text
stringlengths 211
22.9k
| id
stringlengths 47
47
| dump
stringclasses 1
value | url
stringlengths 14
371
| file_path
stringlengths 138
138
| language
stringclasses 1
value | language_score
float64 0.93
1
| token_count
int64 54
4.1k
| score
float64 1.5
1.84
| int_score
int64 2
2
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aubusson rug, French Aubusson rug
French Aubusson rugs originated in France and are consider to be one of the most significant designs to come out of Europe. French Aubusson rugs feature a bouquet of flowers surrounded by an oval or similar rectangular shape with the corners rounded in. The innovative, elegant design of French Aubusson rugs feature delicate color schemes and sophisticated patterns. Although Aubusson rugs originated in France, China has become very well known for their Aubusson rugs. A traditional Chinese Aubusson rug features Ming vases in the corners and often integrates a Chinese symbol in the design. Also, Chinese Aubusson rugs often have a chiseled appearance through the varied carpet length at the edges of the design, which give it depth and dimension.
Special Designer Offers! | <urn:uuid:b3fee20c-c57c-4a12-91df-a573b1ccea1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rugsmart.com/themes/french-aubusson-rugs.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948384 | 172 | 1.75 | 2 |
On a 2008 ballot, voters there were given two options: one to build the jail and another to fund it. While they went for the first, they didn't go for the second.
Inside the jail without inmates sits unused, state-of-the-art equipment, leaving the county only slightly better than when it relied on a jail built in 1903.
Voters thought building the new $1.2 million jail was a good idea.
"I believe it was December of 2011 and ended in August of 2012," recalls Newton County Sheriff Keith Slape.
But, staffing and operating it was another story.
"The operate and maintain failed by 84 votes," adds Sheriff Slape.
And so did the next vote.
"And it failed pretty big."
So the jail with its clean pods and unused bunks is kept a little warmer than a refrigerator.
"We try to keep the heat in here and make sure we don't have broken pipes."
For now, more than two dozen Newton County inmates are kept in jails in neighboring counties.
"District Court. We have to go up, bring them down."
They are shuttled back and forth to see a judge. The cost to the county is about $5,000 a month. The sheriff says the cost to run the jail will be much more.
"We budgeted it out and it's going to be roughly $302,000."
But, he and others in the county think the community is paying for what the criminals are not. Some receive suspended sentences.
"The premise is if you break the law you go to jail," says Doug Vanderwaal, owner of Ozark Cafe. "Here you really don't, because there is not enough money to send you there."
So the jail, just yards from the sheriff's office, stays dark and locked.
"And look at it every day. That's hard. But, to sit out there and watch some that's been suspended sentence walking the streets because they've stole something off someone's front yard and watch them wave at you and knowing they are not going to jail that's the hard thing about it."
In 2012, voters turned down another option to fund the jail. The sheriff says for now the county has no choice but to continue transporting inmates in and out of the county.
The sheriff says after both the 2008 and the 2012 vote, voters told him they found the language on the ballots confusing. Law enforcement is now working with local officials to try to come up with solution.
Click here to watch this report. | <urn:uuid:bb938988-a151-496b-9ce8-57a278c8db95> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arkansasmatters.com/yourlocalelectionhq_articles/?nxd_id=633852 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980058 | 530 | 1.726563 | 2 |
John Adams High School will open its doors in September as John Adams High School.
It and the six other high schools in Queens that were closed as part of Mayor Bloomberg’s “turnaround” plan will keep their names after a state Supreme Court judge upheld an arbitrator’s ruling from June that said the plan, which would have reopened the schools with largely new staff and new names, violated the Department of Education’s contracts with the teachers and administrators unions.
“Your school will open in September with the original school name and DBN,” read a letter sent to principals late last month from Elaine Goram, the DOE official overseeing the “turnaround” plan. “Please use your original school name and DBN for all business transactions and communications.”
The DBN is the numerical code given to schools to identify them.
The DOE also told principals to work with their rosters from June. That means principals are working to find out if the teachers who were laid off are interested in coming back or have found new opportunities. Under the judge’s ruling, the staff who were laid off as part of the “turnaround” plan still have their jobs, though many have moved on into other positions.
The city is appealing the judge’s decision, but hearings will not start until after the beginning of the school year, leaving the DOE with no choice except to scrap the plan for now. Twenty-four high schools across the city were part of the plan.
The letter also informed principals that families with students enrolled in the schools will get more information about the status of the schools in the first few weeks of August.
Besides John Adams, the other high schools affected in Queens are August Martin, Flushing, Long Island City, Newtown, Richmond Hill and William Cullen Bryant. | <urn:uuid:8e9f1769-79df-4f2c-b734-98c64e98dabd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/turnaround-schools-will-keep-old-names/article_9d84c67e-b6ad-5eaa-8bfc-bb256192b7fc.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977221 | 378 | 1.523438 | 2 |
IPv6: Drive innovation with rewards, not fear
The longest tech scare story ever
Published 11:14, 02 December 10
I’m a sucker for good, biting humour, and in the spirit of Stephen Colbert’s Medals of Fear that he gave to a few distinguished souls (the press, Mark Zuckerberg, Anderson Cooper) at the rally in Washington D.C., I would like to hand a medal to the US State Department for its 1999 publication of a country-by-country set of "Y2K" warnings — “End of Days” scenarios and solutions — for Americans doing business in 194 nations.
I would give another medal to IPv6, the most drawn-out killer technology to date — and one that has had the longest run at trying to scare everyone about the end of IPv4. At Forrester, we are starting to see the adoption freighter slowly turning via the number of inquiries rolling in; governments accelerating their adoption with new mandates; vendors including IPv6 in their solutions; and the Number Resource Organisation escalating its announcements about the depletion of IPv4 addresses (only 5% left!).
To add to the drama, vendors are in the process of creating IPv4 address countdown clocks to generate buzz and differentiation. These scare tactics haven’t worked because technology pundits haven’t spoken about IPv6 in business terms. There is enormous business value in IPv6; those who embrace it will be the new leaders in their space.
The basic idea is that IPv4, with its XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX scheme, offers 4.3 billion addresses to serve the world’s 6.5 billion people. When IP was conceived in the 1970s, no one thought that it would be the dominant transport protocol; as a result, they missed the limitations of the 32-bit address. However, much more is at stake when we expand the scope beyond people to untapped possibilities: cable boxes offering next-generation entertainment experiences; washers that are leased by use; refrigerators managed by grocery stores, etc.
Today, for example, Bechtel uses 51,000 devices to monitor and control a refinery via IP. Potentially, every user could have a double-digit number of addresses virtually associated with them. In reality, there are more addresses being used than IPv4’s 4.3 billion: IPv6’s adoption has been held back by IP-masquerading NAT (network address translation), which allows large networks can be connected to the Internet with as little as a single IP address.
Now, I don’t want to play down the risks associated with not addressing IPv6, but IPv4 exhaustion is not resonating as a reason to switch. Many infrastructure managers ask, “Other than the Internet not working, what’s the business value? How do I sell this compared to virtualisation?” The answer? It’s about remaining relevant and competitive.
Technology that enables the real-time, dynamic flow of information is critical for companies, organisations, and governments. For example, the method of consuming entertainment has changed radically over the past decade and once-dominant players have been brought to their knees by more business-/technology-savvy companies:
Blockbuster couldn’t keep up with Netflix’s value proposition; and the music industry and related businesses (Virgin and Tower Records) were turned on their heads by streaming, file-sharing software, and Apple’s iPod.
In a retail example, Wal-Mart crushed its rivals Kmart and Sears with its just-in-time inventory system powered by leading-edge data collection. Sam Walton noticed that his rivals couldn’t keep their shelves stocked, resulting in lost revenues and a poor shopping experience for customers. He wanted to make sure that any item that left his stores was replenished immediately so that customers had a positive impression every time they walked into a store.
Operations and infrastructure managers can accelerate the adoption of IPv6 by highlighting the business value that the technology brings. Organisations can tap into:
- A new set of customers. There is a large, untapped customer base that connects with IPv6-only devices, which can only communicate with IPv6 hosts. Currently, just 43% of the world accesses the Internet; in Asia, the penetration rate is just 20%. Just in Asia alone, your business could tap into another 3 billion customers as they are rapidly coming on-line.
- A new revenue stream (services). Whether your business manufactures cars or provides a service, companies are moving to customised experiences, as outlined in Moira Dorsey’s report, “The Future Of Online Customer Experience” (Forrester clients can read this report here). To enable this type of personalisation, applications will have to move beyond the NAT world that currently exists in every network environment. IPv6 removes the NAT barrier. Unique services generated for a user will require knowing that user and drawing on high-speed distributed computing by allowing flexible patterns of host-to-host communications.
- A real-time exchange of information through multimodal collaboration with customers, vendors, and internal personnel. Forrester believes one of the largest challenges facing Infrastructure and Operations (I&O) is the need to support empowered employees. These are employees who are equipped with the mobile, video, social, and cloud technologies needed to directly interface and support customers. The next generation of SIP-based interpersonal communications applications — including voice over IP (VoIP) and innovative forms of messaging, presence, and Virtual Room Videoconferencing System (VRVS)—make effective use of central servers to allow users to locate each other then connects the users directly together for host-to-host communication. This type of communication breaks when either user is placed behind a NAT.
In my next blog, I’ll look at the steps you need to take to deploy IPv6 in a bite-size, manageable way. In the meantime, what sort of experiences have you had with IPv6? What are your greatest concerns about using it? | <urn:uuid:778454b6-4551-4fd6-8be7-4e0e8cc30494> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/infrastructure-and-operations/2010/12/ipv6-drive-innovation-with-rewards-not-fear/index.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943198 | 1,253 | 1.703125 | 2 |
|SYDNEY GOODWILL UNIT OF SERVICE|
No 198/June 2003
We read or watch the news and momentarily empathise with others either rejoicing in triumph or suffering catastrophe. Our attention moves from one item to the next and each instance of human experience portrayed in the passing parade slips back below our level of awareness - until it happens to us. Yet, whether something occurs to someone else (however different their life appears) or to ourselves, the same principles operate, the same great Life is impacting our form "life", and the same human response mechanism is called into play - the same opportunity to know, understand and direct events according to the intention of that Greater Life that substands all currently visible to our limited, though developing, vision.
Karma, or the great Law of Cause and Effect, is the link through time to the point at which we share the impact of Life on matter. That one great impact reflecting through all the myriad forms it engenders, the one great breath rippling across the sea of matter, inspiring forms and then leaving them to expire as newer forms take shape, yet pervading all with the essence of its spirit which remains ever at the centre: "Having pervaded the universe with a fragment of Myself, I remain."
When immersed in the world of forms, our awareness can be swamped by confusion as we seek to connect with a pattern that relates them all to a directing purpose. This is driven by our inherent sense of balance, meaning and significance. So powerful is this sense that we can invent patterns of meaning to "make sense" of our form experience. But when looking only within the form (and so limited by time and space) our patterns are incomplete and based on assumptions rather than knowing. Yet even within those limits we try, test and gradually reject what becomes recognisably untrue. Making patterns of connection is our destiny, our talent and our trap - we are always building forms to relate newer understanding with the previous yet, in the process, inheriting the limitations from the past until we can demonstrably no longer countenance them and they are eliminated.
We are always on the edge of confusion on one hand and order on the other. Confusion renders us powerless, our energies are dispersed and we become ineffective in the world. It can motivate thoughts, feelings and actions designed to grab desperately at power and control. Under its influence we can forget that the power of forms is only borrowed, the real source is Life itself. Chaos breathes at our backs until we see the emerging pattern and plan of Life's purpose behind the worldly phenomena. And rather than looking through the broken glass of chaos and its kaleidoscopic fragmentation, we begin to see from the point of Life itself and the pattern is laid out. Then, as from a mountaintop, the beauty and order become apparent and all parts are seen in their place, their meaning, and their significance to the whole.
What are the forms that imprison us? We are accustomed to thinking of them as physical, material structures -something we can see and touch. But increasingly we are becoming aware of structures of thought, of concepts, of patterns of emotional response and habitual reactions to others and the world. Ideologies, ideals, values, beliefs are all forms that have begun with Life's inspiration and have then been given a life of their own by those who have not experienced the original inspiration for themselves. While we are immersed in the dynamic of the external world we are turned away from that source of inspiration and while we adhere to a set of beliefs, we can fail to be open to the constant flow of inspiration and only grasp, at best, a fragment of the original which then becomes hidden under overlays of our belief systems, philosophical views or action plans in the world.
So in the midst of riches and plenty we may yet be wandering in the wilderness and bleakness of a sense of being separated from that central source of life that makes sense of diversity, relates all things according to its intention and of which we are a meaningful and significant part. This source is the point of peace at the centre. From this point, no matter where we find ourselves in the world, we know we are not the forms we inhabit. We are in the world but not of it. Forms are the means of realisation and, in that, they serve Life's purpose. Spirit and matter are indeed one and the same, and no temporary form can control their inexorable purpose to bring that oneness into manifestation, expressing the one life through the many - without exclusion. And our form life emerges as an expression of their union.
The forms feel the pull between these apparent opposites. Succumbing to this pull divides us from our true interconnection within the one life. This experience of the "stretching" of form life forces us to create connections and so we make the forms that coordinate things in relation to each other - social forms, legal forms, political forms, religious forms - national, international and finally humanity-wide. This pull is always there for the form life but it does not contain us, only the forms we inhabit. The pull between the conservative and revolutionary forces is always there yet, through time and effort, there is movement into a new scope. The conservative view of today would be seen as radical a few hundred years ago. The tension is between the material existence of the moment and the impact of new ideas (or spiritual impulses). The tension is the same but human consciousness has changed.
This constant evolution brings us eventually to the "unbearable lightness of being" when the functions of the material world are allowed to happen without absorbing our consciousness. There is a sense of floating above or through the form world, of being free. Ordinary daily activities occur automatically without our having to force anything into motion. We think, the form automatically responds in line with the thought and our consciousness is free to be in the vastness of being. In that stillness of being we can touch omnipresence, omniscience and finally omnipotence. We are free from the grasping demands of now this form now that, and we are serenely present within all. We are beyond the demands of the forms we inhabit - beyond the motivation of fear and desire - we give up, make sacred, or sacrifice all that for the lightness of being, for life more abundant and for the Peace that passeth understanding. We leave behind the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" and enter the permanency of being and of that great heart that throbs through the universe, washing the shores of matter clean of the momentary forms that gather there, ever remaining at one with substance in that purposeful marriage of divinities.
The forms draw sustenance for their short term from the great reservoirs of substance and life and either leave their mark as true progeny of that great marriage, or become immaterial as having no relation to the divine purpose sweeping through all. Many seek to "leave their mark on history" as though the purpose is merely to make a mark, any mark, but these, if not divinely inspired, become lost forever in the divine emergence. We are not lesser beings striving for beneficent gifts that raise us individually but are truly part of the universe and seeking only to realise it. These words from an Old Commentary describe the transcending process:
* * * * * *
The Christ's Festival and World Invocation Day in Gemini will be celebrated
at a meditation meeting at 8pm on Friday 13th June,
at the YWCA, 5-11 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney.
The keynote for reflection is: "I recognise my other self and in the waning of that self I grow and glow."
* * * * * *
Email List - If you would prefer to receive this Newsletter by email please let us know by post, fax or by emailing [email protected] and let us know your email address.
* * * * * * | <urn:uuid:3e6f3df0-5965-4950-9a6d-995774e8fe41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sydneygoodwill.org.au/Newsletters/2003/jun03.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952204 | 1,635 | 1.726563 | 2 |
If you think a few leaves and twigs in your gutters are harmless, think again. Regular gutter cleaning is the single most important key to avoiding major and expensive home repairs.
Gutters perform one duty: controlling the water around your home. If debris keeps gutters from doing their job, you can wind up with some serious problems. By following these simple gutter cleaning tips, you can help avoid major and expensive home repairs.
- Leaking Gutters: Clogged gutters are the number one cause of basement water problems. When gutters are clogged, roof water overflows and accumulates around the foundation. If this happens, basement leaks may be moments away.
- Cracked Foundations: Clogged gutters can cause excess water against the foundation wall to weaken the footing and lead to foundation wall cracks. This is particularly true in the colder months when built-up water at the foundation freezes and causes a condition known as "frost-heave" which can cause severe cracks to foundation walls.
- Gutter Cleaning TipsRotten Wood: Water backing up from clogged gutters will cause moisture damage to the wood fascia around the house. The rotted area will quickly get worse if the leak is not eliminated by cleaning the gutters.
- Leaking Roofs: In winter, ice dams can form on top of clogged gutters. Snow then builds up across the top of the clogged gutter and freezes. During the next thaw, water running off the roof is blocked by the frozen snow and backs up into the house. This can lead to major wall and ceiling damage.
- Slippery Sidewalks: Overflowing gutters can deposit water on walks and driveways where it can freeze and cause a tripping hazard. Avoid this problem by keeping gutters clean and the spouts extended away from any traffic areas.
- Cracked Driveways: Misdirected and clogged gutter spouts often cause driveways and walks to sag and crack.
- Washed Out Landscaping: Any newly installed plants, grass or trees can be killed by excess water from clogged gutters. Overflowing gutters can cause severe erosion and put an early end to young plantings.
- Wood Destroying Insects: Bugs love moisture. Keeping gutters free of clogs and keeping the soil dry around the foundation perimeter can force bugs to go elsewhere for a tasty snack of dampened two-by-four.
If you think your gutters need a good cleaning, here are some important tips to follow:
Safety First: If you are not comfortable with heights or don't use tall ladders regularly, cleaning gutters is not a job for you. Consider hiring a handyman to help. If you decide to do the gutter cleaning job yourself, watch out for hidden hazards like electric lines and bee's nests.
Clean Gutters: Using a ladder, work gloves and a hose, clear the gutters beginning at one end and moving to the other. Always work from the ladder and not from the roof, where you could fall off. If you find any loose gutter sections, tighten them up as you go along. It may help to have a supply of long lag bolts to use when replacing loose or missing gutter spikes. Lag bolts won't pull out like spikes, so you usually don't have to do this more than once.
Basement Waterproofing Spray Spouts: When you get to the end of the gutter where the spout is, spray the hose down the gutter spout to make sure it's clear. If the spout is clogged, water will back up and cause problems. Clearing clogged spouts can be a chore. Try removing the debris from both ends and flushing out the rest with a hose. If this doesn't work you may need to take the spout apart to clear it. Once the spouts are clear, make sure the discharge end is extended at least 4 to 6 feet away from the house to avoid problems.
Install Gutter Guards: Once the gutter system is cleaned and properly adjusted, consider installing gutter guards to avoid a repeat performance in the future.
There are many types of gutter guards available. Screens can be effective in the short run but eventually allow debris to get through. Clogs will reoccur and can be even harder to clear since the screens will need to be removed first. Leaf blocking guards, which look like a metal louver that is installed above the gutter, are a more costly but more effective option at keeping leaves off gutters. The louvers allow water to leak into the gutter while washing leaves over the side.
No matter what gutter product you choose, it is important that you check gutters periodically as well as be mindful of signs of clogging like over-flowing in a rainstorm. Maintaining a clean gutter is the single most effective way to avoid a whole host of serious and expensive problems. | <urn:uuid:39640332-23d4-4ffd-91e4-05b3137350f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.moneypit.com/article/gutter-cleaning-tips-avoid-major-repairs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939262 | 1,026 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Sentences Containing 'lewd'
Of Hercules, him of the many labours, it is said that he was lewd and luxurious.
He laid extremely heavy penalties upon those who sang lewd or loose songs either by day or night.
“He is usually governed by a decayed wench, or favourite footman, who are the tunnels through which all graces are conveyed, and may properly be called, in the last resort, the governors of the kingdom.” One day, in discourse, my master, having heard me mention the nobility of my country, was pleased to make me a compliment which I could not pretend to deserve: “that he was sure I must have been born of some noble family, because I far exceeded in shape, colour, and cleanliness, all the _Yahoos_ of his nation, although I seemed to fail in strength and agility, which must be imputed to my different way of living from those other brutes; and besides I was not only endowed with the faculty of speech, but likewise with some rudiments of reason, to a degree that, with all his acquaintance, I passed for a prodigy.” He made me observe, “that among the _Houyhnhnms_, the white, the sorrel, and the iron-gray, were not so exactly shaped as the bay, the dapple-gray, and the black; nor born with equal talents of mind, or a capacity to improve them; and therefore continued always in the condition of servants, without ever aspiring to match out of their own race, which in that country would be reckoned monstrous and unnatural.” I made his honour my most humble acknowledgments for the good opinion he was pleased to conceive of me, but assured him at the same time, “that my birth was of the lower sort, having been born of plain honest parents, who were just able to give me a tolerable education; that nobility, among us, was altogether a different thing from the idea he had of it; that our young noblemen are bred from their childhood in idleness and luxury; that, as soon as years will permit, they consume their vigour, and contract odious diseases among lewd females; and when their fortunes are almost ruined, they marry some woman of mean birth, disagreeable person, and unsound constitution (merely for the sake of money), whom they hate and despise.
I had no occasion of bribing, flattering, or pimping, to procure the favour of any great man, or of his minion; I wanted no fence against fraud or oppression: here was neither physician to destroy my body, nor lawyer to ruin my fortune; no informer to watch my words and actions, or forge accusations against me for hire: here were no gibers, censurers, backbiters, pickpockets, highwaymen, housebreakers, attorneys, bawds, buffoons, gamesters, politicians, wits, splenetics, tedious talkers, controvertists, ravishers, murderers, robbers, virtuosos; no leaders, or followers, of party and faction; no encouragers to vice, by seducement or examples; no dungeon, axes, gibbets, whipping-posts, or pillories; no cheating shopkeepers or mechanics; no pride, vanity, or affectation; no fops, bullies, drunkards, strolling whores, or poxes; no ranting, lewd, expensive wives; no stupid, proud pedants; no importunate, overbearing, quarrelsome, noisy, roaring, empty, conceited, swearing companions; no scoundrels raised from the dust upon the merit of their vices, or nobility thrown into it on account of their virtues; no lords, fiddlers, judges, or dancing-masters.
More Vocab Words::: virile - manly; having masculine spirit or strength; full of strength
::: vulpine - like a fox; crafty
::: poultice - soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body
::: indite - write; compose
::: equivocate - use equivocal language to deceive people; lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth; N. equivocation
::: alimony - payments made regularly to an ex-spouse after divorce
::: polar - of a pole; characterized by opposite extremes; Ex. polar opposites
::: penetrate - enter into; pierce; permeate; see through; grasp the inner significance of; understand
::: consequential - self-important; significant; consequent; following as a result; Ex. consequential air; CF. subsequent
::: premise - assumption; postulate; proposition upon which an argument is based | <urn:uuid:ae3a3efc-f3ac-4d24-925b-481024ec3772> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.paperrater.com/vocab_builder/show/lewd | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963095 | 989 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Auto Painting Tips
Many people are starting to realize that it's not that hard to do semi-professional auto
painting work from home. Anyone who wishes to paint a car will do a good job by keeping the following
tips in mind (updated for 2012):
Clean the car thoroughly before you start. This goes beyond just a good washing.
Have dents repaired and any deep scratches filled and sanded as smooth as possible before applying primer. A new
paint job will only look as good as the underlying vehicle body.
Understand your primer. Not all primer is created equal. Choose a primer
specifically made for cars because a general purpose primer will not bond as thoroughly and could cause the paint
job to deteriorate prematurely. Once a primer has been selected and applied, be sure to allow it what it needs to
dry through. Some primers require a hardener, for others air drying is sufficient.
Understand your paint. Just as there are different primers available, so are there
different paints available. For an auto paint job, the basic choices are 2k or water based. Generally speaking,
water based paints are slightly superior in every area - they require less paint for thorough coverage and are less
detrimental to the environment. These advantages do come with a price tag though. 2k paints are less expensive than
water based. Also, the biggest choice between the 2 for the DIY painter is equipment. Most of the older painting
equipment will not handle water based paints without becoming clogged or even damaged. Be sure to get the paint
type that matches the equipment to be used.
Do not skimp on the clear coat. The clear coat is your paint job's armor. A good
layer of clear coat is the difference between a paint job that stands up well to minor injury and one that requires
constant touch ups to maintain its visual appeal. When choosing a clear coat product, do not be cheap. Clear coat
actually has a yellow tinge that becomes worse with time and exposure to weather. Unless the car is also yellow,
this will alter the color slightly. The more expensive clear coat products are both more clear to begin with and
resist this weathering effect better.
Do not forget to buff. That gorgeous super glossy finish on new cars comes from
the smoothness of the clear coat. Once it has dried, a proper and thorough buffing will erase any surface
imperfections that are dulling the gloss but are not visible to the eye.
A new paint job is the result of several equally important steps. Plan ahead and make each
step flawless and the end result will also be flawless. | <urn:uuid:5825bf7e-f7e1-4cd3-a28f-d7c96df1c2c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.autopainting.com/auto-painting-tips.html | 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 | 0.944941 | 549 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Jackson, at 38, has come a long way from Greenville, S.C., where he was the son of a post office maintenance man. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference gave him an early taste for publicity. Retailing himself as an all-purpose black savant, he became a purveyor of memorable quotes. "Down with dope, up with hope," he chants to schoolchildren. For President Carter's post-Camp David malaise-in-America speech, he provided this call to arms: "We've got to stop crying and start sweating, stop talking and start walking, stop cursing and start praying." "He's a master," declares Chicago Sun-Times columnist Roger Simon, a lapsed Jackson admirer, "an accomplished demagogue."
Some old friends think Jesse has gone too far. The Administration may well be rethinking its affection for him in the wake of reports that he bartered his PLO support for an infusion of Arab money into his Chicago-based Operation PUSH, a black self-help organization that pays him $50,000 a year. Jackson reportedly warned that without financial assistance, the black community "will learn to recite the alphabet without three letters—PLO."
Operation PUSH has had money troubles, and an offshoot, PUSH-Excel, which preaches the work ethic to school-age kids, is under attack by some blacks as a sop to middle-class whites. No major newspaper in Chicago will run Jackson's weekly column, and community leaders are increasingly deaf to his strident appeals. Jackson is not sounding retreat. His project in 1980 will be to register graduating high school seniors to vote—and, he promises grandly, "We will continue interpreting domestic issues and maintaining our international vigilance." | <urn:uuid:6e5477f5-6dd4-450b-9925-f093ebcfa59a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20075494,00.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9627 | 359 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Posted Feb 01, 2013By
A suicide bomber killed a Turkish security guard at the U.S. embassy in Ankara on Friday, February 1, 2013 blowing the door off a side entrance and sending smoke and debris flying into the street. Ankara Governor Alaaddin Yuksel said the attacker was inside U.S. property when the explosives were detonated. The blast sent masonry spewing out of the wall of the side entrance, but there did not appear to be any more significant structural damage.
These photos, provided by the Library of Congress, detail the Great Reunion, when veterans from the North and South
The Gettysburg Cyclorama was demolished in early 2013. Here’s a photo gallery that will allow you to take a s
This collection of photos shows some of the veterans and those who came to pay their respects at the battlefield du
Youths rioted in several different suburbs around Stockholm, Sweden for a fifth consecutive night on May 24, 2013.
Shaheed Monument in Baghdad honoring the overwhelmingly Shiite and Kurdish victims of Saddam's Sunni-dominated but
On this day – January 3, 1870 – The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge begins. The Brooklyn Bridge is | <urn:uuid:6dd4e596-b0d7-4493-8b0f-3a5d6d4a62b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mediacenter.ydr.com/2013/02/01/photos-suicide-bombing-at-u-s-embassy-in-turkey/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940592 | 240 | 1.515625 | 2 |
ISTANBUL - The Turkish government recently signed a $20 billion project with Russia to build nuclear power facilities in Akkuyu, Turkey. Now the Turkish government has set its sights on constructing a nuclear plant in Sinop, Turkey. The Financial Times recently reported that China is the primary contender for this contract due to its ability to secure financing without requiring guarantees from the Turkish government.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited China last week, confirming reports of the deal when Energy Minister Tanir Yildiz held talks with Chinese authorities. At these meetings, Chinese Energy authority Liu Tienan pledged full financial guarantees for the $20 billion project.
China faced competition from two other countries for this project: Japan and South Korea. Japans TEPCO pulled out of the auction citing protests from anti-nuclear activists following the Fukushima nuclear disaster. South Koreas firms have stayed in the running, but have announced that they can only accept the contract if the Turkish government guarantees against the risks of the project.
So this all leaves China in the driver's seat. The burgeoning Asian superpower recently won a contract to build a nuclear plant in South Africa under direction of the state-supported China National Nuclear and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation.
But this all begs the question as to why Turkey is only courting countries like China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan for nuclear energy services. If safety is the first concern, why has Turkey been ignoring more experienced European companies?
Turkeys bad attitude
The answer to this question has more to do with politics than economics. It seems that Turkey does not want to offer these large projects to Europe because of the deteriorating relations with the Old Continent. All this despite the fact that the most experienced nuclear energy companies are based in France and Germany.
Yet as long as these two countries continue their outspoken opposition to Turkish entry to the European Union, the chances for French or German firms to win any public bidding will remain slim. And now that French President Nicolas Sarkozy has passed a law outlawing denial of the Armenian genocide, the chances are close to nil for firms like Framatome, NPI, and Areva.
So what is the biggest risk associated with contracting China to build the next nuclear power plant?
For starters, China has yet to secure international confidence when it comes to constructing safe nuclear energy facilities. Chinese firms do not offer the same modern designs on foreign projects that they use in domestic plants because of intellectual property restrictions imposed by Western firms such as Westinghouse and Areva. This means that if China builds a plant in Turkey, it will be based on older models developed in China, not on the international state-of-the-art designs.
So Turkey should ask itself: do we really want a made-in-China nuclear power plant?
Read the original article in Turkish
Photo - CookieEvans5 | <urn:uuid:1a59855d-c8aa-4d91-a00f-197e29ec4c55> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.worldcrunch.com/why-turkey-looking-china-its-nuclear-power-needs/world-affairs/why-turkey-is-looking-to-china-for-its-nuclear-power-needs/c1s5108/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948512 | 583 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Not justice system’s fault-A A +A
Saturday, January 26, 2013
THE shooting rampage at the Marcelo Fernan Palace of Justice in Cebu that left three persons dead has been blamed on the imperfections of the justice system, among others.
Canadian national John Pope had pending cases before the prosecutor’s office and the courts, but he went to the Palace of Justice last Jan. 22 not to face them but to shoot dead Dr. Reynold Rafols, a complainant against him, and Rafols’s lawyer, Jubian Achas, and to wound critically Assistant Cebu City Prosecutor Maria Theresa Casiño. The prosecutor remains in a hospital intensive care unit.
Pope could have shot more people but policemen spotted him and disabled him by shooting his arm and leg. A court employee then reportedly saw Pope shoot himself in the head, making him the third person dead.
Aside from the shock and outrage over the deaths, the immediate reaction was to question how Pope was able to sneak in two handguns to the courts and to call for an improvement in the delivery of justice. Pope had complained of corruption in the police and delays in the disposition of cases against him, and some of the comments of the public were on how the judicial processes should be fast-tracked and for corruption at all levels stopped.
The issue of security at the courtrooms is being addressed with the introduction of new and stricter measures by various government offices.
Not only court offices in Cebu but also those in other parts of the country are undertaking stricter screening of visitors and more actions are being lined up to prevent a repeat of the incident. The matter of justice delayed or injustice as claimed by Pope is questionable.
It was not true that the wheels of justice for Pope were not turning because he was in court precisely to face the charges hurled against him. Witnesses said Pope was a frequent visitor at the Palace of Justice. He was out on bail on a different case and he had a lawyer who represented him and who was tasked to ensure his rights were respected. Pope should have been deported but he was somehow allowed to stay to face the complaints.
Yet Pope had complained about the police and the failures of the Philippine justice system, even as hundreds of Filipinos were languishing in jail for years, even decades, and their cases were not moving for lack of legal representation. There are those wrongly accused but could not regain their freedom or post bail because of poverty.
Pope’s cases were moving and he was free to roam around to pursue his quest for justice. But Pope was a disturbed individual who apparently saw things differently and who insisted on his own point of view. It was he who couldn’t wait for justice to be served.
To be fair to the families of Rafols and Achas who died and Casiño who remains in critical condition at the hospital, the wheels of justice were turning for Pope but it was he who couldn’t wait for justice to be reached.
The Philippine judicial system can stand improvement and the testament to this is the number of Filipinos still suffering and waiting for justice to be swiftly and fairly rendered.
But what Pope did is not a model of what other people wrongly accused or suffering injustice should do.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 27, 2013. | <urn:uuid:0c0cd6bb-e6f8-4062-a4ed-edf1b23e2f61> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2013/01/26/cabaero-not-justice-system-s-fault-264968 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986118 | 683 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Often called “the most encouraging homeschool magazine out there” or “the most useful magazine I receive,” Home School Enrichment strives to help you have the most joyful and effective homeschool lifestyle imaginable. You’ll find scriptural insights about the “why” of homeschooling, encouraging tips about the “how,” and down-to-earth help for everything homeschool!
Written by and for homeschoolers, Home School Enrichment offers real-life ideas and perspectives from families who aren’t “perfect,” but have a heart to train, teach, and nurture their children’s hearts and minds with enthusiasm and joy. You’ll find columns addressing everything from early learning to homeschooling highschool, methods for teaching multiple ages simultaneously, and ideas to become more efficient at “getting it all done.” There are even columns to help keep your home and school organized, and helpful product reviews and ideas to help you find the great homeschool resources you need!
Your kids are sure to enjoy columns like “Inventions that Changed the World,” “Adventures in History,” and “Give it a Try!” There’s even a complete Unit Study in each issue, along with our popular “guess-who” column about famous home scholars of the past!
“Just wanted to let you know that your magazine is in my humble opinion the best homeschool resource out there. I have just been going through back issues of all my homeschool magazines, searching for things to aid my teaching this year. I have found three times as much useful stuff in yours than in any other…”—Linda L.
“We have homeschooled for twelve years. I sure didn’t imagine that I needed another homeschool magazine. Now I feel like I can’t live without it!”—Dawn S.
“I am always amazed at how packed with rich articles your magazine is. It is my favorite subscription—hands-down. Thank you!”—Jenny C. | <urn:uuid:f4fb81f4-4ee3-4d9a-8956-00b53146d922> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hslda.org/perx/default.asp?Action=MDoffer&ID=29&Cat=Homeschool%20Resources | 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 | 0.955336 | 448 | 1.570313 | 2 |
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS (NEWS CENTER 23) — It's a big job, trying to count every homeless person in Brownsville, but local volunteers will attempt to do just that tomorrow as part of a 24-hour nationwide survey.
"It's very important to know how many people who are in need, how many people we have that are homeless, how many people are going to be homeless, and who is homeless."
Helpers will visit, feed, and help the homeless fill out surveys. Brownsville volunteers will be divided into 4 quadrants of the city. Brownsville wants to count every homeless person in the area to be able to apply for more grants and fulfill the homeless needs.
"There's a number of grants applied for city of Brownsville, but if we don't tell the federal government our needs, they are not going to know our needs."
The volunteers will be conducting their count tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Reporting from Brownsville, Abigail Camilo, KVEO Newscenter 23. | <urn:uuid:849ce842-9fd4-4eaa-9b30-a8f7a7d25725> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kveo.com/print/node/28290 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961921 | 221 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Ono Still Opposes Parole For Lennon's Killer27 July 2010
Ono Still Opposes Parole For Lennon's Killer
The Beatles legend was shot dead in New York in 1980 and Chapman was later convicted of his murder and sentenced to 20-years-to-life behind bars.
He became eligible for parole in 2000 and Ono has consistently opposed his release.
Chapman, now 55, will face another parole board hearing early next month (Aug10) and Ono has written to officials once again to insist she would not feel safe if her husband's killer is freed.
Ono's lawyer Peter Shukat tells the New York Daily News, "Her position has not changed."
Robert Gangi, head of prisoners' rights group, Correctional Association of America, is convinced Chapman will not be released following the upcoming parole hearing.
He says, "Given that he committed a high profile crime and he killed one of the most famous and most beloved figures literally in the world, it's highly unlikely three parole commissioners would vote to grant him release."
|Comment on this article| | <urn:uuid:51d163f4-b58e-46d3-acd0-78850261f728> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.contactmusic.com/news/ono-still-opposes-parole-for-lennons-killer_1155302 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971082 | 225 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The Washington State Department of Health issued a press release today on its continuing investigation into the Salmonella Montevideo outbreak associated with salami manufactured by Daniele International. The salami has since been recalled and a list of retailers that may have received the implicated product can be found HERE.
Thus far, the infections of fifteen Washingtonians have been linked to the nationwide outbreak strain, with all of the cases curiously occurring on the West side of the Cascades. The sick individuals are located in the following counties: Clark (3 cases), King (3), Snohomish (3), Jefferson (1), Thurston (1), Pierce (1), and Whatcom (1) counties. By my count, that’s only thirteen people, so perhaps a revised press release will identify the counties of residence for the missing two.
Only one of Washington’s cases was hospitalized. All 15 were sick between July and December 2009 and have since recovered. Public health officials advise people not to eat the recalled products, and to follow the instructions issued by the manufacturer. | <urn:uuid:4e31c5c9-9406-41d2-b0d7-b1757da4fa07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/foodborne-illness-outbreaks/salmonella-montevideo-outbreak-investigation-continues-in-wa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976269 | 218 | 1.585938 | 2 |
TrendingXbox One | Apple | Gold | Housing market | Keystone | Telus-Mobilicity | REITs | CMHC | BlackBerry | Earnings | Loblaw's Joe Fresh | BCE-Astral hearings | Poll: Do you like the new $5 and $10 bills? | Air Canada | RBC | Samsung Galaxy S4 | Target Canada | ‘Can’t make it to your wedding, I’ll catch your next one’
WASHINGTON – The United States budget deficit rose in October, the first month of fiscal year 2013, as looming negotiations over expiring tax cuts and imminent spending reductions dominated the post-election political landscape.
The Treasury said on Tuesday the October deficit was US$120-billion, larger than economist forecasts for a US$114-billion gap and up from US$98-billion in October of 2011.
Growth in expenditures outpaced rising receipts, deepening the deficit. Outlays grew to US$304-billion from around US$262-billion in the same month last year while receipts rose to US$184-billion from US$163-billion.
Following President Barack Obama’s election to a second term last week, the debate in Washington has quickly shifted to the combination of expiring tax breaks and new spending reductions known as the “fiscal cliff.”
Lawmakers involved in the debate gathered in Washington on Tuesday for the first time since the elections, setting the stage for a week of trial balloons and rhetorical repositioning.
The Congress has just returned from a break after the November 6 elections. Topping the agenda is the year-end convergence of urgent tax and spending issues that, if mishandled, could plunge the economy into another recession.
The United States had reported a budget surplus for September, the final month of the 2012 fiscal year, but the tiny bump in revenues did not prevent the country’s deficit from exceeding US$1-trillion for the fourth year in a row.
The 2012 budget gap was US$1.089-trillion, smaller than last year’s deficit of US$1.297-trillion largely because of higher corporate income tax receipts and less spending.
© Thomson Reuters 2012
A new study shows Canadian business leaders have become more pessimistic about global economic conditions than their U.S. counterparts, despite enjoying a much healthier economy.
A new study has identified Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver among the world's 10 lowest risk markets when it comes to human capital for their skilled and diverse workforces and opportunities for advanced and ongoing education.
With some CEOs so intrinsically tied to the corporate brands they represent, risk management plans should include succession planning and damage control around the continuity of a leader's vision -- and charisma. | <urn:uuid:6fd1bdde-5258-427e-9030-508fe4bbb89c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://business.financialpost.com/2012/11/13/u-s-budget-deficit-rises-to-us120-billion-in-october/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940179 | 563 | 1.679688 | 2 |
As encounters go between the leaders of India and Pakistan, the meeting in Russia between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Asif Ali Zardari -- their first since last November's Mumbai attacks -- was a somewhat stolid affair.
It had none of the unscripted drama of the handshake famously offered by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee when they met at a South Asian summit in Kathmandu in January 2002, while the two countries mobilised for war following an attack on the Indian parliament in December 2001. Musharraf's gesture made little difference in a military stand-off which continued for another six months.
Nor did it carry the warmth of a summit meeting between Vajpayee and then prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore in 1999, which raised high hopes of a breakthrough peace deal between India and Pakistan. Those hopes were dashed months later when the two countries fought a bitter conflict in the mountains above Kargil, on the Line of Control dividing disputed Kashmir.
But for all its absence of drama, or more precisely because of this, did the meeting between Singh and Zardari lay a more solid foundation for what is likely to be a long and difficult process of repairing relations?
The two leaders stopped well short of resuming a formal peace process broken off by India following the Mumbai attacks, and Singh delivered a stern warning to Zardari that Pakistan must not allow militants to operate from its territory. "I am happy to meet you, but my mandate is to tell you that the territory of Pakistan must not be used for terrorism," he told Zardari at a meeting on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Yekaterinburg, in Russia. | <urn:uuid:71b2a61d-32b9-462f-9735-9fb2a991363b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.reuters.com/india/tag/vajpayee/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959367 | 354 | 1.742188 | 2 |
CHNET-Works! is a project of the Population Health Improvement Research Network at the University of Ottawa.
It is network of networks linking researchers, decision-makers and practitioners in population health and stakeholder sectors from across Canada. CHNET-Works! hosts weekly fireside chats (webinars) sharing leading edge research and application, supporting discussions and actions on pressing population health issues. Participants join in these free pan-Canadian discussions via telephone and internet - no registration fees, no transportation costs, no greenhouse gasses.
A Backup PowerPoint presentation is available for participants to
download as of the day of the Fireside Chat - and available thereafter.
September 2012: We're celebrating milestones!
CHNET-Works! has hosted over 300 Fireside Chats since January 2006 on a variety of population health issues. All are a result of partnering with organizations - large and small.
There are now over 12,500 individuals on our contact list.
Many Fireside Chats now have well over 100 participants.
Over 50% of CHNET-works! participants have attended 2 or more Fireside Chats. Many have attended 30+!
Here is a recent quote from a participant:
"I felt at ease in truly listening, and not having to be concerned about the technological 'what if's". Being technologically challeneged, I am usually pre-‐ occupied during webinars with the 'what if's". But this webinar was the most organized event I'm pretty certain that I've participated in for years+++"
Current priority population health improvement issues for discussions are:
Social determinants of health.
Other population health improvement issues are included in discussions as they emerge and per our work with population health partners.
IFireside chats are the result of working in partnership with local, provincial, territorial and national researchers, practitioners, policy makers and organizations. More information: 'Partner with us'
CHNET-Works! encourages you to speak up about Climate Change/Environment and Health.
Send your letters of concern about Climate Change (Environment) and Health to federal political leaders:http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/SenatorsMembers_House.asp?Language=E&Sect=hoccur
Comments from Fireside Chat Participants:
"Thanks so much for these Fireside Chats - such an excellent opportunity to listen to some of best and brightest thinkers!"
'It has been so encouraging to have watched the growth of CHNET-Works over the years. It is now a real force for change in the public health community."
"I have so enjoyed these webinars and of all the webinars in which I participate, these are by far the best organized ones . . . you should be extremely proud of the work that you do in maintaining such a high quality."
"With the tight economic times, sessions such as the CHNET-Works! Fireside Chats give communities a chance to participate in a larger arena without the cost of travel. "
"Keep up the great work bringing people across Canada together. I've enjoyed several Fireside Chats!"
"The Fireside Chats are great and well worth the time. It is a quick and easy way to get caught up with the world of public health. Thank you,"
"I ended up with 20 - 30 colleagues joining me! Everyone was very positive about it and got something out of it. We were physios, OT's, nurses and a dietitian. Included in these professionals were many of my Falls Prevention Program team members. Thank you very much"
"Most people certainly wouldn't give the individual attention you do to these type of e-mail questions" | <urn:uuid:509ca74b-1b77-4f7f-83ed-d4f21e5a0ba2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chnet-works.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9%3Awhat-is-chnet-works-&catid=1%3Aabout-us&Itemid=2&lang=en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939768 | 757 | 1.820313 | 2 |
DUNEDIN, Fla. - The founder of an organization that promotes equality among all athletes has talked to Toronto Blue Jays minor leaguers about the damaging effects of anti-gay slurs.
Patrick Burke founded You Can Play and spoke at the Blue Jays' camp on Friday. He is the son of former Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke and the brother of the late Brendan Burke, who made headlines when he came out in November 2009 while serving as the manager of Miami of Ohio's hockey team. Brendan died a few months later in a car accident.
The visit came after former Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar was suspended for three games by the team late last season for wearing eye-black displaying an anti-gay slur written in Spanish. Escobar apologized and said it was meant as a joke.
Escobar was traded to the Miami Marlins last November, then traded to Tampa Bay less than three weeks later.
Patrick Burke posted on Twitter the Blue Jays' response to the visit was "that was perfect."
The Blue Jays' major league team played Friday against Detroit in Lakeland, Fla. | <urn:uuid:17fb40b4-5ef4-4ae6-bd53-b983404745d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Patrick%20Burke%20founder%20Play%20speaks%20Blue%20Jays%20minor%20leaguers/8106409/story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984869 | 227 | 1.570313 | 2 |
At the moment I seem to be following two schools of thought when it comes to clothes making from commercial patterns. However, as I sit here about to start typing I think I may have just come to the realisation that if I combine the two things will become much easier!
The first way I have been doing things is to take my measurements, find the nearest size that corresponds to those measurements on the pattern and then make a toile. From the toile I then have been making the adjustments I need, transferring them back to the pattern and then cutting out the proper fabric.
In my Clothes Making class it is done a bit differently, and no doubt more correctly! From the tight restrictions we have been given, this is the pattern that I have chosen (option D).
Rather than making a toile, we took all our body measurements and then worked directly with the pattern to make any alterations that are needed. This is what I had to do.
Make front larger than back
Unless I am very unfortunate, I am not anticipating my shoulders or back to grow at all while I’m pregnant! Therefore my measurements are a bit skewed as I will stay a size 12 everywhere except around my tummy.
On a commercial pattern you cut out along the line according to your size. Here you can see the four different options:
For everything except the front I cut out a 12. For the front I cut out a 14. If I just left them like this though, the front and back would not fit together as they are two different sizes. To overcome this the extra fabric from the size 14 front needs to be redistributed. As you can see from the picture, the top has pleats and these pleats can be made bigger to use the extra fabric. Lost?! I was for the first few explanations from my tutor!
Maybe some diagrams will help.
Here you can see the uncut front of the top, with the size 14 being the outer line.
The difference in size between the 12 and the 14 is 1.4cm, as shown in blue on the left.
This 1.4cm can be incorporated into the front of the top, by making the pleat bigger. The pleat is the boxy thing in the middle of the pattern piece, and the red lines show where I have made it bigger – 7mm on each side, which adds up to the 1.4cm difference between a 12 and a 14. This will mean that the front (size 14), and back (size 12) will now fit together in construction. I hope.
As additional bump accommodation, I have also made the middle pleat (here shown on the right of the pattern piece) bigger by extending it to the edge of the paper. Shown by the purple lines.
Shorten the top
I also made the top shorter than suggested by removing a section of the pattern using the double black lines on the front and back pattern pieces.
The distance between the double balck lines and purple line is what I need to remove by folding the pattern up.
New shorter top!
Check the shoulders
I then needed to check the shoulder position. Fortunately I didn’t need to adjust this. But I checked like this.
As you can just about make out on the pattern, the neckline is 6.5cm lower than the nape of your neck (nobbly bit at top of your spine). So I measured up 6.5cm from the neckline using the set square, then used a tape measure to measure across to the shoulder. Thankfully it came to 20.5cm which is just about near enough my measurement to be able to leave it as it is!
Lastly I added one little extra, a half circle at the bottom of the front, which will mean that as my bump grows the hemline should stay level rather than lifting up!
Phew, I hope that made sense!
Back to my initial break through at the start of this post… I’m thinking now that if I start by making alterations to the pattern using my measurements, and then make a toile, and then make further alterations from that, I should have a very long-winded but fail safe way of making clothes that fit me perfectly, no? We shall see! | <urn:uuid:3f2527f4-5772-48fa-b8c1-ad2eeb06aca2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://peggyspickles.wordpress.com/category/tops/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957536 | 878 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Marvin Hamlisch, who composed 'Chorus Line,' dies at 68
Marvin Hamlisch, famous for composing "A Chorus Line," pop songs including "The Way We Were" and the theme from "The Sting," died Monday in Los Angeles after an illness. He became the Seattle Symphony's principal pops conductor in 2008.
Seattle Symphonyto adjust programsMarvin Hamlisch originally was scheduled to conduct two programs during the 2012-2013 Seattle Symphony season: "Holiday Pops" (Dec.6-9, 2012) and "Hamlisch Plays Hamlisch" (Feb.21-24, 2013). "Hamlisch Plays Hamlisch" will be recast as a tribute to the late composer and his works, and both concerts will go on, albeit with guest conductors. For more information: www.seattlesymphony.org.
NEW YORK — Marvin Hamlisch was blessed with perfect pitch and an infallible ear. "I heard sounds that other children didn't hear," he wrote in his autobiography.
He turned that skill into writing and arranging compulsively memorable songs that the world was unable to stop humming — from the mournful "The Way We Were" to the jaunty theme from "The Sting."
Prolific and seeming without boundaries, Mr. Hamlisch, who died Monday in Los Angeles at 68 after a short illness, composed music for film heroes from James Bond to Woody Allen, for powerful singers such as Liza Minnelli and Aretha Franklin, and high-kicking dancers of the Tony-winning "A Chorus Line." To borrow one of his song titles, nobody did it better.
Seattle knew Mr. Hamlisch as the Seattle Symphony's principal pops conductor. In that role, which he assumed in 2008, he programmed several concerts a year, and conducted two or three.
Symphony violinist Michael Miropolsky remembers Mr. Hamlisch as "a unique human being" who could make friends with anybody and get laughs from everybody: "He had this great gift to make anybody be happy around him."
In concert, musicians could count on the unexpected from Mr. Hamlisch — "Different jokes, different stories, different timing for everything" — even when it was the third or fourth performance of the same program.
But the deepest impression Mr. Hamlisch made was one of character.
"He was generous," Miropolsky said. "If you needed something, he was there."
"He was a true musical genius, but above all that, he was a beautiful human being. I will truly miss him," said Barbra Streisand, who first met the composer in 1963 and sang his "The Way We Were" to a Grammy win in 1974. "It was his brilliantly quick mind, his generosity and delicious sense of humor that made him a delight to be around."
The New York-born composer wrote more than 40 film scores, including "Sophie's Choice," "Ordinary People," "The Way We Were" and "Take the Money and Run." His latest work came for Steven Soderbergh's "The Informant!"
Mr. Hamlisch became one of the most decorated artists in history, winning three Oscars, four Emmys, four Grammys, a Tony, a Pulitzer and three Golden Globes. The marquees of Broadway theaters in New York will be dimmed in his memory at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
He was perhaps best known for adapting composer Scott Joplin on "The Sting." In the mid-'70s, it seemed everybody with a piano had the sheet music to "The Entertainer," the movie's theme song.
Mr. Hamlisch received both a Tony and the Pulitzer for "A Chorus Line" — the second longest-running American show in Broadway history — and wrote the music for "The Goodbye Girl" and "Sweet Smell of Success."
He even reached into the pop world, writing the No. 1 R&B hit "Break It to Me Gently" with Carole Bayer Sager for Franklin. He co-wrote "One Song" sung by Tevin Campbell and produced by Quincy Jones, and "I Don't Do Duets" sung by Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight.
His interest in music started early. At the age of 7, he entered the Juilliard School of Music, having stunned the admissions committee with his renditions of "Goodnight Irene" in any key they desired.
In his autobiography, "The Way I Was," Mr. Hamlisch admitted that he lived in fear of not meeting his father's expectations. "By the time Gershwin was your age, he was dead," the Viennese-born musician would tell his son. "And he'd written a concerto. Where's your concerto, Marvin?"
In his teens, he switched from piano recitals to songwriting. Show music held a special fascination for him. His first important job in the theater was as rehearsal pianist for the Broadway production of "Funny Girl" with Streisand in 1964.
Although he was one of the youngest students ever at Juilliard, he never studied conducting. "I remember somebody told me, 'Earn while you learn,' " he told The Associated Press in 1996. He earned a bachelor's in music from Queens College of the City University of New York.
Although known for hits such as "The Way We Were" and "Nobody Does It Better," Mr. Hamlisch had fallow periods, including two theatrical flops in the mid-1980s: "Jean Seberg" on the London stage and "Smile," loosely based on a 1978 movie about a small-time beauty pageant, on Broadway.
Mr. Hamlisch was principal pops conductor for symphony orchestras in Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Dallas, Pasadena and San Diego, in addition to Seattle, at the time of his death.
He will be missed in his many homes, said Seattle Symphony musician Miropolsky.
"He was like a volcano of anecdotes," he said. "Nothing was written in stone for him. He was always moving, never stagnating, even with his own music. 'I composed this tune 30 years ago,' he might say. 'I think we have to do something different.' "
"Every time he made a change," Miropolsky added, "it made sense. It sounded fresh. He kept everybody on their toes. Every time, the two hours of the concert was like we were attending the concert — and really enjoying it."
Mr. Hamlisch was working on a new musical, "Gotta Dance," at the time of his death and was scheduled to write the score for a new Soderbergh film on Liberace, "Behind the Candelabra," starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon.
He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Terre, a television producer.
Seattle Times arts writer Michael Upchurch contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:ef2440d0-3839-48f4-a117-d59bb0d2fdf3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://seattletimes.com/html/thearts/2018868778_hamlisch08.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983199 | 1,461 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Army chief of staff visits ICT
U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno visited the USC Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) on June 12 to see demonstrations of the institute’s breakthroughs in graphics, virtual human and mixed-reality technologies, exploring how these advances can continue to have a positive impact on soldiers.
“The work that is being done here is something that I think is critical for us as we move to the future,” Odierno said. “It is important for the Army to work with institutions such as this — which have the creative capability, the expertise and the phenomenal credentials of people who work here — to try to utilize their knowledge.”
Odierno, who arrived at the institute’s Playa Vista campus in a Black Hawk helicopter, saw examples of current ICT work addressing improvised explosive devices and post-traumatic stress, as well as projects in the research pipeline that aim to bring down the costs and increase the effectiveness of virtual reality-based simulations.
“It was a tremendous honor to host the Army Chief of Staff,” said Randall W. Hill Jr., ICT executive director. “Our mission as an Army-sponsored university-affiliated research center is to combine the technological and creative capital available at USC and in Los Angeles to develop new ways to teach and train. I think the general saw that we are achieving that, and his visit here began a conversation on ways our partnership can do even more to benefit our troops.”
The Army’s highest-ranking officer toured the ICT Graphics Lab and learned about the group’s Academy Award-winning Light Stage scanning process for creating realistic digital faces. He also volunteered as a scanning subject, taking a few minutes to pose inside the LED-filled sphere so that his face can be recreated as an avatar or virtual character. Having a personalized digital avatar for every soldier is something the Army plans to incorporate into its virtual-training programs. The techniques developed at ICT allow for an unprecedented level of detail, including fine wrinkles and skin pores.
Researchers showed the four-star general how far the institute has come in developing believable virtual humans that can speak, understand and gesture like real people. Odierno entered the Gunslinger saloon, where computer-generated characters take on the iconic roles of the Western bartender, bad guy and damsel in distress, while a real person plays a Texas Ranger who must save the day. The Hollywood-inspired exchange demonstrated the degree that story, character and advanced technology play in the institution’s work.
“It is helping us to develop capabilities that will allow us to keep people interested, to keep simulations realistic,” he said. “I think that is important.”
He added that that the immediacy and flexibility of practicing with a virtual-role player, which can potentially be loaded on a laptop and programmed for an endless variety of situations, has other advantages as the Army strives to build adaptive leaders who have to operate in complex environments.
“What is important about it is you are able to interact, make mistakes, to run several different types of scenarios, to understand how to react and get feedback on how you react,” he said. “And you can critique yourself; you can have other people critique you. So in my mind it is really a capability and capacity we have never had before.”
Current ICT virtual-human prototypes are being used to train soldiers in counseling and interpersonal communication skills. Virtual patients for teaching interviewing skills are also in development.
Odierno also saw demonstrations of Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan, ICT’s virtual-reality exposure therapy for treating post-traumatic stress, and of SimCoach, a Web-based virtual human who provides support to soldiers and their families seeking help or mental health support resources.
“To me, these ideas are absolutely phenomenal in helping us to try to solve some of these difficult issues,” he said.
Odierno was accompanied by senior members of his staff and from the Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command and Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology.
“It was a great opportunity for our researchers to hear firsthand how technologies developed here help solve real-world problems,” Hill said. “It is gratifying to see that we are indeed making a difference.” | <urn:uuid:b1c3b77c-8de7-4b06-9776-09bbde8acea8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.usc.edu/?_escaped_fragment_=/article/35951/army-chief-of-staff-visits-ict/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964076 | 917 | 1.507813 | 2 |
7 Essential Rules to a Happy Family Life
2 of 8
Nothing Is Worth Falling Out Over
My mother and my grandmother didn't speak to each other for the last 15 years of their lives. Some families are like that; strained relationships all over the place, siblings who don't speak, cousins who everyone has lost track of and no one even has their address.
It runs in families. We learn by example, and if you grow up in a family where people have long-term feuds with relatives that tends to become the norm. That means that if you stop speaking to your own mother or father, one of your kids may spend 20 years not speaking to you. It's a childish form of behavior to demonstrate to our children, but some people do it.
It's such a shame, too. Not only is it a bit pathetic that we'd rather cut off diplomatic relations than sort out the problem, it's also sad that we end up without a parent/sibling/cousin who will be there for us when we need them.
Good family relationships are the strongest relationships there are. When things go wrong, your family should be there to get you through more reliably and longsufferingly than anyone else. It's not like that for everyone, but it can be like that at its best. Whether you're badly injured, divorcing, redundant, widowed, having your home repossessed, facing a court case, have a desperately ill child, have a problem with drugs or alcohol, or whatever might come along in your life, it's family who will stick by you even if they don't really approve. Family will continue to stick by you for months or years until you're back on your feet.
Frankly, that's worth a hell of a lot. It's worth forgiving and forgetting whatever it is that tempted you to stop speaking to them because that's the deal. If you want your family to be there for you, you've got to be there for them. That means letting go of the frustration and the angst they can sometimes cause, turning the other cheek, and realizing that the families who stop speaking to each other are the ones who will leave you in the lurch when you hit times of trouble.
More on: Instilling Values
From The Rules of Love Copyright © 2009, FT Press. Used by permission of FT Press, and Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
To order this book go to Amazon. | <urn:uuid:a63230e4-b68e-4628-a6c3-fe03bfd997b0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://life.familyeducation.com/slideshow/family/64754.html?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974384 | 502 | 1.8125 | 2 |
For an upcoming beach mission, I am currently preparing 6 kids talks. They’re going to be on CRAZY Bible stories, I think it’s going to be pretty fun. I’ll be writing some reflections on this blog as I write the talks, so here is a brief outline of the talks.
Talk 1 – Writing on the Wall (Daniel 5)
Introducing the series and speaking about how God speaks to us today through the Bible, after first telling the story.
Talk 2 – Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)
Saying that even though God has told us how to live through his word, we rebel against him and we deserve punishment for this.
Talk 3 – Jesus Calms the Storm (Mark 4:35-41)
Jesus is God, and he has power over creation. He is incredibly powerful. We shouldn’t doubt him.
Talk 4 – Daniel and the Lions Den (Daniel 6)
God saves Daniel in this story from the lions. God saves us from the punishment we deserve through Jesus’ death on the cross.
Talk 5 – Jesus’ Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8)
Jesus is alive today and he is the boss of the world!
Talk 6 – Saul to Paul (Acts 9:1-22)
Saul becomes and Christian and follows Jesus. Learning about how to live a new life for Christ.
The Bible has some crazy stuff in it. But there is nothing crazier then what God has done for us. This talk series will use the crazy stuff as a base to introducing the even crazier stuff! | <urn:uuid:dc7885b8-8063-4a40-b990-e88fa759d169> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://calumhenderson.wordpress.com/category/kids/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952003 | 338 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Of all the sacred places in Jerusalem, I love the Garden Tomb most. It is a haven of stillness in the middle of a busy, honking, bartering city. The first few times you visit, the British woman, who lets you in, asks if you have been there before. Soon she recognizes your face and no longer asks.
The garden is well manicured with all kinds of flowers. You wend your way through it, searching for the perfect bench to sit on, and you are surprised by the quiet. You hear the birds, the crunch of small white rocks beneath your feet, a tourist group singing. There is a large amphitheater at one end in which a hollow room is carved out of stone. The room has a wooden door that remains open most of the time, and on it a sign reads, “He is not here. He is risen!”
That statement is the most glorious thing about the tomb. It is empty. Inside, a long slab of rock stretches the length of it and you can imagine where Jesus’ body might have lain. But there is no body. He is not there. Because He is alive!
On Easter Sunday, sixteen years ago, several friends and I decided to wake early and journey down the hill to the Garden Tomb for the Sunrise Service. We put on our dresses and sandals and stepped out into the pale morning. A large full moon hung low over the city. We felt like the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee - hurrying to the tomb before dawn.
When we arrived, the amphitheater was full of people who had come from all over the world to celebrate the amazing scene that took place there. We slid onto a bench and began to sing. As the eastern sky filled with color, rays of light slowly moved over us. I imagined Mary - kneeling, distraught, and weeping as she petitioned the Gardener to please tell her where they had taken Jesus’ body. Then I listened for the gentle sound of his voice when he spoke her name, “Mary.”
John tells us, “And she turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni, which is to say Master.”
We cannot understand how hard it must have been for Jesus’ weary band of disciples to believe that he would rise in three days. No one had been resurrected before. All they knew appeared to crumble as Christ was nailed to the cross. It seemed the world was right and he had been wrong. But on that glorious Easter Sunday, all was made right again, and hope took on new meaning.
A good friend of mine who has been raising chickens recently bought two new bantam chicks. They keep their baby chicks in the bathtub under a warming light until they become teenagers and can venture
With a prayer on her forehead, she pulled him close and together they walked to the bathtub. The chicks were gone. Silent and still. She and Gabe climbed into her bed and cried.
“Maybe” he choked, “Maybe, we only have to wait three days and they will be resurrected.” She explained a bit and together they decided that all people and all living creatures - even baby chicks - will be resurrected when Christ comes again.
Some might deem this a small death, but even the smallest deaths can spark a desire in us to hope for the resurrection.
We cannot have hope in anything. We must have hope in Christ. And when we do, we recognize him as most capable, most understanding, most knowing, and the giver of the best gifts.
At the close of the Passover meal, it is likely that Jesus and his eleven apostles sang these words, known in Jewish tradition as the Hallel (Psalms 113-118).
“Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling” (Psalm 116:8).
In my heart, I sing with them.
Catherine K. Arveseth is a mother of five, part-time writer and editor. She studied at the BYU Jerusalem Center in 1995. | <urn:uuid:9c738ab7-ddb2-4b08-a20f-662afdc82712> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ldsmag.com/1/article/7912 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979636 | 853 | 1.78125 | 2 |
I must have been 11, maybe 12 years old. I was staring out the big glass window in the big apartment I lived in Rio de Janeiro, looking at homes made out of wood and broken pieces of plastic and, sometimes, clay bricks, impossibly perched on the hillside ahead. It was a leg of one of the city’s largest slums, Rocinha, which had draped over the mountain’s top, crossing from one neighborhood to the next.
It had been raining hard for days in Rio, as it often happens in March, and the earth that covered the hill just couldn’t hold its grip to the rock beneath it anymore. A red avalanche unfurled, dirt rolling down and swallowing the homes I had been watching. In a matter of seconds, the homes were gone, and there I was, still standing before the big glass window in my big apartment, dry and safe and warm.
Who are these people who live in this godforsaken place called Rocinha?
The photographer André Cypriano went searching for the same answers some years ago, spending 30 days and nights in the slum, capturing its essence in black and white. Mr. Cypriano wound up there as a guest of Rocinha’s notorious drug lord at the time, Luciano Barbosa dos Santos, who went by the affable nickname Lulu. He had met some of Lulu’s associates while photographing some of the inmates at Ilha Grande prison, Brazil’s equivalent of Alcatraz, and they suggested Rocinha as the setting for a future project.
Mr. Cypriano — who is 47 and splits his time between Ilha Grande, an island off the southern coast of Rio, and Manhattan — said he felt safer at Rocinha than he did elsewhere. There were men armed with machine guns everywhere he looked, he recalled, and orders from the boss that he was not to be messed with.
“Everybody knew I was there to do a documentary, and I knew I could leave my equipment anywhere and no one would touch it,” he said.
Mr. Cypriano has never worked for a newspaper, magazine or photo agency. He describes his work as self-guided documentary photography because he sets the subjects and how they will be photographed. He has been exhibited around the world: one of his pictures from Rocinha — surfers posing on a rock, the slum extending behind them — hangs at the entrance of the Center for Fine Arts in Brussels, as part of a group show by Brazilian photographers called “Extremes.” Pictures from the same portfolio are also in the permanent collections of São Paulo’s Museum of Modern Art, the São Paulo Museum of Art, the Afro-Brazilian Museum in São Paulo and others. Mr. Cypriano has also published several books.
He finds inspiration in the work of Sebastião Salgado, a celebrated Brazilian photojournalist who has been known for putting a human face to economic and political oppression. There’s an underlying beauty to all of his pictures from Rocinha, even when it’s a shot of sewage flowing like a rivulet through the slum, or of hands wrapped around a crumbling wall, or of a crying woman standing in an alleyway.
“I wanted to show the dignity of the people who live there, their beauty,” Mr. Cypriano said. “You don’t need to focus on the horror to show the horror of living there.”
He said he wasn’t trying to change Rocinha through his pictures. “There’s no intentional social justice component to my work,” he said. His goal was simply to register the slum as it was. “My camera,” he said, “is the instrument that allows me to enter in these kinds of places and enjoy them for what they are.”
The rules of the Rocinha he photographed, written by the gangs that ruled drug trafficking there, are different from the rules he would find there today. The police moved in last month and seized control of the slum, part of a broad effort to tame the city’s lawless areas ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics.
The poverty, though, is still the same. | <urn:uuid:cec2ccf1-e64b-42d5-9c3f-f8f32750c550> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/andre-cypriano/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977636 | 912 | 1.710938 | 2 |
President Obama's Interfaith Challenge
St. Edward's University was selected as one of 250 universities to participate in President Obama's Interfaith and Community Service Challenge during the 2011-2012 academic year. The President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge is an initiative inviting institutions of higher education to commit to a year of interfaith cooperation and community service programming on campus.
The Interfaith Challenge at St. Edward's University will work to bridge curricular, co-curricular and community partners to foster a campus philosophy of interfaith and inter-cultural cooperation. The theme Displacement, Migration, and Refugees was selected in an effort to understand the movement and displacement of people as the result of natural disasters, conflict, and economic disparity along lines of nationality, ethnicity, religion or culture.
What does this mean for you as a member of the St. Edward's University community? Dr. George Martin has accepted this challenge on behalf of St. Edward's University so all members of our campus community have an opportunity to join in this year-long effort. As the institution moves ahead with the Strategic Plan 2015, the Interfaith Challenge offers a great opportunity for your office or program to promote events that lend themselves to the theme of Displacement, Migration, and Refugees as part of the Interfaith Challenge.
How to get involved: To submit a Program/Event for inclusion in the President's Interfaith Challenge, please fill out the following form: Event/Program Submission Form.
Check out the President’s Challenge on tumblr.
The Refugee-A Graphic Novel
Read the story of "Roble," a Sudanese refugee from the conflict in his home country. While his story is fictional, it is based upon a blending of real life stories of serveral refugees from the Sudan who have found themselves in Austin.
If you have a course, program, or event that you feel could be repurposed for the Interfaith Challenge and would like more information, please contact Dr. James Puglisi, PIC Campus Coordinator at [email protected] or at 233-1693. | <urn:uuid:a4dac94b-62a8-4de6-a823-7862905cfd07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://think.stedwards.edu/ministry/president-obamas-interfaith-challenge | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941961 | 429 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Dr. Reitzel shares if there is a social stigma around women who choose an epidural over natural childbirth.
Read the full transcript »
The Social Stigma Around Using Epidurals Well, the reason why I say natural childbirth as compared to unnatural childbirth, you know what they call women who get epidurals, don’t you, moms. The pain that a mom has or a laboring woman has is totally different. What hurt for your mom may not hurt you. And the contrary it may be true. You may have a higher pain threshold than your mom did, and I have seen it both ways. If you have a family that no one has ever gotten an epidural, people get pressure, well, you’ve got to natural without it. Well that’s not fair because I have seen with the other ways, too. “Everybody has got an epidural, what do you mean you want to do natural, what’s wrong with you?” There’s nothing wrong, okay? Play it by ear. Know what your options are, have fun with the whole process. This is an exciting time. This is the beginning of the next phase of most people’s life. It’s a happy time. People don’t need to get hung up on whether or not my mom is going to think that I am less of a woman because I didn’t get an epidural, or I did get an epidural. It doesn’t matter. Focus on the experience. Have an open mind and ask questions. No one is going to fault you for asking questions. | <urn:uuid:2ac1b834-7cc3-4f50-83bb-2f2ac67535db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthline.com/hlvideo-5min/the-social-stigma-around-using-epidurals-451305001 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952263 | 341 | 1.59375 | 2 |
08/28/2012 22:39–When I made the decision to leave Israel’s private sector to serve as president and CEO of Israel Bonds, I came to an organization widely recognized – from ratings agencies to the Bank of Israel – as an important factor in building Israel’s economy.
Since starting at Bonds late last year, I have become increasingly aware of its continued relevance as a vital, indispensable asset for Israel’s economy, particularly in light of continued geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East and fiscal difficulties plaguing many euro zone countries.
Indeed, if Greece, Italy, Spain and other failing eurozone countries had a dependable, proactive asset like Israel Bonds – with approximately $1.2 billion in annual worldwide sales – they would be better positioned to work their way out of their economic problems, as they could turn to a strategic support network providing the advantages of a large client base and considerably lower borrowing costs. This is why the Bonds story – with over $34b. in total worldwide sales – has generated queries from other countries, as well as the World Bank, seeking to replicate the Israel Bonds business model.
There are myriad reasons for the importance of the Bonds organization. First, when the Israel Treasury issues bonds on the overseas public market, such as Yankee Bonds, they are often long bonds with 10-year maturities. The Treasury endeavors not to raise funds more than once a year in order to maintain financial credibility with the market and rating agencies. Securities offered by Israel Bonds, on the other hand, complement Treasury-issued bonds by including short and medium-term maturities.
These instruments take advantage of the low rates prevalent in the current economic climate, with a resultant interest rate differential against government long bonds of approximately 2.75 percent – an annual savings of approximately $80 million on a comparable $3b. Israeli government bond issue – a major benefit to the Israeli economy.
FURTHERMORE, WHEN compared to the Israeli public market, Israel bonds are sold at rates that are extremely competitive and cost-effective. For example, a 3-year bond sold at 1.24% is more than 1% less than what Israel’s Treasury offers in the Israeli public market. (The higher Israeli domestic rate is a hedge against possible future inflation and exchange rate differentials.)…Read More>> | <urn:uuid:c1bbd716-1bae-4f5c-95be-1f538fa6e77f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://israelstrategist.com/2012/08/28/israel-tapoohi-jpost-israel-bonds-a-strategic-asset-for-the-country/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958769 | 473 | 1.570313 | 2 |
News & Events
The student-run Philosophy Club hosts events throughout the semester. If you would like to learn more about what we are planning or suggest an idea for an event, please contact us at [email protected].
Reading Group on Social Epistemology
Thursdays, starting at 12:15PM Atwater D, Room 102
First Meeting: September 20th
For further details, contact Kareem Khalifa ([email protected])
When different groups of people have conflicting standards of rationality, can we tell which groups are correct? If so, how?
What, if anything, justifies our belief in other people’s testimony?
How should we react to disagreement between our peers and ourselves, and to disagreement among the experts when we ourselves are novices?
Can a community have a belief that stands over and above the beliefs of its members? And if so, how should groups go about forming their beliefs?
How should social groups, such as legal juries and the scientific community, be organized so as to promote knowledge among the people who engage in them?
These questions are at the heart of the vital discipline of social epistemology. For Fall 2012, all members of the Middlebury Community are welcome to read classic articles in this field. | <urn:uuid:f33426d5-25fe-4831-a44d-3c1400939b27> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/phil/news | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933204 | 270 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Sources within Malacanang Palace have told Diario de Filipinas that Governor-General Polavieja will make an announcement concerning the fate of Jose Rizal tomorrow morning, December 29, at 7:00AM. It appears that the pundits are correct and Polavieja will bow to religious and political pressures and order the execution of Jose Rizal.
Analysts have noted that executing Jose Rizal will only further inflame secessionist passions in the agitated colony, and likely embolden and anger the revolutionaries. As opposed to dampening revolutionary sentiment, his execution will strengthen the Philippine Revolution and drive Filipinos to support revolutionary goals.
Since Rizal’s guilty verdict has been handed down Manila and the surrounding area has been restive. Sources close to both Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo have indicated they will try and make an attempt to rescue Jose Rizal. While noted revolutionary agitator Paciano Rizal, who prior to his younger brother’s trial suffered horrific treatment at the hands of Spanish authorities, is rumored to be on the move. Earlier today Teodora Alonso’s motherly plea for clemency was soundly rejected by Polavieja when he refused her access to Malacanang Palace. Certain high ranking members of civil society have quietly indicated their displeasure with how the situation has been handled by the Spanish government. | <urn:uuid:c0b43e8b-95a2-4cd4-beba-6e9502985f2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://diariodefilipinas.tumblr.com/tagged/manila | 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 | 0.95728 | 286 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Christians flock to Bethlehem to mark Jesus' birth, as pope presides over Vatican Mass
Despite the tension and violence that shook the Holy Land this year, Christians from around the world flocked to Manger Square in Bethlehem on Monday to celebrate the birth of Jesus in the ancient West Bank town where he was born.
Others traveled to Vatican City, where Pope Benedict XVI had lit a Christmas peace candle set on the windowsill of his private studio.
Pilgrims, tourists and Romans gathered below in St.
Peter's Square for the inauguration Monday evening of a Nativity scene and cheered when the flame was lit.
The pope marked Christmas Eve with Mass in St.
The service began at 10 p.m.
local time, or 4 p.m.
The midnight start time was changed at the Vatican years ago to let the pontiff rest before a Christmas Day speech to be delivered from the basilica's central balcony.
In his homily, Benedict cited the Gospel account of Mary and Joseph finding no room at an inn and ending up in a stable which sheltered the baby Jesus.
He urged people to reflect upon what they find time for in their busy, technology-driven lives.
"The great moral question of our attitude toward the homeless, toward refugees and migrants takes on a deeper dimension: Do we really have room for God when he seeks to enter under our roof?
Do we have time and space for him?" the pope said.
"The faster we can move, the more efficient our time-saving appliances become, the less time we have.
The question of God never seems urgent," Benedict lamented.
The pope worried that "we are so 'full' of ourselves that there is no room left for God." He added, "that means there is no room for others either -- for children, for the poor, for the stranger."
The pontiff also prayed that Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and freedom, and asked the faithful to pray for strife-torn Syria as well as Lebanon and Iraq.
In Bethlehem, the Palestinian hosts were hopeful after a recent vote in favor of statehood in the United Nations, though the vote did little to bring them closer to independence.
In his annual pre-Christmas homily, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, said this year's festivities were doubly joyful.
"The path (to statehood) remains long, and will require a united effort," said Twal, a Palestinian citizen of Jordan, at the patriarchate's headquarters in Jerusalem's Old City.
Then he set off in a procession for the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Jesus' traditional birthplace.
Twal had to enter the biblical town through a massive metal gate in the barrier of towering concrete slabs Israel built between Jerusalem and Bethlehem during a wave of Palestinian suicide bombings in the last decade.
The Israeli military, which controls the crossing, said it significantly eased restrictions for the Christmas season.
Israel, backed by the United States, opposed the statehood bid, saying it was a Palestinian ploy to bypass negotiations.
Talks stalled four years ago.
Hundreds of people greeted Twal in Manger Square, outside the Church of Nativity.
The mood was festive under sunny skies, with children dressed in holiday finery or in Santa costumes, and marching bands playing in the streets.
After nightfall, a packed Manger Square, resplendent with strings of lights, decorations and a 17-meter Christmas tree, took on a festival atmosphere.
A choral group from the Baptist Church in Jerusalem performed carols on one side of the square, handing out sheets of lyrics and encouraging others to sing along with songs such as "We Wish You A Merry Christmas."
Festivities led up to the Midnight Mass at St.
Catherine's Church, next to the fourth-century Church of the Nativity, built over the grotto where tradition says Jesus was born.
Devout Christians said it was a moving experience to be so close to the origins of their faith.
"It's a special feeling to be here, it's an encounter with my soul and God," said Joanne Kurczewska, a professor at Warsaw University in Poland, who was visiting Bethlehem for a second time at Christmas.
Pastor Al Mucciarone, 61, from Short Hills, N.J., agreed.
"We come here to celebrate Jesus.
This is a very important town.
Great things come from small events.
The son of God was born in this small village.
We hope all will follow Jesus," he said.
Audra Kasparian, 45, from Salt Lake City, Utah, called her visit to Bethlehem "a life event to cherish forever.
It is one of those events that is great to be a part of."
Christmas is the high point of the year in Bethlehem, which, like the rest of the West Bank, is struggling to recover from the economic hard times that followed the violent Palestinian uprising against Israel that broke out in late 2000.
Tourists and pilgrims who were scared away by the fighting have been returning in larger numbers.
Last year's Christmas Eve celebration produced the highest turnout in more than a decade, with some 100,000 visitors, including foreign workers and Arab Christians from Israel.
The Israeli Tourism Ministry predicted a 25 percent drop from that level this year, following last month's clash between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, which put a chill on tourist arrivals.
Foreign tourists heading to Bethlehem must pass through Israel or the Israel-controlled border crossing into the West Bank from Jordan.
Outside the town's quaint Manger Square, Bethlehem is a drab, sprawling town with a dwindling Christian base.
Overall, there are only about 50,000 Christians in the West Bank, less than 3 percent of the population, the result of a lower birthrate and increased emigration.
Bethlehem's Christians make up only a third of the town's residents, down from 75 percent a few decades ago.
Elias Joha, a 44-year-old Christian who runs a souvenir store, said even with the U.N.
recognition, this year's celebrations were sad for him.
He said most of his family has left, and that if he had the opportunity, he would do the same.
"These celebrations are not even for Christians because there are no Christians.
It is going from bad to worse from all sides ...
we are not enjoying Christmas as before."
Located on the southeastern outskirts of Jerusalem, Bethlehem has the highest unemployment in the West Bank, but the tourist boom of Christmas offered a brief reprieve.
Officials say all 34 hotels in the town are fully booked for the Christmas season, including 13 new ones built this year.
Israel turned Bethlehem over to Palestinian civil control a few days before Christmas in 1995, and since then, residents have been celebrating the holiday regardless of their religion.
Many Muslims took part in celebration Monday as well.
Christians across the region marked the holiday.
In Kabul, Afghanistan, soldiers and service members with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) sang carols and lit candles during a service on Christmas eve at the U.S.-led coalition base.
In Iraq, Christians gathered for services with tight security, including at Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation church, the scene of a brutal October 2010 attack that killed more than 50 worshippers and wounded scores more.
Earlier this month, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, who is responsible for the Vatican's outreach to the Middle East's Catholic communities, traveled to Iraq and presided over a Mass to rededicate the church following renovations.
In his homily, he remembered those who were killed and expressed hope that "the tears shed in this sacred place become the good seed of communion and witness and bear much fruit," according to an account by Vatican Radio.
The exact number of Christians remaining in Iraq is not known, but it has fallen sharply from as many as 1.4 million before the U.S.-led invasion nearly a decade ago to about 400,000 to 600,000, according community leaders cited by the U.S. | <urn:uuid:dcf4df20-131a-4d55-ac5b-a66895688968> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.citifmonline.com/index.php?id=1.1204547 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962074 | 1,684 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Playing video games, which were once considered a leisure activity for youngsters have, has transcended that stereotype and come a long way. According to statics, every other software sold worldwide is actually a video game! The video game industry has grown by leaps and bounds with the progression of computer technology and the emergence of new optimized hardware.
Nowadays gaming is no longer restricted to the PC. There are various “consoles” in the market which specifically cater to gaming for a very addictive gaming experience. Front runners of the console world are Xbox created by Microsoft, PlayStation by Sony and Wii by Nintendo. Our list of top 10 best-selling video games is going to be based on sales achieved by games on any and all platforms irrespective of their genres. So, without further delay let’s delve into the foray:
10) The Sims
Before any of today’s massively addictive modern MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, for those who don’t speak game talk) there was one game that let people live free of social norms. Taking place within a virtual suburb, SIMS allows gamers to live an artificial life where they can go to school, get jobs, fall in love and have kids without any of the responsibilities these entail in real life! So far The Sims has sold 16 million copies and has around 10 million user subscriptions.
Any avid gamer would instantly recognize the title of Pokemon, those who don’t have any right to categorize themselves as gamers! Such is the cult following of this phenomenal game. This game has spawned cartoon series, trading cards, comics and toys. Pokemon single handedly revitalized the handheld gaming industry and enchanted kids all across the globe. The most successful title is of course Pokemon Red and Blue which have sold over 20 million copies.
8) Final Fantasy VII
This game was actually a contingency plan for its makers Square Enix which were on the verge of closing operations. An iconic status holder since its release back in the 80’s Final Fantasy immerses the players in a world of intricately woven story lines, breath taking graphics and a revolutionary new combat and strategy system. The most successful title Final Fantasy VII, has so far sold 10 million units according to statistics. The series has by no means concluded as producers keep churning out titles almost every year. Each title continues a highly engrossing story line and keeps the audience hooked!
7) Legend of Zelda – Ocarina Of Time
Some people might argue that Legend of Zelda series should have occupied a higher spot on this list as it is THE series which redefined action adventure gaming. Here’s my justification! While the series might have an aggregated sales of over 52 million copies sold, the individual title under discussion Ocarina of Time, has sold 7.6 million copies. This game provided gamers first taste of a virtually inexhaustible world to explore.
Available for the Nintendo DS console, this simulation game makes the player in charge of a virtual dog. As with a real dog the player is to care for the virtual dog, feed it, play with it and care for it. This unique and unexplored concept made the game an instant and tremendous hit with audience of all ages. Nintendogs has so far sold 22 million copies, quite an achievement for a game which is exclusively available for portable gaming consoles.
5) Kinect Adventures
Although exclusive to the Xbox Kinect platform, Kinect Adventures has done amazingly well. Current sales estimate according to Microsoft, are 16 million and counting. This game makes use of Microsoft’s kinect motion detection technology and is mostly comprised of sport games compelling players to exert themselves physically.
How can a game with minimalistic graphics and available (initially) on a single platform be on this list you ask? Well, the 31 million units sold lend it a spot there! Since its release Tetris has been ported to all major video game platforms including cellphones. It is truly a marvel, how a simplistic game which requires the players to arrange geometric shapes into order, has captivated the audience for so long! Statistics tell 31 million copies have been sold so far.
3) Super Mario Bro
Those associated with the gaming industry, avid players and developers literally sing praises of this iconic and legendary game. Super Mario Bros has spawned comics, TV shows and also full length films, which is quite an achievement for any video game. From game play to its universally recognized soundtrack, this game has enthralled generations of children and adults alike and continues to do so even to this day. With 41 million copies sold worldwide, this game will be remembered for generations to come.
2) Grand Theft Auto – San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto developed by Rockstar Studios and published by 2k games is the most successful sandbox action game of the genre. This is the fifth release of this immensely popular franchise which was simultaneously released for Xbox, PC and PlayStation. Suffice it to say this game is listed as the third best selling game of all time in the Guinness Book Of World Records and has so far sold around 22 million copies on all platforms.
1) Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3
Undoubtedly the king of FPS or first person shooter genre is the Call Of Duty series published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward. Since its worldwide release on November 10th, 2009, this behemoth has sold around 22 million copies and counting. This estimate is an aggregate of sales on all platforms, which is so far, unrivaled by any game in history. COD as it is affectionately known, has a 94% positive critic rating for intense game play and depth of storyline. Needless to say the game has been a money minting entity for its creators and publishers and has made them a household name. | <urn:uuid:6025633a-efaf-4089-b2b5-10ba7d51b68b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tiptoptens.com/2012/03/04/top-10-best-selling-video-games-ever/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957678 | 1,173 | 1.773438 | 2 |
I have been labouring many hours to bring you an exciting new enhancement to this site.
As you may be aware, Nanny is not a new phenomenon in the UK; in fact, she has been "knocking around" for quite sometime now. One of her favourite mediums for imparting her wisdom to the huddled masses is that of film and TV.
Over the decades Nanny has produced quite a number of "information" films, covering such diverse subjects as; atomic power, Suez, avoiding coughs, how to cross the road and helping young girls get jobs.
I have put together a magnificent library of these films, for your viewing pleasure; simply scroll down the menu bar, on the right hand side of this site, and look for "Nanny's Information Films".
There, if you click on the links, you will be able to watch these fine movies in the comfort of your own homes and offices.
The library of films is in date order, the earliest going back to 1947 the latest being this year. In the library you will be able to view such classics as; Donald Pleasance telling children not to play near water, Charley the cat (one of Bagpuss's relatives) warning children not to talk to strangers, Dave "Darth Vader" Prowse telling you how to cross the road and useful advice on what to do if an atom bomb goes off near your home!
Put your feet up, download and enjoy this veritable smorgasbord of Nanny at her best.
Please tell the world about this site. | <urn:uuid:4b45cf3c-29c9-41fd-aff7-a310dd7cc8a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nannyknowsbest.blogspot.com/2006/09/nannys-special-movies.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93876 | 326 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Articles Tagged ‘writing’
There\’s nothing as fascinating or glamorous to the American public than Hollywood. This world is brim-full of delicious secrets, high profile scandal and absolute trashiness. If you\’d like to remain awake while researching your paper, then you should choose Hollywood because it is the very best of all research topic ideas out there. You can research old crime stories or dig in the mystic of a Hollywood actor. There are so very many things to consider when selecting your subject. If you actually get stuck, then you can try out AboutTopics.com for some fresh research paper topics . Here are a few recommendations to get you going.
Love is sort of a manifestation of, and attraction is the early symptoms of this abiding disease which has been the hardest equation for the sapient people thru time. Love is the greatest puzzle of the heart that can be solved with only by getting the only missing piece which one can find from his or her soul-mate. With the change in time, love has baffled all of the obstructions and bounds that have come in its way. Now, love technically means no bar, no language, no faith, practically nothing can stop it. Dating means espionage with a hope of finding the blooming love hidden within the other person, the love of vision becomes the love of two hearts through dating.
Many movies based on novels are being purchased and created lately. However due to the elevating amount of books that are movies, is the quality becoming poor? Should readers be ecstatic or maybe nervous about seeing movies based on books?
You will not run right out of subject material when you choose Great Women Who Changed History as one of the research topic ideas for your new project. In reality you could have difficulty deciding which great women in history to pick from. The list of research paper topics is so long and varied at AboutTopics.com, so your decision will rely on which fields of study you decide to research.
Convinced of what a professional copywriting services can do for you? The next thing you have to ponder about are the qualifications that you should look if you plan to hire a freelance copywriter for your business. You should hire an SEO friendly copywriter that would truly grasp the kind of your business. You should seek for one that has a creative and dynamic copywriting service at affordable prices and quick timeframe. | <urn:uuid:8ef9378c-65ce-4afe-8c41-b1a0154c8b67> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ezinearticlesandcontent.com/keywords/writing-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963811 | 486 | 1.648438 | 2 |
His Majesty the King, in His Royal Address, commanded that democracy has started off well in our country, but that a lot of work also remains to be done. His Majesty the King reminded the nation that the main purpose of democracy is to further strengthen our country, and to realize the aspirations of the people. And that to achieve these goals, we must work together, as one family.
On behalf of the opposition, I proposed a vote of thanks to offer our deep gratitude to His Majesty the King for gracing Parliament and for continuing to guide the parliamentarians; to congratulation His Majesty on the coronation; to thank all persons and agencies involved organizing the successful celebrations; and to congratulate the people of Bhutan on 100 years of monarchy.
In addition, I shared the following observations with my fellow parliamentarians: (i) that, during the last two years, His Majesty the King has devolved power to the people and introduced democracy most successfully; (ii) that His Majesty the King has gifted an excellent Constitution to the people; (iii) that, for democracy to succeed, we must protect, nurture and cherish our institution of monarchy; and (iv) that the Constitution must be defended by all people. | <urn:uuid:7c1822ed-d48a-4337-b401-2eaef931a183> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tsheringtobgay.com/legislature/2008/parliaments-second-session.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964168 | 246 | 1.5 | 2 |
Christian Child Ministry : Be A Missionary To Your Children
Christian children and parents, there's a ministry opportunity right in your home! Find out if you already are, or how to be a missionary to your children.
As parents, we fill the shoes of many different occupations. We are cooks, waiters, nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and teachers. The list of occupations could go on forever, but we are primarily care-givers and teachers. We love our children, we take care of our children, and we teach our children.
Parenting can be the most rewarding job in the world, and it can be the most exasperating job in the world. Some of the things that we try to teach our children can go in one ear, and out the other. Some of the things that we try not to teach them can stick with them forever. But as christian parents, the most essential thing that we teach them is vital to sticking with them, and not flying out those ears of theirs.
Missionaries are everywhere in the world. Their work is very important, but often overlooked, as it seems that their work is so far away. This is actually a misconception. There are missionaries everywhere. Did you know that you can be a missionary in your own home, to your own children? In being a missionary to your children, your won't be just adding another occupation to your parenting title. You will also be doing the work of a child of God, and bringing more meaning to your own life. Being a missionary to your children will bring harmony to your household and put the spirit of God in your family, as you grow in faith and light.
So how can you become a missionary to your children? The answer is simple. Teach them the word of God, and incorporate it into their lives. Here are some easy and practical ways for you to teach them the word of God:
1.) Bring out your bible. Show it to them, and explain it. Tell them what it is, who it's about, what the message is, and why it's important.
2.) Buy them a version of the bible that suits their age. There are bibles with pictures, easy words, and small chapters for very young children, as well as young adult versions. There are bibles for every age that we humans encounter. Visit a local christian bookstore and explore all of the wonderful books that are out there. Then make sure to spend time with them and their own bible and/or christian books.
3.) Monitor what your children watch on television. If you aren't watching a christian channel or a christian video, find out what the message is behind what they are watching. You can find children's movies with a christian message at a christian bookstore. It's not that there aren't television programs that are suitable for christian children, it's just important to keep an eye on what they are watching.
4.) Pray with your children. Explain that they can talk to God through prayer. If your child doesn't learn to pray from you, and if it isn't consistent within your family, it might not stick with your child when they leave your household.
5.) Go to church. Make church a regular part of your week, and if/when your children are old enough to attend Sunday School, make sure to sign them up! Volunteer at your church and let them come with you for whatever it is that you volunteered for, if reasonable.
6.) Lead your children by example. Let them see you in daily prayer and daily bible reading. Let them see you put your christian values into action. Teach kindness, love, and devotion.
If you are already doing all or some of these things, then you are already a missionary to your children! If you aren't, then there's no better time to start than the present! If you decide to take action and be a missionary to your children, your life will become enriched like never before. Not only will your children be learning, but most likely you will be learning right along with them!
Including the word of God in what you are already teaching your children will make some of the other things that you are trying to teach them mean more to them than it would if they didn't know christian values. Imagine the future of our world if all christian parents everywhere became missionaries to their own children! | <urn:uuid:7de43def-a44f-40d9-a7a7-463ee1779bec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://allsands.com/religious/christian/religious/christian/christianchildr_tfq_gn.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972477 | 902 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Posts Tagged ‘siren’
The trooper explained that Roylance had just run afoul of a new law, which took effect Oct. 1 and has been woefully underreported by myself and others, requiring motorists to move over by a lane or to slow down when passing an emergency vehicle on the side of the road with its red or blue lights on.
(STOP the MUD agrees with Michael Dresser that this new law was woefully under reported. Maryland now requires, as does West Virginia that we are aware of, drivers to move left (or right as the case may be) or slow down (if movement is not possible) when passing emergency vehicles on the side of the road. Maryland SHOULD BE using roadside signs to warn drivers as West Virginia is doing.
Stop the MUD hopes that public safety employees both on and off duty will extend the SAME safety conscious behavior to Maryland drivers. Maybe it can even be done by not having to legislate the requirement. We’d like to see:
- Public safety vehicles driving the speed limit when said vehicles do not have their emergency lights activated.
- Public safety vehicles beginning to stop for yellow lights instead of blasting through the intersection.
- Wise use of lights and siren and department policies limiting the number of units using lights and sirens going to the same event.
- Mandatory emergency vehicle training for law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical employees.
- Drivers of public safety vanity plates OBEYING the traffic laws.
- Public safety vehicles stopping at red lights and stop signs.
- Stop tailgating vehicles in the number one lane at excessive speeds and allowing other vehicles to tailgate the public safety vehicle.
We want YOU to start setting the example on Maryland roads and highways now that you have legislated YOUR safety – and really didn’t go out of your way to tell us.)
Driving to Solomons from Huntingtown on Friday October 8, I was tailgated by a male driver for about fifteen miles in the slow lane. The driver was also on his cell phone. On the return trip a women driving well in excess of fifty-five miles per hour in the fastlane was chatting away on her phone.
I thought to myself that either these drivers could just care less or they don’t know. The new Maryland law does not seem off to a good start.
Then there was the marked law enforcement vehicle from a PG county city doing well over fifty five tailgating another vehicle. No lights or siren. Interestingly, another car was tailgating him. This is what we call a MUD Slide with a cherry on top.
By the way, I also noticed more folks actually driving the speed limit. These were not elderly folks or white knuckled drivers but regular folks. Maybe the word IS getting out. Safe drivers are still well in the minority in Maryland. | <urn:uuid:110ac662-90bb-43d3-8479-ca9bf7525616> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stopthemud.org/tag/siren/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964857 | 595 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Principal sleeps on roof of school after students increase their studies
Published: Friday, March 1, 2013 at 9:31 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, March 1, 2013 at 9:31 p.m.
Dressed in warm layers, O.P. Earle Elementary School Principal Brian Murray set up his tent, rolled out his sleeping bag and tucked in for a long, cold night of camping Friday night — on top of the school.
The night under the stars was Murray's "reward" after challenging students to increase their daily academic activity by seven minutes a day for a month. He called it "The O.P. Earle 7-Minute Challenge."
From Jan. 7 to Feb. 7, students carefully tracked their progress with paperclip chains on display in the school's cafeteria. One paperclip represented seven minutes.
"I reordered paperclips three times," Murray said. "I was just blown away by their participation."
In one month, students recorded a total 170,737 additional minutes of academics, far exceeding the school goal of 63,360 minutes.
Fifth-grade student A.J. Hester said students were certainly motivated by the possibility of seeing their principal camped out on the school's roof. Hester and other fifth-grade students — winners of the grade-level competition — were invited for s'mores with Murray on Friday night. Other students were encouraged to drive by the school with their families to wave and wish him well.
"I'm just happy I got to my goal, and I can tell that a lot of teachers are happy that students are increasing on things they didn't do before," Hester said. "I thought it would be fun, but it turned out to be even better than I thought."
Fifth-grade math teacher Mindy Littlefield, who helped organize the school-wide challenge, said the goal was encouraging students to develop good academic habits, while having a little fun in the process. She said students fully embraced the idea, and then some.
"We were working together for a common goal, and the visual of the paperclips in the cafeteria really kept that fresh on their minds," Littlefield said. "Mr. Murray was gracious enough to accept the challenge and go with it."
Murray, armed with his iPad to keep him entertained in the great outdoors, applauded students for exceeding expectations. He said his night on the school's roof was worth it to see students get excited about reading and learning.
"They'd tell me, ‘I read an extra hour last night,' " Murray said. "That's so exciting to hear."
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:af079d60-54c1-4a3c-9674-e05046285e54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goupstate.com/article/20130301/ARTICLES/130309942/0/pft | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983095 | 580 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children: Nordmeyer '12 Reflects on her Senior Honors Thesis
- By CNHS
The “sleepless nights” and “stressful moments” were worth it, says Marley Nordmeyer ’12, when it came to writing her senior Honors thesis. The communication sciences and disorders major makes this observation in an essay featured in the spring UVM Honors College e-newsletter. For her thesis, Nordmeyer worked with Dr. Patty Prelock to research autism spectrum disorder in children. Her thesis explored the question: How do paired peers (typically developing children and children with ASD) use mental state terms while engaged in play?
“Four years ago I couldn't imagine myself writing a fifty-page manuscript, speaking in front of a committee for thirty minutes, or even getting on a plane and flying to California,” she says in the essay. “But because of my experience writing my Honors thesis, I have overcome these fears, and learned an immense amount while doing so.”
Read Marley’s essay in the UVM Honors College spring e-newsletter. | <urn:uuid:45ae89aa-e411-42f9-bdb6-ebc8892192c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uvm.edu/~cnhs/?Page=news&storyID=13967&category=cnhs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939406 | 240 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Just before midnight on June 1, 2001, a Palestinian suicide bomber strolled into a crowd of youngsters cued up outside Tel Aviv’s hottest nightclub, the Dolphinarium, located on the seafront promenade about a mile north of the ancient port of Joppa. The terrorist then blew himself up killing 21 kids; the youngest victims (four of them) were 15 years old, the oldest was 25. The Nelimov family, recent immigrants from Russia, lost two daughters: Yulia age 16 and her older sister Yelena who was 18. The Dolphin nightclub attack was only one of 1,798 terrorist incidents in Israel perpetrated that year by groups associated with Yasir Arafat’s Palestinian Authority. In 2002 and 2003 Palestinian terrorists undertook 1,776 and 1,742 attacks respectively with 504 recorded through the first of June for this year. Terrorists use three basic methods: suicide car bombs, individual suicide bombers detonating explosive belts, and suicide hit squads firing automatic pistols and tossing grenades. The total number of attacks comes to 5,280 over the past four years, resulting in over 700 Israelis killed along with innocent Palestinians and others caught in the crossfire.
In the last week of June 2004, the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. (PCUSA), an ultra-liberal remnant of a once great Protestant denomination, meeting in its annual General Assembly in Richmond, Virginia, passed Overture 04-32 submitted by the Presbytery of St. Augustine. This overture condemns Israel for acting in response to the 5,280 or more terrorist attacks unleashed by Arafat’s murderous cronies. The overture cites Israel for its “occupation” of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan heights, areas before the 1967 war manned by the armies of Jordan, Egypt and Syria whose presence constantly threatened Israel. Among the PCUSA’s political pronouncements, the radical religious left’s equivalent of speaking in tongues, is an overture that condemns Israel for killing “several thousands of Palestinians” in response to “hundreds” of Israelis killed by suicide bombers.
While no substantiation is offered for the “several thousands” of Palestinians purportedly killed by Israelis, the fact is that on 5,280 occasions over the past four years terrorists operating from the West Bank, Gaza and the Bekka Valley have carried out attacks on Israel killing hundreds of innocent people.
Israel’s response has been to target terrorist leaders and to erect a barrier through East Jerusalem to prevent suicide bombers from infiltrating at will. Fact is, targeting killings (dubbed “assassinations” by liberal Presbyterians) work. There have been no suicide bombings in Israel in the last four months. As for targeted killings, due to Israeli initiatives, the hunters are now the hunted.
Targeted killings go after the Hamas, Hezbollah, al Fatah and al Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade leaders who plan the attacks. Israelis know that once the suicide bomber self-detonates he (or she) is out of the equation. The idea is to prevent attacks by killing the leaders and destroying the group infrastructure: the planners, the bomb makers and the people who recruit bombers. In the last six months over 400 people associated with suicide bombing have been arrested and incarcerated, along with those few “terminated with extreme prejudice.”
While interesting in the context of the culture war, the Presbyterian overture on Israel is de rigueur for what is fast becoming the poster child denomination for radically liberal Protestantism. In addition to condemning Israel, commissioners also confessed corporate guilt for the abuses allegedly committed by a handful of military police at Abu Ghraib, passed a resolution dubbing the war in Iraq illegal, reaffirmed support for all forms of abortion, and declined to support an amendment to the US Constitution prohibiting gay marriage. Is it any wonder the PCUSA lost 46,000 members last year? At its current rate of decline averaging one member every 11 minutes, the denomination will be extinct by 2039. The radical liberals who dominate the PCUSA seem unaware that most American Christians support the armed forces, believe homosexual behavior is sinful, think killing babies in the womb is morally despicable and believe marriage, other than between a man and a woman, is physically impossible, morally reprehensible and should be illegal.
It was not always this way with Presbyterians. Many of America’s founders were Calvinists who modeled the Federal system on denominational polity and wrote the US Constitution based on governing church documents. So how have liberal Presbyterians come to their current religious and political irrelevancy?
The answer is an obsession with political correctness in the era of post-modern Christianity. In the mid-1960s when liberals took control of the PCUSA they quickly abandoned definitive truth by declaring that the Bible, rather than being the Word of God merely “contains” the word of God along with stories, myths and some suggestions which, if followed, offered blessed assurance that “I’m okay and you’re okay.” From there it was a short jog to the promised land of moral relativism. Accordingly, the Presbyterian Church plunged into irrelevance. Nevertheless, even as the denomination founders, the governing body babbles in political tongues on vital topics like Israeli security. Don’t listen. | <urn:uuid:589e7ed7-9f0e-4c94-b2f3-09b0ead2f6b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.visionandvalues.org/2004/07/babbling-in-political-tongues/?ie=UTF8&node=2365 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948036 | 1,105 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Meanwhile hydrogen-fuelled taxis being used for the Olympics are making a 130 mile round trip to refuel...http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-19049209
Hydrogen-fuelled taxis, introduced in London for the Olympic Games, are being transported on a 130-mile round trip to Swindon to refuel.
The fleet of three low-emission cabs was introduced to ferry VIPs and officials during the Games.
But the hydrogen fuelling station, at Lea Interchange near the Olympic Park, has had to close for security reasons.
The consortium HYTEC, which provided the taxis, said a new station was expected to open at Heathrow soon.
In the meantime, the taxis are loaded on a transporter to make the trip to the nearest filling station at car manufacturer Honda's plant in Swindon.
(more on the link) | <urn:uuid:88f01b50-25c1-45ae-baf5-ef7aafa3c841> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=11068.msg115513 | 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 | 0.966635 | 194 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The board is composed of seven members. The secretary of the department of health and human resources and the director of the division of environmental protection, or their designees, are members ex officio of the board. The other five members of the board are appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for terms of one, two, three, four and five years, respectively. Two appointees shall be persons having at least three years of professional experience in solid waste management, civil engineering or regional planning and three appointees shall be representatives of the general public. The successor of each such appointed member shall be appointed for a term of five years in the same manner the original appointments were made and so that the representation on the board as set forth in this section is preserved, except that any person appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his or her predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term. Each board member serves until the appointment and qualification of his or her successor.
No more than three of the appointed board members may at any one time be from the same congressional district or belong to the same political party. No appointed board member may be an officer or employee of the United States or this state. Appointed board members may be reappointed to serve additional terms. All members of the board shall be citizens of the state. Each appointed member of the board, before entering upon his or her duties, shall comply with the requirements of article one, chapter six of this code and give bond in the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars. Appointed members may be removed from the board only for the same causes as elective state officers may be removed.
Annually the board shall elect one of its appointed members as chair, another as vice chair and appoint a secretary-treasurer, who need not be a member of the board. Four members of the board are a quorum and the affirmative vote of four members is necessary for any action taken by vote of the board. No vacancy in the membership of the board impairs the rights of a quorum by such vote to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the board. The person appointed as secretary-treasurer shall give bond in the sum of fifty thousand dollars. If a board member is appointed as secretary-treasurer, he or she shall give bond in the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars in addition to the bond required in the preceding paragraph.
The ex officio members of the board shall not receive any compensation for serving as a board member. Each of the five appointed members of the board shall be paid the same compensation, and each member of the board shall be paid the expense reimbursement, as is paid to members of the Legislature for their interim duties as recommended by the citizens legislative compensation commission and authorized by law for each day or portion thereof engaged in the discharge of official duties. All such compensation and expenses incurred by board members are payable solely from funds of the board or from funds appropriated for such purpose by the Legislature and no liability or obligation shall be incurred by the board beyond the extent to which moneys are available from funds of the board or from such appropriation.
The board shall meet at least four times annually and at any time upon the call of its chair or upon the request in writing to the chair of four board members.
The board shall appoint a director as its chief executive officer. The director shall have successfully completed an undergraduate education and, in addition, shall have two years of professional experience in solid waste management, civil engineering, public administration or regional planning. | <urn:uuid:1c06bd1a-fc41-4b76-a1e8-b183131fa439> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.legis.state.wv.us/legisdocs/code/22c/WVC%2022%20C-%20%203%20%20-%20%20%204%20%20.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981145 | 734 | 1.734375 | 2 |
An International Non Governmental Organisation, AFCON, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, has commenced food safety campaigns in different markets in Enugu, the Coal City capital.
The group which is currently sensitizing traders on the need for adequate food hygiene, also toured different restaurants in many parts of the state calling on food sellers to ensure adequate sanitation during and after the preparation of food sold to the public.
Our correspondent who monitored the sensitization campaign at Atisan Market , observed that the traders were happy over the visit of the group, even as they asked the government to tar the roads within the market.
Stressing the essence of the campaign, the President of the foundation Princess Ngozi Ugwuanyi stated the organization was deeply committed towards ensuring food safety in the country.
Ugwuanyi pointed out that many Nigerians had lost their lives through the consumption of unhygienic food products, noting that “when such people die, there will even be speculation that they were poisoned by one person or the other.
“With the full backing of the federal ministry of health, we want to save life through education; we want to teach our people how to prepare, cook and prepare food.
“We are seriously paying attention to restaurants and road side food vendors. They need to be educated on what to do to avoid jeopardizing the life of their customers”.
She disclosed that AFCON had recruited over 24 thousand members across the 36 states and FCT, adding that with some volunteers, “we shall enthrone food safety in the country”.
On whether defiant traders would be prosecuted immediately she said: “for now we are trying to teach them, we are trying to let them understand the importance of what we are doing.
“I know it will take them some time to get used to this campaign. This is a lifestyle they have lived over the years and we don’t expect them to change suddenly.
“However, whereby they refuse to change after a long time, we shall not hesitate to hand them over to appropriate federal government agencies”. She stated.
In their separate speeches, some of the traders expressed happiness over the campaign, promising to abide by the knowledge and training they received from the group. | <urn:uuid:73069247-023a-4645-8f49-d39dd9cff8b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/32369/2012/08/12/food_safety_campaign_begins_enugu_markets.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975166 | 470 | 1.640625 | 2 |
What would you do for 32? Join us in Pledging to Get a Move On!
The transportation system in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) isn’t working, and we can’t accept it any more. It can be so much better.
CivicAction’s Your32 campaign is about building public support for a better regional transportation system and the need for new sustainable ways to pay for it - to give our political leaders the evidence they need to act.
In Phase 1 residents of the region told CivicAction and our 45-member Regional Transportation Champions Council how they would benefit from a better system by answering the question “What would you do with 32?”. Now Phase 2 will give you a way to say what you are ready to do for that better system - and to invite your politicians to join you.
With the launch of “I Pledge to Get a Move on”, we are calling on civic leaders, residents, and elected officials at the municipal, regional, provincial, and federal levels within the GTHA to join us in pledging to be part of the solution to our regional transportation crisis.
Your pledge is critical to demonstrate a wide cross-section of support for new ways to raise funding under the terms that are important to us.
Please join us by making this pledge at your32.com – together our voice is stronger and demonstrates regional support for immediate action in combating congestion and getting a move on. | <urn:uuid:dee38cee-ad74-4557-8990-c3f056c0fe3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.civicaction.ca/regional-transportation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942407 | 304 | 1.5 | 2 |
Some photos of Lao people in and around Luang Prabang. Photos 1-9 were taken in 2005, while photos 10-20 were taken in the year 2000. You can see that Laotians now dress in a more westernised way compared to five years ago, when the country way less open than today. Most women however still wear the traditional sarong. Photos 19 and 20 were taken in April 2000, at the beginning of the dry season, when lots of children wait on the streets and throw water on passers-by.
The image LA27249 ("13 Laotian boy") has been added to your selection. Click on 'Lightbox' to view the content of the selection. | <urn:uuid:8880deea-c3cb-42d8-b500-5ac66b37a121> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.molon.de/galleries/Laos/LuangPrabang/People/?add=LA27249 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976119 | 144 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Beginning Cheesemaker Scholarship from Wisconsin Cheese Originals
Wisconsin Cheese Originals is proud to use a significant portion of its membership dues to offer a $2,500 scholarship to help one new Wisconsin artisan cheesemaker earn his or her cheesemaking license every year.
Wisconsin is the only state in the nation to require cheesemakers to be licensed, a lengthy process that can take as long as 18 months, requires the attendance at five cheesemaking courses, and 240 hours of apprenticeship with an existing licensed Wisconsin cheesemaker.
Applications for the 2013 Wisconsin Cheese Originals Beginning Cheesemaker Scholarship are now available. Download the application and return to Wisconsin Cheese Originals by March 15. The recipient will be chosen by a review committee and notified by April 1.
Past Wisconsin Cheese Originals Beginning Scholarship Recipients include:
2012: Anna Landmark owns and runs a small-scale sustainable farm with her husband and children in Albany, Wis. After using the scholarship money to earn her cheesemaker's license, Landmark plans to craft both fresh and aged sheep's milk cheeses, including thistle-rennet cheeses, which will require her to develop her own rennet from thistle flowers. This type of cheese is currently only available via import from Portugal and Spain.
2011: Rose Boero, a dairy goat breeder in Custer, Wis, successfully obtained her cheesemaker's license after receiving the scholarship in 2011. Today, she makes a variety of goat's milk cheeses at Willow Creek Cheese and teaches beginning cheesemaking classes in her home for amateur cheesemakers. She is developing plans to build her own cheese plant at her dairy goat farm, where she and her husband have raised Toggenburg dairy goats for 25 years.
2010: Katie Hedrich, a goat's milk cheesemaker, obtained her license in 2010 after receiving the very first Wisconsin Cheese Originals Scholarship. At the 2011 U.S. Champion Cheese Contest, she took Best in Show for her goat's milk cheese, Evalon, and was named the 2011 U.S. Champion Cheesemaker, the youngest licensed cheesemaker to ever earn the title. She and her family are currently building a farmstead cheese plant on their farm near Pipe, Wis. | <urn:uuid:8b64d2f1-2e05-49e5-8abb-5648f8984e09> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://culturecheesemag.com/events/beginning-cheesemaker-scholarship-wisconsin-cheese-originals | 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 | 0.952348 | 457 | 1.75 | 2 |
One question which comes up very often is when one should use SAN with MySQL, which is especially popular among people got used to Oracle or other Enterprise database systems which are quite commonly deployed on SAN. My question in such case is always what exactly are you trying to get by using SAN ?
There is significant portion of customers which are still using MyISAM when they come to us, so one of the big questions is when it is feasible to move to Innodb and when staying on MyISAM is preferred ? I generally prefer to see Innodb as the main storage engine because it makes life much [...]
Well these days we see a lot of post for and against (more, more) using of MySQL and DRBD as a high availability practice. I personally think DRBD has its place but there are far more cases when other techniques would work much better for variety of reasons. First let me start with Florian’s comments [...]
Let us talk few more about disks. You might have read my previous post and Matt’s Reply and it looks like there are few more things to clarify and explain. Before I get to main topic of the article lets comment on IO vs Disk question. If you look at Disk Based databases all data [...]
In the previous post I mentioned not all architectures and solutions work for Commodity People, and people seems to agree with me. Number of vendors would claim they are in Commodity Software or Hardware business but few would probably mention they are doing it for Commodity People, because few people would like to be called [...]
Now as new MySQL Storage engine – Falcon is public I can write down my thought about its design, which I previously should have kept private as I partially got them while working for MySQL. These thought base on my understanding, reading docs, speaking to Jim, Monty, Arjen and other people so I might miss [...] | <urn:uuid:3dfaa0b0-ee4e-4575-81d3-d14eacb1932f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mysqlperformanceblog.com/search/mysql+cluster+long+running+transaction/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980002 | 385 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Standard neons, Cardinals, and black neons...
Hi all - I have a 30 gallon tank (30L x 12D x 18H) that is still cycling at the moment, and I've been thinking a lot about what I want to stock it with. I've decided on going with neons, but I had a few questions:
1.)Will regular neons or cardinals school with black neons, or would each type be their own school? I would like to get one school of black neons and one school of either standard neons OR Cardinal tetras, if that would work.
2.)How many would be a good number to have total? I would just split them 50/50 and have two equal schools...I just don't want to overload the tank.
3.)I will also be adding some shrimp, either red cherry or painted fire reds. How much would they affect the number of tetras I can have in there?
I have read a LOT about compatability between neons and shrimp, and it's pretty divided as to whether or not it will work, so I figure I'll give it a whirl and see how it goes. I have a few plants in there now, some fake rocks, and a piece of driftwood with moss tied to it, so there will be places for shrimp to hang out once everything gets going. I wouldn't be adding the shrimp until after having the tank going for a while with the fish in it. If things don't work out, I will get a second tank and make it shrimp-only. Thanks in advance for any input!
each of those species will school with their own kind, not with each other (if you had only one or a few of each they'd probably school but that would not be the ideal situation). You could easily have two schools of a dozen each... and that's being conservative. Shrimp add next to nothing to bioload.
A lot of people report that everything eats shrimp, but I've had good luck with them. I have a healthy breeding colony of RCS in a tank with community fish (see signature). I have lots of hiding places and dense plant growth but the shrimp walk around the exposed parts of the tank without fear. When the tank is newer the fish would catch and eat a shrimp every now and then but I haven't seen it happen in months and even when it did happen it was not nearly often enough to harm the overall shrimp population. Seems to me the fish learn that catching a shrimp is just far too much work when nice immobile pellets get dropped into the tank twice a day.
300 gallon mega tank
: build in progress
75 gallon community tank
: tetras, danios, corys, platies, otos, pearl gouramis, bristlenose pleco, assassin snails, red cherry shrimp, bamboo shrimp
70 gallon growout tank: clown loaches, sailfin pleco
60 gallon goldfish tank: fancy goldfish
29 gallon frog tank / 10 gallon tadpole tank
: 1 leopard frog, 1 tadpole
10 gallon and 5.5 gallon betta tanks: 1 male betta each, sometimes snails
I have neons, harleiqum rasbora and shrimp in my tank. The shrimp are fine. I also had a 29 with nothing but neons. I also have the black neons but was not overly fond of them. Not sure why they are called neons other than because they are small.
If your new to keeping fish go with Neon's they are hardier than Cardinals but not realy a bigginer fish either. The Black Neons are hardier than the other two and will stay in the upper part of you tank where the other two will stay in the middle. The Black Neon makes a nice contrast from the other two.
Buy a Dz of each and you will do fine. I've never kept schrimp so I have to differ to my fellow forum members.
Good luck, I hope this helped.
The Black Neon, IMO a very underated fish.
Thanks for the info everybody. I finally got my tank cycled and put in 12 black neons and 14 standard neons. I really want to get a good look at them in there, but they're all hiding in one corner of the tank and I have the lights off so they can settle in. Tomorrow will be my first real look at the tank actually being populated!
Good on you for having the patience to wait before turning on the lights.
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit. -Vince Lombardi
“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” ― John Wooden
SHE......Lest We Forget
I have both black neons and regular neons. They don't school with each other, and mostly they don't school at all, but they still look pretty awesome scattered all over the tank... The only thing is, the black neons are easily two or three times the size of the "regular" neons - they are much deeper in the body, and a little longer - they look very different to neons and cardinals when they grow up. Not sure if that is the look you are going for. | <urn:uuid:78a34cb8-0a83-4c7f-afd7-f0df208036ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?p=1094034 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975491 | 1,131 | 1.773438 | 2 |
I've never really used a microframework in PHP before. I used Flask for a Python project that I did to experiment with using Google App Engine. The principles seem to be quite similar (although I will admit that having decorators in PHP would be ineresting) but the trade-off with a microframework is that you usually have to figure out an application layout for yourself.
He also uses the Pimple dependency injection container, Twig templating and Composer for package management. He describes how he got it all set up - organizing the code so Composer could understand it, creating the Twig templates directory and creating some of his default routes. | <urn:uuid:3385be9c-b5c7-4c92-9c92-f0a52ef60538> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.phpdeveloper.org/news/17542 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955174 | 135 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Combining art with meat is definitely a different concept. I'd have to say that I've never seen anything like this before, but I like it. Nicolas Lampert is the artist and he has combined the love of art with the love of food and created Meatscapes. Read on for more of his work.
Nicolas Lampert has created a series of art called Meatscapes. I asked Nicolas how he had the idea of Meatscapes, and he said that he came up with the idea by questioning land use. "In
Wisconsin, where I live, the majority of rural land is
utilized for raising cows, either for grazing land, growing food for cattle, or appropriating water for livestock so I started thinking about how to represent this in a graphic form. The result was the meatscapes that brings up this issue in a very subtle way."
Of all of Nicolas Lampert's art, I have to say that I love Meatscapes the best. The choice of photos along with the selection of various meats has many different effects. What first attracted me to these were the colors and the placement of meat. I was curious as to the reaction Mr. Lampert has received about Meatscapes so I asked him what people have commented on. "With the meatscapes and the machine animal collages, it was important to me to leave the reading of the image open enough so that each viewer will come to their own conclusions. To date, I get polar opposite views to the Meatscapes. Some see them as celebrating eating meat, others as speaking out against it. Also, humor is used as the entry point so the images are inviting at first, but I hope they make people question and think about the larger issues of consumerism and its impact on the environment."
I would say this art is definitely imaginative. I'm glad to see there is no obvious message in these, so like Mr. Lampert said, people can come to their own conclusions. That's what art is really about, isn't it?
Here are a few of my favorite ones:
The family portrait is my favorite. Which one is yours?
What do you think of this art? Any initial reactions to it? What about when you really look at it, what message do you think the artist is trying to portray?
Thanks to: machineanimalcollages.com | <urn:uuid:38e7dfbf-474b-44b2-9b3a-e77fcfdcd7fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://inventorspot.com/articles/meatscapes_11579 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98939 | 492 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The military pullout a year ago Tuesday did not end Washington's engagement. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, a fortress-like campus as big as Vatican City, remains a highly visible reminder of America's ongoing interest in Iraq's future.
Several senior U.S. officials have visited Baghdad over the past year, and America's role as Iraq's biggest arms supplier ensures continuing ties to the Iraqi military for years to come.
U.S. companies are hunting for Iraqi oil, and Chevrolet Malibus and Dodge Chargers increasingly cruise Baghdad streets still dotted with checkpoints. Iraqi Airways just days ago got its first Boeing jetliner in three decades, and it's waiting for dozens more.
But Iraq is at the same time busily pursuing its own interests — sometimes against America's wishes — as it seeks to balance its position in a precarious part of the world and reestablish itself as a regional power.
"Since the U.S. withdrawal, Baghdad ... has attempted to re-think its relations with the U.S." said Maria Fantappie, an Iraq analyst at the International Crisis Group. She described the strategy as trying to establish a two-way, "non-exclusive relationship with the United States."
Iraq's desire to go its own way was on display last month when authorities freed a jailed Hezbollah commander that Washington had wanted to keep behind bars. The U.S. considers Ali Mussa Daqduq to be a major threat to Americans in the region and believes the Lebanese militant was behind a brazen 2007 raid on a military base that left five U.S. soldiers dead.
Iraqi courts determined there was insufficient evidence to keep him locked up, and the country's Shiite-led government refused to extradite him to the U.S. to face further trials there.
Iraq meanwhile continues to forge ever stronger ties with neighbor Iran, Hezbollah's top patron, even as the United States and many of its allies work to isolate Tehran over its nuclear program. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to make his second visit to Baghdad soon.
Iraq has done little, for instance, to halt flights suspected of carrying Iranian arms to neighboring Syria. Although Baghdad has searched a handful of planes, saying it found nothing, its reluctance to do more exasperates Washington.
A U.S. Embassy official recently said the Iranian flights continue.
"They need to stop flights at least frequently and randomly without advance notice to have a look. We believe these flights carry weapons, and not just humanitarian supplies ... or flowers for the tabletops of Damascus," said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and insisted on anonymity.
American officials say their relationship with Iraq is improving nonetheless.
A number of senior officials have visited Baghdad in recent months, including Sen. John McCain and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey. Robert Ford, the ambassador to Syria, met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Monday to discuss efforts to resolve the civil war there.
Even so, the American presence in the country continues to shrink.
The number of U.S. government employees and contractors working at diplomatic outposts around the country has fallen below 14,000, according to figures provided by the embassy in Baghdad. That is down from about 16,000 earlier this year. It is expected to shrink to about 12,000 in 2013.
Even after the last American bases were handed over to the Iraqis and U.S. troops rolled out across the border with Kuwait on Dec. 18, 2011, a small number of military personnel stayed in Iraq as an arm of the American Embassy.
They are responsible for facilitating Iraqi arms purchases, including three C-130J transport planes handed over Monday, and training the Iraqis how to use and maintain the weapons. Fewer than 200 of those trainers and administrators remain in the country, and their numbers are expected to decline further into next year.
Iraq's transition to a world without American boots on the ground has been rocky.
Political crisis gripped the country as soon as U.S. troops left, when the Iraqi government announced an arrest warrant against Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, one of the country's highest-ranking Sunni politicians. Al-Hashemi is accused of orchestrating death squads — a charge he dismisses as politically motivated. Iraqi courts have since found him guilty in absentia and handed down multiple death sentences against him.
Al-Hashemi initially sought refuge in Iraq's self-ruled Kurdish region, away from security forces controlled by the central government, and later traveled to neighboring Turkey, where he remains. The Kurds' and Turks' willingness to offer him shelter has helped sour Baghdad's relations with both.
Other Iraqi officials also have been pushed from their posts amid allegations of wrongdoing, including the respected governor of the central bank, Sinan al-Shabibi. Critics see the moves as an effort by al-Maliki to marginalize perceived opponents. The government denies any such motive.
Ethnic tensions, meanwhile, are bubbling back to the surface. The Kurds, a different ethnic group from Iraq's majority Arabs, last month sent additional troops to fortify their positions in disputed areas bordering the Kurds' largely autonomous northern enclave.
Both sides have agreed to withdraw their forces eventually. Still to be resolved are deeply entrenched disputes over the contested areas as well as how to share wealth and manage oil resources.
Securing Iraq, as always, remains a challenge as well. Although the bloodshed is not so rampant as it was during its peak in 2006 to 2007, deadly attacks against civilians remain painfully common. Iraqi security forces still struggle to gather intelligence on militants and prevent attacks — a task made harder without help from the U.S. military.
While many Iraqis were happy to see U.S. forces leave their country after eight long years, some say they now regret that the American soldiers departed when they did.
"We now wish that the Americans would have not left us so soon," said Ibrahim Karim, a 35-year-old government employee in Baghdad. "The Americans left Iraq as a playground for neighboring countries and full of chaos and violence."
On Monday alone, a wave of bombings struck a number of targets, including areas disputed by Arabs and Kurds, killing at least 25 people.
Associated Press writer Sameer N. Yacoub contributed reporting. | <urn:uuid:1f1acb99-7b31-4b12-9570-fa58fc839f5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/21156812/article-US-Iraq-ties-still-evolving-a-year-after-war-s-end | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970422 | 1,304 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Skip to Main Content
In this paper an accurate physics-based simulation model of the 3D laser scanner, based on 2D range sensor (SICK LD-OEM1000) is presented. The model of the 2D sensor derives from the characteristics of the physical one and includes the uncertainty of the measurement, the dependency of the beam incidence angle and the target surface properties. Some experiments aimed to characterize the effects of the operation time, time autocorrelation, different object surface properties and orientations are also presented in this paper. 3D scanner virtual model, developed in rigid body dynamics environment, was verified experimentally and the results are reported.
Date of Conference: 24-26 June 2009 | <urn:uuid:78452a40-3d41-49eb-abc9-44112ce344a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?reload=true&tp=&arnumber=5164518&contentType=Conference+Publications&sortType%3Dasc_p_Sequence%26filter%3DAND(p_IS_Number%3A5164494) | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932977 | 141 | 1.734375 | 2 |
It is a costly
mistake to get lost in the false theory that more money equals
this is costing you valuable time, revenue, employees...and
even threatening your own job. Cash will always be a major factor
in motivating people and a solid compensation plan is critical
to attracting and keeping key personnel. But the key is that
additional cash is not always the only answer and in many cases
not even the best answer.
Too many bonus
or commission checks get cashed, spent and forgotten just that
quickly. Grocery stores and gasoline stations are among the
necessary stops that
seem to get in the way of using your extra cash on something
special for you.
to giving commissions or bonus dollars is to give gifts through
a catalog point system.
you choose will provide you with catalogs, price sheets and
point checks at no charge. The structure for your bonus plan
can remain the same but instead of awarding cash to your employees
you award equivalent points. Those points may then be used to
purchase an enormous variety of gifts or travel plans from the
involved is long-lasting. It begins with the employee being
able to browse the catalog choosing what they will strive to
earn. The catalog acts as a tangible reminder of their goal.
The gift itself will last as evidence of their achievements.
have implemented this program, the employees are overwhelmingly
in favor of the point system as opposed to cash. This type of
program is very popular with employees because they purchase
things they would never normally have the "money"
compensation in place, let's look at non-monetary motivation...20
steps to success.
When your employees accomplish something
they have achieved something. Your recognition is appreciation
for that achievement. I believe that most managers don't give
enough recognition because they don't get enough. Therefore,
it doesn't come natural to do it. If this applies to you, you
need to drop this excuse like a bad habit! Become a giver! Look
at the price. Recognition is free!
A form of recognition yes, but a very specific form.
Physically applaud your people by giving them a round of applause
for specific achievements. Where? When? The answer is wherever
and whenever. At meetings or company-sponsored social gatherings,
a luncheon, or in the office. At the end of a shift, before
a shift, and whenever possible in the middle of a shift.
or trophies is another effective way of applauding your people.
Although "wooden applause" is often successfully used
in the form of Employee of the Month plaques, more creative
ideas are sorely underutilized. Take the time to be creative,
matching special accomplishments with unique awards.
Coaching. Coaching is employee development. Your only
cost is time. Time means you care. And remember your people
don't care how much you know... until they know how much you
the emphasis is on positive feedback, I make sure to do this
coaching in "public." Whenever you recognize and encourage
people in "public," it acts as a natural stimulant
for others who are close enough to see or hear what's taking
Is training ever finished? Can you possibly overtrain? NO
and NO. For whatever reasons, too many people feel "My
people have already been trained" or "I've got good
people...they only need a little training." But training
never ends. Schedule "tune- up" training sessions.
These should be led by you or by a supervisor with help from
specific employees who show a particular strength in the skills
taught. I know this takes time, but these types of training
sessions will continually enhance the performance of your people
and the productivity of your business.
Path. Your employees need to know what is potentially
ahead for them, what opportunities there are for growth. This
issue is a sometimes forgotten ingredient as to the importance
it plays in the overall motivation of people.
paths within your organization. Do you promote from within?
I hope you can answer yes to that. Although specific circumstances
require you to look for talent outside your company you should
always first consider internal personnel. If you do this you
are sending a very positive message to every one that there
are indeed further career opportunities within your organization.
Titles. When you talk about job titles you are
tapping the self-esteem of people. How someone feels about the
way they are perceived in the workforce is a critical component
to overall attitude and morale. Picture a social gathering that
includes some of your staff. The subject of work inevitably
comes up. Will your people be proud, or embarrassed, to share
their title and workplace? The importance of feeling proud of
who you are and what you do is monumental.
as you think of possibilities for titles. Have your staff come
up with ideas giving them input into the titles. Bottom line,
you are dealing with pride...and pride enhances a positive attitude...and
a positive attitude is the foundation for continuing success.
Work Environment. A recent industry study shows
just how inaccurate your results can be. Employers were asked
to rank what they thought motivated their people
and then employees were asked to rank what really did motivate
felt "working conditions" was a nine (or next to last)
in terms of importance. What did the employees say? Number two!
Working conditions are very important to the way employees feel
about where they work.
does your office look nice? Are there pictures on the walls,
plants and fresh paint among other features that generally make
people feel good about their environment? Does their work space
have enough room or are they cramped in a "sardine can?"
What about furniture? Is the desk the right size, chair comfortable?
Is there file space and do they have the miscellaneous office
supplies needed for maximum performance? Is the temperature
regulated properly so they don't feel they're in the Amazon
jungle one minute and the North Pole the next?
Praise. This too is associated with recognition
but the key here is timing. When there is a reason for praising
someone don't put it off for any reason! Promptness equals effectiveness.
Praise people when the achievement is fresh on everyone's mind.
What is effective
is for us to get off our keisters and go out and tell whoever
it is what a great presentation it was or applaud them for the
sale...praise them promptly for what they accomplished or achieved!
Don't allow time to creep in and snatch away any ounce of the
positive impact that praise can have when it is delivered promptly.
Roles. Give your people leadership roles to reward their
performance and also to help you identify future promotable
people. Most people are stimulated by leadership roles even
in spot appearances. For example, when visitors come to your
workplace use this opportunity to allow an employee to
take the role of visitors guide.
A great place
to hand out leadership roles is to allow your people to lead
brief meetings. Utilize your employees' strengths and skills
by setting up "tune up" training sessions and
let one of your employees lead the training. The best
time to do this is when new people start.
a meeting leader after someone has attended an outside seminar
or workshop. Have them lead a post show, briefing the other
employees regarding seminar content and highlights.
Have your employees
help you lead a project team to improve internal processes.
Spirit. Have a picture taken on your entire staff (including
you!), have it enlarged and hang it in a visible spot. Most
people like to physically see themselves as part of a group
contests in your area, try to create contests and affiliated
activity that are team driven. People driving to reach goals
together definitely enhance team spirit solely because they
must lean upon others and be prepared to be leaned on.
One very effective
idea for me has been building a collage of creative ideas with
the "Team" theme. All employees are responsible for
submitting a phrase referring to TEAM on a weekly rotation.
Each of these ideas (such as TEAM: Total Enthusiasm of All Members
or There is no I in Team) is placed on a wall, creating a collage
of Team-oriented phrases. Don't have one person responsible
for this...do it as a team.
Recognition. This is the secret weapon. And like any
secret weapon, timing is most critical. If this is used too
often the value is diminished. And if it is used only for special
occasions and rare achievements the value is escalated. We talked
earlier about general recognition and the positive impact that
has on your people. That will go up a few notches when it comes
from an executive. Some of the same vehicles can be used here
such as memos and voice mail. To add yet another level of stimulation,
have an executive either personally call to congratulate someone
(or a group) or even show up in person to shake hands and express
his or her appreciation.
Gatherings. Scheduled offsite events enhance bonding
which in turn helps team spirit, which ultimately impacts your
positive work environment. Halloween costume parties, picnics
on July 4th, Memorial Day or Labor Day, and Christmas parties
are only some of the ideas that successfully bring people together
for an enjoyable time. Some others that I've used with equal
success are softball games (against other companies or among
employees, depending on staff size), groups going putt-putt
golfing or movie madness.
Dress Day. This will apply more to the Business-to-Business
world based on the difference in normal dress codes from the
Business-to-Consumer arena. For those required to "dress
business" every day a casual day becomes a popular desire.
Use holidays to create theme color casual days such as red and
green before Christmas or red, white and blue before July 4th,
or black and orange prior to Halloween. This will add to the
impact you're trying to have by calling a casual day in the
first place. Establish pre-vacation casual days for each individual
employee to enjoy on the day before his or her vacation.
events are a perfect opportunity for casual days to support
your local or favorite team with appropriate colors, buttons,
and logo wear. Spontaneous casual days produce a lot or stimulation
based on the element of surprise. Announce a casual dress day
for the following work day "just because." Use individual
or team casual dress days as contest prizes or awards for specific
Off. Implement contests that earn time off. People will
compete for 15 minutes or 1/2 hour off just as hard as they
will for a cash award. And in many cases, I have had people
pick time off over cash when given the choice. Put goals in
place (padded of course) and when these goals are reached by
individuals, teams or the entire staff, reward them with time
off. Allow early dismissals, late arrivals, and extended lunch
periods or additional breaks.
Seminars. Outside seminars are a stimulating break.
Because outside seminars are not always cost efficient for most
people, consider on-site seminars or workshops for your staff.
Use outside seminars as a contest prize for one or two people.
Then set up a structured plan for those seminar attendees to
briefly recreate the seminar to the rest of your people when
they return. Now everyone gets educated for the price of one.
Responsibility. There are definitely employees
in your organization who are begging for and can handle additional
responsibility. Our job as managers is to identify who they
are and if possible match responsibilities to their strengths
Contests. Over the years my contests have produced up
to 170% increase in performance. But equally as important, they've
helped maintain positive environments that have reduced employee
turnover by 400%.
most successful contests seem to be those affiliated with different
themes. Holidays, anniversaries, sports and culture are examples
of ideas to base contests on. Sports, without a doubt, provide
the largest opportunity for a wide variety of contests. Even
Culture can be used to create theme contest. My favorite is
using the '50s and '60s as a theme for a contest that I run
at least once a year.
Management. There are many articles and books available
on the subject. Make this reference material available to your
people. Make sure they know it is available and encourage them
to use it.
have an in-house seminar on stress management techniques. So
that production time is not lost, you might consider having
a brown bag luncheon with a guest speaker on this subject. Because
stress is an ongoing concern, anytime is a good time for a seminar
like this to take place.
Be as flexible
as you can with breaks during the course of the day.
Days. Every now and then pizza, popcorn, or cookie days
will help break up that everyday routine and help people stay
motivated. Because it is a natural tendency for people to get
excited in anticipation of something, structure some of these
days in advance. Then buy some pizzas or different cookies or
even whip out some different types of popcorn.
and Gimmicks. Use different gimmicks as awards to help
inspire performance increases from your people. The key to awards
is establishing the perception of priceless value that is associated
with them. They should be recognized as status symbols in your
environment. Here are some of my ideas: | <urn:uuid:e9eb6f00-9c24-4414-a9c5-3b5b86195b8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biztrain.com/motivation/stories/20ways.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941685 | 2,894 | 1.742188 | 2 |
The German Liberal party, the FDP, has defied expectations in the Lower Saxony state election. Most people thought they’d continue their poor run of results in state elections. In the ten state elections in 2011 and 2012, they won the 5% of the vote necessary to win seats in just four of them. Opinion polls had consistently put them on between 3% and 5% and so there were doubts about whether they’d win enough votes to get into the state parliament at all.
In fact, they received 9.9% of the vote in Lower Saxony, up from the 8.8% of the electorate who backed them five years ago. That wasn’t enough to stop the Social Democrats and the Greens taking control of the state by just a single seat.
It’s easy to spot the similarities between the FDP and the British Liberal Democrats. Both are in coalition with their country’s conservative party. Both have unpopular leaders. Both have – until yesterday – been suffering electoral losses.
I imagine many Lib Dems are hoping for a similar boost in their electoral fortunes. One Lib Dem councillor has already tweeted that the FDP’s result “gives us #libdems hope.”
It’s extremely unlikely that the Lib Dems will see electoral success in the same way as the FDP has done.
Just over 100,000 of people who voted for the FDP were “Last-Minute-Transfers” (yes, that’s what the German press are calling tactical voters) from the German conservatives, the CDU. Nearly 70% of FDP voters said they’d voted tactically and more than 90% of them said they could have also voted for the conservative CDU party.
Does this sound like people who vote Lib Dem to you? The Lib Dem leadership may be close to the Conservatives. Traditional Lib Dem voters certainly aren’t though and Conservative voters aren’t close to the Lib Dems either.
The FDP are a party of classical liberals voted for by liberals. In Lower Saxony, conservative voters also supported them in a bid to keep the CDU-FDP coalition. The Lib Dems are a party of liberals and social democrats voted for, until 2010, by social democrats. This is a generalisation, but not a big one.
It just doesn’t seem possible that huge numbers of Conservative voters are going to come to the Lib Dems’ rescue as CDU voters did for the FDP. The FDP has spent 60 years as the governing partner of the CDU and CDU voters know and trust them. The liberals in the Lib Dems have traditionally sought out social democratic voters with their policies on mansion taxes and tuition fees. Conservative voters haven’t had time to get to know or trust a liberal Liberal Democrat party and won’t vote tactically for them. | <urn:uuid:829d21a1-8f3a-4688-a817-b1fd6714e206> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://edpw.wordpress.com/category/german-politics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972012 | 602 | 1.765625 | 2 |
35 Commencement and transitional provisions.E+W
(1)This Act shall come into force on the 1st January 1969 and, save as otherwise provided by this Act, shall have effect only in relation to offences wholly or partly committed on or after that date.
(2)[F1Section 27 of this Act and section 148 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000]shall apply in relation to proceedings for an offence committed before the commencement of this Act as they would apply in relation to proceedings for a corresponding offence under this Act, and shall so apply in place of any corresponding enactment repealed by this Act.
(3)Subject to subsection (2) above, no repeal or amendment by this Act of any enactment relating to procedure or evidence, or to the jurisdiction or powers of any court, or to the effect of a conviction, shall affect the operation of the enactment in relation to offences committed before the commencement of this Act or to proceedings for any such offence.
Annotations are used to give authority for changes and other effects on the legislation you are viewing and to convey editorial information. They appear at the foot of the relevant provision or under the associated heading. Annotations are categorised by annotation type, such as F-notes for textual amendments and I-notes for commencement information (a full list can be found in the Editorial Practice Guide). Each annotation is identified by a sequential reference number. For F-notes, M-notes and X-notes, the number also appears in bold superscript at the relevant location in the text. All annotations contain links to the affecting legislation. | <urn:uuid:c2bd4da4-f694-4a61-8b14-3ed93c52b364> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/60/section/35?view=plain | 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 | 0.930759 | 325 | 1.757813 | 2 |
20 Career Lessons from Celebrities
Tania Khadder and Zac Frank
#6: Kate Moss
Lesson: Be discreet about your “extracurricular activities.” And please, stick to the legal kind.
The English supermodel came onto the scene in the early 90s. Since then she’s become the face of numerous beauty products, launched her own clothing line, and dated just about every scruffy man in Britain. But of all her high profile love interests, none has been more controversial than Libertines front man and known drug addict Pete Doherty. In 2005, photos of her snorting cocaine were all over Britain’s Daily Mirror. Allegedly, one of Doherty’s friends snapped the footage with a cell phone and sold it to the tabloid.
Drug use in the modeling industry isn’t exactly breaking news. But stills of Moss ingesting copious amounts of cocaine were rattling – especially after she’d vehemently denied drug use throughout her career. She lost several multi-million dollar modeling contracts and checked into rehab shortly after. She bounced back, but she’ll always be remembered as “Cocaine Kate.”
While Kate’s example is a bit extreme, it does remind us that any questionable activity we engage in off the clock — even binge drinking — can come back to bite us. | <urn:uuid:f507cfdd-b916-413c-969b-f356ec237fc1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nursinglink.monster.com/benefits/articles/8831-20-career-lessons-from-celebrities?page=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949226 | 287 | 1.546875 | 2 |
This blog post is one in a series where I explore the Iron Pentacle and how it has changed for me since becoming a parent (Read the first installment, Sex, here). In my religious tradition, we have a tool for alchemy called the Iron Pentacle. It is a five pointed guidepost to helping you achieve personal balance. Each point on the pentacle is a human birthright:
Sex, Pride, Self, Power, and Passion.
Pride is often confused with conflated ego, and in the Christian tradition is considered one of the seven deadly sins. Why on earth would Feri witches revel in such a thing? Simple- we are Gods*. We have a right to be proud of our accomplishments and words and deeds, especially when they manifest our True Will and the Will of the Divine here in this world.
Pride is the shameless recognition of our own self-worth and ability. It allows us to live fully without reservation, allowing our true nature to shine outward while not giving in to the ego's temptation to compare ourselves to others (whether favorably or disfavorably). "What is called pride in our culture is often merely arrogance. ... Arrogance has its flip side in self-deprecation, which is just another face of the arrogant posture."- T. Thorn Coyle, Feri and Reclaiming initiate.
One of the most interesting conversations that I've had about Pride in this context was in one of Thorn's classes. Thorn put forth the idea that you cannot be proud of someone else. This disturbed me, as I have felt this emotion especially when I taught sixth graders in the Oakland Public Schools.
Of course I could be proud of a child that struggles to read when all obstacles are thrown in their way! My kids had poverty, hunger, non-involved parents, apathetic teachers, and a curriculum that saw them more as guinea pigs than people with needs to contend with. But then I looked deeper. "My kids"- huh. There was my ego, getting in the way of their accomplishments. They learned to read. Yes, I facilitated or assisted but it is truly their accomplishment. I saw then that on some level, being "proud of someone" is trying to take credit for their accomplishment in some way. Wow. What a revelation.
Wanting a baby very badly meant going through the physical transformative process of pregnancy that was sure to trigger me on a very visceral level and submit to whatever birth experience manifested itself. And for a while, it looked like a repeat C section, which made me an emotional train wreck.
Judi (my midwife), Wolfy (my doula) and Oberyn (my partner) for being there for me when I most needed them.
And as for feeling Pride for my son, when he accomplishes a milestone (as he seems to do daily these days), I am happy for his success- and I revel in that joy. Which to me, appears more honest than feeling Pride.
*Unlike some religions that believe that we "have a spark of the Divine" or we are mirror reflections of the Divine, Feri believes that we ARE Divine. And the work of your lifetime(s) is to become that God that you already are. Hard work, becoming a God. | <urn:uuid:efea8c5b-707e-4916-87da-b20c543a157c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://parentingbythelightofthemoon.blogspot.com/2010/10/points-on-iron-pentacle-pride.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975656 | 673 | 1.671875 | 2 |
|Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter|
Buy an Ad
By Barbara Coven-Ellis
It's funny. Michiganders' dedication to the idea of "buy locally" is evidenced everyday on our freeways. I've spent time in just about every state in the union and no where, by my recollection, is the percentage of American-made cars so high as on the streets and freeways of Michigan.
And now, one of the many branches of the environmental movement encourages you to "buy locally" (food and goods produced nearby) so as to reduce one's carbon footprint.
When you think about it, it makes sense; because when you "buy locally" you are supporting your friends and neighbors and their businesses, and they, in turn, funnel their monies right back into your community.
But how often do we apply that mindset to the arts? If you're a reader here, chances are that you already support local theater with your attendance - which is wonderful! But did you know that very few actors can actually survive on the seven-to-12 week contracts offered by most area theaters even if they are fortunate enough to be employed theatrically on a regular business?
Why? Because most of the contracts pay a salary that is roughly equivalent to minimum wage - yet they require time commitments of 30-45 hours a week!
Now, there is no "blame" here. The local professional theaters pay their actors as well as they can, and many of the contracts are negotiated through Actors Equity Association, the union for professional stage actors. It's not that anyone is out to get anyone else, it's just that all those lovely things like costumes, lighting, sets, the people who design all those things, the administrators, the ticket sellers and even the mortgage holders all have to get their respective piece of the pie.
So the slices tend to be pretty darn slim.
So how do actors survive?
In this market, we have been extremely fortunate to have a wonderful ally - the auto industry. Actors here are used regularly at auto shows as "product specialists" and as narrators (those folks standing up on a platform, in gorgeous clothing, telling you all about the new models) here and throughout the country. And the constant overhaul of car lines and models means that there has always been a pressing need for actors to appear in "industrial films" - films that are used to train the people who eventually sell and service the products.
As a matter of fact, for quite a while the greater Detroit area was the top maker of "industrial (training) films" in the United States. We produced more training films here than in Hollywood!
Additionally, auto manufacturers drew upon the acting talent and driving skills of Michiganders to produce their commercials. It used to be a fun challenge to watch Big 3 car commercials and try to guess in which community they were shot. "Was that Somerset Mall's parking lot?" "Ooo that looks like that new equine community in Milford!" "I recognize that overpass at I-75 and I-94!" "Hah! They're using the RenCen for a drive-by shot again!"
Michigan actors regularly appeared in commercials on television screens across the country. This was a good place to be for someone involved in acting and production. The housing was affordable, the cost of living within reason and the state offered them a safe environment in which to live and raise their families.
But as our state's economy weakened and the Big 3 pulled their respective belts ever tighter, the production of industrial films dropped precipitously. And commercials? Well, all you have to do is watch a few and you'll notice that most are of the exteriors of cars. They don't feature film clips of families traveling from inside the car or van. They rarely even show a mom unloading groceries in the family driveway, or loading up the kids (filthy, of course) after their sporting activities. And interestingly enough, when they DO feature these things, it is very obvious to those of us who live in the Midwest that the film was shot in the much milder climes of Southern California.
The result? Area acting and production professionals are having a harder and harder time making a living here, and so many of our best and brightest are often forced to leave the area or the industry for which they are trained.
But to me, the big question is: WHY are companies doing this?
It must be just as expensive, if not more so, to do these commercial shoots in other areas, especially considering that you have to fly the advertising people from the corporate headquarters to the sites of the shoots to oversee the production. Whenever you do commercial shoots there are several people there who represent the actual company for which the commercial is being produced.
And the Big 3 aren't the only ones.
There are three major pizza chains that were founded in this area. Of the three, only Hungry Howie's still produces its commercials locally. The Michigan Lottery continues to produce commercials here, as do the three Detroit Casinos, using local talent and production companies. OnStar uses voice talent that is all based right here in the area. Fifth Third Bank does its commercials in Michigan (although they are usually non-union), and Comerica has been doing a lovely set of "industrials" that are styled after popular television shows and films, which utilize area acting and production talent. And while Bissell continues to shoot its commercials locally, they regularly choose to use Chicago or New York talent, even when local directors insist that the talent available locally is just as good AND doesn't cost the extra dollars incurred by paying the traveling costs of an out of area actor, as well as their housing and per diem costs during the days of the shoot.
So what's my point in all this?
I guess what I'm trying to show is that we HAVE the local resources to help support acting and production professionals in this area. There are many multinational businesses that are headquartered here, as well as numerous others that are multi-state. Just as we need to support local businesses, and therefore our own communities, we also need to encourage those same businesses to use the multitude of talent available right here in Michigan. We have ad agencies here that are known all over the world - Campbell-Ewald, Carmichael Lynch, BBDO and others.
Michigan businesses need to look to local advertisers, and local advertisers need to remember and employ local talent.
So, just as YOU help local acting and production professionals every time you gather in a theater for a performance, you can also help them, and the area economy in general, by encouraging businesses to look to Michigan talent and Michigan vistas when producing their advertisements (be they print or film).
Remind them that dollars spent within Michigan go back into the communities of the people who work for them. That money spent out-of-state on projects that could more cheaply be shot here, is money that goes to support another economy, not our hungry one here. Encourage them to "think locally" when considering creative projects.
And watch as the dollars trickle down into our local economies and help us all.
Click here to comment on this story | <urn:uuid:82670d28-b280-4e06-800c-f6fd9a69da11> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.encoremichigan.com/article.html?article=109 | 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 | 0.973259 | 1,483 | 1.507813 | 2 |
review by Fiona Stager
Ruth Becker is an elderly retired German teacher living out the end of her life in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. After a lost manuscriptunexpectedly lands on Ruth’s doorstep the ghosts of her past return to haunt her. The past is now more real than the present.
We move seamlessly back to the time between WW1 and WW11 in Germany; a time when Ruth and her friends were active in peace and anti-Nazi political activities. Lead by Ernst Toller, the poet-leader and Dora, Ruth’s passionate and charismatic cousin, this group of students, artists, activists and dreamers will find themselves tested again and again.
All That I Am is alive with the history of a time I knew little about but the great strength of this remarkable novel is the fully formed complex characters. It looks at the fate of people who find themselves challenged by love, hatred, philosophy and of history. Some will find themselves wanting. Neither the individual nor the world will be the same again.
A story based on real people and events it’s a deeply moving and emotionally rich novel about people fighting for their beliefs against a tidal wave of hate, brutality and disbelief.
I was deeply moved Anna Funder’s first novel. | <urn:uuid:b005f4a4-58cf-47c1-8700-65ca5aff6674> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://avidreader.com.au/index.php?option=com_datadisplays&view=datadisplays&ITEMNO=9780143567516 | 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 | 0.959163 | 262 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Detective Donald 2: The PartyMystery teasers are little stories where you need to figure out what happened based on the given clues.
Having arrested John Jacobson, the man who kidnapped Bill Richman, a party was held in Detective Donald's honor. However, to test Donald's smarts, Bill Richman sent Donald this paper:
To get to the party, drive to Green Road, where there will be a row of eleven houses that look exactly the same. One of them is my house. Which one, you ask? Well, you'll have to find out with these clues:
My house is not the one on the left.
I have exactly two neighbors.
Do not enter the third one, because it's not my house.
Don't enter the ninth one either.
Lose the thought of entering the three houses on the very right.
Erase the thought of entering the houses on the left, too.
Okay, enough hints. Which house do I live in? If you think there's not enough clues, think again!
Donald read it over a couple times, and drove to the house where the party was being held.
Which house in the row did Bill live in?
HintYes, there ARE enough clues. Look carefully to see what's left.
AnswerBill lives in the house in the middle. Read the note again, but this time, look at the first letter of each line. The capitalized letters in the clues spell out "MIDDLE."
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Back to Top | <urn:uuid:4d26cf94-4fd4-40c6-83dc-8434aa9fc692> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.braingle.com/brainteasers/teaser.php?op=2&id=48246&comm=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958072 | 367 | 1.6875 | 2 |
A little while back, I received an email about a weird phenomenon in the oil industry.
The email was in respect to a comment I had made about oil and gas. Specifically I said when oil prices shoot higher, gasoline prices at your nearby station immediately follow. Pretty simple logic, right?
The question, and a good one I may add, was why we’ve never seen prices drop precipitously overnight at our local station.
Today we have a case study of this, pertaining to the recent “flash” crash in oil prices.
If indeed oil prices feel nearly 10% in the past 2 weeks, why the heck aren’t prices at the pump down a similar amount? Let’s take a look, and see if there’s any way to play this dynamic energy move…
There’s a lot going on in the U.S. energy space, especially in the oil industry.
But, when you take a deeper look at some of the numbers – there’s a real head-scratcher that needs to be addressed: the oddly high price of gasoline.
To get a grip on this situation, let’s follow the oil flow…
Oil production in the U.S. over the past few years has really ramped up. In fact, according to a report from the Energy Department, last week, U.S. oil fields produced 6.5 million barrels a day – representing the highest level of production since 1997.
So to be sure, there’s plenty of black goo floating around in domestic pipelines, railways and tanker trucks. Plus, according to yesterday’s release of weekly petroleum data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), “At 365.2 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are above the upper limit of the average range for this time of year.”
We’re producing more oil and we’ve got more oil in storage… so far so good!
Taking a look at the spread between the price of crude oil here in the U.S. (WTI crude, trading at $90 a barrel) and the world-benchmark (Brent crude, trading at $102) there’s still reason to believe the U.S. is enjoying a glut of cheaper-than-average oil.
In fact, this abundance of cheap oil led to a rebound in the most unlikely of industries: refining.
Today, U.S. refineries that take advantage of cheap WTI crude are making a killing. Just take a look at some of the year-to-date gains from the refining sector:
Alon USA Energy (ALJ) 55%
HollyFrontier Corp (HFC) 72%
Tesoro (TSO) 77%
Valero (VLO) 47%
Western Refining (WNR) 96%
Bigger players like Phillips 66 (PSX: NYSE) and Marathon Petroleum (MPC:NYSE) are also raking it in, both up 40% and 59% respectively.
These refiners are selling some of their product to the winding-down U.S. gasoline market, but a lot of this profit potential is coming from crude products sold into the global market, through exports. This gets us to the main factor behind high gas prices.
Take a look at the export boom we’re seeing here in the U.S.:
According to the Associated Press, “Exports of petroleum products reached a record 914 million barrels last year, and were the biggest U.S. export category by value.”
Not to mention, “Petroleum product exports were 11 percent higher this year through May,” the article adds.
Exports are great for the U.S. economy – indeed, this is taking the raw crude wealth we’re pulling from the ground in North Dakota, Texas and other shale plays, and refining it into an exportable, value-added petroleum product.
Although, while this is great for the economy, it’s also keeping U.S. retail gasoline prices stubbornly high. See, instead of turning a glut of cheap oil into a glut of cheap gasoline, U.S. refiners are selling petroleum products, including gasoline into the world market – where arbitrage opportunities abound.
Love it or leave it, it’s a free market at work. In fact, depending on what happens in the U.S. oil patch over the next 12 months, the refiners listed above could sustain even higher share prices – it could be your free market way to play this trend. Time will tell of course, and right now I’m not making any guarantees (especially with the refiners paying paltry dividends around 1%.)
Commodity market data backs up this thesis, too.
Although crude oil prices are 15% off their April highs, reformulated gasoline contracts are trading very close to their April highs. So the modest discount to April’s high gasoline pump prices are true to the trading data.
Looking further out, the price of future reformulated gasoline doesn’t look to be headed much lower, either. Although we may see a 5-10% dip, we may very well see stubbornly high prices for the coming months. Buyer beware.
Simply put, whether refiners are holding prices artificially high or if they are lowering U.S. gasoline output to increase exports, the outcome is the same: stubbornly high prices. In other words, the refining industry has one thing to tell you: tough noogies.
That’s all for today.
Keep your boots muddy,
At The Daily Resource Hunter , we take a fundamentally different approach to research. With our boots on the ground, we travel the world looking for the most lucrative resource, energy, an precious metals opportunities. Each business day we call on our stable of world-class writers and thinkers to show you how to get ahead.
Start your 100% FREE subscription to The Daily Resource Hunter today and you’ll get receive out newest report: “The 4 Easiest Ways to Profit From Oil Right Now.” Simply enter your email address below to get your free report and join thousands of worldwide Daily Resource Hunter subscribers!
We Respect Your Privacy and We will
Never Share or Sell Your Email Address | <urn:uuid:2a66e8b0-7383-4785-807f-7da3f7799762> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dailyresourcehunter.com/the-truth-about-retail-gas-prices/ | 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 | 0.93056 | 1,328 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Click here to download full cv
Jean-Pierre Bertrand was born in 1937 and he lives and works in Paris.
First as a chief cameraman, moviemaker or actor Jean-Pierre Bertrand is into cinema. Since the seventies he has developed a work mixing photography, movies, writing, painting, drawings on recycled papers, neons and installations.
His work is radiant and arduous. But you can get into it without any key. “Reading and studying all of what has been written on my work is not necessary. You just need to be without any intention to communicate with it, to let what lies in everyone come out and reveal what the unique and the substance are.”
The origin remains a mistery. Here, it will be Robinson Crusoe’s island : salt, lemon and honey, as the mineral, the plant and the animal ; and the number 54.
His paintings follow strict rules of measurements, appellations, materials and colors. Framed, set in a steel angle or under a plexiglass, they stand as the witnesses of a transparent body. There, the paper is washed, soaked, nourished by lemon, honey and salt, and worked with red coagulating acrylic or Flemish medium giving it some transparency.
His works have been seen at Centre Georges-Pompidou, Paris, MAMVP, Paris, Musée Picasso, Antibes, Carré d’Art, Nîmes, Documenta, Kassel. He represented France at the Venice Biennal in 1999. Present in either private or public collections he realized public procurements for the National Library of France, Paris and stained-glass windows for the Bourg-Saint-Andéol church, France. | <urn:uuid:68e6f8f4-679f-41cb-bfb9-d83e10485c00> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://michelrein.com/en/artistes/oeuvres/7/Jean-Pierre | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933459 | 367 | 1.515625 | 2 |
As Nonoha visits some kindergarten students, their teacher, Madoka, gives Kaito a letter, which the others suspect to be a love letter. Suspicious about the contents, Nonoha and Gammon follows Kaito to the meeting point, where it's revealed Madoka is a Giver following in her late fiancée's footsteps. Kaito, Nonoha, Gammon and Madoka, along with some children, become trapped in a Kenja Puzzle inside an abandoned building, which wasn't what Madoka expected. Nonoha works to calm the children down whilst Kaito solves the puzzles. When the last puzzle gets destroyed due to falling debris, Nonoha's photographic memory allows her to recreate the puzzle, allowing Kaito, Gammon and the children to solve it, revealing a statue of Florence Nightingale which Nonoha donates to poor children. As a result, Nonoha ends up with the title 'Nightingale', which doesn't exactly please her. | <urn:uuid:2ee9cb47-8727-480e-a3c0-66520b7a6ad1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://trakt.tv/show/phi-brain-kami-no-puzzle/season/1/episode/7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931643 | 197 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Certificates of Completion of Training
This section provides information about Certificates of Completion of Training (CCT).
It is a legal requirement that a doctor practising as a substantive, fixed term or honorary consultant in the NHS holds specialist registration and that a doctor practising as a GP in the UK holds GP registration. A CCT confirms that a doctor has completed an approved* training programme and is eligible for entry onto the GP Register or the Specialist Register.
Because we have approved and quality assured the training programmes that eligible CCT applicants have completed, an application for CCT is less complicated and quicker than other certification applications.
If you are a doctor looking for guidance on which certificate you are eligible for and how to apply, please see our applications guidance.
All doctors who are eligible for a CCT will be notified by their Royal College or Faculty between three and six months before they complete their training. Following that notification we will contact the doctors and invite them to apply online for their CCT.
An eligible doctor is in training or has trained in approved* posts and is following or has followed the training programme as detailed in the relevant specialty curriculum.
Recognition of CCTs in Europe
The CCT is awarded to specialist doctors under Annex V (point 5.1.2) of Directive 2005/36/EC for the UK. The certificate confirms satisfactory completion of specialist training which satisfies the requirements of Article 25 of the Directive or Article 28 where the specialty is General Practice.
*Approved by one of the following organisations
|Before September 2005 (for specialists)
The relevant medical Royal College or Faculty
Before September 2005 (for GPs)
|The Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice (JCPTGP)
Between September 2005 and March 2010
|Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB)**
|From April 2010
|**Before 31 July 2007
||Some training posts that were completed before 31 December 2006 may have been approved retrospectively by the Royal College or Faculty for that specialty (including General Practice). This approval will have been granted before 31 July 2007 and the doctor will have a letter from the Royal College or Faculty confirming this.
Read frequently asked questions for doctors about CCT
Read about applying for GP and specialist certification in our applications section. | <urn:uuid:137cb6b7-81c9-4a59-91aa-d42608f4e29b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/aboutcct.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953398 | 477 | 1.515625 | 2 |
A suicide bomber walks into a bar. He shouts at the bartender, "Gimme the money, or I blow this place to bits!" The worried bartender hands him a wad of cash, and the bomber departs.
The next day, the suicide bomber returns to the same bar. He shouts at the bartender, "Gimme the money, or I blow this place to bits!"
"Are you nuts?" answers the bartender. "If I give you money every day, I'll go out of business. Plus, you're scaring away the customers."
"I tell you what," replies the bomber, "Gimme the money, and I won't come back until the day after tomorrow."
Welcome to the art of negotiation, Republican style. Since the election of 2010, the United States has narrowly averted three Republican-built suicide bombs: one government shutdown, one debt default and one fiscal cliff. We have two more scheduled for February: across-the-board spending cuts and another debt ceiling expiration.
The Republicans' suicide strategy is a relatively new addition to American politics. Newt Gingrich pioneered the first government shutdown in 1995. It was so disastrous that no one tried it again for 16 years. In the meantime, Republicans pursued a more traditional method known as the democratic process. They campaigned for election and took control of the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. From 2001 to 2006, the dominant Republicans passed plenty of conservative legislation. (They did not, however, reduce spending or balance the budget.)
When their golden era came to an end, many Republicans refused to accept that the popular will had turned against them and resorted to obstructionist tactics. In the Senate, they have filibustered 391 Democratic bills in the past six years, culminating last month in Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's historic filibuster of his own bill. The Democrats are no strangers to the filibuster, of course, but they managed only 201 in their six years of minority status.
Yet the Senate is a model of effective government compared with the House, now the only Republican-dominated branch of the federal government. Frustrated by their inability to get conservative legislation past the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House, congressional Republicans have revived the "suicide bomb."
The key to the suicide bomb strategy is to convince people that members of the conservative wing of the Republican Party are crazy enough to wreck the economy if they don't get their way. Democratic leaders seem to believe them. Like the hapless bartender, they keep tossing the Republicans wads of cash -- spending cuts and tax breaks -- in order to spare the country from a debt default, shutdown or recession.
But this bomber will not be satisfied by a few payoffs. The Republicans continue to use every opportunity to extract concessions by threatening to wreck the economy ... again. When Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner proposed a permanent debt ceiling extension during the last round of negotiations, McConnell reportedly laughed in his face. The suicide bomb has become the Republicans' most effective weapon. Why would they give that up? | <urn:uuid:6530ccd9-fc58-4cba-802d-5839a3612165> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wlwt.com/news/national/Wolraich-Is-GOP-blowing-itself-up/-/9837944/18009524/-/qr7byd/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958615 | 619 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The federal government kicked off fiscal year 2010 by posting its widest-ever October budget deficit, the Treasury Department said Thursday.
The $176.36 billion gap is more than $20 billion wider than the shortfall recorded in October 2008, driven up by lower tax receipts, stimulus-related revenue reductions and consistently high government outlays.
Treasury's monthly budget statement shows receipts were $135.33 billion in October, down 18% from a year earlier and at the lowest level since October 2002. Meanwhile, outlays were $311.69 billion, down 3% from a year earlier and at their second-highest monthly level on record.
The October deficit figure is wider than the Congressional Budget Office's estimate for a $175 billion deficit in the month and wider than the $165.9 billion expected by analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires...
The staggering number has had U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner pledging to rein in the deficit as the nation's economy recovers.
Hot Air offers some insightful commentary:
What better way to kick off Barack Obama’s first full budget year as President than with a deficit that exceeded the White House’s own projections as well as analysts’ expectations? The federal government busted the budget worse than last October by $20 billion with a deficit of $176.36 billion for the month. That used to be considered a decent deficit target … for an entire year.
Of course, to lefties, this is all George Bush's fault. | <urn:uuid:275c5d4c-d1d6-4075-8c11-2de3f2377d8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rightontheleftcoast.blogspot.com/2009/11/budget-deficits.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971307 | 307 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Posts Tagged ‘health’
It appears as though most people are attempting to shed weight nowadays, and everybody offers their very own concept of the ideal method to get it done, which makes it difficult to select a great technique. Dropping weight does not need to be complicated, although. This particular number of ideas can help you in your time and efforts to get rid of which extra body fat.
Whenever considering losing weight the first point you will need to perform is actually get ready psychologically. Whilst weight loss is really a physical point the real function is mainly carried out in your mind. Before you begin start to get ready with regard to the modifications which you will take on in your own life.
Be sure you control your own food cravings along with meals which fulfill to prevent eating too much. Eating too much may sabotage a whole diet which day. A person usually understand you’ve arrived at this time since you begin to really feel unpleasant and possess a “stuffed” sensation in your own belly. Whenever your body is actually suggesting in order to stop, you have to stop consuming.
To be able to shed weight, improve your own exercise degree. It will help to become listed on the fitness center, if you exercise consistently, or even occupy jogging or even another sport that you simply appreciate. You may also proceed much more on your day to day activities. For example, rather than using the escalator or even the elevator, attempt running upward the steps. Rather than car parking your own car because near to your own location as you possibly can, recreation area your own car further aside. Performing this stuff causes you to definitely make use of a few calories from fat whilst heading regarding your own every day regimen.
Because had been stated over, there’s a prosperity associated with info available nowadays regarding weight loss methods. Nevertheless, not really all this info will probably work with everyone. Nevertheless, through carefully subsequent the ideas described over, you will quickly end up nicely on the way in order to achieving your own weight loss objectives.
Ladies who’re extremely energetic and visit the fitness center know about the fitness courses which are available in order to the open public. Nevertheless, numerous women aren’t because experienced regarding the options which from available with regard to expecting women.
Pregnancy fitness courses are incredibly well-liked with regard to women who’re looking to locate a encouraging atmosphere and having a good time whilst these people physical exercise. The interpersonal relationships permit you to reveal encounters and queries along with additional soon-to-be moms. Not just tend to be these types of kind of courses enjoyable however also, they are the secure method to physical exercise because women tend to be led via just about all actions and the courses tend to be created specifically with regard to expecting women.
Pregnant women may sign up for courses for example bikram yoga, yoga, aqua aerobic exercise and reduced effect aerobic fitness exercise courses. Reduced effect courses include actions which make use of medication golf balls and dumbbells, to provide women cardiovascular routines. The courses will frequently include extending, pelvic ground and stomach balance exercises and frequently may complete along with a few rest. All being pregnant fitness courses must have physiotherapist authorization to ensure that all the exercises trained in order to the individuals tend to be ideal for being pregnant. What’s better still is actually in the event that the courses tend to be operate with a physiotherapist.
Prior to becoming a member of any kind of fitness class, the expecting woman must always go to the woman’s medical specialist to allow them to say yes to the fitness options that’s selected. There might be a few actions which are unacceptable on her to complete, and health care companies can notify expecting women associated with exactly what they ought to and shouldn’t be performing since it pertains to their own individual requirements.
Physical fitness is really a required required with regard to top the healthy and an energetic life. This not just enhances the power and endurance associated with the body but additionally the way of life of the individual. Physical fitness is actually hard to keep, particularly among the stress and stress associated with modern life styles, along with small range with regard to physical exercise and entertainment.
The essential aspects of physical fitness tend to be cardio power and endurance, respiratory system effectiveness, muscular power and versatility. Additionally, many other elements for example environment, chronological and physical grow older and inherited genes impact physical fitness. The physical fitness techniques used through anyone shouldn’t be the identical to with regard to an additional, because the entire body and health situation are often not really the exact same. Although physical exercise or even physical exercise functions like a driver to attain physical fitness, the well-balanced diet additionally helps this method. A normal and organized work out and the prepared dinner is really a suggested method to preserve physical fitness. Little physical actions which match a person’s physical situation tend to be more efficient compared to large exercises.
Becoming actually fit may decrease numerous health-related difficulties for example being overweight, hypertension and cardio-vascular difficulties. Aside from building powerful muscular bulk, physical fitness induces well being and psychological balance. Additionally, a much better performance associated with center, lung area and additional body internal organs is actually certain. Physical fitness is possible via yoga periods, cardiovascular courses and muscular fitness exercises.
These days, much more and much more individuals are worried about the need for physical fitness in their own life. The desire in order to guide the actually fit life offers increased the improvement associated with multi-gyms and health night clubs in each and every corner associated with the world. Physical fitness training courses tend to be incorporated through college times onwards. Additional, needed physical fitness ideas and methods can be acquired via your local library, magazines and the internet. | <urn:uuid:a84ab486-a426-4d49-a654-7c8d3d9b0419> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://diy-fitness.com/tag/health | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95891 | 1,184 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Why Use Language Translators?
By admin - Tue Aug 21, 12:53 am
Article by Translation Wizards
Why Use Language Translators? – Publishing
Search by Author, Title or Content
Article ContentAuthor NameArticle Title
For each company organization large or tiny, economic docs that contains: Earnings sheets, balance sheets, money flow statements and auditor reports actually reflect the continuous changing pulse of your respective organization. Now by way of language translation program, it is possible to share some of your respective essential details with overseas partners or shareholders much more efficiently.
No doubt the economic alterations all close to the globe have honestly affected the speech translation services and these times translators are equally involved in each aspect of intercultural and company connection. Inside a state of continuous globalization, currently language translation service is becoming a much more important element for concise transfer of tips.
Nowadays a stiff competitors is consuming the worldwide market place and affecting the communication levels of every massive and tiny organization organization. Businesses are now investing massive amounts freely on verbiage translation. These days, numerous firms are shopping forward to spread their presence all across the globe and need to convey their corporate messages to nearby as nicely as worldwide industry. They want their message to be conveyed with utmost lucidity towards target audience and so they are hiring words translations support from skilled words translators, who can translate their crucial paperwork with immaculate accuracy.
On the other hand, the critical point that one will need to fully grasp is the fact that outsourcing the words translation do the job from any inexperienced organization or even a novice professional might be incredibly risky. Consequently, it’s incredibly significant to employ program from experienced language translator.
Businesses offering speech translation services are receiving far more and far more attention these days. As the competition inside the company landscape is acquiring fierce, company proprietors can no longer afford to ignore the global current market.
Sadly, on the other hand, a lot of of these company owners who frequently acquire the guide of translation firms usually do not really know if they may be receiving the program they deserve. These proprietors think that a translation firm that knows their needed words is already sufficient, not understanding that what they’re carrying out is extremely hazardous.
A company that gives outstanding words translation service translates meaning and not words. A person who wants to have his files translated should examine first if his chosen translation firm strictly follows a right work flow and a program that assures project good quality.
A reputable translation organization has an extraordinary team composing of translators, editors and proofreaders.
Best translation corporations have strict high quality management and consistently generate superb translations, no matter whether it be considered a one-page or possibly a 300-page document. If one particular definitely desires to check out the good quality of the company’s words translation services, he can search for customers and see what they’ve to say concerning the organization.
A lot of individuals fail to understand this significant reality about translators – not everyone who speaks a foreign verbiage might be a good translator. If somebody desires to convert a document written in Spanish, a translation firm need to supply a translator whose native vocabulary is Spanish.
The translation of vital documents from sectors for instance finance or government needs to be handled by translators who tend not to just speak the vocabulary but fully grasp it as effectively.
In addition, an excellent language translation assistance is able to supply translators who have complete understanding of an client’s field of expertise. For example, if a client wants to convert documents relating to healthcare equipment or clinical evaluation, the translation business can supply a translator who holds a degree in medicine or pharmacy.
With regards to pricing, the translation firm that presents the lowest selling price might not usually supply good vocabulary translation program. Translation organizations that provide you with less costly prices may well have cut costs by not following a multi-step quality procedure.
About the Author
Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included. | <urn:uuid:3988f0f9-77d0-4b79-8f91-bae1004c28c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://babblefish.com/languageblog/language-translation/why-use-language-translators/?wtsLang=ru | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932079 | 827 | 1.632813 | 2 |
If you are not familiar with the term ‘knowledge economy’, please become so. We are not suffering from Obama or Bush economic policies, but from shifting economic eras. It is convenient and tempting – but WRONG – to attribute current economic woes to one political party or another, to outsourcing or to off-shoring.
The predictable and stable careers of our senior citizen parents are gone. Today’s middle-age workers have suffered a steady erosion of economic stability, and our children can expect to change jobs many times across entire sectors (many of which do not even exist yet) untold times before their working days end.
Humanity has experienced only a few major economic upheavals, and this is one. We previously transitioned from an agricultural economy to an industrial production economy which gave way to a service economy that is now becoming a KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY. Many people simply don’t understand this shift, or it’s impact.
[Great summary [article here] explaining the current economic situation.]
If you or your business, your children or their children, do not embrace self-directed LIFE-LONG learning – in advance of need – you risk becoming irrelevant, no matter how well-trained or educated or successful you may (or may not) presently be.
Please, do not rest complacently in today’s comfort – if you have it – which can be gone in an instant. I teach adults every semester who are suffering this reality – and it is sad, but understandable. Many had not actively learned for many decades.
Continue to learn and reinvent yourself for the future which is now. | <urn:uuid:ca54ad57-5a13-45be-a6b8-bc113324d1a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mickley.net/worksmart/category/knowledge | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956932 | 338 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Written by PETA
UPDATE: After receiving a complaint from PETA about the incident below, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited the exhibitor who provided the tiger to UniverSoul for handling the tiger in a manner that caused her stress and unnecessary discomfort. The exhibitor was also cited for failing to maintain the tiger's enclosure in a manner that would protect her from injury.
This is not the first time that this exhibitor has violated federal law. In 2008, he was ordered to pay a $6,000 penalty after two tigers escaped while touring with UniverSoul. In the past year, he has been cited for failing to provide big cats with a proper diet and feeding big cats unsafely handled meat.
Video footage of a tiger traveling with the UniverSoul Circus showing his foot trapped beneath the sliding door to his cage has prompted PETA to fire off a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Indianapolis Animal Care & Control asking for an immediate investigation into the animal's condition. The video shows the tiger struggling to free his foot, panting, and in obvious distress.
UniverSoul rents its animal acts from exhibitors who have dismal records of animal care. The USDA has repeatedly cited UniverSoul's animal exhibitors for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including failure to provide veterinary care, medical records, and adequate space. Undercover video footage shows one exhibitor UniverSoul has used—Tim Frisco of the Carson & Barnes Circus—viciously attacking elephants with a bullhook as they scream in pain. The circus has also had at least three tiger escapes.
Please tell the USDA that you expect it to take immediate action to assess this tiger's condition.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail [email protected]. If you need to report cruelty to
an animal, please click
here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the
animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local
police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA
immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
Follow PETA on Twitter!
Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights? Read more. | <urn:uuid:dfa89b71-5ecf-4c4b-b329-59996ba60d35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/tags/Tim+Frisco/default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958794 | 525 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Tibet Rights reports on JewBerry, a Blackberry program that a large number of Hebrew Jewish texts for daily prayer. In 1999 I owned a Handspring PDA that had the Book of Common Prayer on it. Now the iPhone has applications for the ESV Bible and the BCP.
‘m glad to see that everyone is taking advantage of these technologies. I particularly enjoyed these remarks, that show technology helping to blend the sacred into the secular:
“Throughout the day, Jews gather in office-building stairwells and conference rooms to pray, and while sometimes you might not remember your prayer book, no one goes anywhere without their BlackBerry,” says co-creator Jonathan Bennett, of Cedarhurst, Long Island.
Among JewBerry users is the president of Yeshiva University, Richard Joel.
“I love it, because now I can not only look how the market is doing, but I can also say my evening prayers,” he says, adding that “at the heart of what Yeshiva is about is the notion that it’s not our technology that informs civilization; it’s our values.” | <urn:uuid:1306824d-1e5b-4b4a-b278-73d14b4185f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lab16.wordpress.com/tag/book-of-common-prayer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949043 | 238 | 1.59375 | 2 |
So I'm starting a new statue
its more complex than previous Statues i made
the idea is a dragon who abducts a soldier and his friend trying to hold the friend that is kidnap foot in an attempt to stop the dragon.
so i started with armature
I'm intend to do a helmet for the soldier
And here I stopped a little
I started to think how I'm going to make him an chainmail.
after some searching and thought I got the idea how it going to be done.
Create a snake, by hand or with a tool.
Cut into small pieces
Rounding them slightly with your fingers
Using a tool with a round head I squeeze the first line
Then the second and repeats
Now another way but it requires a larger statue
Or really gentle touch
Step one create a snake
Step two rotated it around a stick
Cut it in the middle with a knife
The next step
Is forming rings again but this time cut them wider
Look at the picture
And connect them between each pair against the direction | <urn:uuid:20cff38f-f112-4cdf-8735-450df231d2ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.conceptart.org/showthread.php?264792-Dragon-attack&p=3634444 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940404 | 218 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Build your own Guitar
By Sensible Jones.
OK, ever felt like you want to 'build' your own Guitar, to your own Specs, but didn't think you had the skills??
Well, I'm here to tell you that ANYONE, with just a little bit of time and patience and a few basic Tools, is capable of producing their own 'Custom Creation'!!
In this article I'll take you through the assembly of the Guitar pictured on the right.>>>>>>>
As you can see it's a Strat styled instrument and so we'll be using a Vintage style Tremolo Bridge and 3 pickups with 1 Volume and 2 Tone controls. The whole process is exactly the same, whether you are building a Tele, a V, a Les Paul etc! It doesn't matter what shape it is, it will still have the same basic geometry and parts!!!
So, what do you need to get started???
All the bits you'll need!
Well, Tools-wise you'll need:-
Phillips Screwdrivers. (No 1 and No 2.)
Soldering Iron. (Preferably 2!! A 100 Watt and a small Gas Type)
Steel Rule or straight Edge.
A sharp Wood Chisel.
A Drill. (A hand drill will suffice.)
A 3 or 3.5 Drill Bit. (For predrilling the Neck Screw Holes.)
As for the parts, well where to start?????
Basically you'll need:-
Tuners. (Machineheads, Tuning Pegs.)
0.22mf capacitor. (Or 2)
5 Way Selector Switch.
Some Single Core 0.25mm Wire. (Can also be multi-Core, but I prefer single Core)
Some 0.25 or 0.5mm 'Shielded' Wire.
Control Knobs and Switch Tip.
Looks a little daunting doesn't it??
Fear not, it's really not that difficult!!!
Let's get started!
Let's start with the Body. In this build I used one that I've had for 15 years or so and has been built and rebuilt several times. The first thing I needed to do was to fill in all the Holes left from previous Scratchplates. The best and easiest way to do this is to sharpen some Matchsticks with your Craft Knife, dip them into some PVA Adhesive and then push them into the Holes. Wait until the PVA has dried (it goes clear) and then cut off the remainder with your Wirecutters, as close as you can to the surface of the Body. You will leave a small 'nipple' of PVA and matchstick which can be carefully removed, flush with the Body, by using a sharp Wood Chisel.
I also decided to 'sheild' the control cavity using some self-adhesive Copper Sheet. Here you can see the Matches stuck in and the shielding applied:-
To do the shielding you will need to get some self-adhesive Copper sheet. It is also available in Tape form of varying widths. I use the sheet form so that I can cut it down to whatever width I need.
Using you steel rule measure the depth of the Cavity and, using your rule and Craft Knife, cut enough strips to go around the vertical surface of the Cavity. Once you have done that cut some more strips to cover the bottom of the cavity. Cut whatever shapes you need to cover it completely, it doesn't matter at all if your pieces overlap!!
Here you can clearly see the shielding and matches in place:-
And here you can see that I've trimmed the matches down and used the Chisel to get the surface flush again:-
Now, turn the Body over and attach the Spring retaining Claw for the Tremolo. The easiest way to do this is to push the Claw against the front edge of the Cavity and about central depthwise. Mark the two screw holes with a Pencil and remove the Claw. Screw the two screws into the marks at a slight angle into the Body. If you try to screw them in parallel then it makes it harder to access them later for adjusting the spring tension!!!
Turn the Body back over and attach the Bridge with the screws provided. At this point I always like to make sure that everything all fits properly and looks good. Here it is with the Bridge attached and the Scratchplate and Jack Socket just resting in place:-
OK, take a deep breath as next we move onto.......
First off I'd like to say DON'T BE SCARED!!!
I knew nothing about this kind of Electronics when I built my first guitar, BUT with a little patience and methodical working it's really quite straighforward and you don't even have to really understand the theory of Electronics! As long as you follow the Wiring Diagram at the end you can't go wrong!!!
Here's all the parts laid out:-
Start by installing the Pots. When you receive the Pots they will have a small fixing Nut and Washer attached to them, remove these first and push the Splined shaft through the hole in the Scratchplate from the rear. Your scratchplate will probably have a shielding sheet on the backside, just push the shaft through it. Then reattach the washer and then the nut, tighten in place with a spanner. You'll notice that this scratchplate has a small hole by each of the main Pot holes, these are for a small locating lug on each of the Pots. Not all Pots have these!
Attach the Pickup Selector Switch with the screws provided and then attach the Pickups themselves. Remember to install the Spring over each of the pickup screws!!! This will need your No 1 Phillips Screwdriver.
Now, to the actual wiring itself!!
Refer to the Wiring Diagram below. Using the 0.25 Single Core wire connect your Switch to the Volume and Tone Pots as illustrated:-
It should look something like this:-
Use your Gas Soldering Iron to solder to the Tabs on the Pots and your 100W to solder to the Pot Cases. If you try to use too small a Soldering Iron to Solder the 'Grounds' and Capacitor Legs to the Pot cases you may well damage the Pot's internal workings!! In the top diagram there is only 1 Capacitor and in the picture there are 2, one on each Tone Pot. I prefer using 2 as it gives a slightly better and smoother tonal response, but whichever you decide is your own prerogative!
Next, join all three 'Grounds' from your pickups and solder to the casing of the first Tone Pot (or the Volume Pot it will all be grounded anyway!) then solder the relevant 'Hot' wire from each Pickup to it's relevant place on the Switch using your smaller Soldering Iron, especially on these PCB typ switches!!! Now you should have something like this:-
As I used Rail Type Humbuckers I have two wires left over!! The Red and White. (Which are used if you want to make your Pickups Coil Tapped.)
The wiring code for these particular ones is:-
Hot = Green. (Connect to Switch.)
Ground = Black and Bare. (Soldered together and then to the Tone Pot.)
Red and White = Coil Split option. (Not being used so just tape them up and out of the way.)
Next, solder a length of Single Core to the Ground of whichever Pot you decided on, this will be a Ground wire to be soldered to your Spring Claw in the back of the Guitar. Now strip the end of the Shielded Wire, about an inch long will be sufficient. Pull away the shielding and twist together. This end can now undergo what is called 'Tinning'. Heat it up with your Soldering Iron and when hot enough run some solder into it thus binding all the strands of the shield together and making it a lot easier to solder to the relevant place. Strip back a small bit of the insulation of the centre wire and 'Tin' this end too. Solder the shield to the case of either the Volume or Tone Pot (whichever you used) and the Wire to the Centre tag of the Volume Pot. This shielded Wire is your output to the Jack Socket.
The Yellow 'tail' is the Claw Ground Wire and the Black 'tail' is the Output wire.
To make it easier to install I use small 'Cable Ties/Zip Ties' to tidy the wiring up and also to get the Pickup wires central. This can save a lot of aggravation when trying to install the Scratchplate!!!!
(If you're never going to change your Pickups you can cut the wires to length when you install them to make it even tidier!)
Now, push the single Core wire through the small hole in the body and through to the tremolo cavity and the Shielded Wire through the Hole into the Jack Socket Cavity. (Both these holes should be pre-drilled.)
Solder the Single Core to the Spring Claw and install the Springs.
Connect the Jack Socket by soldering the Centre Wire to the tab that will connect with the Tip of your Cable and the Shield to the Sleeve Tab.
Don't screw the scratchplate down just yet!!!!!
Insert the Neck into the Pocket as hard and tight as you can, now line up the Scratchplate to the Neck and Bridge and screw in position using your No 1 Phillips Screwdriver! You can also screw down the Jack Socket as well.
There's not too much to tell you here as it all depends on how you buy your neck, with or without hardware and whatever design you want. This one is obviously from a left-handed instrument originally so I had to fill the original fixing holes in the Heel. I did this the same was as I filled the Body holes but just used bigger 'plugs'. I also had to re-drill the holes for the machineheads as this originally had 'Vintage' style tuners (which utilise a 6mm hole) and I wanted to install a set of modern style ones (which need an 8mm hole.) These holes were re-drilled on a Pillar Drill to make sure everything was kept square.
These machineheads (Wilkinson's) have a small 'Locating Pin' on them and so,once the holes were drilled, the machineheads were pushed through from the back and the point for the locator was marked for each Tuner. I then pre-drill a small hole to suit for each locator. The Machineheads were then all pushed into place and the Sleeve Nut that secures them in place was tightened using the appropriate sized spanner.
Unfortunately I don't have pics of this whole process as I'd already completed it all before I decided to write this article and once these type of tuners are in place they are quite difficult to remove. Other types have a small screw instead of the locator Pin and are a lot easier to remove.
I also needed to reverse the Nut so that the larger, low E string slot was where the 'top' of the neck would now be.
Here it is in it's original position:-
And here it is turned around:-
This was done by gently prising it out of it's slot using a very thin Flat-bladed Screwdriver.
Now, once you have gotten this far, push the Neck tightly into the Neck Pocket on the Body and mark and predrill the four screwholes.
Make sure not to drill all the way through the Fingerboard!!!
A good trick here is to mark the drill bit with a piece of Tape at the right depth and then just drill until the Tape is just touching the Neck!
Now you've got this far it's time for......
The Final Assembly.
Right, we're almost there!!!! The finishing line is in sight!! Push the neck into it's Pocket as hard and as tight as possible. Turn over, being careful not to dislodge the neck. You may find this easier to have someone help you keep the two bits tight together. Place the Neckplate in position on the back of the Body and attach the neck using the four screws. It looks like there are two Neckplates in my first photo but one of them is a thin Plastic tray that the Neckplate sits in, this stops the Plate from marking and indenting the Wood. (Not all Neckplates are supplied with this plastic tray.)
Now you can put your Control Knobs and Switch Tip on and GUESS WHAT??? That's it!!! You've built your first Guitar!!!!
Now I know what you're all thinking..... And that's "But Sensible, you've forgotten something!! How am I going to play it with no Strings???"
Well my friends, it's like this, I'm going to String it and set it up, String Height, Intonation etc in a follow-up article!!!
Hope you enjoyed getting this far and if you have any questions and queries don't hesitate to ask either in the Forums or via PM!!!
So, until the next exciting episode.......
--Sensible Jones 16:34, 30 October 2009 (CET) | <urn:uuid:a93971b3-0f97-4254-9fae-02601bc202c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/index.php/Build_your_own_Guitar | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947638 | 2,730 | 1.679688 | 2 |
By Suzanne Perry
The nonprofit world will take a break from its economic woes and celebrate a big political victory on Tuesday when President Obama signs landmark legislation that boosts national service, volunteerism, and innovative social projects.
The president, fulfilling a campaign pledge to greatly expand government programs to get Americans to serve their country by doing good, is set to sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act during his first 100 days in office — a timeline that pleases national-service advocates for its symbolic significance.
The signing ceremony will take place at the SEED School of Washington, D.C., an inner-city charter boarding school, in the company of dozens of nonprofit leaders who united to push the legislation forward and members of Congress who shepherded it to passage with exceptional bipartisan support.
The event is expected to pay special tribute to Sen. Edward Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, a leading sponsor of the bill, who is now ill with a brain tumor. Senator Kennedy forged a partnership with Sen. Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah, to champion the bill — and the Utah senator easily persuaded the Senate to name the bill after his Democratic colleague.
The signing of the act is the second key commitment to nonprofit groups that Mr. Obama is following up on. Last week, the White House confirmed that the Office of Social Innovation, a unit that will focus on ways to get nonprofit groups and other organizations involving in solving the nation’s problems in new ways, will be headed by Sonal Shah, a former Google executive.
Forces Behind the Legislation
The Serve America Act is a victory for two coalitions of nonprofit groups that zeroed in on the 2008 presidential campaign in a bid to get lawmakers to expand the country’s national-service programs and provide money for entrepreneurial approaches to social problems.
America Forward — a coalition of more than 70 groups that started in 2007 and includes civic-engagement organizations like America’s Promise Alliance, Citizen Schools, Public Allies, and Year Up — urged all of the candidates to introduce “social investment” funds to help nonprofit groups expand innovative and proven strategies for tackling poverty, school achievement, and other issues. Mr. Obama endorsed the idea and the Serve America Act includes a new Social Innovation Funds pilot program with similar goals.
That program emphasizes the importance of documenting which methods work, which distinguishes this legislation from earlier national-service bills, says Vanessa Kirsch, president of New Profit Inc., a group in Cambridge, Mass., that manages America Forward.
“Each generation and each president has put a mark on service,” she says. “The unique and defining arc that Obama is putting on is a focus on results and impact.”
A separate coalition, ServiceNation, emerged in 2008 to press presidential candidates to expand the country’s national-service programs, which had not been updated since 1994, when President Clinton signed a bill creating AmeriCorps into law.
Arguing that Americans were looking for ways to help the country, especially following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the coalition persuaded both Mr. Obama and his Republican rival, John McCain, to attend a high-profile forum in New York on the seventh anniversary of the attacks to discuss their notions of “service.”
Both candidates agreed to support legislation to expand national-service and volunteer programs, thus sealing the bipartisan approach to the effort. Republicans have been generally more skeptical than Democrats about national service, some arguing that the spirit of volunteerism is best nurtured without government intervention.
But Senator McCain sees the issue through the prism of his military service, a perspective that ServiceNation has worked to nurture by involving military leaders in all of its activities.
Once Mr. Obama, who worked for nonprofit groups early in his career, won the presidency, the national-service movement benefited from two White House advocates. Michelle Obama — who opened the Chicago office of Public Allies, which trains AmeriCorps members for nonprofit and public-service jobs, in the 1990s — said she would work to promote national service as first lady. (See an article from the Chronicle’s archive about Public Allies and how it played a role in influencing the national-service plan.)
Advocates like Civic Ventures, a nonprofit group that promotes “meaningful” work opportunities for oder people, also tapped into the growing movement to get baby boomers to put their expertise to work for the public good. Such groups persuaded Congress to create new programs to encourage people age 55 and above to volunteer for nonprofit groups, including Silver Scholarship Grants and Encore Fellowships.
ServiceNation — which now counts almost 200 members, led by the groups Be the Change, City Year, Civic Enterprises, and the Points of Light Institute — does not consider its work done now that the Serve America Act is about to become law.
The goal is “not just to fight for the legislation, to get the money, but to make sure the programs work,” says Alan Khazei, founder of Be the Change, in Cambridge, Mass.
Money to Be Committed Later
While the Serve America Act outlines federal programs that can now expand or start operating, Congress still has to allocate money to pay for them. That can be tricky give the federal government’s pressure to cut the federal budget deficit. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated the new activities could cost close to $6-billion over five years.
President Obama proposed in February increasing the budget of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the agency that operates national-service programs, to $1.13-billion in 2010 — up from almost $890-million this year. But Sandy Scott, an agency spokesman, said the administration is now reviewing the numbers, which may need to be increased to pay for the legislation’s new programs.
The corporation is also still waiting for the president to appoint a new chief executive to replace David Eisner, who stepped down in November.
The Serve America Act does not take effect next October 1, but nonprofit groups and state national-service agencies are now brainstorming about how to take advantage of it.
The Washington State Commission for National and Community Service, for example, is thinking about planning a “service summit” to bring together nonprofit groups, volunteer centers, foundations, and others to discuss the best way to use volunteers to respond to local needs in areas like health care, weatherization of housing, and rising unemployment.
“How can service be the strategy by which we enable the community resiliency to develop in places that are very, very hard hit?” says Bill Basl, executive director of the Washington commission and chair of the American Association of State Service Commissions.
Meanwhile, some national-service advocates are hoping the bipartisan response to the Serve America Act will rub off on other issues. “This offers a little bit of a roadmap for the other challenges this Congress and president need to address,” says Mr. Eisner. | <urn:uuid:e07f945c-f34e-4446-93c1-be1fa0e909a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://philanthropy.com/article/Obama-to-Sign-Landmark/63068/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946558 | 1,429 | 1.632813 | 2 |
“They used C-4 to heat up some C rations — it burns with a bright yellow flame; a piece the size of a walnut will heat a whole can — but nobody had much appetite, even before Moses ate half a can of Ham & Limas and barfed.”
“Instead of burning fossil fuels to heat up kilns for firing high-tech ceramics, we can mimic mother-of-pearl, which self-assembles a substance twice as strong as those ceramics in seawater: no heat required.”
“Brine was methodically wrapping the fuses of the seal bombs with thin monofilament silver wire designed to heat up when a current was applied.”
“Of course it must be remembered that a person’s aura changes moment by moment, as his emotions cool or heat up and actual thoughts cannot be ascertained through the aura-reading technique.”
Looking for tweets for heat up. | <urn:uuid:4c353dcd-4041-40ac-b076-9d55ce2574e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordnik.com/words/heat%20up | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940982 | 206 | 1.8125 | 2 |
This is a wooded peak with gentle slopes tucked away in the Green Mountains of Vermont and has a fire-tower-turned-lookout on the summit. Unfortunately since 2003 the lookout is closed. Goddard Shelter has been replaced with one of the same design possibly to be named Keenan. At least that is what the memorial plaque inside declares. Completely unforested and grassland for profitable sheep-herding 150 years ago, the forest has returned and now new stands of trees cover it's slopes.
I believe it is the 9th highest summit in Vermont. The fire-tower is off limits, but from the top four states could be seen and endless rows of mountains like the Adirondacks, the Tactonics and the Berkshires.
The summit is traversed by the famous Long Trail of Vermont. The same treadway is also a small part of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. This ensures that not just locals get to enjoy this mountain.
Long & Appalachian TrailsThe Long & Appalachian Trails are long distance backcountry hiking trails. In the southern part of the state the two trails coincide. Just beyond route 4 at Sherburne Pass the trails diverge. The LT continues north to the Canadian border and the AT turns east toward Maine. The Long Trail is totally contained within Vermont while the mighty Appalachian Trail spans 14 states from Georgia to Maine.
The US has a well organized and active long distance community and both these paths see lots of use by backpackers hiking the whole trail in one season. About 70 people per year successfully complete the LT and become End to Enders. 2,000 - 3,000 backpackers per year attempt to thruhike the entire AT in 4-8 months. Estimates vary but approximately 10% - 20% succeed. In 2005 AT hopefuls were about 1000 people less but the success rate shot up to around 25%.
For more information on the mountains along the trails please visit:
Long Trail Mountains
Appalachian Trail Mountains
For more information on the organizations behind the trails please visit:
Green Mountain Club and LT website
Appalachian Trail Conservancy and AT website
VT 9 Forest Service TH: This trailhead is on route 9 between the cities of Bennington and Wilmington. From downtown Bennington (rt 7) travel east about 5 miles. From Wilmington travel west 8.8 miles past the VT 8 junction. The parking lot is on the north side of the highway. The white blazed LT/AT is just to the east.
Branch Street Extension TH: From Bennington go 1 mile north on VT 7 from the VT7/9 intersection. At Kocher Drive travel east about 1 mile to a small parking lot with a blue blazed utility pole. There is a power line crossing here.
The following is good info too:
Date: June 03, 2005 10:52 PM
Responding to one of the comments about Glastonbury - no, there are few to no shorter ways in. It's a straight 10.1 miles from the south (Route 9) and 12.2 from Stratton-Arlington road (actually West Wardsboro road). The only loop trail option is to go from the south to the summit, then the West Ridge Trail (7.8 miles) to the junction with the east trail to Bald Mountain. (About 21 miles in all and one of my longer day hikes)
Red TapeThere are no permits, fees, or other red tape. The shelters are first come, first served.
When To Climb
Year around! The trails to the summit are well marked and easy to follow. It can be skiied, snow-shoed, or postholed in winter. Be aware that this peak is somewhat remote. Be prepared.
Also consider that during droughts the water supply at Goddard has been known to dry up.
Camping is allowed in all areas, provided that you camp at least 150 ft away from any trail or water supply. Around the Goddard Shelter it is best that you camp at the designated sites because of the delicate vegetation.
Melville Nauheim on LT near the VT 9 trailhead
Goddard at the junction of the LT and West Ridge Trail .3 miles south of the summit
Kid Gore and Caughnawaga shelters 4 miles north of summit on the LT
Story Spring on LT 8.6 miles north of the summit.
No fees should be paid for using the shelter or camping.
Carbohydrate replacement therapyYou're back at the trailhead and your thoughts naturally turn to food and drink. Where do you go?
Good question. I am not familiar with the area so please post suggestions here and I will incorporate them into the main text. Thanks.
Thanks intrepidhiker for the following.
Highly Recommended pre-hike eating: The Blue Benn Diner for breakfast heading north on Route 7 in Bennington; The Top Notch Diner just as you're entering Bennington on Route 9; Dot's Diner in Wilmington on Route 7 and 100.
Also, Jensen's on Route 7 heading north on Bennington for dinner.
Additions and Corrections[ Post an Addition or Correction ] | <urn:uuid:0fed85a4-78b8-4fe8-93e8-8ce7f61363a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.summitpost.org/glastenbury-mt/151289 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931987 | 1,066 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Merck’s Guiding Principles for Ethical Business Practices with the medical and scientific community include:
- We provide current, accurate and balanced information about Merck products, we transmit sound scientific and educational information, and we support medical research and education.
- Merck employees are prohibited from offering healthcare professionals items of personal benefit, such as tickets to sporting events, support for office social events or gift certificates to stores or golf outings. Where permitted, we may occasionally provide healthcare professionals with approved educational items that are not of substantial monetary value and that are intended primarily for educational purposes. Such materials may include medical textbooks, medical journals or anatomical models.
- Merck employees and others speaking on Merck's behalf may provide presentations and discussions specifically designed to provide the type of information that practicing medical and healthcare professionals have indicated to Merck that they need and find most useful in the treatment of their patients, in accordance with FDA regulations and regulations of other countries. In connection with such presentations or discussions, occasional modest meals may be offered to attendees and must occur in a venue and manner conducive to informational communication.
- A Merck representative may offer occasional modest meals to healthcare professionals in connection with an informational presentation; however, such meals must be in accordance with local codes and regulations.
Our sales representatives must provide truthful, non-misleading information in their interactions with the medical and scientific community. Our compliance program is consistent with applicable laws and regulations, and is aligned with the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices, as well as with regional and country industry codes, such as the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Code and the Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, published by the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Learn more about Merck’s Code of Conduct and its enforcement. | <urn:uuid:bad3d470-ccf0-44d8-b4c6-228aed217201> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.merckresponsibility.com/focus-areas/access-to-health/commercialization/sales-and-marketing/healthcare-professionals/home.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93987 | 389 | 1.742188 | 2 |
|Former US president who helped broker Israel-Egypt peace says he has had long discussions with senior Muslim Brotherhood figures and believes Islamist party may seek to modify, but will not destroy peace treaty.
CAIRO – The Muslim Brotherhood may seek to modify, but will not destroy, Egypt’s 33-year-old peace treaty with Israel, former US president Jimmy Carter said on Saturday.
Carter, 87, was speaking after initial vote tallies put the Brotherhood’s candidate ahead in the first round of Egypt’s presidential election, which his Carter Center helped monitor.
The US statesman, who brought together Israeli leader Menachem Begin and Egypt’s Anwar Sadat in 1978 to agree the Camp David accords which led to a 1979 treaty, said he had held long discussions with senior Brotherhood figures in Egypt this week.
“My opinion is that the treaty will not be modified in any unilateral way,” Carter said at a news conference in Cairo to present the preliminary findings of his election monitors.
Official results in Egypt’s first free leadership election are due on Tuesday, but informal tallies put the Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi and Mubarak’s last Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq in the lead. If confirmed, they would fight a run-off in June.
The peace treaty remains a lynchpin of US/Middle East policy and, despite its unpopularity with many Egyptians, was staunchly upheld by former president Hosni Mubarak until his overthrow last year in a popular uprising.
The Brotherhood, long suppressed under Mubarak, is vehemently critical of Israel, and its Palestinian offshoot Hamas rules the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials have watched political turmoil since Mubarak’s overthrow with growing wariness.
The Camp David accords were also supposed to guarantee the rights of the Palestinians, at Sadat’s insistence, but that aspect had not been honored, Carter said.
Jimmy Carter’s soul brothers, “The Brotherhood”, which already dominates parliament hopes the presidency can seal its rise to power.
“Egypt is going through a truly historic transformation,” senior Brotherhood figure Essam el-Erian said. “We hope the runoff is more heated, more clear and more representative of the spirit of the January 25 revolution.” | <urn:uuid:60eccc5b-d78e-4b77-9390-e9f6d947c1ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theflyingcameldotorg.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/jimmy-carter-marks-memorial-day-with-muslim-brotherhood/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967173 | 475 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Facebook on Friday(February 4), completed its seven years. Over the years, Facebook has transformed from a college social networking site to one of the biggest website on this planet.
Update: Facebook has also announced a new profile feature called the Timeline that allows you to check back on everything you have ever done, all the way back to when you were born. Here’s How To Enable Facebook Timeline Right Now.
We have highlighted the major Facebook events happened over the last 7 years.
February: Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin launch Facebook from their Harvard dorm room
March: Facebook expands from Harvard to Stanford, Columbia and Yale
June: Facebook moves its base of operations to Palo Alto, California.
September: Groups application & the Wall is added as a Profile feature
December: Facebook reaches nearly 1 million users
May: Facebook grows to support more than 800 college networks
August: The company officially changes its name to Facebook from TheFacebook.com
October: Photos is added as an application
December: Facebook reaches more than 5.5 million active users | <urn:uuid:07885b9d-ee15-4dbc-9fba-02126cc70df4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gizmocrazed.com/2011/02/the-7-years-of-facebook-timeline/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943976 | 230 | 1.835938 | 2 |
this is something from Sunday morning, and because of the partly worn mark which can be seen in one of the pics, prompted me to look thru my few books to try and decipher what came after 'E &....'. - there didn't seem to be much re Edinburgh Crystal. So getting nowhere, I started to type the post, but then eureka found all the Edinburgh Crystal marks in a very useful little softback called 'British Glass betwen the wars'. So now I know, and the book tells me this was their first acid mark introduced c. 1927 and on into the early 30's. I admit my ego also wants to show the piece - a stunningly beautiful cut vase, probably about 1930, with this striking pale straw lemon colour, and whilst there is some wear on the base the rest of the piece is unmarked. The answer to the missing part of the mark is.. "E & L" - referring to the Edinburgh and Leith Flint Glass Works. I wud genuinely recommend this book, especially if you collect pre 1950's British glass, it is a very interesting and useful read. Paul S. | <urn:uuid:8ffd8506-d77b-4688-bd0b-86b3992f5cba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,29339.0.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965149 | 228 | 1.507813 | 2 |
I'm not picking on T-Steel, who posts over at The Moderate Voice. I just happen to have taken exception to a couple of his posts in the past few days when I saw them pop up on Memeorandum. Today he has a post about the "Transhumanism Movement" that bugs me a little.
Transhumanism (sometimes symbolized by >H or H+) is an international intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of new sciences and technologies to enhance human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes, and ameliorate what it regards as undesirable and unnecessary aspects of the human condition, such as stupidity, suffering, disease, aging and involuntary death. Transhumanist thinkers study the possibilities and consequences of developing and using human enhancement techniques and other emerging technologies for these purposes. Possible dangers, as well as benefits, of powerful new technologies that might radically change the conditions of human life are also of concern to the transhumanist movement.
Excellent description of the aspect of futuristics, or future studies, that deeply interests me. Call me a transhumanism apprentice. Transhumanism clashes with religion at many levels since many transhumanists are atheists. Personally I’m more of a secular spiritualist and agnostic. But I never beat people up about their religious beliefs. It is counterproductive to the nth degree. But I digress.
There really is nothing new about this. This is just a slightly different take on eugenics. In even shorter terms it can be labeled 'playing God'. The problem, of course, is who decides what is good and what is bad? What traits do you select for and enhance and what ones to you suppress or eliminate? And how do you eliminate the "bad" traits after you select them. Do you kill those with undesirable traits. Do you sterilize those who carry the traits? You can see why eugenics has gotten a bit of a bad name, especially since the Nazis flirted with it.
My doctor once told me that high triglycerides were associated with people from countries that had a historical "feast or famine" cycle. At one time it was a desirable trait because it enabled people to get through the lean times. Now, with more secure food sources, it is not so good to have. (I do not know for sure that's the case, BTW. I did find a couple of papers that seem to bear that out.) So, what if you selectively eliminate a trait that would be beneficial under certain conditions without realizing that it did actually have such a function. Who decides?
What if you select for certain traits, then find out down the road that some combinations are lethal in the long term? What if you inadvertently eliminate something, like the ability to make music?
Playing God isn't really all that easy, is it?
(The Wikipedia entry on Transhumanism lists a lot arguments that have been raised about it, BTW. They also note that transhumanists have renamed eugenics as "reprogenics". New name, same, old goals.) | <urn:uuid:65c095ca-82aa-42ef-9e85-972c47d14df6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2007/09/27/fancy-new-name-same-old-problem/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958012 | 626 | 1.601563 | 2 |
PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Pakistan is providing paramilitary and police support to polio vaccinations being resumed discreetly in the northwest after a series of attacks on medical workers, officials said Friday.
UN agencies suspended work on a nationwide campaign to inoculate children against the highly infectious disease after nine health workers were murdered in a string of attacks in the northwest and Karachi in December.
Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world where polio is endemic, but efforts to stamp out the disease have been hampered by resistance from the Taliban, who have banned vaccination teams from some areas, and distrust.
On Tuesday, six women and a man working for a charity involved in polio vaccinations were shot dead in the northwestern district of Swabi.
A senior government official said that instead of pressing another nationwide campaign, authorities had decided to inoculate children in phases, in a low key manner with adequate security arrangements.
Doctor Janbaz Afridi, head of polio eradication in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said that to ensure security, campaigns would be carried out in phases and separately in different districts.
"We had to launch a campaign from January 14, but were not given security clearance, so we reviewed the schedule and modified our policy to do it in phases starting from high-risk districts," Afridi told AFP.
"The inoculation teams can now go into selected areas with adequate security at any suitable time instead of a province-wide campaign," he added.
Polio cases in Pakistan have risen sharply in recent years, hitting 198 in 2011 -- the highest figure for more than a decade and the most of any country in the world last year, according to the World Health Organization.
Rumours about the vaccine being a plot to sterilise Muslims have long dogged efforts to tackle the disease in Pakistan.
Suspicion of vaccination programmes intensified after the jailing of a doctor who helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden in 2011 using a hepatitis campaign.
Last year the Taliban and Pakistani warlord Mullah Nazir, who was killed in a US drone strike on Wednesday, banned polio vaccinations in the tribal region of Waziristan, condemning the campaign as a cover for espionage.
In some parts of the northwest, women health workers now refuse to take part in polio vaccinations out of fear, officials said.
"Female health workers are not participating in this campaign but we have enlisted government employees, school teachers and volunteers from civil society," said administration official Javed Khan Marwat in the city of Peshawar.
He said motorcycles would be banned in an effort to avert drive-by shootings in areas where the campaign will try to vaccinate 777,000 children from Saturday.
In the northwestern district of Charsada, senior administration official Zafar Ali Shah said that women health workers have refused to administer polio drops in "20 high-risk areas".
"Small teams of four to five health workers with two policemen and two FC (paramilitary Frontier Corps) personnel will give polio drops," Shah said. | <urn:uuid:c38aeaa9-5f9c-48ce-a892-8be6be6ab47a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2013/Jan-04/200879-pakistan-resumes-polio-vaccines-under-tight-security.ashx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965095 | 615 | 1.742188 | 2 |
One is he correctly identifies a tendency for political movements that tear themselves apart over foreign policy issues that are of little concern to ordinary voters who are more concerned with how the shoes pinches:
"Bill Clinton famously won the presidency by exploiting the popular perception that George Bush Sr devoted too much time to international affairs. The Conservatives, of course, tore themselves apart over Europe, but that merely served to illustrate how out of touch they had become. The war on terror has changed all that. Today it seems that foreign policy once again has the power to transform the political landscape."His concern is that today's split will become a schism that could become permanent resulting in a lost opportunity that could result from the end of the already waning Bush/Blair era. His argument is that it was precisely this sort of leftist disarray that benefited Reagan and solidified the rise of the New Right in the 1980s.
Where the balance of blame should lie, I would take issue with Mr Clark but he articulates a point that I've often thought of since this whole thing began: there are not enough people on either the prowar or antiwar left that have given enough thought as to what they're all going to do exactly when all this is done with. Indeed, you could be forgiven for thinking that there are rather a lot of people whose idea of the Good Society is one where no-one ever takes a contrary view to them, which always reminds me of Milan Kundera's remark to Philip Roth that there's "always a gulag built on to the side of paradise". (This is the gulag that I have absolutely no doubt I would end up in 'come the revolution', which is really the key self-interested reason why I gave up any notion of revolutionary socialism before my twentieth birthday.)
The other merit of David Clark's piece is that knows enough history to understand that neoconservatism originated from the left and retains a number of elements that belong to the revolutionary tradition. This can be seen in the area of foreign policy - for what is 'regime-change' if not originally a leftist idea? It certainly does not belong to traditional conservatism, which has always been inclined to see order as the first political virtue of a polity and to prefer not to exchange a present with known benefits for a future where these might be uncertain.
And it can also be seen in the New Right's attitude to economics. These are the pure politics of faith, not of skepticism. How else can you explain the fact that Third World countries have been subjected to a doctrinaire free-market fundamentalism that mirrors no discernible historical pattern followed by any of the industrialised countries of North America and Europe? I think it was Skidelsky who I recall saying that the unbridled free-market was the "great last-tried utopia". An apt phrase, which I've always thought appropriate in the case of Russia - a country unfortunate to have been the victim of two enormous economic experiments in the space of one century. (If you're thinking of putting in the comments box that I don't understand, the Russian experience showed they weren't free-market enough, please be aware you'll only be making my point for me.)
Also David Clark is even prepared to concede that we British 'putative neocons' have something resembling a case occasionally, a rare thing from a left-wing opponent of the war:
"The left can be reluctant to assert the superiority of liberal democracy, thereby laying itself open to the charge of moral relativism. Those who preach critical engagement with the more moderate currents of Islamism often fail to remain sufficiently critical in the face of reactionary and illiberal opinions. Some with a simplistic, Manichean worldview tend to look like the mirror image of George Bush, disagreeing only about who is good and who is evil."A good point rather neatly put - and one I agree with of course. But here is more or less where I part because there is much else to disagree with in the article. For instance, while his historical observation on the origins of neoconservatism as a movement originating from the left is correct, his historical comparison doesn't really fit on the details. His argument is that anti-communist Democrats, disgusted by the nomination of the anti-Vietnam McGovern ended up drifting to the right, "contributing to a broader political realignment that swept Ronald Reagan to power" - the obvious parallel being with those on the liberal-left that have supported regime-change in Afghanistan and Iraq.
For one thing, I think Clark is conflating Vietnam and anti-communism somewhat but that isn't really the most important point. Rather I'm wondering to what extent former leftists supporting Nixon relates to support for some aspects of Bush's foreign policy, leaving aside the simplistic charge that in both cases, elements of the left have sold out to imperialism? The former, along with Henry Kissinger, epitomized the realpolitik containment policy of the age; the latter as a foreign policy direction born out of an understanding that it was precisely this policy that wasn't working . Surely this, regardless of whether you agree with it or not, whether you think it is ill-conceived or not, has to be accepted? This is to say nothing of the inconvenient fact that it was a Democrat that led America into Vietman and it was the Republican Nixon that disengaged.
It was of course September the 11th that prompted the shift that figures like Wolfowitz had been advocating for years and this brings us to the crux of the problem with Clark's piece: the failure to understand the role real events internationally and in the domestic economy have played, rather than personalities and their shifting opinions, betrays his fundamental lack of historical sense. The piece would have been better if he had addressed the question of why, when confronted with difficult and challenging world events, the left is either caught unawares and/or so often doesn't appear to have any constructive answers to them beyond a nebulous 'anti-imperialism' and anti-capitalism.
For example, Clark mentions the "Nixon Socialists" and the Soviet Union in a sort of "be careful you don't end up like this" sort of way while failing to address the obvious difficulty for the left that they were, in this at least, proved right. And as ostensibly even-handed as his piece is, it never considers the possibility that large swathes of the left, having learned precious little from the mistake of backing the Soviet model, are now in danger of making a similar one to the extent that they relativise, rationalise, and in some cases objectively support another absolutist movement because that movement has the virtue of being anti-American.
And it's here that he fails to consider the possibility that the identification of sections of the left with aspects of conservatism may cut both ways. He gives the following as examples of the rightward shift amongst a segment of the liberal-left:
"It is now quite common to find former stalwarts of the liberal commentariat celebrating the primacy of global markets, urging a return to selection in education, denouncing multiculturalism and calling for the election of rightwing governments in foreign countries."I'm not sure who from the 'liberal commitariat' he's referring to so I can't comment on their position regarding global markets and the election of rightwing governments but what are we, in turn, supposed to make of a movement that historically has opposed theocratic power and has supported the rights of women and homosexuals now making excuses for the most reactionary religious movement in living memory? For my own part I can't quite see how Nick Cohen's recent advocacy of grammar schools can quite compete with this in any 'rightward shift' competition.
Clearly David Aaronovitch, Christopher Hitchens, Nick Cohen et al are stung when they are accused of 'apostasy' and becoming conservative in their old age This is not a feeling I share because I do not belong, and have not done so for many years, to some ideological church subject to the rulings of the bishops of leftism. I freely confess to having become more conservative as I've got older and often over the last couple of years I would have found it more convenient simply to yield and let others define me because I really don't care where the SWP and their kind put me on the political spectrum. I could respond to the conservative charge by saying there is no left anymore, only old cons and neocons that are left representing the politics of faith and the politics of skepticism - and that if you took to the streets to march for the Kissinger doctrine, you're kidding yourself that it is otherwise. The only problem with this is that I happen to think that it is inaccurate - for now at least. But to return to the spirit of the piece, it may not be for much longer if we continue like this. | <urn:uuid:a0756faa-697f-4c61-b63f-e4bfe78e07c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://modies.blogspot.com/2005/11/faith-and-skepticism-on-old-cons-and.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971798 | 1,809 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Palm Beach Post (02.21.13)
A high school senior at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Fla., and president of the school’s Thespian Troupe 4990 decided that the troupe would use the 2012–2013 school year to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, a nonprofit organization that helps people with AIDS. The goal was to raise $7,500 by the end of the school year. In January the troupe had over $5,000. The senior, Sam Leopold, got the idea while the troupe was participating in the annual Florida State Thespians Festival, where a group of theatrical performers received “The Most Caring Troupe” award. He felt that his troupe should also do something to give back to the community. According to Chloe Farmer, the group’s treasurer, the troupe had always raised money for Broadway Cares, but they had never dedicated a full year and all of their shows to the organization.
For the past few months the troupe has raised money by presenting thespian showcases, an open microphone night, and a junior showcase. The open microphone night raised $250, and one showcase raised $1,500. The troupe also raised funds during the run of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.” Leopold believes that they can meet the goal with their next show, “Guys and Dolls,” which opens on March 1. To help the students reach the goal, community residents can make a tax-deductible contribution to the school’s theatre department. | <urn:uuid:f16662eb-d8f8-4c63-a3d7-f1deddd02c3e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aegis.org/DisplayContent/?sectionID=377616 | 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 | 0.973433 | 352 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Kevin E. Cahill, Michael D. Giandrea, and Joseph F. Quinn (2011)
"How Does Occupational Status Impact Bridge Job Prevalence?"
Is bridge job prevalence reduced significantly if a change in occupation is required in addition to the hours and tenure requirements that typically define bridge job employment? Prior research has shown that the majority of older Americans with career employment do not exit the labor force directly from their careers. Rather, most career individuals take on a “bridge job” later in life, that is, a job that follows full-time career (FTC) employment and precedes complete labor force withdrawal (i.e., retirement). One criticism of this finding is that bridge job prevalence may be overstated because the definition of a bridge job in the existing literature does not require a change in occupation. This paper investigates the extent to which bridge jobs involve a change in occupation or a switch to part-time status, both of which may signal retirement transitions as opposed to continued career employment, albeit with a different employer. We use the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally-representative longitudinal dataset of older Americans that began in 1992 as the basis for our analysis. We find that, among HRS respondents who were on a FTC job at the time of the first interview and who changed jobs in subsequent waves, 48 percent of the men and 40 percent of the women also changed occupations, using 2-digit occupation codes. Further, when hours worked are also considered, we find that more than three quarters of FTC respondents who changed jobs later in life had either a change in occupation or a switch from full-time to part-time status. Finally, an examination of those career workers who changed jobs but not occupations and who remained working full time reveals that, as a whole, they resemble those who took bridge jobs rather than those who remained on their FTC job. We conclude that the vast majority of career workers who changed jobs later in life did in fact do so as part of a retirement transition. | <urn:uuid:f43a29b8-2baf-4699-8e40-7015c8602bcc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bls.gov/osmr/abstract/ec/ec110050.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971985 | 410 | 1.59375 | 2 |
LOS ANGELES - Officials are urging Southland residents to reduce the risk of fires by shunning use of personal fireworks this Fourth of July, and they're vowing to crack down on drunken drivers.
Far more fires are reported on July 4th than on any other day of the year, with fireworks accounting for 40 percent of them, more than any other cause, according to a report issued last month by the National Fire Protection Association, a Quincy, Mass.-based organization that bills itself as the world's leading fire prevention advocate.
The risk of fireworks injury is highest for children 5 to 14 years old; it is more than twice the risk for the general population, the report said.
In 2010, the most recent year for which figures are available, fireworks caused an estimated 15,500 fires, resulting in an estimated eight civilian deaths, 60 civilian injuries and $36 million in direct property damage the report found. Hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 8,600 people for fireworks-related injuries in 2010, it said.
"Possession and use of fireworks in Los Angeles is illegal and for good reason," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. "Every year, too many children are injured due to fireworks on the Fourth of July.
"I urge you to consider the legal ramifications, as well as the potential harm to the adults, children and landscape around you before you take hold of any illegal fireworks this holiday."
The Los Angeles County DUI
With Independence Day falling on a Wednesday and many people taking the rest of the week off, driving under the influence checkpoints will be conducted beginning Thursday and continuing throughout the weekend, Castro said.
"The Fourth of July is one of the deadliest holidays due to an increase in impaired-driving fatalities," Castro said.
"Too many people die behind the wheel due to those who choose to drive after drinking, so officers will be out in full force, showing zero tolerance for impaired drivers." | <urn:uuid:0864a62d-53b1-41cd-b1b0-a2364aa0057b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_20996917/officials-warn-against-illegal-fireworks-crackdown-duis?source=pkg | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96242 | 391 | 1.757813 | 2 |
This post contains graphic images you may find disturbing. You have been warned……..
To say that we had culture shock while witnessing the main procession in Phuket Town at the Vegetarian Festival is an understatement. As much as I have tried to understand the rituals and learn about the history of this festival I do not, nor could I ever understand it. Like so many things in this world, if you are not a part of the culture you will always be an outsider looking in and most of the time you will not be able to comprehend the reasons behind it.
The history of the festival is easy enough to understand, its history begins in 1825 when a traveling opera from China came to the island to perform at a mining camp. Soon after arriving the entire opera troupe was struck with some sort of malady. For nine days the troupe adhered to a strict vegetarian diet to honour two of the emperor gods, Kiew Ong Tai Teh and Yok Ong Sone Teh and the sickness disappeared amongst the troupe. This ritual of cleansing intrigued the local inhabitants and they began their own tradition of cleansing for nine days in the ninth lunar month.
The festival is about cleansing body and spirit. Participants abstain from all vices, and do not eat or kill animals. Some people are chosen to be Ma Song, or entranced horses, and they perform acts of self mutilation in order to shift evil from their community into themselves, thus bringing their community good luck.
So there you have an abbreviated textbook explanation of this festival……
Our first introduction was relatively mild in the grand scheme of things. We went to a very small, local procession where we where the only foreigners in attendance. There was only one Ma Song that we could see…he had a metal skewer protruding through his cheek flesh. We also witnessed a few men swinging blades into their back flesh and cutting open their skin. The procession was short, and I do believe that we were actually in it at one point as we tried to navigate our way to the temple in our rented van!
This morning was something else entirely. The same idea as the small procession we had witnessed but on a scale one thousand fold. There were literally hundreds of Ma Song with all sorts of household items shoved through their faces.
It was shocking to put it mildly. My children watched the procession for about thirty minutes before Lan said, “People putting stuff through their cheeks is creepy, I don’t want to watch anymore.” The kids and I moved to the back of the crowd. I could still get glimpses of the procession but the boys only had views of the people standing in front of us. I would occasionally lift them up for something they would find interesting like the dragons or the decorated trucks that people threw candies or fruit out of.
The procession went on and on and on. I’d say it lasted at least two hours. The people in it were walking very quickly as well so this gives you an idea of just how many people participated.
Of course not everyone in the procession was self mutilating. It seemed like every Ma Song had an entourage of people to help wipe away blood, give water, and help to support them if they needed it. There were also many, many people dressed up in costumes who were blessing the crowds. People of apparent importance rode in the back of trucks, blessing people with water, throwing candies, and throwing fruit. Jenn caught an apple ninja style and Kayden recovered an orange from the street.
The last half an hour of the procession was very, very loud. Statues of their gods were carried in sedan chairs by the devotees while fire cracker after fire cracker was lit and thrown into the street. This is when things got a bit hairy for me and the boys. The fire crackers were exploding into the crowd! We retreated to a small grassy space where we could still see the procession, but from a safe distance.
It was certainly a culturally broadening experience for all of us…something we will never forget. I’m still shaking my head at the self mutilation. I guess there are some things we are just not meant to understand. | <urn:uuid:97499470-2641-4fb0-923d-1742f0a6be9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://worldschooladventures.com/2012/10/21/culture-shock-at-the-vegetarian-festival/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981635 | 862 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Gabriola’s Streamkeepers are moving ahead with mapping and cleanup of a number of Gabriola streams, Trustee Gisele Rudischer said Friday, and will use a number of approaches and resources in doing so.
The decision to diversify approaches came in part out of a discussion about a request from the group to the Local Trust Committee (LTC) to identify the landowners along Mallet and Descanso Creeks and Wag Brook, Rudischer said. Fish have been seen in all three of the streams, she said.
Speaking to a letter from Streamkeeper Adrian Vance at their Sept. LTC meeting at the WI Hall, Trustee Sheila Malcolmson said that the newly-formed group provides hands-on advocacy and rehabilitation for streams and wetlands. She said the group has decided that if they are going to do any streamside work they want to get landowner permission, but first need to know who the landowners are. They wondered if the Trust can provide that information, she said.
Planner Chloe Fox said that the streams the group has chosen to work on “aren’t ones that we have mapped”. She said it would take a fair amount of staff time to find the landowners.
Rudischer said that would impact the time spent on the projects list. LTC Chair David Graham said that the return on that time would be “pretty high”, as volunteers would be doing most of the work. Rudischer agreed.
An audience member said that the integrated Land Management Bureau (ILMB) would know who the landowners are. Trustees noted that the Ministry of the Environment might have useful information as well.
The LTC asked staff to provide them with an estimate of how much time it would take to provide the requested information. They also agreed to share the maps they do have with the Streamkeepers.
Rudischer passed along that information at Thursday’s Streamkeepers meeting, she said on Friday. She said the Streamkeepers decided to work on mapping Descanso Creek, as Streamkeeper Jethro Baker knows and has talked to most of the landowners along the creek.
Rudischer said the group will also work on “Goodhue Creek, which runs through the north end from Hogan Lake through various subdivisions, such as Wildwood etc., and Castell Creek in the Lock Bay area”, which have already been mapped and identified as riparian areas. “A request will be made to the Islands Trust for owner information along these streams”, Rudischer said, and Gabriola Lands and Trails Trust “will be asked to help in getting the missing owner information for the Descanso Creek”.
Rudischer said the group also scheduled a clean-up for Mallet Creek which “runs down the middle of the ravine in a highway allowance created when Mr. Rooks subdivided his land on the water side of Taylor Bay Rd. near the ferry. No owner information is necessary so this can move forward immediately”.
Rudischer said the group wants to raise $700 to hold a Streamkeepers course on Gabriola, focussed on working on a Gabriola stream. While a few members of the group could instead attend a course in Nanaimo, Rudischer said, “it’s preferable to hold a course here as it would generate some interest in streams on Gabriola”. She said the group will also need some money for field equipment, and will contact other Streamkeepers groups “to get ideas on how to get funding”.
“They intend to liaise with Brenda Peacock”, Rudischer added, “to work with the Grade 7 students with a view to educating them on stream health, etc.”.
Malcolmson said at the LTC meeting that Streamkeepers are “a Department of Fisheries and Ocean project that has been really successful all over Canada”. She said it was “fantastic” that there are “young volunteers who want to do this on Gabriola too”.
Malcolmson said as the Streamkeepers are finding fish in the streams they are investigating perhaps those streams should be included in the Riparian Areas Regulation.
|The Flying Shingle, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada ~ [email protected]||Web design: Innovative Illusions (Paul Rudyk) ~ [email protected]| | <urn:uuid:0746db80-ccf5-4307-8d09-c146580500c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://flyingshingle.com/cgi-bin/coranto/viewnews.cgi?id=20120924023798597470 | 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 | 0.962598 | 927 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Articles in the Doberman Pinscher Category
Doberman Pinscher »
Doberman a good dog breed for families
The Doberman is a breed of its own. The breed was created by Louis Doberman who was looking for a great watch dog to protect him in his rounds of the bad areas where he lived. The Doberman was noted in 1908 by the American Kennel Club and soon became the second most popular breed in the United States.
The average life expectancy of the Doberman is fourteen years. Though the dog is moody it is expected to be one of the loyalist and most … | <urn:uuid:c9b6e615-f94d-4478-9b1c-677fa1ff80a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mainstreetdog.com/category/dog-breeds/doberman-pinscher/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980354 | 132 | 1.703125 | 2 |
This weapon was originally a U.S. checkpoint guard carbine used in Canada, issued from the Long Branch Arsenal in Ontario, USA territory. Chambered with the 12.7mm round, this rifle was supposed to offer guards the firepower necessary to intercept anyone attempting to breach a checkpoint, regardless of equipment.
This particular rifle once belonged to Randall Clark, an ex-U.S. army serviceman who found himself hiding out in Zion National Park after the Great War. The rifle was used by the Survivalist for decades and shows signs of improvised repair such as clamps on the foregrip wood itself made of mismatched wood furniture. The front sight is also damaged. Clark apparently couldn't repair it, using it as-is.
In terms of in-game performance, the rifle has a very decent rate of fire, relatively low spread, respectable AP cost, and a high damage that can be raised considerably with Grunt; the damage is slightly higher than This Machine loaded with regular .308 rounds if Grunt is taken, but the Survivalist's rifle shoots faster and far more accurately. Even if This Machine is loaded with .308 JSPs, the damage difference isn't substantial and can be mitigated by using 12.7 JHPs from the Gun Runners' Arsenal add-on.
However, it uses rare 12.7mm rounds that generally must be bought from vendors, and the high rate of fire makes it relatively easy to waste ammunition if not careful. The spread is high enough where a scoped rifle may be a better option for very long ranges. The bent iron-sights, which can be rectified (see the notes below), may require a bit of practice if using true iron sights.
The Survivalist's rifle can fire a total of about 2495 standard rounds, the equivalent of 250 reloads, from full condition before breaking.
When looking through the iron sights to aim, the forward sight is bent out of line with the rear channel on top of the carrying handle, thus not creating the sight picture seen when using an undamaged service rifle. However, using the upper right side of the bent front sight as your aiming point corrects this, providing a usable, (albeit confusing), solution to this problem.
A star in a circle similar to that seen on the US flag is seen above the magazine on the rifle's right side, along with the words: "PROPERTY OF U.S. GOVT CHKPNT CARBINE 12.7MM CAL".
Above the trigger the words "LONG BRANCH ARSENAL ONTARIO, USA TERRITORY" are present. Long Branch is actually found in the southwest end of Toronto, Ontario. Historically during WWI and WWII a small area further west of Long Branch known as Port Credit manufactured rifles used by the Canadian forces during the wars.
Nearby NPCs or your companions may take the rifle from the bag that it appears in.
If you complete Honest Hearts before retrieving the rifle, and a non-player character has picked up the rifle you will not be able to acquire the rifle because all non-player characters besides enemies disappear from Zion upon completion of the add-on.
Compared to the standard variant, the barrel of the rifle is shorter in length, but wider in diameter. This is a correct real world characteristic, as the 12.7mm is more than double the diameter measure of the 5.56mm round, and the 12.7mm has a higher pressure measure than the 5.56mm, and most likely a longer casing then the 5.56mm round. The shorter length can be attributed to the fact that it is called a carbine while the service rifle is not a carbine.
Behind the scenes
The French word "Arrêt", translated as the words "stop" or "halt", on one side of the stock is paired with "Stop" written in English on the other side of the rifle's stock. This, combined with information from Randall Clark's terminal entries, indicates that this rifle was used during the U.S. occupation of a bilingual area of Canada. However, the way it is written on the rifle is in noun form so it would be closer to "a stop" (e.g. a bus stop) as found on stop signs in French.
The Survivalist's rifle was loosely based on the .50 Beowulf AR-15 platform conversion. | <urn:uuid:dc22aac2-5510-4880-b18b-129c7c3dce49> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Survivalist's_rifle?oldid=1702384 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951501 | 914 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Learn to play, sign ups now for classes
The Learn To Play Hockey program is a fun, skill-based program that will teach players basic skating and hockey skills.
Learn to Play Form
Learn to skate signup now classes
The RRRink is proud to feature a comprehensive Learn to Skate program where skaters can learn the fundamental skills on the path to playing hockey, figure skating, or simply enjoying the benefits of recreational skating.
Book your next party at The RRRink!
SOAHA’s primary goal is to achieve and maintain a purposeful hockey league for the adult hockey community and create a collaborative effort by its members to improve the awareness, education, and skill level of Rogue Valley hockey players, regardless of age and to work collectively with established organizations for the betterment of all hockey.
For more information visit: www.soaha.org
The RRRink is home to the Southern Oregon Figure Skating Club (SOFSC). The Club is an affiliate of the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA). SOFSC is responsible for hosting sanctioned competitions as well as exhibitions and tests. We have several wonderful coaches with years of experience teaching skaters at both recreational and competitive levels. To visit the Club’s official website, Click Here | <urn:uuid:76b201dc-4091-4636-9e48-76c4562df8e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.therrrink.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940902 | 264 | 1.523438 | 2 |
I am a man of Rome, Italy. Some of my ancestors, many centuries ago, were already citizens of Rome. So I guess I am a real Roman, or sort of, since some barbaric blood must unquestionably flow in my veins, probably Germanic and Gallic from the Alpine region.
My mother tongue is Italian, not very different from the Latin spoken by the common people at the times of the late Roman Empire. The reason I am attempting to communicate in this nordic language – which I do not totally master and which, though a bit chilly to my heart, I find not entirely deprived of charm – is that variety excites me like a drug and I am tired of talking to my fellow people mainly, this lingua franca, English, allowing me hopefully a wider exchange of ideas.
Why this blog
One reason for this blog, I have said, is wider communication. But what can a Roman of today say to the world? Such a big statement if there weren’t the Web to make it not totally vain.
I have always thought that it is a great privilege to be born and be raised here, such a special place, to the extent that something must have penetrated, something peculiar and worthy of being transmitted, in order to be able, in our turn, to receive.
I hope on comments from Western and non-Western people, since Rome and the Romans have a mediation nature that comes from the Mediterranean.
Rome in some way is more Mediterranean than European. However, as she was already universal during the ancient Roman days, she continues to be universal as a religious centre, like Mecca or Jerusalem, which makes her something far beyond Europe (*).
Religion will not be a central topic here though, since I greatly respect all faiths but I do not personally have any being an agnostic. I like to think I am similar to those Romans of the past who counted mostly on human knowledge and on reason (for example the followers of Greek Epicure.)
Three Reasons for Uniqueness
Ages have passed since this great city was the capital of the known world, this role now being played by New York, or London perhaps.
Rome is though unique in the first place because “among all the greatest cities of the ancient world – Nineveh, Babylon, Alexandria, Tyre, Athens, Carthage, Antiochia – she is the only one that has continued to exist without any interruption, never reduced to a semi-abandoned village but rather finding herself often in the middle of world events and, equally often, paying for that a price (**).”
Secondly, and even more importantly, Rome is the city of the soul (as Byron and Victor Hugo put it,) of our authentic Western soul, since Europe and the West were shaped here and these roots are sacred – to me surely, and I think and hope to most of us.
These roots we have to rediscover in order to better open up to others in a new spirit of humanitas and conciliation (two chief components of the everlasting Roman mind). We all here in the West must encourage a totally new different attitude which can enable us to better face both our present crisis of values and the radical changes ahead which might cause our swift decline.
Lastly Rome, the eternal city, is unique because she is also one of the most beautiful cities in the world, if not the most beautiful. Beyond its imperial testimonies, even small piazzas and alleys radiate a sacred aura which comes from the millennia and to which the multitudes of the world, in an ever increasing number, come to pay their tribute.
The capital of our beloved and civilised French cousins, Lutetia Parisiorum (it’s how the Romans called Paris, after the Parisii, a tribe of the Gallic Senones,) was not but a village up to the year 1000 AD. “1700 years younger than Rome: it shows, one can feel it (***).”
Fragments Sent in a Bottle
Scattered fragments of this special identity inserted in a bottle and sent across the WWW: this shall be the activity of our blog.
The conveyor of the message is not so important in relation to the greatness of the source and to one ingredient this conveyor might, willingly or unwillingly, possess: he perhaps being like a living fossil from a distant past which is dead though – astoundingly enough – alive yet in so many Italians.
Let us admit it. In some central and especially southern areas of this country, minds and habits survive that puzzle lots of foreigners, historical remnants whose disadvantages towards modernity seem evident. Are they only disadvantages?
All Things Considered
This and other things will be discussed here by an almost 60 years old Roman whose knowledge can be located at a medium level, with interfaces towards the upper and the lower layers.
He will try his best to transmit something useful to others having been an ancient-history & literature educator for 16 years, then converted to computer networking engineering and training for the last 14 years. He hopes this blog will allow him to brush up humanities back, which is daunting at his age, not to mention the crazy idea of blogging in a foreign language.
If not profundity of knowledge, he might though have an advantage (still to be proved) over many foreign commentators even if born in one of the many provinces of the ancient Roman Empire.
The plus of being a witness from right there. The advantage of being a Man of Roma. | <urn:uuid:c44184c1-c4f5-4ffb-9ebd-18330731d361> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://manofroma.wordpress.com/tag/blogging/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962106 | 1,133 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Let the predictable caterwauling begin: today the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of President Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with Chief Justice John Roberts leading the majority on the 5-4 decision.
The heart of the disagreement over the law is its requirement that each of us Americans purchase health insurance, and the court has now ruled that the requirement does not violate the Constitution.
During oral arguments in March, conservative justices indicated they were skeptical about the individual mandate, the provision in the 2,700-page health-care law that requires nearly all Americans to obtain health insurance by 2014 or pay a financial penalty.
Arguing the case for the Obama administration, Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. defended the law as a constitutional exercise of congressional power under the charter’s commerce clause to regulate interstate commerce. He said lawmakers were regulating health insurance to deal with the problem of millions of people who lack coverage and therefore shift costs to the insured when they cannot pay for their medical care.
Paul D. Clement, representing Florida and 25 other states objecting to the health-care law, argued that Congress exceeded its power in passing the law, which he said compels people to buy a product.
The court rejected Obama administration’s commerce-clause argument, but ruled 5-4 that Congress nevertheless “has the power to impose” the individual mandate under its taxing authority. The provision “need not be read to do more than impose a tax,” the opinion said. “This is sufficient to sustain it.”
Neither the plaintiffs in the case nor the Obama administration had argued before the court that the individual mandate was a tax.
The decision means that implementation of the new law should proceed, with the aim to get health insurance coverage for tens of millions of currently uninsured Americans; these are the people who currently access the most expensive health care around through emergency rooms and charity care, medical care that those of us who pay taxes are already footing the bill for anyway.
So, that’s settled. Or not. Arguably, the real heart of the disagreement is that this is Obama’s plan, and people who had supported similar health care insurance law revisions in the past (like the conservative Heritage Foundation and many Republicans; like the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, W. Mitt Romney, Gov.) opposed this one because it was Obama’s plan. People like Mitch McConnell, and others who have proudly and publicly asserted that they will do whatever is required to make Barack Obama a one-term president (for whatever reason).
The dissent in the case will only fuel their fire: it argues that the Obamacare mandate that individuals purchase a product—health insurance—and its threatened denial of some Medicaid funding to states for non-compliance both unconstitutionally exceed government authority, and that since those provisions are crucial to making the system work, the entire statute should be tossed out…hmm, not much room for compromise here, I guess.
It’s unfortunate that the divide on the court was (except for Roberts) by perceived political ideology—for many people that’s going to reinforce the idea that the justices make their decisions based on politics rather than the law, and that will reinforce the left/right division in politics. But it could have been worse: as David Franklin from DePaul University’s College of Law argues in Slate, Roberts found a way to uphold ACA in order to save the integrity of the Supreme Court.
A 5-4 decision to strike down Obamacare along party lines, whatever its reasoning, would have been received by the general public as yet more proof that the court is merely an extension of the nation’s polarized politics. Add the fact that the legal challenges to the individual mandate were at best novel and at worst frivolous, and suddenly a one-vote takedown of the ACA looks like it might undermine the court’s very legitimacy.
And, of course, health care is now likely to become the distraction center for a presidential campaign that I’d hoped would hold its focus on employment and the federal budget.
(We don’t need to spend time discussing how, in their rush to be first with the news, CNN and Fox both got the story completely wrong, do we? Fish in a barrel…)
Here’s a smattering of the early reports on the court ruling, for your edification and delight:
- Obama: Supreme Court ruling on health care a victory for Americans, CNN
- Supreme Court upholds most of health care law, including mandate, McClatchy Newspapers
- Obama health-care law: Supreme Court upholds it in entirety, Christian Science Monitor
- Supreme Court upholds individual mandate, ObamaCare survives, FoxNews.com
- Obama’s Health-Care Overhaul Upheld by U.S. Supreme Court, Bloomberg News
- US Supreme Court upholds healthcare reform law, BBC
- Liberty lost? The Supreme Court punts, CNN
- Obama’s Supreme Court Health Care Victory Hard To Overstate, NPR
- How Might the Health Care Ruling Play in November?, New York Times
- A Re-Examination of Roberts’ Legacy?, New York Times | <urn:uuid:16c1a633-b5a3-42dc-b630-9defdf9ab782> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://patryansblog.com/tag/warren-richey/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9552 | 1,083 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Value of Play Schools; Financial Assistance Is Urged for Program for Children
EDITH A. LEHMAN. ();
October 10, 1959,
, Section , Page 20, Column , words
Recently when attending a meeting of the board of directors of the Play Schools Association, with which I have long been associated, I heard a report which I think has direct bearing on the tragic delinquency record facing us today. A story was told of a 9-year-old boy who had attended one of the summer play schools. | <urn:uuid:68fdda36-2fb8-4dd7-9ccf-d6d6f82e40f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30E17F83858137B93C2A8178BD95F4D8585F9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977918 | 107 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Q… What is Antique Brass?
A… Antique Brass is a finish electroplated on to brass (like chrome) which has the appearance of freshly polished brass. It does not look oxidized or tarnished in any way – it looks brand new.
The plated surface is made up of nickel, chromium and other inert metal in a carefully balanced formula, and includes gold. Being chemically inert, it does not tarnish (that is, discolour in the presence of air and moisture).
Q… What is the difference between Polished Brass and Antique Brass finishes?
A… Brass is the basic material of tapware, and in the course of manufacture the exterior parts are polished to a high lustre – hence Polished Brass.
Antique Brass is a finish electroplated on the polished brass which has the appearance of freshly-polished brass, but is made up of various unreactive metals including nickel, chromium and gold.
Polished Brass quickly and easily reacts to air and moisture and this creates tarnishing, which must be removed by regular repolishing.
Antique Brass is an inert and durable finish (much harder than gold but not as hard as chrome) which bonds completely with the polished surface during plating and so there is no exposed brass that can tarnish or discolour, and absolutely no need for repolishing.
Q… Could you do a Natural Brass or Raw Brass finish (for outdoors, or for a rustic look)?
A… Yes, but there are a number of considerations, the main one being that the aged finish will only arise over time, and may vary considerably from place to place, depending on local conditions. We supply the goods in uniformly polished finish, so that the different components have the same surface and can therefore age uniformly.
To avoid misunderstandings and disappointment, the customer’s expectations need to be discussed thoroughly with our experts before an order is accepted, as the goods will not be returnable.
Q… I would like Tapware in a special colour. What are the options?
A… White and Almond Ivory are the most popular colours, but other colours are available as a Special Order, for a modest fee (price on application). Choose from Black, Heritage Green, Burgundy, Apricot or Mist Grey (as well as Red. Blue, Yellow, Green, Grey – usually for commercial applications) or discuss your requirements with our Sales Office, Coloured tapware is manufactured to the individual order/project and so is not returnable unless prior arrangements are made.
Q… Can Heritage taps be powder-coated?
A… No – the shape of the handle is unsuitable for this finish.
Q… What is the best way of looking after the various tapware finishes?
A… Care instructions are provided with every purchase. In addition, an effective and very safe way of brightening tapware is to spray with a 50:50 mixture of methylated spirits and water, and then dry off quickly with a soft dry cloth. | <urn:uuid:475a27c6-3084-43fd-899d-847663e482e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cbideal.com.au/FAQs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95211 | 626 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Actors and Politics:
The Thank You, Hollywood, for helping re-elect President Bush billboard made me wonder: Why is it that so many popular and otherwise appealing actors come across so badly -- silly, strident, vacuous, self-important, and the like -- when they talk politics?
Some might say that it's because the actors are silly, strident, vacuous, and self-important. But even if that's right (and I imagine it's true for some and not for others), so what? It's an actor's job to act like someone they're not -- that's what they do for a living. You're not actually a professional baseball player, or an assassin, or the President; but you try to credibly pretend that you are one. Likewise, you may be a pompous ass rather than a thoughtful, empathetic, and trustworthy commentator. But if you're a good actor, you should be able to play thoughtful, empathetic, and trustworthy.
So why don't the actors just treat this as a role? You've got a new gig, which requires a bit of improvising. Your character is someone people trust and like. He's passionate but reasonable, serious but funny, compassionate but hard-headed. He's the guy next door, who's smart enough that his neighbors trust him, but not so full of his smarts that his neighbors loathe him. Your goal is to make the filmgoers like you, and thus like what you say. (Want more incentive? Pretend you're trying to get the Best Actor in a Politically Persuasive Role Oscar. Can't improvise? Heck, don't you know any screenwriters? Have them script some lines for you.)
Does the character call the President dirty names, even when he dislikes him? Does he fail to grasp how patriotic his neighbors are? (Not your real Hollywood neighbors, dummy, the neighbors of the character you're playing.) Does he threaten to move out of the country if the wrong guy gets elected? Seriously, if you're a good actor, shouldn't the answers -- and thus the lines you improvise for yourself -- be obvious?
Heck, if all this doesn't work, here's one for you. Remember Ronald Reagan? Think of him as a great actor? No? Think you could out-act him in your sleep? Think he was evil and hateful, and managed to dupe people into not seeing it? (Never mind that he wasn't, I'll bet you think he was.) Then why could he play amiable, decent, and trustworthy -- even to millions of people who disagreed with him on many things -- and you can't?
Related Posts (on one page):
- Actors and Politics:
- Rubbing It In: | <urn:uuid:bd132808-8617-4a9c-aaf7-6034fe8708b0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.volokh.com/posts/chain_1108144268.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976867 | 575 | 1.507813 | 2 |
25. Split it up. When you’re too busy to go for your usual 30- to 60-minute walk, split it up and get out there for 5 or 10 minutes at a time. That may be as simple as taking a 5-minute walk break around the building after completing a big project at work. Such short walking breaks will refresh your mind, so you can return to work with more vigor. In fact, research shows that most of us can only focus at top capacity for 30 minutes at a time. After that, concentration begins to drop off. Your intermittent walk breaks may actually make you more productive!
26. Shop at the mall instead of online. Walking around the mall can burn about 200 calories an hour, much more than what you will burn sitting on your tush as you surf the Net for great deals. You can increase the effectiveness of your walk and shop time by doing a lap around the mall between store visits.
27. Walk and talk. Use a cordless phone and walk around the house as you chat with friends or conduct your business. This is a great way to make use of those long times spent on hold with the IRS, phone company, or Internet service provider. Not only will you get some heart-healthy exercise, but the exercise will help you maintain your mental cool. Use your pedometer to count your steps and you’ll get the added bonus of feeling like you accomplished something rather than just wasting time.
28. Walk faster earlier in your walk. If you want to increase the amount of fat you burn during your walk, add some bursts of faster walking toward the beginning of your walk. Many walkers wait until the end of the walk to speed up, treating their faster walking as a finishing kick. Yet a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that exercisers burned more fat and felt less fatigued when they inserted their faster segments toward the beginning of a workout. It works because you speed up your heart rate early and keep it elevated for the rest of your walk.
29. Feel each muscle you use in your walk. Concentrate on different muscle areas: calves, hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps. Feel the movement in each area as you walk. The motivation you’ll get from realizing the bang you’re getting for your walking buck (all those muscles!) will keep you walking longer.
30. Take light weights (3 to 5 pounds) on your walks. Periodically work in arm exercises as you walk. This does more than increase the benefit of the workout. Carrying weights also builds muscle, and each pound of muscle burns about 30-50 more calories a day. Build a couple of pounds of muscle in your arms alone and you’ll burn an extra 100 calories a day — even while you’re just channel surfing. Not into weights? Try isometric exercises of the arms, chest, and abdominal muscles. For instance, as you walk, go through the motion of throwing a punch in slow motion. As you extend your arm, tense the muscles along it and do the same as you retract it. You should feel tension in your triceps, biceps, deltoids, and pectoral muscles. Then repeat with your arms going straight up and down, or out to the side, rather than straight ahead. You can also tense your chest muscles by bringing your hands together in front of your body and contracting across the chest and shoulders. Do this rhythmically to match your gait. Also try doing curls with no weights. Simply curl your arms alternately, in rhythm with your gait. Each time you curl your forearms, tense your biceps.
Stealth Healthbuy NOW$31.96 | <urn:uuid:2dc1cc52-e9b5-4822-b688-c61ce5bf2ab6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rd.com/health/fitness/walk-to-a-healthier-slimmer-you/3/ | 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 | 0.944046 | 765 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Writing for Fairfax NZ News, Anthony Hubbard profiles Prof Sir Peter Gluckman, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor.
An excerpt (read in full here):
Of a scientific persuasion
The life of the Government’s top scientist is full of trouble. Take the problem of alcohol.
Sir Peter Gluckman published a huge report on adolescence which included a raft of ideas about liquor. This was an attempt to bring science to bear on our binge-drinking culture.
The Government ignored it. This was not his first disappointment.
“I remember on the first day of the job,” the eminent biologist says from Singapore, “it was the day they rejected putting folic acid into bread. I mean, that’s an area of my own expertise!”
So the chief science adviser began at a time when his own advice had just been rejected. But Sir Peter had been warned.
A former British chief scientist, Lord May, told him, “You are going to win some, you are going to lose some. The key thing was not to get upset about it; it just goes with the role.”
But of course the professor wouldn’t be human if he didn’t have his private thoughts and feelings.
“Of course I do! Of course I do! Of course I do!” he says in a rare bout of vehemence.
“I try, and I’m not saying I do it perfectly – nobody’s perfect, you know that – you try to do the things you believe in within the terms of reference of the job.”
So what has he won and what has he lost? He’s certainly won the support of the prime minister. Sir Peter “has done his job extremely well and continues to do so”, Mr Key said through a spokesman. | <urn:uuid:248813a2-ca46-450b-813d-9f0e5f5959e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2012/12/03/profiling-sir-peter-gluckman-fairfax/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975669 | 395 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.