text:
There is much debate as to whether Science and Religion are compatible and in particular can Evolution and the Biblical creation account co-exist as valid worldviews or does one negate the other. As far as I am concerned the debate is only a bone of contention for religionists. Science is the study of the natural world. It does not look for supernatural outcomes to its investigations. Religion has for the last 400 years has been continually discounted as a reliable tool to discover anything new. It's explanations of the working of the natural world are being proven incorrect and Science is filling the gaps it used to dwell in.
When I am referring to the Theory of Evolution I am talking about Modern Evolution Theory and not just "Darwinism". Creation as used will mean the Bible story and Creationism in general.
If I posted this 400 years ago it would read "The theory of Heliocentricity and the idea that the Earth is at the middle of our Universe – are they compatible?" The religious did their utmost to thwart the advancement of scientific discovery. They did not "believe" it was true that the sun was at the center. It was "only a theory" and the scientists behind it were deemed to be heretics. Only as people became educated did they understand it. Now this once special knowledge is deemed almost to be common sense. The churches now accept the Theory of Heliocentricity as being true. That is mighty of them but irrelevant to me because like the Theory of Evolution it was never a matter of faith. It is only a matter of education. Knowledge is power. They controlled the flow of it for too long in schools and even Universities. Information takes away more power from religion so it will do whatever it takes to keep as much of it as it can. So religions come up with alternative "theories" to counter the modern day heretics.
Even today I still get told by apologists that the Bible knew the world was round. Many have become "Hebrew scholars" and love informing me about the meaning of the word "chug" to insist Isaiah know the world was round. He did not. He "knew" it to be flat as did everyone else at that time.
The same people will then try to argue with me that Intelligent Design is a credible scientific alternative to the Theory of Evolution and should be taught in schools. They "don't believe in Evolution". So they read more biblical science and come up with the idea that their god created every animal including man in his present "form". I will not discuss I.D. any further but if anyone else thinks it a good idea and has any merit please fire ahead. Maybe the dinosaurs died because they fell over the edge of the planet. These theists are the same as they were 400 years ago. They still maintain their book is the one and only truth necessary and deny the validity of the Theory of Evolution just as they denied the fact the sun is at the center of the galaxy.
I am not a scientist and do not claim any academic qualifications in this area. Due to my lack of believe in any god or the veracity of written accounts I turned elsewhere for answers. I find that the Theory of Evolution is a fact because I understand it to be proven. It therefore reinforces my reasons for remaining an Atheist but in itself it did not make me an Atheist. I will reference my replies later to any questions I try to answer.
I consider it fair to say that most Theists deny the fact of Evolution because they do not know it. Those that think they do usually have only learnt it from the science section of the bible or from their local preacher. I have never met a Theist (I mean never) who could explain it to me correctly. I also consider it fair to claim that one does not need be an Atheist to see that the Theory of Evolution is a Fact.
The Theory of Evolution is the scientific study of how life of earth has evolved over time. To start with we need to get some concept of the time scale. It started about 3.5 billion years ago. You need to stop a minute and think about that. It is almost impossible to conceive of such a scale. Millions of species have lived and died out before man appeared a relatively short time ago. We are about as a modern species for the last 200,000 years. 40,000,000 years before us Mt. Everest rose up and yet 25,000,000 years before that the dinosaurs became extinct. A few billion years further back and our early ancestors were getting ready to crawl out of the sea. Sound as fantastic as other stories? Well yes but all of this can be and has been fully proven. When all the various fields of Science, geology, chemistry, anatomy, fossil studies and especially DNA are taken together we see that all life on Earth is connected. No matter what species we look at once we go back far enough we see a common ancestor is shared amongst us all.
I am not going to further explain the Theory here other than say that the word "Theory" in this case means a body of facts and not an hypothesis that is still in need of evidence to make it acceptable. It is because Evolution is a proven fact that it is deemed to be a Theory.
I fully acknowledge that the Theory of Evolution does not explain how life on Earth began but that is not what it is about. I also accept that the Theory of Evolution does not disprove the existence of any particular deity.
However if anyone accepts that the Theory of Evolution is a fact (which it is) then we humans are descended from other species and if we keep going back we are evolved from simple life forms that lived in the sea. Therefore we could not have been created in human form in one day. Therefore the Christian story of creation is not true. It is a myth like those of all other religions.
Feel free to tell me where you think I am wrong and show me how the bible is right or at least compatible with Evolution. We can discuss the Theory of Evolution in greater detail and clear up any misconceptions held about it if this discussion EVOLVES.
Views: 1489
Somehow, the pertly part escaped my attention --
Fact and fiction are never compatible. Evolution is fact. The bible is made up crap. Unfortunately, the bible is a mishmash of what can be called faction: a hotchpotch of actual historic places and supernatural garbage. Therefore, to some, it gives off a sliver of credibility. And never mind the genocide, rape and general bat-shit insanity.
I have no idea, and will never know, who invented the phrase, "bat-shit crazy," but they were really on to something! Really says it all, doesn't it?
Yup. It encapsulates so much in so few words.
maybe its because one rarely finds just a small amount of bat-shit.
Take a baseball bat and beat the shit out of someone. There's plenty for everyone :)
If you take the theory of evolution literally..there is no mention of a god, adam, eve, or eden.
if you take the theory of evolution as a collection of figurative stories, feel free to inject a god in anywhere you like.
But Robert, wouldn't one then be just as free to insert a fuzzy pink unicorn? And what would be the point?
We (humans) have taken a simple story - a legend even then, that may or may not have had some basis in truth - of a monk who, as fate would have it, inherited his family's wealth, for which he felt he had no need. He took pleasure in giving it away to the needy, and when he learned of a particular man in his village, who had three daughters, the eldest of whom couldn't marry because the father was too poor to provide a dowry, he decided to help them anonymously, and one night, passing by, he tossed a bag of coins through an open window. As the legend goes, the girls had just done laundry that day, and had hung their stockings from the fireplace mantle to dry. The bag of coins landed squarely in the stocking of the girl who wished to be married, and the monk, Nicholas, who after his death would be canonized as a Saint, went on his way.
How many insertions have we made to the story of St. Nicholas, nee Santa Claus? Sleighs, pulled by flying reindeer, elves working year round in a toy shop at the North Pole, Rudolph with his nose so bright? And yet, when children pass a certain age, they are expected to look on that amazing story that so filled their childish hearts with hope and anticipation, as myth and let it go.
It's time for the religious to grow up and let their creation stories go as well.
Here is some really good christian science. Imagine trying to debate with someone with that knowledge and mentality. Jesus wept.
The Theory of Evolution and the Biblical account of Creation - are they compatible?
It's like the whole "scientific miracles in the qur'an" thing. A contradiction of terms.
A snip out of 'The planet of the Apes'?
Before he got religion and guns?
'...fact the sun is at the center of the galaxy.'
No, maybe a blackhole....
The rest, ok!


text:
Refractive surgery encompasses a variety of technologies and procedures for correcting several common eye conditions such as myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness).
The surgery changes the focusing characteristics of the eye to achieve a clearer image. These surgeries may change the shape of the cornea, implant an artificial lens, or alter the eye in other ways.
Refractive surgery offers millions of eyeglass and contact lens wearers new alternatives for improving their vision. While most of these people are accustomed to the benefits of eyeglasses or contact lenses, few understand the technology, benefits and risks associated with refractive surgery. Because of the large impact refractive surgery is likely to have on the visual well-being of so many Americans as well as on standards of eye care, Prevent Blindness America has set forth this statement which, in summary, suggests:
Anyone considering refractive surgery should become well-informed about the various alternatives.
They should also carefully review the procedure's potential benefits and possible risks, including a thorough discussion of these and other facets of their surgery with their own doctor. Prevent Blindness America takes no position regarding the appropriateness or recommendation of refractive surgery for any given patient or under any given circumstances.
Eye care professionals who provide refractive surgery should do so only within the prevailing standards of care and in the best interests of the patient. The instruments used in refractive surgery should be used only in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Issues regarding the inclusion or exclusion of the various forms of refractive surgery within the legal scope of practice of any given eye care profession are best decided by appropriate state licensing entities. Prevent Blindness America takes no position regarding scope of practice matters.
Three forms of refractive surgery are now commonly available in the U.S.:
Radial Keratotomy, or RK as it is often called, is one of the oldest forms of refractive surgery. In RK, an eye surgeon usually uses a scalpel to make from four to eight tiny cuts into the cornea. The cuts are arranged like spokes on a wheel. The cuts allow the cornea to flatten, lessening its focusing effect on the light entering the eye. This process is most commonly used to correct nearsightedness.
Photorefractive Keratectomy, PRK, is a more recent development in refractive surgery. Like RK, PRK changes the shape of the cornea to correct problems like nearsightedness. In PRK, however, a laser is used to remove the outer layers of the cornea to create a flatter shape. The laser instrument used in PRK can also re-shape the cornea to correct conditions like nearsightedness and astigmatism.
LASIK is an acronym for Laser In Situ Keratomileusis. LASIK is another type of refractive surgery that uses a laser to reshape the cornea. Rather than removing the outer layers of the cornea like PRK, a surgeon performing LASIK first uses a special cutting instrument to cut a thin flap into the top of the cornea. This outer flap is folded back and the exposed inner tissue of the cornea is then reshaped with the laser. Afterward, the flap is folded back into place. This preserves the outer layers of the cornea and helps to speed healing.
Several other forms of refractive surgery are under development but are not yet widely available. The safety and effectiveness of these procedures are under study. These include the following:
Intrastromal corneal ring segments are curved plastic strips that are surgically implanted into the cornea. The segments push outward on the cornea to flatten its shape to correct nearsightedness. Segments of different thicknesses can be used to create the right amount of change in the cornea. Segments can also be exchanged if the implanted ones do not produce the desired effect.
Intracorneal lenses are tiny lenses that can be surgically placed directly into the cornea. Like a contact lens, these can be shaped to correct most refractive error. Implantable contact lenses function like the soft contact lenses many people place on the surface of their eye. These lenses, however, are implanted by a surgeon not on the cornea, but inside the eye in front of the natural lens using surgical techniques similar to those used to correct cataracts.
Undoubtedly, additional refractive procedures will be developed and these surgeries may soon offer even more choices for correcting common vision conditions.
By the time refractive surgeries are widely available to the public, they are generally performed thousands of times and are carefully studied to demonstrate their safety and effectiveness. In addition, instruments used by surgeons for many of these procedures are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and have been approved for these uses.
Like any other surgery, however, refractive surgery also has potential risks. These risks fall into three broad categories: over correction or under-correction of the vision problem being treated, complications after the surgery such as infections or scarring, and damage to the eye caused by problems that occur during the surgery.
The most common problem with refractive surgery is over- or under-correction. This simply means that the change created in the focusing power of the eye is too great or too small. Ideally, refractive surgery returns a person's vision to normal without the need for additional correction with eyeglasses. However, the amount of change created by the surgery can only be estimated by the surgeon. While the accuracy of these predictions is usually high, it is possible that a person will still need additional correction to see at 20/20 or some other acceptable level. RK in particular has been shown to cause a gradual shift toward over-correction a number of years after the surgery. Any long-term changes from other refractive surgeries will only become known after the surgeries have been available for ten or more years.
Complications that can occur after refractive surgery include infections and corneal scarring. Although uncommon, infections can cause problems ranging from discomfort and delayed healing to serious damage to the cornea and permanent loss of vision. Corneal scarring is also uncommon but can occur as a result of infection, the presence of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, or other problems with the eye's natural healing process. Mild corneal scarring can result in poorer-than-expected visual acuity. Severe cases can reduce vision significantly and permanently, even to the point of blindness.
Damage to the eye resulting from problems that arise during surgery is rare, but can have serious results. In RK, for example, it is possible for the surgeon to cut too deeply and penetrate completely through the cornea, rupturing the eye. The instrument used to cut the flap in LASIK can cut too deeply or not deeply enough. Other problems can occur unrelated to the skill of the surgeon or the quality of the instruments used, such as unusual reactions to anesthesia.
It is impossible to discuss every possible complication of every refractive surgical procedure in this brief document. Your doctor should review with you the possible complications of the procedure you are considering and answer your questions about these.
Prevent Blindness takes no position regarding the appropriateness or recommendation of refractive surgery for any given patient or under any given circumstances.
Refractive surgery can offer a permanent alternative to glasses or contact lenses to many people with common vision problems. People with nearsightedness or astigmatism can benefit from the currently available forms of refractive surgery. Those with farsightedness may have to wait for new or refined refractive surgeries to arrive.
If you are counting on refractive surgery to free you from wearing glasses or contact lenses, you should be aware that there is no guarantee the surgery will accomplish this. As mentioned above, a small percentage of patients will continue to need their eyeglasses or contact lenses due to over- or under-correction. There is no way that an eye doctor can guarantee that you will no longer need glasses or contact lenses to reach the clearness of vision you desire after the surgery.
Cost is another factor to consider before seeking refractive surgery. The surgery can cost several thousand dollars per eye and is usually not covered by most medical insurance plans. If you are uncertain about your insurance coverage for refractive surgery, contact your insurance company.
In addition, as people get older, they find it increasingly difficult to change focus from seeing objects far away to seeing up close (for example, when reading). This condition is called presbyopia. In general, refractive surgery does not relieve this problem. Most people who have refractive surgery will need reading glasses as they get older. However, some people who have refractive surgery chose to have one eye corrected for seeing objects far away and the other eye corrected for seeing objects close up. If you are concerned about the future need for reading glasses, you should discuss this alternative with your doctor.
Also, as mentioned above, refractive surgery can have serious, if uncommon, risks. For example, blunt trauma to an eye that has had radial keratotomy can cause rupture and loss of the eye. It is very important that you understand and carefully consider these risks before consenting to surgery. Your doctor should describe these risks for you and you should make certain that all your questions regarding them have been answered before making your decision.
Finally, some people are simply not good candidates for refractive surgery because of the risks presented by their health status or other characteristics. For example, people with connective tissue diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus erythematosus may be more likely to suffer severe scarring as a result of refractive surgery.
People with certain eye conditions like glaucoma, retinal disease or dry eye also may not be good candidates for refractive surgery.
People taking certain medications including immunosuppresants or corticosteroids are at greater risk of infection following surgery. Be sure to inform your doctor of any health problems you may have and any medications you may be taking.
In the United States, refractive surgery procedures can be performed only by a physician licensed to practice medicine and surgery, generally a medical doctor (M.D.) or a doctor of osteopathy (D.O.). Most frequently, this is an M.D. specializing in ophthalmology. Oklahoma and Kentucky are currently the only states that permits optometrists (O.D.) to perform some types of "laser surgery."
Individual state licensing agencies and legislatures determine which procedures the various eye care providers can perform. Prevent Blindness America believes issues regarding the legal scope of practice of any given eye care professions are best settled by appropriate state licensing authorities and/or legislatures and takes no position on scope of practice issues.
Both optometrists and ophthalmologists may be involved in the care of a refractive surgery patient before and after the surgery. Doctors who provide refractive surgery must also conduct the surgery within the prevailing standards of care and in the best interests of the patient. Since some of the instruments and lasers used in refractive surgery are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, doctors should use these instruments only in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Our design team call just ended. Emails will be going out today to a few and they will be introduced later this week. A big thanks to everyone who applied.
Now, let's give a shout out to this week's winners. We have our overall winner and then our Top 3. To our winners, please feel free to save the graphics below and add them to your blog.
For this week's challenge, it is an anything goes challenge. Just link up your holiday or Christmas cards below.
Now for what our fabulous designers came up with. As always, you can click on the names above the projects to be taken directly to their blogs for additional information about their cards.


text:
The spleen is an organ in the upper left side of the abdomen. It
filters the blood by removing old or damaged blood cells and platelets. It also
helps the immune system by destroying bacteria and other foreign substances.
The spleen holds extra blood that can be released into the circulatory system
if needed.
Last Revised:
July 28, 2011
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


text:
Sure his head is up in the clouds at the moment, but Ultima creator Richard Garriott hasn't forgotten where he's from. In an interview with GameDaily, Garriott discusses an eventual return to gaming.
GameDaily writer and occasional Kotaku contributer N. Evan Van Zelfden (possible robot) got a chance to speak with Garriott about his future gaming plans during The Game Business Law summit founder's dinner.
Do I have a plan that I can tell you now? No. I'm still finishing my space flight. I am literally still in the middle of NASA and ESA medical experiments. I am literally still in the middle of my earth observation analysis, as well as the particle crystal growth stuff we're wrapping up. And that's going to take me some weeks and months to wrap up. But, some day in the future, it's hard not to assume I will get back into gaming. I still personally believe I have lots of great ideas and desire to build games. It's just today, it's space.
Hit up the link below for the rest of the interview, in which Garriott bemoans the early closure of Tabula Rasa and expresses interest in returning to the Ultima property somewhere down the line.
Richard Garriott Talks Games After Space [GameDaily]


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Your group may be asked to swing across an imaginary canyon, pass through a giant spider's web, or blindly navigate a three-dimensional minefield. You can come to Rutgers Recreation or we can bring our programs to your site. Programs are available for the Rutgers community and the general public.


text:
brilliant bird your
fire still in my hair.
Gravity has pressed me to you,
Hold me in your cupped hands.
The wind has blown away all sanity
And we have become the feathered
tongues of muted birds
The hollow bones of faithless lovers.
Burnished anger waits silently
never be to be spoken
But sails away on
the wings of migrating birds.
Svetlana Ponamarenko


text:
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Mplus Home
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Binary LCM
Mplus Discussion
Growth Modeling of Longitudinal Data
daniel adkins
posted on Thursday, August 24, 2006 - 2:05 pm
I would like to parameterize a LCM with binary repeated measures in the following way: for each repeated binary measure I would like to assume an underlying continuous normal variable (i.e. y*) with the threshold fixed to 0 and the unconditional variance fixed to 1. This should allow the means of the y* to be estimated. With these constraints it should be possible to estimate means variances and covariances for the latent curve factors. Also, in this parameterization there should be no need for scale factors.
So I know how to constrain threholds, but I have been unable to constrain the unconditional variances of the y*'s, instead I can only constrain the residual variances of the y's. Also, I don't know how to prevent the scale factors from being estimated (other than moving to a logit link).
Do you have any advice or code for this specification?
daniel adkins
posted on Thursday, August 24, 2006 - 3:47 pm
A clarification: after reading M+ Web Notes #4 (Muthen and Asperouhov 2002) it seems to me that the scale factors are the inverted standard deviation of y*'s. If this is correct, I should be able to achieve the specification I describe above by fixing the scale factors to 1, the threshholds to 0, and estimating the growth factor means in the Delta parameterization. Right? If so, how do I constrain the scale factors?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Thursday, August 24, 2006 - 4:07 pm
There are several ways in Mplus to do categorical growth modeling. I am actually writing a little note on the topic right now. In a regular growth model, not only the y* mean but also the y* variance changes over time because it is influenced by the random slope which has different impact (different time scores) at different time points. So holding y* variances constant over time would not be doing growth modeling. But perhaps you are interested in another model. Scale factors enable y* variances to change over time. That is the default "Delta" parameterization in the WLSMV estimator. There is also a Theta parameterization. And there is the ML approach.
But to answer your question about how to hold y* variances equal across time. This can be accomplished using Model Constraint, where you express the y* variances in terms of the model parameters and constrain the variances.
daniel adkins
posted on Friday, August 25, 2006 - 3:39 pm
Ok, I've read the section Model Constraint and still have been unable to constrain the y* variances. To illustrate my approach I'll describe what I did for the first repeat measure using the Theta parameterization: For the first time point I labeled both the latent intercept factor variance (p1) and the residual variance for the first time point (p2) and then specified under MODEL CONSTRAINT: p1 + p2 =1; (this should be the definition of the y* variance for the first time point as the other latent growth factor variances and covariances equal 0 and the factor loading of the latent intercept factor equals one) . M+ didn't like this and gave me an error message.
Could you please offer some code for this?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Friday, August 25, 2006 - 4:08 pm
p2 = 1 - p1;
If you still have problems, it is easier to diagnose if you send input, output, data, and license number to
daniel adkins
posted on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 - 2:50 pm
Still problems. Unfortunately, the data is confidential. I'll send the input and output though. Thanks.
Dave Flora
posted on Thursday, December 13, 2007 - 8:01 am
Related to this post, I am fitting a growth model to binary variables with MLR estimation and the probit link (although I realize logit is the default). I prefer to identify the model by constraining the thresholds to be equal and the mean of the intercept factor to zero. If I am understanding everything correctly, this specification forces the variance of u* to change over time. Typically information about the variance of u* would come from the scale factors, correct? But since I'm using algorithm = integration, they are not provided. I would like to calculate the estimated probabilities at each time point, which is why I am interested in the variance of u*. Do I have to either free the thresholds, use the logit link, or use WLS(MV) to be able to calculate the estimated probabilities?
Thanks very much!
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Thursday, December 13, 2007 - 2:30 pm
The estimated probabilities at each timepoint are computed also with MLR and in the case of numerical integration - they are provided both in Tech7 (or in Residuals) and in the graphics part (see Estimated probabilites).
Dave Flora
posted on Monday, December 17, 2007 - 10:29 am
Thanks; that helps but now I see I only get the estimated probabilities when there are no covariates.
I actually have two dichotomous covariates; is there a straightforward way to get the estimated probabilities for the four groups at each timepoint?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Monday, December 17, 2007 - 1:11 pm
See the section in Chapter 13 about calculating probabilities from logistic regression coefficients.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Monday, December 17, 2007 - 3:52 pm
I didn't realize you needed numerical integration for your model. This is because you have binary outcomes for your growth model. In this case, you cannot compute the probabilities by hand. I would suggest using the plot without covariates.
Dave Flora
posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 8:02 am
ok, well I would really like to know the predicted probabilities for each group at each time point. After all, the actual data are binary not continuous, and it would be good to see how the model matches up with the observed data. Sounds like something for version 5.1?
But I do appreciate very much all that is possible with Mplus.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 9:02 am
This is on our list. It is, however, complicated to implement in a general way. It may not make it in Version 5.1.
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House Republicans are revising their proposal to renew the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, but not enough to satisfy President Barack Obama and other Democrats intent on preserving their lead among female voters in this election year.
In a veto message hours before lawmakers were to vote, the White House said the GOP-written bill doesn�t go far enough to protect battered illegal immigrants, Native Americans or gays.
The GOP proposals, which differ from the Senate-passed version, �take direct aim at immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault,� and �jeopardize victims by placing them directly in harm�s way,� the White House said.
The overwhelming majority of domestic violence victims are women � a crucial constituency this presidential and congressional election year and one without which Obama would not be president. The renewal of the act, reauthorized twice with overwhelming bipartisan support, is the latest example of partisan warfare over women�s issues that have won wide agreement in the past.
The Violence Against Women Act was established in 1994 to provide taxpayer money for the prevention of domestic abuse and the protection of victims. The last reauthorization, in 2005, expired in 2011.
Sensing political gain by bringing up the reauthorization in an election year, majority Democrats in the Senate expanded it to specifically protect gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender Americans from discrimination and abuse in a move many Republicans saw as a provocation to vote against a bill approved without objection in the past.
Senate Republicans also objected to Democratic provisions in the bill that would give tribal authorities the power to prosecute non-Indians for abuse committed on tribal lands, saying it was unconstitutional because the accused would have no role in shaping laws that could be used against them.
The Senate bill passed, 68-31, with 15 Republicans voting yes.
A Republican-written House version, now revised, is strongly opposed by an armada of advocacy groups for women, gays and Native Americans.
It omits the Senate�s references to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders and does not allow Native American authorities to prosecute non-Indians who commit abuse on tribal land.
The new version does restore confidentiality for immigrant victims of abuse, according to a Democratic official who was not authorized to speak on the issue publicly. But the White House said it still allows abusers to become aware of their victims� allegations.
And it allows a battered Native American woman or a tribe on her behalf to file in U.S. District Court for a protection order against an alleged abuser, whether Indian or not, who committed the abuse on Indian land. But the White House and other Democrats want tribal courts to be able to prosecute the offenders, a proposal Republicans insist is unconstitutional.
Objections to the GOP-written bill also came from a small group of Republicans who urged the House to consider a bill that could gain a measure of bipartisanship.
Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Ill., told the House Rules Committee late Tuesday that the bill should look more like the Senate measure on the immigrant and LGBT provisions.
�I am very concerned that the current bill, even with changes made ... doesn�t reflect everything we�ve learned over the last five years in terms of what works best for prosecutors or victims,� Biggert told the panel.
If the House bill passes, a committee of lawmakers from both chambers is expected to work out differences.


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Crane has front-row seat to Walker's Pro-Am win
HOUSTON -- Astros owner Jim Crane nearly had a front-row seat to golf's biggest collapse of the year. Instead, he saw PGA pro Jimmy Walker sink a putt on the 18th hole to win the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California.
Crane, an avid golfer and owner of the Floridian Golf Club in southeast Florida, played alongside Walker, who drained a 5-foot par putt on the 18th at Pebble Beach for a 2-over 74 on Sunday to win his third tournament in eight tries.
Walker, who's from Texas, had a six-shot lead starting the final round, only to see it dwindle to one entering 18. He needed to par the final hole and got it done with Crane standing only feet away on the green wearing a blue Astros cap.
"Jimmy played great all week," Crane said Monday. "He had little trouble getting it in, but he made that last putt. Those guys are under a lot of pressure. I was walking with him the whole time. It was a lot of fun to watch. I'm glad he got it done.
"He had a great week and is a great player. He's already won three times. It's a once-in-a-lifetime deal, and I've been having some once-in-a-lifetime golf events the last couple of years, with the president and now this. It was a lot of fun.
Crane played a round with President Obama and Tiger Woods at the Floridian last February, only weeks after he hosted a benefit tournament in which he played nine holes with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Crane teamed with PGA professional Kevin Streelman to finish tied for third place last year at Pebble Beach.
Crane and Walker, who were introduced through famed golf coach Butch Harmon, weren't in contention this year, but watching Walker win was just as satisfying.
"I was just hitting my shots and trying to get out of the way," Crane said. "Really after the first nine, we didn't have a chance to win [the Pro-Am], so I was trying to stay out of his way and encourage him to keep his rhythm and keep his pace and keep him loose. As we were walking down the fairway, we were talking a lot, and I tried to tell him to stay in his routine.
"He's a very impressive guy. His swing is really solid. I think he'll win a lot more."
Crane was named the best CEO golfer in the country by Golf Digest in 2006. He's won multiple club championships and has a house on Pebble Beach, overlooking the golf course.


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Crosswater Mike Pro Thermostatic Shower Valve for Two Outlets
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Crosswater offers a comprehensive range of unique brassware solutions designed by a pool of carefully selected leading European designers to bring you unparalleled design, superior materials and function. The design team is curated by David Hance who has also designed a number of stylish collections. Using advanced techniques, our standards are unrivalled to offer you exceptional value and high design that embraces the latest technology.
Delivery & Returns
For Online Orders
or return your order.
on price
any competitor quote
(on a like for like basis)


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essentialweb brauchte ein neues Website Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 22 Designs von 12 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
Could really do with some designs back by tomorrow, will give you a better chance or winning. But we will still take designs on within the timescale.
Design a Home page layout with an emphasis on appearing as a market leader in the Recliner Chairs and Sofa business, while always aiming to appear honest, friendly and easy to use. The home page will have an emphasis on simplicity, with easily navigated areas clearly accessible. Just below the main menu toolbar will be a 180 degrees photo or Ipod cover flow style images of the Stressless showroom. You can use images from http://www.angliarecliners.co.uk/ The Home page will also emphasis the experience and personal service via a couple of testimonial quotes.
See detailed description for more.
anglia recliners
The Home page will have an introductory paragraph in the top half of the page and lots of quality photos of your latest products. There will also be five main product areas featured with stylized photos and brief paragraphs explaining the options.
These areas will be:
Stressless Showroom
Manual Recliners
Electric Recliners
Special Offers
These can either just be text links or images too.
• The Home Page will also have a set of top header links to the following standalone pages:
About Us
Contact Us
A promotional box somewhere will contain "Enjoy the beautiful Suffolk countryside and Sutton Hoo" which will be linked to just a page.
These pages should be in the footer.
Privacy Policy – Text page
Terms & Conditions- Text page
- Clean homepage design
- Show off the images well
- Links to 5 main categories but make future proof
- Something too basic
- Something under designed
- E-commerce, this site will not take payments so no cards or padlocks are needed


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Plain English Guide to the Information Security Policy
RIT has issued an Information Security Policy. The Policy provides the strategic direction needed to implement appropriate information safeguards for RIT information and the Institute network. This Plain English Guide provides explanation and illustration of the Policy and is provided as an aid to help you understand and implement the requirements of the Policy. The Policy itself is authoritative. The policy is effective immediately.
Why did RIT issue the policy?
The Policy authorizes RIT to take reasonable measures to protect RIT information and computing assets in an age that is both reliant on electronic media and characterized by increasing Internet-borne threats. These measures apply to RIT information and the technology infrastructure.
In recent years, state and federal legislation have mandated specific protections for different types of information, including educational records (FERPA), financial customer information (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act), health information (HIPAA), and private information (NYS Information Security Breach and Notification Act).
Why is the information lifecycle important?
The information lifecycle concept and its associated stages (creation, storage, transfer, and destruction) provide a useful framework for information handling. For example, during the creation stage, the creator of the information determines who should have access to the information and how that access is to be granted. During the destruction stage, "out-of-date" information or information used only occasionally may be without appropriate protection and be at greater risk.
What are the roles of Safeguards and Controls?
Most of the legislation above requires affected organizations to explain how they know people don't have unauthorized access to information. Controls provide the best way of ensuring information protection. Controls can be process based (administrative controls), or technology based (technical controls). Controls focus on one or more of the following: problem prevention, problem detection, or problem correction.
How has RIT implemented this policy?
RIT has implemented the Information Security Policy by conducting risk assessments, issuing and enforcing standards, raising awareness of threats, recognizing best practices, and maintaining relationships with a number of security-focused external entities for benchmarking and sharing of resources.
More specifically,
- RIT has designated specific individuals, including the RIT Information Security Officer, to identify and assess the risks to non-public or business-critical information within the Institute and establish an Institute-wide information security plan
- The RIT Information Security Office creates and maintains standards to protect RIT information systems and its supporting infrastructure, ensure workforce information security, and guide RIT business associates and outsource partners. The creation of these standards is mandated by policy and is in response to the risks that the Institute faces. They are Institute-wide standards, created with representation from across RIT. See our Policies and Standards page for the list of current standards and information about how standards are developed.
- The RIT Information Security Office provides awareness and training workshops, including its Digital Self Defense classes to help RIT users in the responsible use of information, applications, information systems, networks, and computing devices.
- The RIT Information Security Office encourages the exchange of information security knowledge through ongoing engagements with security-focused groups, such as Educause, the New York State Cyber-Security Critical Infrastructure Coordination group, InfraGard, and others.
- RIT periodically evaluates the effectiveness of information security controls in technology and process through risk assessments.
To whom does the policy apply?
The policy applies to the entire RIT community, including RIT employees, student employees, volunteers, and external business associates. Standards articulate how you follow the policy. Each standard has a different scope and may apply to different parts of or activities engaged in by the RIT population.
What do I have to do?
You need to follow all Information Security Policy requirements as articulated in the standards. See our Policies and Standards page for a current list of standards.
Where do I go for more information?
Read the policy and its associated standards. Contact the RIT Information Security at email@example.com if you have more questions.


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An appendectomy is the only available treatment for appendicitis. Appendicitis, when the appendix becomes inflamed and swollen, is a life-threatening condition and requires immediate medical attention. If your child has appendicitis, she may have abdominal pain (sometimes severe), nausea, vomiting, constipation, and sometimes fever.
If your child needs an appendectomy, doctors will want to perform the procedure before the appendix bursts. The surgery is performed using general anaesthesia. Your child will probably not be able to eat or drink anything for several hours before the surgery, but if the appendix is in danger of bursting, surgery may need to be performed without much preparation. Because the surgery is performed using general anaesthesia, your child will be asleep the whole time.
What does an appendectomy involve?
During surgery, your child's blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate will be monitored closely. The operation is performed through a small hole in the abdomen, called a keyhole. The doctor uses special equipment to help him see inside your child's abdomen and will remove her appendix leaving only a small scar.
After surgery, your child will be moved to a recovery area where nurses will care for her until she wakes up. After the anaesthesia has worn off, your child will be moved to a regular hospital room. Your child will be in pain, but will probably receive some pain medications to make her more comfortable. If all goes well, she'll be able to eat the next day and she should be able to go home in two or three days.
At home care
Keep the incision clean and dry and make sure that your child does not strain her abdominal muscles for a few weeks. If she has stitches, she'll need to have them removed in about a week, but most doctors use dissolvable stitches so removal may not be necessary.
If your child has a lot of redness at the surgery site, a fever, or unusual drainage from the surgical wound, call your doctor, as these may be signs of infection.
Written by Rebecca Stigall for Kidspot, Australia's parenting resource for family health. Sources include Better Health Channel, NSW Health, and Health Insite.


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Hey everyone!
Sorry for that unannounced hiatus since AAWC… And sorry for the other unannounced hiatuses I've taken since the start of this year. The truth is, I bummed for post ideas. I have no idea what to write about.
I need your advice: what blog posts would you like to see from me, and should I change my blog name? I feel like My Homeschool Notebook doesn't really represent this blog anymore. I have no idea what posts I am writing on this blog, and I think AAWC just gave an excuse not to write any real posts… So please comment down below your thoughts. 🙂
Let's get on with today's post, 7 Reactions to The Sentence, "I'm Home-schooled".
First of all, I don't get annoyed with all if these reactions, because a lot of them are just innocent questions asked by people who've never experienced home-school. But some of them just make me think: "Do these people even think before they speak?" 😛
Honestly, they make me laugh. XD
1. "I feel sorry for you because you don't have any friends."
*me speechless* *me wanting to scream* *me thinking in my brain just because I do school at home doesn't mean I have no connection to actual people other than my siblings*
Actually I've only heard this sentence once, from my friend who asked if I was still home-schooled. It really annoyed me because she simply assumed that I had no friends. I have friends. I just don't see them everyday to the point where I want to be around some different people once in a while.
2. "You're so lucky."
This one gets thrown out a lot. I'm home-schooled, therefore, I am lucky. 😛 I don't get it…. why?*
3. "Aw….do you get to stay in your PJ's all day??"
*and #3 is your answer
Nooo…. some homeschoolers do, and I've done it a few times, but seriously, it's not smart unless you have an unlimited amount of PJ's, or you can wash them every day…
4. "So do you get to sleep in every day?"
I prefer not to. But sometimes I actually do… shhh don't tell anyone…
5. A reaction to me saying that I'm staying home-schooled till University: "Well someone's living and isolated life…"
*me boiling mad but hiding it because the person saying this is my friend*
I've heard this once from my friend (why would he say this), and it made me not want to be his friend anymore (literally). 😛 Especially since after that, I was telling him that my other friend is good at singing and dancing and stuff like that, just telling him, and he said, "Well maybe you should go to school."
AARGH. Just because I'm home-schooled doesn't mean that I can't be good at those stuff. Is he saying that to be talented I have to go to school??
6. "Do you get to start school whenever you want?"
Not whenever I want, but our schedule is still pretty relaxed. 🙂
Can you relate to any of these? I think numbers 2, 3, and 4 are the most used reactions. 😛
Do you go to public/private school? Are you home-schooled? What posts do you want to see from MHN?


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Aberdour Castle and Gardens
Admire views of the Forth from what's possibly Scotland's oldest standing castle.
Blackness Castle
See for yourself why this mighty fortress is known as 'the ship that never sailed' – with its pointed stem, square stern and tall mast.
Bothwell Castle
Delve into a site that saw a great deal of action during the Wars of Independence with England. Bothwell Castle, built on a grand scale in the late 1200s, was hotly fought over.
Caerlaverock Castle
Cross the moat to find yourself in a fairytale setting, complete twin-towered gatehouse and lofty battlements.
Craigmillar Castle
Step inside Edinburgh's 'other castle', once a rural retreat from Scotland's capital.
Dryburgh Abbey
Wander around this medieval ruin nestled in secluded woodland by the River Tweed to grasp the appeal of monastic life.
Dumbarton Castle
Visit a stronghold that stood at the heart of an ancient kingdom covering the area now known as Strathclyde.
Dundonald Castle
See the mighty hilltop castle built by Robert II in the 1370s, soon after he came to the Scottish throne.
Edzell Castle and Garden
Get a sense of the standing of the Lindsay family from the beauty of their lordly seat and its great garden.
Fort George
March the length of this massive fort built in the wake of the Battle of Culloden to see why it's served the British Army so well for 250 years.
Huntly Castle
Visit the seat of one of medieval and Renaissance Scotland's most powerful families, the earls of Huntly.
Jedburgh Abbey
Admire the unusual mix of architecture in what is one of four great abbeys established in the Scottish Borders in the 1100s.


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The performer enters the stage, hands seemingly empty , and then - WHAM! - suddenly a flash is seen streaking out of his hand, erupting into a brilliant ball of fire. Shoots 10 - 15 feet. This fantastic little gun is small enough to conceal in your hand, yet creates an astoundingly large effect. Requires Flash Paper, Flash Cotton, and one AA alkaline battery (not included).
Flash Gun Kit comes with everything you need. Flash Gun, Flash Cotton, Flash Paper, Spare Glo-Plug
1 pack of Flash Cotton and 1 pack of Flash Paper will provide about 30 shots
Do you own this product? Write a review.


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My Fertility Forum is the forum for My Fertility Guide.
It is for people to share their experiences trying to conceive and receive advice and support, helping you form a fertility network.
Members can post their fertile thoughts dealing with their infertility and seek fertility options. It doesn't replace medical advice whilst having fertility treatment.
Improve your success rates of trying naturally or in a fertility clinic by using our forums to learn more about how to get pregnant.
Learn free fertility from healthcare professionals who are on the site.
Register today and you'll be able to post and get advice in our vast range of fertility forums, and plot your cycle on your personal calendar. It's free to join!
Before posting, please read our forum rules.
If you're new here, please post a message introducing yourself and share your fertility journey.


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Flipboard now available for iPhone and iPod Touch
Flipboard, a highly popular social magazine app for the iPad, has finally made it ways onto the iPhone.
Named Apple's iPad App of the year and one of TIME's Top 50 Innovations, Flipboard creates a personalized magazine out of everything being shared with you, from Instagram photos and Facebook updates to Tumblr posts and articles from your favorite publications. Fill Flipboard with the things you like to read, from the smallest blogs to publications like Rolling Stone or Vanity Fair, and use Instapaper or Read It Later to save articles to read later. Connect Flipboard to all your social networks, and you'll have a single place to enjoy, browse, comment on and share all the news, photos and updates that matter to you.
The eagerly awaited iPhone app also includes a brand new feature only exclusive to the iPhone and iPod Touch – Cover Stories. With Cover Stories, you can quickly browse the most interesting articles and photos being shared with you right now. It'll apparently get "smarter" every time you use and interact with it. Like the iPad version, Flipboard is completely free to download. Flipboard's new iPhone ad and more can be found below.
Update: If you're having troubles building your first Flipboard and receiving the "Couldn't build your Flipboard. Please check your internet connection and try again.", you're not alone. A number of people are also having difficulties getting started. It's possible that the Flipboard servers are hammered at the moment with the influx of new iPhone users. Hopefully this is won't last too long and that you'll be able to actually use the app shortly.
 Flipboard Inc., Flipboard, – Free


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text: KiDisaster #1 Posted July 8, 2018 Old thread is locked, long live the new thread. --- I can't get over Ngannou vs Lewis from last night. Lewis has said his back was acting up again and that's why he wasn't able to do much in the fight which makes sense, but as for Ngannou...I'm honestly wondering if he put a bunch of money on the fight going the distance. I'm sure the loss to Stipe affected him but it's not like he got KOd or something. Real shame. It was a really phenomenal card apart from that fight. I hope Stipe bounces back from this and gets back to fucking people up again. Much as I was rooting for DC I really didn't want to see either of them lose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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I figured it'd be best that it get it's own thread so that:
1) We don't get splinters in jimmy's topic on combustion spudgun models
2) We can discuss it in further detail.
Anyway, the posts that exist in Jimmy's thread and relate to this topic are reprinted below:
I'm wondering looking at all of this (and I should admit I only understood about a third of it) is there wouldn't be some merit in what I'll call a dual-friction barrel.
Imagine that the first couple of inches of the breach end of the barrel is high-friction, then leading in to low friction. Surely this would allow a higher pressure to build in the chamber during combustion, and thus more gas to be combusted, before the spud makes any initial movement, but also allow the spud to move freely once this high rate of combustion has been acheived.
I'd be interested to see for instance if there was any difference in performance between barrels with internal and external chamferings of the spud knife.
Effectively what you're trying to reproduce is the "burst-disc" effect, but without a burst disc.
Secondary to this, what conclusions can we draw from this on hybrid performance in relation to disc burst pressures, can we model an optimal pressure (as a ratio of peak chamber pressure) for the disc to burst at.
A "dual friction" barrel is a great idea. Any ideas on how? Glue a sheet of sand paper on the inside of the barrel at the breach end? Ream out the breach end of the barrel a bit, for a breech loader, so that the spud in the breech is a bit wider than the barrel?
"I'd be interested to see for instance if there was any difference in performance between barrels with internal and external chamferings of the spud knife." I believe there is evidence that an internal bevel increases the muzzle velocity, presumably by increasing the static friction. Of course, playing with the geometry of the muzzle knife changes both the static and dynamic friction. As you suggest, you probably want high static and low dynamic friction.
The current adiabatic model makes a very simple prediction for the optimal burst pressure of a hybrid. The burst pressure should be as close to the peak pressure as possible. I suspect that that is a bit simplistic and probably is not the best answer to the question. To correctly answer that question I think the model will have to be non-adiabtic so that heat loss is taken into account. The higher the burst pressure the better, but at high pressure the temperature is high and heat is being lost quickly. Hard to say if there is an optimal burst pressure that maximizes pressure but minimizes heat loss.
 In terms of the dual diameter barrel, use a 2" sched 80 barrel with SDR 21 or 26 1.5" inside for the first couple inches?
...to which I respond to this:
Perhaps a sub-caliper washer - like, say, .01" undersize - with a chisle grind (a taper on only one side) oreinted so that the ground side faced towards the muzzle would be good.
I'm thinking that you'd hold it in place with a coupler or union or something.
Seems it'd grind off a happy little bit, significantly reducing friction.
The only problem is that you'd have to control both the outside and inside diameter of the washer to several thousandths.


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As far as question one, the m-card does not include the capabilities of the tuning adapter. If your cable system uses SDV, you will need a tuning adapter in addition to the m-card.
Question two: encrypted content will transfer as long as both tivos are on the same account. Content which is flagged for copy once will not transfer between tivos. Content which is flagged copy never will not be recorded. Unless, of course, Omikron finds a hack for the premiere to disable the CCI bit.
Question three: MRV will work between a hacked S3 and the S4s, as long as they are all on the same account. Of course MRV of video recorded on a hacked S3 would not be subject to the CCI restrictions, assuming TiVoApp was appropriately modified.
hope this helps.