text
stringlengths 201
1.04M
| meta
dict |
|---|---|
Site Search Navigation
Site Navigation
Site Mobile Navigation
The President Speaks Out (Finally) on Marriage
By Andrew Rosenthal May 9, 2012 4:17 pmMay 9, 2012 4:17 pm
ABC NewsPresident Obama during an interview today on ABC News in which he announced that he now supports same-sex marriage.
It was a long time coming: President Obama spoke out today in favor of marriage equality. “I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married,” he said in an interview with ABC News.
For me, personally, I could have done without the preamble. But it was nevertheless a strong statement. No more temporizing. No more avoidance. No more “evolution.”
He presented his personal conviction as the result of a personal journey, which is probably the case for many Americans—the consequence of conversations with “friends and family and neighbors,” and exposure to members of his own staff “who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together.” He also stressed that this is a generational issue—that opposition to same-sex unions doesn’t even “make sense” to his daughters. (It doesn’t make sense to my kids, either.)
It’s a major breakthrough for the president to have come out in support of same-sex marriage; and so in favor of dismantling an institutional barrier to true equal rights for all Americans. (The last Democratic president, Bill Clinton, talked a good game but signed the outrageous Defense of Marriage Act.)
Mr. Obama’s timing, though, left something to be desired. His remarks followed the overwhelming approval by North Carolina voters of a constitutional amendment that not only bans same-sex marriage, but also prohibits same-sex civil unions.
R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, was livid. “This calculated announcement comes too late to be of any use to the people of North Carolina, or any of the other states that have addressed this issue on his watch,” Mr. Cooper said. “This administration has manipulated LGBT families for political gain as much as anybody, and after his campaign’s ridiculous contortions to deny support for marriage equality this week he does not deserve praise for an announcement that comes a day late and a dollar short.”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, on the other hand, called it “a major turning point in the history of American civil rights.” He added, “No American president has ever supported a major expansion of civil rights that has not ultimately been adopted by the American people – and I have no doubt that this will be no exception.”
I hope he’s right, but obviously the fight isn’t near over: The North Carolina vote proves that. Ultimately, this is an issue that will have to be decided at the national level, by Congress or the Supreme Court. Not this Congress. And not this Supreme Court. But equal rights cannot be left to the whim of the individual states.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Something bugging you?
How can you make artistic maps that put Google maps to shame?
Do you want more map-making ideas than the same old technical advice everyone tells you? Do you want to create more artistic maps, but feel artistically challenged? Would you like practical tips on making your map look nice instead of just accurate?
If you love the artistic beauty of valuable antique maps or the sense of geography created by illustrated maps and wish your maps had that beauty and interest, here’s your opportunity to learn ideas to make your maps gorgeous.
Decorative-Maps reveals the artistic side of cartography
A lot of maps remind me of phonebooks … just a bunch of raw data thrown onto a page with no purpose, no message, and nothing that engages a reader to look at it for more than a few seconds. They are functional, but boring.
What has happened to beautiful cartography?
Unfortunately, most modern maps are focused on presenting data with – maybe – a little bit of a message. It’s a phenomenon I noticed when taking geographic information systems (GIS) classes. The focus is on the technology and the data. Maps are often seen simply as no-nonsense data-visualization devices.
On the other hand, if you look at old maps you’ll notice something – they present information, but are luscious to look at. They are pieces of art. What can be done to make maps beautiful again?
Decorative-Maps explores maps from the past and present to help you create more beautiful maps today
Imagine …
Dutch masters who used ornamentation and embellishment to add beauty to their maps. Ships, animals, and plants gave a sense of the human and natural history around the areas.
Modern map artists who make geography enjoyable to look at. Colors, artistic composition, and style create unique maps that stand out from the bland data visualizations.
Cartoonists and illustrators who create maps that are fun to look at with humor and meaning. Their maps can transport you to the place being shown.
All these map-makers show clear geographic information, but they add to it with artistry. Their maps aren’t boring phonebooks filled with data. Instead, they are more like encyclopedias or magazines, full of interesting information for map readers.
You can begin your discovery right now …
Read articles about beautiful maps and artistic cartography
Decorative-Maps gives you lots of cartography ideas …
See antique and modern maps to inspire you.
Read tips on how to effectively lay out a map with logic and order, never fearing the blank page again.
Find ideas for unique symbols to represent places and things on your maps.
Compare different styles of compass roses and north arrows to see which would best fit your map.
Discover how to choose an appropriate font for using on your map to create design harmony.
Explore different map borders that can set your map apart from other maps.
Understand how to choose the best colors for your map to make it really shine.
Start by reading articles here on the website. When you are ready, you can sign up for the free Decorative Maps Newsletter for weekly mapping tips. To sign up, click here
Enjoy your decorative mapping journey!
Philip Riggs, Ph.D.
P.S. Do I really hate GIS and data visualization?
No, but I would love to see more maps that engage readers and interest them in spatial relationships, history, and geography. When I was young, I loved to look at maps filled with information on the people and their culture, the plants and animals, the topography, etc.
Thematic maps are easy to create now, but how boring. Journalism teaches writers that, in order to be engaging, they need to write using the 5W1H: what, where, who, when, why, how. These thematic maps tell the what and where, but what about who? What about when? What about why? What about how?
Hopefully, this website will create people skilled in cartography who make maps that tell a whole story, not just present data.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
“I had to work hard and hit the books because the opportunity to play in the NFL is not really that big, so I knew I needed something to fall back on. That’s the message I want to send to those kids when I talk to them in person and let them know the most important thing is getting your education.”
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
It only proves that Tesla owners dream of electric sheep Under warranty or not - car is still unavailable and in the garageA Telsa X rundown of repairs after 100K km run
The loaners we get when our car is in for service are epic, a P85 a few years ago, and recently a P85D. Freaking awesome loaner cars. No one minds service when the loaner is a Tesla. We had the P85 delivered to our door, didn't need to drive in, amazing service.
As for Bjorn's video, the guy did 120,000 km, half of that towing a massive trailer, in less than a year, in harsh winter conditions and this for a driver who is in the car for hundreds of km daily, thousands per weekend.
Whereas most cars, like our Tesla S are 25000 km in a year, and parked most of the time.
Note that my new Smart ED has no issues, perfect from factory.
Whereas some Ford FFE owners here are having issues.
The new ownership experience varies. One thing is for certain. We will only drive EV's in our family.
The loaners we get when our car is in for service are epic, a P85 a few years ago, and recently a P85D. Freaking awesome loaner cars. No one minds service when the loaner is a Tesla. We had the P85 delivered to our door, didn't need to drive in, amazing service.
As for Bjorn's video, the guy did 120,000 km, half of that towing a massive trailer, in less than a year, in harsh winter conditions and this for a driver who is in the car for hundreds of km daily, thousands per weekend.
Whereas most cars, like our Tesla S are 25000 km in a year, and parked most of the time.
Note that my new Smart ED has no issues, perfect from factory.
Whereas some Ford FFE owners here are having issues.
The new ownership experience varies. One thing is for certain. We will only drive EV's in our family.
Go right ahead while the remaining 99% worldwide drive ICE much to your frustration. Record sales from GM, Benz, Volvo BMW. Just some context..
Go right ahead while the remaining 99% worldwide drive ICE much to your frustration. Record sales from GM, Benz, Volvo BMW. Just some context..
I vividly remember Blackberry achieved record market share in 2008-2009, 2 years after iPhone is released. It's not even that long ago. I wouldn't want to be the person who bet on two wrong horses within such a short time frame.
I vividly remember Blackberry achieved record market share in 2008-2009, 2 years after iPhone is released. It's not even that long ago. I wouldn't want to be the person who bet on two wrong horses within such a short time frame.
I'm flattered you remember I use a BB and still do. Main difference between BB and Tesla is that BB is profitable and doesn't need over $7 billion of subsidies and borrowings to stay alive. Can't speak for the future of 2 totally different industries. I can speak of the present, EV's have 1% market shares despite tens of billions of taxpayer money thrown at them yet ICE car makers are still growing. Perhaps the majority of people have come to realize these cars have massive limitations in many parts of the world and will not be mass adopted, probably remain a niche like BlackBerry. Nice to see you trying to get a rise out of me but I don't emotionally obsess over a faceless corporation nor defend the corporation to the death even if it's my portfolio so go ahead and rip into them if you like. Meanwhile a conman has your money (and $400 million worth of others money) for 1.5 years and you won't have a car for another 3 years assuming they are still around. Bear markets demolish cash burning unprofitable companies like Tesla so keep praying the FED keeps this charade going.
I'm flattered you remember I use a BB and still do. Main difference between BB and Tesla is that BB is profitable and doesn't need over $7 billion of subsidies and borrowings to stay alive. Can't speak for the future of 2 totally different industries. I can speak of the present, EV's have 1% market shares despite tens of billions of taxpayer money thrown at them yet ICE car makers are still growing. Perhaps the majority of people have come to realize these cars have massive limitations in many parts of the world and will not be mass adopted, probably remain a niche like BlackBerry. Nice to see you trying to get a rise out of me but I don't emotionally obsess over a faceless corporation nor defend the corporation to the death even if it's my portfolio so go ahead and rip into them if you like. Meanwhile a conman has your money (and $400 million worth of others money) for 1.5 years and you won't have a car for another 3 years assuming they are still around. Bear markets demolish cash burning unprofitable companies like Tesla so keep praying the FED keeps this charade going.
Lol, probably comes from someone who in 2008 thought that phone without phisycal keyboard is just a gimmick and will never be picked up by the industry.
That's just inevitable that future is in electric cars and pretty soon ICE cars will just become a niche for some people who like sound of motor and gas smell.
Technology is not standing still. What's now a limitation soon be not a problem at all. Just a matter of time.
It's just not sustainable to burn so much fossil fuels for people transportation. It can't last forever.
Tesla takes a big part in driving technology forward and just for this earned its subsidies from governments and long term deposits from ordinary people.
Lol, probably comes from someone who in 2008 thought that phone without phisycal keyboard is just a gimmick and will never be picked up by the industry.That's just inevitable that future is in electric cars and pretty soon ICE cars will just become a niche for some people who like sound of motor and gas smell.
Technology is not standing still. What's now a limitation soon be not a problem at all. Just a matter of time.
It's just not sustainable to burn so much fossil fuels for people transportation. It can't last forever.
Tesla takes a big part in driving technology forward and just for this earned its subsidies from governments and long term deposits from ordinary people.
Oh yes, sure they will. I won't be around to see it and neither will you most probably. With the paltry market share and sales barely possible unless the taxpayer pays a good portion of the sticker price I wouldn't hold my breath. Global EV sales amount to 3-4 days sales of ICE vehicles. Face facts, if anything is a niche it's EV's and not ICE. Enjoy your .7% market share, I also upvoted you for the chuckles.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Looking for contributors
The Weirdlings is looking for writers to join our website team. If you're interested in joining the family, please email us at
[email protected]
with details on the type of content you're interested in as well as links to articles or writing samples.We can't wait to hear from you!
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Why Your First Impression Matters
You meet a woman at a party and think you have a good conversation. But when you later send her a text, she doesn’t respond.
You go into a job interview feeling confident and leave feeling like you aced it. But while you keep looking at your phone, expecting a callback, it never comes.
You meet a guy at a party you feel you have a lot in common with and could become a good friend. But at the end of the night, you don’t exchange information in order to get together again.
Have situations like these ever happened to you? From your end, you feel like the interaction went well, but it doesn’t seem like the other person felt the same connection. It’s confusing and frustrating.
Or maybe you actually rarely feel like your encounters with new people go well in the first place. You often feel awkward when meeting new folks, and thus aren’t particularly surprised when they aren’t interested in getting to know you better.
Either way, the issue may have to do with the first impression you give other people.
From cashiers, to other parents at school, to someone you say hello to at the gym, every day you’re making contact with people for the first time; it happens so often you may not even really register these encounters. But each interaction carries with it an opportunity and a possibility — every person you meet is a potential new friend, lover, or client.
Whether these possibilities turn into something more often hinges on the first impression you make — on whether you’re able to make a connection and inspire the new contact to want to get to know you better.
Do you know how you’d like to come off to others, how you really do, and how in-sync those two realities actually are?
You may not have ever thought too much about your first impression. Maybe you think changing yours would mean acting fake, or that judging someone at a glance is superficial and inaccurate anyway.
Yet none of those things are true.
Today we’ll clear up some common misconceptions about first impressions, and discuss why mastering the art of making a good one is not only crucial for romantic, professional, and social success, but can actually help you be more authentic with others.
The Indelible Importance of Your First Impression
Your whole life, you’ve heard that first impressions are important, and that you never get a second chance to make one.
But few probably realize just how true those adages are.
When you meet someone new, his or her brain forms an impression of you in just one-tenth of a second! Within 60 seconds, it’s processed as many as ten thousand visual, oral, and tactile cues as to who you are, what you’re like, and whether or not they’d like to get to know you better. These cues are weighed in the brain’s more primal, emotional centers, which instantly produce a visceral assessment — a gut feeling as to whether you’re a potential threat or asset.
This means that people have already decided on what you’re like before you’ve said anything beyond your initial introduction.
Not only are first impressions registered with lightning speed, but they last a surprisingly long time. Because of what’s called the “primacy effect,” people tend to lend more weight to the things they learn initially about someone, rather than the information they take in later. The initial impression you make forms a kind of filter or lens through which a new acquaintance will henceforth see you; moving forward, they’ll look for behaviors that confirm their conclusion, while largely ignoring things that contradict it. Once you’ve made an initial impression on the clay of their mind, the rest of the relationship tends to follow its contours, affecting all their future thoughts about you.
What this means is that a date or a job interviewer will probably decide whether or not they like you within minutes of your meeting, and then spend the rest of the date/interview simply confirming that decision.
Research has in fact found that it can take up to six months of regular contact with someone to change their initial impression and alter the lens through which they see you. That’s pretty dang sobering in and of itself. It’s even more sobering when you realize that beyond cases where you’re forced to interact again (e.g., in a workplace), those follow-up contacts won’t even have a chance to happen. It would be nice if everyone followed “The 3-Encouner Rule,” but in most cases, if you don’t make a connection with someone right off the bat, you’re not likely to get another opportunity to do so.
Indeed, in a time in which technology puts all the fish in the sea a mere swipe away, the fact that you never get a second chance to make a first impression has never been more true.
The Surprising Accuracy of First Impressions
It might seem unfair that people form such a firm assessment of you in such a short time, and think that these snap impressions are bound to be faulty.
Yet dozens of studies have shown that first impressions are actually highly accurate in gauging a person’s true personality and abilities. It turns out you can actually judge a book by its cover after all.
Some researchers theorize that our genetics may have evolved to broadcast our personalities on our faces. It also may be that in making certain expressions over and over again, they get rather etched into our visage. People with kind faces more often than not turn out to be kind; people with punchable faces, more often then not turn out to be obnoxious. Our moods and personalities are also invariably translated into our body language — how we stand, walk, gesture, and generally hold ourselves says a lot about who we are and what we’re like.
What this means is that first impressions aren’t so superficial after all, and that changing yours begins not with outwards behaviors, but inner values.
The Foundation of a First Impression Starts From Within
There is almost universal agreement among social researchers when it comes to the qualities people appreciate in new acquaintances, and are looking for when they take you in: people like other people who are warm, confident, trustworthy, credible, kind, and attractive, and who make them feel comfortable, interesting, and valued.
Basically, people like people who seem like they’ll be a social benefit, rather than a social burden. People are attracted to people who have something to offer — not just monetary resources, but those of many different kinds.
The authors of First Impressions explain that people are looking for those who come bearing 4 social gifts: appreciation, connection, elevation, and enlightenment. People who can make them feel understood and valuable and open their minds to new perspectives and information; who can make them feel good about themselves and will enrich their lives.
On the other hand, people tend to avoid those who are boring, empty, self-absorbed, insecure, and needy; people who will inflict a cost; who will require a greater energy investment than they give.
Maybe that seems cold, but what kinds of people are you drawn to? Those who seemingly will add to your life, and help move you closer to your goals, or those you intrinsically feel will suck the life out of you, and get you off track? People naturally look for alliances that will lend support and enrichment to their life’s journey.
It’s nearly impossible to fake in-demand qualities like warmth, knowledge, and honesty; some very charismatic people are able to do so, but usually the people they fooled will later say, “I could tell from the start there was something not right about him, but I ignored the feeling.”
It’s also very difficult to feign interest in people, if you haven’t developed a genuine curiosity about others. Fake confidence, too, can be seen a mile away.
Your personality creates a palpable aura around you; even if you don’t realize it, people can sense it as soon as you walk into a room.
If you’ve ever been surprised at the transformation in a friend’s demeanor and visage from when he was in a really bad place in life, versus when he was in a really good place, you know what a difference changes to someone’s inside can make to their outside.
And how possible positive change is.
Enhance the Potency and Accessibility of Your Best Qualities
Even though the foundation of a positive first impression lies within, that doesn’t mean external behaviors don’t also have a big influence on how you’re perceived by others. The outward “mechanics” of your first impression — what you say (conversation) and how you act (body language) — are also crucially important.
You might have good character and a warm personality, but you can act and converse in ways that create barriers to people accessing and appreciating these qualities.
Not only is the information people receive when they first meet you weighted more heavily than information they gather later, negative initial information is even more salient. Doing or saying just one thing that’s off-putting can outweigh a bunch of other positive behaviors, and create a less favorable impression that may take months to overcome (if you even get that opportunity).
And it’s not just purely negative things that can sink your first impression; there are also certain mannerisms and conversational approaches that, if not outright off-putting, aren’t ideal and don’t give your best qualities a chance to fully emerge and shine.
For example, you may be someone who feels that you’re open-minded and curious about people, but if you haven’t learned to ask others good questions, you won’t come across that way.
Or you may be a guy with a good heart, but if you don’t smile much, and tend to lean away from people with your arms crossed, folks won’t get the chance to discover your warm personality, and will instead think you’re more cold and aloof.
Mastering the mechanics of a positive first impression thus isn’t about hiding your true personality or trying to be someone you’re not. The goal of improving your conversational strategies and body language is simply to get these external behaviors to match and enhance, rather than contradict, your inner self. Doing so helps you reveal and showcase your best qualities, and gives others greater access to them.
Such packaging may only be skin deep, but it draws people in and entices them to want to “unwrap” you further.
Conclusion
Even though caring about your first impression is often seen as superficial, or something that leads you to act like someone you’re not, hopefully you’ve come to see its true significance and importance. First impressions are not only made quickly, hard to shake, and highly accurate, but they’re largely based off who you really are.
Working on your first impression then doesn’t mean being fake, but first improving your inner “game,” and then learning how to present your true self in the best possible light — how to get out of your own way in order to lead with a sample of yourself that’s in fact more accurate than when you behave in ways that belie your real feelings and values.
What’s so satisfying about mastering the art of first impressions is that it puts you in control of your interactions — it allows you to be perceived as you’d like to be. You’ll have the power to change how people react to you, and get more pleasure from your day-to-day interactions.
That doesn’t mean you can completely control the outcome of these encounters. Even when you make a positive first impression, sometimes you’re just not compatible with another person. And that’s okay. You’re not for everyone, and neither is anyone else. But when you know you gave your very best impression, and accurately conveyed your personality, you won’t have to worry if a failed connection was a matter of compatibility or if you simply didn’t come off well. You won’t have to ask what if. You’ll have the assurance that you and the other person just aren’t suited to each other.
Now that you’ve come to understand why a first impression is so important, you’re probably wondering what makes for a good one. Well you’re in luck, because next week we’ll offer a practical primer on its most important element.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Commencement Exercises To Honor 46 Graduates, Awards to Be Given on Class Day Thursday; Elections '41-'42 Name Initial Heads of Staff, Miller, Lundgren, Schouweiler Voted In; Bethelites to Invade Taylor Falls Tomorrow All School Picnic With Pie...
Sophomores Set Skip Day Precedent; As Rosy Sees It; Student Council Officers Elected, Sherburn Ray Is Elected to the Position of Association President; Alexis Society Discuss Movies; Students Revise Constitution; Grad Speakers Are Announced;...
Visual Education Program Begins March 10, Bikini Film to Be Shown, 3 Showings Every Thursday Slated; Professor Pearson Gets D. Th. Degree From Louisville; Alaska Missionary Gets New Chev. Truck; New Library to be Built This Summer; Debate Squads...
Ground Is Broken For Construction Of New Library; Concert at First Baptist, Minneapolis, Sunday Night; Final Meeting of Deeper Life Week Set Tonight, Adora Norlander to Be Guest Soloist; Bergman Going Abroad for YFC; Hamlett--New Editor; J. S....
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Before the trade becomes official...
Bryan Colangelo sent this e-mail to every Raptor fan on the team's mailing list last week:
Dear ERIC,What a spectacle! What we have all just witnessed is something unprecedented in professional basketball and possibly even in professional sports. In a year where multiple NBA teams positioned themselves for the ability to sign a "maximum" contract player (or players) in free agency, three of the NBA's bright young stars are teaming together in an attempt to win an NBA Championship. Kudos to the Miami Heat for pulling off such a feat.
I'm sure that there is frustration and disappointment, possibly even resentment, upon hearing the news that Chris Bosh is leaving Toronto to join forces with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James in South Beach. Well that certainly is the feeling from this vantage point as we lose a player that has been the centrepiece of our franchise for the last several years. I can assure you every move/investment made in the last four years to improve our basketball team was designed with the belief that putting the right pieces around Chris would get us closer to our goal of winning an NBA Championship. In fact, Chris actively participated in that process as transactions and changes were contemplated because I have always believed that a franchise player experiences a sense of ownership in team building. Unfortunately, we fell short of that goal and must now move on to a post-Bosh era in Toronto.
In completing a Sign-and-Trade transaction with Miami, we were able to extract a very valuable Trade Exception and future draft picks that will serve as building blocks in the process of re-tooling our basketball team. The Trade Exception can be used to acquire players under contract with other teams via trade, or it can be used to leverage the acquisition of additional future assets. Speaking of the future, I can't tell you how energized we all feel to see the positive growth and development of so much young athletic talent on our roster including re-signing Amir Johnson and the recent first-round draft selection of Ed Davis. While more changes to the roster are possible, even likely, we can promise you now that this team will compete every night they take to the floor.
We believe we have the best fans in the NBA and we believe in the city and country that we play in. Your passion, pride and support has been tremendous no matter what the circumstances, and we cannot thank you enough for that. We all share a commitment to winning both on and off the floor and MLSE/Toronto Raptors ownership and management will do whatever it takes to WIN while also making the community a better place. Our franchise will evolve and emerge stronger than before, and I assure you that our combined efforts will produce the WINNER you are hoping for.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Andrew Smith For Colorado HD 16
I chose to run for House District 16 because I want to support our local families and our local economy. I'm an Army veteran who supports our public workers, and I'm a Democrat who wants to work across the aisle with Republicans in the Colorado House.
I want to be a voice for our community, and represent our neighbors with respect and civility, working in a way that makes us all proud. House District 16 represents a diverse group of people, including marginalized communities. I will work to dissolve stereotypes and create a district where, together, we can bring about genuine, long-term change that improves the lives of people across different backgrounds.
When I was growing up, my family faced challenges that will feel familiar to far too many Coloradans. My family was of modest means, and by the time I turned 14, we were homeless. At 16, I was living on my own. Then, two months after I turned 18, I joined the Army and took a tour in Iraq. I was married while in the Army, and my wife Bre and I became teen parents. While we met with incredible difficulty, we created a family that has brought me more joy—and taught me more about myself—than I would have expected in…
Colorado’s economy is booming, but it’s a tide that has lifted only a few boats. Too many of our friends, families and neighbors have been left high and dry. Looking into the data from our district, House of Representatives District 16, reveal a startling statistic. Despite high levels of employment, nearly 67% of households with children are living in poverty! Hard work is not being rewarded, and despite their best efforts, many parents are not earning a living wage. As an elected official, I would encourage voters to allow minimum wages to be set based on the cost of living in…
While most westerners are well aware that Colorado is home to a booming fossil fuel industry—including oil, natural gas and coal—far fewer realize that Colorado has the 7th largest solar photovoltaic market and the tenth largest wind market in the US. It may also be a surprise to learn that Colorado already employs more solar installers than coal miners. Colorado has been pushing for innovative solutions in energy, and we should ensure that our pace doesn’t slow down. Renewable energy allows for us to bring jobs to Colorado while simultaneously lowering utility costs. Colorado, the state that houses the National Renewable Energy…
Healthcare is one of the basic rights all people should have. While Colorado is one of just 12 U.S. states that run its own healthcare exchange (for those who don’t get health insurance from their jobs), and it is fairly strong, Coloradans are being forced to allocate too much of their income to ensure we maintain our health. On one hand, Colorado’s healthcare exchange offered 124 plans from 7 companies in 2018, but the cost of those plans is going up every year. The average rate increase for 2018, over 2017 rates, will be about 32.7 percent! Refusing to address the failing…
Education is one of the greatest indicators of what our future will look like. However, many issues surround the education system in Colorado. Our schools have failing infrastructures, our teachers and administrators are making borderline poverty wages, and our children are being forced to deal with the impacts. Rankings collected by Great Education Colorado make these financial challenges clear: Compared to the other 50 states, Colorado ranks: 50th in teacher wage competitiveness (comparing pay of teachers to non-teachers with similar education, experience and hours worked) 49th in number of novice teachers in the classroom 41st in pupil-teacher ratio 40th in per pupil spending 39th in…
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Pages
Sunday, 7 July 2013
The Liebster Award
A couple of days ago, I was nominated for this fun award for new(ish) bloggers. Its called the Liebster award. This is a fun way to connect with other bloggers and to find other bloggers that are around the same stage in growing their blogs. I was nominated by Aimless Moments. Head over there now, then come back and tell me your fav post!
So what is the Liebster Award, you ask?
Well.....It is given to up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers. *alot that I am following may have more or less on 1 platform...ex: 220 on FB but 140 on Google +.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
The phone numbers starting with the area code 401 should look at the list of the numbers here. The numbers posted here have all the information that you need about the owner of the number. You have to remember that the numbers here are random and some of them are landline numbers and not mobile phone numbers. Check the information carefully so you won’t make any mistakes.
There are literally hundreds of phone numbers with an area code of 401, but we will make it easier for you to get the information that you need. If someone is harassing you through calling or an unknown number is trying to call you continuously and the area code is 201, you will surely find the number that you are looking for. This list is constantly updated to make sure that any new numbers will be recorded right away and provide high accuracy for information provided.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Miraculous Upkeep
Adam StyborskiTuesday, May 01, 2012
Like every Magic player ever, I think I'm pretty clever and intelligent. When I think about how I experience Magic I believe I have a strong handle on how I approach things. Since I'm constantly writing about these awesome cards, and the things we can do with them, some self-reflection naturally weaves itself in.
I've spoken to my Cube and Commander decks regularly, but I had a startling realization: my sixty-card habit has been neglected.
Hubris aside, it's really readers (yes, like you!) who help shape where my keyboard wanders every week. And as much as I could drone on about the "Greatest Limited Format Ever®" or "Ye Olde Elder Dragon Highlander," I know many of you enjoy the more usual flavors of Magic.
The incremental count of emails asking for non-Cube, non-Commander coverage had reached the critical threshold, and I had some dusty decks to clean up. It's time I start keeping up with the jonesing for new cards.
An Ally In Need
It's no secret I'm a fan of creatures with the Ally subtype, so I keep an Ally deck on retainer at all time.
I looked back over the past games I've played with it and I realized that despite really digging the Ally shtick, I didn't really enjoy how my deck worked. I wanted it to be aggressive and fast. While the slight modifications had helped it, it just didn't have that panache I was looking for.
Do you know that strange feeling when things look good as ideas, but just don't feel right when you try them out? That's all I felt about this deck.
I took an inventory of the things I liked about the deck:
Kabira Evangel makes a modest board of Allies hit like a sniper's shot.
Ghostway creates incredible shenanigans by flickering the team in together—every Ally sees the others entering the battlefield too!
I also knew a few things I didn't like:
The mana was very strange. I wanted early, as well as , and even , all by the fifth turn. This... didn't work out very well for me.
Fortunately, Avacyn Restored helps change all of these. The first was to add one little spell that was an all-star over the weekend's Prerelease events.
Cloudshift is sweet in Avacyn Restored thanks to soulbond. Casting it during combat was always a recipe for creating an explosive moment. Ally creatures, if you somehow overlooked it, really enjoy getting to enter the battlefield repeatedly. They throw a party every time another one shows up. In the same vein, Restoration Angel plays well since Ally is most definitely non-Angel.
Since so much awesome white is flickering for attention, I think it makes sense to revisit the Allies we're working with.
We have just two colors of creatures, and more flickering effects to work with, but the Eldrazi Monument problem still stands. For five mana, Cathars' Crusade not only replaces Monument for the same cost but actually feels like a good fit for the deck. It also covers what Kazuul Warlord used to do for us.
This is what I'm looking to create once I get my hands on more Avacyn Restored:
That feeling I talked about before? Feeling good in theory? I get that feeling here, but I don't think I'll have the same issues. It's loaded with cheaper creatures, more flicker options, a straightforward set of lands, and the last-second "Oh yeah!" addition of Aura Shards to round out a complete revision.
But Allies aren't the only old friends I need to reconnect with.
It's Milling Time
There's another deck I keep around, but I play it far less than any deck should be played. It's something that's a decidedly different flavor of action from the usual "Creature. Attack. Dead?" progress I employ elsewhere.
It's a deck that makes players mill cards—put them from the top of the library into the graveyard—to kill them (when they no longer have any cards left to draw).
I've toyed around with giving this a facelift before but I just never mustered the final effort—sliding Nephalia Drownyard in was as far as I had made it.
This time I'm going for broke.
Unlike the Allies above, there isn't anything I feel bad about here. It drops a few defensive creatures, goes looking for some anti-library action, and tries to hold out until the opponent fails to draw a card. What can be helped is how well we can defend, how efficiently we can mill, and which cards let us do both together. And it's not even all Avacyn Restored.
Dark Ascension, I feel, holds some of the keys to a new deck. The first is Thought Scour: it's an instant that moves us one card closer to all-stars like Glimpse the Unthinkable, but helps move our "mill you" game plan along too. Unlike Scarscale Ritual, no creatures and self-inflicted harm required.
Another card from Dark Ascension is a doozy: Geralf's Mindcrusher. It's arguably easier to cast than Nemesis of Reason, but provides it's milling action right up front along with a slightly more power-based body. While Nemesis of Reason can block very well, Geralf's Mindcrusher can help discourage an attack altogether. While our opponent will have more control over whether Mindcrusher gets to go through undying or not, the longer he or she waits to battle through it the more time we'll have to dig up the cards we want.
While awesome updates were a little older, Avacyn Restored has the tricks we really need. And it starts here:
Devastation Tide is an all-stop on action. Unlike Evacuation or Inundate, this strips back everything cast down to the battlefield. The only nonland permanents we're using are some creatures, so it's our opponents who will be reset harder. And since some of our defensive dudes carry transmute—a tutor ability we can only use from our hand—we'll have a second chance to find our best ammunition.
And when we get to use miracle to bounce everything on the cheap, we'll have even more time to finish off our opponent's library.
A much less splashy card from Avacyn Restored is Galvanic Alchemist. It doesn't look like it does much, but it's a subtly useful card for us. As part of the Horned Turtle family, it's 1/4 frame suits it well to playing defender. But it's the soulbond rider that completes it. When Nemesis of Reason comes down, we can pair it with the Alchemist. Attack, pay , and keep a 3/7 on defense while milling ten cards.
I took the liberty to upgrade a few things along the way. Preordain feels like a great card when we want to dig for something specific, and the mana before wasn't working well with the plan, so smoothing things over seemed like the right idea. Of course, upping the ante with Snapcaster Mage—to obviously rebuy a spent Glimpse the Unthinkable—would be wonderful too, but not every blue deck needs to be packing him these days!
While getting our hands dirty with new deck adjustments is always a great part of experiencing the set, it was just over the weekend most of us had our chance to feel it firsthand:
Are you attending an Avacyn Restored Prerelease?
Yes, specifically for cracking the Helvault
1880
49.2%
Yes, but one that won't feature the Helvault
175
4.6%
Yes, but I'm not sure there's a Helvault for us
746
19.5%
No, I'll be missing out on a Prerelease this time
1024
26.8%
Total
3825
100.0%
Just about three quarters of us headed out to our local game stores for a Prerelease, and a whopping half of us knew there would be a Helvault to crack! I was more than a little excited when I saw the awesome extras packed inside.
Whether you enjoyed this type of event or not—I sure did!—be sure to share your thoughts with the powers that be: Mark Rosewater, Aaron Forsythe, and others within the walls at Renton want to know how it was for you. (And as a quick reminder, I'm not inside those walls, so while I, too, love to know your experiences I don't get to decide on what comes next for us!)
This week I'll ask an easy question:
Which deck should Adam bring with him to Grand Prix Anaheim?
Allies RestoredMonsters and Milling
As the question suggests, I'll be attending Grand Prix Anaheim as a guest for spellslinging, Commander action, and everything else awesome I can get into. Since some of you will have a chance to stop by and play against one of these decks, I felt it only fair for you to help choose which one I'll have available!
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
It's all about the win: How winning can become a habit
Winning is the be-all, end-all of competitive sport. Ultimately, the reason competitive sport exists is to claim victory over your opponent. Even if you're playing for fun, if you're not still trying to win, then you're not really playing at all.
And in the sports of boxing and mixed martial arts, where you can't step through the ropes or step into the cage without a burning will to win, that ethos is as strong as anywhere in the world. The drive and determination to win at the highest level of sport has led to many of the world's great coaches and athletes to utter words of inspiration to millions, as amateur sportspeople and aspiring youngsters see the successes of their heroes and look to one day replicate their idols in the sporting arena.
Legendary motivation
Studies have shown that the mental workings of a winning athlete are the result of repeated success, achieved by learning from losses, making adjustments and recognizing successes. Trinity College professor and psychologist Ian Robertson has identified the "Winner Effect," a theory explained in a Betway Insider blog post, which suggests that our brains recognize and reward ourselves when we are successful, then store those routes to success to be repeated later.
While Robertson adopts a scientific approach, one man who just took a winning attitude and instilled it into his team through education of the importance of winning was the legendary head coach Vince Lombardi. Lombardi's influence on American Football has lived on long after his untimely death in 1970. By then, he had taken the unfashionable Green Bay Packers to the top of the sport in a legendary run that few in the sport can match.
His ability to distil the essence of sporting success into a few short words has made his quotes timeless classics, often referenced not just in American football, but across the sporting world. His take on winning is simple and straightforward.
"Winning is not a sometime thing. It's an all the time thing," he said. "You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit."
Winning mindsets
We've seen countless examples of fighters whose sheer will to win and "refuse-to-lose" mentality has seen them achieve superb results. And with those successes comes confidence, notoriety and, in some cases, a fearsome reputation. Mike Tyson's legendary run as the heavyweight champion of the world was a perfect illustration of that. His boxing skills were good, but not excellent. He was undersized for a heavyweight and he wasn't that hard to hit. Yet he steamrollered contender after contender during his heyday.
That was because his prodigious punch power saw him score ever more impressive knockouts, each one adding to his reputation as a knockout artist with truly scary power. That, along with his persona, meant fighters appeared to be virtually beaten before they even stepped into the ring with "Iron Mike".
Tyson recognised his own route to success via his opponents' fear and, rather than easing himself into bouts, he often launched into a full-on assault early on in the contest. During the best years of his career, it worked. Croatian mixed martial arts legend Mirko Cro Cop had a tried and trusted route to victory in his MMA and kickboxing bouts, and he made his left high kick to the head his go-to technique for finishing his opponents during a spectacular career.
For UK boxing legend Chris Eubank, it was his bulletproof self-confidence - and an iron chin - that saw him reign in the super-middleweight division in the 1990s. And it was the same for Muhammad Ali, who used a weapon so few of his opponents had at the time, mental warfare, to take them out of their comfort zones and get them to fight the way he wanted.
Second is nowhere
For these fighters, second place is last place in a one-on-one contest, and though Lombardi came from a different sport, his quote applies perfectly to those to step through the ropes or into the cage to throw leather with their opponents.
"There is no room for second place," he explained. "It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win. "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour - his greatest fulfilment to all he holds dear - is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks to the Times Union editorial board on Tuesday, Sept. 4 2018, at the Times Union in Colonie, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times Union)
In another exchange from last week’s lively visit by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to the Times Union editorial board, the governor said that he wasn’t aware of the current status of the state’s plan to build a database for ammunition sales, an element of the 2013 SAFE Act that remains in limbo more than five and a half years after Cuomo signed the controversial gun control bill.
One possible reason for New York’s relatively laggardly pace: The 2015 memorandum of understanding signed by then-state Operations Director Jim Malatras and Senate Republican Majority Leader John Flanagan that stipulated the database could not be implemented until both signatories agreed that it was ready to be switched on and no money would be allocated to fund its operations. Cuomo’s Counsel Alfonso David insisted at the time that the database was still coming — but that was more than three years ago.
The question was raised by this reporter at the end of governor’s visit to the Times Union, as he surveyed the room for any final questions. Here’s the transcript:
Cuomo: No questions, Casey?
Q: What about the ammo database? That’s an aspect of the SAFE Act that was highly touted when it was first passed and continues to be unconstructed.
Cuomo: I don’t know.
Campaign spokeswoman Abbey Collins: We can check back and get you the details.
Q: Well, the details are that, basically, in 2015 Malatras and Flanagan signed an MOU that it wouldn’t move forward, and all the Republicans in the Senate said, “That’s it — the ammo database is dead.” And there has been nothing counter to that since then. It’s the biggest significant unbuilt portion of the infrastructure created by the SAFE Act.
Cuomo: I don’t know. I will check. But it is not a significant aspect of the SAFE Act.
Cuomo: OK. More than background check on every sale? (Pause.) It’s always a pleasure!
Q: You asked!
Later that day, Cuomo’s Executive Chamber spokesman Rich Azzopardi sent along the following statement — a dead ringer for the past few years’ worth of statements in response to questions about the development of the ammo sales database:
“The State Police and Office of Information Technology Services have reviewed a number of technological solutions to implement the first-in-the-nation ammunition database, but thus far have been unable to address the myriad of legal and operational implementation obstacles. Per the SAFE Act, the Superintendent of the State Police has the authority and responsibility to identify and approve a technological solution that is viable, sustainable, and can track the information required by law. Once an appropriate technology is determined and evaluated, the State Police will proceed with implementation?.”
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Volunteers
We can’t do it without our volunteers! It’s anticipated that there will be 700 volunteers involved with the 2017 Main Street Food Truck Festival!
Be a volunteer for one of the Top 10 Food Truck Festivals in the United States! Enjoy over 50 food trucks and craft vendors, local musicians, street performers, beer gardens, and great volunteer giveaways and prizes.
There are pre- and post-event opportunities to help if you are not available the day of. Each volunteer opportunity is listed by date and time on Signup.com (formerly Volunteer Spot).
Please sign up to volunteer for the 2017 Main Street Food Truck Festival!
Volunteer Requirements:
All volunteers must be age 18 or older
All volunteers participating in alcohol sales must be age 21 or older
All volunteers are encouraged to attend one pre-event training meeting
Volunteer Training Meetings
If volunteering for the festival on the day of the event, please plan on attending ONE of our volunteer meetings held at Epoch Church, 925 Main Street in downtown Little Rock:
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Search form
Ubuntu
If you haven't used Amazon's Web Services yet, you really should. They are currently hosting more of "the cloud" than their next ten competitors (Google, Microsoft, RackSpace, etc.) combined. And, they do everything in their power to make it easy for you. In addition to tons of pretty good documentation, they also offer a "Free Tier" for you to test the service out to see if it meets your needs. I'm currently running a couple services on mine and, once you get past the initial set-up, it starts to look and act pretty much like the server you have running down the hall.
As I mentioned in a previous post, one of my key annoyances with Ubuntu was its lack of an easy way to slip into Super User mode to perform administrative tasks. And, no, I don't consider opening up a terminal and typing "sudo whatever" easy. I recall, for instance, that during my most recent usage of a distro in the Red Hat family, there used to be a way to launch the file manager in SU mode directly, no CLI. Another distro had had a right-click menu option in the normal file manager to open a folder in SU mode. Either way, from there, I could right click launch a file in my editor of choice, also in SU mode, and do what needed doing. But Debian and all it's progeny decided that end users should be protected from the dangers of root account usage by making it a pain to get to. Of course, the best intentions of security architects are hardly a match for a determined yet ultimately lazy end-user.
Something I often see mentioned, but rarely explained, is the concept of Wine (which is not an emulator) bottles. Once I was able to understand the concept, it became much easier to run (certain) Windows applications in Linux. Let me share a little.
About
I'm Dan Ziemecki, the author of this site and a technology professional working in the Atlanta area. "Excellent Cruft" is a journal wherein I log the lessons of my various projects (before I forget them) in an effort to give back to the community. Feel free to use anything you find here.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Jackson Ward 1 City Councilman Ashby Foote told the City Council yesterday to quit looking at raising taxes or furloughing employees and instead collect the $20 million already owed to the city on water and sewer bills:
All good until Ashby said that putting JPD in charge of collecting overdue water & sewer bills represented "out-of-the-box" thinking. ROFLMAO Hey Ashby, why don't we put JPD in charge of fixing water pipe leaks too?
The City Council is a joke. Absolute JOKE! On one hand you got Foote saying collect bills owed to the city. That money is lost. You can't collect any money from welfare folks, dishonest landlords, or crack house owners. Just shut off the water faster. and lock down the water meter whereby the good peeples of Jackson can't turn it back on. Then you got Stokes renaming every street to honor drive by shooting victims and crying about how the state needs to bail out Jackson for overspending. Mayor, City Council don't you see you are the ones who destroyed Jackson NOT the White people. Mayor City Council don't you see the Seimens Water meter project is a big scam that you'all swallowed hook line and sinker.
Ashby's comments are very well taken. Glad someone is looking at alternatives to raising the Jackson tax millage rate. I appreciate Councilman Foote's efforts to bring some business sense to the process.
Kinda hard to enforce water bill payment when there is no late fee or penalty for late payment. Stamps proposed removing all penalties when rates went up last year so people could pay on their schedule without being hurt too bad all at once. It was approved by the Council.
We used to own a water company and my mother ran it. People pay their water bill, or you pull the meter. It's mechanically real simple. The threat of having the meter pulled collects a lot of it for you. And for those that you never collect, at least you aren't furnishing them your product for free anymore. You don't spend a lot of time trying to collect money. You send bills. If they aren't paid, you pull the meter. Again, it's pretty simple.
Why charge for water. EVERYTHING else is nearly free. School lunches, rented housing, a good portion of store bought food, Christmas gifts, Holiday Meals, clothing that includes school uniforms, School Supplies, Free phones and free dental care. Medical bills aren't paid and it doesn't matter because the credit is beyond repair. Ever notice there's an awful lot of $100 bills being presented at the cash registers come payday? I've had close to 40 of them in my register drawer at one time at a Jackson Walmart and not one single customer or their kids appeared to be suffering. Clothing, nails and hair were pristine. I know for a fact these customers are not employed. Makes me wonder why a bother coming to work every day.
I rented a house in Jackson last year and called them paranoid about paying the water bill before it got shut off because the water was not in my name and I wasn't getting the bill. Told them I wanted to make sure I paid everything that was owed so it wouldn't get shut off. The girl on the other line laughed and said Oh don't worry sir we don't cut anyone's water off. I was amazed.
Rankin County enforces Garbage charges through its License Plate fees, why can't Jackson enforce Water Dept bills through JPD? It's gotten to be a criminal level of abuse and neglect. $20M exceeds the current $15M shortfall...you have a better solution?
Anyone who disagrees with JPD taking on Water Dept enforcement is part of the problem. Do you honestly think there is a better solution? What's your option? Just let the Water Dept figure it out? You can't fire those people. You can't count on the Mayor to fix your problems.
Anyone who thinks an already understaffed Jackson Police Department whose Job #1 is public safety should be the collection arm of the Water Department is completely out of their minds. If that is the best Ashby Foote has to offer then he, like Yarber, is completely outmatched by the job.
Number one: When the Water Meter is pulled, the people know how to go to the hardware store and buy fittings and pipe to continue receiving water.
Number two: Jackson has had some water meter readers who would take cash for reading the meters wrong or for not reporting hot-shot meters.
Number three: There are people working in the water billing department who will let Aunts,Cousins, etc. pay less than is owed.
The new automatic meter reading is going to help reduce water theft. Can't say much else good about the Siemens' Contract.
Sewer usage cannot be stopped; there is no way to stop the gravity flow. Not sure about garbage pick up. All of these services are on what is referred to as the "Water Bill".
A large percentage of the water bills owed can probably be collected. Particularly if some type of lien, can be placed on their tax refunds or something else. Many of the bills will never be collected as the people are dead or in prison, or otherwise missing. Madison is not far enough away to escape. If your bill was a mistake, which is happening often during this change over, get it straightened out.
As far as Stokes goes, keep talking. We are all embarrassed by him and his antics. But so far, no one in his ward has been able to defeat him. Sad that his type of thought is still receiving so much attention. I compare him to some of the white yahoos who embarrass me with their behavior. There does not seem to be a cure for their need to garner attention and there are those who willing oblige their egos with plenty of attention, albeit negative.
Really? WTF? Make no mistake, we don't use this much water. Our sin is that we have a 39211 zip code. We have called the water department several time and talked to "Mrs. So & So", asked for a correction only to be told the meter is correct and pay the bill. So now I see there is as much as $20,000,000.00 owed by slackers to the city and the best that dumbass mayor can do is raise the rates on us that ACTUALLY our bills? I have never seen such a collection of stupid people in my life....really....
I have never gotten a bill for my irrigation meter since it was changed out last year. I call the water department every other month to report this issue and do the right thing. They say they'll investigate, but nothing has changed. No bill. I expect I'll be getting a bill at some point with lots of zeros on it.
"A large percentage of the water bills owed can probably be collected. Particularly if some type of lien, can be placed on their tax refunds or something else. "
Tax refunds? You mean like cut off their EITC? That might work.
I can't tell if 4:23 is a genuine moron or just doing a bad job making fun or morons. But when Detroit started disconnecting deadbeats the United Nations got involved, saying that water is a human right, yada yada yada....
This may not get posted, but I have to say it. I didn't abandon Jackson, it abandoned me. I was born and raised in Jackson and lived there until a few years ago. After numerous thefts of property, house being burglarized several times, outrageous property taxes, horrible streets, kids being abused at schools (not by teachers), rude & uninformed city employees and a laundry list of other problems, I made the sad decision to leave my home. The problems started at least twenty five years ago and have only gotten worse. With a few exceptions, the people running city departments as well as those under them are incompetent. Their attitude has nothing to do with performing their job correctly, but rather acting like fools and collecting a check. Jackson didn't have these problems 40, 50 or 60 plus years ago. Now the scum think the city owes them everything free. The city fathers seem to agree. $20,000,000.00 in past due water bills? Absolute craziness! Go ahead and raise taxes. In two years you'll have to double them to make up for those that pulled out. You'll have to keep doing so until one day the entire tax base will be gone. Fix the problem. Hire smart, competent and ethical people. Please save my hometown!
People stealing water by piping around the meter need to be arrested by the police and shown the inside of a jail cell. There can be no excuse for theft from the City. Poverty is not an entitlement to dishonesty or theft. Enforce the law Jackson! Enforce the law Mayor! Throw the thieves---all of them who are stealing Jackson's water--in JAIL.
@12:28I guess they need to throw the busted water pipes along with the wet streets in jail too!F***ing dumbass. You go and buy a jail big enough for all the people you want locked up. I'll sit back and wait for that shiznit to never happen.I guess you don't know that the corrupt city government made a deal with a corrupt multinational corporation and now you're seeing the fallout. The list of countries just off the top of my head that have been documented over the years of Siemens global corruption:GreeceEgypt Iraq.
If anybody needs to be investigated, it's the people that voted in favor of that contract.Of course you don't care about that aspect- you just bust a nut at the thought of people going to jail over some f***ing water.There are bribery cases of political officials documented by this very company on a world wide basis that's undeniable.Billion dollar fines and convictions.Here's something for ya, flipper.------ I wonder how much money was passed under the table for those votes?You can sit here and try to contain the situation on this website, but the information is there for all to see.
Water leak bubbling at surface on Ridgewood in front of Spann at least 8 days now. Still leaking this morning. Those are dollars washing into the storm drain back into the Pearl River. Yarber administration is riddled with incompetence.
Our water rates approach those of New York City. In fact our rates are the highest in the South at $3.21/100 CcF. And NYC is $3.70. Other comparable markets to Jackson are half our rate and you actually pay LESS the more water you use. So let's review what are band of city incompetents have done to date:1. 50% rate increase2. Automate the meters3. Declare a FEMA emergency4. Propose an 8% property tax increase5. Pass a sales tax increase
And the result? More debt and the infrastructure continues to fail. And now we find out the city does not even collect what they are owed.
Can you say DETROIT! We promise we will leave just as soon as we can sell the house. We promise. Unfortunately we are having s hard time finding anyone stupid enough to buy in NEJ.. Of course Detroit did reach the point they could find no one to buy the abandoned homes even for a dollar!
2:50 am: Large, multi dimensional problems can still be solved, one part at a time. Part of the problem is people straight piping past City meters. So the solution there is to make a start arresting some of them so others will move to correct it or be deterred from straight piping. It is not an answer to ignore the thefts of City water. Ashby is proposing taking action to start on addressing a problem that must be addressed--not give in to barbarism. Part of the problem has been the Siemans contract. City legal needs to address that to the extent Siemans fails to make meter corrections. And make better contracts from now on. But Asby is trying to get at the revenue problem. Starting with stopping the stealing of City water is an important start to fixing the revenue short fall. One problem at a time. One day at a time, but Ashby should continue to push hard for action. We should all be supportive of his efforts to correct these problems with an action plan.
The issue is the city incompetence. The meter issue was just a few meters that read in gallons, very few compared to the total.
The billing issue is that no one in the Water department is smart enough to figure out how to add/subtract. I received a new water meter in July 2014. I was billed from that time to January 2015, what appears to be, correctly. I received a bill in March 2015 that showed my previous meter reading at 95K ft3 and current at 5K ft3. In the March billing period, they seemed to have loaded the last billing from the old meter (July 2014) and then added the difference to 100K ft3 plus the 5K ft3 that was used from July, when the new meter was added, to March. Effectively billing me nearly 3 times for the same water usage.
The fact that meters are bypassed would seem to suggest that meter readers were not reporting this fact if it was recognizable.
8:31Indeed it was the barbarians who destroyed Rome by taking down the last water acqueduct, causing the City of Rome to contract from over a million to a village living in the ruins. Can't let the barbarians win here. Arrest enough water thieves to make the point that Jackson is still civilized. Ashby please stick with it.
those that owe past due water bills are voters so cannot press them very hard. There are a lot of tricks to keep from paying water bills. When water is turned off, customer turns it back on. meter is locked and then customer cuts lock. Meter is removed then customer puts in a straight pipe. on and on. Then, customer gets a cousin or friend to go to water department and say they just moved in and need water service. Parents also use child's SS number or anyone else's SS number. It is like trying to get rid of roaches by stomping them. No end. Now, question is if the city is trying to do all those things. I think probably not. They are voters.
Don't be fooled. There are a minimum of 4 votes on the Council right now, probably 5, for increasing property taxes. It is too easy to dodge the massive problems that way and that is why Yarber is proposing the approach because he's long on talk and way short on courageous action. Plain old issue avoidance from our elementary school Principal.
Yarber will pay $27.33 more annually in his property taxes while Foote's bill, for instance, goes up by $185.41. This is nothing more than a taking from the few remaining neighborhoods of value in a city headed down the exact same path doing the exact same things as they did in Detroit.
And next year the other shoe in the scam will drop when the HindsCo Tax Assessor's office comes up with a bullshit rationale for jacking up assessments even further.
It would be helpful if the Hinds Co Tax Assessor's office would raise the assessed values of homes west of State Street, too. Leaving them at rock bottom values while increasing NE Jackson home values is another obvious mechanism of wealth redistribution.
Jackson, the poorest capital city in the U.S., seems destined to become a ghost town. Why would any intelligent and sane person want to live here? I am almost at the point of being willing to walk away from my entire equity (which I'll never recover anyway)just to leave this place.
Who is the Hottest Reporter in Jackson?
Trollfest '09
Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.
Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything). Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.
Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".
In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up. In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.
Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.
Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!
This is definitely a Beaver production.Note: Security provided by INS.
Trollfest '07
Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.
There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.
If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
PackagingDelicato Family Vineyards recently announced the launch of Bota Box, another entry into the growing premium boxed wine category. Bota Box features Delicato's Shiraz, Merlot and Chardonnay. Each of the varietals is described by the company as "truly premium," having earned medals at several wine competitions. "We are driving the next evolution in the wine industry with Bota Box premium wines," said Eric Morham, president and CEO of Delicato Family Vineyards. According to a recent study f...
» Article access restricted to registered members of winebusiness.com/winejobs.com
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
New York’s gubernatorial battle headed far south yesterday as Gov. Pataki and Andrew Cuomo held near-overlapping events in the Dominican Republic.
Pataki, on a politically charged, state-funded three-day swing through the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, arrived Monday night for dinner with President Hipolito Mejia at his art deco presidential palace.
He then spent the morning with Dominican officials and family members of victims of the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack and the Nov. 12 crash of Flight 587.
Pataki was to arrive in Puerto Rico last night.
The trip by former federal Housing and Urban Development Secretary Cuomo, by contrast, was unexpected – and it was only announced by his campaign staff after his morning flight had arrived.
Cuomo, who said he visited the Dominican Republican as federal housing secretary in the wake of destructive Hurricane Georges, held his own meeting and press conference with President Mejia.
“To the families of Flight 587, my message is simple: all of New York stands beside you in these difficult and grief-filled times,” Cuomo said in a statement.
Pataki, who has yet to announce his expected run for a third term, told about three dozen relatives of crash victims in a cramped hotel conference room that all New Yorkers shared their loss.
Pataki, with military police holding back traffic, also trooped through the poor area of Cristo Rey, where he chatted with local leaders.
“I want to tell everyone that there is no truth to the rumor that there is a secret purpose behind this trip,” quipped Pataki.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Thomas Bushnell BSG <tb@xxxxxxxxxx> writes:
>>> An implementation could use sparse arrays for long arrays with
>>> empty space and linear arrays for those which are compact. What is
>>> wrong with that?
>>
>> Why no implementation does it?
>
> I can't parse that sentence, sorry.
Why no current implementation uses sparse arrays as the representation
of (some) vectors? Or does any?
If no implementation does a particular thing, then perhaps it's not
a wise choice to do. Leaving room for it only reduces programmer
confidence and encourages them to rely on common practice instead
of on standard guarantees.
--
__("< Marcin Kowalczyk
\__/ qrczak@xxxxxxxxxx
^^ http://qrnik.knm.org.pl/~qrczak/
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Comments on: Luke McCown will try out for Saintshttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/05/luke-mccown-will-try-out-for-saints/
ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.comTue, 03 Mar 2015 22:46:53 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.com/By: skolvikesskolhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/05/luke-mccown-will-try-out-for-saints/#comment-1820025
Wed, 06 Jun 2012 07:01:19 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=808609#comment-1820025If the vikings only had these kind of problems
]]>By: mrcogburnhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/05/luke-mccown-will-try-out-for-saints/#comment-1819442
Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:45:27 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=808609#comment-1819442Give Drew Barrymore her money already. Money or an explanation.
]]>By: purplegreenandgoldhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/05/luke-mccown-will-try-out-for-saints/#comment-1819437
Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:42:46 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=808609#comment-1819437dirtybirds233 says:
Jun 5, 2012 3:47 PM
God….when the Saints go 8-8 at BEST w/o Drew, all you’re going to hear is, “we would’ve win the Super Bowl if he was out there!” as if they have some fore told knowledge of the future.
==================================
what you sould be concerned with kind sir/ma’am
1. forth and 1 yard
2. forth and inches
3. 2 points will not win in the playoffs
4. in the playoffs the falcons are the first team
you beat on your path to a SUPER BOWL
Victory(see GREEN BAY and NEW YORK)
5. hiring the OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR to
one of lower ranked offenses in 2011
soooo…. we do have some fore told knowledge of
the future
]]>By: dukemarchttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/05/luke-mccown-will-try-out-for-saints/#comment-1819395
Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:16:23 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=808609#comment-1819395Ah come on, Chase Daniels is the starter for this team. This is his big break, don’t screw him over Vitt!
]]>By: flutieflakeshttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/05/luke-mccown-will-try-out-for-saints/#comment-1819365
Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:02:29 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=808609#comment-181936523 of 43 for 243 passes. Yes.
]]>By: dirtybirds233http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/05/luke-mccown-will-try-out-for-saints/#comment-1819347
Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:47:39 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=808609#comment-1819347God….when the Saints go 8-8 at BEST w/o Drew, all you’re going to hear is, “we would’ve win the Super Bowl if he was out there!” as if they have some fore told knowledge of the future.
]]>By: 49erstimhttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/05/luke-mccown-will-try-out-for-saints/#comment-1819297
Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:28:03 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=808609#comment-1819297Luke McCown NEVER needs an explanation!
]]>By: dlc618http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/05/luke-mccown-will-try-out-for-saints/#comment-1819266
Tue, 05 Jun 2012 18:59:42 +0000http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=808609#comment-1819266Go Luke!
]]>
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
We arent able to sign you in.
Currently, the browser you're using isn't set to accept cookies. Please change the browser's cookie settings. Then sign in again.
How do I change the browsers cookie settings?
In Internet Explorer, go to Tools->Internet Options->Privacy. Drag the slider to "Medium" (the default setting for IE). Click OK.
In Firefox, go to Firefox drop-down menu->Preferences/Options->Privacy. Set "Firefox will:" to "Use custom settings for history". Check the box next to "Accept cookies from sites" to enable cookies.
In Safari, go to Safari->Preferences->Privacy, then do the following: change which cookies and website data are accepted to never block cookies (to enable them).
In Chrome, go to Settings->Show advanced settings. Under Privacy, click Content Settings. Change the Cookies setting to "Allow local data to be set (recommended)". Click Done. Close the Settings window.
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small amount of information sent to your browser by our servers. The cookie enables you to access your account features.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
I was sent the video below from a young refugee friend today and I felt compelled to share it with you.
As you’ll see, the man in the video, Jeff, helps refugee kids in the East Colfax area fix their bicycles on a regular basis. He noticed there were lots of bikes around but they didn’t have the money and skills to fix the bikes so they just lay there, useless. Pretty simple act of service right, nothing too big or time consuming, but what a great demonstration of love and caring this guy is showing for those less fortunate kids.
I think we sometimes get paralyzed by all the problems that are in the world. They all seem so big and complicated, how will we ever fix anything? We don’t really know, so we do nothing. This guy is showing how if you have your eyes open for opportunities you can find simple ways to make life better for others. Like Theodore Roosevelt said “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”. It doesn’t have to be hard to help others, we just have to go out and do it.
So how can we help out, Stapleton? As Jeff mentions in the video they could use more bikes for the refugee kids. Let’s make it happen! I bet you have a bike that one of your kids outgrew recently or maybe you could spare a few bucks to even pick up a new bike to donate. Let’s round up a bunch of bikes in April and bring them down to Jeff and let him distribute them in the refugee community he has gotten to know so well. Nothing complicated, just send me a message at [email protected] and let me know you’re in for a donation of a bike. It can be used or new, any size. If you want I will deliver it for you or if you’d like to help deliver the bikes and meet some of the families we can do that too. Bring the kids too, it can’t hurt for them to get out and have some new experiences.
Joe Phillips is the founder of the Stapleton Scoop. He is a resident of Stapleton and a Real Estate Broker focused on the neighborhood. He writes regularly about the community, events, real estate, parenting, and life in the 80238.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Disruptive Technologies
Blockchain is the underlying distributed ledger technology for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin; it has been at the forefront of business news in the last two years. Fortunes have been built... Read more
Digital Strategy + Transformation
During the recent Enaxis Leadership Forum at Rice University, one panel of CIOs explored the recent impact of digital focus to their roles. Unlike many trends in technology, digital transformation... Read more
Intelligent Visualization
Over the last two decades, businesses have been creating and consuming data in exponential quantities due to advances in technology. The data management industry has emerged from this data explosion... Read more
Outsourcing Advisory
Client Challenge A leading airlines aimed to reduce costs and increase efficiency in the back office functions of its cargo division Many competitors had already successfully offshored these functions, giving... Read more
Digital
The Retail Marketplace has always been a rapidly changing landscape, but never more so than right now. Technological innovations, information availability and economic forces are changing consumer shopping habits and... Read more
ENAXIS LEADERSHIP FORUM IN COLLABORATION WITH THE KEN KENNEDY INSTITUTE AT RICE UNIVERSITY The Enaxis Leadership Forum, in collaboration with the Ken Kennedy Institute at Rice University, is an invitation-only... Read more
People Powering Digital Transformation These days, “digital transformation” is an increasingly popular phrase in the business world, and it is challenging organizations to carefully consider how... Read more
Working together
Digital Strategy + Transformation
During the recent Enaxis Leadership Forum at Rice University, one panel of CIOs explored the recent impact of digital focus to their roles. Unlike many trends in technology, digital transformation... Read more
Use Case Design + Development
3 Key Characteristics of Effective Big Data
By Suman Ojha
| Published on Sep. 10, 2014
I once heard a CEO, remark “the future of everything is data.” This seems particularly true in oil and gas, where digital oil fields are comprised of a comprehensive list of transformative technologies. In orchestration these technologies can deliver increased productivity regardless of your sector. The key to their orchestration is data…Big Data to be more specific. Big Data remains one of the most disruptive and elusive competitive advantages that a company can achieve. But what exactly is Big Data? What characteristics constitutes an effective Big Data platform? Big Data is a difficult term to grasp. Everyone seems to have their own definition for the term. The most common use of the word is as a synonym for advanced data analytics. In reality, Big Data is the process of producing actionable results and learnings from unimaginable sizes of data.
The confusion often comes in understanding all the moving parts associated with the delivery of Big Data. Many people often believe that Big Data is a tool, or software, or hardware of some sort. In fact Big Data is comprised of several IT concepts and tools, spanning from strategic planning and advanced mathematical analysis, to collaborative human interaction and reporting, to the technologies that actually aggregate the data and help you compile the queries. When properly implemented and used, Big Data gives companies the power to find value in data that otherwise would yield few results. In oil and gas this could mean anything from finding new reserves of gas, to maximizing refining efficiencies, to improving operational integrity. Despite all its capabilities, Big Data can be ineffective if missing one of the following three characteristics:
Consolidated
Since Big Data has so many moving parts, you need a solution that incorporates every component of Big Data. In the back-end you need a good data warehouse. In the front-end you need robust reporting, and in the middle you need the computational power. Within the gaps you need to ability to share the data easily, produce queries, and the capability to adjust your technology as your business and new technology trends emerge.
Compatible
Proprietary software at any step of this process is dangerous. Big Data is an orchestration of several moving parts, some of which you may want compatible with Open systems like Hadoop and Appache. One of the big moves Microsoft has made in Big Data, for example, has been to provide Excel with the ability to connect to Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) or Hadoop cluster using Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). Excel can also interface with Appache Hive, a data warehouse infrastructure built-on Hadoop that provides data query and analysis.
Accessible
BigData is complex. Don’t make it harder by implementing solutions that require climbing a huge learning curve to use. This is especially important in the reporting and analytics sections. In the end, what’s the point of using BigData if you’re data’s obsolete by the time you’re able to generate reports?Big Data can provide benefits to your organization through ensuring that you have as much information as possible before making important business decisions. The wealth of data available through Big Data also enables marketing strategies to be improved and more accurately targeted. If done correctly Big Data can even help you see the future. The key is implementing a solution that has all the necessary components, including accessibility.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
mardi 14 juin 2011
On January 17, 2001, during the impeachment trial of Philippine President Joseph Estrada, loyalists in the Philippine Congress voted to set aside key evidence against him. Less than two hours after the decision was announced, thousands of Filipinos, angry that their corrupt president might be let off the hook, converged on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, a major crossroads in Manila. The protest was arranged, in part, by forwarded text messages reading, "Go 2 EDSA. Wear blk." The crowd quickly swelled, and in the next few days, over a million people arrived, choking traffic in downtown Manila.
The public s ability to coordinate such a massive and rapid response -- close to seven million text messages were sent that week -- so alarmed the country's legislators that they reversed course and allowed the evidence to be presented. Estrada's fate was sealed; by January 20, he was gone. The event marked the first time that social media had helped force out a national leader. Estrada himself blamed "the text-messaging generation" for his downfall.
Since the rise of the Internet in the early 1990s, the world's networked population has grown from the low millions to the low billions. Over the same period, social media have become a fact of life for civil society worldwide, involving many actors -- regular citizens, activists, nongovernmental organizations, telecommunications firms, software providers, governments. This raises an obvious question for the U.S. government: How does the ubiquity of social media affect U.S. interests, and how should U.S. policy respond to it?
As the communications landscape gets denser, more complex, and more participatory, the networked population is gaining greater access to information, more opportunities to engage in public speech, and an enhanced ability to undertake collective action. In the political arena, as the protests in Manila demonstrated, these increased freedoms can help loosely coordinated publics demand change.
The Philippine strategy has been adopted many times since. In some cases, the protesters ultimately succeeded, as in Spain in 2004, when demonstrations organized by text messaging led to the quick ouster of Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar, who had inaccurately blamed the Madrid transit bombings on Basque separatists. The Communist Party lost power in Moldova in 2009 when massive protests coordinated in part by text message, Facebook, and Twitter broke out after an obviously fraudulent election. Around the world, the Catholic Church has faced lawsuits over its harboring of child rapists, a process that started when The Boston Globes 2002 expose of sexual abuse in the church went viral online in a matter of hours.
There are, however, many examples of the activists failing, as in Belarus in March 2006, when street protests (arranged in part by e-mail) against President Aleksandr Lukashenko's alleged vote rigging swelled, then faltered, leaving Lukashenko more determined than ever to control social media. During the June 2009 uprising of the Green Movement in Iran, activists used every possible technological coordinating tool to protest the miscount of votes for Mir Hossein Mousavi but were ultimately brought to heel by a violent crackdown. The Red Shirt uprising in Thailand in 2010 followed a similar but quicker path: protesters savvy with social media occupied downtown Bangkok until the Thai government dispersed the protesters, killing dozens.
The use of social media tools -- text messaging, e-mail, photo sharing, social networking, and the like -- does not have a single preordained outcome. Therefore, attempts to outline their effects on political action are too often reduced to dueling anecdotes. If you regard the failure of the Belarusian protests to oust Lukashenko as paradigmatic, you will regard the Moldovan experience as an outlier, and vice versa. Empirical work on the subject is also hard to come by, in part because these tools are so new and in part because relevant examples are so rare. The safest characterization of recent quantitative attempts to answer the question, Do digital tools enhance democracy? (such as those by Jacob Groshek and Philip Howard) is that these tools probably do not hurt in the short run and might help in the long run -- and that they have the most dramatic effects in states where a public sphere already constrains the actions of the government.
Despite this mixed record, social media have become coordinating tools for nearly all of the world's political movements, just as most of the world's authoritarian governments (and, alarmingly, an increasing number of democratic ones) are trying to limit access to it. In response, the U.S. State Department has committed itself to "Internet freedom" as a specific policy aim. Arguing for the right of people to use the Internet freely is an appropriate policy for the United States, both because it aligns with the strategic goal of strengthening civil society worldwide and because it resonates with American beliefs about freedom of expression. But attempts to yoke the idea of Internet freedom to short-term goals -- particularly ones that are country-specific or are intended to help particular dissident groups or encourage regime change -- are likely to be ineffective on average. And when they fail, the consequences can be serious.
Although the story of Estrada's ouster and other similar events have led observers to focus on the power of mass protests to topple governments, the potential of social media lies mainly in their support of civil society and the public sphere -- change measured in years and decades rather than weeks or months. The U.S. government should maintain Internet freedom as a goal to be pursued in a principled and regime-neutral fashion, not as a tool for effecting immediate policy aims country by country. It should likewise assume that progress will be incremental and, unsurprisingly, slowest in the most authoritarian regimes.
In January 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined how the United States would promote Internet freedom abroad. She emphasized several kinds of freedom, including the freedom to access information (such as the ability to use Wikipedia and Google inside Iran), the freedom of ordinary citizens to produce their own public media (such as the rights of Burmese activists to blog), and the freedom of citizens to converse with one another (such as the Chinese public's capacity to use instant messaging without interference).
Most notably, Clinton announced funding for the development of tools designed to reopen access to the Internet in countries that restrict it. This "instrumental" approach to Internet freedom concentrates on preventing states from censoring outside Web sites, such as Google, YouTube, or that of The New York Times. It focuses only secondarily on public speech by citizens and least of all on private or social uses of digital media. According to this vision, Washington can and should deliver rapid, directed responses to censorship by authoritarian regimes.
The instrumental view is politically appealing, action-oriented, and almost certainly wrong. It overestimates the value of broadcast media while underestimating the value of media that allow citizens to communicate privately among themselves. It overestimates the value of access to information, particularly information hosted in the West, while underestimating the value of tools for local coordination. And it overestimates the importance of computers while underestimating the importance of simpler tools, such as cell phones.
The instrumental approach can also be dangerous. Consider the debacle around the proposed censorship-circumvention software known as Haystack, which, according to its developer, was meant to be a "one-to-one match for how the [Iranian] regime implements censorship." The tool was widely praised in Washington; the U.S. government even granted it an export license. But the program was never carefully vetted, and when security experts examined it, it turned out that it not only failed at its goal of hiding messages from governments but also made it, in the words of one analyst, "possible for an adversary to specifically pinpoint individual users." In contrast, one of the most successful anti-censorship software programs, Freegate, has received little support from the United States, partly because of ordinary bureaucratic delays and partly because the U.S. government is wary of damaging U.S.-Chinese relations: the tool was originally created by Falun Gong, the spiritual movement that the Chinese government has called "an evil cult." The challenges of Freegate and Haystack demonstrate how difficult it is to weaponize social media to pursue country-specific and near-term policy goals.
New media conducive to fostering participation can indeed increase the freedoms Clinton outlined, just as the printing press, the postal service, the telegraph, and the telephone did before. One complaint about the idea of new media as a political force is that most people simply use these tools for commerce, social life, or self-distraction, but this is common to all forms of media. Far more people in the 1500s were reading erotic novels than Martin Luther's "Ninety-five Theses," and far more people before the American Revolution were reading Poor Richard's Almanack than the work of the Committees of Correspondence. But those political works still had an enormous political effect.
Just as Luther adopted the newly practical printing press to protest against the Catholic Church, and the American revolutionaries synchronized their beliefs using the postal service that Benjamin Franklin had designed, today's dissident movements will use any means possible to frame their views and coordinate their actions; it would be impossible to describe the Moldovan Communist Party's loss of Parliament after the 2009 elections without discussing the use of cell phones and online tools by its opponents to mobilize. Authoritarian governments stifle communication among their citizens because they fear, correctly, that a better-coordinated populace would constrain their ability to act without oversight.
Despite this basic truth -- that communicative freedom is good for political freedom -- the instrumental mode of Internet statecraft is still problematic. It is difficult for outsiders to understand the local conditions of dissent. External support runs the risk of tainting even peaceful opposition as being directed by foreign elements. Dissidents can be exposed by the unintended effects of novel tools. A government s demands for Internet freedom abroad can vary from country to country, depending on the importance of the relationship, leading to cynicism about its motives.
The more promising way to think about social media is as long-term tools that can strengthen civil society and the public sphere. In contrast to the instrumental view of Internet freedom, this can be called the "environmental" view. According to this conception, positive changes in the life of a country, including pro-democratic regime change, follow, rather than precede, the development of a strong public sphere. This is not to say that popular movements will not successfully use these tools to discipline or even oust their governments, but rather that U.S. attempts to direct such uses are likely to do more harm than good. Considered in this light, Internet freedom is a long game, to be conceived of and supported not as a separate agenda but merely as an important input to the more fundamental political freedoms.
Any discussion of political action in repressive regimes must take into account the astonishing fall of communism in 1989 in eastern Europe and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Throughout the Cold War, the United States invested in a variety of communications tools, including broadcasting the Voice of America radio station, hosting an American pavilion in Moscow (home of the famous Nixon-Khrushchev "kitchen debate"), and smuggling Xerox machines behind the Iron Curtain to aid the underground press, or samizdat. Yet despite this emphasis on communications, the end of the Cold War was triggered not by a defiant uprising of Voice of America listeners but by economic change. As the price of oil fell while that of wheat spiked, the Soviet model of selling expensive oil to buy cheap wheat stopped working. As a result, the Kremlin was forced to secure loans from the West, loans that would have been put at risk had the government intervened militarily in the affairs of non-Russian states. In 1989, one could argue, the ability of citizens to communicate, considered against the background of macroeconomic forces, was largely irrelevant.
But why, then, did the states behind the Iron Curtain not just let their people starve? After all, the old saying that every country is three meals away from revolution turned out to be sadly incorrect in the twentieth century; it is possible for leaders to survive even when millions die. Stalin did it in the 1930s, Mao did it in the 1960s, and Kim Jong Il has done it more than once in the last two decades. But the difference between those cases and the 1989 revolutions was that the leaders of East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and the rest faced civil societies strong enough to resist. The weekly demonstrations in East Germany, the Charter 77 civic movement in Czechoslovakia, and the Solidarity movement in Poland all provided visible governments in waiting.
The ability of these groups to create and disseminate literature and political documents, even with simple photocopiers, provided a visible alternative to the communist regimes. For large groups of citizens in these countries, the political and, even more important, economic bankruptcy of the government was no longer an open secret but a public fact. This made it difficult and then impossible for the regimes to order their troops to take on such large groups.
Thus, it was a shift in the balance of power between the state and civil society that led to the largely peaceful collapse of communist control. The state's ability to use violence had been weakened, and the civil society that would have borne the brunt of its violence had grown stronger. When civil society triumphed, many of the people who had articulated opposition to the communist regimes -- such as Tadeusz Mazowiecki in Poland and Vaclav Havel in Czechoslovakia -- became the new political leaders of those countries. Communications tools during the Cold War did not cause governments to collapse, but they helped the people take power from the state when it was weak.
The idea that media, from the Voice of America to samizdat, play a supporting role in social change by strengthening the public sphere echoes the historical role of the printing press. As the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas argued in his 1962 book, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere, the printing press helped democratize Europe by providing space for discussion and agreement among politically engaged citizens, often before the state had fully democratized, an argument extended by later scholars, such as Asa Briggs, Elizabeth Eisenstein, and Paul Starr.
Political freedom has to be accompanied by a civil society literate enough and densely connected enough to discuss the issues presented to the public. In a famous study of political opinion after the 1948 U.S. presidential election, the sociologists Elihu Katz and Paul Lazarsfeld discovered that mass media alone do not change people s minds; instead, there is a two-step process. Opinions are first transmitted by the media, and then they get echoed by friends, family members, and colleagues. It is in this second, social step that political opinions are formed. This is the step in which the Internet in general, and social media in particular, can make a difference. As with the printing press, the Internet spreads not just media consumption but media production as well -- it allows people to privately and publicly articulate and debate a welter of conflicting views.
A slowly developing public sphere, where public opinion relies on both media and conversation, is the core of the environmental view of Internet freedom. As opposed to the self-aggrandizing view that the West holds the source code for democracy -- and if it were only made accessible, the remaining autocratic states would crumble -- the environmental view assumes that little political change happens without the dissemination and adoption of ideas and opinions in the public sphere. Access to information is far less important, politically, than access to conversation. Moreover, a public sphere is more likely to emerge in a society as a result of people's dissatisfaction with matters of economics or day-to-day governance than from their embrace of abstract political ideals.
To take a contemporary example, the Chinese government today is in more danger of being forced to adopt democratic norms by middle-class members of the ethnic Han majority demanding less corrupt local governments than it is by Uighurs or Tibetans demanding autonomy. Similarly, the One Million Signatures Campaign, an Iranian women's rights movement that focuses on the repeal of laws inimical to women, has been more successful in liberalizing the behavior of the Iranian government than the more confrontational Green Movement.
For optimistic observers of public demonstrations, this is weak tea, but both the empirical and the theoretical work suggest that protests, when effective, are the end of a long process, rather than a replacement for it. Any real commitment by the United States to improving political freedom worldwide should concentrate on that process -- which can only occur when there is a strong public sphere.
Disciplined and coordinated groups, whether businesses or governments, have always had an advantage over undisciplined ones: they have an easier time engaging in collective action because they have an orderly way of directing the action of their members. Social media can compensate for the disadvantages of undisciplined groups by reducing the costs of coordination. The anti-Estrada movement in the Philippines used the ease of sending and forwarding text messages to organize a massive group with no need (and no time) for standard managerial control. As a result, larger, looser groups can now take on some kinds of coordinated action, such as protest movements and public media campaigns, that were previously reserved for formal organizations. For political movements, one of the main forms of coordination is what the military calls "shared awareness," the ability of each member of a group to not only understand the situation at hand but also understand that everyone else does, too. Social media increase shared awareness by propagating messages through social networks. The anti-Aznar protests in Spain gained momentum so quickly precisely because the millions of people spreading the message were not part of a hierarchical organization.
The Chinese anticorruption protests that broke out in the aftermath of the devastating May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan are another example of such ad hoc synchronization. The protesters were parents, particularly mothers, who had lost their only children in the collapse of shoddily built schools, the result of collusion between construction firms and the local government. Before the earthquake, corruption in the country's construction industry was an open secret. But when the schools collapsed, citizens began sharing documentation of the damage and of their protests through social media tools. The consequences of government corruption were made broadly visible, and it went from being an open secret to a public truth.
The Chinese government originally allowed reporting on the post-earthquake protests, but abruptly reversed itself in June. Security forces began arresting protesters and threatening journalists when it became clear that the protesters were demanding real local reform and not merely state reparations. From the government's perspective, the threat was not that citizens were aware of the corruption, which the state could do nothing about in the short run. Beijing was afraid of the possible effects if this awareness became shared: it would have to either enact reforms or respond in a way that would alarm more citizens. After all, the prevalence of camera phones has made it harder to carry out a widespread but undocumented crackdown.
This condition of shared awareness -- which is increasingly evident in all modern states -- creates what is commonly called "the dictator's dilemma" but that might more accurately be described by the phrase coined by the media theorist Briggs: "the conservative dilemma," so named because it applies not only to autocrats but also to democratic governments and to religious and business leaders. The dilemma is created by new media that increase public access to speech or assembly, with the spread of such media, whether photocopiers or Web browsers, a state accustomed to having a monopoly on public speech finds itself called to account for anomalies between its view of events and the public's. The two responses to the conservative dilemma are censorship and propaganda. But neither of these is as effective a source of control as the enforced silence of the citizens. The state will censor critics or produce propaganda as it needs to, but both of those actions have higher costs than simply not having any critics to silence or reply to in the first place. But if a government were to shut down Internet access or ban cell phones, it would risk radicalizing otherwise pro-regime citizens or harming the economy.
The conservative dilemma exists in part because political speech and apolitical speech are not mutually exclusive. Many of the South Korean teenage girls who turned out in Seoul's Cheonggyecheon Park in 2008 to protest U.S. beef imports were radicalized in the discussion section of a Web site dedicated to Dong Bang Shin Ki, a South Korean boy band. DBSK is not a political group, and the protesters were not typical political actors. But that online community, with around 800,000 active members, amplified the second step of Katz and Lazarsfeld s two-step process by allowing members to form political opinions through conversation.
Popular culture also heightens the conservative dilemma by providing cover for more political uses of social media. Tools specifically designed for dissident use are politically easy for the state to shut down, whereas tools in broad use become much harder to censor without risking politicizing the larger group of otherwise apolitical actors. Ethan Zuckerman of Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society calls this "the cute cat theory of digital activism." Specific tools designed to defeat state censorship (such as proxy servers) can be shut down with little political penalty, but broader tools that the larger population uses to, say, share pictures of cute cats are harder to shut down.
For these reasons, it makes more sense to invest in social media as general, rather than specifically political, tools to promote self-governance. The norm of free speech is inherently political and far from universally shared. To the degree that the United States makes free speech a first-order goal, it should expect that goal to work relatively well in democratic countries that are allies, less well in undemocratic countries that are allies, and least of all in undemocratic countries that are not allies. But nearly every country in the world desires economic growth. Since governments jeopardize that growth when they ban technologies that can be used for both political and economic coordination, the United States should rely on countries' economic incentives to allow widespread media use. In other words, the U.S. government should work for conditions that increase the conservative dilemma, appealing to states' self-interest rather than the contentious virtue of freedom, as a way to create or strengthen countries' public spheres.
There are, broadly speaking, two arguments against the idea that social media will make a difference in national politics. The first is that the tools are themselves ineffective, and the second is that they produce as much harm to democratization as good, because repressive governments are becoming better at using these tools to suppress dissent.
The critique of ineffectiveness, most recently offered by Malcolm Gladwell in The New Yorker, concentrates on examples of what has been termed "slacktivism," whereby casual participants seek social change through low-cost activities, such as joining Facebook's "Save Darfur" group, that are long on bumper-sticker sentiment and short on any useful action. The critique is correct but not central to the question of social media's power; the fact that barely committed actors cannot click their way to a better world does not mean that committed actors cannot use social media effectively. Recent protest movements -- including a movement against fundamentalist vigilantes in India in 2009, the beef protests in South Korea in 2008, and protests against education laws in Chile in 2006 -- have used social media not as a replacement for real-world action but as a way to coordinate it. As a result, all of those protests exposed participants to the threat of violence, and in some cases its actual use. In fact, the adoption of these tools (especially cell phones) as a way to coordinate and document real-world action is so ubiquitous that it will probably be a part of all future political movements.
This obviously does not mean that every political movement that uses these tools will succeed, because the state has not lost the power to react. This points to the second, and much more serious, critique of social media as tools for political improvement -- namely, that the state is gaining increasingly sophisticated means of monitoring, interdicting, or co-opting these tools. The use of social media, the scholars Rebecca MacKinnon of the New America Foundation and Evgeny Morozov of the Open Society Institute have argued, is just as likely to strengthen authoritarian regimes as it is to weaken them. The Chinese government has spent considerable effort perfecting several systems for controlling political threats from social media. The least important of these is its censorship and surveillance program. Increasingly, the government recognizes that threats to its legitimacy are coming from inside the state and that blocking the Web site of The New York Times does little to prevent grieving mothers from airing their complaints about corruption.
The Chinese system has evolved from a relatively simple filter of incoming Internet traffic in the mid-1990s to a sophisticated operation that not only limits outside information but also uses arguments about nationalism and public morals to encourage operators of Chinese Web services to censor their users and users to censor themselves. Because its goal is to prevent information from having politically synchronizing effects, the state does not need to censor the Internet comprehensively; rather, it just needs to minimize access to information.
Authoritarian states are increasingly shutting down their communications grids to deny dissidents the ability to coordinate in real time and broadcast documentation of an event. This strategy also activates the conservative dilemma, creating a short-term risk of alerting the population at large to political conflict. When the government of Bahrain banned Google Earth after an annotated map of the royal family's annexation of public land began circulating, the effect was to alert far more Bahrainis to the offending map than knew about it originally. So widely did the news spread that the government relented and reopened access after four days.
Such shutdowns become more problematic for governments if they are long-lived. When antigovernment protesters occupied Bangkok in the summer of 2010, their physical presence disrupted Bangkok's shopping district, but the state's reaction, cutting off significant parts of the Thai telecommunications infrastructure, affected people far from the capital. The approach creates an additional dilemma for the state -- there can be no modern economy without working phones -- and so its ability to shut down communications over large areas or long periods is constrained.
In the most extreme cases, the use of social media tools is a matter of life and death, as with the proposed death sentence for the blogger Hossein Derakhshan in Iran (since commuted to 19 and a half years in prison) or the suspicious hanging death of Oleg Bebenin, the founder of the Belarusian opposition Web site Charter 97. Indeed, the best practical reason to think that social media can help bring political change is that both dissidents and governments think they can. All over the world, activists believe in the utility of these tools and take steps to use them accordingly. And the governments they contend with think social media tools are powerful, too, and are willing to harass, arrest, exile, or kill users in response. One way the United States can heighten the conservative dilemma without running afoul of as many political complications is to demand the release of citizens imprisoned for using media in these ways. Anything that constrains the worst threats of violence by the state against citizens using these tools also increases the conservative dilemma.
To the degree that the United States pursues Internet freedom as a tool of statecraft, it should de-emphasize anti-censorship tools, particularly those aimed at specific regimes, and increase its support for local public speech and assembly more generally. Access to information is not unimportant, of course, but it is not the primary way social media constrain autocratic rulers or benefit citizens of a democracy. Direct, U.S. government -- sponsored support for specific tools or campaigns targeted at specific regimes risk creating backlash that a more patient and global application of principles will not.
This entails reordering the State Departments Internet freedom goals. Securing the freedom of personal and social communication among a state's population should be the highest priority, closely followed by securing individual citizens' ability to speak in public. This reordering would reflect the reality that it is a strong civil society -- one in which citizens have freedom of assembly -- rather than access to Google or YouTube, that does the most to force governments to serve their citizens.
As a practical example of this, the United States should be at least as worried about Egypt's recent controls on the mandatory licensing of group-oriented text-messaging services as it is about Egypt's attempts to add new restrictions on press freedom. The freedom of assembly that such text-messaging services support is as central to American democratic ideals as is freedom of the press. Similarly, South Korea's requirement that citizens register with their real names for certain Internet services is an attempt to reduce their ability to surprise the state with the kind of coordinated action that took place during the 2008 protest in Seoul. If the United States does not complain as directly about this policy as it does about Chinese censorship, it risks compromising its ability to argue for Internet freedom as a global ideal.
More difficult, but also essential, will be for the U.S. government to articulate a policy of engagement with the private companies and organizations that host the networked public sphere. Services based in the United States, such as Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, and YouTube, and those based overseas, such as QQ. (a Chinese instant-messaging service), WikiLeaks (a repository of leaked documents whose servers are in Sweden), Tuenti (a Spanish social network), and Naver (a Korean one), are among the sites used most for political speech, conversation, and coordination. And the world's wireless carriers transmit text messages, photos, and videos from cell phones through those sites. How much can these entities be expected to support freedom of speech and assembly for their users?
The issue here is analogous to the questions about freedom of speech in the United States in private but commercial environments, such as those regarding what kind of protests can be conducted in shopping malls. For good or ill, the platforms supporting the networked public sphere are privately held and run; Clinton committed the United States to working with those companies, but it is unlikely that without some legal framework, as exists for real-world speech and action, moral suasion will be enough to convince commercial actors to support freedom of speech and assembly.
It would be nice to have a flexible set of short-term digital tactics that could be used against different regimes at different times. But the requirements of real-world statecraft mean that what is desirable may not be likely. Activists in both repressive and democratic regimes will use the Internet and related tools to try to effect change in their countries, but Washington's ability to shape or target these changes is limited. Instead, Washington should adopt a more general approach, promoting freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly everywhere. And it should understand that progress will be slow. Only by switching from an instrumental to an environmental view of the effects of social media on the public sphere will the United States be able to take advantage of the long-term benefits these tools promise -- even though that may mean accepting short-term disappointment.
~~~~~~~~
By Clay Shirky
CLAY SHIRKY is Professor of New Media at New York University and the author of Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
ADVERTISEMENT
Make your meeting matter
Review these tips during your next team meeting to make parasite control messages stick with your veterinary clients.
Mar 01, 2013
By dvm360.com staff
VETERINARY ECONOMICS
To be effective educators on parasite control, your team members need to know the details of the disease caused by parasites, be familiar with the testing done concerning these diseases, and know the particulars of the preventive products you offer.
At your next team meeting, make sure to talk about the role each member of your team plays in keeping pets free of all types of parasites. Because as time will tell, the best results come when the whole team delivers a consistent message with confidence.
Receptionists
When the client calls, your on-hold message can promote parasite control. As clients schedule appointments, remind them to bring a fecal sample. Explain you’ll use the sample to test for parasites. If the pet is on a prevention program, the sample is to make sure the program is effective.
When clients arrive for appointments, tell them the doctor may want to talk to them today about parasite control. Offer parasite control literature to prepare them for the conversations they’ll have with the technician and doctor in the exam room. At checkout, ask clients if they have the parasite prevention products the doctor recommended and reinforce the importance of parasite control.
Technicians and assistants
During your initial history, ask whether the client is concerned about parasites. Mention parasite control using your practice’s standards of care as your guide to prepare them for the doctor’s recommendations.
Practice managers
While you may not have direct contact with clients, you have direct contact with each team member. Set a goal for the team to work toward. Start by determining your current success rate. Estimate the number of cats and dogs that visited your practice in the last year. Then look at how many fecal tests you ran. Let’s say that number is 200. A realistic improvement might be to complete 400 fecal exams. The average practice is open about 240 days a year, so you’ll need to perform about two fecal exams a day.Veterinarians
You’ll reinforce the message the technician introduced, following your practice’s standards of care. Then introduce your personalized parasite prevention plan for the pet and the family. Ideally, the doctors in the practice would meet to develop the standards of care. You may also invite technicians to help create these protocols.
Veterinarians
You’ll reinforce the message the technician introduced, following your practice’s standards of care. Then introduce your personalized parasite prevention plan for the pet and the family. Ideally, the doctors in the practice would meet to develop the standards of care. You may also invite technicians to help create these protocols.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
[This information is from Vol. II, pp. 928-929 of Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs, edited by Cuyler Reynolds (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911). It is in the Reference collection of the Schenectady County Public Library at R 929.1 R45. Some of the formatting of the original, especially in lists of descendants, may have been altered slightly for ease of reading.]
The history of the Simkins family of Schenectady, New York, begins in America with John Simkins, of Ulster county, New York, believed to have been a son of the immigrant. John Simkins was born in Ulster county, New York. He grew up a farmer and became known as a breaker of fine horses. He married (first) ———— Scott, of England, who bore him a son who studied medicine and died on the eve of graduating M.D. She was also the mother of two daughters. John Simkins married (second) ———— Nelson, of Ulster county, who survived him and died in Berne, Albany county, New York. Children by second wife:
Nelson, see forward.
Aaron, born in Ulster county, New York, in 1792, died in Schoharie county at an old age; was of Albany and Schoharie counties; a farmer; married ———— Braman.
Tibbeus, born in Ulster county, 1795; removed to Canada, where he died, leaving a family.
(II) Nelson, eldest son of John and ———— (Nelson) Simkins, was born in Ulster county, New York, September 19, 1791, died in the town of Middleburg, Schoharie county, York, October 18, 1872. He was a farmer and mechanic. He settled first in Albany county, town of Berne, where he lived until his youngest child was twenty-one days old, when he removed to Middleburg. He was a prosperous farmer. He married in the town of Berne, Albany county, Catherine Vincent, born there March 29, 1792, daughter of Joshua and Catherine (Miller) Vincent, the former a revolutionary soldier. Joshua and wife were members of the Baptist church of Berne, where they died. Children of Nelson and Catherine (Vincent) Simkins:
Susanna, born July 5, 1812, died May 30, 1866, married Edward Palmer and had six children.
Mary (Polly), March 26, 1814, died June 3, 1868; married Cyrus Thorp and had five children.
Esther, December 30, 1815, died September 7, 1868; married Abraham Boom and had seven children.
Anna, October 21, 1817, died January 5, 1858.
Tibbeus, October 23, 1819, died 1890, unmarried.
Artemisa, March 19, 1822, died June 11, 1885; married Cornelius Possom.
Catherine, November 12, 1824, died March 7, 1844, unmarried.
Lydia, November 29, 1826, now a widow, residing in Hawley, New York; she is the mother of four children.
John, March 9, 1828; married Laura Borst, born March 17, 1833, died February 12, 1904, daughter of Philip and Mary (Kinney) Borst; they had thirteen children.
Eunice, February 23, 1832, died October, 1908; married George Warner, who survives her, and is a retired farmer.
Jane, April 7, 1834, died October 18, 1872; married John Borst.
George, see forward.
(III) George, youngest child of Nelson and Catherine (Vincent) Simkins, was born in Berne, Albany county, April 8, 1837, died May 15, 1907. When he was three weeks old, his parents removed to Middleburg, Schoharie county, New York, where his after life was spent. He grew up on the farm at Cotton Hill, and was educated in the common schools. He was a carpenter by trade, and carried on a contracting and building business in connection with his farm. He was a prosperous man, and highly regarded in his community. He was a Democrat, and held many town and county offices. He married Anna Shufelt, born in Middleburg, in 1840, died in Schenectady, New York, April, 1893, daughter of Philip and Harriet (Chadden) Shufelt, natives of the Mohawk Valley who died in Middleburg very old. Children of George and Anna (Shufelt) Simkins:
Austin, see forward.
Catherine, married Professor John Bigsbey, of Middleburg, New York; children: Frank, Laura and Anna.
(IV) Austin, eldest son of George and Anna (Shufelt) Simkins, was born in the town of Middleburg, Schoharie county, New York, August 2, 1861. He was reared on a farm, educated in the district schools, learned the carpenter's trade and became an expert mechanic. He removed to Schenectady where he became a lumber dealer, conducting in connection with that business contracting and building. He later established a planing mill for the manufacture of sash, doors, blinds, mantels and all kinds of builders' lumber supplies. His business has grown to be a large one, employing constantly from fifty to seventy men. He is prominent in the Masonic orders, being affiliated with New Hope Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, St. George's Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, St. George's Commandery, Knights Templar, Oriental Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the Order of the Eastern Star. He belongs to St. Paul's Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and to the Daughters of Rebekah, of which his wife is also a member. He is a member of the Exempt Firemen's Association, having served five years in the Schenectady fire department, and has subsequently represented the association in the state firemen's convention.
Austin Simkins married, at Cotton Hill, Schoharie county, New York, Estella Westcott, born in New Salem, Albany county, New York, December 20, 1860, daughter of Samuel and Jane N. (Pangborn) Westcott, of Albany county, and granddaughter of Major Westcott, who served in the war of the revolution. Samuel Westcott, her father, was one of the gold seekers of California in 1849, and spent four years in California where he helped construct the great dam across the Yuba river. He returned to Schenectady county, where he died. His widow survives him, a resident of Schenectady, having children:
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
State News
Apr 24, 2019
12:46PM
A Delhi court today stayed non-bailable warrants (NBWs) issued against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav after they had failed to appear before it in a criminal defamation complaint filed in 2013.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal passed the order after lawyers for the three leaders sought cancellation of the NBWs.The complainant had alleged that in 2013 he was assured ticket by the AAP to contest assembly elections but later the party denied him candidature for the polls.
He claimed that articles in leading newspapers carried "defamatory, unlawful and derogatory words used by the accused persons" which have lowered his reputation in the Bar and the society.
On the basis of the complaint, the trial court had earlier sought these leaders presence before it in the matter.The court said, it will take up the main matter on Monday.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Does it work properly if you use:
writef("Performance = %g\n", cast(double) n / (cast(double) ms1 * 1000.0));
Or similar? I believe the problem is (n) and (ms1). You could also use
like (n + 0) and (ms1 + 0)...
-[Unknown]
Does it work properly if you use:
writef("Performance = %g\n", cast(double) n / (cast(double) ms1 *
1000.0));
Or similar? I believe the problem is (n) and (ms1). You could also use
like (n + 0) and (ms1 + 0)...
-[Unknown]
Just move the parenthesis...
writef("Performance = %g\n", (cast(double)n) / ( (cast(double)ms1) * >
1000.0));
I think that the reason is that the form
'(' identifier ')'
looks like a C-style cast, as well as looking like a single-term
expression. It is because of this ambiguity that C-style casts are
deprecated.
--
Derek
Melbourne, Australia
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Friday, February 22, 2013
The ghost of grammar past is swirling around me as two related articles/posts have recently crossed by path.
First, I came across this infographic below dealing with a vexing question: Does Texting Hurt Your Grammar? The concern is that when texting we take shortcuts which 'look' bad when texting professionally, and may hurt students' incorporation of grammar rules. Here are a few examples of shortcuts:
My only question is where were these results obtained, and on how many students. That said, it still is powerful and effective at making a point:
So what's the story and what does research tell us?
According to Alan Mozes (HealthDay Reporter, 8/8/2012) A new study ("Texting, techspeak, and tweens: The relationship between text messaging and English grammar skills" by Drew P. Cingel and S.Shyam Sundar - first published in New Media & Society, May 11, 2012) warns that texting among young teens may be undermining their grammar skills. This concern stems from the results of standardized language testing and surveys among 228 middle school students grades six through eight between the ages of 10-14 from central Pennsylvania. Co-author of the study, S. Shyam Sundar, co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University noted that:
"...this is correlational, not causal...while we see an association between texting and grammar problems among teens, we cannot say that one is actually causing the other...However...compared to those who text very little, those middle schoolers who texted a lot did much more poorly in terms of their offline grammar skills...[suggesting] that kids who are using a lot of word adaptations while texting--saying 'gr8', for example, instead of 'great' --are unable to switch sufficiently back to proper grammar and spelling when not texting."
Interestingly, (unlike the study noted in the infographic above) in this study no gender differences were found. Simply the more a tween used text shortcuts (sending and/or receiving), the worse their overall grammar performance.
There have, however, been opposing perspectives. Susan Sotillo, associate professor of linguistics at Montclair State University noted that "Children know that when you're in school, you do not use texting language...it's up to the teacher to say it's not acceptable." She further noted that to see the impact of texting on grammar or any language skills, researchers must study thousands of people across a variety of backgrounds and geographic regions.
From: mywritingblog.com
To make matters more confusing, at about the same time this infographic came out, Smithsonian.com posted a blog "Most of What You Think You Know About Grammar Is Wrong: And ending sentences with a preposition is nothing worth worrying about" (written by Patricia T. O'Connor and Steward Kellarman, Smithsonian magazine, February 2013). Here are some of their myth busters - although sadly, I'm not even sure kids today would even understand them:
Ending a sentence with a preposition is nothing worth worrying about;
There is nothing wrong with starting a sentence with a conjunction;
Perhaps the biggest grammar myth of all is the infamous taboo against
splitting an infinitive, as in “to boldly go.” The truth is that you
can’t split an infinitive: Since “to” isn’t part of the infinitive,
there’s nothing to split. Great writers—including Chaucer, Shakespeare,
Donne and Wordsworth—have been inserting adverbs between “to” and
infinitives since the 1200s.
The bottom lineis that regardless of whether texting is hurting
kids' developing skills in grammar and/or in writing, it
is here to stay. Communication is clearly changing and we have to
incorporate those changes in and out of school. With texting, tweeting,
instant messaging, and infographics, we will be incorporating writing shortcuts AND our messages
will, by the nature of texting and limits of time, become shorter and
more succinct. So...
Given the state of constant texting and confusing rules of grammar... Below is a list of things parents and teachers can do to help their kids:
If/when you read newspapers / articles / web posts, respond - write letters or comments back and encourage your kids to do the same (when appropriate);
Point out and reinforce the difference between social texting with shorcuts and writing for school and work;
Point out the difference between the budding hybrid language of "techspeak" or "textspeak" (what they use when texting where the text is riddled with acronyms and abbreviations) and 'proper' (oh I hate that word - any suggestions) English;
Offer diverse writing opportunities and projects;
The bottom line is that regardless of whether texting is hurting kids' developing skills in grammar and in writing, for that matter, it is here to stay. Communication is clearly changing and we have to incorporate those changes in and out of school. With texting, tweeting, instant messaging, our will incorporate shortcuts AND our messages will, by the nature of texting and limits of time, become shorter and more succinct. So...
Additional tools/references to help or hurt:
The TechSpeak to English Dictionary- presenting and defining tech buzzwords (gamification, pivot, corwdfunding, SoLoMo, innovator, pirate, mobile ecosystem, NextGen Web, cloud computing, total users, and engaged users are just a few of the terms listed);
Sunday, February 17, 2013
"...any form of behavior that develops among a large population and is collectively followed with enthusiasm for some period... fads may be driven by mass media programming, emotional excitement, peer pressure, or the desire of 'being hip'... a fad is generally considered a fleeting behavior whereas a trend is considered to be a behavior that evolves into a relatively permanent change.."
Let's have some fun reviewing a few fads we've faced related to parenting and education:
Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care (1946), challenged the then contemporary opinion that babies should be fed according to tight schedules, and that showing them too much affection make them weak and unprepared for the world. Instead, he promoted a 'gentler' approach telling parents they knew more than they thought they did and so should trust their own instincts and common sense.
While there is something to be said for openly showing parental affection and relying on common sense, different cultures follow different avenues of 'common sense' and there are times when 'common sense' just doesn't hold. For example, Spock recommended putting babies to sleep on their stomachs (so as not to choke on any spit-up, etc.- which makes some sense). This, however, was discredited in the late 1990's as stomach-sleeping was found to be linked to sudden infant death syndrome. Furthermore, while loving and showing affection is important, so many children have grown up feeling 'entitled' and seeking immediate gratification that many are now advocating the need to show affection WHILE teaching rules, promoting delayed gratification, and adding structure to home and school life.
Whole Language (vs. Phonics) - Whole language, popularized in the 1970's-late 1980's de-emphasized spelling, phonics and grammar, focusing primarily on reading and writing for meaning. In its height, educators promoting whole language did so at the expense of teaching phonics, letter blends, and rules of grammar and spelling. While criticized for ignoring the structured teaching of language rules, Whole Language classrooms encouraged frequent reading, 'guided reading' in small groups, student read-alouds, and independent reading in the classroom. Reading and writing were done for 'real-life'/meaningful purposes, emphasizing the love of books and engaging reading materials. All very positive, and successful with strong language learners.
Weak language learners and dyslexic children, however, had tremendous difficulty learning under this approach. In direct contrast, the Orton-Gillinghan Approach - emphasizing a very structured approach to phonics has proven remarkably successful for dyslexic and weak language learners.
Then, of course, we are constantly faced with DIET FADS here are just a few:
South Beach
Atkins
Hollywood Diet
Liquid Diets
Detox Diets
Fat-Free diets
The problem with fad diets is that while these different diets empower people to shed pounds, they don't work to help you KEEP the weight off long-term. What does work is consistent exercise while eating healthy (not overly processed) foods in variety and moderation.
What I find so interesting about these fads is that they seem to represent extremes and as a result the parenting and educational pendulums tend to swing between these extremes. So often these fads show merit when integrated together - maybe because there are all kinds of learners in each and every class. Maybe, we just need to look at what it is about the fads that so appeals to us and integrate them without losing our way.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
In line with 21st-century learning, are 21st- Century learning tools. For this post I thought we'd explore the expanding genre of interactive multi-media visual dictionaries by looking at two very different options. The first by Merriam-Webster and QA International, the Visual Merriam-Webster; the second is Visuwords. The third is
According to Wikipedia - another 21st-Century tool (albeit developed in the late 20th century):
A visual dictionary is a dictionary that primarily uses pictures to illustrate the meaning of words.
Visual dictionaries are often organized by themes, instead of being an
alphabetical list of words. For each theme, an image is labeled with the
correct word to identify each component of the item in question. Visual
dictionaries can be monolingual or multilingual, providing the names of items in several languages. An index of all defined words is usually included to assist finding the correct illustration that defines the word.
Option 1: In 2007 Merriam-Webster (the dictionary and 'language reference publisher') and QA International (a developer and producer of visually innovative reference works) joined to develop and introduce the Visual Dictionary Online (www.visualdictionaryonline.com).
"Visitors ... search ideas within organized subject fields to...more than 20,000 terms with full definitions... 6,000 stunning illustrations...15 major themes offer a variety of topics..Additional features include a Game of the Week, played by associating words with images, and audio pronunciations spoken by real voices.
Two years later Merriam-Webster/QA International boasted that their Visual Multimedia 4th Edition includes:
6,000 hyperrealist
illustrations
20,000 defined terms covering almost 800 topics
Grouped into 17 themes that present every aspect of everyday life,
from sports, astronomy, the human body and the arts to cooking,
gardening and the animal kingdom.
Several language interfaces (terms written and pronounced in English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German)
It also offers five different
games that measure the knowledge of the user in each subject.
The way you use this dictionary is to click on one of the "themes"and then select the terms you're interested in. This dictionary
was, in my opinion, limiting because you couldn't just look up a
specific word, you had to find it within one of their 'themes.' So, for example, when entering "welcome" and "grammar" no words or images appeared. Second, while this dictionary is visually driven (because you could only find a word by clicking on a "theme" and then look at the words/terms available), it was not necessarily 'multi-media. Second, while they say they have 17 themes, I only found 15 ("Astronomy; Earth; Plants&gardening; Animalkingdom, Humanbeing; Food&kitchen; House; Clothing&articles; Arts&architecture; Communications; Transport&machinery; Energy; Science; Society; and Sports&games"). Finally, the fifteen/seventeen "themes" were fairly general and limiting - even if there are over 6,00 images and 20,000 defined terms.
Option 2:Visuwords...also found underSnappyWordsis another visual dictionary which is much more visually driven and interactive. In fact, I was wowed by its innovative 'feel'. While the Merriam-Webster visual dictionary feels much like a standard picture dictionary, this site is actually well worth a visit as "dictionary" and "thesaurus" truly take on new expanded dimensions and is visually and verbally interactive. I was mesmerized! It uses Princeton University's WordNet, which is an opensource database built by University students and language researchers. It is available as a free resource on the web.
As you arrive at this website, a random word appears on the screen (until you enter a specific word of your choice). That word is clearly written and related words are visually linked (much like a neural mind map) illustrating how they are related to each other. Move the icon over each related word and a definition appears. A color-coded key appears on the side to help you visually learn:
each word's part of speech (nouns are blue, verbs are green, adjectives are peach, and adverbs are pink),
topic domains,
cause-effect relationships between words,
opposites (red),
"instances" (examples - are turquoise),
"is a member of" (yellow),
"is a part of" (aqua),
"is a substance of" (brown),
"is similar to" (orange),
and shows derivations (gray).
As directed on their website:
"Look up words to find their meanings and associations with other words and concepts.... Enter words into the search box...double-click a node to expand the tree. Click and drag the background to pan around and use the mouse wheel to zoom. Hover over nodes to see the definition and click and drag individual nodes to move them around to help clarify connections.
"...type a word into the search query at the top of
the page and press 'Enter'. A network of nodes or 'synsets' (a single concept that is represented
by a number of terms or synonyms) will spring out from the
word that you entered... For example when you look up "seem", you see that the word is
connected to four synsets each represented by a green circle. Green denotes verbs... Two of these synsets have the lone word
"seem"; one has two terms: "appear" and "seem"; and the third has three terms: "look",
"appear" and "seem". Each of the four synsets has its own definition. Hovering over a node with the
mouse will reveal all of the synonyms for a given synset as well as its definition. Some synsets
will also show a few examples of usage. These synsets link to each other and to other synsets according
to entries in the WordNet database...You can grab any node and pull it away from the others to clarify
connections."
Here's one example..."Welcome::
And another example..."Grammar":
I could literally spend hours looking up words, not only to learn more about them but to look at the very different visual maps each produced.
Vidictionary : Is a new online video dictionary. it defines and expresses words through images. Click on the target word and a window opens up with a video describing the word and while it is (usually) read and has music to help describe it. Words can be accessed
alphabetically
by parts of speech (verbs, nouns, adverbs, adjectives, and prepositions.
Vocabahead promotes itself as a multi-sensory vocabulary trainer but can be used as a dictionary/thesaurus as well. What's nice about VocabAhead is that it really is a multi-media means to study and build vocabulary. You enter a word, it gives you a verbal definition, an audio recording 'reads' the definition, they use the word in a sentence, and an illustration reinforces the word's meaning. Another nice feature is that you can create your own vocabulary lists to study. There are graded word lists (grases 6-11) as well as a Master List and SAT list. In my opinion, while this is not terribly interactive, the paired illustrations, definitions and audio components can help build memory and word associations. Here is a YouTube introductory link (and note there are iphone apps for this as well):
So what do you think about 21st-century learning tools and the direction they're taking? Please share your opinioins in the comments.
In the meantime, thank you for your visit.
The 21st-century is still relatively young and our visions of what it offers are young as well. Don't forget to leave your reactions, suggestions and visions of what 21st-century tools might look like in the comments.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
In a recent post written at the beginning of this year I unabashedly gave four pieces of unsolicited advice (the best or the worst kind depending on your perspective- you can see for yourself at Advice...). One of my suggestions was:
"Help your kids learn to Delay Gratification: Our world
moves so quickly. Something happens, we immediately respond. Someone
upsets you, you tweet about it or post something on Facebook. The
problem is that as a result, kids in particular make bad decisions
because they act reflexively - because they can, and don't necessarily
think things through..."
In this post, I hope to relay why this is so important and what parents can do to help.
To begin with...A person's ability to delay gratification relates to their ability to recognize the rewards of patience and waiting, while at the same time being able to practice impulse control, self control, willpower and self-regulation.
In my writing courses, my students frequently and impulsively press 'send' spending little to no time editing their work. As a result it often contains careless errors in spelling, grammar, sentence structure and word usage that detract from the often insightful comments they are trying to make. Slowing down, editing, and attending to details before sending off the work (delaying the gratification that it's over and they can move on) can make a huge difference.
Often when bored and frustrated we eat to 'feel better' when sometimes instead of eating we should be waiting, or simply doing something we prefer not to do. Learning not to give in to immediate urges and needs can help.
The need or demand for immediate gratification results in tantrums that might have been avoided. This is true not only for young children. We increasingly see articles about inappropriate responses and demands for immediate attention in school and in the workplace.
From: european-american.blogspot.com
Learning to delay gratification as children will help our kids as they navigate, home, school, social and work-related situations.
Teaching
kids to stop, think, and delay reactions (and gratification) may stop
them from impulsive mistakes they may later regret.
Help children learn to wait. For young children this is often difficult to do, and to help them learn to wait (and avoid tantrums), you can tell them "no" but offer other, more appropriate alternatives.
Model delayed gratification. When things move too slowly or you don't receive what you want to receive, model how to more appropriately deal with delays and frustration. For me, driving and getting stuck in traffic is the most difficult time to model these appropriate responses - I often shout to the vehicles in front of me - of course only my kids hear...and while I feel better, they don't and in those cases I am not practicing what I preach. The point is that modeling appropriate responses and how to gracefully accept delays is really important.
Reward and praise your children when they do control their impulses and behave appropriately.
Instead of always buying "extra's" for your child, pick one special item that you will help them save up for. They can earn money from the Tooth Fairy, from doing extra chores around the house, and/or from saving allowance.
Talk to them about the importance of waiting gracefully and/or accepting disappointments. After movies, when traveling, after reading books when this occurs, talk about it. Talk about the frustrations characters experience and the different ways the frustration can and should be handled.
Here are a few of my favorite books and graphic novels where the characters must delay gratification and as such are excellent books to help begin these conversations, and model appropriate responses:
From: http://marvel.com/comic
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - all ages (the book - illustrated by W.W. Denslow as well as the new graphic novel illustrated by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young - published by Marvel) is an outstanding example of how Dorothy must face challenges, fears and disappointments before returning to Kansas (not to mention the Wizard who must also wait). In addition to simply reading this and discussing the need (and rewards) of delayed gratification, you may also want to read the original and the graphic novel and talk with your kids about the differences between the prose text and graphic novel stories.
Rust: Visitor in the Field by Royden Lepp (Grades 4+). This graphic novel is about Roman Taylor who struggles to keep his family's small farm from failing after a war which took his father.
From: firstsecondbooks.com
Resistance, Defiance and Victoryby Carla Jablonski and Leland Purvis (Grades 5+) - a graphic novel trilogy is about life in occupied France during World War II. The main characters must decide whether to collaborate with the Germans (to gain 'favors') or delay gratification and face rationing of supplies as well as struggle through the war without knowing whether their father has survived. Not only does this trilogy deal with delayed gratification, it also is a wonderful (historical) fiction story that accurately relates life in France in the late 1930's to early 1940's.
Americus by NJ Reed and Jonathan Hill (Grades 6+) is about a boy who has to wait to read a coveted book (which his mother is trying to ban from the library).
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle (Grades 5+) available in prose text as well as graphic novel - is about teenager Meg Murry who along with her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin O'Keefe are transported through a "tesseract" (a fifth-dimensional wrinkle in time) to rescue their father. Feel free to go to this link for lesson plan suggestions: Science Fiction: Skills, Chills and Thrills
.Zita Space Girl by Ben Hatke (Grade 3+) is a graphic novel about Zita who must travel to another world to rescue her friend Joseph whom she inadvertently sent through first. She must go through various trials and obstacles before finding him ad responsibly bringing him back to their world.
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (Grades 5+) is about a budding silversmith apprentice in Colonial Boston who suffers a debilitating accident and must slowly discover a new path and fate. Along the way he finds himself embroiled in the American Revolution. Not only is the book about how Johnny faces mounting disappointments, it accurately reflects life in Colonial Boston.
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (Grade 4+) is also about a child, in this case a girl, who suffers a debilitating accident shortly after the death of her mother, and here too learns to face life's harsh lessons with patience and grace. This novel is written solely in prose and poetry and the author's use of language is breathtaking.
There are also fairy tales about delayed gratification you can discuss: Hansel and Gretel (where Hansel just cannot help himself and he begins eating at evil witch's house) getting them into all sorts of trouble is one such story.
Delaying gratification is an issue we must wrestle with all our lives. Helping our children develop coping skills and impulse control will help them now and throughout their lives.
How do you help your kids with this issue? Please share this in the comments.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
MUST WATCH
Story highlights
Former "Good Morning America" co-host Joan Lunden revealed on Tuesday that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Posting to fans via Twitter and a letter on her website JoanLunden.com, Lunden said she had received an all-clear two weeks ago after her annual mammogram, but "for women who have dense fibrous breast tissue, as I do, often our doctors will recommend an ultrasound as well."
"My ultrasound that day revealed a tumor in my right breast," she wrote. "After a core biopsy was performed, I heard those words that every woman fears and that I never thought I'd hear: 'you have breast cancer.' "
Lunden, who co-hosted "GMA" from 1980 to 1997, said she initially considered keeping the news private, but decided to go public with her diagnosis.
"I have decided to talk about my breast cancer because since the moment I took the job at 'Good Morning America' I have lived my life sharing my joys and my disappointments with all of you: my pregnancies, my relationships, my career," she said. "I have shared my journey. So it certainly didn't feel right keeping this part of my journey a secret."
Celebrities battle cancer 30 photos
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, 52, is pulling out of the band's tour after his cancer Hodgkin lymphoma returned.
Hide Caption
1 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012, told Us magazine that he is undergoing treatment for rectal cancer. As he did for the prostate cancer, he's using marijuana to take the edge off: "I'm using cannabis like crazy now, more so than ever before," he told the magazine.
Hide Caption
2 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Sir John Hurt, known for performances in "Alien," "The Elephant Man" and the Harry Potter movies, told the British Press Association that he has pancreatic cancer. The disease is in its early stages, he said, and he is "more than optimistic about a satisfactory outcome, as indeed is the medical team."
Hide Caption
3 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
TV chef and author Sandra Lee revealed in May that she has breast cancer. Her longtime boyfriend, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, announced that he would be taking some personal time to support her through her double mastectomy.
Hide Caption
4 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Actress Rita Wilson, who can be seen on HBO's "Girls," revealed April 14 that she is fighting breast cancer and has undergone a double mastectomy. She thanked her family, including husband Tom Hanks, and doctors for their support in a statement to People magazine.
Hide Caption
5 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks, perhaps best known as the inspiration for the doctor portrayed by the late actor Robin Williams in the 1990 film "Awakenings," revealed in February that he has cancer. It's not Sacks' first bout with the disease. Nearly a decade ago, he was diagnosed with ocular melanoma that eventually left him blind in one eye and served as the basis for one of his books, "The Mind's Eye."
Hide Caption
6 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Fans of singer Morrissey knew the star had been ill after he canceled some U.S. tour stops in June, but it appears the performer has been battling cancer. "They have scraped cancerous tissues four times already, but whatever," Morrissey said in an interview with Spanish-language outlet El Mundo. "I am aware that in some of my recent photos I look somewhat unhealthy, but that's what illness can do. I'm not going to worry about that."
Hide Caption
7 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Diem Brown, one of the stars of MTV's "The Challenge," was diagnosed with cancer for the third time in August. Doctors discovered a tumor blocking her kidneys, People.com reported, slowing her recovery. Brown died in November.
Hide Caption
8 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
When former "Good Morning America" host Joan Lunden learned she was facing an "aggressive" form of breast cancer, she was determined to face her health battle head on. Knowing she would need chemotherapy, Lunden decided to remove her familiar blond hair before her locks could be affected by the treatment. "You know it's going to happen one of these days and you are wondering how or when," Lunden explained to People magazine, which she posed for without her wig in September. "So I just owned it."
Hide Caption
9 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Hugh Jackman took to Instagram in May to share a photo of his nose, which was bandaged because of treatment he had on basal cell carcinoma.
Hide Caption
10 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Former "Dancing With the Stars" co-host Samantha Harris was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy. Harris told People magazine she detected a lump during a self-exam and then followed up with a specialist after receiving a clean mammogram.
Hide Caption
11 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Actress Brittany Daniel of "Sweet Valley High" and "The Game" has been quietly dealing with stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Daniel recalls in an issue of People magazine that her 2011 diagnosis "happened so suddenly," but she's been able to face it with the support of her family.
ABC's Amy Robach found out she had breast cancer in November 2013 after she had a mammogram done live on "Good Morning America" for cancer awareness month.
Hide Caption
14 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Radio personality Robin Quivers quietly battled cancer for months, but she had happy news to share with "Howard Stern" listeners in September 2013. On the show, Quivers revealed that her doctors believe she's cancer-free after receiving treatment, including chemotherapy.
Sharon Jones held off plans to tour and release a new album with the Dap-Kings after being diagnosed with stage 1 bile duct cancer in 2013.
Hide Caption
17 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Michael Douglas offered some interesting insight as to how he may have developed the throat cancer that he was diagnosed with in August 2010. Douglas later told the "Today" show that his tumor was gone.
Actress Christina Applegate had a bilateral mastectomy in 2008. Doctors had diagnosed her with cancer in her left breast and offered her the options of either radiation treatment and testing for the rest of her life or removal of both breasts.
KISS band member Peter Criss sat down with CNN's Elizabeth Cohen in 2009, a year after his battle with breast cancer. The musician said he wanted to increase awareness of the fact that men can also get the disease.
Hide Caption
22 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Cynthia Nixon not only joined the cast of Showtime's "The Big C," about a woman battling the disease, and portrayed a woman with cancer in the Broadway play "Wit" -- Nixon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006.
Hide Caption
23 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Zoraida Sambolin was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2013, and she chose to have a double mastectomy. Sambolin said that Angelina Jolie's New York Times opinion piece about undergoing the procedure gave her courage to share her story.
"Three's Company" star Suzanne Somers spoke with CNN's Piers Morgan in 2012 about her stem cell surgery and her bout with breast cancer. She was diagnosed in 2001, which is when she began researching alternative methods to reconstructive surgery.
Hide Caption
26 of 30
Celebrities battle cancer30 photos
Olivia Newton-John was diagnosed in 1992, and the singer has become an advocate for breast self-examination.
JUST WATCHED
Breast Cancer Imaging
MUST WATCH
JUST WATCHED
Cancer cost crisis forces tough choices
MUST WATCH
Cancer cost crisis forces tough choices02:58
PLAY VIDEO
Lunden turned to current "GMA" co-host and breast cancer survivor Robin Roberts to offer her first TV interview about having the disease. The news hit home for the staff, as "GMA" co-host Amy Robach is currently being treated for breast cancer.
Lunden told Roberts that the form of cancer she has is particularly aggressive.
"In the beginning it's such a shock, it's a stunner," Lunden told Roberts. "For me, I'm a health advocate, I'm all over America talking to women saying, 'Make sure you get all of your checkups.' In the beginning you almost feel like 'What did I do wrong?'"
Lunden, whose late father was a cancer surgeon, said she gets mammograms every year. She is now in "warrior mode" learning everything she can about the disease and is currently undergoing chemotherapy, she said.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Makanin, Vladimir
"The Captive (literally: Captured) of the Caucasus
tr. Gitta Hammarberg from Novyj mir 4 (April 1995): 3-19
Most likely, the soldiers did not know that beauty saves the world,
[Dostoevsky, Diary of a Writer.] but what beauty is, they both knew in
a general way. Amidst the mountains they felt beauty (beauty of setting) all
too well--it frightened them. From a mountain gorge a stream suddenly sprang
forth. They were both even more startled by an open clearing, colored by the
sun to a blinding yellowness. Rubakhin walked ahead as the more experienced
one.
Where did the mountains suddenly disappear? The space, bathed in the sun, reminded Rubakhin of his happy childhood (which did not exist). Proud southern trees (he did not know what they were called) stood in solitary splendor above the grass. But most of all his plains-man's soul was agitated by this tall grass, breathing in the light breeze.
--Slow down, Vov. Don't rush,--Rubakhin quietly warns him.
To be in an unknown open space--is still just like being a target. And before leaving the dense shrubbery, Vovka-the-marksman raises his carbine to his shoulder and he moves it with special slowness from left to right, using the optical aim as binoculars. He holds his breath. He is viewing a space so very rich in sunlight. He notices a small transistor radio by a knoll.
--Aha!--Vova-the-marksman exclaims in a whisper. (The knoll is dry). The radio glimmered like glass in the sunlight.
With short leaps both soldiers in their dappled soldier's shirts approach the half dug out (and long abandoned) gas line trench toward the fall-colored reddish brown knoll. They turned the receiver around in their hands: they had already recognized it. Lance-corporal Boiarkov, when he had a drop too much to drink, loved to go off on his own and would lie somewhere embracing this old transistor. Moving aside the tall grass they look for the body. They find it nearby. Boiarkov's body is leaning against two rocks. Death found him. (They shot him point-blank--it seems he didn't even have time to wipe his drunken eyes. His cheeks are sallow. At the station they decided that he had been trying to escape). No documents. It had to be reported. But why did the guerillas not take the transistor? Because it was evidence. No. But because it was too old and beat-up. A no good thing. The irreversibility of the event (death is a prime example of irreversibility) presses on and involuntarily urges one on: it makes both soldiers get busy. Using the flat stones as spades, they energetically bury the dead man. The soldiers equally hastily make a mound over him (a noticeably piled up mound) and they're on their way.
And again--by the very exit from the gorge--there is tall grass. Not at all dried up. It quietly sways. And the birds call each other so joyously in the sky (above the trees, above the two soldiers). It is possble that in this sense beauty saves the world. You don't see it at all and suddenly it appears as a sign. Preventing man from straying from his path. (Moving not far from him. Looking out for him. Making him look out, beauty makes him remember).
But this time the sunny clearing seems familiar and safe. The mountains recede. Ahead is an even path, a bit further, a dusty fork in the road, well-travelled by cars, and there is the military station. The soldiers involuntarily speed up.
Lieutenant-colonel Gurov is not, however, at the station but at home. They have to go. Without a break the soldiers shuffle along to the house of the lieutenant-colonel, omnipotent in this place--as in all adjacent places (beautiful and so sunny) on earth. He lives with his wife in a good wooden house with a veranda for relaxing, decked with winding grapevines; there is some farming too by the house. It's is hot--it is midday. On the open veranda is lieutenant-colonel Gurov and his guest Alibekov; exhausted by dinner, they are dozing in light wicker chairs waiting for tea. Rubakhin makes himself known, hesitatingly and a bit shyly. Gurov looks at the two of them drowsily; they're so dusty (they've come to him unannounced and it also doesn't help that their faces are entirely unfamiliar to him); in a flash Gurov comes to; he raises his voice sharply, shouts, there's no help to be had at all, what sort of help, devil take it!--it is even amusing for him to hear that he'd ordered his soldiers somewhere to rescue some trucks which by their own stupidity got stuck in a gorge! . .
And furthermore: he doesn't let them go just like that. Angered he orders the two soldiers to tackle the sand--to do some honest work, help with the yard work. Turn arrou--m--aarch! And spread out that pile of sand by the entrance. And see that it gets spread out on all the paths! towards the house and the garden! There's dirt everywhere, damn it all, you can't get through! . . The lieutenant-colonel's wife, like all housewives in the world was happy about the free soldiers' hands. Anna Fedorovna, with dried-up hands, in dirty torn men's boots that very moment appears in the garden with happy shouts: please let them help her with the garden beds too! . .
The soldiers move sand around on a wheelbarrow. They spread it around, place it on the paths with spades. Heat. And the dry sand was apparently dug up by the river.
Vovka hoisted the dead lance-corporal's transistor on a pile of sand and found rhythmical music to keep their spirits up. (But not loud. For their own good. So they wouldn't disturb Gurov and Alibekov, having a chat on the veranda. Alibekov, judging by his leisurely words that wafted by, is haggling over weapons--an important matter).
The transistor on the pile of sand once more reminds Rubakhin of what a beautiful spot Boiarkov chose for his death. A drunken fool, he was scared to fall asleep in the woods and went out in the clearing. And furthermore up to a knoll. When the guerillas attacked, Boiarkov shoved his radio aside (his true friend) so that it would fall off the knoll into the grass. Was afraid that they might take it from him and said to himself somehow--I won't give it up. So what else is new! Gimme a break! Fell asleeep drunk and the radio simply fell from his hands, slipped a bit and rolled down the slope.
They killed him point-blank. Young guys. The kind that want to kill the first one as soon as possible to get the taste of it. So let it be a guy who's asleep. The radio now stood on the pile of sand and Rubakhin saw that knoll basking in the sun with the two strong bushes on the northern slope. The beauty of the place was striking and Rubakhin does not let the knoll slip from his memory (and absorbs it deeper and deeper), the knoll where Boiarkov fell asleep, that knoll and that grass, the golden foliage of the bushes, and with them one more experience of survival, irreplaceable. Beauty is constant in its attempt to save. It brings man to his senses. It reminds him.
First they dispersed wheelbarrows of sand along the boggy earth, then they figured it out: they placed boards on the paths. Up front Vovka sharply wheels his barrow, behind him, with sand piled up in a high mound, Rubakhin pushes his huge barrow. He stripped down to his waist and is glimmering in the sun, his strong body wet with sweat.
2.
--I'll give you ten "kalashnikovs." I'll give you five boxes of cartridges. Do you hear me, Alibek, not three, but five boxes.
--I hear you.
--But by the first of the month the provisions must be . . .
--I, Petrovich, will have a snooze after dinner. You too, I know. Did Anna Fedorovna forget our tea?
--She didn't. Don't worry about the tea.
--How not to worry! the guest laughs. Tea--there's not a war on, that the tea has to get cold!
Gurov and Alibekov little by little get back to their unfinished conversation. But the lukewarm cast to it (as a certain laziness in their argument) is deceptive--Alibekov came to get weapons, and Gurov, his officers and soldiers badly need provisions, sustenance. The currency is of course weapons; sometimes gasoline.
--Chow by the first of the month! And let it be without those silly mountain ambushes. Wine is not necessary. But just a bit of vodka.
--There's no vodka.
--Look for it, look, Alibek. I am after all, looking for cartridges for you!
The lieutenant-colonel calls his wife: how's the tea coming? Excellent strong tea would hit the spot right now! --Anya, what's keeping you? You shouted from the garden that you'd already made it!
Waiting for tea both of them unhurriedly, with the after-dinner disposition to laziness, have a smoke. The smoke just as lazily wafts from the cool veranda to the vineyard and-- in waves--makes its way toward the garden.
Making a sign to Rubakhin--I'll try to get us drinks, he says, (since we're stuck here anyway), the marksman takes a few steps to the wattle fence. (Vovka's signs and gestures are always cunning). Behind the fence is a young woman with a baby and Vovka-the-marksman winks at her right away. There, he's jumped over the fence and enters into a conversation with her. Good man! And Rubakhin, be it known, wheels the barrow with the sand. To each his own. Vovka belongs to those bold soldiers who can't stand lethargic work. (Or any other work, for that matter).
And would you believe it: it worked! Surprisingly fast this young wife plays along--as if she was just waiting for a soldier who'd carry on a tender conversation with her. Vovka, by the way, is a nice guy, with a smile on the ready, and whenever he has a second to spare, he turns on his charm.
Vovka is embracing her and she is slapping his hands. The usual stuff. They are in full view and Vovka understands that he has to lure her inside the hut. He is persuasive, tries to hold her hand by force. The young woman resists: "Nothing doing!"--and smiles. But little by little they both move towards the hut with its door ajar because of the heat. And there they are. And the little one just by the door, continues to play with the cat.
Meanwhile, Rubakhin is busy with his wheelbarrow. Where it seems impossible to go, he, moving from one spot to another, again lines up the boards--he carefully pushes the wheel along them, balancing the heavy sand.
Lieutenant-colonel Gurov continues his unhurried bargaining with Alibek, his wife (she's washed her hands, put on a red blouse) served them tea, each got his own--two exquisite teapots in the eastern style.
--She makes good tea, she's got the knack for it!--Alibekov praises her.
Gurov:
--And why are you so stubborn, Alibek! . . objectively speaking, after all, you are a prisoner. Don't then forget where you are. You're sitting in my house.
--And why is it I'm in your house?
--Let's say, because the valleys here are ours.
--The valleys are yours--the mountains ours.
Alibekov smiles:
--You're joking, Petrovich. what sort of a prisoner am I. . . It's you who are a prisoner here!-- Smiling he points at Rubakhin, who energetically pushes the barrow:--He's a prisoner. You're a prisoner. And in general, each one of your soldiers is a prisoner!
He smiles:
--But I, on the other hand, am no prisoner.
And again he stands his ground.
--Twelve "kalashes." And seven boxes of cartridges.
Now Gurov is smiling:
--Twelve, ha-ha! . . What kind of a number is that--twelve? Where do you get such numbers from? . . I understand--ten; a number is a number, you can remember ten. So it's ten barrels.
--Twelve.
--Ten. . .
Alibekov heaves an inspired sigh:
--What an evening we'll have! Vow!
--It's still long til evening.
They sip their tea slowly. The leisurely conversation of two people who've known and respected each other for a long time. (Rubakhin wheels his n-th barrow. Tilts it. Spreads the sand. Distributes it with his spade, pats it even with the ground.)
--You know, Petrovich, what our old men are saying? We have wise old men in our villages and auls.
--What are they saying?
--They're saying that it's time to march on Europe. Time to head there again.
--Come on, Alibek. Euu-rope! . .
--And what of it? Europe is Europe. The old men say, it's not that far. The old men are dissatisfied. The old men say, wherever the Russians go, we'll go too--and what are we shooting at each other for?
--Just you ask your kunaks--what for?!--angrily shouts Gurov
--Oh-oh-oo, he's offended. We're drinking tea--our souls are mellowing . . .
For some time they are silent. Alibekov again muses, unhurriedly pouring tea from the pot into his cup:
--. . . it's not really that far. From time to time one must go to Europe. The old men are saying that, we'll have peace any minute now. And life will get back to normal.
--When d'you think that will happen. Just wait!
--Excellent tea. Ah, Anna Fedorovna, make us some more. Please!
Gurov heaves a sigh:
The evening really will be fantastic today. There you're right.
--I'm always right, Petrovich. OK, ten "kalashes," I agree. And cartridges--seven boxes. . .
--Again you're holding your ground. Where do you get such numbers from--there's no such number as seven!
The hostess is bringing (in two white pots) the left-overs from dinner to feed the newly arrived soldiers. Rubakhin eagerly responds--yes! yes! would a soldier refuse! . . "And where's the main course?" And at this point the stammering Rubakhin has to resort to some heavy lying: it seems to him, he says, that the marksman has an upset stomach. Thinking a bit, he adds a bit more convincingly: "The poor guy is suffering something terrible." --"Perhaps he ate too many green apples?"--the lieutenant-colonel's woman asks soft-heartedly.
The okhroshka (=cold kvass soup) with egg and bits of sausage tastes good; and so Rubakhin is bending over the first pot. Doing so he bangs the spoon loudly against the edges, makes a clanking sound. A sign.
Vovka-the-marksman hears (and, of course, understands) the sound of the banging spoon. But he's not up to food. The young woman in turn hears (and also understands) a hysterical miaouwing resounding from the yard, followed by the scream of the scratched-up baby: "Moo-om!" . . Apparently he teased the cat. But the woman is now fully occupied with her emotions: yearning for caresses, she happily and eagerly embraces the marksman, not wishing to pass up a happy occasion. As for the marksman, there's nothing to be said--once a soldier, always a soldier. And there, again, the child's capricious cry: "Mo--oom . . ."
The woman tears herself from the bed--sticking her head out the door, she hushes up the baby; and shuts the door closer. Hopping along barefoot, she returns to the soldier; and it's as if it all flames up anew. "Oh, you're a hot one! ugh, you're really going!"--Vovka says ecstatically, and she presses his mouth: "Shh-shh . . ."
Wispering, Vovka mouths her an artless soldier's order: he asks the young woman to go to the general store in the village and buy their wretched port wine, they don't sell it to a soldier in uniform, but for her it's just a trifle. . .
He also shares with her his main concern: what they need now is not just a bottle but a case of port.
--Why do you need it?
--As currency. They closed the road for us.
--Why then did you come to the lieutenant-colonel if it's port you need?
--Right, it was foolish of us to come.
The young woman suddenly bursts out crying--tells him that not long ago she lost her way and was raped. Vovka-the-marksman, surprised, lets out a whistle: so that's how it is! . . Feeling compassion, he asks (with curiosity) how many of them there were?--there were four of them, she sobs, wiping her eyes with a corner of the sheet. He wants to find out more. But she wants to keep silent. She nuzzles up to him, her mouth on his breast: she wants words of consolation; a simple feeling.
They keep talking: yes, a bottle of port she'll of course buy him, but only if the marksman goes along with her to the store. The purchased bottle she'll of course give him right away. She can't walk home with a bottle, after what happened to her,--people know, who knows what they'll think . . .
In the second pot there's also a lot of food: kasha [=cooked grain or oats] and a piece of meat of the canned kind,--Rubakhin stuffs it all down. He eats not fast, not greedily. He slakes his thirst with two glasses of cold water. The water makes him a bit nauseous, he puts on his shirt.
--We're having ourselves a bit of a break,--he says to himself and goes to the wattle fence. He lies down; dozes off. And from the neighboring hut, where Vovka went into hiding, through the window a quiet conversation is wafting.
Vovka:-- . . . I'll buy you a gift. A pretty scarf. Or I'll find you a shawl.
She:--But you're leaving. She burst our crying.
Vovka: --So, I'll send it, if I'm leaving. What's there to doubt! . .
Vovka kept asking her to bend down. Not too tall, Vovka (and this he never concealed and willingly told the soldiers) loved to take a hefty woman from behind. Can't she really understand? It's so pleasant when a woman is big . . . She pushed him off, refused. During their long, hot whispering (the words already stopped making sense) Rubakhin fell asleep.
By the store, having barely got the port wine from her hands, Vovka stuffs the bottle in the deep handy pocket of his soldier's pants and--as fast as his legs would carry him--he went to Rubakhin, whom he had left behind. The young woman really rescued him, and is shouting, and somewhat cautiously straining her voice in the street, calls after him, reproaches him, but Vovka waves his hand--he no longer needs her--that's it, that's it, it's time! . . He runs along the narrow street. He runs between wattle fences, blazing a path to lieutenant-colonel Gurov's house. There's news (and what news!) -- the marksman had been standing, looking around, by their filthy, wretched store (waiting for the bottle) and heard about this from soldiers passing by.
He jumps over the fence, finds the sleeping Rubakhin and he gives him a push:
--Rubakha, hey, listen! . . It's a sure thing: the senior lieut is coming right now to the forest for disarmament.
--Hah?--Rubakhin looks at him sleepily.
Vovka spews out the words. He's hurrying:
--They're going for disarmament. We better join them--wouldn't that be great! You yourself were saying . . .
Rubakhin is now wide awake. Yes, I get it. Yes. That's how it's going to be. Ye-es most likely we'll luck out--we must go. The soldiers oh-so quietly get out from the lieutenant-colonel's estate. Carefully they take their kitbags, their weapons, standing by the well. They crawl over the fence and exit through someone else's gate so that the two on the veranda wouldn't see them and call them back.
They were not seen; and they were not called back. The two keep sitting.
It's hot, It's quiet. And Alibekov is quietly humming, he has a clear voice:
All here's dying doo-own til the mooorn' [lyrics from the famous "Moscow nights"]
It's quiet.
--People don't change, Alibek.
--Don't change--d'you think so?
--They only grow old.
--Hah. Like the two of us . . . --Alibekov pours himself a fine strem of tea into his cup. He no longer feels like bargaining. It is sad. Moreover he's already said it all, and now the right words by themselves (by the leisurely logic of their own) will reach his old friend Gurov. No need to speak them aloud.
--Good tea seems to have disappeared entirely.
--Let it.
--Tea is getting more expensive. Food is getting more expensive. And times do not cha-a-ange--Alibekov stretches the words.
The hostess just then is bringing in two new teapots to replace the old ones. Tea,--that's true. Gets more expensive. "But changing times or not, you, brother, keep bringing us chow"--Gurov is thinking and also does not say the words out loud.
Gurov knows that Alibekov is wiser and more cunning than he. But for all that, he, Gurov, has some firm thoughts that during long years have been thought through to such utter clarity that they are no longer thoughts, but parts of his own body, like arms and legs.
In the old days as part of his quartermaster's battles or simply when
there were delays with the soldiers' grub Gurov would immediately don his parade
uniform. He'd fasten his military order and medals on his breast. In the army
compound GAZ-69 (what dust there was, what wind!) he'd wander along the winding
mountain roads to the regional center until he'd finally reach the famous building
with the columns, which he'd enter without slowing down his gait in the least
(and without looking at the visitors and petitioners suffering in their long
wait), straight into the office. And if not to the regional committee, then
to the executive committee. Gurov knew how to get his way. Occasionally he himself
would taxi into the base, give bribes, and sometimes he'd even greased the palm
of whoever it was he needed with the beautiful engraved (with his name) pistol
(for it was entirely proper: the East--this is the East! . . And he didn't give
a second thought to the fact that these words would some day come true). And
now a pistol is nothing, damn it. Now ten barrels is too little--give me twelve.
He, Gurov has to feed the soldiers. With age, changes become harder and harder
to take, but on the other hand, you become more tolerant of human weaknesses.
The one outweighs the other. He had to feed himself too. Life goes on, and lieutenant-colonel
Gurov helps it along--there's the whole answer. Bartering with weapons, he does
not even think of the consequences. What's he here for? . . Life itself was
changing into all possible exchanges (exchange whatever you want for whatever
you want) -- and Gurov also made exchanges. Life itself was changing towards
war (and what a nasty war --neither war nor peace!) --and Gurov, it goes without
saying, was fighting. Fighting without shooting. (And only from time to time
he'd do disarming according to order. Or finally, would shoot according to a
different order; from above.) He's coping and by now he is responsible. But
. . . But, of course, he's yearning. Yearning for those times of yore that he
could understand, the times when he'd roll in in his "gazik" jeep and then would
enter that office and could scream, swear at the powers-that-be, and only then,
would condescend to peace, lounge in the leather chair and have a smoke with
the head of the regional committee, as with a friend-buddy. And let the petitioners
wait outside the office door. Once he didn't find the head of the regional committee
in his office nor in his home: he'd left. But instead he found his wife. (Having
gone to his house). And there were no refusals then. To the barely greying,
youthful major Gurov she gave everything, that a young bored woman could possibly
give, a woman left alone in summer for an entire week. All, that she could.
All, and even more, he thought (having in mind the keys to the huge refrigerator
number two, of their regional meatplant, where they stored freshly smoked meat).
--Alibek. I've just remembered. Could you get us some smoked meat by any chance?
3
The disarmament operation (it was called "horseshoe" ever since Ermolov's
times) amounted to surrounding the guerillas, but without entirely encircling
them. One single exit was left open. Rushing along this path, the guerillas were
stretched out into a broken chain so that from an ambush--be it from the right
or the left--it was not the easiest thing in the world, but it was possible, to
capture some of them, drag them into the bushes (or with a jump knock them off
the path into a gully and there disarm them). Of course, during this whole time
there was frequent shooting above their heads, which scared them and made them
leave.
Both of them wormed their way into the group heading for disarmament, however, they took one look at Vovka and turned him away right there: senior lieutenant Savkin trusted only his own. The senior lieutenant's gaze crawled along the strong figure of Rubakhin but did not fasten on him, didn't even stop, and the hoarse order "Two steps forward!" . . did not follow--most likely the senior lieutenant simply didn't notice. Rubakhin was standing in a group of the most powerful and strong soldiers and he blurred in with them.
But as soon as the shooting started, Rubakhin hurried and was already in ambush; he had a smoke in the bushes with some lance-corporal Gesha. The soldiers were veterans, they reminisced about those who had been demobilized. No, they didn't envy them. Envy a crossed-out son-of-a-bitch? It's not clear where it is better. . .
--They're good runners,--said Gesha without lifting his eyes to the shadows in the bushes.
The guerillas first in pairs, threes, making noise and crackling sounds on the ancient path, overgrown with bushes. But one or two of the loners were already captured. A scream. A row. . . and silence. ("Did they get him?"--Gesha's look asked Rubakhin, who with a nod answered "They did"). And again the crackling sound in the bushes grew louder. They were approaching. They could still manage to shoot somehow (and kill also, of course), but to run through bushes with weapon in hand, with the cartridge belt around their necks, under fire to boot--that was of course difficult. Scared as they stumbled across the fire from the ambush, the guerillas themselves aimed for the path which seemed to narrow down and lead them to the mountains.
--This one over there is mine, OK? said Rubakhin, rising to his feet and hurrying towards the a clearing.
--Good luck!--Gesha rapidly finished his cigarette.
It turned out that "this one" was not alone--two of them were running, but since he'd already jumped out of the bushes Rubakhin had no right to let them go. "Stoo-oop! Sto-op!. ." He hurled himself at them with a frightful scream. Rubakhin got an OK start. He couldn't get his ball of muscles up to speed right away, but by the time he caught up to them, neither a bent bush nor a scree under his feet mattered--he flew.
He was already tearing along about six meters from the guerilla. And the first one (that is the one who ran up front) was faster than he and escaped. The second (he was already quite close) did not scare Rubakhin, he saw the automatic bobbing on his neck but his cartridges were used (or perhaps the guerilla found it awkward to shoot on the run?). The first one was more dangerous, he had no automatic, and that means, he had a pistol.
Rubakhin increased his pace. Behind him he heard the steps of someone running after him--aha, Geshka is covering! Two against two. . .
When he caught up, he didn't bother to grab the guerilla nor to bring him down (while he'd be busy with the fallen one, the first one would surely escape). With a strong blow with his left hand he knocked him down into the gully, into the broken branches shouting to Gesha: "One's in the ditch! Take him!. ." and he tore after the first, the longhaired one.
Rubakhin was already going at fast as he could, but the other guy too was a real runner. As soon as Rubakhin came close, he also speeded up. Now they were moving the same speed, they were eight-ten meters apart. Turning around the guy fleeing raised his pistol and fired--Rubakhin saw that he was quite young. He fired again. (And lost speed. Hadn't he fired, he'd have got away).
He was shooting over his left shoulder, the bullets were way short so that Rubakhin didn't duck every time the guerilla raised his arm to fire. However, he wasn't going to fire all his bullets, the cunning guy. He began to get away. Rubakhin then understood. No longer tarrying Rubakhin threw his automatic--at the legs. That, of course would suffice.
The runner screamed with pain, twitched and began to collapse, Rubakhin reached him with a leap, trampled him down, with his right arm he grabbed his ankle where he had his pistol. There was no pistol. Falling, he'd hurled it away--what a soldier!. . Rubakhin turned his arm, twisting the shoulder so that it hurt of course. The guy said ouch and softened. Rubakhin still on a hunch took a strap out of his pocket, tied his arms, set him down by a tree, shoving the weak body against the trunk--sit! . And only then did he finally get off the ground and walked along the path having a bit of a rest and looking in the grass--already with an attentive eye--for his own automatic and the pistol the guerilla had thrown away.
Again there are steps--Rubakhin jumped aside from the path, toward the gnarled oak where his captive was sitting. "Quiet!"--Rubakhin commanded him. Immediately a few successful and light-footed guerillas leaped by past them. After them swearing soldiers came running. Rubakhin didn't get mixed up in that. He'd done his thing.
He glanced at the captive: his face was surprising. First, by its youth, although such young boys, sixteen-seventeen years old, were not rare among the guerillas. Regular features, soft skin. Something else in the face of the Caucasian surprised him, but what?--he didn't have time to figure it out.
--Let's go,--said Rubakhin, helping him (with arms tied behind his back) get up.
When they were on their way he warned him:
--And no running. Don't even think of it. I won't shoot you, but I'll give you a good beating--understood?
The young prisoner limped a bit. The automatic Rubakhin had thrown hurt his leg. Or is he pretending? . . A captive usually tries to arouse pity. He's limping. Or coughing badly.
4
There were many disarmed men, twenty two persons, and therefore perhaps, Rubakhin held on to his prisoner without any trouble. "This one is mine!"--he kept repeating, with his hand on his shoulder. Rubakhin in the general noise and din--in that last-minute bustle when they are trying to put the prisoners in formation to bring them to the station. The tension didn't abate at all. The prisoners crowded together, fearing that they'd be parted from each other. They held on to each other, shouted to each other in their own language. Some didn't even have their hands tied. "Why yours? See how many we have--they're all ours!" But Rubakhin shook his head: those are ours he said, but this one is mine. Vovka-the-marksman appeared as always at the right time, in the nick of time. Far better than Rubakhin, he knew how to put things right, and drive people crazy. "He is essential to us! We have a note from Gurov . . . We need a prisoner for an exchange!"--he lied with inspiration. "But you, report it to the senior lieutenant." "It's already done. All's agreed!"--Vovka continued swallowing, the lieutenant-colonel right now is drinking tea at his house (which was true)--the two of them, he said, came straight from there (which was also true)--and Gurov, he said, in his own hand wrote them a note. Yes, the note is over there, at KP . . .
Vovka looked noticably harried. Rubakhin looked his way bewildered: somehow he, Rubakhin, was the one who'd been running through the bushes after the longhaired guy--he was the one who'd caught him, he was the one sweating, and Vovka was the one who looked harried.
The prisoners (finally in formation) were taken to the cars. They carried the weapons separately and someone kept count orally: seventeen "kalashnikovs," seven pistols, a dozen or so granates. Two killed during the clash, two wounded, one of ours too is wounded and Korotkov killed . . . Tarpaulin covered trucks moved in a column, accompanied by two BTRs (one at the head and one in the rear), with a roar they kept speeding up, moving to the station. The soldiers in the car carried on a heated discussion, bawled. All wanted to eat.
Upon arrival, barely out of the cars, Rubakhin and Vovka-the-marksman together with their prisoner kept to the side. No one messed with them. In general, there was nothing to be done with the prisoners: young ones were let go, grown-ups were kept two-three months in the guardhouse, as well as in the prison, but then, should they escape, they were shot not without pleasure. . . there's a war on! These same guerillas, after all, perhaps shot Boiarkov sleeping (or barely having opened his eyes from sleep). Not a single scratch on his face. And ants were crawling. At first Rubakhin and Vovka tried to keep the ants away. When they turned him over, a hole was visible in Boaiarkov's back. They shot him point-blank; but the bullets didn't penetrate and hit the breast closely lumped together: after hitting the ribs, the bullets pushed out all his innards--on the ground (into the ground) a hash of ribs was lying, on top of them, his liver, kidneys, swirls of intestines, all in a large pool of coagulated blood. A few bullets had landed on the intestines, still steaming. Boiarkov was lying turned over with a huge hole in his back. And his innards, together with the bullets were lying on the ground.
Vovka turned to the dining hall.
--. . . we took him for exchange purposes. The lieutenant-colonel gave us permission,--Vovka hurried to add, anticipating the interrrogations of the soldiers from the platoon that met them.
The soldiers, full after dinner, shouted to him: say hello from us. They asked: who is captured? for whom are we going to exchange him?!
--For exchange purposes,--Vovka-the-marksman repeated.
Vanya Bravchenko burst out laughing:
--Currency!
Sergeant Khozhdaev shouted:
Good show, a good thing you captured him! They love such people! . . Their boss,--he nodded towards the mountains--just loves such people.
In order to further explain, Khozhdaev laughed, showing his strong soldier's teeth.
--You can exchange two, three, five persons for one!--he shouted. They love such persons, just like girls, they just love them!-- and coming up alongside Rubakhin, he winked.
Rubakhin hemmed in annoyance. Suddenly he figured out what had struck him about the captured guerilla: the boy was very beautiful.
The prisoner didn't speak Russian too well, but, of course, he understood everything. Spitefully, with guttural yelping sounds he shouted something to Khozhdaev in response. His cheekbones and face blushed and it was even more evident that he was beautiful--the shoulder-length dark hair almost formed an oval. The puckering lips. The nose, narrow as a string. The brown eyes especially attracted attention--large, set far apart and a bit slanted.
Vovka rapidly came to an agreement with the cook. They had to eat well before the road. Around the long plank table it was noisy and closed; hot. They sat at the edge--and right then and there Vovka took the half-full bottle of port wine out of his kitbag; and stealthily passed it under the table to Rubakhin, so that he holding the bottle properly between his knees, would polish it off, unnoticed by the others. "I left exactly half for you. You better appreciate my goodness Rubakha!. . ."
He put a plate before the prisoner too: --I not want any,--he sharply retorted. He turned away, shaking his dark locks.
Vovka moved the plate closer to him--At least chuck down some meat. We've got a long way to go.
The prisoner was silent. Vovka got worried that he might now shove the plate with his elbow and the extra portion of kasha and meat that he had procured from the cook with great trouble, would end up on the floor.
Speedily he threw the third portion onto his own and Rubakhin's plates. It was time to go.
5
They had a drink by a stream, taking turns to scoop up water with a plastic cup. The prisoner, clearly suffered from the heat; he was stepping steadfastly and then sort of collapsed, fell to his knees, rustling the pebbles. He didn't wait for his hands to be untied or to be offered water from the cup,--crouching on his knees, bending his face down to the fast-flowing water, he was drinking for a long time. His arms, bruised from being tied up, were pulled upwards; it looked like he was praying in some unusual way.
Then he was sitting on the sand. His face was wet. Pressing his chin to his shoulder, he was trying to wipe drops of water from his face, arms hanging any which way. Rubakhin went up to him:
--We would have let you drink. And we'd have untied your arms . . . Where're you rushing off to?
He didn't answer. Rubakhin watched him and with the palm of his hand he wiped the water off his chin. His skin was so soft that Rubakhin's hand trembled. He didn't expect it. Like a girl's, he tought.
Their eyes met, and Rubakhin turned his gaze away, embarrassed by his sudden and not too nice thoughts.
For a moment the wind, rustling in the brush put Rubakhin on his guard. Could it be footsteps? . . His embarrassment abated. (Bot it only went into hiding. Didn't go away entirely). Rubakhin was a simple soldier--he was not protected against human beauty as such. And, there, again, a new and unfamiliar feeling involuntarily suggested itself. And, of course, he remembered quite well how he had shouted and how sergeant Khozhdaev had winked. Now he had to be there right face to face. The prisoner couldn't cross the stream by himself. The pebbles were large and the current fast, and he was barefoot, and his leg had swollen at the ankle so badly that already at the beginning of the treck he had to take off his beautiful sneakers (for a while they were lying in Rubakhin's kitbag). If crossing the stream he'd suddenly fall he could become totally useless. The current of the stream begins to pull. There's no choice. And it goes without saying that Rubakhin, who else?, had to carry him across the water: wasn't it he who hurt his leg when he threw the automatic at him when he captured him?
The feeling of compassion helped Rubakhin; compassion came to his aid very conveniently and from somewhere on high, as from the heavens (but from the same direction, his embarrassment again made itself felt, together with a new understanding of this dangerous beauty). Rubakhin was confused for a bare minute. He grabbed the boy by the arm and carried him across the stream. The captive jerked, but Rubakhin's arms were powerful and strong.
--We-ell. Don't kick--he said, using roughly the same coarse words he would have used with a woman in a similar situation.
He carried him, felt the breath of the boy. The boy turned his face away on purpose and still his arms (untied for the duration of the crossing), clinging to Rubakhin, were strong--after all, he didn't want to fall into the water, onto the rocks. Like anyone who is carrying a person in his arms, Rubakhin saw nothing below by his feet and stepped carefully. Squinting, he saw nothing but the running stream water in the distance and against the background of the rushing water, the boy's profile, delicate, pure, with an unusually full lower lip, capriciously protruding, like that of a young woman.
By this same stream they made their first stop. For safety's sake, they stepped off the path downstreams. They sat in the bushes. Rubakhin held his automatic on his knees with the safety catch off. They didn't yet feel like eating, but they had a few drinks of water. Vovka, lying on his side, was fiddling with the radio which barely audibly was making whistling, gurgling, miaowing noises, then burst into an alien tongue. Vovka, as always, was relying on Rubakhin's experience, he could hear a stone under an alien foot a kilometer away.
--Rubakha, I'll take a nap. Listen. I'm sleeping,--he honestly forewarned, as he was trailing off into an instant soldier's doze.
When the sharp-sighted senior lieutenant excluded him from the group that went on the disarmament campaign, Vovka had nothing better to do than return to the hut where the young woman lived. (The hut next to the lieutenant-colonel's house. But Vovka was careful). She, understandably chewed him out, reproached the soldier for abandoning her so soon by the store. But in a minute they again stood face to face and in another minute, they were in bed. So now Vovka was pleasantly exhausted. He managed to stay awake on the road, but at the stops sleep overtook him right away.
It was easier for Rubakhin to keep a conversation going while moving on.
--. . . really now, what sort of enemies are we--we're practically related. After all, we were friends! Weren't we?--Rubakhin said bitterly and sort of insistently, hiding the feeling that was bothering him under the familiar (and Soviet) words. And his legs walked by themselves.
Vovka-the-marksman snorted:
--Long live the inviolable friendship of peoples. . .
Rubakhin of course caught the joke. But he said guardedly:
--Vov. But I'm not talking to you.
--Vovka shut up, just in case. But the boy too was silent.
--I'm just like you. And you're just like me. Why do we have to fight?--he continued to mouth words familiar to everyone, but they misfired; it turned out that he mouthed the worn-out phrases to himself and the bushes around. And to the path too, which after they left the stream, headed straight into the mountains. Rubakhin wanted the boy to respond with something. He wanted to hear his voice. Let him say something. (Rubakhin felt more and more agitated).
Vovka-the-marksman moved his hand and the radio in his kitbag came to life, began to chirp. Vovka moved his hand again--found a marching song. And Rubakhin continued to talk. Finally he tired and was silent.
To walk with arms tied-up (and a bad leg) isn't simple if the ascent is steep. The captive guerilla stumbled; he walked with difficulty. On one of the uphill slopes he suddenly fell down. Somehow he got up, didn't complain; but Rubakhin noticed his tears.
Rubakhin somewhat rashly said:
--If you won't run away, I'll untie your arms. Give me your word.
Vovka-the-marksman heard (through the music from the radio) and exclaimed:
--Rubakha, you're out of your mind! . .
Vovka was walking ahead. He swore--what stupidity. And the radio meanwhile was playing loudly.
--Vov. Cut it out . . I have to be able to hear.
--Right'way.
The music stopped.
Rubakhin untied the arms of the prisoner--where would he go to with such a leg, away from Rubakhin.
They walked quite fast. Ahead is the prisoner. Next to him, Vovka, half asleep. And just behind him, the quiet Rubakhin, all instincts.
To free someone, be it only a couple of arms and be it only for the duration of the journey, was pleasant. Rubakhin swallowed with a sweet taste. A rare minute. But sweet as the taste was, Rubakhin's gaze didn't slacken. The path got steeper. They passsed the hillock where the drunkard Boiarkov was buried. The wondrous place, bathed in the evening sun.
During the night stop, Rubakhin gave him his wool socks. He himself remained barefoot in his boots. Everybody sleep! (And just a small camp fire! . .) Rubakhin took the transistor from Vovka (not a sound at night). The automatic, as always, on his knees. He sat with his shoulder against the prisoner and his back against a tree in his beloved hunter's pose (alert, but allowing a slight snooze). It was night. He sort of slept. And while he slept, he heard the prisoner sleeping next to him--he heard him and felt him so that he'd react the moment the prisoner would move even a tad out of the ordinary. But the prisoner didn't even think about escaping. He was yearning. (Rubakhin penetrated the alien soul). There, both of them were dozing off (trustingly), and there, Rubakhin already felt how the boy was overcome by yearning. In the day-time the prisoner tried to be haughty, but now he was clearly suffering from heartache. What, exactly, was he pining for? Rubakhin had already during the day distinctly hinted that they weren't taking him to the army prison, and that they had no other dark aims than precisely to hand him over to his own people--in exchange for the right to pass. That was it--hand him over to his own people. Sitting next to Rubakhin, he needn't worry. Even if he knew nothing about the cars and the road block there, he should know that he is out of danger. And moreover, he no doubt senses that he is attractive to him, Rubakhin . . . Rubakhin again felt embarrassed. He squinted. The prisoner was yearning. In the darkness that had already set in, the face of the prisoner was, as before, beautiful and so sad. "Well, well!"--Rubakhin said in a friendly way, trying to cheer up.
And he slowly extended his hand. Afraid of startling this half-turned face and the extraordinary beauty of the immobile gaze, Rubakhin barely touched his fine cheekbone with his fingers as if to straighten out the lock, the long strand of hair that hung down along his chin. The boy didn't turn away his face. He was silent. And, so it seemed--and this could just be his imagination--barely perceptibly, with his chin he responded to Rubakhin's fingers.
It was worth it to close his eyes, Vovka-the-marksman again relived the fleeting sweet moments, so relentlessly ticking in that wooden hut. Just an instant--a split-second, and the oh-so-brief joy of female intimacy. He slept sitting up, he slept standing up, he slept on the move. It was not surprising that at night he slept so soundly (though it was his watch) and didn't notice that an animal ran past them, perhaps a boar. It roused everybody. And the rustle in the bushes didn't abate for a long time. "Do you want us too to be shot sleeping?!"--Rubakhin lightly pulled the soldier's ear. He got up. Listened. It was quiet.
Rubakhin added some twigs to the fire, circled around, returned. He sat down next to the prisoner. He'd survived the scare and sat somewhat tensely. He hunched his shoulders, stooped--his beautiful face entirely drowned in the night. "Well, what? How're you doing?"--he asked lightly. In these situations a question is, above all, a way to check the prisoner: could his dozing be deceptive; had he perhaps found his knife, or did he perhaps plan to go into the night while they were sleeping? (foolishly--for Rubakhin would catch him right away).
--OK--he answered briefly.
Both of them were silent for some time.
So it turned out that Rubakhin posing the question remained sitting next to him (after all, one doesn't change places every minute by a camp fire).
Rubakhin slapped his shoulder:
--Don't be shy. I did say that after we get you there, we'll hand you over to your people--did you understand?
He nodded: yes, he'd understood. At that Rubakhin guffawed:
--You're a real beauty.
The silence continued.
--How's your leg?
--Good.
--OK, sleep. There's isn't a lot of time. We'll have to catch a few more zzz's, and, there, it's already morning . . .
And right then and there, as if agreeing that they had to snooze, the captive boy slowly leaned his head to the right, on Rubakhin's shoulder. Nothing special: just so do soldiers stretch their brief sleep, leaning up against one another. But, the body heat, and with it a current of sensuality (also in separate waves) started to flow through, crossing--wave by wave--from the boy's leaning shoulder to Rubakhin's shoulder. But no. The kid is sleeping. The kid is simply sleeping, Thought Rubakhin, chasing away the delusion. And right then he tensed up and totally stiffened, such a strong current of warmth and unexpected tenderness at that very minute reached his shoulder; his quieted soul. Rubakhin froze. And the boy--having felt or sensed his tension--also sharply froze. Another minute and their touching lost its sensuality. They were simply sitting next to one another.
--Yeah, let's have a snooze, Rubakhin said to noone in particular. Said without taking his eyes off the small red tongues of the camp fire.
The prisoner moved, placing his head a bit more comfortably on his shoulder. And almost right away the stream of pliant and inviting heat again made itself felt. Rubakhin now felt the quiet shiver of the boy, just like . . what is this?--he wondered, aroused. And again he concealed his feelings, drew back (and already worrying, that his return shiver would give him away). But a shiver--it's only a shiver--one can live with it. More than anything Rubakhin was afraid that right then the boy's head was quietly turning to him (all his movements were quiet, and obviously stealthy, and moreover, it seemed they meant nothing--a person barely stirred in his sleep--so what?. .)-- was turning to him, his very face, almost touching, whereupon he inevitably feels the young breathing and the closeness of his lips. Time stood still. Rubakhin also felt a moment of weakness. His stomach was the first of his organs unable to take such an unfamiliar sensual overabundance--he felt a spasm, and right away the pressure made the adult soldier hard as a washboard. And then he caught his breath. Rubakhin at once started coughing, and the boy, as if frightened removed his head from Rubakhin's shoulder.
Vovka-the marksman-woke up:
You're thundering like a cannon,--lost your mind? . . . one can hear you half a kilometer away!
The carefree Vovka went back to sleep. And he himself--as if to get even--began to snore. And with such a loud whistle to boot.
Rubakhin smiled--there's my comrade in arms. Constantly asleep. Sleeps duing the day, sleeps at night!
The prisoner said slowly and with a smile:
--I think he had a woman. Yesterday.
Rubakhin was surprised: so that's it? and remembering himself, agreed with that:
--It looks like it.
--I think it was yesterday during the day.
--Right, right on! . .
They both had a laugh, as happens in such situations among men.
But then (and very carefully) the captive boy asked:
--And you--is it long since you had a woman?
Rubakhin shrugged his shoulders:
--Yes it's been long. A year, more or less.
--Was she really ugly? An old bag? . . I think she was ugly. Soldiers never have beautiful women.
Such a long awkward pause ensued Rubakhin felt as if he'd been hit by a rock on his forehead (and it's crushing him, crushing him . . .).
Early in the morning the fire had quite gone out. The frozen Vovka also moved closer to them and buried his face, his shoulder against Rubakhin's back. And from the side the prisoner nuzzled up to Rubakhin, all night long alluring the soldier with the sweet spot of warmth. Thus, as a threesome, warming each other, they held out until morning.
They put a pot of water on the fire.
--We'll feast on some tea,--said Rubakhin, somewhat guilty over his unusual nightly experiences.
From the very morning he felt this vague, but no longer hidden guilt: Rubakhin suddenly began to take care of the boy. (He got worried. No way had he expected this of himself). He was saddled with, like an ailment, a certain new impatience. Twice he fixed him a glass of tea. He put in sugar cubes, stirred loudly with a spoon, and served it. He left him forever his socks--wear them, don't take them off, you'll walk further in them--this is the kind of solicitude he began to show.
And Rubakhin somehow began to fuss about and he kept poking the fire so that the prisoner would be warmer.
The prisoner drank his tea. He sat on his hunches and followed the movement of Rubakhin's hands.
--Warm socks. Good ones, he kept praising turning his gaze to his feet.
--Mom knitted them.
--O-oh.
--Don't take them off! . . . I told you: you can wear them. And I'll wrap something around my own feet.
The boy, took a comb from his pocket and did his hair: for a long time he combed it out. From time to time he proudly shook his head.
And again with experienced shakes he smoothed the hair to his very shoulders. It was as natural for him to feel his own beauty as breathing the air.
In the warm strong wool socks the boy walked noticebly more confidently. And in general he behaved bolder. There was no yearning in his eyes. Without doubt he already knew that Rubakhin was embarrassed about the relationship that was developing between them. Possibly he was pleased about it. He looked askance at Rubakhin, at his hands, at the automatic and fleetingly smiled to himself, sort of like a player who had been victorious over this huge strong and so shy big fellow.
By a stream he didn't take off the socks. He was standing waiting for Rubakhin to grab him. The boy's arm did not cling to him like before, he only grabbed him by the collar; without shyness he held his soft hand right around the neck of Rubakhin stepping across a stream, from time to time in midstream he'd move the palm of Rubakhin's hand under his shirt--since that was more comfortable.
Rubakhin again took the transistor away from Vovka-the marksman. And gave him a sign to be quiet; he was leading; on the widening well-trodden path Rubakhin trusted no one (not even the very pebbles). The rock, by the familiar fork in the road was already in view. A dangerous place. But actually also protected because two narrow paths came together just there (or divided up--depending on one's point of view!).
The rock (in soldierly simplicity) was called the nose. The white huge triangular stone ledge moved towards them, like the bow of a ship,--and the whole thing hung over them.
They were already clambering by the foot, under the very rock, in the leafy brush. This can't be!--went through the soldier's subconscious when there, right above, he heard danger moving (both to the right and to the left). From both sides of the rock people were coming down. An alien step, so solid, chaotically-close. Bitches! Such a thing just can't happen--that two enemy detachments would come together this way at the very same time, on both the paths! The rock was a salvation in the sense that it allowed one to hear and in good time to avoid passing each other.
Now, of course, they didn't have time to move neither here nor there. Nor even to turn back from under the rock into the woods across the open space. There were three of them, one a prisoner; they'd be noticed right away; they'd be shot down immediately; or simply chased into the thicket, surrounded. This just can't be--his thought plaintively squeaked on already for a third time, as if giving up. (And it went away, disappeared, left him). Now it all boils down to instincts. He felt a cold draft in his nostrils. Not only their steps. In an almost absolute stillness, Rubakhin could hear the slow bending of the grass they walked on.
--Sh-hh.
He pressed a finger to his lips. Vovka understood. And nodded toward the prisoner: how about him?
Rubakhin looked the prisoner in the face: the boy also instantly understood (understood that his own people were coming), his forehead and chin slowly blushed--a sign of unpredictable behavior.
"Well, Come what may!"--Rubakhin told himself, speedily preparing his automatic for battle. He felt the extra cartridges. But the thought of battle (like every thought at the moment of danger) also left him, not prepared for an answer. Instinct ordered him to listen closely. And wait. He kept feeling cold in his nostrils. And the grass rustled so meaningfully. The steps came closer. No. There are many of them. Too many of them . . Rubakhin looked once more, reading the prisoner's face and guessing--how is he? what is he? perhaps he is keeping quiet and hiding behind the fear of being killed (that would be good) or perhaps he'll right away throw himself towards them with joy, with a foolish glint in his half-crazed huge eyes and (the main thing) do so with a shout?
Not taking his eyes off those coming along the left path (this detachment was quite near and would pass them first), Rubakhin moved his arm back and carefully touched the prisoner's body. The prisoner suddenly gave a shiver, just like a woman shivers before an intimate embrace. Rubakhin touched his neck, and without seeing groped his way to his face, softly touching it, placed his fingers and the palm of his hand on the beautiful lips and the mouth (which had to be quiet); the lips trembled.
Slowly Rubakhin pulled the boy closer to himself (but didn't take his eyes off the left hand path, from the moving chain of the detachment). Vovka was following the detachment on the right: there too steps could already be heard, small pebbles were rolling down, and one of the guerillas with an automatic on his shoulder, kept chattering to them about the automatic following him in the rear.
The boy didn't resist Rubakhin. Holding him by the shoulder, Rubakhin turned him towards himself--the boy (he was shorter) already of his own drew himself to Rubakhin, snuggled up closely, jabbing his teeth below his unshaven chin, into the carotid artery. The boy shivered, not understanding. "N-n . . ." he sighed weakly, just as a woman saying her "no" not as a rejection--but as timidity, just as Rubakhin was keeping an eye on him and waited (for the shout of the guard). And how his eyes widened, trying in his fright to avoid Rubakhin's eyes and--through the air and sky--to see his own people! He opened his mouth, but didn't scream. Perhaps he simply wanted to catch a deep breath. But Rubakhin's other hand, letting the automatic fall to the ground, pressed him and the half-open mouth with the beautiful lips, and the nose, barely trembling. "N-ny . . . "--the captive boy wanted to express something, but didn't have time to do it. His body was breaking, his legs tensed up, however, there was no longer any support under his feet. Rubakhin pulled him up off the ground. Held him in his embrace, not letting the legs touch the sharp twigs or the stones which would have made a noise rolling down With the hand that embraced the boy, Rubakhin blocking, took a hold around his neck. He strangled him; beauty didn't manage to save him. A few convulsions . . . and that was it.
Below the rock, where the paths came together, friendly guttural exclamations soon rang out . The detachments had found each other. Greetings could be heard, questions--how? what?! . . where're you headed?! (The most likely question). They were slapping each other on the shoulders. They were laughing. One of the guerillas, taking advantage of the stop, decided to take a pee. He ran up to the rock where it was more convenient. He didn't know that he was already a target. He was standing only a few steps from the bushes behind which two live persons and a dead one were lying (they had lied down to hide). He peed, gave a hiccup, pulling up his pants, he was hurrying.
When the detachments had passed and their steps had receded below and their voices entirely quieted down, the two soldiers with their automatics carried the dead body out of the bushes. They carried him to a thin forest, not far from the path, to the left, where as Rubakhin remembered, there was a clearing--a dry bare patch with sandy soft soil. They dug a hole, scooping up the dirt with flat stones. Vovka-the-marksman asked whether Rubakhin would take back his socks and Rubakhin shook his head. And not a word about the person they'd already more or less grown used to. They sat silently for half a minute by the grave. What's there to sit about--a war is on! . .
6
Nothing's changed: two trucks (Rubakhin sees them in the distance) are standing in that same spot.
Straight on the road is narrowing into a passage between some rocks, but the guerillas are guarding at the narrow spot. The trucks have already been fired at, but not straight on. (And should they still manage to move ahead even a bit, they'd be simply riddled with holes). The trucks have been standing for four days already; waiting. The guerillas want arms--then they'll let them through.
--. . . we don't carry automatics! we are unarmed! they are shouting from the trucks. In response a shot from the cliffs. Or an entire volley of shots, long range. And laughter into the bargain--ha-ha-ha-ha!. . --such a joyous laughter, so energetic and so childishly exalted, resounds from the heights.
The soldiers from the convoy and the chauffeurs (altogether six persons) had spread out by the bushes on the road side, hiding behind the block of trucks. Their nomadic life is not too smart: they're fixing food on the fire or sleeping.
When Rubakhin and Vovka-the-marksman come up closer on the rock by the ambush, Rubakhin notices the fire, a pale day-light fire--the guerillas are also fixing dinner. A flabby war. Why not have a bite to eat, as substantial a meal as possible, have a cup of tea?
Rubakhin and Vovka approaching closer and closer, are of course also seen from the rock. The guerillas are sharp-sighted. And although they can see that the two had both left and returned (they didn't bring anything visible with them), they were shooting from the rock, just in case. A salvo. And another salvo.
Rubakhin and Vovka-the marksman had already reached their own people.
The sergeant-major pushes out his stomach. Asks Rubakhin:
--Well? . . Will there be any help?
--Hell no!
Rubakhin wasn't going to explain.
--And you didn't manage to seize a prisoner?
--Nope.
Rubakhin asked for some water, and drank for a long time from the bucket, pouring it right on his shirt, on his breast, then blindly stepped aside without choosing a place, and slumped down into the bushes to sleep. The grass still hadn't straightened up; he was lying on the same spot as he did two days ago when he was shunted aside and sent to get help (together with Vovka thrown into the bargain). He threw himself headlong into the matted grass without listening to what the sergeant-major had to say. He felt like spitting on it all. He was tired.
Vovka sat down by a tree in the shade, his legs stretched out and his cap pulled over his eyes. Scoffing, he asked the chauffeurs: and what about yourselves? So you didn't find a way around? . . . how can that be?! "There is no way around," they answered him. The chauffeurs were lying in the tall grass. One of these blockheads was skilfully rolling a cigarette from a scrap of newspaper.
The sergeant-major Beregovoi, depressed over the unsuccessful expedition, is again trying to enter into negotiations.
--Hey!--he shouted. --Listen up!. . Hey!--he shouted in a confident (so he thought) voice.--I swear, there's nothing of the sort in the trucks--neither weapons, nor produce. We're empty! . . You can send someone to check--we'll show you everything, we won't shoot him. Hey! Listen!
In response there was shooting and merry laughter.
--Damn it all!--the sergeant-major swore.
They were shooting from the rock in no particular order. They were shooting so long and so senselessly that the sergeant-major once more swore at them and shouted: --Vov. Would you get over here.
Both chauffeurs lying in the grass came to life: Vov! Vov!@ Come here. show those abreks how to shoot properly!
Vovka-the marksman yawned; lazily he moved his back away from the tree. (Leaning against it he was sitting so nicely).
But taking his weapon, he aimed without any laziness. He positioned himself more comfortably in the grass, extended his carbine, spotted through his optical sight first one, then another of the figures bustling about on the rock, hanging above the road to the left. They were all clearly visible. Of course, he would have hit them even without the optical sight.
And right then the mountaineer standing at the edge of the rock, teasingly wooped it up.
--Vov. Do you feel like hitting him?--asked the chauffeur.
--What the fuck's he to me--snorted Vovka.
After a bit's silence he added:
--I like to take aim and squeeze the trigger. Even without a bullet I know what I hit.
The impossibility of it all was tacitly understood--were he to shoot a guerilla, there was no way the trucks would ever get past on the road.
--That one, roaring over there, I think I blew him to smithereens.--Vovka let go of the trigger of the unloaded carbine. He was fooling around. He took aim--and again cocked the trigger in jest. And that one, over there, look, blown away! . . And that one--I could tear half his ass off--take that!
From time to time, spotting something glittering in the sun by one of the mountaineers--a bottle of vodka (it was mid-morning!), a fantastic Chinese thermos, Vovka carefully aimed and with a shot he blew the noticed object to smithereens. But now there was nothing attractive about the situation.
Meanwhile Rubakhin had a troubled sleep. One and the same bad, troubling dream kept coming back (or, perhaps Rubakhin, having burrowed in the grass called it to himself): the beautiful face of the captive boy.
Vovk. Gimme a smoke! (And what sort of pleasure was there in hitting the target?)
Right away!--Vovka, let it be known, aimed and aimed, already in the heat of the game,--he moved the cross in his sight along a silhouette on the rock: along the edge of the cliff. . . along the mountain bushes . . along a tree trunk. Aha! He noticed a gaunt guerilla; standing by a tree, he was carelessly cutting his locks with scissors. A haircut--that's an intimate matter! His mirror glimmered, gave the sign,--and Vovka instantly loaded and hit it. He pressed the trigger and the silvery pool, fastened to the trunk of the elm, shattered. In response they could hear swearing and, as always, a disorderly shooting. (And like cranes they started shouting behind the rock, hanging over the road: guljal-kiljal-ljal-kiljal-sniper . . . ) The little figures on the rock came running--shouting, roaring, whooping. And then (apparently on command) they grew silent. For some time they didn't show themselves (and in general, they behaved more modestly). And, of course, they thought they were out of sight. Vovka-the-marksman saw not only their hidden heads, the Adam's apples on their throats, their stomachs--he even saw their shirt buttons, and, playing about, aimed at one after another. . .
--Vovka! Cut it out!--the sergeant-major called him to order.
--Done! . .--the marksman shouted in response, grabbing his carbine with his hand and heading for the tall grass (with that artless soldier's thought--to sleep).
And Rubakhin kept losing it: the face of the boy by now was not long before his eyes--it disappeared after barely appearing. It faded away, got lost and left behind only a hazy and uninteresting beauty. Someone's face. Forgotten. The image was fading. As if in farewell (saying goodbye and perhaps forgiving him) the boy again acquired more or less clear features (it seemed like it flared up!). A face. But not only the face--the boy himself was standing there. Now it seemed he would say something. He jumped even closer and purposefully grabbed Rubakhin's neck with his hands (like Rubakhin did by that rock), but his fine hands turned out to be too soft, like a young woman's--impetuous, but tender, and Rubakhin (he was on the alert) had time to figure out that now in his sleep a male weakness might occur. He gritted his teeth, forcing the vision to disappear, and then he woke up, feeling a gnawing heaviness in his groin.
--Oh for a smoke!--he spoke up with a sleepy hoarseness. And he heard shooting.
.
Perhaps it was precisely from the shooting he woke up. A fine stream of automatic charges--tic-tic-tic-tic-tic--they hit pebbles and there were small fountains of dust on the road next to the idle trucks. The trucks were standing. (This didn't particularly worry Rubakhin. Sometime, after all, they'd let him pass).
Vovka-the-marksman with his carbine was sleeping all huddled up nearby in the grass. Vovka has strong cigaretttes now (he bought them in the village general store together with the port),--the cigarettes were visible, they were lying about in his breast pocket. Rubakhin picked one of them. Vovka was quietly snuffling.
Rubakhin was smoking, taking slow drags. He was lying on his back--watching the sky, and from the left and the right (taxing his side vision) those same mountains crowded in on him, the mountains that kept surrounding him here and would not let him go. Rubakhin was doing his duty. Every time he'd decided to let it all go to hell (and leave for home forever, to the steppe beyond the Don), he soon would take his beat-up suitcase and . . and he stayed. "What's so special here anyway? The mountains?. ." he said aloud without bitterness toward anyone in particular, but himself. What's so interesting about stale soldier's barracks--and for that matter what's so interesting about those very mountains?--he thought with glee. He wanted to add: a whole year has after all passed! But instead he said: "What century is it anyway!" --he sort of let it all hang out; the words jumped out into the shadow, and the surprised soldier now kept mulling over this quiet thought which had been stored deep down in his consciousness. Grey mossy gorges. The poor and dirty huts of the mountaineers, hanging up there like birds' nests. But still--the mountains?!. Here and there their peaks yellowish from the sun. Mountains. Mountains. Mountains. For years now his heart had quickened by their magnificence, their silent solemnity--but what was it, properly speaking, that this beauty wanted to tell him? Why was it beckoning him?
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Moody & Dramatic Icelandic Lightroom Presets
Made by International Travel and Lifestyle PhotographerChantelle Flores from 51 Countries and Counting.
These presets will add brown rustic tones to any landscape images similar to those found in Iceland. They will help you achieve sharp, professional-looking moody and dramatic travel photos that have the perfect, professional touch with one click of a button. Bringing out all the beautiful details in your photos.
They are exceptionally unique in that they are inspired by Chantelle’s travels to 65 countries. In an effort to streamline her editing process, making it faster and more productive, she created this pack.
We are confident that you will successfully achieve the same result as her. For reference, you can view her unique range of images on her travel website:www.51countriesandcounting.com
You will receive:
30 Desktop Lightroom Presets [LR Template files]
Perfect for Landscapes, Seascapes and Travel
Works best on camera RAW images [I shoot all my images using a Canon, so they are best fit for this] Other camera settings work as well, but you could find a slight variation in colours as a result of the camera output.
Due to the downloadable nature of this project, there are no refunds. All sales are final
License good for 1x photographer/studio only
Quality of the final image, once the presets have been used, may differ depending on the original image quality. These presets are recommended for use on high-resolution images shot with a professional DSLR.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
e2.0 adoption
I’ve been noticing a few common elements around organizations that are having trouble with adoption of enterprise 2.0 technologies. Adoption is oftentimes the greatest challenge that organizations are faced with. The first thing many people want to do is immediately find a solution. However, it is not possible to find a solution without first […]
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
We've lost it for not reacting on Nasri's tricks properly. That's his 3 points. Seriously, two times he'd managed to shake our defenders like schoolboys = two goals, there you go! Hope it was just our loss of concentration and his luck not his "class", then, well - another lesson learned, I think. Still, somehow Hughes' stone face keeps me confident we'll not fail.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
The State
A chapter of the militant Jewish Defense League is being re-established in the San Francisco Bay Area, and police say they will be on guard against terrorism by the new group. "It's definitely a group we'll monitor because of their activities," said Ron Tannehill of the San Jose police special investigations unit. "You're talking about some violence that we don't currently have in San Jose and that we don't need." The San Jose JDL chapter is being organized by Ed Kanterman, a Fremont maintenance man. Kanterman, 36, said one of the first activities of the group will be to train its new members to use semiautomatic weapons. "We don't plan on going around toting guns," he said. "The only way I can envision us really needing one is if we're patrolling a synagogue that's had trouble before."
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
How long does it take suboxone to get outta your system?
I have been taking 16mg of suboxone for about 9 months now, I currently have a really bad kidney stone isssue and need pain killers. My sub doc told me to stop and start taking the percocett and its on the 3rd day now and I still cant really feel the effects of the percocett.. Still in ALOT of pain and he says hang in there it will get better.. How long before I feel the percocett to ease any pain I have?
Answers (2)
It may be different for all ppl,i have severe back issues and the percocet kicked in for me right away,I take 10mg,2 of them 3x a day,however they didnt start me out on that doseage and had to keep upping me,however,after about a year and a half,they stopped working for me,your body get's use to percocet,it's not a good drug for long term pain,but like i said,mine kicked in right away,what dose did your doctor put you on and how many a day? it might just be that it's not strong enough,like me,when they first started out,after a month i had to tell them they were not working,so they upped it,but after we got to 20mg 3x a day(2,10mg)it worked wonders,but now after all this time,like i said my body is immuned to them,so they added a muscle relaxer to take with them. The highest percocet goes is 10mg,anyway hope this helped some.
I am on 7.5 mg of the percocett now and I took two at once and still did not feel them, I think it's because of the sub in my system still because I have not had a pain pill b4 this in 9 months so I know my tolerance has to be down now... D*** Its frustrating because bt time they start working I wont need em any more and the kidney stone will be gone!!!
I had neck surgery fusion c5-c6 last year which did not help with my pain AT ALL I put put on 5mg percocet which did NOTHING then after being on that mg for 1 year my doc raised it to 7.5 3X a day now he just lowered it to 2X a day and i am in so much pain I think its time for me to find another doctor
The manufacture stated that some patients in there controlled study still had Buprenorphine in their system after a total of 11 days. That's a long time. However that's an extreme and the approximate half life is 20 to 44 hours so it should be out of your system within 40 to 88 hours. Remember this is the approximate amount and it differs from person to person. Hope this helps and I hope you get the pain relief you need. Good luck!
P.S. Remember that Suboxone itself can also be used for pain management. It's approximately 25 to 40 times more potent than Morphine and they are currently using Buprenorphine to treat cancer patients in other countries. The US is slowly catching up with other countries when it comes to treating pain with Buprenorphine. You're doctor could possibly up your dose to help with the pain if the Percocet doesn't work.
Thanks alot, it really helped me out alot.. today is the 4th day and I am about fed up with it!! i wanna just give up and go back on the subs.. Whats wierd is that I have not gone thru any withdraws tho.. I have been taking a perc every 4 hours since day 1 so maybe that is why no wuth drawls? Also how do I go about getting back on the subs? Do I just take one now or do I have to wait a few days with taking nothing at all? Plz help..
That's a good question for your doctor. I would personally think you could get back on it as soon as you need to without waiting because it's probably still in your system. I had the same problem and tried using percocet and it didn't cause withdrawals but it also didn't do squat for pain. My doctor recommend taking the suboxone the next day do to the fact that it was probably still in my system. So if you are still in pain ask for a higher dose for a month or so. Maybe 24mg for a month to take care of the pain you have now and later. Hope it works for your! Good luck!
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
CENTERVILLE — IHOP will offer each guest a free short stack of pancakes all day on Tuesday, Feb. 5 as part of a fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals.
The event will go from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.
IHOP, short for International House of Pancakes, invites guests to make donations for the children’s hospitals that day. The company hopes to raise $3 million.
IHOP served four million free pancakes on National Pancake Day 2012, a press release from the organization said, and it raised more than $3m illion for charities that year. All of the free pancakes served on National Pancake Day 2012 would create a stack nearly 16 miles high.
The Centerville IHOP restaurant is at 388 N. Market Place Drive. For more information, visit ihoppancakeday.com.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Background*
Mr. Gregory G. Freitag, also known as Greg, Esq., JD, CPA has been a Senior Vice President of Business Development and General Counsel at AxoGen, Inc., since May 12, 2014 and September 2011 respectively. Mr. Freitag serves as the Chief Executive Officer of EmployRx, Inc. Mr. Freitag serves as the Chief Executive Officer of FreiMc LLC. He served as the Chief Financial Officer of AxoGen, Inc., since September 2011 to May 12, 2014. He served as the Chief Executive Officer ... and Chief Financial Officer of LecTec Corp. from June 2010 to September 2011. He co-founded HTS Biosystems, Inc. and served as its Chief Executive Officer from March 2000 to 2005 and President since its inception. He served as the Chief Operating Officer of Quantech Ltd. from June 1997 to January 2001 and Chief Financial Officer and Secretary from December 1995 to December 2000. Mr. Freitag worked in business development at Guidant Corporation. Mr. Freitag previously served as Director of Business Development at Pfizer Health Solutions, a former subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc., from January 2006 to May 2009. Mr. Freitag founded both FreiMc, LLC and EmployRx, Inc. He served as General Counsel of Quantech, Ltd. Since 1987 until joining Quantech, he was a Lawyer with the Minneapolis, Minnesota law firm of Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. As a Shareholder with Fredrikson & Byron, he practiced in the corporate, securities and merger and acquisition areas of law. He has been a Director of PDS Biotechnology Corporation since December 2014. He has been a Director of AxoGen, Inc. since September 2011. He serves as a Director of Chumbo Holdings, Inc. He served as a Director of LecTec Corp. since June 2010. He served as a Director of Pressure BioSciences, Inc. from July 27, 2010 to July 2012. He served as a Director of Quantech Ltd. since April 2001. He served as a Director of HTS Biosystems. He serves as the Chairman of People Serving People. He serves on securities advisory committees to the Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce. Mr. Freitag is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Freitag holds a B.A. degree in Business and Economics from Macalester College and a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago.
Our data partners will research the update request and update the information on this page if necessary. Research and follow-up could take several weeks. If you have questions, you can contact them at [email protected].
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
About Sparkle Dental Clinic
In our clinic we pledge to patient trust and satisfaction.we have best team with reasonable charge's.we provide all types of dental treatment with expert treatment.we have advance dental clinic with all new modifications
Happy with:Doctor friendlinessExplanation of the health issueTreatment satisfactionValue for moneyWait time
**** ** * **** **********very helpful,her treatment plan is superb,very fast in work..she has got a good hand in her field...lucky to get a dentist like her...cost effective n satisfaction too...won't go to any other dentist now....I HV started treating my son too n my entire family visits der clinic
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Inhuman temperatures above 50C in Middle East
Birds
in Kuwait have reportedly been dropping from the sky as temperatures
soar to 50C across the Middle East.
The temperature in Kuwait
has been consistently above 45C but the added humidity in the region
is making it seem even hotter, creating extremely difficult living
conditions for both humans and wildlife
The Middle East has
been hit with an 'ungodly' heatwave so extreme Iraq's government
ordered all of its civil servants to go home on Thursday, when
temperatures rose above 50C.
Temperatures are expected to stay
above 45C for the next week, with the UK Met office predicting
temperatures as high as 50C this weekend.
Meanwhile Kuwait will
see highs of 47C and 44C in Riyadh.
It comes after temperatures
above 48C every day this month in the Iraqi capital.
Iraq's
underfunded power network is struggling to cope with the increased
demand from air conditioning and water coolers.
"It's
really hard because of the lack of electricity, at home electricity
is not good.
We use 60 per cent of electricity from
generators," said Baghdad resident Murtada Faisal.
Mr
Faisal said public showers offered by the Government as a means to
battle the heat were "like a bandage".
"What we
need is a long term solution like trees and water tunnels," he
said.
Mr Faisal said green spaces had been lost to new housing
developments in and around Baghdad and there was not enough water to
sustain the trees that the Government had planted.
The heatwave
is also taking its toll on Iraq's military, who often spend long
periods standing outside. Mr Faisal said he noticed increased
friction between soldiers and civilians in the extreme weather.
"It's really bad, it makes them angry.
When I go outside
in Summer, I see more problems between people at the border,"
he said.
Another Baghdad resident, Mohanad, described the heat
as "ungodly".
"The generator in my neighbourhood
that provides electricity for about 300 houses has caught fire from
the heat.
All it generates is smoke," he told the
Guardian. "We don't know what to do. Men can go to the pool
here but what do we do with our women, elderly and our babies?
Even
the ACs in the car aren't working properly.
It's over 53
degrees today."
"It's disgusting. The government
cannot do anything to help us even if they tried; the electricity
generators were built in the 1960s and haven't been changed or
modified since."
The heatwave in the Middle East comes
after a heatwave dubbed 'Lucifer' fanned forest fires in Europe this
week.
Both the Middle East and Europe have experienced extreme
heatwaves this summer, which scientists warn is the result of global
warming. In Iraq,
temperatures in Baghdad have reached 50C,
prompting the government to declare a mandatory holiday to allow
state workers to stay at home.
Europe is battling a heatwave
dubbed "Lucifer" which has seen temperatures climb above
40C across the continent.
The sweltering weather in Italy has
caused wildfires and at least two people have died from the extreme
heat in Romania and Poland. Italy, Spain, Greece, Poland, Hungary,
Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia have been
the worst hit, with people being warned to stay indoors, avoid long
journeys and drink plenty of fluids.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
News Brief: Trump's Asia Trip, New York City Marathon
It wasn't long ago that President Donald Trump was asked by a reporter if he was aware of campaign contacts with Russia.
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
And here is how the president responded to that question back in February.
(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: So you're not aware of any contacts...
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Look, look, look...
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: ...During the course of the election?
TRUMP: How many times do I have to answer this question?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Can you just say yes or no on it?
TRUMP: Russia is a ruse.
GREENE: According to The New York Times, court documents associated with the Russia investigation now suggest that Trump and his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, may have actually known about connections his campaign had with Russia. And for Sessions, who under oath denied any knowledge of Russian communication or connection, this could be problematic. CNN is reporting that former Trump policy adviser Carter Page apparently told Jeff Sessions he was traveling to Russia during the presidential campaign.
MARTIN: All right, we've got NPR's Scott Horsley on the line for more. Scott, some of this we knew, right? We knew that Carter Page, former campaign aide to Donald Trump, had traveled to Russia. He says it was for his own personal affairs. But now Jeff Sessions is being roped into this. How so?
SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: Good morning, Rachel. Carter Page testified at some length yesterday before the House Intelligence Committee. And it was a closed-door hearing, so we don't know everything that was said. But there are reports that he told the committee that he talked about his Russia travels with his then-campaign supervisor, now-Attorney General Sessions. And that would appear to contradict Sessions' own testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he was not aware of any contacts between campaign officials and Russia.
MARTIN: So what does this mean for Sessions? Is he - more questions coming his way probably.
HORSLEY: Certainly more questions. There have been calls from some Senate Democrats to bring Sessions back before the judiciary committee to answer more questions. Senator Al Franken, a Democrat from Minnesota, penned a sharply critical letter to Sessions this week. But it is not at all clear that the Republican chairman of the judiciary committee, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, will heed those calls or that Sessions will in fact be asked to testify again.
MARTIN: Meanwhile, the president is packing his bags, trying to get on with business. He's going to Asia. It's a big trip. He's going a lot of places. What's the goal here?
HORSLEY: It is a big trip - five countries, two international summits. North Korea and its nuclear threat will be a big focus, at least in the early stage of the trip when he'll be in Japan and South Korea - also trade.
The president will also be attending a couple of summits in Southeast Asia. And that will be an opportunity for Donald Trump to really spell out for the first time a sort of more comprehensive vision for what the administration describes as the Indo-Pacific region. Trump of course, in his first days in office, scuttled the big Asia-Pacific trade pact that was at the heart of former President Obama's Asian agenda.
MARTIN: TPP, yeah.
So China - he's going to be in China. He's going to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping who has just solidified his grip on power in a pretty remarkable way. Well, do we know anything about how President Trump is going to approach that particular meeting?
HORSLEY: There's an interesting contrast here between President Xi who, as you say, is at the height of his powers. He's just had his policies enshrined in the party constitution along with Mao and Deng Xiaoping. And President Trump, who is being dogged by some of his lowest approval ratings and of course has his former campaign chairman now under indictment - Trump, however, will be urging Xi to use China's economic leverage to put the brakes on Kim Jong Un's nuclear threat. He'll also be trying to address what the administration sees as unfair trading practices by China and the big U.S.-China trade deficit.
MARTIN: And are they going to go golfing? And they went golfing before, right?
HORSLEY: (Laughter).
MARTIN: Xi Jinping came to Mar-a-Lago. There are all these photos of the two of them getting on well.
HORSLEY: Well, the president will be golfing with Japan's prime minister but probably not with Xi Jinping.
MARTIN: OK. OK. NPR's Scott Horsley - thanks so much, Scott.
HORSLEY: Good to be with you.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
MARTIN: David, it's a big weekend in New York - one of the best weekends in that city in my opinion.
GREENE: Yeah. It's one of those days when New Yorkers just come out and celebrate being New Yorkers. It's marathon day Sunday. This is an event that draws tens of thousands of runners from around the world but also so many spectators...
MARTIN: Yeah.
GREENE: ...Come out in the Big Apple to watch this. Everyone gathers along the streets to take it all in, and it's a huge deal. But from a public safety point of view, it's also a potential nightmare, especially in the wake of what happened in Lower Manhattan this past Tuesday. ISIS is now claiming responsibility for the attack on that bike path that left eight people dead. This, we should say, was the deadliest terrorist attack in New York City since 9/11.
MARTIN: So security is going to be tight - that's an understatement, I imagine - for the marathon this Sunday. NPR's Hansi Lo Wang is in New York. He's been covering all this. What's going to happen, Hansi? What kinds of security measures are going to be in place for the race?
HANSI LO WANG, BYLINE: Well, the organizers, the New York Road Runners, say there will be visible and behind-the-scenes security measures. New York Police - they're going to use the highest number of dump trucks filled with sand, they say, for any event in New York. And these will, hopefully, block vehicles from entering the course. They're also increasing the number of snipers on rooftops and plus a number of undercover police officers in the crowds.
And, like you said, this is very challenging because this is almost a 12-hour event with, expected, 51,000 runners and more than 2 million spectators lining the streets across all five boroughs of New York.
MARTIN: Amazing. But you are talking about ways that officials are trying to think about this particular threat of vehicles running into groups of people, which is kind of harrowing.
I imagine people you've been talking to are anxious, excited - what are people saying to you?
WANG: We spoke with some runners picking up gear for the race yesterday, and the attack on Tuesday is definitely on their minds. Some are worried that the race would be canceled because of the attack. We spoke with Connie Brucha (ph) from Freiburg, Germany. She's running the marathon for the first time. Here's what she said.
CONNIE BRUCHA: It's kind of a big deal now to show that people in New York are not afraid. They will still cheer. There will still be out on the road after this happened.
MARTIN: So - we should say, though, Hansi - ISIS is now claiming credit for this attack. There is no evidence though that this man, the suspect, was acting at the direction of ISIS.
WANG: Right. So far, law enforcement say it appears that he was a lone wolf inspired by ISIS, that he looked at propaganda videos and followed directions put out by ISIS on how to carry out an attack with a vehicle, including leaving a note about ISIS. But this investigation is still ongoing. And law enforcement say they are still looking to see if there are any direct connections to the Islamic State that he may have had in the months that he used to plan this attack allegedly.
MARTIN: All right, NPR's Hansi Lo Wang reporting there from New York this morning. Hansi, thanks so much.
WANG: You're welcome.
(SOUNDBITE OF ALABAMA SHAKES' "SOUND AND COLOR")
MARTIN: All right, next week, the Trump administration is facing an immigration deadline that could impact hundreds of thousands of people who are here in the U.S.
GREENE: Yeah. For years, immigrants, mostly from Central America, have been granted temporary protective status that's allowed them to stay in the U.S. and not go back to home countries that are dealing with issues like civil war or natural disaster. Last May, though, the administration signaled that it would not extend the program for some 50,000 Haitians.
MARTIN: All right, NPR's Carrie Kahn has been reporting on this. She joins us now.
Good morning, Carrie.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Good morning.
MARTIN: Do we know what the administration is going to do here, one way or the other?
KAHN: Not exactly. But as you said, last May, the administration did signal it would not extend the program for 50,000 Haitians. And as the name states, this was supposed to be a temporary program giving these immigrants temporary protective status. And the Trump administration has said that it believes that those programs now, some of which have stretched into decades with automatic renewals by past administrations, should come to an end.
These critics say the programs granted what they call backdoor immigration to hundreds of thousands of immigrants, many of whom who have, you know, established roots and communities, opened businesses - have had U.S.-born children. And in the case of the Haitians, they were granted that status after that horrible 2010 earthquake...
MARTIN: Right.
KAHN: ...That devastated so much of the country. And the Trump administration says conditions in Haiti are better - they're vastly improved - and it's time for the immigrants to go back. And last May, they only gave them a six-month extension instead of the regular 18. And they told Haitians that they should prepare to go home in January when those visas expire.
MARTIN: So they've been phasing this thing out. You spent some time with a woman who's been in the U.S. for several years in this program - through this program. And you went to meet her family still in Haiti. What are things like? Are things better?
KAHN: Well, the quick answer to that question is of course they're better than they were in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. But you - it's still the poorest country in the hemisphere. And are they ready to receive tens of thousands of returnees? So many on the island say no. Unemployment is just staggering there. And you still see rubble in parts of the capital. Political instability and security is still a huge problem.
The woman that I met - her name is Joana Desir, and she lives in New York City. And she's been - had - with this protective status since 2010, after the earthquake. And she - since getting it, she put herself through nursing school and is a home health care worker. And I spent time with her in New York. And here she is talking about her fear of being sent back home.
JOANA DESIR: I will always be grateful for America. But please, we are professional. We want to stay in that country.
KAHN: And what was particularly interesting to me about her was that not only will she be affected here in the United States but she supports 19 relatives back home. And I talked to many of them who said they would just be devastated without her help.
MARTIN: Yeah.
So is the government in Haiti responding to this?
KAHN: Yes. They have appealed directly to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to get the extension again. And some lawmakers in the U.S. are trying to introduce legislation that would let the immigrants stay in the U.S. permanently.
MARTIN: All right. NPR's Carrie Kahn reporting on an immigration program that President Trump is likely to end. Thanks so much for your reporting, Carrie.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
188
High School | Max 185
State Titles | Max 10
Post H.S. Career | Max 5
From left, International Falls' Tim Sheehy, coach Larry Ross, Peter Fichuk and Gary Wood were featured on the March, 1995, cover of Hockey Coast to Coast USA. Courtesy photo
Prodigal talent Tim Sheehy won three state titles during peak of International Falls' dynasty
Larry Ross was International Falls’ hockey coach, but he might just as well have been the northern Minnesota border town’s mayor.
Or sheriff.
What Ross said was law. What Ross wanted he got.
No questions asked.
In the early 1960s, Ross wanted freshmen to play on the Broncos’ varsity. The town’s high school housed sophomores through seniors, and freshmen attended the middle school. They weren’t allowed on varsity rosters by school board rule.
Ross, who was a fixture at youth hockey games around town, hadn’t worried much about the no-freshmen policy until 1963, when a youngster by the name of Timothy Kane Sheehy entered the ninth grade.
Sheehy had size, speed, toughness and unmatched athleticism. He could stickhandle, skate, shoot and score. Sheehy, the nephew of legendary football star Bronko Nagurski, had led International Falls’ Pee Wee and Bantam teams to state championships. He was a proven winner.
International Falls' Tim Sheehy, left, and Roseau goalie James Nelson before the 1965 state tournament. Star Tribune file photo
Ross, who had guided International Falls to state titles in 1957 and 1961 and was on the verge of building the program into one of the state’s all-time great dynasties, had been watching Sheehy for years.
He had to have him on the varsity.
Now.
Just like that, the “no freshmen” rule was abolished.
Sheehy and longtime friend and linemate Dan Mahle, a big, bruising winger with a knack for getting Sheehy the puck, were freshmen moved up to the varsity for the 1962-63 regular season stretch run.
Sheehy and Mahle didn’t get top-line billing. Not right away.
“Larry had decided he didn’t want to move them along too fast,” Jim Amidon said. “If they had played more, we might not have lost that game to St. Paul Johnson.”
“That game” is infamous in International Falls hockey folklore. The undefeated Broncos, coming off the 1962 state championship and featuring the brilliant Amidon at center and an irrepressible sophomore line of Pete Fichuk, Tony Curran and Keith Bolin, again reached the championship game in 1963.
Amidon scored in the final minute of the third period to force overtime, but the Governors’ beat the Broncos 4-3 on a goal by Rob Shattuck.
Sheehy and Amidon, neighbors who had become close friends despite their four-year age difference, were the last ones out of the locker room after the devastating loss.
To break the uncomfortable silence, Amidon suggested that maybe the team could win the state championship the next season. Sheehy had bigger aspirations. He insisted the Broncos would win the next three state titles. Amidon had his doubts.
A wager was placed.
“Of course, $20 was a big bet in 1963,” Sheehy said. “But he paid the price.”
International Falls not only won the next three state championships, they did so in scorched-ice fashion. The Broncos exacted their revenge in the 1964 title game, routing St. Paul Johnson 7-3. Undefeated seasons in 1965 and 1966 were culminated by two more championship game blowouts, a 7-0 whitewash of Bloomington in ’65 and 5-0 rout of Roseau in ’66.
Sheehy, who was also the quarterback of the football team, stood 6-1½ and weighed 185 pounds as a senior. A smooth skater with incredible speed and agility for his size, Sheehy had a knack for finding soft spots in opposing defenses. With Mahle and shifty playmaker Peter Hegg as his linemates, Sheehy left a vapor trail of would-be defenders in his wake.
The Broncos’ superstar scored a mind-blowing 54 goals and added 42 assists as a senior as the Broncos pushed their unbeaten streak to 58 games.
“We got accused of just feeding Timmy the puck all the time,” said Mahle, who was a 6-3, 195-pound block of granite. “Even Larry (Ross) would always say, ‘Why do you always pass it to Sheehy?’
“I would say, ‘God, he is always right there. Why wouldn’t I pass him the puck? He scores the goal, and we win the game. Isn’t that the best way to go?’ ”
As a sophomore, Sheehy scored the winning goal in a tough 3-2 win over Richfield in the state semifinals. As a junior, he registered a hat trick in a 5-1 state semifinal triumph over South St. Paul.
In the 1966 state semifinals it was Sheehy (who else?) once again grabbing the spotlight. He scored the game winner, with an assist from Mahle, in a 2-1 victory over South St. Paul. Sheehy was named to the all-tournament team three straight years.
“There were other players that were good athletes, but they only did as much as they had to,” Mahle said. “That wasn’t Tim. He put in his time. He was definitely a rink rat.
“If he had a weakness, he worked on it. The only weakness I knew Timmy had in high school was skating backwards, because he never had to skate backwards.”
Much like the high-energy – and often hot-tempered – daily practice battles between lines centered by Amidon and Keith “Huffer” Christiansen in the early 1960s, the Sheehy and Fichuk lines pushed the other to the extreme.
Sheehy and Mahle had the advantage in size. Fichuk’s group had the edge in experience. Motivation wasn’t a problem.
“We certainly didn’t want to let the younger guys get the better of us,” Fichuk said.
Ross, kept a close eye on those scrimmages, knowing full well he was sitting on a powder keg. Still, he didn’t mind the occasional temper flare or corner confrontation. It was all part of the plan to keep the state’s two best lines running at peak competitiveness.
“I think it really kept everybody on their toes,” Sheehy said about the Broncos’ maximum intensity practices. “We all forced each other to get better. It worked out. To this day everybody is still friendly.”
Sheehy had his pick of more than a dozen major college programs coming out of high school. Hungry to get away from home, he accepted a scholarship offer from Boston College coach John “Snooks” Kelley.
Sheehy was captain of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team that won a surprising silver medal in Sapporo, Japan.
As rookie in the WHA, Sheehy scored 33 goals and added 38 assists in 78 games for the New England Whalers. Sheehy played seven seasons in the WHA. He broke into the NHL in 1977-78 with the Detroit Red Wings, playing 15 games. He also played 12 games for the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80.
Sheehy, who retired from pro hockey in 1980, is a player agent living in the Boston area.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Read More
“Fast-forward 19 years and Lisa is one of the most dedicated, experienced and qualified paramedics working as part of the HEMS [helicopter] crew.
“Working as part of the Thames Valley Air Ambulance crew means that Lisa often sees people at their worst – in a critical or life-threatening situation.
"Her years of experience and training mean that she’s well equipped to work in such pressured circumstances but it’s her innate ability to bring care, compassion and calm to a situation that makes her stand out.
“Nearly two decades of working as a paramedic means that Lisa has seen some horrific injuries and witnessed great sadness.
"Equally, the positive impact she’s made to the lives of hundreds of families across Reading, Berkshire, and across the Thames Valley is deserving of recognition.”
Recently-aired documentary Emergency Helicopter Medics on More4 also showcased Miss Brown’s standout qualities as she’s filmed caring for a nine-year-old boy who had been hit by a car.
“For Lisa, examples like these two ‘are all in a day’s work’. Making a difference to the lives of people is what she ‘signed up to do’; it’s her ‘job’.
"But, working alongside her, it’s clear being a critical care paramedic isn’t just a day job, it’s a way of being for her,” said Dr Brown.
Miss Brown said: “I am sincerely humbled to have been nominated for the Pride of Reading award, as to be recognised for doing something that I honestly love doing and which is more than just a job to me, is truly amazing.
“Dr Brown is someone for whom I have a very deep respect and the fact that he felt me worthy of being nominated for this award is truly an honour.”
When asked what makes her most proud to be a helicopter paramedic, she said: “To be able to deliver enhanced critical care to the patients we serve.”
The Health Worker of the Year Award is sponsored by Crowne Plaza Reading.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
There has been considerable research into service quality over the last couple of decades. Services, however, as intangible, perishable, and heterogenic transactions are very difficult to quantify and measure, and little success has been reported on a systematic approach in modeling of quality of service transactions (with SERVQUAL and its derivatives as the notable exception). In this chapter, we propose artificial neural networks (ANNs) to monitor quality of service transaction as a dynamic and real-time control and forecasting system. ANNs are widely used in many engineering fields to model and simulate complex systems. The resulting near-perfect models are particularly suited for applications where real-world complexities make it difficult or even impossible to mathematically model and control the system. The proposed approach alleviates restrictions and limitations of applying questionnaire-based static methods, even in cases where there are large number of correlated attributes as well as obscure and unobservable quality characteristics. We illustrate with a case vignette in a healthcare context, thereby demonstrating the suitability of such techniques for healthcare delivery a vital, at times lifesaving service.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
About this webcam
This webcam is currently assigned to Autostrada dei Fiori. It was originally added on 17 יולי 2015 and has been viewed 2,136 times since then. The current picture above was taken לפני 12 דקות, thereby the webcam seems to be currently active. So far, it was added to their personal favorites on webcams.travel by 0 people.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Chagas’ disease (CD) is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi leading to a lifelong infection, which is still recognized as one of the world’s most neglected tropical diseases. After an acute phase, which is commonly unapparent, 30-40% of the patients develop the chronic form and chronic Chagas 'cardiomyopathy (CCC), its most serious complication, has three main clinical presentations: arrhythmic syndrome, heart failure, and thromboembolic phenomena. All of these forms can lead to the most important outcome in CCC: the sudden cardiac death (SCD). This dramatic event can affect even young and previously asymptomatic patients. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) is becoming a valuable tool to evaluate and stratify patients regarding the risk of severe arrhythmic events in many clinical conditions. Little is known about its prognostic value in CCC. Our objective was to report a series of aborted SCD in CCC patients in order to clarify if CMR can detect a common imaging pattern in such cases.
We evaluated five chagasic patients (all male, 49,2 ± 10,2 years old) referred to our institution after an aborted SCD episode between September/2009 and November/2010, before an implantable cardiodefibrillator (ICD) procedure. All patients underwent coronary angiography to exclude coronary artery disease. All of them underwent a CMR exam with cines and delayed enhancement sequences with gadolinium before the insertion of ICD and a clinical follow-up until September 2011 was completed for all patients.
All patients were asymptomatic before and after the event (NYHA class I). LVEF was depressed in only two patients (both with 32%) and all had mildly depressed RVEF (52,4 ± 9,45%). In three patients, including the two with depressed left ventricular function, LVED diameter was increased. None of them had an apical aneurysm (a characteristic finding in CCC) but all presented myocardial hyperenhancement areas in delayed enhancement sequence. The number of segments involved varied from 2 to 6 in each patient, three of them showed transmural pattern and the posterior-lateral wall (3 patients) was the preferential location. After a mean follow-up of 392 days, all patients received at least one appropriate ICD therapy. At the last follow-up consultation, all patients were taking amiodarone and maintained NYHA class I functional status.
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Kentucky Derby and Oaks Update: Patrona Margarita Breezes
CraigUpham’s Ashland Stakes (Grade I)
third-place finisher PatronaMargarita recorded a half-mile
breeze in :48.80 on Sunday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for a
start in the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) on Friday, May 4.
The Texas-bred daughter of Special Rate breezed through eighth-mile splits of
:12.60, :24.60 and :36.80 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:02 and six furlongs
in 1:15.60, according to Churchill Downs clocker JohnNichols.
“She’s been doing very well,” trainer BretCalhoun said. “She had
a couple of rough months at Fair Grounds with some fungus on her leg that we
had to treat with antibiotics and give her some time off. I think now she’s
just really getting turned around from the antibiotics. She wasn’t close to top
shape in the Ashland but is doing really well now.”
Patrona Margarita kicked off the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with a 3 ¾-length
upset victory in the Sept. 17 Pocahontas (GII) at Churchill Downs. The filly
returned as a 3-year-old with a fourth-place effort in the Feb. 17 Rachel
Alexandra at Fair Grounds prior to her third in the April 7 Ashland at
Keeneland.
KNOWN
KENTUCKY DERBY ARRIVAL SCHEDULE – With less than two weeks remaining until the first Saturday in May,
shipping plans to Louisville, Ky. are being finalized for many Kentucky Derby
horses.
Blue Grass
Stakes (GII) winner GoodMagic arrived from Keeneland Sunday morning and is stabled in
Barn 42 at Churchill Downs. Lexington Stakes (GIII) victor MyBoyJack was also expected to arrive at Churchill Downs from
Keeneland on Sunday afternoon (2:30 p.m.) and be stabled in Barn 25 for trainer
KeithDesormeaux.
Trainer Todd
Pletcher is slated to enter four
horses in the Derby: Florida Derby (GI) winner Audible, Arkansas Derby (GI) victor Magnum
Moon, Louisiana Derby (GII) hero Noble
Indy, and Wood Memorial (GII)
champ Vino Rosso. The quartet, which are expected to be joined by several
other members of the “Todd Squad,” including 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always
Dreaming, are scheduled to arrive from
Palm Beach, Fla. on Monday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. (all times Eastern),
according to Director of the Stable Area Steve
Hargrave.
Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner and likely Kentucky Derby
favorite Justify is expected to have his final breeze in California next
weekend along with stablemate and Arkansas Derby third Solomini before shipping to Churchill Downs soon thereafter, Hall
of Fame trainer Bob Baffert reported Saturday.
Impressive 18 ½-length UAE Derby (GI) winner Mendelssohn is expected to travel to Kentucky from Ireland on Monday,
April 30, according to Hargrave.
Wood Memorial runner-up Enticed, currently stabled at Palm Meadows in South Florida for
trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, could ship to Churchill Downs either April 28-29,
according to Hargrave
It was announced Wednesday that NFL star Rob
Gronkowski acquired an
ownership stake in European Road to the Kentucky Derby-invitee Gronkowski. The colt is expected to arrive at Churchill Downs on
Saturday, April 28, according to trainer JeremyNoseda.
Follow @DerbyMedia on Twitter for the latest shipping
updates.
BARN LIST: Six Kentucky Derby contenders and eight likely Kentucky
Oaks contenders are on the grounds at Churchill Downs:
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Cycle 1.7.6, day #7 of week #1
Started looking at sha1_file.c::index_fd() to figure out a way to make it optionally call out to fast-import so that we do not have to read and hold the whole thing in the core at once. Am tempted to just say we won't support any clean filters and friends on this codepath, but it would be an interesting exercise.
Reviewed and commented on 5 topics.Queued 4 patches from 4 people.Merged 2 topics to 'master' branch, to include in the next release.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Loving God, you endowed Blessed Francis with the sweetness of heavenly charity and made him a renowned preacher of your word. With the help of his prayers may we ever live in your love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. – General Calendar of the Order of Preachers
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
"Black girls are often overlooked in mainstream porn but there’s a healthy supply of ebony sex scenes to be enjoyed." ya need to start reading the description of categories, this belongs in interracial
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Monthly Archives: March 2019
We are delighted to bring you another issue of the Open Door Newsletter from Lymington United Reformed Church with news of our Easter Services, our new Centre manager – Andrew and as we wish Helena all the best with the … Continue reading →
March edition of the Open Door is now live on our web site. News of this months events, coffee mornings, Sunday services and more…. plus a lovely colouring challenge for little ones, perfect for the “World’s Best Mum” this Mother’s … Continue reading →
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
I have a 1986 C30 with a Universal M25 with Hurth transmission and Edson wheel with separte engine controls. The shifter has always been sloppy and difficult to shift into forward. I would like to fix this and get it working the right way. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't think the cable is broken as I can get it to move but I know it should be easier than it is. I found the replacement cables on the Edson website but don't know what lenght I need for sure. I am reluctant to pull the existing one out for measurement because if I have to replace it I would like to use the existing one to pull the new one through. Any ideas/suggestions are appreciated.
Catalina Direct addresses this issue and they admit that Catalina doesn't even know the correct length. They also say to pull the cables with a line attached to pull the new ones bsck through. The Catalina Direct website has instructions and if I remember correctly the cables have a coded number on them and a couple of the digits denote the cable length.
By choosing to post the reply above you agree to the rules you agreed to when joining Sailnet.
Click Here to view those rules.
Register Now
In order to be able to post messages on the SailNet Community forums, you must first register. Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.Please note: After entering 3 characters a list of Usernames already in use will appear and the list will disappear once a valid Username is entered.
User Name:
Password
Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.
Password:
Confirm Password:
Email Address
Please enter a valid email address for yourself.
Email Address:
OR
Log-in
User Name
Password
Remember Me?
Human Verification
In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Share
Something wrong?
Rights / Permissions
This collection, digitized in collaboration with the Michigan Daily and the Board for Student Publications, contains materials that are protected by copyright law. Access to these materials is provided for non-profit educational and research purposes. If you use an item from this collection, it is your responsibility to consider the work's copyright status and obtain any required permission.
If you have non-permissions questions about the collection, please use the contact form. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - In a
shift likely to put more pressure on Sad-
dam Hussein, Saudi Arabia's foreign
minister said yesterday that U.S. forces
may have access to bases in the king-
dom to attack Iraq - provided military
action has United Nations endorsement.
Prince Saud al-Faisal called on the
Baghdad regime to allow U.N. inspec-
tors back into Iraq to ensure it is not
developing nuclear, chemical or bio-
logical weapons.
Other Arab nations also pressed Iraq
to comply with U.N. Security Council
resolutions to avert a showdown with
Washington, saying they wanted a
diplomatic solution to avoid a conflict
that could threaten stability in the Mid-
die East.
At the same time, Arab states urged
U.N. action to settle the Arab-Israeli
conflict.
Saudi Arabian leaders previously had
ruled out any use of Saudi bases by U.S.
forces to attack Iraq. But Saud said yes-
terday that if the Security Council
authorized the use of force against Iraq,
Saudi Arabia would go along.
"All signatories to the U.N. Charter,
including Saudi Arabia, are obligated
to abide by the decisions of the Securi-
ty Council, in particular those taken
under Chapter 7 of the Charter," he
said in a statement.
Chapter 7 authorizes the use of
force in the case of threats to interna-
tional peace and security and
requires all member nations to abide
by such resolutions.
"Whatever threat Iraq poses, it is
clear that the will of the international
community is to remove that threat in a
way that does not require the firing of
a single shot or the loss of a single sol-
dier," Saud said.
But once international consensus is
reached, he added, the Iraqis will have to
respond or "suffer the consequences."
In an interview with the London-
based newspaper Al Hayat, Saud urged
Saddam to quickly allow U.N.
weapons inspectors back into Iraq to
avoid a new Security Council resolu-
tion that could open the way for mili-
tary action.
President Bush demanded last week
that the United Nations force Iraq to
comply with resolutions requiring U.N.
supervision of the destruction of Iraqi
weapons of mass destruction. He
warned that America will act, alone if
necessary, if the Security Council
doesn't.
Jordan, a neighbor of Iraq that faced
an influx of refugees during the 1991
Gulf War and worries about the reper-
cussions of another war, also called on
Iraq to implement Security Council
resolutions, including the return of
U.N. weapons inspectors. Compliance
would spare the region "the dire conse-
quences" of war, Jordanian Foreign
Minister Marwan Muasher told the
U.N. General Assembly yesterday.
Iraq's foreign minister, Naji Sabri,
said late Saturday he hoped the crisis
could be resolved without new action
by the council.
U.N. inspectors who were seeking
out the elements of Iraq's weapons
projects left the country before U.S.
and British airstrikes in 1998 and have
not been allowed to return.
Saddam's regime maintains it has
fulfilled all U.N. obligations and wants
an end to U.N. sanctions imposed after
the Iraqi army invaded Kuwait in 1990.
Although the Iraq crisis has taken
center stage at the current session of
the General Assembly, Arabs sought to
address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Sunday.
Syria's foreign minister accused the
world of "blind bias" in dealing with
Iraq while ignoring what he said was
Israel's refusal to abide by similar
international demands.
"Is it reasonable for the world to
request Iraq implement Security Council
resolutions while some assist Israel in
being above international law?" Farouk
al-Sharaa asked in a speech yesterday to-
the General Assembly, clearly referring
to the United States, which Arabs con-
sider Israel's main protector.
AP PHOTO
An Afghan boy makes his way to class Saturday in Kandahar, Afghanistan's second largest city.
Kahdahar schools, which opened last week, are filled with eager students but lacking basic tools.
GOP:* Gore lacks his own
ideas, no longer 'relevant'
LHSP
Continued from Page 1A
the LHSP community. According to the proposal written, in
the 1994-1995 academic year, students of color comprised
32 percent of LHSP students. When a similar study was
done last year, only 8.3 percent of LHSP students were from
minority groups.
Marjorie Horton, LSA assistant dean for undergraduate
education, attributes this decrease in diversity to an increase
of choices for minority students in the last five years.
"Three new living learning programs (UROP-in-Resi-
dence, Michigan Community Scholars Program and the
Health Science Scholars Program) have been developed
since 1994, so it is not surprising if some students elect to
join these new programs instead of the older program,' Hor-
ton said.
She added that LHSP plans to implement more aggres-
sive recruiting techniques in order to create a balanced pro-
gram again.
"LHSP directors have developed a plan to recruit a more
diverse group of students, and they have consulted with the
Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the LSA director
of student recruitment in developing their plan," Horton
said. "One aim of the new recruiting efforts will be to publi-
cize LHSP better at additional high schools that have more
diverse student bodies."
Pascual and other members of the community said diver-
sity goes beyond race, and includes socio-economic status,
geographic location and different intellectual backgrounds.
Pascual noted LHSP's belief in open discourse.
"There can't be a discussion if everybody agrees with
everybody else."
LSA sophomore Allison Lasky, who is in her second
year of the LHSP program, said there needs to be a
greater effort for getting a more mixed group of LHSP
students, to counter the "huge" lack of diversity. She
noted problems she had in one of her LHSP classes last
year, as one of a minority.
"A lot of the discussions in my class were marred by the
fact that for the three of us not from upper-middle class
homes in Michigan, it was harder for us to get our point
across," Lasky said. "I think there's something to say for a
lack of diversity in a smaller setting because that's really
isolating people."
LSA sophomore Mike Lusardi, a former LHSP student,
said he thought that LHSP was "catering to similar clien-
tele," but he expected that and was not bothered too much.
"I understand that it's geared towards freshmen and get-
ting them used to college life," Lusardi said.
The lack of upperclassmen leadership has been another
complaint raised. Former Resident Fellow Joe Gonzalez
said learning living communities tend to only apply to
first and second year students. He claimed LHSP stu-
dents need more responsibility in the day-to-day activi-
ties of the program.
"They deserve to have a government that has discre-
tionary money to spend on programming," Gonzalez said.
"If there are leadership positions available, I think it would
be more likely to retain students."
Kathleen Schanne, a former LHSP student and Writing
Center worker, said juniors and seniors who want to stay
involved in LHSP do not necessarily need to live in the resi-
dence hall in order to stay active.
"I think that's most valuable just to remain involved in the
program," Schanne said.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Former
Vice President Al Gore is "having a
tough time remaining relevant" to the
Democratic Party and offers only criti-
cism rather than positive plans of his
own, a Republican spokesman said
yesterday.
Gore associates cite polls showing
him in a dominant position for among
Democrats if he decides to seek the
party's presidential nomination in 2004
and dismiss the GOP talk as wishful
thinking.
"We understand that Al Gore is hav-
ing a tough time remaining relevant
within his party but these are different
times that demand a leader with a
plan," Republican spokesman Kevin
Sheridan said yesterday.
Republicans were responding to a
Gore speech to the Congressional
Black Caucus Foundation late Satur-
day in Washington in which he criti-
cized Bush administration economic
policy and asked what happened to the
federal budget surplus.
"We have an economic policy in my
respectful opinion is simply not work-
ing," Gore said. "It ought to be
scrapped and just start over."
He said the surplus has been lost
in one year, adding "that was fast
work."
"I guess Al Gore thinks he knows
better than Alan Greenspan and
nearly every economist in America
who agree that the president's time-
ly tax relief prevented an even
worse Clinton-Gore downturn," said
Sheridan.
"A war and a recession are the rea-
sons the surplus predictions have gone
away, not because Americans are keep-
ing and spending more of their pay-
checks."
INCIDENT
Continued from Page 1A
incidents, Brown said, adding that Thursday's suspect is
the only one described as being taller than 6-foot-2.
The structure is regularly patrolled by DPS officers, who
go there to file their reports. Brown said DPS increased its
monitoring of the structure after the last incident.
She said she believes parking structures are likely to
attract criminals because they are seeking cars with
unlocked doors or lowered windows.
"The car element often provides an opportunity for the
criminal," Brown said. "Another safety tip is keeping
your cars locked and windows up."
People with information about the crime are asked to
call DPS at 763-1131.
AFTER SCHOOL CARE sought for two
young boys, five days a week. Transportation
a must. Please call 975-9045.
STUDENT TIXS WANTED UM vs MSU
football. 619-517-7879.
[email protected].
WANTED! SPRING BREAKERS! Sun
Coast Vacations wants to send you on Spring
Break 2003 to Cancun, Acapulco, Mazatlan,
Jamaica or the Bahamas for FREE! Call us
now at 1-800-795-4786 or email us at
sales@suncoastvacations~com!
CAFFEINE
Continued from Page 1A
when school is in session.
"It helps me concentrate on my work when I need to stay
awake. At the same time, it makes me jumpy and sometimes
distracts me more than it helps. It's a no-win situation,"
Love said.
When people who heavily consume caffeine cut or limit
their daily intake, the body experiences several withdrawal
symptoms similar to quitting smoking. These symptoms
occur because caffeine, like nicotine, is a central nervous
system stimulant, the study found.
But caffeine is not listed as a drug that causes depend-
ency by The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Men-
tal Disorders.
Caffeine is consumed by more than 80 percent of Ameri-
cans, making it the most commonly used drug, and more
than half of Americans consume more than the recommend-
ed amount of 200 milligrams per day, according to the
study. The average cup of coffee contains 100 milligrams of
caffeine.
Most people are unaware that caffeine is present in prod-
ucts other than coffee and soda. Caffeine exists in chocolate,
tea and many over-the-counter pain medications, meaning
that staying within the advised dose of caffeine consumption
may be more challenging than putting down that last cup of
Joe.
Tim Gronniger, a second-year School of Public Health
student, said coffee is his drug of choice.
"Studying would be hopeless without it," Gronniger said.
The Coffee Beanery on South University Avenue sells at
least 20 gallons of coffee every day and extends their hours
during midterms and finals due to the rapid increase in
sales, said manager Jacob Brabbs.
"We do most of our business in the morning. Caffeine is a
great way to start the day and stay awake for it," Bapps said.
Some students said they turn toward strong doses of caf-
feine in the form of pills. Yaniv Cohen, a junior in the
School of Engineering, uses over-the-counter drugs once in
awhile to help keep him focused at night.
"I'm usually so worn out from my classes that I'll take a
No-Doz so I won't fall asleep while studying. It gives me
just the right kick to help me get through my work," Cohen
said. Cohen added that his sleeping patterns do slightly alter
and often cause fatigue the following day.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration rated caf-
feine as Generally Recognized as Safe in 1958 and reaf-
firmed its statement in 1987. They conclude that
caffeine poses no considerable health risks but may lead
to a mild increase in blood pressure. Doctors do not rec-
ommend those people prone to arrhythmias, or irregular
heart patterns, the use of products where caffeine is
present.
ABROAD
Continued from Page 1A
Sept. 11 and America's war against terrorism with French
people.
"I think it was good to be here because it makes one get a
different view. America might need to take a step back and
take a look at the situation from all sides," LSA junior Laura
Sloan said.
Students were given the opportunity to talk about the
events in their language classes, and often their professors
were good sources of insight into the French perspective.
"Our professor told us that now is the time that we as stu-
dents need to separate ourselves from our president," said
Indiana University junior Raina .Polivka. "A lot of people
here are anti-Bush but pro-American."
Not all sentiment is against President Bush, however.
"I think that Monsieur Chirac is very close with Bush.
Bush is somebody who has a lot of determination. Regard-
ing foreign politics, I think he's a very good president. He's
not afraid, and he's someone who has a lot of character,"
said Corinne Cerati, a French professor at the Institute of
French Studies for Foreign Students.
Despite any negative sentiments toward Bush or his for-
eign policy, and regardless of a lack of events to commemo-
rate Sept. 11, American students still felt the world's
support.
"As a general rule, most of the world really feels bad for
us. Maybe they can't really understand, but they still feel for
us," Sterling said.
"Terrorism is not an open war - it can strike anywhere at
any time, and the danger still exists," Cerati said. "The
French people hate terrorism; we have solidarity with the
Americans."
THE PERFECT ROOMMATE seeks same.
International airline pilot, travels half the
month, looking for responsible, mature female
grad student to share new 3,100 sq. ft. house
with a deck at the polo fields. 15 minutes to
campus. Club has workout facilities, pool, ten-
Cox
Continued from Page 1A
important, he said he wants to focus more strongly on crimi-
nal matters.
"It's time to redefine the mission, to also look out for
public safety."
approve of his crime plan.
"Mike comes ftom a county prosecutor's office," he said.
"He knows what these people need."
Cox said his experience as a prosecutor makes him far
more qualified than his Democratic opponent, state Sen.
Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township.
"Whije I was prosecuting child molesters, he was selling
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Lost In Stars Lost In Stars – LA-based producer “mines the depths of experimental electro, house, UK dubstep, grime & synth-pop” without missing a beat.
WorldTarek Yamani Peninsular – Interesting polyrhythmic fusion of modern jazz and the sounds of the Arabian Penninsula.
Hip Hop/RapSixo The Odds Of Free Will – Producer with a penchant for less-electronic beats rounds up a formidable host of guest vocalists/MCs, including Open Mike Eagle.
Jazz*Chick Corea The Musician – Cherry-picked selections from the artist’s 70th birthday concert/collaboration series in 2011 spanning a lifetime of improvisational prowess.
*Cory Weeds & The Jeff Hamilton Trio Dreamsville – Curator of the respected, traditional-leaning series teams up for the second time with this formidable trio, pursuing a slightly more subdued feel on their second recording together.
*Leigh Pilzer Strunkin’- 100% original, swingin’ compositions by the bari-saxophonist/bandleader and her all-female quartet of trombone, bass, piano and drums make for a rare treat in the often-repetitious, male-dominated contemporary scene.
*Slowdive Slowdive – The movement that emphasized dreamy, headspace-filling sound over bravado has seen quite the resurgence lately, so it makes sense that some of the finest shoegazers out there are making a triumphant return as well.
Country*Angaleena Presley Wrangled – Of no relation to the King himself, she’s best known for her contributions to The Pistol Annies (along with Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe) and a gift for tell-it-like-it-is songcraft wrought with observational humor and versatile pipes.
Folk/AmericanaThe Two Tracks Postcard Town – Sheridan, WY-based quartet has the chops to move well beyond the small-town scene that fostered them.
ElectronicActress AZD – Repetitious, trance-like rhythms that appear to be caught in a loop.
Comments are subject to administrator approval before becoming publicly visible.
New Music Added
April 9, 2017
RIYL: Recommended If You Like
*indicates MD pick
Digital Only
Electronic: *ANOHNI Paradise EP – Pristine selections from last year’s Hopelessness sessions that didn’t quite make the album, but inhabit the same dark, daring electro space and are no less powerfully relevant. Try: 2, 4, 5
Rock: *Monster Movie Keep The Voices Distant – One-time member of Slowdive and a buddy have been making all-encompassing shoegaze for decades now. It shows. Try: 1, 6
Bluegrass*Andrew Vogts Sasquatch With An Alien On Its Head – Suzuki-trained kiddo joins up with a few of his peers and mentors on tunes both familiar and fresh.
Rob Benzing Rob Benzing – Another gifted youngster and co. relish in traditional favorites as well as his original works.
*Tom Ewing Adventures Of A Blue Grass Boy – Former member of Bill Monroe’s band shares a personal history in song.
Folk/Americana*Jackson Melnick Notes From Slate River – Hometown boy makes good on his first fully-formed studio release, pairing poetic sensibility with a fuller sound and promising stylistic maturity.
*Jamie Kindleyside It Is What It Is – Poignant, often light-hearted storytelling with shades of Cat Stevens in the mix.
*Viewx Farka Toure Samba – Son of Malian artist Ali Barke Toure recorded this session in front of a live-audience, pausing occasionally to get the recordings just right and lend insight into the collaborative studio process. The result is exhilarating.
Hip-Hop/Rap*Curta Click Bait – Denver-based fringe rap tackling themes of alienation from tech-saturated society and life in general with wry, observational humor and panache.
Ed Palermo Big Band The Great Un-American Songbook – (slipcase) Swingin’ renditions of the irreverent band leader’s favorites: from The Beatles to Jeff Beck, Radiohead, Green Day and beyond.
Jimmy Greene Flowers: Beautiful Life Vol. 2 – A dynamic companion to the first record made in memory of his young daughter is filled with vibrant energy and the sort of “groove-oriented” sounds she loved.
*The Microscopic Septet Been Up So Long It Looks Like Down To Me – On an unpretentious mission since the early ‘80s to “break all the rules and respect all the saints,” the ensemble continues to invigorate and challenge, this time specifically exploring themes of the blues.
*Terence Blanchard The Comedian - Though the recent Robert De Niro film was panned by critics, its score stands as a masterwork of all things cool and familiar.
*The Magnetic Fields Selections From 50 Song Memoir – Mastermind Stephin Merrit wrote one song for every year of his life, deftly encapsulating the prolifically odd and often hilarious beauty of the work that’s become his trademark.
*Me First & The Gimme Gimmes Rake It In: The Greatestest Hits – Roll the windows down and crank up some top notch numbers from America’s finest punk covers outfit.
*Particle Kid Particle Kid – It starts with a whisper and proceeds to follow a meandering path that’s equally serene and cataclysmic, playing on anticipated folk and rock ideas in unanticipated ways.
Radiator King A Hollow Triumph After All – Rugged, Americana-influenced indie rock. RIYL: Old 97’s
Said The Whale As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide – Immediately catchy, piano-driven, upbeat stuff with great vocals. RIYL: Portugal The Man, Ra Ra Riot
Sneaks It’s A Myth – Overtly breathy and lackluster seem to be the selling points here.
Some Kind Of Animal Some Kind Of Animal – Released under the banner of a well-known Philly punk label’s “folk” series, the band inhabits a sphere more closely related to orchestral indie with folk leanings, like a sleepy Local Natives.
String Cheese Incident Believe – Heard this name before…something to do with the Eldo?
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Florida Inv | Jean DeglonIndex: Renting a home better than buying
Renting a home in South Florida beats buying one — assuming you’re a disciplined investor.
That’s the conclusion of the Beracha, Hardin & Johnson Buy vs. Rent Index, a housing barometer developed by professors at Florida Atlantic and Florida International universities.
The quarterly index, to be released Thursday, looks at wealth creation, determining whether it’s more advantageous to buy and build equity or rent the same property and invest the money that would have been spent on a down payment and other costs of ownership.
Renting has topped buying for about two years in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, largely because stock market gains have outperformed home-price appreciation, said Ken Johnson, an FAU economist and one of the index’s authors.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Through this process, ultimate uniformization threatens to spread everywhere.
While thematically they rail against these trappings, the whole album sounds like a slow process of ultimate defeat, the band seemingly unable to shake the ties they deride.
Drought leads to water deficit in the leaf tissue, which affects many physiological processes and can have ultimate consequences for plant growth and survival.
I think it does a disservice to this entire process and to the ultimate point here, which is to get a president we all can accept as the legitimate president of the United States.
The ultimate decision could lie with the ABA and the lottery funding and sponsorship deals they can come up with.
Politics is about compromise, but ultimately the political process can shape and develop policy before the ultimate decision is formulated and presented by government.
The ultimate end of this process is extinction, not evolutionary progress.
And at the end of it all comes the final, the ultimate audit when our lives hang in the balance before we are consigned to eternal reward, or to the other place, based on the audit of how we lived our lives.
The final and ultimate breakthrough took place, and he was able to teach and work with sentient beings without any inhibition.
The individual who can take setbacks as well as frustration in stride and not lose sight of the ultimate objective in the process is a person to keep an eye on - destined to go places.
Some councillors stressed that the decision was not final and the ultimate decision would rest with tenants themselves when a ballot took place.
The combine reports are the first step in the evaluation process, not the ultimate analysis.
In conclusion, the ultimate aim of economic development will reflect a blended approach from several different players.
The ultimate aim of understanding deformation processes is to incorporate them into interpretations of earth theology.
It is on this final dive that the ultimate clue is revealed.
The company initiated a project of awareness raising, with the ultimate aim of seeing cleaner manufacturing processes being implemented.
It is important to both the engagement process and to the ultimate success of counseling that the adolescent endorse an individualized rationale for counseling.
Those who ask from science a final argument, an ultimate proof, an unassailable position from which the issue of God may be decided will always be disappointed.
Critics claim that because conventional fuels are needed in the production and refining process, the ultimate benefit of biofuels to the environment is not clear-cut.
‘The ultimate aim of having universal suffrage in our democratic development process will not change,’ Tung said.
1.2(fundamental, original)
(particle/constituent)primordial
(constituent/particle)fundamental
the ultimate cause of the problem—la raíz del problema
the ultimate source of the rumor—el verdadero origen del rumor
Social atomism sees individual people as the fundamental particles, autonomous ultimate units in full charge of their destiny, empowered to make contracts freely.
The ultimate, or most basic, scientific theory is physics.
To use Thomas Sowell's phrase, people are the ultimate resource.
Names are the ultimate constituents of language.
What are the ultimate constituents of matter the most elementary of elementary particles?
I marvel at people who, so prepared for everything in life, can discover the ultimate needs of anything just by looking at it;
Many scholastic and Cartesian thinkers had assumed substances to be the ultimate constituents of reality, and, as such, self-dependent.
Arguably the prime, indeed ultimate, determinant of land value in modern society is its permitted or permissible use.
1.3(furthest)
the ultimate frontier of science—los confines de la ciencialiterario
A standard LENTON coupler is a mechanical taper threaded splice that develops the minimum specified ultimate strength of the rebar being spliced.
These piles are loaded to their ultimate capacity.
Also it can be seen that the smaller diameter raft has reached to its ultimate capacity at smaller settlement than that of the raft of larger diameter.
Their ultimate size depends on their chemical composition; materials that are more soluble in the atmosphere grow faster and bigger.
It responds to heat treatment on the improved permanent set stress and ultimate strength with some loss of elongation.
After the initial impacts, the most heavily loaded columns were probably near, but not over, their ultimate capacities.
From the outset, the development of Stansted Airport should be planned so as to be capable of providing an ultimate capacity equivalent to that which can be accommodated on the airport's single runway.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
InfoSci®-Journals Annual Subscription Price for New Customers: As Low As US$ 4,950
This collection of over 175 e-journals offers unlimited access to highly-cited, forward-thinking content in full-text PDF and XML with no DRM. There are no platform or maintenance fees and a guarantee of no more than 5% increase annually.
Receive the complimentary e-books for the first, second, and third editions with the purchase of the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition e-book. Plus, take 30% off until July 1, 2018.
Take 20% Off All Publications Purchased Directly Through the IGI Global Online Bookstore: www.igi-global.com/
Abstract
This chapter describes some recent advances in signal processing as applied to NDT problems. This is an area that has made progress for over twenty years and its importance is gaining attention gradually, especially since the new advanced techniques in signal processing and pattern recognition.
Introduction
NDT is a technique widely used in industry to detect, size, classify and evaluate different types of defects in materials, and it plays an important role whenever the integrity and safe operation of engineered components and structures are critical. Efficient and reliable NDT techniques are essential to ensure the safe operation of complex parts and construction in an industrial environment for evaluating service life, acceptability, verification and validation and risk. Automating the evaluation and inspection process can potentially lead to a reduction or elimination of the impact of human error, thus making the inspection process more reliable, reproducible, and faster. The most widely used conventional NDT techniques are ultrasonics, radiography, infrared thermography and computed tomography (CT) techniques.
NDT is not a direct measurement method, thus the nature and size of defects must be obtained through analysis of the signals obtained from inspection. Signal processing has provided powerful techniques to elicit information on defect detection, sizing, positioning and characterisation. Inspection signals were in general 1-D, utilising the very basic signal processing techniques. In case of 2-D inspection signals (images), the main processing methods include operations like image restoration and enhancement, morphological operators, Wavelet transforms, image segmentation, as well as object and pattern recognition. These methods facilitate the extraction of special information from the original images, which would not, otherwise, be obtainable. Moreover, 3-D image processing can provide advance information if an image sequence is available. Currently, NDT techniques have developed greatly due to recent advances in microelectronic systems and signal and image processing and analysis. Many image processing and analysis techniques can now be readily applied at standard video rates, in particular, to methods that generate image sequence (TV-type), such as real-time radiography, ultrasonic-phased array, laser ultrasonics, pulse-video thermography and shearography.
Signal processing for NDT has many different approaches that may not be well correlated. The role of computational intelligence (CI) methodologies for NDT applications is vital and is expected to receive more attention in the future. Advanced signal processing techniques, such as Wavelet transform and independent component analysis (ICA), broadly listed as CI methods, can be used in solving NDT problems such as feature extraction, de-noising and the identification of defects. Perhaps the most influential signal processing development for NDT is split spectrum processing (SSP), which is one of the important and powerful treatments to automatically detect multiple flaws embedded in non-stationary grain noise. The nonlinearities of the SSP algorithm effectively change the flaw and grain echo distribution to enhance the separation of their amplitudes beyond that of simple envelope detection technique. Ultrasonic non-destructive characterisation of thin layered composite materials or structures can be difficult because the reflected signals are highly overlapped. The classical signal processing approach would have difficulty separating the layers and determining the thickness of each layer, necessitating the need for advanced approaches (Cacciola, Morabito & Versaci, 2007).
Advanced signal processing techniques allow extracting of information not easily available from the NDT measurements and thus essentially extend the resolution of the measurement beyond what is offered by the physical system. These techniques are expected to address the main problems in NDT when performing the inspection or examination. Mainly, these problems are: high levels of noise, high reflectivity of the material under test, defects orientation, high attenuations and/or low amplitudes of the received inspection signals, cladding thickness effect, grain structure of the material under test and the low accuracy of sizing, positioning and characterisation of flaws, among others.
This chapter discusses some advanced signal processing approaches able to emphasise features in NDT signals. The chapter also illustrates a suggestion for an automatic NDT interpretation system.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Corporate & Hospitality
Australia qualifies
Mark Milligan's first international goal has secured Australia's position at the 2011 Asian Cup as the Qantas Socceroos beat Indonesia 1-0 at Suncorp Stadium.
Mark Milligan banged in his first goal at international level to see the Qantas Socceroos seal their place in the 2011 Asian Cup with a straightforward 1-0 victory over an Indonesian side that battled gamely but was ultimately undone by sheer weight of possession on Wednesday night in Brisbane.
Australia started slowly and never really hit its straps, but quick thinking and a slick strike from Milligan in the latter stages of the opening half was enough to see the home side finally book its ticket to Qatar, much to the delight of the 20, 422-strong crowd.
Milligan - deployed as a central defender for the duration of the match - used his shoulder to deflect a looping dead-ball strike from Luke Wilkshire into the crossbar, and then pounced on the spillage while Indonesian keeper Markus Rihihina was in no man's land.
Wilkshire then delivered pinpoint service from the corner in the dying stages of the opening half, but Rihihina met Simon Colosimo's powerful header with a miraculous leaping one-handed palm over the crossbar to keep his side within reach at the major break.
The hosts then clicked into gear after half-time, but they found it just as tricky to make an impact on the scoreboard, despite the numerous entries into the box.
Giant striker Josh Kennedy, anointed as the man who could be the difference by both camps at the pre-match press conference, went close with a pair of headers after being starved of the ball in the first half.
Jason Culina, who was given the captain's armband and much more freedom to roam forward than he is usually accustomed to, looked to take matters into his own hands, but a series of long-range attempts failed to find the back of the net.
In the end it mattered little.
After a trying qualification campaign, typified by a loss to Kuwait on home soil last year, Australia needed to take at least one point away from the final Asian Cup qualifier to ensure it would not miss out.
National coach Pim Verbeek started both Tommy Oar and Shannon Cole on debut, and entrusted a squad made up of predominately Hyundai A-League talent to get the job done against Indonesia, ranked 136th in the world.
Verbeek would have had a few nervous moments while his side failed to score in the first 40 minutes despite controlling the tempo and dominating possession in the early stages of what was a reasonably physical encounter.
Milligan's impressive effort would have allowed Verbeek to collect his thoughts before a thoroughly entertaining second half where Oar's slick skills came to the fore.
The 18-year-old winger was kept reasonably quiet in the opening stanza, but his pace and lethal left-foot were more often than not a part of Australia's surges forward in the second half.
Qantas Socceroos' goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic had an early chance to calm his nerves when Budi put in a tame effort for Indonesia's first strike in the 11th minute, and the World Cup hopeful rarely came into action after that point.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Theodore Solotaroff, Founder of The New American Review, Is Dead at 80
Theodore Solotaroff, who in 1967 started The New American Review to shepherd in a new generation of writers and “new” journalists including Philip Roth, William H. Gass and Mordechai Richler in just the first issue, died on Aug. 8 at his home in East Quogue, N.Y. He was 80 and was suffering from complications of pneumonia, according to his son Jason.
Mr. Solotaroff was working as an editor and critic at opinion journal Commentary and the New York Herald‘s book supplement before pioneering the New American Review in 1967. The paperback literary journal, later called American Review, published E.L. Doctorow, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, William H. Gass, Michael Herr, Robert Coover, and Donald Barthelme,. He also ran an early excerpt from what became Philip Roth’s novel Portnoy’s Complaint.
In its pages, readers encountered Kate Millett on sexual politics, Norman Mailer on Henry Miller, A. Alvarez on Sylvia Plath and Michael Rossman on the spiritual satisfactions of building your own geodesic dome.
Mr. McEwan, in a blurb he wrote for Mr. Solotaroff’s essay collection “The Literary Community,” said that “as the most influential editor of his time, he shaped not only the tastes, but the direction of American writing.”
“Ted Solotaroff’s taste in fiction has proved to be something of a national resource,” author John Romano wrote in a 1978 issue of the New York Times Book Review, shortly before American Review ceased publication.
“It was the great regret of his life that he didn’t push harder to keep it going,” said his son Paul Solotaroff. He said Bantam, which funded the magazine, “was pushing hard to shut it down. It wasn’t bringing in the novels that would grow out of these pieces being published in the journal.”
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
North America covers almost 5 percent of the planet's surface, making it the third-largest continent. A large temperate area, varied topography, and climate differences has resulted in many distinct habitats which support rich flora.
After years of running trials with plants originating from the Eastern, Southeastern, Western, and Midwestern regions of North America, these plants not only performed well in Northern Illinois' climate and soil conditions, but have proved to have exceptional value for education, aesthetics, and conservation.
These North American Collections have been developed to reflect the species richness of these regions and carefully selected to ensure their adaptability to our region.
Arboretum staff members don't just travel to far away countries looking for unique plants. There are many exciting plants right at our fingertips! Important trips were made recently within the United States to add to two of our North America collections, Appalachia and the Ozarks.
Conserving North American plants is an important part of our mission at the Arboretum. It is our goal to continue collecting species from the botanically rich areas of the U.S. that will perform well here in the Midwest.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Game Development
Discuss game creation, design, modding, theories and math in our Game Development forum. Welcoming developers and gamers of all levels to discuss and debate all things involved in game creation and modding.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
gardening today
I realize all of you have spent time in your gardens already... but do
to commitments, work, illness and rain, today was the first full day I
had in the garden.
The weeds have definitely won here, but a few things worth noting. (only
got the front of my home done)
All soil here is water logged and it has not rained in a few days. Even
raised beds (18-24"!) are still wet which is a very bad thing for some
plants. I am not talking moist, really saturated, but at least no
standing water in any hole dug. Any thoughts on what I should do to help
those plants? None seemed stressed, all thriving... but since the roots
are not drying out and have been this way since at least April, worried!
More storms are expected tonight and tomorrow... e-Gads!
Last season I had planted some annual (read no name cheap flat of) sweet
Williams or something in that family as a filler for the bottom layer of
a tiered bed. To my surprise after removing all the tall weeds in front
of it, they survived the winter and are blooming like crazy. Actually,
last year they were yucky and didn't flower much and kinda floppy... put
them on the not again list. This year they are awesome looking... go
figure!
Donna
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!
http://www.hort.net/funds/
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Elements
How to Use YouTube Videos to Improve Your Google Ranking
Blogging is not what it was 10 years ago. Getting a blog post to rank in Google is becoming increasingly difficult. YouTube has changed a lot as well: Getting videos to rank on the platform is not as easy as it used to be.
However, what separates blog posts from videos is that consumers are now demanding videos. For the busy and short-attentioned, videos can get information across to searchers with less effort and in a more engaging way. Accordingly, for certain searches, quality videos are rising above quality blog posts in search results, especially on Google.
If you are blogging and merely hoping that your posts will rank, you are likely going to be disappointed: The game is changing. But creating videos can afford you an opportunity to rise above all the boring, anonymous, no-personality content out there.
Do a Google search to see which videos are ranking. If there are no videos ranking, then there is probably a good reason for that: Google believes videos aren't the best format to deliver results for that search.
Look at the top menu to see where the Video tab is positioned, the closer it is to the left, the more valuable video is for that specific search.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Washington — He was sure in his views, exercised power behind the scenes, helped lead the nation after it was attacked and suffered from a serious health condition. His accomplishments are also under-appreciated.
At least, that is how Lynne Cheney describes the subject of her latest book. And, no, she isn’t writing about her husband, former Vice President Dick Cheney. Her subject is the fourth president of the U.S. and her book, James Madison: A Life Reconsidered, was published Tuesday.
“There is nobody who has contributed more to the civic life we live today,” said Cheney, 72, in an interview.
“Madison created the Constitution, constitutional government. He was one of the most high-ranking officials through some of the most perilous times in our history. He is not as well known or appreciated as Washington or Jefferson. I pondered that for a long time. There seemed to be disjunction in the idea we had of Madison and his actual accomplishments.”
Cheney said she became intrigued by Madison’s life and presidency when she served as chairman for the National Endowment for the Arts during the Reagan administration. She started pursuing her project in 2008, the final year of her husband’s second term as vice president, and spent the ensuing years digging through archives to build her 564-page portrait of the man who became known as the “Father of the Constitution.”
Her book has received positive reviews in trade publications, including one from Publishers Weekly that called it a “meticulously researched, richly detailed look at the life and times of Madison” that is “authoritative, conversational, certainly confident in its analysis.”
Madison, who was raised on a plantation in Virginia, was a leading political figure during the nation’s nascence. He is regarded as having played a key role in crafting what became the U.S. Constitution. As a member of Congress, he helped shape the Bill of Rights, and he later served as secretary of state for his friend Thomas Jefferson. He was elected president in 1808 and served two four-year terms fraught with international crises culminating in the War of 1812.
That conflict with Great Britain didn’t go all that well for the young United States. The British invaded and even torched the White House, a scene that came to Cheney’s mind as she and her husband evacuated Washington after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
“When Dick and I left by helicopter from the South Lawn of the White House, and we could see smoke form the Pentagon, both of us thought about the War of 1812 and how it was the last time that this had happened,” she said.
One aspect of Madison’s personal life that particularly intrigued Cheney was his health. The fourth president was afflicted, particularly in his younger years, by sudden seizures that Cheney describes as being consistent with epilepsy. “I was interested in Madison’s health because I had seen Dick face health challenges during his political career,” she said.
Dick Cheney, 73, has suffered five heart attacks, the first at age 37 and the last in 2010; he received a heart transplant two years ago, and his health has been excellent, Cheney said.
She declined to discuss in detail how Madison’s political views might gel with her husband’s.
“They are both limited government fellows,” she said during a 45-minute interview in her spacious home’s living room, which has shelves stocked with books ranging from those about trout fishing, one of her husband’s favorite pastimes, to Winston Churchill’s volumes on World War II.
The Cheneys split time between a home in Wyoming and one just down the street in McLean, Va., from Hickory Hill, an estate owned by the families of President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert F. Kennedy.
Cheney also said she didn’t want to discuss controversies involving her daughters, Liz and Mary. Comments Liz Cheney made about opposing same-sex marriage set off a feud with her sister, Mary, a lesbian who married her partner in 2012.
When asked what Madison would have made of same-sex marriage, Cheney said the former president “would have said it was a matter for the states. That’s not such a radical thought.”
A scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, Cheney has a doctorate in English and is the author of 12 other books.
She said she isn’t sure what her next project will be, but is interested in pursuing research on Louisa Adams, the wife of John Quincy Adams, the nation’s sixth president, and of William Tecumseh Sherman, a Union general during the Civil War.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Truth, Lies, and Ophthalmology
Tips for the ophthalmologist confronted with functional vision loss
Valerie Purvin
|
02/02/2017
When dealing with functional vision loss, knowing the correct terminology is the first step. We use the terms “functional,” “non-organic” or “non-physiological” vision loss to describe patients who appear to be describing problems that don’t appear to have a physical basis. But bedded within this larger term are subgroups – patients who have had a conversion reaction, in which visual loss is unconscious or involuntary, versus those who may be malingering or have factitious disorder (meaning there is deliberate, feigned visual loss, which may have various motives). But we don’t use these terms – just larger blanket terms, such as “non-organic.” Why?
The first and perhaps most important reason is that to make a distinction is to speak to the state of mind of the patient. And should you end up on the witness stand or in deposition with a lawyer, you don’t want to find yourself being quizzed on your psychiatric credentials. It’s not our area of expertise. We don’t want to assume we know why our patient is behaving in this way. The second reason is that such behavior exists on a spectrum, so the reasons for the patient’s behavior may not be so black and white; for example, a patient may have genuinely experienced a small amount of visual impairment, but then exaggerated their symptoms because they want to make sure their doctor doesn’t miss it. In any case, understanding the distinction is valuable for the management of these patients.
Read the full article now
Log in or register to read this article in full and gain access to
The Ophthalmologist’s entire content archive. It’s FREE and always will be!
Or Login via Social Media
About the Author
Valerie Purvin
Valerie Purvin has been on the faculty of the Indiana University Medical Center for over 30 years with a busy clinical practice in a large, subspecialized ophthalmology group in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. She has published on a range of topics, generally focusing on issues that arise in caring for patients with neuro-ophthalmic disorders including ischemic optic neuropathy, inflammatory optic neuropathies, and visual complications of medications.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
As children of God and blessed with all
the material bounties, we are ordained to share it with our
less fortunate brethren as a part of our debt to the world
we live in. In a humble effort to meet this lofty goal, the
ambitious project...
A sprawling campus of more than 11
acres meticulously planned in a number of functional building
blocks separated by lush green lawns leaves a visitor spellbound.
The campus very graciously accommodates main administrative
block...
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Naked groups outdoors
16 days ago, 2019 / Redhead
We hope to see you all layering up and stripping down for a great cause. After the race, enjoy a hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants, a finisher's medal, and registered participants 21 plus may enjoy one complimentary beer. Shed your winter layers with the Nearly Naked 5K!
Looks like this article is a bit old. Be aware that information may have changed since it was published. Fancy getting your kit off in London, but not quite sure where?
Started as a diversion by those through-hiking the long-distance Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail, the immodest unofficial celebration has developed a modest following on trails across the country in recent years. Will people actually be out trekking in nothing but socks and hiking boots on the summer solstice in Pennsylvania? He and his wife, a nurse, camp, hike and swim nude on remote private property and secluded locations in state forests and game lands in Pennsylvania.
After meeting in 14th Street Park to prepare ourselves for our High Line adventureand then heading up to the High Line itself for our mile-long stroll, topless, through a crowd of thousands of tourists and locals who possibly might not have been expecting to see a group of bare-chested women in their midst, we exited the High Line at its 34th Street terminus, elated and slightly exhuasted and many blocks from the nearest subway. Did we put our shirts on for the last leg of our journey? We did not. Who needs another layer of fabric getting between her skin and the cooling breeze?
This is a list of public outdoor clothes-free areas for recreation. Includes free beaches or clothing-optional beaches or nude beachesparks, clubs, regional organizations and some resorts. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
cryptocurrency of 2014
Information about cryptocurrency of 2014
Cryptocurrency
A cryptocurrency (or crypto currency) is a medium of exchange using cryptography to secure the transactions and to control the creation of new units. Cryptocurrencies are a subset of alternative currencies, or specifically of digital currencies. Bitcoin became the first decentralized cryptocurrency in 2009. Since then, numerous cryptocurrencies have been created. These are frequently called altcoins, as contraction of bitcoin alternative.
Cryptocurrencies typically feature decentralized control (as opposed to a centralized electronic money system, such as PayPal) and a public ledger (such as bitcoin’s block chain) which records transactions.
2014
2014 (MMXIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar (dominical letter E), the 2014th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 14th year of the 3rd millennium, the 14th year of the 21st century, and the 5th year of the 2010s decade.
2014 was designated as:
International Year of Crystallography
International Year of Family Farming
International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
International Year of Small Island Developing States
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Forecast: Moldova Nouă Region
While the weather onSaturday and Monday is overcast on Sunday it will be mostly sunny.
But on Saturday and Monday rain is to expected.
The daily high falls from 12 degrees on Sunday to 6 degrees on Monday.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
News & Reports
News & Reports
Bozeman Deaconess is proud to present the following reports and newsletters,
which highlight achievements throughout the year. This information is
provided to keep the residents of the Gallatin Valley well informed about
the performance of our hospital and its services as well as our foundation.
Community Benefit
Click here to view the 2012 Community Benefit Report which includes the following community benefit financial data: financial assistance and unreimbursed costs, community health improvement services and community benefit operation, health professions education, subsidized health services, research and cash and in-kind contributions to community groups.
Click here to view the 2011 Community Benefit Report which includes the following community benefit financial data: financial assistance and unreimbursed costs, community health improvement services and community benefit operation, health professions education, subsidized health services, research and cash and in-kind contributions to community groups.
2011 Bozeman Deaconess Health Services Community Health Needs Assessment Summaries and 2012 2014 Implementation Strategy
This document contains the summaries of Bozeman Deaconess Health Services Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) and the Implementation Strategy that was developed based on the findings from those assessments and subsequent planning initiatives.
In this report, you will find a great deal of information about the health of Gallatin County. Residents can find this full report as well as the Community Health Improvement Plan at www.healthygallatin.org
As the Gallatin Valley grows, so does the diversity of our people and, likewise, the range of healthcare needs Bozeman Deaconess Health Services must address. Fortunately, with a century of experience adapting to the community behind us, we're equipped for the task. A lot changes in 100 years. But one constant through it all is a commitment to providing the best medical care possible for the entire community.
This economic impact study, conducted at the request of Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, identified the significance of the hospital to the local and state economies. This report describes the economic significance in terms of total value added, industrial output, income, and employment across all industrial sectors in the local economy stemming from the ongoing operations and new emergency facility construction activity of the hospital.
Operating a community hospital entails a good deal of responsibility. There's a responsibility to the science of medicine, to provide the most advanced treatment and care possible. Responsibility to the profession of healing requires working with compassion and empathy. Then there's fiscal responsibility; to handle our finances in a way that allows us to accommodate growth, stay abreast of clinical and technological advances, and continually improve. But, most of all, as a community hospital there's a responsibility to the community.
The past year has been busy at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital and our many related facilities and services. We’ve added and expanded, consolidated and streamlined. Technology has improved. We’ve augmented our clinical expertise with the addition of new doctors and new specialties. View our Annual Report here.
Every year, more than 300 students studying to become doctors, nurses, physical therapists, laboratory or radiology technicians, paramedics and emergency medical technicians, pharmacists, family nurse practitioners and nutritionists complete their practicums at BDHS where they acquire critical skills and knowledge provided by our professional staff.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
food-dawn-boys-stones-americanway
Whether you’re after clothing, jewelry, art, antiques, footwear, or food, expat Dawn Boys-Stones will sniff out the best quality at the lowest price … and do the bargaining for you. 011-212-76-515-534, [email protected]
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
India – новости, интересные истории и юмор на тему «india»
There is so much to see on this planet and every single day we are surprised by new and magnificent wonders of the world. Recently, one Internet user that goes by the name BassBall55 shared incredible images of an 8th-century temple called Kailasa, saying that it should be considered as a Wonder of the World. The temple was dedicated to the Hindu Lord Shiva and was carved out of a single rock. Yes, you read that right, a single huge rock.
There is so much to see on this planet and every single day we are surprised by new and magnificent wonders of the world.
Jadav Payeng lives on the biggest river island in the world, Majuli. The island, however, is under constant threat due to the extensive soil erosion on its banks. Over the last 70 years, Majuli has shrunk by more than half and there are concerns it will be submerged in the next 20 years. But its life may have even been shorter if it wasn’t for Jadav
Jadav Payeng lives on the biggest river island in the world, Majuli. The island, however, is under constant threat due to the extensive soil erosion on its banks.
India’s diversity is unique. There are so many different and strange things about their tradition that you can never stop finding out interesting facts about India. When I read about that temple I organised the visit to it despite my hygiene worries. In Deshnoke near the rail lines, there is a little temple, dedicated to Karni Mata, a Hindu goddess that is worshiped especially in Rajasthan and people visit the temple from all over India.
India’s diversity is unique. There are so many different and strange things about their tradition that you can never stop finding out interesting facts about India.
“Broken India” shows the reality behind stylized Instagram photos of India. Launched by Limitless, a new Indian company in Singapore, the campaign challenges the rosy picture painted by “Beautiful India” and reveals the poverty and pollution that plague the country. Not all of the pictures are shocking, as only two out of the eight show real poverty, but the creators hope they are enough to start a national conversation.
“Broken India” shows the reality behind stylized Instagram photos of India. Launched by Limitless, a new Indian company in Singapore, ...
Kodinhi has an unusually high number of twins born there every year. For a village with only 2000 people, there are 204 pairs of twins, with about 15 pairs being born every year. Approximately 10% of the town's population are twins.
Kodinhi has an unusually high number of twins born there every year. For a village with only 2000 people, there are 204 pairs of twins, with about 15 pairs being born every year.
Rangoli, also known as kolam or Muggu, is a folk art from India in which patterns are created on the floor in living rooms or courtyards using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals. It is usually made during Diwali, Onam, Pongal and other Indian festivals. They are meant to be sacred welcoming areas for the Hindu deities. The ancient symbols have been passed down through the ages, from each generation to the next, keeping both the art form and the tradition...
Rangoli, also known as kolam or Muggu, is a folk art from India in which patterns are created on the floor in living rooms or courtyards using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, ...
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
FIRST LEGO® League (FLL)
BadgerBOTS Robotics FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) is a fun and exciting international robotics program. It ignites enthusiasm for discovery, science, and technology in kids ages 9 to 14. Each year in the Fall FLL teams of 10 kids or less embark on an adventurous challenge based on current, real-world issues. Teams are guided by a team coach and assisted by mentors.
BadgerBOTS Robotics is our local chapter. Any Dane County school team or individual student is welcome to join. For the 2015 season, we are supporting 27 local teams through coaches training, mentor support, LEGO supplies and software, plus much more! Watch the video below to follow a BadgerBOTS team through a tournament.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Twcenter.net
(Total War Center - Home)
Twcenter.net is 10 years 8 months 14 days old and has a PageRank of 4 and ranking #16480 in the world with 22,451 estimated daily visits and a Net worth of $225,502 .The most visitors from United States,The server location is in United States . Website is using "lighttpd" ,Admins using SSH Control Panel is .
Domain typos are the common mistakes that people make while trying to insert a website, by registering the popular typos you can protect your brands and visitors and redirect them to your main website.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
The research will mainly dwell on the capital requirements and risk behavior of banks, more in particular the credit risk. The purpose of this research is to identify and analyze the relationship between capital requirements and the risk behavior of banks in Egypt
more in particular the Arab African International Bank, which is the case study for this research. Secondly, the research will seek to investigate the impact of capital regulation on the banking behaviors and particularly on the levels of credit risk of banks operating in Egypt
The findings of the research show that there is negative relationship between capital requirement and banks' risk behavior; the findings also show there is empirical evidence to prove that capital regulations have a negative impact on credit risk of banks levels of credit risk of banks operating in Egypt.
Table of content
Chapter 1 Introduction to Research
1.1 Introduction & #8230;.5
1.2 Problem Statement & #8230;6
1.3 Research objectives 7
1.4 Research Questions 7
1.5 Research Hypotheses 7
1.6 Conceptual Framework 8
1.7 Egypt's Banking Sector 10
1.8 Regulations Issued by the CBE 13
Chapter 2 Literature Review
2.1 Introduction & #8230;.14
2.2 Definitions 15
2.3 Credit Creation 15
2.4 Contraction of and Limitation of Credit Creation..
2.5 Objectives of Credit Risk Control 18
2.6 Methods and Instrument of Credit Risk Control 19
2.7 Difference between the quantitative and the qualitative method 20
2.8 Minimum Capital Requirements 21
2.9 Open market operations vs. capital adequacy ratio 22
2.10 Limitations of the capital requirement 24
2.11 Conclusion 25
Chapter 3 Research Methodology
3.1 Introduction 25
3.2 Primary Research 26
3.3 Secondary Research 26 3.4 Research Method 27
3.5 Research Instruments
3.5.1 Questionnaire 28
3.5.2 Interview 28
3.6 Proposed Sampling Method 29
3.7 Data Collection Plan 30
3.8 Data Analysis: quantitative / qualitative analysis 30
3.9 Research Ethical Considerations 31
3.10 Research Limitations 31
3.11 Conclusion 32
Chapter 4 Research and Findings
4.1 Financial Highlights & #8230;.32
4.2 AAIB Loans 35
4.3 Capital Adequacy 35
4.4 Assessment of capital ratio and credit risk 36
4.5 Relation between capital requirement and credit risk 36
4.6 Impact of capital requirement on risk behavior of AAIB and other Egypt's Bank 38
4.7 Observations of variables, which affect changes in bank's capital and risk
4.7.1Regulatory pressure 41
4.7.2 Banks absolute capital buffer 41
4.7.3 The bank size 41
4.7.4 Risk of greatly loan loss 42
4.7.5 Risk of bank run 42
4.7.6 Weights of the claims on the state 42
4.7.7 Current profit 43
4.7.8 Regulatory shocks and macroeconomic shocks 43
Chapter 5 Conclusion and Recommendation
5.1 Conclusion 43
5.2 Recommendations 44
Bibliography 46
Appendix
a) Questionnaire 52
b) Introductory letter 53
c) Regression analysis & #8230;54
d) Market share of AAIB 55
Abstract
The research will mainly dwell on the capital requirements and risk behavior of banks, more in particular the credit risk. The purpose of this research is to identify and analyze the relationship between capital requirements and the risk behavior of banks in Egypt more in particular the Arab African International Bank, which is the case study for this research. Secondly, the research will seek to investigate the impact of capital regulation on the banking behaviors and particularly on the levels of credit risk of banks operating in Egypt.
The findings of the research show that there is negative relationship between capital requirement and banks' risk behavior; the findings also show there is empirical evidence to prove that capital regulations have a negative impact on credit risk of banks.
Chapter 1
Introduction to Research
1.1 Introduction
Over the past years, capital adequacies of banks have gained a lot of attention due to the need for financial stability in the entire financial system both at the national and international level. The first inaugural call in this direction was in 1988 when a group of ten countries known as the G-10 signed into agreement the minimal risk-based capital for banks. This agreement was later to be known as the Basel accord. In the recent years the Basel committees has implemented a number of reforms in the Basel accord in order to be in line with the current financial system.
The issue of capital adequacy is raised when the discussions of financial risk are being debated. Financial institutions are prone to or are exposed to risks such as credit risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk and capital risk, and as such are the need for precautionary measures to be taken to prevent such risks from occurring. Perhaps to understand the multitude of financial risks not only to the local economy but also to the international economy, scenarios such as the 1930's great depression, the recent credit crunch and the subsequent recession that followed or even the case of Greece financial crisis.
This research is commissioned to identify and analyze the relationship between Capital requirements and the risk behavior; secondly, it is supposed to investigate the impact of the capital regulation on the banking behaviors and particularly on the level of credit risk, they undertake.
This paper will first introduce the topic of research, the problem statement and then it will highlight on some of the research objectives and questions, before spelling out the conceptual framework of this research. The second chapter will look at the literature on capital requirement and credit, more in particular about the credit creation and risk control. The third chapter will be for the research carried out on the case study of Arab African International Bank as an international bank operating in Egypt, thus the reason why this paper will solely focus on Egypt. In this third chapter, the research will try to assess the Arab African International Bank capital ratio and credit risk to build on the research findings in the fourth chapter. The fourth chapter will point out the research findings on the issues that were to be investigated by the research. Lastly, the paper will conclude with a few recommendations pertaining to the research topic.
1.2 Problem Statement
At the inception of the Basel I accord few countries were hesitant to implement the guidelines as mentioned by the accord, more in particular was Egypt. Before the 1990's Egypt, financial system was reported to be in a havoc situation as there banking institution was merely left to govern itself keeping in mind it was dominated by state-owned banks. This financial environment meant that Egypt's banking system was less developed and the economic growth of the country was largely hampered by this. There was almost no competition in the banking sector as most banks were state-owned and hence their income was guaranteed, the private sector more in particular the small and medium investments were largely un-catered for by the public banks, about only 10% of the entire population had previously or currently owned bank accounts and on the other hand the banks themselves were recording high numbers of non-performing loans an indication that the banking system in Egypt was in a problematic condition.
Reforms started in 1993 with the privation of most state-owned banks and again in 2003 after the appointment of Dr. Farouk El Okda as the new central bank governor, followed also by appointment of a new cabinet including also a new prime minister called Ahmed Nazef in 2004, major reforms were implemented in Egypt's banking sector. The reforms saw Egypt adopt the Basel I guidelines and even introduced the concept of minimum capital requirement to safeguard against credit risks in banks.
1.3 Research Objectives
The research aims to identify and analyze the relationship between Capital Requirements and the risk behavior: Arab African International Bank (AAIB) case study.
The research also aims at investigating the impact of the capital regulation on the banking behaviors and particularly on the level of credit risk of Banks operating in Egypt.
1.4 Research Questions
Does the regulatory pressure imposed by minimum capital requirements efficient in reducing risk behavior of (AAIB)?
Does a capital requirement influence the risk behavior of AAIB?
Is there a correlation between the change in capital adequacy ratio and credit risk ratio?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
Hypothesis 0: there is no relationship between capital requirements and banks' risk behavior.
Hypothesis 1: there is a negative relationship between capital requirements and banks' risk behavior.
1.6 Conceptual framework
Capital requirement is necessitated by capital regulations and it comes in the wake of bank default. Capital regulations are established to safeguard against bank default which has very serious repercussions not only to the shareholders and depositors but also to the general banking industry and the entire economy of a country. Bank defaults result to financial loss for its' shareholders and depositors or customers, while for the banking industry itself it will loss on competitiveness that was in the industry and the general economy will be destabilized by the banking crisis, since the banking industry plays a key role in a stable economy. It is due to these reasons the central…[continue]
Other Documents Pertaining To This Topic
Consequently, his observations concerning the business climate in Saudi Arabia with respect to the significance of religion in the Kingdom can be considered authentic. According to Indris, with respect to the perception of performance and contractual obligations among Saudis, "It should be noted that the issue is not with the belief itself but rather with people's misguided interpretations of the belief and Islam teachings. While Islam teaches that ultimate
While on one hand, the Nile gets the highest discharge from rainfall on the highlands of Ethiopia and upland plateau of East Africa, located well outside the Middle East region; on the other hand, discharge points of the other two rivers, Euphrates and Tigris, are positioned well within the Middle East region, prevailing mostly in Turkey, Syria along with Iraq. In other areas, recurrent river systems are restricted to
This also implies inadequacies in fiscal sustainability, which influences investments in private sectors.
The second channel happens through the level, composition and quality involved within the public investment, which shows the level at which the public investment replaces the private investments (Schmidt- Hebbel, Serven, & Solimano, 1996).
The final channel regards the level of taxation on the corporate earnings and the rules applicable in depreciations.
There have been arguments that fiscal policy
Offshore Wind Energy
Wind Energy
(Facts and Features, Usage, Future Prospects, Strengths and Weaknesses, Recommendations)
It is an undeniable fact that human activity needs energy as a basic requirement. Energy input is a fundamental need for transportation, water and food provision and mobility services. In the contemporary energy system, non-renewable fossil fuels are the principal resources that satisfy the global energy needs. They are preferred due to their dependability and low-cost. On the
Preparers, auditors, and users of financial statements must encourage and support compliance with the substance and form of the international standards; (3) the adoption and implementation of the international standards require action at both the national and international levels. At the national level, it is important that governments, regulators, and national standard setters place international convergence as a priority on their agendas. At the international level, it is important
Children and Child Labor in Liberia and Sierra Leone
Two of the world's most beautiful countries are also, unfortunately, the poorest as well. The nations of Liberia and Sierra Leone are faced with a number of severe obstacles in their quest to join the international community and diversify their stagnated and monolithic economies; while much remains to be done, some progress has been made. In this regard, a brief overview
Management of Technology in Developing Countries Such as Iran
Technology management arrangements of developing countries vary from those of first world ones. The requirement for skill in these states is not growing from within, but somewhat cropping up from new wares imported from first world countries. Technological growth in addition does not consequence from inner data and research, but resulting upon the technology transmission from abroad. In these environments, technology management
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Edited on my laptop (i'm on vacation), so hopefully it looks ok. With the miserable english weather this year "natural" backlighting has been hard to come by. I think this was the only 15 mins of sunlight i've seen in 2 weeks.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Fox21 Television Studios has reportedly optioned the rights to Jim Butcher’s long-running…
Fox21 Television Studios has reportedly optioned the rights to Jim Butcher’s long-running contemporary fantasy novel series “The Dresden Files” with plans to develop a series.
Ileen Maisel and Temple Hill Entertainment are reportedly producing the series which won’t be linked to the previous 2007 adaptation which starred “Arrow’ actor Paul Blackthorne in the title role.
Embedded Link
Fox21 Plans New “Dresden Files” TV Series – Dark Horizons Fox21 Television Studios has reportedly optioned the rights to Jim Butcher’s long-running contemporary fantasy novel series “The Dresden Files” with plans to develop a series. The story follows private investigator and wizard Harry Dresden, as he recounts investigations into supernatural disturbances in modern-day Chicago in his job as the world’s only ‘consulting wizard’. He accepts …
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
About this Book
The highly acclaimed Encyclopedia of Special Education addresses the practical, clinical, and research issues of critical importance to the field today. It both historically captures the terms, individuals, laws, and societal movements of more than four decades of Special Education, it also chronicles the evolution of special education. This fourth edition clearly marks the federal and state demands for evidence-based practices in classrooms and methodologically rigorous research.
The only comprehensive reference devoted to Special Education, the four-volume Fourth Edition has been thoroughly updated and expanded. Developed by the leading researchers and scholars in the field, this is a must have reference for schools and clinics, teachers, learning and behavior specialists, educational diagnosticians, and school psychologists—and for those studying or conducting research in these fields.
The new edition includes over 200 new entries, with increased attention given to those topics that have grown in importance since the publication of the third edition, such as: technology; service delivery policies; international issues; neuropsychology, response to intervention, positive behavioral interventions and supports, autism and applied behavior analysis.
Includes technology and legal updates that reflect the rapidly changing landscape of special education
All of the entries have been updated to cover the latest editions of the assessment instruments frequently administered in special education settings
Editors-In-Chief and Contributing Editors are leading researchers and scholars in the field
Includes an international list of authors and descriptions of special education in thirty-five countries
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
About this title:
Synopsis:Acting Lions is a comprehensive book on the craft of acting that covers the history of the craft, the craft itself, the artistry of acting, and the business of acting.
About the Author:
Penny Templeton's artistry is the culmination of four generations of theater actresses. Although she was warned by her family not to go on the stage, she embraced her legacy and began performing and studying under such masters as Paul Sorvino and Wynn Handman. Highlights of her career include starring in Joyce Carol Oates's I Stand Before You Naked at the American Place Theatre, and as Paul Sorvino's wife in All The King's Men. Her unique coaching methods and techniques have garnered attention and recognition from industry peers. She has been a finalist Judge for the NY Film Festival, Daytime Emmys, and CableAce Awards. She taught Acting for the Camera for the MFA program at Columbia University. She is featured in Ronald Rand's Acting Teachers of America. She works with actors on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in feature films, and in primetime and daytime television.
Book Description Penny Templeton Studio, 2011. Condition: Good. A+ Customer service! Satisfaction Guaranteed! Book is in Used-Good condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain limited notes and highlighting. Seller Inventory # 0615465692-2-4
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Chop the shrimp coarsely .
Put to one side.
Put all the other ingredients into the processor bowl and mix thoroughly until smooth and creamy .
Add to the shrimp and stir just enough to incorporate.
Chill for 1 hour before serving with small salted crackers
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Videos – Gold City, including Brent Mitchell features
A friend let me know that several videos of Gold City’s Saturday night concert in Gainesville, GA have been posted to you tube. Among these videos are the first to feature tenor Brent Mitchell as he sings “Are You Ready?” and “There Is A River”.
I’ve embedded a couple of videos and gave a list of links to the other videos below.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
The umbrella that provides protection in daily life can also be a symbol of supreme shelter as it is in this work. Then instead of casting a shadow, the umbrella creates a refuge of shining light. Here the umbrella’s realm of light encompasses a Buddhist monk and the young boy who is his acolyte. The concept of taking refuge is central to Buddhism, where it is known as the Three Refuges or the Three Jewels. They are: I take refuge in the Buddha; I take refuge in the Dharma; and I take refuge in the Sangha. Although these are religious precepts, they can also been seen psychologically. Taking refuge in the Buddha, who is a great religious leader, would be accessing our highest self, while taking refuge in the Dharma, which is the religious law would be acting ethically according to our greatest moral principles, and taking refuge in the Sangha, which is a community of enlightened individuals would be joining with others who also want to bring benefits to the world.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Monday, April 13, 2009
Ortlieb's Inferno - A Descent into Cycling Forum Hell
Like many people who try to make good use of the Internet, I am often discouraged by the level of discourse found on message boards and discussion forums. There are many who reduce themselves to really crude language and active hostility for reasons that I can't understand. Nonetheless, if you can stand to wade through it all, you can sometimes find that others have already found an intelligent answer to a question of your own.
Such was the case on bikeforums.net, where I found that somebody else had already been weighing the relative merits of two very similar types of expensive-but-supposedly-worth-it bicycle panniers from the same manufacturer, Ortlieb.
Upon starting to read the forum discussion on the matter, I was pleasantly surprised to find that people were just answering the original question as best they could, in very reasonable English. As I progressed, however, I came to understand that there is another type of Internet discourse that is much, much worse than the crude assertions of cranky adolescents of all ages; the well-intentioned opinions of people who care about things. Most of the on-topic comments in the discussion (and there were several) have been left out of the following summary, since they in no way contributed to my descent (see title). Excerpts from the forum are in blue, and I have added some pictures to, well, illustrate the points as they come up.
I should have known what I was in for; since the forum topic just screamed controversy:
Touring - Ortlieb Classic vs Plus fabric
In case your're thinking "wow, what a weenie for caring about different pannier fabrics" like I am right now, yes, I am that kind of weenie. I can't help it. Back to our story...
The Dutch are famous for being some of the cyclingest people around, so it didn't surprise me that they made an appearance, this time to inadvertantly send the discussion on its hellish tangent without ever having to read it... they just pipe up from the outer circle of the third person, and so the descent begins:
we met a nice Dutch couple while traveling who told us of a European based boycott of Ortlieb packs a few years back because the classic material is PVC
That is, by the way, a real Dutch couple, and hardcore long distance cyclists with a social conscience who may well pipe up about the relative merits of different bicycle panniers and PVC to boot! They are not, however, the Dutch couple as far as I know. My search for the Dutch couple continues, but I fear that it may ultimately be fruitless. Anyway, discussion of PVC naturally followed...
PVC is evil. That is why I chose the new style Ortlieb.
and
PCV is poly-vinyl-chlorine, and is a huge environmental nightmare. The dioxin pollution from PVC manufacture is horrific, and if burned and/or landfilled when you're done using them, dioxin, lead, and other contaminants are released. There are other nasties, but, this seems enough to list here.
The original poster is somehwat dissappointed to find out his preference may be bad news for the planet:Damn... so every time I buy an Ortlieb Classic pannier, God kills a kitten?I was getting ready to decide on the classic style
At this point a new voice joins the discussion, and "opens it up" a little...I don't think it's good for anyone to be using PVC when there are lots of other alternatives. I also don't think it's good when people buy 10,000 sq foot Mcmansions for their family of three to live in, or when they buy SUVs or for solo twenty mile commutes to work, or that people still think it's OK to have pizzas delivered to their house. But people do things that deleteriously impact the sustainability of our society all the time. Mostly, I think, it's due to a lack of education and societal norms that are shaped by marketing.
Hey, is that a dead elk on the roof of that pizza delivery vehicle? Are they justing mocking me or the forum discussion or both? This deserves a closer look. Ahah! It's just a plastic (PVC?) moose because the car is from Moosejaw Pizza. Whew. Now, back to our story:
So, people do all kinds of things they shouldn't because of norms shaped by marketing. Would these norms overwhelm our pannier-choosing brother? Sensing an imminent rationalization-to-purchase-anyway, the anti-PVC lobby plays the "wild card"...
Not just kittens, but fish and deer and elk and elephants and tigers and birds (think soft egg shells) and ... people, especially around the areas where this stuff is produced, who also don't have the money to go to a doctor when they are sick from the poisoning and are less likely to have a lawyer to defend them and force this kind of thing from being manufactured.
This ultimately sends our pannier purchaser into a fit of writing, research and rhetoricals (the three R's of descent into forum hell theory) that results in a very lengthy ramble-on, bits of which are excerpted below:
...I guess the PVC thing is one of those "where do you draw your line" things... for example... Computers. They are incredibly toxic, people in Asia are getting very sick from scavenging through piles of old discarded hardware. And electricity - we all use it, and in the US it's produced often by coal, which is a huge polluter. And that computer (and websites) you're using now? Apparently carbon dioxide emissions from information and communications technology is on the same level as the aviation industry - 2 percent of global emissions (New Scientist, 5th Jan 2008, p.20)... Even if I shop organic and buy local and ride my bike, I'm pretty much a polluting scumbag along with everybody else in one way or another, and I know it... the biggest possible benefit any of us can do for the world is simply to not have any more kids... PVC panniers... I dunno... what if the Classics do last longer? Doesn't that offset some downside?... Damn, ignorance really was bliss... I really shouldn't ask so many questions.
I'm not even going to try to put together a picture for that one! Our pannier purchaser wrote much more than what I posted here, in a single entry. The poor guy really does seem quite serious and concerned about his choices, which is laudable. Some people, however, didn't think him tortured enough, it would seem...
God won't kill a kitten. The PVC kitten has rabies and will come to play with your children and grandchildren.Again, I'm not going to attempt an illustration, and I am not making this up. Soon, a supportive soul makes an appearance and attempts to smooth things over a little for our beleaguered friend:
I think you have the right outlook on this. Nobody can be perfect, and it sounds like you are doing the best that you can. You've researched all of the alternatives, and you are making an informed decision to go with a PVC bag. It may be polluting, but it's still infinitely better than traveling in an RV. Maybe the next time that you need to purchase panniers somebody will have invented a good replacement for PVC.
But wait! Another important bone of contention has been found!
umm, I think dioxins are actually worse than traveling in an RV--unless there's more PVC in an RV than the PVC bags.
hang on, there's more room for useful insight here...
If I remember correctly, the insulation for a lot of electronic wires is made of PVC. RVs have miles of wiring and dozens of electronic devices. The amount of PVC in an RV could easily be comparable to that of a set of panniers.It was at this point during my descent that I began to question my own sanity. Perhaps this was not a descent into hell at all, but simply a good old fashioned descent into madness! That was starting to seem like a pretty nice option, when an angel of forum-based mercy posted something to give me the strength I would need in order to continue:
Just buy one of them and forget about it.No damn difference that you'll notice.
Mind... clearing. Sanity... restored! Hang on...
Assuming that you don't live downstream from a PVC factory, you'll never notice the difference.
and then this:
If you have any children, that's probably the biggest single negative environmental action you will ever take in your life, propagating the human species. Over that child's lifetime, they will produce yet more pollution and consume yet more resources. If we were all totally honest about it, then the best thing we could all do is just leave. I mean it. We're bad for the place, it's better off without us.
Leaving Earth - The Earth's curvature becomes apparent just a couple of hours after the Trans-Lunar Injection burn (TLI) which takes the human race departure spacecraft out of Earth orbit and off to the Moon.
So began the final descent into the ever-tightening circles of cycling forum hell. I am at this time unsure of their precise numeric designations, being no theologian, but I can name them, thanks to travelling through them personally. They are, in order:
The Circle of Biological Imperatives and Cleaning Ease (a good combo, when you think about it):
The world was created for our use (not abuse, though). The answer is to stop being so wasteful, not stop having children..... We're supposed to propagate the species.My vote goes for the classic style panniers. Cordura isn't so easy to clean.
The Circle of Big Words and Propagation Moderation:Most anthropocentric post EVER! What a ridiculous idea, that the world was created for us. The world existed long before humans got here, and it will be here long after we are gone. I don't think there is any call for the elimination of the human species, but reducing our global population would probably be a smart move, in addition to reducing the per capita consumption and impact on the planet.
The Circle of Demanded Proof (aka The Circle of the Doubting Thomas):I'm simply pointing out that nobody in this thread has demonstrated any significant understanding of the specific life cycle environmental impacts of either choice and therefore any conclusion based on it is meaningless. You have no idea if the buying/using a set of Classic panniers has more or less environmental impact than a pair of plus panniers.
The Final Circle of Cycling Forum Hell: Circular Pseudosciephilosophy...The earth was in fact, made for us only days before the first man was created. This earth is not some accident of evolution or whatever other convoluted theory modern science is pushing these days. I am in in fact a scientist myself and used to buy into the whole evolution thing until I did some research. There are so many holes in the whole "big bang" theory. I could spend 2 hours talking about them all. Hole #1: Life cannot "evolve" from non-living matter. If you agree with this, the debate is over.Hole #2: An "explosion" cannot create ordered complex things. It creates disorder. You don't explode a stick of dynamite and expect to get a BMW.....Hole #9,999,999: Where did the first matter come from?
What is life? It is a complex series of chemical interactions. No mystery there. You take an aqueous solution of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc, and add energy, you get complex chemistry. Given a lot of time, say hundreds of millions of years, and trillions of chemical interactions, it isn't surprising that life results.Matter comes from energy (E=MC^2). Where does the energy come from? Well that is a hole. Nobody knows why the big bang happened, or why it was so energetic. But creationists can't explain the origin of a supernatural all-powerful deity. And any explanation of such a deity would inherently be more complex than explaining the origin of the energy that is contained in the universe, and no religion offers any reasonable explanation for the ultimate origin of any deity in the first place. Thus Genesis offers an inferior hypothesis to the big bang theory.
If you accept that you can't explain the origin of energy or the reason for the "explosion" from science, you by default have accepted that there is a supernatural being. You have confirmed that God exists.BTW.... you have more to lose here. If I'm wrong, I've lost nothing. If you're wrong, you go to hell.
I must now make an observation. How creepy is it that Ortlieb's Inferno (Cycling Forum Hell) finds its most pure form in circular arguments? Hey, wait. Did you see that? A rhetorical question! I am also writing! I did research (remember Moosejaw?)! The aforementioned three R's of descent into forum hell theory! That %&^$! forum stuck to me somehow! Get it off! Get it off...
Thanks for reading. If I can just scrub these cycling forum hell spots away, I'll see you next Monday.
5 comments:
Nice job, Rantwick, distilling the arguments, and adding the graphics. Where do you find those? Excellent use of pictures to summarize a K words.
Not that I would ever consider joining such an inane debate, but I should point out the errors in someone's statement:
"PCV is poly-vinyl-chlorine"
OK, first, it's PVC (not PCV). Get the letters straight. Second, and more importantly, it's not "chlorine." It's "chloride." And yes, when talking about organic molecules, one letter DOES make a difference. Are you just sloppy, or did you think that "chlorine" would be scarier?
The most important point is that you need not worry about the composition of your pannier. I'm glad that you care, but your choice of materials makes about as much difference as putting one plastic bottle in the blue box versus throwing it out the window of your car.
The dangerous stuff is much, much bigger than your saddle bags. So stop posting long messages on cycling forums, and start reading the newspaper. Become politically aware. Vote. Protest. Turn off your freaking computer for a few hours. Turn off your lights. Don't buy a bigger house because you need more room for your bikes and your non-PVC panniers. Simplify. Relax.
Once we get the big shit taken care of, then I'm up for a throw-down on the composition of my panniers.
Peace. Love. Dope.
PS - Manually inserting html tags is clunky. Can you install some buttons to simplify the process?
I don't want to intrude on your bitch fight here guys but I would love to compliment RANTWICK on this most enjoyable observation and the execellent pics you composited to illustrate it. The one with the BMW actually had me LOLing. Keep up the good work and just maybe you will save the internet from itself.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
"Did someone say turkey?" It's no secret what's in these cans...open one and you'll see it crammed full of chunky, slow-cooked turkey. Don't look too long though, that pooch has got to eat! Wellness Turkey Stew with Barley and Carrots Canned Dog Food packs more than a tantalizing taste, though-it's loaded with minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that make it a great meal for everyday feeding.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
of course there is..but untill now I've never sold a template / I'm still looking for a customer for this oneBut there are many other designers who already sold a couple of templates (example: [link] )
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
We have a new Website that is being developed, and we want a new homepage image for the first page. We will have 5 Rotating images with Text and Icons.
This project is for the first Image: We want an image created that shows CRM, DocManagement, VOIP, and QuickBooks Integration. Fundamentally the CRM Application is at the center of the solution, in a cloud with the other solutions connected to it.
Look at Box.net, ie.we want something that shows Cloud based Services working together, that also brings in the Logo's of these companies so people can easily see we make it easy for them to work together.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Hearing Loss May be Associated with Iron Deficiency Anemia
A 2014 study found that 15% of adults have difficulty hearing. A recent study suggests that there may be an association between sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss and iron deficiency anemia.
Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner-workings of the ear, specifically the cochlea or the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain. Conductive hearing loss occurs when the bones of the middle ear are damaged.
Participants in the study included 305,339 people between the ages of 21 and 90. Their de-identified electronic medical records from the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center were provided to researchers. Forty-three percent of the participants were men and the average age was 50. The cohort had a 1.6% prevalence of combined hearing loss, which was defined as any combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. They also had a 0.7% prevalence of iron deficiency anemia.
Analysis of the data confirmed that the risk of having conductive and/or sensorineural hearing loss was higher among adults with iron deficiency anemia.
Iron deficiency anemia can cause fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain. Severe iron deficiency anemia can lead to heart problems. If you wish to add more iron to your daily diet, try to eat more lean, low-fat red meats. If you’re a vegetarian or just prefer not to consume a lot of meat, try legumes, lentils, soybeans, whole grains and green leafy vegetables, as they are also great dietary sources of iron.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
RT @WorldConsulting: 8 Tips to Get Your Business Going, Even if You Don't Know Where to Start #Tampa #Florida #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness https://t.co/1MRftwxE8J
RT @WorldConsulting: 8 Tips to Get Your Business Going, Even if You Don't Know Where to Start #Tampa #Florida #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness https://t.co/1MRftwxE8J http://twitter.com/kshahwork/status/1128748988893683713)
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
and many more benefits!
Find us on Facebook
GMAT Club Timer Informer
Hi GMATClubber!
Thank you for using the timer!
We noticed you are actually not timing your practice. Click the START button first next time you use the timer.
There are many benefits to timing your practice, including:
I'm writing the GMAT for the second time on June 1. First time around I got 690 (Q43/V41). Overall I did OK, but I'm hoping to get into a top teir program.
I've been doing a few of the GMATClub practice math sections - which I highly recommend - but seem to be getting crushed particularly on number property data sufficiency questions.
It seems there's always a little detail that I miss.
I don't really have any specific question per se, but was hoping for a moral boost, and a bit of a break by posting here.
Anyone else really struggling with number properties. I have trouble "picking good numbers". I often jump jump to conclusions, which is clearly what the test designers are hoping the test takers will do.
I studied engineering, so I'm used to "problem solving" and seem to do significantly better on PS Qs. Data Sufficiency gets to me, because in engineering it's all about making safe assuptions (like things not being 0). I'm having to unlearn habits to try to get a good score.
yesterday I took first gmat math practice test , and I got 20/37. I thought like these practice tests are very tough and decided not to take anymore tests. Right now i am scoring 40 in quant and i want to increase my score by 4 points. I am completed all og material, and I dont have any practice material for quant other than these tests. My Exam date is on may 29. Can i take those tests, please guide me
don't be discouraged by your gmat club math test scores. they are hard. i was averaging around 30 on these tests and scored a Q49 on my gmat. keep doing them, you will get better and better. and you will stop missing the little things more and more. also the questions you get wrong - unless it's a ridiculously hard question, really try to understand where you went wrong. this is crucial.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
whole 30
I love bowls that are quick, easy and loaded with veggies. These paleo chicken meatballs have an easy to make sauce that is full of clean ingredients, while still being full of flavour. Plus, you can change up the veggies to whatever you have or what is in season, and you are good to go.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
《《 Sanjay Dutt pooh poohs problems with Imran Khan 》》
On his birthday, which falls on July 29, Sanjay Dutt feels very charitable towards those who have apparently not been kind to him.
Shrugging off stories of Imran Khan undercutting his role in Luck, Sanjay says, “Imran is like a little child. He was very respectful through the two films we’ve done together. He’s a good actor. I wish him luck and I want him to grow into an actor as big as his uncle (Aamir). Imran is too young to create problems for me.”
Sanjay says he did Luck for a lark. “I did it just to help Soham Shah. I really didn’t have the time or date. I told him to just cast me in a small role, which would finish quickly. In fact the role shaped up bigger than planned. As long as it makes some money and no one loses any, I’m happy.”
Hours before his birthday Sanjay is chilled out. But he has regrets about not being able to be near Amar Singh on his birthday. “I couldn’t even visit Amar Singhji because by the time the visa materialized the surgery was over.
My wife Maanyata was there. But I speak to him everyday. He’s out of the hospital now. He sounds better. I’ve seen his health deteriorate during the election campaigns.
God gave me an opportunity to look after my elder brother during the elections. I’m glad I was around. I can’t do ads or work within corporate sectors, because I am a convict.”
But cheering up Sanjay says, “I heard Bunty Walia is coming. Everything he does is announced on Facebook. So he has announced he’s coming for my birthday.”
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
excerpt from George Jean Nathan and H. L. Mencken’s "The American Credo: A Contribution Toward the Interpretation of the National Mind" 1920
“There is no American who cannot hope to lift himself another notch or two, if he is good; there is absolutely no hard and fast impediment to his progress. But neither is there any American who doesn’t have to keep on fighting for whatever position he has; no wall of caste is there to protect him if he slips.”
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
You are here
School delays and closings
Blackwell ISD is closed on Monday.Highland ISD begins at 10 a.m., buses run two hours late on Monday.Roby ISD begins at 10 a.m. on Monday.Sweetwater ISD begins at 10 a.m., buses run two hours late on Monday.Texas State Technical College Sweetwater campus opens at 10 a.m. on Monday.Kids Kampus and Lang Aycock Daycare Centers in Sweetwater will open at regular times but will not have transportation to schools on Monday.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Monday, July 28, 2014
A new analysis by CoreLogic shows that 4 million homes returned to positive equity in 2013, bringing the total number of mortgaged residential properties with equity to 42.7 million.
However, it is important to note that the CoreLogic analysis indicates that nearly 6.5 million homes, or 13.3 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage, were still in negative equity at the end of 2013.
In our local area, the Bay Area of San Francisco, it is difficult sometimes to keep some perspective on the local market, which has been on fire since the beginning of January 2012. This study by CoreLogic gives perspective at the national level: things have for sure improved enormously, but all is not over from the 2008-2009 crisis.
In the Bay Area, let's note that the inventory of homes (SFR + condos) for sale was about 1,700 after the first week of July, as compared to 1,872 a year ago. There are fewer homes for sale. It explains why property values have gone up so much in the past 12 months. Inventory was at 7,500 in May of 2008!
For the area that includes only Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto and Menlo Park, inventory stands right now at:150 homes total for sale (both houses and condominiums and townhomes, called PUD's), vs 184 last year at the same period.
We still have a very low inventory.
Dealing in the local market place day in and day out, I can however note here that, overall in the County, the activity seems to slow down: I have noticed fewer multiple offers in general, and a slower price increase in many areas. Except for Palo Alto and all areas with the best schools, I can sense that it is a slower activity now, during July. This slow down can be the normal cycle, which slows down during the summer vacations (see my last graph-blog on the subject), or it could be a more general trend tied to the market in general. We'll see in September!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Remodeling is at its highest level since the spring of 2004, according to the
National Association of Home Builders' Remodeling Market Index. One of the
reasons is that it has been so difficult to move up or move down: once you sell
your property, you are not sure you will be able to buy a replacement very
soon.As a consequence, people remodel
their house instead.How much will you
get back from these expenses, when you sell?
In general, home sellers cannot expect to recoup all their
remodeling costs when they sell their house. From the upgrades, one can expect
the average portion of costs being recouped at 66.1%
This is a question that clients ask me all the time, and one of
the best sources of information on the subject is the web site showing the “Cost Vs. Value”
report study.It shows, depending on the
area in the US, how much each project statistically gives back at the time of
sale.
Those projects that pay off the most are, according to the article from Kelli B. Grant of
CNBC:
-Entry door replacement (steel):96.6% recouped
-Minor kitchen remodel:82.7%recouped.
-Window replacement (wood):79.3%
Why would contractors who “flip” houses make money then, you might
ask?I believe it is because they start
from a house that does not show well, and therefore is going to sell at a
discount, and they have the cost-efficient means to improve on the house,
emphasizing those projects that show off the most for the best value.Examples of such improvements would be, as I
indicate to my clients when preparing for a sale:
-Light fixtures,
-Painting,
-Retiling a shower enclosure,
-Changing counter tops (but not necessarily all the cabinets, where
there is a lot more involved),
-Floor refinishing,
-Deep cleaning,
-Staging.
All these projects have a fairly small, finite cost, while
improving immensely the look of the property to be sold.
Moreover, I believe that there are some areas like the Bay Area
where buyers are willing to pay top dollars for a remodel that has been done
already.Is it because people here are
too busy to undergo or direct a home remodel? Or they do not have the
patience?In any case, it has been my
experience that remodeling jobs in this area of the San Francisco Bay returns
more money than shown on the statistics of the cost vs value report.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
I recently read an article from NewsGeni.us that I found
quite interesting, dealing with real estate investing.
Without repeating the whole article here I thought I would
comment on some of their points:
Their advice is:
Focus on promising
areas - the clientele in the SF Bay Area has been well served by believing
in the local area in the past 30 and 40 years.
5 years ago though a lot of people got scared and some sold, or did not
buy when they could have.For those who
bought when no one believed in it, I say “bravo”!However the Bay Area is just one choice,
mostly based on price appreciation, not return.Indeed until very recently, the return on investment was not great -
purchase price very high, rental fairly low.
I personally chose another route: an area with very little
appreciation, but with traditionally good return .With the help of an investor mentor (thank
you Louis!), my family invested in real estate in Texas.There, the gross return was more like 10 to
11% per year, as opposed to ~3% in the Bay Area at the time.The area was promising because of the
job market, which had been very consistent, and strong.Since it continued to be strong, the rental
market stayed strong.
Never spend more than
you can afford - unless you buy cash, mortgages start to add up when you
purchase rental properties.You have to
count on a few set-backs, like damage due to weather, vacancies, repairs tied
to finding new tenants, etc…if you do
not have reserves, it can start becoming a stretch.Plan on a certain amount of unknowns, and I
would say, plan generally on costs being higher than they should be.(like insurance costs….).
All of the advice is well taken in this article called “When is the right time for investing in property?” . I would add another item: choose a good management company (if
you are going to invest away from where you live, or if you do not plan on
managing yourself).This is essential to
staying out of trouble, so-to-speak.That company should be used to missed payments and how to deal with
them, and they should be well organized and standardized in their
procedures.Getting referrals or
testimonials is very important in my opinion.
If you are thinking about investing in real estate, share
your thoughts with me - I’d love to help you out with what I learned so far on the matter.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Tumors constantly shed cancer cells, yet only a few of these stray cells manage to survive and colonize distant organs. The rest succumb to the stress of the journey. HHMI Investigator Joan Massagué of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has found evidence that some breast cancer cells can turn on genes that increase their chances of survival, specifically in bone.
Massagué and his colleagues previously discovered that breast cancer cells expressing a set of genes called the Src response signature (SRS) were more likely to metastasize to the bone. Cells that expressed those genes were more sensitive to cell growth-promoting molecules—called cytokines—that are expressed by bone cells, the researchers reported August 29, 2013, in Cell.
“For any cancer cell, it’s dreadfully rough to survive in the body after leaving a tumor,” says Massagué. “These cells selected for being more responsive to cytokines might just have this tiny extra chance of surviving in bone. But when you’re talking about tens of thousands of cancer cells circulating in the body per day, that tiny extra chance is enough to change the odds of a metastatic tumor forming.”
Massagué is now testing drugs that affect the SRS pathway to see if they can block cancers from spreading to the bone.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Huawei Mate 20 Pro Review
Introduction
The Mate 20 Pro has to be the highest-spec phone I have used to date, with its new Kirin 980 7nm processor, 6GB RAM, a huge Quad HD display, massive battery…and the triple camera on the back. The Mate 20 Pro really does scream top end specs.
A quick disclaimer that I feel is really important before covering this review fully, especially after seeing some comments on social media around the launch event.
Huawei invited me along to the launch and have arranged this review device for me to use, however at no point have I been swayed to give a positive or negative review by anyone in the company, nor has getting a device early made me look any differently at the Mate 20 Pro than I would any other smartphone.
The review device was a loan only and will be returned when requested, which means at no time have I been tempted to give positive comments in exchange for a free device.
I review every device the same no matter if was loaned it, or purchased with my own money, as I believe that is the best way to be as a respectable writer and someone you can feel you trust to give accurate information at all times. I put my own SIM card in, I use it as my sole device and I report back.
Video Unboxing
Design and display
The Mate 20 Pro has really improved design-wise when compared to the Mate 10 Pro, and is an obvious upgrade from the P20 Pro announced only 7 months ago.
OK, let’s start at the top. In that notch you’ll find the front-facing 24 megapixel camera which can record 1080p video. I will talk more about the picture and video quality later, but let’s just say it is still very good (as you would expect from a large sensor) and allows for the AR Lens feature found on the Mate 20 Lite.
Next to that you have the front facing speaker which is very clear and very loud during voice calls. It also acts as part of the stereo sound setup using the speaker at the bottom. Audio was very clear, very loud, especially music – this was a joy to listen to.
You also have a load of hidden sensors – very much like the iPhone X – they all have a good reason to be there. There’s an illuminator, IR Sensor and Dot projector allowing for 3D face recognition. This provides a really speedy face unlock, in fact it’s the quickest I’ve ever seen on a smartphone, and itialso allows you to authenticate payments using Google Pay.
To fit all this technology into a small space Huawei had to include that now-infamous notch cutout up top. On this Pro model it is quite wide, although you really just learn to ignore it pretty quickly. It’s by no means as thick as the Pixel 3 XL.
The screen is a very impressive 6.39 inch Quad HD HDR panel, which is really one of the best I’ve ever seen and on par with the Sony XZ3, it is simply stunning to use, even in sunlight conditions.
Colours are bright and clear, full of contrast thanks to the HDR technology, it really does bring your content to life.
The screen also hides one of the newest features on the Mate 20 Pro, this is an on-screen fingerprint reader. Whilst the Porsche device, launched alongside the P20 Pro, had this too, the Mate 20 Pro had an improved version, and is the first in a mainstream consumer device from Huawei.
So you no longer have a dedicated fingerprint reader on the front or back taking up space – or standing out like a sore thumb. Instead Huawei managed to put the fingerprint reader into the display, and even whilst using a screen protector it works perfectly every time.
I have had no problems with it, and it’s really really impressive to see this technology improvement come to a device such as this.
Because there’s need for a fingerprint reader, the bottom chin is actually quite small, and makes viewing videos a much nicer experience.
Looking up at the top you have one of the two microphones used for capturing audio in video as well as noise cancellation. There’s also an IR blaster which is really handy if you ever lose your remote control. It is also quite funny to play around with other people’s TVs if you’re feeling a little bit bored.
Down at the bottom you have the other microphone which is used for voice calls and again capturing audio when in video mode, you also have a SIM card tray. The tray pulls out and allows you to use two SIM cards at same time. However you can also use it as a single SIM device and put it in a memory card.
However… the bad news is this phone does not take normal microSD cards, instead the company have gone with their own nano memory card format. It’s not widely available at present and is expected to cost more than microSD, but it does take up less space at least.
Just something to note, my device was supplied from Huawei and had dual SIM support, Three UK will range this model, however it seems other networks will stock a single sim version so be sure to check first.
If you look at the bottom and wonder where an earth is the loudspeaker has gone, this is due to some clever technology and was explained during the announcement. It’s now built into the charging port. The speaker is inside the charging hole and is actually very loud. It works in tandem with the top speaker to produce stereo sound.and does allow for stereo playback using this speaker at the top as well.
If you’re wondering how loud the volume is, don’t worry – it’s very clear, very crisp and is very enjoyable when watching videos back in landscape mode. Something missing though is a headphone jack. This seems to be the way in 2018 flagships now, and has made way for a larger battery and other internal bits and bobs. So instead you get a USB-C charging port and a set of USB-C heaphones in the box that I personally found a little uncomfortable to use.Thankfully the addition of a small dongle lets you plug in your existing headphones to enjoy, just make sure you remember it. It’s in the box but keep an eye on it.To be honest, now is the best time to start looking at a decent pair of Bluetooth headphones and go “dongle-free”.
Turn over to the left there’s actually nothing there at all, all the buttons are on the other side.
Moving to the right you have the volume rocker for up and down volume control. There’s also a power button which, on the Twilight phone I have, is actually a shade of Red. This stands out from other devices and it’s the little details like this that make a good phone a great one.
Moving over to the back and you can see the key feature of the recent Huawei flagships – the camera.
You still get a dual LED flash, which is very handy if you need to take photos that require a flash, and also can be used as a flashlight. You also still keep the 40 megapixel primary sensor from the P20 Pro. This allows the fantastic and very detailed photos that are spreading all across the internet right now. It allows a lot more detail into the the captured photo without losing quality.
You also keep the 8 megapixel telephoto lens which is really good for zooming in. You can get far closer to your object than you ever did before.
There’s also a 20 megapixel super-wide angle lens. This has a few benefits over the other lenses but, as a team, the lenses work really well together. Not only can you get more of your subject in the photo because of the super-wide angle, it also allows for super-macro photos at just 2.5 centimetres from your subject. If you are into your macro photography, this is easily the phone for you. Check out some of the sample camera photos taken below.
The cameras really are impressive, and I’ll go into a lot more detail later on in this review.
The black and twilight versions of the Mate 20 Pro look great, but do attract a lot of fingerprints so be sure to pick up a case to use (no case comes in the box now), or head over to Xtremeskins who make some great skins for the device. I love the clear matte one as it shows off the beautiful twilight whilst adding fingerprint and scratch protection.
The other colour coming to the UK is a little different, the Green colour has a special vinal like texture applied on the glass that makes is less slippery in the hand, and helps keep fingerprints away.
Cameras
The camera was the main talking point on the P20 Pro announced back in March, and the trend continues here in the Mate 20 Pro, albeit with a slight change of camera focus and technology improvements. Starting with the front facing camera, you now get an improved 24 megapixel sensor that captures some impressive detail and quality. This is because it uses HDR for some great shots.
Whilst it may lack the two front-facing setup that the Lite version of this phone has, the single lens does a great job and has a good amount of settings to play about with too.
However, it is that new triple-camera setup over on the back that grabs most of the attention.
The new square design is more central on the phone and means that the phone not only looks better, but the lenses are best position possible – no more fingers getting in the way.
Once again you get a dual LED flash which helps the camera in very low light conditions, or as most of us will do, use your phone as that important flashlight / torch when you drop something at night. Now, we’ve touched upon the cameras already but let’s take a look at them in detail.
As mentioned before, the company has kept their very impressive 40 megapixel camera, which has the highest number of megapixels in any Android phone. However, it’s not just about how many pixels it’s got, it’s also how the software handles the information captured.
Next, the 8 megapixel telephoto camera gives an impressive 3x optical zoom with no loss of quality, and also 5x lossless zoom with all the cameras working together to get this.
It is the new third camera that is the most interesting, dropping the iconic monochrome camera found on so many Huawei devices. Instead there’s a new 20 megapixel super wide-angle lens that works amazingly well when you have the right scenario and use for it.
This new wide-angle camera not only lets you get far more of your subject into the frame for a better photo, it also gives the added bonus of a simply amazing super-macro mode. This is where you can get within touching distance of your subject for a clean and clear macro shot.
With all these sensors to work with, you get some amazing results, including some super wide-angle night photos – a first from a Huawei device.
The camera on the Mate 20 Pro leans heavily on the AI experience, with the software taking the decisions on what to boost or change when you have Master AI switched on. This does have some interesting results with over 1500 scenarios now being recognised and adjusted to give what they believe is the best overall photo.
Using the AI is not for everyone though, and thankfully a single switch in settings can turn this off if you prefer a more natural feel to your photo.
Video has been improved and offers better stabilisation when at 4K resolution, it also takes advantage of the new Kirin 980 processing power to offer some fancy live filters including one for AI Colour which looks great.
The software is very easy to pick up and use if you’re familiar with Huawei devices. The best part is that AI mode is switched on from default. This means that even those who’ve never used a Huawei camera before can just take out of the box and snap a beautiful photo. The device does most of the work.
The simple vertical slider switches between modes and the default ones you see are….
Aperture
This mode works very much like the Portrait option, it shows a slider that lets you adjust the amount of background blur. You can also choose which part of the photo gets blurred, even after you have taken the photo.
Great for anyone who wants to get some interesting photos and play around with them after.
Night
Night Mode is the very cool camera preset that lets you take amazing low-light photos handheld, whilst keeping the quality and colours so that it really stands out.
This was launched with the P20 Pro and has to be one of the most used modes from that device. It will be one of the most popular modes here on the Mate 20 Pro no doubt.
You can capture some amazing photos in low light with this. No tripod needed.
Check out some examples in the gallery later on to see why this phone is one of the best at low light photography.
Portrait
Portrait mode is great for anyone who likes capturing photos of their subject, with a subtle – yet noticeable – background blur. This makes your photos really stand out and look almost like paintings.
Whilst Portrait is not a new mode for a lot of people, using on the Mate 20 Pro works really well. The camera properly shines in this mode.
Photo
This is the normal camera mode and will be what most people want to stay in. Here you get the AI features and this will detect what you’re snapping and alters the balance and settings of the camera depending on what you’re snapping. This is why it is the best mode for simple photography – just point and shoot.
Video
Video mode really stands out from the competition thanks to the processing power of the new Kirin 980 chip. You have a wide range of live filters in the camera app. These include a background blur option, which is really cool to test out, I must say. However, the key mode to try is called AI Colour.
This mode turns the viewfinder into a monochrome mode, with your subject being the only item in colour. This would normally take an age to do in video editing after the clip was recorded in colour, yet the Mate 20 Pro can handle it on the go. Live.
Pro
Pro mode is where those users who are really into their cameras can get the best photo possible. You have access to a wide range of adjustable settings for things such as ISO, Shutter speed, White balance plus focus point. You can really get creative with these cameras.
More
If those were not enough to play with, there is a More tab which lets you pick between Slow-mo, Panorama, Monochrome, AR Lens, Light Painting, HDR, Time lapse, Filter, 3D panorama, Watermark, Documents and Underwater. There is also a Download option where new presets can be downloaded free to improve your camera even further.
There really are so many different uses of this camera setup, with all these modes, paired with the new 0.6x, 1x, 3x and 5x zoom features, it is easily the photographer’s dream device.
Performance and battery
Performance is one of the key features pointed out by Huawei during their keynote presentation. They compared it with the iPhone XS Max as well as the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. The Mate 20 Pro won on all key areas.
With the brand new Kirin 980 processor built with 7nm technology, there is an amazing amount of power and performance in such a small chip. It is the key to unlocking all the great potential the Mate 20 Pro has to offer.
There’s a massive 6GB of RAM too, so you never need to worry about the device slowing down, even with the graphic-heavy games that are available these days.
Huawei use a phrase about “staying fast”, and the device show no signs of slowing down during my testing.
The battery is another great selling point of the device. A huge 4200mAh packs a few key improvements over the previous model. First of all is the fact you can now wirelessly charge the new device, and not just a normal “slow” speed. Oh no. Huawei have included a new 15w faster wireless charging feature that will be great for anyone who likes topping up battery on the go. Second, you have the fastest wired charging on a phone… ..ever! With a super-fast 40w charger included in the box, you can get from 0% to 70% battery in just 30 minutes. This is unheard of in a smartphone. Even with existing quick charge technology on other devices.
When you use the new charger, you see the battery jump up in seconds, it was so fun to see and impressive too. Really impressive.
Huawei even added the decimal place in the percentage, so you now see things like a 53.56% jump up every second. A huge battery, speedy charging, wireless charging and wired charging.
The third hidden gem with charging is something that really does stand out, and it’s really handy to have if you use multiple devices on the move.
Reversible Wireless Charging
It’s a simple switch on the battery settings that makes your Mate 20 Pro an actual wireless charger! Simply place another wireless chargeable device on the back of your Mate 20 Pro and you start charging that using your Mate 20 Pro and the large 4200 mAh battery as the charger.
I found this really handy when reviewing multiple devices at the same time, snapping away photo after photo really hit the battery on my Samsung Galaxy Note 9, so being able to give it a boost using the Mate 20 Pro in my other pocket was very handy.
Of course, you also have the option of charging your friends or family devices if out for a meal and they are running low too.
Software
The Mate 20 Pro runs on Android 9 Pie out of the box. This is great news as it is the latest version offered by Google, and comes with a load of improvements and security over older devices that still launch on Android 8 Oreo.
Huawei have also updated their EMUI skin to version 9.0, and that brings with it some handy additional tools not offered from other manufacturers.
The company also use AI throughout the OS to optimise the overall experience, and they have managed to get a 25.8% increase in application loading. There’s also an overall system improvement of 12.9% thanks to using AI and EMUI9.
GPU Turbo 2 really helps your gaming on the move with some great enhancements. Games will run much smoother and your device will be cooler too thanks to some clever AI adjusting the system performance to optimise gaming over other services.
Connecting your device to a monitor to use as a portable computer just got a lot easier too, before now you had to take a USB-C to HDMI cable with you to plug in when you need to connect. However, now this has been made wireless – very handy for anyone who travels and wants to use their TV as a monitor in a hotel or to power a presentation.
Unfortunately I don’t have a monitor I can connect this to show, however Garry has a device of his own and will be covering that separately.
Huawei Share has been upgraded and now allows for much faster sharing of your content, now it gives you the option to share to a computer or a wireless printer, so no need to setup a separate application to print your work.
There are a whole heap of other options that EMUI9 brings you, from additional backup options, a password vault, Screen Time Management for anyone worried about how much they use their phone. There’s also a new gesture-based navigation option so you get the most out of the large display without any unwanted touch screen buttons taking up space.
Anyone interested in what EMUI has to offer can check out the official page here
Conclusion
When I first got hands on the Mate 20 Pro at a briefing session I was excited to try out the new and improved camera setup, especially considering that I am a big fan of mobile photography.
My initial hands-on thoughts were good, but it was only once I actually got a review device here in the real world that I really started to appreciate what Huawei had made here.
Some may be wowed by the numbers. Yes, 40 megapixels means it’s the best camera in resolution-terms, however it is what the lenses do together that really makes the Mate 20 Pro stand out from the rest of the crowd.
The biggest issue with the camera seems to be the severe edge enhancement it uses when taking normal photos, zoom in even a little and you will notice them right away. It seems the way around this as found by Steve Litchfield is to enable the 40MP mode and shoot in RAW, which also produces a clearer JPEG at the expense of a massive 80MB file size for the RAW.
The in screen fingerprint reader was very enjoyable to use and worked nearly every time I needed it. This was my first time using this type of fingerprint reader and will find it hard to go back to a more “traditional” reader now.
The battery life just kept going and going. That huge 4200 mAh battery lasted for ages, but I was most impressed when I needed to charge the thing. The crazy 40w supercharge gives you 70 percent charge in just half an hour, and watching the number jump up second after second was mind-blowing. I never had to worry about the battery, even with all this new technology running through the day.
The device is not perfect, but was definitely one of the best I have ever used when it comes to the total package offered.
So now onto the price. Unlocked here in the UK a Huawei Mate 20 Pro will cost you £899. This sounds a lot (and it is), however we are in a time when flagship devices set you back near on £1000.
Considering the 64GB version of the iPhone XS Max, unlocked, will cost you £1099, the Mate 20 Pro does seem like a great alternative if you are into Android.
You may look at devices such as the OnePlus 6 and compare their £500 price and think the Mate is overpriced, but with the Note 9 and XS Max being it’s direct competition, you really do get great value for your money here.
A thank you to Huawei for the invite to the announcement and for a review device to cover.
Introduction The Mate 20 Pro has to be the highest-spec phone I have used to date, with its new Kirin 980 7nm processor, 6GB RAM, a huge Quad HD display, massive battery...and the triple camera on the back. The Mate 20 Pro really does scream top end specs. A quick disclaimer that I feel is really important before covering this review fully, especially after seeing some comments on social media around the launch event. Huawei invited me along to the launch and have arranged this review device for me to use, however at no point have I been swayed to give a positive or negative review by anyone in the company, nor has getting a device early made me look any differently at the Mate 20 Pro than I would any other smartphone. The review device was a loan only and will be returned when requested, which means at no time have I been tempted to give positive comments in exchange for a free device. I review every device the same no matter if was loaned it, or purchased with my own money, as I believe that is the best way to be as a respectable writer and someone you can feel you trust to give accurate information at all times. I put my own SIM card in, I use it as my sole device and I report back. Video Unboxing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERSSa_Bxlis Design and display The Mate 20 Pro has really improved design-wise when compared to the Mate 10 Pro, and is an obvious upgrade from the P20 Pro announced only 7 months ago. OK, let's start at the top. In that notch you'll find the front-facing 24 megapixel camera which can record 1080p video. I will talk more about the picture and video quality later, but let's just say it is still very good (as you would expect from a large sensor) and allows for the AR Lens feature found on the Mate 20 Lite. Next to that you have the front facing speaker which is very clear and very loud during voice calls. It also acts as part of the stereo sound setup using the speaker at the bottom. Audio was very clear, very loud, especially music - this was a joy to listen to. You also have a load of hidden sensors - very much like the iPhone X - they all have a good reason to be there. There's an illuminator, IR Sensor and Dot projector allowing for 3D face recognition. This provides a really speedy face unlock, in fact it's the quickest I've ever seen on a smartphone, and itialso allows you to authenticate payments using Google Pay. To fit all this technology into a small space Huawei had to include that now-infamous notch cutout up top. On this Pro model it is quite wide, although you really just learn to ignore it pretty quickly. It's by no means as thick as the Pixel 3 XL. The screen is a very impressive 6.39 inch Quad…
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
You are here
ACCC issues report on private health insurance
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission report on ‘anti-competitive and other practices by health funds and providers in relation to private health insurance’ has been tabled in the Senate.
The ACCC produces an annual report on ‘any anti-competitive or other practices by health insurers or providers which reduce the extent of health cover for consumers and increase their out-of-pocket medical and other expenses’ in accordance with a Senate order.
This year the report focused on the practice by insurers of not recognising certain types of allied healthcare provider who offer the same or similar services as other types of ‘recognised’ provider.
Insurers’ recognition practices can impact consumers who choose to obtain services from a non-recognised provider and potentially incur higher costs as compared to using a recognised provider and receiving a rebate on their medical expenses.
The ACCC found that insurers’ recognition decisions involve the application of commercial and clinical assessments. The ACCC did not identify any category of allied healthcare provider was being systematically excluded by all insurers. The ACCC also found that transparency around the categories of allied healthcare providers recognised by an insurer and recognition decisions would be in the interests of consumers, allied healthcare providers and insurers.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Main menu
Why we all fall for fast fashion
We have all fallen for fast fashion. Even knowing how my clothes are made with fast fashion, I still look at the clothes online that I know are fast fashion and I still think “OMG I love that”.
I don’t buy it mind you, but I still have that thought. I used to be that girl that needed all the brand named clothes, couldn’t care less how it was made, as long as it was in style. Now that I’m older, I don’t really care what brand I’m wearing as I buy everything second hand. All I care about is it’s comfort and how it makes me feel. Lately though on social media I keep seeing these advertisements for these clothes that are absolutely adorable. The worst is with summer here, I keep seeing bathing suits that I would love to have but won’t be buying.
I admit, I’ve seen the advertisements and even look at their websites. I looked at one because it was a bathing suit and it said “Regardless of your size you’ll look good in it” and guess what they had pictures of different body types and each woman looked good in it. Amazing right? At first I thought so too. When shopping online I always look at the reviews, ALWAYS!!! Why? It’s a good way to find out if you’re going to get the product you’re looking at.
On Facebook, I’ve seen a lot of ads for fast fashion clothes from china that pull people in with their trendy clothes that are priced lower than anywhere else. Sounds great doesn’t it? There’s one catch, if you look at the reviews, they are just horrible. Most of the reviews I have read are complaints about the sizing being way too off, the material being cheap and the colors being completely different from the product and model images.
Product images being advertised by brands these days are very convincing. And they are everywhere from facebook ads to tv commercials. We are constantly shown fast fashion advertising that make the average shopper, who has no time to think about where these clothes are made easily click that buy button online. It’s convenient and cheap which has made it widely successful.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Clash of Clans September Update: Clan Challenge
Years after it was first launched, Clash of Clans still has its game strong with over 100 million active users daily — all of them eagerly awaiting the game’s next big update.
In this case, it’s the Clash of Clans September update which — rumor has it — comes with an exciting new feature called Clan Challenge.
But is Clash of Clans’ Clan Challenge any different from the already widely used Clan Wars?
The new update, it appears, is more like an added option which users can use.
Basically, what makes Clan Challenge entirely different from Clan Wars is a feature that allows users to choose the clan that they’d like to go up against.
It’s a feature that makes the game better than ever before.
While CoC gamers had to put up with automated selections in the past which left players no choice but to battle whoever is pitted against them — even when their stats screamed mismatch — Clan Challenge, on the other hand, plays a big role in the evening of the Clash of Clans playing field.
Based on a video recently released by Supercell, Challenge appear to have three key features that promises CoC gamers that it’s actually worth their while: users now have the ability to choose who they want to challenge; the duration of both the preparation and the war itself is entirely up to the inviting player; and the users’ ability to accept and reject a challenge request.
Once a request is accepted, the time for preparation automatically begins.
Users can set war durations for as long as three days, and with this feature they can also expect better tournaments and events.
Supercell’s official statement on the game’s highly anticipated new feature said:
“With Clan Challenges, Clans will be able issue a friendly War request to any other Clan daring to accept the challenge! Choose war participants, set the duration of preparation/battle days and send your Clan Challenge request! As soon as the opposing Clan accepts the request, preparation day will begin. This feature is not meant to replace Clan Wars (you can’t issue a Clan Challenge while there’s an ongoing Clan War), but it will offer better support for events”.
Aside from this exciting new feature that’s expected to come with Clash of Clans’ September update, users can also expect free gem mining as well as changes in the game’s penalty system.
Clash of Clans’ September update is expected to be released Sept. 18, although it appears that there’s still nothing definitive yet, at least as of writing.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.