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In a situation of an unexpected catastrophe, uncertainty and demand for information are constant. In such a disaster scenario, the CRISIS system arises as a tool to contribute to previous coordination, procedure validation, exercise execution, a good and frequent communication among organizations, and weakness and threat assessment for an appropriate risk management. It offers a wide variety of tools for online communication, consultation and collaboration that, up to this day, includes cartography, tasks, resources, news, forums, instant messaging and chat. As a complement, mathematical models for training and emergency management are being researched and developed. For Argentinean society, it is a necessity to switch from the current handcrafted, bureaucratic emergency management method to a decision-making management model. Previous coordination, exercise execution, a fluid communication among institutions, and threats and weaknesses assessment are required for a proper risk management. With that goal in mind, it is important to reduce confusion, avoid the duplication of efforts to fulfill the same tasks, and have access to a complete vision of the situation, generated from the data of all the organizations taking part. The CRISIS system is a secure web application, accessible to every node in a network formed by the organizations which have complementary responsibilities during prevention and response. It offers a wide variety of tools for online communication, consultation and collaboration that, up to this day, includes cartography, tasks, media (organization and resources), news, forums, instant messaging and chat. As a complement, mathematical models for training and emergency management are being researched and developed. Currently, there are toxicological and epidemiological emergency models available. The present paper analyses, from the perspectives related to risk management for emergencies and disasters, the strengths and weaknesses of the CRISIS system to be used for prevention, response and recoveries in the case of a catastrophe.
Emergency and crisis situations demand an effective interaction among multiple organizations with very different cultures, under the pressure of dealing with an event in evolution. Also, they demand the coordination for the usage of scarce material resources available, the management of consumables and goods donated by the general population for the people affected, and the organization of the actions to be carried out by the human resources available in response to the situation, with the highest synergy possible. It is necessary in such situations to manage and assess the information relevant to both the aforementioned aspects and the evolution of the original phenomenon, taking into account that this information is never absolutely timely, complete or accurate. In order to achieve this and consequently obtain efficient responses to emergency situations, a close coordination and collaboration with other sectors is also required to ensure that needs are fulfilled, efforts are not unnecessarily multiplied, resources are used optimally, and the medical care quality is appropriate [
We agree with Chen
(A) The overall organizational risk culture.
(B) Risk management policy.
(C) Risk identification.
(D) Risk analysis, evaluation, treatment, and monitoring.
As stated above, we understand that a system capable of coordinating the parties and accurately representing the phenomenon can greatly contribute to manage the emergency and to meet the goals listed in the previous paragraph.
Although the CRISIS system is currently being used in a national scope by the Argentinean Department of Defense, it was designed to adapt to different working methods. Its design was influenced by the decree no. 1250/99 [
On the other hand, this tool is still in development, so certain functions are not yet available, only envisaged. Whenever an application capability that has not been deployed yet is referenced, it will be marked as "future" (f), and its study will be limited to those aspects already planned to be included.
This work is, therefore, based on the experience obtained from technical research made by the Departamento de Modelado y Manejo de Crisis del Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas para la Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa de la República Argentina, between 2003 and 2012.
The following ideas that gave a direction to the design of the CRISIS system arose from the needs of those who gave response in previous emergencies, the study of those emergencies, and the necessity of solving issues of coordination among organizations, and constitute the hypotheses for the development and ongoing optimization of the CRISIS system.
The first paradigm of coordination is a formal and vertical communication. In an ideal bureaucratic structure, communications are inspired in efficiency and economy principles, structured information and programmed decisions. Communications are always formal and flow through the tree structure of the organizational chart in a systematic way. The chart is created to deal with repeated and known situations, so they can be logged in forms and be treated deterministically. This architecture has serious disadvantages when maintaining an efficient flow of information during an emergency.
(1) In a tree architecture there is a single path to reach one node from another, so any break in the chain makes communications impossible, and in the best case scenario communications must pass through all the nodes in the middle.
(2) During emergencies or disasters, information tends to be unexpected and not to be repeated from many sources, hence structuring its content and therefore its treatment becomes difficult.
(3) Due to the facts expressed in 1 and 2, the information is transmitted from one level to the next and has to be interpreted in each node of the chain of communications (see
In formal, vertical communications, when unstructured information is transmitted, the quality of the information is usually impaired, like in children's broken telephone game.
Therefore, the way information is handled in each node is critical, the transmission paths are not redundant, and when and if the information reaches its final destination, it does so with maximum delay and interpreted several times, which degrades the original data. In other words, as in a children telephone game, communications are inaccurate and slow.
To add to what has previously been learnt, our experience supports these facts: very often, coordination needs to rely on a less formal organization to ensure information will be validated later by the highest authority.
The second paradigm of coordination, an informal and horizontal communication, allows a direct contact among institutions, which shortens the time to reception, avoids intermediate interpretations of the information and multiplies the communication paths. Nevertheless, this approach poses a threat: the complexity of such a network with all the nodes connected with each other increases in a quadratic way as the number of nodes increases, as is shown in
In a network where each node is connected to all the others, the amount of links increases critically when the network has more than a few nodes.
It is worth mentioning that on several occasions the informal and horizontal communication approach is efficient and sufficient, particularly to deal with situations such as those observed recently. Nevertheless, when there are changes in the personnel of the organizations, contacts and references get lost and therefore the communication dynamics is disturbed. On the other hand, there is a tendency to uncertainty, since news and consultation between two nodes that are not directly linked pass through complex and diverse paths. For that reason, valid information reaches certain nodes as almost rumors, since the original source is not readily known (see
In informal, transversal communications, a piece of news may travel an uncertain path and potentially not reach all relevant nodes. At the same time, the generator of any particular piece of information becomes uncertain.
In recent years, many artificial intelligent models are proposed to solve all kinds of practical risk problems (see [
Using blackboard architecture, effective communication takes only two steps, and the information becomes a single unit in plain view for everyone.
As shown in
As a result of a comparative analysis with other tools used in emergency situations, it is observed that while the Sahana tool [
Moreover, while the Sahana tool focuses on management of evacuation centers, their staff and supplies through a component called Mayon, the CRISIS system bring tools to command and control the tasks for disaster reduction, optimization of available communications and facilitate emergency management across the frequent scale changes in the situation. This is possible because the majority of their communications are independent of the number of nodes.
The model presented by Xiang Chen
Finally, a comparative advantage of the CRISIS system is that it is fully developed using open source software and open standards.
The CRISIS system [
The CRISIS system is being developed at the Departamento de Modelado y Manejo de Crisis (DMMC, Department of Modeling and Crisis Management) of the Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas para la Defensa (CITEDEF, Institute for the Scientific and Technical Research for Defense), a division of the Argentinean Ministry of Defense. This department has been working since 2003 on the development of reliable computer tools for national-wide crisis management. During all these years, the DMMC has taken part in joined crisis management exercises with Chile, Bolivia and Peru, and in international seminars about technologies for crisis management. It has also collaborated in the monitoring of the Chaitén volcano eruption, the Irízar icebreaker fire, and the Mamoré river floods in Bolivia, and has given support to the Argentinean Health Department during the influenza A H1N1 epidemic alert, using the CRISIS system as the first national defense network for emergency management.
Since May 2010, the armed forces have been using the CRISIS system as a coordination tool to give support in civil defense operations. This system was also used during the recent earthquake in Chile for the coordination of the Air Force mobile hospital unit in the Curicó province.
Recently, the CRISIS system has been used in the Integración 2011, a joined exercise, in which Argentina, Bolivia and Peru took part, with a special participation of the province of Salta and the city of Salta.
Currently, its adoption is being contemplated for the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) council of defense, the Argentinean chancery crisis room, the Vicente López city council, and the governments of the Gral. Alvear, Malargüe and San Rafael departments in Mendoza.
Cartography application of the CRISIS system showing volcanic ashes (SMN).
Tasks application of the CRISIS system; picture taken from the Integración 2011 exercise.
Media application of the CRISIS system.
Media application of the CRISIS system; the map view shows the resources on the map.
Media application of the CRISIS system; resource search on the map.
News application of the CRISIS system; heat spot alert list (CONAE).
News application of the CRISIS system; map view of the heat spot alert list (CONAE).
Use geographical and/or tabular information without major changes.
Offer a possible response, quantifying the phenomena and potential effects on people, goods, infrastructure and environment with geographical references, in a standardized format.
Obtain simulation results in a short time, which are very useful for real-time emergency response. It must be noted that there is a relation between the degree of detail of a simulation model and the simulation time; therefore the models that offer a great degree of detail about the phenomenon will be very useful in the planning stage.
Evaluate disturbances during their occurrence, in order to consider the changes in atmospheric conditions and the effects of control interventions, among other issues.
In regard to this last tool, the CRISIS system supports any model for the simulation of natural or anthropogenic phenomenon, but provided there are a reliable database and a clear scientific understanding of the event, it is appropriate to use a numerical model [
Meanwhile, Chen and Tseng [
The DMMC intends to offer a more thorough comprehension of the scenarios to study and, in turn, a more efficient protection of the affected population's health, the environment and the affected assets. The CRISIS system and the simulation models can be used independently or together (f). Through their interaction, we intend to achieve more versatility, ease of use, and optimization.
The CRISIS system and its mathematical models are in continuous development, and its new functionalities are added as its users identify new needs, and time and resources allow for their integration. This feature has had a positive impact on the improvement of the application, which has been an ongoing process since 2003.
Finally, the models for earthquakes, such as the proposed models by Tseng and Chen [
According to its features, the CRISIS system offers a range of tools for different kinds of users connected through the Internet. This system makes access to information for planning and response easier, enabling contact with the relevant authorities to ask for and offer resources, and simplifying the planning and response to emergencies and disasters. The application provides a unified situational map, consultation and handling of geo-referenced information, non-restrictive data structures, support for early alerts, communication among participating organizations, access to external sources of information, and a user-friendly interface [
The CRISIS system manages the feedback from the real/regional data during the emergencies through three channels:
(1) Subscription to web services (rss, georss, cap) from different official information providers, allows monitoring the evolution of the different phenomena (meteorology, fires, floods, volcanic eruptions,
(2) Subscription to web services (rss, georss) from news agencies clarifies which information (correct or otherwise) is available to the public. This also enables deciding when, what and how to inform the public of the situation.
(3) The tasks component allows registration of all the needs surveyed from the terrain, plan the response actions, give orders and receive feedback of progress. It constitutes a soft interagency command and control system.
Moreover, the system allows incorporating new actors in case the emergency escalates. It is designed so that multiple response networks can be federated into one, whenever the situation requires.
Next, we explain the scope of the CRISIS system for an integral emergency management.
Finally, we present historical cases that illustrate how the CRISIS system can be used in prevention, response and recoveries:
Logistics is a system which includes the supply, transport, storage and distribution of resources, and the provision of support services, and in which the interrelation of its parts simplifies, speeds up and organizes the development of the emergency operations, through an optimized usage of the available resources [
The CRISIS system was developed based on the working methodology of the Joint Chief of Staff of the Argentinean Armed Forces. For the Armed Forces, an organized means is a military device with one responsible leader, a geographical location, a series of operating capabilities, human and material resources, and, in certain cases, other subordinate organized means.
Therefore, the responsible leader of an organized means may receive an order from their superiors, since they have operating capabilities to display on a determined land extension, and the authority required to accomplish the mission assigned.
Inspired by that working method and evaluating a possible military and civil use of our tool, a database of organized means was deployed, interoperated by all organizations taking part in the network. Each organization may use this tool to record the information about different units, their location, contact information of the person in charge, their function and level, and the human and material resources it has. The information uploaded to the database can be consulted by other organizations, but only modified by the one which provided it.
The tool allows the search of means, capabilities, or just resources, including their status, location, and organizations and people in charge to whom these assets must be requested. At the same time, it allows to view the hierarchical structure as reported by an organization and a complete summary of its resources.
That way, the tool enables a more agile organization of multi-agency operations, shortening the time of coordination among the people in charge of each resource.
The tool can also be used to record the organized means of organizations that do not have access to the system; in this case, the organization willing to offer them creates an entry for that means, associates it to a work link (f) and records the relevant information.
It is relevant to mention the exploitation of human and material resources that do not belong to the organizations taking part in the network. It is a well-known fact that good-willed volunteers can easily become victims due to lack of organization. It is also known that donations are frequently an issue, since organizations receive goods that are not needed and are not previously classified, and their storage demands efforts, security and the use of other resources, sometimes during long periods of time.
The Means tool allows the recording of volunteers and donations offered, stating information about their location, person in charge, and specifics the human and material resources offered, without the need to physically receive them. That way, they can be found through the search engine as they are needed, contemplating their appropriateness. Only at that time, the person in charge is contacted to set a delivery or collection.
The CRISIS system offers communication capabilities among organizations through a network, thus forming a specific channel for coordination and information interoperation. The aforementioned blackboard architecture paradigm allows to critically reduce the number of messages needed to guarantee that all nodes are well informed.
On the other hand, the possibility of having alert and news channels and also setting a level of importance for each channel allows to focus the attention onto the response or risk management tasks, knowing that important information will trigger a sound alarm or even a text message to a cell phone (f).
Another aspect that is worth mentioning is that a level of access can be set for each piece of information (maps, tasks, means,
According to the definition of the Asociación de Proyectos Comunales de El Salvador (PROCOMES, Association for Community Projects of El Salvador), a risk scenario is a representation of the interaction of different threats and weaknesses set in a particular time and place. That scenario must represent and identify the damages and losses that may arise in the case of a disaster. Therefore, to generate a risk scenario, it is necessary to assess those threats and weaknesses, establish the possible risks accurately, and clearly identify those potential damages and losses. This thorough and complete representation of a risk scenario is a complicated task, since the weaknesses of a populated area can be both diverse and complex.
The assessment and diagnostics of such scenarios affect in a great amount the planning in advance for the potential occurrence of disasters and therefore the appropriate response to them. The evaluation of the weaknesses and capacities allows ensuring that the response in the case of a disaster will be effectively aimed to the people most in need, with a right to receive it, and without any bias. In order to achieve it, it is necessary to have a precise comprehension of the local context and of the way a certain crisis will affect specific groups of the population in different manners due to their preexistent inherent weaknesses [
In prevention and mitigation stages, the application of models to the evaluation of scenarios can contribute in a dynamic way to the community plans for the prevention and mitigation of disasters through a description of the risk or threat, and the consequent representation of the disaster scenario that may arise.
Typically the early hours after the occurrence of a disaster have the highest degree of uncertainty and, at the same time, are the most decisive to save lives and assets. To help in the decision-making process during that period, the mathematical models are very important in the CRISIS system [
On the other hand and as mentioned in previous sections, as a typical characteristic, the models representing a response in real time during a disaster describe fairly simple scenarios, since it is a requisite that the simulation results be obtained in a period shorter than the real evolution of the phenomenon. Nevertheless, for a first description of the situation, a quick decision making and damage assessment during the early stages of the phenomenon, the data amount provided by this kind of model is more than enough.
In any of the abovementioned stages, the simulation of the phenomena through mathematical models is intended to identify the population, dwellings and other infrastructure exposed to those phenomena, and at the same time to identify the causes of risk, thus contributing to the creation of comprehensive community plans that include every measure needed to know and counteract those risks, and to give an appropriate response in the case of an emergency or disaster with the aim of trying to reduce their potential impact on the community.
During a disaster, knowing how many people are potentially affected and to what extent in an appropriate time frame gives the decision makers the tools to reach conclusions concerning, among others, the time available to evacuate those who will be affected in the near future by the phenomena, the amount of people who will need immediate medical care according to the extent they are affected, and the logistics that will be necessary to respond to the emergency. Any detail that may contribute to the assessment of weaknesses, response capacity and threats is greatly valuable for risk management.
Profiting from the advantages offered by the mathematical models is closely associated with the need for complete and updated population information for the scenarios assessed in order to obtain an appropriate representation of the situation. Again, it is relevant to emphasize the need to enhance, complete and update the databases required for the models, since their optimization is not enough if measures are not taken to improve the information available.
The error is handled differently in each simulated phenomenon because it is intrinsically dependent on each model. For instance, the toxicological model informs users about the uncertainty of the results through a minimum and a maximum estimate of the expected effects on health, providing a confidence interval. Its calculation includes intrinsic error of the toxicological indices used.
According to the operation continuity approach, both the DMMC activity and the organizations using the CRISIS system demand that access to the web application be continuously available as a critical service provided by CITEDEF. To date, our network links and supports military units across the country, but there are several proposals of use for the transversal coordination of every kind of organizations.
Since our tool is intended to support organizations responding to emergencies, it has to keep working even when other services become offline, so it is critical to be prepared for the worst case scenario: how to operate the CRISIS system when the situation affects it.
The system consists of two mirrored servers with two mirrored disk units each. These servers must be located in different buildings (f) and their connectivity must depend on different providers. There are two other servers in use:
a server for development, and
a server for testing and training.
The possibility of including a server for mathematical models and one for open organizational networks is being considered (f).
The electric power that feeds the servers comes from a separate line from all the others in the building. Also, we have an electric generator with the capacity to feed the server room and our office in the event of a power cut for a long period of time. We have the necessary consumables available to work on the electric generator for up to a month per year.
Lastly, we are working on a protocol to be able to put the system online from any computer connected to the Internet, and we are researching the deployment of distributed clustering of servers in order to guarantee access to the system as long as any server in the cluster is still operating (f).
Since this is a communication and coordination system, support may be provided through the exact same system, and the whole network and each node may be administered from any computer (or even a portable PC, smartphone,
Also, we plan to deploy a remote operation protocol for those cases when it is required (f).
Another situation to be prepared for, is what to do if the user suddenly lacks power and communications.
We had the chance to simulate such a situation in the Integración 2011 exercise, carried out in the Salta city from September 26 to 30. On such occasion a communication break was simulated. Generators were installed to feed the convention center where the emergency operations center (COE) was operating.
Our team brought a portable PC with the system server installed and all the information uploaded in the last update instance. The COE computers were connected to the system through a LAN network, with no access to the Internet, and the system was used for the coordination of all the response activities, in connection with the radio networks of the police, the SAMEC division for sanitary emergencies, the army, civil aviation,
From our experience in the Integración 2011, we are writing a protocol for the system emergency deployment, which will allow us to put the system in operation during a loss of connectivity to the data network and from any point across the country. An important issue is that the computer with the server installed has to be physically transported to the required location, and therefore it takes hours to finally have an operating system.
Currently, the CRISIS system is being used for coordination of eight ministries, the province of Buenos Aires and the local authorities in the framework of the Comprehensive Approach AHI. This operation addresses improvements in health, education, shelter, water sanitation and social integration for six slums in metropolitan and suburban Buenos Aires. About 80% of the emergency information is processed by the CRISIS system. That translates into greater flexibility for coordination and a dramatic reduction of paper information.
Additionally, the staff from different agencies interacts better in the field and there is consistency in the decision making of various actors who previously have worked alone.
The latter is possible since there is a direct contact with the situation. Nevertheless, the decisions made behind a desk with partial information result in differences between each decision maker's perception of the situation.
Moreover, there are only a handful of institutions that actually work with interoperable information and have efficient information sharing protocols. This is why the information fed to middle and upper management levels is often lacking and of low quality. This also results in different perceptions from different decision makers.
Finally, people on the terrain perceive the situation first hand, in real time. Many times, the result and the business continuity will depend on the ability to create multidisciplinary teams on the field.
The CRISIS system requires its users to have internet access. The cartographic information must be digitalized in .shp format, or accessible through a wms service to be interoperable. It requires a minimum three hour training course for regular computer users. In order to adapt itself to different institutions, the system does not set one specific way of dealing with a situation. This is why it is important to analyze the information flow between institutions in order to achieve a successful interpretation. The interconnection between different servers is designed but not yet implemented; neither is sending alerts to mobile phones and external e-mails, nor the implementation of the common alerting protocol, for early alerts propagation.
In the event of an unexpected catastrophe, uncertainty and demand for information are constant. Those who generate the necessary information are neither the same actors who make the critical decisions nor those who will give assistance at the place of the emergency. Also, organizations usually do not have a complete knowledge of their own human and material resources available, let alone those pertaining to other organizations with which they have to interact during the crisis. It may also be the case that the information relative to resources exists, but is not available to the decision makers in a timely manner.
Another characteristic of this kind of situation is an apparent difference in culture and language among the organizations that makes communication difficult. However, we cannot leave aside the fact that this occurs in completely abnormal circumstances, when people fear for their lives and those of their beloved ones.
Moreover, national and regional decision makers need to understand the degree to which decision processes affect the capabilities of a region to absorb the impact of a disaster and to respond and recover within an acceptable envelope of both time and cost. Regions are interconnected and interdependent networks of technologies, businesses, organizations, infrastructures, and sociopolitical realities that require one another for continued efficient operation. The evaluation of regional capabilities, preparedness, and resilience is complicated by their interconnected and dependent nature as well as by their highly decentralized and distributed governance schemes [
In such a disaster scenario, organizations need to relate in a different manner than the regular one to give appropriate responses. Depending on the area affected, jurisdictions usually collide and there is no time for a political argument. Usually there are different pieces of information which do not make sense altogether and there are lives and assets in danger.
The CRISIS system, therefore, arises as a tool to contribute to previous coordination, procedure validation, exercise execution, a good and frequent communication among organizations, and weakness and threat assessment for appropriate risk management. Each organization connected to the CRISIS system network has its own attributes: some of them just provide primary information; then they make it available for the decision makers, who are typically government officers. That way, instead of resorting to their typical information channels, the decision makers consult this single, common space that acts as a 'big blackboard'. The decisions made become pieces of information that are in turn posted on that same board, to make them available for those who have to take action and direct the human resources for assistance; they will already know where to look up the relevant, accurate and updated information. That way, everybody can work with less uncertainty.
As conclusions in this paper, and in answering the goals set, it is evident that:
There is an apparent progress in technology developments relative to our area, and those developments bring about useful tools for disaster and risk management.
The working methodology for risk management can also make use of these developments to fulfill their goals.
The mathematical models can allow for the assessment of disaster scenarios in less time and more thoroughly.
It is also evident that:
IT systems must be perfected taking the users into account in order to contrast those systems with each organization's work methodologies in place, so the users are the ones who validate the system features and make the tool their own.
In many towns a change must be made in the working methods to be able to successfully deploy risk management strategies. We firmly believe that using a tool that provides permanent contact may help the growth process.
For the mathematical models to be useful for those responsible for planning and response, they must have a simple interface which is permanently accessible.
We believe there is still much to be learned about the subject of disasters, but the understanding that this matter must be approached from several different disciplines and that technology can greatly contribute to risk management is a huge step forward. Lastly, it is important to mention that this process of continuous optimization of the CRISIS system has been put in place because we understand and affirm that technology and methodology are an evolutionary cycle that provides constant feedback in order to grow.
The authors acknowledge the support of the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Promotion of Argentina (PICTO 2004 11-18622), the National Council of Scientific and Technical (CONICET) and CITEDEF for financing the present study.
A.D. Acquesta is a student of the career of Doctor of Engineering from the Technological Institute of Buenos Aires.
We thank Romina L. Ferraro and Ing. Graciela Defeo for valuable discussions and help in the preparation of the final version of this article.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.


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Synthetic peptide corresponding to a region within internal sequence amino acids 215-264 (GMQYYLSSQDFDSLLQRQESSVRLWKVLALVFGFATCATLFFILRKQYL Q) of Human C1orf166 (NP_078820)
Our Abpromise guarantee covers the use of ab84067 in the following tested applications.
The application notes include recommended starting dilutions; optimal dilutions/concentrations should be determined by the end user.
|Use a concentration of 1 µg/ml. Predicted molecular weight: 40 kDa.Can be blocked with Human E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase MUL1 peptide (ab197726). Good results were obtained when blocked with 5% non-fat dry milk in 0.05% PBS-T.
|Use a concentration of 5 µg/ml.
|Use a concentration of 5 µg/ml. Perform heat mediated antigen retrieval before commencing with IHC staining protocol.
ICC/IF image of ab84067 stained HeLa cells. The cells were 4% formaldehyde fixed (10 min) and then incubated in 1%BSA / 10% normal goat serum / 0.3M glycine in 0.1% PBS-Tween for 1h to permeabilise the cells and block non-specific protein-protein interactions. The cells were then incubated with the antibody (ab84067, 5µg/ml) overnight at +4°C. The secondary antibody (green) was ab96899, DyLight® 488 goat anti-rabbit IgG (H+L) used at a 1/250 dilution for 1h. Alexa Fluor® 594 WGA was used to label plasma membranes (red) at a 1/200 dilution for 1h. DAPI was used to stain the cell nuclei (blue) at a concentration of 1.43µM.
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SGI device interfaces for most plotter devices already exist, and adding support for new devices is straightforward. Sources for the SGI device translators supplied with the distributed system are maintained in the directory iraf/unix/gdev/sgidev. NOAO serves as a clearinghouse for new SGI plotter device interfaces; contact us if you do not find support for a local plotter device in the distributed system, and if you plan to implement a new device interface let us know so that we may help other sites with the same device.
The older NCAR kernel is used to generate NCAR metacode and can be interfaced to an NCAR metacode translator at the host system level to get plots on devices supported by host-level NCAR metacode translators. The host level NCAR metacode translators are not included in the standard IRAF distribution, but public domain versions of the NCAR implementation for UNIX systems are widely available. A site which already has the NCAR software may wish to go this route, but the SGI interface will provide a more efficient and simpler solution in most cases.
The remaining possibility with the current system is the calcomp kernel. Many sites will have a Calcomp or Versaplot library (or Calcomp compatible library) already available locally. To make use of such a library to get plotter output on any devices supported by the interface, one may copy the library to the hlib directory and relink the Calcomp graphics kernel.
A graphcap entry for each new device will also be required. Information on preparing graphcap entries for graphics devices is given in the GIO design document, and many actual working examples will be found in the graphcap file. The best approach is usually to copy one of these and modify it.


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Question: Futuristic story where people use time as money
Home » Science Fiction & Fantasy » #5073
Asked by greg f on Thu 28, May 2009 04:33pm :Encountered it late eighties to early nineties. The plot centered around an unspecific future in which all people have a life/death clock implanted in them at birth and are given time on their clock. As the old saying goes, "time is money." In this case, literally. That is, every time you buy something you use a debit card that subtracts minutes or hours or days depending on how expensive the item is. In your job you are paid in time. An average job might pay a few months or years and a high powered CEO job might pay in decades. The idea being to build a structured Capitalist society in which those who are not good with business, i.e. time, will go broke and die. Those who live long will be those who are smart at business and finance, and so those good at business survive and those bad at it die off and a perfect capitalist society is maintained. The main character starts as a child in the movie. He has talent at art and sells pictures of trees. If I recall correctly, there are no more trees now due to some environmental disaster but I could be wrong. Later he goes into business as he has a talent for knowing what people want to buy. His sister comes into a restaurant where he is having a high powered lunch with some associates. She is in a panic because she has always been disastrous with money and has but a few minutes left on her clock. She begs him to borrow a few days or even just hours. He is annoyed with her but doesn't want her to die so he agrees but before he can make the transfer her money, time, runs out and she dies. After that I have little recollection and would like to rediscover it.
Comment by tihelp on Wed 01, Feb 2012 09:45pm:http://vimeo.com/16265933 Much better than In Time.
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Anne Hathaway Stuns at National Board Of Review Awards
Making her first award-season appearance, Anne Hathaway was on hand at the National Board of Review Awards in New York City on Tuesday night (January 8).
The 30-year-old actress looked lovely in a black pants and a black blouse with a large bow as she joined co-star Amanda Seyfried for the night's festivities.
Miss Hathaway received a nod for her work in "Les Miserables" as the film took home the award for Best Ensemble Cast.
Other honorees included Bradley Cooper winning Best Actor for his role in "Silver Linings Playbook" and Jessica Chastain taking home Best Actress for her work in "Zero Dark Thirty."


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When I chipped a top front tooth as a child, both were filed down. Too short, slanted and 40 years hate my smile. My dentist is reluctant on bonding, just seems a shame to mess with such perfect but short teeth, all I want is a little length added to the bottom edge. Cost is an issue, but I know that what might help me smile is a great investment, and should I be dissatisfied with bonding that's money lost toward veneers. I'd love some advice -bonding? and/or what type of veneers
Bonding or Veneers on Short Incisors?
Doctor Answers 2
Bonding or Veneers on Short Incisors
It's hard to answer this without a photo and without seeing how your upper and lower incisors meet eachother when you chew. However, it seems like bonding would be your 1st choice if all you want is a little length. Remember, it all depends on your occlusion (how your teeth meet).
Bonding Excellent trial restoration.
Doing bonding is an excellent way to determine length, shape etc of a final veneer restoration. It will not look as good on a long term basis as a veneer but could be your first step on your way to veneers. If you are happy with the bonded restorations you can keep it long term.
It will also let you evaluate how much of an artist your dentist is.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


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A2 certain; without any doubt:
"What's wrong with him?" "I'm not really sure."
I feel absolutely sure (that) you've made the right decision.
It now seems sure (that) the election will result in another victory for the government.
Is there anything you're not sure of/about?
See also
for sure
be sure of yourself
be sure of sth
B2 be confident that something is true:
He said that he wasn't completely sure of his facts.
be sure of/about sb
› UK to have confidence in and trust someone:
You can always be sure of Kay.
be sure to
make sure (that)
› If you have a sure knowledge or understanding of something, you know or understand it very well:
I don't think he has a very sure understanding of the situation.
Más ejemplos
- If you don't hear from the builders this week, make sure you chase them up.
- My wife checks on our elderly neighbour every few days to make sure that he's alright.
- I'm not sure of the chronology of events.
- A bit of gentle coaxing is all that's required and he'll come, I'm sure.
- I'm sure my views on marriage are coloured by my parents' divorce.
Thesaurus: sinónimos y palabras relacionadas
También encontrarás palabras, frases y sinónimos relacionados con los temas:
A2 certainly:
mainly US "Will you help me with this?" "Sure I will."
US I sure am hungry.
US "I can't do it!" "Sure you can. I'll help you."
Thesaurus: sinónimos y palabras relacionadas


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International human rights expert to speak on Muslim fundamentalism
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Karima Bennoune, international human rights expert and University of California, Davis, School of Law professor, will discuss Muslim fundamentalism on Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. at the University of Georgia Chapel. Bennoune's talk will be based on her recently published book "Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories From the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism," which addresses resistance to fundamentalism through accounts of interviews of more than 280 people of Muslim heritage. The event is part of UGA's Spotlight on the Arts Festival and is free and open to the public.
Clarke places third in legal writing contest
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Congratulations to third-year law student Ellen R. Clarke for placing third in the International Association of Defense Counsel's 2013 writing contest. Her paper titled "A Duty to Over Preserve? How Disregarding Foreign Data Privacy Laws May Keep Litigants Out of a Jam" was published in the Oct. 2013 issue of the Defense Counsel Journal.
Retired U.S. Supreme Court justice to speak at freedom of the press conference
Monday, October 28, 2013
Georgia Law will welcome retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens on Nov. 6 as the keynote speaker for a daylong conference titled "The Press and the Constitution 50 Years after New York Times v. Sullivan." Sponsored by the student-edited law journal the Georgia Law Review, the main portion of the conference will begin at 8 a.m. in the Larry Walker Room of Dean Rusk Hall. Stevens, who sat on the bench of the nation's highest court from 1975 to 2010, will deliver the keynote address for the conference at 1:30 p.m. in the UGA Chapel, where he will discuss "Originalism and History." Preregistration by Nov. 4 is requested. Participants who register for the conference may select to only attend the keynote discussion, if desired. Backpacks will not be allowed into the Chapel during the keynote address.
'There's No Place Like Homecoming' headlines UGA Homecoming Week
Monday, October 28, 2013
"There's No Place Like Homecoming" is this year's theme for the Homecoming Week festivities, which begin Nov. 3. Georgia Law will host reunion activities for the Classes of 1968, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008 on Nov. 8 and its annual BBQ for the law school community will take place on Nov. 9 on Herty Field. Preregistration is required to attend.
Burrell and Whittaker win England Mock Trial Competition
Monday, October 21, 2013
Congratulations to second-year law students Garrett S. Burrell and Andrew M. Whittaker for winning the 2013 J. Melvin England Mock Trial Competition.


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Success Uncertain For Suburban Rail Line
"As one of the nation's first suburb-to-suburb commuter rails, its success relies on residents in Portland's westside suburbs transforming from gas-guzzling drivers to transit-savvy riders."
"The 14.7-mile rail line has the elements of success, said state Rep. Jerry Krummel, R-Wilsonville, one of the rail's earliest supporters. It links popular job centers in an area stymied by jammed highways that will only worsen as Washington County's population -- at 500,000 -- is expected to increase to 900,000 by 2030."
"'People will take commuter rail when it's just as convenient' as using their cars, Krummel said. 'They might realize it takes just as long to get to work, but they can be reading or looking out the window instead of wanting to pull out their hair.'"
"With a $117.4 million price tag, the stakes are high. If commuter rail doesn't work in Portland's suburbs, Krummel said, it's not going to work elsewhere."


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Updated 02/14/2014Your profile? Update now
Stanley H. Roehrig Attorney at Law
Hilo Lagoon Ctr.101 Aupuni St.Ste. 124Hilo, HI 96720
Phones: (808) 969-1441
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9 posts
Have anyone got the opportunity to check out the new Tascam DR-100 portable recorder? I'm quite impressed about it's features, that includes phantom powered XLR inputs, two pairs of built-in microphones (a cardioid and an omni pair) and a very handy microphone gain wheel control. If have someone already listened to it, I would like to know your opinion on how it sounds, specially on what's concerning to noise level.
I've not had a chance to check out the DR100 in person, but it does look interesting. I'm holding off on buying one until real-world information about its performance is available. Unfortunately, that info might be a while in coming since the recorder hasn't really hit the market yet, with many dealers only taking pre-orders and not expecting it to be out long before the end of March.
Considering TEAC's long experience with making high-quality portable recorders under the TASCAM brand, the DR100 will probably be OK.
Looking at its general configuration and features, I'm under the impression it was brought out specifically to compete with Zoom's new H4n recorder. The little brother to the DR100, the DR-07, seems squarely aimed at the Olympus LS10.
In any case, I'm waiting with bated breath for someone to do a comprehensive review too, particularly its sound quality.
hi, for a long time I've wanted to buy a portable recorder & recently I noticed the Dr-07 which I liked, until I saw the DR-1 which seemed better & then I saw the DR-100.
I almost bought the DR-1 but after seriously considering it, I've decided to wait until the DR-100 is available.
As it's based upon the DR-1, I'd imagine the sound quality will be similar & I've read & heard a few samples/reviews of the DR-1 that were pleasing.
Apparently it's shipping at the end of the month so only 30 more days to go, I just hope I'll have the money to get it.
I'm looking at purchasing a digital recorder in the very near future and I think I've decided on the Samson Zoom H4n. The H4n offers multitrack recording and mixing, which I think is a big advantage over the Tascam DR-100, my next choice.
Can anyone tell me if the Tascam DR-100 has any advantages over the Zoom H4n? I would like to know!
I've been looking at the H4n, but this has caught my interest... but some reviews say the on boards aren't too great, getting thin low end.
Tascam DR 100 Field test
I picked mine up and have been using it to record lectures in the field and music. so far it's tremendous. the built in speaker and threaded mount are great. very nice isolation on the dynamics. more info later IY"H
Hi all,
I have bought mine some 6 months ago and are very content with it. I mainly use it for recording classical music, which I like to be as pure as possible. The DR-100 just delivers that. With the built in mics, but even better with my 2 Beyerdynamics Opus 8 mics. I have no experience yet with field recording of sounds. Have been looking at a site where you find a manual to make yourself a teleset to record distant sounds, but haven't made me one. Might come to it next year.
Just got mine after looking at all the available handhelds. I'm just getting used to the levels I need to set it to in order to get maximum sound quality without too much "gain" noise. just been practising by recording my washing machine. volume seemed a bit low but then, in the background, I can hear a bird singing out in the garden so the pickup is pretty impressive. I guess I need to practice a bit more to get used to which settings I need.
However, it's a nice, solid piece of kit that's dead easy to use and feels like it will last a long time. I'll post a few sample recordings at some point.
9 posts


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Garden Villa - NCL Jade, Morocco & Canary Islands: Norwegian Jade Cruise Review by K-MARK
Overall Member Rating
Garden Villa - NCL Jade, Morocco & Canary Islands
Destination: Europe - Western Mediterranean
Embarkation: Barcelona
While I realize the GV may not be within everyone's budget, we were able to rationalize the price tag when divided by 6 passengers. The service level (including Butler and Concierge), space (over 4300 sq ft.) and amenities, made this cabin category and excellent buy in our opinion.
The Garden Villa is simply spectacular. The suites themselves were spacious and well appointed. The private hot tub, sauna and upper sun decks (there are 2) meant our group never really had to leave the comfort of our cabin. Although we had access to the Private Courtyard with pool, hot tub, steam room and sitting area; we really didn't use them as we felt we had everything we needed in our suite.
While we understood there would be several amenities specific to the category, there were a few surprises. Yes, there were 6 bottles of More liquor provided, but we didn't expect the soft drinks, water (including sparkling) to be included too. We did purchase a wine package of 8 bottles to use in our suite. Unfortunately we never asked if a similar beer package was available for purchase, but we really weren't lacking in terms of beverage selections. While Bailey's Irish Cream wasn't on the suite selection menu, our Butler was able to secure a bottle at our request. That was perk number 2.
Florentina, our concierge, was fantastic and she was able to secure all our requested dinner reservations and our spur of the moment spa request on our first day at sea.
Our Butler, Made (Maddy), was incredible. His level of attention was superb. Each afternoon he would bring plates of sandwiches, cheese and crackers, snacks, chocolate covered strawberries, etc. and ensuring our bar area was constantly stocked. We jokingly asked for PBJ with the crusts cut off and behold, they appeared on the sandwich platter the next day!
On our last day at sea we were invited by the Captain for a tour of the bridge (another perk). The Staff Captain (from Sweden) provided a very detailed explanation of the ship, their fire prevention systems (the biggest danger for a ship at sea), the navigation system, protocol for docking at port, etc. As for the cruise and ports of call, they were spectacular. We took the overnight tour to Marrakech and found it to be jam packed with points of interest. We were exhausted at the end of the evening, but all agreed, we wouldn't have missed it for the world!
Our favourite stop was the island of Madiera, and our tour gave us the opportunity to see it from the top - what a view.
The days at sea offered a chance to relax and enjoy the ship. We found the nightly entertainment to be quite good and enjoyed the additional perk of a section in the first balcony (right beside the orchestra) which is reserved for the guests of the Courtyard and Villas. We really found the Staff talent show "Showdown" to be quite good and terrific fun!
Our first cruise experience was incredible and our group is now hooked on cruising. We're even planning for the next 50th birthday celebration and hope to be able to book the same category again. If you have a group of 6 or more, I highly recommend the Garden Villa. Less
Published 05/13/11
Cabin review: H114000 Garden Villa
Spectacular suite, with everything you would need all in one place. Perfect for groups of 6 to 8 adults or large families.Read All Garden Villa (H1) Reviews >>
Port and Shore Excursions
Read Cruise Critic's Norwegian Jade Review >>
Great staff, great excursions,...
Amazing experience!
great service. OK facilities
12 Night NCL Jade Fjords of No...
Great service & good food. Nor...
Lovely Cruise
Not the best, but definitely n...
What a great bargain!
Wonderful cruise to Cuba
Sponsored Links


text:
About the Book
Years after his retirement, former Newsday staff photographer, Dick Kraus has produced 2 volumes of illustrated examples of some of his most interesting experiences, In his 42 years covering news stories, he has photographed every President from Eisenhower to Clinton as well as celebrities fro show business and sports.
Some of his examples are exciting, some are humorous and some are sad. That's what journalism is all about.
As Kraus puts it, "I am an ordinary man who was privileged to live an extraordinary life."
Features & Details
- Category Arts & Photography
Standard Portrait, 7.75×9.75 in, 20×25 cm
74 Pages
- Publish Date Jan 17, 2013
- Tags Photojournalism, Journalism, Photography, Autobiography
See More
About the Creator
Dick Kraus
New York USA
I retired in 2009 after 42 years as a staff photographer for the Long Island, NY newspaper, Newsday. I am enjoying my senior citizenship by cruising to exotic places with my sweetie.
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WASHINGTON – Former World Bank President Robert Zoellick said Monday Japan's economic drive needed accompanying structural reforms, voicing fear that recent growth could be just a "sugar high."
Japan posted 0.9 percent quarter-to-quarter growth in the three months through March, during which time Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took charge with a platform that has featured ramping up money supply and intense fiscal stimulus.
"On the one hand, I think it's understandable that Prime Minister Abe would come in and try to have some shock effect. But no one should be under the illusion that this isn't a big if," said Zoellick, whose term ended last year.
"What I would watch . . . (is) how do you make sure that it isn't just a sugar high? How do you make sure that there is a follow-through?" Zoellick told a forum on relations between the U.S. and New Zealand.
Zoellick said Japan already had a debt problem and needed to go through structural changes to liberalize its economy.
He voiced hope Abe's move to enter talks on the emerging Trans-Pacific Partnership was a way to force Japan into taking politically risky reforms.
"If Japan doesn't undertake those structural reforms, either through its own policies or through the TPP or both, I worry that this will primarily be a currency devaluation strategy — and that has dangers for others," he said.


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| Drug Approvals: Circumstances under which an active ingredient may be simultaneously marketed in both a prescription drug product and an over-the-counter drug product
|FDA Comment Number :
|Submitter :
|Ms. pamela boehme
|Date & Time:
|10/27/2005 10:10:22
|Organization :
|Cumberland County Sexual Assault Prog.
|Category :
|Health Professional
|Issue Areas/Comments
| A. Should FDA initiate a rulemaking to codify its interpretation of section 503(b) of the action regarding when an active ingredient can be simultaneously marketed in both prescription drug product and an OTC drug product?
| To permit a woman open access to EC, is to allow her to take control of a situation in which control was taken from her without her consent. Give women the power over their own bodies rather than forcing them to face the life long ramifications of overempowerment.
| A. Should FDA initiate a rulemaking to codify its interpretation of section 503(b) of the act regarding when an active ingredient can be simultaneously market in both a prescription drug product and an OTC drug product?
| A woman's body is her own. She knows when she is at risk, and hopefully such initiation should allot her a beneficial option to what she can emotionally and financially support despite the 'act.'
|B. Is there significant confusion regarding FDA's interpretation of section 503(b) of the act?
|Only among those who fight with what their hearts tell is just and what their rekigion dictates without reason.
|C. If so, would a rulemaking on this issue help dispet that confusion?
| No; we will continue to do as we need to for ourselves, our bodies, our souls, our future relationships. It may help change the outlook, or rather the insight of those who are blind to the eminent need of victims and women in general.
| A. If FDA limited sale of an OTC product to a particular subpopulation, e.g., by making the product available to the subpopulation by prescription only, would FDA be able to enforce such a limitation as a matter of law?
|You cannot base any law on economics, race, or ethnicity,
|B. If it could, would it be able to do so as practical matter and, if so, how?
|Ready supply in ERs for assault situations without the hassle of denials and judgements.
| A. Assuming it is legal to market the same active ingredient in both a prescription and OTC product, may the different products be legally sold in the same package?
|B. If the two products may be lawfully sold in a single package, under what circumstances would it be inappropriate to do so?
|Not alerting those with prescription coverage to be alerted to the fact that there is a less expensive equivalent.


text:
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Arizona electrical gurus needed
Discussion in 'The Garage' started by AZ75K5, Nov 29, 2005.


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2012 X3 Lease calcs
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Officially Welcomed to the 'Fest
Location: Dallas, TX
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,368
Mein Auto: F80 6MT
View My Garage
Originally Posted by
I went to my local Bay Area dealership to take a look at X3's and X1's. I have a vehicle coming off lease in the next 2 months so I need to start looking at a replacement. I wasn't planning on buying anything today, so I didn't come very prepared. I didn't have invoice pricing and didn't look at their in-stock cars prior to my visit. The sales person seemed somewhat interested in getting me out of my current lease now so he put together some numbers for me. They were "willing" to take my current car, but there wasn't any benefit in it for me. There is some weirdness that I haven't seen on a lease calc before, so I thought I would show it here. I'm going to put everything that isn't directly identifiable here.
1. Contract Date:10/07/12
2. Stock number: ******
3. Lease Institution: BMW
4. Buyer Residence Info: ****
6. Add to MSRP W/Markup:
7. Annual Mileage: 12000
8. Mileage Penalty:
9. Residual %: 58.0%
10. Lease-end Value: $32390
11 Rebate:
12. Initial Cap Cost $53611
13. Customer Cash Down:
14. Cash Cap Reduction:
15. Total Trade:
16. Total Sales Tax: $2320.06
17. Aftermkt/Due Bill
18. Total Adds to Cap: $925
19. Service Contract:
20. Driver Care:
21. BMW Maint:
Adjusted Cap Cost: $54536
22. Money Factor: .00175
23. Term: 36
24. Mo Use Tax: 8.3750% 64.26
25. Total Monthly Payment $831.54
26. Security Deposit
27. Total Initial Fees: $95.50
28. Total Annual Fees: $466
29. Driveoff: $1399.74
This was a pretty loaded X3 xdrive35i - M sport, Premium, Cold Weather, Tech Package, Park Distance control, Carbon Black.
bmwconfig.com is showing the MSRP with those options to be $55545, so I'm guess there is a $300 charge added for MACO already.
I am confused, are you buying the car or leasing that car? It looks like a lease but then you have $2k in sales tax?
Also, looks like the aq fee is high (should be $725) and there does not seem to be much of a discount on the car. This is for a 2012 or 2013?
What did BMWconfig show as the invoice cost? Remember work from there up
2015 M3 - Mineral White, Sonoma, Exec, LED, Adaptive Suspension, HK, 19" Light Alloy, 6MT ED 7/7/15 - Adrian
2013 535i - Space Grey, Biege, M-SPort, Premium, Tech, Cold Weather, Luxury Seating, PDC, 6MT ED-10/11/2012 - PCD - Greg Poland
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Windows Programming
How do I load and display bitmap resourc
How do I load and display bitmap resources?
May 28, 2014 at 11:33am UTC
I've made a bitmap spritesheet of all the sprites for my game which is located in ".\\Sprites\\Spritesheet". I have then used ResEdit to make a rc file which I've included in my project. As I am new to windows specific programming, I have no idea of how to load this spritesheet to memory and display all or parts of it in a premade window (made via WinBGIm). Thanks for any help.
May 28, 2014 at 12:49pm UTC
You can load the bitmap resource with LoadImage():
How you draw it really depends. In Windows there's GDI, GDI+, Direct2D, Direct3D, and OpenGL. Then there are libs like SDL and SFML. You should probably pick a graphics API and learn that.
May 28, 2014 at 12:59pm UTC
Thanks for the quick reply!
I've already looked around MSDN and I really don't get it. I was hoping that you could explain how to use the LoadImage function because all the tutorials I've found assume a sound knowledge of all windows-specific types, function e.t.c. As I said, I already have winBGIm set up, so I may be able to use that but I wondered whether winAPI or windows.h have any functions for displaying images.
May 29, 2014 at 11:19am UTC
I don't think I can explain it any better than MSDN. The thing about the documentation is sometimes you have to use it like a wiki and follow links to topics you don't understand until the big picture is clear.
I could give an example of loading and drawing a bitmap but if you don't understand some of the fundamentals of windows programming then I doubt it will be of much use.
May 29, 2014 at 11:28am UTC
Could you give an example of how to load a bitmap to memory, clip it so that you have a new bitmap that is only a fraction of the larger one, then display it with Direct 2D (please no error handling). To be specific, the bit I find most confusing is the creation of objects to do tasks rather than just a function for it and the highly shortened type names that mean that I don't know what the type is. I find it much easier to learn how something works if I have an example that is actually of the thing that I want it to do.
EDIT: I've made a program which I think should work but it doesn't have a definition of any of the functions or types (IWICStream, SUCEEDED() etc). What header files / libraries do I need to include. I've included windows.h and unknwn.h but it still doesn't work. My rc file also has #include <richedit.h> and include <commctrl.h>.
EDIT2: I've removed the things that it didn't have definitions of and for some reason they weren't used and I've managed to get it through the steps for loading a resource without it throwing an error, but I don't know how to render it with direct 2d. Could you help please? Also because I haven't managed to display it, I don't know whether it has any bugs in it which didn't result in an error.
Last edited on
May 30, 2014 at 4:44pm UTC
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(CNSNews.com) - Representatives James Traficant (D-OH) has introduced and Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) has co-sponsored legislation calling for the establishment of a Presidential commission to study American military policy on veterans and smoking.
The lawmakers think a "President's Commission on Veterans and Smoking" should study the extent of past US military policy of providing soldiers with free cigarettes and whether such free cigarettes could have contributed to those soldiers becoming smokers.
Other topics the lawmakers think such a commission should study are the percentage of veterans who are smokers in comparison to the general population and the incidence and severity of smoking-related diseases and deaths among veterans compared to the general population.
The legislation also calls for such a commission, within two years of its formation, reporting to Congress on its findings and conclusions. Such a report would include recommendations on whether present military policies should be changed to better treat smoking-related illnesses among veterans.
If enacted, the commission would have 11 members with the chairman being appointed by the President and the rest of the members appointed by Congress.
"I am deeply concerned that not enough is being done to address smoking-related illnesses among veterans. A presidential commission is an effective way to focus on this important issue and develop concrete recommendations on what policy changes may be needed to better assist veterans," Traficant said on Capitol Hill.


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Master Vendor File Practices
How to keep your company out of hot water.
July 12, 2007
by Mary Schaeffer
As a savvy accountant, you know that poor master vendor practices can lead to Sarbanes-Oxley audit issues and make it difficult to get good spend data for contract negotiations. What's even worse — at least from a bottom line standpoint — is the lack of best practices increases the chances of duplicate and erroneous payments and makes employee fraud easier to commit. While appropriate segregation of duties and strong internal controls should be incorporated into your master vendor file policies, there are other procedures you should incorporate to ensure your practices relating to the master vendor file don't cause unintended problems.
Master Vendor File: The Wrong Way
Before you skip over this section, answer the following questions and tally up the affirmative responses.
If you answered YES to one or more of the above questions, you need to tighten up your policies. These are not the only potential problems, but the most common ones.
Cleansing Your Master Vendor File
The most difficult change in the above listed practices is cleansing your master vendor file. At a minimum it should be done once a year, although many best practice companies perform this task quarterly. The job should include deactivating (but not deleting) vendors that have not been in use in the last 12 months.
It will be an ugly job, the very first time you conduct your cleanup. During your first cleanup process, make sure you introduce naming conventions (if not in use) and combine duplicate entries into one. This way you can preserve each vendor's payment history.
The time is ripe for such a massive cleanup when you're thinking about a system conversion or a system upgrade. Use third-party services, if you feel you lack the staff or resources to handle the cleanup.
Additional Resources
Clearly this short article only touches on the issues related to the master vendor file. You can find additional information in the following:
For too long, master vendor files have been ignored by a significant number of companies. If companies continue to do so at their own risk, they are liable to suffer bottom-line consequences.
Rate this article 5 (excellent) to 1 (poor).
Mary S. Schaeffer is the author of a dozen business books including Controller and CFO's Guide to Accounts Payable. She serves as the editorial director of Accounts Payable Now & Tomorrow, a payment newsletter. Trial subscriptions are available at www.ap-now.com. She leads the organization's accounts payable consulting endeavors, including services focusing on duplicate payments and master vendor files.


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|"jawaid hakim (JIRA)" <j...@apache.org>
|[jira] Commented: (LUCENE-1070) DateTools with DAY resoltion dosn't work depending on your timezone
|Sat, 05 Feb 2011 03:27:30 GMT
[ https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LUCENE-1070?page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels:comment-tabpanel&focusedCommentId=12990900#comment-12990900 ] jawaid hakim commented on LUCENE-1070: -------------------------------------- A few problems: 1) Looks like the round() method is doing the wrong thing for DAY resolution (wiping out DAY instead of HOUR) else if (resolution == Resolution.DAY) { calInstance.set(Calendar.HOUR_OF_DAY, 0); calInstance.set(Calendar.MINUTE, 0); calInstance.set(Calendar.SECOND, 0); calInstance.set(Calendar.MILLISECOND, 0); 2) If java.sql.Timestamp is passed in (e.g. by Hibernate Search) then all bets are off > DateTools with DAY resoltion dosn't work depending on your timezone > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Key: LUCENE-1070 > URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LUCENE-1070 > Project: Lucene - Java > Issue Type: Bug > Components: Index > Affects Versions: 2.2 > Reporter: Mike Baroukh > > Hi. > There is another issue, closed, that introduced a bug : https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LUCENE-491 > Here is a simple TestCase : > DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat("dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm"); > Date d1 = df.parse("10/10/2008 10:00"); > System.err.println(DateTools.dateToString(d1, Resolution.DAY)); > Date d2 = df.parse("10/10/2008 00:00"); > System.err.println(DateTools.dateToString(d2, Resolution.DAY)); > this output : > 20081010 > 20081009 > So, days are the same, but with DAY resolution, the value indexed doesn't refer to the same day. > This is because of DateTools.round() : using a Calendar initialised to GMT can make that the Date given is on yesterday depending on my timezone . > The part I don't understand is why take a date for inputfield then convert it to calendar then convert it again before printing ? > This operation is supposed to "round" the date but using simply DateFormat to format the date and print only wanted fields do the same work, isn't it ? > The problem is : I see absolutly no solution actually. We could have a WorkAround if datetoString() took a Date as inputField but with a long, the timezone is lost. > I also suppose that the correction made on the other issue (https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LUCENE-491) is worse than the bug because it correct only for those who use date with a different timezone than the local timezone of the JVM. > So, my solution : add a DateTools.dateToString() that take a Date in parameter and deprecate the version that use a long. -- This message is automatically generated by JIRA. - For more information on JIRA, see: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com For additional commands, e-mail: email@example.com
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4 Min Read
* Nikkei off 1.0 pct, Topix down 0.9 pct * Mothers index nosedives on retail investors' selling * China cash crunch worries still weigh - analysts * Market to resume upward trend after July poll - Goldman Sachs By Ayai Tomisawa TOKYO, June 26 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average dropped below the 13,000-mark on Wednesday in volatile trade as worries about a cash crunch in China remained, while the mood was soured by retail investors' heavy selling in small cap stocks. The benchmark Nikkei ended 1.0 percent lower at 12,834.01. Early in the session, it was up as much as 1.7 percent on robust U.S. data and assurances from China's central bank that it will offer funds to banks if needed. The market turned down as investors responded to falling Dow Jones Industrial Average futures , which indicated U.S. stocks likely will fall when trading opens on Wednesday. "Investors who are trading in Asian trading hours are monitoring China, while they shift their attention to U.S. futures in the afternoon," said Nobuhiko Kuramochi, a strategist at Mizuho Securities. Also hurting sentiment was selling in small-to-mid size stocks by retail investors, triggering a sharp sell-off in the Mothers market, which nosedived 12 percent. "Small caps are mainly owned by retail investors, but hedge funds also own them as they chase short-term momentum. When retail investors sell them heavily, hedge funds bear a liquidity risk and have to cut losses," said Yasuo Sakuma, portfolio manager at Bayview Asset Management. Biochemical companies PeptiDream Inc sank 28 percent, Takara Bio Inc nosedived 15 percent and Soiken Holdings Inc tumbled 13 percent. The broader Topix shed 0.9 percent to 1,069.28. Market players said that foreign investors and retail investors remained worried that China was sliding towards a liquidity crisis. They added that concerns about the U.S. Federal Reserve's plan to scale back its stimulus also kept them from investing in risky assets. "Worries over China's banking system and economy still weigh on the markets," said Hiroaki Hiwada, a senior strategist at Toyo Securities. China's central bank said late Tuesday that it had given cash to some institutions facing temporary shortages and would continue to do so if needed. In spite of the comments, the Nikkei China 50 index fell 0.6 percent, while companies with high exposure to China weakened, with Hitachi Construction Machinery Co falling 2.1 percent and Fanuc Corp dropping 1.6 percent. The benchmark Nikkei has dropped more than 19 percent since reaching a 5-1/2-year high on May 23, hurt by slowing growth in China, fears of a pullback in U.S. stimulus and disappointment over the Japanese government's recently unveiled growth strategy. GOLDMAN UPBEAT ON LONG-TERM PROSPECTS Goldman Sachs, however, remained upbeat on the market, reiterating its 12-month Nikkei target of 17,000, 32 percent above Wednesday's close. "The Japanese market's current consolidation phase may persist until the July 21 Upper House elections," the brokerage wrote in a note. "But beyond the elections, the market is likely to resume an upward trend, driven by reform progress, additional policy stimulus measures, positive earnings surprises, and confirmation of a domestic macro recovery," it said. The Nikkei index is still up 23 percent this year, helped by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's sweeping fiscal and monetary expansionary policies aimed at pulling the world's third-biggest economy out of a two-decade long slump.


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Cavalier The Price is Light.
The Heartbeat of America
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Child Writes Then Speaks
The 9 year olds write freely without stopping for fifteen minutes, surrendering to the flow of pencil across paper.
One boy turns to me and says."I feel weird."
And I say, "You feel weird?"
And he continues. "It's like jumping out of a plane and you don't know if your parachute is going to open or even if you've got a parachute and you're dropping down, down, down……"
And I say, "Everyday when I start to write I feel like I'm walking along a tightrope across a great canyon and I can't see the other side and I try not to look down. I just try to keep stepping, one baby step at a time."
"Have you ever fallen?" he wants to know.
"Many times." I reply. "Each time I never know if I will survive. And look, I'm still here."
from "A Writer's Magic Notebook" by Diane Samuels pub. British Library, 2006


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Designed for Living built for life.
Welcome to Four Corners, were a family business based in Stratford upon Avon & the Cotswolds. With over 50 years experience in handcrafting solid wood furniture and kitchens, our passion is in craft, character & design.
Four Corners specialise in Oak Furniture, Hand painted Furniture and Pine Furniture as well as sensibly priced solid wood kitchens. All are crafted using traditional techniques.
We want the furniture we create to become a well loved feature in your home, lasting a lifetime. Four Corners use wood with lots of interesting grain to ensure each piece is as unique as the tree it has been crafted from.
We hand craft all our oak furniture, hand painted furniture & pine furniture. Find out more about our workshop and what makes Four Corners furniture so special.


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Welcome to the website of The European Association for South Asian Studies (EASAS). EASAS is a charitable, academic association engaged in the support of research and teaching concerning South Asia with regard to all periods and fields of study. The objectives of EASAS are to promote South Asian Studies in all countries of Europe.
The objectives of EASAS are achieved especially through the following activities:
- organization of workshops, study events, conferences and symposia in the field of South Asian Studies,
- support of young scholars in Europe, for example through the organization of PhD workshops or through the donation of grants for a limited period of time; the respective research results will be made publicly available,
- publications in the field of South Asian Studies, especially publications of scientific research results,
- publication and distribution of a Newsletter for members.


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FRIDAY SPORTS: Paladins lose in overtime
Tre Bussey poured in 26 points and Angel Matias and Jelani Hewitt netted 21 apiece to lead Georgia Southern to an 88-81 overtime victory over Furman in Southern Conference men's basketball action on Thursday night at Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro, Ga. The defeat dropped the Paladins to 6-12 overall and 0-5 in the SoCon. They get another chance Saturday night at The Citadel. Airtime time along the network is 6:30 PM.
South Carolina junior guard Tyrone Johnson, who suffered a right foot injury during the first half of Wednesday's SEC contest at Texas A&M, has been diagnosed with a right foot fracture after further evaluation in Columbia on Thursday, Gamecock head coach Frank Martin announced. Johnson's injury will require surgery and he will be out indefinitely.
In the NBA Thursday, The Brooklyn Nets improved to 3-0 in regular season games in London with a 127-110 win over the Atlanta Hawks across the pond.
The Houston Rockets scored a whopping 73 points in the first half of their game Thursday night. But they wound up losing 104-92 to the Oklahoma City Thunder after then being held to just 19 points in the second half, tied for the second-fewest points in a second half in NBA history. Houston did set an NBA record for the largest scoring differential between two halves.
Serena Williams advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday, beating 31st-seeded Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 6-3 for a record 61st career victory at the Grand Slam tournament that she's won five times. Margaret Court previously held the record with 60 Australian Open wins. Also winning on the fourth straight day of blistering temperatures were Li Na, Angelique Kerber and David Ferrer.
Major League Baseball Thursday approved a huge expansion of instant replay, with owners, players and umpires all giving their okay. Each manager will be allowed to challenge at least one call per game, but not ball-and-strike calls, and if he's right, he'll get another challenge. After the seventh inning, a crew chief can request a review if the manager has used his challenges. All reviews will be done by umpires at a replay center in MLB's New York office. Baseball began using replay in 2008, but only for close calls on home runs.


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City Services
Community & Recreation
About Rock Island
Gaming Funds for Social Service Organization
Gaming Grant Eligibility
Gaming Grant Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants:
Must be a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, government agency, school district and/or institution of higher education.
Must provide services or benefits to City of Rock Island citizens. Organizations can be located in another community; however, it must provide services to the residents of Rock Island.
Qualify as an eligible activity for the Gaming Grant (one of the below):
Employment services (e.g. job training)
Crime prevention and public safety
Child care
Health services
Substance abuse services (e.g. counseling and treatment)
Fair housing counseling
Education Programs
Energy Conservation
Services for senior citizens
Services for homeless persons
Welfare services
Down payment assistance
Recreational services
If the project does not meet all three basic requirements, it will not be considered for Gaming Grant funding and no presentation will be scheduled with the CAC. City staff will notify all applicants of eligibility status.
Notify Me
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Six former cadets of Tata Archery Academy have made it to the eight-member Indian recurve archery squad (men and women) for the World Cup (stage four) and the 17th Asian Games.
While the World Cup is scheduled in Wroclaw (Poland) from August 5 to 10, Incheon (South Korea) will host the Asiad from September 15 to October 4.
The national team was announced after a recent two-phase selection trials at Hyderabad.
The team comprises of Jayanta Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee, Atanu Das, Deepika Kumari, Laxmirani Majhi, V. Pranitha, Tarundeep Rai and Laishram Bombayla Devi. Except the last two names, all others have honed their skills at the premier academy that has been churning out top archers.
While Jayanta and Deepika are employed in Tata Steel, Rahul and Laxmirani work with the railways. Atanu, who left the academy before the completion of his four-year tenure last year, is with Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Pranitha is a mentor at the Sports Authority of India unit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The six performed well during the stiff competition at Hyderabad. I am happy that they have made it to the national outfit, said Tata cradle mentor Dharmendra Tiwary.
The selection success in the recurve division notwithstanding, none from Jharkhand has found slot in the eight-member compound team. The Tata archery cradle imparts training only on recurve division.


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3-decade attorney aims for Fayette judge title
A Uniontown attorney with more than three decades' experience practicing law is running for Fayette County judge.
Anthony S. Dedola Jr. is seeking one of two open seats on the bench. The seats are vacant because formerJudges Ralph Warman and Gerald Solomon retired.
Dedola, 60, has practiced law in Fayette County since 1979, starting out with criminal defense work before focusing on civil law.
"My first 10 years of practice was devoted to criminal law," Dedola said, noting he tried five homicide cases during that time. "But after that, I did a little bit of everything."
Dedola said he developed an area of expertise in child dependency law, first as an attorney who represented children's interests and later as solicitor for the county's Children and Youth Services agency, a position he has held since 1989.
He has experience in municipal law, having served as solicitor for Brownsville Township since 1982. In his private practice, he said, he continues to handle some criminal cases, but is focused primarily on family law, estates, real estate, bankruptcies and other civil matters.
"I can offer the residents of Fayette County the maximum in terms of experience," Dedola said, noting the various areas of the law in which he has experience. "All of the areas I cover are the things our courts deal with day in, and day out."
He said he has fostered a reputation as a fair-minded attorney with an even temperament and demeanor.
"That's the kind of person you want on the bench, to treat the people who come before you fairly, and to be courteous and civil to the attorneys who represent them."
Dedola grew up in Brownsville but has lived in Uniontown for the past 25 years with his wife, Theresa. A graduate of Duquesne Law School, he said he turned down an offer to work for a Pittsburgh law firm after he became an attorney so he could stay in Fayette County.
"I figured my roots were here, and I wanted to come back here," Dedola said. "I've never regretted it."
Liz Zemba is a reporter for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-601-2166 or email@example.com.


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Everything Is Awesome With 'Ghostbusters 3'
Nikki Finke, the original founder of Deadline- who is getting ready to "go solo" and launch her own website- has released a scoop via Twitter that should make some folks happy. According to Finke, the directing duo behind The Lego Movie- Phil Lord and Chris Miller- are in talks to take over the reins of Ghostbusters 3. When it was announced earlier this week that Ivan Reitman, who helmed the first two Ghostbusters movies, was leaving the project, many wondered who might get the call.
Hot duo to direct #Ghostbusters3? My sources say Phil Lord & Chris Miller ('Lego Movie', '21 Jump St') in talks to replace Ivan Reitman.
— Nikki Finke (@NikkiFinke) March 20, 2014
While Lord and Miller are currently hot due to the smash hit Lego Movie, they also directed the R-rated comedy hit 21 Jump Street. So they definitely have the chops.
Ghostbusters 3, according to Reitman- who is staying on as a producer- will follow a new team of proton pack-wearing heroes, with a couple of the original characters showing up in a smaller capacity. Dan Aykroyd will also be helping with the producing duties. He announced as much when he tweeted this the other day, in response to the Reitman news: "Packs on! Will have Ivan's back as I help him produce a GB 3 that Harold would be proud of."
The script has undergone many drafts, tweaks, and changes over the years. The last one, turned in by The Office writers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, is said to be the best take for a modern Ghostbusters movie.
What do you think? Are the Lego/Jump Street guys a good fit for Ghostbusters 3?
SOURCE: Nikki Finke


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Speaking to CNN on Wednesday night, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R) defended Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Moudock's recent comment about rape.
Mourdock created an uproar on Tuesday night after describing a pregnancy that resulted from rape as "a gift from God" and "something that God intended to happen." The Senate candidate was explaining why he thought abortion should be prohibited, without any exceptions for rape or incest.
"What the Senate candidate said is that the child is a gift from God and whether it's conceived by rape or not, it's still the gift of human life is a gift from God," Santorum told CNN host Erin Burnett. "And that's what he said. I don't – I mean, he didn't say rape was a gift from God. You'd have to contort words beyond meaning to get that understanding of it."
Santorum: Uproar over Mourdock just 'gotcha politics'
Current Status: Blessed (1)
Seeded on Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:01 PM
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