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Motorola's Xoom tablet wins CNET's Best of Show award. Senior Editor Donald Bell explains what makes the Xoom so great, and why it rose above the rest.
LAS VEGAS--As predicted, CES 2011 was a feast of tablets. They came in small, medium, and extra large. Some even came in pairs. The most promising of the bunch included the BlackBerry PlayBook, Toshiba's 10-inch Android Tablet, the Samsung Sliding PC, and the Motorola Xoom.
Within the tablet category, the Motorola Xoom rose to the top by promising what we felt was the most anticipated mobile OS (Android Honeycomb), on impressively spec'd hardware (dual-core, 4G-compatible, HDMI out, front- and back-facing cameras), in a 10-inch format that can literally and figuratively measure up against the iPad.
Like any product at CES, there's always the chance that the Xoom will disappoint when it finally makes its way into the wild later in the first quarter of 2011. From where we're sitting, though, it's the tablet we're most excited to review this year. See for yourself in our hands-on video:
As the first exclusive product to feature Google's tablet-specific Android 3.0 operating system, this award is also a big nod to Google's work developing the Android Honeycomb operating system previewed in the video below. From what we've seen, the Android Honeycomb OS charts exciting new ground for tablets, bringing some dearly needed differentiation from the Android smartphone experience. As with previous versions of Android, Honeycomb will inevitably make its way onto other tablets, offering more choice for consumers and providing the industry a valuable resource. By CES 2012, Honeycomb will likely be the de facto standard for Android-based tablets.
In fact, we considered whether Honeycomb itself should be the nominee, but decided that the Xoom, as a vessel for the OS, was as worthy as its cargo. We believe the Xoom is the most potentially disruptive technology among the nominees; it's a true competitor for the iPad and will be one of the first 4G-compatible tablets to hit the market.
Of course, it took a parade of innovative products to make this year's CES one of the biggest and most memorable in years. When CNET's editors gathered last night to place our votes for Best of CES, things got tense. There was so much stellar technology to choose from that the vote was as close as CES Best of Show votes come. CNET readers would do well to spend a few minutes looking through this year's contenders.


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Scott Weiland is dead.
Anyone that knows a thing of two about Scott Weiland is hardly surprised by the news that spread throughout the world early Friday.
Over the course of a decade Weiland fronted Stone Temple Pilots, which built a massive following in the midst of a transition from the grunge era of the early 1990s to the stadium rock scene that followed.
Truthfully, I was lukewarm to STP's arrival when their 1992 debut Core was put in rotation. The song "Plush" was just too much of a Pearl Jam ripoff for me to ever embrace. But then 1994's Purple arrived and caught my attention with its layers of depth and groove. In 1996 Tiny Music… Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop took the madness to an unprecedented level, and at that point I found myself in way over my head in the band's psychedelic rollicking.

subset: commoncrawl


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Macquarie Semiconductor and Technology on behalf of Macquarie (Asia) Pte Ltd. Taiwan Branch - UMC
Date of Manufacture:
Currently Configured for: 300mm
Current Equipment Status: Available
Asset HDD not included
Location of Equipment: Tainan 744, Taiwan
Available date: Currently Available
Inspect to confirm configuration and condition.
The tool is running .
Configuration :
Install date : 2013/08/20
Last PM date : 2015/07/22
System SW(OS) version is Win 7
System SW(App) version is Release 1.5 Patch 11
All the cables are present
Wafer Handler :
Handler Type is Brooks and Cassette/FOUP Loaders are two
Robot Type is Brooks and include the Pre-Aligner
Communication Interface is GEM HosT 5050
Supporting Equipment :
Power Supply is 208V single phase(3write), 57~63hz, 13.5~15A
Backing Pump is Edward-IH80*2ea
Facility Requirements :
CDA : 6~7bar
Vacuum : Lower than 200mbar absolute 18splm
Gas : Ar 90% +/-1%
CH4 3bar
Power : 208V single phase(3write), 57~63hz, 13.5~15A
The information referenced on this page is accurate to the best of our knowledge. We do not warrant the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein. Interested parties are encouraged to request inspection to verify equipment condition, configuration, and completeness. Any offer to purchase equipment shall be subject to our standard terms and conditions of sale.
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Puerto Rico, with 3 governors in a week, considers a 4th
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A day after Puerto Rico got its third governor in less than a week following angry street protests, top officials from new leader Wanda Vázquez's own party talked openly Thursday about their desire to see a fourth take over the position.
Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, who played a key role in the successful court challenge to the swearing-in of Pedro Pierluisi as governor after Gov. Ricardo Rosselló resigned, publicly backed Jenniffer González — Puerto Rico's non-voting representative in Congress — to be secretary of state, which would put her first in line to become governor if the office should be vacated again.
"If she's good over there, she would be even better here," Schatz said after he emerged from a more than four-hour meeting with 66 party members, including senators and mayors.
He said González had everyone's support, but he added that he would not ask Vázquez to step down.
"We're not ... planning a war here against anyone," Schatz said.
Schatz, González and the president of the House of Representatives met with Vázquez privately Thursday night at the new governor's request. "I'm not going to lobby for anything or negotiate anything," Schatz said before the meeting, and the participants did not comment after the session.
Other members of his pro-statehood New Progressive Party were more outspoken, including Rep. José Meléndez, who said that González was a consensus person and that any change in the governorship should happen quickly.
"The key to breaking the bottleneck lies with Wanda Vázquez," Meléndez said.
For González to become governor, she would have to be nominated to the open secretary of state position and confirmed by both the House and Senate, both of which are controlled by Schatz's party. Then Vázquez would have to resign, though the new governor said she did not intend to step down despite previous comments that she didn't want the job.
González said the presidents of the House and Senate called her last weekend asking if she was available to become secretary of state as a candidate of consensus, and she agreed if it would help restore credibility and stability to Puerto Rico.
"It's time that people and not politicians become the priority," she said.
She said she was not seeking Vázquez's position, but added: "If I got that privilege, I would be a great governor ... My experience has proven results."
She said she would change all Cabinet officials and scrutinize all contracts if she became governor.
González, who is chairwoman of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico, warned that the U.S. government has doubts about how the island is handling federal funds: "The specter of corruption has called into question access to those funds. ... They don't trust Puerto Rico's institutions or its officials."
Puerto Rico's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Pierluisi had been placed in office unconstitutionally, resulting in Vázquez, the justice secretary, being sworn in as governor the same evening.
Amid the instability, people on the economically struggling territory of 3.2 million are bracing for more turmoil. The political establishment was knocked off balance by huge street protests spawned by anger over corruption, mismanagement of funds and a leaked obscenity-laced chat in which Rosselló and several top aides disparaged women, gay people and victims of Hurricane Maria, among others.
On July 10, Rosselló's former education secretary, former Health Insurance Administration chief and three others were arrested on charges of steering federal money to unqualified, politically connected contractors. Islanders are also angry over the territory's protracted economic woes and slow recovery from 2017's devastating Hurricane Maria.
Vázquez sought to calm the anger in a televised statement late Wednesday, saying she shares the pain of recent weeks and vowing to bring unity and stability.
"We have all felt the anxiety provoked by the instability and uncertainty," Vázquez said. "Faced with this enormous challenge and with God ahead, I take a step forward with no interest other than serving the people as I have done my whole life."
Vázquez has worked in government for more than 30 years and is the second woman to be governor. She would serve out the remainder of Rosselló's term until elections in November 2020 — unless she doesn't.
At least some involved in the anti-Rosselló protests are calling for her ouster, too, seeing her as a continuation of the previous administration. However, there were no protests Thursday.
Critics say Vázquez was not aggressive enough as justice secretary in pursuing corruption investigations involving members of her New Progressive Party and that she did not prioritize gender violence cases. She's also been accused of ignoring investigations into alleged mismanagement of hurricane aid, and of possible ethics violations.
Appointed justice secretary in January 2017, Vázquez previously worked as a district attorney for two decades at Puerto Rico's Justice Department, handling domestic and sexual abuse cases. In 2010, she was appointed director of the Office for Women's Rights.
In her televised statement Wednesday night, Vázquez said she would work for all Puerto Ricans.
"History has brought me here without any political aspirations," she said. "I recognize that I was not chosen by the people for this position. ... But I came from those same people. I am a product of public schools. ... I know what it is to come from nothing. I know what hard work is."


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Physical Therapy Services (PT)
Definition: Physical therapists work collaboratively with a student's IEP team to improve student access and participation in school and community settings. Physical therapists provide professional expertise in the areas of self-help skills, foundational gross motor skills, mobility skills (transfers, walking, and equipment use), posture and positioning, and recreational skills for age-appropriate play. Physical therapy interventions promote skill acquisition and environmental adaptation and are commonly embedded within the context of student activities and routines.
Qualifications of a School Physical Therapist
Physical therapists must successfully complete a physical therapy program that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency and be licensed by the Colorado State Department of Regulatory Agencies.
Criteria for Receiving School Physical Therapy Services
Physical Therapy may be provided as a related service to support a student's individualized educational program if:
The Student . . .
- requires regular monitoring and modification of physical strategies or equipment to maintain school accessibility and participation.
- has neuromuscular, orthopedic, or medical issues limiting their access and/or participation in school routines and environments.
- has poor functional motor skills limiting their ability to navigate the educational setting and/or participate in developmentally appropriate interactions with peers during recreational activities.
- has impaired mobility skills limiting their ability to navigate stairs, ramps, uneven terrain, or change positions effectively.
- has decreased independent living skills limiting their ability to manage personal needs in the cafeteria, bathroom, and locker room.
- due to a chronic condition, is at risk for developing complications that may limit school access and/or participation.
The Colorado Department of Education Physical Therapy listserv supports school-based PTs: 1) by providing information and news regarding the profession; 2) by announcing professional development and training opportunities; and, 3) by posting school-based job openings. There are no advertisements from vendors or contract-based companies. This service is also chat-free.
To subscribe to the PT/PTA listserv:
- Please complete the online listserv subscription request, PT/PTA Listserv Subscription.
- Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.
Physical Therapy Advisory Council
The Exceptional Student Services consultant for PT along with regional PT representatives who comprise the Physical Therapy Advisory Council, meet throughout the year to inform the Colorado Department of Education on statewide PT professional learning and technical assistance needs and assist in the development of guidance materials to support the profession.
Physical Therapy School-Based Conferences
- American Physical Therapy Association - see Careers and Education
Tools and Resources
- OT/PT Brochure (PDF)
- OT/PT Brochure - Spanish (PDF)
- Technical Assistance: School Physical Therapist (PDF)
- Accredited Schools Online Physical Therapy
Accredited Schools Online has just put together a new guidebook for physical therapists and the schooling options available to them. It is an in-depth guide that offers information about the schooling required, career options, and facts about entering into the career field.
- Memo - Direct and Indirect Service (PDF)
- Memo - Speech-Language Pathology Services, Occupational Therapy Services, and Physical Therapy Services under the Rules for the Administration of the Exceptional Children's Educational Act, April 2009 (PDF)
- Section 504
- Direction and Supervision of the Physical Therapist Assistant (PDF)
- American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
- Autism Society of Colorado
- Autism Speaks
- Autism Society of America
- Department of Regulatory Agencies
- Peak Parent Center
- Physical Therapy Brings Motion to Life
- Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association
- Section on Pediatrics - APTA
- Special Olympics Colorado
For more information, please contact:
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
Phone: (303) 253-0451
Having trouble with this webpage?
If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at firstname.lastname@example.com. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.


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Analysts ask why ex-Arab League chief only came in fifth place in last week's presidential poll while Mubarak-era PM made it all the way to the runoffs
Final results of Egypt's first-round presidential polls flew in the face of all pre-election opinion surveys conducted by the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, which for eight weeks put former Arab League chief Amr Moussa at the head of the race. Instead, the polling was dominated by Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi and Mubarak-era premier Ahmed Shafiq, who will face off in a runoff vote on 16 and 17 June.
Results of the last Al-Ahram presidential poll, released only three days before the election, had indicated that Moussa would lead the contest with 31.7 per cent of the vote. But in the election, he only came in at fifth place with a paltry 10.9 per cent of the vote.
"What are these results? Is this our country?" Asked 52-year-old Sherif Mahmoud, general manager at an Abu Dhabi-based real estate company, who voted for Moussa. "These results spell the death of Egypt's revolution. We chose Moussa for his middle ground. Who would have guessed he would only come in fifth?"
Political sociologist Said Sadek provided one possible explanation: Last year's Tahrir Square uprising, Sadek said, demanded "bread, freedom and social justice" – demands that call for a domestic politician rather than a "diplomatic figure like Moussa, who failed to focus on internal issues like corruption, human rights and torture."
Although Moussa and presidential contender Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak's last prime minister and long-time aviation minister, are both closely associated with the ousted regime, Shafiq's focus on the domestic arena may have been Moussa's downfall.
Shafiq, analysts note, succeeded in winning over Egyptian voters by focusing on two major points: the need to curb political Islam and the necessity of restoring domestic security. Shafiq's military background helped him in this respect.
According to Sadek, the rise of political Islam "scared the hell of everyone; people voted out of fear." Shafiq, he pointed out, capitalised on those fears by vowing to curb Egypt's politically ascendant Islamic current.
Egypt's influential Coptic Church, meanwhile, also played an important role in endorsing Shafiq, says Egyptian political analyst Hazem Mounir. For example, the church played a part in distributing Shafiq's campaign literature and pushed Coptic congregants to vote for him.
"My local church officially endorsed Shafiq," said one Coptic-Christian journalist, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Churchmen could be seen passing out Shafiq flyers to congregants."
Shafiq has also deftly played the stability card, promising to end the ongoing security vacuum and political turbulence that has dogged Egypt since last year's revolution.
"An intentional counter-revolution played a key role in discrediting the revolution, portraying the April 6 Youth Movement as subversive," said Sadek. "They deliberately created a security problem and ratcheted up media coverage of crime, prompting the public to cry out for a saviour.
"Shafiq answered this call by promising to provide security and stability from his first day as president," Sadek added, noting that "Egyptians by nature like the status quo; they want stability."
Media impact
Moussa's electoral prospects, meanwhile, were also hurt by Egypt's first-ever televised presidential debate on 10 May, in which the Mubarak-era FM faced moderate-Islamist candidate and former Brotherhood member Abdel Moneim Abul-Fotouh. Although Moussa used the debate to distance himself from the former regime, it ended up biting into his popularity because of his tendency to speak in generalisations and failure to present a concrete political plan to resolve Egypt's chronic woes.
Sadek says the debate had a "very negative" impact on Moussa's popularity, not least due to his "disrespectful" tone. "Moussa spoke very disrespectfully to Abul-Fotouh, which ended up turning off broad swathes of the public," he said.
According to Mounir, both candidates adopted "a destructive, negative approach" in the debates, which ultimately hurt both of their electoral prospects.
Moussa's electoral chances were further eroded, said Sadek, by "media overexposure."
"Moussa has been promoting his presidential bid for over a year," he said. "Morsi, by contrast, has been very cautious about appearing on television; he didn't engage in any television debates. The Brotherhood's media machine was excellent."
Sadek added that Moussa had come off as "arrogant and snobbish" to the lower classes. "In his campaign advertisements, he was always looking up at the sky, which didn't play well with humble, low-income voters."
Shafiq, meanwhile, ended up benefiting from negative media coverage, which made him appear as a victim. "He appeared as the underdog; a kind of victim – this helped him make it through to the runoff round," said Sadek.
According to sources close to the Moussa campaign, members of the former regime – along with certain wealthy businessmen – helped Shafiq win the first round. "We heard that [former regime stalwart] Ahmed Ezz's wife distributed money to peasants and poor people to purchase votes for Shafiq with the aim of protecting corrupt businessmen," said one Moussa campaign source.
During last year's Tahrir Square uprising, Moussa presciently supported the anti-regime protesters, although not wholeheartedly, falling short of demanding Mubarak's immediate departure. On 27 February, two weeks after the former president's ouster, the ex-Arab League chief announced plans to run for president.


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Not sure whether to upgrade to Apple's latest operating system? Here are ten ways iOS 7—and some of its new and updated apps—can help you while traveling.
Included with iOS7 upgrade
Find My iPhone: The enhanced Find My iPhone allows users to remotely secure lost or stolen devices, rendering them virtually useless to would-be thieves (unless they also have the associated Apple ID and password). This means it has little-to-no market value, which may help reduce theft.
Camera: The new camera app lets you fire away consecutive shots—to the tune of ten per second—which could help avoid missing that once-in-a-lifetime shot. Caveat: make sure to stand relatively still, because the device will not refocus if you move around too much.
Photo Album: Now the photo album beautifully streamlines all your images, making them easy to pull up and share, long after your trip is done. It automatically sorts photos into mini collections sorted by location and date. Or you can scale up and sort by year.
AirDrop: You know how, after a group trip or outing, there's always that one person that takes forever to upload photos to Facebook? AirDrop lets iOS users transfer files to other nearby iOS devices via WiFi and Bluetooth. It's quick, secure, and eliminates that wait time.
**Maps: **Avoid looking like a tourist while staring at your phone as you try to make your way around an unfamiliar town. The improved native maps app (finally!) offers spoken navigation, so throw on some earbuds and you'll look like a local just meandering around your home turf.
Weather (iPhone/iPod Touch only): Multi-destination trip on the horizon? Just plug in each of your cities and now, not only can you get a quick overview of the weather, but additional information like humidity, wind speed, and the likeliness that it will rain. (iPhone only)
Apps with improved iOS7 features
Hotel Booking with Travelocity: The brand new photo-heavy app—designed exclusively for iOS 7—lets you scan your credit card instead of manually entering the information; use the Deals Tonight feature to book last-minute, geo-based rooms; and quickly share reservation information with the new AirDrop feature. (free)
Twitter: For the first time, Siri can quickly perform a Twitter search. So when you pull up the digital assistant, you could say, "Check tweets for NYC museums," or "What is Twitter saying about California vineyards?" and it will pull a list of recent tweets, if applicable. (free)
LoungeBuddy**: **Have an extra long layover? This newly released app lets you find the best airport lounge option based on access requirements, cost, amenities offered, hours, user reviews, and more. It currently covers more than 700 lounges in 60 airports around the world. (free)
Foodspotting: Foodies rejoice! The updated social meal finder now lets iOS 7 users search by category and can quickly scour for eats anywhere in the world. However, some features, like Guides and Hide, are currently on hold, but should eventually be reinstated. (free)


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Antonio Felix da Costa set the pace in the Red Bull RB8 on the second day of the Young Driver Formula One test in Abu Dhabi.
The team continued to prepare for the last two races, and gave its Portuguese protégé some mileage as he focused on aero work, trying new parts.
"It's been another good day," he said. "Again, we did a lot of mileage, which is good for me and for the team. On a day like this, when the conditions are perfect for testing, and with two Grands Prix to go, I think the team needs to make the most of it, and today I think we did that.
"It's been a great experience and I'd like to thank the whole team for their help and I hope I have been able to help them as well," he added. "I'll focus now on the future, and I think most sensibly that probably means a full season in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series next year."
Oliver Turvey was second fastest for McLaren, as the team again split the workload between two drivers, Turvey and Gary Paffett.
Third spot went to the highly rated Mercedes DTM driver and Macau F3 winner Edoardo Mortara, who made his F1 test debut for Lotus.
"I enjoyed every lap," Mortara said. "At the same time, it was pretty tough; I've come from a car which is a lot slower, and the first laps were certainly an eye opener. I improved gradually over the day, and I think my progression was pretty good.
"Every time I was on track, I got a little bit better. I completed the test program scheduled by the team, so it's satisfying to be able to contribute to their season. It's been one of the best days of my life."
Esteban Gutierrez got some decent mileage for Sauber, strengthening his bid for a 2013 F1 race seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg.
Johnny Cecotto Jr., who tested for Force India last year, had a run for Scuderia Toro Rosso, while also in action again was Giedo van der Garde at Caterham.
Dutchman Robin Frijns, who drove for Sauber yesterday, will handle the Red Bull on the final day tomorrow, while among those also in action will be David Valsecchi at Lotus, Luis Razia at Toro Rosso and Kevin Magnussen at McLaren.
Young Drivers test at Abu Dhabi
Best times, laps run
1. Antonio Felix da Costa, Red Bull-Renault, 1:42.679, 61
2. Oliver Turvey, McLaren-Mercedes, 1:43.176, 62
3. Edoardo Mortara, Lotus-Renault, 1:43.418, 75
4. Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber-Ferrari, 1:43.486, 93
5. Gary Paffett, McLaren-Mercedes, 1:43.771, 41
6. Johnny Cecotto Jr., Toro Rosso-Ferrari, 1:44.569, 76
7. Giedo van der Garde, Caterham-Renault, 1:46.106, 72


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"It's not what happens to us that makes the difference in our lives. What makes the difference is our attitude towards what happens." This is my rule to live by .. and although it's not always as simple as it sounds, I am convinced that having a positive attitude will help to make life much more […]
Tag Archives: Positive thoughts
Add a little confetti to each day! :-)
posted by Carpe Diem Moments


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One call. Red does it all! 302-629-3002
Air Conditioning Services in Felton, DE
If you live in Felton, DE, you may know Peninsula from our home heating oil, propane, and biodiesel services. But we do much more than that! Peninsula offers some of the friendliest, most reliable air conditioning services on this side of the Delmarva. Before you suffer through another hot, steamy summer with a busted air conditioner, call Peninsula!
Air Conditioner Installation in Felton, DE
The most important day in the life of your air conditioner is the day it's installed. And since well installed air conditioners can last as many as 15 years, it's crucial that you go with a company you can count on to get the job done right! At Peninsula, our experienced air conditioning technicians will make sure your AC unit is properly sized to your home and properly charged with refrigerant so you'll experience years of worry-free comfort.
Air Conditioner Inspection in Felton, DE
Solid air conditioner installation is only the first step—if you want your system to last, it's important to have it frequently inspected! At Peninsula, we recommend you have your air conditioner installed at least once a year, preferably in early spring before you turn the system on for the summer. Especially as your air conditioner starts to get older, this will help our team catch any potential problems that may develop over the winter and take care of them before they become major hassles during the summer. Even if your AC is only a few years old, an air conditioner inspection can save you from some major headaches down the road!
Air Conditioner Repairs in Felton, DE
Even the most reliable air conditioners experience some hiccups from time to time. So if yours burns out (no pun intended) on the hottest day of the summer and you want it fixed fast, call Peninsula! We've seen it all, from broken blower fans to frayed belts to dead compressors and everything in between. When your air conditioner is fried and you can't wait for service, call Peninsula!
Air Conditioner Replacement in Felton, DE
As much as we hate to say it, air conditioners don't last forever. So if yours is pushing 10 – 15 years old and it's starting to have some problems, another repair may not cut it. If this is the case for you, there's only one name you need to know: Peninsula! Our friendly air conditioner technicians can come out to your home, assess your system and make recommendations as to whether it will last another year. If we think it's best to replace it with a new one, we'll lay out a list of options and walk you through which ones would be best for your family.
At Peninsula, we know how frustrating it can be to go without AC on the Delmarva—after all, we live here too! So no matter what air conditioner services you need, call us today!
Count on Peninsula: Your Air Conditioning Services Company
We care about our neighbors and each and every one of our customers. And we believe this commitment to quality customer service sets us apart from the rest.
Dependability. Service. Quality. Value. That's what you'll hear when you ask our customers about us. And our commitment to your satisfaction is built on this foundation!
Reputation is everything. That's especially true in the close-knit communities along the Maryland and Delaware peninsula. Here, Peninsula has built a long-standing reputation of respect and trust, home by home, family by family. And we're proud of that!
You can count on Peninsula Oil and Propane for:
- An unequaled commitment to your needs and personal satisfaction
- Reliable, around-the-clock emergency service, 365 days a year
- Expert installation and upgrades, maximizing system performance
- Worry-free payment plans that respect your budget
So relax. You've come to the right place. You can count on our family to keep your family snug and secure. It's what we do!
To find out more about our air conditioning services, contact us today!
Peninsula Today!


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WHO Must Fill Glaring COVID-19 Response Gap: Address Older People
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Canada: Dan Levitt: A new hope for rethinking the aging journey
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Israel: Nursing Home Residents, Families, and Staff Demand Health Ministry To Take More Action on Coronavirus
Ireland: Over one month of Coronavirus Response in Nursing Homes
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Marian Anderson's concert dress goes on view in DC
WASHINGTON – For the first time, the dress Marian Anderson wore to sing at the Lincoln Memorial 75 years ago after being denied access to a Washington concert hall because she was black, is going on display at the Smithsonian.
On Easter Sunday 1939, the classical singer accepted Eleanor Roosevelt's invitation to give a public concert and wrapped herself in a fur coat that cold day after she was kept out of Washington's D.A.R Constitution Hall. Beneath the coat, she wore a striking orange-and-black ensemble and carried herself with pride, historians said.
The outfit she wore to make history was uncovered among the late singer's belongings and put on display Tuesday at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History through September. Wednesday marks the 75th anniversary of Anderson's Easter Sunday performance at the Lincoln Memorial.
Curators learned earlier this year that the dress had been kept hidden away all these years.
"I definitely would have loved to have had something iconic" to represent Anderson, said Dwandalyn Reece, who is building a collection for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. "But I just didn't expect for this to exist."
The two-piece concert attire is part of a collection recently donated to the museum by Ginette DePreist of Scottsdale, Ariz. DePreist is the widow of Anderson's nephew, the late music conductor James DePreist.
Ginette DePreist said the dress had been long forgotten. It was among the belongings she salvaged from Anderson's damp basement at the Connecticut home where the singer lived for 40 years before moving to Oregon to live with the DePreists. Anderson died in April 1993.
In the 1990s, Ginette DePreist decided to wear one of Anderson's dresses in her honor to a gala performance of the Philadelphia Orchestra and pulled out the orange-and-black ensemble. She had the top remade to replace disintegrated fabric. The original collar, trim and turquoise and black buttons were kept in place.
Only later, after looking at photographs, did she realize it was the same ensemble Anderson wore at the Lincoln Memorial.
Smithsonian fashion historian Renee Anderson said the outfit represents a forward sense of fashion after the singer had made a name for herself in Europe. Now it offers a look at how she carried herself, curators said.
"She was very elegant. She was very steadfast, making a statement: 'Here I am. I do matter. What I do and what I say is important,'" Renee Anderson said.
Anderson didn't talk much about the famous concert. "I'm not a fighter," she would say. She had been thrust into the spotlight but didn't see herself as an advocate.
"The only desire she had at the time was to sing," DePreist said. "She wanted to be recognized for her voice, her career — and not necessarily that page of history."
That day became national news, though, after Eleanor Roosevelt publicly resigned her membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution in protest for keeping Anderson out.
Anderson would become the first African-American to perform at the White House and sang there again when the Roosevelts entertained the king and queen of England. After years of being shut out of opera, Anderson became the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in 1955.
When the new black history museum opens, likely in 2016, Anderson will be part of an exhibit about music.
"Because of that concert, she's forever etched in history," Reece said. "In excelling at her own craft, she stands as an example in many ways showing African-Americans performing all types of music, performing an event that was tinged with social justice as its primary tenant."
Follow Brett Zongker at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat


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You've probably heard people talk about radiation both in fiction and in real life. For example, when the Enterprise approaches a star on "Star Trek," a member of the crew might warn about an increase in radiation levels. In Tom Clancy's book "The Hunt for Red October," a Russian submarine has a nuclear reactor accident with radiation leakage that forces the crew to abandon ship. At Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, nuclear power plants released radioactive substances into the atmosphere during nuclear accidents. And in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, a nuclear crisis raised fears about radiation and questions about the safety of nuclear power.
Nuclear radiation can be both extremely beneficial and extremely dangerous. It just depends on how you use it. X-ray machines, some types of sterilization equipment and nuclear power plants all use nuclear radiation -- but so do nuclear weapons. Nuclear materials (that is, substances that emit nuclear radiation) are fairly common and have found their way into our normal vocabularies in many different ways. You have probably heard (and used) many of the following terms:
- Uranium
- Plutonium
- Alpha rays
- Beta rays
- Gamma rays
- X-rays
- Cosmic rays
- Radiation
- Nuclear power
- Nuclear bombs
- Nuclear waste
- Nuclear fallout
- Nuclear fission
- Neutron bombs
- Half-life
- Radon gas
- Ionization smoke detectors
- Carbon-14 dating
All of these terms are related by the fact that they all have something to do with nuclear elements, either natural or man-made. But what exactly is radiation? Why is it so dangerous? In this article, we will look at nuclear radiation so that you can understand exactly what it is and how it affects your life on a daily basis.


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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — There's no question that the economy has softened in recent months, but policy makers at the Federal Reserve tell us not to worry, that it's mostly just bad weather and the normal ups and downs of the economic data.
But what if they're wrong? Would they tell us if they thought we were heading for a new recession? Could they bring themselves to tell us if they did think it?
Follow along as MarketWatch live-blogs Janet Yellen's testimony.
The experience of the last recession, which started at the beginning of 2008, is telling. Although the Fed began cutting interest rates months before the recession began and continued to cut rates aggressively throughout 2008, policy makers were reluctant to use the "R" word, even in private, according to the recently released transcripts of the meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee.
See the Fed's archive of transcripts of 2008 meetings.
While most policy makers had recognized by March that the economy was in a recession, they didn't grasp the magnitude of the disaster until it was too late. Most of them thought the recession would be shallow and brief. Most of them thought the Fed would begin raising interest rates very quickly once the storm passed. They were wrong.
Why can't the Fed predict recessions? Here are four main reasons.
Garbage in, garbage out
Like many of us, the Fed relies on a flow of economic data. But what happens if the data aren't accurate, reliable or timely?
In August 2008, just before the financial crisis climaxed, most Fed policy makers thought the economy had avoided the worst, in part because of misleading data.
In particular, the Fed thought the economy's gross domestic product had grown at a 1% rate in the first quarter and 1.9% in the second quarter. But revisions to GDP have been dramatic: We now think the economy contracted 2.8% in the first quarter before rebounding 2% in the second quarter.
They thought the economy was growing modestly, but it was contracting. The economy dropped 2% in the third quarter and an incredible 8.3% in the fourth quarter.
Other data the Fed was looking at were closer to the truth. At the time, they thought nonfarm payrolls had fallen by a total of 831,000 in the first seven months of the year and that the unemployment rate had risen by 0.8 percentage points. Now we know it was a little worse than that: 944,000 lost jobs. But at least labor market indicators were pointing in the right direction.
Whistling past the graveyard
Fed officials live in a world where one ill-chosen word can tank markets in an instant. They adopt a circumspect approach to communication. They are careful not to shout "fire" because they don't want to sow panic.
Is that reluctance to shout "fire" also making it harder for Fed officials to spot fires?
Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher complained in January 2008 that all the gloom and doom coming out of the Fed might be "talking us into a recession."
It's not just avoiding self-fulfilling prophecies; it's also human nature to be optimistic about your own actions.
Fed officials are, in part, responsible for how the economy performs, so it's natural for them to think that the policies they've endorsed in the past are working. It takes a lot to get people to admit that they have failed.
Fighting the last war
Throughout the first eight months of 2008, policy makers spent more time obsessing about inflation than they did about slow growth or financial-sector risks.
It wasn't just the inflation hawks like Richard Fisher of Dallas and Charles Plosser of Philadelphia. Even the members who were most attuned to the risks of a financial collapse were worried about inflation risks. As Lehman teetered on the brink of solvency, Ben Bernanke himself said inflation was the Fed's "first responsibility." Janet Yellen worried about it too, although she was much more worried about the credit crunch and the economy.
Why were they so worried about inflation?
Because the consumer price index was very high. Driven by strong global demand earlier in the year, oil prices had risen, which pushed up gasoline prices to more than $4 a gallon. The CPI jumped 1% in June alone. Core inflation was higher than the Fed likes.
As it turned out, those high gas prices weren't a harbinger of higher inflation, they were a contributing factor to the recession. The spike in gas prices cut sharply into demand in an economy that was already wounded by the collapse of the housing market, the loss of jobs, and the withdrawal of credit of all kinds.
High gas prices weren't an inflation risk, they were a growth risk.
The Fed was still fighting the wars of 1979 and 1980, when Paul Volcker beat back inflation. Since then, higher gasoline prices have been more likely to lead to recession than to hyperinflation. The Fed hasn't seen a spiral of wage-push inflation since the 1970s, but it's still vigilantly standing guard.
Failure of imagination
Finally, the Fed couldn't predict the recession because it doesn't have the right tools to predict recessions. The Fed's economic forecasting model works relatively well when the economy is growing, but it falls apart just when you need it most: When the economy is tipping into recession.
Part of the problem is that predictable economic relationships suddenly become unpredictable as the economy begins to fall into recession. The economy seems to undergo a sudden phase change, similar to water turning into ice at the freezing point. Models of fluid dynamics that work great with liquid water aren't of much value with ice.
The Fed's models also have other problems: They don't include a very robust role for the financial sector, which was at the heart of the 2008 crisis. With little history to go by, the Fed was forced to guess about the nature of the feedback loop between the real economy and a financial system that could no longer provide credit.
The Fed tried to model it, but ultimately failed. In one effort, they simulated what would happen to the economy if house prices fell 20%. But they didn't think to ask what would happen if house prices fell 34%, as happened in 2008.
Fed officials knew their tool was inadequate. Bernanke worried throughout the first nine months of the year not only that the economy might suffer what he called a "garden-variety" recession, but something much "nastier" because of the negative feedback loops between the loss of jobs, lower home prices, the banks' balance sheets and credit availability.
In one sense, Bernanke got it exactly right. He talked in January about the possibility of systemic risk. "There are situations in which failures—major collapses of certain markets—can have discontinuous and large effects on the economy," he said. That's why he cut rates so aggressively. That's why he set up emergency liquidity facilities, and helped arrange buyouts of Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch. That's why he recommended TARP in late September 2008.
Unfortunately, by January 2008 it was already much too late to prevent the calamity that ensued.
Also read these stories:
'Fog of war' surrounded Fed in 2008, transcripts show
From April 2008: How to have a recession without GDP falling
From February 2008: Last pillar of denial is gone now that jobs are being lost


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Money for nothing? Don't believe it: a variation on the Mystery Shopper scam that misuses the Pinecone Research brand.
Here's an email I received recently. I've been meaning to blog it for a while, but other stuff keeps getting in the way: nevertheless, it's a pretty good example of a common scam.
You have been invited to participate in our Western union Valuation Surveys !!!!
$150 per survey
Pine Cone Research assigns over 150,000 Western union surveys each year and has provided business evaluation services for over 15 years. It is free to sign up and we are always looking for enthusiastic new shoppers.
Through our business evaluation surveys,Pine Cone Research delivers an accurate picture of the customer experience, using on-profile people in real situations to report on their interaction. Apply to join our panel and get paid to shop, enjoy leisure activities, or have your say on customer service standards.
If you would like to be considered for assignments, please fill out the Application below:
Address Line 1:
Address Line 2:
Zip Code:
Home Phone Number :
Mobile Phone Number:
Thank You,
PineCone Research
250 East 5th St. 9th Floor,
Cincinnati, OH 45202
PineCone Research Copyright 2012© PineCone Research Foudation
The information contained in this e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential and is intended solely for the use of the intended recipient. Access, copying or re-use of the e-mail or any attachment, or any information contained therein, by any other person is not authorized. If you are not the intended recipient please return the e-mail to the sender and delete it from your computer.
Sounds tempting? Maybe you've received this and thought of trying it out? Don't!
I'd never heard of PineCone Research – well, I don't live in the US – but it turns out that they do indeed exist. However, my scam detection antennae were waving furiously, so naturally I did some digging. For a start, there were enough red flags in the headers to deter swimmers on every beach in California (like the forged sender-related fields).
It turns out, though, that if you follow through, you'll be offered a check to be cashed so that you can proceed with your first assignment:
Carry out a Secret Survey on the nearest Western Union outlet in your location by forwarding a fixed amount {$1,550.00} to a "Mystery Consumer" in another region who's conducting the same survey at the "Recipient" end.
[Information on the recipient of the money and the amount you can expect to be sent]
Your income is $150.00 for the survey.
You're to deduct another $150.00 to cover the transfer charges (Money in Minutes) at the Western Union outlet.
That sounds like a generous rate for what you're asked to do.
You're to simply rate the Western Union outlet's service by simply observing and recording the parameters below:
Outlet store Address:
Appearance of Agent:
Time taken to complete Transaction:
Future improvement you would like to see:
Upon completion of the survey you are to Immediately send us an E-mail with your rating of the outlet and the 10-Digit MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number) Nos of the transaction at Western Union which would be needed by the mystery consumer to complete her survey.
Then there's similar sign-off text as in the previous mail, plus the claim that Pinecone Research is a proud member of the Better Business Bureau. I'm not sure if that's the case, but then his message isn't from Pinecone Research at all.
Here's how the scam works: the check is, of course, a fake. The victim pays it in and goes ahead and follows the instructions, but the check subsequently bounces, and the victim is deemed responsible for the transaction and for any additional fees.
According to the Better Business Bureau, some victims have lost as much as $3,000. And according to Pinecone's own warning on the scam, Western Union wire transfers are only one of the ploys used by the scammers: other ploys include "business evaluation surveys" or "hiring" employees.


text: What should higher education look like given we don't know what the jobs of the future will be? from www.shutterstock.com.au September 30, 2015 A 21st-century higher education: training for jobs of the future Belinda Probert, La Trobe University and Shirley Alexander, University of Technology Sydney Only the brave or foolhardy would claim knowledge about the shape of jobs for the next decade, let alone the rest of the 21st century. So what kind of tertiary education can prepare students?


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On Sunday, Republican Sen. Bob Corker and Rep. Eliot Engel - a Democrat who voted for the Iraq war - told Fox News that President Obama should strike Syria first and get Congressional approval afterwards.
That's not how the U.S. Constitution says it should go. That's not how the War Powers Resolution (which, despite the name "resolution," is binding U.S. law) says it should go. The Constitution and the War Powers Resolution say that absent an attack on the United States, Congress must approve military action before it takes place. There is a common misconception about the War Powers Resolution that it allows the President can do whatever he or she wants for 60 days. This confuses one provision of the War Powers Resolution with the whole. In section 2c, the War Powers Resolution affirms that:
The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.
There's another common misconception that because Presidents have claimed that the War Powers Resolution is unconstitutional, it can be ignored. First, the President doesn't get to declare things unconstitutional on his or her own say-so - the President is entitled to his or her opinion, but that's all it is, an opinion. Second, while the constitutionality of some provisions of the War Powers Resolution has been disputed, the constitutionality of section 2c has never been in serious dispute. If other parts of the War Powers Resolution were to fall to a constitutional challenge - which they haven't - section 2c would still be good law.
According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, 60 percent of Americans surveyed said the U.S. should not intervene in Syria's sectarian civil war, while just 9 percent thought President Obama should intervene. Even if Assad's forces used chemical weapons to attack civilians - at this point, an allegation which has not been proved, and an allegation that has a track record of being made without being borne out - only 25 percent of Americans would support U.S. intervention, while 46 percent would oppose it.
On July 24, the House approved an amendment by voice vote that would prohibit funding of any military action that violates the War Powers Resolution.
If President Obama can get us into war in Syria without prior Congressional approval, it will set a terrible precedent: a future president could get us more easily into war in Iran without prior Congressional approval.
Tell President Obama and Congress: there must be no U.S. military action in Syria without Congressional debate and authorization.
Congress is out of session right now. But there is no emergency that requires immediate, unconstitutional, illegal action. If there were an emergency that required immediate action, Congress could be called back into session. If there's no emergency that requires immediate action, then action can wait until Congress reconvenes.
Syria's sectarian civil war has been going on for years. If President Obama wanted to intervene militarily, he's had ample opportunities to put the proposition to Congressional debate and vote.
It is perhaps not a coincidence that when President Obama intervened militarily in Libya - also without Congressional authorization - Congress was out of session.
There is no provision in the Constitution or the War Powers Resolution for a "recess war." If the precedent is set that the President can do whatever he or she wants so long as Congress is out of session, the war powers provisions of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution will be substantially undermined. And the prospect of war with Iran will get much closer, because a key speed bump on the road to war will be removed.
If Congress doesn't count, then the American people don't count. It's no accident that the permanent war party wants the President to go around Congress when the majority of Americans are strongly opposed to a new war. If Congress and the American people can be evaded in this case, it's a body blow to the principle that U.S. foreign policy should be subordinate to democracy and the rule of law.
It should not go unnoted that a U.S. military strike on Syria under present circumstances would be a grave breach of the U.N. Charter, because Syria has not attacked the United States and the U.N. Security Council has not approved military action in Syria.
Of course, there is a widespread belief in Washington and the country at large that the U.N. Charter and international law generally don't apply to the United States: "that's not for us to follow, that's for the little people to follow."
But even if this is your view - that the U.N. Charter doesn't apply to the United States - note that it is generally accepted in Washington that the fact that the U.S. would be in breach of the U.N. Charter if it strikes Syria without being attacked and without Security Council authorization has significant implications for whether U.S. military action is legal under the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution.
In past cases where an Administration has deployed force without Congressional authorization, and which supporters of military action without Congressional authorization cite as precedents - Kosovo and Libya - the Administration cited international action as justification: NATO action in the former case, UN action in the latter case.
Now, in fact, there's nothing in the Constitution or U.S. law that says that the Administration can act without Congressional approval because there's a UN resolution or a NATO agreement. But because Administrations have argued in the past that a UN resolution or NATO action can help justify U.S. military action in the absence of Congressional authorization, it matters that there is no UN resolution and no NATO action - the Administration's legal case for unilateral action is even weaker than in the Kosovo case or the Libya case.
Unfortunately, the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution are not self-enforcing when it comes to protecting Congressional war powers, democracy, and the rule of law. The enforcement is political. The Constitution and the War Powers Resolution are enforced when Members of Congress insist that they be enforced, and Members of Congress insist that the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution be enforced when they hear from the public that they want the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution to be enforced.
That's why it's important for the public to speak up. Tell President Obama and Congress to comply with the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution: no military intervention in Syria without prior Congressional approval.
1:50 PM PT: Peace Action just sent out an alert asking people to call the White House comment line at 202-456-1111 and say:
"I oppose military intervention and military support in Syria. I support massive efforts for a political solution and continued humanitarian aid."
10:05 PM PT: 10,000 people have signed our petition at MoveOn:
President Obama: Don't Strike Syria Without Congressional Approval
Show Results
The powers of POTUS to introduce Armed Forces into hostilities are exercised only pursuant to declaration of war, specific statutory authorization, or national emergency created by attack upon the US, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.
Vote Now!
The powers of POTUS to introduce Armed Forces into hostilities are exercised only pursuant to declaration of war, specific statutory authorization, or national emergency created by attack upon the US, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.
233 votes
20 votes


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Swing Dress - Berleywood
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text:
Combining a block-rocking beat, poignant love story, and a hardcore Astroboy Disco vibe—did I mention, it's anime—With You by Australian electronica duo Flight Facilities will have you grooving faster than you can say "Go! Go! Go!"
With You is the pair's latest jam (they don't appear to have dropped a full album yet, just a bunch of singles, compilations and EPs). Animator Ben Drake spent four months producing the "Megaman, Daft Punk & Astroboy inspired anime." You can pick up the track on iTunes for $2.20.


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Singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake will be performing on Hollywood Boulevard today, the second consecutive night of free performances presented by ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" that have shut down a portion of Hollywood Boulevard until Wednesday morning.
Beatles legend Paul McCartney, whose album "New" is due to be released in October, kicked off the season Monday night by making his first appearance on the late-night talk show and then performing some of his greatest hits on the boulevard afterward.
Tuesday's taping begins at 5:30 p.m., with Timberlake's concert starting at about 6:30, according to a representative of the show who asked that her name not be used. Timberlake released his third studio album, "The 20/20 Experience," in March.
All lanes of Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue have been closed since 8 p.m. Sunday night and will remain shut until 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.
"These types of events are not unusual — just plan ahead, give yourself more time," said Jonathan Hui, a DOT spokesman, of the closure.
McCartney and Timberlake fans are jazzed about the open-to-the-public concerts, with some taking to Twitter to express their appreciation.
"Traffic nightmare in #Hollywood 9/23, 24 but can't think of better reason than free concerts w @Paul McCartney & @jtimberlake!" tweeted Rita Tateel, president of the Celebrity Source.
"This is another example of why I wish I lived in Hollywood & not Phoenix," wrote comedian Mike Simpson in another tweet.


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When an employee turns on his own company, the results -- damaged networks, data theft and even work stoppage -- could be devastating.
It could rock the company even more than an outside attack because the insider knows where sensitive data is kept, what the passwords are and exactly how to hurt the company the most.
That's the driving force behind the work that Daphne Yao,
associate professor of computer science at Virginia Tech, is doing on cybersecurity.
Yao, who received an NSF Career award for her human-behavior inspired malware detection work, is developing algorithms that will alert companies when an employee might be acting maliciously on their network.
And the Army Research Office has awarded her $150,000 to continue her research into finding new ways to detect anomalies caused by system compromises and malicious insiders.
[ 9 employee insiders who breached security ]
"The challenge is to understand the intention of the user and what the user is trying to do," Yao said. "Most are doing legitimate work and they're working their own project and minding their own business. You need a detection system that can guess what the user is trying to do."
The crux of Yao's work is to figure out which employees are simply downloading sensitive files or logging onto the network in the middle of the night because they're trying to get their work done and which employees may be doing the same things because they're trying to sell proprietary information or crash the network.
According to a 2012 Symantec report, 60% of companies said they had experienced attacks on their systems to steal proprietary information. The most frequent perpetrators were current or former employees or partners in trusted relationships.
In 1996, for instance, a network administrator at Omega Engineering Inc. planted a software time bomb that eradicated all the programs that ran the company's manufacturing operations at its Bridgeport, N.J., plant.
The trusted IT administrator, Tim Lloyd, effectively stopped the manufacturing company from being able to manufacture, causing the company $12 million in damages and its footing in the high-tech instrument and measurement market. Eighty workers lost their jobs as a result.
Lloyd was tried and convicted of computer sabotage in federal court.
More recently, in 2013 Edward Snowden leaked classified documents about global surveillance programs that he acquired while working as an NSA contractor.
The same year, Pfc. Bradley Manning, an Army intelligence analyst, was sentenced to 35 years for leaking the largest cache of classified documents in U.S. history.
These are the kinds of insider attacks Yao is working to stop.
The Army Research Office did not respond to a request for comment, but Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group, said he's not surprised that the military is supporting research into detecting insider threats.
"The U.S. military is very concerned about security these days," added Olds. "The Bradley Manning leaks highlighted the massive damage that even a lowly Pfc can wreak if given access to a poorly secured IT infrastructure. The Snowden and Manning leaks have had a very severe impact on U.S. intelligence activities, disclosing not only the information gathered, but also showing the sources and methods used to get US intelligence data."
He also said insider-based attacks normally may not get as much media attention as most hacks, but can potentially cause much greater damage since the attacker at least knows where the keys to the castle are hidden. And if that attacker works in IT, he or she might even have the keys.
"Insider threats are many times the most devastating, as they are the least expected," said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy. "Companies spend most of their security time and money guarding against external threats.... So that sometimes leaves the inside exposed."
To combat this, Yao is combining big data, analytics and security to design algorithms that focus on linking human activities with network actions.
Typical computer systems monitor things like network traffic, file system events and email activities. They also focus on looking for specific warning signs, like someone uploading large amounts of data. The problem with that is that if someone knows what the warning signs are, they can easily adjust their actions -- uploading data in smaller increments, for instance -- to avoid detection.
Yao is taking a different approach; her algorithms are focused on learning what are normal activities and then detecting anything unusual.
"We build on a model of normal behaviors and then detect a deviation from normal behaviors," she explained. "If you see a user logging in and access a database or doing a file read or write in the middle of the night..., then you ask, 'Is this a legitimate sequence of actions or is this an anomaly?'"
She also said part of the idea behind her detection system is to corroborate the user's actions with what's happening on the network.
If, for instance, a military team is on a reconnaissance mission, then it makes sense that they would be accessing maps from a backend server and pulling various data off the network.
It's largely about putting network actions into context.
This story, "Researcher builds system to protect against malicious insiders" was originally published by Computerworld.


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The Boardwalk Booby Trap
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The Boardwalk Booby TrapThe Boardwalk Booby Trap (1969) - The Perils of Penelope Pitstop Cartoon Episode Guide
This page has been viewed 961 times this month, and 2589 times total.
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- 1969
- Hanna-Barbera Studios
- The Perils of Penelope Pitstop Episode Guide
- Cartoon Characters: Penelope Pitstop, Sylvester Sneekly/The Hooded Claw, Bully Brothers; Ant Hill Mob: Clyde, Chug-A-Boom, Dum Dum, Pockets, Snoozy, Softy, Yak Yak, Zippy.
- Vocal Talent: Janet Waldo (Penelope Pitstop), Paul Lynde (Sylvester Sneekly/The Hooded Claw [uncredited]), Mel Blanc (Bully Brothers, Chug-A-Boom, Yak Yak), Don Messick (Dum Dum, Pockets, Snoozy, Zippy), Paul Winchell (Clyde, Softy), Gary Owens (Narrator).
- Directed By William Hanna, Joseph Barbera.
- Produced By Joseph Barbera, William Hanna.
Associate Producer: Alex Lovy.
- Animated By Ed Barge, Jerry Hathcock, George Goepper, Dick Lundy, Volus Jones, Ed Parks.
Animation Director: Charles Nichols (as Charles A. Nichols).
- Written By Joe Ruby, Ken Spears, Mike Maltese.
Story Direction: Alex Lovy, Earl Klein, Bill Perez, Howard Swift.
- Music By Hoyt S. Curtin.
- Edited By David Horton, Joe Sandusky.
- Production Design: Iwao Takamoto.
- Production Supervisor: Victor O. Schipek.
- Layout: Willie Ito, Jack Huber, Lance Nolley, Takashi Masunaga, Joel Seibel, Terry Slade, Grace Stanzell.
- Background Styling: Walt Peregoy.
- Backgrounds: Fernando Azrce, Cathy Clark, Dave High, Thelma Witmer.
- Title Design: Bill Perez.
- Titles: Robert Schaefer.
- Music Director: Ted Nichols.
- Technical Supervisor: Frank Pakier.
- Ink & Paint Supervisor: Roberta Greutert.
- Xerography: Robert "Tiger" West.
- Sound Direction: Richard Olson.
- Camera: Hohn Aardal, George Epperson, Charles Flekal, Ralph Migliori, Cliff Shirpser, Dennis Weaver.
© 1969 Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc.
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Cartoon Summary:
Penelope is packed away to a fish cannery. But, as always, The Ant Hill Mob arrives to save her just in the nick of time!
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All eyes are on nuclear reactor
Japanese officials warned of a possible second explosion today at a nuclear plant crippled by the earthquake and tsunami as they raced to stave off multiple reactor meltdowns, but they provided few details about whether they were making progress. More than 180,000 people have evacuated the area, and up to 160 may have been exposed to radiation.
Four nuclear plants in northeastern Japan have reported damage, but the danger appeared to be greatest at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex, where one explosion occurred Saturday and a second was feared. Operators have lost the ability to cool three reactors at Dai-ichi and three more at another nearby complex using usual procedures, after the quake knocked out power and the tsunami swamped backup generators.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said today that a hydrogen explosion could occur at Dai-ichi's Unit 3, the latest reactor to face a possible meltdown. That would follow a hydrogen blast Saturday in the plant's Unit 1.
"At the risk of raising further public concern, we cannot rule out the possibility of an explosion," Edano said. "If there is an explosion, however, there would be no significant impact on human health."
Naoki Kumagai, an official at Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, said the level is higher than the legal limit but insisted there's no need to be overly alarmed by the radiation rise at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. He said Monday that the levels would be much higher if the reactor were on the verge of a meltdown.
Operators have been dumping seawater into units 1 and 3 in a last-ditch measure to cool the reactors. They were getting water into the other four reactors with cooling problems without resorting to corrosive sea water, which likely makes the reactors unusable.
Edano said residents within about 12 miles of the Dai-ichi plant were ordered to evacuate as a precaution, and the radioactivity released into the environment so far was so small it didn't pose any health threats.
Such statements, though, did little to ease public worries.
"First I was worried about the quake," said Kenji Koshiba, a construction worker who lives near the plant. "Now I'm worried about radiation." He spoke at an emergency center in Koriyama, about 40 miles from the most troubled reactors and 125 miles (190 kilometers) north of Tokyo.
At the makeshift center set up in a gym, a steady flow of people — mostly the elderly, schoolchildren and families with babies — were met by officials wearing helmets, surgical masks and goggles.
About 1,500 people had been scanned for radiation exposure, officials said.
Up to 160 people, including 60 elderly patients and medical staff who had been waiting for evacuation in the nearby town of Futabe, and 100 others evacuating by bus, might have been exposed to radiation, said Ryo Miyake, a spokesman from Japan's nuclear agency. It was unclear whether any cases of exposure had reached dangerous levels.
A foreign ministry official briefing reporters said radiation levels outside the Dai-ichi plant briefly rose above legal limits, but had since declined significantly.
Edano said none of the Fukushima Dai-ichi reactors was near the point of complete meltdown, and he was confident of escaping the worst scenarios.
Officials, though, have declared states of emergency at the six reactors where cooling systems were down — three at Dai-ichi and three at the nearby Fukushima Daini complex. The U.N. nuclear agency said a state of emergency was also declared Sunday at another complex, the Onagawa power plant, after higher-than-permitted levels of radiation were measured there. It said Japan informed it that all three reactors there were under control.
A pump for the cooling system at yet another nuclear complex, the Tokai Dai-Ni plant, also failed after Friday's quake but a second pump operated normally as did the reactor, said the utility, the Japan Atomic Power Co. It did not explain why it did not announce the incident until Sunday.
Edano denied there had been a meltdown in the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex, but other officials said the situation was not so clear.
Hidehiko Nishiyama, a senior official of the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, indicated the reactor core in Unit 3 had melted partially, telling a news conference, "I don't think the fuel rods themselves have been spared damage," according to the Kyodo News agency.
A complete meltdown — the melting of the radioactive core — could release uranium and dangerous contaminants into the environment and pose major, widespread health risks.
The steel reactor vessel could melt or break from the heat and pressure. A concrete platform underneath the reactor is supposed to catch the molten metal and nuclear fuel, but the intensely hot material could set off a massive explosion if water has collected on the platform. Radioactive material also could be released into the ground if the platform fails.
The explosion that destroyed the walls and ceiling of Dai-ichi Unit 1's containment building was much less serious that a meltdown would be — in fact, it was operators' efforts to avoid a meltdown that caused it.
Officials vented steam from the reactor to reduce pressure, and were aware that there was an explosion risk because the steam contained hydrogen, said Shinji Kinjo, spokesman for the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency. The explosion occurred when hydrogen reacted with oxygen outside the reactor.
It is unclear how far the impact of a meltdown might reach. In the United States, local communities plan for evacuation typically within 10 miles of a nuclear plant. However, states must be ready to cope with contamination of food and water as far as 50 miles away. Radioactivity can also be carried to faraway places by the winds, as it was in the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, though it will become increasingly diffuse. Acute radiation deaths would normally be expected only much closer to the plant.
The reactor that exploded at Chernobyl, sending a cloud of radiation over much of Europe, was not housed in a sealed container as those at Dai-ichi are. The Japanese reactors also do not use graphite, which burned for several days at Chernobyl.
Japan's nuclear crisis was triggered by twin disasters on Friday, when an 8.9-magnitude earthquake, the most powerful in the country's recorded history, was followed by a tsunami that savaged its northeastern coast with breathtaking speed and power.
More than 1,400 people were killed and hundreds more were missing, according to officials, but police in one of the worst-hit areas estimated the toll there alone was more than 10,000.
All of the reactors in the region shut down automatically when the earthquake hit.
But with backup power supplies also failing, shutting down the reactors is just the beginning of the problem, scientists said.
"You need to get rid of the heat," said Friedrich Steinhaeusler, a professor of physics and biophysics at Salzburg University and an adviser to the Austrian government on nuclear issues. "You are basically putting the lid down on a pot that is boiling."
"They have a window of opportunity where they can do a lot," he said, such as using sea water as an emergency coolant. But if the heat is not brought down, the cascading problems can eventually be impossible to control. "This isn't something that will happen in a few hours. It's days."
Japan's nuclear safety agency said 1,450 workers were at the Dai-ichi plant today, its usual staffing. The workers were in protective gear and were taking shorter turns than usual in units 1 and 3 to limit their exposure, agency spokesman Yoshihiro Sugiyama said.
The emergencies at the nuclear plants have led to an electricity shortage in Japan, where nearly 2 million households were without power Sunday. Starting Monday, power will be rationed with rolling blackouts in several cities, including Tokyo.
Japan has a total of 55 reactors spread across 17 complexes nationwide.
Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writers Tomoko A. Hosaka in Tokyo, Tim Sullivan in Bangkok and Jeff Donn in Boston contributed.


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'Gay Conversion' and the First Amendment
A federal judge tells California not to silence therapists until their therapy is proven harmful.
Last April, Gabriel Arana, the online editor of The American Prospect, wrote a powerful account of his experience as a teenager with psychotherapy designed to "cure" him of being gay. The therapy failed, but Arana experienced the failure as his own. He went off to college feeling like "a leper with no hope of a cure." Close to suicide, he checked into a mental hospital and slowly began to recover from the toxic "therapy." After hearing Arana's story, the most significant proponent of "restorative therapy," Robert L. Spitzer, apologized for publishing a study that supported its usefulness.
There's increasing agreement among mental health professionals that gayness can't, and shouldn't, be "cured," and that trying to do so can hurt young people. So the California legislature almost certainly felt itself justified earlier this year in passing S.B. 1172, which outlaws use of "sexual orientation change efforts" ("SOCE") by licensed therapists for patients less than 18 years old.
On Monday, Federal District Judge William Shubb put the new law on hold, on the grounds that it probably violates the First Amendment rights of therapists who want to practice SOCE. Judge Shubb actually made his ruling as narrow as possible: Until a trial can be held to determine whether the law passes First Amendment muster, the state cannot enforce it against the three plaintiffs -- two therapists and another man who, involved in SOCE when he was young, now wishes to become a therapist. But the injunction covers only those three; others have to bring their own lawsuits.
Nonetheless, I imagine many gay-rights advocates are appalled. The bill is designed to prevent harm to the young, and it does so by limiting the behavior of professionals who have state licenses. Why should the First Amendment block such a well-intentioned effort?
Well, consider this case: Marijuana is a Schedule I substance, meaning, in essence, that the federal government, after looking at the scientific evidence, has concluded that 1) it can't ever do anybody any good medically, 2) it may do some people harm, and 3) it is easily diverted and abused.
In 1996, the government formally warned doctors not to recommend that their patients consider marijuana for pain or other conditions, even if the doctor thought it would help. Doctors who disobeyed would lose their licenses to prescribe federal "controlled substances" -- effectively putting them out of the medical business.
Federal courts blocked the new policy. The Ninth Circuit said that it "condemns expression of a particular viewpoint, i.e., that medical marijuana would likely help a specific patient. Such condemnation of particular views is especially troubling in the First Amendment context."
In the bill it passed this year, California's legislature cited an American Psychological Association task force report that warned that SOCE has led to "confusion, depression, guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, shame, social withdrawal, suicidality, substance abuse, stress, disappointment, self-blame, decreased self-esteem and authenticity to others, increased self-hatred, hostility and blame toward parents, feelings of anger and betrayal, loss of friends and potential romantic partners, problems in sexual and emotional intimacy, sexual dysfunction, high-risk sexual behaviors, a feeling of being dehumanized and untrue to self, a loss of faith, and a sense of having wasted time and resources."
But though the weight of psychological opinion has turned against it, some therapists still believe that it does young patients good. Many of them, like the two therapists in Welch, are affiliated with religious bodies that believe homosexuality is immoral.
At its heart, the statute forbids a therapist's communication to a patient: I think that you can change your sexual orientation and if you want to, I will help you. And thus it embodies what First Amendment lawyers call a "viewpoint-based restriction." Therapists are free to counsel patients that their gay sexual orientation is a good thing, and are free to counsel against SOCE; those who give the opposite advice face state-mandated loss of their therapists' licenses.
Viewpoint basis triggers what is called "strict scrutiny" -- which means that the government has to prove that 1) the speech it is trying to ban actually causes serious harm, and 2) the ban covers the speech that is harmful, and no more.
In yesterday's decision, Judge Shubb found that the statute hasn't passed the "actually causes serious harm" prong. He cited a recent APA report that said "there is a dearth of scientifically sound research on the safety of SOCE. ... Thus, we cannot conclude how likely it is that harm will occur from SOCE."
A lot of people are going to be unhappy with Judge Shubb. His opinion, however, did not say that SOCE isn't harmful. It said that the government has to prove the level of harm before it can ban it. If that seems too restrictive, also consider this: Opponents of legal abortion claim that women who have abortions suffer long-term psychological and physical harm. They have a few studies they claim support that contention. What if a state legislature were to order doctors never to recommend a legal abortion?
A federal court would make them prove their claims. And in both cases, that's the right decision.


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A blended learning approach combines face to face classroom methods with computer-mediated activities to form an integrated instructional approach. (Kharbach).
According to dreambox, blended learning is constantly evolving. And most of the innovations and refinements have been developed to support student-centered learning. That means leveraging technology into learning activities, in and out of the classroom.
There is mounting evidence that complementing or replacing lectures with student-centric, technology-enabled active learning strategies and learning guidance—rather than memorization and repetition—improves learning, supports knowledge retention, and raises achievement. These new student-centered blended learning methods inspire engagement, and are a way to connect with every student right where they are while supporting progress toward grade level standards.
The future our children will inherit demands technological dexterity, the ability to think critically, and the development of flexible intelligence that will thrive in— and drive—change.


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Daniel loves anything to do with computers, televisions, computers, electronics, computers, portable DVD player, and his Casio keyboard. You get the idea I'm sure.
He loves turning things on and off. His way of controlling things.
A while back I believe I told you that we programmed a page on his ECO to change the channels for the TV. Its fun times when Daniel wants to watch a different program than what daddy does. So they fight and go back and forth for control. If he doesn't win, he'll just turn the TV off , look at you with a satisfied grin on his face like "Well, if I'm not watching what I want....neither are you!"
So when we recent acquired the PowerLink 3, you can imagine our excitement. My mind went nuts thinking of all the things he could do that he'd find fun.
So we've had it for about a week and here are some of the things he has done so far.
We've made vanilla ice cream with crushed Oreo ice cream. YUMMY
He has used the little blender we had so much that he blew it out and we had to go get a new one!
He made my breadcrumbs that were used in dinner the other night.
Mixed up his own dinner.
Oh and who doesn't like some dinner time music from the radio?! Don't get into a song cause he'll most likely turn it off - or that could be because we're singing? And for those hot flashes that I get, Daniel is so kind to turn on the fan! ;)
I found an art project on Pinterest (love that site!) and we modified it so Daniel could do most of it. We glued our "yucky" crayons and used the PowerLink with a single switch to turn on and off a hairdryer and melt the crayons. Big time fun!! Besides electronics, his next favorite thing is anything to do with arts and crafts! So you can imagine the excitement
After we glued the crayons to the top and I finally figured out a way to mount the hair dryer, we had success. If anyone decides to do this, I strongly suggest that you put the board inside a box as there is a lot of splattering off the picture.
Finished piece of art. Beautiful don't you think?


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There is a wicked irony that as the United States marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement, the country's highest court is edging closer to gutting one of the movement's greatest victories.
As Americans everywhere celebrate the marches, martyrs, and nonviolent courage of Civil Rights activists in Selma, Birmingham, Atlanta and elsewhere, the Supreme Court seems poised to rollback the Voting Rights Act of 1965, or at least, eviscerate key provisions that make it functional legislation.
The very thing for which men and women braved snapping dogs, fire hoses, lynch mobs and murder might not exist by the time this country finishes its yearlong national commemoration of the Civil Rights Movement.
It is a racist country that can whitewash its civil rights heroes with celebrations while, at the same time, uprooting one of its most important legacies.
Much attention has been given to Justice Antonin Scalia's incendiary comment framing the Voting Rights Act as legislation that perpetuates "racial entitlement." His comment drew gasps from those listening in and even a response by Justice Sonia Sotomayor from the bench. Her insight bears repeating: Voting is not a racial entitlement.
Further, overturning or gutting the Voting Rights Act would actually create systemic entitlement — one that preferences and privileges whites and the wealthy, putting the country on a regressive path to the way things were 50 years ago.
But Scalia's comment is a distraction. Putting his overt racism on display obfuscates the deeply problematic framing of the issue by Chief Justice John Roberts. Scalia is easily dismissed, and it allows Americans to reject an extreme example of racism and embrace a softer, but still menacing, racist stance toward this issue.
More troubling, though, it appears the country's highest judge doesn't understand racism or the purpose of the Voting Rights Act.
Either that, or he understands it perfectly, and that's why he wants it gone. It wouldn't be surprising if this was the case, given his history with racism and voting-rights legislation.
Roberts essentially argued that states not subjected to the Voting Rights Act had far worse African-American voter turnout in elections, citing the difference between Mississippi and Massachusetts, noting pointedly that Black turnout exceeds white turnout in the former.
What Roberts fails to see is that this better represents a vindication of the Voting Rights Act, not proof that it is obsolete. Only in a racist country can the success of civil rights legislation be used to argue for it is pointlessness.
Then, later, Roberts asked, "is it the government's submission that citizens in the South are more racist than citizens in the North?"
And, thus, Roberts fundamentally seems to misunderstand racism and the purpose of the Civil Rights Act.
The Voting Rights Act isn't designed to judge whether individuals are racist. It isn't designed to prevent people from being racist. Rather it's designed to judge whether institutions and social systems are racist. It is designed to prevent them from operating in oppressive and racist ways.
The Voting Rights Act isn't about whether individuals are racist, but about whether rules and laws related to voting are.
And today's conservative activism related to voting is racist, or at least coded racially. Voter identification laws are implicitly racist, disproportionately affect people of color. Moreover, these laws are racist red herrings, chasing after a fabricated problem of voter fraud in order to restrict the voting of African Americans, Latinos and others. In addition, some states have sought to restrict voting opportunities rather than expand them and these politically motivated restrictions tend to target Blacks and Latinos.
The systemic racism that the Voting Rights Act sought to address and prevent doesn't simply continue to exist today. It is being reinvented and re-imagined under the guise of preventing voter fraud.
But, in one case, Roberts is correct. These disenfranchising laws and restrictions are no longer confined primarily to the Deep South. Rather, they are widespread and pop up all over the nation.
This is more troubling and should reinforce the need not to weaken or reduce the Voting Rights Act, but to strengthen and expand it.
But Roberts' comments, framed in terms of individualism and racism, seem reasonable. As a result, they are more dangerous. Scalia's inflammatory rhetoric makes Roberts' comments seem benign and moderate, when nothing could be further from the truth.
Scalia's comments represent the scabs of overt racism, easily scraped off and discarded as disgusting and worthless. Roberts' comments represent a cancer that grows quietly and infects the body of our nation with racism that seems all-too-reasonable.
As an Episcopalian, the church calls on its members to confront and stand against racism in the United States. But how does one stand against racism in the land's highest court? How does one stand against racism when the Supreme Court seems poised to declare laws designed to prevent systemic racism unconstitutional?
Because, suddenly, we have returned to a more hateful era, veiled this time by false notions fabricated by white privilege of colorblindness and reverse racism. Suddenly we have returned to an era where racism by the state can be constitutional. Suddenly, it seems, we are no longer observing the deliberations of the Supreme Court, but those of a court for supremacy.
Suddenly, we are back in an era where the only answer might just be to march again.
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By Alexei AnishchukPosted 2013/02/27 at 10:44 am EST
MOSCOW, Feb. 27, 2013 (Reuters) — Vladimir Putin ordered military leaders on Wednesday to make urgent improvements to the armed forces during his new presidential term, saying Russia must thwart attempts by the West to tip the strategic balance of power.
Putin's remarks, to rows of uniformed officers and defense officials, reflected increasing hawkishness since he returned to the Kremlin for a six-year term last May, and a growing readiness to cite foreign threats and use anti-Western rhetoric to rally support.
"Attempts are being made to tip the strategic balance," said Putin, who as president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, told his audience at the General Staff academy on Moscow's outskirts.
"Geopolitical dynamics call for a quick and considered response … Russia's armed forces must move on to a new level of capabilities in the next three to five years," said Putin, who has not ruled out seeking another term in 2018.
The former KGB spy said moves that threatened Russia's geopolitical position included the eastward expansion of Russia's former Cold War foe NATO and U.S. deployment of an anti-missile shield in Europe.
He said drills must be sharpened up and held with less advance warning, to keep soldiers on their toes.
"Combat training must not be laid-back, so that soldiers know about emergency exercises six months in advance, but must be as similar as possible to the real conditions of modern combat and warfare," he said.
Following a decade of military spending cuts after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Putin has been the driving force behind plans to spend 23 trillion roubles ($750 billion) through 2020 to upgrade Russia's ageing armaments.
Russia's military, with roughly 1 million servicemen, is still largely reliant on Soviet-era infrastructure and weaponry. It continues to rely on conscription, despite Kremlin pledges to turn it fully professional.
Rights activists say brutal bullying has been rampant since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the military has long been plagued by corruption. The top military prosecutor said in 2011 that a fifth of the budget was stolen or embezzled.
Former defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov set out ambitious military reforms in 2008, after Russia fought a brief war with Georgia that highlighted the failings of the armed forces.
But Serdyukov was sacked in November, and is now a witness in a criminal case in which a former subordinate is accused of fraud and embezzlement in deals involving Defense Ministry property.
Sergei Shoigu, the ally Putin named to replace Serdyukov, said on Wednesday he would make an inventory of army property to try to reduce corruption, widely seen as the main obstacle to modernization.
Putin has repeatedly evoked foreign threats since returning to the presidency as he tries to lift his ratings following the biggest protests since he first rose to power in 2000.
He has accused the United States of backing the protests against him, and Russia has introduced a law since his return to the Kremlin that forces campaign and lobby groups that are funded from abroad to register as "foreign agents".
Putin has also increasingly underlined traditional Russian values and taken a tough line against the protesters in an attempt to rally support among the conservatives who have long been his power base.
Relations with the United States have deteriorated over Washington's missile defense plans and American concerns about political freedom in Russia, as well as trade disputes.
($1 = 30.6405 Russian roubles)
(Editing by Timothy Heritage and Kevin Liffey)
Categories: Escalation / Destabilization Conflict


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We're all aware that most International Schools prefer not to hire ITs with kids and/or a trailing spouse, the obvious reason being the costs associated with relocating a family. Along this vein, Saudi Arabia has made teachers with dependents even less desirable by imposing a hefty "dependent tax" on family members accompanying expats working in the Kingdom. In other words, if you're an expat working/teaching in Saudi Arabia you'll pay a hefty, yearly tax to bring your family with you.
Here's the skinny on the tax: As part of the government's attempt to balance the budget, an expat working in the Kingdom with dependents will pay 1,200 Saudi riyal ($320 US dollars) per year, per dependent. Additionally, the "dependent tax" is set to increase yearly, reaching the equivalent $1296 US dollars yearly, per dependent. For a teacher with 3 dependents, $3888 is an astronomical yearly tax.
The future of the new "dependent tax" is uncertain, as many foreign workers have decided to send family members home, the consequence being that workers will most likely send money back home and not spend it in Saudi Arabia. It appears the plan may have unintended consequences and, as such, the tax may not be the answer to balancing a budget that's been in suffering since the decline in oil prices.
ISR ask: What has been your experience with the new "dependent tax" and how are International Schools and teachers coping with this new expense? Are other countries targeting expats in an attempt to raise money?
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