text:
Global: Liquidity fuelling mega real estate projects in Oman
Global Investment House –Kuwait- Economic & Strategic Outlook - Real Estate - The recent surge in oil prices and the resulting increase in liquidity, has resulted in mega real estate projects boom throughout the GCC in general and Oman specifically. Other factors contributing to this real estate boom are as follows:
Oman's total population stood at 2.5mn in 2005 increasing by 3.8% from 2.4mn in 2004. Oman has also a young demography; around 66.7% of the Omani total population is below the age of 24, which translates into an increasing demand for housing.
A strong economy and the increase in liquidity has been one of the main drivers of the buoyant real estate sector. With higher yields, property remains one of the best investment avenues in Oman. Last but not the least, the domestic liquidity situation in Oman has been influenced considerably by the developments in the oil front. Higher oil revenues and higher overall surplus in the balance of payments also contributed to excess liquidity conditions in the market.
The expansion in Oman's economy and the flow of expatriate workers, have boded well for both the commercial and residential segments of the real estate market. The employment of expatriates in the private sector has been increasing in absolute numbers. It stood at 510,713 employees in 2006 compared to 424,788 employees in 2005. Also, demand for high quality commercial space has grown in tandem with improving economic situation creating a shortage of office space, and inducing an increase in commercial rents.
Until recently only GCC nationals were the only foreigners allowed to buy land in Oman according to Royal Decree 21/2004 which extend land ownership rights to GCC national and GCC corporate entities (wholly owned by GCC nationals). However, the Royal decree 12/2006 expanded foreign ownership rights to include non-GCC nationals as well.
The government has been promoting tourism as a catalyst to economic diversification, undertaking lot of measures to revive the sector, starting with the establishment of Ministry of Tourism in 2004. The freehold ownership law which allows foreigners to own real estate in designated integrated tourism-related areas on a freehold basis is another sign of the government's commitment to revive the sector. The government is also granting subsidized land to major developers for tourism projects. This has encouraged the establishment of mega developments such as the Wave, Blue City, Muscat Golf & Country Club, and Yitti.
"The Wave", a US$800mn investment is being established along a beachfront of 7.3 km west of the capital Muscat, is a joint venture comprising Oman's Waterfront Investments, representing the government of Oman, the National Investment Funds Company, and the UAE's Majid Al Futtaim Investments. The project is scheduled to be developed in two phases; the first phase of the project will involve reclamation of land, infrastructure development and site improvement, which will include an 18-hole PGA Golf Course and Marina. The second phase will feature the development of hotels, villas, condominium towers and upscale apartment complexes, as well as retail and restaurant outlets.
The US$10bn "Blue City" project in Barka will be developed over several phases in the next 10-15 years. The Blue City will include several hotels and tourism attractions, as well as other developments related to education, healthcare, sports and marine sectors. The Blue City is anticipated to become home to more than 200,000 people.
Another agreement was signed recently between the government and Dubai International Real Estates Co. to set up an integrated tourism project in Yitti in the governorate of Muscat. The project with its various components represents a complete tourism project to be set over a 2.6mn sq/m area. It will include a beach hotel, a health resort and a mountain resort, a golf ground, yacht harbor, residential villas and tourism utilities.
"Muscat Golf & Country Club" is a five-star leisure and residential destination. The international construction giant, Laing O'Rourke, is the project leader, and is overseeing the total project construction and the course preparation. Endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism, Muscat Golf and Country club includes two bedroom apartments, three bedroom penthouses and the three, four and five bedroom villas, the gulf course, clubhouse as well as the exclusive five star hotel, spa and shopping facilities. The site is close to Seeb International Airport, allowing easy access to international travelers. The project is expected to be completed by 2009.
The real estate in Oman is continuing its strong growth. The latest available data from the ministry of national economy indicate that the total number of total plots have increased from 35,414 in 2004 to 71,263 in 2005, an whopping increase of 101%. The residential sector still captured the biggest share, registering 83.2% of the total number of plots in 2005, and the capital city "Muscat" having around 42% of the total plots in 2005.
The outlook for the Omani real estate market is very promising with healthy macroeconomic environment, and most importantly, steady progress towards economic diversification. High oil prices provided significant boost to the economy which has been boosted by higher liquidity levels. Being the most politically stable country in the region is another big plus for Oman. This gives it the potential to attract foreign investments.
The Royal Decree allowing foreigners' freehold ownership in tourism designated areas is expected to be another significant driver of the real estate sector in Oman. With the Royal Decree, the future for big projects like the Wave, Blue City, Yitti and the Muscat Golf and Country Club looks bright as the demand for property is expected to go up.
Another big plus for the Omani real estate market is that despite the upsurge in property prices, Oman still remains a competitive market in terms of prices as compared to other GCC countries. Omani land is cheaper than the other GCC countries. Land prices in Oman is estimated to be roughly 50% less than that in Dubai, and 35% less than Bahrain. This gives the country an advantage in attracting investments from other appreciating GCC countries.
We expect the demand for industrial space to pick up as the government continues to open up for foreign investments, which will in turn create demand for the residential sector coming from the inflow of expatriates. The government has been trying to position the Sohar Port as an industrial hub. The port is undergoing a huge transformation with around US$12bn worth of developments in the pipeline. The government has been very supportive to new developments, giving out land to big developers under long term leases at very low annual rental rates of RO0.75/sqm. Five major projects have been already announced namely Sohar Refinery Project, Sohar Methanol Project, Oman-India Fertilizer Project, Ferro-Chrome Project, and Sohar Fertilizer Project. Of these, work has already progressed in respect of Sohar Refinery Project and the Oman-India Fertilizer Project. We anticipate continued activity in the industrial sector in tandem with the government's commitment to its long term target of diversifying away from the oil sector.
Supported by a growing economy, favorable government measures regarding foreign investments, and foreign ownership laws, the real estate market in Oman has changed rapidly over the last year, and is expected to gain further momentum in the short to medium term. While the retail segment is not very promising, a young demography, flourishing business environment and an influx of expatriates will bode well for the residential and commercial sectors. Further, with the government's commitment to its diversification plan, and mega projects underway, the industrial and tourism sectors are likely to be other winners in the Omani real estate sector.
Top Headlines
- Global Investment House: Oman Economic and strategic Outlook – Real Estate Sector
- Mövenpick Hotels Signs Third Muscat Hotel as Oman Expansion Strategy Gains Momentum
- Oman looks at golf to boost economy and employment
- Al-Futtaim signs lease agreement with Dubai South for additional 10,000sqm plot of land
- An inside look into how the non-oil sector is fuelling growth in Saudi Arabia


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How to broach the subject of weight with someone(9 Posts)
One of my gym friends met her sister for lunch on a fasting day - and had a bowl of vegetable soup as her starter and a vegetable stir fry as her main course. Said nothing. But made the point that a little of the right food goes a long way.
It seems to be starting to work on the sister.
Your sister's very lucky to have such a thoughtful sibling, I had years of unsympathetic family members telling me I was fat (even when I was a teenager and looking back on it wasn't really that fat, probably a size 12?)
There are some things you could do 'together' despite the distance such as my fitness pal or weightwatcher online. With mfp there is a forum and you can view friends diaries and I assume weight watchers is the same. Or you could join one of the threads here for support.
I am not sure how you would mention this, perhaps you could join mfp and a thread and tell her how excited you are? Or you could take up a sport, the shred, anything really and hope that your enthusiasm is contagious.
I'm in the now or never thread and I can't begin to tell you how good it is to have a place to let off steam, discuss the emotional issues that might be causing you to eat and discussing food, recipes, exercise, health. The key thing about these groups is that when you have a 'bad' day or week you don't give up, you carry on.
It could be very upsetting for her - however well meaning you mean to be.
I am overweight - I am trying, I have been to see my GP (who by the way NEVER mentioned anything in any previous meetings) I am probably 4 or 5 stone overweight, about a size 18/20 but I think I am much heavier maybe than I actually look.
My GP was very unsympathetic, and told me it isnt rocket science (this was when I queried the Harcombe diet which she was recommending). The practice nurse was no better.
My "friend" approached me after too many drinks, and started prodding me about my weight. Suggesting surgery, and if I wanted her to come along with me etc It left me feeling even worse, and any self esteem I thought I had disappeared.
My DH knowing I am unhappy about it, but struggling with a sugar addiction and such very low self esteem says things like. "when you're skinny we can go to Barbados" or when I was going out for a walk in the snow last week in a pair of thick leggings "are you going to go out like that?"
Tread very very carefully, I absolutely hate it when well meaning people say things to me, because its never any use - and just makes me feel worse.
Thanks for the advice....appreciate hearing some independent opinions. Will try and support her best I can.
I think, if you can deliver the news gently - and are prepared for an initially upset or even angry reaction - that you should try to say something. It's obvious you love your sister and care about her and want her to be happy and healthy. Talking to people about personal things like that is very tricky (like trying to tell you someone you love they have bad breath or something), but if a member of someone's own family can't be honest, then nobody can. Perhaps you could start off by saying you'd like to lose a little weight and get fit this year - like a belated new year's resolution - but you need a wingman. Would she be it? And see where that takes you. We have a cousin who, for various reasons, has become incredibly boastful and mean about people and talks endlessly about her job. She hasn't had a boyfriend in years, and would love one, and we her family all know it's not her looks, but her increasingly difficult personality. Anyway, eventually her older brother sat her down and gave her a very frank talking to (in a positive way). It's made a huge difference to her. Good luck!
How slim are you OP? How would you feel if someone suggested you lose weight? I think she knows she is overweight, and you saying something is not going to do anything to change her, it'll probably just make her sad. If you were close enough to lose weight together and be supports for each other then I could see the point, but otherwise I don't see how it could help.
I'd keep out of it unless she talks to you about it. You can't throw money at it and make it go away, (I should know, I've had the counselling, the personal training, the gym memberships, etc) she needs to want to lose weight and be committed to it.
If you lived closer I would have suggested that you mention your own weight struggles and asked if she wanted to do something like slimming world together, but as you live so far away I can't help but feel like she might think you're preaching from your ivory tower to her if you call up to discuss her problem.
I can understand your point of view, but trust me she won't be unaware of her weight problem, she will know about healthy eating. Yes, the doctor will have mentioned it (every time she goes in for anything from flu to athletes foot) but implementing the healthy eating and exercise plan is different from knowing about it. She may just feel alone and unsupported and potentially too shy to join a group or confess she has a problem. Is she depressed?
BY the way the counselling might not be a bad idea but be aware that most counsellors are shit, and the ones that are trained in this area won't be in it to make her lose weight, they'll just try to help her eat in a more normal way. Losing weight would hopefully be a by-product of that.
Its hard because you're her sister and you care about her but I'm sure she already knows she's v overweight and probably wants to lose weight herself.
I think the best you can do is encourage her if she brings the subject up herself. I know you mean well but she may resent it if you start going on about it to her.
My younger sister (aged 28) is morbidly obese. I'm really not sure how heavy but maybe around 16 stone. She is shorter than me so just a guess.
Pretty much, since she was a child, she has always been overweight but in the past few years, she seems to have put loads on. She has just moved to the UK and whilst we aren't in the same area, she travelled to visit yesterday. I hadn't seen her in about one year but do see pics on FB and I was quite upset when I saw her.
She's had and continues to have various health problems, some of which are likely to be weight related with high blood pressure the most recent. She has just started university as well and that may be making things worse. She also smokes and drinks (pints of Guinness).
Where do you start? Is it up to her? I just feel I can't sit back any longer and say nothing to her and watch her slowly killing herself. The high BP at 28 yrs really worries me and I'm scared that the next thing will be diabetes. I have in the past encouraged her to exercise etc. and whilst talking about uni with her yesterday, she mentioned she is going to start playing tennis with a friend.
I don't know what her GP has said to her but can't imagine that her weight hasn't been mentioned. I was going to suggest going back to ask to be prescribed Weight watchers and referral to a counsellor or someone she can talk to about her weight. I really don't think she has a clue about healthy eating. She announced to me yesterday that she had had her first Greggs! She doesn't do any exercise either. I think now at uni, she is probably bored a bit as she is older than the other students and she doesn't have too many lectures each week.
Am I just being an interfering older sister and should mind my own business? I will do anything I can to help her including paying for her to go and see a counsellor, personal trainer in gym etc. I am too far away to travel regularly as she is in North Wales and I am in London. Ultimately I don't want to upset her or make her feel bad. I have struggled with my own weight pretty much all my life too and could do with losing a stone (or two) myself. Maybe I should suggest we do this together?
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Social health management startup Welltok has raised $18.7 million in its second round of funding with a goal of expanding into new markets, hiring new employees, and boosting product development.
Denver-based Welltok's flagship product is CaféWell, a social health service that rewards participants for living a healthy lifestyle, lets them talk with health experts, and gives insights to employers about their health, interests, and motivations. Welltok is contracted to serve about 10 million consumers using CaféWell and counts two of the five largest health plan organizations in the U.S. as customers.
The new funding was provided by New Enterprise Associates, Emergence Capital Partners, and InterWest Partners. Including the new round, Welltok has raised $26 million.
On top of the new funding, the company has also appointed executive chairman Jeff Margolis as its new CEO. Margolis has been the executive chairman for the past 18 months and previously was the CEO of TriZetto, a healthcare IT business.
"We are addressing the significant challenges consumers face as they try to optimize their own health in partnership with their plans and providers, and have built new support structures that combine the best in purpose-driven social, community, personalization, and gaming technologies," Margolis said in a statement.
Woman exercising via Maridav/Shutterstock


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For the 18th year, the Muscular Dystrophy Association will sponsor activities across the country throughout May to raise awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease.
National ALS Awareness Month focuses public attention on a disease that affects more than 30,000 American adults, with an additional 5,000 new cases diagnosed every year. ALS kills the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles, causing weakness and, ultimately, paralysis.
ALS often proves fatal within three to five years of diagnosis.
In addition to local seminars and other activities conducted in May by MDA chapters across the country, MDA will put a human face on ALS by continuing its annual online series, "ALS: Anyone's Life Story."
Each day of May, a different person with ALS will be featured on MDA's ALS Division Web site, www.als-mda.org.
Viewers can learn firsthand how people affected by ALS cope with its physical impacts and face the future.
For information about local MDA ALS Awareness Month activities, call (800) 572-1717.
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


text:
the Atalante fragments
Expand Messages
- [This letter is being sent to elfling, lambengolmor and tolklang,
because some people may be members of one list but are not (do not
want to be) members of other list(s). Sorry for the multiple letters
-- ab]
I would like to inform you that I have uploaded my analysis of the
_Atalante_ fragments on my site elm. Here is the url:
What is meant by the _Atalante_ fragments are several fragmentary
sentences describing the Downfall of Númenor. They exist in a number
of versions in _The Lost Road and Other Writings_ (pps. 47, 56) and
_Sauron Defeated_ (pps. 246-7, 309-11, 311-3 + frontispieces). I
tried to compare them and analyze particular words of the Fragments.
Some versions of the Fragments in SD are bilingual: they are written
in Quenya and Adunaic. My analysis, however, focuses only on the
Quenya part, though the Adunaic part is occassionally mentioned.
I was thinking about including an analysis of the Adunaic part, but
I decided not to in the end. The main reason was that we know quite
little about Adunaic and the analysis would be full of unfounded
guesses. Another reason was that an analysis of it already existed:
it was written by Lalaith and can be found here:
I and Lalaith consulted almost everything, I agree with him in the
majority of cases.
Finally, I would like to note that I was long undecided whether to
publish the analysis. It is somewhat long and perhaps even wordy.
Nevertheless, I decided to publish it in the end, because I spent
a lot of time working on it; perhaps someone will find it
interesting and useful.
At any rate, I would like to hear your opinions, comments,
suggestions and corrections.
Ales Bican
ps. Besides the analysis, there are other updates on my site: I added
a few of my Quenya poems, but in particular I would like to direct
your attention to a new a-less Quenya poem by Kirsten Eivor Bekkhus:
So far the longest a-less Quenya text!
I watch, I wait, I wonder... (sunscreem, _change_)
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text:
Grace walked into the Bert Fish Medical Center in New Smyrna Beach, Florida with her newest hard cover puzzle book featuring an assortment of mind benders and Sodukos. Working crossword puzzles helps pass the time and at age 69 Grace's skill level is ranked somewhere between amateur and professional.
On this particular day, Grace would receive her third chemotherapy treatment for cancer and visit with her oncologist. She was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma cancer this past November when two small spots were discovered on her left lung and liver.
When the pain in her side became excruciating her husband decided it was time to visit their physician and seek relief. "We thought it was her gall bladder or appendix," he would later recall. To their disbelief it was cancer.
The oncology waiting room was comfortable and the volunteer on duty offered patients coffee and other beverages. Typical of most waiting rooms, the same old dated magazines were available but this morning I noticed many of the patients brought along their own reading materials and other items to occupy their time. One woman clasped a blanket on her lap; another brought a tote bag with a small pillow tucked inside. I could see the fluffy head of a small white teddy bear peering out over the top. Obviously this provided some comfort during her long treatments.
A young mother receiving intravenous chemotherapy was a stark reminder of a disease that strikes without prejudice. Her three young children, all under age 7, were in the waiting room with their dad.
Cancer is a word that invokes fear in the mind of anyone hearing it. It's a word describing a condition touching each of us through someone we might know. It may be a relative, friend, fellow worker, or simply an acquaintance.
As Grace sat back in the recliner, an intravenous tube was inserted into her "port" a small tube implanted into an artery below her shoulder. This would serve as the entry port for the chemotherapy. Her chemotherapy cocktail would slowly drip from a plastic bag hovering on a portable stand located behind her. Today's treatment would take approximately two hours, not bad considering her first treatment, two weeks prior, lasted six hours.
During her initial consultation with her oncologist, Grace was asked how long she smoked cigarettes, what brands she smoked and when she quit. Her form of cancer is preventable and is directly linked to smoking, a habit she started at age 16.
Grace, like countless others, fights a battle against cancer. She's determined to fight this disease with an ironclad outlook. And despite her hair falling out and the pain she hides from her family, she continues moving forward masking her fears of the future and what lies ahead for her.
Advanced medical treatment is astounding and it's difficult to know where today's victims would be without it. For Grace it offers hope and a chance to prolong her life. She's determined to fight the disease. She's displaying great courage and strength. Her voice never reveals any of the pain or discomfort she's experiencing. And her outlook is positive.
Grace's resolve and determination to fight this battle reminds me of the importance of family and faith. Parents are continually teaching their children life's harsh realities and how to face them. Courage is something my mom is demonstrating now.
(It's been five years since my mother lost her battle with lung cancer. This column was published three months preceding her death in The Oak Ridger, a daily newspaper serving Oak Ridge, Tenn. While it reveals her struggle to live, it doesn't tell the story of how she died and how Hospice assisted our family. Next week's column will expound on Hospices' role in meeting my mother's end-of-life needs.)


text:
MOSCOW, July 17 (Reuters) - Russia's central bank said on Thursday that the impact of U.S. sanctions over the Ukraine crisis would largely have a delayed impact and that it had enough tools to address short-term difficulties.
"The main consequences relate to the acquisition of new long-term loans or refinancing - that is, the effects are largely of a delayed nature," it told Reuters. It did not specify a timeframe. (Reporting by Oksana Kobzeva; Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Pravin Char)


text:
Artist description:
the beach
Flash Draw Created Feb 21, 2012 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2012 sashapuppy.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
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I like the colors :) Heres a tip: Air Brush makes things blury and isn't the greatest tool No offense :D
Very nice drawing, Sashapuppy! It makes me want to go to the beach!


text:
SHEFFIELD — Mayor Darlene Ondercin has her first official competition for the November election.
John Hunter, a former union president at Ford's Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake and the Lorain Assembly Plant, announced Tuesday he'll be in the mayoral race.
Citing the need for change and fiscal accountability in office, Hunter chastised Ondercin for accepting a $15,000 pay increase in 2005 even though Fire Station 2 on the village's south side was closed.
"We all deserve accountability and to know where our tax dollars are going," he said. "Taxes continue to go up, while local basic services are being cut or ignored. We can do better."
Hunter also was concerned with an ordinance passed last year that elevated the mayor's job to a full-time position.
The village already has a full-time village administrator, fire chief and police chief, and Hunter said spending more money on another full-time position is irresponsible.
"There are 24 villages and townships in Lorain County, and none of them have full-time mayors," he said. "There are also 10 cities in Lorain County, and four of those don't have full-time mayors."
Hunter has joined a committee that includes two members of the village Council — Leo Sheets and Kevin Watkinson — in an attempt to get the full-time mayor issue on the November ballot, he said.
Ondercin, who has been mayor since 1994, said growth in the village warrants the need for a full-time mayor, and the mayor will not be able to hold a full-time job and the position because there are too many responsibilities. The position's pay would rise only $5,000, making the mayor's salary $40,000, she said Tuesday.
Council gave her a $15,000 raise in 2005 because they combined the safety director position with her office. It actually saved the village money by not hiring someone else, she said.
She plans on seeking re-election, she said.
"We're preparing for the future," she said. "I don't work except for this, but for anyone who is mayor after me, you can't have someone running the village after 5 o'clock."
She also disputed any connection between her raise and the closing of the fire station. That station, she said, had been struck by lightning three times and no longer was safe, she said. There already are plans to build another station, she said.
So far, no one else has taken out petitions to run for mayor. Sheffield is nonpartisan, which means its candidates do not run under a party label.
Contact Adam Wright at 329-7151 and email@example.com.


text:
Does consumer confidence forecast household expenditure?: A sentiment index horse race
This paper investigates the forecasting power of consumer sentiment for household expenditure. We compare the predictive power of two measures of consumer attitudes, and then further compare each survey's expectations component with one another, and with the broader sentiment measures. The results indicate that lagged values of the Conference Board's overall confidence and expectations measures have stronger incremental power for more categories of the growth in consumption expenditure than do measures available from the University of Michigan, though the latter is correlated with future expenditures on automobiles even after economic fundamentals are controlled for. The paper also discusses structural differences between the two surveys and suggests how these differences might be related to the discrepancy in forecasting power.
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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Matsusaka, John G & Sbordone, Argia M, 1995.
"Consumer Confidence and Economic Fluctuations,"
Economic Inquiry,
Western Economic Association International, vol. 33(2), pages 296-318, April.
- John G. Matsusaka & Argia M. Sbordone, 1993. "Consumer confidence and economic fluctuations," Working Paper Series, Macroeconomic Issues 93-13, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
- Eric M. Leeper, 1992. "Consumer attitudes: king for a day," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, issue Jul, pages 1-15.
- Carroll, Christopher D & Fuhrer, Jeffrey C & Wilcox, David W, 1994. "Does Consumer Sentiment Forecast Household Spending? If So, Why?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(5), pages 1397-1408, December.
- Christopher D. Carroll & Jeffrey C. Fuhrer & David W. Wilcox, 1991. "Does consumer sentiment affect household spending? If so why?," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 168, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
- Christopher D. Carroll & Jeffery C. Fuhrer & David W. Wilcox, 1994. "RATS code for Does Consumer Sentiment Forecast Household Spending? If So, Why?," QM&RBC Codes 49, Quantitative Macroeconomics & Real Business Cycles.
- Wilcox, David W, 1992. "The Construction of U.S. Consumption Data: Some Facts and Their Implications for Empirical Work," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(4), pages 922-941, September.
- Sydney Ludvigson, 1996. "Consumer sentiment and household expenditure: reevaluating the forecasting equations," Research Paper 9636, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
- Mankiw, N. Gregory, 1982. "Hall's consumption hypothesis and durable goods," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 417-425. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)
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text:
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases
Volume 2009 (2009), Article ID 385487, 13 pages
Climate Change and Malaria in Canada: A Systems Approach
1Department of Geography, McGill University, 805 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2K6
2McGill University Centre for Tropical Diseases, Montreal General Hospital, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada H3G 1A4
3Division of Clinical Epidemiology, McGill University Health Centre, Royal Victoria Hospital, V Building, 687 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 1A1
4Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 1A2
5Public Health Agency of Canada and Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, CP 5000, Saint Hyacinthe, QC, Canada J2S 7C6
Received 9 January 2008; Accepted 27 March 2008
Academic Editor: Bettina Fries
Copyright © 2009 L. Berrang-Ford 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.
Citations to this Article [12 citations]
The following is the list of published articles that have cited the current article.
- V. Hongoh, L. Berrang-Ford, N. H. Ogden, R. Lindsay, M. E. Scott, and H. Artsob, "A review of environmental determinants and risk factors for avian-associated mosquito arboviruses in Canada," Biodiversity, vol. 10, no. 2-3, pp. 83–91, 2009. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar
- J. D. Ford, W. A. Gough, G. J. Laidler, J. MacDonald, C. Irngaut, and K. Qrunnut, "Sea ice, climate change, and community vulnerability in northern Foxe Basin, Canada," Climate Research, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 137–154, 2009. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar
- Lea Berrang-Ford, Malcolm King, and Chris Furgal, "Vulnerability of Aboriginal health systems in Canada to climate change," Global Environmental Change-Human and Policy Dimensions, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 668–680, 2010. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar
- Kristi Bree Adamo, Andrew William Sheel, Vincent Onywera, Judith Waudo, Michael Boit, and Mark Stephen Tremblay, "Child obesity and fitness levels among Kenyan and Canadian children from urban and rural environments: A KIDS-CAN Research Alliance Study," International Journal Of Pediatric Obesity, vol. 6, no. 2-2, pp. E225–E232, 2011. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar
- Rose Eckhardt, Lea Berrang-Ford, Nancy A. Ross, Dylan R. Pillai, and David L. Buckeridge, "A Spatial Analysis of Individual- and Neighborhood-Level Determinants of Malaria Incidence in Adults, Ontario, Canada," Emerging Infectious Diseases, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 775–782, 2012. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar
- Carla S. Jones, Tiffany Luong, Michael Hannon, Miller Tran, James A. Gregory, Zhouxin Shen, Steven P. Briggs, and Stephen P. Mayfield, "Heterologous expression of the C-terminal antigenic domain of the malaria vaccine candidate Pfs48/45 in the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii," Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, vol. 97, no. 5, pp. 1987–1995, 2012. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar
- V. Hongoh, L. Berrang-Ford, M.E. Scott, and L.R. Lindsay, "Expanding geographical distribution of the mosquito, Culex pipiens, in Canada under climate change," Applied Geography, vol. 33, pp. 53–62, 2012. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar
- Yan Bi, Wenbiao Hu, Huaxin Liu, Yujiang Xiao, Yuming Guo, Shimei Chen, Laifa Zhao, and Shilu Tong, "Can slide positivity rates predict malaria transmission?," Malaria Journal, vol. 11, 2012. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar
- Alicia I. Rolin, Lea Berrang-Ford, and Manisha A. Kulkarni, "The risk of Rift Valley fever virus introduction and establishment in the United States and European Union," Emerging Microbes & Infections, vol. 2, 2013. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar
- Nicholas H Ogden, Radojević Milka, Cyril Caminade, and Philippe Gachon, "Recent and projected future climatic suitability of North America for the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus," Parasites & Vectors, vol. 7, no. 1, 2014. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar
- Manisha A. Kulkarni, Lea Berrang-Ford, Peter A. Buck, Michael A. Drebot, L. Robbin Lindsay, and Nicholas H. Ogden, "Major emerging vector-borne zoonotic diseases of public health importance in Canada," Emerging Microbes & Infections, vol. 4, 2015. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar
- Valerie Hongoh, Pascal Michel, Pierre Gosselin, Karim Samoura, André Ravel, Céline Campagna, Hassane Cissé, and Jean-Philippe Waaub, "Multi-Stakeholder Decision Aid for Improved Prioritization of the Public Health Impact of Climate Sensitive Infectious Diseases," International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 419, 2016. View at Publisher · View at Google Scholar


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Hilarious captions! (as usual!!) Thanks for brightening our Jigidi time! You are all very talented comedians!
I love to be lazy!!
With minimal testing, the zoo keeper deduced that Nyquil has the same effect on polar bears as it does on humans.
Note to self........... Go to bed then take sleeping pill..........
Bear shin ugh.
That last gallon of tadpole wine was a killer! Zzzzzzzzz.
''Boy, that was one wild dream! It started out after a nice seal dinner all to myself. As I settled down to a nice nap, I thought I saw a big noisy bird thing settle down near me. Then several seal sized alien things jumped out of it's side and ran towards me, making popping noises with a stick. At the point where I was falling asleep, I remember them dragging me over to that noisy bird. Next thing I knew, I was in this strange place, surrounded by rocks, with more of those seal sized alien creatures staring at me. I'm going back to sleep. Maybe I'll wake up back at home with my seal carcass.Nobody will believe this back home. ''
''I hate Mondays.''
''Nothing to see, people. I meant to do that!''
((Are we SURE that this isn't a man in a polar bear suit?))
Does my butt look big?
doh!!! where did that step come from?
My get up and go has got up and gone. (Groan)
Boy! That flu really lays you low!
Show me the way to go home. I'm tired and I want to go to bed. Had a little drink about an hour ago, and it went right to my head.
Sooooo tired from the party last night.
Oh, that was the best bachelor party ever! Where am I and why does my butt feel like I got shot with a tranquilizer gun? Oh crap! Not again!
Oh how I dream of that seal I had for dinner last week, it was sooo good. I wonder how his brother will taste.
And that's what I think of all you tourists!


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Amazon is predicted to launch its first smartphone on Wednesday.
There are rumours the handset will have 3D holographic capabilities as in enters a fiercely competitive market dominated by tech giants such as Apple and Samsung.
Brad Stone and Cory Johnson discussed the potential impact of the new smartphone on Bloomberg television
Video source: Bloomberg


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Mamta Agarwal
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! A Moment In Time! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! - Poem by Mamta Agarwal
Summer at peak;
a young man
in a white singlet.
Summer at peak;
a young girl
in short sleeves.
Summer at peak;
A child licks
Ice cream.
Summer at peak;
an infant
On inhaler.
Summer at peak;
A young couple
Cosy in cinema hall seats.
Summer at peak;
A vendor
Sells lime water.
Summer at peak;
Gulmohar petals
lie limp on grass.
Summer at peak;
Dust haze,
Road rage.
Summer at peak;
beads of sweat
slide on lips.
Summer at peak,
Street wars,
Blame it on heat.
Comments about ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! A Moment In Time! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! by Mamta Agarwal
Sarwar Chowdhury (6/18/2009 4:42:00 AM)
truely poetic word-picure!
insightul beauty here!
10+ (Report) Reply
Sandra Fowler (6/11/2009 6:55:00 AM)
The imagery of summer.I can feel the warmth. But where
do all those moments go? The leaves will be falling
before you know it. Very nostalgic, Mamta.
As always,
Sandra (Report) Reply
Vidi Writes (6/8/2009 9:34:00 AM)
Summer at peak
But you come up with this juicy greet
Each word i pick
With great devotion to marinate.
Wow... i feel... let this poem don't end
Let many more lines come in blend
A joy ride with great append.
Thank you dear poet for this wonderful write. (Report) Reply
Samanyan Lakshminarayanan (6/8/2009 5:29:00 AM)
Subroto Chatterjee (6/6/2009 10:24:00 PM)
Please write one on: 'Monsoon at peak'....Quick, quick! ! You know why Mamta...The heat is getting on...
Subroto (Report) Reply
Saadat Tahir (6/6/2009 3:31:00 PM)
hi mamta...u r very kind and partial to the sizzling summers
nice poetic conect
very nice lines
cheers (Report) Reply
Sandra Martyres (6/6/2009 1:49:00 PM)
Lovely poetic observations on the expression of Summer for everyone...good write summer... (Report) Reply
Marieta Maglas (6/6/2009 1:27:00 PM)
''Summer at peak;
an infant
On inhaler''
just a moment in time 10++ (Report) Reply
Bob Blackwell (6/6/2009 1:21:00 PM)
Each moment is different for each of us, then it changes. Nice observing Mamta. (Report) Reply
Ashraful Musaddeq (6/6/2009 1:07:00 PM)
A great poem with summer.
You have observed from different corner.
Sweet and cute poem with a lovely form.10+++ (Report) Reply
Read this poem in other languages
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem »
Famous Poems
Phenomenal Woman
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Still I Rise
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If You Forget Me
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Caged Bird
Maya Angelou
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Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Robert Frost
I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You
Pablo Neruda


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World Affairs
(Redirected from World Affairs (journal))
|James S. Denton
|International relations
|World Affairs Institute
|First issue
|United States
|OCLC number
World Affairs is an American bimonthly magazine covering international relations. At one time, it was an official publication of the American Peace Society.[citation needed] The magazine has been published since 1837 and was re-launched in January 2008 as a new publication. Each issue contains articles offering diverse perspectives on global issues and United States foreign policy. World Affairs is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Prior to 1932, the magazine was published monthly and under a variety of names, including The Advocate of Peace.[citation needed] Those articles have since been digitized by JSTOR and are freely viewable up to 1923.
Notable Contributors[edit]
- Elliott Abrams
- Fouad Ajami
- Ayaan Hirsi Ali
- Andrew Bacevich
- Ellen Bork
- Ian Bremmer
- Helene Cooper
- Jackson Diehl
- Eric Edelman
- Tom Gjelten
- Ethan Gutmann
- Roya Hakakian
- Michael V. Hayden
- Christopher Hitchens
- Robert Kagan
- Mary Kissel
- Charles Lane
- Lewis Libby
- H.R. McMaster
- P. J. O'Rourke
- George Packer
- Richard Perle
- David Rieff
- Marc Thiessen
- Michael J. Totten
- James Traub
- Michael Zantovsky
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
- Official website
- "Neocon Resurgence - August 7, 2008". The New York Sun. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- The Advocate of Peace 1837–1845. JSTOR.
- Advocate of Peace (1847-1884). JSTOR.
- The American Advocate of Peace and Arbitration (1889-1892). JSTOR.
- American Advocate of Peace (1892-1893). JSTOR.
- The Advocate of Peace (1894–1920). JSTOR.
- Advocate of Peace through Justice (1920-1932). JSTOR.
- World Affairs (1932-2005). JSTOR.
|This American political magazine article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
See tips for writing articles about magazines. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page.


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Comments regarding King's MumsClick here to return to King's Mums's listing.
You are viewing only positive comments
(3 reviews)
|On Mar 18, 2010, TexLu West Sacramento, CA wrote:
I order chrysanthemum cuttings from this company for 5 years. This year my ordered cuttings are coming in small paper pots containing soil mix. This is much better way to grow and packing cutting. It make much easier for me to plant cuttings and to avoid transplant shock. All cutting come in very good conditions. The new owners of King's Mum are doing a great job!
(5 reviews)
|On Jan 30, 2010, newday73 Chesapeake, VA wrote:
Posted on December 11, 2009, updated January 30, 2010
On January 30th, 2010, newday73 added the following:
For those of you who are chrysanthemum growers, I just received the new catalog from Kings and also the new web site with most of their cultivars. I was excited to see that they have been innovative in their cuttings, which used to come as bare root, but are now coming in small 100% biodegradable potys containing their own soil mix, a fungicide and a slow release fertilizer! I have never lost a cutting in over thirty years withs the old way, but this new way where they are rooted in the same container and shipped in the same container a will make it even easier to avoid transplant shock. These new owners have answered two of my emails promptly and always preovided the information that is needed. You will also be able to order online from their online catalog which is just another plus. This is the second season for these new owners and they are doing a great job!
(15 reviews)
|On Jun 2, 2007, veganman Peoria, AZ (Zone 9b) wrote:
My order arrived quickly and in perfect condition. I am impressed by how large and how well rooted the cuttings are. Great selection, great quality, great price!
(8 reviews)
|On May 14, 2007, shuggins Houston, TX (Zone 9b) wrote:
Great company. Very healthy plants. I ordered my plants and received them with no problems. They were also great about tell me when the order was shipping. I will definitely be back!!
(1 review)
|On Feb 24, 2007, mizpat1 Redding, CA wrote:
This is my 4th year ordering Mums from Kings! Delivery is prompt when promised, plants(slips) are healthy, have never lost one. The King's Collection selection is the best buy on the market! Instructions for growing are understandable for the novice!
(9 reviews)
|On Jul 4, 2005, dstartz Deep South Texas, TX (Zone 9a) wrote:
An absolute joy to do business with! Emails and phone calls were answered promptly, with courtesy and professionalism.
(15 reviews)
|On Jul 11, 2004, MaryCorbett Niceville, FL (Zone 8b) wrote:
Have ordered from this company 3 times with excellent results. They have a huge selection of chrysanthemums (over 150 cultivars). The plants were shipped in perfect condition, true to variety, and exactly when requested. Each had its own tag, and I have not received any that were mislabeled. Customer Service is very helpful if you should have any questions. I will continue to order from them.
(1 review)
|On Oct 16, 2003, Rachelesque wrote:
I ordered about a dozen mum plants from this company June 2003; the plants were delivered timely and were in great condition. I am happy to report that all of the cuttings are now thriving in my garden! I plan on ordering even more mums next year.
(1 review)
|On May 2, 2003, muttipie wrote:
Purchased the Rainbow Collection (3) to be shipped April 28th. Rcvd Wed (two days later)
(9 reviews)
|On Dec 1, 2001, motts1 south central, WI (Zone 5a) wrote:
Sent very healthy plants, in timely fashion. They have a very wide selection of mums and good descriptions. As of last spring, they were not set up to take credit card orders.


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so maybe i'll post pictures all week.
agreed? agreed.
so, pictures. let's get to the pictures.
imagine you wake up on one chilly day like any other and come down to the living room and for some reason there is the AWESOMEST NEW TOY there and you get to PLAY WITH IT whenever you want! booyah!
and then you go take a nap, because helloooo, that was exhausting!
....and when you wake up and there's MORE AWESOME TOYS in the living room, what the heck!? and you get to play with those too!
BRAIN EXPLOSION! and there's COOKIES! AHHHHH!
i think i like christmas with a toddler, we got to do the new present! reveal several times and he only got a whopping four presents. not only was it fun for us, it kept him from being overwhelmed and kept the fun going all day long. i'll enjoy savory christmas while i can, soon enough we'll have every
oh, the treats. just wait until i show you the treats.


text:
This looks very interesting, but the only mention of it on this board is in the Recumbent forum and is from 2006.
I know I need to drink more water, but since I like to keep moving as much as possible and it's hilly where I ride, I find myself skipping the frequent drinks. CamelBaks seem like the answer, but I'm concerned about the extra weight, heat, cleaning, etc.
Water bottles are easy to keep clean and this system seems like the answer.
Would this work on a regular mountain bike?
Does anyone use this on a non recumbent bike? If so, how do you manage the tube?
I just found the following:
It's $60 :eek:
About the same price as a Camelbak.
Anyone use this?
Interesting, but I've never seen one!
East Hill
|All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:57 PM.


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Residential Lighting: What happened to the credit markets this fall?
Steve Strauss: To reduce risk, big banks took loans, divided them into groups and sold them to investors. At the time, they were good loans; people were paying on them. Home equity was going up, and lendees were paying a high interest rate -- 8 and 9 percent. It seemed like the home-equity bubble was never going to burst. When it did, people started defaulting. All of a sudden, banks all over the world had bad loans on their books. Lenders became more cautious and started changing their lending policies. As a result, money has become harder to get.
Residential Lighting: What does that mean for small businesses like lighting retailers?
Straus: Another factor, which nobody talks about, is that a lot of small businesses get their loans from the Small Business Administration. The SBA doesn't give the loans, but it guarantees them for various lenders. The Bush administration cut the SBA budget by about 50 percent over the last eight years, so SBA loans have been more difficult to get.
Residential Lighting: We hear that many banks are sitting on government bailout money instead of lending it. Is that true?
Strauss: Yes. Eventually, they're going to lend that money because the government now has a figurative and a literal stake in these banks. They're just trying to figure out how to start lending again intelligently and prudently. It's not going to happen right away, but eventually it will loosen up.
Residential Lighting: What can lighting showrooms do in the meantime?
Strauss: The best thing for small retail businesses is to work with local and regional banks. Local banks have always had prudent lending standards and, as a rule, are not in trouble right now. They are still making loans. It's always good for a small business to have a relationship with a local banker, rather than deal with institutional lenders who may not know them.
Residential Lighting: What about lines of credit?
Strauss: Credit lines are harder to get now, so you have to think of creative solutions. I don't love the idea of using credit cards, but they can be a great solution. You can use one with a lower interest rate or transfer existing balances to a card with a teaser rate. If you do that intelligently and you have a plan to pay them back on time, it will work. I've also seen companies go to their wholesale distributors to get credit. Perhaps lighting showrooms could get some lighting on consignment. I would also like to mention credit unions and local governments—both might help with funding.
Residential Lighting: Will there be any further fallout?
Strauss: There is the fear that credit cards are going to become harder to get because people will start using them more and will start defaulting. That may be the next domino to fall. I do think the time of easy credit is over. Standards are going to be higher, and loans are going to be harder to get for the foreseeable future. But, the $700 billion bailout package is not insignificant. It is a lot of money. It's going to take awhile for lenders to figure out how to use that money, but Washington will put pressure on them. I'd say that within six months things will be better—not as tight as they are right now and less frightening economically and credit-wise.
Steven D. Strauss is a lawyer, USA TODAY columnist and author of "The Small Business Bible." His blog, "Business as Unusual," can be found at www.MrAllBiz.com.


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Alfred Molina stars in this new play about 20th century artist Mark Rothko.
Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, who helmed the John Logan-penned The Aviator, is thrilled to see the scribe make his Broadway debut.
Opening night of John Logan's Red on Broadway on April 1, 2010.
Photographer: Bruce Glikas,
© Broadway.com


text:
Check out this thread:
It is non-trivial to change the xml declaration that goes on the wire, but that thread shows some sample code to do it.
Microsoft is conducting an online survey to understand your opinion of the Msdn Web site. If you choose to participate, the online survey will be presented to you when you leave the Msdn Web site.
Would you like to participate?


text:
Unfortunately, this job is expired as of 5/20/2015.
To continue in your search through the appropriate job categories, click either Administrative Staff, Higher Education Executives, Faculty, Post-Doc and Graduate Assistants, . You can also utilize "guess-free" keyword search tools with up to eight pre-defined criteria. Search for and Apply to academic postings directly from the site. Post your background either confidentially or overtly. Stand out and be discovered!
This position functions as a technician in the Information Technology Services (ITS) Help Desk team. The position provides technical services, solutions and support to all faculty, staff and students of Metropolitan State University of Denver. The position is a resource to all faculty, staff and students, and is responsible for first level of issue identification, troubleshooting, recording, resolution and escalation for MSU Denver supported products and services.
As a core member of the Information Technology Services Help Desk, the successful applicant will serve the Students, Faculty and Staff of MSU Denver by providing technical support for a range of computer hardware, software, peripherals and accounts leveraged by the MSU Denver community.. These duties include but are not limited to the following:
Use, troubleshoot and support MS Windows desktop OS (Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8) and Microsoft Office Professional 2010/13.
Use and Support Mac desktop OS (10.7+).
Work with BMC Footprints Incident Management platform for case handling.
Troubleshoot mobile operation systems including iOS and Android
Accept incoming support requests via telephone, email, web form and walk-up vectors.
Quickly and thoroughly gather the information required to successfully troubleshoot the reported issue(s), and resolve a high percentage of cases independently.
Escalate complex cases to the appropriate team or individual for further analysis as needed.
Thoroughly document all phases of the customer interaction to ensure case details are effectively captured and novel resolutions are recorded as part of the department's knowledge repository.
Record and report customer suggestions and feedback to ITS management and staff.
Promote a service-oriented culture.
30% In addition to the above responsibilities, the applicant will also be expected to:
Identify and report trends in reported incidents to Help Desk Management, and provide recommendations for mitigation of high-frequency issues.
Monitor call and ticket submission criticality and volume, taking action to reprioritize team efforts or focus if warranted.
Generate both internal- and end-user facing informational material, forms, reports and metrics as needed.
Ensure knowledge base is current and up-to-date including documentation of processes, procedures and resolutions for use in the knowledge base.
Perform research into both technical challenges and Help Desk best practices, making recommendations on optimal unit operation and identifying opportunities to enhance the campus technology experience for all MSU Denver end users.
5% Other duties as assigned, including general filing and special work project.
2+ years of work experience in an Information Technology, Help Desk or Call Center environment. (Note: 2 years of work experience in a related field is equivalent to 1 year of education.)
Experience providing customer service in an information technology environment.
Experience using, troubleshooting and supporting MS Windows desktop OS (windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8) and Microsoft Office Professional 2010/13.
Experience using and supporting Mac desktop OS (10.7+).
Experience using and troubleshooting standard desktop computing hardware, to include desktop and laptop computers, flat panel monitors, keyboards, mice and printers.
Bachelor's Degree in a technology-focused field.
Experience using the BMC Footprints Incident Management platform for case handling.
Familiarity with or experience troubleshooting mobile operating systems including iOS and Android.
Experience working in an information technology environment in a higher education setting.
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with a diverse population.
Effective organizational skills that include the ability to manage workload, multi-task, and work under pressure with project deadlines.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other work units.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Experience working with customers with no technology background.
IMPORTANT: In order to be considered as an applicant you must apply via the online application system, www.msudenverjobs.com.
References refers to a list of three professional references and their contact information.
|Employment Type:
|Administrative Staff
|Degree Required:
|Not Specified
|See Job Description
|Level of Job:
|Analyst / Staff
|Not Specified
|Type of School:
|4 - Year / Masters Institution
|Application Requirements:
Cover Letter
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text:
Velvet Gauzy Whisper Capri Leggings RITZY01
This product was discontinued August, 2013 and is no longer available. Please consider one of the Customer-Recommended Replacements above, or try a new search.
These capri leggings are ultra-lightweight and made from a super-soft cotton/spandex blend for your absolute comfort.
Try these keyword searches with similar features:


text:
My Nonprofit Reviews
Review for AAUW, Washington, DC, USA
AAUW has provided me with a truly unique volunteer experience. Along with over 30 other women in the Washington DC area, I am a part of Lobby Corps. We extend the policy advocacy of all members in local affiliates by meeting each Thursday morning to be briefed on particular legislation and then talk to talk face-to-face with congressional staffers about the issues. Most of us on Lobby Corps have been volunteering in this way for years.
More Feedback
Would you volunteer for this group again?
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Very Well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?


text:
The symbolic battle over highway markers is part of a deeper struggle over American identity.
What and whom we choose to honor from the past are always statements about who we are and what we value in the present. And because it's about the present, our choices often change as we change.
This week, the state House of Representatives voted to honor a black Civil War veteran from Snohomish by naming the Washington section of Highway 99 for him. If the Senate agrees, the gesture would be a particularly meaningful act because the highway was once named for Jefferson Davis, who served as president of the Confederacy.
Washington wasn't even a state during that war, but the whole of the country was touched by the conflict and affected still by the war of ideas that have troubled America since its beginning. Whenever struggles over values flare up, symbolism seems to take on increased importance.
There was a flurry of monuments erected to the Confederacy after Reconstruction, and another flurry during the Civil Rights Movement. And now we seem to be in the midst of a period of intense disagreement about American identity.
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We have two political parties that cannot abide one another's values.
Some of the distaste for President Obama seems to transcend politics and gets personal, and maybe that's partly because the presidency is symbolic. Having a black president sends a message that is at odds with some people's beliefs about who should hold the office.
The man for whom the highway would be named, William P. Stewart, would be a symbol, too. Stewart fought for the Union in a segregated unit during the Civil War, but here in Washington the highway had once honored Davis.
There used to be two markers announcing that designation, one in Blaine and the other in Vancouver, Wash., placed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Some state officials attended a 1940 dedication ceremony, but it was never made official.
The marker in Vancouver was quietly removed many years ago, but the one in Blaine was in place long enough for state Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, to see it, be offended by it and to sponsor a bill in 2002 to have it removed and to name the highway for Stewart. That bill was also passed by the House, but it died in the Senate.
Dunshee recently revived the bill because the climate has changed. Last year, after a gunman enamored of Confederate symbolism and ideas killed nine black worshippers in a church in Charleston, S.C., many officials across the country began removing Confederate symbols from public property.
Last July, when the South Carolina Legislature debated removing the Confederate battle flag from Statehouse grounds, Rep. Jenny Horne, a Republican and descendant of Davis, spoke out for change. Here's a quotation from an Associated Press report:
"I have heard enough about heritage," Horne said, her tearful voice rising to a shout. "I am a descendant of Jefferson Davis, OK? But that does not matter. It's not about Jenny Horne. It's about the people of South Carolina who have demanded that this symbol of hate come off the Statehouse grounds."
The Highway 99 markers from Blaine and Vancouver now sit in Jefferson Davis Park on private land in Ridgefield, Clark County, not far from Vancouver. A reader told me last fall that he can still see them from the southbound lanes of Interstate 5. But that past is going to continue retreating each time we go through a period of conflict over ideals and more inclusive ones win out.
There's going to be a woman on U.S. paper money, the Interior Department changed Mount McKinley to Mount Denali in honor of Alaska Natives, and King County, originally named for an Alabama plantation owner, Vice President William Rufus King, became Martin Luther King Jr. County in 2005.
A story about the Monday vote on the highway quotes Dunshee saying, "I think it's a statement about our values as opposed to what they were in 1941 at the height of the Jim Crow era."
Symbols are also about what ideals we want to carry forward into the future, and if Dunshee's legislation is adopted, we will have moved a little further toward a better one.


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The House Higher Education Committee soon will consider a Senate-passed bill that would remove hour limitations on HOPE Scholarship students in professional programs.
Senate Bill 561, sponsored by state Sen. Seth Harp, R-Midland, would grant the HOPE Scholarship for up to 150 semester hours to otherwise eligible students who are in non-undergraduate degree programs.
"It does help them out because it gives them an additional 23 hours," Harp told the Senate before the bill passed 51-0.
The bill would affect the University of Georgia's doctor of pharmacy and bachelor of landscape architecture programs, among others. Harp said only about 3,000 students would be affected by the change.
The HOPE Scholarship, which stands for Helping Out Pupils Educationally, was capped at 127 semester hours last year out of fear the lottery-funded program's revenues were leveling out as its demand was increasing.
Some students at the UGA College of Pharmacy said they were unfairly affected by the changes; a pharmacy degree requires 209 hours of study.
House backs Vandiver name on building
With no dissent, the House adopted a resolution Thursday urging the University System Board of Regents to name a building at the University of Georgia after former Gov. Ernest Vandiver.
The measure, sponsored by state Rep. Jeanette Jamieson, D-Toccoa, and also signed by Vandiver's daughter, state Rep. Jane Kidd, D-Athens, doesn't require the naming or even specify which building should honor the former governor. It simply says the university "should honor this native son of Georgia by bestowing his name upon a prominent building on the main campus."
Vandiver, who campaigned for office on a segregationist platform, later changed course and allowed the desegregation of UGA. He also paved the way for the removal of segregation in public elementary, middle and high schools. He died last year.
This isn't the first time in recent years that lawmakers have asked the regents to honor a prominent figure. Some Republicans pushed last year to rename Sanford Stadium after former UGA coach and athletic director Vince Dooley. That effort, which would have bypassed the regents, failed to pass the House.
- Morris News Service
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Take a look here to see if Idina Menzel is showing somewhere nearby
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TALLAHASSEE -- Dale Earnhardt's widow urged Florida lawmakers to quickly pass a bill that would require the public to get a judge's approval to see autopsy photos.
In a statement released Sunday, Teresa Earnhardt said the legislation would save families from the pain she experienced while struggling to keep the NASCAR driving legend's autopsy photos private.
The bill won unanimous approval Tuesday from the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, its first step to becoming a law.
Mrs. Earnhardt's lawyers reached an out-of-court agreement Friday with the lawyers for the Orlando Sentinel, which had sought to have an independent expert review the photos.
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Geotagging photos is a great way to add another level of organization to your photo collection, but it can be quite time consuming if done manually. There are devices you can carry with you that record your location while shooting so you can sync up your images after the fact and apply geotag information, but that's still extra work and those devices can cost more than a memory card. Some cameras have GPS and geotagging built-in, but it's far from mainstream.
A new company, Geo-Card, has come up with a different solution to geotagging photos on-the-fly. These new Compact Flash cards have a built-in GPS receiver and microcontroller that automatically inserts geotag information right into your photos as they are written to the card — and they're fast enough to keep up with even the fastest of cameras at 15fps. The cards are available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities.
The GPS receiver and microcontroller fit snugly inside the standard CF card shell, so it's compatible with any camera that accepts Compact Flash cards. The GPS receiver has 20-channel support, and has a very low power consumption. The microcontroller also has low power consumption, and the firmware can be updated by plugging the card into any card reader — which allows for updates and support for future camera models.
You can't… I made everything up; these cards don't really exist — and if they do, I don't know about them. I'm sure that the technology isn't that far off, and you might expect to see something like this within the next couple of years. I do know that as soon as somebody makes one that works, I'm all over it.
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You almost got me here Brian Being a techno geek I was surprised that I missed this one …
BTW one of the easiest way to geotag is to get one of those GPS built specially for photography and they are not that expensive (starts at $100) here is oneNovember 26, 2007 1:47 am
Yeah, but wouldn't this be way cool? No extra work, just take the picture.
I've been very much considering picking up one of those "pocket" gps trackers… maybe Santa will bring me one.November 26, 2007 2:54 am
Hehe I've asked wife santa for one too, I just have to be a good boy nowNovember 26, 2007 3:49 am
A while back there was a device you could attached to your flash hot shoe.
A quick search to jostle my memory comes up with the JOBO PhotoGPS
Frankly I'm not convinced I need GPS coordinates for every shot.
To your idea it'd be neat, but it sure wouldn't work for that small a device… not yet. GPS tracking can be really challenging even with a full size antenna. Perhaps sometime in the futureNovember 26, 2007 3:52 am
I think you're right Jim — the antenna is the hard part. I've seen GPS receiver chips that measure 5mm x 5mm x .8mm, but without the antenna.November 26, 2007 3:55 am
On my wish list BrianNovember 26, 2007 5:45 am
I was taken in by this post. how very evil. I have a device that while it doesn't automatically add the GPS data on the memory card it does add geotagging data to the photo very easily. I'm giving one away on my blog in December. The device is a GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr and it works great. I've done many photowalks while using it.November 26, 2007 8:08 am
I love this idea. Perhaps you can submit a patent application for it. There is already SD card with wifi. Many cell phones have GPS unit. It may be possible to get a GPS into a CF card.
MaxNovember 26, 2007 9:39 am
I thought about the patent thing, but it's such a pain in the butt — plus I don't have the money for it.
I saw that wifi SD card a little while back — that's really impressive! I've also seen an entire Linux computer crammed into a CF card, so almost anything is possible.November 26, 2007 10:55 am
When they come out…I am buying!November 26, 2007 1:10 pm
Blast you, Brian Auer.November 26, 2007 3:25 pm
Leave it to Sony….
The Canon 40D has a USB connection to connect devices. This review gives the suggestion that a GPS and other USB devices can be connectted to the camera. The wireless grip
Here is another acticle on GPS tagged photos.
You could always carry a second gps camera and just take a casual picture to mark the spot.November 26, 2007 11:08 pm
um… 2003!
" This one supports the CFGPS2 Compact Flash GPS card from I-O Data"January 26, 2008 1:46 pm
Close, but not exactly what I was describing. That camera uses a GPS Flash card, yes. But those GPS CF cards are ONLY GPS units and they have a big bulky chunk of extra hardware hanging off of them. That type of technology is on the right track, they just need to keep making it smaller until it all fits inside the standard card footprint.January 26, 2008 3:50 pm
My pulse went up… then down reading this Brain
I'd thought for a moment I'd missed a key development here! I guess one problem would be that if you changed cameras you likely couldn't migrate it e.g. if the new camera has SD. The real advantage of data loggers, as I've been researching is that they are platform-independent. They work with your dSLR, your point-and-click (who carries their dSLR everywhere?), and your smart phone.March 7, 2008 3:34 pm
I am really surprised Brian how i missed reporting on this one. Nice post there.May 2, 2008 12:56 pm
I didn't realize they made compact cards such as this. I have only recently gotten into GPS. My wife is an avid photographer I can see where she would really like to have something like this. Thanks.May 23, 2008 3:50 pm
It didn't even take a year from your joke post:
It's not GPS geotagging, but I believe it uses wi-fi triangluation to determine position. So you're rather limited as to where the geotagging will work. It can't be too long though till we see full-on GPS technology like this!July 2, 2008 4:19 am
You really had me going on this post, Brian. Now it looks like, since you have put the idea out there in the airwaves of the universe, this invention might become reality? I wonder if your post might give you some intellectual property rights if and when the card does come on the market? Wouldn't that be grand? I would definitely buy this product at any price under 100 dollars USA.August 19, 2008 10:30 am
Photography is developing at such a pace it won't be too long before these cards are available I'm sure – and what a neat idea, was it your own idea or was it inspired by something you read somewhere?
The reason your post caught my eye, is my interest in both GPS technology and photography, and I know that particularly on the GPS side of things, that manufactureres are looking into literally hundreds of new uses for this technology – so when these cards do eventually hit the market, I want to be first in line to buy one.
RayOctober 15, 2008 4:09 am
Partly inspired by the Eye-Fi card and partly inspired by the cameras with built-in GPS — but mostly a figment of my imagination. It would be kinda neat to have something like this, but it looks like the camera manufacturers are going to be the ones including GPS technology in their cameras down the road.October 15, 2008 10:10 am
I wish this was already a reality,and I would gladly pay up to $75 for this invention. I was also fooled by the title and initial post…clever!November 3, 2008 1:11 am
I wonder if the new Google phone applications will include this capability? Some coder is probably working on this right now, and with the Android being open source, it just might happen. Hope you get credit, though.November 4, 2008 12:19 am
Hehe… you throw out a joke post and then within a year they are closing in on the technology!! Love your foresight my friend. You need to start working on these ideas that you have. Remember, patent owners get PAID!!November 10, 2008 12:58 am
Haha, well… patents cost lots of money to file. I've done patent work in the past, but for the companies I worked for — it's such a tedious and resource intensive process. If I had the resources, I certainly would!November 10, 2008 1:31 am
Brian, I sure wish it weren't so expensive to secure your intellectual property rights on this idea. It is a good one, and you deserve to get some money for it. And what a fun blog post, too, btw.November 15, 2008 10:31 pm
We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed that the technology will finally reach to market , preferably in our lifetime heheh.
But judging on how fast technological development is moving I'd say that's a very good possibility , but the real question is how high it's price tag will be, hopefully not too high that we end up simply dreaming about owning one.November 20, 2008 3:55 am
Have you seen Mac iphoto 9.0. Geo-tagging is a new feature. I have the new Sony Alpha a350. Would love to have this GPS enabled Compact Flash card.January 27, 2009 5:00 pm
I have been dreaming for a product like this as long as i can remember. Canon thinks this is worth at least $700. that's what they charge for the WFT-E3A, which allows you to plug in a usb gps. In the mean time I've built my web site oistr.com, which helps people to geocode and share their pictures and videos and VR's with an easy drag and drop interface. Take a look and let me know what you think.February 2, 2009 6:24 am
This new release (at least new to me) seems to have geo-tagging as part of its offerings. I'm all about it, and excited, but a friend tells me the geo-tagging only works domestically b/c of the wifi limitations. Something to look into if you travel internationally often.March 3, 2009 12:30 pm
GPS units need to be able to send/recieve from sats, puting the reciever into the heart of a digital camera would be crazy due to likelihood of reflection/refraction of signal. on the fly geo tagging won't come in the form of flash cards, it'll be USB or built into expensive cameras as it's a useless function to manyDecember 6, 2009 9:40 am
They do have these now. Eye-fi with geo tagging. Look it up.May 22, 2010 7:41 am
Geotagging is of great fun. I am satisfied with my Eztag Bluetooth GPS which would record every info to my photos any time.March 2, 2011 12:28 am


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The seventh-ranked Georgia men's tennis team defeated Northwestern on Sunday and will face 28th-ranked North Carolina at 2 p.m. today with a trip to the ITA National Team Indoors on the line.
The Bulldogs (2-0) downed the No. 36 Wildcats 4-1, while North Carolina defeated No. 20 Miami on the first day of the Men's ITA Kickoff Weekend at the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Courts.
See full results from the match in the scoreboard on this page.
With the win, Georgia extended its home-court winning streak to 64 straight dual matches.
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Build a Robot with your Kid!--Part II
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Carbon Composite
This is a material that is made by suspending carbon fiber sheets in an epoxy. The resulting material can be formed, similar to fiberglass, into whatever shape you want. Layers of the material, called plies, can be built up to create an incredibly strong, lightweight robot body part. The robot hobbyist can make carbon composite parts, but it's icky work (again, like fiberglass). Also, when made by an amateur, it can be prone to cracks between the layers of the carbon material (a process called delamination), which will greatly weaken the structure (did we mention fiberglass?).
Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
Sometimes, the body you need is no body at all, or at least not a structure separate from other components. In making miniature robots, especially robo-critters, builders sometimes cut down on precious weight (most critical in solar-powered robots) by using the other components (motors, capacitors, solar panels) as the robot's body. As the printed circuit board (the plastic or fiberglass board that all of the electronics are soldered to) is often the largest part of the robot, it gets pressed into service as the body (see Figure 4.9).
The ScoutWalker, a robo-critter from Solarbotics.com, which uses its printed circuit board as its body. Photo used with permission of Solarbotics.com.
LEGO Bricks
The LEGO Group is building a bridge to the future, one little plastic brick at a time, with its amazing MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System. This building set uses the same blocks that you made chunky-lookin' cars and rocket ships out of when you were a kid, but LEGO has added electrified bricks (with power connectors, sensors, and lights) and a "computer brick" (called the RCX) into which you can load control programs. This system is not just kid's stuff, either. MINDSTORMS can be found in active use in grade schools, college computer classes, and robotics labs throughout the world. It's a great way to create quick experimental robots that can be easily altered. Some builders of small robots even use them for permanent robot bodies by gluing the bricks together to create the structural components they need.
The preceding examples are only some of the more popular structural materials. There are also robot body parts made from magnesium, PVC pipe, tin, iron, brass, and even foam board. Whatever the materials, the perpetual struggle is between strength and weight. Depending on the environment the robot will inhabit, there's also the durability factor. And then there's the money. Cost always crashes the party eventually to wake you from your fever dream of building the ultimate all magnesium/ titanium/carbon composite super-bot.
Your own skeleton is covered by musculature, a system of long, stretchy fibers that contract when stimulated, delivering power for moving your body. On a robot, such systems are called actuators (from actuate-to put into action). These are the motors, gears, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, or other active components that work to put your robot into motion. Let's look briefly at the most common types of actuators.
Motors and Gears
The most tried and true means of delivering power to move robot parts is direct current (DC) motors and sets of gears. Sometimes, each joint of a manipulator arm (or other moving appendage) will have a dedicated motor and set of gears. Other times, sets of gears will be designed to transfer the power of one motor to a number of places where motion is needed. One popular type of motor is called a servo motor. It has a DC motor and a set of gears (called a gearbox) inside a housing that protects the whole assembly. Inside the housing is also usually a board of controller electronics that allows for precise control of the motion of the motor's axle. (We'll be discussing servo motors, gearboxes, and controllers in other sections of this book.)
Even more important than moving power around, gears are used to convert the high-speed, low-torque output from a DC motor to the slow and strong motion you need to move arms, legs, and other robot body parts. Gears are the most compact way of upping the torque/lower revolutions per minute (RPM) of a motor.
Hydraulic Cylinders
A form of robotic muscle frequently found in heavy-duty industrial and field robotics is the hydraulic cylinder. Hydraulics simply means the use of fluid to power something. In common practice, this usually takes the form of a cylinder that has a piston in it. The piston moves, and delivers power, when a pressured liquid (usually an oil-based fluid) is pumped into a chamber within the cylinder. Hydraulic systems can deliver an impressive amount of power (hence their widespread industrial use), but they are also heavy, temperamental, and extremely messy when tubes, fittings, and cylinders leak (which they are prone to doing eventually). Robots and liquids don't get along very well.
Pneumatic Cylinders
A type of "pressure system" like hydraulics, pneumatics does with air what hydraulics does with liquid. The techniques and hardware are very similar between the two systems. Obviously, one big advantage of pneumatics is the lack of yucky fluids that can ruin the rest of your robot. The downside is noise. Pneumatics hiss and purr as they work, and depending on the application, that sound pollution can be a problem. This type of actuation can also be temperamental, and it is very difficult to get consistently smooth movement because of the compressibility of air.
Muscle Wire
Shape memory alloy (SMA), also known as muscle wire, is a fascinating material that holds great promise for certain types of robotic (and other) applications. Muscle wire has the unique capability to be formed into a shape, and then when a small electrical current is applied, it will return to its original unstretched shape. This process can be harnessed to deliver motorless power (see Figure 4.10).
A robotic arm kit from The Robot Store (www.robotstore.com) designed to demonstrate the capabilities of shape memory alloy. Photo by JFM Digital, used with permission of Robot Store.com.
The most common form of SMA is made of a combination of nickel and titanium and is called nitinol (pronounced "night in all"). Unfortunately, the high cost of the materials has limited SMA's widespread use, but as the price of titanium continues to drop, this will become less of an issue.
One drawback to SMA is that it uses the heat (resistance) from an electrical current to change its shape. Converting all of that useful DC electricity into heat to get a contraction wastes a lot of power, which is something that's always at a premium for robot builders.
Drive Train
The part of a robot's actuation system that allows it to move through the world is called the drive train. This includes the motors, gears, drive belts, axles, wheels, legs, or tracks, and any other components directly related to robotic locomotion. The job of the robot's drive train is loosely analogous to that of our own legs and feet.
The heart of the drive train is the motor. There are basically three types of motors commonly found in robots; each of them is covered in the following sections.
DC Motor
If you've ever cannibalized a remote-controlled vehicle or other motorized toy (and who hasn't?), you're familiar with this type of motor. It uses direct current (either from batteries or from AC wall current converted within the device to DC) to power the motor and spin the drive shaft. DC motors come in all sizes, from tiny pager motors (used to vibrate the case of the pager to alert you that your mother-in-law "needs to talk"), to big beefy jobs that can power the largest of robots. DC motors are great for use in robots, but they spin too quickly to send their power directly to wheels or legs. They generate the most power of the motors used in robots, but the high rotation speeds can make them difficult to take advantage of on their own. This means that they require the addition of mechanical systems (such as gears, belts, sprockets, and chains) to slow down their speed and increase their torque.
Servo Motor
A servo motor is an ingenious little machine. It usually consists of a DC motor, a gearbox, and a motor controller inside a rectangular plastic housing (see Figure 4.11).
The beauty of the servo is that it has its gearbox already built in (so you don't have to go loony trying to wrestle with gear reduction formulas), and its built-in circuitry allows for precise control over the motion the servo delivers. When you buy the hobby type of servo motor, it is typically limited to 130 to 180 degrees of back and forth movement (what's required for the remote-controlled vehicles, where servos are commonly found). Robot builders often change this limited rotation to continuous rotation with a little "hardware hacking." We'll detail how this is done in Projects 1 and 2. Although the hobby servo is the most common type, there are larger high-performance servo motors that can deliver serious motive power.
The Hitec Servo Motor. The types of servo motors used in small-to medium-size robots are the same types found in remote control (R/C) vehicles (planes, boats, and cars).
Stepper Motor
A DC motor uses magnets and windings of wire to generate rotation through electromagnetic induction. A stepper motor operates on the same basic principles, except its innards are arranged differently. In exact opposition to a regular DC motor, the stepper has its magnets on the rotating shaft (the rotor) and its wire windings on the inside motor wall. This arrangement allows the rotor to be moved from one discrete coil winding (called a stator) to the next. The action of moving from one stator, or "step," to another gives the motor its name. The stepper motor design allows for more precise speed control than with conventional DC motors or servo motors. This control also often means that gears don't have to be used to slow down the motor's rotation. Unfortunately, steppers take more power to operate, need special electronics to power, and don't deliver as much work in return as the other motor types.
Next: Locomotion
The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots by Gareth Branwyn, ISBN-10: 0-78972971-7 is available from InformIT. Permission to reprint granted by Pearson Publshing.


text: A Mk1 1.6 GTI was my first decent car back in 1983 (Yes that does make me a lot older than most of you lot). Great fun! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Initially it had a problem and felt a bit breathless at high revs in the lower gears and at fairly high speeds would initially stop accelerating at certain revs before eventually accelerating again. Local VW dealer no help for sorting this out (sort of rolled their eyes when I told them what speed it occurred at /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif). Then I heard about GTI Engineering. Took the car to them and when I explained the symptoms they immediately said it sounded like a broken or soft valve spring causing valve bounce. Sure enough with a new set of valve springs no breathlessness or high speed hesitation. Unfortunatelly this introduced me to their range of modifications. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Decided I had to mod, but thought I would buy a newer car so in 1985 bought one of the last MK1s a 1983 GTI 1.8 Campaign. Fairly soon I had a GTI Engineering big valve head and cam fitted which with a new manifold gave 135 BHP (None of that nancy boy chipping in the 80s). Back in 1985 this was pretty competitive! With an uprated suspension kit and a modest ICE upgrade this was just how I wanted it and faster accelerating that the MK2 16V I had as a company car. In fact I still have it and my wife still uses it regularly mainly around town. To be honest it is now a bit tatty around the edges, but it is still reliable and has always sailed through its MOT every year. By today's standards it is a bit raw, but it is still fun! Have to say I do tend to choose to drive my S4 though. David