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Inspiration and Process in Architecture
22 August 2012
Download PDF (Englisch)
Moleskine introduces "Inspiration and Process in Architecture", a collection of cloth-bound monographs, curated and edited by Francesca Serrazanetti e Matteo Schubert, exploring the design process of architects. The first four books of the series have been released in December 2011 and feature interviews, writings, drawings and notes from four international architects: Zaha Hadid, Giancarlo De Carlo, BOLLES+WILSON, and Alberto Kalach. Now, two new architects join the collection: Wiel Arets and Cino Zucchi.
"Inspiration and Process in Architecture" is a series of monographs on key figures in modern and contemporary architecture. It offers a reading of the practice of design which emphasizes the value of freehand drawing as part of the creative process. Each volume provides a different perspective, revealing secrets and insights and showing the various observation techniques languages, characters, forms and means of communication.
The "Inspiration and Process in Architecture " allows an intimate look into the creative process of the architect, and a celebration of the everlasting power of free hand sketching even in the AutoCAD era. With this series Moleskine introduces a new clothbound format inspired by a classic clothbound style first used by typographer Giambattista Bodoni at the end of the 18th century to protect unbound books. The spine of each book is covered in cloth and front and back cover in raw grey cardboard while maintaining distinctive Moleskine features such as the elastic band, round corners, and inner pocket. Each book is designed to allow a 180 degrees flat opening so the reader can enjoy high-quality images on a warm matt paper.
The "Inspiration and Process in Architecture " series follows the successful publication of the Moleskine "The Hand of…," series, currently including "The Hand of the Designer", "The Hand of the Architect" and "The Hand of the Graphic Designer". Like its predecessor, the "Inspiration and Process in Architecture " features beautiful photography and takes a close look at the process of design as practices across the world.
Download the Full Media Kit here.
Please credits photos: Moleskine-Inspiration and Process in Architecture
For updates contact:
Silvia Trenta (Europe) [email protected] - T.+39 0200680530
Consuelo Romeo (Asia+Australia) [email protected] - T.+852 39752408
Sadé Hooks (Americas) [email protected] - T.+1 646.461.3022
Series and Book Editors
Francesca Serrazanetti, Matteo Schubert
Zaha Hadid, the founding partner of Zaha Hadid Architects, was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004. She is an architect who consistently pushes the boundaries of architecture and urban design. Her work experiments with new spatial concepts, intensifying existing urban landscapes in the pursuit of a visionary aesthetic that encompasses all fields of design, ranging from urban-scale works through to products, interiors and furniture.
Best known for her seminal built works such as Vitra Fire Station, Land Formation-One, Bergisel Ski- Jump, Strasbourg Tram Station, the Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, the BMW Central Building in Leipzig, the Hotel Puerta America in Madrid, the Ordrupgaard Museum Extension in Copenhagen, and the Phaeno Science Centre in Wolfsburg, her central concerns involve a simultaneous engagement in practice, teaching and research.
Giancarlo de Carlo
Giancarlo de Carlo (1919-2005) was an Italian architect, planner, writer and educator. He was one of the founding members (along with Alison and Peter Smithson, Aldo van Eyck, and Jacob Bakema, among others) of Team X, a group of architects challenging the modernist doctrines as set out by CIAM and was a key figure in the discourse on participation in architecture. Much of de Carlo's built work is located in Urbino, where he proposed a master plan between 1958-64, which has slowly been implemented over the past forty years. Combined with his social housing at Terni, the built work has provided a foundation for his views on the involvement of users and inhabitants in the design process. De Carlo's writings supported this architectural approach; he was editor of the bi-lingual journal, Spazio e Società published beetween1978-2001, An inspiring educator, he also founded the International Laboratory of Architecture and Urbanism (ILAUD). In 1993 he was awarded the Royal Gold Medal. He has received a multitude of international awards, honorary degree and the Italian Republic's Gold Medal for Culture. His work has been featured in many solo exhibitions (among these: Triennale di Milano, 1995; Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2004; MAXXI, Rome, 2005).
In 1980, Julia Bolles-Wilson and Peter Wilson set up their architecture practice, the Wilson Partnership, in London, and in 1987 the renamed BOLLES+WILSON transferred its base once and for all to Munster.
The practice's main works include: the Suzuki House in Tokyo (the recipient in 1994 of the Gold Medal award from the Institute of Japanese Architects); the Public Library in Munster; the Bridge Watcher's House and the landscaping of the Kop van Zuid harbour in Rotterdam; the Luxor Theatre in Kop van Zuid; the European Library in Milan; the Bibliotheque Nationale of Luxembourg; and the masterplan for Monteluce, Perugia. The practice is currently working on numerous urban-scale projects in the Netherlands. Peter Wilson has lectured in Tokyo, Barcelona,Venice, Amsterdam and Milan. From 1994 to 1996, he served as a professor at the Kunsthochschule fur Gestaltung in Berlin-Weissensee. Since1998, he has been an External Diploma Examiner at the London Architectural Association and at Cambridge University.
Born in Mexico, in 1960, Alberto Kalach studied architecture there at the Universidad Iberoamericana and at Cornell University, New York. He lives and works in Mexico City, and his concern about the emerging problems of that immense metropolis is reflected very often in his work. Indeed, it is an integral part of everything he has done, from his $5,000 minimal house, through his housing developments, to the largest project ever conceived for Mexico City, called Mexico Ciudad Futura (Return to the City of Lakes), which embraces the city as a geographical whole. His designs have appeared in numerous specialist journals.
Born in Milano in 1955, he graduated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass.) in 1978 and at the Politecnico di Milano in 1979, where he is currently Chair Professor of Architectural and Urban Design. He has been visiting professor at the Syracuse University in Florence in 1989 and 1990 and at the ETH in Zurich in 1997 and 1998. His essays and writings appeared in many international magazines and books. He is in the Forum of the architectural magazine "Lotus international" since 1996. He is the author of the books L'architettura dei cortili milanesi 1535-1706 published by Electa in 1989, Asnago e Vender. L'astrazione quotidiana - architetture e progetti 1925-1970 (with F. Cadeo e M. Lattuada), published by Skira in 1999, and is editor of the book Bau-Kunst-Bau published by Clean in 1994. He participated to the organization and exposition design of the XV, XVI, XVIII and XIX Triennale of Milano and his work has been shown in several editions of the Biennale in Venice. He has designed many industrial, residential and public buildings, a number of projects for public spaces, renewal of agricultural, industrial and historical areas, master plans and submissions to many national and international competitions.
Major recent works include the large master plan for the Keski Pasila area, Helsinki, residential and office buildings for the former Alfa Romeo-Portello area, Milano, the U15 office building in Assago (Milano), the Salewa Headquarters in Bozen, the new Lavazza headquarters in Turin and the extension and renovation of the Turin National Car Museum. His works have been selected for or awarded prizes in the Premio nazionale di architettura "Luigi Cosenza"1992 and 1994, European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture 2001, Piranesi Award 2001, Medaglia d'oro all'architettura italiana 1995-2003, 2004-2006 and 2009, Brick Award 2004, "Comune di Venezia" Architecture Award 2005, ECOLA Award 2008 in the category "Black Bread Architecture", the International Award Architecture in Stone 2009, the InArch/Ance Award 2011 and the US Award 2011.
Born in Heerlen, the Netherlands, in 1955. His father was a printer, his mother a fashion designer. From them he learned the love of books and reading, as well as a deep respect for craft, materials, and making. One of Arets' grandfathers was a farmer, from whom he learned a respect for the landscape, while his other grandfather was a mining engineer, from whom he gained an interest in technology. Arets decided to focus on architecture after his grandfather gave him a book on the history of the Dutch house. Among the writers who most inspired Arets were Paul Valéry, whose Cahiers Arets read in the original French, and Giorgio Grassi, whose La costruzione logica dell'architettura Arets translated into Dutch while a student. In addition, Arets has always been inspired by the works and thinking of the filmmaker Jean- Luc Godard. Upon graduating from the Eindhoven University of Technology in 1983, Arets went on a six-week research trip to Japan, where he met and wrote articles for the Dutch magazine "de Architect" on the work of Ando, Maki, Shinohara, Hasegawa, Yamamoto. He soon opened his own office in Heerlen. Among his early works, the Academy of Art and Architecture in Maastricht (1989–93) and the AZL Pension Fund Headquarters in Heerlen (1990–95), both of which received international awards. His work also received the Rotterdam Maaskant Award of 1989, the Mies van der Rohe Award "Emerging Architect" in 1994. Starting in 1986, Arets taught at the Architecture Academies of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, at the Architectural Association (AA) in London (1988–92) at Columbia University in NYC (1991–94) and at the Cooper Union, also in NYC. From 1995–2002, Arets was the Dean of the Berlage Institute School of Architecture. Since 2004, Arets has been a tenured Professor at the UdK, Berlin. He is also on the Advisory Council for the Princeton University School of Architecture. Starting from 2001 he has designed almost 100 products for the Italian company Alessi. In 2005 he received the Rietveld Prize for designing the Utrecht University Library and the BNA Kubus Award for his entire oeuvre. In 2009 he received the Good Design Award for his Alessi designs. Over the last 18 years, Arets has designed and built a series of innovative urban multi-family housing projects, including the Four Towers Osdorp project in Amsterdam, for which Arets received the Amsterdam Architecture Prize in 2010. In 2011 Arets recieved the Contract- World Award for the V Tower in Eindhoven. | <urn:uuid:cea75f1b-669a-48e4-a439-3c4a7aa75de8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.moleskine.com/de/press-release/inspiration-and-process-in-architecture | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940383 | 2,480 | 1.695313 | 2 |
While we’ve been told all of our lives Wiis and trains just don’t mix, they never said anything about Wii Nunchuks. One terribly abused joke later, [Ken] tipped us off about his Wii Nunchuk controlled train set.
By utilizing Digital Command Control (think pulse-width modulation) with an Arduino, he is able to have full control over the trains direction and speed. The other part of the equation is a Wii Nunchuk and adapter. The setup should be pretty self explanatory, but there is an Instructable for those that need more help. | <urn:uuid:7bbddbb0-474c-4e3f-86c6-b4f5b1170099> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hackaday.com/2010/01/18/wii-nunchuk-train-controls/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=ca20eaf6a9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955288 | 122 | 1.71875 | 2 |
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Iraq: Ten Years, a Million Lives and Trillions of Dollars Later
Time for Truth and Reconciliation
WASHINGTON - October 2 - Ten years ago today the debate over the Iraq War came to Congress in the form of a resolution promoted by the Bush Administration. The war in Iraq will cost the United States as much as $5 trillion. It played a role in spurring the global financial crisis. Four thousand, four hundred, eighty eight Americans were killed. More than 33,000 were injured.
As many as 1,000,000 innocent Iraqi civilians were killed. The monetary cost of the war to Iraq is incalculable. A sectarian civil war has ravaged Iraq for nearly a decade. Iraq has become home to Al Qaeda.
The war in Iraq was sold to Congress and the American people with easily disproved lies. We must learn from this dark period in American history to ensure that we do not repeat the same mistakes. And we must hold accountable those who misled the American public.
On October 2, 2002, the day the legislation to authorize war in Iraq was introduced, I sent and personally distributed a memo to my colleagues in Congress refuting point-by-point every reason given by the Bush Administration to go to war.
On October 3, 2002, I held a press conference with 25 Members of Congress and then presented an hour long explanation to Congress on the House Floor, refuting the lies upon which the cause of war was predicated.
It was clear from information publicly available at the time that Iraq did not have Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), that Iraq had no connection to 9/11, and that Iraq was not a threat to the United States. Anyone who wanted to look could have seen the same information that I did.
Yet some of America's top political leaders bought into the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld drumbeat of war. Two leading Democrats were among those taken in by the White House hype and the WMD argument:
“I believe the facts that have brought us to this fateful vote are not in doubt. Saddam Hussein is a tyrant who has tortured and killed his own people ... [I]ntelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort and sanctuary to terrorists including Al Qaeda members.” Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), October 10, 2002.
“September 11 was the ultimate wake-up call. We must now do everything in our power to prevent further terrorist attacks and ensure that an attack with a weapon of mass destruction cannot happen. … the first candidate we must worry about is Iraq… [Saddam Hussein] continues to develop weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear devices.” Leader of the Democratic Caucus in the House, Richard Gephardt (D-MO), October 10, 2002.
Even the most trusted newspapers around the country blindly repeated as fact grossly incorrect assertions by leaders of both parties.
“No further debate is needed to establish that Saddam Hussein is an evil dictator whose continued effort to build unconventional weapons in defiance of clear United Nations prohibitions threatens the Middle East and beyond.” The New York Times, Editorial Board, October 3, 2002.
Notwithstanding the blizzard of disinformation, one hundred thirty three Members of Congress voted against the resolution that authorized the use of military force in Iraq, including nearly two-thirds of the Democratic Caucus in the House. Seven Republicans, including Ron Paul (R-TX), also voted against the resolution. In the Senate, the vote was 77 to 23 in favor of a war of choice.
Ten years ago Congress voted to wage war on a nation that did not attack us. That decision undermined our fiscal and national security. To this day we are suffering from the blowback. While most of the troops are home, the United States maintains a significant presence in Iraq through the State Department and its thousands of private security contractors.
The war against Iraq was based on lies. Thousands of Americans and perhaps a million Iraqis were sacrificed for those lies. The war in Afghanistan continues. New wars have been propagated in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia pursuant to the never-ending "War on Terror". This mindset puts us at the edge of war against Iran. Ten years and trillions of dollars later, the American people by and large still do not know the truth. It is time to usher in a new period of truth and reconciliation. | <urn:uuid:e715df9b-b56f-4cf4-b1c2-08ba19bf7e46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/10/02-1?quicktabs_1=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970655 | 963 | 1.742188 | 2 |
January 12, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/
-- Nearly four months after the New England Compounding Center (NECC) issued a recall on three lots of its Methylprednisolone Acetate injections, new cases of fungal meningitis and other infections caused by the tainted drug are still surfacing. Methylprednisolone Acetate is an injectable steroid that is used primarily to treat patients with chronic lower back pain.
The predominant contaminant in the outbreak is believed to be a black mold called Exserohilum. The pathogens were allowed to contaminate the recalled lots of steroid injections sometime during the compounding process, causing fungal meningitis and other types of infections in some patients who received the shots. Throughout the country, as many as 14,000 patients were exposed to the contaminated steroid injections
Latest update: affected patients in Minnesota and nationwide
As of January 9, 2013, there have been 664 reported cases of infections linked to the contaminated steroid injections. At least 40 of these infections have been fatal. While fungal meningitis is receiving the most media attention, spinal and peripheral joint infections near the injection site have also been widely observed. What's more, while reported meningitis cases are beginning to wane, spinal infections linked to the tainted steroids are actually on the rise since they can take longer to detect.
In Minnesota, 10 patients have contracted meningitis since the beginning of the outbreak in late September. There have been two additional reports of spinal infections connected to the tainted steroids.
Six different Minnesota medical facilities received Methylprednisolone Acetate from the three recalled lots: the MAPS Medical Pain Clinics in Minneapolis, Fridley, Shakopee and Maple Grove, and the Minnesota Surgery Centers in Edina and Maple Grove. However, in the wake of the devastation caused by the meningitis outbreak, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it cannot verify the safety of other drugs made at the New England Compounding Center. At least 111 Minnesota hospitals and clinics received other drugs from the NECC, including prominent health care providers like Allina Medical Clinics and the Mayo Clinic Health Systems.
Should there be additional oversight for compounding pharmacies?
Over the last few months, the FDA has been scrambling to address major systematic concerns raised by the fungal meningitis outbreak. In late December, the agency held a hearing to help establish a framework for how the federal government and states should regulate compounding pharmacies in the future. Currently, it is up to state pharmacy boards to oversee compounding pharmacies, but many compounding pharmacies are evolving from local operations into large-scale distributors with clients in several states. While some states are already tightening regulatory oversight on compounders operating with their borders, the recent outbreak has the FDA asking if additional federal supervision may be required.
Feds call for MRIs for any patient who received steroid shots but did not improve
On the individual level, government agencies have been struggling to keep up with the rising tide of patient complaints. On December 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
urged doctors to consider MRI scans for patients whose existing pain simply did not get better following injection; previous recommendations had only called for MRIs if patients exhibited new or worsening symptoms.
"We know we're not out of the woods," Dr. Tom Chiller, the deputy chief of the mycotic disease branch of the CDC told The New York Times. "People could still be harboring or developing infections in their spines now."
Contact a lawyer if you've been notified that you received a tainted shot
If you've been notified that you received a contaminated injection, you may be entitled to compensation even if you did not develop meningitis. Additional treatment and testing expenses, as well as personal anxiety, are real costs even to those who did not develop a more serious illness.
One way to help prevent similar outbreaks in the future is to hold those who caused the string of meningitis and spinal infections accountable for their actions. If you received a tainted steroid shot, it is important to learn more about your rights by contacting a steroid injection lawyer
in your area.
Article provided by GoldenbergLaw, PLLC
Visit us at www.goldenberglaw.com---
Press release service and press release distribution provided by http://www.24-7pressrelease.com
# # #Read more Press Releases from FL Web Advantage: | <urn:uuid:73dddeb0-135a-4dc7-8240-6cf966718e09> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release-rss/tainted-steroid-shots-cause-meningitis-infection-in-minnesota-patients-324373.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962261 | 913 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Some rocks have a rough-and-tumble life. But that's not such a bad thing. A tumbled rock loses its rough exterior and gains a smooth and shiny appearance.
If you're ready to unleash your inner geologist, read our selection of informative articles about what to look for when buying a rock tumbler, rock-tumbling tips, and other topics to help you turn rocks into lovely, polished treasures.
At RockTumblers.com, we want you to have all the supplies and information you need to help you make the most of this fascinating and fun activity. As with most new hobbies, you might have a bit of a rocky start at first. But with time and practice, you're bound to become a bona fide rock tumbling star.
It takes more than a little spit-shine to get rocks looking their best. Learn some of the basics of rock polishing here to find out if this rewarding, educational hobby is a good fit for you or your children.
You can buy all the stones you need for rock tumbling, but if you're looking to enhance the fun, consider scouring the great outdoors for your own rocks to tumble. Collecting rocks is an equally interesting activity. Who knows, you might just end up with two new favorite hobbies.
You're interested in rock tumbling, but you haven't a clue where to begin. Don't worry. We've got you covered. To help you get started in rock tumbling, read our guide below.
In the world of rock tumblers, one size doesn't fit all. Not all rock tumblers are made for everyone, so it's important to choose the right tumbler to suit your needs and skill level. Doing so will help ensure that your new hobby is fun instead of frustrating. | <urn:uuid:066f3848-93b6-426a-a7bb-0aba2e777638> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rocktumblers.com/rock-tumbling.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945404 | 371 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Obama is holding his first prime time news conference. (Getty Images)
(CNN) - President Obama made the points he needs to make to the American public: If we don’t act now, this economic crisis will become a catastrophe.
He also made the philosophical point that tax cuts alone cannot solve this problem, as some Republicans suggest.
He conceded that we can't depend on government alone to solve the problems, but made the point that only government is large enough to solve the problems of this size. | <urn:uuid:88eec695-9b1a-44a7-b279-ef3a40004239> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/09/borger-obama-makes-the-points-he-needs-to/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974379 | 105 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Many of us, and our children, have become so used to white bread that we don’t like the flavor of natural, whole wheat bread. Switching from white bread to whole wheat bread is easy if you if you bake your own bread.
The trick to switching to whole wheat bread is to make the change slow. Begin with a basic white bread recipe. Replace 1/4 cup bread flour with 1/4 cup whole wheat flour. Serve this bread to your family for a month or two. Children probably won’t even notice that there is whole wheat flour in the bread they are eating.
Gradually increase the amount of whole wheat flour, a quarter cup at a time. In a few months, you will be able to make and serve light wheat breads to your family without shocking their taste buds. | <urn:uuid:233b05a9-8e15-4734-91d6-ef5d54191978> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://breadbaking.about.com/od/beginnerbasics/qt/switching.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953627 | 168 | 1.6875 | 2 |
All new articles are now appearing in the new blog entitled 2012-13
and there will be no further updates here although all the older content from previous posts is still right here and has not been deleted.
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In this second article on team tactics I take a look at some of the principles behind corner taking. From how to take a corner for its best affect to attacking a corner, defending a corner and corners at desperate times in a game.
The article also covers the importance of the goalkeeper in these set plays and lays down what a goalkeeper should and should not be in these situations and in fact all others through the course of a game.
A golden rule from a corner is for the corner taker - keep it in play, get in the danger area, make the keeper work for it and make sure it gets past the near post. For defence it is knowing that the keeper is #1, be aware of ALL threats and mix and match zonal and man-marking.
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This is the first in a set of articles I am writing covering tactics within the game. This particular article deals with formations and the possible conception that the game is basically simple and that there are only a handful of possible formations.
This article is written in mind for those who do not necessarily have a grasp on the game that they may think or may want to learn more about some of the basics.
This article does start with the basics of formations but does prove in just six pages how many branches from each main formation that there is enabling the reader to realise that there might be a lot more to it than they first thought!
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Times have changed in recent years with the rules of regulations of the game being constantly updated and more complicated in some areas. More than anybody, these seem to affect the local teams club linesman who probably has not received the benefits of any training and apart from a couple of minutes with the referee prior to kick-off in his local park has no further information available to him.
Long gone are the days when an offside decision was made purely by looking across the park and if a player was goal side of the last defender. This article looks at the different type of linesmen there are at local levels and how the latest offside laws in particular have probably made running the line at any level a much more difficult task.
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Each year that seems to pass, the FA Cup loses a little bit more of its old traditions. This year was no exception with the kick-off time being moved to 5.15pm on the Saturday afternoon.
In this article I talk about some of my old memories of Cup Final Day as it was back in the day and how the modern game and the Premier League would seemingly love to kill this competition stone dead if they were given half the chance. As it is, it has already diminished beyond recognition from its golden days - a period that basically lasted from when the cup began in the 19th century right up to when the Premier League started and the lust for cash from our clubs took over for good.
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This week has proved to be a fantastic week for Chelsea football club - on a magnitude that they have never reached before. This article was written the day after their success in knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League and forces me to state that in my opinion that this is not just Chelsea's greatest night in Europe - but the greatest night of any English team in Europe ever - and I explain my reasons why I have said this inside.
In this article - I take a good, long look at those grass roots teams that I will classify as pot-hunters.
These are the clubs that fill their team full of players more than capable of playing at a much higher level and are only playing at this level for cups and medals.
It personally infuriated me so much at one point then when we came to play one of them I came close to forfeiting the game, taking the fine and handing them the points rather than actually taking to the field. I did not follow through with my threat although I do think about it every now and again as the damage it caused us shook any possible form that we had going into our next game. On top of that - if every team followed suit then the pot hunters would still win the league but with every team refusing to play them then surely it would be a waste of their time and a complete embarrassment to the league. If clubs stand together, only then will a distinct message finally get across to the powers that be.
This article covers some of the history of crowd disorder at Millwall football club but also poses the question are they solely responsible either as a football problem or one of society.Video relating to this post can be found here which is a post in the brutal/violent blog.
Just for a bit of fun, this article takes our imagination from a reality show on TV, I have switched it to a hand-picked bunch of football campers ready to go into the gruesome jungle. The fireworks would fly with this lot but it would also be riveting TV!
In this article I write about some of the current problems in the game with racism and try and track to where they are all coming from in reality. | <urn:uuid:6c8b7125-34d9-4d09-9441-a5f4668d80fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.talkingsoccer.org/longer-reads.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977036 | 1,075 | 1.601563 | 2 |
LAS VEGAS, June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
With over 7 billion mouths to feed globally, the demand for protein continues to rise. Hardly surprising then, that the hunt for protein alternatives is gathering pace. Intellectual property development and patent activity is on the rise, according to new data to be presented by Innova Market Insights at this year's IFT Food Expo in Las Vegas (26-28 June, 2012). The market researcher found that the US accounted for over 40% of recent alternative protein patent activity [1980-2011].
The race to find alternative protein solutions is well underway. Traditional areas like soy wheat, lupin and chickpeas are being examined again as healthy and sustainable solutions. While soy continues to dominate in terms of vegetable proteins, a range of new products is starting to appear, based on other beans, as well as nuts, seeds, grains and vegetables. New techniques are also being developed to enhance the texture, juiciness and flavor of meat analogs and proteins.
Consumers are changing too, perhaps in an attempt to be part of a sustainable future. "We see the emergence of a flexible vegetarian or 'flexetarian,'" says Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights. "These consumers enjoy meat, but occasionally opt out due to their concerns about health and the environmental impact of heavy meat consumption."
New US launch examples include Bolthouse Farms' addition of a Blended Coffee variant to its Protein Plus range of all-natural shakes. This contains a proprietary blend of whey and soy proteins for improved performance. Coca-Cola subsidiary Odwalla has extended its Super Protein and Protein Monster soy and dairy protein drinks ranges with Strawberry and Vanilla variants in the Protein Monster series and Mango and Pumpkin variants in Super Protein.
Other recent US activity has included an extension of the Atkins Advantage low carb meal replacement bar range with Chocolate Orange and Chocolate Brownie variants. Balance Bar has introduced a Cookie Dough variant to its Original sub-range. All featured soy protein as the key protein ingredient, although the products tend to be marketed on a more general health and everyday performance positioning.
Proteins, such as soy, are also being marketed on a health platform, functioning as part of the solution to tackle the obesity epidemic. Innova Market Insights report that over one-third of the tracked launches marketed on an "added protein" platform in the 12 month period to the end of March 2012 contained soy.
Taste the Trend 2012 (Las Vegas)
Innova Market Insights' Taste the Trend Pavilion, now in its 8th edition, is always a top draw at the IFT Food Expo. Taste the Trend 2012 will include six giant presentations [including "Alternative Proteins"], with key data on ingredient technology, new product trends and consumer insights. Taste the Trend 2012 will be further boosted by 27 smaller presentations broken down into the "Packaging & Technology," "Ingredients & Flavors" and "Consumer Insights" categories. The market researcher will also demonstrate over 200 innovative products from around the world to showcase top innovation at this year's IFT Food Expo.
Contact: Lu Ann Williams
For more information about Innova Market Insights, please visit:
SOURCE Innova Market Insights | <urn:uuid:92689b26-f969-42a0-b805-bc96d55532b9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/publicsiteContentFileAccess?fileContentId=858837&fromOtherPageToDisableHistory=Y&menuName=Home&sInfo= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931464 | 668 | 1.523438 | 2 |
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Jubilee sundial unveiled at almshouses
A SUNDIAL and bird bath were unveiled at an historic row of houses in Basingstoke to commemorate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Councillor Martin Biermann, Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, revealed the new feature in the gardens of the almshouses, by pulling away a Union flag. The £200 sundial, which is surrounded by water, was paid for by Basingstoke Charities, which manages the almshouses, in London Street.
The eight houses have been at Top of The Town for around 400 years, and are given to people to live in for a minimal rent. David Ball, treasurer of Basingstoke Charities, said: “The trustees decided that they wanted to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee so put in a sundial in the gardens of the almshouses.
“The mayor came along and unveiled it. The almshouses are an important historical feature of the town and we do try to commemorate events such as this.”
The 52-year-old, from Tadley, added: “The sundial looks great. The residents like having the birds visiting in the garden.” | <urn:uuid:98fc6bea-119a-4f4d-b7d7-331691de6c7c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.andoveradvertiser.co.uk/news/regional/basingstoke/10173278.Jubilee_sundial_unveiled_at_almshouses/?ref=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96769 | 287 | 1.84375 | 2 |
In many cases corticosteroids (often a drug called Prednisolone) can help the red cell production in DBA patients, though even when effective there can be adverse side-effects to treatment in both the short and long term, especially at higher doses. Often treatment starts with a high dose to trigger a response with this dose then being reduced to see if the response can be maintained. So, even for patients where there is an initial response it may not be possible to continue long term treatment.
Some DBA patients show no response at all. It is not clear why some patients respond to corticosteroids and some do not. Some patients do continue on long term steroid treatment without the need for blood transfusions as determined by their consultant in their individual case.
For further information a full guide on Steroid Treatment in DBA prepared by the CDC (a US organisation) is available.
DBA UK is not a medical charity and is not qualified to give medical advice on DBA. Please talk with your doctor or health care provider if you are worried about corticosteroid treatment. However, if you would like to talk to other DBA patients and families who may have been in the same position as you then please contact us. | <urn:uuid:65603012-7d00-4270-bb0c-f23a41435ac3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://diamondblackfan.org.uk/what-is-dba/steroid-treatment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956465 | 254 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Matthews Residence - Will Bruder Architect - Adobe
107th Ave and Montecito
Architecture: will bruder + partners ltd
The Matthews Residence was designed by architect Will Bruder and was constructed between 1979-1980. it was the recipient of the 1983 Environmental Excellence Award.
A curvilinear adaptation of a Southwestern courtyard home, it features stabilized Adobe construction & curved walls to minimize sun exposure. Spanning a double cul-de-sac lot it is located in a suburban setting on the west part of Phoenix.
An interesting play of both large and intimate spaces that interact with geometry of pure curves heightened by the great sense of light, compression and release found in the design. A strip skylight flows from the entry and adds a wonderful element to the space, this light-play also brings to the forefront the interaction of the rather rough material elements of the Adobe and Concrete floors, against the rather refined Oak and Galvanized steel details.
this is the only Bruder home we know of that was ever constructed from Adobe. The way it was handled is extremely interesting, making this quite a unique home and one of our favorite Bruder designs. | <urn:uuid:55953a2b-ea11-4828-a6f2-0d0903cabd5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.azarchitecture.com/property_flyer.cfm?auto_id=591 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948671 | 243 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Mumbai Under Siege
by Yoginder Sikand
“O ye who believe! stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear God. For God is well-acquainted with all that ye do.”
(The Quran, Surah Al-Maida: 8)
Numerous theories are doing the rounds about the dastardly terrorist assault on Mumbai. The dominant view, based on what is being suggested by the media, is that this is the handiwork of the dreaded Pakistan-based self-styled Islamist and terrorist outfit Lashkar-e Tayyeba, which, ever since it was ostensibly proscribed by the Government of Pakistan some years ago, has adopted the name of Jamaat ud-Dawah. This might well be the case, for the Lashkar has been responsible for numerous such terrorist attacks in recent years, particularly in Kashmir.
The Lashkar is the military wing of the Markaz Dawat wal Irshad, an outfit floated by a section of the Pakistani Ahl-e Hadith, a group with close affiliations to the Saudi Wahhabis. It has its headquarters at the town of Muridke in the Gujranwala district in Pakistani Punjab. The Markaz was established in 1986 by two Pakistani university professors, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Zafar Iqbal. They were assisted by Abdullah Azam, a close aide of Osama bin Laden, who was then associated with the International Islamic University in Islamabad. Funds for setting up the organization are said to have come from Pakistan’s dreaded official secret services agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). From its inception, it is thus clear, the Lashkar had the support of the Pakistani establishment.
The Lashkar started out as a paramilitary organisation to train warriors to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. Soon it spawned dozens of camps across Pakistan and Afghanistan for this purpose. Militants produced at these centres have played a major role in armed struggles, first in Afghanistan, and then in Bosnia, Chechenya, Kosovo, the southern Philippines and Kashmir.
Like other radical Islamist groups, the Lashkar sees Islam as an all-embracing system. It regards Islam as governing all aspects of personal as well as collective life, in the form of the shariah. For the establishing of an Islamic system, it insists, an ‘Islamic state’ is necessary, which will impose the shariah as the law of the land. If, the official website of the Lashkar announces, such a state were to be set up and all Muslims were to live strictly according to ‘the laws that Allah has laid down’, then, it is believed, ‘they would be able to control the whole world and exercise their supremacy’. And for this, as well as to respond to the oppression that it claims that Muslims in large parts of the world are suffering, it insists that all Muslims must take to armed jihad. Armed jihad must continue, its website announces, ‘until Islam, as a way of life, dominates the whole world and until Allah’s law is enforced everywhere in the world’.
The subject of armed jihad runs right through the writings and pronouncements of the Lashkar and is, in fact, the most prominent theme in its discourse. Indeed, its understanding of Islam may be seen as determined almost wholly by this preoccupation, so much so that its reading of Islam seems to be a product of its own political project, thus effectively ending up equating Islam with terror. Being born as a result of war in Afghanistan, war has become the very raison d’être of the Lashkar, and its subsequent development has been almost entirely determined by this concern. The contours of its ideological framework are constructed in such a way that the theme of armed jihad appears as the central element of its project. In the writings and speeches of Lashkar spokesmen jihad appears as violent conflict (qital) waged against ‘unbelievers’ who are said to be responsible for the oppression of the Muslims. Indeed, the Lashkar projects it as the one of the most central tenets of Islam, although it has traditionally not been included as one of the ‘five pillars’ of the faith. Thus, its website claims that ‘There is so much emphasis on this subject that some commentators and scholars of the Quran have remarked that the topic of the Quran is jihad’. Further, a Lashkar statement declares, ‘There is consensus of opinion among researchers of the Qur’an that no other action has been explained in such great detail as jihad’.
In Lashkar discourse, jihad against non-Muslims is projected as a religious duty binding on all Muslims today. Thus the Lashkar’s website claims that a Muslim who has ‘never intended to fight against the disbelievers […] is not without traces of hypocrisy’. Muslims who have the capacity to participate or assist in the jihad but do not do so are said to ‘be living a sinful life’. Not surprisingly, therefore, the Lashkar denounces all Muslims who do not agree with its pernicious and grossly distorted version of Islam and its hideous misinterpretation of jihad—Sufis, Shias, Barelvis and so on—as being ‘deviants’ or outside the pale of Islam or even in league with ‘anti-Islamic forces’. The Lashkar promises its activists that they would receive great rewards, both in this world and in the Hereafter, if they were to actively struggle in the path of jihad. Not only would they be guaranteed a place in Heaven, but they would also ‘be honoured in this world’, for jihad, it claims, is also ‘the way that solves financial and political problems’.
Astoundingly bizarre though it is, the Markaz sees itself as engaged in a global jihad against the forces of ‘disbelief’, stopping at nothing short of aiming at the conquest of the entire world. As Nazir Ahmed, in-charge of the public relations department of the Lashkar, once declared, through the so-called jihad that the Lashkar has launched, ‘Islam will be dominant all over the world’. This global war is seen as a solution to all the ills and oppression afflicting all Muslims, and it is claimed that ‘if we want to live with honour and dignity, then we have to return back to jihad’. Through jihad, the Lashkar website says, ‘Islam will be supreme throughout the world’.
In Lashkar discourse, its self-styled jihad against India is regarded as nothing less than a war between two different and mutually opposed ideologies: Islam, on the one hand, and Hinduism, on the other. It tars all Hindus with the same brush, as supposed ‘enemies of Islam’. Thus, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Lashkar chief, declares: ‘In fact, the Hindu is a mean enemy and the proper way to deal with him is the one adopted by our forefathers, who crushed them by force. We need to do the same’.
India is a major target for the Lashkar’s terrorists. According to Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, ‘The jihad is not about Kashmir only. It encompasses all of India’. Thus, the Lashkar sees its self-styled jihad as going far beyond the borders of Kashmir and spreading through all of India. Its final goal, it says, is to extend Muslim control over what is seen as having once been Muslim land, and, hence, to be brought back under Muslim domination, creating what the Lashkar terms as ‘the Greater Pakistan by dint of jihad’. Thus, at a mammoth congregation of Lashkar supporters in November 1999, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed thundered, ‘Today I announce the break-up of India, Inshallah. We will not rest until the whole of India is dissolved into Pakistan’.
The Lashkar, so say media reports, has been trying to drum up support among India’s Muslims, and it may well be that it has managed to find a few recruits to its cause among them. If this is the case, it has probably been prompted by the fact of mounting murderous Hindutva-inspired anti-Muslim pogroms across the country, often abetted by agencies of the state, which has taken a toll of several thousand innocent lives. The fact that no semblance of justice has been delivered in these cases and that the state has not taken any measure to reign in Hindutva terrorism adds further to the deep-seated despondency and despair among many Indian Muslims. This might well be used by self-styled Islamist terror groups, such as the Lashkar, to promote their own agenda. Obviously, therefore, in order to counter the grave threat posed by terror groups such as the Lashkar, the Indian state needs to tackle the menace of Hindutva terror as well, which has now assumed the form of full-blown fascism. Both forms of terrorism feed on each other, and one cannot be tackled without taking on the other as well.
Mercifully, and despite the denial of justice to them, the vast majority of the Indian Muslims have refused to fall into the Lashkar’s trap. The flurry of anti-terrorism conferences that have recently been organised by important Indian Islamic groups is evidence of the fact that they regard the Lashkar’s perverse understanding of Islam as being wholly anti-Islamic and as a perversion of their faith. These voices urgently need to be promoted, for they might well be the most effective antidote to Lashkar propaganda. Numerous Indian Islamic scholars I know and have spoken to insist that the Lashkar’s denunciation of all non-Muslims as ‘enemies of Islam’, its fomenting of hatred towards Hindus and India and its understanding of jihad are a complete misrepresentation of Islamic teachings. They bitterly critique its call for a universal Caliphate as foolish wishful thinking. And they are unanimous that, far from serving the cause of the faith they claim to espouse, groups like the Lashkar have done the most heinous damage to the name of Islam, and are to blame, to a very large extent, for mounting Islamophobia globally.
At the same time as fingers of suspicion are being pointed at the Lashkar for being behind the recent Mumbai blasts, other questions are being raised in some circles. The significant fact that Hemant Karkare, the brave ATS chief who was killed in the terrorist assault, had been investigating the role of Hindutva terrorist groups in blasts in Malegoan and elsewhere and had received threats for this has not gone un-noticed. Nor has the related fact that the assault on Mumbai happened soon after disturbing revelations began pouring in of the role of Hindutva activists in terror attacks in different parts of India. That the attack on Mumbai has led to the issue of Hindutva-inspired terrorism now being totally sidelined is also significant.
And then there is a possible Israeli angle that some are raising. Thus, the widely-read Mumbai-based tabloid Mid-Day, in an article about a building where numerous militants were holed up titled ‘Mumbai Attack: Was Nariman House the Terror Hub?’, states:
“The role that Nariman House is coming to play in this entire attack drama is puzzling. Last night, residents ordered close to 100 kilograms of meat and other food, enough to feed an army or a bunch of people for twenty days. Shortly thereafter, the ten odd militants moved in, obviously, indicating that the food and meat was ordered, keeping their visit in mind, another cop added.
“One of the militants called up a television news channel and voiced his demands today, but, interestingly, when he was asked where are they all holed up, he said at the Israeli owned Nariman House and they are six of them here”, one of the investigating cops said. Since morning, there has been exchange of gun fire has been going on and the militants seem well equipped to counter the cops fire. To top it, they have food and shelter. One wonders [if] they have the support of the residents, a local Ramrao Shanker said.”
A Mossad/Israeli hand in the affair might seem far-fetched to some, but not so to others, who point to the role of Israeli agents in destabilizing a large number of countries as well as possibly operating within some radical Islamist movements, such as a group in Yemen styling itself ‘Islamic Jihad’, said to be responsible for the bombing of the American Embassy in Sanaa, and which is said to have close links with the Israeli intelligence. Some have raised the question if the Mossad or even the CIA might not be directly or otherwise instigating some disillusioned Muslim youth in India, Pakistan or elsewhere to take to terror by playing on Muslim grievances, operating through existing Islamist groups or spawning new ones for this purpose.
If this charge is true—although this remains to be conclusively established—the aim might be to further radicalize Muslims so as to provide further pretext for American and Israeli assaults on Islam and Muslim countries. The fact that the CIA had for years been in very close contact with the Pakistani ISI and radical Islamist groups in Pakistan is also being raised in this connection. The possible role of such foreign agencies of being behind some terror attacks that India has witnessed in recent years to further fan anti-Muslim hatred and also to weaken India is also being speculated on in some circles.
Whether all this is indeed true needs to be properly investigated. But the fact remains that it appears to be entirely in the interest of the Israeli establishment and powerful forces in America to create instability in India, fan Hindu-Muslim strife, even to the point of driving India and Pakistan to war with each other, and thereby drag India further into the deadly embrace of Zionists and American imperialists.
In other words, irrespective of who is behind the deadly attacks on Mumbai, it appears to suit the political interests and agendas of multiple and equally pernicious political forces—Islamist and Hindu radicals, fired by a hate-driven Manichaean vision of the world, but also global imperialist powers that seem to be using the attacks as a means to push India even deeper into their suicidal axis.
Sukhia Sab Sansar Khaye Aur Soye
Dukhia Sahib Kabir Jagey Aur Roye
The world is ‘happy’, eating and sleeping
The forlorn Kabir Sahib is awake and weeping | <urn:uuid:a8c66fa7-6708-439b-b7ff-0aa5f1c78a91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/mumbai_under_siege | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969362 | 3,058 | 1.75 | 2 |
I am right now working on a project that has a database with over 100 tables in a database. Because of extreme time constraints the developers didn't build in any relationships or constraints between or in the tables. Now I need to remodel the database such that the database is more structured and normalized. I don't have much knowledge about the database design since it is a 2 year old application and the person who developed the database is now gone. I know remodelling the database would require knowledge of the existing database and business rules.
I was wondering if there are any tools that could suggest or discover relationships between tables. For eg. Lets say there are two tables named 'Customer' and 'Order'. I notice that there is a column named 'id' in Customer and a column named 'customer_id' in Order. So I ask the tool to discover a relationship between id and customer_id and it tells me that there is a one-one or one-many or no relationship by comparing values. I heard ERWin would be able to do that but thats expensive. Please do let me know asap. | <urn:uuid:053ffc52-fb7e-4f87-a1b0-1ee82e4d7a93> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.go4expert.com/forums/discover-relationships-existing-tables-t3585/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962525 | 225 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Bahamas Public Services Union is a very unique Trade Union which looks after the interest of just under 5,ooo members of all categories of workers employed in the various government Ministries, Boards and Corporations throughout The Bahamas.
It is the second largest Trade Union in the country. Because it represents the interest of so many people in many wide range occupations, it requires a complex organization to carry out it's functions. We are not white or blue collar union, our membership encompasses workers from the very top to the public service professional ladder to men and women who keep our surroundings clean and keep the vital public services functioning. Are we not unique?
The Bahamas Public Services Union like most of the unions in The Bahamas would most likely not be here today were it not for the events of 1942, 1958 and 1988.
The Government of that era (1942-1958) refused to recognize the difference between progress and regress, their way of progress was contained and divisiveness among workers. Is history repeating itself? | <urn:uuid:b176cace-e5ed-4e94-9c5e-56fcd3864c51> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bpsubahamas.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966513 | 203 | 1.789063 | 2 |
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It is not a crime or sin to trespass in order to save a human life.
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This constitutional revision would replace the Council of Deacons at Bethlehem with a Council of Elders.
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Have you ever wondered what joy and hope sustained Jesus in his horrific hours of suffering?
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All truth should lead us to love God more.
Joseph Alleine's life and writing was a true model of Puritan evangelism.
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Bethlehem pursues new ways of filling Minneapolis with their teaching.
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John Piper gives an update on what happened at the annual meeting of the conference of which Bethlehem is a part.
A mind is not wasted when it is fully applied to the greatest challenge in the world.
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John Piper openly contemplates the weightiness of pastoral ministry and is sustained knowing that God is God.
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Christ has plotted many tactical advances before the time of the final victory.
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Choose your heroes with extraordinary care, for greatness in the eyes of God is very different than greatness in the eyes of men.
Noel Piper writes about how her trip to Kenya changed the way she thinks about caring for creation.
If your driving motive in life is to be liked and loved you will find it almost impossible to be a Christian.
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Three recommended routines for keeping God's word central in your life.
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Can we be a people who embrace with gratitude both the scholarly enterprise and the simple joy of breaking bread together?
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A church's nerve system needs the divine stimuli that comes through its fingers and toes.
Submission to God's authority implies these six beliefs about sexuality.
Neither resignation nor triumphalism is a safe place to live and minister.
An invitation to a lecture on the importance of higher education.
Thirty-two evidences from Scripture that God loves his own glory most.
How to pray huge, general prayers without them sounding vague or stale.
Through his writings, Bill Piper holds out a timely word to us saints who are still in the world.
Pastor John meditates and prays about his oldest son and their future.
Be inspired by Mary, but don't venerate her more than the New Testament does.
What might a church's ministry become if its members served for years on end?
There are two reasons (at least) why God hates for man to boast in man.
You are always in a temple—your body. Therefore, always worship. | <urn:uuid:c4dbccac-dd0d-4df0-a5ec-4bd3cfb38e44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/by-title | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949806 | 1,304 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Bidders buy Bonnie and Clyde memorabilia at gangster auction
NASHUA, N.H. (WHDH) -- At a gangster-themed auction, one collector spent more than half a million dollars for the guns Bonnie and Clyde were carrying when they were ambushed and killed by police in 1934.
“I think the fact the guns are staying together is profound and speaks to the relationship of bonnie and Clyde,” said Bobby Livington, who attended the auction.
An anonymous bidder spent $264,000 for Bonnie Parker's .38 revolver and $240,000 for Clyde Barrow's colt .45, the two prized pieces in Sunday’s auction in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Bonnie and Clyde memorabilia made up most of the 135 items up for bid in the auction.
“They’ve come to represent more than historical figures. Any time a man and woman commit a crime, they're always called the modern day Bonnie and Clyde, so they're really synonymous with inter-gender outlawry nowadays,” said historian, Jonathon Davis.
These guns and other items went for so much money even Clyde Barrow's own family seemed surprised.
“I’m amazed. I never dreamed that this stuff would sell, and that much interest believe me, because when I was growing up, it was taboo subject,” said Buddy Barrow, Clyde’s nephew.
Buddy made the trip up from Dallas where the entire Barrow family still lives.
For him, many of these pieces are priceless, like a letter sent by Clyde.
Beyond Bonnie and Clyde, also on the auction block were guns from Al Capone, Lucky Luciano's humidor and John Dillinger memorabilia.
It all sold for $1.1 million. | <urn:uuid:e9630640-adf8-4662-8bfc-e4805e08a8d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/north/12008674410965/bidders-buy-bonnie-and-clyde-memorabilia-at-gangster-auction/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964567 | 378 | 1.515625 | 2 |
According to a Kaiser Health News report:
Wal-Mart — the nation’s largest retailer and biggest private employer — now wants to dominate a growing part of the health care market, offering a range of medical services from basic prevention to management of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, according to a document obtained by NPR and Kaiser Health News.
But then the next day, according to Kaiser, the company started backtracking:
The only thing the company would say for certain is: “we are not building a national, integrated, low-cost primary care health care platform,” according to the statement from to John Agwunobi, senior vice president and president of Wal-Mart U.S. Health & Wellness.
I’ll get to what Wal-Mart might be thinking in a minute. First questions first: Can Wal-Mart provide care that is of higher quality and lower cost than conventional provision? If so, how?
My answer: Wal-Mart can indeed improve on the current system. But here’s the catch. It can do so only if it continues doing what it and other retail medical outlets are already doing: ignore the third-party payers. Almost everything that’s wrong with our health care system is the direct result of third-party payment; and some of the most striking examples of efficient care are emerging in those parts of the market where third-party payment is either nonexistent or of marginal importance.
So as not to be misunderstood, I am not saying that our problems are being created by health insurance. There is nothing in principle wrong with insurance. The source of our problems is using insurance companies to pay medical bills. It’s insurance companies acting pro emptore — in place of the buyer.
Life insurance, for example, plays a useful social function. But we don’t use life insurance to pay for coffins, caskets and funeral services. There is a lot wrong with the funeral industry. But none of it is caused by life insurance. As I previously wrote in response to a comment by Uwe Reinhardt:
I have life insurance. But when I die, the insurer is not going to pay for my autopsy, my cremation, the urn that will hold my ashes, or the cost of the plane needed to sprinkle my ashes over the Princeton University football field (or some other suitable place). Instead, my wife will get a check.
When insurers become buyers of care instead of insurers of care a number of things begin to change, all of them bad:
- The provider becomes the agent of the third-party payer, rather than the agent of the patient — even shaping the practice of medicine to the third-party’s view of how it should be practiced.
- The provider no longer competes for patients based on price.
- Absent price competition, the provider no longer competes for patients based on quality.
- Overall, the provider’s incentive is to maximize against reimbursement formulas rather than provide low-cost, high-quality care.
Most people (even most health policy experts) have no idea the extent to which third-party payment makes efficient provision of medical care impossible. Here is an excerpt from one of my previous posts:
Misa and his team thought they had the solution: a “concept clinic” that uses doctors for only the most complex cases, and steers most patients to nurse practitioners and physician assistants… Then they did the calculations: What if Park Nicollet had used this model in 2009, when it had about a million total patient visits to primary care; and if everyone had paid Medicare rates?
They discovered that the concept clinic would have run at a 40 percent loss; about the same as the current model… The problem, in part, is that Medicare payments also drop under this kind of model; it pays less for visits with nurse practitioners than doctors. That ate up any savings.
The perverse incentives work both ways. They not only discourage conventional sources of care from becoming efficient, they discourage efficient care givers from accepting patients who rely on third parties to pay their medical bills. As Tom Saving and I wrote in The Wall Street Journal earlier this year, most walk-in clinics won’t accept Medicare enrollees and almost none accept Medicaid enrollees because of their low payment rates. (Yet if Medicare and Medicaid would pay the market price — or allow the patient to pay a “balanced bill” to reach the market price — care would be more accessible for the elderly, the poor and the disabled and the government would save a lot of money in the process!)
Fortunately (at least for efficiency’s sake) a lot of people are paying for a lot of care out of their own pockets or out of medical savings accounts of one sort or another. As a result, there are about 1,300 walk-in clinics nationwide (see the graph below via Sarah Kliff at Ezra Klein’s blog). These include about 140 Wal-Mart clinics, CVS Caremark’s nearly 550 Minute Clinics and Walgreen’s 355 Take Care clinics. All of these clinics post prices; they keep records electronically; most can prescribe electronically; and, according to one study, they provide more reliable care than conventional primary care physician’s offices. [See our previous reports here, here and here.]
So what is Wal-Mart up to? I previously reported that a lot has been going on at Sam’s Club — generally below the health media radar screen. For example, in June they offered the following screenings to male customers at no charge:
- BMI Index measurements,
- Blood pressure tests,
- Cholesterol readings,
- PSA (prostate cancer) tests, and
- TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) tests.
And, here’s the schedule they have been following since then:
- July: Kids Health Screenings
- August: Vision Health Screenings
- September: Diabetes Screenings
- October: Women’s Health Screenings
- November: Digestive Health Screenings
Wal-Mart is clearly testing the waters.
John C. Goodman, PhD, is president and CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis. He is also the Kellye Wright Fellow in health care. His Health Policy Blog is considered among the top conservative health care blogs where health care problems are discussed by top health policy experts from all sides of the political spectrum. | <urn:uuid:5defb3e8-75e3-40a3-934a-6c5757b8d06c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2011/11/14/wal-mart-care/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951533 | 1,330 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Motorists in Stratford are increasingly getting ticketed for illegally passing school buses since a new program launched last October designed to deter such action.
From November 2012 through January 2013, Stratford police issued 46 illegal passing citations, compared to just five during the 10-month span January 2012 through October 2012, police tell the Stratford Star.
Stratford entered into a contract with SmartBus during a Town Council meeting in October after a company representative outlined the program to town officials.
SmartBus pays for the installation of the cameras (three per bus), and monitors the video live, explained Alfred Cardi. The program comes at no cost to the town, save for the time it takes police officers to review video complaints on SmartBus's website before issuing a citation, if they feel one is warranted.
Violators are slapped with a $465 fine (set by Connecticut state statutes, according to a school official), with $125 going to the town, Cardi said.
"We're trying to change the behavior [of offending motorists] by creating a deterrent," he said. "This is not about traffic, this is about keeping kids safe."
The program started as a pilot and is now operating on five public school buses in the district, according to the Star. At the October meeting, Cardi said the buses already outfitted with the equipment were averaging at least one violation per day.
Twenty to 50 percent of the district's buses could be rigged, depending on what studies and analysis reveal about traffic patterns, the SmartBus representative said. | <urn:uuid:cae916e9-39be-41f3-8f7f-ceea785c571e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stratford.patch.com/groups/schools/p/school-bus-cameras-beget-illegal-passing-citations | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96079 | 314 | 1.664063 | 2 |
The Snowpatch Route on Spowpatch Spire in the Bugaboos is a classic if for no other reason in that it is one of the most prominent and visible routes from the Kain Hut. It runs up the left side of the eastern face of Snowpatch Spire and descends the western face. Most of Snowpatch’s viable “free” routes are on its western face. Therefore, the Snowpatch Route offers one of the more easily accessible alpine moderate routes in all of the Bugaboos. A competent team can run up the route fairly fast by simul-climbing much of the middle portion of the route which angles past the left side of Snowpatch’s namesake, a large patch of ice and snow hung on the left side of the east face. This route was part of a planned attempt by my partner and I to traverse up and over Snowpatch Spire, Pigeon Spire and the South Howser Tower stashing gear along the way.
Snowpatch Route is one of the more historical routes in Bugaboo Glacier Provincial Park, established in 1940 by Jack Arnold and Raffi Bedayn. The access to this route was snow and ice free in 2009 and even though we carried our crampons to the summit, we actually never put them on the entire climb or descent, instead groveling down the Pigeon Fork-Bugaboo Glacier, moving off the ice and onto the moraine as soon as possible. We did not carry alpine axes at all. We soloed the first three short pitches of the Snowpatch Route as laid out in the guidebook, “The Bugaboos, One of the World’s Great Alpine Rockclimbing Centres.” Then follow two mid 5th class pitches that run up dihedrals, the granite vastly improving from the 4th pitch to the 5th pitch. The 6th pitch offers a fantastic mid 5th class hand rail on granite slab. The next seven pitches can be simul-climbed and offer little in the way of resistance up the granite slabs, past the “snowpatch” and up to what is referred to as the “inverted pear”. The next pitch sets up the more difficult climbing of the route which follows with three pitches offering a variety of 5.8 cruxes. The final couple of pitches can be simul-climbed or soled to the summit notch where the Kraus-McCarthy rap chains, your eventual descent down the west face, are in clear view as you top out at the summit saddle.
In 2009 there was quite the controversy as to how safe or not, the Snowpatch-Bugaboo col was in terms of accessing the west face routes on Snowpatch Spire. Considerable recession of the glacial ice revealed unstable rock and a huge rock slide did occur in August. Therefore, the Snowpatch Route was quite popular as you can just as easily descend the raps at the Snowpatch-Pigeon icefall col versus down climbing or rapping the Snowpatch-Bugaboo col (after the Kraus-McCarthy rap descent down the west face). And there is no other moderate free route worth doing on the east side of Snowpatch Spire.
From the Kain Hut, hike south up the hill between the hut and Snowpatch Spire. Descend down do the Pigeon Fork-Bugaboo glacier as you would if heading for Pigeon Spire. Instead of putting crampons on and ascending the ice, scramble up right, mostly 4th class, until you hit a faint trail that circumvents Son of Snowpatch to the southeast. Hike to the base of the col between Son of Snowpatch and Snowpatch Spire on the east side. Pitch one ascends up to the col.
Route Description19 Pitches, 5.8
1st-3rd Pitches- 90m- 5th/ We soled these three short pitches. Basically ascend to the col, seemed like 4th class at most. Move left on the west side of the col, up and over a bulge with nice hand cracks (couple of 5th class moves). Then traverse via small ledges on the east side until you are below an obvious dihedral.
4th-5th Pitches- 100m- 5.7/ I was willing to solo these pitches as well to give you an idea how laid back they are. They are real comfortable corners/cracks on good rock that run up two separate dihedrals. The first one is the easiest. Just run up the corner to the top and move left to the base of the 2nd one and set up belay. The 2nd one is much more interesting following a crack off the ground as it widens and takes you to the top of this second dihedral.
6th Pitch- 20m- 5.7/ Traverse right along a great hand crack for a short distance until you have cleared the overhang above (Weissner Overhang) and belay on a small ledge below easy angled cracks that lead up the spire.
7th -13th Pitches- 300m- 5th/ I have no idea how long this section really is, but we will call it a 1000’+/- gain. It did not take us seven pitches to reach the “inverted pear”. A combination of running the rope out a full 60m and simul-climbing found us behind the easy to identify landmark (inverted pear) in short order. Start straight up from pitch six and stay just left of the “snowpatch” and then angle back right once above it to find the inverted pear (photo). Towards the end of this section, stay more left versus too far right to find the better rock. Most of this mid section of the route is just solid mid 5th class slab climbing.
14th Pitch- 30m- 5th/ Move the belay by traversing out right from behind the “pear”. You will come to a ramped up corner.
15th Pitch- 40m- 5.8/ The crux pitches start here. Take the steeper option left versus right. It is easier to protect the corner on the left and it is the correct original part of this route although a variation goes out right. Move up to a horn that you can sling with a double length runner. Then slab climb out left (5.8) past pitons and up to a small ledge below an off-width crack to the right. There were pitons here to assist with a belay in 2009.
16th Pitch- 50m- 5.8/ You have two options on this pitch. We ran it a little long and it could be considered the crux of the day for us. Take the off width or climb the run out face out right (not the bolts or pitons the guide book reflects) to the upper roof and traverse back left to the top of the short off width crack. Then continue up a short steep corner/flakes to a hard (for the grade) finger traverse out left (pitons). By doing this, you have extended into the 17th pitch.
17th Pitch- 30m- 5.7/ Move left over a huge flake and climb back right via 5.7 cracks up a steep wall to a ramp that eases up into a corner. Avoid going too far left after you mount the large flake.
18th- 19th Pitches- 60m+/-/ 5th/ You can easily cover this mellow ground in one pitch to the summit saddle if you simul-climb or solo a bit. | <urn:uuid:38d57e41-ed65-420e-a7df-fa952464dfb3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.summitpost.org/snowpatch-route-iv-5-8-19-pitches/552232 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942801 | 1,598 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The 'r' is not normally silent. It's not that uncommon to hear people skip it, when they speak fast, or when the next word begins with a consonant. Or just because of a local accent. Still, it seems almost everyone skip the 'r' when they count sequentially, 1-2-3-4-5. My guess is it dates back to kindergarten, when you learn to count, but don't know how to spell 'quatre' yet.
Funny the title page doesn't mention it includes useful lol cat phrases.
Duh! Should have thought about that one myself ;-)
"Tony, I love that clip! "Wolf Gets Blitzed"...tee-hee.
Did anyone read the comments below the You Tube version? they were almost all like, "Yeah, thank the lard for sending a ghastly tornado to kill more than 50…"
"And then, just to confuse things, there's polymath, which is from the Greek poly = much and manthanein = to learn. So, someone who knows a lot. Or at least enough to know that you can get a second crop from that field! Sorry, couldn't…" | <urn:uuid:49d31e06-7947-4408-a68b-f4df075c1eea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.atheistnexus.org/forum/topics/very-punny | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967959 | 248 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Recreation - Powder Creek Use Area
The Powder Creek Project was built primarily for flood control benefits but will feature recreation as well. The site drains 7,636 acres which has 12 flood and gully control dams in place to help reduce sediment erosion and runoff. Powder Creek Lake is the largest structure in the Aowa Watershed Project. The wildlife management area covers 467 acres, of which 107 acres is the lake.
Game & Parks Commission is presently maintaining the area as a Wildlife Management Area
Powder Creek Lake is located 2 miles east of Newcastle on Highway 12 and 2 1/2 miles south on 585 Avenue. The address is 88082 585 Road, Ponca NE 68770
Motorboats limited to 5 mph (no wake)
For the hunter there is excellent habitat with pheasant quail, deer, waterfowl and dove. | <urn:uuid:132ce95c-755b-4558-b16f-4fa2add274d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lcnrd.org/recreation/powder_creek/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946166 | 178 | 1.5625 | 2 |
|Joined:||Sat, Apr 4th 1998, 00:00||Total Topics:||0||Roles:||Super Moderator|
|Last Login:||Never||Total Posts:||0||Moderates:||N/A|
|Sea/Spece Buoy Project||May 30th 2012, 19:08||6||1,127||on 6/6/12|
|Remote Sensing Balloon/Water Buoy||May 27th 2012, 14:16||1||633||on 27/5/12|
|Running A High School Amateur Radio Club; What to do and what not to do?||N8ERF||on 28/3/13|
The majority of your questions need to be answered at the local level of the school because the answers depend on the culture of the school and the community, the proclivity and talent of the lead teacher, and the support of the school administration. Gather ideas that others are doing, but there is no easy cookie-cutter approach that can be copied and be effective in your particular school setting. There are going to be some local policies on the procedures and expectations of extra-curricular activities and clubs; if the ham content is done during the school day, you have to deal with state standards and mandates. On culture, what do the parents expect of the school's after school programs? Do they expect them to be an extension of the school day that supports regular in-class learning or is the expectation to keep the kids out of trouble and off the streets and entertained until the parents come home from work? How does the community feel about athletic participation? Are athletic programs very competitive or are they all inclusive? Will your program provide an alternative for those students that are not athletically inclined? The bottom line is it all depends on the local situation.
On the topic of volunteers in the school, make sure you check with the administration and are aware of local school board policies. Unfortunately in today's environment, many schools have significant restrictions on outsiders being in contact with students. Many schools are required to do background checks on volunteers who will be interacting with students on less than a casual basis (this even goes for parents too). Some volunteers might find this requirement offensive and obtrusive of their privacy. It is what it is. Many schools require that volunteers are shadowed by faculty or school staff. So it is very important that you are aware of and follow the school board policies on volunteer access to schools to the letter.
Even if given access, choose your volunteer help wisely. Students look at all adults in the schools as teachers, so the volunteers need to conduct themselves as teachers, dress, mannerisms, preparation, content knowledge…a well intentioned and hoped to be humorous off-color comment can quickly be misconstrued and turn into an ugly sexually charged situation that you don’t want to taint your whole program. I gave volunteers this advice in dealing with students, “you need to be friendly with the students, but you can never be their friend.” That sounds harsh and cold, but remember, students expect the adults to conduct themselves as teachers. Classrooms are serious business, during and after school. Too much fraternization with the students in the classroom often sends mixed messages and can lead to disciplinarily and behavior problems at the drop of a hat. The best advice I can give any volunteer in a school is to never, ever, be alone with a student…NEVER, especially a student of the opposite sex. That is asking for trouble. Even when I was a school principal, I never violated that rule even when I had to deal with confidential and sensitive situations. There was always another qualified adult stationed such that they could at least visually see and monitor the interaction I had with individual students. This is not paranoia, as I said, this is the sign of the times…tragically.
Take the above for what it is worth.
|Running A High School Amateur Radio Club; What to do and what not to do?||N8ERF||on 22/3/13|
My first recommendation is to get the lead teacher to attent a teachers institute this summer, the applications are being accepted right now. During the TI the teacher will receive a number of resources and lesson ideas to "do ham radio" in the classroom. There are a number of resources and lesson ideas listed on the education tab of this web site, that is the first place to look for what is avaialble. There are many ideas that may not be directily applicable to the school or teacher, but they may stimulate the most important ideas, those generated by the teacher and the students. The majority of the resources are avaialbe via the grant program, which sounds intimidating, but in reallity we have made it as easy and simple as possible to access those resources through the grants. If you have any questions, ask. I am at [email protected], or you can contact Nathan at [email protected]. The initital e-mail will start the dialog.
|PIC Programming for Beginners||K0IQE||on 24/10/12|
|Can you give a little more specifics? Do you get the message when you are trying to program or during some other time during the process. If you are getting the error during programming with a Canakit programmer, there might be a timing issue.
|Mini USB Programmer||w2wo||on 5/10/12|
The book was authored with the assumption that the reader would be using the Microchip PICKit2. It sounds like you are using the kit offered by the League which is using a clone of the Microchip PICKit2. (I believe the metal plate you mention is for mounting the prototyping board as you mention.) It also sounds like your computer didn't automatically install the drivers for the USB interface. On the Canakit site: http://www.canakit.com/Media/Manuals/UK1301.pdf the manual for the programmer mentions a procedure for loading in the PICKit2 software for stand alone operation (don't confuse the use of PICKit2 software for PICKit 2 hardware). It is a good idea to load that program anyway incase there are future troubles with dumping the OSCCAL value when programming a PIC. Perhaps when you install the PICKit2 software the installation will update the required driver.
|Mini USB Programmer||w2wo||on 4/10/12|
From my experience, the ZIF handle coincides with pin 1 of the PIC.
On the second question, can you give some specifics on the board you are referring to? | <urn:uuid:5b104339-b68a-4fef-9407-ce2095230672> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.arrl.org/forum/users/profile/858933 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948557 | 1,396 | 1.570313 | 2 |
I have always been an avid gardener, and no matter where I live or how little space I have, I will find a spot to make a garden. Right now I have lots of tomatoes growing in my small city garden, and this year I was hoping to start growing heirloom tomatoes. Unfortunately, my local garden centers did not have a good variety of heirloom seeds, so I turned to the Internet. This is when I discovered Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and they impressed with their large selection and variety.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds offers around 1300 different heirloom seeds, and there are many rare seeds in the collection. To keep the heirloom seeds from being contaminated, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds grows the plants in cages, and they are very careful with isolating the different plants from each other plants.
Last weekend I started planting my first heirloom tomato seeds, and I am very excited to see how the tomatoes turn out. I have carefully labeled everything, so that I can see how each plant will grow, and growing heirloom tomatoes will take a little more planning and organization than I usually use when I am gardening. Still, I am excited, because these heirloom tomato varieties look fantastic.
A week later, the heirloom tomatoes have slowly begun to sprout, and I am very excited to see the first seedlings appear. I only planted 2 – 3 seeds in every soil pellet, because it is a bit late in the season to start planting here in South Florida. I will start up a new batch in August, and thankfully there are a minimum of 20 – 25 heirloom seeds in each package of heirloom tomato seeds from Baker Creek.
I have started planting eight different varieties of heirloom seeds including the Great White Tomato, the Ozark Pink Tomato, the Carbon Tomato, the Spear’s Tennessee Green Tomato, the Marmande Tomato, the Dad’s Sunset Tomato, the Yellow Riesentraube Tomato and and the Hawaiian Pineapple Tomato.
About the Heirloom Tomatoes In My Garden:
- The Great White Tomato produces large, 1-lb giant, creamy white fruits.
- The Ozark Pink Tomato Fruits are medium to large in size and are produced in abundance on very productive, disease resistant plants. This is the perfect tomato for all hot, humid areas.
- The Carbon Tomato, is the winner of the 2005 “Heirloom Garden Show” best tasting tomato award.
- The Spear’s Tennessee Green Tomato has been grown by the Spear family of Tennessee since the 1950′s, and it was brought to Baker Creek by a local customer who had been preserving it in his garden.
- The Marmande Tomato is a popular old French variety developed by the Vilmorin Seed Co, it produces medium-large sized fruits even in cool weather.
- The Dad’s Sunset Tomato is the perfect orange tomato with large 10 oz. fruits.
- The Yellow Riesentraube Tomato produces clusters of golden grape tomatoes.
- The Hawaiian Pineapple Tomato produces 1-lb fruits with yellow-and-red mottled flesh, and it has a sweet, fruity and somewhat pineapple-like taste.
I am very surprised at the fair price of the heirloom seeds, because regular seeds usually cost between $1 – $3 per bag at our local garden stores, and the heirloom seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds only cost around $2-3 for a pack containing a minimum of 20 – 25 seeds.
About Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed was started by Jere Gettle at the age of 17, when he printed the first Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog. Since then the company has grown to include more than 1300 varieties of heirloom seeds from more than 70 countries. All of the heirloom seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds are non-hybrid, non-GMO, non-treated and non-patented. The company and farm is located 45 miles east of Springfield, Missouri, and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has retail stores in Mansfield, MO, Petaluma,CA & Wethersfield ,CT.
If you want to know more about heirloom gardening, you can also read The Heirloom Life Gardener, a book written by Baker Creek owners Jere and Emilee Gettle.
You can order a free copy of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds catalog,
or you can order directly from the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds website.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has generously offered a giveaway prize of an assortment of heirloom seeds to one of Frugality Is Free’s readers.
This giveaway will end Wednesday May 9th at Midnight EST.
Disclaimer: I received complimentary heirloom seeds samples for the purpose of writing a review and hosting a giveaway, no monetary compensation was received. Any opinions expressed above are based solely on my experience with the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds products. | <urn:uuid:a7476e07-b541-4ecb-b096-b82f41f155a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.frugalityisfree.com/2012/04/baker-creek-heirloom-seeds-heirloom-tomatoes.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938657 | 1,049 | 1.757813 | 2 |
In order to make data submission to Dryad as easy as possible for authors, the system piggybacks in an innovative way on the journal submission process. The key is that most authors will be submitting their data to Dryad immediately after they learn that their final manuscript has been accepted by the journal. Through behind-the-scenes communication with the journal, Dryad will already know the “vital information” about that paper before the author comes to Dryad to submit data. This saves them from the laborious and error-prone task of filling in the paper details at Dryad. We call this process “submission integration”, and it is one of the fundamental services provided to partner journals.
Most journals employ one of a small number of manuscript management software systems to interact with authors, editors and reviewers. These software systems regularly employ customizable email form letters to communicate among the various parties. Through emails that are automatically sent, and automatically processed upon receipt, Dryad can ensure that authors need not re-enter data that is already available to the journal, that the journal knows the web address that authors can use to access the submission page for that specific article, and – once data has been submitted – that the journal and the author receive notice about the record identifier to include in print.
We’re happy to report that after several months of testing, this system is ready to roll out. The first guinea pig for testing was The American Naturalist, which publishes a relatively small number of data papers. Then Molecular Ecology, which publishes a whole lot more. We are now in the process of setting up submission integration with a long list of partner journals, thanks to Tim Vines of Molecular Ecology, who has written an easy-to-follow instructions for the many journals that use the popular Manuscript Central software.
As a teaser for things to come, we are working to make data archiving even more like falling off of a log, by implementing one-stop data deposition, through Dryad, to one or more specialized repositories required by our partner journals. Techniques like submission integration and handshaking should greatly facilitate submission to the repository and the usefulness of the data records.
For the curious, here’s a little more detail on how submission integration works. First, the journal automatically sends an email to Dryad upon acceptance of a manuscript. Dryad parses the incoming email and creates an (empty) record for each new article, with a unique identifier based upon the manuscript number. Second, the author receives the link to the submission page for that article. Since the bibliographic information about the paper is already stored in Dryad, all the author needs to do is follow the link, log in, and upload their datafiles. Not only does this save the author needless time re-entering author names, paper title and so on, but it also helps to ensure the information is accurate and properly formatted. Ideally, the author also provides a ReadMe document to promote reusability, and optional metadata to make the data more easily discoverable. Third, upon submission, unique identifiers such as Handles or Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are assigned to the data. These identifiers can be resolved to web addresses. The identifier for the whole record, or what we call the “data package”, is then included in the article according to the conventions of each journal, so that readers of the article can easily find the record in Dryad. Most data packages will become available as soon as the issue comes out, although some may have an embargo of up to one year. For more gory details, see our wiki pages. | <urn:uuid:bb1d0e86-a1c0-4bbf-8b16-aa32958095be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.datadryad.org/2010/01/12/making-data-submission-almost-as-easy-as-falling-off-a-log/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=4ca8fc8c32 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934465 | 744 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Developing your green credentials
'Our aim is to impact on communities not to affect the environment!'
As one of the leading specialist external wall insulation applicators we can effectively help you design, develop, perfect and help apply for Green Deal for your project whilst meeting your legal obligations with minimal disruption. We can offer architects and developers a winning combination of performance through energy efficiency, noise, fire and aesthetics.
External wall insulation has been in the market place for 50 years but has been developed over the last 15 years to meet 'decent homes standard' and part 'L' of the Building Regulations, increasing thermal performance and the reduction of carbon emmissions into the atmosphere.
Through achieving higher insulation values, external wall insulation is one of the key measures to maximise the impact of Building Regulations on climate change. Insulated render is a non-invasive insulation solution that allows old and new buildings to operate effectively and sustainably.
The insulated render industry is in a strong position to help the Government meet its sustainability of buildings target and continues to lead the field in delivering high environmental standards within the building industry for both domestic and non-domestic sectors. The Governments backing for green housing development and, on a wider scale, the global need to address climate change, has meant that the UK construction industry has already had to make fundamental changes with regard to building design.
In order to meet the necessary criteria, and indeed the future more stringent requirements, it is evident that external wall insulation reflects the latest trends in building design and is now recognised as a cost effective, modern method of construction. | <urn:uuid:43cfd151-ed2c-4d14-b5ac-47d6b26f0639> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hamiltonfirst.co.uk/external_wall_insulation_environmental.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937035 | 319 | 1.53125 | 2 |
A year after funeral, Savile myth in ruins
- From: AAP
- November 09, 2012
AT Jimmy Savile's funeral a year ago, the priest delivering the homily was emphatic: the DJ and television host "can face eternal life with confidence".
Hundreds of people packed a cathedral for Savile's funeral Mass, thousands paid their respects at his coffin, and people from Prince Charles to the Bee Gees sent condolences.
He was a cultural fixture, even an icon, and his BBC television shows had been part of childhood for two generations of Britons.
But a year on, Savile's reputation is in ruins. Police have branded him one of Britain's worst sex offenders, accused of assaulting underage girls over half a century. Like those who feted and praised him on that November day, millions are wondering: How could he have duped so many for so long?
"His life story was an epic of giving - giving of time, giving of talent, giving of treasure," Monsignor Kieran Heskin told hundreds of mourners at the funeral. "Sir Jimmy Savile can face eternal life with confidence."
Savile's death, like his life, was full of self-spun mythology. He cast himself as a colourful entertainer who worked tirelessly for charity - and he choreographed his exit as carefully as an Egyptian pharaoh, leaving instructions for an elaborate three-day commemoration in his home city of Leeds, in northern England.
Thousands of people turned out to pay tribute at the Queen's Hotel, where the entertainer's coffin sat surrounded by flowers, photos and the last cigar he ever smoked. Inside lay Savile, dressed in a tracksuit and clutching a string of rosary beads.
Others lined the street as Savile was carried into St Anne's Cathedral by Royal Marine pallbearers for a richly ceremonial requiem Mass. Later he was buried in a golden coffin, in a tree-shaded cemetery - and on a 45-degree angle so he could overlook the sea.
"He had gold, jewellery and diamonds, but wealth meant nothing to him," Alistair Hall, a cardiologist at one of the hospitals Savile supported, said in his eulogy. Savile, he said, "was as he appeared - a caring man".
Savile cultivated the persona of an eccentric, curmudgeonly but generous uncle. He wore brightly coloured tracksuits and chunky gold chains and drove a Rolls-Royce. On the long-running TV show Jim'll Fix It, he made children's wishes come true. Off-screen, he ran marathons for charity and frequently visited schools and hospitals.
What now seems clear - what so many missed - is that both roles brought him into contact with potential victims: star-struck teenagers, vulnerable patients, inmates of a secure psychiatric hospital.
Cary Cooper, a professor of psychology at England's Lancaster University, said that probably nobody will ever know whether Savile used his charity work deliberately to meet victims, or simply to burnish his saintly image. "Either way," Cooper said, "it protected him more, being seen as a philanthropic individual. It served his purpose."
At the funeral, Hall said Saville's charitable legacy would live on. Last month, the trustees of two charities that bear his name announced that they were closing down.
When Savile died, Prince Charles' office said the heir to the throne and his wife "were saddened to hear of Jimmy Savile's death".
The late DJ boasted of his ties to powerful people, including Prince Charles, the late Princess Diana and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whom he visited at her country retreat.
His connections may have helped shield him from criticism. Several young people accused Savile of abuse while he was alive, and he was questioned by police, but no charges were laid - and no newspaper ever printed the allegations.
Now, police are investigating claims of abuse from about 300 people who have come forward since the scandal exploded when allegations about Savile were broadcast in a TV documentary in early October. And police are facing investigation themselves for their failure to act sooner.
Charles' Clarence House office says the prince's relationship with Savile was solely a result of their shared charity work.
"If there's a heaven, he'll be laughing now if he's got time," fellow DJ Tony Prince said at the funeral. "Because if there is a heaven, he'll be introducing Elvis on the clouds."
Younger DJs mentored by Savile were out in force at the memorial, and remembered the flamboyant star fondly. One, Dave Eager, wore a bright yellow sweat shirt saying "Jimmy's Eager Helper".
"Everyone who knew Jimmy knows it was a life-changing experience," he said.
Last month, Eager told The Sun newspaper that he was "completely and utterly gobsmacked" by the allegations against Savile, and felt guilty about failing to stop the abuse.
"You feel traumatised and sorry for the people abused by Jimmy, but equally you think, 'Why the bloody hell didn't we see something?'" he said.
Savile's carefully crafted myth didn't outlive him by long, and he has not rested in peace. His family has had the star's gravestone destroyed in response to public outrage. This week his nephew backed calls to exhume and cremate Savile's body out of respect to other bereaved families.
Of all the words spoken at the funeral a year ago, one comment now sounds prophetic. "None of us really knew the real Jimmy," fellow DJ Mike Read said. "Maybe he didn't even know himself."
SENIOR legal figures, police and victims of crime advocates gathered today at St Ignatius Church to farewell a lawyer who inspired unusally fierce loyalty and respect, Paul Rofe QC.
UPDATE: Robert Craddock has responded to David Warner's Twitter rant after his critique of the IPL infuriated the Test batsman this morning.
SOPHIE Ann Schulz would have been five-and-a-half now.
A MASSIVE explosion from a meteor which crashed into the Moon was visible to the naked eye on Earth, NASA says. | <urn:uuid:b9ed4397-5327-4718-903b-8b9b8eb5382e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/a-year-after-funeral-savile-myth-in-ruins/story-e6frea7u-1226513984818 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980821 | 1,287 | 1.585938 | 2 |
We see it all around us every time we go out the door. People using smartphones to do all kinds of things other than taking and making calls. But have you thought about how that behavior affects retail sales?
Cathy Halligan, SVP, Marketing & Sales at PowerReview, has. The rise in mobile Internet access via smartphones has changed the pattern for research and shopping she writes in Mobile Access Rules for Weekend Retail Shoppers (ClickZ).
Instead of doing their research at home, then going to the one store they've preselected and probably making a purchase, "shoppers will be checking product availability, price, and reading online reviews while at the mall, standing in your store, or standing in your competitor's store."
So it's important that you take steps to ensure you're reaching shoppers who are doing product research on their mobiles. Cathy Halligan recommends:
- Publishing customer reviews daily;
- updating your product pages frequently;
- reminding customers, through email, on your website and through in-store notices that they can access information about your products and services 24/7 on their mobile devices.
Taking it one step further, there's no real need for Christmas shoppers to even come to your store. How shoppers with smartphones are changing the retail landscape (CBC News) describes how consumers shopping at Future Shop's Boxing Day Sale will be able to see and buy bargains that night "without doing anything more than tapping out an order on their smartphone or tablet".
Now, so far the numbers of Canadian consumers using mobile apps to Christmas shop are small (20% according to consulting firm Deloitte in its 2011 holiday outlook survey), but that doesn't mean that the trend is insignificant.
Research by Deloitte suggests that customer research, on their devices, about the products they might like to buy is driving spending in stores, and that the "multiplier effect" of that trend will double between 2010 and 2015. "So if you're a retailer now and you don't have a mobile strategy, I think it's time to get up to speed," says Alain Michaud, a Canadian retailing analyst at PwC in Montreal (CBC News).
Image (c) Peter Cade / Getty Images
More on Mobile Devices and Business
- 8 Mobile Marketing Strategies for Small Business
- Where You Got to Be: Mobile Marketing
- Mobile Marketing - Getting a Grasp on the Basics (About.com Marketing) | <urn:uuid:27c9c819-48b6-41a4-970c-373e334f2395> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sbinfocanada.about.com/b/2012/12/23/the-new-reality-christmas-shoppers-with-mobiles.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945856 | 499 | 1.554688 | 2 |
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana’s medical education system will shift some of its residents from the public hospital system to clinics and other community-based health care operations, the head of Louisiana State University’s health-care division said Monday. The move is characterized as part of a trend in both health-care services and medical training but also is aimed at grappling with significant cuts to public hospital programs in recent months, said Dr. Frank Opelka, the university system’s executive vice president for health care and medical education redesign.
Those cuts, the result of a reduction in the federal reimbursement rate for state Medicaid expenditures, are expected to deepen with a plan that Opelka said he will unveil to the LSU system Board of Supervisors next week. “Once upon a time the overwhelming majority (of medical students) were in the public hospital system, but over the years that has moved with the contraction of patients and beds in the public facilities,” Opelka said.
Opelka outlined the changes Monday in an effort to blunt criticisms made last week by Dr. Fred Cerise, who had been in charge of LSU’s health services and medical education before being removed earlier this summer. Cerise, who was essentially replaced by Opelka, said at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Baton Rouge that he worried there would not be enough patients and resources left at state hospitals to train new doctors.
Opelka said the changes in medical education could cut costs and help those in training become more comfortable with nonhospital settings that are seeing an increase in use, and provide better services.
Opelka said Cerise’s comments “represent an old-world view about health-care delivery.”
State hospitals were told to cut about $329 million from their budgets this year when the health-care reductions were announced earlier this summer, but officials, led by Cerise, developed a stop-gap plan that used other pots of money to reduce the amount of the cuts to about $50 million. Still, some hospitals, including Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center in Independence and Walter O. Moss Regional Medical Center in Lake Charles, saw their budgets drastically reduced.
The plans Opelka will present next week are expected to involve deeper cuts to prepare for future reductions.
“We’re still deliberating through those cuts as we’re trying to walk through all the information that we’ve been planning and considering,” he said.
Jeff Adelson can be reached at [email protected] or 225.342.5207. | <urn:uuid:83f877ec-066d-4719-8a56-a0374f3d4e9d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nola.com/health/index.ssf/2012/09/doctor_training_to_move_away_f.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971982 | 540 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Sierra Leone elections ‘turning point’ for country: UN envoy
India Blooms News Service
New York, Nov 17 (IBNS): As Sierra Leone heads towards its third national elections since the end of its civil war, the top United Nations envoy in the West African country Friday urged voters to refrain from election-related violence, noting that the vote was a turning point in the country’s post-conflict history.
“These elections are extremely important,” the Secretary-General’s Executive Representative in Sierra Leone, Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen, said in an interview with the UN News Centre. “I think the whole world is looking at Sierra Leone at the moment.”
Toyberg-Frandzen added that while Sierra Leone was observing its third election cycle since the end of hostilities, the present election cycle – which includes four elections, namely presidential, parliamentary, local council and mayoral, to be held on Nov 17 – would be the first one run entirely by the Government.
“They have full ownership and they will also be held fully accountable for this,” the UN envoy continued, stating that the vote would be “a turning point in manifesting that Sierra Leone has graduated from a post-conflict country to one that is now on a path to development.”
For 11 years, Sierra Leone was torn by a vicious civil war after the rebel Revolutionary United Front intervened in an attempt to overthrow the country’s then-President Joseph Momoh. The conflict, which lasted from 1991 to 2002, was often punctuated by acts of extreme brutality as marauding bands of armed youths terrorized the countryside, conscripting child soldiers and used the amputation of limbs as an intimidation method against civilians.
Asked if he had any concerns about whether tomorrow’s vote could degenerate into violence, Toyberg-Frandzen noted that there had been “very few incidences of anything” throughout the country and that all the political parties were rallying peacefully.
Nevertheless, he suggested that one would be “naïve” not to assume that the risk did not exist.
“When you have elections in a country like Sierra Leone, with the history that Sierra Leone has had, there are always areas that you keep an eye on,” Toyberg-Frandzen stated. “There are areas that are more prone to discontent than others. But I think that the preparations made so far by the national stakeholders are very good and pretty robust.”
In a statement issued by his spokesperson yesterday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also encouraged the Sierra Leone electorate to ensure that the vote transpired peacefully.
Describing the vote as a momentous occasion, Toyberg-Frandzen echoed Ban Ki-moon’s words and called on Sierra Leoneans “to feel free to vote for what you believe in and enjoy the day.”
“I wish the people of Sierra Leone a wonderful election. This is something that we’ve been talking about for so long that I really hope this translates into a joyous day with clear results and that the country moves on into a new era of development,” he said.
Saturday’s elections will be the country’s third since the end of its civil war, and the second since the withdrawal of the peacekeeping operation known as UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) in December 2005 – that mission was replaced by various other UN offices, most recently the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office (UNIPSIL), which focuses on political and development activities. | <urn:uuid:18cea7f6-6bc4-4ca2-9628-caea8eb9df9c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indiablooms.com/ForeignDetailsPage/2012/foreignDetails171112b.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969925 | 750 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Welcome to The Parkinson's Appeal for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
The Parkinson's Appeal was set up in 2001 by Lyn Rothman when her husband Mo was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. After learning about the life-changing operation called Deep Brain Stimulation performed on journalist Michael Holman by Professor Benabid in Grenoble, a pioneer of the procedure, Lyn was determined to help the Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK secure the services of the world-renowned Neurosurgeon Professor Marwan Hariz so others could benefit from the operation.
Professor Hariz arrived to lead the new unit in October 2002, having accepted the Edmond J. Safra Chair in Functional Neurosurgery. The team performed its first operation a month later. Since then the team has achieved:
- 296+ Deep Brain Stimulation Operations
- Very high rate of success
- No major complications
- Research of worldwide significance
After ten magnificent years it was with enormous gratitude that the Chair was formally renamed the Simon Sainsbury Chair of Functional Neurosurgery in memory of the late Hon Simon Sainsbury.
This site can help visitors find out more about Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease and other neurological disorders such as Dystonia; Tremor; Epilepsy; Multiple Sclerosis; Tourette Syndrome and Depression. In addition, information can be found on available treatments and the latest research.
You're not alone - there are others out there like you - read our patients', friends and relatives stories.
I do hope you can help us provide financial support for Professor Hariz and his team of nine experts to meet the increasing demand for DBS services.
Your donation will ensure that the operation will become more widely available through the NHS, for as long as it is needed to restore the lives of these sick patients. It will also support the ongoing training of surgeons, neurologists and other health care professionals to provide the best holistic care possible for the patients.
Finally, your donation will help the development of the research that is a prerequisite for providing better and more efficient help for patients with brain disorders.
Lyn Rothman Hon Fellow UCL
Chairman and Founder
Parkinson's disease is a devastating neurodegenerative disease usually affecting large numbers of people in middle to old age. However, in some cases it starts before the age of 40. This is known as young onset Parkinson's disease.
In the UK, there are 10,000 new cases of Parkinson's disease every year, and an estimated 120, 000 sufferers in all. The rate is one per cent in those aged above 65; 1 in 20 of patients diagnosed will be under 40 years old.
Telephone: 020 7233 6034
Donations to placed in a restricted fund for Deep Brain Stimulation to be managed by the Brain Research Trust.
A Registered Charity No: 263064 | <urn:uuid:c7023ba4-fe15-4669-8481-1a46d2086142> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://parkinsonsappeal.com/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934915 | 591 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Teacher, Civil Servant, Management Consultant, Philanthropist, Patron of the Arts 1923-
Jacqueline “Jacqui” Fanchette Clotilde Clay Shumiatcher has had a tremendous impact on the Regina arts community. Together with her husband Dr. Morris Shumiatcher, Jacqui Shumiatcher has served Regina as a businesswoman, a philanthropist and a patron of the arts.
Jacqueline Shumiatcher was born in Vendin-le-Viel, Pas de Calais France in 1923. She emigrated to Canada in 1927. Jacqui worked as a teacher at Sacred Heart Academy, among other places, before she married Morris Shumiatcher, well-known Saskatchewan lawyer, in 1955 while he was counsel to T.C. Douglas. She founded her own management business in Regina, Managerial Services Ltd., to support her husband’s law practice.
Jacqui Shumiatcher has been a tireless community volunteer and donated her time to organizations like the Canadian Club, Dominion Drama Festival, Regina Council of Women, France-Canada Association, Women’s Business and Professional Association, Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts, Saskatchewan Veterinary College and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards.
Jacquie and Dr. Morris Shumiatcher have also donated generously to a number of organizations throughout the city during their time in Regina:
- The Shumiatcher Sculpture Gallery at the Mackenzie Art Gallery boasts an impressive array of Inuit sculpture.
- The Shu-Box Theatre at the Riddell Centre at the University of Regina is also named for their generous donation.
- The Dr. Morris and Jacquie Shumiatcher Scholarship at the University of Saskatchewan provides funding for a law student.
Other Regina organizations that have benefited from the Shumiatchers’ philanthropy include the Regina Symphony Orchestra, Globe Theatre, New Dance Horizons, Opera Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Science Centre, Regina Little Theatre, Regina Lyric Light Opera and the Juventus Choir.
Jacqui Shumiatcher has, in turn, been repeatedly honoured by the community:
- Named YWCA Woman of Distinction in 1996
- B’nai Brith named her Citizen of the Year in 1999
- Awarded Canadian Woman Mentor Award as well as a Mayor’s Community Volunteer Award for the Arts in 2000
- Recipient of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2001
- Named Citizen of the Year for Regina in 2004
- Given an honourary degree from the University of Regina
Jacqueline Shumiatcher was widowed in 2004 when her husband, Dr. Morris Shumiatcher, lost a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She continues to work tirelessly in the community. | <urn:uuid:dda03da9-fc5c-405f-9cbb-23239cf7cc76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.regina.ca/residents/heritage-history/historical-biographies/biography-shumiatcher/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932817 | 575 | 1.710938 | 2 |
View Full Version : Educational Psychologist
How do you find an Educational Psychologist to assess your child for giftedness? I imagine if your child is in school you can ask at your school, but what about pre-school aged children?
And what should I expect from a visit to an Educational Psychologist? Do you get time at the same time as an assessment to discuss your child and questions about strategies to manage issues? Or do you need to set up a separate time? And what costs are typically involved? Waiting time for appointments? Is it something you could maybe book a few weeks in advance or is it usually months in advance?
Finally, if you have a specific Educational Psychologist you've been happy with can you let us know? I'm in Melbourne, but let's share for all states so that it can help others with the same questions :).
You can use the search engine at the Australian Psychological Society to find an Educational Psychologist. It's not a comprehensive search engine (ie only members of the APS are on there, and you don't have to be a member of the APS to be a psychologist), but it will probably be useful for your purposes.
So enter the values that it's for a pre-schooler and that you're looking for an intellectual assessment (under the heading of 'EDUCATIONAL' and put in your postcode and an acceptable radius. When your results come up if you click on the psychologist's name and scroll to the bottom of their profile, if it says they're a member of the College of Education and Development, that means they're an Educational and Developmental psychologist.
Each psychologist sets their own fee structure, so I can't answer that question - you'd just need to call a few and ask abut what their fees would be. Most assessments would be structured so that there would be a pre-assessment interview to discuss reasons for the referral, information about the child etc, in which you'd be able to discuss any concerns. Generally an assessment would be run over several sessions (not necessarily the assessment itself, but the information gathering is an extremely important part of the process too). Waiting times vary hugely between psychologists and aren't always indicative of their talent, either - ie some of the best psychologists don't 'do' waiting lists for ethical reasons. For something that's not clinically urgent, you might be able to see somebody relatively quickly or you might not. Again, you'd just have to call a few psychologists to see.
We used Dr Gayle Byrne of Exceptional Children, who is based in Camberwell. She has a website with quite a lot of good information. The CHIP centre is affiliated with one of the Unis (possibly Monash) and also have a testing programme alongside a number of support services - they test in Richmond from what I can tell. Google "children of high intellectual potential" - lot of info on their site also.
I would stress that it's important to find an ed psych with a speciality in gifted children - they tend to do more indepth tests (not just the standard tests but subtests as well) which identify a profile (ie specific breakdown of skills) rather than simply produce a number.
Cost wise it can vary, most seem to be between $500 and $600. You can get some back on private health insurance (extras) if you claim as simply psychological services and do not specify IQ testing.
My daughter was tested by 'Gifted Minds'. They are based in NSW but travel to other states to do testing. They have a good website you could check out.
The testing process was fun and not stressful. We got a 20+ page report which included in addition to the results of all subtests and fullscale IQ, recommendations, strengths and weaknesses and information on sensitivites. Our school has found the report very helpful.
Maybe call the Gifted Association in your state?
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Municipal leaders from towns of all sizes presented a unified legislative agenda at the Capitol. They want lawmakers to keep state funding flat and greater flexibility to raise their own money.
Elizabeth Paterson is mayor of Mansfield and the president of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. She summed up the group's primary message to lawmakers:
"Hometown Connecticut is not a special interest group."
Cuts to local aid, the groups says, will only shift the fiscal crisis to towns and cities, where budgets are already stretched.
The mayors of New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport say they've already cut their spending and laid off staff, and their fiscal outlook is still bleak - even without possible state cuts.
Bill Finch is the mayor of Bridgeport.
"Bridgeport is a couple blizzards away from bankruptcy, and we've got to make sure that doesn't happen."
At the same time, smaller cities and towns are facing local resistance to property tax hikes, their only other primary source of revenue besides state aid.
So, the towns and cities want lawmakers to allow them to raise more of their own money - through regional sales taxes, user fees, municipal fines, and hotel and motel taxes.
They also want to be able to unilaterally reopen labor contracts during a budget crisis.
On their end, municipal leaders say they're ready to pursue more regional services and revenue-sharing. Mary Glassman is Simsbury's First Selectman.
"We know we can't come up here and ask the state for more money, but we can't go home, and ask our taxpayers to pay more in taxes either. So we need to think creatively. We need to look differently and nothing is sacred in our communities, and nothing is sacred at the state level. We need our legislature to ask now. "
The leaders pressed the governor and legislators to settle on a budget quickly, because some towns have to pass their own budgets as early as March. | <urn:uuid:672c7371-a2ab-4d00-816d-1b2859204a57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cpbn.org/article/towns-and-cities-want-no-cuts-new-ways-raise-money?mini=calendar/2013/02/all | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97158 | 398 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Facing national criticism about his decision to appoint an anti-gay rights activist as a legal adviser, the president of the NAACP’s Cincinnati chapter issued a warning on his radio show this weekend.
Christopher Smitherman, the local NAACP president, talked about unspecified consequences if the gay and lesbian community continues pushing for the ouster of Chris Finney, who Smitherman recently appointed as the group’s “chair of legal redress.” He made the remarks on Smitherman on the Mic, a show he hosts Saturdays on WDBZ (AM 1230.)
Violence begets violence; it certainly doesn’t have the effect of bringing about effective communication that ultimately leads people to understand and embrace positive actions. So why would Ohio schools – institutions of learning and thought – allow hitting kids as punishment?
Murder sucks. Rape sucks. In fact, all violent crime sucks. Eradicating it sure would make the world a nicer place to live. I don’t know anyone who would argue with any of that. But after all that agreement, unity breaks down. Emotional outrage and grief take hold and rational thought evaporates. What then?
Muntazer al-Zaidi, an Iraqi TV news reporter, was sentenced this week to three years in prison for throwing his shoe at then-President George W. Bush during a visit to Baghdad in December.
The Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJPC) along with many other abolitionist groups say it does. Over time the public in Ohio has voted to eliminate one round of death penalty case appeals and the inadequate funding of defense in these cases has been eating away at the “super” due-process required by the U.S. Supreme Court. The intent was to put safeguard in place to make sure a fallible system implemented by fallible people wouldn’t result in the death of innocent people. But those same fallible people are destroying that system little-by-little.
No matter what a politician says, coal has never been and can’t be “clean” or serve as an “alternative” fuel that’s good for the environment. On position held by many groups is that limiting the use of coal is necessary to create the incentive to come up with energy alternatives that truly don’t harm the environment. The League of Women Voters is one of those groups.
"Darfur and the Southern Sudan are among the most devastated areas on the planet," according to a press release from Xavier University. "Join us for a conversation with Simon Deng, a former Sudanese slave, and Omer Ismail, a native of Darfur, to discuss what we can and should be doing to address this inhuman situation."
Referred to as the "Stir the Pot" series, a film/discussion series at Grace Episcopal Church in College Hill (5501 Hamilton Ave. 45224) will show The Freedom Files on Feb. 22 at 4:30 p.m.
According to the ACLU, producers of the video series, the Freedom Files focuses on issues on some of the most volatile issues of our day including surveillance, sex education, freedom from abuse of power, school to prison pipeline and lesbian/gay families. | <urn:uuid:366b9315-35d8-4d6f-b722-f2e4f4635402> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blogs-11-1-1-0-27.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964027 | 669 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Software managers have benefited from the availability of computers since the very beginning of computing. The reason is simple: project management is all about:
These are all things that computers do exceptionally well, and that paper does exceptionally badly. The same applies to accounting software, which is also another early beneficiary of the computing era.
In the last decade, there has been a shift on several levels in terms of computing which affected greatly the way project managers work:
So, what has changed, in terms of project managers? They still have to manage people and keep track of tasks. They still use computers. However, there is a different expectation in terms of the software used to manage these projects.
Since user expectations have changed, the project management software's expectations have also changed. Here is what software is expected to do today:
The project manager is historically the gatekeeper in terms of what each person needs to do, and when by. Today, users expect to be able to login onto some kind of web interface, and see exactly what they should do. They also expect to be able to "interact" with this software, and -- for example -- change a tasks deadline. Once that happens, the software might respond in different ways: in collaboration software, it will tend to simply update the deadline; in more traditional systems, it will be implied that the change needs to be authorized by the project manager.
Workers don't want to just see what tasks they have to complete: they now want to be able to talk about those tasks, starting a discussion, and maybe even bounce a task off each other. Discussion can happen just amongst users, or even amongst clients who are the ones who will be able to add their input to the discussion. Communication is the key to successful projects, and software today needs to reflect that.
Users are used to having a very interconnected life: they want to see their appointments in their phone's calendar application; want to be able to add a contact to their cell phone and find it nicely synchronized to onto their desktop computers. These expectations have grown in terms of software project management as well. Users want to be able to import the project's calendar onto their own application using the iCal format. They want to be able to reply to an email and add to the task's discussion that way; they want to be able to mark a task as done without even leaving their email client's screen. All these things require integration, and -- more importantly -- require some predefined and well-established standards so that applications can communicate.
When the available tools were still limited, a worker was given a list of things to do and a deadline. He or she was expected to complete them in order. This often created frustration amongst workers, who might grow bored of a task. Today, users are expected to have a list of tasks to pick from, and have the freedom to complete them -- as long as they are done within the given timeframe.
Historically, the project manager was the main referrer for the customer, who would call and ask how the project was going, how far it was from completion, which milestones had been completed, and so on. Today, customers expect to be able to login onto a software system, and simply check online what the project status is. This is exactly what software project management is about: it empowers players who would be historically "passive", allowing them to interact actively with the project and see exactly how it's progressing.
Workers are more and more on the go. So, they expect to be able to access their task lists, and project information, straight from their cell phones. This means that project management software will often need to provide native applications for iPhones and Android systems, or offer a "mobile version" which will work fine on small Internet devices. This access should be available to all players: project managers, workers, and clients.
Making mobile versions of existing software can be pretty hard: sometimes, it requires rewrites. However, the importance of mobile versions of project management software is impossible to overlook.
It's always hard to predict what how technology will evolve, and how it will affect the way people work. Nobody, 20 years ago, would have predicted that the world would be fully interconnected and that a project manager's job would change so much, in terms of what they do and what they are require to know.
Looking at the direction technology is taking, we can expect:
This is obviously speculation. However, we are seeing very interesting times: even though project managers have been using computers for a very long time (possibly only coming second to accountants), they still have had to adapt dramatically to the way the world changed. | <urn:uuid:2f082470-bf16-4bd1-ba00-40cbca13ce41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.softwareprojectmanagement.biz/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971847 | 955 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.
More technical questions:
My district is in the process of equipping each building with a wireless
system to access the internet. If anyone is familiar with how this
please help me understand it. In my school the wireless system is installed
except for (get this) the electrical hook ups. Some company came in and ran
the wires and transmitters but left power cords hanging. I was told
district electricians need to come out and run the electrical lines and outlets
so it can be plugged in. Who knows when that will be ????? I suspect
something must be added to each computer (software, circuit board or
additional hardware) no one seems to know.
At the same time, another group (e-rate funds I think) is going to wire
every building and put five drops in each classroom. I know this sounds
redundant but the left hand seldom knows what the right hand is doing anyway.
We are also suppose to get a phone line in each classroom too. I'll
believe that when
I see it. Let's just hope there is a button to turn the phone off. I
don't answer it
at home, and I know I won't answer it while I'm teaching. They say it
a voice mail backup, but the district pays for my voice mail now and it hasn't
worked all summer.
Last week I was in the building when a new computer was put in every
classroom (except art and music). Well, we relocated some new computers quickly
so the error has been corrected. I will now have three computers in my classroom.
But I have only one internet drop, a modified T-line I'm told.
What I'd like to find out is:
1. What needs to be added to each of my PC's to make them ready to
internet via a wireless system ? Is it something I can add ?
2. If the wireless system is delayed, what do I get to split the one
drop I've got
so all three computers can be on the internet at the same time ? Can I
do that myself ?
I'd like to hit the ground running this year and not have to wait on the district
to get around to setting things up. I'm used to my i-Mac at home. If I had
Macs at school, I'd just hook them all together off a USB hub.
If you can give me some hints I would appreciate it, Woody in KC
-- I'm from Kansas, where evolution is outlawed and the monkeys are in charge of the schools To respond to me privately via E-mail click on wduncan put Hey Woody on the subject line so I'll read it first You are welcome to visit my Web Site at http://www.taospaint.com This E-mail message is from Artist/Teacher Woody Duncan Rosedale Middle School in Kansas City, Kansas the new URL for school is http://kancrn.kckps.k12.ks.us/rosedale to see the newest photos of my beautiful grandkids Tim, Tess and Tiff click on http://www.taospaint.com/SlideShow.html to see a virtual field trip of KC go to http://taospaint.com/VirtualTour.html to see Rosedale's best go to http://www.taospaint.com/BestArtist.html to visit our community garden go to http://www.taospaint.com/garden.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Aug 06 2000 - 14:03:21 PDT | <urn:uuid:bc21b8d0-5be1-4442-b880-2e728962b3b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.getty.edu/education/teacherartexchange/archive/Aug00/0300.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94655 | 786 | 1.648438 | 2 |
In future, before the government decides on a single penny of expenditure on vital services, it will have to take out more than €5 billion to pay the interest on the IMF / ECB loan at the penal interest rate of 6.7%. That’s €5 billion less to spend on health and education, so that the banks can be sheltered from their criminal mistakes, and so that the speculators who invested in them can be spared the pain of an investment gone wrong.
Free market economics, Lenihan-style.
Five billion every year in interest on a loan that would not be needed but for the decision to guarantee banks that failed due to mismanagement.
Every sane commentator in the world is saying this is a mistake. Even the Financial Times, hardly a bastion of left-wing dissent, is advising against it.
The alternative? Force the creditors to take ownership of the banks, so that they have no option but to recapitalise them if they want their money back. After five or ten years, the banks will be back in profit and perfectly capable of repaying the investment.
Instead, in the most extreme example of moral hazard ever seen, the Irish government has taken upon the Irish people responsibility for mistakes they did not commit. The argument that we all borrowed too much is utterly spurious because, for the most part, we all still continue to pay our debts, and are therefore not part of the problem. It doesn’t matter what you or I borrowed if we make the repayments. In fact, we’re a major asset to the banks, so let nobody lecture you about how you lost the run of yourself. It’s nonsense.
This punitive deal is being forced through over the weekend so that it can be completed before the markets open on Monday. Ireland is being sacrificed to appease the spivs and money-dealers because the EU and the IMF are worried about Spain.
Let me repeat: the Irish people did not cause this problem. What caused this problem was the greed, dishonesty and incompetence of the bankers. What brought the catastrophe on Ireland was the decision by Lenihan to guarantee the. whole lot of them.
You might have heard Peter Bacon on the radio recently saying that he advised Lenihan the banks were in hock to the tune of about €158 billion. A week later, Lenihan told the Dáil the figure was about €75 billion.
A lie. One lie among many, from a liar
By such lies, the Irish people have been led gently through a maze of deception to the point where we are now to be sacrificed for something we did not do. The world is baffled. Nobody can believe that an Irish government would willingly allow its country to be destroyed, and yet that’s precisely what Cowen and Lenihan are doing.
Why? Because they’re serfs. Forelock-tugging peasants lacking the courage to face up to those who are attempting to force this disaster on the country. | <urn:uuid:57d9076c-b368-458e-9cf3-f6f104e65e00> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bocktherobber.com/2010/11/imf-ecb-bailout-will-cost-ireland-e5-billion-interest-every-year/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968216 | 620 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Bio & Incident Details
Tour: 15 years
Badge # Not available
Location: District of Columbia
Incident Date: 11/1/1950
Weapon: Handgun; 9 mm
Suspect: One killed; One Apprehended
Officer Leslie Coffelt was shot and killed when two Puerto Rican nationalists attempted to shoot their way into Blair House, the temporary residence of President Harry S. Truman, in Washington, DC. One of the suspects was shot and killed by Officer Coffelt and the other was caught and sentenced to prison. The suspect who was arrested was pardoned after serving only 25 years and was deported to Puerto Rico, where he died in 1994.
Officer Coffelt was a WWII veteran and had served with the White House Police Force for 15 years. He had previously served with the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department from 1929 to 1936 and from 1941 to 1942 . He was survived by his wife and daughter and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. | <urn:uuid:77af1402-439b-4ec6-81f5-4e0dfe2d2452> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.odmp.org/officer/3218-officer-leslie-william-coffelt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983741 | 200 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Kelly: Ryder Hesjedal’s Giro D’Italia victory is truly one for the ages
Explore This Story
As he mounted the podium in Milan’s Piazza Duomo on Sunday, Canadian cyclist Ryder Hesjedal resembled a fish yanked from its bowl.
His eyes bulged. He appeared to be hyperventilating, swallowing huge gulps of air. The angular rider from Victoria, B.C., seemed more stunned than thrilled.
That’s the way the rest of us should be feeling as well.
Hesjedal’s come-from-behind victory at the Giro d’Italia — one of cycling’s three Grand Tours — ranks among the most impressive individual accomplishments by a professional Canadian athlete. Ever.
Cycling is a heritage sport, excelled at by men who’ve been raised with it. Almost always by men born in Europe, where the sport enjoys a cultish devotion.
And unlike a Masters, say, you can’t win a Grand Tour by having a great weekend.
The Giro is not won by the best man, but rather lost by dozens of others who had one bad day, one moment of inattention over three weeks of racing.
It is also not won by former mountain bikers like Hesjedal, who’ve taken up the sport as adults only to improve their fitness.
Facing down history and patrimony, Hesjedal becomes the first Canadian man not only to win a Grand Tour, but the first to ever stand on a podium.
It is nothing less than a generational achievement, and worthy of national celebration.
After nearly 92 hours of racing, Hesjedal came into Sunday trailing leader Joaquim Rodriguez by 31 seconds, with only a 28.2-kilometre time trial left to complete the Giro.
The Spaniard, a climbing specialist unsuited to the straight-speed game of the time trial, had already conceded the race beforehand.
A “miracle” was required, Rodriguez said.
And yet Hesjedal raced through the treacherous medieval streets of Milan like a man bent on either winning or crashing. Several times he brushed barriers or sent roadside bystanders leaping backward as he searched for the tightest angle in every turn.
Coming in behind Hesjedal, Rodriguez was left rocking side-to-side with effort in the final kilometres. He did make the race uncomfortably close. He crossed 47 seconds behind Hesjedal.
The 16-second margin of victory makes this the second-closest Giro over nearly a century. It was also only the second time that the race was won on the final day.
From the native point of view, the best part of all was watching the confusion of the Milanese crowd when they began playing “O Canada.”
The collective expression at the end conveyed one thought: “I never want to hear that again.”
They were clearly ticked that for the first time in two decades, no Italian featured on the podium.
It is difficult to convey the grip with which cycling holds its fans in western Europe. I spent a summer in Belgium — cycling’s Ground Zero — and was there during a Tour de France.
One day, I was being driven somewhere by a friend. He was listening to the race on the radio in Flemish. Without warning, he hammered the brakes and skidded on to gravel in the middle of bland stretch of country road. We pulled up inches short of a ditch.
“What the hell’s going on?” I said.
“Quiet!” he shrieked. “It is now very exciting.”
So we sat there for 20 minutes while he listened to a bicycle race.
Hesjedal has waded into the middle of that continental legacy. Only one other non-European has ever won the Giro — American Andy Hampsten in 1988.
Lance Armstrong did not race the Giro until a failed 2009 comeback, choosing instead to concentrate on the Tour de France that follows. It is for this reason — and a few unproven others — that racing purists refuse to consider Armstrong amongst the three or four greatest ever.
For Europeans, you can’t be truly great if you haven’t won the Giro.
One more Armstrong comparison is apt here. Hesjedal is 31, which sounds ancient in sporting terms, but cyclists bloom late. Armstrong didn’t win his first Tour until he was 27. Then he won six more.
By all accounts, Hesjedal passed through a personal performance barrier this week.
He didn’t win the race on Sunday. He refused to lose it in the mountains on Friday and Saturday, as Rodriguez and just about everyone else in the sport expected him to.
Now that he stands astride the cycling world, with his confidence soaring and the Tour in the offing in less than a month, who knows what else Ryder Hesjedal is capable of?
- Hockey Canada bans bodychecking at peewee level
- The Rolling Stones
- Doug Ford’s response to published drug allegations breaks with brother’s silent strategy
- French soldier stabbed in throat, link to London attack unconfirmed
- Conrad Black writes a kind of love letter to the America that had him incarcerated
- Blue Jays, Dickey fall to Orioles
- Battling the lethal H7N9 virus: a look inside the lab where vaccine is being developed
- Police seek man after woman sexually assaulted in elevator | <urn:uuid:66c63359-4fd4-4cb5-af0c-393e713a526b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thestar.com/sports/2012/05/27/kelly_ryder_hesjedals_giro_ditalia_victory_is_truly_one_for_the_ages.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961399 | 1,182 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Our website estimates shipping at 18% of the cost of the item. With jewelry, the amount that shows on the invoice is quite high. Please be assured that these wonderful pieces of jewelry generally will be shipped at a cost of around $10.00-20.00.
At Kachina House we carry a vast selection of Native American handmade jewelry, including earrings, rings, bracelets, coral jewelry and turquoise jewelry, bolo ties, belt buckles and many other Native American pieces of wearable art. Kachina House is Arizona’s largest distributor of Native American art, pottery, Hopi Katsinam and so much more. Whatever you are looking for in Native American arts and crafts, look no further than Arizona’s Kachina House.
Jewelry styles differ in every American Indian tribe, but the differences were less marked than with other arts and crafts because jewelry and the materials used for making it (beads, shells, copper and silver, ivory, amber, turquoise and other stones) were major trade items long before European arrival in America. There are two very general categories of Native American jewelry; metalwork and beadwork. Before the Europeans arrived, Native metalwork was fairly simple, consisting primarily of hammering and etching copper into pendants or earrings and fashioning copper and silver into beads. After colonization, Native American jewelry-making traditions remained strong, incorporating new materials and techniques such as glass beads and more advanced metalworking techniques. After the Navajo and Pueblo artists learned silversmithing from the Spanish in the 1800s, metal jewelry arts blossomed in the Southwest, and distinctive Native jewelry, like Hopi silver overlay bracelets and Navajo turquoise inlay became available. The squash blossom necklace came into being and was fashioned after the beautiful horse bridles the Spanish used. Native beadwork was extremely advanced from pre-Columbian times, including the fine grinding of turquoise, coral, and shell beads into smooth heishi necklaces and the delicate carving of individual wood and bone beads.
Older Native American jewelry is often hard to find because the pieces have been lost or are kept in the family. At Kachina House we carry old Native American jewelry that is reasonably priced, handmade and, in some cases, the stones are quite rare.
Thank you for visiting our website. While you’re here we invite you to look around at our vast array of products. If you’re in the Sedona, Arizona area, please visit our showroom. We offer a vast selection of Native American products including Native American art, pottery, jewelry, artifacts, rugs, sandpaintings, Kachina and Katsina dolls and Hopi and Apache baskets. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at 866-587-0547; we’ll be happy to help and we look forward to hearing from you. | <urn:uuid:de00104d-8623-4456-bd5b-f6743df75566> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kachinahouse.com/c-8-native-american-jewelry.aspx?pagenum=11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948717 | 607 | 1.578125 | 2 |
I just read the strangest article (in print, in Hebrew, no online link).
What is even stranger was that when I mentioned it to Jameel, he already knew about it, and of course had even more details.
The Jewish community is familiar with Crypto-Jews, such as those from Spain, also known as Marranos or Conversos. These are Jews who were forced to hide their religion, but continue to practice it (or parts of it) in secret, passing down bits and pieces to their descendents.
But it seems their might very well be Crypto-Jews living in the Land of Israel – looking and acting like Muslim-Arabs!
The article describes an Arab Hamula (clan) which lives near Hebron and who claim to be Jewish.
It all began years ago when a local Jewish resident saw an old Arab on the road that looked exactly like a well-known Sephardic rabbi.
He approached the Arab and asked him who he was, and that old Arab guy started to tell him his family's story.
He claimed to be descendants of Moroccan Jews who arrived in Israel in the 1600s. Their original family name was Amsallem.
After nearly the entire family was wiped out by Arab raiders, the survivors adopted the external appearance of Muslim Arabs to save their lives. They have certain Jewish traditions/rituals they follow in secret, and of course they pass down the knowledge they are Jews to their children.
True or not true? Who knows.
But the stories gets even weirder.
In 1948, 35 Jews were massacred in Gush Etzion. They become known as the “Lamed-Hey”. They were killed by Arabs from the town of Tzurif.
What is interesting is that Arabs from this town apparently have a tradition that they are descended from Jews going back to the Second Temple period, and at some point they were forced to convert to Islam.
Supposedly in their homes they have various unusual customs that point to remnants of Judaism (such as a pseudo mezuzah, and brit mila at 8 days).
And more interesting is that supposedly other Arabs also consider them to be descendants of Jews.
Apparently the legend of Jewish descent is linked to some of the most violent, terrorist laden, religiously strict clans in the Gush Etzion/Hebron region.
And the alleged reason why they are so extreme in their religion and violence?
To prove to their fellow Muslim Arabs that they really aren’t Jews.
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד | <urn:uuid:82bb7bc9-25f4-4928-9203-28be4d5aa42a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://muqata.blogspot.com/2009/06/crypto-jews-of-palestine.html?showComment=1245084262610 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981348 | 568 | 1.546875 | 2 |
A local peer support program for veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder is weeks away from starting, as Jefferson County officials arrange the details for its launch.
As part of the program, veterans will counsel other veterans diagnosed with PTSD and their families and direct them to professional services.
This is one level of intervention that has not been used formally anywhere, said Roger J. Ambrose, executive director of Jefferson County Community Services.
The Pfc. Joseph Dwyer Peer Support Program for Veterans is expected to begin in early December, supported by a $200,000 state grant. The grant, cosponsored by state Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, also opened potential grant funding to Rensselaer, Saratoga and Suffolk counties.
The program is named for a soldier who died in 2008 of an accidental drug overdose after reportedly struggling with the disorder. The combat medic rose to prominence in 2003 after the release of a photo showing him carrying an injured Iraqi boy.
Jefferson County Community Services selected the Mental Health Association in Jefferson County to facilitate the program. The organization already staffs a full-time and a part-time physician through a Resiliency and Recovery Initiative grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb. Theodore R. Stiles Jr., the associations executive director, said the organization will pair the two grants to open a new space in the Marcy Building, 167 Polk St.
Veterans are being recruited to volunteer for the program. They will learn about resources available locally so they can provide referrals to their peers.
Peter J. Fazio, director of the Jefferson County Veterans Service Agency, which has helped in the development of the program, said there are many veterans who are interested in receiving assistance but dont want to enter a clinical setting immediately.
This could be another outlet where they could get the information they need, he said.
He said that the program would not replace any other service, and that ideally the program would lead to more referrals to other agencies.
Mr. Stiles said that speaking to counselors who are veterans themselves can help allay some concerns that soldiers and their family members have about seeking help.
Its a huge help, just being able to talk to them, speak their language, know what theyre going through, he said.
Mr. Stiles, who did logistics work in the Army and served for five years at Fort Drum, noted that several members of his agencys staff had served in the military, which opens the gate to conversations with clients about the problems they face.
They start talking, and next thing you know their whole story is out, he said.
The program is scheduled to start Dec. 3, with a grand opening for its new space set for Dec. 7 to coincide with Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Those with questions about the program and its services can call the Mental Health Association in Jefferson County at 788-0970. | <urn:uuid:3aa5653a-e863-41ec-9519-2573c1cbc662> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://watertowndailytimes.com/article/20121120/NEWS03/711209861 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969889 | 598 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Feeling the need to approach our relationship with nature with respect and a new ethos, not simply wanting to receive from her but to provide an atmosphere where we give back or at least create the ground where nature can replenish and heal herself, we began to create our organic farm.
We proceeded with this in mind during the design period, we wanted to create a dialogue between the plants themselves as well as the humans working there and visiting. Our wish was to cultivate our farm and create products in a way that it was both beneficial to our human needs as well as the needs of the soil and the plants.
Having knowledge of the medical approach of homeopathy, I felt it was necessary to create a farm that was a complex organism just as the human body is and to view the needs of the farm from a holistic point of view. We planted almond trees along with olives trees in order to create a communication that was beneficial to both of them, and we strengthened this dialogue by introducing pine and cypress trees as well as grape vines.
Each type brings a positive element that alleviates the stress on a monoculture by introducing organisms beneficial to each other as well as minimizing the risk on a single type from an attack. The herb fields where also designed in a similar way by including plant walls with mixed herbs that brought positive forces as well as introduced the necessary pluralism.
In order to support our plants and trees we use homeopathic products created for the use in homeodynamic agriculture a method based on the principals of biodynamic agriculture. | <urn:uuid:67d7155a-24d2-4ca0-93c5-54c7f6a30488> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eumelia.com/en/our-farm/organic-farm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97947 | 310 | 1.789063 | 2 |
The Aging Program at the Johnson County Mental Health Center has provided services specialized to meet the mental health needs of older adults for over twenty years. This program serves Johnson County residents, age 60 or older. Older adults residing in the community may access individual and group therapy services of the Aging Specialists at the two Outpatient Clinics.
In addition, the Aging Specialists provide outreach mental health services to the frail elderly residing in a long term care setting and to Johnson County homebound seniors through a contract with the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging.
Community education is provided to older adults, their families, and aging service providers to increase understanding of mental illness in older persons and reduce stigma.
The following are statements made by older adults after receiving treatment through the Older Adult Program at Johnson County Mental Health:
- “The Aging Specialist helps me deal with my health problems”.
- “I know I’m not alone”.
- “The services helped me with my grief after my daughter died”.
- “The Aging Specialist helped me see that I have options”.
- “The services helped pull me back from despair and suicide”.
Full-time professionals provide specialized aging services as part of the overall outpatient program. | <urn:uuid:75c3b25b-7bed-471c-ab04-8f6aac9ba06e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mentalhealth.jocogov.org/htpages/aging.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947303 | 262 | 1.757813 | 2 |
OS X: There are numerous distractions on your computer and none of them make it easy to write. Like many distraction-free writing apps, Grandview takes over the entire screen to block them all out. The difference is that in addition to being able to see all the text you write, it can also show you one word at a time so you're simply writing in free-form and not worrying about anything you said before.
This idea might seem a little strange to some. It feels awkward at first but you'll start to see the appeal after typing. Basically, if you have a tendency to edit while you write you'll find this feature very useful because it will prevent you from stopping in the middle of a sentence and considering if it's any good. Instead, you'll keep writing because you can't look back and see what you put down on paper. When you finish a sentence you'll get a chance to look at the entire thing and make sure there are no typos, but once you hit the space bar you'll move back into single-word mode for fewer distractions.
Of course, if you completely hate this idea and just want a free full screen, distraction-free writing app, Grandview can do that as well. You can also use both features together, toggling out of single-word mode to see your entire document at any time. When you're finished, you can copy the text you've written and move it into any other app. Alternatively, you can open text files and work on those directly in Grandview. While the app has its leanings about how it wants you to work, it's very flexible so you can use it the way you want.
Grandview (Free) | iTunes App Store | <urn:uuid:3f981788-3f0f-46e0-84cb-2415de088771> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lifehacker.com/5937298/grandview-offers-multiple-methods-of-distraction+free-writing?tag=mac | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968796 | 353 | 1.625 | 2 |
The Leadership Washington County program was established in 1987 under the name Leadership Hagerstown, in cooperation with the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce. In 2006, the organization became a separate 501 (c) 3 non-profit. The organization began as a response to a need for a common meeting ground of shared concern among leaders in all sectors of the community. A community’s greatest assets are its people and that is certainly true in Washington County, MD. Graduate of Leadership Hagerstown and Leadership Washington County can be found as board members of non-profits, running for office, mentoring area youth, chairing events, managing projects, and helping their own organizations develop and prosper.
The objective of Leadership Washington County is to develop and enhance community leadership by offering participants from diverse backgrounds a unique opportunity to explore, up close and personal, the challenges and issues facing the Washington County community. The Leadership program takes a select group of individuals from diverse backgrounds through an intense nine-month program during which they develop or strengthen their network of contacts and actively engage in issues around topics such as economic development, history, art and culture, education, religion, politics, and social service needs.
Leadership Washington County exists to develop and inspire excellent leaders dedicated to serving the community and shaping its future.
Leadership Washington County connects and develops extraordinary leaders deeply committed to fulfilling individual and corporate social responsibility in our community and in the lives of fellow citizens.
Promote excellence through collaboration and partnerships
Realize relevant positive change through forward thinking and dynamic action
Inspire and equip leaders to make our community a great place to live, work and play
Demonstrate integrity, stewardship and accountability in all organizational practices
Embrace diversity, ingenuity and creativity | <urn:uuid:3c339215-1651-4c9c-9f84-b2251e9a6b02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.leadershipwashingtoncounty.org/about/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944194 | 352 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Let's look at some scenarios I mentioned in last week's blog. I picked, at random, from a real estate googleizaton, a place that is listed for sale in Texas. It is not, of course, representative of agriculture overall. But then, which piece of land is?
A generation ago, about the time I would have bought that place, it would probably have been worth $600 per acre. It probably didn’t have the improvements. It certainly, at that time, didn’t have the “recreation value” that now drives real estate prices in that part of Texas. I still couldn’t have bought it and expected it to pay for itself without bringing something major to the table—capital, extremely good market timing or extraordinary management of some sort. I suppose there are times in history when you could buy land and expect a plain old commercial cow herd to pay for it, but I missed them.
So, somebody bought it anyhow. I have no idea who or why, and didn’t want to call to find out. It doesn’t matter, because there are only a few scenarios likely:
Scenario 1: It was a place for some Dallas lawyer-type, W. Robert, we’ll call him, to spend the weekends, impress his drinking buddies and clients, and manage some taxes.
So let’s say W. Robert passes to the court room in the sky
The place is now worth—you can see it plain as day in the ad--$13 million. So the tax bill, at the 55% we’ll see next year, would be over $7 million. More than $1600 per acre. That is almost $12,000 per (advertised, of course) animal unit.
Scenario 1A: His kid, J. Robert, II, is a lawyer as well. There is other money out there, so he can afford the $7 million if he wants to pay it. But does he? Did he also inherit his dad’s affection for slaying deers and managing hired help from his Dallas office?
If not, that place goes on the market.
Scenario 1B: His kid teaches school. The old man tied up most of his cash in the family ranch. Sure, there’s a couple million in bonds and stocks and cd’s, enough to provide the cash flow for a comfy retirement. But the IRS wants 55% of that, too. So, the son has a million in cash, but there’s still that $7 million bill to pay.
That place is going on the market.
Now, scenario 2. It’s a family ranch. Old Jim Bob is out there scratching a living out of 600 cows and a deer lease. His boy, Junior, teaches ag in town and helps out on the weekends. All he really wants to do is ranch.
So, Jim Bob falls over dead on Jan. 2, 2011.
Where is Junior going to find $7 million? That’s real money outside of D.C. Jim Bob might have had enough stocks, bonds, cash, cattle and marketable old clothes to cover his production note at the bank. More likely, he had refinanced at some point. There aren’t many bankers out there anxious to write a note for $12,000 per animal unit, and even if Junior found one, 600 cows aren’t going to make the payments.
Now, here’s my guess. J. Robert probably has a nice estate plan that protects his kids. They may not be able to derive a lot of income from the place. It may be locked away like the Kennedys’ trust funds, or grandma’s wedding ring, but they won’t have to come up with $7 million. If they do, Daddy probably had an insurance policy to cover it.
Lawyers and rich guys have the resources to do things like that.
So, that place might stay in the same hands. If the kids want their money, they’ll put it on the market. But, assuming they don’t need the cash and they enjoy owning the land, they’ll figure there are worse places to leave your $13 million than in real estate.
But what about Jim Bob’s kids?
Jim Bob’s estate management options were much more limited. He needed every penny those cows could generate. He probably couldn’t afford the premiums on a 70-year-old cowboy’s $7 million life insurance program.
At least half of that country is going on the market pronto. Junior will have to try to make a living with 300 aum’s or keep his job.
Now, let’s all make a value judgment here. What should we wish for? I don’t mean us, actually. We’d be inclined to vote for keeping our places in the family, of course. But if we really, really, believe there should be more opportunity for young people.
The typical argument from the Willy Nelson lobby is that higher prices for cattle and corn and cotton would fix that. That’s bunk. How are higher prices for cattle going to help a kid with no cattle compete with a guy with thousands of them?
We’ve all spent our lives in an agriculture where land ownership is the only retirement program we know. Real estate inflation has always been agriculture’s greatest economic return. Take that away and where’s the reward?
We’re all agreed that we need more opportunity for young people in agriculture, aren’t we? How are we going to do that if J. Robert II keeps it, living like some feudal landlord? Is it ok to rely on absentee landowners? Let the rest of us rent or work for wages? Is that the opportunity we want for young people?
Or do we want them to share the old American farm dream of land ownership?
We all agree that Junior should be able to keep the family ranch. But do we all—including Willy Nelson--agree that the heirs of the Ted Turners of the world should be able to own unlimited amounts of land, and own it in perpetuity?
Under which of these scenarios are we best served?
- Keep the 55% rate, so that only the lawyer’s rich lawyer son gets to keep owning the place? He’s probably going to hire a local—maybe the local ag teacher--to manage the outfit. Or he’ll rent it out. Either provides a way for the local, under-capitalized, boy to get a start in agriculture. If it’s really agriculture he wants, and not land ownership.
- What if we stay where we are now, with a 0% estate tax? Jim Bob’s boy can just move in and start ranching. The lawyer’s teacher kid can either keep the place (and hire the local ag teacher to manage it or rent it out). In either case, you’ve giving a young person a more realistic entry.
But only if his daddy has something to pass down, so it’s not going to reverse the concentration if that’s you big concern.
Where, along the bell curve with the Kennedys and the Ted Turners on one end and the Jim Bobs and Juniors on the other, should we ask Congress to draw the line?
That’s the question Congress has to decide in the near future. You should consider that before you choose your candidate this fall. Just how big a Willy Nelson fan are you? | <urn:uuid:fdd00d81-d778-4ed9-ba5a-eb9f2d0c907e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.agweb.com/blog/Out_to_Pasture_149/?Year=2010&Month=9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961062 | 1,604 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Tiger Grants: Road Work Ahead?
A third round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) stimulus, and arbitrary Department of Transportation distributions, demonstrate a long overdue need for U.S. freight transportation policy.
It's still too early to tell if the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) earmarks have had a marked impact on the United States' economic well-being—the program's stated objective. But the DOT's recent announcement of 2011 grantees does prove one thing: its TIGER stripes haven't changed.
What has now become an annual mega-millions lottery for regional, state, and local jurisdictions across the country began almost three years ago with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Title XII of the legislation appropriated money for supplementary discretionary grants "awarded on a competitive basis for capital investments in surface transportation projects that will have a significant impact on the nation, a metropolitan area, or a region."
TIGER's objective was to help finance "shovel-ready" projects that demonstrate substantial returns on investment—and do it transparently. To that end, the DOT has been very clear about its intentions.
Announcing a "sea change" at the 2010 National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated: "People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.
"We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally funded road projects," La Hood continued. "We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities."
Over the course of the past three years and three separate rounds of TIGER distributions, there has been a clear skew toward public transit projects and Main Street makeovers that favor environmental sustainability and non-motorized accessibility. The context for this decision-making, given the DOT and Secretary LaHood's public posturing and prioritizing of "ped and pedal" provisions, leaves little doubt as to its objective.
In TIGER I and II, the DOT split approximately $2 billion between 93 unique projects. Of those grants, 45 were passenger-specific, 27 were dedicated to freight infrastructure, and 21 accounted for dual-use plans that served both passenger and freight interests, according to Inbound Logistics' research. (See chart below.)
An Eye on the TIGER
Since the first round of TIGER stimulus was awarded in February 2010, the DOT has doled out more than $2 billion for transportation infrastructure improvement projects. While freight-specific projects pulled in approximately one-third of total capital outlay in the first two grant rollouts, respectively, that percentage dipped to 26 percent in TIGER III, according to Inbound Logistics research.
Source: U.S Department of Transportation
In terms of funding, passenger transit projects collected $940 million (47 percent) compared to $689 million (35 percent) for freight. The remaining 18 percent of capital was distributed for dual-use purposes.
To the DOT's credit, in its initial TIGER I outlay, $105 million was allocated to the Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Rail Project in Tennessee and Alabama, and $100 million to Illinois' CREATE Program. These two freight-specific efforts remain the only projects that surpassed the $100-million mark. But those are two exceptions.
Since TIGER I, freight transport spend has gradually declined, and the latest round of projects shows more of the same. Of the 46 grants totaling $511 million, 21 ($211 million) are passenger-specific, 11 ($134 million) focus on freight, and 14 ($167 million) are dual-purpose. Freight-specific grants received 26 percent of total capital, down nine percent compared to TIGER II.
While the imbalance in capital distributions is clear, reactions from various transportation authorities on both sides have been mostly positive.
The DOT's official press release announcing TIGER III winners recognized that of the 46 projects, "18 were devoted to freight or had a strong freight component accounting for more than $232 million of the total $511 distributed through the grant program." (Note: These figures do not match IL's research.)
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a Washington, D.C., non-profit aimed at creating a nationwide network of pedestrian and bicycle trails from obsolete railroad grades, celebrated the DOT's commitment to non-motorized infrastructure projects. Of the grants allocated, 22 incorporate some aspect of bike and pedestrian accessibility, and nine make cyclists or pedestrians the primary beneficiary, according to the Conservancy's calculation.
Compared to both TIGER I and TIGER II, where 15 projects provided requirements for bicycle and pedestrian access, respectively, according to IL's research, the third round of grants reveals a marked increase.
On the freight side, a statement issued by the Coalition for America's Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC), a beltway lobby that supports intermodal transport and trade, similarly lauded the successes of five members that received TIGER funding. Its press release was titled "Freight Projects Compete Well in TIGER III."
While acknowledging some concerns, especially in terms of oversight, CAGTC Executive Director Leslie Blakey says TIGER is a step in the right direction.
"TIGER is the first instance where freight has been targeted. Until it came along, there was no funding for any type of transportation apart from projects of regional or national significance," she says. "So we consider it a positive that it has essentially become a permanent program and that freight has captured a great deal of money, especially in TIGER I, less so in TIGER II and III."
There's no discounting the accomplishment of TIGER recipients that have successfully competed for transportation funding, or even the DOT's accounting of what it believes to be an accurate assessment of capital distribution. These perspectives are entirely subjective.
There is an argument to be made, however, for whether or not TIGER monies are alleviating an obvious blight within the U.S. transportation system—a lack of freight infrastructure vision and policy—and whether the DOT is capable of making these decisions autonomously.
The DOT's TIGER grant evaluation criteria include four factors: jobs creation and economic stimulus; innovation and partnership; project-specific criteria; and long-term outcomes. In addition, the DOT acknowledges its own accountability with one notable bullet point: "Transparency of process: Program may be audited by Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the DOT Inspector General, or others."
To date, at least publicly and transparently, none of those options has been tested.
Special Interests Compete with Best Interests
The DOT's perspective on transportation investment and development has been well-publicized. To a certain degree, its emphasis on sustainable transport solutions is laudable in a much larger world where anything goes. But the tenor of TIGER decisions and distributions thus far has been largely anti-utilitarian—for the benefit of the greater good.
In TIGER II, the DOT committed $127.2 million to 17 projects considered rural—though how it defines "rural" remains elusive. In this latest go-round, $146.6 million was allocated to 20 rural grantees. And, as another concession, TIGER grants were awarded to four Indian reservations.
Beyond that, the DOT's judgments demonstrate that mitigating inequities between rural and urban investment is more important than balancing freight and passenger transport needs—and that projects may not be evaluated on their individual merits, but rather within the framework of pre-determined conditions.
The DOT, for example, gifted $1 million to the far western native community of St. Michael's, Alaska, formerly a Russian trading post and currently a subsistence village, so it can improve four miles of local roads and enhance pedestrian accessibility over environmentally sensitive wetlands.
In fairness to the DOT, the total project cost is $8.6 million, so the federal contribution is a drop in the bucket, and the lowest of all TIGER III allocations. In fact, the majority of rural awards fall below the $10-million threshold.
Still, St. Michael's is a remote location with fewer than 400 inhabitants, and only served by air and water. There is no peripheral benefit. Investment is entirely localized.
In the context of the DOT's overarching evaluation criteria—job creation, economic stimulus, and long-term impact—it's hard to divine how this project meets those expectations.
On the other hand, the Prichard Intermodal Facility, sponsored by the West Virginia Ports Authority (WVPA), received $12 million in TIGER III stimulus. A model for rural projects that have sustaining economic development value, the WVPA intends to construct a new intermodal terminal along Norfolk Southern's Heartland Corridor, which runs from the Port of Hampton Roads, Va., to Columbus, Ohio. As a true stimulus, this allocation will benefit business interests in several states and contribute value in terms of facilitating global trade.
Style before Substance
While it's easy to question the DOT's partiality toward rural grants, Blakey cautions against linking TIGER allocations to single-focused criterion—what part of the population gains most advantage.
"If we were strictly going by what benefits the most people, those selection criteria wouldn't be included," she says. "On the other hand, there are investments necessary to support communities that are contributing to foreign exports, notably agriculture— investments that bolster quality of life and encourage greater trade."
The equity with which the DOT distributes funding to rural communities is largely attributed to political lobbying in flyover states. Understanding the discrepancy between much-needed transportation infrastructure investments and cityscape improvements requires greater imagination.
A number of TIGER III awards include community facelifts that integrate public transit, commercial accessibility, and leisure infrastructure development.
Beaufort, S.C., a not-so-remote city of 12,000 people, is another rural project that received $12.6 million for its Boundary Street Redevelopment. TIGER funds will help the city reconstruct and enhance its central road network, including a multi-way boulevard, secondary street connectivity, and a direct link to the Beaufort Rail Trail cycling and pedestrian greenway.
Illinois presents three other examples, with projects totaling $44 million: the Chicago Blue Line Renewal and City Bike Share project will repair 3.6 miles of light rail and expand the city's new bike share program; construction of the Alton Regional Multimodal Station will enable passengers to transfer more easily between Amtrak, regional transit lines, bicycle trails, and pedestrian facilities; and the Illinois Route 83 (147th Street) Reconstruction will rebuild two miles of roadway featuring on-street bicycle facilities, new sidewalks, and bus shelters.
By contrast, the Mid-America Intermodal Port District, a tri-state initiative to develop an inland port on the Mississippi River in Quincy, Ill., and serve the region's booming agriculture export trade, missed out on TIGER funding for the third time.
The port has been in the works for a number of years and has already secured 13 acres of property for development. It's a perfect example of a multi-state project that needs stimulus.
There's no telling the thought process or cost-benefit analysis that went into denying Mid-America Port for a third time while earmarking $20 million for a downtown Chicago bike share program. Perhaps the port's plans were too nebulous or DOT officials deemed the funding requirements too great.
Blakey agrees that cross-state investments make the most sense because "they facilitate and make business more cost effective." Also with TIGER, multi-jurisdictional projects provide more bang for the buck given limited resources.
"In transportation dollars, TIGER isn't a lot of money," she says. "These allocations are relatively small compared to what we spend on transportation."
Blakey also believes the way TIGER is set up supports smaller, less commercial efforts. After initial grant successes, many got slicker with the way they presented their projects and received more money.
Other more needy freight infrastructure projects may simply be beyond the budgetary threshold for TIGER stimulus and therefore don't compete for funding. For example, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's Bayonne Bridge reconstruction effort—which will lift the span so New Panamax containerships can serve the port—may cost the equivalent of TIGER I, II, and III combined.
TIGER IV and Beyond
If nothing else, the DOT's TIGER program has raised the need for a national transportation policy by not adequately addressing freight investment. It's a roundabout way of getting to the root of a problem, but certainly not an uncommon approach in Washington.
Even when you go through the fine print of ARRA's various transportation subsets and funding allocations, including the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Railroad Administration, and Federal Aviation Administration, there is little directive toward freight. The term "infrastructure" is used loosely.
The FTA has already doled out $8.8 billion as part of its own ARRA funding for public transit and light-rail development projects, including its New Starts, Transit Investments in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction, and Tribal Transit programs. Some of these projects are competing for TIGER funding as well, which makes the imbalance between freight and passenger transport grants even more egregious.
More telling, the FHWA, which arguably has the greatest input on rebuilding critical over-the-road networks necessary to support interstate commerce and global trade, seems to have its signals crossed.
"These grants went to creative projects that represent the future of our diverse transportation system—everything from regional bicycle networks, to intermodal centers, to commuter rail, to safer highways," notes an official statement by FHWA Commissioner Victor Mendez regarding the initial TIGER I allocations.
Even his broader comments fail to mention cargo movement. For whatever reason, bicycles remain the party line for the DOT—but maybe not for long.
Blakey acknowledges rumblings in some Congressional circles about TIGER distributions and the DOT's carte blanche control over decision-making. U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL) publicly called out the department's "closed-door" evaluation process after Florida was shut out in TIGER I.
But Blakey contends TIGER serves as a good model for how a competitive grant program can work, provided some tweaks are made.
The CAGTC, GAO, and others have supported a more transparent process in which the DOT rates projects on a three-tiered scale and Congress then allocates money separately. This would build more oversight into the program.
"We've advocated that instead of it being an internal, 100-percent DOT approach, there needs to be shared responsibility—especially in the context of a mandate to develop a national goods movement plan," Blakey says.
Private Sector Perspective
While the DOT and Congress have roles to play, there needs to be collaboration from the private sector as well to address the United States' future freight needs—especially because it's on the front line, and collects and controls much of the data necessary for understanding these needs.
This is where public-private partnerships such as the CAGTC offer great value in aggregating input from various constituents and creating a unified front that can more easily communicate with public sector interests.
In November 2011, Congress authorized $500 million for a fourth TIGER dispersal in 2012. But there appears to be a different "C-change" shift in how grants will be appropriated. With regards to national infrastructure investment, Congress has made its instructions to the DOT very clear: "The conferees direct the Secretary to focus on road, transit, rail, and port projects."
Whether this strongly worded recommendation will curtail ped-pushing projects remains to be seen. But perhaps a more telling development is whether Congress or the GAO becomes more actively involved in decision-making, as the DOT's evaluation criteria allows.
Ongoing debate over TIGER funding may be an ideal entrée for public and private sectors to come together and work in unison toward a more sustainable long-term transportation vision. Until the government can execute a strategy for fitting various infrastructure assets and needs into a broader roadmap that embraces the United States as a whole—therefore creating a framework for how and where funding should be targeted—any investment is tantamount to throwing darts without a dartboard.
Currently, it's hit or miss.
Mapping the Money: TIGER III
California, Pennsylvania, and Illinois led the way with three grants apiece in the DOT's TIGER III sweepstakes that awarded $511 million to 46 transportation projects in 33 states and Puerto Rico. From a regional perspective, the U.S. South pulled in the most funding, with 32 percent ($163 million) of the total pie. One bright spot for the shipping industry is that five of the 14 projects in the region are dedicated to freight-specific initiatives—likely a consequence of build-up in anticipation of the Panama Canal's expansion in 2014. At the other end of the spectrum, East Coast projects received 22 percent of the outlay.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation | <urn:uuid:01709263-085b-4372-8048-dc0a8d481e0d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/tiger-grants-road-work-ahead/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94398 | 3,653 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Radio One’s “Empower Hour” Radio Show on WOLB 1010 AM now in 13th Year
By BMORENEWS Staff
(BALTIMORE - July 10, 2012) - “Empower Hour”, a news talk radio show (Tuesdays 10-11 am on WOLB 1010 AM, Baltimore) founded in 1999, is the longest-running Radio One customized program in the country. In our 13 years, we’ve interviewed elected officials, businessmen and women, millionaires, real estate professionals, employment specialists, lawyers, judges, authors and artists.
One noted artist, R&B singer Raheem DeVaughn, got one of his first – if not the first – radio interview with us. And we have featured other nationally-recognized artists including Tony Terry, George Willborn, Jackee Harry, and Clifton Powell.
Always upbeat, this show is about celebrating the African American experience, according to show producer and host Doni Glover.
“Each week – as I climb to my pulpit, I know that my task is to inform, to inspire, and to help improve the conditions of my people,” said Glover. “This show, I believe, has something for everybody.”
Over the years, the show has featured the young – and the not so young; students – and teachers; business owners – and mentors.
“It’s all about us,” said Glover. “And ultimately, I pray this contribution to the world of media leaves a positive energy with people for years and years to come. For me, the greatest aspect of the show is when students come in and see – often for the first time – the inside of a radio station. You should see the look in their eyes. #priceless!”
At 47, Glover has been involved in media most of his life. | <urn:uuid:126b189e-b37f-4af9-bdb6-3e544e36f88c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bmorenews.com/community/radio-ones-empower-hour-radio-show-on-wolb-1010-am.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961014 | 404 | 1.5 | 2 |
James Paton, Bloomberg
February 06, 2013 | 0 Comments
Hydro Tasmania is considering developing Australian renewable energy projects outside the nation's island state as the company looks at expanding a partnership with a unit of China's Shenhua Group Corp.
The Tasmanian state-owned energy company is assessing new wind farms and projects to supply power to remote areas that aren't connected to the main electricity grid, Chief Executive Officer Roy Adair said yesterday in a phone interview.
Hobart-based Hydro Tasmania, which completed a deal yesterday to sell 75 percent of its Musselroe wind farm to Guohua Energy Investment Co., plans further projects as Australia moves toward a goal of getting at least 20 percent of its power from renewable energy by the end of the decade.
Is the Shenhua unit "keen to participate with us in other deals?" Adair said. "The answer is yes. We have a trusted relationship. We'll wait to see what projects appeal to both."
The Australian company is also studying a proposal to build a 600-megawatt wind project on Tasmania's King Island estimated to cost about A$2 billion ($2.07 billion). The company needs to gain community support for the TasWind venture before talking with potential partners and making funding decisions, Adair said.
Hydro Tasmania's deal for the A$394 million, 168-megawatt Musselroe wind farm in the northeast of the state follows a 2011 agreement to sell 75 percent of the Bluff Point and Studland Bay wind farms in Tasmania to the Shenhua unit. The company also has 30 hydro-power stations operating in Tasmania.
"The strategic cooperation between us will create significant long-term value," Guohua Chairman Xie Jianning said yesterday in a statement released by Hydro Tasmania. "We look forward to continuing to expand our relationship."
The Tasmanian company is evaluating options on the Australian mainland and views remote area power supply as "very attractive from an economic perspective," Adair said, declining to discuss any specific projects being considered.
Mining companies are investing in renewable energy faster than other industries to supply power to projects off the grid. Explorers were expected to invest about $5 billion in remote alternative-power projects last year and at least $8.4 billion by 2016, compared with $1.88 billion in 2010, Ernst & Young LLP estimated, based on Pike Research data.
"That's certainly an area we're looking at," the Hydro Tasmania CEO said. "Fundamentally there's a strong business case there that would attract, I'm sure, potential partners."
Copyright 2013 Bloomberg
Lead image: Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), via Shutterstock
To add your comments you must sign-in or create a free account. | <urn:uuid:29ea2b2d-a86f-42be-933f-98433b9d38a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/02/hydro-tasmania-plans-remote-power-projects-broader-china-links?cmpid=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953811 | 566 | 1.6875 | 2 |
A lot is at stake for the United States in its rapidly escalating confrontation with Iran over its nuclear weapons program and its attempt to wage proxy war elsewhere in the Persian Gulf. These considerations go well beyond the overarching questions of whether war with Iran is likely -- or wise (it's not) -- or whether it's even possible at this late stage to deter Iran's drive toward nuclear capability.
Although Iran's threats to block the powerful U.S. Fifth Fleet from the Persian Gulf appear empty, any naval confrontation could send oil prices spiraling. So could a hard line on implementing a new U.S. law that bars U.S. dealings with nations that buy oil through Iran's central bank -- although President Barack Obama, in signing that law, claimed the right to ignore it if it conflicts with his "constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations."
Meanwhile, Syria's increasingly hard line against other Arab nations trying to mediate in its brewing civil war threatens to throw Syria back into Iran's arms -- and could help ignite war along old sectarian fault lines.
Even as sanctions bite, Iran continues to thumb its nose at the West, recently beginning uranium enrichment at a second, more hardened underground site.
Trying to slow Iran's march toward a bomb carries its own perils. On Wednesday, someone -- possibly Iranian dissidents acting in concert with Israel -- assassinated the fourth Iranian nuclear scientist in two years. The United States condemned the attack, but it followed highly effective dirty tricks with contaminated software introduced into the Iranian nuclear program, possibly with U.S. fingerprints -- tactics that could blow back on the United States if others purloin the techniques. | <urn:uuid:2dc4a21f-9d3c-480e-a2c6-b4f403cd5948> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/01/the_problem_of_iran_grows_new.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951977 | 331 | 1.75 | 2 |
U.S. Involvement at Major International Air Shows Principally Depends on Agencies' Missions and Aerospace Companies' Resources
GAO-07-1165R, Sep 21, 2007
- Accessible Text:
For years, the U.S. government has participated at international air shows, such as those in Paris, France, and Farnborough, United Kingdom, with federal agencies renting exhibit space to present program information, displaying aircraft, or providing assistance to U.S. aerospace companies seeking to showcase their businesses. Hosted by aerospace industry associations and foreign governments, these shows present opportunities for business networking and often serve as forums for announcing billions of dollars in contract awards. While large U.S. aerospace companies are generally well represented at these shows, the ability of small and medium-sized companies to participate is unclear. On the basis of your interest in understanding U.S. government and company involvement at major international air shows, we (1) identified federal agencies' participation as well as their support to U.S. companies at these shows since 2000 and (2) determined what factors affect small and medium-sized U.S. companies' decisions to participate.
Agencies' participation in and support to companies at major international air shows largely depend on the agencies' missions, with such activities funded by operations accounts or fees charged to companies. While the Department of Defense (DOD) is the predominant U.S. agency participant at air shows, its presence is based on whether participation will contribute to its mission of advancing security cooperation, promoting interoperability of weapon systems, and demonstrating commitment to alliances or regions. Typically, DOD displays or demonstrates weapon systems, such as fighter aircraft, or meets with foreign military officials. DOD also provides support to U.S. companies by leasing military aircraft to them for use at these shows on a limited basis. The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is a key provider of support to U.S. companies participating at air shows because of its mission to open new markets and promote U.S. companies' products and services overseas. Commerce's support includes a range of fee-for-service programs, including product literature displays and business-to-business introductions, as well as business counseling services available at no charge. While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) do not provide support to companies, they occasionally participate at air shows when it may advance a specific agency mission. The State Department provides diplomatic support to federal agencies and facilitates meetings between U.S. companies and foreign officials--activities that the agency normally performs as part of its overseas mission. Because show participation and support are an integral part of agencies' missions, their costs are not budgeted separately from other mission activities. While only DOD and Commerce track direct participation costs, other agencies were able to estimate how much they spend for show participation. All five agencies pay for their costs from operations accounts or from fees charged for company support. For example, in 2005 and 2006, DOD spent approximately $2.4 million from its operations accounts to participate at air shows in Paris, France; Farnborough, United Kingdom; Singapore; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Santiago, Chile. Officials we interviewed from small and medium-sized companies identified a number of factors, including cost and sales opportunities, that influence their participation at air shows. One major factor is the high cost of sending employees and materials to international locations. Company officials indicated that their participation, which includes such activities as setting up information booths or establishing business contacts, generally does not result in a direct return on investment. While officials noted that their costs are typically greater than any sales that can be directly tracked to their show participation, they indicated that it is a business decision based on opportunities for promoting name recognition and fostering business relationships. Some companies paid fees to obtain Commerce's assistance at air shows, while others were unaware of Commerce's programs to assist small and medium-sized companies. | <urn:uuid:1a85bce5-8483-4940-8f4d-b47653be745f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gao.gov/products/GAO-07-1165R | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961518 | 806 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Deep in the Caribbean lies Melee Island, ruled by the governor Elaine Marley. The cruel pirate LeChuck is deeply in love with her - so deeply that he refuses to accept his own death. As a ghost, he dwells with his undead crew somewhere near the mysterious Monkey Island. Meanwhile, a young fellow named Guybrush Threepwood is determined to become a real pirate. At the Scumm Bar he meets three pirates who tell him he has to complete three difficult tasks in order to be worthy of this title. But as Guybrush is trying to complete these tasks, he encounters the lovely governor, and this meeting changes his life forever. Risking to incur the wrath of LeChuck, Guybrush has to prove his wit is as sharp as his sword, and figure out a way to foil the ghost pirate's plans.The Secret of Monkey Island
is an adventure game that utilizes the command verb-based SCUMM interface first introduced in Maniac Mansion
: the player constructs commands for Guybrush by selecting an appropriate verb and then combining it with an object or an inventory item. Objects that can be interacted with are highlighted when the player places a cursor over them. The game is the first LucasArts adventure in which it is impossible to get irrevocably stuck; like in Loom
, the player character also cannot die. The branching dialogue system, where the player chooses between several available responses during conversations, allows the player to talk to characters in different ways without fearing a wrong choice, and is often used as a humorous device.
The puzzles are predominantly inventory-based; most of the problems in the game are solved by picking up items and combining them with each other or with objects (or people) in the game world. Several tasks are dialogue-based; among those is the humorous "insult swordfighting", which involves Guybrush learning and choosing witty insults while dueling pirates.
The CD DOS and FM Towns versions of the game have slightly updated interface (with graphically represented inventory items instead of the text-only labels in the original version), as well as CD audio music tracks.
- "猴島小英雄" -- Chinese spelling
- "モンキー・アイランド ユーレイ海賊大騒動！" -- Japanese spelling
- "TSOMI" -- Common abbreviation
- "Monkey Island 1" -- Informal name
- "Le Secret de L'Ile aux Singes" -- French title
- "El secreto de Monkey Island" -- Spanish title
Part of the Following Groups
There are no reviews for the Macintosh release of this game. You can use the links below to write your own review or read reviews for the other platforms of this game.
The Press Says
The budget of the game was $130.000.
The CD version of the game features CD music, a furnished interface with graphical inventory items and new sound effects not seen in the disk version. If you try to load the game with "e" parameter, you won't see the inventory because it is 256 colors only.
One of the first scribbles for Monkey Island
that were used for the different story-branches hang in the bathroom of George 'The Fat Man' Sanger
's studio in Austin/Texas.
- Originally, there used to be a ship combat sequence in Monkey Island. While this scene didn't make it into the final cut, the idea was re-used in Monkey Island 3.
- At one point, the developers actually deleted a whole bunch of the games because it didn't flow well with the story.
- Ron Gilbert was going to make the part where you get Meathook to join your crew longer, but the idea was axed.
The original version came with a code-wheel copy protection, in which you had to mix and match several pirate's faces and assemble their names.
The demo version features story, dialogues and puzzles not present in the main game. More information can be found in its game entry
According to a G4 interview with Tim Schafer
because Lucasarts was so small at the time and the first shipment of Monkey Island
was larger than normal, Lucasarts asked the staff to go help stuff the boxes for the first shipment. So you might own a copy packed by the creators themselves!
There are three different versions of the game: 16-color EGA disk version, 256-color VGA disk version, and 256-color VGA CD-ROM version.
- When wandering in the forest, if you examine a certain tree stump very closely, Guybrush sees something in there and tries to crawl in. The game then asks you for disks you don't have, and Guybrush says something like "Oh well, I guess I don't fit".
- Keep escaping and returning from the cannibal village and the prison door will change its shape to a more modern door.
- Did you know that you CAN kill Guybrush? Just stay under water for more than 10 minutes.
- Did you know you can make Meathook make his tattoo talk? Ask him at his hut!!!
Guybrush got his name from the fact that in DPaint, the art software being used at the time, you saved palettes and other art particulars in files called "brushes", and the one for the guy who was the hero was called the "guybrush". "Threepwood" was decided by a company contest.
The character of Herman Toothrot was added because the script was running a little slow once you got to Monkey Island...the player needed someone to talk to.
Though he's long been on the record regarding Monkey Island
's inspiration from the Pirates of the Caribbean theme park ride (the ride, having earned its own movies, effectively nullifying any chance of a Monkey Island
movie once in development), Ron Gilbert has come clean
regarding another primary source of inspiration, a recently-back-in-print
book by Tim Power
entitled On Stranger Tides
, ensuring a heavy injection of voodoo into the Monkey Island
"Monkey Island" is a colloquial term used to describe the area on the roof of the bridge on a modern cargo ship. It is mainly used by the crews of the large cargo ships operating in the East Indies, South East Asia and the South Pacific.
Did you know there IS a real Monkey Island in the Caribbean Sea? Well, it's real name is Mono Island, but the word "mono" means "monkey" in Spanish.
PC Gamer release
A complete version of The Secret of Monkey Island
is available on Classic Games Collection CD featured in the July 2000 issue of PC Gamer Magazine.
References: LucasArts employees
- The original closeup of Elaine (where Guybrush is speechless) was supposedly based on Avril Harrison, an artist who was working for Lucas Games at the time.
- Carla, the Swordmaster, was a likeness of Carla Green who was at that time in charge of Lucas Games Product Support.
- The guy who was in the Troll suit on the bridge was meant to look like George Lucas.
- The name of Guybrush's archnemesis LeChuck was born after Steve Arnold, the General Manager at Lucasfilm Games in 1989, had been telling Ron Gilbert (the series creator) how he really liked the name "Chuck" and would like some character in one of their games to be called "Chuck".
- Lucasarts makes a stab at Sierra adventure games when Guybrush walks off the ledge of the outcrop containing the projectile device on Monkey Island. A standard Sierra adventure death dialogue box emerges saying that your character (Guybrush) has died and you can now choose to Restore, Restart or Quit the game.
- In the SCUMM bar, one of the pirates is wearing a button with the word LOOM written on it. All he says is "Aye," but if you ask him about LOOM, he will give you a full and lengthy advertisment to LOOM - the Idea was re-used again in Monkey Island 3 with Manny Calavera ( from Grim Fandango)
- Just like other games from LucasArts, this has also a reference to Sam & Max. Just look at the idols neat the big monkey head.
- In the demo of the games, when you went to the fortune tellers place, you could touch the chalice...and you would turn into Indiana Jones.
- The troll on the toll bridge saying 'none shall pass' was inspired by Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
- The SCUMM bar early in the game is obviously a reference to the SCUMM game engine (which stands for "Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion"), created by Ron Gilbert of Lucasfilm Games/LucasArts, and which has been used in several other adventure titles including The Secret of Monkey Island.
- In order to practice insult swordfighting, Guybrush stops pirates on the road and says the line "My name is Guybrush Threepwood. Prepare to die!" This is probably taken from the duel between Inigo Montoya and the six-fingered man in The Princess Bride. During that duel Montoya repeats "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" 5 or 6 times.
Stan is reportedly Ron Gilbert's favorite character in all of the Monkey Island games.
According to an interview with Ron Gilbert in the German magazine PC Games 01/2013, the game sold more copies in Germany than in the USA.
Secret of Monkey Island
THE Secret of Monkey Island has never actually been revealed by Ron Gilbert, but some people believe that it has to do with the anachronisms in the games.
SEGA CD port
The Secret of Monkey Island
saw a Sega CD version in 1992, soon after the system was released on the U.S. The Sega CD version is based on the 256-color VGA version of SOMI...even the layout of the CD Audio is exactly the same as the PC version.
Except there is a mastering error for the background sound effects. Specifically, the night time forest sound effect on track 24 is only two seconds long, and this track continues on to the next three tracks, also cut off in seconds. Also, because of this error, there is no jungle background sound effect that should be present in track 25. Indeed, it’s curious to hear night time ambiance heard at Melee Island during the daytime when Guybrush is in the jungle on Monkey Island.
A fix to this problem can be done by taking the last two audio tracks from the PC-CDROM version (tracks 24 and 25) and, usually through an extraction of the data and individual audio tracks of the Sega CD disc (except tracks 24, 25, 26, and 27) and a creation of a proper cuesheet (complete with the 2 second pregap for all audio tracks) for burning through CDRWin, restore the correct sound effects playback for the game at the points affected for the Sega CD version.
The CD version of the game was distributed by Software Toolworks at one point - with one of their computer map programs.
Despite the rumours, no speech version was created.
The back cover of some versions of the game has a screenshot with a close-up of Spiffy the Dog. The image is however not available in the original game. It was cut to save space on the floppy disks, but the marketing team had already chosen it for the artwork. The image of the close-up was added in the 2009 game The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
Win the Game
The "FUNCTION AND COMMAND KEYS" section of the enclosed reference documentation listed a somewhat peculiar option after the more conventional game interface options:
- Reposition Instantly (CTRL+R)
- Quit Game (CTRL+C or ALT+X)
- Win the Game (CTRL+W).
Enthusiastic game-players who jumped in before fully reading the manual might never have encountered that little easter egg. When the key combination was entered, the game would prompt the player: "Are you sure you want to win? (Y/N)
" If the player responded Y, the screen would blank, then triumphantly flash"You Win! You scored 800 out of 800 points
", regardless of how much (if any) of the game had been completed, all the while tootling the goofily festive music from the Fettucini Bros. circus tent. The regular closing credits (with more than a few joke titles there also) would follow, the entire interactive remainder of the game having been neatly bypassed. Truly here was proof that the playing of the game is far more satisfying than the mere winning of it.
Apparently some permutation of this easter egg is revisited in distant sequel Escape From Monkey Island
Information also provided by
William Shawn McDonie and
- Computer Gaming World
- December 1993 (Issue #114) – Introduced into the Hall of Fame
- November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) - #19 in the "150 Best Games of All Time" list
- November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) –#2 Funniest Computer Game (together with Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge)
- November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) – #2 Most Rewarding Ending of All Time
- GameStar (Germany)
- Issue 12/1999 - #12 in the "100 Most Important PC Games of the Nineties" ranking
- PC Gamer
- April 2005 - #49 in the "50 Best Games of All Time" list
- Power Play
- Issue 01/1991 - Best Adventure in 1990 (Amiga and DOS versions) | <urn:uuid:00f48ada-80bf-411c-9229-9edaf65d3e2b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mobygames.com/game/macintosh/secret-of-monkey-island | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949982 | 2,858 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Around 71% of businesses never use Pinterest, even though traffic to the site has doubled since mid-2012. In fact, Pinterest now has more than 20 million users and it is growing year-on-year.
Pinterest offers a creative and more interactive alternative to larger social media sites. It is a market research tool if you are setting up a business as you can see what kinds of images and interests people enjoy on their boards. This can generate new ideas for a project and even help suggest what sort of direction your company should be going in.
It is important to plan what you pin on your wall. Include images that relate to your business and industry. Keep in mind that Pinterest’s key appeal is the fact that it is visually beautiful. Try to think outside of the box if you are a technology company for example, trying to market a new phone or laptop. Think colourful, not grey, and remember that your target audience use Pinterest because it is different to other social media sites.
That isn’t to say that you should keep your Pinterest profile insular and disconnected. Linking your profile with Twitter and Facebook accounts provides maximum exposure. By ensuring that you start out with a memorable company logo, this logo can be spread over all the sites and will gain visual recognition. As well as a logo, also have a well thought-out description of your company explaining what you do, what you sell and how to contact you.
Provide a variety of pins to your board. For instance, if you are selling shoes, pin some examples of good street fashion images that you have seen or create really interesting images of the shoes yourself.
With phone cameras, there are no excuses to not snap something when you see it. With editing programs like Instagram, even a quick snap can be made into good visual photography. With the Pinterest app, pinning on the go from your mobile has been made possible.
Alongside all images that you post, write a description and try to avoid sounding clinical. Also remember to use keywords related to your business so that they can be found more easily in searches. When using other social media sites, have a picture with every story so that this can be linked to Pinterest to optimise your web content.
Becoming a sociable pinner can be beneficial. If you “like” a lot of images, comment and re-pin images, you can gain higher exposure and hopefully, increased traffic to your profile. When people visit your page, have a Pin It! button ready so that they can like and share your content with others.
Sue Williams is a freelance copywriter who also writes on behalf of Newsfix. | <urn:uuid:36d00ec2-4305-41aa-916a-4258c6e17d83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/blog/2013/02/how-market-your-business-pinterest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947595 | 543 | 1.59375 | 2 |
October 3, 2012
From: Laura Woodard Clark
Director of Media Relations
ULM's American Chemical Society student chapter wins big
The University of Louisiana at Monroe’s student chapter of the American Chemical Society received an Outstanding Chapter Award from the ACS Committee on Education.
ULM's chapter received the award based on its 2011-2012 activities.
Award winning chapters will be recognized in the November/December issue of "inChemistry" magazine and at the ACS Student Chapter Award Ceremony, which will be held at the 245th ACS National Meeting in New Orleans in April.
The ULM chapter set two major goals for the year: community outreach to children and exploration of career opportunities. ULM was acknowledged by the advisors for “achieving these goals admirably.”
“The national recognition improves the visibility of both our organization and ULM,” said Dr. Laura Beal, instructor of organic chemistry at ULM.
“We will be eligible for ChemLuminary awards in the future. It is also something that current members can put on their curriculum vitae because it represents both a significant contribution and a real accomplishment.”
As part of the International Year of Chemistry celebration, the ULM chapter prepared two community service events, which involved collecting toys for children and collecting bottled water for the homeless.
ULM chapter members also facilitated a children's learning program within the Ouachita Public Library System, highlighting the importance of work by famous physicist and chemist Marie Curie.
The ULM chapter was also honored as a Green Chemistry Student Chapter. The chapter’s activities highlighted the value of green chemistry to humans and the environment.
“Our ‘green activities’ included demonstrating how to design solar stills for water purification, participating in the toxicology hazardous waste program, comparing the environmental impact of different packing materials, and several presentations on the importance of water purification,” continued Beal
“We are planning some really cool stuff for next Earth Day, and hope to organize more of a campus-wide event.”
Each chapter’s activity reports were reviewed by three external ACS faculty advisors, who provided feedback to consider when planning future activities.
Overall, the ULM chapter was perceived to be vibrant and engaged by the review panel, and commended for “a tremendous year in which they ‘improved people's lives through the transforming power of chemistry,’” according to the board's official report.
The ULM chapter’s activity report was prepared by this year’s ACS President Chelsea Brassell of West Monroe, and Vice President Mary Cooper of Thibodaux.
Other officers include treasurer Kalen Shelfo of Boyce, and secretary Demi Morvant of Thibodaux.
The ULM chapter is gearing up to announce events planned for National Chemistry Week, Oct. 21-27. | <urn:uuid:8dc16aac-889e-492e-858b-49950ffe66ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ulm.edu/universityrelations/news/oct12/chemistry.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945314 | 601 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Being visible "Tractate Kiddushin 31a of the Talmud says that the purpose of wearing a kippah is "to remind us of God, who is the Higher Authority 'above us'." Wearing a kippah makes me mindful, helps me bring blessing to what I'm doing, and reminds me to sanctify the work of my hands. Of course, an argument could be made that I'm always in God's presence, that I ought to bring blessing even to secular activities like folding laundry and buying groceries, and that every moment is worthy of sanctification. So why don't I wear a kippah all the time?"
What makes a minyan? "Wherever ten Jews gather for prayer or for the reading of Torah, the tradition tells us, the Shekhinah dwells among them. (That comes from Psalms, 82:1.) Reading from the Torah scroll is one of the most beautiful and powerful liturgical acts in our repertoire, so it makes sense that we don't do it lightly. But surely the indwelling presence of God is among us even if fewer than ten are gathered; and surely one could argue that there is merit in a lenient policy which would allow small communities like ours to reaffirm our connections with (and derive blessing from) the presence of God manifest in the Torah service even on days when our numbers are few. So why be sticklers about needing ten?"
The longest night "Imagine that someone fell ill suddenly, and was unresponsive by the time the ambulance arrived. Imagine one family member after another hearing the news and descending into grief. Imagine a burly priest driving in at two in the morning to offer the Sacrament of the Sick. Imagine the difficult decisions of organ donation and life support. Imagine the long crescendo and decrescendo of goodbyes. Imagine that the night went straight through 'til morning."
In sickness and in health "My last on-call shift at the hospital was ten days ago, and on the eve of that shift I was diagnosed with a minor infection. No big deal; I got myself some antibiotics and assumed that was the end of it. I wasn't contagious, so I figured I could still live up to my responsibilities as hospital chaplain for the night. As I drove the hour to Albany, I was aware of some discomfort. I told myself it would be good for me, would help me respond with full compassion to the patients I was there to serve. Being sick, I thought, could make me a particularly good chaplain."
Purim homily "On Purim we don masks and costumes, pretending to be someone else -- a king, a queen, a villain, a jester -- for the night. These masks and veils can remind us that the ordinary identities we wear -- mother, daughter, banker, doctor -- are also constructed. We wear them because they protect us, or they feel good, or they feel safe...but deep down, we are both more than and less than our public identities would indicate. Deep down, there is a part of each of us which never changes, no matter what mask we wear. That part of us is continually at-one with God."
Passover, matzah, dialectics "Matzah and hametz consist of the same ingredients. Matzah is made of flour and water; hametz is made of flour and water. The difference is first internal; making matzah is a conscious choice. "Okay," one says to oneself, "this is going to be matzah; I have only eighteen minutes to make it; go!" That act of mindfulness, of kavvanah (conscious intent), is the first thing that matters in turning potential-hametz into actual-matzah. The other thing that matters is the action that arises out of that intention."
Planning for pluralism "The real question is how to create a service -- take the Jewish one, since that's the one I'm actually trying to compile -- which will be simultaneously comfortable for those within the tradition, and comprehensible for those outside it. How should we navigate the fact that different Jewish communities pray in very different ways and styles? How to deal with the fact that we won't all know the same melodies for many things, that some of us are accustomed to praying solely in Hebrew and others are accustomed to praying primarily in English, and that when it comes to translations our different siddurim (prayerbooks) probably don't match?"
The nadir of the year "When the Days of Awe roll around, we'll do a different kind of inner work. During Elul and the Days of Awe we are called to consider our relationship with God and with the world. We consider where we have missed the mark and how we can continue the work of growing into the people we mean to be. 9 Av is a necessary precursor to that. Before we can make teshuvah as individuals, the tradition teaches, we need to re/turn to our Source together. The ninth of Av gives us 25 hours within which to do that: to remember our sorrows, to weep for what we've lost, and to derive strength from sharing our grief."
On the perils of holiday menu-planning "It's been eleven years since I first marshalled my resources to cook for Rosh Hashanah. My maternal grandmother (of blessed memory) had died the previous spring, and I wanted to make a Rosh Hashanah feast to honor her memory. We always used to gather at her house, when I was a little girl, on Rosh Hashanah afternoon after shul. There would be Cornish hens with wild rice stuffing and giblet gravy, and carrots cooked with honey, and challah and apples and bowls of honey to dip them in..."
Five tastes of Shabbat Shuvah "It was so cold it took my breath away. I immersed four times fast -- one for each of the four worlds, four elements, four directions -- said the blessing quick quick, and climbed out onto the dock, euphoric both from the physical sensation of the water and from the emotional sensation of being clean and clear for Shabbat. Some of the women, obviously hardier souls than I, stayed in the water a while, contemplating each world before dunking, swimming the backstroke for a while, and so on. One woman called out names of God at the top of her lungs, and as she dunked the words echoed into the sky."
Thanks for being part of the adventure of Velveteen Rabbi this year! It's been a pleasure being in conversation and community with all of you -- and I'm looking forward to sharing 2007, and many years beyond. | <urn:uuid:0d9dceaa-1963-4ebc-88aa-f8706786bee6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog/2006/12/top_ten_posts_o.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9655 | 1,389 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific
22 January 2011
Chinese taxi drivers strike
Taxi drivers in two central Chinese cities are on strike to protest new local government policies which they claim will damage their livelihood.
In Zhengzhou thousands of taxi drivers have been on strike since January 10 protesting over the city government’s decision to abolish the long-established system of six work days, one rest day. Since January 1, drivers have had to work seven days a week in order to satisfy the government’s demand for more cabs on the streets. One driver complained, “We are not robots, we deserve proper rest”. Zhengzhou currently has over 10,600 licensed cabs and the new policy will add another 2,000 cabs.
Meanwhile in Xianning several hundred drivers have been on strike since December 16 after the city government announced that cab licences would be rescinded after ten years, and that the drivers’ 30,000-40,000 yuan ($US6,060) licence fee would not be returned. Nearly 100 drivers have been detained by police during protests.
Pakistan rail workers protest mass sackings
Thousands of Railway Workers’ Union members demonstrated at the Pakistan Railway workshop in Lahore on January 14, the second time in ten months, to oppose a proposed restructure that will terminate 20,000 employees. Union officials claimed that the sackings, along with the reduction of passenger trains and a 25 percent fair increase, were aimed at preparing the railway for privatisation. Workers have threatened a national stoppage if the restructure proceeds.
India: Tamil Nadu public servants to strike
The Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association (TNGEA) has served a notice for a one-day strike on February 10 over several demands including a minimum pension of 3,500 rupees ($US78) per month. They also want payment of 300 days’ leave when they retire, 180 days of maternity leave and a one-year special payment for childcare. In addition, the TNGEA wants the government to enter into talks on the removal of anomalies in the salary structure.
Uttar Pradesh public transport employees protest
Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) employees demonstrated at the corporation’s regional office in Allahabad on January 13 over the non-payment of salaries. The demonstration erupted after the corporation notified workers they would be paid only half their monthly salary. Workers said the corporation had not given any reason for its decision.
An official of the UP Roadways Employees’ Union told protesters that if management failed to pay full salaries the union would withhold from the state government the SRTC Allahabad region's earnings.
Orissa construction workers demonstrate
On January 14, thousands of construction workers at the India Oil Corporation Limited’s (IOCL) Oil Refinery Project in Paradip demonstrated over working conditions and better treatment for displaced families. Thousands of unemployed youth from families displaced to make way for the construction project joined the demonstration.
The main demands of the Maa Baidehee Oil Refinery Workers Union include an end to unpaid overtime and implementation of the 8-hour day, medical assistance for injured workers, an on-site canteen, 1,000 rupees toward house rent and one million rupees compensation for families of workers killed on the job. Workers also want work uniforms, safety equipment, provision of a rest shed and drinking water, employment for local youth and vocational training and crèches for the children of female workers.
The union has submitted a memorandum to Orissa’s chief minister and several other ministers as well as the IOCL director.
Tamil Nadu fishermen walk out
Over 3,000 fishermen from the Rameswaram coastal region are refusing to put to sea following the fatal wounding of a colleague, allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy, on January 17. According to striking fishermen, they are regularly confronted and fired at by the Sri Lankan Navy and have accused the Central and state governments of ignoring their demands for protection. Strikers said they would resume fishing only if the Coast Guard ensured their safety.
Australia and the Pacific
New South Wales power workers walk out
At least 100 contract workers have walked off the job for five days and picketed the Eraring Power Station on Lake Macquarie on Monday in a dispute over wages and conditions. The Australian Workers Union (AWU) members are employed by contract company Power Projects International to upgrade one of the power station's four units .
An AWU official said their members were doing construction type work but paid under a maintenance agreement. According to the official, the contract pay rate was $10 an hour above the maintenance rate with additional allowances. Fair Work Australia was due to begin hearing the case on January 21.
Western Australian aged care workers strike
More than 20 aged care workers at the Carinya on Bristol Nursing Home in Bicton, Perth walked off the job for four hours and picketed the premises on January 15. The workers were protesting a new work agreement pay offer. According to the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, if the offer from Barnsley, the residence operator, was accepted then the most experienced workers would only receive a 26-cent per hour pay rise by 2013 and have their annual leave cut from six to five weeks.
Workers want a 4 percent pay increase with no loss in entitlements. A union official said members have not had a pay increase for two years and have voted to strike for up to 12 hours if their demands are not met.
Western Australian construction workers strike
Twenty members of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union downed tools and occupied a state housing department construction site at Northbridge in Perth on Monday. Pyramid, the project builder, called police who removed the protesting workers.
Workers claim sub-contractor Proform has not paid their wages since December 17 and that they are owed a total of $150,000. The striking workers voted to continue industrial action until their wages are paid. | <urn:uuid:ee6af8ed-f947-41cf-b3e6-f9adc475fefe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wsws.org/en/articles/2011/01/labo-j22.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966313 | 1,232 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Since the St. Joseph's Apache Mission restoration project was launched in 1998, $2,127,139 was raised for the work on the church and veterans' memorial on U.S. 70 in Mescalero.
Summarizing the sources of the support for the project to preserve the structure and its massive 50-foot high stone walls, Restoration Director Mary Serna said 49 percent came from private foundation grants, 7 percent from nonprofit group grants, 23 percent from individuals, 13 percent through a stewardship program and the remaining 8 percent from fundraising activities and interest earned. The balance in the restoration fund on Oct. 31 was $52,398. In-kind value from donations of time, talent and services since the project began was figured at $1,285,625.
Total expenses added up to $2,084,140 with a breakdown showing that 72 percent of the money was spent for labor and training. Most of the work consists of labor-intensive repainting of walls by removing old crumbling material and replacing it with historically accurate and compatible mortar.
The church mission, constructed over a 20-year period ending in 1939 by Father Albert Braun with the labor of residents of Mescalero and other followers, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register of Cultural Properties. It also was selected for New Mexico's Most Endangered Places 2005 list.
For more than a decade, trainees, mentors and volunteers spent hours climbing scaffolds to repair the crumbling mortar between the
"It never ceases to amaze those of us who work here just how important this work is to so many people," Serna said. "Visitors come into the Restoration Office and express how much progress they have seen since their past visit and how impressed they are with the quality of work being done."
The next fundraiser will be the mission's gift-quality calendars for sale at $15, plus $3 for shipping and handling.
Serna said tribal member Gilbert Garcia joined the project as a trainee in April and has performed so expertly, she and Project Director/Foreman Tommy Spottedbird plan to keep him on the project as long as funding permits, she said. Three other volunteers, high school student Sky Kaydahzinne, Navajo Nation member Ethan Brown and Jeffrey Mendez worked for different periods during the summer.
"Once again Carroll Vann, owner of CVE Machine and Welding, volunteered to lend his expertise by inspecting the failing concrete arch above the huge west exterior window," Serna said. He's building a steel arch to match the one on the interior side of the window. Vann donated the steel, built the arch and assigned two of his employees to help project members install it, she said.
Most of the summer was spent repointing the west exterior wall and working with trainees, she said. The weather forced the crew inside before they finished the wall around the entryway, but that work will be targeted for next spring and will complete the entire exterior of the building.
Another stained glass window by artist Teresa Thompson and donated by Clarice Rocha in honor of the Rocha family was dedicated in September. It was placed above the area where the choir sings in the sanctuary. Thompson created all but one of the stained glass windows and is working on small windows between the large panels under contract with Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Roswell. The next window for the mission will be of St. Katherine Drexel, who was born in 1858 and took an avid interest in the material and spiritual well-being of black and Native Americans.
"Many of our parishioners went to her schools when they were young and some went on to graduate from St. Katherine's High School in Santa Fe," Serna said, adding the window has deep meaning for the mission.
The 12th Annual Raffle raised a little less than $18,000 net, she said. That money and an additional $6,798 donated at the time will be used to continue the restoration work, Serna said.
For the next 18 months, besides continuing to raise money for the restoration, supporters will take on additional beautification projects such as a stained glass entryway to the confessional, a new flagpole seating area and a new sign. Organizing also is underway on a traditional blessing feast to mark the completion of the restoration project.
"Although we have just started, we're keeping the funds separate from the actual restoration project money," she said. "Feasts are very expensive. Just imagine the cost of a four-day wedding complete with providing two meals a day to whoever attends.
"Lastly, we will be establishing an endowment fund to ensure that the building continues to be supported and maintained in the future."
In the mission's annual newsletter, Serna includes tributes to many individuals and families who have helped the project over the years, and singled out the late Richard and Stephanie "Fanny" Saenz. Serna also mentioned that historian and author Lynda Sanchez is helping with archiving information.
Anyone interested in volunteering for any type of work or to make a donation, should call Serna at 575-464-4539. | <urn:uuid:a7278912-a748-48d3-a6ae-43af1ae570e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ruidosonews.com/ruidoso-religion/ci_22125508/restoration-continues-at-st-josephs-mission?source=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971991 | 1,073 | 1.710938 | 2 |
In addition to attending regularly scheduled lectures, students were encouraged to participate in the Center for Advanced Visual Studies (CAVS) lecture series by attending four lectures. In this series, artists speak about their recent work. Video of some of their presentations are available below.
These videos are also available from VideoLectures.net.
Since the early 1990s American artist Rachel Harrison has been developing a brand of unwieldy, unyielding sculpture, sometimes abject and sometimes abrasive in its refusal to give up meaning. Objects from the catch-all drawer -- a clown nose, a syringe, a framed photograph, a houseplant -- are deposited on built agglomerations of polystyrene and cement, giving individual works the pugnacious air of a bad joke, sometimes emphasized by a title (like 2006's Nice Rack). A dolly or stool or table or ladder, thickly encrusted or as good as new, lends most works a strong sense of autonomy, but never resolution.
Using elements fundamental to sculpture -- the way an object requires us to walk around it, the way we try to make sense out of two different things juxtaposed -- her works lead us towards one understanding and then makes us question it as we turn the corner. They leave you with your interpretive tools blunted, even as they hint at portraiture. Sometimes Harrison picks up a camera. In 2000, she took a series of photos of a window in Perth Amboy, NJ, where a vision of the Virgin Mary had appeared in the glass. Pilgrims tended to press a hand against the pane, as if the sense of touch were better equipped to pick up a trace of the event. These photographs, unexpectedly representing unfiltered human desire, were part of a maze-like installation of corrugated cardboard with objects.
Vienna-born, New York-based artist Ulrike Müller takes shared emotions as a point of departure for making and reflecting on art and its critical position. Everything she makes takes full advantage of its medium. Different forms of performance-live, on video, captured on or exclusively for an audio track - are built out of spoken language and the language of the body. Her 2003 Vienna conference ("Public Affairs") which she developed into a book ("Work the Room") was conceived around the question "What does it mean to act critically?" with equal attention to the word "act" and the word "critical." After Müller moved to New York in 2002 she joined the team that co-edits the magazine LTTR (initials which throughout its five issues have stood for phrases from "Lesbians to the Rescue" to "Lacan Teaches to Repeat.") Instead of protesting what they don't want, Müller and cohort act out what they do want: a feminist ethics for the present.
"Let's Put On a Puppet Show!" is an afternoon event revolving around puppetry scheduled for Friday April 6. The Center has invited John Bell, artist and co-founder of Great Small Works; Linda Norden, curator of the American Pavilion for the 2005 Venice Biennale and curator of Pierre Huyghe's 2004 "puppet opera" (featuring a puppet of Linda); Karen Zasloff, artist and shadow-puppeteer; and other special guests for a lecture. "Let's Put on a Puppet Show" brings together artists, curators, and puppeteers to explore the ways puppets and puppet theater have functioned within contemporary art and society.
French-born, Berlin-based dancer Xavier Le Roy will perform his solo work "Product of Circumstances", 1999, at MIT's Simmons Hall. He will perform another rarely-seen early work, "Self-Unfinished", also 1999, at the Green Street Studios the previous afternoon. Xavier Le Roy is hosted in Cambridge in collaboration with Boston Cyberarts / Ideas in Motion. | <urn:uuid:1d9be974-554f-47a1-ba07-968e30b297a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/architecture/4-301-introduction-to-the-visual-arts-spring-2007/lecture-notes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954276 | 796 | 1.671875 | 2 |
BROOKINGS — Chetco River anglers are helping create future runs of winter steelhead by catching and donating wild adult steelhead this winter to be used as broodstock for future hatchery releases.
About half of the 60 adult steelhead collected so far this season as broodstock for next year's smolt releases have been caught by anglers and donated to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife under this program.
The program is gaining popularity among ODFW biologists and anglers because it reduces the number of steelhead that have to be netted — usually from the same holes favored by anglers.
"It's been pretty positive," says John Webber, ODFW's STEP biologist in Gold Beach, who is overseeing the program. "There's not as much interaction between the anglers and netters."
Five Chetco-based fishing guides have special tanks or coolers in their driftboats, and three more coolers are available on a loaner basis at the Riverside Market to collect fish. They are fitted with bilge pumps and aerators to keep fish alive in the tanks, Webber says.
Anglers who catch wild fish can place them in the tanks instead of releasing or tagging and keeping them. Someone on each boat must have a permit from Webber that allows them to possess and transport live steelhead for the program, which makes keeping the live fish legal.
Anglers do not have to log their catch on their harvest tag when donating a fish under the program, Webber says.
The adult steelhead are either collected by ODFW biologists or technicians at the Social Security Bar takeout or they are left in special pens secured in the water at nearby Freeman Bar.
The adult fish are trucked to the Elk River Hatchery near Port Orford, where they are spawned and their progeny are reared.
The program uses up to 120 adult wild steelhead to spawn enough eggs to grow the 50,000 smolts released annually at Social Security Bar.
Hatchery steelhead can easily be differentiated from wild fish because a hatchery-bred steelhead has a clipped adipose fin on its back between its dorsal fin and tail.
Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:d71c8e77-a153-488b-8736-c7093e956564> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130111/LIFE/301110313/-1/rss09 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951036 | 470 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Q. Are there any theological differences between the old mass and the new mass of 1970?I grew up in the church after Vatican Two so I do not know much about the old tridentine latin mass.
A. There are no theological differences between the old Latin mass and the new one. None. The dogmas and doctrines have not changed and cannot change. I think that is one of the main points that the Pope wanted to make by freeing the Latin Mass from the control of Bishops–Vatican II did NOT CHANGE THE CHURCH AND MOST OF THE CHANGES WE HAVE HAD WERE NEVER RECOMMENDED LET ALONE COMMANDED BY VATICAN II. I think perhaps he would like to go back and try it again. Vatican II was meant merely to refresh the Church.
Q. Do catholics with the old mass have to comeback every Sunday to be atoned for? Because, I read that the prayers of the old mass were. ” receive this spotless host which I your humble servant offer to thee to atone for my numberless sins and offences”or something close to this.
A. NO. Jesus died once for our salvation. He atoned for the eternal consequences of our sin. He is ETERNAL and His sacrifice is ETERNAL. We are the ones trapped in time and need to return to receive Bread From Heaven at each mass to strengthen us on our journey.
Q. My brother who is a Presbyterian said he thought that the Catholic mass was were the priest offered up a sacrifice for you and the souls being purified in purgatory.
Christ was therefore RE-SACRIFICED TO THE FATHER IN AN UNBLOODY MANNER IN ORDER TO GET THE BENEFITS OF CALVARY APPLIED TO YOU.
IS THIS THEOLOGICALLY CORRECT?
A. No that is not Theologically correct.
The mass is a RE-Presentation to God of the ONE sacrifice of Christ. Jesus is not re-sacrificed. He makes Himself present to us under the appearance of bread and wine for our sake–in order to be fed by HIM.
We do need to come and receive forgiveness for our sins over the past week or day, however. That is why there are several places in the mass where we ask for forgiveness.
We who are in time return to Calvary to partake of that ONE sacrifice. Yes, this is done in an unbloody manner in obedience to Jesus Christ. We actually receive sanctifying grace in communion if we are free from mortal sin, otherwise we compound our sin. | <urn:uuid:13ac86ac-e2a9-40d0-949a-981c70676b4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theblackcordelias.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/re-sacrificing-jesus/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963746 | 540 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Paterson residents say film depicts their city's violence, but not its causes
J.C. Cortes, who said he is a member of the Almighty Latin Kings and Queens Nation, brought his 13-year-old son to see the film “to see what’s happening.”
“It was real life,” he said. “This is what we see every day.”
The documentary relied heavily on surveillance footage of fights and other violence released by police to news outlets such as North Jersey Media Group, but it also showed a side of the brutality that is not often seen in the media accounts of shootings and homicides.
There is a scene in which the mother of a shooting victim is breaking down in the morgue next to the corpse of her dead son. Another man lay next to her son’s body in the same state. No one is identified.
A man off camera is matter-of-factly explaining what the medical examiner must do to the body during the autopsy. She wasn’t listening. She was just hunched over, crying uncontrollably. It is a stark difference from the face she showed news reporters flanked by the mayor and police officers during a news conference about her son’s shooting death.
The filmmakers said their goal was to avoid glorifying violence while delivering enough shock value to overpower the vulgarity and graphic nature of some of the music and media consumed by teens. | <urn:uuid:402f2852-be5c-40f2-b34a-3ba5f7f07217> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.northjersey.com/news/Paterson_residents_say_film_depicts_their_citys_violence_but_not_its_causes.html?c=y&page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978129 | 298 | 1.585938 | 2 |
A three-part exchange ensued between the two, from the Conservative and anarchist perspectives. Which approach, if any, deserves to be called truly feminist?
The portrait of Tory feminism in Zoe Stavri's article bears little resemblance to my views or those of the Tory feminists I have encountered. Socially conservative American politics are far removed from the mainstream Conservative Party in the UK. Tories who identify as feminists are not right-wing Cornerstone Group MPs such as Nadine Dorries, but members of the Tory Reform Group (arguably to the left of Tony Blair's government), liberal in both economic and social policies.
I believe firstly that all people have an equal fundamental worth based on their humanity, and secondly that people should be assessed on their on merits rather than on assumed characteristics. This makes me a liberal feminist. I also believe in a smaller state and individual choice. This means that I vote Conservative. The two are rarely in conflict, as my libertarian heart is tempered by my pragmatic head.
The reason Ms Stavri has difficulty pinning down Tory feminism is that it isn't a doctrine, but an approach. Tory feminists tend be pragmatists rather than idealists. They see the state and society as separate, and recognise that people are individuals.
Individualism is not incompatible with liberal feminism. Indeed, equality and individualism are inextricably entwined. Discrimination is wrong precisely because it makes assumptions based on collective prejudices – that women are bad at driving or that men are bad at multi-tasking. In rejecting an essentialist view of “womanhood” and stressing personal choice, individualism is about equality.
Believing in choice does not mean being blind to the constraints placed on making that choice. Tory women want to break down the barriers which prevent women from achieving their potential. Yes, this includes the glass ceiling, whether that's more women on boards, more women in middle management, or more women taking on traditionally male roles. The glass ceiling exists in more places than the high earning roles which get the most attention.
These barriers also include the myriad of social expectations and internalised stereotypes which constrain women's choices. The Conservative Women's Organisation recognises this, encouraging women to seek parliamentary office and working with female candidates.
The fact that not every woman has the choices of the more privileged is why Tory feminists are fighting for a level playing field. I know that – as a white, well educated, able-bodied woman – I got lucky. And I also know that the way to open up more choices is to fight the constraints. Creating yet more laws is more likely to create a backlash than change the stereotypes, so resulting in yet more social constraints.
Tory feminism thinks that the way to equality lies not in tick-boxes or government control, but in changes to society. That's only achievable through working to remove those barriers which constrain choices.
Not every woman who votes Conservative is a feminist, and it is either ill-informed or disingenuous to suggest that Ms Dorries must be one, especially when she has consistently used the term “pro-women” in place of “Tory feminist” and has argued for a collective rather than individualist view of women.
Tory feminists are not all the same, but they all start from the pragmatic belief that encouragement is generally better than legislation and that individuals should be able to make their own choices. Equality is something which is achieved by challenging social stereotypes and expectations, not by passing a law.
I must begin with a thank you to Clara for clearing up some of my confusion with what Tory feminism stands for. I will admit to have been thrown by red herrings such as Nadine Dorries, who, as far as I can tell, does identify herself as a Tory feminist (and defines it as “Not hard. Take feminism, remove manhating bit, add high heels, mutual respect and a huge pinch of commonsense”). I feel like I have a better understanding of the Tory feminist approach, although there are still some problems to which I do not think Tory feminism holds the solution.
Like Clara, I believe in individual choice and do not think that the state can ever offer viable solutions to ending the oppression of women. As an anarcha feminist, it seems to me that the state actively contributes to this problem. At face value, therefore, there is a lot in common with these approaches. The difference lies in approaches towards capitalism and collectivism.
Tory feminism and capitalism are close bedfellows. The push to get more women into boardrooms, managerial positions and the traditionally male role of breadwinner, along with attempts to get women into well-paid positions in politics, are all based on the same broad idea: that increased participation in a capitalist system is the way towards liberating women.
This dovetails with the difference between liberal individualism and the anarchist view of personal liberty. While liberalism involves freeing the markets and opening up competition between individuals, the anarchist approach to freedom is “the freedom to be in the world and to have a network of care and support” (We Are Everywhere, p108). These two approaches are fundamentally opposed: the anarchist view requires that necessities such as food, shelter and education are rights, while the liberal view gives markets the freedom to buy and sell such things.
Under capitalism and individualism, creating a level playing field, a stated goal of Tory feminism, is difficult if not outright impossible. The freer the markets, the greater the commodification of the basics becomes, and the harder it is for those who were not born lucky to become lucky. For many women who had few choices to begin with, the liberal or neoliberal economic approach will limit rather than increase the options available to them.
I am not sure of the extent to which Tory feminism is supportive of the decisions the Tory government has made which have been negatively impacting women and removing the ability to choose. The scaling back of the public sector has brought the number of women unemployed to 10.1 million, with the number of women claiming JSA at its highest level since records began. Low-income women are having to give up work due to cuts to working family tax credit, while cuts to legal aid and services for victims of domestic violence will mean that more women are forced to stay in abusive relationships. Proposals to make hiring a cleaner tax-deductible to help more women into work can only help those who can afford to hire domestic labour in the first place, with no safeguards in place to help the women who are the cleaners. The disproportionate impact of government policy on women must, surely, be an important issue for Tory feminists, and I would be very interested to hear how such problems can be solved.
It is a necessary component of any feminist movement to challenge stereotypes and eradicate prejudice and discrimination against women, and ultimately Tory feminism is right in its assertion that legislation cannot do this. Neither, though, can promoting individualism and competition between women: while some succeed, the majority will remain unable to choose anything but the hand they have been dealt.
Tory feminism cannot offer a solution to the intersecting oppressions that most women face by treating each woman's circumstance as a choice she has made.
The answer to Zoe Stavri's points about capitalism lies in the nature of Conservatism. Or, at least, of the UK Conservative party.
British Conservatism is, above all else, pragmatic. The question of whether capitalism is right or wrong is rarely asked - capitalism is currently the system, regardless of whether it's good or not. Tories look to temper capitalism and tweak it, rather than to overthrow it. It's not so much about whether they want to change the system, but that they think change is unlikely.
Perhaps this makes it harder to achieve equality, but slow and gradual change is more effective than radical change. That so many people often prefer the status quo makes radicalism difficult if not impossible. In short, I settle for achievable small changes within a flawed system rather than holding out for revolutionary dreams.
Part of this is because I believe that every system is flawed. What, therefore, is worse or more flawed about capitalism? Humans are by turns utilitarian and selfish. Any world we create is "red in tooth and claw". Utopia is impossible.
The fact that many have their choices horribly restricted does not mean that choice should be abandoned as a goal. Encouraging women will result in some succeeding, and that in turn will result in more opportunities being opened up for others. I do not pretend that this releases all the many constraints - the weight on society of our male-dominated history is far too great - but it is a start.
In answer to the question on how women are affected by government policy, I would say that the actions of government are rarely in favour of everyone, and while I have generally understood the principles and reasons behind this government's policies, I don't always support the application.
As for Ms Dorries, I certainly interpret that particular tweet as defending others' rights to Tory feminism rather than claiming the label for herself. If she has indeed decided to change her previous dislike of the word "feminism" then it only shows how broad Tory feminism is - much like political parties themselves.
I'm delighted that we've been able to have this conversation - while we start from different political persuasions, I feel we've found some understanding through debate and discussion. | <urn:uuid:1b3cc02f-98c2-4049-9814-0a9b5a814e1c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/zoe-stavri-clara-x/tory-feminist-takes-on-anarcha-feminist | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967505 | 1,926 | 1.648438 | 2 |
The Kaghan Valley is located in Northern Pakistan northeast of Hazara, NWFP. It's one of the valleys that's relatively easy to reach from Rawalpindi / Islamabad.
The mountain scenerey, the dales, lakes, water-falls, streams and glaciers are the main reason to come here. The Valley extends for 155 km rising from an elevation of 2,134 meters to its highest point, the Babusar Pass, at 4,145 meters. Further north from from Babusar Pass, a jeep track leads to Chilas, which is now on Karakoram Highway (the road that connects Islamabad to Xinjiang province of China via Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab Pass). Before Karakoram Highway was opened in 1978, the only road access to Gilgit was through Kaghan Valley.
Naran is the best base for treks and walks in the valley. There are some options for accommodation here and some restaurants. Naran is best reached by jeep from Balakot some 200 km north of RawalPindi / Islamabad.
The best time to visit Kaghan is in summer months (May to September). From the middle of July up to the end of September, the road beyond Naran, snow-bound throughout the winter, is open right up to Babusar Pass. Movement may be restricted during the monsoon season due to heavy rains and landslides.
In summer it is possible to continue to Gilgit Valley - one hell of a trip with incredible views - but roads are not always in tiptop condition so it may involve some hard work to get to the other site of the mountains.
he journey to the beautiful & spell-binding side of Pakistan starts from Rawalpindi-Islamabad(capital of Pakistan). The main point to head from here to the nothern areas of the country is Abbottabad.There is a choice of four roads from Islamabad to Abbottabad.The most scenic but longest is via Muree(Pakistan's most popular holiday resort)and Nathiagali,which takes three to four hours. The road is usually blocked by snow from April to December.The other three roads all starts out on the Grand trunk road towards Peshawar,leaving the main road at different points and converging at Haripur (35 km north of G.T. road.Kaghan valley is the most beautiful & picturesque valley. That's why it is called virtual paradise, unbelievably pristine state and still unspoiled by the human. You'll find the Himalayan peaks hidden with clouds or snow, somewhere you'll find the beautiful fairy tale lakes, which will attract you toward them, and you might decide not to leave this place at any cost. Where Kaghan is full of scenic beauty there it is full of thrill and excitement for the mountaineers and treks.Some of the Beatuiful Places to visit are Naran, Shogarn, Sri Pai, Lake Saiful Maluk, Dudipatsar lake etc. For more info. plz visit my page on Naran.
Near the Babusar top at the Babusar pass lies the "Dudupatsar Lake" with its beautiful greenish blue waters & very cold too.The word "sar" is used with the name of each lake in the area meaning lake.In the summer when the water of the lake reflects like a mirror a large number of visitors from different areas of the country come to watch the enchanting views of these lake.Dudipat Lake (Dudipat Sar in local language) is six or seven hours walking distance from Besal. Half of this distance is steady climbing on a clear path then the valley opens out to wide, flat pastureland. The deep blue Dudipat Sar, at 3,800 meters, is surrounded by green hills at about 4,800 meters, with snow patches in the shady hollows
he Land of Fairies " Five mile away another 3000 feet above the Naran is Fairy Tale Lake.Local legend relates that Prince Saif-ul-Muluk fell in love with a fairy from the mountains. One day, he saw her bathing in the stream and crept up and stole her clothes. To preserve her modesty the not-so-reluctant fairy promised to be his wife. The fairy's demon lover appeared in time to see the happy pair together, and in a fit of jealous rage flooded the entire valley.Saiful Maluk the lake is accessible by jeep or by tracking because there is a mere trek to reach the lake. It is almost impossible to describe the beauty of this lake, which is like mirror at the altitude of 3200 meters. The Queen of the Mountains is standing in the east and looking her image in the mirror of Lake Saiful Maluk. You can spend few days here to monitor the guards of lake, which are towering peaks and spread all around the lake.
The 161 kms long landscape of the Kaghan Valley with its towering Himalayan peaks, peaceful lakes, majestic glaciers and splashing waterfalls is a scenic wonderland, ending northwards in the 4148 metres (13,600 ft) high Babusar Pass, jeep service is available in the valley during summer, while motels and rest-houses offer comfortable accommodation. There is a PTDC stopover Motel in Bellyached and a big tourist resort in Naran which provides excellent accommodation with meals at reasonable rates. It is an ideal area for trekking and trout fishing. The adventure begins in Bellyached, a charming mountain village, from where a road climbs 34 kms up to Shogran. At a height of 2,362 metres, Shogran has thickly forested slopes and grassy meadows, which present an ideal setting for your first stopover.
The raging Kunhar river accompanies the steep winding road which leads to the Kaghan village. This little village, after which the valley has been named, is only 61 kms from Bellyached. Between Kaghan and Naran there is a distance of 25 kms. Naran serves as the base-camp for excursions to other valleys, lakes and peaks.
10 kms from Naran, this lake is 3200 metres high, providing an awe-inspiring view of Malika Parbat (Queen of the Mountains) 5,260 metres high. You can go boating on the lake and hear the local legend about Prince Saif-ul-Muluk who fell in love with fairy.
4146 metres high, this is the gateway to the Gilgit valley. On a clear day, you can catch a glimpse of the towering Nanga Parbat, 8126 metres high. This is the highest point, and marks the end of the Kaghan expedition.
On the way to the Pass there are many quaint villages, such as Battakundi, Burawai, Besal and Gittidas, where you can rest. If you have the time, the enchanting Lalazar plateau near Batakundi and Lulusar lake near the Babusar Pass are worth visiting.
The Kunhar River and the various lakes offer plenty of fishing opportunities. Both the brown and rainbow trout and the mahasheer are found in abundance. A fishing permit may be obtained from either the Fisheries Department at Naran, or the Trout Hatchery at Shinu. Fishing rods are available at Naran on hire. Guides are also available at Naran.
Avari Lahore Lahore
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Avari Towers Karachi Karachi
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Islamabad Serena Hotel Islamabad
10 Reviews and 116 Opinions The five-star Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan was designed by renowned Pakistani architect... | <urn:uuid:75eb8e1d-346c-40bf-af23-f6762e2cd84f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Pakistan/Things_To_Do-Pakistan-Kaghan_Valley-BR-1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943296 | 1,643 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Chair and Professor
Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology
Dr. Macarak joined the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology in 1992. One area of research in Dr. Macarak’s laboratory is investigating the mechanisms of cellular response to externally applied mechanical deformations. He has developed, tested, and patented a device that permits the application of precise mechanical deformations to cells in culture. With this device, cells can be grown in vitro and evaluated with respect to their response to a variety of mechanical forces. Dr. Macarak has a long history of involvement with teaching at the School of Dental Medicine in the fields of histology, physiology, and gross anatomy. | <urn:uuid:547de06a-c76e-43f9-9a79-b49f2b8057c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dental.upenn.edu/departments_faculty/faculty_directory/edward_j._macarak/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93743 | 135 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Climategate: the parliamentary cover-up
Climategate exposed the greatest scandal in the history of modern science but you're never going to hear this from any of the official investigations. Andrew Orlowski at The Register has uncovered why.
Turns out, that there's this well-funded SPECTRE-like advocacy group called GLOBE (Global Legislators for a Balanced Environment) International which has co-opted leading parliamentarians from the main parties in both the Commons and the Lords into advancing the AGW agenda.
One of those is Lord Oxburgh, recently appointed – on the Royal Society's recommendation – to lead one of the two official enquiries into Climategate. Mysteriously, Lord Oxburgh has failed to mention GLOBE in his register of interests.
GLOBE may be too obscure to merit its own Wikipedia entry, but that belies its wealth and influence. It funds meetings for parliamentarians worldwide with an interest in climate change, and prior to the Copenhagen Summit GLOBE issued guidelines (pdf) for legislators. Little expense is spared: in one year alone, one peer – Lord Michael Jay of Ewelme – enjoyed seven club class flights and hotel accommodation, at GLOBE's expense. There's no greater love a Parliamentarian can give to the global warming cause. And in return, Globe lists Oxburgh as one of 23 key legislators.
One insider has described Oxburgh's appointment to lead this supposedly neutral investigation into Climategate as "like putting Dracula in charge of a blood bank." Here are just a few more of this scrupulously unbiased fellow's interests, revealed by Orlowski:
In the House of Lords Register of Lords' Interests, Oxburgh lists under remunerated directorships his chairmanship of Falck Renewables, and chairmanship of Blue NG, a renewable power company. (Oxburgh holds no shares in Falck Renewables, and serves as a non-exec chairman.) He also declares that he is an advisor to Climate Change Capital, to the Low Carbon Initiative, Evo-Electric, Fujitsu, and an environmental advisor to Deutsche Bank. For a year he was non-exec chairman of Shell.
GLOBE seems especially drawn to the kind of MP who likes sailing close to the wind. Its president is none other than Stephen Byers, recently exposed in the "cash for influence" scandal as offering his services as a lobbyist like a "cab for hire" for a small consideration of just £5,000 a day. And its leading lights have also included Elliott Morley, one of the MPs more heavily implicated in the Telegraph's parliamentary expenses scandal.
As Bishop Hill notes its UK parliamentary group officers also include the redoubtable and incorruptible Labour MP Eric Joyce – "the first MP to claim more than £1m in expenses and on more than one occasion the most expensive MP in the house. He once famously claimed for three oil paintings on expenses "because they looked nice"."
But then, to judge from the research done by Cumbrian Lad at Bishop Hill, GLOBE is very much the kind of body that likes to do things on the sly. Its Memorandum of Incorporation includes this revealing snippet about its purposes:
"To provide a forum for ideas and proposals to be floated in confidence and without the attention of an international spotlight"
Bishop Hill reports:
GLOBE's corporate structure and funding are not clear from its website, but Cumbrian Lad has discovered that it is a private limited company. Interesting that – an organisation of legislators, run as a private company. He has also obtained copies of its accounts and other information from Companies House.
GLOBE was incorporated in 2006, the founding directors all being British legislators – Malcolm Bruce MP (LibDem), Joan Ruddock MP (Lab) and Nick Hurd (Con), with the last directorship being held by Lord Hunt. Since that time, Joan Ruddock has stood down and Lord Oxburgh and Eliot Morley MP (Lab) have been appointed to the board.
The current accounts are all abbreviated, which means there is very little detail about the income and expenditure of the company, but for some reason 2007 was filed in full, revealing an income of £820k, almost double that of the previous year, and all of which was spent on administrative expenses.
And where does this money come from? Its 2008 accounts note:
The Directors acknowledge the support of International Organisations, Governments, Parliamentary Bodies and Industry, both financially and politically, with paticular acknowledgement to United Nations, The Global Environment Facility, The World Bank, European Commission, the Governments of Canada and Great Britain, the Senate of Brazil and Globe Japan.
Bishop Hill smells a rat:
My reading of all this would be that GLOBE is a vehicle to enable legislators to avoid the scrutiny of their electorates – the date of incorporation is probably instructive, coming just after the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act.
It's no wonder Lord Oxburgh didn't want to mention it on his CV.
Here is the link listing the names of all the MPs in its parliamentary group. The ones I find particularly interesting are the Tories on the list. They are:
If any of these represent your constituency, I urge you not to vote for them. A Conservative who indulges in this kind of slippery green activism is no conservative at all.
Nadine Dorries wants to be the first joint Ukip/Conservative candidate: good idea
May 15th, 2013 17:07
400 ppm! We didn't listen!
May 14th, 2013 17:28
First they came for the jelly-wrestlers…
May 11th, 2013 22:18
Benghazi stinks – but it won't be Obama's Watergate. Unfortunately
May 8th, 2013 18:53
Lord Lawson's right: of course we should quit the EU
May 7th, 2013 10:25 | <urn:uuid:75ee799e-f4a4-42ae-a675-1b36815440d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100031404/climategate-the-parliamentary-cover-up/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96375 | 1,220 | 1.625 | 2 |
Purpose of eyebrows?
If God made everything for a reason, why do we have eyebrows?
In general those are difficult questions, because some things may have made
for a reason, but retained after the reason was gone. But for eyebrows, I can think
of two reasons that are still valid. First, along with eyelashes, they keep dirt from
falling into the eyes. Second, they participate in facial expressions which are major
forms of communication between people. This can be essential for life.
Click here to return to the Biology Archives
Update: June 2012 | <urn:uuid:eff3863c-0f37-4c97-bd6a-0df3a30030b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/bio99/bio99321.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961845 | 119 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Mumbai: Dow Corning has expanded its line of industrial lubricants for customers in India by adding 42 new food-grade synthetic fluids and ultra high-purity mineral oils that can last up to 10 times longer than conventional products.
Marketed as 'Molykote brand High-Performance Industrial Fluids', the new fluids are particularly suited for plant operations in the food and beverage industry due to their resistance to emulsification with water, which causes viscosity degradation that contributes to mechanical wear and premature loss of machine usefulness.
Molykote fluids are available in a wide range of viscosities, and are formulated for use in hydraulic, compressor and vacuum pumps; gearboxes, chains, and a wide variety of machines and components. The Molykote fluids conform to requirements under H-1 or H-2 designations of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and many are kosher-approved.
In addition to the new fluids, the Molykote brand product line includes the company''s traditional offering of speciality greases, compounds, pastes, anti-friction coatings, and dispersions. To meet the dramatic temperature variations from freezers to ovens, the product line includes lubricants with operating temperature capabilities ranging from -226oC to 1400oC.
In addition to their use in the food and beverage industries, Molykote fluids and lubricants are typically used in chemical and petrochemical processing, automotive manufacturing, power generation, and the pulp and paper industries as well as a wide variety of maintenance and repair operations in general business and industrial facilities.
The superior performance of Molykote industrial lubricants is mainly due to a proprietary additives package that significantly reduces oxidation rates due to elevated pressures and temperatures, which can cause premature lubricant breakdown. In addition, their special 'engineered' base fluid chemistry makes them inherently more resistant to oxidation and emulsion than competitive products.
Whereas most competitive mineral oils are manufactured by refining - a solvent-based process that can retain contaminants from the crude-oil source - Molykote mineral oils are custom-engineered at a molecular level to formulate unique, ultra-high purity base oil that meets target performance specifications. This process also avoids problems associated with conventional solvent-refined mineral oils, which retain contaminants that can lead to acid development and premature ageing of the oil. | <urn:uuid:abef1d28-2ff4-4ae2-a167-6dd96afa9ea1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://domain-b.com/companies/companies_d/dow_corning/20031206_launch.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941263 | 484 | 1.742188 | 2 |
It’s hard to believe that the world has changed so much in just a year. For at least a generation, raves represented one of the last bastions of good, clean, American fun. But now things are changing: the unwelcome shadow of drugs is increasingly encroaching upon the outer edges of the scene.
When Promethean Times first reported on this phenomenon, we dismissed these early warnings as the work of one or two bad apples. Nor were we alone in underestimating the threat posed by illicit chemicals. Promethean Times still holds that drugs are not necessary to enjoy an air-raid siren set to a metronomic beat, and that the shared joy of grinding sexlessly against the nearest sweaty, stinking body is in no way enhanced by chemicals. We believe that a twenty-eight year old dressed up as the Lorax can be kooky and fun, and not just a wincingly pitiable product of drug-attenuated tastes. But are these long-cherished values still embraced by today’s young ravers?
There are troubling indications that these wholesome traditions are breaking down. In Los Angeles, 80 people were arrested and several hospitalized at yet another rave. Most of the arrests and hospitalizations were the result of drug use.
The use of “Love” in the name of the gathering points to a disturbing new trend, where young people hold orgiastic celebrations in honor of the positive emotion. Americans should count themselves lucky with the casualties they did receive–in the German Love Parade 21 people were crushed to death in a stampede of unbridled affection. | <urn:uuid:900effef-ba60-4acf-87fd-9b2415d7bc59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://prometheantimes.com/2010/09/03/raves-are-best-enjoyed-without-drugs-or-love/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961738 | 330 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Finding Topics That Make Your Articles Indispensable by Gordon Burgett
Price: $0.99 USD. 9800 words.
Published on November 28, 2011. .
It's harder and harder to place articles in magazines, newspapers, and other publications. The recession is up, the amount of advertising is down, and there are fewer articles being bought by fewer magazines and newspapers.
There's a way (or a dozen ways) to do that. Gordon Burgett shows on these pages his topic-by-topic formula, with successful examples. | <urn:uuid:08a2b041-4cae-4014-84c9-7c8fa8042384> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.smashwords.com/books/tags/article_writing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96291 | 114 | 1.765625 | 2 |
WASHINGTON -- Directing Medicare beneficiaries into the most cost-efficient setting possible after a hospital stay could save the program $35 billion to $100 billion over the next decade, the Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation, a home care trade association, reported Wednesday.
"This isn't a silver bullet to fix Medicare but it could make a difference," Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) said at a press conference where the report was issued. "Better post-acute care leads to less frequent hospital readmissions, plain and simple."
Initial hospital visits and post-acute care account for about half of all Medicare spending, report author Al Dobson, PhD, of Dobson DaVanzo and Associates, a Vienna, Va. consulting firm, said at the press conference. "Shifting patients into more cost-effective settings ... could achieve substantial savings and extend the life of the program by 2 1/2 years."
Examining Medicare claims for a representative 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries from 2007 to 2009, the report authors found that post-acute care settings have very different costs, with home healthcare being the lowest, followed by skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care hospitals.
And which of those healthcare "stops" patients make after discharge from the hospital can have a big effect on the cost to Medicare.
For example, a patient who goes from hospital care directly back into the community costs Medicare an average of $14,003, compared with $17,172 for the patient who goes from hospital care to home care and then into the community, or $31,839 for the patient who goes from hospital care to an inpatient rehabilitation facility to home care and then to the community.
Patients who look similar clinically may each go into a different setting after a hospital stay, Dobson said.
Hospital readmissions also increase costs for care, Dobson noted. An average hospital episode that did not include readmission cost Medicare $15,335, compared with $33,926 for an episode that included readmission to the hospital.
How much these costs can be reduced depends in part on how aggressive Congress is willing to get in seeking reductions. "Just by substituting people from higher-cost settings to lower-cost settings we might save about $35 billion," he said. "If we got more aggressive and Congress were to say, 'Let's pick up 5.3% [in savings] out of the post-acute-care sector as it relates to these episodes, we might save $70 billion. If the Congress got really aggressive and directed CMS to save 7.5%, we might save $100 billion."
Panelists at the press conference had no specific suggestions for policies that would encourage moving patients into lower-cost settings.
"Today's event is about research, not about policy prescriptions," said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, a conservative policy group, and former director of the Congressional Budget Office. "It's a demonstration that we can do business better."
Blanche Lincoln, a former Democratic senator from Arkansas, said that while there are no obvious solutions for bringing down costs, the report "is an excellent beginning. The most important thing is recognizing that it's got to be patient-centered."
The report writers themselves, however, did suggest some specific solutions aimed at giving providers financial incentives to choose the most cost-effective options for patients being discharged from the hospital.
"We contemplate a hybrid payment system that pays on [diagnosis-related groups] consistent with the Inpatient Prospective Payment System, but that also pays on patient demographic, clinical and, perhaps, functional status, similar to the Medicare Advantage program," the report reads. "This hybrid system might be appropriate, as payment bundles reflect fixed payments that need to be allocated across multiple providers." | <urn:uuid:bd6a7533-0c71-4249-a6bc-a7a8db534524> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/Medicare/35255 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957753 | 793 | 1.601563 | 2 |
I just recently overcame this problem and I'll tell you what I did. I started viewing my hands as hooks to hold the weight and began pulling with my elbows if that makes sense.
Here are a few excellent tips I can give you to make sure you feel it in your back.
1) When doing pulldowns, pullups, or rows visualize pulling the bar apart. You need a decent, deep grip to do this, but pull the bar apart. By pulling the bar apart you keep your form in check and get a tighter contraction of the muscles surrounding the scapulae (Rhomboids, Traps, and Lats). In all honesty, you should be pulling the bar apart on benches during the downward motion as well to help stabilize yourself and engage your lats to keep tension in the bar.
2) Minimize any and all leg involvement during your sets unless you're purposefully cheating and can CONTROL it. Jerking the weight up will not allow you to feel the muscles in your back doing the work and is a good way to injure something.
3) Perform your all of your warm-up sets slowly with correct form to help yourself get used to the feeling of pulling your scapulae back. | <urn:uuid:28148a38-b436-45ce-b93d-1d53217024d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://muscleandbrawn.com/forums/showpost.php?p=141811 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946096 | 249 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The Bishop of Calgary, Alberta, has just suspended all activities of the Latin Mass communities in Calgary and Medicine Hat due to a pseudo-scientific and anti-Canonical order mandating the non-reception of the Eucharist on the tongue due to concerns related to the transmission of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus.
We had known about the matter for days, but had waited for some official words from the FSSP priests who serve those communities. However, since the entire matter has now been made public, we post the contents of the e-mail messages related to the affair. (A reader sent the e-mail exchange directly to us, but it was first made available in a web-based forum.)
Are you sick and tired of this kind of clerical abuse? Mail the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, make your protest known, wherever you may live around the world. We too are sick and tired of unwarranted episcopal tyranny, the despotism of those "liberal" or "conservative" bishops who use any excuse to persecute us: they swallow entire "Modern" elephants, yet choke on Latin mosquitoes. Or viruses...
[MESSAGE 1] From: [parvenu74]
Sent: November 30, 2009 10:09 AMTo: [email protected]: Calgary's Saint Anthony Parish: forbidden to have Mass if communion in the hand is not offered?Dear Bishop Henry,On the front page of your diocese's website, I see there is a letter in which you are forbidding the distribution of communion on the tongue due to H1N1 concerns. Separately, I have heard that you have forbidden the Parish of Saint Anthony's in Calgary, which is serviced by priests of the Fraternity of Saint Peter, to offer Mass using the Missal of 1962 because that Rite of Mass is incompatible with communion given in the hand.Is this true?__________________________________[MESSAGE 2] From: Bishop F.B. HenryDate: Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 11:34 AMSubject: RE: Calgary's Saint Anthony Parish: forbidden to have Mass if communion in the hand is not offered?Dear [edited out]The Fraternity ahs [sic] informed me that they are unable to comply with the directives in my pastoral letter re reception of communion. Therefore, the Latin Mass will be suspended until the temporary sanctions have been lifted as recommended by the Medical Officer of Health.Peace, Bishop HenryNovember 25, 2009Rev. C. Blust, FSSPSt. Anthony’s Parish5340 4th St. SWCalgary, AB, T2V 0Z5Dear Fr. Blust and My Brothers and Sisters of the Latin Mass Community of St. Anthony’sThe sacraments (and sacramentals – like holy water) are entrusted by Christ to the church which is responsible for determining through regulation the manner of their proper celebration. The bishop is the chief liturgist in the local church or diocese. In the event of a pandemic, we ought to try to reduce the possibility of transmission of a virus and protect the faithful – also the body of Christ. Our current liturgical restrictions in Calgary aim to do precisely that . This is a difficulty for some but we must remember that a Catholic spirituality is not an individual affair but communitarian from the get-go. For the love of our brothers and sisters we have mandated the sacrificing of a personal preference in the manner of Eucharistic reception for a temporary period.Receiving communion on the tongue is not a dogma of faith. Nor is it an absolute. Since the Eucharistic Celebration is the Paschal Banquet, it is desirable that in keeping with the Lord's command, his Body and Blood should be received by the faithful who are properly disposed as spiritual food. In the Diocese of Calgary, all the faithful may receive communion on the tongue or in the hand - this also applies to the faithful who choose to celebrate the Eucharist with the Latin Mass community at St. Anthony’s, Calgary and St. Patrick’s, Medicine Hat. However, due to the current N1H1 pandemic and in accordance with recommendations received from the Medical Officer of Health, communion on the tongue is temporarily suspended.I want to be perfectly clear: no one is to be denied the Eucharist, what is at issue is the manner of reception.Participation in the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice is a source and means of grace even apart from the actual reception of Holy Communion. It has also been long understood that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy communion during mass, it is possible to make a spiritual communion that is also a source of grace. Spiritual communion means uniting oneself in prayer with Christ’s sacrifice and worshiping him present in his Body and Blood.Nevertheless, the current pandemic circumstances do not warrant the non-reception of the Body and Blood of the Lord in favour of a spiritual communion. [Emphasis added]Wishing you all the best, I remain,Sincerely yours in Christ,+ F. B. HenryBishop of Calgary.__________________________________ [MESSAGE 3] From:[parvenu74]To: Bishop F.B. HenryYour excellency,The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), on 24 July 2009, stated that it is not licit to deny reception of communion on the tongue, despite the current threat of H1N1. Attached is a scan of the CDF's letter on this matter.Through Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,[parvenu74] Additional reference: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2009/11/it-is-not-licit-to-deny-communion-on.html [sic]__________________________________ [MESSAGE 4]From: Bishop F.B. Henry Date: Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 12:22 PMSubject: RE: Calgary's Saint Anthony Parish: forbidden to have Mass if communion in the hand is not offered?To: [parvenu74] I am well aware of what the congregation decided but quite frankly, it is not their call. It is mine. [Emphasis added] | <urn:uuid:e0f5ff86-4155-4f46-ba71-d34facd8607d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2009/12/please-read-letter-that-i-wrote.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940355 | 1,307 | 1.59375 | 2 |
What is in this article?:
- Relearn Residuals | Get the Most from Soil-Applied Herbicides
- Incorporate, if possible
Pre-emergence residual herbicides lower weed densities, improve early season weed control, extend the window for post-emergence applications, and lower the potential for crop yield losses from weed competition, says Minnesota weed scientist Jeff Gunsolus. That’s why he likes to say: “If it’s a good day to plant, it’s a good day to apply a pre.”
Incorporate, if possible
All soil-applied residual herbicides have the same Achilles heel, Hager says: they have to be dissolved in the soil through mechanical incorporation or a rain within seven to 10 days.
“We dig everything in,” says Craig Herickhoff. “Yes, it’s a hassle in the spring, but if you don’t get a timely rain, it’s a lot better to have it incorporated.” In 2012, though, seedbeds were dry and cloddy, so he set the planter’s row cleaners deeper than usual. That affected pre placement. “It was perfectly clean between the rows, but in the rows, there was more weed pressure. I think it was because we went deep with the row cleaners, and when we pushed the dirt aside, we pushed some of the herbicide aside, too.”
If incorporation isn’t an option, “you can try to hedge rainfall risk by putting the herbicide out a little sooner,” Hager says. In 2012, though, many parts of the Corn Belt did not receive enough rainfall to move the pre into the soil solution, so weed control suffered.
Nevertheless, “I still believe it was beneficial,” Missouri’s Bradley says. “Our own evaluations showed us there was still some residual weed control, just shorter than normal.” Weed suppression “probably lasted two weeks, where typically it would be about twice as long.”
If it stays dry into 2013, should growers apply a pre-plant herbicide next spring? Yes, Gunsolus says. “We can’t predict the weather. The bottom line is, it’s a risk management tool.” | <urn:uuid:df7ff5c4-332b-4bfb-a228-785e0f7c4b4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/crop-chemicals/relearn-residuals-get-most-soil-applied-herbicides?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932945 | 497 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Why Being Social Media Savvy is Good for Your Career
4/12/2012 3:23:11 PM
By Angela Rose, BioSpace.com
Whether you have a great job, a less than great job, or are among the 12.7 million Americans still unemployed, becoming social media savvy could help you further your career - or even find a new one. Why? Because an increasing number of businesses, both large and small, are utilizing social media to connect with new customers, interact with current ones, drive traffic to their websites (or through their front doors) - and, ultimately, increase company revenue.
The statistics related to social media are actually quite astonishing. As of 2011, there were more than 800 million active Facebook users. Eighty percent of Americans participate in some form of social networking, including Facebook and Twitter. And, according to data from CrowdSPRING, 61 percent of small businesses regularly land new customers through social media engagement.
This increase in social media usage by companies means an increased need for employees with social media savvy. More employers now expect job applicants to know how to use social media including Facebook (for more than saying “hi” to mom), Twitter (for more than “following” Snooki) and Pinterest (for more than “pinning” funny pictures of cats). As a result, the resumes of job applicants with social media skills may find their way to the top of the pile when hiring managers post open positions.
According to a recent article in the New York Times, since 2010, the number of jobs listed on one major job board in the mobile, social media, web development and social-app gaming categories increased 140 percent. WANTED Analytics also reports that demand for employees with social media skills has increased rapidly within the fields of marketing, public relations, sales, web development, advertising, recruiting, financial services, law, graphic design, social services, community services, retail, human resources and computer software engineering.
Even the medical field is getting in on the act. Both my dentist and my dermatologist have Facebook pages. My dentist also tweets. He uses both social media platforms to maintain contact with current clients. He also offers quarterly entry into a drawing for various prizes – become a Facebook “fan,” follow his Tweets, or refer a new patient and you’re entered. As a result, he reports ten times as many new client referrals as before he began using social media.
If you feel your social media skills are lacking, it may be worth your time to upgrade them. From websites devoted to social media marketing tips, to thousands of books on social media subjects, to free webinars and seminars offered by social media strategists, the knowledge is yours for the taking. Or ask a social media savvy friend to show you around online. It’s easier than you think to get started and you may make some valuable connections for your career.
About the Author
Angela Rose researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for BioSpace.com.
Check out the latest Career Insider eNewsletter - April 19, 2012.
Sign up for the free weekly Career Insider eNewsletter. | <urn:uuid:cb4ca753-1b13-470e-9f13-3443ca2d12d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biospace.com/News/why-being-social-media-savvy-is-good-for-your/256307 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949326 | 660 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Jack Fleck, who retired yesterday after 25 years with the SFMTA, has been pondering the city's streets from his 7th floor office above Van Ness and Market Streets. Photos by Bryan Goebel.
Editor's note: This is the first of a three-part series on the past, present and future of traffic engineering in San Francisco.
Jack Lucero Fleck remembers his teenage years as a sputnik, the kind of kid who was as "nutty as a slide rule," loved math and science, and knew he was headed in that direction. It was the summer of 1965, and living in Peoria, Illinois, the same town where US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood grew up, Fleck couldn't quite peg what he wanted to do in life. And then there were the Watts riots.
"I got kind of interested in, 'well, what caused that? Why were people burning down their neighborhood?'," Fleck, 62, explained during a recent interview. "I decided I would go into civil engineering because I liked to do math and science and engineering and I would combine it with city planning to make cities better places to live, so people wouldn't want to burn them down."
For the last 25 years, Fleck, who retired yesterday from his job as San Francisco's top traffic engineer, has had a hand in almost every major transportation project in San Francisco, from the demolition and boulevard replacement of the Embarcadero and Central Freeways, to helping in the design of the T-Third line and Central Subway, to crafting a controversial proposal to remove the bike lane at Market and Octavia Streets.
He has sometimes been the bane of transit advocates for defending post-World War II traffic engineering orthodoxy favoring one-way street networks, such as those that roar through neighborhoods like the Tenderloin and SoMa. While some advocates have been working to dismantle some of the one-way arterials, Fleck, who became lead traffic engineer in 2004, is a firm believer in them. Still, those advocates and transportation professionals who have worked with Fleck (none we contacted would go on the record with their criticisms) say he has been a true professional and easy to work with.
"His views are very progressive and he's very environmentally conscious," said Bond Yee, the interim Director of Sustainable Streets at the SFMTA who has been at the agency four years longer than Fleck. "He epitomizes what the new generation of transportation professionals is becoming. He's a little bit ahead of his time." | <urn:uuid:7ffbfa0c-5241-4a7d-b154-e74ae9d1a73d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sf.streetsblog.org/category/issues-campaigns/traffic-issues-campaigns/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98583 | 525 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin has willy-nilly whipped up a storm in Nepal, with a comment on social networking site Twitter that was interpreted by some as casting doubts on the republic’s sovereignty.
The 48-year-old author, whose books have been banned in Bangladesh forcing her to go into exile since 1994, had been invited to Nepal to attend its first-ever literary festival held in Kathmandu valley from Friday to Sunday.
Taslima was to have released an English translation of one of her books at the Ncell Literature Festival, also attended by former BBC chief in India, Mark Tully, on Saturday.
However, she missed the flight from New Delhi, where she currently resides, as she had left her passport at home by mistake.
By way of an apology, the writer wrote on her Twitter page: “My Nepali friends, I missed my flight to go to Kathmandu today. I forgot to bring my passport as I didn’t consider Nepal a foreign country!”
The comment provoked retaliation from several Internet users who lambasted her for her “ignorance”.
“Controversial author Taslima Nasrin doesn’t know Nepal is a country in itself,” commented an online forum, Nepali.im, while a logger, identifying himself only as Balbahadur, wondered “what else she is ignorant about”.
“Taslima Nasrin, the author of bestseller novel ‘Shame’, could not come to Kathmandu Saturday because she did not carry her passport thinking Nepal was part of India,” Nepali portal nepal-news.com reported.
One of the organisers of the festival, author Ajit Baral, said the comment had been blown out of proportion and that she had apologised in her subsequent telephone conversation, saying she did not mean to offend Nepalis.
Nevertheless, keeping security concerns in mind, Taslima was asked by the organisers not to take the next flight to Kathmandu on Sunday.
A chastened Taslima sent out a tweet once more, correcting her error. She said she considered no country a foreign country. “(The) world is ours and we are one.” | <urn:uuid:27daa0fe-fe39-4779-a282-ca8ba751d987> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1578691/report-for-taslima-nasreen-nepal-part-of-india | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978237 | 477 | 1.71875 | 2 |
I was sourcing the prices of today’s wines (and spirits) and saw that the Crown Royal ‘XR’ Extra Rare Whisky costs $179.95 a bottle. It’s delicious, but it made me think about higher-priced drinks generally. What justifies these prices? Who pays them? Do they actually drink the stuff?
The example that came to mind immediately is Penfolds “Ampoule,” a hand-crafted vessel containing cabernet sauvignon made from the world’s oldest cabernet vines. Eleven of these ampoules were sold at $168,000 each, reflecting the 168th anniversary of the founding of Penfolds. The value of the ampoule certainly isn’t the wine, as lovely as it is, or the fine glasswork, or rarity, but all those things ... plus. When you’re ready to drink the wine, the Penfolds winemaker will travel anywhere in the world to open it, using a special tungsten-tipped implement.
Technically, the $168,000 pales against the $500,000 paid at a 2000 Napa Valley auction for a bottle of 1992 Screaming Eagle cabernet. But that was an “imperial” bottle, equivalent to six standard bottles, so the price per 750mL was a mere $83,000. Just recently, at a Vintages auction in Toronto, a couple paid $52,000 for a bottle of 55-year-old Glenfiddich Scotch whisky.
In both these cases, the proceeds of the auction went to charity, and bidders often pay more when they’re contributing to a worthwhile cause.
But you could argue that anyone who bought a $168,000 ampoule was paying for more than a large, elegant container of cabernet. The added attraction in all these cases is the prestige of owning a rare product.
There are only 11 ampoules, only 11 bottles of the Glenfiddich are known to exist, while Screaming Eagle is difficult to obtain.
Who pays these prices? In many cases, we don’t know, as the purchasers ask to remain unidentified. (That was the case with the Glenfiddich.) Do they drink the wines and spirits? In many cases, I suspect they don’t, because only the full, intact bottle has monetary or other value. An empty bottle has little or none.
I can’t help thinking that I’d be calculating the cost per sip, and would spend more time wondering if it was worth it, than appreciating it. Assuming we sip an ounce of wine at a time, the per-sip price is about $6,000 for the Penfolds, $3,000 or so for the Screaming Eagle, and $2,000 for the Glenfiddich.
As for today’s Crown Royal “XR” whisky, which comes in at a very affordable $7 an ounce, it’s a limited edition whisky from the last batches made at the distillery in Waterloo. The distillery burned down in 1993, and these barrels were saved, giving the whisky cachet in addition to its quality.
Email Rod Phillips at [email protected]. Join him online Thursdays, 2 to 3 p.m. at ottawacitizen.com/winechat, and follow him on Twitter atcfigs val="4"/>âteauneuf-du-Pape 2010
From one of the Rhône Valley’s best-known regions, this is a terrific red that’s full of complex and concentrated fruit. It’s dry with manageable tannins, full bodied, and has a plush but fresh texture. Enjoy it with well-seasoned red meats. 14-per-cent alcohol; $29.95 (42242)
Sierra “Milenario” Extra Añejo Tequila
This aged tequila is for sipping, rather than gulping. It delivers a lot of complexity on the palate and finish, with both sweet and savoury notes. The texture is soft, verging on creamy, and the finish is warm and silky. Drink it straight or on ice. 41.5-per cent alcohol; $65.10 (271932)
Crown Royal “XR” Extra Rare Canadian Whisky
The beautiful copper-amber colour sets you up for concentrated flavours that are layered and focused, with breadth and depth. The texture is round and smooth, with some viscosity, and the finish is long, soft and warm. Drink it straight or on ice. 40-per-cent alcohol; $179.95 (27045) | <urn:uuid:bdda30c5-85b7-4fcd-93a3-f52de83c9a57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/food-wine/Splurging+sips/7477127/story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939509 | 1,008 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Anyone who follows this site knows that I strongly advocate for smart growth policies, infill development and walkable communities with a mixture of various residential, retail and commercial uses. However, I have noticed that while generally supportive of these concepts, many believe that no one in Stockton wants to live in these areas, or that Stocktonians only want to be secluded in their big cookie-cutter subdivisions on the outskirts of town. I have repeatedly argued against this line of thinking, and some new research has emerged to support my stances.
Yesterday, the Council of Infill Builders, a non-profit organization advocating for infill development in California cities, released a report titled “A Home for Everyone: San Joaquin Valley Housing Preferences and Opportunities to 2050.” The report finds demand for sprawl in the Central Valley has reached its peak, and the region should instead strive to accommodate rising demand for apartments, townhomes and condos in walkable areas. These findings are striking, and should give city leaders and developers alike a big wake up call regarding what valley residents want and where they want it.
Here are some of the key findings from the report:
Central Valley residents increasingly favor apartments, condos and townhomes with better public infrastructure: Since 2008, consumer preferences for apartments, condos and townhomes have steadily risen amongst valley residents. By 2050, theses types of developments need to make up 45% of new construction to keep up with growing demand. Support for improving public infrastructure options, such as bike lanes, buses and sidewalks, is also increasing.
Residents are increasingly in favor of saving farmland from residential development: Not coincidentally, valley residents continue to reject the notion that new homes must be built over greenfields. In 2012, 76% supported farmland preservation over residential construction, an increase from an already-hefty 67% in 2008. This finding is particularly important as the American Farmland Trust estimates current growth patterns will lead to the loss of 570,000 acres of Central Valley farmland by 2050, costing the region’s agricultural economy between $100 and $190 billion.
The region’s existing supply of large-lot single family homes may already be sufficient to meet demand until 2050: An analysis on demand trends against existing housing stock concludes that as demand for sprawl-type housing stagnates, our current inventory of large-lot housing is so extensive that that is has already met expected demand in 2050 (read: we have oversupplied McMansions so much that we have achieved market saturation for the foreseeable future).
Central Valley residents want mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods just as much as the rest of the state: The notion that valley residents simply prefer sprawl more than their peers in other parts of the state is unfounded. 37% of valley residents would prefer to rent or own an apartment or townhome with amenities within walking distance and a shorter commute. The average for the rest of the state was 39%, virtually the same.
These results illustrate the region’s growing apathy towards suburban growth and increasing desire for smart growth-type development. And this isn’t just 40 years from now. The Council’s data shows that there is already existing pent-up demand for apartments, townhomes, and condos in the region. Today, 35% of valley residents prefer some sort of attached housing, though these housing types makes up just 29% of the market (and it’s my guess that within this 29%, most units are in areas of high poverty (thank you, zoning!) meaning the actual stock of attached housing that residents prefer is much lower than 29%.)
Yet even as residents begin to show greater affinity for a mixture of housing types, most respondents ultimately still aspire to the big house with the sprawling yard. In fact, 84% said they would live in a large-lot house (though this number is unchanged from 2008 while all other housing types increased in popularity). However, saying you would live in a big house doesn’t necessarily mean that you can. Because mortgages will never be recklessly handed out as they were in the mid 2000s, the report estimates that 45,992 households that may want big houses won’t actually be able to afford them, meaning they will instead require less expensive attached or small lot housing.
In addition to housing, the report also notes that valley retail space will need to grow by 80% by 2050. If city planners and officials are smart, they will steer this retail into more compact areas within the city, creating a more efficient use of space. As I have explained before, compact retail and commercial development is incredibly more efficient compared to your typical strip mall or regional shopping center. The report suggests that this retail growth can be accommodated by reusing existing structures and infill. Even without reusing structures, there is no shortage of empty spaces within Stockton that are ripe for development. The San Joaquin Council of Governments has identified 141 infill opportunity sites– 81 in downtown alone– that present opportunities for infill development.
With the housing market still largely languishing, now is the time to revamp policies to refocus growth inward. As other area cities slash building fees to jump start more sprawl, Stockton needs to take a step back and figure out what it wants for the future. Reducing fees for big developers is backwards thinking, and in the end won’t help meet pent up demand for attached housing or bring much money back into city coffers. Developers have made a fortune paving over farmland, creating placeless, drab subdivisions that drained our city’s budget and the city should make sure this kind of out of control greenfield development is never allowed again. Hopefully, the Council of Infill Builders report should help the city realize that reduced fees for subdivisions are wasteful as the city has enough sprawl: it’s time to invest in our older neighborhoods as well as downtown.
I have argued that smart-growth development is the clear choice for Stockton moving forward: it’s more efficient, better for the environment, better for the local economy, and better for the health of citizens. Now, we have strong evidence that Central Valley residents are increasingly embracing smart-growth development. The demand for better housing options and smarter communities is there and will only continue to grow. Cities must revise their policies to reflect this reality. Reducing permit fees for infill development while raising fees for development on farmland; streamlining permitting processes; revising zoning codes to allow for more mixed uses; eliminating burdensome requirements such as parking minimums. These are all steps Central Valley cities should take to spur infill development. If the city can’t reprioritize growth patterns now, in the depths of sprawl-induced bankruptcy, when will it ever happen? | <urn:uuid:22e75a70-c2c6-459c-8414-dcf5214bc008> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stocktoncitylimits.com/2013/01/24/report-demand-for-infill-development-rising-while-support-for-sprawl-wanes-in-central-valley/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957683 | 1,390 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Bistro and brasserie cuisine is essentially casual food; seasonal and regional favorites that have evolved over many generations with necessity as their driving force. These dishes are not only about sustenance but also comfort. In this course, you’ll prepare delicious bistro classics such as hearty stews, rustic tarts, and simple, yet elegant desserts. You’ll also enjoy step-by-step chef demonstrations of cooking techniques and recipes from the pages of the CIA’s Bistros and Brasseries.
As a participant in this class, you will receive a CIA logo apron and a copy of an award-winning CIA cookbook to take home. | <urn:uuid:ba13a894-92e2-44de-b1ac-c04868073ce5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ce.culinary.edu/ciachef/CourseListing.asp?master_id=1397&master_version=1&course_area=AE&course_number=1460&course_subtitle=00 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940391 | 138 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Key Stage 1, 2 & 3 Short Stay School
Headteacher: Ms P Orton
12 pupils, Mixed
|Unique Reference Number||123349|
|Local Authority||Telford and Wrekin|
|Inspection date||23 June 2009|
|Reporting inspector||Melvyn Blackband|
This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
|Type of school||Pupil referral unit|
|School category||Pupil referral unit|
|Age range of pupils||6–11|
|Gender of pupils||Mixed|
|Number on roll|
|Appropriate authority||The governing body|
|Date of previous school inspection||4 July 2006|
|School address||North Road|
|Telford TF1 3ET|
|Telephone number||01952 385601|
|Fax number||01952 385603|
|Inspection date||23 June 2009|
© Crown copyright 2009
The inspection was carried out by one additional inspector.
The Admaston Centre is a pupil referral unit (PRU) that provides for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The centre admits pupils from their local schools for four half-days each week, over a period of up to 24 weeks. They spend the rest of the time in their usual schools. Pupils are registered at both the centre and the school they come from. A few pupils remain for longer or, occasionally, full time until a permanent alternative placement can be found. There are far more boys than girls. There are currently no pupils from ethnic groups other than White British.
Overall effectiveness of the school
This is a good PRU. The pupils are supported well and they make good gains in their personal development. This is a strength of the unit's provision and plays a crucial role in helping pupils regain their self-confidence as learners and in overcoming their previous unhappy experiences of schools. As a result, their attitudes towards school and learning improve dramatically and this has a positive impact on their progress and achievement.
As a result of their social and behavioural problems, the standards attained by pupils at the time of their entry to the school are below average. Almost all of them, however, achieve well at the centre and start to catch up with other mainstream pupils. They make good progress in reading, spelling and mathematics.
Teaching standards are good throughout the PRU. Teachers know their pupils well and they ensure that their lessons are interesting and well paced. There is a good range of activities in each classroom and these are successfully integrated into the pupils' work in basic skills. The pupils enjoy their work and respond by trying to do their best.
The staff regularly test pupils to assess their gains in progress. Staff analyse and monitor this information well to give them a good overview of provision. Teachers, however, do not effectively record all the small steps in learning which pupils make. As a result, the targets which they set pupils are not always sufficiently challenging or focused clearly enough on each individual's learning needs. Consequently, they do not always help pupils to gain a clear understanding of their own progress or how to improve their work. This slows down the pace of learning.
The curriculum is clearly focused on learning in English and mathematics. There are effective programmes which help the pupils to develop their mathematical, reading, writing and spelling skills. This enables them to keep pace with other children in their mainstream schools and this has a significant impact on their self-image and confidence. The curriculum is enriched by the imaginative use of educational visits to extend the pupils' range of physical activity and their social and cultural understanding. Once they are back full time in their schools, the unit receives clear progress reports and daily information about the pupils' behaviour from the primary schools. The schools and the PRU, however, do not always successfully coordinate information about how well the pupils learn and behave in both situations. As a result, pupils do not always have effective targets for their improvement which would apply in both the schools and therefore reinforce their learning.
The pupils make good progress in their personal development. This underpins their motivation to learn and their good achievement. The pupils thrive within the caring and supportive ethos of the unit. The pupils' behaviour is excellent. As a result of the support and guidance and the good programmes in personal, health and social education, the pupils learn to keep themselves safe and healthy. The pupils value the unit. This is evident through the good relationships they have with staff and their outstanding attendance. The pupils' good progress in gaining basic skills prepares them well for their future learning. Parents are happy for their children to attend, knowing that they enjoy their lessons and that the school has high expectations of their progress. One parent commented, 'They have stabilised his behaviour. He has settled very well and the improvement has been fantastic.'
The headteacher's considerable experience and expertise have enabled her to lead the PRU well since the previous inspection, particularly in ensuring that every pupil's performance is monitored and tracked. This has helped significantly to raise the pupils' achievement. All the pupils get a good deal at the unit and staff take very seriously the importance of every pupil's equal opportunity to succeed.
Staff work as a close-knit team and share a common vision for the school. The school evaluates its work accurately and as a result, development planning focuses clearly on the PRU's priorities for improvement. The management committee is well informed about the PRU's strengths and areas for development. Members are supportive and keep a close eye on the PRU's performance. Good improvement has occurred since the previous inspection and, as a result of the effective procedures now becoming well established within the school, it has a good capacity to improve further.
Achievement and standards
The rate of pupils' progress has steadily improved since the previous inspection and achievement is good. This is because of improvements in teaching and in the monitoring of the pupils' performance. This enables teachers to target support more effectively. Although standards remain below average, most of the pupils make good progress during their stay at the centre and a few do exceptionally well. All the pupils achieve well in learning the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. Most pupils, in a short time, make gains of between one and two years in their reading and number abilities. They quickly narrow the gap between their performance and that expected in mainstream schools. As a result, they thrive better in their schools and their behaviour and attitudes to learning improve.
Personal development and well-being
The pupils' good progress in personal development reflects the unit's strong emphasis on moral and social values. Pupils respond to its clear rules and as a result, they develop good attitudes to learning which in turn helps to ensure they make good progress. Pupils feel safe and confident and know what is expected of them within the unit's calm and supportive atmosphere. They respond by behaving extremely well. The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. For example, pupils demonstrate caring friendships and show concern for the welfare of other children. The pupils enjoy and help to maintain a happy and close family atmosphere. Pupils celebrate each other's achievements in displays and assemblies. They learn about their own community and those of other countries, for example in their 'Caribbean' project. They contribute productively to the school community by relating well to adults and each other. As a result, the pupils have a good understanding of cultural diversity and the importance of community cohesion. The pupils gradually develop a strong awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles through their regular activities in buying and preparing healthy meals. The pupils make good progress in basic skills and this helps them to thrive when they return fully to their mainstream schools or leave for secondary school. Pupils enjoy their learning and the company of other pupils. The pupils feel free from bullying or unpleasantness and they look forward to coming to the unit. This is confirmed by their outstanding attendance. The parents who returned questionnaires, and the many who have responded to the PRU's requests for 'feedback' after their child had left the provision, praised Admaston for its positive impact on their children's lives.
Quality of provision
Teaching and learning
The quality of teaching is good throughout the unit as a result of the effective monitoring by the head of centre. Teachers know their pupils well and this enables them to plan interesting, well-paced lessons. Pupils gain confidence to learn new things, effectively assisted by the high level of individual tuition they receive from their teachers and well-trained teaching assistants. Teachers and support staff are skilled in supporting pupils in developing their numeracy and literacy skills. Teachers manage the pupils' behaviour very well. They create a clear and consistent structure to lessons so that their classrooms are orderly and calm places of learning. This has a significant impact on improving the pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning and thereby in raising their achievement. The teachers use regular reading and mathematical tests effectively to assess and measure progress and inform planning. There are no consistent procedures, however, to record the small steps in pupils' day-to-day learning. As a result, teachers do not always set focused and challenging short-term targets for each pupil, and this slows down pupils' progress.
Curriculum and other activities
The good programmes in basic literacy and numeracy skills are effective both in promoting the pupils' confidence and in supporting learning in other subjects. Literacy and numeracy activities are based on national strategies and this adds rigour to the teachers' planning. There are currently, however, few procedures whereby the unit staff, together with teachers in mainstream, can construct programmes for each pupil which would ensure activities were coordinated and tailored to pupils' specific needs, as they move each day from the unit to their mainstream school. The high levels of support for those with learning difficulties ensure that all pupils have equal access to learning opportunities. The good provision for the development of pupils' personal skills has a significant impact on their achievement. For instance, there are colourful displays which demonstrate the pupils' good knowledge and understanding of healthy lifestyles, keeping themselves safe and the value and enjoyment to be gained from becoming involved in community events. There is a developing range of activities to enrich the pupils' learning experiences and to take them out of the classroom, such as to the local supermarket, enabling them to acquire relevant skills in different situations.
Care, guidance and support
A high priority for the PRU is to provide the best standards of care and support for all of its pupils. The success of this is clearly demonstrated in the pupils' happy and relaxed behaviour. Safeguarding procedures meet national expectations. The pupils benefit from the way that staff make clear to them how well they are doing in both their work and their personal development through meetings and in assemblies to celebrate their achievement. As a result, they have more confidence in their efforts and their ability to learn. The pupils' learning targets, however, are not yet focused enough to give them a clear understanding of how to improve their work. There is good communication between unit staff and teachers in mainstream schools to monitor the pupils' behaviour and attitudes to school. This does not yet extend to sharing information about pupils' academic targets which would help to accelerate their progress. The unit has excellent procedures to monitor and support the pupils' attendance. As a result, this is much higher than is usually seen in similar units. There are good links with parents and with outside agencies to support individual pupils with additional needs.
Leadership and management
Good leadership and management by the head of centre have enabled the unit to maintain consistent improvement on the provision found at the previous inspection. Procedures to monitor pupils' progress have been been strengthened since then, resulting in improved achievement. However, these have not yet incorporated the recording of small steps in learning or consistent target setting, to ensure pupils always learn as fast as they can. There are effective procedures to measure and improve staff performance. Communication within the school is excellent. The staff feel fully consulted, involved and valued. Their professional training has been planned well to focus on the needs of the pupils, especially by its concentration on strategies to manage their behaviour and to support the development of their basic skills. This has led to significant improvements in both these areas of focus. Senior staff effectively manage provision to ensure that students have a good grasp of community cohesion. Leaders evaluate the PRU's work effectively and have accurately identified areas requiring improvement. For instance, they know that procedures to coordinate the pupils' progress at the unit and in mainstream schools could be improved and they are working to correct this. They have also identified the need to further refine and improve procedures for the monitoring of achievement. The management committee provides a high level of expertise to the leadership and management of the unit. The committee members give good support to the school and they effectively monitor the school's strengths and areas for development.
|Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: ofsted.gov.uk.|
|Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate.||School Overall|
|How effective,efficient and inclusive is the provision of education,integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners?||2|
|Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection||Yes|
|How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being?||3|
|The capacity to make any necessary improvements||2|
|How well do learners achieve?||2|
|The standards¹ reached by learners||3|
|How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners||2|
|How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress||2|
|How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the learners?||2|
|The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development||2|
|The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles||2|
|The extent to which learners adopt safe practices||2|
|The extent to which learners enjoy their education||2|
|The attendance of learners||1|
|The behaviour of learners||1|
|The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community||2|
|How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being||2|
|How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of learners' needs?||2|
|How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners?||2|
|How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?||2|
|How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners?||2|
|How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education||2|
|How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards||3|
|The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation||2|
|How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated||2|
|How well does the school contribute to community cohesion?||2|
|How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money||2|
|The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities||2|
|Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements?||Yes|
|Does this school require special measures?||No|
|Does this school require a notice to improve?||No|
24 June 2009
Inspection of Admaston Centre, Telford, TF1 3ET
Not long ago, I came to the unit to see how you were getting on and whether I could suggest anything to make the unit better. You made me welcome and I enjoyed meeting you in the classrooms and in assembly.
I could see that you all enjoy being there. Admaston is a good school. These are some of the good things I found.
I think these things could help the unit to improve even further.
You can help of course, by continuing to work as hard as you do now!
Best wishes to you all. | <urn:uuid:ab24cd4b-e6ab-465b-a6db-1d92f8267a55> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://schooletc.co.uk/school-key-stage-1-2-3-short-stay-school-123349 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964563 | 3,361 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Marc, Jason and Katy had an amazing experience at Major League Baseball's draft at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. We met some of the surviving members of the Negro League baseball teams, picked to represent the current MLB teams in a special event organized by former major league Dave Winfield.
But while we were interviewing the players, we noticed a theme -- we'd ask them about what it was like being a minority in the '40s and '50s, and the differences they see in the world today, and many of them brought up the current political climate. The draft was held less than 48 hours after presidential candidate Barack Obama secured enough electoral and delegate votes to clinch the Democratic nomination, and it was clear most people in the room saw that as another major milestone for African-Americans.
To see the story that sparked this political discussion, click here.
Total Length: 01:16 Views: 3,898 Comments: 1 Favorited: 0 Rating: 5 Votes: 2 | <urn:uuid:6460b2d2-aeaa-4c1f-b7d5-7e934ed6a782> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://growingbolder.com/media/living/politics/political-talk-at-the-mlb-draft-153024.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977269 | 200 | 1.578125 | 2 |
One of the things I do a lot when visiting software groups is simply sit with individuals as they work. Sometimes the person I'm sitting next to is a really superb developer. They finish their work fast and to a high standard and hand the work on to the next person downstream. This next person may also be really skilled but their work might just inherently take longer. If the amount of work passed on exceeds the capacity of the next person then a growing batch of work-waiting-to-be-started-by-the-next-person will naturally form and grow.
This batch of work-waiting-to-be-started-by-the-next-person is waste. That's well known and well written about. What's not so obvious and not so well written about is how it encourages silos to form. It literally forms a barrier between the increasingly separated silos that form on either side of it.
Think of each waiting-work-item as a brick in a wall. But not a long, low, queue-shaped wall that's easy to see over. Rather, a short, high wall. One that you can't see over. One that hinders communication.
The amount of waiting-work between two silos is inversely proportional to the lack of communication between the two silos. The more waiting-work, the less the communication. The less communication the more waiting-work. Round and round it goes.
So, if you have some really superb developers then beware. They might be creating a downstream wall of waiting-work around which silos are forming. | <urn:uuid:e8237c51-0e19-43f6-a08d-513636495a58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jonjagger.blogspot.com/2011_10_13_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964574 | 328 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Beautiful Seeds of Destruction
Painting, 52 x 70 cm
by Gültekin Bilge©
About this artwork: This is the first painting in the Beautiful Seeds of Destruction series. It depicts the dangerous beauty of disease within the human body. The artist employs the whirling technique to produce the image. He created this new style of oil painting by adapting the forms of traditional Turkish marbling, which is a water based technique to imprint designs onto paper. The result generates a similar visual effect to marbling although the technique is entirely different.
Painting, Abstract Expressionism, Oil painting depicting dangerous beauty of disease and effect on humans
83 views | Added Mar 22, 2012 | <urn:uuid:8264297c-a598-4ae8-b82d-53ed31978813> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artmajeur.com/en/artist/gultekinbilge/collection/2010-paintings/1415824/artwork/beautiful-seeds-of-destruction/6071809 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931704 | 140 | 1.835938 | 2 |
food & grocery: University of Michigan Sustainable Food Program hosts first Harvest Festival Oct. 4
courtesy UM Sustainable Food Program
Editor's note: The logo attribution has been corrected.
Five years ago I was considering a career change and made an appointment with an admissions counselor at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy. When I asked him to tell me about the classes and research opportunities they could offer in the area of food policy, he gave me a quizzical look and said he had never heard of it. He assured me they had nothing whatsoever to offer in the area of food policy and food systems.
When I asked for guidance in finding something like that at the University, he told me that it didn't exist but I could check the faculty directory. This Thursday, Oct. 4, as the University of Michigan's Sustainable Food Program embarks on its first Harvest Festival held at the UM Student Farm, I see what a difference five years can make.
Driven in large part by students, food and sustainability have become important issues on campus. Lindsey MacDonald, a master's student at SNRE, is one of four program managers for UM's Sustainable Food Program. She describes UMFSP as " an umbrella organization for student groups addressing food-related issues across campus. By bringing together students, faculty, staff, and community members, we are fostering collaborative leadership that empowers students to create a sustainable food system at the University of Michigan while becoming change agents for a vibrant planet."
MacDonald outlines three main priorities for the group:
1. Developing Responsible Citizens and Leaders by facilitating formal and informal education on sustainable food topics
2. Strengthening Communities through collaborative programming and outreach
3. Growing Sustainable Foods that support the well-being of people and the environment at the University of Michigan and beyond
I had the opportunity to ask MacDonald more about the Harvest Festival taking place at Matthaei Botanical Gardens from 4-8 p.m. Oct. 4 and about the role of students in food and sustainability at the University in general.
KB: What is the goal of the Harvest Festival?
LM: The Harvest Festival will bring together University of Michigan students, staff, and faculty as well as Ann Arbor community members to celebrate sustainable food. With the goal of gathering people from diverse cross-sections of the community, we envision local food champions and their families, UM students and faculty from across academic disciplines, our supporters and volunteers, and potential future collaborators all eating, learning, and celebrating the harvest season together.
Through this event, UMSFP will spread the word about our new endeavors, aspirations, and challenges around campus while cultivating community relationships that will be integral to our success in the future. However, the goal is not just to promote UMSFP but also to recognize and celebrate other local food champions in Ann Arbor.
KB: Who else is involved in putting the fest together?
LM: Matthaei Botanical Gardens is hosting the event and has been an invaluable resource for logistics and publicity. Our UMSFP member groups, student groups who have joined the program, have been donating time, effort, and volunteers as well. These groups include Cultivating Community, the Michigan Sustainable Food Initiative, Brassica--the Ann Arbor Student Food Stand, Friends of the Campus Farm, UM Bees, and the Outdoor Adventures Garden Crew.
The University Unions will be serving up their own seasonal dishes using produce from their local farm partners. Lastly, the event wouldn't be possible without the sponsorship of U of M's Central Student Government and donations from U of M and Ann Arbor community members.
KB: Why are these food programs important UM initiatives?
LM: The University of Michigan creates leaders that go on to make powerful impacts all over the world. If these leaders can learn just a little bit about sustainable food and take that with them to their leadership positions, we could make tremendous positive change for food sustainability. In order to provide students with this knowledge, there is much work to do. We must step up to the challenge by building a farm for experiential learning, by creating the organizational structure for faculty, staff, students, and community to come together on this topic, and by converting student visions into action.
Students are stepping up to make this happen. Students have great energy and come from diverse places, which contributes to the interdisciplinary fabric of this program. The Harvest Festival and UMSFP are trying to harness that energy to make positive change at UM. These initiatives are important because they allow students to creatively tackle problems that occur in our broader society.
KB: What are other food-related initiatives that are happening at UM?
LM: The Central Student Government has taken an active interest in food and now hosts MFarmers' markets selling fresh produce and prepared food straight to students and staff. MHealthy is also working to set up food kiosks in buildings across campus. Classes are forming to discuss hot food topics and really start to increase the breadth and depth of food education on campus. There is also a cluster hire of faculty focused on sustainable food in five different departments in progress. There are student groups focused on community gardens, food labeling in dining halls, and fresh food access, just to name a few.
KB: Why do you think these are happening now?
LM: The momentum is strong right now. Between the discussions of climate change, the Universities Integrated Assessment results, the tremendous success stories in the surrounding community, President Coleman’s acknowledgement of the importance of sustainability, and strong student leadership to get this program off of the ground, this topic will continue to explode with interest.
KB: How much of a difference does the food and sustainability landscape at a university make in choosing which one to attend?
LM: Sustainability matters for this generation of students. Different studies say different things specifically about how much it matters, but I can say with certainty that campus farms are popping up in universities and colleges all over the country, and I don’t just mean small schools, and I don’t just mean agriculture schools. Many of our peer institutions are already growing food that is provided to students, faculty, and staff right on campus.
KB: What do you hope UM will be doing five years from now that it is not currently doing?
LM: Our number one priority is securing funding for a full-time program/farm manager, but we hope to have that completed by the end of the year. In five years, we hope to have a community supported agriculture system set-up, a hoop house, satellite gardens in visible places around campus, internship opportunities for students, leadership development programming associated with the farm, strong partnerships with community groups, and formalized cross-disciplinary learning.
KB: Why are students getting involved with food initiatives?
LM: Students want to make a tangible difference, they want to contribute to something bigger than themselves, they appreciate the community that forms around food, they know that the current industrial system cannot continue like it is, and they love potlucks
NOTE: Tickets to the Harvest Festival are available in advance and at the door. The event features music from Dragon Wagon, Magdelene Fossum, and the Crane Wives, along with fun and educational activities and a lovely meal that University Catering is sourcing from three local farms, including Goetz, Lesser and Todisciuk farms. | <urn:uuid:2e360171-bc7c-497e-934d-adf77461dd80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/um-sustainable-food-programs-first-harvest-festival-october-4th/?cmpid=mlive-@mlive-living-a2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961259 | 1,504 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Willis Marti, chief information and security officer for Texas A&M, said the automated network configuration and change management of NetMRI (an NCCM tool from Netcordia) gives him a holistic view of his network. NetMRI is designed for managing the configuration of multi-vendor network environments like the university. Instead of seeing individual pieces of the network, Marti said, NetMRI shows him an overall network "health score" that gives him a high-level understanding of what is happening with the devices in his network.
NetMRI can complement the major network management systems offered by the "big four" vendors, such as HP OpenView or IBM Tivoli. Those major vendors offer competing
"I've tried AlterPoint," Marti said. "I used them a few years ago. That looked just a little too complex, and it was not as reliable. They were trying to be too multi-vendor, and you had to tune it and tweak it so much."
NetMRI is easier to deploy, and Marti likes the high-level view it gives of his network.
"Most network management tools see your network as a bunch of trees, and I want to see the forest," he said. "I don't want a list of individual routers and have to go through those."
That high-level view of the network has allowed Marti to free up his 18-person networking team to tackle the projects that had been stuck on the drawing board.
"We've accelerated deployment of our wireless LAN," Marti said. "We've gotten 10 gigabit introduced into the network core. We've been able to support a statewide optical network. We've gotten rid of some old network gear about eight months early, because it takes an engineer time to go out there and plan a replacement and do the configuration for new equipment. We have that extra engineering time now. And we're probably going to roll out IPv6 this fall."
Marti said his engineers also had time last year to work with the University of Texas at Austin to dual-home the two schools' independent Internet service providers. While Texas A&M was using Level 3 as an ISP, Austin was using Qwest. The schools collaborated to dual-home their ISPs so that neither has a single point of failure. If Qwest goes down, Austin fails over to Level 3, and if Level 3 goes down, A&M fails over to Qwest.
"We wouldn't have had the planning time to do that originally," Marti said, "because we were having to take care of the little things."
By taking care of the "little things," Marti meant the daily grind of ensuring that his 90,000 edge ports scattered over 340 buildings and his 10 core routing centers were all configured properly on a daily basis. In the days before NetMRI, that configuration management was handled by a combination of paper and digital spreadsheets.
The spreadsheet approach made network debugging difficult and less robust, Marti said.
"The No. 1 problem was inconsistency in software versions and then configurations for hardware, particularly on our routers," he said. "We've probably got 150 to 200 real routers that run complex OSPS and other protocols, and as you go through day by day, sometimes you get inconsistencies. It makes debugging hard, and it might make operations fail."
NetMRI lets Marti enforce a network policy for configuration across the school's systems from one central point.
"You don't have to manually go through the systems and check them," he said. "You create a configuration template and say this is what I want. [NetMRI] will do it or come back and tell you, 'Well, this box is not configured that way or these ports have been changed.' So what that does is let me better leverage my senior engineers."
Those senior engineers can now use the bigger-picture view of the network that NetMRI gives them to pinpoint configuration problems and then send junior engineers out to deal with them. "You don't have to have your senior people dealing with every exception and doing the diagnostics," Marti said.
The Netcordia technology has also helped him demonstrate the business value of IT to the university.
"NetMRI scores are helping me give feedback to the business people," he said. "It helps me justify what I'm spending money on because it gives them a visible score for the network, and I can be pretty confident that what it says about the network is true. Instead of … bits and bytes, I can talk about reliability, operator-caused errors, and I can give them additional functionality."
"The best thing that a network manager can ever be is not a bum," Marti said. "That phone sits on my desk. If it rings, someone is not there saying, 'Willis, you did a great job today.' They're saying, 'Willis, you bum, the network's down.' So the more I can keep the phone from ringing, the better off my group is. But NetMRI gives me a bunch of statistics, so when I have to go to a bunch of meetings and they say, 'Why are you spending this much?' I can say, 'This is why.' "
Let us know what you think about the story; email: Shamus McGillicuddy, News Editor | <urn:uuid:859c3cb6-e8f7-4f6b-b312-3fae31967f22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/news/1317050/Network-configuration-management-software-boosts-university-networking | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977802 | 1,096 | 1.6875 | 2 |
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SOURCE: Cambridge University Press
The latest issue of PS: Political Science & Politics (PS), published by Cambridge University Press, tackles threats facing the climate and the US higher education system, and recaps the accuracy of predictions for the 2012 presidential election published in the journal's final issue of 2012.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) January 18, 2013
Experts from across the political science spectrum have contributed to the debate on all three issues, making for a lively and thought-provoking issue of the journal published on behalf of the American Political Science Association (APSA) by Cambridge University Press.
In the Election Forecast Recap, the journal follows up on its election prediction symposium of October 2012, concluding that it was a good year for most political science election forecasters. Of the 13 presidential election forecasts published in the October issue, eight were within two percentage points of the actual vote (51.9%) and four came within a single percentage point. While it is back to the drawing board for five of the models that had errors, PS concludes that the 2012 election forecasting experience should boost confidence in the models that were on target. Serving as guest editor for this symposium is James E. Campbell, University at Buffalo, SUNY.
The thorny subject of achieving social justice in a changing climate is addressed by a second PS symposium. An issue of major international concern, climate change justice poses significant challenges in terms of social justice, equal rights, and human rights, along with the purely environmental challenges of a changing climate. The articles within this symposium provide new insights to illuminate the debate and offer tangible policy solutions and recommendations. Thom Brooks, Durham University, is guest editor of this symposium.
The third symposium looks at the potentially troubled future of colleges and universities. Traditional colleges and universities are under attack by forces threatening to undermine their business model, governmental support, and operating mission. PS brings together seven distinguished scholar-administrators, each of whom has held leadership roles in major academic institutions, to discuss how political science might contribute to a coherent response. All agree that the ultimate aim is the preservation of US academia’s role in fostering the creation, preservation, and distribution of knowledge and, as a consequence, the spectacular progress across ?elds that American people have come to expect.
This symposium in PS has been guest edited by Gary King from Harvard University and Maya Sen of University of Rochester. Gary King is the Albert J. Weatherhead III University Professor and the founding director of the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University. King develops and applies empirical methods in many areas of political and social research, focusing on innovations that span the range from statistical theory to practical application. The statistical methods and software he has developed are used extensively in academia, government, consulting, and private industry.
Maya Sen is an assistant professor in the department of political science at the University of Rochester. Her research interests include statistical methods, law, and race and ethnic politics, and she is currently examining the relationship between race and ethnicity and judicial decision-making in the federal courts.
Notes to Editors
For further information or to arrange interviews contact Michael Marvin
Marketing Associate, Journals, Cambridge University Press, on (001) 212.337.5041
or at mmarvin(at)cambridge(dot)org
About PS: Political Science & Politics
PS: Political Science & Politics is the journal of record for political science reporting on research, teaching, and professional development. PS, first published in 1968 by the American Political Science Association, is the only quarterly professional news and commentary journal in the field and is the prime source of information on political scientists' achievements and professional concerns.
For more information, go to: http://journals.cambridge.org/psc
About the American Political Science Association (APSA)
APSA, founded in 1903, is the leading professional organization for the study of political science and serves more than 15,000 members in more than 80 countries. With a range of programs and services, APSA brings together political scientists from all fields of inquiry, regions, and occupational endeavors within and outside academe, with the aim of expanding awareness and understanding of politics.
For more information, go to: http://www.apsanet.org/
About Cambridge Journals
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For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/1/prweb10332500.htm
Can't find what you're looking for? | <urn:uuid:d97c6586-c064-4615-88be-fa405d6f55a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cbs19.tv/story/20622917/latest-issue-of-ps-political-science-politics-presents-research-on-climate-education-and-the-2012-us-presidential-election | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932858 | 1,165 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Statement on Monetary Policy – May 2008
Box C: Trends in Intermediation
About 17 per cent of household and business borrowing is funded directly through capital markets, compared with 11 per cent a decade ago (Table C1). In recent months, this process of disintermediation has been partly reversed as businesses have resorted to borrowing from banks with capital markets largely closed, and as the temporary absence of securitisation markets has seen a larger share of household borrowing being funded directly from the balance sheets of financial intermediaries.
The share of business borrowing that is funded directly through capital markets rose from about 15 per cent in 1998 to a peak of about 25 per cent in mid 2005 (Graph C1). This was mainly due to strong growth in bond and hybrid security issuance by large corporates; smaller businesses continued to rely on banks for funding as the fixed costs and minimum practical size for capital market funding are prohibitively high. Demand from corporates for debt funding, a switch by banks away from traditional lending to facilitating customers’ participation in capital markets, and strong demand for debt securities from institutional investors all contributed to the shift towards non-intermediated debt.
The onset of the capital market turbulence in mid 2007 saw corporate bond and hybrid security issuance fall sharply, as investors were only willing to purchase highly rated debt. With the fall in corporate debt issuance being largely offset by an increase in borrowing from banks, the share of business borrowing that is non-intermediated has fallen by 5 percentage points to 16 per cent. The share of business borrowing that is securitised – largely small business loans and equipment finance – has risen slowly over the past decade to a little over 2 per cent. This too has contracted slightly over the past nine months.
The value of loans to households directly funded through capital markets has grown rapidly over the past decade. The outstanding value of securitised housing loans – funded by both residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) and asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) – has grown at an average annual rate of around 25 per cent since March 1998, rising from 8 per cent of housing loans outstanding to peak at 24 per cent in mid 2007. While total housing credit growth was strong through the late 1990s and early 2000s, the rapid growth of the share funded by securitisation was driven by institutional investors’ demand for highly rated debt securities which resulted in relatively cheap funding for mortgages through securitisation. With this accessible source of funding, specialist mortgage originators and smaller banks gained market share with highly competitive interest rates. The value of personal loans that are securitised has also increased, but remains a small share of total personal loans outstanding.
Asset-backed securities have been at the forefront of the difficulties in credit markets. Since July 2007, there has been virtually no issuance of RMBS and a reduced amount of ABCP has been rolled over. Combined with the rapid repayment of securitised mortgages, at about 25 per cent each year, the share of outstanding housing loans funded through securitisation has fallen to around 18 per cent. New housing lending has been financed largely on the balance sheets of financial intermediaries, particularly the five largest banks. This has occurred through increases in their share of the housing finance market, and through loans to fund warehouse facilities used by smaller lenders.
With most commentators expecting little securitisation this year, the share of lending funded directly through capital markets is likely to fall further. But with the underlying drivers of the shift towards capital market funding – intermediaries’ lending growing faster than their deposits, strong demand for highly rated bonds from institutional investors, and a sophisticated and successful securitisation industry – still in place, it is likely that securitisation will recover. Issuance of debt securities by large corporates would also be expected to pick up in calmer markets. | <urn:uuid:670d824e-f020-4e28-8667-b622641e3183> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2008/may/html/box-c.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96759 | 787 | 1.59375 | 2 |
September 10, 2009
Thursday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 6: 27-38
Jesus said to his disciples: "To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit (is) that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."
Introductory Prayer: God the Father, thank you for the gift of creation, including my own life. God the Son, thank you for redeeming me at the price of your own Body and Blood. God the Holy Spirit, thank you for being the sweet guest of my soul, enlightening my mind, strengthening my spirit and and kindling the fire of your love in my heart.
Petition: Lord Jesus, help me to actively seek the perfection you desire for me.
1. Revolution or Civil War?
The values that Jesus proposes in his sermon on the mountain might be termed “revolutionary.” Never had the ideal of love been placed so high, demanding such heroism in practice. That’s why what Jesus asks provokes a struggle within me, between the “old man,” who resists this message, and the ideals my Lord places before me. This might be termed a “civil war” played out on the battlefield of my heart.
2. The Golden Rule
Jesus gives me what has been termed the “Golden Rule”: do to others as you would have them do to you. Since I naturally love myself to the point of desiring all good things and nothing bad to come my way, Jesus exhorts me to transfer that benevolence to others. This requires an effort for me, since I tend towards egoism. What can lift me up out of my smallness, my narrowness?
3. Becoming like God
God’s plan for me is marvelous. It exceeds my comprehension to hear Jesus tell me to be perfect, not according to a standard of human perfection, but according to divine perfection. My vocation is to become like God – for his divine life to increase in me and for my narrow, egoistic standards to diminish and disappear. I would not strive for such a high goal, if it were not commanded by my Lord. I must trust that he can do it in me. What I have to do is to collaborate with him, seeking him in prayer and discerning his will for me always.
Conversation with Christ: I thank you, Lord Jesus, for wanting to transform me into a greater likeness of God. Without you, this is impossible. With you, everything is possible, even in me with all my weaknesses and limitations. Your will be done!
Resolution: I will transform my way of judging from my point of view to God’s. Today I will strive to put into practice the “Golden Rule”.
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Write a comment on this article| | <urn:uuid:7af9e2d3-3aa7-4088-a25f-69d74537b2c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catholic.net/index.php?option=dedestaca&id=3831&grupo=&canal= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959126 | 968 | 1.625 | 2 |
Genes Reunited Blog
Welcome to the new Genes Reunited blog!
- We regularly add blogs covering a variety of topics. You can add your own comments at the bottom.
- The Genes Reunited Team will be writing blogs and keeping you up to date with changes happening on the site.
- In the future we hope to have guest bloggers that will be able to give you tips and advice as to how to trace your family history.
- The blogs will have various privacy settings, so that you can choose who you share your blog with.
The British Newspaper Archive
Read about historical events at the time they were happening. Perhaps you'll discover your ancestor in their local newspaper?
The next episode of Who Do You Think You Are? will delve into the family history of Bee Gees singer, Robin Gibb. We think they will focus on Mathew Gibb, a decorated soldier and Robin’s paternal great- grandfather. Not wanting to spoil any surprises in the show (that would be a tragedy) we have looked into the early life of Robin Gibb.
Robin Gibb was born on the Isle of Man in 1949 to Hugh and Barbara Gibb. Robin and his twin, Maurice were the youngest in the family, with two older brothers, Barry and Andrew, and one older sister, Lesley. The family moved to Manchester in the 1950s and then onto Australia.
We found the voyage of the Gibb family on the Passenger records. On the 5th August 1958 they travelled from Southampton to Sydney, Australia on a ship called M/V Fairsea.
His family then settled in Brisbane where the brothers, Robin, Maurice and Barry continued to sing. In 1967 they returned to England where their music careers flourished and the Bee Gees became very successful.
We are really looking forward to the show to see what surprises are uncovered! Don’t forget it’s on this Wednesday on BBC at 9:00pm. Our team will be on facebook and twitter as the show goes out so make sure you join in the conversation! | <urn:uuid:3a2e96d2-abde-48be-b298-23b5d1e74efd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/blog/genes-reunited-blog/archive/2011/9/20/who-do-you-think-you-are-robin-gibb-episode-7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964725 | 424 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Achieving a slimmer summer body for swimsuit season and beyond
(BPT) - Longer days, bright sun and warm weather can serve as a well-needed dose of motivation to get fit for summer. The trick is to sustain that energy through each changing season as you strive to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
If you need some help in developing healthier habits, Weight Watchers Leader and success story Liz Josefsberg, offers five tips to achieving a slimmer summer body by starting now in the spring:
Dive into a fresh fitness routine
Spring has arrived, so embrace it and all the physical fitness activities you can enjoy in the warmer months. Take a look at when, where and what you're currently doing to stay active, and shake up your routine with new seasonal activities like swimming, tennis or running outside. Challenge yourself each month to find a new activity that gets you out and keeps you going through the spring and beyond.
Pack portable snacks
Hunger can strike while you're out and about. Avoid the temptations of french fries or chicken fingers available at concession stands. Instead, pack your purse or bag with portable snacks that can stave off hunger and keep you satisfied. Suggestions include sweet sliced apples, reduced fat string cheese, seedless watermelon and even a fresh cucumber salad to help keep you cool.
Drink up but skip the calories
Keeping hydrated is key to healthy living, but many drinks have the calorie equivalent of a candy bar. To help reduce your caloric intake, alternate sugary drinks with a calorie-free drink like water, sun tea or diet soda. Find water to be too boring? Give your water some "bling" with seasonal flavors of fresh fruit like lime, lemon and orange. And if you're heading out for an evening of socializing, look for alcoholic drinks with the least amount of sugar and calories like light beer.
Also keep in mind that some all natural fruit juices may have the same calories as the real fruits, but eating an apple is much more satisfying. If you are a Weight Watchers member, a fresh apple has zero PointsPlus values, compared to two PointsPlus values for a half cup of apple juice.
Keep your mind focused
Taking a vacation doesn't have to be a reprieve from pursuing your healthy living goals. Avoiding reality can lead to even more weight gain. Get on your scale weekly, even if you enjoyed an overindulgent meal or weekend, so you can continue moving forward in a positive direction.
Slim up your social scene
Create a support environment within your social circles by organizing healthy meals and activities. Build your gatherings around outside games like volleyball, golf or even rafting. Hold healthy potlucks and invite your friends and family to bring their favorite renovated dishes and recipe cards to swap.
Get out and enjoy the warmer months. Use Liz's five tips to succeed this spring in attaining a healthier lifestyle for summer. Visit WeightWatchers.com
for more tips, recipes and information about the program. | <urn:uuid:f3ebcd9f-ae10-439a-9375-3bfc1384e951> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.therecordherald.com/section/?template=araArchiveDetails&CategoryID=9&article=8054520405&archive=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939491 | 619 | 1.789063 | 2 |
WASHINGTON - The chairman of an independent commission probing the UN's oil-for-food programme has blamed lapses at the world body on a "systemic problem" instead of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Paul Volcker, who chaired a year-long investigation of the scandal-plagued US$64 ($92.63) billion humanitarian programme for Iraq, also disputed a senator's description of a "culture of corruption" at the United Nations, saying he found "limited" corruption.
Volcker testified to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee on investigations, chaired by Minnesota Republican Norm Coleman who has called for Annan's ouster and for a drastic overhaul of the United Nations.
Last week, Volcker's panel issued a report that showed 2200 companies from around the world that did business with Iraq in the oil-for-food programme fed Saddam Hussein's regime nearly US$2 billion either through straight bribes or surcharges on oil sales.
Pressed by Coleman on whether Annan should be fired for corruption in the oil-for-food programme and other problems, Volcker said, "I think it is a systemic problem."
The secretary-general's job has become too broad, Volcker said, and cannot focus enough attention on administering the world body.
"The structure needs to be strengthened in a way so there are fewer excuses for escaping responsibility," said Volcker, a former US Federal Reserve chairman.
Volcker also warned against a rush to try to force the United Nations to undertake drastic reforms this year, saying: "I'd rather get it right than get it next month."
He rejected calls from some Republicans in Congress to slash US dues to the United Nations. "I don't like the idea of the United States unilaterally cutting off money," he said.
Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the subcommittee's senior Democrat, blamed the oil-for-food programme corruption partly on lax oversight by the United States and other countries.
Levin asked Robert Werner, director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, why it took eight months for OFAC to contact Texas company Bayoil USA after UN overseers who suspected illegal activity sought the US government's help in 2001.
Werner, who was not at OFAC at the time, said, "There was a serious problem with the way OFAC addressed this issue," and that "there was true confusion as to the way this programme was to be administered".
He also noted the agency is strained by demands of sanctions programmes, which currently total about 30.
Bayoil was the first US company to be indicted in the oil-for-food probe, on criminal charges of a scheme to pay millions of dollars in secret kickbacks to Iraq. | <urn:uuid:3a3cfe36-642e-4294-8703-3f22f4132a37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10353041 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958027 | 564 | 1.585938 | 2 |
CLEARWATER TRIBUNE HOME
FEBRUARY 18, 2010
Joanne Deyo and Penny Raddon (l to r) with a quilt constructed by the Clearwater Quilters.
Fabric scraps become “Comfort Quilts”
During January at least 20 different sewers turned their fabric scraps into sewn blocks which are the building blocks to construct a completed quilt. Then, at the Clearwater Quilters January monthly work party club members and community volunteers sewed the blocks into larger comfort quilts. Completed lap robes and quilts are then donated to local charities.
Clearwater Quilters President Rosan Monaghan said that at the last work party eight people worked to turn the blocks into completed lap robes. More blocks were donated and the club now has enough to make several more lap robes, but will happily accept more.
Each month a different
pattern is selected and sewers from our area are asked to make the blocks from
their fabric scraps at home. The February block is a modified Monkey Wrench. If
made with a floral print it will
be put together for Clearwater Health & Rehab Center. If made with a child’s print it will be assembled for the Northwest Burn Foundation.
If you are interested in
making a block stop at either the Wild Hare on Johnson Ave. or at Material Girls
on Hwy. 12 for instructions and the pattern. The final Friday of the month is a
workshop sew day to turn the
donated blocks into completed lap robes and quilts.
Everyone is welcome to join the workshop to be held at the Wild Hare this month which will be on Feb. 26. Sewing enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds are welcome at the monthly meeting of Clearwater Quilters held the second Thursday of each month at the First Christian Church on Michigan Ave. | <urn:uuid:b42b970b-29f2-44e1-b560-c3c6d6d533a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clearwatertribune.com/Weekly%20Pages/02-18-10/Feb1810ComfortQuilts.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955981 | 382 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Though it’s been around in one form or another for decades, Bentley’s huge flagship Arnage/Azure is soon to be retired. The 2009 Bentley Azure T, launched at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, is the model line’s swan song—and with a 5.2-second 0-to-60-mph time and a 179-mph top speed, the three-ton ragtop represents a helluva way to go out.
But Bentley won’t be without a flagship for long. The ultra-lux market “is our heartland,” said Stuart McCullough, board member for sales and marketing, during an interview at the L.A. show. He went on to say that the Arnage replacement will have an “attitude toward craftsmanship and longevity.” We take that to mean it will have classic styling and a palatial, extremely lavish interior that does not strive so hard to look modern as its market rival, the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
At the same time, we should also expect the new car to utilize more space-age materials such as the advanced lightweight-polymer seat tracks rendered through rapid prototyping that are found in the $400K Brooklands coupe and the new Azure T.
Finally, the new flagship will also be a torque monster, just like its predecessors. McCullough said that the company focuses on “performance delivery”—i.e. forceful acceleration through extremely high low-end torque. “Our engineers are obsessed with low-end torque.” Good. So are we.
Bentley to Focus on Individualization in the Future
Without getting any more specific about that car, McCullough did give us an idea of what we can expect from Bentley as a brand. “We would like to take coachbuilding further.” He referenced Bentley’s history back in the 1920s and 1930s of selling a chassis and engine to a customer, who would then have input on the design of the body and interior that would be fitted around them. Of course, this initiative will have to work within today’s much stricter regulatory framework in terms of safety and emissions, he said. Bentley is already renowned, however, for its Mulliner custom-build program that includes long-wheelbase versions of the Arnage, armored cars, and purpose-built vehicles built for royalty, so if there’s any company experienced enough to know how far it can push the envelope, it’s Bentley.
Also—surprisingly—another Bentley insider at the show also said that the company is preparing a plan to reduce emissions of its cars “to Prius levels.” We’ll hear about this plan in early 2009, likely at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, at which point we’ll see to what extent that might be an exaggeration.
Arnage Replacement to Have it All
The Arnage replacement, then, should embody all of the above: classic styling, a high level of customizability, and torque for days, with a nod to the environment tossed in for good measure. Bentley has released an official teaser image shown here, all but confirming its pledge to “classic styling,” with sheet metal sculpting reminiscent of the current Arnage. It will face more competition than ever, including not just the Phantom, but also the next-generation Maybach as well as the next Lagonda, which will be sold through Aston Martin dealer channels but is expected to share much with the Maybach. The new grand Bentley will be revealed (along with its name) at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 16.
As for derivatives of the popular Continental lineup, such as a rumored Continental “lightweight,” McCullough has no comment other than “anything is possible.” | <urn:uuid:4e7a6fad-2f83-4eed-855d-563fca417819> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.caranddriver.com/news/bentleys-best-yet-to-come-auto-shows | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955434 | 803 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Brilliant Knit Beads with Betsy Hershberg »
InstructionsThe knitted beads in this piece are all worked with techniques taught in the Brilliant Knit Beads class. Just strung the knitted beads with some beautiful, large resin beads that look like Amber and some larger glass pony beads.
Type of item: Accessory
Style: Whimsical, Classic
Silk and Tencel fibers, Japanese glass seed beads, wooden beads (underneath the knitted wrappers), large resin beads, C-Thru stringing thread, Sterling Silver and art glass clasp.
What was your inspiration?
My fellow instructor (and occasional roommate when we are fortunate enough to be teaching at the same venue) Fiona Ellis inspired this piece, although I didn't recognize that until it was finished. I thought I was making it to go along with an old Bakelite bangle bracelet that is the same yummy butterscotch/amber color as the large resin beads I was lucky enough to stumble upon. But as I made the beads, I kept hearing Fiona's voice telling me to "Go big or go home!" She is an amazing designer of taste and ingenuity with a fun personality that is as lively and bold as I wanted this necklace to be. I love wearing it and it always makes me think of her.
What are you most proud of?
The way I was able to coordinate and integrate all the various colors, shapes and sizes of the beads to fit together and lay so well around the neck. That took some doing! You can see how well it hangs in the last picture where it is on a display form. When it lies flat, as in the first picture, this is not quite so obvious.
What advice would you give someone starting this project?
Start out by making several different sizes and colors/techniques of knitted bead balls along with choosing any other types of beads you think might work with the knitted beads. Then begin to string them to see how they'll work together. You can then create additional knitted beads to fill in the spaces and create the lengths you need. Using some kind of display form to hang the various lengths on as you are working is really helpful. | <urn:uuid:d566c422-a1db-4c4c-a89b-cbad8440bd01> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.craftsy.com/project/view/fiona/74880 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965794 | 456 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Government yet to set ContactPoint closure date
Regs changes to be made 'in due course'
The Department for Education has yet to set a timetable to abolish the controversial database of all children in England.
A spokesperson for the department told GC News that, unlike ID cards and the National Identity Register, the abolition of ContactPoint does not require primary legislation.
She said that necessary changes to regulations will be made in "due course", but did not indicate when this would be.
The cost of ContactPoint would have reached £227m over five years, including £24m for setting it up. The former Department for Children, Schools and Families had budgeted £41m annually for its operating costs.
However, the Labour government had estimated that the database would save five million practitioner hours, equivalent to £88m a year, once it was fully operational.
ContactPoint, designed by Capgemini, holds basic information on children, including name, address, and an identifying number, along with names and contact details of parents or cares, but not private records or subjective information.
Plans for a national child index were announced in 2005. The aim was to improve child protection by enabling social services to share data across agency boundaries. The plans were a response to the recommendations of the Laming inquiry into the abuse and death of eight year old Victoria Climbie in 2000.
However, the database raised concerns among privacy lobbyists about what it would store and who would be allowed access.
This article was originally published at Kable.
Kable's GC weekly is a free email newsletter covering the latest news and analysis of public sector technology. To register click here. | <urn:uuid:0b8e7da0-c3b2-4a12-a073-eb1787935fd6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/26/contactpoint_closure/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970986 | 339 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Mesoporous Silica: A novel drug delivery platform for stable AMORPHOUS FORMULATIONS
Ken K. Qian and Terrence J. Udovic
An overwhelming number of drug candidates emerging from discovery are poorly soluble in water. This problem, which made the cover story of Chemical & Engineering News in 2010, is one of the most difficult challenges the pharmaceutical industry is facing today. To overcome this obstacle, amorphization of crystalline drugs stands at the forefront among the various strategies. An amorphous drug has higher solubility in comparison to its crystalline counterpart, the implication of which is exceedingly valuable in pharmaceutical formulation and product development. However, stability, both physical and chemical, remains an unresolved issue. Thermodynamically, an amorphous solid is at a higher free-energy state than its corresponding crystalline phase. Dynamically, molecules in a glassy state often have greater mobilities than those in crystal lattices. The very properties that make them attractive for solubility enhancement also make them susceptible to re-crystallization and/or chemical degradation.
Our approach to stable amorphous formulations is to confine drugs in mesoporous silica (SiO2), which have mean pore diameters between 2 nm and 50 nm, and large surface areas. Because of the reduced dimensionality and large interfacial effects, matter in nano-porous materials exhibits properties that are drastically different from the corresponding bulk phases. In this report, we used ibuprofen and lidocaine as two model compounds, representing acidic and basic classes of molecules, respectively. Using neutron and X-ray scattering, we elucidated the molecular interactions and structural arrangements of the confined species. More importantly, we proposed a mechanism that is responsible for the inhibition of nucleation and crystal growth of drugs. These scientific insights are essential to the development of a stable amorphous product. | <urn:uuid:752a6c09-35bf-47bc-9011-2dccc49cd53a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nist.gov/sigmaxi/2013%20Posters/Abstracts/A25M.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933045 | 384 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Barack Obama, Mitt Romney
The first debate between President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney on Wednesday, October 3, is expected to be the steel cage match of the political season. They'll meet again on October 16 and October 22. TV Guide Magazine asked experts who have been on the front lines of past presidential campaigns to tell us what to expect — and what the candidates need to do to win.
ROMNEY MUST STRIKE EARLY
If Romney remains behind in the polls in the battleground states, the first match up will be "do or die" for the Republicans, says Nicolle Wallace, a senior adviser to John McCain's 2008 presidential bid who is now an analyst for ABC News. "There is no other opportunity for him to shake up the race." First impressions matter more than ever as early voting has already begun in 30 states. "Some people are probably going out to the polls after they watch the first or second debate," adds CNN analyst Donna Brazile, who managed Al Gore's presidential campaign.
GAFFES CAN BE GAME-CHANGING
Both candidates have a track record of making clumsy statements (see: Romney's "47 percent" remarks to campaign donors and Obama's "You didn't build that.") Spoken in front of a massive debate audience, such comments become more than cable news fodder. "When 60 million Americans are watching and somebody says something off the cuff that is inarticulate — that can be very powerful," says Matthew Dowd, an ABC News contributor who was chief strategist in George W. Bush's 2004 campaign. Romney has more at risk.
"Especially with some of the issues he's trying to reverse," says Brazile. "Viewers will be asking, 'Does he understand people like me?' If he comes across with something like, 'I like firing people,' that would be devastating."
THE PRESIDENT HAS TO STAY COOL, BUT NOT TOO COOL
Look for Romney to attempt to get under Obama's skin and make him less likable. "Obama sometimes looks irritated and annoyed and peeved," says Wallace. "There is an opportunity for Romney to look like the good, smart, earnest student by comparison." Brazile says the president has to humanize himself and his record. "The constitutional lawyer cannot show up," she says. "The president has to avoid sounding like a Washington insider. He has to put a face on the people he has helped."
LOW EXPECTATIONS WILL HELP ROMNEY
The Obama campaign has depicted Romney as an out-of-touch millionaire businessman. Late-night comics portray him as heartless and hapless. The debates give Romney a chance to surprise viewers who haven't yet been paying close attention. It's happened before. The bar could not have been lower for Ronald Reagan, who was seen by many as an ill-informed shallow actor with an itchy nuclear trigger finger by the time he faced Jimmy Carter in their only 1980 debate. "Reagan not only answered questions, but he seemed in command of the facts," Brazile says. Wallace, who also handled communications for George W. Bush's reelection campaign, recalls how the Republicans ran up a significant lead in 2004 after defining Sen. John Kerry as an effete, windsurfing flip-flopper. But "when Kerry stood on stage with Bush in the debates, he had a real command of foreign policy, as we knew he would, and it knocked Bush's poll numbers down 13 points," she says.
EXPECT A BATTLE ROYALE BETWEEN THE RUNNING MATES
When the vice presidential candidates debate on October 11, don't expect to see the restrained Joe Biden who debated Sarah Palin in 2008. "He's a vice president who's very unscripted and very passionate," says Dowd. "In Paul Ryan you have a young guy who has a complete sense and clarity about what he believes is right and wrong. He won't back down." While Biden is prone to foot-in-mouth moments, fact-checkers will be gunning for Ryan after his sketchy GOP convention speech. "A narrative has started to build for him that he'll say stuff that is not necessarily based on the truth," says Dowd.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
"Because of experience, I'd bet on Obama and Biden," says Dowd. "They've been through this on a national level. They don't have to bone up on a lot of stuff." But Brazile notes that Romney was formidable during the primary debates. "He was the most prepared candidate," she recalls. "He was well-rested and always came across cleared-eyed and focused." Get out the popcorn!
Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now! | <urn:uuid:fed1144f-8b67-4294-941d-f61fd64d9e29> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://classic-tv.com/news/the-biz-inside-the-great-debates.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981763 | 966 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Jugglers, a giant slide and informational stations covered the grounds of Gateway Crossing Wednesday during the Hagerstown Housing Authority's annual Community Fair.
Diane Rudisill, director of resident services for the housing authority, said the fair offers children a chance to play and their parents an opportunity to discover programs that are designed to help them become more self-sufficient.
Rudisill said housing authority residents comprise low- to middle-income individuals and families. The amount of their rent is based on income.
"We're bringing in people from all over the development communities," said Rudisill, noting that the Boys & Girls Club shuttled residents to the event from Noland Village and other housing authority communities. "It's primarily for residents of the Hagerstown Housing Authority, but anyone can come."
Gateway Crossing is a 352-unit housing authority development that was built about seven years ago on the West End of Hagerstown. The Elgin Station community center was added to the project to give residents a place to learn about computers and gain other skills.
The community center also provides Headstart programs for the children of the Gateway Crossing community, and the Boys & Girls Club of America has a branch there to offer after-school programs.
Children enjoyed games, hot dogs and ice cream outside of the Elgin Station building while parents were invited inside to talk to more than 35 vendors who gave free advice on topics that ranged from nutrition to higher education opportunities.
Paula Ernst, community health educator for the Washington County Health Department, said she set up a table inside Elgin Station to tout the Tobacco Free for Life Program.
"We just want people to know we deal with all kinds of tobacco, not just smokers," she said. "We want our youth to understand the dangers of tobacco use, and we're reaching out to the parents to let them know about our programs."
Many of the children who attended the Community Fair received free school supplies from the Washington County Department of Social Services.
Noland Village resident Kathy Reedy said the school supplies were a big help.
"Even though I only have one (child), it takes away some of the financial burden," she said.
Billie Jo Tracey, who has five children, agreed.
"We come almost every year for the kids," she said. "It's a big help." | <urn:uuid:e6f2c136-574d-4216-a81f-12e3246422a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.herald-mail.com/2011-08-10/news/29874392_1_hagerstown-housing-authority-community-center-school-supplies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971922 | 485 | 1.679688 | 2 |
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