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Issue 5 Evil Winter 2001/02
Private Lunar ESP: An Interview with Edgar Mitchell
Fia Backström and Edgar Mitchell
Edgar Mitchell, an astronaut aboard Apollo 14, was the sixth man to walk on the surface of the moon. While on board the spacecraft, he conducted a series of private ESP experiments that had not been approved by NASA. On his return he founded the Noetic Institute of Sciences in northern California. Trained as a military test pilot, he holds a Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT.
It happened about three weeks before the mission. I met some research physicists, Drs. Boyle and Maxie, who were very interested in the field, and suggested to me that this would be an ideal time to do the experiment. They gathered and coordinated everything; I was too busy for that. In addition to the two of them, there was a reputable psychic that they knew, and Olof Jonsson, who was a well-known public psychic in Chicago. We practiced a few times with the principles before the flight. As far as we know, it doesn't take any expertise at all, except relaxation and focus, and the ability of individuals to intuitively resonate with someone else.
Oh yes. I had a religious upbringing, and was always interested in science; the two seemed to have different answers, which bothered me. When the chance to go to the moon came up, it re-raised the questions about what kind of world we live in, because nobody had been outside the atmosphere. I had been reading the literature for several years and had become convinced. Science says it can't work but laboratory experiments show that it does.
Because no one had ever done them at those distances. The question was whether the effect fell off with distance, and the answer is no. People had thought this, but no one had ever proved it at distances of hundreds of thousands of miles.
There was nothing to hide. I conducted the experiment on my own time with my friends. It was really intended to be a very personal and private experiment. We had no intention to making it public. Olof Jonsson unfortunately told the press before we ever had a chance to look at the data. The media was a big problem, because they were biased against the experiment. Most people in the media don't know anything about statistics and they wrote whatever that particular reporter or editor thought. When the media learned about the experiment, it lost its effectiveness, even though it was subsequently published in science journals.
My experiment involved four transmission sessions during rest periods programmed into the flight. The well-known experiment in the laboratory was to use cards with the five Zener symbols, but the actual cards aren't important. It was easier for me to use random number tables than carry the physical cards. Instead, all I did was to generate four tables of 25 random numbers just using the numbers 1 to 5. Then I randomly assigned a Zener symbol to each number. For each transmission, I would then check the particular table of random numbers and think about the corresponding symbol for 15 seconds. Each transmission took about 6 minutes. I did this when I was ready to go to sleep at night. We had sleeping bag hammocks that we would put underneath the couches. Two of us would go to sleep in a hammock while the other one would be on watch. I would do the experiment before going into my sleeping bag.
We didn't. We tried to coordinate but we were off. That didn't seem to make any difference. We took off forty minutes late but I didn't try for an exact time anyway, just in the evening. We now understand why that should work, because the sequence is important but having the precise time is not.
Everything proceeded normally. I later became a standby pilot for Apollo 16, and retired from NASA in 1972. The reaction at NASA was very, very minimal! Except for Wernher von Braun and quite a few engineers, NASA management ignored the experiments. Many people came to my office and closed the door and wanted me to tell them about it, which I did. Nobody else said a thing.
A certain segment of people were truly interested in questions of mind and consciousness and spiritual matters and so forth. There were really two constituencies, like there always have been.
After the work was done, when we were coming home, I had time to contemplate. The spacecraft was working well. I could look out the window for three days and enjoy it. I had a non-local feeling that there is something here I don't understand even though I know about galactic formation, how the stars and elements were formed, and so on. I felt a part of it. It was my molecules; it was real, abstract, sensation. That insight set the tone for my last 30 years. I had to understand what kind of a brain is it that allows me to experience this. So I came back and started studying the mystical traditions, Uri Geller, and the inner religious experiences of humans. Because of my epiphany in space, I have come back and spent 30 years trying to explain what mind-brain is.
The gentleman who was originally doing work with him, Dr. Andrija Puharich, called me and asked me if I was interested in meeting him. Geller has been investigated many times all over the world by scientists and magicians who are trying to debunk him. You have to work with these people on their terms. You find out what their shtick is, so to speak, and you set up a science protocol that works within the parameters that they are comfortable with. We did not set up a controlled experiment to do teleportation, for example. We didn't really know how to do that.
That was really more of a joke, because I was annoyed with him. We were trying to get work done in the laboratory, and it wasn't working, and Geller said that he was good with teleportation. So I said "OK, teleport back the camera I left on the moon." He didn't get the camera back but he did get two lost tiepins of mine back. A piece of one of them showed up in Geller's mouth as he was eating ice cream, to the surprise of all of us. The other tiepin and the rest of the first one then showed up in the laboratory. One piece turned up right in front of Dr. Puthoff when he was with a group of people, and the other dropped to the floor between Dr. Puthoff and me when we were in the laboratory alone.
My biggest work is developing further the understanding of the quantum hologram and how it works in relation to the brain. The real enigma we don't have a handle on yet is the psychokinetic effect. It has to do with intentionality and the quantum hologram, but exactly how that functions physically is not obvious to us. The perception of non-local information like ESP is easy to explain through the quantum hologram; you are just picking up the information from another person. Telepathy is just information coming in; psychokinesis, just information going out. But the material deformation of things is a little more mysterious. It takes energy to bend a ring. We can understand healing; you are a sick person, and I give you the information and your body heals itself. But how to move a ring is a different problem. The universe and the experiences within it arise from natural causes. The remainder of the problem, of consciousness, that is, is to look for the evidence from modern science that points the way to reality. Eventually we will be able to explain it all, because it is natural, not super-natural. It's just our ignorance that causes it to seem supernatural.
The concept of the quantum hologram is based on quantum emissions from all physical objects, you, me, the camera. Any physical object of macroscopic size, molecular and above, emits quanta of energy and absorbs quanta of energy. The quanta emitted from every object we've discovered carries information about the physical. The quantum hologram is this informational structure about a physical object and it is non-local, which means it is not space-time restricted. It appears to be a proper mechanism for explaining virtually all of these types of psychic manifestation that we humans know. We are now beginning to understand what consciousness is, and what we understand so far is that the quantum holographic record survives. It is our history, it records our passage, it records what we do, and it's available to the future. It appears to be nature's way of preserving our experience; that's the non-local part. It's the informational part of us, so that everything we do as physical beings is recorded in the ephemeral quantum holographic record, the giant hard disc in the sky, if you will.
Edgar Mitchell was a NASA astronaut and the lunar module pilot for Apollo 14. He holds a Ph.D. in aeronautics/astronautics from MIT and is the founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences.
Fia Backström is an artist based in New York.
Cabinet is a non-profit organization supported by the Lambent Foundation, the Orphiflamme Foundation, the New York Council on the Arts, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Katchadourian Family Foundation, Goldman Sachs Gives, the Danielson Foundation, and many generous individuals. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation by visiting here.
© 2002 Cabinet Magazine | <urn:uuid:2b8fd50d-a5bd-4775-9c3d-c8a235d03b39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/5/esp.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980248 | 1,981 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Everyone knows that the two Supermarket Giants are slashing prices on basic items to win your shopping dollars and pay a larger dividend to their shareholders.
You may have even noticed that a few of your favorite brands are missing from the supermarket shelves and have been replaced by home branded alternatives.
I am certain if you are a TV news viewer you will have caught the story that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has come out publicly and urged whistleblowers to come forward with evidence of wrongdoing by the supermarket giants Coles and Woolworth’s.
The chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Rod Sims, warned the supermarkets that he had made it a priority to uncover possible abuses of market power after receiving fresh allegations in the past six months.
”If people have concerns, come to us with the evidence. It is all very well for some of the industry representatives and others to talk about behavior that is going on there, but we need evidence,” he said yesterday.
Suppliers and farmers have complained that the savage price war between the supermarkets, together with a surge in home-brand products, is squeezing profit margins to breaking point.
Mr. Sims said the ACCC could protect whistleblowers if people within the supply chain who had information were concerned about repercussions from large supermarkets.
”They can come and talk to us confidentially and if we can get a number of people talking to us confidentially and we can build up a picture then we can take action in a general sense rather than doing it in a way that exposes that individual.”
You really would have to be Blind Freddie to not have seen what is happening at your local major supermarket. It does not matter if your preference is for Coles or Woolworth’s, or even if you shop at both seeking the best price, you must have noticed the shenanigans going on?
One drops the price of its milk and the other drops bread prices. One advertised its meat as being hormone free and then we find serious price cuts in fruits and vegetables. You no longer seem to be able to buy an item at a special price – you have to buy two or three of four to get a bargain!
That Rice Cake you always bought because it was only made from rice, no hidden additives etc is now more expensive than the store home brand product, which has got hidden additives in it! And the list of complaints and schemes grows longer by the day.
Monopoly Reigns. They own the supermarkets, the petrol stations, the liquor shops. What in the name of Sam Hill will they take over next?
Quite some time ago I came across an article showing that both these giants were buying up land in towns and new subdivisions, even if they already had a store in the vicinity – to prevent competition from encroaching on ‘their territory’. you will hear about it at the link below. I also found this from ALDI.
If you are still uncertain about what these two supermarket giants are up to please take a few minutes to watch The Hungry Beast which looks at Australia’s Big Two supermarket chains. Woolworth’s & Coles are a $100 billion a year duopoly with a retail market share unmatched in the developed world. And they have their fingers in a lot of other pies too.
Just how did the government manage to allow these two companies to get control of over 70+% of the market? I know money talks, and someone (or many) must be turning a blind eye to this monopoly.
When these two giants are cutting prices, who do you think they are hurting? It is the supplier, the grower, the farmer who eventually suffers the most.
SP Exports, the debt-laden tomato grower which supplies to Woolworth’s and Coles, has collapsed under the weight of low farm-gate prices and a series of disasters, including the state’s floods and two chemical oversprays from nearby properties.
I think it is seriously past the time we spoke to our politicians and found out why this has happened and what they intend to do about it. Do we really want to have all our foods coming in from overseas, where cleanliness and standards are not as high as we have come to expect? Do we want all our meat, fruit and vegetable growers to be put out of work – simply because of the greed of two supermarket giants?
Personally I buy most of my fruit and vegetables (those which I do not grow myself) from local farmers markets, and I have noticed some meat sales appearing at these markets as well. If this continues I will stop using Woolworth’s and Coles completely and travel to an independent grocery store when necessary. We are deprived here in Tasmania of competition. ALDI has not arrived, and one must wonder who, if anyone is keeping them out?
Food prices are soaring folks – and it will not get any better once Julia and Bob’s Carbon Tax hits us. We can only pray that the Liberal/Nationals will oust the present red/green regime ASAP and they will keep their promise (not something politicians are known to do) and rescind the Carbon Dioxide Taxation Scheme. | <urn:uuid:e3c1773f-52f4-45a4-bb0f-07b67c41c6bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://justmeint.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/we-are-at-war-and-the-two-supermarket-giants-are-winning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976099 | 1,063 | 1.71875 | 2 |
As a local news organization, Patch covers stories of all kinds, from heartbreaking tragedies to nitty-gritty breakdowns of government and school district issues. But some stories are simply inspiring, often showing that at the heart of our communities is a desire to do good. Here are some of the touching headlines from the past seven days.
Seamen from the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Montuak this week came to the rescue of a massive sea turtle that had become tangled in a fishing line. Had they not showed up, the 6 and a half foot turtle would likely have strangled. Those helping to free the sea turtle were Firemen Oscar Kramp, of Miami, Firemen Robert Brown, of East Islip, Petty Officer 3rd Class Katie Sand, of Vermont, Petty Officer 2nd Class Izzy Velasquez, of Los Angeles, and Crew Seamen William Hanna, of Setauket.
See our gallery for video of the rescue.
One of Long Island's most reputable food banks is doing its part to make sure kids don't go hungry this summer. Island Harvest has joined with the USDA's Summer Food Service Program to provide meals to children in the months when school lunches are absent. Local sites include the the , the David W. Crohan Community Center in Flanders, the Shinnecock Education Family Preservation Center in Southampton and the in Bridgehampton.
"Hunger has become a year-round issue on Long Island and even though food may be plentiful for most of us during the summer, for many Long Islanders, including children, finding enough nutritious food is a daily struggle," said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest. “Fortunately, through the Summer Food Service Program, children facing hunger can now have nutritious meals or snacks available at several locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties.”
For a complete list of Summer Food Service Program Sites on Long Island, go to islandharvest.org or call Bob King at Island Harvest 516-294-8528 ext. 126.
In a move that saves 3,700 post offices across the country, plans to shut down a historic post office in Setauket have been scrapped, according to the U.S. Postal Service. Locals had protested the plan when the USPS first announced the closures in December 2011, arguing that the 1940s-era building in Setauket was a local treasure.
The Long Island Music Hall of Fame is moving forward with plans to build a museum at its future Port Jefferson location, a place intended to honor the region's contributions to the world of music. Notable Long Island musicians include the ubiquitous Billy Joel, Twisted Sister leader Dee Snider and famed composer George Gershwin. | <urn:uuid:37986e3b-30ba-47f3-b1fb-de46112796d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://riverhead.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/good-news-of-the-week-turtle-rescued-post-office-savee1b6667b78 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955109 | 559 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Barnstable's Coast Guard Heritage museum received a much-needed financial boost courtesy of the Cape Cod Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association last week.
After a charity drive held over the summer to benefit non-profit organizations, the Association presented the museum with a $425 check and some Coast Guard memorabilia for display.
Keith Rees, command master chief of the Coast Guard Air Association, applauded the efforts of the retired officers to archive the lives and work of the Cape life-savers.
"Walking through the museum, and seeing and listening to the history and lore of Cape Cod is quite an experience," Rees said. "It is important that the junior officers know what Cape Cod and the Coast Guard means to the local residents. We need to know where we've come from, and it gives a sense of personal pride to know that we're the oldest seagoing service in US history."
Doug Bingham, volunteer curator at the museum on Route 6A in Barnstable Village, said the Association's contribution is greatly appreciated.
"We've been looking forward to getting the Coast Guard support for a long time," Bingham said. "It is an honor to know that they believe in us and want to help support us."
Museum president John Manning said the museum was started in 2003 by retired coast guards in a valiant effort at keeping that facet of Cape Cod history alive. But it has had its share of growing pains. Contrary to the successful operations officers have been known for on the seas, the museum has been fighting a losing battle since its inception in trying to draw crowds.
But now, in its third year of operation, Bingham is confident that it will eventually become a self-sustained organization with increased exposure and the right kind of support.
The museum, housed at the Trayser building, abounds with maritime artifacts, images, and history. In fact, one may witness a bit of history in that making -- or remaking -- as retired officers converge regularly at the building on the "Liar's Bench," telling their own seafaring tales -- not without a little embellishment for effect!
Bingham, a history connoisseur in his own right, explained that the consensus for a long time was that the coast Guard was its own worst enemy in preserving its history.
"The Coast Guard has traditionally been the least-funded military service," he said. "They have been given the smallest budgets and have had to do the most with the least. Yet, the Coast Guard remains the least appreciated of all military services."
He pointed out that those who serve with the Coast Guard today are involved in a multitude of services, including oil pollution spill responses, life saving, the inspection of ships and private boats, rescues via aviation, and preserving marine fishing laws.
"People don't realize that wherever the Army, the Navy, or the Marines go, the Coast Guard's there, too. We've lost Coast guards in the Iraq war. Not many people think about that."
Officers serving currently have acknowledged the importance of Coast Guard history, too.
"I think one of the things that is unique about the Cape Cod coast Guard is that we've begun to incorporate a lot more history in the chief initiations," Chief Officer James Cline said. "It is hoped that the knowledge that they gain can be passed on to the junior members."
As a result, the emergence of the Coast Guard Heritage Museum is an added resource.
The museum, which works closely with historians in Washington, DC, is also encouraging the public to bring in any artifacts or stories that they are willing to share.
"We're proud that the museum is moving in the right direction and hope that we're doing the right things," Bingham said. "For as long as ships have been coming ashore and people have been in jeopardy at sea, the Coast Guard has been there in one form or another.
"The Coast Guard is as much Cape Cod as the Pilgrims are."
The Coast Guard Heritage Museum at the Trayser, 3553 Main St. in Barnstable, is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults and free for children under 10 and active Coast Guard members. | <urn:uuid:3ef6b655-8ec7-48fd-92ca-9b42cb6bb524> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.barnstablepatriot.com/home2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13240&Itemid=136 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9763 | 875 | 1.570313 | 2 |
What's the best combined heating and AC unit to get for a 1200 sq ft, single story, 1920s Spanish house in LA?
Every house is so different, your best solution will need to be tailored to meet your home and your budget.
The best way to do this properly and avoid expensive mistakes is to have an energy auditor assess your home, including a blower door test and manual J load calculation. This will define your home's current conditions, and may uncover hidden opportunities to increase comfort and reduce energy bills.
A lot of the tenets of building science are completely counterintuitive. Often people's erroneous preconceptions take them down the path of bad design. Take these two proven building science concepts, for example:
- Smaller equipment is better. By installing the smallest equipment possible, you will get much more even temperatures throughout your home. Also, equipment and airflow noise is dramatically reduced with smaller equipment.
- Longer run times are better than short. Equipment takes a while to reach optimum efficiency, so short cycles may mean the equipment NEVER reaches optimum efficiency.
For most people, these two concepts cause eyes to widen. I could go on for days listing misguided assumptions and preconceptions that I have had turned on their heads.
You asked about heating-cooling equipment for your home.
- Based upon the size of your home and its location, I suspect some type of small hybrid system or mini-split heat pump will be options you should explore.
- If you get a traditional system, I would strongly encourage multi-stage equipment, as I suspect you will find they don't make single-stage small enough to properly match the load of your home, even in the very coldest weather you experience.
For more information:
Read Rick Goyette's Q&A "Should I go with an air source heat pump or electric radiant floor heat?"
Also, read Randy Potter's Q&A "I can't afford geothermal. Is an air-to-air heat pump my best option for heating?" | <urn:uuid:2c3b2d77-88e4-4495-bc38-0d6ec1d00671> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://greenhomeguide.com/askapro/question/whats-the-best-combined-heating-and-ac-unit-to-get-for-a-1200-sq-ft-single-story-1920s-spanish-house-in-la | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940712 | 414 | 1.726563 | 2 |
According to assistant principal Sam Reigle, Niles Middle School is Where Everyone Belongs.
The 2012 program, shortened to simply WEB, consists of 45 eighth grade students who applied and were interviewed for positions that would enable them to mentor sixth grade students coming to the school for the first time.
''We show them around the school and help them not be afraid,'' said eighth-grade WEB leader, Isaiah Warner.
Where Everyone Belongs (WEB) mentors and A-Team members from Niles Middle School worked to beautify the school following the sixth-grade orientation Aug. 16. Pictured front row, from left, are Maya Cruse, Kacie Cera, Marissa Montecalvo, Caitlin Seifert, Vincent Marchionte, Brooke Zucco, Isabella Reigle, Emily Hess, Austin Cline and Daniel McCartney. Second row, from left, are Isaiah Warner, Justin Beatty, Joseph Proper, Trenton Zickefoose, Emma Cruz, Irene Denney, Johnna Smith, Marlon Pearson, Jillian Swauger and Brian Lamp. Third row, from left, are Kenny Dubaj, Morgan Spell, Alissa Reichard, Jeremy Kelly, Makayla Allison, Trasa Rossi, Zaynah Lynn Williams, Derek Urichich and Jason Bowman. Back row, from left, are Erica Milijons, Hannah Ward, Jazmine Smith, Makenzie Price, Jenna Taylor and Jeffrey Kester. See more photos on Page 3.
This is the second year for WEB at the middle school, which began last year when principal John Yuhasz and Reigle attended a workshop on the program at Cleveland Heights High School.
Students who wish to participate as eighth-grade WEB leaders must first apply for the position and undergo an interview with program coordinators Anna Keatley and Carla Rose. Also working with the coordinators is Vicki Raptis. All are currently sixth grade teachers at the school.
During sixth-grade orientation day, WEB leaders take the new students on a tour of the school, introducing them to their classrooms and showing them how to get to places such as the library, gymnasium, science and band rooms. Following the tours, two WEB leaders are assigned a group of 10 sixth-grade students to work on team building activities as part of a peer orientation program.
WEB leaders also act as mentors to the sixth graders from helping them find their lockers on the first day of school to working on different activities throughout the school year.
In addition to the eighth-grade WEB leaders, about 10 seventh-grade students, who call themselves the A-Team, work with WEB leaders to help with the set up during orientation day.
''A-Team members could be future WEB leaders,'' Reigle said.
New to the program this year is the beautification program, organized by seventh-grade teacher Brian McConnell, Reigle said. Following the orientation program last week. WEB leaders and A-Team members spread mulch and helped with beautification projects at the school in preparation for the 2012-2013 year. WEB leaders and A-Team members who are also members of the school's cross-country team, helped spread wood chips on the cross country trail supervised by coach Bill Hess, Reigle said.
Students also were treated to a pizza party and were provided WEB leader T-shirts by program supporter and teacher Allan Zubyk. | <urn:uuid:4316cc37-f042-484f-af86-58a6353ecb94> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/page/content.detail/id/575731/Students-helping-students-at-NMS.html?nav=5217 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948118 | 722 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Jan 13 2012
The phone rang as I was tying up loose ends for my last day in the office before Christmas. New York Times reporter Elisabeth Rosenthal wanted my thoughts on the sustainability of organic agriculture… a subject that I think about a lot. I gave her my cell phone number and asked her to call back.
She called again Saturday afternoon, as my kids and I returned home from Christmas shopping. I plunked them in front of a video and put her on speaker phone so that I could peel butternut squash for a solstice potluck that evening. We talked for a half hour or so, and she said she’d let me know when her story would run.
I didn’t hear back from her, but a friend in New York City contacted me on New Year’s Eve to tell me I had been quoted in a front page story. It dealt with important questions about the sustainability of growing organic vegetables in the deserts of Mexico’s Baja peninsula. Apparently it had legs. It was the most e-mailed story in the paper for much of the first week of 2012. It contained some of the ideas that I had discussed as I peeled squash, but only one direct quote from me. My heart sank as I read it:
Organic agriculture used to be sustainable agriculture, but now that is not always the case.
That’s not what I had said. It wasn’t even a statement I could agree with. Yet there it was, immortalized in America’s newspaper of record with my name attached to it.
I immediately fired off the following letter to the editor, which has not been published:
I disagree with the statement attributed to me that “organic agriculture used to be sustainable.” Most organic farms remain more sustainable than their conventional counterparts. If we must import produce from Mexico we should support the farmers there that grow it organically.
US produce imports from Mexico have almost tripled since 1990, driven by growing demand for inexpensive fruit and vegetables out-of-season. Most of this supply comes from conventional farms. Sourcing more of it from organic farms will not solve the important sustainability issues Rosenthal addresses, but it makes things better, not worse.
Despite growth in demand for organic products, less than 1% of farmland in the USA or Mexico is certified organic. Organic farms tend to use energy and water more efficiently than conventional farms. They pollute less. Organic farmers are often healthier, and better able to make a decent living from small, diversified farms, such as those that dominate Mexico’s organic sector. Supporting them promotes sustainability.
I have tried to reconstruct my conversation to figure out Rosenthal could have heard me say something I don’t believe. I was trying to explain that sustainability is not a black and white issue. Scientists disagree on how best to measure it, because it incorporates a broad range of environmental, economic and social considerations. When the term was coined by the Brundtland commission in 1987 it was defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
It’s an ambitious goal, seldom truly achieved. We live in a world where almost a billion people live in hunger, even as we exhaust the reserves of fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources on which we increasingly depend. We spew carbon, pollute our groundwater with nitrogen and our surface water with phosphorus, and melt the ice at the same poles where our persistent pesticides accumulate. We are failing to meet the needs of the present, even as we compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Our current way of living is clearly unsustainable, and the food system that supports it can’t be sustained indefinitely either. This concerned Sir Albert Howard, the father of organic agriculture in the west. Seventy years ago Howard was fascinated by the fall of civilizations, which he saw as an inevitable result of unsustainable food systems. He looked to the agriculture of long persistent civilizations – like China and India – for examples of ways to feed ourselves sustainably. The “practices of the Orient” that he held up as examples were built on a foundation of small, diverse, labor-intensive farms integrating animal and crop production. Few inputs were needed because resources were recycled on the farm by composting, to build soils rich in organic matter that retained water and nutrients. “Organic farming” evolved into a shorthand description for the type of agriculture that Howard advocated. The term “sustainable agriculture” showed up years later, and often incorporated similar concepts and ideas.
For many years, organic agriculture – like sustainable agriculture – was defined by principles, rather than specific practices. In his 1981 essay, Solving for Pattern, Wendell Berry called for solutions that solve multiple problems without creating new ones. He used an organic farm as an example, saying that it
is not one that uses certain methods and substances and avoids others; it is a farm whose structure is formed in imitation of the structure of a natural system; it has the integrity, the independence, and the benign dependence of an organism.
Berry concluded on a note of caution:
But we must not forget that those human solutions that we may call organic are not natural. We are talking about organic artifacts, organic only by imitation or analogy. Our ability to make such artifacts depends on virtues that are specifically human: [...] A good solution, then, must be in harmony with good character, cultural value, and moral law.
Organic agriculture,to Berry, was a human attempt at moral agriculture. And people have been known to disagree on questions of morality. While a growing cadre of farmers and eaters found inspiration in Howard, Berry, and other eloquent pioneers of organic agriculture, each had a different interpretation of what actually constituted organic farming. Money complicated things further. Growing consumer demand and premium prices for organic products motivated questionable labeling of “organic” food from farms that clearly violated organic principles. People who bought organic food weren’t always getting what they thought they were buying.
In response, organic certifiers began to emerge. They developed sets of organic standards, identifying acceptable practices based on principles, philosophy and ideals of organic agriculture. Most prohibited the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, for example. Organic certification remained voluntary, however, and different certification agencies had different standards. A person who bought a certified organic product from Kentucky could get something grown in a way that would not be allowed by certifiers in Oregon.
Beginning in 1990, the USDA began to develop a single national standard for organic agriculture. The controversial process took more than a decade, but national organic standards became legally enforceable in 2002. They dictated what methods and substances were allowed for use on organic farms, and they made organic certification mandatory.
Organic agriculture had gone from being a fuzzy concept, based on high ideals but open to dramatically different interpretations in practice, to being a clearly defined set of practices. National organic standards drew a line in the sand, transforming shades of grey into black and white, organic and not organic. A colleague of mine compares being an organic farmer to being pregnant… you either are or you aren’t. There’s no part-way about it.
Sustainable agriculture, meanwhile, remains open to all sorts of different interpretations. Systems and practices can be more or less sustainable. When somebody tells me they don’t farm organically but they farm sustainably I have to ask what they mean by that. Everybody means something different. Even when people agree on the goals of sustainability, they can disagree on how best to accomplish those goals, or measure progress toward them.
This is what I tried to explain to the New York Times reporter as I prepared my squash. Organic agriculture and sustainable agriculture are based on similar principles. They both used to be fuzzy ideas, but that is no longer the case for organic agriculture, which became more cut-and-dried with the introduction of national organic standards. Apparently she heard me say that organic agriculture used to be sustainable, but isn’t always anymore.
This bothers me, because it suggests that I think there was a golden age of sustainable organic agriculture, which is now behind us. The New York Times story uses me to bolster its thesis that growth of the organic sector is compromising sustainability. In fact, I think it’s the other way around: Each farm that transitions to organic agriculture makes our food system a little more sustainable. Choosing an organic product over a similar conventional product is a vote for sustainability.
The New York Times article deals specifically with the problem of aquifer depletion beneath the deserts of Mexico’s Baja peninsula. Conventional agriculture is responsible for most freshwater use globally, and must shoulder much of the blame for the fact that aquifers the world over are being drained faster than they are recharged. This is clearly unsustainable. It’s happening in Mexico, but it’s also happening in California, the Midwestern US, India, China, and the Middle East. Just about every country growing irrigated grain is depleting aquifers to do it.
Since some of the farms in the Baja Peninsula are organic, the problem is presented as an example of growth in the organic sector promoting unsustainable practices. Ironically, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization recently released a report called Sustainable Options for Addressing Land and Water Problems that identifies organic farming as part of the solution to such problems. Organic standards don’t regulate irrigation methods or acceptable water sources, but they do promote practices that improve water use efficiency, build soils that retain water, and reduce pollution of remaining water resources. The Mexican organic vegetable farms highlighted in the article happen to use trickle irrigation, which uses up to 75% less water than sprinkler or flood irrigation systems. They aren’t required to do so by organic standards, but the fact that the farmers can fetch a premium for their organic produce may have allowed them to invest in more sustainable technology. Michael O’Gorman, who used to manage an organic farm in Mexico, describes the irrigation practices used by organic farmers in the Baja peninsula as “some of the most inventive and advanced water saving systems in the world.”
O’Gorman offers his own perspective on the particular farms highlighted in the New York Times article:
The group doing all of Del Cabo’s production in the southern end of the peninsula is one of the oldest grower-owned organic cooperatives in the world. It is owned by the same 151 families (average acreage less than 10) that were given ownership by organic farming pioneers in the early 1980s. It was started, and remains, as a social enterprise to give Mexican farmers a dignified alternative to waiting on tables and cleaning any of the nearly 500,000 luxiorious hotel rooms that American and European tourists inhabit daily[...] In fact the reason why organics developed in this part of Mexico is because the big conventional growers had no interest in the small fields that were owned by Mexican families. Del Cabo growers are religious about organics.
Americans like tomatoes. We eat — and import — more of them every year. In 1981 the average American consumed about a pound of tomatoes each month, of which just 3 ounces were imported. Today the average American eats more than a pound and a half of tomatoes monthly, and a half pound of that is imported, mostly from Mexico. Even our American-grown tomatoes are mostly tended by farm laborers from Mexico and other Latin American countries, who often work in indentured servitude to bring us cheap fruit. The brutal environmental and social costs of America’s conventional tomato industry are detailed in Tomatoland (2011), by award-winning investigative journalist Barry Estabrook:
Fields are sprayed with more than one hundred different herbicides and pesticides. Tomatoes are picked hard and green and artificially gassed until their skins acquire a marketable hue. Modern plant breeding has tripled yields, but has also produced fruits with dramatically reduced amounts of calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C, and tomatoes that have fourteen times more sodium than the tomatoes our parents enjoyed. The relentless drive for low costs has fostered a thriving modern-day slave trade in the United States.
Those who tend our crops suffer the health effects of direct exposure to herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and fumigants, whether they are in Mexico or the USA. In the 1990s a team of anthropologists led by Elizabeth Guilette studied effects of pesticides on children from farming families in the Yaqui valley and foothills of northwestern Mexico. Families in the valley used conventional farming practices with numerous pesticide applications; those in the foothills practiced traditional farming without pesticides. Children from conventional farming families in the valley had much poorer motor skills, less endurance, and worse memory than those who grew up in the foothills without pesticides. Evidence of the effects Guilette and her team observed included representative drawings by her four year-old subjects:
As a father of young children, I find these images heartbreaking. I want to be able to choose healthy foods for my kids without hurting other kids in the process. Thankfully, I can grow my own tomatoes, or rely on local farmers to grow tomatoes for me using low-input season extension technology, for about half the year. If I must have fresh tomatoes in January then I can choose organic to support farmers — wherever they are — who step off the pesticide treadmill. This won’t fix all of the problems of our industrial food system, but it can make it a little more sustainable. | <urn:uuid:3cbe858b-dfc2-4ba7-b915-1fac714dcff5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oak-ky.org/?p=1577 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961388 | 2,788 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Intermarine Delivers First Of Minehunter Class
Intermarine USA of Savannah, Ga. completed and delivered the first ship of a new class of Minehunter for the U.S. Navy, the USS Osprey, MHC 51, Coastal Minehunter. The ship is the first major vessel to be built of glass reinforced plastic for the U.S. Navy. According to Intermarine, the U.S. Navy selected its glass reinforced plastic as a material not only because it is non-magnetic, but also because of its high shock resistance, its noise and vibration damping characteristics (reportedly six times better than steel); its weight (30 percent lighter than steel); and because of its excellent fire and ballistic protection per unit weight.
The ship will remain at the Intermarine shipyard during the Post Delivery Availability period, and will be formally commissioned on November 20, 1993. The Osprey will then sail to the U.S. Naval base at Charleston, S.C. Following further U.S. Navy ship trials, the vessel will be homeported at Ingleside, Texas in the spring of 1994.
The delivery of the first ship represents the culmination of a successful technology transfer from Italy to the U.S.
In 1986 Intermarine SpA of Sarzana, Italy, was invited by the U.S. Navy to transfer its composite material design and production technology to the U.S. to support the new Coastal Minehunter program. In response, Intermarine USA was established in 1987 following a U.S. Navy contract to build large minehunters using composite materials.
Construction of the Osprey, the lead ship of the MHC-51 Minehunter Class, started in May 1988, one year after the original contract award. The class is 188 feet long with a 900-ton displacement, and is equipped with modern variable depth sonar and an integrated digital control system.
The composite materials fabrication building at Intermarine USA has an area of more than 160,000-sq.-ft. and is equipped with six semiautomatic resin/glass impregnators on fullyarticulated bridge cranes. The facility is large enough to house six minehunter vessels or molds, all undercover, simultaneously. Overhead crane service can accommodate loads of up to 66 tons, while the building rail system is used to move complete ship hulls.
Intermarine USA regularly accesses the related composite technologies provided by Ferruzzi companies worldwide. In particular, Intermarine SpA, Tencara, both in Italy and SP Systems in California, combined with Intermarine in Savannah, Ga. to provide a complete capability in the development and manufacturing of advanced composites for marine, aerospace and industrial use. Of particular interest are the carbon fiber/epoxy/honeycomb The Osprey's crew at its August 23 delivery. core yachts and offshore racing boats. Vessels up to 200 feet long have been successfully built to date and a 118-foot, 50-knot Surface Effect Ship is currently under construction. In addition, a number of fast patrol boats have been constructed using glass and aramid hybrid fabrics, as well as numerous glass reinforced plastic recreational and government agency vessels. In support of the Minehunter program and other contracts, Intermarine has established Technical and Integrated Logistics Support departments staffed with experienced engineers, designers and logisticians.
For more information on Intermarine USA | <urn:uuid:3b86bb1f-c1f1-41a3-bc3c-32a6cd87328f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marinelink.com/article/sonar/intermarine-delivers-first-minehunter-839 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938926 | 698 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Andrews v. Hovey - 123 U.S. 267 (1887)
U.S. Supreme Court
Andrews v. Hovey, 123 U.S. 267 (1887)
Andrews v. Hovey
Argued October 18-19, 1887
Decided November 14, 1887
123 U.S. 267
Reissued letters patent No. 4372, granted to Nelson W. Green, May 9th, 1871, for an "improvement in the method of constructing artesian wells," the original patent, No. 73,425, having been granted to said Careen, as inventor, January 14, 1868, on an application filed March 17, 1866, are invalid because the invention was in public use by others than Green more than two years prior to his application for the patent.
The proper construction of § 7 of the Act of March 3, 1839, 5 Stat. 354, is that if, more than two years before the application for a patent, the invention covered by it was in public use, whether with or without the consent of the subsequent patentee, the patent was rendered invalid.
In equity for alleged infringement of letters patent. Decree dismissing the bill, from which complainant appealed. The case is stated in the opinion of the Court. | <urn:uuid:493fd810-7938-41fd-b82c-eb73e5f8d559> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/123/267/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970548 | 274 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Giants in the Land
By Mike McCrary
-The land through which we have gone, in spying it out,
is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom
we saw in it are men of great size (Numbers 13:32).
Perhaps you’ve wondered, as I have, why God required the
Israelites to work so hard to inherit a land He had already promised
to give them. When someone offers to do us a favor, we normally
expect no strings to be attached.
God has a long and storied history of requiring human activity
to carry out His will – not because He needs our help, but
because He wants our hearts. I’m not so sure we would relinquish
this most vital of organs any other way.
If God did everything, He’d become a genie. If God did
nothing, He’d become an afterthought. If either was the
case, the best you could say of us is that we acknowledged God’s
existence. But that’s not the same as knowing or loving
The only way for God to have a relationship with us is for God
to have a partnership with us. That’s His desire, and that’s
one reason why He won’t always give us the easy way out.
As you look out over the landscape of your own life, you may
see some very real problems. There are giants in the land. They
aren’t living, breathing Canaanites, but they’re a
big deal to you – fear and guilt and worry – not to
mention the really big sources of pain like losing a child or
watching a parent grow old.
If He wanted to, God could remove these giants in His sleep.
And we sometimes slide into bed at night hoping He’ll do
it in ours. He rarely does, and for this, we should be thankful.
Because if He magically removed all the problems in our lives
without asking us to do anything hard, anything “impossible,”
we would never be able to demonstrate faith. That means we would
live our entire lives without ever pleasing God. We would gain
the Promised Land in such a way that it would cost us the very
thing we need most: a relationship with our Creator.
We serve a God who has the ability to do anything, but chooses
not to. He doesn’t let us off so easily. But the real beauty
of it all is that, even when He requires us to do the seemingly
impossible, it’s never as difficult as it appears. And sometimes,
it’s almost easy – at least after that first difficult
In the end, all we need is faith . . . midget-sized faith. That’s
all it takes to embolden us to walk into the land of giants, trusting
God to either make them smaller, or to make us bigger.
Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life.
Discover how you can find peace with God.
You can also send us your prayer requests
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CBN IS HERE FOR YOU!
Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting?
Are you facing a difficult situation?
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need. | <urn:uuid:dc16b53a-d3e8-43e3-bcf9-b978a73a616a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/Devotions/mccrary_giants.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950472 | 741 | 1.765625 | 2 |
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Another victim from attacks on U.N.-backed anti-polio teams in Pakistan died today, bringing the three-day death toll in the wave of assaults on volunteers vaccinating children across the country to nine, officials said.
Since Monday, gunmen had launched attacks across Pakistan on teams vaccinating children against polio. Six women were among the nine anti-polio workers killed in the campaign, jointly conducted with the Pakistani government.
The U.N. World Health Organization suspended the drive until a government investigation was completed.
Azmat Abbas, with UNICEF in Pakistan said the field staff would resume the work when they have a secure working environment.
However, local officials in the eastern city of Lahore continued the vaccination today under police escort, and extended the campaign with a two-day follow-up. | <urn:uuid:584eb668-21b7-4c56-9f88-cf9305761820> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://union-bulletin.com/news/2012/dec/20/pakistan-reports-ninth-death-in-polio-team-attacks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971024 | 173 | 1.710938 | 2 |
DIE Lunæ, videlicet, 8 die Novembris.
Message to the H. C. with the Ordinance authorizing the L. Lieutenant to levy Men for Ireland.
A Message was sent down to the House of Commons,
by Sir Robert Rich and Dr. Bennett:
To deliver the Ordinance of Parliament, for giving
Power to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to levy Men,
for the Service in Ireland; and to (fn. *) let them know, that
this House hath approved thereof.
Letter from L. Howard, about Aid for Ireland from Scotland.
Then a Letter was read, sent from the Lord Howard,
from Edinburgh, dated the 2d of November 1641, directed
to the Lord Keeper, declaring "that the King hath again
moved the Parliament of Scotland to take the Business
of Ireland into further Consideration; and, though
they will not do any Thing in (fn. *) it till they hear from the
Parliament of England, yet they have taken a Survey
of what Shipping and Boats they have to transport
Men in, and what Number of Men they are able to
send over, if Need be; and they find that they are
able to land a considerable Number of Men in the
North of Ireland, and that with more Speed and less
Charge than it can be done from any other Part of
the King's Dominions; and their Highlanders are conceived proper to fight with the Irish in their own Kind
and Country, amongst Hills and Bogs."
Men raised for the King of Spain, concealed in St. Katherine's, paid by Mr. Bourke.
The Lord Chamberlain signified to this House, "That,
according to their Lordships Order, Colonel Hunckes
had searched in St. Katheren's; and he finds that
there are about Forty Men lodged near to The Iron
Gate, which adjoins close to The Tower, and the
weakest Part of it; that they were armed with Pistols
Mr. Bourke to attend.
and Swords, and have been paid Fourteen Pence a
Day every Man, by one Mr. Bourke, a Gentleman
of Lincolne's Inn, for the Service of the King of
Spaine." His Lordship further said, "That he had
already given Order for their disarming." Hereupon
it is Ordered, That Mr. Bourke shall have Notice to
attend this House, to be examined by what Authority
he pays these Men; and the Constable of The Tower
is to take Care for the present, that The Tower be safe
guarded next them.
Sir William Killegrew against the Disturbers of his Possessions in the Fenns.
Whereas this Day the Cause was heard, between Sir
William Killegrewe and others, Plaintiffs, against Henry
Carr, John Shepheard, Anthony Love, Solomon Bartle,
David Collins, William Foxe, and Richard Stokes, Defendants; and it appearing, by many Witnesses, which
were examined upon Oath, "That the aforesaid Delinquents were served with an Order of this House,
dated the 6th of April 1641, that they should not
disturb the quiet Possession of the said Sir William
Killegrewe, which he holds in some improved Grounds
in the Fens in Lincolneshire, between Borne and Kyme
Eae, until (fn. *) the Title was determined in this House,
or in some other Court of Justice, yet, notwithstandstanding, the Parties aforesaid, after the said Order
was served upon them, they in a tumultuous Manner
did enter upon the Grounds, and cut and carried
away the Corn and the Seed, of the said Sir William
Killegrew, and spake unreverent and unbeseeming
Words of the Order of this House, saying, It was
but an Order of the Lords House, and they would
not obey it; but, if it had been an Order of the
House of Commons, they would have obeyed it."
Hereupon it is thought fit, and so Ordered, That,
for the Contempt and Disobedience committed to the
Order of this House, the aforesaid Henry Carr, John
Sheapard, Anthony Love, Solomon Bartle, David Collins, William Foxe, and Richard Stoakes, shall forthwith
be committed to the Prison of The Fleet, and shall find
Sureties for the Peace and good Behaviour; and further, that Sir William Killegrewe shall bring in a Particular into this House, what Costs and Charges he
hath been at by reason of the said Offenders, in disobeying the Orders of this House; which being considered of by this House, their Lordships will award
him such Recompence as shall be suitable to the Honour
and Justice of this House, which is to be paid him before their Enlargement; and lastly, that the aforesaid
Parties shall make public Submission and Acknowledgement for their Faults, in disobeying the Order of this
House, in the Market Town of Donnington, in the County
of Lincolne, on a Market-day, before the next Justice
of the Peace of that County.
Mr. Bourke examined.
This being done, Mr. Bourke was called in; and
the Speaker asked him, "Whether he did take up
Men, and pay them in St. Katherin's; and for whose
Service those Soldiers were, by whose Command he
took them up, and who pays them?"
He said, "It was done by virtue of an Order of
the House of Commons; and that they were levied
by Captain Moore and Mackmiller, for the Service of
the King of Spaine; and he receives Money from
the Spanish Ambassador, and pays them."
And being asked, "What Countryman he was, and
of what Religion, and by what Means he comes to
be an Agent to the Spanish Ambassador in this Service?"
He confessed, "He was an Irishman born, and a
Romish Catholick; and he was employed in this Business to advance his Fortunes, being to have a Command over a Company of Men in the Service of the
King of Spaine, against the Portingall."
Mr. Bourke was commanded to withdraw; and the
(fn. *) Lords, taking this Business into Consideration, caused
the Order of the House of Commons to be read, with
the List of Names which were authorized by them;
wherein it appeared that the Order did expressly prohibit all Persons that were His Majesty's Subjects, born
in England or Ireland, to be transported to the Service of Foreign States; and yet the greatest Part of
the List were Irish born. Concerning this, their
Lordships resolved to communicate it to the House of
Message to the H. C. for a Conference about not restraning Strangers from going beyond Sea.
Then a Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Sir Robert Rich and Dr. Bennett:
To desire a Conference, by a Committee of both
Houses, touching an Order made by their House, dated
the 26th of October last, for giving Way that Strangers
should not be restrained from going beyond the Seas.
Bourke committed to the Gentleman Usher.
Ordered, That Mr. Bourke be kept in the Custody
of the Gentleman Usher, until the Pleasure of this
House be further known.
Counsel assigned the impeached Bishops refuse to be for them.
Upon reading the Petition of the Bishops that are
impeached, shewing, "That the Counsel that was assigned them by this House refuses to be of Counsel
for them, because they, being Commoners, are involved in all the Acts and Votes of the House of Commons:" Hereupon it was Ordered, That Serjeant
Jermin, Mr. Herne, Mr. Chute, and Mr. Hales, be sent
for, to give their Answers herein.
The Messengers returned with this Answer:
Answer from the H. C.
That the House of Commons are now in a great
Debate of weighty Business; but will send their Lordships an Answer, by Messengers of their own, in convenient Time.
Ellison versus Watkins, for forging an Order of the House.
Upon Complaint made this Day, by one Richard
Ellison, a Clothier, living in Yorkeshire, One Hundred
and Forty Miles from London, "That one James Watkins
had served him to appear before the Lords in Parliament with an Order, which, the said Watkins told
him, was subscribed by the Clerk of the Parliament,
and shewed him the same, and delivered him a Copy
thereof; the said Ellison appeared accordingly, and
then understood and discovered that the Order served
upon him by the said Watkins was forged, and no
such Order made by this House, nor subscribed by
the Clerk of the Parliament:" The said Ellison having
(fn. *) declared all this to be true upon Oath, it is Ordered,
That the said James Watkins shall be sent for and apprehended, and brought before this House as a Delinquent, to answer the same.
Search in London and Westminster for Irishmen, and their Names to be returned.
Ordered, That the Justices of the Peace for
Midd. and the City of Westminster shall speedily make
diligent Search, in and about the Suburbs of London and
Westm. and in the several Jurisdictions, what Irish are
residing, and cause their Names to be taken, and return them into this House; and further, that they
cause strong and good Guards to be set upon such as
they find to be dangerous and suspected Persons, until
the Pleasure of this House be further known.
Directed "To Ed. Roberts, Jo.
"Hooker, and Tho. Shepheard,
Justices of the Peace for
Inns of Court, Recusants.
Ordered, by the Lords in Parliament, That the
Treasurers, Readers, and Benchers, of the Society of
the Four Inns of Courts, shall make, or cause to be
made, diligent Search and Examination, whether there
be any Recusants, of any Nation whatsoever, admitted
into their several Houses, or into the Inns of Chancery
belonging thereunto, or live within the same Houses;
and if, upon Search, any such shall be found, that they
be forthwith dismissed and expelled out of the said
Houses; and it is further Ordered, That no Romish
Recusant shall hereafter be admitted into any the said
Inns of Court, or Inns of Chancery, upon any Pretences
"To the Treasurers, Readers, and Benchers of the Society of The Inner Temple.
||"To the Treasurers, Readers, and Benchers of The Middle Temple.|
|"To the Treasurers, Readers, and Benchers of Grayes Inn.
||"To the Treasurers, Readers, and Benchers of Lyncolne's Inns."
Dominus Custos Magni Sigilli declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque in diem Martis,
videlicet, 9m diem instantis Novembris, hora 9a Aurora,
Dominis sic decernentibus. | <urn:uuid:520a2a2f-0d3f-4009-9433-6d597d53f0aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=35709 | 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 | 0.953404 | 2,467 | 1.742188 | 2 |
puppy with vision problems
what would cause vision problems for a 8wk year old english mastiff puppy?
I'm afraid I'm not a veterinarian, and this is a question that a vet needs to answer, however in such a young puppy, my personal opinion is that it would most likely be a congenital problem (hereditary), or an infection or injury.
If you're sure your pup is having difficulty with his vision, I strongly recommend that you have him examined by your vet right away. If he has conjunctivitis (eye infection), prompt treatment can usually cure it very quickly and avoid any permanent damage.
If it's a congenital problem, or an injury, your vet will be able to determine exactly what is going on and get him the treatment he needs.
So, get him to a vet asap. I wish you the best of luck and hope your puppy is doing much better soon.
Click here to post comments.
Return to Puppy Health Problems. | <urn:uuid:62d312a7-c729-4dea-8044-ef8f1e7f962d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/puppy-with-vision-problems.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975384 | 205 | 1.804688 | 2 |
You’re at a networking event. Mingling and conversing with people you’ve never met. There are tons of questions to ask. But one that gets asked more than anything.
What do you do?
Without a thought we normally spew out the simple answer. Stating the career we’re in. Or what we do professionally.
And we state it in simplistic terms.
- I work in IT
- I’m an accountant
- I make sales
Is that all that you do? Do you just work in a field?
If you’re anything like me, the answer to the question is a resounding NO.
There’s so much more to you than what you do during your day job.
For example, let’s look at what I do.
My day job is that of an IT professional. Simply put, I make sure the computers at my place of employment are up and running.
That might seem the end of it. It’s not.
We could put it into different terms. More descriptive. More vibrant. More ME or YOU.
Lets try it this way: I ensure the users in my company have a pleasant experience using technology to fulfill their roles. Proving excellent and quick service when technology goes down. And bringing new and exciting technologies to the company to improve.
But just like you, life doesn’t end when I clock out at the end of the day. There’s more facets to our lives.
We’re more like a body or a puzzle. Many pieces fitting together to create a whole.
- be a creative
- have a passion for youth
- desire to promote others
- love to put events together
- speak and inspire others
Whatever it is, it is something that you DO.
So why are you giving a partial answer?
Instead, begin to craft a value statement. Your value statement will state the value you have to offer to the world.
Put together pieces of your professional life, your values, and your passions. You’ll be prepared to give an answer that will blow away the person who asked the question.
I’ll help you out and show you how I’ve created my value statement.
1. I created a list of activities that I do on a regular basis. Putting them into a list to review.
Here are the elements I chose:
- I work in IT and give my users the tools they need to work.
- I train and led students to become leaders in school, work, and society.
- I search out the best tools to give people the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.
- I write and create new material to help young leaders grow their skills.
2. After creating a list of activities, I looked into common threads.
You will do the same. Look for areas that are similar or contain overlapping themes.
The areas that I seen overlap in were:
3. With this list, I formed an answer to the question. This was accomplished by looking at the overlapping areas and combing them with wording from my activities. Coming up with this statement:
I give young leaders the tools to thrive in a hectic world.
You will be able to come up with a killer value statement in the same way.
Get ready to blow the other networkers out of the water when you unleash your new answer.
You’ll get a different response. It won’t be the standard “Oh, that’s nice” or “Where do you do that at?”
Your value statement will create a standout memory in their minds. You’ll be remembered. And they’ll know who to call when they need the services you offer.
Question: The next time someone asks you “What do you do?” what will your answer be? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below. | <urn:uuid:31845da8-afd0-4d1a-b3c8-673c9e7456a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jmlalonde.com/what-do-you-do/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938571 | 829 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Mar 18 2013
The mother of a "supremely courageous and inspiring" soldier awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his valour in Afghanistan said she misses him and his smile "so much".
Lance Corporal James Ashworth, 23, will receive the medal in recognition of his "extraordinary courage" while serving with the 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards in Helmand province last year.
But wiping away tears, his mother Kerry, 44, said that although the award had made her "ecstatically happy", the announcement had brought back the pain of his death too.
"I miss his smile. He's got the best smile anyone could ever have. He always smiles... and his hugs. I just love him so much," she said.
"(This award) doesn't make it easier but it does make it feel that it wasn't for nothing, he was making a difference out there and James believed in his job.
"We just miss him so much, but this award is not just for James it's for everybody who fights and who has been injured and the whole town is so proud of him."
Mrs Ashworth, L/Cpl Ashworth's father Duane and his younger brother Coran - also a serving soldier - were present when the citation for awarding the country's highest award for gallantry was read out at the Grenadier Guards barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire.
L/Cpl Ashworth, from Corby, Northamptonshire, was killed as he stormed an insurgent position in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand in June 2012.
The citation read: "Despite the ferocity of the insurgent's resistance, Ashworth refused to be beaten. His total disregard for his own safety in ensuring that the last grenade was posted accurately was the gallant last action of a soldier who had willingly placed himself in the line of fire on numerous occasions earlier in the attack.
"This supremely courageous and inspiring action deserves the highest recognition." | <urn:uuid:db19bf40-e82e-4d6d-b61d-a2d5c78c8111> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.harrowobserver.co.uk/west-london-news/world-uk-news/2013/03/18/parents-pay-tribute-to-hero-soldier-116451-33014326/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987077 | 414 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Childless women percieved to resent working mothers who require flexible working conditions
- From: News Limited Network
- November 17, 2012
A WORKING mother's worst enemy is the childless female colleague or manager who resents her need for flexible working hours.
A national survey found mothers said male co-workers were more understanding of parenting issues that had an impact on work.
Of the 1000 participants, 21 per cent said they believed childless working women were the least understanding.
Seven per cent of mums reported that their male colleagues were less tolerant than their childless female co-workers and 41 per cent said both were intolerant.
And 67 per cent said they feared asking their employer for more flexible working conditions would negatively affect their career prospects.
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick said attitudes to flexible working arrangements would only truly change once men were also asking for flexible hours.
"Any number of mums with young babies asking for flexibility will not change the predominant culture," Ms Broderick said.
"The thing that will change that will be men and more senior (ranking) men asking to work more flexibly."
Managing editor of motherpedia.com.au, which conducted the online poll, Bonita Mersiades, said the worrying result indicated a gap between federal legal requirements and women's actual experience.
Working parents of pre-school children have the right to request flexible working conditions under National Employment Standards in the Fair Work Act that came into effect in 2010.
"Clearly, mothers feel a stigma still exists and there is a long way to go with improving tolerance in the workplace as well as building the confidence of working mothers," Ms Mersiades said.
"Women in the workplace who haven't had children don't realise there are so many things in a family situation that could crop up.
"They probably may not see themselves as being there and doing that one day."
Flexible working conditions include shifting from full-time to part-time hours, working full-time hours in a shorter number of days, job sharing, working from home and accessing flexitime.
The 2012 Australian Work and Life Index by the University of South Australia's Centre for Work and Life reported fewer women with children were requesting flexible working arrangements.
More women reported that flexibility was not possible than in a 2009 study. | <urn:uuid:1ed48e88-53a1-4bd2-9c79-2ab66f60728d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/childless-women-percieved-to-resent-working-mothers-who-require-flexible-working-conditions/story-fnet08ui-1226519335197 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978481 | 480 | 1.84375 | 2 |
[Sdnp] Example Use Case - Bandwidth on Demand for Hybrid Cloud
dmm at 1-4-5.net
Tue Aug 9 10:44:59 EDT 2011
On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 7:20 AM, Anton Ivanov <aivanov at sigsegv.cx> wrote:
> On 09/08/11 15:04, Thomas Nadeau wrote:
>> On Aug 8, 2011, at 11:33 AM, David Meyer wrote:
>>> Hey Dave,
>>> On Sun, Aug 7, 2011 at 6:18 AM, Mcdysan, David E
>>> <dave.mcdysan at verizon.com> wrote:
>>>> I mentioned in the IETF SNDP Bar-Bof a potential use case. Attached are
>>>> few slides on this providing more detail on this potential use case for
>>>> SDNP -- Bandwidth On Demand (BOD) for Hybrid Cloud for your review and
>>>> OpenFlow could be used in some cases, but I believe much more is needed.
>>> I was under the impression that OF was out of scope here.
>> To be precise in answering Dave McDysan's question, since this is
>> an informal effort, what is in and out of scope is up to the people in the
>> I think from my end, I personally don't think it is worth distracting
>> things with
>> discussions of replacing Openflow; IMHO OF might be a subset of the
>> architectural picture we are drawing here, but that isn't completely set
>> stone, so we don't know. What I would like to do is narrow down that
>> picture so
>> we know precisely what components it is were are trying to make
>> work together first.
> +1. I do not see a reason why a SDN controller cannot control a compatible
> OF instance.
Its a matter of what a "controller" actually is/does. Since OF is an
open interface you can of course write code to talk to it. The
question is whether it makes sense to mix two (or more) control planes
that as of now wouldn't know about each other; the two are the
existing control plane and the new, OF based control plane (of course,
you could always take a ships in the night approach, but these are
implementation issues which aren't or shouldn't be the subject of
standardization). In any event, since neither control plane would
know what the other was doing in the forwarding plane, neither would
be able to reason about the state of the network. Hence it will be
difficult (if not impossible) to ensure many of the properties we want
from a control plane such as loop-free paths and the like.
So yes, you can write code to talk to an OF device (again, that much
is trivial), but that isn't the hard part of the problem if you want
to mix the models. So far from what I can tell programming the control
plane (whatever that means), programming the forwarding plane (a la
OpenFlow), configuration and management are all part of SDNP.
Perhaps a better question at this point is "what is *not* part of SDNP?"
More information about the SDNP | <urn:uuid:9bc47998-c9d5-4e31-bbd8-3d304d5767be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lucidvision.com/pipermail/sdnp/2011-August/000172.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951349 | 693 | 1.507813 | 2 |
It's time to read and vote for your favorite article in the 2013 Write-Off Contest! The four finalist's articles are featured in the May 13 newsletter and can be found through this link. Hurry! Voting ends May 18.
You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
I have a small above-ground water lily garden. I am having a problem with tiny flying bugs which sit on the lily pads by the hundreds. They fly when disturbed and immediately come back. I cannot catch one to take a picture of because they are so fast.
I've tried washing them off with the water hose. I've tried holding the lily pads under the water until I hope they have drowned. They always come right back. The very slight cold that we had this past winter did not slow them down at all. (I do not remember having had them before last summer.)
I can't spray poison because I have fish in the pond (who show absolutely no interest in eating the bugs).
If you have any suggestions on how to get rid of them little varmints, please let me know. | <urn:uuid:416d7985-fb82-4263-a692-68838e106375> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1250674/ | 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 | 0.97276 | 272 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Wheeling officials are right to proceed with their plan to raze the old Jefferson School structure in East Wheeling, while the city still can get a good price on the contract. The imposing edifice, more recently known as the Imperial Pool building, probably is beyond saving.
City officials revealed earlier this fall they had agreed to allow the building's owners to transfer title to the city, in exchange for an agreement to absolve them of financial responsibility for the structure. That opened up an opportunity for the city, which contracted with a company to demolish several other buildings in East Wheeling, in preparation for establishment of a recreational park.
Because it already had equipment and crews in the area, the demolition company agreed to add the Imperial Pool building to the list of those to be razed, for $48,000. Normally, it probably would have cost $20,000 more to have the structure demolished, City Manager Robert Herron estimated.
News of the city's plan sparked interest in saving the building among people who recognize its architectural attractiveness and historical significance. There were suggestions the city hold off on demolition to allow time for a preservation plan to be studied.
But Herron said last week removal of asbestos from the building will begin soon, and demolition will proceed after that.
That is appropriate. While saving some of the beautiful old Victorian-era structures in Wheeling is a good idea, the Imperial Pool building appears to have been allowed to deteriorate past the point of being preserved.
It has been vacant for many years, with no interest expressed in renovating it.
So, while the city can save money on the cost of razing the building, proceeding with the work probably is the most prudent course of action for city officials. | <urn:uuid:18040c0f-320c-44df-9444-982f9745903b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/578429.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967209 | 354 | 1.65625 | 2 |
What Then Must We Do?
I am afraid that Rosalind Ellis is "failing to comprehend" the wrong thing ("Beans and Fiends," The Mail, Dec. 9). I feel confident that the Catholic Church has a pretty clear understanding of the risks of providing services. As an 18-year veteran of homeless services, I appreciate the risks, and a) they are not as serious as those not in this field often believe, and b) the risks are completely acceptable.
I'm curious to know what Ms. Ellis would recommend as a more appropriate and logical response to the problem of homelessness. She seemed to like what happened at St. Vincent's park. That effort was brought to you by expanding programs just like Beans and Bread. We need places to do this work effectively.
I am concerned that what Ms. Ellis might be failing to comprehend is what the risks of doing nothing or not doing enough might be. By offering hope and a path out of homelessness, programs like Beans and Bread go a long way toward reducing the overall risk to the community. Doing nothing and abandoning the homeless to the streets puts us all at greater risk for an increase in crime. We are already paying for decades of neglect in our poorest neighbors--undoing this damage is not fast work, and in the meantime, we will be effectively navigating the risks.
People are upset because they don't want those who would use the services of a soup kitchen/human services agency near their homes. To a degree, I can understand this. However, we're not talking about dropping a facility into a residential area. This is an expansion of a facility that's existed in the same location for more than half of my lifetime.
Is it possible that there are some potential troublemakers there? Certainly, but the same is true for any place that deals with 300 people per day. I find it especially bothersome that in a city whose residents constantly scream for changes to make it better, what's being discussed is (at least) restricting a soup kitchen from expanding its resources. No one has offered any solution besides, "Don't do what I think will make me unhappy."
There seems to be a strong desire to just ship homeless people somewhere out of sight. Offer a solution, one that keeps in mind that Beans and Bread is not a hot dog cart that just happens to set up shop on a corner every day. It's an organization that has raised a lot of money to help people.
The expansion itself is slated, in part, to bring the people it services inside instead of having a line outside. Now, the [party] line is that since someone was stabbed there, let's make sure that 300 people per day won't gain more services. Despite all the complaints I've heard, I'd gladly trade places with those who have a problem with Beans and Bread. Having lived near open-air drug markets and recently trying to figure out if the guys up the street were actual gang members or just teenagers with nowhere to go, Beans and Bread would at least be a change of view.
This city is far from perfect, but is working to remove or restrict an organization that assists the homeless a way to improve it? It could be, depending on your idea of improvement. Additionally, those research flyers for drug users are basically the same as the ads in the back of City Paper . . . I don't get a sense of dread or nefarious intentions when I see them in this free alternative weekly. Stopping Beans and Bread from expanding won't solve the homeless problem or put a stop to the current complaints residents have--it will just waste all the effort that has gone toward expansion and possibly take away a solution to some of those complaints.
Is it possible to win City Paper's fiction contest (Feature, Dec. 2) without using the f-word or the s-word or both? Apparently not, year after year after year.
Thanks for the article on Herring Run in the Dec. 2 issue ("Streamlining," Mobtown Beat). It's a shame America can't avoid all of these no-win wars and the resulting deficits and all of those bail-outs for people who scream "less government intrusion and more free enterprise." Some of that money could be used for the infrastructure, and specifically for projects like this.
If Herring Run was given half a chance, it could really be a wilderness area in a huge municipality.
The run ends at my place with its union with Red House Run, and it is home to beavers, deer, ospreys, lots of wild ducks, raccoons, and so on. You can even see an eagle and peregrine falcon every now and then.
Please, City Paper, keep us informed about future progress.
Bernie ("Bernard") T. Walker
812 Park Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21201 | <urn:uuid:a0d47e63-afae-44ca-9216-e2d68618bec8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www2.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=19485 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970348 | 992 | 1.609375 | 2 |
So yesterday, I went to the Kutztown Folk Festival in Kutztown, PA. It’s a festival that celebrates the Pennsylvania-Dutch traditions of the area and includes a lot of folk art from people in the area and also some from the Appalachian states.
I was looking for something steampunk-ish when I happened across this instrument at one of the booths. It’s called a bowed psaltery, and it’s kind of like a cross between a piano and a violin.
There are 24 strings, and it’s range is from G2 to G4. It’s like a piano by the way the strings are arranged, except it’s more like if you took the reflection of piano keys and put it on there. So, it’s backwards. You can see the violin aspect. It’s a fixed pitched instrument, unlike the violin, which can play many pitches that aren’t necessarily notes in Western music.
It’s made of walnut with a mahogany soundboard. The bow hair is synthetic. If any of my SPG followers are reading this, guess why I chose that design. :3
The cool thing about it (from a music theorist’s point of view) is that (looking at the first picture) on the left side is a pentatonic scale and on the right side is a mixolydian scale. | <urn:uuid:0775be56-a0fb-4f8e-a22e-89d2a799f95d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://moopaloop.tumblr.com/tagged/cool-instruments | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960955 | 298 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Since Planetary Resources announced it plans to mime asteroids for profit on April 24, the company has been inundated by job applicatiions, mostly from engineers who want to help design the robot probes that will do the mining. After 2,000 applicatiions had been received online, PR closed down that part of its website.
Part of that response, no doubt, is attributable to a sluggish economy and the uncertainty surrounding NASA's future. On the other hand, if there's a hot job market anywhere in America, it's in high technology talent, which would obviously include various types of engineers. Another part of PR's appeal is no doubt the challenge of opening space. Maybe Congress should take note. | <urn:uuid:db533cb2-6d32-4ebc-8282-6cc74f737824> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thewayoutspace.blogspot.com/2012/05/pr-swamped-by-applications.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978731 | 142 | 1.625 | 2 |
I received another great e-mail yesterday describing a reader victory. Joshua has been wanting to buy a Nintendo Wii, even though he knows it’s not the best use of his time or money. On Friday, he stared temptation in the face — twice! — and triumphed through force of will. Here’s his story:
I had a great “resist spending” story this weekend, and I had to tell someone. Last Friday I read about No Credit Needed’s idea of “$100-a-day rule to prevent impulse buying. For every $100 that he wants to spend on a new product, he forces himself to wait one day before making the purchase. Want a Nintendo Wii? Wait three days.”
I was out with some friends later that evening and we stopped by Toys “R” Us. I don’t spend much money there, but my friend wanted to check out their action figures. (He’s a collector.) At Toys “R” Us, they had about a dozen Wiis. I’ve been wanting a Wii but nobody has them in stock. My friend kept encouraging me to purchase one while they had them. I really wanted one, but have a limited amount of cash. I’m a college student and do not have that much money.
I finally decided not to get a Wii and we left. I really wanted one and was barely able to say no. After a quick stop to Target we went back to Toys “R” Us because my friend wanted to grab a Wii and sell it online. Again, I wanted to get one. He gave me a look, like, are you going to get one? But I was able to walk away.
Once I got home, I was so glad that I had enough self-will to say no. I thought about it, and I know I could get one later after I graduate and start making more money. Besides it would just distract me from my study this next year, when I’m a senior. Plus, this would have left me tight financially the rest of the summer. I am very thankful that I have no debt, and that I am able to pay for school and have just enough left over to pay for essentials. I just struggle when I don’t have much money, like you said today in the blog, with desires to purchase stuff. Once I was home, I celebrated by transferring more money into my ING account so I wouldn’t have the money available to spend so easily (and so I can save more).
During my senior year of college, I’d newly discovered the “power” of credit cards. I bought a new computer (a Macintosh SE) and hundreds of dollars worth of games to play on it. These games didn’t just suck up the money — they sucked up the time. My academic performance suffered.
For one assignment, I wrote a critique of the advertising for Wizardy VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge. “Aha,” wrote my professor in response. “Now I know why the quality of your work has fallen off this semester.” Ouch. She’d hit the target.
I’m proud of Joshua for making this choice. He’s right — he’ll be able to afford a Wii in the future. I only wish that I’d known when I was his age that there’d be plenty of time for play after I was done with school and had begun saving money.
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SEARCH FOR RECENT ARTICLES | <urn:uuid:f7003923-6bca-46cd-b1ca-44cbedc6e7a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/05/04/reader-success-story-to-wii-or-not-to-wii/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981009 | 815 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
© Copyright 2013
ALBANY, Ga. -- Public events such as the Fourth of July fireworks show in downtown Albany, police say, can be used to remind people of the curfews set for area youth.
Following the fireworks show, which took place in the Albany Civic Center vicinity, there were 75 to 100 children waiting to be picked up from the festivities.
The last child was not picked up until 12:30 a.m. the fireworks ended around 10 p.m.
"There were some parents that did not pick up their children (on time)," said Capt. Reginald Brown of the Albany Police Department. "It is possible we will be charging children and parents (if problems continue).
"We will also do a better job of letting people know when events end."
Phyllis Banks, spokeswoman for the APD, said authorities will likely look at charging people for curfew violations following next year's Fourth of July celebration.
Beyond that, there was nothing of significance that took place during the fireworks show with the exception of a saggy pants violation, interference with a police officer and a report of a fight that later turned out to be unfounded.
The curfew, which applies to people under 18, prohibits children from being out from 11 p.m.-6 a.m. on weekdays and midnight to 6 a.m. on weekends unless the minor is accompanied by parent or guardian who is 21 or older, is on an emergency errand for a parent or guardian, is returning home from work or is traveling from an activity involving First Amendment rights or a religious rally or service. | <urn:uuid:20708d4a-91e4-496b-b3d3-4310eee8cde5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2011/jul/06/apd-be-mindful-of-curfews/?community | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981767 | 336 | 1.578125 | 2 |
… or you could call it “cream of vegetable soup”… or “I-had-A-LOT-of-fresh-vegetables-to-use-up soup”… whatever you call it, it turned out delicious.
This year I finally signed up for a CSA share (community supported agriculture – find one near you!) where I paid some cash up front and then I get a box of fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruits delivered in town to pick up each week through the end of October. Ever since reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food and Mark Bittman’s Food Matters, I’ve tried to buy more locally grown produce in season… and in general to eat less meat and more plants. So the CSA box comes full of an assortment of vegetables, many of which I would never buy on my own from the grocery store, and that I have never cooked with before either: bok choy, fresh beets, garlic scrapes, etc. So far, I am enjoying the challenge of figuring out how to use everything in the CSA box each week.
This week we had zucchini and fresh peas! Some of my favorites. I loved helping my son discover the joy of cracking open a pod and eating the sweet raw peas inside. But we also got fresh radishes and arugula. I’m not a huge fan of arugula in salads, plus one can only eat so much salad each week… so I figured out this alternative way to use the nutrient-packed arugula, the radish greens AND a bunch of leftover veggies.
This soup should work equally well with beet greens, spinach, and whatever other green vegetables you have on hand. I use Mark Bittman’s general ratios for cream of vegetable soups: 2 cups veggies to 3 cups chicken stock to 1 cup cream. Go ahead and play. It’s a very forgiving recipe.
- onion, chopped
- garlic, minced
- arugula leaves, washed well
- radish greens, washed well
- green onions, sliced
- potatoes, peeled and diced
- other veggies (I used some zucchini, spinach, peas, broccoli and cauliflower)
- chicken broth (check labels - I use Better Than Bouillon)
- cream or milk
Melt the butter in a large pot. Saute the onions and garlic. Add the leafy greens and wilt. Stir in the potatoes, other vegetables and chicken broth. Cover and simmer for about an hour. Let cool slightly and puree the soup in batches in a blender. Add cream and warm soup, but do not boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
We enjoyed this for dinner today with toasted Against the Grain baguette slices. My son said it was the yummiest soup ever and asked for seconds. I plan to make some version of this many times this summer with my CSA bounty and freeze the puree (without the cream) for enjoying this winter.
Arugula in soup! Who knew? | <urn:uuid:484ebab8-9493-4df1-a47e-a0e2c30bf66c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://goodbyegoldfish.com/tag/gluten-free/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931341 | 654 | 1.601563 | 2 |
NORMAN — Proponents of two state questions claim they will make reforms that could save millions for taxpayers. In addition, another state question proposes to save money through expanding public bonding capacity.
SQ 762: This measure changes current law, decreasing the power and authority of the governor by removing him or her from the parole process for persons convicted of certain offenses defined as nonviolent offenses. It enlarges the power and authority of the Pardon and Parole Board by authorizing that board, in place of the governor, to grant parole to persons convicted of certain offenses defined as nonviolent offenses.
The legislature defines what offenses are nonviolent offenses and can change that definition.
The measure authorizes the Pardon and Parole Board to recommend to the governor, but not to itself grant, parole for persons convicted of certain offenses, specifically those offenses identified by law as crimes for which persons are required to serve not less than 85 percent of their sentence prior to being considered for parole and those designated by the legislature as exceptions to nonviolent offenses.
For those offenses for which persons are required to serve a minimum mandatory period of confinement prior to being eligible to be considered for parole, the Pardon and Parole Board may not recommend parole until that period of confinement has been served.
A “yes” vote will remove the governor from the pardon and parole process in the case of non-violent offenders.
Proponents of SQ 762 say it will save the state millions of dollars. Opponents say it will open the gates for those prisoners who need to serve their time.
“Letting the governor focus on parole recommendations for violent crimes is a critical component of Oklahoma’s recent progress to build a stronger, more effective criminal justice system,” said House Speaker Kris Steele, R-Shawnee. “Approving this measure will generate tens of millions of dollars in savings that can be reinvested in initiatives that truly reduce and prevent crime. A vote for SQ 762 is a vote for a safer Oklahoma.”
The 2007 audit of the Department of Corrections found that removing the governor from the parole process for nonviolent offenders would save up to $40 million over the course of a decade because of the increased efficiencies and quicker processing of paroles.
District Attorney Greg Mashburn, of Norman, strongly opposes the measure.
“I am very much opposed to 762. It removes all accountability to the pardon and parole process,” Mashburn said.
SQ 765: The measure amends the Oklahoma Constitution. It abolishes the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma Commission of Human Services and the position of director of the Oklahoma DHS. These entities were created under different names by Sections 2, 3 and 4 of Article 25 of the Oklahoma Constitution and given duties and responsibilities related to the care of the aged and needy.
The measure repeals these sections of the Constitution and, consequently, removes the power of the Commission of Human Services to establish policy and adopt rules and regulations. Under the measure, the legislature and the people by initiative petition retain the power to adopt legislation for these purposes.
The measure adds a provision to the Constitution authorizing the legislature to create a department or departments to administer and carry out laws to provide for the care of the aged and the needy. The measure also authorizes the legislature to enact laws requiring the newly created department(s) to perform other duties.
A “yes” vote will allow for radical reform of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
Linda Terrell, former director of Norman-based Center for Children and Families Inc. and current executive director for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, said this is a change that’s time has come.
“We have a voice to vote and we have a voice that we can use with our elected officials. Our children depend on us to do that,” Terrell said. “Our voices collectively have got to get loud.”
Terrell supports passage of SQ 765.
A “yes” vote on SQ 765 will remove the Department of Public Welfare (now called DHS), its commission and its director from the state’s Constitution. It will allow the legislature to create and direct the administration of a new department to provide for public welfare.
The bill’s author, Sen. Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said the purpose is “to create a more transparent environment at DHS that is accountable to the legislature and the governor.”
“It makes the director appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate,” he said. “We need to have a face on this issue that people can hold accountable. The agency has had unacceptable levels of failure in the past. There are wonderful people who work there, but the system has failed the people who work there and the state of Oklahoma.”
Treat said he worked closely with Sen. Sean Burrage, D-Claremore, the minority leader, and the appointments on the advisory boards reflect bipartisan input.
SQ 764: This measure amends the Oklahoma Constitution. It adds a new Section 39A to Article 10. It would allow the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to issue bonds. Any bonds issued would be used to provide a reserve fund for the board for certain water resource and sewage treatment funding programs. The fund could only be used to pay other bonds and obligations for the funding programs.
The bonds, which would be general obligation bonds, could only be issued after other monies and sources are used for repayment. Not more than $300 million worth of bonds could be issued. The legislature would provide the monies to pay for the bonds, methods for issuing the bonds and how the fund is administered.
SQ 764 also would create a funding mechanism authorizing $300 million in new financing for water infrastructure enhancements. This fund would make available $3 billion in new financing for projects, assisting municipalities and other water providers to keep up with increasing demands for more drinking water and for wastewater needs.
A “yes” would create the Water Infrastructure Credit Enhancement Reserve Fund and increase the Water Resource Board’s ability to provide financing for infrastructure projects.
“This has nothing to do with taxes,” Norman Utilities Director Ken Komiske said. “The Water Resources Board lends communities like Norman money for water and wastewater infrastructure projects, and they’ve been doing this for almost 30 years. They have never had a municipality default on the loan.” | <urn:uuid:ffdbbb6d-9db2-43fe-96aa-e2c0f067e61f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://normantranscript.com/headlines/x257824520/Reformations-could-save-tax-dollars | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947287 | 1,331 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Oslo, Norway (CNN) -- Anders Behring Breivik, who admits killing 77 people in Norway last summer, gave chilling details at his trial Friday of the gun rampage in which he systematically shot dead scores of young people.
Without apparent emotion, he recounted firing more bullets into teenagers who were injured and so couldn't escape, killing those who tried to "play dead" and driving others into the sea to drown.
Some survivors and relatives of victims in the courtroom wept as they listened to his detailed account of the attack on a youth camp on Utoya Island in which 69 people died.
Breivik is on trial on charges of voluntary homicide and committing acts of terror in the July 22 attacks. He admits carrying out the Utoya attack and a bombing in Oslo that killed eight people.
He boasts of being an ultranationalist who killed his victims to fight multiculturalism in Norway.
Breivik told the court he had made use of lessons learned from al Qaeda in planning his attacks, and was inspired by the Oklahoma City and World Trade Center bombings.
He said one other person knew of his planned attacks, but did not say who that was.
Breivik recounted how he had arrived on Utoya Island by ferry, posing as a police officer and telling security officers on the island he was there to talk to them about the bomb attack.
He told the court he had said to himself, just before he started shooting, "I just don't want to do this."
But then, he said, he thought, "It is now or never."
He considered for a minute, as "100 voices in his head said don't do it." Then he picked up his gun and started shooting.
His first victim was the lone policeman on the island, Breivik said, whom he shot in the back of the head. The second was the manager on the island.
Describing a scene of chaos at a cafe on the island, Breivik told how he shot young people who were paralyzed and could not run away in the head.
He also tried to drive young people into the chilly waters around the island so he did not have to shoot them all, he said. He was shouting, "You shall all die today, Marxists," to scare people into the water, he said.
He then fired at boats that ventured out to try to save some of those in the water, to frighten them away, he said.
Breivik repeatedly tried to call a police chief to give himself up, but no senior officer spoke to him or called him back, he told the court. Concluding that the police did not want him to surrender, he decided to carry on shooting until he was shot himself, he said.
Near the end of his rampage, he spared the lives of a girl and boy that he thought were obviously younger than 16, Breivik said, telling how the boy had burst into tears.
Asked why he had aimed at the head in so many cases, he said it was "natural" when "the goal is to kill."
The first two killings were the hardest, he said. "I knew it was wrong. Taking life is the most extreme action you can do."
Breivik insists the deaths were justified by his mission but told the court he was in a "fight or flight" mode that meant the normal "ethical checks" in his brain seemed to have switched off.
A grim silence, broken only by sobs, filled the courtroom as those present heard his account, some of it in militaristic language.
Breivik earlier said he picked up the idea of wearing a police uniform for the gun massacre on Utoya Island from reading al Qaeda's online "magazine" for followers.
He followed al Qaeda closely from 2006 to 2011 and studied the terror network's "media effect, what they have done wrong, what they have done right ... what it takes," Breivik said.
He told the court he had gained tips from watching documentaries on the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Breivik also described how he had taught himself to switch off his emotions as prosecutors quizzed him on whether he felt empathy for others.
"You ask if I have empathy and emotion. ... You could say I was pretty normal until 2006 when I started training ... desensitizing myself through meditation," Breivik said.
"It's about atrocity, barbaric acts. I cannot even fathom what it must sound like to others. I have tried to distance myself from it," he said, speaking of his own actions.
Prosecutors sought to uncover the roots of Breivik's ideas in earlier questioning Friday.
Breivik told the court the issue at stake was freedom of speech, and how nationalists "have been excluded since the Second World War."
He was driven to violence after trying unsuccessfully to get his views on multiculturalism heard, he said.
"I had tried all peaceful means. I have personally found that this was futile. I tried to engage myself politically ... write essays and get through to the editors. ... Then there was only one possibility, that was violence," Breivik said.
Asked if he considered his terror attacks to be cowardly, Breivik said it would probably have been "most honorable" to challenge Norway's military to a duel.
"But when you are up against a massive strength, one is forced to do asymmetric warfare, and the only thing you have then is the element of surprise," he said.
His attorney, Geir Lippestad, had warned that Friday's testimony, with its focus on the Utoya killings, was likely to be "the toughest day."
Breivik told the court Thursday that he decided to carry out the gun attack on a Labour Party youth camp on Utoya after his initial plan to target a journalists' conference did not work out.
He also hoped to kill former Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland and decapitate her with a knife or bayonet, he said. He planned to film the murder on his iPhone and upload the video to the Internet, he said.
Breivik used the video game "Modern Warfare 2" as training for his shooting, he testified. Players of the game, one of the "Call of Duty" series, work together as soldiers to shoot opponents.
He also went through a period of playing the online fantasy game "World of Warcraft" up to 16 hours a day, he testified.
The trial is expected to last up to 10 weeks.
Breivik's testimony, which is not being broadcast due to a court ruling, follows his declaration Monday that he carried out the massacre but was not guilty because the killings had been "necessary."
Breivik said in court Wednesday that he should either get the death penalty or be acquitted, ridiculing the idea that he would be sent to prison or a mental hospital for his actions. Norway does not have the death penalty.
He boasted Tuesday that he had carried out "the most sophisticated and spectacular political attack in Europe since World War II" when he went on his gun-and-bomb rampage.
Lippestad said it was important to his client that people see him as sane.
Experts have given different opinions about Breivik's sanity, which will be a factor in determining what punishment he receives if convicted. Sentencing options could include imprisonment or confining him to a mental facility.
Most of the victims' relatives did not want Breivik's remarks televised, and presiding Judge Wenche Elizabeth Arntzen rejected Breivik's claim that airing it was a human right.
Court papers indicated the five judges hearing the case did not want the trial to become a platform for Breivik to air his political views, or for them to distract from the legal issues involved.
Breivik has said his rampage was meant to save Norway from being taken over by multicultural forces and to prevent ethnic cleansing of Norwegians.
In a 1,500-page manifesto attributed to him, Breivik railed against Muslim immigration and European liberalism -- including the ruling Labour Party, which he said was allowing the "Islamification of Europe."
Journalist Olav Mellingsaeter contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:bb21fae1-f0d2-4223-9d14-345b3e992c8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnn.es/2012/04/20/world/europe/norway-breivik-trial/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990194 | 1,697 | 1.585938 | 2 |
PORT NECHES, Texas — David Arceneaux said he felt a chill as he looked across Block Bayou at a line of trees about 100 yards away.
“I’m not crazy. I don’t do drugs and I’m not a drinker,” Arceneaux said before telling his tale of seeing not one but two Bigfoot-like creatures huddled together one December morning.
The Nederland, Texas, native visits Oak Bluff Cemetery about once a month to clean the graves of a friend and a cousin, something he has done for years without incident. But on an overcast, windless day, Arceneaux said he got the fright of his life.
“I heard a blood-curdling scream and a lady nearby asked me if I was OK. I told her it wasn’t me,” Arceneaux said. “We walked over to the water and looked to the left then straight ahead.”
He said what he saw next amazed him. Two Bigfoot-like creatures who had been throwing rocks in the water looked across at him and the unknown female. One was standing next to a tree, arms around the trunk and the other was squatted down. As the second creature rose from the crouching position Arceneaux estimated the creature was about eight-foot tall. So he snapped a photo with his phone, he said.
“All of a sudden they started walking then running through the woods,” he said of the bipedal creatures. “When they began to run, the lady said ‘I’m leaving’ and left. I stayed a few more seconds and then thought there may be a way for them to cross here so I left, scared.”
Arceneaux said he could see the face of the creature “clear as day.” There was hair from the mouth down like a man and when the creature turned he could see hair hanging down its arm.
Disturbed by what he saw, Arceneaux said he went home and watched an episode of “Finding Bigfoot” but had to change the channel when they played an audio recording of Bigfoot — it was too real.
“This is my first time back here since December,” he said.
Arceneaux said he spoke to a game warden, describing the situation, and was told there had been other sightings along the Neches River. Calls placed to a local game warden was not returned by Tuesday afternoon.
There are a number of organizations throughout Texas that researches and documents Bigfoot sightings, such as Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy and Gulf Coast Bigfoot Research Organization. These groups strive to find evidence to scientifically prove the existence of the creature.
Arceneaux said he did not come forward with his story sooner because he worried about what others would think of him. He has shown this photographic evidence — which was taken at a far distance with a cell phone — to friends and family and only had one person scoff. He will continue to research Bigfoot, he said, but remains wary of returning to the spot where the encounter occurred. | <urn:uuid:afbdcb7d-0b41-4150-ae04-1cda4802d234> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mankatofreepress.com/community-news-network/x503857054/Man-claims-he-saw-Bigfoot-on-Texas-river | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984468 | 649 | 1.75 | 2 |
15 Current Technologies A Child Born Today Will Never Use
From the moment that I found out my wife was pregnant with our first child, a son, I’ve thought of his development in terms of tech. When pregnancy sites described our six-week-old fetus as the size of a “lentil,” I referred to him as the length of an RFID chip. When the doctor said he had reached 1.3 pounds, I told all my friends that my son was the size of an iPad. When he was born this week, he was about the size of an HP Envy 15, though unfortunately his cries did not use Beats Audio.
As my newborn son grows to match the size of a mid-tower desktop, a large-screen TV and eventually a server rack, I can’t help but think about all the gadgets he won’t even remember using that were so important to his dad. I’m not talking about long dead-and-buried technologies such as the VHS recorder or the 35mm camera. Rather, I’m thinking about devices and concepts most of us use today that will fall out of mainstream use so soon that he either won’t remember them, or will only have very hazy memories of having lived with them.
Wired Home Internet
I was surprised when a 23-year-old co-worker told me she didn't remember a time before broadband Internet. At some point, her parents must have had dial-up, but she was so young that she doesn't even remember back that far. Wireless broadband won't dominate the home market until he's 8 to 10, but my son won't remember a world where consumers pay for wired Internet connections.
Even today, 4G LTE provides comparable download speeds and better upload speeds than cable Internet, but the cost of using mobile broadband all the time is prohibitive. At some point in the next few years, broadband providers are going to realize that giving everyone home antennas is more scalable than wiring and maintaining each street's network of fiber-optic cables. At that point, the paradigm will shift and it will be cheaper to purchase wireless than wired Internet. Clear already offers a 4G WiMax home Internet hub with unlimited service, though it's not fast enough to compete with cable Internet.
Read more: Nationwide 4G Showdown
Dedicated Cameras and Camcorders
Smartphone cameras are already killing the consumer point-and-shoot and the family camcorder. Unlike cameras, which most of us carry only when we think we might need to take pictures, smartphones are always with us. They offer all kinds of apps and filters for adjusting pictures on the fly and they allow us to share our photos and videos online as soon as we take them. DSLRs and micro four-thirds cameras will remain with us, but within a few years, the average consumer won't own a dedicated camera at all.
As of 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 26 percent of U.S. homes had wireless phones only. By the time my son turns 5 in 2017, only a handful of old people and Luddites will continue to own house phones while everyone will likely use cellphones exclusively. By the time my son is 10, most businesses will have done away with their desk phones and saved a lot of money and hassle in the process.
Read more: Top 10 Smartphones Available Now
Waiting for one's computer to boot is one of the great tech frustrations of the PC era, but my son will never know that pain. With the move toward always-on computing, future users will almost never turn their computers off, instead waking them from sleep in a second or less. New operating systems will be able to install updates and patches without requiring a reboot. However, if for some reason, you do need to restart the computer, boots will take only a couple of seconds because of SSDs and fast-starting operating systems like Windows 8. "When I was your age, we had to wait up to two minutes for a computer to power on, and we liked it," I'll tell him.
Read more: Top 10 Ultrabooks
Windowed Operating Systems
When my son is ready for his own computer, the windows will be gone from Windows. Microsoft 's PC operating system will still exist, as will Mac OS X. But, in the next few years, we'll say good bye to the window metaphor where each application you run is displayed in a draggable box that has a title bar and widgets.
Microsoft has already signaled its intent to kill the window metaphor by making the tile-based Metro UI the default screen for Windows 8. How long before Mac OS and even Ubuntu also default to touch-friendly UIs that don't have tiny widgets?
My first computer, a TI 99, used cassette tapes to store data. My second computer used 5.25-inch floppy disks, and the third system had a combination of a 3.5-inch floppy drive and a small IDE hard drive. The next PC had a zip drive and a tape backup unit. However, as different as these disks were, they all used the same magnetic platter technology that's been popular since reel-to-reel tapes ruled the earth.
Today, solid state drives finally allow us to end the ancient practice of storing our data on spinning magnetic platters. Because they have no moving parts, SSDs are infinitely faster than hard drives and more durable, too. Today, the cost of solid-state storage is significantly higher than magnetic media, but expect that delta to shrink significantly over the years while users come to expect SSD speeds from even low-end computers. By the time my son gets his first new laptop, you won't be able to buy one without an SSD. Hard drives and their cheap storage will only remain useful for servers, where space is more important than speed.
Pundits have been predicting the death of the movie theater since the first televisions hit the market, but this time, it's really going to happen for a number of reasons. First, with large HD televisions going mainstream and 3D sets becoming more affordable, the average home theater is almost as good as the average multiplex theater. Second, studios and their cable partners have begun releasing some movies for on-demand viewing on the same day they debut in theaters, a trend which is likely to continue.
Finally, the cost of going to a movie theater is so out of control — movie tickets in New York cost around $13 each — that nobody is going to keep paying it. In a world where an on-demand film that's still in theaters costs $7 to rent and one that just left the theater streams for $2.99 from Amazon, who will spend more than $50 for a family of four to go see the same movie surrounded by annoying patrons, dirty seats and overpriced popcorn? Art house theaters that offer specialized films and a sense of community may remain, but the average multiplex will be gone before my son notices it was ever there.
Within five years, the cost of adding capacitive touch capability to screens will be so small that every display, from large-screen TVs to laptops, will have it. More precise pointing devices such as the mouse and touchpad won't disappear overnight, but they'll likely fade away or become secondary input methods within the next several years. Already with Windows 8, the user interface will support touch even if you don't necessarily need to use it all the time.
Read more: What to Look for in a Touchpad
Ever since the first 3D films hit theaters in the 1950s, viewers have been forced to wear some kind of glasses in order to experience three-dimensional effects. However, in the past year or so, we've started seeing a number of glasses-free solutions hit the market.
In 2011, Toshiba released the Qosmio F755 notebook, which uses its webcam to track your eye movements and serve up really compelling 3D images, though these are only optimized for a single viewer. Last year, phone vendors HTC and LG both launched handsets with glasses-free, stereoscopic 3D screens that weren't home theater quality, but were good enough for some three-dimensional fun. By the time my son is 10, large-screened devices like TVs will be able to offer a compelling glasses-free 3D experience to many viewers at the same time.
Read more: Will 3D Smartphones Fall Flat?
When I was a child, the family TV didn't even have a remote control. We had to actually get up and walk across the room to change the channel. By the time my son enters grade school, most of us will have moved on to either using our smartphones or a combination of gestures and voice commands to change channels.
By the time my son is in elementary school, PC vendors will have stopped producing most desktop computers, though all-in-ones with large screens, high-end workstations for people who do industrial-strength computations, and servers (probably in blade form) will remain. As someone who loves to build desktops from parts, I hope the market for PC components remains intact so my son and I will still be able to custom build a computer together, but I fear that option may disappear too.
Read more: Top 10 Tablets Available Now
I still remember my parents' phone number, which hasn't changed in more than 30 years, but how many of us dial numbers rather than just tapping a name in our contacts menu? With the advent of VoIP chat services like Skype, Google Talk and even Facebook audio chat, you can just dial someone by username. When my son is in high school, he'll be asking the pretty girl on the bus for her user ID, not her phone number.
Read more: Hands on with Skype for Windows Phone
In ancient times, people had to gather around their TVs at a set time each week to watch "Starsky and Hutch." Then VCRs arrived and you could find out whether the Duke boys outsmarted Boss Hogg any time you wanted. DVRs now let us tape shows without using tapes, but because most TV networks make their shows available for free either via Web streaming or cable on-demand, we don't even have to record shows.
In the age of email, instant messaging and 4G connections, there's only one lame excuse for the continued existence of the fax machine, a gadget that had its heyday in the 1970s, and that excuse has to do with signatures. Some companies and their lawyers will only accept a scribbled signature as valid on contracts and forms, so if you want to file that loan application or send in your insurance claim form with your signature on it, fax may still be your best option.
However, three things will finally slay the fax. First, more companies will start accepting online forms with electronic signatures as valid, so someone's illegible signature on a hard copy isn't needed. Second, for those who just can't let go of the signature requirement, touch devices will allow people to scribble their John Hancocks into digital forms. Finally, the death of landlines will also mean death for fax machines.
I still remember the first DVD I bought, because it was a copy of "Hard Boiled" that I ordered from a now-defunct website called Urban Fetch. It may take until my son turns 10 for the major entertainment companies to stop publishing in DVD and Blu-ray format, but make no mistake, discs aren’t long for this world.
Optical discs will last another decade or so because consumers aren't eager to repurchase films they already own on disc and because there are still a number of old or rare titles you can't find on cloud services like iTunes or Amazon. Yet with the growth in downloadable and streaming video services, all physical media is on the fast track to extinction.
This story was provided by Laptopmag.com, a sister site to LiveScience.
MORE FROM LiveScience.com | <urn:uuid:37a1d76a-0fb1-487a-9a94-6a2f581b5575> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.livescience.com/20258-current-technologies-newborn-son-wont-employ.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961806 | 2,481 | 1.640625 | 2 |
1- Allah in Arabic means God, it is not a name, and this is the same god of all the religions. The claim of a moon god is nonesense, i will reproduce a reply from another post on that specific claim below.
2- Muhammad was not a murderer, he was an honorable messenger just as human as Jesus. He delivered the final testament, Quran.
3- Jesus was just a human prophet, his knowledge is not from him but from the "father" as he stressed in the bible. God is the only savior. i refer you to my website for more info. www.usn2161.net/Christianity.html
The real pagans are those who need a physical god to worship, e.g: a creature, a statue, a human being...etc
4- Quran is not the book that the terrorists follow, and ironically it is not the book that muslims follow even!. They follow satanic books called "Hadith" which are false sayings attributed to Muhammad, the equivelant of the man made Jewish Talmoud.
5- Do not be duped into idolizing Jesus when the man himself warned against attributing his knowledge to him instead of God alone.
Jesus said: "My doctrine is not my own; it comes from Him who sent me" ]John 7:16]
"...I have not come of myself. I was sent by One who has the right to send, and Him you do not know. I know Him because it is from Him i come; He sent me." [John 7:28-29]
Quran [5:116] GOD will say, "O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to the people, `Make me and my mother idols beside GOD?' " He will say, "Be You glorified. I could not utter what was not right. Had I said it, You already would have known it. You know my thoughts, and I do not know Your thoughts. You know all the secrets. [5:117] "I told them only what You commanded me to say, that: `You shall worship GOD, my Lord and your Lord.' I was a witness among them for as long as I lived with them. When You terminated my life on earth, You became the Watcher over them. You witness all things.
6- Refrain from idolizing Jesus, it would be better for you.
The moon god hoax
I will here try to answer some of the questions as well as the disinformation, but i have to say that there will be no useless argument between me and you, as Satan thrives on the never-ending (I am better than he) conflicts.
So God willing, i will present the Truth, and whoever wishes to take heed, may God guide him or her. As for those who turn away, then i say "bear witness that i submit to the Lord of the universe ALONE".
1- 55132 quoted: "Allah in fact, was the Moon-god who was married to the sun goddess and the stars were his daughters."
Let's see if that is true from the scripture claimed to be from "Allah" the moon-god !:
[59:24] He is the One GOD; the Creator, the Initiator, the Designer. To Him belong the most beautiful names. Glorifying Him is everything in the heavens and the earth. He is the Almighty, Most Wise.
Well why would the moon-god say that EVERYTHING in the heavens and the earth glorify him ?
[6:102] Such is GOD your Lord, there is no god except He, the Creator of all things. You shall worship Him alone. He is in control of all things.
Why would the moon-god say that he is the CREATOR of all things ??
[22:18] Do you not realize that to GOD prostrates everyone in the heavens and the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the animals, and many people? Many others among the people are committed to doom. Whomever GOD shames, none will honor him. Everything is in accordance with GOD's will.
2- 55312 quoted: "Given the amount of artifacts concerning the worship of this Moon-god, it is clear that this was the dominant religion in Sumeria."
I have no doubt that this could be very much a fact, since God mentioned many civilizations in His Quran that were annihilated because of worshipping (the visible) creatures instead of Him Alone. what would make the Sumerians any different that the Pharaons.
Satan's ministers of disinformation use tour inability to concentrate for a long time, to flood us with alot of INFO. then sudenly jump to the point (DISINFO.) they want us to accept! but if we reverence God, He will guide us to the Truth, and help us in seeing the Truth from falsehood,
55132 quoted: "Thousands of inscriptions from walls and rocks in Northern Arabia have also been collected. Reliefs and votive bowls used in worship of the "daughters of Allah" have also been discovered. The three daughters, al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat are sometimes depicted together with Allah the Moon-god represented by a crescent moon above them. The archeological evidence demonstrates that the dominant religion of Arabia was the cult of the Moon-god."
Let's try to find out what does "the moon-god!" say about these daughters in his alleged book:
[53:19] Compare this with the female idols Allaat and Al-`Uzzah.
[53:20] And Manaat, the third one.
[53:21] Do you have sons, while He has these as daughters?
[53:22] What a disgraceful distribution!
[53:23] These are but names that you made up, you and your forefathers. GOD never authorized such a blasphemy. They follow conjecture, and personal desire, when the true guidance has come to them herein from their Lord.
[53:24] What is it that the human being desires?
[53:25] To GOD belongs both the Hereafter, and this world.
[53:26] Not even the angels in heaven possess authority to intercede. The only ones permitted by GOD are those who act in accordance with His will and His approval.
From the above it is clear that the unforgivable sin of the Arabs before Muhammad was their idolizing (the alleged daughters of God) and thinking that by reverencing them, the idols could intercede on behalf of them.
In the last verse above, God warns that nobody and nothing can intercede, you are bound by your own works (no idol can help you on the day of judgment).
3- Then 55132 quoted: "While they worshipped 360 gods at the Kabah in Mecca, the Moon-god was the chief deity. Mecca was in fact built as a shrine for the Moon-god."
Here is what i understand from Quran and history, the Arabs living around the Kabah (the shrine of God built by Abraham in ancient times), mixed two belief systems together.
While they claimed that they are following Abraham's footsteps and worshipping God, they also continued worshipping idols (that they may have inherited from the Sumerians) besides God. When Muhammad warned them against worshipping idols besides God, they persecuted him.
To trace this in the only proven book in the world, let's reflect upon the following:
1- Abraham warned his people (maybe the Sumerians) from worshipping idols beside God,
[6:74] Recall that Abraham said to his father Azar, "How could you worship statues as gods? I see that you and your people have gone far astray."
[6:75] We showed Abraham the marvels of the heavens and the earth, and blessed him with certainty:
[6:76] When the night fell, he saw a shining planet. "Maybe this is my Lord," he said. When it disappeared, he said, "I do not like (gods) that disappear."
[6:77] When he saw the moon rising, he said, "Maybe this is my Lord!" When it disappeared, he said, "Unless my Lord guides me, I will be with the strayers."
[6:78] When he saw the sun rising, he said, "This must be my Lord. This is the biggest." But when it set, he said, "O my people, I denounce your idolatry.
[6:79] "I have devoted myself absolutely to the One who initiated the heavens and the earth; I will never be an idol worshiper."
[6:80] His people argued with him. He said, "Do you argue with me about GOD, after He has guided me? I have no fear of the idols you set up. Nothing can happen to me, unless my Lord wills it. My Lord's knowledge encompasses all things. Would you not take heed?
[6:81] "Why should I fear your idols? It is you who should be afraid, since you worship instead of GOD idols that are utterly powerless to help you. Which side is more deserving of security, if you know?"
[6:82] Those who believe, and do not pollute their belief with idol worship, have deserved the perfect security, and they are truly guided.
[6:83] Such was our argument, with which we supported Abraham against his people. We exalt whomever we will to higher ranks. Your Lord is Most Wise, Omniscient.
[6:84] And we granted him Isaac and Jacob, and we guided both of them. Similarly, we guided Noah before that, and from his descendants (we guided) David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. We thus reward the righteous.
[6:85] Also, Zachariah, John, Jesus, and Elias; all were righteous.
[6:86] And Ismail, Elisha, Jonah, and Lot; each of these we distinguished over all the people.
[6:87] From among their ancestors, their descendants, and their siblings, we chose many, and we guided them in a straight path.
[6:88] Such is GOD's guidance, with which He guides whomever He chooses from among His servants. Had any of them fallen into idolatry, their works would have been nullified.
[6:89] Those were the ones to whom we have given the scripture, wisdom, and prophethood. If these people disbelieve, we will substitute others in their place, and the new people will not be disbelievers.
I don't ask you for a wage, i give you the Truth from your only God, how could you deviate like Abraham's people and worship idols besides their Creator?. Jesus was no more than a righteous human messenger, why do you idolize a creature instead of God??
The article mixes truth with falsehood, it is indeed a fact that the Arabs before Muhammad worshipped idols (they must have inherited this false belief from the Sumerians), but they also worshipped God (they inherited Monotheism from Abraham), they called God (Allaah) which means "God" or The god, in Arabic (Arabic is my mother-tongue by the way).
55312 quoted: ""Why is Allah never defined in the Qur'an? Why did Muhammad assume that the pagan Arabs already knew who Allah was?""
The main idea of "Submission" is the belief in the unseen. The test entails that only the truthful, only the sincere will FEEL that God is the only God with their hearts.
As for the wicked who are stuck in the visible illusion, they need a visible god, to worship him!
[2:1] This scripture is infallible; a beacon for the righteous;
[2:3] who believe in the unseen, observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and from our provisions to them, they give to charity.
The Children of Israel fell in the same trap, they wanted to see God, out of having doubts,
[4:153] The people of the scripture challenge you to bring down to them a book from the sky! They have asked Moses for more than that, saying, "Show us GOD, physically." Consequently, the lightning struck them, as a consequence of their audacity. Additionally, they worshiped the calf, after all the miracles they had seen. Yet, we pardoned all this. We supported Moses with profound miracles.
Reflect on this conversation between Moses and Pharaoh, the tyrant who didn't believe in the unseen, Pharaoh wanted a visible god to believe,
[26:23] Pharaoh said, "What is the Lord of the universe?"
[26:24]He said, "The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and everything between them. You should be certain about this."
[26:25] He said to those around him, "Did you hear this?"
[26:26]He said, "Your Lord and the Lord of your ancestors."
[26:27] He said, "Your messenger who is sent to you is crazy."
[26:28]He said, "The Lord of the east and the west, and everything between them, if you understand."
[26:29] He said, "If you accept any god, other than me, I will throw you in the prison."
[26:30]He said, "What if I show you something profound?"
[26:31] He said, "Then produce it, if you are truthful."
[26:32]He then threw his staff, whereupon it became a profound snake.
[26:33]And he took out his hand, and it was white to the beholders.
[26:34] He said to the elders around him, "This is an experienced magician.
The article is based on mere conjecture, and trying to jump to conclusions from archeological evidence,
1- Did the Arabs before Muhammad worship God, the same God of Abraham? Yes, they did.
2- Did they pollute and nullify their worship with worshippping idols (the daughters of god) besides Him? yes they did, and that's why Muhammad was persecuted when he warned them against idolatry.
3- Who built the Kabah in Mecca? Abraham and his son, Ismail did,
[2:127] As Abraham raised the foundations of the shrine, together with Ismail (they prayed): "Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the Hearer, the Omniscient.
4- Was Abraham Christian, or Jewish?
[3:67] Abraham was neither Jewish, nor Christian; he was a monotheist submitter. He never was an idol worshiper.
5- Did Abraham reverence saints, prophets or dead people?
[2:135] They said, "You have to be Jewish or Christian, to be guided." Say, "We follow the religion of Abraham - monotheism - he never was an idol worshiper. | <urn:uuid:d9e811b7-827d-4f21-b0c3-0cf2f34a63ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clubconspiracy.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2810&postcount=17 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970365 | 3,194 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Brand Jamaica to get protectionBY SHAMILLE SCOTT Business reporter
JAMAICA can mean anything these days. It could describe the world's fastest man, it could be the name of a French Rock band, or it could indicate the home of the late reggae icon Bob Marley.
So popular and intriguing is brand Jamaica that the Government plans to sign the Madrid Protocol, a treaty that protects international trademarks. "Brand Jamaica is most exploited," said Carol Simpson, executive director of Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO).
The country has performed well in the creative industries, notably, music and fashion and most recently the sporting arena, thus attracting copycats.
The international community's penchant for brand Jamaica, without regard to authenticity, means the island should protect its image, Simpson said.
JIPO was displeased when a French rock band named itself Jamaica, but had no power to intervene, she said.
"Negative connotations can be associated with the name Jamaica," Simpson said. And once an impression has been created it becomes hard to change.
JIPO unsuccessfully lobbied the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland, for the protection of county names via an amendment to another treaty, the Paris Convention, she said.
"Everything Jamaican cannot be protected, but some products can be." Anthony Hylton, Minister of industry, investment and commerce, said at a meeting with stakeholders that Jamaica will sign the protocol once the Trade Marks Act has been amended.
Under the protocol, Jamaican companies and businesses marketing and distributing products and services internationally would be confident that their brands and trademarks were protected.
The signing of the protocol is timely, said Simpson, as the government is pushing businesses to export.
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Terms under which this service is provided to you. | <urn:uuid:f2ad8eee-e428-4274-af1f-609252f42444> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/mobile/business/Brand-Jamaica-to-get-protection_12296591 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93382 | 438 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Long Beach Unified School District is one of the school jursidictions expected to receive hikes of $800 to $1,000 per student in state funding over two years, the district confirmed Thursday.
The increase results from Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed funding formula that favors school districts heavily serving students who are low-income, in foster care or learning English, according to the Los Angeles Times.
More affluent districts would receive lower per-pupil funding than poorer schools, according to the Times.
For Long Beach, the proposed formula could bring an additional $918 more per pupil in the 2014-2015 school years, said Chris Eftychiou, Long Beach Unified School District public information director.
"As you know, the formula remains in the proposal stage, but we're hopeful that it will result in a more equitable distribution of resources to schools and students who have greater needs," said Eftychiou.
The change in funding would come as Long Beach Unified weighs proposals to deal with limited resources, including adjustments to school schedules to save more than $1 million in transportation costs. A Board of Education vote on the schedule changes was postponed on Feb. 5.
The Long Beach district was recognized last year as one of the highest-performing school systems in the world following a study by the Ohio-based Battelle for Kids.
Long Beach serves 83,000 students attending 84 public, private and charter schools and spends $9,982 to $12,097 per student, the study said. | <urn:uuid:1bb51ad6-92de-440f-8941-ded16ad23f1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://longbeach-ca.patch.com/groups/schools/p/lat-long-beach-unified-could-get-boost-in-student-funding | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964424 | 309 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Here's a quickie on steps to start getting published. This is by no means comprehensive. This may be old hat for some of you, but for others this may be new information and hopefully valuable.
Publishers: Two main types of publishers; books and periodicals (magazines)
The following is general stuff for magazines, just to get an idea of what is involved in the process.
Magazine publishers are often very specific in material for readership (Christian Women's issues, Child development, etc.), as they usually fill some sort of "niche market'; and are slanted for specific audience market. Do your homework carefully in this area, and make sure that your piece fits the periodical's needs. Also pay attention to length limits for submissions, and be very familiar with the word count of your manuscript
Some periodicals accept only non-fiction articles, some accept only fiction, some accept both. Some will want samples, though most periodicals will want the entire manuscript (ms). Publishers will state whether or not they will accept unsolicited manuscripts, or whether they want you to send just a query letter first, then decide if they want to look at the whole piece after that.
If you'd like your (hard copy) manuscript sent back, it's on your dime, and you need to provide a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE); if you don't want to have it sent back, some ask that the words "Disposable Copy" be put on the first page of the manuscript. I suppose it would be good form to do so if they don't ask, but personally, I don't want an editor thinking my manuscript is "Disposable" before s/he has even read it. I just don't like the imagery. If I don't want my manuscript back I make mention somewhere in my cover letter, just so they don't think I don't know what I'm doing by not including an SASE.
Attach e-mail submissions only if they say this method is acceptable. If so, make sure you are using a format of their preference. This is becoming more and more common, but never assume it is acceptable unless specifically stated.
Query letter/Cover letter. Sometimes these get confused. A query letter is used in place of a submitted manuscript. It is, in essence, your "pitch" to the publisher about your particular piece, economically giving a short synopsis of the piece, intended audience, and possibly purpose for the potential submission, or suggestion as to how this is a good match for the editor's periodical.
A Cover Letter accompanies a manuscript, introduces (or reminds the editor) you as the writer, more importantly, introduces the manuscript, word count, and again acts as a short pitch.
These two documents can be as important, or more important in terms of drafting than the manuscript itself. Manuscripts can be tossed merely on the strength (or weakness, as it were) of the cover letter; poorly written queries will be rejected without second thought to the potential submission it represents. These letters will represent you, your ability to economically and effectively express ideas, and reflect your understanding of the English language and the business.
Edit, edit, edit -- polish, polish, polish these letters, with absolutely NO spelling errors or grammar miscues. I cannot stress this enough. Be sure they are hand crafted for each individual submission, and that they don't sound like (and certainly are not) form letters. Editors can smell form letters a mile away.
If you can find a personal name for the editor you are targeting your manuscript, by all means address it to that person. "Dear Joanne" or "Dear Ms. Schmidt" sounds much better than "Dear Fiction Editor". Even if the manuscript is read by a "slush-pile" reader, it may give the impression you have a standing relationship with their boss -- not bad leverage for you when they are reading it! At the very least it will show you've done your homework.
A good source for magazines or periodicals in general, with listings for circulation, royalties, submission requirements, etc. is the "Christian Writer's Market" and the general "2004 Writer's Market". There are also specialized "Writer's Market" books for poetry and Christian Fiction. These can be pretty thick tomes, but are worth the dollars if you want to regularly submit your work.
If you only have one or two pieces you want to try your hand at flogging, you can go down to the library and find these books instead of buying them.
A small piece of advice if you start submitting your work: keep a log of what you have out and to whom, make sure you keep it up to date, and then FORGET about it and go on to the next project. Going out to the mail box with anticipation because they said it would be "2-3 weeks for reply" and it just started into the second week can lead to serious discouragement. And then, lower your expectations, as more often then not, it WILL be a rejection. This is a tough business. However, should their be an acceptance, it will be all the greater rejoicing because it will greatly exceed your expectations.
Good luck, and many blessings.
Read more articles by David Ian or search for articles on the same topic or others. | <urn:uuid:a449040c-579e-4dc7-92a5-bd2ae25a2012> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=20202 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960851 | 1,098 | 1.625 | 2 |
At 86 years old, Bud Davis was still the first person to show up for work each morning in the palatial compound of a Cadillac dealership which has borne his name for the last 37 years.
There are few Memphians who haven’t seen at least one of Bud Davis Cadillac’s TV commercials, or driven by the lot on Poplar Avenue. Or heard the catchy theme song on the radio.
When he wasn’t selling cars, Mr. Davis could often be found coaching a basketball team, working on behalf of his favorite children’s charity, or dispensing wisdom to anyone he encountered.
“He was just a great teacher up until the time he died,” said Steve Williford, a friend as well as the co-author of a book about Davis called “It’s Time!”
Kindle “Bud” Davis was born in 1926 in Cotton Springs Community, Tishimingo County, Miss. He died Saturday following a series of illnesses.
Williford first met Mr. Davis three years ago, when his own father was ill and Mr. Davis came by to comfort his dying friend.
“In walked Bud Davis, who I didn’t know at the time,” Williford said. “Bud just said, ‘Henry, I know if things go the way the doctors are telling us, you’ll be going before me. But I will see you again, and I promise that I’ll take care of your family.’”
Williford was blown away by the way Mr. Davis comforted his father and, Williford said, he more than made good on the promise.
Mr. Davis organized legions of people to bring food, saw to it that piles of cards and letters of encouragement soon followed, and had sacks full of cookies delivered to their home.
“Bud always did things in a large way,” Williford said. “He was always doing kind things for folks, all the time. That’s why he had such a loyal following of customers and friends.”
Mr. Davis’ loyal following of customers was among the many reasons that his Cadillac dealership was frequently recognized on the national level for excellence. For 27 years, the dealership was singled out as “Master Dealer” and for 7 years as a “Top 100 General Motors Dealer.”
“Bud, as you might imagine being in the luxury car business, had a lot of very important people, people you would know, that came through there,” Williford said. “But he didn’t have any of those pictures up in his office. Not one. He had pictures of his family.”
Mr. Davis was also a longtime basketball coach at Itawamba Community College, where a gymnasium and exercise facility on campus bear his name. He was a major supporter of Porter-Leath Children’s Charities, and loved interacting with children at fundraising events.
He is survived by an identical twin brother, Windle “Buster” Davis; a son, Gary Kindle; and a grandson.
A private service is planned for family and friends. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be sent to White Station Church of Christ, 1106 Colonial, Memphis, TN 38117, or Porter-Leath Children’s Charities at 868 N. Manassas, Memphis, TN 38107. | <urn:uuid:ce03d185-9df9-4db9-b099-58add4563674> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2013/feb/25/longtime-memphis-cadillac-dealer-bud-davis-dies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985009 | 738 | 1.5625 | 2 |
StoutFiles - 7:38 pm on May 17, 2011 (gmt 0)
* StoutFiles: "if you're starting from scratch, learn and use div's."
OK, but why should I do so in your opinion? Div's are preferred because ....
-Less code, less bandwidth. CSS page is cached and site runs faster with subsequent page impressions. This alone makes it worth it.
-Editing. Wading through a mess of td's and tr's when trying to make a layout change is a pain in the ass.
-SEO friendly. Yes, SE's can read either, but they supposedly prefer div's as it's easier to categorize content with tags. It's just that they prefer old sites that don't have huge layout chnages instantly, which is why I suggest leaving a table-designed site as it is if it ranks well in SE's.
-Mobile friendly. Smartphone users increase every day, much easier to develop for these screens with proper CSS. | <urn:uuid:4a4f4f48-ddb4-46a1-82d7-e2727c14ebc3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.webmasterworld.com/printerfriendlyv5.cgi?forum=23&discussion=4312948&serial=4313791&user= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969775 | 209 | 1.59375 | 2 |
"If you could see your life only in images of yourself and your past, would you be pleased? At the end of the day, what is your story going to read? What is going to be your Legacy?" - Sagg Torrence, Film Lover and Producer
Planned giving and endowment
The Light Factory has established an endowment fund with Foundation of the Carolinas. This fund provides a vehicle for donors to make gifts that ensure long-term support for the Museum. Please contact the Executive Director or
of the Greater Charlotte Cultural Trust for more information.
A memorial gift is a thoughtful way to mark a special occasion or to honor the memory of a relative or friend. To make a memorial gift, send your contribution (along with acknowledgment information so we can notify the recipient or family) to The Light Factory. The person honored (or their next of kin) will be notified of your kindness. Memorial gifts can be designated to specific youth outreach programs, films, or gallery exhibitions.
The Taylor Family honors and remembers their brother and son...
During his lifetime, John Taylor developed a love of art, poetry, music and — most passionately — photography. John’s life was photography, both his career and a way of giving back to the community. When Johnny died in 1993, his family established the John Taylor Memorial Education Fund, which supports The Light Factory's Outreach programs. | <urn:uuid:334c4401-d8e3-4892-83af-31b3de417ac7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lightfactory.org/planned-giving | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951925 | 283 | 1.570313 | 2 |
When U.S. census takers tromp from door to door to count the Lehigh Valley's population in 1990, many of them will be greeted with slamming doors and furtive glances from behind curtain-covered windows.
Armed only with their wits, these census takers will convince illegal aliens, criminals and welfare cheats that the information they divulge will not be given to any other government agency.
Not to the Internal Revenue Service.
Not to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Not to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Not an easy task, to be sure.
"It's hard work. It takes a special knack to be able to knock on doors," says Harold Hayes of the regional census office in Philadelphia, which covers Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.
"We do it right after taxes, and we do put up with a lot of abuse," he said of the enumerators who will be going door-to-door in April to complete the census.
Convincing the public that its secrets are safe with the Census Bureau is perhaps the hardest task the government faces as it gears up for the nation's 21st census.
Nowhere is that job harder than in poor, minority and high-crime neighborhoods, Hayes said.
"Probably the highest under-count we have is of black males between the ages of 18 and 35 because a lot of them are living as unlisted members of a household," he said.
"In Allentown we know there is a sizable Hispanic population. . . . Some of them are migrant workers who move around a lot," he said.
"One of the other things they fear is a change in their welfare status if they reveal there is a male in the household."
In low-income housing projects, he said, strict requirements limit how many can live in an apartment. "So, they may be inclined not to reveal the real number of people living at an address because they are afraid of eviction," he said.
However, no census information "has ever been turned over to anyone," Hayes said.
"We have been taken to court by several federal organizations - the FBI, the INS, the IRS - who want to have access to our census information," he said.
"But they have not been successful. The information is protected from them."
In upholding the confidentiality of census information, the Supreme Court has underscored the importance of a thorough census, Hayes said.
Unfortunately, Hayes said, most people don't realize how important the census is to their community.
"The 1990 count is going to dictate the level of federal funding in cities for the next 10 years," he said.
"It has a big impact on these minority communities because the only way they can justify that they qualify for federal grants is to prove that they have a high population of needy people. The only way they can prove that is with census information."
Baltimore learned the importance of an accurate census the hard way, Hayes said.
Baltimore officials estimate that the city lost $232 million in state and federal funding over the past 10 years because the 1980 census undercounted the population by an estimated 29,000 people.
Officials at the Census Bureau's district office in Allentown - which covers Lehigh, Berks and Northampton counties - are working with community leaders to increase public knowledge and trust of the census in low-income and poor neighborhoods, said office manager Tom Marshall.
In addition to hiring bilingual enumerators, Marshall said, the office is trying to recruit qualified applicants from within the various housing projects to conduct the census there.
The office is also talking to the housing authorities about setting up counseling centers where residents can get help filling out census questionnaires.
For 200 years, the federal government has conducted a census every 10 years - as required by the U.S. Constitution.
This year, census applications will be mailed out to every household in the country on March 20. People will be asked to fill out the applications and mail them back by April 1, which is National Census Day.
By the end of April, the Census Bureau will compile address lists of people who did not respond to the census and will send enumerators out to canvass areas and take the information in person.
The census count is used to determine the number of seats that each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In addition to using the information for federal funding and congressional reapportionment, Hayes said, local government officials use the population information to plan for school and road needs. | <urn:uuid:40909b14-000a-4c46-a248-7f6c47fbbc58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.mcall.com/1989-12-28/news/2710343_1_census-takers-census-bureau-regional-census | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965212 | 936 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Still, some folks seem unable to resist the temptation to throw a gum wrapper or a beer bottle out on the street, into a gutter or into someone’s yard.
Police Chief Joe Treviño reminds all residents that if they get caught littering they can face stiff fines.
“It’s common for us to write tickets for that,” the chief said about littering.
“If an officer sees someone throwing trash on the street, he will usually write the offender a citation.”
That means the offender is being charged with a Class C misdemeanor, an offense punishable by a fine of as much as $500.
But it gets worse, Treviño said. “The offense rises depending on the amount.”
Dumping wastes that weigh less than five pounds is considered a Class C misdemeanor.
Stiffer penalties come with more trash. Dumping whole bags of trash, furniture, car doors and such can mean being charged with a Class B or Class A misdemeanor.
A Class A misdemeanor can result in a $4,000 fine and a year in the county jail.
Littering also is an offense that can result in arrest. “If it’s oil or hazardous material, then it could be a felony,” the chief said.
And that not only pertains to dumping those objects, it includes accepting litter, trash and hazardous materials (like old tires) on property that is not legally designated for dumping wastes.
Officers in the field have ways of tracing illegally dumped materials.
Once they can trace the source of those materials, the offender can expect to receive a court summons in the mail.
The chief said that, not long ago, city authorities removed more than 30 signs from utility poles in Beeville. Somebody had stapled the signs which said, “We buy junked cars.”
Treviño said it is against state law to post any sign, garage sale notices, political signs and others, on utility poles.
With any kind of littering that takes place in view of a police officer, “they’re definitely going to get a ticket.”
Ronald “Buddy” Hardy, the city’s assistant code compliance official, said residents who live inside and outside the city need to know that is a violation of the city’s ordinance, No. 1992, to put trash in someone else’s dumpster, to leave it beside the road or to leave it, unattended, on the violator’s own property.
Hardy said police officers have been a significant help to stopping littering.
“Yes sir,” Hardy said, “It’s been helpful.”
Gary Kent is a reporter at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 120, or at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:a66d5727-016c-4699-b8ba-dc2097852e0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mysoutex.com/pages/full_story_landing/push?article-Littering-+dumping+can+result+in+fines-+even+jail+time%20&id=17644004 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948938 | 613 | 1.75 | 2 |
Letter: NATO needs to be abolished, not discussed
Letter submitted to The DePaulia, newspaper of DePaul University in Chicago
This survey course on NATO ignores the Alliance’s salient characteristic: That it is not only the world’s sole military bloc, one which from 1999-2012 waged unprovoked wars in three continents (Southeastern Europe, South Asia and North Africa), but the largest multinational war machine in history.
The observation that the NATO “website noted that according to the original treaty, an attack on one NATO country is an attack on everyone” is a reference to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the basis for 150,000 troops from 50 nations serving under the military bloc’s command in Afghanistan – the largest invasion force in that nation’s history – and the largest number of troop-contributing countries in any war ever, certainly in one nation. The Afghan campaign is also the longest war in the history of the U.S.
In addition, Article 5 is the basis of NATO continuing its comprehensive naval surveillance and interdiction operation, Active Endeavor, throughout the Mediterranean Sea from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Suez Canal, currently in its eleventh year and with no indication of ending.
If at the time of its founding in 1949 NATO’s chief purpose was to “combat the Soviet Union,” then please explain how it is that eight years after the fragmentation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics the bloc began a ten-year expansion that saw it increase membership by 75 percent, from 16 to 28 members in 2009.
Or what justification it employed to build military partnerships with another 40 nations throughout Europe, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, East Asia, the South Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa.
NATO is a historically unparalleled threat to world peace, not least because of its centrality in realizing the Ronald Reagan administration’s plan for a potential first-strike global missile shield.
It needs to be abolished, not discussed as though it were a beneficent and innocuous security agreement. | <urn:uuid:78896db8-7f92-40e3-b4e0-4954f546ea9c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/letter-nato-needs-to-be-abolished-not-discussed/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934926 | 429 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Too much water: MDOT engineer says I-69, I-75 closed by sheer volume of water, low elevation
Gregg Brunner, the MDOT engineer, said the flooding has not been related to pump station failure.
I-75 from south I-475 to I-69 and I-69 from Bristol Road to I-75 remain closed due to flooding.
"We've got a lot of backup," Brunner said. "It can only flow so fast."
Water from I-69 and I-75 in the area flows into storm drains before making its way to the Flint River and eventually, the Saginaw Bay.
Unlike other big rain events, rains Thursday night and this morning were very widespread in both Genesee and Lapeer counties, causing water to back up as much as it has, according to county Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright.
Wright said the rain event is comparable to flooding in 1986, when the area was soaked by 17 inches of rain in a 24-hour period. | <urn:uuid:5278c2dd-0e23-43f5-87ee-a0388a04766b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2012/05/too_much_water_mdot_engineer_s.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983639 | 210 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The Amazon basin has proved an increasingly interesting market for the sourcing of natural-based botanical extracts thanks to its wide range of biodiversity and the numerous active and functional properties that have been discovered for a long list of cosmetic applications.
However, the agreement between the two organizations aims to focus on the exploitation of these resources and the threat that over-farming and harvesting poses to the eco system there.
In particular the agreement focuses on environmental conservation by helping to protect and preserve assets and resources that are critical to ensuring sustainable development in poverty-stricken areas such as the Amazon forest, Cerrado savannas and Caatinga drylands.
Partnership formed on the European funding
The partnership has been forged as a $1.9 million program that forms part of IFC’s BioTrade iniative, which has been developed with finance from the Danish and Dutch governments to promote sustainable practices within business models and supply chains, alongside local and regional government strategies.
The two organizations say that the program will focus on providing approaches to protecting the biodiversity and the long-term health and economic success of communities that depend on the such natural resources.
This will be done through the development of verification systems to increase private sector adoption of environmentally friendly sourcing standards, which will bring together key associations, policymakers and players from the cosmetics industry, as well as the pharmaceutical and food industries.
Beraca already big on sustainability in Brazil
The organization says the partnership will focus this work on the Brazil, Peru and Colombia markets. Currently a significant market for the sourcing of ingredients for the cosmetic industry is Brazil, where finished goods players such as Natura and ingredients company Beraca are big players.
In particular Beraca was awarded membership to the UEBT back in 2010 for its sustainable work in sourcing botanical materials throughout Brazil. The membership means Beraca will undergo a thorough auditing processing over the course of five years to ensure it sustains its practices.
IFC Brazil Country Manager Loy Pires stated his belief that the program illustrates the importance of businesses taking action toward creating a more sustainable future to ensure that both businesses and communities operating in these areas could ensure their livelihoods in the long-term.
“The private and public sectors need to work hand-in-hand to promote sustainable development for the benefit of communities and businesses, and to safeguard the environment’s natural assets for future generations,” Pires said. | <urn:uuid:aac8e099-83f7-4d24-9a44-e37a32ce06f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Regulation-Safety/Move-to-protect-biodiversity-in-Brazil-by-IFC-and-UEBT | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953585 | 494 | 1.6875 | 2 |
The NILIF program is remarkable because it's effective for such a wide variety of problems. A shy, timid dog becomes more relaxed knowing that he has nothing to worry about, his owner is in charge of all things. A dog that's pushing too hard to become "top dog" learns that the position is not available and that his life is far more enjoyable without the title.
It is equally successful with dogs that fall anywhere between those two extremes. The program is not difficult to put into effect and it's not time consuming if the dog already knows a few basic obedience commands. I've never seen this technique fail to bring about a positive change in behavior, however, the change can be more profound in some dogs than others. Most owners use this program in conjunction with other behavior modification techniques such as coping with fear or treatment for aggression. It is a perfectly suitable technique for the dog with no major behavior problems that just needs some fine tuning.
I personally recommend NILIF to ALL dogs, behavior problems or not, I think this is how dogs should be treated to give them a sense of purpose and a place to be in the pack with your family. This is a great way to PREVENT behavioral issues.
Where to start?
ATTENTION ON DEMAND
The program begins by eliminating attention on demand. When your dog comes to you and nudges your hand, saying "pet me! pet me!" ignore her. Don't tell her "no", don't push her away. Simply pretend you don't notice her. This has worked for your dog before, so don't be surprised if she tries harder to get your attention. When she figures out that this no longer works, she'll stop. In a pack situation, the top ranking dogs can demand attention from the lower ranking ones, not the other way around. When you give your dog attention on demand you're telling them that they have more status in the pack than you do. Timid dogs become stressed by having this power and may become clingy. They're never sure when you'll be in charge so they can't relax. What if something scary happens, like a stranger coming in the house? Who will handle that? The timid dog that is demanding of attention can be on edge a lot of the time because he has more responsibility than he can handle. When a timid, or dog clearly not meant to be leader is forced to be leader by your lack of involvement, your dog will handle it themselves. If this happens to be a fearful dog this can end up as a behavioral issue while your dog handles it in an inappropriate way.
Some dogs see their ability to demand attention as confirmation that they are the "alpha", then become difficult to handle when told to "sit" or "down" or some other demand is placed on them. It is not their leadership status that stresses them out, it's the lack of consistency. They may or may not actually be alpha material, but having no one in the pack that is clearly the leader is a bigger problem than having the dog assume that role full time. Dogs are happiest when the pack order is stable. Tension is created by a constant fluctuation of pack leadership.
Your dog already knows that he can demand your attention and he knows what works to get that to happen. As of today, it no longer works, but he doesn't know that yet. We all try harder at something we know works when it stops working. If I gave you a twenty dollar bill every time you clapped your hands together, you'd clap a lot. But, if I suddenly stopped handing you money, even though you were still clapping, you'd clap more and clap louder. You might even get closer to me to make sure I was noticing that you were clapping. You might even shout at me "Hey! I'm clapping like crazy over here, where's the money?". If I didn't respond at all, in any way, you'd stop. It wasn't working anymore. That last try -- that loud, frequent clapping is an extinction burst. If, however, during that extinction burst, I gave you another twenty dollar bill you'd be right back in it. It would take a lot longer to get you to stop clapping because you just learned that if you try hard enough, it will work.
When your dog learns that the behaviors that used to get him your attention don't work any more he's going to try harder and he's going to have an extinction burst. If you give him attention during that time you will have to work that much harder to get him turned around again. Telling him "no" or pushing him away is not the kind of attention he's after, but it's still attention. Completely ignoring him will work faster and better.
YOU HAVE THE POWER
As the human and as his owner you have control of all things that are wonderful in his life. This is the backbone of the NILIF program. You control all of the resources. Playing, attention, food, walks, going in and out of the door, going for a ride in the car, going to the dog park. Anything and everything that your dog wants comes from you. If he's been getting most of these things for free there is no real reason for him to respect your leadership or your ownership of these things. Again, a timid dog is going to be stressed by this situation, a pushy dog is going to be difficult to handle. Both of them would prefer to have you in charge.
To implement the NILIF program you simply have to have your dog earn his use of your resources. He's hungry? No problem, he simply has to sit before his bowl is put down. He wants to play fetch? Great! He has to "down" before you throw the ball. Want to go for a walk or a ride? He has to sit to get his lead snapped on and has to sit while the front door is opened. He has to sit and wait while the car door is opened and listen for the word (I use "OK") that means "get into the car". When you return he has to wait for the word that means "get out of the car" even if the door is wide open. Don't be too hard on him. He's already learned that he can make all of these decisions on his own. He has a strong history of being in control of when he gets these resources. Enforce the new rules, but keep in mind that he's only doing what he's been taught to do and he's going to need some time to get the hang of it all.
You're going to have to pay attention to things that you probably haven't noticed before. If you feed your dog from your plate do you just toss him a green bean? No more. He has to earn it. You don't have to use standard obedience commands, any kind of action will do. If your dog knows "shake" or "spin around" or "speak" use those commands. Does your dog sleep on your bed? Teach him that he has to wait for you to say "OK" to get on the bed and he has to get down when you say "off". Teach him to go to his bed, or other designated spot, on command. When he goes to his spot and lays down tell him "stay" and then release him with a treat reward. Having a particular spot where he stays is very helpful for when you have guests or otherwise need him out of the way for a while. It also teaches him that free run of the house is a resource that you control. There are probably many things that your dog sees as valuable resources that I haven't mentioned here.
The NILIF program should not be a long, drawn out process. All you need to do is enforce a simple command before allowing him access to what he wants. Dinner, for example, should be a two or three second encounter that consists of nothing more than saying "sit", then "good dog!", then putting the bowl down and walking away.
ATTENTION AND PLAY
Now that your dog is no longer calling the shots you will have to make an extra effort to provide him with attention and play time. Call him to you, have him "sit" and then lavish him with as much attention as you want. Have him go get his favorite toy and play as long as you both have the energy. The difference is that now you will be the one initiating the attention and beginning the play time. He's going to depend on you now, a lot more than before, to see that he gets what he needs. What he needs most is quality time with you. This would be a good time to enroll in a group obedience class. If his basic obedience is top notch, see about joining an agility class or fly ball team.
NILIF DOES *NOT* MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION YOU GIVE TO YOUR DOG. The NILIF concept speaks to who initiates the attention (you!), not the amount of attention. Go ahead and call your dog to you 100 times a day for hugs and kisses!! You can demand his attention, he can no longer demand yours!
Within a day or two your dog will see you in a whole new light and will be eager to learn more. Use this time to teach new things, such as 'roll over' or learn the specific names of different toys.
If you have a shy dog, you'll see a more relaxed dog. There is no longer any reason to worry about much of anything. He now has complete faith in you as his protector and guide. If you have a pushy dog he'll be glad that the fight for leadership is over and his new role is that of devoted and adored pet. | <urn:uuid:b0f44d44-2679-4c86-9a1b-30d214f2b966> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forthedogstraining.com/2009/09/nothing-in-life-is-free-explanation.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985242 | 2,014 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Games have historically taken larger usage on mobile. The app revolution has changed the way software is distributed and used among consumers. With a perfect storm of digital distribution, free content and powerful touch screen devices, the success of mobile apps has disrupted industries from telecommunications and games to music and news.
To date, no category of apps has been more successful than Games, directly disrupting the traditional gaming industry.
But, now a sign that something fundamental is changing on the iOS and Android platforms, mobile analytics provider Flurry has found that consumers are spending as much time in social networking apps as they are in mobile games.
The last time that Flurry took a look back in January, it found that half of app sessions were spent in games while 30 percent was spent in social networking apps.
“We take the rise in Social Networking apps as a signal of maturation for the platform,” wrote Flurry’s vice president of marketing Peter Farago. “As game demand may be hitting its saturation point, consumers are also discovering other apps, namely Social Networking.”
You can actually visually see the changes on the charts compared to a year ago. Today apps like Viddy, Socialcam and Instagram are in the Top 5 free in the U.S. on iOS. These are all apps for sharing content like videos and friends. A year ago, these would have probably been mostly games.
There are probably several forces at work in addition to the ones that Flurry describes. 1) The platforms are mature and other app categories are starting to develop. 2) Apple has cracked down on more unscrupulous forms of user acquisition, which benefited developers who had the cash to spend on marketing. Pre-revenue apps like Instagram can’t really justify spending tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars a month in marketing dollars. 3) Twitter and Facebook are starting to emerge as effective ways of distributing mobile apps. If you search Twitter for “Viddy” or OMGPOP’s “#drawsomething,” you’ll see that there are several tweets per minute about both apps.
Flurry also found that the time spent is affecting the revenue that apps in both categories earn. For the first time, advertising revenue for social networking apps in Flurry’s ad network AppCircle, surpassed that of ad revenue for games. The thing you have to consider, though, is that gaming apps are more dependent on in-app purchases of virtual currency. If you look on iOS’ top grossing charts, it’s still virtually all games in the Top 25.
rise of Social Networking apps also signals the end of the era of gaming dominance within mobile apps. While the free-to-play business model performs extremely well, enabled by in-app-purchases, it does so primarily for simulation games, a sub-genre of the total games category. As long as the total iOS and Android installed base grows, all categories will continue to grow naturally. | <urn:uuid:77d895f2-7167-4db5-b2a3-6c63ac943e57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://woleademola.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/social-networking-set-to-overtake-gaming-on-ios-and-android/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954496 | 616 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Farrar Straus & Giroux ($21)
by Piotr Gwiazda
Robert Pinsky's sixth poetry collection is not a disappointment to his readers. The book contains a number of apt, solid, and vivid poems, precisely what should be expected from a writer who up to this point has successfully welded tacit autobiography and restrained discursiveness, and with this new volume still continues to do so. Already past the "collected poems" stage (The Figured Wheel: New and Collected Poems 1966-96 appeared in 1996), Pinsky has hordes of admirers and detractors, a fact which didn't prevent him from serving as the Poet Laureate of the United States for three years; during his tenure, he made himself available not only at poetry festivals and readings, but also in unconventional and essentially unpoetic vistas: what can be more disarmingly incongruous than a poet reciting verses about memories, mothers, and money on the News Hour With Jim Lehrer?
Pinsky's efforts to popularize poetry, his across-the-nation conspicuousness and academic prominence (he has a permanent teaching appointment at Boston University), make him a perfect candidate to become somebody this country hasn't had for a long time: a distinguished man of letters. In his desire to create an audience for poetry in the United States, Pinsky inches toward the position once occupied (only half-heartedly, to be sure) by Robert Frost--a national bard, the conscience of American people, a consistent and trustworthy voice reminding us where we came from and where we are going as individuals and as a nation (recall Pinsky's 1980 book-length poem An Explanation of America). What Pinsky is risking in his tendency to take himself seriously as a public figure is the danger of becoming a poet whose presence in literary and public spheres becomes so ubiquitous that his work may lose its ability to surprise. Frost was able to avoid that fate; likewise, Jersey Rain offers no indication that Pinsky is becoming a national bore.
The collection consists of pieces already familiar from Pinsky's public appearances, and of altogether new work. The major poems in the volume belong to the first group: "Ode to Meaning," "Biography," "To Television" and "The Green Piano." "Ode to Meaning" is a superb poem, one of the best Pinsky has ever written, a sober investigation and celebration of the concept that became the twentieth century's most transformation-prone and abuse-provoking myth. Never in fear of abstractions, Pinsky is able to skillfully combine philosophical, personal, and satirical elements in his brooding apostrophe:
Untrusting I court you.
I seek your face, I read
That Crusoe's knife
Reeked of you, that to defile you
The soldier makes the rabbi spit on the torah.
"I'll drown my book" says Shakespeare.
Drowned walker, revenant.
After my mother fell on her head, she became
More than ever your sworn enemy. She spoke
Sometimes like a poet or critic of forty years later.
"Biography" addresses the circularity of events in the poet's life while achieving a fascinating circularity of form. "The Green Piano" is very much like Pinsky's older partly retrospective, partly reflective pieces, while "To Television" pays a reserved though honest homage to the medium so often accused of robbing life of its meaning:
Your patron in the pantheon would be Hermes
Quick one, little thief, escort
Of the dying and comfort of the sick
Hermes is the guiding spirit of this collection; several poems in Jersey Rain invoke or allude to this most busy of all gods in charge of prudence, cunning, fraud, invention, roads, doors, commerce, good luck, sports, games, sacrifice, and (most appropriately in Pinsky's case) eloquence. At times Pinsky's eloquence enables him to see vestiges of life in the inanimate world around him. Years ago poets used to seek life in a mountain or a tree--today they are more likely to find it in a television set or a computer.
Several pieces in this volume deserve to be called Pinsky's worthiest compositions, but there are also few that seem to be mere leftovers, afterthoughts, or distractions, such as his cold depictions of inanimate objects ("Machines") or personal, quasi-poetic reminiscences ("An Alphabet of My Dead"). But this is not to say that the book is uneven. Many readers are familiar with a Pinsky poem: taut, thick, rich, meaningful, resonant, compact, and complete, such a poem has become so unmistakably his own that, regardless of one's individual preferences, one can still grant his work a degree of consistency, plenitude, and sheer logophilia that makes all good poetry possible. When he is at his best, Pinsky offers his audience an intellectual satisfaction that almost verges on a sensual one, like the self-sufficiency of the speaker of "Samurai Song":
When I had no temple
My voice my temple. I have
No priest, my tongue is my choir.
Rain Taxi Online Edition, Fall 2000 | © Rain Taxi, Inc. 2000 | <urn:uuid:cbb3113d-c27d-4267-8821-7ec4dcfa8dac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://raintaxi.com/online/2000fall/pinsky.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962849 | 1,094 | 1.734375 | 2 |
by Maayana Miskin
(IsraelNN.com) A new controversy has broken out over the three-week Cast Lead counter-terror operation that the IDF waged in Gaza earlier this year. Two organizations have come out with video testimony from IDF soldiers reporting what they saw and heard during the intense fighting.
The first group, Soldiers Speak Out, has collected several testimonies in English in which soldiers recall witnessing war crimes perpetrated by Hamas. One describes finding rocket launchers in an ambulance whose drivers claimed to be transporting an elderly patient.
Others list the measures they took to protect Arab civilians, from withholding fire on terrorists to tidying up civilian homes after entering them for combat purposes.
The second group, Breaking the Silence (Shovrim Shtika), has collected several testimonies of soldiers saying they saw soldiers causing damage to Arab property, or heard rumors that Arab civilians were used as human shields. Unlike the Soldiers Speak Out videos, the charges set forth by Breaking the Silence were widely reported by international media outlets, including the Associated Press, Reuters, AFP, CNN and The Guardian.
While Soldiers Speak Out testimonies were given by soldiers who used their full names and identified themselves, the Breaking the Silence videos were given anonymously, and soldiers’ faces were blurred.
In March of this year, several major Israeli and international media outlets published testimony from IDF soldiers claiming that the army had committed war crimes in Gaza. Subsequent investigations showed that the reports were based on rumors and media reports, and that none of the soldiers who made serious allegations regarding harm to Arab civilians had witnessed any such incidents themselves. | <urn:uuid:1b65e4fa-6c23-42f0-ab92-42a528b9604c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://avideditor.wordpress.com/tag/israeli-war-crimes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971361 | 321 | 1.53125 | 2 |
I had to do a big cake today, sculpted as the Lightning McQueen from the movie Cars. After assembling it I was left with about half a loaf of cake and decided to play and transform it in cupcakes. I had the yogurt containers that I have used in the cake batter (vanilla flavoured) and those were perfect to use as cupcake "liners"!
Then to keep the yogurt theme I made a yogurt ganache to serve as icing and that was pretty much it. Fast, fun and delicious!
You can fool everybody: Eat cake but say you're eating a healthy yogurt!
- 1 yogurt container (125gr/4.46oz) plain or vanilla
Use the yogurt container (y.c.) to mesure the other ingredients:
- 3 y.c. flour
- 3 y.c. sugar
- 3/4 y.c. vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Beat egg yolks and sugar. Add yogurt, vanilla and oil. Mix well and add the dry indredients: flour, baking powder and salt. Whip the egg whites and add delicately to the batter. Bake in a loaf pan or muffin tins for about 20-40m (depending on the mold) at 180ºC (350ºF).
YOGURT & WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 120 gr (4.3 oz) white chocolate
- 7,5 tbs yogurt
Melt the chocolate in the microwave, being careful because white chocolate burns fast, so check and mix it often while melting. Add the yogurt and mix just until it's combined and you have a smooth shiny cream.
I've cut pieces of cake with a round cutter that is the same size as the yogurt containers, but you can cut them with a knife. Put the little cake rounds inside the washed containers and top with the icing. Smooth the top to give the "yogurt look". And all you have to do after is eat!
I think they'll be great to serve at April Fool's Day or at Halloween, after all they are yogurts disguised as cupcakes, or cupcakes disguised as yogurts, as you prefer!
I'm going to send this to Fanny @ Foodbeam, she's hosting this month's Sugar High Friday: Cupcakes! | <urn:uuid:7f7c8c1c-7fda-43b0-b2d2-605274c3441d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://clumbsycookie.blogspot.com/2008/09/waiter-theres-cupcake-in-my-yogurt.html?showComment=1222792500000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950901 | 498 | 1.554688 | 2 |
To the Editors:
The situation of the detainees at Guantánamo is a national disgrace. The detainees have been imprisoned for two years. They are ignorant of the specific charges against them and denied access to legal counsel and to their families. Although five British prisoners have been released, a “senior defense official” tells The New York Times that other detainees will be held for many years, perhaps indefinitely. Some among them have attempted suicide.
It is difficult to find serious security reasons for the presidential suspension of due process. It appears to be, once again, the politics of fear and the imperial presidency redux. We have been through paranoid phases before, succumbing to panic and forgetting our constitutional guarantees. It all began in 1798 with the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Federalists would have been better advised to call these obnoxious statutes the Patriot Acts, but the conservatives of 1798 were innocent of the fine art of public relations.
Recovering from our periodic attacks of panic, we have always hated ourselves in the morning. A generation from now the case of the Guantánamo detainees will be regarded as a national shame.
Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
New York City | <urn:uuid:28fa1cb6-6d51-4cb6-bb21-295331515664> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2004/apr/08/disgrace-at-guantanamo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969267 | 244 | 1.773438 | 2 |
TALKEETNA, Alaska (AP) - The mayor of a sleepy Alaska town is feline fine.
The part-Manx cat clawed his way onto the political scene of Talkeetna, Alaska, through a write-in campaign shortly after he was born 15 years ago.
KTUU-TV reported ( http://bit.ly/LYvzBV) Friday that residents didn't like the mayoral candidates years ago, so they encouraged enough people to elect Stubbs as a write-in candidate. The town has nearly 900 residents.
Although his position is honorary, Stubbs' popularity is real. His election earned him enough press to catapult the town at the base of Mount McKinley into a tourist destination.
Residents say they're happy that their stubby-tailed mayor is promoting tourism. The general store where Stubbs hangs out says it gets dozens of tourists a day asking for him.
Information from: KTUU-TV, http://www.ktuu.com
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Which big cat had some trouble coughing this up? (Photos)
Some cockroaches only take five years to evolve to avoid poison.
Two brown bears rescued after 10 years in captivity.
Top music stars are battling for your summer concert tour dollars. | <urn:uuid:6843ad8a-dbc7-4726-abfb-6a2c4fd56f80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wtop.com/681/2943774/Alaska-town-Feline-mayor-is-the-cats-pajamas | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952625 | 283 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Help required with pH problem
I require some advice. I do not have a LFS close to my home and I do not readily have access to RO water. I want to use filtered tap water (which is about 99 pure and free of chlorines etc.) but the pH is too high (8.0) for my Amazon tank.
Can I use acid to prepare a pH of around 6.8 (with Hydrochloric Acid) if the KH is 6? I read that with a high KH the water would have too strong buffering capacity and the water would just return to its old pH. Is this KH reading too high?
Alternatively, how effective is it to filter the water through peat moss with bog wood? I have an extra aquarium where I can run my water - if I prepare my water a week in advance for water changes will peat moss and bogwood sufficiently drive down my pH?
I don't know about your kh question. But I've been looking into lowering pH levels, and peat moss and drift wood are both effective methods of lowering pH, and I intend to use both of them in my tank. Lol sorry but thats about all the advice I can offer :dunno:
A KH of 6 is moderately soft so you should be able to get a good response with bog wood or peat to lower the pH.
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Per usual, the question is, do you know you are free from STDs because you have both been tested? If not, then you do NOT know that.
The type of Herpes that is on the mouth (simplex-1) is not the same type as gential Herpes (simplex-2), but either type can infect either area.
That given, you should indeed be using a condom when you even suspect you MIGHT be getting a sore. Transmission can only occur when a sore is active, but that time period starts when the sore is first developping, before it is obviously there, and ends when it is COMPLETELY healed. If you are aware of these cycles well enough to feel you can accurately tell when they are, a condom is not absolutely neccessary, but personally, I'd advise it.
Why take that sort of a risk? Condoms are easy to use, and Herpes isn't the only thing out there to worry about. | <urn:uuid:dbe735c1-e43c-4d70-9f84-a20436725f08> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scarleteen.com/forum/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/2/t/000307/p/1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960236 | 203 | 1.765625 | 2 |
There are many misconceptions about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that small businesses have. One is that every web designer or developer knows how to perform great SEO. Other misconceptions focus on the platform that the website is created in, such as whether Linux or windows is better, or which web host is better, or whether WordPress of Joomla is better. This article will help to dispel these misconceptions.
Every web designer or developer knows how to perform great SEO
Neither a web developer nor a web designer would have specific training in SEO by default. The concepts of SEO do not fall under either category, but in a category of its own. Knowing how to use keywords and what keywords to use is not usually taught to these professionals. You need to make sure you have a professional SEO expert to help you in these areas, or learn as much as you can yourself.
Which operating system is best for SEO?
The two most popular operating systems for web hosts are Linux and Windows. The operating system provides a transparent platform for delivering your web pages to your visitors. Both Windows and Linux have their advantages and disadvantages. The operating system you choose should be the one that best suits your needs. If you will be using ASP.net then you will need Windows.
What governs SEO is not the operating system, but the web pages and the links from other websites. Do the web pages use the best keywords in the text and headings? Are these keywords also in the title of the page? How many other websites do you have linking to your website and what words are they using to link to you? All of these affect SEO. The operating system does not.
What is the best web host for SEO?
A web host is a company that provides you with a place to store your web pages and website for your small business. They may offer either a Linux or Windows server. They may provide several Content Management Systems (CMS).
The web host you choose does not affect your SEO. Most of the work done for search engine optimization is done on the web page itself. Some of it is done through the links from other websites. The web host you choose does not define how you create your web pages.
I use BlueHost as my web host. BlueHost is the best small business web host in my opinion. They provide the best support in the industry. They are always available and competent. Every person they have is able to solve your problems. I would not use any other web host other than BlueHost.
What Content Management System (CMS) is Best for SEO?
A content management system (CMS) provides a way for you to easily update and create web pages. There are many CMSs available on the market today. Some are designed to create a blog (or web log) and others are designed for a more free form web page. Most web hosts provide several options for you.
WordPress, Joomla and Drupal are three examples of free content management systems. They can all be used to create a professional. Well designed web site. They can all be used equally to create great SEO. It is not the CMS that you choose, but how you use it. They differ in the complexity of the application. WordPress is the easiest CMS by far. Drupal is the most complex, but also the most versatile. It will require you to hire a specific Drupal developer to create your website.
All of these misconceptions can confuse you. What you need to focus on is good SEO practices. I have written a few articles on SEO and also offer free eBook on SEO Tactics that will help you to develop your own SEO practices. | <urn:uuid:9c8087e5-a7d9-4f9d-a13b-47664f3c362a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thewebhostadvisor.com/category/websitebasics/ | 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 | 0.938804 | 739 | 1.765625 | 2 |
For men to choose to kill the innocent as a means to their ends is always murder, and murder is one of the worst of human actions. So the prohibition on deliberately killing prisoners of war or the civilian population is not like the Queensbury Rules: its force does not depend on its promulgation as part of positive law, written down, agreed upon, and adhered to by the parties concerned. —Elizabeth Anscombe, “Mr. Truman’s Degree”
In 1956, Oxford philosopher and Catholic convert Elizabeth Anscombe published a little pamphlet entitled “Mr. Truman’s Degree,” in which she explained her reasons for opposing the decision of Oxford University to grant an honorary degree to former U.S. president Harry Truman. In critiquing Truman’s justification for using nuclear bombs to destroy the civilian populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Anscombe created a modern classic of Christian just-war theory that, sadly, is little known (and less read) today.
Anscombe was, of necessity, writing after the fact; but the silence of American Catholic intellectuals who know only too well that the architects of current U.S. nuclear-weapons policy find their model in Truman’s barbarism is deafening. Worse still are those public voices of Catholicism who attempt to justify the current policy through the revision—or outright dismissal—of nearly two millennia of the Church’s just-war teaching.
It is an almost unbearable irony that former secretary of defense Robert S. McNamara, the chief architect (under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson) of the policy that became known as “Mutual Assured Destruction,” is one of the few prominent figures calling for the end of the immoral targeting of civilian populations as a matter of policy. Whether his change of heart represents a true conversion or simply an aging Democrat’s opposition to the destructive warmongering of the current Republican president, only he knows. But in “Apocalypse Soon,” an article published in the May/June 2005 issue of Foreign Policy, McNamara wrote that
“There is no way to effectively [sic] contain a nuclear strike—to keep it from inflicting enormous destruction on civilian life and property, and there is no guarantee against unlimited escalation once the first nuclear strike occurs. We cannot avoid the serious and unacceptable risk of nuclear war until we recognize these facts and base our military plans and policies upon this recognition.”
Common sense, one might argue; and yet that is precisely what the current debate is lacking.
Throughout the war in Iraq, we have heard rumors of the possible use of “tactical nuclear strikes.” As the Bush administration (without even the pretense of congressional approval) prepares to expand the war into Iran, ostensibly to prevent Iran from developing her own nuclear weapons, officials refuse to take the “nuclear option” off of the table and slyly intimate that Israel, our proxy in the Middle East, might be the one dropping the bombs (bombs that Israel continues to refuse to acknowledge that she has). The same rhetoric characterizes this administration’s “diplomacy” with North Korea, as she (acting rationally, in light of stated U.S. policy) attempts to join the “nuclear club.”
These are not simply dangerous bluffs or attempts at strong-arm diplomacy. In his book Target Iran, former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter, whose pre-war analysis of Iraq’s nuclear and other WMD capability has been proved correct in virtually every detail, points to a policy paper, “Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations,” issued on March 15, 2005, by the Department of Defense. The paper, Ritter explains, makes “permissible the employment of nuclear weapons by the United States preemptively, in non-nuclear environments, either to defeat overwhelming conventional opposition, or simply to assure U.S. victory.”
Victory, we might ask, at what cost? As McNamara rightly points out, exposing his own lies as secretary of defense:
“The statement that our nuclear weapons do not target populations per se was and remains totally misleading in the sense that the so-called collateral damage of large nuclear strikes would include tens of millions of innocent civilian dead.”
All of this should give pause to those who claim fidelity to the teachings of a Church whose two most recent popes have spoken eloquently against the current war in Iraq and have suggested that the mere possibility of the use of weapons of mass destruction—chemical, biological, and nuclear—makes it extraordinarily difficult for a military action to meet the traditional criteria for a just war. Can there be “a serious prospect of success” when nuclear weapons may be used? Only if we define success as a military victory at any cost, including the intended death of the innocent, rather than as the redressing of the wrong that justified the war.
Again, if a conflict may “go nuclear,” can we be certain that “The use of arms [will] not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated”? The Catechism of the Catholic Church explicitly notes that “The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.”
American Catholic proponents of the current war, some of whom are already starting to beat the drums for the next one, dismiss such concerns, and even the direct and unequivocal opposition of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, as mere “prudential judgments.” The final responsibility, they rightly point out (though it may be the only thing they get right), lies with the proper authority in the country that chooses to go to war. Having the authority to make the decision, however, does not override the moral obligation to make the correct one. Should we not hope and pray that, even in a prudential judgment, our President would defer to a Pope who declares that the conditions for a just war have not been met and that the use of nuclear weapons is never a moral option?
Already in 1956, Elizabeth Anscombe warned of those who quibble over definitions when the life of the innocent is at stake:
“‘But where will you draw the line? It is impossible to draw an exact line.’ This is a common and absurd argument against drawing any line; it may be very difficult, and there are obviously borderline cases. But we have fallen into the way of drawing no line and offering as justifications what an uncaptive mind will find only a bad joke. Wherever the line is, certain things are certainly well to one side or the other of it.”
We hear the same arguments today from American Catholic supporters of the war in Iraq regarding “torture” and “collateral damage” and “noncombatants” (the latter two terms having the sole purpose of saving their speakers from referring to “the innocent”). We need an air-tight definition! they exclaim. If you can’t provide one that I accept, then who are you, or Pope Benedict, to dissent from the judgment of the President?
And once their sophistry has allowed them to make their peace with torture, they move on to applaud, in their little corner of St. Blog’s Parish, Michael Ledeen’s bloodthirsty call for executing enemy soldiers after they have surrendered, and they embrace the insane claim of Victor Davis Hanson that there are, by definition, no true innocents in any country with which we are at war.
They have forgotten (if, indeed, they ever knew) the purpose of just-war theory. They regard the requirements of both jus ad bellum (the determination of the justice of a war before commencing it) and jus in bello (proper conduct in fighting a just war) as restrictions on our ability to defend ourselves and to ensure victory—restrictions that they fervently believe are unnecessary, since they are convinced of the necessity of any war conducted by a Republican president (the Republicans are the Party of Life, after all!) and the inherent justice of any American actions taken during that war (waterboarding isn’t torture, because the United States doesn’t torture prisoners!).
The purpose of just-war theory, however, is a different type of defense of ourselves, and not simply a high-minded application of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In prosecuting an unjust war, or in prosecuting a just war through unjust means, we may do great physical harm to our declared enemy, but we do even greater spiritual harm to ourselves and our country. Truman’s decision to drop the bomb shaped the political geography of the 20th century. But the stubborn refusal of so many Americans who should know better to acknowledge the essential immorality of the act continues to shape the spiritual geography of American Catholicism and conservatism. And it is making us something other than the Christians we claim to be. As John Lukacs wrote in Confessions of an Original Sinner, responding to Phyllis Schlafly’s remark that “God gave America the atom bomb,”
“No: the atom bomb was made in America with the help of Central European refugee scientists whose ideas of morality could not have been more different from those espoused by Mrs. Schlafly. Humility and a knowledge of sinfulness, these essential essences of a Christian belief have now become entirely absent in the pronouncements—and, presumably, in the minds—of American ‘conservative’ Christians.”
Those who gave us Christian just-war theory—from Augustine to Aquinas, from Vitoria to Suárez—understood that it was possible to be victorious even in physical defeat, provided that we have acted with justice in the pursuit of the truth. Today, for too many Americans who call themselves conservatives and Christians, that seems a ridiculous notion. “What good does it do to follow just-war theory if we might cease to exist?” they ask. The question is rhetorical, of course, since they have no desire to hear the obvious answer: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26).
And that, in the end, is the most fearsome aspect of the transformation of American Catholicism and conservatism, because it exposes the ugly truth: We have become, in practice if not in profession, more concerned with fleeting victory in this life than with salvation in the next. And that is why, even though the ultimate source of the atom bomb is more likely Satan than God, we, like Eve in the Garden, were only too eager to accept the gift. As Elizabeth Anscombe concluded over 50 years ago:
Weapons are now manufactured whose sole point is to be used in massacre of cities. But the people responsible are not murderous because they have these weapons; they have them because they are murderous. Deprived of atomic bombs, they would commit massacres by means of other bombs.
The pews of American Catholic churches suffer no shortage of Trumans, but where are our Anscombes today?
Scott P. Richert is the executive editor of Chronicles and the author of the monthly column “The Rockford Files.”
Copyright 2013 TakiMag.com and the author. This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order reprints for distribution by contacting us at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:0390e10b-0a10-4aea-ada9-62166deff257> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://takimag.com/article/mutual_assured_damnation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955365 | 2,422 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Europe is braced for a crucial 48 hours of high-stakes summitry likely to decide whether Germany and France can strike a grand bargain aimed at dispelling growing pessimism over the chances of the single currency surviving in its current form.
While eurozone finance ministers are to meet on Monday in Brussels, apparently at a loss over how to respond to political paralysis in Greece and a worsening crisis in Spain, all eyes are on François Hollande, the new French leader, who is to go to Berlin for his first face-to-face meeting with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, as soon as he is sworn in as president on Tuesday.
Hollande, Europe's new champion of growth policies, lines up against Merkel, the dominant cheerleader of austerity as the solution to the crisis. The German leader, increasingly isolated if inherently strong in the European contest, suffered a big setback on Sunday night, with her Christian Democrats slumping to a crushing defeat in an election in the big German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, according to German TV exit polls.
Against a background of intense volatility, Europe was pulled in opposing directions by voters, protests, and political paralysis at the weekend, deepening uncertainty over its future shape and gnawing away at the prospects for the euro's survival as a 17-country union.
Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, and the former EU commissioner Lord Mandelson claim that the coalition government must commit with other European governments to a new growth strategy if the eurozone is to survive.
In a joint article for the Guardian, Balls and Mandelson call for a "new political settlement" across the continent to achieve growth.
The business secretary, Vince Cable, gave a bleak warning that if the eurozone fails to contain the problems facing Greece then Britain could face a huge economic impact. He said the UK could only hope that the eurozone's economic firewalls were strong enough to stop the financial turmoil from spreading. He said Britain did not have the problem of managing the issue, as it remained outside the eurozone, but could still be hit. "The problem would affect us if it spread, if you had these contagion effects in Italy and Spain," he said.
"[Michel] Barnier [EU commissioner for the internal market] has expressed optimism that those firewalls have now been created, and we must hope he's right – because if they're not, then of course it has a massive impact on our trade – half of our exports go to the eurozone countries, our banks are quite substantially exposed to those countries."
The large protests and minor clashes in Spain, political gridlock in Greece, the crucial regional election in Germany, and rising hostility to the EU in the Netherlands have all contributed to an air of crisis supplanting more than two years of financial panic and bitter argument over how to rescue the euro.
Hollande goes to Berlin on Tuesday with the psychological advantage, buttressed by a strong new mandate that has shifted the terms of European politics. After a string of setbacks among her political allies at home and in the EU, Merkel was weakened by the spectacular defeat in Düsseldorf.
The state election, involving almost one in four of German voters, was seen as a bellwether. Elections in North Rhine-Westphalia are often a gauge of the future of German national politics. The opposition Social Democrats and Greens were on the brink of securing an absolute majority, according to TV projections, with Merkel's CDU said to have dropped between eight and nine points on two years ago and four points below what the opinion polls had predicted.
After the French Socialists' presidential election triumph, the victory for Germany's Social Democrats – projected to be up four points from 34.5 – will be seen as a further fillip for the European centre-left.
Eurozone finance ministers are to meet in Brussels on Monday to ponder their options, but are unlikely to decide very much, given the political imponderables and the unresolved splits between German-led belt-tighteners and French-led proponents of growth policies as the answer to Europe's travails.
Tens of thousands of Spanish people took to the streets to protest at soaring unemployment in a country where anyone under 25 is now more likely to be out of than in work. The fourth attempt in less than a week to form a government in Greece looked destined for failure, signalling weeks of instability before fresh elections likely to strengthen the hard left, which rejects the terms of Greece's €240bn bailout and the restructuring of much of its national debt.
Opinion polls in the Netherlands, meanwhile, for the first time showed the hard left, anti-European Socialist party as the strongest single party before early elections in September in which Europe looks like being the central issue.
While the pressure from Spain, Greece, and France pointed towards a relaxation of cost-cutting austerity, the signals from Germany went in the opposite direction. The CDU's worst postwar performance in North Rhine-Westphalia, while weakening Merkel, is unlikely to cause her to abandon her tough line on a new fiscal pact for the eurozone and her arguments that Europe's debt crisis cannot be fixed by piling up more debt.
The cover of Monday's influential news weekly Der Spiegel declares "Adieu Greece", arguing that it is time to kick the country out of the euro. Almost four in five Germans believed Greece should forfeit its bailout cash if it does not comply with the stringent eurozone terms, according to a poll in the bestselling tabloid Bildzeitung. Against this background, Merkel is unlikely to expose herself to charges that she is going soft on the euro.
More quietly, however, the government in Berlin and the German central bank have signalled over the past week that they favour tolerating greater inflation and higher wage increases in Germany in order to spur domestic demand and effect a partial rebalancing of the chronically imbalanced EU economy. Data being released on Tuesday will confirm that the EU is in recession, registering contraction of gross domestic product for the last two quarters. The figures are expected to show very slight growth in Germany, while the French economy stagnated. | <urn:uuid:4e5a3d8e-98c3-4bb5-aaf5-4269fdea025f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/may/13/eu-leaders-showdown-eurozone-crisis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963047 | 1,245 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Q: I have been diagnosed with PTSD and have heard that marijuana is a good treatment for the condition. Why doesn’t Prop 203 protect me? Is there anything I can do to get qualified to use medical marijuana for PTSD?
Posts Tagged ‘conditions’
Researchers at the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at UC San Diego have concluded that smoking pot provides effective relief of pain-related medical conditions. But the first major study on the effects of marijuana in two decades also indicated that pot smokers can achieve the same pain reduction at low doses as higher doses—meaning they [...]
When people think about the typical marijuana user, they generally imagine the same stereotype: a young, uneducated slacker who speaks with slurred words, is probably in need of a haircut and has little ambition other than mastering the latest video game. But in reality, when it comes to who really uses medical marijuana in the [...] | <urn:uuid:73a87e82-8681-4bca-91d1-e59749889197> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thegreenleafaz.com/tag/conditions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959912 | 186 | 1.796875 | 2 |
The meaning of "indie" has changed so much. It used to mean "independent," and it was all about being yourself. Now, most people are so caught up with being "indie," they can't see that they're actually not indie. An "indie" girl is a girl who opposes anything of the mainstream. If you're a girl that doesn't listen to mainstream music (which is music signed onto major record labels, like Paramore, and All Time Low), doesn't dress like the mainstream (you don't wear gay crap like Hollister or Abercrombie and Fitch), then you are basically what this world thinks is indie. But, if you are a true indie girl, then you do whatever feels right. Maybe you do listen to Paramore, and maybe you wear Hollister on occasion. But what matters is that you do it because you WANT to, NOT because it's the indie thing to do. And, besides, if ALL your friends are listening to ndie music, doesn't that make it NOT indie? There is a HUGE difference between stereotypical "indie," and true, authentic indie. :)
Ex. 1, stereotypical indie girl: "I'm so indie, posers worship me."
Ex. 2, authentic indie girl: "Indie? What the heck is that? I do what I feel like doing. Is that so bad?"
To tell you the truth, there's really no definition of an indie girl. Being "indie" is a state of mind--not a fashion statement.
There's no way to be an indie girl.
You just are.
If you happen to be a girl and you listen to independently produced music, watch independent movies, and if you stray away from anything mainstream then, yeah, you're an indie girl.
Indie girls don't indentify themselves as indie and they most definitely do not shun other people because of their tastes in music/movies/clothes/etc.
Indie girls don't just listen to music because it's indie.
Indie girls don't shun music because it's not rock. That's stupid. Indie music could be anything. Rock, rap, folk, anything.
That's it, I guess.
You're not an indie girl if you have to say it.
I agree with Kourtnee D. If you say you are "Indie" then you are obviously not. And that goes for all stereotypes and labels. There is nothing more obnoxious then all these kids sulking around saying "Oh, I’m so Emo" or "Oh, i am such an Indie Girl" Just be who you are and if someone ELSE wants to label you then fine. In my opinion, labeling yourself is just as bad as giving yourself a nickname. That is for others to give to you.
And don't pretend to be into music you don't like and movies you don't understand because you think they are "Indie" and you want to be "Indie" If you like the poppy mainstream crap, that’s fine but don't act like you like independent music and films because you want to seem ethereal and deep.
As far as I’m concerned, having a checklist of HOW TO'S (I.E. How to dress, act, speak, and what music and movies to be into, hell even having to damn label of "Indie") goes against everything that is this so called "Indie" label. I thought it was about being "Independent" of the mainstream routine that people fall into and being "Independent" of labels. It seems as though all the self-proclaimed "Indie Kids" are so into being "Indie" they have lost sight of what it's really being about.
All in all, just be yourself. As corny as that sounds :-)
Girl 1: "I am such an Indie Girl "
Girl 2: "Oh, me too. I am so into all that Indie music and stuff"
Girl 3: "Wrong, You are posers, which is 10 times worse"
There is no particular style to indie girls. The basic outline of an 'indie girl' is someone that does what they want. They listen to music that you've probably never heard of, wear what they want and are usually in touch with subjects that allow them to express themselves such as textiles,art,media,music and photography.
There is a typical stereotype of an Indie Girl which consists of messy, bleached, short hair. They wear vintage dresses and wear red lipstick. However there is no real 'trend' they are each different and unique.
You can't go shopping to try and change your image to be an Indie Girl, it's about being yourself all the time, but in a kind of rock chick way.
Indie girls are usually into any form of art and are very artistic, whether in photography, instrumental, drawing, etc. Normally, they listen to bands / music other people have never even heard of, mostly up-beat music. Theres not really a specific way to dress, if there were a specific way to dress, that wouldnt make you very independent now would it? They kind of have that I-dont-give-a-crap-what-you-think-of-me-and-how-I-dress kind of thing, which is never bad to have. They are usually happy and dont label themselves as indie. They arent violent most of the time, and photography is one of the things they may love to do. They dont try to fit in to the crowd just to be someone, they are very independent in what they do. Most of the time they are quiet and maybe even alone, but arent sad about it because they enjoy it. Its kind of hard to explain, but I love everything about indie girls. But thats just my opinion~
Girl A; "Do you see that girl over there at the end of the hall?"
Girl B; "Yeahh"
Girl A; "Do you know her?"
Girl B; "Nope, but Im kinda in love with her clothes."
Girl A; "Ahaa, I know right. Shes pretty, too. Shes looks like she could be an indie girl, yaknow."
Girl B; "Yeah. Wanna go talk to her?"
Girl A; "Yeah, she seems cool."
Traditionally, someone who doesn't care what anybody else thinks, or at least pretends to.
If she sees something she likes in Urban Outfitters or Topshop, she'll get it. If she sees something she likes in Abercrombie, she'll get it. If she likes something in a thrift store, she'll get it, etc.
Likewise, her music taste should be what she likes, not limited by any sort of genre.
She will read, write or draw if those are the things she enjoys or is good at.
SHE WON'T ACTIVELY TRY TO BE DIFFERENT, SHE JUST IS! To be an indie girl, you have to be someone who is mature enough to know who you are and happy enough in yourself to stand out.
To be a fake indie girl, however, you need only 4 things. Tumblr, photoshop, a pretentious jumped-up attitude and a fringe.
Fake indie girls are the ones who google 'bands that nobody has heard of' to make themselves different.
Fake Indie- Check out my Tumblr with photoshopped pictures of beaches with writing! Or don't, but that's just because you're jealous of me and my cool indie-ness.
Indie Girl- No, I'm alright doing my own thing.
There is a way to be an indie girl. You're listening to music almost 24/7, you get clothes from mainly vintage shops, Urban Outfitters, and American Apparel. They're usually really skinny, and most are vegetarians/vegans. Bands like Fleet Foxes appeal to indie girls. And all are adorable! They like the earth, too.
Indie is awesome. Indie girls are cool. | <urn:uuid:939254fc-3126-4df3-afc2-844e946db097> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=indie%20girl&defid=5786126 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973987 | 1,701 | 1.632813 | 2 |
I gave the following speech at the Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2008 in Budapest today:
NGO’s and on-the ground activists: Defending the Voices
How can NGOs seeking to advance freedom of expression most effectively work with on-the-ground free speech activists to combat censorship?
As a journalist, author and blogger living in Sydney, Australia, the opportunity to be involved in this Global Voices event is a privilege. I thank the organisers for the opportunity.
My country may be a democracy of sorts, but internet censorship is a creeping problem in every country of the globe, including my own. Late last year, with new Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd just elected after more than a decade of conservative rule under John Howard, the government announced measures to supposedly offer greater protection to children from online pornography and violent websites. Similar ideas have been implemented in France and proposed in Scandinavia.
Australia’s Telecommunications Minister Stephen Conroy said in December: “Labor makes no apologies to those that argue that any regulation of the internet is like going down the Chinese road. If people equate freedom of speech with watching child pornography, then the Rudd-Labor Government is going to disagree.”
Conroy said that anybody wanting to opt of the system, to be implemented by ISPs, would have to notify authorities.
The system has not yet been imposed, but NGOs, web companies and free speech advocates have been loudly campaigning against the moves, arguing that the plan would cripple the already slow speed of broadband in Australia.
The high-profile NGO, Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA), issued a blistering press release in response to the proposal and motivated the local blogosphere to quickly mobilise its resources, namely online noise, writing letters to government ministers and the media. The statement read, in part:
“Australia is supposed to be a liberal democracy where adults have the freedom to say and read what they want, not just what the Government decides is ‘appropriate’ for them. These announcements smack of the condescending paternalism which contributed to the downfall of the Howard government. The proposals threaten the free speech rights of every Australian, and our concerns will not be silenced by Government sound bites equating free speech with access to child pornography.”
It continued: “EFA has previously raised concerns about Australia joining North Korea, China and Burma in the club of nations who censor their citizens’ access to the internet. While the Minister makes no apologies for this alarming development, he has given us little reason to put our faith in his bureaucrats to administer such a system competently, transparently and fairly. Who decides what is ‘appropriate’ for adult Australians to read on the internet, and according to what standards? What will happen if the Government decides that information about abortion or gay marriage is ‘inappropriate’ at the behest of [Christian conservative] Family First Senator Steve Fielding?”
Stephen Dalby, chief regulatory officer with Australian ISP company iiNet, said in mid-June: “This whole notion of taking a technological solution to what is otherwise a social issue really has some problems…Our only concern is that the government may push this through, raise their hands and say ‘right, we’ve done something about it.’ Let’s hope there’s some sincerity in looking at fixing the community problems associated with this more intently.”
That may be wishful thinking. Equally concerning is the lack of transparency about which websites will be blocked. I’m less concerned about filtering child pornography than websites that allegedly celebrate violence or terrorism. Does this mean, for example, that the website for the Palestinian group Hamas may be censored because the US and many Western countries regard them as terrorists? Likewise with Hizbollah or even al-Qaeda? Do we not have the right to view information that some people may find offensive but a free society should both tolerate and protect? Sadly, censorship is no longer just a problem in non-Western nations.
The “war on terror” has emboldened those in Western societies who cloak their censorship under the guise of “protecting” citizens from supposedly harmful online material. As we’ve seen during the Bush administration years, intrusive governments are increasingly willing to legislate what they deem we can and cannot see and watch. Free societies are never truly free and eternal vigilance is essential. A disturbing future is already being imagined for us.
The Former US House speaker, Newt Gingrich, said in 2006 that free speech may have to be curtailed in the fight against terrorism. “Either before we lose a city or, if we are truly stupid, after we lose a city”, he said, “we will adopt rules of engagement that use every technology we can find to break up their capacity to use the internet…” The authoritarian impulse is alive and well in the West.
Australia’s proposals are likely to be realised before the end of the year, but I suspect some ISPs, though unlikely to ignore the directives, may balk at rules and regulations that are likely to constantly change according to the whims of the day.
We often presume that people who live in a repressive regimes do not want Big Brother deciding their online habits, but a recent study by Pew Internet & American Life Project found that the vast majority of Chinese web-users supported their government controlling and managing the internet. “Our” values are clearly up for discussion and should never be imposed on others. It almost beggars belief that Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently told The New Yorker’s Ken Auletta that he never anticipated repressive regimes would begin imposing internet censorship at the router level. Perhaps he temporarily forgot his own company’s complicity in China’s extensive web filtering. Just who is imposing whose values on whom?
During my travels to various non-democratic countries over the last years, including Cuba, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China and Sri Lanka, I’ve met countless bloggers, dissidents and NGOs determined to circumvent government censorship, imprisonment or filtering. Most of them are under-funded, often scared of being caught and looking for international solidarity. Just being heard is half the battle. I was highly conscious in nations such as Iran, China and Cuba that talking to a Western journalist could endanger a blogger or activist.
My forthcoming book, The Blogging Revolution, gives voice to a world still largely ignored in the Western media. For me as a journalist, one of the key things we can do, with the assistance of like-minded NGOs, is allow bloggers to speak for themselves and not automatically classify them as suspect, non-English speakers. For example, in Australia, more than five years after the start of the Iraq war, Iraqi voices are still virtually ignored. It is as if only Westerners, usually middle-age men, have the right to speak for the occupied people.
NGOs should work with news organizations and reporters to educate a Western media that remains highly suspicious of bloggers and the apparent inability to check their credentials. I regularly encounter editors in Australia and overseas who question my use of blogger quotes but don’t look twice if a government official is cited. This is gradually changing but remains mired in conservative, so-called objective reporting rules. NGOs can help in this transition to a more responsive and worldly kind of networked journalism.
I’m currently working with Amnesty International Australia on its China campaign in this Olympic year. Its Uncensor website aims to highlight the extensive use of internet repression in China and hook into growing concerns in Australia and elsewhere over the country’s human rights abuses. Amnesty has hosted many “Tear Down the Great Firewall of China” events across the country, giving citizens the opportunity to learn the ways in which Western multinationals are assisting web repression.
The Uncensor website highlights the cases of well-known imprisoned Chinese activists and displays real-time examples of what internet searches, such as Tiananmen Square and 1989 Democratic Movement, look like inside China. The campaign has generated solid media coverage. Chinese activists in Australia, with many contacts back home, also write regularly about the mood on the streets in Beijing, Shanghai and beyond.
After Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd admirably told students in Mandarin at Peking University in April that, “we…believe it is necessary to recognise there are significant human rights problem in Tibet”, public opinion firmly swung behind strong pressure being placed on Beijing and Olympic sponsors. A majority of Australians polled in April favoured the country’s Games’ sponsors speaking out strongly against China’s abuses with four out of ten saying they would be more likely to purchase a product from an outspoken sponsor. Sympathy for the Tibetan cause was paramount and NGOs such as Amnesty are central to keeping the stories of human rights infractions in the media.
One of the central myths that NGOs should counter is the idea that citizens in non-democratic nations are craving American-style democracy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Of course, freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of the press are central to any modern, democratic state, but embracing unregulated capitalism is not largely welcomed. As John Lee, a fellow at an Australian think-tank, recently wrote about China:
“The rise of an alternative to the Western liberal model of development – the so-called Beijing consensus – has been the unexpected consequence of China’s rise and is proving a difficult ideational challenge for the West. Where once we placed our hopes on the me generation to push for political change, we must now confront the fact that China’s young elites believe working within a one-party state is the better bet for their and the country’s future.”
These realities are arguably more attractive for Western multinationals to enter China and navigate the relatively open regulatory system. A recent report in Business Week magazine highlighted the role of Chinese firms assisting some of these foreign multinationals with the confusing Chinese blogosphere and netizens criticising firms for alleged slights against Chinese culture. The founder of one of these companies, CIC’s Sam Flemming, explained it well: “If it touches on nationalism, or if the client clearly made a mistake and disrespected a customer, that’s dangerous.”
The role of Western NGOs is essential in providing a bridge between on-the-ground activists and a sceptical media back home. Convincing the masses that censorship in, say, Iran, is relevant to the outer suburbs of Sydney, can only be achieved through the internet. The ease with which a web user anywhere in the world can campaign for campaigners in repressive regimes creates both a sense of community and protection, however slight. Online campaigning has exploded around the globe.
I’ve long believed that activism must be mainstreamed to be truly effective, rather than just the concern of a minority. Our job as journalists, activists, NGOs, bloggers or concerned citizens is to bring the stories of the world to a media that welcomes localism and shuns complexity. These rules of the game are ripe for change. | <urn:uuid:bbf39d0c-0539-40ca-9e6d-72eef1535d44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://antonyloewenstein.com/2008/06/28/towards-a-total-human-rights-outlook/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949885 | 2,280 | 1.71875 | 2 |
The World is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real, because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round, and it has thrills and chills and is very brightly colored, and it's very loud. And it's fun, for a while.
Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they've begun to question, 'Is this real, or is this just a ride?', and other people have remembered, and they've come back to us and they say 'Hey, don't worry. Don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride.' and we KILL THOSE PEOPLE.
"Shut him up! We have alot invested in this ride! SHUT HIM UP! Look at my furrows of worry. Look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real."
It's just a ride.
But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that. You ever noticed that? And let the demons run amok. But it doesn't matter, because ... It's just a ride.
And we can change it anytime we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. A choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear wants you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead see all of us as one.
Here's what we can do to change the world right now, to a better ride:
Take all that money we spent on weapons and defense each year and instead spend it feeding, clothing, and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and WE CAN EXPLORE SPACE, TOGETHER, BOTH INNER AND OUTER, forever ... in peace.
-- Bill Hicks (1961 - 1994) | <urn:uuid:7f03640b-c168-4c06-8102-6f4949dd118b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.anti-union.blogspot.com/2008/10/bill-hicks-life-is-but-ride.html | 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 | 0.971652 | 416 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Why is Sydney Website Development so Hot?
Australians have long had a reputation for being an independent people. Historically they had to be innovative thinkers (and good negotiators for obvious reasons), but with the rise of the Internet and better access to website development services, the ability to research products, obtain an education, even work from remote locations, the world has grown hypothetically smaller and closer. The relative geographical isolation of Australia and its people from the rest of the world has ensured that the people are highly innovative and tend to think in unique ways about how to grow their businesses. Making their products and services available on a global market isn't new in Australia – it's how they've had to do it for centuries already – and trends in web development continue to make that possible.
The availability of the global network and strong growth in website development has been a significant contributor to a number of really big changes for countries across the globe, including bringing products and services closer and closer to home, allowing individuals with highly marketable skills to work from remote locations without affecting their job performance, and ensuring that everyone has access to information (perhaps more than they ever wanted!) that helps them make decisions and achieve their goals.
These changes that are affecting the global economy are no different in Australia, where the internet boom and web development strategies have surged as a rising number of Australian consumers are turning to mobile broadband services to access broadband and get online. Access to wireless services has long played an increasingly important role for Australian consumers, students, employees, and employers as buying, learning, and working habits have changed. Consumers who once turned first to the phone book are now turning to the Internet first, and the availability of mobile broadband has only increased that role and taken it mobile, making it far more accessible for both sides of the coin – buyers and sellers.
While recent reports show that Australian broadband speeds are still slower than those of New Zealand, that's not stopping business owners from placing their bets on good website development. Web design Sydney-based business owners are counting on the fact that the rising demand for broadband and mobile broadband, services will serve to generate even more competitive pricing – something that providers claim they are actively addressing and consumers are anxious to have.
The rising level of advertising in Australia has ensured that website development is still a growing trend and should support impressive changes for web development service providers in the coming years. Many Australian companies now advertise their goods and services through online methods and they are enjoying the benefits of a highly affordable and highly effective advertising venue that makes a far wider range of customers aware of their available products and services.
As companies are exploring the capabilities of online advertising, online teaching, even online information dissemination through solid web development services, there has been a sharp increase in both online advertising spend and website development spend by businesses, universities, organizations and more to achieve the kind of unheard of revenue jumps that are now becoming possible and heard about on a daily basis. What school or company wouldn't want those advertising numbers? | <urn:uuid:7dfd3b52-1c4a-4301-bba3-92ff169eebf3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sigmainfotech.com.au/articles/why-is-sydney-website-development-so-hot.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970915 | 603 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Corporate Health and Safety Policy
Safety is an integral part of our work. It is part of our operation and is there to protect our workers, clients, property, the environment and the public.
Every person who is employed with us has the right to a job that is safe to do. Every person employed by our company has a responsibility to work safely and to promote safe work practices. There are many costs to accidents and unsafe work practices. In addition to saving lives, our safety program contributes to optimum employee morale and job satisfaction, because the workers at our company are encouraged to participate in identifying safety needs and developing safe work procedures.
Accident Prevention Responsibilities
Every manager within the company is accountable to maintain the standards that are required to meet these basic principles. These standards shall apply to the condition of workplace and equipment, endorsement and support of accident prevention programs, establishing accident prevention objectives, and ensuring that all workers have a clear perception of what is expected from them in accident prevention performance.
Every supervisor is accountable for ensuring that each and every worker is properly trained to do his or her job safely. Each supervisor shall enforce the observation of all regulations and proper work procedures of all workers, and to correct any failure to comply with safe working habits by any worker.
Every worker is required to know how to work safely, and shall work safely. Workers are required to know all regulations applicable to them, and to observe them. Workers are expected to report unsafe conditions and point out unsafe behavior.
All contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, visitors and others who may do work with, and for Viking Surplus Oilfield Equipment Ltd. must comply with applicable government regulations and the Viking Surplus Oilfield Equipment Ltd. safety program, following recommended safe work procedures, wearing required personal protective equipment, participating in all required safety training programs and informing supervisors of unsafe work conditions.
Everyone has the right and responsibility to refuse work when unsafe conditions exist.
Workers, contractors and subcontractors who knowingly violate safety rules may face disciplinary action or dismissal. Visitors are also subject to fines or legal action if they do not comply with safety rules. Those individuals who do not fulfill their safety responsibilities will be accountable for any problems negligence creates and may be liable under the law.
Working safely is a condition of employment.
By fulfilling our safety responsibilities, everyone who works for, and with Viking Surplus Oilfield Equipment Ltd., will share the benefits of a safe work place. | <urn:uuid:5a337409-6c64-4220-8495-78caa2ba2b74> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://vikingsurplus.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=91&Itemid=189 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95287 | 494 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Cambridge was a lovely tranquil place to be after the insanity of London. (Don't get me started! The airport. Ughh! I'm going everywhere by boat from now on. But luckily we were there before the riots.) What does the above photo remind you of? Well it reminds me of Harry Potter but I'm sure I've seen King's College, Cambridge many times in various tv shows over the years so that as you're walking past it you feel like you're dreaming. It's just another world. This kind of gothic architecture evokes for me the same kind of awe and wonder you get looking at stalagmites in caves. It's like it's not built by men but grew somehow. As an aside the large square of grass in front of it was used by Roger Waters from Pink Floyd as inspiration for their song 'Brain Damage'! Yes the same guy who created 'The Wall'. Didn't like school obviously.
British author Lucy Wyatt. She thinks Isaac Newton was an secret 'alchemist' who perhaps owed some of his discoveries to the 'ancients' secret knowledge of light and gravity. Interesting. Supposedly on his bookshelves when he died were many books on alchemy. Who knows?
The incredible Kings College Chapel. Started in 1446 by Henry VI and which took over a century to build. Cambridge is pretty old. Well not by Australian aboriginal standards but there were people settled around Cambridge since before the Roman Empire. The Romans developed it as a military outpost in about AD40.
Little old church cemetery. Sometimes as we were walking around the streets of Cambridge surrounded by piles of very old stone and bricks I had the occasional thought of feeling suffocated with it all. Would it be such a bad thing to knock some of it down?
A pair of stony-faced stone lions out the front of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Yes turning patchy grey can make you feel like that. | <urn:uuid:98cb861a-861e-4ff2-914c-2b97485dae11> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://suztravelblog.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html | 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 | 0.984281 | 400 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Once Upon a Time in the West
A lonely railway station in the middle of nowhere. Three men enter the wooden building and lock up the station chef. His wife runs away for safety. The gunslingers spread themselves. Not a word is being said. The only sounds are a fly and the wind meter. The train arrives. Nobody gets off, only a package is dropped. The train starts to leave again. The gunmen prepare to leave aswell. Suddenly the sound of a harmonica is heard. Behind the departing train a man stands, holding a harmonica. The men turn around, facing the newcomer. A short dialogue follows. The killers state they are a horse short to take the man anywhere. The man replies that they’ve brought two horses too many. Four shots are fired. Everyone falls down. A couple of seconds later the man with the harmonica stands up. He’s shot but the only one still alive.
This introduction of Harmonica in Once Upon a Time in the West perfectly reflects Sergio Leone’s masterpiece with Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Henry Ford and Jason Robards.
The storyline goes as follows : Frank (Fonda) is a coldblooded killer in the service of Morton, a railroad baron. His job is to make sure nobody stands in the way of the expansion of the railroad’s expansion towards California. Brett McBain is about to get married with Jill (Cardinale), a former prostitude from New Orleans who wants to build up a new life, when he and his family get killed by Frank and his men who leave “evidence” that the outlaw Cheyenne (Robards) did the killing. Cheyenne and his men escape from the raging townspeople and go to McBain’s place to find out who wanted to make it appear as if they did the killing. Meanwhile, Harmonica (Bronson) is also going to McBain’s place as he is convinced Frank is the killer and he wants to even the score between them. Together with Cheyenne and Jill, Harmonica will make Frank pay for all the things he’s done in the past. Harmonica will become Frank’s worst nightmare.
Sound and Vision:
Paramount has done a nice thing by cleaning up the source. Scratches and dust have been completely erased which of course enhances the image quality greatly. Unfortunately, grain is still omnipresent and edge enhacenemt has been added aswell. Also at the end of the film some minor compression errors can be viewed but luckily they aren’t too disturbing. Still, for a movie of this age we can’t really complain as the levels of detail and darkness are very good just like the contrast and brightness.
The sound is being marketed with a 5.1 track but you can still hear the dialogues are dubbed and sound a bit weird, just like with most dubbed spaghetti westerns. The music from Ennio Morricone is magnificent and creates the atmosphere throughout the entire movie. This is where the 5.1 track adds an extra dimension
Once Upon a Time in the West comes on two disks and a booklet with some extra information on the movie.
The first disk contains an audio commentary track next to the main movie. Comments come from John Carpenter, John Milius and Alex Cox, film historics Sir Christopher Frayling and Dr. Sheldon Hall aswell as some of the cast and crew.
The second disk is where things get interesting with “three” documentaries (An opera of violence,The wage of Sin, Something to do with Death) where the same people from the commentary track tell about how Leone created the movie and what he was influenced by. We get a pretty good picture of what kind of director he was and how he wanted his movies to be. The sad thing however, is that these three documentaries are in fact one and are cut into three pieces without any apparant reason other than that Paramount may have thought it looks better to have three titles on a box than only one. Really a shame. Next up is a featurette called Railroad: Revolutionising the West which gives a little bit of information on the role of trains in movies and more particularly in this film. Again the same comment: it’s clear this was part of the original documentary which was cut into pieces. Furthermore there’s two foto galleries, cast profiles and the original trailer.
Once Upon a Time in the West is one of those classics which cannot miss in your dvd collection and this is the complete edition which was only shown in a handful of theaters so most of the – in the US – deleted scenes are present. The image and sound quality are decent for such an old movie and the extras are interesting to watch although Paramount should not have cut the documentary into parts but add it as a whole. Good stuff that should definitely not be missed ! | <urn:uuid:e66cdb86-e206-46c1-bebf-a36c4f3c8735> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fragland.net/once-upon-a-time-in-the-west/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96215 | 1,016 | 1.5625 | 2 |
By Bay City News
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology groups filed a lawsuit on Friday which challenges an Alameda County ordinance requiring drug makers to pay for programs to dispose of expired and unused drugs.
Passed by a unanimous vote of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on July 24, the ordinance is the first such law in the country.
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that the ordinance violates the commerce clause in the U.S. Constitution for three reasons, including that it regulates and burdens interstate commerce and its main purpose and effect is to shift the costs of a local regulatory program directly onto interstate commerce and out-of-county customers.
It says the ordinance also discriminates against interstate commerce by targeting such commerce and products delivered from outside the
county for burdens and by favoring local interests "by deliberately shifting
costs away from local consumers and taxpayers and onto drug manufacturers and pharmaceutical customers nationwide."
The suit alleges, "If this novel ordinance were permissible, then Alameda County could likewise require interstate news publications to conduct the county's paper recycling program or require interstate food producers to collect and dispose of all spoiled food or similar garbage."
The suit asks that the ordinance be declared unconstitutional and that its implementation be stopped. It also asks for unspecified costs and attorneys' fees.
The suit was filed by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association and the Biotechnology Industry Organization. All three industry groups are based in Washington, D.C.
When the ordinance was passed, Board of Supervisors President Nate Miley said it is needed because the improper and careless disposal of prescription drugs and the illegal resale of prescription drugs puts members of the public, particularly children and the elderly, at risk of being poisoned.
In passing the measure, the board said another reason for the ordinance is that groundwater and drinking water "are being contaminated by unwanted, leftover or expired prescription drugs passing through our wastewater and treatment centers."
The ordinance requires drug manufacturers and producers to pay for the disposal of their products or face fines of up to $1,000 per day.
Alameda County residents currently can drop off their old medications at 28 drop-off locations but the program costs the county about $330,000 a year.
If the lawsuit is unsuccessful, companies affected by the ordinance have until next July, one year after it passed, to submit their plans to comply. | <urn:uuid:da213e57-9660-4ce6-a95e-e3a4d4818b51> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pleasanton.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/pharmaceutical-companies-file-lawsuit-against-countys1dbf3adfdc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955114 | 499 | 1.617188 | 2 |
A glowing orb hovering over the skies of Apple Valley, California on Monday split up into three distinct orbs comprising the now familiar triangle UFO shape in an extended video of the sighting posted to YouTube.
What is it?
The video has narrative commentary by a man and woman who are clearly excited and puzzled by the incident, which last for nearly 10 minutes.
As the clip begins, a single, orange, glowing orb can be seen hovering in the black, nighttime sky some distance away over nearby rooftops. As the video plays out, the orb splits into three distinct, circular objects which maintain relative distance from each other.
No sound can be heard from the UFO and its lights do not resemble those of any known aircraft displaying navigational beacons.
The objects don't appear to be helicopters, Chinese lanterns or skydivers as they maintain a consistent altitude throughout the video. They cannot be any kind of fixed wing aircraft as they basically hover in one area of the sky.
This sighting is unusual because of its length, its non-resemblance to conventional aircraft, the silence of any engines and the consternation of the witnesses recording the event.
So, what is it?
Here's the video:
What do you think?
Please leave a comment below.
Image courtesy of Blogger | <urn:uuid:020d9b31-34c7-4297-a208-a5abac0623d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981380359 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937961 | 267 | 1.757813 | 2 |
CAES Researchers Earn $18.2 Million, Provide Significant Return On Investment For Idaho
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter announced today that the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) during the past year provided Idaho taxpayers with an 11-to-1 return on their $1.6 million investment in the partnership – a rate most investors would envy.
CAES researchers earned $18.2 million in competitive research grants, infrastructure and other funding in federal fiscal year 2011 – which ran through September – pushing the center’s cumulative earnings to $41.9 million.
A University of Idaho economist estimates that CAES generated $26.8 million in regional sales, 366 jobs and $620,000 in tax revenue in fiscal 2011 alone.
“CAES is a great example of what the Idaho universities and Idaho National Laboratory can accomplish by working together,” Governor Otter said. “The CAES partnership has proven to be a great investment for taxpayers, and you’re going to see more of that kind of collaborative public-private effort from my administration in the years to come.”
CAES researchers earned more than 25 different grants and competitive awards in fiscal 2011. Some of the projects funded include: a center that will train engineering students to assess the energy efficiency of manufacturing facilities; researching methods to recover uranium from seawater; a software tool to help developers identify preferred locations for solar energy farms; and developing sensors to monitor conditions inside a nuclear waste container.
“It was a great year for the CAES partnership,” said CAES Director Bill Rogers. “The collaborations we have built between the CAES partner institutions and with industry are starting to flourish and result in new research grants and other funding.”
CAES, which was created in 2005, is a partnership between Idaho National Laboratory and the State of Idaho through its three researcher universities – Boise State University, Idaho State University and University of Idaho.
The State of Idaho has contributed $4.8 million over the past three years – $1.6 million annually – to help support university researchers’ involvement in the CAES partnership.
The U.S. Department of Energy and Battelle Energy Alliance, the contractor that runs Idaho National Laboratory, also have contributed significantly to the partnership.
Battelle Energy Alliance recently invested more than $6 million to equip the CAES Microscopy and Characterization Suite (MaCS) with an atom probe and other high-end instruments to advance materials research. The lab also provided CAES with $1.4 million in funding for exploratory research projects.
For more information about the CAES partnership, visitwww.caesenergy.org. | <urn:uuid:0c98509d-89ce-43e8-94fa-c12713e3b0f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://commerce.idaho.gov/news/2011/10/caes-researchers-earn-18.2-million-provide-significant-return-on-investment-for-idaho.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934656 | 558 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Daily Topic for February 05, 2009
The end of shrouds, funerals and the stench of death; that is what Isaiah is proclaiming. And this is a promise to the faithful in ALL nations. How can anyone say no to such a promise? Though the majority of humanity will say no, there will be a remnant from all nations that will say yes to the Lord, and yes to life. That is why we pray for them.
Pray that the Lord will bring unimaginable life to the nations that we intercede for this month.
“This is Adofo, the tailor I recommend,” my guide said in the crowded marketplace. “He is from the Dagbamba tribe-the best tailors in Africa!” By Adofo’s side stood a boy of 12 years. Never introduced, he studied his master’s every move and helped when allowed. Expertly Adofo sifted through options of clothing, measured appropriate places and confirmed a price. “Return this afternoon and your outfit will be ready,” he assured.
Throughout the marketplace there was always the sound of drums. “Why the constant drums?” I asked my guide. “They are also Dagbambas,” he explained. “They are not only musicians but also historians. When they see someone important, they play a drum cadence that tells the story of that person or his ancestor. This builds the reputation of the person they are honoring. In return the drummer hopes to get a tip from the honoree.”
“I don’t see any Christian symbols in the market,” I said. “No,” he returned, “Almost half of the Dagbambas are nominal Muslims. But they mix Islam with worshiping various spirits and gods. Each village sacrifices to its own ancestral god. Perhaps only three percent call themselves Christian. And less than one percent would have a personal relationship with Christ.”Learn more at joshuaproject.net
Pray that believers from neighboring groups would cross the cultural bridge to tell the Dagbamba people about Christ. Pray that the eyes of their hearts would be opened to the truth.-EF | <urn:uuid:acde9dcc-a6c3-4439-ad8c-1bf854af42a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/index.php/issue/day/2009/02/05 | 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 | 0.964822 | 466 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Linesman Steve Barton got the nasty task of picking up the octopus following a first period goal by Henrik Zetterberg at Madison Square Garden March 21, 2012. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Every hockey fan knows the feeling…the feeling of wanting to throw something. Whether the brunt of your extreme emotions is the television screen or the players on the ice, when the other team scores, or when your team scores, the knee-jerk reaction is to grab the closest object and fling it. From dead animals, to potentially dangerous glass bottles, here are the most memorable things thrown on the ice.
One example of why giveaway nights should be held with bated breath. During the 1972 home opener for the short-lived Philadelphia Blazers franchise in the WHA, fans were handed orange pucks before the game. Unfortunately, before puck drop the Zamboni broke through the ice, causing the game to be cancelled. Fans began tossing the pucks onto the surface, scaring away officials who were trying to calm things down.
An Alaska Aces (ECHL) tradition. Fans traditionally throw frozen fish (usually salmon) onto the ice after a goal.
8. Dead Gophers
An old University of North Dakota tradition. Fans would take frozen, dead gophers (how they got them in is beyond us) and toss them onto the ice after goals when UND played the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
On Jan. 30, 2000, New Jersey Devils coach Robbie Ftorek got so upset at a non-call that he picked up the team’s wooden bench and chucked in into the ice. He was suspended one game and fined $10,000.
6. Prosthetic Leg
The incident allegedly took place at a Corpus Christi IceRays (CHL) game in the 1990s. A fan sitting near the glass became so disgruntled with the refereeing that he took off his prosthetic leg and threw it on the ice. One does wonder, though, how did he get home?
5. Beer Bottles
Usually thrown after the visiting team scores, in overtime, or after a disputed penalty call. Jeff Carter experienced this while doing a post-game interview after the Flyers defeated the Capitals in overtime of Game 7 of their 2008 first round playoff series. Luckily for Carter, the bottle that whizzed by his head was plastic.
4. Stuffed Animals
This is more common in minor hockey. Fans are encouraged to bring stuffed animals to the rink and throw them on the ice after the first goal. The animals are then collected and given to charity. It was taken to a new level in Portland on Nov. 24, 2007, when 6,343 fans threw a record 20,372 stuffed animals onto the ice after the opening goal of the game. The best part? The goal was disallowed.
A tradition that infested Southern Florida during the Panthers’ run to the 1996 Stanley Cup final. At the start of the season, winger Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the dressing room and then scored two goals that night using the same stick. Word got out about Mellanby’s “rat trick” and Florida fans littered the ice with plastic rats are big goals and throughout the playoffs.
The practise started in Detroit in 1952 as a symbol of the number of games needed to win the Stanley Cup in the pre-expansion era: one tentacle for every victory.
It began in the 1950s with the New York Rangers’ minor league affiliate in Guelph, Ont., which was nicknamed the Mad Hatters. The owner had a tradition of giving a hat to any player who scored three goals in a game. Sammy Taft, who owned a hat shop in Toronto, offered the same prize for any Maple Leaf who achieved the feat. Fans caught on and began throwing hats onto the ice after a player’s third goal of the game and the tradition has stuck to this day.
This Top 10 originally appeared in THN's Ultimate Book of Hockey Lists.
The THN.com Top 10 appears Wednesdays only on TheHockeyNews.com.
AdvertisementThis Week - Subscribe Now | <urn:uuid:e8a071b1-5ce7-4202-9e36-5af954707fd9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/46312-Things-thrown-on-the-ice.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956927 | 859 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Sunday, December 30, 2001 09:01 AM
I'm trying to post a site for the first time using servlets. Unfortunately, I don't know which folder the server offers (bin, http-docs, webuser, etc.) to put the servlets in. I have it stored in what I thought was the standard WAR format (I have a folder with my .html files, with a folder called WEB-INF inside it. Inside WEB-INF is a folder called classes. That's where my java servlets are. Can anyone help me figure out how to make the site work? I tested it extensively with TOMCAT but now the .htm pages can't find the servlets. Can anyone help me? | <urn:uuid:37c482ac-5581-4b14-92e2-65a4abf3ca36> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jguru.com/forums/view.jsp?EID=705343 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960718 | 152 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Welcome to FRC
FRC is a non partisan and non-political research organization based in Islamabad. It’s the first ever think-tank of its kind that focuses on Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) in its entirety. The purpose of FRC is to help the concerned stake holders better understand this war-ravaged area of Pakistan with independent research and analysis.
FRC researchers and field officers specified for each sister agency of FATA, closely follow and analyze events and developments taking place in and around FATA.
We discuss and disseminate ideas related to FATA and provide a forum for technocrats, policy makers, researchers and members of civil society – within and outside of Pakistan – to suggest solutions and develop road-maps for the development of FATA.
We think, write and speak in order to encourage all segments of the Pakistani society including intelligentsia, academia and the government to join their strengths for a peaceful, tolerant, progressive and integrated FATA. | <urn:uuid:4628f7c3-9ffb-4475-80f8-e5cb0c6c850d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://frc.com.pk/sample-page/welcome-to-frc/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939683 | 202 | 1.5625 | 2 |
This page is intended to help the "end user" determine whether or not the V4L-DVB device they own, or one that they are considering acquiring, is supported under Linux.
Determining the Device's Identity
Normally the device name and model are written somewhere on either the device itself, its box/packaging or, at the very least, listed in its manual. That may seem obvious enough, but a surprising number of devices are available with no, or next to little in the way of, model identification. Ordinarily, that would make for a rather problematic exercise of trying to find support information, however, there are a couple of steps you can do to help give you a starting point for your search (and these steps are just as relevant in the case where you know the device's identity, and you know that it is unsupported, but are seeking to see if it is possible to add support for it):
A. With the device NOT installed within or attached to the system:
Take note of any visual clues that will help identify the device. For PCI/PCIe based devices, see if there are any written text/numerical markings printed directly on the board or on IC components. With USB based devices, as they tend to be completely encased, it is difficult, if not impossible, to make any visual identifications of components used in the device's design without resorting to physically prying it open. The degree of difficulty of undertaking such a task can vary greatly, but in most cases the user can, with patience and care, find a way to non-destructively disassemble the device. (Nonetheless, anyone attempting such a venture should be prepared to fully accept the consequences of their own actions in the event of an unsuccessful attempt). If you are not willing to do so, proceed to step "B".
Also note that, for older devices, the former bttv-gallery was a good resource for helping to identify a device; see here for more details.
B. With the device installed within or attached to the system:
For PCI/PCIe based devices, the output of the following command may be able to aide you in making a determination
$ /sbin/lspci -vnn
In the output from those commands, look for lines with "Multimedia video controller", "Multimedia controller", "Multimedia adapters" or something similar. The item of particular interest is the Subsystem ID for that entry.
Similarily, for USB devices, look at the output generated from the command
$ /sbin/lsusb -v
Note: Subsystem ID's are usually unique, but in some cases they are not. Meaning that sometimes two different devices have, unfortunately, been given the same ID. This in turn makes obtaining as many as possible identifiable aspects about a device (such as described in point "A" above) an important factor in making a precise device identification.
Support Information Resources
Armed with the information you obtained above (such as model name, subsystem ID, etc) try searching:
The V4L-DVB Wiki
A good first step is to check whether the device is listed as supported within the appropriate section of the wiki (see the "Hardware Device Information" section, as also linked to from the Main Pag,e for a starting point for your search. Though, it might be a good idea to also search this wiki using the device's name or the manufacturer name). If the device is not cited anywhere as being supported, then there is a good chance that it will not work under Linux. However, as the information in the wiki is not always current, and far from exhaustive, there are also other sources from which you can check.
The V4L-DVB source code
Navigate through the Linux media driver files (e.g. on your system try /usr/src/linux/drivers/media/, or check the corresponding directories on the git or hg repos you are interested in) and search for the relevant "xxxx-cards.c" file, as it will list devices supported by the "xxxx" driver. Example, within the file saa7134-cards.c is a listing of all the saa713x media controller IC based devices supported by the saa7134 driver. Similarly for exm28xx-cards.c, cx88-cards.c, etc. etc. ...
The Mailing Lists
You should also consider consulting the mailing list archives to see if there is any mention of the device.
- The Linux-Media Mailing List. Subscription to the mailing list is recommended, though it is not required.
Older mailing list archives: Make sure you check both the V4L and DVB mailing lists, as topical misplacement/mis-posting often occurs (as many users are unaware of the distinction between the two different, but in many ways intertwined, subsystems).
- MARC provides a comprehensive searchable V4L archive ... the actual m/l is archived here but requires authentication to access, nor is it as easily searched through
- MARC also provides a searchable DVB archive, but its records are not comprehensive (and, as well as, contain a large gap). Therefore, for inquiries relevant to older equipment you will have to sift through either the new DVB mailing list (which began Feb 2005) or use the likes of either a google site search or spinics to find even older (as well as present) DVB m/l postings...some further resources are also mentioned here.
If that search step also proves unsuccessful, then you may wish to consider directly inquiring about the device's status on the relevant mailing list (but please search the archives first!) or #irc channel. Send the information obtained from steps "A" and "B" to the mailing list, along with other important information (such as what type of device it is, a link to a product page if you can find one etc etc). But please first do a search through the archives* to make sure that this hasn't been submitted previously --- a simple way to check if this has been the case is to search the archives for your device's subsystem ID (as determined in step "B").
Elsewhere on the Internet
It is worth mentioning that there may be support for your device under Linux offered outside of that provided by LinuxTV, so a google search, using the appropriate combinations of terms, is also recommended. In addition, there are likely a number of websites (outside of the V4L-DVB wiki) that track hardware support -- For example, you can take a look at http://hardware4linux.info/type/87/ to see the note for the different devices. | <urn:uuid:4818a7a6-b145-4fb8-8be5-95c4bf46d643> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Supported_Hardware | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9379 | 1,395 | 1.59375 | 2 |
o is one of the twenty one districts in the Eastern Region located in the eastern part of the Region along the south-western corner of the Volta River. It lies between latitude 6.05S and 6.30N and longitude 0o08E and 0.20W.
It is bordered to the north-east by Kwahu West Municipal, to the North-west by Fanteakwa, to the South-West by Dangme West, to the East and West by Asuogyaman and Yilo Krobo Districts respectively and to the south-east by North Tongu District.
The District covers an area of 1,476 km, constituting about 8.1% of the total land area within the Region (18,310 km). The major towns in the district include Odumase township (which incorporates Atua, Agormanya and Nuaso), Akuse and Kpong in the Lower Manya area. The major towns in Upper Manya area are Asesewa, Sekesua, Akateng and Otrokper. | <urn:uuid:fccf32e2-6818-4c92-a713-d212941f0dd0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ghanadistricts.com/districts/?news%09%09%09%09%09%09%09&r=4&_=74 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952239 | 225 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Mother's Day Devotion
Rise to the Occasion
By Cathy Irvin
A mother’s love; what can compare? When we think of the sacrifices they make for their children, could it fill a book? I am sure, perhaps volumes. They give up time, sleep, sometimes food; they shed tears, and they wake to meet so many needs of the day for so many people. They run households, they attend meetings, meet with teachers, plan meals, baby-sit above and beyond the call of duty, especially if they happen to be grandmothers or even great grandmothers. Their days seem to never end.
What makes Moms so wonderful? God must have placed special ingredients in them. They seem to have the ability to cram more in one 24-hour time period, with all the tasks they have to do, that anyone else can accomplish. They have stamina to endure pain when they see their children suffer from a physical condition or an emotional hurt.
They toil day and night for such little reward, so on Mother’s Day we the recipients of their love, sacrifices and dedication, must rise to the occasion to say in some small way simply “Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for us.”
Boxes of chocolates, flowers, a card with money or a dinner invite will never make up for the sacrifices they have made. It is the thought, the expression that lets her know she is not forgotten and that she is loved. This is the day to say, "Mom, you are a treasure." So let us rise to the occasion. God will smile on you because you have invested in one of His prized possessions.
Who can compare to a mother’s love? No one on earth can, except of course a Father’s love and that’s another story. God's love is the only real true comparison for all the sacrifices He has made for His children. Perhaps this special occasion finds you feeling lonely because your mother has gone on to heaven or perhaps you don’t have children. If you have a sister or a girlfriend, take her by the hand; find someone to share the day with in some special way. You may be a mother who will be alone and your children aren’t able to join you. Remember God loves you, so you are never alone.
Women are precious in the eyes of God and you have value and worth. May you be commended for the labor you have done for others, especially for anything you do in the kingdom of God.
Can God change your life?
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12 (NIV)
May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD. Ruth 2:12 (NIV)
God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life.
Discover how you can find peace with God.
You can also send us your prayer requests
Browse through CBN.com's Mother's Day Resources
Cathy Irvin authored well over 50 Devotions for CBN over three decades where she served the Lord Jesus Christ at the Christian Broadcasting Network. Cathy loved telling stories and glorifying God in all that she did. On December 16, 2011, Cathy left this earthly dwelling to take up residence in the dwelling prepared for her in Heaven. Her Devotions minister with love and truth.
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Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting?
Are you facing a difficult situation?
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need. | <urn:uuid:46fba6ff-1dc1-4735-8615-2022f6100a24> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/Devotions/irvin_mothersday.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962754 | 790 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Planning & Zoning
What do I need to do to ...
PURCHASING REAL ESTATE IN BOUNDARY COUNTY
Boundary County boasts some of the most beautiful and productive real estate anywhere, but there are some things to consider prior to putting your signature on that dotted line. If you're planning to make Boundary County your home, please realize that the majority of this community is rural, and life here may well be very different than what you're used to. If you're from a more urban area, please be aware that services you may have taken for granted may not be available here; many areas are served by private water associations, but there are areas that are not, and in some of these areas water must be hauled in. There is no county-maintained septic or storm-sewer system; all county septic systems must be privately installed and inspected.
Boundary County has an extensive road network, but many of the county roads are not maintained through the winter. Many parcels are accessible only by private roads granted by easement through property owned by others, so it is important that you ensure that such access is indicated on your deed; while the person who owns the property you need to cross now may be the friendly sort of neighbor most common here, the next owner may not be, and you may find that the access you thought was legally recorded wasn't. The county does not maintain private roads, nor does the county impose restrictions on easements. If access to the property you are considering is not adequate to handle emergency or utility vehicles, those services will be unavailable to you. Most people look at the property they are considering in the summer, when conditions are at their best. A road that may appear entirely adequate then may well not be when the snow comes. Winter conditions here are extremely hard on roads and the county expends a considerable amount for their maintenance each year, but even when the weather turns nice, it may take considerable time for Road and Bridge crews to bring road conditions back up to tolerable levels. Those using private roads are responsible for maintaining those roads; and if more than one family uses the road conflicts can arise.
Fire protection and emergency medical services in Boundary County are provided by trained volunteers, but because of the distances involved and because conditions are not always favorable, response times can be delayed. There are no specific street addresses in Boundary County as yet, and postal addresses will get you your mail, but won't tell emergency responders how to reach your home, which can result in even slower response times if you don't realize this.
Another thing to consider is utilities and services, which are not available in all areas of Boundary County. Unless you plan on using solar or other alternative energy sources, bringing electricity to areas not currently on the grid can entail great expense.
Prior to finalizing your purchase, it is wise to check with the Planning and Zoning Department to make sure you'll be able to use your property as you plan, as lots exist which are not open to development. There are also areas of the county which lie within the National Flood Insurance Program flood plain, meaning there will be additional costs for development, if development is possible at all.
While it's not required by ordinance, Boundary County recommends that anyone purchasing property ensure that a proper survey or plat map has been recorded or have the property surveyed at your own expense prior to purchase. Relying on a fence line, a rock or that tree out back is not prudent and could result in costly disputes later. If you choose not to require or obtain a record of survey and rely on a metes and bounds description, it is strongly recommended that you have a title company examine the description to ensure its accuracy and to ensure that the title to the property is clear.
Another consideration is the economy of Boundary County, which is based predominantly on timber and agriculture production. Idaho is a "right to farm" state, meaning anyone who owns property has the right to use or lease that land for agricultural production; there is nothing the county can do to prevent a neighbor from going into the hog business should they so choose, even if the breeze blows your way. Much of the county is timbered, with over 75 percent of the total land base of Boundary County owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the Idaho Department of Lands and the Bureau of Land Management. If you purchase a parcel because the trees on the hillside across the road make for a beautiful view, you shouldn't be disappointed should loggers move in later to harvest that timber.
Life in Boundary County is wonderful; the people here retain a strong pioneer spirit of hard work and of helping their neighbors ... most who call this community home would agree that you'll not find a more neighborly place anywhere else. But the rugged beauty and often harsh conditions mean that many of the amenities you may be used to are not available, and if you're used to relying on strict ordinances and regulations to help you resolve neighborly disputes, you'll be disappointed. It is the belief of the county that people who buy and build here have the right to build the home that best suits them; if the roof collapses under the weight of the snow, they'll know better next time. Conversely, you may build a beautiful home that meets the most stringent building codes while your neighbor may not; the county will not intercede on your behalf to make that neighbor live up to your standards. | <urn:uuid:0fc034d3-9775-40d8-b6ed-5931f923e49b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.boundarycountyid.org/planning/buyland.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964324 | 1,112 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Eggplants are such good-looking vegetables that I might be tempted to grow them just for the exotic beauty they add to the garden.
But I enjoy eating eggplant, so it’s earned its place in my vegetable plot for more utilitarian reasons. Many years, however, I do try a new variety to see if I can find one that combines the best taste and appearance.
When I became an urban gardener, I wondered I should bypass eggplant. I assumed that the yield from one plant in a large container would be fairly low.
But I discovered some options. Last summer’s was the best yet: It’s an eggplant called Hansel, which is ideal for container growing.
It had almost everything I was looking for in a container eggplant: Plants that reached slightly less than three feet high and about 2-1/2 feet wide produced attractive clusters of three to six miniature purple fruits that had excellent taste and very few seeds.
Because Hansel is early-bearing for an eggplant, I didn’t have to wait all summer for the fruits to mature. (Count on about 60 days from transplanting to first harvest.)
Harvesting is one of the most interesting things about this plant. You can begin picking the long, thin fruits at 2 inches and continue harvesting at any size, until they reach about 10 inches long.
Because of the high yields, I staked my plants. I think that this year I might cage them. But I’m definitely going to be growing this All-America Selections winner once again.
Another eggplant I’d recommend to container gardeners is Fairy Tale, which has violet fruits with white stripes. The plants grows about 2-1/2 feet tall, and you can start harvesting in just 50 days from transplanting into your garden. The eggplants themselves are small but tasty. | <urn:uuid:b907d13e-810e-4592-8a4c-370e7ad7de2f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Gardening/diggin-it/2008/0527/eggplant-with-a-difference | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96367 | 399 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Document 5 Transcript
Harry Toulmin, Mississippi Territorial Judge, Letter to Brigadier General Ferdinand L. Claiborne, or officer commanding the Volunteers on the road from Baton Rouge, 23 July 1813. Fort Stoddert 23rd July 1813 Dear Sir Since I wrote to you on Monday last the postrider who was supposed to be killed has re- turned. He was robbed of his mail by a party of Creeks going to Pensacola. He was afterwards fired upon & had his hat shot off and his horse killed under him –but escaped unhurt. The wife of James Cornels who was supposed to be killed as also Mr. Marlow who lives with him, have been taken to Pensacola. The Governor endeavored to procure the mail for the purpose of sending it to Mobile but they were not disposed to give it up. They got a person to open & read the letters;--but I am yet in hopes that it will be substan- tially recovered. The Governor assured them that the letter from the British Ge- neral in Canada was merely a letter of recommendation and refused to supply them with any ammunition. He however ap- pointed another meeting,—and the Creeks in the mean time were making every exer- tion to procure power & lead by private purchase. They have also great recourse to the old arms, bows & arrows, in the fabri- cation of which they discover much skill, and render them more dangerous than bullitts. They were still in Pensacola on Wednesday. Mr. Tate returned to in- form us of what he had learnt. Mr. Peirce staid behind to obtain further in- formation. Mr. Tate learns from persons whom he has seen that were car- ried down with them,--that their language breathes vengeance on the white people, & that they have dropped some hints of a de- sign to attack the Tensaw settlements, (14 miles from this) on their return. Mr. Manac also informs me that he believes their great object to be an attack on the white people. They aim indeed to put to death eight of their own Chiefs. This will effect a complete revolution in the government, and the patriots will obtain an uncontrolable sway. As to the half breeds, the revolutionists have no original quarrel with them. If they fall into the new order of things; it will be well. They will remain un- molested:--but if they take part with white men; they will meet with the fate of white men. The half breeds, however, do not think fit to trust themselves with them or to embark in their measures. They have fled and have left behind them their crops & other property. I visited them yesterday. They are in confusion and distress. Not less so are my white neighbours on Tensaw. They are erecting forts, --seeking safety in swamps, or defence at this place. N-----(torn) ever renders our situation better but the two rivers. On the other side of the rivers,-- nine-tenths of the houses are abandoned. The expedition under Col. Callier is to start tomorrow. I thought it justifiable & sent my son; -- but I tremble for the issue. With numbers only equal to the indians & skill far inferior, we cannot calculate on anything in their favour but the effect of surprise. I regret that two Indians have been killed in the forks. They had stolen some goods, & attempting to escape, -- were shot. I pray you to hasten your approach. Should our militia be defeated; our settlement will probably fall a sacrifice. I am dear sir, very respectfully your most obed't serv't (signed) Harry Toulmin Saturday Morning P.S Since the within was written, Mr. Peirce has returned from Pensacola. The Governor has issued an order for supplying the indians with powder: they had had a war dance, avowed their intention to commit hostilities on us,-- and also to begin with the adjacent settlements. The people have been fleeing all night.
Back to Lesson 1. | <urn:uuid:0a0ea5e0-2d32-4979-9ff4-72f2ea3c8b28> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.archives.state.al.us/teacher/creekwar/lesson1/trans5.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983788 | 843 | 1.617188 | 2 |
AUSTIN, Texas - One of Texas' most-conservative state senators has asked for an attorney general's opinion on whether local governments can grant marriage benefits to same-sex partners.
Tea party-backed Sen. Dan Patrick says Texas amended its state Constitution in 2005 to define marriage as between one man and one woman, while prohibiting government entities from recognizing anything similar to marriage.
The Houston Republican on Friday asked Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to clarify the issue. He noted that the cities of El Paso, Austin and Forth Worth have extended some benefits to domestic partners.
Patrick is the new chairman of the Senate Education Committee and said in a statement that Pflugerville Independent School District has recently become the first Texas school district to similarly extend benefits. | <urn:uuid:bba83358-be93-454c-b5ab-c2a7b5cfe466> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kbtx.com/news/state/headlines/State-Sen-Wants-AG-Opinion-on-Same-Sex-Benefits-177128641.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958842 | 151 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Children, we have already learnt what to do with your Overbeaten Cream in a previous post.
Now, for part II in the series, we learn WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR BUTTERMILK from your overbeaten cream. I've come across many recipes for pancakes that call for buttermilk, and yes, there have been many "substitutes" for buttermilk, such as milk & lemon, milk & yoghurt,...if you were to BUY buttermilk, it costs an arm, leg and probably an udder... such beautiful mammaries.
The buttermilk is the whitish stuff, resembling milk, that has separated from the cream, which has curdled on its way to becoming butter, and I guess, hence the term buttermilk. If cream de la creme refers to the top students in the class, I guess the buttermilk would be the bottom of the barrel. (like me). But who cares, since buttermilk is even more expensive than butter.
So, to make the buttermilk pancakes, you need:
3 cups of plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 eggs (or use 1 chicken egg and 2 quails eggs)
1 cup milk
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons sugar
dash of vanilla
100gm melted butter
Basically, mix everything together..... let the batter rest for 30 minutes or so....or 2 hours until your guests arrive 1 hour late...
Warm a non stick griddle over medium heat, (the first couple of pancakes are usually disastrous), and scoop up dollops of 1/3rd cups of batter onto the griddle. When some bubbly holes appear, you can flip them.
Ta dah, fluffy buttermilk pancakes...served with homemade butter and honey. (no, despite having a bee at home, I dont get no homemade honey)....
If you can afford it, use maple syrup.
Incidentally, I was kidding about the quail's egg. | <urn:uuid:b8d58aaa-12d8-4bc0-8594-b6b0f29812f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fatboyrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/06/buttermilk-pancakes-from-home-made.html?showComment=1275907408676 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952192 | 420 | 1.546875 | 2 |
First impressions count and when selling your property this is certainly true. The front of your house is a good place to spend some time and money if required. A few nice flowers or bushes may add to the appeal of the front of the property. Remove weeds, pick up any fallen leaves, repaint your front door if needed, When someone comes to view make sure, if possible they can park in front of the property even if that means parking your car somewhere else.
Clean your house from top to bottom. Make sure your windows are clean inside and out too. People will find it hard to visualise living there if it is not nice and clean.
Remove objects that your potential buyers won't be able to identify with. For example, political and religious items may turn off whole groups of buyers, because they cannot "imagine" your home as their home. Buying a home is an emotional decision, and you want potential buyers to make an emotional connection with your home by being able to "see" themselves in it.
Got a dripping tap or a cracked tile? These will send the wrong message to potential buyers.
This may be the hardest rule of all! We love our clutter - it reflects our memories, hobbies, and values. But it doesn't sell homes! Clutter makes homes seem smaller and disorganized. (Have you ever noticed that the really expensive stores seem to have an expansive, clutter-free layout, while "cheap" stores are often a jumble of merchandise?) So "cut the clutter!"
Neutral colours sell. It's a fact. Try to convey an image of quality and neutrality. Potential buyers walking through your home want to imagine themselves as the owners. If you use styles or colours they would never select, you've just turned them off. Stay high-quality, but neutral is safest.
Always keep your pets under control. Try confining them to a specific area. Although you may love your pets, they can be off-putting to other people, and smells can be offensive, so make sure there are no lingering odours in furniture or flooring, and if there is, get them cleaned before you sell.
Make sure you have adequate lighting in every room, use subtle mood lighting to create the right atmosphere in each room and check all your bulbs work.
Define each area.
Buyers need to know what each room is for, so that they can decide where they will place their own items. Sell the lifestyle and you'll sell your house.
By using the right accessories, you can enhance your rooms and create a feeling of unity by using harmonious colours. Use mirrors to reflect light and space, and use plants and fresh flowers to bring life to rooms and add a natural fragrance. | <urn:uuid:b9548fa8-5a6b-4f1f-ae4a-d3c57cd22ea7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.firstchoicemove.co.uk/top-tips-to-sell/18-sellers/tips.feed?type=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952502 | 562 | 1.75 | 2 |
How to Use a Winebox – Get 3 Free Glasses of Wine!
Wineboxes can be an economic way to purchase wine….but did you know that you can get at least three extra glasses of wine out of every box? Learn how to use a winebox correctly and have a free drink courtesy of the MeanyGoat!!
The Winebox was invented in 1965 by an Australian winemaker called Thomas Angrove. He had the idea of using a polythene bladder inside a carton, and the original boxes were pretty large at one gallon capacity. In 1967 Charles Malpas developed the idea further and patented the system we know today which uses a bag and an air tight tap. And so as they say….history was made!
Wineboxes originally had a “downmarket” image compared with bottles…and of course do not give the satisfying “plop” as there is no cork to remove. However, marketing soon kicked in and the winebox became more expensive per equivalent volume purchased by the bottle. The manufacturers had a big hit because the production costs are much lower than for bottled wine. Eventually the prices stabilized and nowadays it is usually more economic to buy wine by the box than by the bottle…but always check the price per liter for comparison to make sure that you make the right frugal choice!
Advantages of the Winebox for the Frugal Wine Drinker:
If you learn how to use a winebox correctly then there are many advantages……
Low Cost: The price per liter of wine should be 10% to 20% cheaper than the equivalent quality purchased by the bottle
Less Recycling: The plastic liner can be disposed of in your regular garbage and there is just the carton to recycle, compost or use to light the fire
Drink What You Want: With a winebox it is very easy to have the medical “one glass of red wine a day” without being worried that “now the bottle is open I might as well finish it”!!
Stays Fresh: Since a winebox is airtight it does not oxidize once opened and so the contents should remain in good condition for a couple of months…but realistically even at one glass a day the winebox will never last that long!
Helps Reduce your Alcohol Consumption: The winebox means that you do not have to regulate your consumption by the bottle….”oooh, lets open another one”. Drinking by the glass should enable you to keep your alcohol consumption withing the medical guidelines much more easily since it removes the temptation to finish off the bottle. Just don’t try to finish off the box!
How to Use a Winebox Correctly:
When you know how to use a winebox correctly then you will easily get two or three glasses of wine out of every box!
When the winebox is nearly empty make sure that you dispense the wine either by holding the box at an angle or prop it up on a lump of wood or a book. It is important to stop any air getting into the bag via the tap otherwise the remaining wine will soon spoil.
When no more wine will come out of the box….cut the box open and remove the bag
Squeeze all the remaining wine down to the tap and then dispense into glasses
The last stage is to cut off the top of the bag with scissors and then really wring the plastic bag out and you should manage to obtain a third and final glass….one for the road if you are lucky!!!
When the Winebox is empty open it up to remove the plasic bag
Let the wine drain down to the end where the tap is.....there will be a lot more than you think!
Roll the bag up and squeeze the last drops out!
Those last three glasses of wine will of course reduce the overall cost per glass for the whole winebox….this is frugal common sense! So take a tip from the MeanyGoat, drink sensibly within medical guidelines and enjoy yourself. Learn how to use a winebox correctly and you will get more wine for your money every time!!
Cheers...a free one for the road!!!!
Don't forget the last stage of how to use a winebox....take Roz's advice and lick the plastic bag!
When discussing How to Use a Winebox with some colleagues at work Roz pointed out that I had omitted the very last stage. Once all the visible wine has been decanted safely into glasses you need to cut the bag right open and lick it dry! Thanks for that advice Roz!!! | <urn:uuid:cee9322e-4daf-47b6-9f38-dafb77dcf3cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.meanygoat.com/how-to-use-a-winebox/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956239 | 947 | 1.773438 | 2 |
At first I hated the idea of restoring copyrights in public domain works. This week the US Supreme Court heard arguments in Golan v. Holder taking me back to when Section 514 was first implemented. I hated the idea even though I am pro-copyright. I hated the idea despite my feeling that on some level it righted wrongs suffered by authors whose copyrights were forfeited due to an inadvertent failure to comply with a US copyright “formality”. A faulty copyright notice or failure to make a certain filing in the US Copyright Office could propel the foreign author’s work into theUS public domain, although no such formality existed in the author’s home country. I hated restoration because it undermined confidence in the permanence of the public domain, something I firmly believed was and should remain “black letter law.” I guess I was a hater…
When the US Copyright Act was first amended to restore copyright for certain foreign works that had fallen into the public domain in the United States (under NAFTA for works like Mexican movies and later under Section 514 of Uruguay Round Agreements Act), I was editor-in-chief of Public Domain Report, a publication that reported monthly on works entering the public domain in the United States. It may sound strange, but even though the Public Domain Report was forced out of business when the Sonny Bono Term Extension Act became law resulting in a 20-year moratorium on new entries into the US public domain, I totally supported term extension. It made sense to harmonize US and EU law in order to gain more favorable treatment for US copyright holders. Before harmonization, countries that granted a longer term of protection to their citizens granted a shorter term of protection to US copyright owners due to the shorter term of copyright under US copyright law.
Term extension opponents could not understand why I supported term extension, a law that would effectively destroy my publication. But I had no choice really, because it was clear to me that US copyright creators and owners would benefit from term extension, and the majority of my clients and friends fall into one or both of those categories.
The rationale for restoration of foreign works is arguably more compelling than the rationale for copyright term extension — in the case of restoration, the law was crafted to bring the US into compliance with international treaties, notably the Berne Convention, that US copyright owners rely on for global protection of their intellectual property . Nevertheless, I hated restoration on a visceral level because it meant that a work we reported as public domain one year might no longer be in the public domain the next year. It meant that those who invested in developing new works adapted from the public domain work could no longer rely on the permanence of the public domain. Worse, the restoration laws benefitted only foreign works in the US public domain for failure to comply with a draconian formality under the US Copyright Act – US works in the public domain for the same reasons were not revivable.
That was a few years ago. I have come to terms with copyright restoration as the new reality, yet another layer to the Rubik’s Cube puzzle one must solve when determining copyright status of works thought to be in the public domain. Restoration took some getting used to, but I came to see it as challenging but necessary stretch on the road to better international copyright protection. I am okay with it now. I don’t hate restoration so long as it is limited to the foreign works covered under the existing law. Really.
Will the Court send the restored works back to the public domain? Despite the 52 amicus briefs filed in support of the Petitioner in Golan v. Holder, and irrespective of my feelings about the value of public domain “permanence”, I do not expect the Supreme Court to find that Section 514 violates the First Amendment rights of US citizens to use public domain works. Just as term extension was upheld by the Court in its 2003 decision Eldred v. Ashcroft, I expect the Court to uphold the Constitutionality of Section 514 as a reasonable exercise of congressional power in addressing the important goal of compliance with international treaty obligations. I hope my prediction is right, and that restored works are not unrestored by the Court.
I would really hate that… | <urn:uuid:c4d618a6-9525-4855-b488-3344260af458> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oberipwatch.com/2011/10/07/golan-v-holder/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965003 | 867 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Water Bending vs Direct PK
1) In this video, I am focused on steering the little boat solely through Water Bending. Feel free to stop watching at around 4m50s. Once the boat hits the side it's hard to break the surface tension.
2) In this experiment, I focus on moving the boat directly rather than moving the water. If you compare the videos; part_01 has more water turbulence. In any case, this did not go so well. I got caught in a sort of psi_wheel spin by default lol:) Though, I do finally gain control at around 7m20s with a frozen construct.
3) Constructs to the rescue! This time I am still focused directly on the boat. However, I apply a construct...sort of based on vector animation paths. It worked so much better than I thought it would! It's a good thing, because the psi_wheel spin is really stuck in my noggin:) | <urn:uuid:471ddfd6-6e91-428d-9f24-aae1036531e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.psionicsonline.net/comment/780 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957336 | 201 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Spot has already commented - characteristically uncharitably - about Sean Kershaw's recent defense of charter schools that ran in the Strib. There were two sentences, however, that Spot wants to pick out for further examination:
Charters are a way of creating public schools. Nothing more.
Regular public schools and charters are just the same, Spotty?
In the sense that both trees and the fungi that live off them exist in the same forest, yes, Spot supposes so. But there are significant ways in which charters differ. We'll examine just a few.
In an earlier post, Spot listed the names of some existing charters in Minnesota:
Skills for Tomorrow (algebra, English, chemistry, and physics are so yesterday), New Voyage Academy (beam me up, Scotty!), Face to Face Academy (another combat school, apparently), Family Academy (where you can bet your arse they don't discuss family-making), Ascention Academy (a Big Coop special no doubt; Spot would like to look at the curriculum for that one), F. Scott Fitzgerald Writing (for all the parents who wanted to write the next Great American Novel but now hope little Johnnie or Janey will), Loveworks Academy (Spot's not touching that one with a stick), Higher Ground (here's a little of the sub rosa Spot was talking about), and one of Spot's favorites, Great Expectations! (Spot added the exclamation point, but it seemed like a natural).
Spot is sure it is just a coincidence that there are churches with coffee shops called Higher Grounds.
Gosh, you don't suppose that's some kind of Christian code, do you Spotty? And an effort to break down the separation of church and state. Some of those other names make you wonder, too.
Yes they do, don't they, grasshopper?
And you can set up a charter with the skinniest of resumes. This is from another of Spot's posts:
To take one simple example of the lack of nuturance and promise that Spot is talking about. Last week, Katie had a column extolling the virtues of a new school coming to town:
Six years ago, Mike Spangenberg was just a typical college kid who wanted to change the world. "I was big on social justice issues," he says. "I wanted to go to law school, because I thought that was the way to gain access to power."
Social inequality was what fired him most. "It seemed so clearly wrong to me that your ZIP code has such a profound impact on your chances in life," he says.
Then one day, during his senior year at the University of Connecticut, Spangenberg was paging through the campus newspaper while waiting for an English class to begin. An ad for Teach for America caught his eye. In a moment, his law school plans evaporated. "I thought, 'Here's my chance -- here's how I can do all the things I care about," he says. A few months later, he began what became four years of teaching in gritty, inner-city Philadelphia.
Now Spangenberg, who grew up in Maple Grove, is back in the Twin Cities. At age 27, he's continuing his crusade for educational equality as director of Stand Academy, a new charter school in downtown Minneapolis.
Mike sounds like a admirable kid, but the key word is kid. Mike would undoubtedly get carded at the 331 Club where Drinking Liberally meets, yet he is apparently going to be put in charge of public resources coming right out of public school budgets. And people like Katie think this is good. And all the while, as we build more big box retailers and chip away at our social institutions like the public schools, the ranks of the feral children, the nihilists, grow.
Spot imagines that the Somali kids love the idea of a School Crusader!
And do you know, boys and girls, who is the financial force behind the development of the KIPP school model, of which Stand Academy will be one? Spot knows you will find this hard to believe, but it's Wal-Mart. You can read a lot more about it by entering kipp schools walmart as a search engine query.
There is no mystery why big business is interested in the "drill and test" model of education: it makes for a more compliant retail work force.
Spot wants to mention one last thing as a difference between public schools and charters. The potential for rejection of students based on disabilities or ethnicity:
A St. Paul mom's concern about the application process for her son to apply to a charter school may force many more Minnesota charters to change their student application processes.
The schools are asking for more information than state law allows, according to the Minnesota Department of Education. The information -- such as whether students are receiving special education services or their ethnicity -- could be used to deny admission.
A perusal of charter school websites by the Star Tribune quickly found a dozen schools asking for details about prospective students that go too far.
One of the talking points of charter school advocates is that they're great for kids that are "hard to reach." But in the western suburbs, for example, there is already a cooperative public school district with all kinds of alternative programs: District 287. The person in charge of 287 is probably older than 27. And don't forget about things like open enrollment, inter-district magnet schools, and the It's Your Choice Program.
In his op-ed piece Sean Kershaw writes that the "last thing we need" is an argument of charters vs. district, that is real public, schools. No Sean, that's the first thing we need. Charter schools are just a source of plunder by an assortment of free booters and a way to undermine public schools. | <urn:uuid:b84e3cf8-f62c-4aae-88a7-06f2853cd45e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thecuckingstool.blogspot.com/2008/12/and-they-called-wind-ii.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972693 | 1,203 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Bay Area Traffic
Contruction along 880 corridor will mean better roads
OAKLAND, CA (KGO) -- Interstate 880 is a hive of construction activity and will be for several more years. There are three active projects between 5th Avenue in Oakland and the 92 interchange in Hayward. Two have just wrapped up and two more are starting soon.
Two more are coming soon: phase one and two of rehabilitating the road surface between 5th and High.
"We do want to make sure the public has a heads-up on what's going on; there will be major traffic shifts, sometimes there will be lane closures, on-ramp and off-ramp closures," Caltrans spokesperson Matt Robinson said.
The first section of the new 5th Avenue bridge is done, but completion is still three years away. When done, the bridge will be slightly wider, with shoulders. The major challenge there is working directly over an active railroad.
"The railroad has a lot of specifications that you have to do, protective cover, tracks are protected, having railroad flaggers making sure if a train is coming to get away from the tracks, things like that, so it's constant coordination with Union Pacific, who is the railroad," construction and traffic manager Scott McCrank said.
At High Street, the new bridge foundations are in, but Oakport Street has to be moved about 60 feet toward Alameda before the new, wider bridge can be built.
At the 880-92 interchange in Hayward, wrapped columns wait for the new westbound 92 bridge. When completed about a year from now, the new interchange should eliminate the bottleneck that has plagued the area for years. The solution is bridges.
"Some of the bridges are tall, others diving underneath others bridges, so if you can't go wide, you just build up," McCrank said.
Starting soon there will be rehabilitation of truck lanes between 5th and High. One-thousand concrete slabs will be replaced to smooth out the bumpy ride. This will have major traffic impacts, mostly at night and on weekends.
"The folks who'll be traveling to A's games at night, they'll see some of the construction, folks traveling from the airport say, going north," Robinson said.
The last of these current projects should wrap up in 2014, but Caltrans warns they always have a wish-list for more.
caltrans, hayward, highway 92, I-880, oakland, construction, bay area traffic, heather ishimaru
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34 min ago | <urn:uuid:50e668cd-2335-45d7-bdee-e31e175bcb56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=resources/traffic&id=7553715 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945721 | 697 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Qualified Employee with Crohn's Disease Fired Unlawfully, EEOC Suit Says
BALTIMORE - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced a $194,000 settlement of an employment discrimination lawsuit filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) on behalf of a qualified former employee with Crohn's disease who was terminated by Browning-Ferris, Inc., a waste management company.
EEOC's lawsuit originated from a charge of discrimination filed by Deborah Brown, a boom truck driver and trash compactor repair person, who alleged that Browning-Ferris, Inc. violated the ADA when it abruptly discharged her because of her Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder. According to Browning-Ferris, it feared that Ms. Brown's Crohn's disease, coupled with her exposure to waste, would lead to life-threatening consequences for her. Ms. Brown was fired from Browning-Ferris due to her disability despite her insistence and the insistence of her medical specialists that her external environment had no relation to her Crohn's disease, and that she safely and effectively had worked around waste throughout her nearly 10-year career.
A Consent Decree settling the case was entered by Judge Marvin J. Garbis in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Under the settlement, Browning-Ferris will pay full back wages and compensatory damages to Ms. Brown in the amount of $194,000. In addition, Browning-Ferris is enjoined from violating the ADA and must post notices advising its employees of their right to be free from disability-based discrimination.
"The Americans with Disabilities Act prevents employers from making employment decisions based on myths, fears, and stereotypes - which is exactly what occurred in this case," said Gerald S. Kiel, Regional Attorney of the EEOC's Baltimore District Office. "An employer must conduct an individualized assessment when determining if an employee's disability constitutes a direct threat to the health and safety of herself or others. Here, in particular, Ms. Brown had a good and safe employment history with the company and continued working in the waste removal business following her discharge."
In addition to enforcing Title I of the ADA, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the private sector and state and local governments, the EEOC enforces Title VII of 1964 Civil Rights Act, as amended, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Equal Pay Act; prohibitions against discrimination affecting individuals with disabilities in the federal sector; and sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Further information about the Commission is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.
This page was last modified on March 5, 2003.
Return to Home Page | <urn:uuid:1072d4ce-7a88-4dce-8205-017b6c703dda> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www1.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/archive/3-5-03.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962727 | 581 | 1.523438 | 2 |
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Foot Odor Remedies
There is nothing worse than taking off your shoes to try on a new pair in the store, and notice the other patrons in the store sniffing and pulling their faces.
Luckily though, there are a few remedies you can do at home to help minimize and sometimes even completely remove foot odor.
As they say, prevention is always better than cure and as silly as this may sound, make sure you always wash your feet thoroughly. A lot of people neglect scrubbing their feet in the bath or shower — plain water just is not going to get rid of the germs that cause foot odor. Scrub your feet gently with an antibacterial soap and use a soft brush. Don't forget to clean the spaces in between the toes as well.
It is also vitally important to dry your feet thoroughly before slipping them into your shoes or socks. If you commonly suffer with sweaty feet, ensuring that your feet are bone dry before putting your shoes on, will make a huge difference.
Just like you spray deodorant or antiperspirants under your arms, try to follow the same routine with your feet. There are many foot deodorants and roll-ons available at your local supermarket. Remember, if you suffer from sweaty feet, try to find a foot odor spray that is antiperspirant, as it will assist in preventing sweat forming.
Powdering your feet and toes after showering can also help to reduce the smell caused by sweating. You can either use baby powder or cornstarch for a natural remedy. Powdering is a good option, especially for women who don't wear socks or stockings with their shoes. When your foot is in direct contact with your shoe, its more susceptible to sweating as the oxygen can't flow freely.
Speaking of shoes, the shoe you wear can sometimes make matters better or worse for your foot odor. Genuine leather is always the best shoe to go for if you suffer from smelly feet. Genuine leather allows your feet to breathe, while manmade materials and plastic shoes restrict the flow of ventilation to the foot, resulting in sweaty, foul smelling feet.
The socks you wear you can also contribute to sweaty feet. If you suffer from sweaty feet, ensure you always, always, always wear socks that are made of natural fibers such as 100 percent pure cotton socks. Avoid socks with polyester fibers, as these will only make your feet smell worse. If you play sport or engage in physical activity, change your socks before and after the event. Don't wear the same smelly socks after you've sweated in them.
If you've done just about everything humanly possible to prevent foul smelling feet and you just can't succeed in eliminating the smell, try these alternative remedies at home:
Stress and anxiety are also common causes of excessive sweating, which can result in foul smelling feet. If you're commonly in stressful situations or under a lot of stress at work, try to wear the correct shoe, and always wash and dry your feet thoroughly after showering to prevent foul smelling feet. Whenever possible, allow your feet to be bare. For example, take off you shoes and socks after work when you're at home watching television.
Stress on the foot can also cause sweaty feet. If your job involves a lot of standing, try to take regular breaks with your feet up and again, always wear the right shoes and socks.
Author: Dimi Ingle
Glossary References Links Contact | <urn:uuid:efa5fe16-38ae-4f84-b216-accf4025ea7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://health.learninginfo.org/foot-odor.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954912 | 752 | 1.578125 | 2 |
"Teacher voice is needed in order for real reform to take place," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told the inaugural cohort of Teach Plus D.C. Teaching Policy Fellows last week, when he joined more than 200 teachers and policymakers to celebrate the launch of Teach Plus D.C. It was a message the Fellows took to heart.
A diverse group of 25 district and charter teachers, the first D.C. cohort of Policy Fellows includes recent education school graduates, Teach for America and D.C. Teaching Fellowship alumni, and career-changers from fields as wide-ranging as business, mental healthcare and the military. Together, they'll spend the next eighteen months working toward positive change in their profession. Last Tuesday, they got started.
Three of those new Fellows reflected on their evening with Secretary Duncan:
Alyson Roberts, Reading Intervention, C.W. Harris Elementary School:
As I Metro-ed across the city to the event with Secretary Duncan, my mind wandered to what I always seem to think about when I have some reflecting time: my students. My brilliant, hilarious, wonderful students. I thought about their smiling faces as we completed our reading lesson that day, of their excitement over our prediction chart for Groundhog Day. But these positive reflections were followed, as they often are, by a more sobering reality: how long will that excitement -- that hunger to learn -- last? Are my students still smiling now, outside of school? What can I do as an educator to ensure that my students never lose their thirst for knowledge, to ensure that they go on in life to reach the great potential I know they have?
With my students in mind, I entered the room to meet Secretary Duncan, and it was with a renewed sense of urgency that I left that room. Secretary Duncan's down to earth, practical, no-nonsense nature truly resonated with me. He was right when he said this work was personal -- indeed, I was called to teaching because it is personal to me. My dedication to my students is all-consuming and unconditional. It is also true, as Secretary Duncan stated, that teachers are often too polite, too nice. The need is urgent for truly passionate and dedicated teachers to speak out and let the country -- even the world -- hear our views on what is best for our students. After all, we are on the front lines, fighting this daily battle.
As Secretary Duncan challenged us to, I will be making a seat for myself at the table of education reform. If there isn't one available, I will be demanding a seat, even creating a new table if necessary. My students deserve to have their voices heard, and I am more than willing to be their advocate. That is, until they get around to changing the world themselves.
Caryn Davidson, Kindergarten, Truesdell Education Campus:
The excitement was palpable in the room where the D.C. Teaching Policy Fellows met for the first time. The same conversations were taking place all over the room, everyone trying to get a sense of who the others were.
"Where do you teach?"
"And where is that exactly?"
"What issues are you interested in?"
In that room, everyone's hopes were high for what we can accomplish over the next two school years, given our proximity to top policymakers and the track record of previous Teach Plus cohorts in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis and Memphis. The launch event with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was an inspiring way to start.
Having grown up frequenting his mother's after-school center on Chicago's South Side, Secretary Duncan understands the challenges facing urban schools. I was impressed by his down to earth yet intense nature. When I had the opportunity to ask a question about how to support teachers who do so much for our students above and beyond our classroom roles, I appreciated his answer: first and foremost, provide more community resources to students and families, using the school as a natural organizing feature to take some of the extra burden off teachers. Secondly, better utilize the $2.5 billion of federal funding spent each year on for professional development. "That money keeps me up at night," said Secretary Duncan. He suggested that teachers need to investigate how the Title II funding intended for this purpose is spent in our schools and make recommendations about what trainings we need.
Secretary Duncan was very clear: teachers need a voice at the table, and if a seat isn't made for us, we need to invite ourselves. If there is no table, we must create one.
If one thing is true about the inaugural group of Teach Plus D.C. Teaching Policy Fellows, it's that we have some very strong voices among us. I'm willing to bet that if we need one, there's a carpenter or two as well.
David Gesualdi, 1st Grade & Physical Education, KIPP D.C.: Heights Academy:
62 percent of new teachers feel unprepared to do their job. Wow. The federal Department of Education spends over $2.5 billion on professional development to aide our flailing education system. Wow. Hearing these statistics roll off Secretary Arne Duncan's tongue, I was struck not only by the numbers themselves, but also by the fact that he addressed our problems so candidly and responded with ways to proactively seek solutions.
From the moment he entered the Angle Room, where the Teaching Policy Fellows were getting to know each other, Secretary Duncan addressed us as his colleagues. Rolling up his sleeves and grinning, he asked, "So, why are you guys doing this?" He showed a deep interest in our purpose, and made clear that he saw us -- real, on-the-ground, current teachers -- as a positive force to improve our profession.
Throughout the presentation, from Teach Plus C.E.O. Celine Coggins' inspiring journey towards the creation of Teach Plus, to Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Adam Gray's real-life example of his struggle to master this craft, to the words of the Secretary himself, I got a strong sense of who is leading the movement to revamp public education, and how, as teachers, we must have a voice in that movement. As a new Teaching Policy Fellow, I am excited and honored for the opportunity to be a part of the change.
Alyson Roberts, Caryn Davidson, and David Gesualdi are Teach Plus Teaching Policy Fellows. The Teaching Policy Fellowship is a highly selective program for current teachers interested in having a voice in decisions that affect their profession.
Follow Teach Plus on Twitter: www.twitter.com/teachplus | <urn:uuid:4a9fffa7-912b-4bf1-a71c-0c4469220f77> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/teach-plus/teachers-arne-duncan_b_1262435.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970123 | 1,366 | 1.734375 | 2 |
No! In fact, most of the students we have in the department do not come from farming backgrounds. This is the very reason we emphasize experiential learning. We give students many opportunities to gain experience as described in the introductory paragraph. Our students graduate with the knowledge and experience necessary to step into the workforce able to quickly integrate into the company or enterprise as a productive member.
What size are your classes?
The average size of our classes is 20 students. This gives us, as faculty members, opportunity to know each student. We provide a quality, comprehensive program in a smaller, more personalized environment.
I have heard the agriculture economy is down. How has that affected jobs?
There is no denying the agriculture economy has been down of late, but it has had little effect on the number of jobs and beginning pay for those jobs. Our students are getting well-paid jobs with progressive companies.
Who can I go to when I have problems or questions?
I encourage all students to get to know two people in our department. The first is your advisor, and second is our department secretary. Either will be able to help you, or give directions where you can get the help you need.
Should I join a club and what do they have to offer?
The Department of Agriculture sponsors six clubs. They are the Agriculture Club, DTA, Collegiate Farm Bureau Club, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, Horticulture Club and Pre-vet Club. Each offers social activities, as well as service and leadership opportunities. By actively participating in club activities, you will make life-long friends, as well as establish contacts that will benefit you throughout your career. | <urn:uuid:aa718101-6ce4-4dfd-8114-71adc9fb18c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.semo.edu/agriculture/questions.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970831 | 341 | 1.609375 | 2 |
In retrospect, allowing two government sponsored entities to leverage their government granted advantages into a massive duopoly that could destroy the entire American housing market, probably wasn’t such a good idea. If only someone had warned Congress about the problem. Oh wait, someone did. Heritage scholar Ron Utt wrote in 2005:
The real problem is the concentration of risk in the hands of two massive and privileged companies that now dominate America’s housing finance markets.
Ironically, Fannie Mae’s management has attempted to use the prospect of such risk to protect itself from better government oversight. In response to the U.S. Treasury’s effort to improve oversight, former FNMA President Frank Raines admitted in a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow that financial market instability could occur if even the slightest concern about the FNMA’s operations were openly discussed: “From the beginning of our discussions, you and I have agreed to avoid disrupting the capital markets by indicating a wish to change Fannie Mae’s charter, status, or mission.”
Lest one think that such an occurrence would be a distant possibility, the record reveals that federally sponsored financial institutions, including those that the federal government closely regulates and insures, have a knack of frequently exploding in hugely horrific and costly ways. Since the mid-1980s, massive losses have occurred in the federal Farm Credit System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation. Worse, the heavily regulated and supposedly closely supervised savings and loan industry collapsed more than a decade ago, and repairing the residual damage cost the U.S. taxpayers $130 billion. | <urn:uuid:4e6f1529-f9d4-4223-8449-a7f646af6172> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.heritage.org/2008/07/15/fannie-and-freddie-fiasco-not-a-surprise/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965666 | 337 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Dear Stakeholders of Touchwood, Today I...
People are the driving force behind our triple bottom line.
Cultivating an environment in which our people are encouraged to decide, improvise and above all act with integrity, we have broken the restraints of hierarchal and social barriers, creating a culture that values self-motivation and personal achievement. This level of trust and freedom has been shown to result in performance that consistently exceeds expectations. In addition, we provide our people a direct stake in the success of our business by issuing employee shares. This system of personal ownership and the potential for continuing opportunity provides us with a low rate of turnover, having retained nearly 40 percent of our current staff – and their related expertise – for five years or more.
But our impact goes beyond just those within our organization.
Adhering to one of the primary United Nations Millennium Development Goals, we are in a unique position to work toward the alleviation of poverty through economic activity. In addition to providing direct and indirect jobs through our plantations and other opportunities, we have invested in eco-friendly infrastructure development, fostered the development of agro-forestry and related skills, and instituted educational programs for preschoolers on the importance of environmental conservation. By sharing these valuable skills and know-how, we strive to better the lives of those living within the communities in which we operate and elsewhere throughout the world.
- Most valuable resinous wood in the World
- Anticipated returns in excess of 15% AAR | <urn:uuid:2c7e43bd-d46d-469a-a814-07faeafcc602> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.touchwood.com/en/about-us/priorities/people | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941336 | 304 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Like any artful skill, it goes by many names: stealth, free and wild to name a few. Each have a slightly different meaning, but they all refer to one simple concept – sleeping in the wilderness for free. Apart from being a stellar money-saver, wild camping is an excellent method to connect with the landscape you’re travelling through in a way most tourists completely miss.
While it’s possible to bag a wild campsite almost anywhere, putting up your tent at nightfall and leaving early in the morning, there’s more skill involved in finding a picturesque place to call home for an evening or two. But with a little experience, finding a beautiful wild camp can be easier than locating a traditional campsite – especially in countries with under-developed or non-existent tourism industries.
First and foremost, start early. The best wild camps are rarely waiting just off the main road, so chances are strong you’ll have to do a bit of hunting. If you wait until dusk, not only will you feel rushed, but you won’t get to enjoy the surroundings once you’ve set up. It may take a few tries to find the right place, but your efforts will not go unrewarded.
If you’re near an ocean or other large body of water, head straight to it and the work is usually done for you. Coastlines are among the prettiest and most accessible places to set up a wild camp. If you can, follow the shore until you’re away from whatever public access you came in on – but if you set up near the water be sure to keep the tides in mind.
If you’re inland, check your map for lakes, rivers or patches of green with minor roads running through them. Once you’ve located a possible candidate for a night of free camping, don’t stop there – as you walk, ride or drive, look for even smaller unmarked trails leading deeper into the woods. Braving a small river crossing can be an effective way to find an even wilder spot.
Failing all of these options, a small patch of farmland, a church courtyard, or a cemetery are all excellent options. Though many balk at the idea of camping in a cemetery, they are often a perfect place to spend the night. It’s very unlikely you’ll encounter people there, and many have water spigots for watering the flowers that you could use for cooking, cleaning and perhaps drinking.
If you’re going to cook at your wild camp, make sure you have lots of water. If you know you are camping on private property (it’s often hard to be sure), asking for permission is recommended. You will be hard pressed to find someone that will turn you down – in fact, once you’ve swallowed your pride and done it, you may well discover this is a great way to meet the locals.
Some countries have laws colloquially referred to as the “right to roam”. The spirit of the idea is that we all have a right to respectfully travel through the world, regardless of who owns the land we are on. When visiting a new country, it’s a good idea to investigate these rights – they can make the task of finding a place to sleep immeasurably easier, especially for first-time wild campers.
As you become a confident wild camper, relying on the availability of the accommodations in the areas you visit will become a thing of the past. You’ll enjoy an unprecedented amount of flexibility over traditional methods of travel. Coming and going as you please in unfamiliar lands, discovering your own unique and secluded destinations as you go, this is the stuff adventures are made of.
Tyler Kellen is co-author of Going Slowly. He writes his blog with wife, Tara, chronicling their adventures around the world by bicycle. | <urn:uuid:8cde9898-918b-40f2-becf-06fbc9354bc0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.roughguides.com/article/wild-camping-how-to-find-a-good-pitch/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957303 | 811 | 1.609375 | 2 |
All too often travelers find themselves crawling around on their hotel room floor looking for telephone jacks, waiting ages for room service, and stumbling in the dark during late-night trips to the bathroom. Such inconveniences—however minor—may soon be a thing of the past as hotels scramble to keep up with these high-tech times.
And it's not all about super-fast Internet service, the industry's key passion in recent years. Hotels are now using technology to streamline every aspect of their operations, testing and installing new gadgets and software: handheld computers for curbside check-in; mini-bars that know your likes and dislikes; thermostats that adjust the temperature according to whether you're in the room; digital movies on demand; biometric scanners for tighter security; and electronics that alter everything from the firmness of the mattress to the art on the walls according to your preferences. In other words, hotels may soon be delivering a highly personalized experience using highly impersonal machines.
"Why not give customers only what they want?" asks Ely Dahan, professor of marketing and new product development at MIT. "Today, every room is identical, which hotel companies believe is more efficient. But why give everyone HBO when only some people watch it?What if rooms changed to fit your needs?"
One product making it easy to accommodate guests' personal preferences is the Bartech "e-fridge," currently installed in 19 U.S. hotels such as the Nikko San Francisco and the Hay-Adams in Washington, D.C. The Maryland company's mini-bar has sensors that detect when a beverage has been removed. The front desk is alerted, your bill is updated, and room service knows what to replace in the morning. The e-fridge can also be programmed to change drink prices throughout the day, lowering them, for example, during happy hour. Frequent guests at the Nikko will find their mini-bars stocked only with their favorite drinks, preferences gleaned from past selections.
The beauty of the e-fridge is that it looks like any other, non-computerized mini-bar, so the guest doesn't even have to know what's happening behind the scenes. "Every technology should be discreet and intuitive," says Fraser Hickox, general manager of research and technology for Peninsula hotels, which has set an industry standard with its bedside control panels. "If you have to sit down and read a book to figure it out, we've lost you." | <urn:uuid:5f4fa728-8c2b-49f2-9aa0-57a232f108b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/the-hotel-room-of-the-future | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959707 | 510 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Sideline business like a trump card
By Patricia Kitchen
NEW YORK For about four months last year, Steve Willett was looking for a job. The laid-off project manager from Jericho, N.Y., sent resumes, made calls and attended networking events. Nary a nibble.
www.cubicle-cards.com, in December.
A self-described "accidental entrepreneur," he has joined the ranks of many in today's jobless recovery who are tired of knocking on doors that don't open. "If it wasn't for unemployment, I wouldn't even have come up with the idea," says Willett, 33, who hopes to recoup his investment within a year.
Surely some such entrepreneurs, by default, will find themselves back in the corporate world once the job market loosens up again. But others will discover a whole new work style and sense of security that come with running their own shops and stick with it.
Either way, you come out ahead, says Talane Miedaner, a career- and life-management coach in Manhattan. Just look at how you can leverage the experience even if you do opt back into another employee situation:
Employers like people with entrepreneurial spirits, she says. It shows you're an idea person who can spot trends and fill needs.
You learn a lot about your strengths. Because a business owner plays all roles at first, you'd see if your talents lie in administration, sales or technology.
So, how to get started? Willett took the self-education route. He read everything from how to write a business plan to how to launch a Web site. He enlisted the help of friends. He joined the Silicon Alley Entrepreneurs Club.
"It's a good thing I come from a project management background," says Willett, who has worked for barnesandnoble.com, Opus 360 and Cablevision.
If you're living at home with the folks, as Willett is, all the better, says Ritu Sen, a loan officer with ACCION New York (www.accionnewyork.org), a nonprofit agency that provides micro loans to startup entrepreneurs. Keep expenses down: "Don't go signing a lease for a storefront just yet," she says. And if you'll be looking for loans, find out your credit rating right now. If nothing else, she says, you'll develop "financial literacy."
What if Willett were invited to interview for an interesting job? "I would definitely talk to them," he says. "I'm always up for a conversation." But he also says of his new venture, "I'm committed to this first and foremost." He says he won't be accepting a job that would not allow him to keep his own business going.
That's just the advice that Miedaner would give. She encourages people in similar spots to keep the business as a side activity even if it means scaling it down or delegating. This way, you still have something in reserve if the new job doesn't work out. And if you can't handle both, you could sell it to some other newly unemployed person." | <urn:uuid:1bec7cc3-fd30-48e0-b631-e4fca88ec746> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Feb/12/bz/bz21a.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97473 | 650 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Toledo, OH Police Department
“I admire this department because they demand a quality uniform and are willing to do what is necessary to achieve their goal,” said Bill Darah, whose company, Toledo’s Superior Uniform Sales, worked with TPD on the winning design. “They stick to specifications, and they enforce those specifications.”
“A smart-looking, well-tailored uniform is one key ingredient to the success of any police officer,” added Chief Mike Navarre when he learned of his department’s honor. “At TPD, we’ve always worked hard on our uniform specifications to ensure our officers have the best uniforms to meet their specific needs.”
A quick glance at their program illustrates the above point. The 700-member department has a summer and winter uniform, as well as specialized wear for its honor guard, bike and mounted patrols, and K-9 units. Toledo’s everyday look consists of a navy cargo trouser, medium blue shirt, black tie and a Pershing or baseball-styled hat. Outerwear, when worn, is also navy. Those at or above the rank of lieutenant are distinguished by a crisp, white shirt.
Manufacturers who worked on the program include Elbeco, Fechheimer, Blauer, Smith and Warren and Taylor Leatherwear.
“We like the variety and comfort of our uniforms,” said Sergeant Richard Murphy, public information officer. “From our new cargo trousers, to polo shirts for the bike patrol to the breeches for the mounted patrol, our officers have always been easily recognized in the community. We are proud to be further honored and gain national recognition as one of the best-dressed departments in the country.”
Tulsa, OK Police Department
From its inception in 1905, Tulsa PD officers wore a dark blue wool uniform that was common to all metro departments of the time. In 1952, however, the department switched to green shirts and “army pink” pants, mimicking the look of the U.S. army circa World War II. Until recently, it has been the only uniform most of the department’s 800-plus members have known.
In 2004, Chief Dave Been approved a proposal to transition all officers back to the traditional dark blue wool uniforms. “In making the change to a 100% wool navy uniform, Tulsa focused on quality, comfort and durability,” said Fred Heldman, senior vice president of Fechheimer, whose company manufactures the uniforms and some of its outerwear. “The result has been higher morale and a sharp-looking, well-groomed appearance.”
“We chose a great uniform, one with a long tradition,” added Officer Will Dalsing, charged with the program’s implementation. The classic outfits are worn with a modified Pershing Stratton hat, highly polished black shoes, black ties and Clarino belts. A new patch is part of the redesign. Gone is the “Yield” sign, a symbol familiar to area residents; in its place, an emblem that depicts the skyline of downtown Tulsa. Officers proudly wear the patch on both shoulders of the uniform. “We take our appearance seriously,” Captain Travis Yates commented when asked for his reasons behind entering the best-dressed competition. “It was important to get the opinion of an outside organization.” Additional suppliers to this program include Spiewak, Blauer and Safariland. | <urn:uuid:cfd81bef-6911-4897-af02-8b7c50e4e54b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hendonpub.com/resources/article_archive/results/details?id=3538 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962224 | 732 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Benefit cuts: The how and the who
What do we cut - and who would it hit? When the comprehensive spending review starts in earnest in a few weeks' time, those two questions are going to be right at the centre of public debate.
The Budget on 22 June will set the scale of the challenge: the amount by which spending needs to be cut. The review has to decide the what - and the who.
Ministers have already made it pretty clear that benefits and tax credits are in the frame for cuts. As they keep reminding us - every penny saved from these is a penny that does not have to taken away from front-line services. It seems clear to me that child benefit for the middle and upper classes is not long for this world.
The Conservatives' promise to protect it was always shaky: yes, David Cameron promised to protect it in one speech, at the party conference last year. But - as I pointed out at the time - it was not in the party's manifesto. By and large, he and other ministers would "forget" to mention it in the litany of benefits that they would keep. It was left to advisers to assure us, off camera and "on background" that the benefit would indeed be kept.
What better time, then, to have some basic facts about what our £200bn benefit system actually does - and who actually receives the cash. The ONS has just released a treasure trove of data on this, in a report showing how taxes and benefits affect household income.
The facts show that income inequality, after tax, was roughly the same in 2008-9 as it was 10 years earlier. You might see this as an indictment of Labour policy - but inequality would have risen without Labour's increases in benefits and tax credits. It inherited a very redistributive - or progressive - system, and then made it more so: before taxes and benefits, the top fifth of household earned £73,800 a year in 2008-9, fifteen times more than the poorest fifth, who earned, on average just £5,000. After taxes and benefits, the richest earn only four times more than the poorest, on average: net earnings at the top fall to £53,900, whereas the income of the bottom fifth goes up to £13,600.
Interestingly, the system is even more redistributive when it comes to retired people, and has become more so in recent years. For those households, income in the top fifth starts off 16 times higher than the bottom fifth. After taxes and benefits, the ratio falls to just three to one.
If that was all you knew about the benefit system, you'd think that cutting benefits would be a disaster for the poor. But here's the really interesting fact from the ONS document: the poorest 40% of the population only receive just over half - 56% - of the cash benefits paid out in a given year. Put it another way, nearly half of all cash benefits go to households that are not poor in income terms.
Though they may not believe it, the "middle classes" do pretty well: for households in the middle fifth of the income distribution, 20% of their net income came from cash benefits in 2008-9. Even for families in the quintile just above them - that is, in between the middle and the top fifth of households - nearly 10% of net income came from benefits.
On the basis of ONS figures, the think tank Reform has previously calculated that the government spends more than £30bn a year on benefits for middle-class households. They define middle class as an income of more than £15,000 a year for every adult, and £5000 per child - or £40,000 for a couple with two kids, in 2007-8 money.
Now those benefits include state pensions: indeed, that's one reason why the system has a bigger effect on retired people. But, as the Social Market Foundation points out in a timely report out tomorrow, they also include other universal benefits which, in the context of a "fundamental" review of government's priorities, stick out like a sore thumb.
The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have already stuck their toes in the water when it comes to taking away tax credits from the better off. But you have to assume that the spending review will prod them to go much further.
There are nine questions which any public spending programme will supposedly have to answer; for those who want to read the list it's on page eight of the Spending Review Framework released by the Treasury on Tuesday. The key ones are "Is this activity essential to meet government priorities?; "does the activity provide substantial economic value?"; and "can the activity be targeted to those most in need".
When it comes to child benefit, the SMF and many other think tanks say that the answers are, respectively: "no", "no", and "yes." Means-testing child benefits and removing the family element of the child tax credit from all households in the upper half of the income distribution would save just over £6bn a year - the same amount that departments are laboriously finding in cuts this year.
The SMF also wants to make only the basic winter fuel payment to over-60s - now £200 a year - universal, and means-test the higher payment of £300, which now goes to everyone over 80. That would save £1.3bn a year. To further stick the boot in for pensioners, they also want to freeze their - higher - personal income tax allowance for five years. That would save £1bn. It would not be popular, but it's worth noting that their allowance is already very close to the coalition's professed goal, for everyone, of £10,000 a year.
The think tank also wants the government to remove the VAT exemption from magazines, books and newspapers, which now costs the Treasury £1.5bn a year - on the grounds that the vast majority of the money goes to families in the top half of households. But, as a share of their income, poorer households spend more than richer ones on these products. And newspapers are already having a hard time competing with the web. I'm sure Mr Osborne is thinking about doing this, but he may well decide that the extra £1.5bn in revenues is not worth aggravating all of Fleet Street.
I'll have more to say about VAT in a few days. All I would say now is that I think it's inconceivable - both from a political standpoint and an economic one - that the government would raise the standard rate of VAT substantially but leave child benefit and other pillars of "middle-class welfare" untouched. | <urn:uuid:117e0ee3-f973-464f-8cb8-173a7076c866> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/stephanieflanders/2010/06/benefit_cuts_the_how_and_the_w.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97877 | 1,372 | 1.835938 | 2 |
France Invites Mobile Operators to 4G Spectrum Auction
Mobile operators that want to bid on spectrum in the 2.6GHz and 800MHz bands in order to operate 4G (fourth generation) mobile services can now send in their applications, French regulator Arcep said on Wednesday.
To ensure that France gets a good value for its assets, the chunks of spectrum operators can buy come with a reserve price which totals
The spectrum is neutral, meaning that operators can use any technology they want, as long as they follow the rules set by the regulator, but LTE (Long Term Evolution) is expected to be the technology of choice.
The roll-out of LTE in some of the larger European countries will help drive down the cost of LTE devices thanks to better economies of scale for manufacturers, according to Sylvain Fabre, research director at Gartner.
The 800MHz spectrum has so far been seen as more valuable by operators. German operators paid more for the lower band when the country had its auction over a year ago.
One of the goals is to provide the entire French population with high-speed mobile Internet access. Each operator awarded spectrum in the 800MHz band will have to cover 99.6 percent of the population of mainland France in 15 years, according to Arcep.
Low-frequency radio signals tend to carry further than high-frequency signals. Networks using the 800MHz band will require fewer base stations to provide wide mobile coverage than 2.6GHz networks, meaning they can provide mobile broadband service in sparsely populated rural areas at lower cost, according to industry organization the GSM Association.
The French government and Arcep has tried to find a balance between rural coverage, competition and money when setting up the ground rules for the auction.
In each frequency band, the spectrum will be awarded in paired channels of the same size, one for downloads and one for uploads. Operators won't be able to buy more than 15MHz of spectrum for each direction in the 800MHz band, or 30MHz in the 2.6GHz band.
Also, should there be four eligible candidates for the 2.6GHz-band, each carrier is guaranteed to receive two 15MHz channels if it has applied for this quantity of spectrum, according to Arcep. That would result in more competition, but also slower download speeds, because the current generation of LTE needs two 20MHz channels to perform at its best.
However, the option to buytwo times 15MHz in the 800MHz band could result in higher speeds than operators will able to offer in other European countries.
The deadlines for applications are Sept. 15 for the 2.6GHz band, and Dec. 15 for the 800MHz band. Following an auction, Arcep will be allocating 2.6GHz band spectrum in late 2011 and 800MHz spectrum in early 2012, it said.
Send news tips and comments to [email protected] | <urn:uuid:a24de039-dd2d-4052-a02c-cb94fb8e237a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcworld.com/article/230326/article.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953557 | 603 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Old media and new media may do battle in the quest for consumer eyeballs but they increasingly have a common foe: malicious ad buyers.
Last month, the New York Times fell victim to a sophisticated scam in which a scammer was able to buy ad inventory directly from the news giant posing as a past buyer of ads on behalf of VoIP company Vonage. The Times had to scramble to locate the malicious ad when legitimate-looking ads were swapped for malware-serving ads.
While it was easy to criticize the Times for being a little less cautious than it probably should have been, the Times is hardly alone. The latest victim of a similar scam: gossip blog Gawker. According to Gawker, via Business Insider, Gawker was recently approached by a person claiming to be an ad buyer from Spark Communications, a holding of media giant Starcom MediaVest Group. He wanted to purchase ads on Gawker for a Suzuki ad campaign.
Gawker has let Business Insider post the email exchange and it's quite insightful. The fake ad buyer, who went by the name 'George Delarosa', had the ad buyer lingo and process down. While that in and of itself isn't necessarily impressive (there's plenty of info online), anyone who is used to poorly-written phishing schemes with misspellings and poor grammar might be surprised that there are scammers who can draft an email. And, unlike the scammers most of us are used to, "these guys were happy to jump on the phone to get ads back up and running".
Of course, there were little hints that piled up throughout the exchange. Spark no longer had the Suzuki account, apparently. And Delarosa's email came from a domain clearly designed to resemble that of Spark Communications, but which was only registered in September through a Chinese domain registrar and with non-Spark contact information. A quick check of WHOIS would have gone a long way.
Given this, it's possible to argue that Gawker's ad person should have been a little more suspicious. But let's be fair: it's pretty clear that whoever was behind this was willing to go to great lengths to make themselves look legitimate. And when someone is willing to sign on the dotted line for a five-figure ad buy, the BS detector is liable to be turned off.
Unfortunately, sophisticated scams complete with impersonation are clearly now part of the online ad buying landscape. As such, publishers will have to throw their assumptions about what scammers look like out the window and start vetting everyone and everything. Nothing less than the safety of their audiences is on the line. | <urn:uuid:686c7de8-8717-4cb0-b89f-f17347351220> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/4859-gawker-the-latest-victim-of-malicious-ad-buyers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974397 | 528 | 1.578125 | 2 |
An incomplete male.
a colt with undescended testicles
A male equine with one testicle.
a horse with one nut.
A male horse with one or both testicles which, after July 1 of its yearling year, are not palpable in their entirety below the external inguinal ring.
A male horse with one or both testicles not descended into the scrotal sac.
A horse with only one (or none) of his testicles dropped down. | <urn:uuid:53de6ff6-1a97-40e0-9600-cb42c86baeca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.metaglossary.com/meanings/736262/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958083 | 102 | 1.671875 | 2 |
The name "HYDE" is derived from the hide, a measure of land for taxation purposes, taken to be that area of land necessary to support a peasant family. In later times it was taken to be equivalent to 120 acres .
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Gee Cross League Of Help
Can You Help?
We have had a request for help... and as always we will try to give it where we can. Do you have any information about this badge. The request is from Susan who as in the past sent in some pictures and commented many times. This is what she says:
I'm attaching a photo of a badge which I've had in my possession for longer than I care to remember. What I don't know is where it came from or what it represented. Can you do a post on it to see if it jogs anyone's memory.
If you have an item which seems to relate to Hyde and you would like information please send in a picture if possible and we will do a post like this asking for assistance and information.
If you have any pictures, stories, memories, or items from or about Hyde and you would like to share them here with other like minded Hydonians please get in touch with us. Either leave us a comment or even better email us:
Tom, Dave, Paul and I would like to say thank you to everyone for contributing to this blog in some small way - even if that means just reading it! It's been more of a success than we could ever have dreamt of and that's all down to you ! It was our intention to get Hyde "on the record" as it were and it seems to be heading in the right direction. We are very proud of Hyde and would like it's history to live on! | <urn:uuid:3f530ba9-40d8-42cb-85cc-b2466afbd121> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hydonian.blogspot.com/2011/04/gee-cross-league-of-help.html?showComment=1303413851643 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986002 | 364 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Much like text speech is slowly ruining children’s ability to spell in America it is also slowly ruining children’s ability to write in Taiwan. Here characters are built in several ways on keyboards and cellphones. One is literally building characters from their component parts. The other, which leads to problems, is a system of inputting phonetic letters, then choosing the character you want based on the pronunciation. As I’ve been studying for and recently passed the 2nd level of the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language my Chinese is not too rusty. So I thought this was funny.
My students were passing around notes in class. I took the note to which my students almost always respond in Chinese, “don’t worry, he can’t read Chinese.” (Not according to your government kiddos.) So I think they were a little surprised when I said this.
Essentially, “You spelled ‘Do you know who I like?’ ‘Do you no who you like?’” I thought I had them there, but it was not to be had.
A somewhat aloof ‘whatever’ was all I got. | <urn:uuid:eec52cca-85f6-48cb-bb66-bb9dccf9f883> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://joyohjoy.tumblr.com/post/22972639137/text-speak | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988681 | 248 | 1.828125 | 2 |
SEATTLE — The state Department of Transportation says bridge tolls on State Route 520 have brought in $50 million since tolling began a year ago.
Saturday was the first anniversary of the electronic tolling system.
Transportation officials predicted traffic on the bridge would be cut in half as drivers found other ways across Lake Washington. But a year later, bridge traffic has risen to 70 percent of pre-toll volume.
The tolls are being collected to help pay $1 billion needed for construction of a new bridge.
Transportation officials say the tolls have also encouraged more commuters to take the bus instead. King County Metro and Sound Transit have added 140 daily trips across the bridge to accommodate new bus riders. | <urn:uuid:be0a29c3-bdf1-451d-8975-c29a2cbe086d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://union-bulletin.com/news/2012/dec/29/520-bridge-tolls-bring-in-50m-in-first-year/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94943 | 145 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Steve Irvine -- The Birmingham News
UAB soccer coach Mike Getman heard the stories during the recruitment of Atak Yai. Stories of a 6-year-old boy and some of his family members swimming through crocodile-infested waters and walking for two days so the youngest boys could escape their war-ravaged home in Sudan.
Stories of a young boy losing his mother because medical attention wasn't available after she was bitten by a dog and a young man growing up with little contact with a father who sacrificed so much for his children.
Stories that seem hard to understand unless you've walked in the same shoes.
"Not only did he survive these things, but he's the happiest person you've ever met, and he's just so upbeat and positive about life," Getman said. "How could that be? He should be the maddest, meanest, nastiest person on the planet and yet he's not."
Yai's life is certainly filled with many tragic elements -- as with the other "Lost Boys of Sudan" who fled the country -- but his story includes as much triumph as it does tragedy.
The 18-year-old Yai was an all-state soccer player at Murrah High in Mississippi and is currently a true freshman forward on the UAB soccer team.
"He's a terrific soccer player," Getman said. "He's a good student, a dedicated student. He's what a college athlete is supposed to be.
He just happens to have this extraordinary background."
Yai remembers little about an early childhood spent in a country in the middle of a civil war. His mother died in 1997 and he left Sudan later that year.
"My understanding was we left because of the war, but my dad told us it was because of the education," said Yai, whose father decided his sons needed to leave Sudan to seek better lives while he stayed behind.
Yai and his brother, Mabior, left Sudan on an airplane but they had to travel by foot for two days to reach the plane. Atak could walk only short distances, and when he tired his father carried him.
"We came to the town where the airplane was supposed to be and it wasn't there yet," Yai recalled. "We had to wait about another week. We didn't know what day it would come back. We told my dad to go back home and we'd stay with my auntie. We stayed with my auntie for that week and when the airplane came we went to Nairobi, Kenya."
Atak and his brother received the education they craved during their six years in Kenya, but life was far from easy. Meals didn't always come on a regular basis and they often lived with relatives in cramped spaces. Sleeping on a bed was often not an option.
In Kenya, Atak was introduced to and fell in love with soccer. His first taste of the sport came on dusty fields with a soccer ball formed out of paper and rope. They played in bare feet.
Eventually he followed his brother into club soccer, where his game flourished despite brutal coaching tactics.
"We would always get (physically) beat up by the coaches," Yai said. "We had a game where the game was no more than three touches before we take a shot. I took more than three. My coach took me out of the game. He said 'Leave the ball and come here.' I told him I was sorry and he just knocked me out. I think I was 12 or 13."
He arrived in the United States in 2005, landing in Atlanta and settling in Clarkston, Ga. His apprehension of living in a foreign land was eased by a community filled with refugees from war-torn countries.
Once again, soccer helped Atak and his brother adjust to a new home. They joined a local soccer team -- the Fugees -- that was chronicled in Warren St. John's book "Outcasts United."
After a year, though, the Yai brothers were among a group of refugees who moved from Clarkston to Jackson, Miss., a move that Atak didn't welcome at the time. However, he clung to his brother and eventually prospered in Jackson.
Seeks reunion with dad
Now, he sets out on his own, even though he could have joined his brother at Bellhaven College in Jackson. Atak said he'll still rely on support from Mabior, just as he does with phone calls to his sister in Kansas City and oldest brother in Atlanta.
Eventually, the dream is for all of them to reunite with their father in Sudan.
Atak has not seen his father since arriving in Kenya in 1997. Their phone conversations are rare because his father has to travel to another village to find a phone.
"Sometimes I think about him and cry, so I don't really want to think about it," Atak said. "That's how I want to do it. I don't even remember how he looks like. I have a picture -- my brother has it -- that's the only way I can tell that's my daddy. I can't wait to see him again." | <urn:uuid:067f6cde-d626-4855-86d4-b8a831a3da9a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://talkofsudan.com/world/itemlist/tag/and?start=30 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.994601 | 1,070 | 1.515625 | 2 |
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