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Spain gay rights and abortion activists fear backlash
The centre-right Popular Party (PP) won Spain's general election promising to lead the country out of economic crisis and restore investor confidence in its solvency.
Uncertainty over how precisely it plans to do that continues to rattle the financial markets.
But the mystery surrounding PP policy in other areas is proving equally unsettling for some Spaniards.
Gay-rights groups are concerned about the fate of the same-sex marriage law. Feminists worry a new conservative government will reverse the new abortion law.
Both were Socialist Party initiatives, and the PP lodged immediate appeals against both in the Constitutional Court.'Sword of Damocles'
So the mayor of one small town in Andalusia says there has been a surge of interest in his "express-marriage" service for same-sex couples anxious to tie the knot as soon as possible.
"They're afraid of what the PP will do," Jose Antonio Rodriguez told the BBC from Jun.
End Quote Antonio Poveda Gay-rights activist
It was a great day for democracy here when the same-sex marriage law was passed”
"Before the election debate on TV, about 60 couples had contacted me. Now I reply to about 100 enquires a day."
In that TV debate, the Socialist Party candidate called on his opponent to remove "the sword of Damocles hanging over couples' heads" by withdrawing the Pop's appeal against the gay marriage law.
Mariano Rajoy responded that it is "just a question of name" - he prefers the term "civil union" - and concluded that he would "wait for the decision of the court".
But for those affected, the name is everything.
"It [marriage] means that all families are recognised as equal," argues Antonio Poveda, president of Spain's Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals (FELGTB).
That equality - including the right for gay couples to adopt - was hard-won after decades of discrimination under General Franco's dictatorship.
"There was a poll just after the transition to democracy and 85% of people thought homosexuality was an illness or should be punished. We have moved from there to having equal rights," Mr Poveda says.
He argues that such rights should be cherished.
"It was a great day for democracy here when the same-sex marriage law was passed. For the first time, Catholic Spain became a reference point for social rights," says Antonio Poveda.
"The economic crisis will pass, but the legacy this government will leave are those advances in equal rights."
Despite its deep Catholic roots, Spain was the third country ever to legalise gay marriage.
About 20,000 couples have wed since the civil code was changed in 2005. A 2011 survey showed that 77% support for the reform among 15- to 29-year-olds.Abortion fears
But it is not the Socialists' only major reform with an uncertain future.
At the PP victory rally on Sunday, a group of young women unfurled a long banner demanding changes to the legislation on abortion. The party counts many staunch Catholics among its supporters.
End Quote Empar Pineda Feminist
I think the government would find it difficult to change the [abortion] law now”
A new law in 2010 allowed abortion on demand up to 14 weeks into a pregnancy. The government framed the reform in terms of the woman's right to choose.
The PP argued then for the rights of the unborn child, and it still does now.
Its electoral programme talks of "protecting and supporting" maternity, and says it plans to alter the abortion law "to reinforce the protection of the right to life".
The party also opposes a new clause allowing girls of 16 or 17 to end a pregnancy without their parents' knowledge.
"When Rajoy says he wants to increase the right to life, we understand that he wants to return to the 1985 law which only allowed abortion in exceptional cases," says Ignacio Arsuaga of the anti-abortion campaign group Hazteoir.
Then, terminations were permitted in cases of rape, foetal deformity or risk to the mother's physical or mental health.
In practice, it was relatively easy to get an abortion on mental health grounds, with minimal explanation required.Secret agenda?
Supporters of the new law argue it is too soon to see its real impact. But they are sure there has been no surge in terminations.
"The number of abortions has fallen, because the crisis means there are fewer immigrant women here and because of the morning-after pill," argues feminist Empar Pineda. She says immigrant women accounted for 54% of abortions in Madrid.
"I think the government would find it difficult to change the law now," she argues. "Spanish society has already taken it on board and they'd come under heavy criticism."
In the run-up to the vote, the Socialist Party campaigned with scare tactics. It warned of a secret PP agenda - not only to bring spending cuts - but to reverse its progressive reforms.
One advert made by supporters shows a female couple's marriage certificate being torn up; another has voters shouting at the PP for clarity on its plans.
In the current climate, the party will be forced to make economic recovery its priority. Less urgent - highly divisive - issues will likely be left hanging.
In the meantime, the mayor of Jun has his work cut out, marrying gay couples unwilling to take any chances.
"People have relaxed a bit, because the PP won't actually take over government until the end of December. But I'm still getting a huge number of enquiries." | <urn:uuid:759164d3-d01d-4f4d-aba7-ab2f39df4853> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15894536 | 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 | 0.965272 | 1,175 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Here's another project for the classroom. I pinned a colorful birthday party on pinterest and my co-teacher said she loved the colored flowers in the colored buckets. She was picturing them on our window sills. It was something I hadn't even noticed, but did like them when I went back and looked. I figured I could make my own version.
Here's the inspiration photo, from Colorful Crayon Themed Birthday Party on Hostest With the Mostest.
Now that I've spent more time looking at it, I think I want that bunting too!
My classroom budget said smaller containers and fewer flowers. I painted the inside of some mason jars I already had on hand. You sort of just glop some paint inside and thin it with a tiny touch of water. Then you roll the paint around in the jar until its covered. It takes two days at least to dry. I really like this look, how the gloss of the glass is still there on the outside.
I found some fall flowers on sale at Michaels. Each bundle had two to three colors of flowers. I bought three of each color combo and switch the flower heads around until they were all one color.
The green wasn't green enough, and there was white, and I really wanted blue and the red was a little too maroon. I considered spray paint and dye and using a brush to paint. After I started painting the jars, I had extra paint on hand.
I watered the paint down a little more and put it in a plastic bowl. I dipped the blooms in and swooshed around to coat. This picture shows the very last one. There was more paint at the start. I also kept the bundles together, except this first one which I unknowingly cut apart.
Then I hung them to dry inside a plastic bag. I ended up cutting the sides down after they weren't the first night. I rigged this up hanging it from my ironing board. I have linoleum in my sewing room, it's the only floor in the house that I don't care so much for and risked some drips.
The white flowers became blue and the sage/light hunter green flowers became a nice primary green. The maroon became a nice red. I had the jars on hand as well as the paint. I only had to buy flowers. With my teacher discount at Michaels, I think I have about $7 in this project. Now that I know I can paint the flowers, I probably could have picked some up at the dollar store, but I think I'd have about the same amount in it. | <urn:uuid:d76f5995-8b2a-4908-ad67-8732d1e08339> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mamabeefromthehive.blogspot.com/2012/07/colored-flowers-in-colored-jars.html | 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 | 0.989079 | 538 | 1.546875 | 2 |
From this Wednesday's The Last Word, Lawrence O'Donnell took apart "tea party" Rep. John Fleming for his remarks about irresponsible Republicans in the House never voting to increase taxes in the last 100 years -- and reminded everyone why they would be better off not quoting President Lincoln on taxes if they're not in the mood to make fools of themselves.
It seems Fleming repeated during a press conference, the same thing he wrote in an op-ed this week: FLEMING: GOP-controlled House has never raised taxes:
If some Republicans have their way, the party soon will make history for all the wrong reasons.
In the past 100 years, since the authority of Congress to tax income was enumerated in the 16th Amendment, marginal income tax rates have never been raised when Republicans have held the majority in the House of Representatives. For nearly a century, Republican-controlled Houses held the line on tax rates, a Republican coup de pointe to Democratic tax-increase parries. Here’s the question for my fellow Republicans: Do we want to be the first-ever GOP House majority to raise federal marginal income tax rates? [...]
If Republicans really believe in the principles of smaller government and economic liberty — as we have over the past 100 years, and as many of us still do — we should be far more concerned about getting principle right instead of worrying about polls and re-election.
Abraham Lincoln reminded us to “adhere to your purpose, and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter, and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution, and will regret it all your life.”
Here's more on O'Donnell's response from his site: O’Donnell on why Republicans shouldn’t quote Lincoln on taxes:
He failed to mention what the Republican-controlled House of Representatives during Lincoln’s presidency did with taxes. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell set the record straight on Wednesday’s show:
“That Republican-controlled House actually passed our first income tax which Lincoln signed into law to pay for the Civil War. It was a progressive income tax–3% on annual incomes over $600 and 5% on annual incomes over $10,000. The Supreme Court ruled those taxes constitutional, but decades later in 1895 the Supreme Court reversed the earlier decision and declared federal income taxes unconstitutional–which is why in 1913 it took a Constitutional amendment to re-establish federal income taxation.
O’Donnell also pointed out that Republicans constantly bring up Lincoln any chance they can get “because 21st century Republicans know that Abraham Lincoln is the only Republican that many Americans admire.”
“Abraham Lincoln is also the only Republican president, indeed the only president, who has ever gotten a Republican House of Representatives to raise income taxes. Republicans didn’t just establish the very first income tax as I just described. Two years later, they raised the rates. They doubled the top tax rate from 5% to 10%. That’s back when Republicans were responsible: 150 years ago.”
O'Donnell also reminded his audience that their stance on taxation may be one of the reasons that Americans have not given them control of the House of Representatives for all that many years over the last century.
Sadly, they wouldn't have it now were it not for cheating and gerrymandering. | <urn:uuid:02feed43-d068-4b33-8ce5-8daeb860f590> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/taxonomy/term/39902 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969608 | 706 | 1.804688 | 2 |
As Moammar Gadhafi's forces make their way toward Libyan rebel stronghold Benghazi, the situation in the city is getting tenser by the moment, reports the BBC. A spokesman for the rebels' council says there will be a "massacre" if the international community fails to intervene. Gadhafi will "kill civilians, he will kill dreams, he will destroy us," he said. "It will be on the international community's conscience." Libya's ambassador to the UN—who has defected from the Gadhafi regime—warns that "we will see a real genocide if the international community does not act quickly."
The International Committee of the Red Cross, fearing an imminent attack, has withdrawn from Benghazi and moved its staff to the eastern city of Tobruk. The Libyan Red Crescent has been left with supplies for some 15,000 people. "We are extremely concerned about what will happen to civilians, the sick and wounded, detainees and others who are entitled to protection in times of conflict," said a Red Cross spokesman. Gadhafi, meanwhile, says he expects to recapture the city without a fight. Benghazi residents, he says, have been helping to "oust al-Qaeda elements." | <urn:uuid:5f687d40-59fe-4248-86db-d99953c92b7f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newser.com/story/114316/libya-rebels-massacre-will-be-on-worlds-conscience.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958652 | 246 | 1.703125 | 2 |
By PHILIP PARAAN
Photos courtesy of ANTI-EPAL/DAKILA ARTIST COLLECTIVE
CITY tours are usually organized to educate tourists and the general public on cultural and historical landmarks and other interesting places. But this time, a different guided tour takes on patronage politics as its agenda and object of discovery.
Anti-epal is an ongoing shame campaign on Facebook against the practice of politicians using government projects to promote themselves. The crusade that has been sweeping cyberspace is now being taken to the streets — after its initial tour of Paranaque, the group moved to Quezon City (QC).
Their aim is to put a stop to the habit of politicians of putting blaring names and photographs in ubiquitous political ads, signages, and other posters of government projects and programs.
“Epal” is Pinoy slang referring to people who likes to hog the limelight, get noticed or, plainly opportunists who like to get credit for everything. Through Anti-epal, netizens have put this slang to a more political use, pointing to the various shameless promotions, self-serving gimmicks and ploys used by politicos.
Carlos Celdran, a social critic and cultural tour guide, has joined forces with satirist Juana Change, the Dakila Artist Collective and members of the online group Anti –Epal to spot these signages and tell the public that this kind of practice is unacceptable.
“QC is perhaps the epal capital of the country,” Celdran quips, referring to the historical fact it was one of the oldest cities named after a living president.
Atop an open truck, the tour scoured certain parts of QC recently in search of political banners and markers. Because of their ubiquity, it proved to be an easy task. The group counted, measured and identified the different kinds of epal gimmickry they saw.
With his brand of wit, Celdran poked at these and noted the garden variety included: the hereditary epal, the kind that extends between political families; the insidious epal, the latent but not so subtle ones, and the acronym epal, which plays on subliminal connection.
The group encouraged members of the online community to share terms and references to an epal dictionary to keep the discourse and awareness campaign going.
They gave awards to the politician with the most number of epal posters spotted. For QC, Councilor Vincent Belmonte of the 4th District got the shame award.
“Being in office is not a privilege, politicians should serve anonymously,” Celdran asserted.
The group reiterated however that they were not targeting specific politicians. It is the practice they do not approve.
President Aquino declared earlier in his term a policy to ban this practice, which was translated into a memo released in September 2010 by the late Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo.
The memo prohibits the practice of putting up billboards, signages and other information bearing the names, initials or pictures of government personalities on all government projects and government properties.
Despite this lead from the national government, bad habits are really hard to break. It has remained the order of the day for most politicians. During the Habagat calamity, one photo that surfaced online and got so much flak was that showing canned goods, re-labeled with pictures of the local leaders of the Municipality of Placer in Masbate.
Ariel Cardaño, who has been living in Quezon City all his life, said he abhors politicians who excessively flaunt their names on every project, which are actually funded by their constituents.
“It’s a shame that these politicians have more tarpaulins than real projects,” Cardaño said.
Another local remarked that this propaganda was just fine with him, but that he hopes leaders would refrain from doing it in the meantime since it is still far from the 2013 elections.
Meanwhile, a QC resident observed there seemed to be a particular group of people tasked to hang and put up tarpaulins, paint billboards and take down and replace them again. “They’re very active,” he commented.
Organizers of the anti-epal tour reported that tarpaulins were promptly removed in some areas in the city, and tiles once bearing the initials HB found on the island of the Timog and Scout area in South Triangle were painted over before the group arrived. Coincidence or not, they considered these reactions as “the fruits of the anti-epal.”
Juana Change said that the project was started by Vince Lazatin of the Transparency and Accountability Network and Betty Romero of the Lifeline Foundation Support Team, Inc. The groups’ postings have become viral, prompting a wave of other concerned citizens to upload photographs of similar content.
The responses, according to Juana Change, were overwhelming. In a day alone, some people were able to organize 12 anti- epal chapters. She said they were bent on continuing the efforts and bringing the tour to other parts of the country. | <urn:uuid:1ff53223-b5ca-4cbc-9846-ce2bcdde9f76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://verafiles.org/anti-epal-tour-exposes-patronage-politics-sites/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965515 | 1,056 | 1.5 | 2 |
When we first heard this, we were reminded of that whole Vidor HS Pledge of Allegiance rigmarole.
Bayou reader, Sneeky, enlightened us on the state of affairs in the NBA. We don’t follow the league, so it was news to us that Portland Trailblazer Brandon Roy spends the beginning of each game alone. Fine by us. He can shotgun hot dogs before tipoff for all we care.
Unfortunately for Roy, he chooses to a particularly inopportune time for his solitary moment.
Prior to each game instead of lining up with his fellow teammates during the playing of our National Anthem, Roy spends that time alone, inside the tunnel. Is he standing with his hand over his heart? No. He’s just taking a few moments away from the glare to collect his thoughts, have a quiet moment of prayer and prepare for the game.
This is no protest. He’s simply more “comfortable” away from the lights. Said Roy: “I never really thought much about people being upset by it.”
Naive, sure. Political protest, hardly. Should people be upset? Who knows, what gets your skivvies in a bunch is up to you. In a perfect world, all Americans would do the politcally correct thing and honor the song. Hell, it’s only 2-and-a-half minutes out of your busy day. If anything, it can serve as a moment of reflection.
The only reason we’re even talking about this is because Roy can put a round, orange ball into a cylindrical hole.
Like a wedding ring or a Christmas Tree, the song is symbolic. Married couples don’t need to wear a ring to honor their love nor do families need to erect a 10-foot Christmas Tree to celebrate the season. These acts can be done without pageantry.
Honoring your country can be done the same way.
Roy is a 25-year-old kid who — were it not for his basketball ability — would be just like any other twentysomething. He’s still learning how to get by, only he has to do it under a microscope.
Fortunately, he lives in a country that allows him to do what he wants, when he wants to. It’s just a song, folks; a symbolic manifestation of patriotism. Should he stand with his teammates and serve as the role model many believe him to be? Absolutely. But not going through the act of allegiance doesn’t qualify as treason. With so many athletes doing drugs or on the negative end of police actions, Roy is hardly a menace to society.
Song or no song, we’ve got much bigger issues. | <urn:uuid:01242084-7a7b-426d-9638-68d11a76e878> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.beaumontenterprise.com/bayou/2009/11/30/o-say-can-you-see-nba-player-chooses-to-forgo-national-anthem/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969717 | 572 | 1.53125 | 2 |
According to a story in the Globe Online, Israeli and US scientists have developed a vision-guide robot that picks watermelons. The vision system has achieved an 85% success rate at selecting ripe melons so far. A little more info on the robot, named VIP ROMPER, (and a small, fuzzy photo) can be found in the September issue of Israel High-Tech Investment. A photo of the melon-gripper can be found in this research paper, which also shows an ealier prototype of the robot. And, in case you were wondering about the name, it comes from: Volcani Institute Purdue university RObotic Melon PickER. | <urn:uuid:3f9bdbc9-00d4-4999-83bc-a929991b97a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.robots.net/article/960.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93214 | 138 | 1.609375 | 2 |
I'm in a pickle.
I have to make form controls (buttons, checkboxes, text inputs, etc.) on a semi transparent black background (85% alpha).
Here's what they look like so far:
Notice the difference between the top two and the bottom two. The difference is the bottom and right border is just light enough to give that cool inset look. The problem? All but one of those borders is the same color.
Because it's on a transparent background, the lines appear to your eye as either lighter or darker based on the color behind it! So, that neat inset look will come and go based on what's under it. I always want the neat inset look to be there, how can I do it? Are there any blend mode tricks for this?
P.S. I forgot to mention that this will eventually get to be displayed in Flash, so I get to have a little fun with blend modes and stuff.
Edit: I made another image to better clarify the issue (by 'too dark' and 'too bright' I am still referring to the right and bottom borders). | <urn:uuid:30e3512a-6741-44fb-af11-09ef9a462991> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ux.stackexchange.com/questions/2455/how-to-get-a-consistent-perceived-color-on-a-transparent-bg/2459 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939012 | 234 | 1.710938 | 2 |
A $2 million cash infusion from Bill Gates, and $1.1 million from Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton, have swelled the political war chest for Initiative 1240 — which would create Charter Schools in Washington — to nearly $8.3 million.
Gates has now donated $3 million to the measure, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has given $100,000, Connie Ballmer has contributed $100,000 and Micrsoft itself has given $50,000 to the initiative.
The state’s voters have repeatedly rejected Charter Schools. The measure has hovered just beneath the benchmark 50 percent support level in recent Elway and SurveyUSA statewide polls.
Initiative 1240 would permit the creation and operation of up to 40 of the privately run but publicly funded schools.
Charter Schools are legal in 41 states. Supporters say they have achieved remarkable results, citing schools in New Orleans as a prime example. Opponents, who have raised only $264,000 here, argue that such schools strip away dollars from an already-hurting public school system.
I-1240 has been nicknamed the “billionaires’ initiative” and is a demonstration of the political clout of personal and corporate wealth in the initiative process.
A prominent entrepreneur and progressive activist, Nick Hanauer, has put in $1 million. Bruce and Jolene McCaw, of cell phone renown, have donated $50,000 apiece. Reed Hastings of Netflix has donated $100,000.
Mike and Jackie Bezos, parents of the Amazon.com co-founder, have donated $1 million. Anne Dinning and Michael Wolf, the New York couple who founded Turnaround for Children, have given $100,000 apiece.
With her latest donation, the Arkansas-based Walton has donated $1.7 million to the Washington initiative campaign.
The campaign has drawn modest donors, $50 from Whidbey Island novelist Shirley Viall, $50 from Seattle School Board member Steve Sundquist, and $500 from consultant and cookbook author Cindy Williams.
The $8.3 million war chest is second only to the $8.9 million raised by the campaign supporting Referendum 74, which would make Washington the nation’s seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage.
Still, the Charter Schools supporters are paupers compared to a couple of recent campaigns. The American Beverage Association spent $16.9 million to beat back a modest soda pop-and-candy tax, the money earmarked to fund schools. Costco shelled out more than $20 million in its successful bid to privatize liquor sales in Washington.
Curiously, initiative began in the West — most notably California — as a vehicle for citizens to circumvent control of state legislatures by powerful railroad, mining and timber interests. | <urn:uuid:5e3a549a-3a7f-4bb5-a410-c2583efbdfd6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2012/10/09/gates-walton-big-bucks-to-billionaires-initiative/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953118 | 578 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Mission and Goals
The principal mission of the Civil Engineering program is to offer the strong academic program needed to produce well-educated students who can become productive members of the civil engineering profession. This mission is consistent with the academic component of the University's mission, which is in part to provide a strong academic program in engineering.
Goal of the Undergraduate Program
The goal of the undergraduate Civil Engineering program is to instill in our graduates the knowledge, skills, attitude, and ethical values necessary to be successful practitioners who are able to impart positive social impacts at the state, regional, national, and international levels. Additionally, we seek to provide the necessary academic background for civil engineering graduates pursuing advanced degrees.
Goals of the Graduate Programs
The goal of the Master of Science program in Civil Engineering is to provide the strong academic programs necessary to prepare students to become educated members of society who can join and make significant contributions to the civil engineering profession. The goal of the Doctor of Philosophy program is listed under the College of Engineering and administered by the Associate Dean of Engineering for Graduate Studies and Research. | <urn:uuid:e905f8f8-d9b9-445b-9336-b9e331acd6eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tntech.edu/cee/mission/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940582 | 218 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Lilly Ledbetter was a supervisor for 19 years with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. During those 19 years, she was paid less than male supervisors doing the same job. She was paid “as much as $1500 per month less– than her male counterparts for years.”
Some years I got raises, and some years I didn’t,” she said. “I had no way of knowing whether or not those raises were compatible to what my male counterparts were getting. What I discovered, after 19 years, was how much less I had been compensated for doing the exact same job.”
Ledbetter won a $3 million federal lawsuit against Goodyear, but the settlement was reduced to $60,000 because the law only holds companies accountable for the most recent two years of wages.
“It was never about the money. It was about the right thing to do,” she tells us in this video:
Lilly spent 10 years fighting for you, your daughters and your granddaughters. If you believe it was the right thing to do, find out more about Lilly at Make Lilly Right. Visit Make Lilly Right on facebook.
Lyn Harris, DMS
“Avoiding Caregiver Isolation and Monotony” is posted on my other blog, | <urn:uuid:d63c6d24-ef00-4f79-a86f-9d573d279ff4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.seattlepi.com/lynscircle/2010/03/30/it-was-never-about-the-money/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987423 | 270 | 1.625 | 2 |
NRL Materials Engineer Receives Navy Meritorious Award
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U.S. Naval Research Laboratory materials research engineer Keith Lucas, of the Chemistry Division, is the recipient of the 2012 Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for comprehensive research in marine corrosion mitigation and effective cost-saving transfer to the U.S. Navy Fleet, increasing operational capabilities and useful life of both submarines and ships.The Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award presented May 8, 2012, to Mr. Keith Lucas (left) by NRL Commanding Officer, CAPT. Paul Stewart, is the highest Department of the Navy Incentive Awards Program award that the Commanding Officer can confer upon a civilian.
(U.S. Naval Research Laboratory - Jamie Hartman)
Re-preservation costs correlated to corrosion damage of U.S. Navy ships has been documented at nearly $3 billion annually, with shipboard tanks and voids being the leading contributor to this expense.
"Early in his career Lucas and his co-inventors developed a paired reference electrode and instrumented sacrificial anode system and remote data logger that allows for remote assessment of the state of preservation of shipboard tanks and voids," said Dr. Richard Colton, superintendent, NRL Chemistry Division. "This laid the foundation for the development of tank monitoring systems now being implemented in the surface combatant fleet."
These systems are projected to provide an annual realized cost avoidance of nearly $10 million a year through the reduction of ballast tank opening, gas-freeing and manned entry for the purpose of tank coating inspections.
Acknowledged for contributions to the field of marine corrosion and corrosion control, Lucas is also internationally recognized as a leading authority in the mechanisms and the development and design of cathodic protection systems. Founding the NRL Center for Corrosion Science and Engineering in 2000, Lucas has successfully made NRL the U.S. Navy's premier engineering design agent for cathodic protection systems.
During his tenure as the Center's director, Lucas led a team of scientists and engineers that developed, and transitioned to the fleet, rapid-cure single-coat tank coatings, tank monitoring systems, the Insertable Stalk Imaging System (ISIS), and the development and testing of the most sophisticated impressed current cathodic protection systems (ICCP) presently installed aboard Navy Virginia-class submarines.
Earning a bachelor of science degree from Northeastern University, Boston, Mass., and later a master's in 1986 at the University of Delaware College of Marine Studies, Lucas began his career as a materials research engineer at NRL's Marine Corrosion Facility in Key West, Fla., and was promoted to section head and facility director.
Starting in 1990, Lucas and his colleagues began two decades of scientific research in the field of cathodic protection modeling, leading the early efforts to establish mathematical principles and scaling laws for the physical scale modeling of marine vessels for the purpose of cathodic protection.
Lucas, together with colleagues, studied the effects of electrolytic chlorination on materials, environmental effects on metallic and non-metallic materials, principles of corrosion monitoring and detection, and the theory and practice of cathodic protection design. His research showed that using Physical Scale Modeling (PSM) of ICCP it was possible to scale electrolytic path lengths to accurately and repeatedly simulate full-scale electrochemical systems.
The development of the PSM technique for ICCP design allowed for the simulation and optimization of full-scale cathodic protection systems while allowing for realistic cathodic current demand and distribution at practicable laboratory scales, allowing for the first time, an empirical approach to underwater hull corrosion control system design.
To date, eight United States Navy (USN) ship classes and three USN submarine classes have ICCP designed by this method. In addition, both the United Kingdom Navy and French Navy have active research programs based on these concepts.
Located on Fleming Key, adjacent to the island of Key West, Fla., the Chemistry Division's Marine Corrosion Facility plays an important role in providing technical expertise to Naval Sea Systems Command and supports the command directly as a designated engineering agent (EA) for the Navy Materials/Corrosion/Coatings Technical Authority. The facility is additionally designated by NAVSEA as the cathodic protection design agent for Navy ships and serves as EA in the areas of cathodic protection, coatings and corrosion control.
About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is the Navy's full-spectrum corporate laboratory, conducting a broadly based multidisciplinary program of scientific research and advanced technological development. The Laboratory, with a total complement of nearly 2,500 personnel, is located in southwest Washington, D.C., with other major sites at the Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Monterey, Calif. NRL has served the Navy and the nation for over 85 years and continues to meet the complex technological challenges of today's world. For more information, visit the NRL homepage or join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
Comment policy: We hope to receive submissions from all viewpoints, but we ask that all participants agree to the Department of Defense Social Media User Agreement. All comments are reviewed before being posted. | <urn:uuid:86a954a2-00a4-4936-a2e2-d8676d797e1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2012/nrl-materials-engineer-receives-navy-meritorious-award | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933665 | 1,216 | 1.773438 | 2 |
I arrived on time at Camardelle’s Seafood on the morning of July 23. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries (LDWF) was giving media boat tours for journalists. Bo Boehringer, press secretary of the LDWF sent this email message just before my trip to Louisiana:
“Due to the number of requests we receive, and limited boat resources, a pool media boat arrangement is in place with the cooperation of the US Fish & Wildlife Service.”
However, when I arrived there I only saw LDWF trucks parked outside, and no one waiting for those attending the media boat tour. I called LDWF and was told that because of tropical storm Bonnie the 10 am media boat arrangement had been cancelled. LDWF was evacuating its workers and equipment.
It was a brutal 86 degrees. Rather than stand around in the heat I figured I’d make the best of my remaining time in Grand Isle and speak to someone.
I crossed the street to the side of “Camardelle’s Live Bait.” It seemed empty and lifeless so I walked further up only to meet Roger Camardelle, the owner of the camp ground and its boat stalls.
Camardelle, 78, sat comfortably in the shade on a bench swing and armed with a green fly-swatter. Camardelle, now retired, worked as a fisherman and bus driver.
Since the Gulf oil spill Camardelle’s camp grounds have been shut down, and shrimping has been closed off.
Only about a month prior President Obama visited this area to meet with small business owners affected by the spill. Though Camardelle did not meet him he did see Obama “from a distance.”
“I think when he goes places he says things people want to hear,” Camardelle said. He believes that when Obama is in Washington his story changes.
“You can’t operate all the time and not have a mishap,” Camardelle said. Despite the spill, and potential dangers of similar deepwater oil operations Camardelle opposed the oil drilling moratorium. Many oil industry jobs are created in states such as Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, Camardelle said.
“This moratorium is gonna hurt a lot of people,” he said. “I hope they abandon the moratorium and let those people work.” Camardelle suggested that perhaps the leak would not have occurred had there been more than one blowout preventer at the Deepwater Horizon.
Camardelle attributed much of the fault to the government.
“I think the government failed on a lot of things but they don’t wanna take blame for nothing. Always point the finger at someone else,” he said. “It’s all about money,” Camardelle said on future reforms that might affect the oil industry.
With Bonnie approaching that weekend I asked Camardelle what he thought about it.
“It’s got everybody a little bit nervous,” he said but referred to Bonnie as a “little disturbance” that was keeping people on their toes.
From Camardelle’s seafood I walked over a bridge that overlooked the waters around Grand Isle. At this bridge I discovered an abandoned tackle box some fisherman had left there. Though there was a slight chance that someone had merely forgotten it I believed that whoever left it was discouraged by the oil spill and purposefully abandoned it there.
A knife probably used to cut the fishing lines was left there, as well as baits and lures. Pieces of fish bait were also left around the wooden platform of the bridge.
In a nearby neighborhood I met several Louisiana residents.
Siam Jackson, 51, arrived in Grand Isle on July 22 with his wife Trudy Moran. Moran, 47, and Jackson, who reside in Gonzalez, Louisiana, were attending the Island Aid Concert to donate money and show some support for community residents.
Jackson also believed the government erred in putting forward the moratorium on deepwater oil drilling.
“They need to lift it,” he said. “This is oil country.”
Henry Martin, 61, a retiree of the oil industry, said he saw the disaster as serving a purpose, or an agenda to go green.
“Just because BP is a bad actor doesn’t mean everybody is,” Martin said. He also added that the government failed in its duties. “They were the sheriff and they didn’t do their job.” Martin also believed that MMS (Minerals Management Service) and the US Department of the Interior “should be held accountable.”
Martin said he believed the cleanup effort was improving but understood that some things such as fishing would not come back over night. Martin acknowledged that there were “different lenses” for the fishermen and shrimpers who make a living on fishing.
“A big disaster of it comes in,” Martin said.
“I just hope our luck hangs on,” Jackson said.
I found my time amongst Jackson, Martin, and their wives most positive. Just before I interviewed them Jackson had noticed the sweat trickling down from my brow, and gave me a bottle of water fresh out from their cooler. In all honesty without that refreshing water I might not have had enough energy for the rest of that day.
Their humor, smiles, and generosity were true southern hospitality.
Yet for all the hospitality and beauty of Grand Isle I must confess that because of the BP oil spill, and its effects on the community, my time there was a downer. I looked forward to seeing New Orleans, and visiting the bars along Bourbon Street.
I boarded the trolley on Canal St. As a New Yorker that is used to burning cash for his rides around New York City it was an unexpected pleasure to pay merely one dollar and take the trolley all the way down to Bourbon St.
At Bourbon St I went straight for an oyster bar that looked good enough for my appetite (I was insanely hungry and curious to try NOLA’s renowned oyster cuisine). There I visited Pier 424, a Seafood Market restaurant located right on Bourbon St. As soon as I saw the menu I ordered the Royale Oysters, which are fresh oysters baked and topped with crabmeat stuffing.
The waitress that served me let me know beforehand that the oysters they were serving were smaller than those normally served. I asked her if it was a result of the oil spill, and she confirmed that it was.
Nevertheless, I was happy when I was brought the oysters, and I could tell they were delicious despite their size. I savored each bite with the small fork I used to pinch each one. They were absolutely delightful, and afterward I washed them down with a nice glass of Bacardi Rum, and coke.
I continued down Bourbon St checking out one of its souvenir shops, avoiding the naughty establishments (there are quite a few x-rated places there), and observing street entertainers that appeared as steel statues. Horse carriages periodically passed around the corners as I walked down the street. I definitely enjoyed the party atmosphere of the French Quarter in New Orleans. It did not disappoint. Everywhere I went there was something to see, or some different food to try out.
I made my way to one bar where a band was playing live, all be it, Jackson 5, and Michael Jackson music. “Voodoo Blues,” “the Cat’s Meow”—there were plenty of entertaining bars, and restaurants I would have loved to have checked out. The last bar I visited had a blues band playing live music as well. I enjoyed my last few glasses of rum and coke while speaking with the bartender there.
At that bar one patron got up to the band members and sang “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” I have to admit she did a pretty good job of it and got other people in the bar rocking to the beat.
That was my experience there in New Orleans. When I left the bar outside I imagined people on the balconies during Mardis Gras, and the ridiculous noise that must emanate from those streets. Perhaps I’ll come back again someday.
I enjoyed my time for the remainder of the night before paying another dollar to return aboard the trolley. I arrived at my place of stay a bit tired but satisfied with having visited another American city, and seen what people only hear about when they watched the news.
I lay down in bed, closed my eyes, and rested for the next day’s early morning flight. | <urn:uuid:668b1d51-0299-431e-b744-472b9fc8d337> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hermanaraya.com/?p=73 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978852 | 1,810 | 1.632813 | 2 |
R&D productivity and the innovation deficit
Pharma’s traditional strategy of placing big bets on a few molecules, promoting them heavily and turning them into blockbusters worked well for shareholders for many years. However, its productivity in the lab is now plummeting, as it switches its attention from diseases that are relatively common and easy to treat to those that are much more complex or unusual. In 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration approved only 19 new molecular entities and biologics – a smaller number than at any time since 1983.
Moreover, the patents on many of the medicines the industry launched in the glory days of the 1990s will expire over the next few years, leaving Big Pharma very exposed. US research firm Sanford C. Bernstein estimates that generic erosion will knock between 2% and 40% off the revenues of the top 10 companies between now and 2015. Worse still, the report calculates that only four of the 10 have pipelines containing products sufficiently valuable to offset these losses.
This “innovation deficit” has enormous strategic implications for the industry as a whole. Many pharmaceutical companies need to decide what they want to concentrate on doing, and identify the core competencies the activity will require, a process which may involve exiting from some parts of research and development (R&D). Those that regard R&D as a core element of their business will have to make fundamental alterations in the way they work.
We believe that, if the industry is to become more innovative and cut its R&D costs, four features will be vital:
For further details read Pharma 2020: Virtual R&D
- A comprehensive understanding of how the human body works at the molecular level
- A much better grasp of the pathophysiology of disease
- Greater use of new technologies to “virtualise” the research process and accelerate clinical development
- Greater collaboration between the industry, academia, the regulators, governments and healthcare providers.
As companies consider streamlining their R&D costs, they may see an adverse impact on their effective tax rate and increased cash taxes. As many jurisdictions offer tax incentives for investing in R&D (eg R&D credits) a significant reduction in spending can reduce such benefits. However, as the calculation of the R&D credit amongst jurisdictions vary, enhancing the overall process and reviewing the qualifying expenditures can be vital to preserving as much of the company's tax benefit as possible.
How PwC can help you
With many of our consultants drawn directly from Pharma R&D, we have deep expertise in reducing both the time and cost in R&D supporting key business decisions and sustained performance improvement through integrated resources, portfolio, and project, financial, and R&D Key Performance Indicator (KPI) management and reporting.
We have extensive experience of improving the performance of global cross-functional R&D teams achieve key milestones and in optimising stage-gate, project governance, and core R&D processes. We know how to manage and sustain change in the R&D environment. In addition to optimising the actual R&D processes, our global tax R&D specialists are well equipped to review such costs to optimise tax savings. | <urn:uuid:2c1779e7-995c-4130-ac56-c3b721bf9ac2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pwc.com/en_GX/gx/pharma-life-sciences/productivity/index.jhtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947222 | 648 | 1.773438 | 2 |
The Michigan Humane Society documents the rescue of a 4 week old puppy that got stuck in a drainpipe. ;_; Look at all the effort they go through to save this little guy in time…
Full image link →
Interspecies Intermingling of the Day: Samantha, a 47-year-old western lowland gorilla at the Erie Zoo, has been all alone since her companion Rudy passed away in 2005. Zookeepers decided to try and alleviate her loneliness by giving her a pet: Panda the Dutch rabbit.
Initially cautious, the keepers introduced them in increments before leaving Panda alone with Samantha (keeping an escape hatch open just in case). But their concern quickly abated as the two took to each other right away.
Samantha’s handlers say they aren’t worried as she’s never expressed anything but fondness toward Panda. Still, they say the bunny is more than capable of holding his own.
“He’s fearless,” says the zoo’s chief executive, Scott Mitchell. “He’s not threatened by her. More often they’re closer together than they are farther apart.”
The music is cheesy but the dogs are so sweet. It’s sad how they weren’t even really sure how to walk. Lovely video.
“These beagles have known nothing except the confines of metal cages. They have known no soft human touch, no warm bed, no companionship, no love. They have never been outside or sniffed a tree or grass. Finally, after years of being poked and prodded, these beagles are FREE! ARME got the call that a facility was willing to release them to us after they had been used in several tests.”
This is awesome.
Source: Cute Overload
rough night. here’s hoping tomorrow is better!
monday blahs. :(
Full image link →
Following the May 12, 2008 earthquake in China, this terrified giant panda grabs the leg of a policeman. By Photo Tractatus.
Not really a “LOL”. But it’s touching how difference of species doesn’t matter as much when one being is comforting another. <3 | <urn:uuid:7acc6cdb-5b0d-4e82-b403-2aaf6e490e70> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lolcreatures.tumblr.com/tagged/sad | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957725 | 474 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Q&A / Sitting on a bench outside Kahala Whole Foods, I blurt out a confession to Claire Sullivan: “I usually only eat food like Oreo Cakesters.” Sullivan, the coordinator of purchasing and public affairs for Hawaii’s Whole Foods stores, lets out an easygoing laugh. A graduate of Punahou, the London School of Economics and with a master’s degree in nature, society and environmental policy from Oxford University, she has played an instrumental role in connecting with the 250 local vendors whose products can be found in the Kahala and Kahului Whole Foods.
“Land that the [Hawaii] Supreme Court said cannot be sold will be up for these long-term leases and sweetheart deals. That seems really immoral to me.” –Marti Townsend The state is creating a new entity to spur private development of public lands through a process that, according to critics, will open the door to sweetheart deals, leaving citizens with little oversight.
Food and Farming / At the turn of the millennium, while working for the US Census, Kukui Maunakea-Forth saw the poverty of her Nanakuli-Waianae community translated into statistics as her husband, Gary Maunakea-Forth, sent 15-year-olds to McDonald’s for their first jobs through his work at City & County Workforce Development. “Superfluous of how bad the food is, to send someone there when they’re young is like a bullet in the head,” Gary recalls.
Health / In the state of Hawaii, it’s illegal for anyone other than a licensed professional, working in a professional studio, to work as a tattoo artist. There are potential health risks involved, and tattooing is an especially easy way to transmit communicable diseases–like hepatitis, HIV, HPV and tuberculosis–when proper health guidelines aren’t followed.
Development / With new developments happening all over the place–and a couple of controversial ones looming menacingly on the horizon–Oahu residents have to ask themselves: What is the limit to growth on Oahu? According to the 2010 census, 953,207 people currently reside in Honolulu County–up 8.8 percent from the year 2000.
Community / On May 17, 2011, Gov. Neil Abercrombie released his 90-Day Plan on Homelessness in Hawaii: A (surprisingly short) manifesto consisting of nine objectives “designed to provide visible, measurable and significant relief that will benefit persons who are chronically homeless.” The 90-day mark is fast approaching, as is APEC 2011.
Hawai‘i Farmers Union United, HB 667 / Local farmers met with Governor Abercrombie at his office last week to talk about food safety and the future of small farms. While recent federal reform of food safety regulations has made exceptions for some farmers, many here in Hawaii say that a bill passed out of the Hawaii legislature last month–HB 667–advantages big agribusiness over small farms and will put some families out of business.
Hawai'i Housekeepers / On June 16, 2011, a Kihei man received a life sentence for the March 12 unprovoked multiple stabbing of a 62-year-old hotel housekeeper who was cleaning his room at the WorldMark Resort in Kihei, Maui. According to MauiTime, the victim was left paralyzed and has had to re-learn how to speak, how to walk and how to sit up.
Rev. Roger Christie / With a new attorney and a delayed trial date, Hilo’s marijuana minister plans to challenge the basis of the government’s case by calling into question the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) current, allegedly disingenuous, classification of marijuana. Facing anywhere from five to 40 years in federal prison for crimes relating to the distribution of marijuana, Rev.
International Surf Day / Even when campaigns fail and change seems impossible, activists like those with the Surfrider Foundation stay optimistic enough to eventually overcome the hurdles. With about 300 chapters worldwide–from Oahu to Japan–and four chapters in Hawaii alone, the group is celebrating International Surf Day on June 20th, an event started in 2002 by Matt McClain, the marketing and communications director of the Surfrider Foundation Headquarters in California.
On a rainy January morning in downtown Honolulu, a small group of dejected homeowners met in a coffeehouse to commiserate with each other about the impending foreclosures on their family homes. Each blamed large, deceptive Mainland mortgage lenders for a variety of dishonest actions–and in some cases outright fraud–for the “wrongful” loss of their homes.
For as long as we can remember, Chinatown has been notorious for drugs, homelessness and filthy streets. Some claim nothing has changed–and that it never will.
Bicyclists have long been overlooked by four-wheel riders on Honolulu’s congested streets. In the gleaming, armored pecking order of the road, cyclists are too often dismissed as lane hogs, hand-signaling nuisances and unfortunates who can’t afford cars.
The fate of some 1,525 acres of land at Hoopili in ‘Ewa may have been decided last Wednesday in Hawaii’s First Circuit Court. The decision might have gone differently, but the appellant attorneys’ strategy seemed to collapse as Judge Rhonda Nishimura picked it apart based on technical errors.
Last Thursday, May 9, the Caldwell administration revealed its action plan for solving Honolulu’s homeless problem. But at the City Council’s budget meeting the same day, Budget chair Ann Kobayashi wanted to know where the money for “Housing First” (see Cover Story, pg.
The Mayor Wright Housing project has been slated for major redevelopment by the Hawaii State Housing Authority (HSHA); requests for qualifications will be going out to developers in three to six months. Nonprofit group Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE) wants to make sure the project’s tenants have a say in the redevelopment process, which could include major renovations or a total rebuild.
The Honolulu City Council held a special Committee on Transportation meeting on Tuesday, May 7, to go over its Complete Streets initiative with input from the department directors of Design and Construction (DDC), Planning and Permitting (DPP) and Transportation Services (DTS). At prior meetings, including the Moiliili workshop, community members pressed the idea of combining Complete Streets with Caldwell’s repaving projects, which Dan Burden of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute and some councilmembers have said makes sense.
Not much to agree with my friend Doc Berry (“Limits of Growth,” April 17). None of the scenarios he posits will ever materialize.
In your Diary of May 8 (“End of the 27th)” you reported on SB 1214, passed by the Legislature. In their nimble way, the Legislature tacked the wheel boot prohibition on a bill that was intended to abolish the Commission on Transportation.
On Friday, May 3, at 3:45 p.m., I was driving town bound through the Wilson tunnel on the Likelike. I was parallel to another car, and there were several other cars following closely behind me.
Congratulations Honolulu Weekly on the recent Pai award for investigative reporting (“Boss GMO,” Jan. 4, 2012).
When the biofuel guys say that costs are “confidential” (“Big-foot Biofuel,” May 8), I reply that since I am the one who is going to end up paying the cost, I have a right to know. Frankly, when everybody tries to hide the costs, I smell rat …
The Foster Botanical Garden never ceases to inspire for an urban setting it is like a step back in time (“See the Flora,” May 8). If Koko Crater Botanical Garden contains the world’s largest plumeria collection as suggested, it may be thanks in part to the Prussian born Dr. | <urn:uuid:2aa1b74c-3098-4ca5-be4a-cd8accb75e7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://honoluluweekly.com/feature/page/4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953631 | 1,688 | 1.59375 | 2 |
website is an extremely useful tool that does not cost a penny to use.
Compiled by the Church of the Latter Day Saints for their own
religious purposes, it includes the International Genealogical Index,
which can be an amazingly important pointer to records that pertain to
your family history, and which can, if used properly, advance your
research in various directions. This article notes a couple of tips
that will help you use the site more effectively.
Be warned though that despite its usefulness, the site can often be
inaccurate, and can in many cases miss out records that are known to
be on the original parish registers from which they were originally
extracted. Also, many pedigrees are uploaded to the site by way of
ancestral files from keen enthusiasts who have made assumptions about
material they have found – often it is completely wrong. If you think
you have found your Scottish tree going back to Robert the Bruce or
William Wallace, you may wish to treat such a find with a great deal
of scepticism. Most people can trace their Scottish families back only
as far as the 17th Century with any real degree of
confidence. As a general rule, place more faith in the IGI, but again,
not complete faith, as the IGI can also get it wrong. Use the IGI as a
pointer however, and it can be an invaluable tool.
When searching for a name on the site, often thousands of potential
names can come up that will take ages to sift through. If you find an
entry that you think is correct, note the batch number on the screen,
and try another name search with this number now keyed in. Further
names will be returned, but only in the parish within which you found
your first hit, making it much more possible to find a relevant
connection to another relation.
If you want to find potential children to a couple, fill in the names
of the parents in the fields on the right hand side of the main All
Resources search screen, but do not fill any other field in on the
page at all. Click on “search”, and if the system has those children
listed, they will appear on a list in the subsequent results field.
Again, the lists are often incomplete, but can certainly steer you in
the right direction to complete your search more thoroughly.
If you find an entry of interest on the site, you can order the
relevant microfilm and have it delivered to your nearest Latter Day
Saints family history centre, for a small fee. Alternatively you can
hire a researcher such as ourselves at Scotland’s Greatest Story
to look up the entries for you. The differences can be amazing with
respect to the amount of information held on the index, and that held
on the original parish register.
For example, on the IGI, my 4xgreat grandfather’s marriage is noted
William Paton, male
Spouse, Christian Hay
Marriage, 07 FEB 1798 Perth, Perth, Scotland
If I look up the original record in the register though, I get the
Perth the Third of February
One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety eight contracted William Paton,
Soldier in the second battalion of Breadalbanes Fencibles and
Christian Hay, Daughter to the Deceased Lauchlan Hay, Resident in
Perth, Parties both in this Parish Elder Thomas Robertson
The Persons before named
were regularly proclaimed and married the seventh day of February said
year by Mr Duncan MacFarlan Minister of the Gaelic Chapel in Perth.
From this I
not only learn of William’s military career and his wife’s father’s
name, I also now know that there is a strong possibility that one of
the two (or possibly both) was likely to have been a Gaelic speaker.
Scotland’s Greatest Story
we regularly visit New Register House and other archive repositories
to look at the old parochial registers, precisely to put the flesh on
the bones of a tree that many have tried to establish from the Family
Search website. Within a few hours we can transform your tree from a
collection of empty names to an understanding of the lifestyles that
many of your ancestors had – and when errors do pop up that have
originated from the IGI or the main website, we can put you back on
the correct track!
For more information please visit
www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk or contact us at
[email protected]. We look forward to hearing
Scotland’s Greatest Story | <urn:uuid:079df64a-37cd-4fed-bc2d-d6c04089f502> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/story2.htm | 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 | 0.943989 | 983 | 1.835938 | 2 |
In a recent article on BBC News about the rise of the adult playground I started thinking about this being a good idea for playgrounds all across the United States as well.
The idea behind an adult playground is that exercise equipment is built or installed in adjoining area’s next to kid’s playgrounds at parks and playgrounds. This way parents, babysitters…etc have the option to use the exercise equipment while they watch and oversee the kids at the playground.
Studies have shown that people tend to work out when equipment is available and gym memberships are not always affordable for much of the population.
Even as I was thinking how good idea this was I started thinking about the challenges of implementing adult exercise equipment into existing playground area’s, these came around cost involved for the city or corporations that have those areas as well as how to maintain the equipment and prevent vandalism. Vandalism being the key detriment as it is easy to sabotage and cause expensive damage to certain exercise equipment so we would want to find ways to deter such from occurring.
Still, I think it’s worth pursuing and giving as an option. I know I take my kids to the playground fairly often, and I see tons of kids at playgrounds when I visit them in CA and AZ, the parents or babysitters just sitting on benches, maybe this is the extra option to help a portion of the population get a little more exercise?
Link to original BBC Article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17818223 | <urn:uuid:b2c759d5-55fb-45af-a301-12d7e45b90f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.justingermino.com/are-adult-playgrounds-viable/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972372 | 316 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Ocean Jasper Mala
Ocean Jasper is produced from only one mine near Marovato, Madagascar. The deposit, being located at the edge of the ocean, can only be seen and collected at low tide. This remote area has no roads so the material must be transported to civilization by boat.
This stone helps one to accept responsibilities,develop patience and help with circular breathing during meditation. Physically, ocean jasper is beneficial to the digestion, digestive organs, removing toxins, lessen body odor. Ocean Jasper is related to the heart chakra. | <urn:uuid:f675e40d-54bf-4d7a-914c-c52fa1eadbf9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.malasandmore.com/Ocean-Jasper.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934085 | 110 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Five minutes with Matthew Kneale
Matthew Kneale spoke to us on the phone from Italy. Find out about the inspiration behind The English Passengers and Kneale's decision to employ over 20 narrators to tell the story, and listen to audio clips of the interview (you will need RealAudio, download it here for free).
Emma Yates, Books Unlimited
Thursday 18 January 2001
Can you tell me a bit about the book?
Set in the 19th century, it's about a Victorian expedition which has come up with the slightly unlikely idea of trying to find the garden of Eden. It's set up by an English vicar who, for reasons known only to himself, believes that the garden of Eden is to be found in Tasmania, the island off Australia. So that part of the novel is about this scientific and religious expedition. The other part is looking at what has gone on in Tasmania in the time leading up to this expedition. It's about the horrific British invasion of the island and the destruction of the Aboriginal culture there. The two halves collide together and the vicar's ideas are shown to be really as far off the mark as they are.
It's a hugely ambitious book with over 20 narrators. What was the original inspiration and how long did it take to write?
It took me about 7 years to write in all. Originally I wanted to write something about the British empire, just because it seemed something that needed writing. I think it was a time when we'd moved along far enough away from the empire to give a bit of distance but at the same time there was a need to actually look at it at its worst - to see how awful a lot of it was and stare it right in the face, if you like. I felt almost in a way that working through it helps move on from there as well.
Why did you decide to write the book in this way? What do you think it offers the writer and reader over a more straight-forward linear narrative?
There are a number of advantages to having lots of voices. One, you can bring in a lot of different perspectives and I felt the only way to look at this subject was to bring in a number of different perspectives; the standard British colonial perspective and the perspective of the people who were being invaded. I've also included some people from the Isle of Man who the British like to think of as British but they're not at all, they're Celts and have got their own view of the world.
It also just appealed to me to be able to write in different voices and use language in a varied way. That was one of the things I really enjoyed when writing the book - using completely different languages. For example, I tried to imagine what sort of language somebody who was born an Aboriginal but was partly educated by a Victorian, Christian education system would use, how he would think and speak. I'd never really done it before so I felt that was something new and exciting for me to have a go at.
Did you find any of the dialects slipped into your day-to-day language?
A little bit. I found I was using phrases just because they were so much in my mind. Also I grew up with a few of them, just because my father comes from the Isle of Man. When I went there, I was aware of that slightly un-English style of speaking.
Have you read any of the other Whitbread winners this year?
I'm not living in England at the moment so I've had some slight difficulty getting hold of them all. But I've read Zadie Smith's excellent novel which I very much enjoyed. That's the only one I've managed to get hold of so far.
What are your views on literary prizes - do they have a valid place in the literary scene or are they simply an excuse for a bit of industry backslapping??
I think they are useful because, at their best, they encourage an interest in good literature. I think people will always disagree on whether prizes go to the right books but the very fact that there is a debate will encourage people to read good books whether they're on a list or not. I think they have really helped British literature in the last 30 to 40 years just by the very fact that they've made a lot of good books popular and that just wasn't the way 20 or 30 years ago. You didn't find many supposedly literary books on bestseller lists, you didn't see them in the bookshops. Now you do and that's got to be a good thing.
For your next project you've said you'll be tackling Marxism. Can you tell us a little about it?
I always feel very superstitious talking about something before I've started and I haven't quite started yet. I'm working on it now but I can say this much. It's about an invented Marxist state, a Marxist regime. This might seem a little far away from the Victorians but actually it's not because Marxism had its roots in Victorian culture and there's quite a lot of Victorian qualities in Marxism.
What are you reading at the moment? Who's inspiring you?
I've been reading a lot of non-fiction. Anything to do with Marxism actually. I've been reading the Orlando Figgis's book The People's Tragedy on the Russian revolution, which is very good, and I've also been reading the Battle of Stalingrad by Edwin P Hoyt - also excellent. Most of all I loved the Frances Wheen biography of Karl Marx which I thought was a fantastic book. Tremendous. | <urn:uuid:36461ca6-3902-46eb-a085-8aef17d7391b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://books.guardian.co.uk/whitbread2000/story/0,6194,424148,00.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98646 | 1,149 | 1.726563 | 2 |
[From ~ Students for Justice in Palestine (Hampshire College), Feb. 12, 2009]
Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, has become the first of any college or university in the US to divest from companies on the grounds of their involvement in the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
This landmark move is a direct result of a two-year intensive campaign by the campus group, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The group pressured Hampshire College’s Board of Trustees to divest from six specific companies due to human rights concerns in occupied Palestine. More than 800 students, professors and alumni have signed SJP’s “institutional statement” calling for the divestment.
The proposal put forth by SJP was approved on Saturday, 7 February 2009 by the Board. By divesting from these companies, SJP believes that Hampshire has distanced itself from complicity in the illegal occupation and war crimes of Israel.
Meeting minutes from a committee of Hampshire’s Board of Trustees confirm that “President Hexter acknowledged that it was the good work of SJP that brought this issue to the attention of the committee.” This groundbreaking decision follows in Hampshire’s history of being the first college in the country to divest from apartheid South Africa 32 years ago, a decision based on similar human rights concerns. This divestment was also a direct result of student pressure.
The divestment has so far been endorsed by Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Rashid Khalidi, Vice President of the EU Parliament Luisa Morganitini, Cynthia McKinney, former member of the African National Congress Ronnie Kasrils, Mustafa Barghouti, Israeli historian Ilan Pappe, John Berger, Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, among others.
The six corporations, all of which provide the Israeli military with equipment and services in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip are: Caterpillar, United Technologies, General Electric, ITT Corporation, Motorola and Terex. Furthermore, our policy prevents the reinvestment in any company involved in the illegal occupation.
SJP is responding to a call from Palestinian civil society for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) as a way of bringing nonviolent pressure to bear on the state of Israel to end its violations of international law. SJP is following in the footsteps of many noted groups and institutions such as the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education in the UK, the Israeli group Gush Shalom, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the American Friends Service Committee.
As well as voicing our opposition to the illegal occupation and the consistent human rights violations of the Palestinian people, we as members of an institute of higher education see it as our moral responsibility to express our solidarity with Palestinian students whose access to education is severely inhibited by the Israeli occupation.
SJP has proven that student groups can organize, rally and pressure their schools to divest from the illegal occupation. The group hopes that this decision will pave the way for other institutions of higher learning in the US to take similar stands. | <urn:uuid:1f79d8b2-5734-425b-be91-397158a08f17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thenewliberator.wordpress.com/tag/free-palestine/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951562 | 645 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Apocrypha: Epistle to the Laodiceans
translated by M.R. James
It exists only in Latin: the oldest copy is in the Fulda MS. written for Victor of Capua in 546. It is mentioned by various writers from the fourth century onwards, notably by Gregory the Great, to whose influence may ultimately be due the frequent occurrence of it in Bibles written in England; for it is commoner in English MSS. than in others. As will be seen, it is wholly uninteresting, and was merely written to justify or explain St. Paul’s mention of the letter from Laodicea in Col. iv. 16.
1 Paul, an apostle not of men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ, unto the brethren that are at Laodicea.
2 Grace be unto you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I give thanks unto Christ in all my prayers, that ye continue in him and persevere in his works, looking for the promise at the day of judgement.
4 Neither do the vain talkings of some overset you, which creep in, that they may turn you away from the truth of the Gospel which is preached by me.
5 And now shall God cause that they that are of me shall continue ministering unto the increase of the truth of the Gospel and accomplishing goodness, and the work of salvation, even eternal life.
5 And now are my bonds seen of all men, which I suffer in Christ, wherein I rejoice and am glad.
7 And unto me this is for everlasting salvation, which also is brought about by your prayers, and the ministry of the Holy Ghost, whether by life or by death.
8 For verily to me life is in Christ, and to die is joy.
9 And unto him (or And also) shall he work his mercy in you that ye may have the same love, and be of one mind.
10 Therefore, dearly beloved, as ye have heard in my presence so hold fast and work in the fear of God, and it shall be unto you for life eternal.
11 For it is God that worketh in you.
12 And do ye without afterthought whatsoever ye do.
13 And for the rest, dearly beloved, rejoice in Christ, and beware of them that are filthy in lucre.
14 Let all your petitions be made openly before God, and be ye steadfast in the mind of Christ.
15 And what things are sound and true and sober and just and to be loved, do ye.
16 And what ye have heard and received, keep fast in your heart.
17 And peace shall be unto you.
18 The saints salute you.
19 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with your spirit.
20 And cause this epistle to be read unto them of Colossae, and the epistle of the Colossians to be read unto you.
It is not easy to imagine a more feebly constructed cento of Pauline phrases.
Zahn believed himself to have found a fragment of the Epistle to the Alexandrians in the shape of a lesson -a liturgical Epistle- in the (eighth century) Sacramentary and Lectionary of Bobbio (Paris Bib cat., Lat. 13246). It is headed Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians, but it is not from that letter or any other.
Brethren, we that are under the power of the Lord ought to keep the commandment of God. They that keep the Lord’s precepts have eternal life, and they that deny his commandments get to themselves ruin and thereto the second death. Now the precept of the Lord is this: Thou shalt not swear falsely, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not take gifts against the truth, neither for power. Whoso hath power and denieth the truth, shall be denied the kingdom of God and be trodden down into hell, whence he cometh not forth again. How are we frail and deceitful, workers of sin! We do not repent daily but daily do we commit sin upon sin. That ye may know this, dearly beloved brethren, that our works [are judged, hearken to that which] is written in this book: ‘it shall be for a memorial against us in the day of judgement.’ There shall be neither witnesses nor companions, neither shall judgement be given by gifts; for there is nothing better than faith, truth, chastity, fasting, and almsgiving which putteth out all sins. And that which thou wouldest not have done to thyself, do not unto another. Agree thou for the kingdom of God and thou shalt receive the crown which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This, again, is a very incoherent little piece; it is rather like some curious fragmentary homilies printed by Dom de Bruyne from Carlsruhe (Reichenau) MSS. which I am sure are of Irish composition. I do not think it can be called an apocryphon at all; there are other pieces scattered about in manuscripts called ‘preachings’ of Paul, or the like, which are just centos of texts and precepts. | <urn:uuid:1656ef1f-2666-4747-b639-a9f20d9303a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.interfaith.org/christianity/apocrypha-epistle-to-the-laodiceans/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950411 | 1,104 | 1.5625 | 2 |
President Obama said in a speech at the weekend that governments and not individuals create jobs, telling entrepreneurs: ‘If you’ve got a business – you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.’
He added: ‘You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart.’
The inflammatory campaign speech comments underline the extent to which Obama believes that the state rather than ordinary citizens create jobs and wealth.
They highlight a key contrast with Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee, who is preaching a message of wealth creation by individuals and reinvigorating the private sector.
Andrea Saul, spokeswoman for Romney, told Fox News that the remarks ‘reflect just how unqualified he is to lead us to a real economic recovery’ and were ‘ insulting to the hardworking entrepreneurs, small-business owners, and job creators who are the backbone of our economy.’ | <urn:uuid:41133d98-15e5-4351-ad6e-97f714e1601c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://conservatives4palin.com/2012/07/toby-harnden-obama-declares-war-on-entrepreneurs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951866 | 212 | 1.609375 | 2 |
New Book: 40 Alternatives to College!
- Posted by James Altucher
I wrote a new book:
And it’s almost all original material as opposed to a rehash of my various posts on higher education.
So please help me save lives. Students think they will have fun, think they will be independent, think they will get a job that will make their lives better. So they go to college.
They do this because they think their lives will miss something if they don’t. They will miss all sorts of valuable discourse, intellectual elevation, socializing unheard of before in their high school years, and ultimately the American dream of job, spouse, house, white picket fence, grow old, get a gold watch, die.
They have been brainwashed into thinking they will be worthless without college. How sad for them. How sad for their parents.
But they are wrong. They are only 18. They are babies. How can they know with such surety that this is THE ONLY way they can achieve their goals? Maybe there are better ways. Maybe there are 40 better ways. Or more!
I don’t want you to think I strung together blog posts. I didn’t. I present my reasons very clearly why kids should not go to college. I do this after receiving thousands of hate mails on this topic and knowing what people’s touch points are.
And I separately go over why parents should not sent their kids to college. I go over the true costs of what college costs, including the opportunity cost.
I answer the questions people have been constantly asking me like, “Won’t they get a better job?” Or “You went to college so how can you tell people not to?” Would someone also say that to a murderer?
And finally, I borrow from my post “8 Alternatives to College”, expand those eight and wrote 32 more to come up with “40 Alternatives to College”.
I do this with all sincerity. I priced the book as little as I could (99 cents) and it’s even free for Amazon Prime members. Any meager money I make on this will be donated to whatever foundation I can find that can keep people from going to college. Nothing in my career has anything to do with this. It did not help me in any way to spend 100s of hours getting this book ready and available to you and your children.
I am shamed by the indentured servitude that our 22 years olds find themselves in when they graduate. Student loan debt just topped a trillion dollars for the first time. I am ashamed by an America that let this happen. I describe in the book the groups who benefit from that trillion dollars. They don’t care about 18 year olds. They care about their own egos. They care about money.
Can you get a job at Goldman Sachs if you don’t go to college? Or even Google? Probably not. But there’s at least 40 alternatives and probably thousands more. And, after trying these alternatives you now have the grace and intelligence (and knowledge that you are comfortable with the massive debt load you will be taking on) then please go.
But I wish my father had sat me down and told me when I was 18 that I had choices in life. That life wasn’t one monochrome ladder from birth to death. He spent his last two years of life immobile on a hospital bed. College doesn’t prepare you for the suffering. And it’s very stressful along the way. It’s time to start now to live every moment to the fullest, every moment as if time itself were your canvas and your actions were the colors, the brush, the brilliant ideas.
When you’re 18 you have the chance to explore the world, to explore all of your interests, to explore yourself. You also have the chance to make a lot of money while your peers go into their debts. I’ve personally invested in companies started by 18 year olds who were making thousands of dollars in profits A DAY.
This is the only time I’ve asked someone (the readers of this post) to help me sell a book. There’s nothing wrong at all with making money but I will make no money on this book and I have no fake agenda except two:
- I want to help 18 year olds see they have enormous choices in life. Choices that can be fun, creative, vastly increase their intelligence and health in ways college couldn’t, vastly increase their ability to socialize, to network, to be happy in ways that college couldn’t.
- I keep thinking about me being 18. The decisions I made. The decisions I rejected. Nobody sat me down and told me I had a choice. And even then, when college was much cheaper, I would’ve done any of these choices in a heartbeat if I had known they were acceptable in society.
To succeed, go the other way. Don’t go the same way the herds are going. The herds are walking off a cliff, graduating with more debt than they can pay back in their lives. Trapping themselves in a world of horror and stress.
Please see the alternatives that I’ve picked out. One of them even involves taking college courses but much cheaper. One involves running for office. One involves hiking the Appalachian Trail. One of them involves mastering an art and expanding your creativity in ways you would not have time for if you also had 50 other requirements. Altogether, there’s forty alternatives. It’s 99 cents to save you (the student and the parent) from a lifetime of debt and stress.
And even for adults who have degrees – heck, these alternatives are for you also. If I did one of these alternatives for a full year, and switch, for each of the last 40 years of my life I’d die a happy man.
Know that the world does not need growth only invented by people with college degrees. In fact, the reverse is starting to happen. Innovation is being crushed out of the young indentured servants who are graduating. And creativity, new opportunities, new beginnings, are being initiated by those who constantly seek their choices and their alternatives. And not only will they benefit, but all the people with degrees will benefit, and all the humans who ride piggyback on top of innovation will benefit, and when I enjoy seeing what happens, I will benefit. Let’s all benefit together.
Follow me on Twitter
P.S. many people will say: not every 18 yr old can become a successful entrepreneur, actor, writer, etc. That’s ok. But every 18 year old can try. Every 18 year old can learn from the experience. Every 18 year can learn what it’s like to do what they want to do instead of what everyone else has programmed them to do.
P.S. 2 for more details on how and why to self publish check out my post on the topic.
And finallyblog comments powered by Disqus
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Click for Amazon Pre-Order Page | <urn:uuid:c6ab7f13-5b98-4db4-910f-e013b5c89f15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2012/04/new-book-40-alternatives-to-college/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960393 | 1,788 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Arizona lawmakers want to create a special license plate benefiting public school educators.
The so-called "extraordinary educators" special plate would raise money for educators who oversee activities, projects or lessons for students in kindergarten and grades one through eight. County school superintendents would help oversee the distribution of the money.
A Senate committee is slated to vote on a bill establishing the plate Tuesday. The House of Representatives already passed the measure in a 50-6 vote.
There are now 53 special license plates that cost $25 each. The state keeps $8 for administrative costs and the rest goes to the charity associated with the plate.
It costs $32,000 to issue a new special plate. Proponents of the educators' license plate would have until 2016 to raise the $32,000. | <urn:uuid:f4d9ee52-c411-47ba-b32a-ab386d457e1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/article_48d6770c-90ac-11e2-be16-001a4bcf887a.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943509 | 161 | 1.75 | 2 |
The GRSP Class of 1986/87 Homepage
You are visitor
What is GRSP - Georgia Rotary Student Program - The Purpose
The Rotarians of the State of Georgia, USA, operate a program by granting scholarships to students to study in the colleges and universities in Georgia. By using the means of scholarships they are trying to promote international good will through the bounds of friendship and understanding with one another.
The GRSP granted 80 scholarships last year (1995) to undergraduate and graduate students, mostly undergraduate students. The scholarship covers one scholastic year, from September to June, in colleges and universities located in the State of Georgia. The scholarship pays all scholastic costs included tuition, books, college provided room, food and some pocket money. So it really is a great scholarship ! For more information; contact your local Rotary club.
The GRSP History
In 1946, William A. Watt of Thomasville, saw the need for a practical application of the Rotary ideal of international service. It was logical that this application of international service should be centered around the youth of the world, in whose hands would rest the future of world peace.
So was born Will Watt's idea. As a past District Governor of Rotary, he advanced this idea to the Rotarians of former District 165 which at that time included the entire State of Georgia. The sum of $ 4,000.00 was provided, $ 1.00 per Rotarian, and three young men and one young women, in 1946-47 from European countries became the first Rotary sponsored students to attend schools in Georgia.
Through the years the interest of Georgia Rotarians in this program grew in intensity permitting a steady increase in the number of scholarships granted. In the years since the inception of the program, more than 2000 young men and women, from about 80 countries, have been brought to the campuses of Georgia by its Rotarians.
The reunion was held in Oslo the last weekend of July, from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th. It was a great weekend, with about 25 people attending. The program took place in Oslo and its surroundings. We meet Thursday and had a nice evening in the Gustav Vigeland park. Friday night we had a nice dinner in Kunstnernes Hus (The House of the Artists). Saturday night we went to Janken's beautiful summer house in the Oslo fjord and had a blast. The old Georgia feeling came back and we all enjoyed that party. We even took some pictures. We are sure that everybody enjoyed this reunion, it was really something to remember. Sunday was time for good-bye, it was, as usual, sad to say good-bye - we are all a part of everybody's life, but someday we will meet again. Do not miss that event !
The people attending the reunion:
France: Emanuelle, Francoise, Laurence and Bruno (Laurences husband)
Germany: Florian, Nathalie, Stephanie (W.)
Italy: Silvia and husband Andrea was supposed to be there but could not make it.
Sweden: Fredrik, Åsa and husband Fredrik. Mikael was supposed to come but was not able to.
Norway: Marit and husband Gaudenz from Switzerland, Lillian (and Florian) and the first real GRSP kid from the class of 1986/87 was born in December 1996, Helena Oline !, Siv and husband Ole Johan, Janken and wife Cille, Kristin could not come, Marianne, Håkon, Knut, Ole Henrik and Lars
The Oslo Reunion Program
Herregårdskroen in the Gustav Vigeland Park, Drinks and Dinner
Sightseeing; Holmenkollen, Frognerseteren, Lunch at the Folkemuseum, Viking ship museum and swimming/sunbathing at the beach.
Friday evening dinner at the Kunstnrnes hus.
Shoping, boat trip to Bygdøy, Thor Heyerdahl Museum. Boat trip to the Grims island for the party at Janken's summer house.
Meeting at Aker brygge and a sad good-bye - but we'll meet again !
How to update your
address or other information in the Guestbook.
If you have something to say about the GRSP, if you were in the class of 1986/87 or in any other GRSP classes and want to leave a message or change address, or have some news to tell, new kids, new husband or wife etc. - please update the GRSP Guestbook !
The Next Reunion:
After this really great weekend in Oslo, we figured it would be nice to meet again in 2001 ! That is 5 years from now. If we decide date and place earlier for the next reunion, even more people will probably show up because there were quite a few that had other plans for this reunion weekend. To those of you that did not make it to Oslo, you really missed the weekend of the year, but make sure you can make it to the next reunion. Åsa said she might arrange it, the French team as well, or may be Denmark can be back on track by arranging the next one ?? Who knows - anyway whoever does it will get good advises from the Norwegian team. And if nobody else takes the responsibility, the Norwegian team will surely do it again - it was a pleasure. Go to top of page.
Links to other GRSP
classes Home Pages:
If your class have a home page to add, please mail me ! If you are from a class not represented - make a home page !
The class of 1992/1993 Home Page
The class of 1995/1996 Home Page
The class of 1996/1997 Home Page
More GRSP Information
Links to private home
pages from class of 1986/87:
If you have a home page to add, please mail me ! If you do not have a home page - make one !
We are proud that he is selected among "The Technology Review 100" for the next century. For more information click here.
To have a look at the first "real" GRSP baby, i.e. both parents were in the class of 1986/87, click on Helena Oline Krumbacher online ! | <urn:uuid:ceba830f-a8d2-4761-8341-bd780a9b5589> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://home.eunet.no/~lalund/grsp.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95945 | 1,306 | 1.789063 | 2 |
If you have cone from smoking analogues a sore throat or persistent recurrence of a sore throat can be quite normal for a month or so. Regardless of if you vape or not. But any concerns over it you should always see you doctor for a check up .
As others have mentioned VG is vegetable glycol or glycerine you can get it at any pharmacy as it is a thick very sweet liquid, usually the main ingredient in a cough syrup, that is used for sore throats, burns etc.
VG is usually mixed at a ratio of 85% VG to 15% distilled water which makes AG or aqueous glycerine. This is actually what's used in liquids but its just reffered to as VG
I personally don't use much of it so don't bother mixing AG I just use a lesser amount of pure VG. If you are getting it make sure its glycerine bp which is pharmaceutical grade so there's no additives in it
Since its used for sore throats it takes away some throat hit and is smother but you will quickly adapt to this and find it the norm.
I had a sore throat after using ecigs for about 2months on and off but one after the other. I was using red label tobacco which I found quite strong. I switched to a different range which was a little smother but after about 2 months I was fine and never had a sore throat since. I think its just your body getting used to something new as its a common comment on ecigs.
Another helpful tip is make sure you drink plenty fluids that will also help while your body adjusts. Plus its good for you so overall you will feel better
Hope you stick with it as we have all been there | <urn:uuid:aac910c9-2fbb-4361-9705-a4dd4971aed7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.totallywicked-eliquid.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussions/vape-too-strong-need-suggestions/msg260589/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978797 | 352 | 1.59375 | 2 |
The Metropolitan Police has made three arrests in connection with the distribution of malicious code, known as ransomware.
It is alleged that the two men and one woman, aged between 26 and 34, applied software designed to convince computer users that their online activities were being inspected by the police.
The individuals currently being held in custody all hail from Stoke-on-Trent, and are being detained on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering and possession of items for use in fraud.
Their malware would cause an infected machine to lock and then prompt a warning message, which through the use of relevant logos, was constructed in such a way as to appear like it was issued by the Metropolitan Police and the Police Central e-crime Unit (PCEU).
The message's contents explained that the computer had recently been used to download illegal materials, and would require a £100 on-the-spot payment in order for it to be unlocked.
"The arrests shows we are determined to combat this type of crime," said detective inspector Jason Tunn, of the PCEU. "I remind all computer users that police do not use such a method to impose or enforce fines, so if you are confronted by such a page do not enter any of your details."
Victims are instead advised to consult a nearby computer repairs shop and contact the police. | <urn:uuid:8ed01668-213f-4186-9ec6-8f4cc24002f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.itproportal.com/2012/12/14/met-police-makes-three-ransomware-arrests/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975666 | 272 | 1.71875 | 2 |
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Published: September 2012
Ethyleneamines are used in a wide range of applications, primarily as reactive intermediates used to produce other useful chemical products. Although there have been some advancements in end-use markets in terms of chemistry and technology, the functionality requirements of ethyleneamines products have changed very little.
Ethyleneamines are used in the production of chelating agents, agricultural compounds (mainly fungicides), lube oil additives, oil field chemicals, and paper wet-strength resins, and in surfactants and fabric softeners. They also have applications in pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and urethane chemicals/catalysts.
The following pie chart shows world consumption of ethyleneamines:
The following will have an impact on global growth in consumption of ethyleneamines in various compounds during 2012–2018.
The construction market, which includes adhesives and sealants, asphalt additives, concrete admixtures and protective coatings, is projected to grow at greater than GDP rates at 3–5% annually, led by growth in Asia.
Wind power capacity will continue to expand, increasing demand for ethyleneamines in the production of wind turbine blades. Over the past ten years, wind power capacity has grown at rates of over 30% annually to around 120 gigawatts (GW) in 2008, with forecasts to over 240 GW in 2012, which is growth in excess of 20% annually. Conservative growth estimates project capacity at 351 GW in 2020 and 494 GW in 2030, but it could be much higher. As blades have grown in length (up to 75 meters), lower-molecular-weight ethyleneamines such as ethylenediamine are being used more, as are polyetheramines since they cure more slowly, making the blades stronger.
Oil field chemicals are forecast to rise at a rate of 4–8% annually, driven by increased drilling activity, as producers strive to maintain production levels, and as deepwater drilling and shale oil/gas extraction increase.
Growth in the consumption of ethyleneamines is forecast at 5.0% annually during 2012–2018. China is projected to have the highest growth rate at almost 9.5%, followed by Other Asia (about 6%) and the Middle East (about 5%). | <urn:uuid:97497ada-3398-4106-a439-2d9b66e108d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ihs.com/products/chemical/planning/ceh/ethyleneamines.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955943 | 579 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The Media's Appalling Coverage of Sonia Sotomayor
Last week's press coverage of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court was gruesome in so many ways, as reporters routinely fell down and failed to reflect even the most basic tenets of journalism.
One of the most disturbing examples of how fundamentals were ignored involved Sotomayor's now-infamous quote from eight years ago about a "Latina woman" judge reaching a "better conclusion" on the bench than her white male counterparts. Sotomayor made the comment as part of a speech she gave at University of California, Berkeley, in 2001 in which she explored what it would mean to have more women and minorities on the bench.
To see just how dreadful the coverage of that story became, let's look at the efforts by The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, which published nearly identical news articles about the unfolding political battle surrounding Sotomayor and the "Latina woman" quote, which conservatives have latched onto. The quote became the basis for the incendiary claim made by Newt Gingrich and Glenn Beck, among others, that Sotomayor is, in fact, a racist because she thinks Hispanic judges render better decisions than whites.
Here was how the Journal reported out the story on May 28 (emphasis added):
Conservatives are focusing on a speech Ms. Sotomayor delivered at the University of California at Berkeley law school, where she said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
"Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a Latina woman.' Wouldn't they have to withdraw?" asked former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on his Web site. "New racism is no better than old racism."
White House aides said the comment was being taken out of context, and predicted it wouldn't put the nomination off course.
And here's how The Washington Post treated the same story, on the same day, in a news article:
Leading conservatives outside the Senate, however, did not hold back, targeting a pair of speeches in which Sotomayor said appellate courts are where "policy is made" and another in which she said a Latina would often "reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
Critics also targeted her support for affirmative action, with Rush Limbaugh calling her a "reverse racist" in his syndicated radio program, citing a case in which she ruled against a group of white firefighters who claimed discrimination in hiring practices. White House officials argued that the comments in the speeches were taken out of context, and they said that the firefighters case was an example of Sotomayor accepting established precedent, something they said conservatives should applaud.
For good measure, the Journalreturned to the topic on May 30, again referencing the "Latina woman" quote:
Earlier this week, administration officials said the nominee's comments at the University of California, Berkeley, were being taken out of context.
Both the Postand the Journalreported on the conservative attack on Sotomayor driven by her "Latina woman" quote. Both the Post and Journalreported that the White House had complained the quote had been taken out of context. And incredibly, both newspapers failed to explain what the actual context was.
What was the context? When Sotomayor asserted, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life," she was specifically discussing the importance of judicial diversity in determining race and sex discrimination cases.
Placed in the proper framework, Sotomayor's comments become far less controversial. (She was not making a sweeping claim about the superiority of Latina women.) And placed in the proper context, the right-wing allegation that she's a racist utterly collapses and instead reveals itself to be the ugly, hateful charge that it is.
But Post and Journal readers were never given the context, which meant they were unable to conclude if the White House claim about the quote being unfairly lifted was accurate. Readers didn't know if the attack against Sotomayor -- that she was a "racist" because she thought minority judges were better than white men -- was fair and legitimate. Readers were left in the dark because all the Postand Journalthought to do was record the attack and get the White House response. It never occurred to reporters and editors at the Postand the Journal to spell out for news consumers what the context of the "Latina woman" quote was.
And trust me, those two corporate news outlets were hardly alone.
CBS' Bob Schieffer stripped out all context of the Sotomayor quote and then asked a Republican senator appearing on Face the Nation if it was enough to "keep her from being confirmed as a justice on the Supreme Court." Keep in mind, virtually no senators currently oppose Sotomayor, not even Republicans. But Schieffer was eager to know if her nomination was doomed. The only thing more amazing than that was the fact it took a Republican senator to remind Schieffer that there was missing context to the "Latina woman" quote.
After many hours of Googling and searching Nexis and combing through television transcripts, I can say with complete confidence that not only did most news organizations fail to include context for the "Latina woman" quote, but it was the absolute iron-clad rule. Providing even passing context for the quote was basically banned. The Village Did. Not. Allow. It.
So did Time, The Economist, Congressional Quarterly, The Dallas Morning News, The Denver Post's Vincent Carroll, USA Today, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Pretty much every news outlet in the country followed the rule.
Theyall reported on the "Latina woman" quote. They all reported it was controversial. And they all failed to explain that Sotomayor was specifically discussing discrimination cases when she made the remark.
And that doesn't even take into account the dozens (hundreds?) of "Latina woman" mentions on TV last week that failed to provide any framework whatsoever. Instead, the quote was simply used as a springboard for conservatives to launch malicious attacks against the esteemed judge. (Select journalists who actually did include context last week included Hanna Rosin at the Double X blog XX factor, Mike Barnicle on MSNBC, and Westchester, New York, newspaper columnist Noreen O'Donnell.)
Given the near ubiquity of the press failing, it's hard for me to believe that it wasn't been done intentionally. I'm not into newsroom conspiracies, but it's just difficult to believe that among these elite, college-educated journalists, that virtually every one of themcovering the Sotomayor story mysteriously forgot to provide even the slightest context for the "Latina woman" quote -- a single sentence from a speech given eight years ago. Having looked at this story from every angle, I can only conclude that the lack of context has been a conscious, deliberate decision by journalists to, in a sense, purposefully un-inform news consumers, which, of course, is the opposite of what journalism aspires to accomplish.
I don't see how reporters and editors working for some of the largest news media outlets in the country could, almost without exception, fail to include crucial context about the Sotomayor quote and have it be some sort of cross-country cosmic event. It just doesn't make sense. I think it's premeditated.
Why? Simple: The press has already penciled in weeks' worth, if not months' worth, of Supreme Court nomination coverage for this summer. Married to the idea that Senate hearings hold the promise of dissolving into the wild pie fights, like the raucous affairs that unfolded during the dramatic Clarence Thomas and Robert Bork showdowns, the Beltway press relentlessly hypes these stories even though, as more recent nominations have shown, the hearings themselves turn out to be wildly anticlimactic.
Worse for the press was the fact that early indications from key Republican senators last week were that Sotomayor faced a relatively easy confirmation "battle" and that excluding some type of unforeseen personal scandal, she was good as confirmed.
Where's the drama in that? How are reporters and pundits supposed to gobble up endless hours of TV talk time by simply marveling at how Obama picked an eminently qualified judge who garnered bipartisan Senate support?
That's not the storyline the press wanted to embrace. So, in order to prop up any semblance of Sotomayor drama, the press turned away from Republican senators and turned its time and attention to highlighting outlandish claims made by GOP Noise Machine leaders, like Limbaugh and Gingrich, who were in heated agreement that Sotomayor was a racist. (Fact: The press treated that hateful claim with a stunning nonchalance, as if that kind of character assassination were commonplace for Supreme Court nominees.)
That was a story the press could get excited about. But to chase the "racist" story, the press had to both embrace and amplify conservative talking points about Sotomayor and play dumb on an epic scale in order to pretend that the "Latina woman" quote was perhaps just as damning as Gingrich and company claimed it was, to pretend maybe Sotomayor did think she was better than everyone else.
And, boy, did everyone play dumb. And I thought staffers at The Washington Post played dumb especially well. The entire newsroom got into the act while "covering" the Sotomayor "Latina woman" angle. Don't believe me? See for yourself.
The Washington Post editorial page? Check.
Howard Kurtz? Check.
George Will? Check.
Dana Milbank? Check.
David Broder? Check.
None of the high-profile Post writers ever bothered to explain the context of the "Latina woman" quote. Incredibly, Milbank wrote an entire column about it without putting it in context.
Bottom line: It was virtually impossible for Post readers to understand what Sotomayor was referring to with the 8-year-old "Latina woman" quote. But it was possible, given the purposefully sketchy reporting, to see how Sotomayor might be prejudiced.
Sadly, I have a hunch that was the whole point of the misguided newsroom exercise. | <urn:uuid:00a3fb26-8068-4432-abb3-b0274296a04b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alternet.org/story/140474/the_media's_appalling_coverage_of_sonia_sotomayor?page=0%25252C1&paging=off | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972101 | 2,172 | 1.617188 | 2 |
- Member Benefits
- The Farmers' Market Federation of NY is a membership organization of farmers' markets; their managers, sponsors, and supporters; farmers and vendors participating in farmers markets; and farmers market consumers.
- Markets & Farmers
- The Farmers Market Federation of NY maintains this database of all known farmers markets within the state of New York, as well as a listing of farmer/vendors, market resources, and associates who are registered with the Federation.
- Events Calender
- The Farmers Market Federation of NY publishes Federation events, workshops, and webinars and other public events of interest to the farming community or farmers markets. Registered users can even post their own events, provided that they follow these guidelines.
- Welcome to the Farmers Market Federation of NY
- The Farmers Market Federation of New York is a grassroots, membership organization of farmers' market managers, market sponsors, farmers and market supporters. Together, we have developed a spectrum of services to increase the number and capacity of farmers' markets in the state, develop the scope of professionalism in farmers' market management and improve the ability of markets to serve their farmers, their consumers and their host communities. On this site you'll find support materials that will guide you to the successful development, implementation and operation of farmers' markets. Everything from publications and guides to research to reporting tools are available to assist you in market development and management.
- You'll find the networking opportunities through the Federation's list serv, sponsored by Cornell University's Community, Food and Agriculture Program, will keep you plugged in to market managers across the state for instant feedback to your questions and concerns.
- The Federation takes a hands-on approach to working with communities and markets. A series of workshops and conference programs each winter brings managers together for training programs and networking opportunities. Consulting services are also available through the Federation for developing farmers' markets and market programs, such as the Farmers' Market Wireless EBT Program.
- Support programs that directly benefit the farmers participating in New York's farmers' markets are a big part of the Farmers' Market Federation of NY. The farmers' market Liability Insurance Program is instrumental in keeping markets and farmers safe and healthy.
- Finally, we encourage consumers across the state to visit their local farmers' market. Experience the colorful abundance of nutritious, high quality New York state foods, the aroma of fresh produce and the friendly banter of farmers and customers, neighbors and families. A visit to a farmers' market is an adventure, one that can be experienced every week in your own community.
Click here to sign up for our Electronic Newsletter delivered to your e-mail address.
- Mission Statement
- Our mission is to support and promote the viability of farmers' markets through innovative services, programs and partnerships that maximize the benefits of markets to sellers, buyers and communities. | <urn:uuid:6adb4e9d-f5b1-4250-9d66-acbed67cfa99> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nyfarmersmarket.com/ | 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 | 0.946694 | 573 | 1.546875 | 2 |
What is it about contemporary art—every international art fair’s signature product—that qualifies it as an engine of evangelization? If the Church’s magnificent patrimony of high religious art has not stayed the attrition of Christianity in its homelands, can we expect today’s fashionable brands to speak more eloquently to the heathen art crowd who turn up at these spectaculars?
The Vatican has abandoned its earlier attitude toward contemporary art as “the breakdown of art in modern times.” Previously misunderstood as a “debacle,” it is now recognized as a “language.” It follows, then, that the Vatican should learn to speak it, yes? Mischief, however, resides in that word language.
Contemporary art, properly understood, is simply the art of our contemporaries. There is a wealth of gracious and impressive work to be found among them; yet what they create is, in the main, excluded from the term. Contemporary art denotes a marketing category. Its products are recognized by the degree to which they conform to a look, much of it—not all—rooted in Dada and drenched in the ritual theorizing of the academy. What the Vatican refers to is not a language at all. It is a style, a visual disposition that has expanded to include installation art and its flickering cousin, video.
Art collector and advertising mogul Charles Saatchi entrenched the sensibility—its bearing and reigning posture—by trademarking it as “The Art of Our Time” in the mid-1980s. He pioneered the positioning of contemporary art as a brand, or a cluster of brands. Like cosmetics or designer labels, it could be built on promotion. Contemporary art, stripped of rhetorical packaging, is as much a consumer confection as a vacuum-sealed packet of Starbucks Reserve Sun-Dried Sumatra Rasuna coffee.
In a consumer culture, it is image, not substance, that separates the sheep from the goats. By seeking “a dialogue” with contemporary art, the Vatican will be conversing with an image crafted for the global marketplace by admen fabricating the yardstick of what contemporaneity requires.
In comments to the New Statesman this past November, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, revealed his receptivity to the lure of the brand:
We are trying to get a dialogue up and running between the church and contemporary art—particularly artists at the highest level. We are looking for world famous people. Venice is a showcase for all the big countries in the world and the Holy See would like to be there too. We’re trying to get the best of international artists on our side who can create new works with a religious or spiritual subject./
Artists take commissions as they come. That is hardly the same thing as being “on our side,” in sympathy with Christian commitments, or in any way aligned with the ethos of the gospels. It is off kilter, this Vatican ardor to set up shop at the Venice Biennale. The Arsenale is not the Court of the Gentiles. It is the glossy core of an international circuit of vulpine dealers, speculative collectors, tight-lipped inside traders, money launderers, and courtiers (gallerists, artwriters, consultants, and entrepreneurial curators) who constitute the global art world—a phenomenon not identical to the world of art.
Saatchi himself has soured on the merchants in Venice. He stayed home last year from the “comprehensively and indisputably vulgar,” yacht-infested Biennale. He should know. Writing in The Guardian on “The Hideousness of the Art World,” he complained:
It is the sport of the Eurotrashy, Hedge-fundy, Hamptonites; of trendy oligarchs and oiligarchs; and of art dealers with masturbatory levels of self-regard. . . . Artistic credentials are au courant in the important business of being seen as cultured, elegant and, of course, stupendously rich. . . . even a self-serving narcissistic showoff like me finds this new art world too toe-curling for comfort. In the fervour of peacock excess, it’s not even considered necessary to waste one’s time looking at the works on display.
A rant from the best pitchmen in the business! Discounting for professional jealousy, it is all the more delicious since it comes from the very one who did so much to cultivate the ground under the cardinal’s crush on international brands.
If art carried the power of conversion granted to it, tourists would exit the Scrovegni Chapel on their knees. Bernard Berenson, the old serpent and opportunist, would have been as great a soul as he was a connoisseur. Joseph Duveen and his client Henry Ford II would have knelt for the Angelus together. | <urn:uuid:e05fb04c-821e-4358-872a-6c38f7f19550> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/maureen-mullarkey/2013/02/19/infrequently-asked-questions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949171 | 1,040 | 1.640625 | 2 |
What’s the job?
‘Business architect’ is becoming a more regular job title, according to Forrester Research. It’s the role that's ushering in organisations' transition from IT to business technology. Typically business architects report to the programme director and work alongside the firm's most senior business process executives and stakeholders. They may report to the IT department, or to the business.
Why the need?
No matter what the industry, business process management (BPM) projects need an effective IT architecture. Working hand-in-hand with the change manager, the business architect takes the lead in developing that architecture. The business architect fleshes out the business model and describes the need for business technology across the organisation and the role that process plays.
What’s the business piece?
Business architects have deep pockets of business knowledge but also see the big picture. Necessary talents encompass process discipline skills in methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma. They’re a hybrid beast and so need a rare combination of business domain knowledge, process experience, transformation talents and methodology skills. On top of that, you need a winning personality to bring disparate parties together.
What’s the tech skill-set?
The best business architects have got their hands dirty designing and building technology platforms and can intellectually strip a system down to the hardware and software nuts and bolts. Additionally, they know all about large-scale, cross-functional processes and systems: supply chain management, enterprise resource planning (ERP), finance, or customer resource management (CRM) are meat and drink to them.
Where’s the demand?
The crux of the job is working with complex systems on a vast scale, so any company in search of a business architect will have cash to splash. No surprise, then, that many business architects end up in financial services where the business environment of compliance and regulation is complex and fast-changing. But other sectors working on a similarly large and complex scale will be destinations for this breed of hybrid tech professional. Utilities and transportation outfits, energy trading exchanges, telecoms and retailers are advertising business architects jobs on CWJobs right now.
Who can make the jump?
Business analysts and project managers are sitting pretty to make the jump to business architect. However developers and programmers are taking an interest in the hybrid role because, unlike coding, it’s not a role that can be put off-shore. Business analysts are revered by their peers and subordinates, not only because of their grasp of tech complexity but their breadth of business knowledge. Because knowing your sector lies at the heart of success, once BAs find their niche, they often stay.
With thanks to:
John Rymer and Alexander Peters of Forrester Research; Neil Hedges, senior manager, Robert Half Technology
Search CWJobs for Business Architect, Business Analyst and Project Manager jobs | <urn:uuid:7e39fce2-d86f-4d2e-818f-cf6869c979bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cwjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/profiles/business-architect | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934304 | 595 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Business of Curling: Sharing of ideas!
We have been recently challenged by a couple of curling club managers to consider creating an online forum for club managers and/or Board members where they could share ideas and best practices. It is now generally accepted that facilities, especially in urban settings (where there may be more than one building in the area), are not in competition with each other. And that sharing of ideas is now a good thing!
In the past, there had been reluctance to share because we were so worried that other clubs might ‘steal’ the customers we worked so hard to get. However, curling has between 1 and 3 percent of the Canadian population actually playing which leaves a really big marketplace to attract and retain new customers; enough for everybody to successful and without being seen as raiding.
It seems there is also agreement in our industry that any and all good news stories must be shared. We simply need to find the proper vehicle to make it work, to get the ideas into everyone’s hands.
The power of the Internet and social media has already brought many success stories to prominence. The very neat things a number of clubs are doing today are not big secrets but rather proud accomplishments and deserve to be shared.
So what next?
A couple of ideas emerged from an informal round table discussion.
The first as suggested was some form of online discussion group open to all buildings and all managers/board members. This would/could be place to ‘chat’, post pictures, ask questions, talk about bonspiels and so on.
The second idea was to create a national conference or symposium for curling club managers and/or board members. Despite the power of the Internet, it was felt a gathering of the key decision-makers from around the country would have tremendous benefit to the sport. It would also allow regional and provincial/territorial curling associations and the CCA to gather consensus on a number of topics enabling everyone to move forward in development planning of tools clubs will need to be successful.
Finally, our curling clubs are the first contact for anyone trying the sport for the first time. Although it sounds very high performance-ish, curling clubs have a very important role to play in the Long Term Athlete Development model (LTAD): active start; FUNdamentals; etc.
After some quick brainstorming, we also came up with some ideas for professional presentations at this ‘conference’:
- refrigeration experts & energy conservation;
- social media;
- property taxes;
- recruitment campaigns;
- food & beverage;
- learn to curl leagues;
- the curling club professional;
- writing and accessing grants;
- and so on……
As for logistics, it appears a site would have to be centrally located at least for the first year and then move it around the country. Properly positioned in terms of location, even the furthest club away should cost the club less than a $1,000 to send their manager/board member. Just the ideas alone that would be shared make this money well spent for any curling club.
So to end a long-winded sales pitch, we are proceeding with a ‘free’ online platform for discussion and sharing of ideas. The conference concept is still a ‘dream’ at this stage but it can be turned into reality if we hear from you at the club that you are interested and would be willing to attend. Drop me a line.
Written by Danny Lamoureux
Tuesday, 16 August 2011 09:13
About Danny Lamoureux | <urn:uuid:b58c7b6e-e0cc-43e7-bc93-ea93d5c728c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.curling.ca/blog/2011/08/16/sharing-of-ideas/ | 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 | 0.966051 | 747 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The Beasley Family
Adulthood came quickly for Elisha Beasley. At 15, she became a mother, and by 21 she had three children. Determined to be a success, she finished school and has continued to maintain a full-time job to support her children. She was briefly married, but soon separated due to mental and physical abuse. As a child, her family moved continuously, so she never learned what it was like to live in a safe and stable environment. She decided she wanted to raise her children differently.
She tried attending college, but was unable to pay for child care, and struggled for 18 years to pay for food, rent, clothes, housing fees and other bills.
Elisha is very ambitious and dreamed of someday having her own home. She was denied housing from many other programs, but was determined to keep trying. When she was accepted for homeownership, she felt an overwhelming feeling of hope. She says that Habitat for Humanity has been a true blessing to her family and a chance for long-lasting stability.
Elisha and her children are making their dream come true by working on their sweat equity hours; they say it is worth every minute. They are looking forward to being able to call their house a home, and can’t wait to paint the walls their favorite colors and plant a garden in the yard. | <urn:uuid:48cedf74-e32a-4471-9775-bc06b6aec339> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://habitatportlandmetro.org/about-us/families/beasley/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.993596 | 280 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Small food business have a lot of challenges these days, considering the bummer that is the Big Ol’ Recession. But with the recent upsurge of awesomeness in the Oakland food craft scene, it’s clear lack of cash isn’t stopping people from actualizing their dreams.
Like, oh, let’s say, Starter Bakery – the flaky, chewy, crunchy, oh-so-impossibly-buttery love child between Jamie Hansen and Brian Wood (you can find them at our Craft Marketplace with other small, local food crafters at the upcoming Eat Real Oakland). In a move that might seem a little crazy, or brave, or just crazy-brave, Jamie left her successful high-tech job in the midst of, as we’ve all heard ad nauseum, the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression for the food biz life. Selling pastries satisfies the soul a tad more than million-dollar software packages, it would seem.
So how does Starter Bakery stay small and still remain successful? Creative resourcing and a willingness to adapt.
Originally intending to be a retail bakery, the reality of dream-shatteringly-expensive real estate had Stater Bakery floundering. As Jamie says, “Three-dollar pastries just don’t add up to a $300,000 loan.” Knowing this, and that they wanted to stay in Oakland “because while it embraces food culture, it’s not about the next fad,” they began to hunt for another space that would wouldn’t put them in the red.
When they came across the old Blue Bottle Coffee roastery in West Oakland, barren except for gas and electricity and set up for wholesale only, the dream changed – to a wholesale bakery that would sell in farmers markets and to local cafes and restaurants. All tools and equipment were bought second-hand off of Craigslist, and a handful of volunteers and apprentices were enlisted to help the business grow. To stay solvent and pay her own salary Jamie still does tech consulting on the side, which allows Brian, an ex-San Francisco Baking Institute chef, to focuses on the product side.
But for a small company that has no intention on becoming a big producer, modest growth, a little at time, makes sense. It turns out that there’s a real niche for small producers that make handmade, really handmade - like hands actual touching dough - product. And for right now, Jamie and Brian are perfectly tickled with their on-the-ground business at farmers markets and with wholesale customers.
As Jamie confides, “You don’t go into food to make a million dollars. You want to see the people that you’re serving. We’re happy to be a part of Eat Real because it attracts so many people. It’s an extension of this whole food community. And we’re lucky that this community is in our own backyard.”
Can’t wait for Eat Real Oakland this September 23-25? You can find Starter Bakery at these locations. | <urn:uuid:b9333ee0-ea22-4700-8224-029914ecb165> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eatrealfest.org/index/feature/id/11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948461 | 650 | 1.5 | 2 |
President Clinton today denounced "promoters of paranoia" for spreading hate on the public airwaves and promptly found himself in a confrontation with conservative radio talk show hosts, whom he had not named but who interpreted his remarks as attacks on themselves.
After days of measured statements of grief and outrage over the Oklahoma City bombing, Mr. Clinton edged today into a new discussion of the civic and political climate that might have encouraged it. As soon as he finished speaking, senior White House aides became concerned that his remarks would be interpreted as an attack on radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh and rushed to insist that the President had only been urging Americans to protect free speech by speaking out against hatred.
"We hear so many loud and angry voices in America today whose sole goal seems to be to try to keep some people as paranoid as possible and the rest of us all torn up and upset with each other," Mr. Clinton said in a speech to the American Association of Community Colleges in Minneapolis before flying to Iowa for a conference on rural America. "They spread hate. They leave the impression that, by their very words, that violence is acceptable.
"You ought to see," Mr. Clinton continued, "I'm sure you are now seeing the reports of some things that are regularly said over the airwaves in America today. Well, people like that who want to share our freedoms must know that their bitter words can have consequences, and that freedom has endured in this country for more than two centuries because it was coupled with an enormous sense of responsibility."
But Mr. Limbaugh said on his radio show today that it would be "irresponsible and vacuous" to suggest that debate heard on the radio contributed to the events in Oklahoma City.
He asserted that liberals intended to use the bombing "for their own gain," and added, "The insinuations being made are irresponsible and are going to have a chilling effect on legitimate discussion."
Mr. Clinton did not mention Mr. Limbaugh or other political opponents by name, but he has sharply criticized him in the past. After initial news service reports characterized the President's remarks as a reference to conservative talk show hosts, the top aides traveling with him -- the deputy White House chief of staff, Harold M. Ickes, and the communications director, Mark D. Gearan -- sought out reporters to insist that was not so.
Mr. Gearan said the President might have been thinking of news reports that groups with ties to suspects in the bombing had used shortwave radio to broadcast anti-Government messages, and Mr. Ickes said Mr. Clinton was speaking more broadly.
"He is not pointing his finger at any particular person or any particular program," Mr. Ickes said. "But he is very concerned that words do have consequences."
White House aides also distributed copies of the State of the Union Message, in which the President called for a new civic discourse, in an effort to show that Mr. Clinton had been sounding similar themes for months.
But talk show hosts seized on the President's oratory as an attack on them and responded accordingly. In an interview broadcast tonight on ABC News, G. Gordon Liddy, whose talk show is syndicated, said that he had no obligation to temper his tone.
"If a listener responds inappropriately it is beyond my control and not my fault," he declared.
Also tonight, Mr. Limbaugh issued a statement in which he sardonically agreed with the President's remarks but turned Mr. Clinton's past attacks on Republican budget cuts back on him. | <urn:uuid:22c3e824-3959-421e-ae81-91668a6f71bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/25/us/terror-oklahoma-president-shifting-debate-political-climate-clinton-condemns.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983958 | 715 | 1.75 | 2 |
Barney is stuck in bed with the chicken pox, and the itches are driving him crazy. Luckily his Grandpa knows lots of stories, stories that are so exciting that they make the itches go away - at least till it's time for a new story.
In this third installment of the easy-reader series, Barney's grandmother wants him to take a nap before Dr. Storkmeyer comes. Grandpa is clearly itching (pardon the pun) to tell him a story about the time Dr. Storkmeyer got his head shrunk. But no, Grandma says he must mow the lawn while Barney takes his nap. Off Grandma goes in her pickup truck, and Grandpa cleverly finds a way to take care of yard work as well as tell Barney his exciting adventure story.
The story is funny and action packed, involving poison arrows, a creepily funny jungle queen, and a head-shrinking potion made from triple-sour lemonade and cranberry juice. To add to the fun, there are comic-book speech bubbles to complement the text.
This is a treat for children who are fairly proficient readers but are still daunted by huge blocks of text unbroken by illustrations. The vocabulary is challenging but not too difficult - in fact, it is categorized as I Can Read level 2, "reading with help." (But levels vary from publisher to publisher, so don't trust the number -- always look at the text to see if it the right kind of book for your young reader.) Best of all, it's an interesting story, fun and exciting and enjoyable to read.
One criticism of this series that I've heard is that, with the chicken pox vaccine and fewer children getting the virus, the premise is obsolete. Not in our family! One of my children had the vaccine and still got chicken pox - twice! Regardless, any child can certainly identify with being uncomfortable and stuck in bed, and the stories are so fun that I find myself hoping it will take quite a while before poor Barney gets better!
The Shrunken Head: Grandpa Spanielson's Chicken Pox Stories # 3 by Denys Cazet (HarperCollins, 2007) | <urn:uuid:e06ee364-76d9-4a64-904a-d6962f76f255> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.booksandotherthoughts.com/2007/06/read-it-yourself-adventure-story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96314 | 451 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Painters such as John James Audubon, who went out into the world to document new species and environments through art, are inspiring to me. I’m interested in the colonial tradition of documenting species from a scientific standpoint, as well as the romantic notion of seeing exotic animals up close. I view my animal photographs as authentic portraits and take the same approach to shooting animals as I would a portrait of a person. Like the paintings of George Stubbs, my photographs capture the animal’s integrity with a measured, objective enthusiasm. I want these portraits of animals to breathe the same air of importance, identity, and gravitas as Francisco Goya’s paintings of Spanish royalty. I often think of my work more in terms of painting than photography, and of all these painting references, Sir Edwin Landseer is my biggest influence. I envision myself as a contemporary Landseer creating formal and respectful portraits of dogs as well as dramatic narrative scenes of more exotic creatures.
Aesthetically I try to engender a sense of amazement and wonder. Digital photography has allowed me to focus on composition and literally build the environment piece by piece around the subject. Although not every piece calls for it, being able to assemble environments and backgrounds from multiple photographs has added an element of workmanship to my photography. I’m able build a fantasy world with photographs that I could never have imagined taking in real life. As one author defined Romantic Realism, these photographs are my portrayal of the world, “as it could be and should be.” The Shepherd's Realm is my proof that the world is a humbling and wonderful place where polar bears exist (for now), white lions congregate near castles, and cats jump creeks in the middle of the night. | <urn:uuid:196a8d22-7d6d-45c3-8f7e-45cb34fbf63a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://portfolios.risd.edu/gallery/The-Shepherds-Realm/3843787 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958528 | 361 | 1.546875 | 2 |
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Roy Lichtenstein was an intelligent, witty and overt commentator of his own art. What he says gives a better understanding what Pop Art is all about.
First Publication: March 2002
Latest Update: pril 2013
For copyright reasons we cannot show you any pictures of Roy Lichtenstein art works on this web site. That's a pity. But you find a rather popular, easy to read biography on this page. And to make this page look less sad, we show you an art work by a young, emerging Chinese female artist, Poon Shu. You can see many more of her paintings on our website dedicated to contemporary Chinese art.
And I am sure, Roy Lichtenstein would have appreciated Poon Shu's work. ;-)
"But my work is not about form. It's about seeing. I'm excited about seeing things and I'm interested in the way I think other people saw things. I suppose "seeing" at its most profound level may be synonymous with form, or rather form is the result of unified seeing."
"Pop might be a difficult starting point for a painter. He would have great difficulty in making these brittle images yield to compositional purposes. ...Interaction between painter and painting is not the total commitment of Pop, but it is still a major concern - though concealed and strained."
"I had trouble with the brush-strokes too: they looked like slices of bacon or something, they really did not look anything like brush-strokes when I started. And I got this idea that I would use India ink on acetate and make a brush-stroke, because the acetate kind of repels the ink. And then I would copy, I would draw pictures of those and it was just a way of getting an idea for a brush-stroke. It had more interest than I could get by trying to dream one up."
"Anyway, the dots can have a purely decorative meaning, or they can mean an industrial way of extending the color, or data information, or finally that the image is a fake. .... I think those are the meanings the dots have taken on, but I am not really sure if I have not made all this up."
"I am trying to make the drawing as powerful as possible. I start with the color, which I have already visualized, but it usually changes, because the drawing that I have done is not really like the painting. The quality of the colored pencil is not the same as the paint. Also the thickness of lines changes. Because of the dots and the diagonal lines and unmodulated color, I work in a color key that I love to play with. I try to make it different from painting to painting. You do whatever is required to make more of a color or make it brighter or duller or whatever you have to do to give you the sense of wholeness."
Author: Dieter Wanczura
The images on this web site are the property of the artist(s) and or the artelino GmbH and/or a third company or institution. Reproduction, public display and any commercial use of these images, in whole or in part, require the expressed written consent of the artist(s) and/or the artelino GmbH.
Visit our auction calendar for Japanese Prints
Thank you! - Dieter and Yorie | <urn:uuid:936badce-2fc6-41f4-b5f5-029402be6789> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artelino.com/articles/lichtenstein.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966227 | 708 | 1.710938 | 2 |
The clock read 9 p.m. when Kirk Owusu Moore finished checking into the hotel in Accra, Ghana’s capital city on the Atlantic Ocean coast. For the then-16-year-old, it could’ve been the start of a nice vacation
The typical two-hour trip from his home in Koforidua was twice as long because of road conditions. Rather than explore the city as teenagers might be apt to do, Moore decided to call it an early night. He wanted to be prepared.
He woke up early the next morning – 12:15 a.m. is technically the next day – and left his hotel to make it to his business meeting on time. He made his way to the U.S. embassy – Accra boasts the only such American facility in Ghana – while wondering if he would be approved to study in the U.S.
“Everybody knows that it takes a really long time, and everybody knows it’s not easy to get an American visa in Ghana to come here,” Moore said at Indiana State more than four years after that initial trip to Accra to visit the U.S. embassy.
It would not be his last.
Thousands of international students through the years have journeyed from countries around the world to study at Indiana State, influencing their lives and the Midwest. They each have unique stories and experiences, trials and triumphs along the way. Though they study alongside peers from every state in the nation, they already have gone through a much longer process than American students to even get into class.
When international students submit their transcripts as part of the application process, they can run into a complication: The letter grading system common in the United States is not a universal system used around the world. International student advisor Pam Tabor is one of several office members who reviews international applicants’ transcripts and interprets them so that the Office of Admissions can make a determination on a student’s application.
“It’s incredible. There are so many variables,” Tabor said. “It’s a constant learning process, and I do a great deal of research as part of my work.”
The students also have to work with immigration officials on gaining approval to travel to the U.S. In countries such as China and India, where many students want to study in the U.S., it may take students weeks to schedule an interview at the U.S. consulate, said Maria Chaqra, assistant director of the Office of International Programs and Services.
Yet it is not uncommon for students to be accepted to study at ISU, only to be denied for a visa to enter the U.S. The student then has to re-apply for a visa.
“So the student requests a deferment, and the student goes again and applies for a visa,” Chaqra said, “and there have been times that they have been approved the second time or the third time.”
While it can be a multi-year process for some students, it can be a quick turnaround for others. Sophomore Nancy Kaj Mujing, an economics major from the Democratic Republic of Congo, knew growing up that she wanted to study abroad.
Her father learned about Indiana State through a family connection, and he told Mujing in December 2010 that she would be studying in the U.S. Just weeks later, she was at ISU.
She didn’t immediately start college classes, however. She enrolled in classes at the Interlink Language Center housed at ISU, which provides English training, cultural orientation and academic preparation. Though she had strong English reading skills, Interlink helped improve her conversational skills before she enrolled in ISU courses the following semester.
“If I really came in January 2011 and started ISU at the same time, I don’t think I would be comfortable in classes, so that experience helped me to be prepared psychologically and mentally for the university,” Mujing said. ”With Interlink, we had homework, and I had to organize my time … and so that experience really helped me to organize everything in my head and also to prepare myself for ISU as a university.”
Owusu reached the U.S. embassy at 1 a.m. Even with such an early start, he had no room for error: he had heard from other students that only 100 people enter the embassy to conduct business for the day. Scheduling an appointment via the World Wide Web was out, as he did not have Internet access at home.
So in 2009, the teenager made the appointment as countless others have done throughout the world: hurry up and wait.
Yet the seven-and-a-half hours he waited for the U.S. embassy to open isn’t the longest people have stood in line. Zachariah Mathew, associate director of the ISU Office of International Programs and Services, has witnessed a U.S embassy in India that featured two lines: one for people going into the embassy that day, and a separate line of people who waited overnight to conduct business the next day.
That was 13 years ago and is no longer the case, as many people now schedule appointment times in advance online, Mathew said, though it can sometimes be difficult to schedule an appointment quickly.
And that’s just to get into the embassy.
International students learn a multitude of things simultaneously as they adjust to campus and American culture while settling into a daily routine. Many international students ride city buses in Terre Haute, as it is difficult for international students to attain driver’s licenses or open bank accounts, Chaqra said.
“Sometimes it’s overwhelming,” she added. “It’s a lot of information, but we tell them that whatever questions they have, they can come to our office.”
Members of the Office of International Programs and Services need to know about the other campus offices and the services they provide, as international students typically will stop at the office first for questions about campus services.
“We usually call it the home away from home, and they come and talk to us many times not only about their classes or the immigration situation, they come and talk to us about their personal issues,” Chaqra said. “They see us as their friends.
“Sometimes students living off campus have problems with their landlords,” she added. “There are many, many issues they have, and we try to help them with everything the best we can.”
Though only two people stood in line ahead of Moore when he had arrived at the U.S. embassy, people who reserved Internet appointments pushed him back to the 50th person doing business with the embassy that day.
He had the required documentation needed to study in the U.S. Yet simply getting the interview provided no guarantee for visa approval. In the end, embassy staff delayed his visa application because of complications from his bank statement, which was in Japanese, as his father worked in Japan.
He appealed his case with the U.S. embassy, working through the confusion from the financial documentation, which the U.S. government requires for many students looking to study in the United States. Six months after his initial interview and another trip to Accra and interview later, he received approval for a student visa.
That was just for high school. After he graduated from Covenant Christian High School in Indianapolis, he returned to Ghana to apply for another visa to study in the U.S. – this time at Indiana State, which he had learned about while in high school. It took six more months and a deferment before he received a visa to study at ISU.
Moore, a sophomore legal studies major at Indiana State, plans on becoming an international lawyer after he graduates. Many international students who return to their native countries after graduating from American universities take on leadership positions, he said.
“It’s been really good, quite good,” Moore said of his experience studying in the U.S., including two years at Indiana State. “In terms of leadership, I think I have developed a lot and learned a lot of skills, and also my English has improved a lot.”
While on campus, international students quickly learn about different nuances of American culture. The international student office provides a session about some of the differences during orientation, though they learn much more through their living experiences.
Before starting classes at Indiana State, Mujing thought that college students typically had a lot of free time outside of the classroom. Once school started though, she learned it was much different.
“There is not much free time,” Mujing said. “From Monday to Friday you are very busy, and there is not just homework, there is reading and textbooks.”
One of the first cultural shocks she experienced was American students’ relaxed approach to attending college classes, compared to the approach she had been used to seeing. She also was startled the first time she saw ISU students attending class wearing pajamas.
“Back home, when someone is going to university, it’s something very big and people are buying handbags and folders and all these fancy things …,” Mujing said. “But here, people have backpacks, which is like high school.”
International students also learn from American students. Yet it’s more common for international students to befriend other international students, said Daniela Báez, a Quito, Ecuador, native who graduated from Indiana State in December with her doctorate in language education.
“I think that way we become friends, and almost family sometimes, because it’s so hard to make friends that are from the States, unless they are Americans who have been abroad or that they want to go abroad, or they want to study a different culture or language,” Báez said.
International students sometimes hesitate to approach American students because they are not fluent in English, Báez said. American students are friendly once international students get to know them, she added, though the challenge can be who takes the first step to overcome cultural barriers.
International and domestic students who are friends learn more about each other’s cultures through experiences together. Indiana State senior Bethany Donat has hosted friends who are international students for Thanksgiving, and has taught some of her friends about how Americans celebrate Christmas.
Donat has learned Japanese from a few friends from Japan. Once, while hanging out with a group of friends watching the “Gangnam Style” music video, a friend from South Korea translated the lyrics to the K-Pop hit, adding a new dimension to the group’s enjoyment of the most-watched video in YouTube’s history.
“It gives you more perspective to learn from someone who’s grown up in another part of the world, not in the United States like you have,” Donat said. “It’s fun to introduce them to parts of American culture, and then to learn stuff from their culture too.”
The distance from home can add to international students’ difficulties. Mujing can relate to American students who get homesick. Yet students in the U.S. also visit home more frequently than many international students.
“The support we get from people around us, that keeps us going, because we get homesick a lot,” Mujing said. “Depression is sometimes in our journey because we have our family very far from us, and our childhood friends” are far away as well.
Despite the challenges and hurdles, many international students make the most of their time in the U.S. Mujing and Moore have sought out leadership opportunities on campus, including organizing events. They also volunteered to teach Wabash Valley residents about their native countries. They recalled that several people were surprised to hear that the African students experienced racism while living in the U.S.
“Most of them didn’t think that it exists,” said Mujing, who hopes to become a global economist while working on social issues in her native Democratic Republic of Congo. “They were very, very shocked.”
Moore advocates that people should be open and supportive of their peers from countries around the world.
“A city like Terre Haute, for instance, should encourage different cultures, because the way the world is going, if you don’t get experience from other people’s perspectives, there’s no way you can polish yours for it to fit other economies around you because it’s a global village,” Moore said. “We do stuff together.”
Austin Arceo is the assistant director of media relations at Indiana State University. | <urn:uuid:e4e280ab-882d-43b9-8935-cda0c88fa73e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.isumagazine.com/2013/01/global-place-of-ideas/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976039 | 2,676 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Before I start talking about the eco pencils I want to emphasise that I call them eco pencils because they are marketed in this or in a similar way. Why are they marketed like this? Because they do not use wood, but alternative materials. While I do believe that they could be more ecologically friendly than wooden pencils I have no proof and in the same way that for example biofuel or hybrid cars bring new problems, there might be hidden problem I do not know of when it comes to the production of the eco pencils.
When it comes to wooden pencils there are also big differences, e.g. between pencils using wood from certified1, well-managed forests and pencils with wood from unknown and more dubious sources. It certainly would not be a problem to produce pencils without wood that are actually less environmentally friendly than traditional wooden pencils. In absence of any incriminating evidence I will however give the six eco pencils tested in this article the benefits of the doubt and will refer to them as eco pencils, as intended by their manufacturers.
First I will have a closer look at the extruded pencils.
Let’s start with the red pencil, made from recycled CD cases. I found this pencil a few weeks ago, somebody must have lost it …or forgotten it …or more likely: did not want to use it any more because it is so horrible (more on this later). When I first found it I was quite excited. The pencil point was broken off, so I could not use it and had to sharpened it in my Deli pencil sharpener 0635, which I soon regretted. You had to use considerably more force compared to sharpening a wooden pencil in the Deli and to be honest, the Deli has not been the same since. The red plastic is much harder than wood and must have somehow blunted the burr cylinder. The Deli 0635 still works, but does not operate as smoothly as in the past. Writing with this pencil is not very nice. The line is not particularly black and the pencil manages to give you a waxy and scratchy feeling the same time. The writing on the pencil reads “Pencil made from recycled CD cases”. I wish it stayed a CD case.
On to the next pencil. The Ticonderoga Renew, made from recycled tyres. I was quite excited when I received my pack of ten.This excitement started to disappear when I tried to sharpen these pencils. They are even harder to sharpen than the red CD case pencil. Rotating the pencil in any sharpener will make you fear for the sharpener. I fear the pencil will manage to blunt every blade it touches. Once I started using the pencil any last bit of enthusiasm I had left for this pencil was gone completely. It was scratchy and the line is certainly not dark at all. Sometimes it seems to perform better, so I suspect that the lead is of different quality in different parts …or maybe the difference in performance has to do with the writing angle or the degree of sharpening. Sometimes writing with this pencil is nearly acceptable, but only nearly. Overall it is even worse than the CD case pencil. BTW, there is a warning, printed on the box “Not for use with electric sharpeners”.
Last in the category of extruded pencils is the Staedtler Wopex. According to Staetdler the fibre material is made from 70% wood. The pencil is much easier to sharpen then the previous two pencils, but it is still not anywhere near a wooden pencil. As the lead is extruded, not made the traditional way, writing with it is more similar to writing with the previous two pencils than it is to writing with a pencil that has a traditional lead. Luckily there is no scratchiness, instead the lead is quite waxy. The line of the Wopex is also much darker, more like a line from a traditional pencil. Having used the Wopex for a few weeks now I have to say that depending on the paper and writing surface used, writing with the Wopex can be a very pleasant experience. Its lines are a bit more difficult to erase than those of most traditional pencils and it is about twice as heavy as a traditional pencil, which is quite nice. Another nice feature is its nice, “grippy” surface.
Next I will have a look at the pencils that use rolled paper instead of wood.
Recently I had a closer look at the Eco Bridge pencils, so I will not go into too much detail again. It is a nice pencil, but one thing I noticed is that, compared to other paper pencils, the rolled paper is more likely to get ripped away during sharpening, presumably because of no, less or different glue applied to the paper before rolling.
Next is the O’Bon Newsprint pencil. Mine seems to be made from paper that might have been part of a financial newspaper from mainland China. The pencil is made in China, but the newspaper you can see on the packaging of the pencils seems to be from Malaysia, which is where O’Bon seems to have its origins (don’t quote me on this, I am only 99% sure). Malaysia seems to be the new El Dorado for stationery lovers. If you like pens from the higher end of the market you might have come across Pen Gallery, an online shop from Malaysia. Pelikan is kind of Malaysian too. Pelikan, and recently Herlitz, were bought by a Malaysian business man and stationery aficionado who, according to some newspaper articles I read, fulfilled his lifelong dream when he bought this stationery giant. A lot of Faber-Castell products are made in Malaysia, too …so now it turns out O’Bon is from Malaysia as well. I wonder whether this is more than a coincidence. On the other hand Staedtler closed its factory in Malaysia this year. OK, one last Malaysia pencil fact: The most common pencil grade in Malaysia is 2B. Getting other grades is even quite difficult. Back to the O’Bon pencils: they are actually very good. Even though they are 2B they hardly smudge and the line is nice and dark. Unlike the Eco Bridge pencils the O’Bon pencils can be sharpened and still look good, as the paper does not rip away.
Now to the last paper pencil. The Tesco paper pencil is quite similar to the O’Bon as it is also made from real newspaper, while the Eco Bridge seems to use paper specially made for the pencils, which reduces the eco-ness considerably. The Tesco pencil is also slightly slimmer than the other two paper pencils and much cheaper. The surface is smooth like the O’Bon’s surface while the Eco Bridge pencil has a rough paper surface. By far the biggest drawback of the Tesco pencil is that it smells horribly for several days after taking it out of the package. Something that makes me think that the glues being used cannot be too healthy. On the plus side the Tesco pencil is one of the cheapest pencils around, but my local Tesco stopped stocking them so I fear they might be difficult to come by in the future.
Unfortunately most of the pencils are only available in some markets. The Ticonderoga Renew box has a UK address printed on the reverse, but I have never seen this pencil in the UK. Staedtler has a worlwide distribution network, but the Wopex does not seem to be available in all markets.
The Staedtler Wopex is, without a shadow of a doubt, the winner of the extruded pencils tested here. There are of course also other extruded pencils, like the ones from BIC, but they were not included as I have never used them. Last time I used other extruded pencils they were horrible writers, similar to the CD case pencil and the Ticonderoga Renew, so I assume that there are not many nice extruded pencils available. One problem with the Wopex that I should point out is that the last millimetre of the point can break easily if you have over-sharpened it.
The winner of the rolled paper pencils is the O’Bon Newsprint. It can be sharpened without problems, the surface finish is really nice and it does not have the horrible smell the Tesco pencil has in th ebeginning.
One interesting point I should mention is that some of the eco pencils (Wopex & O’Bon) claim that they last longer than normal pencils. I have not looked into this yet and cannot comment on it. If you think you noticed that they last longer please let me know.
I would like to thank Lexikaliker for my first Wopex pencil. You will find reviews of the HB and 2B Wopex on his blog (Google translation). You can find a review of the Wopex (in English) at pencil talk.
I would like to thank Kevin from O’Bon for sending me the Newsprint pencils free of charge. Even though I received them free of charge I tried to be objective and believe that this article was not influence by the fact that I received the O’Bon pencils without having to pay for them. You can find a review of O’Bon pencils at pencil talk.
- e.g. FSC, PEFC [↩] | <urn:uuid:1473a37c-ae60-4708-b26d-9365f0dc32af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bleistift.memm.de/?category_name=eco-bridge | 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 | 0.973862 | 1,979 | 1.59375 | 2 |
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A hundred and fifty years ago people like you were horrified that the country was being overrun by the Irish, with their huge families, alien religion, love of drink and abhorrence of work. Guess what? Today people of Irish descent are indistinguishable from any other Americans.
It may be hard for you to accept, but the very people you're running down are tomorrow's American citizens. Exactly like the Irish, the Germans, the Poles, the Chinese, the Italians, etc, etc, all of whom were the supposed harbingers of the ruination of our nation at the time.
Had you read the other articles in this special report you would have discovered that the immigration rate from Mexico to the United States has stopped completely, and has begun to reverse itself as Mexico grows wealthier and its population approaches replacement levels, making more jobs available.
You also need to brush up on state and federal welfare rules. Compared to other OECD countries, America's welfare benefits are the stingiest. People come here to work, not to sponge off the state, since those who try the latter route soon starve to death.
What a coincidence. Mexico's birthrate is in decline while the US' is on the rise due to all the high hispanic birthrate. Of course that wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that anyone who could walk across the border gets to give birth in the US in a safe, clean, modern first world hospital for free, gains free citizenship and welfare check for each additional baby, free education down the road. Nothing to do with that at all. Just a coincidence, really.
Immigration from Mexico has not stopped it has slowed along with the U.S.economy.In fact one could easily argue that the state of the economy goes hand in hand with immigration trends both legal and illegal.As far as anyone in the U.S. starving,working or not please show from where you have that info.I would also love to see the proof that this article states that 1 in 4 Mexicans are sterilized.
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Let’s start today with a little history reminder.
The year is 2008; the year of the too-big-to-fail scam. Major banks and investment companies file for bankruptcy. Unemployment soars, the housing market tumbles, and the stock market crashes. In what has to be the least surprising outcome of the 2008 financial fiasco, the big Wall Street firms have just successfully applied enough pressure on the SEC to get them to stall a proposed rule to make all financial advisors “fiduciaries.”
So what is a fiduciary and why should you care? In today’s world, most financial professionals aren’t required to sell you products that are in your best interest. They are allowed to sell you products that are in their best interest instead.
I know this may sound a little crazy, but it’s true. Only agents that are fiduciaries are required to do what’s exclusively in your best interest. Is it any wonder why there are forces at work to do away with this provision of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law?
Currently, the only individual that is required to work as a fiduciary for you is someone that is a registered investment advisor (RIA). This means that from your insurance agent to your stockbroker, unless they are also a registered investment advisor (very few are), they can legally sell what’s in their best interest over what’s in your best interest.
What exactly does this mean for you? The “fiduciary” standard is one in which your financial advisor must put your interests first. Wall Street and the insurance industry don’t have that same responsibility. They currently have something called a “suitability” standard. With this standard, they only have to put you in investments that are considered “suitable” for your circumstances.
Here is a good example of how they differ. Let’s say that you wanted a large-cap mutual fund as part of your portfolio. A Wall Street firm advisor can use any large-cap fund, and you can bet they’ll be searching for the one with the highest commission or one from a mutual fund company that paid the firm millions of dollars to be put on their “preferred” list. The Wall Street firm and advisor can be focused on the large-cap fund that is best for them. A fiduciary, on the other hand, would compare all large cap funds out there to find the one that would represent a “best fit” for you. They are focused on the fund that is best for you.
So what do you want? Do you want your advisor looking for investments that are best for them? Or best for you?
Wall Street, by their actions, has clearly voted where they stand. The question is will you continue to put up with it? Because this can be a little complicated, please give me a call and I will give you a free analysis of your portfolio to see if you have only investments that are in your best interest. | <urn:uuid:9dd6db1a-b9c5-48b6-8616-8c4743dc5342> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.herald-journal.com/archives/2012/columns/bw020612.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973109 | 636 | 1.695313 | 2 |
NEW YORK — New York City awakened Tuesday to a flooded subway system, shuttered financial markets and hundreds of thousands of people without power a day after a wall of seawater and high winds slammed into the city, destroying buildings and flooding tunnels.
MOBILE USERS: Click here to view photos from Hurricane Sandy.
Photos from Sandy
These are photos moving on the Associated Press wire from Hurricane Sandy
Scenes of the damage were everywhere. At least 50 flooded homes in Queens caught fire and were destroyed. A hospital removed patients on stretchers and 20 babies from neonatal intensive care, some on respirators operating on battery power.
Where usually bustling crowds and traffic jams streamed through sidewalks, streets and subways, they were largely empty. And high above midtown, the broken boom of a crane continued to dangle precariously over a neighborhood.
How to help
You can donate to the American Red Cross to help recovery efforts by going to www.redcross.org
"Oh, Jesus. Oh, no," said Faye Schwartz, 65, Tuesday morning as she surveyed the damage in her Brooklyn neighborhood, where cars were strewn like leaves, planters deposited in intersections and green metal Dumpsters tossed on their sides.
The storm was once Hurricane Sandy but combined with two wintry systems to become a huge hybrid storm whose center smashed ashore late Monday in New Jersey. New York City was perfectly positioned to absorb the worst of its storm surge — a record 13 feet.
Water lapped over the seawall in Battery Park City, flooding rail yards, subway tracks, tunnels and roads. Rescue workers floated bright orange rafts down flooded downtown streets, while police officers rolled slowly down the street with loudspeakers telling people to go home.
"We knew that this was going to be a very dangerous storm, and the storm has met our expectations," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "This is a once-in-a-long-time storm."
In Queens, nearly 200 firefighters tried to contain an enormous blaze that consumed 50 homes in the Breezy Point neighborhood. They had to use a boat to make rescues, firefighters told WABC-TV. They climbed an awning to reach about 25 trapped people and take them down to a boat.
Officials weren't immediately able to pin down the cause of the blaze.
Water surged into two major commuter tunnels — the Brooklyn Battery and the Queens Midtown — along with seven subway tunnels under the East River. The agency is assessing damage and will restore the system as quickly as it can, MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota said.
The rains and howling winds left a crane hanging off a luxury high-rise in midtown Manhattan, causing the evacuation of hundreds from a posh hotel and other buildings. Inspectors were climbing 74 flights of stairs to examine the crane hanging from the $1.5 billion building.
After a backup generator failed, New York University's Tisch Hospital began evacuating more than 200 patients to other facilities, including 20 babies from neonatal intensive care, some of them on respirators operating on battery power.
Without power, the hospital had no elevator service, meaning patients had to be carefully carried down staircases and outside into the weather. Gusts of wind blew their blankets as nurses held IVs and other equipment.
About 670,000 homes and businesses were without power late Monday in the city and suburban Westchester County.
In Schwartz's Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook, residents who ignored a mandatory evacuation order awoke to debris-strewn streets and a continued blackout. About 2 inches of mucky dirt and leaves covered streets crisscrossed by downed power lines after water sloshed 12 blocks inland.
The doors of the Fairway grocery store were blown out. Several cars left in the parking lot were shifted by flood waters overnight and were left crammed door to door.
Schwartz and her husband rode out the storm on the third floor of the residences above the Fairway and said white-capped flood waters reached at least 3 feet around the building.
"It was scary how fast the water came up," she said.
The facade of a four-story Manhattan building in the Chelsea neighborhood crumbled and collapsed suddenly, leaving the lights, couches, cabinets and desks inside visible from the street. No one was hurt, although some of the falling debris hit a car.
The city shut all three of its airports, its subways, schools, stock exchanges, Broadway theaters and closed several bridges and tunnels Monday as the weather worsened. By evening, a record 13-foot storm surge was threatening Manhattan's southern tip and utilities deliberately darkened part of the borough to avoid storm damage.
It could be several days to a week before all residents who lost power during the storm get their lights back, Miksad said.
On Tuesday, the New York Stock Exchange was to be closed again — the first time it's been closed for two consecutive days due to weather since 1888, when a blizzard struck the city.
At 4 a.m., few people were out on the streets. Times Square was lit but empty of people. Round-the-clock restaurants and bars that would have been wrapping up after last call were closed. Only a handful of taxis plied the streets — but there was an abundance of emergency and police vehicles.
Uptown, windows of apartments and businesses glowed. But to cross through midtown was to be swallowed by darkness. Only a few emergency or backup lights appeared in buildings.
Late Monday, an explosion at a substation at 14th Street and FDR Drive contributed to the power outages. No one was injured, and ConEd did not know whether the explosion was caused by flooding or by flying debris.
Earlier in the day, another 1 million customers lost power in New York City, the northern suburbs and coastal Long Island, where floodwaters swamped cars, downed trees and put neighborhoods under water.
At least six people were killed in the New York City area, most by falling trees. The dead included two boys, ages 11 and 13, who were killed when a tree fell on a home in suburban Westchester County.
On coastal Long Island, floodwaters swamped cars, downed trees and put neighborhoods under water as beachfronts and fishing villages bore the brunt of the storm. A police car was lost rescuing 14 people from the popular resort Fire Island. | <urn:uuid:59a5087c-6d9c-41ee-8190-d78145edb89a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2012/oct/30/sandy-storm-photos/?features | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97243 | 1,305 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Men Behaving Badly... Publicly
Business and sports have long rewarded risk-taking, encouraging participants to extend this element of chance to other aspects of their lives. What could possibly be riskier than having intercourse in public?
Fact of the matter is that Jack Ryan wouldn't have found the thrill of risk-taking in politics; politics rewards the minimization of risk for an adequate level of return. Just think of polls and why they exist: if you can secure a broad enough range in the middle, extending to both the left and right, you win.
Above the law
A simple fact of life is that men with power and money think (and in some cases truly believe) that they are above the law. Of course, this is often the downfall of otherwise great men, but that is an altogether different story.
Double standard, perhaps?
Finally, perhaps the most obvious reason explaining such seemingly odd behavior is what I like to refer to as the "rock-star syndrome," in which men with power and money seeking fame (or infamy) will engage in acts that they otherwise would never contemplate.
What these men fail to recognize is that actors and singers trade in their actual personalities and identities for personas that act as metaphorical "Get Out of Jail Free" cards, which they can use when they actually cross the line. And because businesspeople, politicians and the like are not forced to adopt personas in public (at least not openly), they cannot casually give in to temptation.
E-mail of the week | <urn:uuid:601f6b60-8bde-40c0-a4be-e970c6243729> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.askmen.com/money/professional_100/107c_professional_life.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971013 | 313 | 1.5 | 2 |
Solon, Croesus and Gaddafi
The final moments of Muammar Gaddafi represent only the latest images of a despot driven to ground. In the past history was occassionally captured on film; now it appears cellphones will mean that not a single moment of human civilization and its various failures will escape capture for posterity's viewing pleasure--or disquiet.
As much as he was apparently capable of great cruelty himself, as I'm sure the residents of Misrata can surely attest, as can apparently any person unfortunate to work in the service of his family, it is still impossible not to feel sorry? disturbed? horrified?, I don't know, something, when watching these videos of Gaddafi's final moments. All the swagger and the power gone, hiding like a rat in a sewer. Just a hunted and trapped animal. His gold (!) revolver taken from his hands. I am not going to link to them. They are all over the interent and you can find them yourself if you are inclined. I watched one with ghoulish fascination. That's enough for me.
At the moment of his apparent execution, Gaddafi may have been the richest man in the world. By some estimates his personal wealth may have totalled in excess of $200 billion. Now the remnants of his family are on the run. His daughters and two sons in exile; one son unaccounted for, the rest dead.
I find myself thinking of the words of Athenian archon Solon to Croesus, king of the Lydians, who perceived himself the happiest of men and encouraged the wisest of Athenians to corroborate that assessment after offering him a walking tour of his great shining wealth and brillant family. Solon cannot agree. The king is miffed. Solon explains:
For thyself, oh! Croesus, I see that thou art wonderfully rich, and art the lord of many nations; but with respect to that whereon thou questionest me, I have no answer to give, until I hear that thou hast closed thy life happily. For assuredly he who possesses great store of riches is no nearer happiness than he who has what suffices for his daily needs, unless it so hap that luck attend upon him, and so he continue in the enjoyment of all his good things to the end of life. For many of the wealthiest men have been unfavoured of fortune, and many whose means were moderate have had excellent luck. Men of the former class excel those of the latter but in two respects; these last excel the former in many. The wealthy man is better able to content his desires, and to bear up against a sudden buffet of calamity. The other has less ability to withstand these evils (from which, however, his good luck keeps him clear), but he enjoys all these following blessings: he is whole of limb, a stranger to disease, free from misfortune, happy in his children, and comely to look upon. If, in addition to all this, he end his life well, he is of a truth the man of whom thou art in search, the man who may rightly be termed happy. Call him, however, until he die, not happy but fortunate....He who unites the greatest number of advantages, and retaining them to the day of his death, then dies peaceably, that man alone, sire, is, in my judgment, entitled to bear the name of 'happy.' But in every matter it behoves us to mark well the end: for oftentimes God gives men a gleam of happiness, and then plunges them into ruin."
Solon departed to continue his retirement tour of the known world and Croesus cursed him for a fool. Soon after, his beloved son was killed in a hunting accident, and Croesus himself doomed to a burning pyre after intemperately launching a pre-emptive attack on his Persian rival Cyrus. His family, wealth and empire in ruins around him, he remembers Solon's wise words and moans the sage's name. Cyrus hears Croesus, halts the execution and demands an explanation. Upon hearing it, he is moved to spare the fallen king, perhaps mindul of his own possible fate, and makes Croesus one of his advisors.
A show of great mercy to a great provocation, but that, alas, is another tale with a different moral. There are a lot of them in Herodotus. Perhaps Gaddafi might have benefitted from thumbing through The Histories from time to time. As the U.S. continues to traipse through history and this part of the world, I frequently find myself hoping that someone in the State Department or the Pentagon is consulting not the latest action report or threat analysis, but an old, well-worn copy of Herodotus. | <urn:uuid:1d6c9cc5-815f-4513-8cee-9f273314e4fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uscatholic.org/blog/2011/10/solon-croseus-and-gaddaffi | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979781 | 990 | 1.75 | 2 |
By Chi-Chi Zhang, Associated Press
BEIJING Workers raced to build waterways to drain overflowing reservoirs in southeastern China and thousands were evacuated following torrential rains that triggered flash floods on Wednesday.
Heavy rains overwhelmed three reservoirs in Poyang county in northern Jiangxi province, forcing the evacuation of more than 10,000 people, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
In western China, the death toll from landslides triggered by heavy rains rose to 41, with dozens still missing, Xinhua reported.
In the worst-hit community of Xiaohe in Yunnan province, the death toll climbed to 17 following a landslide that swept through town before dawn on Tuesday, Xinhua said.
Two landslides killed 14 in neighboring Sichuan province while in Hunan province, 10 people including four young children died in two separate slides this week, the report said.
Meanwhile, the waters in a reservoir near the far western city of Golmud began to subside after hundreds of workers and soldiers finished digging a diversion channel, an official at the Qinghai province water bureau said.
More than 10,000 residents were evacuated as soldiers transported sandbags, rocks and dirt and used bulldozers to dig the emergency waterway, the Golmud city government website said.
Usually prone to drought, Qinghai has seen increasingly heavy rainfalls in recent years. This year's rains fell as snow melted in the surrounding mountains. Dozens of reservoirs swelled beyond their warning levels, the water bureau official said.
In the eastern province of Anhui, workers were draining overflowing reservoirs and repairing damaged dams, Xinhua reported. About 70% of the 282 reservoirs in Chizhou city have exceeded warning levels due to torrential rains.
Since the beginning of July, flooding across China has killed 107 people, with 59 missing and nearly a million people evacuated from their homes as of Tuesday, Xinhua said. More rain was expected to batter affected regions through Thursday.
Parts of China experience annual flooding but this year's rains have been particularly devastating. Storms so far this month have caused economic losses of $2.9 billion, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more. | <urn:uuid:f751b071-538f-4889-a266-c240991d4baa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2010-07-14-china-storms_N.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948857 | 511 | 1.726563 | 2 |
What is “User Experience”?
User experience is the series of encounters and interactions that your customers have with your business, online and offline, and the process of designing and building them.
We design user experience to facilitate rewarding and successful interactions from your company’s perspective and your user’s perspective. We do this through a rigorous, methodical process.
User experience is important for a number of reasons. Foremost, if you are offering your prospective customers a good experience, they will be successful in understanding your product or service and making a purchase. Furthermore, a rewarding user experience will lead your new-found customer to return to your company in the future when they have needs you can meet. And, finally, if your customers feel good about the experience you are offering them, they will likely recommend your company to their friends when they have a similar need.
In the offline world, respected companies pour enormous amounts of money into user experience. They refer to it with terms like customer service, quality service, sales team training, store layout and customer communications. All these are focused on providing customers with the right information, the right product and the right process to lead to a sale and provide a great follow-up to ensure the customer is satisfied.
User experience is the same thing–but more focused to the online world.
To design a successful user experience, we first need to understand the situation. That involves knowing you and your company as well as your current and desired customers. We have numerous tools and activities that help us in this process from workshops and interviews to heuristic evaluation and surveys. The end goal of it all is to fully understand the situation.
Once we know the situation, we can start designing how to make it play-out successfully for both you and your customers. This involves thinking about how the information you share with your customers is organized and what types of words we use to communicate. It also dives into the mental state of your customers to understand what types of interactions that are interested in having and in what mediums. And, ultimately, it’s about determining how to communicate the value proposition of your products or services to your customers in a way that they understand and excites them to successfully complete a purchase (or qualify as a lead, or make a donation, or perform whatever action you are hoping to guide them through).
And the best part about user experience is that once you have designed and implemented it, you don’t have to continually re-train a multitude of points-of-contact–every sales person, customer service rep and support tech–to ensure your customers continue to have great experiences each time they come back to your company. Instead we have great (and simple) tools for monitoring the success of the solution. We can constantly monitor success–tuning, evolving and/or expanding over time to ensure the experience we’ve built continually creates the experience our users need. | <urn:uuid:009a36dd-d904-4931-b169-13e0acf1b512> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mblog.malenkebarnhart.com/experience/what-is-user-experience/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95652 | 598 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The Klingon wedding was a highly ritualized ceremony, resembling an opera. Klingon warriors beating their drums received the couple as the Lady of the Great House of the groom recited the traditional story of the Klingon creation, in which the Klingon male and female were created and joined together and rose up against their gods. The groom's Tawi'Yan presented the couple with bat'leths as they did mock battle with each other in representation of the struggle of the male and female Klingon hearts against one another.
After the couple recited their vows, swearing to unite against all their opponents, the guests attacked them with ceremonial weapons, the ma'Stakas.
In preparation for the wedding, the bride had to be approved by the mistress of the groom's house. The bride needed to display her ability to perform several traditional Klingon rituals, e.g., the Bre'Nan and the display of Var'Hama candles. She also was required recite the history of all the females of the house she was joining. The groom prepared with his closest male friends, including one designated as the Tawi'Yan, the Klingon equivalent of a best man. They went to a cave, or a simulation of a cave if necessary, for the physical and spiritual journey of kal'Hyah. (DS9: "You Are Cordially Invited")
Klingons could also be wed in a shorter, informal ceremony in which the two participants repeated an oath and then kissed. This ceremony could be performed by the Klingon equivalent of a justice of the peace, or the vow could be taken privately, legally constituting marriage by mutual consent. (DS9: "The House of Quark"; TNG: "Reunion")
"We are not accorded the luxury of choosing the women we fall in love with. Do you think Sirella is anything like the woman I thought I'd marry? She is a mercurial, arrogant, prideful woman who shares my bed far too infrequently for my taste. And yet... I love her deeply. We Klingons often tout our prowess in battle and our desire for honor and glory above all else... but how hollow is the sound of victory without someone to share it with. And Honor gives little comfort to a man alone in his home... and in his heart." | <urn:uuid:0086abb8-8315-45b0-adfc-9394b2ed6269> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Klingon_wedding | 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 | 0.975105 | 470 | 1.75 | 2 |
Has writing operating systems changed since OS/2?
Comment As Vista slowly slips further into the mists of the future, I sometimes wonder if anything has really changed since I was on the losing side of the IBM-Microsoft OS/2 war. Why do we now hear of huge re-writes in a product that's supposed to be almost ready?
As a former O/S (Operating System) bug hunter, it sounds rather familiar. No matter how disciplined you are in architecture, little issues have a way of forcing you to implement wider-ranging changes, and these build up like water behind a dam. This can become a nasty techno/political problem. Managers will play bluffing games, each hoping another team will take the bullet of making the project late. So, you have managers expressing increasingly fictitious optimism, until the breaking point - when suddenly torrents of issues will flood through, with lots of relief (and a bit of schadenfreude) all round.
Then you can "fix" the project, merely by firing managers at random and allowing them to become blame sinks. It would be too cynical of me to say that the management changes we've seen reported here are the result (El Reg's take on this is here). Way too cynical - I can't be right can I?
It's hard to gauge progress in a huge project like an O/S, so management focuses on a range of statistics and capability milestones. OS/2 reached the point several times where we found bugs faster than they could be fixed. One set were caused by the compiler and processor having different ideas about valid opcodes. Thus, bugs could depend upon the revision level of the CPU, and no code review could help you. Management responded to this more than once by simply banning the finding of bugs, in a denial of bad news that would shame a Soviet spin doctor; you had to be a third level manager to "approve" a bug at one point.
Bug hunters are seen as the bad guys by individual managers, whatever the top level says (some managers think that the testing process itself actually "makes" bugs, which wouldn't be there if you didn't test - Ed]. They bring bad news. In all organisations the bringers of good news prosper over the bringers of bad. At IBM, however, us bug hunters were generally seen as valuable by the organisation as a whole, not least because we annoyed Microsoft; and, yes, blame management became a big issue, complete with its negative productivity. Microsoft has lots of smart people; "evangelists" who ride out to inspire us all with the wisdom of Microsoft ways. Ever heard of its testers? Reckon they're the best paid people in Redmond?
A tester should have a superset of the skills used by developers; but at too many firms testing is a sin bin, and paid accordingly; and it's hard to see that not being the cause of many disasters on the scale of Vista. At IBM, some of us had a simplistic model. Each line of new/fixed code put into the system has some probability of breaking it in a new way, and this probability grows with the size of code already written. So, for a given quality and size of programming team, there is a maximum size of system. Beyond that, any attempt at change is as likely to break something else as to fix a problem. This steady state is permanent and fatal; have the Vista teams hit it?
Yes, I do mean "teams" plural. The failure of OS/2 commercially was partly down to the decision to do version 1.3, and thus stop 2.0 in its tracks. 1.3 was a result of listening to customers, and was a lighter, faster, crap version, of 1.2, whereas 2.0 had loads of cool features like being 32 bit and having the ability to run Windows apps. There are competing teams within any large project – and when one version hits the sweet spot of desirability and plausibility for delivery, do you think that makes them friends?
Individual Microsoft programming units are often larger than several whole companies, and so (it seems to me) "us" may be our bit of Microsoft, and "them" another part of Microsoft; not the official Linux enemy. Also, techies are known for their bitchiness (I have no doubt that this article will prod people to point out some of my screw-ups over the last 20 years) and often bug reports and fix requests are seen as coming from malicious incompetents, not colleagues. We referred to the IBM team rewriting MS compilers as "children playing with matches" and refused point-blank to use their output; and they doubtless had equally unkind things to say about us. "Arrogant prima donnas" is probably all I can use here, without getting Reg Developer added to the banned site list.
The Vista teams must also be hitting "deadline fatigue" by now. People get increasingly cynical about the assertions made by other groups and, after a while, by their own managers, who are torn between honesty with the troops and being seen as a "good team player" by their peers and bosses. Also, in order to actually get a program out of the door, there are always compromises and fudges and things that just happen to work. More than one bug in a Microsoft product has been fixed by deleting something from the manual [that happened back in the days of MVS mainframes too, nothing changes - Ed]. We've all done this, but the more deadlines you rush for, the more "clever hacks" accumulate, and by their nature are not only undocumented, but often unknown to anyone other than the developer who bodged them.
Source code control can fray a bit in the last desperate hours - it's not unknown for the source for the version of memory manager that actually shipped to be "lost". These issues actually make net progress slower, and the sort of managers who genuinely believe that sport is a good metaphor in setting goals for teams often don't realise that trying for an unachievable target doesn't bring out the best in people. In fact, it actually digs a hole for the next wave of cannon fodder to fall into.
DRM (Digital Rights Management) doesn't help. Ever since Fred Brooks wrote The Mythical Man-Month, based on his experiences with OS/360 (and since augmented with new material), we've tried to segment large systems so that bugs don't spread. But to be effective, digital rights must be managed right across the system in a cooperative fashion. That massively increases the effort and bug count, yet as far as the customer is concerned DRM itself is the bug. A "feature" is something you'd pay money to get. DRM does not pass that test.
But I'm not in the OS-writing game any more, thankfully, so I'm looking forward to lots of feedback telling me in detail where my ideas are obsolete.® | <urn:uuid:7eda142d-0e8c-422b-9127-d18b6d233b69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/06/os_vista_coding/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972831 | 1,430 | 1.570313 | 2 |
I hope you are having a joyful holiday season, and wish you a Happy and Prosperous 2008. The Brain Fitness field has made a great deal of progress in 2007, and we are looking forward the New Year.
Here you are have the Monthly Digest of our Most Popular Blog Posts. You can consider it your monthly Brain Fitness/ Exercise Newsletter.
(Also, remember that you can subscribe to receive our blog RSS feed
, or to our monthly newsletter at the top of this page if you want to receive this monthly Digest by email).
Let me first of all introduce you to our new “Author Speaks Series”, where we will give leading scientists and experts a forum to present their new brain-related books. We are honored to kickstart the series with Larry McCleary, former acting Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Denver Children’s Hospital. You can read Here his article on how to keep a brain-friendly lifestyle. This series will complement our ongoing Neuroscience Interview Series.
Brain Fitness in the News
Brain Fitness @ PBS: PBS featured a fantastic special program on neuroplasticity and brain fitness during the month of December. Before you ask: as of today, the DVD of the program is still not available in PBS online shop. We expect to see it there in 2–3 weeks. We will keep you informed.
The Huffington Post started featuring a column written by me: you may enjoy taking a look at Alvaro Fernandez — Living on The Huffington Post.
Jogging our Brains for Brain Vitality, Healthy Aging-and Intelligence!: a roundup of several great recent articles on memory, aging, IQ and cognitive abilities such as self-control.
Health & Wellness
Brain Training: No Magic Bullet, Yet Useful Tool. Interview with Elizabeth Zelinski: Dr. Zelinski, leading researcher of the IMPACT study, shares fascinating insights. For example: “…cognitive enhancement requires the engagement in a variety of activities, those activities must be novel, adaptive and challenging-which is why computer-based programs can be helpful. But even at a more basic level, what matters is being engaged with life, continually exposed to stimulating activities, always trying to get out of our comfort zones, doing our best at whatever we are doing. A major typical misconception is that there is only one general intelligence to care about. In reality, we have many different cognitive abilities, such as attention, memory, language, reasoning, and more, so it makes sense to have different programs designed to train and improve each of them.”
How to Evaluate and Choose a Brain Fitness Program: To help you navigate the growing number of computer-based programs and games, we published this 10-Question Checklist, based on dozens of interviews with scientists, experts and consumers.
Travel and Engagement as Good Brain Exercise: As we’ve seen, novelty, variety and challenge are the key guidelines for “brain exercise” that help build new neural connections, force one to be mindful and pay attention, improve abilities such as pattern-recognition, and generally contribute to lifelong brain health. In this post we feature the brain building / mind expanding experience of a SharpBrains friend working in Namibia.
Alzheimer’s Prevention and Diagnostic Tests: analysis of several recent articles on emerging research behind Alzheimer’s diagnostic and prevention.
Corporate Wellness and Training
Cognitive Reserve and Intellectually Demanding Jobs: a recent study shows how “Intellectually demanding work was associated with greater benefit to cognitive performance in later life independent of related factors like education and intelligence.”
Cognitive Health and Baby Boomers– 6 Points to Keep in Mind: based upon an excellent McKinsey report titled Serving Aging Baby Boomers, we discuss a variety a news articles, including interesting numbers, some bad news, and some good news.
Lifelong Learning Is Changing My Brain: Andreas, the neuroscience PhD student who spent last summer working with SharpBrains, writes some reflections on his experience and on how scientists and business professionals can learn from each other.
Traveler IQ Game: Check out this stimulating online game…
Learning & The Brain Conference, February 5–7 2008, San Francisco: Sign up now for this great conference for educators who want to learn about the latest brain research findings and implications. I will be speaking at the conference giving an overview of innovative cognitive training programs. The organizers are offering a Special Discount for SharpBrains readers until January 25th 2008, so click here if interested.
If we don’t talk beforehand…Happy New Year!
You can also enjoy our previous editions of our Brain Fitness Newsletter:
- November Edition
- October Edition
- September Edition
- August Edition
- July Edition | <urn:uuid:fbb3d551-728f-4624-93d3-222c6ff39642> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sharpbrains.com/tags/learning-and-brain/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936866 | 979 | 1.546875 | 2 |
John Chambers, the Cisco Systems CEO, is a loyal West Virginia University alum. He has donated his time and money to the university.
In 2011, Chambers donated $750,000 to WVU for cancer research. The university is fortunate to have a graduate proclaimed as one of the most successful businessmen in the world.
But somebody in Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's administration needs to get Chambers on the phone and tell him about Routergate.
John Chambers, phone home.
You've heard the story by now:
In 2010, the state used $24 million in federal stimulus money to buy 1,164 Internet routers from Cisco. A legislative audit released earlier this month found that most of the routers, which cost nearly $23,000 apiece, were way too powerful for the state's needs.
In at least one case, the router is worth more than the tiny Marmet Public Library, where it was installed to handle a single Internet connection. Additionally, the routers won't even work in all but two State Police barracks because they are not compatible with the phone systems.
The state Purchasing Division, the Office of Technology and the Broadband Technology Opportunity Grant Implementation Team all bear some responsibility for this bad deal. The audit can't seem to find anyone to claim responsibility for the final say.
Sen. Joe Manchin, who was governor at the time of the deal, has mounted a half-hearted defense of the purchase, saying it was an investment for the future.
But the audit concludes that it may cost more just to service the oversized routers than the state would have paid had it bought the right routers in the first place. | <urn:uuid:30f52bdb-b57a-4069-9ebf-244c4a3d25fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailymail.com/Opinion/HoppyKercheval/201302210174 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972209 | 335 | 1.640625 | 2 |
A key state senator asked the Public Utility Commission to trim a $6.9 billion project to build transmission lines to accommodate more West Texas wind power as the cost of renewable energy shifts.
Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, said he sent a message to the executive director of the commission earlier this week asking the PUC to reevaluate the project, originally estimated to cost $5 billion.
“There are actually two problems here. One is, the cost associated with it is going to be passed along to customers,” Fraser said, and: “The economics have changed on renewable energy.”
Fraser, chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, said he would like commissioners to consider dropping plans for a line to the Panhandle. That line is under construction by Sharyland, a unit of Dallas energy company Hunt Consolidated Inc.
Hunt spokeswoman Jeanne Phillips said the company has already begun construction.
“We believe the CREZ project is one of the best economic engines currently working in Texas,” she said in a statement, adding the “project provides desperately-needed jobs in the Panhandle, along with increased tax revenues for the region and the state.”
Read more in Friday’s newspaper. | <urn:uuid:ca1ce8a5-2a71-4616-a3a4-d4df6f718e0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/11/18/senator-asks-electricity-regulators-to-trim-wind-power-line-project/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953575 | 261 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Senator Carl Levin has been running hearings into the way that various multinational companies use the tax code. It’s entirely possible to have some sympathy for the position of the Distinguished Solon. It’s also possible to entirely dismiss his concerns. Because what it really comes down to is whether we believe in the rule of law or not.
The Senator has a very good outline of what he’s complaining about in his opening remarks which you can find here. I don’t doubt that what he says is factually true.
However, here’s what is really at the heart of this discussion. The vital question: is there such a thing as tax avoidance?
There are two positions that are clear and obvious concerning tax. One is where you are simply a scofflaw and just don’t pay the tax that is due. This is tax evasion, is a criminal matter and if you’re caught you’ll be prosecuted and jailed for it. A very simple concept indeed. Then at the other end of the spectrum there is tax compliance. You fill out all the forms as required, write the check that is expected of you and this is tax compliance. Or even tax planning if you like. Again this is a fairly simple concept.
Distinguishing between the two is not difficult. If you claim a tax deduction for a mortgage that you don’t have then this is evasion and “Hello jail cell!” for you. If you have a mortgage that Congress has deliberately decided you should have a tax deduction for then claiming said deduction is just tax compliance. You’re doing what Congress wanted you to do, expected you to do.
However, there are those who insist that there is a third class: tax avoidance. This is where you do something that is entirely legal within the laws as Congress wrote them. But you use them in a manner or way which Congress (or, if we’re to be slightly more accurate, certain members of it or other campaigners) thinks you shouldn’t, or in ways that they didn’t think you would, then this is labeled tax avoidance. It is this class of actions that the Senator is complaining about. Everything is entirely and strictly legal: otherwise it would not be hearings in Congress that are being reported but court cases. The argument is that while the law does allow these things perhaps it shouldn’t. Or that while the law allows some limited use of these tactics not to the extent that they are being used. Or even that some people should be allowed to use them in some circumstances (that’s why they’re in the law after all) but other people in other circumstances should not be allowed to.
Which leads us to this from the Senator:
The bottom line of our investigation is that some multinationals use our current tax system to engage in shams and gimmicks to avoid paying the taxes they owe.
I agree that you can read it that way if you wish. I don’t and for a very simple reason. I reject the very concept of tax avoidance itself. For I am insistent that we must abide by the rule of law. This not an argument I make specific to the US at all: I make the very same argument in my native UK as well (much to the disgust of certain tax campaigners). The law is the law and we are all subject to it. That’s what the rule of law means. So, if a particular method of organising your business is legal then it’s legal, period. There is no room for the concept that you are using the law as the legislature thinks it shouldn’t be. There is just the law that they passed and which it is necessary to obey.
That is, there is only tax compliance or tax evasion: there is no such thing as tax avoidance. And thus there cannot be shams and gimmicks in relation to tax either. There can only be tax evasion, a criminal matter, or tax compliance, which is obeying the law.
Which does rather leave us with what to say to politicians who complain about tax avoidance? Well, what I have said to UK politicians is that, well, given that you’re the people who write the laws you should probably change them so that those activities you decry move from being tax compliance to tax evasion. For there is no such thing as tax avoidance anyway. | <urn:uuid:b8bd8a66-5241-4c7d-878b-854e77fda704> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2012/09/21/senator-carl-levin-on-microsofts-tax-shams-and-gimmicks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976035 | 911 | 1.71875 | 2 |
|Program in Course Redesign
The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University (OSU) is engaged in a second-generation redesign of Introductory Statistical Concepts, a five-credit course enrolling 2850 students on the main campus each year plus 400 students on several branch campuses. A 1990 redesign retained three lectures per week and replaced two recitations with an active learning laboratory environment emphasizing hands-on experiments, group activities and real-world examples. Increased learning was, however, accompanied by increased costs due to numerous course inefficiencies, all of which will be addressed in the new redesign.
The redesign will tackle the following problems. Faculty use their time inefficiently in parallel, duplicative, poorly attended lectures. TA time is allocated in bursts: intensive grading and office hours just prior to an exam, coupled with unused office hours at other times during the quarter. A course coordinator responds to 150 emails per week, often answering redundant questions. These inefficiencies are compounded when 20% of the students must repeat the course in a subsequent quarter even though most have satisfactorily completed initial course units. Most importantly, students with highly variable learning styles and study skills are inefficiently served by a single "fixed-menu" course delivery strategy.
OSU will implement a "buffet" strategy, offering students a choice of interchangeable paths to learn each course objective in the framework of a four-stage learning model: 1) familiar example, 2) alternate context, 3) general principle, and 4) hands-on practice. The "buffet" will include lectures (reduced by more than half), individual discovery laboratories (in-class and Web-based), team/group discovery laboratories, individual and group review (both live and remote), small group study sessions, videos, remedial/pre-requisite/procedure training modules, contacts for study groups, oral and written presentations, active large group problem solving, homework assignments (TA graded or self-graded), and individual and group projects. To promote student commitment to follow-through and to enable efficient tracking of their progress, students will enter into an online "contract" at the beginning of each unit that captures their choice of learning modes.
OSU will also modularize course content, allowing students to earn from one to five credits based on successful module completion. Thus, the several hundred students who now fall behind and feel compelled to withdraw will have the option of demonstrating proficiency without having to drop a full five credits. By requiring students to demonstrate a passing level proficiency in one unit before proceeding to the next, severe deficiencies will be identified and addressed early, resulting in a lower failure/withdrawal rate. Analysis of previous data on drops shows that OSU will be able to eliminate one-fourth of the course repetitions, thereby opening slots for an additional 150 students per year.
Other course innovations include offloading assignment grading to course software; replacing office hours with facilitated group study sessions; creating a "statistics help desk" using a tech support model; identifying "customer service" issues to improve responses to individual student needs; and instituting a multi-level certification process for TAs that rewards them with cash bonuses and more assignment choice as they progress from one level of certification to the next.
Ohio State's assessment plan will involve both "before-after" comparisons of student mastery of statistics concepts and the investigation of differential outcomes for different "buffet" choices. As a result, it will collect summative data on effectiveness and provide considerable information about the interaction between student characteristics and specific aspects of instructional provision. Because the department has already established and benchmarked learning outcomes for statistics concepts in considerable detail and uses common exercises to operationalize these concepts, the basis of comparison is clear. The course team will also follow students to and beyond graduation to examine how well they retain key statistical concepts
OSU's redesign will reduce the cost-per-student at the main campus from $190 to $132, a 31% reduction. By modularizing the course, the university anticipates additional savings as a result of improved retention, producing a total annual savings of $194,554. Savings will be used primarily to reduce faculty teaching loads which are high in comparison to OSU's benchmark institutions as well as to reinvest some of the savings into the redesign of business statistics and statistical methods courses to create both improvements in the undergraduate program and increased savings.
Program in Course Redesign Quick Links: | <urn:uuid:a22bfb35-147b-4ca9-a4af-1e4df9a55a9a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thencat.org/PCR/R3/OSU/OSU_Abstract.htm | 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 | 0.935743 | 898 | 1.734375 | 2 |
By Bigg Success Staff
Sometimes a long-term goal can seem elusive. You know it’s important to you, but you can’t get too excited about it because it seems so bigg and distant. Obviously, the solution to this problem is to break it down to daily activities. But with really bigg goals, that can seem difficult, so we often just don’t do it.
Sometimes thinking more short-term helps you get the focus you need for the long-term. It helps you unclutter your mind so you move even faster to the life of which you dream.
So here’s a remedy – with the picture of your ultimate destination clearly in your mind, ask yourself these four steps:
Step 1: What do I want to accomplish in the next 90 days?
By zeroing in on the next quarter, you relieve yourself of the vagueness and the distance of the long-term goal. You focus on what has to happen in the near-term. This often gets your juices flowing and ramps up your progress toward your ultimate goal.
Step 2: Where do I want to be at the end of the first month?
Now that you have your 90-day goal clearly set, determine what you can (and will) get done in the first 30 days. Obviously, you would like to knock off about one-third of your long-term goal. You may even consider front-loading it a little so you give yourself a little break (i.e. reward) toward the end of the 90 days.
Step 3: What needs to be done this week?
With that done, you’re ready to break it down further. Look at what you want to accomplish this month and break it down by the week. Once again, consider front loading your scheduled activities a little bit and giving yourself a little break toward the end of the week.
Step 4: What’s important today?
Finally, break it down by day. With your weekly plan in front of you, set goals for each day of the week. Give yourself a little breathing room for those unexpected situations that demand your time.
Of course, at the beginning or ending of each day, you’ll want to review what needs to be accomplished for the week and plan out your day. Ditto for each week and month. Then just repeat this process every 90 days until you’re sitting on that beach in the Caribbean!
Hear today's lesson and laugh on The Bigg Success Show.
(Image by tome213) | <urn:uuid:f9b8cdec-0026-44c2-bc35-b0dc16dc5863> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://biggsuccess.com/bigg-articles/4-steps-to-achieve-your-goals-more-easily/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954409 | 533 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Although same-sex marriage is now legal in nine U.S. states and the District of Columbia, it is still illegal in the United States. And for the purposes of filing a federal tax return, same-sex couples are faced with a choice of lying or, very likely, paying more federal income tax than opposite-sex married citizens.
That could change later this year, after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in a case brought by Elizabeth Windsor, the 83-year-old survivor of a same-sex marriage who sued after she was slapped with a federal estate tax bill for $363,000 following the death of her wife in 2009.
Until the DOMA is struck down (if it is — and that’s a big if), there are few avenues of recourse for same-sex couples when filing their federal tax returns. The website Refuse to Lie (refusetolie.org) offers a few suggestions.
The first suggested option is to put an asterisk by the box on the tax form and in a footnote “indicate you are only single under DOMA.” Alternatively, the website offers an explanatory note that filers could attach to the return.
A third option is to take advantage of a section of the Internal Revenue Service code that provides “no penalty shall be imposed [for the underpayment of tax] if … there is reasonable cause for [the underpayment] and the taxpayer acted in good faith ….” This might work because U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has argued against the constitutionality of the DOMA and that “would seem to provide a reasonable legal opinion.”
It is equally likely not to work because President Obama, despite his recently found support for declaring DOMA unconstitutional, has directed federal departments to obey the law of the land, currently DOMA.
Perhaps the best alternative that Refuse To Lie suggests is to file as a married couple because “no penalty is imposed unless the taxpayer’s reporting position resulted in an under-reporting of the tax liability” if the couple pays more than they would if each filed singly. The catch is that it is far more likely that a same-sex couple filing separately will pay more than a married couple.
There is no sure way out of the federal tax dilemma faced by same-sex couples unless and until DOMA is overturned or repealed by Congress. | <urn:uuid:fc8551fb-2ce1-4e80-907e-89ccb5b0a5f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://247wallst.com/2013/03/01/a-taxing-problem-for-same-sex-couples/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974691 | 507 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Karl Rove Directed Government Funds For Political Gainby Doug Mataconis
That is the rather shocking revelation that comes out of a fascinating article in today’s Washington Post:
Many administrations have sought to maximize their control of the machinery of government for political gain, dispatching Cabinet secretaries bearing government largess to battleground states in the days before elections. The Clinton White House routinely rewarded big donors with stays in the Lincoln Bedroom and private coffees with senior federal officials, and held some political briefings for top Cabinet officials during the 1996 election.
But Rove, who announced last week that he is resigning from the White House at the end of August, pursued the goal far more systematically than his predecessors, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The Washington Post, enlisting political appointees at every level of government in a permanent campaign that was an integral part of his strategy to establish Republican electoral dominance.
Under Rove’s direction, this highly coordinated effort to leverage the government for political marketing started as soon as Bush took office in 2001 and continued through last year’s congressional elections, when it played out in its most quintessential form in the coastal Connecticut district of Rep. Christopher Shays, an endangered Republican incumbent. Seven times, senior administration officials visited Shays’s district in the six months before the election — once for an announcement as minor as a single $23 government weather alert radio presented to an elementary school. On Election Day, Shays was the only Republican House member in New England to survive the Democratic victory.
Although Democrats in the House are talking about launching investigations into whether any of these efforts led to violations of the Hatch Act, which prohibits political activity by career government employees acting in their official capacity, on the surface it seems that everything Rove was doing was completely legal:
An invitation to a March 12, 2001, political briefing for federal officials — one of the Rove team’s earliest — framed the mission this way: “How we can work together.”
In practical terms, that meant Cabinet officials concentrated their official government travel on the media markets Rove’s team chose, rolling out grant decisions made by agencies with red-carpet fanfare in GOP congressional districts, and carefully crafted announcements highlighting the release of federal money in battleground states.
“We did that from Day One of the administration, strategically utilizing the president’s appointees to sell his agenda,” Drew DeBerry, the Agriculture Department’s liaison to the White House between 2001 and 2005, recalled in an interview last week.
To lead the charge, Rove had his “asset deployment team.” It comprised the chief White House liaison official at each Cabinet agency. The team members met — sometimes as often as once a month — to coordinate the travel of Cabinet secretaries and senior agency officials, the announcement of grant money, and personnel and policy decisions. Occasionally, the attendees got updates on election strategies.
White House officials say Rove had two basic rules: the first was to avoid meddling with grant and contract decisions made by career government employees; the second was to make sure they complied with the Hatch Act. “What was surprising was how adamant Karl and his whole team was that we involve the lawyers in our discussions to make sure we didn’t come up with things that ran afoul of the law,” DeBerry said. In March 2002, then-White House lawyer Brett Kavanaugh gave such a briefing on the “do’s and don’ts regarding your participation in politically related activities,” according to the invitation.
It may have been legal, but the fact that Rove and the White House were able to do this points out the extent to which spending by the Federal Government has become an exercise in political largess. Grants are made and money is spent not based on where it is needed, but based on where it would be most politically advantageous. In an era when the Federal Government as a budget in excess of $ 2 trillion and has its hands in virtually every corner of the economy, the impact of such spending decisions can be enormous, both politically and economically.
An effort like this shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. If anything, the Democrats are (1) kicking themselves for not thinking of stuff like this during the Clinton Administration and (2) taking notes so that they can do the same thing if, and when, they regain the White House.
As long as we have a Federal Government that is too big and spends too much, we’ll have guys like Karl Rove finding ways to manipulate its resources for political gain. We can either continue with the way things are, or fundamentally change the nature of government in the country and return it to what it was intended to be.
The choice is ours. | <urn:uuid:92cfc454-d219-45b3-bf3a-5a64fdfdea08> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/08/19/karl-rove-directed-government-funds-for-political-gain/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971895 | 975 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The problem is how to legally protect the "no bug" mark for use according to the standard for solid wood packaging material.
January always seems like the right time to clean up loose ends from the previous year. I've had an itch that needed scratching ever since Pack Expo last November. I think it's a couple of news items, somewhat related, that are stuck beneath my skin.
Here's something the international crowd was talking about. Back in March 2002, in an attempt to control insect infestation on a global scale, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) established a single set of requirements and compliance standards for using solid wood packaging material -- including pallets. By my count, 118 nations signed off on the deal. Although years in the making, it took only a few months before the bickering started. The pact was put on hold in July under orders from N.A. van derGraaff, secretary, IPPC. The problem is -- get ready -- how to legally protect the "no bug" mark for use according to the standard. The official wording reads, "The FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] legal office is recommending that governments temporarily suspend implementation of the standard until these legal issues are resolved."
Meanwhile, the organization is undertaking to establish a new mark. I think it's kind of hard to beat the old one. It looked like a ladybug with the international red circle and slash that virtually everyone recognizes as "NO!" The mark also indicates treatment method, location, inspection agency and pallet provider.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture quickly issued an alert in September, saying solid wood packaging regulations for the Peoples Republic of China have not changed. If you want to try to figure out those convoluted imperatives, visit www.aphis.usda.gov and follow the links -- all the way to China. Don't get lost in the maze.
On a more positive note, two applications of antimicrobial material in transport packaging products were brought to my attention. Shuttleworth Inc., manufacturer of conveyor products, many for the food industry, now has antimicrobial compounds that can be applied to all components of its products. Carol Shuttleworth told me the material can be molded into rollers and bushings, and sprayed onto surfaces like frames and other components.
Before I had digested that news (at Pack Expo), I was talking with Samantha Goetz of Orbis. She told me her company had just signed a deal with Microban International Ltd., to mix Microban's antimicrobial protection product into Orbis' reusable containers.
"Using Microban's protection," says Deb Salemi, Orbis product manager, food handling products, "allows us to provide customers with an innovative packaging solution that has powerful antimicrobial protection."
Essentially, all these statements come with a built-in asterisk, warning that normal cleaning practices should be maintained and they do not protect the user from food-borne illness.
Before you write this off as so much marketing hype, consider what antimicrobial additives might do. The use of these additives is similar to efforts by pallet manufacturers to reduce warehouse fires with special fire-retardant compounds in their pallets. Like any insurance policy, you really don't need it until you need it.
I did a bit of research and was encouraged by what I found. First, Microban has been in the germ-whacking business for 25 years. Most of its products are used in hospital applications. Its products protect against a range of nasty, potentially harmful things, like e.coli, salmonella enteritidis, staphylococcus aureus and listeria monocytogenes. Kerchoo!
Next, since the antimicrobial compound is an additive to the plastic, put in during the manufacturing process, it's built-in protection. Microbes can't gain a foothold (assuming they have feet) in scratches in the container. The Microban polymer additive is typically incorporated in virgin resin during the extrusion process as it's blended, melted and extruded into molds. Microban will inhibit growth of stains and odor-causing bacteria, mold and mildew, an enhancement to normal cleaning practices.
From what I saw at Pack Expo, 2003 promises to be an interesting, if not cleaner, year. Excuse me. I'm going to wash my hands -- now.
Clyde Witt, executive editor, [email protected] | <urn:uuid:2186b841-dc87-44c4-be96-b4402cca1da7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mhlnews.com/transport-packaging/mhm_imp_2944 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958268 | 913 | 1.601563 | 2 |
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"San Diego Needs an Airport to Compete Globally, Experts Say"
Monday, May 30, 2005
San Diego Needs an Airport to Compete Globally, Experts Say
SAN DIEGO - San Diego could take advantage of a world of trade
opportunities, if only it had the proper airport, according to participants
at the recent TradeVisions Conference.
"Build a better mousetrap and the world of the 21st century won't beat a
path to your door - unless there's an 11,000-foot runway or a deep-water
port in your front yard," said Jock O'Connell of Sacramento-based
ClarkStreet Group at the conference, which was sponsored by the San Diego
World Trade Center and reported-on by the San Diego Daily Transcript.
The San Diego region has neither the 11,000-foot civilian runway - the
Lindbergh Field runway is 9,401 feet long - nor the deep-water port.
Steve Erie, director of University of California, San Diego's Urban Studies
Program, said San Diego missed a golden opportunity when it let the Marines
move into Miramar when the Navy left.
"If we had gotten our act together we could have done this ... It was felony
dumb," he said.
Erie said San Diego began to fall behind when Los Angeles moved to create
the Alameda Rail Corridor, which runs from the ports of Los Angeles and Long
Beach 20 miles north to downtown Los Angeles. While that network of rail
lines and roads cost $2.4 billion to construct, it is expected to facilitate
the handling of billions of dollars more in commerce each year.
"They overbuilt it, and it showed great leadership that started with Tom
Bradley," said Erie.
O'Connell noted how San Diego has long relied on Los Angeles for its air and
sea links to overseas markets.
"That de facto strategy may have been satisfactory in the past. It certainly
permitted San Diego to avoid much of the downside of being a major corridor
of global trade," said O'Connell.
O'Connell warned, however, that as the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles -
not to mention Los Angeles International airport - grow more congested, and
as the surface routes between San Diego and Los Angeles become less
reliable, that old strategy is growing tenuous.
In Southern California, the migration will most likely benefit Ontario
International and March GlobalPort. These airports are situated in San
Bernardino and Riverside counties, respectively, two of the fastest growing
counties in California. The airports also happen to be regional hubs for UPS
Surplus cargoes head to March GlobalPort, Ontario and the old Norton Air
Force Base in the Inland Empire, but goods could have to be transported from
much further away if these facilities also become overwhelmed.
"Will the day come when you have to truck your overseas air freight all the
way up to Palmdale?" said O'Connell. "And what will happen with the LAX
Master Plan now that Antonio Villaraigosa - a confirmed opponent of airport
expansion - has been elected mayor of Los Angeles?"
Villaraigosa's reticence to expand LAX could be beneficial to other airports
in the region, said William Capone, account manager for the worldwide firm
of SkyTeam Cargo. But unlike Lindbergh, airports like March and Ontario will
have plenty of capacity.
"L.A. is going to be the big loser in this, and the business is going to be
taken by somebody," Capone said.
Capone said one area where LAX needs help is in the importation of
San Diego handles a variety of such perishables via the Tenth Avenue Marine
Terminal, but might be able to handle a sizable percentage more if it had
greater air cargo capacity at Lindbergh.
These issues could present opportunities for San Diego, but O'Connell
doesn't pretend it would be easy.
"Despite being California's second largest city, San Diego will have to
resolve a long-standing controversy over if and where to build a major new
airport before it is positioned to compete for an appreciable volume of
international air cargo traffic," said O'Connell.
For a time in the 1990s it appeared that such a facility might be built at
Brown Field, but area residents and homebuilders shot down the plan.
Air cargo traffic barely registers in San Diego Custom's district, with
about 1% of the import and export total. While we export automobiles through
the National City Marine Terminal, water transportation doesn't appear to be
a sizable percentage on the export side.
On the import side, about 20% of transport is on the water; land transport
makes up nearly 80% of import total.
By contrast, about 35% of exports leaving the Los Angeles Customs district
go by water, and 63% goes by air, while just 2% goes over land.
On the import side, about 62% comes by water and all but a tiny fraction of
the rest comes by air.
David Wirsing, Airforwarders Association executive director, said ports that
ignore the air cargo potential do so at their own peril.
"One of our major West Coast airports (Lindbergh Field) has been remiss in
its efforts at understanding the positive financial impact cargo has had on
their business," said Wirsing.
The region's leaders have overlooked the need to provide proper facilities
and infrastructure for cargo, "and the result is a missed opportunity for
their community," he said.
"San Diego and other ports must take a lesson from some of their brethren
who realize the 'total distribution center' concept is effective
outside-the-box thinking in this new era," said Wirsing.
The failure to create these distribution networks would result in the shift
of traffic to other ports, traffic disruptions, loss of jobs, increased
taxes and ultimately, bankruptcies, he said.
A classic of example of what an air cargo hub should be is Ontario,
according to Wirsing, who noted that it is not only a passenger and cargo
airport but a multimodal facility that provides easy access to other forms
of transportation such as truck and rail traffic.
"You can expect to see a certain amount of cargo drain from Los Angeles, San
Francisco and San Diego when the facility begins operating next year," said
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If you have any queries regarding this issue, please Email us at [email protected] | <urn:uuid:afee9389-f869-4524-8baa-fada7a8d9c80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg35111.html | 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 | 0.935764 | 1,595 | 1.65625 | 2 |
McAdams, William John
The following data is extracted from Racine, Belle City of the lakes, and Racine County, Wisconsin : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement.
William John McAdams, who since 1909 has lived retired, although previously actively connected with agricultural, commercial and industrial pursuits, was born in Elizabethport, New Jersey, August 10, 1849, a son of John and Jane (Crothers) McAdams, who were natives of Ireland, and with their family crossed the Atlantic to the United States, settling in New Jersey. The father was a railroad man, being employed on the York & Erie Railroad as section boss for seventeen years. He came to Racine County in 1851 and turned his attention to farming in Caledonia Township, while later he followed agricultural pursuits in Raymond Township. Eventually he retired to Union Grove, where he spent his last days in the enjoyment of well earned rest, passing away in 1891, his remains being interred in Oak Grove cemetery. His widow survived until April, 1909, and was laid to rest by his side.
William J. McAdams was educated in the district schools at Caledonia Center and remained upon the home farm until twenty-six years of age, during which period he became familiar with all the different phases of farm life. He then started out to engage in agricultural pursuits on his own account and was closely identified with general farming in Raymond Township until 1891. He was the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of good land but when he retired he sold one-half of this, retaining possession of the other until about two years ago, when he disposed of it. He was engaged in the grocery business for two or three years and afterward was employed in the shops of Racine but since 1909 has engaged in no business, enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves. In 1909 he erected a beautiful and commodious residence and he also built the Christenson store building.
In 1876 Mr. McAdams was married to Miss Rebecca W. West, who was born at Raymond Center, a daughter of Thomas and Charlotte (Ferris) West. The father's people came from Canada and the mother's from Ireland. They arrived in Racine County in 1840 but returned to Canada, although in 1841 they came again to this County. The grandfather was Thomas West, who carried on general farming. The father carried the mail from Raymond to Racine for thirteen years, taking charge of the route at the beginning of the Civil war. He died in 1913 and is still survived by his widow, who is now eighty-five years of age. Mr. and Mrs. McAdams have become the parents of four children: Ethel, the wife of William H. Hartig, by whom she has three children-Ethel, Doris and Robert; Charles and Daisy, both at home; and Olive, now in Los Angeles, California.
The parents are consistent members of the Congregational church and Mr. McAdams is a loyal supporter of the Republican Party. His has been an active and useful life. His time has always been well spent and in all of his business dealings he is thoroughly honorable, reliable and progressive, so that his rest is well deserved and none can envy him his success, so honorably has it been won and so worthily used.
Source: Racine, Belle City of the lakes, and Racine County, Wisconsin : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement | <urn:uuid:2b0c3de2-9c15-432e-be8a-99a69639fe4c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.accessgenealogy.com/scripts/data/database.cgi?file=Data&report=SingleArticle&ArticleID=0034207 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98777 | 712 | 1.65625 | 2 |
LANSING, Mich. — LANSING, Mich. (AP) - For the first time in more than four years, Michigan has escaped the dubious distinction of having the nation's highest unemployment rate.
The federal Labor Department said Friday Nevada had the country's highest jobless rate in May at 14 percent. Michigan ranked second at 13.6 percent after its jobless rate declined last month.
Michigan had been saddled with the nation's highest monthly unemployment rate since April 2006.
Nevada's jobless rate rose from 13.7 percent. That state has been hurt by the collapse in housing and a downturn in tourism. | <urn:uuid:d1eef161-11a8-4aed-89f0-9fd007ba8c44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jun/18/michigan-dips-to-no-2-in-national-unemployment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967018 | 129 | 1.765625 | 2 |
On multiple occasions we have told you that motherboard manufacturers are having a harder time making products that are clearly different from each other. After all, they share common cores (chipsets) and support the same CPU ranges (well, usually). To combat this issue board manufacturers are building up feature sets for each product as well as common features to their internal line ups and even common features for their whole product range.
Many of these fall into the category of value added software or BIOS tweaks. However, one that often gets overlooked is component choices. Things like using a series of capacitors with a higher voltage tolerance or stronger voltage regulators. These type of "features" are not as sexy as an OC button or wireless overclocking, but they are often more important. ASUS seems to have learned this and often uses components that are rated much higher than needed.
Today we are taking a look at their Sabertooth X58 motherboard. This product boasts that it is built all with long life components that have been certified to U.S. military standards by a third party agency. Of course, in being an ASUS product that is not all you are getting; you are also getting a unique board level cooling system which has been coated by ceramics to improve cooling, and the usual laundry list of ASUS common features.
With a price tag of $189.99 at NewEgg,com and a 5 year warranty, it certainly raises the eyebrows. So, let's take a look at the Sabertooth and see if it can keep in step or if it will fall out on the march through our lab.
Page 1 of 12
Further Reading: Read and find more Motherboards content at our Motherboards reviews, guides and articles index page.
Do you get our RSS feed? Get It! | <urn:uuid:07cbdf1c-31bd-43f0-a50f-56dd049c03eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3613/asus_sabertooth_x58_intel_x58_express_motherboard/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973507 | 364 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Scholars and sippers of poetry can find most any literary verse, ode, or rune with a click or two to marvelous online collections. None of these surpasses the work of Anniina Jokinen at her “labor of love” Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature. Click the image above to read John Donne’s The Triple Fool while enjoying an image from Vermeer to suggest its origin. You can hear the poem read by opening the audio clip.
The Luminarium has been a major resource for scholars and lovers of English literature since 1996. It is not a product of academia or educational publishers. With a few ads, a knowledgeable store, and a few friends for support, Luminarium is the creation of an individual 21st century literary devotee. | <urn:uuid:6c873966-7cdc-496f-82bf-e0e0f5971424> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.learnodes.com/2009/01/12/learn-node-the-triple-fool-by-john-donne/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931469 | 163 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The Power of NEW-Zen Mind Beginner's Mind, verses The Power of NOW--Staying in the Moment is poker mastery.
There are four basic stages that a player must pass through to achieve poker mastery:
1. Beginner's Passion"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's there are few." Shunryu Suzuki
2. The Student Emerges"He is now forced to admit that he is at the mercy of everyone who is stronger, more nimble and more practiced than he." Eugen Herrigel
3. Expert Level is Achieved"He who has a hundred miles to walk should reckon ninety as half the journey" Japanese Proverb
4. Poker, One Hand at a Time
"If one really wishes to be master of an art, technical knowledge of it is not enough. One has to transcend technique so that the art becomes an 'artless art' growing out of the Unconscious" Daisetz T. Suzuki
"When the teacher is ready the student appears... | <urn:uuid:176e9a81-bcfb-4b87-b639-7d384bfa8094> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.edreif.com/2008_07_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942304 | 214 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Stanford Farmhouse March 2008
It is difficult to give much of the early history of Stanford Farm due to a lack of records held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service and lack of names in the early documentation. It seems likely that the farm was one of two farms in Stanford, both occupied by Thomas Taylor, listed in a family settlement of 2nd Baron Ongley of Old Warden in 1792 [SL1/2-3] - he was owner of both Stanford Manor and Stanfordbury Manor. In 1800 he entered into a series of exchanges of land with Samuel Whitbread and two of these involved farms in Stanford, one in occupation of Nathanial Simkins [SL1/13] the other in occupation of John Humberstone [SL1/14].
In 1927 Stanford was valued under the Rating Valuation Act 1925; every piece of land and building in the country was assessed to determine the rates to be paid on it. The valuer visiting Stanford Farm [DV1/C124/140] found that it was then owned by the Biggleswade & District Smallholders' Society and tenanted by G.Lockey.
The farmhouse is a detached brick and tile building and stands on 0.772 of an acre. The valuer noted that it comprised three living rooms, a kitchen, a scullery, a pantry, a dairy and a cellar with four bedrooms ("large"), two dressing rooms and a bath room ("cold only") above; an earth closet lay outside. The valuer commented: "Farmhouse red brick double fronted, nice".
The homestead was in the various occupations of S.B.King, W.E.Faulkner, A.Cooper, A.Dilley, C.Dilley, F.Dilley, S.Lockey, E.Rawlins, A.A.Roberts and F.H.Hatton. The buildings comprised a south block, by the farmhouse, of a brick and tile harness room, garage, four piggeries, mixing house, five loose boxes and stabling for five horses; the centre yard contained a three stall stable, an eight stall stable, a three bay open shed, a five bay open shed, a barn and granary, stabling for nine horses and a loose box; the rickyard contained a seven bay open shed and a large brick and slate barn with a loft over; the north rickyard contained a wood and tile open barn, a hen house and stores and a wood and corrugated iron ten bay open cart shed. | <urn:uuid:e1b68f44-8c66-46c9-82f1-69e79df9d4d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bedfordshire.gov.uk/CommunityAndLiving/ArchivesAndRecordOffice/CommunityArchives/Stanford/StanfordFarm.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958482 | 532 | 1.84375 | 2 |
You can read Human Kinetics e-books on desktop, laptop, and various mobile devices, as long as you have authorized the device or e-reader app to read e-books protected by Adobe's digital rights management (DRM).
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Pappas Baun is currently a member of the National Wellness Association, the Corporate Health Awareness Team, and the Houston Wellness Association. She has also been a member of the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the Aquatic Exercise Association, and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She received certifications as a personal fitness trainer in 1995 from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, as an aquatic exercise instructor in 1990 from the Aquatic Exercise Association, as a health and fitness instructor in 1988 from ACSM, and as a group exercise instructor in 1988 from ACE and in 1986 from AFAA. In her leisure time, Pappas Baun enjoys being active through swimming, hiking, biking, and kayaking. She also enjoys dancing, yoga, tai chi, attending live music events, and reading.
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"Fantastic Water Workouts is a hands-on, A-to-Z guide to getting the most from exercising in the water. MaryBeth Pappas Baun shows you how to get a better workout and burn more calories in the water than on land. You'll learn how to get started with the right exercises and advance your workouts, including how to use resistance tools, monitor heart rate, and even select music. You'll get measurable results while having fun!"
Former Editor in Chief, Current Editorial Adviser, Shape magazine | <urn:uuid:d9c93692-d378-410d-9f77-a0ed5e844874> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/Fantastic-Water-Workouts-eBook---2nd-Edition?ActionType=2_SetCurrency&CurrencyCode=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943343 | 879 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Our group on this trip included my husband, my children and my children's friend Charlie. We took a jeep tour of the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. Most of the pictures I have are of us posing in front... more
Located along the Rim Trail just east of the main lodge areas and Grand Canyon Railway train station, this little store provides a number of books and maps that are useful for those wishing to tour... more
I've never stood behind a waterfall before - not one this tall and majestic and isolated. We woke up at Phantom Ranch in the morning after hiking down the Grand Canyon the day before. And while we're... more
You will find dozens of tips already written on the Bright Angel Trail, just here on Virtualtourist. This doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the assorted hiking guides to the region you will... more
We stayed at the Grand Canyon for 2 entire days and we learned that the only way to enjoy the chameleon like splender of the canyon is to see its subtle changes over the course of one day. But of... more
We don't really know how the Grand Canyon was formed. It antedates all of us living today. We suspect that it was primarily carved by erosion, from water (and ice) and the wind. The course of the... more
At various location through the park, it is possible to get a cell phone signal (but just barely - the towers are few and far between thankfully so as to preserve the view as much as possible).
This was a rather grueling hike down the mountain-and then of course back up. It took close to 2 hours for a 6 miles round trip. I went to and past the Supai tunnel for a ways. Elevation is 1400 feet;... more
Mather Point is one of the popular destinations in the South Rim area of the Grand Canyon. It is extremely crowded, and you may have to wait a while to get to the location you want to get to in order... more
This tower was designed and built by the architect Mary Colter in 1932. I think the picture may have someone in my family that has climbed it at the top. I don't remember whether I climbed it or not.... more
Groups of deer are often found around the Grand Canyon Village and you just have to keep your eyes wide open. They often blend with the grass, but sometimes big ones just walk the road in groups or... more
The east rim drive is longer and less crowded than the south and west entrances to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The drive from Flagstaff passes through the Kaibab National Forest and the Painted... more
After we left the Grand Canyon National Park, our next destination was Mesa Verde. This is more than just a daytrip away from the Grand Canyon although you could probably drive there in one day.We... more
Over 5 million visitors per year visit the Grand Canyon. It is a truly awe-inspiring site and despite the fact that so many people visit, if you choose the time you go, you can have a relatively... more
Well we decided to "treat" ourselves to a special trip for our 25th wedding anniversary, so we went to raft the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, yes 187 miles for 7 days and 6 nights....we went for...
Immense, not only in its vast size, but also in its place in the psyche of Americans by citizenship and those who travel here from afar by choice, the Grand Canyon is the icon of the American National...
One of the true natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon is one of those places that many people put high on their lists of places to see at some point in their lives. At some of the turn outs...
Grand Canyon National Park is a vast area which encompasses much more than what is sometimes referred to as "The Big Ditch". The park itself encompasses more than 1.2 million acres, the vast majority... | <urn:uuid:24a49b90-0296-4295-a09f-cddb44e83cf7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Arizona/Grand_Canyon_National_Park-749660/Things_To_Do-Grand_Canyon_National_Park-TG-C-1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967828 | 814 | 1.601563 | 2 |
An Exhibition Whose Curator Is 17
By JOHN STRAUSBAUGH
Published: July 10, 2011
YOUTH, it turns out, is not always wasted on the young. Through Aug. 4 the New York Open Center in Manhattan is hosting the inaugural exhibition of the Teen Art Gallery, with paintings, collages, sculptures and photographs by 38 artists. The oldest artist in the show just turned 20, the youngest is 15; they all live in the New York region.
Exhibitions of art made by young people are nothing new of course. In June works by hundreds of artists in Grades 7 through 12, winners of the annual Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, filled the World Financial Center Courtyard Gallery. Meanwhile the Agora Gallery in Chelsea hosted a solo show by a 4-year-old prodigy, Aelita Andre.
What's different about the Teen Art Gallery show is that teenagers organized it themselves, led by 17-year-old Audrey Banks, a senior at Bard High School Early College on the Lower East Side who is a painter and a fledgling curator. ''This has been my No. 1 goal,'' Ms. Banks said, standing amid the newly installed exhibition.
Sonja Tsypin, 17, a fellow Bard student and a Scholastic Awards gold-medal winner, helped Ms. Banks organize the exhibition. ''The whole idea of it being run by young people is what makes it so special, and very much a sanctuary,'' she said. ''We're creating our own rules and standards for art. Everything we stand for is flowing through it.''
The works in the show range across genres and mediums, including abstract paintings, traditional figure studies, collages, documentary and art photography, and sculptures both fanciful and figural. Ms. Tsypin is represented by an oil painting of a surrealist figure reclining across four square panels. Sin Yi Lau, 17, sculptured quirkily biomorphic spheres out of puffed rice cereal, pins and thread, while Morgan Dummitt, who just turned 20, cast a classically realistic bronze nude. Matt Slonim, 16, contributed a color photograph of a Masai child isolated on a vast plain in Tanzania, and Nicky Meara-Binbridge, 16, made a Dadaist stringed instrument from a cigar box and a carved broom handle.
''The work is amazing,'' said Lola Shepard, coordinator of the exhibitions at the Open Center gallery. (A friend's father put Ms. Banks in touch with her.) ''A lot of these people are going to be huge when they're in their 20s and 30s. I have never worked with teenagers before, and I love it. Audrey is on top of everything. She is better than many adults I've worked with.''
Soft-spoken and reserved, with a tendency to sit quietly and knit, even during an interview, Ms. Banks does not immediately give the impression of someone who could corral a gang of teenagers for such a professional-looking exhibition.
''I have two volumes, really soft or really loud,'' she explained. ''When I need to use the loud, it's there.''
Ms. Banks divides her time between her divorced parents' East and West Village homes. In elementary school, as her mother, Helen Slavin, recalled, she often spent three or four hours a day making art. ''When she got something in her mind, she did it,'' Ms. Slavin said. ''She's a great organizer.''
When Ms. Banks was in the ninth grade, she told an aunt, a painter, that she wanted to open her own art gallery. ''My aunt giggled and said, 'Yeah, you can do that,' '' Ms. Banks said. ''I had this idea that I would open it before I turn 18. I have heard all these stories from adults about how people said they were really great at something when they were young, then before you knew it they had lost their dream and forgotten how much they loved to paint or write or draw. I want to do all I can do now, take that chance.''
Last year Ms. Banks picked up some curatorial skills as an intern at No Longer Empty, an organization that ''takes empty lots, storefronts waiting to be rented out, and temporarily turns them into art galleries,'' she said. ''I really wanted to see how galleries worked. I had to learn fast.''
She began organizing the show during the past school year. ''I sent out a huge invite on Facebook,'' she explained. ''I called all my friends and asked them to invite their friends.''
She soon had 5,000 young people on the Facebook event page, which included a request for submissions from artists ages 12 to 19. She had high school students around the city post fliers, and contacted art teachers and youth programs at museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Museum.
She soon received more than 700 submissions from about 300 artists. ''It was extremely hard to narrow it down,'' she said. ''I created a private Facebook group for discerning feedback from 14 friends.''
Ms. Tsypin was a member of that group. (Her father, George Tsypin, designed the sets for ''Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.'')
''I remember when we started looking at the submissions,'' she said. ''A lot of them came in with no information, wrong-size JPEGs, unlabeled, a lot of chaos. You know, a bunch of teenagers.''
Ms. Banks said she first selected about 100 works for their superior level of technical skill. From these she culled pieces that she felt ''emitted a kind of life and energy, a brightness that excited me about the work.''
Both Ms. Banks and Ms. Tsypin have taken summer painting classes at the San Francisco Art Institute. Jeff Eisenberg, who taught them there, said of Teen Art Gallery: ''The thing that impresses me is that they've gone ahead and done this. We live in a really cynical age, and it's an incredibly uncynical thing to do. It's just pure enthusiasm and commitment and love of art. I am really excited to see what they're going to be doing in five years. ''
Through her mother Ms. Banks found a professional framer who donated his services.
''It's really not a dumbed-down gallery for kids,'' said Mr. Slonim, a 16-year-old junior at Hunter College High School. ''It's very serious. That's one of the great things about having people our age run it. People are going to be taken more seriously by people our own age.''
Mr. Dummitt started sculpturing toy soldiers, then took classes at the Art Students League. He now attends the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. ''Showing in New York is a big step for sure,'' he said.
For her next group exhibition, in 2012, Ms. Banks has secured a space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and plans to open submissions to teenage artists from around the country.
''This speaks volumes for her future if she stays the course,'' said Jonathan LeVine, who owns a gallery in Chelsea. He also took a do-it-yourself path that started at the age of 17, when he created a punk-rock fanzine in his parents' basement in Trenton. That led to his organizing his first art exhibitions at rock clubs like CBGB and Maxwell's in the 1990s before opening his own gallery in 2005.
''At 17 you're at your most brilliant and optimistic,'' he said. ''When you go out there and make something good happen, and you realize, 'I can do this,' it's hugely empowering.''
PHOTOS: Audrey Banks, top, preparing for a show of young artists at the New York Open Center. She enlisted her friends' help to select works from among 700 submissions from teenagers in New York, including these by, clockwise from left, Isabelle H. Wheeler, Zoe Baker, Cooper Ray, Allegra Sussman, Baraka Clacken, Lily Katz,WuQing Hipsh and Eve Peyser-Sappol. At right, a collage by Molly Lieberman. (PHOTOGRAPHS BY TY CACEK/THE NEW YORK TIMES; T.A.G./NEW YORK OPEN CENTER) | <urn:uuid:565ac72d-6f2c-4790-ac5e-6532c6490cd3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E0D81F30F933A25754C0A9679D8B63&pagewanted=all | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971901 | 1,737 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Peter Camejo Memorial – Ralph Nader’s Speech from Polidoc on Vimeo.
Hundreds gathered in Berkeley to celebrate the life of political activist and unabashed Socialist Peter Camejo. Renown for his consistency of purpose in the battle to reform politics as usual, Camejo succumbed to a cancer, but not before he had finished his last book, an autobiography.
And while autobiographies have become a little more common place, Camejo was anything but common. He was a fiercely dedicated advocate for civil rights, a committed friend to many, and a relentlessly hopeful socialist. He fought tirelessly on behalf of third parties and made three gubernatorial runs in California. Ronald Reagan had called him the most dangerous man in politics. Laughable and true.
People attending the memorial where the event was held were alight with laughter as they listened to delightful stories of Camejo’s past and his vision for the future. He will be missed and condolences go to his family. Others speaking at the memorial included Camejo’s wife Morella, and brother Antonio Camejo; friend and former running mate, Ralph Nader; Cindy Sheehan; Matt Gonzalez; Gayle McLaughlin; Dr. Agha Saeed. | <urn:uuid:83d1fe32-022f-4140-abb2-4e21589d32d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://seriouslygreen.wordpress.com/tag/camejo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974223 | 248 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Here is an interview with our friend and book chat member, Young Adult author Vicky Alvear Shecter, whose latest book, Cleopatra Rules!: The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen has just been published.
3PP: What lead to the decision to write a book for younger audiences about Cleopatra VII?
VAS: I think the larger question here is why did I want to write for younger audiences about ancient history? The answer is simple: because I never “outgrew” my fascination with the ancient world. I wanted to write books about fascinating people in a style I would have loved as a kid.
Read the full interview at "three pipe problem"
Read Vicky's blog: History with a Twist. | <urn:uuid:b1d13713-b597-4569-9982-6cd9dd5acaa0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://romanhistorybooks.typepad.com/roman_history_books_and_m/2010/09/author-interview-with-vicky-alvear-shecter-cleopatra-rules.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 | 0.955994 | 156 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Sachse is located in Texas.
Sachse, Texas has a population of
family-centric than the surrounding county with
44.55% of the households
containing married families with children.
The county average for households married with children is 44.55%.
The median household income in Sachse, Texas is
The median household income for the surrounding county is $73,013
compared to the national median of $50,935.
The median age of people living in Sachse is
The average high temperature in July is 95
degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 31.2 degrees.
The average rainfall is approximately 38.4 inches
per year, with 0.5 inches of snow per year. | <urn:uuid:bd066443-3e7a-4aab-87af-cfb46a2011f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.realliving.com/TX/Sachse/75048 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959843 | 156 | 1.78125 | 2 |
|Chronological and political information|
- "Hit the tanks and speeders first!"
- ―Pix, issuing orders to clone troopers during the Battle of Thustra
Pix was a female Human Jedi Padawan of Master Tyr. After the Clone Wars began between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Pix became a Jedi Commander in the newly established Grand Army of the Republic. Around 21 BBY, Pix and her Master were deployed at the head of an army of clone troopers to the hostile world of Thustra. The initial engagements resulted in heavy losses on the Republic's side. Amongst the numerous clone casualties, General Tyr also perished along with General Tyffix, the Jedi Master of Padawan Cal. As a result, Grand Master Yoda of the Jedi Order journeyed to Thustra to both aid the orphaned apprentices and negotiate a peaceful resolution with King Alaric of Thustra.
Although Pix was barred from taking any aggressive action against the Sephi by Yoda's orders, the Grand Master's plan was undermined by the machinations of Loyalist Senator Navi. Deceived into launching a full-scale assault on the Sephi capital city, Pix and Commander Clutch directed their soldiers to eradicating the Sephi insurrection once and for all. Pix's actions had an opposite effect, however, and incurred the anger of Thustra's neighboring systems. The battle ultimately resulted in the secession of Thustra, although Pix and Yoda survived. Returning to Coruscant, the two helped to expose Navi's treachery to the Galactic Senate.
- "Calling Coruscant. Situation critical on Thustra. Sephi forces have penetrated our defenses. Our command center has been destroyed. Cal and I are safe, but Master Tyr and Master Tyffix… Our Masters are dead."
Pix's participation in the Battle of Thustra occurred around 21 BBY, approximately seventeen months after the First Battle of Geonosis. By then, the planet Thustra had been overtaken by a secessionist faction amongst the local Sephi people. Led by their world's own head of state, King Alaric, the Sephi intended to commit themselves to the rebellion of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. In response to the insurrection, the Grand Army of the Republic deployed an armed force of clone troopers to Thustra. Leading the Republic's army on Thustra were two Jedi Generals, Masters Tyr and Tyffix. Pix, the Padawan learner of Tyr, joined her Master on Thustra. Likewise, Tyffix was followed as well by his own apprentice Cal.
The presence of Jedi and clone soldiers on Thustra was meant to deter the Sephi from taking up arms against the Republic; their arrival had an obstinate effect. In less than ten standard hours after the Republic army reached Thustra, their outpost was repeatedly struck by seemingly random attacks from the Sephi. Pix was in the command tent with Tyr and Tyffix when the southern perimeter was annihilated by suicide bombers. While discussing strategy, Tyr sensed the presence of an incoming attack on the command center. Rather than saving himself, the Jedi Master used his last few moments to telekinetically push Pix out of harm's way, thus saving his apprentice's life. Pix and Cal watched in horror as the command center was engulfed in an explosion caused by a Sephi fighter.
In the aftermath of the devastation to the Republic outpost, Pix sent a distress call directly to Coruscant where it was received by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and a few Masters on the Jedi High Council such as Yoda, Mace Windu and Oppo Rancisis. The Chancellor and the Jedi Council agreed that Thustra's secession could endanger the Republic's control over the entire Sumitra Sector. Yoda, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, decided to personally handle the situation on Thustra. Believing that he could restore the Sephi's allegiance to the Republic through diplomacy rather than more bloodshed, Yoda traveled with Cal to Thustra's capital city where he tried to negotiate with King Alaric. Yoda left Pix in charge of the clone troopers with strict orders to not undermine the Grand Master's negotiations by taking aggressive actions against the Sephi.
While Yoda and Cal were detained in Alaric's palace, Pix kept a watchful eye on the Sephi's troop movements with the help of Commander Clutch. The clone observed how the Sephi were building up their forces in a single location and presumed that they were preparing to launch another attack against the Republic outpost. Hence, Clutch advised Pix that the most strategically sound option was to attack the enemy first. Pix refused and reiterated Yoda's explicit instructions to not escalate the conflict with more violence.
Pix grew increasingly concerned as she waited for Yoda to send word of his progress with the King. By then, Thustra Senator Navi arrived at the Republic outpost to deliver a message to Pix. A Loyalist but corrupt politician who enjoyed a privileged life on Coruscant, Navi was determined to prevent his homeworld's secession from the Galactic Republic. He believed that the most efficient way to undermine Thustra's rebellion was by manipulating the Republic forces into launching an all-out attack on the capital. Hence, the Senator lied to Pix when he told her that Yoda and Cal had been executed by order of King Alaric. Distraught and saddened by the apparent loss of her fellow Jedi, Pix remained silent as Navi provided Clutch with detailed instructions on the best approach to a preemptive strike against the Sephi.
The Battle of ThustraEdit
- Clutch: "Technically, you're in command here. We can't move without your order. Perhaps we should contact Coruscant and request another general…?"
- Pix: "No. Let's go."
- ―Clutch and Pix[src]
As the only present Jedi officer, Pix was in total command of the Republic outpost and its military force. Neither Commander Clutch nor the rest of the clones were able to proceed against the Sephi without her consent. When it seemed as though Pix was conflicted with uncertainty, the Clone Commander offered to contact Coruscant and request for another Jedi General. After a final moment of contemplation, Pix ordered her troops to mobilize for combat, determined to end the conflict on Thustra with the full might of her army.
Pix's preemptive attack was swift and sudden; the Sephi were caught completely by surprise as the Republic forces engaged them in battle. Clone troopers and All Terrain Tactical Enforcers marched toward the capital city on the ground while Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry gunships provided cover from above. Pix and Clutch commanded their forces from a gunship on the frontlines. Republic troops soon entered the capital, and became engaged in street fighting with the remaining Sephi while LAAT/i gunships utilized air strikes against the enemy's defenses. Clutch ordered the clones to concentrate their efforts on capturing the palace so that they could end the Sephi rebellion for good. By then, Pix began to experience doubt in her actions, mainly due to her sudden lack of trust in Senator Navi's honesty.
Though the preemptive attack led to numerous enemy casualties, including Sephi Commander Dekluun and King Alaric himself, the Battle of Thustra was eventually won by the secessionists. Pix's attack on the Sephi created new sympathizers and supporters of Thustra's cause within nearby star systems. The reinforcements from Thustra's neighbors enabled the Sephi to force the Republic army off of the planet. During the battle, Cal was killed as well, although Yoda survived after reluctantly slaying the King in self-defense.
After returning to Coruscant, Pix accompanied Yoda, Mace Windu, and Clutch to the Senate Building. She watched as Senator Navi's duplicity was exposed in front of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and the members of the Galactic Senate. Charged with high treason against the Republic, Navi was promptly arrested by Clutch and two Senate Guards.
Personality and traitsEdit
- Cal: "Master Tyffix!"
- Pix: "Cal… It's too late."
- ―Cal and Pix[src]
Pix was a teenage, female Jedi Padawan. Physically, she had an athletic build and was considered pretty by her fellow Padawans at the Jedi Temple; her hair was braided and kept in a ponytail. During her time on Thustra, she did not wear the traditional robes of the Jedi. Instead, her cloths consisted of a tight top and a short skirt. Despite her unorthodox Jedi attire, Pix did retain the symbolic hooded-cloak that other Jedi typically wore.
As a Jedi Commander in the Grand Army of the Republic, Pix displayed utter loyalty to the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic. She exhibited the usual Jedi traits of bravery and confidence by leading her clone troopers on the front lines of battle. As a tactician, she possessed an understanding of strategy as seen when she ordered Commander Clutch and the clones to destroy the Sephi tanks and speeders, thereby depriving the enemy of their military assets.
Although she was forced to oversee the operation on Thustra without the guidance of Tyr, her Jedi Master, Pix remained focused on her duties as a Jedi officer. While her Master's death saddened Pix, she carried on with her responsibilities and immediately requested for reinforcements in order to better insure the mission's success. She also proved herself to be both a capable commander and combatant while leading clone troopers into battle against Sephi forces.
But despite her loyalty and Jedi skills, Pix also displayed certain traits, such as overconfidence and a slight disregard for authority, considered less commendable in the eyes of the Jedi Order's senior members; traits that were found to be common amongst younger Jedi. Although she was commanded to remain with the Republic troops and to hold her position no matter what the circumstances, Pix disregarded Master Yoda's orders and launched an attack on Thustra's capital after being convinced by a lie that Yoda and Cal had been executed by King Alaric. However, Pix also upheld the Jedi sense of justice when she helped to convict Senator Navi of treason for manipulating her into attacking the Sephi.
Powers and abilitiesEdit
As a Jedi Padawan in training, Pix was skilled in the use of Force techniques and lightsaber combat. During the Battle of Thustra, she demonstrated the ability to deflect blaster fire with a lightsaber.
Behind the scenesEdit
Pix was depicted in a concept art image, seen on Hoon's website, for the Dark Horse comic Jedi: Yoda. In the image, she is wearing a different attire and wields a red-bladed lightsaber. She is also standing next to Darth Homiiz, a Sith Lord who was created for the Jedi: Yoda comic. For unknown reasons, Homiiz was cut from the comic's storyline and Pix's appearance was altered, giving her an unorthodox Jedi attire and a blue-bladed lightsaber.
- Jedi: Yoda (First appearance) | <urn:uuid:0bbdc5a6-9641-4623-8bc7-818277c50071> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Pix | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969418 | 2,301 | 1.695313 | 2 |
by Melissa Brunner
Welcome back to Topeka, Kansas legislators! You have a lot on your plate, so all the best as you get right to work!
Among the big issues facing lawmakers this year - proposals to overhaul how Kansas schools are funded, how the state's Medicaid system works and shoring up the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. To be revealed laster this week - Gov. Brownback's plan to reform the state's tax code. Of course, there could be a plethora of other topics from abortion to gambling to child predators that might come up for debate as well.
This takes place against the backdrop of two other big issues - redistricting and an election year for state lawmakers. Every ten years, lawmakers must redraw the boundaries of state House and Senate, Congressional and State Board of Education districts to ensure each district represents roughly the same number of people. To the average person at home, it might amount to which names you'll see on the ballot this fall. But to representatives currently in the seats, they want to make sure a block of support in a certain community doesn't fall into someone else's hands.
What do you think? What issues do you want lawmakers to address over the next 90 days - and any predictions for how they'll turn out? | <urn:uuid:f58c9e1c-9070-422d-a05d-665095a022d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wibw.com/blogs/topdawg/Let_the_Session_Begin_136966148.html?site=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954392 | 259 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The biggest cause for celebration in the Philippine film industry this year is not the yearend Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) and its slew of unabashedly commercial, unabashedly illiterate entries, but the establishment of the National Film Archives of the Philippines. The NFAP got its inaugural last September when the digitally restored copy of Manuel Conde’s 1950 classic “Genghis Khan” was shown. During the occasion, President Aquino witnessed the formal turnover to the Philippines of the original prints of Conde’s movie from the Venice Film Festival archives.
It was in 1952 when Conde’s movie was shown in competition in Venice where it earned acclaim and offers for worldwide distribution, including one from the old United Artists, the Hollywood studio established by Charlie Chaplin, Lilian Gish and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. Since the movie was the first Filipino feature to compete in a major international film festival, it is only fitting that its digital restoration via prints retrieved from the vaults of the world’s oldest international film festival should herald the NFAP six decades later.
The NFAP has been a long time coming. Between the 60 years when Conde’s movie became the toast of world cinema and the NFAP’s foundation, Philippine cinema has had two golden ages (1950s-1965 and mid-1970s to early 1980s), produced a world master (National Artist Gerardo de Leon Jr.), an Asian neorealist (Lino Brocka) and a Cannes best director (Brillante Mendoza), while witnessing the rise and decline of one of the top five industries in the world (along with Hong Kong-Taipei, Bollywood, Hollywood, and Europe).
Now that that commercial industry is in intensive care and, as the asinine MMFF entries show year in and year out, in protracted artistic coma, it is with some irony that the movement for film conservation should show signs of health. But the development is not surprising since it is usually in troubled times that people long for nostalgia. Philippine cineastes and denizens of the bankrupt film industry hark back to glory days. And Conde’s “Genghis Khan” should be one of the high points of those days. To make the glory linger, to make it perhaps permanent—that may be the task of the NFAP.
Conde is described by film scholar Nicanor Tiongson as the father of Philippine indie filmmaking for being the first to successfully produce his own movies outside of the studio mainstream. He wrote and directed the movies he produced, acted in them, even doing the menial jobs of a production assistant, the first instance in Philippine film history of multitasking. He could have also done archiving himself except that there was no prevalent consciousness yet during his time on cultural heritage in celluloid.
Film conservation in the Philippines has largely been a private initiative. An example would be the late Fernando Poe Jr.’s forward-looking vision of archiving and preserving the movies that his independent outfit had produced, providing an example for practical, cheap methods of film conservation for others to emulate. Other early initiatives to preserve the nation’s film heritage were the establishment of the Society of Film Archivists (Sofa) in 1993, with the late critic Hammy Sotto as moving spirit, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines starting its own video library through the efforts of Vicky Belarmino, a Sofa member.
Before the digital restoration of “Genghis Khan,” the ABS-CBN Archives, which may be the largest in the Philippines, had teamed up with Central Digital Lab to restore Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala” and Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, Plata, Mata.” Even private groups abroad are helping save and restore Philippine cinematic gems. “Genghis Khan” itself was digitally restored at the world-renowned laboratory L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, Italy. And Italian-American cinematic master Martin Scorsese’s World Film Foundation has pledged to restore Brocka’s “Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag.”
Government should have done it long ago, but alas, as the very surprising presence of Aquino during the “Genghis Khan” turnover should show—it was his first attendance at a cultural gathering as President, after having been in office for already a third of his term—the state has historically neglected anything remotely connected with the arts and culture. But better late than never. Through the efforts of Briccio Santos of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the President has signed Administrative Order No. 26 which enjoins all agencies, departments and offices under the executive branch (including government-owned and-controlled corporations) to transfer their collections to the NFAP, which will now serve as the country’s official repository of audio-visual material. Now the nation has an institution to preserve its cinematic patrimony systematically.
More from this Column:
Short URL: http://opinion.inquirer.net/?p=43607 | <urn:uuid:69b95ecf-3a85-4726-8af0-4c8aeeb67c68> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://opinion.inquirer.net/43607/cinematic-patrimony | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952889 | 1,089 | 1.515625 | 2 |
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This awe-inspiring cultured marble Christus statue depicts Jesus Christ just as the scriptures describe Him, beckoning to us with open arms in a most pleasant manner, as if saying: “Come unto me.” The original Christus statue by Sculptor Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844) was made of plaster in 1823 and was used to create the 11-foot marble version in 1839 that stands today in the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Thorvaldsen spent 40 years in Rome. There he made a sepulchral monument for Pope Pius VII in St. Peter's Cathedral and numerous statues in the style of antiquity. While in Rome he also worked on another one of his masterpieces, “Christ and the 12 Apostles” which made him internationally known as the greatest sculptor of neo-classicism.
He returned to Copenhagen where he started and completed his greatest work, the Christus. After Thorvaldsen's death in 1844, the Christus was erected in the Copenhagen Cathedral. This marvelous work of inspired art has now been painstakingly created in exact detail as the original.
*Depending on the marble available at time of production, coloring and shade may vary from picture shown.
** This item can ship internationally via International Priority. Recipient is responsible for all customs, duties, and taxes.
About the Author
Deseret Book is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, the holding company for business firms owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Deseret Book is a profit-making Utah corporation.
Deseret Book is committed to support the mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by providing scriptures, books, music, and other quality products that strengthen individuals, families, and our society.
You will want more than one - you will want to share the Christus
by Melanie - reviewed on April 06, 2007
I ordered a second statue because the first is mine - all mine. I ordered a second because I want to share this wonderful Christus and the pricing makes sharing more affordable. It is just that my list includes more than my budget allows at this time. I hope we can look forward to the discount price again.
by Tracy - reviewed on October 17, 2008
I work at an Institute and we ordered this for my office. It is beautiful and reminds us all to be a little more reverent and what a special gift the Atonement is. I love it!
by Customer - reviewed on November 21, 2008
I ordered this statue as a gift for my husband. It makes a beautiful addition to our home and is the centerpiece to our sitting room. Highly recommend!!
Mother-in-law loved it!
by Customer - reviewed on October 17, 2008
My mother-in-law admired this beautiful piece so much that she ended up getting it as a gift from my husband instead of the intended recipient--me! I was glad it made her so happy and get to admire it when I visit.
by Simone - reviewed on April 06, 2007
We bought this for a family gift for Easter. It now is on our mantle between a picture of the temple and our family portrait. It has helped us invite the Spirit into our home.
I loved the original and this statue is a calming beauty
by RONALD - reviewed on December 05, 2006
I visited Copenhagen and found the original 'CHRISTUS' AT THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY. IT IS MAGNIFICENT!!! I needed my own statue. I found it at a book store and bought it. It is the focal point of our home. It gives me a fantastic feeling every day. This statue is the greatest. Ron Pendleton Homer, Alaska
Exquisite workmanship and memories
by Kate - reviewed on October 15, 2008
When I see the Christus lit up in my china cabinet, I not only remember our Savior’s sacrifice, but I also remember the day my husband proposed to me. He proposed just before General Conference, so we make a traditional excursion to Salt Lake every year for Conference. Last year, he bought me this exquisite replica of the Christus when he saw me drooling over it. The fine detail and workmanship makes it worth every penny spent!
GrandChildren stare at it
by Mick - reviewed on November 17, 2012
Since our purchase of the Christus Statues we have noticed that our grandchildren from an early age to teen age will look at the Christus and just stare. We were afraid at first to have it out all the time and maybe get broken. Nope, reverence is what it brings to our great room. Mick
by Mick - reviewed on August 10, 2010
Today our family still enjoys this beautiful art piece in our home. "Christ" is the foundation of our Church and family. that is why the family portrait is directly above the statue. Our grandchildren especially like to stand at look without touching this reminder to be kinder, gentler and happier. Joy is the goal.
by Jennifer - reviewed on October 08, 2008
This statue always brought a sacred feeling to our living room when I was growing up. What a feeling of reverence it has about it!
by W. Todd - reviewed on April 28, 2008
Magnificent! What can I say...The first time I saw the Christus was in Temple Square (SLC) when I was sixteen years old (36 years ago). My wife just got baptized and I wanted to present her with a gift that was (as close to) equal as to the one she had just received by her decision to join the LDS Church.
by Customer - reviewed on September 30, 2008
This is great to have in every home.
by Customer - reviewed on November 24, 2008
Best reminder of Christ and the His Atonement.
by Kristin - reviewed on November 13, 2008
This truely captures the feeling you want in your home, it's amazing!
by Augusta Carr - reviewed on October 02, 2008
I think this is one of the best statues I ever owned, it's simple but elegant. I say it is well worth the price and should be in every home.
by Linda - reviewed on September 17, 2008
I received this statue from my husband as a gift. I was so impressed with how wonderful it looks, that I bought one for my married daughter for Christmas. We both have it displayed prominently in our living rooms. What a wonderful reminder of the love Christ has for all of us.
by Rex - reviewed on September 16, 2008
love the statue brings a great feeling into our home.
by Joy - reviewed on November 20, 2008
It is wonderful to have this on display. It reminds me of the D.C. temple.
by Customer - reviewed on September 19, 2008
I received this for Mother's Day and absolutely love it. It sits on our piano and is a nice reminder of the one that sits at temple square.
by Customer - reviewed on September 28, 2008
looks great in a living room
Beautiful ... always wanted one, and now I could afford to buy one!
by Ann - reviewed on October 02, 2008
What a beautiful statue to have in one's home. I can remember when as a child my mother took me to the Visitors Center in Salt Lake City, and we walked up what seemed a very long walkway, which had the night sky painted on it... then at the top....was the Christus statue - I stood in awe! Since that time, the outstretched arms of our Saviour depticted in this statue has had a profound effect on me. I am so glad that now I have a smaller replica in my own home, the wonder now is with me every day!
A terrific addition to a home
by Lisa - reviewed on October 05, 2008
This brings back so many memories of walking up the ramp in the visitor's center and seeing the Christus for the first time as a child. A wonderful reminder of Christ and His Atonement for every home.
First thing you see.....
by Tamara - reviewed on October 12, 2008
I have this statue on a shelf that you see as soon as you walk into my home. I think it helps people know that we try to follow Christ in our home. It sets the tone for those who visit. I would say this statue helps keep the spirit in our home.
by Linda - reviewed on October 13, 2008
This is my second Christus statue. I gave away my first one, and I couldn't wait to get another.
Beautiful Addition to your home
by Customer - reviewed on October 17, 2008
The marble Christus, whether 12 inches, or 19 inches, would be a beautiful addition to any home. Place it where you will always see it, and that way you will always have Christ in your mind. My three year old loves to go to the temple just to see the Christus, and she is going to be so happy when it is in her own home for Christmas! What a perfect gift for the perfect time of year!
by Customer - reviewed on October 30, 2008
I have loved my statue in my living room. It helps remind us that Christ is always watching us and to be more like him. The design is beautiful...it's like having a visitors center right in your home!
by Wendy - reviewed on October 30, 2008
I purchased one of these last Christmas for myself. It is a treasure.
by Travis - reviewed on November 05, 2008
The craftsmenship is amazing! I gave this to my mom for mothers day a few years ago. It sends chills through your spine.
by Customer - reviewed on November 11, 2008
I love having this in my home! It helps to set a loving and peaceful mood, and to remind us all who is really in charge. Very inspirational!
by Charise - reviewed on November 13, 2008
I bought this for my Mom last Christmas and she really loved it. The statue is perfect and does not get dirty easily so dusting is not too much of a problem. I really thought this was nice compared to others because it is so much like the one in the temple visitor center in Salt Lake. I would definately recommend this if you are looking for a beautiful piece for yourself or as a gift.
Disappointed in the color
by Elise - reviewed on December 14, 2012
Beautiful statue, but should be bright white like the ones in all the temples. I was so excited to get one and when I opened the box it was an ivory color. Bummer. I got the 19" statue on sale for about $80. Now I'm not sure whether to take it back and chance not ever finding a white one, let alone one at this amazing price.
Statue looks funny
by Customer - reviewed on April 14, 2013
There are some strange irregularities in the face and eyes of this statue. I need to send it back.
by Customer - reviewed on December 12, 2012
I got this for my mother, and was very excited when it finally came in the mail. It is very beautiful but the craftsmanship was not as beautiful. There was bumps and irregularities on and around the face. I was very sad that it was sent given its condition. I want to order another one but I'm scared that the craftsmanship will be as dissapointing as this one.
Unfortunately, the workmanship is very poor.
by Allison - reviewed on December 16, 2012
I'm sad to say that the Christus statue we received is not of very good workmanship. It is very yellowish cream colored, not white and the detail work extremely lacking. Extra material from the molding process hangs off the fingers, and the hands barely represent the real statue. We can actually see a seam where it appears the head may have broken off and then been "repaired"--needless to say, I'm very dissappointed. | <urn:uuid:232aea2d-3a66-4642-a8c7-bed6567cf9d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://deseretbook.com/Marble-Christus-Statue-Deseret-Book-Company/i/3753740?s_iid=tt1_home_5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973127 | 2,519 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The episode features the men under the command of Captain Mainwaring guarding a captured U-boat crew led by Madoc, who proceeds to make detailed notes of their treatment.
U-Boat Captain: “I am making notes, captain, and your name will go on ze list. And when we win the war, you will be brought to account.”
Mainwaring: “Write what you like, you’re not going to win the war.”
U-Boat Captain: “Oh yes we are.”
Mainwaring: “Oh no you’re not.”
U-Boat Captain: Oh yes we are.”
Pike (sings): “Whistle while you work, Hitler is a twerp, He’s half barmy, so’s his army, whistle while you ...”
U-Boat Captain: “Your name will also go on ze list. What is it?”
Mainwaring: “Don’t tell him, Pike!”
The reason for this particular scene being enshrined as a classic of British comedy remained a mystery to Madoc , but decades later it was still coming back to haunt him. A keen traveller, he was on holiday in the middle of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia 25 years after the first broadcast when a man tapped him on the shoulder and asked if he was Philip Madoc. “When I answered 'Yes’, he looked delighted and said 'I knew it was you. I loved you in that Dad’s Army episode.’ I never thought it would come up in Mongolia.”
Madoc’s range as an actor was far more extensive than this incident would suggest. When once asked by a journalist why he had entered the profession, Madoc’s eyes misted over : “Prospero’s final speech in The Tempest and the chance of doing it properly is the reason I became an actor. You put up with all the hassle which accompanies this business – the disappointments, the insecurity, the frustrations – for speeches and roles like that.”
Philip Madoc was born at Merthyr Tydfil on July 5 1934 and was intensely proud of his name, explaining: “It comes from Madog, meaning 'man of bravery.’” He showed an early aptitude as a linguist at Cyfarthfa High School, Merthyr Tydfil, and went on to study Languages at the University of Wales before enrolling at the University of Vienna, where he became the first foreigner to win the Diploma of the Interpreters Institute. He ended up speaking seven languages, including Russian and Swedish, and had a working knowledge of Huron Indian, Hindi and Mandarin.
Having embarked on a career as an interpreter, he found the work soul-destroying: “I did dry-as-dust jobs like a sewing machine conference and political interpreting. You get to despise politicians when you have to translate the rubbish they spout.”
He was offered a job lecturing at Gothenburg University, but decided on a change of course and applied successfully for a scholarship at Rada.
Madoc went on to take many leading stage roles, among them as Iago in Othello; Antony in Antony and Cleopatra; George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; the Duke in Measure for Measure; Macbeth; Shylock; and Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
On television he played Magua in the BBC series The Last of the Mohicans, and won particular acclaim in the title role of the BBC drama The Life and Times of David Lloyd George. “I really wanted to play Lloyd George,” he said. “I didn’t grow up thinking of him as a hero, but since I have done research for the part I understand how his sexual prowess over women gave him the confidence to hold power. I read everything ever written about him. I’ve become a Lloyd George authority.”
In the 1990s he starred as DCI Noel Bain in four series of A Mind to Kill, which was particularly successful in the United States, where it was favourably compared to Morse. Each scene of the series was filmed first in Welsh, then in English, prompting Madoc to muse that identical lines and characters were often transformed by the different languages.
His many other television appearances included The Avengers; The Saint; Poldark; Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased); The Goodies; Dr Who; Porridge; and Fortunes of War.
On the big screen, Madoc featured in, among others, Zina; The Quiller Memorandum; The Spy Who Came in from the Cold; and Operation Daybreak.
With his sonorous voice, Madoc was particularly prolific in audio, recording the works of Dylan Thomas; Morte d’Arthur; Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; The Canterbury Tales; and many others. For BBC Radio he played King Lear, and Prospero in The Tempest; recently he had portrayed Stalin in Life and Fate.
For recreation, Madoc enjoyed wind surfing, squash and ballroom dancing. He was a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.
Philip Madoc’s first wife, with whom he had a son and a daughter, was the actress Ruth Madoc, famous for her starring role in the television series Hi-de-Hi!. The marriage was dissolved, and he was also divorced from his second wife, Diane. He is survived by his two children.
Philip Madoc, born July 5 1934, died March 5 2012 | <urn:uuid:53a7edb4-0296-4ce1-a4fb-5ab419a14410> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/tv-radio-obituaries/9124609/Philip-Madoc.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980112 | 1,211 | 1.6875 | 2 |
March Passing of the Pioneers once again gathers together a diverse group of Western District pioneers. They include a winemaker and a lighthouse keeper. There are links to some well-known Western District properties and families, and a Portland resident that grew up with an English author.
Eliza Mary KEARTON: Died March, 1891 at Creswick. Eliza Kearton was a long-time resident of Portland. She had gone to Creswick for an operation, but died of complications. She was born in London in 1820 and married William Tulloh in 1844 in Tasmania. William’s obituary appeared in Passing of the Pioneers in July 2011 and includes a lot of detail about their lives in Portland.
Anne WILCOX: Died March 12, 1894 at Portland. Anne and her husband Thomas Must were well-known residents of Portland. Anne was from Sydney and married Thomas a Sydney mechant in 1842 before they travelled to Portland to set up a branch of Thomas’ business, Must and Flower. A few years after his arrival in Portland, he had an architect design a home resulting in “Prospect“, built in 1855. The couple lived there for the rest of their lives. In 1908 at St Stephens Church, unveliled a stained glass window in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Must.
Ann PAXFORD: Died March 1900 at Portland. Ann Paxford was the daughter of Jonathan Paxford and Ann Bray and was born around 1818. She married Edward Francis Hughes and they arrived in Victoria in 1853 and Portland in 1854.
Ann had an interesting life while a child in England. She spent time with a young Marion Evans better known as George Elliott, writer. Looking further into the story, which appears correct, proved intriguing. Ann, through her mother, Ann Bray was related to Charles Bray a ribbon manufacturer and a leader of the “intellectual elite”.(Oxford Dictornary of National Biography) He described his house, Rosehill, as “a mecca for radicals and intellectuals” (The Continuum Encyclopedia of British Philosophy in Oxford Reference). Marion Evans lived at Rosehill and that is where Ann would have come to know her.
Janet McCRACKEN: Died March 1911 at Stawell. Born in Scotland around 1840, Janet McCracken arrived in Melbourne with her parents in the early 1850s. After a few years they moved to Stawell and Janet married James Mathers. The couple lived in Stawell for the rest of their lives and had four sons and three daughters.
Daniel TYERS: Died March 15, 1915 at Byaduk. After arriving in Victoria around 1856, Daniel Tyers lived at Port Fairy. He later moved to Byaduk where he remained until his death at the age of 95. He was buried at the Byaduk Cemetery along with his brother Samuel and sister Jane.
John MOONEY: Died March 29, 1915 at Mooney’s Gap. In 1854, John Mooney from Ireland, travelled to Australia aboard the “Great Britain“. His brother Lawrence had arrived the year before, so John joined him on the Ararat diggings. In 1858, the brothers planted grape vines at Mooney’s Gap near Ararat and started the “Emerald Vineyard“. In the same year, just down the road, Jean-Pierre Trouette, his wife Ann-Marie and brother-in-law Emile Blampied, were the first to plant vines at Great Western. While Troutte’s winery “St. Peters” no longer exists, other wineries from the early days, Best’s and Seppelts are still in production there.
In 1925, Lawrence Mooney uprooted the vines at “Emerald Vineyard” and used the land for other purposes.
Elizabeth Robertson MURDOCH: Died March 7, 1916 at Port Fairy. I did a little extra research at Ancestry.com.au on Mrs Whiting because I wanted to find her name, in preference to listing her as Mrs Albert Edwin Whiting. Elizabeth grew up around the Geelong area and married Albert Whiting in 1878. Albert was a son of Edwin Whiting and Hannah Manifold. Hannah’s brothers were Thomas, Peter and William Manifold, original owners of the “Purrumbete“ run.
At the time of marriage, John was station manager for the Chirnsides property “Boortkoi” . Their wedding was at “Woolongoon” ,Mortlake then owned by Anthony McKenzie. Elizabeth and Albert moved to Port Fairy and lived at Boodcarra before moving to “Loongana” for several years before Elizabeth’s passing.
William HILL: Died March 14, 1916 at Warrnambool. Born in Ireland, William Hill spent the first 20 years of his time in Victoria working for Henry de Little, owner of Caramut station. He then began farming himself, first at Woodford and later at Framlingham where he had dairy cows for 17 years. In the early 1860s, William married Mary Hassett of Caramut.
Mary FITZGERALD: Died March 17, 1916 at Tower Hill. Mary Fitzgerald lived in the Tower Hill district since she was 10 years old, around 1849. She married John Fitzgibbon and she left two sons and eight daughters at the time of her death. Her funeral was attended by a large crowd of mourners.
Mr J.J.T. COOPER: Died March, 1918 at Port Fairy. Mr Cooper was born in Somerset, England and arrived in Victoria with his parents as a baby. He became an assistant life boat pilot in 1883 and became the Superintendent of Life boats at Queenscliff in 1892. Around 1905 he moved on to lighthouse keeping, working at Queencliff, Port Fairy, Cape Nelson and Warrnambool.
Mrs Letitia EMERY: Died March 13, 1918 at Port Fairy. Letitia Emery was born in London in 1848 and arrived in Port Fairy four years later. She lived with her aunt, Mrs Gillespie at the Union Inn at Port Fairy. Letitia’s husband died eight years before her and she left no children. She had two cousins surviving and two nieces.
Margaret WHITE: Died March 4, 1925 at South Portland. Margaret White spent most of her life living in the Narrawong and Portland districts, an estimated 82 years. She married James Grant in 1870. She left two sons and three daughters. Margaret’s obituary mentions the hardships faced by the early settlers.
Florence EDSALL: Died March 22, 1944 at Geelong. Florence Edsall was born at Warrenheip near Ballarat around 1858. She married W.J. Silvester and they lived in Cobden during their working lives, before retiring to Geelong. Florence’s husband was a Councillor with the Heytesbury Shire and was the first child of European descent born at Cobden, | <urn:uuid:856e749b-afea-4028-90c5-c38724cf6f71> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mywdfamilies.wordpress.com/tag/hughes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982356 | 1,490 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Here's my question. I currently have a network setup to have Static IP manually assigned between 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.99 and the rest (192.168.1.100 through 192.168.1.254) assigned automatically by DHCP server hosted on a IPCop server.
Now, I'd like to expand my DHCP range in the 192.168.2.xxx so that I have 254 new slots for DHCP.
First, is this possible to have a DHCP Range splitted between 192.168.1.xxx and 192.168.2.xxx, if so, how to do it (remember i'm using IPCop), if not, what are my others possibilities?
Thank you very much in advance for your help. | <urn:uuid:6502cb12-bd5d-4b02-8fe7-25488d65ec96> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://serverfault.com/questions/88314/how-to-extend-ip-range-from-192-168-1-1-to-192-168-2-254/88324 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931719 | 162 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Yes Thanks Richard. Plantard also mentioned it. Just a bit of interest to the proceedings. Do you think that Cailhol is a made up name?
I think more likely a real person. This is what I wrote last May, after reading the
I have now read the [article] by Peter O'Reilly entitled "The Mysterious Monsieur Cailhol" that was published in the Rennes Observer
in April 2005. And it transpires that this is not a translation of the similarly titled article by Jean-Alain Sipra, as we speculated that it might be, although it does make reference to it. Sipra, it seems, questions whether Cailhol was real and suggests this might have been one of Boudet's puns, whereas O'Reilly argues that he was likely a real person.
Someone has very kindly indeed furnished me with a copy of the O'Reilly article. A combination of technical ineptitude and, more importantly, due respect for the author and the copyright of his work, precludes me from reproducing it here, but I have summarised the salient points below. In essence, the author makes a persuasive case for M Constantin Cailhol of Alet-les-Bains having been a real person, and contemporary of Boudet's.
The article contains three principle arguments, each of which I've addressed below.References in La Vraie Langue Celtique
The article cites the reference we have been discussing some way above, to the head of the Saviour taken from Cap de l'Homme and entrusted to M Cailhol for safekeeping. But it transpires that there are two other references to Cailhol in Boudet's book - one about him (described as an explorer) finding a carved stone in a cave at Bize, and another about him having in his possession a millstone fragment found in the soil by workers constructing the road from Rennes-les-Bains to Sougraines in 1884.Fossiles de Rennes-les-Bains (Aude)
On searching the website of the Academie des Sciences, Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres de Toulouse, the author finds in the index of articles a reference to one entitled Fossiles de Rennes-les-Bains (Aude), the author of which is given as a Cailhol. There are no initials before the surname, but as O'Reilly surmises, it would surely be too much of a coincidence for this to be referring to a different person. O'Reilly speculates that Cailhol was likely a notable contributor to Boudet's research for LVLC.Queen Victoria
A letter is reproduced in the article - it also apparently appears in L'Alphbet Solaire by Chaumeil and Riviere, and in Jarnac's Histoire du Tresor de Rennes-le-Chateau - from Sir Henry Ponsonby, private secretary to Queen Victoria, sent from Biarritz on 29th March 1889, where the Queen spent some time that year, and following receipt of LVLC. It reads:
Sir Henry Ponsonby presents his compliments to Monsieur Cailhol and is commanded by the Queen Victoria to request him to thank the Reverend Pere Boudet for the interesting work on Languedoc and English which he has had the kindness to present to Her Majesty.
As O'Reilly goes on to argue, this letter strongly suggests that Cailhol was an intermediary for Boudet, and therefore likely a close friend and confidante.
Another letter is reproduced, including a facsimilie of the hand written version, from an H Austin Lee, secretary to Lord Lytton, British Ambassador to France (1887-91), and also referring to Boudet's book, also sent from Biarritz in March 1889, and although absent the name of the addressee, O'Reilly reasonably surmises that this letter was also written to Cailhol.
There then follows some interesting speculation about how the visit of Queen Victoria to France might have inspired Boudet and Cailhol to use the opportunity of her relative proximity to the Aude to present the book to her.
I hope Peter O'Reilly won't mind if I quote verbatim the very last part of the article, because I liked this part very much, and it sums things up rather nicely, I think.
Precisely what the recipients made of La Vraie Langue Celtique is not recorded, it seems, but [Giles] St Aubyn [biographer of Queen Victoria] tells us that the Queen enjoyed her visit to Biarritz.
The country reminded her of the Isle of Wight - probably the only time the resemblance had ever been noted - and she claimed that nothing could exceed the extraordinary kindness and civility of "the French high and low". Wherever she went the Basques shouted "Viva la Reina", just like the denizens of East Cowes.
One cannot help wondering if the Queen's sense of welcome and belonging might also have owed something to a reading of La Vraie Langue Celtique, for this would have revealed to her the astonishing esteem in which the English language was held by Abbe Boudet - and, it seems, by his friend and intermediary Constantin Cailhol.
Thanks so much again to the person who sent me the article. Based on this, and other parts of the discussion above, I'd say that Constantin Cailhol was a real person, and a rather interesting sounding one as well. | <urn:uuid:d80695e1-006e-4ef4-addb-30d609203411> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://andrewgough.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10263 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959322 | 1,161 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Another accomplished academic fell afoul of Jimbo Wales’s ‘Cultural Revolution’ this week. This latest calumny involved the usual Star Chamber trial and subsequent banishment imposed by anonymous figures lacking published credentials. This week’s victim was a well-known mathematical physicist, a Director of a major research group and Professor at a major University.
His efforts to clarify the origins of a set of dubious physics equations, given undue prominence by Wikipedia, led to an attack by a mob of editors during a heated debate. Many of the professor’s adversaries openly admitted that they had no knowledge of the subject matter, but weighed in on the dispute nonetheless. The episode is discussed in this Wikipedia Review forum thread.
Having failed to convince the mob that their article was problematic and should be dismantled, the physicist in question made a posting, two weeks later, at the Wikipedia Administrators’ Notice Board/Incidents calling attention to what had occurred. Within 29 minutes of this posting, he was blocked from making any further Wikipedia postings - on the grounds that, having deleted his original account, he was not entitled to return and make any further postings. A considerable outcry arose, which led after three days to his right to post being reinstated, but not without a further offensive sequence of attacks by the same aggressive individuals who had made a shambles of the original debate. He then wrote this blistering indictment of Wikipedia, also posted to the Administrators’ Noticeboard.
Conclusion: The modern notion of Encyclopaedia was a product of the Enlightenment and intended as an educational vehicle to raise the level of the masses. The Encyclopaedists included some of the greatest thinkers of their time. They valued, above all: knowledge, understanding, truth. The “scientific method” was based upon the same foundations: empirical knowledge, verifiability and careful reasoning. These were the ideals of the Enlightenment , together with a belief in justice in society.
Wikipedia is an embodiment of the opposite. It is a return to the Dark Ages, with an element of chaos that is greatly enhanced by the mass communications tools available in the internet. It involves a reduction of all genuine achievements to parity with the very basest, most primitive notions of the ignorant and undereducated. The encyclopaedists would never have proposed that their work was to be an equal collaboration of the ignorant and the educated. It was to be a vehicle for raising the former from their ignorance by making the most valuable achievements of human endeavor available to all.
Wikipedia, on the contrary, is the enshrinement of contempt for learning, knowledge and expertise. It is, for many, a diversionary hobby to which they are prepared to devote a great portion of their time, as others do to computer based video games. Unfortunately, it has led also to an inner cult, shrouded in anonymity, with structures and processes of self-regulation that are woefully inadequate. Many of these tools and procedures are reminiscent, in parody, of those of the Inquisition: secret courts, an inner “elite” arbitrarily empowered to censor and exclude all those perceived as a threat to the adopted conventions of the cult; denunciations, character assassination, excommunication. An arbitrarily concocted “rulebook” and language rife with self-referential sanctimoniousness give a superficial illusion of order and good sense, but no such thing exists in practice.
It is truly a “Tyranny of the Ignorant”.
15:31, 15 April 2008 (UTC) | <urn:uuid:7fe86b24-1073-477a-8c23-7be0ff8ae561> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wikipediareview.com/blog/20080418/it-is-truly-a-tyranny-of-the-ignorant/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969227 | 728 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Learn to lead and chant the daily services - Shacharit, Mincha, and Maariv - with Lead the Daily Davening. This MP3 CD is intended for those who would like to improve their skills in leading the daily services, from regular synagogue attendees, to those who are observing a Yahrzeit and want to lead the daily prayers as a part of their Yahrzeit observance. All of the selections recited by the Chazzan, including the repetition of the Amidah, are chanted slowly and clearly.
Lead the Daily Davening includes the following special features:
- Davening is chanted in both Ashkenazic and Sephardic pronunciations
- Includes two versions of Tefillot – one with musical accompaniment and one without
- Includes a PDF of daily Tefillot in Hebrew
- Includes Torah Blessings and Kaddish recitation
Load it on your MP3 player or MP3 CD player and listen on your way to work, while exercising, or in the car. Listen while you're at your computer, and follow along with the included PDF files of the daily tefillot. | <urn:uuid:307dc5d2-16d5-496c-a86b-0b3431d0b308> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eichlers.com/lead-the-daily-davening-mp3-cd-the-weekday-davening.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95346 | 240 | 1.578125 | 2 |
about $200 invested in Disney and another $1,500 invested in Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU). The second grader understands that technology and telecommunications are hot industries. Better still, he knows that by buying tech stocks, he is making money from his fondness for cable and the Internet. Martin has also jumped on to the craze over Nintendo’s popular game Pokemon by purchasing $200 in shares in the company behind the mania, 4Kids Entertain-ment (Nasdaq: KIDE). He also has about $9,000 invested in a growth and income mutual fund.
Most of the money he uses to invest comes from birthday presents and cash gifts at Christmas-about $4,000 in total over the past four years. Martin also snared a gig as a model for trade books targeting school districts across THE country; a big chunk of his income from this job went into the stock market. At the tender age of three, Martin was big on saving. During family outings to McDonald’s he would ask for the change. When his mother inquired what he planned to do with that money, he told her: “Put it in my bank account.” The aspiring pilot often explains to his peers, and even to adults, that as a shareholder, he is an owner of two major corporations. He holds steadfast to principles he learned before he was five. Take whatever money you get and divide it among three things: (1) saving and charitable giving; (2) spending and (3) investing. He’ll be able to use the money he makes from his investments to help pay for his college education and obtain the necessary training to fly, says Grace.
IN THE MARKET AT 16
Khari May and his younger brother, Osei, have been investing since they were 16. The two brothers, now 22 and 18, respectively, received a cash Christmas gift from their parents for the sole purpose of plowing it into the stock market. It was in December of 1993 that Khar
i received $300 from his parents and was told that they would match any money he added to the account. He put in $200 from his savings, bringing his total initial investment to $700.
The oldest May son bought shares in three companies he was familiar with: Block-buster, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA.B), Snapple, formerly owned by Quaker Oats (NYSE: OAT), and Disney. He faithfully reads stock tables and reviews annual reports and other financial data he receives as a shareholder to keep abreast of the stocks in his portfolio, which is now valued at more than $1,000. His brother also has stock in such companies as Washington, D.C.-based savings and loan Independence Federal Savings Bank (Nasdaq: IFSB), biotechnology firm Immune Response (Nasdaq: IMNR) and retailer Kmart (NYSE: KM).
The May brothers are learning firsthand the power of investing and compounding from their father, Abraham. One portion of the elder May’s portfolio-an IRA account he opened in August of last year-had a return of 25% in the first nine months. A city administrator, May has been investing in the stock | <urn:uuid:5cf16d1d-31e5-4137-b090-1b9e9682adb0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blackenterprise.com/mag/headstart/3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98612 | 670 | 1.539063 | 2 |
After 2011, what do you do with 80 IndyCars?
In NASCAR, the top-level Sprint Cup series owners pass their used cars down to the Nationwide Series. They eventually find their way down to ARCA and regional NASCAR series. A "NASCAR Car" looks the same - same size, same shape, same weight - regardless of what step in the development ladder you are on.
The benefits are many. I quickly came up with ten:
The first reaction I got in the IndyCar paddock last weekend to this idea (originally floated by Indy Lights boss Roger Bailey) was that the IndyCars are too expensive for the Lights team owners to afford.
But are they?
With 80 cars soon to go into mothballs, there are enough spare cars and parts to supply an entire 26 car Indy Lights grid for three or more years without spending a dime. Well, OK, the IndyCar team owners are not just going to give their soon to be worthless cars away for free. Most owners we talked to said they would be happy to get $10,000 to $25,000 for each one. Sitting in the corner of their garage collecting dusts would net them zero revenue. If the Lights series would decide to replace the car with a new one, team owners would have to fork out much more than that for new cars and spares.
A typical development series, such as GP3, offers a cost-effective formula for budding racers, with budgets amounting to about $880k USD per year. But that is only a 280 HP car and the car itself is much smaller than an F1 car or IndyCar. Performance-wise, too big of a step from IndyCar in my opinion.
What about engines, the single most expensive part of any race car? I dropped by and spoke to Honda HPD boss Erik Berkman about whether Honda had a cost effective, lower HP, engine that could be run in the used IndyCars.
"Honda would welcome the opportunity to supply engines to the Indy Lights series, " said Berkman.
"I think we have the perfect engine. Our ALMS LMP2 turbo V6 engine makes 450 HP."
With the IndyCar engine making around 650 HP in the current car, a step down to 450 HP for Lights would be enough to reduce the speed of the car so development drivers could learn to handle the big cars, but it would also reduce the running stress on the entire drivetrain, thereby reducing wear and tear elsewhere on the car.
"I cannot give you exact numbers," said Berkman, "but I am sure we could provide the LMP2 engine, which is an endurance engine made to run many miles between rebuilds, for Lights at a price I think that could work for the Indy Lights team owners."
According to the regulations an engine for the LMP2 category cannot cost more than $100,000. For 2011 a race engine must be able to last 30 hours before being revised, while the revision costs cannot exceed $50,000. In the coming years the running time is set to increase from 30 hours to 40 hours and then to 50 hours - more than enough for an entire Lights season,
This engine cost is higher than the current engine, but the teams would save money on the cars. However, if the engine can indeed be made to last 50 hours between rebuilds, there would need to be just one engine rebuild per year at the beginning of the season.
"I would even be willing to share the Lights series, with say a Mazda," said Berkman. "I am sure the two companies could agree to match both engines so the performance is the same and I would love to talk to IndyCar about it"
Since the Lights cars do not make pitstops, fuel mileage differences between the two engines really would not matter.
I asked former IndyCar champion and current co-IndyCar team owner Jimmy Vasser about the idea. "I think it is a good idea if the costs are similar," said Vasser
I asked him, "as a former IndyCar driver, would he be more willing to drive an occasional Lights race if it was in the big cars instead of the smaller Lights car? "Yes, definitely," said Vasser.
I asked IndyCar team owner Dale Coyne what he thought of the idea and his reaction was, "That is what Roger Bailey proposed and I think it is a great idea. They is what IndyCar should do. What are we going to do with all these cars after this year?"
I spoke to former IndyCar driver and Lights team owner Bryan Herta about the idea, and he thought it was a good one if the costs to run the bigger car would not increase his annual budget.
"I can buy a set of uprights for my Lights cars for 1/4th the price it costs for the current IndyCar," said Herta.
But why are they 4 times more expensive? There certainly is not 4 times as much material to make them. From everyone I talked to in the paddock, they felt that the parts could be made in the USA for a lot less money than Italian manufacturer Dallara is charging.
However, it may be a mute point. With 80 leftover cars there are enough spare parts to supply the field for 3 years without making or buying any new pieces.
As it turns out, Tony Cotman of NZR Consulting, who works as a technical advisor to IndyCar on many fronts, has been studying this issue for the series for quite some time.
"We have, and continue to, evaluate that option," said Cotman. "We need to evaluate it seriously and look at it in parallel with other options. The advantages of using the existing car I agree with. It ultimately will come down to cost and the direction the series wishes to pursue in the future. The vehicles performance, relevance and engine regulations are all a large part of that equation."
I asked other Indy Lights team owners what they thought. They all said that if the costs were what they spend today, around $750K per year per car, it's an idea worth exploring.
Herta had organized a Lights team owners meeting in Toronto to discuss a number of issues facing the series, including whether the series needed a new car.
The general consensus was that the owners cannot afford a new car and maybe they should just update the existing car with a new body kit and wings.
Better yet, why not pass down the 80 existing IndyCars to Lights and make it a series that young drivers worldwide would clamor to get their hands on?
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A recent feature in GCI reports that as "eco-friendly" labels continue to become increasingly evident in the cosmetics industry, a new label is also emerging targeted at one of the fastest-growing consumer groups in the world: the halal cosmetics label, designed for Muslim consumers, which now comprise approximately 20% of the global population. The halal label appeals to Muslim consumers seeking integrity and authenticity in their beauty and personal care products. Concerns about animal-derived ingredients—such as gelatine and collagen—in beauty products are fueling demand, and some consumers even perceive such products as more ethical.
International sales of halal-certified beauty and personal care products are upward of $5 billion, and a growing number of beauty and cosmetic ingredient firms are taking up halal certification in Asia. The highest adoption rates are in Muslim countries where multinationals that include Colgate-Palmolive and Avon have launched halal-certified products. Also, international chemical firms like BASF and CP Kelco are developing ingredients certified for such markets.
At present, 57 certification agencies are authorized to halal-certify products, according to the halal cosmetics standard. Although the highest adoption rates are in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, certification is also catching on in Europe and North America. With a lack of local brands of natural and organic cosmetics in these regions, there is a clear gap in the marketplace. A major challenge is formulating beauty products that meet two or more standards, as many European brands have discovered.
A sister publication of Cosmetics & Toiletries, GCI combines insightful overviews of market data, trend reports and strategies focused on building connections with consumers in the global beauty industry.
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The Cleburne County Sheriff’s Department has experienced difficulty with its radio system for several months.
“We get into certain parts of the county and we can’t get no reception,” said Sheriff Joe Jacks. “We have to move around a bit.”
It’s a problem nearly everyone who owns a cell phone can relate to. But when it’s a deputy out on a call, it can be more than just an irritation, officials said. It could be a problem for instance if a deputy is in the middle of investigating a domestic disturbance, is in the home and his radio cuts out. He’s lost contact with dispatch, Jacks said.
Jacks provides all his deputies with a cell phone as a means of back up communication. But the radio problems are an inconvenience he’d like to see fixed, he said.
County Administrator Steve Swafford says he is working on it. Swafford said he asked McCord Communications to monitor the radio tower to see what was interfering with the signals.
“What they found out is they were receiving transmissions from Haralson County” in Georgia, Swafford said.
He contacted the Federal Communications Commission, which grants licenses for the radio frequencies, and they are investigating, Swafford said.
Haralson County law enforcement’s radio is not having the same problems and it is not causing the problem, said Tim Jones, chairman of that area’s Metropolitan Communications Board of Directors.
Jones said he has spoken with the FCC and thinks it’s unlikely that Haralson County is causing the problem because the two counties’ radio frequencies are far enough apart there should be no interference.
In addition, Haralson County only uses that frequency as a back-up to its digital system, which wouldn’t interfere with Cleburne County’s frequency at all.
Jones said he would be willing to check, but he just doesn’t know where to look.
“Without them being willing to return my telephone call, I can’t go looking and help them,” Jones said.
Heflin Fire Chief Jonathan Adams said his department, which operates on a different tower than the Sheriff’s Office, is also experiencing problems and Adams has a different theory.
He believes it has to do with FCC-mandated changes in broadcast bandwidths. In 2003, the FCC required radio systems to use narrower bandwiths to accommodate more users, and set a deadline of Jan. 1, 2013. The Fire Department complied with the new regulations last year and since then has noticed problems with its radio signals.
“It’s shortened the distance we can talk,” Adams said. “The FCC mandate hurt everyone across the board.”
The Heflin Police Department shares the tower with the Sheriff’s Office. Heflin police Capt. A.J. Benefield said the problems with the police radios started before the department went to the new narrower bandwidth, but have gotten considerably worse since the switch.
Jones, whose company services the radios in Haralson County, said that’s been a common complaint.
“If they have it narrow-banded, they can pick up more interference,” Jones said. “The signal-to-noise ratio has degraded going to the narrow-band.”
In other words, he said, the signals the police want to hear can be drowned out by the background noise.
Many emergency service providers have gone to digital systems that always have a higher signal-to-noise ratio, but that can be expensive. A new digital-capable radio can range from $700 to more than $3,500 for one mobile unit. In addition, the systems are more sophisticated and take more expertise to maintain, so service contracts are more expensive.
“We’re a small county,” Adams said. “We can’t afford it.”
Still, Jones said the change to the narrower bandwidth should be attainable “unless their equipment was not capable of being narrow-banded or it wasn’t done properly.”
Swafford expects to have some word of the FCC investigation in the next two to three weeks, he said.
Efforts to contact the FCC about the investigation were unsuccessful.
Staff writer Laura Camper: 256-235-3545. On Twitter @LCamper_Star. | <urn:uuid:bb68d058-ed8b-4478-876c-e789cf6b0fb7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story/21737915/article-Cleburne-County-looks-to-solve-radio-issues?instance=1st_right | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960195 | 945 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Former Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla said that the Islamic history is full of valuable lessons of the trading. According to him, the spirit of merchant even had been exemplified in the era of Muhammad, the prophet of Muslims. It was what JK had said when delivering speech in Kajian Ramadan 1431 H in UMM Dome, Saturday (08/28). Accompanied by Chairman of PP Muhammadiyah, Prof. HA Malik Fadjar, JK presented at the second session attended by 1,000 Muhammadiyah leaders from the branch level to region level throughout East Java.
"In the era of Muhammad, trading is very powerful in Islam. Islam came to Indonesia through the traders as well. It is similar to the history of Muhammadiyah. KH Ahmad Dahlan also spread Islam while he was trading," explained the merchant from South Sulawesi.
Conversely, JK also explained, the arrival of Islam into Indonesia was not through war or political conflict. On those days, Islam could powerfully spread well because of the trading. That was why JK felt sorry for nowadays it just became a history. "This tradition (the merchant) doesn’t exist anymore, whereas Islam is full of values and the merchant is a person who can raise the value," JK continued.
In Indonesia, he said, the Islamic movement in the political field has been going well. There is no more political stream as in the year of 1955. Islamic parties could join hand in hand with the nationalists; even now the Muslim parties have become the nationalist. Thus, the distance between Islam and nationalist is getting closer. It is also what happens in education. General schools and universities are now enthusiastic in developing Islamic values just like tradition of pesantren (Islamic institution to study Islam). On the other hand, the Islamic Hospital also thrives a lot. However, in the economic field, Muslims are still very far behind compared to others.
"Therefore, we need to strengthen the spirit and ethos of the merchant in order to become stronger and be able strengthens the people," continued JK. To strengthen the Islamic economy, JK said, it should be done through empirical experience. Mental of entrepreneurs should be trained, not just be studied. "Like people swim, do not taught how to swim but dive them into the pool and let them find their own ways of swimming," said JK.
Furthermore, JK likened that experience is the best teacher, but there is difference between experience and permanent teacher. "If teachers teach and then give test, experience tests first and then teaches," JK explained. To become an entrepreneur, one must experience himself and should not be taught too many theories.
Agreed with JK, Malik Fadjar also emphasized action in the economic field. Through a strong will and hope, we must begin and start. If it is not, then no change will occur.
Malik pointed out the first time he built the third campus of UMM in the late 1980s. At the time, people sold short with the plan because the campus location was not considered strategic, but thanks to a strong will because capital constraints then could be overcome by mortgaging the land certificate of campus administrators to buy the land. "So, the strong will could overcome limitations of those funds. It’s better than having a lot of funds but had no purpose since it could be used for slametan (ceremonial) only," he explained.
The study which lasted two days was a routine event conducted by the Regional Chairman of Muhammadiyah (PWM) of East Java. This year represents the last year for a period of managerial leadership, so there were lot of branch managers increased the number of participants to have consolidation at once. As usual, PWM always raised the interesting themes. This time the theme was building a merchant ethos within Muhammadiyah.
The event which was opened by the Chairman of Muhammadiyah, Prof. Din Syamsuddin, was not only attended by JK and Malik Fadjar, but also by the governor of East Java Soekarwo, economic practitioners and regional leaders. The event would be closed with a meeting of regional leaders on Sunday (8/29). (rwp/nas/t_alf) | <urn:uuid:b8921736-fab6-4da1-ae76-74e6eaf3a347> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.umm.ac.id/en/umm-news-1581-jk-jiwa-saudagar-kental-dalam-sejarah-islam.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976527 | 869 | 1.78125 | 2 |
This Article documents and analyzes a powerful form of regulatory competition — competition for investments — that has been transforming national corporate laws in the European Union in recent years. Unlike the competition for incorporations that shapes Delaware corporate law and, by some accounts, the corporate laws of other American states as well, competition for investments sparks innovation in corporate law when firms cannot incorporate outside the jurisdiction in which they operate, and is designed to attract investments in local businesses rather than incorporations by foreign businesses. The high political payoffs that await successful participants in the competition for investments enable them to overcome opposition that could stifle competition for incorporations. And, together with the fact that no single jurisdiction can dominate the market for investments, these payoffs drive multiple jurisdictions, including large ones, to compete. Allowing firms to incorporate outside the jurisdiction in which they operate, as a recent series of European Court of Justice rulings requires, may or may not breed competition for incorporations. Either way, however, as long as the competition for investments does not lose its steam, the effect on firms will be quite the same. Judging from the reforms that the competition for investments has fueled so far, the effect will be positive.
Corporation and Enterprise Law
Date of this Version
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St John the Baptist, Harleston
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the Baptist, Harleston
Diss is a lovely town, and so is Harleston - but the area in between is sheer hell for church explorers. Having experienced the fatuous churchwarden at Scole, I was already not in a very good frame of mind - being treated with suspicion by people who call themselves Christians always makes my heart sink - and as I headed on through Billingford, Thorpe Abbots and Brockdish, all locked without keyholders, I was descending into something approaching despair.
What a delight to reach Harleston then! It was market day in this tiniest of East Anglia's market towns, and people were busying about. The pubs and shops were all gaily bedecked, and not a chainstore in sight. Just off the market square on the road into Suffolk sits St John the Baptist. And bless it, it was open.
The church was built in the 1870s to replace a ruinous medieval church on the market place. That had been built as a chapel of ease to mighty Redenhall, and the modern church still has the feel of a chapel, built by diocesan architect Richard Phipson, most famous for the interior of Norwich St Peter Mancroft and the complete rebuilding of Ipswich St Mary le Tower. He did a lot of work in the Waveney valley, but as far as I know this is his only complete church outside of Suffolk.
It is built in a Decorated style with a long clerestory and low aisles. Phipson is noted for observing the letter of architecture rather than the spirit, and this can produce masterpieces like St Mary le Tower. But many of his restorations are middle-brow, some of them dull in the extreme. He seems to have gone through some sort of psychedelic drugs period in later life, resulting in the bizarre spires at Great Finborough and Woolpit in Suffolk, but that was all in the future when he rolled up his sleeves at Harleston.
A large vestry on the south side creates a sense of the cruciform, and the eastern apse, an unusual feature for Phipson, creates something of the impression of a small French cathedral. The west entrance is glorious, but the regular knapped flint, a mid-Victorian passion, is not terribly attractive, reminding us somewhat of its later customary use for cemetery chapels and crematoria. And so we step inside, through the south door rather than the west.
At once, the sense of being in a French church is magnified. The western bays of both aisles were boxed off in the 1980s, that on the north side as a bookshop and coffee area, on the south as a narthex; you step into this outer church as you would in Boulogne or Bergerac. And then, to complete the illusion, into the body of the church, and all is dark and high, flanked by lugubrious glass, the only light coming from the apse at the east end - surely we must be in France.
In France, of course, the east end would have been reordered in a democratic way as a result of Vatican II; here, as in much of the Anglican world, there is still the medieval heirarchy. The glass is very interesting, because the whole church is a single commission from the O'Connors in the 1870s. That in the north aisle has since been removed and replaced in the 1980s with flowing images something in the style of Surinder Warboys. The panels in the apse tell the story of Christ from Annunciation to Resurrection - my two favourite panels are the deposition and the three Marys at the tomb. Scenes from parables and the life of Christ fill the nave. The best is undoubtedly the lame man being lowered through the roof of the building where Christ is teaching - he wears Victorian workman's clothes. The raising of Lazarus is also good. The Good Samaritan is the odd one out, because instead of the three lights forming a single subject it tells the story in three images.
The modern glass depicts the river Waveney and its wildlife, angel musicians and a nimbused figure beneath an autumnal tree, who I assume is St John the Baptist. The O'Connors' 1870s sequence of scenes in the life of St John the Baptist in the west window should also not be overlooked.
This is a lovely church, not wholly in the modern fashion by being so dark and shadowy. What it really needs, of course, is what it would have in France; statues of Saints and shrine altars in the aisles, with old ladies and earnest young men wandering in off the market place, lighting candles and saying private devotions. It may well be that Phipson had them in mind, because he designed his churches for the kind of worship he enjoyed; ritualistic, incense led, with choral voices echoing around the high nave. He saw no great difference between his own Anglo-catholicism and the traditional Catholicism of the continent. I'm so glad nobody has wrecked this place by taking out all the glass and turning it into an evangelical preaching barn. What's left to us makes the rest of it easier to imagine.
Simon Knott, June 2005
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Colorado’s Supreme Court judges survived an attempt this year to oust them from office but a new effort is underway to limit the justices to two-year terms.
A proposed ballot measure filed today would change the current term of office for Colorado Supreme Court judges from 10 years to two years, meaning every two years voters in Colorado would decide whether to retain them or oust them.
The measure, filed by Peter Coulter and Howard Sherman, impacts only Supreme Court justices and not those serving on the Court of Appeals, district courts or county courts. The 22 appeals court judges, for example, serve eight-year terms.
In addition, under the proposal, the chief justice of the Supreme Court could only serve in that role for two years at a time.
The proposed measure was filed with the Legislative Council, the first in a series of steps to getting a proposal on the ballot. If successful, voters would weigh in on the issue in the 2012 general election. | <urn:uuid:7315f00d-9fd5-4f79-91a4-89e46d33e665> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/topic/howard-sherman/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974173 | 194 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Healthful choices proposed for vending machines in Seattle city offices, buildings
The city of Seattle would have to stock at least half of every vending machine in city buildings and offices with healthful foods under a bill before the City Council.
Seattle Times staff reporter
Many of the deep-fried potato chips and candy bars that have given city workers an afternoon energy boost for decades would be replaced by rice cakes and granola bars under an ordinance being considered by the Seattle City Council.
The council and Mayor Mike McGinn are proposing to stock half of every vending machine in city buildings and offices with healthful foods — nonfat milk, for example, instead of soda.
The city is following the lead of the federal government and the King County Health Board in adopting strategies to address soaring rates of obesity and diabetes. Public institutions and organizations are being encouraged to offer healthful snack options for working people who typically eat half of their meals away from home.
As one city information sheet puts it: “With healthy vending, we can easily choose snacks with great taste, crunch and the natural sweetness of whole foods.”
Skeptics point to the experience of Seattle Public Schools, which saw revenues for student activities plummet when healthful options were substituted in high-school vending machines for chips, candy and sugary soft drinks. Students simply walked off campus and bought the junk food they craved.
“They can put healthy foods in the vending machines, but they can’t make people buy them,” said Paul Guppy, research director for the Washington Policy Center, which is often critical of government overreach.
Guppy said that although he is usually a “limited government conservative,” he supports restrictions on school vending machines “because they’re government-run and because they’re serving children.”
And, he said, the city is perfectly within its rights to send a good-health message with its vending-machine selections.
But do grown-ups need to be told the nutritional difference between a carrot stick and a peanut butter cup?
City Councilmember Richard Conlin, who is sponsoring the vending-machine legislation, said, “That’s the point. To give our employees a choice.”
Conlin pointed to the Parks and Recreation Department’s success in introducing fewer fatty and sugary foods into community centers and park facility vending machines in 2009.
Parks took a gradual approach, starting at just one community center, expanding to about half, and in 2010 requiring that all its vending machines carry entirely healthful choices. Revenues dropped for a while in 2009, but they have returned to their previous levels, said Dewey Potter, parks spokeswoman.
Potter said the available selection of healthful snacks has improved and expanded. It now includes low-fat Cheez-Its, baked potato chips, granola bars and dried fruit. Drinks include diet soda, nonfat and 1 percent milk, water and 100 percent fruit juice.
She said the public understands the link between their health and what they eat.
“People aren’t complaining much, even in our own building where they initially complained bitterly,” she said.
If adopted, the city guidelines would require that half of all vending-machine selections come from the “healthiest” or “healthier” categories as defined by the King County Healthy Vending Guidelines. Healthiest includes baby carrots, fresh broccoli, dried fruit, whole-grain crackers, rice cakes and pita. Healthier includes baked chips, fruit in light syrup and low-sodium nuts.
The remaining 50 percent could be regular chips, candy, pastries and sweetened drinks including tea, coffee, fruit drinks and sodas.
The City Council started work on the vending-machine ordinance last year but ran in to what Conlin called the “anarchic state of vending machines in the city.” As with many city operations, management of vending machines is decentralized. The city didn’t have a clue how many machines it had or which departments held contracts.
For the most part, the city doesn’t make a profit on its vending machines. Nor does it expect implementation of the new guidelines to cost the city any money.
The objective, Conlin said, is employee wellness.
“We want to give them healthy choices. We want to reduce their medical costs. We want them to be in better health.”
Lynn Thompson: 206-464-8305 [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:468e94eb-1c02-4938-8c23-93064210d687> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020347805_vendingmachinesxml.html?syndication=rss | 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 | 0.954298 | 945 | 1.8125 | 2 |
What exactly is an “Egg run” or a “Toy Run”? If you don’t know, the information below may help.
Well put into simple terms, it is where a group of bikers (or motorcycle riders to be politically correct) gather at an arranged meeting point, then ride on a designated route on their bikes in the form of a parade. The riders will generally collect gifts of Toys, Easter eggs and other gifts from members of the public – depending on the event type – at the roadside along the way, and then the event organisers gather all the donated gifts & in turn then hand them over to local services who distribute them to local charity groups or hospitals, schools etc. Also at the end of the run the bikers meet at a final destination where there is plenty of fun & games where everyone is invited & some other events may take place which also try to raise more money for the charity.
There are plenty of other similar events taking place all over the UK but in Stoke on Trent we hold proud claim to be the organisers of the 1st Toy & Egg run’s ever held in the UK & others have followed our lead. We recommend that if you have never been to an event of this type that you come to the Stoke based event 1st, simply on the fact that we have been doing these events longer than anyone else & it has been publicly commented that our knowledge & experience at organising these events shows.
The Stoke Egg & Toy runs format works like this. If you own a bike or even if you don’t you can get involved, either taking the role as a part of the run where you ride in the parade on your motorcycle along with thousands of other people on bikes or if you don’t ride a bike you can show your support at the roadside or of course, after the event at the social gathering at the end.
The “run” is basically a parade of thousands of motorbikes ridden around the city of Stoke on Trent of which the riders & their passengers are all helping to raise money for local children’s charity groups which we support & have a fun day out at the same time. Although the run is there to make money for charity, what we also need most are donations of Easter Eggs at Easter & Toys for Christmas time. This is the main criteria of the runs. The cash is really just a bonus as what we are about is collecting gifts. All we ask for is a suggested donation.
The run starts at the start point at the start time stated prior to the run. We advice anyone attending the run to arrive at least 15 minutes before the run leaves. If the start time is 11am, then that is the time the parade takes to the road following the City of Stoke on Trent’s Lord Mayor (who sometimes goes along in his car or on the back of a bike) & a Police vehicle to lead the way. Sometimes even the Lord Mayor of neighbouring Newcastle under Lyme has also attended as well also the odd TV or bike race celebrity. The pace of the parade passes at a moderate slow 1st gear speed at about 15 MPH. There are 2 reasons for this… firstly so moped riders don’t get lost along the way & secondly the parade is much easier to control as further down the long line of riders gaps may develop which would be considered dangerous if car drivers or even pedestrians decide to get in the way. There are also other police officers and marshal crews stopping traffic to allow the parade to pass & the event is very well covered by marshal crews & patrols at each road junction & along the path of the route to ensure maximum safety.
As bike riders, you simply ride your motorcycle around the city on a pre-arranged route as a part of the parade where there will be members of the public & thousands of other bikes who will be lining the roads carrying gifts to donate at the end of the run. Some of which riders can stop to collect along the way if they wish. Members of the public will usually always make themselves noticeable if they are wishing to pass gifts to the riders by stretching out their arms with their gift in their hands. If you wish you can also dress for the occasion – sometimes Santa has been known to make numerous appearances on the Toy run along with the odd elf, Snowman, reindeer or even Scooby Doo!. Chickens & even Easter bunnies often venture from hibernation to take part in the egg run & some even decorate their bikes with tinsel or fairy lights as well as cuddly toys.
If when you take part in the parade, you are planning on stopping to collect gifts from members of the public we advise the use of back-packs for riders or if you have top box or panniers you make them available to carry the gifts you collect.. Make sure your bike is safe before taking to the roads otherwise police officers or marshals may prevent you from taking part.
As members of the public, find out where the route is heading & if you wish you can watch & even applaud the riders as they pass. If you wish to make a cash donation to the charity on the day we advise you to deliver it in person or pop your donation in the post. If you wish for a rider to collect a donated gift at the roadside simply stand in a visual stance to the riders by holding your arm out stretched with your gift in a carrier back. A motorcyclist will soon stop & collect it from you. If the rider has a backpack or panniers, ensure the rider or pillion has safely collected the gift from you before they set off, the last thing we want is for your gift to not reach its destination.
Everybody is welcome (riders or non riders) to attend the social gathering at the end of the event at the Kings Hall, Which the doors are open to the public from the moment the riders leave the start point & closes when the last person leaves. Entry is FREE to the hall if you have been on the parade but we do ask for a suggested donation of £2 per person (or motorcycle) & a gift of an Easter egg or a toy depending on the run. Other gifts can be donated if you wish. Money for our charity is also raised in other events we hold & merchandise sales.
Many local factories & offices are now collecting Easter eggs & gifts for the appeal & are donating them on the day. Why not get your workmates involved & start a similar idea in your workplace?
Sound good? why not come along & try it for yourself. It is one experience you have to try for yourself to get to know what really goes on & we recommend you should try this experience at least once in your life.
Despite what you may think of motorcycling enthusiasts or motorcyclists, this event does go to show that motorcyclists are not all bad, or are all violent or nasty people but instead the majority are friendly, likeable, professional people who go out & work for a living just like yourselves but who also happily share an active interest in motorcycling. Hopefully this event has put to rest some of the bad publicity surrounding motorcyclists & Bikers that has been created over the years.
The “Star Bikers” Egg & Toy runs (as we are also known) are now a vital part of the local city heritage & are as famous in & out of the city as the North Staffordshire Oatcake or the Pottery industry.
There are other events taking place all over the country, not just for Egg & Toy runs but other charity runs or events. Here are a few non Egg & Toy run based charity runs, we know of that have asked us for help promoting their events.
- www.thesheenerun.com – Memorial charity run celebrating the life of Barry Sheene – proceeds from the event go to CLIC, Cancer and Leukaemia in Childhood, Patron of this Charity is ex motorcycle racer & BBC MotoGP commentator, Steve Parish
- www.jumbogb.org – The Jumbo Run Great Britain – it’s an organisation who’s aim is to provide an annual outing to a suitable venue for children with disabilities & special needs. The only charity motorcycle event we know of that is older than our own. Jumbo started in 1961 (our runs started in 1978)
- NABD – the National Association for Bikers with a Disabilty are an organisation who hold many charity & fundraising events throughout the UK & raise awareness for motorcycle enthusiasts & bike riders who are physically impared.
- Potteries Petfood cavalcade – An event similar to our own held locally, Very often mistaken as a Star bikers event. The “Pet food run” as it is commonly called is organised by ex Star Biker’s member Sid Rogers, raising funds for local animal charity groups such as the Stoke on Trent branch of Cats Protection.
- Motorcycle Aid Snowball – An event set up for raising funds for the Asian Tsunami disaster.
If you can’t make it to the Stoke on Trent Egg & Toy run events (perhaps you stumbled across this site when searching for something else) why not see if there is a run in your local area
International Egg & Toy runs we know of.:-
If you organise or attend an Egg run or Toy run event anywhere outside of the UK & would like to see it listed here, please let us know and we will link your event website.
We would appreciate a mention in return.
We have heard of Toy runs or Egg runs being held in the United States & even as far away as Australia, in fact a few years ago an Australian motorcycling organization contacted us to ask us for our advice on how to go about starting up a Toy run event in their home town.
Other UK based Toy & Egg run Charity events we know of.:-
Sadly over the last couple of years or so, many UK based toy & Egg runs are being cancelled due to financial reasons being imposed on them, health & safety concerns & a general lack of Police support.
We know of events still being held in the Wirral, Burton on Trent, Nottingham, Glasgow, Durham, London, Reading, Surrey, Peterborough, Skegness & many others.
if you organise or attend an Egg run or Toy run event anywhere in the UK & would like to see it listed here, please let us know and we will even consider a link to your event website.
We would appreciate a mention in return
Social Bookmarking (what are these icons / buttons for?) | <urn:uuid:f6292fa7-4b31-47fa-9ac9-bd94b17369f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stokebikeruns.co.uk/about/what-is-a-run/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960797 | 2,183 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Here is the second post of a continuous feature of well-matched/like-minded post with Robert D. Flach, aka THE WONDERING TAX PRO. Be sure to go see his post today titled “Let Uncle Sam Subsidize Your Retirement Savings” which appears over at THE TAX GUY.
As tax time starts its approach various articles on the web and in print publications detail tips on how to save on taxes. I believe that no taxpayer should have to pay a penny more in tax than they actually owe.
One of the best parts about being a preparer is showing taxpayers new to them credits and deductions. Everyone’s face lights up when you show them something new and it makes them money (or they owe less in tax on their income – however you wanna look at it).
A good example is Form 8880 Credit for Qualified Retirement Savings Contributions. Here an individual or couple is saving for retirement through a qualified plan and get a credit for it.
(Note: Credits reduce your tax liability dollar for dollar.)
Qualified lower and middle income taxpayers can benefit from this form. This nonrefundable credit applies to taxpayers who make retirement plan contributions.
Meaning, if you make a contribution to a traditional IRA, or a Roth IRA, certain salary reduction contributions, or contributions to a plan, you may be able to claim a credit for a contribution. That is if your adjusted gross income is low enough.
Okay some quick stats from the IRS:
You may be able to take this credit if you, or your spouse if filing jointly, made -
· contributions (other than roll-over contributions) to a traditional or Roth IRA,
· elective deferrals to a 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457, SEP, or SIMPLE plan,
· voluntary employee contributions to a qualified retirement plan as defined in section 4974(c) (including the federal Thrift Savings Plan), or
· contributions to a 501(c)(18)(D) plan.
However, you cannot take the credit if either of the following –
· The amount on Form 1040, line 38; Form 1040A, line 22; or Form 1040NR, line 36, is more than $26,000 ($39,000 if head of household; $52,000 if married filing jointly).
· The person(s) who made the qualified contribution or elective deferral (a) was born after January 1, 1990, (b) is claimed as a dependent on someone else’s 2007 tax return, or (c) was a student.
Types of plans allowed -
· Traditional or Roth IRAs.
· 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457, 501(c)(18)(D), SEP, or SIMPLE plans.
· Distributions from your IRA (other than a Roth IRA) rolled over to your Roth IRA.
· Loans from a qualified employer plan treated as a distribution.
· Distributions of excess contributions or deferrals (and income allocable to such contributions or deferrals).
· Distributions of contributions made during a tax year and returned (with any income allocable to such contributions) on or before the due date (including extensions) for that tax year.
· Distributions of dividends paid on stock held by an employee stock ownership plan under section 404(k).
· Distributions from a military retirement plan.
If you qualify for this credit it is great, not to mention a great surprise if you didn’t know about it. If you read this and see you could have claimed in in 2007, 2006 and/or 2005 please see your tax professional and inquire about filing an amended return. But do the math - if the refund claimed on the 1040X is less than what your preparer is going to charge for the amended return it is not worth it. Also use this next year for your 2008 filing if you can. | <urn:uuid:5ab16369-ac68-436b-b14c-60bee84af8e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wanderingtaxpro.blogspot.com/2008/09/another-credit-form-8880.html?showComment=1232410920000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941763 | 819 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Bed bug cases in Abilene are on the rise, extending beyond motels and into homes.
Since a story appeared about a woman with a bed bug infestation at her Abilene apartment appeared two weeks ago, there have been several more reports around town of the pests.
Gene Reed, executive director of the Abilene Housing Authority. said he has seen more cases of bed bugs during the past few months in Abilene than ever before. They come from unexpected places: suitcases when traveling and even items purchased at yard sales.
One thing is certain: when found, they need to be exterminated as soon as possible.
"Whether it's a hotel, office, home, apartment, as soon as you find bed bugs, get a licensed professional involved," Reed said.
Reed said that everyone needs to realize that prevention is key to slowing or eliminating the spread of the bugs.
"What we really want to do is kill them, not just throw them outside," Reed said.
Bed bugs look about like an appleseed. To check for them, take pillows off the bed, pull back the comforter and check the mattress pad. Also, look under the mattress and check the seams. Don't forget to look behind headboards and hanging pictures.
And remember, these bugs don't discriminate.
"It has nothing to do with housekeeping, race, social status -- this is a bug that likes blood," Reed said.
Bed bugs spread very quickly so don't hesitate to get them treated. Once they're adults they can multiply five to seven times per week. | <urn:uuid:864fc8d2-a001-492e-9487-4ff54103a9ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ktxs.com/news/Bed-bugs-on-rise-in-Abilene/-/14769632/16863578/-/106508/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976543 | 329 | 1.757813 | 2 |
See also review of the Schumann First performance on a Dutton
Piero Coppola (1888-1971) was born in Milan and studied piano and
at the city’s conservatoire. Successively chorus conductor, opera
symphonic director, he is perhaps best known to record collectors for his
work as artistic director of HMV in Paris where he was also active as a
It was Coppola who brought Prokofiev to London to record his music, and
accompanied him on disc in the Third Piano Concerto. But from 1920 he had
active in Parisian studios as house conductor and this was where he
Coppola had a most curious but intriguing discography: a lot of Debussy
Ravel, certainly, but also smaller pieces by Molinari, Roussel, and
as well as big works like Saint-Saëns’s Third Symphony,
Symphony in B flat and Rimsky’s Antar Symphony, all recorded
the War. It’s a legacy well worth exploring. In this release both
of that wartime divide are included.
Schumann’s First Symphony was recorded in London for Decca in July
The location was the acoustically superior Kingsway Hall, London, and the
the hardworking National Philharmonic. One interesting feature was the
release date. Checking Michael Smith’s Decca Discography shows that
until June 1949 did it see the light of commercial day, fully three years
it had been set down. Coppola was a studio veteran by now and little could
him. His Spring Symphony opens with majesty and considerable
slightly italicised in respect of phrasing but nevertheless cumulatively
He elicits a good body of tone from the orchestra - not everyone could,
not everyone did - and moulds the Larghetto with considerable
He ensures horns and winds are well balanced sectionally.
That this Schumann success was no one-off can be demonstrated by his
recording of No.3, the Rhenish. This was recorded in Paris in 1933
reveals freshness, energy, and a considerable amount of orchestral
and colour. Clearly Coppola’s affinity for Schumann was of some
as he marries flexibility and gravity with a genuine sense of underpinning
In short, he cultivates a real Schumann sound.
Gap-plugging ensures that his pre-war, non-French recordings make an
There are four excitingly forward moving orchestral extracts from
and two vivid, if brief extracts from Strauss’s Salome.
Coppola’s current status would certainly be enhanced by reissuing
Balakirev, and his d’Indy as well as the composers mentioned above,
others besides. These current transfers are excellent, and do justice to a
who was much more than just a ‘house conductor’.
Masterwork Index: Schumann symphonies | <urn:uuid:25f4e691-c74b-4711-b8f4-28fa90ee3de5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Jan13/Schumann_sys_PASC335.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94641 | 631 | 1.515625 | 2 |
View Full Version : chiller size?
03-20-2005, 01:15 AM
what is the factors must put in the consideration to size chiller for 2 A.H.U units?
is there good text book for pipe sizing to the chilled water closed system?
is there web site learn me designing hvac system?
thanks for all.
03-20-2005, 02:30 AM
Yeah go to a library on monday and look up"refrigeration"
There are many good books
I dont know if those will help,but it is something to read.
Getting a book from library is easier,I think.
(If troublemakers come to this thread to insult for information,then ignore them....Hooola bula gula.)
Be COOL, gladstone!
03-20-2005, 04:27 PM
What brand chiller do you want to use?
Most chiller mfgs.will size the chiller for you if you know the load. If you use a well known brand (depending on the size)They will size the chiller, air handlers and help you with the piping.
I am assuming that you are dealing with a small load like 15 or so ton? If this is the case you better educate yourself thoroughly on alot of different topics...........
03-21-2005, 03:44 PM
I would call the AHU manufacturer. And have him size it for you. You need 400cfm per ton of cooling. and you need about 3.5 gpm per ton. Also is it 100% outside air or returned air. Its best to go with my first suggestion.
You should contact the equipment manufactors that you are thinking of dealing with. They will help you as much as they can, especially if they think you are going to buy one of their chillers or air handlers. In fact contact them all and see who gives you the best help. I feel certain that our locale equipment rep. has a hand in the design of our systems and if he or she could not, or would not, answer ALL the questions I had, I would not give them the time of day. Except for you Roadking.
03-22-2005, 08:10 PM
Originally posted by mexvac
You need 400cfm per ton of cooling. and you need about 3.5 gpm per ton.
400 cfm per ton is a relative figure and could vary significantly, depending on your application. I have designed systems from 200 cfm to 600 cfm per ton. The same goes for gpm....it depends on what you want to do with the system.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.0 Copyright © 2013 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:b687d1ca-f4b5-4a91-aa31-459a46dd5692> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/archive/index.php/t-72725.html?s=21e4c8275164065e74675e8ddec53f9d | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93305 | 585 | 1.820313 | 2 |
It’s the week of the New Year's celebration.
My family had Swedish New Year's traditions and my wife’s family has southern traditions. Here in our house we go with the southern.This means on News Year's day we eat black eyed peas and cornbread. It’s quite good, so I want to share it with “y’all” today.
There is something very special about celebrating the New Year. We have a feeling that we can leave behind the things that went awry in the outgoing year and start fresh, filled with hope and enthusiasm. Isn’t that a great feeling? In keeping with that thought, people do have a tendency to enhance the positive aspect of the coming year. One way is through New Year's traditions.
One such tradition is making New Year's resolutions. This was quite popular in past generations, but I believe New Year's resolutions has lost some appeal to the younger generation. Personally, I was never a big fan of these resolutions, though no one can accuse me of being in the “younger generation”. I tried resolutions a few times but never had the discipline to see them through. It occurred to me that those who were disciplined enough to carry out their New Year's resolutions could do so anytime of year without waiting for a particular date.
My wife has roots in the American South and on New Year's Day would eat black eyed peas and corn bread. This was to bring good luck throughout the New Year. I think this is great. This takes very little discipline! Some families would put a penny in the black eyed peas and whoever got the penny was said to have better fortune than all the rest. Of course, that could only be if they didn’t catch that penny in the back of their throat and choke to death. And, only if the penny was first sterilized so the family didn’t get sick from the bacteria that resides on all currency. Hmmmm, so many things to be careful of.
Well, here’s a great recipe for corn bread. As far as the black eyed peas go, just buy a can and warm them up!
1 cup yellow corn meal
¾ cup all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly grease an 8 inch square pan and dust with corn meal or flour.
Stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, buttermilk and oil, combine the wet ingredients with the dry being sure not to over mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared 8 inch pan and bake until just set in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Allow the corn bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before serving with the warmed black eyed peas. | <urn:uuid:0d8de084-9ec4-4847-8e71-0ea1567cf5df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2012/12/31/good-fortune-in-the-new-year/b7k9u8o/?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968858 | 610 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Cool Technology of the Week
As I've mentioned in my entries about personal health records and my recent Dispatch from HIMSS , 2008 is an important year for personal health records that are linked to clinical EHRs, employer sponsored, payer based, and commercially offered. Yesterday, Google publicly announced their Google Health application which is the Cool Technology of the Week. A disclosure - I did serve on the Google Health Advisory Council over the past year.
The concept behind Google Health is that patients login to the Google application using credentials that are secure but not trusted. This means that anyone can set up a Google Health profile, but there is no specific assertion of identity. I can claim I'm Bill Clinton if I want to.
Once in Google Health, I can manually add information about my problem lists, medication lists, allergies etc. and get decision support about my conditions. However, it's unlikely that many people will enter their data manually. A much more powerful approach is self populate the personal health record based on standards-based connections to hospitals, laboratories, clinics and pharmacies. Cleveland Clinic was the first partner to support this connection. Beth Israel Deaconess will be a part of the next group of connections.
To self populate the Google Health record, a patient who has a relationship to one of the Google interfaced providers, just clicks on the icon of their hospital. That icon offers up to 3 links. In the case of BIDMC, we'll offer
Upload your records
Make an Appointment
Securely Email your Clinicians
If a patient clicks on Upload your records, they will be asked to login to BIDMC's Personal Health Record, Patientsite, using the secure credentials that have been issued by their doctor, validating the patient's identity. Once they sign a consent, they will be given the option to initiate an upload of problems, medications, allergies and laboratories into Google Health. The patient initiates this transfer, with their consent, after understanding the risks and benefits of doing so. Once the data is in Google Health, the value to the consumer is expert decision support, disease information, and medication information based on the patient's data.
There have been several articles about the Google/Cleveland Clinic pilot and Microsoft Health Vault/Mayo pilot noting that none of the organizations have signed HIPAA business associate agreements with each other. The reason for this is that Google and Microsoft are not HIPAA covered entities or business associates. Their products are just secure storage containers used by the patient, like a flash drive. The patient can delete the data at any time, apply privacy flags, print the data, and add to the data. Since the patient is in total control, there are no covered entity or business associate issues.
As part of the Google Advisory Council, I can tell you that many thoughtful people worked on the legal, technical, and policy issues around data use. Google will not advertise based on this data, resell it, data mine it , or repurpose it in an way. These consumer centric policies are similiar to the best practices adopted by Microsoft Health Vault.
It's important to me that in my role as chair of the national standards effort, HITSP, that I support all the major personal health record initiatives with interoperability. I've committed to Microsoft that BIDMC will work with Health Vault. I've committed to Dossia that we'll link with their Indivo Health platform. It's my hope that all of these efforts will converge to use one plug and play standard for clinical content and transport. Once they do, patients will be able to select the personal health record of their choice based on features, not just data.
Posted by John Halamka at 7:00 PM | <urn:uuid:343b3142-52fd-48de-94c4-788a2cc65ee4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://geekdoctor.blogspot.jp/2008/02/cool-technology-of-week_28.html?showComment=1204565280000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952724 | 767 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Tri States Public Radio Staff
Next Step: Finding A Buyer
Thu March 22, 2012
Monmouth Building Chosen for Artist Studios
After months of study, the Spurgeons building on South Main Street in Monmouth was selected to house artist studios and a retail shop to sell their work.
The choice was made by city representatives and members of ArtSpace, which is a non-profit arts development and consulting organization from Minneapolis.
The Spurgeons building has a limestone front and was built in 1940.
“It's really a great space. You walk in and you kind of go 'Wow, I can see this,'” said Susan Twomey, Director of the Buchanan Center for the Arts in Monmouth.
“Our forefathers here left us a great legacy of all these gorgeous buildings. We're going to build them up and revitalize them, using the arts as a really great economic driver and incubator.”
The Spurgeons building has been part of the city's downtown district since the 1940s. It housed a JC Penney store for many years. It most recently was used by the furniture rental store Term City.
Twomey said plan is to use the mezzanine level for the studios and the first floor as the retail gallery. The first floor could also incorporate a coffee kiosk and perhaps a small kiosk for art supplies.
She believes the new art center will complement the Buchanan Center rather than compete with it. She hopes it will draw new restaurants and retailers to the downtown.
“Other communities who have done this have been able to really change the dynamics of their downtown and I have every reason to believe that we won't be the exception. We'll be able to move forward at a good pace,” Twomey said.
Twomey said project organizers now need to find someone to buy the building and renovate it. She said several options are being explored. One of them is to have the city buy it.
She hopes the new art center can open as soon as next year. | <urn:uuid:d0d96afb-a507-489e-b493-cc82712b835b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tristatesradio.com/post/monmouth-building-chosen-artist-studios | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981572 | 424 | 1.5625 | 2 |
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