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|Try free version:| | <urn:uuid:d18177e8-3b42-41f8-b5cb-8a4b1037b31e> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://a32.me/2013/02/php-html-css-javascript-editor-ide-codelobster-php-edition/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.804455 | 461 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The American Academy in Rome awards the Rome Prize to a select group of artists and scholars, after an application process that begins in the fall of each year. The winners, announced in the spring, are invited to Rome to pursue their work in an atmosphere conducive to intellectual and artistic freedom, interdisciplinary exchange, and innovation.
The encounter with Rome represents now, as it has done since the Academy’s inception, something unique: a chance for American artists and scholars to spend significant time interacting and working in one of the oldest, most cosmopolitan cities in the world. The richness of Rome’s artistic and cultural legacy and its power to stimulate creative thinking served as the initial impetus for the Academy’s founding. Today, those tendencies live on, transformed as ever by the dynamism of the Academy’s constantly evolving community. The community includes Fellows, Residents, Visiting Artists and Scholars, and, come June, members of academic Summer Programs. | <urn:uuid:c6b8c7d9-a6d9-4799-be6a-b1541b04f04e> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://aarome.org/about/mission | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957394 | 195 | 1.546875 | 2 |
When demonstrators started throwing bottles and planks of wood at police who were lining Cermak and Michigan, it wasn't a surprise, based on our review of sometimes dramatic communications between special dispatchers in a command center a few miles away and field commanders on the scene.
Chicago police radio: "We have intel by the stage, people are preparing to throw things at the police ? the Black Bloc have a sheet of paper and they are gathering and making a plan, FYI."
The Black Bloc is a group of about 200 men and women dressed in black most covering their faces known to be violent at previous protests. They had left the march area but then returned.
Chicago police radio: "The black bloc are gearing up, they have eye and ear protection...we're all geared up and waiting your command."
"It's the best listening I've heard," said Dave Weaver, Radioman911.com
Weaver's website streams local public safety communications. Radioman911.com hit its highest number of viewers ever, when protestors collided with police just after the march finished.
"When you hear what they had to deal with and how intense it was, you understand that their job is so critical to our own safety and we are lucky to be in this city with that type of expertise," said Weaver.
As tensions escalated, that expertise helped police at the front lines know what was going on around them.
Chicago police radio: "The Black Bloc, if you can't see them, they are in the middle holding those flags up. Do not lose them, stay with them, you are doing perfect ... use caution, be alert, all eyes on the response team get to the vehicles and get your helmets, watch out they're giving hand signals. Reinforce that fence line."
With that, from our high camera, it was evident that the Black Bloc was moving as a wedge toward the police line. By speeding up our video, you can see the group's intentional push to the front lines. Once there, they took up positions facing officers and so began the clash.
Chicago police radio: "They got a lot of things to throw at the officers, rocks coming into the crowd ... NATO units, use caution, they're throwing rocks now ... Full on push, full on push ... You're on camera guys, stay with your training. You're on camera, stay with your training .... Forward march. Forward march...State Police is coming behind you. There's a lot of resources coming ... You guys are looking good, you're looking good. You're on camera. Stick with your training. Anyone that is going to batter a police officer, you grab them and you pull them through ... Officers, officers, if someone batted a police officer, you pull him through to the arresting side, you stick with your training. Stick with your training, you're on live TV."
Our cameras caught a member of the bomb and arson squad looking through trash cans near Cermak and Michigan.
"What is very significant is one of our undercovers saw what he believed to be an incendiary device in a backpack," said Supt. Garry McCarthy, Chicago Police Department. "There was a liquid in there that we're having tested and I haven't gotten results yet."
The person suspected of placing it there was taken into custody.
Chicago police radio:"Reinforce your line, like your training, reinforce your line, if a policeman gets battered you pull them through, pull them through and let the other guys take care of it. You're on TV, just stick with your training, you're looking good ... they want an ambulance to come northbound on State Street to Cermak, northbound on State Street for an injured civilian ... Injured officer 24th and State, injured officer, we'll get an ambulance rolling ... Right now the hot zone is running up from Cermak and Michigan. That's a bad area right now. Avoid that area as much as you can. We want the message to say to move west, we want the message to say that they need to move west, to disperse."
After Sunday's skirmish on the South Side, attorneys representing protesters said that they documented at least 50 instances of police brutality. On social media sites, protesters made additional claims of brutality. But the Independent Police Review Authority says only three people have come forward to file formal complaints of excessive force. An additional complaint was filed by someone who said police were "rude." | <urn:uuid:9fdff269-2f33-4fed-a1b7-d3c69ea2ab58> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://abc7chicago.com/archive/8674644/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977145 | 921 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Leila's words struck Doris with such force that she hasn't ever been able to see in herself what the rest of the world sees in her. "The more important the person is to you, the more it sticks," Warren said.
Doris was gorgeous and bright, though a little bit of a late bloomer. "Doris was a total knockout and smart as anybody could be. She was a star as long as I can remember. Actually, more so than either Bertie or me. And she had a father who told her she was a star, but not a mother." Warren was two years behind her in school and he would hear stories about his older sister. "Everybody knew who Doris was. And there were plenty of boys. No shortage.
"I tell people never to use sarcasm with their kids," he said. "If you become a great actress or a billionaire, it sticks with you. She remembers the remarks from my mother more so than that every boy in the senior class wanted to go out with her. She had it all. She still does."
For years, grandson Alex said, "She felt like people in the family looked down on her because she wore her whole life on her sleeve. Everybody knew about her failed marriages. And 1987 [the mistake that wiped her out in the stock market crash] was so well-documented by the media. She felt like the black sheep of the family." It was a role her mother had prepared Doris for since she was three.
One year syndicated advice columnist Ann Landers, who was a stockholder in Berkshire Hathaway, came to an annual meeting. "What would you ask her?" someone asked Leila.
"What do you do," she replied, "when you don't like your children?"
In "Giving It All Away" author Michael Zitz examines the life of Doris Buffett -- Warren Buffett's older sister -- from growing up with an emotional abusive mother to donating more than $100 million to support women and children in need. | <urn:uuid:dde14d7d-e47a-45fe-9b32-218b98257e00> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/giving-dorris-buffett-story-michael-zitz/story?id=10827641&page=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.993589 | 417 | 1.539063 | 2 |
We hope that the decline in cancer incidence is due to better health and nutrition, higher rates of screening, and better treatment among other factors. But, when you consider that this reflects the numbers of cancers that are actually diagnosed, it may be problematic since it is possible that fewer cancers are being diagnosed because people aren't getting screened or can't afford to go to the doctor.
Deaths from cancer, on the other hand, tend to a more reliable measure of the impact of our efforts. In a sense, they represent the sum of our efforts when it comes to lifestyle, prevention and early detection and appropriate treatment. There is no question that the rate of death from cancer has been declining for many years, which means we are clearly doing something right.
The report also provides considerable detail on our efforts to curb cigarette smoking and its inevitable impact on cancer deaths.
In those states where they take the prevention of deaths from lung cancer seriously, there are fewer smokers and fewer lung cancer deaths. And, in those states where they snub their noses at the issue, there are more smokers and more deaths.
Consider Utah, Kentucky and California.
Lung cancer incidence for men in Utah is 39.6 newly-diagnosed lung cancers per 100,000 men per year. In Kentucky, the number is 136.2, or more than three times greater. For women, the incidence numbers are 22.4 in Utah and 76.2 in Kentucky, respectively. Lung cancer death rates for men are 33.7 per 100,000 men per year in Utah, and 111.5 in Kentucky. For women, the corresponding numbers are 16.9 in Utah and 111.5 in Kentucky.
California is cited in the report for having the greatest changes in lung cancer death rates over time. In California, the death rates for lung cancer in men are now approaching the death rate in Utah.
Utah has a culture that does not encourage smoking. But how did California accomplish its remarkable results? From 1996 through 2005, the decline in lung cancer deaths in men was 2.8 percent each year. This was more than twice the decline seen in many states in the Midwest and South, according to the report.
California accomplished this goal by being the first state in the U.S. to implement a comprehensive statewide tobacco control program, as noted by the report's authors. As a result, they have made the greatest progress in reducing tobacco use. Clean indoor air laws, high tobacco taxes, and advertising and education worked to get the job done. The citizens of California are being rewarded with better health and fewer lung cancer and tobacco-related deaths because California cared enough to do something bold.
States that don't embrace these proposals see their citizens needlessly die prematurely every day. That -- to me and many others -- is simply not acceptable.
We have the power within ourselves to reduce the burden and suffering from cancer right now. We can pay more attention to what we can do to keep ourselves healthy. It isn't a guarantee, but it does improve the odds. Exercising, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy body weight, not smoking and getting screened for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers among others are all part of a healthy lifestyle. | <urn:uuid:e8e4a2e1-47b9-47df-b039-b5cc16f75103> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://abcnews.go.com/Health/CancerPreventionAndTreatment/story?id=6332604&page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970228 | 657 | 3.09375 | 3 |
The rules for what male guests should wear to the wedding are quite precise. According to the royal wedding invitation, men are required to wear one of three kinds of dress Friday: a military uniform, a morning coat or a lounge suit.
A lounge suit isn't exactly as casual as it may sound; it means a coat and tie. As for the morning coat, it's a coat with the front cut away-so that just the back part hangs down in the back. The coats come from the days when men rode horses and wore top hats.
Not Just About the Suit and Dress
But royal wedding attire isn't just about the proper suit or dress; it's also about the accessories. Dents Gloves, for instance, are synonymous with fine handwear in Britain and are a staple of the royal family.
For three centuries, the gloves -- lovingly hand-stitched at a factory in Wiltshire -- have been worn by kings, queens and attendees of royal weddings. | <urn:uuid:4023db5f-88f3-4b56-ae42-7e53f6ec7a65> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://abcnews.go.com/International/Royal_Wedding/royal-wedding-proper-guest-attire-kates-big-day/story?id=13474809&page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966689 | 200 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Last week the Iranian government gave ABC News special access into its international art collection, a distinguished group of works amassed during the reign of the shah of Iran.
Ironically,the collection, estimated to be worth $3 billion, has spent most of the last 30 years locked in a basement vault, while Iran has become an Islamic republic that eschews any ties to the secular world.
From a renowned Jackson Pollock drip painting "Mural on an Indian Red Ground," to DeKoonings' "Light in August," to pop works by Warhol, Lichentstien and Oldenburg, the collection is widely considered to be one of the finest 20th century Western art collections in the world.
The rare tour was an example of what's called "track two" diplomacy: building cultural and social ties between Iran and the United States at a time when they're officially at odds.
Museum director Habibollah Sadeghi, an artist, was appointed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He spoke to ABC News at Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Art. Below are excerpts from the interview.
What are your future plans for this exhibit? Why not have it on display all the time?
Given [the tone of] society since the revolution, the museum needed to make the visual approach more compatible with our everyday social routine. Now we need more space. We are certainly hopeful to have a permanent museum to present Iran with this global contemporary art in a larger, more lasting space.
Would the museum ever sell works in the collection?
As is the case anywhere, museums, along with the local authorities, must make certain decisions. They sometimes sell, sometimes exchange. But our choice so far, has been to look at this as a steady opportunity to acquire. We are more shopper than seller.
During the war [with Iraq, 1980-1988] and the reconstruction era, [we] had less opportunity to complete our collection. We hope next year we will be able to buy pieces from the greatest contemporary painters in the world, continuing on our previous purchases of works by American and European painters. Then Iran, as a major collector of universal art, will be able to display its own perspective in the language and literature of contemporary art. We have told this to the [parliament] authorities and they have accepted gladly.
Do you have your eyes on any pieces in particular?
The method of purchase is based on the period and style of the painters to help round out our collection. We are considering buying new paintings produced after the American Pop Art era. We have identified between 50 and 80 paintings and hope to buy them from private collectors and other museums after our specialists decide which are the best and most appropriate for our collection, as we've done in the past.
We hope to buy up to 100 pieces from prominent painters in the United States and Europe next year. As we view other cultures respectfully, we expect that the others respect our history, our religious and spiritual and Islamic beliefs and culture.
Is it safe to say that you expect the collection ... will always remain intact?
I don't know whether the Metropolitan Museum in New York, or other museums, constantly talk about selling their work. I've heard in the media during the last three years about [our museum selling], and I'm not clear why that is. I believe this art belongs to mankind's art collection and is not to be sold by our specialists. We are supposed to keep these global treasures. We would really like to show the works of the greats here, like Picasso, Matisse and others. Still, we will lend some of these pieces to other museums in the world so that others may enjoy these achievements of humanity.
How is this collection maintained?
It is maintained in exact, scientific and first-rate conditions, much like the British Museum, or the Louvre, or the Metropolitan Museum, ensuring the proper maintenance of the pieces, paying close attention to their storage climate, and looking after them like dear life.
How do the people of Iran feel about the international collection?
Iranian people are all really interested in the works of esteemed and much appreciated American painters. We have a large collection of French sculptures by Rodin and others, which appear in our catalog. Over the past 30 years we have diligently safeguarded historic [art] treasures from Japan, China, Russia, US, and other countries. Today, Iranians follow the arts news and developments in the US, a country our people consider their friend. We hope that the two nations can see each other and exchange ideas and experiences through the window of arts.
Throughout the history, the Iranian people have loved and respected the arts of different cultures and other countries. If you go to the Louvre Museum, you will notice that entering cultural gate, you will have to pass through Iran's gates. I once said just as I feel close to [Iranian painter] Kamaleddin Behzad and his works, I feel close to Jackson Pollock and his works. We feel honored and special to be custodians of such important pieces of art by renowned artists from all over the world. We will put them on display at every chance.
There are certain sensitivities with subjects like nudity in art. How do you explain these issues to people unfamiliar with Iran?
Each museum has two different functions; individual and public. Individual is like when a medical student is in the anatomy room. Each painter should know the skeleton, muscle system, skin and anatomy in general. Our museum is not a place just to display the artwork, it is an academy, a college. Our museum is an art college and our youth come and use these images and sometimes copy them to have more visual knowledge.
It is true that our society is a special society with its own public behavior. But I cannot keep researchers or someone who is studying anatomy from viewing the efforts of Renoir on the body of a woman. For my students, I show them these works as though I were a doctor, for them to see all the muscles and organs and see the relation between them. So, for us there is no erotic meaning attached to it.
What do you wish the West and America in particular know about this museum, collection, or Iranian culture in general?
I am sure this interest among cultures can be a way for the artists of the world to present the best mankind has to offer to each other. We are peaceful people and have gifts for the people of the world, like the words of [poet Jalal ad-Din] Rumi and paintings of Kamal Al-din Behzad. I know your kind nation can look at my nation with peace and love. The only wish that I have is that the two nations look at each other meaningfully. I do not mean to be too political, but I remember the morning that I saw the bitter incident of 9/11. I was with my family, my wife, my daughter and my son -- all of whom are painters -- we were eating breakfast. It was like at single moment our hearts all stopped. Then we see innocent people throwing themselves down from the top of the world. How can I explain this bitterness and the fact that we shared this pain and suffering? And just as your nation cried over this tragedy, our people cried as well.
How would you describe the modern art scene in Iran and its role within modern life here, in this country? Particularly as a form of personal expression?
After the revolution, the younger generation of Iranian artists desired to define their own identity and their position in our current world. They didn't want to be mere consumers of the experiences and knowledge of others.
Over the past few years, in different cultural activities such as cinema and drama, there has been a very strong presence. As the famous painters of the world such as Pollock, Picasso, Van Gogh, Gauguin, etc. have given the contemporary world so many gifts, the great Iranian painters such as Kamaleddin Behzad and Sultan Muhammad give the world beautiful expression and meaning. | <urn:uuid:5aec5a15-4339-4de1-aa37-1c18f7a3fc93> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=4406991&page=1&singlePage=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968543 | 1,653 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Dogs are known as man's best friend for good reason. They frolic, they play, they swim and they can go most anywhere we want them to.
There's just one thing about them that makes them just short of the perfect pet -- the poop.
Much poop has to be picked up by many a dog owner, since most states have laws that say it must.
"It just seems so strange to me that we're locking this poo in these bags, and it's going to be there forever," said one San Francisco dog walker. "The bags are never going to biodegrade, and a future alien civilization that comes here to check us out will wonder, 'Why did we save all this poop?' You know, what's so precious about the dog poop?"
Robert Reed works for Norcal Waste, a trash hauling company in the Bay Area, where residents already recycle more than 60 percent of their waste.
Local officials have set a goal of sending no waste to landfill by 2020.
"That's an ambitious goal, and they said to us, 'You know, we're going to have to deal with the dog poop and the cat poop. There's quite a bit of it here,'" Reed said.
There's 6,500 tons of it produced in the Bay Area every year.
It is a source not only of waste but bacteria and pollution -- several studies place canines as third or fourth worst contributor to the bacteria such as E. Coli found in contaminated waters.
Absent an outbreak of widespread coprophagia -- feces eating, in other words -- this problem only stands to get worse in these pet-loving United States , so experts are looking for answers for constructive solutions on what to do with all that poo. In Alaska, the Natural Resources Conservation Service recently issued a booklet on "Composting Dog Waste," largely aimed at folks with kennels.
Reed and Norcal Waste came to the local officials and said, "Let's turn it into energy."
"Why shouldn't we put it to use?" said Donna, a local resident out at the dog park.
"The interesting thing about dog poop is that there's a lot of protein in there," Reed said. "We feed our dogs a very rich diet here in the United States."
Leftovers, it turns out, are a key ingredient in this concoction. A subsidiary of Norcal collects more than 300 tons of food scraps a day from restaurants and homes. It turns it into a fertilizer for organic farms and vineyards.
"We're using dog poop and cantaloupe skins and broccoli and brussels sprouts, and we're taking the calories from those materials, turning it into energy," Reed said.
"If you took one ton of a degradable material, dog poop and food scraps together, you could produce 50 gallons of liquid fuel," Reed said. "If you took 80 tons of this material, you could produce enough energy to produce [power for] a thousand homes."
Trucks take the food scraps from restaurants and pet droppings from doggy day care, and then it gets ground up into what's called manufactured biomass, which goes into a machine called a digester that converts it all into methane gas.
Burning that gas produces energy in the form of electricity, natural gas and liquefied natural gas.
Norcal hopes to have a citywide collection program under way in the coming year.
It's not a coincidence that San Francisco is the place where poop power is coming to fruition. Not only because the city's liberal politics manifest themselves in environmentalism and, shall we say, a willingness to experiment but also because there are lots of dogs and cats here.
"There's 240,000 dogs and cats in San Francisco, so there's a lot of those businesses [surrounding dogs and cats]," Reed said. "Dog walking is a very lucrative business in San Francisco."
If Norcal's plans work out, there's similarly gold in them thar poops | <urn:uuid:2426ce48-ba7e-4977-af76-d0f0f2b7bd84> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://abcnews.go.com/US/TenWays/story?id=2128437&page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966812 | 833 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Transcript for Therapy Dogs Help Students
Students are busy preparing for -- Spanish one -- two final exam. All next week -- will be cramming a semester is worth of knowledge into a three hour test it can be a stressful time filled with anxiety. It is very stressful -- -- what you wanna do well and in your grades kind of resonance. But -- university seemed -- Dino is throwing students a bone of sorts with the help of fifteen curry specialist. The program -- away worries and stress or -- Got -- start three years ago. And has grown in popularity. I learned about it from other universities that they use and I had prepared BS that means -- to decrease stress. He treats anxiety. And especially right before final sale. Hospitals have long used therapy dogs to help in the healing process -- students are given encouraging high fives. I think his Conning name and help with -- instead dignity in dying every now we didn't know students not only distressed by the -- of their stress away they can also learned some homes have run their peer educators and of course if that doesn't work well they can go next door. -- ten minutes worries are -- designed by human massage therapist. Communication major Riley Boris took advantage of the free massages before hitting the books. It's a good way to -- you work. Distress that's going to be coming our way. -- is 600 students are expected to partake in the event just -- -- my god. -- tiny bit of the so the big one who really gave a day Santa's leg. And while it may not help them -- their exams the -- therapy is greatly appreciated.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. | <urn:uuid:9a4287c4-3dae-4062-ba0d-112fb25c2dfb> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/therapy-dogs-students-finals-15059601 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961889 | 340 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Protect Your Kids: Keeping Children Away from Adult Sites
In our on-going efforts at AdultFriendFinder to make your experience as fun and safe as possible, we have created this document to help parents understand how to protect their children from inappropriate online material. The first step to protect your family is to install parental control software on your computer. Some of the best-known and respected parental control software packages are CyberPatrol, Net Nanny and Safety Surf. Also, some ISPs (Internet Service Providers, the companies that let your modem connect to the Internet) provide content filtering as part of their basic service. Check with your ISP to see if this is an option they offer. Parental control software works by blocking access to specific websites and online content. In most cases, when you buy the software it already contains a large list of sites that are inappropriate for children. You can then update the software through the manufacturer's website or, in some cases, the software will update itself. Another way filtering software works is to block sites based on key words, such as "sex." However, filtering software doesn't have to just block access to adult-oriented material. You can configure the software to filter for topics such as tobacco, drugs and drug culture, alcohol, violence and racism. Since there might be only one computer in your household, and you might be using the same computer as the children, you can set up the system to filter content during certain hours, such as when you're at work and not around to supervise your children's web surfing. You can also setup the system to create a password, that only you know, to override the restrictions. Some programs can also block personal information, such as name, address and phone number, from being sent from your computer. This is an excellent way to protect children from potential online predators. Many programs allow you to create different levels of security and filtering based on the different ages of the computer's users. Children can be given high security and heavy content filtering, but when you log on to the machine, you can set it to not filter any content at all. One thing to remember is that by installing filtering software on your computer, you might also restrict childrens' access to legitimate sites. This is especially true if you rely on key words (such as "sex") for blocking. Certain key words appear on legitimate news and information sites, so it's best to experiment with different settings when configuring the filter controls. Installing filtering software is no guarantee that children won't be exposed to some inappropriate material online. New websites pop up everyday, so it's important to keep your software up to date. Also, learn how your Internet browser software works so that you can check the sites your family has visited (this is the "History" feature, which displays a list of websites visited by the web browser). Talking to your children about the possible dangers that exist on the Internet, and supervising their web surfing are still the best ways to protect them. Some key general Internet-related safety points for your children:
- Tell them to never give out personal information about themselves or the family to strangers they might meet online or in a chat room.
- Remind them that online it's easy for people to pretend to be someone else. They can easily change their name, age and gender in an effort to get close to children.
- Teach them that they should never meet a new online friend without an adult present.
- Tell them to never give out their picture to a stranger, and that if they ever get a picture with sexual content, or something they find disturbing, that they should get off the computer immediately and tell you about it.
- Let them know that if they encounter something or someone dangerous that they can tell you about it, and that you won't blame them or get mad.
Good Internet safety information sites for both kids and adults are: | <urn:uuid:d2f50e9b-11b0-40a9-94c6-ba2256d3882c> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://adultfriendfinder.com/go/page/protect_kids.html?who=r,0nnqCj8PSwQBjPOESRX7cLYNIEFsK763h0KJ9rMJRCQc6UQjQrrkmZnalFPe9BTD0BJQ8WCf/EJ22KXeglkYhpJ_ybl31j1d0ARYKf_fwd/VjYKpDGuEfkDb6oPgG8Yr | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944373 | 792 | 1.835938 | 2 |
The Ernie Guenther Memorial Fund (EGMF) Committee of the Milwaukee Chapter of ASM-International promotes participation, growth and professional development in the field of Material Science and Engineering within the State of Wisconsin.
The year 1974 saw the establishment of the “Ernie Guenther Memorial Scholarship Fund”, an ASM-Milwaukee Chapter project of great promise and far-reaching significance. The purpose of this Fund is to provide a mechanism whereby the Milwaukee Chapter of ASM International can solicit and receive charitable contributions from Chapter Members and other donors; and secondly, to divert for educational purposes, excess funds that accrue as a result of the normal annual business activities of the ASM-Milwaukee Chapter. The funds so solicited or accrued are to be used to establish a Memorial Scholarship Fund for the benefit of the students enrolled in schools in and encompasses by the region serviced by the Milwaukee Chapter of ASM International.
The Milwaukee Chapter Executive Board envisioned a Memorial Scholarship Fund that would grow to the point that all benefits provided to deserving students would be derived from the income of the Fund. The Executive Board also envisioned the Scholarships being administered by a committee separate and distinct from any ensuing ASM-Milwaukee Chapter Executive Board. The committee mentioned would serve as and become the Ernie Guenther Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee.
The first Milwaukee Chapter scholarship was awarded in the Fall of 1975. This Fund has awarded scholarships for the past 26 years straight. It is the hope of the ASM-Milwaukee Chapter and the Scholarship Committee that this Scholarship Program will be an on-going function of the Milwaukee Chapter for many years to come.
In addition to the scholarships to deserving student in the materials/metals field, the scholarship committee is interested in initiating an effort to acquaint high school students with the world of metals and materials. Future activities include growing the infant Teacher’s Grant program from Wisconsin High School Teachers for the development and sharing of lesson plans which pertain to metals and materials education. Support of high school education will allow local students the opportunity to experience the wonders of science and technology, and my result in future career interests in science, math and materials engineering.
The Ernie Guenther Memorial Scholarship Fund is a project of which the Milwaukee Chapter of ASM International can be justly proud. It gives purpose to our work and promotes our profession. Contributions are needed, and are fully tax deductible.
The Memorial Scholarship Committee:
The Ernie Guenther Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee consists of the current Executive Board member of the ASM-Milwaukee Chapter who is in charge of education activities, past members of the Executive Board of the ASM-Milwaukee Chapter, an ASM-Milwaukee Chapter member who is connected with the academic profession in an administrative way, and an academician not necessarily an ASM International member, who works with and is intimately familiar with high school career guidance.
Your current committee members are:
Dave Angst – Johnson Controls
Robert Denkenberger – Ladish Forging
Raymond Fournelle – Marquette University
John Hauerwas – Thermet, Inc
Susan Kerber – Material Interface, Inc.
Bruce McKay – Nathan Hale H.S. (Retired)
Chris Misorski – Mercury Marine
James Meudt (Chair) – Ladish Forging
Your Help and Support is Greatly Needed to Keep This Program Alive and to Allow Further Growth and Outreach into Wisconsin High Schools.
If you are interested in donating to the ASM-Milwaukee Chapter Ernie Guenther Memorial Scholarship Fund please call:
James Meudt at (414) 747-2689
Or Write To:
C/O Ladish Forging
P.O. Box 8902 | 5481 S. Packard Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53110-8902 | <urn:uuid:76290c8b-075c-4598-99b7-a0bf70c05f3c> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://afs.slc.engr.wisc.edu/Milwaukee/?page_id=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918851 | 786 | 1.6875 | 2 |
the stoner went out into the woods, made sure no one was around, and he took out a small bag of trees and a package of rolling papers. he broke up the weed with his hands and sprinkled it onto a paper. he rolled it up and licked it closed and admired his work.
he smelled it, and it smelled great. he let a match and put it to one end of the joint and inhaled from the other. he held in the smoke, felt it in his lungs, and then exhaled. as the smoke left his mouth, he tasted it on his tongue, and he was high from the taste itself, and he smiled.
he looked around, to make sure no one was listening, and he said:
"there is a smokers’ ethic. there is a morality of marijuana. there is a testament of trees. this is the 420 code. and this code has served us well since the first person inhaled, and it will serve us well until it is embraced by all, and once it is embraced by all, we will no longer need it.
"the 420 code is comprised of the four virtues and the twenty rules of thumb.
"the four virtues are openness, honesty, freedom, and fun."
"openness means a welcoming of new experience. openness means a receptiveness to new ideas. openness means that you know that you do not know everything, and therefore you must allow yourself to accept that which you do not know.
"honesty does not mean confessing that you smoke to the police. honesty does not mean you must reveal your innermost thoughts to everyone who crosses your path. honesty does not mean you cannot keep a friend’s secret. honesty means that you live as you are. that you do not do what you know you should not. honesty means that you are honest, not with others, but with yourself."
"freedom is not freedom from responsibility. freedom is not freedom from consequence. freedom is openness and honesty. freedom is fun. freedom is the ability to do as you please, which is enabled by openness and honesty. if you are open, and willing to change your mind, if you are honest with yourself, and live as you feel you should, then you are free to do whatever you want. there are no restrictions for a person who is open and free. if you are locked behind bars, you are still yourself. to not be free, you must imprison yourself through dishonesty or closedness."
"fun is the fourth and most important of the virtues: you must not be too serious. if others do not accept the code, you must laugh, not cry. if another hurts you, do not let yourself down. do not judge others: another person can never fail the code. you can only fail it yourself. if you see another who does not live by the code, you should not try to convert him to it. you should just live openly, honestly, and freely, and you should have fun. and if you do these things, you will turn people toward the code: it is not by judgement, or by criticism, or by preaching, that others are brought to the code, but by fun." the stoner inhaled another puff from his joint and looked around the woods: they were beautiful, light and dark, greens and yellows and browns, and the air seemed thick with mystery and wonder. and he smiled as he looked around and said, "the twenty rules of thumb? we’ll get back to those."
and then he went exploring. | <urn:uuid:e2bb0a68-337a-4e48-a438-4c27ce7841fe> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://afx.cc/the420code/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983401 | 731 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Storage, Transport, and Disposal
- Keep pesticides in original containers.
- Do not transport pesticides in the passenger space of any vehicle.
- Store pesticides away from food, children, pets, and livestock.
- Prevent accidental poisonings by securing pesticides under lock, especially when the storage area might possibly be accessed by children.
- Never pour pesticides down the drain. Use them on labeled sites. Leftover products should be disposed in conjunction with local toxics disposal, or call your solid waste district for advice.
- Prevent products from freezing.
- Deplete pesticide inventories before purchasing new or additional products.
Where can I safely dispose of my chemicals?
Monitoring for Pesticides in Wyoming’s Water
In 1991, members if local, State, and Federal governments, as well as industry and interest groups formed the Ground-water and Pesticide Strategy Committee to prepare the State of Wyoming’s generic Management Plan for Pesticides in Ground Water. Part of this plan was to determine if pesticides are found in the Wyoming’s water. The Wyoming Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Geological Survey have sampled the State’s groundwater and surface water for pesticides since 1995. Details of the sampling efforts can be found in publications and on the web. | <urn:uuid:a4006f86-43c3-4474-95ee-76514415b4c9> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://agriculture.wy.gov/pesticide/safety-disposal/storage-transport-and-disposal.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.889957 | 265 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Uterine Fibroid Embolization
Another exciting treatment for symptomatic fibroids has been available for some time and is gaining more popularity and acceptance in the medical community with each passing day. The purpose of this article is to discuss uterine fibroid embolization (UFE).
Uterine leiomyomas, more commonly known as fibroid tumors, are noncancerous growths of the smooth muscle of the uterus. The most common tumor found in the female reproductive system, uterine fibroids are seen in 20-25% of all women and are estimated to occur in 40% of menstruating women older than 50 years (Siskin, 2011).
Although some patients display no symptoms, other women who have fibroids may experience pain, pelvic pressure, heavy menstrual bleeding, urinary frequency, constipation, abdominal distention, discomfort during intercourse, fertility problems, and a variety of other issues that negatively impact quality of life.
Fortunately, multiple treatment options are available for patients who suffer from fibroids. If the fibroids are relatively small and asymptomatic, the physician will usually recommend that these women follow up with frequent ultrasounds and pelvic exams. For mild symptoms, patients are sometimes prescribed birth control pills.
If the woman is moderately symptomatic, the doctor might recommend endometrial ablation or prescribe aggressive hormonal therapy such as Lupron. Women with severe signs and symptoms might be advised to undergo major surgery such as myomectomy (surgical removal of fibroids) or hysterectomy (surgical removal of the entire uterus).
Another exciting treatment for symptomatic fibroids has been available for some time and is gaining more popularity and acceptance in the medical community with each passing day. Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), also known as uterine artery embolization (UAE), is a procedure performed by an interventional radiologist where a catheter is utilized to introduce small particles that cut off the blood supply to the dilated blood vessels that nourish the fibroids.
Once the blood supply of the hypervascular fibroid tumors has been blocked, the fibroids eventually necrose and shrink in size. The rest of the uterus maintains its blood supply due to collateral circulation.
When compared to a six-week recovery time after a hysterectomy or myomectomy, patients who undergo the UFE procedure usually recover in one week. 85 to 90 percent of women who have had UFE report either a partial or total resolution of symptoms that have affected their quality of life, and more than 90 percent say they are satisfied with the procedure.
In addition, 85 percent of women experience 40 to 70 percent shrinkage in uterine volume and fibroid volume within a year after undergoing UFE. The drawbacks of UFE include the fact that 10 to 15 percent of women do not respond to this treatment, and that up to 1 percent of procedures result in major complications such as emergency hysterectomy or premature ovarian failure. Although many women have gotten pregnant and given birth after having undergone UFE, the long term impact on fertility is not yet known.Last edit by Joe V on Jan 11, '15
TheCommuter is a moderator of allnurses.com and has varied experiences upon which to draw for her articles. She was an LPN/LVN for more than four years prior to becoming a registered nurse.
TheCommuter has 'almost 10' year(s) of experience and specializes in 'acute rehabilitation (CRRN), LTC & psych'. From 'Fort Worth, Texas, USA'; 34 Years Old; Joined Feb '05; Posts: 31,163; Likes: 50,600.0Aug 3, '12 by TheCommuter, BSN, RN Senior ModeratorPersonally, I underwent the UFE procedure back in 2008 at the age of 27 and the outcome was good. My symptoms started to resolve within months. Nearly four years has passed since I had the UFE performed, and I have not yet had a recurrence of the symptoms that prompted me to receive treatment in the first place.
However, I will mention that I had trouble finding an OB/GYN who would refer me to an interventional radiologist who performs UFEs. Most of the OB/GYNs that I saw had wanted me to undergo a myomectomy, but they all said that the surgery would be a high risk due to the large size and placement of my fibroids.
My mother had a myomectomy that ended up turning into an emergency hysterectomy on the operating table due to too many fibroids combined with too much blood loss, so I wanted an option that involved no major surgery.
Must Read Topics | <urn:uuid:ad353c86-b259-4b69-892c-c2ff5ddf6805> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://allnurses.com/ob-gyn-nursing/uterine-fibroid-embolization-765993.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962699 | 981 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Maximillian Wells, Earl of Trent, proposes to marry Pandora
Effington because he admires her and thinks she would be a perfect bride. But Pandora knows Max does not love her and she wants to be married for love. Instead of refusing Max, however, she offers a deal. If she sets a test for him and he passes it, she will marry him. If he fails, she will choose a bride for him.
The test is that Max must accomplish each of the twelve labours of
Hercules. Pandora figures it is an impossible task and she will be
free to remain unmarried until she finds someone who she loves and who loves her in return. After all, how will he do such things as capture the wild bull of Crete, obtain the girdle of the Queen of the Amazons, get one of the golden apples of Hesperides, clean the Auguean stables or kill the nine headed hydra? But Max surprises her as he begins, with the help of her family and friends and some creative thinking of his own, to accomplish each of the tasks. As he does so, they begin to fall in love which leaves Pandora in a quandry. If Max wins, even though she loves him, she does not want to marry him unless she is sure he loves her. But if he does love her, she does not know what to do if Max fails the test.
The review of this Book prepared by L. Watson | <urn:uuid:594f42e7-29a9-44b9-b835-1dc2659251e5> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://allreaders.com/book-review-summary/victoria-alexander-28696 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978928 | 303 | 1.796875 | 2 |
An experiment adding the true fact that a majority of hotel guests opt to reuse their towels got 34% more guests to reuse.
Don't just guilt-trip us about the environment. Exert peer pressure. When I'm naked in that hotel bathroom deciding how to communicate with the maids in the language of towel signaling — rehang = reuse, drop on the floor = do the laundry — am I more influenced by the morality of planet-saving or the desire to be like other people? To tell you the truth, I'm most influenced by the fact that I'm paying for clean towels.
The link goes to an article that's mostly about trying to get people to quit using dryers altogether and switch to line-drying. Do you hang your clothes out to dry? If not, what would it take to get you to line-dry? Do you want your neighbors hanging their clothes outside?
When I was growing up in the 50s and 60s, my family did not have a clothes dryer, and we disapproved of women who used dryers. (Only women did the laundry.) It had absolutely nothing to do with protecting the environment. It was solely about how fresh and clean we expected the laundry to be. Resorting to a dryer was considered a bit slovenly. Slatternly.
But I would never hang laundry outdoors today. Quite aside from the fact that I live on a wooded lot, and there are always squirrels running across the branches knocking vegetable matter into the air, I wouldn't want every passerby to see what things I've laundered. Yes, it could be considered aesthetically pleasing if there were lots of flat white sheets and towels and big white shirts, but what are you going to do? Cull through your washings and find the things that look spiffy hanging in the breeze and the smaller/more intimate items you'll have to drape over indoor racks? | <urn:uuid:eca5882c-a26d-45fa-819c-67357eaaba74> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://althouse.blogspot.com/2009/10/rewriting-those-hotel-towel-use-cards.html?showComment=1256566031374 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974658 | 394 | 1.570313 | 2 |
It might have gone down in history as one of Kimberley's greatest diamond heists — if more people had known about it.
On a frosty mid-July evening last year, thieves entered the tightly secured Kimberley Diamond Centre, eased their way through the maze of padlocked doors and alarm systems, opened a safe and made off with uncut diamonds worth R6.7-million.
The Mail & Guardian
understands that were no signs of forced entry and the safe was not damaged.
But this is no Hollywood blockbuster about a diamond heist from the early diamond fields.
It is the story about how the controversial Northern Cape finance minister, John Block, and his department of economic development and tourism bought the uncut diamonds for a state-operated diamond beneficiation scheme without a diamond-buying licence — and seemed unfazed when the diamonds were stolen.
Although the department reported the theft to the police, in public it tried to bury the matter by misleading the provincial legislature and not launching its own investigation.
The saga raises questions about the capacity of the state, and particularly weak provincial governments, to intervene in the minerals sector.
The diamonds were destined for a government-led diamond polishing and cutting school, the Kimberley International Diamond and Jewellery Academy (Kidja), set up by Block's department in partnership with De Beers, which provides bursaries for the students at the school.
investigation has uncovered five red flags that raise questions about the state's role in the deal:
- The department was not licensed to buy uncut diamonds for Kidja, and claims it used a private company's diamond-buying licence for this purpose.
- Skills and technology at Kidja were to be provided by an Armenian company, which has since left South Africa.
Although the department still maintains the Armenians will play a role at the school, documents show their main interest was in buying diamonds from the Northern Cape with Block as a middleman.
- The theft of the diamonds appears to have been an inside job but the department has refused to take responsibility for it and is not conducting an internal investigation.
Paradoxically, it is the complainant in a police investigation of the theft.
- Block told the Northern Cape legislature last year that he knew nothing about stolen diamonds.
He also misled members about which company was running the school.
The department ignored a question about why he did this.
The Northern Cape police confirmed that Block's department bought the diamonds from a prominent Kimberley diamond trader, Dean Snyders, who died, apparently of a heart attack, in January last year.
The department claimed that the stones were stolen from a safe inside Snyders's business offices at the Kimberley Diamond Centre.
The department rents an office in the same building.
However, a former business associate of Snyders, who asked to remain anonymous, said the safe was only accessible to the late diamond trader by fingerprint recognition — and Snyders had been dead for seven months when the theft happened.
This raises questions over the veracity of official reports.
The businessperson also alleged that Snyders would never have sold diamonds to the department or stored them for the government, because he had fallen out with Block.
Senior department officials discovered the theft during a routine inspection and alerted the police, according to a police statement.
No arrests have been made.
The department hired a Polokwane-based company, Zurel Brothers, to run Kidja and train the students.
It also claimed to have used Zurel's licence to buy the diamonds that were stolen.
But Zurel Brothers flatly denied giving the department permission to use its licence.
The Diamonds Second Amendment Act of 2005 is clear: no one may buy uncut diamonds without a licence or permit.
Zurel Brothers now sources Kidja's stones using its own licence and internal tender procedures.
attempts to clear the official fog surrounding the diamonds were also frustrated by the South African Diamonds and Precious Metals Regulator, which monitors the compliance of the sale, purchase, possession and export of South African stones with domestic and international laws.
An official at the regulator in Kimberley confirmed that it would monitor diamonds bought with public money for Kidja but refused to elaborate.
"All our clients' information is strictly confidential," the official said.
Block's department was also silent about its responsibilities for monitoring the diamonds its buys for Kidja.
"These [the stolen diamonds] were the only diamonds bought and therefore [there was] no monitoring," Malane Barlow, the head of communications, said.
Asked when the tender for the diamonds was advertised, how many bidders responded, why Snyders was selected and whether the diamonds were procured in line with the Public Finance Management Act, Barlow said: "The buying of diamonds follows its own unique processes."
Asked whether any department officials had access to the safe, she said: "We do not know of any official involved in the loss.
No internal investigation is being conducted because they [the diamonds] were not lost or stolen in the department's custody."
Answering a written question in the legislature by Pakes Dikgetsi of the Congress of the People several weeks after the theft, Block made the extraordinary claim that "there is no knowledge of any stolen diamonds".
The department has consistently denied responsibility for the theft.
Confronted with allegations that senior lieutenants in Block's department had direct access to the safe, Barlow said: "We do not know the circumstances surrounding the theft of the diamonds at the Kimberley Diamond and Jewellery Centre."
In his 2011-2012 budget speech, Block told the legislature that R25-million in European Union donor funding had been allocated for the school and the eventual establishment of a diamond and jewellery hub.
But the province's diamond strategy was dealt a blow with the announcement that the State Diamond Trader (SDT) would not relocate to Kimberley, as earlier promised.
The SDT's mandate is to buy 10% of all diamonds mined in the country and sell them to historically disadvantaged diamond cutters and polishers to boost local beneficiation.
In theory, this would have provided a steady stream of stones for local beneficiation.
It is understood the move was halted because of the Sol Plaatje municipality's infrastructure constraints.
To mitigate this, former premier Hazel Jenkins announced a deal involving the province, the Armenian government and the private sector in April 2010, under which the Armenians would provide the cutting and polishing expertise for Kidja.
In turn, the province would help the Armenians secure diamond supplies worth more than $5-million for the school and their own business.
But the M&G
has established that the Armenian delegation consisted of three private diamond dealers from a multinational company, Firestone Diamonds, and an Armenian MP with private diamond interests.
Firestone, which has offices in India, Belgium, the United States and Armenia, registered a South African subsidiary called FS Diamonds in 2010.
Block told the legislature last year that FS Diamonds was the chosen supplier for Kidja and that the company had the relevant dealing and buying licences needed for the school.
But FS Diamonds closed shop and retrenched its staff in January last year, seven months before Block's answer in the provincial legislature.
A former staffer with intimate knowledge of the company said that FS Diamonds had lost "millions" in a failed attempt to set up a cutting and polishing factory in Gauteng and that its managers had returned to India and Israel.
He knew nothing of the Northern Cape venture.
Firestone Diamonds did not respond to questions.
A source at De Beers, who knows about the Kidja project but asked not be named, also denied any knowledge of Armenian involvement in the school.
Shortly after their arrival in the province. Block presented the four "Armenians" to leading diamond miners in Kimberley.
interviewed one of the miners, who said: "I quickly realised this was a political meeting.
John [Block] was talking about the ANC's long history with Armenia; the Armenians said nothing.
We weren't given an opportunity to talk to them individually. To this day, I don’t know what that meeting was for."
The provincial government maintains the Armenians will still provide skills and technology at the school in time.
But the department concedes that they have not visited the Northern Cape in two years.
In a letter to the Armenian MP, Gagik Abrahamyan, in mid-2011, leaked to the media, Block said several diamond dealers had rejected his proposal that they supply the Armenians with diamonds.
One prominent diamond house in Kimberley told Block's department that it was "difficult to operate outside the [existing] tender procedures".
In a further bizarre twist, Block outlined progress made in securing a supplier of "chicken feed" on the Armenians' behalf, to be shipped to Saudi Arabia.
His department insists this is part of the deal: the Northern Cape government will help the Saudis to secure chicken feed worth R520-million and ship it from Durban to Jeddah.
It is understood that the department is still negotiating with suppliers.
Coincidentally, "chicken feed" has a different meaning for one prominent Kimberley diamond buyer.
"That's the term we use when we buy diamonds under the table — you know, the illegal stuff," he said.* Got a tip-off for us about this story? Email [email protected]
The M&G Centre for Investigative Journalism, a non-profit initiative to develop investigative journalism in the public interest, produced this story. All views are ours. See www.amabhungane.co.za for all our stories, activities and sources of funding. | <urn:uuid:acc335a2-e15f-4951-abfc-af77caa6a8db> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://amabhungane.co.za/article/2013-02-15-block-in-r7m-diamond-poser | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969917 | 2,040 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Saying "drought corn" might sound like saying "hot cold" to some, but researchers are working on developing corn that will thrive in drier weather.
"We're not developing a corn cactus," said Dave Warner with seed and chemical company Monsanto.
Drought stress affects the performance of up to 85 percent of corn to some degree, and that's why the international company is looking for a way to protect the crop from at least some of that stress.
Public scientists showed off some of what they are doing toward the same goal at a field day at the North Plains Research Field on Aug. 7 near Etter. Much of the work on display was with corn varieties intended to be chopped into silage to feed livestock. The scientists have been working to cross tropical corn varieties with ones common in the United States.
"We're trying to introduce desirable traits from wild species to cultivated species," said Wenwei Xu, a state corn breeder with Texas AgriLife Extension. "Only 5 percent come out good. The rest are mediocre and we throw them away."
A plant that shows drought tolerance can mean different things from well-filled kernels to plenty of leaves. The timing, intensity and duration of the dry weather matters. But basically, producers are looking for good yield and good quality.
Scientists are seeing at least some level of success. One type of corn that was a tropical cross not only yielded the same with a 25 percent reduction in water compared to full irrigation, but grew to a height of 12 feet, Xu said.
Other work on the future of corn included controlling pests and weeds.
Christian Nansen, Texas AgriLife grain entomologist in Lubbock, showed approaches to controlling spider mites in corn destined to become silage or fuel for creating energy. For those crops, farmers don't focus on grain production.
"They want a large, green plant high in sugars and easy to digest and huge fields of it," he said. "To me, that's a recipe for disaster because that's just what an insect wants."
In response to that challenge, Nansen is working to find a practical way to control the pests.
"We can do it in a petri dish, but that doesn't reflect what happens in a field," he said. "We need to know how these chemicals perform in your world."
Commercial seed producers also spoke about controlling pests, from bugs to weeds, by using genetics.
Tom Speed, a Monsanto representative, told the farmers to expect beefed-up corn varieties with up to eight levels of added protection from insects and herbicide by 2012. His company plans to offer three levels of protection from below-ground bugs, three for their above-ground relatives and two to protect plants from herbicides farmers spray on fields to kill weeds.
Robert Bowling, with Pioneer Seeds, said his company is working on other genetic improvements, including giving corn resistance to herbicides that might remain in the soil after they are sprayed on cotton. That would allow farmers to plant corn in fields recently used for cotton, he said. | <urn:uuid:98cbf584-3815-45cc-9dd6-99cf1148bc74> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://amarillo.com/stories/081708/bus_biz1.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964985 | 629 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Why Moslem Women Wear Headscarf
I got a tag from Mulia about wearing a headscarf. It’s interesting that she brought this issue up because people have been asking me about it a lot, especially when I was in Australia. And I never thought about writing this issue in my blog. I would like all my friends who wear headscarf to continue this tag: teh Senaz, mbak Ina, Mika, and for those whose names are not mentioned (sorry if I missed out some ppl).
I started wearing headscarf when I was 15 years old. I forgot when the exact time was, but I think I wore it in the end of 2000 or in the first month of 2001. I was in my first year of High School at Madania and I lived in the school’s dormitory for most of the time. I got the inspiration to cover my hair from my seniors at school. Some of them wore headscarf for one month during Ramadhan, perhaps as a sign of respect for the Holy month and a sign of guard to prevent them to do something bad. Whether they committed sin (once again) after Ramadhan, it’s entirely not my business. But their move did inspired me to wear headscarf, not temporarily, but for the rest of my life.
To be honest, it was not a very hard decision that required me to think for days whether or not I should wear a headscarf. I guess, one of the reasons was that I lived in Saudi Arabia. I went out with my headscarf on all the time — although my hair was sometimes still revealed, I tried to cover it to prevent unexpected comments or lusful stares from men on the streets. It was when I traveled out of the country (for example to Indonesia) that I did not cover my hair. So I was used to wearing headscarf already and it was just a matter of extending my routine and making it happen in other countries.
Making a decision in fact was easy, but doing it was much harder than I thought. I remember there was a time during my first few weeks of wearing headscarf that I began to question it, could I seriously do it? And there were times when I thought I would just give the whole thing up. I couldn’t remember it exactly why I thought that way, but yes, there were obstacles and difficulties. But the only thing that kept me going was my commitment. I reminded myself again and again that I committed to wearing this, therefore I needed to work much harder and to never give up.
In the first one month of wearing headscarf, I felt that everything was so troublesome. We usually woke up every day (at Madania) early in the morning to perform Fajr prayer in the mosque. And I used to go to the mosque wearing my pajama; I did not have to wear jacket or change my clothes. So it was quite different when I started wearing scarf. I had to change my clothes and cover my hair every morning. There was a time when I was so lazy of changing clothes, I decided to wear abaya when going to the mosque. My friends laughed at me and asked me, “Amalia, are you going to a funeral later?” Hahaha. There was also a time when I forgot to cover my hair when I went out of the dorm — which made everyone screamt at me hehehe. But of course those things were just a matter of getting used to the whole situation.
My family in Jeddah did not know that I started wearing headscarf until I went back to Jeddah few months later. My mom was surprised with my decision but she was pleased. She had told me before that she would prefer her children to wear scarf, but she’s not strict about it. As long as we wore modest clothes, she wouldn’t complain. As for my dad, he never really care about it — it’s all up to me.
For me, wearing headscarf is my way of devoting to God. When I decided to wear it for the first time, my knowledge of Islam was still so lacking. I went to Indonesian schools for 12 years, it was not until I studied at Madania that I learnt about my religion in more detail — studying about Hadith, history of Islam, Fiqh, and many more. It was the first time that I was allowed to question my religion (for example why do I have to do that? why Islam prohibits us to do this? Why that? why this?) and I got the answers. It’s a totally different case for my sister and brother who went to Arab schools and got to learn Islam in detail, memorise Al Qur’an and Hadith, etc. Wearing headscarf was for me the beginning of my journey to know my religion better and my promise to Allah SWT to be more devoted to him more than ever. Headscarf is like a reminder for me. Besides Al Qur’an and prayers, headscarf is an object that always reminds me of God, because it stays with me wherever I go. It is a guard that sometimes prevents me from doing bad things. Being apart from my family for the very first time and living in a country that provided me more freedom made me curious about so many things. I wanted to explore all things that I had never been exposed before. And by wearing headscarf, I felt that I was always reminded to stay on the right path.
When I lived in Australia, people were curious about the headscarf thing. Some people knew that some Moslem women wear headscarf and some choose not to wear it. But some of my friends did not have a slight idea. They only knew one thing: if you are a woman and you are a Moslem, you must wear a headscarf; which is of course not true. I told them that there are many Moslems who do not wear headscarf and it’s a matter of choice. They also asked me many questions, including why Moslems have to cover their hair. I barely got into too much detail when explaining them about this. Because I knew that it wouldn’t probably make any sense for them. If the situation was like in Saudi Arabia, where men on the streets stared at women like they never saw women before, I could perhaps explain to them that covering hair and wearing modest clothes would prevent girls from unnecessary stares, harassment, and comments by men who had nothing better to do than checking on strangers. But believe me, this argument would not make any sense for them, because they didn’t live in a similar condition. How can a guy be so “wild” just because he sees a woman who does not cover her hair?? That’s insane. So I just gave them easy examples of nuns who always cover their hair — it’s similar with what we wear. In fact, some people were actually surprised when I told them that Christian and Catholic women are asked to cover their hair as stated in Bible — and Qur’an also states that we women have to lower our gaze and guard our modesty. Barely people knew that years ago Christian, Catholic, and Jewish women used to wear headcovering when they went out. However, as you know, this practice is no longer common nowadays, although a number of women still practice it. Some women wear wigs to cover their hair and some only cover their hair when they go to Church. Amazingly, we are the only one who still maintain this practice Alhamdulillah. I’m so proud of you all, Moslem women!
After years of wearing it, I treat headscarf as everyone treats clothes or underwear. If you want to go out, you won’t go without your clothes on, will you? And this is how I explained it to my friends: treat headscarf like you treat your clothes hehehe. Wearing headscarf is not troublesome for me. I got used to it and people should never never never ever feel worry about it. My housemate used to feel sorry for me whenever our guy friends came, because I had to quickly cover my hair and wear something “proper”. It took me sometime to convince them that I didn’t feel annoyed or troublesome. I seriously didn’t want them to feel sorry for me. It made me uneasy. This is my choice, this is what I do everyday, this is part of my identity, and I tremendously love it! People did tell me that they felt sorry that I couldn’t show my hair or other part of my body. I seriously didn’t know how to response, coz I felt grateful that I didn’t show them! Often time my friends were also surprised to find out that I still kept my headscarf with me when I was in a non-Moslem country like Australia. Well.. for me.. a set of clothing consists of a top, a trouser/skirt, and a headscarf. So if I don’t wear one of those, I will feel bloody naked . I don’t feel confident without my headscarf on. That’s the truth. That’s perhaps the simplest reason I could give to my friends. The other reason is — like I mentioned before — my commitment and my promise to Allah SWT. I feel upset if someone breaks his/her promises and I figure God will feel the same way.
Sometimes when people asked me why I chose to cover my hair, I would say that it’s a surprise for my future husband hahaha… I’m saving it for him later lol. Anyway… One thing I want to stress is that wearing headscarf does not necessarily makes me secure and safe. It really depends on where I live. In Indonesia, I always feel so safe to go out because of my headscarf. Strangers on the streets respect me and they usually don’t have the intention to mess up with me. However, it’s a different case when I’m in Saudi Arabia. Wearing headscarf never makes me feel secure here, because everyone is wearing it. Men are still brave enough to mess up with me even though I wear headscarf. I need to cover my face too if I want to feel totally safe here. In Australia, well, I had been treated badly before because of my scarf, but overall,… in general people respected my decision and my belief. It’s not so much about feeling of security when I was there. It was so much about breaking the stereotypes. I always reminded myself that I was treated badly because those people had a narrow mind and it all thanks to the negative stereotypes promoted by the media and society. Sometimes I felt that I had to approach them first and make the first attempt to make a conversation with them until they feel comfortable enough to communicate with me. People did sometimes surprise to find out a girl wearing headscarf who can socialize with anyone, loud (like me), can wear colourful clothes (see mbak Ina’s post) or perhaps active like Mulia. They thought that Moslem women who cover their hair were hard to be friended with, introvert, do not mix with different cultural groups, and have no freedom. But it made me grateful that I got a chance to open up their minds and challenge their views regarding this issue.
I agree with Mulia regarding people who complain about the attitudes of women wearing headscarf. We are human, don’t treat us like we are not meant to make mistakes! All of us never want to and will try not to disgrace our religion, but please understand that mistakes do happen. I am not perfect; I did bad things, I hurt other people’s feelings, and I committed sins. I become rebellious and wild when I want to and I can be cruel and mean to some people. Expectations and pressures from people around me are quite overwhelming. Over the years I tried to ignore the comments that I received from others and I learnt how to define and set the behaviour and characters for myself that I consider good or beneficial to me and other people. But one thing I love to being covered is that people treat me differently when socializing with me; they would try to be more careful. They wouldn’t ask me to go out for clubbing or drinking, for example. They wouldn’t even try to influence me with such things. When I was in high school, I viewed this as a benefit because I was not introduced and exposed to such things. I was still a teenager and I was not brave enough to say NO to every “offer”. Curiosity was the only reason. So that’s why I think it would be much harder for me to guard myself had I been exposed to them.
When it comes to covering hair, I tend to be less strict. Sometimes I don’t wear headscarf at home when my uncles (or people who live with us, e.g. our driver) are present. I go to a mixed gender hair salon. I used to swim without my headscarf during the first 3 years after my decision to cover my hair. Though nowadays I never feel comfortable doing it (and I can find swimsuit which covers my whole body these days). I did try to wear longer and looser shirts or tops for the past one year, but it’s not always a guarantee. Wearing headscarf does take a number of steps to get you to the position you want to be (i.e. how much you want to cover). This is what we call the level of modesty. What makes this interesting is that the level of modesty in my family varies. I can argue that my sister is the most covered person in the family; she wears headscarf at home if any men (besides our dad) are present and she would wear longer clothes than I do. My mom, on the other hand, is like a mixture between my sister and I. I still remember a friend of mine was surprised to see my mom wearing jeans hehehe. Well, jeans is just like any other trousers, right? Anyway, no one sets this modesty level for me, for my mom, or even for my sister. It is purely our own choice and it’s based on the influence that we got from the teachings at school, people around us, and the environment we live in. The level of modesty of women in Arab countries also vary. Iranian women would wear a headscarf with part of their hair shown, some women in Saudi Arabia would prefer their face veiled, and some would only cover their hair.
Of course, wearing headscarf is not only about being covered. It is about protecting our physical appearance, sexuality, and private parts. It is about being modest about both our appearance and our personality. It is about having a freedom of expression. It forces people to judge you not by physical appearance, but by your inner beauty. And most importantly, it is about our submission to Allah SWT and obeying Allah’s command. There are several methods one can do as a way to devote to Allah SWT. Wearing headscarf is only one of them. Women who wear headscarf do not necessarily be more devoted or more closer to God than those who do not wear one. They also do not necessarily have a better personality than those who choose not to cover their hair. Wearing headscarf is my own choice. I expect people to respect my decision and I expect myself to respect other people’s decisions. Whether or not a woman covers her face, wears headscarf, or not wearing headscarf at all, the most important for us is to judge her by her personality, behavior, and heart rather than what she wears. | <urn:uuid:22135e67-63a8-45f1-a70a-9d50543c3a72> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://amellie.net/2008/03/why-moslem-women-wear-headscarf/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986581 | 3,317 | 1.640625 | 2 |
modeled ca. 1862-1863 Larkin Goldsmith Mead Born: Chesterfield, New Hampshire 1835 Died: Florence, Italy 1910 marble 36 3/4 x 15 x 10 5/8 in. (93.3 x 38.2 x 27.0 cm.) Smithsonian American Art Museum Gift of University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Thomas W. Evans Collection 1983.101.1 Not currently on view
Allegory - passion - grief
Mythology - classical - Echo
stone - marble
About Larkin Goldsmith Mead
Born: Chesterfield, New Hampshire 1835 Died: Florence, Italy 1910
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Larkin Goldsmith Mead
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Metabolic syndrome comprises a group of medical disorders that increase people's risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature death when they occur together. A patient is diagnosed with the syndrome when he or she exhibits three or more of the following characteristics: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat in the waist/abdomen, low good cholesterol, and higher levels of fatty acids (the building blocks of fat).
People with metabolic abnormalities are at increased risk of developing kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).
Sankar Navaneethan, MD (Cleveland Clinic) and his colleagues searched the medical literature and combined data from 11 studies examining the relationship between metabolic syndrome and kidney disease. Altogether, they included 30,416 individuals from various ethnic groups.
People with metabolic syndrome have a 55% increased risk of developing kidney problems, especially lower kidney function, indicative of kidney disease.
Individual components of metabolic syndrome are linked with the development of kidney disease.
Kidney disease risk increases as the number of metabolic syndrome components increases.
"Primary care physicians may need to consider using metabolic syndrome as a marker to identify patients at higher risk of developing kidney disease," said Dr. Navaneethan.
Preventing and managing metabolic syndrome -- through eating a healthy diet, exercising, losing excess body weight, and lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels -- may help prevent kidney disease. Previous clinical studies have examined the effects of some of these steps (such as lowering blood pressure and blood sugar) on kidney function while others (such as the effects of exercise and intentional weight loss) still need to be studied.
Study co-authors include George Thomas, MD, Sangeeta Kashyap, MD, Titte Srinivas, MD, John Kirwan, PhD (Cleveland Clinic); and Ashwini Sehgal, MD (Case Western Reserve University).
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by American Society of Nephrology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
G. Thomas, A. R. Sehgal, S. R. Kashyap, T. R. Srinivas, J. P. Kirwan, S. D. Navaneethan. Metabolic Syndrome and Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2011; DOI: 10.2215/CJN.02180311 | <urn:uuid:980a4012-a6f8-4287-b200-3932a62f9011> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://anabolicminds.com/forum/content/kidney-damage-metabolic-324/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927565 | 533 | 3.390625 | 3 |
November 08, 2013
Among patterns used in home design, stripes are versatile enough to make a design statement in both contemporary and traditional settings, paired with other prints or in monochromatic color schemes. When wood floors are part of a room design where stripes predominate, a strong choice would be the texture and grain of Anderson's Cimarron collection.
When homeowners want to brighten a dark corner, they can count on stripes to give it a crisp, fresh look. According to InteriorsByStudioM.com, stripes can bring attention in one area and detract from another that's not as pleasing, particularly when they are played against architectural details like slanted ceilings.
Martha Stewart Living magazine suggested that home decorators try their hand at making their own striped designs with painter's tape and fabric paint on plain canvas cloth or cushion covers. The designs can be a mix of wide and narrow stripes and as simple or elaborate as the painter's whims dictate. The same technique can also be used to create other patterns to complement the stripes.
Narrow down color options
If fabrics had personalities, then stripes would be the true extroverts of home design. Narrow or wide, light or dark, they create visual interest that few other patterns can muster.
However, one question that arises when using them is whether to have a neutral offset a brighter color or allow only bolder hues in the pattern. Staying with a classic, two-color combination is one way that homeowners can simplify their choices, especially if they are having difficulty selecting a color scheme.
"By narrowing down your decorating options by color pairs, you give yourself the ability to make a quick decision about cushions and accessories for your patio," design writer Alyssa Davis wrote in The Epoch Times.
Davis likes to go with less traditional shades of classic combos. One of her favorite pairs is navy blue and tan, a crisp look that goes well with many tones found in hardwood flooring and wicker or willow furniture. For accents, nearly any bold color works with this duo. The same can be said of black and white, one of the most popular combinations.
Even seasonal combos such as red and green can be used year-round if the shades selected go beyond standard Christmas hues. Instead, homeowners can use deep cranberry or maroon as a companion to any number of green shades from bright lime to low-key olive. | <urn:uuid:d4534e95-c80e-4cf8-b0c1-fc7aebd640da> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://andersonfloors.com/Design_Ideas/Design_Articles/13-11-08/As_versatile_as_wood_floors_-_stripes_fit_many_home_color_schemes.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935162 | 495 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Trout are indeed capable of swimming upstream. Biologically speaking, most trout swim upstream in response to sex hormones when it is time for them to spawn. This causes them to first seek highly oxygenated water to fight the current. There is also a fairly complicated evolutionary history behind the trait of trout swimming upstream. This fish initially started out as a freshwater fish. However, as time went on their ancestors moved into brackish rivers and finally into oceans. Because they evolved in freshwater, the eggs could still only survive in fresh water. As a result every year the trout ancestors were required to move from the ocean back into the freshwater when it was time to reproduce.
However as trout moved through the oceans they gradually began to discover new rivers and streams located in new countries, as well as streams that had just formed on their own with time. The trout began to breed in these new streams and some of them never moved back to the oceans. As a result today there are a lot of different types of trout and while most do still move back to the oceans after they hatch, some live their entire lives in freshwater environments. Some species of trout such as the Steelhead are able to do either, with some individuals returning to the oceans while others starve in the freshwater where they are born.
Because all trout ancestors evolved to swim from the ocean back up the freshwater streams, most species of trout can still be found doing so today. Even those trout that have never left the freshwater begin to feel the urge to move and swim higher upstream. Some trout species never swim upstream, and instead opt for clean water which many times is located downstream. | <urn:uuid:e0c53cfb-5e64-4b3f-a219-0eb13c00fdd5> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://animalquestions.org/fish/trout/can-trout-swim-upstream/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985847 | 328 | 3.625 | 4 |
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2006 April 14
Explanation: Very bright in infrared light, well-known starburst galaxy M82's popular name describes its suggestive shape seen at visible wavelengths - The Cigar Galaxy. Ironically, M82's fantastic appearance in this Spitzer Space Telescope image really is due to cosmic "smoke" - the infrared emission of exented dust features blown by stellar winds from M82's luminous, central star forming regions. The false-color view highlights a component of dust emission from complex carbon molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs. PAHs are also seen in star forming regions throughout our own, much calmer, Milky Way Galaxy and are products of combustion on planet Earth. Likely triggered by interactions with nearby galaxy M81, M82's intense star formation activity appears to be blowing out immense clouds of dust and PAHs extending nearly 20,000 light-years both above and below the galactic plane. M82 is about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
Authors & editors:
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: EUD at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U. | <urn:uuid:2ee0f742-0de4-4825-a2e0-9ab0317a98f7> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060414.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.878326 | 287 | 3.40625 | 3 |
Nanotechnology innovation could better target treatmentsNew startup company hopes to commercialize nontoxic, biodegradable system within 18 months.
Nanotechnology developed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center could strengthen things like sunscreen and anti-aging cosmetics into more potent barriers, protecting the skin from UV radiation that can cause wrinkles and skin cancer.
A new startup company, ProTransit Nanotherapies, L.L.C., was founded on the innovation, and hopes to commercialize the nontoxic, biodegradable system within the next 18 months. If successful, the nanotechnology could serve as a platform that can deliver targeted treatments to a vast range of ailments, including stroke and heart disease.
The root cause of many of those diseases are renegade atoms or molecules known as free radicals that damage neighboring cells. The best-known weapons against free radicals are antioxidants. But effectively delivering those antioxidants has been a challenging riddle for modern science.
Vinod Labhasetwar, Ph.D., former faculty at UNMC's Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, appears to have solved that problem.
Dr. Labhasetwar—currently a professor of biomedical engineering at the Lerner Research Institute at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio—developed nanoparticles that can carry a wide range of proteins, enzymes and even genetic materials that can be customized to deliver targeted treatments.
The first application of the nanotechnology will be to deliver a powerful blend of protective antioxidants in topical formulations to protect skin from the sun’s UV radiation—a major cause of skin cancer and premature skin aging.
ProTransit Nanotherapy was formed in collaboration with Gary Madsen, Ph.D., the entrepreneur in residence at UNeMed Corporation. UNeMed is the technology transfer office at UNMC.
Dr. Madsen will serve as the new company's president and CEO. Dr. Labhasetwar, a co-founder of the company, will serve as the Chief Scientific Officer.
ProTransit Nanotherapy is also working with UNMC's Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine to develop facilities for the manufacture of nanoparticles and other nanomedical products. | <urn:uuid:16615c4e-972f-4e61-bf86-0a35c70751d4> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://app1.unmc.edu/PublicAffairs/TodaySite/newsreleases/view_t1.cfm?match=11251 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928327 | 436 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Authors: Dawson DA
Title: Alcohol consumption, alcohol dependence, and all-cause mortality.
Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res 24(1):72-81
Date: 2000 Jan
Abstract: BACKGROUND: This study examined the effects of alcohol consumption and DSM-IV alcohol dependence on the risk of mortality. METHODS: Data from the 1988 National Health Interview Survey Alcohol Supplement were matched to the National Death Index for the years 1988 to 1995 (baseline n = 37,682 U.S. adults age > or =25 linked to 3,586 deaths). All mortality analyses were based on proportional hazards models that adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, income, labor force status, body mass index, smoking status, and poor health indicators at baseline. RESULTS: When dependence was not considered and all past-year abstainers were used as the reference group, both light and moderate drinkers exhibited a reduced risk of mortality, with hazards ratios of 0.76 (0.68-0.84) and 0.84 (0.74-0.96). Heavy drinkers had about the same risk of dying as did past-year abstainers, and very heavy drinkers had an increased risk that was not significant (OR = 1.17, CI = 0.93-1.47). When lifetime abstainers were used as the reference category, the protective effect of moderate drinking fell short of significance, and there were nearly significant increased risks among former drinkers and very heavy drinkers. When dependence was considered, light and moderate drinkers without dependence had a reduced mortality risk regardless of reference group, and there was no significant effect among heavy or very heavy drinkers without dependence. Among dependent drinkers, there was no protective effect of light or moderate drinking, and very heavy drinkers had a significantly increased risk (OR = 1.56 relative to past-year abstainers and 1.65 relative to lifetime abstainers). CONCLUSIONS: Because alcohol dependence nullifies the protective effect of light and moderate drinking, it is important to understand its role as an independent risk factor for mortality. Differences between dependent and nondependent drinkers who drank comparable amounts suggest that this risk may result from longer and heavier drinking histories before baseline, more severe health problems at baseline, more heavy episodic drinking, and, possibly, differences in beverage preference.
Last Modified: 03 Sep 2013 | <urn:uuid:cf82b753-215e-43f9-a79d-3f051f460af9> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://appliedresearch.cancer.gov/cgi-bin-pubsearch/pubsearch/abstract.pl?id=785 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952458 | 480 | 1.9375 | 2 |
This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.
DOE Offers up to $10 Million to Improve Energy-Saving Lighting
DOE announced on September 26 the availability of up to $10 million in funding for energy-saving lighting technologies. DOE will invest in projects to accelerate manufacturing research and development related to solid-state lighting (SSL) technologies. The focus will be on applications that use semiconductors to provide light in such devices as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The goal is to strengthen the United States' position as a global manufacturing leader and help create jobs. LEDs and OLEDs could be ten times more efficient than incandescent bulbs. By 2030, SSL could reduce national lighting electricity use by one-fourth, which would save $15 billion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 21 million cars off the road.
DOE is seeking applications for research and development projects to drive down the cost of, and improve the quality of SSL products through manufacturing improvements. Between two and four projects will be selected to receive up to $10 million, and they will focus on achieving significant cost reductions through improvements in manufacturing equipment, processes, or monitoring techniques. Selected projects will address the technical challenges that must be overcome before SSL can compete with existing lighting on a first-cost basis. This is the third round of funding directed toward the SSL research and development program area, which has been funded with $28.2 million in federal funding and leveraged $36.8 million in funding from the private sector over the course of the program. Applications are due December 15. See the DOE Progress Alert and DOE's Funding Opportunity Exchange website. | <urn:uuid:87aa01df-9547-406a-a1f8-d9eba71b915d> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=17764 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948088 | 354 | 2.515625 | 3 |
1886 – Bourton-on-the-Water Church, Gloucestershire
Once the site of a Norman church, but this was demolished in 1784 and the present one was built on the site. This church was designed by William Marshall, a local resident. The chancel, rebuilt in the fourteenth century and part of the older building, have been preserved. The most distinguished part of this construction, the tower, was built by Marshall. The base of the tower is rusticated with enormous Ionic pilasters, cornices and balustrades.
The church underwent further rebuilding between the years 1875-90, this time by Sir Thomas Jackson. He retained the chancel and tower and built a new nave and a north isle. Inside, the building is Victorian in character and dark despite the numerous windows by C. E. Kempe. The darkness of the building makes it difficulty to view the roof of the nave built in 1891. The nine-sided chancel roof was painted in 1928 by F. E. Howard. | <urn:uuid:3661481f-18e1-47d5-8b19-95f4a81483b0> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archiseek.com/2010/1886-bourton-on-the-water-church-gloucestershire/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977881 | 216 | 2.875 | 3 |
1883 – St. John’s College, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Anglican college founded in 1850, and re-established in 1866. Later affiliated with the University of Manitoba. In 1877 St John’s College, St Boniface College (Roman Catholic) and the Manitoba College (Methodist) became the founding colleges in the University of Manitoba; however, the College has maintained its strong connection to the Anglican Church. Demolished 1950. | <urn:uuid:cea1c23c-578a-4000-8e5a-ae7ef6d47d84> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archiseek.com/2012/1877-st-johns-college-winnipeg-manitoba/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959971 | 96 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Posted: November 20, 2003
On November 13, 2003, William J. Krar, 62, a right-wing extremist with connections to militia groups and an interest in white supremacist literature, pleaded guilty in federal court in Tyler, Texas, to possessing chemicals that could be used to make a dangerous weapon. Krar's co-defendant and companion, Judith Bruey, 54, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess illegal weapons.
In his plea agreement, Krar, owner of a company that makes gun parts, admitted to possessing sodium cyanide and other chemicals that can produce a lethal gas when combined. In an April raid on a storage unit rented by Krar and Bruey in Noonday, Texas, FBI agents found chemicals, including nitric and acetic acids along with the sodium cyanide, and instructions on how to produce chemical weapons. Agents also found machine guns, more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition and materials for pipe bombs.
According to FBI Special Agent Bart LaRocca, authorities also found white supremacist literature, including "The Turner Diaries," during the raid of the storage room. "The Turner Diaries," a novel about a white supremacist guerrilla army fighting to overthrow the government, was written by now-deceased National Alliance leader William Pierce. It has inspired terrorists from The Order to Timothy McVeigh.
Authorities also found weapons and false documents in Krar's vehicle, in a U-Haul truck at his residence, and in a storage facility in New Hampshire, where Krar used to live. Authorities in New Hampshire were familiar with Krar, who allegedly had ties to members of the militia movement there.
The discovery of the chemicals and weapons was prompted by a separate investigation; Krar had mailed Edward Feltus, 56, an admitted member of the New Jersey Militia, a package with phony documents, including fake birth certificates, a Defense Intelligence Agency identification card, a federal concealed weapons permit, and a United Nations Multinational Force identification card. The package, which included a note from Krar who hoped that it would not "fall into the wrong hands," was seized by authorities when it was mistakenly delivered to a residence on Staten Island, New York, in 2002. Feltus pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the transportation of false documents.
Krar faces up to 11 years in prison and $250,000 fine, while Bruey faces five years and a $250,000 fine. | <urn:uuid:036c81e8-68f7-4142-9ee5-3010c1b11113> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.adl.org/learn/news/extremist_chemical.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966202 | 500 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Robin Williams, shown in 2007 in Santa Monica, Calif., was found dead in an apparent suicide on Aug. 11. / Reed Saxon, AP
The suspected suicide of comic Robin Williams is raising awareness about prevention.
About 39,500 people died of suicide in 2011. That's more deaths than from murder, prostate cancer or car accidents, according to the American Association of Suicidology.
Some of the most frequently cited risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, depression, a prior suicide attempt, family history and exposure to other people's suicidal behavior, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Williams had several risk factors, including depression, a history of drug and alcohol use and a 2009 heart surgery, which increases the risk for depression, said Jeffrey Lieberman, professor and chairman of psychiatry at New York's Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
So how do you know when a loved one needs help?
According to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, some of the warning signs of suicide are:
â?¢ Talking about wanting to die. About 50%-75% of people who attempt suicide tell someone about it first.
â?¢ Finding ways to kill themselves, like hoarding medicine or buying a gun.
â?¢ Losing interest in things and becoming withdrawn from family and friends.
What to do
If you know someone who is thinking about suicide, you should not leave them by themselves. Also, remove anything that might be harmful to the person, such as guns, according to NIH.
"Try to get your loved one to seek immediate help from his or her doctor or the nearest hospital emergency room, or call 911," NIH says on its website.
You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Follow @JolieLeeDC on Twitter.
Read the original story: What to look for: Suicide warning signs | <urn:uuid:b24b8194-a646-4b6e-b8b9-25af7b26bac9> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.battlecreekenquirer.com/usatoday/article/13940937?from=global | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946061 | 394 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Armed Indian occupation of the settlement of Wounded Knee, South Dakota boiled down to a March, 1973 standoff with Indian activists rejecting a Federal Government's "final" offer which would allow them to leave. / Photo by Bettmann/CORBIS via PBS
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- A tragic piece of South Dakota history known worldwide is for sale.
Eighty acres of the Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark, the site where hundreds of Lakota Indians were massacred by U.S. soldiers on Dec. 29, 1890, is being offered up for $3.9 million.
It's not the first time the land has been put on the market by owner James A. Czywczynski and his family, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe would like to acquire the property and possibly build a museum on the site. But the steep asking price makes the deal a virtual nonstarter for the tribe, one official said.
"Every year or two it comes up," and the price escalates, said Craig Dillon, a member of the tribal council who serves on its lands and economic development committees.
When he first started on the council, the asking price for the Wounded Knee land was about $1.3 million, Dillon said.
"I believe the tribe would be interested in it if it was fairly priced," he added. "There is some history there. We've discussed it more than once. I will not tell you it is off the table. But $3 million is a lot of money."
The land offered for sale does not include the Sacred Heart Cemetery and Wounded Knee Memorial, where an estimated 150 of the more than 300 victims of the massacre are buried. Land on South Dakota reservations was given by the federal government to churches for their mission efforts. The cemetery at Wounded Knee falls into this category and exists in a no-man's land of ownership. The tribe does not hold title to it, and the cemetery is maintained by the Wounded Knee Survivors Association, Dillon said.
But the land Czywczynski wants to sell would include the site of the former Wounded Knee trading post that figured in the 1973 occupation that focused worldwide attention on South Dakota, and it includes the low hills and the wide, shallow draws where the 1890 killings occurred.
The land resonates with Native American, South Dakota and national history because of the significance of both the massacre and the American Indian Movement occupation 83 years later.
The 1890 killings of more than 300 Minneconju and Hunkpapa Lakota who had traveled to the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwestern South Dakota to spend the winter with the Oglalas marked the bloody end of tribal independence and traditional lifestyle.
The occupation, meanwhile, was a major driver in the renewal of tribal sovereignty and the rebirth of interest in traditional tribal culture.
The National Park Service named the 1890 Wounded Knee battlefield a national historic landmark in 1966.
For owner, 'time for our family to sell'
Czywczynski, who lives in Rapid City, S.D., told the Native Sun News in a copyright story this week that "it is time for our family to sell the land. We would really like to see the land returned to the Lakota people, and that is why I am giving them an opportunity to purchase the land before I open it up to others for sale."
But Czywczynski also made it known to the Native Sun News that he does have other interested buyers who are non-Native. "I could sell the property to someone from outside the tribe, but I really do not want to do that," he said.
Dillon, meanwhile, said that in his 15 years on the council, he regularly has seen the Czywczynski family offer to sell the land to the tribe. According to Dillon, the tribe holds the upper hand in negotiations because it owns all the land around the Czywczynski property.
"It's landlocked by tribal ground. It doesn't mean anybody can just buy it and move in tomorrow," Dillon said.
Czywczynski could not be reached for comment by the (Sioux Falls, S.D.) Argus Leader.
What's history worth? Determining land values
The question embedded in the $3.9 million asking price for the Wounded Knee land and the tribe's reluctance to pay it is this: What is history worth?
Aside from its historical significance, the land is mostly grassland, and that typically sells for far less than $48,750 an acre in Shannon County. That's how much the tribe would pay per acre if officials agreed to Czywczynski's price.
Susie Hayes is the Fall River County director of equalization, and her county performs the administrative work for Shannon County.
A ranch consisting of 3,238 acres of grassland and 500 acres of cropland went for $2.8 million. "That seems to be a fairly good sale, within the ballpark," she said.
For its part, the tribe has set aside $1 million for land buys this year, Dillon said, and it could be persuaded to pay more than the market average to buy the Wounded Knee property.
"I don't mind paying a little more because of the location," he said. "I would love for us to get a state-of-the-art museum out there. It could be a real shot in the arm for the tribe and for the Wounded Knee District."
The massacre was in large measure sparked because government officials feared that the emergence of tribal Ghost Dance ceremonies signaled a coming renewal of war between tribes and the United States. A Ghost Dance shirt from the era has been returned to the tribe, "and we have a lot of other artifacts that could go into a museum," Dillon said.
Standoff in 1973 was catalyst for change
The 1973 occupation also is worthy of memorializing, said Clyde Bellecourt who, along with Dennis Banks, co-founded the American Indian Movement in 1968. Five years later, when members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe complained to AIM leaders in Minneapolis about a reign of terror at Pine Ridge conducted by the tribal government that was unchecked by federal officials, "we responded to that call. We said we will come out here and see what we can do," Bellecourt said.
After two days of hearings at Pine Ridge and 1,500 complaints from residents, Bellecourt said, AIM activists formed a caravan and drove about 15 miles to Wounded Knee to seize it. Its trading post and Catholic church were potent symbols of government and societal subjugation of the tribes.
Federal and state law enforcement officials responded by surrounding Wounded Knee, and the 71-day siege that followed brought international attention to the rampant poverty on reservations. It also emboldened tribes to reassert their sovereign status and prompted tribal people to try to reclaim their cultural heritage.
For many, the massacre, the occupation and the national significance of the site are good reasons to safeguard it and to develop it for historical interpretation.
"If the opportunity came to buy it, the tribe would jump on that," Dillon said of acquiring the Czywczynski property. But because the tribe controls access, it can ensure no unwanted development takes place, and part of the history between tribes such as the Oglalas and the dominant society is enduring the lengthy passage of time until good things are accomplished.
When it comes to adding to its land holdings at Wounded Knee, Dillon said, "we can play the waiting game as long as anybody can."
Copyright 2015 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Sacred ground for sale at Wounded Knee | <urn:uuid:93f8f22d-bd3b-414b-923c-3c714f3e47e0> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.hometownlife.com/usatoday/article/1907887?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFrontpage%7Cs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969329 | 1,599 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Michael Sam speaks at the NFL Combine in February of 2014 in his first meeting with the media after announcing he is gay. / Pat Lovell, USA TODAY Sports
ST. LOUIS - The Rams' decision to draft Michael Sam could actually have huge legal implications for gay couples and employees across the state of Missouri.
The Rams drafting Sam has raised some deeper issues about openly gay athletes in sports and in the workplace in general. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) posted on Twitter: "Michael Sam could still be fired for just being gay according to MO law. Let's fix that in Jeffcity."
The board president of the LGBT Community Center of Metropolitan St. Louis, Dara Strickland, is also a family law attorney. She says an individual can be refused employment because of their sexual orientation under current state law.
"You can apply for a job in Missouri at least, and there's no protection for being asked, 'By the way, are you gay?' and being explicitly told, 'You know, we don't hire gay people.' You can be fired for being gay, lesbian or transgender," she said.
The Missouri Nondiscrimination Act or MONA would extend the existing Missouri Human Rights Statute to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories. It would protect the LGBT community from discrimination in the work place. The bill, HB 1930, went before the house for public hearing on March 13th. It has yet to pass. Strickland believes the bill will be discussed more place now that Sam could be playing for the Rams - pending his performance during training camp.
Training camp is set to begin for the Rams on July 25.
Christina Coleman writes for KSDK in St. Louis
Copyright 2015 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Rams drafting Michael Sam could impact Missouri law | <urn:uuid:eac21487-96ec-4eb7-b36c-299c0b959e70> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.hometownlife.com/usatoday/article/8991443&usatref=sportsmod | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964921 | 380 | 1.546875 | 2 |
1. Physicochemical Properties of Protein Tertiary Structure: This is a data set of Physicochemical Properties of Protein Tertiary Structure. The data set is taken from CASP 5-9. There are 45730 decoys and size varying from 0 to 21 armstrong.
2. banknote authentication: Data were extracted from images that were taken for the evaluation of an authentication procedure for banknotes.
3. Tamilnadu Electricity Board Hourly Readings: This data can be effectively produced the result to fewer parameter of the Load profile can be reduced in the Database
4. Airfoil Self-Noise: NASA data set, obtained from a series of aerodynamic and acoustic tests of two and three-dimensional airfoil blade sections conducted in an anechoic wind tunnel.
5. Combined Cycle Power Plant: The dataset contains 9568 data points collected from a Combined Cycle Power Plant over 6 years (2006-2011), when the plant was set to work with full load.
6. Cuff-Less Blood Pressure Estimation: This Data set provides preprocessed and cleaned vital signals which can be used in designing algorithms for cuff-less estimation of the blood pressure.
7. Yeast: Predicting the Cellular Localization Sites of Proteins
8. Statlog (Shuttle): The shuttle dataset contains 9 attributes all of which are numerical. Approximately 80% of the data belongs to class 1
9. Concrete Compressive Strength: Concrete is the most important material in civil engineering. The concrete compressive strength is a highly nonlinear function of age and ingredients. | <urn:uuid:5667ae2d-b4a5-4e6c-bf5b-95241d749715> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.ics.uci.edu/ml/datasets.html?format=mat&task=&att=num&area=&numAtt=less10&numIns=greater1000&type=mvar&sort=typeUp&view=list | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.88667 | 329 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Few things can ruin a vacation like getting too sick to enjoy your time off. Take steps to stay well prepared in case you or your travel mates start feeling puny. / Gannett/The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal
Few things can ruin a vacation like getting too sick to enjoy your time off. Here are some steps you can take to stay well, or at least to be better prepared in case you or your travel mates start feeling puny.
BE INFORMED: Research your destination. Learn about any health threats as well as other relevant issues, such as climate and vaccination requirements.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a useful site at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel.
FIRST AID: Pack your own first-aid kit, as Dr. Katherine Jett does.
"It seems like my kids never get sick when we're home," said Jett, a physician with Baptist Medical Associates in Campbellsburg, Ky. "They always get sick when we're on vacation."
Jett stocks the kit with remedies for congestion, fever, upset stomach, rashes and itching. She also brings antihistamines, bandages and antibiotic ointment.
"Sickness can happen anywhere," she said. "You just have to be prepared."
INSECT REPELLENT: If you're going to a place where you might be bitten by mosquitoes or other pests, be sure to pack some bug repellent, and remember to wear proper clothing. For example, if you're going to be in a wooded area, where there might be ticks, you might want to wear pants and long sleeves.
SUNSCREEN: Don't forget to protect your skin from the sun as well by bringing along sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 for outdoor excursions.
Kathleen Downey, an associate professor in the department of family and community medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, suggested packing non-aerosol suntan lotion and bug repellent. "When you travel to resorts, sunscreen and bug spray are extraordinarily expensive in gift shops," she said. So this step "may save them oodles of money."
BRING YOUR MEDS: Carry vital medication, such as your blood pressure medicine, with you. "Especially for diabetics or if someone has seizures, they should have everything in their carry-on (bag), where it can be easily accessed," Jett said.
Talk with your physician or pharmacist about any special handling instructions, Downey said. For example, a medication might need to be kept at a certain temperature. Also, ask about any special medications you might need, such as patches for sea sickness or a sedative if flying makes you anxious.
For air travelers, the Transportation Security Administration has a website and app with information about what's allowed and what's not. Learn more at www.tsa.gov.
DON'T TAKE CHANCES: "If you have asthma, don't leave your medications at home thinking, 'I haven't needed my inhaler in a while'" said Dr. Joseph Turbyville of Family Allergy and Asthma in Louisville. If you have a nebulizer, bring it with you, too.
ALLERGY ALERT: Turbyville notes, "Remember that geographic locations will vary with regard to pollen. ... If you know what your allergic triggers are, consider checking the pollen count in your destination and plan accordingly."
MEDICAL CARE: Know what medical resources are available in the location you're visiting. People with chronic conditions who plan to be away from home for a substantial period of time - spending months in Florida, for example - should consider establishing a relationship with a health-care provider in the area where they're vacationing, Downey said.
HAND WASHING: Don't underestimate the value of washing your hands. Dirty hands can lead to ingesting germs that can make you sick. Keep hand sanitizer handy for those times you aren't near a convenient source of water.
AVOID HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS: Don't allow yourself to get overheated. Be sure to take water breaks and seek shade when possible. Learn the signs of heat-related illness.
KNOW YOUR LIMITS: "You have to have a realistic pace for your vacation," Jett said.
EAR PAIN: Some people experience ear pain while flying. Jett suggests chewing gum during flights, which "can help your body equalize the pressure better."
ACHY FEET: Make sure that you wear shoes that will accommodate slight swelling in your feet, Downey said, and take some adhesive bandages in case you get blisters.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT: Get access to safety equipment, such as bike helmets, if you plan to participate in activities that might lead to injury, or if you're sending kids off to places where they could get hurt.
WATER SAFETY: Water-related tragedies can occur in natural settings, such as lakes, or at public or private pools. Make sure children are properly supervised in and near water and that everyone is wearing proper gear, such as life jackets. "Make sure no one is ever swimming alone," Jett said. Avoid diving into shallow water.
POOL HYGIENE: Swallowing pool water can make you sick; so can coming in contact with contaminated water or breathing in mist or aerosols, according to the CDC. Make sure everyone showers before swimming and take kids on bathroom breaks. For more prevention tips, go to http://1.usa.gov/YZ93E2.
INSURANCE: Check with your insurance company to see whether your insurance card will be accepted in the vacation town, Downey said.
FOOD SAFETY: Follow food-safety rules, such as avoiding perishable food that's been left out at room temperature for too long or that hasn't been cleaned or prepared properly. If you're unsure about a food's safety, "I would just not eat it," Jett said. Also, if you're unsure whether a water supply is clean, you should always drink bottled water, she said. Learn more at www.foodsafety.gov.
FOOD ALLERGIES: Be cautious about eating out if you have a food allergy. "Fresh seafood is great, but if you even think you might be allergic to fish or shellfish, resist the temptation to partake on vacation," Turbyville said. Also, don't be a daredevil. "Don't think you can take a Benadryl and eat your lobster tail, because it could be life-threatening. If you know you have a food allergy, make sure you pack your epinephrine," Turbyville said.
SPEAK UP: Let airlines know about any issues that you might have related to health, Downey suggested. That includes letting them know you have a child with a mental or physical disability who might need special assistance or have issues that might make travel challenging for him, her or other people. If you have concerns about the security screening process at airports, you can read up on it at www.tsa.gov or call (855) 787-2227.
BLOOD CLOTS: If you're going to be cooped up for several hours trying to reach your destination, take steps to prevent the development of blood clots, suggests the National Institutes of Health. For example, on long car rides, stop every couple of hours to walk around. On planes, walk up and down the aisle if possible or exercise your legs at your seat.
Copyright 2015 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Summer vacation: Tips to keep illnesses, mishaps at bay | <urn:uuid:dc63db8a-0bf4-4a0b-a8e3-d000433e3a7c> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.jacksonsun.com/usatoday/article/2420661?from=global | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953267 | 1,611 | 2 | 2 |
This NOAA satellite image taken at 2:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, shows the remains of Sandy over northern New England with rain and snow showers. / AP
NEW YORK (AP) - The National Weather Service says a storm system currently brewing could bring colder temperatures, wind, rain and even snow to areas recovering from Superstorm Sandy.
The forecast for the area around New Jersey and New York, which were hit hard by Sandy on Monday, calls for temperatures to fall into the 20s by Monday night.
The weather service says a possible coastal storm Wednesday and Thursday could bring gusty wind, rain and snow. There's also the possibility for beach erosion.
Sandy caused widespread devastation, killing more than 100 people, destroying homes and knocking out power to more than 8.5 million people in the United States.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read the original story: More bad weather ahead for Sandy-hit area? | <urn:uuid:608b256a-0e60-4945-bfa7-4c1b2ee0b51b> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.jconline.com/usatoday/article/1680151?odyssey=mod_sectionstories&from=global | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935782 | 208 | 2.140625 | 2 |
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio / Seth Wenig, AP
NEW YORK (AP) - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will not be marching in the nation's largest St. Patrick's Day parade, deciding to skip one of his city's signature celebrations because the event organizers refuse to let participants carry pro-gay signs.
De Blasio will become the first mayor in decades to sit out the traditional march along Fifth Avenue.
"I will be participating in a number of other events to honor the Irish heritage of this city," said de Blasio on Tuesday during an unrelated press conference at City Hall. "But I simply disagree with the organizers of that parade."
The parade, a tradition that predates the city itself, draws more than 1 million people each March 17 to line one of Manhattan's most famous thoroughfares to watch about 200,000 participants. It has long been a mandatory stop on the city's political trail, and will include marching bands, traditional Irish dancers and thousands of uniformed city workers.
Since the 1990s, the event's ban on pro-gay signs and banners has spurred protests and litigation and led to the creation of an alternative, gay-friendly St. Patrick's Day parade in Queens. In recent years, several elected officials - including de Blasio when he was public advocate - attended the inclusive parade and boycotted the traditional parade.
Though de Blasio's predecessor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, was a staunch supporter of same-sex marriage rights, he still marched in the Fifth Avenue parade all 12 years he was in office. Rudolph Giuliani also participated every year he was mayor.
The parade dates from 1762, more than a century before the five boroughs linked to form modern New York City. It is run by a private organization, and judges have said the organizers have a First Amendment right to choose participants in their event. Groups, such as colleges or firefighter groups that march, can identify themselves but LGBT groups cannot.
A request for comment from the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade committee was not immediately returned. Organizers have previously said that the event is simply a celebration of the city's strong Irish heritage and that gays are welcome to march in the parade as long as they do not carry identifying signs or banners.
The president of the city's Catholic League said that to his knowledge this was the first time a sitting mayor had boycotted the parade.
"Personally, I am delighted," said Bill Donohue. "I lead the Catholic League contingent every year, and I do not want to march with a public official who does not want to be associated with Irish Catholics."
De Blasio was raised Catholic but has said he does not belong to any church.
The mayor, a Democrat, also said Tuesday that he won't heed activists' call to ban city workers from marching while wearing their uniforms.
Several elected officials, including Public Advocate Letitia James, signed a petition released Tuesday that suggested that because members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community could not sport anything to identify themselves, the city workers should also not wear anything to proclaim who they are.
"I believe uniformed city workers have a right to participate if they choose to, and I respect that right," de Blasio said.
Thousands of uniformed workers - from the police, fire, corrections and sanitation departments - march in the parade every year. The parade's grand marshal this year is Jack Ahearn, the head of a local operating engineers union.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read the original story: De Blasio skipping St. Pat's parade over pro-gay sign ban | <urn:uuid:09770aec-f06b-42f5-99f5-d686569b1070> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.pal-item.com/usatoday/article/5210237?from=global | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967776 | 754 | 2.171875 | 2 |
President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. / Charles Dharapak, AP
It looks like President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are going to have another talk about U.S. spying.
Germany is demanding an explanation from the United States after the arrest of a German foreign intelligence service official who says he passed along secret documents to the Americans.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest declined to discuss the spying allegations against a German citizen, but said the U.S. relationship with Germany is "incredibly important" to the president and his team.
"We're going to work with the Germans to resolve this situation," Earnest said.
The bust in Germany comes less than a year after reports that U.S. National Security Agency surveillance included Merkel's cellphone. That report inspired delicate talks between Obama and Merkel, as well as their staffs.
Merkel, traveling in China, told reporters that "if the allegations are true, it would be for me a clear contradiction as to what I consider to be trusting cooperation between agencies and partners."
The Germans sought a no-spying pledge from the United States, but did not get one. U.S. and German officials, among others, are discussing new sets of rules when it comes to eavesdropping on allies.
Merkel and Obama spoke by phone Thursday about violence in Ukraine, but did not discuss surveillance, officials said. The new spying allegations did not surface until after that phone call.
As for the latest incident, the Associated Press reports:
"Prosecutors say a 31-year-old German was arrested last week on suspicion of spying for foreign intelligence services, and that he allegedly handed over 218 documents from 2012 to 2014. German media, without naming sources, have reported he was an employee of Germany's foreign intelligence service who says he sold his services to the U.S."
Read the original story: Obama, Merkel face another spy flap | <urn:uuid:f7ed834e-dd5e-4b1a-8b70-bc36f30821b2> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.pressconnects.com/usatoday/article/12281167?from=global | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972926 | 390 | 1.640625 | 2 |
An injectable steroid product made by the New England Compounding Center was implicated in a fungal meningitis outbreak. / AP
WASHINGTON -- The legal landscape is littered with charges of negligence and misconduct by compounding pharmacies such as the one implicated in the nation's ongoing meningitis outbreak, but they rarely result in tough punishments, an examination of legal records shows.
In some cases, there's almost no penalty for pharmacies that break the rules, and the people who run them simply continue with business as usual, sometimes with tragic results.
Compounding pharmacies, which mix specialized and hard-to-get medications from raw ingredients, have been tied repeatedly to illness outbreaks -- the Food and Drug Administration has recorded about 200 "adverse events" linked to 71 compounded products since 1990. Some of those cases were eerily similar to the current meningitis episode, which has killed 28 so far.
USA TODAY reviewed state and federal court records, investigative reports and regulatory actions on dozens of cases in which compounding pharmacies produced contaminated or adulterated medication, mismeasured dosages, or manufactured and distributed drugs that were counterfeit or illegal. In many cases, it wasn't regulatory action that shut down those operations; it was damage awards they couldn't afford to pay.
The lightly regulated businesses have been linked through the years in government investigations to high-profile steroids scandals in sports and major tragedies involving veterinary drugs.
Through them all, there's a pattern: When a compounding pharmacy commits serious transgressions -- wrongs that endanger lives or involve large-scale criminal conspiracies -- the regulatory sanctions often are minimal. Tougher punishments frequently come in the form of personal injury lawsuits, which can elicit court-ordered penalties far more potent than, say, the suspension of a pharmacy's license.
Civil lawsuits are a powerful tool "to make sure the most dangerous compounding pharmacies are forced out of business," says Joanne Doroshow, executive director of the Center for Justice & Democracy at New York Law School. "Nothing else seems to be doing it â?¦ because the entire regulatory system lacks teeth."
At least three personal injury lawsuits have been filed against the Framingham, Mass.-based New England Compounding Center, which state and federal investigators have identified as the chief suspect in the current meningitis outbreak. With more than 300 illnesses in at least 16 states, more claims are sure to follow.
The investigators have linked the outbreak to fungal contamination in injectable steroids that were produced by NECC and administered to an estimated 14,000 people for back pain. Last week, the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy permanently revoked NECC's state operating license, as well as the licenses of its three chief pharmacists, after documenting multiple problems with sanitary conditions and quality control at NECC's facility.
But that's the board's only bullet: Like many state pharmacy boards that regulate compounding operations, the Massachusetts panel has no power to issue fines for wrongdoing. Because compounding pharmacies produce medications outside the strict federal regulations that govern traditional drug manufacturers, the FDA has limited authority over them.
Criminal penalties are possible -- criminal investigators from the U.S. Justice Department and the FDA are involved in the NECC probe. But such prosecutions are extremely rare, in part because the law makes it very difficult to hold pharmacists criminally liable for problems with the drugs they produce or dispense.
Even state license revocations are rare: Among cases reviewed by USA TODAY, the NECC closure was the only time a state revoked a compounding pharmacy's license permanently. (Neither NECC nor its pharmacists have appealed the license revocations, though that option remains.)
"Clearly, (states) have the authority," to shut down a bad operator," says Sarah Sellers, a former FDA compliance official. "Whether they have the political will and the resources to pursue those cases is a question in my mind."
Sellers, who now runs Q-Vigilance, a drug-safety consulting firm, says she doesn't ever recall seeing another case in which a state shut down a compounding pharmacy permanently. She believes that might be due partly to the fact that state pharmacy boards often have members who operate or have interests in compounding pharmacies.
"If there is conflict of interest at the state level, that may be a contributing factor in the lack of enforcement," Sellers says.
Warnings in an earlier outbreak
In the fall of 2002, a spate of meningitis cases began cropping up in hospitals and clinics in North Carolina. In many respects, it was strikingly similar to today's outbreak: All the patients were sickened by a rare fungus after getting treated with an injectable steroid produced by an out-of-state compounding pharmacy. Even the drug was the same: methylprednisolone acetate.
When state and federal investigators inspected the facility where the drug was prepared, Urgent Care Pharmacy in neighboring South Carolina, they found faulty sterilization equipment and inadequate sanitary and quality-control practices. When they tested unopened vials of the suspect medication, they also found the fungus.
The pharmacy was ordered to stop selling the contaminated drug immediately, state investigation records show. Warnings went to 11 states where hospitals and clinics had gotten drug shipments from the facility. Several victims were hospitalized; one woman died.
The South Carolina Board of Pharmacy directed Urgent Care to halt work until it corrected major deficiencies in its sterile practices and oversight of technicians. Exercising an authority many pharmacy boards lack, the panel also levied a $10,000 fine and suspended the license of the pharmacist in charge.
Facing lawsuits from more than a half-dozen people who claimed injuries from the contaminated injections, Urgent Care declared bankruptcy three months later. But the pharmacist who managed the operation moved on and now works at a different South Carolina pharmacy. Reached at that store, he declined to comment.
In the same order that suspended the pharmacist, the board immediately issued a "stay" of that action. He was allowed to continue practicing pharmacy on a probationary basis, provided he pass a competency exam and refrain from compounding. Today, his licensure record shows that he continues to work and lists him "in good standing" with "no disciplinary action."
"The regulatory system failed," says Forest Horne, a Raleigh, N.C.-based lawyer who won a damage award of about $1 million for the family of the woman who died in the meningitis outbreak. "If that guy is able to go back and work in a pharmacy â?¦ I think the regulatory system is not working, because the conditions in that plant were absolutely abysmal.
"If these people aren't stopped through litigation," Horne adds, "they're not going to be stopped."
Dead horses and more lawsuits
But litigation can take years, and it doesn't always succeed.
In April 2009, 21 polo horses from a Venezuela-based team died while preparing to compete at the U.S. Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Fla. The deaths later were attributed to a medication that was mixed incorrectly by Franck's Pharmacy, a high-volume compounding operation that, like many, prepared veterinary drugs in addition to human medications.
Franck's acknowledged the dosing error even before federal investigators confirmed it, and owners of the horses filed a lawsuit seeking more than $4 million in damages from the pharmacy. But that case remains unresolved and is scheduled for a jury trial early next year.
After the horses' death, the FDA also filed suit against Franck's, contending its operations should be halted because it was acting as a drug manufacturer, using bulk ingredients to produce drugs on a large scale. As a manufacturer, Franck's would need FDA approval and be subject to agency inspections for compliance with strict federal rules on safety and quality.
But the court ruled that the pharmacy was within the boundaries of compounding, a centuries-old practice that focuses on mixing specialty medications that aren't available commercially. Franck's remained under the supervision of Florida's board of pharmacy. After reprimanding and fining Franck's in the horse incident, the board allowed it to continue operating in good standing.
It wasn't long before the pharmacy was tied to more problems.
In November, 2011, weeks after the FDA lost its case, a rare fungal infection began cropping up in the eyes of patients who had received ocular injections of a special dye used in eye surgery. A subsequent state/federal investigation conducted earlier this year linked the infections to contamination in vials of the dye prepared by Franck's.
In March, the pharmacy recalled the dye and a related product, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned doctors not to use any compounded products from Franck's that were labeled as sterile. In a May report, the CDC identified 33 eye infections in patients who had been injected with the products from Franck's. Three-quarters of the cases led to vision loss.
As damage claims began trickling in, Franck's closed shop.
On July 5, Franck's "turned in the permits required by Florida law to operate as a compounding pharmacy, sold all its assets, and terminated all its employees," according to a federal court filing. "There is no reasonable likelihood that they will return to (compounding) practices."
Steroids and other illegal drugs
The furor about contaminated medication has obscured another long-held concern about the oversight of compounding pharmacies: their involvement in the production and distribution of illegal or counterfeit drugs.
From the steroids-in-baseball scandals of the late 1990s to the more recent worries about illicit distribution of painkillers by so-called "pill mills," compounding pharmacies have been implicated repeatedly in all manner of drug scams. While even the industry's critics acknowledge that bad actors represent a small slice of the nation's compounding community, the lax regulation of those pharmacies makes it easy for them to tap illicit -- and lucrative -- revenue streams.
In his landmark 1997 report to the commissioner of pro baseball, former Sen. George Mitchell included a section dealing exclusively with the role of compounding pharmacies in the distribution of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. He noted that the pharmacies often are affiliated with "rejuvenation centers" that solicit customers through the Internet.
"When approached by a customer, the rejuvenation centers arrange for a corrupt physician to issue a prescription for the substance the customer wants to purchase, often without ever seeing their new 'patient' and without administering any medical tests," the report says. "The bad faith prescriptions are then filled by a compounding pharmacy (which sometimes manufactures the steroids or human growth hormone in its own laboratory) and sent to the user by mail."
In one recent case, the owner and operator of College Pharmacy, a compounding operation in Colorado Springs, was convicted in federal court of illegally distributing human growth hormone and steroids to body-building and "anti-aging" clinics without underlying prescriptions.
"College Pharmacy also promoted and sold the steroid â?¦ at (anti-aging) conferences and trade shows, despite the fact that neither "anti-aging" nor "body-building" is a medically necessary use for these drugs," the court wrote in a May ruling that affirmed the distribution conviction on appeal.
Similar arrangements have been alleged in the illicit distribution of painkillers.
In one ongoing case, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets earlier this year from a compounding pharmacy in Georgia, asserting that it was part of an illicit distribution network for oxycodone and other narcotics. The pharmacy is alleged to have filled hundreds of prescriptions for a "pill mill" -- a pain clinic that writes prescriptions without medical justification.
However, no criminal charges were filed against the pharmacy in conjunction with the forfeiture; the pharmacy has denied any wrongdoing, and filed a motion in federal court to have its assets returned.
DEA officials acknowledge that their ability to police compounding pharmacies is limited. The agency does not inspect compounding operations routinely, but it does monitor purchasing records, because compounders have a DEA registration to handle controlled drugs.
"If we suspect that they are manufacturing, which would be a violation of their registration, we would look at that," says DEA spokeswoman Barbara Carreno. "If we see significant anomalies (in the data), that's a red flag for us."
But Carreno notes that regulatory authority for compounders lies mainly with state pharmacy boards. They have primary responsibility for ensuring that the pharmacies only issue drugs in accordance with underlying prescriptions, and they're the ones who are supposed to monitor the safety and quality of compounding operations.
Yet, the state boards often lack the resources and expertise to identify potential problems.
"The states have limited resources just like the FDA, and they could be going in maybe once every three years or only in for-cause situations," says Sellers, the former FDA compliance official.
That scenario is particularly risky when it comes to checking for problems with sterility or quality control, she adds, noting that "pharmacies can produce a lot of bad drugs in a period of three years." Sellers takes little comfort in the notion that civil lawsuits end up being a driving force in ensuring that pharmacies maintain adequate standards.
"That's your last resort for moving and furthering a public health agenda," she says.
Contributing: Donna Leinwand, Kaitlyn Ridel
Copyright 2015 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Harsh punishments rare for drug compounding mistakes | <urn:uuid:eeb48d76-fb19-4b9c-bf8d-caf5cd9339da> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.thestarpress.com/usatoday/article/1666107?odyssey=mod_sectionstories&from=global | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968885 | 2,795 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Vendor Robert Llambelis tries to keep cool on Thursday in Brooklyn. Heat advisories or warnings were in effect in 23 states from Iowa to Maine. / Jon Gerberg, AP
Amid heat advisories and warnings in 23 states, temperatures pushed well past 100 degrees in New Jersey on Friday, and New York City set a record for power usage as customers sought relief in air conditioners.
The National Weather Service said the hottest spot in the early afternoon was at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey, which recorded a temperature of 106 degrees.
Newark, N.J., tied a record of 100 degrees, while New York's LaGuardia Airport tied a record of 99 degrees, the National Weather Service reported. Islip, N.Y., set a record of 93 degrees.
ConEdison, which supplies power to New York City, posted an all-time peak of 13,214 megawatts of usage at 2 p.m. ET.
As the nation baked, forecasters promised that an approaching cold front would bring relief - along with chances of damaging storms - for hard-hit areas from Iowa to Maine.
The weather service had issued Friday's heat advisories and warnings for parts of 23 states, where more than 141 million people live.
Friday's soaring heat capped a week-long summer scorcher, with every state in the nation except Alaska hitting 90 degrees or higher on Thursday.
Officials are blaming hot weather for at least one death. A 78-year-old Alzheimer's patient died of heat exhaustion after wandering away from his northern Kentucky home.
The oppressively hot weather in the Northeast has surprised meteorologists, moving backward across America, something that rarely happens.
The western Atlantic high pressure system behind the hot dry weather started moving east to west last week and by Tuesday was centered over lower Michigan, said Jon Gottschalck, the operations chief at the National Weather Service's prediction branch.
"It's definitely unusual and going the wrong way," Gottschalck said Thursday. "This is pretty rare."
The unusual movement wasn't seen in computer models until four or five days in advance, which is relatively late for these models, so meteorologists were surprised, he said.
The approaching cold front - with the promise of weekend relief - was expected to move through the Midwest and Great Lakes on Friday and then on to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions Saturday, according to AccuWeather.
Meanwhile, the heat has taken its toll on people and infrastructure alike:
â?¢ On Thursday, soaring temperatures buckled highway pavement in several states.
â?¢ In Chicago, city officials said the Department of Family and Support services have placed thousands of calls to senior citizens reminding them to stay out of direct sunlight and keep hydrated.
â?¢ In Indianapolis, firefighters evacuated 300 people from a senior living community after a power outage knocked out the air conditioning.
â?¢ Riders on Chicago's Metra transit system could expect delays up to 15 minutes because of reduced speeds to compensate for heat-related stress on the tracks, WGN reports.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Copyright 2015 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Temps hit 106 in N.J. amid summer scorcher in 23 states | <urn:uuid:b3ac21b1-528e-4eca-8a03-1e3fc3a7b33f> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.thestarpress.com/usatoday/article/2567727?from=global | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950693 | 670 | 1.96875 | 2 |
With intellectual curiosity — especially a love of science — as their common bond, an informal group of uncommon men establish what will become the Royal Society.
All posts tagged ‘Francis Crick’
July 25: In science and technology, spheres of society where women are woefully underrepresented, this day in history offers a bountiful exception. Here are the milestones: 1865: “James Barry,” the first woman physician in modern times, dies. She was compelled to disguise herself as a man in order to practice her profession. 1920: Rosalind Franklin, […]
1953: James Watson and Francis Crick present their research in Nature, describing the architecture of the double helix, which forms the molecular structure of DNA. Although by then scientists understood that deoxyribonucleic acid was most likely the molecule of life, absolute certainty eluded them, because key components were still missing. Chiefly, they didn’t really know […] | <urn:uuid:bd8625d2-c99f-49fe-8b71-b88fe19f9a95> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://archive.wired.com/thisdayintech/tag/francis-crick/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953392 | 197 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Ham Radio Meets Open Source ElectronicsMicrocontroller technology has exploded in popularity among ham radio operators. The new generation of single-board microcontrollers is easier than ever to use, bringing together hardware and software for project-building most radio amateurs can easily dive into.
With inexpensive microcontroller platforms – such as the popular open-source Arduino board – along with readily available parts, components and accessory boards, the possibilities are limitless: beacon transmitters, keyers, antenna position control, RTTY and digital mode decoders, waterfall displays, and more.
Editor Leigh L. Klotz, Jr, WA5ZNU has assembled this first edition of Ham Radio for Arduino and PICAXE to help introduce you to the rewards of experimenting with microcontrollers. Klotz and many other contributors have designed projects that will enhance your ham radio station and operating capabilities. Or, you can take it to the next step, using these projects as a launch pad for creating your own projects. http://hamradioprojects.com/ | <urn:uuid:392b1a5f-78df-4a5e-99c0-cd63446cb793> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://arduinotronics.blogspot.com/2013_03_17_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.899858 | 214 | 2.015625 | 2 |
It has been five years since the AMD/ATI merger promised us the "Fusion" of a CPU and GPU onto a single die, and on Monday AMD finally made good on that promise with the shipping of the company's first true multicore CPU/GPU combo parts, codenamed "Llano." Sure, the Brazos platform launch was technically the first time that AMD put a CPU and GPU onto the same die, but Llano is supposed to be what the company originally intended with Fusion—a combination of CPU cores and vector hardware that's somehow more "integrated" than a normal on-die GPU. (The exact way in which the latter is true is not clear to me; if anyone knows, feel free to enlighten.)
The picture above is from AMD's blog post announcing that Llano is shipping to OEMs, and it shows the workers in the company's Singapore factory surrounding a box that presumably contains one of the first batches of Llano processors.
AMD is calling Llano's combination of a CPU and GPU on the same die an APU, for "accelerated processing unit." Whatever you call it, it's pretty certain that even tech-savvy customers are never going to see Llano as anything other than another CPU/GPU combo part like Brazos and Sandy Bridge. No matter, though—the Llano parts will have their own place in the processor ecosystem, and it will be different from that of Sandy Bridge.
There is no chance that Llano's CPU core will outperform that of Sandy Bridge, given that the former is a straight-up derivative of AMD's existing Phenom II core. But Llano's GPU is another matter entirely. AMD has used their considerable experience in building best-in-class integrated graphics processors (IGPs) to pack a ton of GPU performance onto each Llano die. Llano will be a great gaming portable, and Llano desktops should offer extremely good price/performance ratios for gamers.
If Intel can get the performance of Sandy Bridge's trailing-edge GPU design up to the point where it can outperform low-end discrete graphics cards, then Llano should do even better. Llano's DirectX11-class GPU will beat Sandy Bridge's GPU by a comfortable margin, and should compete with mid-range discrete solutions. Intel won't have anything comparable until its Ivy Bridge launch early next year.
So from now until Ivy Bridge comes up, AMD will have the budget performance notebook and desktop segment pretty much to itself with Llano. Llano will also make a monster of a home theater PC chip, because you'll be able to build a relatively cheap HTPC with some serious gaming chops.
AMD has said that the first Llano parts will show up in laptops, with desktop parts likely to follow later in the summer. The company isn't giving out any details on which specific products are shipping, though—we'll probably get this info as part of an official launch, soon. | <urn:uuid:20e30549-03a6-40e5-83a9-f4291cc7e7f8> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://arstechnica.com/business/2011/04/amds-ships-llano-the-ultimate-htpc-processor/?comments=1&post=21509997 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958144 | 608 | 1.703125 | 2 |
A Firefox add-on that gives users the ability to collect information on the IP address, server hostname and other related data for websites they visit also has the added bonus feature of reporting the same information on every site visited to a third-party server, SophosLabs reports.
The ShowIP add-on exposes the full Web-browsing history of its users to the add-on's back-end service—and anyone who can intercept the unencrypted packets. Sophos' Graham Clueley writes that he was alerted to the problem by a reader, who found a recent update to the ShowIP add-on sends the full URL of sites visited in unencrypted form—including those visited using HTTP Secure and in "private browsing" mode—to a Web server at api.ip2info.org, without alerting the user.
The behavior is a potential privacy threat to users of the service, because the data leaked by the add-on could be used by anyone sharing the network they are on to reconstruct their Internet browsing history. The issue has been reported on the add-on's Google Code project page, but there has been no response. | <urn:uuid:303f16e0-977a-4d1e-8bd2-ab4576d822b5> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/05/firefox-security-add-in-exposes-users-web-browsing-history/?comments=1&post=22812607 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943282 | 237 | 1.554688 | 2 |
A tower block destined for San Diego will be the largest carbon-neutral office building in the United States, according to a press release put out in December by Hines, the project's developer.
Offices use energy more intensively than houses or schools, which are more typical candidates for carbon neutrality, so a carbon neutral office is ambitious in itself. But it's the size of the office block that sets this project apart. Named LPL Financial at La Jolla Commons after its eventual tenant, it joins existing Hines-developed offices at the La Jolla Commons campus in San Diego. The building will host 415,000 ft2 of office space, spread over 13 stories. As office blocks go, that's not enormous—New York’s 52-story 7 World Trade Center contains 1.7 million ft2 of premium office real estate—but it's a tall order as far as carbon neutrality is concerned.
Hines' claim is a straightforward one: the building will, averaged over the course of each year, produce more energy than it consumes. This basically matches the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s definition of a Zero-Energy Building, provided that the energy is produced on site and comes from a non-polluting renewable source. But because LPL@LJC (to shorten the office block's name) uses natural gas as its sole source of energy, some have questioned, and even dismissed, Hines' net zero claims—despite the fact that the natural gas isn't actually combusted.
To avoid impinging the office's Class A spec, Hines hasn't, by its own admission, gone as far as it might in reducing LPL@LJC's energy consumption. "You can go sub-40 kBtus, but it can get costly and you may end up having to reduce glass and cutting out natural light," Hines’ Global Sustainability Officer Gary Holtzer told Forbes. "We wanted to do this without changing the class-A design." Here, "kBtus" is an industry colloquialism for kBtu per square foot per year, 1 Btu being a unit of energy roughly equivalent to a kilojoule. Forbes reports that the building's energy consumption will be 41.5 kBtu per square foot per year.
That's not to say that LPL@LJC will be without energy-saving tech. It is set to use under-floor air conditioning which, Hines' Senior Managing Director Paul Twardowski told Ars, allows cool air to be delivered at a slightly higher temperature, but at reduced velocity and pressure, than when delivered by overhead duct. In fact, ductwork and secondary motors are largely avoided. All in, the air conditioning will use less energy than a conventional system. The need for AC will be reduced, Hines claims, because the windows will come with a low-emissivity layer designed to reduce problematic heat from the sun.
Hines' approach to energy reduction may be somewhat conservative, but this poses little threat to the building's carbon neutrality; at least, not as Hines defines it. The company is effectively throwing generation technology at the problem. LPL@LJC's entire energy demand will be met electrically, using three parking space-sized Bloom Energy fuel cells, aka Bloom Boxes. Collectively they're capable of generating 5 million kWh of electricity per year. This is more electricity than Hines thinks the building will use. The patented fuel cells take natural gas and generate electricity using a "clean electro-chemical process" which Bloom Energy prefers not to discuss in detail. How clean? Hines claims that the cells produce about half the CO2 emissions of a natural gas power station.
But if the fuel cells emit any CO2, how can the building claim carbon neutrality? Hines intends to buy directed biogas from sources such as water treatment facilities, landfills, and livestock farms—greenhouse gases that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. Yet the issue is muddied by the fact that the US does not yet have a distribution network dedicated to a biogas. The building will actually run on normal gas, but it will offset what it uses with biogas, introduced into the same networks that feed it where possible.
That may seem ambiguous, but Hines is unequivocal in its project FAQ. "We are placing a new 415,000-square-foot office building into service, filled with workers and releasing no new CO2 to the atmosphere."
Strictly speaking, LPL@LJC may well qualify as a carbon neutral building (though the CO2 released during the building's construction is disregarded). Whether it's in the true spirit of a National Renewable Energy Laboratory Zero Energy Building is more questionable. NREL's 2006 discussion (PDF) sets out a design hierarchy which prioritizes energy efficiency followed by on-site supply. Shipping (or piping) in renewable energy sources for on-site generation, or purchasing remotely generated renewable energy, come further down the hierarchy.
But for openness, Hines deserves some credit. The company has set out what it means by net zero, and has explained, openly, how it intends to achieve it. | <urn:uuid:29313db4-70fe-4086-80a6-e628132f7fc9> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/01/usas-largest-carbon-neutral-office-set-for-san-diego/?comments=1&post=23676581 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938007 | 1,068 | 2.203125 | 2 |
I had seen glimpses of it as I walked past on my way to AP Geometry, but now I was about to enter the school computer lab for the first time.
It was September 1980 and my freshman year at Gateway High School had been knocked off-kilter barely a week into the first term. I had signed up for Russian 1, which involved a daily bus ride to the nearby high school in Aurora, Colorado where it was offered. My excitement at learning the language of the enemy during the height of the Cold War dropped considerably when only four students—from across the entire school district—showed up the first day of class. Such low enrollment meant Russian was cancelled a few short days later, forcing me to rework my schedule. I substituted Latin for Russian—which eliminated the need to hop on a bus each day— and that in turn opened a spot on my schedule for Introduction to Computer Programming.
My children have a hard time grasping this, but in 1980 the only computing devices I ran into on a daily basis were either calculators or video games. Sure, I might get a glimpse of the mainframe in the school office now and again, but my hands-on computing time happened either on my Sears-branded Intellivision knock-off or at the local arcade.
The computers in the lab at Gateway were unlike any I’d seen before. They were blue metal boxes with black keyboards and 9" black-and-white TVs perched on top, and several were hooked up to teletypes. Chained to the desk next to them were cheap cassette tape decks. Big block letters informed me that these were Ohio Scientific Challenger 2P computers.
Priced at $495, the Challenger 2P sported a whopping 4KB of RAM, a 32x32 character display, and support for Microsoft BASIC—all powered by a MOS Technology 6502 processor running at 1MHz. Even by the standards of the day, these tech specs were a bit underwhelming. (The Apple ][+ came out the same year as the 2P—1979—and offered up to 16KB of RAM and 16 color graphics at 40x48 characters.) But that didn’t matter to me, because I now had access to a computer. And I could make it do whatever I wanted.
We started the class with basic BASIC programming, simple stuff really.
10 A=1 20 B=10 30 A=A+1 40 C=A*B 50 IF A>10 THEN GOTO 80 60 ?A" X "B" = "C 70 GOTO 30 80 END
Then we moved on to for-next loops:
10 B=10 20 FOR A=1 TO 10 30 C=A*B 40 ?A" X "B" = "C 50 NEXT A
Boring? Well, kind of. But one day I wandered by the computer lab during lunch and saw an upperclassman playing what looked like a game. A little USS Enterprise was being guided by keyboard presses across the TV screen as it avoided a bunch of asterisks. The game was primitive, even compared to my next door neighbor’s Atari 2600, but the student had written it himself.
The video shown on the 9” black-and-white TVs used 1KB of memory. That 32x32 display worked out to 1,024 characters, but only 576 would actually show up (the rest were reserved as a sort of guard buffer). It was possible to write directly to the display, check to see if a given spot on the screen contained a particular character, and move characters around the display with the keyboard. I was immediately and irrevocably sucked in.
My spare time at school became devoted to successfully mixing the Star Wars and Star Trek universes by writing a two-player game that pitted the USS Enterprise against a TIE fighter (represented by a left-arrow and a right-arrow symbol). Should a phaser (hyphen) shot from the Enterprise score a hit, the TIE fighter would blow up—well, not so much "blow up" as be transformed into a pair of asterisks.
This snippet from Challenger 2P game Tank For Two offers an idea of what my own code looked like:
390 POKE P1,TA(T1) 400 FOR X=1TO3:IF F1=0 THEN 460 410 IF B1<>P1 THEN POKE B1,32 420 P=PEEK(B1+M1):IF P=161 THEN F1=0:GOTO 460 430 B1=B1+M1:POKE B1,BD(T1) 440 IF P=TA(T2)THEN F1=0:B1=P1:S1=S1+1:GOTO 460 450 IF B1C2 THEN F1=0 460 IF F2=0 THEN 520
POKE command was used to render a particular character on the display, with the variable to the left of the comma representing the location in memory and the one to the right the character to be inserted there.
PEEK was used to read the contents of a point in memory, determining whether the laser shot from the tie fighter scored a hit on the Enterprise. It was heady stuff for a high school freshman in 1980.
Given my current occupation, it will come to no surprise that I spent every moment I could in the computer lab. I began buying and subscribing to computer magazines, manually inputting text-based games like Hunt the Wumpus, and saving them on my growing library of cassette tapes. If I forgot to bring a tape with me, there was the option of using one of the teletypes to print the program as a series of raised dots on a strip of paper. Loading from the spool didn't always work perfectly, so I would also have the teletype loudly print out my original code for reentry, just in case.
Over Christmas break I even got to take one of the machines and its black-and-white TV home. Unfortunately, I lost two days of computing fun to a blown fuse on the 2P—yes, an actual glass tube fuse.
I desperately wanted a Challenger computer of my own. Even though the TV and stereo shop at Aurora Mall sold the Atari 400, and although the TRS-80 was available at Radio Shack, I would always head straight to JCPenney and then to the electronics department. There, in all of its color glory, sat a $600 Challenger 4P. But despite my best efforts, my mother was unimpressed by the possibilities of a personal computer in the house, and my entreaties to buy one fell on deaf ears. It would be another year before I bought my first computer, a Timex Sinclair ZX80 kit that I could never use because of an unfortunate soldering accident during assembly.
When I showed up for my sophomore year, however, the Ohio Scientific computers were gone, replaced by Apple ][ and Apple ][+ computers with 5-1/2” floppy drives and monochrome green monitors. While I was disappointed not to see the familiar blue boxes, I quickly learned the Apples were far more powerful.
Three decades later, Ohio Scientific is nothing more than a memory. The Challenger 2P was succeeded by the 4P (color!) and, eventually, by the Challenger 8P before the company was purchased in 1981 and its PC lineup was discontinued. Sadly, my programming skills are mostly memory now as well, but the experience wasn't a waste. If more Colorado kids had wanted to speak Russian, my life might have taken a much different path. Instead, I had the opportunity to cultivate a love of computers as something I could not only use, but as devices I could tinker with, build upon, and ultimately control. | <urn:uuid:81e0868d-28f5-41d9-aab4-d6224a9ecf15> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://arstechnica.com/staff/2012/12/first-encounter-ohio-challenger-2p-and-its-4kb-of-ram/?comments=1&post=23626084 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968467 | 1,611 | 2.25 | 2 |
Fittingly, the book received greatest notice for an unusual promotional deal paid for by a group of conservative political supporters. After all, Gingrich had single-mindedly pursued reports that Speaker Jim Wright essentially laundered excess earnings through his own book deal, leading to an ethics investigation that ultimately drove the Speaker from office. Now, Democrats prayed that Gingrich would be hoisted on his own petard.
Eventually, the special counsel hired by the ethics committee said there was no case against Gingrich. "It was one of the most disappointing days of my life," says one senior Democrat. "I really wanted to see him hang."
So, later, did some people in the White House. During last year's budget summit, Gingrich, as a leader, sat at the table while negotiators from both parties attempted to hammer together a five-year, deficit-busting deal. While the others bickered, Gingrich read pulp novels. "It was incredible, the arrogance of it," fumed one participant.
He said little during the negotiations--until the morning when the negotiators gathered in the Cabinet Room of the White House to present the package to President Bush. "I can't support this," Gingrich announced to the slack-jawed group. The package raised taxes without including the "economic growth measures"--especially a cut in the capital gains tax rate--that he had sought. The President and the rest of the negotiators marched outside to the Rose Garden to present their deal. Gingrich exited by another door, drove up to the Hill and began to lay strategy for the destruction of the very agreement he'd been designated to facilitate.
Bush was furious. Moderate Republicans were furious. They believed that Gingrich, as a member of the leadership, had a responsibility to support the President. "He did real damage," says Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.). "It was destructive."
Conservatives, however, were relieved. A few months earlier, they had sat Gingrich down in the office of Rep. Philip M. Crane (R-Ill.) and "reminded him who elected him and who he was," recalls Rep. William Dannemeyer (R-Calif.). "Newt did the right thing."
Thanks largely to Gingrich, the first budget deal was rejected, cementing his reputation as, if not a kingmaker, then a deal-breaker. A second version--a similar one--was adopted, though that did little to change impressions. "I think," says Amabile, "he went after Bush for the same reason he went after Tip O'Neill."
Gingrich denies that. "It was a bad package" that risked tipping the economy into a recession and putting people out of work to satisfy some "abstract concept of deficit reduction," he says. "If numbers start to drive policy, you have a sort of mindlessness, almost nihilism of government, in which you end up making decisions that make no sense."
Lines like that drive some otherwise reasonable people to thoughts of homicide. After all, aren't Newt and the COSers the ones who have been bellowing for years about a balanced-budget amendment? Isn't that an abstract concept? "The guy's a chameleon," grumbles one Republican colleague.
Likewise, Gingrich had for years been calling for a radical overhaul of the Social Security system. But when Democrats started agitating last year for a cut in the Social Security payroll tax--a move that Administration officials argued would undermine the integrity of the system--Gingrich smelled political gold. He became a champion of Social Security and gleefully distributed buttons that read "Save Social Security, Vote Republican."
"Oh, you can find more examples of chameleon-like behavior than that," he concedes. "Look, I believe in pragmatism. But, it's tautological. Conservatism works. The work ethic works. Strength works. The free market works. Focusing on learning works. Preventive health works. So I can tell you with a straight face I am pragmatic, and as a result I am driven to conservatism. But I'm not dogmatic. I think if non-conservatism works, I'll look at it, too. It just doesn't work as well."
WHAT IS NEXT? GINGRICH will state repeatedly: "I want to be Speaker." That, of course, requires the support of a majority of House Republicans, who elevated him to the whip's post by a mere two-vote margin. Once current Republican leader Bob Michel retires, says former Democratic Whip Tony Coelho, "Newt's going to have a lot of competition." If the Republicans ever become the majority, Coelho says, "a different set of criteria takes over."
Gingrich's dream won't be realized, either, unless Republicans gain control of the House, a feat they have not managed since 1952. But like a die-hard Red Sox baseball fan, Gingrich says next year might see a turnaround in the fortunes of House Republicans, who now labor under a 103-seat deficit.
"This is America. There's a one-in-three chance," he says. "Harry Truman picked up 76 seats in 1948. The (Gulf War's) been won, and quickly. Assume the recession is clearly over in the fall, and you get the Democratic presidential candidates you are likely to get . . . . They're going to have a convention in New York City--as it collapses--of AIDS activists, left-wing environmentalists, ultra-feminists, unilateral disarmers and random professional politicians, with a mixture of union bosses thrown in."
He pauses, checking to make sure the lesson has sunk in. The turboprop hits an air pocket, but the professor doesn't shift his gaze. "You tell me, which party will be on the winning side of history?" Undoubtedly, he implies, the one that has Newt Gingrich on its side. | <urn:uuid:f5651d64-8069-4d56-8007-181af4af4db7> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://articles.latimes.com/1991-08-25/magazine/tm-2004_1_newt-gingrich/6 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974863 | 1,216 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Maya Rodale, the Rodale Institute’s director of communications… (Douglas Kilpatrick, SPECIAL…)
Want to get to the core of apples' goodness? Head for the orchards during the annual Rodale Institute Organic Apple Festival, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 17.
It's a chance to eat as many apples as you can, within sight of the trees that produced them.
The festival, on the grounds of the Rodale Institute's organic farm, will offer pick-your-own organic apples, wagon-tours, family activities and opportunities to enjoy apples in many forms. Think Apple Cider Floats packed with organic vanilla ice cream, and Harvest Cake with Cider Cinnamon Frosting.
"Because so many people have asked us for more information about using organic methods to care for backyard apple trees, we've scheduled two free sessions with Lee Reich," says Maya Rodale, the institute's director of communications and outreach.
Reich, author of "Landscaping with Fruit," "Uncommon Fruits" and "The Pruning Book," will take questions 10:30 a.m. to noon and 2:30-4 p.m. at the covered pavilion next to the Rodale Institute Store.
All About Honey Bees, featuring Meme Thomas of Baltimore Honey, another free session from 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m., will cover community supported apiaries and micro-local honey.
The family-friendly, rain-or-shine festival includes games such as apple toss and the rotten apple slingshot. A straw-bale maze and places for children to get caricatures or temporary tattoos also will be set up on the grounds.
"Last year's festival exploded in a good way," Rodale says. "We ran out of organic hot dogs by noon and ran out of apples on the trees by the end of the day."
Pick-your-own apple prices will be $25 per bushel and $15 per half bushel. You don't want so many? Apples also will be sold for $1.50 a pound.
Although the farm grows 30 varieties, four kinds will be ready for harvest. "We'll have Empires, Liberties and two Macintosh types that are good for baking and eating right off the tree," Rodale says.
The institute will provide baskets (including kid-sized ones) as well as apple pickers for plucking the fruit from high limbs.
Visitors can watch a small-scale cider-making demonstration using a hand-press and buy the farm's cider (professionally processed earlier in the week) to take home or enjoy on the spot in an apple cider snow cone or float.
Rodale notes, "We've expanded our food offerings, too." Maria Rodale, CEO of Emmaus publisher Rodale, will preside over Maria's Farm Country Kitchen Hotdog Stand.
"My mom's slogan is 'Changing the World, one hot dog at a time,' and she's passionate about the goodness of the organic ones she is serving," Maya says. The stand also will feature maple creamies.
Rodale Catering will offer foods including Apple City Pork BBQ Sandwiches, grilled corn on the cob with organic butter and fresh lemonade.
There'll be freshly made goodies to take home, too, including 9-inch apple pies containing the farm's organic apples and with crusts made from the farm's organic flour.
Organic Apple Festival
•What: An apple extravaganza featuring pick-your-own-fruit, education sessions, family activities and foods to enjoy.
•When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 17
•Where: Rodale Institute's Organic Farm, 611 Siegfriedale Road, Maxatawny Township.
•How much: Admission is free, parking is $1 per car.
•Apples: Pick your own organic apples will be $25 per bushel, $15 per half bushel or $1.50 a pound.
•Tip 1: Take a free farm tour in a tractor-drawn wagon to learn about the institute's testing programs, see the demonstration gardens and get a passing look at the organic dairy cows grazing in the pastures.
•Tip 2: Kids can test their skills using a rotten apple slingshot and compete in an apple toss. There's also a straw-bale maze. | <urn:uuid:7ff31198-4d9b-44e1-8e8f-22b8b93bb6b0> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://articles.mcall.com/2011-09-13/entertainment/mc-apple-festival-0914-20110913_1_maria-rodale-apple-pickers-backyard-apple-trees | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925801 | 917 | 1.6875 | 2 |
I'm training for a marathon, it's summer, and I am going through a lot of Nuun. The tablets come in these little canisters kinda shaped like film canisters but skinnier. What the heck can I do with these puppies that's not throwing them in the trash?
There is a well-built shed on my property that is heavily termite damaged that I want to tear down. The inside is lined with cedar paneling and I'd like to salvage as much as I can from the entire structure as I want to build a new shed there but I don't want to doom my new building to an early death. What should I do?
I frequent the pharmacy, and every time I pick up my prescription they print off a ton of paper detailing the possible effects of the medication. I have told them I do not want this before, but that just resulted in the pharmacist throwing it in recycling (I hope that's what it was). How can I make this a greener experience? [more inside]
I have few old hair straighteners which have burned out over the years (I have very big, frizzy, and curly hair), and I'm trying to figure out the best way to discard them--is it best to just throw them away, or can I recycle them? [more inside]
My friend said that there are people who would pick up metal waste for free. I have metal stuff to donate and want to call the right person for pick up. I live in Millbrae CA. Anybody know the phone number to call?
Every once in a while, I'll absent-mindedly leave pasta to cook just past the point where it's inedible. I hate throwing away food. Can I repurpose the overcooked pasta somehow? I've tried sautéing the mushy noodles in oil following a suggestion from somewhere, but it doesn't salvage it. I was thinking along the lines of throwing the pasta into the food processor and making a dough, or drying it out in the fridge and grinding it down, but I don't know if that's a good idea.
I have an entire month's of Turner Classic Movies "31 Days of Oscar" from 1994/95 or so on VHS tape. What should I do? [more inside]
I have software that I can set to do certain types of cleaning each time the computer restarts; delete temporary internet files, empty recycle bin, etc. I can also set it to delete cookies but I don't do it frequently because whenever cookies are deleted, specifically, the functionality on my Twitter account drops, i.e. I can't type in the comment box, I can't see new interactions and I can't see who is or isn't following me. I have to beg the company to do something (which they may or may not do over time) and eventually, functionality comes back. I've tried different browsers whenever I delete cookies and the same thing happens. I haven't noticed if I'm having problems with any of the other social media I use. Why is this happening and can I do anything to avoid it?
We have five aluminum 30" Apple Cinema displays at the office. They are slowly going dim. I don't want to trash them. How can they be fixed? [more inside]
I recently removed an interior wall covering of about a ton of thin ( and joist bending ) brick like this, or this, and now have sheets of plaster and/or broken brick and plaster. Is there any other use for it around a house or yard; I don't like throwing it away and I'd have to take it to a construction dumpster due to its weight. [more inside]
The recycling dumpster shared by about 30 people in an apartment complex fills up to the top and overflows the second or third day after it is emptied. It's been this way for a few months now, after some changes in the tenant count and removal of one dumpster. Landlord says people need to use the recycling dumpster space more efficiently, refusing to get more recycling space and passing on overflow pickup costs in building fees. How can I fix this problem? [more inside]
I have approximately 10,000 sheets of 8.5" x 11" paper in a box under my desk. They have printing on one side already, are standard computer paper weights, and are various colors. What are some creative ways I can use them or places to which I could donate them in the Twin Cities (Minnesota)? [more inside]
What are some craft projects that are made out of things that would be thrown away? [more inside]
I am planning to attempt to soundproof my ceiling of my condo. I plan to use a method that includes adding drywall/green glue between the floor joists and then adding additional drywall below. (example) I was wondering if there were any problems in carefully tearing down the drywall that is there and using it for the smaller areas between the floor joists (i.e., taking down larger pieces out, cutting them to size, and using them for the inner floor joist area). I'd have to get new drywall for the outside, but I am trying to minimize cost and waste. Is this reasonable?
I am compiling a collection of K-12 lesson plans on waste reduction/recycling/reuse/composting etc. Where are the best places to look? [more inside]
One person's trash is another person's treasure. What do certain industries throw out that can be repurposed for free? [more inside]
What to do with old laptops? I have one 13 year old Dell Latitude, doesn't turn on, probably useless (?) and a 4 or 5 year old Inspiron1505, still works okay, should have utility for someone. I'd like to know how to best dispose of the old one, and best securely wipe/possibly donate the more recent one. Are these appropriate/feasible goals? I have a ceramic drill bit if drilling through hard drives is required, and I live in a city, so I expect I'd have a range of options if things need to be done. Thanks in advance for your help! Any and all replies are appreciated.
VHS tapes. How/where to recycle them? [more inside]
I have empty six packs of 17 different varieties of a particular brand of beer. What should I do with them? [more inside]
Creative uses for a broken umbrella? [more inside]
Just moved to Albuquerque and was surprised that chipboard isn't recycled here.. This means cereal boxes and the like aren't recycled here and head to the landfill. Two-part question: 1. Why isn't chipboard recycled here like it is everywhere else I've lived? 2. Is there a way to recycle it here that I've missed? I've googled extensively but hope I've missed something.
Give me ideas on how to re-purpose leftover stepping stones. [more inside]
At which shops in San Francisco can I find recycled billboard vinyl bags and accessories?
Now that you've gone all earth-friendly and eco-conscious and bring your own reusable canvas or recycled plastic tote bags to the grocery store, how do you remember to actually use them? [more inside]
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Replacing my laptop, and planning to give current laptop to my 85 yr old mother so she can email and chat with me, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren, and receive photo's. Is ubuntu a viable OS for her? [more inside]
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What is the long-term impact of reusable art/craft projects (e.g. school "environmental" arts projects or Etsy-esque recycled jewelry & knickknacks)? Do they really help the environment or do they just delay the impact? [more inside]
Do you know of any other firms that will recycle your gold and make jewelry for you? I know of EcoKarat, but they don't offer the stones I want for my custom jewelry. Barring that, what's the best way to sell the unwanted gold jewelry I have? All of those cash4gold websites look unsavory.
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What's the "right" way to create an arrows-in-a-circle diagram such as this one or these? The last post in that second link works (in Illustrator) if I then expand, ungroup, and bring the last arrowhead to the front...but it seems like a crude solution. Is there a better way? Illustrator seems like it's the right sofware for the job, but I'm open to other ideas, too. Thanks!
I've seen great ideas for modding old laptops, but what can I do with an old laptop word processor? [more inside]
Where can I find bags of various sizes that: are spherical or ball-shaped when full of stuff are made of durable outdoor-hardy material and close with velcro or a drawstring or some other kid-safe closure mechanism Bonus: Bags of other useful shapes like kid furniture, that can be filled and closed You see, I want to make balls out of trash... [more inside]
FreeCycle equivalents in Berlin? [more inside]
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Page: 1 2 | <urn:uuid:00666d72-da70-42de-8b1c-cce9d6726947> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://ask.metafilter.com/tags/recycle | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962529 | 2,419 | 1.539063 | 2 |
I often run informal polls. For example, years ago, during the 'real men don't eat quiche' crisis, I asked everyone I could find, given the choice of a plate of pasta or a steak, which they would prefer? Most of the women went for the pasta. All of the men went for the steak. On another occasion, I tried to find out if there were any people who hated Jell-o. I didn't find anyone who actually couldn't bear to eat Jell-o, but I did find several people who hated it's globby consistency.
Recently I asked everyone I could find who was not Catholic what were the tenets of their faith? What are the beliefs that separate the separated brethren? What makes a Baptist not a Congregationalist? etc.
Not one person had an answer for me. They all had answer for why they attended the church they attended, meaning that building with those people in it. But other than "Jesus Saved Me", they could not tell me what they believed.
I mention this today as a prelude to this question from yet another anonymous reader:
A couple of blogs ago someone mentioned that there is a big difference between the RCC & the Episcopal Church. Can you explain this in more detail? From what I've been studying, except for allegiance to the Pope, I really see no difference. Thanks!
Let's start with the biggest difference: in a nutshell, the Episcopal Church is the American version of the Angelican Church.
The Roman Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ while he was alive on earth.
The Angelican Church was founded by Henry the VIII because he was mad at the Pope when the Pope wouldn't grant him a divorce. (There's a difference for you. Divorce=okay.) Henry figured he could get away with it, because at the same time in Germany, Martin Luther was founding his own church, too. Wheeeeeeeeee!
So right there you've got to ask yourself, would you rather be a member of the church founded by Jesus Christ while he was alive on earth or the church founded by Henry the VIII? Decisions, decisions.....
After the divorce thing, and the no Pope thing, Henry seemed to have trouble coming up any more ideas for his new faith. That's why it seems so similar to you. That may continue to be the case until you go to 'mass' there and the bishop is a woman. A married woman at that.
"Episcopal," by the way, just refers to the fact that the church is run by a group of bishops. Most of us know what happens when things are run by committee. Think Medicare. Public School.
The Episcopal church believes in the 'Real Presence" in the Eucharist, meaning the Host is not just the symbolic Presence of Christ. But they don't believe in transubstantiation. I'm not sure how that works out to be not just symbolic...or what they think they are receiving, exactly.
No Purgatory, either. It's a pass/fail afterlife. You'll have to hope life is an "easy A".
And like all the separated brethren they just cannot seem to get it through their heads that Catholics do not pray TO the saints. So they think that they are different from the Catholic church since they don't pray to the saints. But Catholics don't pray to the saints. We ask the saints to pray for us. They are different from Catholics in that they pretty much ignore the saints, except to name churches after them.
They do go around asking other people to pray for them, but they don't ask Mary or the saints in heaven to pray for them. I need all the help I can get. Can you get into heaven with a B-minus?
There's more: sacraments, sins, women priests, divorce, married priests, saints, statues, rosaries or lack thereof.
You'll have better luck asking people what they like in their Jell-0. And as many answers as there are dominations. The Lutherans like shredded carrots. | <urn:uuid:18ca6c18-c356-4741-94be-e441cb1369a0> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://asksistermarymartha.blogspot.com/2007/04/jello-salad.html?showComment=1177147080000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987392 | 843 | 1.78125 | 2 |
ABC CORRESPONDENTS REPORT
Living in exotic places often means exposure to exotic illnesses. Before setting out for Papua New Guinea LIAM FOX was vaccinated for all kinds of diseases. But there's no vaccination for malaria, only short-term preventative medication. Liam had managed to avoid the disease for three years but sadly his luck finally ran out.
IT WAS 2AM AND I was standing under a steaming hot shower but couldn't stop shaking with cold. Several hours earlier a wave of fatigue had hit me like a bullet train. Not long after that my whole body began to ache.
Shivering under the shower I thought something is really wrong here. Sleep was impossible. When the sun came up I said to my wife 'I think I've got malaria'.
A quick search on the internet confirmed the symptoms: shaking chills, tiredness and muscle aches.
While malaria is common throughout PNG, the risk of contracting the mosquito-borne disease in Port Moresby is thought to be low. Few residents take preventative medication.
The side effects of taking anti-malarials over an extended period of time can range from an upset stomach, to sensitivity to sunlight, to a severe neuropsychiatric reaction.
Some large multi-national companies require their workers to take the drugs and carry out tests to make sure they do.
But most expats are pretty blasé about it, me included, and most locals couldn't afford the drugs even if they wanted them.
Moresby's been home for three years and a few friends have had malaria in that time. But despite many, many mosquito bites I had avoided it, until now.
I hauled my aching body down to the local clinic and the friendly doctor said it looked to be a case of malaria and ordered a blood test. It came back negative but the doctor said that wasn't unusual and could be because I was in between attacks.
The more likely cause of the negative result he said was because the lab technician examining my blood sample wasn't paying close attention.
He diagnosed malaria, prescribed me two kinds of drugs and sent me on my way.
The shaking chills didn't return and the aches soon went away, but the intense fatigue persisted for several days.
Despite the initial sickness I was pretty lucky. I had quick access to medical care and the money to pay for it.
It's a different story for most Papua New Guineans, who live outside the major cities and towns where health care is rudimentary at best, non-existent at worst.
According to the World Health Organisation nearly 10% of all children who died before reaching the age of five in PNG were lost to malaria.
There has been some promising news in the fight against the disease recently.
Last week Australian researchers announced a PNG trial of a new drug cut rates of infant malaria by 30%.
But the disease remains a fact of life, and death here, and will do for some time.
And it could still be factor in my life as well. People who've been infected with can have additional attacks after months, even years without symptoms. That's because the parasites that cause the disease can remain dormant in a person's liver.
So even when I return to Australia, I could bring a little piece of PNG with me. | <urn:uuid:1ced55f0-dd5d-454f-a123-57845588f215> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2012/04/malaria-me-a-bullet-train-that-didnt-miss.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975004 | 678 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Are you looking for an easy, do-it-yourself way to liven up your home? If so, know that you don’t have to undertake some major house renovation in order to see a positive change. In fact, there are many simple, small projects you can do that can make a big difference. Lighting projects are a perfect example of how a few little changes can go a long way and many of them you can do without help from a professional. Read on to learn about some easy ways to open up your space and give your home a whole new vibe.
Get New Shades
Do you rely largely on lamps to light your home? If so, you can easily change things up by changing up your lamp shades! Whether you’re just bored with your current style or your shades have become flat and dim over time, you’ll be surprised to find what a major difference something as simple as a shade change can make. There are all kinds of colors, linings, and designs to choose from, and you can even add in extras like monograms, stencil designs, beads, braiding, and more. With your imagination, a few basic crafting supplies, and a new shade, you can easily create a whole new look for your lamps and the rooms they’re in as well.
Add a Dimmer
Some people go through life with only two lighting options: on or off. However, there’s a better way! The amount of light you need will vary based on time of day, the activity you’re doing, and more. It just makes sense, then, that you should be able to control the “lighting level” of your home. Do this easily by purchasing and installing light dimmers, a process which is as simple as following the instructions printed on the packaging. With a dimmer, you’ll be able to create all kinds of looks for your home and to always create the perfect mood and ambiance.
If you’re a crafty type of person, then you can have fun and achieve a new look for your home by creating your own lamp. Lamp bases can be made out of just about anything, including baskets, boxes, vases, fish bowls, jugs, and more. Once you’ve selected a base you love, you can buy a lamp design kit that has the lighting materials you need from a home goods store. And, if you want to leave the hard work up to the pros, you can do that too. Either way, you’ll have full control over what your brand new lamp looks like in the end!
Install Motion Sensitive Lights
Another good and very convenient option for a do-it-yourself lighting project is to install motion-sensitive lighting in key areas throughout your home. Again, this is a project that is as simple as following the instructions; if you can read, you can do it! Motion-sensitive lights will turn on when they detect motion, such as when you walk in the front door at the end of the day, and will turn on all by themselves. Talk about convenience!
As you can see, there are many ways to “lighten up” your home without spending a fortune. Plus, not only do DIY projects save money, but they also give you a sense of pride when you take in what you’ve created. | <urn:uuid:bd2beffd-a430-4bc2-83da-a6b62ff5a812> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://aspenbuilthomes.blogspot.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95348 | 699 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Narrative:Two Airbus A300 aircraft, 5A-IAY of Afriqiyah Airways and 5A-DLZ of Libyan Arab Airlines, were destroyed at Tripoli International Airport (TIP) during a battle between Libyan rebels and Gaddafi loyalists. Both aircraft burned out. Another aircraft, Airbus A320 5A-ONK, operated by Afriqiyah Airways sustained substantial damage after being hit by shelling in the lower fuselage on the right hand side.
|Status:||- (No safety board investigation)|
|Date:||Thursday 25 August 2011|
|C/n / msn:|| 4330|
|First flight:|| 2010-06-01 (1 year 3 months)|
|Engines:|| 2 CFMI CFM56-5B4/3|
|Crew:||Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0|
|Passengers:||Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0|
|Total:||Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
|Airplane damage:|| Substantial|
|Airplane fate:|| Written off (damaged beyond repair)|
|Location:||Tripoli International Airport (TIP) ( Libya)
|Phase:|| Standing (STD)|
The aircraft was withdrawn from use and parked in a corner of the airport. It was struck by shelling during fighting between rival militias between July 25 and August 23, 2014. The airplane burned out.
Destroyed on ground
» Scramble 389
© Libyan Photographer
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time. | <urn:uuid:4d697f7e-e016-4575-8f4f-bd8145b9d0c2> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20110825-2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.898908 | 366 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The current economic situation has spurred a lot of talk, advertisements and encouragement to buy local and use local to sustain our economy. The Guinness Book of World Records named Yuma, AZ the sunniest city on earth, so where better to utilize innovative solar energy technology on Yuma’s Arizona Western College campus?
The Arizona Western College in Yuma is in the process of installing solar panels to cover close to 100 percent of its daytime electricity needs and cut its costs, all of which are planned to happen by October 2011. However, this project is doing more than just generating solar energy; it is utilizing five new types of photovoltaic technology from six different companies.
Arizona Western College plans to use the solar panels to teach classes on solar technology, installation and environmental engineering. This three-year solar project, from vision to completion, was partially funded by APS and will be managed by Main Street Power for 30 years and after the contract expires, the equipment will become part of the college and continue producing energy, says Lori Stofft, the director of public relations and marketing at Arizona Western College.
It is unique to apply five different technologies to a single institution, but that is one of the projects innovative angles.
The five photovoltaic technologies and the companies behind them include:
1. CPV (concentrator photovoltaic) from SolFocus, including their dual-axis trackers and GreenVolts fully integrated system including two-axis trackers and inverter
2. Thin Film panels from Sharp Solar
3. Monocrystalline panels from Solar World
4. Poly Crystalline panels from Suntech
5. Single-axis trackers from O Solar
Another unique aspect of this project is that the building process is streamed live over the internet to allow the community and the solar technology companies to check in on the progress.
“A lot of our partners are in Northern California, Germany, Spain… we wanted those people to feel like they were connected to our campus and that they could check in seven days a week and find out what was going on,” Stofft says. “It’s a way to include our partners in the building process.
The ground breaking was in May 2011 and the “Flip the Switch” completion ceremony is slated for October 2011. Only six months were allotted to cover 23 acres of land with solar arrays. The tight deadline was set in order to meet APS’s guidelines for the funding.
The Educational Advantage
It would make more sense to use one solar technology instead of five if it was just about energy generation, but it’s not, Stofft says. It’s about allowing the companies to measure their technologies against one another in one of the harshest climates on earth. Another educational aspect of the project will be the incubation area and the demonstration garden.
“The demonstration garden will have nine different technologies that students and the public will have access to,” Stofft says. “They can see how [the technologies] measure against each other and what measures against the five major arrays.”
The incubation area is based on rental, and for a fee, technology companies can rent a private and secure area for a small array where they can test their equipment against the solar arrays already in place. The estimated savings for Arizona Western College with the solar array in place will be $3.5 million in the first 10 years, $15.4 million in 20 years and a projected $40 million over 30 years, including incubation rental fees.
“It’s more than just saving our tax payers money; it can be a road map for other colleges around the country who want to educate their own students,” Stofft says. “There are all sorts of certificate and training programs and we could be educating people who work in solar industry at all levels.”
Arizona Western College graduated their first solar installer class of 19 in spring 2011 and are in the process of embedding solar technology into new and existing programs, developing 2-year degrees that can be transferred to four-year institutions.
It seems as though everyone wins.
Arizona Western College saves money; the solar companies get to test and monitor their technology in a large scale setting; the students reap the benefits, and the community creates jobs. The only thing left is getting a White House representative, or the president himself to the “Flip the Switch” ceremony.
A Presidential Approval
“The goal is to attract national attention to the array,” Stofft says. “I really feel this is about energy independence for our country.”
Arizona Western College sent a formal invitation to the White house, but there has been no response yet. They are keeping their fingers crossed, and if the White House plans to respond, it still has time.
“The students, faculty and community are so proud that this solar array is being installed,” Stofft says. “And if we can get the White House to visit, that will just be the cherry on top.”
For more information about Arizona Western College’s solar panels and its progress, visit www.azwestern.edu. | <urn:uuid:89150f61-b694-4244-9066-1ccbaa3df051> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://azbigmedia.com/ab/green/solar-energy-builds-arizona-western-college-campus | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956371 | 1,086 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Emily Amparan is an alternative lending broker at her own firm, Alternative Finance Research.
Amparan is using her many years of experience in the banking and finance industry to help lead the Women in Banking group. She is the committee chair representing Women in Banking on the Risk Management Association’s board of directors, and leads a team of seven businesswomen to organize goals and objectives for Women in Banking luncheons and events. Here, Amparan talks about what motivated her to join the Women and Banking group and its future goals.
What was the main reason for starting Women in Banking?
Women in Banking (WIB) started out as a way for women in the banking/finance industry to connect, and was initially more social than business. Over the last three years, the group has become the networking arm of the Risk Management Association, attracting both women and men in and outside of banking/finance. WIB has garnered the attention of the banking/finance/business community and is recognized as the premier networking group to meet business professionals.
How did the group start?
The group began with a few RMA board members organizing a small group of women in 2006 for lunch at a local restaurant. For the next couple of years attendance grew slowly with quarterly meetings held in various bank conference rooms. When I joined the leadership team in early 2008, we shifted gears by organizing our networking component, we began raising funds for our community outreach efforts, and we sharpened our presentation topics.
How has the group evolved?
Last year, Women in Banking drew 100-plus luncheon attendees and doubled its fundraising capacity for consistent donated dollars to Fresh Start. The group does not exclude men and male attendance is growing. Smart men recognize the businesswomen in attendance are the powerhouses of their industry and experts in building business relationships.
How would you describe the state of women in the banking world today?
Women have professional opportunities today like never before. Women look, walk, talk and conduct business differently than they did just 50 years ago. … Women are masters at building trust and relationships; two qualities that give them a “leg up” in carving out a path for themselves in banking/finance/business and muscle to continually chip away at the remnants of a glass ceiling.
What programs has the group initiated to help women in the banking industry?
The Women in Banking committee draws interest by addressing three key areas of working professional need: networking, community outreach and information. Through organized networking, luncheon attendees are encouraged to meet new people to exchange ideas and contact information. The energy at a WIB luncheon is electric and charged with introductions and connections to business and business resources.
With tight schedules in mind, opportunities to support our chosen charity Fresh Start through money, volunteering and clothes donations provide professionals an opportunity to be a part their community. Finally, luncheon presentations deliver timely and relevant information regarding banking, finance and business topics. | <urn:uuid:f449c35f-56f7-485c-bc79-cbce41efa4ab> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://azbigmedia.com/tag/rish-management-associations-board-of-directors | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960798 | 600 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The male cat was incidentally captured yesterday in an area southwest of Tucson during a research study aimed at monitoring habitat connectivity for mountain lions and black bears. While individual jaguars have been photographed sporadically in the borderland area of the state over the past years, the area where this animal was captured was outside of the area where the last known jaguar photograph was taken in January.
The data produced by the collar will shed light on a little-studied population segment of this species that uses southern Arizona and New Mexico as the northern extent of its range.
“While we didn’t set out to collar a jaguar as part of the mountain lion and bear research project, we took advantage of an important opportunity,” says Terry Johnson, endangered species coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “More than 10 years ago, Game and Fish attempted to collar a jaguar with no success. Since then, we’ve established handling protocols in case we inadvertently captured a jaguar in the course of one of our other wildlife management activities.”
The jaguar plan, which was created in consultation with other leading jaguar experts, includes a protocol for capture, sedation and handling in the event a cat was captured.
Biologists are currently working on an identification analysis to determine if the collared jaguar is Macho B, a male cat that has been photographed by trail cameras periodically over the past 13 years.
The collared jaguar weighed in at 118 pounds with a thick and solid build. Field biologists’ assessment shows the cat appeared to be healthy and hardy.
The species has been protected outside of the United States under the Endangered Species Act since 1973. That protection was extended to jaguars within the U.S. in 1997, the year after their presence in the Arizona and New Mexico borderlands was confirmed.
"We issued a permit under the Endangered Species Act to radio collar a jaguar if the opportunity presented itself," said Steve Spangle, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Arizona field supervisor. "Gathering habitat use information and learning whether and how the cat is moving in and out of the United States may be essential to jaguar conservation at the northern edge of their range."
In 1997, a team was established in Arizona and New Mexico to protect and conserve the species. The Jaguar Conservation Team (JCT) began working with Mexico two years later, recognizing that the presence of jaguars in the United States depends on the conservation of the species in Mexico.
Trail cameras and field monitoring are carried out by the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project, a group that works in cooperation with the JCT.
Jaguars once ranged from southern South America through Central America and Mexico and into the southern United States. By the late 1900s, jaguars were thought to be gone from the U.S. landscape, but two independent sightings in 1996 confirmed that jaguars still used Arizona and New Mexico as part of the northern most extent of its range.
Jaguars are the only cat in North America that roars. They prey on a variety of mammals, fish, birds and reptiles. Individuals in the northern population weigh between 80-120 pounds. Females breed year-round and have litters of one to four cubs that stay with their mother for nearly two years.
This conservation effort is funded in part by the Heritage Fund and Indian gaming revenue. Started in 1990, the Heritage Fund was established by Arizona voters to further conservation efforts in the state including protecting endangered species, educating our children about wildlife, helping urban residents to better coexist with wildlife and creating new opportunities for outdoor recreation. Funding comes from Arizona Lottery ticket sales. | <urn:uuid:4d42a71f-9374-4782-a939-b85129b60df9> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://azgfd.net/artman/publish/NewsMedia/Arizona-Game-and-Fish-collars-first-wild-jaguar-in-United-States.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96368 | 768 | 3 | 3 |
Ford said Friday that its new aluminum-bodied F-150 pickup will get up to 26 mpg on the highway, making it the most fuel efficient gas-powered full-size pickup.
The penalty could serve as a precedent for other automakers who violate the Clean Air Act.
Finally, a 21st century car that really looks like it came from the 21st century.
Have you ever bought a product solely because it was advertised by someone you find attractive?
Will your next vehicle get much better gas mileage than your current one? Ask most car shoppers and it’s a priority. A new mandate formally announced this morning arguably makes it even more likely you’ll […]
As Chevrolet very often point outs in marketing its 2011 Volt extended-range electric car, more than 70 percent of U.S. vehicles cover less than 40 miles a day. That means that if you recharge a […]
Democrats and Republicans might disagree on a lot of things, but it appears that fuel economy regulation doesn’t need to be one of them. According to a new nationwide study, those who identify Republican are […]
<!– 2012 Buick Regal With eAssist: 26 MPG City, 37 MPG Highway Expectedview gallery //–> The rumors started last week, and they were largely true: Buick plans to offer a model of its Regal compact sports […]
You may have seen it on a t-shirt: “40 is the new 30.” But you may not have realized it applies to miles-per-gallon just as much as age. While cars with EPA ratings of 30 […] | <urn:uuid:4d723788-03f7-4db6-9008-0d3dc98af92a> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/tag/mpg/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975456 | 331 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said she no longer supports bringing cameras into the courtroom, a reversal from comments she made during her confirmation hearings.
Sotomayor told a crowd in New York that allowing television cameras to capture the court’s oral arguments would do more harm than good, according to a report in New York magazine.
“I think the process could be more misleading than helpful,” she said. “It’s like reading tea leaves. I think if people analyzed it, it is true that in almost every argument you can find a hint of what every judge would rule. But most justices are actually probing all the arguments.”
Advocacy groups and members of Congress routinely press the court to televise its oral arguments, saying the public should have access to the deliberative process as the court works through major issues that affect the entire country.
Knowledge is power. No one likes being scrutinized. | <urn:uuid:d6100eee-7099-418a-b8af-3f56ebe064b9> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://battleofourtimes.com/tag/sonia-sotomayor/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96741 | 197 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The Orange-chinned Parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis) - also known as Bee-bee Parrot or Tovi Parakeet - has the most northerly range of the brotogeris family. It is found in the subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and heavily degraded former forest. Its range extends from southern Mexico, south through Central America into the South American countries of Colombia and Venezuela, going as far far as northeastern Peru.
During the day, the typical flock size of these parakeets range from 2 to 16 birds.
These parakeets are strong fliers and have been recorded flying at speeds up to around 45 m.p.h. Flocks rarely fly in straight lines but often veer to one side or the other.
- Orange-chinned Parakeet (B.j. jugularis) - nominate form described here
The Orange-chinned Parakeet is a small parrot, averaging 7 to 7.2 inches (17.5 - 18 cm) in length and weighing around 2 oz (55 - 65 g).
The overall plumage is green and some of the wing feathers are brown/bronze. There is some brown on the shoulders, and blue on the wings. It is named after the small bright-orange patch of feathers under its beak - although the orange feathers may not be visible depending of this parakeet's posture and the angle it is viewed at. The beak is horn-colored.
Both male and female look identical and must be sexed either by DNA or surgically, if identifying the correct sex is of importance.
Immature birds look like the adults.
Please note that the Cobalt-winged Parakeet (B. cyanoptera) also has the same bright-orange patch on the "chin" and, therefore, is frequently confused with the orange-chinned parakeet. One easy method for determining the difference is the coloration on the head. Only cobalt wings have yellow feathers around the nostrils. Orange chins also have a stronger yellowish tinge to the green feathers of the breast than other members of the group.
Flocks of these parakeets may also get confused with local conure populations with whom they share the same green plumage, but can be differentiated by their shorter tails. These parakeets also lack the yellow eye ring and orange forehead of the conure species that are common in that range.
Aviculture / Breeding / Pets:
In their natural habitat, these parakeets may nest in rock crevices or cavities in palm fronds. They may also take advantage of an old woodpecker hole; or excavate cavities in arboreal termitaria for their nests. Indeed several pairs of parakeets may excavate separate holes in the same termitarium and breed in a communal setting.
The Orange-chinned Parakeets are social and form strong pair bonds. Nesting activities commence in the dry season and may extend into the early wet season. The average clutch size consists of 4 to 6 white eggs; although some clutches consisted of as many as 9 eggs. The female incubates the eggs for 21 to 26 days, but both parents raise the young. The chicks fledge when they are about 42 days old.
The orange-chinned parakeets imported into the United States came from Honduras. Most were taken from their nests as chicks and hand-fed; so they arrived here rather tame and were sold into the pet industry. Only few of them were set up for breeding. The breeding pairs, however, are producing well - but not enough young are produced to satisfy the large demand for this parakeet. Sadly, nowadays these popular little birds are difficult to obtain.
Breeding your Brotogeris - All you need to know about setting up and maintaining your breeding pairs
Brotogeris as Pets - Find out about their personalities and care requirements
Diet / Feeding:
In their natural habitat, these parakeets may feed on the following:
- Seeds (including sprouted seeds)
- Fruits (including berries and figs)
- Flowers. Nectar, Greens and Plant Matter
- Minerals and Grit: They are often seen visiting barreiros (areas where mineral-rich soil is readily available) and river banks to feed on soil.
- Insects and their larvae
They should be provided a varied diet that includes any of the below:
- A high-quality dry parrot mix (cockatiel dry food mix is fine). Dr. Harvey's Bird Food Mixes or Lafeber are convenient options that lack many of the harmful additives that are commonly found in commercial mixes and have a great variety of quality ingredients (including dried fruits, veggies, herbs / greens and even superfoods, such as bee pollen!) - in short: myriad nourishing ingredients that are not found in other commercially available bird mixes. However, our biggest grievance with their products is that they use sulphurated dried produce (a process which also requires chemicals), but it is very difficult to find mixes with unsulphurated fruits and veggies. You could just buy the seeds, nuts and grain mix and buy human-grade unsulphurated dried produce / greens as well as bee pollen and mix them in. Even organic trail mixes (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE!) work great. With a little creativity you can put a mix together that offers superior nutrition without the chemicals typically found in commercial brands.Sprouted Seeds: sprouted sunflower; sprouted millet spray. Sprouted or germinated seeds are usually more easily accepted by "seed addicts" than fresh fruits and vegetables.
Fresh fruit (such as bananas, berries, figs, rose hips)
- Sprouted seeds are healthier as the sprouting changes and enhances the nutritional quality and value of seeds and grains. Sprouted seeds are lower in fat, as the process of sprouting utilizes the fat in the seed to start the growing process - thus reducing the fat stored in the seeds.Sprouted seeds will help balance your bird’s diet by adding a nutritious supply of high in vegetable proteins, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll.Soaked and germinated "oil" seeds, like niger and rape seeds, are rich in protein and carbohydrates; while "starch" seeds, such as canary and millets, are rich in carbohydrates, but lower in protein.It is an invaluable food at all times; however, it is especially important for breeding or molting birds. Sprouted seeds also serve as a great rearing and weaning food as the softened shell is easier to break by chicks and gets them used to the texture of seeds.
- Edible flowersNectar: Lory food; porridge of oat flakes; or wheatgerm and honeyVegetables (one favorite is half-ripe corn)Green foods / plant material, such as dandelion, clover, chickweed, rowanberries, etc.. In the wild, they like to chew rotten stumps and search for larvae
- Branches with buds and flowersAnimal protein (such as dried shrimp)Vitamin and mineral supplements (especially important if nutritional variety and quality hasn't been maintained)
Feeding your pet bird for good health and longevity
These parakeets are messy eaters and scatter any soft food over their cages (as is typical of most parrots). Carefully planning the set up will facilitate the daily clean-up.
Calls / Vocalizations:
Orange chins have a characteristic contact call given in flight: a high frequency tinkling alternating with buzzes. They generally sound harsh and continuous; also scratchy and more musical notes, some sharp and abrupt. The calls usually have two pieces, each contributed by one member of the mated pair - in a sequential duet. A softer version is often overhead when a flock of these parakeets is foraging in the same tree and appears to function to coordinate group movements.
When flocks are resting and playing, a constant chattering mingled with the tinkles and buzzes of the loud contact calls can usually be heard.
Captive parakeets are capable of imitating simple human speech.
Class: Aves -- Birds, oiseaux
Order: Psittaciformes -- Parrots, perroquets
Family: Psittacidae -- aras, cacatoès, Cockatoos, Lories, Macaws, Parrots, perroquets
Species: Scientific: Brotogeris jugularis jugularis ... English: Orange-chinned, Tovi Parakeet, Bee Bee Parrot ... Dutch: Tovi Parkiet ... German: Tovisittich ... French: Perruche Tovi
Eastern Tovi Parakeets
Description: The Eastern Tovi hen and cock look like the respective sexes of the nominate species featured above. They also average 7 inches (18 cm) in length. The following constitute visual differences:
- the bright green thighs and undertail coverts not tinged with bluethe orange chin is less pronouncedthe olive wash on the mantle is more extensivethe lesser and median wing-coverts are a darker brown
Distribution: northwest Venezuela ( Yaracuy, Carabobo, Barinas, Apure, Portuguesa, Cojedes and Guarico Provinces) and Arauca Province, northeast Colombia.
Species: Scientific: Brotogeris jugularis exsul ... English: Eastern Tovi Parakeet ... Dutch: Oostelijke Tovi Parkiet ... German: östlicher Tovisittich ... French: Perruche Tovi Todd
Species Research by Sibylle Johnson
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BeautyOfBirds strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU! | <urn:uuid:dfcba351-e916-4cb7-a6ed-9e2b017c9e73> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://beautyofbirds.com/orangechinnedparakeets.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934797 | 2,152 | 3.328125 | 3 |
The July issue article “Hamburger Society” was an excellent article; it may be perhaps the most dynamic article printed in the last few years. If author Bill Helming is right, and I feel he is, the beef cattle industry is in for dramatic change. We will change the way we genetically design cattle, health protocols, nutrition programs, and processing of the end product in the packing plant. This is an article everyone in food animal production should read and read again!
I am a self-avowed map junkie so when I saw the cow density map published in the July BEEF magazine, I studied it with great interest. We have restated the North Dakota cow population based on cows per 1,000 acres within each respective county instead of total cows per county. The latter gives a distorted picture of the density of beef as counties vary greatly in area.
Vern Anderson, PhD, PAS
North Dakota State University | <urn:uuid:2d4a91d1-7860-4b54-bc45-f3351bb95771> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://beefmagazine.com/print/mag/0801-must-reading | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946471 | 193 | 2.234375 | 2 |
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Smart meters, smart thermostats and other new technologies provide previously unavailable high-frequency and location-specific information on energy usage. These vast, constantly growing streams of data, together with cutting edge analytics techniques, have the potential to provide novel insights into how people make energy decisions. Behavior analytics encompasses this emerging space of data science in which behavior and energy intersect.
Our Goal is to enable evidence-based and data-driven decisions by energy policy makers and other industry stakeholders using behavior analytics.
Our team members are leading experts in energy economics, experimental design, analytics, and behavioral theory and employ sophisticated statistical techniques and objective, rigorous, and creative research methods.
We contribute discoveries and insights regarding the nature of human energy decisions, in order to inform public policy.
We provide guidelines and best practices for analytics and program evaluation, to be used by policy makers, program administrators, utilities, state regulatory agencies, and evaluators. | <urn:uuid:bd237b36-4f83-432e-86bc-09e09a303993> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://behavioranalytics.lbl.gov/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.88684 | 207 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Doesn’t it just twuddle your toenails when rebellion is crushed the second it appears. Well, hitch your britches up and sit down while I tell you of an inspiring tale that came out of New York City’s South Bronx.
Democracy needs discipline and order to function. Nothing undermines the democratic process like rebellious acts, which are the first step down the slippery slope to a full-scale revolution. Taking the point position in our fight against dissention and disorder is the New York City Board of Education (NYCBOE). It is they who take the children of immigrants and turn them into well-behaved proles who know how to keep their mouths shut.
Immigrants are a destabilizing force. They arrive on our shores with silly ideas and funny customs. Especially dangerous are Hispanic immigrants, all of whom have been tainted by the leftist thought that is endemic to that society.
As you are well aware, education in the United States has but one goal--test the little buggers 'til their brains turn to mush. Chronic testing yields two possible outcomes: either it turns student off learning altogether, or it produces an adult who is a walking encyclopedia of disparate and discrete bits of data that he is unable to synthesize into anything that resembles an original thought. Both outcomes insure a stable society.
I am happy to tell you that the NYCBOE has uncovered a teacher who was trying to subvert this entire system. His name is Douglas Avella. (You will note that his surname is Hispanic. Need I say more?)
Avella is charged with encouraging the entire eighth grade class at a Bronx middle school to stage a peaceful boycott of a three-hour practice exam, which they did. On top of that, the students had the temerity to present a petition to the administration with a list of grievances. Naturally, Avella denies the charge.
It seems the little darlings feel this chronic testing causes them to “lose valuable instructional time with our teachers.”
Well, Principal Maria Lopez wasted no time crushing this outburst. The first thing she did was to yank Avella from the classroom and reassign him to an empty room where the only creatures he can subvert are the cockroaches and rats.
Next, she assembled the entire eighth grade class, mind you not to hash out their grievances, but to find out who was behind the conspiracy. The children must learn that our schools don't educate, they indoctrinate.
Then she issued a letter of reprimand to Avella accusing him of taking “actions [that] caused a riot at the school.” It is a sure sign that we are in a golden age of democracy when a peaceful boycott is redefined as a riot. Had the South employed this strategy during the Birmingham bus boycott, the civil rights movement never would have happened.
Avella signed his death warrant when he made the mistake of saying, “My students know they are welcome in my class to have open discussions. I teach them critical thinking.”
NYCBOE spokesman David Cantor shot right back. “This guy was far over the line in a lot of ways. He was pulled because he was inappropriate with the kids. He was giving them messages [i.e. think critically] that were inappropriate.”
The Belgian songwriter Jacques Brel penned some lyrics that summarize the American school system. You will note that I have suggested a few substitions that purge the lyrics of their francophillic leftism.
It’s the tango of the ages
Little heads bent over pages
In a ring like little sages
Learning Latin by the hour
Drowning dreams with information
‘Till you learn by graduation
It’s you duty to be sour
It’s the dance the priests will lead you
It’s the homilies they will feed you
For the future that will need you
In its endless dance of power.
Tr. © Arnold Johnston, Western Michigan University
Thanks to the quick actions of the NYCBOE, America remains secure and safe. God bless ‘em all, I say
Substitute “Test Taking”
Substitute “Media” | <urn:uuid:962429a7-320c-4443-9c92-b3f22888503c> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://belacquajones.blogspot.com/2008/05/nyc-school-system-bastion-aginst.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964611 | 878 | 1.929688 | 2 |
President Barack Obama signs the New START Treaty in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Feb. 2, 2011.
"Nuclear Weapons 2011: Momentum Slows, Reality Returns"
Doomsday Clock Issue
Journal Article, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, volume 68, issue 1, pages 20-28
Author: Steven E. Miller, Director, International Security Program; Editor-in-Chief, International Security; Co-Principal Investigator, Project on Managing the Atom
If 2010 was the year of successes and landmarks for arms control, 2011 was the year that the momentum of the new era slowed, and hard realities were made apparent. By the end of the year, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty had not been ratified or even seriously discussed, and negotiations on the Fissile Materials Cut-off Treaty remained stuck in the Conference on Disarmament, with no sign of success in the offing. The author takes a look at five events that unfolded in 2011 and that seem certain to cast a powerful shadow in months and years to come. He writes that both the spread of nuclear technology in the Middle East and Southeast Asia and the revision of the export control regime pose a threat to the long-term structure of the global nuclear order. The crisis with Iran continues to present a serious challenge to the Non-Proliferation Treaty regime while raising the risk of a military response. A conference on a Middle East WMD–free zone requires addressing an ambitious objective in the world's most intractable diplomatic environment. And the impediments to progress in US–Russian relations stifle hopes that further agreements and deeper cuts can be achieved; a deterioration of this relationship could mean serious consequences in the arms control environment. In 2011, no new breakthroughs occurred, the author writes, adding that 2012 could be a much more difficult year.
The arrival of the Obama administration in 2009 promised to usher in a new era in nuclear affairs. Indeed, President Obama's positions across an array of nuclear issues seemed to herald not so much a change of direction as a reversal of course in US nuclear policy....
Continue reading: http://bos.sagepub.com/content/68/1/20.full
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Full text of this publication is available at:
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Taking Every Thought Captive: What the Bible Says about a Good Conscience
By Betty Miller
Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” Foxes sometimes in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think are little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.
Every man is born with a conscience. It is a gift of God to mankind. However, man can quench his conscience by continually ignoring its voice over a period of time. The result is that his heart becomes hardened and seared so that it no longer speaks to him. How does this happen? Little by little. Just as the “little foxes” spoil the vines, so it happens with men ignoring the voice of their consciences over little things, then bigger things, then nothing evil bothers them at all.
Webster’s New World Dictionary defines the conscience as: “a knowledge or sense of right and wrong, with a compulsion to do right; moral judgement that opposes the violation of a previously recognized ethical principle and that leads to feelings of guilt.”
God Given Conscience vs. False Conscience
God provided a conscience even in unregenerate men to point them toward His principles and ways. All of us, before we are saved would be totally depraved if it were not for this provision of God by His grace. However, the longer people live in sin and carnality, the less the true inward conscience has any authority in their lives. Most of the time, particularly in today’s culture, we have developed “false” consciences. These are “programs” in our minds, not our spirits, as to what is right and wrong, and these things (evolution, secularism, humanism, situational ethics, and traditions and doctrines of religious thinking) control what we think is moral and ethical. The world’s thinking overrides and drowns out the inner voice of the true conscience that God put within us.
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. Hebrews 10:22-24
Because of the world’s ungodly influences, it is very important for a Christian to allow His conscience to be “healed,” or renewed, to reflect God’s standards which we find in the Bible. That is why Christians cannot be guided by their consciences in most cases. It is much safer to be guided by the Word of God and by witnesses and guidance from the Holy Spirit.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war in the flesh (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
When the Conscience Becomes Seared
Today we are shocked by the evil acts of men who perform ghastly deeds and show no remorse whatsoever. We ask, “How can they do such things?” When the conscience is seared — burned out by constantly going against its nudgings — then men become like animals in their behavior. The Bible speaks of this in the following verses, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2).
This also happened in ancient times, according to Paul’s letter to the church at Rome (Romans 1). After a certain period of time, God will give someone with a seared or evil conscience “over to a reprobate mind.” That means the mind cannot be renewed, because the person has for so long chosen self-ways (which really are Satan’s ways) over God’s that it is not possible for them to change. This should be a warning for all who persist in sin.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Romans 1:28-32
Healing Body, Soul & Spirit
When we give our lives to the Lord, He begins a work in our hearts and minds and brings healing and enlightenment to the conscience. When a Christian’s conscience is renewed, it will not condemn them. When a Christian’s mind is renewed, it will not think carnal, self-centered thoughts. When a Christian’s emotions are renewed, they will no longer be negative. When a Christian’s will is renewed and submitted to God, he will no longer choose against God’s ways.
This happens on the positive just the way it does on the negative side. Our little choices to obey God and live by His Word day by day will eventually bring the changes in our lives that will cause us to be more like our Lord. While on the other side, those choices to ignore the conscience and go ahead and disobey God will bring about a hardened and unrepentant heart. We are warned against allowing this to happen. Do not allow this “little fox” of small disobedience choices to gradually harden your heart.
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? Hebrews 3:13-17
Copyright (c) 2013 – Christ Unlimited Ministries – http://BibleResources.org
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Topic: What the Bible Says about Keeping a Good Conscience
Related Topics: What the Bible Says about Unclean Thoughts; Free Will – Choices Creating Our Future; Judgment; Sex Before Marriage; Lying; Stealing; Fornication; Faith; Forgiveness; Repentance | <urn:uuid:93d5af9a-35fe-454c-9ee8-82303f035363> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://bibleresources.org/conscience/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952157 | 1,716 | 2.765625 | 3 |
In a recent article, MSNBC called Facebook the divorce lawyer’s new best friend. Social media allows people to easily meet and flirt with attractive people, diverting attention and time away from significant others. The problem with this virtual bar is that it leaves a paper trail of status updates, tweets, photographs and comments that are a goldmine to divorce lawyers. The article reports that “the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers says 81 percent of its members have used or faced evidence plucked from Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking sites, including YouTube and LinkedIn, over the last five years.”
Even for the eternally faithful, social media presents another problem: distraction. Constantly checking on what their ever-increasing group of friends are saying on networking sites means less time for meeting a core group of friends and family.
The bottom line: social media threatens the bond between people. Even though we appear to be in the company of many, we are actually solitary because the power of each relationship is weak. (Definitely read MIT social anthropologist Sherry Turkle’s anticipated book Alone Together which will explore this subject.)
But wait, there’s a flip side to this dark story too: a joyful happy ending.
People are much more engaged in each other’s life thanks to social media, finding it easier to realign friendships as they discover people who share their interests and capture their imagination. Families stay in touch regardless of where they are living in the world, and couples can successfully carry out the dreaded “long-distance relationship” with ease. The New York Times reports on Chantelle Welp and Colin Sorensen who manage to have a “loving-distance affair” because they Skype for hours a week even though they attend college in two different states and only see each other on holidays. “Two years later, they are still seriously dating, cross-country. “In love, most definitely,” Mr. Sorensen says.”
Digital anthropologist Stefana Broadbent says that contrary to popular belief, social media increases intimacy between friends and lovers, giving them an opportunity to explore their relationship beyond the constraints of time and geography. In this fascinating TED talk, Broadbent profiles a young Brazilian couple who immigrated to Italy and managed to keep in touch with family via social media. In particular, they scheduled “dinner” once a week with a close friend in Rio by putting the computer on their dinner table and skyping while they and their friends enjoyed a meal and glass of wine in two different continents.
Bottom line: Social media strengthens the bond between people. We are able to enjoy richer stronger relationships because we can share what matters to us more regularly with each other.
Which conclusion about social media is true? The answer is: it depends on you. If instead of being a passive participant, you actively organize your social media interactions (much as you schedule your work, parties, dinners and meetings), you will find that indeed social media can make your relationships richer.
Here are three simple tips:
#1. Schedule Your Social Media. Social media takes time – time away from other things like actually reading the news instead of status updates; spending time with your friends; getting your assignment done on time. The worst mistake you can do is to constantly read what your peers are tweeting or quickly flip through your friend’s photos frolicking in Ibiza. If you add up the seconds you spend on social networks everyday, you might be able to carve out an hour to go to the gym. The best way to enjoy social media is to set aside time for it (instead of multi-tasking which makes you poorer in paying attention to either your network or your work) and then pay attention to what your friends are saying and engage with them by commenting on their photos, job updates, day, and articles they are reading. If you really love social media, schedule 10 minutes twice (even thrice) a day. Although 30 minutes a day sounds like a lot, the truth is most people spend considerably more time in small chunks on social media over the day without even realizing it.
#2. Be Innovative. If you always met your friend at the same bar year after year, or only discussed the exhibit at the Moma every time you chatted, you’d get bored. Yet we fall into the same kind of automatic perfunctory interactions on social media all the time. We loved the idea of the Brazilian couple (mentioned earlier) who had a dinner date every fortnight with a friend using Skype. Gather a few friends on Skype, have a drink, dance … have fun! Meet in Second Life, play chess on Twitter: we need to increasingly experiment with our digital social environment. Friendships stagnate in the physical world and just because we “Like” a status update doesn’t mean that they are not deeply stagnant in social media as well.
#3. Get Physical. We don’t live on a chip in a computer, which is why our bodies feel dissatisfied with mostly virtual interactions. Social media is a great opportunity to schedule events and drinks with friends. Naysayers warn that social media enthusiasts become withdrawn over time, but we’ve found exactly the opposite. Usually, social people are the ones who are most vocal on Facebook. They may be socially awkward, but they’re definitely sociable.
Ayesha and Parag Khanna explore human-technology co-evolution and its implications for society, business and politics at The Hybrid Reality Institute. | <urn:uuid:430da662-356a-48ce-a8c6-ce5fe4b6608e> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://bigthink.com/hybrid-reality/you-control-your-relationships-not-social-media | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943286 | 1,152 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Thousands of cancer patients are clamoring this week to be among the 30 or so enrolled in a new and controversial trial designed to seek an answer to this question. One of the most exciting and frustrating things about watching a developing science story like this one is that you can’t flip ahead and read the ending — in the real world of scientific research, you never know how things are going to turn out. The saga of Judah Folkman is very much that kind of story.
Dr. Folkman, a Harvard researcher, is a pioneer in efforts to cure cancer by starving tumors to death. Dr. Folkman’s research follows up on a familiar observation made by many oncologists (cancer specialists), that removal of a primary tumor often lead to more rapid growth of secondary tumors. “Perhaps,” Folkman reasoned, “the primary tumor is producing some substance that inhibits the growth of the other tumors.” Such a substance could possibly be a powerful weapon against cancer.
Folkman set out to see if he could isolate a chemical from primary tumors that inhibited the growth of secondary ones. Two years ago he announced he had found not one, but two. He called them angiostatin and endostatin.
To understand how these two proteins work, put yourself in the place of a tumor. To grow, a tumor must obtain from the body’s blood supply all the food and nutrients it needs to make more cancer cells. To facilitate this necessary grocery shopping, tumors leak out substances into the surrounding tissues that encourage angiogenesis, the formation of small blood vessels. This call for more blood vessels insures an ever-greater flow of blood to the tumor as it grows larger.
When examined, Folkman’s two cancer inhibitors turned out to be angiogenesis inhibitors. Angiostatin and endostatin kill a tumor by cutting off its blood supply. This may sound an unlikely approach to curing cancer, but think about it — the cells of a growing tumor require a plentiful supply of food and nutrients to fuel their production of new cancer cells. Cut this off, and the tumor cells die, literally starving to death.
By producing factors like angiostatin and endostatin, the primary tumor holds back the growth of any competing tumors, allowing the primary tumor to hog the available resources for it’s own use.
In tests in his laboratory, Folkman’s anti-tumor factors caused tumors in mice to regress to microscopic size, a result that electrified researchers all over the world. Other scientists were soon trying to replicate this exciting result. Some succeeded, while others did not. Five major laboratories have made their own endostatin and published their findings of antitumor activity, but other researchers have reported difficulty in repeating the successful tests. National Cancer Institute scientists have replicated Folkman’s results while working in his lab, but failed to get the same results when they went back to their own laboratory.
Why the variability? Purifying finicky natural products in a way that retains their activity can be notoriously difficult. When you don’t know much about the requirements of the factor you are isolating, it can be like grasping smoke.
For example, what if Folkman’s anti-tumor factors turn out to be zinc proteins (that is, they require trace amounts of the metal zinc in order to be active, as many enzymes in the human body do). A little zinc in Folkman’s laboratory water supply — say, the amount in ordinary tap water — might be all that would be required to keep the factors active during the isolation process. Researchers working at The National Cancer Institute, with its ultra-pure zinc-free water, simply might not be supplying the anti-tumor factors the traces of zinc they require.
I don’t think anyone really knows why the isolation works sometimes and not others. That it works at all seems to me the key take-home lesson.
Last month, Folkman announced the isolation of yet a third angiogenesis inhibitor. It is even more potent in reducing blood vessel formation and in shrinking tumors, Folkman claims.
The National Cancer Institute is proceeding with tests of Folkman’s factors in humans, a decision criticized this month by the Wall Street Journal as overhasty, because full-scale animal trials have not been successfully completed.
To me, the NCI decision to proceed directly to human tests seems fully warranted. Human endostatin has been shown to be “completely and utterly safe,” and it clearly has efficacy against mouse tumors. We will learn a lot sooner if this stuff works by proceeding right to human trials, without spending years sorting out the variability of animal trial results. Either we have a powerful new weapon against cancer, or we don’t. Its time to ask — and answer — that question. | <urn:uuid:b6772093-c4e8-43da-b0c0-62441692ba22> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://biologywriter.com/on-science/articles/angiogenesis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952285 | 1,004 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Members of this diverse group make up more than half of the bird species worldwide. Most are small. However their brains are relatively large and their learning abilities are greater than those of most other birds. Passerine birds are divided into two suborders, the suboscines and the oscines. Oscines are capable of more complex song, and are considered the true songbirds. In Washington, the tyrant flycatchers are the only suboscines; the remaining 27 families are oscines.
This group, the cardinalids, is made up of medium-sized songbirds that primarily inhabit open areas and woodland edges. The family is tropical in origin and restricted to the Americas. Northern-breeding members generally have strong sexual dimorphism: adult males are brightly colored, while females are drab. They are seedeaters and have powerful, conical bills that can crack seeds. These birds also eat fruit and insects. Most of those that breed in the northern temperate zone are migratory and monogamous. The common names of several species in the Cardinalidae family can be confusing, because some birds that are called buntings or grosbeaks belong to different families. Snow Bunting, McKay’s Bunting, and Rustic Bunting are actually members of the Emberizidae, and Evening Grosbeak belongs to the Fringillidae.
Casual in spring and summer, accidental in fall.
North American Range Map
|Federal Endangered Species List||Audubon/American Bird Conservancy Watch List||State Endangered Species List||Audubon Washington Vulnerable Birds List| | <urn:uuid:e7409335-14c9-4ee8-919c-821a73a11d90> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/indigo_bunting | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928332 | 330 | 3.71875 | 4 |
Just as the economy is starting to show signs of improvement, small businesses face rising gas prices.
Connie Certusi, general manager of Sage Small Business Accounting, created some tips to help small businesses can track their spending to better manage their cash flow to offset rising fuel costs which are expected to reach a record high this summer.
Here are her tips:
• Plot deliveries in the same area for the same days.
• Change your hours of delivery so you aren’t sitting in rush-hour traffic.
• Drivers should use GPS to find the shortest most direct routes.
• Consider charging customers a fuel surcharge to help manage costs. Your competitors might be doing that.
• Use accounting software to help manage your cash flow.
• Ask your accountant if there are tax benefits to using new, more fuel-efficient vehicles.
• Maintain your vehicles — underinflated tires, misalignment, old filters and dirty oil can hurt your gas mileage.
• Encourage customers to pick up orders rather than shipping orders to them. | <urn:uuid:0708fd43-08f6-4be1-98e4-65ee21272a47> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/tag/connie-certusi/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923334 | 217 | 1.75 | 2 |
|"Not the damned Waldstein again!"|
OK, that was way simplified. Better informed and better working minds than mine have pondered and written about the evolution of the Second Viennese School. My point is to look at now. The biggest question that I ask myself in my ensemble work as a "contemporary" musician is this: Where is the music?
Schönberg may have been seeking artistic and intellectual integrity in music, but I want to know WTF happened to music itself? Yes, I am peevish and here's why: Music seems the least important aspect to almost every project we do. If it's a theater project, the visual aspect must take precedence (and be sensational, damn the score!). If it is multi media, the technology takes precedence. If it is "purely" musical, it must be set to a theme that draws audience members in, regardless of quality. (How else do pieces like Henri Pousseur's La Seconde Apothéose de Rameau get programmed?)
One benefit of all this is that contemporary classical music is reaching a wider audience. But are we marketing it to death and losing sight of the search for something genuine and meaningful? When I finished my formal musical studies I had a limited number of choices. Contemporary music was one of the least remunerative, but I felt it fit my Geist, somehow. I felt I understood the drive of 20th century composers such as Schönberg and Boulez to find a new language that satisfied both the intellect and the aesthetic. (Not that I put myself on the same level as them!)
|Nice weather we're having, did you enjoy the concert?|
Rewind, look at Schönberg's Vienna. Salons, forced small talk, social, artistic and economic comparison of others in a bourgeois setting. I don't want it. I want the music back.
|Revolution sucks. Evolution rocks.| | <urn:uuid:4662147c-edff-41f9-8323-f336ad6e281d> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://bledsoe22.blogspot.com/2012/01/contemporary-music-wheres-music.html?showComment=1327882426684 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960637 | 400 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Anne Lavrand of Electravia in Grenoble, France, shares this exciting news from the Paris Air Show today.
“A new speed world record for electric aircraft : 283 km/h ! (175.46 mph)
“Hugues Duval holds the world speed record for an electrically powered aircraft after reaching the top speed of 283 km/h during his presentation flight today in the 49th Paris Air Show (Saturday 25th of June, 2011).
“This electric Cri-Cri is powered by two electric propulsion systems ELECTRAVIA (35 HP each), two special high-speed propellers E-PROPS and 3 kWh of KOKAM Lithium-Polymer batteries (24 kg).
“This flight has shown to key actors of [the] aeronautics world present at [the] Paris Air Show 2011 that electric engines are a real alternative way of propulsion.”
Coming from the light aircraft, rather than the Airbus world, the flight affirms that inventive small firms have an opportunity to show the way in this exciting new technology. For a French TV news highlight of the event, click here. | <urn:uuid:af149fbd-eb98-4547-b823-dec1a67e33cd> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.cafefoundation.org/electrivia-cri-cri-set-speed-record-at-paris-air-show/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91056 | 239 | 2.0625 | 2 |
On this date in 1863, the Confederate government begged Texas planters to loan their slaves to the Confederate Army to fight against the Union.
On the 87th anniversary of the United States’ Declaration of Independence, Major General J. Bankhead Magruder ordered his adjutant to write a letter “to the planters of Texas” declaring it was “absolutely necessary” for them to loan “every able-bodied” slave to aid the Confederate cause.
Saying the army was “materially weakened,” Stephen D. Yancey, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General for the military district of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona appealed “to the patriotism of the people” to accede to the request.
“Their slaves will be well cared for, the duty is light, and their services will be liberally paid for, and the major-general commanding earnestly hopes that the planters, whose interests he has ever carefully guarded, will promptly meet this call, and save him from the necessity of resorting to impressment,” Yancey wrote from his headquarters in Houston.
Although Yancey did not know it, his letter was sent to Texas planters at the same time that the South was suffering a decisive blow at Gettysburg. Texas troops — part of Hood’s Texas Brigade — suffered particularly steep casualties.
>>> The full text of the letter is on the jump page.
HDQRS. DIST. OF TEXAS, NEW MEXICO, AND ARIZONA
July 4, 1863.
To the Planters of Texas:
In view of the dangers which threaten our country, rendering it absolutely necessary that every able-bodied man should be in the ranks, the major-general commanding this district urgently requests the planters of the State to lend him their assistance in what is absolutely necessary to the strengthening of our forces in the field.
The army is materially weakened by large details, necessary in the transportation department of the army proper, as teamsters, and their services are now required with their regiments, and in order that this may be effected their places must be supplied by negroes.
The major-general commanding therefore appeals to the patriotism of the people, and begs that they will cheerfully some forward and hire their slaves to the Government for this purpose. Their slaves will be well cared for, the duty is light, and their services will be liberally paid for, and the major-general commanding earnestly hopes that the planters, whose interests he has ever carefully guarded, will promptly meet this call, and save him from the necessity of resorting to impressment.
These slaves will not be sent west of the San Antonio River, as the teamsters beyond that river will be either conscripts or detailed soldiers. Quartermasters who have detailed teamsters are authorized to send agents through the country in their immediate vicinity to call on the planters for negroes, and will immediately return to their regiments all detailed soldiers or conscripts whose places have been supplied.
By order of Maj. Gen. J. Bankhead Magruder:
STEPHEN D. YANCEY, Acting Assistant Adjutant- General. | <urn:uuid:848aecde-9e77-442d-8f13-4c67af81a1fe> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2010/07/today-in-texas-history-confederate-army-begs-texas-planters-to-send-slaves-to-fight-for-rebels/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964073 | 668 | 3.1875 | 3 |
No one picks up a translation of the ancient Anglo Saxon poem "Beowulf" for a little light reading. But when students are assigned to read it, they discover echoes of "The Sopranos" and themes that influenced "The Lord of the Rings."
The ancient epic poem is still required reading at some colleges and high schools, including Gilmour Academy. English teacher Elizabeth Edmondson assigned the poem to her sophomores in September. A movie version, starring Ray Winstone, Crispin Glover and Angelina Jolie, opens in theaters Friday, Nov. 16.
Edmondson emphasized the parallels between the world of Beowulf and modern day in her classroom. Revenge and loyalty to a clan, as seen in "The Sopranos," are relevant. We know people who are a bit of a braggart and want to leave behind a legacy, like Beowulf does, she says.
"It's the most basic story of good versus evil," Edmondson said. "The action draws them in right away."
In the poem, the warrior Beowulf battles the demon-monster Grendel, Grendel's mother and a dragon. The work's important themes include the importance of ancestry to identity and the heroic values of courage and generosity.
At first, some of Edmondson's students thought the poem was a difficult and cliched monster story. But the language and gory action caught their imaginations.
When the hero Beowulf rips an arm off the monster, the description is so vivid "it almost makes you get a twinge in your shoulder," student Olivia Sabik said.
Student Katrina Caraboolad liked the battle between Beowulf and Grendel's mother. "I pictured it in my mind as I read it," she said.
In a pop-culture landscape that exaults anti-heroes like Jack Bauer and Tony Soprano, some students welcomed a story that painted good and evil in stark black and white.
"It's such a primal feeling: 'This is bad. I'm gonna go kill it.' That's something everybody feels," Gilmour student Alexis Antunez said.
Student Drew Rapp saw themes of stereotyping, in the way that Grendel is automatically seen as evil, that echoes today.
The teens know that the text they studied may bear no resemblence to the upcoming movie, but they are excited about the film anyway, Edmondson said.
"The good news is, the name (Beowulf) is going to be out there," Edmondson said.
The bad news is people will be more inclined to watch the movie than read the original poem in the future, said Alex Moss.
Read "Beowulf" anyway, Moss said. "You'll get more out of the book," he said. | <urn:uuid:86696416-b15a-4676-a180-9945f20efb05> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.cleveland.com/top_entertainment/2007/11/beowulf_still_rings_true_to_st.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959248 | 590 | 2.8125 | 3 |
inkjet canvas is basically used in photographic and digital printing industry. The sale of these canvases has gone up considerably in the past few years. What surprises the most is that it has surpassed the demand of inkjet paper. The main benefit of using an inkjet canvas is that it is the best medium for fine art production. The quality of printing is aesthetically good and appealing. The smooth base of inkjet canvas and the high-quality printer ink cartridges bring excellent results and provide a wonderful image or portrait. It is best suited for the printing of landscapes or any type of image. It increases the value of an artwork by giving it a stunning appeal after printing. The inkjet canvas is available in two different types – cotton inkjet canvas and polyester inkjet canvas. They are available in different sizes. You can choose any one of them depending upon your printing requirements.
How to Choose the Right Kind of Inkjet Canvas
When it comes to choosing the right kind of inkjet canvas, it is very necessary to analyze your printing needs. In addition to this, you must know the difference between the quality usage and benefits of both types of inject canvas. A cotton inkjet canvas is a traditional canvas which is made out of 100 percent cotton. Most traditional artists prefer using this type of canvas for their paintings in order to bring a natural factor in their work. It is a genuine cotton canvas without any lamination, whereas a polyester canvas is a satin-finish inkjet canvas that is shiny. This type of canvas also has cotton-like structure, but the difference is that it comes with a satin layer. This may be called as modern printing canvas.
As mentioned earlier, cotton inkjet canvas is mostly used by traditional painters, whereas all contemporary painters prefer polyester inkjet canvas. The reason being, a polyester canvas is extremely flexible and there are no risks of cracking of the artwork. The print remains absolutely smooth even after rolling the canvas. It is ideal for stretching over and around bars. Lamination of cotton inkjet canvas is required to ensure the longevity of the picture or portrait, whereas it is not required in polyester canvas due to its satin layer. Those artists who hate getting their artwork laminated, thinking it as a time-consuming process, rely upon the contemporary canvas. Of course, it has its own benefits over traditional cotton canvas. The advantage of using the genuine cotton canvas is that the portrait looks 100 percent natural and authentic, but it may get cracked on rolling the canvas.
Users should keep in mind their own unique requirements before choosing the right inkjet canvas for them. Both of them are available at economical prices. The basic idea is to fulfill your requirements. Apart from this, the quality of photo printing also depends upon the type of ink chosen. Always use a good quality product. Make a thorough research about the products available in the market and find the one that suits your job best.
About the Author: Andrew Yeung is president of CompAndSave, a leading online provider of premium printer ink cartridges, including remanufactured and compatible printer ink cartridges. With deals every month and a 1-year guarantee of quality, CompandSave provides an easy way for people and businesses to purchase printer ink and accessories.
Learn about CompandSave's deals and news from the world of printing by following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+! | <urn:uuid:922e5c31-8f76-4d7f-b78d-512261905470> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.compandsave.com/2011/08/how-to-choose-right-kind-of-inkjet.html?showComment=1321041009974 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939467 | 691 | 1.820313 | 2 |
The past couple of years have seen much debate over the relative merits of 3D printers. To the uninitiated, these devices print out physical objects. You need a new bowl? Push a button and let it do its thing. The technology is mystifyingly cool. Now it threatens to get even cooler, with research into how it can be used to create food tailored to individual dietary needs.
Jeffrey Lipton, a researcher at Cornell University and chief technology officer at Seraph Robotics, is championing something called data-driven food. Essentially, this means 3D-printed food that is created to suit your day’s nutritional needs. If you wanted a cookie, but you’ve already had fat and sugar that day, the printer would whip up a full-sized treat that contained only what your body could healthily process. Potentially you could go to town on a dozen donuts with 75% less calories than usual.
The tech is a mix of 3D printing and cloud computing, assuming a future in which all of our daily activity levels are tracked via mobile devices. Apocalyptic? Maybe. Healthy? Definitely! | <urn:uuid:03dc9146-1573-4595-8b30-3d9914bc7a9f> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com/2013/04/25/how-3d-printers-could-change-how-we-eat/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961037 | 231 | 2.859375 | 3 |
“How can we expect to train the next generation of scientists if we are not training them to do what scientists actually do?” This sounds sensible, even insightful, but students are not cognitively capable of doing what scientists (or historians, writers, mathematicians, etc.) do. It’s not just that students know less than experts. As I’ll describe, what experts know is organized differently in their memory.
Even the greatest scientists do not think like experts when they start out. They think like novices. It’s not possible to think like a scientist or a historian without a great deal of training. Does this mean we shouldn’t ask students to write a poem or conduct a scientific experiment? Of course not. (Some great examples and ideas for history can be found at the National History Education Clearninghouse). But we should understand the difference between the thought processes of experts and novices.
Accomplished mathematicians, scientists, and historians have worked in their field for years, and the knowledge and experience they have accumulated enables them to think in ways that are not open to the rest of us. Thus, trying to get your students to think like them is not a realistic goal. “Well, sure,” you might be thinking. ” I never really expected that my students are going to win the Nobel Prize! I just want them to understand some science.” That’s a worthy goal, but it is very different than the goal of students thinking like experts.
Real scientists are experts. They have worked at science for forty hours (or more) each week for years. Those years of practice make a qualitative–not quantitative–difference in the way they think compared to how even a well-informed amateur thinks. It will surely not surprise you to learn that experts have lots of background knowledge in their area of expertise. But the expert mind has another edge over the rest of us. The information in long-term memory is organized differently than the information in working memory. We can generalize by saying that experts think abstractly. When confronted with a classroom management problem, for example, novice teachers typically jump right into trying to solve the problem, but experts first seek to define the problem, gathering more information if necessary. Thus expert teachers have knowledge of different types of classroom management problem. Not surprisingly, expert teachers more often solve these problems in ways that address root causes and not just the behavioral incident. For example, an expert is more likely than a novice to make a permanent change in seating assignments.
Seeing things abstractly enables experts to home in on important details among a flood of information, to produce solutions that are always sensible and consistent (even if they are not always right), and to show some transfer of their knowledge to related fields. In addition, many of the routine tasks that experts perform have become automatic through practice.
Sounds great. How can we teach students to do that? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is not exactly cheering. The only path to expertise, as far as anyone knows, is practice. One other interesting factor: Great scientists are almost always workaholics. They have incredible persistence, and their threshold for mental exhaustion is very high.
So if we can’t get students to think like experts what’s a reasonable goal? Drawing a distinction between knowledge understanding and knowledge creation may help. Experts create. For example, scientists create and test theories of natural phenomena, historians create narrative interpretations of historical events, and mathematicians create proofs and descriptions of complex patterns. Experts not only understand their field, they also add new knowledge to it. A more modest and realistic goal for students is knowledge comprehension. Student may not be able to develop their own scientific theory, but they can develop a deep understanding of existing theory. A student may not be able to write a new narrative of historical fact, but she can follow and understand a narrative that someone else has written.
Tomorrow: How can I help slow learners?
Daniel T. Willingham is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and the author of Why Students Don’t Like School: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What it Means for the Classroom (Jossey-Bass, 2009) from which this post was adapted. | <urn:uuid:bfda8439-1298-4675-a11b-3a5055e1cd45> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2009/03/26/how-can-we-get-students-to-think-like-experts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963636 | 881 | 3.421875 | 3 |
‘If you have travelled to Esfahan, you have seen Half of the World’. It is easy to agree with this famous 16th century proverb seeing the beauty and grandeur of the city Esfahan, one of the places I have visited during a trip to Iran. Its glory, architectural masterpieces and magic views are indeed stunning. The domes which dominate the skyline of the city look like glittering gems reflecting the sunlight. Palaces, mosques, bridges, bazaars and gardens are a pleasure for the eye; a paradise for photographers interested in Persian architecture. Besides Iran’s masterpiece, the jewel of ancient Persia, Iran has many other places where architectural wonders can be admired and photographed.
This inspired me to create a collection of Iranian architecture of both my own images as well as my favorites of other Dreamstime Photographers, which can help customers to find images related to Iranian architecture. Please enjoy this journey into the architectural treasures of Iran.
A journey to the past and present
Iranian architecture has at least 6000 years of continuous history. Examples of Iranian architecture can also be found in Syria, borders of China, North India, the Caucasus and Zanzibar. Persian buildings vary from peasant huts to tea houses and gardens to some of the most majestic structures the world has ever seen.
Overall, the traditional Iranian architecture can be categorized in the Pre-Islamic style (Parsian and the Parthian Style) and the Islamic styles (Khorasani, Razi, Azari, Isfahani style).
Pre-Islamic architecture in Iran
The Parsian style comprises the Achaemenid, Median, and Elamite eras. The only substantial remains left from before the 7th century BC are those of the remarkable Elamite ziggurat (tiered temple) at Choqã Zanbìl in south-western Iran. The formation of the Achaemenid dynasty (560-330 BC) marks one of the brilliant ages in Persian architecture. Among the best architectural monuments of this period, are mausoleums, fire temples and palaces.
The surviving sites from the Achaemenid Era include the magnificent ceremonial palace complexes and royal tombs at Pasargadae, Nasqh-é Rostam, Persepolis and Shush.
These are decorated with bas-reliefs of kings, soldiers, supplicants, animals and the winged figure of the Zoroastrian deity Ahura Mazda.
The first capital of the Achaemenid Empire was at Pasargadae but Darius I started to construct Persepolis, magnificent palace complex to serve as the summer capital. It was completed by a host of kings including Xerxes I, and II and Artaxerxes I, II and III over a period of 150 years. The ancient city was lost for centuries, totally covered by dust and sand, before extensive evocations began in the 1930s, revealing the glory of the city once more.
The buildings at Persepolis include military quarters, the treasury, reception hall, and occasional houses for the King. Structures include the Great Stairway, the Gate of Nations (Xerxes the Great), the Apadana Palace of Darius, the Hall of a Hundred Columns, the Tripylon Hall, Tachara Palace of Darius, the Hadish Palace of Xerxes, the palace of Artaxerxes III, the Imperial Treasury, the Royal Stables and the Chariot house.
Several griffin-headed beasts stand guard over the ruins.
Iranian architecture reached a peak in its development during the Sassanid era (224-651 CE). With the emergence of the Parthians and Sassanids there was an appearance of new forms. Parthian innovations fully flowered during the Sassanid period with massive barrel-vaulted chambers, solid masonry domes and tall columns.
The fall of the Persian empire to invading Islamic forces led to the creation of remarkable religious buildings in Iran . Arts such as stucco work, calligraphy, mirror work and mosaic work have been closely tied with architecture in the new era. The period of Persian architecture from the 15th through 17th centuries is believed by many experts to be the most brilliant of the post-Islamic era. Various structures such as mosques, mausoleums, bazaars, bridges and different palaces have survived this era.
Majesty and splendor of the historic bridges of Isfahan are vivid manifestations of the creativity of Iranian architects. Famous examples of Safavid bridge design are the Si O Se Pol Bridge, built during the rule of Shah Abbas in 1602 and the Khaju bridge, built in about 1650.
Unique elements of Persian architecture
Iranian architecture makes use of abundant symbolic geometry, using pure forms such as the circle and square and plans are based on often symmetrical layouts featuring rectangular courtyards and halls. Its monumental simplicity combined with its lavish use of surface ornamentation and colour makes Persian architecture so unique. Standard elements are a courtyard, arcades, lofty entrance porticoes and four iwans (barrel-vaulted halls opening onto the courtyard. The decorations are geometric, floral or calligraphic.
The dome is a dominant element in Persian architecture. At the Sassanid Empire the construction of first large scale domes in Persia started. With the Muslim conquest of the Sassanid Empire, the Persian architectural style became a major influence on Muslim societies and the dome a feature of Muslim architecture. The distinct features of Persian domes, is the colourful tiles, with which both the exterior and interior were covered. This style of architecture was inherited from the Seljuq dynasty who for centuries had used it in their mosque building but it was perfected during the Safavids when they invented the seven colour style of tile burning which enabled them to apply more colours to each tile, creating richer patterns. Iranian domes are distinguished by their height, beauty of form, proportion of elements, roundness of dome stem.
Persian gardens, qanats and windtowers
Other elements of Persian architecture and civilizations developed for hot climates are the gardens, qanats (Kariz) and windtowers (Badgirs). A qanat is water management system used to provide supply of water to human settlements.
Windtowers and Badgirs were invented in Yazd to cool the residences many centuries ago.
Contemporary and Present Day Architecture
Contemporary Architecture in Iran begins in the early 1920s. Some merge traditional elements with modern design. Others tried to create original works independent of precedential influences.
The endless variety of architecture in Iran includes also interior and exterior of houses, shrines and monuments, historical baths, caravanserais, madrasas, towers and tombs, other places of worship such as cathedrals, churches and synagogues. To continue this visual journey please visit the collection Architectural Wonders of Iran
I invite the readers of this blog to send me pictures which deserve to be part of this collection. | <urn:uuid:300ed46a-4218-45e1-abd9-de25113bd3d0> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.dreamstime.com/2011/02/17/new-collection:-architectural-wonders-of-iran_art34482 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93188 | 1,453 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Easter Special: How to Fake a Resurrection (Without Really Trying)April 4, 2010 — Deacon Duncan
When I was a believer, I was frequently bothered by the inconsistencies and self-contradictions that I encountered in the Gospel, the Bible and Christianity in general. In these times of doubt, my one solid anchor was the doctrine of the Resurrection. All else might be in doubt, and some things might even be wrong, but the Resurrection couldn’t be fake, because it changed the lives of the disciples, and they wouldn’t have died for a lie. Right?
That was the one piece of evidence that no skeptic could explain, not with a “swoon theory,” not with a “disciples stole the body” (in front of armed guards? without anyone finding out?) theory—in short, not without a miracle at least as big as the one they were trying to explain away. And as long as the Resurrection was real, everything else was OK. I could just ask Jesus all my questions when I saw Him.
Unfortunately, I was wrong. There is at least one perfectly plausible explanation for the Resurrection that would produce exactly the evidence we have today, including the invincible faith of the apostles and martyrs. And it wouldn’t take a miracle to pull it off.
Stage Zero: The Preconditions
In order for this “resurrection” to work, we need a few preconditions in place. First of all, we need a group of people who believe in the resurrection of the dead. That one’s easy enough, of course: the Jews had a belief in a Zoroastrian-style resurrection and judgment ever since the Farsi Jews came back from the Babylonian Captivity. At least the Pharisees did. Even better, they had a controversial belief in the resurrection of the dead, because some Jews denied it. This multiplies the reward a believer would experience from thinking they saw a genuine resurrection, because you don’t just get back a lost loved one, you also get to prove that your theological enemies are wrong.
The next element we need is a group of disciples who believe that it is permissible to do good on the Sabbath, even when your actions are technically a violation of the Law of Moses. We have that one too: Jesus publicly taught, on multiple occasions, that good works were permissible on the Sabbath, despite the objections of the Pharisees, even when you were doing things explicitly forbidden by the Law. Note that all we need are disciples who believe that they are permitted to break the Sabbath—they don’t have to prove to anyone that their belief is correct. It is sufficient that Jesus has given them a precedent for doing what they think God truly wants them to do, even if it breaks the Mosaic tradition of Sabbath-keeping.
Lastly, we need a group of believers who believe in a spiritual reality that is greater and more significant than mere earthly, materialistic reality. Once again, we have that in abundance in Jesus’ ministry, telling people not to store up treasures on earth, but to invest in the treasures of heaven, sending his disciples to preach that “the kingdom is near” and promising that whoever received them would be given a prophet’s reward (Matt. 10). Jesus was the original author of the phrase “born again,” referring to a spiritual rebirth that would bestow spiritual blessings on the believer. He also made the original promise of a Holy Spirit that would enter into believers and illuminate their hearts and minds.
Stage One: The Empty Tomb
Ok, we’ve got our prerequisites, now let’s turn the death of Jesus into a bogus resurrection. The first thing we need is an empty tomb. That’s easy enough: all we need is somebody to move the body. There are lots of potential candidates, though few would actually have the motive to pull it off. The Herodians, for instance, might have done it out of a desire to stir up trouble for the Pharisees by vexing them with an annoying cult, but that’s pretty far-fetched. What’s much more likely, though, is that the disciples themselves would have done it.
How could the disciples have done it? Wouldn’t that make them party to a deliberate deception, and thus unlikely to die for their faith? Not necessarily. First of all, they might not have done it to deliberately fake a resurrection. Perhaps they simply objected to the idea of Jesus being laid to rest in the tomb of a man like Joseph. The evangelists tell us that Joseph was a secret Christian, a member of the Council who had not consented to their actions, but the disciples wouldn’t necessarily have known that at the time.
Remember, too, that Jesus had a lot of disciples, and not just the famous Twelve Apostles. Nor were the original Christians a united, homogeneous group, as the New Testament itself records. They suffered the full range of internal rivalries, discord, and internal politics. Not all of them would necessarily have asked the Apostles for permission to move the body, or even told them they had done so. With Jesus dead, not all of them would have continued to believe in the (derived) authority of his lieutenants. They would be willing and able to act independently, to move Jesus’ body without the Apostles’ knowledge.
It might be objected that, being good Jews, none of Jesus’ disciples would have broken the Sabbath. That, however, presupposes two things: that all of Jesus’ disciples were “good’ Jews, and that none of them would believe that it might be permissible to do God’s will on the Sabbath. As we’ve already noted, Jesus’ definition of a “good” Jew was substantially different from the Pharisees’ legalistic adherence to Sabbath minutiae, so we can’t safely assume that every single individual disciple would be deterred by Pharisaic prohibitions against handling dead bodies on the Sabbath. Some grieving disciple, in the emotion of the moment, might even act in a way that he or she would later feel guilty about. But they would still do it.
That leaves the problem of the guards, but only Matthew’s gospel alludes to there being any guards, and his account clearly states that the Sanhedrin did not ask for any until the next day. If Matthew was referring to the following morning, that would leave the body unguarded all night—plenty of time for a small group of men to move a dead body. But the Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown and is, in Jewish reckoning, a new day. Is there any time interval large enough for disciples to get unguarded access to the body?
According to Gospel accounts, Jesus was buried before the Sabbath, in a tomb selected because it was nearby. The women saw where Jesus was laid, and then returned to keep the Sabbath “according to the commandment.” If Jesus was buried before the Sabbath, and if the Jewish religious leaders had anything at all to do at the beginning of the Sabbath, then there could have been a considerable interval of time before they could even go to Pilate to ask for a guard. Add to that whatever interval of time would be needed to gather a guard, explain the mission, gather equipment and supplies, find out where Jesus was buried, and march there.
Moving Jesus’ body would therefore require nothing more than a group of “rogue” disciples, following the burial party, and deciding on the spur of the moment to find Jesus a holier resting place than the one offered by a member of the Council that murdered him, after the other disciples had left to go keep the Sabbath. The guards (if any) could have arrived too late to catch them in the act, and could have sealed an already-empty tomb, without requiring anything more miraculous than bad timing on the Sanhedrin’s part.
Of course, if the “rogue” disciples weren’t deliberately trying to fake a resurrection, wouldn’t people find out? They would have no reason to conceal the fact that they had Jesus’ body, unless perhaps they were afraid of upsetting the apostles, or maybe even experiencing after-the-fact guilt feelings and nagging doubts about whether they did the right thing moving a dead body on the Sabbath. Maybe there could be purely psychosocial reasons why they might keep their actions quiet, even without a desire to fake the Resurrection. But still, people would find out, wouldn’t they? Someone would be bound to talk, sooner or later, if only to get it off their chest, right?
If the disciples did indeed take the body, we would expect there to be widespread reports, later on, of disciples taking the body. And ironically, Matthew himself records that this was indeed the case. There were widespread reports of the disciples taking the body, just as we would expect if this were an ordinary, mundane case of one group of disciples acting without the knowledge or permission of the others to relocate the corpse of Jesus.
Matthew’s whole point, in introducing the story of the guards, seems to be an attempt to provide a Christian counter-story to discredit the Jewish version. Matthew was neither a guard nor a member of the Sanhedrin, nor does he claim to have somehow had this alleged incident reported to him by God or some angel. He simply claims that there were guards, that the guards saw the resurrection, and that they then took bribes to lie about it.
Notice, Matthew offers no evidence to substantiate his accusations, he simply slanders these unknown guards in a way that makes it sound like they’re hiding something. (Sound familiar?) He alone, of all the Evangelists, “improves” the Gospel by adding a new story that provides a plausible explanation for why there are widespread reports that disciples took Jesus’ body. In doing so, however, he unwittingly documents the fact that there were widespread reports that disciples simply moved the body. (And, for an additional irony, Matthew’s story makes these guards the only actual eyewitnesses to what really happened, when Matthew himself was not.)
So we’re all set for Stage One: The Empty Tomb. At this point in our scenario, rogue disciples have not-so-secretly moved the body of Jesus without the knowledge or permission of the other disciples, before the Sanhedrin could conclude their Sabbath duties, make their way to the palace, obtain an audience with Pilate, request a guard, receive permission, walk back to the guard, explain their mission, locate the grave, and post a guard. Sunday morning, when the other disciples return to the tomb, they find it empty, and begin to wonder…
Stay Tuned for Stage Two. | <urn:uuid:a3575662-038c-41bc-865c-59b7deef7b4c> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.evangelicalrealism.com/2010/04/04/easter-special-how-to-fake-a-resurrection-without-really-trying/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975232 | 2,258 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Even with loads of fresh produce coming into season now, you still need to keep your pantry stocked with some go-to staples. In addition to standards like brown rice and whole-wheat pasta, here are some other pantry must-haves that are affordable, healthy and easy to find.
We’re cautious about throwing the term “superfood” around, but quinoa is a definite food star. It has the same calories as pasta or brown rice but more fiber, iron and B-vitamins (including folate and thiamin). One cup of cooked quinoa has 8 grams of protein, compared to 5 grams in a cup of brown rice. Quinoa cooks up in less than 15 minutes; it has a chewy texture and nutty bite that works for salads, stuffings or a simple side dish. I love to make quinoa salad with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, scallions and feta cheese or a hot breakfast cereal with honey and cinnamon.
2) Spices for Sweet & Savory Flavor
Spices like cinnamon and curry powder are versatile and delicious — you just need to know what to do with them. Add cinnamon to oatmeal, smoothies and dry rub marinades. Use curry powder to liven up chicken salad, seafood, soups or noodle dishes. These spices also have unique health benefits. Cinnamon has been linked to lowering blood pressure and controlling blood sugar; while curry contains turmeric, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Stick to buying small containers and skip the bulk-sized ones (you’ll never use all of it before the spices get stale and bland); or go for bulk and divvy them up among friends and family — and split the cost.
3) Dijon Mustard
Dijon mustard brings on the flavor without the fat and calories — better yet, it’s free of that pesky high-fructose corn syrup, which lurks in many other condiments. Use it to add creaminess to sauces and salad dressings without the fat and calories of oil or mayo. At 5 calories per teaspoon, tangy Dijon isn’t just for sandwiches; it makes light and delicious marinades, dips and sauces for chicken, pork or seafood.
4) Walnut Oil
This one might be a bit exotic to you. Walnut oil is a concentrated source of healthy omega-3 fats, which is hard to come by in other nuts. It has a rich, nutty flavor that’s different than any other oil in your pantry. A little goes a long way — it’s perfect for a light drizzle over grilled fish, salads or roasted vegetables. There’s no need to heat this oil; it will lose some of its flavor.
5) Local Honey
Honey is a natural sweetener with more flavor and nutrients than refined sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Since it has the same calorie count as sugar, just use a drizzle. Look for locally honey at the farmers’ market or grocery store — they are often more affordable. Use it in baked goods, salad dressings, hot or cold drinks and marinades. I also love it on toasted bread.
Your kitchen is better off without these packaged goods. They contain few nutrients and too much sodium, trans fat, sugar and preservatives. They’re often more expensive, too.
• Sugary Cereals
• Packaged Baked Goods (cookies, muffins, pastries)
• Canned soups (low-sodium varieties are okay)
• Snack foods — especially cheesy crackers and wild flavored potato chips
TELL US: What’s the one item in your pantry you can’t live without? | <urn:uuid:49d4c4eb-2097-4f5a-a33e-2181e8fb8aa8> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2009/07/23/top-5-pantry-must-haves/comment-page-3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922251 | 785 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The day my mother died, I was hoping for something, anything, to help alleviate my incredible pain and overwhelming sense of loss. I was also hoping that Mom was finally at peace. A Facebook post around the same time revealed that a friend of mine was hoping fervently for something as well: that she would find just the right shoes to match her new dress.
At first, it seemed so cruel and unfair to me that I was hoping for something so crucial while she was free to hope for something that seemed so insignificant to me.
But then I recalled a day a few months earlier when I was more like the shoe-buyer than the mourner. I had posted a Facebook status about hoping my daughter’s team would win their soccer game against a cross-town rival. An acquaintance commented on my post, chiding me for hoping for such a trivial thing when a family member of hers was spending his days hoping for something much more important: that his latest chemo treatment would destroy the tumors that were threatening to end his life way too early.
We all have times in our lives when our hopes seem to be but a tiny speck in the universe, important to no one but ourselves. Such small hopes might serve to alter our mood or our day, but not our lives — like hoping there’s no line at the coffee shop, or hoping your favorite TV show is on, or hoping your husband has time to get the car washed.
And we all have to face situations when our hopes must be so much larger than that — like hoping for a new job that will pay the mounting bills, or hoping for recovery from a serious illness, or hoping your daughter gets into the college of her dreams.
Sometimes, we even find that our hopes are as far-reaching as the universe itself — like hoping for world peace, or a solution to global warming.
Hopes come in all sizes. So if I want to hope for something tiny, like fitting into my skinny jeans, I can. And if I want to hope for the miraculous, or the impossible, or the grandiose — like touching a rainbow, or time-traveling, or being the queen of England — that’s up to me.
Because I believe that all hopes — small or large, practical or frivolous, silly or serious — can co-exist peacefully. I can hope for an end to world hunger at the exact same time I’m hoping that my family likes the new recipe I made for dinner. I can hope to win the lottery in the same moment that I’m hoping there’s a sale on the new tires I need for my car. And it’s perfectly acceptable for me to be hoping for something small while someone else must be hoping really big — and vice versa.
My hopes can comfort me, lift my spirits, make me laugh or bring a smile to my face. It doesn’t matter how important they are to anyone else, because they’re essential to my happiness, whether they lead to what I’m hoping for or not.
Oh, and if you have any questions, you can reach me at Buckingham Palace.
We asked experts, authors and readers like you to share their stories of Hope. Every day for the next month, you’ll find new tips for optimism on Gaiam Life, the Stream of Consciousness blog and our social media sites: Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. And don’t miss the GaiamTV.com Hope Film Festival, with FREE films all month long. | <urn:uuid:03455877-5da0-437c-9414-bd0b732f5d6e> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.gaiam.com/hope-comes-in-many-sizes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962054 | 732 | 1.523438 | 2 |
"He had drawn many a thousand of these rations in prisons and camps, and though he'd never had an opportunity to weight them on scales, and although, being a man of timid nature, he knew no way of standing up for his rights, he, like every other prisoner, had discovered long ago that honest weight was never to be found in the bread-cutting. There was short weight in every ration. The only point was how short. So every day you took a look to soothe your soul - today, maybe, they haven't snitched any."
Source: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, 1962
Contributed by: bajarbattu | <urn:uuid:dd8902b0-4c3f-4fca-b1f7-231eb4f65281> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.gaiam.com/quotes/authors/aleksander-solzhenitsyn | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990203 | 139 | 1.875 | 2 |
A Quote by Christopher Pike on wonder, joy, bliss, silence, knowledge, and understanding
There is a difference between a question and a wonder. I would prefer to answer only questions that will be useful to you. A child looks up at the starry sky at night and wonders. He is filled with the joy of the mystery of creation. Why should I explain everything to you and take away that joy? I will not. The purpose of my words is to create silence, to create joy. I am not here to stuff your head full of knowledge. A child starts out innocent. You ask him something and he says, "I don't know." Then that child grows up and thinks he knows everything. I'll teach you something, both of you. I'll teach you to say, "I don't know," and be glad. That is true knowledge.
Contributed by: Tsuya | <urn:uuid:55c31e1f-ba22-4554-be3e-fd45a21b53e7> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.gaiam.com/quotes/authors/christopher-pike/43900 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979812 | 183 | 2.171875 | 2 |
For spring break 2014, two ELS students, Joanna Zeigler (’15) and Derek Brow (’16) joined the Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project (MKFRP) to plant native trees and restore critical habitat of the Palila, a critically endangered native finch-billed species of the Hawaiian Honeycreeper.
Planting took place inside a fenced mitigation area consisting of almost 5200 acres on the Northwest side of Mauna Kea called Puʻu Mali. The trip to Puʻu Mali was a big success, where the crew planted 1,400 native plants including Mamane, Aʻaliʻi, Koa, and ʻIliahi. The crew also enjoyed some extreme weather on Mauna Kea! Mahalo to Joanna Zeigler (’15) for organizing the trip and to Derek Brow (’16) for joining in on the fun and engaging in positive work to restore native forests and animals! We look forward to next year’s adventure! | <urn:uuid:63f5a9b8-29a4-48dc-85fa-156782d33d50> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.hawaii.edu/elp/news-events/uncategorized/els-spring-break-trip-planting-natives-to-restore-palilia-critical-habitat-on-hawai%CA%BBi-island/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914541 | 219 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Archive for the ‘flying car’ tag
A collection of dream cars spanning more than half a century, from the Buick Wildcat II and Plymouth Explorer of 1954 to the Transition Roadable Aircraft of 2009, will be on display at Heritage Museum & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts, from April 13 to October 27. The exhibit, “Driving Our Dreams: Imagination in Motion,” will bring together for the first time these historically significant concept cars from collections across the country.
Six of the cars will be on display courtesy of the GM Heritage Collection: the 1956 Firebird II, the 1963 Corvair Monza SS, the 1973 Chevrolet XP-898, the 1974 Chevrolet XP-895, the 1986 Chevrolet Corvette Indy and the 1990 Chevrolet Corvette CERV III. Other concept cars include the 1954 Wildcat II and the 1956 Buick Centurion, courtesy of the Sloan*Longway Collection; the Plymouth Explorer, courtesy of the Petersen Museum; the 1953 Ford X-100, courtesy of The Henry Ford; the 1963 Harley Earl Corvette, courtesy of Dana and Patti Mecum; the 2009 Infinium Solar Car, courtesy of the University of Michigan; and the 2009 Transition, courtesy of Terrafugia. In addition, the exhibit will include one limited production car, a 1954 Hudson Italia, courtesy of Wayne Carini, and two production cars that are part of the museum’s permanent collection: a 1927 La Salle Sport Phaeton and a 1962 Corvette.
The exhibit will also examine how car design has been reflected in popular culture and fashion. Visitors will be able to use designer tools and interactive stations to create design mood boards and post their solar car drawings. In the Heritage’s Special Exhibitions Gallery, children and adults will be able to design their own concept cars; they’ll also be invited to build scale models using an assortment of wooden parts, and test them for speed on a giant ramp.
“Paper Metropolis,” a massive model of a megacity designed by artist Kiel Johnson, will be on display in the Special Exhibitions Gallery. Johnson will lead a five-day “community build” of the city, encouraging participants to think about the future of city planning.
“This is one of the most remarkable exhibitions we’ve had the pleasure of showcasing,” said Ellen Spear, president and CEO of Heritage Museums & Gardens. “The intersection of fashion, design, style and technology is reflected in these rare and inspiring concepts – many of the ideas of 50 years ago are just being incorporated into cars today.”
A summer-long lecture series accompanies “Driving Our Dreams.” On Sunday, April 14, motorsports television commentator and author Bill Stevens, restoration expert Wayne McKay and Wayne Carini, a vintage car dealer and restorer known for his television program Chasing Classic Cars, will discuss the work of such visionary stylists as Harley Earl and Virgil Exner. On Sunday, June 23, Carl Dietrich, an aerospace engineer and co-founder of Terrafugia, will discuss his company’s efforts at building a roadable aircraft. On Sunday, July 21, Bill Porter, a former GM designer, will talk about the influences of nature on current design. And on Sunday, September 22, Michael Knodler, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Massachusetts, will talk about the future of roadways and traffic patterns. The lectures are $15 for museum members and $20 for non-members; the series is $55 for members, and $75 for non-members.
Some of the automobiles in the museum’s permanent collection will be put into storage to make room for the special exhibit; you may want to call ahead if there’s a particular car in the permanent collection you wish to see.
The exhibit is sponsored by Arbella Insurance Foundation, Bonhams International Auctioneers, Cape Air/Nantucket Airlines and Reliable Carriers. | <urn:uuid:29c061af-749f-4a2c-8c22-a12c8a6cd94e> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/tag/flying-car/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924919 | 830 | 1.789063 | 2 |
AHA members are involved in all fields of history, with wide-ranging specializations, interests, and areas of employment. The “AHA Member Spotlight” series recognizes our talented and eclectic membership. Would you like to nominate a colleague for the AHA Member Spotlight? Contact Nike Nivar for more information.
AHA Member Spotlight
Padraic Kenney is a professor of history, director of the Russian and East European Institute, and director of the Polish Studies Center at Indiana University. Kenney first joined the AHA in 2010.
1. Alma mater/s: Harvard University, University of Toronto, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
2. Fields of interest: Eastern Europe, communism, social movements, revolution
3. When did you first develop an interest in history?
In Moscow in 1984. I thought I was interested in Kremlinology, really (I was a Russian studies major, and had taken only a few history courses, including one on the Russian Revolution taught by Jane Burbank). But I had to notice that my Russian friends really cared about history, in ways I could not understand. For example, some were dissidents, yet they spoke with warm emotion about 1917, and made me memorize some of Mayakovsky’s verse. I came back from that four-month study committed to history, and to the study of the experience of revolution.
4. What projects are you working on currently?
I am writing a book on the experience of political incarceration in the modern world, in which I try to explain how prisoners emerge as important figures in modern contentious politics, and to examine what takes place in the prison cell. This work is based on research in about two dozen archives in Poland, South Africa, Ireland, and the UK.
Meanwhile, I continue to think a bit about my earlier focus, the revolutions of 1989, and in particular the ways that East European experiences in the 1980s inform, influence, or help us to understand subsequent revolutions, up to and including the Arab Spring of 2011.
5. What books or articles are you currently reading?
I am afraid I have the habit of reading several things at once, alternating chapters. I never seem to be able to stay immersed for long. At my favorite reading chair now are:
- Steven Barnes, Death and Redemption: The Gulag and the Shaping of Soviet Society (Princeton, 2011)
- Andrzej Friszke, Anatomia buntu: Kuroń, Modzelewski, i komandosi (Znak, 2010)
- Tom Lodge, Sharpeville: An Apartheid Massacre and Its Consequences (Oxford, 2011)
6. What do you value most about the history profession?
I am proud of the fact that the work of historians, even at its most specialized, has the potential of speaking to the educated public. I think we underestimate this quality, maybe assuming that those who watch the History Channel or browse the shelves at Barnes & Noble only seek certain types of history. But in fact most of our work has that accessible potential, and the same cannot be said of many other disciplines.
Editor’s Note: Are you an AHA member? Would you like to nominate a colleague for the AHA Member spotlight? Contact Nike Nivar at firstname.lastname@example.org for more information. | <urn:uuid:f026069e-011d-41ec-91e4-06fe07d78dc1> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.historians.org/2012/05/aha-member-spotlight-padraic-kenney/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953018 | 696 | 1.507813 | 2 |
If you are trying to control your weight or lose weight, should you skip meals? NO!! And that goes especially for breakfast! Not only do we need this meal for energy, but breakfast also jump-starts our metabolism for the day and helps to get us on the right track for successful choices later. I always encourage my clients to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day to maintain sugar and energy levels and stabilize their mood. If we allow ourselves to become famished, we may lose all control and eat whatever we can find quickly, and chances are this won't be something healthy! So remember to eat a healthy breakfast every morning, and you set yourself up for success. | <urn:uuid:b86815aa-a399-481d-a8e4-95cb019b38af> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.ideafit.com/blogs/patricia-jarrell-1/breakfast | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960896 | 138 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Next, I went through several of the exercises on 4clojure.org and it opened my eyes to the sheer number of functions that I should have, but still didn't know. 4clojure.org helped me learn how to use many of the functions from the standard lib, but it also taught me a greater lesson: any data transformation I want to do can likely either be accomplished with a single function of clojure.core or by combining a few functions from clojure.core.
The following code has an example input and shows the desired output.
There are many ways to solve this problem, but when I began with Clojure I solved it with a reduce. In general, anytime I was transforming a seq to a map, I thought reduce was the right choice. The following example shows how to transform the data using a reduce
That works perfectly well and it's not a lot of code, but it's custom code. You can't know what the input is, look at the reduce, and know what the output is. You have to jump in the source to see what the transformation actually is.
You can solve this problem with an anonymous function, as the example below shows.
This solution isn't much code, but it's doing several things and requiring you to keep many things on your mental stack at the same time - what does the element look like, destructuring, the form of the result, the initial value, etc. It's not that tough to write, but it can be a bit tough to read when you come back to it 6 months later. Below is another solution, using only functions defined in clojure.core.
The above solution is more characters, but I consider it to be superior for two reasons:
- Only clojure.core functions are used, so I am able to read the code without having to look elsewhere for implementation or documentation (and maintainers should be able to do the same).
- The transformation happens in distinct and easy to understand steps.
If the learning opportunity did not exist, I may feel differently; however, I currently feel much more comfortable with update-in than I do with using juxt, and to a lesser extent (partial apply hash-map) & (apply merge concat). If you found the solution I prefer harder to follow, then I suspect you may be in the same boat as me. If you were easily able to read and follow both solutions, it probably makes sense for you to simply do what you prefer. However, if you choose to define your own function I do believe you're leaving behind something that's harder to digest than a string of distinct steps that only use functions found in clojure.core.
Regardless of language, I believe that you should know the standard library inside and out. Time and time again (in Clojure) I've solved a problem with an anonymous function, only to later find that the standard library already defined exactly what I needed. A few examples from memory: find (select-keys with 1 key), keep (filter + remove nil?), map-indexed (map f coll (range)), mapcat (concat (map)). After making this mistake enough times, I devised a plan to avoid this situation in the future while also forcing myself to become more familiar with the standard library.
The plan is simple: when transforming data, don't use (fn) or #(), and only define a function when it cannot be done with -> or ->> and clojure.core.
My preferred solution (above) is a simple example of using threading and clojure.core to solve a problem without #() or (fn). This works for 90% of the transformation problems I encounter; however, there are times that I need to define a function. For example, I recently needed to take an initial value, pass it to reduce, then pass the result of the reduce as the initial value to another reduce. The initial value is the 2nd of reduce's 3 args, thus it cannot easily be threaded. In that situation, I find it appropriate to simply define my own function. Still, at least 90% of the time I can find a solution by combining existing clojure.core functions (often by using comp, juxt, or partial).
Here's another simple example: Given a list of maps, filter maps where :current-city is "new york"
Once you've made this step, you may start asking yourself: am I doing something unique, or am I doing something that's common enough to be somewhere in the standard library. More often than I expected, the answer is - yes, there's already a fn in the standard library. In this case, we can use clojure.set/join to join on the current city, thus removing our undesired data.
Asking the question, "this doesn't seem unique - shouldn't there be a fn in the standard library that does this?", is what led me to clojure.set/project, find and so many other functions. Now, when I look through old code, I find myself shaking my head and wishing I'd started down this path even earlier. Clojure makes it easy to define your own functions that quickly solve problems, but using what's already in clojure.core makes your code significantly easier for others to follow - learning the standard library inside and out is worth the effort in the long term. | <urn:uuid:0669d475-f57e-49c0-b7cf-f2a32ba524f5> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.jayfields.com/2012/10/clojure-avoiding-anonymous-functions.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951717 | 1,104 | 1.75 | 2 |
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What makes PHP great is the community that is building frameworks, libraries and nice tools. And more. This awesome community brought us Composer, a dependency manager for PHP which lets us install and update packages from Packagist.org and makes it easy to … Continue reading
PhpStorm comes with many inspections that help us analyze and improve the quality of our codebase. By using PHP Mess Detector (PHPMD), we can enable many additional code quality checks on our codebase: it can detect possible bugs, suboptimal code, … Continue reading
Team members may have different backgrounds and code style preferences. In code bases where no formal code style is used, it can become obvious who wrote which code because of different styles being used. Having to work on such code … Continue reading
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Those of you who have already tried PhpStorm 6 might have noticed a lot of great additions to PHP imports support. In this post we would like to tell you about a long awaited feature: Optimize Imports for PHP.
There is a number of new PHPDoc inspections available in the latest PhpStorm 2.1 EAP builds which allow to find basic problems in PHP code documenting. These new inspections can be turned on/off in Settings|Inspections|PHP|CodeStyle/PHPDoc. Traditionally each inspection has a … Continue reading
Pack of fixes in all areas in this build along with couple of new features: PHP completion got new popup layout: added function signatures. Note that you can also open Quick Documentation popup (Ctrl-Q) right from this list. Feedback is … Continue reading | <urn:uuid:ed7d2add-a611-497a-a88f-cd04a78574c3> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.jetbrains.com/phpstorm/tag/inspection/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.856304 | 413 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Inline Editing with jQuery
We’ve all heard of in-line editing. Flickr uses it for many things such as changing the title or description of one of your pictures.
For those of you who dont know, in-line editing is when you can just click on text, and it becomes a text box which the user can then edit. When the user hits enter, the edited text is sent to a script, which can do some magic, like submitting the text to a database.
Now, thanks to Dylan Verheul, doing this with jQuery could never be easier. He has created a plugin called Editable, which makes it possible to create in-line editing fields with one simple line of code. | <urn:uuid:1490adde-d1c3-4961-b0a5-ebc776985ca4> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.jquery.com/2006/07/12/inline-editing-with-jquery/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925661 | 147 | 1.625 | 2 |
On January 30, 2013, hundreds of students and educators joined Minister of Education Dr. Hilda Heine at a morning ceremony to officially launch the One Laptop per Child program in the Marshall Islands. Delap Elementary School on Majuro will be the first school in the RMI to receive and begin using the laptops for its students.
Minister Heine gave a speech detailing the history behind the project’s launch in the RMI, as well as the project’s relevance and importance to education in the Marshall Islands today. Minister Heine emphasized the extensive training of teachers and careful selection of participating schools based on their performance. She further highlighted and thanked the United States government for providing funding for the project through its continued support of the Ministry of Education.
Following Minister Heine, Ambassador Armbruster spoke, beginning his speech with a series of questions for the more than 300 DES students seated in the audience, to which he received enthusiastic responses. Saying that while laptop computers are modern day learning tools which did not exist when he was a student, Ambassador Armbruster explained that his and older generations had their own learning tools, including “Etch-a-Sketches” and abacuses. The Ambassador emphasized to the students the importance of using their own minds and creativity in conjunction with these tools, as well as the importance of taking good physical care of the laptops. The ceremony closed with songs performed by the DES 6th grade classes.
In total, the RMI Ministry of Education purchased one-thousand of these special laptop computers using Compact Supplemental Education Grant funds from the United States. The remaining laptops will be distributed to schools on Majuro, Arno, Ailinglaplap, Aur, Likiep, and Jaluit Atolls.
US Ambassador to the Marshall Islands, Thomas Armbruster, speaks at OLPC launch at Delap Elementary School, Majuro Atoll: | <urn:uuid:e1ca8a28-bef3-4161-85bc-128d31ee9181> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.laptop.org/2013/02/01/one-laptop-per-child-program-launched-marshall-islands/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96754 | 390 | 2.203125 | 2 |
What questions should we be asking? is the Learning Circuits Blog Big Question for the month. Mentioned is a fear that we might not be asking the right question at any particular time.
Perhaps because I’ve just finished reading Verna Allee‘s The Knowledge Evolution (all about systematic levels of knowledge; an insightful book, it even discusses wisdom :), but the core of my responses is the way to ensure you’re asking the right question is to take a level step up and ask if your question fits into the bigger picture.
One of the things I keep seeing is that people are focusing on elearning tactics, while not considering how those tactics fit into a strategy. If you’re asking about how to better support conversations, you should make sure that you’ve got a culture that ensures sharing. If you’re asking about creating portals, you should ensure that your instructional design is up to scratch.
So I guess my short answer is that your first question should be if you know where you’re going, and if you do, you should be asking questions about the next step along the path. If you don’t know where you’re going, it doesn’t matter what you ask! | <urn:uuid:7896ae0f-ef66-42b5-920e-65f3d5ca4272> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.learnlets.com/?p=103 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927415 | 260 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Over Christmas, with little fanfare, two new approaches to climate legislation were introduced, perhaps in response to the possibility that Boxer-Kerry’s prospects are dimming. VentureBeat has a summary. The Kerry-Lieberman-Graham approach is just a “framework” and too vague for me to sink my teeth into. The Cantwell-Collins CLEAR act on the other hand is a real bill. Unlike the 1000-page ACES (Waxman-Markey), it’s just about cap & trade, so it’s refreshingly brief – 39 pages. CLEAR sets targets,
As in Waxman-Markey and other bills, the target trajectory is mostly linear. That actually doesn’t make much sense, because it implies a much greater proportional effort late in the game. Emissions reductions finish at >6%/year. If GDP growth is 3%/year, that implies a final intensity reduction rate of >9%/year, which is fairly delusional. Unlike Waxman-Markey, which is strictly linear, the first three years are flat, then there’s a race to the 2020 target. It’s good to harvest the low-hanging fruit quickly, but the 2015-2020 trajectory seems a little sporty.
The real emissions trajectory is unknown, because there’s a safety valve price ceiling and floor, initially set at 7 to 21 $/tonCO2eq, and rising at the real interest rate, plus and minus 0.5%, respectively. The resulting prices neatly bracket EPA’s expectations for Waxman-Markey without international offsets (Scn07 on graph):
Source: EPA W-M analysis.
CLEAR is upstream, covering fuels at the minemouth, wellhead, import terminal, etc. This strikes me as a big advantage administratively and improves coverage as well. Offsets, funded by a set-aside from auction revenues, play a much smaller role, which is OK, because with better coverage there won’t be as big a market. International offsets are also assumed to play a much smaller role (a few % of reductions, vs. roughly half of W-M reductions). That makes the true target trajectory much more aggressive, and raises expected permit prices a lot. Whether this is good or bad is ambiguous; one drawback is that there’s potentially less “carrot” for developing countries, and less funding for forestry.
Unlike Waxman-Markey, CLEAR allocates most (75%) permits to citizens as “shares”. That’s bad news for coal-fired electric utilities, but possibly good news for low income residents of coal-intensive areas. My guess is that the totally flat distribution of revenue would more than compensate for regional inequities for the bottom quintile, who would come out ahead. The remaining permits go to a “CERT” fund for worker, business, and community transitions, stranded assets, targeted relief for energy-intensive industries exporting to countries without emissions controls, R&D, offsets and other usual suspects. There’s room for a lot of good here, but also a lot of pork. I think it would make sense to partially phase out the fund in the future, as its revenues would likely rise beyond the need.
Like W-M, CLEAR includes a border adjustment (effectively a tariff on the embodied carbon content of imports). This, plus the potential trade measures in CERT, should make labor happy and infuriate WTO partners like China.
Strategically, CLEAR seems to leave more of the detailed design of the market and related mechanisms to the executive branch. I think that’s a good thing. It’s impossible to have a sensible debate about a piece of legislation the size of the Oxford dictionary. Add in the fact that this proposal is much closer to economic ideals for a cap & trade (upstream coverage, flat rebates, safety valves) and I’m liking this a lot better than ACES. | <urn:uuid:99b39a0e-fe3c-4ced-83bf-8ae28c2cad18> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.metasd.com/tag/aces/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948001 | 839 | 1.5 | 2 |
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 47 will conduct a two-day safe boating course entitled “About Boating Safely” on March 28 and March 29. The program will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Foundation Board Room at East Jefferson General Hospital, 4200 Houma Blvd., Metairie.
This in-depth boating safety course is the seminar version of the popular online boating course. It is a beginner boating class that will give participants the knowledge needed to obtain a boat license or safety certification.
Instructors will cover topics including a boat operator’s legal requirements, anchoring your boat, life saving procedures, and information to make your boating experience safer.
The course is required by the state for all persons born after Jan. 1, 1984 who operate a vessel and/or motor boat or personal water craft (PWC).
Many boat insurance companies offer discounts on boating insurance to boaters who successfully complete the course.
The cost for the course guide and examination booklet is $20.
Space is limited and pre-registration is required by Sunday.
To register, call 504.887.7164 or send an email to firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:da70aee3-d973-445a-a9f2-57e64984ee22> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.nola.com/eastjefferson/2012/03/us_coast_guard_auxiliary_plans.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922123 | 261 | 1.75 | 2 |
Everyone wants to save money. So, which is cheaper: plant starts or seeds? I won't give it away, but I guess starts. Mostly, because I'm a dork when it comes to seeds.
If you choose seeds, HGNW columnist Dulcy Mahar helped demystify the process of starting seed with the answers to a ton of questions.
Talk about saving money. Get a twofer, by turning your grapefruit from breakfast into vegetables, no magic needed. Staying with the breakfast theme, you can also use egg cartons. Or you can move on ... no, I won't say it ... repurpose toilet paper rolls.
Lots of beginner gardeners quit growing vegetables in frustration because harvests are not what they hope. But if you know your mistakes, you can fix them.
I've always salivated when the beautiful Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds catalog arrives, but knowing the story behind the business makes me like it even more.
I don't know why Kathy Martin calls her blog Skippy's Vegetable Garden. It makes me think of peanut butter, not vegetable gardening. But it won a Best Gardening Blog of 2011 from Horticulture magazine, so I don't think it confuses anyone else.
-- Kym Pokorny | <urn:uuid:09656a73-4986-4bd8-85a2-a3e89da4b61f> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.oregonlive.com/kympokorny/2011/03/gardening_news_and_notes_start.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951605 | 264 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Nez Perce Chief Redheart reconciliation ceremony 2010
The thirteenth annual Nez Perce Chief Redheart reconciliation ceremony at Fort Vancouver National Site.
Thirty-three members of Chief Redheart's band were captured in 1877 by the U.S. Army under the direction of Gen. O.O. Howard and held captive at Fort Vancouver through the winter. The prisoners, who included an infant who died in captivity, neither fought in the Indian wars nor committed any crimes.
In 1997, honoring a 104-year-old promise made to Chief Joseph by an ancestor, the Erskine B. Wood family of Vancouver gave the Nez Perce an Appaloosa stallion at a ceremony in the Wallowa Mountains.
Although the imprisoned band was released in April 1878, the Nez Perce did not return to Vancouver until 1998 for the first reconciliation ceremony honoring their ancestors.
The Nez Perce join the city of Vancouver, the Vancouver
National Historic Reserve Trust and the National Park
Service in presenting the annual reconciliation event.
This was Mayor Tim Leavitt's first Chief Redheart memorial ceremony as acting mayor. | <urn:uuid:db4ad495-9ab4-48a2-95eb-ab85a5b06634> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.oregonlive.com/ridgefield/2010/04/video_nez_perce_chief_redheart.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953105 | 234 | 2.40625 | 2 |
In this year’s student satisfaction tables, which universities have a good teaching score but low employment prospects? How would you find out? In this post, you’ll find out…
Whether or not it was one of my resolutions, one of the things I want to do more this year is try to try to make more use of stuff that’s already out there, and come up with recipes that hopefully demonstrate to others how to make use of those resources.
So today’s trick is prompted by a request from @paulbradshaw about “how to turn a spreadsheet into a form-searchable database for users” within a Google spreadsheet (compared to querying a google spreadsheet via a URI, as described in Using Google Spreadsheets as a Database with the Google Visualisation API Query Language).
I’m not going to get as far as the form bit, but here’s how to grab details from a Google spreadsheet, such as one of the spreadsheets posted to the Guardian Datastore, and query it as if it was a database in the context of one of your own Google spreadsheets.
This trick actually relies on the original Google spreadsheet being shared in “the right way”, which for the purposes of this post we’ll take to mean – it can be viewed using a URL of the form:
(The &hl=en on the end is superfluous – it doesn’t matter if it’s not there…) The Guardian Datastore folks sometimes qualify this link with a statement of the form Link (if you have a Google Docs account).
If the link is of the form:
just change pub to ccc
So for example, take the case of the 2010-2011 Higher Education tables (described here):
The first thing to do is to grab a copy of the data into our own spreadsheet. So go to Google Docs, create a new spreadsheet, and in cell A1 enter the formula:
When you hit return, the spreadsheet should be populated with data from the Guardian Datastore spreadsheet.
So let’s see how that formula is put together.
Firstly, we use the =ImportRange() formula, which has the form:
This says that we want to import a range of cells from a sheet in another spreadsheet/workbook that we have access to (such as one we own, one that is shared with us in an appropriate way, or a public one). The KEY is the key value from the URL of the spreadsheet we want to import data from. The SHEET is the name of the sheet the data is on:
The RANGE is the range of the cells we want to copy over from the external spreadsheet.
Enter the formula into a single cell in your spreadsheet and the whole range of cells identified in the specified sheet of the original spreadsheet will be imported to your spreadsheet.
Give the sheet a name (I called mine ‘Institutional Table 2010-2011’; the default would be ‘Sheet1’).
Now we’re going to treat that imported data as if it was in a database, using the =QUERY() formula.
Create a new sheet, call it “My Queries” or something similar and in cell A1 enter the formula:
=QUERY(‘Institutional Table 2010-2011’!A1:K118,”Select A”)
What happens? Column A is pulled into the spreadsheet is what. So how does that work?
The =QUERY() formula, which has the basic form =QUERY(RANGE,DATAQUERY), allows us to run a special sort of query against the data specified in the RANGE. That is, you can think of =QUERY(RANGE,) as specifying a database; and DATAQUERY as a database query language query (sic) over that database.
So what sorts of DATAQUERY can we ask?
The simplest queries are not really queries at all, they just copy whole columns from the “database” range into our “query” spreadsheet.
So things like:
- =QUERY(‘Institutional Table 2010-2011’!A1:K118,“Select C”) to select column C;
- =QUERY(‘Institutional Table 2010-2011’!A1:K118,“Select C,D,G,H”) to select columns C, D, G and H;
So looking at copy of the data in our spreadsheet, import the columns relating to the Institution, Average Teaching Score, Expenditure per Student and Career Prospects, I’d select columns C, D, F and H:
=QUERY(‘Institutional Table 2010-2011’!A1:K118,“Select C,D, F,H”)
to give this:
(Remember that the column labels in the query refer to the spreadsheet we are treating as a database, not the columns in the query results sheet shown above.)
All well and good. But suppose we only want to look at institutions with a poor teaching score (column D), less than 40? Can we do that too? Well, yes, we can, with a query of the form:
“Select C,D, F,H where D < 40"
(The spaces around the less than sign are important… if you don’t include them, the query may not work.)
Here’s the result:
(Remember, column D in the query is actually the second selected column, which is placed into column B in the figure shown above.)
Note that we can order the results according to other columns to. So for example, to order the results according to increasing expenditure (column F), we can write:
“Select C,D, F,H where D < 40 order by F asc"
(For decreasing order, use desc.)
Note that we can run more complex queries too. So for example, if we want to find institutions with a high average teaching score (column D) but low career prospects (column H) we might ask:
“Select C,D, F,H where D > 70 and H < 70"
And so on…
Over the nect week or two, I’ll post a few more examples of how to write spreadsheet queries, as well as showing you a trick or two about how to build a simple form like interface within the spreadsheet for constructing queries automatically; but for now, why try having a quick play with the =QUERY() formula yourself? | <urn:uuid:513285f8-5707-46e4-8d83-e6684a4b2840> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.ouseful.info/2010/01/19/using-google-spreadsheets-like-a-database-the-query-formula/?like=1&_wpnonce=07995c002f | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.888541 | 1,396 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Sprucing up a bathroom used to mean picking up the wet towels and wiping the scum out of the soap dish. Nowadays, bathrooms are little slices of a family’s character. They can be both fun and functional. Here are a few bathroom designs ideas for families of any income:
- Grandma’s House – Hang crafts and country-themed photographs on the wall. Use baskets for storing toilet paper and towels. Finish it off with a few decorative soaps in a small glass dish. Remember what Grandma said, though, they’re for decoration not washing.
- Toon Town – Choose one of your favorite cartoon characters, like Mickey Mouse, and paint the bathroom in that color, such as black, red and white. Print out a few pictures of Mickey for the wall. Set small figurines on the shelf. And be sure to color coordinate the shower curtain, rugs and towels.
- Zen – Make the bathroom a peaceful retreat, by painting the room in earth-tones, such as brown, green and tan. Consider bamboo fixtures, and stone for the wash basin. Rattan mats can be used outside of the tub, and rocks can be used for decoration. One of several perfect bathroom vanities would help complete the “Zen” look. Consider adding a Jacuzzi Tub for aquatherapy treatment. Just follow the basic rule of “Keep it Simple.”
- Ocean – One of the most popular bathroom decorating ideas is the ocean theme. Visit any local department store to find ocean-themed toothbrush holders, shower curtains, towels, and more. If you’ve visited the ocean, consider putting a glass jar filled with sea-shells on a shelf.
- Patriotic – For those in the USA, you can never go wrong with a traditional Red, White and Blue theme. Since most fixtures are white, simply buy some red and blue towels and mats. Hang a nice flag on the wall. Then consider color-coordinated soaps and tissue boxes.
- Minimalist Color – Make your white bathroom fixtures stand out by painting the room in a dark, bold color such as navy blue. Accent the room with a slightly lighter shade of the same color. Finally, purchase towels and mats that are again, one shade lighter. You may want to start with deciding on the color of the towels and mats, and then work your way up.
- Museum – Make your bathroom an art museum. Simply print out several of your favorite paintings, and frame them. Cluster the frames on one wall, so they are nearly touching. Choose one of several decorative bathroom vanities out there to meet your theme. For the shower curtain, visit your local fabric store and purchase an artistic swatch, then sew it to a plastic liner.
2,311 total views, 2 views today | <urn:uuid:e1913180-1e3e-4d8c-b028-e8bea6bcb569> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.qualitybath.com/bathroom/bathroom-fixtures/10-bathroom-design-ideas/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919518 | 586 | 1.882813 | 2 |
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A few weeks ago, to celebrate its 150 anniversary, we brought you a run-down of our favorite items inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Although she helped define children’s literature, Alice wasn’t the only one to touch our young hearts, or make us dream of nonsense and wonders. Today we’ve got some great items to keep some of those other classics close to your heart (or your feet).
If you were raised dreaming of jungle adventure, we’ve got some great items in keeping with the 1890s classic, The Jungle Book. We’ve got some Earth Crews to help set the scene, and the Black Cat Tights to represent one of Mowgli’s favorite companions. If you’re a fan of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, we also have some Suede Snake Printed Trouser Socks reminiscent of his heroic struggle against the cobras.
At the turn of the century, L. Frank Baum first introduced us to his colorful world in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. We’ve got some Ruby Slipper Socks for Dorothy, and even some Striped Tights and Wicked Knee Highs for her witchy adversaries, inspired by the successful screen and stage adaptations. Not to mention, plenty of rainbows.
If the mid-century stylings of Roald Dahl are more to your taste, we’ve got the perfect adornments for visiting Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…
Or hanging out with the Fantastic Mr. Fox and his family…
And if James and the Giant Peach is more your flavor, we had a whole post on peaches a couple weeks back.
Finally, if you’re a fan of modern classics, it’s hard to ignore the Harry Potter series, which ushered in a whole new era of children’s literature. And we’ve got the perfect items for those aspiring witches and wizards out there. Whether you’re properly suiting up in your Sorcerer Socks and Sorcerer Sleeves, or donning the Barn Owl Knee Highs to keep your trusty familiar close at hand, you’ll be studying in style!
Alice would be so proud!
A lot of people say “nude” when they refer to beige and tan. A lot of our suppliers do too (Leg Avenue, in particular), but we use “Beige” as a colour name in place of the erroneous “nude.” Why? To be very frank, peachy beiges and tans are not a skin-matching “nude” for everyone. We’ll get into that a little later in this post, with some options for finding styles that might be “nude” for you.
Disclaimer time! I’m not trying to define beige and tan. If you want some poem-like lists of names for shades of either, Wikipedia has them for both Beige and Tan and is kind of an amazing resource for colour in general. I’ve done my best to accurately represent these hues in relation to each other, so you can gather a good idea of what matches and what doesn’t. That said, let’s get down to it.
One last thing though: I’ve yet, in my seven-plus years slinging socks, found a clear delineation between how “beige” is used and how “tan” is used. Like, one isn’t more pink or anything. As with “teal & turquoise” we’ll have to accept that “beige & tan” are forever linked into one, indefinable mass.
Dream Stockings & Dreamer Socks
From a soft gold to cool and deep, our house brand styles run a neat and tight selection of hues.
Pinky, golden and neutral, B.Ella hits the main colour points with just a couple of styles.
With a handful of beiges, Foot Traffic treats beige and tan like basics, with a nice selection of options.Their nylon beige matches across both tights and trouser socks.
Because they focus a lot on classic stocking styles, Leg Avenue’s beiges and tans tend to be sheers and net, which can cause some interesting issues if you are looking for a shade that will match your skin instead of contrasting. However!! The Professional Fishnet Tights in Light Toast are darker than their standard “Nude” (what we call Beige), which is why we made sure to post a straight shot of the net itself as an extra image.
From left to right: Professional Fishnet Tights with Cotton Sole, Sheer Thigh Highs with Lace Stay-Up Top, Contrast Cuff Cuban Heel Thigh Highs, Sheer Lace Top Stockings with Backseam, Spandex Fishnet Pantyhose
As usual, Tabbisocks nails this hue down, with a nice range of warms and rosy tones that are particularly lovely in everything from Mori to Victoriana styles.
From left to right:Harajuku Leg Warmers, Ruffled Arm Warmer, Basic Five Toes, Crochet Lover Over the Knees, Harajuku Scrunchy Socks, Crochet Look Sleeves
Bottom row: Five Toes Pantyhose in Chocolate Brown, Beige
From pearly porcelain to tawny dust, brands that only offer one or two beiges or tans have a nice range among themselves.
All of these hues fall into some gorgeous groupings of colour, let’s take a look at that next!
The beginning of August marks the mid-point between the summer solstice and autumnal equinox, signifying the height of summer here in the Pacific Northwest. The warm season is in full-swing, so why not reap the benefits while you can? All those backyard barbeques, picnics in the park, and excursions to the seaside wouldn’t be complete without incorporating summer’s fresh bounty of produce. So many delightful fruits and veggies crop up this time of year that it’s hard to choose a favorite. One fruit, however, gets its very own month of recognition! August has been National Peach Month since 1982 and it’s easy to see why! Peaches are a summer staple and we have some peachy-keen items to help you celebrate this wonderful fruit all year.
One of the key characteristics of most peaches is their signature fuzzy exterior. This velvety coat doesn’t come on all peaches, but it is a dominant trait that provides a tactile aspect to enjoying this great fruit. Our selection of velvet items includes wrist warmers, gloves, and leggings. Though we don’t currently offer any resembling the color, they’re all pretty peachy!
On the left, we have a pair of Black & Gold Velvet Wrist Warmers from Polonova, a Portland-based company that specializes in screen-printing beautiful, ornate designs. There are a few velvet items from this company and they are gorgeous, every one. Next, for those of us that wish for a longer, more luxurious look, there are the Black Velvet Opera Length Gloves from Leg Avenue. Lastly, on the right we have the purrfect Leopard Velvet Leggings from K. Bell (which also come in a solid black version).
Sure, the peach fuzz trait is pretty easy to identify, but the color peach itself can be tricky; with over 700 different varieties of peaches in this world, the spectrum is pretty broad. A quick internet search will provide a fluid palette of tones varying from pastel orange to a pale, pinky-yellow. Additionally, as dreamer Brenna already discussed in both our Orange and Pastel Spotlights, light orange isn’t a very popular color among socks. While there is a wide range of the color peach, there aren’t a whole lot of socks in our collection that necessarily fit that description.
First, we have a pair of the Mango Solid Opaque Nylon Trouser Socks from Foot Traffic. We just love this particular shade of yellow-orange because it is so reminiscent of the sticky, sweet interior of a ripe Yellow Peach! Next up are the Sherbert O Basics and the Rust Orange Knees, both of which are from our Dream Stockings house-brand. While there’s no denying the Sherbert O Basics are a lovely punched-up peach color, the stripes of the Rust Orange Knees add quite the visual interest and are a nod to the signature blush on peach skin. Last, we have the Coney Space Dyed Over the Knee Stockings from E.G. Smith; a more artistic take on the fruit, the beauty of space-dyed items lies in each pair looking just a little different than the last, much like the beloved treat itself.
While all these items truly convey peachy qualities, none of them are quite on the softer, pastel side. In order to come up with a more delicate shade, we decided to try our hand at dyeing a pair ourselves. We’ve covered dyeing socks several times in our Sock Journal; from the basics onto various techniques, such as matching stockings to skin tone or coloring specific products like petticoats or nylon items. Personally, I have very little experience in dyeing clothes pastel colors, as the majority of my dyeing experiments have only incorporated dark colors. Thank goodness dreamer Brenna suggested I check out a brilliant resource on Rit Dye‘s website! Their Color Library had a plethora of tips and archived color combinations, which helped in creating the perfect peach formula! After we found Rit’s Peach Color Formula to be a little pink-er than we’d aimed for, we switched up the amounts of dye to create a different concoction. Both the Ivory Dreamy Bamboo Patterned Crews and the Natural & White A Chevrons made for great color studies, as their distinctive patterns showed up in a particularly lovely way!
No matter how you like them (fresh off the tree, baked in a cobbler, puréed in ice cream, or canned at home) we hope that you enjoy a peach or two this season, if you can! It has been pretty sweet sharing our rocking good times with all you wonderful dreamers out there and we hope the second half of your summer is just as nice, if not better, than the first!
How perfect is this? Almost exactly five years ago today I posted my first entry on the Sock Journal! It was about a style we hardly see any more (toeless tabi socks), since then I’ve learned to focus more on information, styles and topics that have a longer life and can keep being fun and useful no matter what products are currently available.
In the years between then and now our social media team has become so awesomely robust that between our Events, Latest News and Newsletters, we’ve been able to give you guys all sorts of voices and info about the styles we carry and what we love about them. All their hard work has freed up the Sock Journal to focus on specific things like colours, DIY and tips on using our site and more.
That influx of writerly talent has already been seeping into the ol’ Sock Journal a bit, as you may have noticed in a couple recent posts. With five whole years of you guys reading my words every week, it’s about time I step back and let some new voices in! From here on out other Dreamers will be taking the mic!
But I do still have a couple of those colour-nerd posts to share in the coming months, so at least through fall I’ll still see y’all once a month to ooh and ahh over bundles of socks in a single colour. Before I peace out though, indulge me in looking at some of my utter fave posts and themes from these past five years.
However you spell it, colours are difficult to convey across a monitor! I hope that the colour posts I’ve done over the past two years have helped you some when it comes to matching, coordinating and understanding how colours can act differently between in your hand and on your screen. Here are some of my favourites!
You think black would be simple, but it sure isn’t—not when you want to show detail and make sure people don’t think it’s navy!
Speaking of troublemakers, let’s talk about teal and turquoise.
Less of a pain and always beautiful is grey, with subtle shading between cool and warm, dark and light, gorgeous and like, really gorgeous.
Tips & Tricks
I haven’t written as many Tips & Tricks for our products and using our site as I want to, but I always want to write informative, explanatory stuff and also improve your browsing experience, so I don’t think I could ever write enough. These two though, I’m proudest of and think they’re good ones to bookmark!
Though we love to help you find the socks that will make your sock dreams come true, we can’t do it without a little help from you. Terms like “plus size” and “tall” can be subjective and when it comes to socks, you want an objectively perfect fit! Knowing what measurements to give us right off helps a lot in helping us help you!
Our compression sock options have grown more and better since we tentatively began offering a couple select styles. We’re in love and we want you to love them too, but to get the most out of compression socks you’ve got to put them on right. Knowing the trick not only improves their performance but ensures they’re helping and not hurting your legs.
What is A . . .?
Depending on where you live, what language you speak and about a million other variables, it can get confusing figuring out what exactly a person means when they say “tights”. Or “knee sock” or anything! Though the definitions we use are only definitive in the world of Sock Dreams, I hope that these “what is a . . . ?” posts about coverage styles help narrow down what you’re looking for.
Forever a matter of debate, whether you want that debate or not, the poor ol’ legging just wants to be itself: opaque enough not to let others know what underwear you’re wearing.
Always in-between worlds, the knee sock is an OTK for some and a knee high for others, floating up and down depending on your cuff preference, your calf and how long your legs are. Despite their lack of clear coverage, there is something wonderful about their mutability.
I’ve written a couple of posts on dyeing socks and stockings and as fun as they are (and as amazing as those petticoats turned out) I think I am happiest about the post with tips on dyeing stockings to match your skin tone.
It is a frustrating world out there and sometimes what you need and deserve isn’t available. We do our best here at Sock Dreams to offer all that we can to help you find the right sock for whatever your need. And when the right pre-made thing isn’t there for us to offer, we’re ready to help you figure out how to make what you got work until the world catches up with what is going on.
I’ve had a great time writing these Sock Journals and I’m glad that I’ve got a couple more posts to share about colour. I’m never going to stop loving helping folks find what they need and making things easier to find. ♥
In 1865, Macmillan & Co. published the first edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and 150 years later, Lewis Carroll’s classic book has become a beloved story around the world. Alice clearly is a favorite among sock-lovers as well, and we’ve got a lot of items that will help you bring a little Wonderland to your day.
First, we have these gorgeous tights depicting Alice and the Red Queen. Since they have a tube-style foot, with no formed heel, they’re reversible, so you can choose whether you’d like Alice in front or in back.
And we’ve also tracked down some of Alice’s favorite companions. Whether you’re chasing rabbits or getting questionable directions from the locals, at least you’ll be adventuring in style.
Or maybe you’re looking for a subtler approach. The Snappy Mad Tea Party Garters and Amanita Muscaria Crews will bring a touch of Wonderland to your outfit, without making it the main focus. And if you’re a fan of Through the Looking Glass, Alice’s second adventure, you might like the Checkered Midcalves.
We’ve also got some items that are perfect for an Alice costume. Although illustrations vary, Alice is usually wearing some version of her iconic blue dress and white pinafore, and what better to complete that look than some tasteful white socks?
Or, if you’re feeling a little adventurous, some striped options.
We also get a lot of requests from people creating Cheshire Cat costumes. The pink and purple stripes made famous by the Disney movie are the most popular, which you can see in our M Sleeves. We don’t quite have anything as neon-tastic as the blue and grey of Tim Burton’s Cheshire Cat, but we do have a slightly muted option in the Blue Knees.
Alice taught us to embrace nonsense, to always follow white rabbits, and to be careful what we eat. There are a lot of events around the world celebrating this anniversary, and you can check them out on the official Alice 150 website. Here’s to another 150 years of this wonderful book!
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Last week, a three-year-old aquaponics farm in Central New York announced it needed a cash infusion from investors or it would have to close the business that mixes aquaculture, or fish farming, with hydroponics, or raising produce in water.
This week, a smaller aquaponics operation in Cortland County announced it's seeking $10,000 through a Kickstarter campaign.
But in the case of Main Street Farms in Homer, the aquaponics operation is not in danger, said founder and CEO Allan Gandelman.
Main Street Farms is looking for cash to develop its second venture, an urban garden farm - growing plants in dirt -- that is located just off Main Street in downtown Cortland.
That farm will grow tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, eggplant and other standard summer produce found in Central New York.
"It's different because it's one and a half acres in an urban environment," Gandelman said.
The aquaponics farm in Homer also grows a diverse variety of produce, along with tilapia, Gandelman said. The waste from the fish provides the nutrients to help grow the produce.
But he sympathises with the situation at Aqua Vita Farms in Sherrill, a much larger operation whose owner says he can turn a profit soon, but only if he get some investment help.
Aqua Vita's operation is growing only lettuce and basil, and will soon concentrate more exclusively on basil, its owner, Mark Doherty said. It's also starting a switch from tilapia, which is a competitive market filled with inexpensive Asian imports, to pacu, a South American fish..
"Just making it on aquaponics alone, especially without a diverse produce line, would be difficult," Gandelman said.
Main Street Farms sells its produce - and its fish - directly to consumers, including some local restaurants.
The plants are already in the ground at the Main Street Farm in Cortland, and the Kickstarter fundraising is expected to help it launch an on-site farm stand, a low-income community supported agriculture program, a teaching kitchen, and educational programming. Its also using its own money and some grants.
The project has received support from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Seven Valley Health Coalition, Sustainable Cortland, Cortland County Community Action Program (CAPCO), and several local schools. | <urn:uuid:cf7dceaa-afd5-42af-a0e0-be7321733835> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.syracuse.com/cny/2013/07/cortland_county_aquaponic_farm_aims_to_launch_urban_farm_in_cortland.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954176 | 479 | 2.03125 | 2 |
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Minneapolis-based Nobel Peace Prize Forum, and the second year that the Forum is incorporating hip-hop into its programming. Following on the heels of last year’s successful presentation and Q&A session with Dessa, this year’s summit will include a special evening with Minneapolis’s own Brother Ali and Syrian-American rapper and activist Omar Offendum.
Tomorrow night, Saturday, March 9, Ali and Offendum will present TED-style talks on the topic of “Hip-Hop and Peace” and give short performances at Augsburg College’s Kennedy Center (more info is available here). After their presentations, I will moderate a panel discussion with Ali and Offendum about their politics and music and help facilitate an audience Q&A.
In advance of tomorrow’s event, I caught up with Ali for a quick warm-up interview and asked him to give us a sneak peak of his presentation.
Local Current: Ali, thank you so much for stopping by today.
Brother Ali: Thank you for having me, I appreciate it.
Those words “Nobel Peace Prize” carry a lot of weight. This weekend’s forum is actually the only Nobel event held outside of Norway. What was your reaction to being invited to such a prestigious event?
Well, first and foremost, I was really honored and excited and felt really appreciative. A little small part of me felt a little — apprehensive, maybe? But I think it just really turned into a sense that I really need to focus and prepare in a way that I don’t normally do. I usually just show up and say what’s in my heart and on my mind, and because of the nature of this [forum], it really kind of put that added fire onto me to really organize my presentation this time.
Now I know you’re really well-read in social justice history, is there a particular Nobel Peace Prize laureate that has inspired you?
Dr. King would be the first and foremost in my mind. He’s the greatest American that we’ve ever produced and one of the greatest human beings in modern history.
Can you give us a preview of what your presentation is about?
I’m going to go back and forth in-between speaking and performing, so I’ve picked a few of my songs that address issues that I think hip-hop is a really great, you know, makes a great contribution into the public conversation about issues of justice and peace and human dignity and human rights. So I’ll give a little short speech or presentation — spoken presentation on those things, and then I’ll perform the song. So we’ll go back and forth between the two.
And I think it’s really insightful and wonderful on the part of the Nobel committee to invite and include hip-hop, particularly at this time in history, because hip-hop comes from a legacy that has always highlighted people’s humanity, given a voice to voiceless people, in the most, you know, richest and wealthy and influential society on Earth at this moment. We have a class of people who suffer and suffer silently, and the music that they create, talking specifically about black and brown people, poor people of all colors, that music that they create has been the one and only and most pure opportunity for them to inject their narrative and their story and their feelings and their experience into the worldwide conversation. So even people who have not heard African-American people speak beyond Dr. King or beyond President Obama, you know, they get to hear how muddy waters felt; they get to hear how Nina Simone felt, they get to hear how Jay-Z feels, they get to hear how people from that environment feel. So I think that that’s what hip-hop offers the world in being included in a stage, in a forum like this, is really important.
Absolutely. He’s a star in the Muslim world, so I’m definitely – I’m very very familiar with him and his work.
Have you found any overlapping themes in your music or your politics?
Definitely. Yeah, we both – you know, we’re both Muslim-American, we’re both lovers of hip-hop, art, music culture, and we’re both artists. And there’s a very unique kind of experience that artists have with each other – that that kind of searching the self to be able to create, you know there’s a part of ourselves as human beings that we access when we’re creating that may be the most human thing in existence. And so anybody that has to access that part of themselves and offer that much of themselves to the world the way that the we do when we make music, the way that you do when you go into the community and try to share the great things that you come across, you know, you’re bearing part of yourself. And so when that happens, artists are able to transcend and really break down all of those barriers. So yeah, me and Omar have a lot in common. It’s a huge honor to be presenting next to him. I’m going to try my best to keep up with him.
And I know after the presentations you’ll both be sitting down for a Q&A. I’m very honored to be leading the Q&A and then we’re going to open it up to an audience Q&A as well, which I think is always really really cool. While I have you here, I know you just wrapped up a short tour of the state with Atmosphere. How did this year’s Welcome to Minnesota tour go?
It was great. I loved it. For a lot of personal reasons I don’t get to hang out with Ant from Atmosphere as much as I used to. He’s one of my greatest friends, and he spends a lot of his time in the Bay now, out in the Oakland/Berkley/San Francisco area. So you know, getting to spend that time with him was amazing. I felt like I had kind of a revelation in terms of where I want my life show to go that I’ve kind of been searching – you know, as an artist you perform and you kind of search to find your new – your next direction, and I feel like I kind of unlocked something in my brain on this tour. But then also just getting to see the state, you know, getting to see all the people that come out to shows – It’s not like any other place on Earth. There’s people that come out and watch us perform that they don’t go to other shows; they don’t go to concerts; they definitely don’t go to hip-hop concerts, but they will come and see Atmosphere and Brother Ali and Carnage and Haphduzn. So that’s a wonderful thing and it’s great that, you know, Slug and Atmosphere as the unchallenged leaders of this scene, you know, that they put that on, and they cause that thing to happen. It’s dope. | <urn:uuid:6d774357-a35e-4671-bb00-19eb646ccf88> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.thecurrent.org/2013/03/brother-ali-gives-us-a-preview-of-this-weekends-nobel-peace-prize-forum/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968465 | 1,514 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Solar Panels Should Be Compulsory, Says Lumley
Author: Lima Curtis
Published: Wednesday, 06 March 2013
Got a green product or great story you want us to write about, email me at firstname.lastname@example.org
JOANNA Lumley has declared her love of renewable energy, insisting it should be mandatory for all homes to have solar panels.
The Avengers star and national treasure was speaking at EcoBuild, a sustainable building conference, in London today (March 6).
She said: “I absolutely love the idea of solar panels, and I think they should be compulsory and I don’t think a new house should be built without solar panels.
“There are so many people on the planet and the world is soon going to be swamped. I believe we should use less and less and less (energy) and be more clever.”
She added while she hated the wind farms plaguing the Scottish countryside, she yearned for the government to invest more in renewable energy, and for wind turbines to line the motorways instead.
Ms Lumley is an environmental ambassador for Marks and Spencer and a long term supporter of environmental and animal charities.
Though she failed to answer how green she was personally, admitting to long haul flights and a love of her hair dryer, she said she had always been an environmentalist and thought people should think more about how they were using energy.
A spokesperson for the Eco Experts said: “It’s great we have high profile figures like Joanna backing the solar industry. Not only are they good for the environment, they are also a fabulous long term investment. You can see a return on investment of 11-13%, far more than your high street bank.
“As energy prices continue to rise, and the future of energy supply looks unstable, investing in producing your own renewable energy seems to be the only sensible option, as Ms Lumley says.” | <urn:uuid:8a99d2b4-8273-465c-940b-b8659333d522> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://blog.theecoexperts.co.uk/solar-panels-should-be-compulsory-says-lumley | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059455.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00000-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956744 | 408 | 2.046875 | 2 |
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