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Here is another reminder that deep-fried anything is a health hazard.
A gun went off after being thrown into a deep fryer at a Las Vegas restaurant on Sunday, Nov. 25.
"It was discovered the gunshot was a result of a firearm being tossed into a deep fryer and exploding," according to a police report obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. No one was hurt.
Obdulio Gudiel, 44, was arrested for attempted robbery with the use of a weapon in connection with the incident at El Diamante Restaurant. It is, however, still unclear who put the gun in the deep fryer.
Police said Gudiel told them that he was trying to collect payment for three cars he sold to his nephew, Victor Larios. Larios and another man, Robert Casprowitz, went to the restaurant on Sunday night. Gudiel approached them with a gun on their way out of the restaurant and asked for payment, Casprowitz told police.
Casprowitz called the police after the encounter and the gun went off while police were evacuating the restaurant.
A restaurant worker told police that a man had asked her to hold his gun for him when police showed up, but she refused.
It's not clear who tried to give her the gun.


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Mobile ad revenue jumped 95%, to $1.2 billion, or 7% of total online ad revenues in the first half of 2012 according to Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The mobile market is increasing yearly. Your existing website must be optimized for viewing in the increasing number of mobile and tablet devices available today. Thankfully web technology has evolved to allow websites to have responsive layouts that adjust to the different screen sizes used in mobile and tablet devices.
Our expert team designs responsive layouts for existing websites allowing them to function fully on mobile as well as developing mobile applications for the major mobile platforms, Android®, iPhone® and Blackberry® and tablets.

subset: commoncrawl


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IRONMAN is proud to partner with the following Official Charity Partner. Through purchasing a slot with an IRONMAN charity partner, you are not only obtaining an entry into IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside, but are also making a charitable contribution to a worthy cause. See below for information on the official charity.
Enjoy free race entry and VIP perks with a minimum fundraising commitment of $2,000. The Challenged Athletes Foundation's Operation Rebound Program is the official charity partner 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside.. When you join CAF's Team Operation Rebound, you will not only help injured military get back in the game, you will be racing side-by-side with many of these inspiring heroes on race day.
Join CAF's Team Operation Rebound and earn VIP perks like:
• Early swim wave right after the pros (not eligible for age-group awards; entrants may opt-out)
• Special Team Bike Racking Area in transition
• Inspirational pre-race luncheon with Operation Rebound athletes
• VIP hospitality tent
• CAF Race Kit
• CAF Technical Training Shirt
• CAF Water Bottle
• Team Photo
• Opportunity to earn amazing incentive prizes for funds raised above the minimum (see a list of prizes)
About The Challenged Athletes Foundation's Operation Rebound Program
The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) is a unique non-profit that helps people with physical challenges live full, active lives through participation in fitness activities and competitive sports. Operation Rebound is a program of CAF that provides support and funding to injured service members, veterans, and first responders, helping them get from the frontline to the finish line. More than 1,600 military personnel have lost a limb in current conflicts, and while conflicts abroad may no longer dominate the news, requests for support from Operation Rebound have more than doubled in the past two years. Operation Rebound helps these individuals overcome the fear and challenges that often face military personnel when they return home with a permanent physical injury. With the help of fundraisers and supporters, Operation Rebound allows many of these newly injured athletes take on new sports and challenges they never thought of attempting before their injury – even challenges like an IRONMAN 70.3.


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Missouri Restaurants
Haute Farms. Read a short restaurant bio, see their menu, and get directions from Haute Farms. Haute Farms put all the best restaurants in Missouri using local food on one page.
Missouri Restaurants
We've put all the best Missouri restaurants using local food on one page. Each farmer has a unique HF Code to help you learn more about the ingredients you are eating.
Coming Soon...
10 Chefs to Follow on Twitter
On The Road: Travel Must Eats
More Restaurant Recipes


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Those who held off on an iPhone 4S purchase until the unlocked version became available can now whip out their credit cards—but it's gonna hurt. Apple began selling unlocked versions of the iPhone 4S via its US online store Friday alongside a handful of international iPhone 4S launches—the phones don't require the typical two-year contract and only work on GSM networks.
The unlocked, contract-free iPhone 4S will cost $649, $749, and $849 respectively for the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions. That's $450 more per device than the carrier-locked versions, but there are plenty of reasons to not want to be tied to a single carrier. As noted by Apple, those who travel abroad regularly and want to use local GSM networks instead of roaming on their US network will benefit the most—just obtain a micro-SIM card from a supported GSM carrier and pop it into the iPhone's micro-SIM slot, and you're set.
(As noted by MacRumors, Apple's retail stores began selling no-contract iPhones immediately after the 4S launch, which also appeared to be unlocked, but the official launch of the unlocked devices was not until today.)
On the other side of the coin, what looks like a leaked memo posted to Sprintfeed appears to show that Sprint plans to begin SIM-locking its iPhones starting Friday. This is not a particularly shocking development—a Sprint spokesperson confirmed to Ars in October that the company was selling unlocked iPhone 4Ss for a limited time, but that they would begin locking the devices "shortly after launch." That day is apparently today, though Sprint did say that the devices could be unlocked again. "We will then allow existing customers in good standing to unlock the SIM for international use if needed in the future," the company told Ars.


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A tubby suburban dad watching hunting and adventure shows on TV and wondering could I do that? This is the chronicle of my adventures as I learn to learn to Forage, Hunt and Fish for food that has lived as I would wish to myself - Wild and Free.
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Paul Merton Meets The Suburban Bushwacker
Do you remember when I went to Scotland during the summer? Finally the embargo is lifted and I can tell you a bit more about the trip. Well, I will tell you a bit more about the trip, but first if you can get UK TV you can see me and Andy on Channel 5 this wednesday at 10pm UK time.
More - oh so much more- soon
Your pal (and TV personality)
11 comments:
I wonder how many years will pass before I finally get to see this in Angola?
I am having to comment anonymously because I don't seem to be able to use my google identity when commenting on your blog, I just end up going round in circles, trying to comment, being asked to sign in, returing to your page only to have to start again. Weird.
- 21 November 2011 at 10:24
- Exploriment said...
Suppressors in Great Britain? Whhaaaaattt?
- 21 November 2011 at 16:16
- The Suburban Bushwacker said...
Blogger has really gone down hill lately, SBW
- 21 November 2011 at 21:50
- The Suburban Bushwacker said...
Suppressors are a piece of health and safety equipment here, you have to have them listed on your ticket, but you can even have them for a shotgun.
- 21 November 2011 at 21:53
- Exploriment said...
Get outta here, seriously? I would have thought they would be streng verboten in the People's Democratic Kingdom of Great Britain.
Even here in Canuckistan you can't get them. Of course the clueless automatically assume that they are for assassins to ply their trade, but the ability to dampen sound, not piss off neighbours, not scaring away wildlife is what I want them for.
- 21 November 2011 at 22:00
- The Suburban Bushwacker said...
Absolutely, in fact they are so accepted that most new riles are sold 'screw cut' for them. what I've never seen advertised is rifles with Muzzle Breaks.
- 22 November 2011 at 06:01
- Exploriment said...
Who'd a thunk it? England - completely ridiculous laws on the one hand - totally enlightened laws on the other.
- 22 November 2011 at 17:56
- Chas Clifton said...
I am stuck on the phrase "trained stunt ducks," and I am afraid that it is all that I shall remember of this post.
- 26 November 2011 at 22:43
- The Suburban Bushwacker said...
It's a kind of teaser post - normal service will be resumed
- 27 November 2011 at 05:44
- Nuttysporter said...
Finally got a copy of the show .... I forgot to record this episode. Lovely to see you in your "back garden".
- 3 April 2012 at 14:20
- The Suburban Bushwacker said...
glad you liked it and thanks for commenting
- 3 April 2012 at 16:33


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Boston is one of the rare places where you meet many CAD and PLM people at the same time at the same place. You don't need to guess a lot why so. MIT CAD Lab as well as many companies in this domain made Greater Boston a unique place for talents in CAD and PLM space.
Tech Soft 3D is well known technological outfit helping many companies in CAD and PLM domain to develop successful products. Besides that Tech Soft 3D is sponsoring a gathering of technological fellows in the CAD/PLM domain to come, network and share their experience – Tech Talk. Yesterday was my first time attending Tech Talk in downtown Boston. I missed one last year because of crazy travel schedule. This year I've been honored to get invited and make a short speak. I shared my experience and thoughts about database and data management technological trends. As part of my presentation I shared my thoughts about so called NoSQL trend, what it contains and how it can be useful for CAD, PDM/PLM. Below you can see a full slide deck of my presentation.
On the following slide, you can see a simplified decision table that can help you to designate what noSQL databases can be useful for different type of solutions.
What is my conclusion? Database and data management technology is going through cambrian explosion of different options and flavors. It is a result of massive amount of development coming from open source, web and other places. Database is moving from "solution" into "toolbox" status. Single database (mostly RDBMS) is no longer a straightforward decision for all your development tasks. My hunch, CAD/PLM developers need to ramp up with with tools and knowledge to tackle with future database decisions. Just my thoughts…
Best, Oleg


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Document Type
- Doctoral Thesis (15) (remove)
- English (15) (remove)
- Adult learning (1)
- Austin (1)
- Berufliche Entwicklung (1)
- Buchstabe (1)
- Closure (1)
- Competence (1)
- Concrete experience (1)
- Constructivism (1)
- Cook Wilson (1)
- Dyslexie (1)
Faculty / Organisational entity
- Fachbereich Sozialwissenschaften (15) (remove)
Influences of Individual and Contextual Factors on Improving the Professional Development of TVET Teachers in Ethiopia (2009)
This Dissertation tried to provide insights into the influences of individual and contextual factors on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teachers' learning and professional development in Ethiopia. Specifically, this research focused on identifying and determining the influences of teachers' self perception as learners and professionals, and investigates the impact of the context, process and content of their learning and experiences on their professional development. The knowledge of these factors and their impacts help in improving the learning and professional development of the TVET teachers and their professionalization. This research tried to provide answers for the following five research questions. (1) How do TVET teachers perceive themselves as active learners and as professionals? And what are the implications of their perceptions on their learning and development? (2) How do TVET teachers engage themselves in learning and professional development activities? (3) What contextual factors facilitated or hindered the TVET Teachers' learning and professional development? (4) Which competencies are found critical for the TVET teachers' learning and professional development? (5) What actions need to be considered to enhance and sustain TVET teachers learning and professional development in their context? It is believed that the research results are significant not only to the TVET teachers, but also to schools leaders, TVET Teacher Training Institutions, education experts and policy makers, researchers and others stakeholders in the TVET sector. The theoretical perspectives adopted in this research are based on the systemic constructivist approach to professional development. An integrated approach to professional development requires that the teachers' learning and development activities to be taken as an adult education based on the principles of constructivism. Professional development is considered as context - specific and long-term process in which teachers are trusted, respected and empowered as professionals. Teachers' development activities are sought as more of collaborative activities portraying the social nature of learning. Schools that facilitate the learning and development of teachers exhibit characteristics of a learning organisation culture where, professional collaboration, collegiality and shared leadership are practiced. This research has drawn also relevant point of views from studies and reports on vocational education and TVET teacher education programs and practices at international, continental and national levels. The research objectives and the types of research questions in this study implied the use of a qualitative inductive research approach as a research strategy. Primary data were collected from TVET teachers in four schools using a one-on-one qualitative in-depth interview method. These data were analyzed using a Qualitative Content Analysis method based on the inductive category development procedure. ATLAS.ti software was used for supporting the coding and categorization process. The research findings showed that most of the TVET teachers neither perceive themselves as professionals nor as active learners. These perceptions are found to be one of the major barriers to their learning and development. Professional collaborations in the schools are minimal and teaching is sought as an isolated individual activity; a secluded task for the teacher. Self-directed learning initiatives and individual learning projects are not strongly evident. The predominantly teacher-centered approach used in TVET teacher education and professional development programs put emphasis mainly to the development of technical competences and has limited the development of a range of competences essential to teachers' professional development. Moreover, factors such as the TVET school culture, the society's perception of the teaching profession, economic conditions, and weak links with industries and business sectors are among the major contextual factors that hindered the TVET teachers' learning and professional development. A number of recommendations are forwarded to improve the professional development of the TVET teachers. These include change in the TVET schools culture, a paradigm shift in TVET teacher education approach and practice, and development of educational policies that support the professionalization of TVET teachers. Areas for further theoretical research and empirical enquiry are also suggested to support the learning and professional development of the TVET teachers in Ethiopia.
Subject of this book is an epistemological consideration - a consideration which could be characterised as a main theme - maybe the main theme - of that part of philosophy we all know as epistemology: the nature of knowledge. But other than the most essays on the subject of knowledge, here I am going to deal with a largely overlooked account to try to find an answer to the epistemological question of knowledge. This is the mental state account of knowledge (Price in his 'Belief' the formulation ``mental acts'' and Williamson talks about a ``state of mind''). Or to put it into the question I chose as title: is knowledge a mental state? We have to concede first that there is only a small group of philosophers who used to explain knowledge in terms of a mental state, particularly the `Oxford Realists'. And secondly, the acceptance of the MS thesis is low and negative. There is an interesting detail here: unlike the poor interest in an epistemic theory such as the MS thesis, philosophers like Prichard or Austin (and their philosophical thinking) are not really living in the shadows of philosophical consideration. Indeed their philosophical impact is high level, if we consider for instance Prichard's moral writings or Austin's theory of speech acts. I think we can conclude from this fact that the reason of the `negative' ignorance in respect of their epistemological point of view was not caused by a negative quality of their philosophy. Now, the question we are faced with (and that should be answered here) is: what is wrong with the MS thesis even though it is held by high class philosophers? Why is the epistemic thinking of Cook Wilson, Prichard and Austin afflicted with such ignorance? I will try to explain this later on with the notion of an unreflected Platonian heritage during 2000 years of epistemic thinking - a notion which is similar to a point Hetherington has called ``epistemic absolutism''. So, there are three main purposes which I am pursuing in this consideration: 1.To explain the reasons why there is such an ignorance towards an assertion of the MS thesis. I am going to pursue this through an analysis of knowledge which will demonstrate the inappropriateness of the JTB thesis as an adequate analysis of knowledge. 2.To describe that it is a mistake to ignore or at least underestimate the MS thesis in the discussion of an appropriate definition of knowledge and to maintain that the MS thesis is the key to a general theory of knowledge. 3.Conclusion: If the first two steps are correct, the JTB thesis is insufficient in order to give an account of the nature of knowledge in general. A consequence from this is: all the epistemic theories which are dealing with the JTB thesis are based on deficient assumptions. Hence their results - notably the well-known externalism/internalism debate - are insufficient, too. So, there is a need for a new theory of knowledge based on the MS thesis. In the course of my consideration I am going to justify the following three theses: i) The JTB thesis as a definition of knowledge in general is deficient, as the JTB thesis describes the propositional aspect of knowledge only. But the propositional knowledge - the so-called `knowledge that' - is merely one element among others that has to be recognized in search of a theory of knowledge. ii) The status of the `knowledge that' is derivative and not ultimate. It is derived from the non- propositional knowledge in order to make the non-propositional knowledge communicable to others. The mode of the `knowledge that' is indirect and thus can be stated in the third person point of view only. This ultimate kind of knowledge - the knowledge which the `knowledge that' is derived from - is the non-propositional knowledge. Its mode is direct and hence it is restricted to the first person point of view. Therefore the basis towards a theory of knowledge in general has to be this non-propositional aspect of knowledge. iii) Hence, taking the first two theses for granted, an appropriate theory of knowledge needs an account of the non-propositional knowledge. The MS thesis will accomplish this task.
Exploring Higher Education in Honduras: towards a new learning concept with contributions of biology of knowledge (2013)
There is growing international concern about the necessity to re-think the university so that it might remain relevant in a modern society. In the traditional task division at universities, knowledge is the main resource. Universities make use of both the cognitive and the informational approach. It was expected that universities use each approach to improve overall university performance. To effectively use the informational approach, universities should apply the tools from knowledge management. To effectively use the cognitive approach, universities must update their teaching-learning strategies to incorporate some of the recent advances in neuroscience and biology of knowledge, specifically from neurobiology and autopoiesis. With this frame, the main contribution of this work is the result of merging pedagogy and biology, towards an ideal future university. This goal was achieved through an exploratory study conducted to identify opportunities and difficulties in improving the teaching-learning process for the future of higher education in Honduras. The Delphi Study was used as a predictive method. Nineteen Honduran experts participated in this study, and two rounds were necessary to achieve consensus. The multi-disciplinary approach of this research addresses three different fields whose core element is knowledge. First, input from the present field of higher education is used to speak about the future. Second, input is taken from the biology of knowledge, and its contributions from neurobiology and autopoiesis that allow modifying and completing the already existing learning theories with a biological basis. Third, input is taken from the knowledge process, which is traditionally used as an organizational tool and know is translated to the individual level. The exploration shows that experts are concerned about all the missions and responsibilities of universities, but they agree that changes should primarily take place in the teaching dimension. Even though they are not aware of the possible contributions of biology, they suggest new forms of teaching that more favor skills development, promotes values, pertinent knowledge, and personal development over short-term contents. The resulting BRAIN Model encompasses the ideal future of higher education regarding teaching and learning, according to experts' answers. It provides a useful guide that any reform in teaching should take into account for a holistic, integral, and therefore more efficient learning task.
The present work investigated three important constructs in the field of psychology: creativity, intelligence and giftedness. The major objective was to clarify some aspects about each one of these three constructs, as well as some possible correlations between them. Of special interest were: (1) the relationship between creativity and intelligence - particularly the validity of the threshold theory; (2) the development of these constructs within average and above-average intelligent children and throughout grade levels; and (3) the comparison between the development of intelligence and creativity in above-average intelligent primary school children that participated in a special program for children classified as "gifted", called Entdeckertag (ET), against an age-class- and-IQ matched control group. The ET is a pilot program which was implemented in 2004 by the Ministry for Education, Science, Youth and Culture of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The central goals of this program are the early recognition of gifted children and intervention, based on the areas of German language, general science and mathematics, and also to foster the development of a child's creativity, social ability, and more. Five hypotheses were proposed and analyzed, and reported separately within five chapters. To analyze these hypotheses, a sample of 217 children recruited from first to fourth grade, and between the ages of six and ten years, was tested for intelligence and creativity. Children performed three tests: Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) for the assessment of classical intelligence, Test of Creative Thinking – Drawing Production (TCT-DP) for the measurement of classical creativity, and Creative Reasoning Task (CRT) for the evaluation of convergent and divergent thinking, both in open problem spaces. Participants were divided according to two general cohorts: Intervention group (N = 43), composed of children participating in the Entdeckertag program, and a non-intervention group (N = 174), composed of children from the regular primary school. For the testing of the hypotheses, children were placed into more specific groups according to the particular hypothesis that was being tested. It could be concluded that creativity and intelligence were not significantly related and the threshold theory was not confirmed. Additionally, intelligence accounted for less than 1% of the variance within creativity; moreover, scores on intelligence were unable to predict later creativity scores. The development of classical intelligence and classical creativity throughout grade levels also presented a different pattern; intelligence grew increasingly and continually, whereas creativity stagnated after the third grade. Finally, the ET program proved to be beneficial for classical intelligence after two years of attendance, but no effect was found for creativity. Overall, results indicate that organizations and institutions such as schools should not look solely to intelligence performance, especially when aiming to identify and foster gifted or creative individuals.
Perceptual grouping is an integral part of visual object recognition. It organizes elements within our visual field according to a set of heuristics (grouping principles), most of which are not well understood. To identify their temporal processing dynamics (i.e., to identify whether they rely on neuronal feedforward or recurrent activation), we introduce the primed flanker task that is based on a firm empirical and theoretical background. In three sets of experiments, participants responded to visual stimuli that were either grouped by (1) similarity of brightness, shape, or size, (2) symmetry and closure, or (3) Good Gestalt. We investigated whether these grouping cues were effective in rapid visuomotor processing (i.e., in terms of response times, error rates, and priming effects) and whether the results met theory-driven indicators of feedforward processing. (1) In the first set of experiments with similarity cues, we varied subjective grouping strength and found that stronger grouping in the targets enhanced overall response times while stronger grouping in the primes enhanced priming effects in motor responses. We also obtained differences between rapid visuomotor processing and the subjective impression with cues of brightness and shape but not with cues of brightness and size. These results show that the primed flanker task is an objective measure for comparing different feedforward-transmitted groupings. (2) In the second set of experiments, we used the task to study grouping by symmetry and grouping by closure that are more complex than similarity cues. We obtained results that were mostly in accordance with a feedforward model. Some other factors (line of view, orientation of the symmetry axis) were irrelevant for processing of symmetry cues. Thus, these experiments suggest that closure and (possibly) viewpoint-independent symmetry cues are extracted rapidly during the first feedforward wave of neuronal processing. (3) In the third set of experiments, we used the task to study grouping by Good Gestalt (i.e., visual completion in occluded shapes). By varying the amount of occlusion, we found that the processing was in accordance with a feedforward model only when occlusion was very limited. Thus, these experiments suggest that Good Gestalt is not extracted rapidly during the first feedforward wave of neuronal processing but relies on recurrent activation. I conclude (1) that the primed flanker task is an excellent tool to identify and compare the processing characteristics of different grouping cues by behavioral means, (2) that grouping strength and other factors are strongly modulating these processing characteristics, which (3) challenges a dichotomous classification of grouping cues based on feedforward vs. recurrent processing (incremental grouping theory, Roelfsema, 2006), and (4) that a focus on temporal processing dynamics is necessary to understand perceptual grouping.
Enhanced information processing of phobic natural images in participants with specific phobias (2014)
From an evolutionary point of view, it can be assumed that visual processing and rapid detection of potentially dangerous stimuli in the environment (e.g., perilous animals) is highly adaptive for all humans. In the present dissertation, I address three research questions; (1) Is information processing of threatening stimuli enhanced in individuals with specific phobias? (2) Are there any differences between the different types of phobia (e.g., spider phobia vs. snake phobia)? (3) Is the frequently reported attentional bias of individuals with specific phobias - which may contribute to an enhancement in information processing – also detectable in a prior entry paradigm? In Experiments 1 to 3 of the present thesis non-anxious control, spider-fearful, snake-fearful, and blood-injection-injury-fearful participants took part in the study. We applied in each experiment a response priming paradigm which has a strong theoretical (cf. rapid-chase theory; Schmidt, Niehaus, & Nagel, 2006; Schmidt, Haberkamp, Veltkamp et al., 2011) as well as empirical background (cf. Schmidt, 2002). We show that information processing in fearful individuals is indeed enhanced for phobic images (i.e., spiders for spider-fearful participants; injuries for blood-injury-injection(BII)-fearful individuals). However, we found marked differences between the different types of phobia. In Experiment 1 and 2 (Chapter 2 and 3), spiders had a strong and specific influence in the group of spider-fearful individuals: Phobic primes entailed the largest priming effects, and phobic targets accelerated responses, both effects indicating speeded response activation by phobic images. In snake-fearful participants (Experiment 1, Chapter 2), this processing enhancement for phobic material was less pronounced and extended to both snake and spider images. In Experiment 3 (Chapter 4), we demonstrated that early information processing for pictures of small injuries is also enhanced in BII-fearful participants, even though BII fear is unique in that BII-fearful individuals show opposite physiological reactions when confronted with the phobic stimulus compared to individuals with animal phobias. These results show that already fast visuomotor responses are further enhanced in spider- and BII-fearful participants. Results give evidence that responses are based on the first feedforward sweep of neuronal activation proceeding through the visuomotor system. I propose that the additional enhancement in spider- and BII-fearful individuals depend on a specific hardwired binding of elementary features belonging to the phobic object in fearful individuals (i.e., effortless recognition of the respective phobic object via hardwired neuronal conjunctions). I suggest that these hardwired conjunctions developed due to long-term perceptual learning processes. We also investigate the frequently reported attentional bias of phobic individuals and showed that this bias is detectable in temporal order judgments using a prior entry paradigm. I assume that perceptual learning processes might also strengthen the attentional bias, for example, by providing a more salient bottom-up signal that draws attention involuntarily. In sum, I conclude that (1) early information processing of threatening stimuli is indeed enhanced in individuals with specific phobias but that (2) differences between divers types of phobia exist (i.e., spider- and BII-fearful participants show enhanced information of the respective phobic object; though, snake-fearful participants show no specific information processing enhancement of snakes); (3) the frequently reported attentional bias of spider-fearful individuals is also detectable in a prior entry paradigm.
The role of stimulus complexity in auditory research of speech and non-speech on the behavioral and electrophysiological level (2014)
According to the domain specific models of speech perception, speech is supposed to be processed distinctively compared to non-speech. This assumption is supported by many studies dealing with the processing of speech and non-speech stimuli. However, the complexity of both stimulus classes is not matched in most studies, which might be a confounding factor, according to the cue specific models of speech perception. One solution is spectrally rotated speech, which has already been used in a range of fMRI and PET studies. In order to be able to investigate the role of stimulus complexity, vowels, spectrally rotated vowels and a second non-speech condition with two bands of sinusoidal waves, representing the first two formants of the vowels, were used in the present thesis. A detailed description of the creation and the properties of the whole stimulus set are given in Chapter 2 (Experiment 1) of this work. These stimuli were used to investigate the auditory processing of speech and non-speech sounds in a group of dyslexic adults and age matched controls (Experiment 2). The results support the assumption of a general auditory deficit in dyslexia. In order to compare the sensory processing of speech and non-speech in healthy adults on the electrophysiological level, stimuli were also presented within a multifeature oddball paradigm (Experiment 3). Vowels evoked a larger mismatch negativity (MMN) compared to both non-speech stimulus types. The MMN evoked by tones and spectrally rotated tones were compared in Experiment 4, to investigate the role of harmony. No difference in the area of MMN was found, indicating that the results found in Experiment 3 were not moderated by the harmonic structure of the vowels. All results are discussed in the context of the domain and cue specific models of speech perception.
When stimulus and response overlap in a choice-reaction task, enhanced performance can be observed. This effect, the so-called Stimulus-Response Compatibility (SRC) has been shown to appear for a variety of different stimulus features such as numerical or physical size, luminance, or pitch height. While many of these SRC effects have been investigated in an isolated manner, only fewer studies focus on possible interferences when more than one stimulus dimension is varied. The present thesis investigated how the SRC effect of pitch heights, the so-called SPARC effect (Spatial Pitch Associations of Response Codes), is influenced by additionally varied stimulus information. In Study 1, the pitch heights of presented tones were varied along with timbre categories under two different task and pitch range conditions and with two different response alignments. Similarly, in Study 2, pitch heights as well as numerical values were varied within sung numbers under two different task conditions. The results showed simultaneous SRC effects appearing independently of each other in both studies: In Study 1, an expected SRC effect of pitch heights with horizontal responses (i.e., a horizontal SPARC effect) was observed. More interestingly, an additional and unexpected SRC effect of timbre with response sides presented itself independently of this SPARC effect. Similar results were obtained in Study 2: Here, an SRC effect for pitch heights (SPARC) and an SRC effect for numbers (i.e., SNARC or Spatial Numerical Associations of Response Codes, respectively) were observed and again the effects did not interfere with each other. Thus, results indicate that SPARC with horizontal responses does not interfere with SRC effects of other, simultaneously varied stimulus dimensions. These findings are discussed within the principle of polarity correspondence and the dimensional overlap model as theoretical accounts for SRC effects. In sum, it appears that the different types of information according to varied stimulus dimensions enter the decision stage of stimulus processing from separate channels.
The Event Segmentation Theory (Kurby & Zacks, 2008; Zacks, Speer, Swallow, Braver, & Reynolds, 2007) explains the perceptual organization of an ongoing activity into meaningful events. The classical event segmentation task (Newtson, 1973) involves watching an online video and indicating with key presses the event boundaries, i.e., when one event ends and the next one begins. The resulting hierarchical organization of object-based coarse events and action-based fine events gives insight into various cognitive processes. I used the Event Segmentation Theory to develop assistance and training systems for assembly workers in industrial settings at various levels - experts, new hires, and intellectually disabled people. Therefore, the first scientific question I asked was whether online and offline event segmentation result in the same event boundaries. This is important because assembly work requires not only watching activities online but processing the information offline, e.g., while performing the assembly task. By developing a special software tool that enables assessment of offline event boundaries, I established that online perception and offline elaboration lead to similar event boundaries. This study supports prior work suggesting that instructions should be structured around event boundaries. Secondly, I investigated the importance of fine versus coarse event boundaries when learning the sequence of steps in virtual training, both for novices and experts in car door assembly. I found memory, tested by ability to predict the next frame, to be enhanced for object-based coarse events from the nearest fine event boundary. However, virtual training did not improve memory for action-based fine events from the nearest coarse event boundary. I conjecture that trainees primarily acquire the sequence of object-based coarse events in an initial training. Based on differences found in memory performance between experts and novices, I conclude that memory for action-based fine events is dependent on expertise. Thirdly, I used the Event Segmentation Theory to investigate whether the simple and repetitive assembly tasks offered at workshops for intellectually disabled persons utilize their full cognitive potential. I analyzed event segmentation performance of 32 intellectually disabled persons compared to 30 controls using a variety of event segmentation measures. I found specific deficits in event boundary detection and hierarchical organization of events for the intellectually disabled group. However, results suggest that hierarchical organization is task-dependent. Because the event segmentation task accounted for differences in general cognitive ability, I propose the event segmentation task as diagnostic method for the need for support in executing assembly tasks. Based on these three studies, I argue that the Event Segmentation Theory offers a framework for assessment and assistance of important attentional, perceptual, and memory processes related to assembly tasks. I demonstrate how practical applications can make use of this framework for the development of new computer-based assistance and training systems that are tailored to the users' need for support and improve their quality of life.


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Carpet Cleaning Beenleigh
Carpet Cleaning Beenleigh. Hire Tip Top Clean Team for all your carpet cleaning needs. Why? Because we are the best. Our experts offer the best carpet cleaning and care services. The well-versed team of our professionals offers carpet steam cleaning, carpet dry cleaning, carpet shampooing, carpet stain removal, carpet sanitising & deodorising, carpet mould restoration, carpet disinfecting, water damage restoration, vomit stain removal, urine stain removal, carpet dirt removal, pet hair removal from carpet, End of lease carpet cleaning and more.
Tip Top Clean Team has the best solutions for all your carpet cleaning needs. Hiring us for the carpet cleaning services can be your best decision. We assure you will be astonished at the incredible results we deliver. Call 1800 256 995 or contact us online us for the same day services.
- Accredited Carpet Steam Cleaning.
- Certified Carpet Cleaners.
- Prompt, Local and Reliable Carpet Cleaners.
- Over 15 years of experience in carpet cleaning Beenleigh.
- Static Control.
- Free Quotes.
- Carpet Protection Services.
- Dirt Removal.
- Latest Equipment.
- Fabric Protection.
Benefits of Carpet Cleaning in Beenleigh
- Carpets have become an inseparable part of every pleasant ambience, be it a residence or a workplace. But a dirty carpet can ruin the impact and the pleasantness of an area. That is why you need to keep your carpets clean.
- Carpet strands are the home of soil, dust, and silt which is very harmful to us- particularly kids because their immune system is not as strong as the adults. They can catch breathing issues easily but clean carpets can remove any such possibility and make the air around you healthier.
- Clean carpets keep the air fresh inside a house or an office, removing any scope for bacteria, fungi, etc, to develop.
Why Give Professional Cleaning to Carpets?
Allergens, carbon particles, pollens, bacteria, and all sorts of contaminants find your dirty carpets very attractive. They are happy to find a dirty place in your cozy home where they can live, play, and grow in numbers. When you keep your carpets dirty and untouched by professional cleaners for a long time, your carpets become home for all these contaminants. And they don't limit themselves to the carpets only, these particles pass on to the air that you breathe and from there enter your body as well. When you don't work on eliminating these contaminants from your carpets, you are indirectly welcoming diseases in your homes and offices. Your loved ones are at a risk in such case. And this is why you need professional carpet cleaning Beenleigh – to clean the carpets, to get rid of contaminants, and to breathe healthy air.
Get a FREE Pre-Treatment! Ring us 1800 256 995 for the same day carpet steam cleaning booking. Our local carpet cleaners live across Beenleigh.
Our Carpet Steam Cleaning Prices in Beenleigh
|Steam Cleaning
|Living Room
|Carpet Steam Cleaning
|Carpet Dry Cleaning
|Carpet Protection Services
* Conditions may apply – minimum cost for the carpet cleaning services is $175
Best Ways Used For Carpet Cleaning Beenleigh
Your carpets are a big investment that adds to the decor and charm of your home. But, with the passage of time, your investment become dirty, stained, and contaminated. It is almost impossible to keep your carpets away from the stains and dirt. And these dirty carpets become the home of bacterias, virus, fungi and other allergens, where they grow and multiply. And if you don't want your family and loved ones to in such an infected environment, then cleaning the carpets thoroughly is the best solution.
The best ways to clean your carpets deeply are- Carpet Steam Cleaning and Carpet dry cleaning.
Carpet Dry Cleaning
- Pre Inspection of Carpets – The process begins with a pre-inspection of the carpets to check the fabric of the carpet and note down how dirty it is.
- Pre Vacuuming of Carpets – Pre vacuuming of the carpets removes the solid dust particles from the carpets.
- Washing of Carpets – Using advanced agitation tools we wash the carpets with the help of bio-friendly cleaning solutions. These are safe for kids and pets too.
- Post Vacuuming of Carpets – To eliminate all residual particles and remaining dirt particles from the carpets, we do post-vacuuming after washing. This is done after 24 hours of the cleaning for better results.
Carpet Steam Cleaning
- Pre Inspection of Carpets – The process begins with a detailed pre-inspection of the carpets to find out the fabric and extent of dirtiness.
- Pre Vacuuming of Carpets – With pre vacuuming of the carpets we say bye to all the solid soil particles from the carpet.
- Hot Water Extraction of Carpets – Afterwards exhaustive washing is done using hot water extraction. Here we use cleaning solutions with hot water under high pressure to clean the carpets from deep within. This helps in getting rid of deeply embedded contaminants and removing moisture content from the carpet.
- Drying of Carpets – Then we dry the carpets with the help of air dryers to achieve our target quickly and effectively.
Tip Top Clean Team's Specialised Cleaning Services
Carpet Mould Removal Beenleigh
One of the most dangerous situations for your carpets occurs when mould development takes place on them. This development occurs mostly during the humid conditions in the home. Taking mould growth not seriously can be a major mistake, as mould presence degrades the environment across the home that ultimately leads to health issues like breathing problem, headache, flu-like symptoms and more. Hence, treating mould on the carpets on your own can be dangerous for your health. So, call the professionals of Tip Top Cleaning and get the best services for carpet mould removal Beenleigh.
Carpet Stain Removal Beenleigh
Carpet stains are one of the biggest problems of the homeowners. Stains can even create an embarrassing situation when you are entertaining guest in the home. If you have already tried several cleaning remedies with no luck, then certainly you need professional's help now. Our professional cleaning team has got the right tools and eco-friendly yet effective cleaning solutions, that can clean you all kinds of spots from the carpets. Also, not all kinds of carpets can be treated in a similar way using the same cleaning solution, this why you need experts for your carpet stain removal treatment.
Carpet Shampooing Beenleigh
Tip Top Clean Team professional carpet cleaners ought to deliver you the best and complete services for carpet cleaning Beenleigh. And Carpet shampooing is one of the major services we offer for carpet restorations. When your carpets have got extremely dirty, stained and stinky, they demand a deep and thorough cleaning. That is when carpet shampooing comes into the picture. Carpet shampooing is not a task, you can do at home effectively, you need proper equipment and quality shampoo for it. Also, you cannot quickly dry the carpets at home. Whereas, our professionals reach your doorstep with all the equipment and tools to carry out effective carpet shampooing results.
Carpet Sanitisation Service Beenleigh
Carpets tend to accumulate a lot of dirt, dust and debris and this dirt will promote germ growth. Dirty or unclean carpets can also harbour many dangerous germs, pathogens and bacteria. It is advisable that you hire professional assistance for disinfecting the carpet. Tip Top Clean Team will provide you with the best carpet sanitisation service in Beenleigh. Our professional carpet cleaners are equipped with the latest tools and equipment. We use safe and natural products to treat the carpets and get rid of germs and pathogens. Prevent the exposure of the harmful germs by hiring Tip Top Clean Team today.
End of Lease Carpet Cleaning Beenleigh
Moving out of the house? Searching for the best end of lease carpet cleaning company in Beenleigh? Tip Top Clean Team is your true destination. The cleaning team of our professionals offer the best services for end of lease carpet cleaning. Our professional carpet cleaners reach your doorstep with the complete cleaning equipment even on the same day of booking to deliver you the expected results.
- Same day carpet cleaning
- Hassle-free and amazing carpet cleaning results
- High-quality equipment and cleaning kits
- Affordable prices
Hot water Extraction Carpet Cleaning Beenleigh
We use only upgraded tools and right cleaning methods on your carpets to bring them back to the original condition. And hot water extraction method is one such method we use to bring the best carpet cleaning results. The process includes the injection of hot pressurised water and cleaning solution into the carpet fibre, which after a few minutes is extracted with the help of a high-powered machine. And extraction leaves the carpets cleaned and disinfectant, to deliver you the expected results.
Tip Top's Carpet Cleaning Beenleigh Services
- Fast drying carpet steam cleaning methods
- Carpet steam cleaning
- Deep clean carpet
- Carpet anti-stagnant treatment
- Carpet Sewage Restoration
- Residential carpet cleaning
- Emergency carpet cleaning
- Carpet fire and smoke restoration
- Carpet shampooing
- Blood stain removal from carpet
- Flood Damage Carpet Restorations
- Wine stain removal service
- Vomit stain removal from carpet
- Carpet mould restoration
- Carpet stain protection
- Pet hair removal from carpet
- Carpet dirt removal service
- Coffee or Tea Carpet Stains Removal
- End of lease/bond back carpet cleaning
- Carpet deodorising
- Dog urine cleaning service
- End of lease carpet clealning Methods
- Carpet Sanitising
- Pet stain and odour removal
- Carpet fire and smoke restoration
Same Day Carpet Cleaning Services Beenleigh
Want to carpet cleaning services urgently? Tip Top Clean Team is there in your services. Our professionals work 24x7x365 to serve you the best and solving your carpet cleaning issues. Our same day and quick services make us different from the crowd. You can avail our services for the same day carpet cleaning, our cleaning agents will reach your doorstep within 2 hours of booking. What else? We work on weekends and public holidays as well, that too without charging extra.
Scotchgard and Carpet Fiber Protection Beenleigh
Besides cleaning, we also offer protection against protection against stains on the carpet. We apply Scotchgard on the carpet fiber that prevents stains from settling deeper inside the carpet layers. We offer stain protection on almost all the premises including, homes, offices, hotels, motels, hospitals, shopping centers and more. Plus, we provide protection to almost all kinds of carpet fibers including:
- Polyester carpet cleaning and protection
- Wool carpet cleaning and protection
- Nylon carpet cleaning and protection
- Olefin carpet cleaning and protection
- Acrylic carpet cleaning and protection
- Smart stand carpet cleaning and protection
Our Experience in Carpet Cleaning Beenleigh
Tip Top Clean Team Beenleigh offers the best results for carpet cleaning for their precious clients across all the suburbs of Beenleigh. We have been in the industry for about 15 years and have built a trust among the clients in Beenleigh With our cleaning services, your carpets & upholstery will be cleaned in an absolutely stunning manner. And if we don't provide an unmatched quality carpet cleaning service to you, you are free to ask for re-cleaning by our cleaners without spending an extra penny!
If you are looking to attain the benefits of professional carpet cleaning then it is vital to choose a cleaner wisely. Carpet cleaning can come cheap as well especially in today's world of extreme competition but as a customer, you should look for a company that is experienced, insured, delivers guaranteed results, and hires certified cleaners.
Why Tip Top Clean Team for Carpet Cleaning Beenleigh?
Tip Top Clean Team is considered one of the best in Beenleigh for domestic carpet cleaning services. We give your carpets a brand new makeover with our finest and safest carpet cleaning services. Other features that make us superior to other carpet cleaners in Beenleigh, QLD, Australia are:
- We are fully insured and have 20 years of industry experience.
- Our team consists of licensed, certified, and experienced cleaners.
- We clean carpets with only Eco-friendly cleaning solutions.
- We don't use harmful chemicals for carpet cleaning.
- Our services are available at the lowest prices in Beenleigh.
- We deliver guaranteed results.
- We do same day & emergency cleaning services.
- You can call us anytime even on weekends or public holidays.
- Flexible timings to minimize downtime
- Cheapest & Competitive prices in Beenleigh
Tip Top Clean Team aims to give you the best cleaning experience with our exclusive carpet cleaning services. Avail our services today and give your carpets a new look!
Carpet Cleaners Demonstrations Beenleigh
We are specialized in all kinds of steam cleaning services. Our steam cleaning clients include Offices, Restaurants, Homes, Offices, Cinemas, Medical Centres, Flats, High Rises Buildings, Shopping Centres, Churches and domestic premises. Please have look at the video of one of carpet steam cleaner at work.
Location: Beenleigh, Queensland Australia


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Detecting Regions of Interest in Dynamic Scenes with Camera Motions
- K. Kim, D. Lee, and I. Essa (2012), "Detecting Regions of Interest in Dynamic Scenes with Camera Motions," in Proceedings of IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), 2012. [PDF] [WEBSITE] [VIDEO] [DOI] [BLOG] [BIBTEX]
@InProceedings{ 2012-Kim-DRIDSWCM, author = {Kihwan Kim and Dongreyol Lee and Irfan Essa}, blog = {http://prof.irfanessa.com/2012/04/09/paper-cvpr2012/}, booktitle = {Proceedings of IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR)}, doi = {10.1109/CVPR.2012.6247809}, pdf = {http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~irfan/p/2012-Kim-DRIDSWCM.pdf}, publisher = {IEEE Computer Society}, title = {Detecting Regions of Interest in Dynamic Scenes with Camera Motions}, url = {http://www.cc.gatech.edu/cpl/projects/roi/}, video = {http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19BMwDMCSp8}, year = {2012} }
We present a method to detect the regions of interests in moving camera views of dynamic scenes with multiple mov- ing objects. We start by extracting a global motion tendency that reflects the scene context by tracking movements of objects in the scene. We then use Gaussian process regression to represent the extracted motion tendency as a stochastic vector field. The generated stochastic field is robust to noise and can handle a video from an uncalibrated moving camera. We use the stochastic field for predicting important future regions of interest as the scene evolves dynamically.
We evaluate our approach on a variety of videos of team sports and compare the detected regions of interest to the camera motion generated by actual camera operators. Our experimental results demonstrate that our approach is computationally efficient, and provides better prediction than those of previously proposed RBF-based approaches.
Presented at: IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) 2012, Providence, RI, June 16-21, 2012


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Science Education
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Find us on:
1608 Spring Hill Road, Suite 110 Vienna, VA 22182
1-800-444-6443 (Voice - Toll-free)703-761-0750 (Voice)703-761-0755 (FAX)
The Brain Injury Association of America, formerly the National Head Injury Foundation, was founded in 1980. A national non-profit organization, the association's main focus is to provide services to persons with brain injuries and their families. Our mission is to be the voice of brain injury. Through advocacy, education and research, we bring help, hope and healing to millions of individuals living with brain injury, their families and the professionals who serve them.
Publications available: TBI Challenge!; National Directory of Head Injury Rehabilitation Services; and a catalog of educational resources.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
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- Details
Cottage A Room With A View (Brugge West flanders)
Environ 2 km de Assebroek
9 persons
A Room with a view is its name worth! This charming b&b is situated in the historical centre, in the heart of Mystical Bruges, an oasis of green, quietness and authenticity. The ... Read more


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Obama likely to get nominee he wants for Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's Supreme Court pick — the first by a Democratic president in 15 years — is likely to have a smooth path to confirmation, although it also gives both liberals and conservatives a fresh reason to mobilize.
Associate Justice David Souter told Obama Friday in a four-line letter that he'll retire from the court this summer. Following a mid-afternoon telephone conversation between the two men, Obama said he hoped to have a successor in place when the Supreme Court convenes for arguments in October.
"I will seek someone who understands that justice isn't about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a casebook," Obama said. "It is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people's lives."
The immediate focus has turned to a potential female candidate since Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who recently underwent cancer surgery, is the only woman on the nine-member court.
The most frequently mentioned names in legal circles include appellate judges Sonia Sotomayor, a 54-year-old Yale School graduate of Puerto Rican descent; Ann Williams, a 59-year-old Notre Dame Law School graduate of African-American descent and Solicitor General Elena Kagan, the 49-year-old former dean of Harvard Law School.
"There's a lot of pressure to name a woman," noted Goodwin Liu, a former Supreme Court clerk now teaching at the University of California's Berkeley Law School.
Obama's stated emphasis on "a quality of empathy," for instance, raises the possibility of bringing in an experienced political figure, such as Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a 50-year-old Harvard Law School graduate. Sandra Day O'Connor, a former Arizona state senator, was the last Supreme Court justice to have elected experience.
With five justices over age 70, including Ginsburg, the administration has been preparing for months for an anticipated vacancy. In December, Obama personally suggested names of potential nominees to his transition team.
Staff members in the White House counsel's office have been reviewing background of possible choices, and senior staff met Thursday, before the news about Souter broke, to discuss choices.
This much seems clear: In a Senate where Democrats control 59 seats, and could soon add a 60th once the contested Minnesota race is decided, Obama appears likely to have little trouble getting the nominee he wants.
"The average voter looks and says, 'is this person qualified?' If he or she is, and doesn't appear crazy, they think they should be confirmed," said Thomas Keck, professor of constitutional law and politics at Syracuse University.
The Senate Judiciary Committee, which will conduct hearings and take the first vote on the nominee, is expected to include 11 Democrats and eight Republicans. Veteran conservatives Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, are the most senior members, and both have reputations of working with Democrats. Hatch himself once made known his own interest in serving on the court.
The committee, though, also includes less conciliatory GOP members Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, who heads the party's national Senate re-election committee and has raised objections to some of Obama's Cabinet nominees.
In addition to the Democrats' numeric advantage, the Obama nominee also has history on her side. Senators are reluctant to reject a president's choice simply because they disagree. Ginsburg, for instance, was a veteran women's rights advocate and a darling of liberals but was confirmed in 1993 by a 96-3 vote. And despite many Democrats' misgivings about Chief Justice John Roberts in 2005, he was confirmed by a vote of 78-22.
"It's safe to say that the president is in the position to get a mainstream liberal confirmed to the court fairly easily," said Bradford Berenson, a former associate White House counsel to Bush who once clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Nan Aron, the president of the liberal Alliance for Justice, nonetheless predicted that Republicans and conservative activists would "attack whoever the president nominates. This is one of the most valuable tools they have to galvanize their base."
Republican media strategist Keith Appell agreed the nomination can be "an issue in Senate elections next year," a reminder to conservative voters that two more years of a big Democratic majority could mean a court packed with liberals, although Souter's successor isn't likely to change the current balance of the court.
"This can become a great opportunity for conservatives and Republicans to rally together," Appell said.
Liberal advocacy groups, too, typically use Supreme Court nominations as a way to excite members, unify core supporters and, on occasion, fundraise. The sense of imminent threat is often deployed.
"Without a doubt, opponents of women's freedom and privacy will use this vacancy on the court as an opportunity to further their attacks on nominees who have taken pro-choice positions," NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan stated Friday, illustratively. "America's pro-choice majority will fight back."
(Margaret Talev contributed to this article.)
Souter tells White House that he'll retire from the Supreme Court
Ginsburg's cancer prompts talk of who's next on Supreme Court
Failure to promote white firefighters draws Supreme Court scrutiny
Obama judicial pick will test pledge to end confirmation wars
Obama's Justice nominees signal end of Bush terror tactics
Can Barack Obama undo Bush's tangled legal legacy?


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Nutrition Facts
Ingredients and Preparation
- Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until ½ inch thick. Season both sides with lemon pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Add garlic to the pan and cook for about 1 minute. Add in broth and flour. Bring to a boil while stirring, scraping up any browned bits.
- Return chicken and its juices to the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until cooked through.
- Stir in crème fraiche and cook for another minute, turning the chicken a couple of times. Add the chives and serve.


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Shutdown: Congress sputters on CR
The government has officially shut down.
The partisan gridlock in Washington proved insurmountable, as House Republicans continue to insist on changing, delaying or defunding Obamacare as the price for keeping the government open, while Senate Democrats and President Barack Obama firmly rejected that position.
Story Continued Below
It's the first government shutdown since 1996, when Newt Gingrich was the House speaker and Bill Clinton was president. The House and Senate stayed in session until the wee hours Tuesday morning, but there is no clear path toward solving the budgetary impasse.
( POLITICO's full government shutdown coverage)
In a sign of just how entrenched Washington is, Congress is fighting over just a few months of government funding. Sometime in November or December, Congress and the White House will have to agree on a longer-term funding bill to last into 2014. This is just the first fiscal fight of the fall. The debt ceiling must be lifted by Oct. 17.
Stripping Obamacare of its funding has been a centerpiece of the House Republican Conference since the party took the majority in 2010. But this is the first time the GOP has declined to fund government because of the law. Obamacare's health-insurance exchanges opened as planned Tuesday.
The majority of polls show Republicans will bear the blame for this shutdown. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has privately warned House Republicans that they could lose their majority in 2014 as a result of shutting down the government.
House Republicans' last-ditch effort Monday night was to try to pass a bill that would allow the leadership to appoint negotiators to a House-Senate conference committee to hash out an agreement on government funding. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he would only assign negotiators if the GOP first passed a six-week funding bill without any changes to the Affordable Care Act.
( WATCH: Shutdown: Democrats vs. Republicans)
The Senate won't wait for the House to pass it's motion to go to conference. About midnight, Reid said the upper chamber would retire for the night and reconvene at 9:30 a.m.
"This is a very sad day for our country," Reid said on the Senate floor. The House has "some jerry-rigged thing about going to conference. It is embarrassing that these people are elected to represent the country are representing the tea party."
The high-stakes legislative back-and-forth lasted for several days. The House first passed a funding bill two weeks ago, which defunded the health care law. The Senate responded by changing the legislation to fully fund the law. The House then passed several versions of its own bill to keep the fund the government — but with several caveats: first, defunding Obamacare; then a full year delay of Obamacare and a repeal of the medical device tax; then, a delay of Obamacare's individual mandate and the cancelation of health-insurance subsidies for Capitol Hill lawmakers, aides and administration employees. The Senate dismissed each attempt.
( WATCH: Boehner 'confident' House will pass CR)
Several Senate Republicans said they ultimately expected their colleagues in the House to arrive at something Senate Democrats can pass to keep the government's lights on — but not on before the government shut down. There was one bipartisan bright spot. The Senate unanimously passed a bill Monday to keep military troops paid during a shutdown, and the president signed it just a few hours before midnight.
"When the House sends things that do have an attraction to members maybe we'll see a difference," said Sen. Richard Burr (R) of North Carolina. "We'll go into a shutdown tomorrow and we'll figure out how to get out of it. I think it will take a few days."
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a chief critic of the House's attempts to attack Obamacare during the government funding debate, said he'd sign onto a clean spending bill if given the chance — and expected sometime soon he would get one.
"Yeah because we can't win. That's going to happen sooner or later," McCain said.


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Heart Breaker
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13 responses
Susan Littlefield gave props (30 Mar 2012):
Awwww.....at least he has a sweater to keep him warm! Cute capture!
Leslie Hunziker gave props (10 Apr 2012):
sweeeeet shot!
Michaela K. gave props (4 Jun 2012):
George Papachristou said (5 Jun 2012):
thomas gdisis gave props (15 Jun 2012):
Kristina Krause gave props (20 Jun 2012):
Look at that face! I love his little sweater......
Sarah Springer (Deleted) gave props (11 Oct 2012):
A very sweet dog.....so glad this little dog is keeping warm
je suis moi gave props (30 Nov 2012):
But, I LOVE YOU !!!
je suis moi gave props (17 Mar 2013):
Lynn E. Harvey gave props (18 Mar 2013):
This is just so cute!
Laurie Search gave props (11 Apr 2014):
Awwwww!!!! LOL!!!!! I just LOVE this!!!! So funny, sweet, and adorable!!!! :)))
William Garvey gave props (26 Jun 2015):
Yep, I don't know if it is the eyes or the ears?
jaume morera guixa gave props (25 Jan 2016):
A lovely image !!!
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Why is the nose prone to bleeding?/
The nose has many blood vessels in it to help warm and humidify the air you breathe. These vessels lie close to the surface, making them easy to injure.
Are nosebleeds serious?
A few nosebleeds stem from large vessels in the back of the nose. These nosebleeds can be dangerous. They may occur after an injury. This type of nosebleed is more common in the elderly and is often due to high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, daily aspirin use or bleeding disorders. Usually, the older the patient, the more serious the nosebleed.
You'll need to get medical attention if a nosebleed goes on for more than 20 minutes or if it occurs after an injury (such as a fall or a punch in the face), especially if you think you may have a broken nose. A nosebleed after a fall or car accident could be a sign of internal bleeding.
Frequent nosebleeds may mean you have a more serious problem. For example, nosebleeds and bruising can be early signs of leukemia. Nosebleeds can also be a sign of a blood clotting or blood vessel disorder, or a nasal tumor (both cancerous and non-cancerous).
What causes nosebleeds?
The most common causes are dryness (often caused by indoor heat in the winter) and nose picking. These 2 things work together -- nose picking occurs more often when mucus in the nose is dry and crusty.
Other, less common, causes include injuries, colds, allergies or cocaine use. Children may stick small objects up the nose. Older people may have atherosclerosis (which is the hardening of the arteries), infections, high blood pressure and blood clotting disorders, or they may be taking drugs that interfere with blood clotting, such as aspirin. A rare cause of frequent nosebleeds is a disorder called hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Sometimes, the cause of nosebleeds can't be determined.
What should I do when I get a nosebleed?
A nosebleed can be scary to get -- or see -- but try to stay calm. Most nosebleeds look much worse than they really are. Almost all nosebleeds can be treated at home.
If you get a nosebleed, sit down and lean slightly forward. Keeping your head above your heart will slow the bleeding. Lean forward so the blood will drain out of your nose instead of down the back of your throat. If you lean back, you may swallow the blood. This can cause irritate your stomach.
Use your thumb and index finger to squeeze together the soft portion of your nose. This area is located between the end of your nose and the hard, bony ridge that forms the bridge of your nose. Keep holding your nose until the bleeding stops. Don't let go for at least 5 minutes. If it's still bleeding, hold it again for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Once the bleeding stops, don't do anything that may make it start again, such as bending over or blowing your nose.
See your doctor if:
The bleeding goes on for more than 20 minutes.
The bleeding was caused by an injury, such as a fall or something hitting your face.
You get nosebleeds often.
What will my doctor do for a nosebleed?
Your doctor will try to find out where the bleeding is coming from in your nose. He or she will probably ask you some questions and examine your nose. If the bleeding doesn't stop on its own or when pressure is applied, your doctor may cauterize the bleeding vessel or pack your nose to stop the bleeding.
Cauterization involves using a special solution called silver nitrate or an electrical or heating device to burn the vessel so that it stops bleeding. Your doctor will numb your nose before the procedure.
Packing the nose involves putting special gauze or an inflatable latex balloon into the nose so that enough pressure is placed on the vessel to make it stop bleeding.
Tips on preventing nosebleeds
Keep children's fingernails short to discourage nose picking.
Counteract the drying effects of indoor heated air by using a humidifier at night in your bedroom.
Quit smoking. Smoking dries out your nose and also irritates it.
Open your mouth when you sneeze.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
I get a lot of nosebleeds. What can I do to stop them?
How long should I wait to call the doctor if I'm having a nosebleed?
I'm around secondhand smoke a lot. Could that be causing my nosebleeds?
Are nosebleeds more common in winter?
What can I do to prevent my child from picking his/her nose?
Could my nosebleeds be a sign of a separate disease?
Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians 2008
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. - www.mdconsult.com


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Dong Zhou wrote:Needing a replay to bear Cambridge? Man U are better but it still seems a bit dysfunctional and that Van Gaal is just trying to get Man U over the line and then overhaul things in the summer
Yeah, it's still a bit of a mess with us. Honestly placing top 4 is all we want right now, it'd be a real blessing in fact. Van Gaal has made positive strides, so over the Summer he can hopefully toughen up our defence.


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An excerpt:
"One of the wild grapes that flows from the vine of clericalism, the future Pope said in El Jesuita, is a hypercritical spirit that leads some Catholic priests and faithful to expend most of their energy censuring others inside and outside the Church rather than seeking to live and share the joy of the Christian faith.
"This is a problem not only for priests," he said, "but also for laypeople. One isn't a good Catholic when he is looking only for the negative, for what separates us. This isn't what Jesus wants."
Such unredeemed behavior — found regularly in personal conversations, blogs, comment boxes and Internet video analyses — "mutilates the message" of the Christian faith and scares people away from it, he said.
Firing vitriolic criticism at those with whom one disagrees is not the path of the reform of the laity and the Church.
The true path, rather, was delineated by Cardinal Bergoglio in the final report of the Latin American bishops' encounter in 2007 with Pope Benedict in Aparecida, Brazil.
Cardinal Bergoglio was the principal author and presenter of the "Aparecida Document," which not only echoes many of his fundamental themes, but is a reliable indicator of his thought.
The reform of the laity, the document says, must involve reforming them to become "missionary disciples in communion."
Those four words define the lay vocation: converted followers of Jesus, who, together with others, share Jesus' life and faithfully seek to spread their joy, life and love to those who have not yet come into that twofold communion..."
I myself am anything but 'trending.'
So I liked the piece a lot.


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I'll soon (hopefully!: the current security arrangment is HORRIBLE), a 3 legged firewall (ie: with a DMZ) and I was wondering if there would be anything wrong to setting up snort on the firewall itself (the internal network is switched and DMZ will most likely be too...)?
Follow up on that would be how much processing power would be necessary for that firewall (OpenBSD 3.0 with pf) running snort and serving arround a 100 hosts maximum (average would probably be 35 outgoing connections at a time) ?
Other setup suggestions appreciated too...


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Historical Publications
the Book Links
Book Shop Contact
of Richmond, KY Overview
The Battle of
Richmond, KY occurred August 29-30,1862.
It was the most complete Confederate Victory of
the American Civil War. The states of Indiana,
Tennessee, Arkansas, Ohio, Texas, Kentucky,Georgia,
Louisiana, Michigan and Florida all had soldiers who
fought and died in the fields of Madison County, KY
on those terrible days.
Colonel John
S. Scott commander of the Confederate Cavalry cleared
the way by defeating Union forces in the Battle of Big
Hill on August 23, 1862. They crossed the Big
Hill in force on the evening of August 28. August
29th the Battle began. It opened as Scott's Cavalry
fanned out toward Richmond, and General Patrick Cleburne's
division began crossing the Big Hill. The Confederate
Cavalry ran into skirmishers from the 55th Indiana.
The Hoosiers pushed Scott's Louisianans, Georgians
and Tennesseans back and captured one of their mountain
howitzers. Occassional rifle and cannon fire lasted
until evening ending the fighting except for a couple
of disasterious night attacks upon the Confederate Camp
by the Union's 7th Kentucky Cavalry.
Early in the
morning on August 30 Union General Mahlon Manson moved
Union forces forward around Mt. Zion Church. Here they
were attacked by Tennesseans and Arkansawyers of Cleburne's
Division. Soon they were flanked by General Thomas
J. Churchill's Texans and Arkansawyers who had manuvered
up through some ravines and suddenly popped up. The
green untrained Federals were about to give way when
General Charles Cruft's brigade arrived on the field.
They soon were overwhelmed and the Yankee Army
was forced to retreat. Manson and Cruft were finally
able to rally their troops on the White Farm.
Division came forward along with Colonel Benjamin J.
Hill's Tennessee Brigade and they struck the Union Lines
savagely. Here Union forces held bravely and the
fighting lasted for over an hour. Once again the
Confederates overan the Yankees position forcing a route.
Some of the Union soldiers had been in service
for less than a month and they had had enough.
Major General
William "Bull" Nelson, the Commander of the
Union Army of Kentucky suddenly appeared on the field.
He knew what a route looked like and began to work feverishly
to reform his troops. Nelson was posting his troops
behind the stonewall of the Richmond Cemetary. This
would be the strongest Union position of the day.
General Edmund
Kirby Smith, the overall Confederate Commander, pulled
Colonel Thomas Hamilton McCray's Brigade off the line
giving the Texans a much needed rest. To replace
them he brought forward Colonel Evander McNair's Brigade
of Arkansas men. McNair's brigade along with the
Tennesseans attacked the wall several times with a savage
fury. The Confederates finally reached the stonewall
and savage hand to hand fighting brought out. It
didn't take long before once again Union forces were
overan. The Yankees began to throw down their weapons
and run into Richmond while the worn out Confederates
pursued. Seeking safety, the new Union levees
ran into an ambush cade setup by Colonel John S. Scott
who had flanked Richmond with his grey riders. One
volley from the Confederate Cavalry and whole regiments
of Yankees began to surrender. Thus ended the
Battle of Richmond.
If you would
like to know more about the battle than what's included
in the overview,
just try reading Of Savage Fury - The Battle
of Richmond, KY by Anthony Hawkins.


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I have a question regarding Cantor set given to me as a homework question (well, part of it):
a. Prove that the only connected components of Cantor set are the singletons $\{x\}$ where $x\in C$
b. Prove that $C$ is metrizable
I am having some problems with this exercise:
My thoughts about $a$:
I know that in general path connectedness and connectedness are not equivalent, but I know that$\mathbb{R}$ is path connected, I want to say something like that since if $\gamma(t):C\to C$ is continues then $\gamma(t)\equiv x$ for some $x\in C$ then I have it that the connected components of $C$ can be only the singltons.
But I lack any justification - connectedness and path connectedness are not the same thing - but maybe since $\mathbb{R}$ is path connected we can justify somehow that if $C$ had any connected component then it is also path connected ? another thing that confuses me is that the open sets relative to $C$ and relative to $\mathbb{R}$ are not the same so I am also having a problem working with the definition of when a space is called connected
My thoughts about b:
Myabe there is something that I don't understand - but isn't $C$ metrizable since its a subspace of a $[0,1]$ with the topology that comes from the standard metric on $\mathbb{R}$ ?
I would appreciate any explanations and help with this exercise!


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By getting out of the studio and into nature, you can experience yoga as it was originally intended. "Being outdoors gives you access to a whole other world of sensations. It helps you feel part of a boundless existence, at one with an intelligent and sympathetic universe," says Garrett Sarley Dinabandhu, president of the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts's Berkshire Mountains. The pure unpredictability of being outside and exposed to the elements can strengthen an existing practice or inspire a new one, Dinabandhu says. Working with Michelle Van Otten, owner of Ultimate Outdoor Fitness in Los Gatos, California, and E. Barrie Kavasch, an expert in Native American wisdom and author of "The Medicine Wheel Garden," we've developed a unique yoga-based routine that's meant to be an out-of-studio experience. This Four Elements Ritual -- Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water -- is designed to awaken your senses, enhance your focus, and help you reconnect to the natural world.
To refresh your experience when you go outside, keep these four points in mind.
Find Your Place Of Peace And Power: Everybody has access to some spot of natural power. It doesn't have to be the Grand Canyon; it can be Central Park, a river, a stream, a hillside. Maybe it's a place made special by its juxtaposition to what's around it -- an old oak tree next to a housing development or a water fountain in the middle of a city. If you open yourself to it, you can find lots of what Dinabandhu calls "little doorways into the natural rhythms of nature."
Be Present: To most people, the outdoors is a transitional place -- something they rush through on their way from one indoor environment to another; they're not fully conscious of the world itself. The rewards of being present in nature are very fulfilling -- but it's an awareness you have to cultivate.
Start With Your Breath: Do a few ujjayi breaths to relax and slow down. Breathe slowly through your nose, allowing your belly to expand; slightly contract the back of the throat as you inhale and exhale to create the audible sound of an ujjayi breath, like ocean waves rushing over pebbles. Listen for the gentle rhythms of nature and allow your breath to fall in sync with it. With each breath, reach your sensory awareness toward your inner self and out into the world around you.
Go Slow And Slower: When you practice yoga outside, it's not about how many asanas you do, but the quality of movement that enriches your practice. Think of moving from the inside out, following your body's natural inclination and rhythms. Feel the currents of the air across your body and let that direct you. Enjoy the flow of one pose into another. Take your time.
3. Reach your arms as high as you can, with heels planted and feet flat. Next, try reaching higher on the right side, then the left, three times on each side.
4. Round down into a forward fold. Hold this pose for five breaths with soft knees, hands flat on the ground.
5. Bend your legs a little, lowering your pelvis. Exhale as the knees bend; inhale and straighten. Do this three times6. Roll up slowly.
1. Stand in Mountain pose with a slightly widened stance and feet firmly on the ground.2. Begin a spinal rotation, starting at the waist and gently turning the upper body, face, shoulders, arms, and hands from side to side. Rotate the spine like a washing machine, allowing the muscles to release and the arms to flop loosely, patting the body with each turn. Let the movement flow back and forth.3. Breathe in for one complete rotation, then out for a rotation; keep this rhythm going for at least 20 rotations.4. Return to center. Bring your heels together with toes slightly apart, and let your arms relax at your sides.
1. From Mountain pose move into Chair pose by first raising your arms so they are perpendicular to the floor and in line with the back and neck. Bend your knees and lower your tailbone as if you are sitting, lowering until your thighs are almost parallel to the ground. Keep your knees aligned with your ankles, and hold for five breaths.2. Straighten legs and dive into a forward fold as you exhale, then step back into Downward-Facing Dog, hands and feet on the ground, hips raised, heels pressing toward the ground, arms firm, fingers spread, and palms flat. Hold for a few breaths to build heat in the body.
Practice near a body of water -- the ocean, a lake, or a swimming pool. Find a waterfall or fountain. Try practicing in the morning or evening to feel and see the dew on the grass and leaves. Practice meditation. This exercise is inspired by tai chi and includes both fluid movement and balance while standing in place.
1. Stand with heels together, toes apart.
2. Keeping your knees soft, rock back and forth to find perfect center balance.3. With hands together in prayer position, reach up over your head through the air. Open your arms as if you're doing a breaststroke, and push the air away as if it were water. Sweep your arms out and down, returning them to your sides. Inhale as you swim "out," rise up on your toes, and exhale as you gently bring your hands back and lower onto your feet.4. Repeat the motions at least 10 times, gradually working up to 20.
Whether you're looking to lose weight, tone up, or just feel healthier, we've got the tips and tricks you'll need.Get the Ideas
Our healthiest snacks for when you're on the go, at home, or at work.Get the Recipes


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NorCal Weddings at the Redding Bridal Show/
NorCal Weddings
Redding Bridal Show • Sunday, July 29th 2018
Join us on Sunday, July 29th 2018 at the Redding Civic Auditorium for the Redding Bridal Show Summer Showcase featuring NorCal Weddings.
Meet hundreds of local vendors and enter to win thousands in prizes with over $5,000 in Prizes Guaranteed at each show!
Pre-Registration Now Open!
Brides & Grooms who Pre-Register for the Redding Bridal Show will be entered into an exclusive giveaway to win 3-Day & 2-Night Vegas Vacation for 2 (5 winning couples per show).
Presented by NorCal Weddings www.norcalweddings.com the Redding Bridal Show provides a fun & informative way to meet local professional vendors & businesses who can help you prepare for your wedding, honeymoon & new home!
Meet the individuals behind the businesses & discover the rich talent & assortment of professional vendors from Northern California while enjoying samples of amazing food from local caterers & tasty treats from local bakeries. Meet local photographers, florists, DJ's & more all from the convenience of a single location! And that is just the beginning! With over $5,000 Guaranteed Prizes the Redding Bridal Show is a fun & exciting experience for you & your future spouse, friends & family!
Location: Redding Civic Auditorium 700 Auditorium Dr. Redding CA, 96001
Next Show Date & Time: Sunday, July 29, 2018 • 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM


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Coaching Staff on Zatarain: "As a returning senior and captain, her strengths are shooting and leadership. We are hoping to cash in on Alexia's ability to hold the ball up and be a target player for the team."
As a Junior in 2008: Played in 21 of UCSD's 23 matches, while earning the starting nod on 18 occasions... tied for second on the team in points with 11, coming off of four goals and three assists... two of her goals turned out to be game-winners... scored in overtime to beat Western Washington 2-1 on the road Aug. 30... her final goal of the season opened the scoring on Oct. 12, a 3-0 road victory over Chico State.
As a Sophomore in 2007: Saw action in all but one of UCSD's matches and started in 11 contests during her sophomore campaign... ranked third on the team with three assists while also netting one goal... recorded a four-point game on Sept. 2 at Hawaii Pacific, firing a free kick past the keeper and also dishing out two assists during the 5-0 Tritons' victory.
As a Freshman in 2006: Played in 22 matches for the Tritons, starting once... scored one goal and assisted on one other during rookie season... lone goal came in the 5-0 victory at Cal State Stanislaus on September 15... picked up an assist in the 4-0 victory at home over Cal State L.A. on October 13... got first collegiate start in the 4-0 win at CSULA on September 24.
High School: A 2006 graduate of Canyon High School in Canyon Country, Calif... helped soccer team to the CIF semifinals as a freshman in 2002... team advanced to the CIF quarterfinals in both 2003 and 2004.
Personal: Born April 29, 1988... parents are Eduardo and Barbara Zatarain... has two younger siblings named Daniel and Samantha... is a Political Theory major and Law and Society minor in Revelle College... enjoys the beach, reading and European soccer in her spare time.


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It seems like the ultimate irony: Last week the executive chairman of Google — the company whose motto is "don't be evil" — traveled to North Korea, one of the last remaining countries in what former President George W. Bush famously called an "axis of evil."
Eric Schmidt and former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson repeatedly declared that this was a private humanitarian visit and not an official Google trip. Criticism has been flung from many corners, including the U.S. government, which called the visit "unhelpful." But the contentious U.S.-North Korean diplomatic relationship should not discourage other tracks of engagement.
There is a long precedent for people outside government — business leaders, religious figures, aid workers — engaging in countries that have been ostracized at a policy level. Maintaining these channels of people-to-people engagement, even tenuously, can provide openings for an eventual thaw. Schmidt and Richardson deserve credit for exploring alternate avenues for constructive engagement even as the formal diplomatic front remains blocked.
This was not a naive mission. The delegation observed firsthand the few highlights of the North Korean Internet (fewer than 1,000 users in a country of more than 24 million people) and spoke with the leaders of a minor yet growing segment of the economy. They then conveyed a clear and powerful message to senior government officials that the longer they waited to open up, the tougher it would be for them.
"It will make it harder for them to catch up economically," Schmidt said. "We made that alternative very, very clear."
Having such a message originate with Google leaders rather than government officials gives it an added dimension of authority and credibility. Schmidt and Richardson's visit has tremendous potential to open more doors for productive American engagement even through the relatively small key hole of technological exchanges, as called for by Schmidt.
One could foresee that an exchange of software developers or computer science professors today could lead to the meeting of Korean families separated by political borders tomorrow, even if it's a virtual meeting via Skype or other technology.
The value of interactions like Schmidt's visit cannot be underestimated.
Mercy Corps has been traveling to and working in North Korea for 15 years, and our engagement thorough humanitarian work, cultural and technical exchanges and regular visits to the country has been constant, transcending the cycles of political chill and thaw. This has maintained a small yet critical open channel of communication between North Koreans and Americans even when high-level channels have been frozen.
Google would not be alone in exploring potential business opportunities in Pyongyang. Companies from Switzerland, Sweden, Australia and others are already capturing previously untapped markets. The Egyptians have cornered the cellular market (more than 1 million cellphones sold in the past two years), while the Chinese are extracting rare earth minerals.
Decades of sanctions and political pressure from the international community have contributed to difficulties for North Korea's people but produced precious little change in the government's behavior. In the long run, this kind of business engagement rather than diplomatic pressure seems most likely to lead to real progress.
Change in North Korea is happening, albeit haltingly, with business and technology as its main drivers. Schmidt's attempt to establish constructive dialogue with the North Korean technology community is admirable from a humanitarian perspective.
It's also good business.
Andrea Koppel is vice president of global engagement and policy at the international humanitarian organization Mercy Corps, www.mercycorps.org. She wrote this for this newspaper.


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When we heard Prabal Gurung's Target collaboration launch was going to be carnival themed, our first thought was "Ohh cotton candy!" and our second thought was "Isn't all of this NYFW nonsense just one big carnival? Is Prabal being meta?" But then we moved on. We got distracted by the flashing lights of the "Love" rides, the delicious food trucks, the cocktails served in lemons, and, of course, Ne-Yo.
Carey Mulligan was there with Prabal, Elizabeth Olson was adorable, and everyone actually looked like they were having fun. Yes, we played the strong-man games, ate some dumplings, shopped the collection, and then, just as we thought the night (which transformed Pier 57 into a decadent wonderland) couldn't get any better, Ne-Yo stepped on stage, signature fedora hung low, lips pursed, sequin scarf (or was it a necklace?) dangling from his neck and played all his hits.
So, you tell us, was it just a coincidence, or did Prabal and Ne-Yo really team up for some real meta moments when they created a Fashion Week party that made the lyrics, "Give me everything tonight," resonate on a whole new level?
Click through for party pics from the bash that kicked off the chaos.