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XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Dissecting the Multiplayer
Firaxis unleashes XCOM's online alien battles.
We'll begin emailing you updates about %gameName%.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown lead designer Jake Solomon has been keeping a secret.
Game designers are good at secret-keeping, of course, but Solomon has had an ace up his sleeve for a while, and during our visit to Firaxis' Maryland studios last week, he finally got to play that ace. XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Firaxis' highly anticipated strategy game, will ship with online multiplayer. In fact, the game was planned from the beginning to have multiplayer--and we had a chance to play it ourselves during the extensive tour.
Most notably, Enemy Unknown's multiplayer matches are generally quick and dirty, in direct contrast to the extensive single-player strategic marathons. Online matches eliminate the strategic layer completely, pitting two players versus each other in a single combat skirmish that's likely to last around 10 to 15 minutes. The setup is pretty simple: each player is given 10,000 total points to spend prior to the match on various units and inventories, and once the match begins, each player has 90 seconds to take their turn. (That's true of ranked matches, at least; you and a buddy can customize these and other options in unranked play if you want to experiment.)
The point limitation is the game's primary means of balancing, though Firaxis is abundantly aware that once the game is released into the wild, players might find creative ways to steamroll their opponents. There's good news in that regard: the studio can adjust point thresholds on the fly without patching, so if those cyberdiscs you like so much are overpowered (and a few members of the team suspect they might be), numbers can be tweaked without constant patches and hotfixes.
Oh, right: cyberdiscs. You see, you aren't limited to controlling human soldiers; your team can be a mix of human and alien units, each of which has some kind of weakness to exploit. Curious about what some of these units are, and how they behave? Take a look at some of the ways you can exercise your military might:
These are the most flexible units in the game, as they come in various classes and can be outfitted in various manners. A soldier in a ghost suit can go invisible for a turn. Some armor types include a grappling hook, allowing the unit to gain a height advantage quickly. Archangel armor allows a soldier to fly for a limited time. Various weapons, armor, and inventory weapons add to the cost of your soldier, so outfitting a single unit as an armored angel of death could use up a sizable portion of your point allotment.
Sectoids are the weakest alien units, and thus come at a low point cost. They may not do a lot of direct damage, but they're capable of mind merge, which allows them to grant bonuses to more-powerful units. They can also lay down suppressive fire, which can potentially damage an enemy unit that dares wander in its path.
Sectoid Commander
As you might suspect, the sectoid commander is a beefed-up version of the sectoid, coming with more hit points than its lowly counterpart, and capable of a more effective version of the mind merge. The commander can also perform mind control, which allows you to take command of an enemy attacker. But the cost is much higher than a normal sectoid, given its powerful psionic abilities.
Click to page 2 to see even more units, and learn more about XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Thin Man
Thin men are also relatively weak, coming with very few hit points and doing little direct damage. However, they can turn the tide of battle when used effectively. Not only are they highly mobile, but they can spew poison, in addition to annoying enemy targets with suppressive fire.
The chrysalid is a fast, high-cost melee unit that has a very special effect on the battlefield: its human victims turn into dangerous zombies. In turn, those zombies turn into more chrysalids. Firaxis can't take total credit for the crazy visual design of the chrysalid; after all, chrysalids were present in the original X-COM. But they did an outstanding job on their version of this storied unit, and watching a zombie morph into a chrysalid is one of Enemy Unknown's grossest pleasures.
Cyberdiscs possess the ability to fly, making them completely invulnerable to melee-only units like chrysalids. Watching them in action is a treat: like previous games in the franchise, Enemy Unknown features highly destructible environments, and cyberdiscs are capable of bringing down walls, cars, and plenty more in a blaze of fire and debris. These hardy units are immune to psi abilities, do high damage, and perform a powerful area-of-effect attack called the death blossom. As you can imagine, cyberdiscs are the single most expensive unit in the game.
Berserkers are strong melee brutes with a ton of hit points. Their most powerful attack is the bull rush, which damages any unit in its effective area. The berserker's high point cost isn't its only drawback, however: if your opponent brings nothing to the fray but cyberdiscs and floaters, you are simply a lamb brought to slaughter.
There are other units--floaters and mutons among them--and in our matches we tried various setups to see which would work, and it became immediately clear that the best teams were the most flexible ones, at least to a point. An all-berserker team might sound like a good idea at first, but without a ranged unit or two to back them up, a single airborne soldier could prove unassailable. Good strategies usually require some flexibility, to be sure, but don't discount the support abilities. In multiple circumstances, suppressive fire and overwatch (that is, a free defensive shot) proved immensely valuable, particularly when used by a cloaked unit.
We played every match with an Xbox 360 controller, and indeed, it was this version we played during our studio tour. This might come as a concern to PC players, who feel rightfully possessive of X-COM and its successors. Solomon reassured us that Enemy Unknown is in no way less deep or challenging just because it appears on consoles--and additional comfort came from none other than Sid Meier himself, Firaxis' director of creative development. Meier is the beloved designer behind Civilization, Alpha Centauri, and other renowned strategy games, and he's all too aware of the stinging criticism of passionate PC gamers. One of Firaxis' many goals was to retain the elements that made the original X-COM so memorable--and bring them to as many players as they could.
It's an admirable goal indeed, and there's no reason to think XCOM: Enemy Unknown can't erect the same tent poles that supported the original game. What we played left nothing but positive impressions, though snap judgments aren't the most valuable kind when it comes to games as long and involved as this. On October 19, 2012, the game's release date, we'll have a better idea of whether Firaxis' revival is as enthralling as the game that spawned it.'
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DeLAND, Fla. - Florida wildlife officials are taking new action to warn families about what to do if they see a bear.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials are knocking on the doors of more than 200 homes in the area of Marsh Road and East International Speedway Boulevard.
Officials said they're teaching people how to secure their garbage properly and warn about the fines for feeding bears.
Officials also said they're worried that bears are becoming more aggressive. A bear has already killed a dog in one Volusia County neighborhood.
Last week, a bear and her cub were caught on surveillance video by a homeowner in DeLand.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pros: Crisp, clean smell; Cooling menthol.
Cons: Doesn't cut through grease and oil as quickly as Snake Peel.
Axe Shower Gels
When Axe Snake Peel was first introduced in 2008, I saw commercials on television and advertisements in magazines for it all the time. I was always a bar soap user as opposed to shower gels, but it looked interesting and I decided to give it a try. I really liked it, and made the switch from bars of soap to shower gel after only a few uses. As the variety of Axe shower gels and deodorants got larger and larger I decided I would try a bunch of different kinds and see if I liked any of the others even more than I liked the Snake Peel.
I really liked the cutting power of Axe Snake Peel. It works so well that you don't have to use a washcloth or the Axe Detailer Shower Tool to get thoroughly clean. The micro beads are slightly abrasive and really grind the crud off. Unfortunately, I discovered that many of the other Axe shower gel varieties do not have the same type of scrubbing micro beads in them, and sometimes they don't work quite as well. They still get the job done, but it requires more scrubbing.
Cool Metal
The Axe Cool Metal Shower Gel doesn't have the micro beads in it like the Snake Peel, but when the label says "Fine Quartz and Zinc" it isn't lying. If the Snake Peel scrubbing beads are like a coarse grit sandpaper, the Cool Metal is like extra fine grit. While it doesn't cut through grease, motor oil or day-old deodorant quite as well as the Snake Peel, it still does an excellent job. The particles in the Cool Metal shower gel are really fine, so it feels really smooth and creamy on your skin. This is a totally different sensation than the coarse sandy feeling you get when using the Snake Peel variety. The liquid itself is relatively thick, and is a distinctive silver color. It works better than the Lever 2000 or the Dial bar soaps I used to use, but it doesn't leave the dry film behind that many bar soaps do.
It also is truly cooling, due to the menthol in it. If you've ever used a mint/menthol/cooling dandruff shampoo, you know what the cooling sensation feels like. Like a smaller scale version of Icy Hot. The Axe Cool Metal shower gel leaves you with that same feeling, and it's very refreshing. It lathers up real nice but not excessively, and rinses off cleanly.
As for the scent, it's a little hard to describe. It's crisp and adventurous with just a touch of minty goodness, but it's a little more muted and mellow than some of the other Axe shower gel varieties. Strong smells bother me a little bit, but I really enjoy the scent of Axe Cool Metal.
Axe Cool Metal shower gel comes in a lightweight plastic bottle. It has finger grips on one side, which helps to keep you from dropping it in the shower if you're hands are covered in shampoo or shower gel. The flip top cap is easy to open and closes tight. My only qualm is that you can't place the bottle upside down when it gets low because the top isn't flat.
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamide MEA, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, PPG-9, Menthol, Citric Acid, Laureth-4, Tetrasodium EDTA, Quartz Powder, Iron Oxides, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.


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Hi, I've noticed rapid development of 2d-x towards 3.0 proper (which is great) but was worried you might eventually pull the 2.2.2 API reference offline. So is there a way to download it to my computer to keep (or is it already there and im just being stupid)?
Also if someone could briefly run through the differences between versions 2.2 and 3.0 (or whats expected to be 3.0 after it gets out of beta), that would be great. Thanks!
Hi,There are two ways to keep the cocos2d-x v2.2.2 API reference.1. Add this link to your browser's 'favourites' folder and visit it whenever you like.2. Download version 2.2.2 of cocos2d-x and Doxygen, go to the 'docs' folder and use Doxygen to generate the API reference. This can be accessed offline.
For differences between 2.x and 3.0, please see the release note.
Hope this would help:P
Thanks a lot, this worked great


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Jerusalem and Babylon / The Jewish Agency's Diminished Role
Last week, the Jewish Agency signed its own death certificate.
Last week, the Jewish Agency signed its own death certificate. The agreement with Nefesh B'Nefesh (NBN), the private organization that has been helping thousands of Jews immigrate from the United States and Canada, whereby the agency will cease its aliyah operations in North America and NBN will become the only address for those thinking of making the plunge, means that the agency is relinquishing its main historic mission in the world's largest Jewish community. It also embodies the fundamental change in the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora.
In the press releases that announced the end of lengthy negotiations and a bitter rivalry of at least two years between the two organizations, the agency emphasized that it would continue being the sole authority responsible for determining the eligibility of potential immigrants for Israeli citizenship - in that way it would maintain its involvement in the aliyah process. But this is little more than a clerical function that certainly does not necessitate a large operation.
So why did the Jewish Agency give up on aliyah? Not with great joy, certainly. It took a long struggle against NBN, with mutual slurs and spanners thrown into the works, and even now, the agency is insistent that aliyah is still at the top of its agenda. But finally the venerable organization understood that it was inevitable. For the past few years, about 18,000 immigrants have been arriving annually, and even that will go down next year now that the government has decided to bring no more Falashmura from Ethiopia.
There is almost no more aliyah "in distress." A few thousand continue to emigrate each year from the former Soviet Union - almost all those who desired already came in the big aliyah waves of the 1990s. In Russia, Ukraine and the other republics, new and renewed communities are springing up with young, educated and affluent members who want some kind of Jewish life, love Israel, but are very comfortable staying where they are. Over 90 percent of the world's Jews live in the rich countries of the West, and even those who live in less salubrious surroundings don't see Israel as the ultimate refuge.
Only a handful of the 20,000 Jews of Iran have taken the opportunity to leave the land of the Ayatollahs. Tens of thousands of Jews emigrated over the last decade or so from South Africa, but the great majority just hopped over the Indian Ocean and settled down in Australia. Even in war-torn Georgia there are no signs of a stampede for the airport.
The Jewish Agency and other government departments concerned with bringing and absorbing olim have not turned a blind eye to these trends. Resources were shifted toward the largest concentration of potential immigrants in the world: North America. The term "aliyah from choice" was coined and packages of economic incentives were prepared to make Israel more attractive to the typical Jewish bourgeoisie. But the Jewish Agency and Ministry of Immigrant Absorption are not financial giants - their budgets are insufficient to transform Israel into a more profitable environment for members of the upper-middle class in the world's wealthiest countries.
For the agency, which is struggling with a $30 million deficit and conflicting demands from its big overseas donors, it proved impossible to compete with the public relations offensive of NBN, which every few weeks generates a blaze of publicity by bringing a specially-chartered Boeing on a direct flight from JFK packed with new olim. In a few short years, the new organization has set up a slick Web-based operation, providing up-to-date information to prospective immigrants, coordinating housing and employment solutions, providing guidance throughout the process before and after arriving in Israel, and, of course, a significant grant.
Despite all the hype, though, there are not any signs of a major aliyah push from America. At most an additional thousand or two each year - meaningless against the backdrop of at least 6 or 7 million Jews who still live there. It's not even clear how many of those who arrive under the auspices of NBN did so because of the organization's efforts, and how many would have emigrated anyway.
The agency didn't find it easy giving up its aliyah hegemony. Just a year ago, Chairman Zeev Bielski was still trying to oppose the government's decision to award handouts to the private aliyah organizations from its permanent budget. But most of the agency's leaders understand by now that if the organization wants to be reborn as a relevant body, it has to focus on education and use its budget, which is derived anyway from the largesse of Diaspora Jews, on fostering Jewish identity among the younger generation.
The apparatus of aliyah emissaries cannot deliver results anymore, and will have to be dismantled. The political leadership has also reached this conclusion. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's speech three months ago to the agency's board of governors showed the way when he said that Israel must stop seeing in the world's Jews merely a source of donations and manpower, and start assuming responsibility for the future of communities, even if their members aren't planning right now to emigrate.
Even Ariel Sharon's most ardent acolytes have realized that his orders to bring a million olim over the next decade were unfounded. Neither the Jewish Agency nor the private organizations will succeed in bringing even one quarter of this number; they simply don't want to come. Even those who continue to see the immigration of Jews to Israel as a supreme value are beginning to conclude that Israel must behave like other developed countries that want to attract educated and productive immigrants, and focus on attempts to improve the local economy so that Israel will become a reasonable or even preferred alternative.
Mass immigration is no longer a national mission. Though Israel is committed to maintaining its ability to absorb large numbers of Jews in a time of emergency should one occur, in the meantime, instead of continuing to pay lip service to the immigration of Jews, it must focus the majority of its efforts on building an Israeli society that benefits all of its inhabitants: veteran, new and future.
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text: Anyone know where I can buy some breadfruit? For some reason I seem to be craving it right now. Haven't seen any at the farmer's markets or at Chinatown either. Maybe my best bet would be to go to a polynesian market in kalihi? Not really interested in driving around the neighborhood looking for someone with a breadfruit tree.


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Yandex owns the Russian search market and now it's looking to stake a claim in the browser wars.
The company today announced the launch of its own browser, simply called Yandex browser.
"Cloud-based browsing is a next-generation answer to the challenges of the modern internet," said Arkady Volozh, CEO of Yandex. "To make the internet experience faster, easier and safer for everyone, we have built a cloud-based browser that integrates the best of our products and services and is open to other web developers."
The browser is built on the WebKit engine, which is also the basis for Safari and Chrome. The User Interface meanwhile is based on the open-source Chromium code.
It also apparently has a "Turbo" mode, because apparently Yandex's developers come from an era (the 1980s) when slapping the word "Turbo" automatically made it amazing:
The Yandex browser platform has through a technological partnership with a key long-term partner been expanded to incorporate Opera Software's Turbo technology, which allows to boost the browser's page loading capacity even with a slow connection. The Turbo mode will be included in the next browser release.
Despite Yandex dominating search in Russia (in fact, it's the fifth largest search engine worldwide), the browser reportedly gives you a built-in choice of search engines to power your online searches.
The company claims that its "cloud-based safe browsing technology", together with Kaspersky Lab's security solution, means that the browser is safe, automatically warning people if they're about to enter a site with malicious content.
The browser, which will be available for download today is compatible with Windows and Mac OS.
Although Yandex's browser has been in the works for some time now, the timing of its launch is interesting. Late last week, fellow Russian internet giant Mail.Ru launched its own browser, which integrates people's social media feeds.
According to The Next Web, the decision to build the browser appears to have come after it was booted as the default search option from Russian-language builds of Firefox earlier this year.


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LOS ANGELES - The trouble that greets the Griswold family in National Lampoon's Vacation? Not so bad.
The adventures of Del Griffith and Neal Page in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles? A breeze.
The Calgary Flames' three-game sojourn to Southern California? Now that was a road-trip from hell.
Monday's 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings was — mercifully — the final instalment of the Flames' four-day stay in SoCal, where they surrendered 13 goals and scored just three of their own.


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It's really encouraging indeed and I believe more donors and their local partners also should take solid interest in looking back after certain period as to how the private sector is delivering market benefit to the farmers. The Sikkim Dairy Products Private Limited (SDPPL) company looks like a very good example, which needs to be looked in to by others. Very often we come across the related discussion around the complexities of engaging the private sector companies in the forward and backward market of the farm product value chains. Complexities arise when designing of the project and its implementation of the major activities exclude the private sector and related government departments. It has been observed that projects want the private sector participation in the way they set forth within the time line of the project implementation. Private sector at this stage can't keep pace with the project demand and just became reluctant, but only look for the resources which is only useful for the company and can't really deliver sustainable benefit to the farmers. Hence after the project duration and when donor money ends, project initiated activities mostly face setback and least effective. In this case SDPPL found to be delivering well to the stakeholders.Reply
We left ten years ago and business is still thriving!
C.K. Rao, Joy Elamon & Zenebe Uraguchi
It is rare to go back after sometime and review if a project's work did really contribute to meaningful and durable impacts. Often implementers and donors say that they do not have the time and financial resources to do post-project reflections.
In this blog post, we share the experience of the Indo Swiss Project Sikkim (ISPS) in India which was funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by then Intercooperation from 1993-2006. The project had initially struggled to generate concrete results despite its substantial investment. Ten years after the end of the project, business among the 1,000 dairy farmers is thriving.
Poverty amidst plenty
Agriculture in Sikkim on the first slopes of the Himalayas has potential, but it has mostly been for subsistence. Livestock production, combined with the cultivation of crops like millet and paddy, is the main source of livelihoods for most farmers. Hilly terrains and remoteness of the area hinder establishing industries, thereby making it very difficult for the rural people in Sikkim to generate income and secure off-farm employment. The cooperative dairy system set up and supported by the government was incurring huge losses due to low volumes of milk, high transaction costs and poor management by the government.
The milk produced and collected in the villages in the West Sikkim District was transported daily on narrow, bad roads to a dairy processing unit located 50 kilometres away. By the time the milk reached the processing unit, its quality was either low or it was curdled. The monsoon season was the most difficult period for transporting milk to the processing unit due to frequent landslides blocking the roads. This has resulted in low handling at processing levels, and producers were demotivated from producing milk.
Identifying the transport of a perishable product such as milk as major obstacle, the project together with the farmers looked for a product that would not need to be transported daily, but would have longer shelf life and high value addition with less complex technology. The project assessed the idea and then provided support to the farmers in West Sikkim to produce cheese.
The Sikkim Dairy Products Private Limited
The extensive discussion between farmers and the project led to the conclusion that farmers would need a good business plan. This was not just to produce milk and process it into cheese, but to do it in a sustainable way. Mindful of the unsustainable and project-driven establishment of associations and private enterprises, the Sikkim Dairy Products Private Limited (SDPPL) was set up in 1996. The organisational form of a private company was chosen to guarantee operational autonomy and to ensure a professional management. The shareholders of the company were two milk-producing cooperative (2%), the Government of Sikkim (32%) and the ISPS Trust (66%), a public charitable trust set up to channel Swiss funds to the company.
Administrative setting
Since the planning stage of SDPPL, the project together with the farmers developed a system for an eventual takeover of all shares, i.e.to transfer the shares held by the ISPS Trust and the State Government to the farmers.
The project substantially provided the infrastructure and the technical knowhow to the company for producing Gouda cheese and carry out the required test of products and raw material. The capacity of the plant was to process 2,000 litres of milk/day, enough to produce 200 kilograms of cheese per day. SDPPL placed considerable emphasis on milk quality. Milk received from the farmers was expected to react negatively to alcohol test and pass the methylene blue reduction test. Considering high involvement of women in the milk production, the company also started a women promoter programme that focused on clean milk production, hygienic processing and a quality-based pricing system.
Producing Gouda cheese aimed at achieving a stable product for better transport over long distance in order to facilitate marketing of the product in India. There was an initial market assessment of Gouda cheese, which indicated considerable potential in the metros as well in the local areas.
Market promotion for the product was limited from the onset of production; this led to a slow uptake of the product in urban areas. In 2001, the company realised that additional promotional efforts were required, something that a relatively small company could hardly afford. SDPPL proposed to the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) to market its cheese to strengthen its position in the market and enable SDPPL to establish a secure product outlet. SDPPL signed a marketing contract with GCMMF, which now distributes the Sikkim Gouda cheese since 2004.
Ensuring ownership by farmers
The project ended in 2006. The donor (SDC) and the implementing agency, Intercooperation, decided to transfer the shares to GCMMF, so that all initiatives of the project would be sustained. Farmers were involved in the discussions and agreed to the transfer of the shares held by ISPS Trust and the Government of Sikkim to GCMMF under the condition that GCMMF would transfer the shares to the farmers' cooperatives once the company reaches cash breakeven. The share transfer process was completed in November 2006 within five months from the closure of the project.
The company crossed breakeven in 2012. It pays a high milk price to farmers, who now own the company jointly with GCMMF. They take decisions and run the company without any external donor support. More than 1,000 farmers supply high quality milk. Gouda Cheese is widely available as AMUL Gouda cheese brand in many areas of India. The plant reached 100 percent capacity utilisation and collects 2,000 litres of milk daily to produce 200 kilograms of cheese. Currently the company is running successfully and its annual turnover crossed 25 million Indian Rupee (370,000 USD) without any external support. The company is planning to increase its capacity to 500 kilograms of cheese per day.
Key takeaways
This case does not claim to have applied a systemic approach, but successfully achieved sustainability – ownership by actors and durable impacts. The project's roles from the start were temporary and facilitative. ISPS also understood the main causes for the underperformance/failure of the dairy sector and not just symptoms. It sends a powerful message on the importance of having a feasible and relevant vision – we all need to take stock of our current work and develop a realistic picture of how this will translate in the future, once our projects are over.
The scale of this initiative comes from not only in reaching all the households in a hilly terrain with scattered households, but also from sale of the product nationally in India.
To conclude, the main success factors for cheese processing in West Sikkim were:
- Selection of the right partner was very important. GCMMF was chosen mainly because of its match with the vision of SDPPL, its incentives and capacities.
- Building demand-driven farmers capacities on management, production and technology resulted in easy handover of the company.
- Quality was highly crucial in the process; GCMMF collaborated with a small company (SDPPL) due to its consistency in the quality of the raw material and the product (milk and cheese). The choice of the product was based on a systematic assessment, and adequate international technical support (from commercial cheese makers) ensured that this remote, small unit produces high quality cheese.
- Finance, production, transparency and human resource systems developed during the support period were properly followed up even after the withdrawal of support.
- Last, but not least, the entire idea would not have started rolling without the vision and mission of SDC and Intercooperation who put their financial and human resources into this project, provided it with the required time, though in the end not shying away from handing the project over to the local stakeholders.
Dr. C.K. Rao is the Senior Advisor of Intercooperation. He was the team leader of Indo Swiss Project Sikkim from 1999- 2006. In Intercooperation he was a team member for developing State Action Plan on Climate Change in various states like Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, West Bengal and Sikkim, specifically looking at climate change impacts on livestock and dairy sectors as well as agriculture.
Dr. Joy Elamon is the Chief Executive Officer of Intercooperation and heads the Climate Change and Environment domain. He is a recipient of the Outstanding Community Builder award from UNDP (UN Solution Exchange) in 2007 and is included in the UNDP Democratic Governance Roster of Experts in Local Governance and Local Development.
Zenebe Uraguchi is the Programme Coordinator for Eastern Europe and Senior Advisor in market systems development based in Switzerland.
Additional sources:
- Sikkim cheese going global!
- Capitalisation of Experiences in Livestock Production and Dairying (LPD) in India
- Systemic approach
- Indo Swiss Project – Sikkim (ISPS)
Leave a ReplyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
2 Comments for «We left ten years ago and business is still thriving!»
Dear Anisur,
Thank you for your comment. The case presented from India is a good example of how projects should have the vision, based on good understanding of the demands of key stakeholders, how the system beyond the projects look like. As you correctly pointed out, it is not easy and projects often operate in complex contexts. Thus, having a realistic vision with clear strategy is important. Absent this, what David Pyle wrote more than three decades ago continues to be the reality:
'How many times during the last three decades of intensive development efforts has a demonstration or pilot project provided 'the answers' to a development problem? Everyone is flushed with enthusiasm and optimism. The model that proved so successful on a small-scale is expanded with the hopes of benefiting a larger portion of the population. All too often, however, impact decreases or disappears completely [once the project phases out].
I read your email expressing interest to visit the project in India. I am please to inform you that Intercooperation India will be pleased to welcome you to India. I look forward to documenting your observations after the visit.
Best wishes,Reply


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I tanned about 5 deer capes and they turned out fine except for the last one.I thawed it out in the frig and this evening I took it out and started to stretch it and the hair and skin was slipping! The only thing I did different was that I neutralize only 30 minutes. Can this cause slipping? I neutralized the others about 1 hour.(I used WASCO acid crystals and liqua-tan) and can the cape be saved? And how do you tell when a cape is neutralized? Any help will be greatly appreciated
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I know I knowwwwwwww! Hey that orange thing really works if ya type the right question!
I use dry preserve and have never had one slip go figure
Joe part of the problem is when people roll the a cape up and freeze it.
It may take a week or longer for that cape to freeze. even if its just 3 days until frozen thats a long time for bacteria to work.
Then even below -0 bacteria is still working, it is ONLY SLOWED DOWN!
The length of time you neutralized cape at 30 minutes means nothing.
ITS THE pH so if the cape has a pH of 9 it will slip in a very short time, just minutes.
You neutralized to the pH your tanning chemicals need to bond to the cells in the leather. Most are 4.0 to 5.5 pH particals of Hydrogen.
So within these few lines is where you went wrong with that one cape.
You got that ORANGE button down right! I looked for 3 hours the othre day for something and got NOTHING that had to do with what I needed.
I find that after 3 hours using the search button you found nothing on your subject.
So what is the subject? Exactly what words did you use?
My acid bath was a steady 2 and my neutralizing bath was at 6 the only place the hair is slipping is behind the ears up to the y incesion.After I gave it some more thought I remember I had trouble hydrating around the incision the skin was folded over in this area and the bath was not penetrating the skin so I worked the area with my fingers and opened it up and I might have left it in the hydrating soulution too long.
6 is high enough to slip the hair on a weak cape.
Now you said
"I had trouble hydrating around the incision the skin was folded over in this area and the bath was not penetrating the skin."
So was the skin salted and dried or what? There is a lot of information missing in the first questions.
So was it dried, you hydrated it or what.
The folded over areas shoulder still have rehydrated in the pickle.
Retrace your steps on this cape.
Sometimes if the pickle is under 2pH, the pickle will not penerate the skin. that why I use a higher pH! 3 to 4 sometimes especially on flint dried hides.
I once put a caribou in a pickle and 6 months later even at pH of 2 it was still hard. Later raising the pH to 4 allowed the the to suck up the pickle. SInce then never never go to a low pH under 3.0


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I have a new Sounds Sciencey piece up. This one took a good bit of work – it's a book review as well as an analysis of an issue in scientific circles, the labeling of fields or works as "pseudoscience".
Have a look: The Trouble with Pseudoscience—It Can Be a Catastrophe.
Pseudoscience is what one might call a two-dollar word. Skeptics often throw it around because of its weightiness and the values it transmits. We need to talk about this word, where it came from, and why we should be cautious about using it.
I describe how this plays out through the book, The Pseudoscience Wars: Immanuel Velikovsky and the Birth of the Modern Fringe.
Those new to the skeptical community may come in through a very different door than I did. Many are interested in specific topics they want to dig into right away. There is so much current info – websites, blogs, podcasts – to digest, it seems like they are unaware of some of these classic fringe ideas. This is a good one to learn and know. It can teach us many things. Having researched the concept of "pseudoscience" before, I found myself cringing a bit whenever the word was casually used. I hesitated to use it myself because it's poorly defined and has no objective criteria on which to judge a field or piece of work as legitimately scientific or non-scientific. But it IS clear that the word and the concept is very useful in a social sense. We can disparage fields or works or people by labeling them in this way. It clues others in that this thing is nonsense and not worth pondering. That's a hazard but for the most part, it works pretty well. There is little sense is taking astrology, phrenology, homeopathy, etc. seriously in terms of how nature works. But it is worth taking seriously if we are talking about the public perception of science.
I recommend Gordin's book for those interested in fringe ideas, for Forteans, and for those curious about science and the public. It's a good lesson.
As I was writing the piece linked above (it's a bit long but hopefully not dull), I saw some surprising similarities between the scientists' actions against Velikovsky (seen as an intruder) and the current skeptical kerfuffle about opposing viewpoints.
I urge you to read it yourself and see if you see it as I did.
What I noticed was a power play going on. Orthodoxy was picked on. Those doing the picking vehemently guarded their own orthodoxy. Hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance abounded. People spoke definitively even though they were out of their realm of expertise. Cults of personality were evident; it became about the person and ideological concept instead of about facts and reasonable conclusions. There were boycotts and threats, shunning and dismissiveness. Arguments and misunderstandings erupted over selling books and being popular in contrast to presenting an accurate view of things that might be LESS popular or dramatic. There were those that demonized Velikovsky, made him a personal enemy, only to have this tactic backfire and make him more interesting and popular to the observers of the drama. There was the opposite tactic taken by historians who said this guy isn't worth our time to attack, he is so wrong that it's not worth it. That ended up being the best solution to this sticky problem.
Take from that what you will.
Please let me know what you think. I appreciate feedback. Write in comments or via email paskeptic[at]gmail[dot]com.


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Environmental Geosciences
- Copyright ©2006. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists/Division of Environmental Geosciences. All rights reserved.
The Ohio River Valley CO2 Storage Project is an ongoing characterization of deep saline formations being considered as potential sites for geological CO2 sequestration. We completed a geomechanical analysis of the Rose Run Sandstone, a potential injection zone, and its adjacent formations at the American Electric Power's 1.3-GW Mountaineer Power Plant in New Haven, West Virginia. The results of this analysis were then applied to three investigations used to evaluate the feasibility of anthropogenic CO2 sequestration in the potential injection zone. First, we incorporated the results of the geomechanical analysis with a geostatistical aquifer model in CO2 injection-flow simulations to test the effects of introducing a hydraulic fracture to increase injectivity. We observed a nearly fourfold increase of injection rate caused by the introduction of a hydraulic fracture in the injection zone. The flow simulations predict that a single vertical well with a hydraulic fracture could inject a maximum of 300–400 kt of CO2/yr. In the second investigation, we determined that horizontal injection wells at the Mountaineer site are feasible because the high rock strength ensures that such wells would be stable in the local stress state. The third investigation used the geomechanical analysis results to evaluate the potential for injection-induced seismicity. If preexisting, but undetected, nearly vertical faults striking north-northeast or east-northeast are present, the increased pore pressure from CO2 injection would raise their reactivation potential. Geomechanical analysis of potential CO2 sequestration sites provides critical information required to evaluate its sequestration potential and associated risks.
Amie Lucier is a Ph.D. candidate in geophysics at Stanford University. She is a research assistant in the Stress and Crustal Mechanics Group investigating geomechanical questions related to CO2 sequestration, mining, and the petroleum industry. She received her M.S. degree (2004) in geophysics from Stanford University and her B.S. degree (2002) in geology from Washington and Lee University.
Mark Zoback is the Benjamin M. Page Professor of Earth Sciences and professor of geophysics at Stanford University. His principal research interests are related to the forces that act within the Earth's crust and their influence on processes related to plate tectonics, earthquakes, oil and gas reservoirs, and CO2 sequestration.
Neeraj Gupta is a research leader in the Environmental Technology Department at the Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio. He received a Ph.D. in hydrogeology from Ohio State University, an M.S. degree in geochemistry from George Washington University, and M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees in geology from Panjab University, India. He has been leading Battelle's research on CO2 sequestration and also maintains active interest in groundwater characterization, modeling, and remediation research.
T. S. Ramakrishnan is a scientific advisor in Schlumberger-Doll Research and is currently responsible for carbon sequestration research within Schlumberger. He has published in the areas of two-phase flow in porous media, well testing, enhanced oil recovery, carbonate rock physics, invasion, relative permeability logging, formation testers, intelligent completions, etc. He has a B.Tech. degree (Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi) and a Ph.D. (Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago) in chemical engineering.


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Neither John Krasinski Nor Olivia Thirlby Have Ever Been As Hot And Conflicted As They Are In The Very Sexy Nobody Walks Trailer
A "downside" of being an entertainment reporter, I often tell my friends, is that because we hear about movies from the moment the screenplay gets sold or the first actor is cast, by the time the movie actually comes out a year later, it's lost some of its allure. It seems more like a package than a piece of art, and we've scrutinized every supporting role and potential plot twist. (Case in point, my apathy regarding The Dark Knight Rises.) That's why it's a pleasure to stumble upon this trailer for Nobody Walks. This is the first I've heard of Magnolia Pictures' upcoming indie, directed by Ry Russo-Young. If that name doesn't ring a bell, don't worry—same here, though Russo-Young appeared in Hannah Takes the Stairs with Greta Gerwig and directed the 2009 film You Wont Miss Me.
I'm gonna have to check out the rest of her stuff, because if it's as good as Nobody Walks looks, then I'm hooked. Not surprisingly, Lena Dunham co-wrote this sexual drama that looks incredibly hot. It's about a young artist named Martine (Olivia Thirlby) who comes to stay in the poolhouse of a friend-of-a-friend Julie (Rosemarie DeWitt) so that Julie's husband Peter (John Krasinski) can help Martine out with sound design on her art film. But all too soon, Peter is attracted to the vibrant Martine, while Julie has another guy — possibly a patient or client? — making a move on her. And of course all of these desires and urges are out in the open and everyone desperately wants what they're not supposed to want. There's also a subplot about Julie and Peter's daughter Yma (Emma Durmont), who in addition to an awesome name is experiencing her first heady crush.
A few months ago I saw Olivia Thirlby in a play at Second Stage; though her character was more buttoned-up than brazenly sexual, I remember telling my friends that she was luminous. In contrast to her Juno character who lusts after older men in an obviously satirical way, she's the perfect choice to play a young woman exploring her sexuality and finding older men much more fascinating and attractive than boys her age. In fact, she's not unlike Elizabeth Olsen's character crushing on Josh Radnor in Liberal Arts, which ironically we wrote about this morning. Plus, am I the only one really excited to see John Krasinski play a guy who gets legitimately angry and maybe kinda dark?
Nobody Walks comes out October 12, 2012. Gah, why do I have to wait that long?!


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July 3, 2016
Gabriel Agbonlahor excited by what lies ahead for Aston Villa
Villa were relegated from the top flight for the first time since its formation in 1992 and have installed Roberto Di Matteo as their new manager.
Agbonlahor, 29, suffered serious criticism for his performances on the field and his antics off it, but he is desperate to rediscover the fans faith in him.
Speaking to the Birmingham Mail, he said: "I know there are a lot of fans that don't speak too well of me and there are those that do.


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Elvonia ''Bell'' Hubbard, 67, of 11 Watkins Farm Road died Sunday, Jan. 21, 2001.
A native of Oglethorpe County, Mrs. Hubbard was a daughter of the late Robert and Ressie Huff Armstrong and was the widow of John M. Hubbard. She was retired from the University of Georgia and was a member of New Bethlehem Church, where she served on the mother board and as Sunday school secretary.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at New Bethlehem Church with the Rev. S.A. Bishop officiating.
Survivors include a daughter, Magnolia Walter, Lexington; a stepson, Leroy Davenport, Athens; seven sisters, Cora Welbon, Athens, Shirley Hitcock, Eleanor Edwards and Annie Sue Armstrong, all of Crawford, Cassie Taylor and Jannie Waller, both of Lexington, and Mary L. Davenport, Comer; four brothers, Eddie Armstrong, Morris Armstrong and Reese Armstrong, all of Atlanta, and Lewis Armstrong, Crawford; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
The family is at the residence.
Jones Lexington Funeral Chapel has charge of arrangements.
Athens Daily News, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2001
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


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VERNON - Police are investigating a series of lottery ticket thefts from Vernon businesses.
In the thefts, a man and a woman enter the business and one creates a distraction by asking for directions on a map or by spilling a cup of coffee, Vernon RCMP state in a press release.
While the employee of the business is distracted, the second individual steals lottery tickets from the countertop display, police say.
Anyone with information about these offences is asked to call the Vernon RCMP at (250) 545 -7171 or call Crime Stoppers.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston or call 250-309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.


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In search of a season defining moment, Elijah Johnson rose to the occasion with one of the greatest individual performances in recent memory. In leading No. 5/6 Kansas to a stunning come-from-behin...
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Holly Madison could be giving birth as you read this! She is reportedly checking into the hospital on Monday to deliver her first baby, a daughter, who is due on Tuesday, March 5th.
"It's time now. We have decided to induce the delivery if necessary. I will go in Monday afternoon or early evening. It still might take up to three more days, though," she told the Las Vegas Sun over the weekend.
The soon-to-be star mom must be so excited to meet her baby! I know from personal experience there is nothing more amazing than holding your baby in your arms for the first time. Indeed, Madison is about to experience the best day of her life. "You'll know when the baby is born, but I'm not going to be tweeting during the delivery," she also confided to the newspaper, which caught up with the star on the red carpet at a Planet Hollywood event on Sunday. "My last red carpet before the baby's arrival!" Madison tweeted Monday, along with a photo of her big big bump clothed in a short, blue dress.
Now it is a waiting game for her fans to find out that she has delivered her daughter. And what baby name will Holly Madison bestow upon her bundle of joy? The former girlfriend of Hugh Hefner says the moniker is something unusual and for now is being kept secret.
Meanwhile, the sexy mom-to-be has decided to eat her own placenta after her baby's delivery. She is not he first star mom to adopt this unusual practice; January Jones also consumed her placenta after having son Xander.
So stay tuned! In the next few days Madison should be announcing that her first baby has arrived, and we will finally know the name of this already-famous little girl.
What is your guess for Madison's baby's name choice?
Photo credit: Flickr


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I'm thinking about going to law school...should I?
Depends. As a general rule of thumb, you should ONLY go to law school if you can correctly answer the following two questions:
Regarding Question (1) …
you need to know that American law schools are strictly in the business of training future lawyers. Period. That's it. They are not about teaching "the law", or exploring questions about law and public policy. They are about equipping potential attorneys with the tools they will use in law practice – how to think compartmentally, how to write a good legal argument. Think of them as trade schools for lawyers.
Perhaps you think you want to go to law school because you want to study law …. or because you have always been fascinated by constitutional issues … or because "you can do a lot of things with a law degree" … or because your parents want you to go … or because you really like watching LAW AND ORDER or BOSTON LEGAL.
Reconsider. Now.
These are not good reasons to invest three years of your life – and upwards of $100,000 of your money – in law school. If you are thinking about going to law school so that you can think about law, but have determined that there is no way you want to be a practicing attorney, don't bother. Go for a graduate degree instead (in political science, history, sociology, etc.).
This is a very simple equation. You go to law school to train to become a lawyer. If you are dead set against becoming a lawyer, you do not go to law school.
(There is one – but only one – exception to this rule. If you have determined which profession you wish to enter, and someone in that profession has advised you that you really need to have a law degree on your résumé (students who wish to become lobbyists hear this often), then you should go to law school. Especially if this someone has assured you that a job will be waiting for you when you graduate. And even more especially if this someone is offering to help underwrite your legal education.)
As for Question (2) … well, that's how you answer Question (1).
You may think you want to be a practicing attorney, but how do you really know? Watching Sam Waterston's character will not exactly give you the insight you really need. Finding a job or an internship in a law office, on the other hand, will. So will talking to practicing attorneys about what their job is like and what their life is like.
And that's where the Political Science department's pre-law advising comes in. We are not only going to help you decide whether law school is an appropriate destination, we are going to try and put you in contact with other people – active professionals – who can contribute to this process for you. What you're really doing here is embarking on a kind of a research project. Your question is whether or not to go to law school. In order to answer that question, you need to gather data … data on what law school is like, what being an attorney is like. We can help you gather this data, but you have to be committed to the research project. If you do a half-baked job of finding and considering this data, you could end making a careless and uninformed decision to go to law school … which could cost you a lot of money, time, and happiness.
Last modified November 15 2010 04:31 PM


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John F. Mee
John F. Mee received the M.V.B. degree and the DipECBHM degree. He is a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS). Mee is currently the Principal Veterinary Research Scientist and Named Veterinary Surgeon in Teagasc, the Irish National Agriculture and Food Development Authority, working on cow and calf health and fertility. His current research interests focus on the health and management of dairy young stock, dairy herd biosecurity, beef herd health, veterinary herd fertility service provision, and micronutrient imbalances. His research has been published in over 75 papers in peer-reviewed journals and in books. He referees for over 25 leading international bioscience journals and is a Member of the Editorial Boards of six scientific journals: Animal Reproduction Science, Domestic Animal Reproduction, Irish Veterinary Journal BMC (Deputy Editor), The Scientific World Journal, T Research, and Veterinary Science Development. Mee lectures on University College Dublin courses (Veterinary Postgraduate Certificate in Dairy Herd Health, Veterinary Medicine Degree, and Agriculture Degree in Dairy Business (2012)), Teagasc course (Certificate in Dairy Farm Management (2012)) and regularly is invited nationally and internationally. He has recently coauthored a book entitled Farm Health and Productivity Management of Dairy Young Stock . Mee has over 25 years of experience in private and public veterinary practice and as a research programme leader with responsibility for animal health, welfare, and theriogenology projects working in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. He serves a Past president of the Association of Veterinary Teachers and Research Workers (Irish region) and of his local Cork Veterinary Clinical Society and a National and European board-accredited Bariatrician.
Biography Updated on 18 December 2011


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Kai Ryssdal: Lest you think the European debt crisis is over, Greece announced another round of spending cuts and tax increases today. The government's trying to convince investors that its finances are finally under control. They do seem to have already persuaded the Chinese. Over the weekend, Premier Wen Jiabao said he'd be happy to buy Greek bonds. And he's going to put billions of dollars into Greek shipping companies while he's at it.
From our European Bureau, Stephen Beard.
Stephen Beard: The Greeks were dismissed as feckless by some of their European partners earlier this year, but now the Chinese premier paid tribute to their handling of the debt crisis. And he told the Greek government, if you want to sell more bonds, we'll buy them.
But Tim Leunig of the London School of Economics urges the Greeks to take all this with a pinch of salt.
Tim Leunig: China is not buying Greek debt because it thinks it offers a great return. It's buying Greek debt because it thinks it will offer influence in the European community.
He says that by buying Greek and other European government bonds and supporting the euro, China hopes to gain even greater access to European markets -- and receive fewer complaints about dumping underpriced products.
Stephen King of HSBC Bank suspects another motive too. He believes China is trying to buy European support in its fight with the U.S. over currency manipulation.
Stephen King: China now needs to find some friends in Europe partly because of this tension with the U.S. on the currency. And that means by effectively lending to people who are desperate for money, they can make those friends.
But, says Steve Barrow, currency strategist with Standard Bank, the Europeans are not that desperate.
Steve Barrow: I don't think that whatever Chinese officials may say that you will see European politicians supporting the idea that currencies should be fixed in this way.
He says that in spite of China's warm words about the Greeks and the euro, the Europeans will still accuse China of dumping and of currency manipulation.
In London, this is Stephen Beard for Marketplace.


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I always thought promotional material was supposed to get you interested in a motion picture, not systemically bore you to death. Below you'll find the latest clip from Tom Six's upcoming controversy magnet "The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence", though, I must say, it's not exactly mind-blowing. In fact, it's just another scene of Martin preparing for his macabre experiment, one that will involve a lot of people getting up close and personal with another person's digestive tract. Oh, and you also get to see Martin taking a leak. God bless modern cinema!
"The Human Centipede 2" gets extremely personal with movie-goers this Friday.
Source: Twitch


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Emeritus Faculty
Bernard R. Goldstein
Religious Studies, History of Science, Ancient and Medieval Astronomy
|University Professor Emeritus (PhD, Brown University, 1963). Goldstein came to Pittsburgh in 1973, and served for many years as Director of the Jewish Studies Program. He was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in 1974, and a Neugebauer Fellowship at The Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, in 1993. He has published extensively on the exact sciences in Antiquity and the Middle Ages in general, and on mathematics and astronomy in Hebrew and Arabic in particular, devoting special attention to the astronomical work of Levi ben Gerson (Gersonides) who lived in southern France in the fourteenth century. Among his recent articles on a medieval theme is: "Astronomy as a 'Neutral Zone': Interreligious Cooperation in Medieval Spain", Medieval Encounters, 15 (2009), 159–174. He has also published with José Chabás a series of books on late medieval astronomy: Astronomy in the Iberian Peninsula: Abraham Zacut and the Transition from Manuscript to Print (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 2000); The Alfonsine Tables of Toledo (Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2003); and The Astronomical Tables of Giovanni Bianchini (Leiden: Brill, 2009). Since retirement his research interests have become more varied, and include joint monographs and papers with Giora Hon: From Summetria to Symmetry: The Making of a Revolutionary Scientific Concept (Dordrecht: Springer, 2008); and "Symmetry and asymmetry in electrodynamics from Rowland to Einstein", Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 37 (2006), 635–660. A list of his publications prior to 2003 appeared in Centaurus, 45 (2003), as part of a Festschrift in his honor.


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On May 4 the long awaited superhero team up of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and The Hulk, better known as The Avengers, will debut on the movie screen. This disparate group of characters symbolizes the quintessential dynamics of teams. Our discussion explores team and human development dynamics with The Avengers as an example of why dysfunctional teams are often highly successful.
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Spyro blazes his way into Crash's universe! Spyro has arrived in Crash's jungle, and is ready to take on the evil Dr. Cortex. Team up with your Bandicoot buddy to save the universe from the clutches of evil!


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I'm back!
Monday, January 31, 2011
After a LONG absence from SP, I'm back. In the interim time, I was pregnant, spent 3 weeks in the hospital, had a baby, and quit my job. I have had a lot going on.
The long story short: while pregnant I focused exclusively on being pregnant and just doing that experience. I did not worry about my weight, other than to be sure I was gaining enough but not too much for a healthy pregnancy. I ate however I felt I needed to, cut out all alcohol, cut way back on caffeine, drank boat loads of water, and did prenatal yoga and walking. My baby was growing beautifully and my body was a glorious temple of baby-making.
Then... that changed. In the 3rd trimester I developed serious preeclampsia, which puts you at risk for stroke, seizures, organ failure, and pre-term birth. And one day I went to the doctor for a check up and she said "let's send you to the hospital for a few tests" and I didn't go home for 4 weeks. They admitted me that day and kept me on full bed rest until the baby was born. It was such a huge change that my life just sort of turned upside down.
And then I came home with a baby! A tiny, perfect, adorable, healthy baby boy. I was exhausted and a bit worse for wear, but he was literally perfect. And 5 months later, honestly, I still haven't fully adjusted. I love being a mom, but I have not figured out how to be my old self and my new self. That is to say how to have balance. When do I find time for me? I've not yet figured that out.
I don't mind so much, usually, because right now my whole world is about this baby and mostly I'm ok with that. But... I need to get back in shape. I don't mean back into some rockin' smokin' MILF body. I just want to be fit, healthy, full of energy and vitality, and feeling good physically and emotionally about myself. And that takes time. And dedication. So I've got to find some ME time to make that happen. So today is a new day...
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Boy can I relate!! He's beautiful!
2487 days ago
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Khloe Kardashian Reveals Pain In Her Heart
Khloe Kardashian-Odom may be ready to admit that she is in pain amid rumors of a strained marriage.
Kardashian-Odom, the 29-year-old reality television star and wife to troubled NBA free agent Lamar Odom, is continuing to showcase her emotions in cryptic social media posts amid the troubling headlines concerning her husband.
Odom, 33, has made headlines in recent weeks for allegedly stepping out on his marriage and battling with a drug addiction that he allegedly only checked into a rehabilitation center for one day to treat. While Kardashian-Odom, 29, has yet to address the matter directly she seemed to acknowledge her pain in a recent cryptic Instagram post.
"She smiles to mask the pain in her heart," she posted, along with an image of a girl with a mask on. "She laughs to conceal the tears in her eyes."
While various media outlets have published conflicting reports about the type of drug addiction Odom is suffering from, his wife has only shared her feelings about the matter publicly on Twitter thus far.
"Really hard to sit here and listen to people talk (expletive) about my family," Kardashian-Odom tweeted last month. "(Expletive) you and shame on you! I'm too protective for this (expletive)!"
During an outing in Studio City, Calif. recently, Odom made sure to take pictures with fans before TMZ reporters questioned if he was doing ok.
"How do I look," Odom questioned before responding to the reporter who acknowledged that he looked great. "There you go."
When asked if he had a drug problem and needed professional help, the NBA forward simply responded, "nah."
Odom decided to respond to questions about him speaking to his wife amid reports of their separation.
"That's my wife," Odom said with a laugh. "Of course!"
While Odom averaged 4.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in 82 games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season, the free agent told TMZ he hoped to play for "anybody that's a fan" next season.


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Pay and performance in a customer service centre - principal and agents or principally angels?
We have followed a pay for performance reform in the phone based customer service centre of an insurance company, from its introduction in 2001 until the end of 2004. We use hard and soft data from the design and impact of the reform to contrast two theories of work motivation; the traditional self interest hypothesis that the principal-agent model builds on, with the hypothesis that fairness and reciprocity are significant motivational forces at workplaces. The reform was initiated to increase sales of insurance in the customer service centre and it gave the operators both economic incentives and fairness- and reciprocity incentives to increase their sales effort. The reform had a positive effect on sales; the operators answered more calls and sold insurance to a higher fraction of customers after the reform. This observation alone does not help us identify the importance of the motivational hypothesis we compare. However, when we look closer at the evolution of the design and impact of the payment plan, we conclude that our data correspond best with the standard principal-agent model.
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|36 pages
|Date of creation:
|01 Aug 2006
|Contact details of provider:
| Postal: Institutt for økonomi, Universitetet i Bergen, Postboks 7802, 5020 Bergen, Norway
Phone: (+47)55589200
Fax: (+47)55589210
Web page: http://www.uib.no/econ/en
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Fitch reaffirms A rating to Emirates Bank International's $1 billion note program
Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed both the A Senior Unsecured and the A- subordinated debt ratings it assigned to the one billion dollar Euro Medium Term Note program launched by Emirates Bank International in June 2002.
The second tranche, of $500 million floating-rate notes due January 2009, to be launched under this program on January 28 has been assigned an A rating.
Emirates Bank International (EBI), 77 percent owned by the Government of Dubai, was established in 1986 from the government-arranged merger of three troubled banks: Union Bank of the Middle East, Dubai Bank and Emirates National Bank. The franchise was extended in 1991 with the state-sponsored acquisition of the retail bank, Middle East Bank.
EBI offers a comprehensive range of financial services, including commercial, consumer and public sector finance, investment banking, insurance, credit cards and property management. It operates through 35 branches in the Emirates, one branch in London and representative offices in India and Iran. — (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
Top Headlines
- Bahrain-Based Ahli United Bank B.S.C.'s $2.0 Billion Euro Medium-Term Note Program Assigned 'A-/A-2' Ratings
- Fitch assigns A+ rating to NBK's Floating Rate Note issuance
- Bahrain-Based Gulf International Bank B.S.C.'s $4 Billion Euro Medium-Term Note Program Rated 'BBB+/A-2'
- National Bank of Dubai establishes US$ 1 billion Euro Medium Term Note Program
- UBK to offer $100 million floating rate notes


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Rio de Janeiro
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One of my favourite places on the trip so far! Full of beaches, activities, nightlife, shops, all in one island. I stayed in Lagoa for a few nights before moving to Greenhouse Hostel near Campeche further south of the island. Here, I camped for a week enjoying the sun, many BBQs, Caipirinhas, surfing and generally just chilling out. Next stop….Puerto Alegre.
After spending a few days in Curitiba sightseeing, I have finally arrived in Florianopolis, Southern Brazil. More pictures to follow…