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Vedic Astrology
March 02, 2012, 02:13:39 AM »
By Subhamoy Das
According to Hindu scriptures, all mortal beings are destined to pass through four great epochs in every cycle of creation and destruction. This divine cycle turns full-circle at the end of what is known as kalpa. A kalpa is a yuga cycle, which is a period of 10,000 divine years, and is divided into four ages or yugas (Sanskrit yuga = age/epoch). According to one calculation, one yuga cycle is estimated to be 4,320,000 years, and one kalpa 4,320,000,000 years.
About the 4 Yugas [4 Ages]
The four great epochs in Hinduism are: Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapar Yuga and Kali Yuga. Satya Yug or the Age of Truth is said to last for four thousand divine years, Treta Yuga for three thousand, Dwapara Yug for two thousand and Kali Yuga will last for one thousand divine Years that equals to 432,000 earthly years.
It is also believed that three of these great ages have already passed away, and we are now living in the fourth one. What these ages exactly mean, and why this division, its hard to explain, because they appear too unrealistic to be true for the rational mind.
The Hindu View of Time
Most of us are accustomed to living life according to linear beliefs and patterns of existence. We believe everything has a beginning, middle and an end. But Hinduism has little to do with the linear nature of history, the linear concept of time or the linear pattern of life.
Cyclical Time
The passage of linear time has brought us where we are today. But Hinduism views the concept of time in a different way, and there is a cosmic perspective to it. Hindus believe the process of creation moves in cycles and that each cycle has four great epochs of time, namely Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapar Yuga and Kali Yuga. And because the process of creation is cyclical and never ending, it begins to end and ends to begin.
The four ages symbolize the four phases of involution during which man gradually lost the awareness of his inner selves and subtle bodies. Hinduism believes that human beings have five kinds of bodies, called annamayakosa, pranamayakosa, manomayakosa vignanamayakosa and anandamayakosa, which represent the gross body, the breath body, the psychic body, the intelligence body and the bliss body respectively.
Another theory explains these epochs of time on the basis of the degree of loss of righteousness in the world. It says, during Satya Yuga only truth prevailed (Sanskrit Satya = truth), Treta lost ¼ truth, Dwapar lost ½ truth and Kali is left with only ¼ truth. Evil and dishonesty has replaced truth in the last three ages or yugs.
Time is God
According to the Hindu theory of creation, time (Sanskrit kal) is a manifestation of God. Creation begins when God makes his energies active and ends when he withdraws all his energies into a state of inactivity. God is timeless, for time is relative and ceases to exist in the Absolute. The past, the present and the future coexist in him simultaneously.
Kalachakra: The Cycle of Time
God creates the cycle of time, called Kalachakra, in order to create divisions and movements of life and sustain the worlds in periodic time frames. God also uses time to create the illusions of life and death. It is time, which is accountable for old age, death and dying of his creations. When we overcome time, we become immortal. Death is not the end of the line, but a gateway to the next cycle, to birth. This is also true of the universe itself and akin to the cyclic patterns in the rhythms of nature.
Dasavatara: The 10 Avatars
Throughout these four yugas, Lord Vishnu is said to incarnate ten times in ten different avatars. This is known as Dasavatara (Sanskrit dasa = ten). During the Age of Truth, human beings were spiritually most advanced and had great psychic powers. In the Treta Yuga people still remained righteous and adhered to moral ways of life. Lord Rama of the fabled Ramayana lived in Treta Yuga. In the Dwapara Yuga, men had lost all knowledge of the intelligence and bliss bodies. Lord Krishna was born in this age. The present Kali Yuga is the most degenerated of the Hindu epochs.
The scriptures speak of the 10 Avatars of Vishnu different incarnations that take the form of divine intervention provided by Vishnu during the various stages of human evolution. The dasavatara (ten avatars) is meant to re-establish dharma or righteousness and destroy tyranny and injustice on earth.
The ten Avatars are:
1. Matsya (the fish)
2. Koorma (the tortoise)
3. Varaha (the boar)
4. Narasimha (the human-lion)
5. Vamana (the dwarf)
6. Parasurama (the angry man, Rama with an axe)
7. Lord Rama (the perfect man, king of Ayodha)
8. Lord Krishna (the divine statesman)
9. Balarama (elder brother of Krishna)
10. Kalki (the mighty worrior)
The last Avatar is yet to appear, and in many versions of the mythology, the ninth incarnation is mentioned as Lord Buddha.
A Cosmological Necessity
The legend of the Avatar, like all myths, is prophetic, says Cosmologist and Astrologer Robert E Wilkinson. According to him: It is not a mere allegory but an archetypal story describing the incarnations or emanations of living and conscious evolutionary forces. The appearance of the Avatars is also not a random event but a cosmological necessity. The periodic manifestation of the Avatars is determined by their inherent association with the Time-Spirit. They take birth at particular points in the cosmic cycle which correspond to the earths passage through the zodiacal ages as described in the Rig Veda.
Establishing Order on Earth
In his Myth=Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, Dr Devdutt Pattanaik, one of Indias most popular mythologists, writes about the Avatars of Vishnu: Every time dharma is threatened Vishnu mounts his eagle, the mighty Garuda, and comes to earth ready to do battle. The descents of Vishnu from Vaikuntha to earth are his avatars or incarnations. The form in each descent is different because the demands of the world each time are different. The different avatars thus reinforce the idea that rules and regulations that maintain order are not static by nature. They are forged when the demands of desire clash with the quest for order. As mans understanding of the world changes, desires change and so do concepts of order. Rules have to therefore constantly adapt themselves. Social stability must not be compromised, yet new ideas must be respected. Vishnus descents are not just about reestablishing order. It is also about redefining them.
Role of the Goddess
Dr Pattnaik adds: Each avatar of Vishnu involves a crisis involving the Goddess. Vishnu takes the form of a turtle to help the Devas churn Lakshmi out, the form of a boar to rescue the earth that have been dragged under the sea, the form of Rama when Sita is abducted and the form of Krishna to help Draupadi. Thus the Goddess is the embodiment of nature and culture. She is the kingdom and Vishnu is the king. She is Bhoodevi and he is Shripati. Both validate each other, she by giving him powers of kingship and he by defending her.
Living in the Kali Yuga!
We live in the Kali Yuga in a world infested with impurities and vices. People possessing genial virtues are diminishing day by day. Floods and famine, war and crime, deceit and duplicity characterize this age. But, say the scriptures, final emancipation is possible only in this age.
The Signs of Kali Yuga!
Kali Yuga has two phases: In the first, humans having lost the knowledge of the two higher selves had knowledge of the breath body apart from the physical self. During the second phase even this knowledge has deserted mankind, leaving us only with the awareness of the gross physical body. This explains why we are now more preoccupied with our physical self than anything else.
Due to our preoccupation with our physical bodies and our lower selves, and because of our emphasis on the pursuit of gross materialism, this age has been termed the Age of Darkness an age when we have lost touch with our inner selves, an age of profound ignorance!
What the Scriptures Say
Both the two great epics The Ramayana & Mahabharata have spoken about the Kali Yuga. In the Tulasi Ramayana, we find Kakbhushundi foretelling: In the Kali Yuga, the hot-bed of sin, men and women are all steeped in unrighteousness and act contrary to the Vedas every virtue had been engulfed by the sins of Kali Yuga; all good books had disappeared; impostors had promulgated a number of creeds, which they had invented out of their own wit. The people had all fallen prey to delusion and all pious acts had been swallowed by greed.
In the Mahabharata (Santi Parva) Yudhishthir says: The ordinances of the Vedas disappear gradually in every successive age the duties in the Kali age are entirely of another kind. It seems, therefore, that duties have been laid down for the respective age according to the powers of human beings in the respective ages. The sage Vyasa later on clarifies: In the Kali Yuga, the duties of the respective order disappear and men become afflicted by inequity.
What Happens Next?
It is predicted that at the end of the Kali Yuga, Lord Shiva shall destroy the universe and all the physical body would undergo a great transformation. After such dissolution, Lord Brahma would recreate the universe and mankind will become the Beings of Truth once again.
The Golden Age of 2012
In the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Lord Krishna tells Ganga Devi that a Golden Age will come in the Kali Yuga one of the four stages of development that the world goes through as part of the cycle of eras, as described in Hindu scriptures. Lord Krishna predicted that this Golden Age will start 5,000 years after the beginning of the Kali Yuga, and will last for 10,000 years.
Mayan Calendar Matches Hindu Calendar
It is interesting that this prediction of the emergence of a new world is prophesied to appear about the same time that the Mayans predicted it to come! The Mayan calendar began with the Fifth Great Cycle in 3114 BC and will end on 21 December 2012 AD. The Hindu Kali Yuga calendar began on 18 February 3102 B.C. There is only a difference of 12 years between the Hindus beginning of the Kali Yuga and the Mayans beginning of the Fifth Great Cycle.
Golden Age Could Begin in 2012
The ancient Hindus mainly used lunar calendars but also used solar calendars. If an average lunar year equals 354.36 days, then this would be about 5270 lunar years from the time when the Kali Yuga started until 21 Dec 2012. This is the same year that the Mayans predict rebirth of our planet. It is also about 5113 solar years of 365.24 days per year, and is day number 1,867,817 into the Kali Yuga. By either solar or lunar years, we are over 5,000 years into the Kali Yuga and it is time for Lord Krishnas prophecy to happen according to the ancient Hindu scriptures. Lord Krishnas Golden Age could easily begin in 2012!
Mayan Prophecy Matches Hindu Prophecy
It is amazing that both calendars began at about the same time over 5,000 years ago and both calendars predict a totally new world and/or golden age after about 5,000 years into their calendars! We are definitely on to something with these Mayan and Hindu 2012 predictions. Historically, this is an amazing fact since these two ancient cultures did not have any contact.
Secrets of Astrology, Yogas in Vedic Astrology, Myths behind Yoga :
Secrets of Astrology, Yogas in Vedic Astrology, Myths behind Yoga
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NEA's Eskelsen welcomes renewed White House focus on meeting educational needs of Hispanic community
WASHINGTON - October 19, 2010 -
President Obama today signed an executive order renewing the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics that will continue the work of expanding education opportunities and improving education outcomes for Hispanic students. The initiative, first established in September 1990 to provide advice and guidance to the Secretary of Education on education issues related to Hispanics, has been renewed by every president since then. This latest renewal comes on the heels of a summit sponsored by the Department of Education that aims to increase access to education among Hispanic Americans. NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen, one of the highest ranking labor leaders and most influential Hispanic educators, today welcomed the actions the Obama administration is taking.
Hispanics are changing the composition of cities and states from coast-to-coast and influencing all segments of American life. Today about one out of every five public school students—10 million children—are Hispanic, and approximately half of them also are English language learners. That means in 12 years—16 if college is taken into account—25 percent of the national workforce will be Latino. They will pay taxes, raise families, vote, run for office and run businesses.
The following statement can be attributed to NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen:
"Public education has always been the key to opportunity for all Americans—la llave a la puerta de la oportunidad—and that will be true for Hispanics as well.
"Education is a prerequisite for prosperity. The growing number of Hispanic students attending our public schools—who will make up a large portion of our labor force in the years ahead—makes it imperative that we address their educational needs. If America leaves our Latino community behind, we do so at our own peril.
"That's why we welcome the renewed commitment of the Obama administration—demonstrated both by the summit and the executive order renewing the White House Initiative—to ensure wider educational opportunities and improved education outcomes for all students.
"We will continue working with the Obama administration, the White House Initiative, and the Latino community to ensure Latino children and all children receive a quality public education."
Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/NEAMedia
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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional organization, representing
3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
CONTACT: Miguel A. Gonzalez (202) 822-7823, email@example.com

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PITTSBURGH — Kris Letang broke a scoreless tie in the second period and Marc-Andre Fleury made 22 saves for his seventh playoff shutout to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-0 victory Sunday night against the Rangers, tying the second-round series one game apiece.
PITTSBURGH — Kris Letang broke a scoreless tie in the second period and Marc-Andre Fleury made 22 saves for his seventh playoff shutout to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-0 victory Sunday night against the Rangers, tying the second-round series one game apiece.
Letang's 15th career postseason goal matched Larry Murphy's record for Penguins defensemen. Jussi Jokinen scored during a third-period power play, and Evgeni Malkin added an empty-net goal for the Penguins, who managed a home split in the first two games with the suddenly weary Rangers.
Game 3 is Monday night in New York.
Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves for New York, but the Rangers mustered little offense while playing their fourth game in six days. New York's limp power play went 0 for 4 and hasn't scored in 29 straight advantages.
The Rangers have lost eight straight Game 2s and have dropped 12 consecutive games when leading in a series.
They had their chances to jump ahead early, only to be let down again by the power play.
Three times in the first 10 minutes New York went to the power play, and three times the Rangers spent two minutes skating around as though they were killing time before getting back to even strength.
Only Lundqvist seemed interested in sending the Rangers back to New York with a commanding 2-0 lead. He was typically brilliant, particularly when Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby was on the ice.
The NHL's leading scorer and Hart Trophy finalist is in the midst of a lengthy postseason scoring funk. He began the night without a goal in 12 straight playoff games, a span that included 327 shifts and 275 minutes of ice time. However, the slump has had Crosby's teammates rising to the captain's defense.
Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma insisted early Sunday he anticipated seeing Crosby at his "best" with the season possibly at stake.
Bylsma was right. For the first time in weeks, Crosby looked like himself. Relentless at both ends of the ice, the jump in his game that was missing at times during a listless performance in Game 1 returned.
During one stretch at the end of the first period he produced a pair of scoring opportunities, including a nifty deke around two defenders before he ripped a wrist shot that just missed the net.
Each time Crosby appeared poised to end the drought, Lundqvist found a way to get a piece of the puck. He made a sprawling leg save on a tip-in attempt by Crosby, though Lundqvist wasn't so fortunate the next time down.
Chris Kunitz began a breakout by feeding Malkin at the New York blue line. Malkin slipped the puck over to Letang, who flipped it at the end. Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi dived headfirst to block the attempted pass to Kunitz. Girardi did his job, but the puck deflected off his stick and past a surprised Lundqvist to give Pittsburgh the lead.
Fleury had little problem letting the one-goal advantage stand up. The Rangers rarely challenged him over the final 30 minutes, and Jokinen and Malkin removed any remaining drama by scoring twice in the last 5 minutes.
Jokinen banged in a rebound off a shot by James Neal for his fourth goal of the playoffs with 3:30 remaining. Malkin beat two Rangers to tap in an empty-net goal with 54 seconds left as the Penguins exhaled.


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Has the city of Wilmington, North Carolina completed its DTV transition? Not exactly, the town's Fire and Life Safety educator Andrea Good told Ars Technica this morning. "It's still going, actually," Good explained—going in the sense that some of the city's residents still haven't figured out how to make their television sets work.
With great fanfare and ceremony, Wilmington pulled the plug on analog TV on Monday at noon, about six months before the rest of the country will do so on February 17. The Federal Communications Commission chose the city and area of around 400,000 TV viewers for this test-run to get a sense of what problems transitioners might encounter, and it looks like the data is coming in. Ars contacted a half-dozen public safety agencies in the area today to get their assessment. Three got back to us.
I'm still fuzzy on this
Good thinks Wilmington has done pretty well, she said. On the other hand, "we got a lot more calls than we thought we would." Her fire and life department ran a help line for seniors and people with disabilities. But many of the 200 calls the service has received so far have come from a wide spectrum of people. The issues include difficulty installing those converter set top boxes that turn old analog sets into digital receivers, or pushing that "autoscan" button on the box so the device can figure out which channels are out there. "Some people just figured they could just plug the box in and it would work," Good said.
Weak and fuzzy images from various TV stations have also been a problem for some callers. "A lot of people haven't been getting signals," said Donna Pridgen, administrative assistant for the Town of Burgaw's police department, which gets its TV coverage from Wilmington. Her office has been helping install the digital set top boxes, and has gotten about 50 calls since Monday. The area's public TV station comes in fine, Pridgen said, but some residents have been having trouble picking up channel six, WETC.
The NBC affiliate's general manager didn't return Ars' phone call about possible problems, but Kip Godwin of Kipling Godwin Associates, told us that channel six may have relocated its transmitter recently, and that's probably why some couch potatoes are getting weak service. WETC will probably have the problem fixed in a few weeks or sooner, he suspects.
Batteries not included?
Kipling Godwin Associates has contracted with the Federal Communications Commission to troubleshoot converter box problems for area residents. Godwin says he has fielded about 250 calls. The number one problem that converter box users have is that they don't remember that they've got to keep their TV set on a specific channel to make the set top box work. Number two seems to be that they don't remember to put batteries in the box's remote.
But the more fundamental problem, Godwin confided after pausing to find diplomatic words, is that the written instructions for these converter box manuals are "kind of hard to read." If Godwin had to offer some advice about preparing for February 17 based on the Wilmington experience, it would be to provide better-written converter box installation instructions for the public.
The Wilmington area's Elon University School of Communications deployed a team of students to document and help out with the transition. They report that replacing old TV antennas represented a significant task that some residents had to clear. But Elon's overall initial take is that most of the area's residents knew about the event and were ready.
"The good news in these calls is that people were aware of the transition," said Professor Connie Book, the school's associate dean. "TV stations need to be prepared as they make the switch for calls like these where viewers need someone to walk them through the correct installation steps for their converter boxes and tuning to a digital frequency."
The FCC also released data today on the Wilmington transition that confirms this impression. Of the approximately 14,000 houseolds that receive over-the-air analog TV in the area, around 1,200 called the FCC's DTV helpline with various concerns on Monday and Tuesday. But the vast majority knew about the transition and just needed converter box help. A lot of calls were about that NBC affiliate.
Based on the FCC's intel and this admittedly brief survey of the Wilmington area's front line troubleshooters, it appears that the transition has been going well. But everybody we talked to drew the same lesson for the over 3,000 U.S. counties that still have to complete the ordeal: mobilize as much professional and volunteer help as possible for the many analog TV watchers who, despite everyone's best efforts, will draw a blank screen on February 18.


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Nation needs to celebrate and support 'publicness' of public education
Former HUD Ethnic minority leaders discuss importance of public education for communities of color
NEW ORLEANS - July 03, 2010 -
Hundreds of teachers and education support professionals from across the nation joined scholars, authors, policy experts and elected officials from the ethnic minority community to discuss the issues of race, education and culture in America. The panel, The Emerging Majority: A Paradigm Shift, was hosted by the National Education Association's Office of Minority Community Outreach as part of NEA's 148th Annual Meeting and 89th Representative Assembly in New Orleans.
Speaking to the audience prior to the panel discussion, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said NEA members are committed to challenging the status quo and becoming agents of change. He announced a new partnership with Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., to provide mentoring for NEA's Priority Schools program. He was joined by Kappa Alpha Psi Grand Polemarch Dwayne M. Murray for the announcement.
Syndicated television show Judge Glenda Hatchett moderated the panel discussion that included former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Henry Cisneros, Rainbow/PUSH founder Rev. Jesse Jackson, CBS News Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kaufman, and Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center. The lively and provocative discussion covered a range of topics, including achievement gaps, the dropout rate in minority communities and school funding.
Former HUD Secretary Cisneros told educators that the education of students of color is the key to America's future. U.S. Census Bureau figures indicate that by the year 2050, half of the growth in the U.S. population will be among Latinos, he said. "If we don't address education gaps for minorities in the United States—Latinos included—the United States will not be able to compete with China, India, and other nations in the emerging global economy."
The Asian American Justice Center's Narasaki expressed concern about standardized tests and how poorly they measure the knowledge of English language learner students. Schools are becoming so afraid of being penalized for low test scores among English language learners, she said, that those students are quietly being pushed out. "It can't be the nation's goal to get rid of all the students who don't test well," Narasaki said. "Aren't we supposed to educate those kids as well?" she asked.
The panelists all agreed that significantly more parental engagement is essential to raising student achievement. Narasaki and Cisneros pushed for more programs for parents to learn how to be involved in their children's education and how to be better parents.
Panelists also discussed the importance of equal funding so that all children have access to quality public schools, regardless of family income or geography. CBS News correspondent Kaufman pointed out the severity of state budget crises are forcing drastic cuts in education programs and personnel.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson said America must have the will to do what is right. "We have created a whole priority structure that's just wrong," he told educators. "We can't expect all kids to race to the top; some of them must be lifted from the bottom first."
Cisneros said the nation must celebrate and support what he called the "publicness" of public education. America needs public education, he said. "It is the engine by which we create a middle class; it is the engine by which we create upward mobility. It is an engine that has proven itself by creating judges, Nobel Prize winners, and university presidents."
Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/NEAMedia
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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional organization, representing
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CONTACT: René Carter (202) 422-7948, email@example.com


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Anonymous wrote:Actually... the real problem is Uechi.. and i've said this before, there just isn't enough ass-whoopin' goin' on...
Actually, I think this IS correct ... to a point. From the standpoint of a seasoned veteran of Uechi, teaching in his / her own school (weather its a back yard patio or a shiny, traditional dojo), you may have a certain amount of license to explore. But as a student, or intermediate / journeyman practitioner, is that wise? If I were to do Shisochin, and say its Uechi, would that make it Uechi?
Or, a little closer to home, if I take any of the kata and obliterate it so as to be absent of any of the major Sanchin principles, am I doing Uechi (or "good" Uechi)? I certainly don't think so.
Who's to say you or I have the depth of understanding to break away from what was believed and trusted to have been taught to, and eventually by Kanbun? AND still call it Uechi? Of course, there are those that DO have that level of understanding. I'm sure there are those who can play around and experiment within the compulsory boundries of what makes up Uechi / Pangainoon principles and come up with some interesting and cool stuff. But the attitude of "I'll do the kata my way because that's the way I feel" it is pretty misguided. As I have stated on other threads (and received some verbal drubbings for it), there just might be good reasons for the "traditional" methods of training being the way they are.
So, why would anyone want to miss out on what could be lurking in the depths of the old-fashioned, "correct" methods. There's what you know, what you don't know, and what you don't know you don't know.
And please, before dropping the bombs down, let me make one last point: This statement mostly applies to those who are in the learning process. For those teachers, instructors, senseis and shihans etc. out there, if you're convinced you've gleaned all that can be gleaned from the so-called traditional, Okinawa-approved, Kanbun's not turning around in his grave methods than I would say you have the understanding to play around and experiment at will. If you are of the belief that students in your academy will benefit from these methods, than its all good.
And if things are brought in to the mix that clearly are NOT Uechi, like the boxer mentioned above, and can be successfully integrated into the training, all the better.


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Todd Pacific: PDAs Help Keep Shipyard on CourseBy Evan Schuman Print
The CIO picked PDAs to replace time cards and clocks as a way to improve project management and worker safety. But the new system had to meet airtight security standards.
At Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, management knows that accurately tracking employees, including the hours and projects they've worked, and assessing daily staffing needs is often the difference between running a tight ship or sinking it.
With that in mind, the shipyard in 2000 invested $250,000 to replace a traditional time card systempunch cards and clockswith one that now uses PDAs, a wireless network and a home-built software application that securely records each employee's time and work assignment. The system helps shipyard managers determine each day if they have the right number of machinists, pipefitters, electricians and welders to work on projects that range from overhauling nuclear aircraft carriers to building new ferries.
"If we don't have work for them, they get laid off immediately," says Mike Taylor, chief information officer at Todd Pacific from 1998 through October 2005, when he retired; Taylor is now a consultant for the company. "We wanted to get off those time cards and get visibility into where everyone was working at all times."
The new system, which paid for itself in less than a year, allows Todd Pacific managers to better plan and execute jobs at the 46-acre shipyard. That's because project managers can immediately access the schedules and activities of 800 or so employees, and know which skilled workers are available for a particular assignment. If the shipyard has work to support only 10 plumbers, instead of 20, project managers will furlough the employees.
Electronic collection of an employee's daily activities also makes it easier to prepare payroll and bill customers for work, according to Taylor.
Todd Pacific, which does work for both military and commercial customers, started with 65 Dolphin PDAs. It later moved to wireless Symbol 1846 handhelds running the Palm operating system and then, in 2004, started shifting to PocketPCsand away from Palm-based PDAsbecause, Taylor says, the PocketPCs gave the shipyard more power for more sophisticated transactions. Today, the shipyard uses 125 PDAs to track employees and their time. PDAs were chosen over laptops because the PDAs are smaller, lighter and easier to move from one job to the next.
The PDAs are placed in central work areas, such as a boiler room. When a worker arrives, he takes his identification card, which includes a bar code, and runs it through the reader on one of the two or three PDAs at the work sitein effect, acting as the time stamp recording that the employee has started work.
The PDA then transmits that information via a wireless network that uses the 801.11b standard to a Hewlett-Packard server, which automatically updates payroll, accounts payable and project management recordsreporting the names of employees, arrival and departure times, and the projects they're working on. The PDAs connect via 33 access points23 wired and 10 wirelesson the shipyard grounds.
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The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is urging the state to formally license Cherokee language teachers, enabling Cherokee courses taught in public schools off the reservation to count toward a student's foreign language requirement.
Earlier this month, tribal and school officials met with representatives from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction to finalize the steps in the process.
The move is part of tribe's push to revitalize the language and preserve the Eastern Band's cultural identity.
"Salvaging the language salvages our tribe. It continues to identify us as a unique people, and it continues to protect the sovereignty of who we are as a nation within a nation," said Principal Chief Michell Hicks.
The tribe's language efforts include everything from street signs in Cherokee to language emersion programs for infants — as well as required Cherokee language classes for grades K-12 school on the reservation.
However, not all enrolled members of the tribe live in Cherokee and attend school on the reservation, so the tribe hopes to offer language courses in public schools in neighboring counties as well.
Cherokee language and history classes are currently taught in the public schools in Graham County, where a small satellite portion of the reservation lies. The tribe foots the bill for the instructors' salaries, but the classes do not fulfill the state's language requirements.
By creating a teacher certification test that meets the standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the tribe hopes to get Cherokee included on Department of Public Instruction's list of languages for study.
"We want the language to be recognized and credit to be given in all North Carolina schools," Hicks said. "Right now in Swain County, you can get credit in Spanish and Chinese but not in Cherokee. That's what we want to change."
Dr. Hartwell Francis, chair of Western Carolina University's Cherokee language program, has taken the lead role in creating a teacher certification test that meets ACTFL as well as state education standards. The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma went through a similar process and has proven a useful model for Francis to draw from.
Renissa Walker, director of the Kituwah Preservation and Education Program, which oversees the tribe's language revitalization efforts, said the Eastern Band feels it's important for the tribe to develop and administer the test themselves.
"We want to maintain ownership of the test," Walker said.
Walker has helped organize a panel of fluent Cherokee speakers who will be trained by ACTFL and DIP to administer and grade the tests for language teachers. Once that is done, the tribe will start the work of testing its first round of 25 or more Cherokee language teachers, most of whom speak Cherokee as a second language.
Walker said the tribe hopes to have the certification process wrapped up by the end of the school year.
But there is another hurdle in the process: the status of the Cherokee language in American culture. DPI considers Cherokee a foreign language for administrative purposes, but the tribe objects to the classification.
"We're not a foreign language like the other languages taught in the high schools," Walker said. "It's ironic that the oldest language in North Carolina would be the last one to get recognized by the schools."
Walker said the tribe doesn't blame the state, however.
"It's not their fault. The responsibility lies on our shoulders. We've been aggressive over the past five years, but if we'd started this process 20 years ago, there would be fluent speakers of child-bearing age today," Walker said.
Swain County schools have expressed interest in introducing a certified Cherokee language program in the future, and they'll offer a language and history course this coming year that's similar to the one offered in Graham County.
Hicks said the tribe would pay the salaries of Cherokee teachers in neighboring counties where a critical mass of enrolled members go to school once the state has approved the teacher certification process.
Walker said her department is working to get the project finished by the start of the new school year.
"We're moving quickly," Walker said. "The fall is our goal."
Once the certification test is created and approved and an oversight panel is created, the process will have to be verified by a state specialist in education research methodology before being submitted for final approval to N.C. DPI.


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Music Notes with Flair Cut Outs are made from 3/16" thick foam board.Choose 6" or 12" tall.Perfect for Music Theme Centerpieces.Cracked Ice finish on both sides. Choose from 18 colors.Email email@example.com or call us with any questions.
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Dear Reader,
I've missed you. Yes, I've been posting Meatless Mondays every week on Huffington Post's Green page, but it's not the same as the quirky posts I do here. I've also been writing a book (see above). Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith and What to Eat for Dinner comes out next month through fabulous New World Library and you can preorder RIGHT NOW.
Here's the recipe for hopping john, straight from my heart (and from the book), the best way to start the new year.
3 cups of water
6 cloves garlic
1 dried hot pepper
1 bay leaf
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 big bunch collard greens, sliced into thin ribbons
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste


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In a recent article on MarketWatch, Chris Martenson asserts that the Fed's low interest rate policy and quantitative easing in recent years is deliberately stealing from savers. This article has elicited a big response, with almost 800 comments and almost 2000 likes on Facebook. The key point of the article is that the Fed's policy of holding down interest rates to stimulate the economy has reduced the income provided by Treasury bonds, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit (CDs) to extremely low levels. In this way, the Fed's policy can certainly be viewed as harmful to people trying to live on the income from bonds and other very low risk investments. This Fed-bashing rhetoric is far from the whole story, though.
The total impact of very low interest rates on savers and conservative investors is somewhat more complex than the MarketWatch piece suggests. Subdued inflation in recent years, one of the reasons that the Fed cites for keeping interest rates low, also means savers are seeing lower rates of price increase in the goods and services they buy. With very low current inflation, you simply don't need as much yield as when inflation is higher. It would be wonderful for conservative investors to have low inflation and high yields from risk-free accounts, but that situation is effectively impossible for extended periods of time. All in all, low inflation is typically a good thing for people living in a fixed income.
Another effect of continued low interest rates is that bond investors have fared very well. The trailing 15-year annualized return of the Vanguard Intermediate bond Index (VBMFX) is 5.4%, as compared to 4.5% for the Vanguard S&P 500 Index (VFINX). Falling rates over this period have driven bond prices upwards, which has greatly benefitted investors holding bonds over this period.
One interesting related charge leveled by the MarketWatch piece (and also in a recent New York Times article) is that the Fed policy has exacerbated income inequality and that the wealthy are benefitting from low rates while less-wealthy retirees living on fixed incomes are being hurt. Low interest rates have helped the stock market to deliver high returns in recent years and it is wealthier people who benefit most from market gains. In addition, wealthier people are more likely to be able to qualify to refinance their mortgages to take advantage of low rates. The implication here is that less wealthy people cannot afford to take advantage of the benefits of low rates and that these people, implicitly, are probably holding assets in low-yield risk-free assets such as savings accounts or CDs. This is, however, somewhat misleading. Poorer retired households receive a disproportionate share of their income from Social Security, which provides constant inflation-adjusted income.
While investors in Treasury bonds, savings accounts, and CDs are seeking riskless return, money held in these assets does not help to drive economic growth, and this is precisely why the Fed policy is to make productive assets (in the form of investments in corporate bonds and equity) more attractive than savings accounts and certificates of deposit. So, the Fed is attempting to drive money into productive investments in economic growth that will create jobs and should, ultimately, benefit the economy as a whole. One must remember that the Fed has no mandate to provide investors with a risk-free after-inflation return.
It is certainly understandable that people trying to maintain bond ladders that produce their retirement income are frustrated and concerned by continued low interest rates and the subsequent low yields available from bonds. Given that inflation is also very low, however, low bond yields are partly offset by more stable prices for goods and services. It is true that the Fed's policies are intended to get people to do something productive with their wealth like investing in stocks, bonds, or other opportunities. It is also the case that older and more conservative investors world prefer to reap reasonable income from essentially risk-free investments. Substantial yield with low risk is something of a pipe dream, though. Investors are always trying to determine whether the yield provided by income-generating assets is worth the risk. We may look back and conclude that the Fed's economic stimulus was too expensive, ineffective, or both, but this will only be clear far down the road.
The views set forth in this blog are the opinions of the author alone and may not represent the views of any firm or entity with whom he is affiliated. The data, information, and content on this blog are for information, education, and non-commercial purposes only. The information on this blog does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice and is limited to the dissemination of opinions on investing. No reader should construe these opinions as an offer of advisory services.


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"Numerical Analysis of Biogas Composition Effects on Combustion Parameters and Emissions in Biogas Fueled HCCI Engines for Power Generation." ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power 135.7 (2013)..
Potential Global Benefits of Improved Ceiling Fan Energy Efficiency. 2013. LBNL-5980E..
Potential Savings for Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal from BUENAS modeling. Berkeley, 2013. LBNL-6511E..
"Quantifying the potential impact of energy efficiency and low carbon policies for China." the European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's 2013 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency 2013. LBNL-6161E..
Review of Strategies and Technologies for Demand-‐Side Management on Isolated Mini-‐Grids. 2013. LBNL-6223E..
Sustainable Development of Renewable Energy Mini-grids for Energy Access: A Framework for Policy Design. 2013. LBNL-6222E..
"Trading Appliance Efficiency for Electricity Subsidies: The Potential in Emerging Economies." ECEEE 2013 Summer Study. Belambra Les Criques, France, 2013..
"Training the Next Generation of Energy Efficiency Evaluators." Energy Efficiency 6.2 (2013) 293-303..
"Transforming the energy efficiency market in California: Key findings, lessons learned and future directions from California's market effects studies." Energy Policy 59 (2013)..
"Acting Globally: Potential Carbon Emissions Mitigation Impacts from an International Standards and Labelling Program." 2012. LBNL-2331E..
"Addressing Water Consumption of Evaporative Coolers with Greywater." 2012. LBNL-5532E..
"Analysis and Decomposition of the Energy Intensity of Industries in California." Energy Policy 46 (2012) 234-245..
"Analysis of the Energy Intensity of Industries in California." 2011 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry 2012..
Assessment of Energy Efficiency Improvement and CO2 Emission Reduction Potentials in India's Cement Industry. 2012. LBNL-6337E..
Assessment of Energy Efficiency Improvement and CO2 Emission Reduction Potentials in the Cement Industry in China. 2012. LBNL-5536E..
Bottom-Up Energy Analysis System - Methodology and Results. 2012. LBNL-5722E..
Bottom-up Representation of Industrial Energy Efficiency Technologies in Integrated Assessment Models for the U.S. Pulp and Paper Sector. 2012. LBNL-5801E..
Building Energy-Efficiency Best Practice Policies and Policy Packages. . Berkeley: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2012..
Business Case for Energy Efficiency in Support of Climate Change Mitigation, Economic and Societal Benefits in India. 2012. LBNL-5344E..
Business Case for Energy Efficiency in Support of Climate Change Mitigation, Economic and Societal Benefits in the Republic of Korea. 2012. LBNL-6219E..
Development of a Computer-based Benchmarking and Analytical Tool: Benchmarking and Energy & Water Savings Tool in Dairy Plants (BEST-Dairy). 2012. LBNL-5718E..
Estimate of Cost-Effective Potential for Minimum Efficiency Performance Standards in 13 Major World Economies Energy Savings, Environmental and Financial Impacts. 2012..


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Re: The Chapeltown Tramway Depot
Posted: Sat 24 Jun, 2017 9:12 pm
There's a lttle book called "Leeds In The Age of The Tram 1950-59" by Graham Twidale (ISBN 1 85794 187 x). On page 81 there is a picture of the interior of Chapeltown Depot with inspection pits visible. I suspect the door way you can see at the back is probably an electricity sub station to which LCC simply do not have access. The other picture on that page is one that has appeared on this site. Those two pictures alongside of other pictures on this trail show the extent of the remodeling - the front at Harrogate Road side has been completely remodeled.. I am pretty certain there was no rear entrance during the time I was growing up and I suspect the back remained much as it had been until around some work in the mid 80s to convert it to Technorth. When it first opened (as Technorth) it housed several small businesses, and all except for two have subsequently moved on. Incidentally, on page 83 of the same book there is a picture of a utility "tram" entering the depot from the road (Technorth isn't actually visible, but having grown up in the area, it's quite recognisable to me). The book also confirms my memory of it being a supplies depot during the 60s and 70s etc.


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Watch CBSN Live
Reese Witherspoon arrives at the 2015 Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala benefit in honor of the museums latest exhibit China: Through the Looking Glass May 4, 2015 in New York.
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Reese Witherspoon arrives for the premiere of "Hot Pursuit" on April 30, 2015, in Los Angeles.
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Reese Witherspoon arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Jim Toth (L) and actress Reese Witherspoon attend the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2015 in Los Angeles.
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Actress Reese Witherspoon arrives for the 21st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Jan. 25, 2015.
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Reese Witherspoon speaks onstage at "The Good Lie" Press Conference during the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 8, 2014 in Toronto.
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Reese Witherspoon attends the Cinema Society screening of "Mud" at The Museum of Modern Art on April 21, 2013, in New York, shortly after her arrest.
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Mugshot of Reese Witherspoon following her arrest for disorderly conduct early on April 19, 2013, in Atlanta. She was arrested after a state trooper said she wouldn't stay in the car while her husband, Hollywood agent Jim Toth, was given a field sobriety test. She later pleaded no contest to the charge and paid a $100 fine.
Credit: City of Atlanta Department of Corrections/AP
HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 24: Actress Reese Witherspoon arrives at the Oscars at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 24, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
British actor Robert Pattinson, left, talks with actress Reese Witherspoon as they arrive for the premiere of "Water for Elephants" in London on May 3, 2011.
Credit: Getty Images
Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth courtside at the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center on Jan. 4, 2011, in Los Angeles. Witherspoon and Toth married on March 26, 2011. They have a son, Tennessee, born in September 2012. Witherspoon also has a daughter, Ava (born in 1999), and son Deacon (born in 2003) from her relationship with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe.
Credit: AP Photo
Reese Witherspoon is joined by daughter Ava and son Deacon as she is honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Dec. 1, 2010, in Hollywood.
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Reese Witherspoon is seen on stage at the "Idol Gives Back" fundraising special of "American Idol" in Los Angeles on Sunday April 6, 2008.
Credit: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Actors Ryan Phillippe and his wife, Reese Witherspoon, pose as they arrive for a screening of the film "Flags Of Our Fathers" in New York on Monday, Oct. 16, 2006. The couple, who married in 1999, divorced in 2007.
Credit: AP Photo/Albert Ferreira, Paramount Pictures
Reese Witherspoon, accepting the Oscar for best actress for her role in "Walk the Line."
Reese Witherspoon, nominated for best actress for her work in "Walk the Line," poses at the 25th annual nominees luncheon hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Feb. 13, 2006.
Credit: AP
Actress Reese Witherspoon promotes her movie "Walk The Line" in Berlin Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006. Witherspoon plays June Carter in the movie about country music legend Johnny Cash. She has won a Golden Globe and a SAG award and has been nominated for an Oscar for that role.
Reese Witherspoon poses with the award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role for her work in "Walk the Line," at the 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Jan. 29, 2006, in Los Angeles.
Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon pose with their awards for best actor and best actress in a musical or comedy for their work in "Walk the Line," at the 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Monday, Jan. 16, 2006, in Beverly Hills.
Reese Witherspoon arrives with her husband, actor Ryan Phillippe, for the 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 16, 2006, in Beverly Hills.
Actress Reese Witherspoon accepts the award for favorite leading lady onstage at the 32nd Annual People's Choice Awards Jan. 10, 2006, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Getty Images/Kevin Winter
Actress Reese Witherspoon delivers the keynote speech at The Hollywood Reporter's 14th annual Women in Entertainment Power 100 breakfast Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005, in Beverly Hills.
Actresses Reese Witherspoon, Hayley Nelson, and Ginnifer Goodwin arrive at the AFI Fest Opening Night Gala presented by Audi and screening of "Walk the Line" at the ArcLight's Cinerama Dome on Nov. 3, 2005, in Hollywood.
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Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon in a scene from DreamWorks' film "Just Like Heaven."
Credit: DREAMWORKS
Actress Reese Witherspoon arrives at the premiere of "Crash" at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Theater on April 26, 2005, in Beverly Hills.
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Actress Reese Witherspoon arrives at The 2005 New York Film Critics Circle's 71st Annual Awards Dinner, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2005, in New York.
Credit: AP Photo/Dima Gavrysh
Reese Witherspoon attends the New York special screening of "Vanity Fair," held at the Clearview Chelsea West, Monday, August 16, 2004, in New York.
Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon in a scene from the film "Election."
Credit: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Reese Witherspoon arrives at the Declare Yourself A Nonpartisan Young Voter Campaign event held at the Beverly Hills Post Office in Beverly Hills, Calif., Tuesday, March 2, 2004.
Reese Witherspoon, arrives at the Warner Village West End, in London, Wednesday July 23, 2003, for the UK opening of the movie "Legally Blonde 2 : Red, White & Blonde." She was pregnant with son Deacon at the time.
Reese Witherspoon in "Sweet Home Alabama."
Credit: Touchstone Pictures


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Farrell: Salty has established own identity
BOSTON -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia has finally shed Jason Varitek's shadow.
After his go-ahead grand slam that led the Red Sox to an 8-4 victory over the Yankees on Friday night, manager John Farrell was asked about Saltalamacchia's reputation in comparison to Varitek. Farrell said it's time to drop the comparisons.
"He's been extremely important. And more than anything, Salty has become his own guy," Farrell said. "And he's evolved into someone who is more aware of what his needs are as a player, where his strengths exist. … I think as the year has gone on, he's gained confidence in the consistency and routine that's provided and he uses.
"He knows where our starting pitchers are, he knows our pitches much more readily, and I think because of that confidence, he's been able to read swings much more clear and make more accurate pitch selections, or more appropriate pitch selections. He's evolving into a front-line catcher."
The 28-year-old, who enters free agency following this season, has come a long way since 2011, when he hit .235 and led the league with 26 passed balls (many of which came from catching knuckleballer Tim Wakefield). Entering Saturday, Saltalamacchia was hitting .263 with just seven passed balls.
With similar offensive numbers and growing trust of the pitching staff, the comparisons to Varitek had been natural.
"Jason's a mentor to everybody that's in the same uniform," Farrell said. "But not everybody is going to do it like Jason, and that's probably more the point I was trying to get to. Salty's his own guy, and he stands on his own feet. He's a much more confident player right now, and it's shown in his leadership skills on the field. That's leading a pitching staff or a pitcher on a given night through some tough spots. It's been great to see."


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Of course, there's very little you can do when a nuclear bomb goes off. Sand bags and gas masks ain't gonna help, and you can forget hiding under the table. So you might as well forget stocking up on bottled water and tins of beans. No, as music lovers our preparation for the imminent atomic holocaust should be dedicated to making sure that, when our skin disintegrates in a flash of thermonuclear heat, we're listening to the most appropriate songs. Can you imagine anything worse than being toasted alive to a Ms Dynamite or David Gray single?
Contemplating the painful death and the destruction of humanity is, understandably, stressful. So, as a public service, I have compiled a short list of songs to die in a nuclear holocaust to. My choices are by no means definitive, and are wholly subjective. Make sure you have a list of songs you are completely happy with. Just because the Bomb won't discriminate doesn't mean you can't.
1. 'Ask' – The Smiths
Atomic explosions aren't all bad, as Morrissey was astute enough to realise. Impending annihilation gives you an unparalleled opportunity to overcome shyness and inhibitions, to finally ask that person you've admired from a distance if they wouldn't mind enjoying their last hours in the throes of sexual ecstasy with you. As the Manc miserablist puts it so eloquently: "If it's not love then it's the Bomb, the Bomb, the Bomb, the Bomb, the Bomb, the Bomb, the Bomb that will bring us together." With any luck they'll reply: "Ask me, I won't say no, how could I?".
Where to find it: The WEA album 'Louder than Bombs' – The Smiths
2. 'Swamp' – Talking Heads
Like 'Ask, this was written during the Cold War, the last time we were constantly threatened with radioactive meltdown. Even so, its disjointed, robotic lyrics – "Click, click, see you later," intones David Byrne over a muddy, synthesised funk stomp – are equally appropriate whether a nuclear bomb has been set off by terrorists or a superpower.
Where to find it: The Sire album 'Speaking in Tongues' – Talking Heads
3. 'King of the World' – Steely Dan
If you're lucky you could be the sole survivor of the atomic blast, in which case you'll be in the same situation as the narrator of this jazz-country gem – and you'll be King of the World with it. Sounds great, but with only cockroaches for company you'll soon be bored – "I'm reading last year's papers, although I don't know why," sings Donald Fagen. Not to worry, the fallout'll get you before long, although if you stay inside you might live till Saturday. Even if you don't survive, the meandering, jazzy guitar solo on the outro is one of the best anyone could hope to die to.
Where to find it: The MCA album 'Countdown to Ecstasy' – Steely Dan
4. 'Man at C&A' – The Specials
"Warning, warning, nuclear attack!" is the cry that opens this moody, minor-key slice of ska. The title is a reference to being "the man in grey" without "a say in the war games that they play". Nothing's changed since (although references to Moscow and the Ayatollah are dated). Thing is, you're not going to have a say, but you're still going to be annihilated. At least you can take consolation by grooving to one of the meanest, funkiest grooves the Coventry outfit ever recorded. Great brass score too.
Where to find it: The Chrysalis album 'More Specials' – The Specials
5. 'Goodnight' – The Beatles
I was going to put 'The End' by The Doors as my fifth choice, but – given its famous appearance in 'Apocalypse Now' – it seemed to clichéd, and, what's more, too serious. If you're going to go, you might as well go with a big sarcastic smile on your face. Playing this schmaltzy orchestral lullaby, sung by none other than Ringo Starr, is nothing less than the ultimate act of defiance. Thought your nuclear bomb was going to make me cower in fear? Think again, I'm listening to Ringo, and I'm going to dream sweet dreams for him – and for me.
Where to find it: The Apple album 'The Beatles' – The Beatles
Warning: A nuclear attack may occur without warning, and radiation spreads at tremendous speed. Make sure you have your tracks of choice, and a means to play them, with you at all times.


text: "Armada - what skiing will become" - the famous quote from Chris O'Connell, one of the brands' founding fathers. A freeski company created by athletes for athletes, developed out of the pure passion for skiing and earning huge success in its key demographic. With a big all-star team, Armada continues to dominate both the freestyle and the freeride scene with high-quality ski gear.


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At Gemvara, we believe that the jewelry you wear should be as unique as you. Every beautiful Gemvara Sterling Silver Multistone Princess Jewelry design will be made just for you. Gemvara uses only the highest quality materials to craft your Sterling Silver Multistone Princess Jewelry with meticulous attention to detail. Our precious metals are recycled or responsibly mined. Sterling silver is 92.5 percent silver. Gemvara's silver is more pure: we use Argentium 960, which naturally resists tarnish better than any other silver.Our wide selection of Sterling Silver Multistone Princess Jewelry by talented designers means you can find rings, earrings, and necklaces that are exactly your style. You can also shop by style, choosing our Diamonds Under 20, Y-Necklace, or Doorbusters20 Collections. Each gem in our stunning multistone designs is carefully set by hand by our skilled craftspeople.When our work is done and you open that box, you'll see your design is even more beautiful when brought to life in the finest precious materials.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


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Do you need electrical/instrumentation tradesman? Do you need electrical resources for your maintenance shuts? Do you need cover when your staff goes on leave?
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The Cromarty service department has the solution to your problem.
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GREEN EILEEN HEADS TO SEATTLE: Eileen Fisher is expanding her recycling program to Seattle. A store and recycling program, Green Eileen, will open a 2,250-square-foot store at 4860 Rainier Avenue South in Seattle. For each gently used Eileen Fisher item of clothing that customers donate, they receive a $5 rewards card that can be used to purchase new Eileen Fisher merchandise at the stores or the Web site. Collection takes place at Green Eileen, as well as the brand's three area stores, two in Seattle and one in Bellevue.
Green Eileen opened its first freestanding store in Yonkers, N.Y. in 2011. "I began to think about recycling after years of hearing customers say they were reluctant to give our clothes away," said founder Eileen Fisher. "They'd tell me that the garments were in really good shape, but they felt sad parting with them. With Green Eileen, customers can now donate their clothing to support a good cause."
In addition to selling accessibly-priced clothing at the store, the shop will offer creative workshops on upcycling and repurposing items that would otherwise head to a landfill.


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- Equine Adoption Application
- Horse Donation Agreement
- Winnie's Way Application
- 2018 Summer Camp Registration
Meeting Minutes
Prairie Fire Farms Foundation, Inc. conducts monthly board meetings that are open to the public. We welcome your attendance and input. These meetings occur at 7:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month and are usually held at the rescue facility itself in Grantville, PA. All of our meeting minutes are public and include our financials.
2018 Meeting Minutes:
Archived 2017 Minutes:
Archived 2016 Minutes:


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Our Products
Save your money and time with our store. Here's the best part of our impressive assortment.
Welcome to Modelsports
We are a speciality Hobby Store stock Radio Controlled Cars,Radio Controlled Planes and more top brands such as:Dubro, Great Planes, Radio Active, Sullivan, Dave Brown, Monokote, Profilm, Solafilm, APC Props, Master Airscrew, JR Radios, Futaba Radios, Hitech Radios, Sanwa Radios, Kyosho, Tamiya, Hobbycraft, Hasegawa, Airfix, Humbrol, Scalextric, SCX, AFX, Dragon, Gunz, Aeromaster, Eduard, Zap Glues, OS Engines, Thunder Tiger, HPI Cars, Airsail Kits, Balsa Wood, Plywood, Academy, Johnny Lightning, Revell, Monogram, AMT, Fujimi, Trumpeter, Biante, Auto Art. All aspects of Cars Boats and Aircraft are catered for.We even do maintenance & repairs of model hobby craft.


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Cancer treatment set for �6m boost
Cancer treatment on the NHS is to get a £6 million boost under new measures announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
The investment will be used to fund clinical trials over the next five years for a specialist new radiotherapy, as Mr Hunt reiterated the Government's pledge to "aim high" to beat the disease.
Mr Hunt said: "I want this country to stay at the forefront of the latest developments in cancer treatment - which is why I am delighted to announce that NHS England will be providing funding for the NHS costs of forthcoming CRUK clinical trials of a very specialist new radiotherapy.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt reiterated the Government's pledge to 'aim high' to beat the disease
"We know what a huge impact cancer has on patients and their families, so it is rightly a priority both for me and for NHS England to secure the most innovative technology to tackle it."
Other measures announced include co-operation between charities Cancer Research UK and Macmillan to support GPs in ensuring quick cancer diagnoses.
Currently one quarter of cancer patients are diagnosed in emergency circumstances, when symptoms are at an advanced stage, Mr Hunt said.
Macmillan will also work with survivors under new plans from NHS England to promote physical activity to help with recovery, he added.
The Department of Health said around one million people have been treated in the UK for cancer in the past four years.
Death rates from the four most common cancers - breast, bowel, prostate and lung cancer - have fallen by 30% in the last two decades, Cancer Research UK said last week.
Mr Hunt said: "Beating cancer remains a gruelling battle, but it is one we can win if we are prepared to aim high. Aspiring simply to keep up with the European average isn't good enough. We must aim to be the best country in Europe for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
"Treatments, quality of care, clinical procedures, technology and pharmaceutical innovation are improving all the time and so it's important that we continue to invest in cancer care."
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Crowdfunding for Activists: 5 Tips for Creating Successful Online Fundraising Campaigns
I prepared this short presentation as part of the "Feminist Cyborgs: Actvism, Online Fundraising, and Security" webinar, hosted by African Feminist Forum and Association for Progressive Communications.
My 10-minute presentation includes a brief introduction to crowdfunding and some popular crowdfunding tools. Additionally, using my Africans for African new media project as a case study, I share 5 quick tips for running a successful fundraising campaign. The main points from my presentation are outlined as follows, with the actual presentation embedded at the bottom of this post.
Feminist Cyborgs: 5 Tips for Creating Successful Online Fundraising Campaigns
Overview of Crowdfunding
- Sometimes referred to as Crowdfunding
- "Funding via a networked group"
- Using social media networks to raise money for projects
- Collective effort of individuals who network and pool their resources
- Connects people who have needs to the people who can meet those needs
A Few of My Favorite Crowdfunding Platforms
- IndieGoGo: Flexible fundraising rules i.e. you can keep funds you raise even if you don't meet your goal; permits multiple types of projects (creative, small business etc) to raise funds via the platform
- Kickstarter: Strictly creative projects; if you don't raise target funds by deadline, you don't get any of the money; features include powerful social media marketing tools
- Africans in the Diaspora (AiD): Raises funds for projects based in Africa; includes community philanthropy tools e.g. blogs and resources about fundraising, development, etc, targeting the diaspora.
- 234Give: Nigeria's first online fundraising platform for charities based in Nigeria (Note: I have not used this platform personally, so this is not an endorsement. Just think it's cool that African countries are tapping into crowdfunding.)
- GlobalGiving: International fundraising platform; NGOs across the world can register and raise money from top donor countries on this platform, including US, UK, Singapore, India.
- PubSlush: A crowdfunding platform for authors, agents, and publishers. (Note: I have not used this platform personally, but plan to in early 2013).
- ProBueno: My MIT classmate's startup, crowdsourcing volunteers who donate the cost/value of their services to charities. Neat setup, actually e.g. rather than donate money, I offer (via the platform) my new media consulting services to someone who will pay for them, I donate money earned (e.g. $100/hr for 2 hours) to charity of my choice on the platform. #watchthisspace #itmaychangethegame
Introduction to Online Fundraising
- A little money goes a long way
- By pooling smaller amounts of money from a groups with common interest, larger financial goals are achievable
- Social media makes it easier for people with similar interests to connect; great potential for raising capital for projects
- Large capital is reduced as a barrier to doing good due to growing popularity of online fundraising in philanthopy sector
- In 2011, online giving grew in double-digit percentages across ALL sectors (so, not just NGOs working with orphans who could show cute photos — everyone is benefiting)
Things to Remember
- Social media = media that is social, period.
- Don't confuse the tools (social media, which is technical) with the task (asking for money, which is human)
- Having a Facebook Page does not guarantee you money.
- You (a person) must raise funds from your network (people)
- The quality of your network = The quality of your relationships with individuals in that network
- Offline fundraising principles apply online.
Africans for Africa Project: A Case Study
- Independent project training African-women led NGOs to use new media
- Raised ~$15,000 in 30 days via online fundraising campaign
- Focus on Women, Youth, Gender & Sexuality Issues
- South Africa, Namibia, Botswana
- One-on-One Consulting and Team Sessions for Organizations
- Online Fundraising Workshops (Open to the Public)
- Over 400 workshop participants, 60 organizations
5 Tips for Online Fundraising
Tip 1: Learn to "Ask"
The most important element of any campaign is the "ask."
- You must ask before you can receive. (Note: The most popular reason cited by people as to why they didn't give is "No one asked me.")
- For Africans for Africa: In addition to bulk emails, I sent personal emails, FB messages, text messages, and phone calls to individuals. In world 2.0, going the extra mile to personalize communications to individuals will achieve better results than "mass"/public calls to action.
- Lesson: Practice and test your with different (trusted) audiences; don't play with live money.
Tip 2: Know Your Audience
You wouldn't ask your best friend for money in the same way you would ask a professional colleague, would you?
- Different audiences require different messages.
- Don't speak to everyone in the same way — you don't know all of these people in the same way.
- Africans for Africa: "MIT Classmates" received different messaging from "Activists", who received different messaging from "Feminists" and "Fellow Social Media Gurus". Also, I bombarded my brother with requests to donate (cause I can do that) but only sent an email per week to more professional contacts so as not to "annoy" people.
- Lesson: Segment your list, create messages and themes for each before you begin sending communications. Make sure frequency reflects the relationship.
Tip 3: Trust Your Inner Circle Power
People give money because they trust you.
- People will give to organizations and individuals with credibility, that they trust will use their donation towards the states goals.
- Study shows that number one factor influencing trust is actually recommendations from friends and family.
- Africans for Africa: Bulk of my donations came from close friends, who encouraged others to contribute as well. I found that I didn't have to 'sell' my project to friends of friends. Here's what happened, a lot: "You're __' friend, which means you must be awesome. Here's _ dollars."
- Lesson: Don't ignore your family and friends. They're you're biggest advocates and can help you raise even more money (if you "ask" them to).
Tip 4: Set (Realistic) Goals
Fundraising isn't about luck. You must set goals to meet.
- People (yourself included) are more driven to give by public benchmarks.
- Africans for Africa: I asked 15 people to contribute, every day, to increase chance of meeting goal of 10 donors per day. I also declared my goals publicly every day, to make sure I was also putting pressure upon myself to deliver "success" stories and momentum.
- Lesson: Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Make them public. People want to help. And if they see mini-goals as possible, they're more likely to give. Also, if you set daily goals for yourself, you're more likely to brainstorm creatively when you see you're at risk of not meeting them! (e.g. 4 pm, I said I'd have 10 donors by 5, I only have 8 — eeek! *Proceeds to call everyone and their mama*)
Tip 5: Recognition and Gratitude
There's a reason you always see "Thank You" on a sales receipt.
- People need to feel appreciated in order to stay engaged.
- Africans for Africa: Different perqs came with encouraging titles and levels of recognition, such as "Ally", "Champion" etc. I also always sent immediate Thank Yous and social media shout-out to new donors. I didn't wait till the end of the campaign to thank them, and it worked; a few of them, now that they had already donated, helped me raise more money from their networks because they felt included, and appreciated.
- Lesson: Come up with creative ways to recognition, before and after the "ask" in order to nurture repeat-givers and advocates.
Most Important Tip: Be Human
Connect with people's hearts. Facebook doesn't make campaigns successful; people do.
- Your story matters; why you care about this project matters
- "People connect with people, not campaigns." – ZerobyZawadi
- Africans for Africa: My campaign story was about "me" i.e. why I wanted this project to succeed, its impact on me, personally, and the lives of people I deeply care about.
- Lesson: Reflect on why this project really matters; avoid some regurgitated version of your organization's mission statement — toss that immediately. Reflect and communicate why this project really matters — to you, and to the people you care about. Be honest. Be vulnerable, even, and people will rise to the occasion to help you succeed.
The End!
Interested in New Media Consulting? If you'd like to schedule a full or half-day workshop on online fundraising for your organization or individual campaign, please don't hesitate to contact me via the "Contact Me" button on the sidebar.
Alternatively, if you're thinking of launching an online fundraising campaign and would like some feedback on your current online fundraising efforts (including social media audit, list preparation, messaging, and engagement strategy), mention this blog post to receive an online fundraising consultation via Phone or Skype at $75/hr for the first hour, and $100/hr thereafter. If you're seeking a social media campaign manager for a longer, fixed period, we can chat about that, too! Use the "Contact Me" button to send me an email. Please allow at least 48 hours for me to respond to you.
Note: I offer lower rates to grassroots groups whose primary targets include either of the following groups — Women, LGBTI, Africans/POC.


text: FLACCL: CUDA-enabled FLAC encoder by Gregory S. Chudov (prev. FlaCuda) 2008-07-13 05:34:41 With my recent purchase of a 9000 series nVidia graphics card, I started thinking, has anyone investigated if nVidia's CUDA could be useful for lossless compression? I'm not even remotely close to being a programmer, so I haven't a clue how the code works, but it seems like CUDA is valuable for coding/decoding. I know nVidia is already holding a contest to speed up LAME (which ends in about 2 weeks), so perhaps it could be used to speed up lossless compressors? The fastest modes of several codecs are already blazing fast, approaching the limits of hard drives, but perhaps the high-compression modes could be sped-up through CUDA. Maybe, if the speed-up is enough, developers could even implement more ways to gain compression while still maintaining good encoding rates. It would be pretty cool if compression levels like La's best could be done at 50x or something.Anyway, my curiosity is large, so just thought I'd ask. :)


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BETHKIS is an inhaled antibacterial solution prescribed to patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) whose lungs contain bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. BETHKIS delivers the same amount of antibiotic as other available nebulized tobramycin products (300 mg) in only 4 mL.
Do not take BETHKIS® (Tobramycin Inhalation Solution) if you are allergic to tobramycin, or any of the ingredients in BETHKIS, or to any other aminoglycoside antibiotic.
Before you take BETHKIS, tell your health care provider if you have or have had hearing problems (ringing or other noises in your ears), dizziness, kidney problems, muscle weakness such as myasthenia gravis or Parkinson's disease, breathing problems such as wheezing, coughing or chest tightness, or have had an organ transplant. Before you take BETHKIS, tell your health care provider if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if tobramycin in BETHKIS will pass into breast milk.
Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take. Taking BETHKIS with certain other medications can cause serious side effects. If you are taking BETHKIS, you should discuss with your healthcare provider if you should take other medicines that may harm your nervous system, kidneys or hearing, or "water pills" (diuretics) such as Edecrin® (ethacrynic acid), Lasix® (furosemide), mannitol, or urea.
BETHKIS can cause serious side effects including hearing loss or ringing in the ears (ototoxicity), worsening kidney problems (nephrotoxicity), worsening muscle weakness, harm to an unborn baby, and/or severe breathing problems (bronchospasm). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have hearing loss or hear noises in your ears (such as ringing or hissing), develop vertigo, dizziness, difficulty with balance, shortness of breath with wheezing, or coughing and chest tightness. Your healthcare provider may do a blood test and urine test to check how your kidneys are working while you are taking BETHKIS.
The most common side effects of BETHKIS include worsening of lung problems (decreased FEV), noisy breathing (rales), abnormal red blood cell sedimentation rate (determined by a blood test), and changes in your voice (hoarseness). Tell your health care provider about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
BETHKIS is a prescription medicine for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have lung infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. BETHKIS solution contains tobramycin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic.
It is not known if BETHKIS is safe and effective in children under 6 years of age, in people who have decreased lung volume (FEV1 less than 40% predicted), in people who have lung infection with Burkholderia cepacia bacteria, or when BETHKIS is used for more than 3 on/off cycles.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Patient Information within the accompanying Full Prescribing Information.
This website is intended for United States residents only.
References available upon request.
- or -I AM A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL


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European Union External Action
Meet Shirin, Nizar, Seiran, Diana, Yousef and Khaboor, six among the thousands of Syrians and Iraqis benefitting from projects funded by the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Shirin weighed less than 600 grams when she was born at Dohuk Hospital's maternity. Same as a packet of spaghetti. In this overcrowded hospital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, these babies normally die in a couple of days. "For the local standards, she's a miracle," says the nurse, who struggles every day to give a good service to the ever-increasing number of patients. "She reached 2 kilos now and she's good without oxygen, she doesn't need any treatment for respiratory distress". Due to the ongoing Syrian conflict, more than 1.5 million internally displaced people (IDP) and over 250.000 refugees from Syria have arrived in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in the last years. Health needs have increased fourfold, while resources have halved, and Dohuk Hospital currently serves at least 2 million people. "All services in this hospital are free of charge. For the Kurdish people, for IDPs, and the Yezidis… for everybody", the nurse adds.
The daily service at this hospital counts on the support from AISPO, an Italian NGO funded by the EU Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian Crisis. Thanks to the equipment provided, the number of beds at the maternity has risen from 18 to 25. It is still not enough for a hospital that delivered 21,000 babies in 2017, an average of 57 per day. "They started supporting us from improving infrastructure and implementing capacity-building activities, to modernising our services and bringing in more technology", explains Nizar Al-Tayyeb, Director General of Health at Dohuk Hospital. The infrastructures are still too old, and more personnel is needed - he estimates there are 4 doctors and 9 nurses for every 10.000 patients, well below the target of 14 doctors and 13 nurses-, but Al-Tayyeb recognizes that the EU-funded project is "having a good impact on people". "The paediatric hospital has an additional 50 beds, there is more capacity to receive patients and child mortality rate has decreased", he adds.
Baby Shirin, at Dohuk Hospital's maternity
Dohuk Hospital is only one of the beneficiaries of a larger EU-funded healthcare support project in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Since September 2016, the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis has allocated €5.7 million that have also improved reception capacity and working conditions in Akre Emergency Hospital and 72 primary healthcare centres. Around 1.5 million Iraqis and Syrians have already benefitted from the project.
When Seiran moved with her family to the Iraqi Kurdistan town of Shaklawa in 2015, she was forced to drop out of university. The deteriorating situation in Derik, her hometown in northeast Syria, took away her dream of obtaining a Master's Degree, but she never gave up despite the many obstacles along the way. "When we first arrived, everything was different. It was a new country and a different language. It was a new dialect and we didn't understand a word. But we got used to it with time", remembers this 20-year-old girl. Some relatives told her about the EU Trust Fund-supported SPARK scholarships for Syrian refugees: she applied and became one of the first students to benefit from this project which started in 2016. With a budget of €18.5 million, SPARK has so far granted access to higher education to 2.484 Iraqi, Lebanese, Syrian and Turkish students affected by the Syrian conflict.
Seiran is now in her third year of university, and she is very clear about what her main goal after graduating will be: help rebuilding Syria. "If I go deeper in my studies, I will find ideas to help the country".
Seiran, 20, was one of the first Syrian refugees to obtain an EU Trust Fund-supported SPARK scholarship.
Nineteen year-old Diana was not as "lucky" as Seiran. She also fled Syria with her family, but they could not rent a house due to lack of papers, so they ended up living in the Berika camp, where they have been for the past four years. On top of that, Diana had to wait two years to resume her studies due to incompatibilities between Syria and Iraq's academic systems. What would she do? She became a volunteer for the Trust Fund-supported FURSA project, a €4.4 million scheme aiming to open future perspectives for refugees by supporting their livelihood and providing job opportunities. Thanks to the project, Diana attended many recreational activities and learned to express her creativity by painting walls. She is currently learning English and hoping to specialise in communications at university, but her dream is to become a musician: "Yes, I like theoretical studies, but my dream is music".
Farhan Ahmed Hassan escaped from Mosul with his three children after ISIS took over. While all are vulnerable, one of them, little Yousef, literally needed his helping hand to be guided towards their new life in Dohuk. He lost his vision a year after his birth due to cancer.
Concerned about his education, Hassan took Yousef to Roonahy Institute, an institution supported by the EU-funded QUDRA regional initiative focusing mainly on children and youth with visual impairments, deafness, and suffering from mental and cognitive health issues, including autism.
"They provided me with accommodation and told me it was possible to help my son, and teach him in Arabic for the first year so that he could learn Kurdish to blend with his peers", explains Hassan. Now, Yousef is a happy kid who speaks fluent Kurdish, is great at memorising concepts and loves learning music. "I sensed that he is talented, he can tell good from bad music", says the father proudly.
Farhan, the proud father of Yousef, a blind child taken care of by the EU-supported Roonahy Institute.
Yousef was taken care of by people like Khaboor Mohammad Ali, a Braille teacher who is blind herself. "We teach Braille in three different languages to our pupils: Arabic, English and Kurdish. We also teach mathematics", she explains. The ultimate goal: to teach them how to cope with their disabilities and become independent in a region where people with disabilities and their families were traditionally looked upon with pity and treated with very little respect. "But I see in recent years this has improved a great deal. They are now looking at them with respect", says Khaboor.
This important social work carried out by Roonahy Institute would not be possible without QUDRA project, an initiative aiming to "strengthen the resilience" of local communities, refugees and IDPs and which is funded by the EU Regional Trust Fund with €74.6 million. EU money having a real impact in a country where not only buildings, but lives, need a bit of help to be put back together.
All photos: EU 2017-2018, Johanna de Tessières


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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Carter Hunt, assistant professor of recreation, park and tourism management (RPTM), gave two guest lectures in October at the Asia Pacific Center for the Study of Leisure (APCL) at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. The lectures focused on Hunt's field-based research in Latin America and his work on word cloud analysis of tourism journal article titles and keywords.
"I had lively discussions after both presentations with the APCL graduate students," said Hunt. "It was a rewarding experience for me."
According to Hunt, Zhejiang University is a member of the World University Network, which also includes Penn State. In addition, emeritus professor of recreation, park and tourism management at Penn State Geoffrey Godbey is working there temporarily as a scholar-in-residence.
Hunt's first presentation at the APCL was titled "Ecotourism in Latin America: An Anthropological Approach to Project Evaluation." He discussed his use of anthropological methods to address the question: "How does tourism work for the rural poor involved in ecotourism and nature-based tourism around parks, protected areas and private reserves in different regions of Latin America?" He briefly described five projects in Peru, Nicaragua and Costa Rica that offer opportunities to better understand the factors contributing to the success or failure of ecotourism projects.
In his second presentation, titled "Searching for the Sun in the Clouds: Observing Trends in the Titles and Keywords of Tourism Journals," Hunt demonstrated how he and RPTM graduate students Jie Gao and Lan Xue generated word clouds based on the titles and keywords of four tourism journals in the years 1982, 1992, 2002 and 2012.
"This approach provides a fascinating snapshot into shifts in the priorities of tourism researchers over the last four decades, thus tracing the history of theoretical development in the field of tourism," he said. "Not only do themes and concepts visibly shift in prominence over time and between journals, but also variance within the keywords and titles of the same articles in the same journal in the same year is observable."
Zhejiang University posted a story about Hunt's visit to the APCL on its website the day after he gave his presentations. "The feedback all indicates the talks were very well received," he said. "I greatly enjoyed my interactions with the students and their faculty adviser Dr. Pan Liyong, all of whom were very engaged and gracious."