text:
Teaching Your Dog to Stop
You've mastered all of the basic skills and are moving on to more advanced ones. But dogs aren't completely neutral: they'll pick up new behaviors with or without your guidance, and getting a dog to stop doing something can be trickier than anything you've already taught him.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
At times, it seems like my dog Danger is trying to willfully unhinge me. Frantic outbursts, lunging for my arm and then dangling from it by his teeth, swiping sticks of butter off the counters and then swallowing them whole like horse pills—these are all par for the course. Getting a dog to not do something can often be harder than teaching complicated behaviors. Most guys I know resort to some combination of shouting, "Cut that $@&# out!" and the dog's name over and over. I'm guilty of this, too, though less now than I used to be. Here's a primer on what works and what doesn't.
The Ultimate Adventure CompanionAll you need to know about going wild with man's best friend.
1. First, figure out what's setting the dog off. In my case, the big problem has been his going crazy and lunging at me during field training. Yeah, that seems like the big problem, but, really, what he's doing is trying to avoid structured training. Sometimes it's easy to figure out what's setting him off, like when he barks bloody murder whenever someone knocks at the door. Other times, it's harder. In any case, try to figure it out and know that it could be something as subtle as the way you lean over him before signaling a retrieve.
2. Decide on an alternate behavior to replace the unwanted behavior with. For the door knocking problem, Sue is having me train Danger to go to his dog bed and sit rather than race toward the door. For other annoying episodes like barking, greeting strangers or strange dogs on walks, and sniffing when he should be heeling, eye contact is generally the best swap.
3. We'll start with the eye contact swap and save the door rushing (harder by a long shot) for another time. The command that most people use to mean, "Stop whatever it is you're doing—raiding, looting, humping—and look at me," is "Leave it."
Sue had me start by holding a treat out to my side in my right hand and a clicker and another treat in my left. Danger sniffed my closed right hand, tried to mouth it, and, finally, when he gave up and made eye contact with me, I clicked and gave him the treat from the left hand. It only took one or two tries for him to realize that trying to gnaw the treat out of my fist wouldn't work, but that making eye contact would be immediately rewarded. The clicker speeds this process up drastically by marking that exact moment when he makes eye contact as the thing that earned the treat. Now it's just a matter of slowly upping the level of distraction: First with a treat under my foot that I could step on if he dove for it, then dropping treats in front of him. When Danger was successful about 80 percent of the time in making eye contact when I dropped a treat in front of him, we added the cue, "Leave it."
NOTE: "Leave it" is not a punishment. You don't shout it or growl it; just say it matter-of-fact like. (This is actually really difficult when he's dragging you toward another dog on a walk.)
4. Now, with your new command, you'll need to train him with the specific problems you're having. If you want him to ignore other dogs on walks, you'll have to train with another dog. For this, I give Danger a preemptive "Leave it" as the other dog approaches. He's got to turn away from the other dog and make eye contact to get a reward. By this point, he knows exactly what is required to get a treat, it's just a question of whether pulling toward the other dog is worth more than a treat in his doggy brain. If it isn't, I'll lower my expectations and increase the distance to the other dog until he's getting it right every time. The goal with this, as with all training, is for the dog to be successful at least 80 percent of the time.
5. You may still encounter situations that are too enticing for your dog to ignore. Yes, physically remove your dog if you need to, but, no, don't get mad at him. You just need more training for higher levels of distraction. The worst thing you can do is repeatedly shout "Leave it." Doing this will only weaken the meaning of the command.
6. Now the harder part: unwanted behaviors that aren't caused by obvious things like approaching people and dogs. My specific problem is a playful lunging that quickly escalates to growling and biting. First, I've got to remove whatever stimulus is setting him off. It turns out that trying to overpower him, which is both doable and tempting with an otherwise sweet 60-pound Lab, is a big-time stimulus. When I do this, he only accelerates until I'm bleeding and we look like one of those cartoon dust balls with paws and arms occasionally flying out of it. Instead, I force myself to stay dead still and say "Leave it" one time. He'll usually keep it up for a few seconds, aiming for an arm or flap of clothing, and then quit, sit, and make eye contact. Then I mark the behavior and give him a treat or praise.
NOTE: My hunting buddies think that allowing the dog to disrespect me this way is crazy. Maybe, but it's going to keep us both out of the emergency room.
1. In general, trying to force the dog to do anything is going to set that arrangement as a precident. See another dog coming and you yank one way on the leash and he yanks the other? That's how it's always going to be.
2. The old rub his nose in … [pick one] turd, steak, trash and shouting "No!" OK, on second thought, it'll probably still make you feel a lot better, even if it doesn't teach him a thing. Go ahead and shout "No," just once, and then throw him outside. No rubbing his nose in it, though. You'll feel bad once your need for revenge has passed.
3. Drive your knee into a dog that's jumping up. This one's still surprisingly common among a lot of trainers for one simple reason: when a dog is jumping at you, fending him off with your knee is often the first instinct. It was with me, even before I heard about it as an actual technique. It was also one of the factors that led to my current problems with Danger lunging at me. From my limited experience, it's better to save your sharp knees for the Octagon than explain yourself to horrified onlookers and risk hurting your best friend.
4. This applies to everything in dog training (and life): Don't lose your cool. It's really easy to do when Danger is tearing off down the street, but I force myself not to chase after him or repeatedly shout his name. Whatever the problem is, break it down into small pieces and train it out methodically.
This article originally appeared on Outside K9, the former dog blog of Outside magazine, on April 3, 2009.


text:
What is known about the placement and outcomes of siblings in foster care? An international literature review
By: Sarah Meakings, Judy Sebba and Nikki Luke
An important read – please share and discuss.
Read full at source: What is known about the placement and outcomes of siblings in foster care? An international literature review
Read Key Messages and Call to Action: What is known about the placement and outcomes of siblings in foster care?
The findings from this review support the statutory regulations and guidance that requires local authorities to place siblings who enter care together where possible, subject to welfare considerations of the children.
However, in a significant minority of cases, this is not happening in practice. To meet this requirement, the research sets out the following key messages:
Social workers
- Involve young people more in placement decisions. Involving young people in their placement decision leads to better outcomes and this applies equally to sibling group placements.
Fostering providers
- Recruit foster carers who are able and willing to foster sibling groups, such as those with greater housing capacity, and those with more experience in caring for multiple children with a range of needs. Foster carers should help facilitate contact between siblings placed apart where appropriate.
- Identify incentives for foster carers to take sibling groups. Consider financial benefits, training and adequate support.
- To help inform service planning, consider the developing body of evidence around the impact of intervention programmes designed to support siblings in foster care. The intervention studies in this review show promising early findings in relation to the greater frequency of sibling co-placements, but also improved quality of the sibling relationship for children in foster care.
For further information about the work of the Rees Centre or to request free hard copies of their reports, please contact the team direct by email: firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Youth Justice Legal Centre (YJLC) have recently collaborated with the Youth Justice LegalCentre ('YJLC') on a guide about 'county lines' and trafficking. Aimed at criminal lawyers and professionals working with children, the provides both information and practical guidance on county lines gangs, child trafficking and modern slavery defences for children.
For more information on child trafficking, see the YJLC fact sheets here.
If you have queries about these or other issues, please contact the YJLC advice line on 0207 636 8505 or email email@example.com.


text:
Gallery COVID-19 Update
Your Cart is Empty
2023 Desktop Calendar
Note Cards
Jigsaw Puzzles
Gift Cards
Time to get excited about our new collection for Men!
Meet our lovely team!
Artist: Harinani OrmeTitle: Keiki Kane KaloMedium: Acrylic on Arches Watercolor PaperSize: 20"x26"
translation missing: en.products.notify_form.description:
Notify me if this product or a similar product becomes available:
Category: Harinani Orme


text:
This plaintive line from Mikhail Sholokhov's "And Quiet Flows the Don" was an anthem of the anti-war movement of the 60s. While always relevant, never has it been more important than today. With the exception of some sincere, if misguided warmongers, and some political pandering, we Americans mostly do not love marching off to war.
We're sometimes deluded into believing that we're the last best hope for all humanity, and it is our burden to bring the blessings of democracy to the world–even if it means spreading our gospel of democracy with guns and bombs. When you look at 18th and 19th century colonialism and the moral imperative folks felt to bring their Gospels to the "primitives" of Asia and Africa, you can't help but see some relationship to our own present sense of noblesse oblige called, exceptionalism.
Right now, as we end one war in Iraq and withdraw from Afghanistan (after ten years and not one of our objectives achieved), we're in grave danger of stumbling into another war–a war with Iran. I don't think most of our leadership–civilian and military–want this war, but miscalculations are easy, historically common and devastatingly expensive in blood and treasure.
Nations can and do miscalculate. Before WWI many in Europe were convinced that the soldiers, coming mostly from the working classes, would refuse to kill one another out of a sense of solidarity. Germany didn't think that sinking the Lusitania would bring the United States in. We didn't think that our commitment of blood, treasure and time would be anything like it turned out. Most experts predicted a war of six weeks to six months.
Before WWII, we certainly didn't predict that squeezing an aggressive Japan by trying to restrict their access to oil would get the response of Pearl Harbor. And Japan didn't calculate that we had the heart or steel to fight two wars at once. We did have the heart. We also had the steel.
History is filled with smart people making tragic choices. Our rapid overthrow of the Taliban ten years ago led some to believe that our technology could instantly over-power bad regimes and victories would come fast, easy and cheap. It also led some to believe the quick victory that George H. W. Bush achieved in Iraq could be duplicated. Under George W Bush, we indeed did win the first great battle and quickly took Baghdad but mistook this for winning the war.
Today, crazy warmongers and political panderers aside, we are in grave danger of blundering into a war with Iran. With all the threats and counter-threats and all the trash-talking and physical provocations–on both sides–it's very easy to make a mistake, to have a bluff called, an incident escalate and find ourselves at war.
I want to be clear that I am not a pacifist, though I wish the world would allow me to be. Sometimes, tragically, war may be necessary–though too often it seems in the moment to be more necessary than it actually is. Still, when there must be war, when state violence becomes imperative, the process of commitment should be conscious and responsible. People should have some idea of the terrible consequences to human beings–those killed, those who do the killing and to the innocent.
To go to war by accident is seldom a good idea. However, international relations and military strategy are not exact sciences, and reasonable people can make different calculations. There are times when there are no perfect or even good choices.
The trash-talking going on now between the United States and Iran is troubling. Our choices are not clear or obvious, and the ways we express our goals are confusing. We're rightly concerned about Iran getting nuclear weapons, and despite their denials, no serious scholar believes they are developing atomic energy for peace. We're pushing sanctions as a way of forcing them to the table. But were sanctions to work, were we able to get the world to stop buying Iranian oil, we could count on them closing the Straits of Hormuz. As long as the straits make their shipments of oil possible, they are unlikely to scuttle their own ships and barges or lay mines. But if the straits became irrelevant to their economy, they would almost certainly do something that rash.
We've pursued a subtle and complicated strategy–at least I hope it's subtle and complicated and not simply incoherent. We're talking about talks, while threatening regime change. Our problem with both is that we actually don't know who is in charge–the elected, though hardly democratic, government of Ahmadinejad or the religious oligarchy of the Mullahs. We're also not sure who the good guys are–if there are good guys in either branch. We do know that there are plenty of good, smart, and cultured people in Iran who love neither side.
Meanwhile, the Iranians send out boats to challenge us in international waters. We send in an aircraft carrier and taskforce to challenge them in international waters–far from our shores and very near to theirs. The chances of an accidental encounter that escalates are great–far greater than any secret plan for a pre-emptive strike against their nuclear facilities. Understanding how easy it is to be wrong, I am far more worried about us falling into an encounter than of Israel acting unilaterally. Another Gulf of Tonkin is waiting.
We have legitimate issues with Iran and real reasons to oppose their nuclear weapons program. I hope that we have some planning and purpose in our policies and don't resort to momentarily popular bellicosity. Too easily this can take us to real war. There should be some learning from history. The question is: When will we (human beings) ever learn?
2012 Jonathan Dobrer


text:
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS)
Book mentioning Spring Creek Lodge Academy and Tranquility Bay
A book written for and by so-called professionals mentions both places. It is poorly written based on an obsolete view upon how to handle hard issues like RAD at adoptive children. It should have questioned the ability of the adoptive parents instead. It raises the issue whether parents who want to adop should go through some kind of education because reading the book makes it clear that not all adults are suitable to become parents.
The book is called Mugamore. It is written by Jonathan T. Jefferson
Che Gookin:
Not all adults do make good parents, that's for sure.
What exactly does it say about SCL? Could you scan the page or pages you are referring to?
[0] Message IndexGo to full version


text:
Could it have been that easy, Xerox?
I keep getting comments and emails stating a very interesting thing. May it be, that included in the compression algorithm in question, JBIG2, there exists a flag "lossless" one just has to turn on within the implementation, and everything's in order? This press announcement (thanks, Flavio) suggests so. Money Quote:
supports traditional "lossless" compression, but also a new "lossy" type of image compression, whereby the compression factor is increased on average by a factor of about 3 to 10, without noticeable visual differences compared with the lossless mode.
The "lossy" one is the thing all is about here. The important thing to note from that quote seems that the 3-10x factor applies to lossy JBIG2, not lossless. Lossless JBIG2 will generally create files that are a bit smaller than other forms of compression, lossy will create files that are massively smaller.
Reportedly, The JBIG2 lossless mode still can provide much better compression results in terms of image quality and document size compared to possible counterparts hidden behind the xerox terms "higher" and "high", while still preserving exact bit-to-bit image representation. It is stated, that one just needs to pass a lossless flag to JBIG2 (translation for non-coders: It's just like flipping a switch) in order to resolve that problem once and forever. (Thanks, Nik!)
Now, we don't know the particular implementation Xerox uses. Maybe, Nik was referring to some particular implementation. Also, JBIG2 is more of a decompression standard than a compression standard.Maybe they do not have that switch. But if this is true, the obvious question would be: Why wasn't lossless compression activated in the first place, as data integrity is a big deal in scan copiers? The only reason I can think of, is to quench every single possible byte out of the mean file sizes in order to make things easier for the marketing guys. May seem ridiculous, in times where memory shortages are not common any more. On the other hand, a factor 3 - 10 size down can open up applications that were otherwise impractical. Unsure of this, we'll see. Please also have a look on the very interesting comment of William Rucklidge below!
Edit: Reportedly, compression modes apart from "normal" affected
Edit: It may be that the number substitutions also occur on compression settings apart from "normal"! Can't be true! I think this is too weird to confirm or take this as face value myself, so do not take it as face value until xerox confirms. Of course I told Xerox them before posting this, I do not want to do harm to them as they have been very friendly to me, too. Also, I was not when the PDFs were created.
Have a look at this PDF a reader sent to me. It contains a TIFF scan of my test numbers, and several other scans at 300 dpi across all the settings "normal", "higher" and "high" with OCR switched on and off, made by a WorkCentre 7655 reportedly. Open it with some PDF reader that can read comments, for example Acrobat Reader, so you can see what pages belong to what settings. Guess what? Look for false 8s again. Several of the scans seem to contain some 8s instead of 6s even on other compression settings than "normal" again, which, if there is no other unknown issue, contradicts the statement in Xerox's Scanning Q&A document: "You will not see a character substitution issue when scanning with the factory default settings." (from Question 6 in their document)". But in this case, the default settings seem to be affected as well?
Edit2: Here is a similar file by a WorkCentre 5665, created by the same guy and commented afterwards. Again, these are scans of the same page with different settings in one piece. As well there are 6s replaced by 8s. Wow. No statement so far from Xerox. Be aware that the user changed the compression names from normal/higher/high to normal/high/highest, sorry for the confusion.
Oh dear… and they were so adamant that it couldn't happen on factory settings. Hope to get a statement from Xerox soon. I can't quite believe it and hope that resolves itself … as is was still one machine, it was easy to say for me, there might be something wrong with the particular machine. But if it's two…? Somebody able to replicate?
Edit3: Another reader sends me a PDF created by a WorkCentre 7530 (he stated, it was a 7535, however the PDF says it stems from a 7530). He claims to have scanned this on "high" mode, with 300 dpi. As you can see, these are three colums of test numbers with different text sizes. The fourth number in the left column contains an 8 that should be a 6. You can get the correct values out of the 8pt and 9pt columns. The reader placed a X as PDF comment next to the wrong number. Still no statement from Xerox.
As there is still no statement from Xerox, I do set out now and try to replicate the error by myself – I will keep you posted what's coming out. Stand by.
I know all of you are waiting. At the moment, I am in close touch with Xerox, figuring things out. This is to let you know something's going on. Please stand by a bit more … Thanks!
Because of caching, a comment can take up to two minutes until it appears.
Due to heavy spam, I need to block the comment feature for some time.
Just a note:
Some readers may need to open that PDF with a reader that shows comments in order to see which settings were used to print each page. (My browser plug-in wouldn't show the comments, but Acrobat Pro shows them.)
Acrobat Reader shows them, too!
The important thing to note from that quote is that the 3-10x factor applies to lossy JBIG2, not lossless. Lossless JBIG2 will generally create files that are a bit smaller than other forms of compression… but lossy JBIG2 generates files that are massively smaller. Lossless JBIG2 might give, say, a 1.2-1.5x improvement in compression ratio - while lossy JBIG2 can give a 3-10x improvement. That's the kind of difference that can open up applications that were otherwise impractical. So the question "why not always use lossless?" is answered by "it's not useful in some places where lossy compression is - bearing in mind the risks of lossy compression". In some ways (though not entirely), it's like offering the choice to scan at 200dpi rather than the higher resolution the machine is capable of - you lose image quality but get smaller files in return.
A few notes on how JBIG2 works… The JBIG2 standard specifies how to decompress data encoded in JBIG2 format. There are three kinds of encoded image data (generic, halftone, and symbol) and character substitution is only an issue for symbol data. Symbol data comes in two kinds: symbol dictionaries and symbol regions. Symbol dictionaries are just collections of small images - they're not of a fixed "patch" size, but can be of any mix of sizes. Ideally, each symbol image will be of a single character (of a particular typeface, at a particular size). A symbol region references one or more symbol dictionaries, and it contains basically just a list of (x, y, ID) coordinates - draw the symbol with this ID at this location. Lossy JBIG2 ends there. Lossless JBIG2 adds another kind of information ("refinement") to each such use of a symbol - you can think of this as "for every pixel in the symbol, do I draw it or do I flip it?". That's a lot more information than just (x, y, ID) and it explains why lossy JBIG2 can be so much smaller than lossless.
What the standard doesn't say is how to do the compression. Different encoders can choose their symbols in different ways; in particular, they can be more or less choosy about how similar two bits of the original image should be before being considered to be identical. Encoders have a lot of flexibility; in fact there's no actual "lossless" flag as such - it's just that encoders can choose to include, not include, or even partially include refinement information (and there's no requirement that the refinement data brings the image all the way to lossless… the encoder is in charge of the loss level, even if refinement is present). Encoders can also choose which kind of compression (the three I mentioned above) to apply to which parts of the page; can perform refinement at a per-symbol level or over the whole page, or regions of a page.
Full disclosure: I was the editor of JBIG2 and worked at Xerox, though I left long enough ago that I have no idea if any work I did there is embodied in these copiers.
Thank you for this comment providing so much information. I added some of that to the article above (and the German version) and will get in touch by email!
Right now I'm on the road, there for some fast quick'n'dirty writeup about 'wc5665test.pdf':
1. The file's metadata claim that it comes directly from a 'Xerox WorkCenter 5665', created on Thu, Aug 8 at 14:52:43 h.
2. All pages are in Letter format (792×612 pt).
3. Each page is made up by 1 raster image with color depth 1.
4. All raster images use JBIG2 compression.
5. All raster images on the pages use a resolution of 300 dpi.
Here are the metadata. (Resolutions were calculated by me.)
pdfinfo -f 1 -l 6 -meta wc5665test.pdf Creator: Xerox WorkCentre 5665 Producer: Xerox WorkCentre 5665 CreationDate: Thu Aug 8 14:52:43 2013 ModDate: Thu Aug 8 14:52:43 2013 Tagged: yes Form: AcroForm Pages: 6 Encrypted: no Page 1 size: 792 x 612 pts (letter) Page 1 rot: 270 Page 2 size: 792 x 612 pts (letter) Page 2 rot: 270 Page 3 size: 792 x 612 pts (letter) Page 3 rot: 270 Page 4 size: 792 x 612 pts (letter) Page 4 rot: 270 Page 5 size: 792 x 612 pts (letter) Page 5 rot: 270 Page 6 size: 792 x 612 pts (letter) Page 6 rot: 270 File size: 589999 bytes Optimized: yes PDF version: 1.6 Metadata: <?xpacket begin="" id="W5M0MpCehiHzreSzNTczkc9d"?> <x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/" x:xmptk="Adobe XMP Core 4.2.1-c043 52.372728, 2009/01/18-15:08:04 "> <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"> <rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:xmp="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/"> <xmp:ModifyDate>2013-08-08T14:52:43-04:00</xmp:ModifyDate> <xmp:CreateDate>2013-08-08T14:52:43-04:00</xmp:CreateDate> <xmp:MetadataDate>2013-08-08T14:52:43-04:00</xmp:MetadataDate> <xmp:CreatorTool>Xerox WorkCentre 5665</xmp:CreatorTool> </rdf:Description> <rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"> <dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format> </rdf:Description> <rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:xmpMM="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/mm/"> <xmpMM:DocumentID>uuid:7b2372c8-28f6-4ed4-ab47-ed2b56c5931d</xmpMM:DocumentID> <xmpMM:InstanceID>uuid:dc071ad2-a635-4466-b088-12142e9c17d0</xmpMM:InstanceID> </rdf:Description> <rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:pdf="http://ns.adobe.com/pdf/1.3/"> <pdf:Producer>Xerox WorkCentre 5665</pdf:Producer> </rdf:Description> </rdf:RDF> </x:xmpmeta>
pdfimages -list wc5665test.pdf page num type width height color comp bpc enc interp object ID --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 0 mask 3296 2560 - 1 1 jbig2 no 117 0 2 1 mask 3296 2560 - 1 1 jbig2 no 4 0 3 2 mask 3296 2560 - 1 1 jbig2 no 9 0 4 3 mask 3296 2560 - 1 1 jbig2 no 14 0 5 4 mask 3296 2560 - 1 1 jbig2 no 19 0 6 5 mask 3296 2560 - 1 1 jbig2 no 24 0
The file regarding the WorkCenter 5665 did make the impression to have been created 'all of a piece' by the WorkCenter. The red comments of course have been put onto the PDF pages after the fact, but these didn't modify the metadata of the PDF (and they are not supposed to do this according to the PDF spec).
The file regarding WorkCenter 7655 has been assembled after scanning for sure (obviously so – because the statement was clear, saying the original TIFF had been inserted as the first page).
In any case the 7655 file doesn't look like 'all of a piece', and to analyse it is a bit more complex. Because on each page from 2 to 7 there are two raster images: one with the numbers compressed with JBIG2, another 'white' one using JPEG compression (possibly a sort of 'masking' covering the page area with the numbers used for OCR).
What can be said with some certainty is this:
1. The image with the numbers on page 2 has a size 2882×1783 pixels. It is rendered at 300 ppi on the PDF page.
2. The same is true for all other pages (3-7).
3. There is no trace of OCR on pages (5-7) where the annotations claim to have had OCR enabled while scanning.
I'm re-running tests with both the 7655 and 5665 to see if my results are the same. I'll upload the individual results from each test separately and post that link for review.
The version of pdfimages I have (win32) doesn't have the -list switch built into it for some reason. I'll have to leave it up to you all to review it for compression info.
I have forwarded a zip file to David, and asked that he post it to the blog. (I don't have a good server to post the file to on my own right now.) The file contains the individual and untouched scans from my latest tests on the 7655, all of which still show substitution. The README file will offer more specific info on how I tested. I hope that someone can either spot something I'm doing wrong in my testing, or verify that my test results appear to be good.
The 'pdfimages' that has the '-list' parameter is only available from the Poppler (http://poppler.freedesktop.org/releases.html) package.
Poppler is a fork from the original XPDF software (http://www.foolabs.com/xpdf/download.html).
My guess is that you're using the Windows version of XPDF's 'pdfimages'.
In principle, Poppler can be compiled on all platforms. But up until about 2 years ago, I found no Windows version, and I was unable to build it myself. But meanwhile there is this:
* http://blog.alivate.com.au/poppler-windows/
* http://laconsigna.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/compiling-poppler-on-windows/
j.colbert: Thank you so much for helping. I'm sorry not to have used your zip file directly, but I thought this would be so big a deal I had to reproduce is with my own hands to be sure before publishing.


text:
Please refer to the following rating symbols when reading trail reviews. I will expound upon my rating distinctions in each review.
Trail Difficulty: Assesses distance, elevation gain/loss, terrain
= Easy: short hike (less than 5 miles), mostly level, paved or well-packed path, wheelchair and handicapped accessible
= Moderately Easy: medium-length hike (avg. 5-6 miles or less), some hills and up and down, easy to follow path, family friendly
= Moderately Difficult: medium-to-long hike (avg. 6-10 miles), moderate to frequent up and down, may end at peak summit
= Difficult: long hike (avg. more than 10 miles), possibly frequent up and down, expect either significant length or considerable elevation gain/loss
Trail Conditions: Assesses trail upkeep, signage, parking, facilities (e.g. trailhead bathrooms)
= Very Poor Conditions: almost no trail maintenance, difficult to follow trail, little to no signage, little to no parking
= Poor Conditions: limited trail maintenance, poor signage, limited parking
= Good Conditions: regular or semi-regular maintenance, adequate signage, adequate parking
= Very Good Conditions: well-maintained trail and trailhead, good signage, good parking
Hiking Area Ruralness and Naturalness: Assesses hiking area accessibility and expanse, hiking area wildness
= Urban hiking area (e.g. central city park)
= Semi-urban hiking area (e.g. suburban city, county, or state park)
= Semi-rural hiking area (e.g. moderately accessible state or national park or forest)
= Rural hiking area (e.g. rural to very rural state or national park or forest)
No Longer In Use (though does appear in older trail reviews):
Trail Biodiversity: Assesses naturalness of hiking area and variety of natural elements there.
= Some natural elements, many manmade features (gardens, paved pathways, etc.), significant observable human presence, limited diversity within environment (e.g. city center park)
= Moderate amount of natural elements, limited manmade features, moderate observable human presence, moderate diversity within environment (e.g. suburban forest or park)
= Significant amount of natural elements, little to no manmade features and observable human presence (aside from path itself, signs, small bridges, split logs, etc.), significant diversity in environment (e.g. remote rural trails and hiking areas)


text:
SEIU (Service Employees International Union)
Job Title: Deputy Policy Director (Public Services) Grade: MGT E
Location: Washington, D.C.
The Deputy Policy Director plans, develops, and implements the International's public policy positions and proposals in assigned issue areas under the direction of the Policy Director and in close coordination with SEIU Divisions, other International Union departments and Local Unions.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: (Any one position may not include all of the specific duties and responsibilities listed. Examples provide a general summary of the work required and should not be treated as a total and complete list of expected duties to be performed by employees in the classification.)
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
• Work with officers, Division leaders and senior staff to develop public policy positions, proposals, publications and strategies related to legislation and regulation (federal, state, and/or local) on issues of importance to publicly funded workers – including wages and working conditions; public sector labor rights/collective bargaining; public budgets; taxation and revenue; early learning; higher education; and other relevant issues that advance SEIU's mission to improve the lives of working people.
• Direct, review and develop analysis, testimony, correspondence and other materials on the International's federal, state and local public policy positions and proposals, ensuring timely and high quality products.
• Directly advocate and coordinate advocacy with key federal, state and local government agencies and representatives as part of our Government Relations program.
• Develop and present the International's positions and proposals before SEIU conferences, government groups, national commissions and public forums and before the media around the country.
• Develop relationships with strategic partners, including within the labor movement, to drive a common agenda.
• Represent SEIU and the labor movement on critical public policy issues in the federal, state and local context.
• Work closely with the other teams in the Government Relations Department and with senior staff in other Divisions and departments of the union.
• Manage professional and clerical staff and coordinate with staff in Divisions and other International Union departments who do policy-related work.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
Include SEIU International and Local Union leaders, officers and staff; state, local and/or federal elected and government officials and their staffs; leaders and staff of allied organizations; and academics and other experts in public policy issues.
Direction and Decision Making:
This position reports to the Policy Director and works independently.
Education and Experience:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree (master's degree or juris doctorate preferred) in public administration, labor relations, economics, political science or a related field. In addition, at least three (3) years of supervisory experience and (5) years of work-related experience in policy analysis, including issue development in an organizing, advocacy, or political context, or a combination of education and experience that would provide for the following knowledge, skills and abilities:
• Knowledge of unions and other advocacy groups.
• Extensive understanding of policy issues important to publicly funded workers, including the various federal, state and/or local laws and regulations governing wages and working conditions, public sector labor rights/collective bargaining, public budgets, taxation and revenue, early learning, higher education, and/or other related issues.
• Experience and demonstrated facility with policy analysis and issue development.
• Ability to develop strategy and to lead complex national campaigns that require coordination of the work of multiple departments, disciplines and external allies.
• Ability to monitor economic trends relevant to workers at the federal, state and local level.
• Ability to analyze data and make sound, logical conclusions and develop strategy.
• Ability to recruit, manage and develop staff.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Ability to make presentations.
• Skill in the use of personal computer and associated software used to perform analysis.
Physical Requirements:
Work is generally performed in an office setting. Long and extended hours and travel may be required.
Application Requirements:
A resume and cover letter are required for all applications. Your cover letter should explain your reason for wanting to work for SEIU, an example of how you demonstrated success in a similar position and a description of how this position fits into your long-term career plan.
SEIU staff enjoy top notch benefits including comprehensive health benefits, major medical, dental and vision for employee and eligible dependents, domestic partner benefits, competitive salaries, generous holidays and vacation policies, and both a pension plan and a 401(K) Plan.
SEIU is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Apply Here: http://www.Click2apply.net/c8wprkh8f6


text:
I went out on a limb last week, and now it's time to see how that decision played out.
- I predicted that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) would close out the week higher. The consumer-tech bellwether was starting to bounce back after its latest quarterly report, and the market was calling for the company to part with more of its growing hoard of cash. Apple meandered most of the week but ultimately closed 3.1% lower. I was wrong.
- I predicted that the tech-heavy Nasdaq would outperform the Dow Jones Industrial Average. . This has been a tricky call lately, so how did it play out this time? It was a photo finish. The Dow only closed 0.08% lower, but the Nasdaq managed to lose even less ground. I was right.
- My final call was for Michael Kors Holdings Ltd (NYSE:KORS) to beat Wall Street's quarterly profit target. The high-end retailer of handbags, apparel, and other accessories has been on a tear lately, even while some rival makers of luxury goods have struggled. It was an amazing quarter for Michael Kors. Net sales shot up 70%, powered by a jaw-dropping 41% gain in same-store sales. Analysts were looking for a profit of $0.41 a share. The fashion-forward speedster came through with net income of $0.64 a share. I was right.
Two out of three? I can do better than that.
Let me once again whip out my trusty, dusty, and occasionally accurate crystal ball to make three calls that may play out over the next few trading days.
1.SodaStream will close out the week higher
Shares of SodaStream International Ltd (NASDAQ:SODA) have been moving higher since posting record quarterly results three months ago, and that kind of enthusiasm often leads to a sell-off if the next quarter isn't as exciting. I'm banking on SodaStream to come through with another blowout performance.
SodaStream continues to gain ground across its growing number of global markets, and one would think the Israeli-based company wouldn't have invested in its first Super Bowl commercial earlier this month if it wasn't in a good groove. Whether it's fresher, cheaper, or more eco-friendly than traditional soda, consumers are gravitating toward the namesake system that turns tap water into fizzy soft drinks.
I see a strong quarter when SodaStream reports on Thursday, and I think the stock will follow suit. My first call is for SodaStream to close the week higher.


text:
Wow… when I posted my blog last night about losing my cousin I thought that mainly my family would read it. I never imagined that in 12 hours it would have over 330 views and bring 312 new readers to my blog. It is amazing to see the number of people that Cody's life impacted. Thank you all for the love and support that you are giving my family. I think I will miss his big, warm bear hugs the most. This is definitely not an easy time for any of us. I ask that you keep us all in your prayers, but definitely say an extra prayer for his sweet parents Julie and Lloyd and his beautiful sister Kylie.
I know how deep the hurt is for me, as his cousin… But I can not begin to imagine how deep the hurt must be to lose a child at any age, but especially 22 years. I have only known my daughter for 3 1/2 short months, and if anything ever happened to her, I seriously don't know what I would do with myself.
Growing up with Cody, it was impossible not to make memories. I shared my funniest memory of him with you last night, but there are so many more that I could have chosen from. Like the time a group of us, including his older brother Taylor ran Paw Paw's golf cart into a rusted chain (that we didn't see!) and left a "scar" on the cart. Paw Paw scratched his head for hours trying to recall what he must have done to damage the cart. Cody imitated Paw Paw's response of "What the world?!?!" for days, each time laughing harder and harder.
One thing I loved about Cody was how great he was at telling stories, whether they were 100% true or not… they were so funny. The excitement would shine straight through him when he had an audience to tell a story to. Now if you grew up with Cody you would know that his stories were usually 70% truth and 30% exaggeration, (or sometimes more exaggeration than truth). I believe that it is why his stories were so likeable. I wish I were as crafty with words as Cody was when it comes to storytelling. Years ago, once again at Grandma's (where most of our memories occurred), Cody for some reason decided to ride a bike down the golf course. This bike was a pretty sorry one to begin with… It was too small for him, the brakes didn't work and the pedals were missing, but he rode it anyways. For what purpose I can't remember. But I can still picture his face when he finally got back to Grandma's house. His cheeks were red, eyes wide, he was out of breath and doubled over, exhausted. Immediately he began telling the story of his most recent adventure for the whole kitchen to hear. I won't attempt to tell it because I'll never get all of the details right, but I'll leave you imagining the teenage Cody, riding a small bike, with no brakes, and no pedals, down a winding golf course path, full of hills. Pretty funny right? The hilarious stories of Cody are endless and I encourage you to comment at the end of this post with your memories of Cody so that we can all reminisce together.
I think what I love most about our Tibbitts family is all of the funny memories we have made over the years. Living in Louisiana, separated from our "Texas family" has meant that we don't see them as often. Our Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers are somewhat like family reunions for us all. It is where we share past memories and make more memories to cherish for the years to come. We all have such a love for each other that no matter how little we see each other we still pick up where we left off and catch up on everything we missed. Our family is such a strong and supportive family. When things are going great and we are proud of our cousins', uncles' or children's accomplishments we all rejoice and celebrate together, whether in person or from afar. Likewise, when things don't go as planned and feelings such as anger, disappointment, heartache or fear set in, we are always there to catch whoever is hurting and to help them get back on their feet.
I remember one Christmas Cody was sitting in Paw Paw's recliner and stopped me as I walked by. He wanted to know all of the details of how I was doing since we saw each other last. As I was updating him about most everything he asked me, "what about that guy you brought to Christmas last year." I proceeded to tell him that it didn't work out and the heartbreaking details of why, and I swear I saw steam come out of his ears. He leaned over, and asked me… "Do you want me to take care of him? Cuz I can drive over there and…" I stopped him, I told him that it was not necessary, but thanks for loving me. He sat back in the chair and gave me a concerned look and then smiled. But that is the kind of guy that Cody was. He loved his blood relatives very much, but with Cody it didn't matter if you were blood or not, he loved you. He wanted to protect everyone close to him because he cared so deeply for everyone.
As heartbreaking as this news is, it heartwarming to see everyone unite and carry on Cody's name. I have read countless stories online in the past couple days of how Cody touched others' lives. Whether it was making them laugh, or standing up for them, or always making them feel safe, he did it. Please don't forget to comment below with a memory of Cody that holds dear to your heart. He touched so many of your lives, whether it was in a small or large way, and I know that we, his family, would love to hear about the difference that he made in this world during his 22 years.
Thanks for the love you guys!


text:
Hazelnut Coffee Brownies
These might be the easiest and tastiest brownies you'll ever make!
Fudge brownie mix, toasted and chopped hazelnuts and yummy Nutella meet up in these awesome hazelnut brownies.
What could be better than a delicious homemade chocolatey treat with only 3 ingredients?
These brownies remind me alot of the sweet confection praline, so be sure to also try this favorite recipe for praline brownies, you won't be disappointed.
If you love Nutella as much as we do, then you also may want to check out these easy no bake cookie recipes that feature this delectable chocolate hazelnut spread: Chocolate-Hazelnut Cookies and Rocky Road Cookies.
Jif also makes a chocolate flavored hazelnut spread as well as a mocha cappuccino hazelnut spread - we haven't tried these yet, but they're on our list!
Hazelnut Brownies Recipe
- 1 box (19.5 to 22.5 ounces) fudge brownie mix
- 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup Nutella (or Jif) chocolate-hazelnut spread
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Lightly grease a 9x11-inch baking pan and set aside.
- Prepare brownie mix as directed on package.
- Stir in hazelnuts and Nutella.
- Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out almost clean.
- Cool pan on a wire rack and then cut into desired size brownies.
This recipe makes about 24 Hazelnut Brownies.
You Might Also Like:
- Easy Rocky Road Brownies
- Chocolate Marmalade Brownies
- German Chocolate Cake Mix Brownies
- Cookie Dough Brownies
- Peanut Butter Brownie Bites
Helpful Brownie Baking Supplies:
Back from Hazelnut Brownies to Brownies Recipes
Back from Hazelnut Brownies to Best Ever Cookie Collection home