text:
I can see how someone coming across the murder trial of former Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald 33 years later would think he was wrongly convicted.
As a reporter who covered the trial, I watched the case build for and against MacDonald, day by day, for seven weeks inside a Raleigh courtroom.
I was a 24-year-old reporter for the Fayetteville Observer, barely a year into my first job as a journalist. My beat was the military, and MacDonald, 35, had been a doctor in the Army's Special Forces.
Fort Bragg was where I reported most of my stories. It was there, nine years earlier, that MacDonald's family had been savagely wiped out in one night.
Now, MacDonald stood accused of committing that savagery against his own pregnant wife and two small girls.
As the jury went into deliberations, the press corps quietly took its own poll. A majority said MacDonald would be found guilty.
I voted with the minority.
It wasn't that I was convinced that MacDonald was innocent. I simply doubted that a jury of 12 people could see what I had seen and unanimously agree he was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Yet they did. They looked right past nagging details that supported MacDonald's case and decided that what really mattered was this: He was lying.
|A 33-year-old tape of the interview.
That version goes like this. MacDonald and his family were attacked by two white men, a black man wearing a fatigue jacket and a blonde-haired white woman wearing a floppy hat and carrying what appeared to be a candle. The woman, he said, chanted: "Acid is groovy, kill the pigs."
Journalists tend to hang on to their work when they report memorable stories. For me, the MacDonald trial was that kind of story. When I heard last week about the new hearing, I dragged a plastic tub from a closet and soon was leafing through dozens of articles I filed over that seven-week period.
Reading those yellowed pages, I was reminded how the jury could think the unthinkable.
I also found a cassette tape. On it was my one-on-one interview with MacDonald, conducted while the trial was under way.
I didn't know this in 1979, but it was remarkable we were talking at all. The government had begun presenting its case. MacDonald decided he could talk because the judge's gag order covered witnesses, but not the prosecution or defense.
So there we were, sitting in a pizza restaurant during a lunch recess. The rookie reporter asking questions of a defendant who had been honing his story for nearly a decade.
In playing the tape now, I'm reminded of how indignant MacDonald was over the idea of a trial.
Nine years earlier, the Army had investigated MacDonald for the murders and declined to prosecute.
The latest set of prosecutors, he assured me, would present nothing new from that time.
"There is no case," MacDonald said. "They know there is no case. What they are trying to do is, they are trying to mound up a pile of stuff and make it look like a good investigation was done, and then in a closing argument, unbuttressed with any facts at all, they're going to misinterpret the witnesses' words. You watch."
He heaped special scorn on two people he held principally responsible: His stepfather-in-law, Alfred Kassab, whose complaint with the Justice Department was the basis for re-opening the case; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Murtagh, who helped prepare the case for trial.
I asked again. Are you sure there's nothing new?
And then he brought it up. The blue pajama top.
MacDonald had worn it the night of the murders. He said a government expert had come up with a model of that shirt, which would be shown during the trial.
"(It's) something he devised in 1974 that he felt added to the case," MacDonald said.
He didn't seem particularly worked up about this model. And showing my inexperience, I didn't ask him to explain further.
But a few weeks later, its significance showed when the former FBI expert, Paul Stombaugh, took the stand.
Stombaugh said the shirt had 48 ice pick holes in it, more than four times the number of wounds found on MacDonald. None of the holes matched his wounds. But it was possible to fold the shirt in such a way that the holes equaled the 21 ice pick thrusts into the chest of MacDonald's wife, Colette.
The shirt was found on her chest. MacDonald said he only put it there after regaining consciousness and finding her severely wounded.
But prosecutors asserted that he stabbed his wife with the ice pick through the pajama top to simulate an attack on him.
As the jury deliberated, among the evidence it requested to see again was that blue pajama top, as well as the top Stombaugh used as a model.
Later, jurors said it was part of a patchwork of physical evidence that convinced them MacDonald had made up his story.
Never mind that the initial Army investigation mishandled critical evidence.
Never mind that a neighbor saw three people, one with a candle, walking toward the MacDonald home the night of the murders.
Never mind that the defense worked to implicate a drug addict who owned a floppy hat and blonde wig, and bore an uncanny resemblance to one of MacDonald's alleged attackers in a police sketch.
Clothing, blood, fibers and wounds all told a different story.
"All the pieces came together," one juror told a Charlotte Observer reporter also covering the trial. "You couldn't deny it."
As long as those pieces stay firmly in place, it's difficult to imagine MacDonald's fate changing now.
|Clippings of some of the stories Thames wrote in 1979 while covering the Jeffrey MacDonald trial in Raleigh for the Fayetteville Observer.


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A New Class of X-ray Star?
Teaming up space telescopes to make simultaneous ultraviolet and X-ray observations, astronomers may have solved a 20-year-old mystery and possibly discovered a new class of X-ray star.
The unlikely suspect is a second-magnitude star 600 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia. It turns out that the mild-mannered-looking star is ejecting 100-million-degree flares into space - 10 times hotter than typical flares ejected from our Sun. The findings are based on observations by the Hubble telescope and the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer.
Gamma Cassiopeiae
Teaming up space telescopes to make simultaneous ultraviolet and X-ray observations, astronomers may have solved a 20-year old mystery and possibly discovered a new class of X-ray star.
The unlikely suspect is a second magnitude star 600 light-years away in the middle point of the "W" in circumpolar constellation Cassiopeia. It turns out the mild-mannered looking star is ejecting 100 million degree flares into space - 10 times hotter than typical flares ejected from our sun.
The results are being announced today to the 191st meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington, DC, by Myron Smith of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD. His co-investigators are Richard Robinson and Robin Corbet of the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.
The team pointed both the Hubble Space Telescope and the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer at the hot star gamma Cassiopeiae, simultaneously for one full day in March, 1996 in order to understand the origin of the bright, variable X-rays coming from this star. To their surprise they discovered the X-rays are probably produced by extraordinarily hot surface flares, which are completely unexpected and unpredicted for a star of this type.
A New Tack On A 20-Year Mystery
In the 1860's an Italian priest, Father Secchi, discovered that gamma Cassiopeiae shows bright emission in the hydrogen lines of its spectrum. His finding made this star the first member of the class of "B-emission" (Be) stars. These stars are hotter and several times more massive than the Sun and are known for their unexplained eruptions of mass from time to time.
Twenty years ago astronomers had discovered that surprisingly bright X-ray light came from this well-known star, there has been no consensus since then on the reason for these bright emissions.
Most "Be" stars generally show only faint X-ray emissions, similar to other hot stars. The X-ray emissions of gamma Cassiopeiae stand out because they originate from gas which is hot even by astronomical standards, 100 million degrees Kelvin. The emissions also show a zig-zag variability over only several seconds which is reminiscent of X-ray flares on the Sun and similar low-mass, "cool" stars.
Previous explanations of this X-ray behavior have suggested that the energy is created by the infall of gas onto a dense companion star, such as a neutron star. However, despite repeated searches no evidence has been found for a companion star.
The simultaneous observations of the X-ray and Hubble telescopes dramatically changed this view by showing that the slower X-ray variability in gamma Cassiopeiae is consistent with its ultraviolet variations. Comparison of these slow undulations with past X-ray observations suggest that they repeat with a period of 27 hours. The Hubble observations also indicate that gas lobes hang over the star, which is also consistent with a magnetic flare interpretation.
Confirming evidence comes from a repeated 27 hour period between the Hubble observations and ultraviolet variations of this star observed by the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite two months earlier. Since a period of 27 hours is consistent with that expected with the star's rotational spin rate, Smith and his team believe the X-rays originate from the star's surface.
Though relatively cooler flares are common on the Sun, it is surprising that they occur on a Be-class star. Solar flares are caused by magnetic fields inside the Sun which then get tangled and finally cause violent explosions on the surface.
In contrast, the theory for massive stars predicts that they should not generate such fields. "Thus, at the present time, the precise mechanism that creates these X-rays is still unclear," Smith concludes.
Despite this uncertainty, Smith points out "there is no such thing as uniqueness in astronomy. Where there is one peculiar star, there are many more somewhere else. There is probably an entire class of these X-ray variables out there."
Robinson notes that "with the new generation of X-ray satellites recently or soon to be launched, it should be possible to discover a class of fainter B-emission stars that are variables just like gamma Cassiopeiae."
Ray Villard
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD
(Phone: 410-338-4514)
Myron Smith
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD
(Phone: 410-338-5036)
(Email: email@example.com)

subset: commoncrawl


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Student Wellness
Ballet is an extremely strenuous form of physical activity that should be undertaken only by persons in excellent health. Therefore, it is required that all students have a complete medical checkup at least once a year. Students will not be able to participate in class without submitting proof of annual physical.
The School provides services for students throughout the year to maintain optimum health and overall wellness.
Medical Care
The school nurse has office hours two days per week. Any student, resident or day, may see the nurse during her office hours. The School also has relationships with a number of private doctors of all specialties. All resident students are required to enroll in the school's basic health insurance plan.
Psychological Counseling
SAB is committed to promoting the healthy emotional development of students. The School's staff includes a licensed New York State psychologist who is available to students by appointment. Students seeking additional support in personal development or the opportunity to discuss, in confidence, thoughts and concerns related to school and professional life as well as family and social issues are encouraged to make an appointment with the psychologist.
A certified Pilates instructor is at the School five days per week to teach and supervise the Advanced students in Pilates.
Physical Therapy
A physical therapist is at the School three days per week. The physical therapist will evaluate injuries and teach self-care techniques. The physical therapist may treat an injury only if a student has a doctor's prescription. Additionally, all Intermediate and Advanced students are required to attend a series of physical therapy seminars in the fall.
Nutrition Counseling
The School has a licensed professional who specializes in nutrition for athletes and dancers. All students are invited to make appointments for individual nutrition counseling. Nutrition seminars are also offered regularly.


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Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne made a pointed pitch for NDP voters Sunday, likening Andrea Horwath's pocketbook election promises to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's political agenda.
Wynne told reporters that she fears PC Leader Tim Hudak and his "dangerous" plan for Ontario, and said voting NDP won't stop him from gaining government.
"You can't trust NDP MPPs to do the right thing," Wynne said during a rally Sunday in Mississauga. "Where were your NDP MPPs when it came to voting for the most progressive budget in decades? Where were they when Andrea Horwath abandoned her party's principles? Where were they when Andrea Horwath said she would not rule out supporting a Hudak government after the election.
"And where were they when the NDP came up with a Rob Ford-like platform, a platform that doesn't even mention pensions?"
Ford ran on a Respect for Taxpayer platform that offered to save voters money by eliminating an extra vehicle registration fee paid by Torontonians.
Horwath has promised to eliminate the provincial portion of the HST from hydro bills, freeze post-secondary tuition and bring in a caregiver tax credit for people who take care of frail elderly or seriously ill family members in their home.
Numerous polls now show the Liberals and PCs in a statistical tie going into the final week of campaigning, and Wynne is attempting to bring as many of the anti-PC voters to her party as possible.
"What Andrea Horwath has put forward is an incoherent kind of list of disconnected ideas that tap into a kind of populist oversimplification of what public policy is and how you actually improve quality of life for people," Wynne said.
In Toronto Sunday, Horwath responded that Ontarians don't have to choose between a "corrupt" party like the Liberals or a "crazy" party like the PCs when voting Thursday.
"You don't have to listen to someone who tells you how to vote and tells you how to think," she said.
Wynne is trying to convince the supporters of five NDP MPPs in Toronto that Hudak is a threat in those ridings, which he clearly is not, Horwath said.
The NDP will fight for Torontonians by opposing jets at the Billy Bishop Airport and diesel trains through the northwest end of the city, she said.
On being compared to Ford, Horwath said she's listened to Ontarians and her plan reflects their priorities, such as keeping down the cost of living.
"If everyday folks can't make ends meet then it's the obligation of government to pay attention to that," she said. "I think Ms Wynne is trying to scare people's votes."
Horwath shrugged off polls showing her in third place, arguing that she's hearing from Ontarians that they want change.
"The NDP have been gaining a great deal of momentum over the last couple of days," she said.
Wynne said the election is a very close race between the Liberals and the Tories.
"If you have voted NDP or if you are thinking about voting NDP in this election, I want to talk to you," she said.
Wynne also criticized the opposition parties for focusing on scandals, but denied she was making light of the gas plant controversy.
Both Horwath and Hudak focused Saturday on the issue, with the PC leader appearing before a stack of fake money to symbolize the $1 billion lost on the cancellation of the Oakville and Mississauga plants.
"What Tim Hudak and what Andrea Horwath are doing by trying to stir up controversy and distract from their plan or lack of plan is pure politics and it's junk politics because it doesn't focus on the issues, it doesn't focus on the things that concern people every single day in their lives," Wynne told said.


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text:
How many have paid ACA premiums?
The White House insists it doesn't know how many people are fully enrolled in Obamacare but insurers say they've handed over enough data to show that the sign-up numbers are not as rosy as federal officials say.
The latest administration figures show that 4.2 million people have selected health plans in the new insurance markets. Insurance industry officials at four of the big national health plans tell POLITICO that about 15 to 20 percent people who have signed up have not yet paid their first monthly premium — the final step to get coverage.
Story Continued Below
And they've told the White House the same, insurance industry officials say.
( Also on POLITICO: Full health care policy coverage)
"They have a lot more information than they're letting on," one industry source said of the Obama administration. "They have real hard data about the percent that have paid … If they have not processed those yet and compiled the data, that is a choice they are making. But they have that data now."
That contention prompted Republicans on Capitol Hill to launch an inquiry Thursday to determine how many Obamacare sign-ups are actually paying. House Energy and Commerce leaders sent letters to insurers in 36 states requesting details on the total number of customers who have begun paying premiums.
"If the administration won't provide transparency, we will work with every insurance provider to get the real picture the White House seemingly wants to hide from the public," said Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) in a statement.
Federal officials say they count sign-ups — people who select plans on HealthCare.gov or in state exchanges — because they can't yet rely on the insurers' figures. They say the industry reports are not comprehensive, and they change month to month.
( Also on POLITICO: Kathleen Sebelius: No more Obamacare delays)
"I can't tell you because I don't know that," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday when Republicans asked about the number of paying Obamacare customers during hearings on Capitol Hill. "We don't collect it." She reiterated her contention Thursday, telling lawmakers that she'd provide the information as soon as it's available.
The dispute emerges as the administration is trying to convey a sense of enthusiasm and momentum ahead of a March 31 deadline to enroll in exchanges. But unless the current pace doubles, the administration won't hit its target of 6 million people — a goal that was already scaled back from 7 million after last October's messy rollout of HealthCare.gov.
But the hill to climb may be even steeper than the White House acknowledges. Once the premium payment rate is factored in, the actual count of people who now have health coverage under the president's health law could be closer to 3 million than 4 million. The insurance exchanges may still work with fewer people — but the political narrative is that the controversial health law is again falling short.
( Also on POLITICO: Administration: 4.2 million people signed up for Obamacare plans)
The White House insists that industry claims notwithstanding, it can't provide precise enrollment totals — and may not be able to for months because major, "back end" components of HealthCare.gov are still under construction. Those pieces are supposed to collect data directly from insurers about the number of premium-paying customers on their rolls.
Last month, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said reporters would have better immediate luck getting accurate coverage numbers from insurers.
"Questions about who exactly has paid for the health insurance can best be directed to those private insurance companies that are collecting those payments," Earnest said.
Of course, there are hundreds of insurers and not all of them have readily released their number of paying Obamacare customers. Several major ones have, however.
( Also on POLITICO: Lance Bass visits W.H., flubs site address)
Aetna and Health Care Services Corp., two of the country's largest insurers, told POLITICO that through February, about 80 percent of their exchange customers had paid. Officials from WellPoint and Blue Shield of California said about 85 percent of subscribers had submitted premiums. A handful of other large- and medium-sized insurers told The New York Times last month that about four of five of their January customers had paid.


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Who needs a recipe when you have frozen chicken breasts, barbecue sauce, Minute Ready to Serve Brown & Wild Rice, and frozen broccoli? The night before, I had decided to defrost chicken breasts, but did not know what I was going to make. My husband had recently bought a new George Foreman Grill, so I decided to grill some chicken.
I pounded the defrosted chicken breasts flat, sprinkled on some salt and pepper, dredged them through a bowl of barbecue sauce and tossed on the grill. What a mess that was! I then remembered why I stopped using my old grill, some things make a huge mess on the George Foreman Grill. I spent almost as much time cleaning the grill in between pieces of meat, as I did cooking. Despite my frustration with the mess, the end result was great!
While the chicken cooked, I steamed the bag of frozen broccoli in the microwave, followed by microwaving the rice for 65 seconds, not the 60 seconds on the package…it tastes better that way. I threw in a little butter and salt on both the broccoli and rice, and, "Dinner's Ready!"
The Verdict
No complaints from anyone. It was a simple tasty dinner that was made on one of our busy nights, not too much work on my part.


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Members of the Privacy Interest Group (PING) [1] reviewed the Proximity [2] and Ambient Light Event [3] Last Call drafts from a privacy perspective. The following key points were made in the review process: 1) Privacy threats can arise when these simple specifications are used in combination with other functionality or when used over time. 2) User notification and control over use of sensors should be provided (e.g. able to turn them off, or know if they are being used), or perhaps provide the ability for user input in place of the sensor value. 3) There are possibilities for fingerprinting based by event patterns during and over time. 4) Reviewing specifications in isolation is often inadequate to assess the privacy issues [7] (also see earlier W3C privacy workshop position paper[8] ). 5) There should be a summary of privacy information applicable to the various sensors collected in one place (I offered to start a draft) and information may also need to be added to each individual draft 6) Privacy by design: specifications should be designed with privacy threats in mind. For example, an ambient sensor input could be designed to address a use case of adjusting image contrast without the state being accessible to script contexts that can leak the state. [7] 7) Reviewing these drafts was useful to PING in order to learn and start creating a checklist and process for other reviews. In detail, Nick Doty gave an excellent summary in an email [4] that includes examples: using ambient light sensors in multiple contexts over time to correlate the same user, suggesting the spec be limited to a single active window context. Similarly he notes a concern similar to the Idle API risk discussion, see [5]. See Nick's email for details. Nick noted during the call that there is a chance for gleaning information from light sensors, but not with high, med, low settings, so that is good. Robin Wilton noted [9] a potential privacy threat case related to ambient light sensor correlation, suggesting that ambient light might be used to defeat the separation of personal and work 'mobile phone personas'. (though I ask whether this might require similar code running at the same time on the devices) Nick and Thomas Roessler also note that there is also a fingerprinting risk based on frequency and timing of event occurrence (though I suggest this might be harder than more straightforward fingerprinting approaches). A possible mitigation is to impose limitations on granularity of information. Ambient Light could offer a side channel for communication via light generation and detection. Tony Rahman noted [6] that there might be a security risk if there is no limit to the rate of queries and also suggested that remote sensors offer a greater security risk, though I suggest the current specs are focused on local information. He also noted that perhaps there should be an indication to the user when the sensors are used (I'd say in particular for ambient light). In addition he suggests there should be a way to disable sharing proximity information (or in general various sensor information). The PING group agreed that there may need to be privacy documentation that spans the variety of sensors noting common concerns - I offered to start drafting a document. Nick suggests that material needs to also be repeated in the individual drafts as well, however I'd suggest a short executive summary might suffice. Nick started a wiki to collect resources around Privacy Considerations, see http://www.w3.org/wiki/Privacy/Privacy_Considerations Fred Andrews expressed concern on support for secure scripting contexts [7] and also suggests enabling "lying" as a general approach (as with location), unless I misinterpret the following: * Specifications should not simply be designed to allow the inputs to be disabled by users, but should be designed to also make the choice private rather than a 'share it or block it' approach, and to ensure that user choice can not be used to discriminate against users. For example, an ambient light sensor input specification should support spoofing, and scripts that access the state should run in a secure context without the capability to leak the state. I hope this is helpful, and thanks again to the Privacy Interest Group for the review and feedback. regards, Frederick Frederick Hirsch Nokia [1] http://www.w3.org/Privacy/ [2] http://www.w3.org/TR/2012/WD-proximity-20121206/ [3] http://www.w3.org/TR/2012/WD-ambient-light-20121213/ [4] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-privacy/2013JanMar/0007.html [5] https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/mozilla.dev.webapi/7mEN0gSryCk [6] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-privacy/2013JanMar/0010.html and http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-privacy/2013JanMar/0011.html [7] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-privacy/2013JanMar/0030.html [8] http://www.iab.org/wp-content/IAB-uploads/2011/03/frederick_hirsch-revised.pdf [9] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-privacy/2013JanMar/0033.htmlReceived on Wednesday, 27 February 2013 19:08:41 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Monday, 23 October 2017 14:53:58 UTC


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Social Network Analysis is an increasingly popular tool for modelling dependence structures between social actors. In my department researchers are developing new models for representing such dependence structures (MELNET). In 2007 I gave a talk on my consulting experience using social network analysis to provide insights on team dynamics. Since then I have switched to mainly using R for analysing social network datasets.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Social Network Analysis Resources for R
By jeromyanglim on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 Labels: R, social network analysis 2 comments
Monday, August 17, 2009
Selecting University Students: Perspectives from Selection and Recruitment
I was reading the article in The Age reporting on a discussion paper at The University of Melbourne reviewing undergraduate entry requirements.
The discussion paper mentions other means for selecting students in addition to their performance in the final year of high school (ENTER).
I see the issue as involving two elements:
- What criterion of an effective selection system does the university want to use?
- What measurement system can be put in place to maximise this criterion?
The first issue is a matter of values and policy. The second issue is empirical.
From The Age article I gather that there is concern for: representation from disadvantaged student groups and academic potential.
Many other values could be mentioned, including transparency, procedural justice, cost of administration, and so on. No doubt any decision would be a synthesis of such concerns. However, if the choice of criterion could be resolved, the question of a measurement system is largely an empirical question.
By jeromyanglim on Monday, August 17, 2009 Labels: opinion, random, selection and recruitment 0 comments
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
My Procedure for Upgrading R: Windows XP with StatET
R releases upgrades around every 6 months. I run R on Windows XP using the StatET plug-in and Eclipse. This is my current upgrade procedure. I've posted this mainly for my own future reference. But who knows? it might be useful for someone else:
By jeromyanglim on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 Labels: R 2 comments
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U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
If a complaint against a state or local government agency involves race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability discrimination, the agency is covered by the laws we enforce if it has 15 or more employees who worked for the agency for at least twenty calendar weeks (in this year or last).
If a complaint involves age discrimination, the state or local government agency is covered by the law no matter how many employees it has.
Almost all state and local governments are covered by the Equal Pay Act (EPA), which makes it illegal to pay different wages to men and women if they perform substantially equal work in the same workplace.
Figuring out whether or not a state or local government is covered can be complicated. If you aren't sure whether coverage exists, you should contact one of our field offices as soon as possible so we can make that decision. It is also important to keep in mind that, if an employer is not covered by the laws we enforce, the employer still may be covered by a state or local anti-discrimination law. If it is, we can refer you to the state or local agency that enforces that law.


text:
The months of September, October and this first half of November were very busy for our family! We took part in several childhood cancer awareness events, celebrated both of my son's birthdays (they both were born in October!) and my husband's birthday (early Novemeber), had two weekend trips out of town, and so much more. Beyond the extra fun, there was also still the minutia of daily life with 5 children! During all of this, Hazel has just been doing remarkably well! Since her last set of scans, where her doctor finally felt comfortable to say she is NED, she has been enjoying the life of a very normal and enthusiastic 4 year old. She absolutely LOVES school, dance class, craft time, helping me cook in the kitchen and taking part in her responsibilities in our family.
Another thing that has kept me busy is a project that our family has been working on, and I am thrilled to share it with all of you! Something that has remained constant for our family since Hazel's diagnosis, has been the desire to give back to the community who rallied around us for all of those months and to the many organizations who lovingly and effectively bring the much needed funds and awareness to Childhood Cancer.
So we have launched a new website called "Hope With Hazel"! We hope to bring much needed awareness and support for the children who have fought/are currently fighting cancer, and to the childhood cancer community through fundraising events, awareness campaigns and by providing others with the tools and resources to do the same. We aim to come along side other local and national non-profit organizations to aide them in their efforts toward the same goal.
For more information, visit www.hopewithhazel.com, click on the "EVENTS" page and find out how you can make a donation!


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Monday June 17, 2019; 03:24 pm EDT
Bowie Garden Club and Library
Invited by Bowie Library to fill 18 empty planters that adorn the parking lot near the entrance to the library on Annapolis Road, the Bowie-Crofton Garden Club held a planting party.
Patuxent Nursery donated the plants. On an absolutely wonderful day for planting, Garden Club members Marsha Salzberg, Rich Buller, Susan Livera, Jackie Streeks, Bob and Joan Walker, Linda Snow, Barbara Eberstein and Jessie Smith set to organizing them.
We planted a mixture of perennial herbs (although we did slip in a few annuals) and black-eyed Susans, our state flower. One of the planters pays homage to the song, Scarborough Fair with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Once established, the plants will be drought-tolerant, and water, when needed, will be provided by the Bowie Library.
We are hoping that people going to the library will smell the wonderful herbs, enjoy them and educate themselves.
–Marsha Salzberg, Bowie Garden Club Library Planting Committee Chair


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Richter did not allow a goal in the final four periods of the series (photo courtesy Jim Rosvold).
PRINCETON, N.J.-Kyle Richter made 37 saves and Daniel Moriarty scored the game-winning goal in the third period as the Harvard men's hockey team defeated Princeton, 3-0, Saturday night at Baker Rink, completing a two-game sweep of the teams' ECAC Hockey first-round playoff series.
Danny Biega scored a highlight-reel insurance goal, Luke Greiner added an empty-net tally and each logged an assist to help Harvard (9-19-3) advance to the league quarterfinals. The Crimson's next opponent will not be determined until the conclusion of the other three first-round series Sunday.
Following two scoreless periods, Moriarty netted the game's first tally at 7:11 of the third. After working the puck around the left side of the zone on the power play with passes from Michael Biega and Louis Leblanc, he found some space around the faceoff dot and ripped a wrist shot past Zane Kalemba, who made 14 saves for Princeton (12-16-3). Biega put Harvard in full control with his fourth goal in five games after Michael Del Mauro moved the puck out of the corner. Biega knocked a Luke Greiner saucer pass out of the air, outraced a pair of Princeton defenders to the loose puck and then to the net, went to his backhand and beat Kalemba with a high shot.
The series win was Harvard's 20th in 21 chances after winning the first game of a playoff series. Richter registered the fifth shutout of his career, the first in a playoff game.
Richter made 21 saves over the first two periods, and Kalemba stopped 10 shots. Alex Fallstrom and Marshall Everson both got shots behind Kalemba, but Fallstrom's in the first period went just wide and Everson's in the second hit the post.
Early in the third, Kalemba made a tough save on an Everson deflection of an Alex Biega shot, and Richter countered on the other end with a pad stop on Kevin Crane. After the first two goals, Greiner's empty-net goal sealed the win with 75 seconds left. After Colin Moore won the puck in the defensive corner and Del Mauro pushed it ahead. Danny Biega got to it on the left side of the offensive zone and dropped a pass to Greiner in the circle for the finish.


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Foodstalgia. It happens when you eat/smell something and it brings you back to another time you've eaten the same thing. I have 10 pictures of my husband eating gelato on our honeymoon. 10 different instances he ate gelato. Obviously, because it's so good, he kept going back for more each day. Not because he's a gelato pig, but because tasting it brings back good memories. Isn't that why we all eat?
I have foodstalgia about McDonald's, school cafeteria food, and cheap shitty beer. Yea, I know, three disgusting things. Going to McDonald's was a great treat when I was little, since we usually ate 5 course meals every single day made by my mother slaving over the stove (see how deprived I was?). So, cheap greasy french fries and hamburgers were the smell of freedom. We got to act like Americans at McDonald's. Of course, a Chinese family of 4 splits each meal in half, since we can't eat the enormous quantities they serve, and we're quite cheap. I finally was able to finish an entire happy meal by myself at age 14. Practice!
Do you remember sitting in the school cafeteria complaining how gross your meal was everyday? I said it was gross just to fit in. But I secretly loved it. I never ate so many things cooked in butter. Chinese people rarely cook with butter, unless they're baking something, and even then it's baking with lard most of the time. I loved pizza day, which was once a week. The dough was made from scratch every morning by the cafeteria ladies. Then it was slathered with over-seasoned tomato sauce and generously piled with mozzarella cheese over an inch thick. And we also had daily alternatives if you didn't prefer the main lunch. The alternatives were PB&J, or toasted cheese. Imagine each of those sandwiches 2.5-3 inches thick. Imagine the toasted cheese cooked with half a stick of butter. Can you picture how good it was?
Cheap, shitty beer. Reminds me of college parties. The 'good ol days'. Not really. But I recently had a sip of something really nasty (Genesee beer in a can) and I felt like I was unwillingly dragged back in time to some stupid frat party all over again. It's funny how our brains work.


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Star Wars Celebration kicked off festivities with a Star Wars 40th anniversary panel full of surprises and emotional moments. Catch up on all the highlights.
Look back on the movies starring the cast of Rogue One and their red carpet appearances.
In celebration of Rogue One we're taking a look at how female IMDb users ranked the films in the Star Wars franchise. Have you voted for your favorite?
The stars and director of Rogue One reveal their favorite Star Wars moments and more.
Red carpet galleries from the premieres of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One star Riz Ahmed has had an acting career that not only showcases his talents to the fullest, but serves as a example of an actor successfully breaking out of the usual stereotypical roles.
Fans have taken inspiration from the Star Wars universe to create unique and original works of art. Explore some of the highlights here.
Explore the Star Wars universe through this extensive gallery, from Episode IV: A New Hope to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
A rebellious princess, a fearsome Jedi, and lethal assassins are among the women of Star Wars. Explore some of the strongest characters here.
IMDb attended a press event and watched 28 minutes of footage from Rogue One at Skywalker Ranch in advance of the film's release. Find out what we learned.
"Awesome Bad Guys" Host Patrick Epino takes a look at the legendary Star Wars bad guy, Darth Vader
Find the droids you're looking for as well as a host of lesser-known heroes and henchmen from the Star Wars movies.
Explore the latest movie in the Star Wars saga, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.


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When netrepreneur and writer extraordinaire JB Lazarte contacted me late last year for a magazine gig, I was so excited and overwhelmed. Finally, the realization that I might just accomplish all of Cuban hero José Martí's three-fold mission of what a man ought to do in his life was to become a reality: to "plant a tree, write a book, have a son". I haven't fed Mother Earth any seedling yet, but that would be too easy, anyway. And I already have three sons. So probably the most difficult to accomplish among Martí's real-macho-man attributes is to publish a book.
I haven't published a book yet. I was commissioned three years ago to co-write a biography of San Pedro, La Laguna's town mayor (a family friend), but it's still in developmental hell (and since the good mayor is very busy working for the town's cityhood, and my writing partner has lost all interest, his biography might not get published anymore). But to write for a magazine is the closest to publishing a book as one could get.
As they say in the world of writing, "publish or perish".
Blogging today is the in thing. But even in a world that is ever dominated by the Internet, nothing can topple the worth and value and weight and authenticity and command that the contents of a physical book can hold. Thus this ache of getting published. The last time I was published was back in college. But those were verses that were published in our school journal. Seeing one's writings published in a book or, for this matter, on a national daily or magazine beats all that.
It's not just the feeling of being known that bites me, or of becoming famous even. It's this ache of wanting others to know that you do exist, and for some lofty reason.
So back to my story. JB Lazarte is a multi-awarded writer. And he has more contacts to whatever writing gigs there are available for a craving and trying-hard scribbler like me. He contacted me late last year to contribute for a magazine of which he will become one of its editors (the other editor is Palanca awardee Omer Oscar Almenario).
The magazine's name is Pananaw (Opinyon ng Bayan) published by the "Makabagong Pananaw Foundation, Inc.", a group allied to the present administration. JB The Magus found my travels published in this blog cute. So he thought that such articles were a good addition to the magazine. Pananaw was also meant to promote agribusiness in the Philippines.
The first article I've contributed was my coverage of the Día del Galeón last year, 6 October 2010. It was published in Pananaw's special pre-launch issue last December and was chosen as its feature article!
Here it is!
Pepe Alas
To see a Spanish-era galleon ship docked in Manila Harbor's Pier 13 amidst modern steel ships is not just surreal — it is downright weird (one could not help but be reminded of Walt Disney Picture's The Pirates of the Carribean film series). And that weird feeling was what exactly my wife and I felt that hot afternoon of 6 October when we visited the visiting Galeón Andalucía! The coming of the said galleon was actually the highlight of the recently concluded Día del Galeón celebration.
No, Andalucía was not a galleon straight out of the past, preserved and renovated. It was only a replica of what a typical 17th century galleon used to look like during the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade (1565-1815). But the Andalucía holds the distinction of being the only actual replica of a Spanish galleon that has ever been built in modern times.
According to Fernando Ziálcita, professor of Cultural Anthropology in Ateneo de Manila University and one of the organizers of the said event, it was Spanish historian Pedro Luengo who informed him last year of the Andalucía's planned voyage from Seville to Shanghai, China. Professor Ziálcita thought that as the Philippines was the focal point of the Galleon Trade, the said ship should naturally have a stop-over in Manila. Earlier this year (February), Prof. Ziálcita and other concerned individuals had a meeting with the Philippine Academic Consortium for Latin American Studies in Cavite City. Mr. César Virata, former Prime Minister during Ferdinand Marcos' regime and is now the president of the Cavite Historical Society, was present in the said meeting. He expressed interest in sponsoring an event that will feature the coming of the Andalucía Galleon.
The galleon trade may have a soft spot in Mr. Virata's heart: aside from Manila Bay, (and occasionally Puerto Galera in Mindoro island), Cavite City used to be a port and construction site for the galleons.
But what really made things official was when Prof. Ziálcita proposed to the national government to sponsor the said event. They were very excited, he said. Thus, through the assistance and efforts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Senator Edgardo Angara, a hispanista, the event was made possible. So this past June, the government launched initiatives to celebrate the first international Día del Galeón Festival on 8 October. No less than the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared that the said date should be celebrated annually as the Day of the Galleon in commemoration of the Galleon Trade.
Although the event's name is called Day of the Galleon, it was actually a month-long affair. The event's official website (http://www.diadelgaleon.blogspot.com/) lists down a schedule of various lectures, cultural showcases, stage plays, and other cultural showcases, stage plays, and other cultural programs related to the galleon trade. My wife and I were able to attend only one event: the day when the Galleon Andalucía —the main event— "returned" to our shores.
As we were on our way to Manila Bay that afternoon to welcome the galleon, I was briefing my wife about what the event —and the galleon trade— was all about in order for her to appreciate our visit. Admittedly, her knowledge of galleons and of the galleon trade was minimal as is the case, sadly, with many Filipinos today (an ex-office mate of mine even pronounced it as a "Galileo" ship, much to my annoyance). Yearly, Filipino students are given a few hours' rehash of what had transpired during the galleon trade for more than two centuries; an important epoch not only in our country's history but in world history as well.
It is never enough to say that the galleon trade was merely a part of Philippine History, nor should it be limited to the retelling of Spanish History in Asia and the Pacific. Such scenario would have been too trifle to say the least. Rather, the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade should stand side by side with "the glory that was Greece" and "the grandeur that was Rome". It should have equal status to that of the Industrial Revolution or the epic telling of survival during the Age of Depression and other economic revolutions. This would be no exaggeration for, truly, the galleon trade literally turned the world into a global village.
To put in simpler terms, it was the world's first foray into globalization. Scholars and historians agree today that, although the trade was "limited" between Manila and Acapulco, México, it was in fact global in scope. Good from major markets in Asia, such as China and India, traveled to Amoy and Canton where they were shipped to Manila. From Manila Bay (just across Intramuros, which was then the original Manila) and/or Puerto de Cavite (today's Cavite City), Asian goods, such as silk, spices, jewels, chinaware, and ivory, traveled across the globe through the Pacific in a perilous journey towards the other side of the world. From there, these goods were both sold and traded for Mexican silver and other goods coming not just from all over the Americas but from Europe as well (which were shipped over from the Atlantic).
The journey indeed was perilous because sea navigation today was different from that era. Lacking modern equipment in maritime affairs, the trip from Manila, which usually began from July or August, could last for six months and a half. The galleons followed the North Equatorial Current that had been discovered by Fray Andrés de Urdaneta on his return trip to México. During that time, it was the only safest route back across the Pacific to México and the rest of the New World (they could not travel eastward due to the Treaty of Tordesillas). Indeed, Spain could not have colonized the Philippines without this oceanic current.
It should be emphasized that it was not a simple sea voyage; as mentioned earlier, maritime voyages were not as sophisticated compared to modern sea navigation. Countless sailors perished out of hunger, thirst, and illness during the galleon trade due to miscalculation in logistics and supplies. As such, mutinies were not uncommon. Also, many a galleon ship perished in ferocious typhoons. Other galleons even met a more tragic fate — they were captured by vicious English buccaneers. Four of them were taken: Santa Ana in 1587; Encarnación in 1709; Covadonga in 1743, and; Santíssima Trinidad —the largest ship during that era— in 1762. Due to poor navigation, some were lost at sea, never to be seen again. Other galleons sank due to overloaded cargoes.
The return trip to Manila was as equally perilous as the voyage to México, but it was shorter: the galleons left Acapulco either in February of March and reached Manila in more or less 90 days. The return trip passed south of the North Equatorial Current, docking briefly in what is now known as the Marshall Islands and Guam.
The Galleon Trade allowed the participation of all Filipinos. An individual or organization must have a boleta (ticket) in order to engage business in the Trans-Pacific trade. The cargo space of a galleon was usually divided into 4,000 units. Each unit was represented by the said boleta. Thus, if the individual has, say, five boletas, he could ship an amount of merchandise to fill five units of cargo space. The government, however, had the privilege of owning over a thousand units (other groups who share such privileges are church leaders and businessmen). However, some individuals would choose to sell their boletas to wealthy businessmen for a higher fee (they were the precursors of today's scalpers outside the Araneta Coliseum).
The galleon trade was truly epochal for Philippine existence. Through it, our country received different kinds of crops such as camote, sincamás, tomate (tomato), cacahuete or manî, lechugas, corn, avocado, pineapple, tobacco, and countless others. Virtually all the vegetables mentioned in the popular Tagalog folk song "Bahay Kubo" were brought over by the galleons from México and nearby Asian countries. Thus, we could be singing a different version of "Bahay Kubo" today without the galleon trade!
The said trade also gave the Filipinos the piano, the guitar, the violin, the cubiertos (fork, spoon, knives), plates, drinking glasses, cups and saucers; clock and calendar; various complex and simple machines, such as the printing press, the plow, the wheel, hammer and nails, books, pens, and other scholarly materials, etc.
It was not just inanimate things and tools that the galleons brought to our country. They also gave us livestock such as cattle and horses and poultry. Farming techniques written in various papers and books were also brought by these ships. The idea of arts and architecture were not excluded. Friars from various religious orders sailed through the galleons. Also, various laws and edicts and royal letters, as well as the occasional monetary assistance from the Spanish monarch were channeled through these enterprising ships.
The provinces of Lanáo del Norte and Lanáo del Sur in Mindanáo, by the way, were named after these galleons (la nao is another Spanish term for el Galeón).
There was also an exchange of peoples. Some Mexicans who joined the voyage to the Philippines never returned to their native land, and vice-versa. Therefore, sans the Clavería decree of 1849, there are Filipinos today who have Mexican last names such as Aguilar, Álvarez, Carrillo, Cruz, Flores, Guerrero, López, Pérez, del Río, Santibáñez, etc. And here is a shocking fact: there is a 200-year-old clan in México whose surname is Magandá which is the Tagalog word for beautiful!
The cultural exchanges that occurred between the Philippines and México were quite enormous; I might even end up in weeks enumerating everything. But it is safe to conclude that the galleon trade virtually created the Philippines. And almost everything that we Filipinos savor up to this very day we have to thank the galleon trade for. These facts my wife, who is not a history buff like me, discovered on her own during that 6 October visit to the galleon ship because, happily, one of Pier 13's multi-purpose halls was converted into a temporary waiting area where visitors were able to view various exhibits, murals, and very helpful information and lectures about the Galleon Trade. It helped her and other visitors to the Andalucía to at least have a clearer idea of how the trade went about during those truly gaudy days of Spain in the Philippines, aside from the cultural gifts that we received.
As we stepped on board the Andalucía (it was named by the way after the place where it was constructed: Andalusia, Spain) together with a noisy crowd, I tried to imagine how the sailors fared a long time ago. Observing the Andalucía's
middle deck, it was indeed amazing how some 4,000 units of cargo space could have fitted there, aside from the provisions for the sailors and the sailors themselves. Looking at the modern ships around the galleon, Andalucía seemed smaller and looked quite fragile. It's made entirely of hardwood, a clear indication of the ship's faithfulness to the original galleons.
Also, as I was looking down on the murky waters of Manila Bay softly lapping at the ship's bow and stern, a stark realization dawned upon me: the last galleon that arrived in the Philippines was in 1815 (fortuitously, it was named Magallanes). That means it has been 195 years since a galleon last visited our shores!
Welcome back!
Those who were able to enjoy and fathom the Andalucía experience will never look at the galleon trade the same way again.
The pre-launch issue never made it to the newsstands. It was distributed only to selected government offices. The first issue was supposed to be on sale last January of this year (where I wrote a short essay about the importance of agribusiness). I also solicited a brief article from leading economist Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas for an economic forecast of the Philippines for the year 2010.
But the publication of Pananaw kept on stalling due to problems unknown to me. Like that biography I'm working on, it appears that Pananaw is still in developmental hell. And it's almost a year since the pre-launch issue.
Sometimes I am tempted to believe a relative of mine who belittled me several years ago. Hinahabol yata talagá acó ng malas, ¡hahaha! 😀
So I thought it wise to publish online what I wrote for that magazine. Because I am confident that whoever received a copy of it, nobody read my galleon trade article. Sayang namán. At least here in FILIPINO eSCRIBBLES, I have a fanbase…
About three or four bored souls.


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What do you think about a small talk about some make-up stuff today? :D I mean, I`m not going to give you special tips because I`m not so specialized but I want to show you this soft make-up inspired by the "Love By Design" Movie that will have the premiere today.
Each and every time I am visiting the MAC stores, I must confess that I leave with a huge smile on my face. This is mainly because they have some of my favorite products but also because the girls know how to do magic with me. In this case the only person responsible for my "mioritic glam look" was Irina Antonie, thank you dear ♥
I hope you like it and also I will be back with a new outfit post soon
So, stay tunned
Kisses, Manuella ♥
Do not act strange, in this picture I have only some eye shadows but no foundation, blush or anything else:D


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Alex Dow
- Birthdate
- 1862/04/12
- Birthplace
- Glasgow, Scotland, UK
- Death date
- 1942/03/22
- Associated organizations
- Brush Electric Light Company, Detroit Edison Company
- Awards
- AIEE Edison Medal
Alex Dow was born on 12 April 1862, in Glasgow, Scotland, the elder of two children and only son of William and Jean (Keppy) Dow. His father, the son of a blacksmith, was an improvident businessman, but Dow's hardworking mother made the most of the family's meager resources.
Alex received little education, leaving the Presbyterian parish school at the age of eleven. First working as an office boy in his father's short-lived real estate firm, and then as a clerk for the North British Railway in Glasgow. At the Railway, he developed an interest in electricity and served as a volunteer linesman's helper.
Early Career
In 1880, following his mother's death, he moved to Liverpool and took a job with the Cunard Lines as a stenographer and later as a ticket seller. A brief trip in 1882 to New York City as assistant purser aboard a Cunard ship convinced him that new opportunities awaited him in America, and later that year he migrated to Baltimore. There he worked for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, at first as an immigrant agent accompanying steerage passengers to Chicago, and then in the railroad's telegraph company. At the telegraph company, he was responsible for local line and instrument maintenance and some experimental work on telephones.
Dow joined the Brush Electric Light Company in Baltimore in 1886. In Baltimore he married Vivienne Kinnersley, shortly before transferring to the company's Chicago branch where he became district engineer. His work in designing and supervising the installation of an arc lighting system for Chicago's South Park in preparation for the World's Fair of 1893 earned him a wide reputation. Dow was called to Detroit in 1893 to design and supervise the construction of a city-owned electric plant, which Mayor Hazen S. Pingree hoped would end the disorder and corruption created by private competition for the municipal street lighting contract. While working on the project in 1895, Dow became a citizen of the United States.
Detroit Edison
In 1896, after completing the Detroit municipal power plant project, Dow became manager of the Edison Illuminating Company, one of several private electric companies then engaged in a bitter struggle for control of the Detroit market. Failing to effect a merger with his less solvent competitors, Dow further weakened them by reducing prices while maintaining quality service. When they fell into bankruptcy, he acquired their plants and brought them into a coordinated system. To ward off new competition, Dow declared his readiness to supply electricity, at a uniform price, to any part of the city, even areas where such service might be unprofitable. In 1903, to secure the capital needed for a new power plant, the firm, and its sole remaining competitor, Peninsula Electric Light Company, were reorganized into the Detroit Edison Company.
At the new company, Dow served first as vice-president and general manager. By 1904 the giant new plant was producing 6,000 kilowatts, but the growth of Detroit demanded the construction of additional turbines over the next two years and a massive new power station more than twice the size of the 1904 project in 1907. Additional turbines were constructed in 1910 and 1911. The company expanded through acquisitions as well, purchasing industrial and agricultural companies that controlled water resources and power generating dams as well as other electric power companies. By 1906, the company formed the Eastern Michigan Edison Company as a subsidiary to hold many of these new purchases, including the Argo, Barton, Geddes, and Superior generating dams on the Huron River.
In 1912, Dow became president of the company and built it into one of the largest in America. Under his leadership, generation and distribution of energy were consolidated within the Detroit Edison parent company and construction on new generation continued apace. Under Dow, the company continued buying other electric companies as well, including Port Huron Gas and Electric in 1919. The purchase of Michigan Electric Power Company in 1936 expanded the company's service area to over 7,500 square miles, covering much of Southeastern Michigan.
Dow's tenure at Detroit Edison was also a time of innovation. Despite his limited training, Dow sought to keep abreast of the latest advances in electrical technology. His early decision, for example, to generate electricity at sixty cycles, rather than the then conventional twenty-five used for direct-current transmission, indicated his faith in the long-range success of alternating current. He also lowered operating costs by installing (1907) in the company's new Delray generating plant a Type W Stirling boiler which increased the plant's firing efficiency. Other developments instituted under Dow included the automation of the system's substations, which converted generated current into the proper voltage for redistribution to consumers; the establishment of the "belt line," an integrated system of power transmission lines which reduced the necessity of constructing new power plants; and the installation of equipment permitting the production of high-temperature steam in order to increase the maximum limits of pressure in steam turbines. To keep the company abreast of technological advances, Dow established what was probably the first research department in the electric utility industry. New customer service initiatives to build demand were developed as well, including a free light bulb service, financial assistance for customers switching to electricity from gas, and the lending electrical motors.
By the time of his retirement in 1940 its invested capital had grown to more than $340,000,000.
Professional Recognition
Dow received two honorary degrees from the University of Michigan, Master of Engineering (1911) and Doctor of Engineering (1924). He also received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Detroit in 1935. Dow was active in professional and civic organizations, serving as director of the Edison Electric Institute, as a member of the Detroit Board of Water Commissioners, and, from 1932, as civilian chief of the War Department's Detroit Ordnance District. He won the AIEE Edison Medal in 1936 "For outstanding leadership in the development of the central station industry and its service to the public."
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison
Henry Ford worked under Dow as a Chief Engineer at Detroit Edison. It was Dow who introduced Ford to Thomas Edison himself at a conference in New York in 1896, with the words, "There's a young fellow who has made a gas car."
Dow died in Ann Arbor, Michigan on 22 March 1942.
See also: Papers of Alex Dow
Further Research
Archived papers of Alex Dow 1909-47
"Award of the Edison Medal to Dr. Alex Dow." Science. V.85 no. 2183, 40.
Zacharias, Patricia. "Henry Ford and Thomas Edison -- a Friendship of Giants." The Detroit News. August 7, 1996.
International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 20. St. James Press, 1998.


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Self Injury
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the deliberate act of harming oneself without suicidal intent. Some of the most common self-injurious behaviors include cutting, scratching, and/or burning one's skin. NSSI could also involve intentionally injuring one's own body by other means with the intent to inflict pain (e.g. head banging, skin picking and/or substance use to the point of harming oneself such as via overdose). Individuals who engage in NSSI can harm themselves anywhere on their bodies. Yet, some of the most common places where individuals engage in NSSI are on the hands, wrists, stomach, and thighs.
Although NSSI may appear like a suicidal gesture, self-injury is often an individual's effort to cope with overwhelming negative emotions, such as intense anger, sadness, anxiety, and frustration. Engaging in self-injury is not the same as feeling suicidal, but individuals who engage in NSSI can become suicidal. In fact, individuals who self-injure are at greater risk for attempting suicide. Self-injury can result in a temporary release of tension and sometimes a feeling of euphoria, which may be later followed by feelings of guilt, shame and other painful emotions. Although NSSI does not necessarily indicate that an individual is feeling suicidal, NSSI can be severe enough to where it results in death. An individual may be numb to any pain as they self-injure, which could also result in the individual causing more harm during the self-injury than they realized and/or intended to.
» Customize Self-Injury resource listings for your community
Resource Organizations » Self-Injury » Franklin
In Massachusetts
Center for Young Men's Health, Children's Hospital, email@example.com
The mission of this website is to help teen boys, their parents, teachers, and health care providers improve their understanding of normal health and development, as well as of specific diseases and conditions. This organization aims to empower teen boys and young men around the world to take an active role in their own health care. The self-injury section of the website includes a series of questions written from a young person's perspective, with answers and information for getting help, other websites, books, and related links.
Center for Young Women's Health, Children's Hospital, Boston
Phone: 617-355-2994
The mission of this website is to help teen girls, their parents, teachers, and health care providers improve their understanding of normal health and development, as well as of specific diseases and conditions. This organization aims to empower teen girls and young women around the world to take an active role in their own health care. The self-injury section of the website includes a series of questions written from a young person's perspective, with answers and information for getting help, other websites, books, and related links.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness - Veteran and Service Member Resources
Phone: 617-580-8541
Toll Free: 800-370-9085 (M-F 9am-5pm)
Fax: 617-580-8673
The National Alliance on Mental Illness maintains a helpline for information on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and advocacy components and offer education and information about community services for diverse communities comprising of LGBTQ individuals, veterans, active duty military members, teens, young adults, older adults and families. Local chapters can be found through the main website. For information about the Alliance's affiliates and activities in MA, contact NAMI Massachusetts.
Outside Massachusetts
Organizations with hotlines
Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line serves young people in any type of crisis, providing them access to free, 24/7, emotional support and information they need via the medium they already use and trust: text. Just text "START" to 741-741. Here's how it works:
- A teen texts into CTL anywhere, anytime.
- A live, trained specialist receives the text and responds quickly.
- The specialist helps the teen stay safe and healthy with effective, secure counseling and referrals through text message using CTL's platform.
CTL partners with existing organizations that are experienced, highly trained, and well-equipped to respond to teens in crisis: experienced crisis centers, youth-serving organizations, and experts in the youth and mental health fields. CTL also lists resources on a variety of topics with helplines or email addresses where they can learn about additional support.
Organizations without hotlines
Adolescent Self Injury firstname.lastname@example.com
Adolescent Self Injury Foundation (ASIF) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness about adolescent self injury. By providing education, prevention techniques, resources, research,and forums, ASIF aims to increase understanding of the self injurious behaviors in the journey towards wellness and recovery.
Child Mind Institute
Phone: 212-308-3118
The Child Mind Institute is an independent nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. The team works every day to deliver the highest standards of care, advance the science of the developing brain and empower parents, professionals and policymakers to support children when and where they need it most.
Cornell Research Program on Self-Injurious Behavior
Phone: 607-255-6179
The Cornell Research Program on Self-Injurious Behavior in Adolescents and Young Adults has two primary goals: a) to conduct cutting edge research on self-injurious behavior (also called non-suicidal self-injury) and b) to translate research findings from their studies and other studies into usable knowledge for parents, youth-serving professionals, individuals with self-injury experience, medical professionals, and others. The program's work is also intended to explore the relationship of self-injury to other mental health conditions (suicide and eating disorders, for example) and to shed light on contextual conditions that increase and reduce the likelihood that young people will engage in self-injurious behaviors. The website includes factsheets for parents and teens on helping friends and loved ones with their behavior, learning alternative coping strategies, and treating self-injury in a professional context. There are also listings of the latest research articles on the topic.
Door of Hope 4 Teens
Phone: (914) 393-1904
Phone: (803) 570-2061 Text or Call
The organization's mission is to help teens and young adults overcome the struggle of self harm (cutting) and depression. The organization aims to meet emotional needs and help individuals discover freedom through a process of restoration and hope. Since May of 2008, Door of Hope 4 Teens has been a devoted advocate for teens and young adults who struggle with self-injury, also known as cutting, self injurious behavior, or deliberate self harm. THe team of crisis Advocates and Recovery Coaches provide emotional support, resources and prayer. THe organization has helped thousands of youth from across the globe. Door of Hope 4 Teens offers a national texting hotline, email mentorship and skype/phone calls making it possible be reached no matter where you live.
International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP)
Suicide and non-fatal suicidal behaviour are major public health problems across the world. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that approximately one million people worldwide die by suicide each year. This corresponds to one death by suicide every 40 seconds. The number of lives lost each year through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combined. Suicide attempts and suicidal ideation are far more common; for example, the number of suicide attempts is up to 20 times the number of deaths by suicide. On this organization's website one can find IASP newsletters and other publications, information about their Special Interest Groups, and Congresses, all dedicated to suicide and self-injury prevention locally and throughout the world.
The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) is dedicated to:
- preventing suicidal behaviour,
- alleviating its effects, and
- providing a forum for academics, mental health professionals, crisis workers, volunteers and suicide survivors
Kids firstname.lastname@example.com
Self-harm is when someone causes themselves a deliberate harm or injury, often in a regular or ongoing manner. Usually, people who harm themselves are suffering a lot of emotional pain that can be hard to cope with and understand, for both the person self-harming as well as for those close to them. Individuals can reach out and talk with this organization for FREE about good things and tough stuff, exciting times or about something that's bringing one down. There's heaps of great tips and information for individuals and remember, one is always welcome to talk with this team. 24/7. 365 Days.
Life Signs: Self-Injury Guidance and Network email@example.com
People of any age can turn to self-injury, it isn't a 'teen thing'. Because self-injury is often perceived as something 'young people' do, older adults can feel that it is something they should have 'grown out' of. These feelings can be even more difficult when an older person has turned to self-injury for the first time, rathe than discovering self-injury in their youth. Self-injury isn't a 'teen thing', and that people of all ages might rely on self-injury in order to cope. While younger and older people share many of the same challenges in life and with their self-injury, there are also different difficulties to face by people at different stages in their life. LifeSIGNS is the user-led small charity creating understanding about self-injury. Founded in 2002, this organization is now in the second decade and it's a continuing mission to guide people who hurt themselves towards new ways of coping, when they're ready for the journey.
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to firstname.lastname@example.com
Self-harm can take lots of physical forms, including cutting, burning, bruising, scratching, hair-pulling, poisoning and overdosing. There are many reasons why children and young people try to hurt themselves. And once they start, it can become a compulsion. That's why it's so important to spot it as soon as possible and do everything you can to help. Self-harm isn't usually a suicide attempt or a cry for attention. Instead, it's often a way for young people to release overwhelming emotions. It's a way of coping. So whatever the reason, it should be taken seriously.
S.A.F.E. Alternatives
Toll-free: 800-DONTCUT or 800-366-8288
S.A.F.E. ALTERNATIVES is a nationally recognized treatment approach, professional network, and educational resource base, which is committed to helping individuals achieve an end to self-injurious behavior. The website offers information about the treatment approach, referrals to local mental health providers trained in S.A.F.E., and resources related to self-injury.
Self Injury Foundation
Phone: 888-962-NSSI or 888-962-6774
The mission of the Self Injury Foundation is to provide funding for research, advocacy support and education for self-injurers, their loved ones and the professionals who work with them. The organization is dedicated to providing the most up to date information and resources available on self-injury.
Self Mutilators firstname.lastname@example.com
Self Mutilators Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other, that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from physical self-mutilation. Offer in-person meetings in New York with call-in options to these meetings, as well as online meetings that are accessible to all from any location.
Self-Injury Outreach and Support
As part of a collaboration between McGill University and the University of Guelph, this orginzation is an international outreach organization providing current information and helpful resources about self-injury to individuals who self-injure, those who have recovered, as well as their caregivers and families, friends, teachers and the health professionals who work with them.
To Write Love On Her Arms
Phone: (321) 499-3901
TWLOHA provides resources including national hotline numbers, blogs, and opportunities to get involved in helping. "TWLOHA is not a team of trained mental health professionals and does not provide direct mental health services. TWLOHA hopes to serve as a bridge to help by pointing to resources and investing in treatment and recovery."


text:
Skip to Main Content
Doing Business
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County Home
Departments E-Z
Public Works
Airports Administration
Airports Administration
To promote aviation, serve as an asset to our community, and promote respect and partnership with our stakeholders. We strive for constant improvement, professionalism, and continued fiscal responsibility.
The Airports Division is a unique part of the Public Works Department, as it is self-funded. No property tax or local funds are used to support and operate Buchanan Field and Byron Airports. In fact, the Airports generate revenue for the County, school districts and various other community agencies.
Administrative Reports & Information
Access Control Policy
Airports Newsletter
Airports Video: "Touch Down in Contra Costa County"
County Airport Ordinances
Economic Impact Report (2016)
Minimum Standards for Development, Facility Use and Lease Policy (2012)
Administration and Governing Bodies
Click the links below for more information:
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
Board of Supervisors Airport Committee
: Supervisors Mitchoff (District IV) and Burgis (District III) comprise this subcommittee of the Board of Supervisors. Meetings are held quarterly at the Director of Airports office regarding aviation related issues.
Aviation Advisory Committee
: An 13 member committee that provides recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on aviation issues related to Contra Costa County Airports.
Airports Administrative Staff
: Based at the Director of Airports office at Buchanan Field, Airports staff manages the daily operations, maintenance and administration of Buchanan Field and Byron Airports.
Who are airport stakeholders and how are they represented?
As a stakeholder, what is the best way to get involved or voice an idea or concern?
Airports Home
Buchanan Field (CCR)
Byron Airport (C83)
Pilot Information
Community Resources
Airports Administration
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text:
With 2 new films, Pacino keeps experimenting
At 74, Pacino debuted his latest batch of work at the festival, both films that find him exploring the regrets, ambitions and ruts of old age.
With 2 new films, Pacino keeps experimenting
At 74, Pacino debuted his latest batch of work at the festival, both films that find him exploring the regrets, ambitions and ruts of old age.
The movie behind the Mahatma
By S. Kulandaisamy - The Hindu; Updated on September 20, 2014
"Richard Attenboroughs death brings to mind the fact that we, as a people, and the Indian Government, have failed to appreciate him for making a movie on Gandhi. Conferring an award is not enough. We should have done something for the Englishman who dared to show the atrocities committed by the British on the Indians. But more importantly what the movie did was to tell the world about a sustainable means for building peace across borders. Though he did not use the word non-violence, Attenborough conveyed it through the movie."
Priyanka Chopra starring in the forthcoming American television thriller series "QUANTICO" on ABC network...
Season 1 TRAILER:
3 of Steven Spielbergs Biggest Failures, According to Steven Spielberg
John Wick 3
The previous chapter, simply titled 'John Wick Chapter 2', has an emotional climax. Not that a tragedy must be forced or a heavy loss of an adorable character must be brought or music directors bending their violins and cellos to arise an intense feeling, is necessary to get the audience excited. The impactful characterisation illustrated in the transcript taken to the screen should produce an involvement between the audience and the character, making them feel what the character itself is feeling. In John Wick, I consider it to be an achievement for Chad Stahelski & Derek Kolstad.
John Wick, the most under rated hitman character, is forced to commit a murder where the crime is acceptable but the place where he carried out his contract is intolerable - at the Continental, thus, breaking the pact and this action of his forces Winston, the Continental's manager, to declare John Wick 'excommunicado', a legal word for suspension in the Continental universe.
Winston meets up with John Wick in the city square to express his discomfort, but yet the crime committed is unforgivable. Talking about the unpardonable mistake, Winston provides John Wick an hour's grace time before issuing a global contract on his head.
John Wick is quickly signalled that he is surrounded by assassins. The contract to take him down is being received, as their cell phones start to chirp, all at the same time.
John Wick along with his dog walks fast past the crowd of assassins whose pairs of eye set fixed on him. He starts to sprint as he is short of time. When the collective noises of cell phone rings increases, John Wick runs away from the screen and the end credits starts to conquer the blackness.
Winston, Tell them. Tell them all. Whoever comes, whoever it is, I'll kill them. I'll kill them all.
- Ofcourse you will. Jonathan.
Last edited by mappi; 11th May 2018 at 07:06 PM.
Any information on how to screen Indian Movies outside India, please post them here : http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthrea...-outside-India
And Rambo V, Mechanic 3, Expendables 4 are few action films expected in 2019.
Any information on how to screen Indian Movies outside India, please post them here : http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthrea...-outside-India


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Promotional Products Menai
Corporate Impressions specialise in promotional merchandise such as pens, caps, shirts, safety wear, our list of personalised promotional products goes on and on… we can even source to cater for your own idea, using custom promotional items for your conference or marketing campaign. Our focus is to assist you in finding the right promotional product that will be the most suited and effective solution for your campaign.
Please call 02 9734 7444
- Promotional Products Menai
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text:
For those not familiar with currency-speak, that's the Euro vs. the Japanese Yen.
In case you didn't realize, the euro has been on a mega-tear, and the Japanese yen been getting crushed.
So EURJPY is going vertical. Here's a 5-year chart. Note the big spike in recent months, which has pushed the pair back to levels not seen since 2010.
This means that German exports (as well as other exports) are getting less cost-competitive by the day.
Already you've heard calls from Angela Merkel, Wolfgang Schaeuble, and now various industrial leaders complaining about Japanese monetary policy and the price of the euro.
The big question now is whether ECB acts to break the Euro. The economy is incredibly weak, and now this is making things worse.
See the latest EUR-USD movements here.


text:
J.D. Powers Study Identifies Electric Car Buying Trends
Published: 20-Nov-2012
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA -- Electric vehicles (EVs) will remain a very small part of the U.S. market unless automakers can lower prices and demonstrate the economic benefits to consumers, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Electric Vehicle Ownership Experience StudySM released today.
The inaugural study explores the EV shopping and consideration experience as well as the ownership experience, and provides an analysis of the needs and expectations of current and future EV owners.
Current EV owners most often cite environmental friendliness as the most important benefit of owning an EV. Nearly one-half (44%) of these owners indicate the top benefit of their vehicle is lower emissions, compared with emissions from gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles.
However, consumers considering an EV for their next vehicle primarily want to lower their fuel costs. While 11 percent of consumers would consider an EV for its environmental benefits, 45 percent want to reap the economic benefits of fuel savings. For example, current EV owners report an average monthly increase in their utility bill of just $18 to recharge their vehicle's battery--which is significantly less than the $147 that they would typically pay for gasoline during the same period of time.
"Current EV owners focus on the emotional benefits of owning an electric vehicle--which are having a positive effect on the environment--but the way for manufacturers to take EVs to the masses and increase sales is to address the economic equation," said Neal Oddes, senior director of the green practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "There still is a disconnect between the reality of the cost of an EV and the cost savings that consumers want to achieve."
Compared with sales prices for a similar gasoline-powered vehicle, the study finds that owners of all-electric vehicles (AEV) pay a premium of $10,000, on average, for their vehicle, while plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) owners pay a $16,000 premium, on average. Based on annual fuel savings, it would take an average of 6.5 years for AEV owners to recoup the $10,000 premium they paid at the point of purchase, while the payoff point for PHEV ownership is 11 years.
"The payback period is longer than most consumers keep their vehicle," said Oddes. "The bottom line is that the price has to come down, which requires a technological quantum leap to reduce the battery price. There also needs to be an improvement in the infrastructure, or the number of charging stations outside of the home. Until those two concerns are addressed, EV sales will remain flat."
The study finds that virtually all EV owners charge their vehicle at home. One-third of EV owners elect to use a standard 120-volt outlet to charge their vehicle rather than install a special home-charging station, which can recharge an electric vehicle in half the time that it takes when using a standard 120-volt household outlet, and provides greater ability to leverage lower off-peak electricity rates.
EV owners who elect to have a 240-volt charging station placed in their home pay an average of $1,500 for equipment, installation and inspection, plus a monthly amount for the electricity used. However, the study finds that 43 percent of owners received their charging station for free. Among those who do pay, the cost of the charging station, installation and inspection are recouped through fuel savings in the first year of ownership.
"Some utility companies offer lower rates when EV owners charge their vehicle at home overnight," said Oddes. "The availability of special electric rates for EVs varies by utility company and region. For instance, most California utilities offer EV discount plans, but few utilities in other states currently do the same."
The study finds that 31 percent of EV owners are either on a time-of-day plan through their utility company that offers lower-priced charging during off-peak hours (entire household on same meter); have a special EV plan with a separate meter; or pay a flat fee per month to charge their EV (no separate meter required).
"Electric utility companies have an opportunity to focus more on EVs, as the utilities are not currently being thought of by consumers as part of the EV equation," said Jeff Conklin, senior director of the energy practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "The study shows that consumers perceive their electric company more favorably when it provides special rates for EV charging."
The study finds that nearly one-half (43%) of EV owners indicate they also charge their vehicle away from home. Whether at work or in public places, such as shopping malls and airports, when they charge their vehicle away from home, 85 percent of the time EV owners don't have to pay for the service.
"Most utility companies' websites have a calculator that demonstrates the potential savings on electric vehicle fuel to help identify how much may be saved by charging an EV rather than using gasoline," said Conklin. "More work needs to be done to let consumers know where charging stations are located in their area to alleviate some of the concerns they have about where an EV can be charged away from home."
Oddes notes that as battery technology improves, manufacturers are able to produce more affordable EVs, which should also lower the current price premiums. Lowering the cost of ownership may help increase market share--electric vehicles currently account for less than 1 percent of new-vehicle sales in the United States, according to LMC Automotive--but there are also other hurdles to overcome.
"There still is anxiety among consumers about the cost and lifespan of EV batteries, the infrastructure needed to charge EVs and the vehicle's driving range," said Oddes. "Automakers need to continue to address these issues and educate consumers about the benefits of EV technologies in order to gain momentum in the marketplace."
Driving range and the availability of charging stations are the top concerns among consumers considering an EV. The study finds 12 percent of EV intenders are concerned about the driving range. However, current EV owners indicate an average daily commute of 34 miles--which is well within the range of a fully charged EV.
The size of the vehicle is the second-most-frequently cited reason for rejecting an EV. Consumers considering an EV look more frequently for a midsize sedan than any other size vehicle. Currently, most of the EVs being produced are in the small vehicle segments, which should change as new midsize models enter the market in 2013.
In addition to price and vehicle size, concerns with reliability of EVs rounds out the top three rejection reasons.
The payoff for automakers is that once they get consumers to buy an EV, they tend to retain them as customers. Overall, 82.5percent of owners indicate they "definitely will" or "probably will" buy another EV from the same brand. The average retention among owners of all vehicle types is 49.8 percent.
The following tips may be helpful to consumers when considering an electric vehicle:
- Drivers with predictable, unwavering daily driving requirements are the best candidates for all-electric
- vehicles. If your driving requirements are variable, consider a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that provides pure electric driving for shorter distances, but can handle a longer trip without recharging, if necessary, by utilizing the gasoline-powered back-up engine.
- Be sure to investigate potential federal or state tax incentives associated with an electric vehicle purchase. These incentives may vary, depending on the make and model selected. Also, ask your local utility company about special EV battery-charging programs and special rate programs that may be available.
- Topography affects electric vehicle range. If you live in a mountainous region, your driving range will be somewhat variable, as the vehicle consumes charge going uphill and then captures energy while coasting downhill.
- The U.S. Department of Energy offers maps that show the locations of charging stations through the country at http://www.afdc.energy.gov/locator/stations/
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