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June was wetter than the month’s mean. We measured 1.32 inches of precipitation at the home weather station compared to a mean of 0.99 inches. Our high temperature was 92.9°F and occurred on the last day, while the coldest day of June was on June 1 at 44.8°F. Records for June are: highest rainfall - 4.29 inches in 1937; lowest rainfall - 0.04 inches in 2003; one day maximum - 2.31 inches in 1996. I was recently asked by a reader of this column to define the difference between the words “average” and “mean” as they relate to weather measurements. Average is a central calculation of a set of numbers. To arrive at a central or average one would add up a set of numbers (like high temperatures), then divide by how many numbers there are. Mean is nearly the same as average, except one would use more numbers. The mean temperature for June is 65.5°F for Grand Coulee and was obtained by adding up both the high and low temperatures for June. Though one would not use just one month; rather, all June recorded temperature data for Grand Coulee, which goes back to 1934. I hope that answers the question. As we broke into July, we saw an all-time high temperature here at the home weather station of 102.3°F on July 2. With hot weather come health issues. Hydration and sun protection are vital to staying safe in sunny, high-temperature days. Drink lots of water to maintain proper body fluid levels and prevent dehydration. Wear light clothing and or sun screen to protect your skin from the sun. Unfortunately, many of us are at risk of getting some form of skin cancer from the sun’s ultraviolet light. Skin cancer is diagnosed in the U.S. more than any other type of cancer. I speak from experience so, stay sun safe. For those who enjoy night sky watching, the planets will be out in July and here’s a list of their locations and times visible in the night sky. In the evening sky, watch for Venus (west) and Saturn (southwest). If you’re up around midnight, watch for Saturn (southwest), Uranus (east) and Neptune (southeast). For the early risers, the early morning sky will provide views of Mercury (northeast), Mars (northeast), Jupiter (northeast), Uranus (southeast) and, lastly, Neptune (south). You read this column; now you can visit our Facebook page called Grand Coulee Area Weather. It has daily weather forecasts and other Grand Coulee weather related information. I invite to you to drop by and give it a “Like” as it would be appreciated.
“One of the most fundamental obligations of any society is to prepare its adolescents and young adults to lead productive and prosperous lives as adults. This means preparing all young people with a solid enough foundation of literacy, numeracy, and thinking skills for responsible citizenship, career development, and lifelong learning, states the seminal Pathways to Prosperity report of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Yet the report continues to say, “there are profoundly troubling signs that the U.S. is now failing to meet its obligation to prepare millions of young adults. In an era in which education has never been more important to economic success, the U.S. has fallen behind many other nations in educational attainment and achievement. Within the U.S. economy, there is also growing evidence of a ‘skills gap.’” The report lays the foundation for study of the how much and what kind of post-secondary is really needed to prosper in the new American economy. “What the whole world wants is a good job,” Gallup Chairman Jim Clifton states more bluntly in his best-seller The Coming Jobs War. He acknowledges the global jobs war and maintains that “the next 30 years won’t be led by political or military force. Instead, the world will be led with economic force—a force that is primarily driven by job creation and quality GDP growth.” He says leaders and legislatures must realize that every decision they make should consider the impact, first and foremost, good jobs.” He also advocates that school leaders think beyond curricula and their graduation rates; “students don’t want to merely graduate; they want an education that results in a good job.” Out of Sync No one has better first-hand experience with the subject matter than Charlotte’s own Bill Anderson. As a principal in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System (CMS) for over 25 years, Anderson witnessed thousands of graduates walk across the stage and into their futures, knowing full well that at least one-third of them had no idea what they were doing next. Anderson is now executive director of MeckEd, a private non-profit organization committed to excellence in public education. “Although approximately 60 percent of them would enroll in college according to national statistics, only about 59 percent of that number would graduate within six years,” he comments. “Few knew what they wanted to study as a major and fewer still had any experiential learning behind them that could lend itself towards a career.” Anderson witnessed what is occurring all over the country: high school students heading off to college or out into the world with little, if any, tangible knowledge of career options. Compounding the problem, a college education no longer guarantees employment that parallels the investment in time and money. Nearly half of 2010 college graduates work in jobs that do not require a bachelor of arts or science degree. Many cannot find a job at all and, for the students who did not graduate from high school or enter into post-secondary education, unemployment rates have shifted into double digits. Meanwhile, companies across the United States are lamenting their loss of workers to retirement and wondering where replacements will be found as they see an up-and-coming workforce that is unprepared to meet the old and new demands of business operations. Plus, importantly, the rapid changes that continue to occur in science and technology are outpacing the typical liberal arts classroom while companies are in great need of workers that are highly and specifically trained. This is particularly true in advanced manufacturing, information technology, health care and engineering. “What’s really happening is that so many fields have begun to flourish and require very specific one-to-two-year certifications. There are now lots of very valid careers that don’t require a four-year degree,” says Anderson. Collaborative Workforce Development MeckEd was established in 2006 with a mission to educate, engage and impact the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community through work that supports strong, vibrant and successful public schools. Over the years, it has made conscious efforts to increase high school graduation rates and to have students understand the importance of secondary and post-secondary education. In so doing, it has sought to raise awareness among educators, students, parents and the business community that higher education should rightfully mean different things to different students. MeckEd has taken up the charge to lead a strategic partnership with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), and the University of North Carolina (UNC) Charlotte to implement a Collaborative Workforce Development Plan to address the disconnect between education and the country’s need for a qualified, highly technical, workforce and its ramifications. The Collaborative Workforce Development Plan identifies twelve key initiatives that align education with workforce needs. MeckEd’s critical role is to serve as a link between the schools and the Mecklenburg business community to build relationships and guide businesses to establish opportunities for students to learn about career options and gain hands-on, on-site experience in various fields. These opportunities can be fulfilled through seminars and workshops, guest speakers, site visits, job shadowing, internships and apprenticeships. Access to Career and Technical Education coursework for students in high school is also very important to the process. Now, high school students can take courses that are specifically designed to align with and lay a foundation to the coursework needed to fulfill degree, diploma and certification programs at CPCC and at UNC Charlotte. “There are hundreds of students who don’t know what they want to do or can do who could have their interests ignited by these programs,” espouses Anderson who joined MeckEd in 2010. “Many of these students lose interest in school or simply muddle through because they lack information to understand the relevance of their studies to real life. Participation by the business community allows students to discover what they like to do and what they need to learn to be able to do it. They are then able to make an informed choice as to what kind of education they need.” The Collaborative Workforce Development Plan is modeled after the work and ideas of Robert Schwartz, academic dean and professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education who heads up the Pathways to Prosperity project which has met with broad success. The report stresses how far the United States has fallen behind other countries, especially in manufacturing, and how this has greatly diminished the middle class. It questions the modern-day validity of our beliefs about education and concludes that the ultimate implication of too great a focus on academia is that America has ceased to be a leading force in the world of making things. It points out that the four-year-degree mantra is actually harmful for some students who need, instead, a sharper focus on their career goals. And it recognizes that to achieve success in meeting workforce demands, employers must play a greatly expanded role in supporting career pathways. Conventional Wisdom Flawed For the past few decades, generations of Americans have relied upon the notion that to be successful in career and life, one must earn an undergraduate, perhaps a graduate degree. This idea was fueled by good intentions of society, particularly parents, who wanted their children to experience greater success and have an easier life than they had working in factories and sweat shops, garages and mines or on the farm where the labor was hard and the environment dirty. “Offshoring labor was an easier way to make money and a cheaper way to get products,” explains Clifton Vann of Livingston & Haven, a Charlotte-based industrial solutions provider that offers apprenticeships under the Collaborative Workforce Development Plan. Vann maintains that the U.S. has drifted away from manufacturing, outsourcing to other countries, and towards a nation driven by service industries. “We’ve come to a point where we can’t chop our own wood anymore,” declares Vann. “When we were selling tractors and appliances, we had something tangible of value. When we started selling each others’ mortgages we collapsed our middle class which is what supports manufacturing. So much talent has gone to unemployment.” Today, with incredible advances in technology, the manufacturing workplace is a far cry from factories where workers stood all day and got dirty and greasy. Today’s manufacturing is carried out in pristine, computer-controlled laboratories, the operation of which requires specialized training. Also, manufacturing jobs garner paychecks that often exceed those of workers holding a four-year degree. Still, it’s a hard sell to persuade parents that two-year community college degrees and certification programs are as good as, and carry the status of, four-year degrees as pathways to rewarding careers. This is particularly true for families whose children are the first generation to attend college. The effort must go beyond facts and deal with the hopes and aspirations of parents for their children. It’s also about pride. As the nation chose higher education as the single track to help students transition from school to career and adolescence to adulthood, most other tracks were left with a stigma attached to them, particularly those jobs in the trades or “blue collar realm.” This stigma continues on, not just in the job market, but also in the selection of coursework by students. The path to offering more choices and greater flexibility will require impressive marketing and public awareness campaigns, points out MeckEd’s Anderson. “We do respect the college path,” insists Anderson. “It is the perfect path for approximately 60 percent of our youth. But we also need to have students graduate with some practical experience towards their career path.” Changing the Culture Parents and students are not the only segments of the population that need to be moved to change, businesses also need to come forward to work with and help students decide what they want to do after high school. Internships and apprenticeships are needed from every cluster including advanced manufacturing; automotive and logistics; business management, entrepreneurship and financial services; construction and energy; industry cluster; engineering; health care and human services; information technology; and public safety and first responders. “Employers need to understand that getting involved in their own workforce development is an investment in time, money and knowledge versus charity,” says Anderson. “Workforce development means continuous operations and the ability to attract new customers. Community leaders need to understand that companies who are interested in moving their operations here must find a skilled workforce waiting.” “We’re all about building a talent pipeline; not just vocational pursuits but arts, as well,” says Richard Zollinger, vice president for learning and workforce development for CPCC. “All of our programs are linked to jobs. We are creating a foundation that will supply skilled individuals for high demand jobs in advanced technical skills.” Zollinger says that the community college is starting to see students with success stories transferring into advanced manufacturing. “We have a long way to go, but we’re finding success because we are immersing in hands-on experience. You don’t learn about welding by reading about it. You see it demonstrated; then you do it.” The Collaborative Workforce Development Plan is currently in place within four CMS high schools. “For every CMS high school in the system, there are probably 500 students that want an internship but they aren’t available. It’s an issue of supply and demand. Students want to do these things. We need business partners, small and large, to increase supply,” says Anderson. A European State of Mind According to the Pathways to Prosperity report, “If you look at the U.S. secondary education system through a comparative lens, one big difference becomes immediately apparent: most advanced nations place far more emphasis on vocational education than we do. “Throughout northern and central Europe especially, vocational education and training is a mainstream system, the pathway helping most young people make the transition from adolescence to productive adulthood.” Mecklenburg doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel to implement much of the Collaborative Workforce Development Plan. It can look to European countries that have been using a similar model all along. In Europe, business and education are required to work together. Together, they assure that students finish their studies and are ready to go to work. Consequently, there is a more vibrant middle class in countries such as Germany and they have weathered economic downturns with less unemployment. The Pathways report describes the European system generally: In Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland, after grade 9 or 10 between 40 and 70 percent of young people opt for an educational program that typically combines classroom and workplace learning over the next three years. This culminates in a diploma or certificate, a “qualification,” with real currency in the labor market. In virtually all of these countries, vocational education also provides a pathway into tertiary education for those who choose to take it. Upper secondary vocational education varies more from country to country, but there are two basic models. The first, usually referred to as apprenticeship or the dual system, has students spend three or four days in paid company-organized training at the workplace, with the other day or two in related academic work in the classroom. Germany has the oldest and best-known apprenticeship system, which offers programs leading to recognized qualifications in about 350 different occupations. Switzerland also has a very highly regarded apprenticeship system. Other countries have opted for a model in which vocational education is mostly provided in school-based programs, although they all incorporate at least some work-based learning. These countries typically introduce students to a broad cluster of occupations (e.g. health care or IT) before narrowing the focus of training in the third year. These models provide food for thought as it becomes an economic necessity for the U.S. to revaluate its preparation of the workforce. It is as elementary as the lesson from the nursery rhyme, “Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor…Oh it’s such a lot of things there are and such a lot to be.” We must do something to get back in sync with workforce reality. “And,” concludes MeckEd’s Anderson, “partnerships between education and business are essential to the task.”
I find it a little curious that people think that "Xmas", as written, is or could ever cheapen or belittle the meaning or importance of Christmas. As a clearer and more concise explanation, XP (and to a lesser extent Xt) were used to signify Christ, as they the first two (or first and fifth, in the case of Xt) letters in the Greek word that means "Christ". As much of the early documentation of the christian religion was written in Greek, it became the accepted symbol of Christ. As did X. When being written (or printed, in latter times) the symbol XP was quicker and easier to produce than "Christ". So it was used. When the process of printing became easier and cheaper, XP was dropped for the english "Christ". And so it is. However, the XP still lives on in churches, in the form of the labarum, a symbol commonly, but not always, found on the top of depictions of Christ on the cross. So, you see, it's a symbol of your church from it's very beginning, and one that you should embrace, not fear. It isn't a "made-up" or artificial symbol. History is pretty cool. "Strange women lying in ponds and distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."
That’s right the headline is correct. While sharks are at home in the water it seems at least one hates being caught in a downpour. It’s not that he doesn’t like getting wet it’s just that it makes it harder to fly. So, this week’s wintry blast and frequent showers have not been good for Bruce Fin, one of our two mascots for sustainable tuna, who has been out to get our Change your Tuna, Sealord campaign ‘off the ground’ again. So it was with excitement he woke this morning to an almost clear sky over Auckland allowing him to take to the skies. While motorists inched along the motorway towards the city few would have been aware it was a shark at the controls of the small plane circling above. However, they are sure to have noticed the banner behind the aircraft which read: “Nice Logo Sealord. Bad Tuna. Sealord’s canned tuna is caught unsustainably.” We flew this same banner last year and we had hoped by now that we’d be recycling it rather than reusing it. Sadly, it seems Sealord needs to be reminded that it is lagging behind brands in other parts of the world, and here in New Zealand, when it comes to taking steps to protect our tuna fisheries. That’s because Sealord buys its tuna from vessels which use fish aggregation devices (FADs) combined with purse seine nets resulting in shameful waste of ocean life including the innocent shark cousins of our friend Bruce. To find out more about FADs check out this short animation to see what’s involved. Then, if you’re prepared for some graphic footage witness what is happening on some tuna boats in the Pacific. You don’t have to buy tuna caught this way. Since we began our campaign last year there are now FAD free and pole and line tuna cans available in New Zealand supermarkets. Pams sells a range of pole and line caught tuna along with Fish 4 Ever. Pams also sells tuna that has been caught without the use of FADs so check the label first. Tuna brands around the globe are making similar changes in response to consumer demands for sustainable products. Sealord may be the biggest fish in the pool when it comes to the New Zealand canned tuna market but if it doesn’t follow the rest of the world it will soon be a fish out of water. Which brings us back to rain and Bruce and his aerial activism. If you saw his banner, or are reading this, join the more than 10,600 consumers who have already contacted Sealord on this issue and send your own message now. With World Oceans Day approaching on 8 June let’s hope Sealord changes its tuna soon. Otherwise, expect to see the Fin Brothers in a town near you.
The two U.S. citizens who had been infected with Ebola are now cured. They were released from the hospital on Aug. 21. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that no trace of the Ebola virus remains in Dr. Kent Brantly or in Nancy Writebol, who had been infected while working in Liberia. After an incredibly frightening couple of weeks, both are free to return to their families and to resume their lives. Both Brantly and Writebol recieved an experimental drug called ZMapp before leaving Africa. There's no way to know if it helped their recovery, but here's everything we know about this "secret serum." Who else got it? After Brantly and Writebol received the drug and were flown to the U.S., Miguel Pajares, an Ebola-infected 75-year-old Spanish priest, was flown to Spain to receive a course of the drug, but died a few days after his return to Spain. Hospital authorities would not confirm whether he received ZMapp or not, though they had previously indicated that he would. Despite these seemingly positive results, it's still hard to say whether or not these individuals would have survived Ebola without the drug, which uses lab-made antibodies to beef up the immune system's fight the virus. This outbreak has killed 1,350 people and infected 2,473, and is still raging. Although ZMapp supplies are exhausted, the World Health Organization will meet on September 4 and 5 to discuss how they can use experimental Ebola treatments in this outbreak. How This Treatment Works The ZMapp serum itself is what's known as a monoclonal antibody. Antibodies are the proteins our bodies use to mark infectious agents as dangerous and target them to be killed by our white blood cells. As James Hamblin of The Atlantic explains, these substances are created by infecting an animal with the disease in question. Then, scientists harvest and use the antibodies that the animals' immune systems create to fight the virus. In this case, the antibodies were harvested from Ebola-infected mice. ZMapp is a blend of three different antibodies and is a collaboration between the companies Mapp Biopharmaceutical, LeafBio, and Dreyfus Inc., as well as the U.S. government and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Studies have tested various other blends of similar therapies against Ebola-infected monkeys before, with some efficacy — if the therapy is given within 48 hours of infection. As Hamblin cautions, "very little is known about the safety and effectiveness of this treatment — so little that outside of extreme circumstances like this, it would not be legal to use." Could Drugs Stop The Epidemic? This Ebola outbreak — the worst in history — has already killed 1,350 people. But promising news of an experimental serum doesn't mean that a treatment is close. Developing a cure for a virus is complicated, and developing a treatment for Ebola has proven particularly difficult. Before this emergency use, ZMapp had only been tested in a small number of monkeys. The company reported that all four monkeys who received the treatment within 24 hours of being infected survived. Half of another group of four monkeys who were treated within 48 hours survived. Even though Brantly and Writebol are cleared — and once the virus is gone, it's gone — they could potentially have survived without the serum. It's impossible to know if it works based on the survival or death of a small number of people. A Tale Of Two Drugs: Mapp Vs. Tekmira ZMapp is not even far enough along to have entered the clinical trial phase, but it may have been chosen in this case instead of the promising experimental drug Tekmira because an ongoing Tekmira trial was just halted by the FDA. That doesn't mean that all research on Tekmira is over, however. The ongoing trial was halted because healthy patients showed a problematic immune response. But the FDA could still approve a new trial of the drug in sick patients, as the risk-benefit equation would be changed. A potential benefit of surviving a disease that kills 60% to 90% of patients could outweigh the risks of many potentially problematic side effects. CNN also reported that on July 30, the military approved additional funding for Mapp Biopharmaceutical because of their promising results so far. If either ZMapp or Tekmira proves to be effective; testing, approving, and then producing a drug will still take time, even if the process is fast-tracked. At this point, the best hope for stopping this outbreak is not curing it, but containing it. Even though the virus can only be transmitted by close contact, and thus it can be contained, health officials have been completely unable to do so in West Africa due to a combination of factors including poor healthcare infrastructure, distrust of authorities, traditional burial practices, and fear of healthcare providers. At the present rate, World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan describes the consequences of not being able to stop the disease's spread as "catastrophic." - The US Has A Staggering Gap Between Black And White Life Expectancy - Why Do So Many Doctors Get Ebola? - Scientists Who Discovered Ebola Almost Caused A Disaster: 'It Makes Me Wince Just To Think Of It' - The Real Reason This Ebola Outbreak Is So Big - These Photos Of An Ebola Isolation Ward Look Like A Sci-Fi Movie DON'T MISS: Our Ongoing Ebola Coverage
Vehicle Maze Puzzle The wheels on the bus may go round and round, but the Melissa & Doug Vehicle Maze Puzzle guarantees the bus piece will not go missing during its travels! This maze is the wooden puzzle that features common scenes and kids' favorite vehicles, all of which travel around "town" on the maze track that keeps them from getting "lost." Plus, it includes thick puzzle pieces that make it easy for younger kids to grab and move them around the maze. This is the perfect puzzle to encourage memory and recognition skills by putting the correct vehicle with the correct building. Kids will love taking a "drive" downtown now that they decide where to go with this puzzle maze! From Melissa & Doug \| Item # 4301 MD - Wooden puzzle board in a great vehicle theme - Features vehicle track and 9 attached vehicles to move around the board
Iran: Military strike would not stop our nuclear program Comment by Iran IAEA envoy comes as Tehran denies it is to offer a new uranium-swap deal in upcoming P5+1 nuclear talks in Istanbul. Iran will be able to carry out uranium enrichment even in the case of a military attack on its nuclear facilities, Iran's nuclear envoy said in Moscow on Thursday. "We are faced with a very serious threat and so we have had to take measures to protect our facilities. We have provided for another facility in Fardo near Qom," Ali Asghar Soltanieh, envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told reporters. "It is, so to speak, a reserve facility, so that if a site is attacked, we can continue the enrichment process," he said. The comment by the Iran nuclear official came as he U.K. newspaper The Guardian quoted on Thursdays a diplomatic cable leaked by the WikiLeaks site claiming that Iran had reached the "technical ability" to produce highly enriched uranium, an essential step on the way to making an atomic bomb. Citing a diplomatic cable from April 2009, The Guardian quotes a U.S. official at a meeting of international nuclear experts in Vienna as indicating that "Iran had now demonstrated centrifuge operations such that it had the technical ability to produce highly enriched uranium (HEU) if it so chose." Also on Thursday, Tehran denied reports alleging that it planned to revive a nuclear fuel swap proposal, saying it was, however, ready to discuss it in talks with world powers on Friday. Expectations of any breakthrough in an eight-year-old stand-off over Iran's nuclear ambitions were low ahead of a second round of negotiations between Iran and six powers in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Friday and Saturday. The six dealing with Iran via European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton are the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, and there were resurfacing signs of differences within the group that Iran has sought to exploit. Speaking on the eve of the talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said they should look at prospects for relieving punitive sanctions on Tehran. He criticized the United States and European Union for imposing sanctions unilaterally that went beyond those agreed by the UN Security Council last June. Responding to Lavrov's comments, Deputy U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that "UN Security Council Resolution 1929 stipulates what Iran needs to comply with in order to have those sanctions lifted, and those are quite clear. We were successful in getting Resolution 1929 passed. That led to efforts by individual countries to toughen those sanctions. We think they've had an effect," Toner added, saying the U.S. was taking nuclear talks "step-by-step, incremental There is international concern that Iran's declared civilian nuclear energy program is a cover for pursuit of atom bombs. Escalating economic sanctions have been slapped on Tehran over its refusal to curb nuclear work and make it more transparent. Those are the powers' goals in negotiations with Iran, which has said its uranium enrichment drive is a sovereign right and not negotiable because it is solely for electricity generation. The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV news channel reported on Thursday that Iran would propose a revised version of a swap that was agreed in principle at a 2009 round of talks and then unraveled. But Iranian officials denied any such intentions. "I haven't heard about it," Ali Baqeri, a deputy to Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, told Reuters as the Iranian delegation arrived in Istanbul on Thursday. Another Iranian official said: "There is no new proposal." Tougher sanctions over the last year and possible sabotage that may have slowed Iran's nuclear advance could buy extra time for diplomacy and reduce the risk of the long-running dispute escalating into a military conflict, at least for now. Time passing quickly Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, told a news conference in Moscow that Tehran was ready to discuss a swap on the basis of the one hatched in October 2009 and then revived last May by Brazil and Turkey. The proposal was for Iran to part with 1,200 kg of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) -- roughly the amount needed for a bomb if refined to a high level of fissile purity. It was then to be enriched to 20 percent and made into fuel assemblies for a Tehran medical research reactor now running out of such fuel. Iran's effort to revive the idea last May was dismissed by the powers this time since its LEU stockpile had already doubled in the intervening period and Tehran had swung into enriching to higher level that could bring it closer to developing a bomb. Soltanieh warned that "time is passing quickly" and there would be no reason for a swap once Iran starts feeding its own 20 percent-enriched uranium into the Tehran reactor. The UN Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions on Iran in June last year. The United States and European Union followed up with additional unilateral sanctions. Signaling determination to keep up pressure on Iran, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told television network ABC the Obama administration may propose new unilateral sanctions on Iran, one of the world's largest oil exporters. But Russia said unilateral sanctions were "spoilers" and the talks in Istanbul should look at ways of rolling back sanctions. "We explained to our partners in the United States and the European Union what we think about unilateral sanctions and we hope they have heard us," Lavrov said at a joint news conference with Turkey's foreign minister. "It is counterproductive to continuing our common efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue." He said that if an approach for future talks on unresolved issues were agreed in Istanbul, that would be "a good result." "But this meeting doesn't have just one topic. Canceling the sanctions against Iran should also be discussed." Russia and China, which have had major trade ties with Iran, have long been concerned not to drive it into a corner over the nuclear program, which Tehran equates with national pride. Like us on Facebook and get articles directly in your news feed
Each year, an average of 82 students graduate from construction management schools in Rhode Island. Rhode Island has 2 construction management schools to choose from, if you are interested in studying construction management. Yearly tuition at construction management schools in Rhode Island for a degree in construction management is $23,455 per year. Located in Warwick, New England Institute of Technology is the largest construction management school in Rhode Island, based on student population. In 2009, a reported 44 students graduated with a construction management degree from New England Institute of Technology. This was 54% of the total construction management graduates in Rhode Island for that year. In 2009, tuition at New England Institute of Technology, was approximately $18,210 per year. A majority of construction management graduates choose to work as construction managers. If after graduation, you are planning on working in Rhode Island, it is important to know that the job outlook for construction management graduates in the state is average. An estimated 890 construction managers are in Rhode Island state. This number is projected to increase to 980 by the year 2018. This indicates a 10% change in the number of construction managers in Rhode Island. In Rhode Island, as a construction manager, you can expect to earn a salary of anywhere from less than $NaN per year to more than per year. Construction Managers in Rhode Island earn a median yearly salary of . One Old Ferry Rd, Bristol, Rhode Island 02809-2923 Less than 1 year certificate 2500 Post Rd, Warwick, Rhode Island 02886-2244 1-2 years certificate
(Release: December 16, 2011) - Hagerstown Community College recently held an oral pathology seminar geared towards dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. The seminar was led by Brad Neville, DDS, who currently serves as the director of the oral pathology division and the director of the oral pathology biopsy laboratory at the Medical University of South Carolina. “Dr. Neville was chosen as guest speaker based on a recommendation by HCC’s dental advisory committee, which consists of dental community members who offer advice and support for the dental program area,” says Theresa Marks, lead instructor for the dental assisting program. “Dr. Neville has special expertise regarding oral cancer and actually co-authored the oral and maxillofacial pathology textbook that is used by dental students throughout the United States and around the world.” At the seminar, Neville spoke about current trends in oral pathology manifestations, differential diagnoses of oral and maxillofacial diseases, oral manifestations of systemic diseases, and current treatment procedures in oral diseases. Several members of the local dental community attended the event, as well as 24 students in HCC’s dental assisting program. “HCC’s dental program faculty works closely with its dental advisory committee to select nationally known dental speakers to address local educational needs,” says Angela Stoops, director, health sciences division. “The Cumberland Valley Dental Society often sponsors our dental assisting students’ attendance to these professional dental seminars, which helps to create pathways for lifelong learning.” HCC’s dental assisting program began in 2009. The goal of the program is to develop skilled professionals who assist the dentist during dental procedures. For more information about the program, go to www.hagerstowncc.edu/academics/divisions/health-science/den.
(Stock image) It might be time to make a change. Maybe you will even decide you want to spend this time somewhere else—somewhere that will bring you a new fresh perspective on the holidays. If you are not enjoying the situation you find yourself in, then change the situation. Keep The Holidays Simple DECEMBER 04, 2008Susan Scholl, HappyNews ColumnistThe holidays will soon be upon us. That tends to create a combination of joy and anxiety. So let’s focus on the joy and let go of the anxiety. After all the years of stressing over holidays, isn’t it time to think about making some changes to make the experience more joyful? Along with the help of a delightful book called “Simplify Your Christmas” by Elaine St. James, I put together some ideas to make the holidays more enjoyable. Let’s start with looking back to see what you really enjoyed about the holidays as a child. What was your favorite part of the season? When you think back to what brought you joy as a child, imagine how it might inspire you to do something for a child today by a way of creating awe and wonder in this holiday season. Take a few minutes and relive some of your good memories. Getting out your photo album might help to jog your memory. Was it something like having family together, receiving presents, eating your favorite foods, or participating in religious ceremonies? Memories can always be recreated. You may not have some of the same people in your life, but I’ll bet you can surround yourself with new acquaintances. I remember when I was single. My next door neighbors invited me into their home to enjoy the holidays with them. This became a new tradition, and we became family as I spent various holidays with them throughout the years. I am now married, and they are still a part of my family. It goes to show what can happen when you reach out to those around you. This may be a perfect time of the year to do some serious clutter clean up. Do you have so many holiday decorations that you couldn’t possibly use them all? If so, consider sorting through them and giving away those items that you have not used for years. Charities are happy to get holiday decorations at this time of year so they can pass them on to others. And think about how much easier it will for you to decorate your home with fewer items. Holiday cards have become rather expensive to mail out these days. Maybe it’s time to think about cutting back a bit this year. Sending cards with a holiday letter only to out of town friends and relatives would save you some time and postage. For your local friends, instead of sending out cards with promises to get together in the New Year, consider not sending them a card, but call and set a date to get together now instead without waiting for the New Year to arrive. This is the season to monitor your stress levels. Stress and anxiety can overtake us very easily as we prepare for the upcoming holidays. Don’t let your exercise slack off. If that has already happened, then it’s time to pick it up again. It is essential to take care of yourself during this busy time. Go out for a walk with friends, get involved in an exercise class such as yoga to help you relax, or get a relaxing massage at one of the local spas. Choosing the right gift for a friend can be a challenge. You might consider doing something different this year such as giving a donation to your friends’ favorite charity in honor of them. Many charities will issue a certificate showing that a donation has been made on your friends’ behalf. It’s also time to let go of that feeling that you are not doing enough! What ever you choose to do is enough. Sometimes when we have family with us for the holidays, we feel we must keep up with those extravagant traditions. After while they simply become too much to continue year after year, and yet we continue to them out of guilt. It might be time this year to make a change. Maybe you will even decide you want to spend this time somewhere else—somewhere that will bring you a new fresh perspective on the holidays. If you are not enjoying the situation you find yourself in, then change the situation. Have you considered starting a new tradition? Have you noticed the traditions of others that appeal to you? Go ahead, step out and try something new. It could be the beginning of a tradition that would continue within your family for years. You might even explore how other cultures celebrate the holidays. There are many senior citizens who may not have friends or family in their local area. What a wonderful opportunity for you to adopt a “grandparent” and make a new friend. Check with some of the local retirement centers to see if there might be an elderly person who would love to participate in the holidays with your family. The holiday season is the perfect time to practice the exercise of gratitude. When we think about all the blessings we have in our lives, it can be awe-inspiring. Become mindful each and every day of the blessings that you have and carry the spirit of gratitude into the New Year with you. Susan Scholl is a Certified Professional Life Coach. You can read more about her at www.susanscholl.com
The Canary Murder Case (1929) The Canary Murder Case (1929) is the film that destroyed the career of Louise Brooks. Depending on which view you take, it is either a manifestation of a ruthless Hollywood money machine crushing a great talent that it was too ignorant to recognize, or the self-destruction of an actress who was too arrogant to commit herself to the necessity of hard work. As usual, the truth lies somewhere in between. The film itself was nothing that anyone could be proud of. It had a bad script, bad direction, an implausible plot, and a cast of second-rank actors. It started life as a silent movie but was recast as a talkie to suit the new post-silents marketplace. It could not have been pleasant for the actors involved who, just when they had thought they had got shut of the wretched thing, were recalled to dub the sound. Yet some of these actors gritted their teeth and went on to better things. Eugene Palette had a successful career as a character actor where The Canary Murder Case was quickly forgotten. Jean Arthur became a star holding her own with Cary Grant and Ronald Coleman in The Talk of the Town And of course William Powell became the iconic romantic-comedy lead of the thirties. Perhaps if Louise Brooks had also gritted her teeth and got on with the job, it have been Louise Brooks not Myrna Loy who would have become Nora to William Powell's Nick in The Thin Man But gritting her teeth and suffering in silence was never a Louise thing. Louise Brooks was in New York when the call came to return to tinsel town to dub her voice to the soundtrack. And as every Brooksie fan knows, she refused. There was a reason. The Canary Murder Case had been shot mainly in September 1928 and during October and November Louise had been in Germany shooting Pandora's Box When the call came in December to return to Hollywood, Louise saw little point in making the hot and uncomfortable four-day trip across America to dub her few words to that dismal film. The studio was desparate to get the film released, and even offered her $10,000 as a bonus, but still Louise refused. It is easy to see why after this fiasco Hollywood would categorize her as unreliable. Louise Brooks was never a team player. Louise Brooks's career did not end immediately. In 1929 she made Pandora's Box and Prix de Beauté But these were made in Europe, Pandora's Box was a silent, and in Prix de Beauté was dubbed in French. In the US, Pandora's Box was a flop and Prix was not even released. No studio was rushing to court Louise Brooks now. Her next film was Windy Riley goes to Hollywood Mermaid Comedy Company, a low budget oufit specializing in B-movies. Louise's comedown was complete. But there was more too it than that. With the advent of sound, things were changing in Hollywood. The European market had lost its dominance and films now had to turn a profit solely in the US. The 1929 stockmarket crash and the arrival of the Great Depression also had an impact. Within a few years the US audience would turn its back on anything that smacked of "European decadence". Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo were super-stars in Europe, but in the US they were soon to be castigated as "box-office poison". Even homegrown Kathleen Hepburn appeared too hoity-toighty and emancipated to escape the label. The age of the blondes had commenced. Jean Harlow was to be the new queen. Overnight almost all lead actresses hit the peroxide bottle. Joan Blondell - a brunette despite her name - became a blonde. Ginger Rogers also converted, despite the fact that the name Ginger would lose its relevance. Even Bette Davis put in an appearance as a blonde. Suddenly everyone was vying for that place in the sun, the new American sweetheart, corn-fed, golden-haired and wholesome, and never threatening to the US male. In Louise Brooks's next film, It Pays To Advertise released in 1931, dark-haired Louise's role is miniscule and the lead is played by an up-and-coming blonde Carol Lombard. The emancipated heroines of the Twenties were soon gone. Newspaper editorials pronounced that the unemployment problem could be solved by sending women back to the kitchen and giving their jobs to men. The knee-length skirts of the Twenties dropped to a demure ankle-length. Cloche hats and Buster Brown hairstyles were replaced by styles that males deemed more feminine. Leading ladies found they were now expected to act out male fantasies where women could never instigate action by virtue of intelligence but only by their inherent lack of common sense. The screwball comedy had been born. There were a few survivors. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford went on to play strong women, but their audience was women, not men. The femme flic came into its own in the Thirties. But what of Louise Brooks? What options would she have had in the coming age? Her hairstyle was not just a temporary fad. Louise Brooks without her iconic hairstyle would not have been Louise Brooks. One cannot imagine Louise becoming the blonde screwball dizzy dame that the Thirties' audience was to demand. Even without her refusal to dub The Canary Murder Case her career would have been dead in the water in a year or so. But looking to the future was never something Louise was good at. Her reason for refusing to dub The Canary Murder Case was at least as much to do with her age as anything else. When the call came, she had just made twenty-three. Cinema had never meant that much to her. She had been a member of the avant-garde Denishawn dance company. She had been a highly-regarded speciality dancer with the Ziegfield Follies. She had had a spectacularly unsuccessful marriage. She had travelled in Europe, been wined and dined in the best restaurants the world had to offer, cosseted with jewels and furs by a troupe of rich and famous lovers, been the target of desire for both lesbians and heterosexual males. Yet she read books and valued intelligent conversation and laughed at the antics of the self-appointed Hollywood nobility and the so-called Great and the Good attracted by the Hollywood glamour. Louise Brooks might "go to Harlem with Dukes and Earls", but she was aware of the underlying realities. She had been present at the party where Lord Beaverbrook had had his way with a teenaged actress in exchange for a contract with MGM. She had been there when Charlie Chaplin had pranced into a hotel bedroom, naked, with his penis painted bright red. All that, and she was only twenty-three years old! Why on earth should she grit her teeth and become a drudge for an industry she didn't respect? At twenty-three the world was her oyster. There would be other careers, other opportunities, other highlights. At twenty-three it was inconceivable that there was nothing comparable to come next, that her time in the sun was over. But it was.
The environmental history of India Hartford Web Publishing is not the author of the documents in World History Archives and does not presume to validate their accuracy or authenticity nor to release their copyright. The history of the Indian economy in general India's environmental history in general - India colonial environmental history - A dialog on H-Asia list, January-February, 1996. Bibliographic suggestions for nineteenth-century environmental history of India. The Bhopal disastor (December 1984) - Suffering Continues for Bhopal Survivors - From Pesticide Action Network Update Service (PANUPS), 20 December, 1996. The Union Carbide plant in Bhopal released toxic gases that killed thousands and injured hundreds of thousands. The halocaust caused by this US company continues.
Eurozone finance ministers on Friday approved the terms of a bailout for Spanish banks and agreed to set aside €30 billion in emergency funds. The move was widely expected, but yields on Spanish government bonds continued to rise as investors remain skeptical that the recapitalization of Spanish banks will proceed as planned. Yields on 10-year Spanish bonds rose to a record high of 7.28%, a level that economists say Madrid cannot afford to pay for long. The loan agreement "is warranted to safeguard financial stability in the euro area as a whole," the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers said in a joint statement. The group of 17 ministers unanimously agreed to provide up to €100 billion in financial assistance for Spain, although the final amount of the loans will not be known until a full assessment of the Spanish banking sector is complete. In exchange, Spain will be required to restructure the nation's banking sector, which has been struggling with the fallout from a massive property bust. The ministers said a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed "in the coming days." The ministers agreed to set aside an initial €30 billion for "urgent unexpected financing needs," which Juncker previously said would be disbursed by the end of July. The loans, including the €30 billion, will initially be made by the European Financial Stability Facility, but the European Stability Mechanism will eventually take over as creditor. The ESM is not expected to be up and running until at least mid-September, following a review of its legality under the German constitution. The loans will be made to Spain's bank resolution authority, the Fund for Orderly Bank Restructuring, which will inject the capital directly into insolvent banks, according to the Eurogroup. The FOBR will act as an agent of the Spanish government, the ministers said. But the government "will retain the full responsibility of the financial assistance." The agreement was announced one day after the German Parliament voted to approve the EFSF loans. However, some German politicians have insisted that the Spanish government guarantee the loans it will receive from the ESM, once it has been ratified. The concern is that requiring Madrid to guarantee the loans would shift the liability back onto its books, adding to its debt load at a time when the government is struggling to shrink its deficit.
A program about Harun Yahya’s documentaries was aired in June 2006 on the Australian national broadcaster ABD Radio. The program covered parts of the documentaries based on Harun Yahya’s works, and the presenter, Margaret Coffey, offered the following comments regarding these sections. Gary Dargan, a New South Wales paleontologist and a director of the Islamic Education Trust of Australasia, also participated. A transcript of part of the program reads as follows: Audio from Harun Yahya DVD: Anyone with wisdom and conscience will understand when he examines the living things around him that they are created by a superior wisdom, knowledge and power. Margaret Coffey: On ABC Radio National, this is Encounter… Harun Yahya is the pseudonym of the front person for an organisation based in Turkey. This organisation produces a prolific amount of audiovisual material and books with titles such as "Evolution Deceit". As Gary Dargan explained to the seminar, the material is produced in many languages and a Harun Yahya representative has visited Australia to promote the organisation"s ideology. Audio from Harun Yahya DVD: Materialism, the philosophy which holds that everything is composed of matter, and which denies the existence of God, is actually the contemporary version of paganism ... This superstitious belief of materialism is called evolution ... the belief in evolution first introduced in the pagan cultures of the ancient Sumerians and then the ancient Greeks was, in a way, revived in the 19th century by a group of materialistic scientists and brought on to the world agenda - Charles Darwin is the best known of these scientists. Gary Dargan: Harun Yahya"s views have become very, very strongly accepted in the Muslim world. In Nigeria, for instance, Harun Yahya"s textbooks are now being used in their biology syllabus. In NSW I have been contacted by a biology teacher at a high school saying, "I"ve got a lot of Muslim students, they quote Harun Yahya at me, and say all this evolution business is rubbish; we are not going to bother learning it." … Audio from Harun Yahya DVD: However, as mentioned earlier, materialism is collapsing with a big bang. Gary Dargan: … You go to just about every Islamic bookshop in any state of Australia and you will find basically shelves devoted to Harun Yahya: DVDs, videos, books and so on, and people have actually taken Harun Yahya"s books and printed them out for free distribution. And virtually all of his books are available free over the internet as well. You can actually download them. Margaret Coffey: In your experience, do imams take his part or offer his views, his perspective on evolution…? Gary Dargan: Well as far as I know most of the imams I"ve talked to reject evolution. … a lot of Muslims certainly do read his material and see his videos and DVDs.
Men of Understanding and the facts that hinder wisdom What does “the men of understanding” mean, then? The answer to this question is provided in the Qur’an. Vain desires and passions are the major factors that hinder one’s heart from understanding. Envy is an example. One cannot expect one whose mind is occupied with the feeling of envy to have wisdom. Under the influence of jealousy, he feels too distracted. He cannot keep himself from thinking about the person he is jealous of, he becomes angry and has a feeling of rancour towards him. In this state of envy, his mind is riven by jealousy, and he remains deprived of the ability to think clearly, or make sound assessments. All other ambitions and passions are also a hindrance to wisdom. The allure of possessions and wealth greatly influences a man. An unbridled passion for possessions enslaves him willy nilly. All mental capabilities are concentrated on ways of gaining more possessions and more money. These are the fears and passions that are a hindrance to understanding. Man, becoming a slave to these passions, can never focus his attention on the main issues that he has to consider. A person should divert all his thinking abilities to his Creator, who brought him from nonexistence to glorious creation. However, a heart full of worldly ambitions fails to occupy itself with the remembrance of Allah. Only those who are “endued with understanding”, in other words, those who are purified of ambitions, fear and selfish greed can have a profound understanding of Allah and obey Him. The men of understanding are the people who take warning from Allah and who readily accept the truth communicated to them. They never demonstrate arrogance. They do not insist on their misdeeds; they change as soon as they feel something is erroneous. Their purpose in an argument is to find out the truth; not to impose their opinion on others. That is why Allah states that they are “those who listen to the Word, and follow the best (meaning) in it: those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding.” (Az-Zumar, 18) Since unbelievers are devoid of wisdom and understanding, they cannot see the great signs surrounding them. The heavens, the earth, and all that is in between are the signs of Allah. However, an unbeliever can never see them; his sight is blurred with ambitions and worldly pleasures. He puts his mind to his minor benefits and selfish desires. His mind has surely a poor grasp of Allah. That is why Allah calls on “men of understanding” to believe in Him: (Moses ) said :Lord of the east and the west, and all between ! If you only had sense! (Ash-Shura, 28) It is interesting how the unbelievers are addressed to in the Quran; Allah and His messengers call them to wisdom in the first step.“Nor did We send before you (as messengers) any but men, whom we inspired - men living in human habitations. Did they not travel through the land, and see what was the end of those who disbelieved before them? But the home of the hereafter is best, for those who do right. Will you not then understand? (Joseph, 109) People of the Book! Why do you dispute about Abraham, when the Law and the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have you no understanding? (Al-Imran, 65) We have revealed for you (O men!) a book in which is a Message for you: will you not then understand? (Al-Anbiya, 10) Say: “Come, I will tell you what Allah has really prohibited you from doing: There are no other gods besides Him; be good to your parents; do not kill your children on the plea of destitution;- We provide sustenance for you and for them;- do not commit shameful deeds, whether openly or in secret; do not take life, which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus He commands you, so that you may learn wisdom.” (Al-Anaam, 151) After them came an evil generation: They inherited the Book, but they chose for themselves the vanities of this world, saying for excuse: “(Everything) will be forgiven us.” Even so, if similar vanities came their way, they would again indulge in them. Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them, that they would not ascribe to Allah anything but the truth? and they have studied what is in the Book. But best for the righteous is the home in the Hereafter. Will you not understand? (Al-Araf, 169) Say: “If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it (i.e. the Qur’an) to you, nor would He have made it known to you. A whole life-time before this have I tarried amongst you before it was revealed: will you not then understand?” (Jonah, 16) What is the life of this world but play and amusement? But best is the home in the Hereafter, for those who are righteous. Will you not then understand? (Al-Anaam, 32) The only people who can grasp and understand the evidence of the creation of Allah and the existence of Allah are men of understanding: And in the earth are neighbouring tracts (diverse though) and gardens of vines and fields sown with corn, and palm trees - growing out of single roots or otherwise: watered with the same water, yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. Behold, truly, in these things there are signs for those who understand! (Al-Rad, 4) Say: “He has the power to send down calamities upon you, from above and below, or to cover you with confusion in party strife, giving you a taste of mutual vengeance - each from the other.” See how We explain the signs by various (symbols); so that they may understand. (Al-Anaam, 65) It is He Who has produced you from a single person: here is a place of sojourn and a place of departure: We have made plain Our signs for people who understand. (Al-Anaam, 98) ...Thus Allah makes clear his signs to you: so that you may understand. (Al-Noor, 61) And from the fruit of the date-palm and the vine, you derive wholesome drink and food: behold, in this also is a sign for those who are wise. (An-Nahl, 67) He has made subject to you the Night and the Day; the sun and the moon; and the stars are in subjection by His Command: turly, in this are signs for men who are wise. (An-Nahl, 12) He propounds to you a comparison from your own (experience). Do you have partners among those whom your right hands possess, to share as equals in the wealth We have bestowed on you? Do you fear them as you fear each other? Thus we explain the Signs in detail to a people who understand. (Al-Room, 28) Moses said (to the Pharaoh): “He is the Lord of the east and the west, and all between that lies! if you only had sense!” (Al-Shuara, 28) And among His signs, He shows you the lightning, by way both of fear and of hope, and He sends down rain from the sky and with it gives life to the earth after it is dead: truly in that are signs for those who are wise. (Al-Room, 24) There are also different levels of wisdom. The extent by which one purifies his heart of worldly desires and selfishness determines the level of wisdom. The attachment one feels for this life and following vain desires are also major factors in determining the level of wisdom. Man will either obey Allah, or his vain desires. When he obeys Allah, he is saved from the limitations of his desires and attains wisdom. The reverse is also true; worshipping desires means reprogramming all of one’s thoughts and behaviour to accord with the unlimited wishes of the soul. In case desires have control over one’s soul, the heart also becomes sealed. It becomes blunted towards divine enlightenment. Thus the heart loses its properties of “understanding” (At-tawba, 87), “knowing” (At-Tawba, 93), and becomes dull and loses its sensitivity. The heart loses its light. In the process, the individual can never realize that he has lost his understanding, since he has also lost the criteria by which to judge between right and wrong.Although one acquiring wisdom is always aware of this positive change in himself, the same does not hold true for the opposite. This is just like the case of a man who falls into a faint or slips into a coma; in both cases he would never know what state he had been in until he recovered. In the Qur’an, the state of those who are devoid of wisdom is also explained: The parable of those who reject faith is that of one shouting like a goat-herd, to beasts that can hear nothing but calls and cries: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom. (Al-Baqara, 171)
Ekin TV, January 12, 2009 Adnan Oktar: There is a master of everything, right? For example, there is a specialist mixing the dough and there is the hammersmith for iron. There is a master of leadership. This is the Turkish people. Turkey is the leader country in the Turkish-Islamic world. And the leader always has to take up his position openly. If there is a search for a leader, then this is a mischief and leads to conflict. However the leader is apparent and out in the open and this is Turkey’s right. We also have the Holy relics. We also have the experience. Praise be to Allah, we have a very large crew of very god-fearing and educated intellectuals . We are a very reasonable nation. We are a conservative, merciful, compassionate, enduring nation, and we enjoy service and people’s happiness. If you pay attention, whereever we go, we strive for peace and reunification. They call us wherever we go and ask for peacemaking. For instance, Israel calls us, Syria comes and calls us, Algeria comes and calls us. Why do they call us? Because they know that we are the natural leader. Of course then we will say that Turkey should lead the head. Turkey should be the leader. Turkic states are one nation that has been artificially divided. WE ARE ONE FAMILY, AND THIS IS OUR FAMILY JOB. We do something about it as a family, we do something about the Turkish-Islamic Union. Of course, we will unite with the Turkish world, with our brothers, with our family, and embrace our family in this grand Islamic world and protect them. I mean, with whom are we going to do this? There is a strong, healthy, sincere, open hearted, brave and devoted nation who is seeking service. We are servants, we are serving. We are going to be servants. Servants of Islamic world. That’s all, we do not claim that we have some superiorities in our genetic structure or that we are superior in blood or in race. We do believe that Allah has created everyone in equal. But we are an agreeable nation in the sense of morality, fear of Allah, leadership and good morals. This has already been witnessed. It is false to deny this. This is what the eyes see, even a child can see. And this is not what we say, but what the Islamic world has been saying. This is what the Turkish world has been saying. They say “come and become the leader”. We did not show up on our own. They say it themselves. We have the heritage. We are the heir of the Ottomans, we are their descendants. Therefore, we will try to do this beautiful duty. And when we didn’t do this, people suffered. The whole Turkish world suffered, the Islamic world suffered. And they are stil sufferring, they are all wretched and calling for help. It is an obligation to help the one calling for help. Come, let’s get united and let’s save them at once. Timeturk, August 06, 2010 Davutoglu Sets Goals of The Turkish World With these words, Davutoglu answered the question of a journalist asking “There has been a great collaboration with the countries in the Turkish world recently. Is this collaboration going to be institutionalized in the following days?” as follows: “The preparatory work of institutionalization has started last year after the Nakhchivan Summit. InshaAllah, in this year’s summit, Secretariat of the Council of the Turkish World will be constituted permanently in Istanbul… When the secreteriat is constituted, there will be a unity in deeds as well as the unity in religion, language and culture. And inshaAllah, there will be a cooperation in all these issues as a single voice. If Kyrgyzstan has a problem, it is not Kyrgyzstan’s but Turkey’s problem, Azerbaijan’s problem, Khazakstan’s problem.” said Davutoglu, and he went on his words as such: “The dignity of Azerbaijan is the dignity and success of all countries sharing the common culture such as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan. Their success is our success. Their problem is our problem. We consider themselves strong when Azerbaijan gains strength. From the Mountains of God to the Mountains of Bey until Taurus Mountains, we share the same geography and breathe in the same place. And it will become more institutionalized inshaAllah”. Davutoglu also answered the questio “is there any particular reason for you to prefer Bodrum for the meeting?” and said “We are together in every official meeting. We wanted to get out of this atmosphere and chat with families and talk. We are one big family. We are family from the Mountains of God to the Balkans. InshaAllah, from now on, we may also have meeting in different locations”.
Looking for a job? Texas Workforce is hosting free programs at the Fairbanks Library. The following programs are taking place next month from 2-4 p.m: Monday, May 7, 2012: Using the Internet/Networking/Using Social Media - Many jobseekers spend time on the internet. Is there really an employer on the other side of the screen? Learn how to use the internet effectively in your job search and research labor market information to identify occupations that are growing and have openings. Networking is not limited to who you know, it’s learning how to find out about jobs that are not advertised and how to get your foot in the door. Learn to develop a list of contacts that can help you and create a marketing profile to promote your skills and abilities. Monday, May 21, 2012: Rebranding Your Skills - Expand your job search prospects by rebranding your skills. This workshop will teach you to identify the skills that you have gained in the past and present them in a way that catches the attention of employers that can move you to a new job or even a new industry. These programs are free but space is limited. Please call 713-466-4438 for more information or to sign up.
A head injury can be defined as damage caused to the head, resulting from an open or closed head injury. Head injuries can cause problems for you or a loved one for an indefinite amount of time and can cause a severe handicap to the affected individual. Head injuries can lead to brain injury if the injury is severe enough. If you or a loved one has suffered a head injury, you may have recourse to file a lawsuit. In cases where the head injury was caused by the negligence of another, our Connecticut injury lawyers can help get you the settlement you deserve. We advance all of our fees and only collect any money if you are awarded a settlement. Please contact Hastings, Cohan & Walsh at (877) 801-6202. Head Injury Causes and Liability Head injuries have varying degrees of severity and their general symptoms can be quite different. Physical symptoms may range from seizures to headaches and extreme fatigue. You may also experience memory loss, attention impairment, language impairment, and changes in your mood. Because of these variations, our Connecticut attorneys work tirelessly to determine liability and if a lawsuit should be pursued. Head injuries can occur because of several causes, including the following: - Head being struck by an object - Brain experiencing an acceleration or deceleration movement, which is oftentimes caused by a motor vehicle accident - Sports and recreational accidents If a head injury involves a loss of consciousness, memory loss before or after the injury, or any alteration of your mental state, this may be classified as a traumatic brain injury. In order for our Connecticut attorneys to determine liability, we will work to determine if your head injury was caused because of the negligence of another. Liability is determined by judging the actions of a person and comparing them with what a “reasonable person” would do in that situation. If the person that caused your head injury was acting outside of reasonable parameters, we can establish negligence. Head Injury Compensation Our Connecticut injury lawyers will work to determine who’s at fault and how their negligence caused your head injury. We will then determine which damages we can pursue including the following: - Medical expenses - Income lost due to the injury - Permanent disability or disfigurement - Pain and suffering - Emotional damages - Damaged property Connecticut Head Injury Attorneys If you or a loved one has had a head injury due to another’s negligence, please contact Hastings, Cohan & Walsh. Our team of Ridgefield attorneys has the experience necessary to guide you through the entire process of your lawsuit. We will work tirelessly to recover damages for you. Please call us at (877) 801-6202.
7 Surprising Triggers of Lung Trouble A recent study by researchers at South Carolina State University found that paraffin-based candlesthe most popular kind of candleemit toluene and benzene. (Candles made from beeswax and soybean, which the researchers also studied, do not produce these chemicals.) Lighting paraffin candles for the occasional romantic dinner doesn’t pose a health threat (if you don't count fire). But when used often in unventilated spaces, candles may aggravate asthma. Get the latest health, fitness, anti-aging, and nutrition news, plus special offers, insights and updates from Health.com!
Not long ago, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was considered a man's disease. But men no longer hold a monopoly on this chronic and progressive lung condition, according to the May 2014 Harvard Women's Health Watch. Today, more women than men have COPD, and women account for more than half of the deaths from this disease. The trend started in the 1960s, when marketing campaigns like the famous Virginia Slims "You've come a long way, baby" ad made smoking socially acceptable for women. They embraced this habit by the millions. "Given the lag time in lung disease, we're probably just starting to see the apogee of the trends in cigarette smoking," says Dr. Dawn DeMeo, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and pulmonologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital. COPD is a lung condition that includes both emphysema (damage to the air sacs of the lungs) and chronic bronchitis (blockage from too much mucus in the airways). People with COPD often have a chronic cough and difficulty breathing. Smoking is the leading cause of COPD in the Western world in men and women. But researchers are discovering that women's lungs may be even more vulnerable than men's to the toxic effects of smoke. For every cigarette smoked, women seem to develop more severe lung disease at an earlier age, says Dr. DeMeo. At first, researchers thought anatomy was to blame: women have smaller lungs, meaning there is less surface area over which to distribute cigarette smoke. At higher concentrations, the toxins in cigarette smoke can cause greater damage. Researchers are now looking at other possible factors. For example, the hormone estrogen may change the way a woman's body breaks down harmful compounds in cigarette smoke. "We're trying to tackle this from all different angles. Is it anatomy, is it hormones, or is it some different physiology? No one really knows yet," Dr. DeMeo says. Read the full-length article: "COPD: Could you be at risk?"
A back just doesn’t get appreciated until it plays up. So, sit up and take note of these spine statistics: - 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time - 60% of non-specific back pain is resolved without medical intervention - 25 – 40% of people with back pain seek healthcare and rehabilitation - 60 – 75% of back pain sufferers have recurrences - Worldwide, back pain costs economies more than any other disease - In Europe, 10 – 15% of all sick days are taken due to lower back pain - It is estimated that 60% of people complain about back problems after going on a long car journey - Back pain is the leading cause of disability for workers between the ages of 19 and 45 Get to know your spine The spine is, as you know, that flexible bone column that extends from the base of your skull to your tailbone. It consists of 33 vertebrae. There are cartilaginous cushions between the vertebrae, called intervertebral discs, that act as shock absorbers. Facet joints are between the vertebrae and guide spinal movement. What causes spinal pain? - Poor posture and inactivity - Prolonged exposure to sitting and poor workstation set-up - Increased body weight, especially around the abdomen - Stress and anxiety - Degeneration due to old age, trauma and overload, inadequate ‘core stability’ support How to avoid spinal pain - Develop good posture, keep an ideal body weight and minimise stress - Stay active, fit and flexible. Stretching - something we do instinctively even as babies - is vital. - Ensure good ‘core stability’ through exercises. Pilates, isometrics, yoga, and similar disciplines are specifically geared at stretching and developing core strength - Avoid long periods of sitting - stand up and walk around; and ensure ergonomically sound workstation set-up - Lift carefully and correctly.Alexander technique is worth exploring if you're having problems, or obtain advice from a physiotherapist or chiropractor - If you have back pain, see a physiotherapist What can go wrong?Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint characterised by swelling, pain and restriction of movement. It is usually referred to as osteoarthritis in the spine. It is also known as spondylosis. Disc degeneration: A change in structural and functional integrity of the disc. Lumbago: Non-medical term signifying pain in the lower back.Osteoporosis: A disorder in which bone is abnormally brittle. Scoliosis: Sideways curve of the spinal column. Sciatica: Pain along the course of the sciatica nerve in the back of the thigh and below the knee. This can be caused by irritation of a nerve found anywhere from the back of the thigh. Slipped disc: Partial or complete displacement of the gel-like tissue inside the disc, due to disruption of the outer fibrous tissue. Also known as slipped disc, ruptured disc or herniated disc. Spinal stenosis: The narrowing of the spine, commonly caused by degenerative changes in the discs or joints.Whiplash: Injury caused by rapid and uncontrolled movement of the neck caused by an external force like in a car accident or other incident. - (Source: The South African Society of Physiotherapy)
FRIDAY, June 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Having the television on while you play with your toddler could hinder the child's language development, according to a new study. Researchers observed interaction between 49 parents and their toddlers, aged 12, 24 and 36 months, as they played together for an hour. During half of that time, a TV program with content for older children and adults was on in the background. The number of words and phrases, including the number of new words, spoken by parents was lower when the TV was on than when it was off, the study found. This suggests that the parents were paying attention to the TV even if their children weren't, the researchers said. The length of phrases spoken by parents was not affected by background TV. The findings are important because American children younger than 2 years are exposed to an average of 5.5 hours of background TV a day, according to the authors of the study published June 11 in the Journal of Children and Media. "Our new results, along with past research finding negative effects of background TV on young children's play and parent-child interaction, provide evidence that adult-directed TV content should be avoided for infants and toddlers whenever possible," said study author Tiffany Pempek in a journal news release. Pempek is an assistant professor of psychology at Hollins University in Roanoke, Va. "Although it is impractical and probably not desirable for parents to play with their young child all of the time, children do benefit greatly from active involvement by parents during play. Ideally, parents should play with their child without the distraction of TV in the background," she advised. Children younger than 24 months should not watch TV or have any other screen time, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about toddler language development. SOURCE: Journal of Children and Media, news release, June 11, 2014 Copyright © 2015 HealthDay. All rights reserved. HealthDayNews articles are derived from various sources and do not reflect federal policy. healthfinder.gov does not endorse opinions, products, or services that may appear in news stories. For more information on health topics in the news, visit Health News on healthfinder.gov. Note: Documents in PDF format require the Adobe Acrobat Reader®. If you experience problems with PDF documents, please download the latest version of the Reader®.
After and with so many wars there is still a question why so many people decide to kill themselves willingly and take their lives when there is so much to enjoy. However, generally, things are not so easy as they may seem from the first sight. There are a lot of suicide myths. A lot depends on people’s attitude to the subject. Really, in our world it is a taboo and if you want to take your life, it means that you go against society and religion and human laws. A person is unwilling to speak about his or her thoughts on the matter being scared of the reaction that may follow. It is always not that a person really wants to die. It is just that he or she finds it next to unbearable to go on. The reasons can be different and not always people find courage to voice them and suffer in silence and take the decision in silence as well. Suicide myths seem to breed and this is wrong. Suicide is forbidden by religion and is considered a sin. Besides, there are a lot of other different points of view that shape our attitude to the topic that are frequently misjudged. It is important to get a better understanding about it and here are several suicide myths that need to be busted. Suicide myths are various. It is frequently thought that people who choose to commit suicide are selfish and cannot understand that other also suffer a lot. However, this is not exactly so. Generally, people who come up with such a decision must be under a very hard pressure. There are times when life can look and feel like hell. And these are times when the decision is made. Another among suicide myths revealed: it is also a misunderstanding that these people just do not want to fight; instead they choose the easiest option. Still, it is wrong. Suicide is a hard decision and frequently not a spontaneous one. People who choose to take their life think and consider for a long time before actually realize it. Besides, fear of dying is natural and is not easy to overcome. So, there is nothing easy here at all. Next wide-spread assumption as well as one of suicide myths is that only crazy people choose to kill themselves. Surely enough there are a lot of mentally ill people who do it. However, there are a great many of healthy ones who do it as well. It is emotional pain and frequently depression that triggers the decision, not a disorder. It is very very wrong to think that if a person has decided to take his or her life, there is nothing to be done and help is useless. This is one of very wrong suicide myths. Talking and counseling can make a great change. Thoughts about suicide come to a person when there are no coping mechanisms left to try and everything fails and so on. Simple talk with a friend may stop a person from killing himself. Make sure that you will never believe this suicide myth. You cannot be sure if your friend is serious or joking, really… Next in the list of suicide myths. It is also a great mistake not to take a person’s intentions or attempts of suicide seriously. Perhaps, these people are just seeking attention. But isn’t it enough sign that something is really wrong? Perhaps, this is just a cry of help; but there are chances that a person (who just talks about his desire to die) will take his life actually, when no one pays attention. Last of the suicide myths is that people with a strong decision to die will never tell you about it. This is utterly untrue. As it has been aforementioned, people start contemplating on the idea when they do not know what else can be done to start feeling better and how to cope. If they do not voice the idea, they leave clues. The most crucial thing is not to miss them. There are more suicide myths than listed here. It also takes a lot to introduce any alternations into the attitude towards a problem. One this is essential – people who choose to do it should not be judged and they should be listened carefully. Make sure you do both and that you do not believe in any of the suicide myths.
Expos Pitch Anti-tobacco to Vermont Youth Players & Champ Visit Local Little League Team, Host Tobacco-Free Celebration For immediate release: August 2, 2002 Megan Lawrence/Jody Waller Kelliher Samets Volk Vermont Department of Health ESSEX — Students who play at least one sport are 40 percent less likely to be regular smokers and 50 percent less likely to be heavy smokers, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Vermont Expos, a tobacco-free team since 1998, are encouraging youth to follow in their footsteps — get involved in athletics and stay clear of tobacco. “I grew up watching Don Mattingly play for the New York Yankees and I really looked up to him,” said Mike Hinckley, pitcher for the Vermont Expos. “I realize now that I want to be a role model to the next generation of athletes.” The Vermont Expos have teamed up with the Vermont Department of Health to bring their anti-smoking messages to youth. Hinckley and a few of his Expos teammates — including Champ — will be visiting an Essex Little League team on Friday, August 2 from noon to 1 p.m. to discuss the effects of tobacco, run the bases and hand out tickets to the celebration of tobacco-free baseball at Centennial Field on Friday, August 9 at 7:05 p.m. The first 500 youth to arrive at Centennial Field for the celebration will receive a free tobacco-free wiffleball. Champ will throw the remaining 1,000 wiffleballs into the crowd between innings. There will also be stickers, posters and information about tobacco available for youth at the entrance to the field. Research has shown that the decision to become a smoker is made between the ages of 10 and 13, an age when many youth are facing temptations and influenced by their role models. “The influence that professional sports teams and celebrities have on youth is powerful,” said Karen Garbarino, tobacco control chief for the Vermont Department of Health. “It is important to support the groups who have positioned themselves as tobacco-free.” Twenty-two percent of Vermont youth smoke cigarettes according to the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted by the Health Department. Health officials hope to cut the youth smoking rates in Vermont to 15 percent by 2010.
So that's the normal, healthy way of reacting to stress. Yes. The long-term kind is what gives us trouble. This is a kind of stress that doesn't go away as easily as a turn on the freeway: job stress; family stress; emotional conflicts; money difficulties. All the vague but ever present problems and worries. There's no end point, no clear resolution to that kind of stress. What happens physiologically is that all the bodily functions accelerate as though your life were in danger, and they stay elevated, without release. We experience it as anxiety, frustration, tension, and worry. If we were to hook someone in this kind of worry pattern up to a monitor, we'd see something like this: They continue at a level of high excitation without the compensatory relaxation phase. This is the kind of biological stress pattern that leads to disease. So what would the yogi or meditator do in the same situation? What they've learned is to more clearly identify when the reaction is no longer necessary. They would experience the same stimuli as a series of discrete short-term stresses: The striking thing about this pattern is that it looks almost exactly like the EKG tracing of a series of heartbeats. What's missing in the chronic worry pattern is the parasympathetic rebound, the relaxation phase. What the yogis have learned to do is to induce this phase. To let go of those excess levels of self-stressing neurophysiological activity and simply quiet themselves down. They can intentionally produce the "Whew!" phase of the short-term stress reaction. Yes. Then it is possible to come back to the baseline level and continue on. When we get into the chronic stress pattern it feels like there's not going to be any end point. You can think of your body as being naive. It can't tell if your life is really in danger or if you're just thinking as if your life were in danger. The fear of losing your job might feel just as threatening as if a speeding truck were coming at you. You might react this way to a nagging creditor or to your income tax coming due. Whatever the cause, you go up above the line, and before you can come back down, the next stressor hits—a job deadline, a family problem. And you go right back up again. How long can that pattern go on? A long time! In someone with a real chronic stress pattern, the only thing that's going to break the cycle is some kind of illness experience. You then see a very sharp drop: This represents a state of complete nervous exhaustion, a nervous breakdown, a heart attack, a debilitating headache, an alcoholic binge—it can be any number of things. Everybody has his or her own favorite way to break the pattern. Exactly—and it's very often illness, because when you're sick there is a very different set of demands placed upon you. It's now okay to stay in bed and just take it easy. How possible is it to predict who will get what diseases? I think it's possible to some degree. The Friedman and Rosenman book (Type A Behavior and Your Heart) looks at the relation between personality and heart disease and cancer, respectively. I've reviewed the relationships between these two diseases as well as migraine and arthritis in Mind as Healer. So people do have their own favorite illnesses. Oh, yes. The same stress level that might produce a headache in one person might produce a heart attack in another or gastrointestinal trouble in a third. Certain families, both genetically and behaviorally, will predispose to certain illnesses. Your environment will predispose you one way or another. So will your lifestyle.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive therapy that uses a rapidly changing magnetic field to stimulate the neurons in the brain. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) refers to the repetitive use of TMS in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has been tested in the treatment of:1 - Parkinson's disease - Auditory hallucinations While rTMS is approved for the treatment of depression in the United States, some doctors are unsure of its efficacy. However, a well-designed placebo-controlled study sponsored by NIH (National Institute of Health) did show remission in 14.1% of depressed patients given rTMS while only 5.1% of those remitted were given inactive (placebo) treatment. This response rate was seen over three weeks of daily weekday treatment (15 treatments total).2 Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy Procedure The rTMS therapy procedure is outpatient and doesn't require anesthetic. Patients are awake and have a plastic-encased magnetic coil placed just above the scalp. There may be a tingling or tapping sensation in the scalp during the rTMS procedure. Ear plugs may be worn due to the noise of the magnetic stimulation device. Headaches can occur during and after an rTMS treatment but are generally treated with over-the-counter medication. The rTMS therapy treatments are about 40 minutes long and a full treatment course is at least 20-30 treatments long over 2-3 weeks.3 Cost of rTMS and Maintenance rTMS Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy costs vary, but an initial course of rTMS may cost $5000 - $7500 or more. Depending on the severity of the depression, the therapeutic effect may last only a few months. Once symptoms of depression begin to return, additional rTMS called maintenance rTMS is required. Maintenance rTMS requires approximately half the treatments of the initial course and may be needed anywhere from a few months to more than two years after the initial treatment depending on the individual's response to treatment. Maintenance antidepressant medication therapy may also be effective. More information on rTMS for depression or other illnesses can be found at: - NeuroStar TMS Therapy in the US: http://www.neurostartms.com/Home.aspx - MindCare Centers in Canada: http://www.mindcarecentres.com/
Heifer International Uganda was informed Friday that it was honored with a Uganda Responsible Investment Award after it was voted the Best Hunger and Poverty Eradication organization in the country, said Interim Director of Finance and Administration for Africa programs Humphreys Munai. The award, given by Public Opinions in Uganda and presided over by Ugandan President H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, was voted on by the people of Africa. The Public Opinions website indicates the intent of the award is to "determine the Most Responsible and Respected Investments in Africa which have contributed a lot towards attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in Africa." The award states, "Having been voted for by the People of Uganda in appreciation and recognition of your contribution towards attainment of the United Nations Millenium Development Goals in Uganda, and promoting and upholding International Best Practices and Standards as defined by the Ten Universal Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, The United Nations Millennium Declaration, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and UN Convention against corruption." "This is the way to end the busy week seeing our work is recognized by Ugandans and honored by [the] Ugandan President," Munai said. Heifer Uganda was one of 20 organizations awarded with a 2014-2015 Africa Responsible Investment Award.
Wastewater for artificial snow? Court hears Ariz. ski resort case Attorney Howard Shanker, representing the Save the Peaks Coalition and a group of citizens, argued before the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals that the U.S. Forest Service needs to do a more thorough environmental analysis on the health and safety risks of using the wastewater for artificial snow. No studies have considered the impacts that could come from ingesting such snow that is sprayed on the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff, Ariz., that at least a dozen American Indian tribes consider sacred, Shanker told the three-judge panel. “There’s got to be a reasonably thorough discussion,” Shanker said. “There’s been no full discussion on this.” Lane McFadden, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, told the judges that the plaintiffs are “engaging in a delay tactic,” while arguing a need for more information without providing specifics. The owners of the Arizona Snowbowl plan to begin making snow for skiing and snowboarding for the 2012-13 season after years of legal wrangling with tribes and critics. The three judges repeatedly referred to a 2010 ruling by Arizona U.S. District Judge Mary Murguia that stated the Forest Service adequately considered the impacts of the snowmaking plan and that the record supported the agency’s decision to allow it. The Forest Service said while the use of reclaimed water for snowmaking is not considered hazardous for recreational skiing and snow play, signs will be posted to urge people not to intentionally ingest snow at the Snowbowl resort. On Monday, Judge John Noonan told Shanker that he disagreed that the issued has not been fully discussed. American Indian tribes had argued unsuccessfully in a separate case that the plan violated religious freedom. Since then, some tribal members have continued protesting the plan by chaining themselves to construction equipment at the ski resort, and one tribe recently lost its own lawsuit to keep the city of Flagstaff from selling treated wastewater to the Snowbowl. Shanker said after the hearing that he was disappointed by the judges’ reaction, especially after another panel of the appeals court sided with tribes who asserted in the previous lawsuit that drinking water tainted by runoff from the man-made snow could pose health risks. The full court later overturned the decision, saying the plaintiffs never properly raised the issue in the lower court. “I don’t feel confident, but I think we did the best we could,” Shanker said. “We’ll see what happens.” Our new comment system is not supported in IE 7. Please upgrade your browser here.
- About this Journal · - Abstracting and Indexing · - Advance Access · - Aims and Scope · - Annual Issues · - Article Processing Charges · - Articles in Press · - Author Guidelines · - Bibliographic Information · - Citations to this Journal · - Contact Information · - Editorial Board · - Editorial Workflow · - Free eTOC Alerts · - Publication Ethics · - Reviewers Acknowledgment · - Submit a Manuscript · - Subscription Information · - Table of Contents International Journal of Antennas and Propagation Volume 2013 (2013), Article ID 816910, 2 pages Advances in Antennas for Wireless Identification and Sensing Systems 1Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, Tampere University of Technology, 33720 Tampere, Finland 2Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (UCLA), CA 90095, USA 3Electronic Engineering Department, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China Received 20 January 2013; Accepted 20 January 2013 Copyright © 2013 Leena Ukkonen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. - T. T. Thai, L. Yang, G. R. Dejean, and M. M. Tentzeris, “Nanotechnology enables wireless gas sensing,” IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 84–95, 2011. - R. Vyas, V. Lakafosis, A. Rida et al., “Paper-based RFID-enabled wireless platforms for sensing applications,” IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 57, no. 5, pp. 1370–1382, 2009. - T. T. Thai, J. M. Mehdi, H. Aubert et al., “A novel passive wireless ultrasensitive RF temperature transducer for remote sensing,” in Proceedings of the IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS '10), pp. 473–476, May 2010. - A. Traille, L. Yang, A. Rida, and M. M. Tentzeris, “A novel liquid antenna for wearable bio-monitoring applications,” in Proceedings of the IEEE International Microwave Symposium Digest (MTT '08), pp. 923–926, June 2008. - J. Cartwright, “Electronic skin grafts gadgets to body,” ScienceNOW, August 2011, http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/08/electronic-skin-grafts-gadgets-t.html. - A. Lehto, J. Nummela, L. Ukkonen, L. Sydanheimo, and M. Kivikoski, “Passive UHF RFID in paper industry: challenges, benefits and the application environment,” IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 66–79, 2009. - J. Nummela, K. Määttänen, L. Ukkonen, and L. Sydänheimo, “Utilizing UHF RFID in supply chains: examples from similarities in paper and cell phone industries,” International Journal of Latest Trends in Computing (IJLTC), vol. 2, no. 3, 2011. - C. Occhiuzzi and G. Marrocco, “The RFID Technology for Neurosciences: feasibility of limbs' monitoring in sleep diseases,” IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 37–43, 2010. - H. Rajagopalan and Y. Rahmat-Samii, “Ingestible RFID bio-capsule tag design for medical monitoring,” in Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation, July 2010. - L. Yang, R. Vyas, A. Rida, J. Pan, and M. Tentzeris, “Wearable RFID-enabled sensor nodes for biomedical applications,” in Proceedings of the IEEE Electronic Components and Circuits Conference, pp. 2156–2159, 2008. - J. Virtanen, L. Ukkonen, T. Björninen, and L. Sydänheimo, “Printed Humidity Sensor for UHF RFID Systems,” in Proceedings of the Sensors Applications Symposium (SAS '10), pp. 269–272, IEEE, February 2010. - J. Virtanen, T. Björninen, L. Ukkonen, and L. Sydänheimo, “Passive UHF inkjet-printed narrow-line RFID tags,” IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, vol. 9, pp. 440–443, 2010. - M. M. Tentzeris, “Inkjet-printed paper-based RFID and nanotechnology-based ultrasensitive sensors: The “Green” ultimate solution for an ever improving life quality and safety?” in Proceedings of the IEEE Radio and Wireless Symposium (RWS '10), pp. 120–123, January 2010. - B. H. Kim, T. H. Park, S. J. Baek et al., “N -type carbon nanotube by alkaline-earth metal Sr doping,” Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 103, no. 9, Article ID 096103, 2008. - R. De Paolis, S. Pacchini, F. Coccetti et al., “Circuit model of carbon-nanotube inks for microelectronic and microwave tunable devices,” in Proceedings of the IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS '11), June 2011. - J. Virtanen, L. Ukkonen, T. Björninen, A. Z. Elsherbeni, and L. Sydänheimo, “Temperature sensor tag for passive UHF RFID systems,” in Proceedings of the IEEE Sensor Applications Symposium, pp. 312–317, San Antonio, Tex, USA, February 2011.
The temple belongs to the 17th century and there are two murtis of Shri Kela Devi Ji in the mandir. A unique feature of the stone murti is that it is slightly reclined as the neck of the Goddess is in bending posture. A mela is held during the Navratri. Thousands of people arrive from different parts of to participate in the fair and festival. India
India’s gross domestic product (GDP) — the value of all goods and services produced in the country — is set to decelerate to 4.8% in 2013-14, lower than last year’s 5%, a RBI-sponsored survey has found with no immediate recovery signs in the economy hit by a toxic mix of industrial slowdown, weak rupee and rising prices. Also, speedier implementation of stalled projects, vital to create jobs and multiply income, is critical to revive growth in the broader economy, RBI said in its customary policy-eve macro-economic review as it lobbed the ball back to the government. “The median growth forecast (of professional forecasters) for 2013-14 was revised downwards to 4.8% from 5.7% in the previous round… “For supporting growth, complementary action aimed at productivity enhancement, structural reforms and quick project implementation will be needed,” RBI said in the review ahead of the second quarter policy review on Tuesday. India has been hit by a crippling industrial deceleration as factories, squeezed by high borrowing and raw material costs, are producing less. Can monsoon rain turn the economy around? RBI believes it can, but only just. “A good monsoon and pick-up in exports, if sustained, could provide some momentum. At this stage, demand management requires balancing fiscal consolidation with investment support,” RBI said. India’s agriculture output grew 2.7% during April to June this year, down from 2.9% last year; overall GDP grew at a four-year low of 4.4% in the quarter. When rain-dependent farm output is robust, rural income and therefore spending on almost everything — television sets to gold, from personal care products to processed food — goes up. This creates demand for manufactured goods, which, in turn, helps the general economy. For instance, rural buyers account for close to 40% of India’s total motorcycle sales. Likewise, about 40% of India’s cement demand comes from rural housing. “With deceleration in private consumption and fall in investment, overall demand conditions remain weak,” RBI said. “Modest improvement in growth is expected in the second half (October-March) of 2013-14 following a rebound in agriculture and an improvement in exports. However, a fuller recovery is likely to start taking shape towards the end of the fiscal year on the back of current steps to clear impediments that were stalling projects,” it said. There was a silver lining though. External sector risks, have reduced as current account deficit is likely to moderate from the record 4.8% seen in 2012-13. “The trade balance has responded to the policy measures; exports have picked up and gold imports have declined,” RBI said.
In a sign that globetrotters are gradually loosening the grip on their wallets, a new report shows that international spending in countries such as Canada, Brazil, Mexico and the US among Visa credit card holders spiked six percent last year compared to 2011. It’s the second consecutive year that Visa has noted an upward trend in international spending, which increased to $57 billion over 2011 among card holders in North America and Brazil. The report also found that Japan drew notable interest among card holders from the same quartet of countries, as they boosted tourism spending in the country by an average of 25 percent -- or $948 million last year. Furthermore, Chinese Visa card holders knocked Britons out of their spot to become the third highest contributor to US tourism spending, shelling out 30 percent more than they did in 2011. A similar story played out among Visa holders from Africa, who increased their spending in the US by 17 percent, charging $585 million on their cards. Meanwhile, MasterCard has its own global Destination Cities Index. In its report last year, analysts predicted international visitor numbers to increase by about 6 percent and spending to swell 11 percent among the top 20 destination cities spanning London to Taipei.
Founded in 1866, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) extended into almost every southern state by 1870 and became a vehicle for white southern resistance to the Republican Party’s Reconstruction-era policies aimed at establishing political and economic equality for blacks. Its members waged an underground campaign of intimidation and violence directed at white and black Republican leaders. Though Congress passed legislation designed to curb Klan terrorism, the organization saw its primary goal–the reestablishment of white supremacy–fulfilled through Democratic victories in state legislatures across the South in the 1870s. After a period of decline, white Protestant nativist groups revived the Klan in the early 20th century, burning crosses and staging rallies, parades and marches denouncing immigrants, Catholics, Jews, blacks and organized labor. The civil rights movement of the 1960s also saw a surge of Ku Klux Klan activity, including bombings of black schools and churches and violence against black and white activists in the South.
Steven Sidebotham is professor of ancient history and archaeology at the University of Delaware, where he teaches courses on the ancient Near East and Greece, ancient Rome, ancient Greek and Roman sports and recreation, ancient religions and a seminar on World War II through oral history. Fluent in Arabic, Professor Sidebotham was educated in Egypt, Greece and the United States and received his PhD at the University of Michigan in 1981. He has excavated or undertaken archaeological survey work in Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel and India and, since 1972, has participated in or directed over 60 field projects (both on land and underwater). Professor Sidebotham’s main research interest is ancient trade and cultural exchange between the Mediterranean Basin/Near East on the one hand and the Red Sea-Indian Ocean littorals on the other. He has written, coauthored and co-edited thirteen books with his most recent one on his primary area of research being Berenike and the ancient Maritime Spice Route (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2011). His current projects include archaeological excavations at Berenike, an ancient port on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, and small scale excavations and surveys in Egypt’s Eastern Desert. A Discovery/Science Channel television documentary entitled When Rome Ruled Egypt, which first aired in 2008, highlights his archaeological discoveries in Egypt. Professor Sidebotham is a well-recognized speaker and has lectured on cruise ships, at museums, universities and conferences throughout the world. Prof. Sidebotham and his wife Mary Sidebotham also have an abiding interest in World War II. Since June 6, 2004 they have conducted over 230 oral interviews of veterans (both American and others) who served in that conflict in all theaters of operation; they have included women as well as men in their oral interview project. Sidebotham’s first foray into publishing about the conflict resulted in J.J. Hurt and S.E. Sidebotham (eds.), Odyssey of a Bombardier: The POW Log of Richard M. Mason (Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press/Rowman & Littlefield, 2014). - Odyssey of a Bombardier: The POW Log of Richard M. Mason (University of Delaware Press, 2014). - Berenike and the Ancient Maritime Spice Route (University of California Press, 2011). - The Red Land: The Illustrated Archaeology of Egypt's Eastern Desert With Martin Hense (The American University in Cairo Press, 2008). - Berenike 1999/2000: Report on the Excavations at Berenike, Including Excavations in Wadi Kalalat and Siket, and the Survey of the Mons Smaragdus Region With Willeke Wendrich (The Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press, 2007). - Berenike 2008-2009 : Report on the Excavations At Berenike, Including a Survey in the Eastern Desert With Iwona Zych (Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University, 2011).
\|Hobby Master 1/32 PREMIUM COLLECTION Air Power Series Douglas SBD-3 "Dauntless" BuNo 4537, flown by Lt(jg) William E. Hall and Seaman John A. Moore USS Lexington (CV 2), 8 May 1942 1/32 Scale airplanes Limited Edition only 200 world-wide Comes with metal stand Movable rear gun Working dive brakes, rudder & ailerons Rotating metal propeller Movable centerline bomb rack Optional see-through engine cowling L - 12.4 in (315mm) W - 15.75 in (400mm) H - 4.8 in (122mm) Weight - 1.98 lb (900g) \|Designed as a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, various versions of the Dauntless served during the war with the US Marine Corps, Army and Navy. The Douglas was the only plane to fight in every major Pacific engagement. The SBD-3, sarcastically nicknamed “Speedy Three”, entered service in March 1941 with production ending in July 1944, by which time a total of 5,936 had been built in all versions. On May 8, 1942 when the USS Yorktown and USS Lexington were attacked by aircraft from the Japanese carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku part of the defense force was provided by SBD-3’s from USS Lexington. The SBD-3 BuNo.4537 “White S-8” of VS-2 crewed by Lt(jg) William E Hall and Seaman 1st Class John A Moore was assigned to low-level anti-torpedo aircraft patrol. During the fighting pilot Lt.(jg) William E. Hall was seriously wounded in the foot but continued to fight shooting down at least one Nakajima B5N. When Hall landed his aircraft it was so damaged that it was jettisoned overboard. In January 1942 the US Navy began to change recognition markings on its aircraft and for several months aircraft were seen wearing various combinations of Length: 32 ft., 8 in. Height: 13 ft., 7 in. Wingspan: 41ft., 6 in. Empty: 6,345 lb. Gross: 10,400 lb. One 1,000 horsepower Wright R-1820-52 engine Maximum Speed: 250 M.P.H. Maximum Range with Bomb Load: 1,345 miles Service Ceiling: 27,100 ft. Pilot and gunner/radio operator Two fixed forward-firing .50-in. guns, Two flexible-mounted rear-firing .30-in. guns, 1,200 lb. of ordnance
Lincolnshire Trading Standards are warning residents to beware telephone scammers claiming to be from a major PC or software company. It has received a number of reports that fraudsters are cold calling people and offering to fix a fake computer problem. They claim that your computer has a serious virus and it will become unusable if they don’t act immediately. Once the scammer has tricked their victim, they are directed to a website and told to download a program, but this gives the scammer remote access to the computer. The scammer then takes control of the computer and claims to know exactly what the problem is and how to fix it. At this point the scammer requests a payment. If you think you may have been a victim of this scam or know someone who has, please contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.or visit www.actionfraud.police.uk For more information please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx You can also get advice on how to avoid scams by calling the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06 or visit www.adviceguide.org.uk
How Much Does Pipe Lining Cost? A pipeline can be referred to as the highway for water since this is where water flows from place to place. The convenience of having water flowing through your faucet or flushing the toilet is made possible by the pipes that run inside the walls and underground. Aside from water, there are other substances that are transported though pipe lining; liquids are the most common goods transported through pipes. Pipe lining makes handling water fairly easy and this is the reason why it needs to be installed in case there are liquids or gases that need to be handled. Pipe lining can help to prevent leaks. How much is it? - The cost to have pipe lining depends on a lot of factors. Pipe lining can be made from different types of materials, and this is one of the reasons why the price of the installation can differ. Also, the length of the pipeline can differ, and the number of pipes needed to cover a particular distance will cost differently as well. - On average, to have pipe lining installed, the prices can range anywhere from $2 to $6 per linear foot. For an entire pipe line to be installed, it can range from $200 to $300 per pipe. Again, many factors can vary. - For instance, Turtlesoft.com is a website that offers information regarding pipe lining installation. According to them, a skilled worker can install about 35 linear feet of pipe per hour. The price for the installation usually runs for $2 to $4 per linear foot. What is going to be included? - There are several factors needed to be considered when you contemplate pipe lining installation. The cost will include the purchase, delivery, and the storage of the water lines. The service provider will also provide the delivery and transportation of the materials from the job site. - After the installation of pipe lining has been completed, the contractor will clean up the site, which includes debris removal. He will also use all of the machinery needed to complete the job and this is included with the fee. What are the extra costs? - If there are any existing structures in the room where pipe lining will be installed, there are additional costs for the repair, modification, and reinforcing of the particular structure mentioned. - Since pipe lining is done underground and the surface will need to be dug up, there is a need to restore and finish the surface back to its normal condition. This would also be considered an added cost. - Contractors usually add to the total cost as well, and general contractors usually collect fees for their services. Their services usually involve 12% to 20% of the total cost of the whole installation cost. Tips to know: - Pipe lining is mandatory for homeowners and it should be one of the first things installed. A proper pipe lining would lessen the risk of hassles such as shortage of water or inconvenience in disposing of sewage waters. How can I save money? - Look for contractors that can offer the services at lower rates. Within your area, start the search and make a list of all of the contractors that can provide the service. After this, you can compare the services that they offer and the price at which they are willing to provide their service. Consider using services such as ServiceMagic.com to help you find the lowest quotes in your local area. - Make sure that you perform maintenance with the pipelines to guarantee that they are in good condition and will last longer than usual.
HSPH RSS Feeds RSS feeds use a technology called XML to deliver headlines and summaries to your desktop or Web browser. Many organizations from the New York Times to NPR to NIH are using RSS to quickly deliver timely information to users. If you click an RSS link, but do not have a compatible reader installed, you will see XML code in your browser. To view the headlines, paste the feed address into an RSS news reader or use a browser which supports RSS feeds (i.e., FireFox). - Amphetadesk Windows, Mac, Linux (open source); freeware - FeedReader Windows (open source); freeware - RSSOwl All Platforms (open source); freeware For HSPH Community - MyHSPH has built-in RSS functionality and offer a growing number of preconfigured HSPH and Harvard feeds - Login to myhsph.harvard.edu - Click Personalize - Click Add available topic to a page - RSS feeds available are listed as News Feed: New Feed Name (i.e., News Feed: Harvard Public Heath Now) Live Bookmarks is a new technology in Firefox that lets you view RSS news and blog headlines in the bookmarks toolbar or bookmarks menu. With one glance, quickly see the latest headlines from your favorite sites. Go directly to the articles that interest yousaving you time. A site is enabled for Live Bookmarks when you see this icon on the bottom right corner of the browser. Clicking on the icon and selecting an RSS feed will bring up the Add Bookmark dialog. Select ‘OK’ and you will see Live Bookmarks with the rest of your bookmarks. Many people find it especially convenient to save Live Bookmarks in their Bookmarks Toolbar folder. For more information on Live Bookmarks or Firefox itself, visit the Firefox HomePage. Apple’s Safari browser has a built-in RSS reader. Click on the link at the right of the url text field to display available feeds. From there you may bookmark the feed for future viewing. For more information on Safari, visit the Safari HomePage.
The word "nuclear" is often on the front pages of the press, whether you're in Tehran, Tokyo or Tunis. In the last few weeks alone, we've seen international talks about Iran's nuclear programme and united international concern that it is developing a nuclear weapon. We have also seen the DPRK rocket launch - ostensibly a failed satellite launch, but widely suspected to be part of a nuclear weapons programme. Yet at the same time we've seen unprecedented agreement by world leaders at the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul to work together to tackle the threat of nuclear terrorism. The issue of nuclear safety was thrust onto the front pages last year during the massive emergency response to the accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant, following the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Given our expectation that world-wide energy demand is set to double by 2050, and the stark reality that we must reduce global greenhouse gas emissions if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change, then it is clear that the debate about the peaceful uses of nuclear power and the risks of the spread of nuclear weapons is set to continue. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is at the heart of our approach to this debate. The Treaty, borne out of fear that the Cold War era would lead to a nuclear arms race, has in many ways surpassed expectations in terms of longevity, participation and meeting its counter proliferation objectives. Today, with 189 States Parties to the Treaty, it has more signatories than any other treaty of its kind. The three non-signatories India, Israel, and Pakistan, are the only additional states believed to have gained possession of nuclear weapons since the Treaty's inception in 1968. We have left the Cold War era long behind us, and while the Treaty continues to be a considerable deterrent to the spread of nuclear weapons, we must all work to ensure that it evolves and adapts to counter current and future threats to international peace and security. We took a big step towards achieving this in 2010. As my first overseas duty as a UK Foreign Office Minister I attended the NPT Review Conference at the UN in New York. The outcome was a significant boost to multilateralism. All States Parties agreed to support the Treaty to meet new and existing threats. A five year action plan was agreed by consensus, spanning the three so-called "pillars" of the NPT - progress toward disarmament by existing nuclear weapon states, measures to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons to others and, a crucial part of the bargain struck in 1968, supporting the peaceful use of nuclear energy for those that want it. Agreement to the action plan represented the start of a process. The real test will be through delivery of the action plan to meet our commitments by the next Review Conference in 2015. The 2012 NPT Preparatory Committee starting next week in Vienna (30 April - 11 May) will be the first meeting of States Parties to assess our progress and build on the success of 2010. I hope that all states will come ready to discuss the progress they have made and plans for implementation of the NPT action plan. I am pleased that the UK will have an excellent story to tell. Since 2010 the UK has set out our plans for the reduction of our nuclear warheads, missiles and overall nuclear weapons stockpile. Amongst the nuclear weapons states (China, France, Russia, the UK and the US), all members of the NPT, stockpiles already stand at their lowest since the Cold War, and we meet regularly to discuss how we will work together to make further progress towards our long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The UK has also been conducting groundbreaking work with Norway on the verification of nuclear warhead dismantlement, a crucial aspect of any future disarmament regime, and this month hosted the first ever meeting of the five nuclear weapon states on this issue. We have also taken important steps towards preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. We continue to support a universal, strengthened system of safeguards to verify that States comply with their international obligations to uphold the non-proliferation regime. The regime is also strengthened by Nuclear Weapons Free Zones which enhance regional and international security. In support of this, the UK, together with the other nuclear weapons states recognised under the NPT, reached an agreement with the Association of South East Asian Nations, underscoring that we will not use, or threaten to use, nuclear weapons against the 10 states party to the South East Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone. Credible, internationally binding commitments are vital to building the climate of trust between nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states. With this latest addition, such arrangements now cover almost 100 countries. Furthermore, since 2010 the UK has worked to support the safe expansion of civil-nuclear energy -and has recently completed agreements to share nuclear energy knowledge and capabilities with the UAE and Kuwait. Following the tragic events at Fukushima, the UK undertook comprehensive nuclear safety checks and reviewed our own nuclear energy future, including identifying eight potential sites for new nuclear power stations. At the Review Conference in 2010 I was struck by the positive approach of all towards strengthening the NPT. This reflects the widespread belief that the NPT offers the best chance we have of getting the balance right on nuclear issues: with progress towards the long term goal of a world free of the threat of nuclear weapons, while allowing the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It is a goal to which I am personally committed. If we fail, we risk the uncontrolled spread of nuclear weapons to rogue states and terrorist groups. It is a shared responsibility of us all to ensure we do not fail. Follow Alistair Burt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/foreignoffice
Some of the greatest thinkers and orators of all time charged into history armed with powerful words and strong faith. From Maimonides to Thomas Aquinas to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the faithful have spoken truths that continue to resonate to this day. Sadly, far too many of today's voices of faith are being drowned out to the detriment of our entire nation. To this we say, "Enough." It's time for the majority to be heard. It's time to speak in the public square about the faith that can unite us, instead of the fear that divides us. During such a critical time in our country's history - when serious discussion of women's reproductive health devolves into vicious personal attacks, when an American president's stated religion is publicly questioned, and a religious group is targeted for police surveillance, the need to inject reasoned religious voices into the conversation is long overdue. Where are today's rational values voices? They're all around us but too often, are not heard in mainstream media. So I am joined today by a diverse group of faith leaders, or leaders who have a strong connection to their core faith values. Whether Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, or Buddhists, we have come together and are ready, willing and able to engage in the media about complex, contemporary issues important to all of us - race, immigration, the environment, health care, economic justice, religious freedom, the separation of church and state, gender equality, and LGBT equality - through the lens of faith. This is a great opportunity to help people understand the depth and breadth of our religious nation and to reinforce the idea that faith can be a powerful tool for good. We believe our religiously diverse citizenship is more than ready to actively support a more diverse representation of religion in the media. Among us you'll find Sister Simone Campbell, a nun who dedicates herself to social and economic justice. When Representative Ryan suggested his budget reflected Catholic teachings, Sister Campbell criticized "continuing misuse of Catholic teaching to defend a budget plan that decimates food programs for struggling families, radically weakens protections for the elderly and sick, and gives more tax breaks to the wealthiest few." And Joanna Brooks, a feminist Mormon, will be marching alongside churchgoing Mormons in their Sunday best, in support of marriage equality. In fact, from Salt Lake City to the Twin Cities to Washington, DC, Mormons are gathering in 12 cities in support of civil equality under the law and to increase understanding of LGBTQ issues within their community. We may not expect a nun to speak out about a federal budget or a Mormon to support gay marriage. But people of faith have throughout our country's history been on the forefront of change, showing us that what was once unexpected becomes the norm. Blacks and whites, ministers, priests and rabbis, once made a radical sight as they locked arms during the civil rights movement. There's monumental value in diverse voices of faith speaking out together at often-unexpected times in our nation's history. While we are leaders, we are also parents, and teachers, sons and daughters, employers and employees, and we share the same concerns as the vast majority of Americans: we worry about our jobs, our children, paying for college and making sure our air and water stay clean. We rely on our religious values to help us get our house in order and to be better parents, neighbors and friends. In times of trouble, our faith helps pull us through. Make no mistake - we do not agree on everything, but we possess core positive humanistic goals. Together, we want to lend more voices to the critical debates of our time - each a battle between divergent values systems at a time when Americans are thirsting for a wider range of voices to be heard. When balancing the federal budget, wouldn't it be compelling to view it as a moral document? When discussing the elimination of the Environmental Protection Agency, why not allow a person of faith to explain why God's creation cannot be destroyed for corporate gain? And frankly, we're tired of having that faith sullied by voices espousing intolerance in the name of God. When they judge, they desecrate what it means to be faithful in America. It's dismaying when the vocal minority sends the message "If you aren't me, you don't count" as if the Golden Rule was to love some of our neighbors, not all. If there is one thing this seminary president knows, and I am a child of the South who has lived through my share of civil rights battles: We are all God's children. Sadly, today it seems the very word "religion" has become a fault line, with people lining up to take sides. Instead of a beautiful vehicle for the message that God is love, religion is becoming a political tool of intolerance. None of us will be afraid to call it like it is, whether it's racism, bigotry, sexism, homophobia, or economic injustice. Nearly 3,000 years ago the prophet Isaiah said we must learn to do good, seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Those of us committed to our faith struggle daily to put those words into action in whatever ways we can. With this call for more reasonable, continued discourse we again echo Isaiah: We will not be silent, we will not be still. The Rev. Dr. Katharine Henderson, President, Auburn Seminary (Christian, Presbyterian Church USA); Wajahat Ali, attorney, journalist, and playwright, The Domestic Crusaders (Muslim); Joanna Brooks, author, progressive Mormon journalist and blogger , senior correspondent, Religion Dispatches, and professor of American Literature at San Diego State University (Christian, Mormon); Rabbi Sharon Brous, Founding Rabbi of IKAR, a spiritual community dedicated to reanimating Jewish life through soulful religious practice rooted in a deep commitment to social justice; Sister Simone Campbell, Executive Director, Network, the Catholic social justice lobby; (Christian, Catholic); Bishop Minerva Carcaño, United Methodist Bishop of the Desert Southwest Conference (Christian, United Methodist Church); Majora Carter, President, The Majora Carter Group, MacArthur Award-winning environmental advocate (Spiritual); Shane Claiborne, Founding Partner, The Simple Way; contributor, member, Red Letter Christians (Christian, Evangelical); The Rev. Michael Ellick, Minister, Judson Memorial Church, and co-founder, Occupy Faith (Christian, United Church of Christ); Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn), first Muslim to be elected to Congress (Muslim); The Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, President, Interfaith Alliance (Christian, Baptist); The Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, President, Union Theological Seminary (Christian, Christian Church: Disciples of Christ, United Church of Christ); Van Jones, Co-Founder, Rebuild the Dream, (Christian, African Methodist Episcopal); Valarie Kaur, Director, Groundswell, the social action initiative of Auburn Seminary and filmmaker of the award-winning Divided We Fall (Sikh); The Rev. Jacqueline Lewis, Ph.D., Senior Minister, Middle Collegiate Church (Christian, Presbyterian Church USA); Bill McKibben, Founder and Executive Director, 350.org; (Christian, United Methodist Church); Ruth Messinger, President and Executive Director of American Jewish World Service (Jewish); The Rev. Otis Moss III, Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, (Christian, Progressive National Baptist Convention and the United Church of Christ); Eboo Patel, Founder and President, Interfaith Youth Core (Muslim); Bishop Gene Robinson, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire and subject of the Sundance Award-winning documentary Love Free or Die (Christian, Episcopal); Dr. Cornel West, Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practices, Union Theological Seminary and Professor Emeritus, Princeton University (Baptist); Chely Wright, first openly gay country singer and subject of the award-winning documentary Chely Wright: Wish Me Away (Christian). These leaders and more have joined together as FaithSource, an initiative of Auburn Seminary. Auburn equips bold and resilient leaders--religious and secular, women and men, adults and teens--with the tools and resources they need for our complex, multifaith world. We provide them with education, research, support, and media savvy, so that they can bridge religious divides, build community, pursue justice, and heal the world.
“What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.” –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe My wife and I do not watch much television. There was one series which we watched religiously week in and week out. It was 24. When it was time for another season, we were glued to our seats at 9:00 PM every Monday night to watch what Jack Bauer would do next. Almost every episode ended with some plot twist leaving us wondering what would happen in next week. Our conversations for several days revolved around the show, and it wasn’t until about Saturday that our Jack Bauer obsessions would subside, but by then, it was time to start anticipating the next episode. Fox had hooked us using the Zeigarnik Effect. The Zeigarnik Effect and Monkey Brain Subscribe to Receive My 52 Week Financial Game Plan and Get a Free E-Book! The Zeigarnik Effect involves a person’s innate desire to complete tasks that they start. When we are in the middle of a task and get interrupted, we tend to forget the tasks that we have completed, while the unfinished task rattles around in our brains. It’s why television shows use cliffhangers at the end of each episode to keep us hooked. Even Charles Dickens used it, as crowds would wait at docks in New York City to get the next installment of Oliver Twist. I personally experienced this once we decided to pay off our mortgage. My poor wife had to listen to me prate on about how close we were and when we could pay it off. Every dog walk. I was obsessed because we’d started the goal, and it meant so much to me to have it paid off that it felt like Ms. Zeigarnik had personally invaded my brain and used mind control on me. How did we solve the 24 dilemma? We decided to stop watching it real time and wait for the season to end and come out on Netflix. The mental anguish of having to wait a WHOLE WEEK for each episode was simply too much for our nervous systems to handle. So, in short, we procrastinated about watching the new season of 24. (To read about how to effectively use procrastination in your personal financial life, subscribe to the free Hull Financial Planning 52 Week Financial Game Plan and get a free e-book as well.) Why did we procrastinate? Because, as the Zeigarnik Effect explains, we don’t want to start tasks which we can’t finish right away. We throw something new at ourselves for Monkey Brain to obsess over, and boy does he. He will obsess over that uncompleted task to the detriment of other tasks. So, we wait. We don’t start. Procrastination is the key to tomorrow. How the Zeigarnik Effect relates to personal finance Why don’t people actually do something rather than planning to do it soon? It’s because we’re overwhelmed with the enormity of the task. Saving up enough money for retirement is a huge task and will take a very long time to complete. If we try to step back and contemplate the entire task, we’re going to be overwhelmed with the sheer size of it. Flummoxed with intimidation, we shy away from even beginning. Monkey Brain comes up with better ideas, such as going out for an ice cream or buying new shoes to make ourselves feel better. Tomorrow never comes. Fortunately, the Zeigarnik Effect is a double-edged sword, which we can use to make progress. Aquam cavat lapidem, non vire, sed saepe cadendo. Water hollows rock, not by force, but by constantly dripping. Why was I drawn inexorably towards doing everything I could to pay off my mortgage as quickly as I could? I had started. I had committed to the savings goal. My mind was bought in that this was important and it was a priority and it was the right thing to do. Thus, the Zeigarnik Effect took over in a positive way, as it kept me motivated. I had that unfinished goal rattling around in my brain because now that I had started it, basic human psychology drove me to finish it. The key to using the Zeigarnik Effect to your advantage and to defeat Monkey Brain is to start somewhere. It doesn’t have to be at the beginning. But, it does have to be a start. It has to be something important enough that you deem it a priority in your life. Because it’s important enough for you to prioritize it, once you get started, the Zeigarnik Effect will take over, making that goal rattle around in your head and drawing you inexorably to the conclusion. The cliffhangers will start, but they’ll keep you going until you finish all of the episodes. What goals do you have rattling around in your brain? Which ones are you procrastinating about starting? Tell us about it in the comments below! The Winning With Money course offers 20 lessons, 8 worksheets, and several exercises designed to provide you with the answers you need to have certainty in your financial life. Stop spinning your wheels and take action!
Common Shotgun Actions Shotguns use many of the same actions as rifles—the pump-action, semi-automatic, and bolt-action. They also use a break-action as either a single barrel or double barrels. The double barrels can be arranged horizontally (side-by-side) or vertically (over-under). There are four common types of shotgun actions: - Semi-automatic action
Compare any two graphics cards: Geforce GTX 770 vs Radeon HD 7870 IntroThe Geforce GTX 770 features a GPU core speed of 1046 MHz, and the 2048 MB of GDDR5 RAM is set to run at 1753 MHz through a 256-bit bus. It also is made up of 1536 Stream Processors, 128 TAUs, and 32 ROPs. Compare those specifications to the Radeon HD 7870, which makes use of a 28 nm design. AMD has clocked the core speed at 1000 MHz. The GDDR5 memory runs at a speed of 1200 MHz on this specific model. It features 1280 SPUs as well as 80 Texture Address Units and 32 ROPs. (No game benchmarks for this combination yet.) Power Usage and Theoretical Benchmarks Power Consumption (Max TDP) In theory, the Geforce GTX 770 should be 46% quicker than the Radeon HD 7870 in general, due to its greater bandwidth. (explain) Texel RateThe Geforce GTX 770 will be quite a bit (more or less 67%) more effective at texture filtering than the Radeon HD 7870. (explain) Pixel RateThe Geforce GTX 770 should be just a bit (approximately 5%) more effective at AA than the Radeon HD 7870, and also able to handle higher screen resolutions without losing too much performance. (explain) Please note that the above 'benchmarks' are all just theoretical - the results were calculated based on the card's specifications, and real-world performance may (and probably will) vary at least a bit. Please note that the price comparisons are based on search keywords - sometimes it might show cards with very similar names that are not exactly the same as the one chosen in the comparison. We do try to filter out the wrong results as best we can, though. Memory Bandwidth: Memory bandwidth is the max amount of information (in units of megabytes per second) that can be transferred past the external memory interface in one second. It's worked out by multiplying the bus width by its memory speed. In the case of DDR RAM, it must be multiplied by 2 once again. If it uses DDR5, multiply by ANOTHER 2x. The better the card's memory bandwidth, the faster the card will be in general. It especially helps with anti-aliasing, HDR and higher screen resolutions. Texel Rate: Texel rate is the maximum amount of texture map elements (texels) that are applied per second. This figure is calculated by multiplying the total texture units by the core clock speed of the chip. The better this number, the better the card will be at texture filtering (anisotropic filtering - AF). It is measured in millions of texels in a second. Pixel Rate: Pixel rate is the maximum amount of pixels that the graphics card can possibly write to its local memory in one second - measured in millions of pixels per second. The figure is worked out by multiplying the amount of Raster Operations Pipelines by the the core clock speed. ROPs (Raster Operations Pipelines - also sometimes called Render Output Units) are responsible for filling the screen with pixels (the image). The actual pixel fill rate is also dependant on many other factors, most notably the memory bandwidth of the card - the lower the memory bandwidth is, the lower the potential to reach the maximum fill rate.
An international team of scientists has amassed the largest data set to date on greenhouse gas emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs. Their analysis, published in the online version of Nature Geoscience, posits that these human-made systems emit about one sixth of the carbon dioxide and methane previously attributed to them. Prior studies based on more limited data cautioned that hydroelectric reservoirs could be a significant and large source of both carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere. Through an analysis of 85 globally-distributed hydroelectric reservoirs, the authors revealed that these systems emit 48 million metric tons of carbon annually, a downgrade from earlier estimates of 321 million metric tons. Further putting things in perspective, hydroelectric reservoirs are responsible for less than 16 percent of the total carbon dioxide and methane emissions from all types of human-made reservoirs combined. "Our analysis indicates that hydroelectric reservoirs are not major contributors to the greenhouse gas problem," comments Dr. Jonathan Cole, a limnologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and one of the paper's authors. "But there are some caveats. To date, only 17 percent of potential hydroelectric reservoir sites have been exploited, and impacts vary based on reservoir age, size, and location." Carbon dioxide and methane are two of the main greenhouse gases created by human activities. Carbon dioxide is produced during the combustion of nearly any organic material; methane has a variety of industrial sources. Both gases are also produced naturally, particularly in wetlands and lakes. For more hydropower news and information, click here
Re: JOHN 1:1 >Some time back there was a discussion which offered 5 different ways of >translating the end section of John 1:1. I am considering the possibility >of a Theon/Theos distinction in this verse which imports Hebrew concepts >of a God subordinate to the High God as in Ps 45:6-7; Heb 1:8-9. Specifi- >cally I am exploring the possibility that John 1:1,18 may use Theon/Theos >in a way analogous to the Hebrew Eloah/Elohim. This might help explain >John 1:18. Theon is normally in the accusative but does not appear to be >so in 1 John 4:12, an exception which might be of significance. >Any suggestions or references in this area would be welcomed. The first thing to explain to your friend is the difference between Theon and Theos. Both words mean God equally. The difference is Theon is in the accusitive case (it is the direct object of the sentence) and theos is in the nominative case (it is the subject of the sentence). In the English, word order within a sentence informs the reader of which words are the subject and which word is the direct object. This is not true in the Greek. The clues used to figure out the subject and direct objects of a sentence are called "case endings". The root of God in the Greek is : Theo The ending sigma (s) shows that Theos within a sentence is the subject of that sentence. Thus, the case ending is nominative (singular The ending nu (n) shows that Theon within a sentence is the direct object. Thus, the case ending is accusative (singular masculine). AND if both nouns in a sentence both end in a sigma, as in John 1:1c, the definite article, ho, is called the "indicating subject", and its function is to point out to the reader that logos, not theos, is the subject of the clause. I don't know if this will help your friend or not. Keep us posted. - JOHN 1:1 - From: ROBERT MONDORE <[email protected]>
Chad A. Mirkin George B. Rathmann Professor Our research focuses on developing strategic and surface nano-optical methods for controlling the architecture of molecules and materials on a 1-100 nm scale. Our researchers, with backgrounds ranging from medicine, biology, chemistry, physics and material science, are working together in solving fundamental and applied problems of modern nanoscience. Research in the Mirkin laboratories is divided into five areas: Anisotropic Nanostructures, On-Wire Lithography (OWL), Dip-Pen Nanolithography, Organometallic Chemistry, and Spherical Nucleic Acids and Bioprogrammable Materials. Importance of the DNA “bond” in programmable nanoparticle crystallization. Macfarlane RJ, Thaner RV, Brown KA, Zhang J, Lee B, Nguyen ST, and Mirkin CA. PNAS. 2014 October 21;111(42):14995-15000. Spherical Nucleic Acids as a Divergent Platform for Synthesizing RNA-Nanoparticle Conjugates through Enzymatic Ligation. Rouge JL, Hao L, Wu XA, Briley WE, and Mirkin CA. ACS Nano. 2014 September 23;8(9):8837-8843. A Multi-State, Allosterically-Regulated Molecular Receptor With Switchable Selectivity. Mendez-Arroyo J, Barroso-Flores J, Lifschitz AM, Sarjeant AA, Stern CL, and Mirkin CA. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2014 July 23;136(29):10340-10348. Intracellular Fate of Spherical Nucleic Acid Nanoparticle Conjugates. Wu XA, Choi CHJ, Zhang C, Hao L, and Mirkin CA. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2014 May 28;136(21):7726-7733. Nucleic Acid-Metal Organic Framework (MOF) Nanoparticle Conjugates. Morris W, Briley WE, Auyeung E, Cabezas MD, and Mirkin CA. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2014 May 21;136(20):7261-7264. Exosome Encased Spherical Nucleic Acid Gold Nanoparticle Conjugates as Potent MicroRNA Regulation Agents. Alhasan AH, Patel PC, Choi CHJ, and Mirkin CA. Small. 2014 January 15;10(1):186-192. DNA-mediated nanoparticle crystallization into Wulff polyhedra. Auyeung E, Li T, Senesi AJ, Schmucker AL, Pals BC, Olvera de la Cruz M, and Mirkin CA. Nature. 2014 January 2;505(7481):73-77. Combinatorial Screening of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Adhesion and Differentiation Using Polymer Pen Lithography. Cabezas MD, Eichelsdoerfer DJ, Brown KA, Mrksich M, and Mirkin CA. Methods in Cell Biology. 2014;119:261-276. Spherical Nucleic Acid Nanoparticle Conjugates as an RNAi-Based Therapy for Glioblastoma. Jensen SA, Day ES, Ko CH, Hurley LA, Luciano JP, Kouri FM, Merkel TJ, Luthi AJ, Patel PC, Cutler JI, Daniel WL, Scott AW, Rotz MW, Meade TJ, Giljohann DA, Mirkin CA, and Stegh AH. Science Translational Medicine. 2013 October 30;5(209):209ra152. Topotactic Interconversion of Nanoparticle Superlattices. Macfarlane RJ, Jones MR, Lee B, Auyeung E, and Mirkin CA. Science. 2013 September 13;341(6151):1222-1225. A general approach to DNA-programmable atom equivalents. Zhang C, Macfarlane RJ, Young KL, Choi CHJ, Hao L, Auyeung E, Liu G, Zhou X, and Mirkin CA. Nature Materials. 2013 August;12(8):741-746. Mechanism for the endocytosis of spherical nucleic acid nanoparticle conjugates. Choi CHJ, Hao L, Narayan SP, Auyeung E, and Mirkin CA. PNAS. 2013 May 7;110(19):7625-7630. View all publications by Chad A. Mirkin listed in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed). Current and former IBiS students in blue.
The Hunger Games books were among the most challenged of 2011, according to the American Library Association. (Photo: Flickr/Creative Commons/michi003) Suzanne Collins' trilogy, which is about a post-apocalyptic world in which young people are forced to fight each other to the death in an annual tournament, is part of an eclectic mix of reads listed by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, which releases an annual list of the top 10 most challenged books of the year. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness, the ALA says on its website. The number of challenges reflects only incidents reported. We estimate that for every reported challenge, four or five remain unreported. Therefore, we do not claim comprehensiveness in recording challenges. Topping the list was young adult author Lauren Myracle's Internet Girls series, which also topped the list in 2009. Also on the list was the children's illustrated book My Mom's Having a Baby! by Dori Hillestad Butler and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, which was first published in 1932. One book that was dethroned from the list after making it for five years in a row was the children's illustrated book And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson. Parnell and Richardson's book is based on the true story of two male penguins in New York City's Central Park Zoo who exhibited mate behavior, hatched an egg and raised the resulting female baby chick. The book topped the ALA's most challenged list in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. It came in second place in 2009. It's timely to see Collins' entire trilogy make the list (only the first book made it last year). In March, The Hunger Games movie adaptation was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and fans alike. The movie, which stars actress Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone, X-Men: First Class), has grossed more than $400 million worldwide since its Mar. 23 release, according to Box Office Mojo. The books and film have been met with trepidation by those who perceive the material as being excessively violent. The film is rated PG-13 in the U.S. Here is the entire ALA list of the most challenged books of 2011: 1. Internet Girls series by Lauren Myracle 2. The Color of Earth series by Kim Dong Hwa 3. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins 4. My Mom's Having A Baby! by Dori Hillestad Butler 5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 6. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 7. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 8. What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones 9. Gossip Girl series by Cecily Von Ziegesar 10. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Learning the ancient language of Chinese can be particularly daunting -- different grammar structures, using the right intonation, learning to write and read an estimated 40,000 characters, and then one still has to decipher the meaning of it all. China’s province names have either geographical or historic significance, but when translated in their most literal form, some names seem less stately and more ironic. For example, Guizhou province, located in southern China, is one of the poorest provinces in the nation. Yet, the literal translation for the poverty-stricken area is Expensive State. Liaoning, a northern province that borders the recluse and bellicose North Korea, translates to Distant Peace in English. Recently plagued with several political scandals, including the fall of one of the nation's top political figure, Bo Xilai, Chongqing has had little to celebrate, despite being named Double Celebration in English. Qinghai province's name translates to Blue Sea, and there's nothing wrong with that -- until you see on the map it is landlocked and, in fact, one of the farthest places on Earth from said blue sea. (Qinghai is home to the nation's biggest lakes, to be fair.) Translations for countries are also worth pointing out: The United States translates to Beautiful Country, while England is Brave Country. As for North Korea, its literal translation of Morning Calm suggests a very different picture from reality. And how about Afghanistan? It's Abundant Sweat. These literal translations would be considered Chinglish to most who understand both Chinese and English. Chinglish is a term that has been coined to describe the out-of-context, charmingly bad language used to translate Chinese signs and postings into English. This often happens, because Chinese translations for English words can sometimes be phonetic nonsense translations, such as McDonald’s, which in China is called Maidanglao. It sounds similar to the English name but literally translated means wheat labor. Chinglish translations also happen, because individual characters, unlike letters, hold their own meaning but when compounded can mean something else. Literal translations of these words can often lead to pretty funny translation errors. Signs pointing to bathrooms are especially prone to spectacularly, and unwittingly, foul-mouthed mistranslations. Good taste forbids us from publishing the photographic proof, but sometimes the word "gan," which means "dry" in the appropriate contexts, ends up translated into the king of all expletives, the F-bomb, which turns the dry goods shelves at some Chinese supermarkets into something truly weird. Other times, Chinglish mistranslations occur, because they are taken too literally. Blogger China Mike writes that one of the most common mistakes occur when attempting to translate Chinese idioms. “As a written language, Chinese also lends itself well to ‘poetic’ -- almost haiku-like -- translations. Instead of simply writing “stay off the grass,” a sign might read, ‘The grass is smiling at you; please be kind.’” Mike writes in his blog.
The irresponsibility of some parts of the global banking system continues to upset the blog. First, there was news that several banks are planning to award themselves huge ‘bonuses’, based largely on their trading success. Yet the money they are using for this trading has mostly been provided by central banks and governments. And it was supposed to have instead been used to support lending to companies and individuals. The blog completely fails to see the social value in what has been achieved as a result. This trading may have been profitable for a few banks, but it has created increased volatility in currency and commodity markets, and higher prices for key products such as crude oil. And now comes news in today’s Financial Times that US Treasury bills are now paying negative rates of interest. The FT says this is because banks are wanting “to polish their balance sheets for the year end“. Once again, the cash being lent out by central banks is instead being used for selfish purposes by the recipient commercial banks. How can it be sensible for governments to allow this type of activity to continue? The chemical industry is a $3trn business worldwide. Maybe it is time for its leading CFOs to express themselves more publicly on the problems being created by some banks, and set out what needs to be done to solve them?
by Adam Levin Last week, the President and Commander in Chief announced something many Americans had been anticipating (though less and less, as time passed) for nearly a decade. Osama bin Laden, the person responsible for the single largest murder of Americans in history had been found and summarily executed in a stunningly efficient covert operation carried out by the Navy Seals. Not everyone reacted with the same celebratory response seen outside the White House and at Ground Zero. Bin Laden’s acolytes immediately threatened revenge, and some Pakistanis wondered just how a James Bond-like attack could have been carried out on their soil without their knowledge. (Perhaps they should be wondering how the most wanted man in the world could have been living the high life in their midst for almost five years.) For others, the news created an opportunity. Within 24 hours of the President’s newscast announcing bin Laden’s death, email inboxes started receiving predictable bin Laden-related spam. The two most common subject lines I’ve seen are “Osama bin Laden captured!” and “Osama hanged!” Each purports to contain a photo attachment of the killing. These are intriguing offers, considering the U.S. government has yet to release a photo of the late bin Laden (and that he died by gunshot, not by noose). [Article: Playstation Invasion—Child Identity Theft is No Game] Needless to say, the attachment is a complete fraud. This is not to say that it’s one of the many phony Photoshop images with which the web is rife these days. Rather, there is no photo at all—only a virus. I’ve personally seen at least two distinct iterations in this first spam wave (yes, there is a second wave): one email attachment that simply destroys your hard drive, and another that installs a nasty tracking worm. While security researchers investigate who is wiping out hard drives, it’s probably safe to say that whoever is sending the tracking worms is after email contact lists, online bank or retail account information, birthdays, Social Security Numbers, physical addresses, or anything else that could fill in the blanks of your financials or your life for an identity thief. The senders of these emails purport to be organizations sounding vaguely patriotic, and at least one claiming to the FBI. Predictably, the second wave followed the first almost immediately. This more sophisticated round of phishing attacks was marked by better grammar and spelling, and relied on emails that purported to have come from a person the potential victim would know—obviously someone whose address book had already been compromised. Some of these second-wave emails were even more clever; not only were they spelled correctly and came from someone the recipient knows—they actually “warned” of bin Laden-related phishing scams! In cases like these, the attachment is labeled something like “CNN: watch for fake bin Laden emails.” Further, many of the second wave emails have links to Facebook and Twitter accounts, quite possibly to YOUR Facebook or Twitter account! Phishing attacks are commonly being geared toward Facebook, Twitter, and perhaps other social networking sites. In fact it appears identity thieves have learned to post their malware on the pages of innocent people. Like a virus of the physiological kind, the scams and the malware they contain mutate very, very quickly. They become more sophisticated, more credible, and more targeted with each successive wave. These mutations are possible because identity thieves have so much information available to them that the really clever ones can correlate facts in order to make their attacks more likely to succeed. Their success rate will inevitably become much higher as data thefts on a grand scale continue to happen every week. We are being surrounded, and they are closing in for the kill. The more data that is available to the thieves, the more likely it becomes that you will one day open the wrong attachment. If a thief has your email address and date of birth from one data breach, your email and the fact that you visit a veterans’ hospital from a different data breach, it may be safe to assume—and the thief certainly will—that you would be particularly interested in those bin Laden photos. Unfortunately, the assumption we need to make is that to the extent we use the web for commercial or social networking purposes, some identity thief somewhere has at least some information about us. In addition to all of the other prophylactic advice that we have given in this column, let’s apply a little common sense to phishing attacks in particular. First, limit your exposure. This means that you should adjust the privacy settings on any social networking site you frequent to make it at least difficult, if not impossible, for unknown persons to post content on your page. Second, watch your email inbox like a hawk. A little trick I use is that whenever I see an email that raises any suspicion in my mind, I leave my desk to get a cup of coffee or a Coke Zero. This prevents me from acting impulsively, with the kind of curiosity that could potentially allow cyber ninjas to crawl into my life. Another simple stratagem is to observe the full email address of a sender before you open the email, let alone any attachment. Many email systems permit you, by means of rollover or otherwise, to see the full email address of the sender before any other action is taken. This way, when the sender shows up as your old friend “Tom Foley,” you might see that the email address of that phony Foley is actually something that ends with “.ru”—a dead giveaway. Unfortunately, there is no trick aside from good old-fashioned caution and vigilance that can protect you from an email sent from a real friend’s actual email address after his address book has been compromised. Identity thieves are getting smarter and gathering information damn near every cyber-minute. They are an opportunistic bunch, and will take advantage of any news item that is likely to lend credibility to their attacks. Whether it’s bin Laden’s death, a tornado, or even a Lady Gaga sighting, any major event will give rise to new and ever more sinister phishing expeditions. Of course these events have always appealed to a capitalistic zeal. I noticed today that the T-shirts commemorating bin Laden’s death are already out in the street vendors’ carts. The ones I saw had something like the “Ghostbusters” logo, except that inside the circle with a line through it was a picture of bin Laden, not your ordinary ghost. Whether such opportunistic profit seeking lures or repels you, when current events are used to bait a phishing hook, it’s definitely poison. Adam Levin is the chairman and founder of Credit.com and Identity Theft 911. His experience as former director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs gives him unique insight into consumer privacy, legislation and financial advocacy. He is a nationally recognized expert on identity theft and credit. Leave a Reply
Based on primary survey data collected over two election cycles in a mountainous area in China, where an administrative village consists of several natural villages, this paper examines whether or not elected village heads and appointed Communist party secretaries favor their own natural villages when distributing public resources. The analysis shows clear evidence of favoritism by both village heads and party secretaries. In a subsequent election, incumbent village heads who have shown strong favoritism are likely to lose, but resource distribution does not seem to affect the likelihood of the reappointment of a party secretary. Evidence from a low-income region in China International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
ARLINGTON, Va. — November is the peak month for vehicle-deer collisions, and a new analysis of insurance claims and federal crash data indicate the problem is growing. The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), recently examined insurance claims for animal strikes under comprehensive coverage month by month from January 2005 through April 2008. The main finding is that insurance claims for animal collisions are nearly 3 times higher during November than the typical month earlier in the year. For example, for every 1,000 insured vehicles 14 claims were filed in November 2007 compared with an average of 5 claims per 1,000 during January-September. Insurance claims usually don't specify the animal involved, but other data show that deer are the main ones. "Urban sprawl means suburbia and deer habitat intersect in many parts of the country," says Kim Hazelbaker, HLDI senior vice president. "If you're driving in areas where deer are prevalent, the caution flag is out, especially in November." State Farm, the nation's largest auto insurer, estimates that there were more than 1.2 million claims for damage in crashes with animals during the last half of 2007 and the first half of 2008. The company says animal strike claims have increased 14.9 percent over the past 5 years. Most vehicle-animal collisions aren't severe enough to injure people, but data from the federal government show that crash deaths are increasing. In 1993, 101 people died in crashes involving animals. By 2000, the number was 150, and in 2007 it was 223. The states with the largest number of total deaths are Texas with 227 deaths during 1993-2007, Wisconsin with 123, and Pennsylvania with 112. Analyzing monthly data on fatal crashes of passenger vehicles and animals during the past 3 years, IIHS researchers found patterns similar to those reported by HLDI. Depending on the year, the crash deaths occurred most frequently in October or November. "The months with the most crash deaths coincide with fall breeding season," Anne McCartt, IIHS's senior vice president for research, points out. "Crashes in which people are killed are most likely to occur in rural areas and on roads with speed limits of 55 mph or higher. They're also more likely to occur in darkness, at dusk, or at dawn." When motorcycles are included, there's another peak in crashes in the summer when motorcycling is more common. Riders typically make up about half of the deaths in vehicle-animal crashes each year, even though registrations of cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks outnumber motorcycles on the road 40 to 1. Safety belt use is a major factor. IIHS research from 2005 examined 147 police reports on vehicle-animal collisions in which there was a human fatality in 9 states during 2000-02. Deer were struck in 3 out of 4 of these crashes, but collisions with other animals such as cattle, horses, dogs, and a bear also led to deaths. Most of the crash deaths occurred after a motor vehicle had struck an animal and then run off the road or a motorcyclist had fallen off a bike. Many of these deaths wouldn't have occurred with appropriate protection. The study found that 60 percent of the people killed riding in vehicles weren't using safety belts, and 65 percent of those killed riding on motorcycles weren't wearing helmets. "A majority of the people killed in these crashes weren't killed by contact with the animal," McCartt says. "As with other kinds of crashes, safety belts and motorcycle helmets could have prevented many of the deaths." Insurance claims for animal stikes by month, per 1,000 insured vehicle years
The proportion of people over 60 has grown from 8 per cent in 1950 to 11 per cent today, and is projected to grow to 22 per cent in 2050, reaching 2 billion strong. This means that one out of five persons on the planet will be 60 years or older in roughly forty years. Photo:ILO/Maillard J. Living longer entails the need to have longer access to good and affordable health care and to adequate income. Increasingly in many parts of the world, older people - even those in poor health - may have no other choice but to work continuously until very old age. They may not have rights to affordable retirement, nor access to any retirement benefits in order to cover their costs of living. Photo:ILO/NC Discrimination against older persons, in particular older women, needs to be addressed, as during their life, women accumulate disadvantages that pile up at older ages. Older women may experience double discrimination in the form of sexist and ageist stereotypes. They may also be discriminated against not only account of their biological age, but their appearance. As these women workers grow older it appears that they are more likely to be made redundant, and less likely to find alternative employment than other groups within the labour market. Photo:ILO/Deloche P. Because women live longer than men, they form the majority of older persons (55 percent). Currently, women outnumber men by about 70 million among those aged 60 years or over. In the last 50 years, global life expectancy of women has increased from 48 to 67 years, as compared to 45 to 63 years for men. Photo:ILO/Maillard J. A large part of the economic contribution of women is through their care-giving roles, household chores and informal economy activity. Social security schemes providing minimum benefit guarantees and compensating loss of benefit entitlements are particularly relevant to women workers whose entitlements can otherwise be very low due to low pay and/or holding part-time jobs, often interrupted by family responsibilities and unemployment. For those women who had never been remunerated for work, these guarantees could be life-lines. Photo:ILO/Deloche P. Labour force participation rates for older women are generally lower than for older men. This does not mean that older women are not working. Older women workers who work for only a few hours or undertake irregular or seasonal employment, women who are in unpaid employment, or women who work near or in their home are often not captured in the labour market indicators. Since women, more so than men, are found in these situations, it is to be expected that the number of women in employment tends to be underestimated to a larger extent than the number of men. Photo:ILO/Deloche P. Women are vulnerable owing to their high numbers in unpaid, low-paid, part-time, frequently interrupted, informal economy work. As a result they are less often entitled to any contributory pension benefits in their own right. Even if they are, their pensions are often significantly lower than those of men due to lower earnings and shorter contribution periods. Photo:ILO/Deloche P. In developing countries older people may have to work despite poor health in order to survive without pensions. There are, however, few decent employment opportunities available to them. At the same time in developed countries, many older people are in good physical and mental health and are perfectly capable and willing to offer their experiences and capacities to employers even though they have the right to retirement. Photo:ILO/Crozet M. Much of the world's population - 80 per cent - is still without access to comprehensive social security protection. This lack of protection is becoming glaringly obvious as populations age Basic, non-contributory social security pensions help to reduce gender inequalities in income and quality of life between older women and men. This is critically important given the different constraints faced by women in terms of labour force participation at different stages of the life course. Since older women are at the lowest economic rungs, they stand to benefit most from these schemes. Photo:ILO/Deloche P. The ILO's Older Workers Recommendation, 1980 (R162) states that "Employment problems of older workers should be dealt with in the context of an over-all and well balanced strategy for full employment and, at the level of the undertaking, of an over-all and well balanced social policy, due attention being given to all population groups, thereby ensuring that employment problems are not shifted from one group to another". Photo:ILO/Crozet M. Career guidance and counseling and job search assistance for older workers play key roles to promote employability of the older age groups. Training and continuing education are crucial in helping older workers to adapt to changing demands and opportunities. Lifelong learning is a long-term, preventative strategy that is far broader than just providing "second-chance" education for those adults who were not provided with initial quality education and training in their childhood and youth. Photo:ILO/Deloche P. A fundamental objective is to build societies fit for people of all ages, as proclaimed by the Madrid World Assembly on Ageing (2002). This requires rethinking the conventional course of working life. It entails introducing more flexible and tailored working patterns, yet at the same time ensuring that people have both the right to continue working if they so wish and the right to retire in an affordable manner if they do not wish to continue an economically active life. There needs to be a shift from competition to solidarity among working age groups and to remove the employment barriers facing older people. Photo:ILO/Maillard J.
Convention No.169 is a legally binding international instrument open to ratification, which deals specifically with the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples. Today, it has been ratified by 20 countries. Once it ratifies the Convention, a country has one year to align legislation, policies and programmes to the Convention before it becomes legally binding. Countries that have ratified the Convention are subject to supervision with regards to its implementation The basic principles of ILO Convention Identification of indigenous and tribal peoples. The Convention does not define who are indigenous and tribal peoples. It takes a practical approach and only provides criteria for describing the peoples it aims to protect. Self-identification is considered as a fundamental criterion for the identification of indigenous and tribal peoples, along with the criteria outlined below. Elements of tribal peoples include: Elements of indigenous peoples include: In recognition of the fact that indigenous and tribal peoples are likely to be discriminated against in many areas, the first general, fundamental principle of Convention No. 169 is non-discrimination. Article 3 of the Convention states that indigenous peoples have the right to enjoy the full measure of human rights and fundamental freedoms without hindrance or discrimination. In Article 4, the Convention also guarantees enjoyment of the general rights of citizenship without discrimination. Another principle in the Convention concerns the application of all its provisions to male and female indigenous persons without discrimination (Article 3). Article 20 provides for prevention of discrimination against indigenous workers. In response to the vulnerable situation of indigenous and tribal peoples, Article 4 of the Convention calls for special measures to be adopted to safeguard the persons, institutions, property, labour, cultures and environment of these peoples. In addition, the Convention stipulates that these special measures should not go against the free wishes of indigenous peoples. Recognition of the cultural and other specificities of indigenous and tribal peoples Indigenous and tribal peoples’ cultures and identities form an integral part of their lives. Their ways of life, customs and traditions, institutions, customary laws, forms of land use and forms of social organization are usually different from those of the dominant population. The Convention recognizes these differences, and aims to ensure that they are protected and taken into account when any measures are being undertaken that are likely to have an impact on these peoples. Consultation and participation The spirit of consultation and participation constitutes the cornerstone of Convention No. 169 on which all its provisions are based. The Convention requires that indigenous and tribal peoples are consulted on issues that affect them. It also requires that these peoples are able to engage in free, prior and informed participation in policy and development processes that affect them. The principles of consultation and participation in Convention No. 169 relate not only to specific development projects, but also to broader questions of governance, and the participation of indigenous and tribal peoples in public life. In Article 6, the Convention provides a guideline as to how consultation with indigenous and tribal peoples should be conducted: Consultation with indigenous peoples should be undertaken through appropriate procedures, in good faith, and through the representative institutions of these peoples; The peoples involved should have the opportunity to participate freely at all levels in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of measures and programmes that affect them directly; Another important component of the concept of consultation is that of representativity. If an appropriate consultation process is not developed with the indigenous and tribal institutions or organizations that are truly representative of the peoples in question, then the resulting consultations would not comply with the requirements of the Convention. The Convention also specifies individual circumstances in which consultation with indigenous and tribal peoples is an obligation. Consultation should be undertaken in good faith, with the objective of achieving agreement. The parties involved should seek to establish a dialogue allowing them to find appropriate solutions in an atmosphere of mutual respect and full participation. Effective consultation is consultation in which those concerned have an opportunity to influence the decision taken. This means real and timely consultation. For example, a simple information meeting does not constitute real consultation, nor does a meeting that is conducted in a language that the indigenous peoples present do not understand. The challenges of implementing an appropriate process of consultation with indigenous peoples have been the subject of a number of observations of the ILO’s Committee of Experts, as well as other supervisory procedures of the ILO, which the ILO has now compiled in a Digest. Adequate consultation is fundamental for achieving a constructive dialogue and for the effective resolution of the various challenges associated with the implementation of the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples. Right to decide priorities for development Article 7 of Convention No. 169 states that indigenous and tribal peoples have the right to “decide their own priorities for the process of development as it affects their lives, beliefs, institutions and spiritual well-being and the lands they occupy or otherwise use, and to exercise control over their economic, social and cultural development”. This has been interpreted by the ILO’s supervisory bodies as an essential consideration when consultations with indigenous peoples take place. Implementation of Convention No. 169 Since its adoption, Convention No. 169 has gained recognition well beyond the number of actual ratifications. Its provisions have influenced numerous policy documents, debates and legal decisions at the regional and international levels, as well as national legislation and policies. The Provisions of Convention No. 169 are compatible with the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the adoption of the Declaration illustrates the broader acceptance of the principles of Convention No. 169 well beyond the number of ratifications. The Convention stipulates that governments shall have the responsibility for developing co-ordinated and systematic action to protect the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples (Article 3) and ensure that appropriate mechanisms and means are available (Article 33). With its focus on consultation and participation, Convention No. 169 is a tool to stimulate dialogue between governments and indigenous and tribal peoples and has been used as a tool for development processes, as well as conflict prevention and resolution. Although considerable progress has been made with regards to the implementation of the Convention in the countries that have ratified, the supervisory bodies of the ILO have also noted a number of implementation challenges, particularly with regards to the coordinated and systematic action required as well as the need to ensure consultation and participation of indigenous peoples in decisions that affect them. At the country-level, it has become evident that a focus on good practices and lessons learned from practical implementation is crucial for achieving a constructive dialogue. This is especially the case in Africa and Asia, where the perceived sensitivity of indigenous issues is a major obstacle to dialogue. Therefore, a new focus of the ILO’s work in this area is on the documentation of good practices for the implementation of the principles of Convention No. 169, in order to enable key actors to benefit and learn from broader experiences in their work. The ILO is gradually making a series of good practice studies available, related to the main provisions of Convention No. 169
Check out these gorgeous sample shots captured in Iceland with Phase One’s new 60MP IQ2 digital back posted Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 5:46 PM EST Landscape photographer Joe Cornish is a lucky man. He's one of the first people to test out Phase One's new IQ260 digital back and he got to shoot with it in the beautiful -- but cold -- outdoors of Iceland. The 60-megapixel IQ260 is one of three new 645-format digital backs introduced by Phase One earlier this month, offering a claimed 13 f-stops of dynamic range and a whopping 16 bits of color. The IQ260 also has built-in wireless connectivity; a 3.2-inch, 1.15MP display on back with touch control; and an ISO range from ISO 35 to 3,200. To help protect against tough outdoor conditions, the backs are made from 100 percent aircraft grade aluminum with all connectors and ports protected by hatches and rubber covers. "This country is a great opportunity to test the qualities of the IQ260," Cornish said about shooting with the camera back in the far west region of Iceland, which is dominated by a giant volcano called Snæfellsjökull. "When you have these bright, white, sunlit plumes of seawater with a white snow covered mountain behind and then deep dark shadows of black vulcanic rock, it really is a profound test. A pretty ultimate landscape test for any camera system." The IQ260 is also incredibly expensive, with a starting price of $39,900. Image files out of a camera back with this much resolution are huge: between 60-70MB per shot. So while, unfortunately, we weren't able to post Cornish's full resolution shots here, the following web-sized images should give you some idea of this back's capabilities. To see how Cornish captured the images while on location in Iceland, watch this video. (Thanks to Phase One for sharing these photos with Imaging Resource!)
In a future where the polar ice-caps have melted and Earth is almost entirely submerged, a mutated mariner fights starvation and outlaw "smokers," and reluctantly helps a woman and a young girl try to find dry land. In the year 2013 civilization has all but destroyed itself. After a war that decimated the government and most of the population of the United States (possibly the world) people struggle to survive against starvation and rogue groups of armed men. One such group is called the Holnists. This group is bigger than any other and their leader, General Bethlehem, has delusions of ruling the country. A drifter is captured by the group and forced to join. He escapes at the first chance and happens on a mail jeep with a skeleton in it. The skeleton is wearing a postal uniform and the drifter takes it to keep him warm. He also finds a mailbag and starts conning people with old letters. The hope he sees in the people he delivers to changes his plans and he decides that he must help bring the Holnists down. Written by The protagonist is referred to as The Postman or Shakespeare. In the novel his name was Gordon Krantz. See more » When Ford-Lincoln-Mercury and the postal carrier from California (Clark) are about to be executed, and Ford introduces himself, we flash to a distance shot, in which we see Clark remove his hat. We then flash to a closeup, and Clark removes his hat again. See more » I found the movie to be better than anticipated (perhaps because I feared the worst, thanks to all the "anti"hype). Costner did a great job transforming a hokey script into an attractive film. It's use of symbolism and Shakespearian references were well placed, though seemingly not accepted. This only strengthens the fact that movies "wax too philosophical" for the general audience, especially an American audience which usually can't handle any movie beyond 1 and a half hours. This is why the Action genre is so popular while the Epic genre sees a rare release. Also, Great scenery and camera work help the story along, not to mention good acting. In its roots, Postman is an old fashioned movie without the heavy, overdone special effects we badly crave(Armaggedon, Starship Troopers). The Postman is merely a metaphor for strength, courage and conviction. The movie could have been about "The Cook" and still work as well. Shame on Hollywood for trashing such a great star!! (lest we forget the references to "Kevin's Gate" during DANCES WITH WOLVES, The negative buzz surrounding ROBIN HOOD, and even WATER WORLD.) Movies that went on to become hits!! 76 of 116 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
Lightning aside, that 30-pin dock connector ain't going nowhere Even with rumors of Apple fast-tracking the 30-pin dock connector's demise, millions of legacy devices aren't going to disappear over night When Apple introduced the iPhone 5, fourth-generation iPad and iPad mini, they also introduced the Lightning connector, a new interface to replace the 30-pin dock connector that had been standard equipment on all iOS devices up to then. While the Lightning connector is the heir ascendant, is it time to say goodbye to the old 30-pin Dock Connector? While the iPod debuted in 2001, it was a Mac-only peripheral that used FireWire to charge and to sync with its host computer. There was no built-in Wi-Fi, no wireless sync, and at that point, old, slow USB 1.1 was standard equipment on the Mac. Recognizing a great market opportunity, Apple brought the iPod to Windows users in 2002. FireWire worked quite well as both a speedy sync interface and as a charging interface, but it also inhibited the iPod's adoption among Windows PC users, who (still) greatly outnumber Mac users. Although FireWire wasn't completely unknown among Windows users - Sony PCs came equipped with FireWire ports labeled "i.Link" - it certainly wasn't as ubiquitous as USB. In 2003 Apple threw off the shackles of FireWire and mated the iPod to a 30-pin dock connector. Finally, in 2003, with the introduction of Apple's third-generation iPod, Apple threw off the shackles of FireWire and mated the device to a 30-pin dock connector instead. While Mac users could still use FireWire, PC users got a USB cable that summer, and iPod adoption rates went off the charts. From then on, the Dock Connector was the standard interface for the iPod. And for its successors, the iPod mini and the iPod nano (the iPod shuffle started out as a USB memory stick and later went to its current clip-on button form factor). Once Apple introduced the Dock Connector, they started to license third parties to make products designed to support it. Pretty soon the iPod ecosystem was rife with companies that produced docking stations, speakers, clock radios and other devices that supported the Dock Connector. And so it remained until 2012, when Apple introduced the Lightning connector. Apple wanted to continue to evolve the shape and dimensions of iOS devices, but they were faced with a problem that wasn't an issue when the Dock Connector debuted in 2003. Chip miniaturization and improved manufacturing processes made it possible to shrink iOS devices to almost unbelievable thicknesses. There also came a need to do more inside. None of this was possible with the relatively large 30-pin Dock Connector in the way. It was no secret that Apple was working on a new connector to replace the 30-pin Dock Connector. Apple debuted the Lightning Connector with the iPhone 5 in 2012 Apple debuted the Lightning Connector with the iPhone 5 in September, 2012. Apple called Lightning "smaller, smarter and more durable than the previous connector," noting that it has a reversible interface that's adaptive - it only uses the circuitry that each device connected to it requires. The new interface carried over the newest iPod touch and iPod nano, which were introduced at the same time as the iPhone 5. And when Apple introduced the iPad mini a month later, it also had a Lightning connector, as did the fourth-generation full-sized iPad, which was introduced at the same time as the iPad mini. I have no doubt that when we see refreshed iOS devices announced next month, they will have Lightning connectors. Lightning is the way new iOS devices will connect to computers and other devices from here on out. Already Apple's shipped millions of Lightning-equipped devices, and third parties with MFI (Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch) certifications wasted no time getting Lightning-based products ready for distribution. But that doesn't mean the 30-pin Dock Connector is going away any time soon. Here for a while Predictably, Apple's created a bit of a quagmire with the Lightning transition. Many consumers who have purchased iOS devices in the past already have accessories that use 30-pin dock connectors - everything from clock radios to car stereos - and they're not anxious to scrap those and start over again. So Apple has a Lightning to 30-Pin Dock Connector converter that helps bridge the gap. And more companies are producing Lightning-equipped devices every day. But that doesn't change the state of the Apple union. Tim Cook noted in January during a conference call with financial analysts that Apple had shipped 500 million iOS devices in total. At that point, the company had barely shipped three months' worth of Lightning-equipped iOS devices. The vast majority of the devices it had shipped were equipped with 30-pin Dock Connectors. What's more, you can walk into a store today and buy current Apple hardware with 30-pin Dock Connectors - the iPod classic retains the 30-pin Dock Connector, for example, and the iPhone 4 and 4S are still available from Apple and other retailers. Not to mention the iPad 2. But the fact remains that hundreds of millions of iOS devices remain in circulation today that still use the Dock Connector. That may change soon: September and October are historically big months for Apple to make iOS product announcements, and we already know that Apple has something up its sleeve for September 10th. But the fact remains that hundreds of millions of iOS devices remain in circulation today that still use the Dock Connector. So if you're worried about products that use it disappearing tomorrow, don't be. It'll be here for a while longer.
Photolithography Manufacturing Engineer * Related duties as required are duties that may not be specifically listed in the classification specification or position description. - Responsible for supporting the thin film head photolithography manufacturing process under the direction of Photolithography Manufacturing Engineering Manager. - Duties include resist coat/equipment developing from the process side, and organizing tool optimization and chemical usage reduction efforts. - designing experiments to optimize photoresist processes through simulation/modeling and experimental techniques. - assisting in the implementation of new products and processes into manufacturing. - setting up procedures and systems for process monitoring. - developing new processes and evaluating new materials to improve process capability and yield. - monitoring, sustaining, and supporting manufacturing processes and activities including statistical process control and rework rate. - defining and implementing yield improvement and rework reduction activities cross functionally with other engineering departments. - conducting process improvement through failure analysis and defect reduction. - implementing and qualifying new tools, materials and processes - evaluating and monitoring photolithography equipment performance and stability. - Worksite: Milpitas, CA - Master's degree or the equivalent Headway Technologies - 22 months ago Headway Technologies is making progress in the disk drive market. The company designs and manufactures recording heads for computer disk...
Prophet of Doomsday: Stephen Hawking, eco-warrior 'In a world that is in chaos, politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?' So asked the most famous scientist on the planet, the newest recruit to the mission to save the Earth. Sunday 21 January 2007 It is the question most troubling the most famous brainbox on the planet and - as one of the world's least likely, but most successful, communicators - he chose a suitably hi-tech way of posing it. "In a world that is in chaos, politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?" asked Professor Stephen Hawking on the internet site Yahoo! last summer. An astonishing 25,000 browsers rushed to give him their answers - ranging from "We won't" to "Somehow we will", and proposing solutions from banning nuclear weapons and tackling global warming to escaping into space. The Cambridge professor, who has been said to sell physics better than Madonna can sell sex, seems to agree with many of them. In a few weeks, Britain's longest-surviving sufferer from motor neurone disease will meet the almost equally high-profile Sir Richard Branson to discuss how his giant brain and broken body, complete with wheelchair and voice synthesiser, are to be accommodated on the first space flight of the tycoon's Virgin Galactic service next year. It is to be a dramatic demonstration of Professor Hawking's controversial conviction that humanity will have to "spread out into space for the survival of the species". Last week, ahead of his putative trip into orbit, he joined his old schoolfriend and colleague, the Astronomer Royal, Sir Martin Rees, to sound one of the starkest alarms yet of the dangers of nuclear proliferation and climate change. At the Royal Society, of which Sir Martin is president, they formally moved the hands of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' clock to five minutes to midnight - midnight being the figurative end of civilisation. Over the past 60 years - since it was instituted in the wake of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - the clock has been changed 18 times in response to the nuclear threat (it was closest to midnight, two minutes, in 1953 after Russia and the US tested weapons; furthest, at 17 minutes, after the signing of the 1991 nuclear arms treaty). But this movement, closer to the hour of doom by two minutes, takes into account climate change, for the first time. In a necessarily terse statement - he has to pre-prepare each one by laboriously selecting words from a computer screen, building up a passage, and then sending it to his voice synthesiser - Professor Hawking starkly spelt out the twin threats. "As scientists, we understand the dangers of nuclear weapons and their devastating effects, and we are learning how human activities and technologies are affecting climate systems in ways that may forever change life on Earth," he said. "As citizens of the world, we have a duty to share that knowledge, and to alert the public to the unnecessary risks that we live with every day. We foresee great peril if governments and societies do not take action now to render nuclear weapons obsolete and to prevent further climate change." It was an important moment in the growing campaign for urgent action to control the heating of the planet - like Sir Richard Branson's conversion to the cause, reported in The Independent on Sunday last September, and Sir David Attenborough's belated decision to throw his weight behind it last May. It was not the first time Professor Hawking has voiced his concern; he has a good record on climate change, stretching back a decade. But it was the most public and most dramatic, and its timing - just as political pressure for action is reaching a new peak - will greatly magnify its effect. Stephen William Hawking has had an extraordinary life. He was born in Oxford on 8 January 1942, 300 years to the day from the death of Galileo. He was raised in a somewhat bohemian household in St Albans, the son of a researcher in tropical medicine so that, he says, "I grew up thinking that a research scientist was a natural thing to be". Holidays were spent in a Gypsy caravan. Always a clumsy, ill-coordinated child - with a lisp and terrible handwriting - he was persecuted as a swot at his minor public school, St Albans. (He revisited it for "a very enjoyable day" last year). He came into his own when he got to University College Oxford. He gained a first in physics at the age of 20, and then moved to Cambridge to study cosmology. But life was waiting just around the corner with a cosh. His lisp became a slur. He began moving awkwardly, staggering and stumbling. At just 21 he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) a motor neurone disease of unknown cause. Doctors gave him about two years to live. It was doubly cruel, as he was already making a noticeable mark. Just a year after his diagnosis, he attended a lecture at the Royal Society by Sir Fred Hoyle, a bombastic figure who was then one of Britain's cult scientists. When the great man asked for questions, the 22-year-old Hawking coolly told him that his calculations were wrong. "Would you like to tell us how you know this, young man?" asked Sir Fred, with heavy sarcasm. "Because I worked it out," said the young Hawking. And he had. Despite the progression of his disease, he continued his work. He describes it as "a condition in which the nerves controlling muscles die off, but the sensory nerves continue as before. It is not supposed to affect intelligence, but maybe I am too far gone to notice. "Had I chosen any other career, my ALS would have ended it. But theoretical physics is all in the mind, so I was able to carry on. I can't say that my disability has helped my work, but it has allowed me to concentrate on research without having to lecture or sit on boring committees." He found that, contrary to scientific orthodoxy, some radiation escaped from black holes (discovering something new, he says, "is the most wonderful feeling in the world, like sex but it lasts longer"), and at 37 was appointed Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge (Sir Isaac Newton was a predecessor). But six years later he lost his voice after a bout of pneumonia that almost killed him. Doctors saved him with a tracheotomy, an operation that allows you to breathe through your neck, but bypasses your voice box. At first he could only communicate by raising his eyebrows when someone pointed to letters on an alphabet card. Now his computer and synthesiser allow him to articulate about 15 words a minute, about a tenth as much as in normal speech. Does he get angry about it? "He takes the view that that is a luxury he cannot afford," says his friend and assistant Judith Crowsdale. She describes a remarkably busy, uninhibited life of constant activity, including much foreign travel. He left his wife of more than 20 years - who had supported him through his growing disability, and brought up his children - for one of his nurses, who he married. For more than three years, he went on to suffer a series of mysterious injuries - once getting severe heatstroke and sunburn after being left out in his garden in his wheelchair on the hottest day of the year. Police investigated, but he made no complaint. Ms Crowsdale says: "We are way beyond all that now." His friends are mainly fellow academics, but he is close to Matt Groening - who featured him in an episode of The Simpsons - enjoys the company of Jim Carrey, Richard Dreyfuss and Kevin Costner, and gets on with Al Gore. He has long been concerned about global warming, signing (with his thumbprint) an open letter to George Bush six years ago with other leading figures, protesting against the President's decision to turn against the Kyoto Protocol and urging him "to reduce US production of greenhouse gases". And while other scientists have drawn back from spelling out the worst possible consequences of climate change - fearing being accused of sensationalism - he has been prepared to do so, repeatedly warning that global warming could run out of control so that "Earth might one day soon resemble the planet Venus", with temperatures of 250C and sulphuric-acid rain. His authority comes as much from his courage and sheer persistence as from his scientific knowledge. He is not, after all, a climatologist and - despite the popular hype, which has compared him to Einstein and Copernicus - the planet's top physicists failed in a poll to rate him among the top practitioners of his profession But he himself says: "I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these how and why questions. Occasionally, I find an answer." A brief history of (the end of) time Stephen Hawking's blockbuster 'A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes' has sold 25 million copies. Cynics say it is the least read best-seller since the Bible. His next book will be ambitiously called 'The Grand Design', but here are ideas for the three biggest perils that he believes threaten humanity. Chapter 1: GM virus - the plague next time Most of the threats we face come from the progress we have made in science and technology. Often they make natural ones worse. Take the pandemics that occasionally sweep through the world killing millions. Influenza has been the worst culprit, and if the bird flu now spreading round the world mutatesit could be one of the worst plagues yet. But the release - by accident or design - of a virus, genetically modified so that people could not resist it, would be far worse. Chapter 2: Not with a whimper, but with a bang Nine countries have nuclear weapons, and Iran and North Korea are believed to be developing them. Terrorists seek them and there are more than enough weapons held by existing nuclear powers to destroy the planet. Some experts thinka nuclear conflict in the coming decades is inevitable. Chapter 3: If it's not Mars, it could be Venus Waiting until the ill-effects of global warming become obvious will be too late; action must be taken now. The warming process could run out of control, as "positive feedbacks" in the Earth's natural systems magnify it. That could lead to the planet becoming uninhabitable - turning it into a hot dead one like Venus, which has long been known to have suffered the ultimate greenhouse effect. Why are moths fatally attracted to light? At long last, Australia is able to halt the relentless advance of the cane toad Snowfalls are now just a thing of the past How we must adjust our lifestyles to nature: Welcome to the 'Anthropocene', the human epoch Is a controversial breeding project the saviour of wild salmon, or is it wreaking havoc with nature? - 1 The black and blue dress: Makers considering a white and gold version - 2 Husband and wife die holding hands within hours of each other after 67 years of marriage - 3 What color is The Dress, white and gold or blue and black? An eyewitness gives a definitive answer - 4 The remarkable archaeological underwater discovery that could open up a new chapter in the study of European and British prehistory - 5 Fearne Cotton quits Radio 1 after ten years for 'family and new adventures' New theory could prove how life began and disprove God Half of Ukip voters say they are prejudiced against people of other races 'Cash for access' scandal: Sir Malcolm Rifkind says 'unrealistic' for MPs to live on £67,000 salary This is what it's like to be dead, according to a guy who died for a bit 'Jihadi John': CAGE representative storms off Sky News accusing Kay Burley of Islamophobia Aqsa Mahmood branded a 'disgrace' by her parents after claims she recruited three UK girls flying to Middle East salary equal to £40K pro-rata: Sauce Recruitment: Are you available to start a... £35000 - £40000 per annum: Ashdown Group: Creative Front-End Developer - Claph... £18000 - £24000 per annum: Recruitment Genius: The role in this successful eco... £28000 - £30000 per annum: Ashdown Group: QA Tester - London - £30,000 QA Tes...
Hurricane threatens Florida Tuesday 01 August 1995 Reuters Miami - Hundreds of thousands of Florida coastal dwellers were ordered out of their homes last night as Tropical Storm Erin neared hurricane strength and spun through the Bahamas on a collision course with the US mainland. The rapid approach of the storm, which formed late on Sunday in the Atlantic, sent residents of south Florida scurrying for emergency supplies and dredged up memories of Hurricane Andrew, the costliest natural disaster in US history. Emergency services in the heavily populated Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas and the Florida Keys ordered thousands of people to evacuate mobile homes, low-lying coastal areas and barrier islands. Between 600,000 and 800,000 people live in Dade County's evacuation zone. "Everyone needs to follow the evacuation order. Lives are very clearly held in the balance," said Dade County Commissioner Bruce Kaplan. Florida's Governor, Lawton Chiles, declared a state of emergency in south and central Florida, activating the state's emergency operations centre. - 1 The black and blue dress: Makers considering a white and gold version - 2 Husband and wife die holding hands within hours of each other after 67 years of marriage - 3 What color is The Dress, white and gold or blue and black? An eyewitness gives a definitive answer - 5 Fearne Cotton quits Radio 1 after ten years for 'family and new adventures' Boris Nemtsov shot dead: Outspoken Putin critic who had expressed fears for his life is shot dead Leonard Nimoy dead: Star Trek actor dies after suffering lung disease PornHub turns masturbation into energy in bid to save the planet Ukraine crisis: Top Chinese diplomat backs Putin, says West should 'abandon zero-sum mentality' What color is The Dress, white and gold or blue and black? An eyewitness gives a definitive answer New theory could prove how life began and disprove God Half of Ukip voters say they are prejudiced against people of other races 'Cash for access' scandal: Sir Malcolm Rifkind says 'unrealistic' for MPs to live on £67,000 salary This is what it's like to be dead, according to a guy who died for a bit 'Jihadi John': CAGE representative storms off Sky News accusing Kay Burley of Islamophobia Aqsa Mahmood branded a 'disgrace' by her parents after claims she recruited three UK girls flying to Middle East salary equal to £40K pro-rata: Sauce Recruitment: Are you available to start a... £35000 - £40000 per annum: Ashdown Group: Creative Front-End Developer - Claph... £18000 - £24000 per annum: Recruitment Genius: The role in this successful eco... £28000 - £30000 per annum: Ashdown Group: QA Tester - London - £30,000 QA Tes...
Vaccine bombshell: Baby monkeys given standard doses of popular vaccines develop autism symptoms by Ethan A. Huff If vaccines play absolutely no role in the development of childhood autism, a claim made by many medical authorities today, then why are some of the most popular vaccines commonly administered to children demonstrably causing autism in animal primates? This is the question many people are now asking after a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh (UP) in Pennsylvania revealed that many of the infant monkeys given standard doses of childhood vaccines as part of the new research developed autism symptoms. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which in some cases has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available for the purposes of news reporting, education, research, comment, and criticism, which constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. It is our policy to respond to notices of alleged infringement that comply with the DMCA and other applicable intellectual property laws. It is our policy to remove material from public view that we believe in good faith to be copyrighted material that has been illegally copied and distributed by any of our members or users.
Iranian officials indicate they may pursue legal action in the aftermath of the Stuxnet attack, including taking on the company whose equipment was the target of the virus. Gholam-Reza Jalali, head of the Iranian Passive Defense Organization, suggested Iran should seek legal remedy for the millions of dollars in damages to Iranian equipment. Jalali suggested that the German-based Siemens corporation was responsible for providing the intelligence necessary for the development of the Stuxnet virus, and should be held liable in the matter. The Stuxnet virus attacks are thought to have caused severe damage to Iranian uranium enrichment facilities and reportedly set back the nation's nuclear program by as much as several years. Stuxnet is a highly sophisticated designer-virus that wreaks havoc with SCADA systems which provide operations control for critical infrastructure and production networks, and leading theories indicate that the malware was probably produced to stifle Iran's nuclear warhead ambitions. The virus specifically targeted Siemens Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) used to control enrichment centrifuges. "The research and inquiry into the matter indicates that the Stuxnet worm was disseminated from sources in the US and Israel," Jalali, stated. "Iran's Foreign Ministry should probe into the political and legal aspects of the cyber attack while other Iranian bodies should pursue and complain to international circles... Siemens should explain why and how it provided the enemies with the codes for the SCADA software," Jalali suggested. Jalali indicated that Iran has traced outgoing information from the Stuxnet infected systems to destinations in Israel and the United States. "After following up the reports that were sent, it became clear that the final destinations (of these reports) were the Zionist regime and the American state of Texas," Jalali said. Stuxnet was first identified in 2010, and both the New York Times and a German researcher have indicated that the source of the malicious code was a joint program administered by the U.S. and Israel.
As personal mobile devices flood the corporate workplace, you'd think every company would have its own app store, right? Not so fast. Despite the obvious benefits of efficiently and securely distributing mobile apps to employees to use their personal iPads, iPhones, and Android smartphones, enterprise app stores are not widely in use. In fact, only an estimated 10 percent of enterprises have their own stores -- though it's worth noting that Gartner predicts that by 2014, private app stores will be deployed by 60 percent of IT organizations. [ Check out what InfoWorld's Paul Krill has to say about the year of the corporate app store. \| Read the InfoWorld special report: "Making sense of mobile device, application, and information management." \| Subscribe to InfoWorld's Mobilize newsletter for more perspectives on mobile computing. ] The current low usage numbers are surprising given that the enterprise app store model follows the popular consumer trend started by Apple's iTunes App Store and Google's Play Store (Android). Such familiar platforms are the place where users go for apps and content, and without them smartphones and tablets would just be pieces of aluminum and plastic. Some big companies such as CDW and General Electric have successfully implemented private app stores, and smaller niche companies, particularly in the health care field, are also looking at private app stores with help from big vendors like Cisco and SAP, as well as smaller players such as AppCentral and Virtusa. Despite the efficiency of the model, the enterprise store is still not at the core of the BYOD (bring your own device) movement. The main reason seems to be shoddy, mistake-prone implementations. More specifically, for example, this means having little to no social media interaction and recommendations within the stores and not having a consistent user interface, to name a few reasons, says Rauf A. Adil, director of technology at Virtusa, an IT services and consulting company based in Wesborough, Mass. "The fundamental reason users visit an enterprise app store is to discover apps and get other users' feedback," says Adil. If youre not building your app store with that in mind, it's likely to fail. Here are five mistakes to that will quickly turn employees away from using enterprise app stores, according to Virtusa. 1. There's no easy discovery The biggest mistake organizations make is they do not provide easy search and discovery for applications in an enterprise app store. This often goes unnoticed at first as the number of apps available is limited. But over time, as the numbers of apps grow, discovery becomes more important. Apps should be categorized with the capability to create bookmarks and favorites, and there should be a seamless search and discover capability to get to a specific app or a set of apps. Also, discovery helps in avoiding duplication. "If someone can easily discover an app for a specific purpose, they are less likely to duplicate its functionality in another app and perhaps use that app to solve the business problem or re-use the components, design and code from the existing app to build a new one," says Adil. 2. No feedback or ratings Ratings and feedback are essential components of the enterprise mobile app. If you dont provide this feature, then it is hard to track user satisfaction of the app within the organization. It is important to get feedback and ratings from users separately and then tie that information to the app usage data, according to Virtusa. The app store should provide a view of where apps in a specific category such as human resources can be ranked by ratings in a search or on the dashboard. 3. No social media integration Many organizations are using social media for internal communications and sharing, but they don't tie it into enterprise app stores. The enterprise app store should integrate seamlessly with social media to facilitate the information, discovery, recommendations, likes and comments on the apps. This will only draw internal users to the app store. You should also provide a way to integrate feedback, comments, likes and recommendations from the internal social media sites and apps with the enterprise app store. 4. Lack of security and privacy policies When an app is submitted for publishing on the enterprise app store, the administrative and review board should check it against a security vulnerability check list, according to Virtusa. It also recommends using software and programs to check apps against a security and cyber threat vulnerability assessment list. For example, if the company policy is to not allow unencrypted data links, then the app should not connect to third-party web services over unsecured data links. Keep an up-to date "vulnerability assessment list" with newly found and documented vulnerabilities. Similarly, you need to do an assessment on the privacy-related compliance requirements to ensure that no data is disclosed or leaked to unauthorized persons within the enterprise, to third-party sites, to apps via links or by using third party services (such as geo-location or mobile check in). 5. Not enforcing user interface and visual design best practices All enterprise app stores should live up to the organization's published guidelines regarding user experience (UX), visual designs, color and navigation schemes and other UI (user interface) and UX guidelines. For instance, if an app has a different color scheme or variation in logo or font from the published guidelines, then the administrative and review board should reject it with feedback on why it was rejected and what should be done to bring it in compliance with the enterprise app store publishing guidelines. Yes, consistency counts, right down to the color of your enterprise apps. Shane O'Neill covers Microsoft, Windows, operating systems, productivity apps, and online services for CIO.com. Follow Shane on Twitter @smoneill. Follow everything from CIO.com on Twitter @CIOonline and on Facebook. Email Shane at [email protected]. This story, "5 mistakes to avoid when deploying an enterprise app store" was originally published by CIO.
Uses special equipment and methodology too locate all kinds of concealed in floor heat leaks, no matter where they are.Thermal imaging equipment is used to perform effective, non-contact inspections of the potentially affected areas in conjunction with other detection equipment. Also known as infrared thermography, this technology is used for structural building diagnostics among other uses.Thermal imaging can help with radiant floor leak detection in slabs since infrared can show actual images of exactly where issues may need to be addressed.Thermal imaging uses infrared technology to detect very small differences in temperature. This incredible thermal image technology makes the thermal signatures visible where they wouldn’t be able to be seen with the naked eye. Early detection of problems can help you effectively act on them. This reduces or prevents further damage which saves you time and money.By identifying the variance in temperature between a wet area and the surrounding dry areas thermal imaging can help locate moisture issues that would not be visible during a limited visual home inspection. Commercial building owners should know what to look for when evaluating MOIR/Infrared Thermographers. Make certain any company you are interested in working with knows how to use the Infrared Inspection tools in conjunction with state of the art nondestructive moisture meter to locate hidden defects and potential problems that a typical commercial inspection company cannot reveal. Thermal image scanning technology is now being used to appraise residential and commercial properties for damage, especially radiant floor leak detection in slabs.sorry Sana remove the orange slider, only one, on the page, it slows it down.
One of the most valuable things anyone can bring to the innovation process is great ideas for uniquely solving consumer needs. And, in order to bring novel (innovative) ideas to your organization, I have found that it is important to continually sharpen and expand your instincts and intuition. Sharpen your Instincts Malcom Gladwell in two of his books, Blink and Outliers, illustrates the value of sharpening one’s instincts and creating more intuitiveness. In Blink, Gladwell provides several deliciously compelling examples of the human “Adaptive Unconscious” at work. This Adaptive Unconsciousness is discussed as one’s ability to intuitively connect a myriad of seemingly disparate dots in a split second in order to form an accurate expert opinion. And, fortunately this Adaptive Unconsciousness is something that one can develop over time. In Outliers, Gladwell makes the case for developing “expert” knowledge and abilities through what he calls “The 10,000 Hour Rule.” Gladwell’s thesis is that after 10,000 hours immersed in a particular field or activity, one begins to have a seemingly innate level of knowledge or capability. Put another way, with 10,000 hours of effort you can take your Adaptive Unconsciousness (instincts and intuition) to a new, almost uncanny level. But at this point, one’s expertise is potentially narrow, and one way to bring even more value to your innovation process is to expand your instinctive base. Expand your Instincts IDEO’s Tom Kelley in The Ten Faces of Innovation espouses the value of a “T-Shaped” individual. The “T-Shaped” person is one who has an amazing breadth of knowledge across many fields, but also an incredible depth of expertise in at least one subject. And the value they contribute to the innovation process is their ability to bring new, novel and highly relevant ideas from the outside. I love how Kelley notes that “you are likely to be surprised by what you find out next” about these types of individuals – these types of people sound pretty interesting don’t they? And, I have to believe that many of the people who end up on Tom Peters’ Cool Friends List are “T-Shaped.” “T-Shaped” people are the ones society labels insightful and wise. Not only do they have a highly sophisticated capacity to filter, process, and assemble a wide array of information in extraordinarily unique and relevant ways, they also seem to have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. These people would be characterized as being naturally curious; and the value “T-Shaped” individuals bring to the innovation process is that they frankly have the ability to see things others don’t see in all the things that everyone can see. They have and incredible, broadly-fed imagination and even Albert Einstein felt that imagination was often more important than knowledge. Admittedly (and perhaps even thankfully), not everyone has a desire to be a “T-Shaped” innovator, but this is absolutely a trait that can be developed with effort and over time. Andy Stefanovich in Look @ More discusses a number of things one can do to continually sharpen their instincts – both broadly and deeply. LAMSTAIH (Look At More Stuff Think About It Harder) is Stefanovich’s mantra for becoming a well-rounded, T-Shaped innovator. To me, “Think About It Harder” is similar to Gladwell’s 10,000 Hour Rule. In order to develop subject matter (or skill-level) expertise, you have to put in the time. You’ve got to work at it- harder. And, you’ve got to think about it – harder. To broaden your perspective or expand your innovator’s peripheral field of vision you need to reawaken and continually feed your curiosity. Simply put, you need to Look At More Stuff. All living things are born with curiosity, but all too often this is squelched in many humans beginning around the 3rd or 4th grade. Six Techniques to Sharpen and Expand Your Innovation Instincts So if the notion of being T-Shaped appeals to you, here are some ideas to help you reactivate some of your instinctual curiosity: • Occasionally take yourself out of your daily, weekly and monthly routines. You’ll be amazed by what doing something different or doing something differently can do for your mind. • Purposefully seek out the new and the different – and pay attention. There is a whole lot of life going on out there and to borrow a quote from Ferris Bueller – “If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” • Go Wander and Wonder. Go see, do, and experience something completely out of your wheel-house. Get out of your comfort zone and whet your appetite for confusion. Seek out things that are amazing to you. • Challenge your senses. Take a moment every now and then to mentally catalogue what your senses are experiencing and then, maybe even push them a little further. • Make note of things that inspire. Each of us are moved in different ways. Pay attention when you are inspired. Ask yourself why you were inspired. Make note of what this feeling is inspiring in you. • Play! Have you ever spent any time watching two young animals playing around or rough-housing? They are developing their instincts and this is one technique that we human simply don’t do often enough. This is by no means an exhaustive list of ideas to help you begin to expand and sharpen your innovation instincts. In my mind, I’ve hardly even scratched the surface; but my hope is that you’ve been inspired just a little and that you will continue to add to this list on your own. If you already have some ideas or techniques of your own, I’d love to hear about them! Stay curious my friends… Now, let’s get innovating! image credit: AdAge.com; Choose how you want the latest innovation content delivered to you: - Daily — RSS Feed — Email — Twitter — Facebook — Linkedin Today - Weekly — Email Newsletter — Free Magazine — Linkedin Group Bradley (Woody) Bendle is Director, Insights & Innovation at Collective Brands, Inc. and formerly a VP of Marketing, Customer Analytics & Strategic Systems at Blockbuster, and a consulting economist. His focus areas are: Brand & Market Strategy, Product & Service Innovation, Consumer Behavior, Quantitative & Qualitative Research Methods, and Applied Econometrics. (twitter – @wbendle)
Discover our Member's services On May 27th Alexander Osterwalder presented Straegyzer, a new online course to teach you how to design, test, and build business models and value propositions based on the methodology practiced by the world’s leading organizations and ventures. One of the most crucial elements to success is the communication and promotion strategy of an innovation initiative. This is not only important during its launch, but throughout the lifetime of the program. Not paying enough attention to this topic from the beginning is likely to result in low participation and poor results. In this IM Channel One webinar learn more about how to promote an innovation program effectively to raise awareness and get sustainable engagement. The more things change, the less they do. This is the reality that the 4th Benchmark Survey on Product Portfolio Management has uncovered: product organizations reveal that they face an ever-tightening vice grip of market pressures without a corresponding increase in the quality or availability of those factors that would enable speeding innovation in the face of those pressures. Watch this IM Channel One Ask the Expert Q&A Webcast and learn about tangible methods to build a road map for sustainable innovation. In this IM Channel One Concept Presentation, Prof. Henry Chesbrough, Prof. Wim Vanhaverbeke and Dr. Nadine Roijakkers present Project MOOI in detail and explain the benefits for managers and professionals that come from joining this new online project community. This IM Channel One Ask the Expert Q&A hosted by NineSigma shares hands-on experiences on how open Innovation can be applied to mitigate operator bias in the pharma industry. By formulating business cases that address global healthcare needs, the pharmaceutical industry can open new avenues of innovation that are built on existing solid assets, developing accessory devices and services, creating user communities (medical and/or patient) and strategies to defend against the generic erosion of revenue. Product organizations often fill their pipelines with more ideas than their budget and resources can handle because they lack the means to identify and prioritize the winning ideas. The result is that most organizations have too many projects for their resources and miss opportunities to develop the products that will gain them market share. In this IM Channel One Ask the Expert Q&A hosted by Planview, the experts discussed how organizations should assess which products are market-worthy, and how to prioritize them to justify resource allocation is critical to the product organization’s success. Today, the “business as usual” is not sufficient. What we experience at an increasing pace are razor-thin margins, heightened global competition and a rollercoaster economy. Innovation is the key to creating and sustaining a business’s competitive advantage. In fact, without it, the results can be catastrophic. But there is good news: research shows that anyone can learn the skills needed to become more innovative. In this Expert Roundtable Discussion learn more about how innovation can be learned, what the key innovation skills are, and how companies can support a culture of innovation. This IM Channel One Concept Presentation features Colin Nelson, Director of Strategic Innovation and Dr. Christian Hagemeier, Director SAAS Business at HYPE Innovation as they explain more about the importance of innovation platforms and offer a sneak-peak at the newly developed HYPE GO! Ready user portal. Many organizations are recognizing the power of involving much larger and diverse groups in enterprise innovation. Some company cultures react well to the initiative, others are much more cautious. Building a sustainable culture where everyone’s happy to share ideas and contribute to company challenges can be tough for innovation professionals. In this session we explore how to create engagement from every corner of the enterprise to help your organization reach its innovation potential. As innovation becomes an important skill set, large organizations will seek to obtain training for their employees. We stand on the brink of an innovation training “land rush” with few rules and little information to identify the best programs. Evaluating an innovation training program is critical. Assess programs based on their depth, the experience of the trainers, the referenced body of knowledge and the inclusion of practical examples and hands-on exercises. Ignore certifications, because no standard exists. Despite a detailed process with countless hours of work, and sincere efforts to take a longer-term, strategic look at where to play and how to win, many businesses fail to anticipate fundamental shifts that should cause them to rethink their entire business model. The results are often disastrous – too many businesses end up on life support. This article presents a new concept called “Competitive Fingerprints” that will allow readers to anticipate shifts and adapt their business model to capitalize on future market realities. HYPE Innovation is producing a series of five articles to help innovation practitioners and those new to collaborative enterprise innovation, understand how to build a successful and sustainable program. This article shares key activities you can undertake in order to boost engagement with your program. The new corporate venturing adapts open innovation tools to ensure that the created future options can be realized. Proven open innovation practices, such as challenge diffusion or RFPs, stealth scouting and ecosystem landscaping, are very amenable to successful corporate venture portfolio building. In this IM Channel One Expert Roundtable Discussion we heard from corporate venturing leaders how they view the future of corporate venturing and how they see the way open innovation can and will contribute to their corporate venturing activities and global innovation strategy. To succeed in a fast-paced competitive global economy, small and medium-sized entities (SMEs) are increasingly adopting Open Innovation (OI) management strategies. A lack of resources, however, frequently requires SMEs to implement OI strategies on their own without the assistance of a management strategy professional. This article offers clear, do-it-yourself steps to initiate an OI program successfully within an SME. Incumbents. Everyone who isn’t one hates them and if they don’t already tease you enough from their ivory towers you just know that their lazy overpaid salesman is playing golf somewhere waiting for orders to drop into his inbox before he goes to the nineteenth hole. So how will your sales teams topple the golfer?
SACRAMENTO -- Proposition 13's restrictions on property tax growth have been untouchable in California politics for almost 40 years, but a new Field Poll shows about half of voters are open to tweaking the landmark measure. Asked in a general way if they favor making some changes, 49 percent of registered voters said they supported the idea, while 34 percent are opposed, the poll found. Deciding how to alter California's rigid tax rules is the multimillion-dollar question. The Field Poll found far less consensus around a proposal to reduce the threshold needed to boost local taxes from a two-thirds majority to 55 percent. Only 39 percent of voters said they support that idea, and Republicans are strongly opposed, with 67 percent disapproving. "Proposition 13 is not as sacrosanct as it had been in the past," said Carl Stempel, a California State University East Bay professor who helped write the poll. "California has so many more younger voters today, and they don't have the same historical memory as the older generation." Prop 13 enshrined an anti-tax mentality in California law when it passed with 65 percent of the vote in 1978, slashing property taxes and limiting the ability of politicians and even voters to raise taxes of all types. Advocates say it has helped keep California affordable for residents and businesses, but critics say it has starved government for money, leading in particular to a decline in the quality of the state's schools. In recent years more than half a dozen plans to alter Proposition 13 in some way have all failed, in part because of strong opposition in the business community and advocacy groups like the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Jon Coupal, the group's president, said keeping property taxes low for businesses is important because higher levies always "hit the pocketbooks of consumers and tenants," too. In February, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano introduced a bill to close what he calls a loophole in state law that allows commercial property buyers who take a less than 50 percent stake in the ownership to avoid having the property reassessed at market rate. Under his bill, any sale, no matter how many new owners are involved, would trigger reassessment and a higher tax. A decade ago, wine company E&J Gallo avoided a higher reassessment in buying a 1,765-acre Napa County vineyard when a dozen Gallo family members bought shares of the property -- none greater than 50 percent. The move costs Napa County at least $700,000 a year in lost property taxes. In one interesting example of consensus, the poll found a strong majority of both Democrats and Republicans support changing Proposition 13 to force business properties, just like houses, to be reassessed when they are sold. More than 7 in 10 Democrats (71 percent) and nearly two in three Republicans (64 percent) reported supporting such a change, similar to the one Ammiano hopes to enact this year. However, those number may be inflated because of confusion about the poll question, political analysts said. San Jose State University Professor Larry Gerston said voters unfamiliar with the nuances of Proposition 13 may have thought they were being asked about proposals to create what's known as a split roll, where commercial property owners are taxed at a higher rate than residential property owners. "It's the first time in memory we've seen voters want to do anything about Prop 13, but I don't know if they realized how this poll question was formatted," Gerston said. Despite voters' interest in some changes, the poll also found that knowledge of the measure, a part of the state constitution, varies. Fewer than half said they knew the measure's rules apply to both residential and commercial properties. But close to 70 percent of voters said they know that more recent homeowners living in similar homes in the same neighborhood generally pay higher property taxes than longtime homeowners. The survey was conducted between March 18 and April 5 among 1,000 registered voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
George Soros penned an article for Financial Times titled “Germany’s reticence to agree threatens European stability”. You can read the entire article on George Soros’ official website. Here is an excerpt from George Soros’ Financial Times article: At the meeting in Rome last Thursday the four heads of state agreed on steps towards a banking union and a modest stimulus package to complement the fiscal compact. But Chancellor Merkel resisted all proposals to provide relief to Spain and Italy from the excessive risk premiums prevailing in the market. This threatens to turn the June summit into a fiasco which may well prove fatal because it will leave the rest of the eurozone without a strong enough firewall to protect it against the possibility of a Greek exit. Even if a fatal accident can be avoided the division between creditor and debtor countries will be reinforced and the “periphery” countries will have no chance to regain competitiveness because the playing field is tilted against them. This may serve Germany’s narrow self-interest but it will create a very different Europe from the open society that fired people’s imagination. It will make Germany the center of an empire and put the “periphery” into a permanently subordinated position. That is not what Chancellor Merkel or the overwhelming majority of Germans stand for. Chancellor Merkel argued that it is against the rules to use the ECB to solve the fiscal problems of member countries – and she is right. President Draghi of the ECB has said much the same.
Step 1: Introduction, part 1 - my gripe Likewise, there are are a number of Computer Aided Design packages (CAD) designed to help create PCB designs, possibly with accompanying schematics. Some of these have low-cost versions aimed at students and hobbyists. But I see on various web pages PCBs created with these CAD packages, by hobbyists, that are not "friendly" to actually being fabricated by hobbyists using the methods described on the PCB pages. A lovely published PCB is not nearly so useful if it requires the $50+ typical minimum price from a professional board maker. I don't have any doubt that with the right equipment, and supplies, and some practice, you can get good enough at home PCB fabrication techniques (take your pick) to produce high quality board of significant complexity, with fine traces, small holes, and so on. But a lot of PCBs don't really need that complexity, and it would be nice if they were DESIGNED in such a way that you didn't NEED a lot of experience in PCB making to get a working PCB. This document contains some hints on configuring a CAD package to create boards that are easier to manufacture in a hobbyist environment. It's based around Cadsoft's Eagle CAD package, but the principles are relatively general and should be applicable to other CAD packages as well.
Step 7: Planting the Seeds! Planting your pepper seeds, Time to crack out your seed germination tray! If you don't already have one, buying one is easy, you can get them at any decent hardware and garden store. This one cost me 7$ from Home Depot, with peat pots included. But you can use any type of seed starting kit out there, i know there are tons of different ones. So, fill as many sections or peat pots as you want plants 75% of the way with your soil mix. Next, drop in 2-4 seeds in each slot. Cover about a quarter of an inch with dirt. and water to set the seeds into their new home. You should notice sprouts in 6-8 days. Another thing is to be sure not to flood your seeds, you want to keep them moist, not soggy. And Like i mentioned before, Pepper plants need warmth during their germination period, so if you live in an area which freezes in winter, you need to start your pepper plants indoors during winter, if you want an early harvest, otherwise wait until spring. But, if you live in a warm area like i do, starting peppers outdoors in a similar germination thingy should work fine pretty much any time of the year. If you want healthy pepper plants, the ideal temperature for germinating peppers is 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit (27-29 C)
Education, Regulation and Association The Three Pillars of a strong midwifery profession are Education to provide a highly competent, qualified workforce, Regulation of the activities of the professionals, and organisation of the members in a strong Association. All of the guide Midwives Associations and their governments to review, improve and strengthen the education and regulation of midwives and midwifery. They enable countries to review their midwifery curricula for supporting and retaining a quality midwifery workforce. Watch the Videos on Education, Regulation and Association Learn about the ICM Global Standards, Competencies and Tools by watching the videos: - Education with Joyce Thompson and Angela Sawyer - Competencies with Judith Fullerton - Regulation with Sally Pairman - Strength in numbers with Nester Moyo Find the relevant Core Documents Firstly please find the general Glossary of Terms to inform all the ICM Core Documents. - Provides a highly qualified, competent workforce - ICM Global Standards for Midwifery Education (2010 amended 2013) form a framework for the development of midwifery education. - ICM Global Standards for Education - Companion Guidelines (2010 amended 2013) - ICM The Global Standards for Education - Glossary of Education Terms - ICM Essential Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice (2010 amended 2013) for the basis of the curriculum for midwifery education. - ICM Standard Equipment List for Competency-Based Skills Training in Midwifery schools (2012) - ICM Model Curriculum Outlines for Professional Midwifery Education (2012) provides guidelines for the development of midwifery curricula which, in line with competencies and education standards take cognisance of the context without compromising quality - ICM Curriculum Concordance Map (2013) provides a tool to map the competencies in the curriculum. - Serves to protect women and their babies - Defines competency and scope for practice - Sets education and practice standards - ICM Global Standards for Midwifery Regulation (2011) provides a framework to ensure that regulation of midwifery education and practice is globally effective. - Provides professional support - Contributes to national policy development - Supports relationships with other healthcare professions - The Member Association Capacity Assessment Tool (MACAT) 2011 provides a framework to help an association assess an decide what activities need to be carried out. - The Member Association Capacity Assessment Tool (MACAT) Guidelines for use
INTERPOL training to help law enforcement protect integrity of 2014 FIFA World Cup BRASILIA, Brazil – As football fans around the world prepare to support their favourite teams during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, INTERPOL is providing training to police officers as part of the world police body’s ongoing contribution towards protecting the integrity of the event. In partnership with FIFA, INTERPOL’s Integrity in Sport (IST) team has developed a training programme to support Brazilian law enforcement agencies with a better understanding of the dangers of match-fixing and the modus operandi used by organized crime both nationally and internationally. Hosted by the Brazilian Federal Police in Brasilia, law enforcement officials from Brazil and from around the world who are manning the International Police Cooperation Centre, are attending today's course aimed at assisting them in recognizing suspicious patterns of behaviour which could be connected to match manipulation. The training is an integral part of INTERPOL’s global IST strategy to raise awareness of the scope and scale of match-fixing and ensure a coordinated response from the law enforcement community worldwide. The course is a key component of the 10-year initiative established between INTERPOL and FIFA in May 2011 to develop and implement a Training, Education and Prevention programme to enhance awareness on match-fixing and corruption in football. INTERPOL’s Integrity in Sport unit, in partnership with the FIFA Security Division, has developed a multi-faceted programme to assist football associations, government departments, law enforcement agencies and other relevant stakeholders in developing coordinated strategies to tackle match-fixing, incorporating stakeholders on national, regional and international levels. The course is being held just days after Lionel Messi, Argentina captain, FC Barcelona striker and the first four-time consecutive FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, added his voice to INTERPOL’s #TurnBackCrime campaign to highlight the dangers of organized and other forms of crime and its impact on everyday life. While many people know that transnational organized crime networks are behind various forms of trafficking such as illicit goods, fake medicines, drugs, arms and even people, they are often unaware of the links with other seemingly unrelated and varied crimes such as match-fixing. Corruption in sport, counterfeiting, cybercrime, kidnapping, fraud, crimes against children and environmental crime are in fact often interconnected, with profits from one crime area used to fund another. Read more about INTERPOL’s Integrity in Sport unit and find out how you can join INTERPOL’s Turn Back Crime campaign:
Thursday, June 10, 2010 The Chaucer Blog Book By now everyone knows that the Chaucer blogger is not David Wallace but Brantley Bryant -- and I will here insist, again, that Brantley Bryant is not a fictional persona created by David Wallace to make it seem as if he is not the author of Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog. For the record: "Brantley Bryant" is NOT the medievalist version of JT LeRoy, and though there are some superficial similarities uniting the two scholars, Brantley Bryant is not David Wallace in a nice wig and different glasses. Nor is he Rita Copeland. With all that cleared up, let me turn to a question that is no doubt on the minds of many ITM readers. The Chaucer Blog was entertaining, but how is the book of the blog? I've just read the volume through for a second time, and I'm happy to answer: it is also quite entertaining. You know already that I have an included essay, on "Blogging the Middle Ages": the essay was in fact blogged at ITM. And Brantley Bryant and David Wallace -- who are not the same person, and whose relationship involves no wigs, changes of glasses, or other disguises -- and who come to think of it have never actually been spotted in the same room together -- ANYWAY, they are both my friends, even if as I am typing this I am realizing that I know less about them than I thought I did and am finding it a little strange that they have never been observed, let alone photographed, anywhere near each other. I also note that Brantley Bryant is NOT on the program for NCS Siena, while David Wallace IS. How convenient. ANYWAY, again, I am obviously well disposed towards the book, and indeed I do like the thing. From its bitter prefatory poem by John "the Wanker" Gower ("Beware, ye shal nat L O L / The while that ye burne in helle") to its concluding -- and new for the book -- road trip to Vegas, Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog is great fun. And why shouldn't it be? Brantley emphasizes in his narrative of origins "Playing Chaucer" that starting the irreverent blog was a relief from the seriousness of his dissertation (he was a graduate student when he created the blog, and is now an assistant professor at Sonoma State University). He observes that has been pleased at the "good bit of fun and enjoyment" the site has provided. But play is also serious; didn't Chaucer teach us that? So even though Brantley often veers away from his moments of acuteness with humorous lines like "imagine me in a clown suit if necessary," I would emphasize how useful for thinking about medievalism is the narrative he provides. On the one had, since I've known Brantley from c. 2006 when I met him at Columbia, much of the history behind the blog isn't news to me. On the other, by invoking the work of scholars like Stephanie Trigg and emplacing the persona within the tradition of Chaucerian congeniality that Stephanie has excavated, he argues well for the project's relevance to Chaucer scholarship. Invoking as influences both BABEL and In the Middle (both of which were then "concentrating on rethinking the methods of medieval scholarship and on finding new configurations between the medieval and the modern"), he writes that "In its own jokey way, the blog aimed at the same effect through its simultaneous appropriation, disruption, and estrangement of contemporary concerns and Chaucer's text" (22). He dilutes the assertion by adding "please remember, however, that we are discussing a joke blog" -- and again I want to say, jokes are serious, important, and require no apology. We're generally not allowed to write with a jocular tone for Speculum, and that's OK; but a benefit of blogs and the new critical modes they enable is that we can speak in a way that is more direct, often more engaging, and potentially full of sober challenge beneath the seeming lightness. That, at least, is my take on it: the self-enforced sobriety of the field has its negative effects, and blogs widen the possible. Along these same lines, the included essays by Bonnie Wheeler and Bob Hanning emphasize how venerable this history of serious fun is within the field. Bonnie's essay traces the "long tradition" of formidable academic levity, especially at Kalamazoo. Her account of how the impromptu convocation of "823rd Meeting of the Holy Foreskins Society" in 1974 became the Pseudo Society is hilarious, as well as a reminder of how far back these challenges to scholarly solemnity go. Bonnie writes that the seriousness of the Medieval Academy was a primary target of these "creative efforts of frustration," because "any society with women members that named its academic journal Speculum deserves the occasional parody" (10). This democratic carnival seems to have had many members, but its most prolific was Bob Hanning, whose amusing contributions to medievalist humor are collected in the book as well. His limericks, puns, and assorted verses are insanely clever. The bulk of the book, however, is the print version of the Chaucer Blog itself. I wondered how well the posts would hold up three and four years on, since so many of them took as a point of departure ephemeral pop culture. Most remain hilarious, even when the films and celebrity gossip they reference are no longer foremost in our mind. "Ich and the Perle-Poet on Mount Dorse-Quassee," a rewriting of Brokeback Mountain, seemed to me as fresh as when I first read it. The interview with Reims Launcecrona, built upon Paris Hilton c. 2006, loses a little when references to "The Lyf Symple" take a few extra seconds to compute (for my old brain), but some of the lines remain priceless. Reims explains that she doesn't like blogs because she is afraid of falling into one: "Blogges are moost uncourtlie," she adds, "And ful oft ther ys sum dead Pict at the bottom of the blogge." Then again, another line (when asked about professors of literature, Reims breezily declares "Vntil they owene up to havynge no ethical use, I shal nat respecte them") brought me back to an interesting period at In the Middle, since the reference was meant as a comment upon the discussion unfolding here. Other posts, like "Serpentes on a Shippe," didn't seem quite as fresh; but "Ask Chaucer" and "Flayme Werre" are timeless. My advice? Buy the book. It's in paperback, it's fun to read, and what else are you going to lug to the beach, the Confessio Amantis?
Customer Accounts - Introduction At the most basic level, the customer account serves as a place where the owner holds cash and securities; it is also a record of all customer investment activity. The type of account the customer owns will be determined by his or her investment objectives, level of trading authority, and personal or professional requirements, because each account type has its own recordkeeping needs and functions. Moreover, proper compliance with securities industry rules begins with the collection and documentation of customer information when a new account is opened. Opening a New Account
I usually keep multiple Web pages open on my desktop computer's Web browser, and I'm constantly switching between them. I do the same thing on my iOS device. Here's how I open and switch between them. Open multiple Web pages - Open Safari and navigate to a Web page. - To open a second and subsequent Web pages tap on the Pages icon. It looks like two blank pages, one top of the other. On the iPhone/iPod touch the Pages icon is located in the bottom right corner of the screen; on the iPad, in the top left. - On the iPhone/iPod touch, the current Web page shrinks and a New Page button appears in the lower left corner. Tap on the New Page button. - On the iPad, the current page shrinks to thumbnail size and a dark New Page thumbnail appears next to it. Tap on the New Page thumbnail. - A blank "Untitled" Web page appears. Enter a Web address or use your bookmarks to open a new page. - Repeat the process to open more Web pages. Note that you can also create multiple pages when you open an embedded link. Simply press down on the link until the pop-up appears, and then select Open in New Page from the menu. Switch between Web pages: - Tap on the Pages icon to display thumbnails of all the Web pages you have open. Note that number superimposed on the Pages icon tells you how many Web pages you have open. - On the iPhone/iPod touch, use your finger to scroll left and right to find the page you want to switch to. - On the iPad, open pages are displayed as thumbnails on a single screen. - Tap on the desired page to switch to it. - Tap on the circled X icon in the upper left corner of the thumbnail to close the page completely.
The recent call from Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev for “tightening belts” has convinced even optimists that something is deeply wrong with the Russian economy. The United States is calling for greater cooperation in the Arctic, even as it warns that it will defend its sovereignty in the face of strengthening international interest in newly opening shipping lanes and natural resource extraction opportunities as the region’s ice disappears. Many eyes are turning north to the Arctic, some in horror at the rapid decline of a key component of our life support system, others in eager anticipation at the untapped resources beneath the vanishing snow and ice. With climate change rapidly opening up new opportunities for shipping and resource extraction across the once permanently frozen Arctic, the United States and other northern countries are being compelled to re-examine their policies, both national and collective, towards this region of growing geostrategic importance. Environmentalists are warning that a meeting of environment ministers that took place Monday in Sweden has agreed on a weak and inadequate response plan in case of an oil spill in the Arctic Ocean. The planet can be cooled a whopping 0.5 degrees C with fast action to reduce air pollution from coal-fired power plants, gas fracking, diesel trucks and biomass burning, recent studies show. By mid-September, the Royal Dutch Shell Oil (Shell) group hopes to begin exploratory oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of northern Alaska, provided it can secure federal permission from the U.S. government and overcome other logistical obstacles. But a prominent environmental group warns that drilling will do "irreparable damage" to the area. Many environmental groups are concerned over a possible extension of drilling expeditions in the Arctic, as oil companies, including Royal Dutch Shell, are set to begin drilling in the region as early as this week.
Wendall and Al Wendall and Al were non-morphic, though able to speak fluent English. Wendell was the more cautious of the two and spoke in a whiny tone, whilst Al was more confident and had a deeper voice. La-Z-Boy Incorporated was founded in 1927 by cousins Edward M. Knabusch and Edwin J. Shoemaker. Headquartered in Monroe, Michigan, U.S.A., the company has since grown to be the United States' largest manufacturer of upholstered furniture. and the world's leading producer of reclining chairs. Wendall and Al first appeared in 1996, in a thirty-second television commercial designed to highlight the fact that La-Z-Boy made furnishings other than their well-known recliners. In the commercial, the two raccoons break into a house whilst its owners are on vacation, in order to make themselves comfortable on the chairs and sofas. Wendall comments, "I just thought they made recliners", to which Al reponds, "It's a common misconception among raccoons". In 1999, Wendall and Al returned for a second thirty-second commercial. Climbing down a tree to a window sill, the raccoons longingly peered in at a warm, well-furnished room. As they did so, the pair sung a fragment of Wouldn't It Be Loverly, the song written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe for the 1956 Broadway play My Fair Lady. This was the first time an advertiser had been granted a license to use a Lerner and Loewe show tune. Behind the scenes The Wendall and Al commercials were created by the Doner U.S.A. advertising agency. The trained raccoons used to film the commercials were supplied by Steve Martin's Working Wildlife company, and the post-production video effects - to make them talk and use human-like facial expressions - were done by Los Angeles-based computer animation company Rhythm & Hues. After a positive public response to the first commercial, La-Z-Boy commissioned plush and bean-bag versions of Wendall and Al, to be used as store decorations and customer incentives. La-Z-Boy also allowed the two raccoon characters to be used in Learn How To... Be Safe With Wendall & Al, a personal safety video aimed at children. - La-Z-Boy on Wikipedia. Retrieved May 28, 2011 - "La-Z-Boy's Wendall and Al Create Raccoon Craze Among Consumers Across The Country" - article on Furniture World. Dated November 1, 1997. Retrieved May 28, 2011 - "Our History" (1990) on the La-Z-Boy website. Retrieved May 27, 2011 - "New La-Z-Boy® Commercial Features "Loverly" Singing Creature" - article on Furniture World. Dated October 10, 1999. Retrieved May 27, 2011 - Description of "Loverly" commercial on tvspots.tv. Retrieved May 27, 2011 - Commercial Credits list for Steve Martin's Working Wildlife. Retrieved May 27, 2011 - "Marketers from Ford to La-Z-Boy are hit by a computer-aided outbreak of anthropomorphism." - article in The New York Times. Dated April 24, 1997. Retrieved May 29, 2011 - Personal Safety video list of the library of the Justice Institute of BC. Retrieved May 28, 2011
Ariarathes III of Cappadocia Ariarathes III (Ancient Greek: Ἀριαράθης, Ariaráthēs; reigned 262 BC or 255 BC – 220 BC), son of Ariamnes, ruler of Cappadocia, and grandson of Ariarathes II, married Stratonice, a daughter of Antiochus II, king of Syria and wife Laodice I, and obtained a share in the government during the lifetime of his father. About 250 BC he was the first ruler of Cappadocia to proclaim himself king (basileus). It is known that he sided with Antiochus Hierax in his war against Seleucus II Callinicus. Ariarathes is also said to have expanded his kingdom adding Cataonia to his dominions. By his marriage he was the father of Ariarathes IV. - Hazel, John; Who's Who in the Greek World, "Ariarathes III", (1999) - Head, Barclay; Historia Numorum, "Cappadocia", (1911) - Justin; Epitome of Pompeius Trogus, John Selby Watson (translator); London, (1886) - Christian Settipani, Les Ancêtres de Charlemagne (France: Éditions Christian, 1989). This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Ariarathes III.". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. \|King of Cappadocia 255 BC – 220 BC
British Motor Corporation (Australia) \|This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2008)\| British Motor Corporation (Australia) was a motor manufacturing company formed in Australia in 1954 by the merger of the Austin Motor Company (Australia) and Nuffield (Australia) Pty Ltd. This followed the merger in 1952 of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Group in the United Kingdom to form the British Motor Corporation. Following further corporate changes in the UK in the late 1960s, BMC Australia was absorbed in to the newly established British Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia, the name of which became Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia in 1972, and then JRA Limited in March 1983. Austin Motor Company of Australia In March 1950 Nuffield Australia opened a new, 57-acre (230,000 m2) assembly and building factory in Zetland, New South Wales on the site of the Victoria Park Racecourse. The facility was established to assemble Morris Minor and Morris Oxford models which had previously been imported into Australia. British Motor Corporation (Australia) In 1954 the Austin Motor Company of Australia and Nuffield Australia merged to form British Motor Corporation (Australia) with the Nuffield facility at Victoria Park becoming the group headquarters of the new company. Austin and Morris vehicles were assembled at the facility and subsequently it was to be the design and manufacturing centre for BMC Australia. During a period of significant postwar reconstruction, migrant assimilation and technical innovation, the factory employed a peak of 7000 people from 35 nations. The only plant in Australia to manufacture the complete vehicle, it introduced to Australia the in-line transfer machining of engine blocks, the “rotodip” paint process, automatic conveyor assembly processes and major advances in just-in-time and flexible manufacturing concepts. This factory produced the Austin Lancer and Morris Major models which were based on the Wolseley 1500 but modified for Australian conditions. In another example of the badge engineering prevalent at the time, the Morris Marshal was produced, based on the Austin A95 Westminster. In 1961 the Mini entered production in Australia as the Morris 850. The Mini proving very popular in Australia as it was in the UK prompted a revised Australian only model line up to be introduced in 1965, beginning with the Morris Mini Deluxe, the first to use Hydrolastic suspension,to have wind-up windows, ignition key operated starter and an improved level of trim and options. Australian Minis were fitted with wind-up windows years ahead of their UK counterparts. Morris Mini Coopers and Cooper S were also made and supplied to the Australian and New Zealand Police forces as high speed pursuit vehicles. The Mini K (for Kangaroo) was the renamed Deluxe MKII and launched in March 1969 complete with Kangaroo decals. Released in 1962, the Austin Freeway and Wolseley 24/80 models were Australian built variants of the Austin A60 Cambridge and Wolseley 15/60 respectively, both powered by a six-cylinder version of the BMC B-Series engine. To add some Australasian brand confusion, in New Zealand the Austin Freeway was badged as a Morris Freeway and the Morris Mini Deluxe was badged as an Austin Se7en. All were made in the Sydney factory. A local version of the BMC 1100 joined the line up, badged as the Morris 1100 and henceforth the smaller front-wheel-drive BMC models were all to be badged as Morris and the larger ones as Austins borrowing from the established markets where Vice Regal cars were Austin Princess limousines and Morris cars were mass motoring cars. Production of the Morris Mini Moke started in 1966 but fitted with larger, 13-inch wheels and longer rear wheel arms, than the UK original 10-inch. A local version of the Austin 1800 was also produced from 1965 and this was developed into the Austin X6 range in 1970 with a longer wheelbase than the original. These were called the Austin Tasman for the basic model and Kimberley for the de luxe hi-end model. In New Zealand these were also sold with Morris badging and some were assembled there. Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia By 1969 BMC Australia's parent company had merged with the Leyland Corporation to form British Leyland and a merger in Australia saw the creation of the British Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia. BMC Australia continued to trade as a division of the new company but had been renamed the Austin Morris Division by 1970. The company name was changed yet gain in 1972 when it became the Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia, with the Austin Morris Division carried across to the new company. In 1973 the Morris Mini became the Leyland Mini and the Morris Mini Moke became the Leyland Moke. The Australian version of the Morris Marina, which had joined the range in 1972, became a Leyland Marina and was offered with a local market only six-cylinder 2,623 cc engine. Australian Marinas were also shipped as CKD assembly packs to New Zealand and South Africa, where the six cylinder engine was also offered. The near legendary Australian big car model which was intended to see out the 1970s was the 1973 Leyland P76. It was based on a still-born proposal for a new Rover car. This was designed to take a straight six or alloy Rover V8 engine with the latter being the more popular. Unfortunately V-8 engine supplies were restricted reducing production. Following the worldwide collapse of British Leyland and its associates, linked with local protection tariffs for the remaining car manufacturers in Australia (Ford (Aust), General Motors Holden, and Chrysler (Aust) the Victoria Park/Zetland factory that was opened by Lord Nuffield (William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield) in 1957 was closed by 1975. Production of the Mini from imported CKD shells was continued by the Pressed Metal Corporation (PMC) at the Sydney suburb of Enfield (located near a major rail interchange) until 1978 and the Moke until 1982. PMC also made Land Rovers and pressed metal coffins! In March 1983 Leyland Motor Corporation Australia ceased to exist and its place was taken by JRA Limited. The new company was organised into several divisions including Jaguar-Rover-Australia, Leyland Trucks and Leyland Bus Australia. During the mid to late 1980's, JRA Limited also manufactured and sold buses and coaches under the Denning name. This was later sold to Austral to become Austral Denning. - The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, 1986, page 62-63 - The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, 1986, page 272-273 - Size of factory referred to in caption for image Number:A12111:1/1958/30/8 taken in 1958 and held by the National Archives of Australia as part of Collection A12111:Immigration Photographic Archive 1946-Today - The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, 1986, page 337 - The Institution of Engineers Australia - Sydney Division Engineering Heritage Committee - Zetland factory photo gallery available from the Institution of Engineers Australia website - Image of Police Minis in Sydney circa 1967 - Scanned copy of the Mini K brochure - Morris Cooper S advertisement, Racing Car News magazine, rear cover, 1969 - Morris 1500 & 1300 range brochure, British Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia Limited, Austin Morris Division, June 1970 - Morris Marina brochure, Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia Limited, Austin Morris Division, 1972 - 1974 Leyland Mini Retrieved from miniexperience.com.au on 2 February 2010 - Mastrostefano, Raffaele, ed. (1985). Quattroruote: Tutte le Auto del Mondo 1985 (in Italian). Milano: Editoriale Domus S.p.A. p. 521. ISBN 88-7212-012-8. - The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, 1986, page 254-255
Winkler has been making knives since 1977 and is a certified Mastersmith with the American Bladesmith Society and designed and built the knives and tomahawks for the 1992 motion picture: The Last of the Mohicans. Winkler was primarily known for his Native-American or pioneer-style influenced designs until 2012. In that year Winkler became involved with military and tactical knives and tomahawks. Winkler designed the Sayoc-Winkler "R&D Hawk" in conjunction with Sayoc Tactical Group Tomahawk Instructor Rafael Kayanan as a tomahawk for modern military applications. - Haskew, Mike (2003-09-01). "Pipe Hawks" 30 (9). Blade Magazine. pp. 26–34. - Haskew, Mike (2006-09-01). "Star-Spangled Hawks Take Wing" 33 (9). Blade Magazine. pp. 30–37. - Nickens, Edward (2004). Legend of the Bowie. Field & Stream. pp. 73–75. ISSN 8755-8599. - Kertzman, Joe (15 August 2013). Knives 2014: The World's Greatest Knife Book. Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-4402-3700-3. - Haskew, M.: "Sayoc Tomahawk",Blade Magazine, June 2009
\|\|This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the German Wikipedia. (March 2010)\| 19 December 1916\| Berlin, German Empire \|Died\|\|25 March 2010 University of Missouri \|Doctoral advisor\|\|Emil Dovifat\| \|Known for\|\|spiral of silence, Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach\| \|Notable awards\|\|Great Cross of Merit (1976), Alexander Rüstow Medal (1978), Baden-Württemberg's Medal of Merit (1990), Helen Dinerman Award (issued by WAPOR; 1990), Gerhard Löwenthal Honor Award (issued by Junge Freiheit; 2006) Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann (19 December 1916 – 25 March 2010) was a German political scientist. Her most famous contribution is the model of the spiral of silence, detailed in The Spiral of Silence : Public Opinion – Our Social Skin. The model is an explanation of how perceived public opinion can influence individual opinions or actions. Elisabeth Noelle was born to Ernst and Eve Noelle in 1916. First Elisabeth went to several schools in Berlin and then switched to the prestigious Salem Castle School, which she also left one year later. She earned her Abitur in 1935 in Göttingen and then studied philosophy, history, journalism, and American studies at the Friedrich Wilhelm University, and the Königsberg Albertina University. When she visited Obersalzberg, she by chance had an encounter with Adolf Hitler, which she later called "one of the most intensive and strangest experiences in her life". She stayed in the USA from 1937 to 1938 and studied at the University of Missouri. In 1940 she received her Ph.D. concentrating on public opinion research in the USA. In 1940 she briefly worked for the Nazi newspaper Das Reich. On 8 June 1941 Das Reich published Noelle-Neumann's article entitled "Who Informs America?" in which she propagated the myth that a Jewish syndicate ran the American media. She wrote, "Jews write in the paper, own them, have virtually monopolized the advertising agencies and can therefore open and shut the gates of advertising income as they wish." She was fired when she exchanged unfavourable photos of Franklin D. Roosevelt for better looking ones. She then worked for the Frankfurter Zeitung until it was banned in 1943. In 1947 she and her first husband Erich Peter Neumann founded a public opinion research organization—the Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach, which today is one of the best known and most prestigious polling organizations in Germany. From 1964 to 1983 she held a professorate at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. Allegations of anti-Semitism In 1991, Leo Bogart criticized Noelle-Neumann, accusing her of anti-Semitic passages in her dissertation and articles she wrote for Nazi newspapers. As a young woman, she had "superb credentials as an activist and leader" of Nazi youth and students' organizations, he wrote. In fact, when she published her 1940 dissertation in Germany, entitled "Opinion and mass research in the USA", having spent a year at the University of Missouri researching George Gallup's methodology, Joseph Goebbels called the 24 year-old woman as an adjutant and intended her to build up, for the ministry of propaganda, Germany's first public opinion research organization. She declined, having fallen ill, which angered Goebbels; she later became a newspaper journalist with Nazi publications where she wrote some articles on Jewish influence over U.S. news and elite opinion. Bogart’s article appeared just weeks before Noelle-Neumann took up a visiting position in the Political Science Department at the University of Chicago, where she had held similar appointments since 1978. Michael Kochin, a graduate student at the university, noticed the article and circulated it on campus prior to her arrival, igniting a vigorous debate on Noelle-Neumann’s past. While the administration and students at the university, the local Jewish defense groups, and Chicago newspapers remained disengaged from the issue, John J. Mearsheimer, then chairman of the university’s political science department, spoke with Bogart, met for over three hours with Noelle-Neumann, and called a departmental meeting about her on October 16. Some at the university claimed Noelle-Neumann was being slandered, and Mearsheimer's colleagues were not of one opinion about the case. Mearsheimer, however, widely publicized his views concerning the allegations themselves and as they related to academic freedom and opposition to bigotry. "I believe Noelle-Neumann was an anti-Semite," Mearsheimer stated, "and was not forced to write the anti-Semitic words she published. Moreover, I believe that the anti-Semitic writers and publicists of Germany – to include Noelle-Neumann – jointly share some responsibility for the Holocaust. For this she owes an apology." "The thing to remember about the killing of the Jews," he said, "is that it was not done by a handful of people. … It was also a result of the Reich of normal – or of average – German citizens. Like Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann." In private letters and in written responses, Noelle-Neumann acknowledged being in a Nazi student organization but denied being a Nazi. "I am anguished by the suffering of Jews in Nazi Germany," she wrote. Bogart, Mearsheimer and others remained dissatisfied with her response. Noelle-Neumann completed her visiting position in Chicago in mid-December 1991 and returned to Germany. When some University of Chicago students learned that she was to return there on March 13, 1992, they called a rally to protest against her return. Reached by telephone at her office in Allensbach am Bodensee, Germany, on March 10, Noelle-Neumann told a reporter she was unaware of the proposed rally but intended on coming to the university as planned. That day, her hosts at the National Opinion Research Center announced that she had cancelled her appearance "in light of serious threats". Several years later, Noelle-Neumann's Nazi connection came under scrutiny from another American academic, but she never explicitly apologized for her past. Interviewed on the subject in 1997, she said, "I did my duty and would do my duty again in a second life. I'd even say I was proud of what I did back then because I opposed the Nazis by working from within." "She has admitted she was not hostile to the Nazis before 1940. She says she was anti-Nazi after 1940, but has produced no evidence that she criticized the Nazis then. She wrote anti-Semitic words in 1938–41, and there is no evidence she was compelled to write them. Queried on her anti-Semitic writings, she told me: "I have never written anything in my life that I did not believe to be true." She was married to the Christian Democratic politician Erich Peter Neumann (1912–1973) from 1946 until his death. She was married to the physicist Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (1911–2000) from 1979 until his death. - Great Cross of Merit (1976) - Alexander Rüstow Medal (1978) - Baden-Württemberg's Medal of Merit (1990) - Helen Dinerman Award (issued by WAPOR; 1990) - Gerhard Löwenthal Honor Award (issued by Junge Freiheit; 2006) - Esther Priwer: Nazi exchange students at the University of Missouri In: The Menorah Journal, 1938, vol. 26, issue 3, Page 353-361 - Noelle-Neumann, Elisabeth (1984), The spiral of silence. A theory of public opinion – Our social skin, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-58932-3. - Markus Clauer: Zwischen Prognose und Macht. Zum Tode von Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann. In: Die Rheinpfalz. 26 March 2010. - Leo Bogart, "The Pollster & the Nazis," Commentary, August 1991, pp. 47-49. - Douglas Wertheimer, "Noelle-Neumann cancels U of C talk," Chicago Jewish Star, March 27, 1992, p. 3. - Andrea Wood, "Professor rebuts Nazi charges," Chicago Maroon, October 25, 1991, p. 1; Andrea Wood, "Professors challenge Noelle-Neumann," Chicago Maroon, November 1, 1991, p. 1; "Chicago Professor Is Linked to Anti-Semitic Past," New York Times, November 28, 1991; Associated Press, "U.C. prof’s Nazi-era writings bring call for a wider apology," Chicago Sun-Times, November 30, 1991, p. 14. - Ethan Putterman, "U of C silence a 'moral failure,'" Chicago Maroon, December 3, 1991; Jacob Dallal, "Noelle-Neumann’s explanations troubling," Chicago Maroon, November 1, 1991; Shoshannah Cohen, "Charges against professor draw little student response," Hyde Park Herald, December 11, 1991, p. 1; Douglas Wertheimer, "Controversy surrounds U of C prof. accused of denying Nazi past," Chicago Jewish Star, November 15, 1991, p. 1. - Douglas Wertheimer, "Jewish, university groups are silent on prof. at U of C with alleged Nazi past," Chicago Jewish Star, December 20, 1991, p. 1; students on campus could be engaged in Holocaust issues: Douglas Wertheimer, "'Maroon' rejects Holocaust denier's ad," Chicago Jewish Star, March 27, 1992, p. 2. - Letter, D. Wertheimer, "Old News," Chicago Reader, January 10, 1992, section 1, page 2; Michael Miner response, p. 34. - D. Wertheimer, Chicago Jewish Star, November 15, 1991, p. 2. - Douglas Wertheimer, "Jewish, university groups are silent on prof. at U of C with alleged Nazi past," Chicago Jewish Star, December 20, 1991, p. 19 - John J. Mearsheimer, "Noelle-Neumann was a willing anti-Semite," Chicago Maroon, November 12, 1991, pp. 17-18. - John J. Mearsheimer, quoted in Chicago Jewish Star, November 15, 1991, p. 2. - Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, "Accused Professor Was Not a Nazi," New York Times, December 14, 1991, p. 14; Noelle-Neumann, letter, Commentary, January 1992, pp. 9-15; D. Wertheimer, "Noelle-Neumann and her critics spar in print," Chicago Jewish Star, January 17, 1992, p. 2. - John J. Mearsheimer, "Apology sought," New York Times, December 28, 1991, p. 12; "The Noelle-Neumann Case," Commentary, April 1992, pp. 11-12 (a letter signed by Political Science Department faculty at the University of Chicago, including John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt); Leo Bogart, "Professor's Own Nazi Past Accuses Her," New York Times, December 28, 1991, p. 12; Bogart, letter, Commentary, January 1992, pp. 17-18; Editorial, "The Professor's Silence," Chicago Jewish Star, November 15, 1991, p. 4; Editorial, "Lest we remember," Chicago Jewish Star, December 20, 1991, p. 4. - Ethan Putterman and Michael Kochin, letter, "Noelle-Neumann rally," Chicago Maroon, March 10, 1992, p. 21; D. Wertheimer, "Student protest planned with return of Noelle-Neumann to the U of C," Chicago Jewish Star, March 13, 1992, p. 1. - Douglas Wertheimer, "Noelle-Neumann cancels U of C talk," Chicago Jewish Star, March 27, 1992, p. 3. - Julia Angwin, "Noelle-Neumann cancels planned visit," Chicago Maroon, April 3, 1992, p. 9. - William H. Honan, "U.S. Professor's Criticism of German Scholar's Work Stirs Controversy," New York Times, August 27, 1997, p. A13. Christopher Simpson, the American professor, claimed that Noelle-Neumann's Spiral of Silence was riddled with totalitarian ideology. - Editorial, "Silent to the end," Chicago Jewish Star, August 27, 2010, p. 4. - William H. Honan, "U.S. Professor's Criticism of German Scholar's Work Stirs Controversy," New York Times, August 27, 1997, p. A13. - „Ich habe die Engel gesehen" (i.e. "I beheld the angels.") - Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann in the German National Library catalogue - Page with Picture and further links - The Allensbach Institute
How Few Remain \|This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2009)\| Cover of first edition (hardcover) \|Series\|\|Southern Victory Series\| \|Publisher\|\|Ballantine Books/Del Rey\| \|September 8, 1997\| \|Media type\|\|Print (Hardback & Paperback), eBook\| \|ISBN\|\|ISBN 978-0-345-41661-2 (first edition, hardback), ISBN 9780307531018 (eBook)\| \|LC Class\|\|PS3570.U76 H69 1997\| \|Followed by\|\|The Great War: American Front\| How Few Remain is a 1997 alternate history novel by Harry Turtledove. It is the first part of the Southern Victory Series saga, which depicts a world in which the Confederacy won the American Civil War. The book received the Sidewise Award for Alternate History in 1997, and was also nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1998. It covers the Southern Victory Series Earth period of history from 1862 and from 1881 to 1882. \|The War of Secession\| \|Part of Southern Victory Series\| \|United States\|\| Confederate States United Kingdom (1862) \|Commanders and leaders\| \| Abraham Lincoln Ulysses S. Grant \| Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Albert Sidney Johnston Henry John Temple The point of divergence is September 10, 1862, during the American Civil War. In actual history, a Confederate messenger lost General Robert E. Lee's Special Order 191, which detailed Lee's plans for the Invasion of the North. The orders were soon found by Union soldiers, and using them, George McClellan was able to halt the Army of Northern Virginia at the Battle of Antietam, after which it returned to Virginia. In How Few Remain, the orders are instead recovered by a trailing Confederate soldier. McClellan is caught by surprise, enabling Lee to lead the Army of Northern Virginia towards Philadelphia. Lee forces McClellan into battle on the banks of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania and destroys the Army of the Potomac in the Battle of Camp Hill on October 1. Lee goes on to capture Philadelphia, earning the Confederate States of America diplomatic recognition from both the United Kingdom and France, thus winning the war (which is known as the War of Secession in the alternate timeline) and independence from the United States on November 4, 1862. Kentucky, having been conquered by Confederate forces shortly after the Battle of Camp Hill, joins the eleven original Confederate states after the war's conclusion, and the Confederacy is also given Indian Territory (our timeline's state of Oklahoma, later the Southern Victory Series state of Sequoyah). The Spanish island of Cuba is purchased by the Confederate States in the late 1870s for $3,000,000, thus also becoming a Confederate territory. In the late 1860s, Russia offers to sell Alaska to the United States (like it did in real history). The $7 million price tag, though, is too much for the United States's eroded post-war economy and Alaska remains a Russian territory. In 1881, Republican James G. Blaine has ridden a hard-line platform of anti-Confederatism into the White House, having defeated Democratic incumbent Samuel J. Tilden in the 1880 presidential election. Both American nations have been sanctioning Indian raids into each other's territory. The international tension between the United States and the Confederate States peaks when Confederate President James Longstreet, desiring a Pacific coast for the Confederacy so that the South can have a transcontinental railroad for itself, purchases the northwestern provinces of Sonora and Chihuahua from the financially strapped Second Mexican Empire (which is still ruled by France's Maximilian) for CS $3,000,000. Blaine uses the "coerced" purchase as a casus belli, leading to the commencement of what will later become known as the "Second Mexican War". Second Mexican War \|Second Mexican War\| \|Part of Southern Victory Series\| \|United States\|\| Confederate States \|Commanders and leaders\| \| James G. Blaine George Armstrong Custer Thomas Custer † Orlando B. Willcox Archibald Creel † Virgil Earp (POW) Theron Winship (POW) Algernon van Nuys † Joseph Little † \| James Longstreet Jeb Stuart † Luke Tiernan Brien Charles George Gordon After the Confederate purchase of the northern Mexican provinces of Sonora and Chihuahua, which extends the CSA-USA border and gives the Confederates a Pacific port (Guaymas), the United States declares war on the Confederacy. Early on in the war, Confederate troops under Jeb Stuart capture a large quantity of gold and silver ore from a Union mining town after successfully occupying the newly purchased provinces. Meanwhile, a Union cavalry colonel, George Armstrong Custer, successfully uses Gatling guns against Kiowa Indians and Confederate cavalry in Kansas. Soon, the United Kingdom and France, both Confederate allies, blockade and bombard US port cities such as Boston and New York, along with those on the Great Lakes. During the war, the Mormons in Utah rebel by severing transcontinental communication and transportation around Salt Lake City. John Pope is appointed as the military governor, puts down the revolt, and imposes martial law. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is classified as a political organization and the Mormon leaders are hunted down and executed. The United States' attempt to invade Virginia is easily thrown back by General Stonewall Jackson as the United States struggles to find a general his equal. A key reason for the Confederate success in the war, in addition to fighting a defensive war, is that the Confederates are led by excellent generals like Jackson, while the United States's military, despite possessing a massive advantage in numbers and resources, suffers from incompetent leadership. William Rosecrans, the commander of the entire US army, casually reveals at one point that there is no overall strategy for winning the war whatsoever. He envisions a vague idea of the opposing armies making counteroffensives back and forth against each other, which he feels the United States would assuredly win. This lack of planning leaves the German military observer, Alfred von Schlieffen, aghast. The United States next attempts to launch a massive invasion of Louisville to knock the Confederates out of Kentucky but it soon becomes a bloody stalemate. The decision of Stonewall Jackson to command the defense personally, the incompetence of U.S. commanders, and most of all, the use of breech-loading artillery and repeating rifles make taking the city very difficult. The Confederate Army refrains from any major invasion of United States territory for two reasons: first, it does not have the resources to conquer the United States. Second, the Confederacy's success hinges on the support of Britain and France, who feel they are aiding a smaller nation wrongfully attacked by a larger one, and launching offensives into the United States would be seen as aggression which might cost the Confederacy foreign support. Galled by orders to wage a purely defensive war, Jackson takes them to the extreme, pioneering tactics of full-scale trench warfare which devastates Louisville (in scenes reminiscent of real life World War I). The Louisville campaign quickly bogs down for the United States, and results in a bloodbath with little territory gained. The United Kingdom and France continue to blockade the United States; France also shells Los Angeles, while the British bombard San Francisco and raid the Federal mint there. The only major United States victory in the war occurs when a young volunteer cavalry colonel, Theodore Roosevelt, and George Armstrong Custer rout a British and Canadian division under Charles Gordon invading Montana from Canada. However, the British also invade northern Maine and annex it into the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Finally, facing defeat on almost all fronts, Republican president James G. Blaine is forced to capitulate. A Republican is never again elected to the White House. The United States, learning the importance of strong allies, seeks an alliance with the newly formed and powerful German Empire. The alliance sets up events for the next three series, which cover an alternate World War I, Inter-war period, and World War II. Primary Characters in "How Few Remain" The novel is narrated from the point of view of eight primary historical figures. - Thomas J. Jackson, old "Stonewall," General-in-Chief of the Confederate Army, is ready and eager to strike at the Yankees once more. - General J.E.B. Stuart defends the new Confederate territories from the Yankees, the Apaches under Geronimo being first his allies and then his foes. - Colonel George Armstrong Custer, a frustrated Yankee cavalryman, serves on the Great Plains and helps put down the Mormon rebellion in Utah. - Theodore Roosevelt is a wealthy, patriotic young Montana rancher who raises his own cavalry force, known as the "Unauthorised Regiment". - Former President Abraham Lincoln, influenced by the writings of Karl Marx, is an orator struggling to keep the Republican Party united in the cause of the working man. Aftermath of war In April 1882, the Confederates once again defeat the United States, which allows the purchase of Sonora and Chihuahua to stand. Along with losing the war, the United States loses, in fighting with the United Kingdom, the northern part of Maine to the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Following a series of speeches in Utah, Montana, and Illinois, former president Abraham Lincoln leads a group of left-wing Republicans into the new Socialist Party; this action leads to the sharp decline of the Republican Party, allowing the Socialists to eventually become the primary opposition to the Democrats who, consequently, are driven to the right by right-wing Conservative Republicans merging with the party. After U.S. defeat in the Second Mexican War, President Blaine declares April 22 of every succeeding year to be Remembrance Day, to remember the humiliation of defeat, and vow revenge. The holiday parades will be somber, with the U.S. flag being flown upside down as a sign of distress, signifying the two defeats by the Confederate States. In effect, while conceding defeat in this war, Blaine was setting the stage for the next one, instilling in U.S. citizens an ever-present desire for and expectation of revenge upon the Confederacy (and Canada) while embarking on an intensive program of systematic militarization on the German model, with the vision of making the United States a kind of second Prussia. Turtledove's model in our history was evidently the French desire for revenge on Germany ("Revanchism") following their defeat in the 1871 Franco-Prussian War and the loss of Alsace and Lorraine. In this timeline's New York City, there is no Statue of Liberty on Bedloe's Island, nor does the name get changed to Liberty Island – as relations between the United States and France are poor, due to France's support for the Confederacy, and there is no question of the French donating such a statue to the Americans. Instead, the island is taken up by a similar but more grim statue known as the Statue of Remembrance, given to the United States by Germany, of "Remembrance, holding aloft her bared sword". Meanwhile, the United States will move centers of administration from Washington, DC, to Philadelphia due to the District of Columbia bordering the Confederate state of Virginia (which is making governing increasingly difficult and impractical for the United States). The Powel House will become a secondary White House whenever tensions between the CSA and USA are high. In order to continue to receive assistance from both the United Kingdom and France, Confederate President Longstreet had to propose a constitutional amendment calling for the manumission of all the country's slaves making them resident aliens; however, the free blacks will not have the same rights that whites have. Southern Victory Series continued
Kelly Barnes Dam \|Kelly Barnes Dam\| View of former reservoir area after the dam failure. \|Location\|\|Stephens County, Georgia, U.S.\| \|Demolition date\|\|November 6, 1977\| \|Dam and spillways\| \|Type of dam\|\|Embankment dam\| \|Height\|\|12 m (39 ft)\| \|Length\|\|120 m (394 ft)\| \|Width (base)\|\|6.1 m (20.0 ft)\| \|Total capacity\|\|505,730 m3 (17,860,000 cu ft)\| \|Installed capacity\|\|0.2 MW\| Kelly Barnes Dam was an earthen embankment dam once located in Stephens County, Georgia, just outside of the city of Toccoa. It collapsed on November 6, 1977 after a period of heavy rainfall, and the resulting flood killed 39 people and caused $2.8 million in damages. The dam was never rebuilt, and the Toccoa Falls downstream of the dam site is now a memorial and tourist attraction on the campus of Toccoa Falls College. In 1899, the original rock crib dam was completed by Mr. E. P. Simpson in order to create a reservoir for a small hydroelectric power plant which began operating that same year. The plant, now a historical site on the Toccoa Falls College campus and called The Old Toccoa Falls Power Plant produced 200 KW (0.2 MW) for the town of Toccoa, Georgia. After receiving the power plant in 1933, the Toccoa Falls Institute wanted to develop a more stable electric power source and built an earthen embankment dam over the original rock crib dam between 1939 and 1940. After the Second World War, the dam was again raised. Barnes Lake, a 40-acre (16 ha) reservoir was created by the dam. The modifications provided power for Toccoa Falls Institute until 1957, when the power production was stopped, and the lake was only used for recreational purposes. The dam was modified several times, and before the flood, the final dam was 38 feet (12 m) high, 400 feet (120 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) wide at its crest. The dam had two uncontrolled earthen spillways. The main spillway was 380 feet (120 m) long, 60–11 feet (18.3–3.4 m) wide and located on the left side of the structure. A low point on the right side and away from the dam could also be used as a secondary spillway in case the reservoir levels became too high. The embankment dam was located about 2,000 feet (610 m) upstream from the Toccoa Falls and mostly consisted of residual soils and silt. The dam sat on a foundation of silt and stable biotite gneiss (rock). Within the dam embankment were two masonry structures that helped support a pipe that was used as a low-level spillway and in the other, a penstock (pipe) for the hydroelectricity power plant. Neither were being used at the time of the flood. On November 6, 1977, at 1:30 am, the Kelly Barnes Dam failed after a period of heavy rain; seven inches had fallen from November 2–5. In particular, 3½ inches fell between 6 pm and midnight, November 5. A total of 200 feet (61 m) of the dam had failed, causing a peak of 24,000 cubic feet per second (680 m3/s) maximum discharge to burst downstream. Barnes Lake at the time held an estimated 27,442,800 cubic feet (777,090 m3) of water compared to a normal volume of 17,859,600 cubic feet (505,730 m3). The flood caused 39 fatalities along with destroying nine houses, 18 house trailers, two college buildings and many motor vehicles. Five houses and five college buildings were also damaged. Two bridges on Toccoa Falls Drive and a culvert at County Farm Road were completely destroyed. The embankments at Georgia Highway 17 were destroyed on either side of the bridge, and one of the bridge abutments at Highview Road was destroyed. The water-supply pipe for the city of Toccoa was damaged and the city's water supply was contaminated for several days. After the flood, Georgia's Governor George Busbee called for an immediate investigation, which was carried out by a Federal Investigative Board of the United States Geological Survey. Their report was released December 21, 1977, with no specific cause(s) cited for the failure. The investigators had no engineering plans for the dam and records of construction on the dam were based on witnesses, pictures and newspaper articles. The investigation did, however, cite several possible or probable causes. The failure of the dam's slope may have contributed to weakness in the structure, particularly in the heavy rain. A collapse of the low-level spillway could have also exacerbated this problem. A 1973 photo showed a 12-foot-high (3.7 m), 30-foot-wide (9.1 m) slide had occurred on the downstream face of the dam, which may have also contributed or foreshadowed the dam failure. Overall, the dam itself was in poor condition and lacked a sufficient design. \|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kelly Barnes Dam.\| - "Historical plaque at old powerhouse building below Toccoa Falls.". Retrieved 19 July 2010.[dead link] - Report of Failure of Kelly Barnes Dam and Findings – History - Report of Failure of Kelly Barnes Dam and Findings – General - Report of Failure of Kelly Barnes Dam and Findings – Site Geology - Report of Failure of Kelly Barnes Dam and Findings – Conclusion - Report of Failure of Kelly Barnes Dam and Findings – Authority - Kelly Barnes Dam Flood of November 6, 1977, near Toccoa, Georgia – Flood Damage
Lincoln, Rhode Island \|Lincoln, Rhode Island\| Location in Providence County and the state of Rhode Island. \|• Type\|\|Elected administrator-council w/ Financial Town Meeting\| \|• Total\|\|18.9 sq mi (49.1 km2)\| \|• Land\|\|18.2 sq mi (47.2 km2)\| \|• Water\|\|0.7 sq mi (1.9 km2)\| \|Elevation\|\|249 ft (76 m)\| \|• Density\|\|1,159.6/sq mi (447.1/km2)\| \|Time zone\|\|Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)\| \|• Summer (DST)\|\|EDT (UTC-4)\| \|ZIP codes\|\|02802, 02865, 02838\| \|GNIS feature ID\|\|1220074\| Lincoln was settled in the 17th century and several colonial stone-enders still exist in the town. Lincoln Woods State Park is located within the town. The Hassaquansett tribe originally inhabited the area. Limestone quarrying has occurred there since colonial times at the village of Lime Rock. Lincoln was a part of the town of Smithfield until 1871, when it was split off and named in honor of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln became an important mill town in the late 19th century, with many textile factories running along the Blackstone River. Lincoln's villages include Manville, Albion, Lime Rock, Londsdale, Fairlawn, Quinnville, and Saylesville. Very recently, the town was ranked #63 in Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live". Lincoln is in the lower Blackstone Valley of Rhode Island and in the John H. Chafee, Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, New England's historic National Park area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.9 square miles (49 km2), of which, 18.2 square miles (47 km2) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) of it (3.80%) is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 20,898 people, 8,243 households, and 5,778 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,146.6 people per square mile (442.6/km²). There were 8,508 housing units at an average density of 466.8 per square mile (180.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.55% White, 0.84% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.75% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.64% of the population. There were 8,243 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.05. In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $47,815, and the median income for a family was $61,257. Males had a median income of $41,508 versus $30,089 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,779. About 3.9% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over. National Historic Register sites - Albion Historic District - Eleazer Arnold House - Israel Arnold House - Ballou House - Elliot-Harris-Miner House - Great Road Historic District - Jenckes House, Jenckes Hill Road - Jenckes House, Old Louisquisset Pike - Lime Kilns - Limerock Village Historic District - Old Ashton Historic District - Pullen Corner School - Sassafras Site, RI-55 - Saylesville Historic District - Saylesville Meetinghouse - Whipple-Cullen House and Barn Economy and Infrastructure Lincoln School Department has three early learning centers (Pre-K) at Lonsdale, Central, and Northern Elementary. In total there are four elementary schools (Full day K-5): Saylesville Elementary School, Lonsdale Elementary School, Central Elementary School, and Northern Lincoln Elementary School. Lincoln has one Middle School, and one high school, Lincoln Senior High School. Their mascot is a lion. At one point, the middle and high school shared one campus, but in 2006 a new middle school was opened on Jenckes Hill Road. The high school, in desperate need of additional classrooms, expanded into the former middle school area. The Community College of Rhode Island's Flanagan Campus is situated in Lincoln. Lincoln is home to the Quality Assurance Review Center (QARC), which performs thousands of radiotherapy reviews per year. QARC's primary support comes from federal grants at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and contracts with the pharmaceutical industry. It receives radiotherapy data from approximately 1,000 hospitals in both the United States and abroad. The center maintains a strategic affiliation with the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is located along the George Washington Highway. Lincoln is also home to the Amica Mutual Insurance Company. Founded in 1907, it moved to Lincoln in 1994, after first being located in both Boston and Providence. The company mostly underwrites policies for property and casualty insurance, which includes automobiles, homeowners, and personal liabilities. Lincoln is also home to A. T. Cross, a world famous pen company since 1846. - Town Charter - "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. - "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31. - http://www.historicnewengland.org/visit/homes/arnold.htm Eleazer Arnold House - Jones, Charles. "Indigenous populations.". Demography of Early Rhode Island Inhabitants. McGall Hill. Retrieved 11 March 2013. - "History". Quality Assurance Review Center. Retrieved 2007-01-20. \|Wikisource has the text of a 1921 Collier's Encyclopedia article about Lincoln, Rhode Island.\|
My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla \|\|This article contains too many or too-lengthy quotations for an encyclopedic entry. (March 2013)\| \|Publisher\|\|Williston, Vermont, 1982 (First edition)\| 0-910077-00-0 (Hard cover) My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla (ISBN 0910077002) is a book compiled and edited by Ben Johnston detailing the work of Nikola Tesla. The content was largely drawn from a series of articles that Nikola Tesla had written for Electrical Experimenter magazine in 1919, at which time Tesla was 63 years old. - 1 Synopsis - 1.1 Chapter 1 – My Early Life - 1.2 Chapter 2 – My First Efforts At Invention - 1.3 Chapter 3 – My Later Endeavors, The Discovery of the Rotating Magnetic Field - 1.4 Chapter 5 – The Magnifying Transmitter - 1.5 Chapter 6 – The Art of Telautomatics - 2 Publication history - 3 The Strange Life of Nikola Tesla - 4 References - 5 External links Tesla's personal account is divided into six chapters covering different periods of his life. "The progressive development of man is vitally dependent on invention. It is the most important product of his creative brain. Its ultimate purpose is the complete mastery of mind over the material world, the harnessing of the forces of nature to human needs. This is the difficult task of the inventor who is often misunderstood and unrewarded. But he finds ample compensation in the pleasing exercises of his powers and in the knowledge of being one of that exceptionally privileged class without whom the race would have long ago perished in the bitter struggle against pitiless elements. . . ." From childhood I was compelled to concentrate attention upon myself. This caused me much suffering but, to my present view, it was a blessing in disguise for it has taught me to appreciate the inestimable value of introspection in the preservation of life, as well as a means of achievement. The pressure of occupation and the incessant stream of impressions pouring into our consciousness thru all the gateways of knowledge make modern existence hazardous in many ways. Most persons are so absorbed in the contemplation of the outside world that they are wholly oblivious to what is passing on within themselves. In attacking the problem again I almost regretted that the struggle was soon to end. I had so much energy to spare. When I undertook the task it was not with a resolve such as men often make. With me it was a sacred vow, a question of life and death. I knew that I would perish if I failed. Now I felt that the battle was won. Back in the deep recesses of the brain was the solution, but I could not yet give it outward expression. One afternoon, which is ever present in my recollection, I was enjoying a walk with my friend in the City Park and reciting poetry. At that age I knew entire books by heart, word for word. One of these was Goethe's "Faust." The sun was just setting and reminded me of the glorious passage: "Sie rückt und weicht, der Tag ist überlebt, Dort eilt sie hin und fordert neues Leben. Oh, dass kein Flügel mich vom Boden hebt Ihr nach und immer nach zu streben! Ein schöner Traum indessen sie entweicht, Ach, zu des Geistes Flügeln wird so leicht Kein körperlicher Flügel sich gesellen!" "She moves and yields, the day of toil now done, there she hurries and explores new fields of life. Ah, that no wing can lift me from the ground to closely follow her and soar! A beautiful dream! Though now the glories fade. Alas, the wings which lift the mind so lightly can find no bodily counterpart!" As I uttered these inspiring words the idea came like a flash of lightning and in an instant the truth was revealed. I drew with a stick on the sand the diagrams shown six years later in my address before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, and my companion understood them perfectly. The images I saw were wonderfully sharp and clear and had the solidity of metal and stone, so much so that I told him: "See my motor here; watch me reverse it." I cannot begin to describe my emotions. Pygmalion seeing his statue come to life could not have been more deeply moved. A thousand secrets of nature which I might have stumbled upon accidentally I would have given for that one which I had wrested from her against all odds and at the peril of my existence. À=== Chapter 4 – The Discovery of the Tesla Coil and Transformer === "I have been asked by the ELECTRICAL EXPERIMENTER to be quite explicit on this subject so that my young friends among the readers of the magazine will clearly understand the construction and operation of my "Magnifying Transmitter" and the purposes for which it is intended. Well, then, in the first place, it is a resonant transformer with a secondary in which the parts, charged to a high potential, are of considerable area and arranged in space along ideal enveloping surfaces of very large radii of curvature, and at proper distances from one another thereby insuring a small electric surface density everywhere so that no leak can occur even if the conductor is bare. It is suitable for any frequency, from a few to many thousands of cycles per second, and can be used in the production of currents of tremendous volume and moderate pressure, or of smaller amperage and immense electromotive force. The maximum electric tension is merely dependent on the curvature of the surfaces on which the charged elements are situated and the area of the latter. "Judging from my past experience, as much as 100,000,000 volts are perfectly practicable. On the other hand currents of many thousands of amperes may be obtained in the antenna. A plant of but very moderate dimensions is required for such performances. Theoretically, a terminal of less than 90 feet in diameter is sufficient to develop an electromotive force of that magnitude while for antenna currents of from 2,000-4,000 amperes at the usual frequencies it need not be larger than 30 feet in diameter. "In a more restricted meaning this wireless transmitter is one in which the Hertz-wave radiation is an entirely negligible quantity as compared with the whole energy, under which condition the damping factor is extremely small and an enormous charge is stored in the elevated capacity. Such a circuit may then be excited with impulses of any kind, even of low frequency and it will yield sinusoidal and continuous oscillations like those of an alternator. "Taken in the narrowest significance of the term, however, it is a resonant transformer which, besides possessing these qualities, is accurately proportioned to fit the globe and its electrical constants and properties, by virtue of which design it becomes highly efficient and effective in the wireless transmission of energy. Distance is then absolutely eliminated, there being no diminution in the intensity of the transmitted impulses. It is even possible to make the actions increase with the distance from the plant according to an exact mathematical law. This invention was one of a number comprised in my "World-System" of wireless transmission which I undertook to commercialize on my return to New York in 1900. As to the immediate purposes of my enterprise, they were clearly outlined in a technical statement of that period from which I quote: ""The 'World-System' has resulted from a combination of several original discoveries made by the inventor in the course of long continued research and experimentation. It makes possible not only the instantaneous and precise wireless transmission of any kind of signals, messages or characters, to all parts of the world, but also the inter-connection of the existing telegraph, telephone, and other signal stations without any change in their present equipment. By its means, for instance, a telephone subscriber here may call up and talk to any other subscriber on the Globe. An inexpensive receiver, not bigger than a watch, will enable him to listen anywhere, on land or sea, to a speech delivered or music played in some other place, however distant. These examples are cited merely to give an idea of the possibilities of this great scientific advance, which annihilates distance and makes that perfect natural conductor, the Earth, available for all the innumerable purposes which human ingenuity has found for a line-wire. One far-reaching result of this is that any device capable of being operated thru one or more wires (at a distance obviously restricted) can likewise be actuated, without artificial conductors and with the same facility and accuracy, at distances to which there are no limits other than those imposed by the physical dimensions of the Globe. Thus, not only will entirely new fields for commercial exploitation be opened up by this ideal method of transmission but the old ones vastly extended. . . ."" "My belief is firm in a law of compensation. The true rewards are ever in proportion to the labor and sacrifices made. This is one of the reasons why I feel certain that of all my inventions, the Magnifying Transmitter will prove most important and valuable to future generations. I am prompted to this prediction not so much by thoughts of the commercial and industrial revolution which it will surely bring about, but of the humanitarian consequences of the many achievements it makes possible. Considerations of mere utility weigh little in the balance against the higher benefits of civilization. We are confronted with portentous problems which can not be solved just by providing for our material existence, however abundantly. On the contrary, progress in this direction is fraught with hazards and perils not less menacing than those born from want and suffering. If we were to release the energy of atoms or discover some other way of developing cheap and unlimited power at any point of the globe this accomplishment, instead of being a blessing, might bring disaster to mankind in giving rise to dissension and anarchy which would ultimately result in the enthronement of the hated regime of force. The greatest good will comes from technical improvements tending to unification and harmony, and my wireless transmitter is preeminently such. By its means the human voice and likeness will be reproduced everywhere and factories driven thousands of miles from waterfalls furnishing the power; aerial machines will be propelled around the earth without a stop and the sun's energy controlled to create lakes and rivers for motive purposes and transformation of arid deserts into fertile land. Its introduction for telegraphic, telephonic and similar uses will automatically cut out the statics and all other interferences which at present impose narrow limits to the application of the wireless. . . ." These automata, controlled within the range of vision of the operator, were, however, the first and rather crude steps in the evolution of the Art of Telautomatics as I had conceived it. The next logical improvement was its application to automatic mechanisms beyond the limits of vision and at great distance from the center of control, and I have ever since advocated their employment as instruments of warfare in preference to guns. The importance of this now seems to be recognized, if I am to judge from casual announcements thru the press of achievements which are said to be extraordinary but contain no merit of novelty, whatever. In an imperfect manner it is practicable, with the existing wireless plants, to launch an aeroplane, have it follow a certain approximate course, and perform some operation at a distance of many hundreds of miles. A machine of this kind can also be mechanically controlled in several ways and I have no doubt that it may prove of some usefulness in war. But there are, to my best knowledge, no instrumentalities in existence today with which such an object could be accomplished in a precise manner. I have devoted years of study to this matter and have evolved means, making such and greater wonders easily realizable. As stated on a previous occasion, when I was a student at college I conceived a flying machine quite unlike the present ones. The underlying principle was sound but could not be carried into practice for want of a prime-mover of sufficiently great activity. In recent years I have successfully solved this problem and am now planning aerial machines devoid of sustaining planes, ailerons, propellers and other external attachments, which will be capable of immense speeds and are very likely to furnish powerful arguments for peace in the near future. Such a machine, sustained and propelled entirely by reaction, is shown on page 108 and is supposed to be controlled either mechanically or by wireless energy. By installing proper plants it will be practicable to project a missile of this kind into the air and drop it almost on the very spot designated, which may be thousands of miles away. But we are not going to stop at this. Telautomata will be ultimately produced, capable of acting as if possest of their own intelligence, and their advent will create a revolution. As early as 1898 I proposed to representatives of a large manufacturing concern the construction and public exhibition of an automobile carriage which, left to itself, would perform a great variety of operations involving something akin to judgment. But my proposal was deemed chimerical at that time and nothing came from it. At present many of the ablest minds are trying to devise expedients for preventing a repetition of the awful conflict which is only theoretically ended and the duration and main issues of which I have correctly predicted in an article printed in the Sun of December 20, 1914. The proposed League is not a remedy but on the contrary, in the opinion of a number of competent men, may bring about results just the opposite. It is particularly regrettable that a punitive policy was adopted in framing the terms of peace, because a few years hence it will be possible for nations to fight without armies, ships or guns, by weapons far more terrible, to the destructive action and range of which there is virtually no limit. A city, at any distance whatsoever from the enemy, can be destroyed by him and no power on earth can stop him from doing so. If we want to avert an impending calamity and a state of things which may transform this globe into an inferno, we should push the development of flying machines and wireless transmission of energy without an instant's delay and with all the power and resources of the nation. Tesla's autobiography was first published as a six-part 1919 series in the Electrical Experimenter magazine, in the February - June, and October issues. The series was republished as Moji Pronalasci - My Inventions, Školska Knjiga, Zagreb, 1977, on the occasion of Tesla's 120th anniversary, with side-by-side English and Serbo-Croatian translations by Tomo Bosanac and Vanja Aljinović, Branimira Valić, ed. It is presently available in book form, My Inventions : The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla, Hart Brothers, Williston, Vermont, 1982, giovanni Herran. figur out wnergy with an 18 page introduction by Ben Johnston. Hugo Gernsback also wrote his own introduction to the series which was published in the January 1919 issue. The Strange Life of Nikola Tesla The Strange Life of Nikola Tesla is the renamed "PART ONE THE LIFE OF TESLA (by Nikola Tesla)" of the book "THE WALL OF LIGHT NIKOLA TESLA AND THE VENUSIAN SPACE SHIP THE X-12" written by Arthur H. Matthews and published in 1973. The Strange Life of Nikola Tesla was published by Kolmogorov-Smirnov Publishing (with no identifying publish date), and subsequently became the first online version of Nikola Tesla's Autobiography. It was transcribed by John Roland Penner in 1994 from a small typed booklet, photocopied and stapled. The text was first made available on GEnie in 1995 under the GNU General Public License, and from there, soon began to propagate onto the Internet. Although it is the first electronic version of Tesla's autobiography available online it contains many significant errors carried over from the original photocopied text. Online Internet scrutiny has subsequently revealed numerous omissions and additions that did not appear in the original serial text published in Electrical Experimenter magazine. The original six-part series published in Electrical Experimenter Magazine in 1919 has been republished in book form as: My Inventions, The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla (Hart Brothers, Williston, 1983). A nearly unabridged version of My Inventions in various file formats is also freely available in electronic form at www.tfcbooks.com/special/mi_link.htm. It completely replaces and supersedes the earlier corrupted text. - The booklet includes no means of contacting the publisher, although the name 'Kolmogorov-Smirnov Publishing' appears after the title page. The only form of date identification is the hand-written purchase date: April 29, 1978 - The Strange Life of Nikola Tesla Internet search. Note: a number of these webpages still bear the incorrect title My Inventions.
NASA Authorization Act of 2005 The act requires NASA to carry out a balanced set of programs in human spaceflight, in aeronautics research and development and in scientific research. The act directs NASA to send robotic spacecraft to study the Moon and planets, and to study astronomy and astrophysics. The act directs NASA to use research satellites to conduct earth science research and research on the Sun-Earth connection. The act also directs NASA to support university research in a variety of fields. In conducting its work, the act directs NASA to consult with other agencies, including the National Science and Technology Council, and to work closely with the private sector, and to "involve other nations to the extent appropriate." Vision for Space Exploration The act makes into law, and establishes milestones for, the United States Vision for Space Exploration (VSE). Specifically it directs the NASA Administrator to develop a sustained human presence on the Moon with a lunar precursor program, and authorizes international collaborations in pursuit of these goals. The NASA Administrator is directed to "strive to achieve" the following milestones: - Return Americans to the Moon no later than 2020. - Launch the Crew Exploration Vehicle as close to 2010 as possible. - Use the International Space Station to study the impacts of long duration stays in space on the human body. - Enable humans to land on and return from Mars and other destinations on a timetable that is technically and fiscally possible. The act requires establishment of a policy to guide U.S. aeronautics research and development programs through 2020. The act reiterates the Federal Government's interest in conducting research and development programs that: - improve the usefulness, performance, speed, safety, and efficiency of aeronautical vehicles, - preserve the role of the United States as a global leader in aeronautical technologies and in their application. The act directs the Administrator to develop a plan for NASA science programs through 2016. The act specifically mentions the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission, SIM-Planet Quest, and the "Future Explorers Program". The act makes specific requirements regarding the NASA budget. - NASA Authorization Act of 2010 - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2014 (H.R. 4412; 113th Congress) \|This article related to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.\|
Pike County Courthouse \|Elevation\|\|732 ft (223 m)\| \|Area\|\|4.97 sq mi (13 km2)\| \|- land\|\|4.58 sq mi (12 km2)\| \|- water\|\|0.39 sq mi (1 km2)\| \|Density\|\|1,178.2 / sq mi (455 / km2)\| \|- summer (DST)\|\|CDT (UTC-5)\| \|Wikimedia Commons: Pittsfield, Illinois\| \|This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2010)\| Pittsfield was initially settled by settlers from New England. These settlers were of old Yankee stock, that is to say they were descended from the English Puritans who had founded and settled New England in the 1600s. A group of settlers from Pittsfield, Massachusetts headed west and settled this region of Illinois in 1820. When they arrived the area was a virgin wilderness, they constructed farms, roads and government buildings. Pittsfield was home to John Hay, Lincoln's personal secretary, ambassador to England under President William McKinley, later Secretary of State for Theodore Roosevelt and creator of the Open Door Policy. As county seat, the town was one of the various places in central Illinois where Abraham Lincoln practiced law as part of the circuit court, working on 34 cases between 1839 and 1852. One local newspaper, now known as the Pike Press, was then owned by another of Lincoln's future secretaries, John Nicolay, and featured an editorial containing one of the first known suggestions of Lincoln as the Republican nominee for the presidency. Pittsfield is the self-proclaimed "Pork Capital" of the Midwest, owing to the long history of pork production in the region, which fed into the large meat-packing industry of Chicago. Though agriculture in the region is no longer so dependent on pork, the town still hosts a yearly "Pig Days" festival. The local high school football team, the Saukees, still holds the record for longest winning streak in the state. Starting with their season opening 6-0 win over North Greene in 1966, the Pittsfield Saukees reeled off 64 consecutive wins, which included 15 straight shutouts between 1969 and 1971. The streak extended all the way through to the second game of the 1973 season, when Pittsfield dropped a 12-0 decision to Winchester, Illinois. The basketball Saukees won the Illinois State basketball title in 1991 under Coach David T. Bennett who was later installed into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame. \|This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2010)\| There are many historic landmarks within the city limits, the most notable of which is the Pike County Courthouse. The courthouse was built in 1894 by Robert Franklin, a master mason who designed and supervised the keystone architecture of this courthouse. It was the third courthouse in the town, but the fourth in Pike County. The courthouse is fashioned of Cleveland sandstone, and is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful courthouses in the state and the midwest. The East Ward School, built between 1861 and 1866, was designed by Architect John M. Van Osdel, who also designed the Palmer House in Chicago, as well as the Governor's Mansion in Springfield. John Houston of Griggsville built the school for the contract price of $35,000, which was financed by bonding. The building is stone (boated from Joliet on the Illinois river) and brick burned in Pittsfield. Both the grade school and high school were located in this building. Its large clock and bell were donated by Colonel Ross and mounted in the tower. The school closed in 1955 and was unoccupied until 1978 when it was renovated and became the home of the Pike County Historical Society and the Pike County Historic Museum. Pittsfield is located at . According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of 4.97 square miles (12.9 km2), of which 4.58 square miles (11.9 km2) (or 92.15%) is land and 0.39 square miles (1.0 km2) (or 7.85%) is water. Pittsfield's drinking water supply is provided by Lake Pittsfield, an artificial reservoir held in by an earth and concrete dam. The 200-acre (0.81 km2) lake is located within a 680-acre (2.8 km2) park that has become a prime recreational area offering boating, fishing, RV and primitive camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Pittsfield, along with the bulk of Pike County, is located in the land between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers as they move toward convergence in St. Louis. The land is riddled with streams and bottom lands mostly draining through the McGee Creek drainage basin into the Illinois River. Thus, the land around Pittsfield and Pike County is much more hilly and forested than the rest of the plains of central Illinois. This geography, combined with a relative lack of heavy development, make the areas around Pittsfield particularly suited to wildlife. Pittsfield regularly attracts large numbers of out-of-state game hunters, and Pike county consistently leads all other Illinois counties in the number of deer harvested during fall hunting seasons. As of the census of 2000, there were 4,211 people, 1,805 households, and 1,126 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,178.2 people per square mile (455.4/km²). There were 1,985 housing units at an average density of 555.4 per square mile (214.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.43% White, 0.21% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population. There were 1,805 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city the population was spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 83.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,129, and the median income for a family was $42,000. Males had a median income of $26,989 versus $18,255 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,628. About 7.9% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over. - Ryan Carnes, actor - Charles Russell Davis, US congressman from Minnesota - Woodbridge Nathan Ferris, 28th governor of Michigan - James E. Flynn, civil war recipient of the Medal of Honor - Jamie Gilson, author of children books - John Hay (October 8, 1838 – July 1, 1905), statesman, diplomat, journalist, and private secretary, to Abraham Lincoln, Secretary of State under William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt - Russell W. Keeney, US congressman - John George Nicolay, associate of Abe Lincoln, diplomat, editor of Pittsfield newspaper - Terry R. Parke, state congressman - Sid Simpson, US congressman - Scott Wike, US congressman - William E. Williams, US congressman - "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. - The expansion of New England: the spread of New England settlement and institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620-1865 by Lois Kimball Matthews page 211 - "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23. - "2010 Census U.S. Gazetteer Files for Places – Illinois". United States Census. Retrieved 2012-10-13. - "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. \|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pittsfield, Illinois.\| - Pike County Chamber of Commerce - Pike Press - Pike County Express - Pittsfield High School - Pikeland CUSD #10
\|Part of the Politics series\| A referendum (in some countries synonymous with plebiscite — or a vote on a ballot question) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to vote on a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, or a law. - 1 Terminology - 2 Typology - 3 Rationale - 4 Referendums by country - 5 Multiple-choice referendums - 6 Criticisms - 7 Sources - 8 See also - 9 References - 10 External links Referendum is the gerund of the Latin verb refero, and has the meaning "bringing back" (i.e. bringing the question back to the people). The term plebiscite has a generally similar meaning in modern usage, and comes from the Latin plebiscita, which originally meant a decree of the Concilium Plebis (Plebeian Council), the popular assembly of the Roman Republic. Today, a "referendum" can also often be referred to as a "plebiscite", but in some countries the two terms are used differently to refer to votes with differing types of legal consequences. Referendums and referenda are both commonly used as plurals of referendum. However, the use of referenda is deprecated by the Oxford English Dictionary, which advises that: Referendums is logically preferable as a plural form meaning ballots on one issue (as a Latin gerund, referendum has no plural). The Latin plural gerundive referenda, meaning things to be referred, necessarily connotes a plurality of issues. Mechanisms of direct democracy are defined as a set of procedures allowing citizens to make political decisions directly through a vote, without the involvement of a parliament or a government. These mechanisms can be grouped conveniently according to who started the call for a vote. The vote can be prescribed by a constitution or a law and, thus, be automatic; it can be triggered without the collection of signatures by the authorities in power (be it a parliament, a government, or often a president); or it can depend on a collection of signatures in order to, on the one hand, block decisions post factum or, on the other hand, introduce legal provisions independent of previous legislative action. From a political philosophical perspective, referendums are an expression of direct democracy. However, in the modern world, most referendums need to be understood as an element of systems that are predominantly representative in character. As such, they tend to be used quite selectively, covering issues such as changes in voting systems, where currently elected officials may not have the legitimacy or inclination to implement such changes. Referendums by country When a country's citizens are invited to vote, it is usually for an election. However, people can also vote in referendums. Since the end of the eighteenth century, more than five hundred national referendums were organised in the world; more than three hundred of these were held in Switzerland. Australia ranked second with dozens of referendums. A referendum usually offers the electorate a choice of accepting or rejecting a proposal, but this is not necessarily the case. In Switzerland, for example, multiple choice referendums are common. Two multiple choice referendums held in Sweden, in 1957 and 1980, offered voters three options; in 1977 a referendum held in Australia to determine a new national anthem was held in which voters had four choices; and in 1992, New Zealand held a five-option referendum on their electoral system. A multiple choice referendum poses the question of how the result is to be determined if no single option receives the support of an absolute majority (more than half) of voters - a proviso for some; others regard a non-majoritarian methodology like the Borda count as more inclusive and more accurate. This question can be resolved by applying voting systems designed for single winner elections to a multiple-choice referendum. Swiss referendums get around this problem by offering a separate vote on each of the multiple options as well as an additional decision about which of the multiple options should be preferred. In the Swedish case, in both referendums the 'winning' option was chosen by the Single Member Plurality ("first past the post") system. In other words the winning option was deemed to be that supported by a plurality, rather than an absolute majority, of voters. In the 1977 Australian referendum the winner was chosen by the system of preferential instant-runoff voting. The 1992 New Zealand poll was counted under the two-round system, as were polls in Newfoundland (1949) and Guam (1982), for example. Although California does not have deliberate multiple-choice referendums in the Swiss or Swedish sense (in which only one of several counter-propositions can be victorious, and the losing proposals are wholly null and void), it does have so many yes-or-no referendums at each Election Day that the State's Constitution provides a method for resolving inadvertent conflicts when two or more inconsistent propositions are passed on the same day. This is a de facto form of Approval Voting - i.e., the proposition with the most "yes" votes prevails over the others to the extent of any conflict. Other voting systems which could be used in multi-option referendums are the Borda and Condorcet rules. \|This section does not cite any references or sources. (April 2009)\| Although some advocates of direct democracy would have the referendum become the dominant institution of government, in practice and in principle, in almost all cases, the referendum exists solely as a complement to the system of representative democracy, in which most major decisions are made by an elected legislature. An often cited exception is the Swiss canton of Glarus, in which meetings are held on the village lawn to decide on matters of public concern. In most jurisdictions that practice them, referendums are relatively rare occurrences and are restricted to important issues. Most popularly disputed form of direct popular participation is the referendum on constitutional matters. Advocates of the referendum argue that certain decisions are best taken out of the hands of representatives and determined directly by the people. Some adopt a strict definition of democracy, saying elected parliaments are a necessary expedient to make governance possible in the large, modern nation-state, though direct democracy is nonetheless preferable and the referendum takes precedence over Parliamentary decisions. Other advocates insist that the principle of popular sovereignty demands that certain foundational questions, such as the adoption or amendment of a constitution, the secession of a state or the altering of national boundaries, be determined with the directly expressed consent of the people. Advocates of representative democracy say referendums are used by politicians to avoid making difficult or controversial decisions. Criticism of populist aspect Critics of the referendum argue that voters in a referendum are more likely driven by transient whims than careful deliberation, or that they are not sufficiently informed to make decisions on complicated or technical issues. Also, voters might be swayed by strong personalities, propaganda and expensive advertising campaigns. James Madison argued that direct democracy is the "tyranny of the majority." Some opposition to the referendum has arisen from its use by dictators such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini who, it is argued, used the plebiscite to disguise oppressive policies as populism. Hitler's use of plebiscites is argued as reason why, since World War II, there has been no provision in Germany for the holding of referendums at the federal level. British politician Chris Patten summarized many of the arguments used by those who oppose the referendum in an interview in 2003 when discussing the possibility of a referendum in the United Kingdom on the European Union Constitution: \|“\|\|I think referendums are awful. The late and great Julian Critchley used to say that, not very surprisingly, they were the favourite form of plebiscitary democracy of Mussolini and Hitler. They undermine Westminster. What they ensure, as we saw in the last election, is if you have a referendum on an issue politicians during an election campaign say oh we're not going to talk about that, we don't need to talk about that, that's all for the referendum. So during the last election campaign the euro was hardly debated. I think referendums are fundamentally anti-democratic in our system and I wouldn't have anything to do with them. On the whole, governments only concede them when governments are weak.\|\|”\| Closed questions and the separability problem Some critics of the referendum attack the use of closed questions. A difficulty which can plague a referendum of two issues or more is called the separability problem. If one issue is in fact, or in perception, related to another on the ballot, the imposed simultaneous voting of first preference on each issue can result in an outcome that is displeasing to most. Undue limitations on regular government power Several commentators have noted that the use of citizens' initiatives to amend constitutions has so tied the government to a mishmash of popular demands as to render the government unworkable. The Economist has made this point about the US State of California, which has passed so many referendums restricting the ability of the state government to tax the people and pass the budget that the state has become effectively ungovernable. Calls for an entirely new Californian constitution have been made. - Emerson, P J. Defining Democracy puts both two-option and multi-option referendums into their historical context and suggests which are the more accurate measures of "the will of the people". The de Borda Institute is at http://www.deborda.org - Emerson Peter, Designing an All-Inclusive Democracy (Springer-Verlag, 2007), describes the Modified Borda Count (MBC), as well as the Quota Borda System (QBS) and the matrix vote. - The Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation, statistics (German). http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/03/blank/key/stimmbeteiligung.html - Referendums by country - History of direct democracy in the United States - List of politics-related topics - Political science - Direct democracy - Referendums related to the European Union - United Nations in Kashmir - Independence referendum - Popular referendum - Right to petition - War referendum \|National referendums on the \|France\|\|No by 55%. 69% turnout.\| \|Luxembourg\|\|Yes by 57%. 88% turnout.\| \|Netherlands\|\|No by 62%. 63% turnout.\| \|Spain\|\|Yes by 77%. 42% turnout.\| - Arizona Proposition 204, 2006 - Australian referendum, 1967 (Aboriginals) - Good Friday Agreement (1998) - Bolivian gas referendum, 2004 - Carinthian Plebiscite (1920) - Cypriot Annan Plan referendum, 2004 - Edinburgh congestion charge (2005) - Kenyan constitutional referendum, 2005 - Montenegrin independence referendum, 1992 - Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006 - Norwegian prohibition referendum, 1919 - Norwegian continued prohibition referendum, 1926 - Norwegian European Communities membership referendum, 1972 - Norwegian European Union membership referendum, 1994 - Panama Canal expansion referendum, 2006 - People's Republic of China referendums - Puerto Rico status referendums (1967, 1993, 1998) - Republic of China referendums - Serbian constitutional referendum, 2006 - South African referendum, 1992 - Tokelauan self-determination referendum, 2006 - Venezuelan recall referendum, 2004 - Referendums in Canada - Alberta liquor plebiscite, 1957 - British Columbia aboriginal treaty referendum, 2002 - British Columbia electoral reform referendum, 2005 - British Columbia electoral reform referendum, 2009 - Charlottetown Accord - List of Northwest Territories plebiscites - Newfoundland referendums, 1948 - Northwest Territories division plebiscite, 1982 - Nunavut capital plebiscite, 1995 - Ontario electoral reform referendum, 2007 - Ontario prohibition plebiscite, 1894 - Ontario prohibition referendum, 1902 - Ontario prohibition referendum, 1919 - Ontario prohibition referendum, 1921 - Ontario prohibition referendum, 1924 - Prince Edward Island electoral reform referendum, 2005 - Quebec referendum, 1980 - Quebec referendum, 1995 - Saint John, New Brunswick ward plebiscite, 2007 - Referendums in the United Kingdom - United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum, 1975 - United Kingdom European Constitution referendum (proposed) - United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum, 2011 - Northern England devolution referendums, 2004 - Northern Ireland Belfast Agreement referendum, 1998 - Northern Ireland sovereignty referendum, 1973 - Scottish devolution referendum, 1979 - Scottish devolution referendum, 1997 - Scottish independence referendum, 2014 - Welsh devolution referendum, 1979 - Welsh devolution referendum, 1997 - Welsh devolution referendum, 2011 - Edinburgh congestion charge - Greater London Authority referendum, 1998 - Referendums related to European Union accession: \|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Referendums.\| - Serdült, Uwe; Welp, Yanina (2012). "Direct Democracy Upside Down". Taiwan Journal of Democracy 8 (1). - (French) Bruno S. Frey et Claudia Frey Marti, Le bonheur. L'approche économique, Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes, 2013 (ISBN978-2-88915-010-6). - Jarinovska, Kristine. "Popular Initiatives as Means of Altering the Core of the Republic of Latvia", Juridica International. Vol. 20, 2013. p. 152 ISSN1406-5509 - "Breakfast with Frost \| Interview with Chris Patten, EU Commissioner for External Affairs on Sunday 01 June 2003". BBC News. 2003-06-01. Retrieved 2010-12-12. - "California: The ungovernable state". The Economist (London). 16–22 May 2009. pp. 33–36.
The Reinheitsgebot (German pronunciation: [ˈʁaɪnhaɪtsɡəboːt] ( listen), literally "purity order"), sometimes called the "German Beer Purity Law" or the "Bavarian Purity Law" in English, is a regulation concerning the production of beer in the Holy Roman Empire and its successor state, Germany. In the original text, the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops. The law originated on 30 November 1487, when Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria promulgated it, specifying three ingredients – water, malt and hops – for the brewing of beer. Later, in the city of Ingolstadt in the duchy of Bavaria on 23 April 1516, two other dukes, including Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria, endorsed the law as one to be followed in their duchies, adding standards for the sale of beer. In the original text, the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops. The law also set the price of beer at 1–2 Pfennig per Maß. The Reinheitsgebot is no longer part of German law: it was replaced by the Provisional German Beer Law in 1993, which allows constituent components prohibited in the Reinheitsgebot, such as yeast, wheat malt and cane sugar, but which no longer allows unmalted barley. No yeast was mentioned in the original text. It was not until the 19th century that Louis Pasteur discovered the role of microorganisms in fermentation; heretofore, yeast was not known to be an ingredient of beer. Brewers generally took some sediment from the previous fermentation and added it to the next, the sediment generally containing the necessary organisms to perform fermentation. If none were available, they would set up several vats, relying on natural airborne yeast to inoculate the brew. Hops are added to beer to impart flavors but also act as a preservative, and their mention in the Reinheitsgebot was meant to prevent alternative methods of preserving beer that had been used before the introduction of hops. Medieval brewers had used many problematic ingredients to preserve beers, including soot and fly agaric mushrooms. More commonly, other "gruit" herbs had been used, such as stinging nettle and henbane. The German name of the latter, Bilsenkraut, may originally mean "Plzeň herb", indicating that this region was a major center of beer brewing long before the invention of (Reinheitsgebot-compliant) Pilsener. The penalty for making impure beer was also set in the Reinheitsgebot: a brewer using other ingredients for his beer could have questionable barrels confiscated with no compensation. German breweries are very proud of the Reinheitsgebot, and many claim still to abide by it. Some breweries in areas with a historical connection to Germany, such as Namibia Breweries Limited, also claim to be compliant to the Reinheitsgebot. The Reinheitsgebot was introduced in part to prevent price competition with bakers for wheat and rye. The restriction of grains to barley was meant to ensure the availability of affordable bread, as the more valuable wheat and rye were reserved for use by bakers. Today many Bavarian beers are again brewed using wheat and are thus no longer compliant with the Reinheitsgebot. The Reinheitsgebot formed the basis of legislation that spread slowly throughout Bavaria and Germany. Bavaria insisted on its application throughout Germany as a precondition of German unification in 1871, to prevent competition from beers brewed elsewhere with a wider range of ingredients. The move encountered strong resistance from brewers outside Bavaria. By restricting the allowable ingredients, it led to the extinction of many brewing traditions and local beer specialties, such as North German spiced beer and cherry beer, and led to the domination of the German beer market by pilsener style beers. Only a few regional beer varieties, such as Kölner Kölsch or Düsseldorfer Altbier, survived its implementation. Regulations similar to the Reinheitsgebot were incorporated into various guild regulations and local laws all over Germany, and in 1952, they were incorporated into the West German Biersteuergesetz (Beer Taxation Law). Many brewers objected to the law at the time, disagreeing more with the amount of the tax than the ingredient requirements. The law initially applied only to bottom-fermented ("lager") beers, but brewers of other types of beer soon accepted the law as well. In May 1988, a European Court of Justice ruling led to the Reinheitsgebot being lifted, allowing ingredients beyond what was listed in the Biersteuergesetz; this meant that anything allowed in other foods was also allowed in beer. The lifting of the Biergesetz only concerns imported beer. Beer brewed in Germany still must follow the law. After German reunification in 1990 the Neuzeller Kloster Brewery, a former monastery brewery in the East German town of Neuzelle, Brandenburg, was warned to stop selling its black beer as it contained sugar. After some negotiations the brewery was allowed to sell it under the name Schwarzer Abt ("Black Abbot") but could not label it "bier". This decision was repealed by the Federal Administrative Court of Germany through a special permit, and after legal disputes lasting ten years (known as the "Brandenburg Beer War") Neuzeller Kloster Brewery gained the right to call "Schwarzer Abt" "bier" again. The revised Vorläufiges Biergesetz (Provisional Beer Law) of 1993 is a slightly expanded version of the Reinheitsgebot, stipulating that only water, malted barley, hops and yeast be used for any bottom-fermented beer. Top fermented beer is subject to the same rule with the addition that a wider variety of malt can be used as well as technically pure sucrose and beet sugars. All ingredients and the process itself are subject to additional regulations. Thus, German breweries continue to comply with the Biergesetz, and often claim compliance with the Reinheitsgebot even when it is patently incorrect (for example, for Wheat beer which were prohibited by the Reinheitsgebot). Thus the Reinheitsgebot has become a valuable marketing tool. Until superseded by a change in EU law, the Reinheitsgebot was also enforced in Greece from the early 19th century due to a law by the first Greek king, Otto (originally a Bavarian prince) that had remained in effect for over a hundred years. The law drew criticism from foreign brewers as a form of protectionism that allowed Germany to prohibit beers from Belgium and England which contained sugars, grains such as Corn and Rice, and clarification and fining agents. - Beer in Germany, many styles of beer produced despite this limitation - List of brewing companies in Germany - Bolt, Rodney (1999). Bavaria. Old Saybrook, CT: Globe Pequot Press. p. 37. ISBN 1-86011-916-6. - Porst. In: Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde. Band 23, ISBN 3-11-017535-5, S. 287 ff. - Vorläufiges Deutsches Biergesetz (Provisional German Beer-law of 1993) - Herberger, Maximilian. "Bundesgesetzblatt 1993 Teil I Seite 1400". http://archiv.jura.uni-saarland.de/. Institut fuer Rechtsinformatik, Universitaet des Saarlandes. Retrieved 20 September 2014. - Dornbusch, Horst D. (1997). Prost!: The Story of German Beer. Boulder, CO: Siris Books. ISBN 0-937381-55-1.
The Spaak-method of negotiating is named after Paul-Henri Spaak, a Belgian politician, who applied this method at the Intergovernmental Conference on the Common Market and Euratom in 1956 at Val Duchesse castle in preparing for the Treaties of Rome in 1957. During the negotiations leading to the conference at Val Duchesse, most of the real negotiations took place prior to the actual Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) within the Spaak Committee that was charged with setting the agenda for the Val Duchesse conference. The final report of the committee then formed the basis for the final treaty which was then approved in Rome. Within this negotiating method, the preparatory committee has a strong initiating and brokerage role in the phase preceding the conference, while the actual Intergovernmental Conference only deals with negotiating small changes in the original agenda prepared by the preparatory committee. - Laurent, Pierre-Henri (September 1970). "Paul-Henri Spaak and the Diplomatic Origins of the Common Market, 1955–1956". Political Science Quarterly 85 (3): 373–396. doi:10.2307/2147876. - 50th anniversary of the Val Duchesse negotiations of the Rome Treaties (1956–2006) - Interview with Pierre Pescatore: atmosphere and working method at the Château de Val Duchesse (Luxembourg, 10 September 2003) - Towards a new method of constitutional bargaining? - Interview with Jean François Poncet: the importance of the Spaak Report in the Val Duchesse negotiations
The Parallax Propeller microcontroller, Propeller Assembly language, and Spin interpreter were designed by one person, Parallax's co-founder and president Chip Gracey. The Spin programming language and "Propeller Tool" integrated development environment were designed by Chip Gracey and Parallax's software engineer Jeff Martin. - 1 Multi-core architecture - 2 Speed and power management - 3 On-board peripherals - 4 ROM extensions - 5 Built in SPIN byte code interpreter - 6 Package and I/O - 7 Virtual I/O devices - 8 Dedicated cores instead of interrupts - 9 Boot mechanism - 10 External persistent memory - 11 Other language implementations - 12 Graphical programming - 13 Future versions - 14 References - 15 External links Each of the eight 32-bit cores (called a cog) has a CPU which has access to 512× 32-bit long words (2 KB) of instructions and data. Self-modifying code is possible and is used internally, for example as the boot loader overwrites itself with the SPIN Interpreter. Subroutines in SPIN (object-based high-level code) utilize a call/return mechanism requiring the use of a call stack. Assembly (PASM, low-level) code does not require a call stack. Access to shared memory (32 KB RAM; 32 KB ROM) is controlled in round-robin fashion by an internal bus controller called the hub. Each cog also has access to two dedicated hardware counters and a special "video generator" for use in generating PAL, NTSC, VGA, servo-control, or other timing signals. Speed and power management The Propeller can be clocked using either an internal, on-chip oscillator (providing a lower total parts count, but sacrificing some accuracy and thermal stability) or an external crystal or resonator (providing higher maximum speed with greater accuracy at an increased total cost). Only the external oscillator may be run through an on-chip PLL clock multiplier, which may be set at 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x, or 16x. Both the on-board oscillator frequency (if used) and the PLL multiplier value may be changed at run-time. If used correctly, this can improve power efficiency; for example, the PLL multiplier can be decreased before a long "no operation" wait required for timing purposes, then increased afterwards, causing the processor to use less power. However, the utility of this technique is limited to situations where no other cog is executing timing-dependent code (or is carefully designed to cope with the change), since the effective clock rate is common to all cogs. The effective clock rate ranges from 32 kHz up to 80 MHz (with the exact values available for dynamic control dependent on the configuration used, as described above). When running at 80 MHz, the proprietary interpreted Spin programming language executes approximately 80,000 instruction-tokens per second on each core, giving 8 times 80,000 for 640,000 high-level instructions per second. Most machine-language instructions take 4 clock-cycles to execute, resulting in 20 MIPS per cog, or 160 MIPS in total for an 8-cog Propeller. In addition to lowering the clock rate to that actually required, power consumption can be reduced by turning off cogs (which then use very little power), and by reconfiguring I/O pins which are not needed, or can be safely placed in a high-impedance state ("tristated"), as inputs. Pins can be reconfigured dynamically, but again, the change applies to all cogs, so synchronization is important for certain designs. (Some protection is available for situations where one core attempts to use a pin as an output while another attempts to use it as an input; this is explained in Parallax's technical reference manual.) Each cog has access to some dedicated counter/timer hardware, and a special timing signal generator intended to simplify the design of video output stages, such as composite PAL or NTSC displays (including modulation for broadcast) and VGA monitors. Parallax thus makes sample code available which can generate video signals (text and somewhat low-resolution graphics) using a minimum parts count consisting of the Propeller, a crystal oscillator, and a few resistors to form a crude DAC. The frequency of the oscillator is important, as the correction ability of the video timing hardware is limited to the clock rate. It is possible to use multiple cogs in parallel to generate a single video signal. More generally, the timing hardware can be used to implement various pulse-width modulated (PWM) timing signals. In addition to the Spin interpreter and a bootloader, the built-in ROM provides some data which may be useful for certain sound, video, or mathematical applications: - a bitmap font is provided, suitable for typical character generation applications (but not customizable); - a logarithm table (base 2, 2048 entries); - an antilog table (base 2, 2048 entries); and - a sine table (16-bit, 2049 entries representing first quadrant, angles from 0 to π/2; other three quadrants are created from the same table). The math extensions are intended to help compensate for the lack of a floating-point unit as well as more primitive missing operations, such as multiplication and division (this is masked in Spin but is a limitation for assembly language routines). The Propeller is a 32-bit processor, however, and these tables may not have sufficient accuracy for higher-precision applications. Built in SPIN byte code interpreter Spin is a multitasking high-level computer programming language created by Parallax's Chip Gracey, who also designed the Propeller microcontroller on which it runs, for their line of Propeller microcontrollers. Spin code is written on the Propeller Tool, a GUI-oriented software development platform written for Windows XP. This compiler converts the Spin code into bytecodes that can be loaded (with the same tool) into the main 32 KB RAM, and optionally into the I²C boot EEPROM, of the Propeller chip. After booting the propeller a bytecode interpreter is copied from the built in ROM into the 2 KB RAM of the primary COG. This COG will then start interpreting the bytecodes in the main 32 KB RAM. More than one copy of the bytecode interpreter can run in other COGs, so several Spin code threads can run simultaneously. Within a Spin code program, assembler code program(s) can be "inline" inserted. These assembler program(s) will then run on their own COGs. The Propeller's interpreter for its proprietary multi-threaded SPIN computer language is a byte code interpreter. This interpreter decodes strings of instructions, one instruction per byte, from user code which has been edited, compiled, and loaded onto the Propeller from within a purpose-specific IDE. This IDE, which Parallax simply calls "The Propeller tool", is intended for use under the Windows operating system. The SPIN language is a high-level programming language. Because it is interpreted in software, it runs slower than pure Propeller assembly but can be more space-efficient (Propeller assembly opcodes are 32 bits long; SPIN directives are 8 bits long, which may be followed by a number of 8-bit bytes to specify how that directive operates). SPIN also allows users to avoid significant memory segmentation issues that must be considered for assembly code. At startup, a copy of the byte code interpreter (less than 2 KB in size), will be copied into the dedicated RAM of a cog and will then start interpreting byte code in the main 32 KB RAM. Additional cogs can be started from that point, loading a separate copy of the interpreter into the new cog's dedicated RAM (a total of eight interpreter threads can, therefore, run simultaneously). Notably, this means that at least a minimal amount of startup code must be SPIN code, for all Propeller applications. The syntax of Spin can be broken down into blocks. The blocks are as following: - VAR Holds global variables - CON Holds program constants - PUB Holds code for a public subroutine - PRI Holds code for a private subroutine - OBJ Holds code for objects - DAT Holds predefined data, memory reservations and assembly code - reboot: causes the microcontroller to reboot - waitcnt: wait for the system counter to equal or exceed a specified value - waitvid: Waits for a (video) timing event before outputting (video) data to I/O pins. - coginit: starts a processor on a new task An example program, (as it would appear in the "Propeller Tool" editor) which outputs the current system counter every 3,000,000 cycles, then is shut down by another cog after 40,000,000 cycles: The Parallax Propeller is gradually accumulating software libraries which give it similar functionality to Parallax's older BASIC Stamp product; however there is no uniform list of which PBASIC facilities now have Spin equivalents. It has been jokingly opined that "If two languages were to meet in a bar, Fortran & BASIC... Nine months later one would find SPIN.". This refers to the whitespace formatting of FORTRAN and the keyword-based operation of BASIC. Package and I/O The initial version of the chip (called the P8X32A) provides one 32-bit port in a 40-pin 0.6 in DIP, 44-pin LQFP, or QFN package. Of the 40 available pins, 32 are used for I/O, four for power and ground pins, two for an external crystal (if used), one to enable brownout-detection, and one for reset. All eight cores can access the 32-bit port (designated "A"; there is currently no "B") simultaneously. A special control mechanism is used to avoid I/O conflicts if one core attempts to use an I/O pin as an output while another tries to use it as input. Any of these pins can be used for the timing or pulse-width modulation output techniques described above. Parallax has stated that it expects later versions of the Propeller to offer more I/O pins and/or more memory. Virtual I/O devices The Propeller's designers designed it around the concept of "virtual I/O devices". For example, the "HYDRA Game Development Kit", (a computer system designed for hobbyists, to learn to develop "retro-style" video games) uses the built-in character generator and video support logic to generate a virtual Video display generator that outputs VGA colour pictures, PAL/NTSC compatible colour pictures or broadcast RF video+audio in software. The screen capture displayed here was made using a software "virtual display driver" that sends the pixel data over a serial link to a PC. Software libraries are available to implement several I/O devices ranging from simple UARTs and Serial I/O interfaces such as SPI, I²C and PS/2 compatible serial mouse and keyboard interfaces, motor drivers for robotic systems, MIDI interfaces and LCD controllers. Dedicated cores instead of interrupts The design philosophy of the Propeller is that a hard real-time multi-core architecture negates the need for dedicated interrupt hardware and support in assembly. In traditional CPU architecture, external interrupt lines are fed to an on-chip interrupt controller and are serviced by one or more interrupt service routines. When an interrupt occurs, the interrupt controller suspends normal CPU processing and saves internal state (typically on the stack), then vectors to the designated interrupt service routine. After handling the interrupt, the service routine executes a "return from interrupt" instruction which restores the internal state and resumes CPU processing. To handle an external signal promptly on the Propeller, any one of the 32 I/O lines is configured as an input. A cog is then configured to wait for a transition (either positive or negative edge) on that input using one of the two counter circuits available to each cog. While waiting for the signal, the cog operates in low-power mode, essentially sleeping. Extending this technique, a Propeller can be set up to respond to eight independent "interrupt" lines with essentially zero handling delay. Alternately, a single line can be used to signal the "interrupt" and then additional input lines can be read to determine the nature of the event. The code running in the other cores is not affected by the interrupt handling cog. Unlike a traditional multitasking single-processor interrupt architecture, the signal response timing remains predictable, and indeed using the term "interrupt" in this context can cause confusion, since this functionality can be more properly thought of as polling with a zero loop time. On power up, brownout detection, software reset, or external hardware reset, the Propeller will load a machine-code boot routine from the internal ROM into the RAM of its first (primary) cog and execute it. This code emulates an I²C interface in software, temporarily using two I/O pins for the needed serial clock and data signals to load user code from an external I2C EEPROM. Simultaneously, it emulates a serial port, using two other I/O pins that can be used to upload software directly to RAM (and optionally to the external EEPROM). If the Propeller does not see any commands from the serial port, it will load the user program (the entry code of which must be written in SPIN, as described above) from the serial EEPROM into the main 32 KB RAM. After that it will load the SPIN interpreter from its built-in ROM into the dedicated RAM of its first cog, thereby overwriting most of the bootloader. Regardless of how the user program is loaded, execution starts by interpreting initial user bytecode with the SPIN interpreter running in the primary cog. After this initial SPIN code runs, the application can turn on any unused cog to start a new thread, and/or start assembler code routines. External persistent memory Other language implementations Apart from Spin and the Propeller's low-level assembler, a number of other languages have been ported to it. Parallax supports Propeller-GCC which is a port of the GCC C/C++ compiler for Propeller (branch release_1_0). The C compiler and the C Library are ANSI C compliant. The C++ compiler is ANSI-C99 compliant. Full C++ is supported with external memory. The SimpleIDE program provides users a simple way to write programs without requiring makefiles. In 2013 Parallax incorporated Propeller-GCC and Simple Libraries into the Propeller-C Learn series of tutorials. Propeller-GCC is actively maintained. Propeller-GCC and SimpleIDE are officially supported Parallax software products. The ImageCraft ICCV7 for Propeller C compiler has been marked to end-of-life state. FORTH on the Propeller There are at least 6 different versions of FORTH available for the Propeller, both paid and Open Source. A free version that enjoys extensive development and community support is PropForth PropForth is tailored to the prop architecture, and necessarily deviates from any general standard regarding architectural uniqueness, consistent with the concept of forth. In addition to the FORTH interpreter, PropForth provides many features that take advantage of the chip's capabilities. "Linked I/O" refers to the method of associating a stream with process, allowing one process to link to the next on the fly, transparent to the application. This can reduce or eliminate the need of a hardware debugging or JTAG interface in many cases. "Mutli-Channel Synchronous Serial (MCS)" refers to the synchronous serial communication between prop chips. 96-bit packets are sent continuously between two cogs, the result is that applications see additional resources (+6 cogs for each prop chip added) with little or no impact on throughput for a well constructed application. "LogicAnalyzer" refers to an extension package that implements software logic analyzer. EEPROMfilesystem and SDfilesystem are extensions that implement rudimentary storage using EEPROM and SD flash. "PagedAssembler" refers to the package of optimizations that allow assembler routines to be swapped in (and out by overwrite) on the fly, allowing virtually unlimited application size. Script execution allows extensions to be loaded on the fly, allowing program source up to the size of storage media. Propeller and Java Pascal compiler and runtime PICoPLC supports output to Propeller processor. The program is created in a GUI ladder logic editor and resulting code is emitted as SPIN source. PICoPLC also supports P8X32 with create-simulate-run feature. No restrictions on target hardware as the oscillator frequency and IO pins are freely configurable in the ladder editor. PICoPLC is no longer available on the developer website (HTTP 404) but may be found at http://picoplc.software.informer.com/3.0/ . Parallax is currently[when?] building a new Propeller with cogs that each will run at about 200 MIPS, whereas the current Propeller's cogs each run at around 20 MIPS. The improved performance would result from a maximum clock speed increase to 200 MHz (from 80 MHz) and an architecture that pipelines instructions, achieving an average execution of nearly one instruction per clock cycle (approximately a ten-fold increase). - Propeller 1 Open Source page - David A. Scanlan, Martin A. Hebel. "Programming the eight-core propeller chip" Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, Volume 23, Issue 1, October 2007. - Parallax Forums - selmaware.com; a dedicated video generator board with a propeller - screen capture software - parallax.com; propeller object exchange software library - propeller wikispaces.com - PropGCC on Google Code - Propeller C Learning System - Catalina - a C compiler for the Propeller - google.com; propforth - Programming Propeller in Java - Wiki with detailed information about the propeller - Propeller forum at Parallax Inc: - Propeller Page at Parallax Inc: - Propeller 1 Open Source page - Propeller GCC Beta Site - Article at EiED online - a second article at EiED online - An article at ferret.com.au - List of programming languages running on the Propeller - Download PICoPLC from APStech - FirstSpin, a weekly educational audio program about the Spin programming language and the Propeller, sponsored by Parallax
\|This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2009)\| \|\|This article possibly contains original research. (February 2009)\| Stunning is the process of rendering animals immobile or unconscious, without killing the animal, prior to their being slaughtered for food. A primitive form of stunning was used in premodern times in the case of cattle, which were poleaxed prior to being bled out. However, prior to humane slaughter pistols and electric stunners, pigs, sheep and other animals (including cattle) were simply struck while fully conscious. The belief that this was unnecessarily cruel and painful to the animal being slaughtered eventually led to the compulsory adoption of stunning methods in many countries. One of the first campaigners on the matter was the eminent physician, Benjamin Ward Richardson, who spent many years of his later working life developing more humane methods of slaughter. As early as 1853, he designed a lethal chamber that would gas animals to death relatively painlessly, and he founded the Model Abattoir Society in 1882 to investigate and campaign for humane methods of slaughter. He even experimented with the use of electric current at the Royal Polytechnic Institution. The development of stunning technologies occurred largely in the first half of the twentieth century. In 1911, the Council of Justice to Animals (later the Humane Slaughter Association) was created to improve the slaughter of livestock and address the killing of unwanted pets. In the early 1920s, HSA introduced and demonstrated a mechanical stunner, which led to the adoption of humane stunning by many local authorities." The HSA played a key role in the passage of the Slaughter of Animals Act 1933. This made the mechanical stunning of cows and electrical stunning of pigs compulsory, with the exception of Jewish and Muslim meat. Modern methods, such as the captive bolt pistol and electric tongs were required and the Act's wording specifically outlawed the poleaxe. The period was marked by the development of various innovations in slaughterhouse technologies, not all of them particularly long-lasting. In modern slaughterhouses a variety of stunning methods are used on livestock. Methods include: - Electrical stunning - Gas stunning - Percussive stunning Electrical stunning is done by sending an electrical current through the brain and/or heart of the animal before slaughter. Current passing through the brain induces an immediate but non-fatal general convulsion that produces unconsciousness. Current passing through the heart produces an immediate cardiac arrest that also leads shortly to unconsciousness and death. It is a controversial subject however. With chickens for example, overstunning leads to bone fractures and/or electrocution which prevents bleeding of the animal. This negatively affects the quality of the meat, and therefore understunning is an attractive practice for slaughterhouses. In the Netherlands, for example, the law states that poultry must be stunned for 4 seconds minimum with an average current of 100 mA, which leads to systematic understunning. The CrustaStun is a device designed to administer a lethal electric shock to shellfish (such as lobsters, crabs, and crayfish) before cooking. This avoids boiling a live shellfish which may be able to experience pain in a way similar to vertebrates. The device works by applying a 110 volt, 2–5 amp electrical charge to the animal. It is reported the CrustaStun renders the shellfish unconscious in 0.3 seconds and kills the animal in 5 to 10 seconds, compared to 3 minutes to kill a lobster by boiling or 4.5 minutes for a crab. With gas stunning animals are exposed to a mixture of breathing gases (carbon dioxide for example, but historically carbon monoxide was used) that produce unconsciousness or death through hypoxia or asphyxia. The process is not instantaneous. With percussive stunning, a device which hits the animal on the head, with or without penetration, is employed. Such devices, such as the captive bolt pistol, can be either pneumatic, or powder-actuated. Percussive stunning produces immediate unconsciousness through brain trauma. United States regulation Stunning is regulated by the provisions of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (7 U.S.C. 1901), which the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is mandated to uphold under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 603 (b)). No similar provision exists in the Poultry Products Inspection Act of 1957 (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.). After confirmation of the first U.S. BSE case, FSIS issued regulations (69 FR 1887, January 12, 2004) prohibiting the use of the most widely used stunning device (air-injection captive bolt stun gun) because the compressed air (in contrast to the blank cartridge-driven or non-penetrating captive bolt) has been shown to force pieces of brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tissue into the bloodstream. Cattle blood is processed primarily for use as a protein supplement in animal feeds and milk replacer for calves, and could potentially transmit BSE if it contained specified risk materials (SRMs include brain and CNS tissue). - This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Power, D'Arcy (1901). "Richardson, Benjamin Ward". In Sidney Lee. Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement. London: Smith, Elder & Co. - "Humane Slaughter Association Newsletter March 2011". Humane Slaughter Association. Retrieved 1 July 2014. - "History of the HSA". Humane Slaughter Association. Retrieved 1 July 2014. - McSmith, A. (November 21, 2009). "I'll have my lobster electrocuted, please". London: The Independent (Newspaper). Retrieved June 14, 2013. - Anon. (October 27, 2010). "CrustaStun: The 'humane' gadget that kills lobsters with a single jolt of electricity". London: MailOnline (Newspaper). Retrieved June 14, 2013. - CRS Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition - Order Code 97-905 \|Look up stunning in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.\| - The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) outlines practical suggestions for humane handling and slaughter of livestock.
\|Ceased operations\|\|January 1 2014\| \|Hubs\|\|Kazan International Airport\| \|Focus cities\|\|Begishevo Airport\| Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia Tatarstan Airlines (Russian: Авиакомпания Татарстан, Tatar: Татарстан Һава Юллары, Tatarstan Hawa Yulları) was the regional airline of the Republic of Tatarstan, part of the Russian Federation. It was based at Kazan Airport in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia and operated from 1999 until 2013. Tatarstan Airlines was founded in 1993 and started flights in 1999. It operated scheduled flights to destinations in Russia and abroad including seasonal charter flights to holiday destinations. In November 2013 the crash of Tatarstan Airlines Flight 363 claimed the lives of all passengers and crew. Russia's air transport regulator Rosaviatsiya recommended that Tatarstan Airlines' operating license be withdrawn after air incident investigators concluded that the crash was due to overworked and inadequately trained crew. The airline's operating license was revoked on 31 December 2013 and its aircraft were transferred to Ak Bars Aero. Tatarstan Airlines operated scheduled passenger services to cities in Russia including Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Makhachkala as well as international destinations Baku, Dushanbe, Yerevan, Tashkent, Khujand, Istanbul, Prague and Tel Aviv. Tatarstan Airlines operated charter services in Russia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece and Turkey. In 2010–2011 Tatarstan Airlines flew 40 routes. In 2009 it carried 577,000 passengers, which grew to 603,000 in 2010 and 824,000 in 2011. \|Airbus A319-100\|\|4\|\|1\|\|0\|\|156\|\|156\|\| Charter routes only\| Accidents and incidents On 17 November 2013, Boeing 737-500 (VQ-BBN) arriving from Moscow crashed on landing at Kazan International Airport. All 44 passengers and 6 crew members were killed. The crash resulted in the temporary closure of the airport. - "Головной офис." Tatarstan Airlines. Retrieved on 28 October 2010. "420144, Россия, Татарстан, г. Казань, Аэропорт" - "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 23–29 March 1994. 122. "Head office: Kazan Airport, Tatarstan 420017, Russia" - (Russian) Federal State Unitary Enterprise "State Air Traffic Management Corporation", Airline Reference, Vol. 1, Russian Federation, 20 February 2007, p. 423 - Aircompany “Tatarstan” \| Tatarstan Airlines and Turkish Airlines are transforming Kazan airport into a new federal hub. Tatarstan.aero (15 March 2011). - Steve, Gutterman. "Russian regulator to ground regional airline following deadly crash". Reuters.com. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 30 December 2013. - "Авиакомпания "Татарстан" лишилась сертификата эксплуатанта". Kommersant. 31 December 2013. - Aircompany “Tatarstan” \| Company. Tatarstan.aero (22 December 2011). - (Russian) BusinessOnline. Aviaport.ru. - (Russian) Aviaport digest. Aviaport.ru. - Авиакомпания «Татарстан» \| Парк самолетов. Tatarstan.aero. \|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tatarstan Airlines.\| - Official website (English)
\|Vincent M. Sarich\| \|Born\|\|December 13, 1934 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. \|Died\|\|October 27, 2012 (aged 77) Seattle, Washington, U.S. \|Institutions\|\|University of Auckland\| \|Doctoral advisor\|\|Sherwood Washburn\| \|Known for\|\|Research in human evolution\| \|Notable awards\|\|Kistler Prize (2004)\| Vincent Matthew Sarich (December 13, 1934 – October 27, 2012) was an American Professor Emeritus in anthropology at UC Berkeley. Early life and education Born in Chicago, he received a bachelor of science in chemistry from Illinois Institute of Technology and his masters and doctorate in anthropology from University of California, Berkeley, where he was supervised by Sherwood Washburn. He was a member of the Department of Anthropology at Stanford from 1967 to 1981, and taught at UC Berkeley from 1966 through 1994. As a doctoral student, and along with his PhD supervisor Allan Wilson, Sarich measured the strength of immunological cross-reactions of blood serum albumin between pairs of creatures, including humans and African apes (chimpanzees and gorillas). The strength of the reaction could be expressed numerically as an Immunological Distance, which was in turn proportional to the number of amino acid differences between homologous proteins in different species. By constructing a calibration curve of the I.D. of species' pairs with known divergence times in the fossil record, the data could be used as a molecular clock to estimate the times of divergence of pairs with poorer or unknown fossil records. In their seminal paper in 1967 in Science, Sarich and Wilson estimated the divergence time of humans and apes as four to five million years ago, at a time when standard interpretations of the fossil record gave this divergence as at least 10 to as much as 30 million years. Subsequent fossil discoveries, notably Lucy, and reinterpretation of older fossil materials, notably Ramapithecus, showed the younger estimates to be correct and validated the albumin method. Application of the molecular clock principle revolutionized the study of molecular evolution. Sarich's later work on race strengthened his reputation as a controversial figure. He applied his earlier work to racial differentiation, which he sees as the beginnings of speciation, arguing that the smaller the amount of time required to create a given number of morphological difference, the more selectively significant the differences become. Sarich was a proponent of sociobiology, evolutionary psychology, and his position that racial differences represent the beginnings of speciation, which often caused him to be the subject of controversy by activists at Berkeley. In 1994, Sarich was a signatory of a collective statement titled Mainstream Science on Intelligence, written by Linda Gottfredson and published in the Wall Street Journal. Sarich also wrote a favorable review of The Bell Curve. After retirement from Berkeley, he occasionally lectured in anthropology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand for a number of years. At the time of his death he was living in Seattle, WA with his daughter, her partner and grandson. Some of Sarich's teachings was criticized by students and faculty for not being based in science, statements his critics said were demeaning to women, nonwhites and homosexuals. In an interview with The New York Times, Sarich agreed with his critics, who stated that there was little or no scientific basis for his claims about homosexuality, or on the relationship that he was then teaching of brain size to intelligence. He told the Times there seems to be a correlation but "there is not a lot of evidence to support that theory because there isn't a lot of research done on the subject." - Sarich VM, Wilson AC. Immunological time scale for hominid evolution. Science 158, 1967, p. 1200-1203. - Sarich VM, Miele F. Race: The Reality of Human Differences. Westview Press (2004). ISBN 0-8133-4086-1 - Sarich VM. The Final Taboo. Skeptic (Altadena, CA) January 1, 2000. Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Page: 38 - Sarich VM, Dolhinow P. Background for man; readings in physical anthropology ASIN: B00005VHM2 - Zihlman, Adrienne L.; Cronin, John E.; Cramer, Douglas L.; Sarich, Vincent M. (1978). "Pygmy chimpanzee as a possible prototype for the common ancestor of humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas". Nature 275 (5682): 744–746. doi:10.1038/275744a0. PMID 703839. - Marks, Jon; Schmid, Carl W.; Sarich, Vincent M. (1988). "DNA hybridization as a guide to phylogeny: Relations of the Hominoidea". Journal of Human Evolution 17 (8): 769–786. doi:10.1016/0047-2484(88)90065-6. - "Kistler Prize 2004 Recipient". Foundation for the Future. Archived from the original on 2009-04-04. Retrieved 2009-04-04. - Sarich, V. M.; Wilson, A. C. (1967). "Immunological time scale for hominid evolution". Science 158 (3805): 1200–1203. doi:10.1126/science.158.3805.1200. PMID 4964406. - "Campus Life: Berkeley; Campus Is Split Over Statements By a Professor". The New York Times. December 23, 1990. Retrieved January 10, 2015. - Gottfredson, Linda (December 13, 1994). Mainstream Science on Intelligence. Wall Street Journal, p A18. - The Creationist and the Sociobiologist: Two Stories About Illiberal Education - Wilson, A. C.; Sarich, V. M. (August 1969). "A Molecular Time Scale For Human Evolution". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) 63 (4): 1088–1093. doi:10.1073/pnas.63.4.1088. PMC 223432. PMID 4982244. Retrieved 2009-04-04. - Vincent Sarich biography Archived 10 August 2005 at the Wayback Machine by Kozue Takahashi via Minnesota State University
Fitzhenry, Mrs. (DNB00) FITZHENRY, Mrs. (d. 1790?). actress, was the daughter of an Irishman named Flannigan, who kept the old Ferry Boat tavern, Abbey Street, Dublin. She contributed by her needle to the support of her father, and married a lodger in his house, a Captain Gregory, commander of a vessel engaged in the trade between Dublin and Bordeaux. After the death, by drowning, of her husband, followed by that of her father, she proceeded to London in 1753 and appeared at Covent Garden 10 Jan. 1754 as Mrs. Gregory, 'her first appearance upon any stage,' playing Hermione in the 'Distressed Mother.' Alicia in 'Jane Shore' followed, 23 March 1754, Her Irish accent impeded her success, and at the end of the season she went, at a salary of 300l., soon raised to 400l., to Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, under Sowdon and Victor, where she appeared (?3 Jan, 1755) as Hermione, and played (14 March 1755) Zara in the 'Mourning Bride,' Zaphira in 'Barbarossa' (2 Feb, 1756), and Volumnia in 'Coriolanus.' These representations gained her high reputation. On 5 Jan. 17C7 she reappeared at Covent Garden as Hermione, and added to her repertory Calista in the 'Fair Penitent,' and for her benefit Lady Macbeth. About this time she married Fitzhenry, a lawyer, by whom she had a son and a daughter. He also predeceased her. She reappeared at Smock Alley in October 1757 as Mrs. Fitzhenry in Calista. At one or other of the Dublin theatres, between 1759 and 1764, she played Isabella in 'Measure for Measure,' Emilia in 'Othello,' Cleopatra in 'All for Love,' the Queen in 'Hamlet' (then held to be a character of primary importance), Mandane in the 'Orphan of China,' Queen Katharine, and other parts. On 15 Oct. 1765, as Calista, she made her first appearance at Drury Lane, and added to her characters, 9 April 1766, Roxana in the 'Rival Queens.' Returning to Dublin she played at Smock Alley or Crow Street theatres, both for a time under the management of Mossop, the Countess of Salisbury and Aspasia in 'Tamerlane.' Her last recorded appearance was at Smock Alley 1773-4 as Mrs. Belleville in the 'School for Wives.' Not long after this she retired with a competency and lived with her two children. She returned to the stage, Genest supposes, on no very strong evidence, about 1782-3, and acted successfully many of her old parts. She then finally retired, and is said to have died at Bath in 1790. The date and place are doubted by Genest, a resident in Bath, who thinks there is a confusion between her and Mrs. Fitzmaurice, who died in Bath about this epoch. The monthly obituary of the 'European Magazine' for November and December 1790 says: '11 Dec. Lately in Ireland, Mrs. Fitzhenry, a celebrated actress.' Mrs. Fitzhenry was an excellent actress. She lacked, however, the personal beauty of Mrs. Yates, to whom she was opposed by the Dublin managers, and was in consequence treated with much discourtesy and cruelty in Dublin. Her acting was original, and her character blameless. She was prudent, and it may almost be said sharp, in pecuniary affairs. [The chief authority for the life of Mrs. Fitzhenry is the Thespian Dictionary, a not very trustworthy production. Other works from which information has been derived are Genest's Account of the English Stage; Hitchcock's View of the Irish Stage; Tate Wilkinson's Memoirs; Notes and Queries, 7th ser. v. 372. A notice in Gilliland's Dramatic Mirror is copied from the Thespian Dictionary.]
M. K. Gandhi: Indian Patriot in South Africa/Chapter 5 When Mr. Gandhi speaks o[ his parents, those who listen realise that they are on holy ground. It is as though some priestly Israelite had lifted the curtain of the inner Shrine, to allow the Shekinah to be seen. There, in there, are the springs of Divine power and life. "Tell me about them," I said to him, as he sat opposite me, in one of his reflecting moods. "Tell me about your parents." And this, in substance, was his reply. There are four castes among the Hindus, each one divided and subdivided into many more:— - (1) The Brahmin, or Priestly Caste. - (2) The Kshatriya, or Warrior Caste. - (3) The Vaishya, or CommerciaI Caste. - (4) The Sudra, or Domestic Caste. The Gandhi clan belong to the third caste. In religion they are Vaishnavas. The father was an intensely religious man. He knew the whole of the Bhagavad Gita, Arnold's "Song Celestial," by heart, and according to the strictest manner of the law, he lived a Vaishnava. The marvel was that, in the enervating atmosphere of an Indian Court, he was also incorruptible. Once. when the Thakore of Rajkot pressed him, after long service, to accept a piece of ground, urging him to take as much as he desired, he indignantly rejected the offer, thinking that it had the appearance of bribery. "What will you do with your sons?" said the Prince, "you must provide for them. Take as much as you need." Then his relatives took up the parable, and by sheer persistence, bore down his opposition. But even then, all that he would accept was a mere strip of ground four hundred yards long. Money had no fasination for him. Before his death, at the age of sixty-three, he had spent nearly all his substance, chiefly in charity. Here is a vivid scene from his life. Once he fell foul of the Assistant Political Agent, who was an Englishman. In those days, the Thakore Sahib of Rajkot, whom Karamchand Gandhi was serving at the time, had no power beyond what was allowed him by the British representative, and, as a rule, a hint from such an authority was sufficient to procure the dismissal of even a Minister. Karamchand Gandhi must have been a fearless man. Hearing some insolent remark from the Englishman regarding his Prince, he dared to dispute with him. The Agent was furious and demanded apology. When this was refused, the angry official had him immediately arrested, and detained, for some hours, under a tree; the town meanwhile seething with excitement. Such a defiance of British power had never before been seen. In the end, "passive resistance" prevailed, the apology was waived, and the two opponents became friends. The close of his life was full of sadness. When his son's marriage was approaching in Porbandar, he found it very difficult to obtain leave from Rajkot. When permission was at last granted by the Thakore, it was so near the wedding-day, that the father used relays of horses between the two cities, and in the haste of travel, the cumbersome vehicle was overturned, and he sustained injuries from which he never recovered. During the few years that succeeded, Mohandas, his youngest son, was his constant companion and nurse, and I gather that the utmost confidence must have existed between the two. But above all, it was the mother who won the boy's unreserved devotion. His voice softens when he speaks of her, and the light of love is in his eyes. She must have been a beautiful character. Poligamy, although not prohibited, is not common, except among the Mohammedans, in Porbandar. There was no poligamy and no purdah seclusion, in the Gandhi's home. The mother was a second wife. She was very young, but remarkably clear-sighted and intelligent. She became, in fact, a political influence of no mean importance in the State, through her friendship with the Court ladies. She was not fond of jewelry, and wore comparatively little, just the usual nose rings, with bangles of ivory on her wrists, heavy anklets. She was severely religious. Folk whispered that they had known her to fast for seven days at a time, and life was all religion with her; she made it the atmosphere of the home. She believed in stern discipline, yet withal, this mother bore such a strain of tenderness and sympathy in her heart, that the children clung to her with boundless affection. If there were sickness in the home, she would sit up night after night discharging the duties of nurse. If any one nearby was in need, Brahmin or Sudra, she was the one to render help as soon as possible. Every morning the old gate-way was besieged by twenty or thirty poverty-stricken people, who came to receive the alms or the cup of whey which was never refused: just as though the house were a mediæval convent, and she an Indian Saint Elizabeth. It was her influence, more than any other, that formed the character of her boy. Here is a glimpse of the Holy of Holies. "When," he said, "my going as a student to London was proposed, after long refusal, my mother consented on one condition. She had heard of the loose, immoral lives lived in that far-off city, and she trembled for her son. Taking me before a Swami of the Jain Sect, she made me swear a threefold oath, to abjure the attractions of wine, of flesh, and of women. And that oath," he added, "saved me from many a pitfall in London."
92 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. so far as slie lias come in school. I would like to be like Miss Sulli- van becuse sbe helps otlier people and I would like to lielp someone. I know I can not do so much but I try mj best." Very responsive are the younger children to the wonder-workers of myth and legend and Scripture : " Apollo, because he rides a golden chariot all the time "; " Hercules, because he held the earth on his shoulders "; " Quicksilver, because he can fly through the air and not get very tired," are attractive ideals. In very much the same spirit they desire to be like God, " His wonders to perform." Of the total number of children, five per cent, most of whom are below twelve years of age, mention God and Christ as ideals. The moral attributes found in these Divine Beings are very similar to those found in George Washington or other human heroes. The majority of the children give a composite of characteristics which impress them in the Deity, into which enter the marvelous, the directly personal, and the moral. The Deity appealing to them must be anthropomorphic, human and yet superhuman, ministering directly to their personal needs. " He is onest," " He never tells a lie," " He is so kind and good," " He can do every thing," " He can turn something into enything," " He sends rain and snow for us to sled and skate," " When we go into the woods he will help us through." A boy of eleven writes: "H it was not only for Him, what would become of us. Maybe we would be stones which lay beneth the guter." It is pleasant to find that to few of the older children do pos- sessions make a character ideal. While ten per cent of the seven- year-olds are attracted by the commercial side of life, at fifteen only two per cent consider that paramount, at least in an ideal life. Typical papers are: Boy of seven : " I like two be a king of a graet kasle. Why. A king has a graet kasle." Boy of ten : " I would like to be like Doctor About. Because it is a nice Occupation, and is a smart business." Boy of ten : " I want to be a preacher. He is a very good man and they have a very good position." Girl of twelve : * " My teacher. Because she is a teacher and receives a large salary a month, and teaching is a good occupation." Boy of fourteen : " Mr. Levy. Because he has not very hard work, and he has a Good time and plenty of money and he can get any amount of money because he owns plenty of land and mortgages on peoples land, he has everything he wants." - Teaching is not an attractive occupation to these boys ; while nearly five per cent of the girls speak of this profession, it is mentioned by one boy only, ten years of age, who writes, " A teacher because they get money."
For Immediate Release: September 23, 2011 Media Contact: Sandy Louey - 916-654-4989 Energy Commission Awards SDG&E $1.2 Million for Research Plug-in electric vehicles and energy storage SACRAMENTO - The California Energy Commission has awarded $1,219,350 to San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) for projects to accelerate research on plug-in electric vehicles and energy storage. One project will evaluate the impact of charging plug-in electric vehicles on the state's grid. The other will help determine the best energy storage locations for mitigating the impacts of groups of residential renewable generators such as wind and solar photovoltaics. Funding for the projects comes from the Commission's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program. "These two projects address California's key policy goals - enabling renewable energy through effective storage and assessing the impact of charging plug-in electric vehicles on the electricity grid," said Energy Commission Vice Chair James Boyd. "As we prepare for the growing number of electric vehicles in California, the Energy Commission continues to demonstrate its commitment to investing in meaningful public interest energy research that benefits all Californians." "Maintaining California's leadership role as a national leader in renewable energy is a direct result of the Commission's funding innovative projects such as these," Boyd added. SDG&E will receive $680,000 to design and assemble a plug-in electric vehicle simulator. The project will simulate load and power quality effects of multiple plug-in electric vehicles charging to determine the impact on grid performance and operation. The project will also demonstrate an approach to charging plug-in vehicles that integrates renewable generation, energy storage and smart charging to show that grid performance, reliability and power quality can be maintained even with substantial plug-in vehicle charging loads. The $539,350 for the second project will be used to determine the best location for energy storage to maximize the effectiveness with groups of residential renewable generators - whether at the substation or on the low-voltage side of the distribution transformer. The project will test the operation of the energy storage units and evaluate their effectiveness in responding to voltage and current fluctuations experienced by the distribution feeder. The Public Interest Energy Research program supports public interest research and development that helps improve the quality of life in California by bringing environmentally safe, reliable, and affordable energy services and products to the marketplace. For more information, visit www.energy.ca.gov/research/. Created by the California Legislature in 1974, the California Energy Commission is the state's primary energy policy and planning agency. The Energy Commission has five major responsibilities: forecasting future energy needs and keeping historical energy data; licensing thermal power plants 50 megawatts or larger; promoting energy efficiency through appliance and building standards; developing energy technologies and supporting renewable energy; and planning for and directing state response to energy emergencies. # # #
Keeping Women In Science Efforts to encourage women to pursue careers in science and technology are being geared to all ages and coming from all corners of the Tufts community. Medford/Somerville, Mass. [05.02.05] Though many still consider the hard sciences to be male dominated, great strides have been made in opening doors for women seeking careers in the fields of science and technology. Mara Aspinall – a Tufts graduate and leader at one of Boston’s world-renowned biotechnology companies – is a prime example.Though it may come as a surprise to some, Aspinall says, biotechnology is a field ripe for women to step right into its corner offices. The bigger challenge is ensuring that girls are exposed to science throughout their education. "This is an industry that is young enough that we are not burdened by a 100-year history that says there was ever a point at which it was dominated by men," Aspinall, president of Genzyme Genetics (a division of Genzyme Corp.), told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Many experts believe that the challenge lies in reaching those potential leaders at an early age. Aspinall told the Telegram & Gazette that while young, both boys and girls show a comparable level of interest in the sciences. The key to helping girls grow into women ready to step into these fields, she said, is to maintain that enthusiasm as they enter middle and high school. "That's when women choose other professions, and that's the real problem, to keep women, girls interested in the profession," Aspinall told the newspaper. On campus,Tufts is involved with multiple efforts to encourage young girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. The Tufts School of Engineering, in conjunction with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network and the GE fund, runs the Women in Engineering Organization, which hosts an online database of engineering programs and resources for women and girls. The website fosters interactivity with online forums and different resources for audiences ranging from students to teachers to workers in the industry. The University is also participating in several educational outreach efforts. Tufts is among four Boston-area universities participating in the "4 Schools for Women In Engineering" grant project funded by the National Science Foundation. According to the program's website, "this three-year project will develop innovative practices for integrating engineering with science, technology and math into classrooms using gender-inclusive approaches." In an editorial,The Boston Globe noted that Tufts hosted a March workshop for 200 Girl Scouts run by the Boston branch of the SWE, where the young girls learned about the different types of engineering and the history of women in the field. Larisa Schelkin, director of Tufts' Center for Diversity and Inclusive Leadership in Science and Engineering and vice president of the local SWE branch, is volunteer executive chair of Massachusetts Girls Collaborative, a project that seeks to encourage opportunities for young girls to get involved in math, science and engineering. Project proposals are reviewed and the collaborative awards mini-grants of $1,000, Mass High Tech reported. The National Science Foundation has funded $30,000 over a two-year period to the Massachusetts collaborative and two others like it in California and Indiana for grants and administrative costs. “We will give out 20 awards of $1,000 each to the best programs, but mostly to those that struggle,” Schelkin told Mass HighTech.
Parliament approves state guarantee for Icesave loans Today, following 10 weeks of debate, Iceland’s Parliament, the Althing passed legislation authorising a state guarantee for the loans granted by the Governments of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to the Depositors’ and Investors’ Guarantee Fund of Iceland. According to the legislation, the state guarantee will be subject to certain criteria and preconditions. These are aimed at ensuring debt sustainability and allowing Iceland to restore its financial system and its economy while at the same time honouring Iceland´s international obligations. Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir welcomed the Althing´s decision: “This is one of the largest financial and economic issues ever faced by Iceland and it has greatly preoccupied the Althing and the people since the collapse of the banking system last Autumn. The guarantee of the combined loans from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands constitutes the single largest financial commitment ever undertaken by the Government of Iceland. Therefore, as I am sure that every parliamentarian will appreciate, the Icelandic parliament has a solemn duty to ensure an economically sustainable future for the country. This has been its goal. Its conclusion of the matter aims towards securing the recovery of Iceland´s financial system and economy. This is for the mutual benefit of both lender and borrower.” The Prime Minister also praised the tireless efforts by Parliamentarians in the Althing to reach as broad a consensus as possible and stressed the importance of political unity in difficult times. Following the outcome of the parliamentary process, the Government of Iceland will now consult with the Governments of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Prime Minister Sigurdardottir said that her Government was hopeful that the Icesave issue would now be concluded in a mutually satisfactory manner. Financial Dynamics, London +44 20 7269 7204 Prime Minister’s Office, Rekjavik Kristjan Kristjansson, Press Secretary to the PM tel: 00 354 899 9352 Ministry of Finance, Reykjavik Elias J. Gudjonsson, Press Secretary tel. 00 354 694 1480 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Reykjavik Urður Gunnarsdóttir, Press Secretary tel. 00 354 864 9974

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