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Cameras & Lenses
Get to know the author, George Seper, before he introduces you to the world of professional photography as it exists today. This module is an extensive look at the equipment you will use, covering cameras, how they function and when to take advantage of the broad range of lenses available to you.
Introduction to the Course
About The Author
The Still Image
The Digital Camera
Camera Overview
Amateur Cameras
Phone cameras
Point and shoot
Micro four third
Bridge and Super Zoom Cameras
Enthusiast VS Pro Cameras
Mirror-less or CSC Cameras
The DSLR
Recent Camera Developments
Which Camera Should I Buy?
Camera Features
Service and accessories
End usage
Parts of a camera
Camera Body
Digital Sensor
Memory card
Important Features of the Modern Camera
Sensor size
Frames Per Second (Fps)
Light meter
Recommendations regarding cameras
Some general observations on cameras
The Pro Camera
The Small Format Camera
The DSLR Camera
The Rangefinder Camera
A Friendly Caution
The Medium Format Camera
The Large Format Camera
Small & Medium Format DSLR Features
Interchangeable Lenses
Adjustable ISO
Depth of Field Preview
Integrated Light Meters
Mirror Locking
Uncovering the Lens
Lens Overview
The Science of lenses
Focal Length
Angle of View
Lens Types
The Normal Lens
Telephoto Lenses
Wide-Angle Lenses
Specialty Lenses & Attachments
Macro Lenses
Extension Rings, Tubes & Bellows
Zoom Lenses
Reflex Lenses
Tilt-Shift Lenses
Lens Faults & Flaws
Spherical Aberrations
Chromatic Aberration
Barrel & Pincushion Distortion
Flare & Vignetting
Advanced Features of Modern lenses
Auto focus (AF)
Image stabilisation (IS) or Vibration reduction (VR)
Polarising Filters
Nuetral Density (ND) Filters
Taking Care of your Equipment
Practical Lens Choices
Food Photography
Fashion Photography
Portrait & Beauty Photography
Architecture & Interior Photography
Travel Photography
Sport & Wildlife Photography
Shutters, Aperture & Their Relationships
Learn how to control your camera and capture the images you have always imagined. George introduces powerful previsualisation techniques and provides an in-depth understanding of the settings available through your camera to achieve what you want, when you want.
Shutters, Aperture & Stops of Light
Shutter Types
Focal Plane Shutters
In Lens Shutter
Exposure Stops
Shutter Speed Stops
Aperture Stops
F/Stop Values
The Advantage of Using F/Stops
Full & Third Stop Reference Table
Relationships & Depth of field
What is depth of field?
Depth of field (DOF) Overview
Circles of Confusion
Perceiving Sharpness
Depth of Field (DOF) Scale
Hyperfocal Distance
DOF Preview Button
DOF Preview & DSLR Cameras
DOF & The View Camera
Digital Sensors & The View Camera
DSLR Shooting Modes in Practice
Manual (M)
Aperture Priority (AV) or (A)
Shutter Priority (TV) or (S)
Program Mode (P)
Exposure Compensation
The Rule of Thirds
Leading lines
Negative Space
Use the Foreground
Shapes, Patterns & Repetition
Fill the frame
Putting It All Together
Exposure & Metering
Accurate exposure is the basis for all photography and this module draws on methods popularised by the great Ansel Adams, modernised to give you an edge in a competitive world. As a professional or advanced amateur you will be able to capture any subject consistently and with growing confidence.
Light Meters
Hand Held Meters
In Camera Light Meters
Average Reflective Metering
Scenario 1: Light Scenes
Scenario 2: Dark Scenes
Incident Metering
Spot Metering
Digital ISO
Understanding ISO
Increasing Light Sensitivity
Digital Noise
High ISO, Contrast & Colour Distortion
Auto ISO
The Shutter Speed, Aperture & ISO Relationship
The 18% Grey Card
Palm Metering
Dynamic Range & My Studio Light Metering Method
What is Dynamic Range?
Using Dynamic Range
The Zone System
An Introduction
The Stepped Greyscale Test
Zone System Basics
RGB & Colour Basics
RGB, Greyscale & Colour Bias
Custom White Balance
Building Your Zone Ruler
The Initial Procedure, Compiling Exposure Data
The Final Procedure, Constructing The Zone Ruler
Understanding our Results
Metering Colours & Other Tips
On Metering
The Sunny F/16 Rule
The Film & Digital Process
A short step back in time provides the basis for effectively working and photographing in a digital world. In understanding what comes before, we are able to take full advantage of the tools we have at our disposal today for ever improving photographs.
A Brief History of the Photographic Process
The Optical Process
The Chemical Process
Analogue Image Capture
The Composition of Film
The Wet Process
Film Fogging
Darkroom Printing
The Digital Darkroom
Early Photo Manipulation
The D-log E Curve of Film
Digital Image Capture
Digital Sensors
CCD & CMOS Compared
Tri-Linear Array Scanning Backs
Film vs Digital
Digital Advantages Over Film
Digital Disadvantages
The D-Log E Curve of Digital
The Histogram
In Camera Controls & What to do With Them
Adobe 1998 RGB
Saturation, Contrast & Sharpening
Light & Colour
After understanding photographic equipment and exposure, light and colour is explored as defining factors in professional photography. Refine your ability to previsualise, see and think like a camera, then delve into post production techniques for monochromatic images.
Light & Colour
The Colour Spectrum
Colour Temperature
Early Colour Theory Development
Maxwell's Triangle & Modern Colour Theory
Additive & Subtractive Colour Systems
The CIE & LAB Colour
Photographic Filters
Useful Filters in The Digital World
The Mired Scale
Wratten Filters
Managing Colour & White Balance
The Colour Temperature Meter
Digital White Balance
Custom White Balance
Seeing Like a Camera
Colour Perception
Depth Perception
Dynamic Range
Some Useful Tricks
Look Through a Filter
Close One Eye
Make a Fist
Rotate the Image
Setting Shadows & Highlights
Black & White Photography
A Brief Personal Tour
B&W Photography In The Digital Era
Method One: In Camera B&W
Method Two: Camera RAW Saturation
Method Three: Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer
Method Four: Greyscale Colour mode
Method Five: Photo Filter
Method Six: Black & White
Method Seven, My Favourite: Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer
Utilising Colour Channels
The Red Channel in RGB
The Green Channel in RGB
The Blue Channel in RGB
The L Channel in Lab
What is the world's best lighting? This module takes an in depth look at natural and artificial lighting and how you can use these to your advantage. Explored in the context of portraiture, this knowledge is applied to all genres of photography and it is a crucial part of any good photographer's education.
About Light
The Sun
Blue / Amber
Green / Magenta
Light Quality
I Love Daylight
Artificial Light Sources
Using Flash Light
Lighting Outdoors
Time of Day
The Weather
Lighting People & Small Moveable Objects
Fill In Flash
The World's Best Lighting
The Daylight Look Indoors
Lighting Method 1: Simulated Hazy Day
Lighting Method 2: Simulated Overcast Day
Lighting Method 3: Simulated Full Sun
Continuous Lights
Hot Lights
Tungsten Lighting
Cool Lights
Fluorescent & LED Lighting
Fluorescent Lights
LED Lights
Balancing Flash & Daylight
Flash Duration
Portrait Lighting
Unisex Portraiture Lighting Scheme
The Vanity Index
Lighting Men & Women
The Law
Refining The Image Process
George explains, through his extensive experience, the commercial realities surrounding photography and methods to help produce the best images you can. Learn from photographers you admire, analyse images to improve technique and recognise what they can be used for.
The Big Question
Commercial Reality
Travel Photography
Magazine Photography
Advertising Photography
The Little Photoshop on the Corner
Back to Business - Taking Pictures
Educate Yourself
A Process for Photographing Objects
A Mental Shooting Checklist
Thinking Like a Lens
Colour Management in Camera
Adobe RGB (1998)
ProPhoto RGB
Image Preview
In Camera Tools
Low Resolution LCD Colour Preview
Exposure Warning
Working Tethered
Improving your Photography
The Photoshop Trap
Warning, Danger Ahead!
Sticking to a Subject
Be Honest With Yourself
Be Realistic
A Word on Plagiarism & Improving Technique
A Cut–Out Portfolio
A Style To Call Your Own
Equipment & Software
Where is technology going and what do you really need to be a successful photographer? Develop a clear understanding of the advantages and disadvantages that different equipment provides, for now and in the future.
Camera Choices
Format Size
The Small Format Camera System
The Medium Format Camera System
The Large Format Camera System
My Choice of Camera System
Small Format DSLR System
Small Format Compact Systems (CSC's)
Medium Format System
Large Format System
Questions & Considerations
Buying Vs Hiring
Buying Considerations
Which Lenses Do I Need?
Where is the Technology Going?
Lighting Equipment
Studio Flash Units
Monobloc Studio Lights
Using Multiple Speedlights
Which Brand Should I Buy?
Tungsten Lighting
Second Hand Gear
Computers & Monitors
The Calibration Device
Data Storage
Digital Video Disc - DVD's
Disc Do's & Don'ts
External Hard Drives
RAID Arrays
Solid State Drives
The Future of File Storage
Future Proofing your Files
My Storage System
The Graphics Tablet
Capture Software
Capture One Software
Adobe Photoshop, Bridge & Camera RAW
Retouching, Resolution & Printing
Since the dark room, post production and printing has been a defining part of all photography. This module addresses how to get the best out of your images when it comes time to edit and print your work.
Image Retouching Software
Adobe Photoshop (PS)
Adobe Photoshop Elements (PSE)
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (Lr)
Capture One
Aperture by Apple
Corel Paint Shop Pro
Affinity Photo by Serif
Other Image Editing & Retouching Tools
The Interesting Issue of DPI & PPI
Image File Size… How Big is Big Enough?
Output Devices & Resolution Requirments
Photo Quality Inkjet Printers
Offset Printers
Lines Per Inch & DPI Conversions
The Professional Print Lab
The Web
Dot Gain
Your Work Space
Work in RGB
Gamut Warnings
The CMYK Colourspace
Bit Depth
Colour Channels in Photoshop
File Formats for Digital Imaging & Printing
Print Bound Images
PSD Photoshop's File Format
Other Random File Formats
Working With 16 BIT Files
16-Bit Capture & ACR
Converting 8-Bit Images to 16-Bit
16-Bit Editing
Photoshop Retouching
HDR for High Contrast SCenes
Photoshop Toolbox
Quick Masking
Photoshop's Densitometer
Adjustment Layers
Every Digital Image Requires Sharpening
Unsharp Mask (USM)
Traps For Young Players
My Sharpening Methodology
Selective Sharpening
Camera RAW Image Adjustment Basics
Camera RAW Tools
Adobe Lightroom Image Adjustment Basics
Do Your Prints Look Like The Screen Image?
Greyscale Print Test
Calibration The Whole Shebang
Photography Business and Studio Essentials
Working in a studio has many advantages for a photographer. Whether this is full time or only a passing requirement of your photographic practices, it is important that you are familiar with a studio space and the equipment it contains.
The Photographer's Studio
Do I Need a Studio?
Hiring a Studio
How Big A Studio Do I need?
Working From Home
The Perils
The Joys
The Wedding & Portrait Studio
In Your Studio
The Question of Daylight
Ceiling Height
Poly Boards
Must Haves
Bus & Train Routes
Hiring Out Your Precious Studio
Start Small
Where to Begin
How To Construct A Professional Portfolio
Constructing a portfolio is one of the most important tasks a photographer carries out. This is ever changing and must develop as your photography develops. George explains the process and how to put your best foot forward in all circumstances.
Where To Begin
Selecting a Speciality Area
The photographer's assistant
Career Path Suggestions
Fashion & Beauty
Weddings & Family
Glamour & Boudoir
Landscapes, Travel & Resort
Product & Still Life
Architecture & Interiors
Art Photography
Industrial & Corporate
Real Estate and Drones
The Professional Portfolio
Look at the Work of Other Photographers
Look at Stylist's Portfolios for Ideas
How to Find the Right People to Schmooze
Talk to Photo Agents
Be Ruthless - Do Not Dilute Your Portfolio
Is One Folio Enough?
Get Other Opinions
Think About Your Presentation
This is Where to Spend Money Wisely
Some Ideas on Marketing Tools
A New Portfolio Approach
Advantages of a Tablet Style Portfolio
Disadvantages of a Tablet Style Portfolio
Photo Agents - Picture Agencies. How To Get Work & Keep It
As a professional or advanced amateur creating a style to call your own can help set you apart from the masses. Be an individual, work smart as well as hard and photography will be a lifelong passion as well as a rewarding career if you so choose.
The Photographer's Agent
The Role of the Agent
The Photographer/Agent Relationship
How to Find a Photo Agent
Avoid Mixed Agencies if You Can
Be Prepared for Your Interview… You Only Get One Chance
Fees & Charges
Agency Politics
Don't Argue!
Photo Libraries & Picture Agencies in a Nutshell
The Copyright Issue
How to Submit Images
Be Organised
Do Your Homework
Write Down Names in the Lift
Sell Yourself!
Going It Alone
Befriend the Art Buyer
A Final Word
Serina Flaherty
8 days ago
Gteat courses and very helpful people...
I am loving this course but finding the modules a bit overwhelming at times. Though when I have asked for...
Courtney Fitzgerald
24 days ago
Best decision
The best decision I made was signing up to the photography course. It has been a great experience and I've...
Libby Davis
24 days ago
A detailed dive into the theory & practice of digital photography.
The PI course is detailed, challenging & in depth. It will take you to places in your photography that you...
Jamie Simmons
28 days ago
Half way through the diploma...
Half way through the diploma of photography and digital imagery and what I have learnt so far has made me...
Neil Thorley
31 days ago
The course assignments are challenging…
The course assignments are challenging The tutors give effective and constructive feedback which leads to the student discovering more information...
Dominique Touron
33 days ago
Great course and very helpful tutor..
Great course and very helpful tutor... COVID-19 has made it a little difficult due to being in lockdown but I...
Glenda Pearson
38 days ago
The quality and detail of the lessons…
The quality and detail of the lessons is excellent. Discussion of various topics is in depth. I have done a...
Tony Ahern
39 days ago
I have found both the content of the…
I have found both the content of the course to date (after completing the first six modules) excellent as is...
40 days ago
I found the course to be very helpfully…
I found the course to be very helpfully in gaining better photography
Brian Peter Groughan
40 days ago
I have been very happy with the way the…
I have been very happy with the way the course has been layed out in a very easy to follow...
Madeleine Sage
51 days ago
Have learnt so much from this course so…
Have learnt so much from this course so far. The course covers theory and practical, hands on learning. Having a...
Rangana Liyanage
53 days ago
The best you possibly get
The course is designed in such a way that it allows you to complete it at your own pace. The...
Alana Michelle Reid
59 days ago
Exciting & informative course
Exciting & informative course. Lots of theory mixed with opportunity to put lessons into practice. Knowledgeable and dedicated tutors.
Robert Milan
62 days ago
pushing the boundaries of creativity, skill and technique
The course has pushed my creativity. The course has allowed me to go out of my comfort zone. I have...
65 days ago
Very helpful for beginners like me
Very helpful for beginners like me


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Now that federal dollars to help states pay for children's health care appear safe at least into November, Illinois officials will continue to lobby Congress and the Bush administration to expand the program, the state's Medicaid director said Wednesday.
Now that federal dollars to help states pay for children's health care appear safe at least into November, Illinois officials will continue to lobby Congress and the Bush administration to expand the program, the state's Medicaid director said Wednesday.
Federal authorization for the State Children's Health Insurance Program is set to expire Sunday, the last day of the federal fiscal year. However, the SCHIP funds were included at their current level in legislation the U.S. House passed Wednesday to keep government operating through Nov. 16. The Senate and President Bush are expected to approve the stopgap spending bill before Monday.
While Congress and the administration wrangle over the issue for the next seven weeks, "we're trying to do our best to get out there and help the feds understand" Illinois' situation, said Theresa Eagleson, administrator of the Division of Medical Programs for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
More than 300,000 low-income Illinoisans' health-care needs are covered by SCHIP money funneled through the state's All Kids and Family Care programs.
SCHIP provides funding for children of families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, the federal-state program that covers medical bills for poor people, but not enough to purchase health insurance.
At present, Eagleson said, SCHIP covers children from families who earn 133 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $40,000 for a family of four. The federal allocation to Illinois for the current federal fiscal year totals about $446 million. It covers about 170,000 children and, under a federal waiver, about 135,000 parents.
She stressed that Illinois' All Kids and Family Care programs will continue no matter what the federal government does with SCHIP. Any loss of federal money would only place more of a burden on state government, she said.
The House passed a bill Tuesday evening to expand the SCHIP program by $35 billion over the next five years, but the margin wasn't high enough to override a promised veto by Bush. The president has expressed concerns over its cost, but also has said it essentially would be a first step toward nationalized health care by extending coverage to more adults. He has proposed a $5 billion increase.
Among changes Illinois officials hope to see in the final version is a revision in how federal dollars are allocated to states, Eagleson said. At present, Illinois loses potential money because the state already provides funding for uninsured children, she said. Instead of basing federal awards on how many uninsured children a state has, the proposal the House passed would allocate federal money according to how much a state spends on health care for uninsured children, Eagleson said.
It also would allow states to claim matching federal funds for uninsured families with higher income levels, she said. The federal government provides 65 cents for each dollar the state spends under the SCHIP program.
Eagleson said she believes Bush administration officials are balking at the legislation in order to place more of a burden for the cost of children's health care on the states.
"It seems like that's the objective right now, is to make it very difficult for states to get the match that they can for health-care programs," she said.
Dana Heupel can be reached at (217) 788-1518 or email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Prayer and Worship
- Beliefs and Teachings
- Issues and Action
- Media
- Bible
- Catholic Giving
- About USCCB
Partial-birth abortion (PBA) is the term Congress has used to describe a procedure that crosses the line from abortion to infanticide. The doctor delivers a substantial portion of the living child outside his mother's body --- the entire head in a head-first delivery or the trunk past the navel in a feet-first delivery --- then kills the child by crushing his skull or removing his brain by suction.
Some abortion doctors use PBA in the middle and last months of pregnancy, when dismembering a child becomes more difficult due to the child's stronger bones and ligaments. After the mother undergoes two to three days of cervical dilation (increasing her risk of infection and subsequent preterm births), the doctor in minutes can partially deliver the child "intact" before killing him or her and completing delivery. In the more commonly used dismemberment method, the mother's cervix is dilated manually only enough to remove the child's severed body parts; dismemberment and removal takes the doctor longer to complete.
In Carhart I the Supreme Court treated PBA as just another method of abortion, largely ignoring the fact the the child is almost completely delivered when he or she is killed. Yet even when the Court struck down Texas's abortion statute in Roe, it had left standing a provision of Texas law that prohibited killing a child in the process of being delivered.
Such laws exist in most states but they generally have two deficiencies. First, they apply only after "viability" --- when the child if delivered could survive indefinitely outside the womb --- and PBA is used to kill mostly-delivered children before this stage. Second, as required by Roe and Casey, even laws restricting abortion after viability allow abortion when it is deemed necessary to preserve the mother's "health" and "heath" was defined in Roe's companion case Doe v. Bolton to include "all factors" --- emotional, familial, age, and so on --- related to "well-being." This "heath" loophole allows abortions to be performed on request during all nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason.
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D(redirected from diopter)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
D.E NOVO. Anew. afresh. When a judgment upon an issue in part is reversed on error, for some mistake made by the court, in the course of the trial, a venire de novo is awarded in order that the case may again be submitted to the jury.


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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
Show All Answers
*Please note that service fees apply. Make a payment
On-street parking is not allowed in the Village. If you need to park your vehicle on the street overnight or for an extended period of time, please contact our Police Department at 414-206-3916.
*Please note that the collection schedule may vary due to holidays. Garbage and Recycling Calendar
Police Department Non-Emergency: (414) 206-3916
Fire Department Non-Emergency: (414) 351-8904
Village Hall: (414) 206-3915
Public Works: (414) 206-3912
Administrative Services: (414) 206-3913
Special pick-up of bulk items can be scheduled for every Thursday, May through October. January through April special pickups are scheduled on the first and third Thursday of the month. The base fee is $75.
The Bayside Police Department will perform checks or inspections of your home if you are away for an extended period of time. Schedule a vacation check by calling 414-206-3916 or .
On-street parking is not allowed in the Village. However, if you are hosting a party or event at your home, please advise your guests to park on the same side of the street as your home and inform the Police Department by calling 414-206-3916. No parking signs can be put up for a fee of $25. The signs will be placed on the opposite side of the street from your home.


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Metropolitan Hilarion meets with faculty and students of the Russian Orthodox Theological Seminary in Paris
On 18 February 2012, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations (DECR), visited the Russian Orthodox Theological Seminary in Paris.
He was met by the chancellor, Bishop Nestor of Korsun; by hieromonk Alexander (Siniakov), rector of the seminary; faculty and students. The choir of seminarians sang while Metropolitan Hilarion venerated the relics at the Church of St. Geneviève.
Metropolitan Hilarion met with the faculty and students at the assembly hall. Attending the meeting were also archpriest Nikolai Chernokrak, rector of the St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris; Prof. archpriest Nikolai Ozolin, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France and of public circles, and journalists.
Source: mospat.ru


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Web: http://clubs.arizona.edu/~stfelix
Weekly Meeting/Fighter Practice: Thursday from 6:30pm til roughly 10:00 during the (UofA) School year. No meetings during the summer break.
Barony of Tir Ysgithr | Barony March of Mons Tonitrus | Shire of Burning Sands | College of St. Felix | Shire of Granholme
Contact the Atenveldt Web Ministry at
Copyright © 2002-2011 Kingdom of Atenveldt.
The original
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The ChemRes PLUS online tool from GF Piping Systems gathers extensive data about materials and media and visualizes them. Select between all materials and cements from the GF Piping Systems product range and compare to get a comprehensive overview.
Chemical Resistance
Thanks to decades of experience, our specialist teams are highly knowledgeable about the chemical resistance of materials. The online tool ChemRes PLUS provides you with key basic data.
Chemical Resistance
Plastic pipes are used not only for drinking water, water for general use and wastewater, but also for transporting chemically aggressive liquids and gases. Therefore, questions regarding the chemical resistance of piping materials to media are as important as the mechanical parameters for the installation of the piping system. Today expensive pipe designs, such as lined metal, ceramic or glass fiber reinforced pipes can be replaced by plastic systems in many cases.
GF Piping Systems attempts to present resistance statements in order to identify the best suitable material for your application. The recommendations given in the ChemRes PLUS database are not only based upon the long and extensive applicational experience of GF but origin as well from tests in GF-own laboratories. The data are subject to frequent updating and addition.
ChemRes PLUS is an easy way to obtain information on the chemical resistance of materials used in products from GF Piping Systems. It's very straightforward to use:
- Select the medium to be transported
- Select the pressure/temperature point corresponding to your application
- ChemRes PLUS shows you the suitable materials in a clear table
Individual support for your specific project
Our experts offer individual support and advice in selecting materials for your plastic system solution. On request, a dedicated team will provide consulting and assist in selecting the best material for special applications.


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Department of Evolutionary Genetics
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
phone: +49 341 3550 - 500
e-mail: mittag@[>>> Please remove the brackets! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Mark Stoneking
date of birth: August 1, 1956
Educational History
|University of Oregon
|The Pennsylvania State University
|University of Wisconsin, Madison
|University of California, Berkeley
Professional History
|Group Leader, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and Honorary Professor of Biological Anthropology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
|Professor of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
|Visiting Professor, Zoology Institute, University of Munich
|Associate Professor of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
| Assistant Professor, Dept. of Anthropology, Graduate Program in Genetics,
and Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics, Pennsylvania State University
| Associate Research Scientist, Dept. of Human Genetics,
Cetus Corporation, Emeryville, California
|Staff Scientist, Human Genome Center,
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley
|Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Biochemistry,
University of California, Berkeley
Fellowships, Prizes and Awards
National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, 1977-1978, 1979-1981
Pennsylvania State University Graduate Fellowship, 1978-1979
Ernest Brown Babcock Scholarship, University of California, Berkeley, 1985-1986
John Belling Prize in Genetics, University of California, Berkeley, 1990
University of Oregon Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, 1990
Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship, 1995
FBI Award for Service to the Forensic DNA Community, 1998
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2000
Visiting Professor, CNRS Laboratory for Biometry and Evolutionary Biology, Lyon, France, February 2016
Eugène Dubois Chair, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands, 2016
Elected to the National Academy of Sciences USA, 2020
Eastern Indonesia, January-February 1988
Solomon Islands, August-September 2004
Mindanao, Philippines, August 2005
Zambia, August-September 2007
Namibia, May-June 2011
Botswana and Namibia, July-August 2015 (returning genetic results to participating communities)
Professional Activities
Associate Editor: Journal of Human Evolution, 1990-1993; Human Biology, 1993-1997; BioEssays, 2004-2013; Anthropological Science, 2004-2013; Evolutionary Biology, 2007-present; BMC Genetics, 2008-2015; Gene, 2009-2010; Investigative Genetics, 2009-2016; EMBO Reports, 2010-present; Language Dynamics and Change, 2010-present.
Senior Editor, Annals of Human Genetics, 2008-2013.
Technical Working Group, DNA Analysis Methods, FBI, 1993-1998
Defense Science Board Task Force on DNA Technology for Identification of Ancient Remains, 1994-1995
Wellcome Trust Bioarchaeology Panel, 2001-2005
Steering Committee for National Energy Research Council (NERC) Program on Environmental Factors and the Chronology of Human Evolution and Dispersal (EFCHED), 2001-2006
Review Panel, Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, 2007-2008
Advisory Committee, The Role of Culture in Early Expansions of Humans, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences, 2008-present
Advisory Board, US National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, 2011-2014
Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee of the Program on Forensics and Ethnicity, Philippine Genome Center, 2011-present
Review Panel, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, 2013-2014
Scientific Advisory Board, IDEXLYON Program, 2017-present


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Aaron Hernandez pleads not guilty to murder indictment
- Hernandez formally pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and five accompanying weapons charges
- Defense attorney maintains that investigators lack the evidence to convict the former Patriots tight end
- Bail hearing is set for Oct. 9%2C but bail is unlikely with other Hernandez shooting investigations still pending
FALL RIVER, Mass. — Six times on Friday a Superior Court clerk read a charge against Aaron Hernandez and asked for his plea, and six times the former New England Patriots tight end answered in a clear voice:
"Not guilty."
Hernandez is charged with first-degree murder in the June 17 killing of his friend Odin Lloyd, 27, a former semi-pro football player, and also faces five accompanying weapons charges.
Hernandez, wearing a navy blue suit jacket and white button-down shirt without a tie, was arraigned in a hearing that lasted a little more than 10 minutes in Bristol Superior Court.
Hernandez's lawyers will ask for bail at an Oct. 9 hearing. Until then, he will remain held at a Bristol County correctional facility, where he has been since he was arrested at his North Attleborough, Mass., home on June 26. If convicted, Hernandez, who was released by the Patriots within hours of his arrest, faces a possible sentence of life in prison.
Hernandez's attorneys will attack the circumstantial evidence against their client at the bail hearing next month, but bail is unlikely with other shooting investigations — with possible links to Hernandez — pending.
His attorneys asked the public not to jump to conclusions. The information and evidence that has been released on this case has all been one-sided and untested, they said.
Hernandez attorney Charles Rankin said investigators lack the evidence to convict Hernandez.
"In a sense this is like the opening kick-off and we have a long way to go before the trial," Rankin said. "We're confident that at the end of the trial, Aaron will be exonerated.
"As we explained in (pleadings) before Judge (Frances) McIntyre we are not going to try the case in the media and we would encourage everyone to keep an open mind. Not one shred of evidence has been presented yet and we feel confident that when evidence is finally presented in a court of law that Aaron will be exonerated.
"Unnamed sources quoted in the media are not authoritative. They can't be questioned, they can't be cross-examined, they're not reliable. So, at the end of the day, we're confident that Aaron is going to be exonerated and we look forward to that process. In the meantime we would encourage people to keep an open mind, let the lawyers and the justice system do its job and we'll see you in another month."
Rankin did not take questions from reporters.
Bristol County district attorney Sam Sutter expressed confidence in the prosecution's evidence.
"Everybody here heard two bail arguments on successive days on June 26 and June 27," Sutter said. "Over 500 pages of documents have been released to the press and the public. Those include applications for search warrants, returns on search warrants, still photographs from video surveillance, Trooper (Eric) Benson's comprehensive arrest warrant report. So I think that evidence speaks for itself."
Asked specifically what the evidence reveals, Sutter replied: "That I think would be giving you my opinion about the evidence and that specifically I cannot do. There has been a tremendous amount of commentary about the evidence and, as I said, there's a tremendous amount of evidence. So I'll stand on what I said."
Sutter said prosecutors would "absolutely" oppose bail for Hernandez.
Michael Grieco, a defense attorney who has handled celebrity cases, believes it's not crazy to think Hernandez could get bail, though he shouldn't bank on it.
"The evidence against him (is) somewhat strong, albeit circumstantial," Grieco said. "I don't see a judge deeming him a risk to the community, if he grants house arrest with a GPS, nor do I consider the former Patriot a flight risk, regardless of wealth, if he is forced to surrender travel documents.
"I have seen bonds granted in similar circumstances and denied when the government has less. The wild card is the media scrutiny, which does not favor the defendant's release."
Several members of Lloyd's family, including his mother and his girlfriend, attended the hearing. Most were wearing purple shirts and buttons bearing Lloyd's photo. Just a few feet across the courtroom aisle were several of Hernandez's supporters, including his mother and fiancé, Shayanna Jenkins, along with two people wearing Hernandez's football jerseys.
Several people who appeared to be supporters of Hernandez gathered outside the court building, including one woman with a homemade jersey that read "Team Aaron 81."
Lloyd's body was found June 17 with five gunshot wounds in an industrial park about a mile from Hernandez's home. Prosecutors say Hernandez, Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace were in the car with Lloyd when he was shot, and that Hernandez orchestrated the killing of his friend because Lloyd, who had been dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancé, had been talking to people Hernandez did not like.
According to affidavits, Ortiz said Wallace told him Hernandez fired the shots. Hernandez's home was searched June 18. Wallace, 41, is under indictment as an accessory after the fact in Lloyd's killing and has being held in lieu of $500,000 cash bail. Ortiz, 27, has been charged with illegal possession of a firearm, and, until now, has agreed to be held without a bail hearing.
According to affidavits, Ortiz has told investigators that Hernandez and Lloyd had an argument in the car in the early-morning hours of June 17, and when the car stopped the other three men got out to urinate. Ortiz said he heard shots but couldn't see who fired. He said the next day Wallace told him Hernandez was the shooter.
Last month, prosecutors divulged that police were probing Hernandez's possible ties to a 2012 double homicide in Boston in which two men were shot and killed in a drive-by and a February shooting in Florida in which one of Hernandez's friends said Hernandez shot him in the face and blinded him in one eye.
That friend, Alexander Bradley, has filed a lawsuit that says Hernandez shot him as they argued in a car and then dumped him in an alley to die. This week, Hernandez was granted a stay in that case until criminal charges against him in Massachusetts — and any other possible jurisdiction — have been settled.
The issue of preserving the evidence from the out-of-state jurisdictions for potential use in first-degree murder case was addressed during the arraignment.
"I wasn't surprised, and neither was the judge surprised," Sutter said. "The issue was to what extent can we mandate that Connecticut or Florida or some other agency outside Massachusetts preserve evidence. And I think essentially what the judge said was, I understand, she said she understands, that we can't mandate it, but that we're expected to do everything we can to make sure that it's done and that's exactly what we're going to do.
"Precisely what is being held in Connecticut and what is being held in Florida, that's available to the public to some extent. We certainly will be in touch with authorities there forthwith to tell them don't disturb anything, preserve everything."
Sutter would not address whether the murder weapon, believed to be a .45-caliber handgun, has been found.
"I'm not going to comment on that at this time," Sutter said. "That would be commenting on the evidence. So that I'm not going to do. But the investigation continues, as you can see, and continues rapidly."
Sutter said the decision not to seek bail was made "within a couple of hours before" Friday afternoon's arraignment. Prosecutors, though, were ready to argue against it. When asked if he would oppose bail at any point in the process, Sutter replied: "Absolutely. Yes, we want to see Mr. Hernandez held without bail, without any doubt."
Asked why he thought Hernandez's attorney did not ask for bail Friday, Sutter said, "You'd have to ask them."
Sutter said he has been impressed with Lloyd's family throughout the ordeal.
"I think they're doing remarkably well considering just about 70 days ago they lost somebody who was obviously beloved," Sutter said. "I think that their show of support for him, the way that they come to every hearing, and the manner in which they conduct themselves, I've been extremely impressed, as impressed as I have almost ever been by a victim's family."
Sutter said he is hopeful the case will go to trial quickly, but cautioned that the entire process could take two years or more.
"The process hasn't been going on very long right now," he said. "It's only been a little over two months. I think (the Lloyd family is) very anxious for this to go to trial. I hope they understand sometimes in Massachusetts it can take as long as two years, sometimes even beyond that if there's a pretrial motion, which is appeal, goes up to the Supreme Judicial Court. It can get beyond two years. But I think that we on the prosecution's side are hoping for an early trial. We'd like to see this case tried within one year. Ideally, the defense would like to see the same thing. I'm not sure."
If Hernandez is convicted of first-degree murder, his case would automatically be reviewed by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Sutter was asked about a recent story in Rolling Stone magazine that suggested he was overreaching with first-degree murder charges.
"Obviously we don't (agree) or we wouldn't have charged him with murder one and we wouldn't have asked the grand jury to vote on that indictment," Sutter said. "The fact of the matter is, though, as you know, in Massachusetts when somebody's charged with murder one, what's included in that is secondary murder, manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, even assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery.
"So they're all these lesser included offenses. But I disagree with that characterization when I saw that. It didn't really say that. It just said I was opening myself up to that criticism. I think there was a veteran defense attorney who said that. That will obviously, that remains to be seen. The final verdict on that will be when the jury speaks at the conclusion of the trial."
Friday's hearing comes two days before the Patriots will open their season against the Bills in Buffalo. The Patriots released Hernandez within 90 minutes of his arrest. He had signed a $40 million contract in 2012, and the team is trying to withhold some of the bonus money.
The judge addressed two other issues, continuing a gag order for everyone involved in the case and ordering all investigative agencies to preserve all evidence and notes pertaining to the case.


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Dave Winfield only spent one season with the Blue Jays, but his role in helping Toronto win the 1992 World Series made him a legend in the eyes of Hogtownians. That wasn't always the case, though. After a 1983 incident in which Winfield killed a seagull during warmup tosses—an incident that earned him animal-cruelty charges—Blue Jays fans taunted him for years with chants of "Bird Killer!"
All of which makes his appearance in this television spot for Toronto tourism even stranger. We can't place the exact year this commercial was made—it looks like 1985, but it could be anywhere between 1984 and 1988—but it's part of what turned out to be an ill-fated attempt by the city to create a tourism campaign in the vein of "I ♥ NY."
The campaign itself was controversial from the start. City leaders from the nearby suburbs objected to its singular focus on Toronto, while the October 20, 1984 Globe And Mail features the following quotation:
Mothers certainly won't want Discover The Feeling plastered all over the fronts of their teen-aged girls' T shirts.
The campaign ended in 1989 when Toronto chose a new slogan: "Couldn't You Use A Little Toronto?" None of this helps us answer why the city included one of its villains in the ad campaign, though our best guess would be that Winfield offered to be a part as an attempt to repair his relationship with the city. We've contacted Winfield's people to see if he can give us some more information on how this came to be.


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Database security is one of the vital parts of a network administrator's job, and one of the most difficult. Tracking activity on a database that can grow to thousands of requests a second made by hundreds of users can be daunting. Reading often cryptic database log files can be time-consuming, to say the least. And the database programs do little to help anyone trying to catch suspicious activity as it happens. Combined, those factors can turn a hard job into a well-nigh impossible one.
Hedgehog Enterprise Version 2.2 by Sentrigo can help lighten the load. Hedgehog can monitor activity involving SQL requests of all of your databases, instantly block anything that is explicitly proscribed, and isolate and report on activity that looks suspicious. It can also give you an overview of who is using which databases, allowing an administrator to optimize a network's data flow.
Administrators can set up the central software on any computer running a Windows, Sun Solaris or Linux operating system. In addition, they must install a sensor program on each database server that runs Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server. The sensor runs in a dedicated operating system and monitors all traffic to and from its assigned database server, which can have any number of databases running. This method can significantly improve database performance, although it does make setup more time-consuming because you must install the sensor software on each database server.
After you install all the software and licensing information and the central administration software detects the sensors, things go rather smoothly. The Web-based administration interface is well laid out. The first tab, Alerts, shows you unresolved alerts, color-coded by severity level. Each entry on the table shows an affected database, date and time, the actual SQL request used, and possible actions you can take. Your options include terminating the session, resolving the alert and creating a new rule based on the alert.
The dashboard gives you an overall look at databases covered by Hedgehog. It shows the percentage of unresolved alert severity levels, number of alerts by time, sensor status and quarantine status, and available updates. The placement of those items, which are the ones you'll need most urgently, is convenient and easy to understand.
The backbone of Hedgehog is its collection of rules that govern how it reacts to intrusive activity. A rule can pertain to a specific database, a database object such as a table or field, specific commands in a SQL statement, or an individual source IP address or range of addresses, to name a few. It will even recognize string patterns, such as credit card numbers or wild card characters.
Hedgehog's sensor compares all incoming activity with the rules for that database and, if there is a match, performs the prescribed action. Sentrigo provides a set of predefined vPatch rules that provide a good level of general protection. You tailor more specific Custom Rules to your database's situation. For instance, if one of your databases contains payroll or other confidential information, you can set up rules to ensure that only certain computers can access it.
We were impressed by the ability to import a rules set that conforms to one or more established international standards, such as Sarbanes-Oxley, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, the Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 (SAS-70), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. With these rules in place, compliance becomes that much less of a hassle.
The reports available are varied and flexible, covering nearly any aspect of database traffic in practically any format. We found the Dynamic Reports to be a valuable feature. With it, we could set how a report is filtered, which fields are included and sorted on, and even when it should be scheduled to run. It will even e-mail a report once it has run, provided you set up an outgoing e-mail account.
Hedgehog's performance in the field was impressive. With the basic rules set in play, the system dealt with all suspicious activity that we instigated, such as anything that resembled a SQL injection attack. At the least, it generated an alert, and sometimes our session was cut, depending on which rule we had violated.
Sentrigo sets the pricing of Hedgehog Enterprise 2.2 on a per-processor core basis, meaning it charges for every core of every processor on each database server on which you will be installing a sensor — a dual-core processor would cost twice as much as a single-core, for instance. That's a typical pricing model for database server applications, so it makes sense that this database security software would be priced the same way. The pricing starts at $2,400 per core, but there are volume discounts available. The price includes all of the downloadable content, such as compliance modules. We found this price to be good considering how much time and effort it can save.
For the already overtaxed network administrator who also has to keep an eye on the busy traffic of several large databases, this software is just the ticket.
Sentrigo, 650-212-2979, www.sentrigo.com
About the Author
Greg Crowe is a former GCN staff writer who covered mobile technology.
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Colorado Grandma
Grandmother to 3 teenaged girls and 5 young boys. (we all drink tea!) I began teatime in the Summer over 30 years ago when my children were little. We took a break from play for tea and snacks every day. My children loved tea time.
There are several tea houses close to my home and a Tea Festival in Boulder. Fort Collins is a bit of a foodie town. We brew lots of Beer (Fat Tire is one brand) and have several Spice Shops (Savory was one featured on Food Network).
Colorado State University is a mile from my home and the Rocky Mountains begin to climb at the end of my street. The climate is semi-arid with LOTS OF SUN AT 5000 feet. (Heavy Winter snows start in higher elevations). Living my whole life in Northern California (Silicon Valley) I have to admit that I LOVE IT HERE!!!
I attend a wonderful Greek Orthodox Church and enjoy cooking ethnic foods (all kinds). I am disabled with Migraines and Fibromyalgia.
My family is Bi-racial (African-American, Scots) and Bi-cultural, (Peru, Cyprus, France, Mexico, Native American)
I've worked at a Winery, was a System Analyst, in telecom, been an Athlete and Coach, Artist, Vista Volunteer. Love healthy cooking (and delicious food!). Love to travel and have been to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Malta, Peru, Croatia, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska
Fort Collins,Colorado


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When ready, medication may be given through your IV to make you sleepy and relaxed. Also, to make this examination more comfortable, your healthcare provider may spray a numbing medication into the back of your throat or you may gargle with it. This may taste slightly bitter and will make your mouth and throat numb for approximately 30 minutes. Then you will be positioned on your left side.
A small plastic mouthpiece, or guard, will be put into your mouth to protect your teeth when the tube is slowly placed into your esophagus, or food-pipe, and to keep you from accidentally biting the tube.
In order to help relax the muscles in the back of your throat and help open the passageway, you will need to take slow, deep breaths. You will then be instructed to put your chin to your chest and open your mouth. As the doctor begins to push the tube in, you will be asked to swallow. Swallowing makes the tube go down more easily.
During this procedure your doctor will use an endoscope. The endoscope is a long, soft, bendable tube. This instrument acts as a camera and allows your doctor to view the inside of your digestive system on a video screen. It can also take pictures and videotape the procedure.
Once the endoscope is inside, your doctor will examine your esophagus, stomach, and the first part of the small intestine. To better see this area, these structures may be filled with a small quantity of air through the endoscope. While this air may cause you to feel full it should not be painful.
Depending on what is found during the endoscopy, your doctor may perform several procedures through the endoscope. A photograph, biopsy, or cytology may be taken. A biopsy involves taking a small sample of tissue. And cytology is a brushing of cells.
Other procedures that may be performed include stretching narrowed areas of the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum, removing polyps and swallowed objects, or treating bleeding vessels and ulcers.
If your doctor finds a narrowed area, it may be possible to dilate, or widen, this narrowed section, or stricture, with a dilator. Your doctor has two options for doing this. The first is balloon dilation. During this procedure your doctor inserts a special balloon-tipped catheter through the endoscope and guides it to the narrowed area. Once the balloon catheter is correctly placed it is often inflated and deflated several times to increase the size of the narrowed area. The balloon catheter is then removed.
The second option is to use plastic tube dilators. In this method a guide-wire is passed through the endoscope into the narrowed area. Then progressively larger dilators are passed over the guide-wire to dilate the narrowed area. Both of these methods have the same effect.
When the examination is finished, the doctor will slowly pull the endoscope out through your mouth. The upper endoscopy procedure usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes.


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New Visa Information System goes live - guide11 October 2011
by eub2 -- last modified 13 October 2011
The Visa Information System (VIS) started operations as from 08:00 CET today. Visa applications will now be processed much faster thanks to the use of biometrics (fingerprints and a digital facial image) which will facilitate the identification of visa holders and help to avoid identity theft. This new system will allow for a quick and effective exchange of data on short-stay visas among Schengen countries. The VIS will also reinforce the integrity of the system and strengthen trust among its member states. The first consular posts to be connected to the system are those in North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia).
What is the Visa Information System?
The Visa Information System (VIS) is a system for the exchange of data on short-stay visas among Schengen States.
The VIS consists of a central database, a national interface in each Schengen state, and a communication infrastructure between the central database and the national interfaces. The VIS is connected to the national visa systems of all Schengen States via the national interfaces to enable competent authorities of the Schengen States to process data on visa applications and on all visas that are issued, refused, annulled, revoked or extended.
The VIS is composed of two systems, first the VIS central database with alphanumerical searching capabilities and an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) that compares new fingerprints against those in the database and returns hit/no hit response, along with matches.
The principal central VIS is located in Strasbourg (France) and a back-up central VIS, capable of ensuring all functionalities of the principal central VIS is located in Sankt Johann im Pongau (Austria).
The VIS continuously processes the information collected by Schengen states' consulates. For example, any information entered by local visa authorities will be available in the VIS for all users within a few minutes. Border authorities can then verify visa holders' identities at the border crossing points in just a few seconds. The VIS operates 24/7, 365 days a year.
The Commission was in charge of the development of the central database, the national interfaces and the communication infrastructure between the central VIS and the national interfaces. Their development was funded by the EU budget (the cost amounted to €135 million between 2004 and 2011). Each Schengen state is responsible for the development, management, and operation of its national system.
The Agency for the management of large-scale IT systems in the area of justice, freedom and security will be the Managing Authority of the VIS. Until the Agency becomes operational, the Managing Authority will be the Commission and the French authorities, in line with the relevant legal base.
Where will the VIS start operations?
The VIS will not start operations in all Schengen consulates worldwide at once, but will be progressively deployed, region by region. In November 2009, the Commission adopted a Decision (2010/49/EC) determining the first regions for the VIS consular rollout. The VIS will first start operations in all Schengen states' visa-issuing consulates in North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia). The VIS will subsequently be deployed in the Near East (Israel, Jordan, the Lebanon, and Syria), and then in the Gulf region (Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen).
By the end of 2011, the Commission will adopt a Decision determining a second set of regions for the VIS consular rollout.
When will the VIS start operations?
The date of 11.10.2011 for the VIS start of operations in North Africa was set by the Commission after all Schengen states (having visa-issuing consulates in North Africa) informed the Commission that they had taken the necessary legal and technical arrangements for collecting and transmitting the data for all applications in the region to the VIS.
The same procedure will apply in determining the dates for the start of operations in all regions.
The dates for the start of operations in the Near East and the Gulf region have not yet been set. The determination of these dates will depend on national preparations in both regions as well as on the experience of how the VIS rollout works in North Africa.
In the Near East and the Gulf region a Schengen state may decide to start operations ahead of the general rollout with or without collecting the fingerprints of visa applicants, on the condition that it notifies the Commission that it has made the necessary legal and technical arrangements.
Have the political events of the 'Arab Spring' 2011 been taken into consideration when deciding on the VIS deployment plan?
No, the political decision to start VIS operations in North Africa and then in the Near East region was taken by the Council in 2005, and later reaffirmed in November 2009 (2010/49/EC), well before the events of the 'Arab Spring'.
Which data are registered in the VIS?
In each region where the VIS will be progressively deployed, Schengen states' visa authorities will register data relating to short-stay visa applications (i.e applications for stays in the Schengen area up to three months) in the VIS. Data on national long-stay visas will not be registered in the VIS.
Upon receipt of an application, the visa authorities of the competent Schengen state will create an application file in the VIS and will register the alphanumeric data contained in the Schengen visa application form (1), a digital photograph, and ten fingerprints taken of the applicant.
If the applicant is travelling in a group, the application files of the travellers will be linked in the VIS. If a previous application has been registered for the same applicant, both applications will also be linked in the VIS.
For each region, the Commission will determine the date from which the use of the VIS and the collection of fingerprints is mandatory for all Schengen visa-issuing consulates in the region concerned. Before that date, a Schengen state may decide to start operations ahead of the general rollout planned, with or without collecting the fingerprints of visa applicants. If a Schengen state decides not to collect fingerprints, the other data will be registered in the VIS.
When a decision has been taken on the application (issuance/ refusal of the visa) or subsequently (annulment, revocation, extension), the information is registered in the VIS by the visa authorities of the competent Schengen states. When the visa is issued and if all the applicant's data - including his/her fingerprints - was registered in the VIS, a 'VIS code' is inserted in the visa sticker. If the fingerprints were not collected because this was not yet mandatory in the region concerned, a 'VIS code 0' is inserted in the visa sticker. The purpose is to facilitate border controls until the moment the VIS is used in all regions worldwide and fingerprints are systematically collected.
What are the practical consequences of the introduction of the VIS for visa applicants?
First-time visa applicants will always have to appear in person when lodging an application in order to provide their photograph and fingerprints.
The photograph can be digitally taken at the time of the application or scanned from an existing one.
For subsequent applications within five years, fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS.
Visa applicants' biometric data can be collected by Schengen states' consulates and external service providers but not commercial intermediaries (e.g. travel agencies).
From 20 days after the VIS becomes operational in North Africa, Schengen states' border guards will systematically check the visa sticker number in the VIS and possibly the fingerprints of the visa holder as well. After a transitional period of three years, searches in the VIS will be carried out using the visa sticker number in combination with fingerprints, except under a limited set of circumstances (for instance due to the intensity of traffic).
When arriving at the external border of the Schengen area, visa holders will have to provide their fingerprints for comparison with those registered in the VIS, if requested by Schengen states' border control authorities.
Visa holders whose fingerprints were not collected at the time of application, either because they were exempt from this requirement or because the collection of fingerprints was not yet mandatory in the region concerned, will not be requested to provide fingerprints at the border.
Which applicants are exempt from the requirement to provide fingerprints?
The following categories of applicants are exempt from the requirement to provide fingerprints (Article 13(7) of the Visa Code):
Children under the age of twelve;
Persons for whom fingerprinting is physically impossible. If the fingerprinting of fewer than ten fingers is possible, the maximum number of fingerprints shall be taken. If the impossibility is temporary, the applicant shall be required to provide the fingerprints at the following application;
Heads of state or government and members of a national government with accompanying spouses, and the members of their official delegation when they are invited by Member States' governments or by international organisations for an official purpose;
Sovereigns and other senior members of a royal family, when they are invited by Member States' governments or by international organisations for an official purpose.
This list is mandatory and exhaustive. Holders of diplomatic passports are not exempt as such from the fingerprinting requirement. They may be exempt if they are members of the official delegation of heads of State or members of a national government invited for an official purpose.
What are the data protection rules with regard to VIS data?
Strict data protection rules are defined in the VIS Regulation and subject to the control of national and European data protection authorities.
Data is kept in the VIS for a maximum of five years starting from the expiry date of the visa, if a visa has been issued; or from the new expiry date of the visa, if a visa has been extended; or from the date a negative decision is taken by the visa authorities.
Any person has the right to obtain a copy of the data recorded in the VIS related to him/her from the Schengen State which entered the data into the system. Any person may also request that inaccurate data related to him/her be corrected and that data unlawfully recorded be deleted.
In each Schengen state, national supervisory authorities independently monitor the processing of personal data registered in the VIS by the Schengen State in question.
The European Data Protection Supervisor monitors the data processing activities by the VIS Management authority.
1 : including the applicant's name, his/her nationality, his/her place of residence, his/her occupation, the travel document's number, the type of visa requested, the main destination and the duration of the intended stay, the intended border of first entry, the details of the inviting person.
Source: European Commission


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Difference between revisions of "1242: Scary Names"
(Layout, non working links are removed. This still needs a further review, incomplete again, please discuss first on this issue before deleting this tag.)
(→Explanation: updated link)
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|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|z !}}N/A}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|z !}}N/A}}
|{{Hs|m !}}Literally Off-The-Chart
|{{Hs|m !}}Literally Off-The-Chart
|This scenario is also in the title text of [[683: Science Montage]]: "...We have a Helvetica scenario!". The scenario is a fictional experiment, presented in Switzerland (Helvetica), which assumes that removing only the nucleus (the center of an atom) of a calcium molecule in one's skin, but still leaving the electron shell at its position, would cause a massive reaction ending up in heavy mutations. The Helvetica scenario was made up by the BBC comedy show {{w|Look Around You}} in the pilot episode, which can be seen [
|This scenario is also in the title text of [[683: Science Montage]]: "...We have a Helvetica scenario!". The scenario is a fictional experiment, presented in Switzerland (Helvetica), which assumes that removing only the nucleus (the center of an atom) of a calcium molecule in one's skin, but still leaving the electron shell at its position, would cause a massive reaction ending up in heavy mutations. The Helvetica scenario was made up by the BBC comedy show {{w|Look Around You}} in the pilot episode, which can be seen [://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t=here (at :)]. The fact that the term {{w|Helvetica}} is more commonly known as referring to a very-commonly-used modern typeface makes the name sound like it should refer to a much less serious situation.
Revision as of 18:24, 24 March 2014
|Scary Names
Title text: Far off to the right of the chart is the Helvetica Scenario.
| This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Please don't remove this incomplete tag; there is no need to mark every comic as complete. This one does lack of some Wiki links, (Chernobyl) for instance, there is no shot to get this site 100% complete — but there is a shot to get an explain complete.
If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks.
The chart shows that things toward the right are scary, while things toward the top sound scary, without necessarily being scary.
This humorously explores the how things are often named colloquially and without regard to accuracy in correlating actual scariness with apparent scariness. It is interesting to note how people react to the items near the bottom right of the chart "scary things with not-very-scary names" when compared to how they may react to items in the upper left "not-very-scary things with scary names". Some of the entries on the chart are especially interesting examples considering that portions of the names that are associated with significant historical or cultural events and themes. IE: Chernobyl Packet, Demon Core.
The table below list the entries from least to most scary (including the entry mentioned in the title text). The assigned percentage values assumes a linear scale and assigns flesh eating bacteria with the point (100%, 100%). As there is no mention of the scale this is simply the easiest way to list the entries. As is clear from the title text there are things more scary than 100%!
|Apparent Scariness
|True Scariness
|Chernobyl Packet
|A network packet that induces a broadcast storm or network meltdown.
|Bomb Calorimeters
|A device for measuring heat of combustion of a reaction in a pressure vessel.
|Mustard Gas
|A chemical warfare agent which causes blisters and severe irritation on skin and lung tissue.
|Kessler Syndrome
|A hypothetical scenario where low Earth orbit objects collide, creating space debris which increases the risk of more collisions, leading to a cascade effect which could severely hinder space exploration and satellite technologies for many years.
|Soil Liquefaction
|A phenomenon where wet soil loses its strength and becomes temporarily liquid, capable of swallowing people and buildings, especially after earthquakes or torrential rains. Liquefaction can cause landslides; landslides can cause more liquefaction. Once the earthquake stops, the ground becomes solid again, trapping whatever was submerged.
|Grey Goo
|A hypothetical end-of-world scenario where self-replicating nanobots consume all matter.
|Bird Flu
|An illness caused by strains of influenza adapted for birds, which is generally very deadly in humans. Should the virus adapt for human to human transmission, a pandemic can quickly result. Since birds can travel great distances quickly, it is generally already widespread and difficult to contain.
|Demon Core
|A subcritical mass of plutonium that was involved in two separate fatal incidents at Los Alamos laboratory in 1945 and 1946. In both cases, the core was accidentally placed into a configuration where it went supercritical and exposed an experimenter to fatal doses of radiation. The second is more notable, where Louis Slotin held two halves of a beryllium neutron reflector apart with a flat head screwdriver which slipped, suddenly causing the contained plutonium core to become supercritical and delivering a fatal dose of radiation.
|Criticality Incident
|An uncontrolled nuclear reaction. This occurs when a system running at exact criticality experiences an increase of one dollar of criticality (a term devised by Louis Slotin, as seen above).
|Antibiotic resistant bacteria. The growing use of antibiotics has caused some bacteria to evolve to become resistant to the antibiotics. A superbug refers to a scenario where a bacteria evolves to become resistant to all antibiotics, for example, MRSA.
|Nuclear Football
|An aluminum Zero Halliburton briefcase which is used by the President of the United States to authorize nuclear attack. A military aide carrying the football is always near the president.
|Flesh-eating bacteria
|As the name suggests, bacteria that eats (or more accurately, releases toxins that destroy) your skin and muscle.
|Helvetica Scenario
(from the title text)
|Literally Off-The-Chart
|This scenario is also in the title text of 683: Science Montage: "...We have a Helvetica scenario!". The scenario is a fictional experiment, presented in Switzerland (Helvetica), which assumes that removing only the nucleus (the center of an atom) of a calcium molecule in one's skin, but still leaving the electron shell at its position, would cause a massive reaction ending up in heavy mutations. The Helvetica scenario was made up by the BBC comedy show Look Around You in the pilot episode, which can be seen here (at 5:53). The fact that the term Helvetica is more commonly known as referring to a very-commonly-used modern typeface makes the name sound like it should refer to a much less serious situation.
- [A scatterplot, with the y-axis labeled "scariness of name" and the x-axis labeled "scariness of thing name refers to.
- At the top-left is "chernobyl packet".
- Slightly right and downwards of that is "bomb calorimeter".
- Towards the middle-top is "kessler syndrome".
- Towards the middle-bottom is "soil liquefaction".
- Towards the center is "mustard gas".
- Along the bottom, two-thirds of the way to the right, is "grey goo".
- Slightly up and to the right from that is "criticality incident".
- About midway up from there is "bird flu".
- Further up, not quite at the top, is "demon core".
- Back towards the middle vertically, but slightly farther to the right, is "superbug".
- Almost all the way to the right but still near the middle vertically is "nuclear football".
- At the far top-right is "flesh-eating bacteria".]
add a comment! ⋅ add a topic (use sparingly)! ⋅ refresh comments!
- Zero Halliburton
What is "A Zero Halliburton briefcase"? 18.104.22.168 13:24, 24 July 2013 (UTC)
- Zero Halliburton is a luggage brand name, with a line of aluminum attache cases. Not connected to the big company Halliburton, associated with former US Vice President Cheney and the war in Iraq. Wrybred (talk) 13:57, 24 July 2013 (UTC)wrybred
- Military Aide/Secret Service Agent
Isn't the nuclear football carried by a military aide, not a Secret Service agent? 18.104.22.168 14:18, 24 July 2013 (UTC)
- Probably. I don't really know what I'm talking about. If you think you can improve on what I wrote, go for it! RouterIncident (talk) 14:24, 24 July 2013 (UTC)
- Early plans for nuclear war against the Soviets were codenamed "Dropkick". 188.8.131.52 16:23, 24 July 2013 (UTC)
- Helvetica Scenario
I think the "Helvetica Scenario" explanation is wrong, but I don't know enough about it to feel comfortable editing. Here's an article I found that makes more sense. http://enigmauniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Helvetica_Scenario (I didn't watch the Youtube clip since I'm at work, so maybe that's what the clip refers to. It should be explained in the article instead.) Trek7553 (talk) 14:45, 24 July 2013 (UTC)
- To the best of my knowledge, the page you linked to is a work of fiction on a role-playing wiki. The references to calcium imply that it is based off of the Look Around You segment, but with its own added elements for the sake of role-playing. RouterIncident (talk) 14:53, 24 July 2013 (UTC)
- That sounds much better now. RouterIncident (talk) 18:06, 25 July 2013 (UTC)
- I know what you mean but I like the statement "...the page you linked to is a work of fiction..." - the Helvetica Scenario is a work of fiction! But yes, that is a derivative work, the original source being Look Around You.
- Having just looked at the edits, Dgbrt is getting seriously confused. The Helvetica Scenario is not real, and is completely made up by the TV program Look Around You. Urban dictionary is entirely based on the original invention by L.A.Y. It is not a real thing!
- Arbitrary Scariness Formatting
I have a slight issue with the artificial percentage scale given for entries in the chart. First of all it assumes a linear chart that is measured in percentages. Secondly, it assumes Flesh-eating Bacteria is 100% scariest thing and scariest-sounding thing existant. Just because it's the highest on the chart doesn't make it "100%" (again, percentage seems like an arbitrary scale to assign) TheHYPO (talk) 16:22, 24 July 2013 (UTC)
- I disagree on your second point. The explanation expresses the scariness of something as a percentage of Flesh-eating Bacteria BECAUSE it is an arbitrary scale. It doesn't imply that the bacteria is the scariest possible thing. I think this is the best way; it's better than saying "Grey goo isn't as scary sounding, but is scarier than..." for all possible combinations of every item.
Also on your first point, it doesn't assume the chart is measured in percentages (although it does assume linearity). 126.96.36.199 12:30, 25 July 2013 (UTC)
- Initially I had written out "Not very scary", "Somewhat scary", "Fairly scary", etc. but it seemed simpler and much easier to read and sort to simply use arbitrary percentages. RouterIncident (talk) 14:55, 25 July 2013 (UTC)
- As there are no values or units listed, Randall's dots are fairly arbitrary, probably plotted relative to each other and to a roughly-equal apparent-to-actual-scariness line. So isn't it a little silly to argue about the listing of an arbitrary scale for these arbitrary values? 188.8.131.52 15:57, 25 July 2013 (UTC)
- The percentages are perfectly fine. They just need to be interpreted as what they are: percentages of scary, relative to flesh eating bacteria. Flesh eating bacteria = 1 unit of scary. In this situation 110% isn't just a metaphor. If the bacteria was the scariest thing nothing would be off the chart. db (talk) 06:11, 17 November 2013 (UTC)
Really I think the point of the comic is how superficial perception and reality fail to correlate. That's what is so notable about flesh eating bacteria. It lives up to it's name. A rare thing indeed. db (talk) 06:11, 17 November 2013 (UTC)
What is missing about the transcript? It describes the comic panel perfectly. there is no dialogue to include. could you please be more specific about what you feel is missing from the transcript? @dgbrt Mrarch (talk) 00:37, 3 December 2013 (UTC)
- A transcript should not contain a sentence like: "Items within the scatter plot are listed in the table above." --Dgbrt (talk) 11:02, 3 December 2013 (UTC)
- I think that the transcript should not contain anything except for the text in the comic. They should be used for searching, not for reconstructing comics completely in text form. --Bob 13:00, 3 April 2014
- What about kassler with mustard?
Some items are strangely placed on the Y axis, aren't they? "Mustard gas" sounds more horrifying to Randall than "Criticality incident"? "Kessler syndrome" more than "Demon core"? Both sound like food to me. Mumiemonstret (talk) 11:36, 9 April 2015 (UTC)
Elephant's Foot should have a place here 188.8.131.52 04:31, 7 January 2016 (UTC)
A version of this chart appears in the What If? book, in the section about losing all of your DNA.
A variant of this comic was used in the UK edition of What If? in which the name "Destroying Angel" was placed far out of the graph and circled.


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Welcome to the Sterling Morton Library
Designed by noted Chicago architect Harry Weese, the Sterling Morton Library is an attractive space, with curved cherry bookcases, glass shelves, a ceiling that appears to float, and its own intimate garden—the May T. Watts Reading Garden—a perfect place to spend a summer's day reading a good book.
The Sterling Morton Library provides significant resources of scientific, literary, artistic, and historical value in support of the Arboretum's mission. Devoted mainly to the subjects of botany and horticulture, especially as related to trees and shrubs that can be grown in northern Illinois, the Library collections also cover such subjects as forestry, conservation, natural history, and landscape design. LEARN MORE
The library is open to students, researchers, gardeners, natural history enthusiasts, and anyone who wishes to use it.
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Tuesday-Friday
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Saturday
SEARCH THE CATALOG ASK THE LIBRARIAN Explore the Library's eBook Collection
Check Out This Month's Library Profile
June 3-9 is International Archives Week! To learn more about the archive of the Sterling Morton Library, follow the link here: LEARN MORE
Currently Happening in the Sterling Morton Library
Plant Hunters
Our current exhibit, Plant Hunters, explores the practice and history of plant exploration and collecting. The exhibit features artifacts from the Library's special collections relating to famous plant hunters from history, including rare photographs of turn-of-the-century China taken by Ernest Henry Wilson. Visitors can explore modern plant hunting and conservation efforts by scientists at The Morton Arboretum. LEARN MORE
Leafing Through the Pages
Interested in a morning of community, connectivity and spirited conversation? Join Leafing Through the Pages, the Library's book discussion group! Meeting on the second Thursday of each month from 10 a.m. until noon, this group explores works of fiction and non-fiction relating to natural history, ecology, and gardens.
Click here for additional information about upcoming classes and events to be held in the Sterling Morton Library.


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The nec relais museum. Discover the build quality in their pcb circuit board
Below the truth about the build quality of their circuit board. A good and hi-end hifi audio origins from top quality circuits and parts.The nec relais is really good or has a cheap build quality?
The images below are useful to:
- avoid buying modified second hand products;
- discover the secrets of the hi-end circuits;
- avoid buying rebranded products;
- improve your diy abilities;
- discover a very quality Brand.


text:
Spring and Summer 2020 classes continue remotely and online. Fall 2020 traditional face-to-face, hybrid, and off-campus spring classes are being reviewed to provide students with effective learning options based on recent COVID-19 concerns. Keep checking the schedule for additions on our New, Added, and Late Starting Courses web page.
COMPUTER NETWORKING TECHNOLOGY; No of Weeks : 12
Begins : Monday, June 1, 2020
COMPUTER NETWORKING TECHNOLOGY; No of Weeks : 7
Begins : Saturday, May 9, 2020
Key: Day of the Week
Key: Class Location
Learn about all Course Formats
Answer Center
McDowell Student Center
Livonia (map)
Out of State Callers:


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Product information
Consistent in quality and exactly the right size, the Specialized Presta 26x1.25/2 tube is an essential bit of kit to carry at all times for a quick and easy fix in the event of a puncture.
Product features
- Consistent thickness of butyl rubber
- Moulded method of construction
- Next Day Delivery: Free on orders over £50, otherwise £4.95. Order before 4pm Sunday - Friday
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We want you to be happy with your purchase. If you wish to return your goods, then you can do so by visiting one of our stores, sending the product to our refunds department, or by taking it to a Collect+ store within 100 days of receipt if you are an Explore More member. Our standard return policy is 30 days of receipt. Sign Up To Explore More >
Unwanted items should be in new condition, with the original packaging, labelling and with a Cycle Surgery receipt. A refund request will usually be actioned within 7 working days from receipt. Please note, for unwanted items, you are responsible for paying all return postage charges.


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New Orleans Rapper Claims Wiz Khalifa Stole His Signature On That "Black & Yellow" Song! "You's A Ho. Ima Run Down On You & Check Your Chips"
Rapper named Chucky Chase On Wiz Khalifa
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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- 24 different, handmade 30ml wax-sealed drams
- Explore whiskies from across Japan
- From superb single grain to rare single malts
- Award-winning whiskies from famous distilleries
- Try some of the most coveted whiskies in the world
(44.9% abv, 72cl)
Registering for this site allows you to access your order status and history. Just fill in the fields below, and we'll get a new account set up for you in no time. We will only ask you for information necessary to make the purchase process faster and easier.
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24-window advent calendar, each window containing a 3cl sample of Japanese whisky.
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(44.9% abv, 72cl)
In no particular order (we don't want to give everything away...)*
* such is the demand for our calendars, contents are subject to change. Fear not though, the advertised products will always be representative of the price range and diversity of the contents.
Our standard 3 day service costs £4.89 (with free shipping above £99 and other deals available) to the following countries: United Kingdom, Guernsey, Isle Of Man, Jersey.
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We can't ship here yet, but check out our where to buy page for retail partners that might be able to help you out!


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Assam is home to more than half of approximately 1,200 varieties of avifauna recorded in the Indian subcontinent and we at Wild Mahseer can arrange for guests to go bird watching at both Kaziranga and Nameri National Parks.
Kaziranga National Park is a 2-hour drive from our estate and if visitors want to venture on foot to find birds, a 10 km trek in the Kukurkata Reserve Forest under the Burapahar Range is the place to go. It has a hilly terrain with mainly tropical moist mixed forest vegetation and a good diversity of birds. A panoramic view of the floodplain and ecosystem of Kaziranga National Park can be seen from the hilltop of Kukurkata.
As the Reserve Forest is frequented by the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros and wild Asian elephants it is imperative that armed guards provided by the park management accompany all visitors.
Another option is to take a jeep safari in the eastern range, which is generally regarded as the best area of the park for birding.
If guests let us know their requirements we will create a Kaziranga bird watching package or incorporate a trek in one of our elephant and jeep safari packages.
To see some species found around Kaziranga and Nameri National Parks please visit http://www.planetstillalive.com/asia/india/birds
Click here for information on the birdlife at Kaziranga National Parkhttp://www.worldheritagekaziranga.com/About-Park-Wildlife-Birds-Diversity.html
Closer to Wild Mahseer (only 30 minutes from our property) is Nameri National Park, located at the foothills of the eastern Himalayas and about 35 km from Tezpur, the nearest town. It shares its northern boundary with the Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary (Pakke Tiger Reserve) of Arunachal Pradesh and together they total over 1,000 sq kms of semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forest with cane and bamboo brakes and narrow strips of open grassland along the rivers.
With its hills of deciduous forests and the Jia Bhoroli River flowing through, it is excellent elephant country and the ideal habitat for a host of other animals too. It is also a butterfly and birding enthusiast's paradise being home to more than 300 species of birds including 4 species of hornbills and an abundance of mynas, bee eaters, barbets, babblers, bulbuls, plovers and ibis.
Nameri also shelters the rare and endangered white-winged wood duck and over 50 of the total world population of 700 of this species can be found there. Visitors may be lucky enough to see some or even happen upon a tiger or a herd of wild elephants which is why they must be accompanied by an armed park ranger at all times.
We have a special relationship with friends at the Eco Camp situated near the park and our guests can order snacks, drinks and meals at the open-air restaurant to enjoy in the camp's beautiful grounds before or after a trek. It is also possible to visit the Pygmy Hog Foundation nearby and learn about the species, one of the world's most endangered mammals, which after captive breeding in Guwahati is being kept in semi-natural conditions at the pre-release centre in Nameri prior to being set free into the park.
Please note both Kaziranga and Nameri National Parks are closed during the summer monsoon season from May to October.


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WBUR News
Support the news
Survey Ranks Boston As 7th Most Literate City
Better go dig out your library cards, Boston residents.
A national survey of America's most literate cities has found that Boston has dropped two places in the ranks to seventh place.
Central Connecticut State University president Jack Miller conducts the annual survey that measures resources for reading in America's 75 biggest cities.
The study uses research data for a half-dozen key indicators, including library and Internet resources, newspaper circulation and booksellers.
The data are compared against population rates to develop literacy profiles for each city.
Topping the charts this year was Washington, followed by Seattle, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Denver and St. Paul.
This program aired on February 11, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.
Support the news


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I've fallen into a life style.
Like a dream really.
I've become worse than I was before.
to be satisfied things that don't last.
Losing myself in the feelings that I don't really have.
Toying with emotions that don't really matter to me.
All because of what started last April.
I let it go, but not really.
I'm not really me. I'm a nigga version of what I used to be.
lol this isn't a poem, its something that I've been trying to say but couldn't.
Hello again bloggers.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
When it all falls down.
I've fallen into a life style.
Posted by Lott Roxx at 8:03 PM 0 comments
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On Thursday, the heartless Montgomery County, Md. inspections office ordered a gaggle of children — including some from the Marriott-hotel and Lockheed-Martin clans — to close their lemonade stand right outside Congressional Country Club. The kids said they were raising money for pediatric-cancer research. Makes sense since their mansions are probably carpeted with million-dollar bills.
When they boyed up and said, "Still open for business," the county responded with a $500 fine for not having proper permits or something like that. Parent Carrie Marriott then asked, "Does every kid who sells lemonade now have to register with the county?" So the inspector was all, "Cute little kids making five or ten dollars is a little bit different than making hundreds. You've got coolers and coolers here." And Marriott was like, "To raise money for pediatric cancer."
Oh yes she di'id.
Last night, word trickled down that the county waived the fine, but moved the stand about 100 feet from its controversial location.
"This is not big bad bureaucracy coming down on little kids," county permits director Jennifer Hughes explained. She said the inspector was enforcing regulations designed to address concerns about traffic, safety and other non permitted vendors flooding into the area.
Hughes noted the kid's lemonade operation was serving bottled drinks out of 4 large coolers under a 10X10 tent. "This is not what you would see when you picture a typical lemonade stand." she said.
Parents disagreed. "This feels like a whole lot of government to me," said mom Rene Augustine. However, the parents and kids say that as far as they are concerned the situation is resolved.
Montgomery County Changes Stance On Lemonade Stand; $500 Fine Waived [WUSA9]


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The Medical Home
Practice Improvement Checklists
Ready to position your practice to better respond to the changing health care landscape? Learn how to get started.
What Is a Medical Home?
The American Academy of Family Physicians defines a medical home as one that is based on the Joint Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH)(3 page PDF), the Shared Principles of Primary Care(www.pcpcc.org), and the five key functions of advanced primary care. Through implementing medical home functions, practices seek to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the care they deliver while responding to each patient's unique needs and preferences. No matter where you fall on the spectrum of practice improvement—managing current projects, enhancing basic concepts, or advancing to more complex initiatives—the adoption of the five functions can benefit your practice, your patients, and your bottom line.
Why Transform to a Medical Home?
Building a medical home requires hard work from you and your practice team. There are no shortcuts—change requires time, money, dedication, and sustained effort, and you will not see results overnight. Faced with these challenges, practice transformation may seem like a daunting prospect. But the need for change is real: Health care in the United States is moving away from a volume-based payment system and toward a value-based system. The effort you put into practice transformation will not only position you to better respond to the changing health care landscape but, with time, will also benefit your patients, your practice, and your bottom line.
Benefits for Your Bottom Line
- A more efficient use of practice resources, resulting in cost savings
- A practice equipped to take advantage of payment incentives for adopting medical home functions
- A practice that is better prepared for enhanced payment under MIPS or Alternative Payment Models (APMs)
- A practice that is primed to participate in accountable care organizations
Practice Improvement Checklists
Ready to position your practice to better respond to the changing health care landscape? Learn how to get started.
Transform your practice with AAFP TIPS™, providing ready-to-use resources to help you make small changes that yield big results.
Medical Homes and the Quality Payment Program (QPP)
The improvement activity (IA) category is a performance category in the QPP Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). It contains activities similar to the medical home functions. The IAs are designed to improve clinical practice or care delivery that, when effectively executed, lead to improved outcomes.
Eligible clinicians (EC) in a practice that has received PCMH recognition from the following organizations will automatically receive full credit for the MIPS IA category:
- National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA)
- The Joint Commission (TJC)
- Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)
- Accrediting bodies that have certified 500 or more practices
Practices and ECs will attest that they are a recognized PCMH. If there are multiple practices reporting under one tax identification number (TIN), at least 50 percent of practices within the TIN need to be recognized to automatically receive full credit.
Learn more about QPP and MIPS»
Explore the AAFP's interactive web portal for resources dedicated to improving physician well-being.
Benefits for Your Patients
- Better coordinated, more comprehensive, and personalized care
- Improved access to medical care and services
- Improved health outcomes, especially for patients who have chronic conditions
Benefits for Your Practice
- Increased physician and staff member well-being and satisfaction
- Physicians and staff members who practice at the top of their licenses
- Improved safety and quality of care
Take Action
Ready to position your practice to better respond to the changing health care landscape?
Explore the AAFP's interactive web portal for resources dedicated to improving physician well-being.
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"Lack of conditioning, lack of preparation makes cowards of us all. "We're going to make sure that conditioning and preparation is getting done.' … The players have to take some pride. The best motivation for anyone ready to go in spring comes from inside. We're asking Bobby to raise the bar. Bobby is a big dude that sometimes may look like he's not in shape. He needs to raise the bar. I tell them all, 'I need you in the best shape of your life come spring training, physically and mentally.' We're challenging these guys."
November 19, 2009
Cooper puts the pitching staff on notice
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Monica Bellucci has joined the cast of what is sure to be an "important movie" about the horrors of sex trafficking in post-war Yugoslavia.
Bellucci will star alongside Rachel Weisz and Vanessa Redgrave in "The Whistleblower," which is scheduled to begin filming in Romania on Oct. 26, according to Screen Daily.
Weisz will star as a character based on Kathryn Bolkovac, a real-life American cop who went to work security in post-war Bosnia in 1999, only to uncover the sexual abuse of teenage girls at the hands of United Nations police.
U.S. & World
Bolkovac claimed she was fired after she sent emails to her superiors at DynCorp, a private security firm contracted by the U.N., detailing the exploitation of women as young as 15 at the hands of the people sent to protect them, the New York Times reported in 2002.
One officer even "bought" a young woman for $2,777 and kept her in his apartment, according to a U.N. report.
Weisz's performance in the flawed-but-enteratining "Brothers Bloom" earlier this was a revelation, showing she could be both funny and sexy. So much for that.


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The Psychology Department,
Memorial University,
St. John's,
Newfoundland & Labrador.
a · p
behaviour coding / event recording:
clock, which displays our time, using your zone
grader, for processing .csv files from the scantron machine
graph paper: the most common types and colours
hardware address: needed for the wired network access forms
openbox, the unix window manager.
people: personal home pages:
printer control.
printing from your office computer; from a stick
q · z
rdp, but see ssh.
statistics links:
vnc, but see rdp ssh x2go


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For more photos related to this story, click here
Hang gliding pilot Jon Orders has had his tandem instruction certification suspended following the tragic death of a 27-year-old woman at Mount Woodside last weekend.
Margit Nance, executive-director of the Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada, said the suspension is effective immediately. Orders was charged with obstructing justice after swallowing a memory card that may contain evidence of the fatal flight. All of his equipment remains in police custody.
The pilot was originally remanded in custody for three days, but RCMP Cpl. Tammy Hollingsworth said police had still not "retrieved" the card from Orders by the time he appeared in Chilliwack Provincial Court for a bail hearing Wednesday. The hearing has been rescheduled for Friday.
Orders has been X-rayed and police have confirmed the memory card is inside him, according to a CBC report.
Orders, 50, the owner and operator of Vancouver Hang Gliding, is a 16-year veteran of the sport. His website says photos and videos are available "using a specially mounted camera pole that captures you, your pilot and the amazing scenery around you."
The pilot was on a tandem flight at Mount Woodside last Saturday when his passenger, Lenami Godinez, became detached from the glider. The pair struggled desperately to hold on to each other but Godinez slipped, grabbing Orders' feet in a last-ditch attempt to hang on, before falling 300 metres to her death.
Her body was found seven hours later, about 20 metres from one of Orders' shoes.
Her death is the fifth hang gliding fatality in Canada and third in B.C. over the past decade.
The hang-gliding association's Nance said the organization's board of directors and members "are in deep shock" as a result of the tragic accident and have been gathering facts about what happened. She said the board will wait for the conclusion of the investigation to determine any additional disciplinary measures, which could include stripping Orders of all ratings and expelling him from the association.
HPAC has named Martin Henry, a master-rated hang-gliding pilot with more than 30 years experience and a past-president of HPAC, as the accident investigator for the association, Jason Warner, safety chairman, will assist.
With files from Tyler Olsen, Chilliwack Times