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India's government averted a political crisis on Wednesday by delaying action on a key nuclear deal with the United States that threatens to topple the government.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is battling his coalition government's Communist allies over a long-delayed deal on nuclear power and technology that he agreed to with President Bush in 2005.
On Wednesday, Mr. Singh's government, which is led by the Congress Party, held a make-or-break meeting with its communist allies. Foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee emerged from the talks to tell reporters the two sides would meet again in a fortnight, thus making passage of the nuclear deal increasingly unlikely.
The nuclear agreement, which would give India access to US nuclear fuel and technology even though it has not signed the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, is at the heart of a new strategic partnership between India and the US.
It is opposed by the Communists who object to close ties with the US on ideological grounds and who argue that it will weaken India's foreign policy and independence.
Singh, however, believes that while the issue is hardly a vote winner, the deal is of seismic importance to India, where an energy shortage threatens to curtail economic growth.
Communists threaten pullout
The Communists, who support the government though they are not part of it, have threatened to withdraw that support if Singh pushes ahead with the nuclear deal.
Singh has sworn to continue with the agreement, which he argues is vital to India's interests. Last week, Indian newspapers carried reports that the prime minister had threatened to resign if the deal failed.
But on Wednesday, the political considerations of the government appeared to take priority over Singh's principle, even though time is fast running out for the nuclear deal.
US State Department officials have said that India's Parliament will need to ratify New Delhi's commitment to the agreement in June in order for the US Congress to make the pact into law before Bush leaves office.
"The government cameto the brink today and stepped back," says Mahesh Rangarajan, a political analyst in New Delhi. "It has bought itself time. I don't think any of these guys – the government or the Communists – are ready for an election."
The government is anxious to avoid early elections right now because inflation is running at a 13-year high.
Even though India's next elections must be held by May 2009, and early emergency polls would be unlikely to take place before November at the earliest, the government wants time to bring food prices under control. The price of rice is of far greater interest than multilateral agreements to Indians, half of whom live on less than $2 a day.
Some analysts argue that time for the nuclear deal may have already run out.
Even before Congress approves the deal, it needs clearances by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Last month, US Sen. Joseph Biden, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the deal was unlikely to be approved during Bush's term.
"There is no time left now," says Brahma Chellaney, a professor of strategic studies at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi. "If the prime minister wants to get the deal completed he has no time left."
Because the deal would give India access to US nuclear fuel and technology, it is widely seen as advantageous to India and brokering it is regarded as a great achievement for Singh.
The deal would also engender closer ties between New Delhi and Washington and enhance India's international prestige. Reneging on the deal, many say, will have the opposite effect.
For a government that has faced a string of setbacks in recent weeks, risking early elections has, so far, proved too much of a risk.
Food crisis compounds impasse
On Tuesday night, India's central bank unexpectedly increased interest rates for the second time in two weeks.
Last week, a key government ally, a charismatic Dalit politician known as Mayawati, withdrew her support for the government because of a concern over rising food prices.
In May, the Congress Party that leads the coalition lost to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in elections in the southern state of Karnataka.
Not only was this the party's ninth loss in the 11 state elections held since January 2007, it was also the first time the Hindu nationalist BJP – traditionally a party of the north – had won in South India.
Analysts say, however, that deferring decisive action on the nuclear deal will not make it any less painful when the time comes.
The communists are adamant they will not allow the deal to go ahead while they are supporting the government.
Either Singh must go it alone, and risk early elections, or give up what he appears to have staked his legacy on, if he hasn't done so already.
The leader of the Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, has a third option, says Professor Chellaney: "to replace Manmohan Singh with a new leader. But it doesn't have a fourth option."


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Back when I was a kid, you didn't need to bring a calculator to the game. You went, you cheered, and if you were lucky, the third base coach would share a pack of Chesterfields with you. But now everyone has computers, and stat guys, and the game has become unrecognizable.
Take a look at some of these statistics, and tell me it's not like reading the Dead Sea Scrolls in the original Aramaic. "Earned Run Average?" I didn't flunk pre-algebra just to spend September evenings trying to count up all the players who scored against a pitcher, only to have to divide that by nine. Why nine? I'm sure I'll get tons of emails telling me that nine has a basal coefficient and is therefore the most telling, but I don't want that. When I watch Justin Verlander pitch, I don't need some basement-dweller with his TI-86 graphing calculator to know that the man can flat-out pitch. ERA? More like an era of stupidity.
I'm not so keen on this "Wins" stat either. Have you ever made yourself a refreshing gin rickey and actually read about wins? It takes 700 words to describe. A pitcher has to start the game, unless he doesn't, and he has to be sitting in the dugout when his team scores more runs on offense, even though that has nothing to do with him, and all of this has to happen after a specific inning, unless it doesn't, and then someone at MIT decides whether or not the pitcher should qualify. I was talking to an old scout at Toots Shor's the other day and he told me, "Barry, these kids can keep their 'wins.' I scouted Hal Newhouser, and let me tell you, I didn't need to calculate his 'wins' to know his team would be getting handed a trophy from Will Harridge one day." Wins? More like losing your mind over numbers.
I used to spend many long summer evenings arguing with my school chums over who was better. What do kids do now? One says Matt Kemp is better. The other says Rick Ankiel's better. They log on to their Gateway computer, and that says that Kemp has 100 more hits than Ankiel, and the argument's over? Where's the magic? No wonder baseball is dying. It's only for the stat geeks.
I long for a simpler time. When contracts were given out for moxie and pep, not "OPB" and "RBI." When the only number that truly mattered was Mickey Mantle's BAC. Sabermetrics? Marty Bergen is the best catcher of all time, and he used an ax to kill his family, not a saber. The game used to be decided on the field, not on Billy Beane's scrap paper.
When the "Moneyball" movie hysteria subsides, I hope the sabermeticians STFU.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to Aquaread
Aquaread manufacture a wide range of precise, scientific water testing equipment that is designed for intuitive operation. We specialise in multiparameter water testing equipment and highly precise water level and temperature loggers. Our water testing instruments are suitable for testing groundwater, surface water and waste water. They are made from rugged materials to withstand harsh environmental conditions and all types of water.
What we do
Our Parameters
Get Social with us
We are active on many different types of social media.
Tweet us about your experiences with your Aquaprobe, follow our activities on Facebook or read about our most recent news in the Blog.
Our Products
Aquaread produce a wide range of precise, scientific water testing equipment that is designed for intuitive operation. We specialise in multiparameter water testing and highly accurate water level and temperature loggers. Our water testing probes are suitable for groundwater testing, surface water monitoring and waste water testing. They are made from rugged materials to withstand harsh environmental conditions.
The nature of the multiparameter device means that you can save time by not needing to use various different devices to measure each parameter. The probes also take measurements in-situ so there is no need to take water samples back to the lab for testing. Aquaread's water testing meters allow quick and easy measurement of a full range of parameters with little hassle. We make a range of electrodes to be used with the probes. These electrodes use the latest technology to accurately measure each parameter. See our dedicated water testing parameters page for more information.
We have also designed and produced the GPS Aquameter that facilitates Aquaprobe calibration and allows you to both view and record your data sets including their precise GPS coordinates. For unmanned water monitoring the AquaLogger has enough memory to capture up to 15,000 full data sets and battery life is in the range of 6 – 12 months, depending on the measurement frequency. The AquaLogger is designed for use in the field and has a built in air pressure sensor to automatically compensate various recordings for barometric pressure.
Groundwater & Water Level
There are many reasons why you might want to conduct testing or water quality monitoring of groundwater. For example, you might wish to undertake groundwater modelling for a particular area to understand aquifer hydraulics. Parameters such as rhodamine are used to understand the movement of water underground. Groundwater testing would also be used to examine the effects, if any, of human activities. Leachate from landfill can find its way into groundwater, as can fertilisers from agriculture. Monitoring groundwater quality can identify the existence of a pollutant in order to mitigate any possible harmful effects.
The slimline design of the probes mean that they can fit into the smallest boreholes. The AP-2000 is less than 2″ in diameter. Combined with an AquaLogger that collects the data from the Aquaprobe you can leave the devices in-situ for months on end. With groundwater testing it's common to pump water up into flow cells and then take readings from the water in the cell. We produce our flow cells from highly durable marine grade aluminium.
It is important to measure groundwater levels using dedicated water level loggers across wide areas to fully understand and to characterise aquifers and the water table. Doing so allows you to record changes to normal levels which can then be investigated. Besides Aquifer characterisation there are many other applications where precise water level measurement is required:
- Stream, lake and river water level management
- Hydraulic conductivity / Slug testing
- Coastal tide and harbour variation measurement
- Long term ground water level monitoring
- Construction and mine water level management
- Storm water and wetlands research
More can be found on our groundwater monitoring page. Alternatively, our low flow sampling page has more on the groundwater sampling methodology.
Surface Water
We have a wide range of water testing equipment that is used to record trends across different water quality parameters in water bodies such as streams, lakes and rivers, as well as in seawater. Understanding these trends means that when there is a change it could be an early warning that there is a pollutant in the water or there has been a change in the aquatic ecosystem. Early detection is necessary to put mitigating measures in place.
Our parameters are wide ranging, although the most commonly measured in surface water testing and monitoring are dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity and temperature, which are standard on most Aquaprobes. If you require specific parameters to be tested, there is the option to add additional parameters.
For the ultimate in portable multiparameter water quality testing, look no further than our AP-2000, which measures all the essential parameters in a handheld device. The AP-2000 can be used in conjunction with our GPS Aquameter that records the exact location of each data set so that once back in the lab you can view all your locations on Google Maps. If you need to measure a larger number of parameters, the AP-5000 offers four auxiliary ports, two more than the AP-2000, and also measures depth. The AP-5000 is still portable and has many applications with a diameter of only 55mm.
Fixed monitoring
Both the AP-2000 and AP-5000 are suitable for short to medium term unmanned monitoring. The probes are connected to our AquaLogger, which has the capacity to capture data to months on end. If you require long term water quality monitoring, the AP-7000 is specifically designed for this: it even cleans itself. The AP-7000 is used with the larger capacity AquaLogger and with a telemetry system that sends the data directly to your desk.
Our surface water testing page has more on this.
Waste Water Testing
There is strict regulation surrounding waste water discharge so it's very important to conduct waste water testing in waste water environments. Aquatic ecosystems are sensitive to even small changes in the chemical make up of the water, temperature, etc. Water parameter testing before discharge allows any pollutants to be detected and prevented from entering the watercourse. Real time testing allows quick action and minimises the risk of any potential fines that might be imposed by regulatory bodies should there be any regulatory violations. The rugged AP-2000 protects the electrodes during deployment and allows all the essential parameters to be tested while it's portable design means that the device can be easily carried between locations. You can also save money on site visits by using telemetry.
The AP-7000 self-cleaning probe can be hooked up to a telemetry device that uploads all the data online so that it can be accessed wherever and whenever you need it. Learn more about waste water testing.
This is just a short introduction to Aquaread's products. For more information please explore our website further and if you wish to get in touch please use our contact form. We'd love to hear from you.
Alternatively if you know the parameters you need to measure please complete the package selector contact form and we will come back to you with the most cost effective package based on your requirements.


text: |we heartly welcome you all here to fullfill your needs of softwares and applications if you need any help and support and want to know more than please donot hesitate to contact to mr.anthany dhakal the founder of this site : mig33 username :anthany_nbs / anth4ny mobile number :9779842796072 / 9779806008007 email address : email@example.com / firstname.lastname@example.com / firstname.lastname@example.com thank you ! !!!!!


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Winter sports are a lot of fun, but if you don't have the right clothing, it can be utterly miserable. SmartWool literally has your feet covered with its new PhD socks.
Smartwool in a lot of R&D work to make sure the fit and the material are the most comfortable and the best fit to support and protect your precious feet. In fact, they're working on patenting their sock tech. I wear Smartwool when I snowboard—these socks are a godsend becauseI quit functioning on the mountain when my feet get cold. These coats for your feet are great because they keep your feet warm and dry without being too bulky. Anyway, the latest round of PhD socks went on sale last week. They come in various styles and for a variety of activities from running to skiing. They cost between $15 and $25 a pair. Your feet will thank you after slipping these on. [Smartwool]


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Couldnt agree more Norsang was great. I wrote this as a separate thread but here it is again if you didnt see it,
Just got back from a fantastic trip in Nepal with two good mates. The whole experience was run really smoothly by our guide Norsong Lama(from the time he picked us up at the airport till he farewelled us two and a half weeks later). I also chose Norsang based on reviews I had read by many of his previous happy clients and I was not dissapointed. We had Norsang(guide) and his Uncle and younger brother as porters on the Annapurna Base Camp trek in Jan 2013. Everything was run so well. Norsang helped us hire good sleeping bags/gear at really good prices, arranged all our permits, transport, acommodation, meals etc, etc He also had a fantastic knowledge of all the mountains, villages etc He and his Uncle and Brother also introduced us to Nepali card games in the evenings and even some great Nepali music along the way! He was a very thoughtful guide always putting our needs and wants first. He had the flexibility to change our itinerary if we wanted to change(ie. speed up or slow down) and always made sure that we were having a great experience. Please contact me if anyone has any further questions.


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Seamlessly designed with support and breathability right where you need it, the Nike Air Max 2017 Men's Running Shoe features a Flymesh upper combined with the plush cushioning of a full-length Max Air unit.
Product Details
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Thursday, August 16, 2007
The Return of Family Dinner
We've established a new family rule.
Meals occur at the table.
No more mom blogging,reading blogs, downloading/uploading pics while two kids scarf down food in their high chairs as the other one eats in front of the TV and poor Dad is stuck finishing up some project.
Even Tacobell served around the dining room table is like a meal instead of just something you put into your mouth to survive. My husband pulled out this bread pan to serve them and our tacos seemed almost like a viable family meal option, vs fast food.
We talk. About our day. About our night. About our plans. And about the things we've been thinking about. We play music, and like to vary it every night. Last night was Classic Country "Don't come home a Drinkin' with lovin' on your mind!" and the night before that it was Light Classical (lotsa Mendelssohn on that station). We talk about the music we are listening to.
We talk.
As a family.
Tonight we'll be enjoying a little jazz, to honor the late Max Roach.
Family dinner, it's not just a marketing campaign to sell more boxed casseroles. Who knew?
2 comments:
- Devra said...
We have music going, dancing around the kitchen while we prepare food and we also sit at our table. If the kids are really hyped up and can't relax, we eat by candlelight. The kids love our candlit dinners and it does calm em down quick.
Your new rules sound great! Bon Appetite!
- Sat Aug 18, 07:28:00 PM
I'm a dictator about family dinner, and it gets harder and harder each year.
Let us persevere!
- Mon Aug 20, 09:25:00 AM


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My beloved film critic Roger Ebert passed away today after battling cancer. I'm in tears.
Roger Ebert (70), the legendary film critic, brought film criticism into the mainstream. He enlightened the movie lovers. He was the most powerful, thoughtful, extraordinary voice for movies. I'm sure there will never be anyone like him.
I'm lucky, I got to contact him. It was an honour to interact with The Great Roger Ebert.
He will be missed. I'm in tears.
April 4, 2013


text: The Japanese furniture designer Cover-it-All and A Bathing Ape team up for their first collaboration. Specializing in fiberglass shell chairs with customizable covers Cover it All have produced an objectified chair featuring Bape's trademark camo pattern. The chairs are available in green with a black outline, and pink or blue with a white outline. Each model goes for ¥18,900 JPY ($226 USD).


text:
Where Horses Live Like Millionaires
Palm Beach County's Wellington, with a roster of big-name residents including Michael Bloomberg and Bruce Springsteen, is also home to an international equestrian center fit for a millionaire.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... ay ay ay ay ay ... he's ... Florida is the guy was ... late for some of the wealthiest people in America ... a Kansas State tight end will retain its all about what's next ... an estimated nine thousand or since the Second Wellington's best thing was there ... the sixteen miles of bridal tax rates the district which beat the Mets are set at twenty five miles per hour ... although Grant is built the southern end of that has aired the actor Tommy Lee Jones has fifty eight percent Saabira and he recently played on the market for twenty six point seven five million dollars in two thousand and six chicks for their daughter Mia ... Hamm I opened the body of a stake in ... it and ... it's often said ... Mr. property value instead to the Grand Prix feel ... that homes in Wellington at every ... cherry one s or high vaulted ceilings topiary not Titans opening for space it's entertaining and prospects in its sixteen championship golf ... since not much tends to fall ... the center's might have trouble telling me ... it's a fine ... comic subdivisions are filled with horse farms that ... are often Howlett says that it reveals its day like F twenty amenities and lavish architectural


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It's pretty much impossible to make a movie about robots that I don't want to see. Well, aside from Surrogates, maybe. But that atrocity isn't playing at this year's Robot Film Festival! Giz and io9 are giving away tickets to the event to the best robot rhymers.
The Goods
Two winners will receive a pair of tickets to the Robot Film Festival—July 16-17 in New York City.
How to Enter
Just write your best robot limerick (out of the dozens you obviously keep on hand for moments like this) in a comment, and we'll pick the two best entries within 24 hours. Here's a really terrible example of what it should look like (except good):
There once was a robot musician,
But she couldn't get anyone to listen.
To the music she played,
So one day she made,
A meat suit so she'd always always glisten.
All standard Gawker Media contest rules apply, naturally.


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It's a fact. Investors rely on referrals to find the financial advisor they want to work with. According to a survey that ByAllAccounts conducted recently, in conjunction with the Paladin Registry, almost 46% of the individuals who responded say they found their current advisor through a referral from a friend, respected associate, CPA or attorney (see chart below).
How Did You Find Your Current Advisor?
Surprisingly, even though a sizable percentage of investors have relied on a referral, over 50% of them state that they have never provided a referral to their own advisor. There are a variety of factors behind this statistic.
As the second chart below illustrates, over 27 % of clients simply feel uncomfortable making a referral. But over 25% of clients report that their advisor has not asked for a referral—an indicator to me that new business prospecting opportunities are being missed every day.
Why Have You Not Given Your Advisor a Referral?
Given that there is such a powerful disconnect between what advisors should be doing (ask for that referral!) and what they are doing (keeping silent), I thought I'd pass along four maxims that may prove useful to your client acquisition efforts:
Referral Maxim #1: If you don't play, you can't win.
That old saying holds a lot of truth. To not ask for a referral is to pass up potential business that's staring you right in the face. That's why you need to make it a point to put the question to your clients. Pick their brains to see who among their friends, colleagues and acquaintances might benefit from your professional services.
Referral Maxim #2: If you're online, your referral efforts are more likely on target.
This goes hand-in-hand with asking point-blank for a referral. By making it easy for clients and prospects to refer friends on your website, you'll go a long way toward improving your new business pipeline. With a referral option on your site, you allow clients to make a referral without the awkwardness that can sometimes accompany a referral in person or over the phone. That's especially important when you consider the statistic above that 27% of respondents felt uncomfortable passing along a name.
Need an additional incentive to pump up your web presence? How about the fact that nearly 15% of survey respondents revealed that they found their current advisor through an Internet search? That doesn't even include all the investors who augmented their search by researching an advisor's website.
So…needless to say, if you don't yet have a website at all, create one as quickly as possible. It's the first place people will look to learn more about you—make sure that essential information about your firm is easy to find.
Referral Maxim #3: If you've got it, flaunt it.
Paladin President and CEO Jack Waymire speaks of the differences between subjective investors and objective investors. Without going into the differences here, let me simply state that by including detailed, persuasive information about your firm on your site, you'll go a long way toward "controlling the dialogue" in a new business setting—and convincing both types of investors that you're the right choice for them.
You need to ensure that your website is rich with content that describes your experience, investment philosophy, code of ethics and types of services you provide. This is especially vital for higher-end advisors who seek to qualitatively differentiate themselves from their competitors, and offset any advantage that may be held by a less qualified advisor who wins business with a gregarious sales style.
Referral Maxim # 4: If the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts, the holistic approach is truly best.
As you can see in the following chart, one of the major reasons clients do not provide referrals to their own advisors is because they quite literally think that their advisor has not earned the right to receive referrals. That's a painful commentary on investor-advisor relations—at least in certain cases.
Clients Who Receive a Holistic View of Their Assets More Likely to Refer Advisors
When we dig a little deeper, we find that by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, clients who do not receive a holistic view of their investment assets are likely to maintain that their advisors have not "earned" referrals. The conclusion is clear. By providing a holistic view—in effect, monitoring, reporting and advising on all of a client's assets, as opposed to just one portion of them—you're likely to increase customer loyalty and satisfaction. And that, in turn, will lead to more referrals.
If you'd like more information on this topic, take a look at our white paper, Understand How Investors Choose an Advisor: And Improve Your Odds of Attracting New Clients.


text: Ariana Grande Tour Dates Ariana currently stars as Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon show "Victorious," in its third season. Ariana has 1.2 million followers on Twitter and is the third most influential actress online above Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Aniston. She has been named one of the most asked celebrity online above Reese Witherspoon. … [Read more...]


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I'm thinking about running a graduate student seminar in the summer. Having both organized and participated in such seminars in the past, I have witnessed first-hand that, contrary to what one might expect, they can be rather successful. However I haven't been able to quite put my finger on what makes a good seminar good.
Certainly there are obvious necessary conditions for success, such as having sufficiently many (dedicated) participants and at least some semblance of a goal. But in my experience these conditions aren't at all sufficient.
And on the other hand there are clear pitfalls that should be avoided, such as going too fast or not going fast enough, or scheduling the seminar at 8 in the morning. But there are also more subtle pitfalls that aren't as easily avoided: for example, having consecutive speakers of a certain style that might put off or discourage other participants. (Of course a plausible solution to this specific problem is to not have such people speak one after another, but often this is infeasible.)
So I turn to the collective wisdom of MO: In your experience, what has made a specific learning seminar feel successful to you? Feel free to interpret the word "successful" any way you want. Anecdotes and horror stories welcome.
(Aside: The seminar I'm planning is a "classics in geometry and topology" type of deal. By this I mean, each participant will select a classic paper at the beginning of the summer and then briefly discuss its contents sometime during the course of the seminar. I would consider this seminar successful if, at the end, each participant walks away with a set of their own notes on each paper, explaining why it's important, and containing a sketch of its main ideas and how it fits in the grand scheme of things; the hope is that such a set of notes might prove useful if one were to take a closer look at the paper down the road. If anyone has any experience about running a seminar of this type, then I'd be especially interested in hearing their comments!)


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Iraq: Women Set to Take More Power Locally
Elections are being held in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces. Polls will not be held in Iraqi Kurdistan and in the disputed province of Kirkuk. Female candidates are hoping that the new quota will give them a foot in the door of provincial politics. Some maintain it is generally harder for women to penetrate provincial politics than national politics, as local leaders are often chosen by tight-knit communities where men dominate.
While female candidates say they are not running solely as women's activists, many intend to raise women's issues while in office. Rising violence and a new religious conservatism have deeply impacted women in Iraq. In the southern province of Basra, where Shia militias have battled for power, at least 40 women were killed and tortured in 2007 for not wearing the veil. Their bodies were dumped in the streets. Militias have also stopped women in Basra from working or holding any public positions, according to Suhaila Oufi, a female candidate in the province.
Oufi, a 35-year-old veterinarian who is running with the Al-Dawla Party led by former Basra governor Wael Abdul-Latif, now a member of parliament, said she is campaigning in order to improve women's rights and public services. Oufi said she wants to serve "to be a voice for women who have lived under an unjust system and who are always marginalised".
According to the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq, all political parties seeking office have complied with the requirement that one out of every four of their candidates be female. But Oufi and others have complained that many men oppose the role of women in public office.
A similar quota sets aside one-quarter of parliamentary seats for female leaders. However, even women's advocates who pressed for the quota admit that women in parliament are not necessarily powerful. While many political leaders and parties in Baghdad have publicly backed women's rights, some parliamentarians rejected the women's quota when they first voted on the provincial election law earlier this year.
Women's advocates are upset that the final wording of the law, which vaguely states that there must be "a woman at the end of every three winners", could prevent women from gaining provincial council seats. Parliamentarians are reportedly reviewing the law this week, with many pushing for a specifically-worded quota guaranteeing women 25 per cent of seats in provincial councils. The United States, which pushed for the provincial council elections to boost Sunni Arab representation in local politics, had also pressed for the women's quota. Sunni Arabs boycotted provincial elections in 2005, giving Kurds and Shias a disproportionate amount of power in Sunni areas.
Halima Abdul Jabber Ismail, a candidate in the largely Shia province of Karbala southwest of Baghdad, says she enjoys popular support. However, she fears she will not be able to win one of the seven seats allotted to women in Karbala because she lacks adequate funds and the backing of clerics.
Women in Karbala "are well-known for their political consciousness, and the people here are quite confident in many of us", Ismail said. Not everyone agrees, and some believe that women will serve on provincial councils as figureheads only. "I think that the women's quota might help women who are not active and productive," said Abdul Hasan al-Furati, a member of Karbala's provincial council. "Being on a strong list will pave the way for unqualified women to become provincial council members."
Women's advocates and politicians say despite the scepticism about their work, women may have greater impact by serving on provincial councils than in parliament, where many serve but do not necessarily have power. "Women play more active roles [on provincial councils] than in parliament," said Khawal al-Hasani, a member of Baghdad's provincial council and chair of the legal committee. Hasani said that locally women serve on a wider variety of committees than they do at the national level, enabling them to play stronger roles in impacting local issues. Female provincial council members can tackle problems relating to sewage services, education and the displaced, she said.
In past elections, voters chose political lists which then appointed leaders to serve. In the upcoming provincial elections, however, the candidates' names are being made public and voters can elect individuals. The public lists have been criticised for endangering candidates, but Jenan al-Obeidi, a member of parliament from the Shia-led United Iraqi Alliance, said the system enables women to "be in a heated competition with men".
Lists must guarantee their women candidates seats if they win, which empowers women, Obeidi asserted. "The women are now challenging the men on the [public] list because the female candidate who gets more votes will have a seat in the council," she said. But Azhar Al-Sheikhli, the former minister for women's affairs, argued that even with the women's quota, Iraq has "a long way to go" in bringing women to power. She noted that India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh have had female heads of states, but in Iraq "we cannot see women becoming leaders of a major political party."
20 January 2009
By: Zaineb Naji, an IWPR-trained journalist in Baghdad. Emad Al-Shara, an IWPR-trained journalist based in Baghdad and Karbala, and Basim al-Shara, an IWPR-trained journalist in Baghdad, also contributed to this report.
Related News
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- Harvard Women's Law Association honours Shadi Sadr for contributions to human rights, women & LGBT rights in Iran
- Leading human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir passes away in Lahore
- Iran protests latest: Pictures showing Tehran woman removing hijab during anti-government rally hailed as symbol of defiance
- The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, requests judicial authorisation to commence an investigation into the Situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
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- Bougainville: Women's Minister fired for speaking out against mining company


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Contrary to the popular myth, Republicans have offered several alternatives to Obamacare, all of which were rejected out of hand by Obama and his cronies - while all the time they were saying they'd listen to any alternatives the Republicans had to offer.
Phil Roe (R-TN), is working inside Congress to defund, repeal, and most importantly, replace Obamacare. In an interview Friday, he detailed his vision for getting rid of Obamacare (posted earlier), and he also discussed his replacement strategy. Roe, the Co-Chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus in the House, has co-authored a bill for the Republican Study Committee that would truly repeal and replace Obamacare. He was tasked with creating a bill that was revenue neutral, would lower health care costs, relied on free market principles, and didn't raise taxes. The bill has seven main objectives:
In the interview on Friday, Dr. Roe said that he fully expects the bill to be altered and amended, and described it as a starting point. In fact, he said he welcomes both Republican and Democrat ideas. His objective is to respond to the manifest desire of a majority of Americans to replace Obamacare with something that works, that won't need to be delayed and will lower costs. Roe said that some of these ideas were implemented at the state level back home, and reduced health care costs within a year of being passed. In particular, he cited tort reform as having an almost immediate effect.
Roe also believes that two aspects of this bill will create free market competitive forces that will drive costs down:
1. Expansion of tax-deductible Health Savings Accounts, which were gutted in the labrynthine Obamacare statute.
2. The large tax deduction for purchasing health insurance. As stated in the bill summary,
Creates a standard deduction for health insurance (SDHI)—an above-the-line tax deduction applied to both income and payroll taxes of $7,500 for individuals or $20,000 for a family—available to all Americans with qualifying health insurance. The SDHI can be applied to existing, employer-sponsored insurance or to the purchase of insurance on the individual or small group market. The SDHI will give families flexibility to pick coverage that best fits their needs and ensure that the tax benefit for insurance doesn't go away if you lose or change jobs. The SDHI is intended to be revenue-neutral and is funded through the elimination of the tax exclusion for employer-paid health insurance and the self-employed health deduction. No change is made to employers' ability to deduct payments for employees' health benefits as a business expense. The SDHI will increase annually by CPI-U.
According to Dr. Roe, the SDHI could have a significant impact on costs. "The SDHI eliminates the current incentive to choose increasingly expensive plans by providing the full value of the deduction regardless of how expensive the plan is. For example, a family with a $15,000 plan would receive an additional $5,000 tax deduction. Based upon Kaiser Family Foundation data, the vast majority of Americans will receive a tax cut under this plan." Furthermore, there would be significant incentives to pool together in groups to buy plans, which would work towards reducing and ultimately eliminating plans tied to employment, increasing portability and reducing lapses in coverage. This would be combined with the expanded Health Savings Accounts, which would allow consumers to use their own money to buy their own treatments on the free market. The natural tendency to shop around - or as Dr. Roe puts it, the motivation to "pull across 6 lanes of traffic on the freeway to get to a sale" - would have a downward effect on prices. Another aspect of this bill would enhance this effect - making Medicare claims and payment data publicly available so that patients and taxpayers alike can better understand what they are being charged.
Roe admits that this bill is not perfect, but it reflects the desire of the RSC - and a majority of Americans - to return to a market based approach that does not intrude on the private relationship between patient and doctor.
Given the overwhelming numbers of Americans who want Obamacare repealed, the thousands of jobs being lost because of these onerous regulations, and the reelection prospects of a few key Democrats in 2014, Roe is optimistic that something can be worked out to finally repeal and replace Obamacare. Time will tell.
Follow Jeff on Twitter @ChargerJeff.
@torqueobama I think you're a bit confused on that one. The GOP is saying that the government shouldn't be using taxpayer dollars to fund a person's decision to kill their baby. Right now, the government is interfering but under this proposal, the government would be letting people make their own choices. If they cannot afford an abortion (which costs a few hundred dollars......far less than even the cheapest deductibles on Obamacare plans) then maybe they should think a little harder before engaging in behavior that would put them in the position to be considering that option. I only wish that an abortion was more expensive when I made the worst decision of my life 6 yrs ago and had one.....I bet I would've been more responsible in the first place instead of living with an unbelievable amount of guilt and regret that followed the abortion.
This is a great bill, and it will get absolutely no traction because it singles out abortion. The GOP is doomed as long as it believes the government has to interfere with a persons social decisions.
my co-worker's step-aunt makes $84 every hour on the laptop. She has been out of work for five months but last month her inℂOMe was $13091 just working on the laptop for a few hours. my link JOBS70.ℂOM


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by Guest Columnist & KosherEye Friend Ronnie Fein
Although I love lox–and–bagels as much as the next woman, my Break–the–fast isn't the traditional smoked salmon feast. My daughter Gillian has a life–threatening allergy to fish (and walnuts) and can't even be in the same room with it. I can tell you that over the years we've had trips to emergency rooms and had to leave weddings and bar mitzvahs on account of it.
It's no problem as far as the cooking goes though. Kosher cooks have always been creative, adapting recipes to the dietary laws. It's exactly the same when someone in your family has an allergy. You work around the limits, meet the challenge, and make something delicious to eat.
Fortunately our Break-the-fast group includes the same families every year; good friends from long ago. We've watched each others' children grow, go off to college, marry and start families of their own. We comforted each other during hard times and mourned together when parents died. We all feel lucky to have each other and celebrate a new year together.
Every family brings some food to share. They all understand that their dishes will be dairy; vegetarian and also be fish and walnut–free. What's really important is not what we eat, but that we share this special time together.
With so many people to feed, dinner is always buffet style, lap fare that needs little in the way of utensils. Both hot and cool dishes, all made ahead of course.
Although we've changed the menu over the years, by this time there are several constants, the by–now–expected dishes that we all look forward to. Hummus and Zimsterne cookies to give everyone a first nibble before the real meal.
Spinach Pie too, which I make ahead, freeze and pop into the oven before everyone arrives, and Mujadarah, a bulgur wheat casserole with tons of caramelized onions on top (there's a recipe for both in my book, Hip Kosher). And the meal just wouldn't be right without my friend Susan's fabulous kugel.
I always make several salads too. Not only for variety but also to add some color. And the contrast of hot dishes and cool ones is very satisfying. Beet salad is usually a must because all my children like it and because beets are so sweet, in keeping with celebrating the new year. There's also at least one whole grain salad made with barley, farro, buckwheat, quinoa, oat groats or brown rice. The grains are all made more or less the same way: cook until tender and fluffy, add some cooked vegetables and pour in a vinaigrette dressing.
Of course, I make an enormous challah. And Grand Finale cookies (also from Hip Kosher), even though another friend brings more desserts.
My mother always used to say -- in Yiddish -- "the wheel keeps turning." I think about this every year as I see the changing face of friends and family as time goes by. Last year, Susan's mother passed away. This year, we may be welcoming Gillian's new baby, due in October, but who knows!? We pass on our tradition of getting together to celebrate, to be thankful for life, and to enjoy our feast and each other.
Have a sweet new year everyone, and may you have an easy fast.
About the Author
Ronnie Fein is a cookbook author, food journalist, cooking teacher, and one-time talk show host. She is the founder of the Ronnie Fein School of Creative Cooking in Stamford, Connecticut and the author of Hip Kosher: 175 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes for Today's Kosher Cooks (Da Capo Press). She has a lot to say about food and shares her food memories, recipes, and food related thoughts on her blog, Kitchen Vignettes. Ronnie lives in Stamford with her husband and has two married daughters and four grandchildren.


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The Naturalist – Epic 25 / 50k
October 3, 2020
Franklin, North Carolina
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A Cottage or Holiday Park Your Way in the Stunning North of England
The north of England, well what can we say and where do we start, the north is a huge mix of fabulous scenery, great beaches and amazing city attractions.
We have lots of holiday parks and cottage accommodation throughout the north of England. We have holiday parks which cater and are aimed at all different types of people. Lively, family fun, go active or even just pure relaxation.


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The Flu Case
October 31, 2009
It's almost surreal, like something out of a sci-fi flick, but nano-microchips invisible to the naked eye are a reality that are already being hosted in wide-range of applications. The question is, how long will it take governments and big pharma to immerse nano-microchips inside of vaccines to tag and surveil global populations?
[efoods]Nanotechnology deals with structures smaller than one micrometer (less than 1/30th the width of a human hair), and involves developing materials or devices within that size. To put the size of a nanometer in perspective, it is 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.
More than ten years ago, simple low-cost techniques improved the design and manufacture of nano-microchips. That unlocked a multitude of methodologies for their manufacture in a wide-range of applications including optical, biological, and electronic devices.
The joint use of nanoelectronics, photolithography, and new biomaterials, have enabled the required manufacturing technology towards nanorobots for common medical applications, such as surgical instrumentation, diagnosis and drug delivery.
Japan's Hitachi says it has developed the world's smallest and thinnest microchip, that can be embedded in paper to track down parcels or prove the authenticity of a document. The integrated circuit (IC) chip is as minute as a speck of dust.
Nanoelectrodes implanted in the brain are increasingly being used to manage neurological disorders. Mohammad Reza Abidian, a post-doctoral researcher at the U-M Department of Biomedical Engineering said that polymers in nanotubes "are biocompatible and have both electronic and ionic conductivity." He further stated "therefore, these materials are good candidates for biomedical applications such as neural interfaces, biosensors and drug delivery systems."
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!


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Skoki and its surrounding areas offer unlimited photographic
opportunities. The gallery images consist of interior/exterior
lodge, cabin shots and spectacular scenic shots from
the area. When you come, bring you camera!
Please feel free to email
us any shots you feel are outstanding. We may use them
in our new Skoki Visitors photo gallery coming soon!
Click an image below to view a larger version:


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The Stringer
Political Suicide: The Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party
Bernie: Revised Edition
Francis: The People's Pope
Meet the Deplorables: Infiltrating Trump America
Trump: A Graphic Biography
After We Kill You, We Will Welcome You As Honored Guests: Unembedded in Afghanistan
The Book of Obama: From Hope and Change to the Age of Revolt
The Anti-American Manifesto
The Year of Loving Dangerously
America Gone Wild: Cartoons by Ted Rall
Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?
Attitude 3: The New Subversive Online Cartoonists
Generalissimo El Busho: Essays and Cartoons on the Bush Years
Wake Up, You're Liberal!: How We Can Take America Back from the Right
Attitude 2: The New Subversive Alternative Cartoonists
Gas War: The Truth Behind the American Occupation of Afghanistan
Attitude: The New Subversive Political Cartoonists
Ted Rall is the political cartoonist at ANewDomain.net, editor-in-chief of SkewedNews.net, a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is the author of the biography "Trump," to be published in July 2016.
©2020 Ted Rall. All Rights Reserved.
Website Design by Thermal Exposure.


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Are you wondering why your Fly Predators haven't hatched yet and want to know how to help them hatch quicker? Jess our Fly Predator Scientist has the answers...
Why Fly Predator Hatch Times Vary
The species that comprise Fly Predators have a life cycle that is very dependent on overall average temperatures. At ideal conditions (around 85°F) it takes a minimum of 2 weeks for the Fly Predator to develop from egg to adult. At much cooler temperatures, they can take 6 weeks or more to hatch.
Generally, we try to send out Fly Predators that have already been incubated for about a week, so that in the warm summer months, they will begin hatching within 5 days of arrival. However, temperatures during travel and temperatures where they are being kept can have large impacts on how quickly Fly Predators hatch. During the first shipment of the season, it's not unusual for your Fly Predators to take 10 to 14 days after arrival to emerge. It's much faster than that during the heat of August.
How Do I Help My Fly Predators Hatch Quicker?
If your weather is warm and you want to make sure your Fly Predators hatch as quickly as possible, keep them at a consistently warm temperature once you receive them. Don't put them in direct sun as this can make them too hot while in the bag. On top of a refrigerator is a cozy place, but write a note so you don't forget them.
If your weather is cooler than normal, particularly if you have a chance of freezing night time temperatures, you will want to slow down the hatching of your Fly Predators. If they traveled through cool temperatures on their way to you (which often happens in the early spring and late fall), even once kept consistently warm, it may take 2 weeks or more for your Fly Predators to hatch. If kept outside once they arrive, and night time temperatures are still falling down into the 50's, this could also result in delayed hatching, even if daytime temperatures are getting into the 70's or higher. You can match the speed of emergence to match your weather, which is also how quickly your pest flies will be emerging.
Bottom line: don't worry if your Fly Predators don't hatch right away in the spring and fall. Try to keep them in a consistently warm location, such as on top of a refrigerator or other electrical appliance that generates a little heat (just don't cook them).
Deer flies are water breeders and can travel long distances, making them impossible to control in their larval stages. However, there are a few ways to help keep them away from you. BugPellent Gel is a good repellent if they are bothering you while out riding. If they bother you more in a specific spot, such as near a pool or in a back yard, etc., then a trap may be another way to go. There are traps that you can build yourself. You can search online for plans to build the home made version by searching for Manitoba Trap. For deer flies, another trap that works pretty well is to get something like a kickball and paint it blue (deer flies are particularly attracted to blue), then cover the ball in a product called Tanglefoot (you can usually find this at places like HomeDepot), then hang the sticky blue ball in a tree near where you spend time.
Extended Deer Fly Information
"We and they love your Fly Predators. No annoying flies around the manure in the barn or even in our house." says happy Fly Predator customer Kathy S.
Kathy cares for her big and beautiful oxen Dale, Max, Jake, and Chip by using Fly Predators. Her oxen weight about 2,600 pounds each and stand anywhere from 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall! That's a lot to love! :-)
Thanks so much for sharing these terrific photos with us! You can read more wonderful customer testimonials close to home on our Customer Quotes Near Me page!
It is a common and widespread belief that horses, being a flighty prey species, automatically fear predatory species. It seems logical to believe this.
The horse is a prey species. It is a grazing creature that, in the wild, always lives in herds on grasslands. It evolved millions of years ago surrounded by hungry predators mainly of the dog and cat family. This included wolves, lions and saber-toothed tigers.
Unlike many grassland prey species, such as wild cattle, sheep, goats, rhinoceros, and elephants, the horse is equipped with neither horns nor tusks. Its primary defense is flight. The horse's anatomy and its physiology are designed to sprint from perceived danger.
What precipitates flight is the perception of predation, not the presence of a predator.
I became aware of this for the first time in 1949 when the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus came to Tucson. I was amazed to see a full-grown Bengal Tiger riding on the back of a horse. "How is such a thing possible?" I thought. "Doesn't the horse, a prey animal, automatically fear a tiger, a predator?"
I had seen wild horses that had never had human contact panic when a man first approached them in a pen. That seemed "normal". In time I observed that when such horses were approached by children, or most women, they were less inclined to panic. Why?
Similarly, when such horses were approached by a friendly, casual ranch dog, it did not result in blind flight. Weren't dogs predators?
Predation usually take two forms:
I have been twice on veterinary safaris to East Africa. There one will see lounging prides of lions, a short distance from grazing herds of zebra, a close relative of the horse.
As long as the lions are resting quietly, the zebra, always aware of the lion's presence, do not flee.
But, if a lion arises and stretches, the zebra focuses on it. If the lion then casually moves away from the zebra, they go back to grazing.
If, however, the lion crouches, becomes motionless and stares at the zebra, they immediately prepare to flee.
I noted, long ago, that when stallions want to propel their range herd of mares and youngsters into flight, they assume a predatory stance. They lower their heads, crouch, and fix their eyes upon their "quarry". This motivates the herd into flight away from the predatory behavior even though that behavior is being displayed by a fellow prey animal – a horse.
Thus I learned that horses do not fear predators. They fear predatory behavior, the stalk and the charge. So anything unfamiliar to the horse that is stationary is alarming. It might be just a trash can, or a discarded box, or a rock that somebody painted their initials on, or a resting animal that it has never seen before like a pig or a llama – anything! This is why horses may shy at an unidentified stationary object. It isn't stupidity. It is nature's wisdom. In its natural environment in the wild, this is how horses manage to survive.
Similarly, anything unfamiliar, unidentified that moves towards the horse, may be identified as predatory behavior, and for the horse, the best way to escape a predator is by flight.
If we respond to such behavior by inflicting pain, as with the whip or spur or violent reining, we establish permanent fear of whatever caused the "spooking". So if a horse shys at a sheet of paper on the trail, it is thinking "I see an unfamiliar stationary thing. I had better run away from it or it may hurt me", and then if we hurt the horse, we have confirmed its fear. And, horses don't forget. Horses with poor memories did not survive over the millions of years.
If an unfamiliar object comes towards the horse, say a kid on a bicycle for the first time, or a hiker with a big backpack, or a golf cart, or a tumbleweed, the horse's natural reaction is flight. It's not stupidity. It is nature's wisdom. It's the key, for a horse, to survival in the wild.
Horses can be desensitized, with amazing speed to any sensory stimulus, no matter how severe, providing that it causes no pain. Thus horses can become oblivious to the loudest noise, the strongest smell, the sight of anything no matter how vivid, and the touch of plastic sheets or electric clippers, or ropes on its body, and even a tiger riding on its back.
That's why horses were so vitally useful to mankind for so many millennia in warfare.
Once we accept the concept that horses do not automatically fear predators but they do fear predatory behavior unless they are methodically and properly desensitized to it, we can understand how to best get along with and communicate with horses.
We will discuss such methods of desensitization in a future article.
Since horses have infallible memories it should now be obvious how important the first experience of any kind will be to a horse, regardless of its age. The first experience with people, dogs, cattle, curry combs, electric clippers, wheelbarrows, flags, halters, bridles, saddles, foot trimmings, fly spray, motorcycles, crossing a puddle of water, whatever, will be remembered forever. If that memory results in what we regard as an unsatisfactory response, it can be changed. However that requires skill, experience, patience, persistence, and empathy. Anger, impatience, and violence will worsen the problem.
Now you can see why determined, aggressive rapid movements and a fixed gaze on a completely green horse causes the horse to regard us as a predator, whereas a casual relaxed, soft approach, halting and even retreating if the horses reacts in a frightened manner is the best way to initially introduce a horse to anything new. Retreat is non-predatory.
Later, after the horse accepts the new experience with the indifference, then you can gradually increase the intensity of the experience. As long as it doesn't cause pain the horse can accept it.
Horse training consists simply, of giving horses a choice between comfort and discomfort. The discomfort can be mental or physical and it can be quite mild. It does not have to be severe. The ultimate goal should be 100% respect and response, but zero fear. It can be done.
Dr. Robert M. Miller discovered Pat Parelli at Bishop Mule Days when he was not yet 26 years of age. Dr. Miller recalls witnessing a young man loudly explaining to a small group of perhaps a dozen people how he was going to mount a mule colt and ride it for the first time. "This ought to be good" Dr. Miller thought to himself, and stopped to watch the show. A half an hour later he returned to his camper where his wife, Debby Miller was taking a break and told her, "I want you to come see this young guy working with a colt. I have never seen such natural talent in my life."
After Pat's demonstration was over Dr. Miller introduced himself.
"I know who you are." Pat said. "You work for Western Horseman Magazine."
Dr. Miller collected Pat's contact information and on his way home, got an idea. Dr. Miller pitched the idea of an article for Western Horseman Magazine to Pat on his colt starting technique. Pat was delighted. The article turned out to be a series of three in three consecutive issues titled, "A New Look at Same Old Methods." The series launched a demand for Pat's services, and the rest is history.
You can read Dr. Miller's 3 part series articles "A New Look at Same Old Methods" here.
© Spalding Laboratories. All Rights Reserved.


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April 6, 2013
Jeff Dunham and The Batmobile
Comedian Jeff Dunham comes in to talk about comedy, cars and home-built helicopters. And Jeff brings us an unbelievably unique car from his collection — an actual Batmobile. Not a clone, but one used in the movies.
BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and (c)DC Comics.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Show Credits
Producer: Jeff Fox
Audio Engineer: Chris Laxamana
[nggallery id=261]


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About ten years ago a doctor told me that I had a fistula. I know now that I had no idea back then of what a fistula actually was. I was young and didn't ask a lot of questions and didn't really concern myself with it. I didn't really notice the fistula was all that different from the rest of my terrible bowels. When I moved to Texas, I told my doctor that I had a fistula (I still didn't really understand what that meant) and she never denied it the entire time that I lived there. So, I am not really certain if she ever really saw a fistula or just took my word for it. Now that I have returned to Texas, I have decided to see a different specialist because I am not sure if my previous doctor ever really knew if I had a fistula or just took my word about it. I remember there were times that I thought my fistula was having problems and instead of checking it out, she would medicate me. Now I know better than to let that happen.
After I moved to Holland I had a huge flare-up of my Crohn's four months after arriving. I had a high fever of 104 F and was admitted into the hospital. I had a lot of pain in my private area (and of course lots of diarrhea) but they never really said what was wrong with me. After I spent eleven days in the hospital I got well enough for them to discharge me but I would still have a lot of pain down there. Then one day it was like the pressure gave away and a little hole formed. The hole was my fistula. This really was one of my fears in life, and it came true, and it really is terrible, but life goes on and we have to deal with what we are given. No point in moping about. A few years later I had an abscess which was cured with antibiotics, but it showed up another year later in the same place, so they cut the abscess out. That was a lot of fun too - let me tell you.
I had a really great proctologist in France and he was great in answering my questions. I have a seton in my fistula to keep it open until maybe one day they can put some glue in it. Sometimes if the fistula doesn't close by itself, they can insert a glue-like substance to close it up. But the surrounding cells have to be really healthy to perform this procedure because otherwise the glue will not stick. It is also important to be low on steroids. So, until the cells around my fistula get healthy, I have no hope of them fixing it.
When my Crohn's is flared-up and my fistula is giving me problems, I get a bit cranky and all tasks and daily routine become an absolute nightmare. I start to stress every time we try to plan something because I am never sure how I will be feeling. But I try to go forward with my plan making and just keep in mind that I can always cancel if I'm feeling really bad; it's part of my 'grab happiness wherever you can policy.'
Life with Crohn's disease really makes a person humble. There is no modesty and lots of humiliation. But I really do think that it is character building. We have no control of what our bodies do. I guess if we did, there would be no disease. When I see someone acting strange, I don't immediately think they are weird. I wonder why they are acting that way and wonder if they too have a problem, what burden are they carrying and hiding. We all have a burden, but how you view your burden defines how heavy or light it is.
Take care,
Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.


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For the record, Shetterly claims that the story is
4/5 by me, 1/5 by Emma Bull, with help from Elizabeth Bear, Sarah Monette, and Amanda Downum.As one can expect with anything Shadow Unit, I'm excited. I've never read a single thing by Will Shetterly and what better place to start than with his debut Shadow Unit piece?
I never talked about "Dexterity", the Sarah Monette episode. Ya know...it was good because it was Shadow Unit and because it had the characters I've come to appreciate (dare I say love?) over the first two episodes and the myriad of teasers, but it felt lacking in depth, like everything came too easy to the characters in "Dexterity". Emma Bull's story "Breathe" and Elizabeth Bear's "Knock on Coffins" were much, much stronger.
For me.
Tomorrow, I read "A Handful of Dust".


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Joshua Keating: Remember Ukraine?
Russian President Vladimir Putin may not be intentionally taking advantage of the fact that the world's attention is focused on Iraq right now, but some recent developments in Ukraine certainly haven't gotten the notice they would have a couple of weeks ago:
Over the weekend, NATO provided satellite imagery backing up recent Ukrainian government claims that unmarked Russian tanks had crossed the border. Russia has denied that it is supplying arms and equipment to separatist groups, and the rebels say they capture their equipment from Ukrainian forces.
Russian energy giant Gazprom cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine on Monday over a long-standing pricing dispute. There was also an explosion at the main pipeline carrying Russian gas through Ukraine to the rest of Europe Tuesday, which the Ukrainian interior ministry blamed on an act of terrorism.
Tuesday also saw some of the heaviest fighting between Ukrainian security forces and separatist rebels since the conflict began in April with clashes along the Russian border. The fighting comes just a few days after separatists shot down a Ukrainian military transport plane, killing 49 servicemen.
A Ukrainian government mortar attack near Luhansk also killed a Russian TV journalist.
The crisis in Ukraine appeared to be dying down following the election of President Petro Poroshenko when Putin appeared to be backing down on his rhetorical support for the rebels and removing troops from the border.
Putin ordered a tightening of the border a couple of weeks ago and has been in contact with Poroshenko, but if the tank story is true, it seems as if Russia is at least allowing military equipment to cross into the hands of the rebels if not actively sending it. Even on the porous Ukrainian-Russian borders, columns of armored vehicles are the kind of thing that get noticed.
Meanwhile, Poroshenko says he will outline a peace plan soon and is willing to negotiate with rebels, just not those with "blood on their hands" — which likely means the government won't actually be talking to those who are actually doing the fighting.
As with gas supplies, the rebel movement may be a force that Russia is able to turn up or turn down depending on when it's politically expedient. At the moment, with the international community's attention elsewhere, the Kremlin seems to be dialing up the pressure.
Keating is a staff writer at Slate focusing on international news, social science and related topics. He was previously an editor at Foreign Policy magazine.


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He Is There
1. In a world filled with so many people
There are times when you feel all alone,
Times when no one understands how you're feeling deep inside,
And it seems you're left to struggle on your own.
But no matter how bad this world seems
There is always one place you can turn,
For our Father is near, just waiting for your prayer,
And you won't feel alone once you've learned
That He is there,
watching over you.
He is there to help you make it through.
Anytime you're feeling troubled
Just go to Him in prayer
And He will comfort you,
For He is always there.
2. Life is full of temptations and trials,
And at times you may stray from the light.
Feeling lost and afraid over choices that you've made,
You can sometimes feel you'll never get things right.
But we weren't sent to earth to fail.
That's why Jesus paid the price for our sins.
Our Father knows your burdens. He's heard your ev'ry cry.
Just trust Him; He will be your one true friend,
For He is there,
Text: Margo Edgeworth
Music: Margo Edgeworth
Artist: Edgeworth
Album: Music Published in the Church Magazines: New Era
Composition Date: 2000-09-01
More Info: New Era


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Join the fun with a group that meets every Wednesday evening to play a variety of board & card games. Most games last less than 90 minutes so we can enjoy a change of pace. Bring a game you like to play or a new one you want us to try out together.
Game Night convenes in the Stadler Room on the first Wednesday of the month, and at tables in the Commons the rest of the month. Come join the fun!


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Harrison, N.Y., March 4, 2008 – Veteran financial services industry specialist CBSI and Pets Best Insurance of Boise, Idaho have partnered to market pet insurance products to consumers through financial services distribution such as credit card and checking account issuers, membership service and employee benefit providers.
CBSI is the leading developer of marketing and account enhancement programs for financial institutions and corporations. CBSI provides programs and services that reach over 200 million consumers. Pets Best Insurance is a leading provider of pet insurance that is experiencing extraordinary acceptance and growth. Pets Best Insurance provides pet owners with 80% coverage after a deductible for veterinary health care, and also provides wellness benefits. Pets Best is earning high marks among consumers and veterinarians because there are fewer limitations, policy holders can choose any veterinarian, and enjoy easy state-of-the-art online claims technology and fast reimbursements. Sponsors such as credit card and checking account issuers, and membership benefit providers can contact CBSI to offer pet health insurance to their customers or members.
According to a recent survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, 63% of households own a pet, and pet owners spent $40.8 billion on their pets in 2007, up from $29.5 billion five years ago. Pet owners care for over 85 million cats and 70 million dogs and spent $9.8 billion for veterinary care last year.
CBSI Vice President Peter Alter notes that, "Pet-owning households are double the number of households with children, and pet spending is one of the top 10 retail segments in the U.S. We are all pet lovers here at CBSI, and this program is a great way for pet owners to be able to economically take care of injured or ill pets." Alter adds, "Credit card and debit card spending for pets and their care is a large category for consumer bank account issuers. Financial institution sponsors can provide the program to their customers through a number of marketing channels including billing statements and websites. When customers sign up and have their monthly premiums billed to their account, not only do sponsors earn fees, but their account retention is improved as enrolled customers will want to keep their benefits in place to care for their pets."
The founder of Pets Best Insurance is Dr. Jack Stephens. According to Dr. Stephens, "In my many years of providing pet insurance to families, today is an important milestone that will translate into major expansion for our company and pet insurance in general. CBSI is one of the most respected, successful and innovative providers to our nation's financial institutions."
Dr. Stephens adds, "Today's announcement is clearly a signal that pet insurance has finally arrived and millions more pet families will realize the importance and benefits of pet insurance. This greatly improves our ability to grow the entire industry, and we thank CBSI for their foresight and understanding of the importance of pets in our households." Dr. Stephens is the pioneer of pet insurance in America and is considered the most experienced innovator of pet insurance in the United States with over twenty-five years of experience.
Pets Best is licensed in all 50 states and underwritten by North Pointe Insurance, rated 'A'- Excellent by A.M. Best.
CBSI is a leading developer of direct response marketing programs designed to attract, activate and retain customers, and generate revenue. The thirty – five year old firm based in Harrison, NY, near New York City with a mid west office in suburban Chicago, provides enhancement programs that provide travel protection, retail purchase protection, identity theft and disability-unemployment benefits that cover more than 200 million consumers. Call 914-381-5353 for more information.
About Pets Best Insurance: Pets Best Insurance reimburses pet owners for services from the veterinarian they choose, with no schedules or fee restrictions, truly establishing it as "Pet insurance that really pays!" Pets Best Insurance was founded by Dr. Jack Stephens, the pioneer of American pet insurance with over 25 years in the pet insurance industry. Dr. Stephens is also an accomplished veterinarian and avid pet enthusiast. Pets Best includes a choice of three affordable coverage plans with a straightforward 80:20 claims reimbursement structure and NO benefit schedules. The Pets Best Insurance team is a highly skilled and professional group of pet lovers who have developed products based on innovation and insight into veterinary care. Visit Pets Best Insurance at www.petsbest.com or phone Pets Best Insurance at 877-PetsBest (738-7237). Pets Best, Simply the Best Pet Insurance! Media Contact: Brett Johnson at Pets Best Insurance 1-877-738-7237 ext. 641


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Polycom® VVX600 Business Media Phone
A premium business media phone delivering best-in-class desktop productivity for busy corporate executives and managers.
Key Features:
16 line keys, Large 4.3" multi-touch LCD screen, HD Voice for superior audio, Video capable, Call handling capabilities, Enables third party applications
Includes:Polycom VVX 600 IP phone, Handset with cord, Network cable
More Info
Polycom® VVX500 Business Media Phone
A performance business media phone that delivers best-in-class desktop productivity.
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Includes:Polycom VVX 500 phone, Handset with cord, Network cable
Polycom VVX1500 Business Media Phone
First business media phone combining advanced IP telephony, one-touch video and business applications into a seamless, life-like experience!
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Includes:Polycom VVX 1500 console, handset with handset cord, network (LAN) cable
Polycom® VVX Camera
Turns your VVX phone into a desktop video solution.
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Includes:Polycom VVX Camera
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Dec 13, 2012– Rochester, USA (Techreleased) – Kodak and Automated Graphic Systems (AGS), a Consolidated Graphics company, welcomed nearly 90 guests for an open house and networking event on Tuesday, December 11, at the AGS facility in White Plains, Md. Throughout the day, attendees learned about the trends that are shaping the print industry and saw the full-color KODAK PROSPER 5000XL Press in action producing live print jobs.
"In this market, it's cutthroat. You have to do whatever you can to separate yourself from the competition. And if speed and personalization is the way to do it, then AGS and the KODAK PROSPER 5000XL Press is the way to go," observed attendee Jennifer Andrus, Production Manager, Gryphon House Publishing.
The day began with tours of the AGS facility and digital printing demonstrations with the PROSPER 5000XL Press. Later, Katie Kriemelmeyer, President, AGS, hosted a "Technology-to-Print" session that addressed trends in digital printing and the importance of relevant customer data for personalization of printed material. An informal evening networking event allowed attendees to interact with both AGS and Kodak representatives, as well as talk with their peers about technology and the current business climate.
"We were thrilled to host an event where we could bring together our clients and technology experts," said Kriemelmeyer. "Showcasing the power of digital print to help our customers reach their audiences in a rapidly changing marketing and communications environment was powerful."
The PROSPER 5000XL Press features Stream Inkjet Technology and offers full process color perfecting with a print width of up to 24.5 inches (62.23 cm) at speeds up to 650 feet per minute (200 mpm). This robust and high-performance inkjet web press helps customers differentiate themselves and drive profitability by delivering quality, productivity and lower total cost of operations for short-run color books in quantities up to 4,000. It is capable of print quality that rivals offset output up to 175 lpi on uncoated, coated, and glossy papers ranging from 30 to 200 pound (45 to 300 gsm) text weight.
"Working hand in hand with our customers for an event like this is always an exciting opportunity, because visitors get to see our products performing in a live production environment," said Will Mansfield, Kodak's Director of Marketing, Inkjet Printing Solutions. "And the combination of product demos with educational sessions and networking really seemed to meet the needs of the attendees I spoke with. We value the partnerships we have formed with our customers and are committed to helping them promote their capabilities to their clients and prospects."
With a broad portfolio of publishing solutions that optimize the manufacturing supply chain for short- or long-run book production, Kodak offers prepress and digital print technologies that drive sustainability and cost savings to help publishers and printers thrive in the face of a transforming industry.
As a go-to partner for marketing communications and book publishing, AGS employs the latest technologies, combined with over 37 years of experience, to connect client messages with their audience. AGS delivers end-to-end print production solutions to help customers achieve results.


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Diary of a Webhead
This story appears in the April 1999 issue of . Subscribe »
Contrary to popular stereotypes, not everyone under 35 was born with a mouse in his or her hand, and just because you're young doesn't mean you speak fluent HTML. Even if you're a Net novice, however, you can still do business in cyberspace. Don't believe us? Then believe Tina Gasperson.
She and her husband, Darin, went from newbies to Netpreneurs at warp speed when they decided to start an online retail site. The following diary traces two years in the life of their start-up and the ups and downs they encountered on the road to high-tech success.
In 1996, Darin was the manager of one of the largest retail aquarium stores in the Southeast. An avid hobbyist, he developed valuable contacts in the tropical fish and aquatic plant industries (aquatic plants are used in aquariums, ponds and water gardens), and could secure almost any type of freshwater fish or plant. People around the country started asking to buy plants from us.
The time was ripe to start our own business. Darin's desire to be his own boss, coupled with my enthusiasm for Internet technology (I was a devoted online hobbyist at the time), were more than enough to get us started-even in our cramped, second-floor apartment. Here's a closer look at how our Internet-based business was born.
June 14, 1996
We've decided to set up a Web site and start selling aquatic plants. The No. 1 reason: We've found the Internet holds many haunts for tropical fish enthusiasts who are serious about their hobby. We believe we can profitably tap into the market on a long-term basis. Aquatic plants are increasing in popularity, and the only direction for Internet commerce is up.
The No. 2 reason: The Web site is free. CompuServe provides members with free space for a home page, personal or business, and a free program, the Home Page Wizard, that will let me design and publish Web content with no knowledge of HTML (that's Hyper Text Markup Language).
June 30, 1996
Today, I created my first Web page in less than an hour. There's one huge graphic of a waterlily (I couldn't figure out how to make it smaller), an "under construction" sign, a paragraph explaining our business and our phone number. Darin hates the waterlily. It's not award-winning material, but it's not bad for a first attempt. I passed our URL (the "address" users type to point their browsers to the Web site) out to everyone on CompuServe who might be interested in buying aquatic plants. I even posted it in CompuServe's Tropical Fish Forum marketplace section with a "Grand Opening" announcement.
July 16, 1996
I bought Laura Lemay's book Teach Yourself Web Publishing With HTML 3.0 in a Week and devoured it. I found out I can bypass CompuServe's Wizard entirely and be extremely creative in setting up graphics and arranging text. It was enlightening to learn the "little" things, like how to size graphics (my waterlily is now a much more manageable 1 inch by 1 inch), create tables (I'm putting our price list online this week!) and follow the basic elements of good Web page design. It's exciting to think I can develop a professional Web site for free.
July 19, 1996
I discovered the wonderful world of newsgroups. Lots of people with the same interests get together and have discussions by posting messages that can be accessed by everyone in the group. And-you guessed it-there's a newsgroup devoted to fans of aquatic plants! It's enough to make any business owner salivate-untold numbers of potential customers all hanging out together, talking about your product.
I have to be careful, though, to avoid posting blatant advertisements. According to "Netiquette," doing so is not polite and tends to make people angry. It is acceptable to provide answers to questions and in doing so post your URL as part of your electronic "signature." Darin had better put on his thinking cap-he doesn't know it, but he's about to become the Dear Abby of the aquatic plant world.
August 12, 1996
I'm getting hooked on this Internet marketing stuff! I stayed up all night surfing, looking for ways to publicize the business. I found quite a few aquarium-related sites and checked to see if they would be willing to "trade links" with me-to place my URL on their links page in exchange for my returning the favor. I also found a site called "WebStep 100" that lists the top 100 places to promote my site for free, including search engines Yahoo!, AltaVista and WebCrawler. I worked my way through the top 20. Tomorrow I'll run searches to see if any have listed us yet, though Yahoo! did warn it sometimes takes several weeks.
September 9, 1996
Today I worked some more on the appearance of the site. We've been getting more positive comments from visitors lately. Darin says it's because I took the waterlily graphic out. He may be right-we're gradually developing a very upscale look. I designed a logo and placed it on the upper right-hand corner of each page for continuity.
I also created clickable icons that take visitors to different areas of the site, such as the price list, contact information and the FAQ page. Lemay's book has a great HTML reference card that lists all the codes you need on one page. I keep it handy while I'm formatting.
September 29, 1996
We've outgrown CompuServe. I love the free Web site, but for more complex business needs, there are a few limitations. I want to put some interactive feedback forms on the site, but I've learned that requires "CGI" (Common Gateway Interface, a programming language more complicated than HTML that executes a program on the host computer). CompuServe doesn't include that as part of its free service. Also, our URL is long and difficult to remember--typical with free Web site space.
We're switching to a new host called Data Realm. They provide 25MB of space for $25 per month, among the most reasonable prices I've found. We'll be able to run any kind of interactive program we want, and we can register our own domain name, making our URL easy to remember (http://www.aquaticgreenhouse.com).
October 7, 1996
Remember that wonderful world of newsgroups I mentioned? Well, paradise turned into hell on earth overnight. It seems one of our customers got some soggy plants from us, and instead of calling us to discuss it, he posted nasty remarks about us on the newsgroup for the whole world to see. I hope my equally public offer to replace his order free of charge is timely damage control. Mama said there'd be days like this.
October 15, 1996
We're running about 100 "hits" per day. That's not a high number by Internet standards, but it's phenomenal for us, since our market is so narrowly specialized.
And Yahoo! finally listed us! I looked up "aquatic plants," and there it was, right at the top of the page-"The Aquatic Greenhouse."
October 24, 1996
I found a shopping cart program I like for our online store. Most are written in CGI, but this one is in Java script, a type of programming that makes the interface more attractive to customers. I can customize it very easily with our logo and any graphics, even though I know nothing about Java. Now Tools, the company I purchased it from, must be used to helping ignorant people like me-they're very patient. For the next few days, I'll work on entering a database of everything we carry and the prices, and I'll design the layout-kind of a virtual plant store. It's going to be extremely time-consuming, but I can't wait to see the results!
November 4, 1996
Argh! We've lost at least 10 sales because I installed the shopping cart program incorrectly. Normally it e-mails the orders to me, but they're coming to me garbled because of a syntax error-and I have no way of contacting the customers to let them know.
I'm beginning to feel like I live in front of the computer screen. No time to write any more-gotta go get my syntax straight.
November 5, 1996
I got the shopping cart glitch worked out, and things are running smoothly for now. Sometimes I get discouraged, but the rewards of setting up our business on the Net far outweigh the difficulties. We have hundreds of customers now, and I'm looking forward to what the future holds.
June 23, 1997
It's been about a year since we started, and next week Darin is leaving his "real job" at the aquarium store to join me full time. We had sales of more than $40,000 in our first year, and we're considering expanding our selection to include rare tropical fish and delving into the wholesale market.
December 15, 1998
The past year has been a learning experience. We had planned to lease a 20-acre farm so we could grow our own plants instead of importing them, but when the owners waffled on their agreement to inject some capital into getting the farm up to speed, we had to break our lease. This caused a serious cash crunch. We had to forgo our plans to expand into tropical fish, and were forced to suspend sales altogether for a short time. Nonetheless, we still managed to increase 1998 sales slightly, to $50,000.
Lesson learned, our plans for 1999 are to go back to our roots, with slower growth and less overhead, and to intensify marketing efforts on the Net. That's our core business, there's a large market of aquarium enthusiasts there, and we truly believe that's where the world is headed.
Smart Move
Get the goods.
Here's where you can get the tools the Gaspersons used to set up their Web site:
- CompuServe: To sign up, call (800) 524-3388 or visit http://www.compuserve.com. To publish your free Web page, visit http://ourworld.compuserve.com.
- Data Realm: This site provides commercial, corporate, personal and nonprofit Web site space. Visit http://www.serve.com for more information.
- Now Tools: Sells full-service Java-, CGI- and browser-based shopping cart systems. The Gaspersons used Checkout Version 2.5. Visithttp://www.nowtools.com.
- Teach Yourself Web Publishing With HTML 3.0 In A Week by Laura Lemay (Sams.net Publishing/Macmillan Computer Publishing, $29.99, 317-271-8423) is an excellent reference tool for learning HTML.
- WebStep 100: This Web site lists the top 100 places to publicize your Web site for free. Visit http://www.mmgco.com/top100/html.


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Series 2800
Application area
Crossings and switches can easily be implemented with the direction-independent turnability. Use as non-driven wheel conveyors for packing tables, assembly tables and feed to processing machines. Particularly suited for softer materials such as cardboards.
Product benefits
Conveyance possible in every direction
Corrosion-proof due to the use of stainless steel pins.
Lateral dove tail profiles for fixed and form-fit connection; floor fastening with screw holes
Flexible adaptability and expandability
Different modules can be combined
Closed version can be applied as spacer


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Filters: Author is Pollock, Tresa M [Clear All Filters]
Journal Article
Bayesian inference of elastic properties with resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 143:71–83.. 2018.
Nanoscale structural heterogeneity in Ni-rich half-Heusler TiNiSn. Journal of Applied Physics. 116:163514.. 2014.
Phase stability and property evolution of biphasic Ti–Ni–Sn alloys for use in thermoelectric applications. Journal of Applied Physics. 115:043720–043720.. 2014.
Role of vibrational and configurational excitations in stabilizing the L 1 2 structure in Co-rich Co-Al-W alloys. Physical Review B. 92:174117.. 2015.
Structural coupling and magnetic tuning in Mn2- x Co x P magnetocalorics for thermomagnetic power generation. APL Materials. 8:041106.. 2020.
Tuning the magnetocaloric response in half-Heusler/Heusler MnNi 1+ x Sb solid solutions. Physical Review Materials. 1:075003.. 2017.


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This is possibly the cutest makeup item to come out this season. If there's a makeup lover you need to get a gift for, this would definitely be it.
At $82, the Dior Cherie Bow palettes feature 3 shadows, black cream liner, and a vibrant pink gloss. The packaging it sturdy and the compact closes with a satisfying snap.
My only beef is with the black liner which is smudgy and not of the long-wear variety, but the beautiful packaging and the versatile shadows mean that this limited edition compact is still vanity worthy.
Available this spring at Dior counters in two colours: Rose Poudre (the first image), and Rose Perle (second image).


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National Parks could be hard hit by sequestration cuts
- Camping and hiking areas might also be closed iif the National Park Service cuts %24130 million from its budget
- Towns surrounding the nation%27s parks could see reduced tourism and lost revenue
- Total National Parks budget is %242.6 billion
People traveling to the nation's parks this spring will find fewer rangers on the job and reduced hours at visitors' centers if the government enacts sweeping budget cuts.
Camping and hiking areas might also be closed when the National Park Service cuts $130 million from its $2.6 billion budget under sequestration measures set to start at the end of March.
Internal estimates, and a memo from park service Director Jonathan Jarvis, were recently leaked to the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. The group published the documents on its website and advocates have since pointed to them as evidence of damage from $85 billion in automatic cuts, known as the sequester.
The Blue Ridge Parkway would lose $784,000. Great Smoky Mountains National Park would lose $944,000. Yellowstone would be out $1.7 million and Yosemite would have to give up $1.4 million.
Towns surrounding the nation's parks should expect reduced tourism and lost revenue, said Jeffrey Olson, a park service spokesman, in a written statement on Tuesday.
Jarvis told regional directors on Jan. 25 to cut all seasonal positions unless they were critical to the health and safety of visitors or protecting resources. He also told managers to extend furloughs for as long as possible.
"We expect that a cut of this magnitude, intensified by the lateness of the implementation, will result in reductions to visitor services, hours of operations, shortening of seasons and possibly the closing of areas during periods when there is insufficient staff to ensure the protection of visitors, employees, resources and government assets," he wrote in is memo to park directors.
Advocates say the parks, which have broad public support, are innocent bystanders in the budget battle.
"The parks have done more with less for a long time," said Don Barger, Southeast regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association. "There is simply no way to absorb this level of cuts without reducing services to the public."
North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, whose district includes parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Smokies, said he expects Congress to approve what's called a continuing resolution to fund the government after sequestration starts March 1.
Congress has until March 27 to act before the cuts start.
That would allow for managed budget cuts instead of automatic reductions across the board.
He's talked with park managers about the cuts and is working with U.S. Rep. Phil Roe in Tennessee on the issue.
He said he is concerned about the impact cuts at the parks would have on local economy.
About 280 million people visit national parks each year, the park service said, and Visitor spending supports 247,000 jobs and has a $31 billion economic impact in local economies.
"I think it was a bad way to make cuts," Meadows said. "Do we need to make cuts? Most definitely. But making them across the board like that is not managing our fiscal responsibility."
Ostendorff also reports for the Asheville (N.C.) Citizen-Times