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ReadTheBill FAIL: Cap and Trade Edition
June 26, 2009 - by Avelino MaestasAs Donny has been reporting, the House today is scheduled to vote on the Waxman-Markey climate change bill, a sweeping piece of legislation that will establish a program to cap emissions of pollutants and a system for trading emission permits. I won't go into too much detail for two reasons: for starters, Donny has covered it quite extensively. However the larger reason is because I have no clue what's actually contained in the bill being debated today.
My colleague Paul Blumenthal describes what's happening in more detail, but the basic gist of the situation is thus: the House will debate H.R. 2998 as a substitute amendment to the original bill, H.R. 2454. Complicating matters is the sheer length of the bill — H.R. 2454 weighed in at 1091 pages. The substitute bill that was dropped this week is 1200 pages long! And, as if to add insult to injury, there are 300 pages of material included today based upon committee action yesterday.
I wrote last week that OpenCongress can be an incredible resource for citizens, reporters and activists looking for information on Congress, but cautioned that this is only true when Congress makes that information available. With the case of the American Clean Energy And Security Act, this simply wasn't possible. Members of the House were given precious little time to determine the policy outcomes of this legislation, due to its size, the different versions released, and the time frame provided for action (Speaker Nancy Pelosi had sought a vote before next week's 4th of July recess). Members of the public were given even less time.
My colleagues at the Sunlight Foundation argue that lawmakers should be required to post legislation online for 72 hours before voting. That would ensure everybody — from Senators and Representatives to bloggers, reporters and citizens — would have time to read the bill.
Debate on ACES is ongoing as I write this, but our research assistant Isabelle Cutting has dug up a couple of links you might find useful in understanding what's happening today. I sure don't.
- Pelosi cracks the whips to get climate bill passed Grist
- House Debates Climate Change Bill as Leaders Round Up Votes CQ
- Hoyer predicts enough climate votes, but late night The Hill
- House Speaker Reports 'Progress' Washington Post
- High Stakes for Obama Politico
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I always hate how hard it is to find out what these bills are actually about and what random stuff has been added at the last minute. I'm generally for a climate change / clean energy bill but there's a lot of stuff that could be snuck into a 1200 page document that could change my mind.
I was watching the House debate earlier on this piece of garbage. Kudos to Ohio's John Boehner for explaining the lunacy of the 400 page ammendment that was snuck in at 3:09 AM. The anount of government intrusion, and the amount of spending required (our $$)at all levels is absolutely staggering. If this legislation passes we all must band together and vow to vote out every single supporter.
I agree, Americans are waking up and it's time to vote them out and start fresh. I personally do not agree in career Politicians, I think serving multiple terms in office creates more issues than resolutions. Let face it this group in office now wants to be the ruling Aristocrats of Europe, could it be they want to be that group? I am ready to give them a fight we must fight to maintain our liberties.
I communicate daily with engineers around the US who are developing clean coal and other reduced-CO2 fuel technologies. I never hear any of them claim the point of cap and trade is to prevent global warming. Most believe it is an energy tax, pure and simple. Some think it is correct as we may have reached peak oil and need some nudging to move us away from fossil fuels in a timely manner.
This is an under handed tax to generate income to pay for all of the entitlement plans of this administration. The bill promises new jobs. What they don't mention is the jobs that will be eliminated. Some experts estimate 2 jobs lost for ever one created. Should this be passed into law, what benefit do companies have for staying in the USA.


text: When children have congenital heart disease (CHD) their road to recovery involves more than recovering from heart surgery. Research shows these children have a higher risk for developmental and learning problems compared to children without CHD. One reason for this is children with some forms of CHD spend an extended amount of time in the hospital recovering during a critical time for brain …Click here to continue reading

subset: commoncrawl


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To say that Julie Novak of Colver was surprised to learn that she had breast cancer would be an understatement.
"I was more than shocked to be told I had breast cancer since there is no history of it on either side of my family, said Novak, 43.
What caused the disease if not genetics?
The doctors' only explanation about her illness was that it had to be chalked up to bad luck, Novak said.
Since the National Cancer Institute guidelines suggest women over 40 years old should have a mammogram once every one to two years, Novak was quick to make an appointment when she reached the age.
"When I went for my first-ever mammogram, I felt something that wasn't right," Novak said. "I learned that day that there was something wrong and had to return a week later for a biopsy."
They discovered a single tumor in one of her breasts and it turned out to be malignant.
Her doctor, Gerard Garguilo of Conemaugh Physicians Group, wasted no time in pursuing treatment.
"I started chemotherapy in July to shrink the tumor," she said. "It took six chemotherapy treatments to shrink it enough to where I could have surgery."
Following her diagnosis, Novak's concern turned to the disease spreading to her remaining breast.
"I asked that if they could guarantee that I wouldn't contract cancer in my other breast and they said there are no guarantees," Novak said.
She decided that the gamble to keep her remaining breast wasn't worth the risk.
The original mass was reduced and Novak underwent a double mastectomy in January 2012.
"I was fortunate that my insurance covered the mastectomies and the reconstructive surgery following the procedure," she said.
Novak is a single mother of two adult sons, ages 26 and 20.
"I had genetic testing and discovered that I did not carry the breast cancer gene," she said. "That was good news for my sons, who would have had to be tested for prostate cancer at a much earlier age had I been a carrier."
Novak had implant surgery in May 2012.
"Following my implants, I underwent 27 rounds of radiation," she said.
She feels fortunate that she didn't suffer too many side effects and tolerated the treatments well.
"I didn't get sick from chemo, just a little nausea, which was handled with medication," Novak said.
Radiation treatments lasted only about five minutes for each session. She finished radiation treatments in August 2012.
During her ordeal, Novak has continued to work as the bar manager of the Ebensburg American Legion on West High Street in the borough.
Novak gives credit to her medical team for helping her through the rough spots.
"I would say the medical care I received here was excellent," she said. "From Dr. Garguilo and Dr. (Paul) Rollins, who did my reconstructive surgery, I felt I was in good hands."
Novak takes only one pill a day as a maintenance drug, which she will be required to take for at least five years.
Tom Lavis covers Features for the Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter.com/Tom LavisTD.


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Blog/URL: http://www.facebook.com/royalgigi
Lauri's Stuffed Shells (12 Points)Thanks for posting! Great recipe! — laurijax 12/31/2012 |
Crock Pot LasagnaGreat recipe! I followed pretty closely but just substituted ricotta for cottage cheese and used Italian sausage instead of hamburger. Put about 1/4 c. water in with sauce. Worked well and cooked in about 3 hours in my crock pot. — 12/30/2012 |
Loaded Baked Potato SoupThanks for sharing this gem! Going to make for dinner tonight and store some away in the freezer for a snowy day! Great way to use up the extra 10lbs of potatoes I bought for Thanksgiving & hadn't used yet! — cinco2seis 11/28/2012 |
Double Layer Pumpkin PieLove it!!! Made a trial pie before thanksgiving and my hubby said, "man this is good!" with each bite! — Love7721 11/22/2012 |
Double Layer Pumpkin PieLooks great and can't wait to try! Is this a no-bake recipe? — Love7721 11/15/2012 |
Apple Strudel MuffinsVery good! Great way to use apples from the orchard!!! Did add 1/4 c rice milk to loosen up batter, but didn't notice any difference in moisture so I'll skip the milk next time and try applesauce. Also used a small ice cream scooper to put batter in muffin tins--worked great! — Froro 10/27/2012 |
Best Buffalo Chicken Dip EverI substituted ranch dressing and mozzarella cheese for blue cheese because my hubby doesn't like blue cheese. Still tasted good. Also found it easy to toss into glass dish and microwave--was in a pinch for time before a party. — EmLev 10/19/2012 |
Best Buffalo Chicken Dip EverSo good! Leftovers (if there are any!!!) are so good inside of jumbo stuffed shells! Boil shells accd to pkg then drain. Stuff with 1-2 T. Mixture. Put in 9x13 pan and generously top w mozzarella. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until cheese is beginning to brown on edges. — EmLev 10/14/2012 |
Crockpot Pizza CasseroleYum! Great for a big group with kids. Thanks for posting! — Beachbumette 10/13/2012 |
Best Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies EverWow!!! These were the BEST COOKIES I've ever made! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I followed it exactly--it really is perfect!!! Very soft and chewy with a great taste! — Uscsteph08 8/11/2012 |
Mom's Baked BeansA big hit with my family! Sautéed the peppers & onions first. Also added a small can of plain pinto beans and let set overnight. Baked the next day right before we ate--delicious! — webtexan 7/30/2012 |
Butterfinger CakeThis was SO good! Have made a similar recipe with Heath bars and thought it was good, but LOVE the butterfingers!!! — webtexan 5/28/2012 |
Hershey's BrowniesSo yummy and they don't take long! I added a cup of chocolate chips to the batter for a variation--very good recipe! My husband is now asking me to make these frequently! — Katman 5/27/2012 |
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Family Tradition 20' Lock-On Tree Stand Ladder
Item # WX2-144056
- Google+
This item is shipped directly from the factory. To see the expected shipping date, please add to your Shopping Cart. Sorry, no express shipping available. We are unable to ship factory direct items to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or APO or FPO addresses.
This item cannot ship to Canada.
This item cannot ship internationally.
- Details & Specs
Family Tradition Lock-On Ladder. Travels light, locks-on sturdy and gives you plenty of room to take that shot of a lifetime!
20' Lock-on Ladder:
- Premium-quality heavy-duty galvanized steel construction withstands years of climbing
- Five 4' sections
- 8"-wide rungs
- Tree stand includes five 800-lb. working load ratchets to secure each section
- Weighs 29 lbs. Supports up to 300 lbs. Made in the USA!
Order your tree stand Now!
- Reviews
Family Tradition 20' Lock-On Tree Stand Ladder is rated out of 5 by 2.Rated 5 out of 5 by silent slayer from The most stable and solid climbing system ever! The 5 ratchets lock this ladder rock-solid to the tree. Very easy to climb even in large hunting boots. It is expensive but worth the extra money because it is much safer and more comfortable to climb than all the previous climbing sticks and steps I have used.Date published: 2014-11-06Rated 5 out of 5 by Skyjacker 350 from Great price A friend of mine purchased these 20 ft ladders & by far they are very well built compared to the others I have used &very easy to enter & exit your stand! Keep up the good work family tradition guys & keep it made in the USA. :)Date published: 2014-10-24

 is this an actual ladder style as the two pictures show different things. The person climbing is using hand over hand on a pole style stick where as the second picture shows a ladder style rung.

Asked by: RonC

 This model is a ladder, not a stick.
Answered by: Customer Service

Date published: 2014-11-13

 also can you buy an extra section as I usually set my stand around twenty feet. The stand I use suggests stepping down from above my stand to get in safely and comfortably. If the ladder was 25 feet this would be perfect.

Asked by: RonC

 Extra sections are not available.
Answered by: Customer Service

Date published: 2014-11-13

 does this include the tree stand with the steps

Asked by: qclements

 This is only the ladder.
Answered by: Customer Service

Date published: 2014-10-28

2015-03-05T23:46CST

bvseo_cps, prod_bvqa, vn_cps_3.1.1

cp_1, bvpage1

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loc_en_US, sid_144056, PRD, sort_recentAnswersFirst

clientName_sportmansguide

- Articles & Tips
Don't Forget
Big Game® Tight Grip Tree Stand Handle
Buyer's Club $17.99 Non-Members $19.99 -
Dead Deer Telescoping Saw and Pruner
Buyer's Club $22.49 Non-Members $24.99 -
Beyond Reach Multi-Purpose Tool
Buyer's Club $19.79 Non-Members $21.99
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OL'MAN Outdoors 20' Surefoot Stick Ladder
Buyer's Club $53.99 Non-Members $59.99 -
Guide Gear® Quick Stick
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Guide Gear 20' Climbing Stick
Buyer's Club $35.99 Non-Members $39.99


text:
Pityriasis rosea is a common skin rash that occurs mainly in children and young adults. The scaly, reddish-pink rash first appears on the back, stomach, or chest. The rash can then spread to the neck, arms, and legs. Pityriasis rosea usually occurs in the spring and fall.
This condition may last for several weeks. Although the lesions usually go away on their own after 2 to 3 months, you should contact your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms below.


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Babies are all born with an in-built, near-perfect, appetite control mechanism, so why are there so many obese children in our schools? by Jo Carlowe
Data from the Health Survey of England reveals that 31% of boys and 29% of girls aged between 2-15 years old are currently overweight or obese.[i] According to The Early Bird Study in the Journal Pediatrics, [ii] most of this excess weight is gained before the age of five.
In establishing the causes of childhood obesity, experts cite factors ranging from sedentary lifestyles through to the mother's diet during pregnancy. But most recently, the spotlight has shone on the months immediately after birth when the baby is drinking an exclusive diet of either breast or formula milk. The thinking now is that this time is crucial in determining future eating habits and body weight.
Just as there are critical periods in brain development that allow babies to reach milestones such as the ability to track movement with their eyes or acquire language, so there is now mounting evidence that babies also have a 'developmental window' in which to set their appetite. If during this period the baby's natural ability to self-regulate food intake is overridden, the infant will likely put on weight rapidly, setting into motion biological and behavioural changes that will predispose him to a lifelong fight against flab.
Many studies support the theory that faster growth in infancy (measured by upward percentile crossing for weight or length on baby charts) increases the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, raised blood pressure, stroke and type 2 diabetes later in life.
In a British Medical Journal paper, the researchers note that obese babies have ten times the risk of being obese later in life. More tellingly, it's not just obese babies that risk future weight gain, but rather infants who grow rapidly during their first few months of life (even if not obese). The findings reveal that such babies have six times the risk of future obesity.[i]
Scientists across the world are starting to back-up these findings. Dr Nicholas Stettler, Nutrition Fellow at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, USA, estimates that 20% of the risk of obesity at the age of 7 years can be attributed to having a rate of weight gain in the highest quintile in the first 4 months of life.[ii] While a similar study from Holland shows that babies who gain weight rapidly in the first three months or life are significantly more likely to be obese by the age of 19.[iii]
These papers on human infants lend weight to animal research dating back to the 1960s. In one study, rats raised in small litters, that fed more in the suckling period than those in bigger litters, were larger as adults.[iv] Likewise, baboons that were overfed in infancy had greater fat mass in adulthood.
Yet when in 2004 Professor Atul Singhal, of the Childhood Nutrition Research Centre at the Institute of Child Health, University College London, published a paper in the Lancet to suggest the same held true of humans, it was met with criticism.[v]
"There was this idea that there is no such thing as too much growth in babies," says Professor Singhal.
Yet the impact of this overfeeding is substantial. Professor Singhal and colleagues had assigned babies to a regime in which half received a standard formula and half a growth-promoting formula. In a second study, he compared formula fed babies to breast-fed ones. The results were stark – 6-8 years later the breast fed babies had healthier levels of fat in their bodies and better blood-pressure readings than the formula-fed one. Similarly, the fat mass in the children randomly assigned the nutrient-enriched formula was 22-38% greater than in those who received the standard formula. [i]
Singhal's findings support the idea that if babies grow at a steady, rather than accelerated, pace during their first months of life are at less risk of obesity and associated health problems than those who grow rapidly.
So why do these large, some might say 'bouncing' or 'bonny' babies face a greater risk of obesity later in life simply by growing so well early on?
To read on, please login
Jo Carlowe is an experienced freelance journalist and editor.
She writes features and news for national newspapers, consumer magazines, medical and professional journals.


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Hypercortisolemia is a frequently observed abnormality in patients with major depression. It has been hypothesized that the hippocampus, as a major feedback site for glucocorticoids, is involved in the pathophysiology of hypercortisolemia. Some have in fact posited that the hippocampus is marked by diminished size in depressed patients with hypercortisolemia. We tested this hypothesis by examining the relationship between hippocampal volume, assessed with magnetic resonance imaging, and hypercortisolemia using the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) in a group of 19 depressed patients. No differences in hippocampal volume were observed between patients and control subjects (n = 30). Within the patient group, DST suppressors did not differ from DST nonsuppressors in hippocampal volume. However, a relationship between hippocampal volume and 11 p.m. cortisol concentration was observed after covariance adjustment for age and sex. Furthermore, significant negative correlations were observed between hippocampal volume and both age of depressive onset and number of hospitalizations. The results of this study therefore provide limited support for the hypothesis regarding an essential role of the hippocampus in the neuroendocrine elevation of glucocorticoids in depression.
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40 Must Learn Text Effect Tutorials in Illustrator. Tutorials January 31, 2011 The love of creating text effects has become a common ground for many designers and enthusiasts.
Indeed, it has even become an art form in itself. It would be best to learn from other artists every now and then. Check out these 40 Must Learn Text Effect Tutorials in Illustrator and be inspired to create your own masterpieces; you could even share your work with the rest of the world right in the comments below! Create a Green Viscous Text Effect. Articles - Texture. When working in Illustrator it's nice to add textures that weren't computer generated (like gradients or pattern fills).
Illustrations like the ones in this lightbox have that extra something, and when you see them, you can practically feel them under your fingers. While gradients have their place, they lack that 'handmade' feel and can limit the usefulness of your image. T-shirt graphics are a great example where gradients don't always work well with silk screening. Handmade textures are an ideal solution: they're unique, interesting, and print very well. Painting a Pinup Girl in Photoshop. Painting a Pin Up | 01 | Set Up your Selection Masks To get started with coloring a digital work – the first thing that you will need is either a scan or a photograph of a drawing that you've done.
Create An Awesome Space Rocket in Illustrator. What?
You still don't have your own avatar? Remedy this situation immediately with this tutorial. We'll draw a shiny, awesome-looking space rocket in Adobe Illustrator using advanced techniques such as gradient meshes, pattern brushes and opacity masks. We will then add a flare, smoke, clouds and sky to complete a fun illustration. Design with Swirls and Flourishes. It's very common these days to see swirls and flourishes within graphic design.
You can use brushes or vectors to achieve this look, but if you want to customize your own you'll have to dig in and spend some time creating them. This swirl designs tutorial will cover some of the techniques you can use to create your own beautiful swirls and flourishes. A quick thanks to Zoe who requested this kind of tutorial by dropping me a comment. If there is a tutorial you would like to see covered, I would love to see your suggestions. Retro car vectors. It's surprisingly easy to create a sharp, clean, attention-grabbing vector graphic based on a photograph, whether it's a pet, a person, a motorbike or a car.
And because it's a vector graphic, you'll be able to resize it without any loss of quality. There are other benefits too. Vector-based images make for smaller files, and smaller files are easier for your computer to open, close and print out. The final Illustrator file from this tutorial is only 5MB, compared with 50MB for a 300dpi Photoshop file of the same dimensions. Because the vector image is an Illustrator file, it's easy for you to change the colours of the illustration if, for example, you want to use it again and again for different clients. How To Create a Stylish Skull Based Vector Illustration. The skull and crossed pistons mark is a popular adaption of the tradition skull and crossbones symbol and is commonly seen in motorcycle culture, amongst other.
Follow this Adobe Illustrator tutorial to create your own underground skull & crossed pistons graphic. We'll start with a simple sketch, then build up the detail using a range of linework and vector shapes. Here's the graphic I've put together for this tutorial. The skull and pistons are both made up of simple linework, but with a couple of simple techniques they can really be brought to life.


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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article
Brazil once had the highest deforestation rate in the world and as of 2005 still has the largest area of forest removed annually.[1] Since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers (230,000 sq mi) of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. In 2001, the Amazon was approximately 5.4 million square kilometres, which is only 87% of the Amazon's original state.[2] Rainforests have decreased in size primarily due to deforestation. Despite reductions in the rate of deforestation in the last ten years, the Amazon Rainforest will be reduced by 40% by 2030 at the current rate.[3] Between May 2000 and August 2006, Brazil lost nearly 150,000 square kilometres of forest, an area larger than that of Greece. According to the Living Planet Report 2010, deforestation is continuing at an alarming rate, but at the CBD 9th Conference 67 ministers signed up to help achieve zero net deforestation by 2020.[4]
Contents |
In the 1940s Brazil began a program of national development for the Amazon Basin. President Getúlio Vargas declared emphatically that:
" | The Amazon, under the impact of our will and labor, shall cease to be a simple chapter in the history of the world, and made equivalent to other great rivers, shall become a chapter in the history of human civilization. Everything which has up to now been done in Amazonas, whether in agriculture or extractive industry... must be transformed into rational exploitation. | " |
— Getúlio Vargas[5] |
Vargas established many government programs to begin developing his vision, including the Superintendency for the Economic Valorization of Amazonia (SPVEA) in 1953,[6] the Superintendency for the Development of Amazonia (SUDAM) in 1966, and the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA) in 1971. It was in the 1960s that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon became more widespread, chiefly from the removal of forest to make way for cattle ranching to raise national revenue during a period of high world beef prices, to eliminate hunger and to pay off international debt obligations.[5] Extensive transportation projects, such as the Trans-Amazon Highway, were promoted in 1970, meaning that huge areas of forest would be removed for commercial purposes.
Before the 1960s, much of the forest remained intact due to the restrictions in access to the Amazon aside from partial clearing along the river banks.[7] The poor soil also made plantation-based agriculture unprofitable. The key point in deforestation of the Amazon was when the colonists established farms within the forest during the 1960s. Their farming system was based on crop cultivation and the slash and burn method. The colonists were unable to successfully manage their fields and the crops due to the loss of soil fertility and weed invasion.[8] The soils in the Amazon are productive for just a short period of time, and so the farmers there must constantly move and clear more and more land.[8]
Amazonian colonization was dominated by cattle raising, not only because it was possible to grow grass in the poor soil, but also because ranching required little labor, generated decent profits, and awarded social status in the community. However, the results of farming have led to extensive deforestation and have caused extensive environmental damage.[9]
An estimated 30% of the deforestation is due to small farmers and the intensity within the area that they inhabit is greater than the area occupied by the medium and large ranchers who possess 89% of the Legal Amazon's private land. This emphasizes the importance of using previously cleared land for agricultural use, rather the typical easiest political path of distributing still-forested areas.[10] In the Brazilian Amazon, the number of small farmers versus large landholders changes frequently with economic and demographic pressures.[10]
In 1964, a Brazilian land law was passed that supported ownership of the land by the developer: if a person could demonstrate effective cultivation for a year and a day, then that person could claim a right to the land. This act paved the way for clearing enormous areas of forest for cattle production as developers sought to gain a financial profit from land with which they were provided.[11] In the 1970s, with the growth of the Trans Amazonian highway, INCRA established schemes to attract hundreds of thousands of potential farmers westward into the Amazon and exploit the forest for cattle ranches. Between 1966 and 1975 Amazon land values grew at a rate of 100% per year as the government offered subsidies to reform the land; throughout the 1970s and 1980s, farmers rushed to claim land and quickly convert areas to farming and make a profit due to the improved transportation network and the high prices of beef.[5] The forest was also exploited for timber, which provided Brazil a way of paying off international debt.[12] By the late 1980s, an area the size of England, Scotland and Wales was being removed annually.[13]
The annual rate of deforestation in the Amazon region has continued to increase from 1990 to 2003 because of factors at local, national, and international levels.[7] 70% of formerly forested land in the Amazon, and 91% of land deforested since 1970, is used for livestock pasture.[14][15] The Brazilian government initially attributed 38% of all forest loss between 1966 and 1975 to large-scale cattle ranching. According to the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), "between 1990 and 2001 the percentage of Europe's processed meat imports that came from Brazil rose from 40 to 74 percent" and by 2003 "for the first time ever, the growth in Brazilian cattle production, 80 percent of which was in the Amazon was largely export driven."[16]
The removal of forest to make way for cattle ranching was the leading cause of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from the mid 1960s. In addition to Vargas's earlier aim for commercial development in the country, the devaluation of the Brazilian real against the dollar had the result of doubling the price of beef in reals and gave ranchers a widespread incentive to increase the size of their cattle ranches and areas under pasture for mass beef production, resulting in large areas of forest removal. Access to clear the forest was facilitated by the land tenure policy in Brazil that meant developers could proceed without restraint and install new cattle ranches which in turn functioned as a qualification for land ownership.[17] The removal of the Amazon forest for cattle farming in Brazil was also seen by developers as an economic investment during periods of high inflation where the appreciation of cattle prices providing a way of outpacing the interest rate earned on money left in the bank. Brazilian beef was more competitive on the world market at a time when extensive improvements in the road network in the Amazonas in the early 1970s through the Trans Amazonian highway and subsequent other new roads gave potential developers access to vast areas of previously inaccessible parts of the forest. This coincided with the reduction of transportation costs through cheaper fuels such as ethanol which lowered the costs of shipping the beef from denser areas of the forest giving ranchers an incentive to maximise profits.
Cattle Ranching is not an environmental investment though. Cattle emit large amounts of methane into the environment. These emissions play a major role in climate change because methane's ability to trap heat is 20 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. One cow can emit up to 130 gallons of methane a day, just through belching.[18]
In the 1970s, Brazil planned a massive development in its transportation infrastructure with a 2,000-mile (3,200 km) highway that would completely pass through the Amazon forest, which had the effect of increasing the vulnerability of poor farmers by colonizers using the new infrastructure to seek out new areas for commercial development. Studies by the Environmental Defense Fund have revealed areas affected by the road network were eight times more likely to be deforested by cultivators than untouched lands and that the roads allowed developers to increasingly exploit the forest reserves not only for pastoral production but to export the reserves of wood and use it as fuel and for building. Developers were often given a six month salary and substantial agricultural loans to remove the forest alongside the roads in 250-acre (1.0 km2) lots into new cattle ranches for production.
The Brazilian government granted land to approximately 150,000 families in the Amazon between 1995 and 1998. Poor farmers were also encouraged by the government through programmes such as the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform in Brazil (INCRA) to exploit the unclaimed forest land and after a five-year period were given the rights to ownership and rights to sell it, giving them a clear purpose to use and reform the land for financial gain. The problem is worsened by the short-term productivity of the soils following forest removal for arable farmers and after only a year or two the fields became infertile and the farmers are forced to exploit new areas of forest to maintain income. In 1995 nearly half, 48% of deforestation in Brazil was attributed to the poorer farmers removing lots under 125 acres (0.51 km2) in size.
'Slash and Burn' is when people cut down and burn trees in and area. this destroys trees quickly and easy.
Hydroelectric dam projects in the Amazon, such as the Belo Monte dam in Pará state, have also been responsible for flooding significant areas of the forest.[19] In particular the Balbina dam flooded approximately 2,400 km2 (930 sq mi) of rainforest on completion and its reservoir itself has been responsible for contributing to global warming by emitting 23,750,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 140,000 tons of methane in only its first three years of operation.[17] Mining has also increased deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon particularly since the 1980s with miners often clearing forest to open the mines, often also using them for building material, collecting wood for fuel and subsistence agriculture.
In addition, Brazil is currently the second-largest global producer of soybeans after the United States, mostly for livestock feed, and as prices for soybeans rise, the soy farmers are pushing northwards into forested areas of the Amazon. As stated in Brazilian constitution, clearing land for crops or fields is considered an 'effective use' of land and is the beginning towards land ownership.[7] Cleared property is also valued 5–10 times more than forested land and for that reason valuable to the owner whose ultimate objective is resale. The soy industry is an important exporter for Brazil;[citation needed] therefore, the needs of soy farmers have been used to validate many of the controversial transportation projects that are currently developing in the Amazon.[7]
Cargill, a multinational company which controls the majority of the soya bean trade in Brazil has been criticized along with fast food chains like Mcdonalds by active groups such as Greenpeace for speeding up the process of the deforestation of the Amazon. Cargill is the main supplier of soya beans to large fast food companies such as McDonalds which uses the soya products to feed their cattle and chickens. As fast food chains expand, fast food chains must increase the quantity of their livestock in order to produce more products such as hamburgers and chicken Mcnuggets. In order to meet the large demands of soya, Cargill is forced to expand its soya production by clear cutting parts of the Amazon.[20]
The first two highways: the Rodovia Belém-Brasília (1958) and the Cuiaba-Porto Velho (1968) were the only federal highways in the Legal Amazon to be paved and passable year-round before the late 1990s. These two highways are said to be "at the heart of the 'arc of deforestation'," which at present is the focal point area of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The Belém-Brasília highway attracted nearly two million settlers in the first twenty years. The success of the Belém-Brasília highway in opening up the forest was re-enacted as paved roads continued to be developed unleashing the irrepressible spread of settlement. The completions of the roads were followed by a wave of resettlement and the settlers had a significant effect on the forest.[21]
Scientists using NASA satellite data have found that clearing for mechanized cropland has recently become a significant force in Brazilian Amazon deforestation. This change in land use may alter the region's climate and the land's ability to absorb carbon dioxide. Researchers found that in 2003, the peak year of deforestation, more than 20 percent of the Mato Grosso state's forests were converted to cropland. This finding suggests that the recent cropland expansion in the region is contributing to further deforestation. In 2005, soybean prices fell by more than 25 percent and some areas of Mato Grosso showed a decrease in large deforestation events, although the central agricultural zone continued to clear forests. But, deforestation rates could return to the high levels seen in 2003 as soybean and other crop prices begin to rebound in international markets. Brazil has become a leading worldwide producer of grains including soybean, accounting for more than one-third of the country's gross national product. This new driver of forest loss suggests that the rise and fall of prices for other crops, beef and timber may also have a significant impact on future land use in the region, according to the study.[22]
Logging in Brazil's Amazon is economically motivated. The economic opportunity for developing regions is driven by timber export and demand for charcoal. Charcoal producing ovens use large amounts of timber. In one month, the Brazilian government destroyed 800 illegal ovens in Tailandia. These 800 ovens were estimated to consume about 23,000 trees per month.[23] Logging for timber export is selective, since only a few species, such as mahogany, have commercial value and are harvested. The forest is not completely logged, but still selective logging creates a lot of damage to the forest. For every tree harvested, 5-10 other trees are logged, to transport the logs through the forest. Also, a falling tree takes down a lot of other small trees in the forest. A logged forest contains significantly less species where no selective logging has taken place. A forest disturbed by selective logging is also significantly more vulnerable to fire.[24]
In order to combat this destruction, the Brazilian government has not issued any new permits for logging. Unauthorized harvesting has continued nonetheless. Efforts to prevent cutting down forests are made through payments to land owners. Instead of banning logging all together, the government hopes payments that are comparable to the money the land would earn from timber or farming will dissuade owners from further destruction.[25]
One of the major concerns arising from deforestation in Brazil is the global effect it produces on climatic change. The rainforests are of vital importance in the carbon dioxide exchange process, and are second only to oceans as the most important sink on the planet to absorb increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide resulting from industry.
The most recent survey on deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions reports that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is responsible for as much as 10% of current greenhouse gas emissions due to the removal of forest which would have otherwise absorbed the emissions having a clear effect on global warming. The problem is made worse by the method of removing the forest where many trees are burned to the ground emitting vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, not only affecting air quality in areas of Brazil but affecting the carbon dioxide levels globally as a result.
Though the fires are only intended to burn limited areas of forest to make way for allocated agricultural plots, they frequently burn much more extensive areas of land than intended. In 1987 between July and October, about 19,300 square miles (50,000 km2) of rainforest was burned in the states of Pará, Mato Grosso, Rondônia, and Acre releasing more than 500 million tons of carbon, 44 million tons of carbon monoxide, and millions of tons of nitrogen oxides and poisonous chemicals into the atmosphere.[26] In 2005 the burning of the forests in Brazil created widespread health implications across the Amazon region, including airport closings and hospitalizations from smoke inhalation.
Carbon present in the trees is essential for ecosystem development and plays a key role in the regional climate in Brazil and also globally. Fallen leaves resulting from deforestation leave behind a mass of dead plant material known as slash, which on decomposition provides a food source for invertebrates which has the indirect effect of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels through respiration and microbial activity.[27] Simultaneously the organic carbon within the soil structure becomes depleted and the presence of carbon plays a vital role in the functioning of life in any ecosystem.
The Brazilian rainforest is one of the most biologically diverse regions of the world. Over a million species of plants and animals are known to live in the Amazon and many millions of species are unclassified or unknown. With the rapid process of deforestation the habitats of many animals and plants that live in the rainforests are under threat and species may face extinction. The deforestation has the effect of reducing a gene pool amongst species meaning that there is less genetic variation that is needed to adapt to climate change in the future. The Brazilian Amazon is known to possess a vast resource for the treatments of medicines and scientific research into the basin has been conducted to find a cure for major global killers such as AIDS, cancer, and other terminal diseases.
Rainforests are the oldest ecosystems on earth. Rainforest plants and animals continued to evolve, developing into the most diverse and complex ecosystems on earth. Living in limited areas, most of these species are endemic, or found nowhere else in the world. In tropical rainforests, it is estimated that 90% of the species that exist in the ecosystem reside in the canopy. Since the tropical rainforests are estimated to hold 50% of the planet's species, the canopy of rainforests worldwide may hold 45% of life on Earth. The Amazon rainforest borders 8 countries, it has the world's largest river basin and the source of 1/5 of the Earth's river water. It has the world's highest diversity of birds and freshwater fish. The Amazon is home to more species of plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet—perhaps 30% of the world's species are found there. More than 300 species of mammals are found in the Amazon, the majority of which are bats and rodents. The Amazon basin contains the largest number of freshwater fish species in the world—more than 3,000 species. More than 1500 bird species are also found there. Frogs are overwhelmingly the most abundant amphibians in the rainforest. Interdependence is where all species are to some extent dependent on one another. Biological interdependency takes many forms in the forest, from species relying on other species for pollination and seed dispersal to predator-prey relationships to symbiotic relationships. Each species that disappears from the ecosystem may weaken the survival chances for another, while the loss of a keystone species—an organism that links many other species together—could cause a significant disruption in the functioning of the entire system.
The removal of the forest by developers affects the social and economic lives of the indigenous people who live in the forests whose families have lived their in relative isolation for many centuries. The rainforest is their home, and a fundamental source of food, shelter, fuel, nourishment and also their cultural heritage and recreation. Deforestation and removal of the forest specifically for the export of timber also removes a valuable protection of the soils in a dynamic ecosystem and the region prone to desertification and silting on the river banks as rivers become clogged with washed away soils in sparse areas. If too much timber is cut, the soil that once had sufficient cover often gets baked and dried in the sun, becoming subject to erosion and degradation of soil fertility meaning that farmers cannot profit from the land even after removal. According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) in 1977, deforestation is a major cause of desertification and in 1980 UNEP estimated that desertification threatened 35 per cent of the world's land surface and 20 per cent of the world's population.[28]
The exploitation of the forests in Brazil for mining activities such as gold mining has also significantly increased the risk of mercury poisoning and contamination of the ecosystem and water.[29] Mercury poisoning can affect the foodchain and impact upon wildlife both on land and in the rivers but can also affect plants and affect the crops of farmers who are also looking to exploit areas of the forests. Pollution may result from mine sludge and affect the functioning of the river system at a time when soils are blown away due to exposure and have a significant impact on aquatic populations further implicated by dam building in the region. Dams build in areas of previously inhabited forest may have a profound impact on migrating fish and ecological life and leave the plains prone to flooding and leaching.
In an American Meteorological Society Journal of Climate, two research meteorologists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Andrew Negri and Robert Adler have analysed the impact of deforestation on climatic patterns in the Amazon using data and observatory readings obtained from NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission collected over many years. Working also with the University of Arizona and the North Carolina State University according to Negri "In deforested areas, the land heats up faster and reaches a higher temperature, leading to localized upward motions that enhance the formation of clouds and ultimately produce more rainfall".[30] They also examined cloud cover in the deforested areas, and in comparison with the areas still unaffected by deforestation found a significant increase in cloud cover and rainfall during the August–September wet season where forest had been removed. The height or existence of plants and trees in the forest directly affects the aerodynamics of the atmosphere, affecting precipitation. In addition the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a series of detailed computer simulated models of rainfall patterns in the Amazon during the 1990s and concluded that the removal of the forest also leaves the land exposed to the sun naturally increasing the land temperature near the surface, enhancing evaporation and more moisture in the atmosphere.
Deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon have slowed dramatically since peaking in 2004 at 27,423 square kilometers per year. By 2009, deforestation had fallen to around 7,000 square kilometers per year, a decline of nearly 75 percent from 2004, according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, or INPE),[31] which produces deforestation figures annually. Their deforestation estimates are derived from 100 to 220 images taken during the dry season in the Amazon by the China–Brazil Earth Resources Satellite program (CBERS), and may only consider the loss of the Amazon rainforest biome – not the loss of natural fields or savannah within the rainforest. According to INPE, the original Amazon rainforest biome in Brazil of 4,100,000 km² was reduced to 3,403,000 km² by 2005 – representing a loss of 17.1%.[31]
According to the National Institute for Space Research and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the estimates of deforestation in Amazon Rainforest are:[32]
Period | Estimated remaining forest cover in the Brazilian Amazon (km²) | Annual forest loss (km²) | Percent of 1970 cover remaining | Total forest loss since 1970 (km²) |
Pre–1970 | 4,100,000 | — | — | — |
1977 | 3,955,870 | 21,130 | 96.5% | 144,130 |
1978–1987 | 3,744,570 | 21,130 | 91.3% | 355,430 |
1988 | 3,723,520 | 21,050 | 90.8% | 376,480 |
1989 | 3,705,750 | 17,770 | 90.4% | 394,250 |
1990 | 3,692,020 | 13,730 | 90.0% | 407,980 |
1991 | 3,680,990 | 11,030 | 89.8% | 419,010 |
1992 | 3,667,204 | 13,786 | 89.4% | 432,796 |
1993 | 3,652,308 | 14,896 | 89.1% | 447,692 |
1994 | 3,637,412 | 14,896 | 88.7% | 462,588 |
1995 | 3,608,353 | 29,059 | 88.0% | 491,647 |
1996 | 3,590,192 | 18,161 | 87.6% | 509,808 |
1997 | 3,576,965 | 13,227 | 87.2% | 523,035 |
1998 | 3,559,582 | 17,383 | 86.8% | 540,418 |
1999 | 3,542,323 | 17,259 | 86.4% | 557,677 |
2000 | 3,524,097 | 18,226 | 86.0% | 575,903 |
2001 | 3,505,932 | 18,165 | 85.5% | 594,068 |
2002 | 3,484,538 | 21,394 | 85.0% | 615,462 |
2003 | 3,459,291 | 25,247 | 84.4% | 640,709 |
2004 | 3,431,868 | 27,423 | 83.7% | 668,132 |
2005 | 3,413,022 | 18,846 | 83.2% | 686,978 |
2006 | 3,398,913 | 14,109 | 82.9% | 701,087 |
2007 | 3,387,381 | 11,532 | 82.6% | 712,619 |
2008 | 3,375,413 | 11,968 | 82.3% | 724,587 |
By the end of the 1980s, the removal of Brazil's forests had become a serious global issue, not only because of the loss of biodiversity and ecological disruption, but also because of the large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) released from burned forests and the loss of a valuable sink to absorb global CO2 emissions. At the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, deforestation became a key issue addressed at the Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Plans for the Compensated Reduction (CR) of greenhouse gas emissions from tropical forests were set up to give nations like Brazil an incentive to curb their rate of deforestation.
"We are encouraging the Brazilian government to fully endorse the Compensated Reduction proposal", Paulo Moutinho, Scientist and Coordinator of the Climate Change Program of the Amazon Institute for Environmental Research (IPAM), a NGO research institute in Brazil stated.[34] In Brazil, the cost of reducing deforestation emissions by half will be less than $5 per ton of carbon dioxide, as estimated in an unpublished study of IPAM and the Woods Hole Research Center.
On May 11, 1994, two scientists, Compton Tucker and David Skole, presented the results of a NASA survey at the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs of the United States Congress, a formal scientific assessment of deforestation in Brazil aimed at putting to rest the debate on the rate of forest removal and questions on the effectiveness at Brazilian environmental policies. Whilst undertaking a monitoring and complete assessment was very difficult due to the size of the rainforest, they concluded that satellite observations had shown a reduction in the rate of forest removal between 1992 and 1993 and that World Bank estimates of 600,000 square kilometers (12%) cleared by that year appeared to be exaggerated. The NASA assessment concurred with the findings of the Brazilian National Space Research Institute (INPE) with an accurate estimation of 280,000 square kilometers (5%) for the same period.[35] The following year (1995) deforestation nearly doubled; this has been attributed the accidental fire following El Niño-related drought rather than active logging and the following year showed a major decrease from earlier.[36]
In 2002 Brazil ratified the Kyoto agreement as a developing nation in the non-Annex I category of countries. These countries do not have carbon emissions quotas in the agreement as developed nations do.[37] President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva iterated that it is "Brazil that is in charge of looking after the Amazon."[38] In 2006 Brazil proposed a direct finance route to deal with the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Developing Countries, or REDD, issue, recognizing that deforestation contributes to 20 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. The competing proposal for the REDD issue is a carbon emission credit system, where reduced deforestation would receive "marketable emissions credits". In effect, developed countries could reduce their carbon emissions, and approach their emissions quota by investing in the reforestation of developing rainforest countries. Instead, Brazil's 2006 proposal would draw from a fund based upon donor country contributors.[38]
By 2005 forest removal had fallen to 9,000 km2 (3,500 sq mi) of forest compared to 18,000 km2 (6,900 sq mi) in 2003[39] and on July 5, 2007, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced at the International Conference on Biofuels in Brussels that more than 20 million hectares of conservation units to protect the forest and more efficient fuel production had allowed the rate of deforestation to fall by 52% in the three years since 2004.[40]
Daniel Nepstad, a Senior Scientist at the Woods Hole Research Center which focuses on tackling deforestation issues in Brazil has demonstrated that Brazil's deforestation rates have been cut nearly in half in recent years through a combination of government intervention and economic trends. Since 2004 the country has established more than 200,000 square kilometres of parks, nature reserves, and national forests in the Amazon rainforest. These protected areas, if fully enforced, aim to prevent an estimated one billion tons of carbon from being transferred to the atmosphere through deforestation by the year 2015.[41]
In 2005 Brazilian Environment Minister Marina da Silva announced that 9,000 km2 (3,500 sq mi) of forest had been felled in the previous year, compared with more than 18,000 km2 (6,900 sq mi) in 2003 and 2004.[39] Between 2005 and 2006 there was a 41% drop in deforestation; nonetheless, Brazil still had the largest area of forest removed annually on the planet.[1]
These methods have also reduced the illegal appropriation of land and logging, encouraging the use of land for sustainable timber harvesting.
The improvement of the social and economic conditions of the huge population of poor people in Brazil is the main concern of the government.
It is clear that to diminish deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon would require enormous financial resources to compensate the loggers and given them an economic incentive to pursue other areas of activity. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has estimated that a total of approximately US$547.2 million (1 billion Brazilian reais) per year would be required from international sources to compensate the forest developers and establish a highly organized framework to fully implement forest governance and monitoring,[42] and the foundation of new protected forest areas in the Amazon for future sustainability.[43] Due to Brazil's need to develop economically and pay off international debt obligations, compensating the loggers over the entirety of the Amazon rainforest would require a heavy amount of funding and increased interaction with the international community, and a reform of the world market system if deforestation in the country is to be halted.
Non-governmental organizations such as WWF have been highly active in the region and WWF Brazil has formed an alliance with some eight other Brazilian NGO'S which aim to completely halt deforestation in the Amazon by 2015. Working with groups such as Greenpeace, and The Nature Conservancy, the proposal, known as the "Agreement on Acknowledging the Value of the Forest and Ending Amazon Deforestation," aims at combining strong public policies with market strategies to achieve annual deforestation reduction targets.[42] The groups aim to establish a wide-ranging commitment between the sectors of the government and society to conserve the rainforest and are aiming for an overall reduction in deforestation of 68,737.8 square kilometres in seven years. Denise Hamú, the CEO of WWF-Brazil has said' "Only through the mobilization of state and federal governments, the private sector and environmental NGOs we can reach significant results for the conservation and promotion of sustainable development in the Amazon".[43]
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Chris Arrant spoke with artist Damion Scott about why he's been absent from American comics for the past several years, what brought him back and his desire to illustrate a darker Spider-Man story.
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Paul Eiding
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Paul Eiding | |
Born | March 28, 1957 Cleveland, Ohio |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Voice actor |
Paul Eiding is an American actor and voice actor. Aside from his contributions to Metal Gear Solid, he is also known for the roles of "Perceptor", the Autobot scientist in Transformers, "Judicator Aldaris" in Starcraft, "Max Tennyson" in Ben 10 and its sequels Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, and Omniverse, various roles in Cow and Chicken, Professor Hojo in The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, The Narrator in the Diablo series, and also voices "Commander Karl Falco" in James Cameron's Avatar: The Game.
He is best known to Metal Gear fans for portraying Roy Campbell.
He has also provided the voice of Gary "Stone" Stoneman in the Syphon Filter series and was the opening cutscene narrator for No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle for the Wii. In addition, Eiding has also provided the voice of Paul Luther and one of the treacherous monks in Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem created by Silicon Knights, which had also worked on the Metal Gear Solid remake, The Twin Snakes.


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International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks
Volume 2013 (2013), Article ID 591809, 8 pages
Research Article
Data Storage Scheme Supporting for Multidimensional Query
College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Zhejiang 310023, China
Received 20 December 2012; Revised 17 March 2013; Accepted 7 April 2013
Academic Editor: Tai-hoon Kim
Copyright © 2013 Keji Mao et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Linked References
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- X. Li, Y. J. Kim, R. Govindan, and W. Hong, "Multi-dimensional range queries in sensor networks," in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Embedded Networked Sensor Systems (SenSys '03), pp. 63–75, Los Angels, Calif, USA, November 2003. View at Scopus
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- Y. Ren, V. Oleshchuk, and F. Y. Li, "A scheme for secure and reliable distributed data storage in unattended WSNs," in Proceedings of the 53rd IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM '10), Miami, Fla, USA, December 2010. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar · View at Scopus
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- Z. Ning, S. Shi, J. Li, et al., "Multi-resolution data storage method for region query in sensor network," Journal of Computer Research and Development, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 589–597, 2012.
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AUSTIN, TX– Oct. 19, 2011–Drummond Group Inc. (DGI), the trusted interoperability test lab, last week submitted to the DEA its e-Prescribing of Controlled Substances (ePCS) Certification Process documentation. The DEA is currently reviewing this ePCS Certification Process for approval. Upon approval, DGI will be providing ePCS certification to healthcare software companies with the capability of e-Prescribing controlled substances.
Since 2005, Drummond Group has been the lead auditor and certification organization for the DEA's final rule regulations on the Controlled Substance Ordering System (CSOS). CSOS enables drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies to electronically automate the order and fulfillment supply chain of controlled substances. Drummond Group also serves as an Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ATCB) under the Health and Human Services' (HHS) electronic health records (EHR) certification program and has certified more than 450 software applications, including e-Prescribing solutions, since its inception in 2010.
For complete press release, please click here.
Last month, Steven Posnack, director of the Federal Policy Division within the Office of the National Coordinator for Health (ONC), wrote a very helpful blog on fact and fiction related to the ONC certification program. We have recently had many questions related to Drummond Group's involvement in the ONC Permanent Certification program and related certification. Here is our own QA session for questions and how that affects certification from the current Temporary Program.
Question: What is difference between the Permanent Certification Program and the Temporary Certification Program? What about ATCBs and ACBs? Is ANSI now involved in certification?
Answer: The Temporary Certification Program and the Permanent Certification Program are ultimately about the governance of the testing and certification program, specifically, the bodies that are testing and certifying, like Drummond Group. Their work and requirements are, in most ways, outside the concern of EHR vendors and HIT users. Meaningful Use measures and ONC certification criteria are completely separate from the Final Rules governing both certification programs.
The requirements within both programs are very similar. The chief difference is the accreditation method. In the Temporary Program, an organization like Drummond Group was required to take comprehensive tests and submit two sets of quality manuals: 1) for testing plans and processes and 2) for our certification processes. These were approved by ONC itself to be accredited as an ONC Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ATCB). In the Permanent Program, ONC is no longer acting as the accreditation body of either testing or certification although they will still oversee the program. Instead, there is a new ONC-Approved Accreditors (ONC-AA), ANSI, who will do the accreditation for the certification bodies as an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ACB), and NVLAP, a division of NIST, will run the accreditation program for the testing bodies.
Question: Will Drummond Group be a part of the Permanent Certification Program? Will you also do testing?
Answer: Drummond Group's intention is to be an ACB (Authorized Certification Body), as well as an NVLAP accredited testing body for EHRs. We are currently working on preparations for approval in the Permanent Program.
Question: When will Drummond Group or others be named as ACBs? Do you have a timeframe?
Answer: We are really hesitant to even speculate on a specific date when ACBs will be open for business given there are many unknowns. Here is what we do know: NIST will be releasing the final testing accreditation requirements for testing agencies around December and will begin processing the applications on Jan. 15, 2012. We have no word from ANSI or ONC on details for applying to become an ACB, nor additional certification body accreditation requirements apart from the core ISO Guide 65.
Also, accreditation is just the first step. Only after you are accredited by ANSI for your certification quality procedures can you submit your application to ONC to be a part of the Permanent Certification program. In the Temporary Program, the submission to ONC to be an ATCB until official approval was a process that took approximately two months.
Question: Will there be new criteria to test and certify in the Permanent Program and will certified EHRs have to return and be recertified with an ACB to remain on the CHPL?
Answer: As stated above, the Temporary and Permanent Program Final Rules are ultimately about the governance of the testing and certification program but not about the criteria which the ATCBs or ACBs will certify. The testing requirements and certification criteria come from ONC separate from anything to do with the current state of the certification program.
Even in the Temporary Program, ONC could revise and update the certification criteria requiring products to be retested and recertified. In fact, they actually did make a revision to the public health surveillance criteria (170.302.l) in an interim rule in October 2010 although it did not require recertification. Eventually, the criteria will be updated when new meaningful use stages are introduced, but that is not connected with the timing or availability of the Permanent Program. Also, certified EHRs will not need to be recertified by an ACB simply because the ATCBs are dissolved with the closing of the Temporary Program.
Question: Once we are in the Permanent Program and new criteria are introduced, such as with Meaningful Use Stage 2, will certified EHRs to have to retest everything previously tested and certified in the temporary program?
Answer: On retesting previously certified criteria, the Permanent Program Final Rule does make a reference to allowing for "gap" certification of new or revised criteria added in later stages versus fully recertifying and retesting all criteria, including those unchanged from previous ONC rulings. However, it ultimately leaves this to the decision of the ACB. We (Drummond Group or any other ATCB) cannot speak definitely on this until we are an ACB and receive further guidance from ONC and possibly ANSI, which is the selected ONC-AA who will accredit us.
Question: In his blog, Steven Posnack stated that current CHPL certification will not expire. However, the certification seals issued in the Temporary Program make reference to 2011/2012. What does that mean?
Answer: Those 2011/2012 Certification Seal dates come from the ONC Final Rule on the Temporary Program, but they are not explicit expirations. Rather, they reflect what was anticipated as the timeline of the criteria and associated Stage 1 Meaningful Use measures.
It ultimately depends upon the current module criteria requirements. If they are not updated, then the certification is still valid.
As a testing company with more than a decade's worth of experience, we've certified many software products across multiple industries. In the process, we've worked with quite a few certification and standards-setting bodies.
For the past several months, we've been busy in the healthcare industry, working under the auspices of the government's electronic health records incentive program. As a matter of fact, since becoming an Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ATCB), we've certified more than 300 electronic health records systems using a testing script developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the Office of the National Coordinator for Healthcare Information Technology (ONC-HIT).
Although we've tested systems for a variety of standards-setting groups, we weren't quite sure what to expect when we started working as a testing company under the purview of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) legislation – a behemoth government program to say the least.
Much to our delight: We're really happy with the way things are going so far.
Why? First, we think the leaders in the government program got it right. The powers-that-be managed to develop clear technical requirements without imposing restrictive implementation methods, making it possible to ensure that certified EHRs all perform at a certain level, but also leaving enough flexibility for EHRs to meet specific user needs and for developers to continue to innovate. It's a tricky balance but one that the ONC seems to have mastered quite well.
As a result, there's plenty of room for developers to come up with products that push the envelope with new features and functions or to tailor systems to meet the very specific needs of certain specialists such as OB-GYNs, chiropractors or plastic surgeons. At the same time, end-users can rest easy, knowing that software systems that have been certified actually live up to the specifications that will make it possible for them to meet the government's meaningful use requirements and, subsequently, qualify for their share of the federal government's incentive funds.
We're also happy with our work in the program. We feel that Drummond Group has been able to add value to the overall process by infusing a healthy dose of neutrality into the testing and certification process. Steadfastly maintaining neutrality has, after all, been a concept that we have built our company on since the beginning.
Although happy to be a member of the healthcare IT community, we purposely shy away from becoming deeply involved in professional coalitions or advocacy efforts. As such, when we test a product, we test a product. We don't have to worry about the fact that an industry coalition spoke out against one of the ONC test requirements because our neutrality would keep us apart.
In essence, we make sure we don't attach to anything else, so that the only thing we are attached to is testing. It's a singular focus that serves software developers and the overall mission of the HITECH program well.
It's complicated. That's how many hospital leaders describe their electronic health records initiatives. These hospitals – instead of having a neat all-in-one EHR solution driving their efforts – have moved toward electronic records by cobbling together a variety of off-the-shelf, customized and possibly even home-grown solutions.
If you work at one of these facilities, you are probably all too familiar with the complications. And, when it comes time to get the stamp of approval needed to qualify for incentive funds, you probably don't know exactly where to start. No worries. Drummond Group is ready to help. We're taking applications from hospitals that want to achieve ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certification for their unique EHR solutions. We stand ready to help hospitals in this situation move forward by testing their solutions to gain the certification required to move toward meaningful use.
Best of all, though, we are gearing up to truly offer more than a cursory certification. With more than 10 years of software testing experience, we have the interoperability know-how that you can tap into to truly get your miscellaneous solutions working together as one unified EHR. Having worked in a variety of complicated industries, we have encountered many difficult software and integration testing scenarios – and have had to evaluate a wide variety of software configurations from the simplest, out-of-the-box applications to complicated solutions derived from a variety of cobbled-together software applications.
What's more, we are truly committed to meeting the specific needs of healthcare providers. We are presently answering inquiries with hospitals and working on setting up certifications for them. And, while we are ready to start working with you today to qualify your customized or home-grown system for certification, we plan on rolling all of our know-how up into a formal service offering early next year.
Remember, though, to achieve ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certification, EHR software has to be tested based on the official criteria as defined by ONC. Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ATCBs) test and certify the software and then HHS approves and lists these certifications on the Certified Health IT Products Listing (CHPL). Customized programs for hospitals or specific specialties – while designed to help meet the unique needs of various classes of HIT vendors — are not required for the certification that will enable your organization to meet meaningful use incentives.
We're often asked why we jumped into the healthcare industry. Our answer: It's simple Business 101 logic. We saw a need and we knew we could fill it.
First, we started hearing from healthcare information technology vendors about the need for software testing. We investigated and discovered that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHC) Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology was recruiting organizations to serve as Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ATCBs) to provide the stamp of approval to electronic health records (EHRs) that would be used by healthcare provider organizations as they seek to qualify for incentive funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
All of this opportunity, of course, piqued our interest. Realizing that we really had something special to offer the healthcare industry, however, made us take the plunge.
Most importantly, we felt that we could offer the efficient and effective software testing that the industry needs –as vendors are scrambling to meet the needs of providers with officially certified EHR solutions. Because we have tested complex software products in a plethora of industries for more than a decade, we have what it takes to get the job done. As a result, vendors can quickly and affordably get their EHR solutions listed on the Certified Health IT Products Listing (CHPL) – and providers can use the solutions to qualify for incentive monies.
Our vision extends beyond the short-term, though. We also realized that we could offer healthcare information technology companies the testing services that they will need as meaningful use requirements evolve—and become more complex. Because of our extensive testing experience, we have become experts in interoperability and privacy issues. Also, we feel that we will be able to help healthcare IT vendors with these issues as meaningful use evolves.
Drummond Group's ONC-ATCB Certified EHR products have now been posted on the HHS Certified Health IT Products Listing.
Drummond Group's ONC-ATCB EHR Program
Problems viewing the HHS Certified Health IT Products Listing?
Please go to http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt/community/healthit_hhs_gov__home/1204
Home page of healthit.hhs.gov and look under "What's New"
Questions? Shoot us an email at firstname.lastname@example.com


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University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is one of the UK's leading universities, internationally recognised for its expertise across a range of disciplines including life and biomedical science, computing and engineering. The University currently has over 17,000 students and more than 3000 staff.
Frontier IP has a 10-year commercialisation partnership with the University of Dundee and works with the university's Research and Innovation Services department to support its company formation and spinout activity across all Colleges at the University.
In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, 54% of the University's research achieved 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent' standards. The university has particular areas of strength. The College of Life Sciences, for example, was ranked ahead of all other universities in Scotland and is one of the UK's top 5 universities in the category of Biological Sciences, ahead of Cambridge and Imperial College. The University is ranked top in the world for pharmacology research (Source:Thomson Reuters).
Three out of 20 of the UK's most cited scientists are based at the University of Dundee - Professor Sir David Lane (cancer), Professor Sir Philip Cohen (diabetes, cell signalling) and Professor Peter Downes (cell signalling).
The university has strong links with industry and key industry funders include the Wellcome Trust, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline.


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now this is something that everyone should know! a girl's best friend, duh!
Jamie was so happy because Don got her pearls for her birthday.
av The Bombdiggietest
8. februar 2007
Another word for chromed out 20" rims.
Damn check out them pearls on that ride.
av Mrsschmidt
8. august 2008
It is an acronym for "Physical Evidence And Reasoned Logic". It was proposed by the scientist and youtuber Thunderf00t as a more apt name for atheists.
A P.E.A.R.L. does not believe in things for which there is inadequate evidence eg. god.
av Anti-life equation
5. desember 2014


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As my daughter's wedding and it's afterglow receed so the writing emerges and the reading too.
On October 25th I'll be running a RoomtoWrite day workshop with my colleague Wendy Robertson on The Novella – all the details are HERE if you'd like to join us for the day. As well as beginning a new novella – a form I'm really excited about – I'm reading novellas too. So far the prize goes to Edith Wharton's – Ethan Frome. New to me but how did I miss this? It's captivating and unputdownable, in my opinion everything a novella should be.
Great fiction, like Edith Wharton's, touches us and teaches us about ourselves and the world. This is the premise of the Changing Lives Through Literature programme I had the good fortune to visit in Boston USA. It's inspirational founder Prof. Bob Waxler has a new book out – The Risk of Reading.
It is an important and fascinating book especially for those of us who care about reading. You can find it HERE.
I pre-ordered my copy so I for one will be reading it.
In my newsletter this week – some American literary magazines to submit to and 'Writing can be Scary.' If you'd like to receive the newsletter – which is not really news but very much about writing – free every Monday just e mail at – email@example.com and I will put you on my list.


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Hang Lee Arts, Inc.
focuses on delivering the finest works of art and has been steadily expanding its collection for the past 30 years. We are based mainly in New York City and have previously sold exclusively to art galleries, specialty dealers, decorators and high net-worth art connoisseurs. Our collection is diverse and varied in theme and material; all of our pieces are exquisite examples of traditional Asian artwork, unique and rare. They are avaliable for purchase to private collectors the world over.
Please feel free to contact us via email: email@example.com
Tel: 201-208-2081


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Rel Dowdell is a very gifted screenwriter and director. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he received his Bachelor's degree in English with magna cum laude honors from Fisk University and a Master's Degree in Film with highest distinction from Boston University. Dowdell's first feature fi lm, Train Ride, was released to widespread critical acclaim. Produced with independent financing, the film was acquired and distributed by Sony Pictures in 2005 and was a tremendous financial success. The picture starred Wood Harris, MC Lyte, Russell Hornsby, and the late Esther Rolle in her last performance. Train Ride was ranked as one of the best American movies that year as cited by veteran film critic Gerald Peary of The Boston Phoenix. It also won the honor of "Best Feature" at the American Theatre of Harlem Film Festival in 2005.
Rel Dowdell has been compared to John Singleton and Spike Lee in the way that he blends urban storytelling and suspense to tackle relevant and universal social issues intimately intertwined with a powerful moral message. Here, Rel discusses his new fi lm, Changing the Game, a drama shot in his hometown and starring Sean Riggs, Irma P. Hall, Tony Todd, Dennis L.A. White and Sticky Fingaz.
KW: How did you come up with the idea of Changing the Game?
RD: I wanted to be daring and create a fi lm with an African-American male protagonist that combined genres, kind of like a cross between "New Jack City" and "Wall Street." The key was to make sure to show that the African-American male protagonist, when given the chance to escape his virulent, inner-city environment and become successful, would make sure not to get engulfed by it again, but at the same time, never lose his sense of self and appreciate the roots from which he originated, in order to make smart decisions in his life.
KW: To what extent is the story autobiographical?
RD: Wow! Good question. I think every screenwriter takes pieces of him or herself and integrates it into the fabric of some of the characters in the screenplay when it's written…The main character, Darrell Barnes (played by Sean Riggs), uses spirituality and intelligence to guide him through some of the pitfalls in his life. I can fully relate to that. I had people pray for me continuously during the more arduous times in my life, just like the character of the grandmother (played by Irma P. Hall) did for Darrell. The part about adapting philosophies of Niccolo Machiavelli to deal with adversities and adversaries seemed like an interesting element to me since I had read texts such as Machiavelli's "The Prince" and "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu numerous times during my academic years.
KW: What message do you want people to take away from the movie?
RD: That life is a constant game of tests and struggles. Just when you think you're in the clear, even tougher tests are ahead. Your opposition adapts to you just like you adapt to it. Some tests you are going to win, and some you are going to lose. However, with true faith, you will have a chance to get back in the game and win when facing the final and most consequential test to keep your soul intact.
KW: Have you started to think about your next film?
RD: It's just starting to come to me, Mr. Williams. After seven years of stress and strife to get this film released, I am finally feeling a sense of completion. I do have a wonderful idea in a completely different genre that I know would be a smash hit film if the right people got behind it.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Rel, and best of luck with the film.
RD: Thanks so much again, Mr. Williams, for taking the time to interview me and for your review of "Changing the Game!" If anyone doesn't get the chance to see the film in the theaters, make sure you look out for the DVD on August 28th. And please, no bootleg! Bootlegging hurts the potential success of African-American films worst of all.
UPDATE 08/17/12: Changing The Game will available for rent at your local Redbox on August 28, 2012. For more information you can visit the Redbox website.


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Fort Greene -
- Elevator / Ground Floor: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Child-Friendly Art: No
- Pet-Friendly Building: No
- Strollers Welcome: Yes
Special Instructions
My studio is on the 3rd and 5th floors, all walk-up.
Artist Statement
My art practice includes public art; installations; conceptual art, written and visual; abstract painting, and sculpture. My public art and installations are site specific, based on the function, history, context, or physical location of the site. In my studio work, I am now using various means to allow viewers to manipulate the work, changing the image. Recently, I have been painting on found rolls (toilet paper rolls, rolling pins) (images 1-3) and I am now exploring other kinds of rolls and manipulable elements, both with surface images, and without surface images, focusing on their sculptural quality (See model, image 4).
The Guestbook
Migliore says: I prefer Greengold's public art work. She is strong on her conceptual approach.
shell7 says: Jane - I'm so happy to have met you through GO and to know you are the one who is behind the project I've loved for so many years. It was great to visit the studio and see the things you are working on. Thanks for opening your studio, being so supportive of the project and offering me a respite on a hectic first weekend day!
adrian.coleman.773 says: Your work was so imaginative and playful. Great to have met you.
sirron.norris.16 says: I really enjoy the interactive functionality of the art work.
anne.townsend.5 says: Thanks for opening your studio. We enjoyed seeing your work.


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BIOGRAPHY Since the age of 17, when he landed his first national commercial for Clearasil, Tracy James's career has been on the rise. When Tracy appeared on the cover of a popular calendar, he was requested to appear on the Joan Rivers show. Joan Rivers gave him an extra boost by featuring him on her show, and in return his picture with Joan appeared on the cover of the Enquirer. This strange series of events landed Tracy numerous fitness magazine jobs which were being viewed by the people at Soloflex. Over the past few years Tracy James' popularity has snowballed into a multi-media sensation. Launching his career as one of the original Soloflex men, he captivated audiences nationwide with his 30-minute infomercial as well as appearing on an instructional video. He soon adorned the covers of many major fitness magazines and national, as well as international calendars. Tracy James quickly gained recognition from the fitness community; thus his first fitness video, from the "Firm" series, was unveiled. With over 3 million copies sold to date, it has been one of the top five selling workout videos of on the market. Tracy has recently released three more video`s which will be available on this site. He is currently negotiating another series of tailored video`s for people with disabilities. Tracy continues to work with various charities donating time and money for those in need. Every Thanksgiving you can find him in the kitchen at Gods Love, We Deliver. A short while later, Cosmopolitan Magazine placed him in the ranks of such super studs as Burt Reynolds, Arnold Schwartzeneggar, Jim Brown and David Hasselhoff when he was voted "Cosmopolitan Man of the Year." Cosmopolitan not only bestowed him with the title of "Man of the Year," but they also placed a pull out centerfold of Tracy in the May 1996 issue; Cosmopolitan's 25th Anniversary issue, which was reserved only for major celebrities up until this point. Tracy can also be found on the covers of Cosmopolitans steamy romance novels and fashion editorials throughout the year. Catching on quickly to his appealing qualities, Giorgio Armani chose to place Tracy on all of his underwear packaging and advertisements. Tracy James soon appeared in advertising campaigns from over 16 different underwear companies in all. Check the packaging the next time you're browsing through the underwear department of your favorite store. Chances are you'll see Tracy James. Tracy also somehow makes time to finish collage and get his bachelors degree in electrical engineering. With the wind at his back Tracy James ventured to Europe where the international fashion community warmly accepted him. Working with designers like Valentino, Armani, Versace, and Adolfo Domingez served to propel Tracy James into nearly every major fashion magazine on the rack. One of his most memorable European experiences was working with photographer Steven Meisel, while shooting an editorial for Italian Vogue with Kristi Hugh. One of the photographs from the shoot was selected as the cover shot for Vogue's hard cover anniversary issue. After years in the business, Tracy James is still every inch as hot as the first time he took off his clothes. From adorning the Armani underwear boxes to the 2xist underwear boxes, demonstrating the Soloflex on infomercials to his slew of fitness videos, from the covers of romance novels to his stint in the late '90s as Cosmo Magazine's Man of the Year. Official site: www.tracyjames.com View GALLERY:
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