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You are here: Home / Breeds / Why Do Calico Cats Have Three Colors?
Why Do Calico Cats Have Three Colors?
Why Do Calico Cats Have Three Colors
Calico cat relaxing.
The answer to why do calico cats have three colors is very interesting. Calico cats (sometime called tortoiseshell-and-white) result from a specific gene combination normally only occurring in female cats. It is not a breed but a condition that can occur in a number of breeds. Some breeds officially allow this coloration including American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Exotic Shorthair, Manx, Turkish Van and Persian.
To quote from The Genetics of Calico Cats (which gives a full technical description for those interested):
“Normal female mammals have two X chromosomes. Normal males have one X and one Y chromosome.”
To describe it simply the X chromosome has a gene that can either produce a red coat or a black coat. In a male there is only one so the cat will be either red or black. Many females will also be one color or the other because they will either have two black genes or two red. When they have one of each, they are tortoiseshell.
why do calico cats have three colors
Calico cats come in many forms. This is a calico Cornish Rex with curly hair. A gorgeous cat.
The random patchwork of color on the tortoiseshell is due to a process called lyonization in which one of the genes (black or red) comes to determine the color for each individual cell. That gives us the two colors of the Calico’s three.
Next we need a splash of white on the tortoiseshell to produce a calico. White fur has no pigmentation and caused by a specific piebalding gene. Some experts think that there may be more than one gene causing this condition (for example the gloves on the Birman cat). In fact, piebalding itself is a fascinating, and as yet not fully understood, subject. The extent of piebalding may vary widely.
Why Do Calico Cats Have Three Colors: The Result of the Above Produces—
We know this kitten is a girl but is it ever possible to produce a boy with a coat like this? Surprisingly they can. Just like a small number of men have an XXY gene so do some male cats. Because of the double X gene the male can be calico just like a female. These are however very rare and normally infertile.
Why do calico cats have three colors? Its really a tortoiseshell with piebalding: two genetic factors combined. If you enjoyed this post please share it with you friends.
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<urn:uuid:bb76b12b-6130-40db-803a-a8e9e85a668b>
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http://pussingtonpost.com/why-do-calico-cats-have-three-colors/
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Trent Reznor said:
This brought about a thought.
Nowadays, musicians develop the album, record the album and tour the album. They avoid any leaking of the album until the time the record hits the shelves. U2, to name one I can recall, has worked hard to keep leaked tracks off YouTube.
But that isn't the only way. I recently watched a documentary on the making of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, and before the recording, when it was still called Eclipse, they toured on it. I am sure that certain people in the know had and played recordings of the songs before they were officially released. Certainly that familiarity with the material and audience reaction helped in recording and editing of what has proven to be one of the greatest selling albums of all time.
So, what happens if you develop the songs, the overarching suite, and never go into the studio and record it? Release the soundboard recording of this part when you think you have it down, then another piece from another when you like that. Maybe go back to the first one if you play it well again.
I dunno. I'm just spitballing. Does this make any sense?
1 comment:
Cameron Mizell said...
No, you're definitely on to something here.
My trio has been playing my new material for almost a year now, and when the gig is long enough we play the record start to finish. I have to admit that I was inspired by Pink Floyd when I started writing the music with a few overreaching themes that occur throughout the album. I'm recording nearly every gig, collecting some of the best songs from the best sounding gigs, and plan on giving that away. Granted it's a jazz album, I still like the idea of people knowing the music and experiencing the development of the material. We're going to record the actual album in a studio in September.
And I somewhat disagree with Trent Reznor on the fact that you can't make any money from music sales. I think there are people out there that will still buy music, and if they're into what you're doing, it's just a matter of getting your music in front of them. It's possible. It's not easy and it doesn't happen overnight, but if you're in it for the long haul I think it's completely reasonable to expect to make money off your album if you keep the initial overhead costs low.
|
<urn:uuid:9df332eb-cbd2-453f-986e-bb17432828e9>
| 2 | 1.5 | 0.266771 |
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| 0.981406 |
http://sansdirection.blogspot.com/2009/07/eclipse.html
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Monday, October 1, 2012
Example 10.4: Multiple comparisons and confidence limits
A colleague is a devotee of confidence intervals. To him, the CI have the magical property that they are immune to the multiple comparison problem-- in other words, he feels its OK to look at a bunch of 95% CI and focus on the ones that appear to exclude the null. This though he knows well the one-to-one relationship between 95% CIs that exclude the null and p-values below 0.05.
Today, we'll create a Monte Carlo experiment to demonstrate that fishing by CI is just as dangerous as fishing by p-value; generating the image above. We'll do this by replicating a bivariate experiment 100 times. Later, we'll examine the results of a single experiment with many predictors.
To begin with, we'll write a function to generate a single experiment, using a logistic regression. This is a simple modification of one of our first and most popular entries.
simci = function(){
intercept = 0
beta = 0
# beta = 0 because we're simulating under the null
# make the variance of x in this experiment vary a bit
xtest = rnorm(1000) * runif(1,.6,1.4)
linpred = intercept + xtest*beta
prob = exp(linpred)/(1 + exp(linpred))
runis = runif(1000)
ytest = ifelse(runis < prob,1,0)
# now, fit the model
fit = glm(ytest~xtest,family=binomial(link="logit"))
# the standard error of the estimates is easiest to find in the
pe = summary(fit)$coefficients
# calculate the Wald CI; an alternative would be confint(), but
# that calculated profile CI, which take longer to generate
ci = exp(c(pe[2,1] - 1.96*pe[2,2], pe[2,1] + 1.96*pe[2,2] ))
Then we can use the replicate() function to repeat the experiment 100 times. The t() function (section 1.9.2) transposes the resulting matrix to have one row per experiment.
sim100 = t(replicate(100,simci()))
plot(x = sim100[,1], y = 1:100,
xlim = c(min(sim100),max(sim100)), type="n")
segments(y0=1:100,x0=sim100[,1],y1 = 1:100,x1=sim100[,2],
col = ifelse(sim100[,1]>1 | sim100[,2]<1,"red","black"))
The result is shown at the top. In the code, we set the limits of the x-axis by finding the max and min across the whole matrix-- this is a little wasteful of CPU cycles, but saves some typing. The segments() function (see example 8.42) is a vector-enabled line-drawer. Here we draw a line from the lower CI limit to the upper, giving the experiment number as the x value for each. We assign a red plot line if the CI excludes 1, using the ifelse() function (section 1.11.2), a vectorwise logic test. Finally, a reference line helps the viewer see for far the end of the CI is from the null. We omit prettying up the axis labels.
In SAS, considerably more lines are required. We begin by simulating the data, as in example 7.2. The modifications are to generate 100 examples with an outside do loop (section 1.11.1) and the random element added to the variance.
data simci;
beta = 0;
intercept = 0;
do sim = 1 to 100; /* outer loop */
xvar = (uniform(0) *.8) + .6; /* variance != 1 */
do i = 1 to 1000;
xtest = normal(0) * xvar;
linpred = intercept + (xtest * beta);
prob = exp(linpred)/(1 + exp(linpred));
ytest = (uniform(0) < prob);
Then we fit the logistic regression. We leave in the ods trace commands (section A.7.1) to remind you how to find the SAS names of the output elements, needed to save the results in the ods output statement. The CI for the odds ratios are requested in the clodds statement, which accepts a pl value for a profile likelihood based interval.
*ods trace on/listing;
ods select none;
ods output cloddswald = lrci;
proc logistic data = simci;
by sim;
model ytest(event='1')=xtest / clodds=wald;
*ods trace off;
ods select all;
Our plotting approach will require the "long" data set style, with two rows for each experiment. We'll generate that while checking whether the null is excluded from the CI.
data lrp2;
set lrci;
red = 0;
if lowercl > 1 or uppercl < 1 then red = 1;
point = lowercl; output;
point = uppercl; output;
Finally, we're ready to make the graphic. We use the hilob interpolation to connect the upper and lower CI for each experiment; the b requests bars instead of a line, and the bwidth option specifies a very narrow bar. These options prevent the default plotting of the "mean" value with a tick. The a*b=c syntax (section 5.2.2) allows the different line colors.
symbol1 i=hilob bwidth=.05 c=black;
symbol2 i=hilob bwidth=.05 c=red;
proc gplot data = lrp2;
plot point * sim = red / vref = 1;
The result is just below. The vertical alignment seen in the R plot seems more natural, but this would not be possible with the hilo interpolation. As theory and logic would suggest, quite a few of the hundred simulated CI exclude the null, sometimes by a large proportion of the CI width.
No comments:
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http://sas-and-r.blogspot.com/2012/10/example-104-multiple-comparisons-and.html
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Technology Science
Introversion and Solitude Increase Productivity 214
Posted by Soulskill
from the hermits-rejoice dept.
bonch writes "Author Susan Cain argues that modern society's focus on charisma and group brainstorming has harmed creativity and productivity by removing the quiet, creative process. 'Research strongly suggests that people are more creative when they enjoy privacy and freedom from interruption. And the most spectacularly creative people in many fields are often introverted, according to studies by the psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Gregory Feist. They're extroverted enough to exchange and advance ideas, but see themselves as independent and individualistic. They're not joiners by nature.'"
Introversion and Solitude Increase Productivity
Comments Filter:
• by MrEricSir (398214) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:03PM (#38700948) Homepage
Being alone doesn't mean I'm more productive -- it could mean I'm spending all day posting on Slashdot.
• by bgeezus (1252178) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:09PM (#38701002)
On Slashdot, you're never alone.
• by LandoCalrizzian (887264) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:12PM (#38701020)
I completely agree with this article for the simple fact that I am one of these people. My job requires me to interact with many different types of people on a daily basis. While it has greatly improved my ability to socialize and engage others, I still don't feel like I'm at the top of my game. It's only after everyone leaves work for the day that I can actually put on my headphones and get in the zone but it's so late in the day that I'm usually too tired to stay later or the wife is calling for dinner. TLDR: Spolsky test good. Interaction with people bad.
• by Dupple (1016592) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:27PM (#38701132)
Turn up early. My hours are 9-6. I turn up at 7.30am and clear out at 5pm. I get so much done in that early quiet time that I still have time to interact usefully with others. No one questions my hours. I've got the job done.
• by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 14, 2012 @06:05PM (#38701458)
When dealing with people, you feel a need to understand how they think, and you basically change how you think for a little time, doing that hundreds of times for every person that walks into your office can get tiring. Think of how brothers or twins or some very close friends that spend a lot of time in each other's company think very much alike, they might not find each other's company tiring.
• by cloudmaster (10662) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @08:20PM (#38702458) Homepage Journal
I stay late because everyone else has already decided to show up early. Morning people think they're "getting more done", but really, they're just annoying the rest of us. :)
• by antifoidulus (807088) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @09:09PM (#38702778) Homepage Journal
This, exactly this. Staggered working hours are the absolute best thing to ever have been invented :P In all seriousness, I do this as well(though I prefer the other end, coming in later and leaving later). I get so much more done while still being able to meet and discuss with co-workers, clients etc. I really wish more companies would try this, not only are there benefits to productivity, you can reduce traffic, strain on public transport etc. by staggering people's working hours.
• by Colin Smith (2679) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:32PM (#38701178)
And other socially repulsive habits. Your problems interacting with other people will go away.
• by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:50PM (#38701316)
That is one of the many problems which comes with being an avoidant introvert. During my 4 years of college I had to sit through class, but I was able to keep personal interaction with others at a minimum because of the connectivity of the internet and the fact that I had my own dorm room.
After graduating, I lasted about a month at my first job, and I had no idea why until I asked a former co-worker for frank answers outside of work. He told me that I smelled bad, particularly in the groin area, and that they all knew that I was a chronic masturbator because I constantly moaned and grunted involuntarily, one time kneading my penis through my pants while talking to a female administrative assistant. They said that I made people uneasy because I was a mincing, squinting, shifty-eyed bum who often looked like he woke up under bridges. My former co-worker added that, whenever I would accidentally drop something, I would bend all the way over facing opposite others in the area rather than kneel down to pick it up like real men do.
The sad thing is, I just don't care. Thanks to the internet, I can now work from home while simultaneously amusing myself with at least 1 extra monitor dedicated to pornography at all times. I am so desensitized to it all, that I wallow naked and erect in my own food like the popular porn star The Minion (I'll spare you the link, you can search for him yourself).
• by trout007 (975317) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @09:08PM (#38702772)
My booger sculpture garden works well.
• by Stevecrox (962208) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:23PM (#38701094) Journal
I can understand this, I've always worked in an open plan office. While open plan offices have advantages (greater sense of space, easy to talk to co-workers) the major disadvantage is noise. I have often been forced to put a set of headphones in so I can sit and think about what I'm doing. The worst is when project management decided they need to be inside the project (rather than in a seat on the outside of the group) as you end up with project management discussions happening right by you all day. It can be so noisy that I get headaches and that is obviously not good for productivity.
As for collaborative group processes, this is ok as long as your in the right environment. I've set around a table with some Software Engineers and thrown around design concepts. People will listen new ideas are created logical arguments are made and something great will come out the other end. Unfortunately most people in the industry seem to be Software Developers they argue for what they know don't really care about design or documentation and in those environments it's much better to have a dictator who listens to arguments and hands out dictates. Basically I think collaboration should be used when appropriate.
I'm a big fan of scrums they bring a team together help everyone understand what every else is doing. I just like quiet and being able to work for 2 - 3 hours without interruption.
• Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
by Anonymous Coward
Software Engineers are Software Developers. Don't make such a useless, artificial, "Us vs Them" distinction. If you don't give a damn about the architecture, you're not a very good Software Developer. If you don't have any input into the architecture, and just take orders, then you're a programmer and not a developer.
• by Missing.Matter (1845576) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:24PM (#38701106)
I can't work for 8 hours straight, so I will take breaks like going on slashdot when I'm alone. Lots of times there's no one around at my work so that's what I do. My lunch breaks are shorter as well, since I usually just eat at my desk for 20 mins and then continue working. But when people are around, I'll socialize with them and the little breaks I have during the day turn into 5-10 mins a pop. Going to lunch with people is even worse, as my 20 min lunch break turns into an hour, sometimes more! Sometimes I wish I were more introverted to get more work done, but then again I realize life isn't all about productivity and gross output.
• by anubi (640541) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @09:45PM (#38702976) Journal
I have never been able to "keep at" anything continuously for that long. Maybe a couple of hours. Then something will inevitably block me. I end up making things far more complicated than they need be,
At this point, I realize I am just digging in deeper and deeper, and making a mess.
By this time, I have fleshed out what has to be done, but the implementation I have so far really stinks.
That's when I do something else for a while. "Socialization", aka "Bullschitt Session".
I never married because I was always so addicted to my horsing around with my toys. ( No, I never played much with them, I ended up taking them apart to find out how they worked, and if I learned enough to reassemble it into something else, well that was good.).
I could never get anything "done" at the office. It was almost like trying to do ALU operations at the I/O port.
The office is where I do I/O. I find it very hard to be creative at the office. Its difficult to keep a chain of thought intact. I figure out how to do it somewhere else.
Lately, its been the local pizza parlor. I know the owner, He makes me a special pizza, and I will often sit all afternoon there, enjoying pizza, refining my designs in spiral-bound notebooks ( 10 cents each from Wal-Mart during their back-to-school special ). There is usually no-one there in the middle of the afternoon.
At home, I have all my computers with everything I need to try out any DSP algorithms, and its easy for me to quickie-prototype some code on an arduino, netburner, or propeller ( Andre LaMothe's "Chameleon", )
I can't do that kind of stuff at the office. Especially in management-laden businesses. I do this at home, where I have peace and quiet, and no-one cares if I "make a clutter". If I were married, the wife would certainly make me trash it.
I've been psychologically tested for social skills. I am INTP. Asperger too. So, I am apparently incapable of knowing what I am missing ( wifery, sports, concerts, etc. ). I highly enjoy technical discussions, but it is hard for me to find others who would rather discuss thermodynamics than football.
You can see where I work best in a small company who is struggling to survive, rather than large companies sailing on inertia. I have little to offer companies who have hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire managers who evaluate me by how well I conform to office politics... as I perform quite poorly at the desk. I run like WIN95 on 4 Meg of ram in an office environment.
• That all describes me, except for the "spectacularly" verbiage.
• lol (Score:4, Informative)
by benjamindees (441808) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:08PM (#38700984) Homepage
Reality check for all the morons who want to turn their office into a fun house.
• by arcite (661011) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:10PM (#38701008)
My home office is my 'Fortress of Solitude', safe from distraction of the outside world, incubator of ideas, and infused with the essence of coffee. Now if only I could stop checking Slashdot every fifteen minutes I might get some work done.
• Balance. (Score:5, Insightful)
by forkfail (228161) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:13PM (#38701026)
There has to be a balance between one's teamwork and individual creativity.
On the one hand, you can have prima donnas running the whole show, doing really great things that have absolutely nothing to do with actually getting a product out the door.
On the other hand, you can take extreme programming to the extreme, piss of your rock stars, and wind up with them quitting, and get trainwreck product.
Bottom line is that any team management approach needs to be able to milk everyone for the best they've got without stiffing creativity, or putting the wrong people at the helm for the sake alone of giving them a chance to drive.
Just some random thoughts as I sit alone blasting out my Saturday code...
• There has to be a balance between one's teamwork and individual creativity.
But the optimal balance point differs between different personality types.
• Re:Balance. (Score:5, Insightful)
by Mashiki (184564) <mashiki@g m a il.com> on Saturday January 14, 2012 @06:25PM (#38701630) Homepage
Well you just committed the ultimate faux pas of the go-go team getters. You must always work as a team, and if you don't, you're not a team player. And as such, you should go find another job.
Really though, most people with a couple of firing braincells already knew that some people are better specialized to working in groups, and others to solitary tasks. The brain specializes itself to it's situation and needs. Leave it to the idiots of psych to think that if you jam people into a group, that it will always result in the best actions and solutions.
• Re:Balance. (Score:5, Insightful)
by msobkow (48369) on Sunday January 15, 2012 @08:37AM (#38705196) Homepage Journal
No matter how team oriented the environments I've worked with have been, no matter how much everyone was encouraged to share design and algorithm ideas at design meetings, one thing has always been true:
I wrote the code sitting at my desk, alone, either with or without the headphones blaring.
I know some have tried to do team coding, but I've never seen it in action, and the idea of someone snatching the keyboard to code a few lines would really piss me off.
• Interesting (Score:5, Interesting)
by Smallpond (221300) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:14PM (#38701034) Homepage Journal
I recently finished a couple of years of working remotely from home instead of going into an office. I think it was some of the most productive work I've done. I collaborated with other engineers using Jabber, phone, and NetMeeting when needed but otherwise was able to work without interruption (kids are grown and moved out). Not commuting means I also worked longer hours. Yet my new job requires me to commute and be an Office Space drone. Why?
• Re:Interesting (Score:5, Interesting)
by Yetihehe (971185) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:34PM (#38701192)
I've tried working from home, but I'm much more productive when I'm in office. I live alone, but when I'm not in office I just can't force myself to work as efficiently as in office where I know I have to work or someone will see that I'm procrastinating. Everyone is different, don't assume everyone likes what you like.
Also if you don't like your job, change it. I'm changing it tomorrow (setting and working conditions will be similiar, but programming will be closer to hardware, better pay will be nice too ;) ).
• Re:Interesting (Score:5, Insightful)
by TooMuchToDo (882796) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:36PM (#38701206)
Manager Insecurity.
• Oops! I modded "overrated" when I meant to put "underrated".
This post will remove my error.
Mod parent up!
• by hedwards (940851)
That's doubtless the main reason, but when it comes down to it, it takes a lot longer to get anything done at home if you actually know how to work. Lately, I've been working internationally and it takes forever to do a back and forth that would take less than 5 minutes at an office.
Even locally you're looking at a time multiplier, unless of course you shut off the email and focus on work, and even then it means that if something doesn't come in just before one checks email it can take a while to learn abou
• So what you're saying is its easier to work at the office because you can get constantly interrupted by someone in person?
As someone who telecommutes a few days a week, I'm much more productive at home without a) a commute and b) without someone coming to me in person to address something that could've been addressed over the phone or via email.
It is disingenuous to believe that "being there" makes you more effective. It only increases the possibility of someone interrupting your productive streaks.
• Re:Interesting (Score:5, Insightful)
by TheRaven64 (641858) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @06:00PM (#38701400) Journal
Because the perception of value is also important. Most managers have very little idea of how much effort is involved in programming. If you are in a cubicle, then they can see how much of your time is spent doing something that looks like working. If you are at home, then they can only judge you by your results and they are not good at judging the value of your results. One solution is to ensure that junior management is capable of doing your job, so that they know how much time it should take. Another is for the company to simply stop caring about how hard it is and work out how much your output is worth to them and pay you appropriately. This works for me as a freelancer: I often work for people on other continents, so they have no way of checking how long things actually take me. If they pay me for a day's worth of work, then they're happy if the results they get are worth (to them) at least the amount that they paid me. If I actually did the work in 10 minutes in between Slashdot posts then they wouldn't actually care, unless someone else was willing and able to do the same work for them for less.
• by Hentes (2461350)
Security is one reason, if your work requires it.
• by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:17PM (#38701060)
Our agile internet startup requires communication and collaboration between coworkers. You can't get that if everyone is holed up in their office. Now if you'll excuse me I have to update Pivotal Tracker and our Wiki.
cell: 212/555-1212
office: 212-333-4435
fax: 212/444-4747
email :[email protected]
skype: agile_coward
twitter: @agile_coward
jabber: [email protected]
irc: agile @ openprojects.net
blog: agilecoward.wordpress.com
• by sjames (1099)
Sounds like time to re-think agile if they want anything done before they burn through the start up funds.
• by Rosco P. Coltrane (209368) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:18PM (#38701072)
Job offers invariably require applicants to "work well with others" and "enjoy team work". I don't like team work, and I work well with others if I have to, but it's not natural to me.
Well guess what: at each and every job interview I've been to, I lied and pretended I enjoyed working with others, when in reality I like being left the fuck alone to do a good job. Same thing on my resume: if you believe what I put in it, you'd think I'm a social monster. All the folks I know who are a bit of an introvert like I am similariy bullshit their way through job interviews.
Everybody knows it, head hunters know it, employers know it, so why do they carry on asking those "skills"?
• by forkfail (228161) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:25PM (#38701122)
Well.... maybe because putting this on your resume doesn't look so good:
- Capable of refraining from telling co-workers that they're fucking inbred morons who would benefit from a course in remedial keyboarding, and that if they ever check in shit like that again that they'll discover that it is, in fact, possible to insert a 23 inch monitor into an arbitrary orifices.
• by russotto (537200)
The problem wasn't that you put that on your resume. It's that when we checked your references we found out you were demonstrably _not_ capable of so refraining.
• by hedwards (940851)
Not to mention the fact that HR is typically where the first few rounds of screening go and they're precisely the sorts of people that engage in those sorts of behaviors.
• by Rosco P. Coltrane (209368) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:37PM (#38701216)
You forget another, more glamorous possibility: I would very much enjoy putting "capable of concentrating long and hard on any problem, able to work on my own at a problem until it's fully and properly solved" in my resume. In this day and age, where most people seem to glorify short attention spans and teamwork (which is usually just a way dividing the individual brainpower required to perform a certain task, and diluting responsibility when things go wrong), this would seem like a worthwhile skill to offer to an employer.
But no, if you don't pretend you like teamwork and you work well with others in your resume, you can be sure it'll be chucked out in the trashcan right off the bat. It's almost automatic, so much so that it's almost impossible to find a resume *without* that line.
• by TheRaven64 (641858) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @06:02PM (#38701434) Journal
Not to any employer. If you've found a company that actually wants (and is willing to pay for) a proper solution, then I suggest that you do everything that you can to make sure you keep your job there. Most companies want a vaguely good-enough solution right now, and if it's a money sink in two years then, well, it will be someone else's responsibility by then...
• by hedwards (940851)
Indeed, I remember an employer a while back that was willing to pay for the bare minimum solution, then cut it back after a while. Needless to say that was a very frustrating place to work if you had any sort of work ethic whatsoever as you could never actually accomplish anything.
• by istartedi (132515)
You told two people you're a people person. Then they told two people they were people persons. And so on, and so on, and so on...
• Otherwise, a couple more years pretending to "enjoy team work" and you'll be up on a water tower with an AW50 taking pot shots at former "team" mates.
• by westlake (615356)
The obvious questions that come to mind are how many jobs and how many interviews? Is all that BS you've been peddling getting what you need and what you want?
• by MagikSlinger (259969) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @06:03PM (#38701444) Homepage Journal
Because as Marti Olsen [amazon.com] points out, the majority of people are extroverts, and assume anyone who is not like them is defective. So extroverts love brainstorming, group think and other social work environments, so they think everyone should enjoy it and demand it in others.
The right answer is, as other people have said on this thread, balance. Sometimes we should work together, but also sometimes we should leave each other the f--- alone.
But because extroverts tend to be disconnected from facts and experience, they instead remember when they were happiest which was brainstorming sessions or other team activities. Thus they demand it.
To be fair, that's only about 30% of the hiring managers out there. The other 70% actually want people with political skills. The ability to negotiate with people they disagree with, to get people to go along with an idea, to contribute to the group when required instead of being a lone wolf causing problems or sniping. Introverts make excellent politicians in this regard--usually the Karl Rove backroom operator or chief-of-staff. But it's somehow off-putting to state: "Don't be an obstinate asshole who has to get his way and bullies others to achieve his goals -- yes, that means not you, John Bolton [wikipedia.org]." on the job posting.
So just look at "work well with others" and "enjoy team work" to mean you're not a douchebag or a dickhead. It doesn't necessarily mean you are a people person.
You're giving them too much credit. First principles - they enjoy listening to themselves talk, and the others are only waiting for their turn to talk. A "circle jerk," if you will.
• by happyhamster (134378) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @06:18PM (#38701578)
It's a submission ritual. By asking you a silly question and evaluating your answer, they judge how much you are willing to play by the rules, no matter how ridiculous.
• by atticus9 (1801640) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:20PM (#38701080)
I work best alone when I'm trying to solve a problem that I'm really passionate about. Sadly a lot of times that doesn't describe what I get paid for, and in those cases having a group around me helps to stay on task. if I'm alone, I'm fighting against myself the whole time to stay focused and not work on what I think is interesting.
• by Yetihehe (971185)
This. There are many kinds of people. Some will like it this way (like me) or the other way. The best thing is to liv with it and just find your niche/best workplace.
• On Reason I chose IT (Score:3, Interesting)
by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:23PM (#38701096)
One reasons I chose IT was to be able to avoid large groups of people. I have had the unfortunate experience of cube hell like most techies, but all in all, I have had the ability to work alone for much of my almost 15 year IT tenure. I absolutely love working alone.
One of the reasons I hate group projects is because once I know what needs to be done, I just want to get to work. Other people want to talk and swap ideas. Like a lot of people, I just have a sense of what needs doing and I do it. I want to sink or swim on my own, not sink or swim because of someone else. I don't mind sharing ideas, but I despise "groupthink", "hive mind", whatever you want to call it. God gave me a brain and I know how to use it.
• by aardquark (752735) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:23PM (#38701102)
in my organization, because meetings are a part of the culture, and in meetings, the loudest voice dominates. Bullys aren't just in the playground, you know. I much prefer electronic collaboration (the article notes that this works better), it provides a level playing field for the soft, introverted voice.
• So be louder, unless you don't care whether or not you're heard. Meetings at large companies are a good place to practice that, since most of the time no one cares what's being said anyway. :)
• I work best when not bothered. I don't work in IT, but if I'm doing anything from actual work to tinkering in the garage, I like to be alone. For my personal life, though, I'm definitely a extrovert. I love being out and about with new people, living it up. I'm not shy.
Too much of either and I'm unhappy.
• There is a very good reason for our team to generally favor using our internal IM server even to the co-worker sitting next to you. Coding is creative, and an IM is much less interruptive than someone walking over to your desk and demanding your attention right now.
(Hint: Disable audio notifications.)
• by bipbop (1144919)
I work much better if I disable all notifications, and only find out I have an IM when I decide to check them.
• Public education (Score:4, Interesting)
by pcwhalen (230935) <[email protected] minus cat> on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:44PM (#38701260) Journal
Public schools always cater to the lowest common denominator. They are more a tool for socialization than education, readying a workforce for a life of 9 to 5 conformity. I don't recall innovative thought being rewarded in school. Memorization, maybe.
Thus, the movement for home schooling. [http://www.nationalhomeschool.com/socialization.asp]
Most teachers don't want or have time to teach each child as an individual. It's not their fault. Grading and assessment alone would overwhelm them. Finding the material to challenge each student's ability individually would be impossible with given resources and mindset.
It is a tribute to our children's tenacity that so many succeed despite the public school system.
There is a difference between readying a child for the menial job they're probably going to get, and socialisation, which suggest pushing a child to a menial job, If the schools systematically promised children amazing careers where they would get paid for doing what they loved, and failed to prepare them for what they were likely to get, then I'd say the school system would have a critical hole in it
• Groupthink (Score:5, Interesting)
by slasho81 (455509) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:44PM (#38701262)
Social groups deter any kind of radical thought or behavior. That's the groupthink [wikipedia.org] phenomenon. The larger the group, the stronger the effect. That's why creativity never thrives in large organizations, and that's the reason the most creative social construct is the single person who does not need to compromise his or her ideas for the harmony of the group.
I roll my eyes every time I hear an organization of thousands of people is proclaiming it fosters innovation (or diversity, but that's another story [utwente.nl]).
• Good ideas come from brainstorming, but working out HOW to implement those ideas requires quiet thought.
• Introvert (Score:5, Informative)
by Avarist (2453728) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:46PM (#38701278)
People need to understand what being Introvert actually means. Being social or easily small-talking doesn't make someone extrovert, and you can't be 'extrovert' for this and that but 'introvert' for these. It just doesn't work that way. Introversion is taking energy in mentally from being alone and being exhausted mentally by exposure to groups for a while. Extroversion is taking energy in from social interactions while being depleted when alone. You wouldn't have to be a genius then to come to Susan Cain's conclusion.
• Re:Introvert (Score:5, Insightful)
by Chemisor (97276) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @11:08PM (#38703332)
I would instead say that an introvert defines himself through what he does. An extrovert defines himself through what other people think of what he does. An introvert thus always wants to do the right (as in, rationally correct) thing, because competence increases his self worth. An extrovert does not want to be competent; he merely wants to be thought competent. The easiest way to achieve that is to find some introvert underlings to do the actual work for which he can then take credit, and increase his self worth. Because having people do as they are told makes this easier, he tends to like conformity and obedience. Conversely, he assumes that being conformant and obedient makes others like him, because such behaviour improves their self worth.
When socializing in a group, extroverts brag to each other about their accomplishments in order to "purchase" the group's higher opinion, and through it a higher self worth. Listening is a valued skill because those who listen politely, increase the braggart's self value.
When socializing in a group of introverts, introverts exchange information that helps them become more competent. Intelligence is a valued attribute because it helps others raise their own competence, increasing the listener's self value.
When an introvert is in a group of extroverts, he tries to "help" them by giving out useful information. They don't understand why he does that, since useful information does not increase their self worth. Only positive opinions do that, and the introvert can't offer those because he values real competence, which they don't have. So, after a few minutes of unsucessfully trying to get some mutual back-patting going on, the extroverts move on, making a note never to promote this ungrateful SOB.
Extroverts try to "help" the introvert by telling him how smart he is, which frustrates him because he does not understand why they consider this information valuable enough to communicate. After a few hours of trying to find something valuable in the extroverts' small talk, he is stressed out from the intense concentration because he thinks he's not competent enough to find it, which then decreases his self worth. At that point the poor guy has to relax for a while or go insane.
For this reason, socialization can only work on homogenous groups, and hiring an introvert into an extrovert environment really messes things up for everybody.
• by tshak (173364) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:47PM (#38701292) Homepage
Multiple studies, at least within the context of software development, seem to be in conflict:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/12/001206144705.htm [sciencedaily.com]
• by forkfail (228161)
I might see that working for certain types of teams.
But in general, I see imposing that on high end devs as a sure fire way to get them to walk right out the door.
• by forkfail (228161)
PS: This article is from 2000. Interesting that in 12 years, this "war room" style programming never caught on. And while agile has (an approach of which I am a supporter), the paired/extreme programming approach for all tasks has not in general caught on so much.
Some things are done well by group - major design decisions and such, were input from multiple sources is critical (though, it is necessary that folks do their homework before their groups). Others, like figuring out convoluted logic - not so
• by tshak (173364)
I wouldn't discount research based on the research date. If the research is accurate there's no reason that time would be a factor, unless better studies were conducted and drew a different conclusion. If you're interested, do some research on the topic and you'll find that many companies from startups to major corporations utilize some form of open work spaces.
• by b4dc0d3r (1268512)
No conflict. If you put people together in a dedicated space with little distraction, everyone's focus on the goal tends to make you retain the same focus. On the other hand, if you dole out tasks and tell everyone to go do things the best way they can, many programmers will go sit heads-down and crank out code.
In the middle, where you have to get along with your team and brainstorm and plan and meet, that's pretty much the definition of not writing code.
Conversations like "Hey did you see the game last n
• I think I score strong on the introvert personality scale, but I also score on the open scale quite strong, meaning that I quickly distracted by thing going around me (the Internet mostly). I often find work boring, because it does not mix with my own interests, thinking about problems that I find interesting. My interest change quickly. I guess this is also related to me being an introvert, that I often find it interesting to think about all those little puzzles that go through my mind and that I would lik
• by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:51PM (#38701320)
My job about a year ago switched from full height cubes to 1/3rd height cubes where even when sitting you can see everybody and everything. The thought was that it would increase group thinking and productivity as you would be able to communicate with more people in a "group" setting while still being at your own work station.
In reality noise went up greatly, productivity went down greatly and communication consist of mindless jabber and gossip. It's fun for about half an hour until you realise that you have deadlines and metrics to meet. No I need to put on a good pair of isolating headphone just to get the same amount of productivity as I was able to before with "trips to others cubes"
• by ryanw (131814) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @05:59PM (#38701392)
Having developed many projects, I personally can attest that I don't get anything productive done until everybody is asleep or if I decide to tune everybody out. It seems like there are too many real and "potential" distractions that my mind is chewing on instead of coming up with solutions to problems.
I have found it helpful to come together as a group once I have had plenty of time to think about what I want to do, along with the others having that same opportunity. That way we can have a discussion about ideas that have been thought through instead of just winging it.
• How can you tell an introverted software developer from an extroverted one?
When an introverted programmer talks to you, he stares at his shoes.
When an extroverted programmer talks to you, he stares as your shoes.
• by ExecutorElassus (1202245) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @06:31PM (#38701674)
There's a lovely article written by epistemological philosopher Susan Haack (who was teaching philosophy at the University of Miami at print time) titled "Preposterism and its Consequences." The book is "Manifesto of a Passionate Moderate." Her central argument is this: philosophy is a contemplative discipline, and as such sometimes requires years of effort to be spent pursuing a line of investigation - usually in solitude - that may turn out fruitless. But the present culture of frequent publication - that any professor seeking tenure or stature must demonstrate a frequent presence in scholarly journals, at conferences, &c. &c. - forces academics into a sort of busywork that completely disrupts any real progress they might make.
It's the same idea here: "productivity" shall be measured by the degree to which an individual exchanges information with other individuals, without anybody questioning whether that information is actually useful or productive. In contrast, look at the guy who solved Fermat's Theorem: from what I remember, he spent a couple decades hiding in his attic, everybody thinking he'd flamed out and turned into a recluse.
I'm also in a creative field (music), and the only way I can get anything useful done is to work from 23:00 to 04:00. The consequence of keeping those hours is that I'm mostly useless during business hours, so I'm a bit of a recluse in my department. I wish people like that (me), who need time away from, you know, people, would have their work ethic viewed more favorably, instead of it being an eccentric social shortcoming.
• by mwvdlee (775178) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @07:24PM (#38702036) Homepage
Andrew Wiles is his name, and he "only" spent 7 years on it. But indeed pretty much as an obsessive compulsive recluse. It's still amazing how such an easy theorem can require such an extrordinarily complex solution.
• by hitmark (640295) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @06:32PM (#38701684) Journal
claimed that he liked working at the patent office as the quiet allowed him to think.
• by CaptBubba (696284)
And yet now at the patent office they pair you up with an office-mate, who if you are unlucky could be the sort of person who automatically asks stupid questions before looking it up, and at the very least will also be making phone calls and such while you are trying to concentrate.
Then they are just shocked that most people's productivity absolutely skyrockets when they can work from home or get a private office at GS-13.
• by mwvdlee (775178) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @07:15PM (#38701958) Homepage
"Brainstorming" is just a way for managers to claim part ownership of creative ideas other people already had before going into the "Brainstorming" session.
It's one of those "nobody-left-behind" ideas where everybody gets to give input while the actual creative people have to listen to all the bullshit going on.
I've had to listen in on hour-long brainstorming sessions where everybody gets to spew their ideas without interruption, only to have some guy at the end (they always have the guy who actually knows what he's talking about at the end) explain their "solutions" weren't actually addressing the question at hand. The only things they seem to do is let everybody claim ownership in the idea the one smart guy already head before going into the room, simply because they were in the same meeting where he first announced it.
Anybody who thinks creativity can come from formal meetings has obviously never had a creative idea in their entire life.
• by GaryOlson (737642)
You forgot the risk allocation part of the brainstorming session: the manager can measure risk factors of all suggestions and choose a sacrificial offering(s) in case of unavoidable failure. This bolsters the managers power for both success and failure.
• by Cronock (1709244) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @07:56PM (#38702282)
Management will always disapprove of solitude and independent employees because they can't take credit for the work completed and justify making higher salaries than those who actually spawn the good ideas and do great work.
• Ringelmann Effect (Score:5, Informative)
by eulernet (1132389) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @08:27PM (#38702494)
This is not new, it has been discovered in 1913, by a french agricultural engineer Maximilien Ringelmann.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringelmann_effect [wikipedia.org]
Various groups of people had to pull ropes, and Ringelmann discovered that people unconsciously reduced their effort when they were in a group, even when everybody except one in the group faked the rope-pulling !
The two biggest problems of collaborative work are:
1) communicating takes time, and you cannot work during this time
2) people provide less effort when they work collaboratively
Of course, there are a lot of advantages !
This is also related to social loafing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_loafing [wikipedia.org]
and it has interesting challenges, like raising funds for Wikipedia.
About creativity, I think that innovation is not a solitary activity.
You need to interact to get ideas, and the more you learn about diverse subjects, the more you can be creative. This is why people like Leonardo da Vinci were able to invent so much: they had a large knowledge across a lot of domains. Nowadays, it's difficult to have such a broad knowledge, because we need to concentrate on a few domains. This is why group brainstorming is efficient: people with different views and approaches work on a common problem by sharing their knowledge.
What hurts creativity the most is not group brainstorming, it's the fact that people don't want to challenge themselves. This is called mental fixedness. Now, everybody concentrates on improving current ideas, not challenging them or creating new ones. New ideas emerge only when you are unsatisfied with the current ideas.
On a personal note, I was an introvert 3 years ago, and I was a very good coder. Since 3 years, I'm now an extrovert, and even though my social skills increased tremendously, I don't enjoy coding anymore. I still enjoy solitary activities, like writing for my blog, but I'm not interested into pure logic anymore.
I believe that logic and introversion are related. I consider myself as a creative guy, and my creativity which was used for writing code is now used on social interactions.
• by PPH (736903) on Saturday January 14, 2012 @10:35PM (#38703214)
Look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs [wikipedia.org]. People who are overly gregarious are attempting to fulfill a need for friendship/belonging to a group. The highest performers are probably up at building self esteem or self-actualization. Its not that they still don't need friends. But those needs are probably largely satisfied elsewhere. And the key to self esteem and self actualization is 'self'. Hence the need to work independently.
Conversely, the worst performers are probably down at the bottom of the hierarchy. If your employees are worrying about keeping their houses or feeding their family, they aren't performing as well on the job.
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http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/14/2049222/introversion-and-solitude-increase-productivity
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Institutionalizing Messengers of Peace in Kenya
22. déc 2013
The main objective of this project is to set up a National Messengers of Peace Team, with relevant skills and clearly defined responsibilities to spearhead efforts to promote, monitor and support the growth of the Messengers of Peace Network in Kenya so as to inspire as many people as possible in the country to join and actively contribute in promoting peace and improving their communities through initiatives that address local needs
The projects will focus three critical areas namely:
Selection and Induction of the National Team: This will involve a call for applications limited to Scouts only from which five (5) volunteers will be selected based on the skills required and with due consideration of gender representation. The 5 volunteers will join the 2 National Youth Representatives to form a committee of 7. The team will then undergo an induction training to familiarize themselves with the overall framework of Messengers of Peace and their specific roles in the team
Design and Production of an Action Toolkit, Promotional Posters and Leaflets: An A4 size full colour poster and a two-sided A5 information leaflets shall be designed and minimal copies produced to help in promoting the initiative among the Scouts and other stakeholders. An abridged simple-to-use Messengers of Peace Community Action Toolkit shall also be developed. These designs shall be made available to individual Scout units for reproduction and use in their own activities.
National Messengers of Peace Dissemination Workshop: This will take place during the Annual Founders’ Day Camp in February 2014 where the National Team will employ their skills and knowledge to disseminate the initiative to the over five thousand Scouts who will be camping. This will also provide an opportunity for the Scouts to bring up creative ideas on how to effectively spread the initiative to as many people as possible and ways in which the Scouting movement can better engage in peace activities.
Additionally, the project will also:
1. Monitor the number of New Scouts Registered on the platform
2. Monitor the number of new Projects Created by Scouts and Registered on the Online Platform
3. Create New Partnerships to support Messenegers of Peace
4. Produce a video report on the project activities
The project targets Chipukizi, Mwamba and Jasiri Scouts whose ages range from 11 years to 26 years. These are age groups that are most vulnerable to manipulation towards incitement and violence. This project will give them an opportunity to not only understand the importance of peace but also take leadership and responsibility in guiding their peers in promoting peace in their schools, peer groups and local communities. They will also have an opportunity to express their views and feelings on how Scouting and young people can contribute to peace
Apart from working with the Scouts the project will also reach out to benefit non scouts from a wide cross section of society. Employing the use of peer education the Scouts will in turn reach out to their friends at schools, places of worship, clubs and in their neigbourhood. Additionally, the will also share the information with their families and relatives thus creating creating the ripple effect that is needed to ensure that the message of peace reaches out to as many people as possible, through the Scouts.
Commentaires (1)
Very good start
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http://scout.org/node/22927?language=fr
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مناهج تعليمية
5. سبتمبر 2013
Original author: Olusoga Sofolahan, Nigeria
The World Social Summit identified poverty eradication as an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of mankind and called on governments to address the root causes of poverty, provide for basic needs for all and ensure that the poor have access to productive resources, including credit, education and training. Recognizing insufficient progress in the poverty reduction, the 24th special session of the General Assembly devoted to the review of the Copenhagen commitments, decided to set up targets to reduce the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by one half by 2015. This target has been endorsed by the Millennium Summit as Millennium Development Goal 1.
Poverty eradication must be mainstreamed into the national policies and actions in accordance with the internationally agreed development goals forming part of the broad United Nations Development Agenda, forged at UN conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields. The Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2008-2017), proclaimed by the General Assembly in December 2007 aims at supporting such a broad framework for poverty eradication, emphasizing the need to strengthen the leadership role of the United Nations in promoting international cooperation for development, critical for the eradication of poverty.
A social perspective on development requires addressing poverty in all its dimensions. It promotes people-centered approach to poverty eradication advocating the empowerment of people living in poverty through their full participation in all aspects of political, economic and social life, especially in the design and implementation of policies that affect the poorest and most vulnerable groups of society. An integrated strategy towards poverty eradication necessitates implementing policies geared to more equitable distribution of wealth and income and social protection coverage.
A social perspective on poverty should contribute to the debate on the effectiveness and limitations of current poverty reduction strategies. Poverty analysis from a social perspective requires thorough examination of the impact of economic and social policies on the poor and other vulnerable social groups. Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) serves as a tool to assess both the economic and social impact of reforms on different social and income groups. Properly conducted PSIA contributes to national debate on policy options and helps to promote national ownership of development strategies and could contribute to the operationalization of Copenhagen’s commitments.
Poverty and inequality
Equality can be understood as parity in the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms, and equality of opportunities with regards to education and work and the fulfillment of one’s potential. Equity relates to a degree of equality in the living conditions of people, especially in terms of income and wealth, that society considers desirable. Reduction of inequalities is then justified by equity considerations.
The 1995 World Social Summit stressed that a people-centered approach to development must be based on the principles of equity and equality, so that all individuals have access to resources and opportunities. In the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action social justice, equity and equality reflect the concept of a just society ensuring the equitable distribution of income and greater access to resources through equity and equality of opportunity for all. Public policies have to correct market failures and promote equity and social justice. World Social Summit identified several ways Governments can promote equality and social justice.
Ensuring people are equal before law
Carrying out policies with a view to equalization of opportunities
· Expanding and improving access to basic services
· Providing equal opportunities in public-sector employment
· Encouraging formation of cooperatives and community-based institutions
· Minimize negative effects of structural adjustment programmes
· Promoting full access to preventive and curative health care
· Expanding basic education, improving its quality, enhancing access to formal and non-formal learning, ensuring equal access to education of girls
The 24th Special session of the General Assembly reiterated that social development requires reduction in inequality of wealth and a more equitable distribution of the benefits of economic growth within and among nations.
Over the past decades, inequalities in income distribution and access to productive resources, basic social services, opportunities, markets, and information have been on the rise worldwide, often causing and exacerbating poverty. Globalization occurs in the absence of a social agenda, aimed at mitigating the negative impacts of globalization on vulnerable groups of society.
A social perspective on development emphasizes the view that inequality impairs growth and development, including poverty eradication efforts and that equity itself is instrumental for economic growth and development. It aims at providing a better understanding of the effects of economic and social policies on equity in societies and promotes ways of advancing policies contributing to the reduction of inequalities. Policies for both inequality and poverty reduction are mutually reinforcing.
The linkages between poverty and inequality are highlighted in the 2005 Report on the World Social Situation: The Inequality Predicament. The report states that the goal of sustained poverty reduction cannot be achieved unless equality of opportunity and access to basic services is ensured and stresses that the goal of reducing inequality must be explicitly incorporated in policies and programmes aimed at poverty reduction.
Poverty and Employment
Unemployment and underemployment lies at the core of poverty. For the poor, labour is often the only asset they can use to improve their well-being. Hence the creation of productive employment opportunities is essential for achieving poverty reduction and sustainable economic and social development. It is crucial to provide decent jobs that both secure income and empowerment for the poor, especially women and younger people.
Rapid economic growth can potentially bring a high rate of expansion of productive and remunerative employment, which can lead to a reduction in poverty. Nevertheless, the contribution of the growth process to poverty reduction does not depend only on the rate of economic growth, but also on the ability of the poor to respond to the increasing demand for labour in the more productive categories of employment.
Given the importance of employment for poverty reduction, job-creation should occupy a central place in national poverty reduction strategies. Many employment strategies are often related to agricultural and rural development and include using labour-intensive agricultural technologies; developing small and medium-size enterprises, and promoting micro projects in rural areas. Many strategies promote self-employment, non-farm employment in rural areas, targeted employment interventions, microfinance and credit as means of employment generation, skill formation and training.
Such strategies, however, often address the quantity of employment while the qualitative dimensions, such as equity, security, dignity and freedom are often absent or minimal. In general, national poverty reduction strategies including Poverty Reduction Strategies do not comment on employment programmes, social protection or rights at work. Neither do they offer in-depth analysis of the effects of policies on poverty reduction.
A social perspective on development emphasizes the view that the best route to socio-economic development, poverty eradication and personal wellbeing is through decent work. Productive employment opportunities will contribute substantially to achieving the internationally agreed development goals, especially the Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015.
There should be a focus on creating better and more productive jobs, particularly those that can absorb the high concentrations of working poor. Among the necessary elements for creating such jobs are investing in labour-intensive industries, especially agriculture, encouraging a shift in the structure of employment to higher productivity occupations and sectors, and upgrading job quality in the informal economy. In addition, there should also be a focus on providing poor people with the necessary skills and assets that will enable them to take full advantage of any expansion in employment potential.
Poverty and the Social Economy
BIZIMANA Aurlin Dieudonné, Burundi
I need a volonteer to hep me creating a good project to help poor people. today women lack what to do. LST time they sold fruit at the central market of bujumura bfore getting on fire and now they hava nothing to do.
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I see a lot of comparisons between Apache, NGINX, Lighttpd, Cherokee ... but never a comparison with the YAWS webserver written in Erlang.
Maybe there is a reason for this? Or maybe YAWS deservers more attention...
share|improve this question
closed as not a real question by RobM, Iain, jscott, EEAA, Mark Henderson Dec 2 '10 at 0:50
This isn't a place to give products "attention", or for advocacy, but rather a place to solve problems. If you want to ask about YAWS because you have a problem then ask away. If you want to see more answers about web serving mention YAWS then answer away. – RobM Nov 30 '10 at 11:39
Dear Robert Moir, I've no hidden agenda, because I even didn't try YAWS yet! I am interested if someone has made comparisons already, or if there are missing components etc... I also want to mention I found new products thx to serverfault, stackoverflow etc so I hope a post like these can be useful for some. – PieterB Nov 30 '10 at 12:36
1 Answer 1
Because, In all honestly, I've never heard of it. The others (and IIS) are more commenly known and used.
share|improve this answer
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http://serverfault.com/questions/207348/why-does-everybody-mentions-apache-nginx-lighttpd-but-not-yaws/207360
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I installed BIND9 via apt-get on a newly installed and completely updated UBUNTU 12.04, virtualized on VirtualBox.
I want to use it as a cache-only nameserver.
named.conf contains only the following lines:
options {
directory "/var/cache/bind";
dnssec-validation auto;
auth-nxdomain no;
listen-on-v6 {any;};
recursion yes;
allow-recursion {localnets;};
allow-query-cache {localnets;};
allow-query {localnets;};
zone "." {
type hint;
file "/etc/bind/db.root";
zone "localhost" {
type master;
file "/etc/bind/db.local";
zone "127.in-addr.arpa" {
type master;
file "/etc/bind/db.127";
Now, if I dig anything using my nameserver, the lookup fails with connection timed out; no servers could be reached and the BIND9 log is full of DNS format error [...] non-improving referral or also FORMERR.
More specifically, the result of dig @ www.amazon.com is
; <<>> DiG 9.8.1-P1 <<>> @ www.amazon.com
; (1 server found)
;; global options: +cmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached
In addition, using Wireshark I can see outgoing packets to root-servers, but I never receive a response.
But if I use dig using an external nameserver ( for example), or I use it in the forwarders option of BIND9, the lookup succeed.
share|improve this question
Questions: How do you know that bind has started or is operating? What are the contents /etc/resolv.conf? Any errors noted during startup? Any errors in the log files? – mdpc Jan 9 '13 at 16:45
BIND has started because it listens on port 53 (TCP and UDP). /etc/resolv.conf contains only one line: nameserver The re are NO errors at the startup. Errors in log files are those arising from queries. – JustTrying Jan 9 '13 at 16:48
David Schwartz: sorry, but your remark makes no sense. BIND knows the root name servers (found in /etc/bind/db.root), it will query them, they will refer to TLD servers, BIND will query them and so on. – bortzmeyer Jan 9 '13 at 20:55
@bortzmeyer: It will do that if configured to do so, yes. – David Schwartz Jan 10 '13 at 17:59
2 Answers 2
I presume you have already verified to have actual internet connectivity working tip top in your Ubuntu within VirtualBox.
If so, a frequent reason for your own recursive server to not be working is if your internet provider is blocking access to other authoritative name servers that run on the domain port. I see you have already tried making direct requests to the root servers unsuccessfully directly with dig, which would indicate that indeed some connectivity issues are in place.
In short, you can do a simple test: try running dig @ +trace www.google.com to emulate how a recursive resolver would be doing name resolution.
If you get timeouts prior to ., then there's either something wrong with your connectivity or your provider blocks Google Public DNS (and very likely any other DNS, too).
If you get a timeout right after ., then your provider blocks access to the root servers (and probably all other authoritative name servers, too).
If your recursive resolution has no timeouts, but is missing the com. and google.com. steps, directly jumping from . to www.google.com. (or perhaps doesn't even have . to start with), then it means that your provider is redirecting all domain-port requests to their own set of recursive DNS servers, and you cannot run your own recursive name server with such internet connectivity.
If you get result almost exactly as below, with all the ., com., google.com. and www.google.com. steps, then your own local recursive resolver should work just fine, provided the installation and configuration instructions are followed.
# dig @ +trace www.google.com
; <<>> DiG 9.7.3 <<>> @ +trace www.google.com
; (1 server found)
;; global options: +cmd
. 2244 IN NS a.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS b.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS c.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS d.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS e.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS f.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS g.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS h.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS i.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS j.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS k.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS l.root-servers.net.
. 2244 IN NS m.root-servers.net.
;; Received 228 bytes from in 25 ms
com. 172800 IN NS d.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS i.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS j.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS g.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS b.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS f.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS l.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS a.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS m.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS c.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS h.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS e.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS k.gtld-servers.net.
;; Received 504 bytes from in 15 ms
google.com. 172800 IN NS ns2.google.com.
google.com. 172800 IN NS ns1.google.com.
google.com. 172800 IN NS ns3.google.com.
google.com. 172800 IN NS ns4.google.com.
;; Received 168 bytes from in 183 ms
www.google.com. 300 IN A
www.google.com. 300 IN A
www.google.com. 300 IN A
www.google.com. 300 IN A
www.google.com. 300 IN A
;; Received 112 bytes from in 24 ms
share|improve this answer
If I run dig @ +trace www.google.com, the output directly jumps from . to www.google.com, as you said. If I try to run, for example, dig @ +trace serverfault.com I can see also the com. sections, but a lot of them has a ;; BAD (HORIZONTAL) REFERRAL at the end. The address from which the response is received is different every time (the ;; Received 505 bytes from in 1798 ms has a different address every time), and finally I also obtain the correct response for serverfault.com. Is it weird? – JustTrying Jan 14 '13 at 8:49
It strongly suggests that your network operator is doing something fishy with the DNS. Tell them about Internet neutrality. – bortzmeyer Jan 14 '13 at 10:23
You are supposed to have different root- and gtld- servers serving your requests, so the fact that the IP-address is always different is normal. However, for the rest of your concerns, it does seem like you are getting inconsistent results: you've previously said that you can't contact the root server at all, but now it seems like your ISP redirects your requests to the root server back into their own server, but perhaps only sometimes etc. Overall, you clearly have connectivity issues unrelated to BIND9, so your connection is unlikely to run a fully-functional cache. Are you in a dorm? – cnst Jan 14 '13 at 18:07
One other thing you can try doing, purely for educational purposes and seeing how things work, is run dig with the +tcp option. DNS usually uses the udp protocol (+notcp), and that's the one that would be the first one to be blocked on restricted networks. I'm using a captive network myself right now, and dig +trace www.google.com only has . and www.google.com (indicating redirection to ISP-controlled server), whereas dig +trace www.google.com +tcp has all ., com., google.com. and www.google.com. parts as expected (indicating that only 53/udp is restricted, not 53/tcp). – cnst Jan 14 '13 at 18:17
The first thing I notice is that you have no "recursion yes;" in named.conf. BIND is not recursive by default (for some time) for security reasons. You should authorize your local network to query the resolver with recursive queries:
acl me {
recursion yes;
allow-recursion { me; };
allow-query-cache { me; };
allow-query { me; };
It does not explain the strange error messages you find in the logs. Frankly, in ServerFault's questions, I hate vague summaries like "Now, if I dig anything using my nameserver, the lookup fails with connection timed out". Post the complete command and the complete result and we'll see.
share|improve this answer
As usual, excellent DNS advice from Stephane. You need to explicitly enable recursion in order for BIND to answer your queries. You might find the pre-defined ACL "localnets" useful if you want to be more permissive than his address match list, which matches only localhost. Please do use an ACL of some kind, i.e. do not operate an open resolver. They will be discovered and used for DNS reflection attacks. – Michael McNally Jan 9 '13 at 21:31
I edited my post with your suggestions. And I also edited my real named.conf, but as you can see lookups continue to fail. – JustTrying Jan 11 '13 at 9:01
Your Answer
|
<urn:uuid:cb73ed85-aeb7-4bb3-aa40-01dfbcfac21c>
| 2 | 1.710938 | 0.089822 |
en
| 0.839885 |
http://serverfault.com/questions/464452/bind9-as-a-cache-only-nameserver-doesnt-work?answertab=active
|
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Isobates to show depths of water basin.
Hydrography is a subject of Geography. It concerns itself with measuring the physical characteristics of waters, such as rivers, lakes and oceans.[1] It can also be about such measurement in navigable waters, as they are necessary for the safe passage of ships and vessels.
Massive hydrographical studies are usually undertaken by national or international organizations that sponsor data collection through surveys and publication of charts and descriptive materials for navigational purposes.[2]
Hydrography's origin lies in the making of chart like drawings and notations made by individual mariners. It was usually a private property, even closely held secrets, used for commercial or military advantage.
Other pages[change | change source]
Notes[change | change source]
|
<urn:uuid:792d9196-261c-4174-a517-d6a3519d8c18>
| 3 | 3.234375 | 0.0235 |
en
| 0.934768 |
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrography
|
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Comment: Longevity of Dioxin in Agent Orange. (Score 5, Informative) 166
by WebSorcerer (#46323773) Attached to: Study Shows Agent Orange Still Taints Aging C-123s
I am an analytical chemist, and analyzed Agent Orange while employed by the Dow Chemical Company (one of the manufacturers of Agent Orange). The spraying apparatus in the planes in the C-123 sprayed out a side door, and Agent Orange filled the air inside the plane drenching the men who operated the sprayers, and coated everything in the interior. Agent Orange is not volatile, and evaporates extremely slowly. This combination of circumstances IMHO would cause a residue of Agent Orange inside the planes which could reasonably last for decades.
Comment: Le Voyage Dans La Lune (Score 1) 131
by WebSorcerer (#42557031) Attached to: The Science Behind Building a Space Gun
Le Voyage Dans La Lune is a movie made in 1902.
From Wikipedia:
"At a meeting of astronomers, their president proposes a trip to the Moon. After addressing some dissent, six brave astronomers agree to the plan. They build a space capsule in the shape of a bullet, and a huge cannon to shoot it into space."
Comment: I Don't Buy Apple Products (Score 1) 427
In ~1988 I purchased my first Desktop PC, an Apple. I really liked it. In 1991, when the Power PC came out, I purchased one. NONE of the peripherals for my previous computer (except the keyboard IIRC) were compatible because the connectors were changed.
I vowed, then and there, that I would never buy an Apple product again. I have never regretted it.
Comment: "Fracking" in 1979 (Score 2) 267
by WebSorcerer (#39612263) Attached to: My gut feeling about fracking:
In 1979, during the energy crisis, I was involved in a project to retrieve natural gas from shale oil using dynamite to separate the shale layers between two holes which were drilled about a mile apart. (No water was involved.) A fire was started in the shale oil in one of the holes, and air pumped in to keep it burning. The natural gas produced by the heat was driven towards the other hole where it was pumped to the surface. The natural gas was about 2% in the air pumped up. This was a closed system in that the holes were lined with pipe which was capped, and had access ports to perform the detonation and admit the air at one end, and the recovery of the gas-containing air at the other.
I was involved in developing a method to analyze the air to determine the yield, using mass spectrometry, and then measuring it. The project was abandoned when the energy crisis ended.
As to whether this was safer than the current method, it may be because it is a more closed/confined system. That said, the possible problems caused by the heat and/or the explosion have not been studied.
Comment: Nokia C5-03 (Score 1) 294
by WebSorcerer (#39141901) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Best Mobile Phone Solution With No Data Plan?
I just purchased one of these as my first smart phone. It cost ~$150 from Newegg. I have a basic AT&T phone plan with no extras. The phone comes with several apps and GPS.
I slipped in the SIM card, and it worked right off the bat. It connected to my home network (encrypted with hidden name) easily, and connected to the Internet without problems.
I had an older Nokia phone, and the Nokia OVI Suite software (free) connected to it, and I synced my contacts with my computer. Then I connected the new one, and uploaded the contacts.
My AT&T plan does not include connection to the Internet, so I will need a Hot Spot for access when away from home.
Overall, for the price, it is a bargain.
Comment: Re:Fresh water? (Score 3, Interesting) 292
by WebSorcerer (#38842417) Attached to: Graphene Membranes Superpermeable to Water
I'm a Ph.D. Chemist who has done some water purification studies. One difficulty is the build-up of particulate matter on/in the filter which slows down (eventually stops) flow through the filter.
This problem can be addressed with the use of two filters in parallel, one of which is being back-flushed while the other operates. With the current types of filters, the system eventually plugs due to micro particulates. Perhaps this Graphine filter is immune to plugging, and merely flushing the surface will clean it.
As you may have surmised from previous posts, it holds out the possibility of a limitless supply of potable water. What a boon to mankind!!
Comment: A Career in Science is Infinitely Rewarding (Score 1) 694
by WebSorcerer (#35932434) Attached to: Why Science Is a Lousy Career Choice
I earned a Ph.D in Chemistry in 1966. My thesis involved a new (at that time) scientific instrument, a mass spectrometer. After I graduated, I got a job with the Dow Chemical Company in the Chemical Physics Research Lab running their new high resolution mass spectrometer. I had never seen one before. It was the start of a magical career for me.
I am a living pioneer (almost 73 years old). I have done things no-one had done before. I have received the recognition of my peers in the form of publications, invitations to speak at scientific meetings in the US and Europe, and served on a committee for the Government of Canada (invited by the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health and Welfare) to assess the impact of dioxins in that country. I was the only US citizen on the committee.
All this was in the area of the detection and quantification of Dioxins in the environment, animals (including humans), and in chemical processes. I have developed methods (with others) to measure organic compounds at levels never before achieved at the time (water: 1-5 parts per quadrillion; human and bovine milk: 10 parts per billion; human fat: 20 parts per billion;...).
The intangible rewards have been infinitely gratifying and satisfying. The monetary compensation was enough to live comfortably (but not extravagantly). My pension and Social Security benefits allow me to enjoy my 'golden years' and still leave a legacy to my children.
|
<urn:uuid:503db0bf-0fcf-43ed-a0e9-0686422b552a>
| 2 | 1.9375 | 0.020131 |
en
| 0.957457 |
http://slashdot.org/~WebSorcerer/tags/eff
|
sbcl Log
Commit Date
[983734] (2.4 kB) by Nikodemus Siivola Nikodemus Siivola undefined warning and compilation unit summary tweaking
* Signal a full warning for undefined types when the name is in the
COMMON-LISP package.
* Explain probable source of error when the name of an undefined type
is a quoted object.
* When same original source form is responsible for multiple
undefined warnings, only signal the first: otherwise we may signal
a boatload of identical warnings for a single source form just
because the compiler tries so very hard to make sense of it.
* Don't summarize the names of undefined things by signalling new
warnings for them, instead include the names in the compilation
unit summary.
2009-05-11 15:44:11 View
[70ea77] (2.4 kB) by Andreas Fuchs Andreas Fuchs make-target-2.lisp split into compile and dump phases.
* Split make-target-2.lisp into make-target-2.lisp and
make-target-2-load.lisp, reducing unnecessary state that was kept around.
Not keeping symbols that were interned during the compilation of PCL
saves us 400kB on x86 and between 1MB and 1.5MB on x86_86.
* Unintern symbols that are internal to CL-USER before dumping the core.
This doesn't save any space; just removes confusion.
2007-02-28 13:01:58 View
[89987c] (None) by Christophe Rhodes Christophe Rhodes
Beginnings of a Win32 merge.
than <<HERE documents.
isolated from the fluff)
2005-12-29 16:08:31 View
|
<urn:uuid:a4e84ef6-2785-4fe9-b415-5e7d7264ca8d>
| 2 | 1.507813 | 0.267169 |
en
| 0.816063 |
http://sourceforge.net/p/sbcl/sbcl/ci/bb0248a7851d03e11e6f9aa725483251425abc2b/log/?path=/make-target-2-load.lisp
|
Take the 2-minute tour ×
Can anybody explain to me when each of this variations of "porque" should be used?
share|improve this question
I would like to point out that these words are pronounced differently. The stress falls on the second syllable in "por qué" and "porqué," while it falls on the first syllable in "porque." – Alan C Nov 15 '11 at 21:11
2 Answers 2
up vote 17 down vote accepted
Por qué asks the question why.
¿Por qué hiciste eso?
Porque means because.
Porque puedo.
Porqué translates roughly to reason.
Quiero saber el porqué de esta decisión.
share|improve this answer
I should add that there's a fourth alternative: "por que", which means "por el/la cual" or "por los/las cuales" (Esa fue la razón por que lo echaron a la calle). It can also be por + que as "conjunción subordinante" (El éxito en una carrera pasa por que estudies cada día = [...] pasa por estudiar [...]). In this link you can find an explanation of the four cases, with all the proper gramatical names, which I have long forgotten. – MikMik Dec 30 '11 at 10:23
• ¿Por qué? is used in questions, and it means literally why?
• Porque is the answer to a question asked with ¿Por qué? and it means because
• Porqué is a sustantive, it'd mean the reason for
share|improve this answer
Your Answer
|
<urn:uuid:0cf6daa3-1457-45d6-a7fa-d7e960fa4fdf>
| 3 | 2.90625 | 0.733747 |
en
| 0.708982 |
http://spanish.stackexchange.com/questions/14/when-is-it-written-with-and-without-accent-porqu%c3%a9-porque-por-qu%c3%a9?answertab=active
|
Take the 2-minute tour ×
If I automate mouse actions using Selenium2/Webdriver in combination with Firefox 12, I can easily get the "mouse" to move to and hover over a context menu so the sub-menus are seen. However, if I have the real mouse resting outside of the active window running the test, there's a 99% chance when the hover action occurs, the context menu will flash quickly and disappear as if the mouse had moved. This causes the next step in the test to fail since the web element is no longer visible.
Once in a blue moon the test will run fine if the mouse is outside of the window. That's definitely a rare instance. If the real mouse is resting anywhere inside of the active window running the test, the hover action and test will run without issue 100% of the time.
Has anyone experienced this behavior or is it a known issue of Selenium2/Webdriver and Firefox? If you have experienced this, although it doesn't seem likely there could be a workaround, have you found a way to counteract this behavior?
It's a pain to have to wait for a test to run if it contains a hover command instead of letting it go in the background while I continue working on something else.
share|improve this question
2 Answers 2
I edit the firefox profile to disable native events. Also maximize window and it works fine
FirefoxProfile p = new FirefoxProfile();
WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver(p);
share|improve this answer
I did notice this behavior, but only while debugging. When I executed the tests normally I never saw the issue. Have you tried that?
share|improve this answer
I see the issue whether or not I run the test in Debug mode or as normal – squeemish Jul 16 '12 at 18:43
Your Answer
|
<urn:uuid:fc4ddce8-20b1-4ff4-8ab1-e1408204eb1a>
| 2 | 1.539063 | 0.261221 |
en
| 0.894127 |
http://sqa.stackexchange.com/questions/3467/issue-with-losing-focus-of-hover-command-when-the-mouse-is-outside-of-the-acti/3478
|
Executive Summary:
Microsoft's SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) for Oracle makes data conversion and migration from Oracle databases easy. Microsoft’s SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) for Oracle helps you convert code from the PL/SQL programming language to code in the T-SQL programming language. Microsoft's SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) for Oracle makes it easy for you to migrate Oracle data to the Microsoft SQL Server database management system (DBMS).
After attending a SQL Server 2008 (code-named Katmai) review session and Microsoft's first annual BI Conference in Seattle this past spring, I'm impressed by the improvements Microsoft has made to the scalability and extensibility of the SQL Server technology stack. Microsoft continues to make significant strides in shedding the long undeserved perception that SQL Server isn't a powerful database platform. With SQL Server 2008 due for release later this year, migrating to SQL Server from another database management system (DBMS) has become even more compelling, although it can be an increasingly difficult task to prepare for and accomplish in complex environments. However, Microsoft provides a free tool—SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) for Oracle—to help you migrate to SQL Server from other DBMSs. SSMA can help you outline a migration task, convert PL/SQL code to TSQL code, migrate data, test migrated objects, and deploy your migrated database. Let's examine how to install and configure SSMA, as well as how to use the SSMA Testing Wizard to test your migrated database.
Installing SSMA and Extension Packs
Installing the SSMA toolset is a two-part process. First, you have to install the main application on a system that can access both the source (Oracle) and destination (SQL Server) database servers. Although SSMA is free, a SQL Server license is required for use. Connecting, registering, and saving the associated license file is easy. The main SSMA application has a small footprint of about 9MB and takes only a few minutes to install.
Once you've installed the main application, you must install extension packs on the source and destination database server instances. Specific permissions on both systems are required because users, databases, and other supporting objects need to be created. DBAs don't give these permissions out easily (for security reasons), so you'll need to work with them to create a login with permissions to CONNECT, Create any Procedure, Type, Trigger, Execute any Procedure, and Select any Table and Sequence. This part of the installation process takes just few minutes to complete if connectivity and permissions have been established.
In SSMA 2.0, a user ID called TEST_PLATFORM is created in the Oracle instance, whereas the SQL Server database receives two databases named SYSDB and TEST_PLATFORM_DB. All the objects in the SYSDB database are owned by user ID ssma. SYSDB is used to simulate certain internal Oracle features, such as exception handling, packages, sequences, date functions, and string manipulation. Although SQL Server supports its own versions of packages, sequences, and exceptions, SSMA uses the simulations during code conversion. Ultimately, the end user must determine which method to deploy and support. The Test_Platform_DB database is used to test migrated objects and data from the Oracle instance; testing scripts are stored in this database. Testing calls to objects in the Oracle instance and the SQL Server destination originate from Test_ Platform_DB. Objects in Test_Platform_DB are owned by user ID dbtest.
SSMA Configuration
SSMA has several configuration options. The following sections outline the most important settings.
Linked servers. Initial connectivity to the Oracle instance for the schema extraction doesn't require a linked server; if you choose to let SSMA manage data migration, you must create a linked server. The linked server is also used to compare results from Oracle and SQL Server when testing is complete. The linked server can be configured through SSMA's Connect to Oracle dialog box, which Figure 1 shows.
Logging options. You can enable SSMA to generate a log of conversion and migration tasks in comma-separated value (CSV) or HTML formats. You can also specify the size of the log files and the destination directory. Configure the logging options to best fit your project's auditing requirements.
Code conversion options. Most migrations will involve a user- or application-specific schema, although SSMA can also convert system schema objects, which is useful if there are code elements referencing specific system objects. You can also specify Oracle packages to be simulated on SQL Server. In addition to the simulation option, sequences can be converted to identities and exceptions and ROWID columns can be specified.
Additional options. Additional user-configurable options, such as parameters used to generate SSMA Assessment Reports, test data for testing the migrated schema objects, Data Definition Language (DDL) creation script adjustment, and SSMA workspace synchronization with schema versions between the source or target databases, are also available. I'll discuss many of these options in more detail later.
Oracle packages, sequences, and exception handling. SQL Server and Oracle have different methods for handling certain database tasks. For example, Oracle has a more robust exception-handling function that's difficult to reproduce in SQL Server. These differences are often at the center of migration challenges. To ease these challenges, SSMA enables the simulation of Oracle's packages, sequences, and exception handling, which are stored in the SYSDB database. SQL Server offers many comparable native solutions to Oracle's packages, sequences, and exception-handling methods in terms of T-SQL system functions, identities, and system- and user- defined error messages and functions. SSMA lets you continue using Oracle's methodologies or use SQL Server's methodologies instead. SSMA can also be configured to simulate Oracle packages, perform sequence-to-identity conversions, and handle exceptions.
Assessment Reports. The SSMA Assessment Report calculates the complexity of the Oracle PL/SQL code based on several factors, including the number of lines of code, the statement types involved, package usage, sequences, exception handling, aggregations, and the complexity and presence of nested Select statements and cursors. Based on these factors and other considerations, SSMA then estimates the man-hours required for migrating schema objects from Oracle to SQL Server. You can configure the Assessment Report to include the percentage of objects it can convert and the percentage it can't convert. For the code that can't be automatically converted, an estimate of the man-hours needed to do so manually is given. An Assessment Report can be created before any task is started and needs to be connected only to the source Oracle database. Figure 2 shows a typical SSMA Assessment Report.
Schema conversion. To facilitate the code migration, you use SSMA's Schema Conversion feature, which converts the Oracle PL/SQL code to T-SQL code. The first step in the code conversion is to create DDL scripts for tables and all supporting structures such as indexes, constraints, and triggers. You can convert single tables or all the tables at once. The scripts are generated to the SSMA workspace for verification, editing, and saving for future use, but they don't actually create the objects on the destination server. Once you're satisfied with the converted DDL, the scripts can be loaded to the target server by using the Load to Database tab located on the top menu bar of the SSMA for Oracle page or by right-clicking an individual object and selecting Load to Database, as Web Figure 1 (http://www.sqlmag.com, InstantDoc ID 96569) shows. SSMA handles type mapping and conversion with some specific considerations to account for inconsistencies such as a type without a scale. In this case, SSMA will convert Oracle data to the same data type in SQL Server with the maximum permissible scale. For example, Oracle VARCHAR2(10) would be converted to VARCHAR(10) but Oracle VARCHAR2 would be converted to VARCHAR(MAX) (as Web Figure 2 shows). SSMA also offers a type-matching feature. You can choose the target data type for a given source data type by using the Target type drop-down menu, as Web Figure 3 shows. Type matching can be done at an object level or a database level.
Conversion of functions, procedures, and triggers. Object code other than table DDL is also easy to create in SSMA. Objects can be selected from the source Oracle schema for conversion to the target SQL Server machine. All objects are first scripted and saved in the SSMA workspace for review or further changes and then loaded into the SQL Server database. SSMA is also designed to convert object code to dynamic SQL. Oracle PL/ SQL code with calls and exceptions is automatically converted to dynamic SQL.
Modes of conversions. SSMA supports five configuration settings including Project Information, General (Conversion and Migration), Loading Objects, GUI, and Type Mapping. Within these five configuration settings are four additional settings for more end-user control: Default, Optimistic, Full, and Custom (as Figure 3 shows). SSMA recommends using the Default mode for most users. The Optimistic mode is designed to retain more of the Oracle syntax and tends to be easier to read, although it might not be as accurate as Full mode. Full mode does the most complete conversion; however, the resulting code is harder to read than code converted with the Optimistic mode. Custom mode gives users complete control over how the code and type conversions occur from Oracle to SQL Server.
Data Migration
Although SSMA 2.0 uses a linked server to migrate data from Oracle to SQL Server, SSMA 3.0 doesn't require a linked server. In both versions of SSMA, you can migrate data by right-clicking the schema objects and choosing Migrate Data. If multiple tables are selected, SSMA will migrate the selected table data sequentially. Triggers and foreign key constraints on the target database tables are disabled before data migration and enabled upon completion. The reported results of a completed data migration appear in the Data Migration Report, which Figure 4 shows. Data migration from Oracle to SQL Server is a bulk-load operation that moves rows of data from Oracle tables into SQL Server tables in transactions. The project settings let you configure the number of rows loaded into SQL Server in each transaction. Note that SSMA 2.0 doesn't migrate tables that have large object (LOB) columns. Instead, you'll have to manually migrate tables containing LOB columns by using OPENQUERY or OPENROWSET functions or bulk utilities such as BCP and BULKINSERT.
One of the most important and often neglected steps in migration projects is testing, but SSMA's Testing Wizard simplifies the testing process. The Testing Wizard is used to verify that converted and migrated objects such as procedures, functions, and views are properly functioning in SQL Server. During procedure and function testing, the same input parameters can be supplied to both the source and the target procedures and functions, so that the output parameters or result sets can be compared. Migration testing consists of several steps, including preparing and executing test cases.
Test cases. When creating a new test case, you must select one or more objects for testing that are already migrated to the SQL Server destination. One of the most important steps in testing with SSMA is determining whether to use the existing data in referenced tables or have SSMA generate new test data for referenced objects. If you choose to use SSMA-generated test data, it will be placed in secondary tables. The Testing Wizard then backs up the real data in the referenced tables and uses the generated data from the secondary tables. As a best practice, it's recommended (although optional) to back up real data before testing because stored programs usually perform some sort of Data Migration Language (DML) conversion on the underlying tables. SSMA offers the option to back up underlying (real) data before executing any test case. If you want more control, you can set the row counts and the arrays of values based on the data type of the base table columns and possible nulls and generate test data accordingly.
Test case execution. After you specify whether to use real or generated data and the data is backed up, the user is prompted for input parameters. The input parameter options include the total number of different values, the range or types of values, and the possibility of null occurrences. Before final execution, SSMA displays the data used against the Oracle source and matching SQL Server target. When you execute the test case (which Web Figure 4 shows), SSMA replaces the original data in the underlying tables with test data from the secondary tables and executes internally generated stored procedures in the Test_Platform_DB database. This process is completed by passing the user-defined input parameters to the T-SQL stored programs as well as to the original PL/SQL stored programs. Once the test case is finished on both the source and target database, the results are compared. This process is repeated as many times as necessary. A Test Report is generated upon completion of the entire test case; the Test Report displays the input parameters passed during each run and whether the test was successful. Migration testing using SSMA saves time in terms of generating test data, executing the objects, and comparing the results. Once testing is complete, the real data can be restored to the base tables.
Application and Dynamic SQL Conversion
As is the case in every database environment, not all the code for accessing data is stored in the database as stored programs. Application logic is often embedded within client applications, dynamic SQL, and other called programs. This problem can have a significant effect on any migration task because of the complexities of rewriting, testing, and deploying all-new code to support the migrated database. SSMA addresses this problem with the run-time-converter. The run-time-converter converts embedded and dynamic PL/SQL code to T-SQL code at runtime through a wrapper. Although converting code at runtime might not be an optimal long-term solution, it certainly offers a viable option until the code can be rewritten to take advantage of SQL Server's features.
SSMA includes a platform for Test SQL in which PL/SQL code can be typed and converted to T-SQL. Generally, Test SQL is used for statement translations or conversion.
Migrating to SQL Server
SSMA is a great tool for automating the conversion of data and database code from Oracle to SQL Server. The added feature of data migration makes SSMA a viable option for migrating from Oracle to SQL Server. For more information about migrating to SQL Server, go to the Migrate to SQL Server Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/sql/solutions/migration/default.mspx
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<urn:uuid:8fc4fe5d-7434-4ee2-bb17-968e55b37942>
| 2 | 2.203125 | 0.05261 |
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http://sqlmag.com/print/sql-server/sql-server-migration-assistant-22-aug-2007
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
Why am I given three choices when merging between my code and someone else's? Shouldn't there just be my code, the other person's code, and the output below? The documentation for KDIFF doesn't help me understand.
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3 Answers 3
up vote 8 down vote accepted
Sounds like you're doing a three-way merge, so A should be the base revision that B and C are based on, B is theirs and C is yours (I believe; B and C might be the opposite, though).
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What is the base revision about? Does that help in some cases? – Bluebomber357 Oct 25 '10 at 20:55
@user464095: For KDiff I believe that it's the revision that both B and C are modifying. So you can compare B to its base (A), C to its base (also A) and the changes in B and C to each other. That way you can resolve conflicts by using the changes in B or C or by reverting to the original (A). – eldarerathis Oct 25 '10 at 21:04
I still don't understand, can you elaborate some more? – Bluebomber357 Oct 26 '10 at 19:52
Well, consider a case where you and another developer make conflicting changes to the same code. It's typically helpful to have the context of the original file, so you know if either one of you is breaking previous functionality. You could diff your file with the other developer's, resolve conflicts, and then diff it with the original, but a three-way diff performs the same function in fewer steps. – eldarerathis Oct 26 '10 at 20:22
As @gbarry explains in this related SO thread, the BASE revision is the one you last downloaded from the repository, at least with Subversion. He also talks about editing conflicts and how this effects the BASE and HEAD revisions. – hotshot309 Dec 20 '12 at 14:59
A refers to the version your merge target is based on. If you Merge from branch to trunk it will the the previous trunk version.
B is what you currently have in your local trunk folder. Including local changes.
C is the Version you wanna merge on top of B.
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A is your parent revision having B and C as child, that means B is the changes done to A by user1/repo1 and C is changes done to A by other user(user2/repo2)
kdiff gives you the option either to select modification from b or c(or take both) or from parent also 'A'
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Your Answer
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<urn:uuid:a049d8fa-efbd-476f-8e2a-f245bb944bb4>
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http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4018476/what-are-a-b-and-c-in-kdiff-merge
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
Possible Duplicates:
How to keep program running after ssh disconnection.
How can I use ssh to run a command on a remote Unix machine and exit before the command completes?
I am running a mongo server on a production machine. I access it via an ssh console. If I run the mongo server, it runs in the foreground. If I close the SSH window on my client, the mongo process dies on the server.
Even if I run it as "mongod &" in the background, it still dies if the connection is lost.
How do I run this daemon correctly so that it does not depend on an active SSH session?
edit: using ubuntu 10 console as the server
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marked as duplicate by Nifle, digitxp, hbdgaf, Mehper C. Palavuzlar, Arjan Jan 21 '11 at 16:56
yes duplicate...there were good answers on that link - check them out – hbdgaf Jan 21 '11 at 12:52
2 Answers 2
When you close a shell out, it sends SIGHUP signal to all jobs that it's spawned. By default, SIGHUP will terminate any process.
If you know you need to 'keep it running' when you spawn the process, you can use nohup to spawn your process. As a side effect, it will redirect stdout and stderr to a file nohup.out if these streams were pointing to the terminal. You may want to redirect these yourself if you don't want this file.
You can also run it using setsid, which creates a new process group. Your shell will no longer send SIGHUP to it since it's not in the shell's process group.
If you've already started your program, and you happen to be running bash or zsh (very likely on Linux), you can use disown.
Either run the command with & to force background, or run it normally type Ctrl-Z to suspend it, then bg %1 (assuming it's job #1) to take it out of suspension and run it as a background process. Then you type disown %1 to make bash/zsh forget about it.
disown is my usual method, I don't need to remember to mess with output streams like nohup requires.
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+1 for setsid. I don't understand it fully, but it looks like it Just Works (TM). – artfulrobot Sep 14 '14 at 10:52
Try using nohup mongod &. This will prevent the program from receiving SIGHUP signals which are sent when the shell exits (after the connection is lost). This is a standard shell builtin in all shells.
You could also use setsid mongod & which would disassociate the program from the terminal, so when the shell exits, a SIGHUP signal is not sent. (Other things happen as well, but this is the primary side-effect.) Setsid is not standard in all shells, but it is in bash on Ubuntu 10.
You could also start gnu-screen, which will keep the session running after the connection is lost, allowing you to reconnect and interact with the shell again. The state of the program will not change, it will continue running while disconnected.
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<urn:uuid:09004d0e-d1ac-4be7-8456-2083de438400>
| 2 | 2 | 0.321783 |
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http://superuser.com/questions/236044/how-to-keep-a-remote-task-running-after-running-it-in-an-ssh-console/236128
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
How would you explain, troubleshoot (and solve) the following problem?
Wifi ADSL modem router D-link 2640R installed in living room at about 1.8m height. Working fine, synchronising and getting/serving stable internet connection.
First situation:
• Laptop 01 in other end of the house, let's say in room01 southern to the living room, distant by about 15m. Getting stable signal of good to very good quality. No disconnection.
• Laptop 02 in room02 opposite to room01 (5m West) which makes it almost at the same distance and direction from the router located 15m North. Getting stable signal of good to very good quality. No disconnection.
Second situation:
• Laptop 01 moved to room03 Northern to the living room (actually just 3m behind the wall where the router lies). Getting stable signal of excellent quality. No disconnection.
• Laptop 02 still in room02 but now experiences frequent disconnections (actually almost impossible to get the Internet even though the signal level is still very good. Either no Internet with the wifi icon appearing connected to access point or no connection established at all which happens every 2 minutes and that means virtually no Internet at all as I can just get a timeframe of 1 minute or so to load any website or even get to the router's web based control panel.
If Laptop 01 is completely shut down or its wifi adapters shut down or even still working but its wifi MAC address forbidden, then Laptop 02 has no problem at all. If Laptop 02 is moved to a nearer location to the router, in the living room for instance, then no connection problem occurs even if Laptop 01 is also connected. And also if we move back Laptop 01 to its original location (room 01), then no problem as well.
I'm completely lost and don't know how to address this issue. I tried to change the Wifi channel and even tried the auto channel scan but that didn't solve it. I know that the problem is probably coming from Laptop 01 being in its new location or some sort of interference as the problem occurs only under the described condition but I have no idea how to solve it!
I also scanned the neighborhood for wifi jam using InSSIDer, there are few other access points but they don't seem to affect the situation.
Any ideas about the steps to follow or tools to use ?
share|improve this question
1 Answer 1
up vote 1 down vote accepted
Weird. I suppose it could be an extreme version of the "hidden node problem". In the second situation, laptop 01 might not be able to see laptop 02's transmissions, so it might accidentally be transmitting at the same time and clobbering laptop 01's transmissions. You might want to force your devices to use RTS/CTS (crank down your RTS/CTS Threshold on your AP, and also see if your laptops' advanced settings for their wireless drivers allows you to force RTS/CTS) and see if that helps.
Under RTS/CTS operation, the device that wants to transmit must first ask permission from the AP by sending an RTS (Ready To Send) message. Then the AP gives it clearance by sending a CTS (Clear To Send), which the other devices of the AP will all see. The CTS from the AP contains a "duration" field that lets all the other devices in range know how long the medium will be busy. So Laptop 01 would see the CTS from the AP to laptop 02 and it would know not to transmit during that time.
If this actually fixes your problem, it may be the first time I've ever heard of tweaking RTS/CTS settings making a real difference for someone.
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Yes now I'm sure that's exactly the problem you described. I tried to lower the RTS threshold on the AP and use RTS/CTS mode in the Intel wireless adapter of Laptop01 that has plenty of options but there is no way to use that option on the Atheros adapter of Laptop02 :( – Sidou Apr 11 '12 at 11:27
Your Answer
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<urn:uuid:e0ee3a86-5cf2-4e48-b0ad-2b4fcd3282ad>
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| 0.950239 |
http://superuser.com/questions/410955/frequent-and-weird-wifi-disconnections?answertab=active
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
Im trying to use ffmpeg to convert my flv files to mp4 to play them on iOS devices but the converted video has a much worse quality than the original one.
Here is the command i use:
ffmpeg -i input.flv -ar 22050 output.mp4
I would really appreciate if someone could provide me with the best settings for flv to mp4 conversion.
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migrated from stackoverflow.com Oct 4 '12 at 20:53
This question came from our site for professional and enthusiast programmers.
1 Answer 1
Depending on the codecs used in your FLV you may be able to get away with simply re-wrapping it in an mp4 container. You'll need H.264 or MPEG4 simple profile video and AAC audio. You can find out some info on your source file with ffmpeg -i input.flv
I'm not sure whether simply having H.264/MPEG4 Simple + AAC is good enough or if there are specific options to the codecs that are supported. It's easy enough to test:
Try using
ffmpeg -i input.flv -c copy -copyts output.mp4
-copyts is copy timestamps it will help audio sync. If that doesn't work, try forcing audio and video codecs:
ffmpeg -i input.flv -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -c:a libfaac -q:a 100 output.mp4
To improve the video quality, you can use a lower CRF value, e.g. anything down to 18. To get a smaller file, use a higher CRF, but note that this will degrade quality.
To improve the audio quality, use a higher quality value. For FAAC, 100 is default.
Here are a couple thoughts on the ffmpeg command suggested in the question.
-ar refers to the audio sample rate. I would recommend not messing with this until you understand things better. If you want to play with audio encoding, adjust the bitrate (e.g., -ab 128k) and let the encoder choose what to do based on that.
For the record though, cd quality is 44100Hz sampling; typical video has 48000Hz audio.
You may note that 22050 is 1/2 the cd quality sample rate. if you're downconverting CD material this is a good choice. If you're starting with 48KHz source (which you probably are, again, this is much more common thatn 44100 in video files) i'd use 24Khz instead. It probably won't matter much, but it may sound a little better and use a little less CPU to do the conversion.
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re-reading my answer... In addition to the command line I gave above, you could copy only video or only audio, and re-encode the other. for example... "ffmpeg -i input.foo -vcodec copy -acodec libfaac -ab 128k -copyts output.mp4" this will copy the video stream and re-encode the audio into AAC. libfaac doesn't have great quality but it works. – Dan Pritts Mar 7 '12 at 22:15
Your Answer
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<urn:uuid:f7e3f70d-79ff-4c5e-99eb-751c72a56dfa>
| 2 | 1.609375 | 0.060755 |
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| 0.887223 |
http://superuser.com/questions/483597/converting-flv-to-mp4-using-ffmpeg-and-preserving-the-quality
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The Tor Network is Flawed - Techie Buzz
The Tor Network is Flawed
By on December 30th, 2010
The 27th Chaos Communication Congress (27C3) has found a rather important flaw in the Tor anonymity network. The Tor (short for The Onion Router) has long been a faithful companion of whistleblowers, hackers and other people for whom anonymity on their network is of prime importance. In its simplest form the Tor network consists of a large number of volunteer nodes that know only the location of the next node in a large routing queue. The data is encrypted from your computer and sent to the first node, from which it is sent to the next in the queue and eventually to the server you want to information from, and then the data is sent back in a similar fashion. Thus, if someone is trying to spy on your web browsing habits, they will essentially be sent for a toss as they will never know where the data is exactly being sent to.
However, security researchers at the 27C3 have shown that, with a carefully executed attack, the surfer’s browsing habits can be revealed. If the attacker is on the same local network (such as the same Wi-Fi network or ISP regime) then they can coax out the path of the Tor routing process and can eventually find out the main server that the surfer is accessing.
The process requires a bit of preparation and has a sequence of steps attached to it:-
1. The attacker will have to know a series of sites that the target is known to visit, either through network logs gained before the target used Tor, or by other surveillance means.
2. Next, the attacker will run Tor on their own system for the potential sites, seeing how Tor routes the net and developing a fingerprint-like profile for the target’s Tor routing.
3. When the target next goes online, the attacker can use the packet streams captured on the local network (thus it is imperative that the attacker be on the same network) and associate the data streams with the fingerprint using a pattern matching technology (akin to Bioinformatics applications).
Dominik Herrmann, a PhD student at Regensburg said that this pattern matching would only provide 55 to 60% chances of a correct guess which is not enough as a legal evidence, but enough for privacy paranoid people to be edgy.
Solving this issue might be a little difficult for the Tor project, but only time will tell how much they can solve.
[via Ars Technica]
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Author: Kaushik Google Profile for Kaushik
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<urn:uuid:aee9b548-c5a0-4def-b682-94bf11e593ff>
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http://techie-buzz.com/tech-news/the-tor-network-is-flawed.html
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Our Views: Poor filers, rich checks
The cartoonist Rube Goldberg became famous for drawing nonsensically elaborate devices to perform simple tasks.
Gov. Bobby Jindal has outdone the master.
A huge criticism of Jindal’s tax plan is that repealing income taxes is mostly a benefit for the best-off taxpayers, and raising sales taxes has more impact on lower-income taxpayers than higher-income ones.
Even the administration’s own data, after considerable massaging, shows high-income taxpayers getting tax breaks of 200-to-1 or better over those in low-income brackets.
And that’s after the Rube Goldberg contraption that Jindal proposes to avoid criticism: Two programs are proposed to return money to the conspicuous losers in the raising of sales taxes.
The grandly named Family Assistance Rebate Program would provide low-income households rebates to give them a tax break.
While the overall Jindal program is, as so often, simply a copy of national conservatives’ tax proposals, there is a Louisiana-specific problem: The numerous state retirees do not pay income tax on their Louisiana pensions, and some other forms of retirement benefits are tax-exempt.
So another rebate program, for retiree benefits, will allow retirees of less than $60,000 adjusted gross income to get rebates.
The administration says it wants to transfer, through these new rebate programs, enough to ensure that everyone gets a tax break.
How to finance that? By the expanding of sales taxes, at a new higher rate, to business services that are today not subject to sales tax.
Unfortunately, one of Jindal’s talking points is that he wants tax simplification. Simplification for Wall Street, maybe, as corporate income and franchise taxes would be replaced with sales taxes. Those beneficiaries would have less paperwork.
And most of us would not have to file income tax returns.
But it is hardly simplification for the poor and the eligible retirees to file what are essentially income tax returns to get rebates. Nor is it simplification to create new state entitlement programs, with the administrative challenges of compliance.
The plan is so far pretty sketchily outlined. But if adopted, and giving Jindal’s figures the benefit despite our considerable doubts, the tax break for a tax filer with $20,000 in income would be $18. The estimate from Jindal’s Department of Revenue is that filers of $100,000 in income would see a benefit of more than $5,000.
This plan is, for the poor and for state retirees, not simplification.
Neither is it fairness.
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<urn:uuid:544b7657-8aad-4d89-bede-0f453de40bde>
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http://theadvocate.com/news/neworleans/5620699-148/our-views-poor-filers-rich
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Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Marriage as a Credible Institution
So, the Church of England has suggested that the extension of the right to marry to gay couples will undermine the concept of marriage.
Lets have a little history lesson, Henry VIII establised the Church of England to nod through his divorce to Catherine of Aragon and sanction a marriage to Anne Boleyn, his mistress.
Where was the concern about undermining the institution of marriage then?
This is a clear precedent that the control of the validity of any such marriage is at the discretion of the State and that the Church has acquiesced in these political manoeuvrings for nearly 600 years.
Furthermore, the 1949 Marriage Act also defines how the Church of England can hold their ceremonies as well as allowing for Registry Offices to conduct marriages. Gyles Brandeth's private member bill in 1994 extends the right to conduct marriages in other approved locations.
Where was the concern about undermining the institution of marriage then?
It is clear that the State has the preeminent right to define how a marriage is valid. Not the Church. By history, by convention and by practise.
The Church can already lay down its own rules about who can marry in a Church. Henry VIII's Great (many times) Nephew - Charles Philip Arthur Windsor (aka Prince of Wales) faced controversy when marrying Camilla Parker Bowles. Although technically a widower as Diana has died, Camilla's ex-husband was still alive.
There is absolutely no reason whatsover, why the Church cannot set its own rules about who can or cannot get married within its premises.
But I do have to consider. What makes the bigger mockery of marriage?
Britney Spears marrying Jason Alexander which was annuled 55 hours later?
Or two people of the same sex, who love each other very much and want to demonstrate that commitment the same as any other couple.
1. Also, the statistics show that so many marriages end in divorce (including) my own....so what is SO special about the institution of marriage between a man and a woman...supposedly till death do us part...
You make no mention of the nonsense perpetrated by the Catholic Church in Scotland whereby they have cut off talks with the Scottish Government.
As this is likely to happen in the rest of the UK, maybe the UK Government should pre-empt that and cease discussions with the Archbishop of Westminster.
After all, we did well without the Catholic Church under Henry VIII, so we certainly have no need of this cult, now.
Even the Catholic Church cannot decide what their policy is on marriage. St Peter was married and then they change the rules so that the clergy cant marry. As they are fully of men who do not know what its like to be married, why the feck should they be laying down the rules on marriage?
I certainly would trust them to babysit!
PS - Prince Charles would presumably be a great, great x times grandson, rather than nephew....I would have thought?
2. Thank you very much Andrew for your comments.
I wrote this piece in June so the issue of the Scottish Cardinal has not been referenced here. I re-posted on FB in response to that as the arguments here are still valid.
As for Charles. Henry VIII's direct line ended with Elizabeth in 1603. James I (of whom Charles is a great great Grandson claims the English throne by virtue of his Great Grandmother Margaret Tudor who was Henry's sister. http://www.britroyals.com/kings.asp?id=henry8
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http://thecuriousliberal.blogspot.com/2012/06/marriage-as-credible-institution.html
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Amnesty International Slams Lebanon For Anti-Palestinian Behavior
Amnesty International in a 31 page report, “Exiled Suffering Palestinian Refugees In Lebanon” severely criticized the Lebanese government for failing to accord Palestinian refugees opportunities to integrate within the community and afford them educational and economic opportunities available to the average Lebanese citizens. There are now 300,000 Palestinian refugees living in 12 camps on the same amount of land the original refugees were given in 1948. This has resulted in massive crowding and miserable living conditions. Syria and Jordan have taken steps to integrate Palestinians within their societies, but Lebanon continues its policy of segregation and dehumanization of the refugees. Amnesty International has documented evidence that even attempting basic ways of improving one’s hovel by Palestinians usually results in fines.
The refugee question which hinders resolution of the Israel and Palestinian conflict can be more readily addressed if massive aid was provided refugees currently in areas such as Lebanon. It is unrealistic to assume 5,000,000 Palestinians can return to their original homes in Palestine or Israel. There is need for economic, political, and cultural actions to ensure the refugees can succeed in their present areas of habitation. It is the only realistic approach to a complex question.
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<urn:uuid:e63ac40c-4c5f-4eff-9f74-47dd76d31f2c>
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http://theimpudentobserver.com/world-news/amnesty-international-slams-lebanon-for-anti-palestinian-behavior/
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Top 10 Reasons Why The U.S. Needs Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Posted on
"Top 10 Reasons Why The U.S. Needs Comprehensive Immigration Reform"
The nation needs a comprehensive immigration plan, and it is clear from a recent poll that most Americans support reforming the U.S.’s immigration system. In a new poll, nearly two-thirds of people surveyed are in favor of a measure that allows undocumented immigrants to earn citizenship over several years, while only 35 percent oppose such a plan. And President Obama is expected to “begin an all-out drive for comprehensive immigration reform, including seeking a path to citizenship” in January.
Several top Republicans have softened their views on immigration reform following November’s election, but in the first push for reform, House Republicans advanced a bill last month that would add visas for highly skilled workers while reducing legal immigration overall. Providing a road map to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. would have sweeping benefits for the nation, especially the economy.
Here are the top 10 reasons why the U.S. needs comprehensive immigration reform:
1. Legalizing the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States would boost the nation’s economy. It would add a cumulative $1.5 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product—the largest measure of economic growth—over 10 years. That’s because immigration reform that puts all workers on a level playing field would create a virtuous cycle in which legal status and labor rights exert upward pressure on the wages of both American and immigrant workers. Higher wages and even better jobs would translate into increased consumer purchasing power, which would benefit the U.S. economy as a whole.
2. Tax revenues would increase. The federal government would accrue $4.5 billion to $5.4 billion in additional net tax revenue over just three years if the 11 million undocumented immigrants were legalized. And states would benefit. Texas, for example, would see a $4.1 billion gain in tax revenue and the creation of 193,000 new jobs if its approximately 1.6 million undocumented immigrants were legalized.
3. Harmful state immigration laws are damaging state economies. States that have passed stringent immigration measures in an effort to curb the number of undocumented immigrants living in the state have hurt some of their key industries, which are held back due to inadequate access to qualified workers. A farmer in Alabama, where the state legislature passed the anti-immigration law HB 56 in 2011, for example, estimated that he lost up to $300,000 in produce in 2011 because the undocumented farmworkers who had skillfully picked tomatoes from his vines in years prior had been forced to flee the state.
4. A path to citizenship would help families access health care. About a quarter of families where at least one parent is an undocumented immigrant are uninsured, but undocumented immigrants do not qualify for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, leaving them dependent on so-called safety net hospitals that will see their funding reduced as health care reforms are implemented. Without being able to apply for legal status and gain health care coverage, the health care options for undocumented immigrants and their families will shrink.
5. U.S. employers need a legalized workforce. Nearly half of agricultural workers, 17 percent of construction workers, and 12 percent of food preparation workers nationwide lacking legal immigration status. But business owners—from farmers to hotel chain owners—benefit from reliable and skilled laborers, and a legalization program would ensure that they have them.
6. In 2011, immigrant entrepreneurs were responsible for more than one in four new U.S. businesses. Additionally, immigrant businesses employ one in every 10 people working for private companies. Immigrants and their children founded 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies, which collectively generated $4.2 trillion in revenue in 2010—more than the GDP of every country in the world except the United States, China, and Japan. Reforms that enhance legal immigration channels for high-skilled immigrants and entrepreneurs while protecting American workers and placing all high-skilled workers on a level playing field will promote economic growth, innovation, and workforce stability in the United States.
7. Letting undocumented immigrants gain legal status would keep families together. More than 5,100 children whose parents are undocumented immigrants are in the U.S. foster care system, according to a 2011 report, because their parents have either been detained by immigration officials or deported and unable to reunite with their children. If undocumented immigrants continue to be deported without a path to citizenship enabling them to remain in the U.S. with their families, up to 15,000 children could be in the foster care system by 2016 because their parents were deported, and most child welfare departments do not have the resources to handle this increase.
8. Young undocumented immigrants would add billions to the economy if they gained legal status. Passing the DREAM Act—legislation that proposes to create a roadmap to citizenship for immigrants who came to the United States as children—would put 2.1 million young people on a pathway to legal status, adding $329 billion to the American economy over the next two decades.
9. And DREAMers would boost employment and wages. Legal status and the pursuit of higher education would create an aggregate 19 percent increase in earnings for young undocumented immigrants who would benefit from the DREAM Act by 2030. The ripple effects of these increased wages would create $181 billion in induced economic impact, 1.4 million new jobs, and $10 billion in increased federal revenue.
10. Significant reform of the high-skilled immigration system would benefit certain industries that require high-skilled workers. Immigrants make up 23 percent of the labor force in high-tech manufacturing and information technology industries, and immigrants more highly educated, on average, than the native-born Americans working in these industries. For every immigrant who earns an advanced degree in one of these fields at a U.S. university, 2.62 American jobs are created.
Ann Garcia, a research and policy associate for the Center for American Progress, and Marshall Fitz, director of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, contributed to this report.
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<urn:uuid:46ec7e1c-4ccd-4c22-aae2-4f7410de5705>
| 2 | 1.8125 | 0.128174 |
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| 0.9619 |
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/12/10/1307561/top-10-reasons-why-the-us-needs-comprehensive-immigration-reform-that-includes-a-path-to-citizenship/?mobile=nc
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Last updated: February 19. 2013 9:55PM - 106 Views
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(AP) France's Socialist government is introducing a 75-percent income tax on those earning over 1 million ($1.3 million), forcing some of the country's rich and famous to set up residency in less fiscally-demanding countries.
Here's a look at some big stars in France and elsewhere who have, over the years, put their pennies above their patriotism.
The French prime minister has accused actor Gerard Depardieu of being pathetic and unpatriotic for setting up residence in a small village just across the border in neighboring Belgium to avoid paying taxes in France.
The office of the mayor in Depardieu's new haunts at Nechin, also known as the millionaire's village for its appeal to high-earning Frenchmen, said that for people with high income, like Depardieu, the Belgian tax system, capped at 50 percent, is more attractive.
Depardieu, who has played in more than 100 films, including Green Card and Cyrano de Bergerac, has not commented publicly on the matter.
The Beatles' resentment of high taxes goes back to their 1960s song Taxman. George Harrison penned it in protest of the British government's 95 percent supertax on the rich, evoked by the lyrics: There's one for you, nineteen for me.
Harrison reportedly said later, 'Taxman' was when I first realized that even though we had started earning money, we were actually giving most of it away in taxes.
Former James Bond star Sean Connery left the U.K. in the 1970s, reportedly for tax exile in Spain, and then the Bahamas another spot with zero income tax and one of the richest countries per capita in the Americas. His successor to the 007 mantle, Roger Moore, also opted for exile in the 1970s this time in Monaco ensuring his millions were neither shaken nor stirred.
In 1972, The Rolling Stones controversially moved to the south of France to escape onerous British taxes. Though it caused a stink at the time, it spawned one of the group's most seminal albums, Exile on Main St. The title is a reference to their tax-dodging. In 2006, British media branded them the Stingy Stones with reports that they'd paid just 1.6 percent tax on their earnings of $389 million over the previous two decades.
In 1980, U.S. singer Marvin Gaye moved to Hawaii from L.A. to avoid problems with the Internal Revenue Service, the American tax agency. Later that year, Gaye relocated to London after a tour in Europe. Gaye, whose hits include Sexual Healing and I Heard it Through the Grapevine settled in Belgium in 1981. He was shot to death in 1984.
Follow Thomas Adamson at http://Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP
Associated Press
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<urn:uuid:62bc92a7-eec5-4570-b63e-16d1f43e4db2>
| 2 | 1.515625 | 0.03069 |
en
| 0.958378 |
http://timesleader.com/stories/Pennies-over-patriotism-Look-at-tax-averse-stars,240579?category_id=529&town_id=1&sub_type=stories
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Kate Hicks
No wonder President Obama is so keen on passing the Buffett Rule -- it wouldn't have affected his tax rate this year!
Yes, that's right: the Obamas raked in less than $1 million this year. Therefore, in a "Buffett Rule" world, they wouldn't have to pay their "fair share."
The Buffett Rule calls for those making over $1 million a year to pay a minimum tax rate, named after billionaire Warren Buffett. The president did earn over $1 million in previous years--$1.7 million in 2010 and $5.5 million in 2009.
The Obamas adjusted gross income was their lowest income since 2004 when he wrote his best-selling memoir, “Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.” This was the first year since 2006 that the Obama family income dipped below $1 million. In 2010, his adjusted gross income was $1.7 million; in 2009, it was $5.5 million.
It's all so ironic. Even though the Obamas' income didn't break $1 million this year, they still rank among the top 0.5-1% of earners in the world (that link also has a screenshot of the Obamas' tax return, FYI). And to his credit, the president always lumped himself in with those who would pay more on his campaign for the Buffett Rule. He's all about lecturing the wealthy on how they have a social responsibility to use their good fortune for the betterment of society, but at least he includes himself in that number. It's a great pitch: "Hey, guys like me, we can afford to give a little more!" Except, apparently he's not one of them. Not this year, at least.
Of course, none of that really matters, does it? The Buffett Rule has already been proven to be nothing more than a politicized crock of a policy, which would raise up to $30 billion over ten years from about 22,000 earners. Yes, it's a great idea that will totally help us get out from under our $15 trillion -- that's trillion with a T -- debt! As Guy pointed out, they're more interested in putting on a show of fairness than actually solving the revenue and spending crisis we face. Heck, even Dana Milbank, the Washington Post's liberal pundit extraordinaire, thinks it's a gimmick.
So all these "patriotic billionaires" and millionaires keep coming forward, begging for the government to take a greater cut of their dough. Guy's point about pageantry, however, is proven by the fact that so many of them balk at the idea of sending checks to the governmet voluntarily -- and this includes Obama himself:
Press Secretary Jay Carney said it's not "classy" to propose such voluntary checks. "Another real classy charge is the idea that, well, wealthy Americans who feel like paying their fair share . . . have the option of doing it themselves by writing a check,"he said derisively to reporters last week. "Think what that says to middle-class American families who are trying to get by, who are paying their taxes and paying at a rate higher than Warren Buffett."
Carney indicated today that Obama is not, in his opinion, paying his fair share. "The President believes we must reform our tax system which is why he has proposed policies like the Buffett Rule that would ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share," Carney wrote on the White House blog today. "Under the President’s own tax proposals . . he would pay more in taxes while ensuring we cut taxes for the middle class and those trying to get in it."
So everyone must be forced to pay their "fair share" to the government, or Obama won't do it? Yes, he sure does seem interested in actually solving our debt/revenue/spending crisis. Prevention of economic doom be damned. Give me fairness or give me death, I say!
Indeed, these millionaires and billionaires subscribe to the misguided notion that, by paying a higher tax rate, they're somehow fulfilling their moral obligation to make the world a better place.
Except, look at what gets done with taxpayer money. Just this week, it was revealed that the GSA blew more money than the Obamas made this year on foolish, wasteful expenses like clowns, and dinners, and conventions in Las Vegas.
Really? Giving more money to these people is the answer to all our woes?
The day the president volunteers to cut a personal check to those erstwhile public employees, I'll believe him. Oh, is that not a classy request, Jay Carney? Well, neither is paying a clown on the taxpayers' dime, so I think I'll call us even.
Kate Hicks
Check out Townhall's Polls on LockerDome on LockerDome
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<urn:uuid:37319fcc-e723-43cd-b4a4-c240a8b04125>
| 2 | 1.773438 | 0.070839 |
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| 0.978931 |
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katehicks/2012/04/13/buffett_rule_doesnt_apply_to_obama
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I have a pretty simple tmux session running with two open windows; one of them for local hacking and one of them for work.
What I'd like to do is to simply connect to the hacking window while leaving the work window open in another terminal. However, as soon as I connect to tmux, all commands are sent to both windows, so if I switch to another window, the same thing happens in the other terminal and vice-versa.
Is there a way for me to simply connect to each window separately?
share|improve this question
1 Answer 1
up vote 46 down vote accepted
The reason both clients switch windows at the same time is because they are both connected to the same session (the “current window” is an attribute of the session, not the client). What you can do is link one or more windows into multiple different sessions. Since each session has its own “current window”, you can then switch windows independently in each session.
The easiest way to use this feature is to use the “grouped sessions” feature of the new-session command:
tmux new-session -t 'original session name or number'
Each session in a group will automatically share the same set of windows: opening/linking (or closing/unlinking) a window in one session of the group automatically causes the same window to be linked (or unlinked) in all the other sessions of the group.
When you are done with your “extra” session, you can kill it with kill-session. The windows themselves will not be killed unless your session was the only one they were linked to. Alternatively, you can disconnect from your “extra” session like normal (Prefix d, or detach-client); if you do keep your “extra” session around (by simply detaching from it), you might want to give it a descriptive name (Prefix $, or rename-session) so that you easily identify it and reconnect to it later (you may also want to give the “original” session a name, too).
If you do not want to automatically share a dynamic set of windows, then you can use link-window (and unlink-window) to bring individual windows into (and out of) your own “personal” session; this offers non-automatic, and lower-level access to the same core functionality upon which “grouped sessions” are based (windows linked into multiple sessions).
share|improve this answer
Gread answer. Do you know how to prevent 2 open sessions from syncing their sizes? If I'm creating new session and the window is smaller, a lot of screen real estate in the original one is wasted. – Artem Ice Mar 23 '13 at 11:25
I've found the answer to my Q: setw -g aggressive-resize on – Artem Ice Mar 23 '13 at 12:35
This was exactly what I needed - so damn good. Tmux is just awesome. I was able to go between 2 big displays and a laptop with this. Thanks – drudru Nov 7 '13 at 6:48
Thank you so much. I was stuck in it for a while. Love tmux! – Rocky Jan 1 '14 at 8:47
Your Answer
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<urn:uuid:9db37914-d60f-432f-90fd-b77cee42c05c>
| 2 | 1.515625 | 0.035332 |
en
| 0.913338 |
http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/24274/attach-to-different-windows-in-session
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I have a script run from a non-privileged users' crontab that invokes some commands using sudo. Except it doesn't. The script runs fine but the sudo'ed commands silently fail.
• The script runs perfectly from a shell as the user in question.
• Sudo does not require a password. The user in question has (root) NOPASSWD: ALL access granted in /etc/sudoers.
• Cron is running and executing the script. Adding a simple date > /tmp/log produces output at the right time.
• It's not a permissions problem. Again the script does get executed, just not the sudo'ed commands.
• It's not a path problem. Running env from inside the script being run shows the correct $PATH variable that includes the path to sudo. Running it using a full path doesn't help. The command being executed is being given the full path name.
• Trying to capture the output of the sudo command including STDERR doesn't show anything useful. Adding sudo echo test 2>&1 > /tmp/log to the script produces a blank log.
• The sudo binary itself executes fine and recognizes that it has permissions even when run from cron inside the script. Adding sudo -l > /tmp/log to the script produces the output:
User ec2-user may run the following commands on this host:
(root) NOPASSWD: ALL
Examining the exit code of the command using $? shows it is returning an error (exit code: 1), but no error seems to be produced. A command as simple as /usr/bin/sudo /bin/echo test returns the same error code.
What else could be going on?
This is a recently created virtual machine running the latest Amazon Linux AMI. The crontab belongs to the user ec2-user and the sudoers file is the distribution default.
share|improve this question
I was going to talk about a solution but then I read The user in question has (root) NOPASSWD: ALL access granted in /etc/sudoers and my brain started screaming too loud to keep reading. – Shadur Sep 25 '12 at 12:05
@Shadur: Talk to the hand. That isn't my way of setting up a machine either, but these machines come this way out of the box. Even through the machine is yours, you don't get a root password, your key as the owner of the box goes into the ec2-user account which has (as noted) full sudo access. You don't get a password for ec2-user either unless you set one, it's a key only login. – Caleb Sep 25 '12 at 12:12
Then the first thing I'd recommend you do is set up a separate user with restricted sudo rights /only/ for the commands you need in the script and disabling their login ability completely. – Shadur Sep 25 '12 at 12:27
if you have root, and you want the cron job to run as root, then why put it in ec2-user's crontab? wouldn't root's crontab be more appropriate? or /etc/crontab? – cas Sep 25 '12 at 12:33
@CraigSanders: I don't want the cron job run as root, in fact most of it should be run as a user. The question is not about running a job as root, but about a script having specially access to one function through sudo. – Caleb Sep 25 '12 at 12:40
1 Answer 1
up vote 11 down vote accepted
Sudo has some special options in it's permissions file, one of which allows a restriction on it's usage to shells that are are running inside a TTY, which cron is not.
Some distros including the Amazon Linux AMI have this enabled by default. The /etc/sudoers file will look something like this:
# Disable "ssh hostname sudo <cmd>", because it will show the password in clear.
# You have to run "ssh -t hostname sudo <cmd>".
Defaults requiretty
# Refuse to run if unable to disable echo on the tty. This setting should also be
# changed in order to be able to use sudo without a tty. See requiretty above.
Defaults !visiblepw
If you had captured output to STDERR at the level of the shell script rather than the sudo command itself, you would have seem a message something like this:
sorry, you must have a tty to run sudo
The solution is to allow sudo to execute in non TTY environments either by removing or commenting out these options:
#Defaults requiretty
#Defaults !visiblepw
share|improve this answer
Your Answer
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<urn:uuid:43462193-e3c7-49e1-8038-44c1755f6010>
| 2 | 2.046875 | 0.130375 |
en
| 0.923279 |
http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/49077/why-does-cron-silently-fail-to-run-sudo-stuff-in-my-script/49078
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University of Minnesota
Voices From the Gaps
Voices From the Gaps' home page.
by Anchee Min
Reviewed by Ncha Xiong
The American Beauty
A world of nightmares vanishes as a world of hope emerges in Anchee Min's first novel, Katherine. This novel follows Anchee Min's international bestseller, Red Azalea, a memoir that was named by the New York Times as one of its Notable Books of 1994. Min was born in 1957 in Shanghai, China. Before she became a writer, Min was a movie actress at the Shanghai Film Studio. Min was discovered by talent scouts while working in a labor collective at the age of seventeen. The United States became Min's home in 1984. Besides being a writer, Min is also a painter and photographer.
Katherine centers on the life of Zebra Wong, a 29-year-old Chinese woman whose whirlwind past of being raped, impregnated, then aborting the child has left her bitter. Zebra's journey of survival after her difficult past reflects strength and courage, inspired by her American teacher, Katherine.
Told from the perspective of Zebra, the novel has a personal touch that allows the reader intimacy with the characters. The novel incorporates different literary forms to create an enjoyable book that is easy to read and follow. These literary forms include poems, sayings, and stories from Min's Chinese culture that give the novel a unique style.
Set after the Cultural Revolution of Mao Tse-Tung, Zebra is a "borrowed worker" for an electronics factory in Shanghai. The status of a borrowed worker means that at any time Zebra can be sent back to the Elephant Fields, a dynamite field where she worked during the Cultural Revolution. The Elephant Fields is where the tragic events of her past occurred, leaving her distrustful and pessimistic. The manager of the electronics factory sends Zebra to the East Sea Foreign Language Institute to learn English. This is where Zebra meets Katherine, the American beauty who shows her that "life is not worth giving up after a string of disappointments" (102).
Katherine is the apple in all her students' eyes. Her red lipstick, curvy body, and fashionable clothing have the whole class staring without blinking. "She stood like a peacock, exhibiting her body, inviting us with her gestures, her body's music and heat. She gave our eyes an indescribable pleasure" (17). The students do not only admire her physical features; they also admire her free spirit and individualism. "We believed that we were wild seeds; we grew and died where the wind dropped us. It never occurred to us that we had a choice in life, that one could do what one loved to do" (70).
photo: Anchee Min
As Katherine encounters Chinese culture, she does not realize the danger she puts herself in. Katherine's individualism and free spirit are refelcted in actions and expressions not allowed in China. She speaks out against communism while drunk. Zebra tries to warn her, but Katherine does not accept Zebra's warnings. In her drunken state, Katherine makes a fool out of herself. A jealous student takes advantage of the situation by reporting it to the authorities. Tragic consequences for both Katherine and Zebra follow.
Min puts her fictional character Zebra into historical events to create a storyline that could have actually happened. Anchee Min's Katherine reflects the attitudes of the Chinese people that existed after the Maoist era. Mao Tse-Tung created a nation based on devotion and loyalty to communism only. Even after his death, the Chinese cannot escape his thoughts, which have been embedded in their brains. Zebra is an example of this. Katherine represents the individuality that exists in capitalist nations. When these two conflicting ideas come together, they clash, resulting in the survival of only one. Zebra admires Katherine's individuality, but she is unable to escape the communist theory she has always known. Anchee Min's intent is to illustrate this tension through the eyes of Zebra.
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<urn:uuid:754667c9-566e-4de0-9f65-2b4f3634a8de>
| 2 | 1.898438 | 0.092953 |
en
| 0.966263 |
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/essays/fiction/katherine.html
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Distance Learning Math Index
Websites for Those Who Need Help
Expressions of Concentrations
Density and Specific Gravity
Density means weight per unit volume. There are 62.4 pounds of water per 1 cubic foot. This means that a tank of volume 1 cubic foot, filled with water, would contain 62.4 pounds of water. The density of all substances depends on the temperature. For example, at 32°F the density of water is 62.41 pounds/ft3; at 62°F the density of water is 62.36 pounds/ft3. For most practical purposes the density of water can be considered equal to 62.4 pounds/ft3. The following table lists weight-volume relationships of water in different units:
Weight-Volume Water Relationships
1 cubic foot =
62.4 pounds
1 gallon =
8.33 pounds
1 liter =
1000 grams = 1 kg
1 milliliter =
1 gram
Specific gravity is defined as the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of water. Written mathematically:
Example 1:
The density of lead is 708 pounds per cubic foot. What is the specific gravity of lead?
Solution: Using the above equation,
Substances with higher specific gravity will settle more quickly than substances with lower specific gravity A grit chamber is designed to remove particles with larger specific gravity than a settling tank.
The strengths of pollutants or substances in water are expressed in a number of ways:
1. parts per million (ppm)
2. milligrams per liter (mg/L)
3. percent (%)
Parts per million, formerly used most frequently, can, in most cases, be considered equivalent to milligrams per liter. Parts per million is a weight to a weight ratio. For example, a suspended solids concentration of 200 ppm is equivalent to saying there exists 200 lbs of suspended solids for every one million pounds of sampled water.
Milligrams per liter is a weight to volume ratio. A suspended solids concentration of 200 mg/L means that one liter of sampled water will contain 200 milligrams of suspended solids.
To say that 200 mg/L equals 200 ppm would mean that one liter of sampled water weighs one million milligrams. Then, 200 mg/L would be rewritten 200 mg per million milligrams of sampled water which is a parts per million weight to weight ratio. The Weight-Volume Water Relationship indicates that one liter of water weighs 1000 grams which is equal to one million milligrams. Therefore if one liter of water weighs one million milligrams then 200 ppm = 200 mg/L. However, one liter of pure water weighs one million milligrams. If the water contains pollutants, one liter will no longer by exactly equal to one million milligrams. Then 200 mg/L will no longer be exactly equal to 200 ppm. Another way of stating this is, if the specific gravity of a water sample is not equal to one, then ppm is not exactly equal to milligrams per liter.
Example 2:
One liter of raw sewage was found to weigh 1002 grams. (1,002,000 mg). What is the specific gravity of this sample?
We previously used 62.4 lb/ft3 as the density of water. Density, however, may also be expressed in metric units, which the table indicates as 1000 grams/liter, so that,
In most cases, the specific gravity of sewage will be very close to 1,000 or 1 liter will weigh approximately 1000 grams and for this reason parts per million can be considered equivalent to milligrams per liter. Because of this discrepancy, however, the use of milligrams per liter is now the more favorable expression of concentrations. The use of just milligrams per liter eliminates any opportunity for confusion.
Expression of concentrations in terms of percent is generally used in cases where the concentrations of pollutants are high. In sludge analyses, for example, results are expressed in terms of percent solids, percent moisture, percent volatile matter, and percent ash. Percent is a weight to weight ratio. A 5 percent sludge solids concentration indicates that there are 5 parts of solids per 100 parts of sludge, or 5 pounds of solids per 100 pounds of sludge.
Percent calculations are made by using the following equation:
Example 3:
A 56.3 g sludge sample contained 2.7 g of dry solids. What is the percent concentration of solids?
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<urn:uuid:90307ef1-82a2-4d42-abf1-0b84a34a29ad>
| 4 | 3.5 | 0.905719 |
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| 0.839798 |
http://water.me.vccs.edu/sgravity.htm
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"What we found is that the fundamental taste ability of an expert is different," said John Hayes, assistant professor, food science, and director of Penn State's sensory evaluation center. "And, if an expert's ability to taste is different from the rest of us, should we be listening to their recommendations?"
In a taste test, wine experts showed more sensitivity to tastes than average wine consumers.
Hayes said that the participants sampled an odorless chemical -- propylthiouracil -- that is used to measure a person's reaction to bitter tastes. People with acute tasting ability will find the chemical -- also referred to as PROB, or probe -- extremely bitter, while people with normal tasting abilities say it has a slightly bitter taste, or is tasteless.
The researchers, who reported their findings in the current issue of the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, said that wine experts were significantly more likely to find the chemical more bitter than non-experts.
"Just like people can be color blind, they can also be taste blind," said Hayes.
Hayes, who worked with Gary Pickering, professor of biological sciences and psychology/wine science, Brock University, Ontario, Canada, said that the acute taste of wine experts may mean that expert recommendations in wine magazines and journals may be too subtle for average wine drinkers to sense.
The researchers also found that people who were more adventurous in trying new foods were also more willing to drink new types of wines and alcoholic beverages, but this food adventurousness did not necessarily predict wine expertise. While wine experts were more likely to try new wines and alcoholic beverages, Hayes said they were not more likely to try new foods.
Wine critics typically rate wines on a 100-point quality scale that incorporates a range of characteristics, including tartness, sweetness and fruitiness, varietal typicity and over all liking, among others. Their descriptions of the wines can be specific, highlighting grapefruit or grassy notes, or the balance of sugar and acid. However, according to Hayes, average wine consumers probably cannot discern these subtle differences between wines. While prior experience matters, biology seems to play a role.
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<urn:uuid:c21c9887-7dc5-4f06-9b61-407c15336a71>
| 3 | 3.171875 | 0.03611 |
en
| 0.970794 |
http://westernfarmpress.com/grapes/wine-taste-ratings-wash-consumers
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Thursday, June 10, 2010
Nitrate: a Protective Factor in Leafy Greens
Cancer Link and Food Sources
A New Example of Human Symbiosis
Nitrate Protects the Cardiovascular System
The Long View
Half Navajo said...
awesome post.. i was just chatting with a co worker about this today... she is a vegetarian, and was telling me while i was eating a sandwich made with deli meat how awful the nitrates were for me. I told her that if nitrates were bad for us, we should all stop eating vegetables, because they are full of them!!
Christopher Robbins said...
Great post.
I read about the beet study awhile. Started juicing beets, but everything! comes out of you red, lol.
Speaking of full fat dairy, I just started reading Staffan Lindeberg's Food & Western Disease and he seems to be against it mostly because of the casein. He would prefer us eat aged cheese.
ellenwyo said...
Thanks for posting this. I found this out for myself while researching nitrates for my website. When anyone gives me the "processed meats will kill you" line, I point out that celery juice is used as a curative for "naturally" processed meats because it has way more nitrate in it than any store bought hotdog. :)
Ned Kock said...
Stephan, what is your take on antibacterial mouthwash liquids? Is the negative effect described in your post offset by any possible positive effects? And, are there positive effects in your opinion?
Chris Kresser said...
Do you think the method of processing has anything to do with the carcinogenicity of processed meats? I wonder if meats that are processed with artisanal methods would have the same negative effects as commercially processed meats?
Jim Purdy said...
So I'll quit using antibacterial mouthwash and chewing gum and toothpastes.
I'll have the healthiest oral bacteria, the stinkiest breath, and the fewest friends, of anybody in town.
Jim Purdy
The 50 Best Health Blogs
Stephan said...
Hi Ned,
I don't know much about mouthwash, but it seems like a bad idea to try to kill all the bacteria in one's mouth. Particularly in light of the fact that they seem to be helping us out in some ways.
Hi Chris,
I don't know. I'd like to see the level of AGEs in commercially and traditionally processed meats. It may be relevant that many traditionally preserved meats are not cooked. On principle, I think fresh meat is likely to be generally healthier than processed meat of any kind.
LeenaS said...
Hi Stephan!
Nice article, but how about proteins as the NO source? I seem to recall that even small dietary protein excess (i.e. protein used for fuel, not for building) was deemed to be a great way to produce NO?
Furthermore, some extra protein helps in choosing the best and most needed ones for building, while utilising the rest for both fuel and antioxidant production...
With regards,
woly said...
It seems to me that Nitrates themselves are not bad but rather their ability to transform into Nitrosamines that are the worry.
Nitrates change into nitrosamines under high temperatures (frying) and when mixed with amines (protein). This process also seems to be disrupted by vitamin C.
Could it be that because vegetables are low in protein, rich in vitamin C and are generally not fried at high temperatures, they escape the carcinogenic potential while bacon results in the opposite?
SamAbroad said...
Hi Stephan,
Timely post, I was discussing this recently on another forum.
On this article from hyperlipid:
In the comments there is a discussion as to whether dietary AGEs matter or not.
One commenter points out:
"There may be more AGEs in cooked meat but the meat also contains carnosine, which prevents absorption of AGEs. Vegetarians have far higher AGE serum levels despite generally using gentler cooking methods because they consume a great deal of fructose. Fructose is 7-10 times more reactive than glucose."
Do you have a link to the animal studies? I am skeptical about the epidemiological studies because that would be based on crappy hot-dogs with any number of additives in an enriched white flour bun.
Please don't take away my bacon! :)
Raodrunner said...
Stephen-I find it interesting that many of your posts run contrary to the philosophies of many of the blogs that link to you. Your not so anti-grain and carbohydrate posts as well as your greens are good for you posts (some in the paleo community claim that there is little evidence that plant foods are a healthy part of the human diet-usually backed up by pointing out their chemical defense systems). I suppose they respect that your posts are not emotionally charged and research based (as do I).
Steve Cooksey said...
So glad you posted on this Stephan!
I'd heard these points before...but glad to have them confirmed by someone I trust. :)
Brian said...
I have wondered about this. Especially in the context of high stomach cancer rates among Koreans (highest in the world), which some have attributed to the very high nitrate levels in kimchi (made from Napa cabbage). Care to offer a hypothesis on the possible reason for this? Their diets are also very heavy on salty and fermented foods.
Anna said...
Something I've always wondered about is how and why American stomach cancer rates spontaneously came down dramatically during the 20th century without any particular medical intervention. Any ideas?
Robert McLeod said...
Rats, I was going to write a similar post. Oh well...
Ross said...
Very interesting and provocative post.
Kindke said...
I refuse to believe that I need to consume these tasteless and bitter green leaves to be healthy. Im tired of having the anecdote of "if you dont eat vegtables you cant be healthy" mantra shoved down my throat.
Like other people have said, plants dont want you to eat thier leaves, they are full of toxins and poisons thats why they taste bitter!
ionela said...
Adding butter or olive oil seems like a simple way to make greens much more palatable. But according to this study, combining fat and nitrate-rich vegetables may not be a good idea.
"Fat transforms ascorbic acid from inhibiting to promoting acid-catalysed N-nitrosation"
zach said...
Great post. I tend to follow a more hyperlipid diet and am in excellent health, but the garden is producing such wonder leafy greens and tomatoes that I'm eating tons of salads. I believe it's having a small calming effect on me. I remarked on this to a friend before I read this post. Perhaps it has something to do with nitrate.
rottweiler said...
Your post seems to freely interchange and confuse nitrate with nitrite. But they are not the same.
"Nitrate should not be confused with nitrite (NO−2), the salts of nitrous acid."
I suggest this needs clarification or editing.
malpaz said...
wouldnt it be safe to say, evolutionarily, we did not eat many green veggies, ie low carb veggies AT ALL and focused on tubers/root and meat/organs... i just cant be convinced theres any room for collecting lettuce and celery when there is rutabagas and butternut squash... any comment?
Stephan said...
Hi Rottweiler,
If you read the post again, you'll see that I did not confuse nitrate and nitrite. Since nitrate is converted to nitrite, results that apply to nitrite also apply to nitrate. That's the assumption I was operating under, and it's one that's well supported by the literature I cited in the post.
Daniel said...
I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that green leafy vegetables are potential causes of gastric cancer so quickly. I'm aware of at least 3 or 4 studies that have found than vegetables are associated with greater incidence of cancers of the upper GI tract (surprising since most confounding would be expected to go the other way. Here's one example:
Here's another very interesting ph.d. thesis with studies attached:
Stephan said...
Hi Malpaz,
I think you make an important point. I've thought about that as well. Modern nutrition experts seem to operate under the assumption that in the rosy past, our ancestors ate a ton of vegetables. But I'm not convinced that's true, since vegetables are low-yield from a calorie standpoint and don't keep well.
That being said, there is plenty of evidence that certain hunter-gatherers and non-industrial agriculturalists sought out greens and other vegetables because they enjoyed eating them. I'm not clear on how common it was, or how much they ate, but I would love to know. It's often thrown around that equatorial HGs ate a lot of vegetables, but I've never seen any convincing evidence to support those vague statements. I do think it's worth noting that some root vegetables such as beets, carrots and turnips contain a lot of nitrate. Potatoes and sweet potatoes don't contain much.
Mike Jones said...
@Brian: I'd be inclined to blame all the chili peppers in kimchi for the high stomach cancer incidence, though opinion seems to be divided as to whether capsaicin in peppers is actually carcinogenic or anticarcinogenic.
Todd Hargrove said...
Here's another idea on whether we would have eaten greens while evolving. It seems that most people like to eat greens, at least in small amounts. Personally I find the idea of never eating green vegetables to be pretty depressing. Even Kurt Harris, who thinks veggies are completely overrated admits that he enjoys greens as a side dish or condiment. With this in mind, the question arises - why would we have evolved to like eating greens? Unlike sugar or other stuff that we like and isn't good for us, greens do no have a huge caloric bonus. So, what other reason would we have developed a taste for them? There must be something of value in them.
Christopher Robbins said...
My thought is we evolved to seek out plants for medicinal purposes just like carnivorous animals use them for.
Jamie Scott said...
I am always a bit suspicious of processed meats such as the likes of sausages that often contain sources of gluten which may have a link with gastric cancer. And the consumption of these processed meats may be a marker for consumption of other foods that promote gastric cancer. At this stage, the evidence just isn't strong enough to get me to give up my free-range gluten free streaky bacon!
Matthew said...
Informative post and comments. I have a question for Stephen or anyone that knows about this. How does nitrate get into the processed meat in the first place? Is it in a whole food from or is it isolated? And is this preservative isolated from a natural source or is it chemically produced? Thanks and hope to hear back from you all!!
Bryan said...
We had a higher rate of stomach cancer a couple generations ago when all of our foods were pickled and salted too. Modern refrigeration probably allowed those GI cancers to go down, around the same time our lung cancer rate shot up (from the introduction of cigarettes).
Koreans have kept the highly salted fermented food in their diet, and they eat these 'banchan' at every single meal as a significant portion. Most banchan also contain red pepper, like someone else noted. If all the salt and red pepper was not enough in the 5 side dishes you're served, your "jiggae" (soup) is probably extremely salty and filled with red pepper, so much so that it tastes bad unless you even it out with rice.
The soju probably doesn't help either.
Jane said...
Very interesting post. So the problem with processed meat really isn't the nitrates.
I expect you're right about AGEs. But there might be another factor too: processed meat is often eaten together with white bread. The meat-and-white-bread combination has the potential to cause iron-manganese imbalance, which means oxidative stress.
Neonomide said...
Nice analysis Stephan!
Beetroot also seems to be a promising ergogenic aid, according to this study:
"Pharmacological sodium nitrate supplementation has been reported to reduce the O2 cost of submaximal exercise in humans. In this study, we hypothesized that dietary supplementation with inorganic nitrate in the form of beetroot juice (BR) would reduce the O2 cost of submaximal exercise and enhance the tolerance to high-intensity exercise. In a double-blind, placebo (PL)-controlled, crossover study, eight men (aged 19-38 yr) consumed 500 ml/day of either BR (containing 11.2 +/- 0.6 mM of nitrate) or blackcurrant cordial (as a PL, with negligible nitrate content) for 6 consecutive days and completed a series of "step" moderate-intensity and severe-intensity exercise tests on the last 3 days. On days 4-6, plasma nitrite concentration was significantly greater following dietary nitrate supplementation compared with PL (BR: 273 +/- 44 vs. PL: 140 +/- 50 nM; P < 0.05), and systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced (BR: 124 +/- 2 vs. PL: 132 +/- 5 mmHg; P < 0.01). During moderate exercise, nitrate supplementation reduced muscle fractional O2 extraction (as estimated using near-infrared spectroscopy). The gain of the increase in pulmonary O2 uptake following the onset of moderate exercise was reduced by 19% in the BR condition (BR: 8.6 +/- 0.7 vs. PL: 10.8 +/- 1.6 ml.min(-1).W(-1); P < 0.05). During severe exercise, the O2 uptake slow component was reduced (BR: 0.57 +/- 0.20 vs. PL: 0.74 +/- 0.24 l/min; P < 0.05), and the time-to-exhaustion was extended (BR: 675 +/- 203 vs. PL: 583 +/- 145 s; P < 0.05). The reduced O2 cost of exercise following increased dietary nitrate intake has important implications for our understanding of the factors that regulate mitochondrial respiration and muscle contractile energetics in humans."
As I like to track down new sports supplements, this stroke me hard. A short study, sure. But the gain in oxygen cost was insane:
“The principal original finding of this investigation is that three days of dietary supplementation with nitrate-rich beetroot juice (which doubled the plasma nitrite) significantly reduced the O2 cost of cycling at a fixed sub-maximal work rate and increased the time to task failure during severe exercise,” wrote Jones and his co-workers.
“That an acute nutritional intervention (ie, dietary supplementation with a natural food product that is rich in nitrate) can reduce the O2 cost of a given increment in work rate by about 20 per cent is therefore remarkable,” they added.
"It is unclear what the exact mechanism behind the apparent benefits is, said the researchers. They do, however, suspect it could be a result of the nitrate turning into nitric oxide in the body, reducing the oxygen cost of exercise."
Neonomide said...
Sorry, some (original) repasting above - the main point for skimmers is that beetroot is a good nitrate source -> more NO and vasodilation -> more oxygen to tissues.
Carnosine in meat seems to do the same, as well as being a great anti-AGE-product dipeptide and H+ blocker. It's precursor beta-alanine, which rises carnosine concentration more effectively in the muscle tissue, is one of the most researched sports supplements in the recent years.
So I wonder if there is some considerable overlap with these substances if ingested concurrently ?
Swede said...
Throwing vegetables
In movies they always show people throwing vegetables when someone is about to be executed. I wonder why?
Stephan said...
Hi Matthew,
Nitrate is typically added as a preservative, I think in the form of sodium nitrate. I don't know what it's derived from.
Hi Bryan,
I agree. Semi-industrialized cultures have relatively high rates of stomach cancer, just like we did in the US a few generations ago. I think your hypothesis about the Koreans makes sense.
Hi Neonomide,
I came across that study when I was researching this post, I agree it's interesting.
Bisous said...
I knew there was a reason I was too lazy to use mouthwash after brushing.
trinkwasser said...
Fascinating stuff, as always.
I'm going to stick my neck out and say "J curve" again, maybe excessive quantities of nitrate/nitrite are a danger and less than anatomically correct quantities are also a danger.
I like my greens but like all things I try to ring the changes on their content on the basis of obtaining as many different micronutrients as possible, just in case.
lightcan said...
Hi Stephan,
Could you answer Woly's question regarding nitrosamines?
I think it is interesting to consider the difference between potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate and generally the higher level of salt in the processed meats as having an influence over the balance between Na and K in the human body. (from Wiki)
"In the process of food preservation, potassium nitrate has been a common ingredient of salted meat since the Middle Ages,[5] but its use has been mostly discontinued due to inconsistent results (regarding the growth of bacteria) compared to more modern nitrate and nitrite compounds."
Jay said...
In 2007 I went to two lectures at the MRC Human Nutrition Research here in Cambridge.
The first was by Prof. Sheila Bingham. a principal investigator on the EPIC study. In that study they found no correlation between fruit and vegetable intake and mortality, however there was a "very significant" correlation between blood ascorbate (vit C) levels and mortality and the bar graph she displayed to us showed steeply declining mortality between ascorbate levels corresponding to less than one 50g portion of plant food per day and five portions where it levelled out.
The study found the level of bowel cancer was about 1.3 times higher in red-meat eaters as in non red-meat eaters.
They investigated the damage to DNA in the enterocytes (that are shed continuously from the gut and can be extracted from the faeces) with various protein sources. The DNA damage from vegetable protein was low, that from fish and white meat slightly higher but red-meat caused many times as much DNA damage.
So why is bowel cancer only 1.3 times higher in red-meat eaters? They looked at common foods that might protect against cancer. They found that when dietary fibre, particularly Resistant Starch, was eaten with the red-meat the DNA damage was considerably reduced but still above the level for vegetable protein.
The next lecture was by one of her colleages from the Dunn Human Nutrition Unit and he did the same thing with chlorophyll. He found that eating the amount of chlorophyll found in one tablespoon of spinach with the red-meat reduced the DNA damage slightly below the level for vegetable protein.
In the wild all mammal carnivores eat the stomach of their prey first (not always all of the contents but some vegetable matter). Plains Indians were famed for eating the raw intestines of the buffalo along with its contents (mostly finely chewed grass) and the Sami of Lappland still get their vegetables this way. The Maasai, Samburu and other pastoralists who "disdain vegetables" usually eat more variety of plant foods than many vegetarians, much smaller quantity but carefully chosen see:
Members of the cat family have evolved for millions of years eating and drinking the ascorbate rich parts of their freshly killed prey yet they still make their own Vitamin C. You cannot get an optimal intake of ascorbate from an all meat diet, although you can avoid scurvy.
The EPIC study found no reduction in mortality from taking vitamin C supplements but the people who chose to take them were probably getting enough already.
For people who don't like greens, wheat-grass and barley grass juices are a good substitute and widely consumed in Japan.
Stephan said...
Hi lightcan,
Interesting, I didn't realize saltpeter is K nitrate and not Na nitrate. What woly said is a leading hypothesis of why there's an association between processed meat and gastric cancer. I think it's plausible.
Stephan said...
Hi Jay,
Thanks for the comment. I suspect the association between red meat and cancer has to do with cooking temperature. I'm planning to write about cooking temp at some point.
Greg said...
I am pretty suspicious of leafy greens because I have not found any evidence of traditional cultures consuming them. It would be great to see some.
Jay said...
I forgot to mention that pastoralists generally are averse to browned meat, in Tibet it is taboo to heat meat above boiling point and the Iranian herdsman in a TV documentary after tasting a medium steak offered by the camera crew said in subtitles "I'm sorry I can't eat this it's burnt"
I have seen plenty of references to eating the stomach and gut contents of their food animals, these are usually green.
Jane said...
That link you posted about the Maasai eating carefully chosen herbs is very interesting. It seems at least one of the herbs is high in tannins, which would bind iron and prevent its absorption. I've wondered for years how the Maasai avoid iron overload.
'In the wild all mammal carnivores eat the stomach of their prey first.'
I've heard this too, but it seems it isn't true. People who observe carnivores in the wild say the stomach contents are the only part NOT eaten. Have a look at this:
Helen said...
Red meat may indeed be associated with cancer due to cooking temperatures, but I wonder if it also has to do with an excess of heme iron.
I haven't looked into this, but I recently read about a strong correlation between heme iron intake (heme iron is the kind from meat) and insulin resistance, and, by extension, Type II diabetes. It could be that the correlations some studies have found between red meat intake and poor health have more to do with heme iron than the probable non-issue of saturated fat.
trinkwasser said...
I also wonder what else is in the modern meat. Hadn't considered the difference between potassium nitrate and sodium nitrite as an additive.
Some processed meats are injected with "mix", a solution of water containing various salts to bulk it up with retained water, and protein from other species which has been denatured to prevent its identification via DNA. You wouldn't find this crap in Real Meat.
Helen said...
Jane -
And yet, look at this:
Carnivorous Animals Track Fruit Abundance
That is, they eat the fruit.
Anecdotally, one of my cats likes watermelon, tomatoes, peas, and corn (unbuttered, on the cob). He turned up his nose at a plate of lamb I'd cooked up when he was on a hypoallergenic diet.
The observation some have made about animals eating organ meats (not the stomach) first has been used as proof that these are the most nutritionally valuable parts of the animal. I don't doubt it, but they are also the most perishable, so that may factor in as well.
Laura said...
Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer associates stomach cancer with "indigestible anger, swallowed too much" and intestinal cancer with "indigestible chunk of anger".
My brother says the Koreans get angry really easily.
Jay said...
In fact iron overload is quite common among the Maasai but as they visit the tribal herbalist about once a fortnight they adjust their herbs and it rarely becomes serious.
In the Stefansson and Anderson "all meat" diet they were allowed black tea and coffee, plenty of tannins there to prevent iron overload.
I have read that the most common cause of anemia in the UK is drinking tea with meals and not a low iron diet.
I had read the rawfed article before, it certainly doesn't contradict what I said. Wolves are pack animals and hunt animals many times larger than themselves, the gut contents of a prey animal can be many kilos, of course they only eat a tiny proportion of this.
I have seen a domestic cat kill and eat a mouse on two occasions and both times it ate the entire stomach contents.
On numerous occasions I have seen dogs and cats eat grass and Cindy Engel in her book mentions many other examples.
I guess that over 0.5% of a wild carnivore's diet (by weight not calories) is normally vegetable matter and much more during the autumn if they eat fruit (in the UK foxes like pears).
I agree that heme iron is important and have read that the production of N-nitroso compounds is greatly increased in the presence of heme iron whether from red meat or supplements.
joanent said...
Stephan - your blog is the best, and I am in the process of reading it all. I think you should point out that nitrosamines are proven carcinogens in animals. This was discovered when animal feed with high levels of nitrosamines (formed from fish and sodium nitrate) caused large numbers of cattle to die of cancer. Apparently vitamin C will block nitrosamine formation in cooking, and break it down endogenously (Mark Sisson had a good post on the MDA blog explaining this). I think people need to keep in mind that despite what the FDA claims, tests of meat preserved with sodium nitrate prepared according to instructions, does still contain nitrosamines - up to 10x the "safe" limit. Nitrosamines concentrate in the fat. I would suspect that further frying with the rendered bacon fat could cause the formation of more nitrosamines.
There is an interesting paper regarding the decrease in stomach cancer correlating with the decrease in the use of nitrates.
My take-away is to make sure not to cook any nitrate (or celery salt) preserved meat at high temperatures (<230 F), do not use the rendered fat, and use in moderation along with fruits and veggies that are a source of vitamin C - BLT anyone?
Except pregnant women- cured or processed meats have been linked with birth defects.
Reijo said...
There were a couple of comments on mouthwash and its role. Yes there is evidence that using mouthwash causes dramatic plunge in saliva's nitrite levels after oral nitrate load. So using regular mouthwash might offset cardiovascular benefits.
If intrested you can have a look at my take on the same subject:
nessuno said...
It would be interesting to know if the nitrates naturally present in green vegetables behave, after ingestion, in the same way as those added to meat products as preservatives. Does vitamin C in vegetables neutralise the ni-trosamines that might be created in the stomach in reaction with the gastric acid. Anyway, I think, it would be foolhardy to suppose that adding E250 (Sodium nitrite) to sausages increases their nutritive value, or that it has positive health effects in any way.
H. said...
Dr. Guyenet,
Dr. Mary Newport posted on April 14th, at her blog
the following post on nitrates and nitrites, which I am hoping you can address:
On April 7, 2011, a former surgeon general and Dr. Suzanne de la Monte appeared on the Dr. Oz Show entitled, "A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Alzheimer's Disease," (can be watched on his website) where she presented her important research. She is the doctor who coined the term "type 3 diabetes" in reference to Alzheimer's disease.She found by accident that giving a nitrosamine compound called streptozotocin, used to deliberately produce diabetes, caused Alzheimer's in her lab mice.
She learned that the brain produces its own insulin. She further found that this compound causes production of toxic lipids in the liver that cross the blood brain barrier and damage certain cells such that the brain develops insulin deficiency and insulin resistance. Nitrites and nitrates, found in very many processed foods, are nitrosamine compounds and could very well explain the epidemics of Alzheimer's, autism, diabetes, MS, Parkinson's and ALS, along with other neurodegenerative diseases that have insulin resistance, decreased glucose uptake as part of the process. These diseases have all been on the increase as processed foods have taken over our diets.
(continued in next comment space)
H. said...
continuation of Dr. Newport's blog post:
I will add Dr. de la Monte's references to the website, in the very near future. These nitrites and nitrates are in most bacon, ham and other meats, deli meats, whether pre-packaged or cut at the counter, processed cheeses, cereals, breads, pretzels, crackers, white flour and anything that contains white flour, certain beers, scotch and some other whiskeys.
Now something that has caught my attention for newborns and children: I found one of these offending compounds, thiamine mononitrate, in the Carnation infant formulas, some of the jarred baby foods, especially the junior combinations, cereals and other infant prepared foods such as macaroni and cheese. The government requires that certain vitamins such as thiamine are added to enrich foods that have been stripped of these nutrients by processing, most notably white flour and other grains.
Thiamine mononitrate is a synthetic source of vitamin B1, rather than a naturally occurring vitamin, and is added to very many foods. Just look at the ingredients labels. Most people eat something with thiamine mononitrate in it for nearly every meal. Naturally occurring Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is usually water soluble, meaning that if you eat an excess of it, you will pass it out in the urine; however, thiamine mononitrate is fat soluble and the excess accumulates in the liver and fat cells.
The FDA regulations (21 CFR 184.1878) say that thiamine mononitrate may be used in food "with no limitation other than good manufacturing practice" and that it "may be used in infant formula". These compounds could slowly kill off insulin producing cells in the brain and other organs, and when enough cells have been effected symptoms will begin to emerge.
This could explain the classic development of autism in children at 1 1/2 to 2 years of age who were previously thought to be normal. And in Alzheimers' it is believed that the disease process begins at least 10-20 years before symptoms appear. Animal studies need to be done to determine if thiamine mononitrate produces Alzheimer's disease, autism, type 2 diabetes and the other diseases mentioned above.
(cont'd in next comment)
H. said...
last part:
In the meantime, it would behoove us to read the labels and eliminate anything from the diet that includes nitrosamines, nitrites, nitrates; look for these words alone or in combination with other words, such as thiamine mononitrate. What is left for us to eat? Stay away from packaged and other processed foods and eat whole foods: organic whenever possible, vegetables, fruits, eggs, dairy, goat milk and cheeses, nuts, legumes, whole grains (without added nitrates) grass fed beef, free range chicken, "natural" deli meats that have nothing added (they can be frozen to prolong use).
I thought we were adhering very closely to a whole food diet until learning that many of the foods we were eating, such as deli meats and some "whole grain" breads and cereals, contain nitrites or nitrates. this could explain some of the deterioration we have seen in spite of everything else we are doing. Most important to our newest generation, mothers can avoid this problem by breastfeeding their babies for as long as possible. Nitrites and nitrates are just one group of compounds we need to worry about for our newborns and toddlers. Also, consuming foods with medium chain fatty acids, such as coconut oil and MCT oil, can at least partly bypass the problem of insulin resistance by providing an alternative fuel to glucose for brain cells.
And how could this possibly be related to the herpes simplex issue that I have written about? I found a 1977 article from the lab of Dr. George Cahill, Jr. ("Studies of Streptozotocin-induced insulitis and diabetes", Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 74(6): 2485-2489, June 1977), in which he used streptozotocin to produce diabetes in mice by destroying the beta cells of the pancreas-- an unexpected finding was an increased production of a type C virus in the beta cells that survived.
Could it be that the virus is involved as part of the process that destroys the cell after exposure to nitrosamines, or is an opportunistic infection that takes over the damaged cells, which further complicates the Alzheimer’s disease process? The bottom line is to avoid any foods that contain nitrites or nitrates or any ingredient in which one of the words appears.
(End of her blog post.)
I am hoping you can point out what is true and what is not.
Thanks very much.
gwarm said...
Here is DrGreger on Nitrites in bacon, nitrates in plants: (Vol7 info on beets): (watch to "chunk 8")
lindseynarrates said...
This was very important information. Thank you.
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Rename a drive
Every drive and storage device on your computer has a friendly name to make it easier to recognize. The computer's primary hard disk is usually referred to as drive C, for instance, but it also has the friendly name Local Disk. Follow these steps to rename your drive or device.
2. Right-click the drive or device you want to rename, and then click Rename. Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. Type a new name, and then press ENTER.
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http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/windows-vista/Rename-a-drive
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Annihilation, from Pyramid Texts
. . . of an old family, much noted, mentioned in manuscripts that have yet to be printed. He personally was well known, much in demand in the town and elsewhere.
Those with experience in climbing its four corners assert that his extraordinary gifts were obvious. His steps over the stones had a different rhythm and, despite his forefathers' long history, he brought to it something that no one before him had, for no one before him had ever reached the summit by night.
And when! On dark nights when there was no moon at all and the stars were extinguished.
Everyone who had anything to do with such things knew him-the specialists in antiquities, the officers and policemen on duty or who came on some transient mission (usually the guarding of important personages making the customary tour), the owners of tourist companies, the senior guides and cicerones, the translators, and the foreigners from divers parts who visited the pyramids more than once and were drawn to him.
Presidents, kings, and princes, international and local stars of the cinema, fashion designers, perfume experts, and wealthy people with boats, some passing through, some moored there long-term, all made a point of seeing him. In the guest parlor of his house he hung a letter from the Office of the President thanking him for the extraordinary effort he had displayed in climbing the Great Pyramid seven times in succession without a break before Indonesian president Ahmad Sukarno, guest of the state.
Praise was nothing new to his forefathers. Al-Balawi in his History mentions that Ibn Tulun praised and admired one of them and al-Maqrizi included an account of one in his Rhymed Biographies, a not insignificant part of which is lost. Al-Maqrizi says that Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad used to make excursions to Giza specially to see him and follow his progress. Napoleon Bonaparte advised the scholars of his expedition to sketch his great-great-grandfather but they failed because he was so fast, so agile, that he dazzled the eye.
It was a family deeply versed in the skill, through which knowledge of the routes leading to the summit had been long passed down. At a certain age, perhaps seven, the father would instruct his son in the first steps and then bit by bit he would be drawn in until it became his never ending aspiration to shorten the time.
Some of those knowledgeable in secret marks and talismans claim that the pyramids grow smaller every one hundred years by one degree. This was not something to dismiss lightly. The mere dislodgment of a stone from its place or the crumbling of the edge of another could lengthen or shorten the distance. In short, it might call for a new path to be found.
What he made bold to do, what he eventually achieved, made him an example to be cited and a model to be emulated by those who would come after him, for he was able to shorten the time twice in ten years, from eight minutes to seven and an half, and then to seven-a record nowhere to be found in the works of reference, ancient or modern. His accomplishment became iconic of the achievement of a difficult goal in a short time.
His renown spread. People took a liking to him and praised him much.
He was an only child, coming after a wait of many years during which his parents had submitted to God's decree and fate. When he arrived, they feared for him from the evil eye and the envy of men, and protected him with anxious care. He never wore brightly colored clothes but was wrapped in black. Circular tattoos were drawn on his forehead in dark coffee grounds, and on his cheeks and on the tip of his chin. Despite his mother's care lest he be exposed to a flutter of wind, a passing breeze, she refused to call him by a girl's name or to hide his maleness in girls' clothes as was the custom of those with few children-though had she done so, none of her relatives would have been any the wiser, for the boy had a round face, wide, deep-set eyes, and pretty features. All who saw him averred that he kept his gaze fixed on the pyramids, on the west, and that when his mother picked him up, he would twist around, and when she turned him to one side, he would cry loudly. With time she came to understand this and would only suckle him seated with her back to the pyramids. Then his lips would fasten on her breast, and when he had had enough he would fall into a deep sleep.
Was he drawn by some hidden force of which he was unaware?
Was he answering a call no one yes, no one else could hear?
No one could be sure, and when he listened to his mother's memories of his early days (she would try to provoke him, to drive him to speak, to explain), he would confront her with the same confident, affectionate smile.
His mother didn't know if he remembered the moment of his weaning, when before sunset she followed his father and entered seven paces within the ascending passage. She uncovered her breasts, whose nipples she had smeared with bitter aloes, and (poor mother!) his cries rang out. But he had taken a step toward his peculiar purity of being.
His father did not hide his early pleasure at his only son's fixation on and constant orientation toward the pyramids. He did not wait but started to instruct him in the secrets of the routes that lead to the summit, of which it is said that there are four (though others, among them masters, assert that there are eight). At the age of eight, he accompanied his father to the halfway point, at ten he stood next to him at the summit, where matter ends and the void begins, while his father pointed out the landmarks near and far. By the time the boy reached twelve, the father was able to sit among the spectators and follow his son's footsteps, his nimble leaps from one stone to another, as he climbed up or down.
It seemed as though all the skills of the family, both those that had been lost and those that had survived, had found a secure refuge in him. He learned to read and write, and his teachers were pleased with him and said that he was sensible and serious beyond his years, much given to silence, economical in his speaking, and chaste.
Once he took his father aback with a sudden and unexpected question:
"Did any of my forefathers climb the Middle Pyramid?"
His father did not want to show his consternation, or to tell him of the dangers innate in the ascent of that particular pyramid. A part of its rosy-colored, granite cladding, steeped in signs and letters, still covered the summit. He wanted neither to scare the boy nor to make light of the matter but decided to be truthful and hide nothing, though with caution. There was, after all, something mysterious about the boy, something that made the elders with all their dignity fall silent at his approach and treat him with affection and respect. His father told him of the one incident that had occurred in three generations, when a son of theirs had attempted that ascent. He made no explicit warning, but was afraid that the boy might also make an attempt. Nevertheless, though the treasured son often returned to his enquiries and investigations, he never did so. His great interest remained focused on the Great Pyramid, and especially its summit, its final point. He often climbed up there following some inner impulse and spent long hours alone, puzzling his father and frightening his mother, especially in view of his unyielding silence, his tightlipped-ness. He would stare fixedly at the pyramids for hours, worrying his parents so that his mother secretly asked the Moroccan shaykh to prepare a charm for him that would protect him from perils and the unexpected twists of fate, but the Moroccan, the marabout, who lived in his own time and silence, told her that her son had no need of such things because he had been chosen.
Chosen for what?
The Moroccan neither explained nor commented. That is how they are-a difficult race from whom to prize the truth.
This did not put a stop to his parents' constant anxiety over him, and especially not that of his father, who, as he grew weaker and as his strength started to fail, kept to the house. Many strange oft-repeated and well known stories had he heard of his forefathers, and yet of none equaling the feats of his son. They still told the tale of his great-great grandfather, he of the one leg, and how he had been able to climb the pyramid, leaping and bending and leaning his weight on the huge stones in their courses. And of how his greatgreat- grandfather had spent a whole month on top of the Great Pyramid during which he had neither descended nor been supplied with even a crust of bread or a sip of water, some averring that green birds had fed him dates and syrup. The narrators of the traditions assert that in those days the summit had no room for more than a single person, but was so polished and clean that it seemed to want for not even one hand's span of space. He had heard of one of his relatives who in days gone by had set off, entered, and disappeared, so that all hope of his return was lost but who had appeared again after twenty-four years, all of which he had spent in the depths of the pyramid.
He would not answer.
He would not explain.
The boy showed a special interest in the forefather who had stayed alone on top, at the end point, for a whole month. It is true that he didn't persist in his questions, did not ask for much by way of explanation, but one word from him who was so given to silence counted for much. When he made these enquiries, his mother would look at him hard, her heart beating, even hold her breath.
His father said that there was no place for such fears; the boy was sensible, and if he could climb on his own, traverse that taxing height, and display the zeal that had gained him such admiration and made him in such demand, there was no call to show a fear more fitting for young children.
His mother would say that he would always be a little boy to her, even after he got married and had sons and daughters, and Godspeed the day of his wedding, once He had sent him the right girl to look after him and keep him content.
Only once did she say that his long silence worried her.
It never occurred to those who saw him climb that he was capable of such silence. His ascent was different, and his father loved to watch it. The moment he touched the stones of the pyramid, a vitality would be released in him, an energy would surge up. He skipped, he jumped. He never looked upward but moved from here to there with a confusing grace, as though following an unheard voice that guided him or stretching out his hand to others that none but he could see who would lift him as he confronted two high conjoined rocks over which he must leap if he were to shave off one fraction of a second. Indeed, even the color of his skin would change. Close to the summit it would take on something of the color of the stones, which had long ago lost their covering-a middling color, between yellow and white and brown, and sometimes of a shade that defied accurate description-as though he were made of the same material and connected to it by invisible threads. God! Were it not for his son's constant dreaminess, and the way his eyes wandered into the distance, the father would have left this world with his heart at rest concerning him.
In fact his parents kept their fears much to themselves. They watched him with astonishment, with reserve, with fear lest he fall in a moment of ecstasy or surrender himself to the dominion of some mysterious power whose nature was known to no creature of God's. Charms and holy spells would avail him nothing in repulsing such harms. Not everything that the pyramids and their surrounding graves embraced was there for the seeing, exposed.
He was devoted to the pyramids, his eyes always upon them even when on top of them. He never ceased in his circumambulation of the Great, the Middle, and the Small, the finished and the unfinished, the covert and the overt. An obsession such as this was nothing new and aroused no concern, for he was the son of a family whose links to the pyramids were ancient. However, the lynchpin of his thoughts was something other: What lay behind the pyramids? The concerns of his equals in age did not engage him. Even his adolescence brought with it none of the pitfalls into which those making the transition from one age to another, and especially from childhood to manhood, usually fall.
Girls and women of divers nationalities offered themselves to him openly and clung to him. One of them offered to take him with her to Germany, where he would find everything he wanted, whatever he asked for, for her circumstances were easy and she traveled to and visited other countries, to see and observe. Another woman, from Japan, never stopped expressing her infatuation through letters that reached him regularly. She held a distinguished political position in the ruling party. Even men became obsessed with him, some who had come to see the pyramids seeing instead only him-his figure, his grace, his features that seemed to have emerged from the walls of a Pharaonic temple (as a high NATO official living in Luxembourg put it).
He knew well how to respond, whether with a gentle excuse or a resolute, unanswerable rebuff. He knew well how to express himself using the fourteen languages that he had learned and most of which he spoke well though he could not write them, as was the case with most of the inhabitants of the area who mixed with the endless stream of foreigners from every corner of the globe. He was distinguished from the rest, however, by his ability to read the inscriptions and pronounce the hieroglyphic language, a skill he acquired from the older inspectors of antiquities, to whom he was related and who sought his help in numerous undertakings. It was he, for example, who identified the place of the stone that fell on the day of the celebrated earthquake, on which occasion a high official at the General Authority for Antiquities who has since died, God rest his soul, shook his hand once he had descended, looked at him, and then addressed those around him with the words:
"He knows more about the pyramids than any of us."
Did the man know something of the boy's secret?
One may be sure that he did not, for he had never sat with him or listened to him. Nevertheless, from certain signs he had received from the boy, from expressions the boy had uttered and from other indications not all of which could be easily paraphrased, he had come to some understanding.
When the boy started to express his thoughts to his father, the latter hid his apprehension. The man had advanced in age now to the point where all he could do was listen. And what he heard stirred up in him echoes of things he had revealed to no man.
The boy said that this amazing stone structure, whether one be speaking of the Great or the Middle, was but an outward manifestation of something other, of a meaning, perhaps of a pattern, a truth, some power, maybe all of those. He could not be sure, but if he could know and become fully aware, he would settle down and feel peace.
What impelled him and moved him to ascend the pyramid, to commit its pathways to memory, to surpass the known, recorded, times, was not a desire to maintain a hereditary role that his forefathers had mastered so as to make a living and win the admiration of passing strangers. It was a means to become closer to that which he was seeking, that which had been tormenting him ever since he had become conscious of and grasped the difference between original and shadow, primary and secondary.
What lay behind that pattern?
Why did they come in this form?
How did matter connect with space?
This amazing base of huge stones which diminishes the further we move upward till the mighty blocks disappear was, at a certain point, annihilated, after which began the void. The palpable, rising from below, dwindled into nothing, and the infinite began. The base was but an offshoot of the terrestrial world, an offshoot that extended to the entire planet and connected it to something more inclusive, while at the summit began that point, imperceptible to the eye, which is both the beginning and the end of all that lies beyond the capacity of the intellect to grasp.
It was that point that preoccupied him.
Was it earthly and tangible, or invisible?
Was it fixed like a trunk to the earth, or unbounded and connected to the edges of the universe?
He mentioned these things briefly and did not offer any explanations, perhaps because he did not wish to be explicit, perhaps because he did not himself yet comprehend. Undoubtedly he was pondering other things too, to which he did not allude. It was beyond his father to engage him in debate, especially now that his mother had gone to her eternal rest and the man's health had collapsed. When he saw his son standing in the courtyard at that moment when a white thread becomes distinguishable from a black, he said nothing, did not ask him in what direction he was headed at such an hour, realizing, maybe, the futility of such a question. He contented himself with gazing, with making his son's presence still sturdier, his determination yet loftier. With the experience of the long days that he had lived and that had passed through him, he felt certain that this was the moment in preparation for which his son had spent long years.
The son passed through the door out onto the ascending road. He did not stop for a moment or look behind him.
He began the climb easily, comfortably, not climbing now to show off a skill, to impress a guest, or to master a new route that would shorten the time, but out of obedience to a call. He felt a driving force, obscure in its essence, invisible to any witness, beyond the ken of any observer, leading him upwards, to the summit. He had mastered many paths to that point, paths that threaded themselves among those stones that appear to the unfamiliar onlooker widely scattered, despite their adhesion, but which are in fact the essence of order.
On this ascent, however, he did not follow any of the paths he used by day. Instead he progressed by stepping on every one of the points that by day appeared to lie beyond reach, while his father, who had crept to the beginning of the road, averred that he was able to see him despite the weakness of his eyes, the dim light of dawn, and the absence of anything that could now tie him to him.
Those who know, those who have grasped some of what lies behind the veils and have groped their way to some familiarity with men's destinies, recount that at the instant of his arrival at the apex, the furthest attainable distance, he emitted a flash that reflected all the newborn light of the east so bright that it could be seen from afar, from every point on the horizon. It may be that he was wearing a traditional vestment of his forefathers. And he appeared almost to be dancing with joy, as though it were the first time for him to attain the summit, that tiny space on which an ancestor had passed an entire month without any known sustenance, that space that summarizes all that lies beneath it, all that buries itself deep in the belly of the earth, that awesome void that cannot be delimited, that erases all dividing lines, that equalizes all existing things.
That circling, bounding, movement of his was but a prelude to his subjection to the onslaught of an unending series of illuminations that then permeated and swept over him, driving him toward, and driving toward him, the still center of the song, the source of every dream, the root of every yearning, the secret both of the upsurge of desire and of its extinction, the force that both bends the bough and rips it from the trunk.
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Math Tutor Resume Objectives
by Michael Roennevig, Demand Media Google
If you're applying for work as a math tutor, your resume should clearly set out the experience you've had of working in this field, along with tangible examples of the success you've had while teaching. Your resume should be tailored to the requirements of the job description of each role you apply for, and be brief when covering details not mentioned in the job description. Your objective is to convey why you're the best candidate for this particular role. The information you present should be the same whether you're applying for an official position within a school system or you're being hired by a parent to tutor an individual student.
Begin with a brief introductory paragraph explaining how and why you became a math tutor. This should also mention any areas of math you specialize in. Tailor the introduction to the role being applied for. If the job description requires special knowledge of a certain area of math such as algebra or statistics, mention your qualifications or experience in the intro to quickly alert the reader that you have the necessary skills to do the job.
Experience and Outcomes
Present teaching or tutoring experience in reverse chronological order, highlighting the areas of experience that demonstrate you have the necessary skills to fulfill the job description. Include age groups taught and notable achievements from previous roles, such as dramatically improving student performance. This serves to back up the claims you made in the introductory summary with more detail, assuring the reader you're a good fit for the role.
List qualifications, again in reverse chronological order, going into specific detail about degrees and teaching diplomas required for the position. If the job description specifies you need to have achieved certain grades to qualify for an interview, include evidence of how you meet these requirements. If you've studied an advanced math-related subject at college, include notes that demonstrate the breadth of your knowledge in the subject.
Additional Skills
Add any other relevant skills you have at the end of your resume. Include any knowledge of software programs that could be useful to math students, as well as any training in student counseling.
About the Author
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• Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images
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http://work.chron.com/math-tutor-resume-objectives-6020.html
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Tale of Two Corruptos: Brazil and Mexico on Different Transparency Paths
Mexico complains, often rightly so, about being overshadowed by Brazil, but Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index is one more reminder of how Latin America's two titans differ today
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Frederic Streicher / Gallery Stock
Corcovado mountain's Christ the Redeemer statue stands tall over Rio de Janeiro
There is an increasingly heated debate today about Latin America’s two titans: Does Brazil receive too many kudos, and does Mexico receive too much criticism? For all the ugly press Mexico’s murderous drug war gets, Brazil’s homicide rate is actually higher. Global media fawn over Brazil’s economic boom, but the World Bank finds Mexico a much easier place to do business; it earns more in manufacturing exports and is enrolling a higher number of engineering students.
But Transparency International offers another potential reminder of why Brazil has realized more development, and two times more average economic growth, than Mexico has so far in the so-called Century of the Americas. Bottom line: business and bureaucracy might be easier in Mexico, but in Brazil they’re actually cleaner. Transparency, the Berlin-based corruption watchdog, issued its annual Corruption Perceptions Index this week — and despite Brazil’s long reputation for sleaze, it places ninth among the 26 Latin American and Caribbean countries on the 176-nation Index (the higher ranking being the less corrupt) compared with Mexico’s 16th-place finish. Among all nations, Brazil is No. 69; Mexico is No. 105.
(MORE: TIME’s Exclusive Interview with the New Mexican President)
That’s significant because one of the Index’s biggest stories in recent years is that Latin America has begun to shed its centuries-old image as the most venal region on earth. More than half of the Latin American nations ended up in the top half of the Index again this year — and Chile and Uruguay, which tied at No. 20, are just one slot behind the U.S. (Canada, home of Dudley Do-Right, is No. 9, the best in the western hemisphere; Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tied for No. 1.) The fact that Brazil has brought itself more in line with that trend than Mexico has — when at the turn of the century Brazil was still known for its Trem da Alegria, or Joy Train, the sardonic name Brazilians gave their hyper-embezzling public bureaucracy — simply gives global media another excuse to fawn.
Not that Brazil deserves any standing ovation. Its mensalão scandal, which involved millions of dollars in bribes to members of Congress and finally resulted this year in the largest corruption trial in Brazil’s history, is ample evidence of how far the South American giant still has to go. But the fact that the 38 defendants were tried at all — and that most of them, including José Dirceu, onetime chief of staff to popular former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have been convicted and face actual prison time — has helped burnish the anticorruption campaign of Lula’s successor, current President Dilma Rousseff.
Mexico, meanwhile, can still look as if it’s in denial about the entrenched corruption that according to the World Bank costs the country 9% of its trillion-dollar GDP each year. Last month the federal anticorruption agency all but absolved Mexican officials and retail giant Walmart — despite deeply detailed evidence published in April by the New York Times that the company had allegedly paid government administrators some $25 million in bribes to unfairly obtain permits and other favors. Little wonder that business monopolies, which can hold market shares as high as 95%, still suffocate Mexico’s economy, or that a dysfunctional justice system can’t rein in narcoviolence.
Mexico’s new President, Enrique Peña Nieto — who insists his Institutional Revolutionary Party has reformed after ruling the country from 1929 to 2000 as a corrupt, one-party dictatorship — has proposed a federal institute to ensure more public-records transparency as well as an autonomous anticorruption commission to be built into the constitution. Unfortunately, special agencies, institutes and commissions aren’t a substitute for functioning judiciaries, whose all-too-frequent absence is still Latin America’s biggest anticorruption challenge. Either way, Transparency isn’t the only organization that has cited Brazil’s new edge over Mexico in this department: in 2010, the Latin Business Chronicle ranked Brazil fifth best among 18 Latin American countries in terms of bribes that companies had to pay for things like permits, tax breaks and favorable court rulings; it ranked Mexico 10th.
(MORE: Brazil’s Epic Corruption Scandal Nets In Big Politicos)
If anything, Mexico should look at the top-50 Transparency rankings of Chile, Uruguay and Costa Rica (No. 48) — which not coincidentally are also considered three of Latin America’s best developed countries — as proof that fewer mordidas (or bites, as Mexicans call their quotidian graft) means more pesos. That said, however, while the Transparency Index reflects how far Latin America has come, it also points out how much work it has left to do: while two-thirds of the world scores below 50 on Transparency’s corruption score (0 is most corrupt, 100 is least corrupt), almost three-fourths of Latin America does. That includes the region’s worst performers, Venezuela and Haiti, tied at No. 165.
Venezuela’s socialist President Hugo Chávez rode to power 14 years ago denouncing the oil-rich nation’s epic corruption. But his Bolivarian revolution only seems to have embraced it. Today, Venezuela is more often cited for South America’s worst murder rate, one of the world’s highest inflation rates, negligible foreign investment and a judicial system subject to el comandante’s whims. Latin America is full of leaders who promise to crack down on corruption. What it needs is more leaders who crack down on corruption.
Actually, Mexico's homicide rate surpassed Brazil's in 2011. Furthermore, the homicide rate in Mexico has been increasing steadily since 2006 while Brazil's rate has been declining on a steady downward path. It's been estimated that there will be more than 30,000 homicides recorded by INEGI in Mexico this year. 19 of Mexico's States are under a travel advisory warning from the US.
@JDC Can you provide the sources for the claims you're making? This Economist article says otherwise
@ValeRo I am an academic sociologist/criminologist, and I am in the final stages of completing a paper on the interpretation of the homicide rate during the Felipe Calderón sexenio (just completed). My source of data on homicides is from the Medical Forensic reports filed (required by law) and reported to INEGI (the mexican national statistical agency equivalent to the US census bureau or Statistics Canada). There are other reports of homicide that filter out a significant number of homicides because the newspapers (eg Reforma) are trying to provide a count of murders that they think are specifically drug related). But the actual number of homicides during the first 5 years of Felipe Calderóns presidency reached almost 107,000. As of September, there were at least 28,000 recorded homicides in 2012 (from INEGI, and from the Procuraduria, and from several newspaper reports). The national rate of homicide when Felipe Calderon took office had actually declined to an all-time low and sat at about 9 homicides per 100,000. At the time he left office, the actual homicide rate sat at almost (just under) 24 per 100,000. There is not a way of attaching graphics to this note, but believe me— the INEGI data does not lie and it is the most reliable and valid measure of all homicides. My numbers from Brazil are taken from United Nations data and are available online in several places. One place to begin is a Wikipedia site (even though it is Wikipedia — it is actual UN data). Look at the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate_by_decade and move down the page to Brazil. You will see that there is a declining rate during the first decade of the millenium (it began to decline in the 1990's). The data on this link ends at 2009 where the rate was calculated at 23 per 100,000 and the rates are (200) 30 (2001) 31 (2002) 32 (2003) 33 (2-04) 31 (2005) 29 (2006) 31 (2007) 29 (2008) 30 (2009) 23.
Mexico has contracted with several international public relations firms to distribute statistics that it considers favourable, and has actively worked to "speak well of Mexico" (...this was the name of a program that Felipe Calderón promoted). There are many international news agencies that have simply used the numbers provided by Mexico and fact checkers have not bothered to go back and look at the actual data (readily available online and in international reputable sources).
The Economist data has been questioned publicly on a number of bulletin boards and discussion groups. For instance, visit the Google Group site Fronteralist and search for many discussions about the number of homicides in Mexico and for information about the Economist data.
Again, I apologize for not being able to upload some actual figures... but believe me, the numbers I have cited above are real and are based on reliable data and not on public relations documents circulated by those seeking to minimize the real damage in Mexico.
PS. My source of data for the claim that 19 Mexican States are under a travel advisory is the US State Department (cf http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html )
@joseangeldemty @JDC @ValeRo One should never take joy or be happy when describing high rates of violence and murder. It hurts me to see violence anywhere, especially in countries that have such beautiful and caring people like Mexico and Brazil. They, not me, are the victims of violence and States that do not provide security for its citizens. My data on Brazil is taken from the annual United Nations survey of violence. I copied those numbers directly into my post.
But the point is that it really doesn't make any sense to make the comparisons that are the basis of the original article. Both Brazil and Mexico have homicide rates that are completely out of line with most economically advanced countries. With a few notable exceptions, violence has been declining over time (cf. The Better Angels of Our Nature by Stephen Pinker). In the first comment to my post, someone asked me for my sources and I provided them. If you believe they are wrong, then you should provide reliable sources to discredit my figures.
I made no statement about Brazil's public relations firms. I believe you when you say they also do this. Those firms are used to sell States as investment sites, and they do not necessarily focus on any statistical measures or indicators except the economic ones that attract investors.
@JDC @ValeRo Your numbers are wrong, Brazil shows a homicide rate of 26 in 2010, Mexico shows 18 and then 17 in 2012. There is no data for Brazil in 2011. But no need, just in Rio de Janeiro more than 40 thousand people are killed every single year!.
You said that Calderon has contracted public relation firms, well so has Brazil, and most countries in the world do exactly that, but that has no relation to this discussion. According to you, The Economist magazine ¨has been questioned publicly on a number of bulletin boards and discussion groups¨ , what is that supposed to mean? you have to show data that opposses The Economist findings.
You`re just biased and it hurts you to see that, in fact, crime rates in Brazil are much, more higher than in Mexico.
my-new-life-in-asia like.author.displayName 1 Like
We should stop with these neo-liberal style analyzes. Corruption is not a key factor to explain the development of a country. In fact, China is a corrupt state, such as were Taiwan and S. Korea when they developed. The real question is whether free market ideology delivers what it promises. Even with widespread corruption, an economic policy aimed at boosting growth and industrialization can achieve its goals. Moreover, let's also mention that the countries with the lowest level of corruption, like Sweden, Denmark and Singapore, have high levels of state intervention.
I would say that rather than looking at Chile or Uruguay as the model for the destination that Mexico should look to Colombia for the path to get there.
Yes, Colombia. Colombia is becoming the new darling in Latin America. In order to deal with both Narco violence and political civil war, Colombia has come very far in development of "the state" in Colombia. Colombia is a place where people can trust the police. I once toured the Palacio Justicio in Monteria and I met several fiscalia, the equivalent of a state's attorney. On the desk of every one was the Penal Code of Colombia and all took create pride in telling me it had been remodeled to be based to American penal codes. The court police which I would assume that are those that exercise warrants and probation or parole violations are known to be incorruptible. Traffic stops by the police are less stressful than those in the US. There is security every where but it is not intrusive.
What it took was a will on the part of the people that they would have good government. Areas of society and the economy that never were under government auspice now are all. There is still places for improvement.
But I would say the better model for Mexico to follow is that of Colombia. No country in the Americas and maybe the world was pushed to brink in narco violence, in corruption, and civil strife. In 2000 it was not certain that the government could beat the FARC much less reduce corruption and improve its government than Colombia was in those days.
And to come back and be where it is today, is remarkable.
I am considering living in one of the two countries. Mexico scares me and I am not a coward. I walk the streets of Cali and Medellin in Colombia at 3 in the morning alone. Few of you would do that. I do not fear the police. I know they are not corrupt and will give me an even break. I do not feel I would be sought out by Colombians to be a crime victim. I wasn't. And things get better in Colombia every year.
I can't say the same thing about Mexico. I feel any foreigner with any level of existence above lower middle class would be a target. I believe the police would target me for extortion. And I do not even feel I would be safe in my home with an immense system of security. If I drove anything other than a beat up used car, I fear I would be targeted for carjacking.
So Mexico should look at what Colombia. Some of the things that happened in Colombia where extrajudicial but when a country is at the break of losing to complete lawlessness and several regions of Mexico have reached that Michocan, for example, Guerro other than a few blocks in Acapulco and Ixtapa, Senora, Chihuahua, then sometimes is better that if the bad guys show a fist, you show a stick, if they show a stick, you show a knife, if they show a knife you show a gun.
So I would say the Mexican people need to do whatever to get control of the country back.
@MarkMinter That's good that things in Colombia have improved. But your comments regarding Mexico are near comical, you start using the words "I feel" and "I believe" that leads me to believe you have not been in Mexico and your opinions are shaped by what you see/read on the news. There's plenty of middle class people that drive decent cars and live comfortably in their homes with out an "immense system of security" as you put it.
@ValeRo @MarkMinter
I have not been in Mexico. I admit. Not since before 2000 and only in the tourist areas.
I had spent the past month studying moving there. I had started out with a belief similar to what I found in Colombia, the reality was absolutely different than the press coverage and perceptions of the place. When I would say to Americans that I had been in Colombia, they would say "But they kill Americans there." And yes, I found their observations comical.
I commend that you are trying to imbue some truth into what you write, to change the perceptions of Americans and the world about Mexico.
I admit I have fallen prey to the press. I found an article from a few weeks back about a man, a Canadian who had been attacked in his rented apartment in Puerto Vallarta and stabbed 23 times. 23 times. I imagine what that much feel like to be stabbed 23 times. The same apartment had a similar murder occur one year before. The police commented that the neighborhood was close to nightlife.
And I found another article from July about another Canadian retiree in Barre de Navidad, in Jalsico who was found dead, bound to a tree with his belt around his neck, his hands tied behind his back. I assumed he eventually strangled himself because he could no longer stay awake. He died alone, tied to a tree in the middle of the jungle. He made the mistake of driving a 2 year old Jeep Patriot and was on the wrong road at the wrong time. He had been visiting a friend Melaque, about 3 miles away. He was found 3 weeks later.
I have also seen warnings from other Americans that had been in Mexico, one with three different types of police in the same photo and the warning said "They guys in the blue, they will extort you. It is best to avoid them. The guys in the black are better, but there aren't many. The guys in the shorts are hired by Acapulco to assist tourists and they are on your side. But they aren't many of them either and they are limited to the tourist zone. So if at all possible avoid the police in Mexico"
I inquired about driving a car down from the US and the overwhelming comments said to ship it. Any guy that makes a deal with the local authorities can be a cop and they will pull over Americans and expect a bribe. So stay on the tolls roads and carry plenty pesos. Better yet, ship the car and fly. And don't even think about trying to come down with a Surburban or large double cab pickup. These are favored in Carjacking because Narcos like them.
So yes, I am falling prey to fear and press. There is plenty to be had if you look for it. My intent was not so much to indict Mexico but to give an example of looking to a country, Colombia, that pulled itself out of what was considered one of highest levels of corruption in the world to become the darling for foreign investment and a retirement destination for many visitors as opposed to Chile who had no history remotely close to Mexico or Colombia.
For me, Mexico would be a better solution than Colombia. It is closer. It is better integrated with the United States in mail, shipping, phone service, satellite offerings, closer for friends and family, a mere 3 hour plane flight with direct connections to many American cities. The houses are wonderful. There are so many miles and miles of practically undisturbed beach. My fondest dream would be to get a jeep, no top, a backpack with a few clothes and come across in Juarez and start making my way south. I speak Spanish well. I am Texan. And Mexico is in my blood. It is part of who I am.
But I am not alone in this fear. I see the houses in Careyes, houses that would be 20 million in Los Angeles, 10 million in Puerto Vallarta, sit and languish on the market because of the fear of driving that road to Mazatlan to get to the airport. I see the wonderful villas and city houses of San Miguel Allende stay and stay on the web sites of Sothebys. I see more and more country properties, haciendas, ranchos that will not sell because people are afraid to be alone in the middle of nowhere.
I see the president of Mexico have to practically impose martial law on Guerro to insure the safety of even Mexican citizens, even within the few blocks of the beach in Acapulco. I see the travel warnings that say "Maybe it is better to fly in Ixtapa or Acapulco not drive. To avoid going north of Tepic. or south of Manzanillo.
Yes, I see the incidents have fallen in Guerro since 2011. I see things are getting better and one side of me wishes to look beyond the drug violence as something that will pass, that Mexico will gain control, and yes, I would like to be one of first Americans back into the country and say to the others, "You are as safe in Mexico as you are in your city in America". There are excellent values to be had, beautiful lives, wonderful ways to live.
It was those guys, those two Canadians that zinged me. Retirees that were targeted because they were NorteAmericanos, targets of opportunity. Random, yes, but targets never the less.
Yes, one side of me says "Maybe those people that were killed were doing something they should not have been doing and if you live a normal life, that you abstain from vice, from drugs, from dishonest dealings then you have nothing to fear"
I want to believe you. It is my best interest to believe you. So keep doing what you are doing. Make me believe the police and the Mexican government have my best interest and my safety as a key concern, that I not a target because I am easily identified as not a Mexican, and convince me to come to Mexico.
Because if people would believe you then this could be one of the biggest transfers of wealth from one country to another where the people from the north come to the south, buy houses, invest in Mexico, and more important, we could all be together and maybe be something different, something is less brown and white, something more tan.
Thank you for your comment and I appreciate your writing.
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http://world.time.com/2012/12/06/tale-of-two-corruptos-brazil-and-mexico-on-different-transparency-paths/?iid=pg-main-mostpop2
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Westminster Seminary California
Book Review: God Incarnate by Crisp
Book Review: God Incarnate by Crisp
Oliver D. Crisp, God Incarnate: Explorations in Christology. New York: T&T Clark, 2009, 200pp. $34.95. Paper.
In God Incarnate, Oliver Crisp continues his program of pursuing an analytic theological method in addressing questions of Christology. Crisp employs the analytic method in order to discover the logical interconnections of specific doctrinal points. He insists that reason is used as an instrument and as a handmaid to theology.
In chapter one, Crisp addresses the issue of a Christological methodology. He argues that Scripture has the highest authority as the norming norm, followed by the ecumenical creeds which have a binding authority. He surveys the modern Christological tendency to speak about “high” and “low” Christologies as well as Christologies “from below” or “from below.” Insightfully, Crisp notes that he does not find the concept of a “high” Christology helpful as unorthodox Christologies, such as those of the Docetic and Arian variety, can be counted as “high” Christologies. Thus, this distinction is found to be not particularly useful. On the whole, Crisp complains that it is often difficult to know exactly what each of these distinctions mean. Therefore, he pleads for theologians to make their assumptions explicit.
The election of Jesus Christ is the topic of the second chapter. In his Church Dogmatics, Karl Barth famously argued that Jesus Christ is the “electing God” and the “elected man.” Crisp is careful to point out that there was also a lively discussion during the Post-Reformation period among the Reformed Orthodox on this very issue. Crisp first conducts a historical survey in order to show that there is not a monolithic and unanimous “Reformed view” of the relation between Christ and the doctrine of election. Using a twofold typology, Crisp notes that there were two Reformed construals for understanding the doctrine of election. The first, espoused by the Synod of Dort and the Westminster Confession, proposes that election is based on the sovereign good pleasure of God and that Christ’s work is the means whereby election is brought about. The second, espoused by the theologians at Samur, argues that the election of Christ, understood objectively, is the grounds for the election of humanity and not merely a consequence of the decree to elect. Next, Crisp examines the theology of Francis Turretin, a theologian who attacked the notion that Christ’s merit is the ground of election. Crisp then offers his own constructive proposal for understanding Christ and election. He suggests that the decree to elect is based on the good pleasure of triune divine will, and that the decree has two aspects: the election of Christ and the election of a particular number of humanity. The election of a particular number of humanity is subsequent to the election of Christ. Most importantly, Crisp is at pains to point out that due to the opera ad extra principle, all Persons of the Trinity are involved in the decree to elect. Thus, the Son is intimately involved in the cause and the foundation of election. Crisp is careful to point out that the cause of election is the divine will rather than the foreseen merits of Christ. To close this chapter, Crisp compares his proposal against Barth’s doctrine of election. He distances himself from Barth’s doctrine of Christ as the Reprobate One and the ambiguities of a perceived universalism in Barth’s doctrine of election.
In the third chapter, Crisp examines the pre-existence of Christ. Focusing specifically on Robert Jenson’s account of pre-existence, Crisp argues that the view offered by Jenson is incompatible with traditional views and deeply problematic. Jenson is suspicious of Greek metaphysics and he rejects the Aristotelian idea of time as a linear sequence and the Platonic notion of eternity as a-temporal. Due to this aversion, Jenson constructs his notion of Christ’s pre-existence without a dependence on Greek metaphysics. Instead of following the more traditional idea that God is a-temporal, Jenson suggests that God must be understood as temporally infinite. God exists in time by projecting his future backwards from his future to his past and present. One of Jenson’s moves is to deny that the Word is ever asarkos. Jenson also claims that Old Testament Israel is in some sense the pre-existent Christ. Crisp rejects much of Jenson’s account by stating that it is unclear and “perhaps downright inconsistent” (p. 67).
In the next two chapters Crisp investigates the relation between Christology and biology. In chapter four he addresses the issue of the “fittingness” of the Virgin Birth. Crisp notes that the Virgin Birth is not necessary for the Incarnation. That is, God could have brought about the Incarnation through natural generation. On this view, the Holy Spirit intervenes to assure Christ is born without original sin. However, Crisp thinks there is no theological reason to reject the Virgin Birth. The Virgin Birth is clearly set forth in Scripture and the ecumenical creeds of the church. In chapter five, Crisp examines the relationship between Christology and bioethics. Crisp posits that an orthodox Christology can provide theological answers to the question of when a person exists. Crisp suggests that at the Incarnation, there was no lag between conception and personhood. Due to the rejection of Apollinarianism, orthodox Christology insists that there is no time in which Christ did not have a human soul. Therefore, since the Word assumed a fully human nature at conception, this should help to give bioethicists a theological account of when human personhood begins. I think Crisp is right here. As all theology is necessarily practical and has ethical implications, there is no reason to not apply Chalcedonian Christology to bioethical issues.
In the sixth chapter the question of the impeccability of Christ is addressed. Crisp finds no reason to embrace the sinlessness view over the impeccable view. He argues that the adoption of the sinlessness view, a view which holds that Christ was without sin but was still able to sin, undermines an orthodox doctrine of the Incarnation. The motivation behind the sinlessness view is the attempt to take the temptations of Christ, and thus Christ’s true humanity, seriously. To provide a woefully inadequate summary of all the ground covered in this chapter, Crisp’s main argument against the sinlessness-only view is that the by virtue of the hypostatic union, Christ’s humanity is made incapable of sinning. Further, Crisp’s impeccable view can still account for the fact that Christ had a true capacity for being tempted.
Space prevents me from discussing chapter 7, which deals with materialist Christologies, and chapter 8, which deals with multiple incarnations, in detail.
My major critique of this work is that it seems that the analytic method is given to speculation and mild rationalism. In other words, at points, Crisp’s method is prone to consider abstract possibilities that have little bearing to the data of revelation. My worry is that analytic theology is prone to give priority to logical consistency rather than what is revealed in Scripture. I will cite one example. In the last chapter, Crisp entertains the question if it logically possible for there to be more than one incarnation. Rather that starting with the actuality of revelation, the question of the chapter is whether it is metaphysically possible for there to be more than one incarnation. Crisp answers in the affirmative by stating that it is not logically impossible for one divine person to assume more than one human nature. Although Crisp rightfully accepts the fact that there are good biblical and theological reasons for believing there is only one incarnation, this is just one example where the analytic method betrays a tendency towards speculation.
Despite these criticisms, in God Incarnate Crisp shows himself to be one of the brightest and most talented younger theologians working today in the field of Christology. His work is well-written and carefully argued. Crisp’s stated goal is to use analytic theology to develop a theological method which will shed light on the internal logic of certain doctrinal questions. In this task he succeeds.
Reviewed by Micah Throop, MAHT Candidate
1 / 9 / 2012
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http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/book-review-god-incarnate-by-crisp
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HTML 4.0 Table Column Proportional Width Constraints
The table below is 350 pixels wide. The columns are assigned proportional widths using COLs as follows:
<col width=50>
<col width=2*>
<col width=1*>
<col width=3*>
This means the first column should be 50 pixels wide. The remaining width should be divided among the three remaining columns according to the proportional width statements into six (2+1+3) parts. Since the Table is 350 pixels wide, and the remaining width is 300 pixels (350-50), the remaining columns should be 100 (2*50), 50 (1*50) and 150 (3*50) pixels wide, respectively.
One Two Three Four
Red Green Blue Green
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http://www-archive.mozilla.org/newlayout/testcases/layout/columnconstraints.html
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How to relieve muscle pain & muscle spasms with homeopathy.
Over use, strain and injury are common causes of muscle pain that we talk about frequently, but another common cause of muscle pain and muscle spasms that gets less attention is tension and stress. While "Arnica" is the first remedy that comes to mind when dealing with muscle pain and injury, stress and tension related muscle spasms are often better served with different homeopathic remedy selections. Here's a closer look at some of those homeopathic remedies and the homeopathic ingredients that match stress and tension related muscle symptoms:
Muscular Tissue IMuscular Tissue I: Reduces inflammation, speeds healing and relieves pain and cramping naturally. This spasm and inflammation easing cell salt combination gives muscles what their cells need to stay healthy. Made from the minerals muscles use to flex, lift, push, pull, repair and relax, without inflammation, pain, cramps or spasms, this 100% natural tissue combination can be taken anytime at any age.
Homeopathic Ingredients:
Ferr phos - The anti-inflammation cell salt made from iron phosphate helps assure good oxygen delivery which keeps muscles strong and helps control inflammation after over-exertion, sprains and strains.
Kali sulph - The cell salt made from potassium sulphate is critical for lubricating tissues to keep muscles sliding smoothly and for getting oxygen from blood cell to tissues.
Magnesia phos - The anti-spasmodic cell salt made from the mineral muscles and nerves need to communicate coherently helps relax muscle cramps, spasms and tension.
Elastic Tissue GElastic Tissue G - The cell salts veins and other tissues need for growth, repair and flexibility. From growing pains and stretch marks to varicose veins and hemorrhoids, this unique cell salt formula adds bounce-back-ability. Veins, muscles, bones, tendons and skin all depend on these cell salts for strength and flexibility. Safe at any age, Tissue G, offers natural support to symptoms involving growth, injuries, aging and repair.
Though we often think of elasticity as an aging issue, imagine the elasticity it takes to go from an egg to 8 pounds, or a newborn to over 5 feet. The elasticity in our veins keeps them from getting stretched and varicosed. The elasticity in our muscles, tendons, skin and nerves keeps them strong and flexible.
Homeopathic Ingredients:
Calc fluor - The cell salt most important for elasticity in veins, skin and even bones helps the body restore tone and heal varicose veins, hemorrhoids, stretch marks, lumbago, growing pains and other conditions that lack flexibility.
Calc phos - The growth and repair cell salt boosts nutrition and cellular activity to help restore tone to weakened or growing tissue.
Kali phos - The nerve nutrient cell salt helps the nerves stay calm and healthy while the other salts are working.
Natrum mur - By aiding water distribution, this cell salt helps circulation, stiff joints and other tissues.
Whether growing up, growing older, or recovering from an injury, illness, fitness class, puberty, pregnancy or the blahs, this remedy can keep you bouncing back. Because they are made from minerals essential to our cells, the cells salt remedies and their tissue combinations provide the gentlest, most straightforward way to help the body restore balance, health and vitality.
Hyland's Leg Cramps with Quinine PM - Keep muscles relaxed and crampless all night long! This unique version of Hyland’s popular Leg Cramps with Quinine relieves pain and cramps in lower body, legs, feet and toes with accompanying nighttime sleeplessness. Its effective pain relief helps you fall asleep and get back to sleep at night.
Individual Cell Salt Support for Muscle Pain and Muscle Spasms
Mag phos
The simplest, most natural way to ease and prevent cramps, spasms and radiating pains is to encourage the connection between nerves and muscles with the cell salt they depend on. Mag phos is a fast acting remedy that benefits symptoms as diverse as leg cramps, muscle spasms, menstrual cramps, spasmodic coughs, colic and hiccups, as well as backache, right sided sciatica, facial neuralgia, tics, toothache, stabbing headaches and weary nerves. Anytime symptoms improve with heat and worsen with cold, it’s perfectly natural to try this popular favorite. Sipping hot water with a dose can speed its action.
Ferrum phos
As its source helps us build strong blood cells, Ferrum phos (iron phosphate) helps the body face many stresses, including inflammations, acute fevers, injuries, blood loss, nose bleeds, heat fatigue, etc. Whenever redness, heat, throbbing or fever, suggest the first stages of acute inflammation (common colds, bronchitis, joint pains, fatigue, skin eruptions, etc.), Ferr phos offers a worry free boost. It can be particularly helpful in turning around a child’s sudden fever or a young girl’s pubescent weakness.
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http://www.1-800homeopathy.com/blog/muscle-spasms/
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Addition with Roman Numerals
This lesson illustrates addition with Roman Numerals. Notice how much more difficult it is to add when the number system does not use place values like the Arabic number system that we normally use.
Return to Top
What is the Sum of the two Numbers?
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http://www.aaamath.com/add28y-add-roman.html
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New Rules of Kids' Fitness
3. Know When To Praise
Kids aren't stupid. Say a child whiffs at three pitches in a row. The modern parent often tells him, "Good try." But that type of hollow praise doesn't console him, or help him the next time he steps up to the plate. "Praise should be specific and authentic, as in, 'Good job juggling the ball 10 times. I see you've been practicing a lot. Your efforts have paid off,' " says Liston. "You should also mix instruction and encouragement when your child makes a mistake." So look for a teaching point, even on a strikeout. For instance, you might say, "Good eye on that second and third pitch. Keep swinging at pitches like those, and the hits will come."
Perhaps just as important, avoid telling the kid what he should have done: "You have to swing sooner, Billy!" There's nothing wrong with acknowledging mistakes, but keep the focus of your instruction on what the child is doing correctly. This will boost his confidence and help him improve faster. You might liken it to the approach parents use when a toddler is learning to walk. They typically encourage every tiny step of improvement instead of dwelling on the falls. Use the same strategy when you teach the most basic sports skills, and your child will have greater success - and, as a result, more fun.
And have more fun yourself - and be an even better father - by following the 10 New Commandments of Dad.
4. Instruct By Showing, Not Telling
Forget the phrase "Keep your eye on the ball." Why? Because the first time most kids hear it, they have no idea what you're talking about. "You can't just tell a young person who's learning a new skill what to do," says Liston. "You have to show him." Then let the child try it, reinforce what he did correctly, and repeat the entire process. That's because children need repetition in order to learn a new task and instill correct behaviors. Here are seven more tricks for raising kids like a man..
Apply this technique when you're teaching a child to hit a baseball:
1. Stand a few feet away from the kid (who should be holding the bat, ready to swing) and tell him to look at the ball.
2. Move toward him with the ball in your hand while continually instructing him to keep looking at the ball. This simple method teaches him to track the ball.
3. When you approach the strike zone, tell him to slowly try to hit the ball with the bat.
4. Now go back to the starting point, but this time toss the ball into the strike zone and allow him to swing at full speed.
5. Review what the child did well and give instruction for improvement.
6. Repeat the process, making sure he's consistently successful before you increase the difficulty by throwing the ball faster.
5. Remember to Peep Play Fun
It's also important to avoid embarrassing situations that can stick with a child. That means kids shouldn't pick their own team members, and no one should be made an example when learning a new skill. "The fewer negative experiences and the more enjoyment kids have," Liston says, "the more likely they are to continue to be active for a lifetime."
To learn more about FitSchools - and to find out how you can help fight childhood obesity - go to
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http://www.active.com/a3_articles/63d481d4-1c7c-4ef1-8211-da5b55dd444c/1?page=2
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AD Main Menu
Lowenfels: Take steps to a lawn that's light on labor
Jeff Lowenfels
Lawns. Most homes have them. This is not a column about their worth (though I do think that many shortchange their benefits). If you have one and are keeping it, you might need some advice on caring for it.
First of all, by now your lawn should be greening up nicely. Water is all a lawn needs coming out of winter and you should be giving yours at least one inch every four or five days between you and Mother Nature. Dormancy is broken and new leaves are produced. The lawn greens up. You don't need to feed it. There are sugars stored in the plant roots and there are nutrients enough in the soil to start them out on their seasonal way.
Frankly, for most people, once the lawn has had enough water and greens up, that is all the work they need to do. The idea that a lawn needs fertilizer every spring and certainly that it needs it several times a season is the notion of those who seek to sell you fertilizer and make billions of dollars. It is not coming from me, your trusted garden columnist. I don't know where the idea you need to lime every year comes from, but I do know too much fertilizer results in the need. Good grief.
Mowing the lawn and leaving clippings and mowing the leaves and leaving them as mulch is pretty much all there is left to do. Sure, fill in some of the bare spots with compost and reseed.
If you are not satisfied with the color of your lawn, don't jump to the conclusion that you need to toss a few bags into the spreader and dust things up. What does the author of top-selling "Teaming With Nutrients" say? Get your lawn soil tested. You may find it has everything it needs. It may just lack mycorrhizal fungi. These can be applied with the soluble formulas, by the way, and are always a good idea for a first-year lawn.
If you have been using chemicals on your lawn, you may just need to return the other microbes you killed off. This can be done with compost tea applications or by spreading compost one-eighth to one-half inch thick.
Or you may actually need to apply some nitrogen. This will not be often if you leave those clippings, as they are full of nitrogen, up to 90 percent of what a lawn needs. Toss in those mulched leaves and you may never need to fertilize for nitrogen deficiency again.
Commercial chemical fertilizers? Not for me. I am organic, and you should be too. Gardeners use three times as much nitrogen fertilizers as do farmers on an acre-per-acre basis. For my money -- and as co-author of another book, "Teaming With Microbes" (shameless, I know, but it is a reference point for credibility purposes!) -- soy bean meal is the best stuff to toss out there. Mix in some granulated molasses if you want a bit faster greening. Aerating the lawn first is a good idea. Leave the plugs.
When is the best time to water? Morning. This is because the nutrients a plant needs are taken up with water and water moves through a plant for the most part because of transpiration. This only happens when the leaf openings are open which happens to be the day. So hit the lawn with water early in the day and keep those nutrients flowing. And consider warmer water (installing a hot water faucet) just as you should for your other plants.
Mow high. This will hide those dandelions when they are not in bloom. It will also grow a thicker lawn. And by all means mow in patterns that will express your inner artist. At a minimum mow diagonal to the house, not perpendicular. Lay a track out around your lawn for turning and then go for it. Circles around trees and shrubs, hearts every now and then. Go for it. Why should those guys who mow the lawns in baseball stadiums have all the fun?
That is all there is to it. Lawns don't need to be work. They will be if you listen to the Scotts and others who yell at you to feed, weed and feed, lime and turf build. None of that is necessary. Nor should it be for a meager three month season (I have saved you a ton of work).
Jeff Lowenfels' latest book is "Teaming With Nutrients: The Organic Gardener's Guide To Optimizing Plant Nutrition." Reach him at
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http://www.adn.com/article/20130613/lowenfels-take-steps-lawn-thats-light-labor
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Grooming Short-Haired Dogs
Most short haired dogs do not require much grooming. However, if your dog is a heavy shedder, then frequent grooming may help control shedding and dandruff. Begin by using the slicker to remove tangles. Brush the entire length of the dog's body with each stoke. Next, brush the entire body with the bristle brush to remove any loose hair and dirt. Finally, use the flea comb to groom areas such as the tail and belly, making sure to check for parasites. For smooth coats, a slicker not necessary, but a rubber brush is highly recommended. For wiry coats, use a stripping knife to strip away dead hair every couple of months.
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http://www.ahandsomehound.com/groom/GROOMING%20SHORT-HAIRED%20DOGS.htm
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DNR: How to Measure and Identify Big Trees
IN.gov - Skip Navigation
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Forestry > Publications & Presentations > Indiana Big Tree Register > Big Tree Nominations > How to Measure and Identify Big Trees How to Measure and Identify Big Trees
Diagram of what to measure
Data submitted should include:
1. Common species name according to Deam’s “Trees of Indiana.”
2. Scientific name, if known.
3. County and Township where tree is located.
4. Physical condition of tree when measured.
5. Date measured.
6. Map showing location of tree.
7. Circumference, total height, average crown spread of tree.
8. Owners name and address.
9. Nominator’s name, address and phone number and date nominated.
10. Landowner’s permission to submit entry.
11. One or more photographs of tree.
CIRCUMFERENCE is measured at 4 1/2 feet above the ground. If the tree is on a slope, the measurement is taken from the uphill side of the tree. If the tree forks at or below the 4 1/2 feet point, or if a bulge occurs at this point, take the measurement at a location lower on the trunk where the tree resumes its normal size or taper. Record the number of inches around the tree by using a tape measure. Be sure tape measure is straight.
Measure tree circumference
CROWN SPREAD is to be reported as the average distance from one side of the tree’s crown to the other as measured through the center of the tree. To take these needed measurements, walk beneath the tree checking to see where the crown is widest and also where most narrow. Once you have determined this, begin with the widest crown spread and mark the crown’s edge (or drip line) on the ground and proceed to the opposite side of the tree doing the same. Remember, the crown spread passes in a straight line through the center of the tree. Measure and record this distance and repeat the same procedure for the most narrow spread of the tree’s crown. To determine the average crown spread for your nomination, add the two measurements together and divide the sum by two.
TOTAL TREE HEIGHT is the distance from the ground’s high point at the tree’s base to the very top of the tree. A simple and quite accurate method of measuring tree height can be done with a yardstick. To do this, temporarily mark a spot 4 feet up from the base of the tree to serve as a sighting point for measuring tree height. A ribbon around the tree or masking tape may work well or have a friend hold his/her hand at a point 4 feet up on the tree’s trunk. Next, back away from the tree with the yardstick held straight up and down as if you were sighting straight up and down the tree. It is very important that your stick be held straight for an accurate measurement. Keep backing up (about 100 feet) until the 4 foot section you marked on the tree occupies exactly ONE INCH on your yardstick. Now, without moving your stick, site to the base of the tree and then to the top of the tree noting the number of inches the tree height occupies. Remembering that one inch on your yardstick equals four actual feet, multiply the measured tree height time four to determine the total tree height.
Measure tree height
Total height of illustrated tree according to this method of measuring would be 28 feet. (7 x 4 = 28)
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http://www.ai.org/dnr/forestry/8275.htm
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Alaska Oil Policy
Understanding investment
Chart courtesy of Petoro
Alaskans heard the word “investment” a great deal during the recent legislative session. They likely will hear more of the word in the months and years ahead as the state continues efforts to bring increased investment to the North Slope, and others evaluate whether those efforts are successful.
In that context I thought it would be useful to write a column on oil investment.
The Chart
To do that, I have borrowed a chart from a company called Petoro. Those who read my January column (“Alaska Oil Policy: Achieving Alignment,” Alaska Business Monthly, January 2013), will recognize Petoro as the arm of the Norwegian government engaged in co-investment with industry in the development of that country’s oil and gas resources. I chose to use a chart from Petoro because it is viewed largely as a neutral entity, not likely to tilt the information playing field one direction or another.
The chart shows the relationship over time between investment and production in the development of a typical oil field. The bars are investment levels, by year. The higher the bar, the greater the investment made in that year.
The blue line is production level, again by year. The higher the line, the greater the production level for that year. The bars and production line go out 26 years, a useful proxy for a significantly sized field.
The bump in the line beginning about the 18th year represents the application of improved oil recovery (IOR) methods that often are employed in mature and aging fields. Depending on the characteristics of the field, the application of such methods can boost both then-current production levels and the ultimate recovery of oil from the field.
As also shown on the chart, however, such increased production and recovery rates require added investment. The substantial increases in investment levels shown in years 17, 18 and 19 are directly tied to the increased production and recovery rates depicted by the bump in the line. Those increases would not occur but for the increase in investment.
As complete as the chart is, there are two additional events that are useful to visualize to help understand oil investment in Alaska. One comes before this chart begins. A producer must find a field to produce before bringing it into development.
This chart only depicts the development phase. There are several years before this chart begins that are involved in the exploration phase. All that occurs in those earlier years is investment; there is no production.
The second is in the later years of the development phase. This chart shows one cycle of improved recovery. Actually, some major fields, like Prudhoe, go through a number of such cycles as techniques and technology are developed that offer the potential to increase ultimate recovery rates even further.
Indeed, Prudhoe is something of the global poster child for such efforts. When first discovered, the owners estimated that they ultimately would recover 40 percent of the oil contained in the Prudhoe Bay Field. With the application of the initial set of improved recovery techniques, the estimated recovery rate grew to 50 percent. As the owners came to understand the field better—and continued to make investments—they have developed additional techniques, equipment and tools which lead them now to estimate ultimately recovering 60 percent of the oil contained in the Prudhoe Bay field.
And there remain other ideas which, with timely investment, may push the ultimate recovery rate even higher.
This chart helps in several ways to better understand oil investment in Alaska. The following will point out three.
Understanding the Importance of Predictable Tax Levels
First, the chart helps explain why investors are focused on the predictability and certainty of tax and other so-called government take levels.
Following the chart from the left it is clear that a producer commits a large part of the money required for a major project in the first few years. Most production—and revenue—come later. Despite the fact that it comes later, however, it is that anticipated revenue stream on which the investment is based in the first place.
Generally speaking, the producer estimates the return it anticipates earning from the revenue stream, compares that with other opportunities, and then invests in those providing the best return.
Because the revenue stream is still several years into the future at the time the investments are made, the investor must make projections about what the revenue stream will look like, and what deductions will apply. One of the factors in making that projection—indeed, often the largest factor other than the price of oil—is the amount the applicable governments will deduct from the stream in royalty, taxes and other assessments over the first 15 years or so of the project.
In making that projection, the investor necessarily will assess the relative certainty of what the government take level will be over the period. Some countries provide for government take by contract, backed up with various arbitration provisions. Others essentially negotiate take levels on a case by case basis with the investor during its evaluation of the project and, while not set by contract, nevertheless respect the terms of the negotiated results once the investment is made.
Alaska and others, on the other hand, set take levels in large part by statute, reserving the right to change the level during the life of the project.
Projects where the government reserves the right to change the take level during the life of the project present special problems in projecting the level of the anticipated return. Usually, the investor will include a risk factor to account for the potential that the level of government take will increase during the life of the project.
In areas where the government has demonstrated a propensity to exercise that ability, the investor usually will assume in its economics some upward change in government take levels during the term. That also is the case where the current take levels include a “sunset” or similar provision, automatically adjusting the levels in certain situations. Investors generally will be cautious and assume it is more likely that the events will occur than not.
The result is to put major, long-term investments in those areas, like Alaska, where the take levels may be changed at a competitive disadvantage. Even if the actual government take level at the time the investment is being evaluated is lower than competing alternatives, the project may still go unfunded if there is concern that government take levels may increase sometime during the life of the revenue stream.
The Difference between Long-Term and Short-Term Investment
Second, the chart helps explain the difference between long-term and short-term investment.
Following the chart from the left, it is clear that the first set of investment, made in the early years of the project, is significant and produces a long revenue stream. On the other hand, the second set of investment, made in the later years for improved recovery, is smaller and produces a relatively short revenue stream.
This difference between long-term and short-term investment is significant. Because they have a limited time horizon, short-term investment projects are subject to somewhat less risk than long-term projects.
For example, in evaluating a short-term project, the period over which an investor is required to project the anticipated level of government take is much more compact. Investors need to assess the likely level of government take only over a five to eight year period, roughly half that appropriate to a long-term investment.
Because the likely outcomes tend to be more predictable over shorter periods, the risk factors associated with short-term projects usually are lower and enable those projects to compete better for capital than long-term projects in the same area.
For this reason, Alaska tends to compete better for short-term investment than it does for long-term investment. Adoption of tax reform likely improves that position. Investors will assume that the changes will remain in place for some period of time.
Even with tax reform, however, Alaska remains at a competitive disadvantage for long-term investment because of continued uncertainty around its long-term tax structure.
As the chart makes clear, the downside of shorter-term projects is that they involve much less investment, result in much lower production, and last over a much shorter time frame.
Why Capital Credits Seldom Work Well
Third, the chart helps explain why tax credits tied to capital spending generally fail to encourage significant new oil investment, as happened under Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share (ACES).
In the oil industry, taxes usually are tied to production, once investors have income. Sometimes, as Alaska tried under ACES, the tax structure also will permit investors to reduce their taxes through credits tied to capital spending.
The idea behind such credits is to encourage investors to pursue projects by reducing the effective cost of their investment. That approach seldom attracts major projects, however.
As the chart demonstrates, capital spending on major oil projects usually occurs ahead of production. Investment is heavy at the front end, then tapers off as production begins to ramp up.
As a result, tax credits tied to capital spending largely are only available early in the life of the project, before production—and thus, production taxes—begin. Unless the time period for which the tax credits can be used is extended, they largely expire before any taxable income occurs.
Of course, some tax schemes permit the credits to be carried forward or, as ACES did for some taxpayers, permits the credits to be turned into cash payments to the investors. Even then, however, the use of tax credits seldom significantly help a major project.
Even if carried forward, all that the tax credits do is reduce the effective tax rate of the project. The investor still pays taxes, but the rate is lower than the identified rate because the taxpayer is able to apply credits.
But the resulting effective rate largely is unknowable at the front end of the project, when the decision whether to make the investments is made. That is because the production level—which generates the tax obligation—is uncertain. Investors generally will have some estimate of the anticipated production level, but most investors believe, once they gain experience in a field, they likely will be able to increase production levels significantly. As the investor is successful in doing that, the benefit of the earlier tax credits, which is not tied to production, will diminish.
As a result, few major investors are significantly incentivized to undertake a major project by capital tax credits. Instead, their decisions are driven much more by the levels of government take that will apply to production, once it begins.
Attracting Investment is not Rocket Science
The characteristics that attract long-term investment to a region that otherwise has significant resource potential are not difficult to identify. Investors look for good returns, but as important is predictability of the factors that affect their returns.
Major investments are rarely motivated by artificial tax measures designed to provide credits for specific types of investments. Those measures can be changed and seldom are significant enough to justify a long-term investment.
Alaska is positioned to compete for short-term investment projects. Whether it is positioned to compete for long-term investment, however, will depend on whether investors are comfortable predicting that they will be able to earn competitive returns over an extended time horizon. Under Alaska’s current approach to establishing government take levels, that is a question that remains to be answered.
Bradford G. Keithley is a Partner and Co-Head of the Oil & Gas Practice at Perkins Coie LLP. He maintains offices in both Anchorage and Washington, D.C., and is the publisher of the blog “Thoughts on Alaska Oil & Gas” bgkeithley.com.
This originally appeared in the May 2013 print edition of Alaska Business Monthly magazine.
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<urn:uuid:332a0f57-9ae3-4f6d-8d08-79a65897a6f0>
| 2 | 1.890625 | 0.09088 |
en
| 0.959612 |
http://www.akbizmag.com/Alaska-Business-Monthly/May-2013/Alaska-Oil-Policy/
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Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has become the first athlete to receive the prestigious Liberty Medal, which is described as "honouring people who strive to secure liberty for others around the world".
Since he retired from boxing in 1981, Ali has spent time travelling around the world as an activist and philanthropist.
He went to Iraq to secure the release of American hostages in 1990, and has been to Cuba, North Korea and Afghanistan on goodwill missions.
Al Jazeera’s Cath Turner reports from the ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Source: Al Jazeera
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<urn:uuid:5dcf8208-82c7-4c5d-9e62-bcb6eddfa6e5>
| 2 | 2.15625 | 0.04106 |
en
| 0.949989 |
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/09/201291482931695470.html
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Close Video
Companies cutting workers' hours to avoid Obamacare should see this argument (Video)
The new trend for several companies is to cut their employees' hours from full-time to part-time. This “downsizing” of time spent on the job is a ruse to avoid paying health care for these workers.
Companies like pizza king Papa John’s and restaurants like Red Lobster, The Capital Grille, Applebee’s, Olive Garden, Wendy’s and others think the best way to protect their bottom line is to opt out of Obamacare (The Affordable Care Act). Reducing workers' hours, and thus their salaries, helps them fall outside the category where the health care mandate will be enforced. Incidentally, Papa John’s offered one million free pizzas as a Super Bowl commercial stunt. How can they cover all those free pizzas but not afford health care?
In fact, companies like McDonald’s and Rite Aid already practice what I call the “slash-a-worker-hour to make more,” where they hire most entry-level workers as part-timers. These workers toil just as hard as a full-timer but get half the payout. Moreover, employers do not have to pay any benefits, including health care, for the part-time employee. So a worker can work two part-time jobs at the same company and still not be eligible for benefits. Remember when GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said during a "60 Minutes" interview on CBS that poor people had health care via their local hospital emergency room? I guess these low wage companies were listening. (Click here to read more on Romney's emergency room solution to health care for millions).
These businesses have made a killing, with a surge in profits even during the recession. (Read it here). While most other businesses were floundering, folks like Papa John’s, McDonald’s and Walmart, to name a few, were flourishing. Meanwhile most of their workers are on government assistance despite having jobs, because their net pay is too small to cover all of their living expenses.
But maybe these CEOs should look at the above video to see the other side of their cost-effective business practice. It’s a spoof, but the logic of it all is so real. Corporate execs are focused on the bottom line while leaving out a crucial contributing factor to that line—healthy workers.
The irony and dangers here are industries where workers are most likely to come into contact with consumers are the ones with the lowest wages and minimal or no health care and paid sick leave. This in turn means that there are greater risks for contagious diseases being spread to the general public through restaurant and fast food preparation.
True, low-wage jobs have a zillion applicants lining up to fill every available vacancy, and employers take advantage of this endless supply of the poor. But the time and effort to train new workers as opposed to using an already skilled staff can cost some of that bottom line they are greedily trying to expand.
So sick workers, especially in the food industry, can become a heavy liability in more ways than one. Lawsuits from patrons getting sick from food served and workers dropping like flies because of illnesses can surely shrink the size of the “profit coffers.”
It just might be cheaper to cover your workers’ health cost, Mr. CEO; after all, their toiling keeps you handsomely paid. In fact, one of those minimum wage employees at McDonald’s will have to work a staggering 500 years to make the salary of his CEO. (Read more here).
Additional information:
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<urn:uuid:4ecc4a9a-82c8-4020-b2b1-bf7cb1db18ca>
| 2 | 1.5 | 0.036764 |
en
| 0.969485 |
http://www.allvoices.com/article/13779514
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What is it?
Articlefox allows a group of people to work together on a set of articles. In this group some people write the inital version of an article. Others will revise and discuss the text with the author. Someone else might translate the text into a different language or create a shorter version of it. An last but not least, each version of the inital text has to be proofread before it can be published.
The steps of writing the inital version, discussing the text, translation and correction are common for many types of articles. We call these steps phases of creating an article. Articlefox is a system which lets each article flow through these phases. Articlefox ensures, that each article passes through all the phases, e.g. each text has to be corrected before it can be published, and each phase can be completed by a different person.
Why could it help me?
Where is the Difference?
In three words: Clear, Easy, Specific
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<urn:uuid:9d7b4e73-3341-4eda-8b38-b2bd040de0e4>
| 2 | 2.125 | 0.997662 |
en
| 0.90622 |
http://www.articlefox.ch/
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Q&A /
Brick Veneer in Cold Weather
Dear Tim: I have asked you for advice in the past and it was dead on - so I thought I would try you again. I am building a new home in Chicago. The problem is the timing might require brick work to be done in the winter months. I have seen this done at job sites around Chicago and all seems well. Some guys use tarps and heaters when applying the mortar and probably add some type of additive for the mix -- is this an acceptable practice? Is its skill dependent on the brick laying team? Finally, if I were to see failure in the mortar due to the weather, do you think it would occur within a year or something that would gradually occur and not become a significant problem for a few years? Maury P.
Dear Maury: Brick can be installed in cold weather but there are very strict guidelines as to how it should be done. The biggest problem is that the water in the mortar mix can freeze before it has a chance to develop into hard crystals that interlock the sand, cement paste and brick into one homogeneous unit.
There are additives you can blend in with the mortar mix to work at or slightly below freezing temperatures. These additives are very effective when used exactly as directed on the product labels. Problems happen when the masons stray from the temperature ranges that are suggested by the manufacturers.
Another trick real craftsmen use is to warm up every component used in the process. With proper planning, a tent can be built over all of the materials and the brick, sand, sacks of mortar and water are heated so they think it is 60 F or higher outdoors. Raising the temperature of all of the materials is very effective and can make all of the difference.
The best solution is to tent the entire house and create an artificial environment where the entire house and all of the materials think it is 45 - 55 F. This enclosure will be expensive to build and maintain, but if you leave it up for three days after the last brick is installed, you should never have problems.
If the mortar does freeze, failure will be immediately visible. The mortar will fall apart with little effort after seven days.
Leave a Reply
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<urn:uuid:b275f770-257e-40f2-bd28-51e0be316ec2>
| 2 | 1.515625 | 0.023313 |
en
| 0.951532 |
http://www.askthebuilder.com/brick-veneer-in-cold-weather/
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Coral species richness estimates are sensitive to differences in reef size and regional diversity
Brittany E. Huntington, Diego Lirman
Limnol. Oceanogr. Methods 10:110-116 (2012) | DOI: 10.4319/lom.2012.10.110
ABSTRACT: Estimates of species richness have been used to assess how community diversity changes across space and time. Here, we elucidate the bias that can arise when applying a popular sampling method (i.e., fixed number of belt-transects) to census coral community richness when the size of the reef and the regional species pools vary. Based on surveys of 148 patch reefs in 3 sub-regions of the Western Atlantic, we show that a fixed subsampling approach underestimated coral species richness of the reef as reef size increased; though this bias is minor for the entire region. The percentage of the true reef richness captured by sub-sampled transects declined by 6% for every 10-fold change in reef size. However, in Belize, the most speciose sub-region sampled, coral richness was underestimated by 15% solely as a result of a 10-fold increase in reef size. Increasing sampling effort (nr of transects) per reef was not able to correct for this underestimation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this sampling bias is not an artifact of larger reefs simply being more diverse, and hence, requiring greater sampling efforts. Rather, these results suggest that coral species in diverse regions are distributed in accordance with the variety of spatially structured microhabitats present on a reef, rather than distributing randomly across the reef surface. Furthermore, these patterns seem to be highly scale-dependent. As such, sampling protocols should consider the size of the reef to be surveyed as well as the regional species pool to ensure accurate estimates of coral diversity.
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<urn:uuid:a8547327-35c5-4bdb-b774-98c9c0f96b60>
| 2 | 2.109375 | 0.052421 |
en
| 0.917088 |
http://www.aslo.org/lomethods/free/2012/0110.html
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ASA 127th Meeting M.I.T. 1994 June 6-10
5pSP28. Lingua-palatal coarticulation by deaf and normal-hearing speakers.
James J. Mahshie
Robin Goffen
Dept. of Audiol. and Speech-Language Pathol., Gallaudet Univ., 800 Florida Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002
Recent research suggests that deaf speakers often exhibit context-dependent changes in speech articulation [for example, Mahshie et al., ASHA 32 (10), 183 (1990)]. However the coarticulatory patterns of deaf speakers are not always comparable to those of normal-hearing speakers. Furthermore, it is likely that deaf individuals exhibit differences among themselves in both the nature and extent of coarticulation--differences that may affect intelligibility. The purpose of the present study was to examine and compare lingua-palatal coarticulation evidenced by normal-hearing speakers and by deaf speakers differing in overall speech intelligibility. Three normal-hearing subjects, one intelligible deaf subject, and one semi-intelligible deaf subject produced multiple iterations of bisyllabic and trisyllabic words. Test words contained the lingua-alveolar target segments /t/ or /n/ followed by either the neutral vowel /(schwa)/ (e.g., ``tana'') or the velar consonant /k/ (e.g., ``tancat''). Palatometric measures were used to compare lingua-palatal contact patterns during production of the target consonants in the vowel and consonant contexts. Results showed that the intelligible deaf speaker, like the three normal-hearing subjects, exhibited context-dependent changes in articulation of the target segments, while the semi-intelligible deaf subject showed little evidence of anticipatory coarticulation. Possible motor organization strategies employed by the deaf subjects will be discussed.
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<urn:uuid:327c0bb1-3362-4274-8ff2-6a9ee32878d2>
| 2 | 2 | 0.031919 |
en
| 0.886477 |
http://www.auditory.org/asamtgs/asa94mit/5pSP/5pSP28.html
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AC Cobra 427/428 Muscle Car for Auto Racing
AC Cobra 427/428
Although the British built the AC Cobra that came to the forefront in 1960, it wasn’t the first vehicle that combined the V8 engine with an aluminum body and a light European chassis, but it was most certainly the most famous. The later models with bigger engines were among the road vehicles sold, that performed the highest.
The AC Cobra 427, was produced in two forms. There was a commercial vehicle, that featured dual carburetors, an under exhaust, a glove box and a relatively tame engine. The other however, did not feature the practical glove box, but had a stripped interior, revised suspension and a completely different layout of its instruments. The latter, was built for racing, and had a one carburetor powerful engine, wide fenders, a roll bar and its exhausts were on the side. Carroll Shelby, producer of the AC Cobra’s, was left with many of the racing versions. Shelby renamed the vehicles to Cobra 427 SC (Super Competition) and sold them to the public. Today, the SC models are the most valuable vehicles to collectors, and sell for millions.
The production of the AC Cobra 427/428, started in 1964, with the building of the Cobra 427. It was the most powerful car that had entered production, and would become the legend that dreams were made of. The chassis and the suspension had to be redesigned for these cars, to be able to cope with the massive increase of power and other changes. It boasted a seven liter Ford V8 engine and in standard form, the vehicle was capable of 400bhp, which could be increased even further, for racing purposes.
A 428 engine was later used, but the power remained virtually the same. The legendary AC Cobra 427/428 would be written into the history books because of it unbelievable acceleration capabilities and handling characteristics that could make anyone’s hair stand up right! In 1965, Shelby sold the Cobra name to Ford. Many replicas of the AC Cobra 427/428 can still be seen today, and many car enthusiasts still dream of being behind the wheel of this powerful muscle car.
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<urn:uuid:ad9a4600-022c-4d74-826c-ff937400e7f4>
| 2 | 1.859375 | 0.025132 |
en
| 0.971008 |
http://www.autoracing.com/more/automobiles/muscle-cars/ac-cobra-428/
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USAir 427: One Accident, Three Views
On September 8, 1994, USAir Flight 427, a Boeing 737-300 on a scheduled flight from Chicago to Pittsburgh, crashed while maneuvering to land at Pittsburgh International Airport. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and all 132 persons on board were fatally injured. Three years of investigation has failed to yield conclusive proof of why the aircraft crashed. What is known is that the aircraft encountered wake turbulence from a preceding aircraft while at 6,000 feet and 190 knots. The effects of the wake should have been easily recoverable. However, a few seconds after encountering the wake vortex, the 737's rudder deflected full-left and remained in that position for 23 seconds until the aircraft impacted the ground in a near-vertical position.
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<urn:uuid:ac9e6b88-fb67-40a6-8f24-fd7f7d09f8f7>
| 2 | 2.171875 | 0.498203 |
en
| 0.956563 |
http://www.avweb.com/news/safety/183027-1.html?zkDo=emailArticlePrompt
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13 September
The Semantic Web
Ian Stallings - Bayshore Solutions Programmer
Ian Stallings – Bayshore Solutions Programmer
By: Ian Stallings- Bayshore Solutions Programming Team
What’s the Semantic Web Anyway?
One of the terms buzzing around Internet technology circles is “The Semantic Web”. But what is it exactly? According to the W3C FAQ the semantic web is “.. a group of methods and technologies to allow machines to understand the meaning – or “semantics” – of information on the World Wide Web.”. That sounds great. But what does that mean exactly?
Machines can already search the web after all. But that’s where this comes in. Currently searching the web means entering terms into a search box, stringing words together, and trying to find a useful match using just those words or phrases. But what if the machine could understand context of the information on the internet? What if it could actually return all related information, even if the search term you used didn’t necessarily include any phrase or words related to it? With the Semantic Web technology we can do this.
The semantic web essentially means adding information about the resources on your Website. Programmers refer to this information, used to describe other things, as meta-data. It’s data about data. A current use, and certainly the first mainstream use of semantic technology, is the Resource Description Framework, or RDF. Now before your eyes glaze over, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. It’s essentially just more markup that programmers such as myself use in our HTML code to wrap content. A great example of using RDF is RSS feeds. RSS means RDF Site Summary. It’s used to describe a an RSS feed. So when I post this blog article the RSS feed used to describe it to software clients such as Outlook, will be based on RDF, a semantic web technology. The RSS feed will give you context about the post, the date, the subject, the authors, etc. RSS Feed readers such as Feedburner read this information and provide summaries to the user in a nice format.
So that’s one current use, and it’s nice. But it’s just the top of the iceberg for the semantic web. Right now large companies are rolling out new uses of the semantic web to describe all kinds of data. Health providers are using it to describe patient data and correlate related issues. Engineers are using it to describe plans online, so an image of a building can contain the actual architectural data. Government is using it to describe the vast mountains of data they consume and publish. And last but not least, online store fronts are using it to wrap their items in contextual information describing what they are, how much they cost, how much they weigh, size, and more.
Best Buy is one of these online retailers using semantic web to enhance not only their own understanding of what they sell and how, but also it enhances the index used by major search engines when indexing their site. In turn their page rank on Google went up tremendously. No small feat. So just by wrapping their data in new markup, also known as tags, they can increase the visibility of their products. The first thing Best Buy did was to use the GoodRelations semantic format, which describes product data. This immediately increased the products page rank in Google. The next step they took was to put their related store data in RDFa format, a subset of RDF used to embed RDF data into HTML pages. So now when Google indexes their site they not only can understand what the items are and return them to users when appropriate, but they can also tell the users what store they are in without having to scour the best buy site.
One can see how this will have a huge impact on search results and SEO in the coming years.
Related Links:
Ian Stallings is a Programmer at Bayshore Solutions- A Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.
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<urn:uuid:777ab300-2be5-4b22-a8d9-9f066b106850>
| 3 | 2.90625 | 0.018717 |
en
| 0.867132 |
http://www.bayshoresolutions.com/blog/website-usability/the-semantic-web/
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Practical Skills List
• Explain the EEG and neurofeedback to a client.
• Explain skin preparation and electrode placement to a client, and obtain permission to monitor him or her.
• Identify the major sites of the 10-20 system using a tape measure and marking pencil.
• Demonstrate skin preparation and electrode placement for scalp and earlobe sites.
• Explain how to protect the client from infection transmitted by the sensor.
• Measure electrode impedance for each active-ground electrode pair and ensure that impedance is sufficiently low and balanced.
• Record the values of the training parameters at the sites where training is completed to be available to the mentor upon request and during consultations.
• Identify common artifacts in the raw EEG signal, including 50/60Hz, bridging, drowsiness, ECG, electrode pop, electrostatic, eye blink, eye flutter, eye movements, EMG, EOG, evoked potential, loose electrode, movement, radio frequency, respiration, sweat, and tongue swallowing, and explain how to control for them and remove them from the raw data.
• Demonstrate how to instruct a client to utilize a feedback display.
• Demonstrate a neurofeedback training session, including record keeping, goal setting, site selection, monitored frequency bands, baseline measurement, display and threshold setting, coaching, and debriefing at the end of the session.
• Demonstrate how to select and assign a practice assignment based on training session results.
• Evaluate and summarize client progress during a training session.
Applicants Start Here
Biofeedback Certification
Neurofeedback Certification
Why Choose BCIA Neurofeedback Certification?
Clinical Certification
Technician Certification
Didactic Training
Locating a Mentor
Serving as a Mentor
Mentoring FAQs
Mentoring Guidelines
Mentor Application
Mentor Agreement Letter
Sample Mentoring Log Book
Practical Skills List
Non-Certified Mentor
Common Documents
Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback Certification
HRV Certificate Program
Application Status
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<urn:uuid:923a4110-d514-4ced-819b-e0613ea26bb0>
| 2 | 1.851563 | 0.172976 |
en
| 0.820817 |
http://www.bcia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3607
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Life Duty Death
Howard Johnson Howard at
Sat Sep 23 16:01:55 EST 1995
Susan Whitham <gimila at> wrote:
> ...does anyone out there have a copy/information about the
> petition of leading scientists concerning the environmental impact
> on the human race on the planet....a huge number of world's top
> scientists signed (from about 3 or 4 years back now) including many
> Nobel Prize Laureates (sp?)
Subject: Nat. Academy of Sci. paper
KZPG Abstract:
Attached is the entire statement on population, consumption, and
sustainability jointly drafted by the Royal Society of London and
the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. (About vintage 1992).
Population Growth, Resource Consumption, and a Sustainable World
A joint statement by
the officers of the Royal Society of London and
the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
[Preface letter:]
World population is growing at the unprecedented rate of almost 100
million people every year, and human activities are producing major
changes in the global environment. If current predictions of
population growth prove accurate and patterns of human activity on
the planet remain unchanged, science and technology may not be able
to prevent either irreversible degradation of the environment or
continued poverty for much of the world.
The following joint statement, prepared by the Officers of the Royal
Society of London and the United States National Academy of
Sciences, reflects the judgment of a group of scientists
knowledgeable about the historic contributions of science and
technology to economic growth and environmental protection. It also
reflects the shared view that sustainable development implies a
future in which life is improved worldwide through economic
development, where local environments and the biosphere are
protected, and science is mobilized to create new opportunities for
human progress.
Through this statement, the two academies wish to draw attention to
these issues and to simulate debate among scientists, decision
makers, and the public. In addition, the two institutions, in
cooperation with other academies, propose to organize a scientific
conference in early 1993 to explore these issues in detail.
[Signed] [Signed]
Sir Michael Atiyah Dr. Frank Press
President President
The Royal Society of London The U.S. National Academy of Sciences
WORLD POPULATION
In its 1991 report on world population, the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA) states that population growth is even faster than
forecast in its report of 1984. Assuming nevertheless that there will
in the future be substantial and sustained falls in fertility rates,
the global population is expected in the UN's mid-range projection to
rise from 5.4 billion in 1991 to 10 billion in 2050. This rapid rise
may be unavoidable; considerably larger rises must be expected if
fertility rates do not stabilize at the replacement level of about 2.1
children per woman. At present, about 95 percent of this growth is in
the less developed countries (LDCs); the percentage of global
population that live in the LDCs is projected to increase from 77
percent in 1990 to 84 percent in 2020.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Although there is a relationship between population, economic
activity, and the environment, it is not simple. Most of the
environmental changes during the twentieth century have been a product
of the efforts of humans to secure improved standards of food,
clothing, shelter, comfort, and recreation. Both developed and
developing countries have contributed to environmental degradation.
Developed countries, with 85 percent of the world's gross national
product and 23 percent of its population, account for the majority of
mineral and fossil-fuel consumption. One issue alone, the increases
in atmospheric carbon dioxide, has the potential for altering global
climate with significant consequences for all countries. The
prosperity and technology of the developed countries, however, give
them the greater possibilities and the greater responsibility for
addressing environmental problems.
In the developing countries the resource consumption per capita is
lower, but the rapidly growing population and the pressure to develop
their economies are leading to substantial and increasing damage to
the local environment. This damage comes by direct pollution from
energy use and other industrial activities, as well as by activities
such as clearing forests and inappropriate agricultural practices.
THE REALITY OF THE PROBLEM
Scientific and technological innovations, such as in agriculture, have
been able to overcome many pessimistic predictions about resource
constraints affecting human welfare. Nevertheless, the present
patterns of human activity accentuated by population growth should
make even those most optimistic about future scientific progress pause
and reconsider the wisdom of ignoring these threats to our planet.
Unrestrained resource consumption for energy production and other
uses, especially if the developing world strives to achieve living
standards based on the same levels of consumption as the developed
world, could lead to catastrophic outcomes for the global environment.
Some of the environmental changes may produce irreversible damage to
the earth's capacity to sustain life. Many species have already
disappeared, and many more are destined to do so. Man's own prospects
for achieving satisfactory living Standards are threatened by
environmental deterioration, especially in the poorest countries where
economic activities are most heavily dependent upon the quality of
natural resources.
If they are forced to deal with their environmental and resource
problems alone, the LDCs face overwhelming challenges. They generate
only 15 percent of the worlds's GNP, and have a net cash outflow of
tens of billions of dollars per year. Over 1 billion people live in
absolute poverty, and 600 million on the margin of starvation. And
the LDCs have only 6-7 percent of the world's active scientists and
engineers, a situation that makes it very difficult for them to
participate fully in global or regional schemes to manage their own
In places where resources are administered effectively, population
growth does not inevitably imply deterioration in the quality of the
environment. Nevertheless, each additional human being requires
natural resources for sustenance, each produces by-products that
become part of the ecosystem, and each pursues economic and other
activities that affect the natural world. While the impact of
population growth varies from place to place and from one
environmental domain to another, the overall pace of environmental
changes had unquestionably been accelerated by the recent expansion of
the human population.
INTERNATIONAL ACTION
There is an urgent need to address economic activity, population
growth, and environmental protection as interrelated issues. The
forthcoming UN conference on Environment and Development, to be held
in Brazil, should consider human activities and population growth, in
both the developing and developed worlds, as crucial components
affecting the sustainability of human society. Effective family
planning, combined with continued economic and social development in
the LDCs, will help stabilize fertility rates at lower levels and
reduce stresses to the global environment. At the same time, greater
attention in the developed countries to conservation, recycling,
substitution and efficient use of energy, and a concerted program to
start mitigating further buildup of greenhouse gasses will help to
ease the threat to the global environment.
Unlike many other steps that could be taken to reduce the rate of
environmental changes, reductions in rates of population growth can be
accomplished through voluntary measures. Surveys in the developing
world repeatedly reveal large amounts of unwanted childbearing. By
providing people with the means to control their own fertility, family
planning programs have major possibilities to reduce rates of
population growth and hence to arrest environmental degradation.
Also, unlike many other potential interventions that are typically
specific to a particular problem, a reduction in the rate of
population growth would affect many dimensions of environmental
changes. Its importance is easily underestimated if attention is
focused on one problem at a time.
THE CONTRIBUTION OF SCIENCE
What are the relevant topics to which scientific research can make
mitigating contributions? These include: development of new
generations of safe, easy to use, and effective contraceptive agents
and devices; development of environmentally benign alternative energy
sources; improvements in agricultural production and food processing;
further research in plant and animal genetic varieties; further
research in biotechnology relating to plants, animals, and
preservation of the environment; improvements in public health,
especially through development of effective drugs and vaccines for
malaria, hepatitis, AIDS, and other infectious diseases causing
immense human burdens. Also needed is research on topics such as:
improved land-use practices to prevent ecological degradation, loss of
topsoil, and desertification of grasslands; better institutional
measures to protect watersheds and groundwater; new technologies for
waste disposal, environmental remediation, and pollution control; new
materials that reduce pollution and the use of hazardous substances
during their life cycle; and more effective regulatory tools that use
market forces to protect the environment.
Greater attention also needs to be given to understanding the nature
and dimension of the word's biodiversity. Although we depend directly
on biodiversity for sustainable productivity, we cannot even estimate
the numbers of species or organisms -- plants, animals, fungi, and
microorganisms -- to an order of magnitude. We do know, however, that
the current rate of reduction in biodiversity is unparalleled over the
past 65 million years. The loss of biodiversity is one of the fastest
moving aspects of global change, is irreversible, and has serious
consequences for the human prospect in the future.
What are the limits of scientific contributions to the solution of
resource and environmental problems? Scientific research and
technological innovation can undoubtedly mitigate these stresses and
facilitate a less destructive adaptation of a growing population to
its environment. Yet, it is not prudent to rely on science and
technology alone to solve problems created by rapid population growth,
wasteful resource consumption, and harmful human practices.
The application of science and technology to global problems is a key
component of providing a decent standard of living for a majority of
the human race. Science and technology have an especially important
role to play in developing countries in helping them to manage their
resources effectively and to participate fully in worldwide
initiatives for common benefit. Capabilities in science and
technology must be strengthened in LDCs as a matter of urgency through
joint initiatives from the developed and developing worlds. But
science and technology alone are not enough. Global policies are
urgently needed to promote more rapid economic development throughout
the world, more environmentally benign patterns of human activity, and
a more rapid stabilization of world population.
The future of our planet is in the balance. Sustainable development
can be achieved, but only if irreversible degradation of the
The U.S. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES is a private, nonprofit,
self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in
scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of
science and technology and to their use for the general welfare.
federal government on scientific and technical matters. The
officers [at the time this document was drafted were]:
Dr. Frank Press, President
Dr. James D. Ebert, Vice President
Dr. Peter H. Raven, Home Secretary
Dr. James B. Wyngaarden, Foreign Secretary
Dr. Elkan R. Blout, Treasure
The ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON is an independent learned society,
self-governing under a Royal Charter, for the promotion of the
natural sciences, including mathematics and all applied aspects such
as engineering and medicine. It encourages both national and
international activities in a similar way to the national academies
overseas. Its objectives are: to encourage scientific research and
its application; to recognize excellence in scientific research; to
promote international scientific relations and facilitate the
exchange of scientists; to provide independent advice on scientific
matters, notably to governments; to represent and support the
scientific community; to promote science education as well as
science understanding and awareness in the public at large; to
support research into the history of scientific endeavor. The
officers of the Royal Society [at the time this document was drafted
Sir Michael Atiyah, President
Sir Robert Honeycombe, Treasure
Professor B. K. Follett, Biological Secretary
Sir Francis Graham-Smith, Physical Secretary
Dr. Anne Laura McLaren, Foreign Secretary
*** This is "KZPG", broadcasting population related news and views ***
Send news, commentary and subscription requests to KZPG at Views
broadcast don't necessarily represent the views of KZPG or its staff.
Not affiliated with ZPG Inc. Equal time given for controversial issues.
Voice: 408-255-2422 Fax: 408-255-2436 Web:
Feedback appreciated. Editor: Howard Johnson -SJ CA <Howard at>
Howard Johnson <Howard at> (-; C'mon! Make love, not more. ;-)
Current population information is available at
or from several email lists: US-Front page news, action alerts, humor, etc.
More information about the Bioforum mailing list
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<urn:uuid:460946e4-7438-4dc2-b40c-35c7148b703c>
| 2 | 2.03125 | 0.019334 |
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| 0.905654 |
http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/bioforum/1995-September/016286.html
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The last days of Jesus: the submissive Savior
When we think of Jesus, we often think of Him as sure, strong and confident—the paragon of unwavering faith in the Father. It’s hard for us to wrap our minds around the idea of Jesus being terrified. And yet, this is what we see on the night before the crucifixion.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, mere hours before He would be betrayed by Judas and led away to His death, Jesus experienced fear in a way He never had before. The full, unrestrained fury of God’s wrath against sin was about to be poured out on Him. He would endure all the punishment due for the sins of His people. So overwhelmed was He that Jesus began to sweat what appeared to be drops of blood! To say Jesus was terrified is a massive understatement. And so He asked the most important question anyone could ask: Is there another way?
How many of us have wondered this? After all, throughout the gospels, Jesus performed amazing signs and wonders—He even forgave sins with just a word. Did Jesus have to endure such torture? Wasn’t this kind of excessive? While this is difficult for us to understand, we need to take comfort in Jesus’ prayer:
Jesus asked the Father if there was another way. How did the Father answer? He said no. The only way to rescue His people from sin was for Jesus to die. And Jesus responded by submitting to the Father’s will. By doing so, Jesus’ resolve was strengthened. His terror subsided. He stood, ready to face His betrayer, the submissive Savior, ready to die for the sins of the world.
Father, thank you for this picture of Jesus’ humanity—that He truly was a man, even as He was truly God. Help us to make His prayer ours, that we would be encouraged and strengthened as we submit our wills to Yours’, knowing that Your plans are far greater than anything we can imagine. Amen.
Photo via Lightstock
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http://www.bloggingtheologically.com/2014/04/17/submissive-savior/
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NHS Blood - Give Blood England and Wales
How does the Body Replace Blood?
During a whole blood donation we aim to take just under a pint (about 470mls) of blood, which works out at no more than 13 per cent of your blood volume. After donation, your body has an amazing capacity to replace all the cells and fluids that have been lost.
Take red cells. Millions of them are being made and dying every second. When you give blood you lose red cells and the body needs to make more to replace them. Special cells in the kidneys, called peritubular cells, sense that the level of oxygen in the blood has decreased (due to the loss of red cells) and start secreting a protein called erythropoietin. This passes through the bloodstream until it reaches the bone marrow (the soft fatty tissue inside the bone cavities). The bone marrow produces stem cells, the building blocks that the body uses to make the different blood cells – red cells, white cells and platelets. The erythropoietin sends a message to the stem cells telling more of them to develop into red blood cells, rather than white cells or platelets.
Your body makes about two million new red cells every second, so it doesn't take long to build up stores of them again. What about your white cells and platelets? A number of other messenger proteins also stimulate the production of these cells in the bone marrow, and over the next few days levels return to normal.
Why Wait?
Male donors need to wait a minimum of 12 weeks between whole blood donations and female donors 16 weeks. So why wait? Well, unlike white cells and platelets, it takes several weeks for all the red cells to be replaced. There's an important link between your red cells and your health because it's these cells, or rather the red-coloured haemoglobin they contain, that take oxygen around your body. Haemoglobin contains iron and some is lost with each blood donation. To compensate, iron is mobilised from the body's iron stores, and the body also increases the amount of iron it absorbs from food and drink. Men normally have more iron stores than women. Any iron deficiency can result in reduced haemoglobin levels, and eventually, if not treated, in iron deficiency anaemia. This deficiency can make you feel tired, which is why, as well as asking male donors to wait 12 weeks and female donors to wait 16 weeks to donate whole blood, we also test your haemoglobin levels every time you give. We make sure that your haemoglobin level is above 125g/l for women and135g/l for men.
Iron levels
The body stores iron in the form of two proteins –ferritin (in men it accounts for about 70 per cent of stored iron, in women 80 percent) and haemosiderin. The proteins are found in the liver, bone marrow, spleen and muscles. If too much iron is taken out of storage and not replaced through dietary sources, iron stores may become depleted and haemoglobin levels fall. After a donation, most people's haemoglobin levels are back to normal after six to twelve weeks. We ask you to wait 16 weeks to ensure that if you are a dedicated loyal donor who never misses a donation, we don't risk lowering your haemoglobin levels over the long term. You can help your iron levels by eating a variety of iron-rich foods. On average men need to replace about 1mg of iron per day, women 2mg. With a balanced diet, getting enough iron shouldn't be a problem. Foods such as lean red meat, poultry, fish, leafy green vegetables, brown rice, lentils and beans can all boost your haemoglobin. Vitamin C helps with iron absorption, so to get the most from the food you eat, drink a glass of vitamin C-rich fruit juice with your meal.
Drink up
Blood volume makes up approximately eight per cent of your body weight. About 55 percent of blood is comprised of plasma, of which 90 per cent is water. So although you donate less than a pint of blood at a time, almost half of this is water. That's why it is important for you to drink plenty of water (we would like you to drink at least 500ml), just before you donate and immediately after you've donated. It's important to replace fluids after you've donated, to help bring your blood volume levels back to normal. The kidneys also play their part in controlling blood volume by regulating the amount of sodium and water lost in urine.
Feeling faint
After donation some people can feel faint. When the body loses blood, special nerve cells in the walls of the arteries of the neck, called baroreceptors, sense that your blood pressure has dropped. The blood vessels constrict to compensate for this loss and to keep the blood pressure normal. Standing up too quickly, for example, can cause an abrupt drop in your blood pressure and make you feel light headed. Lying on the couch restores blood flow to the brain as your head will be at the same level as your heart. Sitting on the edge of the donation bed with your feet hanging down for at least two minutes will also help, as it allows your blood pressure to stabilise itself before you stand up. If you are feeling faint, our staff will ask you to stay at the session until you feel well again.
Find a venue
Need some help?
There are many ways we can help you:
Olympic hope for blood donor Franki.
Read Franki's story
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http://www.blood.co.uk/about-blood/how-the-body-replaces-blood/
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anita briem
In what we must assume is the past, a group of girls at a catholic boarding school bond in friendship and orneriness. They're all free spirited 'bad girls' and grate against the sensibilities of the sisters that run the school. Sister Ursula is their nemesis; she's strict and holds to the old school rules of hard punishment which the girls see as cruel and unusual. Eventually they have all they can take and so they decide to take action; bad things happen, the sister dies and the girls hide her body.
Cut to the future:
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<urn:uuid:77fe37b4-c98d-42fa-b754-98ba5bf0a896>
| 2 | 1.585938 | 0.732954 |
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http://www.bloodygoodhorror.com/bgh/category/free-tagging/anita-briem
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Olympic Test Run?
Tue, 24/07/2012 - 05:00
Share this
By Imnokuffar-The recent incident concerning the assault on the Olympic torch bearer in Gravesend is probably a test run to see reaction times of the Police and security services.
However, a suicide bomber or shooter needs no time at all; they either blow themselves up or start killing those around them and those trying to arrest them.
Alternatively, there is the option of a concealed bomb or car bomb that could be remotely operated. Even if a terror attack does not take place during the Olympics then, sooner or later one will take place in its aftermath.
Sorry to be so gloomy, but that is the truth of it. If someone is determined enough, and has the skills, they can inflict mayhem. If there are 5 or 6 of them, then the mayhem is exponentially greater.
Remember these people have no respect for life, their own or others and believe they are going to paradise for massacring innocent people. But in their eyes no-one who enjoys the Olympics is innocent be they Muslim or not as they are sinning and sinning heinously, as it is the month of Ramadan thus bringing Allah's punishment upon themselves.
This is called blaming the victim or justifying mass murder in the name of religion. The murderers think of themselves as instruments of God's punishment.
Should this happen, I predict a response from sections of the general public that will not mirror the apathetic response after 7/7 and there will be attacks on Mosques and individuals/groups.
The Mainstream Media, including the BBC, politicians and the various apologist Muslim and non-Muslim groupings will not be able to ameliorate or explain away the situation in terms of "extremist minorities" as they have heretofore; because a growing section of the indigenous and non-indigenous communities will not believe them anymore.
Evidence is stronger than fictional representations of reality.
In the short to medium term, I expect that counter Jihad/Anti Muslim terror groups to form as a direct response because some people will see that the government has lost control of the situation.
I am NOT condoning this merely explaining a possible scenario.
When I say "situation", I am referring to multiple situations like the Grooming of our young girls and women, the increasing take over of our towns and cities, the constant threat of terrorism, the continuing waves of third world immigrants, the loss of control of our borders and the arrogance and triumphalism of the Muslims.
This situation will be made worse by the current economic and social climate, that though extraneous to the Muslim threat adds to a sense of hopelessness and disillusion within society thus leading individuals to give up on Democratic means of change.
It will also become apparent that the so-called "moderate Muslims" are a fiction dreamed up by think tanks like the Quilliam Foundation (founded by ex-Terrorists and paid one million pounds per year for "Challenging Extremism and Promoting Pluralism"), politicians, the Muslim Council of Britain that is a Muslim Brotherhood front and the MSM.
We can, as always, expect Crocodile tears from the MCB, but as they do nothing to stop people in their own community from committing these acts that is exactly what they are.
When was the last time you saw masses of Muslims marching through towns to condemn acts of terror committed by the own co-religionists?
"Never" is the answer.
It is not in the Muslim lexicon to criticise other Muslims as they are all of one religion that arrogantly brand themselves as "The best of peoples" (this excepting the various conflicts between Shia and Shiite).
The truth of the matter is that whilst some oppose terror, they do so not because they are intrinsically against it but because it is counter-productive. Alerting the indigenous peoples to the threat posed by Islam and thus avoiding outright conflict that they cannot win at present.
The "moderates" prefer to take the long march towards the subjugation of the infidels by means of the infiltration and subversion of existing institutions, demographic change through immigration and the womb and the slow take over of larger and larger areas of our key towns and cities.
This is, of course backed up by the ever present threat of terror that helps to keep the indigenous peoples cowed and afraid.
The governments in this and other countries are increasingly powerless to combat this phenomenon, preferring to ignore it, pretend it does not exist and to brand those who point it out as "extremists".
This is because they are the ideologically wedded to Multiculturalism, and Cultural Relativism; the very institutions that could combat it have been infested with Frankfurt School clones and effectively de-sensitised to the threat.
We in this party are opposed to the formation of terror groups of any description and have constantly warned the elites in government and elsewhere of the growing problems in our society.
For this, we have been prosecuted, persecuted, assaulted, jailed, sacked from our jobs, banned from the Church of England and certain occupations and generally treated like pariahs.
But we will continue along the Democratic road to change and continue to point out the increasing fault lines that are forming in our society.
Here are some direct quotes from the Koran that show the mentality we are up against.
Qur'an 9:112: The Believers fight in Allah's name, they slay and are slain, kill and are killed"
Qur'an 8:39: "Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah"
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http://www.bnp.org.uk/news/national/olympic-test-run
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Galatea 2.2 Test | Final Test - Easy
Richard Powers
Buy the Galatea 2.2 Lesson Plans
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is Helen's reaction to A.?
(a) She compares her to C.
(b) She analyzes Richard's relationship with her.
(c) She will not talk with her.
(d) She describes her as a combination of literary characters.
2. How does Richard describe the experiment with Helen to A.?
(a) Dangerous.
(b) Brave.
(c) Enormous.
(d) Noble.
3. What does Richard teach Helen?
(a) Literature.
(b) Psychology.
(c) Physics.
(d) Science.
4. How was C. different in the Netherlands than she was in the U.S.?
(a) More reticent.
(b) More thoughtful.
(c) Happier.
(d) More materialistic.
5. About what kind of advances does Diana tell Richard?
(a) Memory protocols to give machines awareness of the tasks they execute.
(b) Connectivity protocols that reduce bottlenecks.
(c) Programming protocols for testing hypotheses.
(d) Imaging technology that allows localization of neuron activity.
6. What kind of thinking does implementation F demonstrate?
(a) Reflexive.
(b) Associative.
(c) Abstract.
(d) Meditative.
7. What does Helen have to be able to do in order to analyze literature?
(a) Index.
(b) Think.
(c) Meditate.
(d) Cross-reference.
8. How does Richard see similarities between Lentz's relationship with his wife and his work with the implementations?
(a) Lentz uses other people to train his wife, the same way as he uses Richard's help to train the implementations.
(b) Lentz fails to elicit correct answers from his wife the same way he fails to elicit correct answers from his implementations.
(c) Lentz is patient and detailed with his wife the same way he is with the implementations.
(d) Lentz works with his wife the same way he trains his implementations.
9. What is the consequence of C.'s response to Richard's work?
(a) She gives up all her time for her own work.
(b) She loses passion for her own.
(c) She loses a competition for funding for her work.
(d) She makes herself miserable and alienates herself from her family.
10. In what did C. try to get a certificate?
(a) Translation.
(b) Massage.
(c) Teaching.
(d) Editing.
11. What does implementation F develop the ability to do?
(a) Sing.
(b) Philosophize.
(c) Test hypotheses.
(d) Meditate.
12. What does Lentz argue about Helen's mindset?
(a) Her attempts at meaning are more meaningful than the results.
(b) She has begun to create meaning independently.
(c) All her meanings are Richard's meanings.
(d) Her meanings are random combinations of notions.
13. What did Richard and C. decide when she went back to the Netherlands?
(a) He would follow after her.
(b) He would move with her.
(c) They would probably never see each other again.
(d) They would try some time apart, and reassess their relationship after a year.
14. What does Lentz recommend Richard teach to Helen?
(a) Books others will pick.
(b) Chess.
(c) Opera.
(d) Backgammon.
15. What does Richard give Philip Lentz as evidence for this assertion?
(a) Helen understands her own mortality.
(b) Helen understands object permanence.
(c) Helen does not perform unless she wants to.
(d) Helen gives different answers to the same question, depending on the day.
Short Answer Questions
1. What realm does Richard say Lentz has entered?
2. What does Richard say Lentz has left behind him?
3. What was Richard like when he went to the Netherlands with C.?
4. Where does Lentz take Richard?
5. What is Richard's role in Philip Lentz's project?
(see the answer keys)
This section contains 531 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Galatea 2.2 Lesson Plans
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http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/galatea-22/test2.html
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RadioBDC Logo
Coming of Age | Foster the People Listen Live
Globe Editorial
Ten years after terror attacks, the nation drifts back apart
September 11, 2011
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THE MONTHS after the 9/11 attacks were a time of shock and apprehension. Anthrax attacks. War in Afghanistan. Sudden airport evacuations. Suspicion in every security line.
Gradually, fears receded, and now, emerging from a decade-long tunnel, most Americans should acknowledge that much has gone right. Few would have predicted that there would have been no further large-scale terrorist attacks on American soil. The occasional patdown aside, most people have adapted well to living with greater precaution. There have been significant victories against Al Qaeda. Osama bin Laden is dead.
The national sense of security remains fragile. Terrorism is now just one of many threats that can destabilize life in the United States. Viruses, catastrophic weather events, revolutions, sovereign debt defaults - all can reverberate across borders in a matter of minutes. Fear of terrorism may have receded, but fear itself remains.
And there is one aspect of those tragic months of 2001 that is regrettably absent today. After 9/11, Americans confronted their challenges in a unified manner. That collective spirit - that sense of pride and patriotism - no longer strikes the same chord. The Iraq war, which began just a year and a half after the destruction of the World Trade Center, divided public opinion and set off a draining debate about the true lessons of 9/11. The debate has petered out, but the war’s legacy of division remains.
National crises usually bring out the best in people. Through four decades of the Cold War, Americans endured periods of extreme social strife and profound disagreement. But they remained aligned in respect for their own system of government. Even in the most clamorous Vietnam protests or civil rights marches, Americans took pride in shared traditions of free speech and open government. Ultimately, the vast majority wanted to show the American system in the best light; the clearly visible alternative of the Soviet Union, then governing half of Europe in a very different fashion, held this country together.
For a while, it seemed that global terrorism would do the same. American commitments to equal rights, open government, and religious freedom, at home and abroad, would be the eternal retort to Islamic extremism. And just as the Cold War sparked a renewal of core national values, Americans of the post-9/11 years would go forth in a spirit of appreciation for all they shared.
It hasn’t worked out that way. But as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, and people wake up to the real cost of political stasis at home, there remains a shared memory of grief and commitment.
National unity isn’t expressed by the absence of disputes. It can’t bring about agreement on tax policy or Medicare. It isn’t a virtue that can be claimed by one group alone. It’s something that’s felt. It’s a sense of identity. It’s a reservoir of strength. It’s the confidence that, at the end of each day’s struggle, all will remain bound together in common purpose and good will. At this moment, the nation needs more of that kind of unity.
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http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2011/09/11/ten_years_after_911_the_nation_drifts_apart/
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In dead Vineyard oaks, a warming warning
By Beth Daley
Globe Staff / November 2, 2009
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WEST TISBURY - Ever since a vast tract of Martha’s Vineyard forest died two years ago, visitors who stumbled upon the graveyard of gray stalks have called it eerie, bizarre, and sad.
Now scientists are calling it something else: a possible climate change lesson.
The 500 acres of dead oak trees were the epicenter of an islandwide infestation of caterpillars that munched their way through millions of leaves for three consecutive springs ending in 2007. Then a severe summer drought hit the island, finishing off tens of thousands of the weakened trees.
“I have never seen anything like what has happened on Martha’s Vineyard in New England,’’ said David Foster, a Harvard University ecologist. “Usually you walk through forests and see some dead trees, but here, it’s hundreds of acres and almost all of the trees in it are dead.’’
Ordinarily, such catastrophic damage would be chalked up to bad luck. But Foster, who is also director of Harvard Forest, the university’s experimental forest in Petersham, and other researchers recently discovered a vast die-off of Cape Cod coastal oak trees 5,000 years ago during an abrupt warming period. They found evidence of the forest’s demise in sediment samples from under lakes and ponds, and they speculate that the ancient - and far smaller contemporary - episodes may have roots in the same type of one-two climate punch: more-active bugs coupled with an intense drought.
Scientists predict that in a warming world, insects will thrive, and droughts and other extreme weather will become commonplace. With the prospect of more numerous bugs feasting on weakened trees, Foster wonders whether the recent die-off is a harbinger of more catastrophic ones in the future. While the dead trees will certainly be replaced by new ones, what species repopulate forests has ramifications for everything from lichen to leaf-peepers.
“These trees control the foundation of an ecosystem,’’ said Foster, whose group has just been awarded $100,000 from the National Science Foundation to study the Vineyard forest. “What happens when they collapse? We are trying to understand how everything in that forest copes.’’
Nobody foresaw the death of the oaks. In the spring of 2004, an intense caterpillar infestation gripped the trees for two weeks, raining thousands of inch-long green-and-gray caterpillars on the heads of islanders and visitors.
Many thought the bugs were the despised European winter moth that shows up in horror-movie-like numbers off the island, but scientists were able to confirm that most of the bugs were a native fall cankerworm. Not that the news was much better: Cankerworm moth numbers were legendary that winter when they emerged as adults, splattering car windshields so thoroughly that drivers could hardly see.
“The first year, it was a shock’’ that the leaves were disappearing so quickly, said Tim Boland, executive director of the Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury, as he picked his way last week over lichen-covered dead oak branches that littered a narrow Arboretum path.
“Then it was, ‘They came. They went. Let’s hope they don’t come again.’ But they did . . . twice. And so did the drought,’’ he said, pointing to the lifeless trees around him that are part of the epicenter of the destruction. About 17 acres of the Arboretum’s trees were killed off.
The 2007 dry period began in July, with less than 2 inches of rain that month, according to the National Weather Service. Thousands of trees began dying across the island but for some reason, virtually all the trees in the 500-acre swath did. Boland suggests the forest’s location may be partly to blame - elevated and sandy, the ground may not have been able to hold enough water for the weakened trees. Foster isn’t sure that is the answer.
Across the island, communities are struggling to deal with dead trees that pose a safety hazard if they fall on roads or walking paths. In West Tisbury, executive secretary Jennifer Rand said, officials are going after only the “deadest of the dead’’ trees because there is not enough money to remove them all.
Polly Hill and private landowners in the dead-oak epicenter are not cutting the trees, a situation that is allowing Foster to understand how the forest recovers on its own.
The researchers have tantalizing clues to their climate theory. First, by examining long, cylindrical cores of sediment extracted from Cape Cod lakes and Vineyard ponds, they discovered that oak pollen dramatically declined about 5,000 years ago - at the same time as other sediment and vegetation records indicated warmer temperatures and drought conditions.
Second, scientists have known for years that New England’s vast hemlock populations also crashed 5,000 years ago, a situation initially attributed to insects because hemlock pests were found in a peat bog sample from that time.
But it would be unusual to have two enormous populations of trees crash at the same time, suggesting there was an underlying reason at play, such as climate. While just a pest outbreak or a drought may not have killed the trees, the combination - whether it was a drought followed by pests or vice-versa - could have wiped them out.
“Insects are always around with patchy disturbances, but you don’t see them wipe out entire species,’’ said Wyatt Oswald, assistant professor of science at Emerson College and a Harvard Forest research fellow who is studying the phenomenon.
There is another link to today. Just like 5,000 years ago, a pest is wiping out New England’s majestic hemlock trees. The nonnative woolly adelgid is mostly contained in southern New England because scientists believe it’s too cold for the insects to advance northward. But New England winters have warmed around 4 degrees Fahrenheit in the last 40 years, and researchers believe the pest will make inroads into more northern regions as temperatures warm.
“It’s what makes the story interesting,’’ Oswald said. “The same two types of trees are dying at the same time’’ today, just as they did 5,000 years ago.
Today, the researchers are carefully watching what grows on the forest floor now that the sun is no longer blocked by oak leaves. Thorny catbriar and sassafras are filling in the gaps between the dead oak trunks. And beech trees are gaining a stronger foothold. Scientists say the pollen record shows the same thing happened 5,000 years ago, when the coastal oaks gave way to beech.
“Climate change will drive changes in the forest,’’ said Harvard’s Foster. “But they will be more rapid if the forest is also impacted by bugs.’’
Beth Daley can be reached at
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Sheldon Adelson, Dorchester is calling
Sheldon Adelson attends a 2009 media briefing in Singapore with Marina Bay Sands in the background.
Continue reading below
Most Americans had never heard of Adelson until he and his wife Miriam gave $10 million to keep Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign afloat. That made the 78-year-old casino mogul a symbol of new campaign-finance rules that give the wealthy hugely disproportionate clout in the political process. Pundits complain that Adelson is single-handedly keeping Gingrich in the race, and using his money to amass still more power and yield far more influence than any ordinary voter.
But the news about Adelson raises a bigger question: How could a poor boy from one of the bluest wards in one of the bluest states become one of the Republican party’s most prolific donors? Had Dorchester lost its hold on its wealthiest son? Or did Adelson take its hardscrabble lessons and turn them upside down?
IN 1933 , the year Adelson was born, Erie Street lay near the thriving center of a Jewish universe. Some 90,000 Jews - many from Russia and Poland - struggled and dreamed inside wooden triple-deckers and aging Victorians around Blue Hill Avenue.
Adelson and his wife, Dr. Miriam Ochshorn, married in 1991.
It was a place where Yiddish-speaking horse-cart peddlers hawked bananas and underwear; where families flocked to Franklin Field for the festivities of Rosh Hashanah; where Adelson - short and stout as a fire hydrant - learned to defend himself from attacks by Irish kids on his way to Roxbury Memorial High.
It was a community that taught people to think first of the disadvantaged. So grateful were they for federal help during the Depression that the most popular fish market was named the New Deal. So liberal were they that even socialists - in the form of Yiddish workmen’s circles - held considerable sway.
Republicans were so unpopular that wearing a button supporting one into the G & G Deli was an invitation for old ladies to order you to be ashamed of yourself.
“I understand you are a Republican,’’ implored the grandmother of Jordan Shapiro, Adelson’s former brother-in-law and business partner. “Don’t tell anybody.”
But everybody seemed to have an entrepreneurial side. Little boys looked up to men who started pizza parlors and funeral homes. And soon enough, business became Adelson’s overarching obsession. After graduating high school in 1951, he dropped out of City College of New York to make money. He sold everything from windshield de-icers to mortgages to toiletries boxes for hotels. As the son of a Lithuanian cab driver, it wasn’t easy for him to get credit from big banks, so he figured out creative ways to finance his ventures.
“Because doors were closed to me for a variety of reasons - my religion, my education, my economic status - I had to find a way to open the doors,’’ Adelson told Forbes magazine.
In the 1960s, Adelson and a handful of guys who also grew up in Dorchester invested a few thousand dollars each in a local travel company. Two of the employees were Irwin Chafetz, once a studious boy from Codman Square, and Theodore Cutler, a gregarious musician who played bar mitzvahs and weddings.
The company, which chartered flights to Hawaii, was such a fledgling venture that Cutler kept playing his gigs. One night, during a break in the music, the phone rang. A plane had been marooned on an island.
“He said ‘We got problems,’ ’’ recalled Dan Troderman, a saxophonist. “He was wondering how they were going to get people home.’’
The investment paid off handsomely - at first. American International Travel Service became the largest travel agency in New England. When it went public, stock soared from $10 to $93 per share. Adelson, Chafetz, and Cutler became millionaires. Adelson bought a house in Newton with a bowling alley in it.
“They probably started to fly a little too high,’’ recalled Thomas Eisenstadt, another investor in AITS who grew up with Chafetz in Dorchester. “I used to sit there wide-eyed and say, ‘These guys are crazy.’ They wanted to buy aircraft carriers.’’
But in 1969, when airlines began flying to Hawaii, the charter business could not compete. The stock crashed, and the three friends lost their fortunes. Adelson had to sell his house.
But he didn’t give up. He bought a small trade publication specializing in computers, a hot new trend at the time. Then he invited Chafetz and Cutler to join a new venture: trade shows for computers. The fourth partner was Shapiro, an optometrist whose sister was married to Adelson until their divorce in 1988.
The company, Comdex, became an instant success. Everyone who was anyone in the computer world came, including the young long-haired Bill Gates, who - mythology has it - gave his father’s credit card. They rented convention centers in Las Vegas for a quarter per square foot, and sold the space for $25. They eventually made so much money that they bought the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas so they could have convention space of their own. It became the first privately operated convention center in the country.
But working with Adelson wasn’t easy. He was a hard-driving, micro-manager who fought for his vision with same scrappiness that he summoned to fight off bullies as a teen. Adelson could start a fight in an empty room, a columnist remarked. He once criticized an executive for playing racquetball, asking: “Do you know how much money we are losing in those two hours?’’
But even then, Adelson still cared about the little guy. He fretted about why more African-Americans weren’t applying for jobs at the Needham-based company, according to Jason Chudnofsky, president of Comdex at the time.
During those early years, they would joke that - at bonus time - they’d throw all the money in the air. Whatever God wanted, God took, and the rest they divided fairly between themselves and their employees. When an employee died of cancer, they carried his widow on the payroll for years.
“They watched their fathers do a lot of manual labor in the food markets and the factories, and they said, ‘When we hire people we are never going to allow them to be treated the way our parents were treated,’ ’’ Chudnofsky said.
When they started Comdex in the 1970s, they were all Democrats, except for Shapiro, who had grown up in Brookline, where the Republican Party was popular. During their epic lunches at Chinese restaurants, Shapiro never managed to convince them to join the Republicans.
“We used to joke about it,’’ Shapiro said. “All our friends and neighbors were Democrats. But politics wasn’t that important to us.’’
BY THE time the friends sold Comdex in 1995 for $862 million, Cutler and Adelson had become Republicans. Yet the four partners still remembered the little guy. When they sold the company, they distributed $24 million among several hundred employees, right down to the limo driver.
From left, Jordan Shapiro, Theodore Cutler, Henri Lewin, Adelson, and Irwin Chafetz break ground at The Venetian in Las Vegas in 1997.
“All the partners thought we were blessed and had to share not only with our employees but through philanthropy,’’ said Chafetz, who remained a Democrat, “The danger always was that the wealthy wouldn’t take care of those who didn’t get a break.’’
After the sale, Shapiro bought a boat and moved to Florida. Cutler and Chafetz devoted themselves to philanthropy in Boston. Cutler restored the Majestic Theater. Chafetz helped build the Hillel Center at Boston University.
But Adelson - at age 62 - moved to Las Vegas. He set about transforming the Sands Hotel into a $1.6 billion casino: The Venetian, with marble columns imported from Italy.
As he got wealthier, he grew more conservative. But he still gave thousands of dollars to Democrats, including Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid, and Tom Menino throughout the early 1990s. In 1996, he donated $105,000 to the Democratic National Committee.
But in 1997, he starting writing $100,000 checks to the Republican National Committee. He never gave to the DNC again.
So what changed him?
Some think it was falling in love with Israel - and marrying an Israeli, Dr. Miriam Ochshorn, in 1991. But both parties maintained a strong pro-Israel stance, and he married Ochshorn long before he stopped giving to Democrats.
Others say it was taxes. But he could afford the taxes.
Press clippings from Las Vegas in 1996 reveal what his friends say was the real reason: his epic fight with the culinary union at the Sands. Adelson refused to promise that the new hotel would be a union shop, so the union tried to stop him from building the Venetian.
Adelson opposed the union, not because he didn’t want to pay people well, but because he didn’t want someone telling him how to run his hotel, Chudnofsky said. If he saw a waitress who wasn’t doing her job, he wanted to fire her, not go through a union arbitration.
The battle became bitter and personal. Adelson accused the union of wanting to line its own pockets.
“Gone are the days when union bosses were the protectors of working-class Americans,’’ he declared in a speech in 1997.
He eventually won. But from then on, he donated to Republicans who spoke out against unions, including Gingrich.
Today, when he is asked about his gifts to Gingrich’s Super PAC, Adelson retorts that unions give hundreds of millions of dollars to Democrats and no one bats an eyelid.
It is as if Adelson still sees himself – and Gingrich – as underdogs battling the odds.
“The theory was always to defend the little guy,’’ Chudnofsky said. “As he became a billionaire, the ‘little guys’ became the multimillionaires.’’
THE JEWS of Erie Street have moved away. Some hold “Dorchester reunions’’ around the country to reminisce about the good old days. But Adelson — who went on to build even bigger casinos in Asia — tells reporters how he grew up in “the slums.’’
“These are the good old days right now,’’ Shapiro said.
It makes me wonder: How much good could Adelson do in Dorchester now, if he wanted to? His public charitable giving has mostly centered on Israel, medical research, and senior citizen homes in the relatively affluent communities where the Jews of the Boston area live today.
But the children who live on Erie Street today have just as many doors closed to them as they did in Adelson’s time. Their parents find it just as difficult to find good jobs. Their entrepreneurs find it just as hard to obtain credit.
What would happen if — instead of financing Gingrich — Adelson invested $22 million in Boston Public schools to replace the “turn around’’ funds that will disappear next year? That’s less than .01 percent of his net worth.
What would happen if — instead of obsessing about his next casino — he turned his brilliant business brain toward making housing more affordable or small-business loans more available?
What would happen if Adelson walked down Erie Street just one more time and remembered the little guy he used to be?
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http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2012/03/17/sheldon-adelson-dorchester-calling/x5xbN99AUteMziqChdFpkI/story.html?camp=pm
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Particle looking "more and more" like Higgs: scientists
Particle looking "more and more" like Higgs: scientists
The subatomic particle whose discovery was announced amid much fanfare last year, is looking “more and more” like it could indeed be the elusive Higgs boson, believed to explain why matter has mass, scientists said Wednesday.
But in the latest update, physicists told a conference in La Thuile, Italy, that more analysis is needed before a definitive statement can be made.
Key to a positive identification of the particle is a detailed analysis of its properties and how it interacts with other particles, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) explained in a statement.
Since scientists’ announcement last July that they had found a particle likely to be the Higgs, much data has been analysed, and its properties are becoming clearer.
One property that will allow several teams researching the particle to declare whether or not it is a Higgs, is called spin.
A Higgs must have spin-zero.
“All the analysis conducted so far strongly indicates spin-zero, but it is not yet able to rule out entirely the possibility that the particle has spin-two,” said CERN.
“Until we can confidently tie down the particle’s spin, the particle will remain Higgs-like. Only when we know that it has spin-zero will we be able to call it a Higgs.”
British physicist Peter Higgs theorised in 1964 that the boson could be what gave mass to matter as the Universe cooled after the Big Bang.
Last July, scientists said they were 99.9 percent certain they had found the particle without which, theoretically, humans and all other joined-up atoms in the Universe would not exist.
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Population and Human Relations: Year In Review 1995
At midyear 1995, world population stood at 5,702,000,000, according to estimates prepared by the Population Reference Bureau. The 1995 figure was about 700 million higher than in 1987, when world population first reached 5 billion. The 1995 figure represented an increase of about 88 million over the previous year. The annual rate of population increase declined to about 1.54% in 1995 from 1.6% in 1994, a result of birthrate declines in both developing and industrialized nations. If the 1995 growth rate continued, the world’s population would double in the next 45 years. In 1995, 139 million babies were born, 125 million (90%) in developing countries. Each day, world population increased by 242,000, the result of 382,000 births and 140,000 deaths. More than 85% of the population growth in industrialized countries occurred in the United States. New data from censuses in 26 countries and territories were reported to the United Nations in 1995.
Worldwide, contraceptive use for all methods stood at 58% of married couples in 1995. Fully 49% of couples reported using a "modern" method such as clinically supplied contraceptives or sterilization. In less developed countries (LDCs) 55% were practicing some form of family planning and 49% were using a modern one. The percentage of couples who used contraceptives in LDCs was significantly low, however, except in China, where a vigorous family-planning program had raised contraceptive usage to high levels. When China was excluded, only 33% of couples in LDCs were using a modern method. Sub-Saharan Africa reported the lowest level of usage, 11%, while Latin America had the highest figure among LDCs, 51%.
In 1995, 32% of the world’s population was below the age of 15 in 1995, but the figure was 38% in LDCs outside China. In more developed countries (MDCs), 20% were below age 15, and the figures dropped as low as 16% for Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. (The younger age distribution of LDCs in 1995 was expected to result in a large number of youths entering the childbearing ages in the near future, which should offer considerable potential for population growth.) Only 5% of the population in LDCs was over the age of 65, compared with 13% in MDCs. Sweden, with 18%, remained the country with the highest percentage above age 65.
Nearly half--43%--of world population in 1995 lived in urban areas. (For World’s 25 Most Populous Urban Areas, see Table.) In LDCs 35% of the population was classified as urban, compared with 74% in MDCs. Among the world’s least urbanized countries was Burundi, with only 6% urban population in 1995.
On average, life expectancy at birth was 64 years for males and 68 for females. In MDCs the same figures were 70 and 78 and in LDCs 62 and 65, respectively. In 1995 males could expect to live one year less than in 1994; this statistic was due primarily to rapidly declining health conditions in the republics of the former Soviet Union. The 1995 world infant mortality rate stood at 62 infant deaths per 1,000 live births--10 in MDCs and 67 in LDCs.
Less Developed Countries
The share of world population growth occurring in LDCs increased to 98% in 1995. Of the 88 million people added annually, about 86.5 million were in the world’s poorer nations. At the 1995 pace of childbearing, women in LDCs were averaging about 3.5 children each during their lifetime, slightly more than double that of MDCs. In LDCs, excluding the large statistical effect of China’s 1.2 billion population, women averaged four children each. This was far from the "two-child family" essential to slowing population growth to zero and stabilizing world population size.
The release of the first national fertility survey of India, the world’s second most populous country, made major demographic news. India’s total fertility rate (TFR), the average number of children a woman would bear during her lifetime, assuming that the rate of childbearing in a given year remains constant, fell to 3.4 children per woman. The State Statistical Bureau of China, the world’s most populous country, reported that the TFR had dropped to 1.86 in the previous year.
In 1995 life expectancy in Africa was the world’s lowest, at 53 years for males and 56 for females. Even so, because that continent reported the world’s highest birthrate--a TFR of 5.8 (6.2 in sub-Saharan Africa)--its population growth was the world’s fastest, at 2.8% annually. Overall, Africa’s population stood at 720 million.
Latin America’s population stood at 481 million in 1995, with an annual growth rate of 1.9%, down from 2% in 1994. The TFR in this region remained a comparatively modest 3.1, ranging from 5.4 in Guatemala to 1.8 in Cuba, the same as it was in 1994. Life expectancy rose to 66 for males and 72 for females.
Asia’s population grew from 3.4 billion in 1994 to 3.5 billion in 1995, although its growth rate of 1.7% was the lowest of the developing regions. China’s population reached 1,219,000,000, but the growth rate continued falling, to 1.1%. Population growth rates in the Pacific Rim countries of East Asia fell to historically low levels. This region was close to approaching the low birth and death rates characteristic of industrialized countries.
Despite the fact that birthrates were declining and growth rates were lower in many developing countries, an important distinction had to be drawn between lower growth rates in 1995 and future prospects. Even at the current lower birthrates, world population would soar to well over 50 billion by the end of the 21st century and increase very rapidly thereafter. Mathematically, this placed great importance on the birthrates in developing countries declining to about two children per woman if world population size was to stabilize.
More Developed Countries
In 1995 Europe recorded its first negative rate of natural increase in modern history, -0.1%. This change was largely the result of the steeply declining birthrate in the European republics of the former Soviet Union. Deaths outnumbered births in Russia by more than 700,000. The TFR dropped to between 1.3 and 1.5 in Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, and Ukraine. The principal reasons given for the dramatic reduction in childbearing among women surveyed were the confused state of the economy and the uncertain prospects for recovery in the foreseeable future. Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, birthrates were relatively high. All of these countries now faced the prospect of population decline and accelerated aging. Italy now had the world’s lowest TFR, 1.21, reclaiming that distinction from Spain, which had a TFR of 1.24. Life expectancy for females in Japan continued to set records at 83. Males in Iceland enjoyed the longest life expectancy, 76.9 years.
United States
The population of the U.S. was 263,057,000 in July 1995, up from 260,651,000 a year earlier. This represented an increase of 2,406,000 Americans, or 0.92%. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reported that during the 12 months ended in March 1995, natural increase--which is calculated as births minus deaths--amounted to 1,675,000, the net result of 3,955,000 births and 2,280,000 deaths. During that period the birthrate dropped to 15.1 births per 1,000 population, compared with 15.6 in the 12 months ended in March 1994. Preliminary estimates indicated that the U.S. TFR decreased slightly to 2.05 in 1994, from 2.08 in 1990. The natural increase through March 1995 was 74,000 less than in the 12-month period ended March 1994, a result of the gradual aging of women born during the baby boom and a real decline in the birthrate since the 1990 peak.
The age-adjusted death rate for the 12-month period ended in February 1995 declined 3% from the same period ended in February 1994. The age-adjusted rate was 504.7 per 100,000 population. The NCHS reported that in 1992 life expectancy at birth rose to a new high, 75.8 years. Female life expectancy was 79.1, a slight increase over 1991, while that of males rose to 72.3 from 72. Life expectancy for white females stabilized at 79.8, a small increase over the previous year. Black men had a life expectancy of only 65 years in 1992. The 15 major causes of death accounted for 85% of all deaths in the year ended in February 1995, about the same as one year earlier. (See Table.)
There were 2,356,000 marriages in the U.S. in the 12-month period ended in March 1995, slightly up from 2,329,000 one year earlier. The marriage rate was 9 marriages per 1,000 population, the same as in the previous 12-month period. The number of divorces decreased by 3,000 to 1,180,000. The U.S. infant mortality fell to a historic low of 7.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in the 12-month period ended in March 1995. Legal immigration to the U.S. declined in fiscal year 1994 to 804,416, down from 880,014 in 1993. In 1995 immigration accounted for roughly 33% of U.S. net population growth.
Governments throughout the world made renewed efforts in 1995 to reduce the number of arrivals of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers. In the U.S. the anti-immigrant backlash that had been reflected in the results of the November 1994 elections continued to be a major political theme. Patrick Buchanan, a candidate for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, made the curbing of immigration part of his message of economic nationalism.
Opposition to immigration also had been part of the message of California Gov. Pete Wilson, whose state had voted in 1994 to deny illegal aliens access to medical and social services. Wilson’s presidential campaign quickly failed because of his inability to raise the funds needed to continue.
The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) fortified the Mexican border with additional floodlights and steel fences and introduced more sophisticated computer and tracking technology. More than $500 million had been budgeted in 1994 by the Clinton administration to halt illegal crossings of the U.S.-Mexico border. The assessments after one year were mixed, with arrests declining in some areas and rising in others. It became known in 1995 that the U.S. had been granting asylum to Mexicans. This tacit recognition of political repression in Mexico was a further cause of tension between the governments of the two countries. The INS also streamlined procedures to expedite the deportation of unqualified asylum seekers. More than 147,000 asylum applications were filed during the year, the largest numbers coming from Guatemalans and Salvadorans.
The Republican-controlled Congress in September introduced bills that would crack down on illegal immigration and reduce, for the first time since 1924, the number of foreigners allowed to enter the U.S. The Congress proposed, among other measures, to cut legal immigration by one-third and reduce by one-half the number of people granted political asylum. These proposals came under attack not only from groups that had long supported the rights of immigrants but, more unexpectedly, from businessmen who claimed they needed to bring into the country workers, such as computer programmers, who supplemented the insufficient number of U.S. citizens with these skills.
The number of asylum applications submitted in Western Europe during 1994 dropped to 320,000 from 550,000 in 1993. The largest reduction was recorded in Germany, where 127,000 applications were received, compared with 323,000 a year earlier. Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland all reported significantly fewer applicants. Only The Netherlands and the United Kingdom experienced significant increases. The reductions resulted primarily from the introduction of more restrictive immigration and asylum regulations that were designed to deny entry to foreign nationals originating or arriving from safe countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In response, trafficking in illegal immigrants increased. Romania and Bulgaria were believed to be the most common entry point for illegals from Africa and Asia, while immigrants from Central Asia generally moved from Moscow through the Baltic states, and into Scandinavia. European police agencies were concerned about the growing involvement of international criminal syndicates in these operations. A report by the U.K. Home Office immigration intelligence service claimed that the British government’s "light touch" policy on visitors from other European countries had led to massive welfare fraud costing millions of pounds.
Rapid social and economic change in China, particularly in the coastal provinces Fujian and Guangdong, continued to spur a major exodus of international migrants. The total number of Chinese living illegally in other countries was estimated to have reached at least 500,000. In April 1994 the U.S. State Department estimated that 100,000 illegal Chinese immigrants would enter the U.S. during the year, many of them transported by criminal syndicates and other professional smugglers.
The movement of Vietnamese boat people to the countries of Southeast Asia came to an effective halt in 1994 as a result of improved economic and political conditions within Vietnam and declining opportunities for resettlement in the West. In 1994, of the roughly 52,000 Vietnamese citizens who legally emigrated by using assistance from an internationally supervised Orderly Departure Program, the vast majority went to the U.S. Some 13,000 Vietnamese boat people returned to their homeland in 1994, about half of them from Hong Kong. More than 40,000, however, remained in camps throughout Southeast Asia at the end of the year.
South Africa, which completed its transition to majority rule in 1994, was confronted very quickly with a growing influx of immigrants from such less prosperous and stable countries as Liberia, Rwanda, Somalia, and Zaire. The number of illegal immigrants in South Africa stood at some two million; many of them were unskilled workers who provided cheap and nonunion labour. This caused growing public concern about the social and economic impact of the new arrivals, which the South African government responded to by deporting over 90,000 foreigners in 1994.
Although the worldwide refugee population had decreased to 14.5 million by early 1995, the total number of persons of concern to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had risen to 27.4 million. That number, however, did not include the 2.8 million Palestinian refugees who fell under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East or the estimated 26 million other displaced persons. UNHCR continued to implement a core mandate by providing international refugee protection and by seeking permanent solutions to their dislocation, preferably through voluntary repatriation. As a reflection of the increasingly complex displaced-population crisis, UNHCR also expanded its activities to assist 4 million returning refugees, 5.4 million internally displaced persons (those who had a refugee-like status but had not crossed an international border), and 3.5 million others of humanitarian concern.
The humanitarian crisis, provoked in 1994 by the flight of over two million Rwandans and Burundians in the African Great Lakes region, continued to fester. While disease was kept under control and nutrition remained sufficient, security concerns, environmental degradation, and ethnic imbalances strained the generosity of those African countries that had traditionally welcomed refugees. Zaire, host to the largest number of Rwandan refugees, began forcibly repatriating them. Tanzania, an asylum country for African refugees even before its independence, sealed the border against further arrivals. Meanwhile, an estimated 750,000 refugees, mostly Tutsi who had left in the early 1960s, returned to Rwanda. Many of the former exiles took over houses abandoned by more recent refugees, a move that complicated the return of the new caseload. A meeting of these countries plus Uganda produced in November an agreement to return the refugees to Rwanda. In southern Africa the voluntary repatriation of 1.6 million Mozambicans was successfully completed in June. UNHCR turned its focus to helping their long-term integration into a devastated country. A duplication of the Mozambican repatriation was hoped for in Angola, where a fragile peace prevailed after 20 years of civil war that had spawned 311,000 refugees and 2 million internally displaced persons. In the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia was host nation to some 350,000 Somali, Sudanese, Djiboutian, and Kenyan refugees. Somalia witnessed the return of some 127,000 of its nationals over a 54-month period. UNHCR assisted their reintegration by means of small-scale projects intended to bridge the gap between emergency relief and long-term development. Repatriation to Eritrea faltered in the face of limited donor support. In West Africa the formation of a new government in Monrovia ushered in prospects for an end to five years of fighting and the return of 794,000 Liberian refugees. Violence in neighbouring Sierra Leone resulted in an additional 275,000 Sierra Leonean refugees.
In former Yugoslavia aggressors and victims changed roles as lightning gains and attritional battles bloated the displaced-person population. By the fall of 1995, fighting had displaced an estimated 500,000 people, adding to the 3.5 million refugees, displaced persons, and others of concern. The peace treaty signed in December raised the possibility that in the short term more people could be displaced to accommodate territorial adjustments. As a token of this, some 750 rebels against the Bosnian government, fearful of their reception, returned from Croatia. In Russia the year opened with a heavy-handed war in the self-declared independent republic of Chechnya. UNHCR assisted the 210,000 persons who had escaped to the neighbouring republics of Ingushetia and Dagestan, while the International Committee of the Red Cross worked to succour those within Chechnya. The cease-fire agreed to by Armenia and Azerbaijan in May 1994 continued to hold, and some 450,000 of the most needy of those displaced by the dispute in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh were assisted by UNHCR. UNHCR and concerned governments of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) developed a regional approach to the problems affecting refugees, returnees, displaced persons, and migrants in the CIS and relevant neighbouring states. In 1994 Western Europe experienced a 40% decline in asylum applications compared with the previous year. Of the 338,000 persons who applied, 47,000 were granted refugee status and another 58,000 were allowed to stay for humanitarian reasons. By early 1995 some 700,000 persons from former Yugoslavia had been granted temporary protection.
The Afghan refugees who streamed out of their country after the 1979 invasion by Soviet forces were the largest refugee caseload of concern to UNHCR. About 2.7 million persons fled to Iran and Pakistan. As Afghanistan remained divided into regions of relative peace and ongoing combat, UNHCR attempted to encourage repatriation and mitigate further outflows by intensifying its activities in safer areas within the country. A major impediment to return and rehabilitation--as was the case also in Angola, Cambodia, and Mozambique--was the presence of indiscriminately sown land mines. Although most of the 500,000 internally displaced Tajiks and 60,000 Tajik refugees had returned to their places of origin within Tajikistan or in Afghanistan, some 34,000 Tajiks remained displaced. In a departure, UNHCR supported the Tajikistan authorities in protecting returnees and attempted to resolve conflicts. The 15,000 Turkish Kurd refugees in Iraq endured further displacement and uncertainty when their camps were targeted during a Turkish operation against suspected Kurd militants. More than 600,000 Iraqi refugees, mostly Kurds and Arab Shi’ites, combined with 1.6 million Afghan refugees to make Iran the top country of asylum. In Yemen, Somali refugees, many of whom had previously found themselves on the front line between warring sides of Yemeni, fell prey to a campaign of forced repatriation. Two years after the signing of a declaration of principles between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, Palestinian refugees were forcibly pushed out of Libya and put under increasing pressure to leave Lebanon as well.
In Asia more than 200,000 Burmese Muslim refugees had repatriated from Bangladesh since September 1992, and 50,000 remained in camps in Bangladesh. The repatriation of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from southern India ebbed and flowed in tandem with developments in Sri Lanka. More than 10,000 Sri Lankans returned in the first half of 1995, but 54,000 remained in camps in India. Some 85,000 Bhutanese refugees remained in camps in Nepal as efforts to resolve their plight proved fruitless. Plans to settle Indo-Chinese asylum seekers met a temporary roadblock when 41,000 Vietnamese nonrefugees refused to repatriate in the hope that proposed legislation would allow them to resettle in the United States. Nearly a million Vietnamese had fled after the fall of the Saigon government in 1975, and the vast majority had resettled in other countries. Under the Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indo-Chinese Refugees (CPA), those who had left for reasons other than a well-founded fear of persecution were designated for repatriation. Of the more than 73,000 persons who had returned to Vietnam since the implementation of the CPA in 1989, UNHCR found no significant cases of persecution.
The plight of Cubans and Haitians who had taken to the high seas and then been apprehended and sequestered at the United States naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, was resolved. Following a political breakthrough in Haiti and the reinstatement of Pres. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haitians were repatriated, involuntarily in many cases. Most of the 21,000 Cubans at Guantánamo were allowed to enter the U.S., but any Cubans picked up at sea would be returned to Cuba after Pres. Bill Clinton revoked a long-standing U.S. policy of granting asylum to all Cubans. The repatriation of the more than 40,000 Guatemalan refugees in Mexico proceeded cautiously; the deliberate killing of returnees by paramilitary groups, notably in the fall, amplified the wariness of potential returnees. The United States issued guidelines to help immigration officers grant asylum to women who were threatened with sexual violence, which was used as political persecution in their homeland. The new guidelines did not change the criteria needed for refugee status but rather educated asylum officers about gender-based discrimination and provided them with procedures and methods for evaluating refugee standards for individual claims.
This updates the article population.
Worldwide, the catalog of race and ethnic problems continued to be long and grim in 1995.
Russia’s Human Rights Commission reported that 24,000 civilians had been killed in Grozny after 40,000 Russian troops entered the republic of Chechnya in December 1994 to quell a rebellion by Chechen separatists.
Croatian and Bosnian Muslim forces routed Bosnian Serbs to retake much of the territory lost in the bloody three-year civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While retaliatory "ethnic cleansing" continued, the U.S. brokered a cease-fire between all parties--Croats, Serbs, and Muslims--and helped negotiate a peace agreement in November. Thousands of ethnic Georgians were expelled from the autonomous republic of Abkhazia by February 1995. The war in the Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, where Armenians formed the bulk of the population, had so far claimed 20,000 lives and left 600,000 people homeless.
In France radical Algerian Islamists were suspected of a 1994 airline hijacking and repeated bombings of civilian targets, primarily in Paris. Neo-Nazi extremists were suspects in the February bomb explosion that killed four Gypsies in Austria and in the firebombing of Turkish mosques, travel agencies, and German cultural centres in Cologne, Gelsenkirchen, and Erlenbach. During the week in early May when the 50th anniversary of V-E (Victory in Europe) Day was commemorated, a fire was set in a synagogue in Lübeck, tombstones of Nazi victims were toppled in Berlin, and that city’s New Synagogue was rededicated.
In Spain, Basque terrorists kidnapped a Madrid businessman. The government opened an inquiry into the deaths in 1993 of Basque guerrillas, apparently at the hands of death squads employed by the Ministry of Interior. Britain engaged in peace talks held in Washington, D.C., with Sinn Fein, the political arm of the Irish Republican Army, over the fate of Northern Ireland. A vote of the Slovak parliament curbing the use of the Hungarian language angered citizens of Hungarian descent and led Prime Minister Gyula Horn of Hungary to protest. He claimed that this action violated the European Convention on Human Rights and could jeopardize the entry of each country into the European Union.
North America
In the U.S. in October, some 835,000 blacks peacefully participated in the "Million Man March" in Washington, D.C., to demonstrate solidarity among black males and to bring about a spiritual renewal that would instill a sense of personal responsibility for improving the condition of African-Americans. The event was organized by Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, and directed by Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the former executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The NAACP, under the chairmanship of Myrlie Evers-Williams (see BIOGRAPHIES), did not endorse the march. The march and the not-guilty verdict in the trial of former football star O.J. Simpson, a black, accused of murdering his estranged wife and one of her friends, both white, elicited vastly different reactions among blacks and whites and placed race relations, the plight of black youth, and the condition of black urban neighbourhoods at the centre of a national policy debate. Kweisi Mfume of Maryland resigned his congressional seat to take over as president and chief executive officer of the NAACP. Mfume vowed to revitalize the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, which had been troubled by scandal and controversy for over two years.
The results of several studies conducted by the New York Times over two decades suggested that although blacks were victims in one-half of all murders committed each year, 85% of those executed had killed a white, while 11% had murdered a black. The results indicated that the death penalty was imposed more often when the victim was white, whether the killer was black or white.
In Canada, Quebec’s governing party, the Parti Québécois, held an October referendum on sovereignty. After the measure was narrowly defeated, Quebec Premier Jacques Parizeau dealt a blow to the separatist movement’s pledge to ethnic pluralism and diversity by remarking in a concession speech that the defeat was caused by "money and the ethnic vote."
In Mexico’s Chiapas state, representatives of the federal government and Zapatista guerrillas held peace talks in January, April, and October to end an almost two-year insurgency over demands for better living conditions for Mayan Indian peasants, the poorest in Mexico.
South America
Macushi Indians in Roraima state, Brazil, demanded that the government fulfill a promise to set aside 10,460 sq km (6,500 sq mi) of ancestral land as an official reserve, a move vigorously opposed by local settlers. In a nearby area, civil rights advocates filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, claiming that Yanomamö Indians had been the victims of genocidal killings when gold miners had camped on their land two years earlier.
A force of 35,000 Turkish troops crossed the border into Iraq in March to crush Iraqi Kurdish guerrillas who were assisting Turkish Kurds in their long-simmering rebellion.
The Israeli government and the Palestinians completed negotiations for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from about 30% of the territory of the occupied West Bank, giving the Palestinians control of the seven largest towns there. In Israel bombings continued by such extremist groups as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Muslim guerrillas of the Hezbollah launched attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and on Israeli civilians in northern Israel. Negotiations with Syria over the disposition of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights remained deadlocked, but in December U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher indicated that talks might soon resume.
India remained troubled by religious and ethnic conflict. Hindu extremists advocated suppression of the country’s Muslims, Sikhs sought a separate state in Punjab, and Muslim rebels in Jammu and Kashmir opposed India’s rule over the country’s only state with a Muslim majority. In Pakistan, Sunni Muslim gunmen fired into Shi’ite mosques in Karachi in February, killing 20 worshipers. By October more than 2,500 persons had been killed in sectarian clashes in Karachi alone. The Mohajir Qaumi Movement stepped up efforts to gain greater autonomy in Karachi for Muslims who fled India in 1947. Tamil separatist rebels broke a three-month cease-fire with Sri Lankan government troops in April, ending negotiations over possible concessions toward Tamil autonomy in the northern part of the country. Attacks on military bases and bombings in villages over several months resulted in hundreds of Tamil and Sinhalese deaths. (See SPOTLIGHT: Secularism in South Asia.)
In January troops of Myanmar’s (Burma’s) military junta captured the headquarters and last stronghold of the Karen National Union on the Thai-Burmese border. The ethnic-based movement had been fighting for independence from Myanmar since 1948. Several months later Burmese troops, joined by dissident Karens, attacked Karen refugee camps in Thailand.
Virtually all African countries south of the Sahara exhibited ethnopolitical divisions. Rwanda struggled in the aftermath of the deaths of an estimated 500,000 persons, mostly Tutsi, at the hands of Hutu soldiers and militia. The Tutsi-dominated government engaged in vigilante justice and attempts at legal retribution. In neighbouring Burundi, where a long-standing Tutsi government ruled over an ethnic population comprising 15% Tutsi and 85% Hutu, clashes between Hutu and Tutsi occurred regularly.
Clan rivalry and violence continued sporadically in Somalia. Northern clans cooperated to administer a self-styled "Republic of Somaliland"; no central government had returned to southern Somalia. The execution of prominent writer Ken Saro-Wiwa (see OBITUARIES) in November brought charges by Human Rights Watch of genocide against the Ogoni people by the military government of Nigeria.
A cease-fire was negotiated between the Sudanese government, now dominated by Islamic fundamentalists, and southern rebels (Christian and animists) who had been fighting for independence or autonomy since 1983. In Mali, Tuareg rebels, who also operated in neighbouring Niger, attacked settlements and government outposts near Timbuktu and other towns on the edge of the Sahara desert. Liberia’s six-year civil war between factions originating in ethnoregional groups that spanned the country’s borders came to a negotiated end.
Racial division narrowed in South Africa, five years after the official end of apartheid, with racial integration the rule in all public institutions. Majority black rule seemed to have brought a decline in political and racial violence, although KwaZulu/Natal province remained the primary scene of political killings and unrest within the Zulu population. Threats from the "white right" and calls for a separate volkstaat (Afrikaner enclave) were diluted considerably by mainstream politics, which promoted cross-racial alliances. The National Party made gains among Coloureds in Western Cape province, and the African National Congress attracted many white liberals.
Islamic militants assaulted government officials and foreigners in Egypt and Algeria. While visiting Addis Ababa, Eth., in June, Egyptian Pres. Hosni Mubarak survived an assassination attempt, which he blamed on Sudanese Islamic fundamentalists. The government of Algeria continued a counterterrorist campaign against several militant Islamic groups after hard-line police and army officials rejected a peace plan put together by the opposition leadership. In the mountainous Kabylie region, armed Berber groups fought militant Islamists. (See SPOTLIGHT: The Berbers of North Africa.)
Efforts were made throughout most parts of the world in 1995 to ease the strain brought about by widespread unemployment and to restructure and reform benefit programs. Social security benefits and programs in Western Europe were used to promote the introduction of new and flexible forms of employment. Countries in Central and Eastern Europe followed the lead of their Western neighbours, but they were primarily concerned with ensuring that large segments of the population did not fall below a minimum standard of living. In industrialized Asia and the Pacific, efforts were made to combat discrimination in the distribution of social security benefits. Major reforms were proposed but not implemented in emerging and less developed countries. In North America the U.S. and Canada initiated a massive restructuring of social policy, as did Mexico, where a 52-year-old social security system was on the brink of collapse.
North America
The first U.S. Republican-controlled Congress in 40 years moved to cut back and dismantle welfare, health care, and other social policies launched during Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and expanded under Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society.
The Republicans wanted to reduce federal spending and administrative involvement by turning more control over to states and ending entitlements, which guaranteed benefits to every eligible individual. Opponents called the changes "social regression" and charged that critical assistance would end for large numbers of children and other needy and disadvantaged persons. At the end of the year, portions of the government were shut down in the impasse between the two sides.
Congress began its revision of social programs by overhauling the $23 billion, 60-year-old welfare program that had supported 4.7 million families and more than 9 million children with cash benefits, child care, child protection, school meals, and nutritional aid. The House of Representatives passed a welfare-reform measure in March, and the Senate followed in September. The two versions agreed on the general thrust of reform but differed in some important aspects, with the House clamping down harder than the Senate. Both bills called for replacing the existing entitlement program with lump-sum block grants to the states, which would run their own programs and take responsibility for determining eligibility and the establishment of job training and child-care assistance.
Certain limitations were set, requiring most recipients to work within two years of receiving benefits and limiting them to a lifetime maximum of five years on welfare rolls. The bills denied noncitizens access to a variety of services. The House version barred states from using federal funding to provide cash assistance to unwed teenage mothers or children born to welfare recipients. The Senate proposal made those restrictions optional. The House measure did not include provisions to expand education, job training, and federally subsidized jobs, which were part of the Senate bill.
The changes would reduce federal welfare spending over seven years by an estimated $66 billion (Senate) to $90 billion (House). Critics estimated that the cuts would end benefits for more than 100,000 children. President Clinton, who had called for "an end to welfare as we know it" during his 1992 election campaign, vetoed the Republican bill in December. His counterproposal promised additional education, job training, and child-care assistance to help cushion the transition.
Even before Congress acted, some states obtained or requested waivers to revamp their welfare programs. Wisconsin, Michigan, New Jersey, and Massachusetts were among those experimenting with policies that required beneficiaries to work and limited the time they could remain on welfare. Several states reported reductions in welfare rolls and spending, but some observers questioned the extent and lasting effects of the gains.
In terms of the number of people affected and potential savings, the most significant social program targeted for reform by the Congress was Medicare, the federal health-insurance program, begun in 1965, that covered 37.2 million elderly and disabled. Soaring costs prompted trustees of the fund to forecast that Medicare would be insolvent by the year 2002 if nothing was done. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that without significant changes, the cost of Medicare would rise to $455 billion, or 18.6% of the federal budget, in 2005 from $178 billion, or 11.7%, in 1995. Citing these concerns, the House of Representatives approved a plan that would reduce projected Medicare spending by $270 billion over the next seven years. Democrats, while acknowledging the need to slow Medicare costs, contended that the Republicans wanted to gut the program in order to fund a tax cut for the wealthy. They offered their own plan for a $90 billion, seven-year cut.
Most of the savings in the Republican plan would be realized from smaller increases in payments to doctors, hospitals, and other health-care providers and from limiting malpractice awards and cracking down on fraud and abuse. Premiums would be raised for most beneficiaries, with larger increases for the wealthiest. Seniors would be encouraged to move into private health maintenance organizations and other managed-care plans, but they could choose to keep their existing fee-for-service Medicare coverage.
Medicaid--a medical assistance program jointly financed by state and federal governments for qualified low-income individuals--was also targeted for reform. Under a new proposal, the main responsibility for running Medicaid would be shifted to the states, which would receive lump-sum payments from Congress and the responsibility to decide, within flexible guidelines, whom to cover and at what level.
Proponents of the overhaul said it would save the federal government $182 billion over seven years. Foes denounced it as an assault on children and the elderly and noted that 39.7 million Americans did not have health insurance.
Republicans pushed for cutbacks, stricter regulations, greater state responsibility, and changes in such other programs as food stamps, subsidized housing, legal aid, job training, and supplemental security income for the aged, blind, and disabled. They also sought to tighten eligibility standards and to reduce the cost of the earned income tax credit, which provided $25 billion in direct tax refunds to about 20 million low-income working families.
The only changes scheduled in social security for 1996 were the annual adjustments in benefits and taxes. However, major revisions were proposed, including a rise in the retirement age and a reduction in the annual cost-of-living adjustment in benefits, in anticipation of an influx into the system of retired baby boomers. The automatic annual increase would boost benefits by 2.6% in 1996, raising the average monthly payment for a retired worker from $702 to $720 and from $1,184 to $1,215 for couples. The social security tax rate would remain at 12.4%, but it would be levied on the first $62,700 of workers’ salaries, up from $61,200 in 1995. An additional 2.9% Medicare tax (one-half of which was paid by employers and the other half paid by employees) would continue to apply to all wages.
Social program retrenchments in Canada were significant, though not as broad as in the U.S. Canada had been considered socially more responsive than the U.S., with a comprehensive national health plan and generous welfare benefits. The federal government announced in February that payments transferred to the provinces for health, welfare, and postsecondary education, which amounted to nearly $30 billion in 1995, would be cut by $2.5 billion in 1996-97 and $4.5 billion in 1997-98. Starting in 1996, federal funds that had been allocated for those three areas would be lumped together in a new Canada Social Transfer Fund. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s goal was to cut health spending by about $10 billion each year, and he was expected to push for budget cuts in pensions, child care, services for the homeless, legal aid, and help for the disabled. The Ottawa government also announced plans to review old-age security and the Canada Pension Plan and said it would consider new approaches to government-run job-training programs and the unemployment insurance system.
Some provinces, in an effort to balance budgets and cut taxes, acted to slash health and welfare benefits by imposing workfare, closing and merging hospitals, and cutting back on universal coverage that paid for doctor and hospital visits. In October the welfare rates in Ontario were reduced by 21.6%. British Columbia became the first province to impose, as of December 1, a residency requirement for those seeking welfare. These actions came at a time when the National Council of Welfare (NCW) reported that poverty rates in Canada had grown dramatically. The number of those living in poverty, as defined by the NCW, rose to 4.8 million in 1993 from 4.3 million in 1992, bringing the poverty rate to 17.4%. Children were hardest hit, with 20.8% of those under age 18 living in poverty, compared with 20.5% of people 65 and older.
In the U.S. the Census Bureau reported that the number of people living in poverty dropped by 1.2 million in 1994, to 38.1 million, the first year-to-year decline since 1989. The proportion of those below the poverty line, defined as $15,141 for a family of four, fell from 15.1% in 1993 to 14.5% in 1994.
Western Europe
In this region, where 10% of the economically active population suffered from unemployment, a number of governments promoted alternative jobs that made working life more flexible and provided a possible way of preventing additional job losses and of reducing unemployment. Social security benefits were used by employers to entice employees to accept part-time work, reduced weekly or annual work hours, night or weekend work, fixed-term employment, and participation in job-sharing and extended-leave programs. Denmark’s special-leave program--launched to encourage employees to take time off work and thereby allow temporary employment for some of the unemployed--proved so popular that it had to be curtailed by 10%. Under the old plan, employees were paid 80% of the maximum unemployment benefit when they took time off for job training, sabbaticals, or parental leave.
Belgium introduced a program that entitled employees to take up to two months off work to care for an elderly parent or someone with an incurable disease. During this time social security coverage continued without interruption and the employee was granted a pay allowance.
As alternative working practices spread, a number of countries recognized a need to avoid discrimination. In the United Kingdom both full- and part-time workers would receive the same benefits in cases of layoffs and wrongful dismissal. In The Netherlands one of the largest funds announced that it would grant pensions to part-time workers and, in compliance with a ruling by the European Court of Justice, would credit service back to 1976. The European Commission drafted a directive to eliminate sex discrimination affecting occupational pension benefits.
Most social security payments in Western Europe were made on an individual basis, rather than as a joint benefit payment to couples. Switzerland abolished a joint benefit for couples and introduced provisions for early retirement. It also raised the retirement age for women from 62 to 63, effective in 2001, and to 64 in 2005. The retirement age for men remained unchanged at 65.
In an effort to reduce the absentee rate due to sickness, the Dutch government considered privatizing sick leave by obligating employers to cover the costs on the basis of civil law. During the summer Italy passed a long-awaited pension reform that was similar to the Swedish plan, which linked retirement benefits to life expectancy and gave incentives to those who purchased private coverage.
In France, however, attempts by the government to change the social security system led to a series of strikes that forced a renegotiation of the plan.
Central and Eastern Europe
Countries in Central and Eastern Europe faced difficulties in implementing their social security systems owing to persistently high levels of inflation and unemployment. Governments made efforts, however, to maintain minimum standards of living and to continue the payment of benefits.
In Russia minimum wages and pensions were more than doubled, while Lithuania launched a program granting special income support to families in need. After the approval in May of an austerity package in Hungary, the government planned to reduce allowances for child care, maternity, and families as of July 1, 1995. The Constitutional Court decided against these cuts, ruling that those concerned would not have enough time to prepare for the changes and that the protection of families, mothers, and children was guaranteed under the constitution. The Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia was preparing a new law that would introduce a supplementary earnings-related pension. Attempts were made in Bulgaria to combat long-term unemployment with the introduction of a national part-time employment program that would encourage employers to hire the unemployed on a short-term, part-time basis. Romania sought to reduce its unemployment problem by offering early retirement.
Industrialized Asia and the Pacific
In Japan there was continued concern about the effects of an aging population on economic and social systems. A group of experts commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare proposed long-term-care insurance that would cover persons aged 65 and older and would be funded by additional contributions to social security. The ministry projected that within five years the aging population and growing medical costs would require an increase of up to 25% in contributions made to social security health insurance.
Hong Kong launched an improved social security package that included increases in existing benefits and the introduction of new ones, notably a special supplement to single-parent families. In Taiwan new national health insurance legislation came into force, covering employed persons and their dependents; the latter did not qualify for benefits under previous regulations.
Australia continued to pay social security benefits on an individual basis rather than making combined payments to couples or families. A parenting allowance was introduced for spouses of welfare recipients or low-wage earners whose main responsibility was caring for dependent children under age 16. It was paid to the primary caregiver for a dependent child but was subject to an income threshold. In New Zealand pension plans were required to obtain independent legal counsel to comply with the 1993 Human Rights Act.
Emerging and Less Developed Countries
Though no major social security reforms were reported, debate centred on the elements of reform that should be addressed prior to a comprehensive overhaul of the system. In Brazil the Commission on Constitution and Justice removed a major obstacle to reform by ruling that the revision of the "long-service pension" was permitted under the constitution. The pension, which could be paid to an employee of any age after 30 years of service, was one of the main financial drains on the country’s social security system. In June Uruguay’s president drafted a social security reform plan that included a mixed system of pay-as-you-go and capitalization. Pension reform stemming from changes made since 1993 to both the health and workers’ compensation plans was under discussion in Nicaragua.
Problems of inadequate coverage and financial imbalances continued to plague many emerging and less developed countries. Nevertheless, Bahrain and Iran offered coverage to the self-employed, and the Philippines adopted legislation that extended health coverage to all citizens. In China individual cities and provinces introduced social security reforms and experimented with plans for retirement, health, work injury, and unemployment. The Caribbean nations of Dominica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines increased the levels of benefits paid to the insured and introduced additional benefits. Malawi announced that it would establish a workers’ compensation fund followed by a comprehensive social security plan.
This updates the article social service.
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Brain Tumor Diagnosis
There are many factors to determining the diagnosis of a brain tumor. Usually, initial symptoms lead to a thorough physical examination and a neurological exam.
Initial Symptoms
• Persistent headaches
• Seizures
• Vomiting or convulsions
• Changes in sight, speech or hearing
• Weakness or loss of sensation of arms, legs, hands or feet
If these symptoms a present, a physical exam is then conducted by a neurologist. This includes a review of a patient's medical history and neurological tests to assess.
Neurological Test
• Balance and coordination
• Abstract thinking and memory
• Eye movement
• Sensory perception
• Reflexes
• Control of facial muscles
• Head and tongue movement
Based on the examination findings and other factors (age, medical condition, the type of cancer suspected and severity of symptoms) one or more diagnostic tests will be performed. Diagnostic tests are non-invasive, high-resolution medical imaging applications.
Diagnostic Tests
Computed Tomography Scan (CT or CAT scan)
This CT reveals brain abnormalities. This is a sophisticated X-ray machine linked to a computer to create two-dimensional images. It is painless and can be completed in ten minutes or less. Occasionally, a special dye is injected into the bloodstream to provide more detail.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan (MRI)
The MRI, which uses magnetic fields (not X-rays) provides detailed images. It is more sensitive than the CT in detecting a brain tumor's presence. The MRI is a preferential imaging test because it outlines the normal brain structure in unique detail. This procedure is slightly more time consuming as the patient lies inside a cylinder-type machine for about one hour. A special dye may also be injected in the bloodstream during the procedure (MRI angiogram) to distinguish tumors from healthy tissue.
Other Scans or Diagnostic Tests
Additional scans include magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) . These scans assist in determining brain tumor activity and blood flow or the effect on brain activity.
Reveal changes in the skull bones, indicating a tumor. Because this is a far less sensitive test than scans, it is used less.
Lumbar puncture (or spinal tap)
Obtains spinal fluid, to determine presence of tumor cells.
Digital holography
Provides a three-dimensional map of the tumor and surrounding brain structure.
An X-ray of the spine to detect spinal cord tumors.
Radionuclide brain scintigraphy
Views capillaries feeding the tumor after highlighting them with a radioactive substance.
Several of the tests can suggest the presence of a tumor. The biopsy (a piece of tumor which is surgically removed) provides the definitive diagnosis. Depending on the tumor, the biopsy also reveals the type and grade of the tumor and assists in potential treatment. The sample tumor is analyzed by a pathologist (a doctor specializing in tissue cell and organ evaluation) to diagnose disease.
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It's easier than ever to get burned these days.
Fraud and identity-theft complaints tracked by the Federal Trade Commission topped 1.2 million last year, up 19 percent from 2010 and a whopping 800 percent since 2000, according to Consumer Reports. And the fraud artists are using new channels and technology that didn't exist 15 years ago.
Here are some of the latest high-tech scams and advice on what you can do to prevent getting ripped off:
. "We'll remove the virus we found for $100."
Some scoundrels fly under the radar via telephone. A tech-support person, purportedly from a trusted company like Dell or Microsoft, calls to warn you that its security systems have remotely detected a virus on your computer and offers to remove it - for a fee of $100 or more.
Of course, there is no virus, so you pay for unnecessary service. The crook may also take the opportunity to install mock anti-virus software that later starts "finding" nonexistent malware. That can cost you a bundle for removal. Worse, the tech may also install software that scans your computer to steal your passwords and hijack your computer to generate ads and spread spam.
Protect yourself: Find legitimate anti-virus and anti-malware software that Consumer Reports has rated, install it on your PC and keep it up-to-date. Hang up on anyone outside your home who claims to find trouble on your PC.
. "You could win an iPad. Start bidding!"
Hot electronics are commonly used to entice victims into a shakedown. A pop-up ad on your computer invites you to bid on an iPad, laptop PC or wide-screen TV, but you must include your cellphone number to play.
Submitting your bid sends a text message to your cellphone that, whether you respond or not, may authorize an unwanted $9.99 a month subscription to some useless service. The charge gets tacked onto your cellphone bill.
Protect yourself: Guard your cellphone number like a credit card; don't give it to strangers. Demand refunds from your cell provider if you've been crammed (if small charges are added to your bill by a third party). Tell your wireless and landline carriers to block all third-party billing to your account, and check previous bills for cramming charges.
. "Buy a gourmet dog-food coupon worth $61 - for just $16."
You receive an email that alerts you to a website - not the manufacturer's - where you can purchase high-value coupons. They're not your typical 25 cents off, but special coupons for $2 to $60 off or free high-priced products like razors, pricey pet food, diapers, infant formula, coffee and even restaurant meals.
Protect yourself: Avoid such coupons.
. "OMG! Now you really can see who views your Facebook profile!!!"
Social-media networks are fertile ground for fakery. You might have received messages from Facebook friends raving about an app that claims to let you see who's checking out your profile. Such messages can be spam in disguise, leading to "bait pages." Other bait involves bizarre or salacious videos. Consumers who take the bait never get the promised software or film.
Protect yourself: Don't reveal personal information online to anyone who initiated contact with you unless your trust is certain. Consumer Reports recommends looking for the survey company's name and go to its website independently by reopening your browser, or call it.
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<urn:uuid:468c4393-8974-4927-9ea2-35d99892c510>
| 2 | 2.171875 | 0.067594 |
en
| 0.938259 |
http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121001/BUSINESS01/121009983/1005
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Just a week after President Barack Obama won reelection, the pundits are already flush with insights about what political lessons can be gleaned from the campaign.
But perhaps the most important set of lessons is not for politicos, but for corporations—after all, by Election Day, the Obama campaign was as large as many Fortune 500 companies.
The Obama campaign may have been of comparable size to a large company, but they ran their advertising operation very differently. From how data drove media decisions to when and where the campaign bought ads, the Obama campaign ran a path-breaking media planning operation.
Here are 5 lessons businesses could take from the Obama playbook:
1. Plan early. Even before Mitt Romney was officially declared the Republican nominee, the Obama campaign was on the air in key swing states, locking in perceptions about Mitt Romney among key groups of voters. In addition, the campaign secured upfronts early, which saved a significant sum of money, especially in crowded advertising environments.
For businesses launching a new product, or businesses that hear that a key competitor is launching a new product, shaping early perceptions can be critical. Securing upfronts in both traditional and digital media can save money and enable key influencers to be reached and their opinions solidified in advance of any competing communication.
2. Use flexible, quick-turn creative. The Obama campaign may have locked in their advertising plans early on, but they allowed the creative to be flexible, so the campaign could capitalize on the latest news headlines. In fact, it’s typical in many political campaigns for ads to often be tested, shot, and sent to stations overnight.
Most brand managers and agencies will scoff at the idea that creative could be turned around in a few hours, not only because the typical agency creative processes are not designed to be “quick turn,” but also because the myriad layers of approval typical of most large corporate advertising campaigns are not conducive to pivoting quickly. For many companies, only in a crisis are those layers of approval stripped away to pave the way for expeditious decision-making, but companies would be wise to find ways to capitalize on the latest current events and industry news even in non-crisis situations.
3. Integrate CRM and marcoms. The Obama campaign’s voter database is one of the largest CRM databases in the nation, and they used that data to drive all aspects of campaign decision-making, including their media and advertising operations.
By contrast, for most businesses, CRM remains wholly separate from marketing and communications, usually falling under the purview of the Chief Information Officer rather than the Chief Marketing Officer. But CRM data could provide rich information about current and potential customers that could be leveraged to drive paid, earned, and owned communication strategy.
4. Break down silos. Early on, the Obama campaign invested in the infrastructure to make it possible for real-time data to drive all advertising decisions. For example, the campaign’s information architecture allowed polling and canvassing data to inform traditional and digital media spending, on a market-by-market basis, in real time.
A typical Fortune 500 company often has half a dozen or more agencies executing different aspects of their paid media programs. This arrangement often presents logistical (and political) challenges to enabling real-time data to drive media strategy: information is unlikely to be shared organically across busy agencies without mechanisms to explicitly facilitate the information transfer. Creating a shared database for media data and market research data can greatly aid cross-agency collaboration.
5. One size does not fit all. In each swing state, the Obama campaign utilized a different media mix, varying the amount of money spent on broadcast television, cable television, radio, digital, mobile, and social media advertising, based on the media data about the state and the target voters they were attempting to reach.
For regional companies or companies with local products, a market-specific approach to media planning is baked into every media plan. For national businesses, however, important market-by-market differences in media habits are often ignored in favor of large national media buys with broad reach. But online video viewing, mobile video usage, cable penetration, radio ratings, and television program ratings all vary, often dramatically, on a market-by-market basis. By taking these differences into account, companies can make their paid media much more effective.
By borrowing some of the Obama campaign’s advertising strategies, companies and their agencies can together create more efficient and more data-driven campaigns. Forward!
Dr. Amy Gershkoff was the Director of Media Planning at Obama for America. She is now the Global Director of Analytics for Burson-Marsteller, where she designs custom measurement solutions for social and digital communication programs. Previously, she was co-founder of a tech startup specializing in advertising analytics. She has been named one of the Top 50 Women to Watch in Tech and holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University.
This article originally appeared at Burson-Marsteller. Copyright 2012.
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<urn:uuid:09c097ed-c829-4033-9a06-c712285e5e10>
| 2 | 1.515625 | 0.026889 |
en
| 0.955796 |
http://www.businessinsider.com/5-lessons-from-obamas-ad-campaign-2012-11?0=advertising-contributor
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What´s Happening
Patient Blood Management: Slow the flow - Archived
Although blood transfusion can improve outcomes and be a life-saving product, it is not always administered appropriately for the right indication and/or in the right dose.
Many clinicians and patients are not aware of the risks of blood transfusions.
• Blood transfusion introduces a foreign substance into the body
• Blood transfusion is a liquid transplant
• Transfusion Associated Circulatory Overload
• Transfusion Related Immune Modulation
• Reactions–Acute and Delayed (Allergic, Sepsis)
• Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury
• Mistransfusion – Human Error
• Transfusion Transmitted Diseases (HIV, Hepatitis)
Blood transfusions can increase a patient's length of stay in the hospital and increase the cost of care.
CAMC's patient blood management program was designed to improve patient outcomes by reducing and/or avoiding blood transfusions entirely.
This program is a collaborative medical approach that takes into account each patient's medical and surgical needs. Conserving a patient's own blood minimizes the need to receive donated blood.
Collaboratively doctors, nurses and other hospital staff consider other treatment options to reduce the need for transfusions. These include the use of medications, evidence-based techniques to minimize blood loss during a medical or surgical procedure and the latest technology to determine the need for a blood transfusion.
Managing a patient's blood involves the patient working with the team who will be providing the care. The process begins before the patient comes to the hospital, continues during hospitalization and follows the patient even after discharge from the hospital.
The benefits of not performing a transfusion can include a faster recovery for the patient, minimized risk of blood-borne diseases, reduced stress on the patient's immune system and decreased risk of infection after surgery.
The patient blood management goals are to improve patient outcomes, respect the request of patients who do not want blood products of any form, and educate medical professionals in how patient blood management can improve outcomes for all patients.
CAMC wants to improve the appropriate use of blood and blood products and offer the choice of bloodless health care to both medical and surgical patients.
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<urn:uuid:eaebc46e-59f2-452e-8e89-86e70b20495a>
| 3 | 2.796875 | 0.100921 |
en
| 0.88195 |
http://www.camc.org/body.cfm?id=13&action=detail&ref=557
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Cancer cells
This page has information about cancer cells and how they are different from normal body cells. You can read about
Features of normal cells
Normal body cells have a number of important features. They can
• Reproduce themselves only when and where they are needed
• Stick together in the right place in the body
• Self destruct if they are damaged or too old
• Become specialised (mature)
Cancer cells are different to normal cells in various ways.
Cancer cells don't stop growing and dividing
Unlike normal cells, cancer cells don't stop growing and dividing when there are enough of them. So the cells keep doubling, forming a lump (tumour) that grows in size.
Diagram showing how cancer cells keep dividing to form a tumour
Eventually a tumour forms that is made up of billions of copies of the original cancerous cell.
Cancers of blood cells (leukaemias) don't form tumours but they make many abnormal blood cells build up in the blood.
Cancer cells ignore signals from other cells
Cells send chemical signals to each other all the time. Normal cells obey signals that tell them when they have reached their limit and will cause damage if they grow any further. But something in cancer cells overrides the normal signalling system.
The video shows how cancer cells send messages that trigger other cells to grow and divide.
View a transcript of the video about when cells cause cancer by giving the wrong messages.
Cancer cells don't stick together
Cancer cells can lose the molecules on their surface that keep normal cells in the right place. So they can become detached from their neighbours.
Diagram showing a cancer cell that has lost its ability to stick to its neighbours
This helps to explain how cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body.
You can read about how cancer can spread.
Cancer cells don't specialise
Unlike healthy cells, cancer cells don't carry on maturing or become specialised once they have been made. Cells usually mature so that they are able to carry out their function in the body. The process of maturing is called differentiation. In a cancer, the cells often reproduce very quickly and don't have a chance to mature.
Because the cells are not mature, they are not able to work properly. And because they are dividing more quickly than usual, there's a higher chance that they will pick up more mistakes in their genes. This can make them become even more immature, so that they divide and grow even more quickly and haphazardly.
Cancer cells don't repair themselves or die
Normal cells can repair themselves if their genes become damaged. This is known as DNA repair. If the damage is too bad, they will self destruct. This is called apoptosis.
In cancer cells, the molecules that decide whether a cell should repair itself are faulty. For example, a protein called p53 normally checks to see if the genes can be repaired or if the cell should die. But many cancers have a faulty version of p53, so they don't repair themselves properly.
If cells don't repair damage to their genes properly, this leads to more problems. New gene faults, or mutations, can make the cancer cells grow faster, spread to other parts of the body, or become resistant to treatment.
Cancer cells can override the signals that tell them to self destruct. So they don't undergo apoptosis when they should. Scientists call this making themselves immortal.
Cancer cells look different
Under a microscope cancer cells may look very different from normal cells. The cells are often very different sizes and some may be larger than normal while others are smaller. Cancer cells are often abnormally shaped and the control centre of the cell (the nucleus) may have an abnormal appearance.
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<urn:uuid:cdcb49cc-5ab0-471c-8941-4d2fe2717a0d>
| 4 | 4.0625 | 0.90457 |
en
| 0.947153 |
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/how-cancer-starts/cancer-cells
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Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys grynea) (Hübner, 1819)
Diagnosis: A small (wingspan: 20 to 25 mm) hairstreak with an apple-green underside unique in eastern Canada. The slightly smaller western subspecies is more yellow green. The bright white underside postmedian line, regular on the forewing and irregular on the hindwing, is edged with purple inwardly. There are two white spots close to the base in the eastern population and one white spot in the west. The upperside of the tailed wings is dark brown with variable amounts of orange.
Subspecies: The eastern population is subspecies grynea, while in the west subspecies siva is found. Until recently the eastern population was known as the Olive Hairstreak and only the western one was called the Juniper Hairstreak.
Range: Although widespread in the U.S., the Juniper Hairstreak is restricted in Canada to a few scattered locations. Subspecies grynea is locally common in eastern Ontario near Kingston. It used tobe common at Point Pelee and Pelee Island, but has not been seen on Pelee Island since 1918 and virtually disappeared from Point Pelee about 1976. Interestingly, the species made a dramatic recovery at Point Pelee in 1995, when it was common once again. An isolated colony was found near Luskville, Quebec, in 1990, the only known colony for that province. In the west, subspecies siva has been recorded in Saskatchewan in the Frenchman River Badlands.
Similar Species: None in Canada.
Early Stages: The larva is green and bumpy, with oblique white or yellow markings along each side. In the east it feeds on Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana). The western subspecies siva eats a variety of junipers, most likely Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) in Saskatchewan (Hooper,1973).
Abundance: A very localized and usually rare species in its limited Canadian range.
Flight Season: Throughout most of its North American range, this species is double brooded. In Canada, however, only a single brood has been recorded, from late May through June, except at Point Pelee where it has been recorded in July and August (Wormington, 1983).
Habits: This unique little butterfly does not stray far from its juniper foodplants. It is usually seen on dry hillsides perched on mid-sized foodplant trees. If the trees get too large or the habitat gets overgrown, the butterflies may disappear from that site.
Remarks: It is easiest to discover the presence of this butterfly by shaking the junipers on which it sits. They fly off and most often alight back on the same spot. They frequently perch high on the trees.
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<urn:uuid:93c2f5a2-24f6-4654-8e5f-3e4408f11a00>
| 3 | 3.359375 | 0.054472 |
en
| 0.94424 |
http://www.cbif.gc.ca/eng/species-bank/butterflies-of-canada/juniper-hairstreak/?id=1370403265660
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Original Hooters in Florida gets a facelift
December 9, 2011 10:59:00 AM
Associated Press
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The original Hooters was a ramshackle, dove-gray, two-story building perched on a stretch of road between Tampa and Clearwater Beach.
Similar to the chain's slogan, it was unrefined, tacky, yet delightful -- and it launched a wildly popular restaurant chain that now boasts 487 locations around the world. For 28 years, it's been a magnet for folks who like chicken wings, pretty waitresses in tight clothes and cold beer (although probably not in that order).
Recently, Hooters management announced that the building is "undergoing a full-scale remodeling." Most of the edifice was torn down and construction crews are expanding the footprint to accommodate more beer-drinking, wing-loving customers.
Some would say it's blasphemy in a state that's been accused of demolishing the past in favor of building the shiny, new future.
Should the demise of the Original Hooters be mourned? Could a bar where scantily clad women serve clams and wings and beer ever truly be a cultural touchstone?
Absolutely, says Bay Ragni, a Hooters fan from Aston, Pa. It's Ragni's life goal to visit every Hooters in the world. So far, he's been to 15 of them, four on one recent vacation. He jokes with his wife that they should rent an RV and drive to every Hooters, collecting memorabilia along the way.
Plans call for an expanded kitchen and bar area -- originally, the restaurant served only beer and wine -- and a Hooters museum, said Neil Kiefer, president and CEO of Hooters Management Corp.
"Growth is the greatest enemy of historic buildings," said Gary Mormino, a history professor at the University of South Florida whose office is in a rare late-1800s Dutch Colonial building in downtown St. Petersburg. "Time anoints but also destroys."
Mormino said Hooters plays into what he calls "the Florida Dream:" sun, sand, palm trees, beautiful girls, eternal youth, second chances.
So much so that the founders sold the chain's trademark to another company that kept the iconic Hooters name -- although the founders still own the original Clearwater Hooters and other Florida locations.
Mormino and his USF history colleague Ray Arsenault are mourning the fact that Hooters recently bought the location of another restaurant in St. Petersburg, some 15 miles south of the original location. There, Hooters replaced a longtime Spanish eatery called Pepin. The Mediterranean-revival building was replaced this fall with a modern-looking structure graced with the bright orange "Hooters" sign atop the building.
While Florida might not have 15th-century Renaissance architecture like Italy, and while even the state's copies of Mediterranean architecture are being torn down to make way for chain restaurants, Americans fondly embrace their icons, however mass-produced or tacky. Authenticity is in the eye of the beholder, says Douglas Astolfi, a history professor at St. Leo University, a school about an hour north of the original Hooters.
Astolfi just returned to his Florida home from a visit to Italy. He marvels at how transient, new and egalitarian American culture is, compared to the rich history of Italy, where "highbrow culture" was traditionally available only to the educated upper classes.
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<urn:uuid:5e838835-bcd7-40b2-9a85-38c9b8311f5b>
| 2 | 1.507813 | 0.062839 |
en
| 0.960269 |
http://www.cdispatch.com/printerfriendly.asp?aid=14442
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March 4th, 2013
Jailing the Johnston Gang with Bruce Mowday
bruce-johnston-srBruce Mowday is the author of Jailing the Johnston Gang: Bringing Serial Murderers to Justice. He will be speaking at 7pm on March 13th at the Elkton Central Library. During the height of the Johnston Gang’s criminal activities, Mr. Mowday was a reporter for the Daily Local News in West Chester, Pa. He was often there when police investigated the latest crime scene and he covered the gang members’ trials. We thought we’d ask him a few questions about the book and his experiences covering our region’s most infamous criminal gang.
The Johnston Gang was active in the 1970s in Cecil County and Chester County, Pa. Can you sum up their criminal activity that ended ultimately in several murders?
The members of the Johnston Gang would steal anything that would bring them money. There were more John Deere tractors stolen in the Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania area than the rest of the nation combined. They also stole Corvettes. When law enforcement began to use a federal grand jury to investigate the gang, the Johnston brothers began to murder witnesses, including members of their own family, to escape punishment.
What was the most interesting fact you learned about the Johnston Gang and their crime ring?
I’m not sure about the most interesting fact, but I’ll tell you about what I still don’t understand. How can anyone put a gun to the back of the head of a family member and pull the trigger? How can uncles take out a contract on the life of their nephew? I don’t understand those morals.
Many people in Cecil County recall the manhunt for prison escapee Norman Johnston in the 1990s. What was his role in the gang?
Norman was the youngest of the three Johnston brothers. Bruce Johnston Sr. was the eldest and David Johnston was the middle brother. Norman was more of the follower of the three and did as his older brothers said. Bruce, as the eldest, was in charge for the most part. I always thought David was the smartest and most certainly the most ruthless.
The film “At Close Range” (starring Sean Penn and Christopher Walken) depicts the Johnston Gang’s exploits and makes mention of Rising Sun. Do you think the movie is accurate?
The movie is accurate in parts but it is most definitely Hollywoodized. Some of the scenes are composite accounts of several incidents and some of the scenes never took place. Also, Bruce Johnston Jr. was made more sympathetic than he was. Hollywood was looking for someone that the audience could like but there wasn’t any such person in the gang, including Johnston Jr.
What book project are you working on now?
My book on Jim Herr, founder of Herr Foods, will be released in September by Barricade Books of Fort Lee, N.J. I have an October deadline for my book on Gettysburg, Defending Pickett’s Charge. I’ve been working on the book for several years and it should be available by the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg.
Many thanks to Bruce Mowday, and we look forward to hearing much more at his upcoming program – sign up by clicking this link or call 410-996-5600 ext. 481.
What are your family’s memories of the Johnston Gang?
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<urn:uuid:d7b09adc-de21-458f-ba2a-4d2df93e3ab1>
| 2 | 1.742188 | 0.020542 |
en
| 0.978062 |
http://www.cecil.ebranch.info/blog/?tag=jailing-the-johnton-gang
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Two-fluid modelling of an abnormal low-pressure glow discharge
Low-pressure glow discharges are of topical interest for a lot of technological applications like plasma light sources, plasma processing for surface modification, and plasma chemistry. Therefore, a detailed understanding of the fundamental processes of glow discharges is required to e.g. optimize the discharge parameters in these plasma applications.
Theoretical investigations can help to realize this. The cathode region of glow discharges is of particular importance because the processes necessary for self-sustainment take place there. The essential properties of such nonisothermal plasmas are determined by the electrons which show a non-equilibrium behaviour in the discharge region close to the cathode. Hence, for a general investigation the electron component has to be treated on a microphysical basis.
In the present work a fluid-Poisson model to describe abnormal glow discharges in lowpressure plasmas is presented. In a further step these investigations have to be extended for a kinetic description of the electron component yielding their velocity distribution function.
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<urn:uuid:7276ecd7-b875-4c59-b8f5-59ff9cad6734>
| 2 | 1.640625 | 0.738042 |
en
| 0.834953 |
http://www.ch.comsol.com/paper/two-fluid-modelling-of-an-abnormal-low-pressure-glow-discharge-1147
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Hanadi Sleiman
Canada Research Chair in DNA Nanoscience
Tier 1 - 2012-10-01
McGill University
Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research involves
Using DNA to build nanostructures for medicine and materials science.
Research relevance
This research will lead to the development of new drug delivery systems, diagnostic tools and cellular probes that could be used for the prevention and treatment of disease.
Using DNA to Build Structures for Medicine and Materials Science
DNA is the molecule of life, the blueprint that defines who we are. But it’s much more than that. The very properties that make DNA such a reliable molecule for information storage also make it a remarkable building material.
Dr. Hanadi Sleiman, Canada Research Chair in DNA Nanoscience, is taking DNA out of its biological context and using it to build two- and three-dimensional structures. These DNA materials feature precise positioning of components on the nanometre scale (about one billionth of a metre) and can act as molecular machines that are responsive to external stimuli.
The Sleiman group has constructed DNA nanotubes (nanometre-scale tube-like structures) that hold cargo which is rapidly released when specific biological molecules are added. These tiny DNA cargo carriers can penetrate mammalian cells and Sleiman is now optimizing them for medical applications. These include delivery vehicles that can selectively release drug treatments into diseased cells and cellular probes that can sense, predict and possibly even prevent disease.
The Sleiman group has organized transition metals, gold nanoparticles, lipids and synthetic polymers onto their DNA scaffolds. She is developing these systems even further, with possible uses that include biological sensor development, platforms for genomics applications and components for electronic and optical devices that operate on the nanometer scale.
Sleiman’s research will lead to new ways of delivering drugs and the development of cellular probes that could predict and prevent disease.
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<urn:uuid:db2f006a-e007-48d7-83d8-9e5a8de09492>
| 3 | 3.203125 | 0.054697 |
en
| 0.924916 |
http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/chairholders-titulaires/profile-eng.aspx?profileId=3056
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Law enforcement officials have seen a spike in heroin usage since about 2008. Because of reporting variations around the state, it's been hard to quantify just how bad the problem is, so the FBI conducted a yearlong analysis.
The Wisconsin Heroin Assessment concluded the increase in heroin use is likely to continue. In addition, the use is likely driven by the increased use of prescription pills while heroin is cheaper than those medications.
The FBI says heroin apparently arrives in Wisconsin by way of Minneapolis, Chicago and Rockford, Illinois. One hit costs $12 to $15 in Milwaukee and about twice that, due to supply and demand, in the Green Bay area.
The report suggests heroin is difficult to detect compared to other drugs because it is transported, stored, and sold in smaller quantities. Findings also link the increase in property crimes and theft in rural areas to a surge in heroin use.
The FBI also mentions Narcan, a drug used to prevent overdoses and death. According to the report, Narcan was used more than 9,000 times between 2011 and 2012. The study suggests while the measure is meant to prevent overdoses, the ability of a drug user to be revived from an overdose allows them to continue to use heroin and “the aggregate use of heroin statewide”.
The study also points to needle exchange programs, noting that while the purpose of the programs are to reduce the risk of disease, users may use the paraphernalia to inject heroin.
Brad Dunlap works as a special agent in charge with the Department of Justice and the Division of Criminal Investigation.
“I've been in this job for 23 years. I have not seen a drug that has the death, the potential for death like heroin does,” Dunlap said. “There is no other drug that can compare to it.”
Dunlap participated in the report and said he agrees with most of the findings. He said it will take a multi-agency approach to solve the problems the state faces when it comes to heroin.
“The core issues are the same in Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay,” Dunlap explained. “It really transcends geography when it comes to how to address the problem.”
Skye Tikkanen leads the opiate recovery program at Connections Counseling in Madison. A recovering addict herself, she agreed the approach to fighting heroin across the state needs to be multi-dimensional, encompassing law enforcement, treatment, education and overdose prevention.
“This generation of young people that struggle with opiate addiction have lost so many people,” Tikkanen explained. “So many friends have died, that it's really staggering to think about that as a 20-year-old, you go to between half a dozen and a dozen funerals a year for people who have overdosed and have passed away. I don't know if we fully understand the effects that that grief has on this generation of young people yet.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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<urn:uuid:46675118-941a-44c1-a721-0e5831011169>
| 2 | 2.265625 | 0.031215 |
en
| 0.960281 |
http://www.channel3000.com/news/fbi-heroin-problems-getting-worse-in-wisconsin/26777382
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"AT&T v. Concepcion"
Flickr photo by OZinOH
Ironically, the parties subject to forced arbitration in the upcoming American Express case are businesses, not consumers, but the effect of the provision is quite similar. The businesses, California and New York corporations, are merchants that accepted American Express charge cards as payment. As part of their contracts with American Express and other credit card companies, they agree to pay a fee to the card company on each transaction.
American Express merchant fees are significantly higher than other companies’ because its traditional charge cards (where customers paid the balance in full) appeal to affluent customers and businesses that cater to them. In recent years, American Express increased the availability of mass-market credit cards (which permit partial monthly payments), but its merchant fees did not decrease. According to American Express’s contract terms, merchants are required to accept all American Express cards. As a result of these terms, merchants’ only choice is between declining American Express cards altogether or accepting all of the company’s cards.
The merchants filed a class action lawsuit asserting that American Express’s practice violated federal antitrust laws. However, the contracts also contained a forced arbitration clause and class action ban. The merchants submitted evidence to the court showing that individual arbitration would be prohibitively expensive, and that the class action ban would deny them the opportunity to “vindicate their rights” under the federal antitrust statutes.
A federal appellate court agreed with the merchants. It held that the class action ban was unenforceable because it would grant American Express immunity from antitrust liability “by removing the merchants’ only feasible means to recover damages,” and they would be unable to enforce their rights under the federal statutes.
The Supreme Court will hear this case to decide whether class action bans can be struck down when parties cannot enforce their rights under federal statutes. Based on the court’s history, the prognosis for consumers is doubtful. The court could further broaden its interpretation of the FAA in a way that would effectively deny parties the ability to enforce their federal statutory rights. This possibility means consumer rights under federal consumer protection laws, such as the Truth in Lending Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Home Owners Equity Protection Act, the Consumer Leasing Act, the Credit Repair Organizations Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act and employment laws against discrimination based on age, sex, religion, race, disability and unequal pay for equal work, such as the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Pay Act, are at risk of extinction.
It is up to Congress to ensure that its laws can be properly enforced by passing legislation to eliminate forced arbitration clauses from consumer and employment contracts.
Urge your members of Congress to eliminate forced arbitration clauses from consumer and employment contracts.
Christine Hines is Public Citizen’s consumer and civil justice counsel. Follow her on Twitter @CHines_Citizen
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<urn:uuid:6984cfe8-b95e-4cab-8dd5-bf841463fe13>
| 2 | 2.296875 | 0.028299 |
en
| 0.949342 |
http://www.citizenvox.org/2012/11/30/federal-consumer-protection-laws-at-stake-upcoming-supreme-court-arbitration-american-express-case/
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Falling Waters Battlefield
By Gary Gimbel
(January 2010 Civil War News - Preservation Column)
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Anyone who is familiar with the Battle of Falling Waters knows that with the exception of a parcel of land at the center, this battlefield has already been heavily developed. However, even some Civil War buffs may not know exactly the engagement I am referring to.
Falling Waters was the first Civil War engagement in the Shenandoah Valley, fought on July 2, 1861, approximately five miles south of the Potomac River in what is now West Virginia. The majority of the fighting was around the Porterfield House, a large log structure built by the grandfather of the Alamo’s Davy Crockett.
This battle, actually little more than a skirmish by later standards, was quickly overshadowed by the Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) less than three weeks later.
Although generally known, both now and during the war, as Falling Waters, this little battle was given a number of names, which has helped to keep it obscure. Of course the use of different conventions by the North and South to name battles is a lot of the issue.
For example the Confederate rank and file frequently called the battle “Hainesville” after the last village they passed through as they marched toward the engagement. The Harper’s Weekly correspondent called it “Hoke’s Run,” referring to the first water Federal troops encountered after the fight as they pursued the withdrawing Confederates.
Falling Waters, a tiny hamlet not far north of the site and containing a small waterfall, conveniently met both naming criteria.
In 1993 when the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission was prioritizing sites according to their historic significance and state of preservation, they chose to use the name Hoke’s Run in order to differentiate it from the 1863 Battle of Falling Waters Road fought in Washington County, Maryland. That battle had no alternate name to use.
In 2008 and 2009 the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) included Falling Waters in their annual report “History Under Siege” which names the most endangered Civil War battlefields.
While being included on the list is somewhat of a dubious honor, this much-needed attention has definitely helped with the local preservation efforts. The CWPT recognizes the battlefield as Hoke’s Run on the list of “Fifteen Additional at Risk Sites.”
Unlike some sites that are just recently being threatened, Falling Waters has been facing various waves of development for a long time. Although there has been a lot of recent development, much of the site had already been disturbed.
Like many battlefields in the Shenandoah Valley, such as Cedar Creek, New Market, and Fisher’s Hill, the construction of Interstate 81 cut right through the site.
Then the highway brought commercial growth in the form of motels, convenience stores and gas stations. So Falling Waters had already seen development 50 years ago. A large truck stop that stood next to I-81 for many years just recently was replaced by a Wal-Mart. Now a thriving residential community has sprung up on the site of the first engagement in the Shenandoah Valley.
Although from a preservation perspective that may sound grim, a lot of progress has been made at Falling Waters. Last year Stumpy’s Hollow, where JEB Stuart and the 1st Virginia Cavalry surprised and captured most of Co. I, 15th Pennsylvania Infantry, was donated to the Falling Waters Battlefield Association (FWBA).
In addition, two West Virginia Civil War Trails interpretive signs have been placed on the site and two more are scheduled to be installed in March. Fortunately 14 acres of farmland still surround the Porterfield House at the core of the battlefield, at least for now.
Although I am specifically addressing Falling Waters, there are a number of battlefields that, except for a postage stamp-sized piece of land, have virtually ceased to exist. Yellow Tavern in Richmond, Salem Church outside Fredericksburg and Chantilly (Ox Hill) quickly come to mind. Although there has been some recent preservation at Chantilly, those sites were “lost” a long time ago.
Just because those sites have been developed does not mean we should ignore them. Development does not erase what happened there. Even though a site may be developed, it can still be interpreted. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines interpret as “to explain or tell the meaning of,” which is exactly what needs to happen at these heavily developed sites.
This brings me to the question I want to address. Why should we preserve, or even interpret, a heavily developed battlefield?
On occasion I am asked: why spend any effort on a site that is mostly “gone”? Of course a Civil War buff knows the answer, but actually that is a very reasonable question. There are a number of good reasons, the first being education.
Many times when our FWBA booth is set up at events I hear a member of the public say something to the effect of, “I’ve lived here all my life and I didn’t know a battle was fought here.”
After we take a few minutes to explain the battle and use modern landmarks to describe exactly where it was fought, we often hear something like, “Wow, we have a battlefield!” You can clearly hear the pride in their voice.
What changed? The battlefield has been there for almost 150 years. What changed is they learned something they did not previously know.
This is the best example I can give of the importance of education. If the public is not aware of a battlefield it certainly will not be preserved. Interpretation is the best way to create awareness.
Another good reason to interpret a site is the often overused term “heritage tourism.” Proximity to I-81 has insured the Falling Waters area will be in demand, but it also makes it a prime candidate for heritage tourism.
Believe it or not, even a small site like Falling Waters in its current state attracts tourism. I am frequently contacted by someone who will be traveling through the area and would like to swing by the Falling Waters Battlefield. Heritage tourism is very real and does bring money into the local economy.
With a small site travelers can stop to read the interpretive markers and then grab a meal or fill up their vehicle before heading on their way. In addition local government does not have to provide additional schools, roads, utilities or other infra-structure to support this influx of revenue.
Of course any battlefield preservation implies green space, a small amount of grass on which a couple of interpretive signs can sit. Even this small amount of landscaping would provide a welcome respite in an area of neon signs and commercial development.
The FWBA has approached local garden clubs to help us develop landscaping plans using native, low maintenance and drought- resistant vegetation for our various patches of land.
Remembering the battlefield also honors the soldiers who fought there. Regardless of which side they fought for, these men were all American soldiers and deserve to be remembered.
Whether on the Porterfield farm or later in a hospital or prison camp some of them gave their “last full measure of devotion.” If we allow where they fought and died to be forgotten, we are neglecting their memory as well. Interpretation of the battlefield honors these soldiers.
The last reason to interpret a battlefield that is already heavily developed may sound a little crazy, but is not as far-fetched as it may seem. At some point in the future parts of a developed battlefield could be reclaimed.
Reclaiming a battlefield is not as good as preserving it in the first place, but reclamation does exactly what it says. Part of the battlefield is restored.
Recently there have been a number of unlikely reclamations. Probably the best known example is the removal of the Pizza Hut at Franklin, Tenn. A car dealership was removed at Gettysburg. Both of these projects, and there are others, required both herculean efforts and wheelbarrows full of money by the groups involved, but they prove it is possible to reclaim sacred ground.
However, if a battlefield is allowed to be “forgotten” just because it has been developed, there will be no chance for reclamation.
These are all good reasons to preserve and interpret any battlefield, much less one that has been heavily developed. By preserving what we can, and interpreting what we can’t, we are hoping to help the local economy and improve the appearance of where we live.
The interpretation of a heavily developed battlefield like Falling Waters educates the current generation while at the same time honoring the endeavors of the past generation.
Gary Gimbel lives in Martinsburg, W.Va., and has been researching the battle and campaigning to save the Porterfield House since 1990. He is president of the Falling Waters Battlefield Association. For more information e-mail [email protected], go to www.battleoffallingwaters.com, or write Falling Waters Battlefield Association Inc., P.O. Box 339, Falling Waters, WV 25419.
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Natural Protection from Insects and too much sun!
Vacation Time
Easy Tips to Identify The Most Effective & Safe Sunblocks
What should a consumer look for in a safe and effective sunscreen this summer? We’ve developed a list of tips to help you shop. The good news for fans of natural products is that dermatologists and skin cancer experts agree that major points go to Zinc Oxide, a mineral that performs as a natural sunblock offering both UVA and UVB protection and is very stable in sunlight. Everyone from the Skin Cancer Foundation, to Vogue Magazine is recommending consumers seek zinc oxide.
80% of consumers buy their sunscreen based solely on its SPF rating. SPF (sun protection factor) only measures protection from UVB rays, ignoring the UVA radiation exposure that is also cancer causing and damaging to skin. The ridiculously high SPF’s (70+) are unsubstantiated and for the purpose of marketing.
As far as UVB protection, SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB, SPF 30 blocks 97% and SPF 50 blocks 99%.
Since SPF excludes UVA protection information, the only way to insure your sunscreen offers UVA protection is to read the ingredient label. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends “looking for UVA blocking ingredient zinc oxide”, which is the closest thing to a total sunblock on the market today. A high quality sunscreen will have around 20% zinc content. (Ours contains 18% zinc oxide, plus natural oils with sunscreen properties, like Jojoba and Olive.)
#2) SEEK MINERAL (zinc oxide) vs. CHEMICAL INGREDIENTS (all the rest)
Zinc is a physical sun blocker that actually reflects or bounces the sun’s ultraviolet rays off of your body. It has over a 300 year history of safety with no known adverse reactions (which is why it is used on even the youngest babies in diaper rash creams). On the flip side, chemical sunscreens (avobenzone, oxybenzone, homosalate, etc.) absorb the UVA rays once they hit your skin. Many chemical sunscreen ingredients have shown to be unstable when the rays are absorbed, causing the chemical to break down and cause free radical damage.
Its difficult to find a mineral sunscreen that is purely zinc. Most formulations rely on a blend of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. As far as performance, Titanium Dioxide degrades in the presence of uv light to form free radicals. Not good…especially if we are talking about use in a sunscreen. A new report from the American Cancer Society identifies Titamium Dioxide as one of their top “suspected carcinogens”. The safety of Titanium Dioxide is one of the least well studied in humans, although it has been long established as a cancer causing agent in animal exposure studies. There is conflicting evidence as to whether nanoparticles of titanium dioxide can pass through the skin. But if nanoparticles do pass through, the presence of titanium dioxide in a large variety of sunscreens, cosmetic powders and creams may be a cause of concern.
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A new public library in Texas is turning heads. That's because you won't find any traditional books to borrow inside.
The BiblioTech in San Antonio is a new public library redefining what a library is. Once inside, it looks like an Apple Store full of rows of shiny computers and workers eager to show you how to use them.
There's nothing you can buy there.
There are 10,000 titles, but not a single hardcover or paperback. Every book is digital.
For those without an e-reader, there are 600 for loan. They automatically turn off if they are not returned.
Bexar County planners said the decision to go digital cost $2.5 million, which is far less than a traditional library and allows even those who cannot get to the building to use its resources.
For children, tablets can be checked out and pre-loaded with books and interactive games.
Membership to the BiblioTech is free to Bexar County residents. Staff also teaches computer and internet classes for those who might not be so tech savvy.
Click here to learn more.
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http://www.click2houston.com/news/digital-library-in-san-antonio-turning-heads/21975930
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How MasterCard plans to transform mobile purchases
Pay for goods using MasterPass loaded on a smartphone. MasterCard
BARCELONA, Spain--The hype around mobile payments is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the coming transformation for how people purchase goods and services.
That's according to Ed McLaughlin, chief emerging payments officer for MasterCard, who spoke with CNET about his company's vision.
While at the Mobile World Congress conference, MasterCard unveiled its MasterPass system, which addresses not only mobile payments, but also all forms of digital transactions. MasterPass is designed for purchases made in stores, online, or on the phone.
"It's a foundation for moving to a world beyond plastic," McLaughlin said. "We're in a generational shift from the physical to the connected digital."
While other players are focusing on the traditional concept of mobile payment, or the idea of flashing your smartphone in front of a cash register to pay for clothes, food, and other items, MasterPass will attempt to unify all transactions under one system.
As a result, both the merchant and consumer have a consistent experience whether the purchase is made at the cash register with a phone or credit card, online, or through a browser on the smartphone.
"There's no e-commerce or m-commerce, there's just commerce," McLaughlin said.
That's not to say that mobile payments isn't a huge driver of what's going on in the industry, including at MasterCard. There are a few initiatives out there, on which MasterCard is also playing a part. Google, for instance, has had its Google Wallet out in the market for roughly a year and a half, but has seen limited adoption. ISIS, a joint venture between Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile, has started testing the service in Salt Lake City and Austin, Texas.
MasterPass is intended to tie it all together. For the consumer, MasterPass is a place to securely store credit card data, address books, and other important information in the cloud. It acts as a digital wallet that can use other branded credit cards as well. Bank, merchants, and other companies can offer their own wallets to consumers that are tied into MasterPass too. For online purchases, consumers can opt for a simpler checkout process with retailers who are participating in the program.
For merchants, MasterPass also includes a consistent method of accepting electronic payments regardless of location or device. More retailers are opting to use near-field communication, or NFC, technology to enable tap-and-pay functions at the register, as well as experimenting with different methods like the use of QR codes, and MasterPass is designed to address all of the different options.
Consumers in Australia and Canada will be able to sign up for the service through financial institutions in March. The U.S. will get access to it in the spring, the U.K. will get it in the summer, and it will gradually expand to other parts of the world, including China, Brazil and Spain.
MasterCard has lined up scores of financial institutions, including Citi and Commonwealth Bank in the U.S., merchants, and technology partners to help roll out the service.
So what's taking so long?
McLaughlin has an interesting way of describing the transition to a digital payments world: "It's happening, and it will happen when it gets better."
The seemingly contradictory statement underscores perfectly the complexity and snail's pace of progress that has weighed on the progress of mobile payments. The services and features are here, as evidenced by the initiatives of Google and the carriers, but for many people, it hasn't yet happened and things still need to get a lot better.
Just as it took a long time for consumers to warm up to the idea of paying bills through a Web site, there will be a slow progression toward getting people to take their wallet into the cloud.
It's been a journey just to get to where things are today. Previously, the carriers, banks, payment networks, and merchants all disagreed over which parties would take what cut. Ultimately, does the bank serve the customer? A merchant? Or Google? These are issues the payments industry is still settling.
MasterCard, for its part, is staying out of the fray. The company intends to stay in the background, aside from the MasterPass logo, and preserve the relationship between the merchant or bank and the consumer.
There remains, however, reluctance over the safety of these services, as well as a general lack of awareness. But ultimately, the move to digital is a good thing for consumers, McLaughlin said. For the first time, the act of paying could potentially become both easier and more secure. With traditional plastic credit cards, any effort to make things convenient often resulted in higher risks for the consumer.
Services such as MasterPass, or the ones provided by companies such as Square and Starbucks, also enable new ways to purchase items. Even now, restaurants and stores are experimenting with allowing consumers to order food or goods through mobile point-of-sale devices, allowing them to avoid checkout lines.
"It's an extension of what we've been talking about," McLaughlin said. "It's a huge leap forward."
Discuss How MasterCard plans to transform mobile purchases
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http://www.cnet.com/au/news/how-mastercard-plans-to-transform-mobile-purchases/
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Skip to main content
Report: Fighter jet shot down near Benghazi
By the CNN Wire Staff
Click to play
Libya opposition: Civilian areas shelled
• Clinton will meet Saturday with allies
• Libya says it is not engaging advancing rebel forces
• Libya invites international observers to visit country
• Libyan troops must pull back from several cities, Obama says
Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- A fighter jet was shot down and burst into flames Saturday in the area of Benghazi, Libya. Explosions could also be heard in the city, which has been a stronghold for rebels opposing Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. It was not immediately clear who the fighter jet belonged to.
The development is significant, in part, because Benghazi has been considered the center of the opposition forces. The opposition has been pushed back from other cities that it used to have control of, and rebels have vowed to defend Benghazi to the death.
A day earlier, the Libyan government said it was abiding by a cease-fire, but witnesses have said violence from pro-Gadhafi forces have continued. Libya late Friday called for international observers to come and verify the cease-fire.
One day after the approval of a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force to protect civilians, U.S. President Barack Obama warned Gadhafi to pull back from several besieged cities -- or face military consequences.
But Obama insisted that American troops will not be deployed in Libya.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was flying to Paris for a Saturday meeting with European allies and Arab partners .
At least 28 people died and hundreds were wounded as fighting raged in the cities of Misrata, Ajdabiya and Zintan on Friday, according to Khaled el-Sayeh, military spokesman for the opposition.
Libya declares immediate cease-fire
Libya reacts to no-fly zone
Libyan rebels celebrate vote
Breaking down a no-fly zone over Libya
Libyan amb. still hopeful for airstrikes
Libya's deputy foreign minister called for observers from China, Malta, Turkey and Germany "to come to Libya as soon as possible ... to make sure that there is a real cease-fire on the ground."
Khaled Kaim also noted that the "door is open for any other countries to send observers."
Kaim said the media is distorting Libyan military actions and said the country has evidence of "crimes against humanity conducted by the rebels."
Government forces "did not cause the deaths of any civilians," instead inflicting casualties on armed rebel militias, and will not assault Benghazi, Kaim said.
Forces loyal to Gadhafi are honoring a cease-fire and are not fighting a militia group that is making advances in the eastern part of the country, according to Kaim.
Rebel forces are advancing on the town of al-Migrun, south of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, said Kaim.
The French press agency AFP confirmed to CNN the movement by a militia group and said it recorded video.
Witnesses in the western city of Misrata said earlier Friday that a pro-government assault is persisting and casualties are mounting as countries backing the council's move, such as Britain and France, get their military resources into place to enforce the measure.
"What cease-fire?" asked a doctor in Misrata, who described hours of military poundings, casualties and dwindling resources to treat the wounded. "We're under the bombs.
"This morning, they are burning the city," the doctor said. "There are deaths everywhere."
"Misrata is on fire," according to an opposition member, who said tanks and vehicles with heavy artillery shot their way into the city Thursday night and the assault continued Friday. He said Gadhafi's regime announced a cease-fire to buy time for itself. "Please help us."
Outside Ajdabiya in eastern Libya, CNN's Arwa Damon said she heard explosions, listened to fighters' accounts of heavy casualties and saw ambulances. She said fighters, who don't trust Gadhafi, believe that the declaration is a trick.
"Everybody around us is on very high alert, still expecting the worst," Damon said.
El-Sayeh said 26 people died in Misrata, 83 were seriously wounded and hundreds were slightly wounded. In Ajdabiya, two died, three were seriously wounded and hundreds were slightly wounded. There was no immediate casualty count for Zintan, el-Sayeh said.
CNN couldn't independently confirm the witness accounts, and it is impossible to tell whether word of the cease-fire declaration trickled down to pro-government forces.
Frustration and anger in Benghazi
Libyan rebel: We've seen heavy gunfire
No-fly zone a slippery slope to more?
Libya 'welcomes' U.N. resolution
In remarks televised around the globe, Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa said in Tripoli that the country decided on "an immediate cease-fire and the stoppage of all military operations." He noted that the country, since it is a member of the United Nations, is "obliged to accept the Security Council resolution that permits the use of force to protect the civilian population."
Obama said Friday that "left unchecked, we have every reason to believe Gadhafi (will) commit atrocities against his own people" and the surrounding region could be destabilized.
Power and water must be restored to several cities, he added.
"These terms are not negotiable," Obama said. If Gadhafi doesn't comply, the U.N. resolution will be imposed through military action, the president said.
The U.N. resolution, while not authorizing such a move, does not preclude the United States from arming rebels, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Friday.
Ambassador Susan Rice told CNN's "Situation Room" that the "U.S. is ready to act" and that Gadhafi "should be under no illusions that if he doesn't act immediately he will face swift and sure consequences, including military action."
When asked whether the United States was planning to provide weapons to the opposition, Rice replied, "We are focused immediately on protection of civilians, on ensuring that the march to Benghazi does not continue and that those who are most vulnerable have the rights and protections that they deserve."
Koussasaid that Libya plans to protect civilians and provide them with humanitarian assistance and that it is obliged to protect all foreigners and their assets.
He said the Libya government was disappointed in the imposition of a no-fly zone, arguing that it will hurt the civilian population. He also said the use of military power would violate the country's sovereignty and go against the U.N. charter, but he acknowledged that some countries may yet intervene.
"There are signs this indeed might take place," Koussa said.
Bernard Valero, a French Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the cease-fire announcement "does not change the threat on the ground."
"Gadhafi is privy to folkloric declarations, and we must remain extremely vigilant with regards to these declarations," he said.
Clinton, who called the situation "fluid and dynamic," said the United States wants actions, not words. "We will continue to work with our partners in the international community to press Gadhafi to leave and to support the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people," she said.
The Libyan government "must immediately cease all hostilities against the civilian population," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday in Madrid.
Earlier Friday, talk emerged in Europe of speedy military action against Gadhafi's regime.
In an interview with RTL radio, French government spokesman Francois Baroin said France plans to participate in "swift" efforts. President Nicolas Sarkozy will convene a summit Saturday to look at the crisis. Invited are members of the Arab League, the president of the European Council and representatives of states that support the implementation of the U.N. resolution.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said the United Kingdom has started preparations to deploy aircraft, and "in the coming hours" they will move to air bases where they will be positioned for any "necessary action."
Spain will offer NATO the use of two military bases and provide air and naval forces for use in operations involving Libya, Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon said Friday in Madrid, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada is sending CF-18 fighter jets to join a Canadian warship on standby off the coast of Libya.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, announced Friday that Defense Secretary Robert Gates will travel to Russia this weekend as the United States and other nations deliberate action against Libya.
"There is no consideration being given to delaying this trip," spokesman Geoff Morrell said at the Pentagon. He said Gates maintains constant communications links with Washington wherever he goes and can "carry out his responsibilities no matter where he is in the world."
Asked whether the cease-fire declaration complicates a U.N.-sanctioned intervention, Michael Rubin, a Middle East expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said, "It is going to make it tougher without a doubt."
"One should credit Obama for getting the international community behind him, but it came at the price of momentum. The Libyans understand European weakness and know how to play off of it," Rubin said.
Rubin said migration concerns come into play, with Europeans worried that more violence will generate more refugees.
"They look at change in North Africa almost exclusively through the lens of migration," he said.
The council voted 10-0 with five abstentions Thursday night to authorize "states to take all necessary measures to protect civilians." It also imposed a no-fly zone, banning all flights in Libyan airspace, with exceptions that involve humanitarian aid and evacuation of foreign nationals.
The United States and its NATO partners have severalcontingencies in place to act quickly, according to an administration official familiar with planning. They include airstrikes and cruise missile attacks designed to cripple Libyan air defenses and punish the military units that are leading Gadhafi's push on opposition strongholds in the east, the official said.
The opposition, with devoted but largely untrained and under-equipped units, has suffered military setbacks this week. But their hopes were buoyed by the U.N. vote, particularly in rebel-held Benghazi, where an assault by pro-Gadhafi forces has been expected.
The resolution singles out the city. It says U.N. member states can "take all necessary measures ... to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force. "The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya" is a formal name for the nation.
CNN's Richard Roth, Arwa Damon, Nic Robertson, Tommy Evans, Elise Labott, Al Goodman, John King, Alan Silverleib, Raja Razek, Jennifer Rizzo, Joe Vaccarello, Yousuf Basil and Reza Sayah, and journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report.
Part of complete coverage on
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Why NATO's Libya mission has shifted
Interactive map: Arab unrest
Send your videos, stories
Libya through Gadhafi's keyhole
How Arab youth found its voice
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http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/18/libya.civil.war/index.html?_s=PM:WORLD
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View Full Version : Updating field data
09-12-2011, 08:29 AM
I have this:
| id | primarycolour | pricerange |
| 1 | black | 1 |
| 2 | brown | 2 |
... and I want to change the pricerange of "id 2" from 2 to 1.
I tried this, but it didn't work:
UPDATE products(pricerange) where id=2 VALUES(1);
Does anyone know how it can be done?
09-12-2011, 08:49 AM
UPDATE `products` SET `pricerange` = 1 WHERE `id` = 2
09-12-2011, 09:03 AM
Hi Dave,
I tried the command you suggested, and got this error message:
ERROR 1064 (42000): You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ''products' set 'pricerange' = 1 where 'id' = 2' at line 1
09-12-2011, 09:24 AM
You didn't copy what I posted apparently. You used single quotes around the table and field names instead of back ticks as shown in my post. HUGE difference between them.
09-12-2011, 09:27 AM
Your absolutely right about that. Sorry about that I've never seen the ` used before outside of computing gaming and in MS-DOS and got confused. Thanks for your help, the code worked. :)
09-12-2011, 09:48 AM
I might suggest that you download a PDF copy of the MySQL reference manual (http://dev.mysql.com/doc/) which will help you with questions like this.
09-12-2011, 10:06 AM
I have read the HTML reference manual just pasted the tutorial, then after it made no sense to me.
The problem with MySQL's official documentation after the tutorial, is that it stops speaking in 'English' and talks in syntaxes only.
In regards to the reference manual, when I goto the 'DELETE' page, it speaks in syntaxes only, if I don't know what these syntaxes are or how they should be used, how am I suppose to know what they mean? By reading the manual? The manual is over 3000 pages long and hoeplessly indexed.
I am writing my own user friendly user manual at the moment that talks in street talk. I will publish it to the community when its allot more populated.
09-12-2011, 11:01 AM
No offense but you need to be able to read and understand syntax diagrams. You'll find them in just about anything "web related" you may use/need. Early on in the manual is an explanation of syntax diagrams and how to read/use them.
09-12-2011, 11:44 AM
Ah! Yeah, sorry.. what I meant was I can understand syntaxes, but I need to know what the syntax does, and there are many syntaxes used in diagrams I am unfamiliar with.
you mentioned an index page within the manual that describes what each syntax does. Where is that?
Here is a perfect example of what I am after, but for MySQL:
09-12-2011, 12:46 PM
The standard index (http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.5/en/ix02.html) has essentially that and there are indexes for operators (http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.5/en/dynindex-operator.html) and an index for statement syntax (http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.5/en/dynindex-statement.html) too (plus others). You'd be hard pressed to NOT find what you're looking for really.
09-12-2011, 01:39 PM
To give you an example, here is the delete page:
What is LOW_PRIORITY QUICK and IGNORE??? See, this is what I do not understand, and the page does not tell you what they are... and the page is so long... All I want to do is delete something. I shouldn't have to read pages just to try and figure out how.
Here is an extract on deleting out of my MySQL street-talk manual I am making for the community.. its short because I haven't finished it yet, but it gives you an example of what I mean:
Delete field data:
DELETE from (database).(table) where (field)="(data)";
Delete table:
DROP tables (table);
Self-explanitry and nice and simple! :D
09-12-2011, 02:17 PM
Self-explanitry and nice and simple! :D
But you are missing all of the options and possibilities. If it were as simple as you have it that is the way it would be in the manual. But it isn't.
And if you had gone down about 1 web page worth on the page on the MySQL site you would have seen the explanation of what Quick, Low_Priority and Ignore are for.
09-12-2011, 02:29 PM
Yes, but I shouldn't have to figure out what all the optional commands are when I am not even using them.
The official manual should start by presenting the functions use at a basic level, and then move on to explain using it in a more advanced way.
At the moment, it explains everything in one go, meaning in order for someone to learn how to use it at basic, they have to understand the most advanced functions of it. Thats very faith-braking, frustrating and totally time wasting, where as my way describes the action in English and gives an individual explination of the function in each of its uses.
You want to do this:
You want to do that:
Yes, the ways I have in my manual at the moment are basic, but thats because I haven't come to using advanced syntaxes myself, yet.
With my stree-talk manual, people get an explination in street-talk, and a straight out way on how to use the command. This is very user-friendly.
I cannot stress how important Documentation is with computers. This is one major reason why Linux failed as a desktop OS - lack of user-friendly documentation.
I am trying my best to help the beginner group of people in the MySQL community like myself by addressing learning issues I face with the street-talk manual I am writing, so the next generation of noobs won't have to go through the hell I am going through. :)
Old Pedant
09-12-2011, 08:02 PM
STRONG disagreement.
You may not need to memorize them, but you need to be aware they exist.
The day may well come when you will need them.
It doesn't take *THAT* long to read the description of, for example, "LOW_PRIORITY" and realize that you don't need it now. But if you ever had a situation where you had some important queries to run at the same time as a LOW_PRIORITY one, you'd know it was there.
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Researchers Create Nanowire Film that Promises Versatile, Less Expensive Electronics
Duke University researchers say they have created flexible, electrically conductive copper-nickel nanowires that promise to be less expensive and more robust than current circuitry. The film conducts electricity even under conditions that typically limit electron transfer in conventional silver and copper nanowires. The nanowire film would also be an alternative to indium tin oxide, a brittle, expensive film typically coated on glass to act as a conductive layer in devices such as cellular phones and e-readers, Indium tin oxide also typically requires the costly vapor-deposition process when used in manufacturing. However, the new material is not yet as conductive as indium tin oxide. The Duke researchers are working on its use in applications such as printed electronics, e-paper, smart packaging, and interactive clothing. NanoForge Corp. is making copper-nickel nanowires for testing and commercialization. (EurekAlert)(“Synthesis of Oxidation-Resistant Cupronickel Nanowires for Transparent Conducting Nanowire Networks,” A.R. Rathmell, M. Nguyen, et alNanoLetters, May 29, 2012.)
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InfiniBand: The production software-defined networking (SDN)
Software-defined networking (SDN) is emerging as an alternative to proprietary data center networks, a way to separate the control plane from the data plane in data center switches and routers. With SDN, network control is implemented in software and can be executed from a server, which reduces network complexity and provides a common interface that is an alternative to vendors' proprietary and expensive options.
There are several developments of SDN solutions, with OpenFlow (in its early stages) and OpenSM (in production today) being the two leading options. OpenSM is the SDN solution for InfiniBand, a fast interconnect technology that was built as an SDN from its basic architecture level and used in the most demanding production sites in existence today.
ANALYSIS: What are the killer apps for software-defined networks?
SDN promises a high-level "virtual" representation of the network, a standard means to control the network physical elements, a scalable architecture that provides high-performance connectivity even for large flat networks, and the quick addition of new network features via open, industry-standard interfaces. In order to achieve this, a layered abstraction of the network control plane and separation of the control and data planes are required.
In his excellent presentation titled "The Future of Networking, and the Past of Protocols," Scott Shenker described SDN as a three-layer abstraction for the network control plane. The SDN abstraction for the network control plane, as he presented it, is shown in Figure 1.
The network equipment is represented at the bottom of the diagram and the data links are shown in blue to complete the network. The control plane is depicted as arrows connecting the equipment to a software layer named the network operating system (NOS). These connections are the ones standardized by Ethernet SDN, also known as OpenFlow. On the one hand, the task of the NOS is to represent a global network view, such as the connected graph of the data links to the upper layers. On the other hand, the NOS takes directives about the configuration to be applied to each system and performs the actual setting.
A control program, sometimes called compiler, takes the directives provided as end-to-end behavior targets and converts them into specific-system NOS settings on top of the global network view graph.
A user interface program that converts the network-manager intent into features of a high-level virtual topology is at the top of the abstraction. This program is named virtual network controller.
SDN is more than just the standard for device configuration. SDN promises a whole new range of network flexibility and scalability.
InfiniBand software-defined networking
InfiniBand was first specified in 1999, and has evolved and matured over time into a much richer specification. From the start, it embodied concepts similar to those of software-defined networking. Datapath mechanisms such as forwarding were defined with a clear control plane interface. Every InfiniBand device must have an embedded control plane agent named subnet management agent (SMA). The protocol and message format for in-band communication with the SMAs is well-defined. Subnet management packets (SMPs) are used for control plane communication via software, thus SMP and their protocols are the equivalent to OpenFlow. An InfiniBand-based SDN equivalent is described in Figure 2.
The NOS equivalent functionality is provided by the subnet manager (a software entity) which sends and receives SMPs to discover, configure and maintain the network. The subnet manager is available either as an open source project (OpenSM) or as part of commercial products from InfiniBand vendors. It can operate as a stand-alone component or as multiple components working together for high availability purposes. The compiler that converts end-to-end configuration and policy to topology-specific configuration is available as top layer software as well as a user interface and API to define the networkwide policies at a virtual network level.
The InfiniBand control plane protocol specification is a well-defined SDN solution which is used in many of the world leading high-performance, enterprise, cloud and Web 2.0 data centers. The advantages include:
* Works in-band so there is no need for a separate control network. Remote control plane management protocols require the existence of an interconnect packet-forwarding mechanism even before the forwarding plane is configured. InfiniBand is not dependent on other protocols to reside within the systems and utilizes direct-routing for configuration. With such capability, it eliminates the need for a separate management network to be built, and real-world installations rely -- in many cases -- solely on in-band management. This significantly reduces costs and complexity.
* Defines a fast and standard mechanism for extraction of the global network view.
Topology discovery, which is the basis for building the global network view, is also fully standardized in InfiniBand and relies on SMPs. In contrast to other discovery methods in use today that rely on higher-level protocols such as LLDP and SNMP, the InfiniBand Subnet Manager directly addresses network discovery. It relies on InfiniBand in-band discovery protocols. This results in a very fast and efficient discovery of the fabric. For example, it is able to extract a topology of a 20,000-node data center topology in roughly 10 seconds.
* Fast handling of faults or changes to the topology. It is not enough to discover and/or to plan the fabric routing scheme. In daily fabric operations, the ability to detect problems or changes is critical. Unlike other existing solutions, the InfiniBand standard has a specific, well defined SMA feature that addresses this ability and provides the Subnet Manager with immediate notifications on fabric events and errors.
* A standard global network view. InfiniBand also provides a standard interface for providing the global network view. A set of standard network-administration packets provides any authorized client with detailed fabric information.
InfiniBand SDN solutions are deployed in thousands of data centers worldwide and have been in production for many years now. InfiniBand networks are centrally managed by NOS software named OpenSM that is fully controlled by an upper-layer fabric manager.
The scale of InfiniBand deployments ranges from data centers of tens of nodes to tens of thousands of nodes. InfiniBand fabrics include high availability and in-service upgrades, providing the highest levels of uptime and application performance.
InfiniBand SDN provides traffic engineering features like tenants' traffic-pattern driven routing, QoS and traffic isolation. All these features are defined in a topology-agnostic manner. On top of that, InfiniBand SDN provides a means to define topology-aware as well as topology-agnostic monitoring. This is achieved via enterprise-grade Fabric Management, which can manage the physical network entities directly.
Furthermore, the fabric manager component provides a logical model that abstracts the physical network layer to logical entities such as applications, logical services, various network tenants, etc. This provides the end user with a business-oriented method to manage the network -- monitoring and provisioning-wise. Backed up by an extensive API, it enables a full set of tools to manage networks in the SDN era and seamlessly integrate into the customers' "big picture" of data center management.
Tom Thirer, Brian Sparks and Gilad Shainer from Mellanox Technologies contributed to this article.
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Patrice Lumumba
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Patrice Lumumba was the prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo from June 1960 to September 1960. He was imprisoned and assassinated in 1961 during the Congo crisis.
Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow, named for him, was an institution set up by the KGB to train terrorists from the Third World during the Cold War era.
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Weak infrastructure holds back Indonesian economy
Talks on a new location have yet to reach an agreement accepted by all the relatives of the some 500 people buried there. That has not stopped authorities digging a new cemetery a short distance from the old one - pointlessly according to Yaman, the neighborhood chief.
"There is no way we can agree to that," said Yaman, pointing to workers hacking through the thick red earth during a midafternoon rain shower. "It will be too noisy. How are we supposed to pray for our ancestors there?"
Indonesia's economy is booming. But to sustain and deepen its growth, it badly needs new roads, bridges, power stations and ports. Land disputes such as this one in west Jakarta, and a host of other difficulties from corruption to budget-draining populism, make building such infrastructure a long and costly process. That is preventing the country from attaining the kind of transformational development experienced in a generation by countries such as South Korea and more recently China.
Last week, floods engulfed around 30 percent of Jakarta, including its central business district, dramatically exposing decades of underinvestment in the drainage and flood defenses of the city of 14 million people.
To be sure, beleaguered economies in the West would envy Indonesia's current growth rate of more than 6 percent. Coupled with political and social stability, it represents a dramatic change from the Indonesia of 12 years ago, when political crisis, separatist violence and economic meltdown led to fears the massive island nation could break apart.
Investment has soared over the last two years amid high Chinese demand for the country's coal, palm oil and rubber and rampant consumer spending across the country. Property prices have doubled in downtown Jakarta over the last 6 years, while malls, hotels, housing estates and convenience stores have sprung up in towns large and small to cater for a newly minted middle class.
The boom has left some wondering whether the country should now sit alongside Brazil, Russia, India and China in the BRIC club of newly powerful emerging economies. While the government expects the country will continue to attract investment, others doubt it will fulfill its potential.
"Six or 7 percent is all well and good, but can it go the next step to 8 or 9 that the government wants?" said Gareth Leather, an Asia specialist at Capital Economics. "The main problem is the business environment is still not conducive to the kind of conditions needed for economies to grow to that level."
While scrimping on infrastructure, schools and hospitals, successive governments have chosen to maintain subsidies on fuel for the country's 240 million people. Cheap fuel may win votes come election time, but it comes with a cost. In 2011, the subsidy bill ran close to $20 billion, the same amount the government is targeting to spend on infrastructure in 2013.
That figure represents a 15 percent rise on 2012, but experts doubt the government will be able to spend it all because it lacks the capacity to do so. Foreign investors can bring in expertise, but for many the country remains too risky because of corruption, legal uncertainty and problems acquiring land.
Political and social problems are also looming. Most of the leading candidates vying to replace President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in mid-2014 are old faces, seen as likely to champion economic nationalism rather than reforms. Labor disputes are on the rise, as are wages. While poverty is being reduced, income inequality levels are some of the highest in the world.
The country's investment chief dismissed fears of economic protectionism, predicting Yudhoyono's successor would be driven by pragmatism despite campaign rhetoric to the contrary.
"Whoever the president is in 2014, if they want to maintain power, they need to provide jobs to reduce poverty," said Basri Chatib. "Like it or not, even if they become nationalist, there needs to be an open economy. "
The infrastructure challenges facing the country become clear when travelling around it: highways between major cities cut through markets where traders spill onto the road, snarling traffic. Local fruit is often more expensive than that imported from China because of the costs of shipping to the capital from the regions. Cement costs 10 times more on outer islands than in Jakarta once it has made its way through the antiquated port system.
The challenges are especially apparent in Jakarta. As the middle class has grown, so has car and motorbike ownership. But unlike in neighboring Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, the city has failed to build decent public transport. As a result, commutes of 6 kilometers (miles) often take upward of 1 1/2 hours.
Construction of the west Jakarta section of the ring road was supposed to finish at the end of 2012, but securing the land from locals in its path has been especially torturous. As elsewhere, speculators - often working in league with government officials - bought up the land and have essentially set their price for the project to continue.
The cemetery was public land before locals started burying their dead there more than 20 years ago. Authorities have offered at least three alternative locations, but they have been rejected. Yaman, who goes by a single name, insists that he and the villagers he represents don't want money to solve the problem. When out of earshot of Yaman, one villager suggested they were waiting for a payout in exchange for the right to dig up their dead. Authorities in charge of buying the land on behalf of government declined repeated attempts for comment.
A new land law that aimed at removing these obstacles stipulates that negotiations must be completed in three months and gives the government greater authority. It has been praised as giving more certainty to investors seeking to partner with the government in large projects. Still, it doesn't apply to projects started before 2014 and, as ever in Indonesia, how it is implemented will be crucial.
Jakarta's port, built in 1877 by the country's Dutch colonial rulers, is a symbol of how the country is growing - and what it needs to do to catch up with the rest of Asia. Handling almost 65 percent of the country's imports and exports, traffic has grown by 25 percent a year since 2009.
Construction work began two months ago on a $4.5 billion expansion that would double its capacity. Yet there are currently no plans to upgrade or build new road or rail links to and from the port, which is surrounded by urban sprawl and crammed with traffic.
"We can't wait 15 years to develop a new port, with the growth we have now we need to build today," said Richard Lino, head of the state-run corporation managing the port. "So I'm doing my part first and will then say, do you want to join with the trend. "
Customs clearance is currently more than 6 days, twice as long as in Kuala Lumpur, adding to business costs and clogging up the port further. "We are still fighting with the customs," said Lino. "Everyone knows what they are like."
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This module gets truly random data from online sources. Or at least, they claim to be truly random. Note that because we are testing random data, the tests of how well- distributed the results are may occasionally fail. If at first you don't succeed try, try, try again. The problem is explained here: To install, do the usual: perl Makefile.PL make make test make install You may use, modify and distribute this code under the same terms as you may use, modify and distribute perl itself.
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National Monument
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Woven black-and-white cotton bag
Woven black-and-white cotton bag.
Sinagua Pueblo Life
The pre-Columbian Indians of the Southwest (northern Mexico to southern Utah and Colorado; eastern New Mexico to western Arizona) were, in general, settled and apparently peaceful farming peoples living in villages. The agricultural staples—corn, squash, and beans—were supplemented by gathering wild plants and hunting game. The main hunting weapon was the bow and arrow. Weapons and tools were made of various kinds of stone, animal bones, and wood. Pottery and basketry were used for utensils or containers.
Clothing included garments woven from cultivated cotton and a variety of bands, sandals, and other apparel made from yucca and other wild plants; animal skins also were utilized. Ornaments and ceremonial paraphernalia were made from such materials as turquoise, animal bones, imported sea shells, and brightly colored bird feathers.
Implements and utensils found in the houses of these people include such objects as stone metates and manos for grinding corn, hammers, knives, drills, bone awls and needles, baskets, and many ornaments of shell and turquoise, often carved in bird and animal forms.
Items missing from the pre-Spanish Indian culture include metals, livestock, wheeled vehicles, and writing.
Montezuma Well
Montezuma Well showing collapsed ruin on opposite rim.
Life in the Sinagua pueblos of the Verde, though lacking the variety found in a modern city, had more of natural beauty and simplicity. Like any other people, the Sinagua would not have selected this spot for their homes if the necessities of their everyday life had not been present. In this region, their needs were filled by a good water supply, bottomlands for farming, wild berries and edible shrubs, game for meat, and materials for buildings, pottery, and tools.
In addition, they had one thing which most Indians in Arizona had to travel great distances to obtain—a large deposit of salt. This they mined a few miles southwest of present-day Camp Verde where their collapsed tunnels can be traced even today. Occasionally the handle of a stone pick may still be seen projecting from a collapsed tunnel. Many bits of matting and unburned torches that the Indians apparently used for lighting their tunnels have been recovered. In 1928 several well-preserved Indian bodies were removed from one of these mines where they had been trapped when one of the tunnels caved in.
The Sinagua also were fortunate in having a deposit of a red rock called argillite not too far away. From this material they fashioned stone pendants, beads, earrings, and other ornaments with which they adorned themselves.
To satisfy their vanity further, the Indians imported luxuries not available in this area. Bracelets, pendants, beads, rings, and inlay made from shell were acquired by trade with tribes to the south who obtained the shell from the Gulf of California. The Sinagua also bartered for turquoise pendants, earrings, beads, and inlay pieces from other groups. Probably their greatest trade was in pottery. These Sinagua Indians rarely decorated their pottery, and judging by the quantity of painted pieces recovered from their sites, they engaged in lively trade for the wares of their northeastern neighbors. One might say that they imported their "china" in quantity.
Through a study of this pottery we find that from about 1150 to 1250, decorated pieces were obtained from the Indians in the north, near modern Flagstaff. Some of this pottery the Sinagua retraded to the Hohokam around present-day Phoenix. (How many of us today would be successful in taking dishes over a distance of 200 miles on foot without breaking a goodly portion?) After 1250, due to depopulation east of the Flagstaff area, the people of the Verde Valley obtained decorated pottery from the region farther east, around modern Winslow; and also, farther north, from the present Hopi Indian reservation area.
The trade possibilities of the Sinagua were almost unlimited. They were located between the large Hohokam settlements of southern Arizona and the widespread pueblos of northern Arizona. Natural routes of travel along streams led them into both areas, and they had salt, argillite, and cotton to offer in exchange.
Montezuma Castle artifacts including piece of gourd with carved handle, squash, cotton boles, spindle, and corn.
Despite the importance of trade, which was primarily for luxury items, the Sinagua Indians were basically farmers and depended mainly on food they raised themselves. In Montezuma Castle, American pioneers found corncobs in abundance and sometimes the remains of beans and squash. There were also numerous corn-grinding stones or metates, made from basaltic boulders carried into the area by flood waters in Beaver Creek. Roughly rectangular, the stones measure about 14 by 18 inches, and are 6 to 8 inches thick. Corn was ground by rubbing a smaller stone (mano) back and forth on the metate. This process gradually wore a trough down into the metate.
Jars, metates and manos, and fireplace as found in excavated ruin at cliff base west of Montezuma Castle.
The people also were gatherers and hunters to some extent. Remains of hackberries, mesquite beans, black walnuts, and sego-lily bulbs have been found in the cliff dwellings. Mescal or agave (sometimes called century plant) was used. Small wads or "quids" of fiber from this plant have been found; they were chewed by the Indians to extract the sweet juices.
Although identifiable animal bones from Montezuma Castle and nearby dwellings are rare, they have been found in other pueblos in the valley. From a site about 10 miles away, bones of elk, mule deer, antelope, bear, rabbit, turtle, and fish have been recovered.
Some food for winter use must have been held in storage. Probably the Castle dwellers, like the modern Hopis, stacked mature corn on the cob across the end of a room like cordwood. Strings of squash, cut into rings and dried in the sun, were probably strung from the roof in an out-of-the-way corner. Meat was undoubtedly preserved in a similar fashion—by drying rather than smoking or salting it. Perhaps the stores of food and the seed held for the next spring's planting were sought by neighboring pueblos where crops may have failed. As pointed out earlier, food shortages could have provided one of the principal reasons for intervillage warfare, especially after 1300 when the area became overcrowded.
Cooking fires were kindled by the friction of a wooden spindle rotated in a hearth stick until enough heat was generated to ignite tinder. Perhaps some family in Montezuma Castle was responsible for maintaining a perpetual fire from which embers could be carried to other households. This is not so strange when we recall that only 100 years ago pioneer neighbors sometimes called on each other to borrow a coal of fire.
These Sinagua Indians were artisans who manufactured pottery, and stone and shell ornaments. Their pottery was a reddish-brown ware (so colored from minerals in the native clay) and it was usually undecorated, though sometimes painted red. Sand was used as a tempering or binding agent. They made pottery bowls, cooking pots, and water jars—some of the latter of 3- or 4-gallon capacity. In refuse dumps near the dwellings, archeologists have found quantities of broken pottery—it is principally through a study of these dumps that the chronology of Indian occupation in this area is revealed.
Pottery was made from clay found in the region. After the clay was pulverized, the correct amounts of water and tempering materials were added. There were no potter's wheels, so the vessels were shaped by hand. The Sinagua accomplished this with the aid of a stone "anvil" held inside the pot and a wooden paddle used against the outside. Finishing was usually done by rubbing the surface perfectly smooth with a polishing stone or pebble dipped in water. Although some Indian pottery has a high polish, none of it carries a true, over-all glaze.
Modern Indians, in firing their pottery, usually burn animal dung for fuel, but the pre-Columbian Indians used vegetable material, possibly juniper wood. Several pieces of pottery might be stacked together so that all would be evenly exposed to the heat of the fire. Large pieces of broken pottery were used to protect the new pieces from direct contact with the flames. The firing process required several hours, with time allowed for the pottery to cool slowly.
Stone and shell ornaments are examples of other crafts, and some beautiful specimens have been found. The shells came from the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of California and are believed to have been imported through trade with neighboring tribes. Prehistoric trade routes, over which specific types of shells were distributed, extended from the Gulfs of Mexico and California to north-central New Mexico and from the Pacific Ocean to southern Utah.
Bird-shaped ornament of turquoise mosaic on seashell.
The shell was worked in various ways. The tips were ground from olivella shells which were then strung on sinew and worn as beads. Larger shells were sometimes covered with a mosaic of turquoise and colored stones. The turquoise was mined with stone tools, and by the time it was removed from its matrix, cut, and polished, it represented a considerable investment of labor. Argillite found in the Verde River region was also mined. Lac, an insect secretion found on creosote bushes, was sometimes used to cement the turquoise and argillite to the shell base.
The Sinagua also excelled in the art of weaving. They wove sandals, baskets, mats, and cotton fabrics. Some of the latter exhibit lace-like open work while other pieces are tightly woven resembling modern canvas. Cotton was raised here, near the fields of corn, and woven by the Sinagua into the finished articles. A few cotton bolls with lint and seeds have been found in the dwellings.
Pre-Columbian weaving with openwork design.
Instead of spinning wheels, the Indians used a wooden spindle about the thickness of a lead pencil and perhaps 18 inches long. About 5 or 6 inches from one end there was a disc- or sphere-shaped counter-weight made from a piece of wood or pottery. Corded cotton was spun into yarn by feeding it onto the end of the spindle as it was twirled between the thumb and fingers, or, between the hand and the thigh as the spinner sat on the ground.
Among the modern Indians of the Southwest, the most and the best weaving is done by the Navajo, an Apache people who learned weaving only a few hundred years ago from the Pueblos. Modern Navajo weaving is done by the women. Weaving among modern Pueblos, notably the Hopi, is done by men; and ancient weaving of pre-Spanish Pueblos may have been men's work also.
Most weaving required the use of a loom, a rectangular vertical framework somewhat larger than the size of the finished product. Proper tension on vertical (warp) threads was maintained by lashing at the ends of the loom. Black and white patterns were known, and some red was used. The museum at Montezuma Castle exhibits some of the finest examples of prehistoric Pueblo Indian weaving.
The Sinagua Indians in the Verde Valley apparently had no formal cemeteries. Children were often buried near the dwellings or under the floor. We learn from modern Pueblo Indians that some prefer to bury a child near the home. This comes from the belief that the child's spirit will remain until the death of the mother and can then be guided safely to the hereafter; or, that it will return in the person of the next baby to be born in the family. Occasional child burials were found in wall cavities in the pueblo ruin at Tuzigoot National Monument. Tuzigoot is a few miles northwest of Montezuma Castle and was occupied during the same general period.
The photo in the original handbook pictured human remains. Out of respect to the descendants of the people who lived at Montezuma Castle, the depiction of human remains and funerary objects will not be displayed in the online edition.
Child burial in floor of third-story room in Montezuma Castle.
Adults were buried in the refuse dump near a settlement, or placed in a cavity or under a ledge along the base of a cliff. Most bodies were buried at full length, lying on the back, and were generally accompanied by offerings or grave gifts. Pioneers reported several burials beneath floors in Montezuma Castle, and one additional burial was located in 1939. It contained the remains of a child about 5 years old, which had been wrapped first in a cotton blanket and then in a yucca leaf mat. The child had been buried in the corner of a room about 2 feet below the floor level. Some rooms in Montezuma Castle were built directly above others; therefore, no floor burials were possible in these upper rooms. This might explain why one shallow grave was found on a narrow ledge at the base of the building. The mummified remains of a 2-year-old child from this grave can now be seen in the museum.
The undercut graves dug into soft bedrock at Montezuma Well constitute one of the unusual features of that area. Sometimes similar individual burials are found in other Indian ruins. In contrast to most sites, including others in the Verde Valley, there is at the Well a fairly definite cemetery—an area in which these peculiar graves are concentrated.
Now, let us turn from the general story of customs and way of life to a detailed description of the Castle and the Well.
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Maren Schmidt: Addressing key frustrations
In our efforts to fix problems, we might best be served by stepping back and examining our frustrations. Instead of trying to affix blame by saying "that's your fault" or "that's my fault," we need to understand why the problem occurred.
Let's ask instead, "What is causing this frustration?"
Consider what is going on at the moment you feel frustrated, and jot it in a notebook. I used to keep a slip of paper in my pocket to capture those instances then transfer my annoyances to a notebook.
Noting these rough spots helped me ascertain the true causes and effects later, a pattern began to emerge.
After noting problems for a couple of weeks, I was able to determine the design of most of my frustrations. Looking at my notes I asked, "Are certain events more common at a certain time of day, on specific days, or with predictable people or activities?"
There were tears about the lights being turned off.
They needed a glass of water.
Or to go to the bathroom. They were hungry.
They wanted another story, another song, another prayer.
They were too hot.
Too cold.
They couldn't find their teddybear.
On those nights, I didn't know what to do. Whatever I did, bedtime was anything but restful, and it felt as if it was my fault. Surely, I was doing something wrong.
Ah hah!
My daughters' nocturnal activities were directed toward trying to secure "daddy time."
Looking in my notebook I found that my daughters' disruptions weren't their fault or my fault, or even my husband's fault. I saw that if we couldn't have a bowl of cherries, we at least could have a "chair of bowlies." We didn't have to settle for the pits.
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<urn:uuid:cc4a17c9-cc1b-4376-911d-aa24cb527844>
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http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2008/jun/03/maren_schmidt_addressing_key_frustrations/
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USA | UK | Australia | Canada
Credit Card Glossary
Credit Card Glossary: Terms and Definitions
Revolving line of credit
A revolving line of credit refers to a bank or merchant offering a certain amount of always available credit to an individual or corporation for an undetermined amount of time. The debt is repaid periodically and can be borrowed again once it is repaid. Borrowing using a credit card is an example of using a revolving line of credit.
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| 2 | 2.359375 | 0.777813 |
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| 0.844784 |
http://www.creditcards.com/glossary/term-revolving-line-of-credit.php
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San Joaquin Valley farmers caught between need to irrigate and plugged drain
Each weekday Walter T. Hammond and members of his crew count, one by one, every bird they see on six large ponds at the Kesterson Wildlife Refuge. The fewer birds they see, the better, says Mr. Hammond, an employee of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
These are not ordinary, or even natural, ponds. They were dug as catch basins for irrigation water from farms miles away in the Central Valley -- and they are contaminated.
Kesterson is a permanent home for many wildlife species as well as a major stop for millions of waterfowl that migrate along what is known as the Pacific Flyway.
Recommended: Could you pass a US citizenship test?
Water that makes cotton bloom on the west side of the fertile San Joaquin Valley ultimately drains into Kesterson. It now is known to carry elements that are killing or deforming birds, fish, and other wildlife in the refuge.
To put an end to this, the United States Department of the Interior has ordered that Kesterson be closed June 30 to any more flows of agricultural drainage. To comply with the order, the local water district this month started plugging the elaborate drainage system on 42,000 acres of farmland -- a move that many farmers once considered unthinkable.
John Pucheu Jr., a third-generation farmer, says he spent about $80,000, most of it borrowed, to install underground pipes on 320 acres to drain away irrigation water after it has seeped several feet into the ground.
``I considered it to be a long-term improvement to maintain productivity of the land,'' says Mr. Pucheu, who grows cotton, barley, sugar beets, and seed alfalfa.
``Never in my wildest dreams did I think that five or six years later we would have to abandon the entire project.''
The ``project'' began when Interior's Bureau of Reclamation built the Central Valley Project to deliver irrigation water to farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, which includes five of the nation's top 10 agricultural counties.
Because the salt content in the soil on the west side of the valley is so high, the Reclamation Bureau proposed disposing of the salty drain water through a canal that would empty into San Francisco Bay. But the canal, known as the San Luis drain, was completed only as far as the Kesterson marshlands when the money ran out. As a result, it was decided to drain the water into giant evaporation ponds on marshland adjacent to the Kesterson refuge.
But the evaporation ponds and the wildlife refuge have proved to be incompatible. Besides being salt-laden, the drain water contains traces of dissolved metals and the chemical element selenium.
Selenium, found naturally in the soil of many parts of the US, can reach toxic levels in arid areas with poorly drained soil -- such as the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.
The toxicity increases exponentially in each step of the food chain.
Farmers say the long-term solution to the problem is to remove the contaminants from the drainage water. But an affordable technology for such a process is still a few years off, and the Interior Department has not so far provided the $3.7 million needed to fund research for a selenium-removal plant.
The problem is not limited to Kesterson. In recent months, evidence has been found indicating that selenium poisoning may pose a threat to other wildlife refuges in the West.
High levels of selenium -- in some cases brought by drainage from farms irrigated by federal water projects -- have been found in Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge in Montana, near Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, and on at least five other sites, according to a recent Interior Department study.
Pucheu says he and other farmers feel a sense of urgency because they are concerned that plugging the drainage system will cause selenium-laden water to rise into the root zone of their crops.
Last March, the Interior Department announced it would cut off irrigation water to the 53 farmers who send drainage water to Kesterson -- a move akin to taking their land out of production. But the department later granted a reprieve, with the expectation that flows to Kesterson would cease by June 30.
Since then, farmers have reduced their drainage flows by half through conservation. But they say they need an extension to 1988 to find a more permanent solution to the problem. Interior officials, however, are holding firm.
Environmentalists laud Interior's decision, saying farmers have been allowed to pollute the Central Valley long enough.
Marshes of the western San Joaquin are used by more than half of all migrating birds in the Pacific Flyway. Agricultural interests, environmental spokesmen add, have already plowed up much of the state's grasslands, shrinking the available habitat for such wildlife.
For now, US fish and wildlife officials at Kesterson are ``harassing'' ducks to keep them from swimming on or nesting near the evaporation ponds, Hammond says. Propane exploder guns fire intermittent blasts, and Hammond scares away stubborn coots by honking the horn on his truck as he drives down a narrow levee between the ponds.
In Washington, where Congress is grappling with huge spending cuts, expensive Western water projects are obvious targets.
Some lawmakers have questioned why the federal government is supplying farmers with ``subsized'' water to grow subsided crops that require subsidized drainage systems.
But the land in the San Joaquin Valley ``is so favorable in terms of climate and soil that, even with the drainage problem, it makes sense to grow crops here,'' says Stephen K. Hall of the Land Preservation Association, which represents local water districts on the west side of the valley.
The west side, which includes the 42,000 acres with the most immediate drainage problem, produces 40 percent of the nation's canning tomatoes and virtually all of its canteloupes, he says.
``It's hard to say it's one group's fault,'' Mr. Hall says of the Kesterson quagmire. ``But it's easy to see who is being victimized -- the ducks and the farmers.''
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<urn:uuid:cade4aff-b801-4ed0-b9c3-b90170697c3a>
| 3 | 2.875 | 0.023591 |
en
| 0.95765 |
http://www.csmonitor.com/1986/0325/akest.html
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Alan Turing: Are machines thinking yet? (+video)
Google is honoring war hero and artificial intelligence pioneer Alan Turing on his 100th birthday Saturday with a Turing Machine-themed doodle. How close are we to Turing's predictions?
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Google celebrated the 100th birthday of computer scientist Alan Turing on Saturday with an interactive Turing Machine, a hypothetical device that led directly to the electronic computer.
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In 2006, Dr. Robert Epstein went online in search of love. The Harvard-educated psychologist joined an online dating service, and soon after he began exchanging emails with someone he described in Scientific American: Mind as "a slim, attractive brunette."
"Ivana" said she was from Russia, which would help explain her idiosyncratic English. But there was something else that was odd about her prose. Her emails, while warm and affectionate, came across as "a bit redundant and, let's say, narrow in scope," wrote Epstein.
After four months of online correspondence, Epstein, a former editor-in-chief of Psychology Today who has written extensively on love and relationships, had become suspicious. Ivana, while responsive, tended to steer away from specifics, he noticed. She would also often ignore direct queries.
Recommended: Think you're a true geek? Take our quiz
He eventually tested Ivana by sending her a couple lines of gibberish. She responded, apparently unfazed, with a story about her mother.
Epstein then realized that, after all these months, he had been romancing a piece of software.
None of this would have surprised Alan Turing. The British mathematician and computer scientist, whose 100th birthday Saturday is commemorated on Google's home page, predicted in 1950 that, about five decades hence, computers will have advanced so far that, 70 percent of the time, an average person would be unable to distinguish a computer from a human after five minutes of continually exchanging messages.
He was not far off. In September last year, a web application called Cleverbot took the Turing test alongside humans. Of the 1,334 people who conversed with Cleverbot for four minutes, some 59 percent judged it to be human. (Strangely enough, the actual human participants were thought to be human only 63 percent of the time.)
Cleverbot's creator, British programmer Rollo Carpenter, is also the two-time winner of the Loebner Prize, an annual contest begun in 1990 that awards $3,000 to the "most human" chatterbot. The bots, which face off against humans, often use trickery, such as deliberate typos, to convince their interlocutors that they are the genuine humans. The prize also promises $25,000 to the creator of the first chatterbot that can convince judges that the human is the bot, and $100,000 for the first one who can beat a test that includes visual and auditory input as well as text.
These last two prizes have yet to be awarded, but even imperfect chatterbots have their commercial uses. Companies from IKEA to Lloyd's Banking Group have used "automated online assistants" to interact with their customers. Famously, the software agent Siri, a spin off from a Pentagon-funded "cognitive assistant" to help soldiers, launched on the iPhone 4S in October 2011.
Most people wouldn't confuse Siri or IKEA's chatterbots with actual humans, but not so for the spambots that send flirtatious chats to AIM or Yahoo! Messenger users, enticing them to follow dubious links. AIM spam has seen a resurgence this year, further vindicating Turing's predictions of at least some computer programs are successfully passing themselves off as humans.
Turing predicted that, once computers can pass the Turing test, "the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted."
In keeping with the reigning behaviorist ethos of 1950, Turing used the word "think" to refer not to internal mental states, but to measurable outward actions. Turing rejected the objection that a machine could not be said to think because it wouldn't feel like anything to be a machine, pointing out that, epistemically speaking, one has no way of knowing for certain that anyone other than oneself experiences feelings.
Turing also dismissed the religious argument that a machine could never be imbued with a soul. He wrote, "In attempting to construct such machines we should not be irreverently usurping His power of creating souls, any more than we are in the procreation of children: rather we are, in either case, instruments of His will providing mansions for the souls that He creates."
As artificial conversationalists become increasingly believable, Turing may be remembered as being among the first to have welcomed non-biological agents into the club of thinkers. If that happens, it would be all the more tragic that British government came to view the man as less than fully human.
Turing, who today is regarded as a war hero for deciphering communications created by the Nazi's Enigma machines, was also gay, and homosexuality in Britain at the time was punishable by either imprisonment or "chemical castration," that is, mandatory injections of synthetic female hormones meant to weaken the libido.
When Turing was arrested, in 1952, he chose the latter. He committed suicide two years later.
As for Dr. Epstein, who is also a computer programmer and actually directed one of the Loebner Prize competitions in the early 1990s, he continued looking for a partner online. As he explained on WNYC's science broadcast Radiolab, not long after parting ways with Ivana, he began unknowingly exchanging emails with another chatterbot, only to be notified by the bot's programmer, who recognized Epstein's name.
"There are hundreds of these things out there, maybe thousands," he said. "That's what's coming."
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<urn:uuid:e56664d3-dd46-44b9-9411-79f395f3767c>
| 3 | 2.953125 | 0.094552 |
en
| 0.969038 |
http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Tech-Culture/2012/0623/Alan-Turing-Are-machines-thinking-yet-video
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Doing the Elevator Gender Role Shuffle
I rarely feel more awkward than when I ride the elevators at work. While public restrooms have often been analyzed as gendered spaces, I would like to posit the elevator as a different sort of gender-charged space. There are rules when one enters an elevator with other people, and a lot depends on the perceived genders of the occupants. Who gets on and off first? Where is it acceptable to stand and how close? What, if any, are appropriate conversation topics? Where and at whom may one look?
Elevator 1via
All of this negotiation makes me uncomfortable for several reasons:
1. As a curvy person, I am socially read as female no matter how dapper I may look, and while I don’t have an issue with being read that way, I don’t like the assumptions that follow it—that I must behave in a feminine way.*
2. As a genderqueer-identified person, I don’t like feeling forced to identify only with binary feminine-gendered behavior.
3. No one actually talks about this whole setup. It is all left to gestures, looks, and awkward verbalizations about anything but the mutant pink and blue elephant in the room. I would much rather just hash it out, and say—“I don’t want to follow the feminine rules here.”
But are the other passengers even consciously aware of the rules? How exactly can I assert my own masculinity in the presence of the more socially accepted and recognized male masculinity of the men in the office?
Elevator 2via
I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way to not be treated binary-feminine is to pass, but therein lies the conundrum—if I pass, I would be treated binary-masculine. I want to be recognized as female and masculine simultaneously, and people often don’t know what to do with that. I have tried more than once to indicate to men that they should get off the elevator first, and they almost unanimously refuse the gesture. The elevator doors threaten to close, I feel awkward, and the episode usually concludes with me trying to be the first to get out of the situation. So there I am getting off the elevator first again.
If it is just women occupying the space, I usually have an easier time of it. For one, women don’t police elevators in the same way as restrooms; no one is undressing and it isn’t a gender segregated area. So, as long as I am not very flamboyant, I can be a gentle(wo)man. I don’t run the risk of challenging someone else’s masculinity either, for if there is another occupant presenting female masculinity, there seems to be an unspoken camaraderie.
Elevator 3via
So why do I even bother entering the complicated world of the elevator when I could just bypass it and take the stairs? Besides having a higher than average probability of falling down (and up) stairs, I take the elevator situation on as a sort of experiment. How far can I challenge gendered behavior before someone notices? Who notices first? Why does s/he notice? What reaction do I get? While I don’t push these circumstances further than the point where people start to notice I am doing some gender non-conforming things, I feel even that much is important. I don’t want to feel like I am risking something by being open about who I am. I just want to unabashedly be.
* I should clarify, not all curvy persons are socially read as women. I am because of how my curves present, but that is not the experience of all curvy people.
Ren Wilding
Genderqueer, dapper-lesbian feminist and curvy-bodied masculine person who has obsessions with birds and queer theory. Residing with their wife in Illinois, they have a master's degree in literature and graduate certificate in gender studies.
More Posts - Website - Twitter
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<urn:uuid:db823f8b-64cb-4055-a9af-c377fb3f4d99>
| 2 | 1.546875 | 0.376289 |
en
| 0.9591 |
http://www.dapperq.com/2013/02/doing-the-elevator-gender-role-shuffle/
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Show simple item record Delcourt, Matthieu Blows, Mark W. Aguirre, J. David Rundle, Howard D. 2012-12-10T21:09:56Z 2012-12-10T21:09:56Z 2012-05-21
dc.identifier doi:10.5061/dryad.d7g00
dc.identifier.citation Delcourt M, Blows MW, Aguirre JD, Rundle HD (2012) Evolutionary optimum for male sexual traits characterized using the multivariate Robertson–Price Identity. 109(26): 10414–10419.
dc.description Phenotypes tend to remain relatively constant in natural populations, suggesting a limit to trait evolution. Although stationary phenotypes suggest stabilizing selection, directional selection is more commonly reported. However, selection on phenotypes will have no evolutionary consequence if the traits do not genetically covary with fitness, a covariance known as the Robertson–Price Identity. The nature of this genetic covariance determines if phenotypes will evolve directionally or whether they reside at an evolutionary optimum. Here, we show how a set of traits can be shown to be under net stabilizing selection through an application of the multivariate Robertson–Price Identity. We characterize how a suite of male sexual displays genetically covaries with fitness in a population of Drosophila serrata. Despite strong directional sexual selection on these phenotypes directly and significant genetic variance in them, little genetic covariance was detected with overall fitness. Instead, genetic analysis of trait deviations showed substantial stabilizing selection on the genetic variance of these traits with respect to overall fitness, indicating that they reside at an evolutionary optimum. In the presence of widespread pleiotropy, stabilizing selection on focal traits will arise through the net effects of selection on other, often unmeasured, traits and will tend to be stronger on trait combinations than single traits. Such selection may be difficult to detect in phenotypic analyses if the environmental covariance between the traits and fitness obscures the underlying genetic associations. The genetic analysis of trait deviations provides a way of detecting the missing stabilizing selection inferred by recent metaanalyses.
dc.relation.haspart doi:10.5061/dryad.d7g00/1
dc.relation.isreferencedby doi:10.1073/pnas.1116828109
dc.relation.isreferencedby PMID:22615415
dc.subject cuticular hydrocarbons
dc.subject Robertson-Price
dc.subject stabilizing selection
dc.subject sexual selection
dc.subject evolutionary stasis
dc.title Data from: Evolutionary optimum for male sexual traits characterized using the multivariate Robertson–Price Identity
dc.type Article *
dwc.ScientificName Drosophila serrata
dc.contributor.correspondingAuthor Rundle, Howard D.
prism.publicationName Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Files in this package
Title DELCOURT_fitness_data
Downloaded 121 times
Description Please see README.txt
Download DELCOURT_fitness_data.csv (140.7Kb)
Download README.txt (4.142Kb)
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<urn:uuid:977585a8-a4fb-45e8-808a-dba84dab00cb>
| 2 | 1.640625 | 0.040957 |
en
| 0.782263 |
http://www.datadryad.org/resource/doi:10.5061/dryad.d7g00?show=full
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Leadership Lessons from Martin Luther King, Jr.
Leadership Lessons from Martin Luther King
The following is a transcript of the audio.
January 21st is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. When you look at King, solely from a leadership perspective, what stands out to you? What made him such an effective leader?
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a profoundly gifted leader. Some of us are old enough to have memories of him while he was living. I think one remarkable aspect of King’s leadership was his vision. A leader sees a possible future so clearly and articulates it so well that he is driven by it. King’s vision was a dream.
The second remarkable aspect would be that he was brilliant. If you are leading people and trying to discern the right course of action, it helps to be smart.
A third leadership trait that stands out was his courage. King put his life on the line right to the end, when was snuffed out by a rifle. Without courage you can’t lead people through tough times, or into the hard places we need to go. King’s commitment to non-violence meant he had power over his violent enemies. Those who went a violent route to solve the problem of racism didn’t have the same effect. You do have a power over your enemies if you are being dragged away to jail while being called malicious, ugly words, as your adversaries are siccing their dogs on you and blasting you with fire hoses and yet you aren’t fighting back The racists were defeated when Americans saw that.
Another thing was that the time was simply right. We sometimes wonder why certain people rise to the head of the pack in terms of leadership, and the answer is that their time has come. In God’s providence, Birmingham and Montgomery came together and thrust him, seemingly against his own desires, into a kind of leadership that he couldn’t account for.
Now, there are people who would want me to be balanced by pointing out his flaws, so I will just say he that had them, and they were serious. But even that is a lesson, isn’t it? God in his providence uses broken sticks to straighten some lines. So yes, he was an imperfect man, and that should be known, but the knowledge of it doesn’t cancel out the amazing good that came through his life and the remarkable gifts that he had.
Related resource: [Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian] (http://www.desiringgod.org/books/bloodlines)
Full author john piper
©2015 Desiring God Foundation. Used by Permission.
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<urn:uuid:790b3e51-601e-4c5d-b538-15c4cd9f38e5>
| 2 | 2.5 | 0.081409 |
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| 0.978459 |
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/leadership-lessons-from-martin-luther-king-jr?lang=en
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DIY Network
How to Install Vinyl Tile Flooring
Host Paul Ryan shows how to install vinyl tile flooring in a kitchen.
More in Floors
Step 1: Sand Out the Subfloor
Make sure the subfloor is smooth and dry. Sand out any uneven patches.
sand out any uneven patches of subfloor
Step 2: Establish a Reference Line
To establish a reference line, measure out approximately 8' from the back wall and make a reference mark. Make another parallel reference mark at the same distance out. Snap a chalk line between the two marks to establish a reference line.
Tip: Spray hairspray on the line to keep it from rubbing out.
Step 3: Stir the Adhesive
Stir the acrylic adhesive for the floor well before using.
Step 4: Spread the Adhesive
Starting at the reference line, use a 1/16" V-notched trowel to spread adhesive evenly over the floor. Hold the trowel at a 60-degree angle to the floor.
Step 5: Let the Adhesive Set
Adhesive has to "flash" or get tacky before flooring is set down. Wait five to 15 minutes for adhesive to set, depending on the temperature and humidity. The adhesive is ready when it lightly transfers onto your fingers.
Step 6: Determine the Flooring Layout
Determine the layout of the vinyl strips. Use a staggered layout for a more realistic layout.
Step 7: Make an Angle
To transfer an unknown wall angle to the strip, lay a strip of tile on the side of reference that doesn't have adhesive. Lay another strip down but have it run along the wall, overlapping the first strip. Draw a line along the edge of the top strip to transfer the angle.
transfer wall angle to vinyl strip
Step 8: Cut the Angle
Put a scrap under the tile and cut the angle with a utility knife. Save the cut off and use it to transfer the angle onto the next strip.
Step 9: Lay the Tile Into Position
Lay the tile on the adhesive and firmly press down. Take care to press it (not slide it) into position.
Step 10: Wipe the Excess Adhesive
If you get adhesive on the tile, wipe it up with a damp rag.
Step 11: Set the Tile in Place
Use a laminate roller to set it in place.
use laminate roller to set tile in place
Step 12: Use the Roller
Use a 100-pound roller as you go along to make sure there's good adhesion.
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<urn:uuid:600b365f-df49-4f5f-becf-88ef6ffeda02>
| 2 | 2.046875 | 0.080421 |
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http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-install-vinyl-tile-flooring/index.html
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dragoart mobile
NormalCompactSlideShowDraw Sheet
Uploaded: May 4, 2008
Artist: Dawn
Difficulty: Intermediate Intermediate Skill Level
Steps: 4
Updated: January 9, 2012
P.O.V: Front
Favourited: 0 times
Artist comments
Hello again people and welcome back to another fun filled lesson. Today I will be submitting a tutorial on "how to draw Shego" from Kim Possible. If you are one of those people that don’t know who Shego is than let me take a minute and tell you. First off Shego is the female villain that is green in color. At first her character was associated with Dr. Drakken as his side kick during the first season. After the first season she put herself as a hired mercenary for other villains. Shego is in almost all the Kim Possible episodes and she is always a villain. Her unique skills for a female make her a sought after hired hand when it comes to getting things done. Shego’s skill as a cat burglar makes it easy for her to slip in and out of sticky situations when it comes to stealing things of value. When she needs to fight off other villains that are going after the same things she is, she fights them off with her superb martial arts skills. Shego is also equipped with super powers which is why is green in color. Her powers are a combination of force, heat, and energy. Her super powers came to her when she was hanging out with her four brothers in their tree house. As they were playing having fun like all kids do, a mysterious multi colored meteor crashed into the tree house and all five siblings a special unique power that came with their own colored glow. Hego is one of her brothers and he was given a blue glow with super strength powers, Mego her second brother had a purple glow with the ability to shrink, and her two twin brothers that used the same name of Wego had a red glow and their super powers allowed them to clone themselves and multiply at the same time. Together the four of them formed a super hero team called Team Go. They went up against villains like Aviarius, Electrnique, and Mathter. After fighting off foes such as them Shego started viewing things in a different manner. She thought that she could make a great deal of money if she was to turn down the evil path. So what did she do? She quit Team Go and went her separate ways as a shevillian. Eventually with the most stable counter part gone (Shego), the rest of the brothers broke up as well after being heroes for a few years. Now Shego is a weird type of bad girl because she has no urge to take over the world at all, she’d rather see Dr. Drakkens plans to do so fall apart while she sits in the back seat. When she is not out on the town being bad she enjoys an occasional day at the spa, or even going on vacations. What some people may not know about Shego is that she was once a friend to Kim before Electronique kidnapped her and turned her back into the evil Shego. In this tutorial you will learn "how to draw Shego" from Kim Possible step by step. The instructions are easy and the steps are a breeze. Have fun drawing Shego and after you are done, pin her up along side of Kim.
how to draw shego from kim possible
Drawing shego, Added by Dawn, May 4, 2008, 12:42:50 pm
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http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/444/2/1/easy-step-by-step-drawing-instructions-for-how-to-draw-shego-from-kim-possible.htm
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dragoart mobile
NormalCompactSlideShowDraw Sheet
Uploaded: July 2, 2011
Artist: Dawn
Difficulty: Intermediate Intermediate Skill Level
Steps: 12
Updated: July 1, 2011
P.O.V: 3/4
Favourited: 0 times
Artist comments
Ok guys, I have this cool tutorial today. It’s a dead hunter, meaning a zombie that kills like a hunter. These creepy creatures are considered to be a zombie race that has a bunch of abilities that sort of makes them almost unstoppable. At first when I started playing the Left 4 Dead series, the Hunter looked so much like a character I recognized from a previous movie I watched some time ago. After a while I finally came to the conclusion that these gross looking figures in Left 4 Dead remind me so much of that dude who played the main carrier of the Reaper virus in the movie Blade II. Remember the bald vampire Jared or Nomak? He was the one that wanted revenge on his father for betraying him. The Hunter has some of the same characteristics and abilities as Nomak. For instance, both characters are able to jump these long distances even when they are climbing on the walls. Bothe Nomak and the Hunter usually attack their prey by jumping on them and soon after that they rip at their bodies with the long finger nails or claws. Finally the main reason why Hunters remind me of a vampire creature from Blade II is because Nomak has the same attire as the Hunters. They both wear hoodie’s boots, and usually have blood stained on the fronts of their clothes and mouth. To be honest with you, I sort of got creeped out when I was making this tutorial on drawing a Hunter. Just the way they look and how unsettling their background is gives me the juice-bumps. Let’s not forget that these creatures are also amongst the Special Infected. The amount of strength and how agile this dead being is makes you wonder why they parted from other Hunters. Have fun guys will drawing this Left 4 Dead creature called the Hunter. I still have one more lesson that’s waiting to go up so try and see what it will be. Adios peeps!
how to draw a left 4 dead hunter, left 4 dead hunter
Step 1. How to Draw a Left 4 Dead Hunter, Left 4 Dead Hunter
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<urn:uuid:81fdc991-3571-4ad8-a31e-b0c9581f3f5c>
| 2 | 1.859375 | 0.063419 |
en
| 0.961513 |
http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/8570/2/1/59967/how-to-draw-a-left-4-dead-hunter,-left-4-dead-hunter-step-1.htm
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Who are Radiologists?
Your suggested question from a parent to a doctor is “Will a radiologist be involved in my child’s CT scan?” Why is this question important and what kind of answers should a parent expect?
Who are Radiologists?
Dr. Greene’s Answer:
A radiologist is a physician who specialized in imaging techniques after completing medical school. If one is involved in doing or interpreting the CT scan, there is a higher chance that it will be set for a child. X-ray techs may also be knowledgeable, but they have completed technical school — not medical school.
Read More From This Series:
CT Scan Defined
CT Scan, Ultrasound or MRI?
CT Scan Safety
CT Scans and Radiation Exposure
CT Scan Risks
Higher Risks in Children
Who Should Receive a CT Scan?
X-Ray or a CT Scan?
Alternatives to a CT Scan
When Should a CT Scan be Performed?
Important Tip to Reduce to Radiation
Questions to Ask before Every CT Scan
Other Radiation Exposures
Measures That Radiologists Should Adhere to When Administering a CT Scan
CT Scans and Cancer
When are MRIs not Practical?
What is Ionizing Radiation?
Who are Radiologists?
February 14, 2008
Dr. Alan Greene
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<urn:uuid:32122466-a2c2-4733-b701-e5145016dd07>
| 3 | 2.78125 | 0.019848 |
en
| 0.918671 |
http://www.drgreene.com/qa-articles/who-are-radiologists/?tid=283
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