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Someone important asked me to write about the biosciences in Phoenix and Arizona as the effort marks its tenth anniversary. This is fitting because I vividly remember the day I was called to the office of then Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza where he laid out the opportunity that the city had to lure star researcher Jeff Trent and the International Genomics Consortium. As a columnist for the
Arizona Republic, I wrote dozens of articles to explain and advocate for this unique chance to leapfrog out of an economy that had become dangerously dependent on housing and population growth, and was falling behind on almost every measure of economic and social well-being. One column was an open letter to Dr. Trent — both of us are natives and this was from the heart — that he later told me played a big role in his decision to come home and establish T-Gen.
With Mary Jo Waits, then of the Morrison Institute, I worked to develop a "meds and eds" strategy to leverage biosciences and education; government, non-profits and eventually for-profit organizations, to create a major bio hub. As Waits repeatedly said, what if we could lay claim to the cure for cancer being discovered in downtown Phoenix? I mention my role for the sake of those who constantly yowl that I "hate Arizona," do nothing constructive, am a "quitter" or some guy in Seattle who spends his time picking on Phoenix.
The Flinn Foundation led the development of a strong strategic roadmap, as well as providing $50 million in funding. Gov. Janet Napolitano was supportive and the Legislature was dragged aboard a statewide push including leaders in Tucson and Flagstaff, as well as the Gila River Indian Community. At City Hall, Deputy City Manager Sheryl Sculley marshaled the bureaucracy to assemble land for the venture on the old Phoenix Union High School campus and oversee its redeployment. More land north was available for expansion; it had been set aside for the abortive attempt to win the NFL stadium that instead went to a cotton field west of Glendale. New ASU President Michael Crow instantly grasped the potential and soon the U of A was planning a medical school on the site. When ground was broken for the T-Gen building, even then Rep. J.D. Hayworth, hater of all things gub'ment, showed up to bask in what appeared to be a moment of history on par with the CAP. Hard as it is to believe now, it was a time of breathtaking hope.
The plan was to use T-Gen and evolving research on the human genome to create a dense "(lab) bench to bedside" node on the Phoenix Biosciences Campus. Trent understood that the model should be the Texas Medical Center in Houston, the largest such complex in the world. It includes research, medical schools and other educational institutions, and hospitals in 280 buildings on a 1,300 acre site. Eventually, the Phoenix campus could also lure pharmaceutical and medical device companies, too. Nearby was land for "blue collar tech" sectors such as biomedical manufacturing that would have been relatively easily poached from California.
The usual "veto elite" weighed in against even trying to attract T-Gen and the IGC, prominent among them a
Republic columnist and former political operative. Among their complaints, aside from anything involving gub'ment, was that the effort would not create many jobs. True, only a small number of scientists initially went to work at T-Gen. But the wider meds-and-eds and biomed manufacturing strategies promised very large employment gains, and much better wages than are typical in Phoenix. In Houston, the TMC alone employs 92,500, as well as having 34,000 full-time students.
The anti faction — which is typically against everything that improves Phoenix but somehow is never blamed for "hating Arizona" — had little understanding of what the venture would require for sustained success. For example, the need and relatively long timeline to gain federal grants for the scientists who were leaving existing institutions to take a chance in Phoenix. Or the need for predictability in policymaking: Every time the Legislature balked at consistent funding and incentives for bio research, it sent a message that would make a scientist, entrepreneur or other innovator worry about the state's commitment. Few policymakers understood the competitive challenges or why the "cluster strategy" adopted after the 1990 real-estate crash had failed — and the lessons that were critical to apply to the new endeavor. Why sustained public-private partnerships and focus were essential (it took North Carolina decades of public funding to bring Research Triangle Park into the big leagues). Nor did most of the congressional delegation understand the need to steer federal research dollars to Phoenix. The antis never came around.
Still, not only did the project move ahead, but the Legislature was also strong-armed into helping establish Science Foundation Arizona and recruiting Bill Harris from Science Foundation Ireland to run it. The mission was to fund promising science, including that beyond biotech and biomedicine.
Two influential groups were never on board: The Real Estate Industrial Complex. And, especially as far as the downtown biomedical campus, the big hospitals: Catholic Healthcare West, which operates "Mr. Joes," and Banner, owner of Good Samaritan Hospital and many more. This would have profound consequences.
Ten years later, some progress has been made. But it has been agonizingly slow, especially for the downtown Biosciences Campus. Phoenix has not made the leap we hoped, where it would be at least within striking distance of Boston, San Diego, Seattle, Research Triangle Park and other leading bio centers.
What happened, why, and whether the situation can change for the better are topics I will discuss in a future column.
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Closing Of The Frontier, The: A History Of The Marine Fisheries Of Southeast Asia C. 1850-2000
by Butcher, John G.
About This Book
This book is the first on the history of the marine fisheries of Southeast Asia. It takes as its central theme the movement of fisheries into new fishing grounds, particularly the diverse ecosystems that make up the seas of Southeast Asia. This process accelerated between the 1950s and 1970s in what the author calls "the great fish race". Catches soared as the population of the region grew, demand from Japan and North America for shrimps and tuna increased, and fishers adopted more efficient ways of locating, catching, and preserving fish. But the great fish race soon brought about the severe depletion of one fish population after another, while pollution and the destruction of mangroves and coral reefs degraded fish habitats. Today the relentless movement into new fishing grounds has come to an end, for there are no new fishing grounds to exploit. The frontier of fisheries has closed. The challenge now is to exploit the seas in ways that preserve the diversity of marine life while providing the people of the region with a source of food long into the future.
Please note that this book may not be in stock. We will confirm availability upon receipt of your order. * Actual charges are made in Singapore Dollars (SGD). SGD1.00 = US$0.72
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By John Brown
One of the many things that the NFATCA continues to monitor are the statistics and particulars on NFA transfers. Many of you remember the days of transfers that took, on the norm, 10-12 months. The last thing in the world you would do is call and check the status of your own transfer because you didn’t want to disturb the process. Those days made you feel helpless. Thank goodness those days are long gone.
When the NFA Branch moved to Martinsburg and Ken Houchens, as the new NFA Branch Chief, took this bull by the horns and things seemed to change overnight. Most of us went from being scared of our examiners to developing a good relationship with them. At that time the NFATCA actually went to Martinsburg and presented the examiners with a special plaque recognizing them for their excellence in getting a better handle on transfers for the entire community. At the height of the best times that we have seen, Form 3 transfers were taking a mere 5 days and Form 4s were handled in 22 days, once at the Branch. Did we get spoiled by all of this? You bet we did!
If you had the occasion to go to Knob Creek in October last year you would have seen the new NFA Branch Chief Ed Saavedra explain that Form 4s were holding at 4 months in 2009. In a later article I will detail an interview with Ted Clutter who has taken the lead as the NFA Branch Supervisor and is holding the line of this tidal wave that takes transfers 4 months as best possible with the resources that are available.
Prior to the Knob Creek meeting, resources at ATF and the NFATCA pondered on why the transfer times are running at the rate they are. We all knew that with a new President that the rush was on. NFA purchases went through the roof and purchases of the AR family of rifles were unprecedented. After the election panic and with the fall of the economy everything came to a screeching halt. Not only did the panic purchases come to a full stop but prices began to fall. The decline of disposable income and the fear of a complete collapse in the economy caused an interesting phenomenon in purchasing. Most of the NFA community decided not to spend their disposable income on high end items and instead spend their money on more affordable items, such as suppressors, short barreled rifles and similar more affordable items thereby holding on to as much cash as possible. At least that’s what appeared to be happening. To verify this, we decided to study the overall numbers and present those to our readers on what was actually happening with the types of NFA transfers during the last five years.
If you carefully look over the statistics in the following chart there are some amazing conclusions that can be drawn on how the presidential election and the economy have affected our community.
It is especially interesting to see that the more economical NFA items have increased dramatically. Also of note is how the pace in purchasing machine guns has drastically slowed as compared to any of the other five years. Additional surprises are also apparent in silencer purchases and short barreled rifles over previous years. Take into consideration that short barreled rifles and silencers are more affordable and still being made, it is no wonder that machine gun purchases have fallen off over the last year.
The last point of interest is how this work load has affected the ATF examiners in Martinsburg. Since 2006 their job has been, with the same number of resources, almost unmanageable. Taking a look at what happened for the total in 2009, it is no wonder that the NFA Branch has been forced to institute a multitude of new practices to keep pace with the increases in form processing. It is also important to understand that this chart only addresses Form 4s. This combined with the many other forms that are processed by the NFA Branch has put the NFATCA and ATF at the table together on many occasions to address how the NFTCA can better communicate issues to the community to assist the Branch. Working together has proven to help us both in better managing submission and processing.
On multiple occasions since the inception of the NFATCA we have had the privilege and the honor of working closely with the NFA Branch to better understand and assist the Branch whenever possible.
Still wondering what we do for our community? Continue to follow our updates in future articles to see exactly “What we have done for you lately,” or come join us and make a difference at www.nfatca.org.
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Claim:Any car equipped with a remote keyless entry system can be unlocked via cell phone.
FALSE Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2004]
If someone has access to the spare remote at your home, call them on your cell phone (or borrow one from someone if the cell phone is locked in the car too!)
Hold your (or anyone's) cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the other person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the phone.
Your car will unlock. and it works. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk, or have the "horn" signal go off, or whatever!)
Origins:Most new cars now come equipped with "Remote Keyless Entry" (or "Keyless Remote" or "Keyless Entry" or "Remote Entry") systems (also known as RKE systems), a mechanism which allows automobile owners to lock and unlock their car doors remotely (from up to about
But what if you accidentally lock your remote entry device in your car along with your keys? (A plausible scenario, as many people carry them together on the same keyring.) If you own a car equipped with a system such as OnStar you can contact an operator and have OnStar unlock your vehicle remotely through a signal sent via a cellular network, but otherwise you have to call a locksmith or get a friend or relative to bring an extra set of keys out to you.
Enter the idea of the poor man's OnStar. No need to pay for a fancy car-unlocking service: just use a cell phone to call someone who has access
Relaying remote entry system signals via telephone might work if the signals were sound-based, but they're not. An RKE system transmits an encrypted data stream to a receiver inside the automobile via an RF (radio frequency) signal, a signal that can't be effectively relayed via cell phone. (In any event, RKE systems and cell phones typically operate on completely different frequencies; the former in the
(More than a few people have inadvertently fooled themselves into believing the cell phone method of unlocking car doors actually works because they tried it and achieved the desired
It's possible this method might work with cars that use something different than standard RKE systems, but it doesn't work with the vast majority of models.
As an owner of a vehicle equipped with an RKE system, I've found that it has reduced the likelihood of my locking my keys in the car in an unexpected way: Since I quickly became accustomed to always locking and unlocking the car with the RKE device, and I carry the RKE device on the same ring as my keys, I have to be standing outside the vehicle with my keys in my hand in order to lock it. Now if I only had something to keep me from losing my cell
Additional information:
Remote Keyless Entry Systems Overview How Remote Entry Works Last updated:13 March 2015
Sources: Partlow, Joshua. "Keyless Remotes to Cars in Waldorf Suddenly Useless." The Washington Post.5 July 2004 (p. B1). Associated Press."Mysterous Force Knocks Out Keyless Entry Systems." TheWBALChannel.com.6 July 2004 (p. B1). Consumer Reports."Myth Busters." September 2013 (p. 9).
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Taking a moment aside from MLK’s birthday and the Presidential inauguration I want to bring forward a much discussed topic: Radical Social Work. My dislike for the term stems from the negative connotation I have against it. That doesn’t mean I’m right. Matt, very thoroughly depicted what radical social work means, the textbook definitions, and the historical context of which our entire profession subscribes to. When thinking upon the issue myself, a memory stirred from Les Miserables. A lot of people hate on Javert, the police inspector who seems to have no better hobby than prevent our lead protagonist, and his lovely ward from living a charmed life. He just so happens to be one of my favorite characters in literature. Growing up with Les Mis, I can’t tell you the number of times I have heard the songs, seen the plays, and watched the movie. It is one of those stories that will mold and give forth something different each time you view it.
My understanding of the messages have grown as I have grown, as the play as grown in my mind. Javert is the “bad guy” in the play, and yet, a “textbook” good man. His limitation is that his own view of the world is so cut into black and white, that he cannot accept there can be goodness outside the accepted law. Valjean emphasizes this multiple times, a fact that stood out in the most recent film adaptation. Valjean reiterates the phrase “you’ve done your duty, nothing more,” in what seems a compliment to Javert, is a blatant insult otherwise. Much like Marc Antony’s funeral speech against Brutus to the Romans where he turns “noble” into the darkest of slurs, Valjean turns “duty” into a slap. Going further than duty calls for is how I think radical social workers must be. It is going beyond the norm in order to do what is right and moral, even if it does not seem to abide by the strictures of the day. While far from a cry to become lawless, I think that is the sentiment missing from the title radical social work. What we’re looking for is an ability to go above and beyond what is expected of us, what is asked of us, in order for us not just to do our duty but for us to change the world.
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GroupManagementReport management-relevant figures monthly to the Management Board. In addition, both operational and strategic risks are analyzed by means of a structured reporting system. It shows developments in all relevant departments using KPIs and reports them quarterly to the Management Board. b) Finance All accounting decisions relevant to the Company’s financial statements as well as the revenue calculation process are monitored and/or executed by the global Corporate Finance department. This ensures compliance with IFRS accounting regulations throughout the Company. c) Treasury The Corporate Treasury team creates daily cash and weekly hedging transaction reports for the Management Board. All high-risk foreign-currency and hedging transactions may be conducted only by the Corporate Treasury team, which is directly below the CFO. The national subsidiaries are forbid- den by a global treasury policy from engaging in any high- risk transactions with derivatives. Regular internal audits monitor compliance with this policy. d) Internal Audit Software AG’s Internal Audit is an active component of the Company’s risk management system. Through a systematic and targeted approach, it ensures the effectiveness of risk management along with the evaluation and continual im- provement of the internal control systems and the manage- ment and supervision processes. It is also geared to the creation of added value for Software AG by optimizing busi- ness processes. Internal Audit reports directly to the CEO and operates worldwide. Risk management in the financial reporting standards process The risk of financial reporting errors was largely eliminated through implementation of the following processes: for ongoing monitoring of the risk areas identified, which address the development of the entire Company as well as department-specific issues. The Management Board receives ongoing information as to current and future risks and op- portunities as well as the aggregated risk and opportunity situation via established channels. Software AG updates and monitors the applicable specifications for preventing and reducing threats on an ongoing basis throughout the Group. Central responsibility for Group-wide processes Risks and opportunities throughout the world are managed and controlled by the teams at corporate headquarters re- sponsible for risk management for both Software AG and its subsidiaries. Corporate headquarters compiles risk and op- portunity reports, initiates further development of our risk management system and elaborates risk-mitigating guide- lines for the entire Group. We constantly review the func- tioning and reliability of the system as well as the reporting. Software AG’s internal control system has operationalized business risks by way of internal policies on business policies and practices, as well as Group-wide specification of effective internal controls, compliance with which are continually monitored. The defined policies regulate internal procedures and areas of responsibility at the global and local levels. They are designed to provide information for management and to monitor the operating business risks of the Software AG Group. In order to enhance transparency, administration, communication and compliance assessment of the policies are carried out centrally. Another component of risk and opportunity management is the transfer of operating risks to insurance carriers. The General Services department at corporate headquarters coordinates this function globally. Structure of the risk management system a) Controlling Controlling—which is under unified global leadership— monitors operating business risks in real time and reports 99 Corporate Governance Report of the Supervisory Board Consolidated Financial Statements Notes Additional Information Group Management Report Business and General Conditions Economic Report Events after the Balance Sheet Date Risk and Opportunity Report Remuneration Report Forecast Takeover-related Disclosures Statement on Corporate Governance
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I think the database developer role is on the rise and that it's better suited for agile practices - but guidance is needed make that infusion of agile practices a success. Here's why.
My impression is that fusing agile practices into the DBA role is inherently awkward since administration differs significantly from development. A DBA might be involved in development occasionally or might bundle together a series of items into a project where a SCRUM sprint could apply - but commonly a DBA is frequently interrupted by a broad spectrum of issues and must also attend to routines of ongoing maintenance and support where they're taken out of development.
That said, there are signals that database development is becoming more formalized into its own role unique from that of the DBA - with both roles overlapping each other to some extent of course. One signal is that Database development now has its own separate Microsoft certification with the 70-433 test offering the MCTS certification in Database Development.
Mind you, I'm talking about the broad-sweeping trends. No need to argue about individual cases. I'm suggesting that out in the wild, more places are cropping up for a separate database developer role - and that role could be more suited for the infusion of agile practices.
Another signal is Oslo - an upcoming approach to development involving collaborative modeling. The goal is to get the various IT professionals to work together more effectively which includes getting someone from the database side of the equation into the collaborative development space. That person I suspect is the database developer primarily and the DBA secondarily.
I think that adoption of agile practices are coming to the database world later then the world of software development at large. That's hard to prove. One hint though is that articles relating to test-driven development practices (one area of agile practices) on SQLServerCentral are not frequent and are more recent. It's somewhat of a new conversation. The question is, if agile practices are late in coming to database development, is that an advantage or a disadvantage? An important question is will we learn from the mistakes already made, or will we be doomed to repeat them? It depends, of course, but on what?
To help answer that, let me take a quick step back. I've been talking so far about agile "practices," lumping things together whereas Alistair Cockburn, one of the very founders of the entire Agile movement keenly separates out the "procedures" used in agile from the "properties" of an agile environment. In his influential book Crystal Clear: A Human-Powered Methodoligy for Small Teams, Cockburn suggests that if a small team ensures that their environment has certain properties such as "reflective improvement," then the practices used to foster that property will follow.
That said, we can clarify here that it's the specific practices like teaming up programmers to run in dual-code mode, setting up a walking skeleton and using incremental rearchitecture and so forth, might be more awkward for the database world. The properties, however, are not as awkward.
For instance, one of Cockburn's properties is "personal safety" - (which could end up being one of the most important agile team properties of all) I think can be set up in the database world with no inherent impedance. Personal safety in a nutshell is "being able to speak about something bothering you, without fear of reprisal" (Cockburn). It can lead a developer for instance to admit that an aspect of a project is beyond their ability. They'll get help sooner and the project will move forward.
At this point I think I should lay down another impression about the whole agile movement that is taking hold of software development - because I think it can serve as a warning signal for the database world. I think there are forces acting on the agile movement from the business world to change it into a sort of magical "get something for nothing" proposition. In order to sell an agile methodology, the technical personnel and others emphasize speed and success and tend to leave out everything else.
I think developers are being talked about as if they were processors on a motherboard. Extreme programming is like working in dual-processor mode. The discussions are about efficiency, throughput and keeping developers at maximum productivity.
What doesn't get mentioned or emphasized is the human-powered side of the equation. The result can be project-seizing turnover and morale drain. Set up a series of intense sprints with little time to come up for air, adjust the methodology so that the developers aren't coming up with the timelines, and what do you think will happen?
Here's where I think the database world can sidestep some thorny issues by going back to the beginning and embracing some of the values that were discussed at the conception of the agile movement.
The history, some of which is kept at agilemanifesto.org, is that some experienced developers set up a meeting one late winter day in 2001 at a ski lodge in the Wasatch mountains of Utah. One of the original signatories of the movement, Jim Highsmith, made a statement that I think we should take particular notice of. Highsmith says "I believe Agile Methodologists are really about the 'mushy stuff' about delivering good products to customers by operating in an environment that does more than talk about 'people as our most important asset' but actually 'acts' as if people were the most important, and lose the word 'asset'."
From the beginning, the agile movement was concerned about not just the success of software projects but also about the human sustainability of the software development profession. There is a concern for the developer community. There are costs and trade-offs to be made. So to create a sustainable and humane development environment, an agile methodology can't be sold to the business segment as a cost-free trade-off free proposition. From the get-go, the signatories of the agile manifesto laid out the key trade-offs that they perceived should be made, which can be reviewed here. One of them is "individuals and interactions over processes and tools" where individuals and interactions are valued more.
I'd like to venture one last speculative point in this entry - the validity of which I think doesn't negate the other points I've made. Non-database developers seem to wield suprisingly little political power in general. They're struggling to get control over setting their own sprint timelines. I think the database developers and DBAs might have a little stronger bargaining chip. They preside over not just an RBDMS these days - but with SQL Server and the likes, they've got the reigns on an entire data-centric business platform that handles a gambit of technological needs. If that added leverage exists, perhaps database professionals will become more successful at creating the agile environment that was and is actually intended by the founders.
Lastly, I recommend Cockburn's book, which reviews both the ideal properties of small agile teams, but also reviews some of the successful practices and techniques like walking skeleton, process miniature and so forth.
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The private jets have lifted off. The giant congress centre has fallen silent. Tens of thousands of canapés have been consumed. Hundreds of millions of Swiss francs have been injected into the economy of an Alpine town. But what was it all for? What has the world learned from this year's gathering of the planet's economic, political and academic elite at the World Economic Forum in Davos?
Well, we learned that the eurozone patient has been given a massive dose of painkillers by the European Central Bank but talk of a cure is woefully premature. The optimistic blustering of bankers at the beginning of the week about a corner having been turned quickly gave way to gloom after Angela Merkel's negative opening address. The German chancellor said the answer is "more Europe" but her body language suggested she wished it would all just go away. Was this the saviour of the eurozone speaking, delegates asked themselves. Few came away reassured. "These politicians - Sarkozy, Merkel - are too concerned with getting re-elected to do what is necessary," Oleg Deripaska, the Russian aluminium magnate complained to me.
Greece was on the minds of many. Was a deal on debt restructuring really imminent? Should the European Central Bank take a haircut on its Greek bond holdings? Was Germany's apparent bid to control the Greek budget a necessary step, or disastrous over-reach? No one - not politicians, officials or bankers - could provide a convincing answer to any of these questions. Despite the insistence of the politicians present that Greece would be a special case, there were gloomy private predictions from several quarters that Portugal would be next to need debt forgiveness.
Davos taught us that capitalism is in crisis (with news of record unemployment in Spain filtering through to the conference on the same day as confirmation of Stephen Hester's bonus - which he has now rejected), but that no one, not even the Occupy protesters in their igloo camp, have a clear idea of what to replace the system with. One Occupy member who was invited to take part in a panel on the subject tried to get the audience to provide their own answers. The audience said that they'd rather hear from the panel. We learned at Davos that a big liberalisation of world trade would be a boost to flagging global growth but that it's not going to happen. Pascal Lamy, the head of the World Trade Organisation, admitted as much. World Bank chief Robert Zoellick even warned of protectionist forces stirring.
We learned that the super-rich think that philanthropy is a good thing and are worried about rising inequality. However, we also found out that they still don't want to pay more tax. One participant at the Confederation for British Industry dinner harangued Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne about the unfairness of the UK's 50p tax rate.
Some were less than impressed with the charity talk from the super-rich too. "They always talk about philanthropy when they're under pressure, it's really just a smokescreen" one well-connected Davos veteran told me.
But was Davos useful in a practical sense? The World Economic Forum organisers claim Davos enables politicians to meet in a convivial and neutral setting and lay the groundwork for diplomatic breakthroughs. But one UK government minister had a more sceptical take: "You can meet a lot of people who you normally wouldn't bother travelling to meet."
And how about the private sector? Did "Davos man" - the hyper-connected, super-confident, global business leader - have a productive time, locating promising new investment opportunities? The general feeling seemed to be that there is simply too much uncertainty out there (mainly thanks to the eurozone mess), to strike any big deals. Money is hunkering down for safety.
There was the usual confident talk about the investment opportunities arising from the economic expansion of Asia and the internationalisation of China's yuan. But this felt more like a security blanket for the economic movers and shakers of Davos than genuine bullishness.
As the conference wound down, one business delegate blundered into a lift where some of the congress centre's catering staff were wrestling with a trolley. "Where am I?" he asked, a little desperately. Yes, Davos man is lost. What hope, then, for the rest of us?Reuse content
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Introduction
America is a complex and diverse web of individuals marked by social stratification, a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy (Macionis, 2011, p.204). The film People Like Us: Social Class in America discusses the class system, social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement, which the American people use to define others (Macionis, 2011, p.206). It explores the many variables that contribute to the determination of a person’s class; such as, ancestry, education, and money. Ancestry will be a main focus because it has such a strong influence on the class system of today. The film provided an informative and entertaining basis for understanding inequality within our nation. Description
Part 1-Bud or Bordeaux
The film introduces the concept of Bud or Bordeaux. The meaning of this title displays how language can invoke a “feeling of class” (Alvarez & Kolker, 2001). According to the film, individuals defined class as having money, how you were raised, and your state of mind (Alvarez & Kolker, 2001). In many cases we use status symbols in order to show others were we should be within the social hierarchy. Status symbols can are displayed through what is known as conspicuous consumption, or buying and using products because of the “statement” they make about social position (Macionis, 2011, p.216). In society, the items that we buy may lead to the determination of our social class.
This first part of the film took us through the contrast of classes based on products. We were able to see the pattern of consumption of our nation, such as buying products that are not necessarily needed like a specialty blender. It also discussed the battle between classes when a co-op supermarket took over a Shaw’s supermarket in a working class community. The co-op food was organic and did not sell white bread which exposed the class differences (Alvarez & Kolker, 2001). The working class people tend to be less tolerant and therefore did not want to be told what was good for them to eat (Macionis, 2011, p.225) Part 2-High and Low
The next part of the film, takes the viewer through the visual of the high society and low society of our nation. It reveals the inside life and thoughts of the WASPS and takes us into their world of the inherited rich. The next section displays the relationship between race and social class in the Bourgeois Blues. It’s a glimpse into the black-middle class and the idea that attaining success means losing your roots in African American U.S. society (Alvarez & Kolker, 2001). After that, the film tells the story of Tammy, a single mother struggling in poverty and working at a low-income job. Part 3-Salt of the Earth
Salt of the Earth showed the values and traditions of the working and middle class people. An owner of a lawn ornament shop discusses why American’s like to dress their yards up. She simply states that “It’s America and who has the right to look down on anybody” (Alvarez & Kolker, 2001). It then transitions to the city of Baltimore, where the people value their blue-collar lifestyle and have a street festival. One man said that the working class does 80% of the work and gets 10% of the pay (Alvarez & Kolker, 2001). Many people feel a prejudice against them as being part of the working class. The section closes with a woman named Dana who is native to Kentucky, but now lives in Washington DC. It discusses her problems that she must deal with while trying to belong to the working class people of her hometown and the white-collar people in her new city. Part 4-Belonging
The final part of the film focused on how to gain acceptance into the upper classes of society. The main idea was that “all you need is cash” in order to fit into the most elite communities and that money will only get you “in”, but it will not get you “accepted” (Alvarez & Kolker, 2001). The message is also conveyed that...
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OCS is a police recorded measure of crime. One could argue that the police play a key role in how much crime there is in society. Police dispersal is much greater, and targets extra resources in particular localities, such as urban inner city areas, or target areas consisting of working class or ethnic minorities. This can then relate to the police discretion, the interpretations and meanings that the police attach to behaviour and social groups when deciding to make an arrest, this could also be associated with social characteristics of the police officer. This shows that the OCS can be deemed as unreliable, due to the police discretion.
Marxist view OCS as a bad measure of crime and deviance, as most laws are enforced to focus on the lower and working class. This means that there is less focus placed on white collar crimes, which are rarely prosecuted and the law does not define the crimes for the ‘rich’ criminals. Crimes such as embezzlement is most likely dealt with out of the public eye, and in house. Marxists argue that the working class is criminalised and that sociologists’ use of these statistics will only serve to maintain ruling class deception. OCS are seen by Marxists as a part of the ideological weaponry of the bourgeoisie. The Marxist view further highlights the negativity of people in higher status created OCS, in...
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“Building Value: Driving Wholesaler Returns through Strategic and Tactical Investment.”
The use of value in management is mostly as a concept and often found in the statement(s) value added or value chain. Wholesalers add value in their services surrounding the products they distribute and as exemplified in the classic service cycle of purchasing, receiving, picking, sales, shipping, payment, credit, warranties and returns.
Within the last decade, however, there has been a growing body of knowledge that measures tangible value and relates it to the market price of the firm. This research has been done in the public markets where data is available and linked to the share price and market capitalization of the going concern.
The output of the logic, as it affects supply chain entities, including wholesalers, is that measuring value is the single best way for wholesaler owner/operators to improve financial returns. Value far and away is superior to focusing on operating profits and variants of earnings or net profit before tax (NPBT).
The issue with value, in supply chain firms, is that service value is the relevant entity under production and worthy of measure. Service value, however, is found in the operating expenses of the income statement. Hence, operating profits have to be assigned or allocated for insight into where value is generated. Too, value is the primary product of two entities: returns and growth. The measure of Return on Invested Capital or (ROIC) needs to be gathered for each investment and where ensuing returns for discrete value are evaluated for their attractiveness and future growth.
The problem with value, for distributors, is that the measures and management process for value generation and creation don’t exist. Distributors overwhelmingly use financial accounting data for management of future value and, in the process, tend to destroy value as fast as they generate it. Our research over the past five years has been to help distributors use new measures with new knowledge of where value exists, what to do about it and how to increase the market value of the wholesale firm.
Fundamentals of valueValue is defined as ROIC of individual investments and the growth prospects of said investments. Distributors invest service labor in fulfilling transactions and investments can be measured by individual transaction, customer, sales territory, market segment and marketing program. Distributors must consider that these entities are investments and the ROIC must be measured specific to the investment to be confident it produces value.
The allocation of operating expenses to investments has been around wholesaling circles for two decades. The predominant problem in allocating expenses is that many allocation models don’t give an accurate picture of how labor is consumed by the investment. In 2006, Robert Kaplan of the Harvard Business School and inventor of Activity Costing in the 1980s, developed new standards for cost allocations including the ability to accurately measure labor capacity, usage of terminology that is actionable in the industry and use of a singular baseline logic.
At Benfield Consulting, we follow Kaplan’s standards and start with base transactions of stock, non-stock transfer, non-stock special, drop ship, counter or retail and rep order. Our work with the model, over the past five years, finds that transaction type is an accurate and actionable singular logic on which to allocate costs. The labor for individual transactions differs and we add components of outside sales coverage or not covered, inside sales entered or e-commerce, shipped to customer or pick up at branch, etc., to each base transaction ending up with 12 to 20+ transaction types for the typical wholesaler.[i] We allocate all costs that have to do with fulfilling the transaction and typically leave out fixed costs of branch overhead and executive salaries.
For all intents and purposes, approximately 80% of the allocated costs represent labor used by the wholesale firm. The explanation of allocation logic is important as we continue to find where the predominance of existing allocation models doesn’t follow Kaplan’s standards and, hence, these models are not recommended for measuring value.
We continue to find outdated and inaccurate concepts such as Average Order Size and Average Order Cost used in certain models. Our work in the costing of transaction types finds that there are significant variations in transaction costs, often exceeding $100, and using the concept of “average” in measuring value is best described by the metaphor, “An average person has one breast and one testicle.”[ii]
The Value Equation, once allocations have been measured, is: Capital Returns/Capital Investments, expressed as a percent and less than the weighted average cost of capital. For example, Bayou Plumbing Wholesaler has as an account, Thibideaux Gator Processing, with purchases of $189,663, margins of $38,829 and margin percent of 21%. These figures are secured from the financial statements of the wholesaler and while of some importance, they
don’t come close to measuring value.
Bayou Plumbing, after developing a transaction-based costing model, finds that the cost to serve is $36,110, which leaves $2,719 ($38,829-$36,110) in transaction profits. The concentration on transaction profits of $2,719, or transaction profits as a percent of sales at 1.4%, has
no meaningful correlation to the value producing ability of the account.
Returning to our definition of Capital Returns/Capital Investment, the ROIC of Thibideaux is $2,719/$36,110 or 7.5%. If the weighted average cost of capital for Bayou Plumbing is 8.5%, then the account destroys value by 1%. Hence, to accurately measure the ROIC on an investment, wholesalers need to
create two new measures, which are not found in financial accounting with a modern-day cost allocation logicand this must be compared to the weighted average cost of capital for insight. Using value for improving the value of the wholesale firmMany wholesalers don’t measure the weighted average cost of capital and consider the measure of limited use. While we find this position in need of change, we accommodate clients by referring to value investments with color codes of red, yellow and green as used in the common traffic signal.
Red Investments are some 40% of customers, transactions, sales territories, segments, etc., that have a negative value or a negative ROIC. We say they literally destroy value.
Yellow investments are typically 20% of investments that have an ROIC below the weighted average cost of capital. In essence, they yield a positive but low return.
Green investments are 40% of customers, transactions, sales territories, segments, etc., that have a positive ROIC above the weighted average cost of capital.
Many wholesalers, when measuring value, are too often “deer in the headlights” struck and fail to move toward a working logic on how to rectify the situation of investing in Red and Yellow entities. From our work, several quick and easy rules apply to improving value and they are included in the wrap-up of this blog entry.
Generating value in wholesale distributionTo create a higher than average ROIC and growth prospects in wholesale distribution, we recommend the following steps: Don’t concern yourself with differentiation between shareholder and customer value. These constructs, when used in tandem, have no technical definitions that we can find and are not actionable.The best value research uses ROIC and investing in growth areas, specific to the firm, as the best means to generate value. In essence, the companies that produce the highest ROIC with the best growth provide value to themselves and to their customers; hence, there is no measurable difference in shareholder and customer value because good shareholder value is good customer value.
A value approach to managing wholesale firms takes the use of a modern-day cost allocation logic and usage of ROIC specific to common investments of transactions, sales territories, customers, segments and marketing programs. The field is new and offers significant hope where most wholesalers, using financial accounting, tend to destroy value almost as fast as they generate it and as evidenced by research that finds 50% to 60% of wholesale firms sell for asset value.
[i] Benfield Consulting’s transaction costing model is Labor Differential Transaction Costing and is filed in the US Patent Office with Patent Pending status. [ii] Attributed to Des McHale, Assoc. Prof. of Mathematics at University College, Cork, Ireland.
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By Teachers, For Teachers
Provided by the K-12 Teachers Alliance
I recently had the enriching opportunity to collaborate with author Marc Prensky whose term “digital native” has become the moniker for today’s students since 2001 when it was first coined. Marc watched me teach a lesson and helped me guide my Mandell Prep students through a discussion regarding digital citizenship.
In our reflections afterwards, he challenged me to rethink the way I was using technology to enhance the learning experience with this question: Are we using technology to do old stuff in new ways, or are we using technology to truly transform learning?
Until he posed that question to me, I could have sworn I was doing the latter. In many ways I was, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I probably was not doing enough of that transformative stuff. In the week following our conversation, I was stuck. I asked myself,
How can we take the solid knowledge of what digital citizenship means live and make it truly action oriented and transformative?
The answer occurred to me one beautiful Saturday when I headed outside with the goal to explore new places all day. I started posting inspirational pictures from around the city spaces to Instagram, and I watched as my two new student followers liked and commented on nearly all my posts. Then came an email from them suggesting I use some popular hashtags to gain more “likes” on my posts and a bigger following.
This experience on a Saturday was an ah-ha moment for me in a number of ways. I realized that we adults, or to use Prensky’s term, we “digital immigrants” spend a great deal of energy discussing content management with our young natives. Mostly we stay in the finger-pointing mode indicating what they should and should not post lest they be immortalized online in a negative light during their teen days; at best, we coach them on designing their image to market who they are. On the other hand, despite an often blatant disregard or naive understanding of content management, our youth counterparts have an insatiable desire to learn the most effective way to increase their reach and bring attention to their posts. These are skills I do not have...which led me to the conclusion: we could form a great partnership.
I had been listening to my students discuss how to increase awareness of their service project Finding Green, a documentary call to action focused on creating and preserving green space in our urban environment. They were reaching out by phone and email to local representatives and groups to tell them about the initiative and were very actively promoting it to friends. While promoting it via our social media profiles had been a noted goal, none of us thought of using the power of social media to create a profile for the cause itself. It was relatively easy to meet, discuss parameters of involvement, and set up a FindingGreenNYC profile on Instagram, Twitter, and Foursquare.
It started like this:
And it quickly led into this:
Three weeks later, we have reached several milestones. We have our feeds live with a growing following, we have participated in two city park events, including one planting event and one post-Sandy clean up, we have presented at one EdCamp event (the native & the immigrant together) and are speaking at the upcoming TEDxYouth@TheSchool conference. I’ve watched the students grow in their roles as citizens, native both to New York City and the digital world; I’ve seen leadership emerge and creativity ignite.
In short, the question posed to me by Marc Prensky is a tough one to think about. I’m still stuck in many areas, and the digital immigrant in me cries out frequently, “Some old stuff is good!” However, this one project has illustrated for me the importance of transformational design in our use of technology. The best applications of technology will not only inform students on the proper use of tools but will erase boundaries between the digital and offline world, merge social, learning, and community spaces, and build agency in the the development of accountability standards in our shared digital world. They were born into it, and they will lead from it.
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There are naked people at Harvard and they're not just posing for a figuredrawing class. "Oh, "you may scoff, "I haven't seen all that many of my classmates naked" (or "nekkid" if you're from the South). All I can say is, they may not show up in the buff to the Omelet Station at Special Dinners, but there are nudists among us and their name is Legion.
Actually, one of their names is Kitt. Kitt Hirasaki '96 is most comfortable sitting around his room or running up and down the halls not completely nude, but clad only in his tighty-whities. "It's a pretty recent development," he said, speaking of his penchant for pantlessness. "I guess since I came to college. I'm from Texas, where it's not that socially acceptable to sit around in your underwear in public. Still, I used to walk around in my underwear all the time when I was at home and when I came here I didn't see any reason to change that and I figured, the whole place is my home. My roommates don't seem to mind."
Mitch McClure, '96, one of the roommates in question, upholds Hirasaki's assertion. "It doesn't bother me," he says of his roommate's exhibitionistic tendencies. "But I hate to be naked. I always wear clothes, especially in the shower."
It's not just a few aberrant personalities like Hirasaki who frolic around the houses half-dressed (or undressed). Some entire sub-groups embrace nudity as a bonding ritual. The First-year Outdoor Program, in particular, has a reputation for exhibitionistic excess.
I once attended a party where four men and one woman, wearing bobby socks, penny loafers and a red scrunchy in her hair, danced completely naked. When I brought up the subject in a later conversation, the person next to me said "Oh. FOP people were there." Although skinny-dipping is a ritual part of the FOP experience, some FOPpies like to preserve the magic by getting naked whenever they're together.
Certain sports teams also like to undress en masse, to various degrees of nudity. Gaelen B. Phyfe '96 says that the women's sailing team falls into this category of athletes with a penchant for taking their clothes off. "Sailors get topless more than they get naked--at least at Harvard," Phyfe reports. "Usually late at night at a party, one person starts it...by taking another person's top off."
When asked why sailors shed their tops, Phyfe conjectured, "People are probably comfortable in their bodies. I don't know why they do it, but I don't know why they wouldn't. Everyone's pretty mellow and self-assured." After all, if you've got it, flaunt it. Many do.
Still, it's not quite as simple. There are more important issues here, questions that must be answered. For example, why are some of us more likely to enjoy getting naked than others? There are those who think that in such a diverse community, cultural background may have something to do with it.
Julia E. Starkey '95 supports those theorists who think that enjoyment of nudity, gymnophilia, may have cultural roots. "I'm naked a lot," she says. "I'm perfectly comfortable being naked when most people aren't because my mom's Swedish and in Sweden kids run around naked until they're 10. My mom never raised me to think it was wrong."
Upon arriving at Harvard, Starkey was dismayed to discover that not everyone shared a similar nonchalance Puritanical. I walk from the shower to my dorm room in my towel. She changes in the shower a lot."
As promised in the admissions brochure, Starkey and her roommate learned from each other's cultural differences. "Now she's not as traumatized if I run around half-naked. Or what she'd consider half-naked-a T-shirt and my underwear."
Starkey's ideas of what is appropriate in terms of public exposure have been modified with time, she explains. "It never occurred to me until I was in middle school that you're not supposed to run around naked."
"You're not. You are NOT," added a shocked Nathan Lump '96. Clearly Lump is not among the Harvard minority which believes that clothing is a harmful artificial construct that is far better avoided in favor of the purity of nudity, the ultimate in meta-fashion.
Starkey, on the other hand is strongly in favor of mass nudity. "I think it's weird that people don't walk around naked. If more people were naked more, it would be a better society. At this point we've all taken bio, we've all see people naked, or at least a picture of someone naked. I refuse to believe that people make it to college without ever seeing a person naked, at least obliquely if not personally."
That's tough logic to dispute, but there are those who love their clothes and believe that only the select few should exhibit their wares. Even Hirasaki, for all his love of lounging in lingerie, admits, "We thought about having a naked party, a party where everyone would have to come completely naked, but then we realized--most people, you just don't want to see them naked."
FM could not disagree more.
*Editors' Note: As true menschen, it is our Duty to inform you about fashion.
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The House GOP’s Big Immigration Fail
Despite a string of embarrassing and disheartening mistakes, the Obama administration does not have to worry about a suddenly resurgent Republican Party. The GOP has its hands full. Even with this year’s primary season behind them, sharp divides between insurgents and establishment remain. The door is sliding closed on replacing Obamacare, and Republicans won’t get another shot at running our foreign policy until at least 2017. Just because the president has lost the initiative does not mean the GOP has regained it.
Now, Republicans are held captive by narratives, not just events. And the main narrative staring them down for the rest of Obama’s term is “obstructionism.”
It’s an old story, but this time it has some bite, because now, Republicans are obstructing themselves. What’s more, they’re doing it on what leading political and media figures want to be the next big marquee issue for sweeping, top-down reform.
A critical mass of influential figures now demands the GOP act on immigration, one way or the other. And that means the House GOP.
House Speaker John Boehner has stalled on immigration with great vigor. This year, however, something’s got to give. In the Senate, big-time personal politics forged a team of Republican egos that can’t tolerate playing second fiddle to mere Representatives. They know that if there’s no vote by August, immigration is dead for the year—and the Senate will have to pass it again next year if it’s ever to return. The pressure is on from the left, as well. Democrats have given activist groups their marching orders: “Train all your fire on House Republicans from now until August,” as Politico sums them up.
As part of the Democrats’ offensive, the Center for American Progress has dutifully whipped up a survey showing that almost half of Latino respondents would blame the GOP for Congressional inaction on immigration, while just 16 percent would blame Democrats.
Those sorts of numbers are just the start of the House’s troubles, as Majority Leader Eric Cantor knows all too well. This election year, he was caught in a withering crossfire of immigration criticism from right and left alike—slammed for being pro-amnesty on the one hand and anti-reform on the other.
The justifiable concern this spectacle raises is that Republicans stand to lose no matter what they do. That same CAP poll puts a spotlight on the pitfalls: 45 percent of respondents said they’d be more “favorable” toward Republicans in general, and 61 percent more “open” to their ideas, if only the House GOP would “support immigration reform.”
Like many polls, CAP’s was carefully tailored to encourage the results desired. But the dilemma for Republicans is clear enough. Chasing after mere favorability and openness is an unbecoming act of desperation. The nightmare scenario for the GOP is a marginally more GOP-friendly Hispanic population that still breaks strongly Democratic, cycle after cycle. And there’s just no indication that, politically speaking, the Senate approach to reform will yield anything but that.
What House Republicans need, but do not have, is a cohesive approach to immigration that can be stacked up against the Senate’s. It’s got to be an approach that doesn’t go full remember-the-Alamo, like the grassroots’ preferred approach, or full dollar-sign-eyes, like the Chamber of Commerce wing of the party. But it’s also got to avoid the cloying, off-putting sentimentalism of the RINO wing that sees government as a salvific, nationalistic Santa Claus, bestowing the blessings of full American-ness on a people stuck in the “shadows.”
Now would seem like a strange time for a dispassionate, de-politicized immigration solution to emerge from the House. But there’s one waiting to be cobbled together, if only Boehner and company would think it through.
It would take shape in accordance with a three-step acknowledgement of the basic realities we confront on the issue. First, the “illegal immigration crisis” is over. Whether we keep border security about where it is or whether we ramp it up dramatically, there just isn’t going to be the kind of massive influx that got us where we are today. A future economic boom might bump up the numbers, but right now they’re around net zero—a figure that has more to do with Mexicans and Mexico than it does with the U.S. economy.
That means, second, that we’re dealing with a finite, specific population of undocumented immigrants. They’re not going to clone themselves. Like all of us, they’re going to get old, and they’re eventually going to die. The political and legal problem posed by “illegal immigration today” is only going to get smaller over time. In fact, as we all know, the American-born children of those undocumented immigrants are all going to be citizens from Day One.
And third of all, and in sum, the “immigration problem” boils down to a far more specific and narrow situation than so many of us have allowed ourselves to think. Although the Obama administration has done an energetic job of deporting some people, there just isn’t a strong enough consensus to kick out the finite population of undocumented. On the other hand, although a blanket amnesty is a far more elegant, enforceable, and principled policy than a patchwork of half-measures that plays favorites on the basis of ethnicity or education policy, there just isn’t a strong enough consensus to deliver that outcome, either.
So one thing we know for sure is that we’re not going to give the boot or give amnesty to the finite, specific population of undocumented immigrants who crossed the border illegally. And another thing we know is that birthright citizenship means we don’t have to worry about their kids’ status.
Critics of immigration reform harbor one of two justified fears. Some critics worry that reform would be like an on/off switch—suddenly and irreversibly changing America forever. Others worry that reform would be the opposite—a never-ending morass of bureaucracy, legalese, and special status, hardwiring yet more regulatory complexity and intrusive government into everything we do.
By focusing solely on the actual humans whose legal status needs to be finalized, however, we can act swiftly, safe in the knowledge that a policy tailored to them won’t transform America or make implementation a permanent process.
Give the undocumented some documentation, but not citizenship. Let them pay some back taxes. Let them learn English if they like. And let their American-born children be American citizens.
Is that a “perfect” approach? Is it “comprehensive?” More importantly, do we need to care? It sidesteps most of our political and culture-war drama, attending to our present needs in a way that wins us back the most valuable commodity of all in a democracy: time to think and talk in relative peace and quiet.
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A memorable moment in the gangster film
Pulp Fiction finds Uma Thurman’s character near death from a heroin overdose, then speedily revived when an adrenalin-filled syringe is plunged through her breastbone and into her heart.
That’s not at all how Toronto Public Health’s new opiate-reversal kits work – their antidote can be shot into any muscle. Nonetheless, distributed under the auspices of the city’s needle-exchange program, the kits’ results have been almost as dramatic in cities such as Chicago where they have been put to use.
The kits contain naloxone, an injectable antidote for overdoses of heroin, morphine, oxycontin and other opium-based narcotics that is highly effective and has long been deployed in hospital emergency rooms. Now it has a wider, buddy-system use. Toronto physician Philip Berger, who has spent decades administering to drug addicts and other street people, applauds the city’s new initiative, launched Aug. 31. So far about 75 of the kits have been handed out, worth about $25 apiece, comprising two new syringes and two 1-cc doses of naloxone.
Years ago, a patient of Dr. Berger was charged with manslaughter (later acquitted) when his girlfriend died of an accidental heroin overdose. Had naloxone been available, Dr. Berger suggests, the woman’s life might have been saved.
“It’s part of a general approach for reducing the harm, illness and death associated with drug use, rather than trying to eliminate drug use, which is totally hopeless.”
Shaun Hopkins oversees Toronto’s needle-exchange program, which dates back to 1989, and reaches perhaps a few thousand (recipients do not have to supply names) of Toronto’s estimated 10,000 to 25,000 intravenous drug-users.
Since naloxone distribution began, she’s aware of at least four instances where an addict in serious trouble was revived with a shot of the drug, also known by its brand name Narcan; two went to hospital for observation, two did not. Roughly 100 people die in Toronto from drug overdoses each year, chiefly heroin-related, and the hope is to dent those numbers.
So why now?
“I was hearing more and more about these programs and how important they’ve been in other cities,” Ms. Hopkins said.
These include Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Boston, and naloxone is also used at Vancouver’s InSite drug clinic, which last month got a green light from the Supreme Court (Toronto is currently studying the feasibility of a similar project, which Mayor Rob Ford strongly opposes. Mr. Ford’s office said he was unaware of the naloxone program).
The only other Canadian needle-exchange program that distributes naloxone is the Edmonton agency Streetworks.
“It has been very successful, we are seeing lives saved,” said Ashley Cherniwchan, the registered nurse attached to Streetworks who oversees naloxone distribution. Since the full program began in 2007, she’s aware of eight instances of successful intervention, but is sure many more have been unreported.
Junkies usually overdose for two reasons – they underestimate the strength of the drug, or they’ve resumed injecting after a break – and administering the antidote is not complicated.
Drug users are coached in spotting the warning signs: slow, shallow breathing, bluish lips, general unresponsiveness. The naloxone is injected into the muscle, even through clothing, rather than into a vein, and revival starts within one to four minutes.
The partner is also instructed to do chest compressions, roll the person on to their side to facilitate breathing, and call 911 – whether they stick around for the ambulance or not.
Naloxone has no side effects, but its main function – rapidly purging the system of opioids by blocking receptors in the brain – can be cathartic.
“The only problem is that it puts the person receiving it in a state of acute withdrawal, so they’re going to wake up and feel like using,” Dr. Berger said. “But it gives them an opportunity to use judiciously and carefully.”
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Naloxone's success in Chicago
The first street agency in North America to distribute naloxone was the Chicago Recovery Alliance, and as in Toronto and Edmonton, several years of groundwork came first.
In a city whose population is slightly larger than Toronto’s, more than 22,000 overdose prevention kits have been distributed by the CRA since 2001, and executive director Dan Bigg knows of a remarkable 2,720 instances in which a heroin or morphine overdose was reversed.
“It’s such a model of hope, even UN Global Fund has caught on to it,” he says of naloxone, which he has personally administered many times.
“It strengthens everything you do in outreach: Safer injections, safer sex, all of a sudden you have a consistent, life-affirming approach.”
In a program built around one drug user saving another with a quick, easy shot, one particular do-it-yourself client stands out: A bricklayer from Cicero, Ill., who would shoot up heroin while in the other hand holding a syringe of naloxone as he drifted off, in case he needed it.
“He just plunges it in, and he says he’s done that two or three times and revived himself,” Mr. Bigg said. “But that’s very unusual.”
As for that overdose scene in Pulp Fiction – fiction it truly is, Mr. Bigg says.
The adrenalin ostensibly used to revive Uma Thurman’s character is principally used for heart-attack victims.
“And when you overdose on opiates your heart is fine initially, the people I revived, their hearts were beating rapidly. The problem is, you don’t breathe enough, although finally with a lack of oxygen your heart will begin to stop and then you die. So keep the person breathing, that’s the primary thing we teach.”
Timothy Appleby
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The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and 12 other accounting institutes have sent an open letter to political leaders at the Copenhagen conference calling for universal accounting standards for relevant financial reporting on climate change.
The 15 organisations come from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Honk Kong, Japan and South Africa. Among the signatories are the UK’s Accounting for Sustainability project, which has been pushing for standards for several years.
The open letter is a call for a single set of universally accepted standards for climate change disclosure in mainstream financial reports. The letter maintains that an independent, stakeholder-led body with appropriate links to public authorities should be established to develop and adopt the accounting standards.
There are de-facto standards out there, including the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) surveys and in 2007 the World Economic Forum created the Climate Disclosure Standards Board which proposed a framework for climate risk-related reporting by corporations in May 2009.
It’s clear that some sort of minimum standard is required, as any sift through the annual reports from corporations shows. There are too many ways that information can be interpreted and comparisons can be well-nigh impossible.
As far as the IT implications go, most carbon management and reporting solutions offer a number of ways to slice and dice the data and even more formats for reporting, so it’s probably not going to have much of an impact on the market (except, perhaps, to lower the market entry barrier for new suppliers).
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Sell in May and go away could be the oldest stock market adage but new research indicates that it is not the most fruitful strategy — if only because you will forego the interim dividends paid by many companies. A study from Bestinvest, a wealth management group, shows that investors who kept their money in the market in the summer enjoyed average annualised market returns of 10.9 per cent — including dividend payments — over the past 25 years. Those who left received an average return of 9.8 per cent.
The “Sell in May” advice harks back to the era when City boys
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A MAJOR national conference on the uplands will be held at Newton Rigg College next month.
The event aims to address challenges thrown up by the current consultation on CAP payments and its potential impact on the way upland farms, moorland and forestry are managed.
The influential list of speakers includes Defra’s deputy director Mike Rowe, National Trust director general Dame Helen Ghosh, National Sheep Association chief executive Phil Stocker and Lake District National Park Authority chief executive Richard Leafe.
Organisers say the conference provides a forum for debate on ‘the many different and sometimes conflicting’ issues faced by uplands. Newton Rigg, near Penrith, is home to the National Centre for the Uplands (NCU) and the only UK college to have its own upland farm and grouse moor.
It is also unique in offering a specialist degree course in uplands agriculture with land management.
Douglas Phillips, who leads the National Centre for the Uplands, said: “The conference could not come at a more opportune moment, as policy makers across the UK look to finalise changes regarding the re-distribution of CAP funds, which could have a huge impact on how we manage our uplands and on the rural communities that rely upon them economically."
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Mr Phillips continued: “It will doubtless be a lively and informative two days, given the diverse range of speakers which includes practitioners, policy makers, researchers and planners. Our aim is to provide an opportunity for debate that will increase awareness of the different perspectives and thus encourage greater understanding and co-operation.
“We need to ensure that we build a vibrant and sustainable upland economy based on agriculture and positive land management that will ultimately protect some of the most vulnerable and precious landscapes in the United Kingdom for future generations.”
Entitled ‘Future Upland Management: Balancing environmental, social and economic demands’, the conference will take place on May 13 and 14. To register and for further details please contact Michaela Dixon – michaela.dixon@newtonrigg.ac.uk or call 01768-893508.
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RUTH SUNDERLAND: Lawsuit against Barclays over 'dark pool' operations in US yet more evidence of scale of Antony Jenkins' task
Thrown in at the deep end
Antony Jenkins can have been under no illusions when he took over from the unlamented Bob Diamond as chief executive of Barclays that changing the culture of the bank would be a gruelling effort.
The lawsuit filed against Barclays by the New York Attorney General alleging fraud, deceit and misrepresentation in its ‘dark pool’ operations in the US, is yet more evidence of the scale of his task.
The accusations are particularly damaging because, if true, Barclays will have been once again caught red-handed in undermining the integrity of markets, as it was in the Libor scandal.
Mountain to climb: Antony Jenkins knew that when he took over from Bob Diamond, changing the culture of the bank would be a gruelling effort
Defenders of Barclays are suggesting there might be political motivation by attorney general Eric Schneiderman, who is up for re-election this year and going after a big bank, particularly a foreign one, is seen as an easy way of courting popularity.
Be that as it may, Barclays will not be helped by the fact that the dark pool operation was known internally as ‘The Franchise’, which sounds like the title of a John Grisham novel.
Whatever the merits of its case, the odds are that Barclays will hand over a large sum to settle it, as Standard Chartered did over sanctions-busting, because the US officials hold all the cards.
Despite the sinister name, dark pools are not necessarily a bad thing in themselves.
They can provide better liquidity and pricing particularly at times when the dealing spreads on conventional markets have widened.
During the Crimea crisis in the spring, for example, the dark pool service run by trading platform Turquoise – owned by the London Stock Exchange and a group of investment banks – saw a surge in activity in Russian names such as Sberbank, as traders could deal at a more advantageous price than on the main exchanges. Allowing predators to lurk in the depths is a different matter entirely.
Barclays is unlikely to be the only bank in the firing line for this. US regulators are taking a long hard look at dark pools, which have proliferated in the past five or ten years as electronic trading has become ever faster and more sophisticated.
The old-fashioned idea that shares are always traded on a national stock exchange is far from reality: in the US there are 13 public markets – the Dow Jones, the Nasdaq and so on, but around 50 alternative trading systems, most of them unknown to the public.
This level of complexity can only make it easier for predators to game the system at the expense of ordinary investors.
According to market aficionados, between five and ten per cent of the 30-40bn euros of daily equities trading in Europe splashes through the pools. On Wall Street, the figure is around 40 per cent, making any malpractice a major concern to large and small investors.
Yet there is no single set of standards laying down common rules on investor protection and keeping out predatory high frequency traders.
As a consequence, some pools are distinctly murkier and more brackish than others. Regulators need to throw a strong searchlight on the dark pools, and not just at Barclays.
Carney’s curbs
The Bank of England’s first attempt at deflating the housing market bubble turned out to be something of an anti-climax.
There were fears that the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) might unleash draconian controls on mortgage borrowing.
In the event, the banks have been given plenty of headroom before they hit the new cap, which stipulates only 15 per cent of their total loans can go to people borrowing more than 4.5 times their income.
At present, only just over a tenth of the market is for loans that high, though the proportion is higher in London.
The impression created is that there is not an undue problem with high loan-to-income borrowers. The reality depends on the definition of ‘high.’
If the benchmark were brought down to four times income – still a very punchy multiple by historic standards – then we are talking about a much higher proportion: around a fifth of the market.
Another fascinating statistic in the Financial Stability Report is that last year almost a quarter of new mortgages taken out will run for 30 years or more, instead of the conventional 25-year term, meaning that more people will be in debt for longer.
Add to that the fact that people with large mortgages in relation to their income are also likely to have significantly higher unsecured debts such as credit cards and personal loans, and you have a chunky minority of people who are very vulnerable to an increase in rates.
Mark Carney’s belief is that household indebtedness is not an immediate risk to financial stability, but these numbers indicate he can not afford to be too sanguine.
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| 0.979437
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Vein opening is unlikely to help regenerate damaged myelin, which causes the movement difficulties, Dake said, but opening blocked veins looks like it may help alleviate fatigue, at least in people with relapsing-remitting MS. "It's a stretch to think opening up veins is going to deal with or reverse an injury that is due to demyelinating plaque, whereas the symptoms that are more general, such as fatigue and brain fog that are much more related to an obstruction in venous outflow from the brain -- those could potentially be reversed," he said.
The above comes from Dr. Dake himself fro, this article.
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/c ... 48915.html
So what about the people who claim to be able to throw their wheel chairs to the curb after receiving this procedure? According to Dr. Dake opening blocked veins is unlikely to help with movement difficulties so is Dr. Dake incorrect?
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| 0.99704
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heya
i don't have hypothyroidism. my thyroid levels like free t3 etc were tested during the diagnostic process and came back all right. not sure what end of the ranges i was in so i might dig out those results and have a look.
zinc nutrition is important for optimal thyroid function.
research shows zinc deficiency is associated with constipation, loss of libido, tinnitus, eyesight, hair loss, and skin issues.
ms patients tend to have zinc levels in the low end of the normal range. healthy controls have average levels in the high end of the normal range (around 18 umol/L).
here's a study comparing thyroid hormones and high and low zinc levels in apparently healthy controls:
Effect of Zinc on Some Biochemical Indices of Metabolism
Riitta Hartoma, E.A. Sotaniemi, J. Määttänen
Abstract
The role of zinc in some metabolic functions in man was investigated in 14 healthy male volunteers with primarily high or low serum zinc
. In all the subjects, results of laboratory tests reflecting
blood picture, metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins and thyroid function
as well as serum calcium and phosphate levels varied within the normal range
. Significant differences between the subjects classified by serum zinc were found in α1-globulins. Serum thyroxine [JL edit: thyroxine is T4]
, effective thyroxine ratio and the immunoglobulins IgA showed a tendency to lower levels in subjects with low serum zinc
. Substitution with zinc sulphate resulted in an increase of
α1 -globulins, serum thyroxine
and effective thyroxine ratio, and a decrease of albumin. Other tests remained unchanged by the therapy. The results suggest that there is a relationship between zinc and some metabolic functions in healthy subjects without symptoms of zinc deficiency.
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| 0.948139
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Did you know that we are living on a smarter planet? People today are smarter than people who lived before us! Nah, that’s not true, brilliance and intellect has been with mankind since the beginning, but what has changed are the tools, technologies and ways to share information.
In tourism, marketing is a huge part of our business, sharing the right information to the right audience, via the right distribution channels, with the right message, image, video and/or audio – to make a sale! For the longest time if you could master this you were in good shape. That’s no longer the case!
Enter the world of INTER! Today’s travellers are looking towards companies that can demonstrate they skills related to their
INTER connections– how businesses link together to create a stream of opportunity that makes vacationing easy (e.g. weaving together itineraries connected by a theme focused on the visitors interest, or including FIT options within a travel package based on the connections company A has with B, and the list goes on) INTER relations– how are you connecting to, and relating to both your visitors (b2c) and your suppliers/partners/DMOs (b2b). Are you optimizing technology to create open and transparent ways to strengthen relationships, respond in real time and show the ‘human side’ of your business? INTER actions –how are you engaging your visitors? Engaging the senses to interact with people, places, and cultures is vital to differentiating your tourism product in today’s world. There are lots of kayak operators, hotels, restaurants with great chefs, festivals — but what types of interactions are you purposefully staging for your guests that are entertaining, educational, exclusive, exciting, escapist that differentiate you from the masses?
So if you haven’t stopped to think about you INTER – now’s a good time!
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| 0.999197
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Dumb Idea of the Day: Washington State's Electric Vehicle Fee Terrible Idea (At Least for Now)We all know about the concept of "win-win", an action that provides benefits to both parties. Well, Washington State's legislators seem to be more inclined to pass "lose-lose" laws... The state senate has passed a bill that would charge a $100 annual feel to electric car drivers to "to compensate for the lack of gas taxes they pay." The general concept is not without merit and the amount is not that big - after all, electric cars also use the roads and cause some wear & tear - but the timing is bad.
They're acting at cross-purpose with other governmental (state & federal) tax credits for electric vehicles. What's the point of giving on one side and then take away on the other? They'll only raise very very small sums because its so early in electric car adoption, so it won't really help maintain roads. I'm not even sure if they'll raise enough to pay for what it cost to pass that law and enforce it... In fact, the random variation in miles driven by big trucks on any given day probably causes more wear & tear on Washington's roads than all electric cars combined over 10 years. Big trucks cause exponentially more damage (ie. a truck 100 times heavier than a car might cause 1,000 or 10,000X more damage to a road).
So not only won't they raise much money and do anything for roads, but they'll also slow down electric vehicle adoption -- that's what taxes do, when you tax something, you get less of it, which is why it's better to tax bad things like pollution than good things like work. This is too bad because in a state with lots of hydro power, electric cars are particularly clean.
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| 0.999626
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What drives small and mid-sized companies (SMEs) to incorporate sustainable practices into their business? Knowing the answers to this question will aid trade associations and other trusted advisors in developing their outreach and support programs aimed at the SME market. Sustainability4SMEs identified in a previous post that trade associations and a variety of other advisory organizations (e.g. chambers of commerce, economic development agencies) are the primary go-to sources of sustainable business information.
In the largest U.S.-based study to date on sustainability adoption and hurdles to implementation for SMEs, Sustainability4SMEs asked survey respondents to identify the drivers to implementing sustainability. Recognizing that there are myriad reasons influencing company decisions, the participants were allowed to check multiple responses.
The results of the question, shown in the figure below, were startling; inverse to what was expected.
Regulatory Compliance was the least often cited as a sustainability driving factor in spite of ever increasing regulations at all levels of government. This shows that government can impose as many onerous requirements on SMEs as it desires, but it remains unimportant in encouraging them to build sustainable practices into their ongoing operations.
From a carrot-stick perspective, adding more and more regulations for businesses only contributes to a business faltering or worse, failing. Regulatory compliance is an overhead cost adding to business’ balance sheets, certainly not a motivator for the income statement.
Upstream Supply Chain Imperatives and Financial Incentives also reside in the category of least frequently cited driving factors.
Upstream Supply Chain Imperatives include the ability to obtain a steady source of raw materials for a company’s outputs. This data is consistent with an earlier question in the survey identifying the type of business responding to the study. Respondents weigh heavily in the professional services sector (e.g. accounting, legal) which are knowledge-based industries. Raw materials are not a concern to this demographic.
Financial Incentives should have been a strong driver for implementing sustainability initiatives in small and mid-sized firms. A common market perception is that going green is expensive so one might think that the availability of a wide variety of incentives (block grants, utility rebates, federal, state and local rebates, etc.) would be a major consideration. However, based on this body of research, money is almost the least of a business’s concerns when it comes to sustainability. This may be due to a lack of knowledge of available funding sources to pursue. Here is another opportunity for trade associations, chambers of commerce and other trusted advisors to add value to their constituents.
The bulk of the remaining response options all fall within 15 percent of each other. Clearly there are numerous factors driving SMEs to implement sustainability initiatives, with Customer Demand being at the higher end of the scale.
Our study bifurcates between those implementing sustainability initiatives and those who are not pursuing a green strategy. This particular question was answered only by those who are pursuing sustainability. Our last post addressed the hurdles and barriers for those not implementing sustainability.
No matter which side of the fence your company is on regarding sustainability, we’d like your input into this body of work. Click here to complete the 28-question survey. Thanks for reading, participating and engaging with great comments. We look forward to sharing additional data from this research project.
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| 0.985923
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Written by
Staff Reports
The church needs the influences of both, so how do we reconcile the differences?
In the United States today, no two terms are more polarizing in the English lexicon than the words "conservative" and "liberal."
Time Magazine recently reported that political polls reveal an even split among conservatives and liberals. Each now claims 45 percent of the electorate, while only 10 percent remains undecided. Never before has this nation been so polarized, the article said.
What is true in the political landscape is readily apparent in the religious realm as well. While the terms can be used in descriptive ways, all too often they are used in a pejorative fashion. ("You must be one of those liberals!" or "What do you expect of those conservatives!") Both become code words for those other people who don't think or act like us.
Unfortunately, when this happens in the church, such stereotyping not only fails to build up the body of Christ, but it makes communication more difficult between people who usually have far more in common than they have differences. Furthermore, it also implies that truth can be found with only one faction or another when, in fact, the threads of both conservatism and liberalism are woven throughout the history of the Christian tradition.
The church of Jesus Christ—be it the UCC or known by another name—is by definition a conservative institution. The church is, quite literally, a conserver of values and beliefs. As such, part of its DNA is to maintain and resist changing traditional or existing views or beliefs. Anyone who has been part of a church for long understands this. It is by tradition that we are grounded, shaped and nurtured.
But the church of Jesus Christ is also a liberal institution. If we define liberal, as Webster does, as "one who is open-minded in the observance of orthodox or traditional forms," then who was more liberal than Jesus? Not only did Jesus challenge the purity codes of his day (talking to women, eating with Gentiles, healing on the Sabbath), but he also advocated a radical new understanding of God that welcomed outsiders—often at the expense of insiders—and shook Judaism to its roots. It certainly wasn't adherence to existing traditions and beliefs that led to Jesus' death. To this day, the church has been a liberating religious and social force through the world.
The church is both conservative and liberal. To insist otherwise is to ignore the contradictions of human life and the context of each local congregation.
Rather than using these terms as weapons to separate the sheep from the goats, should we not view them as gifts that can help us understand and appreciate how the God revealed in Jesus Christ speaks to so many people in so many different circumstances?
After all, the primary question for the church—including the UCC—is not "Are you liberal or conservative?" The primary question is "Do you know and have a relationship with the God revealed in Jesus Christ?"
The Rev. Stephen C. Gray is Indiana-Kentucky Conference Minister.
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| 0.707489
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In 1974 the Stanford computer science community ate at Loui's. [1] As I sat eating one evening in the fall, Butler Lampson approached me, and in the course of inquiring what I was doing, remarked that the IBM Lucifer system was about to be made a national standard. I hadn't known it, and it set me thinking.
My thoughts went as follows:
NSA doesn't want a strong cryptosystem as a national standard, because it is afraid of not being able to read the messages.
On the other hand, if NSA endorses a weak cryptographic system and is discovered, it will get a terrible black eye.
Hints that Butler was correct began to appear and I spent quite a lot of time thinking about this problem over the next few months. It led me to think about trap-door cryptosystems and perhaps ultimately public-key cryptography.
When the Proposed Data Encryption Standard was released on the 17th of March 1975 [2], I thought I saw what they had done. The basic system might be ok, but the keyspace was on the small side. It would be hard to search, but not impossible. My first estimate was that a machine could be built for $650M that would break DES in a week. I discussed the idea with Marty Hellman and he took it on with a vengance. Before we were through, the estimated cost had fallen to $20M and the time had declined to a day. [3]
Our paper started a game in the cryptographic community and many papers on searching through DES keys have since been written. About three years after the publication of our paper, Robert Jueneman --- then at Satellite Business Systems in McLean, Virginia --- wrote "The Data Encryption Standard vs. Exhaustive Search." [4] This opus was substantially more optimistic about the chances for DES breaking. It predicted that by 1985 a half-million dollar investment would get you a DES key every hour and that by 1995, $10 million similarly spent would reduce that time to two seconds, an estimate remarkably close to one made fifteen years later.
A decade later, Yvo Desmedt and Jean-Jaques Quisquater made two contibutions, one whimsical, one serious. Using a related "birthday problem" sort of approach, they proposed a machine for attacking many cryptographic problems at a time. [5] Their whimsical suggestion took advantage of the fact that the population of China was about the square root of the size of the DES key space.
The year 1993 brought a watershed. Michael Wiener of Bell-Northern Research designed the most solid paper machine yet. [6] It would not be too far off to describe it as a Northern Telecom DMS100 telephone switch, specialized to attacking DES. What made the paper noteworthy was that it used standard Northern Telecom design techniques from the chips to the boards to the cabinets. It anticipated an investment of under a million dollars for a machine that would recover a key every three hours. A provocative aside was the observation that the required budget could be hidden in a director's budget at BNR.
Finally, in 1996, an estimate was prepared by not one or two cryptographers but by a group later, and not entirely sympathetically, called the magnificent seven. [7] This estimate outlined three basic approaches loosely correlated with three levels of resources. At the cheap end was scrounging up time on computers you didn't need to own. In the middle was using programmable logic arrays, possibly PLA machines built for some other purpose such as chip simulation. The high end was the latest refinement of the custom chip approach.
Exhaustive key search is a surprising problem to have enjoyed such popularity. To most people who have considered the probem, it is obvious that a search through 2ö56 possibilites is doable if somewhat tedious. If it a is mystery why so many of them, myself included, have worked to refine and solidify their estimates, it is an even greater mystery that in the late 1990s, some people have actually begun to carry out key searches.
At the 1997 annual RSA cryptographic trade show in San Francisco, a prize was announced for cracking a DES cryptogram [8]. The prize was claimed in five months by a loose consortium using computers scattered around the Internet. It was the most dramatic success so far for an approach earlier applied to factoring and to breaking cryptograms in systems with 40-bit keys.
At the 1998 RSA show, the prize was offered again. This time the prize was claimed in 39 days [9] a result that actually represents a greater improvement than it appears to. The first key was found after a search of only 25% of the key space; the second was not recovered until the 85% mark. Had the second team been looking for the first key, they would have found it in a month.
These efforts used the magnificent seven's first approach. No application of the second has yet come to light. This book skips directly to the third. It describes a computer built out of custom chips. A machine that 'anyone' can build; from the plans it presents --- a machine that can extract DES keys in days at reasonable prices, or hours at high prices. With the appearance of this book and the machine it represents, the game changes forever. It is not a question of whether DES keys can be extracted by exhaustive search; it is a question of how cheaply they can be extracted and for what purposes.
Using a network of general purpose machines that you do not own or control is a perfectly fine way of winning cryptanalytic contests, but it is not a viable way of doing production cryptanalysis. For that, you have to be able to keep your activities to yourself. You need to be able to run on a piece of hardware that you can protect from unwanted scrutiny. This is such a machine. It is difficult to know how many messages have been encrypted with DES in the more than two decades that it has been a standard. Even more difficult is knowing how many of those messages are of enduing interest and how many have already been captured or remain potentially accessible on disks or tapes, but the number, no matter precisely how the question is framed must be large. All of these messages must now be considered to be vulnerable.
The vulnerability does not end there, however, for cryptosystems have nine lives. The most convincing argument that DES is insecure would not outweigh the vast investment in DES equipment that has accumulated throughout the world. People will continue using DES whatever its shortcomings, convincing themselves that it is adequate for their needs. And DES, with its glaring vulnerabilities, will go on pretending to protect information for decades to come.
[1] Louis Kao's Hsi-Nan restaurant in Town and Country Village, Palo Alto.
[2] 40 Federal Register 12067 [3] Whitfield Diffie and Martin E. Hellman. "Exhaustive cryptanalysis of the NBS data encryption standard". Computer, 10(6):74-84, June1977. [4] R. R. Jueneman, The Data Encryption Standardvs.Exhaustive Search:Practicalities and Politics. 5 Feb 1981. [5] Yvo Desmedt, "An Exhaustive Key Search Machine Breaking One Million DES Keys", presented at Eurocrypt 1987. Chapter 9 of this book ( Cracking DES).Jean-Jacques Quisquater and Yvo G. Desmedt, "Chinese Lotto as an Exhaustive Code-Breaking Machine", Computer, 24(11):14-22, November1991. [6] Michael Wiener, "Efficient DES Key Search", presented at the rump session of Crypto '93. Reprinted in Practical Cryptography for DataInternetworks, W. Stallings, editor, IEEE Computer Society Press, pp.31-79 (1996). Currently available at http://www.eff.org/pub/Crypto/Crypto_misc/Technical/des_key_search.ps.gz [7] Matt Blaze, Whitfield Diffie, Ronald L. Rivest, Bruce Schneier, Tsutomu Shimomura, Eric Thompson, and Michael Wiener. "Minimal key lengths for symmetric ciphers to provide adequate commercial security: A report by an ad hoc group of cryptographers and computer scientists", January 1996. Available at http://www.bsa.org/policy/encryption/cryptographers_c.html [8] http://www.rsa.com/rsalabs/97challenge/ [9] June 17, 1997, See the announcements at http://www.rsa.com/des/ and http://www.frii.com/~rcv/deschall.htm (February 24, 1998), http://www.wired.com/news/news/technology/story/10544.html and http://www.distributed.net
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| 0.516912
|
Books, newspapers, and magazines have not only gone digital, they’ve gone ubiquitous, contextual, and formless. The message is now abstracted from the medium, and the book is a channel-independent experience—whether held in its physical form, heard as the spoken word, or read on an eReader, mobile phone, or desktop computer.
The invention of the printing press transformed the physical object that is a book from the output of human transcription to that of mass production, ushering in the era of information as a
physical object. More recently, mass adoption of the World Wide Web and a plethora of Internet-connected devices has brought us into the digital era of information. But we are on the cusp of yet another technological sea change. The pendulum that swung from physical to digital is now swinging back to the real world. However, this time information has become formless, contextual, and ubiquitous. In the words of Andrea Resmini and Luca Rosati, “[Information] is bleeding out of the Internet and out of personal computers, and it is being embedded into the real world.” [1] Welcome to the new cross-channel, multiplatform, transmedia information age. A Sign of What’s to Come
As goes the book, so goes every product and service under the sun. Seamless, cross-channel experiences are the way of the future, as technology fades into the background and the personal, physical, and social context determine the methods we use to interact with information. But this isn’t a problem for the distant future; designing effective cross-channel experiences is a problem that we must address here and now.
Retail
Most brick-and-mortar retailers mail out the occasional print catalog, provide phone service, and have online stores, with the more adventurous offering smartphone-friendly Web sites or applications, as in the example shown in Figure 2.
However, these channels aren’t isolated from one another; increasingly, they overlap. Forrester’s Patti Freeman Evans found that 70% of consumers research online, then buy offline. [2] A 2010 report by NCR Corporation [3] found that
43% of consumers want to use their mobile phone for price comparison while out shopping. The vast majority of consumers prefer a seamless experience across channels:
According to this report: “87% want a similar way to access products and services whether online, in the store, on their mobile phone, or using a self-service device.”
Travel
Traveling by plane is a quintessentially multichannel experience. Once you know where you want to go, there is the messy business of booking the flight—perhaps using your laptop; checking in 24 hours before your flight on your smartphone; traveling to the correct airport terminal, then using the kiosk to print your boarding pass; interacting with a customer service person to check in your luggage; running the security gauntlet, where you present either your paper boarding pass or an electronic version on your phone; and finally, sitting down in your seat on the aircraft, where you browse the movie selections on the entertainment console.
A 2011 report on the usability of travel Web sites by Webcredible [4]—in addition to placing Virgin Atlantic’s Web site at the top of its list, shown in Figure 3—emphasized the importance of providing consumers with a seamless cross-channel experience:
“As consumers become more and more demanding in the digital space, the travel industry will need to be more dedicated to the usability and user experience across all of their channels to gain customers and build loyalty.”
Banking
Managing your money often results in a dynamic interplay between channels, as Figure 4 shows. But while you could likely achieve many tasks at your local bank branch, a nearby ATM, over the phone, on your home computer, or on your smartphone, each channel is likely convenient in some situations, but a hassle in others. Your mobile phone is well suited to quickly checking your account balance on the go. However, you might find it easier to use online banking on your laptop to pay the monthly bills.
Ernst & Young’s 2011 report on global consumer banking [5] found that, while 66% of respondents were dissatisfied with their existing mobile banking, competition among banks to provide a seamless experience across channels will be fierce:
“Practical innovations across channels that leverage technology to deliver a more seamless and personalized experience will therefore be a major competitive battleground in all retail banking markets.”
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| 0.579265
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Increases in Housing Costs in Austria Have Grown At Twice the Rate of Inflation
Austrian News Brief: March 2008
Austrian households now spend every fourth Euro on housing, according to a new study by Kreutzer, Fischer and Partner Consulting, GmbH, in Vienna.
And while increased energy costs, up 31.7%, are certainly a factor, they are far from the only one and not the largest. The increases include dramatically higher costs for garbage removal (+55.4%), rents (+41%), sewage (+40.6%) and water supply (+21%), against a background inflation rate of 20.1%. In 2006, the average Austrian household spent €875 for housing costs, against an average monthly gross income of €3,500.
These increases in fees reflect a tendency “to use community infrastructure as a source of revenue,” the study’s authors suggested, in a Nov. 16 article in
Der Standard.
An additional explanation is the cost of new construction, now an average of €1,550 per spare meter, and similar increases for renovation. The average Austrian household carries a housing loan of €24,000, the study said.
Additional pressure on costs was traced to the €2.5 million annual housing subsidies, of which 80% goes for new construction, rather than renovation. Of this, most goes to large construction firms building public housing, with too little review of quality and efficiency, or application of modern construction techniques, Andreas Kreutzer who directed the study, told the Austrian daily
Die Presse.
“The construction companies earn money only when they build. Renovation doesn’t interest them,” Kreutzer said. “The results are higher maintenance fees in the older buildings.”
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| 0.984825
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Social media optimization is using social media sites to create publicity and awareness of your products and thereby gain attention and interaction from customers.
Optimizing for social media strengthens your brand and its visibility and thereby attracts new customers. It helps them to know more about your business and recommend it to others. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are platforms for people to connect and discuss the topics they like. Here are some effective tips with which you can encourage your community to learn more about your brand.
It is very important to create valuable content which your audience will want to experience. Useful and relevant content attracts more customers. Social media posts that make people smile are great because it will make your audience and prospective customers relate more to your brand. Content that is clickable and sharable strengthens a long-term relationship with the customer. Posting emotion based content can also work wonders in ensuring constructive community engagement. Motivational and positive quotes or pictures increase customer attention and persuade them to connect emotionally.
Using the “Like” or “Share” option is one of the best ways to interact with customers. It can be used as a way to ask questions and people can respond using these options. Any audience would love participating in good contests where they can win prizes. Some businesses post content and give extra entry credits to people who share the post, comment on it, or give it a “like”. Giving an incentive to readers such as access to free course, set of videos or an e-book is one of the best ways to create a bonding between brand owners and customers.
Being transparent is another important tip for increasing
social media engagement. It gives more clarity about your brand and its updates.
The other essential tactics for increasing community engagement are
Find out when customers come online so that questions can be asked and valuable suggestions obtained in order to build a strong relationship with them. Post success stories of customers who enjoy the product and share them with your audience. Mention good comments on social media sites. Positive comments expose the brand to a larger audience.
Successful businesses use social media platforms to:
Build a lifetime connection with customers Maintain their brand at the top Expand brand awareness Let customers know about new offers Bring more qualified traffic to the websites Address customer service inquires Build credibility and trust online
It is important to use new techniques to increase community engagement through social media to attract prospective customers and maintain existing ones. It is all about letting people know more about your brand and its updates and create a sense of trust. Obtaining feedbacks is important because it will help to improve your products/services in keeping with customer requirements. When it comes to enhancing your social media presence and engagement, consider obtaining social media optimization services that will prove to be very useful.
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| 0.894418
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Bush administration officials are urging Congress to increase funding for a new office that would promote democracy and stabilization in regions prone to conflict around the world.
Acknowledging that it did not adequately plan for the post-war reconstruction of Iraq, the Bush administration has created the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization at the State Department so that the United States would be better prepared to coordinate such efforts in the aftermath of future intervention in other troubled states.
The office brings together civilian experts in such fields as political administration, law enforcement and economics, and military officials to plan and carry out stability operations.
Congressional critics have said policy disputes and turf battles between the Defense Department and State Department hurt planning efforts for postwar Iraq, contributing to the rise of the insurgency and the difficulty in restoring basic services, including electricity and public safety.
At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, principal deputy in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense Ryan Henry said the new reconstruction office has the Pentagon's backing.
Administration officials say the office was not created because other military missions are planned. They say the office could work to prevent politically unstable states from sliding into civil war or breeding terrorism, making less need for U.S. intervention.
James Kunder is assistant administrator for Asia and the Near East for the Agency for International Development, which will play a role in the reconstruction office.
"The U.S. government needs to better understand exactly what to do when we have a crisis," he said. "And we are looking not just at after states have fallen apart. But we are looking at countries that are beginning to show the signs of instability and trying to generate resources so that a penny spent now saves the taxpayer a dollar later."
Mr. Kunder says some of these countries are in Asia.
"We are not only looking at Afghanistan reconstruction and Iraq reconstruction, but we are also looking at Nepal, and we are looking at the fraying of the social order in Bangladesh," he explained. "We are looking at Sri Lanka. We are looking at continued instability in Mindanao in the Philippines."
Mr. Kunder says promoting democracy by investing in political parties and civil society organizations in areas where political instability appears to be growing can make it less likely that those societies will fall into conflict.
But Congress has not shown the kind of support the administration is seeking. Lawmakers approved only $3 million of the $17 million President Bush requested for the office this year.
Mr. Bush is seeking another $24 million to fund the office next year, as well as $100 million for a new conflict response fund.
Coordinator of the Office of Reconstruction and Stabilization Carlos Pascual warned Congress of the impact it would have if lawmakers do not approve Mr. Bush's request.
"What we will not be able to do is to develop an active response corps that establishes the kind of standby capabilities that allows us to move into the field effectively and quickly," he said. "It will affect our ability to develop a kind of civilian reserve that all of us have underscored as absolutely critical to have that type of transformational skill that is necessary to affect a conflict early in the process so we can influence the dynamic. It will affect our capacity to deploy resources to the field quickly."
The Pentagon, which wants the State Department to take on a greater role in stability operations, has offered to transfer $200 million to support the new coordinator's office.
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The earth provides all the necessary resources for human beings to survive and prosper. But as the global population grows and develops, the demand for energy and consumer goods increases. This has led to increased pollution and misuse of natural resources, causing great damage to the environment. In turn, people’s health, food supplies and livelihoods are increasingly threatened.
Be it the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that contribute to climate change, the overuse of agricultural soil that deteriorates the ground and often leads to deforestation, the contamination of water through bacteria and chemicals or the loss of biodiversity - environmental challenges are plentiful.
Today, many people speak about “sustainability” when highlighting an alternative model of how human beings can develop economically and socially without putting too much strain on the environment. Sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
This clearly shows that youth are at the heart of the sustainability debate. As politicians sometimes lack the necessary long-term thinking that is needed to effectively address pressing environmental issues, it’s key that global youth have a say in environmental policies, which have a direct impact on the current and future environment they live in.
Researching issues connected to the environment, you might want to
check out these resources:
United Nations Environment Programme -
Tunza
United Nations -
Sustainable Development
YOUNGO -
Youth and Climate
Connect 4 Climate -
Connecting to Tackle Climate Change
Web Ecoist -
25 Environmental Organizations
This is a speech I made for my Architectural Essays class as an introduction to our class. Hel...
In 2017, we renew our commitment towards Zimbabwean children and its young people. For us it is a...
Do you want to be a leader? Do you have a passion? Do you want to make a difference in this world? If you answered yes to this questions, you and I already have few things in common. My name is Ximena Coronado, I'm 15 years old, and I'm an environmental activist. It all truly began when...
The biggest challenge impacting the youth of today's generation is the battle they fight from with...
The Commonwealth Youth Council is currently working on a two-year project, ‘I am Able’, to raise awareness of the lives of young people with disabilities across Commonwealth member states. The Commonwealth believes this is an important issue, as too often the voices, desires, needs and s...
After hearing about the Global Goals in 2015 by Hank Green, I was determined to help them become accomplished anyway possible. I decided that the best way to help accomplish those goals was to have a town hall meeting. It is very important to me that people become aware of these goals becaus...
Returning to fundamentals, far from perceiving compatibility on the basis of social ratings and mutual series fanatics, let’s imagine relationships as a matter of compatibility in PCs, where you get yourself a brand new clean computer, and you start personalizing this device, through inser...
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Where do I buy a walker?
Purchasing Options
Can I receive financial assistance to purchase my walker?
You have several options:
Durable Medical Equipment (DME) stores. These are stores that specialize in supplying one-stop shopping for almost all types of home health care equipment including walkers and wheelchairs. The staff can provide knowledgeable assistance in determining which equipment is right for you and may also be able to link you with a therapist if you need one.
If you are eligible for financial assistance, most government, charitable, and insurance funding agencies will usually require you to purchase your walker from a “preferred list” of DME stores. Most funding programs stipulate that you purchase your walker through a store that offers repair and maintenance service on the equipment.
DME stores often have a pool of used or rental walkers that may be sold at a reduced price. A few DME stores will sell only recycled or second hand equipment at a reduced cost. Please note that many funding agencies will not assist in the purchase of recycled equipment due to the limited warranties offered.
Pharmacies. Major pharmacies such as Shoppers Drug Mart and Jean Coutu as well as local independents often carry medical walkers or rollators.
Department stores. “Big-Box” Warehouse stores, Discount stores such as Wal-Mart, and Costco now carry walkers. This is a good option if you don’t need sales support in selecting the correct walker or if you are paying for the purchase entirely yourself.
Personal classified advertisements. You can look in local newspapers or on-line sources such as Craig’s List and Kijiji.
Bulletin boards. in nursing homes, churches, senior centers and hospitals.
Garage sales. Signs may be posted in your community or news spread through word of mouth.
There may be agencies in your local community that supply equipment free of charge or for a minimal charge if you need a walker on a temporary basis. You can investigate the following options:
Government funded home health care programs sometimes provide equipment depending if you are receiving nursing or therapy at home.
Associations for specific diseases/conditions (i.e. the MS Society, Red Cross, March of Dimes) often have “lending cupboards”.
Can I receive financial assistance to purchase my walker?
You’ll need to consider much more than physical ability.
What about the environment and social supports?
And if so, how do you find a therapist?
We have a number of associations you may contact.
You have options and we have recommendations.
There is also financial assistance available to you.
From basic activities to common mistakes, here’s a guide to help you use your non-wheeled walker or wheeled walker safely and effectively.
Commonly given answers. Feel free to contact us if you’d like to contribute and help others.
Professionally prepared resources that offer guidance to a successful thought process based on past experiences.
Many thanks to these companies for sponsoring Walker Facts. It's their support that keeps this resource free to everyone.
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Access to medicines is the most under-utilized opportunity for pharma to communicate with patients.
In Europe, access to medicines has, so far, been regarded a “non-issue”. Given that most treatments are reimbursed by national health coverage, patients usually did not have to worry about obtaining a drug once it had been prescribed to them. Yet, this summer, we witnessed a shift of paradigm. The European economic crisis has shaken one of the pillars of the EU healthcare system: free access to prescribed drugs.
This summer, Greek patients became hostages in a struggle opposing health authorities unable to pay their debts and pharma taking a strong stance against this by withholding delivery of some treatments to patients.
Psychologically, this had a profound impact on patients in Greece, as Kathi outlines in the video below.
The fact that pharma stopped delivering treatments, eroded patient’s trust. If pharma truly cared about its patients’, was it not in a moral obligation to communicate about what happened, why and for how long patients will have to endure this situation? What better way to utilize social media in transparent ways to inform about the motives, reassure about future availability and continuously update on delivery logistics and safety of patients?
There is a lot of talk about how trust is the foundation of any social media engagement. Maybe in this particular instance though, it is the other way around: using social media to engage on the access to your treatments might be the only way to regain trust.
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Warm welcome for retention of natural environment quangos Thursday 14th October 2010
In response to today’s publication of the Government’s review of quangos, The Wildlife Trusts warmly welcome the commitment to retain natural environment bodies. The conservation organisation depends on them to help achieve its vision for A Living Landscape and Living Seas.
Stephanie Hilborne OBE, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said:
“We welcome Rt Hon Caroline Spelman’s recognition of the importance of Natural England, Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission and Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Substantial reform is already underway including moves to ask the voluntary sector to take on various functions. We will continue to work in partnership with these vital bodies to make the most of our strong local presence.
Part of the reform will include looking at the future of land. Currently The Wildlife Trusts manage 44 of the 84 National Nature Reserves (NNR) not directly managed by Natural England (NE). The messages are that the rest of the series will now be moved away from the state. Each NNR will be a key element of a local ecological network and The Wildlife Trusts are keen to buy time to ensure the best outcome for each of these national treasures. Also key will be how the Forestry Commission (FC) and Environment Agency (EA) go about any land disposals and the priority they afford to securing the right ownership for their land which is of current or future wildlife value. The recent Review Group made direct reference to this1.
Stephanie Hilborne continued: “The elements of reform that relate to out-sourcing of work to the voluntary sector must be carefully managed. We are looking for open processes which can allow us to play to our strengths. The changes in Wales will also be key2.
Also welcomed by The Wildlife Trusts is the decision to retain the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) as a separate body. The HLF has helped transform the fortune of local wildlife around the UK since its formation. The continued Big Lottery Fund is also a key force for good both for nature and people. The Wildlife Trusts manage a £50m Local Food programme for Big Lottery and it has funded vital programmes which demonstrate the value the natural environment holds for people around the UK.
Stephanie added: “And finally, it is with a big sigh of relief that there is continuity for the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The MMO will be key to securing delivery of the 2009 Marine & Coastal Access Act, for which The Wildlife Trusts played a pivotal campaigning role.”
Story by RSWT
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Feb. 24, 2014 – The Wisconsin Judicial Code would specifically authorize judges to give litigants, including self-represented litigants, information or use techniques to simplify legal proceedings, under a petition that received a public hearing today at the state supreme court.
The supreme court also heard testimony on a petition that would authorize the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) to post public notice on its website when a lawyer is being formally investigated for alleged ethical misconduct (see more on this petition from a recent article in
WisBar InsideTrack).
The court did not discuss either petition as public hearings consumed the entire day and left no time for an administrative conference. Thus, the court will hold both petitions for consideration at a later date.
Judges Turn Out to Support Pro Se Petition
Numerous Wisconsin judges and attorneys appeared in support of petition 13-14, which would amend and create Wisconsin Judicial Code rules to make clear that judges can take “reasonable efforts” to facilitate the ability of all litigants, including self-represented litigants, to be fairly heard.
The petition, submitted by the Wisconsin Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission in 2013, recognizes the significant number of Wisconsin citizens who enter court proceedings each year without a lawyer, especially in family law cases.
It largely codifies the sorts of discretionary acts that many judges are already using, explained former Appeals Court Judge Margaret Vergeront, who testified for the ATJ Commission.
Specifically, judges could use their discretion in “using techniques that enhance the process of reaching a fair determination in the case.” Judges who don’t want to take such measures would not be required as the proposed language simply allows judges to use their discretion. It also aplies to "all litigants," not just pro se litigants.
For instance, judges could take reasonable steps to explain legal concepts in everyday language, provide information about the proceedings, or permit narrative testimony, among other actions included within the petition’s non-exhaustive list.
Judges, attorneys, and associations support the petition as a way to improve access to justice for the increasing number of self-represented litigants and create efficiencies for judges and commissioners who hear their cases.
The State Bar of Wisconsin supports the petition, as does the Wisconsin Trial Judges Association, the Wisconsin Committee of Chief Judges, the Court of Appeals, and the Wisconsin Association of Judicial Court Commissioners, among others.
Appeals, circuit, and municipal court judges testified in support of the petition at today’s public hearing, including Jeffrey Kremers, chief judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. State Bar President Patrick J. Fiedler also testified in support of the petition, noting that the State Bar’s Board of Governors voted 37-3 to support it.
Kremers and other judges said the rule simply authorizes what many judges across the state are already doing to address the high volume of pro se litigants, and judges who are hesitant to use such techniques would have assurance that the rules allow it.
Justice Patience Roggensack raised concern that the proposal undermines the adversarial system, questioning how far judges could go in helping pro se litigants.
“I see a lot of problems,” Justice Roggensack said. “It may be that we need to change our system, but what you are portraying is not an adversarial system. I have concern that our courts could be turned into social service agencies.”
Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson seemed to support the proposal. She suggested the best solution is allowing court appointed counsel in civil cases, but that solution is not currently achievable given the costs involved. “If we can’t do the best thing, we should not be stopped from doing something,” the chief justice said.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Mary Kuhnmuench said the proposal addresses a "changed landscape.” Historically, litigants had lawyers, and judges are now dealing with a massive number who do not.
“That’s the bench now,” Kuhnmuench said. “We better recognize it and figure it out.”
Michael Gonring, a partner at Quarles & Brady LLP in Milwaukee and long-time advocate for access to justice initiatives and pro bono programs, said a represented side, in his experience, is grateful when a judge makes efforts to inform a pro se litigant.
“I do not see this as an assault on the adversarial system at all,” Gonring said. “Cases involving pro se litigants can get messy, and we hope the judge takes control and makes things easier because that makes things easier for us and our clients.”
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I. Introduction: Until recently I was of the opinion that Pakistani immigrants were highly intellectual learned people that decided to settle in America because they could not completely utilize their education back home, and thought that by staying in Pakistan they were doing injustice to their education. Being in America for over a year and mingling within the local Desi community (as the Pakistani immigrant community is known as) I have learned that the government of United States of America has a big social problem that is developing inside their own borders. I do not in any way intend to be discriminatory as there are some highly intellectual learned Pakistani people present in America but America's political correctness is being misused. In this paper I will try to focus on the life of a Pakistani immigrant, after settling in Southern California, and its social implications.
II. Methodology: I decided to interview three different types of families that belonged to the three classes of the Desi community, upper, lower and median.
Each of these families' shared similar characteristics; a son, a daughter, the wife and the husband. Namely, the Azariah, Mohsin and Saroia family. These interviews would help me analyze my observations about these families. I have known these three families for about a year and have noted some distinct characteristics of each family. These interviews were totally life based i.e. I talked to the families about their life before coming to America and their present life. I asked them about the factors that motivated them to relocate. I inquired about preliminary hardships. What seemed most interesting was the families' dependence upon their children's well being. These thirty minute interviews were crisp and concise and in the end I was left with a lot of notes about each family that when analyzed shocked me even more.
III. Findings: Since my method of fact finding was totally literary and no family shared the same characteristic it was virtually impossible to represent the findings with tables, graphs, pie charts etc. However, following is a jist of collected and analyzed facts about each family.
The Azariah's a small content family that is socially stratified to the median class accurately fulfilled all my speculations. Mr. Azariah a motor mechanic by profession stepped onto US soil about ten years ago. His reason for relocating was that he had dreamt of earning in dollars all his life. He came here on a visitor's visa and took advantage of his religion (Christianity) to seek political asylum. He had put no thought into post-relocating circumstances. Over here he got some teaching credentials by utilizing student loans. He is now teaching English at a public school in Pasadena. His wife is an ordinary housewife and his children have hopes of going to some of the top-notch 4-year colleges for higher education. What really hit me was that though he really wanted to succeed he did not have the means to achieve what he wanted.
The Mohsins whom I would socially stratify into the lower class have a little different but equally interesting story. Mr. Mohsin came here after completing his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Philippines. He was laid off due to the slump in the Aerospace Industry and now is merely a sustaining engineer in a computer-related firm. He came here to make a better future but could not, this I thought was due to the pride he had. From my observation and his way of talking I deduced that he thought that his biggest accomplishment was migrating to America and for this he should receive respect in the Desi community and in his community back home. It kind of made him different from other Pakistani's because he was a so-called American now. He had no plans of making something out of himself. His wife an accountant in the Metropolitan Travel Agency leaves home at six in the morning, comes back at five, doesn't even look after the household and is always cribbing about things. All the work is left with Mr. Mohsin and his mother-in-law. Even though they both make reasonable money their standard of living is still low.
The Saroias on the other hand have a totally different story. I would stratify them in the upper class of the Desi community and I think they should be the role model for the Desi community. Mr. Saroia himself comes from a very good family and has basically earned the right to reside in America. He came here when the computer industry was short of software programmers, by proving himself in the market he got sponsored for permanent residence. His wife is in the nursing profession. The couple strives for stability and that's what I think is the key to their success. Mr. Saroia had planned everything before shifting to America and he knew that he would be an asset to the industry. Their children display proper upbringing and are planning to attend 4-year colleges. Mr. Saroia is ready for all the expenses. The couple makes good money and is constantly moving higher in their standard of living. Altogether the family is pretty humble.
IV. Discussion: Looking at all of these families one can state that they all want to enjoy the fringe benefits of America. For many of these people depression outweighs risks, as they are all desperate to come out of their community in Pakistan. Most of them don't even have a plan and completely make their decisions of relocating based upon mood swings. Let me first start on discussing the abuse of America's political correctness. The asylum processes have become so easy for these Pakistani Christians that they don't even think twice about applying for it. I mean that procedure was for people that are really in danger of their lives being taken away from them, I know so many people that just applied because they wanted to get their hands on the "dollar". In wrongfully applying they are taking the space allocated for another person who needs it more than them. Excessive and hurried appeals for asylum are one of the major causes for instability among this Desi community they don't plan about what they are going to do after receiving asylum and many resent they even applied for it because the charm of America withers away in two months time. The Azariah's are a family that adopted this process of trying to make a better living. But can you justify a motor mechanic who all his life has been studying in an education system where English is not emphasized teaching English in our public schools, schools that will produce some of our nation's top leaders. People cry that our states academic scores are falling, if they just look into these teachers' profiles they will know why. I am not saying that diversity is a bad thing, introducing our youth to other cultures is a good thing but socially thinking I would not risk the study of our youth in the hands of a motor mechanic the disadvantages of this by far outnumber the advantages. I know that the government has raised the political count of South East Asians due to the success of the ones that came a decade ago and brought prosperity to our economy. Next I will like to discuss the effects this community has on our taxes. When everything else fails for these people they start relying on social security. Not that this is a bad thing, but this is affecting our society in two ways. One, it is increasing the amount of taxes we are paying and, second, it is giving birth to a community that is socially lazy, one that does not want to work and still get all the benefits. All that I am saying is that people like Mr. Azariah, though successful in making the journey out of Pakistan are straining all our resources and are in no way benefiting tour society. These immigrant minorities will soon become majorities and then we will have a problem of unemployment. They will request employment but how can one employ some one who is not academically fit for his respective job, that's a straight loss to multinational companies. That is why many multi national companies are denying permanent residency requests to those who do not prove themselves. Looking closely into these three families one can observe that no matter how hard these individuals try to succeed their internal atmosphere is so instable that rather than working on their jobs to prove themselves they are thinking about family problems and how to get out of their economic slump. With no trace of organization within the lives of these individuals it is not hard to see why even thought they have some access to the means of succeeding they cannot succeed.
According to the Functionalist perspective, I think families like the Azariahs and the Mohsins are dysfunctional. They have no ways of improving themselves as they find themselves in economic situations they cannot get out of e.g. cars, house loans and credit cards. These people cannot succeed because one they do not have the means to achieve what they want and secondly when they have supplemental income coming in they are not motivated.
The conflict perspective says that all this instability is good for the people as if it wasn't there, there would be a lot of monotony i.e. everybody will have equal access to resources. This instability provides competition, a means for making life worth living. But the way that I see it is that if people like the Azariahs and Mohsins aren't willing to live their lives in competition because they receive help from social services how is it good for the society? According to my interpretation of the Symbolic Interactionist perspective I think that all this is a warning for our societies' downfall. We should do something about it and not let people take advantage of us. We should have stronger methods of looking into people and perceiving their future in our society.
V. Conclusion: After all of this research and analysis I can construe that the Desi community has a larger part that is not doing fairly well. With communities like these affecting our society there can be inevitable everlasting effects. I can claim that less than 10% of the Desi community is highly intellectual and learned. It is very important to be organized and disciplined in life to properly utilize the available means of achieving success. Our book classifies people on the basis of access to means of success but I think one can create his own ways to achieve success it is just a matter of focusing. Mr. Saroia was not part of a network he believed that he could achieve success by working hard and he did. There is a famous Sufi saying that emphasizes this and it goes like this "Great achievements come after hard work."
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We are certain that by now everyone that’s ever imagined a zombie outbreak scenario has put together a must-have survival kit (in their minds, at least).
And we are also perfectly aware that these sort of post have been done over and over again, but nevertheless here’s ours!
We’ve tried to keep it as realistic as possible and within one afternoon’s worth of shopping.
Having a survival kit or a BOB (Bug Out Bag) is crucial if you’re a human. It would take too long to write about all the possible situations which could occur and a few times during your lifetime definitively will. A zombie apocalypse is a good enough reason as any to get one.
Be it sirens signaling incoming strike aircraft or moaning of your neighbors, you do not want to be listening to that kind of sounds while scraping items in a plastic bag and waiting for that bottle to finally fill with water.
Even though modern day survival kits are rather ill equipped to cope with zeds (read: kill them fast, easy and above else safely), they are crucial for something most zombie enthusiast forget to think about that much: YOUR SURVIVAL!
A world in panic and rampaging entropy is not an easily lootable supermarket. Let the noobs fight over pre-apocalypse luxuries and unnecesary items – and that, my friends, is a certainty; when the shit hits the fan everyone goes mental and runs around grabbing everything they see and think has any kind of value.
For that reason it is only logical to be dependant on what you have in your backpack and inside your head than what’s in the local Wallmart’s sports and outdoors department… which will be crawling with scared hopeless humans being run by their most primitive survival instincts. Did I forget to mention there will be infected people among them? YEP! And we don’t want to face that 30 minutes after we find out Z is among us.
So let’s go! This is what your survival kit HAS to have.
For inspecting and healing small injuries like removing splinters for example. Or even for repairing items and starting a fire.
Much easier to start a fire with a candle than just your matches
You can easily make ‘em yourself by dipping the striking heads of the matches in melted candle wax.
A little harder for one person to use on a tree but you probably won’t be chopping down entire forests by yourself.
Something like this will do but try to get a hold of a few bigger needles and stronger thread as well.
Or a similar emergency fire starter.
Fish is food and food is good
… and learn how to use it. Get a hold of maps of your surrounding area and put a good map in your kit.
Be sure to pack extra batteries with it!
Something like this will do but be more prepared, learn about first aid, learn about YOUR conditions.
There’s more in learning than talent to be a good doctor. Research and prepare wisely.
Knife
A good survival knife is not essentially a good zombie knife. (check out our article on the zombie knife). And the best knife is the one you know how to use without hurting yourself (kitchen knives excluded).
With a knife you’ll also need a sharpening stone, nothing special. A small and portable sharpening tool will do.
Kits are small and do not and can not contain everything you need when emergency strikes, they only have the basic. That is why I prefer and advice everyone to have a BOB
Concerning backpacks I find them the most important and vital items you have, right next to the knife, your primary weapon and your brain.
After all, it’s use will be to carry everything you need through thick and thin. And no one want’s to loose their lifeline while running away from zed.
Options are limitless so consider a few factors. For instance; if you’re planing on using a bicycle during the apocalypse then something like this might do DAKINE Shuttle Bike Pack
Do not buy or prepare too large a backpack if you are small in stature; sure, when push comes to shove you can put your gear down and use tactics and outmaneuver the zeds or kill ‘em and return for your backpack… but it’s a risk non the less, a risk you shouldn’t take, unless you’re absolutely confident in your fighting skills.
Something like this could be more of your style
as opposed to this
Imagine what would happen if you tried running with a fully packed backpack like that. I give you half a mile before getting either exhausted or injured.
You do not wanna get pneumonia when hiding or running or fighting with zeds. Most better backpacks and rucksacks have their own inbuilt cover from rain or are made from waterproof material so if you do not have any of that please find some fabric to protect your backpack when you stash it or have to be in the rain.
For obvious reasons
When you can’t get out of a situation you can use them to signal for help or even make a distraction. The good ones tend to be very expensive and the cheap ones are not reliable.
For use with traps, warning systems or when you just need to tie something/someone :D.
Watch a few episodes of Mythbusters concerning duct tape if you’re a non-believer. Everyone needs it!
I personally don’t own such a device cause I don’t actually like electronics that much (yeah, boo me:) ). However, most people have become rather dependent on such devices and a portable solar charger could be an excellent investment for them; with or without an apocalypse. The one listed below can charge USB devices and AA and AAA batteries, which pretty much covers everything.
You can power up your phones, radios… the whole sha-bang.
The duct tape of the zombie apocalypse! If you’re gonna use melee weapons and we all know you’re bound to do that we urge you to get yourself some overgrip tape.
This is the tape that tennis players use to wrap the handle of a tennis racket. Overgrip tape is extremely useful because it will both protect your palms and give you a stronger grip with your weapon making it a lot harder to loose control over the weapon or the weapon itself. It helps you not loose grip when your hands start sweating.
It would be a good idea to both prepare your melee weapons with an overgrip tape and have a few extra rolls if the apocalypse gets all out of control and lasts a long time.
It costs less than a dollar, and can be a difference between spilling food out of a can and eating a nice meal. You can even put it on a string and wear it around your neck,
might come handier than dog-tags when the Z’s come.
A bike repair kit
Even the simplest of transportation devices need maintenance and repair every now and then. It would not be nice to try and outrun a horde with a flat tire now wouldn’t it ;).
I do not have one, but seeing as I’ve been to the dentist a little too much for my taste I am strongly considering buying one.
Cooking equipment
Consider getting a small pot or two or even a Portable Cooking Kit.
And never leave home without a spoon/fork/knife combo.
Everyone needs water and make sure your BOB has it. If you’re gonna use PET bottles to store it make sure you throw away bottles after 6 months cause then they start letting bad chemicals into your water.
Spare clothing and at least a few pairs of good socks so your feet don’t look like the surface of the moon when you start getting blisters on them.
Duplicates of your personal identification and other essential documents.
Books you ought to read and if possible put in a safe storage somewhere or even take with you in your BOB. I can not even begin to emphasize how reading a few of these books is the best survival kit you can have. SURVIVE BY USING YOUR BRAIN!!When Technology Fails (Revised & Expanded): A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency
This book is basically a guide to do and make anything you want from scratch. From medicine to basic metallurgy. Excellent reading material and incredibly good and sound advice.SAS Survival Handbook
This is THE BEST emergency survival book on the planet… currently.
A notebook and a pen/pencil to write down any and every information you get while in a survival situation. Not everyone has a photographic memory and sometimes, especially in extreme situations, the mind can play tricks on us. So have a blank piece of paper or two to write shit down!How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times
The definitive guide on how to prepare for any crisis–from global financial collapse to a pandemic.When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes
Entertaining and useful
If you don’t like reading :P, there’s always DVD’s but remember… you won’t be able to haul a DVD player and a TV set just like that!
All books say the best advice is to build your own survival kit and be very careful about every object and tool you put in it. If you lack interest in doing that the internet is full of ready made kits.
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ArchShowcase
Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination.
SHIZIMEN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT in Zhuhai, China by 10 Design
November 26th, 2014 by Sumit Singhal
China Celebrated the Opening of Its World Class Central Business District in Shizimen, Zhuhai
Gordon and Miriam led the design team for the complex from the competition winning entry and worked closely with the client to the completion of the first phase. Recently the team at 10 DESIGN have been commissioned to advise on the future design phases of the development.
The overall development comprises 640,000 sqm of accommodation. The first phaseincorporates 362,000 sqm of convention, theatre, music hall, exhibition, and banquet facilities. These public and civic functions are supported with retail, F&B, serviced apartments, a 548 key Sheraton Hotelopening on 28
As the chief designer of the development, Gordon was invited as the key note speaker at the formal opening ceremony. The core message described “how convention and exhibition facilities if properly considered can play a vital role in the economic development of a region.” He explained that convention and exhibition centres facilitate communication and act as catalysts for trade and commerce regionally and globally. A summary of the keynote speech below:
Commercial sustainability is critical. There are several interactive ingredients leading to primary commercial successes: Location, Flexibility, and Diversity.
In order to cater for a wide audience, it is critical that the convention and exhibition facility can hold a multitude of diverse events with the ability to segregate or inter-mix delegates. This requires a high degree of flexibility in planning. So while the external public amenity functions of retail, F&B and office are sculpted in form, the internal planning requires to be rational and flexible.
The facility holds a multitude of functions including a theatre, a music auditorium, large scale convention and exhibition halls accommodating up to 2,000 people and large scale banquet rooms hosting up to 4,000 people.
A commercially successful development also demands a complimentary mix of uses to make it work as a standalone destination, with continual occupation beyond the requirements of the limited convention and exhibition centre operations. Therefore other functions such as office, hospitality, serviced apartments, and retail have been designed in the first phase, creating a waterfront urban destination.
The civic importance of the facility should not preclude it from being enjoyed by the general public. It was a driving factor in the original design competition concept that the facility should act as a truly public amenity as well as a civic one. This principle has been adhered to throughout the whole design process with the creation of an activated plaza linking the District Road to a waterfront plaza. This plaza is activated continually by retail, F&B, and garden spaces.
The idea of combining public and civic functions brought about the idea of an urban ribbon, linking and defining functions and spaces in the Shizimen CBD.
The ribbon houses purely public functions such as F&B and retail and also physically connects the main road (Nanwan Road) to the waterfront. The ribbon acts as a screen and separator between public and semi-public functions while at the same time framing vistas both internally and externally such as the view towards Macau.
It also wraps around special civic functions such as the theatre and convention, and lifts and opens to create a number of different special entry points to varying zones. For instance the ribbon, wrapping on NanwanRoad, forms a formal entrance by day and a vibrant arch by night while framing the entry to the music hall and theatre on the elevated plaza with its views to Macau.
The ribbon also helps to define a series of more intimate garden spaces which are key circulation areas between zones while providing sunken daylight wells to the carpark drop off areas. The combination of hardscape and planting reflect sculptural forms of the Zhuhai coastline.
The Shizimen CBD does provide a wide range of facilities that are rare to find in even the largest of convention facilities. It combines high quality, flexible exhibition, and convention space with several specialist spaces including a theatre and music auditoriums. With its distinctive coastal setting and a wide range of hospitality and commercial functions provided on site, the Shizimen CBD offers a compelling platform for businesses and communication.
Related posts: Contact 10 Design
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"It is not easily followed."
What can I say, a single guy, never a dad, about the importance of traditional marriage? How? Why? Why am I so concerned about something like traditional marriage? One important reason I can think of is because I come from a family wherein marriage was anything but 'high and noble'. My parents were completely irresponsible, negligent, abusive alcoholics. Yes, they did the best they could, but they had huge unresolved, unaddressed issues which affected how they parented. The were indiscreet in their sins, acting them out in full view of the kids, not simply through drunkenness, open sexuality, physical and mental abuse of one another, but their extramarital exploits were not well disguised or unknown.
Immorality is a horrible example to set for kids. It is an abuse.
In our day, single parents, unmarried parents, and kids of divorce are so common - in every economic strata - yet this fact can offer no justification to reorder, or redefine marriage between a man and a woman. Likewise, same sex couples, pretending to be married, cannot present a moral alternative to the failure of marriage in our culture. It is precisely because there is, and has been, such a crisis of marriage that same sex marriage is even considered as a viable and acceptable proposition. It is not.
Anyway. The Archbishops of Westminster & Southwark have issued a Pastoral letter on the redefinition of marriage to be read this weekend at all the Masses. I wanted to share a part of that text:
The reasons given by our government for wanting to change the definition of marriage are those of equality and discrimination. But our present law does not discriminate unjustly when it requires both a man and a woman for marriage. It simply recognises and protects the distinctive nature of marriage. Changing the legal definition of marriage would be a profoundly radical step. Its consequences should be taken seriously now. The law helps to shape and form social and cultural values. A change in the law would gradually and inevitably transform society’s understanding of the purpose of marriage. It would reduce it just to the commitment of the two people involved. There would be no recognition of the complementarity of male and female or that marriage is intended for the procreation and education of children. We have a duty to married people today, and to those who come after us, to do all we can to ensure that the true meaning of marriage is not lost for future generations. Most Reverend V. Nichols Most Reverend P. Smith
They might have added: "Changing the legal definition of marriage will screw kids up."
That said, I'm pretty sure nothing will stop it - it is on a trajectory of its own.
H/T St. Mary Magdalen Blog, Fr. Blake
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While taking in a Roller Derby bout over the weekend, a couple of us Bitch Beer gals were surprised to see an ad for a local brewery in the program. You see, we didn’t realize immediately that it had anything to do with craft beer, because at first glance it looked more like an advertisement for some kind of Affliction-esque clothing line or a PG13 Suicide Girls ad.
The ad (pictured left) was for South Austin Brewing and features a bottomless woman toting a bottle of beer with the tagline “Your Champagne Just Got Jealous!” Now, as opposed as we are to the use of exclamation marks, and as confused as we are about why she’s still wearing her cowboy boots, the more disturbing thing here is definitely the use of a half naked female to sell beer.
Not only did it seem to be an odd fit for roller derby, a sport that’s actually about empowering women to compete versus turning them into oversexed sidelinettes, it seemed a poor fit for craft beer. Yes, from time to time craft breweries have put things like sexy cartoon wenches on their bottle labels, and more on that later, but on the whole, the industry has never slumped to the level of the Super Bowl tit-pedaling macrobreweries of the world. Never before have I been confused about whether a craft brewery is selling beer or sex.
Ironically, Lone Star, a beer brand started by Adolphus Busch and owned by Pabst Brewing Company, advertised in the same program, and produced a female-targeted ad featuring a skater crushing a beer can on her head. The ad (pictured right) was as clever as it was badass. Frankly, if my beer purchasing decisions were based on the contrasting vibes of the advertisements alone, I’m suddenly a lot more likely to shotgun a can of the ol’ national beer of Texas than to pour myself a snifter of saison. For a gal like me, that’s saying something.
Both of these ads feature the same three things–a woman, a container of beer and a pithy tagline, though they couldn’t be further apart in connotation. In the South Austin ad, pantyless and mere picas from a snatch flash, the woman is being portrayed as something you’re pretty much expected to drink up right along with the beer. Conversely, the Lone Star ad features a strong woman interacting with the product in a very different way, I mean she’s pretty much making that can her bitch. Furthermore, in the Lone Star ad, it’s pretty damn clear that the woman is supposed to have consumed the beer herself, while in the South Austin ad it looks like the gal is just offering the beer up to horny/thirsty readers.
Now, before this turns into a full-on debate over whether the South Austin ad is sexist or just sexy, whether it objectifies women, and whether all women are likely to be offended by it or not, that’s not really the main concern here. Rather, what I would deem more troubling is the fact that an advertisement like this is alienating to female consumers.
Here at Bitch Beer, our mission has always been to make craft beer more accessible to women. We met too many ladies who had sworn off beer all together because they never experienced anything better than the watery adjunct crap some frat bro pumped them from a keg in college. To be frank, those efforts, and the efforts of so many passionate female (and for that matter, male) craft beer advocates that came long before us, are hindered when a male dominated industry puts out advertisements that feature women as titillating objects of affection rather than as valued consumers of their products.
If you don’t believe me, believe a British study conducted by Molson Coors that found that 42% of women surveyed believe that ‘changing the advertising’ is the biggest thing that could be done to make beer more appealing to women. That’s a statistic that shouldn’t be taken lightly when you consider that women are actually responsible for 85% of all consumer purchases in America.
It should be noted that South Austin Brewing is not the only offender here, and this post was certainly not made in any effort to demonize them as some kind of lady-haters, nor am I suggesting that the idea of men liking half naked women is some kind of revelation. Seeing the ad was merely a catalyst to have a dialogue about what has been an ongoing issue in beer advertising (plus, you know, like all advertising), certainly as it applies to the Big 3, but, what we’re learning is that craft breweries aren’t innocent either. Clown Shoes has received heat for their “Tramp Stamp” label (pictured right), and Texas BIG BEER Brewery (pictured left) made a similarly classy brew known as Big Ass Blonde (note the horrifying display of denim on denim) before a copyright issue forced them to change the name to Big Texas Blonde. Aw shucks, what a loss.
‘Community’ is a huge word that gets tossed around when it comes to craft beer. Hell, I’m sure a lil’ search of our website for the word would yield copious results. And, it’s true, so much of what is appealing about supporting small breweries is wrapped up in the idea of knowing exactly who is producing the beer you’re drinking and exactly who your dollar is supporting.
“Meet the brewer” nights, brewery tours, pint nights, anniversary parties, etc. all serve to heighten the vibrant community of craft beer, to introduce producers to consumers as allies in a quest for quality and the fostering of a true beer community. But, is it really a community when a brewery’s advertising has the potential to alienate half of the population? Can’t we all agree that if craft beer is ever going to surpass 5.7% of the market share of beer consumed in this country, that it’s going to take the help of more female beer drinkers? Can anybody pull off closing an article with a series of rhetorical questions
without sounding like Carrie Bradshaw?
Of only that last question am I uncertain.
-Caroline *All beer labels and photos of advertisements are displayed for educational purposes and should not be reused.
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Imagine that being your daddy was the best thing your father ever did. To hear that would be music to the ears of so many of our nation’s daughters. The little ones and those of us who have grown up to become women, women often still searching for whatever we feel we didn’t get from the first man we ever truly loved or placed upon a pedestal, whether or not he was actually worthy of such. While many of us have grown beyond the stage of finger pointing and the placing of blame, if we look back to revisit our yesterdays it is quite easy to see that our relationship (or lack of) with our father shaped the women we became.
Our feelings of not being worthy or of value in the eyes of our fathers resulted in adult women who struggled to love the face that stared back at them when they looked in the mirror. Our desire to be loved and accepted by the man who we share a genetic makeup with catapulted us to the arms of men who were so undeserving of our hearts despite us often attempting to thrust it into their hands hoping that they would love us back. For so many of us all we wanted was to matter to him, to be loved by him, for him to tell us that we were important and precious. And out of that want we went on a quest to find love.
Eventually, we would come to learn that love wasn’t giving away our body and innocence, love wasn’t spending our money to buy his affection, and love wasn’t standing still and feeling small as you were belittled and mistreated. It is a lesson that some of us are still learning. It is hard not to wonder how different life would have been if as daughters we had a daddy and not just a father. How different would life have been if someone had taught us how a woman should be treated? Had someone helped us to see that we were worthy of love and respect and that we were beautiful beings. What if someone looked into our little eyes, eyes that were brimming with hope and promise, eyes that had not yet seen how painful the world can be and told us we were the best thing they ever did?
I look at the way my husband’s eyes light up when he looks at his girls. And I wonder what that would do for so many of our daughters, to see their daddy’s eyes light up when he looks at them. To hear him say how much he loves being their father.
As referenced on The Root, according to child psychologist, Steve Biddulph, “girls with strong and involved fathers will grow up with higher self-esteem and make smarter choices later in life.” As a woman I know firsthand how true this is. As a mother I know what it means to me to be married to a man who realizes the gift and honor it is to be a child’s daddy. Even so, the reality is that for many children, a father will be nothing more than a memory or a person that we glorified because sometimes it is far too easy to fall in love with the idea of someone.
For some of us our father was the first man to break our heart. For some of us he was the man who taught us to protect it. There are numerous studies and books that will speak to the importance of having a father or father figure in your life but I believe the stories shared by women are the ones that tell it best.
Hi my name is Krishann. My father wasn’t always there and whether or not he could or couldn’t be there, in his eyes, doesn’t matter all that much. What matters is that he wasn’t there the way I needed him to be. We were inseparable and then on the brink of me becoming a teenager we were separate. I spent my teenage years making what I refer to as “a series of poor choices.” But by God’s grace I am here. I am standing, and I am still fighting to love myself and to let my husband love me the way I deserve to be loved. I’m pretty sure my dad thinks I’m awesome. In fact he has told me so but during the time when I most needed to hear that, I didn’t. And at 28 years old I still have to remind myself each and every day that I truly am enough.
While having a father is ideal we know the world we live in does not rotate on account of the things that we believe are ideal. May our children all be so blessed as to have someone who will help them to realize their value and potential. And in the event that there is no one else may
we be that person. BMWK — How did your relationship with your father shape you? Fathers how are you helping your daughters realize how valuable they are? Store
like what you're reading?
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“Never put in a fence post if there’s a full moon – by golly, it will pop right out!” As farmers, we live our lives by the rule of thumb. “Plant pumpkins on Memorial Day weekend and corn should be knee high by the Fourth of July”!
The rules can be followed, changed, and broken based on a person’s upbringing, culture, and outside influences. They’re simply assumptions, experiences, and stereotypes. My rule book is full of white out in the “when to plant” section, sarcastic comments in the margin about Ball canning recipes and botulism, and Tim’s motivational speech on replay in my head, “Who cares what the rule of thumb is? Just do it… what’s the worst that can happen? They eat ya?”
Probably the most interesting stereotype has been the public’s rule of thumb for organic farmers.
They never eat conventional or processed food – only organic and local, they only support local businesses and wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like Walmart, they’re liberal (personally and politically), they don’t drink or smoke (and if they do…. it’s an organic, local, microbrew followed by a joint grown on the farm *editor’s note to the Portage Co. DEA: I see you fly over weekly, consider this comment a stretch of the truth to humor my readers*), and they’re prepared to chain themselves to a fracking drill rig if it ever tries to poke a hole anywhere near their farm. So yesterday I went to Walmart to buy a case of Bud Light, two sandwiches from Subway and a Diet Pepsi for the ride home when I ran into one of our better customers. I approached her to say hello and she darted to guard her shopping cart that had a loaf of Schwebel’s bread and conventional bananas poking out. She was embarrassed and clearly surprised to see me. I’m not sure what she was worried about, wasn’t I the one breaking the rules?
A few weeks ago we travelled to Pennsylvania to have our soybeans professionally roasted for our new line of stone ground poultry feed. When we pulled up, I saw two old guys leaning against an Allis Chalmers tractor. One was wearing overalls and a John Deere hat (my kindred spirit) and the other was wearing coveralls and a Farm Bureau hat. I was sure they were large scale conventional farmers and I knew how the conversation was going to go, “so you’re an organic farmer, are ya?…” He looks to his partner, winks, and says, “I reckon she uses horses to plow her fields……” I would then passionately rattle off our vision (and extensive equipment list) and then they would figuratively pat me on the head and wish me good luck with my “garden”. I got out of the truck, introduced myself, asked a few questions and avoided small talk. One man started roasting our soybeans with Tim and the other man leaned against our truck, staring at me, “So you have an organic farm?” Here we go.
And this is where the story unexpectedly changes. As I shared our story, I realized he was engaged. He was asking poignant questions, listening intently, nodding in agreement and smiling. It turns out he has a small dairy, he’s been raising his herd naturally and organically for 15 years, and even drinks the ever controversial raw milk. When I asked him if he has considered organic certification, his response was simple, “No way.”
No way? “Nope. I’d lose all my friends.” Lose all of your friends? He explained that his conventional buddies that surround his property tolerate his practices, but organic certification would be the tipping point – he was too old to fight it and, “anyways…. I like hanging out and having coffee with them sometimes.”
I often wonder if my infrequent trips to Walmart or the store bought pizza in our freezer will turn off some customers. We may not follow all the rules of thumb for organic farmers, but we are genuine and there is nothing to hide at Breakneck Acres. We hope that this will be the reason customers support us and keep coming back. And the “rule of thumb”? Some say it used to mean that it was legal to beat your wife with a switch, so long as the switch was no thicker than the husband’s thumb. Tim’s got some big hands…. so we’ve agreed we really don’t need any “rules of thumb” at the farm!
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Hi everyone and Happy New Year. Yes it’s a bit late, I haven’t had a great deal to say so I haven’t said anything. Today however, I have something to say.
I’m getting a bit tired of all the dog theft posts I keep seeing on Facebook and Twitter. With just a little investigation most of them are shown to be scare mongering hoaxes. One I looked into had been reported in exactly the same text and format from as far apart as England, holland, Russia, USA and Canada. The headline grab isn’t DOG STOLEN it’s GANG USES STOLEN DOGS FOR DOGFIGHTING. What a load of bolocks. The headline got you here didn’t it?
Yes dogs are stolen but if you check the breeds that are going missing you will notice a pattern. The majority of breeds that are stolen are the little handbag type yappies as they are very easy to resell. You will also notice a lot of the show-off type breeds like Akitas and Huskies, again because of their resell value.
No Staffordshire Bull Terriers are being stolen as they are unfavourably common and the resell value is nil, A Staffy pup can be picked up for nothing on Facebook so why go steal one? And if you were using dogs for dog fighting, surely you would want something that would at least exercise your mighty K9 destroyer and not run the risk of it chocking on poopoo’s diamanté collar.
This problem is an extension of the “Backyard Breader” issue. If you had to be licensed to breed dogs then you wouldn’t have all of these unqualified idiots letting two dogs shag then trying to sell the pups for a grand a time.
I am the owner of a large thorough bred dog and I got her at 6 weeks old. As soon as her first season had ended I had her spayed. So many people said to me “you could get £500 per pup from her”. My opinion is that if you had to have a certain qualification to get the breeder license, you would cut down on the backyard breeders, you would then cut down on the amount of unwanted dogs going to the RSPCA and other dog rescue centres.
I also think that bitches should be spayed and dogs should be neutered as a matter of course. There is no need for the animal to have the reproductive ability if you are not going to breed from it. If you didn’t have the license to breed then you wouldn’t be allowed to anyway.
Yes I can hear a lot of voices saying “it’s my right to choose” but no it isn’t, it is proven that neutering helps in the majority of cases to reduce aggression in dogs and spaying reduces the risk of certain cancers in bitches. If you want to breed from your own dogs then you would need a license. The penalty for unlicensed breeding should be all animals removed from the home and a complete ban on keeping an animal, no matter how small, for 10 years. It would need to be harsh to enforce it. A mandatory 2 year prison term for those who ignore the ban with their assets being seized to pay for their prison stay would reinforce how we as a nation feel about or four legged buddies.
To get such licenses, as I mentioned earlier, one would need to gain some form of dog husbandry qualifications. This would also eliminate things like interbreeding and would go a long we to reforming the Kennel Club (KC). The KC actively ignore Father/Daughter, Mother/Son and Sibling/Sibling inbreeding to the point that many many breeds of dog are unrecognisable from their original strains. Along with this inbreeding comes the inevitable health issues.
In German Shepherds for example you see Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Dysplasia. This results in the hind quarters of the dog colapsing. In King Charles Spaniels you see Syringomyelia. This is caused by the skull being to small for the brain and has been proved to cause the animal serious suffering. Who in their right mind would allow someone who is willing to do this to a dog to become a breeder or a judge at a dog show? Let alone be responsible for a dogs welfare.
There are other stories of a property being marked with coloured stickers on the garden gate or the letter K being chalked on the path outside a house that contains a desirable dog. Again there have been reports of this from all over the world on social media but no official Police reports have been filed.
So please, please, please. Before you go and click SHARE, have a quick look on Google and see if the subject you are about to pollute my timeline with has been hoaxed. If it has, the chances are you are going to look a bit silly at best, at worst you could be distributing false or illegal information and you could leave yourself open to ridicule or even prosecution.
I feel better for that.
Thanks for reading
Craig xx
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Cults use mind control techniques to keep their members from leaving the group and reinforce adherence to the common cause. Damanhur is no exception to this.
If someone unwittingly becomes member of a cult then it is obvious that psychological coercion has been employed in some form. The mind control techniques used by cults are many and varied but a basic list of 26 is shown below: I have added my comments in Italics to the original Ce.S.A.P forum post to illustrate how these techniques manifest in Damanhur.
DIO Editor What is Mind Control? Mind Control techniques include: Hypnosis
Inducing a state of high suggestibility by hypnosis, often thinly disguised as relaxation or meditation.
– Meditation School courses and ‘Serata’ with Falco. Peer Group Pressure
Suppressing doubt and resistance to new ideas by exploiting the need to belong. –
Belonging to the Spiritual and Magic People of Damanhur – a spiritual elite that will save the planet. Love Bombing
Creating a sense of family and belonging through hugging, kissing, touching and flattery.
– Emotional bonding within Meditation School groups – promoting group loyalty and a love of Damanhur. Rejection of Old Values
Accelerating acceptance of new life style by constantly denouncing former values and beliefs.
– The outside world is full of ignorance, the Catholic Church is our Enemy, the outside world does not and cannot understand Damanhur. Confusing Doctrine
Encouraging blind acceptance and rejection of logic through complex lectures on an incomprehensible doctrine.
– Meditation School courses, Falco’s courses and the study of Esoteric Physics and attendant yearly MCD exams. Meta-communication
Implanting subliminal messages by stressing certain key words or phrases in long, confusing lectures
. – Obligatory Serata with Falco on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Removal of Privacy
Achieving loss of ability to evaluate logically by preventing private contemplation.
– Overcrowded residential spaces, the sharing of rooms, lack of personal time because of endless meetings ‘voluntary’ work and community commitments. Time Sense Deprivation
Destroying ability to evaluate information, personal reactions, and body functions in relation to passage of time by removing all clocks and watches.
– Removal of watches/banning of telephones during Meditation School sessions and Falco’s courses. Disinhibition
Encouraging child-like obedience by orchestrating child-like behavior.
– The ‘Game of Life’ initiatives. Uncompromising Rules
Inducing regression and disorientation by soliciting agreement to seemingly simple rules which regulate mealtimes, bathroom breaks and use of medications.
– The School of Meditation disciplines, preparations for rituals and the practices of certain of the ‘Spiritual Ways.’ Verbal Abuse*
Desensitizing through bombardment with foul and abusive language.
– Not known. Sleep Deprivation and Fatigue
Creating disorientation and vulnerability by prolonging mental and physical activity and withholding adequate rest and sleep.
– Keeping people ‘busy’ obligatory unpaid hours of work ‘Terrazzatura’, work for the Nucleo, Nucleo turns, Nucleo meetings, ritual observances, prayers, spheres, local political commitments, attending conferences, meetings of the Spiritual Ways, ‘volunteer’ construction work in the Temple etc ,etc Dress Codes
Removing individuality by demanding conformity to the group dress code.
– Wearing of Meditation School ritual robes, encouragement to observe the color of the day in personal dress Chanting and Singing
Eliminating non-cult ideas through group repetition of mind-narrowing chants or phrases.
– Group prayers, ritual prayers, Meditation School practices. Confession
Encouraging the destruction of individual ego through confession of personal weaknesses and innermost feelings of doubt.
– Tecnarcato group work, the Tecnarcato Diary, fortnightly and monthly personal reports, personal letters at the full and dark moon, interviews with heads of Spiritual Ways and Tecnarcato leaders. Financial Commitment
Achieving increased dependence on the group by ‘burning bridges’ to the past, through the donation of assets.
– Donation of all personal and inherited wealth to the Community on becoming a citizen A. Finger Pointing
Creating a false sense of righteousness by pointing to the shortcomings of the outside world and other cults.
– The outside world is ignorant. Damanhurians represent humanity on this planet. No other community can match Damanhur‘s achievements. Flaunting Hierarch
Promoting acceptance of cult authority by promising advancement, power and salvation.
– Damanhurians are destined to become Gods in their lifetime. Damanhurians are saving the planet. If you leave Damanhur you will lose your soul. Falco is the reincarnation of Horus. Isolation
Inducing loss of reality by physical separation from family, friends, society and rational references.
– Becoming a citizen A and working inside the Community means there is no time for outside pursuits, old friends or family connections. Visiting family members outside is frowned upon during public holidays. Obligatory rituals and Meditation school meetings are always organized at holiday times to keep people on the territory. Controlled Approval
Maintaining vulnerability and confusion by alternately rewarding and punishing similar actions.
– Meditation School disciplinary procedures without right of appeal. Esoteric grades and Game of Life bracelets. Change of Diet
Creating disorientation and increased susceptibility to emotional arousal by depriving the nervous system of necessary nutrients through the use of special diets and/or fasting.
– Meditation School disciplines, ritual fasting, the disciplines of the Way of the Monks. Games
Inducing dependence on the group by introducing games with obscure rules.
– Battles in the Woods, Horusian Games, Meditation School courses, Magic Journeys in the Woods. Falco’s courses. No Questions
Accomplishing automatic acceptance of beliefs by discouraging questions.
– Meditation School groups and courses. Guilt
Reinforcing the need for ‘salvation’ by exaggerating the sins of the former lifestyles.
– Before Damanhur your life had no direction or meaning. The outside world is doomed to extinction, only Damanhurians will be saved. Fear
Maintaining loyalty and obedience to the group by threatening soul, life or limb for the slightest ‘negative’ thought, word or deed.
– Meditation School disciplines, humiliating apologies before the entire school. Warnings from the Damanhurian Department of Security, disciplinary procedures by the School of Meditation, the College of Justice, and the King Guides with no right of defense. Replacement of Relationships
Destroying pre-cult families by arranging cult marriages and ‘families’.
– The Nucleo is your ‘real’ family. Outside relatives are less important as they are not members of the Damanhurian spiritual elite. In the early years of Damanhur Falco arranged the marriages of citizens. Talon First posted 2008/04/11 21:49 to the Damanhur Forum of www.cesap.net under the title’ LE MIE RIFLESSIONI’. The only aspect of this list which is not true of Damanhur is that of ‘Verbal abuse’. Here is an extract from the UK, Cult Information Centre site on the dangers of mental manipulation ‘The average cult uses a combination of the majority of the above described techniques, which result in a potential recruit being broken down physically and mentally and made highly vulnerable to suggestion. This pressure usually continues to a breaking point referred to as ‘snapping’ by Conway and Siegelman (Conway & Siegelman, Snapping. New York: Delta Books, l979). After snapping, the subject is left in a state of hyper suggestibility where critical ability is severely impaired. Simultaneously there is usually a sudden personality change, a change for the worse. It is this change of personality and the relative inability of the subject to critically evaluate, that provokes family and friends of the average victim to react. Unless they are given some guidance on how to cope, the cult member will rapidly become more and more alienated from them.
With cults representing such a threat to the individual, the family and society, how can we cope?
There are many things that can be done as follows:
1. Society needs to become aware of how everyone is vulnerable to manipulation.
2. People need to be educated about mind control techniques, so they can recognize and leave an environment where psychological coercion exists, before becoming a victim.
3. Society needs to become aware that there is a lot of good material on cults to be found in the media. It is useful for updating one’s information.
4. People need to learn to question, be discerning and feel it is OK to say NO!
5. More mental health professionals need to be trained to help cult victims.
Hopefully some of the popular misconceptions have been overcome in this article. They are as follows:
Exploding The Myths
1. People don’t join cults. They are recruited.
2. People are recruited by a method not a message.
3. People do not stay in cults because they have nothing better to do with their lives, but because psychological coercion holds them there.
4. Cults intend to retain a hold on people for life, or for as long as they are valuable to the cult. It is not a fad or a phase.
5. Normal people from normal families are recruited into cults.
6. Cult leaders should be blamed for the problems caused, not the individual members, ex-members or their families. (Blame the victim syndrome). It can happen to anyone.
7. Cult members are sincere. (Sincere victims, but sincere.)
8. Cult members are victims and need to be treated with love. They are people who need help, not hostility.
9. Cults recruit people of all ages, not just young people.
10. Cult recruiters are rarely visually identifiable. They usually look like quite normal people who appear to be very friendly.
11. Anyone can become a victim of cult techniques of psychological coercion. The safest people seem to be the seriously mentally ill, or those that know how to recognize a cult.
12. Accurate information on cults is not best obtained by trying to infiltrate a cult. This is far too dangerous.’
Ian Haworth, General Secretary, Cult Information Centre Link: Check out these two pages on the ‘Spirit Watch’ site for a description of how mind control works in groups like Damanhur.
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Author Tim Talbot and Gary Messing responded to the case in PORAC Law Enforcement Vol. 38 NO.7 July 2006 in the following ways.
Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) section 625 specifically permits peace officers to take a minor into temporary custody without a warrant when an officer reasonably believes a minor committed a crime.
California courts find no meaningful distinction between a temporary custody and an arrest in the application of WIC section 625. In re Ian C., 87 Cal. App. 4th 856, 860 (2001). Moreover, the warrant less arrest of minors charged with misdemeanor offences has been held constitutional. In re Samual V., 225 Cal.App.3d 511 (1990)
Once inside, a police officer’s rights are limited to the scope of the consent given on entry to the residence. People v. Ramey, 16 Cal.3d 263 (1976). In this instance, Ly merely asked if he could come into the family’s home and the father consented to Ly’s entry.
As for the propriety of arresting a minor at night, Penal Code Section 840 specifically authorizes the arrest of anyone charged with a misdemeanor before 10 p.m.
Certain individuals suggested that because the father paid for the damage to the victim’s vehicle, without ever admitting responsibility for the damage, no crime was committed. In actuality, the law requires the victim to appear in court and acknowledge receiving satisfaction for the injury before the court may dismiss a criminal prosecution. Penal Code 1378-1379.
In People v Tischman, 35 Cal.App.4th 174 (1995), the court stated that misdemeanor hit and run accident can and should be resolved through civil compromise, unless there are extenuating circumstances. It is implied that those responsible acknowledge responsibility for causing the damage, which never occurred in this case.
Tim Talbot and Gary Messing are partners in the Sacramento office of Caroll, Burdick and McDonough. They helped to convince the District Attorney's office to make information about the case public. They are lawyers for the Davis Police Officers' Association.
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The only American values we in this part of the world have been exposed to are the values of lie, deception, dictatorship and political persecution by American-backed regimes that deny their people the most basic human rights and civil liberties.
Mr. Obama: Thou shall not lie By Khalid Amayreh
In his remarks marking the passage of nine years since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on 11 September, 2001, President Obama said Americans ought to remain true to their values and refuse to paint all Muslims as terrorists.
“The highest honor we can pay those we lost, indeed our greatest weapon in this ongoing war, is to do what our adversaries fear the most – to stay true to who we are, as Americans; to renew our sense of common purpose; to say that we define the character of our country, and we will not let the acts of some small band of murderers who slaughter the innocent and cower in caves distort who we are.”
Well, I would like to comment on these claims highlighted in Obama’s words. First, if true American values are expressed by America’s behaviors around the world, then the US has really very little to be proud of. Indeed, since the end of the Second World War in 1945, no other country under the sun has been directly or indirectly responsible for more murderous killings.
The list of wars, including civil wars, ignited or precipitated by Washington is indeed very long. In fact, one can say with little or no exaggeration that no region on earth has been spared American efforts to sow violence, chaos and death, mostly under the dubious rubric of “freedom, liberty and democracy.” Under these whoring slogans, death, violence, misery, and civil wars crippled entire countries, divided previously undivided nations, and turned brother against brother. The civil war in Lebanon which lasted for many years is a classical example of America’s criminal role in igniting violence and killings around the globe. Most American statesmen, people like Henry Kissinger, saw murder, even on a genocidal scale, as a legitimate tool of American diplomacy. In the final analysis, the end justified the means.
In addition, the US routinely and consistently embraced notoriously tyrannical regimes in countries like Iran, Argentina, Chile and in regions like the Arab world, South Asia, and central America, sowing terror and dictatorship, all under the same whoring rubric of fostering freedom and democracy so much so that democracy has become a despicable word in many countries.
In some instances, like in occupied Palestine, the US has been embracing Israeli Nazism in ways defying linguistic description. This dark, evil embrace of Israeli criminality has brazenly violated every conceivable declared American value from adhering to justice and fair-play to equality under the law.
Thus, American tax money and American political weight as well as the state-of-the-art of America’s technology of death have been instrumental in enabling Israel, a decidedly Nazi-like state, to murder with impunity, steal neighbor’s land with impunity, practice ethnic cleansing with impunity, and brashly discriminate against non-Jews with impunity. Predictably, this was all done under the rubric of democracy and shared-values and other obscenely mendacious slogans.
I am no stranger to the United States and its culture. I lived in the States for many years. I graduated from some of its finest universities. And I would be dishonest if I claimed that the United States is completely devoid of positive values and humanity. None the less, I can safely claim that US political behavior at the international arena has been explicitly incompatible with America’s declared values. For example, America prides itself on having a government of the people, by the people and for the people. However, we all know too well that America actively supports and backs tyrannical regimes that treat their masses as if they were a flock of sheep or herd of cattle. In some of these countries, the regime’s ruthless gendarme is ordered to savagely beat voters who are suspected of having a certain propensity to vote for the opposition. The US also jealously and enthusiastically backs despotic dynasties that deny women (and men) basic human and political rights, including the right to elect their own governments.
In occupied Palestine, when a truly democratic election was organized a few years ago, and Hamas, a truly democratic Islamist movement, won the polls, the US abruptly turned its back to democracy and decided to impose sweeping and draconian sanctions on the occupied territories in order to thwart the newly- elected government simply because Israel and some dictatorial Arab regimes feared the consequences of a successful Islamic experiment..
So, what values is Mr. Obama is talking about? The only American values we in this part of the world have been exposed to are the values of lie, deception, dictatorship and political persecution by American-backed regimes that deny their people the most basic human rights and civil liberties.
Moreover, we know too well that while governments ought to be answerable to their own peoples, our governments are answerable to Washington, first and foremost, and the US is quite happy about it.
I am not suggesting that the peoples of the Middle East are completely vindicated of responsibility for the colossal crime of having thuggish dictators and tyrants holding them by the throat for so many years. In the final analysis, the people can and must do more to free themselves from the stranglehold of the thuggish tyrants.
However, it is crystal clear that “democratic America” is making the task of spreading democracy and political liberty in the Muslim world, especially the Middle East, nearly impossible. Eventually, the people, who spend most of their time trying to make ends meet, can hardly fight the police-state apparatus and the US combined. And should they try, they would be crushed mercilessly and accused of harboring terrorist goals and planning to establish terrorist regimes.
Another point. Mr. Obama says ” and we will not let the acts of some small band of murderers who slaughter the innocent and cower in caves distort who we are.” Well, first of all, the American president shouldn’t think that the world is a free zone for American propaganda.
I am saying this because killing innocent people has never ever been the exclusive craft of those who “cower in caves” and seek to “distort who we are.”
The real distorter of “who we are” is the horrendous crimes America has been committing and continues to commit around the worlds? Have you Mr. Obama asked yourself one morning or one evening how many innocent Afghan or Pakistani civilians your country has killed in the context of the so-called war on terror? You claim to be a Christian, but tell me how can a true follower of Christ justify or even rationalize the slaughter of one multitude after the other of mostly innocent children, women and men whose only “crime” is often existing in the wrong place at the wrong time?
This is certainly more, much more, than the euphemistic joke which you call “collateral damage.” This is a slow-motion genocide, because killing knowingly is killing deliberately. This criminal discourse is affirmed and reaffirmed, asserted and reasserted hundreds of times, if only by making the same “mistake” over and over again.
I strongly believe that America’s ugly crimes in the Muslim world, which are often justified in the name of Christianity, give a bad name for Christianity just as the ugly crimes committed by some nominally Muslim terrorists give a bad name for Islam. Which effectively puts the US government on a morally equal footing with the terrorists? The only difference is that in the terrorists’ case, the crime is called “terror,” while in America’s case, the same crime is called “war.”
But there is another difference: America’s crimes are probably supported by a majority of hopelessly ignorant and/ or misinformed Americans, while al-Qaeda’s crimes are rejected by the vast majority of Muslims. I know what I am saying because I am a Muslim who happens to be living in the heart of the Muslim world.
So, Mr. Obama, I suggest you stop this mendacious propaganda, this “holier-than-thou-attitude” about the US being “the” representative of light while its enemies being the embodiment of darkness.
America, and its ultimate controller, the tiny satanic Israel, may succeed in deceiving the peoples of the world, including their own people, but they won’t deceive God.
One day, both the victims and victimizers will appear before the ultimate Judge. And both will receive their dues. Then there will be no room for lies and propaganda. On that Day every person, including president Obama, will be confronted with all the good he has done, and all the evil he has done, and will wish that there were a great distance between him and the evils he committed.
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Rural Andean Bolivia: Needs and Potential Solutions Date2007-01-09 Author
Bolton, Susan
MetadataShow full item record Abstract
Bolton will present a history of the Engineers Without Borders program. She will outline their mission and review the UW Student Chapter history. One of the UW projects, a multi-faceted effort in Yanayo, Bolivia, will be described in greater depth. This project addressed springs, diversions, water systems, roads, bridges, agricultural improvements, rain water catchment, and household infrastructure needs.
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Armed with data on their spending patterns, suppliers and markets, agencies can manage their demand for IT and shape suppliers' behavior.
Help FCW and Washington Technology identify this year's Hot Companies to Watch.
Cyberattacks will occur. Preparation is the key -- and civilian agencies could take a cue from the military’s sustained readiness model.
The cloud can often exceed the security of an on-premises or legacy data center. Here's why.
Hillary Clinton’s decision to use a personal server likely arose from the antiquated state of technology at the State Department and her experience in the Senate.
Despite GSA’s efforts to accelerate the FedRAMP approval process, the lack of agency reciprocity puts the program’s central goals at risk.
Paying attention to these often overlooked capabilities can help cloud service providers speed through GSA's new review process.
NARA guidelines offer a starting point, but agencies must make some important determinations themselves.
A leading proponent of Scrum argues that even partial adoption will pay dividends.
A successful plan for using public and private cloud-based technology requires flexibility and an understanding of current and future needs.
Scale, security and compliance requirements make moving to the cloud challenging for federal CIOs, but the FedRAMP program provides a viable path forward.
And buy-in from leaders is the key to locking in lasting benefits.
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Among the many methods available to safeguard ones investment from stock market volatility, the most popular is to invest a fixed amount at periodic interval irrespective of market conditions. This is of course known in India as
systematic investment plan or SIP.
One could add an aspect of market timing by gauging returns with respect to a target portfolio with a pre-determined return. If after a specified period (usually a month as in SIP) the actual portfolio is less (more) than the target portfolio, the investor increases (decreases) the investment amount. Thus this is equivalent to investing more on market lows and less on market highs. The investor will have to fix a target return and nominal investment with which the target portfolio is calculated. A minimum investment (to be made when portfolio exceeds target) and a maximum investment (to be made when portfolio falls short) also need to specified. This approach is known as
value averaging investment plan or VIP. You can read more about this here.
Many people consider VIP a superior approach to SIP because although VIP does not always provide higher returns, the total VIP investment is expected to be typically lower. The answer to which is better depends on market trends that dominate the investment period. More importantly the effectiveness of any investment must always be checked with respect to the target portfolio.
Recently I had analyzed a report by Fundsindia in which they have taken a few mutual funds and compared both investment strategies. I found that for 10 out the 16 studies reported both SIP and VIP modes outperformed the target portfolio and for 5 out 16 studies both unperformed. Thus it is a bit like ‘
together we fall, together we conquer’.
We cannot jump to conclusions based on this result because: (1) 12 out of 16 studies reported were only for 3 year periods. (2) many of the funds are actively managed funds (as pointed out by Ramesh Mangal) (3) one should consider rolling averages over, say, a 10-year periods as Subra pointed out. To address the first two issues I have made a comparator with monthly Sensex returns (date source: Capitalmind).
One can choose any investment time period between 1980 to 2012 and see how VIP and SIP strategies respond to different market conditions.
Ideally, if I choose a 10 year period then I must choose
all 10-year periods between 1980-2012 (total of 24), average the performance and stare at the results before making conclusions. I will try and set this up in future. I think quite a bit interesting information can still be obtained by trying out a fixed investment period over different market conditions.
A look at the time evolution of Sensex suggests interesting periods to try out.
I: 1980-1991. A period of strong growth II: 1991-2001. A disappointing period to say the least. III: 2002-2007. A dream period (enough said!) IV: 2009-2012. Recovery + consolidation (in the eyes of an optimist that is!)
You can of course play with any period of your choice. Here are some results for these periods. I have passed a verdict on each method. Hopefully it is easy enough to understand.
VIP results for period II (1991-2001) are bizarre! In this 11 year period the stock market gave negative returns. A person who had started a VIP in 1991 would have invested 195% more than someone following the SIP mode and would still have fallen short of his target by 80%. Quite easily the worst possible advertisement for VIP! When the markets do well (periods I and III) it does not matter which mode you choose you will reach your target (duh!) Period IV is too short to say anything concrete. One thing is for sure if next year 11 years turn out to be anything like period II, then investors in index funds are screwed! Actively managed funds can be expected to perform better. However they will have to do
a lot better to enable investors achieve their goals. Perhaps intelligent stock picking is the only way in such market conditions.
Wait a minute! Haven’t we have heard that if one stays invested in the market for long periods there is virtually zero probability of
loss. We have also seen in many places that ‘long periods’ means at least 15 years. So let us look at the results for every 15 year period from 1980 and 2012:
In 10 out of the 19 possible 15-year periods
both VIP and SIP modes fell short of the target portfolio (53%) 🙁
In only 4/19 periods both VIP and SIP exceeded the target portfolio (21%)
In 4 out of the 5 remaining periods SIP scored over VIP!
Only once did VIP alone exceed the target portfolio.
“
When saving for financial goals people must invest some amount each month. Trying to vary that can yield disastrous results. Simplest VIP is to do a regular SIP (for the goal) and try to contribute another 2-3k or so on days whenever markets fall nearly 2% (say like Apr 4, 2013 ). Never miss SIP no matter what.”
What is of more concern is a 53% failure of
both modes in the periods studied. When the markets are heading nowhere (period II and now!), VIP can be disastrous idea. The problem is SIP doesn’t do its job either. I am quite uncomfortable about this. Of course one can take partial comfort in the fact that ‘target’ portfolio here represents ‘equity-target’ portfolio and not ‘goal-target’ portfolio. So a diversified portfolio which has significant non-equity components (debt, gold, real estate etc.) will not suffer as much. To me these results suggest the following: Invest substantially in equity only if your goal is at least15 years away Even then the equity component should be limited to somewhere between 60-40% irrespective of age, risk-appetite. Do not expect 15% from equity long-term or very long term. My goal calculations are all based only on 10% returns from equity. Nothing is guaranteed and a fallis a fall. Just that I prefer a drop from the 1 stfloor rather than the 5 thfloor. Ensure you invest each month systematically irrespective of market conditions. When the going is good, book some profit. Either systematically (that is rebalance with specific equity component in mind) or randomly (book some profit!). Ensure the booked profit is immediately reinvested in a debt instrument with minimum tax out-go. Investing in equity is the best bet to beat inflation. Remember it just a bet not a guarantee.
What do you infer from the above? Do you agree with me? Try out the calculator for different periods of your choice. If you find something interesting please let me know.
(.xlsx file made with Excel 2010. Except CAGR cells works with Excel 2007)
(.xls file Except CAGR cells works with Excel 2002)
Practical advice + calculators for you to develop personalised investment solutions
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Mutual fund investing can be stressful for many investors. The Ulcer index offers a way to measure this stress!bv
The
mutual fund risk and return analyzer now has a separate sheet for Ulcer index analysis. In this post, we evaluate the utility of this risk-return metric by considered a few popular mutual funds.
The standard deviation is a measure of deviations from an average. Both positive and negative deviations are accounted for. However since a positive deviation from an average implies a higher NAV, it is not a 'bad' thing. So why penalise it?
Why not penalise only the negative deviations? Thus was born many measures of 'downside' risk. The
mutual fund risk and return analyzer downside deviation and the downside capture ratios. With the inclusion of the ulcer index, the analyser now uses 20 metrics to assign a risk-return score to each mutual fund.
The Ulcer index is one such measure of downside risk.
Suppose the maximum NAV over a 2-week period is 15. If the NAV decreases from this maximum, the Ulcer index value increases pointing to an increase in investor stress! If the NAV increases further, the index decreases reflecting a decrease in stress!
The Ulcer index is designed in such a way that it penalizes downside (fall from the maximum) much more than other ratios. It was first published by Peter Martin and Byron McCann in their book
The Investors Guide to Fidelity Funds (1989).
At that time pretty much everyone thought stomach ulcers were caused by stress. We later came to know that stomach Ulcers are caused by bacteria - a Nobel prize winning discovery. Of course, the name Ulcer index stuck!
Now let us try out the ulcer index with a few mutual funds.
Higher the ulcer index, lower the downside protection and higher the investor stress.
So we require a fund which has an ulcer index consistently lower than that of its benchmark.
The
mutual fund risk and return analyzer evaluates ulcer index in three ways using a duration of 90 business days. Although this is much longer than the two week period recommended by Martin, the higher duration cuts out noise and should be good enough for the long term investor. An average ulcer index value is computed and is used as part of the risk-return score calculation. To see some samples of this calculation, see this post The ulcer index is plotted for different dates and compared with fund NAV and benchmark value movement. The number of times the ulcer index of the fund was lower than its benchmark for 1-8 year periods is computed as a percentage.
We will first focus on the plots in this post.
Let us start with something simple:
ICICI Pru Dynamic Equity
The ulcer index values for the fund and benchmark are plotted wrt the left axis. The fund NAV and benchmark values are plotted wrt right axis, see the arrows on top of the graph.
Notice that the funds ulcer index values are pretty much always lower than the benchmarks. This implies that the fund has excellent downside protection. Investors in this fund would be a relaxed lot!
The large peak in the ulcer index represents the behaviour during the 2008 crash when downside protection was non-existent and investors were pretty stressed out.
ICICI Focussed Blue Chip Equity
Again investors would be quite happy with this one as its ulcer index is consistently lower than the benchmarks. Early days though!
Mirae Asset India Oppurtunities Fund
Again relaxed investors because of consistent downside protection. Again early days though!
UTI Opportunities
Very good history of downside protection. Again relaxed investors.
Franklin India Blue Chip Fund
Good history of downside protection but seems to have slipped recently. Should have many investors worried about future performance!
HDFC Top 200
Now for Top 200. The downside protection seems to have vanished from end of 2011! Even during the recent rally (rectangular region) fund does not have enough downside protection. So this implies higher returns at higher risk. Not a good thing!
Quantum Long Term Equity
Now let us look at three regions.
region 1: Good downside protection during the 2008 crisis
region 2: excellent downside protection during the sideways market
region 3: A slip just before the recent rally.
All in all, pretty reasonable.
Reliance Growth
Nothing spectacular here. Would have given investors a very stressful time! Doesn't seem to have a consistent track record of downside protection. To me, the biggest drawback of this fund.
There you have it. The ulcer index gives you insights on the downside protection history of a fund. As far as I am concerned this is
the most important attribute of an actively managed fund. We pay high expense ratio only for this. Downside protection is the real source of alpha.
What do you think?
Practical advice + calculators for you to develop personalised investment solutions
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January 2013 diagnosed with hypothyroidism and, at the same time, other conditions that I am sure are a result of the hypothyroidism – more on this below. During the last six months day-dreams have been a bit of saving grace and I feel compelled to share this one.
The other day, on my way to work, I found myself imagining how brilliant it would be if they had a Strictly Come Dancing for ordinary members of the public (comme moi!). My partner would be Artem Chigvinstev and we would dance a hot salsa to Earth, Wind and Fire. I imagine our first meeting - I walk into a dance studio with floor to ceiling mirrors, and, by way of preparing him for our future routines I, after a few pleasantries, utter “I’ve got rhythm and osteoporosis.”
In this day-dream scenario, rhythm would be a definite strength. (I teach music.) However, I feel it important to establish my limitations in case of any difficult lifts…throws (…on reflection ….they don’t “throw” as such do they)….shall we say “manoeuvres” that he may be planning. At this point I found myself musing on whether any of the celebrities have osteoporosis, hypothyroidism (where DO they get all that energy…?) or the like.
To matters more serious. I have read that: “thyroid hormones help with normal bone growth”. (Thank you Mary Shomon: Living Well With Hypothyroidism.) I started breaking bones back in 2007 and it was, thankfully, a bone density scan, which I asked for in Autumn last year, then the follow-up blood tests that finally revealed the extent to which “things were out of kilter”.
Over the last few years as my health has deteriorated, so my diet (already good) has improved. I have noticed how, in comparison to everyone around me, I have to really (I mean REALLY….) look after myself. Sleep (or lack of it) has also been an issue since 2007 (a vintage year). In fact, as I have stumbled around in an exhausted fug (as opposed to day-dreaming!), I wonder about the extent to which the sleep problems have resulted in my intimate acquaintance with the local fracture clinic.
Whilst determined to look ahead, I now, with the benefit of hindsight, think that I can start to see how these seemingly random health “events” fit into the bigger picture.
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Why Businesses Should Environmental Initiatives Businesses have started to recognize that climate change poses both risks and opportunities, with strategic and financial implications The world is currently facing one of its most serious challenges, with consequences that go far beyond its effect on the environment: climate change. Today there is a scientific consensus that human activity is beyond reasonable doubt a significant factor behind the current rapid changes in the world’s climate. The production of energy using fossil fuels, and consequently the mass emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), is pushing the earth’s temperature to dangerous figures. Renewable energies could be the long-term answer for this challenge, using various sources of alternative energy such as tidal waves, and solar, wind and bio-mass technologies. However, these solutions will only become efficient enough to significantly replace fossil fuels several decades into the future. Today society is committed to working fast to amend this problem and prevent a global environmental disaster. Businesses have started to recognize that climate change poses both risks and oppor-
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tunities, with strategic and financial implications. Environmental challenges in recent years have increased the trend of “going green” in businesses like never before. There are two main factors that are currently pushing toward environmental-friendly business behaviors: harsher international and local regulations and the high fluctuations of fossil-fuel prices. In the category of international regulations, one major step in the fight against climate change is the Kyoto Protocol. This agreement is linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The major feature
of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European Community for reducing greenhouse gases emissions. The business approach reflected in the protocol provides incentives through carbon trading (e.g. a company or a country finding it expensive to achieve an emission reduction can alternatively buy credits, so that the money can be used anywhere else on projects where an equivalent reduction of emissions could be achieved at lower cost). Although this protocol has not been signed by some major industrialized countries (including the
Why busi
Commit to By Guy Prooper, Calin Tudor Buzan and Chiara Garavaglia United States), over time, both international and local regulations are increasing environmental protection all over the world. Fossil-fuel prices are impacting both the economy and the environment. In recent years, the price of crude oil, and therefore the price of various oil products, has been dramatically unstable. The factors behind this instability are both commercial and political. Although the instability of oil prices is sometimes translated into dramatic drops (like the recent fall of more than 50 percent), the general trend is upward. Taking global industrialization into consideration, that means a constantly increasing demand for energy; since fossil fuel is a limited natural resource, we can expect continued instability in oil prices, with eventual increases to record-breaking figures. In organizations all around the world “green behavior” can come in many forms. While some environmental initiatives could have a direct positive impact on a company’s business performance, other initia-
tives might not offer immediate reciprocation. Although some environmental projects might not return the investment in the short run, they might result in a long-term financial contribution or in other benefits.
There are two main factors that are currently pushing toward environmental friendly business behaviors: harsher international and local regulations and the high fluctuations of fossil-fuel prices
Why should businesses commit to environmental initiatives? We believe that the answer to this question can be divided into three main categories: • Must-have initiatives • ROI-driven initiatives • Human-values-related initiatives To examine the development of environmental initiatives, we have chosen Romania as a case study. Romania has gone through two major transitions in the last two decades: the termination of the Communist regime and its entry into the European Union. Both processes have rapidly shifted its awareness to environmental protection and related legislation, thus imitating in a very short period of time processes that have taken half a century
Paul Nuber, General Manager, Nestle Romania
Markus Wirth, General Manager, Holcim Romania
inesses shoul 27
HSE - health, safety and environmental No matter which industry or sector a company belongs to, it will feel the effects of climate change. Even people skeptical about the dangers of global warming recognize that the phenomenon has wide-ranging implications. Many businesses must contend with higher costs of raw materials and energy as governments enact policies that place a cost on emissions. In addition, consumers increasingly are taking into account a company’s environmental record when making purchasing decisions. Companies need to manage and mitigate their
rules. We define an initiative linked to regulatory issues (policies such as new emissions standards) as being a “must-have initiative”; companies usually consider it a pure cost. As HSE issues increasingly become a matter of business rather than of compliance, top managers are starting to consider the impact and risk of HSE problems in evaluating alternative strategies and business scenarios. Transition is the need to assess business strategies according to HSE issues in a changeover period (e.g. passage from an industrial stage to a different stage). This need is strictly linked to the
Picture 1: the “4 Ts” model exposure to the risks associated with climate change, including lack of raw materials, water and energy. At the same time, they must seek new opportunities for profit and generate a competitive advantage over rivals in a carbonconstrained future. Usually the health, safety and environmental (HSE) needs of a company are linked to the challenges and risks it faces in a particular phase of its life cycle (see picture1). Transaction is the need to evaluate HSE liabilities during an M&A operation aimed at quantifying the potential risk and considering it in the purchase price. Transgression is the need to be compliant with HSE rules and laws to avoid wrongdoing. Transaction and transgression are the companies’ most common and basic HSE needs that are satisfied by adopting codified behaviors and
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existence of a business case. Risk assessment is the first step in identifying possible business scenarios and design sustainable business models, both economically and environmentally. ROI-driven initiatives lower CO2 emissions, waste, energy and water usage, while producing economic savings. Transformation is the need to create and implement a new sustainable business system. Creating a sustainable business system means redesigning the ecological, social and economic profile of an entire business system, using a holistic approach that involves different aspects of the business and considers the social impact of sustainability. Human-value-related initiatives aim to introduce a business model based on social-responsibility principles. Even if the concept seems counterintuitive, human-value-related initiatives could be a business opportunity.
Why busi
in more-developed countries. With a population of almost 22 million, Romania joined the EU in January 2007. The country is still one of the poorest in central and eastern Europe, but since 2000 has enjoyed a very high rate of economic development. The recent economic history began in 1989 with the demise of communism in eastern Europe, with a largely obsolete industrial base. Environmental protection was not a great concern during the era of communism, and some of this industrial inheritance survived until 2007. Another interesting aspect is that between the years 1989-2000, pollution levels were reduced along with the decrease of industrial production due to inefficient productivity, thus producing less greenhouse gases. Due to years of permissive environmental regulations, and the strict European Union regulations imposed when Romania joined the EU, Romania was granted a transition period to comply with EU rules in specific areas concerning air quality, waste management, water quality and industrial pollution. This transition period was primarily justified by the substantial investment needed in infrastructure and technology to comply with EU legislation.
Must-have initiatives Current environmental issues faced by Romania are air and water pollution due to industrial effluents, soil ero-
sion and the degradation and contamination of the Danube delta wetlands. According to Romanian authorities, the costs of complying with EU environmental laws have been estimated at approximately €27 billion until the end of the transition period. These regulations will affect both the private and the public sectors. The private sector has received a significantly shorter transition period than the public sector to comply with EU legislation; it also has not received support from EU funds. The industry’s immediate effort, from the end of negotiations in April 2006 until entry to the EU in January 2007, was evaluated at €2.8 billion. Meeting EU environmental regulations was a bigger challenge for local and smaller companies. While these companies faced an even greater gap between past standards and the required performance according to EU legislation, allocating the capital required to close this gap was significantly harder. In many cases, multinational giants operating in Romania had an easier task facing new environmental standards. These companies were usually more prepared and, when needed, could more easily come up with the necessary investments. One such multinational company is Holcim, a Swiss-based international cement manufacturer. “On the environmental perspective, joining the EU did not have any effect on our
consumers increasingly are taking into account a company’s environmental record when making purchasing decisions
According to Romanian authorities, the costs of complying with EU environmental laws have been estimated at approximately €27 billion until the end of the transition period
inesses shoul 29
company, as Holcim emission standards are established internally and go far beyond respecting EU regulation,” said Markus Wirth, general manager of Holcim Romania. Between 1997 and 2007, Holcim Romania invested more than €26 million in environmental protection. Another example of a global group operating in Romania is Nestle. “I believe that no country has regulations as strict as Nestle’s regarding consumption of electrical energy, gas fuel and water,” said Paul Nuber, general manager of Nestle Romania. “When Nestle entered Romania, we applied our internal regulations for the protection of the environment and therefore did not have any difficulties complying with new regulations when Romania joined the EU.” We believe that the need to comply with tough environmental regulations will contribute to businesses’ aggregation process as more small local companies find it impossible to jump over this hurdle.
ROI-driven initiatives When it comes to environmental ROI (return on investment) initiatives, they are usually related to the reduction of energy consumption. The growing cost of energy affects all industries, but especially businesses such as automotive producers, electronics, tourism and construction. The increase in the cost of energy is encouraging
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investment in manufacturing technologies, shortening the return on investment for those projects. An example of such
that could help a business reduce its energy costs and thus provide a tangible return on investment. “Nestle has a
Largest investments required in private sector for adhering to EU environmental legislation (Capital business magazine, November 2005) Industry Refinery and gas sectors Steel industry Chemical industry Mining industry Pig and chicken farms
Total investments – million euros 440 458.7 559.6 180 112
a project is the replacement of Holcim’s old kilns with modern equipment and the production of electric energy in thermal power plants. Aside from the benefits of improved manufacturing capabilities and reduction of production costs, the project has also resulted in decreased greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) emissions. Between 2004 and 2007, the
hard policy on consumption of energy in distribution,” Nuber said. “We manage this issue strictly and constantly audit our suppliers.” He cited the rapid changes taking place in Romania, adding, “The quality of local trucks is improving, and trucks today pollute much less than four years ago.” Increased energy costs also
The evolution of the price of electricity in Romania based on Eurostat (European Bureau of Statistics) 0.10 0.08
Euro/kWh
0.06 0.04
0.040
0.076
0.077
2005
2006
0.084
0.046
0.02 0.00
2003
2004
2007
Year total reduction of emission was quantified at 500,000 tons of CO2. There are also many different supply-chain investments
encourage the decentralization of production sites. As transportation costs grow, more and more companies prefer to position their pro-
Why busi
duction sites closer to their customers, willing to pay the price of lower manufacturing efficiency.
Human values Businesses today have a greater responsibility as their impact on society becomes more significant, and they do not always invest for the sake of foreseen business benefits. CEOs could point out that profits are not an end in themselves, but rather a signal from society that a company is providing things people want. By building social issues into strategy, big companies can recast the debate about their role in society. We can find many examples of the longterm business impact of social issues. For example, in the pharmaceutical sector, the past decade’s storm of social pressures stemming from issues such as public perceptions of excessive prices charged for HIV/AIDS drugs in developing countries has resulted in a general (and sometimes seemingly indiscriminate) toughening of the regulatory environment. In the food and restaurant sectors, the longescalating debate about obesity is now resulting in calls for further control on marketing of unhealthy foods. In the case of big financial institutions, concerns about conflicts of interest and misrepresentation of products have recently led to changes in core business practices and industrial structure. For some big retailers,
public resistance to new stores is constraining growth opportunities. And all this is to say nothing of the way social and political pressures have reshaped and redefined the tobacco, oil and mining industries, among others, over the decades. Just as important, these outcomes have not just posed risks to companies, they have also generated opportunities for value creation: in the pharmaceutical sector, for example, the growing market for generic drugs; in the case of fast-food restaurants, providing healthier meals; and in the case of the energy industry, meeting fastgrowing demand (as well as regulatory pressure) for cleaner fuels such as natural gas. Social pressures often indicate the existence of unmet social needs or consumer preferences. Businesses can gain advantages by spotting and supplying these before their competitors do. As people in Romania become more aware of the need for environment protection, more businesses operate various environmental initiatives as part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy. Holcim recognizes its social responsibilities and runs various programs for the benefit of the communities around its facilities. One successful Holcim story is a pilot project in 21 cities around Romania that started four years ago. The project consisted of giving to children from the 7th to 11th grades books with subjects
The increase in the cost of energy is encouraging investment in manufacturing technologies, shortening the return on investment for those projects
By building social issues into strategy, big companies can recast the debate about their role in society
inesses shoul 31
Case study: The review of waste management in process manufacturing A fast-growing company in the oil and energy sector (oil-refining and downstream) was experiencing an increase of 50 percent in waste-management costs over the last two years, which resulted in a deviation from the budget of almost 100%. The company was interested in determining the cost of waste management and optimizing effectiveness, while being in compliance to trim down costs. Tefen was brought in to identify and implement opportunities for optimization at every stage of the process. A process-mapping exercise of the whole waste-management process enabled the quantification of full waste-management costs (from generation to disposal) and the identification of a wide array of improvement opportunities. Through database building/analysis and interviews with the involved functions (ENV, PROC, OPS) a full analysis of cost was created. A dedicated team composed of company employees and Tefen’s consultants identified 21 quick-hit opportunities out of the analysis, from which seven have been considered for immediate implementation, and the related preparatory activities have been carried out. Another team carried out scouting visits, with the aim of further investigating the industry’s best practices. As a result, new waste-management model guidelines were developed. The project’s benefits were significant and immediate. In the short term, packaging and collection modes were optimized and remarkable waste volumes were managed “ad hoc.” For the mid term, packaging and disposal-service procurement was optimized and innovative tank-cleaning technologies were implemented. For the long term, waste-processing plants for the downgrade of delivered waste were introduced, along with the development of a global-service approach in waste management. The economic benefits of the improvements and the implementation of the new model for waste management enabled savings in excess of €6 million per year, equal to about 30% of the total As-Is.
related to the protection of the environment. The program was financed by Holcim for two years, after which the Ministry of Education introduced this program in all the schools in Romania. “If you want to educate the citizens of a country about the importance of the environment and how to protect it, you should start with the younger generation,” Holcim’s
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Wirth said, citing a similar level of environmental awareness in Switzerland decades ago, when school programs were able to enhance public awareness through children. One key element of Nestle’s green policy is water consumption. “The consumption of water is strictly controlled,” Nestle’s Nuber said. “The water is purified and there is a policy
of minimizing consumption, even if local authorities do not impose it. There is a strong pressure to reduce consumption each year.” “Nestle has more than 260,000 employees,” he said. “Add to that their families and our suppliers that have to meet our standards, and you can clearly see that our impact on society today is more significant than ever.” In conclusion, human-valuerelated environmental initiatives do not necessarily result in increased profits, but we can estimate that as the environmental-friendly trend grows in the future, companies committed to these initiatives will be leaders, and their businesses will profit either by better reputations or their compatibility to future and even stricter regulations. Regarding those initiatives, Nuber said, “Being ahead in everything also includes being ahead in environmental protection. Only by acting in this way are you capable of creating long-term competitive advantages for your company.” Nevertheless, we can add that the impact of these initiatives on company values can also prove beneficial today, as employees have a stronger bond and admiration for their company values.
Guy Propper, Associate Partner, Tefen Romania Chiara Garavaglia, Director, Tefen Italy Calin Tudor Buzan, Consultant, Tefen Romania
Why busi
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Weddings are entrenched in age old traditions and rituals that some of us in the modern world choose to partake in and others that we leave behind. Today we’re going to talk about some things that have been bothering me since I got engaged over 6 months ago and that, my friends, are wedding diets and bridal expectations.
I’ve had poor body image since sixth grade. My eating disorder began gradually in seventh grade and became uncontrollable my freshmen year of college. 3 months of inpatient rehab later, hours of therapy, an unbreakable support network of the best friends a girl could ask for, and I would consider myself in recovery for the last 6 years. I’m not perfect and my past with my eating disorder does not define me, but I still find it influencing my body image and relationship with food as years go by.
The reason I bring up this issue now is that in my last post I blogged about the joys of finding the perfect wedding dress. I absolutely LOVE my dress, I cannot wait to wear it for an entire day because it is beautiful and I feel beautiful in it. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t having an internal battle with myself and my dormant eating disorder. Wedding dresses are beautiful, but you aren’t always going to fit into the sample size dress. You are also sometimes going to get measured in front of a mirror in your bra and underwear, something I like to think of as my own personal hell. All I could think was, thank god this is happening now, when I am strong and stable in my recovery.
First thing’s first, a wedding diet is an option, NOT an obligation. Going on a wedding diet is not like hiring an officiant or getting a marriage license, it’s a choice, not a necessity and you can still tie the knot without one.
After you get engaged there are a slough of questions, where are you getting married? What color will your bridesmaids wear? Asking about a wedding diet or “new” exercise routine, should not be among questions that a bride gets during wedding planning. Asking about a diet or “new/special” exercise routine implies you need to go on a diet whether that is your intention or not. While externally I might respond with confidence and poise saying something to the effect of “absolutely not, Eric is marrying the me today not the me minus 20 pounds”. But internally, you have set off an alarm that sounds a little more like “oh gosh is she asking because my arms look flabby or she can see that my stomach does not resemble a six pack? Should I be going to bridal boot camp or joining hundreds of other brides in giving up carbs and sweets before their big day?”
Let’s get the record straight here, skinnier does not equal better or more beautiful. Shouldn’t it be more important that you look and feel like yourself? For hundreds of years society has been telling men and women that skinnier and more fit people are happier and more beautiful. Why do we continue to buy into this myth?
Lastly, your wedding day does not also have to be the day you will look the absolute best you will ever look, EVER. What kind of bar is that? Welcome to marriage, you can only go downhill from here. In fact, I want to go uphill, I want to get hotter with age like Jennifer Aniston or Julia Roberts. I don’t want to say that on September 24th, 2016 I peaked.
To make a long story short, if shedding a few pounds or toning your biceps are what makes you feel more confident and beautiful for your wedding then by all means, proceed. But getting married and going on a diet do not need to coexist. I could write a whole other blog post about the pressures women are feeling versus men in this whole wedding business, but alas I will end with this. Your partner is marrying you for who you are and how you make them feel and they are attracted to you as is because you are utterly beautiful and perfect in every way shape and form. And if your partner is anything like mine, he (or she) would prefer you to continue enjoying pizza and ice cream with them for the next year of wedding planning because what fun would wedding planning be without the cake tasting or a celebratory beer!
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NO UNREALISTIC CLAIMS AND MIRACLE CURESWe will not tell you that your penis can grow by 4″ in 4 days
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There are numerous marketeers who will try to convince you that your penis is too small and that they have some miracle cure for it. More often than not they are just playing on your insecurities.
If you are thinking whether your Penis Size is Normal, the short and simple answer is – yes, most likely it is! Studies show the average penis size varies between 3 and 4 inches when flaccid and between 5 and 7 inches when erect. A penis is considered abnormally small only if it measures less than 3 inches when erect. If I am Normal then Why Penis Enlargement?
Good Question.
Being ‘Normal’ is ok but not enough. To experience the best sex of your life you need to be better. Every other person you partner may have slept with is ‘Normal’, then what extra do you have to offer her in bed? You may be a great lover but if your ‘tool’ isn’t good enough then no matter what you do, she is missing out on something unforgettable. Luckily, you dont’t need to be just ‘Normal’ much longer. Science has made enough advancements to offer you solutions that can enlarge your Penis Permanently. So, which methods actually work to enlarge your penis?
Don’t be in a hurry and don’t buy anything impulsively! Read carefully about each product/method of enlargement before you decide what suits you the best. If in doubt, do not hesitate to send us a query and we would be glad to help you.
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All of the products in the categories above are both safe and effective, however, inferior Male Enhancement products aren’t difficult to find. Men’s magazines, sports radio shows and Internet sites are filled with advertisements for pumps, pills, weights, penis extenders and surgeries — all of which supposedly can increase the length and width (girth) of your penis.
Most of these male enhancement companies will try to sell you cheap quality penis enlargement pills that cost them no more than a few cents for as high as $60 a bottle! But if you are careful, you can quite easily detect scams.
Steps you should take to spot Enlargement Scams:
The Credit Card payment page should have the name of the Male Enhancement company and should be located on their domain. If it isn’t, Beware! Some companies make their own testimonials about penis growth. Ask a company if they have written proof of what they say are their real user testimonials. Don’t fall for a miracle cure. A company offering ‘miracle cure’ like 4-5” enlargement in a couple of weeks is lying to you and is a scam. Period.
So now that you know how not to fall prey to the scams, we will tell you what you can do to effectively enlarge your penis. We have researched and examined several companies and their products and used our experience to give you information and products free of scams and frauds. All products recommended on our site have real companies behind them. They offer comprehensive care and support to clients and are medically backed. Each company has reputed existence for many years and don’t offer ‘miracles’ but a systematic and easy to understand penis enlargement procedures that work.
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This is what other reviewers won’t tell you. As you probably know, there is a lot of scam in this business and these so called ‘male enhancement and enlargement products’ manufacturers do everything to stifle the correct knowledge from reaching you. That makes us one of their biggest problems because we tell you about the real stuff. Unlike others, we do extensive research and value user feedback. The bulk of our site is made by people like you and not by fake reviewers which gives us the strength and the backing to stand up to these scammers! We ensure a safe and fast penis growth. Many people have fallen victim to tall claims by these male enhancement and penis enlargement companies and hence given up when what they need is for someone to show them the right way to go forward. We are happy to say that we are one of the very few genuine consumer portals designed to provide the best available knowledge on the matter.
Here is what you can do to help us: We thrive on user feedback which helps us with providing the answers to questions other people are looking for. So we ask you to send us your experiences if you have used any male enhancement product/technique. We are an independent group and not a part of any ‘enhancement company’ and survive on your support and look forward to hearing from you.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
As the consultation period for the recently announced Small Business Commissioner role closes, the Forum of Private Business highlights that 76% of the adult population believe the Government should penalise big businesses who act unfairly towards small firms, and calls on the Government to give the Commissioner the teeth to deliver real change.
• Late payment is an issue for 51% of small firms with 19% having to agree to long payment terms • 22% of small employers are bullied by larger firms and just 5% would be prepared to talk in confidence • 74% of adults in the UK feel big businesses have no concern for the UKs small business owners and 76% felt that the government should penalise big businesses who act unfairly towards small firms • The average small business awaits payments of around £32,000 – in comparison cash reserves are around £40,000 • 82% of Forum members wanted a strengthening of the Prompt Payment Code to be a priority for this government, 46% wanted the government to prioritise third party adjudication on contractual disputes. Late payment is an issue for 51% of small firms and this has increased since the recession despite the need for paying late reducing. Not only is there a monetary implication to this, £31,901 per business according the latest BACS survey, but it also impacts trust, inhibits supply chain innovation and ultimately costs UK jobs. Having a professional third party such as the Forum, or the Institute of Credit Management deal with contractual disputes can be effective as the business involved is able to remain anonymous. In a large number of cases, potential entrants to the Forum’s Hall of Shame have claimed the issue was a mistake and have taken remedial action. Others have been happy to deal with the associated bad press and damage to their reputation. “Good relationships with clients is absolutely essential to a small business and half of those who responded to the Forum survey stated that they would not take action against a ‘big business’ client in the recovery of an overdue debt” explained Ian Cass, Chief Executive of the Forum of Private Business, and a small business owner himself.“ “There was a mood before the election that something needed to be done about the behaviour of large companies with 76% of adults, according to a Comres poll, wanting the Government to penalise big businesses who act unfairly towards small businesses Although creating another mechanism for small firms is helpful, there is plenty that the government could do to support business by preventing poor payers from gaining public contracts or by supporting a kite mark scheme similar to the one suggested by Arla for the dairy industry.” “The lack of government sanction on the dispute resolution service is extremely disappointing and we feel that forcing large companies to report their average payment times is well overdue. We hope that when the Government has considered the input to the consultation they will ensure the Commissioner has the teeth to force through real change”. ENDS Notes to editors Representing thousands of small businesses across the UK – including retail, service providers and manufacturing companies – the Forum is recognised by the Government as one of the six main business support and lobby groups. It uses this position to influence decision-makers in the UK and Brussels on the issues that matter to small businesses. Broadcast media – the Forum has ISDN capability and can provide comment, in quality audio, at short notice. The Forum can also provide journalists with localised and sector-specific case studies. Twitter account - http://twitter.com/the_fpb Forum blog - http://blog.fpb.org About the Forum of Private Business: The Forum of Private Business is a proactive business support organisation focused on the growth and profitability of small businesses. Media contact for this press release Thomas Parry Research Manager Tel: 01565 626015 Mobile: 07885 888085 Email: thomas.parry@fpb.org Leanda Hickman Marketing Manager Tel: 01565 626023 Email: leanda.hickman@fpb.org
16 Jan 2017 15:30
10 Jan 2017 15:30
For more information on JournoLink and how to receive more content like this, please visit https://journolink.com/journalists.
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To Dance Is Human To Dance Is Human A Theory of Nonverbal Communication
Choice called the book “one of the most important dance books yet written.”
Ashley Montagu, in The Sciences, stated, “One of the great contributions of this book is to make clear as never before what a multi-sensory, multidimensional behavior dance is. Hanna ranges through the whole calculus of the meaning of dance, from the private solo dance as interior dialogue or soliloquy to the urban ecosystem of dance. In between are invaluable discussions of dancer movement and the communication of sociocultural patterns, dance in religion, dance rites in political thought and action, warrior dances, and finally a chapter on directions for the future. The report of the author’s own ethnographic studies of dance in Africa, Mexico, the Caribbean and the United States add greatly to the value of the volume…Hanna’s splendid book is the best exposition of the science, art, and philosophy of dance that I have read.”
Lauren Corwin, in Dance Research Journal, wrote, “A significant contribution to the anthropological study of art forms of all kinds, not just the anthropology of dance.”
And in Dance magazine, Margaret Pierpont noted, “Hanna makes a strong case for the importance of research in dance in widening our knowledge of human behavior.”
Pulitzer prize winner for dance criticism, Alan M. Kriegsman, in The Washington Post, called To Dance Is Human a “landmark.”
To Dance Is Human has been deemed outstanding and has had a positive impact on dance scholarship. Laudatory reviews were widespread in the United States and abroad.
The book explains that dance is not merely emotion but why and how it is cognitive and language-like
. To Dance Is Human is the first published analysis to apply knowledge from the arts, humanities, and social sciences — especially anthropology — to further illuminate our understanding of dance. More than a synthesis, it presents original field research and a new method for probing for meaning in movement. The book fleshes out concepts of dance and its meanings. The concept of dance, not necessarily a particular dancer’s or group’s definition, attempts to permit cross-cultural discussion, especially important in our multicultural world. Describing the physical actions of dance, like transcribing speech, is a beginning step in studying dance; making sense of these movements (comparable to literary analysis) requires further effort. Because there were guides to describe physical movement, such as Rudolf Laban’s movement analyses, but none to probe for meaning in movement, To Dance Is Human presents a semantic grid as a tool for eliciting, reading, and interpreting the meaning of dance movement. Drawing upon semiotic analyses of visual and verbal texts and the variety of dance found in history and different places, the author identified what appear to be six devices and eight spheres of encoding meaning in the webs of significance people spin in kinetic images.
To Dance Is Human has been widely cited and used as a text in such places as UCLA, Indiana University, Tufts University, and Temple University. The work has been reaching a uniquely broad audience, including a mathematical theoretician in the membrane biology group, University of Toronto Department of Medicine. Studies of dance since 1979 have either supported the propositions in To Dance Is Human or have not invalidated them; the book’s theory and supporting data still may best explain the multiplicity that is dance, and offer a prologue to current and future investigation.
The book has served as a foundation for the author’s subsequent books, The Performer-Audience Connection: Emotion to Metaphor in Dance and Society, University of Texas Press (Choice, outstanding book), 1983; Disruptive School Behavior: Class, Race, and Culture, Holmes & Meier Publishers, 1988; Dance, Sex, and Gender: Signs of Identity, Dominance, Defiance, and Desire, University of Chicago Press, 1988; Dancing for Health: Conquering and Preventing Stress, AltaMira Press; 2006; Partnering Dance and Education: Intelligent Moves for Changing Times, Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1999; Naked Truth: A Christian Right; Strippers and Democracy (University of Texas Press, 2012) and Nigeria’s Ubakala Igbo Dance: Life, Death, and the Women’s War (in progress).
The book undergirds articles in numerous journals such as Africana Journal, American Journal of Dance Therapy, Anthropology and Education Quarterly, Arts Education, Arts Education Policy Review, Ballet Review, Ballett International, City and Society, Critical Inquiry, Current Anthropology, Dance and the Child, Dance: Current Selected Research, Dance Research Journal, Dance Teacher Now, Dance Theatre Journal, Drama Review, Educational Researcher, Gestos, Interethnic Communication, Journal of Arts Management Law and Society, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Journal of Black Studies, Journal of Communication, Journal of Physical Education, Journal of Planning Literature, Recreation, and Dance, Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, Phi Delta Kappan, Polish Art Studies, Practicing Anthropologist, Semiotica, Stagebill, The Journal of Sex Research, Theology and Sexuality, Washington Post, and World of Music; and contributions to edited volumes such as American Folklore: An Encyclopedia, Dance, Gender and Culture, Dance of India, Dance/Movement Therapists in Action: A Working Guide to Research Options, Encyclopedic Dictionary of Semiotics, Encyclopedic Dictionary of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Encyclopedia of Human Emotions, Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America, The Encyclopedia of Religion, Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning, Ethnomusicology: An Introduction, Gender and Performance, Homosexuality and Homosexuals in the Arts, International Encyclopedia of Dance, Nonverbal Behavior: Perspectives, Applications, Intercultural Insights, Popular Music and Communication, Semiotics in the Individual Sciences, Theatrical Movement: A Bibliographical Anthology, and Women and Social Protest.
To Dance Is Human led to invitations to publish on semiotics in Belgium, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, Sweden, South Africa, Santo Domingo, and Jamaica and disseminate specific parts of the book in these countries, which has catalyzed further dance research and analysis. To Dance Is Human was a large element in the author’s receipt of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, William G. Anderson Award for significant contributions to the dance field (awardees include George W. Beiswanger, Jacques d’Amboise, Katherine Dunham, Arthur Mitchell, Genevieve Oswald, Walter Terry, and Edward Villella) and to being called as an expert court witness on dance and communication.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Dance? Psycho and Soma: Some Bases of the Human Phenomenon of Dance Dance Movement and the Communication of Sociocultural Patterns Dance in Religion: Practicality and Transcendentalism Dance Rites in Political Thought and Action Case A. Dance of Anáhuac: For God or Man in Prehistory Case B. Ubakala Dance-plays: Mediators of Paradox Warrior Dances: Transformations through Time The Urban Ecosystem of Dance Directions for the Future
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Great news for those of us whose mouths are not constantly in a state of upturned bliss: finally, there is a cure for chronic bitchy resting face.
The Lipt (that’s lip + lift) is being touted as the latest plastic surgery craze in plastic surgery-crazed South Korea. The procedure pulls the corners of your lips upward by slicing and rearranging the muscles that want to pull them down, leaving you with a permanent "smiling impression." As with all plastic surgeries, internal happiness is not guaranteed.
Originally touted as a means to combat the gravity of age, the
Wall Street Journal reports that the procedure is increasingly being sought out by younger and younger people who are "concerned about facing criticism at work because of their expressionless miens."
Faced with hurtful remarks about sagging mouth corners, the impetus behind getting this surgery – especially in notoriously appearance-conscious South Korea – isn't entirely incomprehensible. An informational video created by South Korean clinic Aone Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery deftly explains that the Lipt is important because frowny faces make us look mean and are likely to scare away small children, while smiley faces make us look "bright and gentle," and, therefore, appealing regardless of the inner existential turmoil we constantly face as sentient human beings (is that just me?).
Nearly all of the patients shown in Aone's video are female, which is unsurprising given that women frequently have to deal with comments about our perceived level of happiness based on mouth orientation. "Show me a smile" is a pretty standard commandment of street harrassers, and the cultural expectation that women should be nice, agreeable, or friendly is well-established; if we're not perennial rays of sunshine in public, we're likely to be branded as bitchy or stuck up (remember that
New York Times profile that basically called January Jones a stone cold ice queen?). This surgery is just another reminder that our presence must always be a pleasant one, lest we forget we are not emotional beings ourselves but rather incidental characters in others' lives.
Personally, I'd rather retain the ability to express a full range of emotions than project a false air of serenity, but to each his or her own. And don’t worry if you can’t afford the Lipt. There is one other way to get a permanent smile:
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I’ve always been sceptical about league tables and my reaction to rankings of this sort is almost always in direct proportion to where the organisation I am working in is placed. (In the case of the University World Rankings, the IOE came 7th and so this must surely make us No. 1 in the UK as per my tongue-in-cheek tweet?!). Anyway, I digress.
I am writing about rankings to inform you that the Newsam Library’s DERA – which stands for Digital Education Resource Archive and which contains documents published electronically by the UK government and related bodies in the area of education- came 233rd out of 1654 repositories in the Ranking of World Repositories. This is quite an achievement when you consider that DERA is a new comer on the scene of the social science repositories for it was only launched in 2011.
Of note in this league table is the open access repository that takes first place – the Social Science Research Network . The Social Science Research Network or SSRN as it is commonly referred to was founded in 1994. The database is searchable and you can download full-text articles (preprint versions) upon registration. The search results are ranked by the number of downloads (which is a rather arbitrary ranking system of ranking). Although SSRN began in America, it is international in scope and many researchers use it to disseminate their work more widely. SSRN ensures quick distribution via mirror sites at European Corporate Governance Institute (London), Korea University (Seoul), Stanford Law School (California) and University of Chicago Booth School of Business (Illinois).
The IOE LibGuides on ‘Finding’ and ‘Accessing Resources Remotely’ lists the SSRN among other open access resources relevant to education and the social sciences at http://libguides.ioe.ac.uk/openaccess.
Nazlin Bhimani
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My recent posts have been about Gettysburg NMP’s 2014 goals. We have already looked at: addressing challenges at Little Round Top; the rehabilitation of North Cemetery Ridge; and a cultural landscape report for the first day’s battlefield. This week we’ll look at the fourth and final goal: a fire management plan for the park.
The park has identified the use of prescribed fire as a viable management technique to help maintain historically open fields of the Gettysburg battlefield landscapes, an important goal of our General Management Plan. In May the park will gather public comments for an environmental assessment for a fire management plan for Gettysburg NMP and Eisenhower National Historic
Site. As one step in the planning process, the first prescribed fire ever at Gettysburg NMP took place October 30, 2013. NPS fire specialists burned 13 acres of fields on the historic Snyder farm, in the southern portion of the battlefield.
The overall objectives for using prescribed fire are:
to maintain the conditions of the battlefield as experienced by the soldiers who fought here; perpetuate the open space character of the landscape; maintain wildlife habitat; control invasive exotic species; reduce shrub and woody species components; provide for public and employee safety.
We completed the fire test last fall, immediately before shrub and woody species move into dormancy, in order to reduce the plants’ energy reserves and diminish vigor and growth potential for the following spring.
Spring has only just arrived at Gettysburg – barely! Snow was falling just a few days ago. NPS specialists will soon be checking the test fire site to determine the effects of the fire on woody vegetation in
the open fields.
Use of prescribed fires would reduce herbicide use and impacts in the park. Success factors include ease of implementation, effectiveness towards meeting resource objectives, degree of impact on visitation, and cost effectiveness.
The 2001 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy directs agencies to continue to “implement ecosystem based fire management programs to accomplish resource or landscape management objectives when consistent with land management objectives.”
On April 3 at the Gettysburg NMP Advisory Commission meeting one of the updates will be about the fire management plan. When the plan is available for review in May it will be online at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/GETT
-end-
Katie Lawhon, Management Assistant, March 20, 2014
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In a new column in the Financial Times, Richard Thaler expands on some earlier thoughts about the efficient market hypothesis by way of a review of Justin Fox’s new book,
The Myth of the Rational Market.
What lessons should we draw from (the last two years)? On the free lunch component there are two. The first is that many investments have risks that are more correlated than they appear. The second is that high returns based on high leverage may be a mirage. One would think rational investors would have learnt this from the fall of Long Term Capital Management, when both problems were evident, but the lure of seemingly high returns is hard to resist. On the price is right, if we include the earlier bubble in Japanese real estate, we have now had three enormous price distortions in recent memory. They led to misallocations of resources measured in the trillions and, in the latest bubble, a global credit meltdown. If asset prices could be relied upon to always be “right”, then these bubbles would not occur. But they have, so what are we to do?
Read the full piece here.
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Joseph Kopser is being honored as a Veteran Advancing Clean Energy and Climate Security Champion of Change.
Henry Ford had a pretty great idea when he introduced the first Model T in 1908: make the automobile business more efficient and personal transportation accessible to everyone. He revolutionized travel, but for the last century things have remained largely the same.
I think it’s time for another change – we need to re-think transportation efficiency and Defense Energy.
I first became aware of our country’s Defense Energy Security policy in 2004 while serving with the Army in Iraq and helping with Iraqi national elections. The base had hundreds of Containerized Housing Units all powered by enormous generators. Speaking with local Iraqis, I was shocked to learn just how much fuel these housing units were wasting.
There we were – Americans serving to protect American interests in the Middle East, but using precious energy in a very inefficient manner. Since that realization I have dedicated my efforts to solving this pervasive problem. My goal is to lighten the load for the war-fighter. While never sacrificing mission effectiveness, I want to reduce energy demand with lighter, more efficient systems.
One of the most important things we can do to reduce our dependency on foreign oil is to simply use less of it. In the United States our daily commute is an incredibly inefficient use of resources – including oil, money, and time. We waste billions of gallons of fuel and hours of time just sitting in idle traffic. We can do better.
I created RideScout to present people with all their options to get from Point A to Point B. Inside the app are options for public, commercial, and private transportation – including Car2Go and SideCar – that allow the user to plan his/her transport depending on specific needs. When people see they can reach their destination in nearly the same amount of time without driving alone or fighting for parking, it changes their entire mindset.
RideScout is a tool that can help Americans reduce personal car use without sacrificing their sense of independence. Unlike Henry Ford, I don’t believe that freedom is tied to car ownership, but rather the ability to get to your destination with reliability and flexibility at an affordable price.
When we decrease the number of cars on the road, reduce our foreign oil use, and spend more time doing things we love rather than sitting in traffic, everyone wins.
As a country we need to focus our resources on a comprehensive solution to fixing our Defense Energy Security problem. Starting in central Texas, I believe we can assemble the right collection of industry, university, government, non-governmental organizations, and military leaders to tackle our biggest problems.
Joseph Kopser is the co-Founder and CEO of RideScout, a mobile app that shows all transportation options in one view.
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Samba: the sense of community in participatory music View Date2016 Author
Monteiro, Dana
MetadataShow full item record Permanent Linkhttp://hdl.handle.net/2144/19554 Abstract
This ethnographic study examined the relationship between the sense of community and music education within the community of Santa Marta in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and a public high school in New York City. Guided by Turino’s (2008) framework for participatory music making and McMillan and Chavis’s (1986) framework for the sense of community, the pedagogical and musical practices of Santa Marta were observed and analyzed to form a definition of a participatory music community. This definition was used to examine the impact of participatory practices on a samba ensemble within a New York City high school. The findings describe how participatory music education both influences and is influenced by the participants’ senses of community in both settings and explores applications of participatory music methods to school-based music, particularly within urban settings. Participatory characteristics were found to be imbedded in samba’s musical structure, including the repetition of rhythms, the simultaneous use of advanced and simplified patterns, and the flexibility of the size of the ensemble. Music events in Santa Marta often lacked artist-audience distinctions with situations of performance and learning occurring simultaneously. Decentralized group learning was found to be a pedagogical tool with information stored in the community’s memory. Inclusive pedagogies, which allowed players of various skill levels to perform together in the same ensembles, maximized participation in both sites. These characteristics created a pedagogical structure that addressed many of the identified challenges of urban school music and provided opportunities for active student engagement. This study presents a possible way forward for music education in urban settings, a path based on creating an inclusive educational environment. In schools where sequenced music programs, funding, and stabile student populations don’t exist, participatory music has the potential to create ways for students of varying skill levels to find a place in school music communities.
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| 0.92383
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Sometimes it’s tempting for an IT lawyer – or rather an academic IT lawyer – to feel that things are moving essentially in the right direction, that the subject is getting more mainstream, more understandable – and more importantly, more understood. In some ways, of course, that’s true – but in others, we need to remember that things are far from positive, and that in many ways the ‘establishment’ – the legal system, the politicians, even the public – still don’t really ‘get it’ at all. Perhaps the most important of these is the legal system. To a significant extent it seems as though the legal system – and the law – is just completely out of kilter with the reality of the IT world, and in particular the internet.
A couple of things in recent weeks have driven that home to me. Neither was surprising, but both were disappointing, particularly to those of us interested in privacy and autonomy. First of all, there was the announcement that there won’t be any prosecutions arising from the Phorm secret trials, something which has been greeted with dismay by privacy advocates. Secondly, and most recently, was the failure of the judicial review to overturn the Digital Economy Act.
In both cases, it’s easy to see how the results came about – and indeed to argue that from a precise legal standpoint the results might have been technically correct. In both – and in the case of the Digital Economy Act in particular – it shows that the legal system really doesn’t understand what’s going on in the internet, and how our online world functions. The Digital Economy Act – in its provisions concerning the policing of illegal downloading – is so clearly inappropriate that it’s hard to find an academic lawyer in the field who believes it’s appropriate or proportionate, or even who believes that it stands any real chance of being effective. Precisely the opposite. It won’t work. It misses the point. It will victimise the innocent. It shows a fundamental misunderstanding of both the nature of the internet and the habits of most of those who use it. It’s such a bad law it just makes many of us shake our heads in disbelief.
The Phorm story is a little less dramatic, but demonstrates some similar features. The CPS have decided not to prosecute – and they may be right that there might not be much chance of a result. That, however, just reveals that our legal system doesn’t have the teeth or the capability to deal with the reality of the internet – for what Phorm and BT did was something that the law should have been able to deal with. It was a serious invasion of privacy on a very serious scale – secretly tracking the entire internet activities of 30,000 people without their knowledge or consent – and yet the law seems to be incapable of dealing with it, incapable of providing people with the kind of protection that people need. The kind of protection that people have a right to expect. The law should do this – and in its current form it doesn’t.
In the grand scheme of things, neither of these two incidents are likely to matter in the end. Despite the failures of the law, Phorm still failed, brought down by a combination of the privacy advocacy of such excellent groups as the Open Rights Group and the Foundation for Information Policy Research, interventions by the European Commission, and the belated intelligence of businesses like BT who withdrew their support as they began to understand how things really work. Similarly, the Digital Economy Act is likely to end up an irrelevance, as the people who it is intended to catch find ways to sidestep it, as further legal challenges arise, and as embarrassing prosecutions fail – and something that gets closer to understanding the reality of the situation is brought in to replace it.
It feels, though, as if the legal system needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into the modern world. That’s the challenge for IT lawyers. People are thinking and writing interesting, informative and insightful things about the nature of the internet – but right now, it isn’t being sufficiently read or understood, and certainly isn’t finding its way into the mindsets of those creating or enforcing the law. It needs to be – for though other forces will (and have, in the case of Phorm) stop many of the worst things from happening, without the law being ‘fit for purpose’ everything is a struggle, and many people suffer along the way.
….and talk about the important part of that right in less emotive, less distracting, and more accurate terms. I’m not interested in rewriting or erasing history, I’m not interested in hiding my past – selectively or completely. I am, however, interested in cutting down the amount of data held about me for spurious purposes, and interested in having more control over what commercial enterprises do with the data they have on me. I don’t want a right to be forgotten – I want
a right to delete personal data!
I asked a question about this at the Westminster Media Forum a few weeks ago, and gave a presentation on the subject at BILETA in Manchester yesterday – but I think the subject needs more attention. At the Westminster Media Forum, there was a particularly acerbic attack on the right to forgotten by journalist Tessa Mayes, who seemed to think that the right was all about restricting journalists’ rights to report on past events. At BILETA, even though I made the point very directly that the right to delete data isn’t the same as a right to be forgotten, one of the biggest questions I got was actually exactly about how such a right would effectively mess up the historical archive that the internet provides. For me, the right to delete data isn’t like that at all – but calling it a right to be forgotten can easily mislead people into thinking it is.
The right to delete, as I set it out in my presentation (slides of which are available by email), is something that allows individuals control over what data is held about them – but it has a number of specific exceptions, situations where data should be allowed to be kept, regardless of the desire of the individual concerned. They include examples such as medical records, criminal records, electoral rolls and so forth – and appropriate historical archives. All that should be clear – and should prevent the problems that would be associated with a real ‘right to be forgotten’.
The point is, though, that those holding data should need to justify that holding – rather than the individual justify why they would like data to be removed. If there ARE good reasons to hold data, then say so. If not, then the individual should have the right to delete it. The key thing to understand, though, is that BUSINESS reasons – and in particular the fact that you can make money out of holding someone’s data – are not sufficiently strong to override someones right to delete data. Privacy is more important than that.
Forgetting is important too – as Viktor Mayer-Schönberger has described so eloquently and compellingly in his excellent book
Delete – but, as Mayer-Schönberger himself suggests, rights may not be the best way to bring it about. Talking about a bald ‘right to be forgotten’ doesn’t really help either the understanding of what is a complex and important issue, or about dealing with the important both practical and ethical issues surrounding rights over personal data.
So let’s forget about the right to be forgotten – but fight strongly for the right to delete personal data.
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Egypt's 'Moderate' and 'Pragmatic' Dictator
As Jonah Goldberg has long noted, one of the long-standing conceits of the Left and “progressives” is that they have no ideology, that they are simply “pragmatic,” just wanting to do what “works”:
Ultimately, much of philosophical (capital “P”) Pragmatism -- at least on the left -- was an attempt to make socialist or Marxist ideas -- or attempts to move toward those ideas -- seem practical and empirical rather than ideological. Much of the anti-ideological language of the left today is a byproduct of that project. “Ideology” (by which the left means conservative ideology) is bad because it stands in the way of “pragmatic” improvements. But those “improvements” aren’t pragmatic at all, they’re deeply ideological. Some of the most blinkered ideologues in American life, going back to FDR, have championed the idea that they “don’t believe in ideology” or “don’t believe in labels” when in fact what they really believe is that they don’t think ideologies they disagree with should be allowed to stand between them and implementing their agenda.
Here’s a canonical example of the thesis, from “liberal” Jonathan Chait:
The contrast between economic liberalism and economic conservatism, then, ultimately lies not only in different values or preferences but in different epistemologies. Liberalism is a more deeply pragmaticgoverning philosophy -- more open to change, more receptive to empiricism, and ultimately better at producing policies that improve the human condition -- than conservatism. [Emphasis added]
Got that? They’re “more receptive to empiricism.”
That’s why they continue to promote socialist policies that have failed everywhere they’ve been tried, often accompanied by the deaths of tens of millions, not because they’re ideological.
And in fact, there was a whole (“progressive”) American movement along those lines, started by socialist John Dewey, called American Pragmatism. Indeed, supporters of President Obama, despite his well-documented life-long devotion to communist, socialist, and generally Leftist causes, assure us that he is not ideological at all, but simply wants practical solutions to our nation’s problems. It’s purely a coincidence that his proposals always somehow end up increasing the size and power of the state.
I note this history because it came to mind when I read President Obama’s characterization of Egyptian president Morsi’s Gaza game, in which the latter won great acclaim by siccing his pit bull on the neighbors, and then modestly claiming credit as a peacemaker when he decided to (momentarily) pull back on the leash:
“Mr. Obama told aides he was impressed with the Egyptian leader’s pragmaticconfidence,” The New York Timesreported after the Gaza ceasefire Nov. 21. “He sensed an engineer’s precision with surprisingly little ideology.” [Emphasis added]
Yes, a major player in the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization whose ultimate goal is the imposition of sharia law on the world and the end of Western civilization, has no ideology at all. He just wants to do what “works.” And few things work better than a thuggish protection racket when there is no punishment for the extortionate behavior. In fact, the administration won’t even bring itself to criticize Morsi and his minions’ pro-jihad rhetoric, presumably because, like Joe Klein, and despite vast and obvious evidence to the contrary, they think that he is a “moderate” who might somehow become radicalized by any truth uttered about his behavior:
MS. NULAND: Well, I’m obviously not, from this podium, going to characterize the Egyptian view, nor am I going to speak for them and characterize our private diplomatic conversations. I will say that in all of the conversations that she has had, that the President had with President Morsi, we all agree on the need to de-escalate this conflict, and the question is for everybody to use the influence that they have to try to get there.
And all this, of course, was before he decided to make himself the new Pharaoh, arrogating unto himself almost unlimited political power, to which the administration’s response has been almost as anemic:
…asked point blank if the White House “condemned” Morsi’s move, Carney stopped short.
“We are concerned about it and have raised those concerns,” he said.
Carney said Obama has not spoken with Morsi since the Islamist Egyptian president helped achieve a truce between Hamas and Israel, but said Obama’s recent praise of Morsi was limited to those efforts.
Whence such a constraint now? After all, what could be more “pragmatic,” what works better than simply seizing power, given the opportunity? There’s nothing intrinsically ideological about dictatorship, so you’d think that this pragmatic non-ideological president would be totally down with it (perhaps even more than a little envious?).
And at the risk of Godwinizing this piece, I have to note that there were other people who, historically, were lauded for their pragmatism. For instance, Benito Mussolini reportedly “made the trains run on time,” which was supposedly a great feat in Italy, and was greatly admired by many American “progressives” for it (not to mention
mafiosi, and even if he didn’t really). And Adolf Hitler himself was as pragmatic as he needed to be, at least when coming to power. He built up his arsenal, in defiance of the Paris Accord, only after realizing that the French and English weren’t inclined to stop him. As Jonah Goldberg relates via email (so sorry, no link or source unless you subscribe, which you should): …when the fascist chancellor of Austria Engelbert Dollfuss (yes, you read that right) was deposed in a Nazi coup, the fascist dictator of Italy Mussolini sent troops to the Austrian border to defend Austrian independence from Nazi aggression. Hitler backed down, renounced the coup, and played nice. He was after all, a “pragmatist.”
And as for his moderation:
In 1938 former Labor Party leader and president of the British Peace Pledge Union, George Landsbury, proclaimed, “I think Hitler will be regarded as one of the great men of our time.”
And actually, as I wrote last spring, President Morsi has some other things in common with the Reichschancellor than just his pragmatism, moderation, and complete lack of ideology:
Do they promote a political system where the individual will is bent to that of the (Islamist) state? Check. Do they advocate a totalitarian regime, in which no personal decision lies beyond its reach? Check. Do they take as their guide a book written by the founder of their movement? Check. Are they willing, even happy to kill and terrorize innocents to maintain that power? Yup. Do they think Jews nonhuman, and wish them exterminated from the earth?
Well, OK, maybe there’s a
little ideology there. But you got to love that pragmatism.
https://pjmedia.com/blog/egypts-moderate-and-pragmatic-dictator/
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You can change this under Settings & Account at any time. Environmental Psychology 2011 Transcript of Environmental Psychology 2011
studying individual level
study of behavior and mind is
not: psychiatry is a branch of medicine
of all psychologists, only clinical psychologists are engaged in therapy psychology is: landscape experience and preferences hierarchy of methods:
1 case study
2 correlational
3 experimental landscape, nature, environment, wildlife
built environment,
interior, place, garden these objects/environments are studied by other disciplines (geology, soil sciences, hydrology, ecology, rural sociology, resource economy, etc.) as well, so what's distinctive about environmental psychology? multiple meanings of landscape (environment/nature) Does EP not study the truth?
Yes, but the truth about mind, not about landscape See Chapter 2 in: Jacobs, MH (2006) The production of mindscapes: A comprehensive theory of landscape experience. Wageningen: Wageningen University Environmental psychology is a relatively young (sub)discipline
Term coined in 1964
First handbook in 1974: Proshansky, Ittleson, Rivlin
Born from psychology, roots in geography and architecture as well Today, two professional organisations that organize conferences:
EDRA (Environmental Design Research Assosication)
IAPS (International Organisation for People-environment Studies
Primary Journals:
Journal of Environmental Psychology
Environment and Behavior
Landscape and Urban Planning basics of perception outline of this course characteristics of environmental psychology See chapter 1 in: Bell, PA, Greene, TC, Fischer, JD, Baum, AB (1996) Environmental Psychology. Fort Worth etc: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. 1 Real life situations 2 Two directions 3 Problem-oriented Effect of environment on humans Effect of humans on enviroment 4 Variety of methods
descriptive
correlational
experimental Generic psychology uses seperate stimuli, EP studies naturalistic environments perception is the experience of the outer world in a meaningful way Conclusion:
We do not see the world as it is, but we organize stimuli by assigning meaning
See sections 9.2 and 9.3 in: Jacobs, MH (2006) The production of mindscapes. Wageningen: Wageningen University
(note: mental concepts is equivalent to meanings) proximity columns rows similarity closure surroundedness Gestalt theory:
Laws that describe how we tend to see stimuli as a whole Week 1 Introduction and landscape perception
Week 2 Nature, health, and well being - Agnes van den Berg
Week 3 Images of nature and environmental attitudes
Week 4 Human dimensions of wildlife
Week 5 Sense of place
Week 6 Consequences and summary Exam: 21 April - study all lectures and all literature
Activities: reading, attending lectures, in-class research
Contact: maarten.jacobs@wur.nl visual quality assessment expert-approach problem! experiential qualities of the landscape are increasingly important in western societies as societies become more affluent ... ... landscapes change rapidly ... AND ALSO ... people have more financial and psychological freedom to care for non-subsistance issues, such as aesthetics and identity. policy makers, planners and architects strive for aesthetically appealing landscapes Berlyne Kaplan & Kaplan Appleton Expert judgments, however, may not be reflective of the public. E.g. polder landscapes often indicated as special by landscape architects, but also by tourism industry: most frequent landscape picture in tourist brochures But not liked by foreign tourists at all Solution: empirical research into landscape experience and preferences Question: which landscapes are experienced as beautiful? However, blind empirical research is nuts Theory is needed to guide systematic research Variety of theories has been developed Images of nature sense of place adapative approach today Adaptive approaches:
address relations between physical properties of landscapes and preferences
assume preferences are partly innate
emphasize commonalities in preferences Arousal theory - Berlyne Preference matrix - Kaplan & Kaplan Prospect refuge theory - Appleton Berlyne's arousal theory is a general theory of aesthetics.
Early environmental psychologists have adopted this theory as a framework for their research. hedoniv value arousal level Two primary concepts:
arousal
hedonic value landscapes that evoke an optimal arousal level have a high hedonic value and are therefore preferred These are according to theorists:
fairly complex landscapes
faily mysterious landscapes
i.e. optimum between order and chaos We need knowledge in order to survive in an environment.
Hence, we prefer landscapes that enable us to gather knowlegde. Which landscapes? We prefer landscapes that are:
Coherent
Complex
Legible
Mysterious low arousal high arousal coherent and complex coherent but not complex legible and mysterious legible but not mysterious landscape = habitat humans are predators and prey, hence, seeing without being seen is optimal. We prefer landscapes with prospect and refuge opportunities. prospect and refuge prospect but no refure refuge but no prospect Possible criticism on both arousal theory and preference matrix:
Relies on evolution theory, but is not very compatible with evolution theory
Evolution theory predicts that we are genetically predisposed to like things that enhanced survival of ancestors Hence: keep it simple:
We like those landscapes that enhance survival 1 landscapes with water (needed to survive)
2 landscapes with vegetation (food and shelter)
3 landscapes with prospect refuge opportunities Reading:
Sections 4.1 - 4.5 in Production of mindscapes
Chapter 3 pp. 37 - 46 in Bell et al. Review questions:
What is a core assumption behind the adaptive approach to landscape preferences?
Name three landscape preference theories that fall within the adaptive approach, as well as the psychologists who developed these theories
Can you explain the arousal theory as applied to landscape preference?
Can you explain the preference matrix?
Can you explain the prospect refuge theory?
Do you think the view that landscape preferences are partly innate makes sense? Please provide arguments for your view.
How could the insights obtained by the adaptive approach be useful for piolicy makers, planners, designers and managers? images of nature history of human-nature relationships part of nature nature as enemy mastery over nature now? "woeste gronden" (wild domains) or "te ontginnen gronden" (domains to be colonised)
becomes "nature"on maps meanwhile:
nature conservation profession is changing extinction rates 1000 times higher experts
communication
public informed management prehistoric times, before the advent of agriculture 10.000 years ago:
the advent of agriculture
in Middle east (probably currently Iraq) After Middle Ages:
Scientific and technological advancements
Nature is measured and explored
Nature is concurred Growing consensus that mastery comes to an end, e.g.:
climate change
natural disasters
human induced disasters increasing urban affluent population
not worried about sustenance needs
no daily contact with nature
concerned about belonging and aesthetic needs divergence changing relationships with nature development of new nature unprecedented in history cf. postmodern society enter: Images of nature research aim: to identify people's views on nature practical benefits:
inform managers and policy makers about the public
explain differences and conflicts what are images of nature? mental phenomena
consisting of meanings assigned to nature
that are relatively stable
and influenced by culture research field characterized by: theoretical and conceptual diversity
multi methods (semi-stuctured interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, content analysis)
however, some convergence in results images of nature approach 1: Keulartz et al. Images of nature comprise 3 components 1 cognitive component:
What is real nature? 2 normative component:
How should we manage nature? 3 expressive component:
What is beautiful nature? images of nature approach 2: Buijs image of nature cognitive normative definition of nature beliefs about nature values value orientations Continuum from untouched to man-made Continuum from hands off to intensive management Continuum from wild to well-kept Criticism Empirical research is so-so Focused on policy, not so much on the public Expressive dimension is operationalized in a pretty weird way bottom-up approach
no expressive dimension
studying actual people consequences Study:
Buijs, A.E. (2008). Lay people's images of nature. Society and Natural Resources, 22, 417-432. what are the effects of images of nature? what can policy makers, planners, designers do with images of nature? Relationships between images and ethnicity:
native Dutch adhere more often to wilderness image than immigrants
1st generation immigrants adhere more to wilderness image than 2nd generation Relationships between images and demographics:
Highly educated adhere more to wilderness image than lowly educated
Males adhere more to functional image, females more to inclusive image Relationships between images and landscape preferences:
Those with wilderness image prefer natural landscapes over managed landscapes (functional and inclusive not)
Those with inclusive image like all landscapes better than those with wilderness of functional image As future designers, planners, and policy makers, what do you think? environmental attitudes and behaviour context theory and measurement: TOP changing behaviour anthropocene = current geological epoch
Mankind has a central role in ecology and geology trends in society Most experts agree that, ultimately, human behaviour has te change, in order to reduce environmental impact environmental consequences are often: collective global Therefore, a need to understand environmental behaviour (what people do) and enviromental attitudes (what people think) ATTITUDE = mental disposition to favour or disfavour an object/person/situation/event with some degree Attitude is the most frequently employed concept in social psychology, also used a lot in environmental psychology Attitudes:
are evaluative in nature
are believed to precede intention or behaviour
are important for deliberate and voluntary behaviours Most famous attitude theory: Theory
Of
Planned Behavior TOP Icek Ajzen (http://people.umass.edu/aizen/) environmental attitudes Attitude towards an object is formed on the basis of a person's beliefs about that object Steps for measuring attitudes:
1 determine attitude object
2 elicit relevant beliefs
3 questionnaire and data collection
4 data analysis 1 determining attitude object Is oftentimes more difficult than people think 2 eliciting relevant beliefs semi-structured interviews "What do you see as the advantages of creating room for rivers?"
"What do you see as the disadvantages of creating room for rivers?"
"How much do you agree or disagree with creating room for rivers?" 3 questionnaire Select the salient modal beliefs
Measure belief strength and evaluation 4 data analysis strength * evaluation for each item
add all scores to calculated attitude various operationalizations and measurements, no standard has emerged yet New
Environmental
Paradigm Dunlap & van Liere Value
Belief
Norm theory Stern Environmental attitudes:
Mental disposition to favour-disfavour pro-environmental behaviour Values Beliefs Norms Behaviours Environmental values:
Biospheric
Altruistic
Egoistic Ecological worldview
(equivalent to value orientations):
NEP Awareness of consequences:
Knowing negative consequences of behaviours on environment Ascription of responsibility:
belief that one's actions have influence on the environment Proenvironmental norms:
Feeling of obligation to behave in environmentally friendly way Proenvironmental behaviour:
Activism
Public sphere nonactivism
Private sphere
In organizations Very general
(no context) Very specific
(context) VBN Not relevant In 1970s, new ideas about environment and ecology began to boil down from conservation and scientific communities to general public New Environmental Paradigm refers to this new worldview that places emphasis on environment Scales for questionnaires consists of 12/15 items, e.g.:
Humans are severely abusing the environment
Plants and animals have as much right as humans to exist NEP doesn't predict behaviour very well
(this was never the intention) Despite criticism,
it seems safe to say that humans have a severe and often negative influence on the environment Paul Stern (2000) Toward a theory of environmentally significant behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 56, 3, 407-424 Approaches to behavioural change 1 Moral appeal:
try to act on values Con: Values are often pretty resistent to change 2 Education: try to change attitudes Con: Many agents influence one's attitudes 3 Rewards and penalties: try to change behavior 4 Community management: influence collective norms Con: Behavior is guided by many external factors Con: Often hard to achieve Factors that influence behaviours:
Attitudes
Context
Capacities
Habits Principles for behavioural change:
use multiple approaches
understand the actors
try to act upon groups
adopt joint decision making Have environmental attitudes changed over time? Trends:
Proenvironmental trend 1960s-1990s
Stabilization or slight decline since While some are disappointed and skeptic, specific things have changed Also, proenviromental behaviour is not only a matter of psychology:
Economy
Institutions
Availability of alternatives Human dimensions of wildlife part 1: cognitions Roles of animals in our lives Social issues theory: cognitive hierarchy Wildlife value orientations Predictive value Wildlife Value Orientation Domination Mutualism Appropriate Use Beliefs Humans should manage fish and wildlife populations so that humans benefit.
The needs of humans should take priority over fish and wildlife protection.
It is acceptable for people to kill wildlife if they think it poses a threat to their life.
It is acceptable for people to kill wildlife if they think it poses a threat to their property.
It is acceptable to use fish and wildlife in research even if it may harm or kill some animals.
Fish and wildlife are on earth primarily for people to use. Hunting Beliefs We should strive for a world where there's an abundance of fish and wildlife for hunting and fishing.
Hunting is cruel and inhumane to the animals.
Hunting does not respect the lives of animals.
People who want to hunt should be provided the opportunity to do so. Social Affiliation Beliefs Caring Beliefs We should strive for a world where humans and fish and wildlife can live side by side without fear.
I view all living things as part of one big family.
Animals should have rights similar to the rights of humans.
Wildlife are like my family and I want to protect them. I care about animals as much as I do other people.
It would be more rewarding to me to help animals rather than people.
I take great comfort in the relationships I have with animals.
I feel a strong emotional bond with animals.
I value the sense of companionship I receive from animals. Estimated between 100 and 200 million international arrivals in 1994
This segment is increasing drastically
Wildlife is a primary attraction in many countries, especially developing countries
Even the most remote areas are opened up for wildlife tourists Wildlife tourism Humans have kept pets as companion animals for millennia
63% of US citizens are pet owners; 400 million pets in US
Pets are associated with health benefits pets There are thousands of zoos in the world
There are millions of zoo visitors
There are billions of euro’s involved
(and a lot of design issues) zoos TV documentaries about animals are very popular
TV-channel “Animal Planet” is broadcasted in many countries Mass media Animals contribute greatly to satisfaction of visiting local nature
Managers of parks facilitate animals and opportunities to view animals Leisure near home Solving social issues:
Policy
Planning
Design
Management To conclude, humans have special bonds with animals the primary scientific question: WHY? Strong oppositions for potential solutions to these problems E.g.:
About 50% finds killing problem geese acceptable
About 50% finds killing problem geese unacceptable E.g.: wolves are endangered species E.g.: connecting Oostvaardersplassen with Veluwe E.g.: building a dike for herbivores to hide for wind E.g.: shooting weak herbivores to prevent suffering Thus: A need to understand human thought and reasoning about wildlife, in order to find acceptable solutions and devise successful communication Two basic categories of mental dispositions:
1 Cognitions (today)
2 Emotions (Thursday) Values Value orientations Attitudes Intentions Behaviours Numerous
Faster to change
Periphecal
Specific to situations Few
Slow to change
Central
Transcend situations Cognitions:
Mental dispositions that are used in perceiving, remembering, thinking, and understanding Cognitions exits on different levels of abstraction:
"World consists of matter" is more abstract then "This tree is an oak" Attitudes: mental dispositions to respond favorably or unfavorably to an object or event.
E.g.: Attitudes towards killing geese that damage agriculture by professional managers in Wageningen in Spring 2011 Values: desirable end states, modes of conduct, or qualities of life that we individually or collectively find important E.g. honesty, freedom, respect
Values have no object
Someone's basic values don't change much
Socialization during formative years is crucial
Don't explain much variability
Don't dictate behaviour Wildlife value orientations: schematic networks of basic beliefs that give direction and meaning to fundamental values in the domain of wildlife 2 Primary wildlife value orientations:
1 Mutualism
2 Domination Example Value Value orientation Attitude Behaviour freedom freedom animals are free to walk around humans are free to consume animals anti-hunting pro-hunting joining party for animal rally joining hunting association person A person B Consequences The concept of wildlife value orientations is scientifically and practically interesting if it predicts specific thought WVO's are found to predict (up to 50%):
behaviours (e.g. hunting, fishing)
intentions (e.g. anticipated wildife viewing)
norms (e.g. accepting lethal control)
attitudes (e.g. favouring reintroduction of wolves in Rocky Mountains in Colorado Similarities with previous concepts Mutualism-Domination continuum seems equivalent to: functional to wilderness images of nature anthropocentric to biocentric environmental values change Studies suggest societal change towards mutualism as societies: Are more urbanized Are higher educated Are wealthier E.g. questionnaire measures:
Acceptance of management actions
Different animals
Different levels of problem situations
Different levels of severity of actions Study:
Jacobs et al. (2011)
Human Dimensions of Wildlife Human dimensions of wildlife part 2: emotions Components of emotions Physiological reactions
Bodily reactions
Behavioural tendencies
Emotion experiences Emotions are pervasive and form an important basis for human mental and behavioural functioning E.g.
It is highly unlikely you will continue contemplating a maths problem if a lion scares you Importance of emotions Components Working of emotions Emotions towards wildlife Normally, we stop whatever we're doing during an emotion and attend to the emotion and its cause Emotions guide:
motivation
action tendencies
behaviours
thought
perception why is that? Emotions have emerged in the course of evolution as adaptations scared of lion avoidance survival This only works if emotions take over control! E.g. Snakes are quickly detected, and even quicker by people with snake phobia Emotions form the basis for attraction to wildlife, wildlife related activities, and conflicts over wildife Thus, if we are to understand and explain human responses to and thought about wildlife, we must understand emotions Physiological responses, e.g:
increased heart beat
sweating
blushing
adrenaline release Bodily reactions, e.g:
facial expressions
erection of body hair
making big or small Behavioural tendencies, e.g:
approaching/avoiding
fight or flight
freeze core affects:
1 valence
2 arousal general working of emotions is applicable to many domains of research, e.g. landscape preferences, bonds with nature, human wildlife interactions Study:
Jacobs (2009) Why do we like or dislike animals? Emotional experiences discrete feelings,
e.g. sad, happy, angry emotionally laden thought Sense of Place relevance of the concept of sense of place theoretical approaches measurement and findings consequences Ultimately, spatial planning and design boil down to local interventions Even large scale planning is effective only if resulting in local interventions Since spatial planning/design ultimately changes local places it affects people: behaviours
opportunities and constraints
daily experiences Dwellers
Recreationists
Farmers
Tourists
Representatives of professional organisations (e.g. nature conservation agencies) Spatial planning/design is a form of social planning Sense of place comes into play e.g. opposing or accepting an intervention Definition Are definitions important?
1 Yes: we must know what we're talking about
2 No: Ultimately, measurement counts Connotative definition
(Analytical definition is typically the end result of years of research) E.g. Lightning is the light you see when you hear thunder
Lightning is caused by electrical discharge of the air onto the earth, resulting in bright flashes of light. Simple and liberal connotative definition:
Sense of place is the total set of meanings a person assigns to a place In the literature, lots of different more restrictive definitions can be found E.g.1:
Sense of place is restricted to those having first hand experiences of places for a long time E.g.11:
Sense of place must be constituted by emotional bonds My advice:
Don't get involved in pseudo-debates about definitions E.g. if accepting restriction 1: one has to invent a new term to denote somebody's sense of the Mount Everest, and one has not solved any substantial issue at all. "Mysterians":
Sense of place is a holistic concept that varies with person, culture, place and context.
Therefore, sense of place can not be broken down analytically. In my view, this reasoning is nonsense Compare:
Every human body is one whole and unique
Hence, a physiology of humans is impossible Planners and architects who do not take sense of place into account are producing landscapes for places without people Sense of the wilderness
Sense of gas stations
Sense of Wageningen
Sense of De Veluwe Others have tried to identify patterns Key features exitential outsider to existential insider (Relph) Level of attachment (Shamai) Deductive components Attachment (emotional bond)
Dependence (behavioural bond)
Identification (self-definition)
(Stedman and Jorgensen) Inductive categories:
identifying primary place meaning categories on the basis of an open approach Sense of place as part of bigger picture personal identity social identity sense of place place meanings beliefs about intervention attitudes towards intervention questionnaire Stedman and Jorgensen have operationalized sense of place into three sets of items Confirmatory factor analysis reveals validity of these components Semi structured interviews: Problems: insensitive to revealing other components
items without substantial content Jacobs and Buijs have created a semi-structured interview measurement instrument Place meanings:
What does this place mean to you?
How would you characterize this place?
How important do you regard this place for yourself?
What activities do you perform at this place?
What are your favorite characteristics of thisplace?
Are you satisfied with this place?
Do you experience any problems with respect to this place?
Do you feel connected to this place? 5 primary place meaning categories: functionality
beauty
biodiversity
attachment
risk Spatial interventions that bypass senses of place of stakeholders are increasingly likely to fail Differences in sense of place are an important source of conflict over places How to deal with non-residents? MORE? Study:
Jacobs & Buijs (2011) Place meanings
Williams & Stewart (1998) Sense of place culture and development Today's focus:
1 development
2 culture How do we get from a virtually blank mind to a mind loaded with cognitions and emotions related to the enviroment? How does culture influence human-environment interactions and how do groups differ? nested
questions Children and the development of human-environment relationships Newborn babies are absolutely egocentric TOM = Theory Of Mind Almost everything we know and can is learned Hardly any seperation between me and environment Environment is something out there, to be fully employed to one's own satisfaction Environment is populated with animated things, and experienced and enacted upon by others as well Environment extends beyond the directly experienced These innate preferences may exist in the sensomotor stage; innate emotions towads animals as well transformation from active to passive Implications e.g. 1 You can't create enviromental attitudes in young children
e.g. 2 Sense of place gets increasingly complex and changes in nature over the years Savannah landscapes prefered by young children; gradually, own landscape gets prefered Culture Cultural influence at different levels Global level: technological and economic circumstances National level: value structures in cultures Institutional level:
Laws and customs within subcultures
(e.g. farmers - ecologists) Inglehart Hofstede
Schwartz Group level:
shared meanings and attitudes Study:
Buijs et al (2009) No wilderness for immigrants Measures:
1 Images of nature
2 Landscape preferences
Immigrants and non-immigrants overview exam preparation Study for exam:
1 all lectures
2 literature Bell et al. (1996) Environmental Psychology, chapter 1, sections 1 and 2 (Why study environmental psychology and what is environmental psychology)
Bell et al. (1996) Environmental Psychology, chapter 2
Jacobs (2006) Production of mindscapes, chapters 2 and 3
Hartig et al. (2010) Health benefits of nature
Buijs (2008) Lay people's images of nature
Stern (2000) Theory of environmental behavior
Jacobs et al. (2011) Human dimensions of wildlife
Jacobs (2009) Why do we like or dislike animals
Jacobs & Buijs (2011) Place meanings and attitudes
Williams & Stewart (1998) Sense of place
Buijs et al. (2009) Images of nature among immigrants exam format open ended questions
4 or 5 subjects
4 questions per subject factual question
question about theory or concept
question to use knowledge straightforwardly to explain something
question to explain something that can be explained by creative thinking, even if you don't know the specific material E.g. Who formulated the preference matrix? E.g. Name three predictors of landscape preference according to the preference matrix E.g. According to the adaptive approach, humans have innate landscape preferences. Why do we have innate preferences? E.g. In recent debates concerning livestock in the Netherlands, many people indicate they would like to see more cows in meadows, instead of in stables. Why could people like to see cows in meadows? pencil and paper exam
answer boxes
give short and specific answers ? And:
Nature and health, restoration, and children by Agnes van den Berg Nature and health various studies indicate that nature has a positive influence on mental and physical health thanks for your attention and good luck with the exam
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My Big Fat Greek Shotgun Wedding by Peter Tchir Posted May 11, 2011
. It seems clear that the citizens of Greece are sick and tired of dealing with the austerity being placed on them. I cannot imagine that they like the idea of selling assets to pay foreigners. Whether or not they fully understand the consequences of a default (or restructuring) it seems like they have made their choice. Only yesterday, I tried to compare the latest round of Greek bailout discussions to an arranged marriage. It is difficult to watch the protests on TV and read about the impact of the strikes and not think that the wedding has moved to the shotgun stage
So we have evolved from the image of a country going with hat in hand to its neighbors for a hand out, to a reluctant bride doing what they are told because it is expected of them, to someone who is being bullied and dragged to the altar to take part of something they not only don’t want, but now know is the wrong choice.
Greece has to do what is best for Greece
Recently, almost all the arguments against a near term Greek default (restructuring) are based on the fact that Germany, France, and the ECB would be hurt. It is not Greece’s responsibility to worry about what impact a default would have on outside creditors. The situation has gone beyond that. Greece has to act responsibly throughout the restructuring process so that it can access capital markets again over time, but honestly, that is a low hurdle. Wall Street and Investors have a very short memory, and if restructured Greek debt performs well, there will be plenty of money available for future new issues. The bottom line is that the situation has deteriorated to the point it is clear to everyone that this is a solvency issue, and regardless of the pressure brought to bear by other countries, Greece must do what is right for Greece.
A Default is not the end of the world for Greece
The ‘doomers’ (and yes it is strange for me to refer to someone else as a doomer) would have you believe that a default would send Greece back to the dark ages. Argentina defaulted in 2001. It is doing better than ever.
Were there some disruptions in Argentina at the time? Yes, but they fixed their problems and now have an economy growing at a rate much of the world is envious of. Default does not have to be a big negative on the people of that country. As I’ve argued before, defaulting now allows Greece to move forward with real long term solutions. It should be easier for people to accept reforms when they are part of a new sustainable Greece, rather than to meet the demands of foreign borrowers.
Since courts cannot really enforce injunctions against Greece, they can attempt to implement some policies that benefit internal debt holders, especially individuals. Greece can also attempt to use programs similar to Brady bonds to help banks avoid having to take immediate write downs. Given the focus on mark to market, I am not sure that would help as much as in the past (and personally I don’t think it should) but it is worth a try.
Greece doesn’t need to know what the future holds to restructure now
More people have jumped onto the bandwagon that Greece should keep taking IMF money and maybe even so new bailout money until they figure out what their long term capacity to pay debt is. I just don’t understand that at all. First off, this argument is coming for a lot of analysts who thought the problem was solved a year ago. Will there ever be a time when everyone will ‘KNOW’ the right debt level? Probably not, and even if they did, the borrower will want the maximum haircut while the lenders will want the minimum haircut. So negotiate now and deal with the future as it comes up.
The future will always be unclear so waiting is unlikely to provide much help, and in the meantime, real progress is delayed as the country is faced with work disruptions and growing bitterness towards the foreign bankers.
Whatever you do, do NOT pledge collateral or sell assets
Greek debt issued under International Law will help prevent Greece from hurting itself. I just do not see why Greece would agree to pledge collateral or sell assets to pay debt. I can understand (somewhat) why last year when the Greek government actually believed their problem was one of liquidity created by soon to be shirtless hedge funds, that they agreed to some collateral provisions with the IMF. But a year later, with the hedge funds wearing fancy new monogrammed shirts, the Greek government is aware that this isn’t merely a liquidity problem. There is a growing certainty that they cannot meet their future obligations, so any pledge of collateral is likely to be executed on. They should avoid this at all costs. The nature of a sovereign default puts them in the driver’s seat for any negotiation. Most investors will have trouble winning relief against the government in Greek courts, and then even more trouble enforcing those judgments. Providing specific collateral against further lending makes no sense at this time. Save it for the future.
If Germany, France, and the ECB are really so desperate to avoid a default, they will cave on this demand.
Written by aurick
12/05/2011 at 12:10 pm
Tagged with AIG, American International Group, Capital Markets, Creditors, European Central Bank, financial crisis, France, Germany, Greece, Greek debt crisis, Greek sovereign collapse, Insurance Companies, International Monetary Fund, Mark to Market, sovereign debt, sovereign default
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Background
These scenarios are used by me with live actors improvising at a workshop on assertiveness.
We’ve used them in the public and private sector in the UK.
This is a particular approach to applying drama and improvisation in training in which professional actors are the ones improvising. We then use methods such as
forum theatre to explore the issue of assertiveness. I’ve tried this in “role play” mode with participants and it doesn’t work nearly as well as skilled actors.
Interestingly it works better with actors who have life experience of the world of work, rather than actors who have only ever worked in the arts! Actors with work experience draw on this material as they improvise, making it believable and detailed where needed.
I recommend this as a powerful way to explore and practice assertiveness through direct theatre. Contact me if you want any further information to advice in using the activity.
Purpose of the Activity
This activity helps explore the issue of assertiveness and, by replaying the scenes in different ways, participants can explore different strategies for being assertive. The distance of participants from the live action takes away the pressure to perform and also allows the scenes to hold up a reflective “mirror” to participants so they can look at their own behaviours and identify areas for personal change.
Process
Participants are the audience. The actors play out the scenes and can then be “hot seated” afterwards. In debrief we can explore different behaviours, resolving issues, and allowing audience to experiment. So one approach is:
Watch the improvised scenes
Debrief, question and discuss
Replay different versions of the scenes
Further reflection and questions and possible further replaying of the scenes
Participants reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses and lessons from the process of watching and engaging with the characters
Variations on the activity
– allow chosen participants to freeze the scene by calling out “freeze” and re-directing them
– allow chosen participants to step into the scenes playing one or more characters (Personally, I am no fan of “role play” and think it usually works better letting the actors do the acting!)
The Scenarios
These are archeyptal assertiveness scenarios drawn from my past experience with client organisations. They can be rewritten, reworked and adapted as necessary. They serve as a brief to the actors.
Scenario 1 Angry Film Mark is taking a DVD back to a shop – Audi is the shop assistant. It was a present for his partner. A surprise. When they tried to play it kept freezing. Mark is aggressive rather than assertive. The solution to this problem is that when Mark is assertive rather than aggressive he is more likely to get a positive outcome. Suggestion: We’ll play this first as aggressive and then let participants explore how assertiveness can be more effective. Scenario 2 Appraisal Dan is Nina’s line manager. He is carrying out an annual appraisal, checking to see how things are going for Nina. Nina is very shy, friendly but giving short one word or short phrase replies. Nina is bored in her job and also feels that she’d like some more career opportunities. Dan knows that Nina is excellent at her job and this is an opportunity for her to say exactly how she’s like to develop in her career in the Arts Centre where they work. But Nina is reluctant to express what she wants. She’s done that in the past in other jobs and been disappointed, and also told off when she questioned things. Scenario 3 Two’s a crowd Ian and Megan are co-workers designing a web page in an IT Department for their company. They are discussing various colour schemes and animations for a client. There is a brief sheet but the brief is very open to their creative flair. Ian keeps interrupting Megan, not really listening to her ideas as much as she should. He isn’t nasty – he is just over-enthusiastic and not very skilled at working with another person. Megan finds it hard to be heard and gets frustrated. Scenario 4 It’s a gas This scene is done on the telephone. Neil is freezing cold. His heating has packed up. He lives alone. Neil is calling to get his central heating fixed – he is in a scheme which he pays for once a year. He wants them to visit at a time to suit his diary as he works every day. He is very good at asserting that he is cold and wants his heating fixed but is not good at asserting that it must be at a time to suit him. The discussion seems to result in the appointment getting further and further in the future. Neil has never called before for a problem and pays a lot for the service. But he gives too much away on the appointment time. The scene ends with him putting the phone down saying: “They are coming in 9 days time. 9 days? I’ll have to phone again” Scenario 5 Upward Feedback Debbie has come to see Cliff, a manager – not her line manager, but Cliff is above her. Debbie wants to give Cliff some feedback about how she felt he undermined the team meeting they were all just part of. She felt he made several sexist comments,. None about her personally, and also wasn’t listening to the concerns of their fellow team members about the new printing equipment being brought in that they would all have to use in their printing firm. She just wants to give Cliff the feedback and initially he tries to play it all down. Scenario 6 Mutual Anger In this scene both are being aggressive. Steve and Hilary are partners. They are arguing about the state of their flat. Neither has tidied for a week and the flat is a real mess. Both blame the other for being insensitive to the heavy workloads each has at work. Steve is a manager of a mail order gift firm and it is busy coming up to Christmas. Hilary works as a graphic designer and they have several major clients putting on the pressure. They are both being aggressive rather than assertive with each other. Neither is being heard.
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Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite stores. I love shopping there.
While I was at Caltech for graduate school, I lived in the Catalina Apartments. I can’t describe how happy I was to discover there was a Trader Joe’s where I could do all of my grocery shopping. Indeed, once a week or so, I would make the 0.3 mile trek (see my route) to the Trader Joe’s on S. Lake Street in Pasadena. I’d stock up on drinks, fish, fruits (bananas, and indeed all fruits and vegetables, are sold by the count, not by weight), bread, mochi ice cream, amazing blueberry scones, and so many other wonderful, delectable products. Usually, I’d leave with two bags filled to the top with food.
I am writing this post because of a really great article in
Fortune Magazine, “Inside the Secret World of Trader Joe’s”, which I read over the weekend. I encourage you to read it, but I highlight the most notable parts below. Trader Joe’s is no ordinary grocery chain. It’s an offbeat, fun discovery zone that elevates food shopping from a chore to a cultural experience. It stocks its shelves with a winning combination of low-cost, yuppie-friendly staples (cage-free eggs and organic blue agave sweetener) and exotic, affordable luxuries — Belgian butter waffle cookies or Thai lime-and-chili cashews — that you simply can’t find anyplace else.
Absolutely true. No other store I’ve been to has an equivalent experience. Every week I went to Trader Joe’s, I bought one new product which I hadn’t bought before. It was hard to buy more because virtually everything I bought, I enjoyed. After about a month or so of shopping there, I bought the same items (the frozen tilapia, for instance), but I still loved discovering new items every week.
It’s little wonder that Trader Joe’s is one of the hottest retailers in the U.S. It now boasts 344 stores in 25 states and Washington, D.C., and strip-mall operators and consumers alike aggressively lobby the chain, based in Monrovia, Calif., to come to their towns. A Trader Joe’s brings with it good jobs, and its presence in your community is like an affirmation that you and your neighbors are worldly and smart.
Monrovia is just a short distance away from Pasadena. The store I mentioned (on S. Lake Street) is not the only Trader Joe’s store in Pasadena (the one on Arroyo Parkway, where I shopped once, is the flagship store; trivia:
it is the flagship store because it was the first Trader Joe’s to open). Nevertheless, I really like the claim that people who shop at Trader Joe’s have a sense of affirmation of being worldly and smart. You’d think Trader Joe’s would be eager to trumpet its success, but management is obsessively secretive. There are no signs with the company’s name or logo at headquarters in Monrovia, about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
Perhaps this isn’t surprising. But my thinking is this: if it works, why change things?
So how did Fortune Magazine find out about the chain?
To get inside the mysterious world of Trader Joe’s, Fortunespent two months speaking with former executives, competitors, industry analysts, and suppliers, most of whom asked not to be named. What emerged is a picture of a business at a crossroads: As the company expands into new markets and adds stores — analysts say the grocer could easily triple its size in the coming years — it must find a way to maintain its small-store vibe with customers. “They see themselves as a national chain of neighborhood specialty grocery stores,” says Mark Mallinger, a Pepperdine University professor who has done research for the company. “It means you want to create an image of mom and pop as you grow.”
Indeed, I can understand the challenge. If Trader Joe’s expands too rapidly, it loses its vibe and niche presence. I know that people who live in Atlanta drive
twenty or more miles to shop at a Trader Joe’s (when a Kroger or a Publix may be a few miles away).
Compared to most supermarkets, Trader Joe’s carries a smaller selection per product (the reasoning makes perfect sense to me):
Swapping selection for value turns out not to be much of a tradeoff. Customers may think they want variety, but in reality too many options can lead to shopping paralysis. “People are worried they’ll regret the choice they made,” says Barry Schwartz, a Swarthmore professor and author of The Paradox of Choice. “People don’t want to feel they made a mistake.”
But it’s the small things that matter. This is the most telling paragraph of the entire piece:
A ringing bell instead of an intercom signals that more help is needed at the registers. Registers don’t have conveyor belts or scales, and perishables are sold by unit instead of weight, speeding up checkout. Crew members aren’t told the margins on products, so placement decisions are made based not on profits but on what’s best for the shopper. Every employee works all aspects of the store, and if you ask where the roasted chestnuts are he’ll walk you over instead of just saying “aisle five.” Want to know what they taste like? He can probably tell you, and he might even open the bag on the spot for you to try.
A pleasant shopping experience, combined with personal attention, means you’re not only going to remember your purchase, but that you’re likely to become a loyal customer and keep coming back. As cliché as it sounds, shopping at Trader Joe’s is an experience. Like the food you purchase there, the experience is to be savored.
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Have you ever shopped at Trader Joe’s? Do you have one in your area? Was your experience similar to mine?
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Home gardens are nothing new. During WW II, victory gardens were popular and in the 1960's there was a resurgence in, back-to-the-earth, holistic gardening. As people became concerned about pesticides and hormones used in commercial food production, backyard gardens became more appealing. But, how do we live "green" in today's busy, urban society? Join us and learn how to maximize your urban space for maximum production and perhaps start your own "cottage" business with the fruits of your labor.
There are no sections currently available for this course.
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Do more than wear the red, white, and blue this year! Show your patriotism with one of these all-American all-stars. These standout products excelled in GHRI tests and are all made in the U.S.A. Lodge Dutch Oven
Lodge has been producing classic cast-iron cookware out of its Tennessee factory for more than 100 years. The Porcelain on Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven from Lodge's Color line ($105, amazon.com) was a top performer in our test of casserole dishes, browning evenly on both gas and electric ranges and turning out a tender and flavorful beef stew. This induction-safe pot comes red, blue, green, pumpkin, and burgundy.
Viking Range
Manufactured in the Mississippi delta, Viking's ranges are standouts for both style and performance. The fire-engine red VDSC530B-SS ($4,999, amazon.com) was our top pick for a dual-fuel model in our last test. This professional-looking range proved simple to use and was the only one in the bunch to bake four cake layers evenly at once.
Nordic Ware Skillet
Family-owned Nordic Ware has been operating out of Minneapolis for nearly 70 years. Its Restaurant Cookware line ($69 for a 12-inch skillet, amazon.com) performed well in our skillet test, browning steak evenly and maintaining a steady simmer. The professional look will go well with any kitchen.
Anchor Hocking Food Storage
Since 1905, Anchor Hocking has been manufacturing its glassware in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The True Seal food storage containers ($8-$21, amazon.com) were top performers for glass in our 2009 test, doing the best job of any at keeping air out so food stays fresher.
Cutco Kitchen Knife
Cutco products have been made in New York since 1949. Its Petite Chef's Knife ($114, amazon.com) has a blade that’s slightly shorter than your average chef's knife — handy if you find a full 8-inch blade too large or hard to control.
Spic and Span Multi-Surface Cleaner
Made in the U.S., Spic and Span's Cinch Glass & Multi-Surface Cleaner ($4.49 for 32 oz., amazon.com) quickly cleared messes on stainless steel, glass, and laminate countertop. (The product promises to clean outdoor surfaces, car windows, and plenty more, as well.)
Weiman Carpet Cleaner
Based in Illinois, Weiman has been manufacturing cleaning products since 1941. The company's carpet cleaner ($4.99 for 22 oz., amazon.com) was our top trigger-spray formula, working quickly to dissolve fresh stains, especially spaghetti sauce, in our tests. The bottle carries the EPA's Design for the Environment label, meaning it contains the safest possible ingredients and it boasts an oxygen ingredient to safely lighten stains.
Mrs. Meyer's Dishwashing Detergent
Inspired by Iowa homemaker Mrs. Thelma A. Meyer, the Mrs. Meyer's line comes in a range of garden-fresh scents ranging from basil to geranium. Even better, the Clean Day Automatic Dish Pacs ($8 for 20, amazon.com) banished hard-water spots best of all the tablets in GHRI tests.
Green Toys Kitchen Toy
Made in the U.S. from recycled plastic, Green Toys' Salad Set ($20, amazon.com) gets healthy eating habits started early. Our imaginative kid testers had fun pretending to serve guests with its serving bowl, salad plate, serving utensils, condiments, and veggies ranging from mushrooms to peppers. This set is suitable for children ages 2 and up.
Buffalo Games Game
Made in Buffalo Games' New York factory, Gotcha! ($28, amazon.com) is great for older kids. The game is all about making and breaking rules; to make your way along the board, just follow the rules that pertain to you and catch others when they slip up. But be careful — the rules are constantly changing!
More from GOOD HOUSE KEEPING:
The Top 10 Products You Need In Your Kitchen
The Weirdest Beauty Ingredients You Should Start Using
How To Decode Your Dreams
*Yahoo! Shopping was not compensated by any brands listed within this article.
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Over the past 27 months, two magical and revolutionary concepts have changed the way we interact. The first is the Cloud; the second is the Personalized Web.
We all know what the cloud means, but the personalized web means that when I search Google, it no longer returns results based on the words I was searching for. It returns the results
it knows I wanted to see, based on a personal profile built up from information about my geolocation, the version number of my browser's rendering engine, and my degrees of seperation from Kevin Bacon.
Imagine this personalization concept carried through to Wikipedia. Rether than viewing a bland article entirely made of compromise and negotiation, I'd be able to read words and see pictures tailored to my point of view--based on my profile, previous reading habits and the kinds of edits I've made. I believe that the proposed changes are just the start of this kind of advanced personalized functionality.
Remember--choice is not censorship, people. And if the choices can be chosen for you in advance, so much the better!
RF energy doesn't give a fuck where you bought something.
Than is my new favourite quote. Genius!.
A lot of it is down to the famous 15 percent rule--the idea that their researchers and engineers are free to spend 15% of their time pursuing their own ideas.
Some of the younger developers at our place are in awe of Google having "invented" the whole one day a week innovating thing, and are shocked that some of the less cool corporations were doing this back in the sixties.
OK--perhaps it will have little effect on anybody taking decisions, but it won't take more than a few minutes of your time, and if it can drive stories in the press etc, so much the better.
Do I feel strongly enough about it to emigrate? The law as it stands in terms of freedom of speech has been much the same for centuries.
Please don't emigrate just yet—you may be in luck. The European Convention on Human Rights guarantees freedom of speech for all EU citizens. It was enshrined into UK law by the Human Rights Act in 1998; this was the biggest fundamental change in the law regarding freedom of speech for centuries.
The problem is, the way it is enshrined into UK law also introduces a significant number of restrictions, mostly around the areas of security, crime, and morals. But the government has to actually pass specific legislation to limit speech in these areas, and if these national laws fall short of the European Convention then they can be challenged in the European Court of Human Rights.
One of the weaknesses of the British constitutions is that most people—even most British people—seem to have been persuaded that we don't have one, so few people are willing to stand up and fight against unconstitutional laws.
Far from free speech not being a vote winner, it looks likely that reform of our libel laws will become a significant issue at the next election, for example with campaigns like libelreform.org causing a lot of unrest in political circles.
Committees have become so important nowadays that subcommittees have to be appointed to do the work.
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Carry Me or I Will Carry You
Much more magical than any book in the Christian or Jewish Bible, the book of Parables in the Humanist Bible reads at times like the Humanist 1,001 Nights … stories within stories within stories, fables within fables with moral teachings smartly woven into them, and precious nuggets of wisdom thrown in every now and then for the philosophy-loving soul to ponder.
The book doesn’t just bestow entertaining parables. There’s also a celebration of the art of storytelling, where we learn the therapeutic value of narratives in themselves. The maxim “Carry me or I will carry you” is repeated from time to time. It signifies that we should tell stories to make our life journey bearable, that without meaning and without sense, life becomes unbearable and that these narratives contribute to the manufacturing of meaning.
There are several portions with advise for people who travel, and speak of how travel relates to the search for wisdom. These portions are reminiscent of the
Havamal‘s runes for griots or stray-singers. We learn that hunger ends friendships, that the rich are oftentimes mean whereas the poor are oftentimes kind, and that a crime is mitigated if you confess but is greater if you bring others to commit it.
Some of the most memorable fables are the tale of the monkey and the hiena, and the tales of the king of the fabled City of Stones.
Education as a Quintessential Human Value
Your book was leading you, not you it. – Parables 22:7
There is a portion in praise of books and learning, and we are encouraged to read a good book with a friend (15:1-5).
A word in celebration of Humanist values must be added here, particularly in light of recent events in various parts of the Muslim world.
It was recently announced that the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize was given to Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani girl who nearly lost her life for her advocacy of girls’ right to an education in her Islam-ridden country. Elsewhere in the Muslim parts of Nigeria, the West-hating terrorist organization Boko Haram abducted young girls whose only crime was attending a school. The speculation is that they’re being kept as sexual slaves. They have not been found. In contrast, we find a celebration of the education of girls in the secular humanist Bible.
The entire book of Parables ends with an entertaining legend about legendary sisters from a poor, isolated village who want to see the world and get an education. Eventually the girls end up founding a school under a tree.
And the past and future gather round you when you and your teacher are sitting there. – Parables 23:27
Further Reading:
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According to Greece’s former prime minister Lucas Papedemos, we better get used to calling the it a 16-nation eurozone, or even the 15 nation, since Greece is already making preparations to leave the currency. So what would a slimmed-down version of the euro look like, how would it function and what would happen to the countries that leave? Obviously there is a chance that it stays intact, but in this article we look at what Greece and Spain could look like if they were to untangle 60 years of history and leave the world’s most famous currency union. To be or not to be in the eurozone... First things first we need to discuss how a country untangles itself from the enormous web that is the currency bloc. There has been a lot of speculation about whether or not a country can even leave. When the original Treaty was written there was no get out clause. However, that was altered in 2007 with the Treaty of Lisbon, which added a clause that gave a member state the right to withdraw if they had the support from the majority of other members. That’s a green light for Greece to leave, if it wants to. Added to that Vienna Convention of the Law of Treaties, which came into force in 1980, says that if conditions change to such an extent that abiding with the Treaty causes social damage then it is legally possible to withdraw. It could definitely be invoked in Greece’s case. [Related feature: How to leave the euro] Eurozone-lite But both of these demand that the member states in question actually want to leave and we know that more than 75% of Greeks and a similar number of Spaniards want to remain in the eurozone. As we have seen in recent weeks countries such as Germany seem to have lost patience with Greece, and have suggested that its upcoming elections should be a referendum on euro membership. So if Greece doesn’t want to leave then how can a country like Germany “force” them out in the hope it would be cheaper for them in the long run and avoid future costly bailouts? There is no easy answer, but one way would be to negotiate Greece or Spain leaving the eurozone, while planning for it to maintain in the European Union with all of the trade and labour privileges membership includes. The UK and the Scandinavian countries have managed it and Switzerland’s largest trading partner is the eurozone even though it still has the franc. Thus, a Greece or Spain that returns to the drachma or the peseta need not cut its ties to Europe completely. [Related link: Free guide - How to trade currencies] Drachmageddon? Looking at Greece first, what would it look like outside of the eurozone? The negative impact of a return to the drachma is that it may fall in value versus the euro to the tune of 50% over the first five years of leaving the currency bloc, according to some predictions. This would push up inflation making necessities like food, energy products and even medicine expensive, as well as potentially out of the grasp of ordinary Greeks who could suffer years of high levels of unemployment. Even tourism, which accounts for 15% of the Greek economy, would suffer as potential tourists may be turned off by rising levels of social discord that would no doubt follow as living standards drop even further than they already have. Some have warned that Greece could return to the status of a developing country, and its likely inflation rates and unemployment levels would certainly make it feel like one during this period. [Related story: Nightmare foretold if Greece leaves the euro] Greece’s cultural advantage But, if Greece could get over the initial inflation shock and if the government could implement a fair and efficient tax collection system then it could target public sector spending at the tourism industry. Greece has a gorgeous coastline and some of the world’s most rare and interesting artefacts. Around the world people still learn about Greek mythology and history at school so there will always be a huge number of people who want t to visit the country. Preserving its coastline, artefacts, building new airports, hotels, business and leisure centres doesn’t cost too much and can reap dividends in a fairly short amount of time. If the government can use its “cultural” advantage then it could set Greece onto the right track especially with some savvy marketing to the fast-growing middle classes in India, China, Brazil and other fast developing nations. Shipping is a major industry for the Greeks since ancient times. Ironically, if Greece were to leave the eurozone it could bring stability to financial markets and help to foster global growth thus boosting world trade. This is something the Greek shipping industry could jump on the back of. So leaving the eurozone may have some upside benefits in the short-term. [Related feature: Greece embraces new myths about the euro] Coping with the de-valued peseta So what about Spain? The adjustment process might not be as bad, although the peseta needs to fall in value and remain weak, it does not need to fall to the same extent as the drachma. The price of Spain’s imports would rise and inflation would shoot up probably causing more unemployment, but Spain could negotiate contracts for energy with countries it already has close ties with in Latin America and produce commodities to try and lessen the blow from a de-valued peseta. The banks in Spain... Spain’s biggest problem is its banking sector, which is crippled by bad loans from its property bust. Right now the markets are trying to figure out just how large the liabilities are and if the Spanish government is going to end up on the hook for them, possibly to the tune of €200billion according to some estimates (we won’t know for sure until the government conducts its latest review later this summer). Inside the eurozone, Spain could potentially get official help to deal with these liabilities, but outside of it, even as a member of the EU, this may be harder to achieve. [Related story: Spanish banks need €100bn in aid to survive] No banks, no problem If you removed the banking sector, then Spain could do well outside of the eurozone with a weaker currency as its exports are worth approximately €250billion a year and its largest export partners are France and Germany. Added to that, its tourist industry is well developed and in 2007 it was the second most visited country in the world after France. It generated €60billion from tourism in 2010, according to the World Travel and Tourism council, and a weaker currency could see this grow even more. However, until we know the true extent of its banking crisis it is hard to see how Spain could cope without help from its eurozone neighbours to support its flagging banking sector. One thing is for sure, leaving the eurozone is not an “easy” option, as Greece may find out, although it the long term it could reap benefits and put the economy on a more stable footing. However, for Spain, until it sorts out its banking sector, it may find it pays dividends to remain on Germany’s good side.
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A grant proposal to rejuvenate Island shellfishing was rejected in a nine-figure National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stimulus program announced this week, and it is fair to say that Warren Doty, the Chilmark selectman who spearheaded the Vineyard bid, is somewhat miffed.
“There are no jobs for the little guys,” he told the Gazette. “Our proposal had $20-an-hour employees and a five per cent overhead. Meanwhile there was $8 million to Maine to build a dam and a big chunk of that goes to the contractor for their profits.”
The $125 million NOAA program, which is part of a national recovery stimulus package, awarded 50 projects across America and the territories, with the aim to create jobs and rejuvenate coastal zones and the Great Lakes.
“There were no shellfish projects in New England; the only grant in Massachusetts was a small grant for a fish passage in Brewster,” Mr. Doty said. “Why ask for shellfish proposals if you’re not going to award any of them?
“It’s very disappointing.”
Around five per cent of submitted projects ultimately received funding, with only those judged to have the most economic and environmental impact chosen from 800 proposals.
Mr. Doty theorized that the Vineyard may have been at a disadvantage due to a politically toxic perception of the Island as a haven for the rich.
“Maybe we had no chance from the beginning,” he said. He added that his gripe extended beyond Dukes County.
“What about New Bedford? I’m not just disappointed for us. The two Republican senators from Maine were crucial in passing the federal stimulus bill back in February and they got seven times more money than Massachusetts. That’s all I know, and maybe it’s just a coincidence . . . .” For her part, NOAA spokesperson Connie Barclay confirmed that NOAA employees only were involved in the three layers of review process and that there was no input from politicians.
Mr. Doty plans to take his proposal elsewhere, but finds the prospect of fund seeking daunting in the current economic climate.
“The only people with money are the federal government,” he said. “No one else has any; state and town governments are just trying to keep the services going that they already have. You have to think about that. It’s a great proposal; it’s Island-wise. I’d love to rework that grant and see where else we can go. I’m convinced it’s a great program and I already know we have people on the Island who can do the job well.”
The proposal put forward by the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish group called for $3.3 million to directly employ 20 staff and indirectly to help return Vineyard fishing to a 200-job industry.
Fishing communities have suffered across the country in recent years, faced with complex regulations and dropping fish populations, caused by overfishing and pollution.
Rick Karney, director of the shellfish group and co-author of the grant, remembers a far larger, healthier industry at work when he moved to the Island in the 1980s.
“Back not all that long ago there used to be three or more times the scallopers on the Island,” he said. “There was a big decline in the 1980s across the entire habitat.”
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In California, a two year old law exist requiring all information brokers to notify all California residents when data files have been stolen. Without this law, we believe that information brokers probably would not voluntarily make this information available.
For instance, in the recently publicized "ChoicePoint" case involving hackers gaining access to thousands of records (name, address, social security numbers..), 35,000 Californians were notified under this new law that their personal information had been stolen or otherwise compromised. After this notification, other victims across the country learned of the breach. In another case and on March 9, 2005, Reed Elsevier Group (LexisNexis unit) disclosed that hackers had gained access to 310,000 consumer accounts.
Other Reporting Issues: Do You Really Know How Bad the Problem Is?
Would companies like ChoicePoint and LexisNexis report this information without this California law? Probably not. For example, it has been discovered that back in 2002, a similar incident took place at ChoicePoint (before the California law) and the hacking theft was never reported. Not even to the victims so that they could take precautions. ChoicePoint continues to decline to discuss the 2002 incident. If you are someone you know is a victim of identity or personal information theft and, you have suffered damages because of the theft, you may have legal rights against not only the thief, but also the information service (like ChoicePoint or LexisNexis) for negligence or fraud. The law is relatively new and consistently developing in this area so please feel free to contact us for the latest developments.
Things You Can Do to Protect Yourself
Protect yourself from your own bank. Make sure you have the latest virus, Trojan horse and firewall protection on your computer. In more than one case, bank account numbers and passwords are stolen from victim's home computers by criminals and then used to electronically transfer large amounts of funds out of the U.S. Believe it or not, banks are refusing to replace the funds and are instead presenting the defense that their customers are at fault for not using antivirus software robust enough to detect the virus.
You can avoid this problem by simply using the latest virus and firewall protection and keeping it automatically updated on a daily or weekly basis. So long as you take reasonable steps to protect your information, the banks will be hard pressed to argue that you are the one who should be held responsible for the loss.
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Weather changes from day to day and season to season. But what exactly is weather and how is it created? Readers will discover the answers to these questions and many other weather wonders. Bright, full-color photographs, inviting text, and engaging questions introduce readers to the different types of weather in our world and how it affects our lives.
Everywhere you go, there are things to explore in nature. What do you think you'll see?
This book examines bacteria that are found in virtually every environmentincluding those that are characterized by extreme heat, cold, and depthand, of course, bacteria that are found inside our bodies. Case studies examine the development of new vaccines against bacterial diseases and the use of bacteria to help fight pollution.
How Is Soil Made introduces children to the concepts of organic and inorganic parts of soil, the nutrient cycles of plants, and decomposition. Complex processes such as weathering, erosion, and deposition are also made easy to understand.
Young readers will be astounded by the tiny organisms that live in soil, their ecological roles, and how they adapt to living there. Children will learn the value of even the smallest bacteria and be amazed by the impact that soil degradation has on an entire ecosystem.
Soil Erosion and How to Prvent It helps young readers see the real impact of erosion on all life. This intriguing book describes the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition, the impact of erosion on plants and animals, and kid-friendly steps to preventing erosion.
Taking information out of one living thing and putting it into another is what genetic engineering is all about. How do scientists do it? Why do they do it? What are the results of their experiments with these amazing genetic materials? Through colorful photos, diagrams, and stories, you can understand the basics of genetic engineering. You can even see what the future of this science holds, from Enviropigs to designer pets!
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Toggle My BrainyQuoteSign UpLoginFavoritesCollectionsSettingsLogoutToggle My BrainyQuoteSign UpLoginFavoritesCollectionsSettingsLogoutHomeAuthorsTopicsQuote Of The DayPicturesSign UpLoginMy BrainyQuoteFavoritesCollectionsAccount SettingsLogoutAuthorsTopicsPicturesQuote Of The DayAuthors:ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZPlease enable JavascriptThis site requires Javascript be enabled to provide you the best experience. Some features may not be available with Javascript disabled!Financial Markets QuotesPrev123NextOur economy is increasingly dependent on the success and integrity of the financial markets.Michael DouglasSuccess,Integrity,EconomyIn Asia, a lot of successful economies that had been living on their own saving, decided to open up their financial markets to international capital in the early 1990s. So here were countries doing quite well, but they decided they'd borrow a bit more and do even better.Jeffrey SachsFinancial,Successful,DoingThe financial markets generally are unpredictable. So that one has to have different scenarios... The idea that you can actually predict what's going to happen contradicts my way of looking at the market.George SorosFinance,Financial,LookingWhat we have seen in financial markets should bring home to us all that the central organising principle of this 21st century is interdependence. For the century just past, interdependence may have been one option among many. For the century that is to come, there is no longer an alternative.Kevin RuddHome,Past,FinancialThings like the financial markets - a proper grounding in mathematics could help the common man. I believe that if people are more familiar with mathematical concepts... it can help deal with modern life, which is increasingly complex.Viswanathan AnandLife,Mathematics,ManI put forward a pretty general theory that financial markets are intrinsically unstable. That we really have a false picture when we think about markets tending towards equilibrium.George SorosFinancial,Forward,ThinkSelling drug secrets violates a trust that is fundamental to the integrity of both scientific research and our financial markets.Chuck GrassleyTrust,Integrity,FinancialA second reason why science cannot replace judgement is the behavior of financial markets.Martin FeldsteinScience,Financial,BehaviorLet us not be defeated by the tyranny of the world financial markets that threaten peace and democracy everywhere.Stephane HesselPeace,World,FinancialBusiness chief executive officers and their boards succumb to the pressures of the financial markets and their fears of takeovers and pour out their energies to produce quarterly earnings - at the expense of building their companies for the long term.J. Irwin MillerBusiness,Financial,LongIn rising financial markets, the world is forever new. The bull or optimist has no eyes for past or present, but only for the future, where streams of revenue play in his imagination.James BuchanFuture,Eyes,PastThe Federal Reserve has a responsibility to ensure the safety and soundness of financial institutions and to contain systemic risks in financial markets.Bernie SandersResponsibility,SafetyFavouring employment versus the financial markets is a decent policy; certainly not beneficial for the currency or the gilt market, but beneficial for the people.Bill GrossFinancial,People,PolicyAnd finally, no matter how good the science gets, there are problems that inevitably depend on judgement, on art, on a feel for financial markets.Martin FeldsteinArt,Good,ScienceThe middle and working classes are paying the debt that the financial markets created.Javier BardemFinancial,Working,DebtThe new social question is: democracy or the rule of the financial markets. We are currently witnessing the end of an era. The neoliberal ideology has failed worldwide. The U.S. movement Occupy Wall Street is a good example of this.Sigmar GabrielGood,Financial,DemocracyIn Germany it is good if as many people as possible join initiatives and peaceful demonstrations against the rule of the financial markets. Worshipping the unfettered freedom of global markets has brought the world to the brink of ruin. We now need social and ecological rules for the market economy.Sigmar GabrielGood,Freedom,WorldThere are still deep-seated structural problems that threaten the economic balance in the world: Between the United States and China, for example, but also within Europe. We have taken a few steps toward taming the financial markets, but we haven't come nearly far enough to rule out a repetition of the crisis.Peer SteinbruckBalance,World,FinancialThe stability of global financial markets is a public good. If governments fail to protect this public good, then those who suffer are the working people of the world whose jobs, whose homes, and whose standard of living depends on it.Kevin RuddGood,World,FinancialThe United States has the most sophisticated financial markets in the world, which does not leave much room to maneuver. But it also offers investors the greatest access to information and the ability to execute trades quickly and efficiently. So it is a mixed bag of opportunity.Andrew LoOpportunity,Greatest,WorldI do believe women have different ways of taking risks, of ruminating a bit more before they jump to conclusions. And I think that as a result, particularly on the, on, you know, on the trading floor, in the financial markets in general, the approach would be different.Christine LagardeWomen,Financial,BelieveRemember that all financial markets are filled with good but not necessarily innocent people looking after their own self-interests before they look after yours.Robert KiyosakiGood,Financial,PeopleDevelopments in financial markets can have broad economic effects felt by many outside the markets.Ben BernankeFinancial,Economic,OutsideWell, the U.S., of course, is the world's largest economy. It's about a quarter of the world's output. It's also home to many of the largest financial institutions and financial markets.Ben BernankeHome,World,FinancialThe crisis in Europe has affected the U.S. economy by acting as a drag on our exports, weighing on business and consumer confidence, and pressuring U.S. financial markets and institutions.Ben BernankeBusiness,Confidence,ActingIf we leave the European Union, there will be an immediate economic shock that will hit financial markets. People will not know what the future looks like.George OsborneFuture,Financial,PeoplePopular TopicsLifeQuotesInspirationalQuotesMotivationalQuotesLoveQuotesFriendshipQuotesPositiveQuotesFunnyQuotesHappinessQuotesPopular AuthorsMartin Luther King, Jr.Albert EinsteinBarack ObamaAbraham LincolnDonald TrumpWinston ChurchillBuddhaMahatma GandhiPrev123NextShare this page:Explore TopicsLifeQuotesInspirationalQuotesMotivationalQuotesLoveQuotesFriendshipQuotesPositiveQuotesFunnyQuotesHappinessQuotesBrainyQuote DesktopBrainyQuote MobileSiteHomeAuthorsTopicsQuote Of The DayPicturesTop 100 QuotesProfessionsBirthdaysSocialBQ on FacebookBQ on TwitterBQ on PinterestBQ on Google+BQ on InstagramShopBrainyQuote StoreAppsiPhone/iPad appQuote Of The Day FeedsJavascript and RSS feedsWordPress pluginQuote of the Day EmailAboutAbout UsContact UsSubmitPrivacyTermsCopyright© 2001 - 2017 BrainyQuote
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Working Paper Series, UCD Centre for Economic Research 09/18
Abstract:
Kanazawa (2007) offers an explanation for the variation across countries of average intelligence. It is based on the idea human intelligence is a domain specific adaptation and that both temperature and the distance from some putative point of origin are proxies for the degree of novelty that humans in a country have experienced. However the argument ignores many other considerations and is a priori weak and the data used questionable. A particular problem is that in calculating distances between countries it implicitly assumes that the earth is flat. This makes all the estimates biased and unreliable.
Subjects:
Intelligence Measurement error International comparisons
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The process of electricity generation from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas is water-intensive. Between 40-50% of all water abstracted and used in developed countries is used in the generation of electricity. Thus, a reliable, abundant and predictable source of raw water supply to a power plant is a critical factor in site selection. Water supplies are required to provide various process waters for the following essential main purposes such as make-up water, cooling water for steam turbine condensers, and auxiliary plant cooling water.
The primary application of modern water treatment technology is to maintain the integrity and performance of the power plant. Critical plant applications have water purity or conditioning requirements that must be adhered to for safe, reliable and efficient power generation. Experience has shown that integration of water technology treatments with power plant design can be very important in reducing operational problems and component failures At power plant worldwide there are increasing limitations on water availability and environmental restrictions on discharges. This is expected to promote measures for water conservation and to have an increasing influence on water treatment decisions. At power plant, the recycling of internal wastewater streams can extend from the recovery of individual high-quality waste streams, which can be reused either directly or after only limited treatment, through to the development of fully integrated water/wastewater treatment systems for zero liquid discharge. However, the application of reuse schemes requires site-specific assessment, as not all waters may be viable options for recovery.
By Industrie De Nora S.p.A. | De Nora Water Technologies based in
Milan, ITALY.
In shipbuilding, high standards of reliability as well as increasingly the energy efficiency of the systems are important prerequisites for the economical-technical overall evaluation in the technical procurement process. Ships as self-sufficient systems are particularly dependent on the reliable functioning of all installed components, including the pumps. They fulfil many tasks on board which are vital for the operation of the vessel: Delivery of ballast water and wastewater, boiler supply, condensate recovery, drive engine cooling and of course the reliable supply of fire fighting systems.
By EDUR-Pumpenfabrik Eduard Redlien GmbH & Co. KG based in
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The new realm for IT sourcing managers is that they must update their Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) solutions to support the changing workplace or be left behind. Legacy products not originally designed to support mobile workers need to be removed, as they do not easily accommodate the multitude of measures in which people need to work together today. This means sourcing managers must focus on solutions that connect across platforms, increase user participation, improve the quality of meetings, support mobility, ensure security and drive enhancements in total cost of ownership (TCO) – and the answer to all this is Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS).
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The new realm for IT sourcing managers is that they must update their Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) solutions to support the changing workplace or be left behind. Legacy products not originally designed to support mobile workers need to be removed, as they do not easily accommodate the multitude of measures in which people need to work together today. This means sourcing managers must focus on solutions that connect across platforms, increase user participation, improve the quality of meetings, support mobility, ensure security and drive enhancements in total cost of ownership (TCO) – and the answer to all this is Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS).
The success or failure of an organization completely relies on its ability to communicate and collaborate effectively. Every organization has different groups of employees, both internal and external, which it needs to keep on one platform for effective and continuous business communication. Whether the organization is looking to accelerate innovation, increase efficiency or improve customer experiences, building and streamlining quality communication connections between employees has always been essential.
In the IT industry, solutions that assist to build and maintain these real-time quality connections are known as unified communication and collaboration (UC&C). UC&C was introduced more than a decade ago but, until recently, the adoption rate of UC&C was low and it failed to deliver on its potential of transforming how organizations communicate, collaborate, work, and share information. However, challenges associated with UC&C such as adoption and usage challenges still remain, including identifying and deploying the technologies, features, and applications that are most suitable for each organization. More specifically, challenges related to operation include the inherent complexity of UC&C and lack of end-user training.
However, the shift to less capital mode, easier-to-deploy, and more IT-friendly UCaaS solutions will address some of these challenges. UCaaS is a combination of communication and collaboration technologies delivered over the cloud, which offers organizations a flexible, hosted service substitute that delivers cost-effective, easy-to-manage UC&C functionality, with pre-determined monthly costs and SLAs. Sharing knowledge and impeccably working together anytime, virtually through any device or any location is fueling much of the current market momentum.
UCaaS offers organizations a pay-as-you-go model, so they can better predict costs and pay for only what they use without needing any additional investment or expense to get started. Mobility and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), the growing popularity of videoconferencing and exploding demand for collaborative applications and cloud delivery models are key to the adoption and success of UCaaS.
In today's fast-paced and increasingly mobile, global, and virtual environment, clear communications and collaboration are crucial in maintaining operational efficiency, superiority of employees and constant developments. Successful organizations are driving business innovation through unified access to new methods of communicating and collaborating, and by investing in UCaaS solutions. Moving communications systems to UCaaS helps organizations transform the process of operations at every juncture of the business cycle, from strategy formulation to execution and implementation. At the same time, UCaaS allows IT teams to focus on core, strategic projects that drive the company’s objectives and business. Some of the benefits of UCaaS includes: opex and capex cost savings, reliable and secure communication, business continuity, increased agility, simplified operations and greater flexibility.
The evolution and maturity of the cloud and UCaaS market has also enabled service providers to broaden their scope of offerings. System Integrators have realized the value of UC&C implementations on the cloud, and have taken an active role in deployment and support of UCaaS. Broader suites of offerings in terms of consulting, managed services, and integration capabilities to the communications market has shifted the focus of CIOs from UC&C to UCaaS.
For enterprise buyers, UCaaS has enabled them to switch their sourcing strategy from a multi-vendor best-in-class sourcing to a single vendor managed service provider. This change enables buyers to draw cost savings of approximately 50%-60% on UC&C expenses. In regard to direct benefits associated with UCaaS – it assists organizations to realize savings worth $400 - $600 annually, per employee, including a 14%-15% reduction in capital costs. Further, implementation of UCaaS involves indirect benefits, which include 3%-4% increased worker productivity through enhanced collaboration tools, improved first-reach metrics and a 4%-5% reduction in travel expenses through universal global connectivity platform between employees.
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| 0.991024
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Abstract
This briefing considers some of the major issues that currently exist in relation to data on migration and development, highlighting examples of 'best evidence' in the areas of macro, micro and contextual/impact data. The briefing also discusses policy areas where hard evidence is difficult to find, and considers key areas that are often overlooked by policy-makers but where better data collection is theoretically possible. Finally, it outlines some of the steps that could be taken to improve data on migration flows and their relationship with development.
Citation
Sussex, UK, DRC on Migration, Globalisation and Poverty, 4 pp.
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| 0.992831
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Abstract
This study on \"innovation systems\" is one of a group of cross sectoral synthesis studies that examine a set of common issues within the ten research programmes of the RNRRS with a view to distil the experiences and lessons learned. The RNRRS programme has been operating from 1995 to 2005, with ten individually contracted research programmes, and over 1600 research projects. The RNRRS framework has been characterised by significant changes and evolution over its life. This was largely driven by DFID, as the donor, which initially stressed \"research\" and \"scientific publications\" but increasingly laid greater emphasis on the poverty impact of research on poverty. DFID did not use the language of innovations earlier (although they were implicit) but have been made more explicit recently.
This synthesis report shows that many of the elements that make up the 'innovation systems (IS) approach' have been increasingly incorporated within the different RNRRS programmes as they evolved. A number of key elements, such as capacity development, communications, participatory and action research became standard practice (and are being analysed in the other synthesis studies that have been undertaken in parallel with this one). But this report suggests that the developments of these elements have been largely unsystematic across the programmes while individual programmes developed and incorporated many elements on their own with some taking a more deliberate and formal approach.
The document discusses the principal elements of the innovation systems (IS) approach and the methods used for this study. It cautions that without indicators of impact it is particularly difficult to demonstrate that one approach to research fund management has more impact than another. It points to impacts that they are often diffuse, cumulative over long periods of time, and difficult to attribute to particular research inputs. This quick synthesis of a vast range of materials and activities meant that much has to be inferred and the conclusions are largely qualitative.
The report discusses the evolution of different programmes, at differing speeds, to differing degrees and with differing effectiveness along a number of common dimensions suggested by the IS approach. Then the report discusses special features that were exhibited by some of the programmes and states that these differences arose from their different history, their internal capacities (e.g. social and other science perspectives), and the nature of the problems they were addressing. There appears to have been little systematic 'institutional learning' between the various RNRR programmes. Much of that appears to have been due to the inability of DFID to manage several functions.
Finally, the report draws some lessons for the future. The main lessons are (a) the IS framework provides a useful framework to guide research managers wishing to achieve innovation.(b) an initial \"system diagnosis\" in particular are crucial and can be simple or complex (depending on the resources available). (c) innovation projects can have impacts in reducing poverty but if they are also to provide it is necessary to invest explicitly in this learning process to extract the higher level generalisation both about the process (programme management and innovation) and the content of the innovation process.
Citation
The Policy Practice Limited, 30 pp.
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| 0.982434
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Thin capitalisation: practical guidance: creating agreements between HMRC and the group: covenant conditions
A thin cap agreement should clearly state the financial conditions under which it is made and the consequences if they are not satisfied. This is a vital aspect of the agreement.
The following points should be covered by the agreement:
the specific ratios used in the agreement and the values by reference to which arm’s length interest will be determined. Examples of appropriate ratios include: debt/EBITDA, debt/equity, interest cover, or any other appropriate measures of the borrower’s ability to support and service the debt. There should normally be two ratios in an agreement, one debt related, the other governing interest. A debt cap, that is, an absolute monetary limit on borrowing, is not regarded as a main covenant, but may be an additional feature. A statement of the years for which the ratios will apply, clearly identifying the value applicable for each period. an explicit statement of what will happen in the event that the company fails to comply with one or more of the financial conditions, including how disallowed interest is calculated and any withholding tax consequences. See INTM520060 for the text of a paper issued by Business International setting out HMRC’s views on what should happen in the event of a breach of covenant. if more than one covenant is breached, and both lead to a disallowance, it should be specified in the agreement that it is the greater disallowance of the two that will apply. HMRC has received proposals for a disallowance based on an “average” between the two breach amounts. There is no basis for this. explicit statements of the methods of calculation of the financial ratios, for example, whether EBIT or EBITDA (see INTM515020 and INTM515060) will be used and how any interest receivable will be treated. Where there is any complexity to the calculations, it may be useful to append to the agreement a worked example in hypothetical figures which can serve as the model for the annual compliance report.
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Top10Doctor insights on:Can St Ds Caused Cancer 2doctors agreed: 1My throat has been dry and a bit sore for 2 weeks. Slight blood in the mornings. It started after unprotected, rough oral sex. I'm worried I might have caught an std/throat cancer? It's dry/bit sore. 2doctors agreed: Get tested:If you have had unprotected oral sex, then there is a real possibility of a STD. You should definitely be tested. Don't worry about throat cancer which is extremely unlikely in a woman your age. It is most likely related to the sex, but even very rough oral sex should not cause soreness that lasts for 2 weeks. Get checked, get treatment if needed, feel safe, protect yourself in the future....Read more 4,224doctors shared insights
Cancer is a group of diseases that is characterized by uncontrolled cell growth leading to invasion of surrounding tissues that spread to other parts of the body. Cancer can begin anywhere in the body and is usually related to one or more genetic mutations that allow normal cells to become malignant by interfering with internal cellular control mechanisms, such as programmed cell death or by preventing ...Read more
1doctor agreed: 1doctor agreed: 3doctors agreed: 3doctors agreed: Yes, yes and yes:Yes! hpv, or the virus that causes genital warts, is responsible for all cervical cancer, most vaginal, vulvar and anal cancers, most head-and-neck cancers, most non-melanoma skin cancers, etc... If that isnt enough cancer, then hepatitis b causes liver cancer as well. Get vaccinated against both hpv and hep b and your risk of these cancers drops drammatically!...Read more 7doctors agreed: 7doctors agreed: HPV:Virtually all cervical cancer is caused by a single virus - human papillomavirus (letters capitalized to show why it is called hpv). Certain types of hpv are associated with cancer risk. Other types are associated with benign lesions. There are screening tests for hpv as well as traditional cytological tests - such as pap smears. There are vaccines to protect against acquisition of some types....Read more 6What does HPV rank amongst STDs? Compared to Herpes, is HPV worse & will it cause any health issues other than cancer? Will it affect my health?! Perspective:Each STD has its own set of complications.There is evidence,prior to the HPV vaccine, that as many as 70% of college age women had evidence of prior disease.It can produce genital warts or give you cancer.Herpes is painful and recurrent,hard to treat & can kill your baby.Gonorrhea or chlamydia can make you sterile.Others have specific issues. Take your pick. HPV for most is relatively mild....Read more 5doctors agreed: 5doctors agreed: 10Why does HPV causes cancer where herpes for example doesn't? What makes it more dangerous when both are STDs & viruses? Will I get rid of HPV16 ever?? Your HPV will clear:HPV and herpes are different viruses. Not every virus causes the same health problems as others. Neither herpes nor HPV is very dangerous, and it isn't sexual transmission that makes anything dangerous. Most HPV infections (type 16 and others) are cleared by the immune system over 1-2 years and do not cause cancer. People tend to get freaked because of association with sex, but there's no need....Read more
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Top10Doctor insights on:Can Stool Softeners Give Me Diarrhea 2,085doctors shared insights
Loose stools is a symptom in which a person's stool (poop) does not hold its shape after it goes into the toilet. Instead of remaining a shaped piece of poop, the poop spreads out in the toilet bowl water. Very loose stool is called diarrhea. Loose stool can be caused by infections, certain foods or drinks, ...Read more
226 yr old. Had constip. Went semi normal after fiber and stool softener. Now diahrea. Could diet change and softeners be the cause? Scared. 3Have cdiff but constipated. What can I do. I am on vancomycin and forastor. I never have diahrrea like a lot do. Should I take stool softener or what? 4My daughter, 14 months is constipated despite giving her fluids. Used stool softener for a month. If I stop medication, she is constipated again. Constipation:3 important facts: 1 did she pass meconium or the dark sticky stool in the 1st day of life? 2 did this start when you transitioned her from formula to whole milk? 3 are you attempting potty training if the answer to all 3 is yes then this is likely transient and will pass with time. I would continue the stool softener and hold off on potty training for now. Wean the stool softener. ...Read more 5My 5yr oh hold her poop till she throws up. Then she still hold it. She has accidents constantly says it hurts. Can i give her stool softener everyday? Please see doctor:I think the simple answer is a yes, 'but answer. This sounds like a significant situation that must be fully studied. I am sure your pediatrician can help and even recommend a specialist for pediatric gastroenterology. Please do not just give your daughter stool softeners without a full evaluation and diagnosis of the underlying problem....Read more 3doctors agreed: 6I think my 1 year old son could benefit from stool softener. Is there a natural remedy or OTC product I can give him? Will prune juice do the trick? 3doctors agreed: Prune juice / karo:You can try some prune juice or karo syrup. You can give a tablespoon for every 4 oz of milk. Less or more depending on stool frequency....Read more 1doctor agreed: 7Why did they give stool softener pill plus milk magnesia. And how do I have bm if pelvis fracture? 1doctor agreed: Avoid constipation:Pelvic fractures can lead to slowing of peristaltic movement of colon, which controls bowel movements. Bed rest and pain medications are often the only initial treatment for pelvic fractures; these two markedly slow down normal colon movements. Do whatever necessary to get those bowels moving: drinks lots fluids, including prune juice, stool softener, fiber combined with fluid, senna, mom......Read more 1doctor agreed: 8My mother is 82 year old recently she been constipated been give lots of water, fiber, fruits, prunes juice, and stool softener she has very bad hemor? 1doctor agreed: 3,228doctors shared insights Talk to a doctor live online for free Stool softeners diarrhea Probiotics give me diarrhea Yogurt gives me diarrhea Ask a doctor a question free online Coffee gives me diarrhea Gatorade gives me diarrhea Beer gives me diarrhea Alcohol gives me diarrhea Talk to a urgent care specialist online for free
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Policy documents do not recognize the problem of charcoal/fuelwood use as a cause of deforestation. The draft forest bill suggests that 10 out of the 350 Ksh. paid by urban dwellers for each bag of charcoal should go back to the forest areas, especially drylands, and be used for reforestation. Even this small step may need further fine-tuning before it can be implemented, however (Mwangi 2000).
5.3.3. Degazetting and encroachment
As noted, by far the most severe pressure on forests is their permanent conversion to agriculture. Recently, there has been a spate of illegal encroachments and excisions and this is seen as a precursor of official degazettment of forest reserves. As 2002 elections approach, this is expected to continue to be used as a short-term safety valve to calm populations clamoring for more agricultural land. The current Forest Act, CAP 385 permits the Minister to degazette forests areas with very little public notice. Fortunately the proposed Forest Bill makes excision procedure very cumbersome by introducing requirements such as undertaking of environmental impact assessment and final concurrence of the Parliament before excision takes place. In addition, the Bill makes a provision for a watchdog quasi-independent board to oversee such decisions (Mwangi 2000). The board may include institutions, such as the Kenya Forest Service, KWS, Moi University, and National Museums of Kenya. Observers anticipate policy statements to be implemented through the new bill which will be enacted by the end of the calendar year. Penalties for removal of forest products will also be higher, based on 10-50 percent of the market value – higher for higher value products (Mwangi 2000).
5.3.4. Forest productivity
Plantation forests in Kenya are generally very low yielding at the present time. Almost all plantation areas have been severely degraded, degazetted, and converted to agriculture, or just generally mismanaged. Kamweti (1999) postulates that if these areas were to be brought back under active and sustainable management at 30-year rotations, there would be 5,333 ha annually to be harvested. At an annual yield of 20m3/ha, total volume would be 600 m3 per ha at harvest or 3 million m3 from an area of 5,333 ha. At a royalty of Kshs.1000 per m3, income would be Kshs.3 billion. If the costs of establishing and maintaining a forested area are about 30 percent, a balance of Kshs.2 billion could be put back into forest conservation and the rest could go to the Treasury.
5.3.5. Relative severity of threat to forest resources in general. If the pace of change and loss continues as today, the severity of threat to forest ecosystems and plantations is very severe indeed – possible disappearance within five years! Disappearance, however, is not the only difficulty with forest loss – there are inevitably also impacts on related ecosystems to consider. Through erosion and increased sedimentation of waterways, water catchment stability is the biggest potential impact on downstream ecosystems. Even today, deforestation in montane areas, such as the Aberdares, Mt. Kenya, and Mt. Elgon watersheds, is a serious threat to ecosystem health downstream (Kamweti 2000). Connections with energy needs in Kenya are a significant factor in deforestation and demand for wood products, and are inadequately addressed in the forestry sector. How the new forestry law, once in place, will change the situation is unclear. Certainly, more power will be in the hands of local communities, District environmental officials, the private sector, and the NGO community to participate in decision-making about forest use, gazettement and degazettement, and other activities (Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources 1999). How well it is enforced will determine its level of success. 5.4. Agricultural resources and land use 5.4.1. General statistics and trends.
Land is the most sought-after resource in Kenya. Land has deep cultural importance for Kenyans, and in the current economy, represents the only livelihood option for many. Sadly, agricultural
Kara PagePage 2210/23/2006
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to equalize heterosexuals with homosexuals, a basic human right Nussbaum suggests everyone is entitled to is lacking.
Nussbaum’s tenth capability pertains specifically to equality issues in the workplace. Section B of capability ten claims employment rights are material and that everyone should have the right to seek employment on an equal basis with others (Garrett, 2002). Without a nondiscrimination policy guaranteeing equality for homosexuals at work, the material right Nussbaum suggests is an essential human property becomes a privilege for those who are not traditionally oppressed.
By encompassing the rights of gays and lesbians into her theory of human rights, Nussbaum creates argument in support of homosexuals in-relation to many of the major civil liberties, rights, and equalities gays and lesbians strive towards. And her capabilities provide a foundation for thought on the humanistic characteristics basic human rights afford to all individuals, not just gays and lesbians. The data from this study suggests that the majority of registered nurses would support some type of workplace nondiscrimination policy that protects gay men and lesbians. Nussbaum might argue this as a vital component to the work setting rather than a governmental obligation as proposed by Rawls. In conclusion, not only does the data from this study support policies at work that protect gay men and lesbians. The theoretical foundations of the social justice theories of John Rawls and Martha Nussbaum also validate their importance, maybe even beyond the realm of employers but into government social policy as well.
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Credit insurance
1 August 2014
A technical report on the consumer credit insurance (CCI) market in South Africa was recently released for comment.
The report, compiled by National Treasury and the Financial Services Board, identifies certain abuses in market conduct and business practices in the CCI industry.
The technical report identifies the following issues:
Lack of transparency in the total cost of credit. High premiums. Difficult to compare due to differing products. Needs of target market not being covered.
Comment is sought on three areas in particular:
Regulating the pricing of CCI. Regulating market conduct non-pricing practices. Protecting consumers through insurance cover for credit providers.
A final policy document will be drawn up, after which draft legislation will be formulated.
Treasury indicated that workshops with key stakeholders will be arranged to enhance the quality of input.
Comment is invited until 30 September 2014.
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Personal Statement
Find numerous Gynaecologists in India from the comfort of your home on Lybrate.com. You will find Gynaecologists with more than 41 years of experience on Lybrate.com. You can find Gynaecologists online in Mumbai and from across India. View the profile of medical specialists and their reviews from other patients to make an informed decision.
Info Location Book Clinic Appointment Consult Online Services Endometrial Ablation Procedure Treatment of Treatment of Breast Cancer Management of Abortion Hormonal Replacement Therapy Treatment Caesarean Section Procedure Contraceptive Advice Delivery Procedure Treatment of Gynae Problems Gynecology Laparoscopy Procedures Hpv Vaccination Treatment Of Female Sexual Problems Treatment Of Menopause Related Issues Treatment Of Menstrual Problems Treatment of Mirena (Hormonal Iud) Pap Smear Procedure Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Treatment Ureteroscopy Procedure Treatment of Uterine Bleeding Antenatal And Postnatal Exercise Antenatal Checkup Feed I am pregnant by 7 weeks. I am vomiting regularly and not able to eat anything. Which food will be best for me doctor .please can you help mee. My wife is 21 week pregnant and gone with cervical stitches at 13 week, now in test it sugar level shows 160 fasting, what will I do. There are 40-50 pus cells also reported in urine and traces of sugar. I recently had an medical abortion and I taught it was over with the bleeding. During the 3 week that I taught it was done I still went and had intercourse and the guy come in me is it possible I am pregnant. I have anal and vulvar itching, at time and I also have vaginal itching? What should I do? Please help.
Indulging in the regular intercourse routine starts getting monotonous and might take a toll on your love life in a big way. Thus, it is absolutely necessary to add spice to your regular diet, it is also important to spice up your sex life by adding more variation.
Here are seven ways in which you can work up the spice levels in your sex life: Indulge in foreplay:Foreplay is like warming up before the real run. Adding more variations of foreplay to your sex routine will help spice it up. You could opt for oral sex and more fingering and caressing before the actual intercourse which will help in heightening your orgasm as well. Diverse sex positions:Instead of sticking to the same old missionary position, try and spice up your sex life by trying out more positions like doggie, 69,G-whiz etc. Exploring new positions add variation to your sex life and help in arousing the different stimulation points in your body for maximum pleasure. Don’t restrict yourself to the bed:Go beyond the bed and explore newer areas to have sex in such as the kitchen slab or in the shower. This change in location will add more thrill to your sex life. Talk dirty:Moan and talk dirty to your partner occasionally during sex. This will arouse them as well as you and make things more exciting. You could also address your partner as master/sir/mistress/ma’am during sex for an exciting role-play. Incorporate food into your sex routine:You could smear chocolate sauce or whipped cream all over your partner’s body and lick it off. This will add a fresh element to your foreplay. Also, invest in aphrodisiac foods such as chocolate, strawberries and bananas during sex. Feel sexy:You can only appear to be sexy when you feel sexy and confident internally. Pamper yourself with sexy lingerie and aromatherapy oils which will make you feel like a sex Goddess instantaneously. Invest in sex toys:With a huge range of sex toys available in the market, it would only make sense to invest in them in order to spice up your sex life. You could go for vibrators and penis rings for starters and if you and your partner are the experimental kind, the sky is your limit.
If you wish to discuss about any specific sexual problem, you can consult a specilized sexologist and ask a free question.
I got married before 6 months now a days I didn't get any pregnancy. Daily we are doing sex except period times. After sex that spam will come out in a few minutes. If that come means I am not able to get pregnant. Please tell me. Dear Doctors, My sister is 4 month pregnant and has cardiac disease (Supra Ventricular Techy Cardia). She is being treated conservatively due to high risk because of pregnancy. As per cardiologist, ablation [procedure to cure SVTC] can only be performed post-delivery. I want to know, is it correct that she is on high risk if ablation gets performed before delivery. Another question is, if she continue with conservative treatment [oral medicine] then how complicated her delivery would be due to this disease? Is there any risk to delivery? What does the below ultra sound report tells? Both ovaries shows mild changes of pcodRight ovary measures 31*30*26mm vol. 13.2ccLeft ovary measures 27*29*25mm vol. 10.4 cc. I got intimate with my girlfriend without any protection 3days before her period. Is there any chances to be pregnant? Please inform me quick. I am 25 years old, got married in december 2015. I am experiencing frequent urge to urinate at about 20 min, but volume of urine is less. Got blood spots two days. My periods came on 16 april. I had intercourse on 26 april. What could be the reason? Help? Hi Doctor, I had sex on 14th day of my menstrual cycle. It was unprotected in the beginning for hardly a minute. Then, he wore a condom. I also took Ipill after 15 hours of the act. Now, it's the 5th day since I took Ipill. But, no bleeding or signs of bleeding yet. Read on internet that even 5-6 seconds of penetration without condom can put you at risk. The fact that I was in fertile period makes me more worried. I have 28 days cycle n regular. Last period was on 19th April. Can I be at risk? We used condom after 5-6 seconds n also took Ipill. Still at risk? Hello. My frnd age is 25 female. She is in a periods today is first day of her periods. She took the regestrone tablets today to postpone her periods .as she already in a periods and took that tablet to postpone her periods. Is there any problem to her? Already she took one tablet but periods is going on nd she says that will take more two tablets is that okay or it cause any problem to her. Suggest me. I was suffering from irregular periods because I had consumed ipill frequently my gynaecologist advised me to take femilon I took it for one month and the next month I did not have irregular periods but now I again recently took 2ipill in a week and from two days I am again suffering from periods I had my last period on 28october and 15november I again had periods so I am thinking to start dosage of femilon again and permanently stop contraceptives Will that be fine.
Are you aware of the different consequences that may occur if you have multiple sexual partners? The more sexual partners you have, the risks of you getting an STI or sexually transmitted infection are enhanced. These infections are hard to treat, especially in patients with HIV. Until the infection is treated, your viral load may get pushed up. This makes it more likely that many people pass on the HIV virus by having unprotected sex.
What are the circumstances?
If you have sex with several partners, and one of them is infected with an STI, the virus is capable of being passed between you and all your partners. Many people end up having sex with each other without asking about STIs. This is risky as you can never tell if a person is infected by looking at them or having sex with them. If you are in a relationship with a mutual agreement of having sex outside the relationship, you need to be open and honest regarding any risk that you might have taken is a necessary part of looking after the sexual health of each other.
Things to Keep in Mind:
People have multiple sexual partners because of various reasons. These may include the thrill of having sex, the need to be desired, and also because of drugs and alcohol use because of which inhibitions are reduced. However, drugs and alcohol are very harmful to your body, leaving a negative impact and weakening your immune system. Several drugs and excess alcohol consumption affect the way your immune system tackles STIs.
Alcohol and drugs also make it more likely for you to practice risky sex, and take decisions which are unusual and unlikely to you in a sober state. Clouded judgement makes you avoid condoms while having sex. This might make you have sex with a partner despite knowing that you have got HIV. When your judgement is clouded, you may even skip the part of telling your partner about the fact that you have HIV.
For minimising your risk, in spite of having multiple sexual partners, you must always carry condoms with you. You should also avoid having sex when under the influence of alcohol and drugs. These are effective steps you should take to protect yourself and your sexual partner or partners from getting affected by HIV. You can also join a support group or consult a counsellor for advice regarding your situation. Having multiple sexual partners can also result in psychological disturbances.
I had cesarean delivery through spinal anesthesia process on 10th nov 2016. After that my waist and rib pains a lot. Sometimes I feel numb on my tail bone and waist part. Even it becomes hard to get up from bed putting pressure on my waist till someone helps me to turn or get up.
Sexually transmitted diseases can often be shortened to STDs. STDs often do not show any symptoms. It is possible that you may have had a disease such as chlamydia and not even known you had it. However, it is crucial that you get yourself tested as soon as possible so that the sexually transmitted disease can be treated in the best way possible. Since there are many sexually transmitted diseases and they all have different symptoms and treatment, here are the symptoms and treatment for the most common ones:
HPV:HPV stands for Human papillomavirus and it may display no symptoms, whatsoever that you have the disease. However, when you do get symptoms, you will get symptoms such as genital warts, infection of the throat and mouth as well as cervical cancer, penile cancer and various other cancers. The treatment for HPV is to take a vaccine; as if you have not been vaccinated, it is hard to cure. Chlamydia:Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease, however only 25% of women and about 50% of men show any symptoms of it. However, the most common symptoms when they do appear is a discharge from the vagina or penis which is not regular and it may even cause a painful or burning sensation. Since this is a bacterial disease, it can pretty easily be treated with antibiotics. Gonorrhea:Gonorrhea is yet another common sexually transmitted disease. It usually occurs along with chlamydia. The symptoms and treatment for gonorrhea are also extremely similar to chlamydia. Syphilis:Syphilis is another common sexually transmitted disease. However, it is a little hard to treat because the symptoms appear in stages. In the first stage, there is only one main bump on the body. This bump may look like a cut, a sore or even an ingrown hair. In the second stage, this bump becomes a rash, which goes all over your body and it may develop sores in your mouth, vagina or anus. Symptoms usually completely disappear in the third stage. However, if there is a fourth stage, the brain or organ damage may occur. Antibiotics are used to treat syphilis as well. Related Tip: "3 Ways You Can Prevent STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) "
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Sweet Tooth Integration
One of the pre-requisites of online purchasing is Trust. As before, word-of-mouth (and its online version – reviews and recommendations by people you know) is still the most effective mediums of marketing.
Online Trust Level Diagram by Sweet Tooth
Customer loyalty rewards programs have a ready arsenal of tools that are much more “sticky” when it comes to the long-term effect on the customer, as compared to coupons and discount codes. Which opportunities do you use to engage your customers and get them to trust you and to keep coming back to your store? Let’s explore why you should consider using customer loyalty rewards, if you aren’t already doing so.
Why Use Customer Loyalty Programs
For several decades the fiercely competitive airline industry has known that reward programs – the quasi-currency “airline miles” – simply work better than outright discounts. Take a look at one of our customers’ loyalty program, Fly Blue, aiming to get customers to sign up and start spending.
Flying Blue KLM loyalty program screenshot
Consider the message to the customers: “you are missing out on important benefits by not signing up!” Good marketers know that loss aversion – the fear of missing out – is a tendency that’s psychologically stronger than gain acquisition. Exclusive offers and time-constrained opportunities also work well – and all of those tools become available to you with a properly implemented loyalty rewards program. The rewards program is an ace up your marketing sleeve. Not enough customers recommend you to their friends? Reward them for referrals! Your products are not getting customer reviews? Reward them for approved reviews! You get the idea: a loyalty rewards program is a tool to nudge store visitors to perform desired actions that will attract new customers and get your existing ones to buy more. In return, customers earn reward points, which they in turn can spend on future purchases and exclusive perks. To a business, loyalty programs are essentially deferred discounts and preferences, but their mechanism is much better suited for creating a two-sided, long-term relationship for your brand to connect with your customer.
Sweet Tooth for Magento Ecommerce
Let’s review the Sweet Tooth extension for Magento – a particularly aptly named product, defined as “a craving for sweet foods” – hopefully describing the feelings your customers get towards your e-commerce offerings.
How Customers Earn Rewards
Almost any trackable purchase behavior can be incentivized with Sweet Tooth.
Sweet Tooth reward conditions screenshot
Rules can be set up to offer various levels of rewards for users arriving from different traffic sources (Social, Organic Search, CPC, etc.) and for specific products or product categories. If you use marketing automation or have a CRM system, getting customers to create accounts is a challenge – one that can be resolved by awarding customers with points for signing up! If you use Newsletter marketing, then getting customers to sign up is another case where rewards will increase your registrations. Need to improve SEO for your store? Rewards will also help solve that problem when you grant them for product sharing over social media and for published product reviews. Overall, Sweet Tools allows reward scenarios for a wide variety of customer actions:
order type (including orders containing items suggested for cross-selling) product type (applicable to specific products or product types) signups (account signup, newsletter signup) social media sharing (sharing products, specials, completed orders) reviews (product reviews, company reviews) Magento user Sweet Tooth rewards program detail How Customers Spend Rewards
With all the different reward scenarios available you may think that a loyalty rewards system can get expensive! Yet the rewards shouldn’t be more expensive than the costs associated with coupons and discounts. Sweet Tooth allows setting limits to number of points earned and you can set point expiration period.
Sweet Tooth reward spending option
Sweet Tooth admin setting are built right into the Magento Admin panel and can be turned on or off by clicking checkboxes. You can have customers spend rewards on exclusive products, on discounts, or on things like free shipping (which is a great tool for loyal customers, but can get expensive if it is offered to all website shoppers).
Starting with Sweet Tooth
Starting with Sweet Tooth requires a few days for installation and setup, with optimization recommended down the road. Plans start at $59/month for stores with less than $100,000 in annual revenue. The plan for stores with less than half a million dollars in revenue for $149/month offers free installation for Magento store users – which is a great deal! Feel free to contact Maven if you are having difficulties and need assistance with your Sweet Tooth installation.
Summary
We recommend Sweet Tooth as the industry standard in loyalty programs, with extensive features allowing to gamify the process of turning your customers into your brand advocates on social networks and your store product pages. The effectiveness of any loyalty program depends on its ability to incentivize your customers to 1. perform actions that promote your store to new customers and 2. increase sales frequency from your current customers – and we think that Sweet Tooth excels in this task.
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A Social Influence Model of Technology Use ISBN: 0803935307 Abstract
(from the chapter) begin by summarizing traditional models of media use / show how these theories are incapable of adequately explaining a whole range of findings on media use in real-life organizations / develop a model of social influences on media-related attitudes and behavior in organizations / review research results that shed light on the validity of the new model compared to traditional theory / outline the implications of the social influence perspective for management practice / provide suggestions to guide research on communication technologies in organizations ((c) 1997 APA/PsycINFO, all rights reserved)
Readership Statistics 24Readers on Mendeley
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News & Articles Another Climate Change Study Debunked, Pulled
By Diana Anderson
A study on the American Associate for the Advancement of Science’s website projected an increase in temperature of 2.4 degrees Celsius and worldwide food shortages in this decade. The study has since been pulled from the site after experts discovered multiple errors and deemed the findings flawed.
The inaccurate study was also posted on numerous international news agencies, including Agence-France Press (AFP).
Climate scientist Rey Weymann told AFP that the “study contains a significant error in that it confuses ‘equilibrium’ temperature rise with ‘transient temperature rise.’”
Weymann also said study author Hisas was told of the problems in advance of the report’s release.
“The author of the study was told by several of us about this error but she said it was too late to change it,” he noted.
Scientist Scott Mandia emailed Hisas before publication to explain why her figures didn’t compute and why it would take “quite a few decades” to reach a warming level of 2.4 degrees Celsius.
“Even if we assume the higher end of the current warming rate, we should only be 0.2C warmer by 2020 than today,” Mandia wrote.
In an email to AFP, AAAS spokeswoman Ginger Pinholster wrote, “A reporter with The Guardian alerted us yesterday to concerns about the news release submitted by Hoffman & Hoffman public relation.
“We immediately contacted a climate change expert who confirmed that the information raised many questions in his mind, too. We swiftly removed the news release from our website and contacted the submitting organization.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose figures were cited as the study’s basis for its projections, and Al Gore won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2007 “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change,” the prize committee said at the time.
Osvaldo Canziani, who was part of the 2007 Nobel Prize winning panel, was also the scientist listed as scientific advisor to the faulty report. On Tuesday, Canziani’s spokesman said he was ill and unavailable for interviews.
This is not the first “climate change” or “global warming” study to be debunked. Many others have also been debunked, as has Al Gore’s documentary AN INCONVENTIENT TRUTH.
Obviously, ideology, not science, is fueling much of this “research.”
– Source: Yahoo News, 01/19/11.
Photo by Andrea Zeppilli.
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It's easy to bemoan the digital age and how it's turned us all into self-centered addicts of individualism. But really, all this has done is made us much more American than ever before.
I was discussing this the other night with an old college friend from back East. He and his family had come to California for the first time in years to visit a sister in San Diego and a brother in San Francisco, with a little Los Angeles tossed into the middle of the mix. We talked about my mother (in Florida by way of the Bronx) and my cousins (still in Yonkers, just north of New York City). We are, we noticed, scattered -- in a very typically American way.
We both have friends and family in southern Europe (Spain and Italy) and went on about how family-centered life is there. There's the good friend from Manhattan who moved back with his wife and daughters to Spain despite a thriving career because they wanted to be closer to parents and relatives as the children grew up and they themselves grew older. There is my cousin from a small town outside Naples who now lives far away in Milan but gets home once a month or more -- and spends every vacation he gets back with family.
It's the main reason that a place like Spain has not imploded from its 25 percent unemployment rate (with much higher rates among the young). Younger workers stay with their families in a structure that provides a socially encouraged shelter from the slings and arrows of outrageous economic fortune. Imagine what 25 percent unemployment would do to modern America: The fabric would shred in a society defined far too sharply by measurements of success that include independence and individualism.
New York
Times columnist Ross Douthat writes that we are more atomized than ever because of the digital revolution. However, he also sees within that revolution a hunger for community and connection via Facebook, Twitter and the like.
But it's a very American connection -- it is "community" on any given individual's terms. I reach out to you and send you a message when I have the thought, the time. You respond whenever it fits into your life. We never really "connect" voice-to-voice (e.g. the telephone) or face-to-face (wow, an actual meetup). These digital tools don't add to our social interconnectivity; they replace it.
Again, very American. We move a lot, we leave others behind, as we seek our own way on "the road less traveled," fully aware we "can't go home again." It is bred in our bones -- digital media just gives us new ways to get there.
As my friend and I were wrapping up our conversation, I noted reports that show hard economic times here have actually slowed down mobility among the young. They are staying at home longer or are moving back in. Maybe that would shift the American dynamic? I wondered.
No, my friend declared. The Spanish do it, and they like it. Americans do it because they have to, and they hate it. We are closer physically, but psychologically and emotionally? No.
It's just not who we are.
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The first anniversary of the economic collapse is not one anyone wants to mark, but we note it this week.
A year ago the news of Lehman Brothers’ collapse and AIG’s near collapse stunned our nation, led to a global economic crisis and was followed by an infusion of hundreds of billions of bailout dollars to preserve the country’s financial system.
Our Catholic Charities’ clients had made us well aware that an economic downturn was already underway, but we could not have fathomed what was about to occur last September. Nor could we envision the thousands of families who would seek assistance for the first time: they were now poor.
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Catholic Charities aid rose in 2009 and still rising in 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The need for our services has catapulted to unprecedented levels. Parents who lost their jobs or now work reduced hours; children hungry for a healthy meal; senior citizens incapable of paying the heating bill: they all knock at our doors. We, in the best way we know how, serve them without question. Catholic Charities works with and among the poor every day. We know them. They trust us. Their numbers are increasing.
Last week the Census Bureau reported the nation’s poverty rate climbed to 13.2 percent in 2008 – 39.5 million Americans - up from 12.5 percent in 2007. 46.3 million have no health insurance. The number of unemployed persons has risen by 7.4 million since the recession began.
During this time our 1,700 agencies across the country served 8.5 million people, an increase of 10.2 percent from 2007. This is not a cause for celebration. It is a deplorable fact. Clients needing basic services (clothing, utilities, prescriptions and emergency financial aid) increased 11 percent. Clients seeking housing services increased 12 percent. Employment services increased 35 percent.
These disconcerting reports do not include the impacts on the hundreds of thousands who lost their jobs or health insurance during the first eight months of 2009.
The economic downturn has stretched Catholic Charities’ resources and forced us to do more with less.
t A Catholic Charities clinic in Pittsburgh adds 100 patients monthly. They see people who were not uninsured before.” It's scary for them,” says the administrator, “they're not used to asking for help.” tIn Delaware, Catholic Charities receives thousands of requests for assistance from neighbors throughout Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Many who ask for help have never before been in this position. tThe food pantry at Catholic Charities of High Springs, Florida, like others around the country, has empty shelves and is in need of food. “The demand for food has been higher and the donations have been lower,” says its director. “I’m not even giving as much as I want to give. I send everybody off with a bag. Whatever I’ve got, that’s what I give.” tIn Scarsdale, New York, where the estimated 2007 median household income was $222,000 (median income was $53,514 in New York), Catholic Charities held a Career Counseling Seminar for high level professionals who find themselves unemployed in a tough market – a new experience.
Glimpses of financial recovery now buoy some but the journey out of poverty will be long and arduous for those we serve.
In July Pope Benedict urged all nations to rebuild their economies in a way that works towards the common good and the real needs of our neighbors. “Every Christian is called to this charity,” he states. He challenges business enterprises, governments, unions and individuals to reexamine their economic responsibilities in the light of charity governed by truth. He calls all men and women to think and act anew.
We must heed this call. After all, Jesus did not ask us to think about caring for our neighbor. He called us to act. He said, “Love your neighbor.”
In a few weeks Catholic Charities USA begins our centennial year. We will spend the next 365 days rallying the nation to rebuild our nation in a way that leaves fewer people behind. We challenge our leaders to muster the same urgency and creativity they brought to the banks’ bail out by now addressing the needs of those whom the economic crisis has hit the hardest.
Patching the social safety net is not enough. We must design the 21st century “New Deal” with new and innovative 21st century solutions. We will pursue solutions through our agencies and in partnership with business and government.
When we succeed in providing for the least among us we benefit all of society. Then when we gather in Washington next September to celebrate our centennial, we truly will be a richer nation.
Father Larry Snyder is the president of Catholic Charities USA Advertisement
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Robotic Hand Gets Thumbs Up
Photonics.com Aug 2012
SAARBRÜCKEN, Germany, Aug. 7, 2012 — The first human-sized, five-fingered robotic hand also has a brain: it has the cognitive power to learn to grasp and manipulate a range of delicate and oddly shaped objects just as humans do.
A time will come when robots will be as ubiquitous in homes as personal computers, Bill Gates said in his January 2007 article in
Scientific American. Camera and infrared sensors on new video game consoles hint at a future when we will be able to control devices just by speaking or hand gestures, and self-propelled vacuum cleaners already navigate around homes.
But one challenge the robotics community struggles to solve is a robot’s ability to manipulate.
"We are not talking about grippers," insists professor Bruno Siciliano of the University of Naples, Italy. "Industry robots are pretty good at picking things up and putting them down. If robots are to really transform life and work alongside humans, then they must be able to handle items just as humans can with their hands. Manipulation is a complex task that robots must learn to master."
As coordinator of the Dexmart project (Dexterous and autonomous dual-arm/hand robotic manipulation with smart sensory-motor skills: A bridge from natural to artificial cognition), Siciliano led a collaborative team of robotics researchers from Saarland University and the University of Bologna in Italy.The anthropomorphic five-fingered robotic hand they built can handle eggs, pick up and turn around a credit card or take a pen from another person.
Their creation, dubbed the Dexmart Hand, involves optoelectronic sensors, polymer strings, high-speed motors and image-processing algorithms. Working together, the actuator system allows the hand to touch diverse objects, grasp and lift them and place them gently in a new position. The hand was able to lift an 11-lb load by over an inch within a split second using the strings.
A robotic hand gently holds an egg. © Markus Breig
Each finger is controlled by polymer "tendons" that mimic human tendons.
“The capability of the robotic hand is so near to that of humans that the vision of robots as personal assistants in the household, in the operating room as well as in industrial settings, is becoming more realistic,” said Chris May, a scientist at Saarland University’s Laboratory of Actuation Technology.
In addition to manipulation, robots must be able to behave autonomously, Siciliano said, responding to situations in appropriate ways that are not preprogrammed.
The cognitive power was supplied by scientists from Karlsruhe University, Second University of Naples and UK technology firm OMG. By sticking visual trackers on a special sensorized glove and performing manipulations that were captured on video, they used advanced image processing technology to study the fine details of human hand movements. The image processing algorithms created rules on how the robotic hand should handle and manipulate similar objects.
Coordinating the movements of five fingers, and their respective joints, was a challenge.
“If you look at each joint and what each motor would have to do individually, you are dealing with 20 degrees of freedom and that is too complex,” Siciliano said. His group took its inspiration from biology to simplify the problem.
“Research into human hand control and coordination has shown that we don’t control each joint separately; our brain controls all the joints at the same time in a coordinated fashion,” said Fanny Ficuciello of the Naples team. “Neuroscientists have demonstrated that human hand positions and movements can actually be simplified to just three so-called ‘postural synergies.’ These three synergies can describe about 80 percent of all possible grasping actions and positions.”
The Naples team's control system takes input from optoelectronic sensors on the hand (which measure the grasp pressure), working out the synergies and actuating the finger movements. The grip precision that these three create permits extremely refined manipulations.
The optoelectronic sensors are another innovation: several measure joint angles, tendon forces and tactile interactions with objects. Within the tactile sensor, advanced computational analysis of the captured light intensity inside a number of sensitive elements makes it possible to calculate the forces exerted on the object by the fingers and also whether the object is slipping out of grasp. Its developers have filed for a European patent.
A prototype hand and two fully sensorized fingers ran without error for four days last December at RobotVille, a European exhibit of 20 robots at the Science Museum in London, and successfully took a range of objects out of visitors’ hands.
The consortium is exploring the commercial viability of producing fully functional hands initially for the academic community.
For more information, visit: www.uni-saarland.de
GLOSSARY
photonics The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
MORE FROM PHOTONICS MEDIA
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SHANGHAI – Macroeconomic conditions in any country are like running water. How large and fast is the flow? Where does it originate and where does it go?
The “main stream” of China’s economy is the vast flow of inward investment. China’s economy is prone to rapid growth, with buoyant investment demand sustaining powerful short-term inflationary pressures. As a result, credit controls on investment projects and a close watch on the money supply have been used to promote macroeconomic stability since China began its market reforms.
But in 2003, following five years of deflation, China’s economy entered a new phase. Overcapacity vanished, constraints on consumption were lifted, and a dramatic increase in household demand followed.
Since then, heavy industries – steel, automobiles, machinery, building materials, energy, and raw materials – have experienced an unprecedented investment boom, reflecting demand for urban construction, housing, transport, infrastructure, and equipment renewal. Not surprisingly, the economy began to overheat.
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Petrol in Russia set to rise despite falling oil
Retail petrol prices in Russia have been going up for 9 weeks in succession, having added 1.4% since the start of the year, according to the country’s Statistics Service. During this time, oil markets have seen prices slide. WTI has gone down to about $84/bbl from around $105/bbl in April, with Brent crude decreasing to $99/bbl from $120.5/bbl in the same period.
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In Russia there’s no 100% correlation between the prices for oil and petrol, as it is different taxes that make up for more than 50% of the final gasoline price,” Sergey Vakhromeev, oil and gas analyst at Metropol IFC, explained to Business RT.
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With the petrol excise being constantly raised from the start of the year, it’s no surprise that petrol in Russia is going up”, adds Vakhromeev.
In July another increase of the petrol excise is set to come, with the cost of Euro-3 to increase to $0.184 per liter from the current $0.172.
The Russian state sets petrol excises that effectively have the biggest say in deciding the final petrol price in Russia, Vakhromeev explained.
Also, as part of the presidential election campaign Russian authorities gave instructions to put a lid on petrol prices, the Metropol expert told Business RT. This was just as wholesale prices were going up, creating losses for companies, Denis Borisov, Nomos –Bank analyst, reminded Vedomosti daily. The margin in the retail market was down to 11.7% as of the end of May from a February figure of 16.3%, according to data from Kortes – Russia’s information center for oil markets. So, by raising petrol prices Russian companies are trying to compensate for the losses, Vakhromeev concluded.
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The number of cars in Russia is constantly growing, which means the demand for petrol is also rising,” the Metropol expert continued his line of reasoning.
Overall, petrol prices in Russia could add about 10% this year. “
The price rise should be above the annual inflation rate that is expected to be at around 6% this year. Russian companies would need not just to cover their costs that’ll rise at the inflation rate at the minimum, but also to make profits,” Vakhromeev explained.
In the meantime, on June 8 the leaders of Russia’s oil industry held the first meeting of the newly created “oil club.” This was initiated by Russia’s oil major Rosneft with Igor Sechin as its head. The club members are set to meet on a regular basis to “
discuss the state of affairs and hear the opinion of the head of Russia's largest oil company – Igor Sechin," according to Kommersant daily. Among the parties involved are Lukoil, Surgutneftegas, Bashneft, Gazprom Neft, Transneft and Itera.
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Rep. Dwight Kiefert is the sponsor of HB1215 which, if passed, would allow local school districts to decide if they want to allow concealed carry of weapons on school property. The bill would also allow those schools to keep that decision a secret if they choose.
I was curious about Rep. Kiefert why schools should be able to decide this matter in secret. I wondered if the bill might not get some push-back from parents wanting to know if concealed carry was happening at the schools where they send their children.
Kiefert explained that his concern is that school districts which debate the issue and decide to ultimately not allow concealed carry might be making targets of themselves, notifying would-be shooters that their schools will continue to be vulnerable. Kiefert acknowledged, however, that the bill would allow schools to make their decisions public if they wish.
Kiefert’s bill is separate from HB1283 which doesn’t have the provision allowing the decision to be made in secret and which also removes the state prohibition on concealed carry in churches.
I’m sympathetic to Kiefert’s justification for the secrecy, but I’m not sure I’m convinced. Our schools are already “gun free zones” by default, which I’m afraid makes them targets by default. I’d like to see schools end the “gun free zone” nonsense for the sake of making all our children safer, but that debate should be had out in the open.
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Electronic-Prescribing, Computerized Prescribing, or E-RX has increased dramatically of late in the American health care system, a long overdue alternative to the written form for the almost five billion drug treatments annually. This paper examines the history and selected issues in the rise of E-RX by a review of salient literature, interviews, and field… (More)
The area configuration of healthcare resources, such as the number of hospitals per hundred thousand population, has often been used in healthcare planning and policy making to estimate the global access (potential access) of health services to a local population. However, the actual utilization of the "available" healthcare resources (revealed access) is… (More)
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