text:
Vivaticket designs and implements software and hardware systems for ticket and product sales, for the provision of services, and for access management. The systems can be installed on both local and cloud servers. Thanks to constant update cycles, our solutions are constantly evolving to meet customer needs or market changes.
Thanks to the solutions developed by Vivaticket, you can easily manage simple tickets but also discounts, coupons, vouchers or special packages.The extreme flexibility of the systems allows you to coordinate free access, closed-dial entries, events with seat assignment and subscriptions. Besides, it is always possible to integrate a series of additional modules to improve and customise the event management and complete the end user experience.


text:
No other professional qualification can offer such mobility, Chartered Accountancy allows members to move freely and successfully across a diverse range of sectors and roles.
The majority of students that enrol with the Institute are graduates from 3rd level institutions, comprising of business and non – business graduates alike.
The accountancy sector covers a wide range of business sectors and in a broad spectrum of roles. It can be divided into accountancy firms that provide advice and accounting services to a range of clients in both the public and private sector, it also covers accountants working in individual organisations.
Training as a Chartered Accountant opens the door to a vast range of exciting career opportunities in every sector of business and finance, in Ireland and internationally.
Chartered Accountants Ireland is a membership body representing 25,000 influential members throughout the globe. Chartered Accountants are Ireland's leading business professionals and work in all business sectors – from science and technology to agribusiness and finance.
Ruth works as a Chartered Accountant and has recently been made a Partner with Bluett Conran & Co. She completed a primary degree in European Business and Languages at the National College of Ireland, and went on th do a Post Graduate diploma in Accounting in DIT. She then chose to study with the Chartered Accountants Ireland to become a Chartered Accountant.
What were the main 'career decision' milestones in your life so far?
Who are the people who most influenced your career direction?
There has not been a single individual who has influenced my career to date. Family, friends and everybody in my life have influenced me in different ways and have shaped me into the person that I have become, personally and professionally. The various courses I have undertaken have also influenced the direction of my career so far.
How did you go about getting your current job?
Throughout my studies in DIT (Dublin Institute of Technology) for my post graduate diploma in accounting we completed a number of accounting related subjects. When I researched the different types of accountancy, I chose chartered as it covers a variety of core accounting subjects.
The Chartered Accountant's Ireland website provides prospective accountants with a list of Chartered Accounting practices that employ trainee accountants. It was through this website that I applied for a training position in Bluett Conran & Co., and was successful in my interview.
During my training contract I was appointed associate at Bluett Conran & Co. I have recently been appointed a Partner with Bluett Conran & Co and am embracing the challenges of this new role.
Describe a typical day?
Working in a small general practice it is difficult to describe a typical day as no two days are the same. During any one day I could work on an audit, complete tax returns, liaise with the other partners, supervise audits and accounts preparation, converse with clients, answer queries from clients or trainees and broaden my knowledge through researching. To a great extent the general practitioner operates as a "one stop shop" for clients. If we don't know the answer we will know where to go to find it.
What are the main tasks and responsibilities?
As I have recently been appointed a Partner in Bluett Conran & Co. my role is currently changing. At present, with the other partners, I prepare work plans for the office. I supervise and review work, including audits, tax returns, accounts preparation and any other work we undertake. I review clients financial portfolio's.
What are the main challenges?
Time management plays a vital role in my every day work. It is important to plan our work to ensure we provide a good quality service to our clients. It is necessary to be able to work on a variety of tasks in one day and sometimes it is challenging to change your mind frame from one subject to the next.
What's cool?
Bluett Conran & Co. has a diversified client base and I find the wide range of matters that we deal with to be very interesting and rewarding. Apart from the normal accounting, audit and taxation services I have been involved in providing internal audits, assisting Executors in a number of complicated Estates and arranging pension and investment portfolios for clients. Every day is different and this is a major attraction for me.
What's not so cool?
What particular skills do you bring to your workplace?
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
In addition to the three core subjects, I studied French, Business Studies, Home Economics and Accounting for my Leaving Cert. In fourth year in school we completed semesters on a variety of Leaving Cert. subjects. I chose to study business and accounting as I found these subjects interesting and had an aptitude for them.
What is your education to date?
I obtained my primary degree in European Business and Languages at the National College of Ireland. During my four years at NCI I spent one year studying in Paris at Ecole Superieure du Commerce Exterieur. This was an exciting year where I learned a lot about French business customs and got to enjoy French culture. However, although I thoroughly enjoyed the European aspect of business and the French language, I decided to take up accountancy to get a better business understanding. I completed a postgraduate diploma in accounting in DIT for one year after my degree. I then opted for a chartered accountancy qualification with Chartered Accountants Ireland. In Bluett Conran & Co. we deal with all aspects of a client's finances it is necessary for us to have a broad knowledge of financial matters. With this in mind, after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, I studied with the Life Insurance Association and completed their QFA qualification. As part of my desire to have a broad knowledge base I am currently studying with the Institute of Taxation and will sit my final tax exams in May.
What aspects of your education have proven most important for your job?
What have been the most rewarding events in your career so far?
There have been a number of memorable events in my career so far. I find from passing an exam to completing an audit or tax return to my satisfaction is rewarding. Each achievement is memorable and rewarding until the next. At present the current most memorable and rewarding event is being appointed a Partner in Bluett Conran & Co.
What personal qualities do you have that helps you in your career?
I believe the most important aspect to progress in a chosen career is being happy and fulfilled in your job. It is important to be motivated and set new goals to continually grow and enhance your career. I am an organised person and this has proved to be an important quality as a Chartered Accountant. Being motivated, organised and an eagerness to learn have been essential to my career progression to date.
What is your dream job?
Does your job allow you to have a lifestyle you are happy with?
Yes working in Bluett Conran promotes the lifestyle that I am happy with, from the regular Mon-Fri 9-5.30 hours to the financial rewards. Having my evenings free enables me to pursue various hobbies. I enjoy travelling and with the generous holidays in Bluett Conran I get the freedom to discover the world.
What advice would you give to someone considering this job?
Take the time to truly understand the commitment you are making by taking the chartered route. The training is structured and gives you an insight into a variety of accounting fields. There are many advantages to the ICAI training contract including recommended study leave, excellent study support and guaranteed scope of experience. There are a variety of societies to join post qualification which are second to none. Studying to be a chartered accountant is very demanding and you may have to be willing to sacrifice something in order to complete it successfully. Be willing to put in hard work and the rewards are there to reap. My studies and training through ICAI were challenging, dynamic and extremely rewarding.
What are the three most important personal characteristics required for the job?
Have you undertaken, or do you plan to undertake any further training as part of your job?
I am currently studying for the finals of the taxation exams with the Institute of Taxation. At present, I have not enrolled for any other courses. If something grabs my attention after the tax exams I may be enticed to take on another course! I continue to have an interest in languages and at the moment in my spare time I am learning Spanish. I also have an interest in music and when I have more free time I would like to learn to play the guitar!
What kinds of work experience would provide a good background for this position?
The Chartered Accountancy qualification is undertaken as part of a structured training programme. Training is given within the training firm and Chartered Accountants Ireland hold workshops and seminars to give trainee accountants scope as they embark on their new career. The main disciplines needed to pursue the Chartered Accountancy qualification are dedication and commitment.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Postpartum depression is moderate to severe depression in a woman after she has given birth. It may occur soon after delivery or up to a year later. Most of the time, it occurs within the first 3 months after delivery.
The exact causes of postpartum depression are unknown. Changes in hormone levels during and after pregnancy may affect a woman's mood. Many non-hormonal factors may also affect mood during this period:
You may have a higher chance of postpartum depression if you:
Feelings of anxiety, irritation, tearfulness, and restlessness are common in the week or two after pregnancy. These feelings are often called the postpartum or "baby blues." These symptoms almost always away soon, without the need for treatment.
Postpartum depression may occur when the baby blues do not fade away or when signs of depression start 1 or more months after childbirth.
The symptoms of postpartum depression are the same as the symptoms of depression that occurs at other times in life. Along with a sad or depressed mood, you may have some of the following symptoms:
There is no single test to diagnose postpartum depression. Diagnosis is based on the symptoms you describe to your doctor or nurse.
Women with postpartum depression should have blood tests to screen for medical causes of depression.
A new mother who has any symptoms of postpartum depression should contact their doctor or nurse right away to get help.
Here are some other helpful tips:
The treatment for depression after birth often includes medication, therapy, or both. Whether or not you are breast-feeding will play a role in what medicine your doctor recommends. You may be recommended to a mental health specialist. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT) are types of talk therapy that often help postpartum depression.
Support groups may be helpful, but they should not replace medication or talk therapy if you have postpartum depression.
Having good social support from family, friends, and coworkers may help reduce the seriousness of postpartum depression.
Medication and professional talk therapy can often successfully reduce or eliminate symptoms.
If left untreated, postpartum depression can last for months or years.
The potential long-term complications are the same as in major depression. Untreated, postpartum depression may put you at risk of harming yourself or your baby.
Call your doctor if you experience any of the following:
Do not be afraid to seek help immediately if you feel overwhelmed and are afraid that you may hurt your baby.
Having good social support from family, friends, and coworkers may help reduce the seriousness of postpartum depression, but may not prevent it.
Women who had postpartum depression after past pregnancies may be less likely to develop postpartum depression again if they start taking antidepressant medications after they deliver. Talk therapy may also be helpful in preventing it.


text:
Company received 2008 Excellence in Public-Private Partnership Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors
American Water, the largest investor-owned water and wastewater utility company in the United States, announced today it has received the 2008 Excellence in Public-Private Partnership Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. This award honors the outstanding achievements made possible through the combined effort of cities and the members of the Mayors Business Council. American Water and the city of Buffalo, N.Y. were honored for the positive results of a public-private partnership and significant improvements to the city's water system.
The awards were presented in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Conference of Mayors 76th Winter Meeting on Thursday, Jan. 24, at the Excellence in Public/Private Partnership Awards Breakfast.
"American Water is truly honored to receive such a prestigious award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors," said Donald Correll, president and chief executive officer of American Water. "This successful partnership demonstrates the support and solutions that American Water can offer municipalities to best manage their systems and provide reliable water service to their customers."
After six years of working with American Water, the city of Buffalo recognized $21 million in savings through operational and financial improvements. The public-private partnership between the city of Buffalo and American Water has made significant improvements to the city's water system, including the complete automation of customer records, the design and construction of a brand new customer service center and a new computerized maintenance and management system.
City of Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown said, "The city of Buffalo Water Board's public-private partnership continues to be a 'win-win-win' situation…The city wins by improving its water infrastructure and financial management. The city employees win by preserving valuable pensions and benefits. Most importantly, the taxpayer wins by getting clean, reliable water at a reasonable price and improved customer service."
By implementing alternative payment delivery methods that offered more flexibility and choice, the city's previous collection rates of 80% have risen to 97%, and revenues have exceeded 100% of service charges in three separate years.
Also, from an operational standpoint, American Water provided expertise to implement regulatory standards, improve water quality, and measure technical performance. Since the formation of the public-private partnership, water turbidity has gone down by 77%. In addition, American Water reduced the average winter's 250-300 main breaks and associated labor costs by installing a data system to monitor and control pump stations and to manage excess pressure. Only 128 main breaks occurred in 2006, compared to 265 in 2005.


text:
September 9th, 1965, fell on a Thursday. Day 252 of 1965. Decade: 1960s.
54 years, 8 months and 27 days have passed since September 9th, 1965.
Events that occurred on September 9th, 1965:
Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on September 9th, 1965:
Trending news stories and fads that were prevalent throughout this time period. These are news stories and events that would have been in the media on September 9th, 1965.
U.S. General William Westmoreland was named as the Time Person of the Year in 1965. General Westmoreland was in command of U.S. forces in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Movies released in 1965 included The Sound of Music, Doctor Zhivago, Thunderball, Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, That Darn Cat!, The Great Race, Cat Ballou, What's New Pussycat?, Shenandoah, Von Ryan's Express, Darling and Battle of the Bulge.
The Billboard Charts in 1965 were dominated by The Supremes, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Sonny & Cher and Herman's Hermits.
"The Shadow of Your Smile" by Tony Bennett would go on to win a Grammy for 1965's Song of the Year.
"The Sound of Music" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1965.
Basic facts and information about this date:
Notable events that occurred around September 9th, 1965:
Zodiac & Birthstone information:
Children's and Teen TV shows that would have been airing on this date in 1965.
"Underdog" - "Hoppity Hooper" - "Jonny Quest" - "Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long" - "The Patty Duke Show" - "The Mighty Hercules" - "Davey and Goliath" - "Mister Ed" - "The Bugs Bunny Show" - "The Flintstones" - "My Three Sons" - "Captain Kangaroo" - "Lassie" - "Looney Tunes"
Toys and games that would have been popular on this date in 1965:
Celebrities and historical figures that were born on the 9th of September:
Who was the US President on this particular date?
Interesting facts about conception dates.
Events that have occurred on the 9th of September:
Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on September 9th, 1965.
Looking for some nostalgia? Here are some Youtube videos relating to September 9th, 1965. Please note that videos are automatically selected by Youtube and that results may vary! Click on the "Load Next Video" button to view the next video in the search playlist. In many cases, you'll find episodes of old TV shows, documentaries, music videos and soap dramas.
Here are some fun statistics about September 9th, 1965.
A list of random dates that you might be interested in:


text:
The book has been released MUCH earlier than expected! Nearly a MONTH earlier! So if you pre-ordered via Amazon you will most likely have already received your book OR you will receive it very soon! Thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered! I truly cannot thank you enough!
Once you've received your cookbook, if you could do me a BIG favor and leave your online feedback through a product review:
- A Giveaway Hosted by Stephanie O'dea.com
- A Giveaway Hosted by Linda of The Gluten-Free Homemaker
- I have a host of other bloggers who are also going to host giveaways of this book! I'll share the links when those giveaways are up and running!
- Once I get 3,000 followers (and we're so close!) on my Gingerlemongirl.com Facebook page, I will be giving away 5 copies of the book AND two of those winners will also receive my favorite 4 quart slow cooker! So if you haven't already, please head over to facebook and "like" my page!
- I will be hosting a BIG giveaway next month in celebration of the cookbook... so please stay tuned for awesome news on that event!


text:
By Lee Howard The Day, New London, Conn.
When Andrea Leiser first started looking into hats available for female cancer patients, she found fashionable styles, but the designs still somehow screamed out "I have cancer."
That's when she came up with the basic premise for the Little Hat Workshop, which was chosen this week as one of 10 finalists -- out of more than 16,000 entrants -- in the Staples office supply chain's "Make Your Idea Happen" contest.
"I thought, 'Why do you have to be left not feeling beautiful at a time when you most need to feel beautiful or empowered,'" Leiser said.
Leiser, who years ago was associated with the successful Leiser Sound retail chain and now serves as president of a Mystic food brokerage known as RSVP Solutions Group LLC that she operates with husband Andre Gelinas, has a building out back of her Hatch Street home where many of her colorful hats are displayed.
Her home office contains a Singer sewing machine that she picked up at a yard sale for $5 where her creations, made largely of faux fur and fleece, take wing.
"There's a lot of experimenting," she said. "That's what selling is all about."
Leiser, a Connecticut College graduate, had made jewelry in a casual way for some time, but didn't show off her newfound hat-making skills until the Mystic Art Center holiday show in 2012.
That's when she heard, from docent Rita Dawley, about the difficulties cancer patients face in finding hats to cover hair made sparse by chemotherapy.
Leiser, whose father died 25 years ago of cancer, said she has been giving back a portion of her sales to the Terri Brodeur Breast Foundation and the Connecticut chapter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
She also has worked, Leiser said, with patients at The William W. Backus Hospital and the Lawrence + Memorial Cancer Center in Waterford.
She is hoping eventually to develop a small company to produce hats on a national scale.
"I have been so blessed in my life, I wanted a chance to give back," Leiser said.
And now the community has a chance to back Leiser's new business plan by voting for the Little Hat Workshop in the Staples Inc. contest.
Viewers can vote for her business idea through April 16 after seeing a video that Staples posted of Leiser at her Mystic home at www.staples.com/makemorehappen or www.facebook.com/staples.
Leiser's company and nine others are competing for a top prize of $25,000 and, even more important to Leiser, the chance to get free expert advice from Staples judges on how to jump-start a business.
Leiser also has received valuable advice from SCORE, an organization of retired and working executives that offers free help to startups and growing companies.
A Staples spokeswoman said the contest winner will be chosen partially based on popular vote and partially on the judges' assessment of each business idea.
The judges are Roblé Ali, celebrity chef and owner of Roblé & Co.; Gene Marks, small business expert and business columnist, and Kendra Scott, an entrepreneur and jewelry designer.
"My passion is to make things by hand that make people smile," Leiser said.
Little Hat Workshop online
https://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleHatWorkshop?ref=shop_sugg http://www.littlehatworkshop.com/


text:
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Perhaps no sprinter ever ran so fast with the wind in his face than Tyson Gay did Friday night.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Perhaps no sprinter ever ran so fast with the wind in his face than Tyson Gay did Friday night.
The former Arkansas sprinter sliced through a headwind for a 9.84-second clocking in the most one-sided 100-meter victory at the U.S. track and field championships since electronic timing was instituted 32 years ago.
Gay broke the meet record in the second-fastest 100 ever run into a headwind. The only one faster was Maurice Greene's 9.82 at the 2001 world championships in Edmonton. Gay ran into a wind of 1.12 mph, Greene's was 0.45 mph.
"The best my body has felt in a long time," he said.
The time matched his personal best set a year ago, only that race had a tailwind.
"I was hoping to get the world record (9.77)," he said. "The wind conditions weren't too friendly. At the same time, that's basically my PR. I know I'm ready to run fast."
His time was easily the world's fastest this year and the fastest ever run by an American in the United States.
Already this year, Gay has wind-aided runs of 9.76 and 9.79.
Gay, also entered in the 200, had what he called his best start ever.
"It made me a little anxious," he said, wondering just how fast he might go.
He sped away from the field in a breathtaking final 50 meters to win by 0.23 seconds. LSU's Trindon Holliday was second in 10.07. NCAA champion Walter Dix was third at 10.09.
Gay is still coached by former Arkansas assistant Lance Brauman, who is serving a prison sentence in Kansas for embezzlement, theft and mail fraud. Gay has a workout book from the coach and says the two talk regularly. Brauman has to make the call.
Gay was the 100 defending champion because last year's winner, Justin Gatlin, was stripped of the title for testing positive for steroids last April. The 24-year-old sprinter from Lexington, Ky., who now lives in Fayetteville, Ark., broke the meet record of 9.90 shared by former world record holders Greene and Leroy Burrell.
Torri Edwards, also running into a headwind, added another chapter to her triumphant comeback by winning the women's 100 at 11.02 seconds.
Edwards faced a two-year suspension after testing positive for a banned stimulant at a meet in Martinique in 2004.
However, authorities accepted Edwards' explanation that she took glucose that unbeknownst to her was tainted with the stimulant. She still was suspended but was reinstated in November 2005, nine months early, by the International Association of Athletics Federations.
"I'm definitely looking forward to the next three years — the next two world championships and the Olympics," Edwards said. "I want to go out there and get the medals that were left behind."
Reigning world champion Lauryn Williams was second at 11.16, with Carmelita Jeter third at 11.17. Allyson Felix, the world 200 champion, was fourth but still will make the U.S. team for the world championships later this summer because Williams has an automatic spot in that meet as defending champion.
Bernard Lagat successfully defended his 5,000 title, running down Matt Tagenkamp over the final 100 meters to win in 13:30.73. Lagat also is the defending U.S. 1,500 champion, the first double-winner in those events in the meet's history. The Kenyan-born runner, eligible to represent the United States at the world championships, took a victory lap with an American flag draped on his shoulders.
Sanya Richards, who ran under 50 seconds nine times last year, won her semifinal heat by a big margin in 50.02 seconds, fastest in the world this year.
Richards was easy to spot in her bright, lemon-yellow shoes.
"This is my second time wearing these and I really like them," she said. "They're not my final day shoes. Hopefully, those will give me better luck. They're white and gold to match my gold uniform."
Dwight Phillips won his third U.S. long jump title but first since 2004. Phillips is the event's two-time defending world champion and 2004 Olympic gold medalist.
Lopez Lomong, the former "Lost Boy of Sudan" who passed his U.S. citizenship test on Tuesday, advanced to the 800-meter finals by finishing third in his heat. Khadevis Robinson was the fastest qualifier at 1:46.17.
Michael Tinsley's 48.02 in the semifinals of the 400 hurdles was the world's best in the event this year. Brad Walker, second at the 2005 worlds, won the pole vault clearing 18 feet, 8¼ inches.
Reigning world decathlon champion Bryan Clay withdrew from the U.S. championships for the second year in a row.
Clay dropped out after four events on Friday. He still can compete at the worlds as defending champion.
He cited no big health problems, just a few minor dings from the decathlon he completed at the Hypo Meeting in Goetzis, Austria, on May 27.
"A little bit of knee pain, stuff like that," he said. "It wasn't there today. My body wasn't feeling quite up to par. There were some things that were a little off. We were just coming to work out anyway here. It's probably better to go home and work out. We don't want to risk any injury."
A year ago, Clay pulled out after seven events because of low blood sugar.
Tom Pappas, the 2003 world champion and defending U.S. champion, led after Friday's first half of the 10-event competition with 4,394 points.


text:
Vote for a ndidate who supports public services and workers.
Vote for a ndidate who supports public services and workers.
The PSAC Atlantic Regional Women's Conference will be held at the nadian Forces Bases Gagetown in Oromocto, New Brunswick from?October 4 – 6, 2019.? Applitions are due September 6, 2019.
Check out our most recent E-newsletter!
On this National Indigenous Peoples Day, Indigenous people in our union are inviting everyone to join us in celebrating in a new way, one that not only highlights all we have to be thankful for, but also to focus on all that we have to offer the world.
June is Pride month and a time to celebrate how far we've come in achieving LGBTQ2+ rights in the workplace and in our communities.?
Assistance, answers and regular updates.


text:
Telerobotics is the area of robotics concerned with the control of semi-autonomous robots from a distance, chiefly using Wireless network (like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, the Deep Space Network, and similar) or tethered connections. It is a combination of two major subfields, teleoperation and telepresence.
Teleoperation indicates operation of a machine at a distance. It is similar in meaning to the phrase "remote control" but is usually encountered in research, academic and technical environments. It is most commonly associated with robotics and mobile robots but can be applied to a whole range of circumstances in which a device or machine is operated by a person from a distance.[1]
Teleoperation is the most standard term, used both in research and technical communities, for referring to operation at a distance. This is opposed to "telepresence", which refers to the subset of telerobotic systems configured with an immersive interface such that the operator feels present in the remote environment, projecting his or her presence through the remote robot. One of the first telepresence systems that enabled operators to feel present in a remote environment through all of the primary senses (sight, sound, and touch) was the Virtual Fixtures system developed at US Air Force Research Laboratories in the early 1990s. The system enabled operators to perform dexterous tasks (inserting pegs into holes) remotely such that the operator would feel as if he or she was inserting the pegs when in fact it was a robot remotely performing the task.[2][3][4]
A telemanipulator (or teleoperator) is a device that is controlled remotely by a human operator. If such a device has the ability to perform autonomous work, it is called a telerobot. If the device is completely autonomous, it is called a robot. In simple cases the controlling operator's command actions correspond directly to actions in the device controlled, as for example in a radio controlled model aircraft or a tethered deep submergence vehicle. Where communications delays make direct control impractical (such as a remote planetary rover), or it is desired to reduce operator workload (as in a remotely controlled spy or attack aircraft), the device will not be controlled directly, instead being commanded to follow a specified path. At increasing levels of sophistication the device may operate somewhat independently in matters such as obstacle avoidance, also commonly employed in planetary rovers.
Devices designed to allow the operator to control a robot at a distance are sometimes called telecheric robotics.
Two major components of telerobotics and telepresence are the visual and control applications. A remote camera provides a visual representation of the view from the robot. Placing the robotic camera in a perspective that allows intuitive control is a recent technique that although based in Science Fiction (Robert A. Heinlein's Waldo 1942) has not been fruitful as the speed, resolution and bandwidth have only recently been adequate to the task of being able to control the robot camera in a meaningful way. Using a head mounted display, the control of the camera can be facilitated by tracking the head as shown in the figure below.
This only works if the user feels comfortable with the latency of the system, the lag in the response to movements, the visual representation. Any issues such as, inadequate resolution, latency of the video image, lag in the mechanical and computer processing of the movement and response, and optical distortion due to camera lens and head mounted display lenses, can cause the user 'simulator sickness' that is exacerbated by the lack of vestibular stimulation with visual representation of motion.
Mismatch between the users motions such as registration errors, lag in movement response due to overfiltering, inadequate resolution for small movements, and slow speed can contribute to these problems.
The same technology can control the robot, but then the eye–hand coordination issues become even more pervasive through the system, and user tension or frustration can make the system difficult to use.
Ironically, the tendency to build robots has been to minimize the degrees of freedom because that reduces the control problems. Recent improvements in computers has shifted the emphasis to more degrees of freedom, allowing robotic devices that seem more intelligent and more human in their motions. This also allows more direct teleoperation as the user can control the robot with their own motions.
A telerobotic interface can be as simple as a common MMK (monitor-mouse-keyboard) interface. While this is not immersive, it is inexpensive. Telerobotics driven by internet connections are often of this type. A valuable modification to MMK is a joystick, which provides a more intuitive navigation scheme for planar robot movement.
Dedicated telepresence setups utilize a head mounted display with either single or dual eye display, and an ergonomically matched interface with joystick and related button, slider, trigger controls.
Future interfaces will merge fully immersive virtual reality interfaces and port real-time video instead of computer-generated images. Another example would be to use an omnidirectional treadmill with an immersive display system so that the robot is driven by the person walking or running. Additional modifications may include merged data displays such as Infrared thermal imaging, real-time threat assessment, or device schematics.
With the exception of the Apollo program, most space exploration has been conducted with telerobotic space probes. Most space-based astronomy, for example, has been conducted with telerobotic telescopes. The Russian Lunokhod-1 mission, for example, put a remotely driven rover on the moon, which was driven in real time (with a 2.5-second lightspeed time delay) by human operators on the ground. Robotic planetary exploration programs use spacecraft that are programmed by humans at ground stations, essentially achieving a long-time-delay form of telerobotic operation. Recent noteworthy examples include the Mars exploration rovers (MER) and the Curiosity rover. In the case of the MER mission, the spacecraft and the rover operated on stored programs, with the rover drivers on the ground programming each day's operation. The International Space Station (ISS) uses a two-armed telemanipulator called Dextre. More recently, a humanoid robot Robonaut[6] has been added to the space station for telerobotic experiments.
NASA has proposed use of highly capable telerobotic systems[7] for future planetary exploration using human exploration from orbit. In a concept for Mars Exploration proposed by Landis, a precursor mission to Mars could be done in which the human vehicle brings a crew to Mars, but remains in orbit rather than landing on the surface, while a highly capable remote robot is operated in real time on the surface.[8] Such a system would go beyond the simple long time delay robotics and move to a regime of virtual telepresence on the planet. One study of this concept, the Human Exploration using Real-time Robotic Operations (HERRO) concept, suggested that such a mission could be used to explore a wide variety of planetary destinations.[5]
The prevalence of high quality video conferencing using mobile devices, tablets and portable computers has enabled a drastic growth in telepresence robots to help give a better sense of remote physical presence for communication and collaboration in the office, home, school, etc. when one cannot be there in person. The robot avatar can move or look around at the command of the remote person.[9][10]
There have been two primary approaches that both utilize videoconferencing on a display 1) desktop telepresence robots - typically mount a phone or tablet on a motorized desktop stand to enable the remote person to look around a remote environment by panning and tilting the display or 2) drivable telepresence robots - typically contain a display (integrated or separate phone or tablet) mounted on a roaming base. Some examples of desktop telepresence robots include Kubi by Revolve Robotics, Galileo by Motrr, and Swivl. Some examples of roaming telepresence robots include Beam by Suitable Technologies, Double by Double Robotics, RP-Vita by iRobot and InTouch Health, Anybots, Vgo, TeleMe by Mantarobot, and Romo by Romotive. More modern roaming telepresence robots may include an ability to operate autonomously. The robots can map out the space and be able to avoid obstacles while driving themselves between rooms and their docking stations.[11]
Traditional videoconferencing systems and telepresence rooms generally offer Pan / Tilt / Zoom cameras with far end control. The ability for the remote user to turn the device's head and look around naturally during a meeting is often seen as the strongest feature of a telepresence robot. For this reason, the developers have emerged in the new category of desktop telepresence robots that concentrate on this strongest feature to create a much lower cost robot. The desktop telepresence robots, also called head and neck Robots[12] allow users to look around during a meeting and are small enough to be carried from location to location, eliminating the need for remote navigation.[13]
Marine remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are widely used to work in water too deep or too dangerous for divers. They repair offshore oil platforms and attach cables to sunken ships to hoist them. They are usually attached by a tether to a control center on a surface ship. The wreck of the Titanic was explored by an ROV, as well as by a crew-operated vessel.
Additionally, a lot of telerobotic research is being done in the field of medical devices, and minimally invasive surgical systems. With a robotic surgery system, a surgeon can work inside the body through tiny holes just big enough for the manipulator, with no need to open up the chest cavity to allow hands inside.
Remote manipulators are used to handle radioactive materials.
Telerobotics has been used in installation art pieces; Telegarden is an example of a project where a robot was operated by users through the Web.


text:
Mercedes-Benz prototypes spottedWed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700
Modern technology makes it harder for automakers to hide their upcoming products from prying eyes.
Take, for example, these images sent to us from Autoweek subscriber Jonathan Peters while he was in Utah. Peters speculates that what he saw was a gathering of a varied Mercedes-Benz cars being tested, along with cars from other carmakers for comparisons.
There is an A-class with almost no camouflage, and what appear to be multiple C-class cars being tested with heavy camouflage, along with other unidentified vehicles.
By David Arnouts


text:
Pope John Paul II visited the church in November of 2003. He recalled a time when he stayed at the parish, while he was still the Cardinal Archbishop of Kraków, in September of 1969 and shared coffee and cake with parishioners in the school hall.
Numerous elected officials, the Polish Jewish Dialogue Committee, Polish Vice-Consul General Mateusz Stasiek and hundreds of parishioners participated in the ceremony.
"Pope John Paul II's long ministry connected people from every nation and helped make the world a more peaceful place," said Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley. "His leadership during the horrors of WWII was a beacon of hope for countless Polish and Jewish communities."
The official unveiling comes just weeks before Pope John Paul II is officially canonized as a saint on April 26.
"Pope John Paul II touched the lives of billions, and now all Queens residents will be reminded of his legacy for generations to come," Crowley said.


text:
LYMAN PRODUCTS CORP Peep Sights
Lyman Receiver Peep Sights Fits Marlin 336
Lyman 66 peep sights have long been favored by shooters and hunters. The 66LA is for flat receivers, Marlin 336 & 1894.
Features include 1/4 minute audible click micrometer adjustments for elevation and windage, quick release slide, coin slotted (stay-set) knobs and two interchangeable aperture discs (large hunting aperture and small target aperture) for any shooting condition.
SPECIFICATIONS:Mfg Item Num: 3662215 Category: GUN SIGHTS Type :Peep SightMaterial :SteelColor :BlueFirearm Type :Base :


text:
Missing ride: Up, up, and awry
What a lovely gift for Mother's Day: a hot-air balloon ride, during which Robin Warner and her daughter would float above this beautiful slice of earth and delight in the view, the day, and each other. At least, that was the plan– but the plan never got off the ground, and two months later, Robin Warner was still angry about the debacle.
On July 5, she wrote a letter to Jorg Lippuner, General Manager of the Boar's Head Inn. Although the Inn does not own Boar's Head Ballooning, it allows the company to link itself to the Inn, and Warner wanted Lippuner to know the details of her experience.
Warner claims that when her daughter made the reservation, she "was told by Boar's Head Ballooning that she would receive a confirmation in the mail. It never came. Three days before Mother's Day, my daughter called again and was then told she would receive a phone confirmation. It never came either."
The night before Mother's Day, Warner says, after "frantically" trying to reach someone at Boar's Head Ballooning, her daughter finally got a call at 10pm saying that the ride was cancelled due to weather. "She tried to reschedule it a couple more times," but, thanks to June's nonstop rain, it never happened.
"Finally, she got a date for Saturday, June 21. On June 19, she was told that the ride would definitely take place, unless someone called to cancel, and that we were to meet the pilot in the lobby of the Boar's Head Inn at 6am on the 21."
They did as instructed– but "no one came. We waited an hour." During their wait they called Boar's Head Ballooning but got a message saying the office was closed on weekends. The desk clerk at the Inn, according to Warner, had no alternate number for the balloonist.
"We looked in the phone book and found the home number of [Boar's Head Ballooning owner] Rick Behr. There was no answer, and we left a message on his machine." Finally, they gave up and went home.
"We later found out," Warner wrote, "that Mr. Behr had misread the date of the balloon ride. If that had been his first mistake, we would be more understanding, but that mistake, and his ongoing total lack of communication, is grossly unprofessional."
I spoke with Behr, who accepted complete responsibility. "I was on vacation," he said, when he received a fax about Warner's reservation from his office. "It was a mistake, no question about it. I thought it said the 27th."
When I asked why the Warners' original reservation had not been confirmed as promised, either by mail or phone, he replied, "I don't know– I really don't. I [usually] send a confirmation by letter or fax." As for Warner's frustration, he said, "I don't blame her one bit. I was hoping she'd get in touch with me."
That's where the two sides sharply disagree: Warner claims that Behr "shut the door" on further communication, and Behr claims that Warner's anger was so great, he assumed she didn't want to be approached.
Behr said that he'd like to resolve the situation, however, and offered Warner and her daughter a free balloon ride (which would normally cost $165 per person). Warner, for her part, told me she wasn't one to hold a grudge, and would be happy to accept his offer.
As for Jorg Lippuner, the general manager at Boar's Head, he not only discussed the situation with Warner by phone after receiving her letter, but followed up with a written apology.
"We are very sorry to hear of your disappointment," he wrote, "and, as a token of amends, would like you to be our guest for Sunday brunch for two here at our Old Mill Room on August 10."
"It goes without saying," he added, "that I will make Rick Behr aware of our expectations regarding customer service and how negatively the lack thereof reflects on Boar's Head Inn."
Do you have a consumer problem or question? Email the Fearless Consumer, write her at 100 Second Street NW, 22902, or call 295-8700 ext. 406.


text:
World archives Project: Alternate keyboards
Speed of data entry on foreign-language projects may greatly be improved by setting up an alternate keyboard that supports the language.
I recommend the Programmers keyboards as they are basically standard QWERTY keyboards with the special characters entered by use of the
RIGHT-ALT+Letter combinations. Layouts are available for many languages.
To get the capital letters, simply press
shift, and the appropriate
AltGr combination
To set this up see the following article


text:
iTrack Live necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 46 diseños de 18 diseñadores freelance.
iTrack Live
Our strategy is to make managing a fleet of vehicles as easy and efficient as possible to boost operational productivity in any business. Our vision is to provide a service that lets business owners keep up-to-the-second tabs on their vehicles from anywhere in the world. We are a high-energy South African start-up with a rapidly growing client base in Africa.
We're looking for a site that says we're professional and efficient but still able to innovate and respond with the personal touch.
We specifically target business owners of small to medium sized companies in South Africa. These are often logistics or delivery companies but can be any company that has drivers and vehicles that need to be monitored.
Our typical customer is a middle aged male business owner with a medium-sized business.
We are looking to change our company image. We have recently had a new logo designed for us and want to launch a whole new brand image with our website.
We want a website that conveys that we are extremely professional but still innovative and give our customers the personal touch. We pride ourselves in our service delivery and commitment to constant innovation.
Visit our website to see our current design (http://www.itracklive.co.za). Also
see attached images of our new logo.
Things we like on our site:
1. We like our current colour scheme, but are open to new ideas
2. Clear route of contact (phone, email, automatic quotation)
3. Ability to generate a quote right from the home page
4. Easy menu access (few clicks) to get any content on the site
We are looking for a modern website design that conveys that we have cutting edge technology but still does not alienate our client-base (mostly middle aged men).
We want a clean "web 2.0" looking site that is clear and simple to use.
We want the dimensions of the design to be 1024 x 768.
These are features that we require on our front page:
• Clear and obvious space for our existing clients to login (username and password fields)
• Easily accessible contact details (phone number and email address for sales as well as support)
• Online quotation generation form (getting a quote must be made the easiest thing in the world for the customer)
Things we want on the front page:
A flash banner/demo explaining the product, highlighting product features, and giving info about the company (you do NOT need to design this)
Bullet point card of product's strong selling points
Space for testimonials that changing while the customer is browsing
Flash video/in-depth demo of the product (again, you do NOT need to design this)
All Flash/jQuery elements can be a static image in your design.
Examples of the type of flash banner we are looking for (just to give you an idea of our style):
Example of a website with a good look & feel:
The files we will require are:
Original graphics used in the design in .psd or flat format. Flat files must be large enough for us to possibly resize them without loosing much detail.
Please do not use any copyrighted images


text:
Capitol Notebook for Feb. 22, compiled by the Statehouse Bureau.
Play of the Week
Gov. Rod Blagojevich delivered his State of the State/budget address Wednesday to a roomful of leery legislators. He mainly focused on old suggestions as a solution to state government's fiscal problems. He said that partially leasing the lottery, selling future revenues for a lump-sum payment and imposing a payroll tax on some businesses would help.
Head Scratcher
Blagojevich told legislators that health care needs to be a major priority in the budget, but several lawmakers noted afterward that that state has piles of Medicaid bills that must be paid.
"With the backlog of Medicaid (expenses) we will never gain ground while we're still behind with providers," said Jil Tracy, R-Mount Sterling. "To me, we should start trying to pay in a timely manner."
Quote of Note
"After proposing the GRT last year, I can tell you I now have a better appreciation for that old Hank Williams song, 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.' Needless to say, I'm not asking you to do that again." - Blagojevich, acknowledging the weak reception that lawmakers gave last year to his proposal for a "gross receipts tax" on business.
Number to Know
$300. That's the size of the per-child tax credit Blagojevich has proposed for Illinois taxpayers who qualify for the new federal economic stimulus plan.
Coming Up
Tuesday, Feb. 26, is when the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules meets again to consider rules that would implement the governor's proposal to expand health-care access. JCAR members decided earlier this month to delay action until after the governor's budget speech.


text:
to end CGI contract for Obamacare website: report
Send a link to a friend
[January 11, 2014]
By Roberta Rampton and Caroline Humer
(Reuters) — The U.S. government will part ways next month with
contractor CGI Federal over the troubled Obamacare enrollment
website, HealthCare.gov, which failed to work when it launched in
October for millions of Americans shopping for insurance, the
company said on Friday.
HealthCare.gov struggled with error messages and
slow speeds for weeks after its October 1 launch, creating a
political crisis for President Barack Obama, threatening the
roll-out of his signature healthcare law and emboldening its foes
among Republican lawmakers to call for its repeal.
CGI Federal, a subsidiary of CGI Group, built the website.
Its contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS), the agency responsible for the roll out of the Affordable
Care Act, was originally awarded in 2011 and is scheduled to end
February 28.
CMS would not confirm or deny CGI's departure. "We are working with
our contract partners to make a mutually agreed upon transition to
ensure that HealthCare.gov continues to operate smoothly for
consumers," a CMS spokeswoman said.
Obama has said the fiasco with HealthCare.gov has made him want to
overhaul the way the federal government buys technology services.
Critics say the system favors large, established contractors such as
"At the end of the day, you have a company here that turned in
subpar and visibly high-profile work. I think that that's a fireable
offense," said Clay Johnson, chief executive officer of the
Department of Better Technology, and former Presidential Innovation
Fellow who has pushed for procurement reforms.
But the government appears poised to replace CGI with another large
contractor. The Washington Post, which first broke the news,
reported that Accenture will get a year-long contract for the
website worth about $90 million.
The government's dissatisfaction over the website's early crashes,
as well as aspects of the site that still do not work, prompted the
switch, the Post reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
In an emailed statement, an Accenture spokesman said, "We are in
discussions with clients and prospective clients all the time — but
it is not appropriate to discuss new business opportunities we may
or may not be pursuing."
Johnson called the news "disappointing" and pointed to examples of
poorly managed Accenture contracts highlighted by the Project on
Government Oversight, a watchdog group.
For example, the company was publicly faulted by the California
Public Employees' Retirement System (Calpers) for costly delays and
other problems during a major IT overhaul, Johnson noted.
"We'll see how well they do, but Accenture doesn't have a strong
reputation of doing this stuff successfully," Johnson said.
Officials from the administration and CGI had assured Congress over
the summer that HealthCare.gov would open on time and work as
At a September 10 hearing, CGI vice president Cheryl Campbell
testified that the company "is confident that it will deliver the
functionality that CMS has directed to enable qualified individuals
to begin enrolling in coverage when the initial enrollment period
begins on October 1."
Instead, the site failed to load, returned countless error messages,
and generally thwarted the attempts of millions of users to create
accounts, shop for coverage or enroll.
The administration eventually acknowledged that the fault lay in
hundreds of coding errors in the software CGI wrote, and the White
House brought in trusted Obama aide Jeffrey Zients to fix the site
by the end of November.
The improvements allowed more than 1.1 million people to shop for
and enroll in insurance on HealthCare.gov by the end of 2013, far
short of original hopes for early enrollment.
[to top of second column]
Although the site is vastly improved, technical glitches continue
to bedevil enrollment. There are about 13,000 people who are now in
a "caseworker system" to try to resolve particularly thorny
technical issues, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.
The website still lacks several "back end" features, such as a
payment system for insurance companies.
The deadline for signing up for 2014 health insurance under the
Affordable Care Act is March 31, meaning the new contractor will
take over at a time when the government needs the site to handle
what it hopes will be a surge of last-minute sign-ups.
"With only limited days to enroll, the government is rolling the
dice, and the new vendor could be a savior or a bust if new problems
arise," said Scott Amey, general counsel for the Project on
Government Oversight.
But Peter Neupert, an operating partner with Health Evolution
Partners, a private equity firm that invests in health companies,
said he did not think the switch in contractors likely would affect
the website, which is now overseen by Kurt DelBene, a former
Microsoft executive.
"This appears to be about getting a new, hopefully better, team for
the next few cycles of iteration," Neupert said, noting he suspects
DelBene will have a "transition plan" to manage the change.
This is at least the second contract switch for HealthCare.gov. In
November, CMS said it would not renew its contract with Verizon
Communication Inc's Terremark unit for computer servers hosting the
troubled website and instead award a contract for that work to
Hewlett-Packard Co.
Terremark's contract ends on March 30, the day before the sign-up
deadline. The Terremark servers suffered at least one outage last
fall that lasted for hours, making the website inaccessible.
Despite the bad publicity from the website woes, two analysts said
they did not expect CGI to take a significant hit from the end of
the HealthCare.gov contract.
"You could say what they're losing in effect is this $90 million,
12-month contract, which in the context of a $10 billion revenue
company is nothing," said one of the analysts, who declined to be
quoted by name.
U.S.-listed shares of CGI Group closed at $31.58, down 2.9 percent.
The second analyst said CGI might be better off to not be associated
with the highly politicized project. "We will never hear CGI's name
associated with Obamacare, which, frankly, is a very, very good
thing," the analyst said.
(Additional reporting by Sandra Maler in
Washington, Lewis Krauskopf and Sharon Begley in New York, and Leah
Schnurr in Toronto; editing by Karey Van Hall, Michele Gershberg,
Nick Zieminski, Dan Grebler and Lisa Shumaker)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Recent articles
Back to top


text:
Israel's assault on Palestinian militants in Gaza takes rising toll on civilians
Updated at 7:23 a.m. Eastern
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The Palestinian civilian death toll mounted Monday as Israeli aircraft struck densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip in a campaign to quell militant rocket fire menacing nearly half of Israel's population.
An overnight air strike on two houses belonging to an extended clan in Gaza City killed two children and two adults, and injured 42 people, said Gaza heath official Ashraf al-Kidra.
The Israeli military insists its strikes target only militants -- with surgical precision -- and they say they're hitting those targets. But CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata reports that in one of the most densely populated places on the planet, civilian casualties are inevitably mounting.
D'Agata saw what was left Monday morning of a police headquarters that was completely destroyed by two bombs overnight. It was a legitimate target; considered part of the Hamas security apparatus, and it was a surgical strike, but the Israeli missiles blew out all the windows of homes nearby. There's a reason the Isreali military attacks at night. With such a ferocious explosion, anybody on the street would likely have been killed.
- Civilians caught in escalating Israel-Gaza conflict
- Hamas links truce to end of Gaza border blockade
- Obama: Israel has "right to defend itself"
Shortly after the overnight strike on the two houses in Gaza, Israeli aircraft bombarded the remains of the former national security compound in Gaza City. Flying shrapnel killed one child and wounded others living nearby, al-Kidra said. Five farmers were killed in two separate strikes, al-Kidra said, including three who had been identified earlier by Hamas security officials as Islamic Jihad fighters.
Civilian casualties began to shoot up on Sunday, after Israel said it was stepping up attacks on the homes of suspected Hamas activists. After that warning, an Israeli missile flatted a two-story house in a residential area of Gaza City, killing at least 11 civilians, most of them women and children.
It remained unclear who the target of that missile attack was. However, the new tactic ushered in a risky phase of the operation, given the likelihood of civilian casualties in the crowded territory of 1.6 million Palestinians. The rising civilian toll was also likely to intensify pressure on Israel to end the fighting. Hundreds of civilian casualties in an Israeli offensive in Gaza four years ago led to fierce international condemnation of Israel.
In all, 87 Palestinians, including 50 civilians, have been killed in the six-day onslaught and 720 have been wounded.
Three Israeli civilians have died from Palestinian rocket fire and dozens have been wounded. An Israeli rocket-defense system has intercepted hundreds of rockets bound for populated areas.
Monday's air assault in Gaza City reduced two houses to rubble on either side of a street where residents stepped over piles of cinderblocks and twisted metal. Relatives said Ahed Kitati, 38, had rushed out after a warning missile was fired to try to hustle people to safety. But he was fatally struck by a falling cinderblock, leaving behind a pregnant wife, five young daughters and a son, they said.
One of his daughters, Aya Kitati, clutched a black jacket, saying she was freezing, even though the weather was mild. "We were sleeping, and then we heard the sound of the bombs," she said in a whisper, then broke down sobbing.
Ahed's brother, Jawad Kitati, said he plucked the lifeless body of a 2-year-old relative from the street and carried him to an ambulance. Blood stains smeared his jacket sleeve.
Another clan member, Haitham Abu Zour, 24, woke up to the sound of the warning strike and hid in a stairwell. He emerged to find his wife dead and his two infant children buried under the debris, but safe.
Clan elder Mohammed Azzam, 61, denied that anyone in his family had any connections to Hamas.
"The Jews are liars," he said. "No matter how much they pressure our people, we will not withdraw our support for Hamas."
Israel launched the current offensive last Wednesday after months of intensifying rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, which continued despite the strikes. Overnight, the military said, aircraft targeted about 80 militant sites, including underground rocket-launching sites, smuggling tunnels and training bases, as well as command posts and weapons storage facilities located in buildings owned by militant commanders, the military said in a release. Aircraft and gunboats joined forces to attack Hamas police headquarters, and Palestinian rocket squads were struck as they prepared to fire, the release said.
In all, 1,350 targets in the Gaza Strip have been struck since the Israeli operation began on Wednesday. However, military activity over the past two nights has dropped off as targets change and international efforts to wrest a cease-fire plod ahead.
Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi has said repeatedly that he's hopeful a ceasefire agreement can be reached quickly, but a source close to the Hamas delegation in Cairo tells CBS News correspondent Clarissa Ward, so far, the talks are hitting a brick wall.
Ward says part of the reason for the impasse may be that Hamas is making some big demands in exchange for stopping its rocket attacks on Israel -- it wants an end to Israel's five year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which Israel is unlikely to budge on due to fears that it would lead to an influx of weapons to militants inside Gaza.
Failure to end the fighting threatens to touch off an Israeli ground invasion, for which thousands of soldiers, backed by tanks and armored vehicles, have already been mobilized and dispatched to Gaza's border.
CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey says Israel's leaders are keenly aware of the potential costs of such a ground war. They know any incursion would dramatically increase the casualty count, and likely greatly decrease Israel's support from the Western world.
Pizzey reports that a new poll by the widely-read Israeli newspaper Haaretz found that while 90 percent of Israelis say they back the current war, barely 30 percent say they would support a ground invastion of the Gaza Strip.
President Obama said he was in touch with players across the region in hopes of halting the fighting. While defending Israel's right to defend itself against the rocket fire, he also warned of the risks the Jewish state would take if it were to expand its air assault into a ground war.
"If we see a further escalation of the situation in Gaza, the likelihood of us getting back on any kind of peace track that leads to a two-state solution is going to be pushed off way into the future," Obama said.


text:
Sometimes, in our darkest hour, a hand reaches out through history, a fellow traveller from years ago who walked our same blighted road. Which is kind of magical, except when it's incredibly frustrating, because he apparently didn't get his error message resolved either and ugh.
Past is prologue, am I right? Eh? Maybe a little? [xkcd]


text:
Serviços Personalizados
Links relacionados
- Citado por Google
- Similares em Google
Verbum et Ecclesia
versão On-line ISSN 2074-7705
versão impressa ISSN 1609-9982
Verbum Eccles. (Online) vol.32 no.1 Pretoria 2011
A critical analysis of Gretha Wiid's sex ideology and her biblical hermeneutics
Lilly Nortjé-Meyer
Department of Religion Studies, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Gretha Wiid and Angus Buchan have established themselves as the moral gurus of the Afrikaner Christian community with their 'Worthy Women' and 'Mighty Men' mass conferences. Wiid is also often invited by the broadcast media to participate in TV and radio talks to discuss her views on relationships and sex - she is even invited by popular Afrikaans singers to share the stage with them. Recently, Gretha Wiid was again on the front pages of popular magazines to promote her and her husband's views on sex and sexuality based 'on the Bible'. She suggests that women hand over their sexuality, their bodies and their sexual decisions completely into the hands of men. Her view is that the husband is the king, prophet and priest in the family and should be honoured accordingly. The aim of this article was to use Wiid's public appearances and publications as a case study to analyse her statements, hermeneutic principles and procedures and to demonstrate how her interpretation of sex and sexuality is infused by heteropatriarchal biblical discourse. The purpose of the article was to unveil the hermeneutic principles 'ordinary' Christians such as Wiid apply in interpreting biblical texts and how these are culturally inscribed on women's and children's bodies.
Full text available only in PDF format.
Bessel, R., 1981, Social change and political development in Weimar Germany, Croom Helm, London. [ Links ]
Bracher, K.D., 1995, Turning point in modern times. Essays on German and European history, transl. T. Dunlap, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. [ Links ]
Buchan, A., Greenough, J. & Waldeck, V., 2006, Faith like potatoes. A story of a farmer who risked everything for God, Monarch Books, Oxford. [ Links ]
Bushell, M.S., Tan, M.D. & Weaver, G.L., 2005, BibleWorks LLC 1992-2005, computer software, BibleWorks, Norfolk, VA. [ Links ]
Craig, E. & Stander, H., 2009, Die A tot Z van seks. 'n Seksuele verhouding met jou huweliksmaat soos God dit bedoel het [The A to Z of sex. [ Links ] A sexual relationship with your marriage partner as God meant it to be], Carpe Diem Media, Vanderbijlpark.
De Klerk, K., Gretha Wiid - II. 31 July 2009, viewed 24 March 2010, from http://www.litnet.co.za/cgi-bin///giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id=1270&news_id=70867&cat_id=160 [ Links ]
Dunne, G.A. 2003, 'A Passion for "Sameness"? Sexuality and gender accountability', in F. Weeks, J. Holland, & M. Waites, Sexualities and society. A reader, pp. 57-68, Polity Press, Cambridge. [ Links ]
Gibbons, M., Limoges, C., Nowotny, H., Schwartzman, S., Scott, P. & Trow, M., 1994, The new production of knowledge. The dynamics of science and research in contemporary societies, Sage, London. [ Links ]
Hawthorne, S., 2007, 'Heteropatriarchy: Globalisation, the institution of heterosexuality and lesbians', paper presented at the International Feminist Summit, Townsville, Australia, 17-20 July. [ Links ]
Jackson, N., 2009, Women get their own 'Mighty Men', viewed 24 March 2010, from http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Women-get-own-Mighty-Men-20090716 [ Links ]
Jackson, S., 2003, 'Heterosexuality, heteronormativity and gender hierarchy: Some reflections on recent debates', in F. Weeks, J. Holland, & M. Waites, Sexualities and society. A reader, pp. 69-83, Polity Press, Cambridge. [ Links ]
Johnson, E.E., 1998, 'Ephesians', in C.A. Newsom & S.H. Ringe (eds.), Women's Bible commentary, pp. 428-432, expanded edn., Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY. [ Links ]
Koehler, L. & Baumgartner, W., 1953, 'Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti libros: Wörterbuch zum hebräischen Alten Testament in deutscher und englischer Sprache [A dictionary of the Hebrew Old Testament in English and German], [ Links ] Brill, Leiden.
Marwick, A., 1974, War and social change in the twentieth century, a comparative study of Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, Macmillan, London.Mikaelsson, L. 2008, 'Gendering the history of religions', in P. Antes, A.W. Geertz & R.R. Warne (eds.), New approaches to the study of Religion, 1. Regional, critical, and historical approaches, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin. [ Links ]
Nadar, S., 2009a, 'Palatable patriarchy and violence against Wo/men in South Africa - Angus Buchan's Mighty Men's Conference as a case study of masculinism', Scriptura 102(3), 549-559. [ Links ]
Nadar, S., 2009b, Who's afraid of the Mighty Men's conference?, viewed 24 March 2010, from http://www.iam.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=256&Itemid=99 [ Links ]
Nadar, S. & Potgieter, C., 2010, 'Liberated through submission? The Worthy Woman's Conference as a case study of formenism', Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 26(2), 141-151. http://dx.doi.org/10.2979/FSR.2010.26.2.141 [ Links ]
Nielsen J.M., Walden, G. & Kunkel, C.A., 2000, 'Gendered heteronormativity: Empirical illustrations in everyday life', The Sociological Quarterly 41(2), 283-296. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-8525.2000.tb00096.x [ Links ]
Nortjé-Meyer, L., 2005, 'Questioning the perfect male body: A critical reading of Ephesians 4:13',Scriptura 3, 731-739. [ Links ]
Nortjé-Meyer, L., 2010, 'Deconstructing the heteronormative image of the early Christian household: Reconsidering gender as a key organising concept of family functioning', Acta Patristica et Byzantina21(2), 141-151. [ Links ]
People's Global Action Conference, 2008, 'Gendered heteropatriarchy and introduction text for the gender issues', proceedings of the 5th People's Global Action Gathering, Athens, Greece, 20-27 August, viewed 16 April 2010, from http://indy.gr/library/gendered-heteropatriarchy [ Links ]
People Opposing Women Abuse, 2010, Criminal injustice: Violence against women in South Africa. Shadow report on Beijing + 15, March 2010, prepared by POWA with the AIDS Legal Network, on behalf of the One in Nine Campaign and the Coalition for African Lesbians, viewed 16 April 2011, from http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/ngos/POWA_Others_SouthAfrica48.pdf [ Links ]
Samuel, R.H. & Thomas, R.H., 1998, Education and society in modern Germany, Routledge, London. [ Links ]
Schüssler-Fiorenza, E., 2001, Wisdom ways: Introducing feminist biblical interpretation, Orbis Books, New York. [ Links ]
Starbuck, W.H., 2006, The production of knowledge: The challenge of social science research,Oxford University Press, Oxford. [ Links ]
Swart-Walters, L., 2010a, 'Verwoes deur 'n monster [Destroyed by a monster]', Huisgenoot, 04 March, pp. 8-11.
Swart-Walters, L., 2010b, 'Seksreëls: Nee, O Sonde!' [Sex rules: Oh no!]', Huisgenoot, 04 March, pp. 18-19.
Viljoen, S. & Koenig-Visagie, L.H., 2011, 'Gender representation in Christian book covers: A case study', Verbum et Ecclesia 32(1), Art. #487, 9 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ve.v32i1.487 [ Links ]
Wainwright, E.M., 1991, Towards a feminist critical reading of the Gospel according to Matthew, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110877106 [ Links ]
Weiler, H.N., 1996, Educational change and social transformation: Teachers, schools and universities in Eastern Germany, Falmer Press, London. [ Links ]
Whitehead, S.M. & Barrett, F.J. (eds.), 2001, The masculinities reader, Polity Press, Cambridge. [ Links ]
Whitfield, N., 2010, 'Die berouvolle akteur [The penitential actor]', [ Links ] Huisgenoot, 04 March, pp. 120-121.
Wiid, G., 2009a, Seks slim vir ouers en tieners. Verstaan jou tiener se lewe, lus en lyf, [ Links ] [Sex wise for parents and teenagers. Understand your teenager's life, lust and body], Carpe Diem Media, Vanderbijlpark.
Wiid, G., 2009b, Lyfslim vir seuns. Alles waaroor seuns wonder … oor seks, meisies en die dinge daaronder [Body wise for boys. [ Links ] Very thing boys marvel about ... sex, girls and the things down there], Carpe Diem Media, Vanderbijlpark.
Wiid, G., 2009c, DVD, Worthy women conference, Maranatha Christian Publishing, Brits Productions, Centurion. [ Links ]
Wiid, G., 2009d, DVD, Seks in die huwelik - Jou lus, las of liefde? [Marital sex - Your lust, [ Links ] burden or love?], Maranatha Christian Publishing, Brits Productions, Centurion.
Wiid, G., 2009e, DVD, Verstaan jou man beter: Finessekenner [Understand your husband better: Finesse expert], [ Links ] Carpe Diem Media, Vanderbijlpark.
Lilly Nortjé-Meyer
PO Box 524
Auckland Park 2006
South Africa
Email: email@example.com
Received: 15 Oct. 2010
Accepted: 08 Sept. 2011
Published: 28 Nov. 2011


text:
Has Facebook given up on mobile? A spokesman told a crowd of reporters at a London conference Wednesday that the social network isn't concentrating on mobile advertising at all.
What, you might ask, does Facebook not grasp about the idea that mobile advertising will account for $1.5 billion by 2013? Or that Google spent $750 million to buy Admob to get at Apple's iPhone?
Apparently Facebook is biting. From the Guardian (U.K.) article quoting Facebook head of mobile partnerships Fergal Walker:
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
"We are not focused on advertising on mobile at all." Virtual currency and payments? "We're not really focused on world domination or something regarding currency. It's not in our minds. Our minds are very focused on the social web, building basic social experiences on the web with partners."
Walker later said that Facebook was being tentative about bombarding users with ads on its fledgling mobile app. While we can see that Facebook is not trying to kill its golden goose of 500 million users by repelling them from mobile with ads, it's a bit hard to swallow that such a savvy company like Facebook has no mobile ad strategy. Facebook's caring about its users has almost always been about how it could package them and their information to advertisers.


text:
What are people's thought on settling?
Are you interested only in finding someone you have chemistry with?
Personally I want the chemistry because if I date someone and there's no chemistry I feel that I am being unfair to them (they could meet someone who finds them amazing).
Views: 1007
Actually, part of why I am here in this group is because I refuse to settle. I am so turned off by the idea of dating theists that I really would rather stay single.
As for chemistry? If I am intellectually attracted to someone, then the chemistry usually follows.
Depends what you mean by settling. There are obviously deal-breakers, like the big one Shannon mentioned. I have a couple, myself. Theism is obviously a no-no, as is smoking.
Exactly what do you mean by chemistry? When I hear most people use the term, it generally seems to boil down to sexual attraction. I guess that is a requirement for a romantic relationship. If you don't want to jump someone periodically, how is your relationship not just friends or roommates or something? Without the emotional and sexual bond ... well, what's the point?
When I think of "chemistry" I think of the combination of it all- intellectual attraction, physical attraction, emotional attraction. And you are right, without those things, all it is is friendship.
Some people say accept a date from someone if they seem nice, you can learn to like someone. It could happen that way afterall I've been friends with people, who I've not initially been attracted to but fancied them after I've got to know them. So maybe there is something in being open, I now follow the three date rule. Say yes to dating as long as they meet certain criteria (e.g.they are atheist) but if there is no chemistry after three dates end it. The three date rule allows time for you to see if you click on an intellectual level and means that you are less likely to rule out a potential partner.
I have come to see it this way.
I have three sets of "things" that I rate people on.
1 - Deal breakers - These are things I simply can't overlook or compromise on. It's not a big list but there are some critical things. Something like smoking is on this list. Another thing for me is seasickness. If you get sea sick it will not work, I want someone who wants to spend time on the water and getting sick won't do.
2 - Important things - These are things that may bug me but I'm amenable to compromise and I won't say no outright. However, I will be on guard for the time being. Someone being a theist often falls under this category. Simply because most women I meet are more "spiritual" than religious, whatever the hell that means.
3 - Unimportant things - All the other shit I just don't care about. The vast majority of things fall under this category.
At the end of the day though, as another poster said it does come down to chemistry. Which is not just sexual. There is intellectual and emotional chemistry as well. If it's not there, it can't be created. At least that has been my experience.
I guess you could say I'm very picky, I just say I simply know what won't work with me.
depends on how old you are.
Yes Again what do you mean by Settling. do you just to give up looking the the "Perfect" match and settle with close enough? or to settle down with life and have a family?
I'm interested in Chemistry. that is what makes such a good match. Aside from non religious. I want some one who enjoys outdoors, Hiking, Backpacking, Rock climbing, Kayaking and such.
Once you have that chemistry and sex comes it makes (generaly) makes the sex that much better.
Yes if there is no chemistry and you continue to see each other then it is just essentially Friends with Bennifits.
I think it depends on what one means by "chemistry." Usually, I think of people's desire for "chemistry" as a desire for magic--as a desire for something that they take to be entirely beyond their control. It hits, and they're swept away. I generally disapprove of that. It's great if what you want is a fling, I suppose, but for a long-term relationship?
My own view is that the important thing is that you be able to get along with each other and that you *choose* to be loving toward each other. Passion follows. Some people just don't seem to believe that it does. I don't mean that if you're patient and wait ten years it will follow. I mean that it follows upon the conscious decision to be loving toward each other.
I always suggest reading Deborah Tannen's That's Not What I Meant!: How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships. I also suggest looking at the results of the PAIR (Processes of Adaptation in Intimate Relationships) Project, which studied what characteristics tend to be associated with relationships' lasting and what characteristics tend to be associated with relationships' not lasting. (One finding is that people who are dissatisfied with their relationships are, on average, no more compatible and no less compatible with their partners than people who are satisfied with their relationships. But they *think* they're incompatible, and they focus on that, and they brood over that, and they end up leaving or driving their partners to leave.)
We have a "can-do", "I can have anything that I want" culture that enjoins people to optimize. Optimize your career choice, your investment strategy, your hairstyle, your choice of mate - everything. This culture says to never settle, for any settling is shortchanging oneself.
I think that that's nonsense. So much of our lives is beyond our control, even when we consciously strive towards a goal that is reasonable and which we are in principle equipped to attain. While one should not "settle" on the first available partner who bothers to return one's phone calls, it is ludicrous and dangerous to optimize. Find Mr./Miss "good enough", and settle for that.
There is not settling and then there is removing yourself from any chance of finding companionship through unrealistic levels of restriction. I have physical and mental likes and then I have some repulsion towards some physical or mental characteristics. I can't settle for someone in the repulsion side of things as it would never work but you also have to be careful about restricting yourself out of possibilities.
Personally, I think for me it would be an issue for me to settle on the deal breakers. I'm not a person to quibble on minor issues however if you don't have all three qualifications then there could be a problem in the future. Even if I didn't settle one of these things I don't think I would be happy because I compromised a part of my uniqueness for a relationship with a person who doesn't accept the most important things that make up my personality. I think it's extremely shallow to choose a mate by trivial caveats like he or she MUST love sports. I've even seen profiles posted by male users who essentially are seeking an equivalent to a male hangout buddy.
I think it is *essential* not to "settle" on the must-haves or the dealbreakers. Some are structural: if one person is set on a big family (something I will editorially note that none of us should be set on in an overpopulated world) and the other is set on having no kids at all, it's going to be hard to compromise. Others are preferences, but really, really strong ones: I, for example, will not try living with someone who smokes indoors. I have trouble imagining being happy in the long term when the really *big* things are not as you want them to be.
But you have to ask yourself: "What can I live with?" Can you live with your partner's having curly hair? Can you live with your partner's folding the newspaper "the wrong way"? What can you live with? What just isn't a big deal? Never make mountains out of molehills if you can help it.
To me, it seems that loving is the *easy* part. *Liking* is the hard part. Loving is just a matter of *permitting yourself to love*. But *liking*--that requires more. That requires things like enjoying the other person's sense of humor, approving of the other person's sense of values, and simply enjoying spending time with the other person. (For a highly sexual person--like me--being involved with another highly sexual person ensures enjoying spending lots of time together, so perhaps for a highly sexual person liking isn't as important as for someone who, like a friend of mine, just isn't a very sexual creature. But you still really want to be involved with someone whom you do, in fact, like as well as love.)
(Please recognize, too, that it's OK to be two different people. The one woman I've been involved with who seemed like a really good match to me left when she noticed differences between us--including, of all things, liking different things to eat--and apparently decided that that meant we were doomed. [I say "apparently" because she left and cut off all communication.] She left when we had had no fights at all and seemed very compatible. But there will always be differences.)
© 2020 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


text:
Laura Sizer, Dean of the School of Cognitive Science and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Hampshire College, is organizing a small conference next summer to explore "issues at the intersections of the neurosciences and the social sciences and humanities." The conference is supported by the Foundation for Psychocultural Research – Hampshire College's Program in Culture, Brain & Development. Below is the call for conference proposals; feel free to pass it on to interested colleagues.
From NeuroSelves to NeuroSocieties: Cross-disciplinary Conversations Around the Neurosciences
June 11th & 12th, 2012
Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts
An interdisciplinary conference hosted by Hampshire College and the Foundation for Psychocultural Research-Hampshire College Program in Culture, Brain & Development.
Call for Proposals
Our understandings of self and society are being transformed by the neurosciences. At the same time neuroscience is shaped and driven by social structures such as law, media and education, and informed by fields such as sociology, anthropology, philosophy and evolutionary biology. The emerging fields of neuroethics, neurolaw and neuroeconomics are a testament to the desire to apply a better understanding of the brain to moral and social issues, but also point to a need to understand the myriad ethical, legal and cultural implications of the science itself.
This conference offers an opportunity for cross-disciplinary communication among scholars from many disciplines around how the neurosciences shape – and are shaped by – diverse social forces and cultural ideas.
We invite proposals from faculty and graduate students from a wide range of disciplines and perspectives.
Please submit a proposal that describes your background, interest, and proposed presentation topic. Participants will be expected to give a short presentation of how their work engages with – or could shed light on – issues at the intersections of law, philosophy, economics, ethics, or some other aspect of the cultural/social/political sphere and the neurosciences. Participants will receive a $500 stipend. Some assistance is available to help with travel costs; applicants are invited to apply for travel funding.
The conference program features two keynote speakers: Dr. Adina Roskies, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Dartmouth College, and Dr. Peter Reiner, Professor, National Core for Neuroethics and the Kinsman Laboratory of Neurological Research, Department of Psychiatry and Brain Research Center, University of British Columbia.
Presentations and panels will be structured around participant interests and proposals. For illustrative purposes only, possible topics might include (but are not limited to): changing conceptions of moral, personal or economic decision-making; diagnosis, treatment and conceptions of mental illness; ethical challenges posed by neuroscience research; art and neuroscience of creativity; social and ethical implications of neuropharmacological interventions; interactions between educational policies, practices, and the neurosciences; questions of free will and human agency; neuroscience of empathy, trust, and sociality; brain imagery and popular media; neuroscientific recasting of social problems such as addiction and violence.
Please go to http://www.hampshire.edu/cbd/22808.htm for more information about the conference and submitting a proposal. The deadline to submit proposals is February 15th, 2012. Please send proposals and questions to Ryan McLaughlin, CBD coordinator, email@example.com .


text:
For now, William Ackman is getting the better of Carl Icahn in a well-publicized grudge match between the billionaire investors over Herbalife Ltd .
Shares of the nutritional supplement company are down 20 percent since the hedge fund managers duked it out by telephone on cable television station CNBC on Jan 25., exchanging barbs about Ackman's bold $1 billion bet that Herbalife is an unsustainable pyramid scheme destined to collapse.
But a big concern for investors in Ackman's $12 billion Pershing Square Capital Management is whether Icahn, who boldly predicted Ackman will get caught in the "mother of all short squeezes," will have the last laugh in this battle of hedge fund titans.
A short squeeze is a trading scenario that occurs from time to time in heavily shorted stocks, when bearish traders are forced to buy shares to avoid big losses – something that ends up pushing the stock only higher.
A short squeeze could be particularly punishing for Ackman's Pershing Square, which has shorted some 20 million shares of Herbalife. That accounts for roughly 56 percent of the shares sold short, according to Jan. 15 data released by Nasdaq.
Short squeezes can quickly wash out bearish traders with weak stomachs who used a loan to borrow shares from a broker. And in a worst case scenario the losses can be unlimited if a stock keeps rising and a trader waits too long to buy shares to close out the short position.
But Pershing Square may be better positioned than other short sellers in Herbalife. A person familiar with the hedge fund said Pershing Square largely used cash on hand to build its short position last year.
Paul Irvine, a finance professor at the University of Georgia who has done research on short squeezes, said because Ackman did not use borrowed money, he does not face the additional risk of a margin call and is less likely to be forced out of his position.
Ackman then may be better able to stand by his conviction that Herbalife is a pyramid scheme that generates most of its revenues from sales to its network of distributors and not from outside consumers. But it could take years for his view to pan out, if ever, setting the stage for a protracted battle with Herbalife's more bullish investors.
Herbalife has denied Ackman's claim it is pyramid scheme and said the company is "financially strong and successful" and operates in 88 markets around the world after 32 years in business.
Pershing Square already weathered an initial short squeeze in Herbalife that began a week after Ackman went public with his criticisms of the company on Dec. 20. That first squeeze began before the Jan. 9 disclosure by Daniel Loeb's Third Point hedge fund that it had amassed an 8 percent equity stake in Herbalife.
Loeb has told his investors Herbalife is a strong financial performer that could see its stock trade up to $55 to $68 a share.
Icahn won't confirm whether he owns Herbalife shares but the Wall Street Journal reported he acquired a small position around the same time as Loeb.
"Less than a week after Ackman's announcement on December 20th, we saw a sharp increase in traders covering their short positions, seemingly resulting in a squeeze," said Karl Loomes, market analyst at SunGard's Astec Analytics, a provider of data on securities lending.
Shares of Herbalife, which initially plunged 40 percent after Ackman's presentation, surged 76 percent during the height of that initial short squeeze, which took place approximately from December 24 to January 15.
During the period Herbalife shares were roaring back from $26.06 to $46.19, the cost of borrowing Herbalife shares from a broker surged from 1 percent to a peak of over 7 percent on an annualized basis, according to data from Astec Analytics.
Since the squeeze ended, the cost of borrowing Herbalife shares has fallen to around 2 percent annually.
Ackman's Pershing Square, according to sources familiar with the fund, has not covered any of its short positions in Herbalife. It ended January up roughly 4 percent, compared to a roughly 1.74 percent gain for the average hedge fund, according to a Bank of America/Merrill Lynch research analyst.
It's not known at what price Ackman began shorting shares of Herbalife but he has said he began doing so last May when the stock was trading around $45 a share. The stock closed trading on Tuesday at $35.75 a share.
Pershing Square's better than average performance came mainly from the performance of other stocks in its portfolio such as Canadian Pacific Railway and Procter & Gamble , which both rose sharply in January.
Meanwhile, Loeb's flagship Third Point Offshore fund was up 4.8 percent in January.
Still, there are some indications that another short squeeze could be in the offing, which raises the question of just how much pain and volatility Ackman and his investors can withstand.
Thomson Reuters StarMine compiles an indicator using a stock's volatility over the past 3 and 12 months and the level of short interest to predict the likelihood of a short squeeze over the next 30 days. On a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 meaning a short squeeze is very likely, Herbalife scores a 95.
Another way in which Ackman's big short could go against him is if Herbalife bought back a number of its outstanding shares, or if another company decided to make an offer for Herbalife.
"Companies often increase share repurchases when short selling increases," said Edward Swanson, a professor at the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University.
Herbalife already did exactly that when it increased a share buyback program in May after short-seller David Einhorn questioned the company's disclosures about its network of distributors.
Einhorn recently told his Greenlight Capital investors he is no longer short the stock. It's not known when he began shorting the company's shares.
© Thomson Reuters


text:
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. Patty Murray blasted one of several new ads attacking Obamacare for being "deplorable and sexist" on Friday.
The ads are by a libertarian group, Generation Opportunity, which feature young people who go to a doctor's appointment only to have an intentionally creepy Uncle Sam pop up ready to give them an exam. Meant to encourage young people to "opt out," of Obamacare, one ad features a young woman implicitly having a gynecological exam.
To that ad in particular, Murray, D-Washington, called on Republican leaders to "immediately repudiate these tactics and those who stoop to use them."
"This ad represents right-wing scare tactics at the most deplorable and sexist level," Murray said in the statement, saying that the ad is supported by the ultra-conservative Koch brothers.
"This ad shows the utter disregard the right-wing continues to have for women, their privacy, and their ability to make decisions about their own bodies."
In an emailed statement, a Generation Opportunity spokesman hit back at Murray for "allowing her staff to opt-out of expensive and creepy Obamacare exchanges."
"It's a shame she doesn't feel her constituents deserve the same options when it comes to health care coverage," the spokesman, David Pasch, said.
Obamacare is simply a set of new laws around regulation and access which include tax credits and expansion of medicaid at lower income levels. It mandates coverage levels and limits profit percentages that insurance companies can make. It's goal is to expand access to health insurance and healthcare. Everything is still private, from the insurance companies providing the insurance to the doctors and hospitals providing the care. There is no big brother here giving women pelvic exams or any other nonsense like that. Given the fact that the ACA will cause certain people to make less money, it is understandable that corporate America and it's puppets in the US government will do whatever they can to kill or cripple it. The American people need to learn about what the ACA is, rather than listen to the idiots on Fox and other such places who have an obvious agenda.
The ACA is good enough, and mandated, for all Americans, but Congress, the Senate, the White House and all of their staff can "opt out". That should tell you something.
Who cares if the IRS and everyone in government has access to your health records, your history of STD's and mental problems.
We are talking the IRS here, what could POSSIBLY go wrong.
Own it America, you voted for this.
The medical record keeping rules in Obamacare represents the single largest largest invasion of personal privacy after the NSA scandal. The next time you apply for life insurance or anything else, your entire medical history including every prescription prescribed for you is now available via your social security number at the mere push of a button. Each and every time you go to a doctor's office or obtain a prescription, they ask you to sign to acknowledge the "privacy" rules. These rules are ACTUALLY disclosure rules. They just call them by a clever name so you won't ask 10,000 questions and wonder who can see your medical records. Almost any interested party will get access. Still feeling warm and fuzzy about Obamacare?
If you all read the article it was not a Republican group it is Libertarian....they are not republicans. Libertarians are proud to not be Republican or Democrats. Scare tactics have been a part of politics since the country was founded.
If Obamacare is such a disaster, why are conservative extremist groups spending so much money on propaganda trying to convince everyone its a disaster? If it's true, why not just sit back, save the money, and let everyone come to that conclusion on their own?
Why would a conservative extremist group spend so much money misleading people into being scared about Obamacare rather than just doing what SHOULD be the conservative "thing" and allowing people to make their own personal decisions about it? Is it really "conservative" to lie to people in an effort to mislead them rather than leaving them to their own empowerment to reach a decision on their own?
How many GOP votes to repeal Obamacare, and ZERO GOP alternative plans being submitted to the American people for consideration? The American people do not want to go back to the days of private insurance company death panels, which is all the GOP has to offer.
If the GOP shuts down the govt over obamacare, then they should be held accountable. Instead of just saying no, no, no, why don't you work to make the law better? You had 8 years under Bush to come up with a plan and did nothing, you have had 5 years under Obama and have offered nothing better. Hey GOP, tell us what you will do, not what you won't do!!!!
The ads really are disgusting but you must remember they are written to appeal to the mental level of the bigoted racist sheep that have recently begun to rally around that Foreign Born Senator Fulgencio Batista Cruz of Texas. Oh Well, stupid is as stupid does.
George t, get a grip. You do know all your info is already out there !! What do you think you have been giving your current health insur carrier. If you haters had a brain you might be dangerous.
Libertarians are in the Republican party, Loren. Democrats gave us Social Security and Medicare, Republicans are against
those programs. Democrats gave us "Obamacare", Republicans are against it- I see a pattern here.


text:
Evolutionary Giving
Christine Swanson loves staying put and loves going away, loves being at home with her dogs Sydney and Darwin and loves exploring the world. It's not a paradox but a way of life, first nurtured at Lewis & Clark where she thrived on residential living and thrilled at studying in New Zealand and Australia.
"Lewis & Clark gave me the confidence and skills to do anything I wanted to do. Our professors encouraged us to try different things and expected us to go full steam ahead–and I did."
Since earning her degrees (B.A. '73, M.A.T. '74), she has traveled to every continent and pursued life as a teacher, travel agent, tour guide, bookstore owner, and underwater photographer while also volunteering as a court-appointed special advocate for abused and neglected children. Keenly aware of the power of place, she is leaving her Portland house to Lewis & Clark, knowing that–like her education–the impact of her gift will evolve over time, transforming lives.


text: Spielbeschreibung / game description:Open up your own fashion shop with Goodgame Fashion. Find new friends worldwide, visit their shops and talk about the latest fashion trends. Become a fashion designer, buy hot fabrics and produce your own apparel. Rearrange your window display regularly to inspire your customers. Happy customers will boost your sales and soon you can upgrade your shop. Grow with your shops popularity and make your shop the hottest fashion place in town.