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The Role of Impact Metrics
How IRIS, PULSE, and GIIRS can further impact investing.
In January 2011, the GIIRS team set out on a world tour to meet with the investees of the initial 25 GIIRS Pioneer Funds. Our team met with entrepreneurs in places as diverse as Mexico, India, and Kenya in industries ranging from microfinance to agriculture to consumer products to test whether GIIRS was a relevant tool to measure impact globally. We returned from the world tour with a wealth of feedback and officially launched GIIRS Ratings & Analytics in the Fall of 2011 at the Clinton Global Initiative.
GIIRS (pronounced "gears," stands for Global Impact Investing Rating System) is a comprehensive and transparent system for assessing the social and environmental impact of developed and emerging market companies and funds with a ratings and analytics approach analogous to Morningstar investment rankings and Capital IQ financial analytics. It seeks to spark the impact investment industry by providing a tool that is intended to change investor behavior and unlock sidelined investment capital through comparable and verified social and environmental performance data on high impact funds and companies seeking investment capital. GIIRS Ratings & Analytics allows entrepreneurs, companies, and fund managers to better serve their customers, workers, and communities by raising capital from mission-aligned investors based on the social and environmental impact of their underlying businesses or portfolio companies.
Since the world tour a year ago, adoption of GIIRS has continued to increase. There are now 66 funds that have committed to getting rated, and more than 300 rated companies and 21 investors that have stated an investment preference for GIIRS-rated funds and will use GIIRS Analytics to manage and benchmark their impact investing portfolios against a broad universe of impact data. In addition, a number of accelerators such as Agora and Village Capital, Social Stock Exchanges such as Mission Markets, NeXii, the Social Stock Exchange, and BRiiX have signed on as GIIRS Partners—in many cases making GIIRS a requirement for participation, impact reporting and listing.
The Role of Impact Reporting and Ratings
For impact investing to achieve credibility as an asset class, investors need a reliable way to compare investment opportunities and measure the performance of their portfolio over time. To meet this need, GIIRS has built a rigorous assessment process for both companies and funds. Data is self-reported by companies and reviewed by a third-party verification service provider, Deloitte & Touche, before a company can receive a rating.
Fund ratings include a weighted average of underlying portfolio companies as well as an assessment of the fund managers themselves. A GIIRS Company Rating includes an overall rating and impact area (Governance, Workers, Community, Environment) ratings, as well as detailed judgments about a company's Social or Environmental Business Model ("SEM"), key performance indicators (KPIs) specific to the industry in which the company operates, and benchmarking based on the company's geography, size, and mission.
Over the past year, our team has continued to refine our understanding of the needs of companies, funds, and investors with regard to impact ratings and reporting. As a result, our team believes the following about impact investing and the role that ratings can play:
- Ratings are important: Ratings are an important tool not only to grow the sector and bring new capital into the space, but also as a mechanism to create comparable data.
- Ratings are feasible: As evidenced by the 300+ companies that have completed the GIIRS ratings process in the past year, it is possible, with the proper support and tools, to collect detailed social and environmental data even from companies in remote areas.
- Ratings process can serve as a roadmap for impact improvement: Companies that have completed the ratings process appreciate that the ratings tool also serves as a mechanism to identify areas for impact improvement and provides tools to help implement these changes.
- To make GIIRS ratings more useful, investors need education and support to incorporate GIIRS into their due diligence and reporting processes.
Since the world tour, we have received continuous feedback from the pioneer funds and companies on how to improve the ratings process. As a result of this feedback we have:
- Made the ratings process administratively easier to complete.
- Made the assessment easier to complete by introducing translated versions of the assessment and making the assessment shorter by reducing the number of required metrics. The assessment has now been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian, and Vietnamese. In additional, 20 other language translations are available using Google Translate.
- Introduced new tools to help companies and funds to improve their impact. These tools include 30 new best practices guides that cover topics ranging from Best Practices on How to Design Products to Address Poverty (Emerging Markets) to How to choose a Health Plan (Developed Markets). Rated companies are now also able to see a customized report that allows them to see which points they have already earned and which points are remaining to allow them to prioritize which practices to implement.
- Introduced new tools to make it easier for funds and investors to incorporate the GIIRS Assessment into their due diligence process.
In the coming year, we will launch Version 4 (V4) of our company assessment and a new product called GIIRS Analytics. As part of Version 4 we will introduce a new track of the assessment for larger companies, refine our socially and environmentally focused business models, incorporate additionally industry-focused metrics and standards for investors with a gender lens and further reduce the length of the assessment.
GIIRS Analytics is a powerful new platform that provides investors with tools to conduct detailed benchmarking, impact reporting analysis, and then report out to stakeholders. GIIRS Analytics provides a logical extension of GIIRS Impact Ratings by making collected data and KPI information available to the investment community for due diligence, advanced reporting, and benchmarking.
It's been an important first year for GIIRS. Although at times we have been humbled by the enormity of the task of creating a comprehensive system to measure and evaluate impact, we recognize that our first year is just one of many in building tools that fully meet the needs of the impact investing marketplace. We owe a debt of gratitude to all of the pioneer funds, companies, and investors for their time and leadership in helping create GIIRS, and we continue to be inspired by all of the entrepreneurs that are creating innovative solutions to solve some of the world's most challenging social and environmental problems.


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Hugo Chavez Headed Back to Cuba for Medical Treatment
CARACAS, Venezuela – The newly re-elected Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez will head back for another round of treatment to combat pelvic cancer that has plagued the world leaders for almost two years.
Chávez has asked his country's legislature Tuesday for permission to travel to Cuba for more medical treatment after spending much of the past 18 months fighting cancer.
The Tuesday request says Chávez has needed "various sessions of hyperbaric oxygenation" and physical therapy to continue "consolidating the process of strengthening health." The request doesn't provide more details about the treatment.
Hyperbaric treatments can be used for a broad variety of conditions.
"Commander, the people of Venezuela hope that you continue with this alternative therapy to move forward in your recovery. Bon voyage!, And the people here are with you," said Diosdado Cabello President of Venezuela's National Assembly, in a statement.
The 58-year-old president first underwent cancer treatment in Cuba in June 2011 and suffered a relapse in February. He has since said he's recovered from the pelvic cancer and won re-election in October against opposition candidate Henrique Capriles.
The socialist leader has held power in Venezuela since 1999, implementing sweeping reforms throughout the country and nationalizing large swaths of private businesses, including in the lucrative oil industry.
With his recent victory, Chávez will now have a freer hand to push for an even bigger state role in the economy, as he pledged during the campaign, and to continue populist programs. He's also likely to further limit dissent and deepen friendships with U.S. rivals such as Iran.
During his campaign Chávez spoke little about his fight with cancer, but he has said his most recent tests showed no sign of illness.
The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.
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subset: commoncrawl


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This book celebrates the flowering of women in American Buddhism. Lenore Friedman set out to explore this phenomenon by interviewing some of the remarkable women who were teaching Buddhism in the United States. The seventeen women she writes about vary in background, personality, and form of teaching. Together the represent the growing presence and influence of women teachers in America—a development that will surely affect Buddhism in the West for years to come. This revised edition includes a new section describing developments in these women's lives and work since the book's first publication in 1987.
Teachers include:Toni Packer, Maurine Stuart, Pema Chödrön, Joko Beck, Ruth Denison, Bobby Rhodes, Jiyu Kennett, Sharon Salzberg, Karuna Dharma, Joanna Macy, Gesshin Prabhasa Dharma, Sonja Margulies, Yvonne Rand, Jacqueline Mandell, Colleen Schmitz, Ayya Khema, Tsering Everest
"The teachers' own words and paraphrased thoughts are skillfully woven into Friedman's lucid prose. The result is a collection of portraits that show how anyone can devote her/himself wholeheartedly to a spiritual path." —San Francisco Chronicle


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Lady Gaga Wears Sky High Heels to Versace Party [Pic]
Lady Gaga really is back in hell-on-heels form.
The singer, who went underground and was MIA while she recovered from tour-ending hip surgery in February, has slowly but surely resurfaced. First, she was in a snazzy leather and gold wheelchair. Then she was seen in kitten heels – which is like Rihanna wearing a shirt in an Instagram pic. It never happens.
She also showed off a white blonde bob and then caused a stir arriving fashionably late for the NYC premiere of 'The Great Gatsby.' But that was all child's play compared to the true sign that she is recovered: sky high platforms.
Gaga was spotted in an all black and waltzing on towering heels, ones that could easily cause her to topple over should she take a faulty step or lose her balance. We don't want her to reinjure herself, or to break an ankle, but then again, few can handle a pair of heels like Gaga can. She's probably uncomfortable walking in anything but.
We're just glad that's she back! She reportedly rocked the heels at a Versace Versus party, where she supposedly played snippets of her new album. She shared a photo of herself before the party started, which you can see below. Check out those lips. Incredibly smoochable, right? We love the berry shade of matte lipstick, too.
She's outta the wheelchair. The heels are on. How about some new music for little monsters to hear, like a single?


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Events for February 8, 2019
Events Search and Views Navigation
Sommelier Led Private Tour (4-12 guests)
Discovery Tour (complimentary for wine club members and three guests) Winter hours (Oct 16-April 1); by appointment only. Vineyard & Cellar tour with taste of 4 wines Duration (Approx. 30 minutes) Booking required: Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Call 250-769-8803 ext. 205 Apply on line www.mtboucherie.com Special offer for Discovery Tour guests: 10% off when purchasing 6 bottles per person […]Find out more »


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Slick Syncing May Sell You on Firefox for Android
Feb 22, 2013 5:00 AM PT
Firefox Browser for Android, a mobile app from Mozilla, is available for free at Google Play.
I've taken to browsing the Web with a mobile device like a duck to water, despite the generally appalling user experience.
I remember well the days of balancing hot and heavy Dell laptops on my middle, recumbent on a sofa -- peering awkwardly at an obscurely angled keyboard, lap getting hotter and hotter.
Relief came when the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet debuted in the U.S. in November 2005. I thought the 4.1-inch screen Debian-modified Maemo OS device was a miracle -- and it kind of was.
It weighed just 6.5 oz., and you could hold it in one hand and poke away with the included stylus with the other. WLAN Internet was delivered on an Opera browser in 800 x 480 pixels. It was sluggish at 252 Mhz, and there was no Flash, but I didn't care. It was luxury -- the Internet in the palm of your hand.
It sounds clunky now, and as we all know, Apple's mobile-networked, similar-concept iPhone was released a little more than a year later in 2007. Still, I have fond memories of that little Nokia device -- and I still appreciate what it taught me about mobile Web browsing.
Seamless Sync
One thing that little tablet did for me, besides cooling my lap, was make me extremely tolerant of the poor Web- browsing experience that is prevalent in the mobile environment. It taught me not to expect much but to be grateful for what I got.
I can report that if you plan on downloading Firefox for Android because you think it is going to improve the readability of Web sites on a poky screen, even in a tablet environment, it doesn't really -- no more than any newer Android browser. It's OK, and fussy websites that don't render well on tablets (like USA Today -- what are they thinking?) still don't render particularly well compared to the desktop experience. Get apps if you want device readability.
What Firefox for Android does, though, is bring your desktop Web browser onto your mobile device, and that's useful in itself. A seamless desktop sync is a step forward and worth trying if you are currently using Firefox on your PC. This morning, I was able to see yesterday's desktop history on my tablet and my tablet tabs on my PC. Useful.
Firefox for Android includes some pretty robust mobile privacy and security settings that will likely become increasingly important.
Privacy Focus
There is a certain amount of reassurance to be gained from using a browser that's been developed by a nonprofit and has a people-oriented manifesto. The Mozilla project is a global community that believes the Internet must remain open and accessible. It promotes models for creating economic value for the public benefit, and it has other lofty goals that one hopes means private data isn't going to get hacked, traded and sold.
Paranoia aside, it's a good bet that the transparent, decentralized, open source nature of Mozilla is good for your privacy. A Do Not Track option in the desktop version of the browser is evidence. Permissions, automatic updates, content and transport security, data encryption, plug-in safety, privacy controls and phishing and malware protection are all intrinsic parts of the product.
Firefox for Android also pitches speed as an asset. I had a problem verifying this claim, because the desktop sync was causing me to browse websites I'd bookmarked that were designed for desktop Web browsers, not ones that I've saved over the years for poky screens and sleepy processors. However, I was able to easily browse those desktop sites on the tablet -- which is more than I can say for early mobile browsers -- like Opera's in the 2005 Nokia.
So, we do seem to be moving forward. A clean most-visited sites area, plus desktop-like add-ons contribute to this movement. Overall, give Firefox for Android a shot if you're to-ing and fro-ing between a Firefox browser-loaded PC and an Android tablet during the course of the day. It may be the differentiator that sells you on the product.
Want to Suggest an Android App for Review?
Is there an Android app you'd like to suggest for review? Something you think other Android users would love to know about? Something you find intriguing but aren't sure it's worth your time or money?
Please send your ideas to me, and I'll consider them for a future Android app review.
And use the Talkback feature below to add your comments!


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by Grant Moser
Beginning July 11 and meeting six times, Woodmere Art Museum is offering a woodcarving class by Mt. Airy resident and artist Kathran Siegel. Though this class is open to adults as well, it is based on a course that Siegel taught to 6th graders at Wagner Middle School in West Oak Lane in 2004. Their finished pieces, scale model chairs, were exhibited at Woodmere in 2005.
Her goal with the middle school class was to get the children thinking. "We learned about math because we were working in scale and used ratios and measuring. We learned about culture because we looked at how different parts of the world had different ideas about what a chair is," Siegel said.
"And I got them thinking personally because I wanted them to incorporate imagery into their design, so something could be a flower and a structural piece, because that's where my background came in."
Siegel's formal background in art goes back to Bennington College in 1962, where she studied painting. Noted art critic Clement Greenberg had a lot of influence over the teachers. "He was very dogmatic about what art was; that it doesn't refer to anything outside of itself, so even a realistic painting wasn't good. After some time, I started to feel very confined by the aesthetic I was being taught," she said.
Siegel, who requested that her age not be mentioned, left Bennington after three years and finished her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of New Mexico in 1966. There she met Paul Brach, an abstract artist, and his wife, Miriam Schapiro, who was involved with feminist art. Siegel followed them to the University of California, San Diego, to help them start a fine arts program and taught several design and color theory classes herself.
Her own paintings also began to change and "became much more playful. I was making something and then cutting it into pieces and rearranging it. It was my own evolution as an artist."
Siegel spent a short time there before moving with her husband, a fellow art student, to Gainesville, Florida in the early 1970s to teach at the University of Florida. By 1974, she was a mother and divorced. The adjunct professor jobs that she had were proving unreliable in terms of income, so she enrolled in the college's Art Education program to become certified to teach in public schools.
She was still making her own art and had begun trying to make her paintings three-dimensional by building wooden skeletons for them in an attempt to play with their shape and perception. She did this without any formal training in woodworking, so when she found out that her Art Education program offered a woodworking course, she took it in hopes of finding a better way to build those structures.
In 1978, after completing both the Art Education program and a post-graduate program to earn her Master's degree, Siegel moved to Jacksonville and began teaching high school art in the county's public schools. In her spare time, she began working on a series of wooden bowls and began carving them.
This urge to carve came from her mother, also an artist, who carved soapstone constantly during Siegel's childhood. When she began doing it herself, she found "peace. It's just so relaxing and wonderful."
Then she decided to make a really, really big bowl. Once she had built it, she started carving it. It turned out abstract, with a piece that swung out and another piece that came in, so it folded around itself. Siegel could barely put her arms around it. She entered it in a competition at the Jacksonville Museum of Art in 1982 and won the grand prize: a one-person show at the museum.
For her one-person show, Siegel created a series of wooden boxes with carved, undular surfaces. Her final piece was a table carved to look like driftwood with lots of holes in it, and sea creatures that went through the holes and landed on the ground. Looking at it from above, it was like looking down into an ocean scene.
The table had a profound impact on the rest of her career. First, it got her noticed and invited to show at more prestigious galleries and museums. Secondly, it began her period of carving her unique style of furniture, full of color and fluidity and whimsy.
But even when Siegel was getting invited to show at galleries and was selling work, she still had trouble making ends meet. So she kept teaching in Florida, and continued to teach when she moved to Pennsylvania in 1998. She first lived in Upper Bucks County and taught at Montgomery County Community College, Bucks County Community College and the Art Institute of Philadelphia. After three years, she moved to Mt. Airy and began teaching in the Philadelphia public school system, a job she kept until she retired last year.
Secondly, her lack of professional training as a woodworker hurt her credibility when she began showing in the early 1980s, but her pioneer spirit just might be her biggest strength. "Among furniture designers … the fact that I'm self-taught in terms of how I put things together and not having any sense of tradition in terms of furniture helps me. Everything is out of my own imagination … I'm not bound by any preconceived ideas. I want to reinterpret, I want to make it my own, to find my own vocabulary."
More information on Siegel at www.kathransiegel.com. For more information on her upcoming woodworking course, visit www.woodmereartmuseum.org and click on Classes & Workshops.


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Celtic Cross Tattoo History and Meninges
Celtic Cross Tattoo Designs are usually interpreted as symbolic of the Christian faith but actually it depends on the beholder. Because Christians popularized the cross as symbol of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, the cross figure is readily attributed to him. However, to some Celtic Cross Tattoo means other things like heritage, war emblem, political persuasions, and many more.
Because we placed the word "Celtic" at the onset of the phrase, it then specifically modifies the type of Celtic Cross Tattoo that we wanted. We desire something that is very much an interpretation of the Celtic tradition and culture. To be Celtic means a melting pot of different cultures and life of the Scandinavian, Welsh, Scottish, British, Irish and other tribes of Europe. The interdependence of people in these areas resulted into the cultural crossover of Norse Art and Celtic Cross Tattoo designs.
Celtic Cross Tattoo and Pagans View
Pagans see the Celtic Cross Tattoo as pointing to the four compass directions of the earth, which are the North, South,
East, and West. It is also illustrative of the four elements, namely: Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth. These elements converge at the intersection to become one strong force. The encircling of the middle part of the cross may represent the union of the physical and spiritual worlds.
Celtic Cross Tattoo in Europa
The dominance of the Christian faith in Europe changed these meanings to one sole subject. Now, the figure embodies the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ whom Christians believe as their Savior and Lord. They believe that through the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross, the sin of the world was forgiven. The circle represents the undying and encompassing love of Jesus Christ where the believer response in unity of faith and commitment to God. Thus, bearer of this figure via a Celtic Cross Tattoo must express the same theme in both heart and mind.


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Are you having trouble with our online store or was there a problem with your order? Check out our FAQ for the answers to many common questions and issues. If you need further assistance, please click here to contact our customer service team and we will respond within 24 hours to your inquiry M-F. Cookies made and shipped from Pittsburgh, PA.
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- Product Details
Easter Bunny Cookie basket
Forget the egg hunts and daffodils, if you want to make this Easter a joy, order one of our Easter Gift Baskets filled with two-dozen Easter bunny cookies and have these holiday cookies delivered hippity-hop! Baked fresh as spring each day, these Easter Bunny Cookies are made with the same artistry and pure ingredients as our original Smiley Face Cookies (ok, so we add the ears), and then hand-iced with colorful frosting and bunny smiles that excite and entice with Easter delight (we've actually seen people hop up and down).
Easter Bunny Cookies
Fresh from the oven, these cute Easter desserts are then packaged in a traditional wicker Easter basket with bright green "grass" and sent to whomever you choose — quick like a bunny. Have your Bountiful Bunnies Easter gift delivered today and score a basket, so to speak!
These cookies are baked fresh the weekday after the order is placed and then wrapped and shipped out the following weekday (for example if your order is placed on a Monday, they will be baked on Tuesday and wrapped and shipped out on Wednesday).
- Nutrition Information
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Our cookies are made in a peanut-free and tree-nut free facility. No peanuts, tree nuts, or nuts of any kind ever enter our bakery. We also ensure that our ingredients are not produced in facilities that process nuts.
Our cookies do contain Wheat, Egg, Soy, and Dairy ingredients.
The Orthodox Union supervises our production and certifies that all of our cookie gifts are Kosher Dairy.
- Additional Information


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oms needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 61 designs submitted by 18 freelance designers.
Elegant and creative logo and business card required for wood craftsmen
Handcrafted by Ahmad Antar or handcraftedbyahmadantar.com
Talented Craftsmen of fine wood maaterials such as jewellery boxes and other fine furniture requires an elegant logo and business card for an upcoming website (to be announced as a contest here).
an example of a jewellery box is
an example of some fine furniture can be found here
I have no colors in mind, however, a colorful approach would be preferred.
The winning design will include a stylish logo and an accompanying business card.
Designs should be submitted in Illustrator EPS format and as a flattened GIF/PNG.
Designs must be original and NO CLIPART!!
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Spockcast - a Star Trek Discovery podcast
More Than Just Star Trek Discovery
We found 1 episode of Spockcast - a Star Trek Discovery podcast with the tag "the big lebowski".
Episode 23: Don't Spoil This For Us!
February 11th, 2018 | Season 1 | 1 hr 12 mins
a view to a kill, admiral katrina cornwall, andrew robinson, back to the future, bicentennial mac, birthrate, captain lorca, cardassian, choh'a, chris carter, chris pratt, cisco, clerks, cloverfield paradox, conan, conan o-brian, context is king, cowboy ninja viking, deep space nine, detmer, dominion, drunken master, duck tales, dune, elon musk, emperor georgiou, entrails, episode iii, fargo, flashback film fest, flight of the navigator, fortune cookies, gama quadrant, game of thrones, garak, gillian anderson, gremlins, gul dukat, heavy metal the movie, hot fuzz, jason momoa, jeffries tubes, john goodman, kelpien, landry, legion, lotr, marco polo, matt jefferies, michelle maclaren, michelle yoeh, monty python and the holy grail, mo'kai, natalie portman, netflix, odo, praxis, qo'nos, queen amadala, raccoff, raising arizona, richard krause, roseanne, salacious crumb, sarek, saru, sarushi, shaun of the dead, solo, space x heavy, stamuts, star wars, star was trilogy, strava, sy snootles rebo band, terminator 2: judgment day 3d, terry gilliam, terry jones, the big lebowski, the family, the iron giant, the terminator, the world's end, tiff lightbox, tng, trisha biggers, tyler voq, t'kuvma, undiscovered country, voyager, wargames, wiilson cruz, wormhole, x-files
Spoilers: This week we cover the Star Trek: Discovery S1E14 "The War Without, the War Within" - Burnham and the crew are faced with the harsh reality of the war during their absence. We report on another Star Wars trilogy and TV shows coming from GOT creators and Disney respectively. We discuss some more X-Files, more Conan, a cowboy, a ninja and a viking! We discuss Natalie Portman raps on SNL, Legion coming back for season 2 and what have we lost on Discovery. We dissect episode 14 or Star Trek Discovery. Picks: Flashback Film Festival, Fan remake of Star Wars prequels, Fan proof of concept for HD Deep Space 9 space battle effects.


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April Bloomfield's Asparagus with Parmesan Pudding and Prosciutto
Buying tips, techniques, and recipes, no matter how you like them.
Asparagus, eggs, and prosciutto are the unofficial holy trinity of springtime cooking. And since these three are so well matched, figuring out how to prepare them isn't much of a issue. You could grill the asparagus, wrap it in prosciutto, and top it off with a poached egg, or throw these three guys in an frittata or a quiche. But if you really want to do right by your asparagus, eggs, and prosciutto, you'll want to give April Bloomfield's Asparagus with Parmesan Pudding and Prosciutto a go.
Adapted from A Girl and Her Pig, the pudding is a silky, wobbly custard with just enough Parmesan and garlic. The asparagus is pan-charred and tossed with olive oil, lemon, and a bit of basil. Served alongside slices of nutty prosciutto with crusty slices of toast, this is the kind of dish that'll have you stocking up on asparagus all season long.
What Worked: This recipe is a keeper, another gorgeous way to enjoy eggs, asparagus, and prosciutto.
What Didn't: Not a thing.
Suggested Tweaks: Parmesan custard might just be the way to go with other favorite springtime veggies—hello ramps, fiddleheads, and favas.
As always with our Cook the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of 'Eat with Your Hands' to give away.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.


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35395, Children's Songbook, The Gospel, The Still Small Voice, 106-7
Through a still small voice, the Spirit speaks to me
To guide me, to save me from the evil I may see.
If I try to do what's right, he will lead me thru the night,
Direct me, protect me, and give my soul his light.
Listen, listen. The Holy Ghost will whisper.
Listen, listen to the still small voice.
Words and music: Merrill Bradshaw, 1929-2000. © 1969 IRI


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1 year warranty - Alesis Q49 - USB MIDI Keyboard
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Alesis Q49 MIDI Keyboard with Free Professional Quality Gig Bag
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Malathion is a type of insecticide, a product used to kill or control bugs. Poisoning may occur if you swallow malathion, handle the product without gloves, or fail to wash hands soon after exposure. Significant amounts are absorbed through the skin unless proper precautions are taken.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
For information on general insecticide poisonings, see Insecticides.
Malathion is used for agricultural purposes to kill and control insects on crops and in gardens. It is also used in government programs to kill mosquitos in large outdoor areas.
Malathion may also be found in certain products to kill head lice.
Call poison control for appropriate treatment information. If malathion is on skin, wash area thoroughly for at least 15 minutes.
Discard all contaminated clothing as hazardous waste through the appropriate agencies. Wear protective gloves when touching contaminated clothing.
Determine the following information:
The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.
See: Poison control center - emergency number
The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Blood and urine tests will be done. The patient may receive:
Patients who continue to improve over the first 4 to 6 hours (after receiving medical treatment) usually recover. Prolonged treatment often is needed to reverse the poisoning, including intensive care hospitalization and long-term therapy. Some toxicity may persist for weeks or months, or even longer.
Carbofos poisoning; Compound 4049 poisoning; Cythion poisoning; Fosfothion poisoning; Mercaptothion poisoning
Toxicological Profile for Malathion. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR); 2003.
Robey WC III, Meggs WJ. Insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides. In: Tintinalli JE, Kelen GD, Stapczynski JS, Ma OJ, Cline DM, eds. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2004:chap 182.
Aaron CK. Pesticides. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2006:chap 161.
Reviewed by: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Notice: The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2012, A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.


text: The Coastal Steamer is still the life line for many people along the coast of Norway. 12 ships travel from Bergen to Kirkenes (1 each day) and back, carrying goods and people - tourists and locals. Every day at (approx) 1PM it arrives in Bodø, and every day at 3PM it leaves for the Lofoten Islands on it's way to the north. 1st of April 2012 was a great weather, no wind, fresh snow on the ground and the sun bringing out the brightest colors of display.


text:
Madonna sells abstract painting for £4.6 million
Pop superstar MADONNA generated £4.6 million for charity by auctioning off a painting by French cubist artist FERNAND LEGER on Tuesday (07May13).
The Material Girl's 1921 painting Trois Femmes a la Table Rouge was snapped up by an anonymous buyer after it went under the hammer at Sotheby's auction house in New York.
The singer, who bought the artwork in 1990, is donating the profits to female education projects in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries where girls do not go to school.
In a statement, she said, "I cannot accept a world where women or girls are wounded, shot or killed for either going to school or teaching in girls' schools. We don't have time to be complacent. I want to trade something valuable for something invaluable - educating girls!"
Madonna has previously focused her charity efforts on building schools in Malawi - where her two adopted children were born - through her Raising Malawi organisation.


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DARK OF THE MOON Enjoying 60% 3D Viewers
Even with the predecessors of DARK OF THE MOON being in 2D and thus carrying an expectation of seeing it again in the same format (just like KUNG FU PANDA 2, CARS 2 and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN), Michael Bay's TF3 is achieving 60% of revenue from 3D screens thus far. Paramount enjoyed 70% 3D screen viewings on the Tuesday evening launch.
Personally I think TF3 would have performed much better on the opening day if they had not opted for the Tuesday evening launch as many more die hard fans would have seen the Wednesday screenings. Compounding the issue is that fact that ticket prices are slashed on Tuesdays (that $5.5m it made could have been $8 or $9m), erasing some of the early income that should have been generated. Regardless, it is still the sixth largest Wednesday opening ever, despite the downturn in the economy. Total box office to Wednesday night is ~$42.8m.
I'm going to see the IMAX version of DARK OF THE MOON as well. Can't wait to compare the formats.
Stats provided by Box Office Mojo.


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text:
To Betty White's way of thinking, retirement is for people who hate their jobs. That's why the 91-year-old funny lady, a TV icon who has won seven Emmy Awards, refuses to call it quits.
There's nothing about acting and making people laugh that bores her. "My problem is I love what I'm doing, and I love this business, and I enjoy the work, and I love the people I work with," White says.
Not only is she still going strong in the fourth season of TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland" (10 p.m. Wednesdays), but she also hosts a hidden-camera prank show called "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (8 p.m. Tuesdays, NBC). "I'm the luckiest person on two feet," White says. "I've done about as much as I can do. I'd just like to keep on doing it."
Q Is it harder to make TV audiences laugh today than when you were just starting out?
A When I started out, television was that miracle on the box in the corner of the room. Over the years, as television got to be such a major part of our lives, the audience has heard every joke. They know every storyline. They know where you're going almost before the first line is out. That's a hard audience to surprise and a hard audience to entertain. And it gets more difficult all the time.
Q So how do you explain the success of "Hot in Cleveland," which uses almost the same playbook that you worked from in the 1970s and 1980s, when doing "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls"?
A Every once in a while, just a good old-fashioned, straightforward television show, or a situation comedy, suddenly hits the spot. It's almost like something the audience hasn't seen for a while.
Q You're famous for your ribald sense of humor. But is there a limit, a line that you refuse to cross?
A I always see more than one meaning to a word, so the double-entendre kind of comedy comes naturally to me. But a double entendre is one thing. Dirty humor is something else. I don't like dirty jokes, but I do enjoy a double entendre.
Q Given the premise of "Off Their Rockers," in which seniors play pranks on the younger generation, are you much of a practical joker?
A I'm not a real prankster. I will maybe kid my friends. I'll tell them something happened that didn't really happen. But I straighten it out pretty fast. The trouble is, you can paint yourself into a corner if you try too many pranks.
Q Are there any downsides to feeling young and vital at age 91?
A My problem is, all my life, I never was interested in younger men. He always had to be a little older than I (was). And my problem now, at 90, is I can't find anybody who's older.


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Every cuisine in India has its own version of making this Stuffed Eggplant delicacy. In fact even with in the same cuisine there are so many variations that it is hard to categorize this as belonging to a specific region. It majorly depends on the ingredients that go into the masala for stuffing.?
?Making this is not an easy process either; it is time consuming, involves lots of steps and requires a person to have good amount of patience to put this together. Ample experience is also required to judge when to turn the eggplant around, adjust the heat variations for cooking, sprinkle water etc.? Nevertheless the effort and patience pays off when the dish hits the table and everybody sits admiring at the 'beauty' and keep gorging on it.??
?Please note think that I am not trying to intimidate anybody about this.? This is based on my own personal experience and I discovered it the hard way. I learnt this recipe from my MIL who is an expert in making this. In fact this is one of her trademark recipes. I got carried away the first time she made this and could not wait to try it out myself. I watched her do with great intent, jotted down the recipe and what I thought were the key steps. But when I actually prepared it, there was only one word to describe the dish. DISASTER. The masala was burnt and the eggplants were not cooked etc.??
This was years ago and I have come a long way since. I have now learnt to make a decent stuffed eggplant though not in the same league as my MIL or other experts.??
10 -15 small brinjals/eggplant
1 medium onion
? cup shredded coconut
Juice of lemon sized tamarind
Little jaggery for taste
Coriander leaves
Salt, oil
Ingredients to dry roast
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp urad daal
1 tsp chana daal
? tsp methi seeds
? tsp sesame seeds
3-4 red chillies
Wash all the brinjals thoroughly and keep aside.?
?Dice the onion into small pieces.?
Dry roast all the ingredients one by one and keep them aside to cool.?
Grind the coconut along with red chillies, salt, tamarind juice and water.?
Half way through add the roasted ingredients and grind it to a smooth paste. Add water as required. The paste should be a bit thick and not runny.?
?Take the eggplant one by one and make a cross cut from the top of the eggplant Make sure to retain it in one piece.?
?Take a spoonful of paste and put this slowly into the opening of the eggplant where a slit was made.? Make sure not to tear the slit more. Repeat this for all the remaining eggplants.
Heat oil in a thick bottom pan; add the diced onions and sauté until transparent.
Remove the onions and keep aside. Reduce the heat to medium, add some more oil and start placing the eggplants one by one in the pan.
Cover a lid and let them cook for a while. After a while check if the eggplants are browning on the bottom. If so then change the direction, so that the brown part is at the top. Add more oil if required and cover the lid.
Check to see if the other side is done as well. Then add the cooked onions and the remaining masala paste and continue to cook.
Once the masala is cooked, steam in little bit oil. Mix and garnish with coriander leaves.
This can be served as a wonderful accompaniment with Rice, Rotis, Naans etc.


text:
By Jimmy Kan in Panoramio's forum
I have been to many countries in South East Asia visiting predominantly temples and noticed that the Buddha images in each country are made differently. Each has its own unique style and blended with local taste, big ears, large forehead, beaked nose, long finger, etc. In Myanmar they put on regalia especially those temples where royalty worship. They even paint the face with make-up. In Thailand their royal Buddha image wears a crown (Wat Phrameru in Ayutthya). In China most are fat and healthy.
The Burmese went one step beyond worshipping, they made offering to particular Buddha image with spectacle, slipper, etc. and they even have one with 6 fingers. The sad part is Cambodia, not many ancient one left, except a few in the museum. The 4 face feature of Bayon Temple is not a Buddha image. It's a hindu deity, Bhrama and many simply called it 4 face Buddha and thus mistook it as a Buddha image.
I have managed to map my Buddha photo collection in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, China and more to come. Hope you enjoy it.
For sure we do ;) Thanks for sharing Jimmy.


text:
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i was just typing and all of a sudden the screen blacks out and i figured maybe it went to sleep for some odd reason so i just hit the power button(which i set to act as the sleep button) to bring it back up. it came back up and then 2 minutes later did it again. now i cant even see anything when i start the computer. if you tilt the screen and shine a light at an angle onto the screen you can see very faintly. but i'm not sure what's wrong with it. i'd like some opinions before my hubby (the computer tech guy around here...) decides to take it apart and play with it.
If you have an external monitor, shut your laptop off & connect the external monitor, then reboot. If you have an adequate display of data on the external monitor & nothing visible on your internal monitor, you have narrowed the problem down to existing on the internal monitor. This solution may not work if you have set your BIOS to not recognize an external monitor on boot up &/or if you have adjusted your graphics adapter drivers to only display on the internal monitor. You can modify your laptop's settings to automatically detect and display on an external monitor but I realize you may not be able to see your display long enough to adjust the settings.
Another thing which occasionally works to bring the display back is to shut the lid and then open it. This usually triggers the screen lighting to turn off & then turn on again. Some laptops have pressure switches in the vicinity of the keyboard so that when the lid is closed, it presses down on the switch and causes the screen to go black. If the switch malfunctions, it can cause your screen to go dark like this.
The faint things you can still see on the screen might well be all the icons, etc. you usually see on your display, only the back lighting may have shut off. Shine a super bright light on the screen, or take it outdoors in full sunlight, look at it at every possible angle, and you may be able to read the entire screen, it won't be nearly as easy as the back light makes it. If you detect the usual screen imagery, but determine the back light has shut off, you have narrowed down the problem considerably.
Unless you have lots of spare working laptop screen parts laying around, there is little to gain by taking the machine apart to diagnose a problem like this.
I've owned about 10 laptops over the years & quit using the 'sleep' function a long time ago. That function did not work reliably for me, some running programs would prevent the machine from waking up after it went to sleep - leaving a black display & me mystified as to what had happened. The most I will do is have a screen saver activate after a period of inactivity. If I want my machine to go to sleep I shut it down & reboot when I want it to start again.
it did work to hook it up to the external monitor. also my firefox decided to go on the fritz at the same time my monitor on the laptop did...i dunno if that matters or not. it said something about there being an error with it. which i solved just now by downloading it again and it works fine. so maybe that doesnt have any bearing on this issue. but its fixed i suppose. although the point of a laptop is being mobile...and its currently not if i have to have it hooked up to a desktop monitor....
If you point with a light and you see things on screen, maybe the problem is the inverter. If your laptops still under warranty, call to customer service to resolve this.
Best regards.
If your machine is still under warranty, it's time to call the company about it.
Since you are able to use the external monitor, everything in your computer is working properly except for the internal screen itself. I think your Firefox crashing had nothing to do with the main problem.
Problem is most likely between your motherboard and the LCD display: the cable to the LCD screen (is it properly connected at both ends, and are its wires all intact?), the inverter (is it properly connected, and is it working?), the backlight (if it is serviceable separate from the LCD, if not the LCD itself must be replaced). Much of the laptop has to be disassembled to check all this out.
Sometimes there is a tiny switch that the lid closes on to shut off the LCD light, you should be able to see this with the lid open). If that switch is wedged down, the screen will stay off.
Replacement LCD's are a sizeable fraction of the cost of a new machine (especially including the labor to replace the LCD, but the hardware itself is expensive). The inverter & cabling is much cheaper.
did not work to change the display settings. that was the first thing i tried. and its not under warranty.
08-06-2010 12:14 PM - edited 08-06-2010 12:15 PM


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Details have finally been announced regarding Akanishi Jin's debut American release. He will start out with a digital-only single titled "TEST DRIVE Feat. JASON DERULO," to be released on November 8. After that, he will release the song in Japan as part of a new mini-album that goes on sale on December 7.
Akanishi's American debut single was first announced in February of this year. The song is a collaboration with singer-songwriter Jason Derulo, produced by J. R. Rotem. Akanishi is releasing the single through Warner Music, using the artist name "Jin Akanishi."
Because the digital single will not be made available for download in Japan, Akanishi will release it as a mini-album in Japan on December 7. The regular edition will contain three versions of "TEST DRIVE," plus three other songs titled "MY MP3," "PAPARATS," and "TIPSY LOVE." The limited CD+DVD edition will have the same tracklist except without "TIPSY LOVE," but the DVD will have the music video and the making video for "TEST DRIVE."
Akanishi is said to be planning his first U.S. album for 2012, but a release date has not yet been announced. He is working with music production team Stereotypes, who have previously worked with artists such as Far East Movement, Usher, and Justin Bieber.
Akanishi is also making his Hollywood debut next year with Keanu Reeves's movie "47 Ronin," coming out in December 2012. Akanishi was revealed as a cast member this past spring.


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Workforce reductions are forcing survivors to do more with less, and budget cuts can make traveling to get the necessary training on new subjects difficult. E-learning may be the alternative for the electrician who wants to increase his value in the struggling economy.
The letter "e" used to be just another vowel. It may have been the most commonly used letter in the English language, but it was just that — a letter. In the Information Age, though, it's come to represent a new medium by which tasks that used to be based in a tangible, real-life format have been converted to a series of electronic pulses. It's the prefix of the new era — attach it with a hyphen to the beginning of any word (e-mail, e-commerce, even e-dating) and transactions that once required the post office, shopping mall, or restaurant and movie theater, respectively, can now be carried out via a computer and an Internet connection. And every time someone has said, "You'll never be able to do that on a computer — it just wouldn't work," the code has been written, the software developed, and the Web site has launched to make once-impossible things…e-possible. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that training for electricians has succumbed to the digital conversion.
Anything is possible.
While explaining the virtues and possibilities of e-learning, Darin Hartley of the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) Certification Institute tells the story of a would-be pilot who learned to fly without ever logging an hour in a real plane. "I want to fly jets," the young man told an Air Force recruiter. When given the chance to fly a test simulator and then a trainer plane, he completed both tests as if he had been flying for years. Baffled but impressed, his new fans at the Air Force asked him how he did it. How did he learn to fly a plane so effortlessly without ever having left the ground? His only training came via Microsoft Flight Simulator.
"People say, 'How could you learn to fly an airplane sitting at your desktop?'" Hartley says. "The fact is, you can learn just about anything using technology."
Journeymen electricians who put in their four years in apprenticeship training, learning the hard way that the black wire is the live one, may take issue with that statement, but Hartley says it's all a matter of overcoming preconceived notions and firmly entrenched beliefs about how learning works. "People are too easy to jump the gun and say, 'That can't be done with technology,'" he says. "Well, maybe it can — have you really thought about it, or have you just bought into the notion that you can't do it?"
As the director of ASTD's E-learning Courseware Certification (ECC) Program, Hartley has spent the last two years developing criteria for determining the strengths and weaknesses of e-learning course offerings and applying them to programs seeking the ASTD's certification. Along the way, he's seen just about every conceivable method of presenting e-learning. Unlike other "e-disciplines," electronic learning doesn't necessarily mean "Web-based." In fact, anything that uses technology, including CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs, constitutes e-learning.
The common thread in all technology-based learning methods is the computer, and they can be divided into two categories: synchronous and asynchronous. The former requires students to stick to a syllabus and schedule, much like a college course, and often involves chat sessions, messages boards, or some other form of regularly scheduled interaction with an instructor. Distance education programs that offer graduate degrees via the Internet fall into this category. The latter offers a more autonomous learning environment in which students can begin the course at any time and work at their own pace. Several manufacturers and organizations offer training modules for proprietary technology or continued education credits (CEUs) that can be taken online or downloaded to the desktop. The majority of e-learning programs designed for electricians are asynchronous.
The rise of the machines.
Although it was evolutionary leaps in computer technology throughout the last decade that have made e-learning possible, corporate belt-tightening and budgetary concerns have made it popular. In the past when an electrician wanted to broaden his skill set by taking a course on, say, wiring installations in hazardous locations, more often than not he'd have to travel to the training facility, which would require taking time off work, purchasing a plane ticket, and paying for food, hotels, and incidentals while on the road — not to mention the course itself. Such real and perceived costs are commonly shouldered by the employer, but in a depressed economy few companies have the expense budgets to support those trips. Making matters stickier, however, is the fact that widespread layoffs have forced fewer people to do more work, thereby necessitating more training.
"If you're in a company that has double-digit product and service growth and you have less people doing more work, you can't be in the classroom all the time that you need to be," says Hartley. "So there has to be an alternative."
That paradox has created the perfect environment for e-learning. Computer-based training eliminates the aspect of travel, cutting costs drastically, and the "anytime, anywhere" nature of asynchronous courses makes it possible for trainees to complete their studies at home, maintaining productivity in the workplace. The courses still cost money — generally between $50 and $150 — but for companies looking to get more out of their employees while controlling travel budgets, e-learning presents a win-win situation.
Some tech-savvy companies and organizations even believe in e-learning enough to facilitate and host the training. IBEW Local 164, Paramus, N.J., recently completed work on two Web-enabled facilities to provide its members with Internet-based telecommunications networking training. Electricians tired of cable pulling and basic wiring jobs have the option to take a free six-week course that will prepare them for certification in the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) program. Although the course includes elements of synchronous training like a once-a-week in-class session with an instructor, students still have the freedom to study the material on their own time and at their own pace. "It's self-paced — they can do it when they're home and they can do it when they're away," says Paul Lagana, assistant director of Local 164's telecommunications program. "We have a lot of traveling technicians who go all over the country and the Tri-State area, and as long as they can get Internet access, they can continue their education. They don't have to be confined to one classroom at one time in one location."
Still other e-learning programs have come about in response to new requirements placed on electricians. After California passed legislation requiring all electricians to be licensed in the state by Jan. 1, 2005, Delmar Learning launched journeymanprep.com, an asynchronous computer-based course that offers practice tests and Code calculation modules to prepare electricians for the journeyman exam. After purchasing the $49.95 program via the Web site, users download it to their desktop and quiz themselves with timed tests that draw upon more than 2,000 quiz questions from the company's catalog of Code material.
Further reading.
As with most e-learning programs, journeymanprep.com was envisioned as a supplement to other avenues of available training. Greg Clayton, director of the professional business unit for Delmar Learning, says that the nature of the electrical industry requires electricians to seek multiple forms of training. "Electricians are probably the most well-trained of the tradesmen," he says. "They get a lot of continuing education and they're always having to get themselves updated on new Code releases and methods and technology, so most of them will probably enroll themselves in some type of course, like a prep course."
In fact, the majority of e-learning courses available act as supplements to the core training that electricians need to do their jobs. The nature of technology-based courses lends itself better to educating learners on the basics of topics, with the Cisco training module serving as an exception. Without an instructor to guide or facilitate discussion, most asynchronous e-classes are ill-equipped to tackle complex topics that require more than just reading and memorizing material.
The supplemental approach is what the NJATC had in mind when it developed Web-based classes and computer-based training (CBT) modules for apprentices and journeymen electricians. Although he says he wouldn't be surprised if the majority of an apprentice's training is shifted to the computer several years down the road, A.J. Pearson, executive director of the NJATC, still believes in the hands-on training that a classroom setting provides. "We're still doing the traditional student workbook that they have to complete for their apprentice classes," he says. "They still have to go to the classes and go to their lectures and labs and demonstrations."
However, the NJATC is experimenting with Web-based courses, namely Math and DC Theory, but because of bandwidth restrictions, it has had difficulty implementing the kind of interactive training it wants to provide its students. Until that bandwidth becomes available, it's relying on the CD-ROM format for its CBT program because of the medium's ability to support audio, video, and other interactive devices that can better engage the learner. "We're trying to stay on the cutting edge of [e-learning]," Pearson says. "When it's possible to have these kinds of interactive courses online, we certainly want to be there."
The shepherd and the flock.
As more courses migrate to the Web and CD-ROM, most educators agree that both the student and teacher's roles will change. Most members of today's workforce had little or no access to autonomous computer learning in their formative years of schooling, and as a result may have trouble adapting to the different approach necessary for e-learning. In the absence of an instructor, students in asynchronous courses are left to their own devices, forced to be their own teacher.
"People are very used to passive forms of learning," says ASTD's Hartley. "For years they've engaged in what I call 'lean-back learning,' or sitting in the classroom and being spoken to. With computer-based learning and technology-enabled learning it's a little bit harder to do that. You can't just plop back in your chair and have information poured into you. You really have to get engaged in the content."
Because the delivery method is so different and the importance of learning to keep up with the changing needs of the job market is so high, Hartley believes anyone preparing to take an e-learning course would benefit from first taking a class on how to use technology for learning purposes. He likens such a class to the introductory courses many college freshman take to adapt to the advanced study skills necessary for succeeding in the college environment.
As an instructor for the Cisco Web training course offered by Local 164 in New Jersey, Randall D'Angellilo knows what Hartley is talking about. In fact, he has firsthand experience on both sides of the desk — in order to become an instructor he also had to take the course. Even though his students have an opportunity to ask him questions — unlike trainees in a strictly asynchronous program — he believes the onus is on them to learn the material. He stresses the importance of reading all the material and taking full advantage of everything the Web module has to offer. "Having taken the course helps me to focus on parts of the curriculum that myself or my students may find important," he says. "And from my experience with the exam, I can pinpoint topics that I know for a fact were on it."
Lagana describes the instructor's role in the e-learning environment as more of a guide than a teacher in the traditional sense. "The student is expected to handle the burden of 80% of the course, and the instructor is there to help guide them if they get stuck on some technology or if they don't understand some issues," he says. "The students have to get the text in their head, and they have to pass the quizzes."
Hartley believes this change in the student's responsibility will also translate into a new role for the instructor as e-learning progresses. No longer the "sage on the stage," the teacher will be able to step back and facilitate learning, pointing students in the right direction and allowing them to be their own teachers. "Instead of pontificating on the stage about what they know, they're going to be shepherds and they're going to help people. They're going to teach people how to get the information they need when they need it."
And although Hartley doesn't believe instructors or the training room itself will ever become obsolete, he says self-contained learning using technology can cut out almost a third of the time that's often spent on getting-to-know-you exercises and introductory material that not everyone needs or wants. "I hate to say it, but there's a lot of wasted time in the classroom," he says. No two people learn at the same pace, and by allowing students or trainees to tackle the material on their own, e-learning courses make it possible for the more advanced students to skip over subjects they may already know and understand.
Quality control.
The Web is uncontrolled territory, full of equal parts information, innuendo, and falsehood, where anyone with a knowledge of HTML can set up shop and claim to be an authority on any given subject. So with all of the options available, how do electricians looking to keep up with changes to their trade know what to look for when choosing an e-learning program? The obvious first step is to be sure the course was designed or is sponsored by a credible source.
For tougher questions concerning instructional presentation, ASTD developed its E-Learning Courseware Certification program to help would-be trainees make the distinction between a good course and a bad one. "We've been in the classroom since we were three or four years old, so we know what makes up a good or bad learning experience there," Hartley says. "Most of us haven't been using e-learning since we were that age, so it's harder for a lot of people to make decisions about what sound instructional learning is using technology."
Most of the ECC's standards for judging the quality of an e-learning program examine the technical qualities of the delivery method and the ease of interface: Is it easy to navigate through the program — can the learner move from one page to the next without getting lost? Is the format of the program legible and consistent — does it use several fonts that can confuse the learner? Does the program offer help menus — the e-teacher, so to speak — that can guide the learner through rough spots?
One feature Hartley stresses the importance of is remediation: when students answer quiz questions incorrectly, do they have the option to see why they missed them and what the right answers are? You may learn by making mistakes, but if you don't know what you did wrong, you won't have the chance to correct it. Delmar Learning's Clayton says that's one of the strength's of journeymanprep.com. When apprentices miss a question about the NEC, they can click on a link to expose a box with the correct Code reference and a brief explanation. "You're not just taking questions and missing them and not understanding why you're not getting them right," Clayton says.
Another feature that can improve e-learning is made-to-order curriculum. Almost all computer-based training courses allow learners to move through the program at will, but a more complex course will quiz users at the beginning and tailor the material to their strengths and weaknesses. Subjects the users already have a firm grasp of will be eliminated altogether and greater attention will be placed on the concepts they have difficulty with. "Contrast that with a classroom," Hartley says. "When you're sitting in that classroom and there are, say, 10 learning objectives and you know eight of them, how many are you going to have to sit through? You're going to get the whole thing because the assumption is that everybody needs it because they're all there."
One thing that isn't important is the "wow" factor, or how fancy the program's appearance may be. "What we're looking for is the end result," Hartley says. "Is learning happening? Is there a solid chance that learning is going to happen based on the instructional design methodologies that are in place? The key is that in the end it's a quality learning experience."
Just as you'll probably never stop receiving a hardcopy version of EC&M, electricians who want to continue their education will probably never stop using books altogether. Besides, who wants to lie in bed and study from a computer? But what Darin Hartley and proponents of e-learning hope today's workforce realize is that the computer isn't something to be afraid of. Just because you think it can't be done, that doesn't necessarily mean someone won't figure out a way it can. "As we get better and better about figuring out how people learn using technology and as technologies evolve, people are going to want e-learning more," Hartley says. "There's not going to be an option for it except to take off."
Sidebar: Is E-Learning For You?
Some requirements for e-learning are obvious: Do you have your own computer? Does it have a CD-ROM drive? Do you have access to the Internet? But some criteria for determining whether you're well-suited to computer-based education are a little more specific. The Energy Providers Coalition for Education, which offers several online programs through its Web site, www.epceonline.org, suggests electricians interested in e-learning ask themselves some tough questions before getting started:
Are you willing to commit significant time and energy to enrolling in a program?
Are you comfortable learning without face-to-face interaction with an instructor?
Are you able to budget your time in order to meet deadlines?


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|A pendant fixture over the EnviroCenter's reception desk receives sunlight via fiber optics. Daytime light meter readings are around 41 foot candles. PHOTOS: ERIC G. HUFFMAN
A pendant light fixture trained on the building's reception desk dims as clouds pass overhead, then brightens again in full sunlight—an effect that never fails to surprise visitors to the EnviroCenter building in Jessup, Md.
"People are always very interested in where that light comes from," says Stan Sersen, owner of the EnviroCenter and founder of ASG Inc., the architecture firm that developed and designed the 5,000-sf center. "It's pure, natural sunlight, and people are surprised it's not a typical light fixture."
Not typical at all. The fixture's sole light source is the sun, and the undiluted daylight is delivered to the building's interior via thin fiber optic strands bundled into cables 6 mm in diameter. The cables are connected to an outside panel with 64 Fresnel lenses that track the sun throughout the day and act as magnifying lenses to focus and direct the light.
This is the first U.S. installation of the Parans Fiber Optic Skylight system, a technology developed in Sweden and now available stateside through Huvco Daylighting Solutions, Rohrersville, Md. (www.huvco.com).
Fiber Optic Skylight Illuminates Maryland's EnviroCenter
A new fiber optic daylighting system brightens an architect's own green office building.
April 01, 2008 |


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When Dieter swoon-ishly told me the Motorola H17 Bluetooth Headset [$89.95 - iMore Store link] was his new daily driver, I knew I had to try it out -- the man is the definition of super-user. And the H17 didn't disappoint. It's my new daily driver as well. What makes it a go-to headset? A combination of form-factor and feature sets, and we'll look at both after the break...
First, a word on packaging. Motorola has been paying attention to the Apple-inspired renaissance in packaging and it shows. The H17, like the rest of their current line up, isn't so much boxed as it is displayed in a rounded metallic box with glass windowed display, the headset purchased atop an translucent stand.
You have to turn the plastic cap at the top with a coin and remove it, then pop off the front panel and carefully pull out the headset, but it works as an experience. Hidden away inside is a box with the extras -- AC charger and manual.
Oh, the slogan on the box? "Flipping brilliant". And it is.
Form Factored
I've always like the Motorola flip form factor but I've not always been wild about the rest of the headset design. Sometimes they're big and unwieldy or just make you look like you're wearing a weird, glowing space saucer on your ear.
The H17 gets it right. It looks professional. Small and darkly understated, it fits well and does its job. You extend the flip -- like a mini mic boom -- to turn it on or take a call, and you fold it back closed to end the call and/or put it on standby.
If you've read my previous reviews, you know my ears have been mashed by years of grappling, so I have a lot of trouble finding headsets that will stay where I put them. The ear loop on the H17 accomplishes that fine. I wear glasses as well, so after a while I do notice the extra loop is there, but even after a few hours it's not uncomfortable enough to make me take it off (the headset, not the ear!). And did I mention it stays in place, where I put it?
There's a simple, exposed micro-USB port for charging, which I prefer over the sometimes finicky flap covers on other headsets, a big call button on the back, and slim, chromed volume buttons along the top trim.
That's it. No muss, no fuss. If Moto were to adopt this design line-wide, they'd get no complaints from me.
Feature Fun
One of the great things about the H17 -- and something we're seeing on more and more headsets lately -- is the ability to pair with multiple phones. I could pair with both my iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G with no problem. If you have an iPhone and BlackBerry/Android/Palm/etc. you can carry both in your pockets and not need a headset on each ear. Or you and your significant other could share one headset between both your iPhones. You get the idea. For gadget lovers in particular, this is a great addition.
It also works well with the iPhone 3GS' Voice Control. Just tap the big button on the back, Voice Control pops up and, via the H17, gives you the tone to signal it's ready. Just say who you want to call and what number -- Rene Ritchie, Mobile -- and the call is placed.
Specs quote 5 hours talk time, 7 days standby. I think I'm getting slightly more than that, but I primarily use it while commuting so I talk less and standby more than others might.
When I did talk, call quality was good for BT and the people on the other end could hear me even with the window down and a good bit of traffic and wind.
Motorola positions the H17 in the mid-range, lower than the Endeavor HX1 yet slightly higher than something like the H720 (and its predecessors). While I like the bone-conduction in the HX1 (and will be reviewing it soon), the total package (i.e. design) of the H17 is hard to beat.
You can get the Motorola H17 Bluetooth Headset for iPhone now for $89.95 (10% off) at the TiPb iPhone Accessory store.


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Vanska Returns as Minnesota Orchestra Music Head
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Finnish conductor Osmo Vanska is returning as music director of the Minnesota Orchestra.
The orchestra's board said Thursday that Vanska will lead at least 10 weeks of concerts for each of the next two seasons.
Vanska resigned in October during a lockout of the orchestra's musicians that lasted more than a year. The dispute ended in January, when musicians agreed to pay cuts in a new three-year contract.
After the lockout ended, Vanska said orchestra president and CEO Michael Henson would have to step down for the orchestra to heal. Henson resigned by mutual agreement last month.
In a statement, the orchestra's musicians say they're excited about Vanska's return.
Vanska was the orchestra's music director for a decade. The orchestra says he accepted the same pay cut as the musicians.


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When people ask me 'What has the EU ever done for me?' my answer usually relates to the Single Market, which has given individuals and businesses four basic freedoms of movement throughout the 27 member states, relating to goods, people, services and capital. The EU is now celebrating 20 years of the Single Market, though given the current problems in the eurozone it is not, as Internal Market and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier has said, the right moment for a birthday party. Nonetheless, it is appropriate to take stock of what the Single Market has achieved and what still needs to be done. So in member states across the EU events have been going on bringing together interested parties from government, business and civil society to discuss the Single Market 20 Years On. Today the EU Commission's London Representation has been hosting a conference subtitled ' What's in It for the UK?'. The star speaker this morning was Lord (Leon) Brittan, a former Vice-President of the Commission and one of the leading pro-Europeans in the parliamentary Conservative Party. Unlike many of his colleagues he sincerely believes that Britain should be at the heart of Europe; indeed, he says Britain will probably join the euro one day, when the eurozone has sorted out its problems and, alas, the UK is experiencing its own. It is worth reminding ourselves that it was a Tory peer and Commissioner, Lord Cockfield, who largely designed the Single Market and persuaded Margaret Thatcher to endorse it. And of course it was another Conservative, Ted Heath, who took Britain into the EU in the first place. The Europhobic headbangers of the Tory right should ponder on that more often. Interestingly, the Chair of the European Parliament's Internal Markert and Consumer Protection Committee, Malcolm Harbour, is also a British Conservative; he spoke constructively this morning too. But I'll leave the final word to Leon Brittan who declared that 'we have to sell the EU of consumers and citizens and that is done through stories'. We pro-Europeans have some very good stories to tell and it would be good to hear more of them out in public discourse.
Posts Tagged 'Malcolm Harbour'
20 Years of the European Single Market
Posted by jonathanfryer on Monday, 5th November, 2012
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: Conservative Party, EU, EU Commission, euro, European Parliament, European Single Market, eurozone, Leon Brittan, Lord Cockfield, Malcolm Harbour, Margaret Thatcher, Michel Barnier, Ted Heath | Leave a Comment »


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text: Dear MPI Mavens, What is the current state of the art for MPI (or PVM or other parallel code) debuggers? I vaguely recall some review articles on this on CWM and/or CM, and of course there has been list discussion in the past, but a quick summary would be very useful. rgb -- Robert G. Brown Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305 Durham, N.C. 27708-0305 Phone(cell): 1-919-280-8443 Web: http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb Lulu Bookstore: http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=877977 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:18:04 -0400 (EDT) From: Bill Allard <wka at math.duke.edu> Reply-To: The Duke University Linux User's Group <dulug at dulug.duke.edu> To: The Duke University Linux User's Group <dulug at dulug.duke.edu> Subject: Re: [Dulug] Parallel debuggers I accept your offer. On Thu, 18 Oct 2007, Robert G. Brown wrote: > On Thu, 18 Oct 2007, Bill Allard wrote: > >> Anybody care to recommend a parallel debugger? >> This would be for multiple instances of a single executable >> talking to each other via MPI or the ewquivalent thereof. > > Wrong list. Ask on the beowulf list. Or would you like me to ask for > you? > > (There may be people who no AN answer here, or even two, but the beowulf > list is likely to get you all possible answers with fairly extensive > commentary.) > > A nontrivial problem, by the way. But you know that...;-) > > I can also ask a few of my friends who are certified MPI experts (wrote > the Cluster World Magazine MPI column, for example) if the beowulf list > doesn't stimulate a response from them more directly. > > rgb > >> >> > > -- William K. Allard Professor of Mathematics Director of Undergraduate Studies Duke University Box 90320 Durham, NC 27708-0320 (919) 660-2861 Fax:(919) 660-2821 _______________________________________________ Dulug mailing list Dulug at dulug.duke.edu https://lists.dulug.duke.edu/mailman/listinfo/dulug


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One thing that can be said about the 2012 BMW Z8 model is that it is BMW's most exclusive roadster, a classic sports-car offered in the traditional two-seat coupe design. Though it was not popular, it was well loved in its short existence.
It's impossible to talk about exceptional automotive engineering without discussing Europe's best auto makers, and Germany's BMW is at the forefront of European design and engineering.
The beginnings of the BMW company are unique, to say the least. Unlike many of the other car manufacturers, BMW didn't start out making cars. It didn't even start out making motorcycles. BMW started in 1911 as an airplane-engine manufacturing plant. Before and during World War I, the plant was responsible for producing some of the most well-made and innovative airplane motors available. But at the end of the war, the Allied forces prohibited German companies from making airplane engines and military equipment. At this point, the company turned its attention to trucks, motorcycles, and farming equipment.
In the years that followed, BMW gradually began to shift its attention away from those pursuits and toward automotive design and engineering. As a result, the company began manufacturing some of the finest automobiles ever made, including the ultra exclusive Z8.
Unlike many BMW's, the Z8 is not well known, and even today, it is little seen. Part of this had to do with its steep price and limited availability. This, like most BMW's, is not the car for the person on a budget. Even with its high price, it is still very popular among automotive enthusiasts.
Not only has the BMW Z8 done well in the automotive community, it has also become something of a superstar in the media. This car was featured in the ever-popular James Bond movies, notably in the 1999 film "The World is Not Enough." The most famous scene shows Bond's Z8 being cut in half by helicopter propellers. The Z8 also makes a cameo appearance in the music video for the theme song, performed by Garbage.
The body style of the 2012 BMW Z8 is sleek, with the classic roadster long bonnet and low chassis. The car's two seats are positioned low to the floor for maximum aerodynamics. On the interior, drivers are sure to appreciate the luxurious leather-wrapped steering wheel, well-displayed instrument panel, and comfortable seats.
There is no way to discuss the BMW Z8 without talking about what it's packing under the hood. BMW made this model with a 5.0-liter V-8 engine. The engine features the ability to take the car from zero to 60 mph in roughly six seconds. The power is incredible. Naturally, the designers supplied the Z8 with a suspension system to handle the power and keep the car nice and cozy with the turns and twists of the road.
The Z8, which was made from 1999-2003, was famous for its all-aluminum body and chassis, which was suitably designed for speed. These cars also have special engine placement, just behind the front axle, ensuring ideal weight distribution for superior braking ability, handling, and acceleration.
In 2003, BMW introduced the Alpina Z8. This model had some drastic differences from the original Z8 designs. This car was only available with an automatic transmission and held a smaller 4.8-liter V-8 motor. The original roadster tires were also replaced with standard wheels and tires. This model offered softer leather seats and accessories, in contrast to the rougher, leather interior of the previous designs. Under the hood, the Alpina Z8 was a bit softer as well. It was modified to provide a smoother, though less powerful, driving experience.
Convertible, Sports
The 2003 BMW Z8 is an eye-catching convertible that it is on the top of the list amongst other competing models in its class.
The BMW Z8 was unveiled by BMW in the summer of 2000 for the 2001 model year, and as such, nothing has changed with the launch of the 2002 BMW Z8.
The 2001 BMW Z8 is a sporty-looking, two-seater convertible with rear drive that offers drivers extreme power.
The 2000 BMW Z8 is a sporty-looking, two-seater convertible with rear drive that offers drivers extreme power and versatility.


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Former South Dakota State Lineman Bryan Wittzmann to Play at College Football All-Star Bowl
Former South Dakota State left tackle Bryan Witzmann has been selected to play in this week's College Football All Star Bowl.
Witzmann will wear number 74 for the Nationals team in the game, which kicks off at 5:00pm CST Friday in GreenVille, South Carolina. Wittzmann arrives Tuesday, practices for the game begin Wednesday.
The Houlton, Wisconsin native was a two-time All-America during his time with the Jackrabbits, playing on an offensive line that helped open holes for one of the top running backs in college football, Zach Zenner. Witzmann started all 49 of the SDSU's games during his four-year career in Brookings.
The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.