07b08b5cdf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=5435 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948925 | 918 | 1.71875 | 2 |
The Knesset approved Tuesday in a first reading a bill that would give priority to those who have donated an organ if they later need an organ transplant. Live organ donors would get priority whether they donated to a stranger or to someone close to them.
Currently, organ donors get priority on transplant waiting lists only if they gave an organ to someone they did not know.
MK Zahava Galon (Meretz), who proposed the bill, said that the goal of giving priority to donors is to encourage organ donation. That goal that is equally well served by rewarding those who gave to a relative as by rewarding those who gave to strangers, she argued. | <urn:uuid:b8bf47aa-3229-4e89-a1fa-3cee53bfdd87> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/243984 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984217 | 132 | 1.78125 | 2 |
A majestic train station is a romantic setting like none other. Colorful people pass through it and give it more power. People like Abe Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Mark Twain, Teddy Roosevelt and Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightingale.
They all passed through Palmer, MA – the Town of Seven Railroads – making their way through history and perhaps enjoying the stunning Romanesque building built for waiting.
The imposing Palmer station opened in 1884 and was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson – himself massive at 300 pounds plus and renowned for his impressive architectural arches and stonework. Richardson was the architect responsible for Trinity Church in Boston, Harvard Law School, the New York State Capitol in Albany and the Marshall Field Building in Chicago. He designed the Cheney Building, also known as Brown Thomson and now, appropriately, as the Richardson, on Main Street in Hartford.
But architecture aside, if you can, this place is about the trains – those icons of all things mysterious, mesmerizing and moving. You can't stop watching. And this is the place for it, with numerous freights, the Vermonter and the Lakeshore coming through at all hours of the day and night.
The Palmer Train Station is now the Steaming Tender Restaurant, run by owners Blake and Robin Lamothe, who understand the lure. Their renovated site, a work in progress, they say, attracts the old timer as well as the newest enthusiast.
“They've struck a good vein here,” says manager Melinda Lastowski.
The restaurant serves American fare in its huge dining room, where you can eat a weekend buffet breakfast ($9.99 for adults, $6.99 for seniors 55 and older and $5.99 for kids 10 and younger), or lunch or dinner, Wednesdays through Sundays, and watch the trains go by. On Thursdays, they offer a prime rib special for $10.99 while supplies last.
The trapezoidal station was sited on a triangular piece of land at the crux of the lines for the New London Northern Railroad and Boston and Albany. At the top of the driveway, a grotto and park, courtesy of landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park and Bushnell Park fame. The Lamothes are working on renovating that piece of the property as well. They have acquired a 1915 Porter steam locomotive and tender for display, and the station showcases an array of antiques.
Even on a day when the Steaming Tender is closed, train fans sit at the patio tables outside in hopes of spotting a freight or the Amtrak Vermonter or Lakeshore.
“We call them enthusiasts,” Lastowski the manager says. “We pretty much let them do whatever they'd like to do.”
The Steaming Tender Restaurant in the Palmer Railroad Station is at 28 Depot St. in Palmer, MA. From Route 32 North, turn left just before crossing the overpass into Palmer. The restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. For information and reservations, call 413-283-2744 or visit the Steaming Tender site. | <urn:uuid:dbc059c0-1218-44b7-8d0e-38759a8506ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tolland.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/romancing-the-train | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949361 | 645 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Framingham State University Mission*
Framingham State University prepares students for a productive life, enhanced by learning and leadership that will contribute to the culturally diverse world of the twenty-first century.
Established by Horace Mann in 1839 as America’s first public teacher preparation school, Framingham State University today offers undergraduate and graduate programs encompassing the arts and sciences and professional studies.
Committed to excellence, the Framingham State University learning community comprises teacher-scholars, librarians, students, and staff who promote free inquiry, the respectful exchange of ideas, ethical conduct, and the belief that diversity in its many forms is essential to the educational experience. In an environment that supports active, collaborative learning, students work closely with faculty to engage significant bodies of knowledge and develop their ability to gather and evaluate information, communicate effectively, think critically and creatively, reason quantitatively, and apply information and emerging technologies.
At Framingham State University teaching is the primary role of faculty, who engage in their disciplines through instruction, scholarship, and service on campus and in their professional communities. The University serves as an important educational and cultural center in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts.
A Framingham State University education cultivates thoughtful, responsible local and global citizens, prepares students for a career, and positions them for success.
*Approved, Spring 2010 | <urn:uuid:804587c6-fdba-46af-92a6-355f3e0d5c37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.framingham.edu/about-fsu/mission-statement.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941359 | 275 | 1.625 | 2 |
The fiscal cliff: How close are we?
Published: Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, December 7, 2012 at 1:21 p.m.
We keep hearing we are rapidly approaching the edge of the "fiscal cliff." Most of us (and our leaders) seem to take comfort in the word "approaching," as if this means we have a chance to avert disaster.
"We're so far gone, we're over the cliff," said Ron Paul, R-Texas, who will retire this year after serving 12 terms in the House, "We cannot get enough people in Congress in the next five to 10 years who will do the wise things. We have to prepare for having already fallen off the fiscal cliff."
This D.C. insider believes we will never see actions to avert the crash. I agree and think we need gigantic cushions and parachutes — and we need them now! We need to stop deluding ourselves by thinking gradual changes in direction will work. We need immediate actions to either stop the spending madness, or to make the crash landing survivable for as many of us as possible.
A few examples of the causes and proof of our financial trouble:
First, we have overspent for our military for the past few decades. I read recently we spend more for military goods and services than the next 27 developed nations — combined.
Also consider: We borrow all funds for this expense because every dollar of our nation's revenue is already committed by law to fund other expenses. Military spending is purely discretionary. How can a nation, with less than 5 percent of the world's population, continue borrowing and spending this way, especially when we are already so deeply in debt? When we were the wealthiest nation in the world, perhaps we could reasonably police the world, but we can't afford it any longer.
Second, America spends nearly double for health care per capita than any other developed nation, and yet we rank No. 32 or worse in health outcomes. Within our ineffective and unaffordable health care system, the global pharmaceutical industry garners the vast majority of its profits — all from our tiny proportion of the global population.
How can this be? It's quite simple — all other developed nations in the world have universal health care systems with their federal governments paying for all expenses. This is often referred to as "single-payer health care." These countries all tightly control expenses, including having pharmaceuticals restricted from use unless they are absolutely unique and offer significant benefits over the lower-cost generics. In cases where the same product is available from more than one manufacturer, the low-price bidder wins all the business.
The pharmaceutical industry certainly doesn't favor one-payer systems, but for decades it has been able to rely on the American health care system to subsidize global profits. This industry has continually and successfully lobbied lawmakers to prevent them from implementing a single-payer system here. America has been the "golden goose" for this industry for decades as the dramatically higher prices we pay for prescription drugs ends up subsidizing the costs of drugs for all other developed nations.
This is why I disagree with Obamacare. A noble idea for sure, but all it does is expand an already too expensive and ineffective health care system. Our leaders allowed the lobbyists for the pharmaceutical, insurance and legal industries to write the laws. The exact same thing happened under President George W. Bush when he and the Republicans led the fight for the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.
Finally, and most importantly, our nation now has more than $121 trillion in promised but unfunded future health care benefits for boomers over the next several decades. Think about this number! We worry about a $16 trillion national debt but see our leaders continually unable to reach agreement on how to reduce this growing debt by a paltry $1.6 trillion — over the next decade. Clearly Mr. Paul believes they will never find the courage to confront the many times more significant unfunded entitlements coming due.
As the rational head of any business or family knows, you cannot continue to massively borrow and spend forever without grave consequences. Our nation is way past the edge of the cliff, and we now face a financial crash that will affect every citizen in our nation beginning sooner than we might think. Our leaders and citizens deny these facts at our nation's peril.
Don't bother putting helmets or elbow and knee protection on you or your kids — the height from which we fall will result in a catastrophic crash. Maybe the best advice is the old line about preparing for an airplane crash by placing your head between your knees — and kissing your a-- goodbye!
What will our last thought be? I hope it won't be "Why didn't somebody warn us?" — because Ron Paul certainly tried.
These are my opinions. What do you think?
Mike Tower lives in Hendersonville. Reach him at mike41tower @gmail.com or visit capau.org. | <urn:uuid:e659e509-2ff4-4b9d-b022-f374f84e9d8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20121209/NEWS/121209850/1015/section/www.blueridgenow.com | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953747 | 1,023 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Have you heard the term gluten-free? If you haven’t, it appears you’ve been living under a rock, as the term is causing a serious buzz in the food world.
From celebrities to food trendies, just about everyone is promoting a “Gluten-Free Lifestyle.” The guten-free diet fad is everywhere — there are gluten-free expos, gluten-free cosmetics and even gluten-free pizza.
That said, consuming foods free of gluten is not a choice but a necessity for about one per cent of the North American population who suffer from celiac disease. Celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy. The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten. My friend, Albert Mondor, suffers from celiac and, after spending some time with him at a local restaurant, I became aware of how limited his food choices are. In fact most people suffering from celiac bring their own foods with them, including Albert.
After seeing and hearing about Albert’s food challenges, I decided to try a gluten-free lifestyle. With all the hype I expected to lose weight, not be so bloated and overall, feel healthier. The results? After three weeks I didn’t lose a pound, in fact I gained weight — about five pounds! It turns out many packaged gluten-free foods are higher in carbs, sugar and fats. I also found out they are lower in vitamins, fibre and iron compared to their regular counterparts. Not all gluten-free foods are nutritious. In fact a University of Chicago Celiac Disease study of 188 patients on gluten-free diets for two years found 81% had gained weight and over 40% had a BMI (body mass index) in the “overweight” range of greater than 25.
Finding healthy gluten-free choices is not easy but possible. My favourite “healthy” gluten-free choice is quinoa. Truth be told I found little difference after following the “gluten-free lifestyle.” The only difference for me was the hit to my pocketbook as most gluten-free foods are more expensive.
I’m lucky I don’t have gluten issues and sensitivities and I have a deeper appreciation for the challenges faced by people like my friend Albert.
For everyone else, I find the best way to eat healthy is to avoid starch, white sugars and refined carbs — eat real, wholesome foods. Locally grown and produced, of course!
Frank Ferragine is the weather and gardening specialist for Breakfast Television Toronto on Citytv, and appears regularly on CityLine. His first book, Frankie Flowers Get Growing (HarperCollins) is now available. Follow Frank on twitter @frankferragine or email [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:a1cc99f6-d00d-44d6-a062-50e7bed9a421> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.torontosun.com/2012/11/13/get-the-goods-on-gluten | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95686 | 597 | 1.601563 | 2 |
> Actually, since I view parenting, life and humanity as a Sudbury
> experience (for intense purposes of the meaning of Sudbury) I was
> ignorant in assuming that every other person involved in the discussion
> of Sudbury would want to embrace the concept beyond anything but Sudbury
> and Sudbury Models Schools.
Kolleen, your so cool ! If I weren't already hitched I'd propose ;-) I have
that parents who are more sympathetic to the whole idea are generally more
considerate to their children than is typical, and very much less likley to
'em a good hard smack when they step out of line, otherwise they never
Make me want to weep just typing this.
> Joe, after being apart of the internet since many years before the
> introduction of the web, I can say that in this sterile environment,
> without the luxury of smiles, relaxed faces and hand gestures, it can
> create at atmosphere of defense - as opposed to just 'conversation'.
Yes, on these pages there is a dearth of what passes for visual cues.
:-) ;-) X-< and the like. Dan would have to use :-# 'cos he's got a
> I apologize to all reading this for my assumption about the structure of
> what this list wishes to discuss - I was coming from the POV that Sudbuy
> is a lifestyle.
Me too, and don't you dare apologize.
It is = a b s o l u t l y = essential that we all, re-enforce the notion,
(and on a continuous basis so that new-comers to the list get the "big
the SVS/SHS model is not dis-associated in any way from the world "outside".
There is no "we do this at school, but we quit when we leave". The model
for the preparation for the world, -by putting the world outside, inside-.
live the model in your "real life", for me, just says you live in the real
that you have a life!
> I was not mistaken that children cannot be free in any society until they
> are given the right to choose ALL that affects them ie: enviroment,
> health, etc
I take it here that you mean the children in the family context. As I
pointed out in onother post, parents must make some of the decisions.
If the parent has the right, so too does the child.
> I myself do not live in a democratic society if big businesses are
> allowed to pollute and genetically alter the things that sustain life
> itself. Hence my rights and freedoms are significantly stepped on by
Point taken, but this is smelling a little political, as can poison the
> No culture can be balanced and treat children with respect as long as
> Corporal Punishiment is not outlawed.
Difficult to quantify. deserves another thread.
> Again, I humbly apologize for the assumption that Sudbury is a way of
> life, not just a model school for students ages 4-18, in this list. I
> retract all that I said and will use it to discuss with people that
> converse on the issues of life, all kinds, all ages all species, and the
> preservation of the freedoms and democracy sans coercion.
> If you want to upset someone, lie to them. If you really want to anger
> their being, tell them the truth.
Ha ha ha. You'd be as unpopular as me where I live!
Message to teachers (and parents):
Children learn in spite of us, not because of us!
If you wish to be removed from this mailing list, please send an email TO
[email protected] with the following phrase in the BODY (not the
subject) of the message:
unsubscribe discuss-sudbury-model [the-subscribed-email]
If you are interested in the subject, but the volume of mail sent is too much,
you may wish to consider unsubscribing from this list and subscribing to
This mailing list is archived at http://www.sudval.org/~sdg/archives
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0.0 : Mon Nov 05 2001 - 20:24:29 EST | <urn:uuid:505c7b3e-f09d-4e1d-b3ea-9ea95d9b2e33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sudburyvalley.org/archives/dsm6/0309.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938041 | 920 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Jesus Christ heals, by Charles Fillmore, , at sacred-texts.com
Much has been written and said about the healing methods that Jesus used in His very striking cures of physical ills. The generally accepted theory is that they were miracles, but to this there have been many objections, among them Jesus' promise "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." So many millions have claimed that they believed on Jesus, yet not only have they failed to heal others but they have gloried in sickness and finally death under the assumption that it was the will of God.
Few have dared even to suggest that Jesus applied universal law in His restorative methods; for on the one hand it would annul the miracle theory and on the other it would be sacrilegious to inquire into the miracles of God. So it has been generally accepted that Jesus' great works were miracles and that the power to do miracles was delegated to His immediate followers only. But in recent years a considerable number of Jesus' followers have had the temerity to inquire into His healing methods, and they have found that they were based on universal mental and spiritual laws that anyone can utilize who will comply with the conditions involved in these laws. This inquiry has led to the conclusion that man and the universe are founded on mind and that all
changes for good or ill are changes of mind.
Ages of thought upon the reality and solidarity of things have evolved a mental atmosphere that has produced the present material universe. These and millions of other concepts are the work of men and not God, as is popularly supposed. However they all rest on the original God-Mind and can be restored to the perfect law and order of that Mind by those who free themselves from their mental entanglements with materiality and identify their thinking with that of the Mind that is Spirit. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
It is taught in the Bible that Jesus was born into the human family to save its people from extinction; that, according to Paul, as in Adam all died so in Christ shall all be made alive. A psychological study of the whole situation proves this to be virtually true. Millions have accepted Christianity on faith and have found peace of mind and spiritual satisfaction without understanding the fundamental mind principles on which the redemptive system rests. This is proof that there is more to Christianity than the surface acceptation of Jesus as mediator between God and man.
We are all in mind related to a great creative Spirit that infuses its very life into our minds and bodies when we turn our attention to it. We have mentally wandered away from this creative Spirit or Father-Mind and lost contact with its life-giving currents. Jesus made connection for us, and through Him we again begin to draw vitality from the great fountainhead.
Ability to pick up the life current and through it perpetually to vitalize the body is based on the right relation of ideas, thoughts, and words. These mental impulses start currents of energy that form and also stimulate molecules and cells already formed, producing life, strength, and animation where inertia and impotence was the dominant appearance. This was and is the healing method of Jesus.
Although the Bible repeatedly refers to the creative power of the Word, men have not dared to think that the creative law is universal and could be taught to any man who would discipline his thoughts and words and center them on God-Mind. Jesus gave His whole attention to God, so much so that He claimed He did not even originate the words that He spoke: they came from the Father. By careful thinking and wholehearted concentration on God, Jesus made such complete union with creative Mind that His body was transformed in the presence of His disciples. He taught that men would eventually reap the reward of every word they uttered. "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
Perfect health is natural, and the work of the spiritual healer is to restore this perfect health, which is innate and can be spoken into expression. Our ills are the result of our sins or failure to adjust our minds to Divine Mind. "Man hath authority on earth to forgive sins." When the sinning state of mind is forgiven and the right state of mind established, man is restored to his primal and natural wholeness. This is wholly a mental process, and so all conditions of
man are the result of his thinking. "As he [man] thinketh in his heart, so is he."
No book, not even the Bible, covers all phases of human thought. Therefore the mental panacea for every ill is beyond the description of words, but Jesus Christ epitomized in His own consciousness all the thought processes necessary to man's complete restoration. So it is taught that Jesus Christ is the Word or Divine Logos in which is contained all the original creative essence.
The truth that divine man is manifest God is the great mystery hid for ages and generations and now revealed in Jesus Christ. | <urn:uuid:d4917a95-a9ab-4843-957c-5c30bb9c0387> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sacred-texts.com/nth/unity/jch/jch01.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977177 | 1,025 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Whether it was watching tumbling waves from the comfort of a lounge chair, playing in the surf or zip lining through the air, Hannah, 14, along with her parents and two brothers enjoyed all of what her granted wish - a family trip to Hawaii had to offer.
Following a day’s rest after a long flight, Hannah described snorkeling in Molokini, an ancient caldera located in the middle of the ocean and is one of only three calderas in the world. Afterwards they went whale watching, swam with sea turtles and enjoyed a ‘wicked, wild boat ride,’ all in six hours. She also talked about seeing the coral reef and other wonders of marine life.
“We saw the most beautiful tropical fish, coral, octopus, it was like watching it on HD TV! The water was the colour of Windex, the whales were so close, the sea turtles enormous,” she explained. Hannah’s mother Gwen talked about their family adventures on the road, specifically a tour of the Hana Highway.
“This road is so much more than a ‘road!’ The first five miles we stopped and watched real surfers on huge waves, breath taking. From hairpin turns, to roadside stands that sell fresh banana bread and the banana tree groves are all you can see. Crashing waves from an ocean that is a dazzling shade of blue and swimming in a 200 foot waterfall rounded out this day of memorable experiences,” she mused.
Aside from all the wonderful memories experienced by Hannah and her family, Gwen said it was The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada who made everything possible from granting Hannah’s wish.
“Our most dearest thanks to The Children’s Wish Foundation. Words cannot explain our gratitude and the joy this trip brought.” | <urn:uuid:f1ae54f9-f4fa-408e-9961-a604b944c20e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.childrenswish.ca/en-nb/wishes/1019/A-Tropical-Dream | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967454 | 388 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Most Active Stories
KRWG.ORG-The Region's Home Page
Thu January 10, 2013
Bill Would Prohibit Texas "Double-Dipping"
A bill filed in the Texas House would prohibit state elected officials from "double-dipping," or officially retiring to collect their pensions while still drawing a salary.
Gov. Rick Perry caused a stir in 2011 when financial disclosures he filed while running for president revealed he was collecting his $133,000 state salary and a $92,000 pension simultaneously.
The 62-year-old Perry counted his five years in the Air Force and more than 20 years in public service in Texas.
Other state officials, including lawmakers, can also do so. But many remain anonymous since state law doesn't require them to divulge it.
Filed by Chris Turner, a Grand Prairie Democrat, the bill would ban double-dipping by future state officials. It would not outlaw the practice for those already engaging in it.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. | <urn:uuid:18503703-26fc-4d49-bfc5-a2d378c5dc6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://krwg-tv.org/post/bill-would-prohibit-texas-double-dipping | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969744 | 207 | 1.726563 | 2 |
"Using the term implies that it one person empowers another person. This is not the correct view. Instead we each play a role within a system. Yes there are constraints on your actions based on the role you are playing. Does a security guard empower the CEO to enter the building? ... You don't need to think about empowering people if you have a system that lets people take pride in what they do. If you think you need to empower staff, instead fix the system that requires you to think they are in need of empowerment."
Articles by the same author(s) | <urn:uuid:35bfcc1b-4b95-4567-9bf8-41a48476ffd2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://curiouscat.net/articles/902-Create-a-System-That-Lets-People-Take-Pride-in-Their-Work | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970045 | 118 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.