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|Statement by H.E. Ambassador Liu Zhenmin, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, at the 2nd Committee of 63rd UNGA Session on agenda item 51: Globalization and Interdependence
New York, 29 October 2008
Mme. Chairperson,
At the outset, I thank the Secretary-General for his report on globalization and interdependence. The Chinese delegation supports the statement made by the representative of Antigua and Barbuda on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. Now I wish to make statements on agenda items 51(a), (b), and (d).
Mme. Chairperson,
On agenda item 51(a): role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence.
In today's world, economic globalization is impacting every corner of the world in breadth and depth never seen before. The advances in modern transportation and communications technologies, the free flow across the globe of essential factors of production such as capital, technology, products, market, resources and work force, and the adjustment of the global industrial structure have promoted the optimal allocation of resources. This provides new opportunities for promoting economic growth and social progress across the world and for achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs. On the other hand, however, globalization is market oriented. While stimulating competition, it also aggravates the imbalance in development and generates a lot of risks, pressure and challenges. Due to different levels of economic development, countries are not at the same starting point when it comes to competition. Fierce market competition, complicated circumstances, and an unfavorable competition environment have added to the difficulties of developing countries and widened their gap with other countries.
As the Secretary-General rightly pointed out in his 2008 report on the MDGs, we are now more than halfway toward 2015 when the MDGs should be achieved. Globally speaking, there is indeed progress in some of the goals, but the development is very uneven. Many developing countries, those in Africa in particular, have lagged far behind other countries. The benefits of globalization have obviously not been shared by all. On the contrary, its adverse impact is impeding the development of many countries. The energy crisis, food crisis and financial crisis are spreading across the globe, and seriously eroding the achievements of development. This further testifies to the risks of the globalization process.
Generally speaking, economic globalization is the trend of the times. With the economies of countries more and more interconnected, their interests also intertwine, influence and constrain each other. To develop in isolation of in a globalized world is neither realistic nor possible. How to seize the opportunities that come with globalization and properly address its challenges? How to steer globalization to ensure that it develops in a healthy manner, benefits people of all countries and contributes to the achievement of the MDGs and other internationally agreed development goals? These are major and urgent issues that warrant deep consideration by the international community. The Chinese delegation is of the view that:
First, the top priority now is to prevent the spread of the financial crisis. Without economic growth, the MDGs will be mere rhetoric. The Secretary-General's report (A/63/333) indicated that the global economic outlook has turned gloomy in recent months, which has affected both developed and developing countries. In addition, the food and energy crises are also squeezing on living standards of the people. The financial crisis originated from developed countries, but its impact is global. If not addressed promptly and effectively, it will not only erode the existing development achievements, but also make the adjustment more painful. In face of the complex circumstances, all parties concerned must strengthen cooperation, and take resolute, responsible, timely and effective measures to stabilize the market, rebuild confidence, curb protectionist tendencies and maintain a normal trade order. This will help restore market vitality and prevent recession. In the mean time, it is necessary to have an in-depth thinking on institutional issues and seize the opportunity to engage in profound reform to strengthen global economic governance, make the international financial regime more adaptable to the changed circumstances and make sure that the relevant rules are fair and effective so as to avoid the repeat of similar crisis in the future.
Second, despite the difficulties, international assistance must still be strengthened. Over the years, there has formed a lot of important international consensus on promotion of development. The international community is determined to provide financial, technical and other assistance to poverty-stricken developing countries to help them overcome obstacles and catch up with other countries. Due to the current financial crisis, developed countries have encountered difficulties to varying degrees. We must not fail to see, however, that it is developing countries and the poverty population that are hardest hit by the food crisis, energy crisis, climate change and financial crisis. To mitigating their difficulties, it is of vital importance for the international community to fulfill its commitments to assistance. While resolving their own problems, developed countries should bear in mind the bigger picture, honor and fulfill their commitments. In particular, they need to redouble their efforts to assist the least developed countries (LDCs) and regions, particularly in solving the problems of hunger, medical care and children's education. They should further reduce or cancel the debts owed by the LDCs, and provide tariff-free treatment to products from these countries to help them build their strength and capacity to implement their national development strategies and move toward achievement of the internationally agreed development goals.
Third, globalization needs to be guided and managed to achieve universal development. Globalization is not an end in itself. It should be a ladder leading to prosperity and affluence for all. To achieve the internationally agreed development goals, the international community has a role to play in regulating and guiding globalization. China is of the view that globalization has its intrinsic drawbacks. The problems exposed by the financial crisis such as inadequate regulation and lax oversight warrant our attention. The facts that many developing countries are being marginalized and the rules for competition are not balanced and fair also worth our attention. Countries not only need to address the crisis through cooperation based on equality, but also should follow the principle of cooperation on an equal footing when they make the rules of the games. To make sure that the globalization process is fair and equitable, features coexistence and prosperity, and benefits all countries and peoples, developing countries must engage fully in the international economic policy-making on an equal footing.
Mme. Chairperson,
As a developing country, China has worked vigorously to promote reform and opening up, and taken an active part in the globalization process. We have worked closely with all parties concerned, seize the opportunity to meet the challenges and face up to the current financial crisis. China has kept its own house in order. We will adopt flexible and prudent macroeconomic policies to maintain financial and capital market stability, and promote the steady and rapid growth of the economy. This is the most important and effective means that China employs to address the current crisis. It is also China's biggest contribution to the world. We hope countries will work concertedly to overcome the difficulties and maintain the stability of the international financial market.
China is committed to a globalization process that brings benefits and prosperity to all, a globalization process that contributes to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs. China will continue to strengthen cooperation with all parties concerned, promote South-South cooperation and make its contribution to the common development of all countries.
Mme. Chairperson,
On agenda item 51(b): International migration and development
With the rapid development of globalization, exchanges among people of different countries and regions are getting more and more frequent. Normal and orderly movement of population contributes to the free flow of human resources, technology and capital, and is conducive to the economic and social development of countries and cultural exchanges among them as well as world peace and prosperity.
In recent years, with the increase in the number of immigrants around the world, the issues of cross-border organized crimes, illegal immigration, and human trafficking are getting increasingly acute. Uneven economic development and disparities are the main reasons behind the above problems. In addition, some countries are erecting artificial obstacles to the normal movement of people across borders. This restricts the activity of legal immigrants and aggravates the spread of illegal immigration. China believes that, to resolve the immigration issue appropriately, it is necessary to "open up more legal channels while plugging the gaps". On the one hand, the orderly development of the activity of legal immigrants should be promoted. On the other hand, efforts should be made to promote the common development across the world to bridge the wealth gap and thus remove the root cause of illegal immigration. Developed countries and international organizations such as the United Nations should shoulder more responsibilities and provide more assistance to developing countries in terms of capital, trade, technology, and human resources to help them achieve sustainable development and improve their capacity for immigration management.
The Chinese government attaches importance to the issue of immigration. We have promoted the normal and orderly immigration activities and cracked down firmly on cross-border organized crimes such as illegal immigration and human trafficking. China will continue to strengthen its cooperation with other countries and international organizations in the area of immigration and contribute to world stability and development.
Mme. Chairperson,
On agenda item 51(d): Preventing and combating corrupt practices and transfer of assets of illicit origin and returning such assets, in particular to the countries of origin, consistent with the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
Globalization has brought about new challenges to the anti-corruption campaign. As national borders are getting increasingly porous for corrupt practices, seizing the illegal proceeds of corrupt criminals has become a global problem. Mutual support and coordination among countries concerned at the political and technical levels are needed to block the asset transfer across the borders and prevent the criminals from abusing the judicial procedures of their residing countries to avoid being extradited or repatriated. Countries need to explore ways to remove the obstacles caused by different laws of the requesting state and the requested state. They should also sum up their experience to reduce the occasions where assets cannot be recovered.
Corruption is often intertwined with terrorist activities, drug trafficking and other cross-border organized crimes. This makes the anti-corruption campaign even more complicated and difficult. One country's capability is often not adequate to fight corruption. To effectively curb corruption, countries must carry out practical and effective international cooperation in extradition, judicial assistance, and asset recovery. China hopes to strengthen its cooperation and exchanges with other signatories within the framework of the United Nations Convention against Corruption under the principle of equality, mutual benefit, respect for differences, and focus on actual results so as to create a sound legal environment for the economic and social development of all countries.
Thank you, Mme. Chairperson.


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New Certification Scheme Aims to Protect Socially Responsible Companies
Certification for socially responsible businesses may help protect companies from being bought by less-ethical conglomerates.
Photo courtesy of Pauleon Tan via Flickr
More and more businesses across the globe are finding that they can be successful while also being environmentally and socially responsible. But in some cases, the companies are so successful that they end up being bought out by larger conglomerates, some of which then cut out the socially beneficial aspects of the original business. So how can consumers and investors tell which companies are truly responsible? A new nonprofit organization called B Lab is hoping to address this challenge by creating a set of strict standards to protect companies and consumers that seek to work for the greater good.
Because of pressure to maximize shareholder profits, many successful socially responsible companies, such as Ben and Jerry's and The Body Shop, have been acquired by larger companies that do not always maintain the founders' standards for social good. To avoid this outcome, some companies, like the philanthropic office products company Give Something Back, have refused outside investment opportunities that could otherwise help their bottom lines. "We couldn't offer an investor an opportunity to invest in us and feel in any way that our social goals were protected," founder Mike Hannigan told Inc. Magazine.
But a company that seeks certification to become a B Corporation (the B stands for "beneficial") is required to amend its articles of incorporation to say that managers must consider the interests of not just shareholders, but also employees, the community, and the environment. Companies are also ranked on their answers to a survey of more than 100 questions, covering topics that include the company's policies on the environment, philanthropy, diversity, and transparency.
Other "corporate social responsibility," or CSR, groups, such as the Natural Capital Institute, are developing standards for responsible businesses as well. But Jeffrey Hollender, CEO of the non-toxic home products company Seventh Generation, who has rejected at least 10 other rating systems, thinks B Corporation is offering a vital tool for the social responsibility movement. "There is a tremendous potential for the idea to lose credibility because of a lack of standards," he says. "I don't want to say this is perfect, but this is desperately needed right now."
Other Worldwatch Articles You Might Enjoy
Jay Coen Gilbert, who helped launch B Lab, hopes the group's certification scheme will be a reliable signal for businesses to identify themselves to investors and consumers as socially responsible. "We want to help consumers separate good companies from good marketing," he says. But he admits the scheme is a work in progress. "You run into fundamental problems in trying to grow good because neither for-profit nor nonprofit is set up to do what new entrepreneurs and others are trying to do—namely, harness the power of private enterprise to create social benefit."
This story was produced by Eye on Earth, a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and the blue moon fund. View the complete archive of Eye on Earth stories, or contact Staff Writer Alana Herro at firstname.lastname@example.com with your questions, comments, and story ideas.

subset: commoncrawl


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Compacts hold face powder. A woman did not powder her face in public until after World War I. By 1920, the beauty parlor, permanent waves, and cosmetics had become acceptable. A few companies sold cake face powder in a box with a mirror and a pad or puff. Soon the compact was designed by jewelers and made of gold, silver, and precious materials. Cosmetic companies began to sell powder in attractive compacts of less valuable metal or plastic. Collectors today search for Art Deco designs, famous brands, compacts from World's Fairs or political events, and unusual examples. Many were made with companion lipsticks and other fittings.
Enter your email below to receive Kovels Komments for the latest antiques & collectibles news, answers to readers questions, marks and tips. In your inbox every Wednesday.
Current & Past Issues
Buyer's Price Guide
Words of Wisdom (Letter to Lee)


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Families around the world love C.S. Lewis' critically acclaimed tale of Narnia, a holiday spectacular that brilliantly comes to life this Christmas season. Deemed one of the 100 greatest novels of all time, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe provides Studio Tenn with the perfect opportunity to once again take audiences to a world they've never seen before! Enter a winter wonderland behind the wardrobe where animals talk, trees walk, and the White Witch rules the landscape. Just open the door; you'll never believe what you find!
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: December 14The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Later Event: December 16The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe


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Milwaukee Saturday
Another busy, busy weekend here - but I have a lot of photos to share! Saturday I woke up bright and early and headed north to Milwaukee. Lee and I had our third (and final) Pottery Barn Trunk Show scheduled, but before that began we visited the Milwaukee Art Museum. Lee and I were lucky enough to be invited to see their Uncommon Folk: Traditions in American Art special exhibit, featuring a few quilts from from Gee's Bend, Alabama.
Because I always leave for events ridiculously early, I was actually the first person inside the museum for the day! How cool is that? The space was so beautiful and full of light, right on Lake Michigan.
The Uncommon Folk exhibit had whimsical sculptures, paintings, quilts, photographs...all sorts of fun and funky things really.
Of course, the five or six quilts especially caught our eye.
Above, from left to right: "Lazy Gal" Quilt (1993) by Revil Mosley; Four Block Housetop Quilt (2000) by Rita Mae ("Rabbit") Pettway; Work Clothes Quilt (1935) by Rachel Carey George.
Four Block Housetop Quilt (2000) by Rita Mae ("Rabbit") Pettway
Crazy Quilt (1883) by Margaret A. Beattie
I captured Lee taking a detail shot of this beautiful quilt.
"Star of Bethlehem" Quilt (1875), American
It was a really fun morning! After we finished up at the museum, we headed over to the mall to grab lunch and set up inside Pottery Barn.
This time we got to set up right up front. What an experience!
Lots of people stopped by and it was so fun to meet everyone. Many told us that seeing quilts in person is such a different experience than seeing them in a book - and I cannot agree more!
I also finished my big deadline quilt yesterday (woo hoo!) so now I'm hard at work cutting into my Shimmer fabric in preparation for a blog hop after Spring Break. I'll be posting some updates as I go along ~ paper piecing, yay!


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Ray Stevens Dishes on New 'Encyclopedia of Recorded Comedy Music' Set
Ray Stevens has gone above and beyond with his latest project. The country comedy legend has created a nine-disc set, 'The Encyclopedia of Recorded Comedy Music.' Issued on his own label, Clyde Records (named after the camel from his hit 'Ahab the Arab'), Stevens says that the collection is so massive that it comes with an owner's manual — a book detailing the story behind each whimsical tune.
In an exclusive interview with Taste of Country, the crazy country crooner spills there was a big motivating factor behind his decision to release the box set. "I didn't want them to be forgotten. I am on a mission to save the endangered comedy song," he says. "I think the world's ready to laugh a little bit, and I had a lot of fun doing it too, it was a real labor of love."
Ray Stevens included comedy music from every genre and every era in his set, listed in alphabetical order. The long list of the cream of the crop of comedy songs includes the Hollywood Argyles' 'Alley Oop,' Little Jimmy Dickens' 'May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose,' Count Basie's 'Open the Door Richard,' C.W. McCall's 'Convoy,' and several novelty numbers penned by Roger Miller, Shel Sivlerstein, and J.P. Richardson.
The collection also includes several cuts by Stevens' comedy heroes Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. In his words, "These guys wrote and produced records that are just classics in the comedy music field!"
In addition to re-recordings of his own classics like 'The Streak,' 'Santa Claus Is Watching You' and 'Mississippi Squirrel Revival,' Stevens hopes that people will enjoy the laughter they'll get from the release.
"I hope they take away an appreciation of life that is seen through the eyes of people who sometimes have to deal with sad situations," he says. "But that's life — you have to adjust and accommodate the real world and comedy songs do that in a way that's pretty palatable- it's a spoon full of sugar that makes the medicine go down."
Further proof that laughter is the best medicine, Stevens says the music has also helped him cope with the loss of friends and fellow country comedians like Minnie Pearl, Jerry Clower, Roger Miller, Chet Atkins and George 'Goober' Lindsey. "I miss them as well as so many other great folks around Nashville that I have known for years and years," Stevens says. "It's just a fact a life that we all get older and we all leave this world. The one's left behind have to deal with it."
The Georgia native shares many great stories in the collection, including the comical tale of the Sonny James' hit 'Running Bear.' Stevens actually performed the song at Sonny James' induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame — with a twist, of course. "I asked George Goober Lindsey to come and dress up as little white dove, the female character in the song," he spills. "When George walked out in a dress, Sonny James laughed for 15 minutes, I've never seen him so amused."
'Shriner's Convention,' Stevens' own Top 10 hit from 1980, also has an amusing story found in the owner's manual. A real story inspired by a rowdy hotel stay, Stevens says, "They kept us up all night. I had no idea that grown men could have that much fun. I looked out my window at one point and there was a Harley Davidson in the swimming pool and a guy was still riding it."
A friend of the Shriners, Stevens continues, "They are one of the great organizations in our country, they raise a lot of money for children's hospitals and burn hospitals, they are the good guys!"
The 73 year-old clown of country is hoping to make people laugh for as long as he can — Stevens says he has no plans of slowing down in the near future. "I don't have any desire to retire. I really enjoy what I do, it's like the old expression: 'Do what you like and you'll never work a day in your life.'"
He concludes, "I really don't consider this work. This is something that I wake up and look forward to doing every day."
Watch the Ray Stevens' 'Shriner's Convention' Video


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From the famous episodes of the whitewashed fence and the ordeal in the cave to the trial of Injun Joe, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is redolent of life in the Mississippi River towns in which Twain spent his own youth. A somber undercurrent flows through the high humor and unabashed nostalgia of the novel, however, for beneath the innocence of childhood lie the inequities of adult reality—base emotions and superstitions, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery. In his introduction, noted Twain scholar John Seelye considers Twain's impact on American letters and discusses the balance between humorous escapades and serious concern that is found in much of Twain's writing.
3131 19th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407
Telephone: 612.668.4300 | Fax: 612.668.4310


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Student Life
Linfield offers an active campus with a wide variety of activities, clubs, programs and other ways to get involved. With over 40 organizations on campus and over 300 leadership positions, all students find their place to continue current interests or explore new ones.
The Associated Students of Linfield College (ASLC) or the Linfield Activities Board (LAB) sponsors all clubs and student-led activities on campus. Activities and outings are also planned by the Resident Advisors in each residence hall.
Clubs & Organizations
Current Linfield Clubs sponsored by the ASLC include:
Society of Physics Students
Young Life
Other Student Programs:
Linfield College Latinos Adelante (LCLA)
Campus Media
Students can also be involved with the following campus media:
CAMAS (annual literary magazine)
KSLC FM Radio
The Linfield Review (weekly newspaper)
Wildcat Productions
Intramural Sports
For students interested in staying active in athletics, but not looking for the commitment of intercollegiate sports, Linfield offers a variety of intramural sports throughout the year, including basketball, bowling, football, racquetball, soccer, softball, Ultimate Frisbee® and volleyball.
World Class Facilities & Features
3,200 square-foot fitness center
Student-operated garden
Pristine concert hall
Student-run radio station
Campus bookstore
Bike co-op for repairs and rentals
Field House for indoor spring training
Game room
Eight-lane, 25-yard pool
Olympic-shaped 400-meter Atlas track
Baseball and softball batting cages
Starbucks coffeehouse
Steinway concert grand piano
1.2 mile bark running trail
Post Office
A versatile black box theatre
Sand volleyball court


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Indicative Rate * AU$99 to AU$159
Rydges Gladstone is located in the heart of Gladstone's City Centre, a perfect location with only minutes to the major retailers and service providers. The proximity is close to the Gladstone Harbour with access to Heron Island and the Great Barrier Reef. Offering quality accommodation facilities and the 'can do' Rydges service, this hotel is the ideal location for your next trip to Gladstone.
These spacious rooms with ensuite, feature luxurious queen size Rydges Dream Beds, LCD television, and unlimited free WiFi.
The room includes iron and ironing board, individually controlled air-conditioning, hair dryer, mini bar, and tea and coffee making facilities.
Harbour View Rooms are located in the main hotel tower. The Harbour View Rooms overlook splendid Gladstone Harbour. Bedding is one queen size bed.
The Studio Rooms are located in a separate complex to the main tower. These rooms offer kitchenette facilities. Ideal for the long stay traveller with same level parking in a restricted entry car park. Bedding is one queen bed.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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Thanks to Chargemap, I was able to make my dream come true of going to the Formula-E Grand Prix, a 940 km drive in my Renault ZOE! - Fabien
You are on a page with a charging area for electric cars in the city of Antibes. This charging area provides free of charge, 0 fast-charging sockets, 0 accelerated charging sockets, 1 semi-accelerated charge socket, 0 normal charging sockets.
If you own an electric car in France, trust Chargemap to find you the nearest Peugeot - Antibes charging stations for your electric vehicle.


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Difference between revisions of "LinEn"
From ForensicsWiki
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m (Removed broken link to Guidance Software, added a link to EnCase Forensic)
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* [http://www.digitalintelligence.com/software/guidancesoftware/encase/ Official website]
* [http://www.digitalintelligence.com/software/guidancesoftware/encase/ Official website]
* [http://www.guidancesoftware.com/
* [http://www.guidancesoftware.com/] by Guidance Software]
==External Reviews==
==External Reviews==
[[Category:Disk imaging]]
[[Category:Disk imaging]]
Latest revision as of 00:46, 18 March 2011
LinEn is a Linux version of the normally DOS based EnCase acquisition tool. It has roughly the same functionality as the DOS version.
File Systems Understood
File Search Facilities
Historical Reconstruction
Can it build timelines and search by creation date?
Searching Abilities
Can it search? Does it build an index? Can it focus on file types or particular kinds of metadata?
Hash Databases
Can it create hashes of files and/or blocks? Can it compare these hash values to any databases? What sort of hash functions does it use?
It can calculate an MD5 hash.
Evidence Collection Features
Can it sign files? Does it keep an audit log?
License Notes
Linen is released under a proprietary license. It is included as part of the freely downloadable Helix live CD.


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Actress Scarlett Johansson has set up home in Paris following her engagement to French journalist Romain Dauriac.
The Lost In Translation star confirmed plans to walk down the aisle for a second time in September and she has since left her pad in New York to settle down in Dauriac's homeland.
However, Johansson admits the excitement of living in the City of Love has quickly worn off and now she's starting to understand why the French have earned themselves a reputation as a rude nation.
The actress, who has yet to learn French, says, "I decided to take the plunge and move to Paris and it's great, I love it.
"Of course, some of the stardust twinkle's worn off a little bit now and… all the things you thought were charming before are just… I don't wanna say, I've just offended an entire nation of people, like usual, but… it's the little things.
"Like, when I first got there I thought that… the whole kind of rude, Parisian thing was just (not true). I was like, 'People aren't rude, they're wonderful!' That was before I was a mainstay there and then people decided that once I wasn't going away, they could just be rude to me!"
And Johansson reveals the most "frustrating" thing is just walking down the street – because people refuse to move out of the way.
She tells talk show host David Letterman, "I like to walk around… As I was saying, people are ruder now… but it's frustrating… I'm from New York… and I just assume, because you're from New York, it's like a wonderful dance in this street, you kind of avoid (each other) and it's a choreography, walking down the street.
"And then when I got there (to Paris), I assumed it's a kind of Provincial town, where people don't know how to walk… and the fact that they're just bodychecking me, they're just confused.
"But no, they're not confused, so now I just do a stare down from halfway down the block, and I started getting really aggressive with people now, and I don't care…!"
The union will be Johansson's second marriage – she exchanged vows with Ryan Reynolds in 2008, but it lasted less than three years. Reynolds is now married to actress Blake Lively.
Actress Scarlett Johansson has set up home in Paris following her engagement to French journalist Romain Dauriac.


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ESA boffins make Martian maps
Not lost in space
If you have been hoping to take a hiking holiday on Mars, but have found your plans spoiled by the dreadful lack of detailed maps, fear not: the European Space Agency has come to your rescue.
ESA scientists have developed a series of ordnance survey-style maps of the red planet, using data from the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) experiment on the Mars Express probe. So far the maps are confined to one relatively small region, but the researchers behind the maps say there is no reason the technique could not be applied to other parts of the planet as well.
The maps are based on high resolution images of the so-called Iani Chaos region, and feature detailed height contours, as well as names for many of the geographical features.
The researchers chose this area of Mars because its surface is particularly interesting. It is a large depression some 330km by 430km across, but its surface is hilly and strewn with rocks.
The high points of land are probably the remnants of an older surface of Mars, and make for a more interesting topographical challenge than mapping the contours of sweeping sand dunes.
The researchers say these islands were most likely left behind when the land in between sank into cavities below, possibly as ice melted in volcanic heat. The water would have flowed away into the Ares Vallis, towards the northern lowlands of Mars, leaving the rugged and mixed-up surface we see today.
The maps, which range in scale from 1:200,000 right down to 1:50,000 have been produced by researchers at the Institute for Geodesy and Geoinformation Science, Technische Universität, Berlin, and the Freie Universität, Berlin.
The researchers say the HRSC experiment will eventually collect enough images of the Martian surface for them to create contour maps for the entire planet. Working at a 1:200,000 scale, it would take 10,372 individual maps sheets to detail the whole planet. ®


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Can Small Cell Lung Cancer Be Prevented?
Not all lung cancers can be prevented. But there are things you can do that might lower your risk, such as changing the risk factors that you can control.
Stay away from tobacco
The best way to reduce your risk of lung cancer is not to smoke and to avoid breathing in other people's smoke.
If you stop smoking before a cancer develops, your damaged lung tissue gradually starts to repair itself. No matter what your age or how long you've smoked, quitting may lower your risk of lung cancer and help you live longer. If you would like help quitting smoking, see our Guide to Quitting Smoking or call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345.
Avoid radon
Radon is an important cause of lung cancer. You can reduce your exposure to radon by having your home tested and treated, if needed. For more information, see Radon and Cancer.
Avoid or limit exposure to cancer-causing chemicals
Avoiding exposure to known cancer-causing chemicals, in the workplace and elsewhere, might also be helpful (see Small Cell Lung Cancer Risk Factors). People working where these exposures are common should try to keep exposure to a minimum when possible.
Eat a healthy diet
A healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables may also help reduce your risk of lung cancer. Some evidence suggests that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may help protect against lung cancer in both smokers and non-smokers. But any positive effect of fruits and vegetables on lung cancer risk would be much less than the increased risk from smoking.
Trying to reduce the risk of lung cancer in current or former smokers by giving them high doses of vitamins or vitamin-like drugs has not been successful so far. In fact, some studies have found that supplements of beta-carotene, a nutrient related to vitamin A, appear to increase the rate of lung cancer in these people.
Some people who get lung cancer do not have any clear risk factors. Although we know how to prevent most lung cancers, at this time we don't know how to prevent all of them.
Last Medical Review: February 22, 2016 Last Revised: May 16, 2016
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.


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Urban-Ert Slings is an online firearms gear store. Its founder/president/CEO is Sgt. Matthew Murray, who is refreshingly outspoken and non-politically correct.
Urban-Ert is sold out on Standard Capacity AR15/M16 5.56×45 Magazines. Below is the message posted on the store's website.
Sorry We are out due to the sheep leftists reacting to a tragedy emotionally instead of rationally!
All of the opinions expressed on this web site are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views, policies or positions of Magpul, C-Products, or any other manufacture, company, or person other than URBAN-ERT SLINGS, LLC. IT IS AN OPEN LETTER FROM PATRIOTS TO TYRANTS, and USEFUL IDIOTS!
URBAN-ERT SLINGS, LLC reserves the right to use its own discretion when determining whether or not to remove offensive comments or images. We say what we mean and mean what we say! Political Correctness is the catalyst that is bringing this country down! So you better start pushing back, get in their faces, use their tactics of VOLUME, PROXIMITY, AND REPETITION!
Below is how we and many of our customers that have supported us over the last 12 years feel as we are Law Abiding Citizens, Current and Former Military, Current and Former Law Enforcement Officers, and always True American Patriots and Defenders of the Constitution of these United States of America. And imagine this!!! It was written in plain English with No Need for interpretation. That is how intelligent our Founding Fathers were. They knew it would be skewed and twisted. Read the federalist papers. We SWORE AN OATH! AND SO DID THEY!!!! IT IS TIME THEY WERE HELD TO THEIR OATH! IT IS TIME TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE!
We are disgusted not only by the lunatics that perpetrate these heinous crimes, but are also equally as disgusted by the hypocritical lunatic statists, leftists, marxists, communists, & socialists that continue to do everything in their power to which they have obtained through means of deception and massive unchecked voter fraud with the culpable assistance of the media at large I might add. They have convinced the recipient class that what they do is in their name, and every action they take will elevate them from poverty. Instead of simply repeating many, many, many quotes from our founding fathers, let me just simply say that you can't cut the heads off of all the tall people in the world to make everyone taller, and socialism is for the people, not the socialist. You will never see the so called elite participating in ANY of the programs that they champion. I can however quote Andrew Wilkow and state that, "WE ARE RIGHT, THEY ARE WRONG!" It is as simple as that. They pretend to be defenders of the little guy, the weak, and the helpless. All that they are doing is keeping them in poverty. They lie, they cheat, they steal, they perjure themselves, and when actually called to the carpet for their crimes, they evade, redirect, reflect, project and reassign to a different department! Benghazi anyone? These are all the tactics of the left. Very simply put, again by Andrew Wilkow, Socialism is for the people, not the Socialist. They are simply using the recipient class by promising them "Stuff" that they steal from those that work for it. All they are effective at doing is twisting words, creating divisiveness, massive theft, massive misappropriations, and massive hypocrisy. This is easily proven by visiting the schools, offices, and private homes of all of these statists and their children to see how many armed personnel they have to protect them and their interests. One only needs to search "Dianne Feinstein 1995 video" to see the egregious hypocrisy that is so easily forgotten by the stenographer drones that call themselves the mainstream media. I just simply don't get it. How is it that any rational person can believe for one single second that a lunatic that intends to commit FELONY CAPITOL MURDER by walking up to a school, restaurant, office building, mall, park or any other place for that matter with a firearm is going to change their mind because there is some feel good sign on the door, or feel good law passed in a misguided effort protect people. Mr. LaPierre was absolutely correct measured by no existing percentage we could fathom that the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun. Speaking from 14 years of active Law Enforcement experience, that is the TRUTH. There is no other way around it. Anyone that tries to walk up to a deranged person like that to negotiate with them, or convince them that what they are doing is immoral and wrong, is going to get little piece of metal in their face, a knife in their chest, a bat upside the head, a Hack Piers Morgan sharpened microphone in the ear, or a sharpened Rosie Odonnel lardass spoon in their eye socket. It doesn't matter what the implement is that the lunatic use. Everything is a weapon. The lunatic will steal, find, create, or purchase anything the lunatic will need to fulfill their deranged plan. History has proven time and time again that these idiots and their copycats are going to pop up everywhere. They need to be dealt with SWIFTLY. Whether it by means of an armed volunteer, a school employee, a parent, a citizen, or a, NOW get this, POLICE OFFICER who might be at the right place at the right time. Because just short of that officer being lucky and right there when it happens, we are reactive and it takes time to get to the scene.
Statistics have also proven that once confronted, the assailant stops, or retreats, or kills themselves like the cowards that they are. Either way, seconds, minutes or hours that the scumbag is having to actively defend against a confronting force are seconds, minutes, or hours that they are not killing innocents and the highly trained and elite Calvary is busting their ass to get to the scene to unleash hate and discontent on the asshole. One thing I am tired of hearing in the media as a defense to the so called assault weapons ban being the reason why officers shouldn't be in schools, is the Columbine incident. This tragedy happened during the useless assault weapons ban, or what I and many others like to call the feel good law for scary looking guns to the unindoctrinated idiots that are the left, and predominately democrats. That was a situation of current training and tactics prior to active shooter training. Back then, the standard was to contain and wait for SWAT to arrive. And that is exactly what happened. Hindsight is 20/20 and further proves that Law Enforcement is reactive to not only a crisis but to the need to adjust and mold tactics to fit the current and developing crisis. Well, things have changed. They have changed a lot! A constant attack on our once great moral culture on all fronts by the leftists has created a few generations of immoral and reprehensible adults, young adults, and children who have no conscience! They DO NOT CARE! Look at the inner cities such as Chicago !!!!! New York City !!!!! Washington DC !!!!! etc…, you know, where guns are BANNED! What is it going to take, how many cities are you statist scumbags going to try to disarm before you admit that disarmament DOES NOT WORK. But wait a minute. You aren't completely stupid are you? By your own admission you are an elite supreme being capable of thought that we couldn't possibly understand. You are an intellect. You are better able to analyze statistics, figures, and trends than us stupid conservatives, libertarians, constitutionalists. Well then just admit it. It is either one or the other. You either commit intellectual suicide, and admit that you ARE WRONG! Or, You commit Social Suicide, and admit that the ends justify the means. And that the total disarmament, and destruction of the Constitution of These United States is your end game and has been your agenda all along. We really don't care what your motives are. We know which one it is. And I am here to tell you that we will not fold. We will not submit. And, WE WILL NOT RELINQUISH OUR GOD GIVEN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS TO PROTECT OURSELVES BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!
You also need to admit that the Constitution and all of the amendments are to protect the people from the government. And if you do admit this, then you better get use to the fact that the second amendment is in there as well and has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FALSE NARRATIVE THAT THE LEFT PUSHES EVERY TIME THEIR HOLES PUSH AIR OUT. FIREARMS ARE NOT FOR SPORTING, HUNTING, OR HOME PROTECTION! THESE ARE ONLY BI-PRODUCTS OF THE FOLLOWING!
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
Samuel Adams, of Massachusetts: "The said Constitution shall be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press, or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms." — Massachusetts
U.S. Constitution ratification convention, 1788 Thomas Jefferson, of Virginia: "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." — Proposed Virginia Constitution, 1776 "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms. . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." — Jeffersons "Commonplace Book," 1774-1776, quoting from On Crimes and Punishment, by criminologist Cesare Beccaria, 1764
Noah Webster, of Pennsylvania: "Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States. A military force, at the command of Congress, can execute no laws, but such as the people perceive to be just and constitutional; for they will possess the power." — An Examination of The Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, Philadelphia, 1787
Alexander Hamilton, of New York: "If circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude, that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms, who stand ready to defend their rights and those of their fellow citizens." — The Federalist, No. 29 "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government" — Thomas Jefferson, 1 Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334
"The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that's good" — George Washington
"The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed." — Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers at 184-188
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest." — Mahatma Gandhi
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." — Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.
"Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficient… The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding." — Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis
"Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Tolerance in the face of tyranny is no virtue." — Barry Goldwater
"I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical." — Thomas Jefferson, Letter to James Madison, January 30, 1787
The people of the various provinces are strictly forbidden to have in their possession any swords, short swords, bows, spears, firearms, or other types of arms. The possession of unnecessary implements makes difficult the collection of taxes and dues and tends to foment uprisings. — Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Shogun, August 1588
"One of the ordinary modes, by which tyrants accomplish their purposes without resistance, is, by disarming the people, and making it an offense to keep arms." — Constitutional scholar Joseph Story, 1840
"*** UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO THE MARXIST PIECE OF SHIT MAKE BELIEVE MESSIAH IN CHARGE AS WELL AS HIS MEDIA USEFUL IDIOT MINION DICKHEADS, THE ENTIRE SOCIETY OF LIBERTY LOVING AMERICANS ARE BEING PUNISHED FOR THE ACTIONS OF A FUCKING LUNATIC. INSTEAD OF BLAMING A CULTURE OF PSYCHOPATHS AND CRIMINALS FOR VIOLENCE, THEY BLAME THIS 10″ x 3″ x 1″ PIECE OF PLASTIC AND METAL ENGINEERING GENIUS FOR THE SLAUGHTER OF TWENTY INNOCENT CHILDREN AND SIX TEACHERS.
If you don't believe any of the above statements and facts, then you are TRULY A USEFUL IDIOT! <<< Search the term you idiot! Ask WVKO 1580AM in Columbus how they feel. They are proof that Useful Idiots exist.
Now. How may of you want to take a bet with me that our company will mysteriously get audited by the IRS in the near future. Hmmm. Harassment anyone? Just Sayen!
Made in U.S.A.
The PMAG 30 is a marvel of modern genius and shows how true democracy and innovation works. It is a credit to the fact that necessity is the mother of invention and that the developers of Magpul are truly in the zone of revitalizing our American heritage by invention and manufacturing! We are at war with the leftists who attack the very creation of technology and elevate Americans by providing work and financial stability to their families.
"This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it or their revolutionary right to dismember it or overthrow it." — Abraham Lincoln, 4 April 1861
H/t Obama Release Your Records


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Posts Tagged 'HCI'
Investigating the Effects of Ambient Displays on Movement Patterns in Architectural Space
Design Computing and Cognition Conference, DCC'10, Stuttgart, Germany
Tasos Varoudis
Ambient Displays: Influencing Movement Patterns (CHI 2011, Ex.Abs)
CHI 2011, Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Vancouver, Canada. Extended Abstract.
Tasos Varoudis et. al.


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Announcing the GPub Cup!!
Show your school pride and sharpen your gaming skills to win weekly giveaways & an end of year PARTY FOR YOUR UNIVERSITY. Join your classmates and colleagues to defend your school's scoreboard standing every week and win the annual GPUB CUP TROPHY!
Students, faculty & staff all get 15% off food with a university ID! Get an additional 5% off with a coupon ticket. $10 Bud Light pitchers, with an additional $3 rebate on Ibotta app.


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The former president will display his paintings at his national library and museum
President George W. Bush will show over two dozen paintings this April at his presidential library and museum in Dallas, Texas.
Featuring work that has never before been exhibited, The Art of Leadership: A President's Personal Diplomacy, explores "the relationships that President George W. Bush forged with world leaders to shape international policy and advance American interests abroad," according to the announcement by the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
The former president dedicated himself to the hobby after leaving office in 2009, says CNN.
"I do take painting seriously. It's changed my life," Bush said in 2013 on The Tonight Show, before giving Jay Leno a portrait of himself.
Apart from painting Leno, President Bush has, in the past, focused on dogs and cats as his subject matter.
"He started off painting dogs. I think he said he painted 50 dogs," one of his painting teachers, Bonnie Flood, told FOX 5 Atlanta last year.
On Leno, Bush said that he told a painting teacher, "There's a Rembrandt trapped in this body. Your job is to find it."


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For Immediate Release
Andrea Treece, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 436-9682 x 306, firstname.lastname@example.com
Sierra Weaver, Defenders of Wildlife, (202) 772-3274, email@example.com
Kristen Eastman, HSUS, (301) 721-6440, firstname.lastname@example.com Kelly Ricaurte, Ocean Conservancy, (202) 351-0482, firstname.lastname@example.com
Regina Asmutis-Silvia, WDCS, (508) 451-3853, email@example.com
Groups Ask for More Critical Habitat for Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale
WASHINGTON - Today, conservation and animal welfare groups filed a
formal request to expand protected habitat for the critically
endangered North Atlantic right whale. The petition,
filed with the National Marine Fisheries Service, demonstrates
scientific support for expanding existing critical habitat in areas
that are essential to the feeding, mating, calving, nursing, and
migration for the fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales remaining
in existence.
The Fisheries Service has publicly
stated that the death of a single right whale may contribute to the
species' extinction. Researchers predict right whales are certain to go
extinct if the current rate of mortality and serious injury continues.
However, saving just two female right whales a year could put the
species on a positive path for recovery.
single right whale counts when it comes to ensuring this species'
survival," said Sharon Young, marine issues field director for The
Humane Society of the United States. "Protecting the right whale's
vital feeding, nursery, and migratory habitat is the most basic, common
sense step toward moving this species out of the emergency room and
onto the path to recovery."
The groups charge that
current critical habitat boundaries are inadequate to provide for the
survival and recovery of one of the most endangered animals on the
planet. Once an area is designated as critical habitat, federal
agencies must ensure that their actions will not adversely modify or
destroy such habitat.
"Saying you're protecting
right whales without sufficiently protecting their habitat is akin to
saying you are going to protect sun-fish while you drain the pond,"
said Regina Asmutis-Silvia, senior biologist with the Whale and Dolphin
Conservation Society. "Without protecting the places where right whales
live, we cannot, in reality, save the species."
critical habitat for right whales will ensure that we make intelligent,
well-informed decisions about how we use and share our country's marine
resources," said Sierra Weaver, attorney with Defenders of Wildlife.
"This isn't about walling off the ocean, but rather about looking
closely at the impacts of our actions on one of our most iconic
wildlife species."
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The groups request that three
areas used by North Atlantic right whales for essential life functions
be added as critical habitat. The petition seeks to expand critical
habitat in the whales' only known calving grounds off the coast of
northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, and in the whales'
feeding and nursery grounds throughout the Gulf of Maine. The petition
also calls for adding the migration route between the calving and
wintering grounds as critical habitat.
current critical habitat designated for right whales only protects bits
and pieces of the most essential feeding and nursery habitat for the
species, and doesn't protect migratory habitat at all," said Andrea
Treece, senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. "If
we're going to save the right whale, we have to provide a way for right
whale mothers to safely shepherd their young between feeding and
nursery grounds."
Despite being listed as endangered
since the early 1970s, right whales continue to face serious threats
throughout their range. Fishing gear entanglement and vessel strikes
are the two most significant threats, killing or injuring at least 18
whales since 2004. Other threats include noise from vessel traffic,
marine construction, and sonar; offshore energy development; global
warming; ocean acidification; and pollution.
an increasingly busy ocean, the survival and recovery of the North
Atlantic right whale depends on the protection of its essential habitat
areas," said Vicki Cornish, director of Marine Wildlife Policy with
Ocean Conservancy. "Our demand for ocean resources is increasing, and
we must consider the impact we have on the animals that call the ocean
home. Protecting the most vital places for the survival of the North
Atlantic right whale will help protect the species for generations to
The Endangered Species Act requires the agency to respond to the groups' request within 90 days.
- The
petition for expanded right whale critical habitat was filed on behalf
of The Humane Society of the United States, Defenders of Wildlife,
Center for Biological Diversity, Ocean Conservancy, and the Whale and
Dolphin Conservation Society.
- The North Atlantic
right whale is a critically endangered marine animal once hunted to
near extinction by whalers. The population has struggled to recover,
and now fewer than 400 of North Atlantic right whales remain.
- Adult
female right whales reproduce slowly - they give birth to one calf
every three to four years and do not reach reproductive maturity until
age 8.
- Maps of the areas proposed for critical habitat can be found here.
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The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is the nation's largest animal protection organization - backed by nearly 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at humanesociety.org.
Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.
Center for Biological Diversity is a national nonprofit conservation organization with more than 225,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. For more information, visit www.biologicaldiversity.org.
Ocean Conservancy is the world's foremost advocate for the oceans. Through science-based advocacy, research, and public education, we inform, inspire and empower people to speak and act for the oceans. Ocean Conservancy is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has offices in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific, with support from more than half a million members and volunteers. Ocean Conservancy is on the Web at www.oceanconservancy.org.
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (North America) Inc. (WDCS) is the global voice for the protection of whales and dolphins and their environment. It is based in Plymouth, MA and is part of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, a charity registered in England with additional offices in Germany, Argentina and Australia. For further information please visit www.whales.org.


text: SAN FRANCISCO -- Mike Singletary made a name for himself as a coach with that bold "I want winners!" declaration more than two years ago. Ultimately, he didn't produce enough victories to save his job. The Hall of Fame linebacker was fired by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night after two disappointing seasons, including a 5-10 showing this year for a franchise that expected to win the NFC West. The team made the announcement upon returning to the Bay Area late Sunday, several hours after San Francisco was eliminated from playoff contention with a 25-17 loss at St. Louis. Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was promoted to interim coach and will run the team in the season finale at home against Arizona. He was formally introduced in a news conference Monday. After team president and CEO Jed York told reporters in St. Louis after the loss he would think about whether Singletary would coach the final game, Singletary then was told of his dismissal back at the team's Santa Clara complex. "I want to thank Mike Singletary for the passion and effort that he brought to this organization," York said in a statement. "He is a tremendous person for whom I will always have great respect." York said money wasn't an object in this decision considering Singletary had two years remaining on his contract. "Obviously, we didn't achieve the things we set out to achieve. We should be a playoff team," York said in the locker room. "We aren't a playoff team this year. Very disappointed about that. We need to figure out how we can get into the playoffs and how we can start competing for Super Bowls." San Francisco began the year with high hopes of winning the West and reaching the postseason for the first time since 2002. Singletary was 18-22 in two-plus seasons. "One of the greatest experiences of my life was having the opportunity to coach the San Francisco 49ers," Singletary said in a statement. "What made it so special were the players. They were some of the most outstanding men I have ever been around in my life. The coaches were truly professionals. I wish the 49ers nothing but the best. I am thankful to the York family for having given me the opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL. I am indebted to them for that. I am also thankful for the Faithful fans, I am just sorry I couldn't give them more." The 49ers opened 0-5 and will finish with a losing record for the seventh time in eight years. They went 8-8 in Singletary's first full season, then produced an unbeaten preseason this year only to drop their first five games. It was the franchise's worst start since losing seven in a row to begin a 2-14 season in 1979 -- in the late Hall of Famer Bill Walsh's first year as coach. No team has recovered from an 0-5 start to reach the playoffs, but the 49ers would have made it if they had defeated the Rams and won again next Sunday. If that had happened, San Francisco would have won the tiebreaker over Seattle and St. Louis to win the division and become the first team with a losing record in a non-strike season to make the playoffs.


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People throughout the country might see some big changes happening to their driver's licenses and state IDs. As of February 2013, 19 states have demonstrated compliance with the REAL ID Act, a piece of legislature that imposes much stricter measures on how people can obtain a driver's license, and sets more thorough standards as to what will be displayed on them. Called the new "national ID," the REAL ID Act has gained some traction in light of recent events like the Boston Marathon bombings.
But what exactly is the REAL ID Act, and how will it affect drivers across the nation?
The History of REAL ID
After 9/11, the federal government began to look at ways to increase security surrounding state identification cards and driver's licenses, in an attempt to prevent further terrorism and/or unlawful entry into and out of the country.
In 2005, the House of Representatives passed a bill into law called the REAL ID Act. This Act would set certain federal standards upon all driver's licenses, which are currently regulated by each individual state. After being passed into law, the bill was tabled until 2007, when it was announced that the federal enforcement of the act would be postponed for a period of two years. However, many state governments were slow to support this act, feeling that it not only infringed upon states' rights handed to them by the 10th Amendment, but also created unnecessary cost to taxpayers in order to implement the change. It wasn't until this year that the federal government announced that all states would need to be in compliance with the REAL ID Act by the end of 2017.
How IDs Will Be Affected
The REAL ID Act sets forth new federally mandated requirements for all state driver's licenses and ID cards. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has set standards not entirely dissimilar from the requirements already in place for most states throughout the country. On each ID, the following information must be present:
- Full legal name
- Residential address
- Birth date
- Gender
- Driver's license/identification card number
- Digital front-facing photograph
- Signature
Driver's licenses and IDs must now also include a common barcode and security devices to prevent any tampering with or counterfeiting of the card, and must display a star in the upper right-hand corner, signifying that your identification has been approved by the TSA and your identity has been verified. There are also new requirements put in place to obtain an ID or license; all applicants must present the following documents during the application process:
- A photo ID, or non-photo ID that contains the applicant's full legal name and birth date
- Valid birth certificate
- Social Security number
- Proof of legal U.S. citizenship, OR proof of lawful admittance into or temporary residence within the U.S.
Lastly, each state must also agree to share its database of licensed citizens and drivers with all other states, including every piece of data on the cards themselves (name, address, birth date, etc.), along with all driving records and driver histories of everyone licensed to drive in the state.
The Pros and Cons of REAL ID
Proponents of the REAL ID Act cite its advantages to national security. These measures ensure that non-citizens are unable to obtain a state-issued ID or driver's license, and also prevent anyone without one from boarding aircraft or entering high-security locations. Similarly, these IDs would place the United States in the company of nearly 100 other countries in the world (including most European countries) that have some form of a national ID card.
Cost, Freedom, and Privacy Concerns
However, many states oppose the implementation of the REAL ID Act based upon the estimated cost. The Act is a unfunded mandate, meaning that while the requirement is federally issued, the entire cost of recreating and re-issuing millions of licenses and ID cards would fall solely upon the states – without any financial assistance from the federal government. States are therefore required to raise their licensing fees in order to make up the added cost… putting an extra financial burden upon the licensee, who may simply be attempting to transfer one valid license into the REAL ID format.
Once the Act is fully implemented, residents without the new mandated ID will also be barred from boarding airplanes, entering nuclear facilities, and performing any other actions that require "official" federal identification. Citizens will need to provide a valid U.S. passport or permanent residency card in place of the new ID.
Another major concern is the idea of personal information being gathered and stored into what some are calling a "national database." In order for the DHS and TSA to validate a citizen's identity, they need to collect and store the information that otherwise would be solely kept by individual states. Many are worried about the "Big Brother"-esque implications this may have to personal privacy.
Major Effects Upon Immigrants
Immigrants and foreign nationals working in the United States are similarly worried about how the REAL ID Act may affect their abilities to live and work within the country. As the requirements for obtaining a new ID card are much more stringent than what some states may currently employ, foreigners without legal proof of entry into the country or without a Social Security number will be barred from obtaining a driver's license, limiting their means of travel throughout country by a huge margin and possibly forcing them to return to their home country to renew their ID. Then again, supporters of the REAL ID Act cite this as an example of the system working properly, as it ensures that the only people working and traveling within the U.S. are those that the government has officially allowed to be here.
What is your opinion of the REAL ID Act? Will these new measures help to curb the threat of terrorism within our borders? Or are the added costs and stricter security measures just one more hindrance of states' and citizens' freedom? Let us know in the comments below!


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94 N. Main Street, Jasper, GA - (706) 253-2457
By Dan Pool, editor
One reader who spotted us filling up paper boxes asked about the schedule of when papers are available and why home subscribers get their papers a day later than the Progress is available for sale in stores.
Our response: Ideally we would put our newspaper on the racks in stores and in home subscribers' mailboxes all on the same day, but that is not possible. There is just no way to get the papers printed and addressed and to the post office in time for subscribers to get them in the Wednesday mail.
In a normal week, the online e-edition is available at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday at www.pickensprogress.com. Papers should be available in stores by noon at the latest. Local subscribers should see the Progress in their mailbox with the Thursday mail. When out of-area subscribers get their papers is totally dependant on the mail service.
Question from e-mail: Why do we put some stories in their entirety on our website for free and keep others only in print and in the (paid) e-edition?
Our response: There is a fine line by which we decide what material is offered for free and what pieces are only in the paid print/e-edition. I'm sure thoughts at the Progress and all newspapers will continue to evolve concerning free versus paid content online.
The Progress, nor any newspaper I'm aware of, can sustain itself by giving away its content for free, any more than a restaurant can offer free food because people are hungry. The Atlanta paper, the Gilmer County paper, the Blue Ridge paper and the New York Times all hold some of their content for paying subscribers only.
One of the most exciting uses of our website is the ability to put up timely and accurate information on breaking community news. This has been a valuable resource for road closings, weather events and crimes, where readers will benefit by having this knowledge available ASAP. We also try to post entire stories on upcoming events and benefits, where people can help by taking action.
For general coverage of the people and happenings in this community, we will continue to publish them primarily in a paid format, whether it's in print or online.
Paraphrased from E-mail: Did last week's article on the Popcorn and Politics forum at the chamber of commerce with Sole Commissioner Robert Jones signal an endorsement of Jones over his competitor, Wesley Weaver, in the race for chairman of the three-person board of commissioners?
Our Response: Most assuredly no. The Progress does not endorse any candidates and strives for unbiased coverage of politics. In the case above, we'd like to point out:
1. Jones was asked to speak at a forum (Popcorn and Politics) that we have always covered. We neither chose the speaker nor made any input into who would be speaking. Would it have been better to ignore the county's top official speaking on the state of the county in a chamber of commerce forum?
2. No intentionally biased article for a candidate would use the words "tax hike" in a headline with their name, which was the case with the article in question.
The article, from last week's paper, not only included accomplishments presented by Jones (911 improvements and paving) but also problems (Tate Depot and a possible tax increase).
News from incumbent candidates, whether it's the sheriff starting a new program or the DA being recognized for exemplary DUI prosecution, will continue during the election cycle and needs to be reported. Conversely, should a crime spree that goes unsolved occur or the DA lose a significant case, it too will be reported with no regard for the political impact.
Kids Page
Finally, a reader wrote to say the Kids Page from the May 17th edition had words missing in the word search. If we wanted to be mean, we might have intentionally left words out to keep kids searching all summer. But in reality, Kids Page material is supplied by a vendor and, unfortunately, there were words missing in last week's word search – so all the kids can stop looking at last week's puzzle. Sorry for the mistake.


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The immigration bill goes local
The strategy for passing immigration reform through the Senate isn't just about striking a deal on border security.
It also means assuring Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) that fish processors in his home state will be protected, meeting a request from Sen. Dean Heller (R -Nev.) that Nevada will be added to a border commission and guaranteeing Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) that resources won't be diverted from the northern border.
Story Continued Below
As border security dominates headlines a week before the final vote is expected, a quieter campaign is under way to address the targeted, sometimes parochial, interests of senators who are likely to support the bill but need to show that they fought for some immigration-related concession in return.
( PHOTOS: 10 wild immigration quotes)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) fields the requests during private chats on the Senate floor and drop-ins to his office just outside the chamber. The asks may not be make or break for these senators — and the horse trading isn't as intense as in past legislative fights — but attempting to meet the demands is still viewed as critical to Democratic leaders and members of the Gang of Eight who must piece together a filibuster-proof majority.
The challenge right now is the glacial pace of voting. The Senate has agreed to hold only a dozen votes in more than a week of debate on the Gang of Eight's immigration overhaul. And bill proponents will need action to accelerate soon if they hope to have enough time to tackle the list of proposed changes that could lock in the support of moderate Democrats and a dozen Republicans that could put the bill over the finish line.
Even Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), who led talks on a bipartisan border security agreement, was lobbied by individual senators to insert a must-have amendment in any emerging deal.
( Also on POLITICO: Landrieu: 'Obnoxious' prevails in Senate)
"You have got a number of members from our caucus who are looking at this, and they're saying there isn't any one piece that gets us there but a number of pieces could get us there," Hoeven said.
Some of the individual demands are well known by now.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) wants to stiffen the restrictions on immigrant access to government benefits. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) says the language on requiring implementation of an electronic employment verification system needs to be tightened. And a number of Republicans are insisting on more specific metrics for determining whether the border is secured as a condition of their vote.
Hoeven and Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) were near an agreement Wednesday with the Gang of Eight that addresses those concerns, either by rolling them into one package or securing guarantees from Senate leaders that key amendments will receive votes.
( Also on POLITICO: Border security deal boosts immigration hopes)
But a border agreement could also serve as the vehicle to deal with lower-profile requests from Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and others, Hoeven said.
Collins, a likely supporter of the overall bill, wants to remove a requirement that 90 percent of money available through a federal border security grant program known as Operation Stonegarden go to law enforcement agencies on the Southwest border. The change could free up funds for Maine.
( Also on POLITICO: Ted Cruz unhappy with Gang of Eight 'bragging')
McCaskill is pressing for tougher language in the bill to go after employers that repeatedly hire undocumented immigrants. It's something she's sought for years, and if it doesn't make it into the Hoeven-Corker package, then she's hoping the Senate will accept it by unanimous consent.


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It's that time again. Time for another fun Despicable Me 2 party tutorial.
This week I'm bringing you a FREE Despicable Me 2 Minion push up cupcake wrapper printable.
I asked the amazing Juliann Law to create these for me. She did such a fantastic job.
Before I share the free printable though, I want to share a yellow cake tutorial.
- 2 cups cake flour (and 1/4 cup extra)
- 1 stick butter - softened (and 1 tbs extra - melted)
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbs vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- pinch salt
Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
Brush a little melted butter into mini muffin tins, then sprinkle flour over the top, making sure to get rid of any excess - I hold it upside down over the sink and shake it out.
In a medium-sized bowl combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until combined and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks gradually, and then add the vanilla.
Add about a cup of dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine on low speed. Add in about 1/2 of the buttermilk and combine. Repeat until all flour and buttermilk have been completely combined.
Pour mixture into mini muffin tins and bake for approximately 15 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
Once baked, set aside to cool.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make your frosting. I normally make mine according to C&H Powdered Sugar package directions - which is basically a 1lb box of powdered sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/4 cup milk and 1 tsp pure vanilla essence. Combine all ingredients, then add Wilton yellow food gel coloring (just a little at a time) until desired color is reached.
Alternate adding a cupcake and yellow frosting to the plastic push up cupcake container. You should end up with three layers. Pipe a little extra yellow frosting onto the top cupcake and top with brown sprinkles.
NOTE: I used the Wilton brand of treat pop containers.
Click here for the full-size image available for download.
For more ideas, view the original Despicable Me 2 Party post, and the Purple Evil Minion Pinata tutorial.
Don't forget, Despicable Me 2 is being released on July 3rd. Get advance tickets now.
Disclosure: This Despicable Me 2 party post was sponsored by Universal Pictures.


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About us
The WHO Library is the world's leading library on public health. It provides access to knowledge from WHO as well as to other sources of scientific literature produced around the world. WHO Library resources and expertise also provide scientific evidence and knowledge to low- and middle- income countries through a set of low-cost/high-use initiatives.
Networks and partnerships are an essential component in ensuring that our global initiatives reach a world-wide audience. Using a suite of collaborative tools, librarians and information specialists have a close understanding of country realities and needs. This helps keep focus on adequate and cost-effective information and knowledge sharing solutions.
The Institutional Repository for Information Sharing (IRIS)
The Institutional Repository for Information Sharing (IRIS) is the digital library of WHO's published material and technical information in full text produced since 1948. Its content is freely accessible and searchable in the six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian & Spanish).
Hinari Access to Research for Health Programme
Hinari is the world's largest collection of online biomedical and health literature.
This public-private partnership provides free access to more than 67,000 online information resources to health institutions in low- and middle- income countries.
Since 2002, Hinari has benefited many thousands of health workers, researchers, educators and policy makers contributing to improved world health.
The Global Index Medicus (GIM)
The Global Index Medicus (GIM) provides worldwide access to biomedical and public health literature produced by and within low- and middle- income countries. The main objective is to increase the visibility and usability of this important set of resources.
The material is collated and aggregated by WHO Regional Office Libraries on a central search platform allowing retrieval of bibliographical and full text information.


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- RA'ANAN BOUSTAN: Ph. D., Religion, Princeton University, 2004. Ancient Jewish history; History of late antiquity 310.825.1977; firstname.lastname@example.com
- JESSICA GOLDBERG: Ph.D., History, Columbia University. 2006. Medieval history; Jewish history; History of medieval trade, business, and industry; Definitions of regions and regional identity in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages 310-206-6860; firstname.lastname@example.com
- DAVID N. MYERS: Ph.D., History, Columbia University, 1991. Jewish, Europe, Modern Jewish intellectual and cultural history; History of Jewish historiography 310-825-1883/310-825-3780; email@example.com
- SARAH ABREVAYA STEIN: Ph.D., History, Stanford University, 1999. Jewish history; Sephardic studies; Yiddish and Ladino speaking diasporas; Jewish cultural diversity in the modern period 310-825-4153; email@example.com
The Jewish history field at UCLA aims to provide students with a broad training in Jewish intellectual, cultural, and social history. Students can draw on the riches of a large and diverse History Department as well as a nationally recognized Center for Jewish Studies.
Faculty members in the Jewish history field are Jessica Goldberg, associate professor of medieval history and the current field coordinator; Ra'anan Boustan, associate professor of ancient Mediterranean religions; David N. Myers, professor of Jewish history; and Sarah Abrevaya Stein, professor of history and Maurice Amado Chair in Sephardic Studies.
Students in this program can acquire familiarity with all periods of Jewish history, from antiquity to the modern age. At the same time, faculty members believe strongly that Jewish history is best studied in its various historical contexts. Consequently, students are required to pursue course work in both Jewish history and fields related to their particular area of focus (e.g., Ancient, Medieval, European, Middle Eastern, American).
Incoming graduate students are expected to have a strong background in Jewish history or related fields, as well as competence in one or more foreign languages.
For further information about our program, please contact Jessica Goldberg at firstname.lastname@example.com or the History Graduate Office at email@example.com.
Requirements for the Doctorate in Jewish History
Students must pass departmental examinations in at least two foreign languages which are to be determined in consultation with the student's adviser. The exam will be administered by a faculty member and proctored by the History Graduate Office. The student will have 90 minutes for the exam and they are allowed to bring their own dictionary. Students should consult with their primary adviser in the first year of graduate study to determine the course of language preparation most suitable to their research interests.
Candidates for the Ph.D. must meet (a) the special requirements for admission to the doctoral program listed on the Department's website under Academics/Graduate/Admission Information; and (b) the general requirements set forth under the Graduate Division. An excellent command of English, spoken and written, the ability to read at least two additional languages relevant to your area of research, and an acquaintance with general history are expected of all candidates. Students are required to complete at least one continuing two-or three-quarter seminar, or alternatively, a continuing sequence of at least two graduate courses. This seminar or sequence must include completion of a substantial research paper based on primary sources.
Doctoral Written and Oral Examinations
Before admission to candidacy, students must pass written and oral examinations. Working closely with a qualifying examination committee provides students with the rare chance to immerse themselves in the scholarship with which their research and teaching is to be engaged. Students with outstanding incompletes will not be permitted to sit for these exams.
After intensive preparation with all four members of their qualifying exam committee, students will take a written examination in their primary field and an oral examination in all their fields, presided over by all four of their faculty mentors. One of these examiners must be a member of the faculty from a department other than History; this allied field must be comparable in size and scope to the other three.
The written qualifying examination is normally prepared and administered by the chair of the committee in consultation with at least one additional advisor. The written examination is evaluated by at least two members of the committee. In most cases, the oral examination will be held shortly after the written examination or, at the discretion of the doctoral committee, as late as six months after the written examination. The written qualifying examination must be passed before the oral qualifying examination can be taken.
The members of the doctoral committee determine whether or not an examination may be repeated (normally only once), based on their prognosis of the student's potential for successfully completing both the written and oral examinations in a timely manner not to exceed one calendar year. The written qualifying examination is not to exceed eight (8) hours and must be turned in to the Graduate Adviser's Office no later than 5:00 pm of the day of the examination.
Dissertation Prospectus and Prospectus Defense
Roughly a quarter after completing qualifying examinations (written and oral), all students must write a dissertation prospectus (which could be written for credit as a history 596 or 597) expected to contain: (a) a full statement of the dissertation topic; (b) an historiographical discussion of the literature bearing on the topic; (c) a statement of the methodology to be employed; (d) a survey of the sources sufficient to demonstrate the viability of the topic; (e) a proposed timeline for completion. The prospectus must be approved by the dissertation adviser. After initial approval by the adviser, copies will be given to each member of the dissertation committee for discussion at the prospectus defense (see below). A student's dissertation committee, typically constituting four faculty members (two from Jewish history, one additional History Department member, and one member from outside of History), need not be identical to a student's qualifying exam committee.
All students will undergo a prospectus defense. Present at the defense will be the student's advisor and all members of the dissertation committee. The dissertation prospectus defense presents an opportunity for the entire committee to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed project, and to generate a clearly defined research program. For more information, please see the Graduate Student Intranet.