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Going north there is a serious hill, Lewis has many ancient brochs, stone circles to see.
Harris and Lewis, though named seperately are a single island. Harris is the southern part, Lewis is in the north. Lewis is mostly open moorland, Harris is mountainous but very scenic, the east coast is rocky. The west coast is flatter, with vast sandy beaches. While Harris is hillier than Lewis it is more scenic and you should try to find time to cycle right round South Harris. If however you are going north, and are faced with the choice of cycling up the west coast or the east coast the west is probably the best choice - it's certainly less hilly!
Harris Tweed is cloth that has been handwoven by the islanders of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra in their homes, using pure virgin wool that has been dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides. This is the definition of Harris Tweed contained in the Harris Tweed Act of 1993 and it ensures that all cloth certified with the Harris Tweed Orb symbol complies with this definition and is genuine Harris Tweed, the world's only commercially produced handwoven tweed. For centuries the islanders of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra have woven the cloth: Clo Mhor in the original Gaelic- 'The big cloth'. As the Industrial Revolution reached Scotland, the mainland turned to mechanisation but the Outer Islands retained their traditional processes. Lewis and Harris had long been known for the excellence of the weaving done there, but up to the middle of the nineteenth century, the cloth was produced mainly for home use or for a local market. Nowadays of course it is exported all over the world. More of the cloth is in fact produced in Lewis but you can still see Harris tweed being woven in Harris on the west coast at Luskentyre - take the dead end road off to Luskentyre beach to get to them: Luskentyre Harris Tweed Co. tel: 01859 550261.
The Outer Hebrides are noteable for numerous lochs. Some of these are brackish and others are dark and acidic, water lillies are quite common and many have populations of trout and charr. Birds include dunlin, redshank, plover, lapwing and the islands are the last stronghold of the corncrake. Nearly every beach seems to have a population of sandpipers. The islands are formed on the oldest exposed rock in the world, Lewisian Gneiss. This is grey coloured with bands of white and dark minerals contorted by the pressure of the earth. These were formed over 3000 million years ago, similar rocks are found today in Canada to which this part of Scotland was once joined.
Route Description
Going north from Tarbert to Stornoway is a one day ride, passing fiord-like Loch Seaforth. At first it's hilly, with a mountainscape more like Norway than Scotland. Just after you pass West Loch Tarbert there is an long steep climb. The views are splendid when you get to the top, stretching over towards Rhenigidale and Loch Seaforth. Naturally there is a corresponding descent (or climb) on the other side. Once you have passed Loch Seaforth the cycling gets easier. As in the Uists you will find that there are regular bus services with the bus drivers usually being fairly obliging and willing to take bikes.
Generally Lewis is a vast moor covered in lochs and peat. Many loch names end in 'vat' revealing their Norse origin. The west coast is interesting with many things to see, notably the broch at Dun Carloway two miles south of Carloway, and the standing stones at Calanais (Callanish). There is a tea room and shop at Calanais. If you are cycling between Calanais or Carloway and Stornoway you should note that there is a useful back road, still with a good surface, running north of the A858, this is more direct and very quiet. Try to see the broch at Carloway which is particularly well preserved. Brochs are something unique to Scotland. They are impregnable towers, usually near the sea. There are brochs all over Scotland but none elsewhere. Built from 100BC to AD100, the precise reason for their construction is a mystery. At Arnol is the Black House Museum. This display of how things used to be was lived in up to 1964. North again is Eoropie, the most northerly village in the Hebrides. The 12th century church of St Moluag is here, key in the shop. A mile north again the road ends at the Butt of Lewis lighthouse.
Stornoway, the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, is the centre of Scottish Gaelic culture. Caledonian MacBrayne ferries (01851-702361) sail from here to Ullapool (2.6 hours). It has it has hotels, restauraants, B&Bs, hostels and shops plus a tourist office (01851-703088).


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Editor's note: Nicola Adams, 29, is the first ever Olympic gold medalist in women's boxing. In front of a home crowd at the London 2012 Olympics, she fought her way past a year-long injury to knock down Chinese boxer Ren Cancan in the final. Here she reveals how she fell in love with the sport and her heartache when she almost couldn't carry on.
Sheffield, England (CNN) -- Everyone thinks I'm a woman in a man's world, but to me I'm just a boxer doing the sport I love.
It's been with me since I was a child. My dad had videos of all the great fighters -- Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali. I watched them winning their Olympic medals and world titles and saw those big crowds and thought to myself, "that looks exciting."
Then one night when I was 12 years old, my mum couldn't get a babysitter for me and my brother, so she took us down to the gym with her. They had an after-school boxing class, so I joined in and absolutely loved it.
Everybody I met down there became like a little family to me. They'd take me to boxing exhibitions and shows, introduce me to new people and we'd all just stick together.
This was so important for my development because it meant I always wanted to be there, I always felt supported and knew that there were people who believed in me.
You have to remember that being a great boxer is only 50% physical; the rest is mental. You have to be really confident, calm, relaxed and focused. You've got to get in there thinking "I can win. I can achieve this."
More from Human to Hero: Prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova
My first competitive bout was really fun. I remember peering behind the curtain, peeping out and seeing all my friends and family in the crowd waiting for it to begin.
There weren't many female boxers around at that time, it was very rare, so I just wanted to get in there and perform and show off my skills. That's when I remember thinking, "yeah, I love this sport!"
But it wasn't easy to get to where I am now. All the training from such a young age has been tough. A standard day involves a run in the morning, followed by strength and conditioning exercises -- where I do weights, press ups, pull ups -- and then a boxing session which includes bags, pads, and sparring.
There are times you have to run through the rain and it's cold and it's minus whatever degrees outside, but you just have to get up and you go and do the work.
And on top of that everything you eat is monitored. You can't just go out and have a McDonald's or a pizza when you want, you have to be so strict on yourself.
There's no way of finding the motivation for doing it unless you absolutely love the sport. You've got to really love it like nothing else otherwise you won't get through the training.
That's why I don't see it as a sacrifice. I see it as things I want to do, I choose to do. I choose to not go out clubbing and drinking with my friends because I want to be a great boxer.
But life can get in your way no matter how dedicated you are, no matter how hard you train.
Having hardly sustained any injuries in the ring -- just one broken thumb -- I seriously put my back out in 2009 when I tripped over a bandage hanging out of my bag.
I got up and didn't feel in too much pain. In fact, I even went to a tournament and it wasn't until a few weeks later that the pain got worse and worse.
They took me to the doctors and found a crack in one of my vertebrae -- I was out of boxing for a year. I had to have complete bed rest for three to four months.
It was so difficult because I'm a get-up-and-go person. I like to run around, see what's going on. To be laid in bed, brace put on to keep my spine in line, it was really hard to pick myself up again.
More from Human to Hero: Molecular gastronomy chef Heston Blumenthal
There were moments when I thought I couldn't continue, but my friends and family helped me through the hard times, and I just managed to make it back in time for the last assessment camp and make the team. It was almost like it was meant to be.
Then came the Olympic final against Cancan. I just remember thinking, whatever she does I'm going to do 10 times better; she throws a punch I'll throw five back. She bought out the very best in me in that match.
The 10 seconds before I was told that I'd won, I already knew it. I could feel it, I was just thinking I can't believe that I've done this; I can't believe I'm going to be Olympic champion in front of my home audience.
Winning the medal meant everything; all the hard work, all the ups and downs, highs and lows, everything in my life has revolved around boxing. So for me, winning the gold medal was everything I dreamed about as a kid.
By putting women's boxing in the Olympics, they showed that women can and should be allowed to do any sport they choose. It's all about equality, it's time for a change.

subset: commoncrawl


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Design Quotes
Imagination Can Take You Everywhere But Design Will Take You to Somewhere Great
Here is another series of great design quotes with my interpretations and explanations. My favorite one among these is perhaps the last one: to be a great designer start by deciding yourself, see why I like this quote by reading my interpretation below the quote. As always, enjoy and share with the rest of the world if you like them.All great designs are grand work of arts but not vice versa : great design can be considered an art but art cannot be considered a design in most cases, that is perhaps because design is about creating a functional product that appeals to login, and great design is a functional product that appears to both logic and emotion, and art appeals mainly to emotions.Bad design is simply great imagination without wisdom : Design without wisdom results in bad design, products that do not function well or do not appeal to the senses of the consumers. Wisdom is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight, and for great design wisdom is essential.Design is a logical dream that will come true : Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur in our mind, design can be compared to a dream is structured and logical; it is a concrete idea that could be realized or executed. Thus the difference between design and dream is control and structure of the thoughts.Supreme excellence in design is to create an artifact that is both used and loved : many byproducts of design process is just used; i.e. consumed by consumers or clients, however great designs are able to create that special emotional bound with their users thus they are not just used but also loved, adored and valued more by the people.Good design can arise by imitating great design but great design can't : It is called following best practices; i.e. getting inspired or following similar methodology of successful products to create something that provides solid value. However great design must be original, and it does not mimic any other design, if it mimics, it cannot be great design.Art loves imperfection but design does not, because imperfect design can cost lives : A perfect art piece, i.e. highly ordered, great technique etc can be boring occasionally and some of the greatest artworks include a level of imperfection that gives the soul of the object, thus art loves imperfection but you cannot do the same in design; because design produces products and services consumed by masses, and a single mistake can be fatal.Good designers design what they would design before they start designing it: Great design starts with research; thus good designers start designing by conceiving the research methodology first; before the design of the actual product or service, the prior design step is to determine the needs of end-users and consumers in order to design something good.To make great design you must despise good design : If you accept statusquo you cannot go forward; i.e. if you would be very happy with a product, you would perhaps not be able to improve it, and likewise in order to be able to improve a product, a designer must have the capacity to make a good critique to determine what could be improved.The easiest way to get clients to your design business is to make great designs : well said, it is sad but true there are many people who call themselves as designers but instead of spending time on their designs, they use this to market their products; best designs market themselves, and thus best way to publicize a design business is to first make great designs and then to spread the news.Those who enjoy design will ultimately create a great product : well perhaps because you need to love what you do in order to be very successful in it. Loving design means continual designing and experimentation, thus it is feasible to accept that after so much experimentation we could come up with a great product that creates real value.Best way to change future is to design it : this is indeed fun, I think here design is used in the sense of planning for future, but could also be researching, conceiving and shaping it. If we want to create a better future, we must design it now, but we must design it also; i.e. we must implement design-thinking to create it.Design process is an endless loop of hope : from what I see, many designers are working hard to come up with good designs and products, and each time it starts with passion and ends with a baby product. This is like a loop because designers can always find new ways to grow their baby, but not all babies become great man when they grow up, yet there is always hope.The secret to get a design job is to have a great portfolio : a different version of the quote below, more suited for the young designers. I too agree that a great portfolio, rich and well-done helps anyone to secure a design job. It is the young designers task to work hard in order to come up with original ideas, concepts and designs for her portfolio.Imagination can take you everywhere but design will take you to somewhere great : this is a play on Einsteins' quote that logic takes you from A to B, and imagination could take you anywhere. Here design is controlled imagination; i.e. it is a tool to get you to wherever you want, perhaps not anywhere but specifically somewhere great!.The secret to be a great designer is to love designing : straightforward as it is, perhaps many designers are not aware of this fact. Many think they are designers but in fact they are design workers; a true designer enjoys design to such a degree that she does not think it like a job. Thus the secret of great designers is loving design.If you love designing people will love your designs : perhaps because good design requires you to put your all emotions inside. Without loving to design, you cannot actually create products that contain emotions, and without emotions your products would be dull and boring. However if you put emotion to your design, it could be attractive and loved by many.Best way to succeed in design business is to design good : another version of good design is good business, however more straightforward and sincere. I think it should also be noted that just designing good is not enough, you need to design great and afterwards you need to let people know that you designed great.Design is a function of time, imagination & wisdom : increase one of them and you will have a good design. I think for great design, you need time to make good research and to execute the ideas well, imagination is necessary to come up with original solutions, and wisdom is essential to ensure your solutions do actually work.To be a great designer, start by designing yourself: this is my favorite quote from this series, at first the literal meaning is like; you need to design original works to be a great designer, but then I also understand that it also relates to self-design; instead of designing yourself; you design yourself; i.e. you create your own character as a designer.Exerpt:Here is another series of great design quotes with my interpretations and explanations. My favorite one among these is perhaps the last one: to be a great designer start by deciding yourself, see why I like this quote by reading my interpretation below the quote. As always, enjoy and share with the rest of the world if you like them.All great designs are grand work of arts but not vice versa : great design can be considered an art but art cannot be considered a design in most cases, that is per..
Design Quotes Images:
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If Jay Leno didn't watch Conan O'Brien's appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman" last night, his ears had to be burning, as he was the two late-night hosts' favorite topic of conversation and mocking.
Alternately sharing their impersonations of the "Tonight Show" host — for the record, O'Brien does a much better Leno — Letterman and O'Brien also discussed O'Brien's pre-"Tonight Show" fiasco relationship with Leno.
"Did you feel a kinship, camaraderie?" with Leno, Letterman asked the "Conan" host.
"Uhhhhhhh, it's a busy world, I come from a large family," O'Brien stammered. "No, I would say, up until this event, we didn't have that much in common. We're quite different fellows, he and I.
Also read: Conan O'Brien and David Letterman Mock Leno on 'Late Show' (Video)
"I don't own many automobiles that were made before 1904 … primarily of brass and leather …"
A cackling Letterman responded, "Now we're going … now we're getting someplace."
"There are very few ways — and I'm not saying this in a disparaging way at all — there are very few ways in which he and I relate … we're not interested in the same things," O'Brien continued, before he and Letterman busted out simultaneous Leno impressions.
Watch the video:


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On the mound, Daniel Hudson cruised through the first two innings before allowing three runs in the third. But the Sox remained encouraged because Hudson kept throwing the strikes and getting ground balls.
Guillen seemed to indicate that Hudson still projects as a starter in the minors because he doesn't want him sitting in the bullpen for weeks should the Sox's starters pitch deep into games.
"It's a tough decision for us to make," Guillen said. "But we want the best for him and the best for the club. … It's something that goes through our minds every meeting we have."
Ozzie, also, liked Brandon Short's home run and said they'll keep an eye on reliever Greg Aquino.


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Posts Tagged 'Democratic Socialists of America'
In the last two days I have been reading up on a story I first read about at American Thinker titled, "Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis." The title of this article caught my attention, and as I read it, I was immediately struck by a sense of confirmation. Confirmation that the thoughts […]
Filed under: Barack Obama, Election 2008, Politics, Uncategorized | 14 Comments
Tags: Al-Mansour, Alinsky, ayers, Barack, Barack Obama, Bernardine Dohrn, Bill Ayers, Braun, Carl Davidson, Carol Braun, Carol Moseley Braun. Davidson, Cloward and Piven, Cloward and Piven Strategy, Cloward-Piven, Cloward-Piven Strategy, communism, Communist, Communist Party, Communist Party USA, CPUSA, Davis, Democratic Socialists of America, dohrn, DSA, Election 2008, Frank Marshall Davis, Gamaliel Foundation, Harold Washington, Khalid Al-Mansour, manchurian, Manchurian Candidate, marxism, Marxist, New Party, Nobama, Obama, Saul Alinsky, SDS, socialism, Socialist, Socialist Scholars Conference


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Top Tech M4 Carbine Blowback
-Reliable blowback system
-High performance and quality
-Unique design points
-Markings leave room for improvement
Overall a very well designed and made AEG from Top Tech, with very good finishing, performance and multiple innovative and unique design points. Pretty much the only thing to wish for would be more realistic markings, or rather a blank receiver instead.
As soon as the first electric airsoft guns were introduced in the early 90's, many users have longed for something more realistic than the recoil-less action and sound of a sewing machine. Various blowback systems have been developed, with Tokyo Marui pioneering the idea with their PSG-1. That and the following blowback systems or AEGs have been mechanically linked to the piston to provide the blowback, but the return spring reduces Rate Of Fire, and the mechanical parts have not been quite as well designed as the original gearbox, so failures have been common. Also as the bolt carrier would move with the piston, the guns would commonly rack the moving parts before shooting the BB.
Using patented technology from G&G, Top Tech has released an AEG with a new kind of a blowback system. In this version, part of the compressed air is driven into another piston on top of the gearbox, and blowback action is provided simultaneously with shooting the BB for increased realism. Because there is no mechanical link between the piston and blowback system, jamming the bolt carrier won't affect the cycling of the gearbox. In fact you can hold the bolt carrier still with your finger, and the AEG cycles just fine!
The AEG is shipped in a similar fashion as G&G AEGs in a sturdy styrofoam packing inside a colorful cardboard box with manufacturer information printed on it. As soon as you lift the Top Tech M4 from the box, you notice that it is made in a very solid fashion with no flexing or creaking to be found. It has a nice heft of 3kg to it, which is very close to the weight of the real thing.
The plastic parts are all nicely made from polymer, and seem as strong as they look. Obviously the handguard has no heat shields to make room for the battery (9.6V 1700mAh twin pack type), but other than that they look just like their real counterparts. The finishing of all metal parts is nicely made, and nothing stands out negatively in the workmanship. The designs of the markings are not exactly to our taste, but we have to admit they are nicely etched as well. Because of the special spring release system, other AEG etal bodies are not directly compatible with these models.
The recommended battery for the Top Tech M4 Carbine is a 9.6V 1700mAh one, so we plugged one up and closed the handguard. As opposed to many others, the delta ring only required a reasonable amount of force to pull back, but in the closed state the handguards are plenty solid and won't fall off. The specified battery gave a nice RoF and quite a short delay for the first shot. We went through the first full 450 round hi-cap magazine in just two minutes simply because it was just so fun to shoot!
As we have come to appreciate with G&G AEGs, the Top Tech offering provides stable muzzle velocities. Because some lubricant gets from the gearbox into the barrel during the first few hundred rounds, you should pay attention to cleaning the barrel especially in the beginning when you start using a new AEG. Once the barrel was cleaned, the Top Tech M4 provided very consistent muzzle velocities at 328 fps / 1 Joule, which is perfect for CQB and countries where the legal energy limit is low.
As pioneered by ICS, the Top Tech M4 Carbine features a working forward assist. Well, sort of. As opposed to the real thing that forces the bolt carrier forward, the forward assist on an AEG is described as a working one when it releases the spring tension. Inside, it is linked to the anti-reverse latch to allow the gears to turn backwards and release the compression for storage.
The blowback system isn't really hard-kicking, especially since we still remember the GBB M4 from WA so well. If you shoot without BBs, the bolt carrier barely moves, because all the air escapes from the barrel. With BBs there is sufficient back pressure to propel the system. We chronoed the gun with the bolt carrier mechanically jammed, and the velocity difference was only 3-4 fps, so it is rather economical and doesn't really sacrifice performance. The bolt carrier can be locked open for hop-up adjustment.
Going into the insides was a bit concerning at first, since we didn't know what kind of delicate parts would fall out as soon as the receivers would be separated. The worry was unwarranted, since all the parts stay in their place quite well, and disassembly works almost exactly the same as with most other AEGs.
First the battery wires are disconnected, since this is a front-wired model. Small connectors are provided, so you don't need a soldering iron. After pushing out the captive front takedown pin, the upper receiver can be slid forward off the lower. You do need to release the charging handle lock at the same time, and the handle stays on the lower receiver instead of coming off with the upper.
After the usual removal of the grip and stock, the rear takedown pin and "trigger pin" are removed. Note that the trigger pin should be knocked out in the opposite direction compared to the takedown pins. The magazine catch construction is similar to the real thing: It has to be pushed in deep enough that you can rotate the large L-shaped part on the other side of the receiver until it comes off. This eliminates the ugly and easily-loosening small screw that almost everyone else still uses. Thumbs up for this small touch of realism and durability! Lifting the gearbox out from the lower lets the left side selector indicator fall out, but it is easy to align later when assembling.
The gearbox features 8mm bearings and a superb shim-job for smooth and durable operation. The gears themselves are die-cast, but are quite strong material. The spring guide has a bearing on it for smooth compression cycle, the piston is fiber-reinforced polymer and all pneumatic parts are well sealed. Thanks to the O-ring even inside the nozzle, the entire system is airtight for best efficiency.
The aluminum piston head and the front of the gearbox seemed like a combination for trouble first, but the radiusing of the gearbox and rather impressive damping of the cylinder head convinced us in that regard. It is unlikely that the user would run into any kind of problems with this system.
There's no question that this is a very well made AEG from Top Tech, and the performance and reliability have not been sacrificed to produce the blowback system. With this many design points in one package, it is a worthy weapon to consider even if you are not that interested in the blowback feature!


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On This Page
Public Health Statement for Pentachlorophenol
September 2001
This Public Health Statement is the summary chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Pentachlorophenol. It is one in a series of Public Health Statements about hazardous substances and their health effects. A shorter version, the ToxFAQsTM, is also available. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-800-232-4636.
This public health statement tells you about pentachlorophenol and the effects of exposure. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in the nation. These sites make up the National Priorities List (NPL) and are the sites targeted for long-term federal cleanup activities. Pentachlorophenol has been found in at least 313 of the 1,585 current or former NPL sites. However, the total number of NPL sites evaluated for this substance is not known. As more sites are evaluated, the sites at which pentachlorophenol is found may increase. This information is important because exposure to this substance may harm you and because these sites may be sources of exposure.
When a substance is released from a large area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. This release does not always lead to exposure. You are exposed to a substance only when you come in contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, eating, or drinking the substance, or by skin contact. If you are exposed to pentachlorophenol, many factors determine whether you'll be harmed. These factors include the dose (how much), the duration (how long), and how you come in contact with it. You must also consider the other chemicals you're exposed to and your age, sex, diet, family traits, lifestyle, and state of health.
1.1 What is pentachlorophenol?
Pentachlorophenol is a synthetic substance, made from other chemicals, and does not occur naturally in the environment. It is made by only one company in the United States. At one time, it was one of the most widely used biocides in the United States. Since 1984, the purchase and use of pentachlorophenol has been restricted to certified applicators. It is no longer available to the general public. Application of pentachlorophenol in the home as an herbicide and pesticide accounted for only 3% of its consumption in the 1970s. Before use restrictions, pentachlorophenol was widely used as a wood preservative. It is now used industrially as a wood preservative for power line poles, cross arms, fence posts, and the like. Pure pentachlorophenol exists as colorless crystals. It has a very sharp characteristic phenolic smell when hot but very little odor at room temperature. Most people can begin to smell pentachlorophenol in water at less than 12 parts pentachlorophenol per million parts of water (ppm). Impure pentachlorophenol (the form usually found at hazardous waste sites) is dark gray to brown and exists as dust, beads, or flakes. Pentachlorophenol can be found in two forms: pentachlorophenol itself or as the sodium salt of pentachlorophenol. The sodium salt dissolves easily in water, but pentachlorophenol does not. These two forms have some different physical properties, but are expected to have similar toxic effects. Humans are generally exposed to technical-grade pentachlorophenol, which usually contains such toxic impurities as polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins and dibenzofurans. Table 3-2 lists the impurities found in three different grades of pentachlorophenol.
For more information on the physical and chemical properties of pentachlorophenol, see Chapter 4 of the toxicological profile. For more information on its production, use, and disposal, see Chapter 5 of the toxicological profile.
1.2 What happens to pentachlorophenol when it enters the environment?
Pentachlorophenol is released to the air by evaporation from treated wood surfaces and factory (chemical manufacturing plants and wood preservation plants) waste disposal. It enters surface water and groundwater from factories, wood-treatment facilities, and hazardous waste sites. It also enters the soil as a result of spills, disposal at hazardous waste sites, and its use as a pesticide. The physical and chemical properties of the compound suggest that not much will evaporate into the atmosphere and that most of it will move with water and generally stick to soil particles. Movement of pentachlorophenol in soils depends on the soil's acidity. The compound can be present in fish or other species used for food, as demonstrated by the ongoing food monitoring program of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In air, soil, and surface water, pentachlorophenol lasts for hours to days. The compound is broken down in soil and surface water by microorganisms, and in air and surface water by sunlight, to other compounds, some of which may be harmful to humans.
More information on the releases, occurrence, and movement of pentachlorophenol in the environment can be found in Chapters 5 and 6 of the toxicological profile.
1.3 How might I be exposed to pentachlorophenol?
In addition to workplace exposures, humans can be exposed to very low levels of pentachlorophenol through indoor and outdoor air, food, soil, and drinking water. Exposure may also result from dermal contact with wood treated with preservatives that contain pentachlorophenol. Levels in the workplace, near certain hazardous waste sites, and near sites of accidental spills are usually higher than in the general environment. Exposure to pentachlorophenol by eating contaminated food is limited. The average intake in food is estimated to be 0.0105 milligrams of pentachlorophenol for a 70 kg human. Daily intake by drinking contaminated water is also low and is estimated to be about 0.021 mg for a 70 kg human. In its survey of various population groups in 1986�1991, the ongoing food monitoring program of the FDA observed a substantial decrease in the daily intakes of pentachlorophenol.
We do not have much information on the levels of pentachlorophenol in indoor and outdoor air, but the general population is estimated to breathe in about 0.063 mg/day. People who work or live near pentachlorophenol sources are exposed to higher levels. A 1984 report cites the measured concentration of pentachlorophenol in the indoor air of pressure-treated log homes brushed with pentachlorophenol in the range of 0.5�10 parts per trillion (ppt, 1 ppt is 1 million times less than 1 ppm) and in the air of industrially dipped, nonpressure-treated log homes at 34�104 ppt. Levels of pentachlorophenol in the air at wood-treatment facilities and lumber mills are much higher, and workers exposed at these places are estimated to breathe in 10.5�154.0 mg/day. Workers who handle treated lumber can take in about 35.0 mg/day through the skin.
For more information on exposure to pentachlorophenol, see Chapter 6 of the toxicological profile.
1.4 How can pentachlorophenol enter and leave my body?
Pentachlorophenol easily enters your body through your lungs when you breathe it, through your digestive tract after you eat contaminated food or water, or through your skin. The most significant ways are through breathing and skin contact. After a short exposure period, pentachlorophenol quickly leaves your body (studies in humans show that half the amount taken in is usually gone within 33 hours). It does not seem to build up in the body very much. Most of the pentachlorophenol taken into your body does not break down, but instead leaves in your urine. Much smaller amounts leave in your feces. Only a small amount escapes through your exhaled air. Some of the pentachlorophenol taken into your body is joined with other natural chemicals that make the pentachlorophenol less harmful. The combined product can then leave your body more easily.
Chapter 3 of the toxicological profile contains more information on how pentachlorophenol enters and leaves your body.
1.5 How can pentachlorophenol affect my health?
To protect the public from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals and to find ways to treat people who have been harmed, scientists use many tests.
To protect the public from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals and to find ways to treat people who have been harmed, scientists use many tests. One way to see if a chemical will hurt people is to learn how the chemical is absorbed, used, and released by the body; for some chemicals, animal testing may be necessary. Animal testing may also be used to identify health effects such as cancer or birth defects. Without laboratory animals, scientists would lose a basic method to get information needed to make wise decisions to protect public health. Scientists have the responsibility to treat research animals with care and compassion. Laws today protect the welfare of research animals, and scientists must comply with strict animal care guidelines.
Some, but not all, of the harmful effects associated with exposure to pentachlorophenol are due to impurities present in commercial pentachlorophenol. Short exposures to large amounts of pentachlorophenol in the workplace or through the misuse of products that contain it can cause harmful effects on the liver, kidneys, blood, lungs, nervous system, immune system, and gastrointestinal tract. Contact with pentachlorophenol (particularly in the form of a hot vapor) can irritate the skin, eyes, and mouth. If large enough amounts enter the body, heat is produced by the cells in the body, causing an increase in body temperature. The body temperature can increase to dangerous levels, causing injury to various organs and tissues and even death. This effect is the result of exposure to pentachlorophenol itself and not the impurities. The lengths of exposure and the levels that cause harmful effects have not been well defined. Long-term exposure to low levels such as those that occur in the workplace can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, blood, and nervous system. Studies in animals also suggest that the endocrine system and immune system can also be damaged following long-term exposure to low levels of pentachlorophenol. All of these effects get worse as the level of exposure increases. Decreases in the number of newborn animals, harmful effects on reproductive organs of the mothers, decreases in the number of successful pregnancies, and increases in the length of pregnancy were observed in animals exposed to pentachlorophenol while they were pregnant. Harmful effects on reproductive organs of the females were also seen in animals exposed to pentachlorophenol while they were not pregnant. We do not know if pentachlorophenol produces all of the same effects in humans that it causes in animals.
An increased risk of cancer has been shown in some laboratory animals given large amounts of pentachlorophenol orally for a long time. There is weak evidence that pentachlorophenol causes cancer in humans. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that pentachlorophenol is possibly carcinogenic to humans, and the EPA has classified pentachlorophenol as a probable human carcinogen.
Chapters 2 and 3 of the toxicological profile contain more information on the health effects linked with exposure to pentachlorophenol.
1.6 How can pentachlorophenol affect children?
This section discusses potential health effects from exposures during the period from conception to maturity at 18 years of age in humans.
Children might be exposed to pentachlorophenol by eating fish and other foods contaminated with the substance, by accidentally or intentionally eating soil or drinking water contaminated with the substance, or by drinking breast milk contaminated with the substance. Tests have not been performed to measure pentachlorophenol in breast milk in the United States, although small amounts have been found in the milk of chemical workers in Eastern Europe. Children might also be exposed to pentachlorophenol by breathing air in homes that contain wood that has been treated with the substance or by skin contact with contaminated soils or with the exposed surface of wood that has been treated with the substance. For most people, food is the most important source of intake of pentachlorophenol, and most of this intake is from root vegetables. Based on analyses of foods representative of the diets of different age/gender population groups, daily intakes of pentachlorophenol from the diet, although low overall, are higher in infants and toddlers than in teenagers and adults. Daily intakes of pentachlorophenol from food have decreased over time.
Newborn children who were accidentally exposed to diapers and bedding that were contaminated with pentachlorophenol had high fevers, a large amount of sweating, a hard time with breathing, and harmful effects on their nervous system and liver, and some died. In the newborn animals of mothers that were given pentachlorophenol by mouth, slight changes were seen in the formation of bones and their weight was decreased at weaning. One study in animals showed that large amounts of pentachlorophenol taken by mouth can damage the testes, but it is unknown whether such large amounts affect the ability of animals to have babies. The immune system was suppressed in family members, including children as young as 8 years old, who were exposed to pentachlorophenol while living in log homes.
Absorption of pentachlorophenol is expected by all routes of exposure, and the harmful effects of pentachlorophenol should be qualitatively similar over all routes of exposure; these effects might also occur in children exposed to low levels of pentachlorophenol by any route. There is not enough information to know whether children under 18 years of age differ from adults in their sensitivity to the health effects of pentachlorophenol. One study in animals found that small amounts of pentachlorophenol may cross the placenta, and it is possible that it can reach and cross the placenta in humans.
1.7 How can families reduce the risk of exposure to pentachlorophenol?
If your doctor finds that you have been exposed to significant amounts of pentachlorophenol, ask whether your children might also be exposed. Your doctor might need to ask your state health department to investigate.
Pentachlorophenol was a widely used pesticide and a wood preservative (utility poles) for a long time. It is no longer present in any product you can buy today. It can be applied only by certified applicators. Although it is no longer commonly used, traces of pentachlorophenol are still found in small amounts in air, water, and soil. It is also found at some hazardous waste sites. Up until 1980, you could buy pentachlorophenol-containing pesticides. Since then, it has been regulated and can only be used in a restricted number of places. You may have old containers of pesticides in your attic, basement, or garage that contain pentachlorophenol. Removing these old containers will reduce your family's risk of exposure to pentachlorophenol. You should dispose of these old containers in an appropriate manner through your county's hazardous waste facility. Otherwise, place them out of reach of young children to prevent accidental exposures. You should never store pesticides or household chemicals in containers that children would find attractive to eat or drink from, such as soda bottles.
Your children may be exposed to pentachlorophenol if an unqualified person applies pesticides containing it around your home. In some cases, the improper use of pesticides banned for use in homes has turned homes into hazardous waste sites. Make sure that any person you hire is licensed and, if appropriate, certified to apply pesticides. Your state licenses each person who is qualified to apply pesticides according to EPA standards and further certifies each person who is qualified to apply "restricted use" pesticides. Ask to see the license and certification. Also ask for the brand name of the pesticide, a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), the name of the product's active ingredient, and the EPA registration number. Ask whether EPA has designated the pesticide "for restricted use" and what the approved uses are. This information is important if you or your family react to the product.
Though pentachlorophenol has been found in some foods, its levels are low. You can minimize the risk of your family's exposure by peeling and thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables before cooking.
Small children have a tendency to eat soil, and to put their hands and foreign objects in their mouths. This could result in their exposure to pentachlorophenol that may be present in the soil and on objects. Children may be exposed to pentachlorophenol by absorption through the skin. Pentachlorophenol is known to be rapidly absorbed by the skin from the soil. You should prevent children from putting their hands and foreign objects in their mouths and you should discourage your children from eating dirt. Make sure they wash their hands frequently. Very low levels of pentachlorophenol have been detected in house and carpet dust. Keeping the house clean and free of dust will reduce your family's exposure to pentachlorophenol.
Pentachlorophenol was used for treating wood. It is no longer used for treating wood used in and around homes. But it is still used for treating wood utility poles and railroad ties. If you live near a utility pole or railroad tracks, you should prevent your children from playing, climbing, or sitting on them especially in the hot summer months. Old playground equipment may contain pentachlorophenol, and children may be exposed dermally when playing on it. If you have old treated wood in or around your house, covering it with epoxy paint may reduce the risk of your family's exposure to pentachlorophenol. Wood treated with pentachlorophenol (e.g., railway ties) should not be used for landscaping, especially near gardens or private wells
1.8 Is there a medical test to determine whether I have been exposed to pentachlorophenol?
Pentachlorophenol and its products can be measured in the blood, urine, and tissues of exposed persons. Because urine and blood samples are easily collected, testing these fluids is the best way to find out whether a person has been exposed. Neither test is usually available at a doctor's office because both require the use of special equipment. Although these tests can prove that a person has been exposed, they cannot be used to tell how severe any health effects might be. Because pentachlorophenol leaves the body fairly quickly, these tests are best for finding exposures that occurred within the last several days. Exposure at hazardous waste sites usually includes exposure to other organic compounds, such as hexachlorobenzene, that could break down into pentachlorophenol. On the other hand, measurement of blood and urine levels for pentachlorophenol and its products in groups of exposed people and nonexposed people is a good way to tell whether exposure to pentachlorophenol or members of the same chemical family occurred.
Chapter 7 of the toxicological profile contains more information on tests for measuring pentachlorophenol in the body.
1.9 What recommendations has the federal government made to protect human health?
The federal government develops regulations and recommendations to protect public health. Regulations can be enforced by law. Federal agencies that develop regulations for toxic substances include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Recommendations provide valuable guidelines to protect public health but cannot be enforced by law. Federal organizations that develop recommendations for toxic substances include the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Regulations and recommendations can be expressed in not-to-exceed levels in air, water, soil, or food that are usually based on levels that affect animals; then they are adjusted to help protect people. Sometimes these not-to-exceed levels differ among federal organizations because of different exposure times (an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour day), the use of different animal studies, or other factors.
Recommendations and regulations are also periodically updated as more information becomes available. For the most current information, check with the federal agency or organization that provides it. Some regulations and recommendations for pentachlorophenol include the following:
The federal government has set regulatory standards and guidelines to protect workers from the possible health effects of pentachlorophenol in air. OSHA has set a legally enforceable limit of 0.5 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3) in workroom air to protect workers during an 8-hour shift over a 40-hour work week.
The federal government has also set regulatory standards and guidelines to protect the public from the possible health effects of pentachlorophenol in drinking water. EPA decided that the amount in the drinking water should not be more than 0.022 milligram per liter (mg/L) and that any release of more than 10 pounds to the environment should be reported. For short-term exposures, EPA decided that drinking water levels should not be more than 1.0 mg/L for 1 day or 0.3 mg/L for 10 days. EPA also estimates that for an average-weight adult, exposure to 0.03 mg/kg/day will probably not cause any noncancer health effects. EPA is now working to measure the levels of pentachlorophenol found at abandoned waste sites.
For more information on criteria and standards for pentachlorophenol exposure, see Chapter 8 of the toxicological profile.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 2001. Toxicological profile for Pentachlorophenol. Update. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
If you have questions or concerns, please contact your community or state health or environmental quality department or:
For more information, contact:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop S102-1
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO · 888-232-6348 (TTY)
Email: Contact CDC-INFO
ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health clinics. These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances.
- Page last reviewed: January 21, 2015
- Page last updated: January 21, 2015
- Content source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry


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The Importance of Checking Your Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can have an impact on all sorts of things, so make sure you get it checked guys!
Did you know that at Walgreens you can get it checked for free? Learn more about blood pressure and how it can cause or worsen anything from blurred vision to impotence by clicking here http://www.walgreens.com/topic/health-shops/blood-pressure.jsp or stopping in to your local Walgreens today.


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KEO is a creative enterprise, where innovation is a way of life. We are uniquely resourced with end-to-end services to take clients from inspiration, through conceptualization, to realization of design or project delivery in the built and natural environments.
For over 50 years we've led with vision, contributing to many of the world's most ambitious projects, iconic places, remarkable experiences and prosperous communities. As a highly integrated and agile AEP/PMCM firm, KEO is ranked by ENR in the Top 200 International Design Firms; a Top 20 International PM firm; and 44th largest global architecture firm.
We draw from the expertise from over 60 nations, bringing experience from every major market of the globe. With over 2,500 multidisciplinary professionals and staff, we are an international professional consulting services firm.
We are now seeking interest from Saudi Nationals whom may be interested in future Document Controller opportunities within Saudi Arabia.
This critical role will be responsible for the organization and coordination of all commercial and technical documents. Responsibilites will include, providing system reports, maintaining and updating electronic information systems and ensuring the accuracy of all documentation and regulatory procedures.
Paramount to success within this varied role will include;
To be successful in this dynamic opportunity, we envision that you will bring a minimum of 5 years' career experience partnered with a Degree or Diploma in Business Administration or related field.
Knowledge of ACONEX is required.
KEO's performance is founded upon integrity, results, innovation, safety and our people. We embrace diversity and recognise its' contribution to client success wherever we work.
Our generous remuneration packages are bespoke and provide a wide range of additional benefits to support both national and expatriate employees and their families. We take pride in offering long term and dynamic career opportunities and invest in our people through our global learning, development and leadership programs.
We are excited to hear how you can partner with our award winning team and treat all expressions of interest confidentially.


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"India is a strategic market for Boeing's defense products," said Dinesh Keskar, Boeing India president. "As a part of the Boeing India team, Dennis will bring his valuable insights from other regions and in-depth understanding of Boeing's defense, security and space range of products.""Dennis' leadership will be critical to helping Boeing grow and position so that we can continue to constructively engage with India on its emerging national security needs for the 21st century," said Mark Kronenberg, vice president, International Business Development, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. "This appointment reinforces Boeing's commitment to work in partnership with our customers and will help us enhance our ability to partner with local industry."Swanson began his career with Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) in 1989 and has held various positions within BCA and BDS, including managing industrial-participation programs and supplier-management activities. For 16 years, Swanson contributed to Boeing's expansion into international markets by identifying new business opportunities, managing complex industrial projects and establishing key relationships in countries including India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Turkey.Swanson's association with India began in 1999, when he led supplier management and procurement efforts for BCA in India. He was part of the team that began engaging with Indian industry to place offset contracts with Boeing's key suppliers in the country.Swanson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Willamette University in Salem, Ore., and is currently pursuing an executive master?s program in international business.Boeing, the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined, has significantly expanded its footprint in India in both the civil aviation and defense markets. Boeing is partnering with India's leading technology and manufacturing companies to build a supply chain out of India. The company also has opened a Research and Technology center in Bengaluru to collaborate with India's technical talent for research in aero structures, materials and network systems. Boeing India's corporate office is located in New Delhi.
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Cold-weather protective cover for Panasonic AJ-PX270
Availability: In stock
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Polar Mitten Camera Cases are designed to keep your camera functioning properly in cold weather. They are thickly padded with high-loft insulation material. Air-activated warmers are placed along the case interior to keep battery, recorder, lens and hands warm in extreme cold temperatures (Tested at –50 degrees Fahrenheit).
The insulated lens cap protects the lens in transport and also prevents condensation from forming when bringing the camera in from the cold.
Each Polar Mitten Case comes with 4 air-activated heat packs. Additional packs (PHP-2) can be ordered directly.
4 air-activated heat packs
Portabrace cases have been built by hand in Vermont since 1972. And while professional audio and video technology continues to change at a relentlessly fast pace, one thing has remained the same for over 40 years: our commitment to quality. From the highest quality materials, to the hand-built wooden equipment models, to the reinforced sewing techniques designed to strengthen weight-bearing contact points, our production processes are designed to make our cases the toughest and most reliable products available.


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Emily knits soft, cozy depictions of realistic anatomical subjects. She says:
I really like taking objects or concepts that many people (including myself, sometimes) are squeamish about and recreating them out of materials that many of the same people think are cozy and inviting.
Shown uppermost is her Bisected Human Head. The brains were knit by hand and then sewn in place. Other parts are needle-felted. Fibers include silk, alpaca wool, merino wool, and tencel.
Brains are Beautiful. Hand-knit Peruvian wool, felted wool roving, merino wool, kid mohair, frame.
Knitting in Biology 101. Hand-knit silk/wool blend, needle-felted wool, dissection tray, pins.
Emily (aka Crafty Hedgehog) lives and works in Burlington, VT. She's a college student, studying history, and works in art glass and print media as well as fiber. "I'm not an actual scientist," she quips, "but I play one on the internet."


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Instead of trying to save anything left from his reputation, Barack Obama proceeded in one more action that put the final gravestone on it. The preposterous action of the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, demonstrates the tragic dead-end which the US foreign policy currently faces.
Obama 'managed' to:
- Reduce the behaviour of a superpower into that of a minor country that acts carelessly.
- Expose the decline of the US empire.
- Give extra credits to Russia, especially after the 'checkmate' from Putin who took advantage of this absolutely irresponsible action, declaring, indirectly, that he will not act with the same irresponsibility.
- Give extra credits to Donald Trump who has been presented as an 'oncoming disaster' by the mainstream media. Compared to Obama's irresponsibility, Trump will look as a much more responsible president who tries to normalize relations with Russia, instead of dangerously ruin them.
Apart from the fact that the leaks were showing the dirty games of the Democratic party, even against its own candidates, like Bernie Sanders, there is actually no evidence that Russia was involved in the leaks.
Obama also proved that he is the most easily handled puppet by the neocons and the US deep state who show, however, that they are in panic, after their absolute failure in meeting their goals in Syria and elsewhere.
Obama dragged in dirty proxy wars that brought absolute chaos in the Middle East, Libya and elsewhere. Now, he was dragged in another totally irresponsible action against Russia.
With the extra credits from this action, Trump will come in full force to wipe out what is left of the US middle class, securing the interests of the plutocracy.


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Sentencing in soil testing fraud case due Friday
The owners of a Bethel environmental cleanup company and a Norwalk laboratory are scheduled to be sentenced Friday in Superior Court in Danbury after pleading guilty to defrauding homeowners in Fairfield, Newtown and New Fairfield out of thousands of dollars.
Ronald Passaro, 45, president of Envirotech of Fairfield County, and Michael Zubarev, 40, president of Brooks Laboratories, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of first-degree larceny, attempted first-degree larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny as the case was to go to trial.
They are scheduled to be sentenced on the charges before Danbury Superior Court Judge Susan Reynolds.
Senior Assistant State's Attorney Tamberlyn Conopask said, under a plea agreement, the two men face suspended sentences with the condition they make restitution to their victims.
Conopask said the judge will also levy restrictions on the two men's businesses so that they can not continue fraudulent activities.
According to Conopask, in June 2007 a former Envirotech employee, told state Department of Environmental Protection officials that Zubarev was falsifying test results that indicated high levels of soil contamination after Passaro's company removed the tanks from properties in Newtown, Fairfield and New Fairfield.
Passaro then used the phony results as evidence to convince the homeowners to pay for soil removal work that wasn't really needed.
The employee, a former office manager, told investigators she "could not sleep at night knowing what (Passaro) was doing to his clients."
Property owners Howard and Karen Sulzman, of Weldon Woods Road in New Fairfield, and Michael and Elizabeth McGrath, of Fairfield, paid more than $34,000 and $29,000, respectively, to have supposedly tainted soil removed after Passaro's company took out their oil tanks in 2005.
The third set of alleged victims, Sarah and James Naphen, of Mount Pleasant Road, Newtown, became dissatisfied with Envirotech's performance and hired another company to finish work on their property in 2006.
Passaro subsequently sued the Naphens for the more than $15,000 balance he claimed was due him.
The ex-employee said after initial test results came back showing no soil contamination in each of the three cases, Passaro would call Zubarev and request a second analysis be done.
Each time, Zubarev allegedly responded with a second result indicating high levels of contamination.
A check of laboratory records showed no second tests were ever performed, according to the court affidavits.


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58 top wedding decorations on a budget secrets 37 #weddingdecorations #uniquewedding
If you've got your wedding in the morning you're able to ensure it is a brunch reception. Arranging a wedding may be a struggle. Planning an Indian wedding is no simple task because there are all those distinct areas that need to be taken into account, and all of them have to come together as a whole and work perfectly on the huge moment. Possessing a cheap outdoor wedding is extremely possible, all you have to do is plan and prepare. The Basic Facts of Wedding Decorations on a Budget If you're getting your wedding outdoors, you may wish to include a great deal of ferns. Whatever sort of wedding you're havingand regardless of what your venue is liketop-down decor is guaranteed to wow. Whether you are experiencing a conventional wedding or whether you are making your own special wedding theme, we've got the decorations and supplies you will need. While a themed wedding might not be the best choice for everybody, it will permit you to have a more focused approach to planning your reception decorations. A black and white wedding is additionally a cool idea as it's rather easy to adhere to the scheme and very fashionable. Your… Continue Reading Read More


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Study Shows that Many Pa. College Students Are Nontraditional
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.— A study by Esther Prins, co-director of the Goodling Institute and the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, and her colleagues Cathy Kassab and Kimeka Campbell, challenges educators, researchers, and policy makers to recalibrate their understanding of who college students are.
A recent study of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applicants from Pennsylvania found the average applicant was 24-years-old, 35 percent were adult learners, 40 percent were financially independent, and 16 percent were not single.
"Despite mounting evidence that non-traditional students are becoming the norm, financial aid policies and practices, higher education research, and public discourse about college access and completion still assume a young, financially dependent, full-time student," Prins said.
State financial aid policies do not reflect the financial needs and educational trajectories of non-traditional students, specifically adult learners and GED graduates.
"Adult learners and GED recipients are an untapped audience for creating an educated citizenry, yet many of them are ineligible for financial aid because they tend to study part-time and pursue degrees that last less than 2 years, such as professional development courses, certificates, and job training," Prins said.
Additionally, the study found that 40 percent of FAFSA applicants were in or near poverty, and about one in eight reported that they, a parent, or spouse were a dislocated worker—that is, someone who has been laid off, is receiving unemployment benefits, and/or is a displaced homemaker, someone who previously provided unpaid services to the family who is no longer supported by the husband or wife.
"These findings suggest a high degree of economic vulnerability," Prins said.
Family income has declined, but state funding for higher education has not kept pace with rising tuition, according to study findings. As a result, research suggests more students and families are taking out loans, there is greater student and family debt, and more students are working to pay for college.
The study also highlights the differences in the characteristics of distinct student subgroups. Beginning students, associate and certificate/diploma students, adult learners, and GED holders experienced more economic and educational disadvantage than their peers and were less likely to study full-time and to attend 4-year institutions.
The study suggests that rural students, comprising 20 percent of FAFSA applicants, were under-represented compared to the Pennsylvania rural adult population with a high school credential. Prins said that this is consistent with research showing lower education attainment and college enrollment rates in rural Pennsylvania and nationally. In addition, rural students are significantly more likely to apply to public 4-year institutions than their urban peers, primarily because Pennsylvania community colleges are concentrated in urban areas, according to a policy expert.
The research used data from FASFA applicants (n=610,925) from June 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011 (2010-11 fiscal year), which was provided by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).
To complement the data results, the researchers conducted interviews with financial aid administrators at six institutions in rural counties and with two higher education finance policy experts to provide program- and policy-relevant information regarding the socio-demographic characteristics and financial needs and status of Pennsylvania students, their families, and communities.
The study, "Financial Needs and Characteristics of Students Pursuing Postsecondary Education in Pennsylvania: A Rural-Urban Analysis," was funded by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. The full study and executive summary are available on the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's website.
--Samantha Schwartz (July 2014)


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Jorge Azuero (left) and Shea Thomas (right)
With the Liberty Flames men's tennis team in the midst of its fall campaign, LibertyFlames.com had a chance to catch up with two of the squad's top performers so far this season, senior Shea Thomas and junior Jorge Azuero.
Both Thomas and Azuero are coming off strong performances this past weekend at the UVa Fall Classic. As a doubles team, Thomas and Azuero captured a title in the Blue bracket, marking the second straight year a Flames' duo has won a doubles championship at the event. In singles play, Azuero posted a 4-0 record en route to a title in the Green flight, while Thomas notched a third-place finish in the top draw.
In the interview, Thomas and Azuero share their thoughts about the fall season so far and how the team is improving heading into the spring season.
In comparison to previous years, is the team doing anything differently this fall in preparation for tournaments?
Azuero: In comparison to previous years, the team has been working really hard on being able to last longer in points with high intensity. The coaches have been working on our physical strength and working on specific drills that help us accomplish this goal.
Thomas: This year we are working even harder than we have in the past couple of years. Coach Benson has been working us really hard and helping us improve our fitness levels. This has allowed us to be quicker and stronger on the court.
What did you do personally in the offseason to get yourself ready for this fall?
Azuero: I came a month before school started to train with some of my teammates. It was a big sacrifice since I had to leave my family and friends back in Colombia.
Thomas: Instead of going home to California, I stayed in Lynchburg the entire summer to train. I worked with Coach Johnson and Dillon (Segur), training three to four hours per day. I also had the chance to play in a couple of tournaments as well.
At the UVa Fall Classic, what part of your game was working the best? And how does your performance there help you moving forward this fall?
Azuero: At UVa, the mental part of my game was working the best. I started to believe more in myself. I knew I had worked hard over the past several weeks, so I went there feeling confident. God had a huge part in my play this past week. I prayed and set aside my results to Him. In every match, I prayed that He would be my most important audience, so I would just focus on Him and not on the person I was playing against or the people around the courts. My performance at UVa helped me believe that it is possible not only to win some matches, but also to win big tournaments. Now moving forward this fall, I have a different mindset when entering a match. I might not win every match in the upcoming tournaments, but I will still have the belief that everything is possible with faith and hard work.
Thomas: I felt more confident overall at UVa than I did in the first couple of tournaments this fall. My fitness level was much better also. I worked a lot with Coach Johnson and Coach Benson the last couple of weeks leading up to the tournament and we really practiced my ground strokes. I felt like every aspect of my game was working for me, serves, volleys and ground strokes. Moving forward, I think this last tournament has helped jump-start me to another level of play. Getting wins against good players has given me a lot of confidence for the remainder of the fall season.
What are some of your personal goals for this season?
Azuero: One of my goals for this season is to keep taking my game to another level. I feel I have improved a lot over the past month, but there is always something that I can get better at in my game. Continuing to win is another goal, but I also want to enjoy every second I'm on the court. Lastly, getting stronger both mentally and physically is a goal which will help me have a successful season.
Thomas: For the fall, my goal is to match or do better than I did last fall. Last year at the UVa tournament I won both a doubles and singles title and this year I won doubles and came in third in singles. Overall, I was happy with how I played at the tournament. For the spring, the goal is the same as it is every year and that is to win the conference championship and be regular-season champions as well. We haven't done that yet, but this year I feel our preparation will give us a really good shot to reach these goals.
How important is it to play well during the fall as you move toward the spring season? Azuero: Playing well allows me to build up confidence for the conference matches in the spring. We are going to have difficult matches during the spring, so playing well individually and as a team now will help us accomplish great things during the spring season. Thomas: The way you play in the fall can be a good indication of how you are going to start the spring season. We open the season against a ranked opponent, so we want to enter the season playing at a high level. We want to finish this season strong and use that momentum to help us possibly pull a couple upsets early in the schedule.
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The Open Source Days Perl 6 Hackathon
- About the Perl 6 Hackathon
- Schedule
- Invitees
- Participation and Registration
- Goals
- Preparation
- Ideas/Suggestions for social events
- Contact
- Resources
About the Perl 6 Hackathon
The Perl 6 Hackathon is organized by the Open Days Conference organizers and Copenhagen Perl Mongers.
The hackathon is and aimed at raising some awareness around Perl 6 and to give people a chance to get some hands-on with Perl 6 assisted by the actual Perl 6 people.
In addition to the hackathon we are running a short track of Perl talks as part of the OSD conference.
Please see the goals to get an overview of what we plan to achieve.
This is a preliminary schedule...
- Friday 2010-03-05 (ITU)
- Open Source Days (day 1)
- Landing in Copenhagen... (pub meet-up)
- Saturday 2010-03-06 (ITU)
- Open Source Days (day 2)
- Perl 6 Hackathon (day 1)
- Scrollbar Event at Open Source Days
- Sunday 2010-03-07 (Kvarterhuset)
- Perl 6 Hackathon (day 2)
- Perl 6 Hackathon Wrap-up and goodbyes (pub meet-up)
- Monday 2010-03-08 (Kvarterhuset)
- Perl 6 Core team meet-up? (only by invitation)
- ?
This is a list of invited Perl 6 people.
- Moritz Lenz (moritz)
- Carl Mäsak (masak)
- Jonathan Worthington (jnthn)
- Martin Berends (mberends)
- Patrick Michaud (Pm)
All invitees have now been confirmed.
Participation and Registration
If you want to attend the Perl 6 Hackathon, you have to register for the Open Source Days conference in addition to registering here on this site.
There is of course the overall goal of getting some awareness and hands-on experience with Perl 6. So no matter what you level is on Perl or Perl 6 you are most welcome. Another goal is to contribute to the Perl 6 implementation. The specific goals for that part have not been decided at this time.
- To get a Rakudo release named "Copenhagen"
- More to come...
More information will follow on the participants preparation.
Ideas for social events
- Friday: Landing in Copenhagen... (pub meet-up) or Food, beers and Maemo
- Saturday: Scrollbar Event at Open Source Days (event at ITU, the venue of the hackathon and the conference)
- Sunday: Perl 6 Hackathon Wrap-up and goodbyes (pub meet-up)
Jonas B. Nielsen (jonasbn) jonasbn at cpan dot org
version 6 saved on 24/02/10 09:32 by jonasbn


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Tag Archives: Agneepath
Agneepath – where Vijay Chavan is killed by the Director
People say not to compare old and new version of film but why shouldn't we? The filmmaker has named it the same, the storyline is same, the name of the characters are same, its set in the same timeframe. If the filmmaker has no issues in cashing out the brand 'Agneepath' then why shouldnt we compare?
Now, lets do it one by one..
The character of Vijay Dinanath Chavan is icnoic and made legendary by AB with his
mannerisms, dialogue delivery, style but in thie new Agneepath poor Hrithik Roshan can
hardly claim any of that. He is shown as a cunning, plotting sidekick of a ganglord
played by Rishi Kapoor. He reduces this icnoic character to an ordinary one. Hrithik
Roshan accpeted this role reluctantly after hearing the 2 Karans ( Director and
Producer). I really want to know what convinced him to do such a thing. Was it the
money? The chance to copy AB?, the chance to make a masala movie which would do 100 crore ? or simply because he wanted to annoy AB and his fans. He is shown to be
dancing, singing, crying, plotting and doing things which the 'true' Vijay Chavan would
not do in his dreams. He just destroys the character along with the Director-Producer.
The role of childhood Vijay in original AGNEEPATH was played by Manjunath who was
coming from his immense success of Malgudi Days. That role set the tone for AB to take
it over. There was a gradual progression into the role, the same kind of graduation
from childhood to adulthood is not there in this new version.
Rohini Hattangadi played an important role of AB's mother and the kind of connect
mother-son had in that film is lacking totally with Zaeena Wahab and Hrithik. Rohini
Hattangadi's 'Hath Dho Le' dialogue still echoes.
Romance in earlier film was non-existent and rightly. This kind of film does not need
romantic sidetrack and entire character of Priyanka Chopra was unneceessary. She was
plain irritating at times and doing nothing apart from cracking silly jokes, dancing
around and then getting killed in pre-climax, a scene which reminded us of much
powerful 'Parinda'. The way Priyanka and Hrithik dance and sing and emote you feel you
are in a Yash Chopra romantic film instead of a gripping thriller.
Character of Kancha Cheena played by Danny in the original was legendary too, he had a
certain style and attitude, he loved good things in life stayed in a glass house in
mauratius where as Sanjubaba plays it exactly the opposite here and hams it to the
hilt. He looked silly and clownish and reminded me of his act in 'Khalnayak'.
Rishi Kapoor as Rauf Lala was a new character and I must say he did a very nice job in
portraying the evil role, tries to be mean and tries to show his versatility as an
actor but he is too cute a guy to be taken sriously as a villain and his cuddly,
romantic image is too overpowering in our minds. Still, I think his was the only
redeeming factor in this collosal disaster of a movie.
Om Puri plays caroonish cop once again and his Gaitonde was no match against original
Gaitonde played by Vikram Gokhale who had the look of an honest upright cop, who
fathers over Vijay Chavan.
Where are the dialogues?? The original film had dialogues which are memorable till
date. The exchange between Vijay and Gaitonde, Vijay and Kancha, Vijay and his mom are
still viewed by millions on Youtube. Dialogues in this film are by theater veteran
Piyush Mishra but sadly not a single dialogue is worth remembering.He just cannot match
up Kadar Khan, a true legend when it comes to dialogue writing in Hindi Cinema.
The original had other important characters like Mithunda (done away with ) , Archana
Puran singh ( done away and partly replaced by Katrinaji), Goga Kapoor as Dinkar Rao (
played by Kancha's dad here) and several more like Sharat Saxena, Avtar Gill and Deepak
And then there are questions and huge plotholes which no one can answer…
like …
1) WTF is Vijay doing in first half of the film? If all he wants is to kill Kancha,
then he could have very well asked his mentor Rishi Kapoor to help him do that, Rauf
Lala always hated Kancha. Why all the drama of 'gaining his trust' by taking a bullet,
then backstabbing him and then saying things like ' I do not need Rauf Lala's approval
for anything…Vijay Chavan is shown in pain all the time, almost pitying himself and
crying at the drop of a hat..why have they made him a pussycat and just a henchman.
2) How the F… does he reach Mandwa ?? The place is an island, heavily guarded but not
only he reaches there but plants bombs everywhere and generally manages to reach
Kancha's throne in his den even before anyone realises…!! He wwears Rishi Kapoor's
shoes – were they flying shoes??
3)Sanjay dutt beats up Hrithik to pulp and even stabs him multiple times and all
Hrithik does is hit him once and then lifts him and hangs him..how did that happen? did
the director decide, enough was enough, lets just end the film !!
4) The villagers first side with Masterji, then turn on him and hangs him and supports
Sanjubaba all these years and then suddenly when Hrithik comes , they suddenly change
their loyalty !! Must be cocaine..they were growing..
5) Cocaine being grown in large amount in an island right opposite Mumbai for years and
Police doesnt do a thing..its cocaine factory !!..not some desi sharab ka
karkhana..wow !!
6) Police and inspector Gaitonde are shown such dumb and what happens to them in the
end? where are they? werent they suppose to attack Mandwa post Ganesh Visarjan? Di Om Puri run out of dates?
7) Hrithik aka Vijay Chavan – what exactly he does to redeem himself? for 15 years he
has been sidekick of rishi kapoor selling cocaine and under aged girls and then
suddenly he is the messiah of the masses ? 'Sau chuhe maar ke billi hajj ko chali'
Its such a badly made and long movie that I can go on and on with plotholes…The
diting is cut randomly making it a real random film.
Agreed that the original wasnt the best of the movie but AB's performance, Danny,
Mithun , Kadar Khan's dialogues, Mukul Anand's direction and shot taking made it a
special film. The Original was inspired from 'Scarface' and it wasnt perfect but still
a movie made well-ahead of its times. Sadly this new version has nothing. They just
killed the icnoic 'Vijay Chavan' character.
Yash Johar must be turning in his grave or wherever he is. Karan Johar might get the
money but he has failed as a filmmaker.
My biggest question in the end is why the f… is the film called Agneepath , the
characters are nothing like original, then why not name Hrithik Roshan – Raj Singhania
, call the villain Ballu and get it done easily. Its just that the producer wanted to
encash the brand which they are doing. They have marketed the brand succesfully, hyped
up the film and then there is 'chikni chameli' to bring in the front benchers running
to the single screen and thats about it nowadays to get huge opening. Huge opening is
not the sign of a good film, just the sign of succesful marketing and hype creating.
Lasly, this 'agony path' will make 100 crores at box office but then so did Bodyguard,
Ra.One, Ready, Golmaal Returns and Singham…Case rested !!
AGONY PATH………….'Karan Johar ki Aag'
P.S. I had a GREAT time watching the film in the theater, as everybody was laughing at the film and passing interesting comments which made the 2 and half hours bearable.


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Are you a strong and experienced Physical Education Teacher? Looking for a new role? Can you teach KS3-KS4 Physical Education? If so we have the perfect role for you!
Teaching Personnel are looking to appoint a Female P.E Teacher on behalf of a client school in County Durham. The role offered will be temporary, lasting a term but will have the possibility of being extended. You will be prepping and delivering lessons across KS3-KS4 to classes of mixed ability. They are looking to appoint a new Teacher in November to work a minimum of 9 weeks.
The school is located in North County Durham and currently has over 1000 pupils on roll. Students are well behaved and the school prides it self on its inclusive and caring atmosphere. This combined with the SLT's continued commitment to the performing arts, sports and a wealth of extra-curricular activities ensures all learners are fully supported and challenged to achieve their potential.
NQTs with relevant experience are welcome to apply.
An ideal candidate will have:
Benefits to you:
Even if this position doesn't sound right for yourself but you are a Secondary Teacher looking for long or short-term supply work, then please get in touch as we may have more suitable positions!
If you would like further information regarding the role or wish to apply, please contact Stuart Hawkins at Teaching Personnel on 0191 2235074.
All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see teachingpersonnel.com/faqs for details.
All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay.
Teaching Personnel is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full assistance provided.
For details of our privacy policy, please see teachingpersonnel.com/privacy-notice


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Reflecting On The
We did not attend any service at a 'church' nor did we partake in any ritual that commonly goes with 'Good Friday'. Rather, being spurred within our souls by the melting of snow and the scent of spring flowing through our beings, we decided to venture out, as a family, to catch the latest movie release of 'The Croods'. We went together, spend time together, laughed together and even cried together.
I will share part of the story, all the while adding my input here and there as to what came to my mind as I watched and later reflected upon it.
The story is about a family of cavemen who dwell constantly within their cave, only venturing out in desperation for food. These cavemen(Or cave-persons for the politically correct.) ever hide there in fear due, in part, to losing many of whom they have known to various outside dangers. Their daughter, Eep, however has the spirit of life within her, desiring to explore and experience the world her father so wishes to keep at bay.
"New is always bad! Never not be afraid!", he demands.The father, Grug, while in the safety of their cave, shares with his family, during their nightly story time, a story of a curious little bear(His daughter) who's curiosity got the better of her.
Grug: Tonight we'll hear the story of Crispy Bear. A long time ago this little bear was alive because she listened to her father. So she was happy, but Crispy had one terrible problem. She was filled with curiosity. Yes, and one day she saw something new and DIED!
Thunk(Grug's Son): Just like that?
Grug: Yes!
Gran(Grug's Mother In-law): Same ending as yesterday.
Thunk: I get it, dad. I will never do anything new or different!
Grug: Good man, Thunk.At this point, the Croods was a reminder to me of the life that I too once lived within a cave...a cave called Evangelicalism, Protestantism, Church, you name it. The cave was a place where the shepherd, leader, pastor etc. instilled within me a fear of the outside. A fear of those Secularists and their deceitful ways. Danger lurks everywhere, demons hide behind every bush waiting to pounce on those who stray to near to or just outside the cave...outside the fold. Christ had been kicked out and 'Christianity' was my cave.
Back to 'the Croods'...
Unbeknown to them, tragedy was about to befall them. While returning to their home from a hunting mission, the earth begins to shift and their cave is crushed by the mountain of rock above it. Their shelter, their safe place and all that they have come to know have now been left to rubble. All is lost and they are left to wonder, wander and look outside what was once their home to new beginnings.
Like their home, the North American church today is falling to ruin and many are left without the comfort of their cave theologies and rituals. They are forced to explore a whole new world with all it's unknown dangers and life altering adventures. They are forced to adapt as they can not return to what they once knew, no...not even if their desire was to do so. But, as it was for the Croods, this is no easy task to undertake. Many perils lay before them.
"Where are we?" they wonder in amazement."Where are we?" Indeed!
No longer being able to remain where their safe place had once been, they reluctantly move on, much to Grug's despair, looking for a new place to begin, once again, a life of shelter void of living.
To live a life of shelter one must have rules and... well, we all know what rules were made to be.... I had once felt that being in that cave was what was right and was the only way to live. Isolating ourselves from the outside, not watching their movies, not listening to their music and not talking the way they do. So, while those rules within that cave may have been a way to 'live'. I now realize that, 'That wasn't living. That was just not dying.'
Grug: The Rules. They kept us alive!
Eep: That wasn't living! That was just not dying!Guy, a young wonderer filled with new ideas and adventure, who happens across this family of cavemen, bares them news that the end is near. Duh!... duh! duh!. He encourages them not to hide in caves but to seek the sun and follow it to freedom, follow it to tomorrow. They must seek for tomorrow, searching forever on until one day they may arrive. Of course Grug is not at all to pleased with this newcomer, particularly the interest his daughter, Eep, is paying to him. As the journey continues, with all it's hardships, the family starts to see things in a new light. Grug, taking the longest of course. All that he wants is a cave to be safe in, a cave without thinking, questioning and meddling. However, even he too comes around to having his eyes open to new possibility.
The end was near, the Christianity that I knew was drawing to it's end and at it's end, it was crucified. Fear and wonder found it's place within me, but in the midst of the destruction and crucifixion something arose from the horror, what it was, I am not entirely sure, it may be that of the divine, small and difficult to distinguish. Whatever it was, it gave me hope and peace. It gave me comfort that I need not build up around it a temple, alter or any other such building whether physical or mentally. I need only to know that it's present, know its love and peace, not for it's sake, but rather for mine.
At the movie's end, 'the Croods' learn something that we all must consider, we need not be hindered by our fears of the outside. We need not be ruled by them, for we can always change our thinking, always face our fears and never allow them to stop us. One can always step outside the cave.
I continue to seek, never again enclosing a philosophy, theology or any others within a cave of confinement. I will spread my wings and allow the wind to flow beneath, guiding here and there.
Eep: "The Croods will make it, because we changed all the rules, the rules that kept us in the dark. From now on we'll stay out here where we can follow the light."


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Refillable Stainless Steel Kegs from China, Germany, and Mexico
Available Testimony From Recent Hearings
701-TA-610 and 731-TA-1425-1427 (Final)
August 14, 2019Witness List
Exhibits, Petitioners
Note to Users:
Witnesses are not required to bring copies of their testimony to ITC hearings, but if they do, the ITC makes copies available to the public. PDF versions of available testimony will be posted inthis space as soon as possible on the day of an ITC hearing and will remain here for several days.
Testimony from ITC hearings will be placed in the ITC's public inspection files, which can be viewed through the Commission's Electronic Document Information System (EDIS). Users interested in viewing testimony from earlier ITC hearings that no longer appears here can search for it by investigation in the EDIS system.


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Following the slaughter of 27 on Friday in Connecticut, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California said she will introduce a bill to reinstate the assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004. NBC's Peter Alexander reports.
Friday's school shooting in Connecticut prompted a renewed effort by lawmakers to re-evaluate gun rights, as a top Democrat vowed Sunday to introduce new legislation on the first day of the new Congress next year.
The massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. left 28 dead, including 20 students, seven adults and the suspected shooter, leading proponents of gun control to redouble their efforts to seek new regulations. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an outspoken advocate of gun control, said the issue should now be atop President Barack Obama's second term agenda.
To that end, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D, said she intended to introduce a gun control bill on the first day of the next Congress. Paired with a twin version in the House, Feinstein's law would take aim at limiting the sale, transfer and possession of assault weapons, along with the capacity of high-capacity magazines.
"It can be done," she said on NBC's "Meet the Press." The senator, a proponent of gun control, said she expected Obama to offer his public support for the law.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein says on Meet the Press that she'll introduce a measure to reform gun ownership standards in the next Congress.
A federal ban on assault weapons, first passed in 1994 and signed by President Bill Clinton, expired in 2004. And while Obama has said he favors its reinstatement, the administration has hardly thrown its weight behind such a proposal during his first term.
The especially grisly shooting in Connecticut — which follows several other high-profile shootings at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., and outside a Sikh temple in Wisconsin — might now serve as a catalyzing moment in that dormant gun debate.
"We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics," Obama himself said on Friday in the aftermath of the Newtown shooting.
Outspoken proponents of gun control, like Bloomberg, have now begun to pressure the president to speak out more forcefully on the issue.
"It's time for the president to stand up and lead and tell this country what we should do," said the New York City mayor. "This should be his No. 1 agenda."
There are indications that some of the most commonly discussed measures to rein in weapons enjoy some degree of public support. An early August CNN/ORC poll, conducted in the aftermath of the Colorado and Wisconsin shootings, found varying levels of public support for different gun control proposals. Fifty-seven percent of adults, for instance, said they favored a ban on the manufacture, sale and possession of assault weapons, and 60 percent said they supported a ban on the possession of high-capacity ammunition clips.
But gun owners' groups, like the National Rifle Association, could prove a significant political obstacle to moving any such proposals through Congress. The NRA — which endorsed Obama's Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, during the presidential campaign — remains a formidable political force. The group could target, for instance, Democrats from rural or centrist districts and states for defeat if they were to vote for such a law.
Bloomberg argued otherwise. "There is this myth that the NRA is so powerful," he said. "Today the NRA's power is so vastly overrated."
In the meantime, the mayor said, Obama could take action through executive orders to strengthen and update the background check system and more aggressively enforce existing laws.
On Sunday, the president will travel to Newtown to comfort victims' families and thank first responders for their efforts. Obama will also speak at a vigil this evening.


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Below is a listing of the bachelor's and associate degrees, as well as the minors, offered by Northern Michigan University's School of Art and Design. The links bring you to information in NMU's art and design section of the undergraduate bulletin.
For more details on each major and minor or degree program, consult the School of Art and Design's Web site. There you will find in-depth information on the program requirements, information about each concentration's studios and equipment, faculty profiles and examples of past students' work. You are strongly encouraged to visit the School's site.
- Art and Design Major - Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Art and Design Major - Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science
- Art and Design Education Major
- Social Media Design Management
- Art and Design Minor
- Art History Minor
- Art and Design Major - Associate of Applied Arts


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It seems like as though the Duchess of Cambridge will be quite comfortable with her hospital suite.
We've already shared that the pregnant royal's room at The Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London is very lavish (and expensive!), but Georgie McGrath, a woman who has given birth to two babies in The Lindo Wing, dished just how fancy and accommodating the suite is for expectant mothers.
"Well, The Lindo Wing is like a five-star hotel effectively. You have an extremely nice room," McGrath told E! News.
U.S. & World
LOOK: Inside the royal birthing suite
She went on to describe the furniture and bedding of the suite, "You've got your duvets and nice comfy pillows. You have a sofa in there, chairs, fitted wardrobes," before talking about the delicious menu.
"The food is delivered to you. You have a proper menu, so all--in fact you could probably ask for whatever you want and it'll be delivered for you. You have a wine menu, there's champagne, Diet Coke, coffee, tea--you name it. You could go in and say, 'Could I possibly have a Lobster Thermidor?' or whatever and it will arrive," she explained.
McGrath continues to say that although this will be Middleton's first child, she doesn't need to worry about the delivery.
PHOTO: Kate stuns at final pre-baby public appearance
"When you arrive here, you have the midwife, you have the nurses, the nursery nurses, you have your consultants, so you really don't have to know much because everything is done for you, literally, you don't have to lift a finger and they're there at your every whim and they'll do it for you."
An extra perk for those staying at The Lindo Wing, is the opportunity to have a special date night with your hubby after the baby is born. Yep, we're being serious.
"Once you've had your baby, you can have a special evening when the baby will go into the nursery, the nursery's nurses will look after it, and you have a special menu for you and your husband, with champagne, nice food. Just to prepare you for the next 18-odd years of hell that could be in front of you," she quipped.
Watch E! News for more royal baby updates, weeknights at 7 p.m. & 11:30 p.m.


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"Life or death is a political decision", reads this poster from the International Parliamentarians' Conference in Ottawa, Canada. At the conference, elected representatives from 72 countries and territories pledged to save lives by striving to allocate up to 10 per cent of their nations' development budgets for population and reproductive health programmes. This poster asks if your government has made the same committment.
Download poster files in JPEG format:


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White Paper on Hardware and Simulation Software Advancements
In product design, simulation is valued as a viable alternative to traditional trial-and-error workflows. Dramatic improvements in hardware, from high-capacity memory to multicore capabilities, are leading to the design of workstations equipped to handle complex simulation studies. As hardware configurations have been upgraded, the COMSOL Multiphysics® software has also been optimized to support such advancements, helping organizations to better incorporate simulation into their workflow.
This open-access white paper speaks to these improvements and is a valuable resource for investigating hardware options. Benchmark studies compare a present-day computer workstation and COMSOL Multiphysics software to configurations from three years ago. The study further highlights additional elements that are making simulation-led design more accessible, from the deployment of apps to a wider recognition of the benefits of simulation in product development. Also mentioned in this white paper are the different licensing options that enable you to access the full power of modern workstations and clusters.
Click the button below to read the digital version.