text:
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- The reported assassination of an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander who was traveling between Beirut and Syria has heightened suspicions Tehran and its powerful proxy, Hezbollah of Lebanon, are boosting military support for Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The officer was identified by the Revolutionary Guards command as Gen. Hassan Shateri, who it said headed the Iranian Committee for the Reconstruction of Lebanon. But indications are that he was a senior officer in the Guards' elite and largely covert Al-Quds Force, which has been reported fighting for Assad.
Iranian support is crucial as Assad's minority regime seems to be in serious trouble as Syria disintegrates and the civil war moves toward its third year.
Various, and sometimes conflicting, reports indicated Shateri was killed Wednesday on the Damascus-Beirut highway by "Zionist regime mercenaries." That's how Tehran refers to Syrian rebels.
That would indicate Shateri was killed in Syria. Other reports said he died Tuesday in Lebanon. It's not clear how he was killed although Syrian rebel sources said he was shot in an ambush in Syria.
Iran's Fars News Agency said Shateri's funeral was Thursday in Tehran and was attended by the Guards commander, Maj. Gen. Ali Jaafari, and Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, the powerful commander of the Al-Quds Force.
Suleimani's presence indicated Shateri belonged to the Al-Quds group.
That group is responsible for covert operations outside Iran and played a key role in organizing Shiite militants in Iraq who fought the Americans until their withdrawal in December 2011.
The presence of a commander of Shateri's rank and caliber in Syria would point to an extensive Iranian military operation to keep Assad, Iran's most important Arab ally, in power.
Al-Quds, whose commanders often conceal their identities, works closely with Hezbollah and is known to have units in Syria operating with Assad's military forces.
U.S. officials claim Al-Quds Force and Hezbollah are training Alawite militias, up to 50,000-strong, who would protect Iran's interests if Assad is toppled and the country fragments into sectarian enclaves.
In that scenario, Assad would resort to Plan B and retreat into a pre-arranged bastion in mountainous northeastern Syria, the minority Alawites' ancestral lands.
The Iranians are determined to keep Assad in power if they can because his regime is their conduit to Hezbollah in Syria's neighbor, Lebanon, which is a springboard for attacking Israel.
This tripartite axis is the bedrock of Iran's power in the Levant and access to the Mediterranean.
The Iranians see the uprising against the Assad dynasty, in power since 1970, as a U.S.-Israeli plot, just as the mullahs viewed the massive 2009-10 anti-regime protests in Iran as a Western attempt at regime change.
The Iranians, analysts claim, are working on the premise that even if they can't prevent Assad's regime from collapsing, they can help him establish a stronghold in northeastern Syria, traditional bastion of the Alawites, an offshoot of the Shiite sect that rules in Tehran.
That way Iran can control a contiguous strip running from the Turkish border south along the Mediterranean coast to Hezbollah's heartland in northeastern Lebanon and on to south Lebanon and the border with Israel.
This prospect alarms the West, Israel and the gulf monarchies who're backing the Syrian rebels.
"The rebellion has strengthened the Alawite-Shiite alliance," observed Brig. Gen. Hanan Gefen, a former commander in Israel's military intelligence.
"If the Alawites supported Hezbollah and aided in its formulation in the past, now the Shiites are coming toward the Alawites, with Iranian support."
Gefen, former head of the Israeli army's highly secretive Unit 8200 that specializes in electronic intercepts, noted: "This alliance is preparing itself for the day after the rebellion ...
"The Shiite-Alawite alliance will rely on territorial continuity from south Lebanon ... to the border with Turkey. Military assets ... will be transferred to this region."
This scenario goes some way to explaining the recent movement of Syrian advanced weapons systems such as air-defense, anti-tank and ballistic missiles -- and the Israelis fear, chemical weapons -- within Syria and to Hezbollah.
"It must not be thought that Assad will share his assets with Hezbollah like a philanthropist, during his period of distress," Gefen observed.
"Assad also does not view himself as committing suicide ... Such transfer of weapons must therefore be understood as an interim process for preserving strategic capabilities for future use by the Alawite-Shiite axis."


text:
New director breathes life into tired series
Aye, mateys, come aboard for another rousing pirate adventure with Jack Sparrow. That's Capt. Jack Sparrow to you, as he reminds us frequently during this fourth installment of one of Disney's most successful franchises. Already there is rumor of a fifth film underway, and with record-breaking box office earnings in its first weekend, it's a sure bet you haven't seen the last of Cap'n Jack.
After "At World's End," I had about given up on Depp's ability to take this pirate and his crew any further. The stories were as bloated and incomprehensible as Depp's grungy character, but a new director and a new co-star have given new life to the scurrilous Sparrow and his exploits, even though the story is still too long.
Rob Marshall takes over for Gore Verbinski, who directed the first three "Pirates" films. Working with his production team — Dariusz Wolski handling photography and John Myhre as set designer — the effect is immediately evident with crisply framed venues in and around London and the tropical locations, which pop with eye-catching color. Myrhe's sets have rich detail, whether it's a dessert-laden buffet in the king's palace or musty jail cell. And consider that most of the action takes place under cover of the night sky.
Something else evident almost immediately is the darker element to the story as scripted by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. As always there are plenty of double entendres and humor on the high seas, but the pirates seem, well … more mature. Part of that involves a steamy love story between Jack and new character Angelica, played with gusto by Penelope Cruz.
The story's central plot surrounds the quest for the Fountain of Youth. A race is on between the Spaniards, English and the dreaded Blackbeard (Ian MacShane). Leading England's crew is Jack's nemesis, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush looking particularly crusty). The special effects for his peg leg are especially impressive.Angelica, who believes she is Blackbeard's daughter, kidnaps Jack, who claims to know where the fountain is, except if we know anything about this weasel, it's that he never — well, hardly ever — tells the truth. The set up to actually get the race going is too drawn out and includes relentless action sequences with a carriage chase across London's crowded city streets and more than one swashbuckling duel.
The most interesting, and one of the darkest elements to this story are the mermaids. As legend goes, a mermaid's tear must be obtained to claim eternal youth, and in this tale it could cost you your life. These mermaids are deadly sirens with fangs and bad tempers, save for Serena (Astrid Berges-Frisby) who is captured by Blackbeard.Overall the special effects are superior, giving the tall sailing ships depth and dimension as well as enhancing most of the 3D work. The familiar Hans Zimmer theme, always integral to the story, vividly underscores the action, while cameos from Keith Richard as Sparrow's father and Judi Dench add a little oomph to the pirate party.How good is it? Better than the last one and good enough to get me back into the theater for the inevitable fifth installment. I give it two-and-a-half arrghs.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tokyo team busts the Ethernet speed record
Fastest IPv6 network in the world
A team led by Toyko University researchers has set a new "land speed record" for IPv6 Ethernet, transferring data over a distance of 30,000km at an application rate of 9.08Gbit/s.
The team leader, Dr Kei Hiraki, claimed this will not be beaten for the 10Gig generation because the contest organiser, the Internet2 consortium, demands that each new record shows a 10 per cent improvement over its predecessor.
The team actually broke the record twice - first sending 7.67Gbit/s using standard protocols, and then two days later sending 9.08Gbit/s using modified protocols - and they did so in both the single and multi-stream classes. The record-breaking run took place last December but has only just been reported, at a recent Internet2 members meeting in the US.
"These records are final for the 10Gbit/s era because they represent more than 99 per cent of the upper limit of network capacity," said Dr Hiraki.
He added that the test crossed six international IP networks, thanks to the team also including the WIDE Project, NTT Communications, JGN2, SURFnet, CANARIE, Pacific Northwest Gigapop, and other institutions. Data travelled from Tokyo to Chicago, on to Amsterdam, then Seattle, and finally back to Tokyo.
According to Chelsio, which developed the TCP-accelerating Ethernet adapters used by the team, the new record shows that IPv6 network devices are able to provide the same performance as IPv4 or better.
The speed record for IPv4 currently stands at 8.8Gbit/s, so could, in theory, still be surpassed. However, the next target for wire speed record junkies is rather more likely to be the upcoming 100Gbit/s spec for Ethernet, which is under development. ®
Sponsored: How to get more from MicroStrategy by optimising your data stack


text:
- Home
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- Departments & Offices A-M
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- Voters' Guide
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- Granger School District No. 204
Yakima County is divided into 17 separate school districts, each governed by a five-member board of directors who serve regular four (4) year terms. Their responsibilities focus on four areas: Quality of instruction, district planning, policy development and communications. Directors are local policy makers and serve as a link between the school system and the public.
Board members are elected in a nonpartisan general election by all voters within the school district. They receive no salary. Board members are partners in a management team and share in a variety of management decisions from fiscal accounting, employment of teachers, educational materials, and facilities to transportation services.
School directors are called upon to be leaders in the following areas:
√ assessing and reflecting the educational needs and values of the community;
√ developing an educational philosophy;
√ establishing school district goals;
√ providing for program development activities;
√ reviewing the financial needs of the districts;
√ assuring systematic review and evaluation of all phases of the school program


text:
Article — From the June 1976 issue
I. Toward an understanding of the problem
The imprint of past mistakes
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text:
All you need to know about Doha - Josh 190
(graph taken from here)
Click images for more details
A few sites I've stumbled across recently....
(graph taken from here)
I lived in Doha for a couple of years, and so it was good to see the lovely colours of the beach, the sea and the sky in the background of this clip of the Valiant Viscount: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=m5Bxo2wLT-s
The CFACT people had a lot of fun over there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlXAbi7RSBU
Superb, Josh. No other recent incident has deserved a cartoon more than this.
More on this bold and marvellous event at WUWT: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/12/07/monckton-on-his-smashing-u-n-wall-of-silence-on-lack-of-warming-and-censure/
I am so glad both Josh and Monckton are on the side of the angels! Which is of course where all good people belong ...
Funny also how the Camel and the Lord look alike...
Notice how the video on the WUWT link DOESN'T include the alleged "chorus of booing" reported elsewhere.
And as the wise man said to the camel driver : "follow that star."
(Thanks Lou Killen)
I see this story has been run by the Guardian, the Independant and the Telegraph. Only the Telegraph has allowed comments !
Reading a rather dreary report in the FT about Doha I burst out laughing reading this passage tacked on at the end :
Meanwhile, in a move akin to Lady Gaga disguising herself as the Pope and delivering Mass in St Peter's Square, Lord Monckton, the British climate change sceptic, added a brief but electrifying diversion to proceedings.
Posing as a representative from Myanmar, he told delegates there had been no global warming for the past 16 years and there needed to be an immediate review of the science "to make sure we are all on the right track".
He was promptly stripped of his badge by UN officials for "impersonating a party" and banned for life from future meetings.
I'd love to see video of that :)
Found a youtube video of Monckton making his speech :)
Shot the messenger - says it all.
Josh, great cartoon as always, but one small nitpick. You missed the carbon sequestration mask that the camel was wearing in the cfact video
Funny cartoon Josh and a great account of Monckton's performance from the man himself at WUWT.
"Do Ha ha" really sums it up quite well. A true laugh out loud from me.
F...expletive deleted...ing brilliant. Love the video.
So, Monckton pseudonymously spoke a few uncomfortable truths, and got into trouble for it?
And you wonder why people don't take you seriously...
You who?
Brilliant as usual (still waiting on my calendar!)
Tom, this is exactly like the stunts pulled for the last decade or two by Greenpeace. However when Greenpeace do it is applauded as a great idea with acres of media coverage. Sauce for the goose as someone once said.....
Josh, I keep saying best yet, but this did get a LOL, a proper one, not a "Call me Dave" one.
Also crossed my warped mind that "Ha Ha" is a visual illusion!
Looking at the video again.
If this was as truthfully an opportune moment as Monckton says than it strikes me this was a Speilbergian moment of genius that deserves a biopic ;)
I think there is a burgeoning collective acceptance that there is an onset of ennui in the international COP climate bull market. Even the true believers are getting despondent and realising the posturing is empty. It is becoming ever more evident to all and sundry in governments and elsewhere. Even at the Guardian ;)
Tom's fan boy crying above tends to confirm this observation;)
So the fact that history may now have to acclaim Monckton for rounding off the whole failed multi-decadal process with a rather brilliant coup-de gras by delivering a pithy speech that eviscerates the whole process by simplifies with reality must deserves praise. He may even be given credit. I find it brilliant and funny.
Please let the script pan out that way!
I took a transcript:
Thank you very much, er, Mr President, As-salamu alaykum
Our new council has two small concerns about this process; first that in the 16 years now that we have been coming to these events there has been no global warming at all. And secondly that even if we were to take action to try to prevent global warming the cost of that would be many times greater than the cost of taking adaptive measures later.
So our recommendation therefore is that we should initiate very quickly a review of the science to make sure we are all on the right track. [shuckram ik tir? - thank you very much in Arabic I think]
I have just posted on my blog on this subject. The problem is that the green movement has set a narrative of a morality play; they just don't get that the skeptic side is likewise driven by morality and that Monckton's action should be seen within this frame.
P.S. Tried to use the 'response is on my own website' function, but did not work.
Monkton's speech was brilliant - this is the funniest thing someone from Rannoch has done since the local policeman arrested himself for crashing his car into a tree after one too many drinks.
Tree, Rannoch? Trust said PC was not responsible for felling all of them?
I think Monckton has seen Farage and Hannon in the Europarl and raised them in the UN!
What surprises is that Monckton managed to pull something like this. Usually it is the clownish James 'Crimes Against Humanity' Hansen getting himself arrested.
Looks rather like St. John Philby
Doha hoohah- try listening to Roger Harrabin or Nicholas Stern holding forth on Radio 4 on the latest (non) developments at the conference.
On second thoughts- better not bother. Catastrophism at its most extreme.
The Guardian is looking for a resident blogger on climate. The Bish must apply. Please. And post the results!
Well, a number of posters here should apply also. Go to the Guardian enviro tab and post in the comments to the application form post.
Monkton - polite, respectful,chose his two points very carefully and made them well. The man has huge cojones to be able to pull that off so well.
And where are the boo's?
A 2nd cousin (originally from Dublin now living in Scotland) of mine is a member of the SNP and is totally pro the alarmist's attitudes. He is a massive fan of Windfarms.
From time to time I send him articles from the realist side of the argument. He never replies.
I sent him the Do Ha Ha link.
He must have nearly blown a fuse and here is his response:
Monckton is a nutter as are most of his party members that I have met. They are the flat earth, little englanders, who still think that Britannia rules the waves. Given their way rampant pollution would be the norm and nuclear waste would be an incidental issue to be addressed at some time!
Christopher Monckton, m'lord, my hats off to you for that brilliant piece of PR mischief and the great write up in WUWT.
I've always found you likeable sir on the account of your eccentricity alone but yesterday in Doha you outdid yourself and may well have earned your way out of my right-wing cranks list.
I am still looking forward to seeing the pictures of you getting arrested one day, and perhaps hopefully your police mugshot too. Don't laugh now. If James Hansen dosen't mind getting arrested for a cause, I expect nothing less from you, sir.
And take James Delingpole with you. In the police cell, you may teach him a few things about how to win without whining.
brilliant, Josh.
don't think Fiona wrote this for laughs, but that's the effect it had on me. it's let's blame the hosts, using anonymous sources for the most part:
8 Dec: Guardian: Fiona Harvey: Climate change talks deadlocked on final day of UN summit
Talks on a new climate deal ground (???) on through Friday night in Qatar, as countries failed to agree on key issues including: rescuing the Kyoto protocol, finance and compensation for poor countries suffering the effects of climate change, and how to structure a proposed new global climate change agreement...
"We have worked without a break and people realise we need to go home with something," said one delegate...
Rumours and counter-rumours were flying as ministers met in small groups and huddles of twos and threes to hammer out compromises. Some meetings were fractious, with delegates conscious of the need avoid a breakdown, which would be disastrous for the image of these talks with the eyes of the world upon the 195 governments meeting in Doha...
One participant said: "It's like the Qataris think it's a World Cup, but this is not a game of football – these are serious negotiations about the future of the planet. They have not taken this seriously – they have not got a grip."
Jake Schmidt, international climate policy director at the Natural Resources Defence Capital, said: "There's a cultural mismatch between the Qatari team and this process. They think deal-making is beneath them. They are not managing very well."
One delegate accused the Qataris of going home early on Thursday instead of working through the night on the draft texts, as hosts are expected to...
Qatar, the world's third biggest exporter of natural gas, is also the world's biggest per capita emitter of carbon – 50 tonnes a year, compared to 17 for the US and 1.4 for India. The country makes the majority of its $170bn annual income from oil and gas...
Another cracker from Josh...
pat - thanks for the Fiona Harvey piece - 'talks deadlocked'..? Now that must be a first...!
More worrying is the Roger Harrabin article on the BBC website which concerned the conference wanting the UN to establish the principle of 'big emitting' countries (like the US) 'compensating' smaller countries for the 'damage' they are causing by global warming...
How the hell would you quantify that - even if it were true/enforceable..?
Interesting that Quatar (the hosts) are the biggest 'emitters' on the planet - nearly three times as much per head as the US...
Hmmm.... that's awkward...
Doh ha ha.
DOUGH HA HA, indeed. Because that what's it all 'bout (Alfie) ... to developing countries.
Today I visitied the Guardian Environment page again for the first time, I swear to god or gods if there is any above, in more than a month probably two months even though I read its World and Arab Spring coverage pretty much every day.
The leading story is "the wildlife in pictures". That's OK by me.
The second item on the roll is by George Monbiot entitled, "A New Spirit of Destruction".
II swear to god or gods above, if there is any, to never visit the Guardian Environment again for at least two more months even if I continue to read its World and Arab.Spring coverage every day in that time.
2:02 PM | David
Having caught Mr Harrabin's pronouncements on various radio programs and compared and contrasted with what he gets up to behind the scenes (when it finally comes out) it is clear that he's one mendacious two faced son of a... The chirruping of sweet reasonableness now grates so much that I cannot listen / read any more of his output for my own blood pressure safety.
As to the Qataris - they're a bit like the Norwegians - too much money to know what to do with it and intent on making an impression on the international stage by spraying their money around and posing at ribbon cutting events.
I think it was a mistake by Josh not to put a CO2 mask on the camel ...... :-)
On the whole though - Yee-hah! - Lord Monkton is a star....
I know Qatar and cannot think of a more inappropriate / conflicted spot to have a "climate conference" - I'm half expecting that the Qataris will offer to build the "third world" "free" windmills as long as they get to build a blinged up mosque for every windmill.
BTW, was there a 'bottoms up' event in Doha this year, following on the grand old traditions of earlier events in Cancun two years ago and some place in South Africa last year?
I would have thought a 'bottoms up' protest would prove pretty popular in the land of Lawrence of Arabia.
Or is it because the Qatari police wouldn't just be happy seeing them but carry truncheons in their pockets as well?
Anyone who wants to be amused or appalled by all the drivel emanating from Doha COP18 can view the stream of tweets from twits:
Or simply search for #COP18 on Twitter.
Right now the stream alternates between UN acolytes trying to claim something of world historical significance has been achieved ("peace for our time") and those even more extreme activists who are wailing that nothing was achieved to save the planet from imminent CAGW.
The current buzz phrases are "climate justice" and "civil society" globally as serving the self-image of the radicals.
Conniev Hedegaard and Christina Figuera are proclaiming triumph, although the main outcome seems to be promises to keep trying to replace the Kyoto Treaty. The zombies of CAGW are like "The Night of the Living Dead"
Do you think if he apologised they would give him his pass back.
Only a camel with its eyes closed could fail to notice Josh's splendid drawing of a climate graph stuck in overdrive a half degree above normal.
Hence the smile on the face of this one- it's looking forward to taking over from Range Rover as Perthshire's preferred mode of transport
uh-oh...UK hasn't fared well...no doubt australia is up for $$$ as well...
9 Dec: Telegraph: : Doha: climate change talks end with compensation deal for poor nations that could cost billions
By Louise Gray, Doha and Richard Gray, Science Correspondent
Angry exchanges between delegations over the measure brought threats of walkouts and even tears from small island states, which pushed to have the new mechanism introduced despite fierce opposition from the United States...
It comes as economists warned that commitments to cut carbon emissions – agreed earlier in the talks as part of negotiations carried out by the European Union as a whole – could cost the British economy around £23 billion by 2020.
Other major economies such as the USA, China and Japan refused to sign up to similar commitments, leaving businesses in the UK and other European countries at a competitive disadvantage...
Ed Davey, the climate change and energy secretary, who is leading the UK delegation, said the UK had backed putting a reference to loss and damage into the agreement and was in favour of stronger targets on climate change.
There were cheers around the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha yesterday when the final text of the agreement setting out the plan to introduce the compensation measures was passed despite objections from Russia and the USA.
Ed Davey, the climate change secretary, said poor countries were already dealing with rising sea levels and the seepage of salt into water supplies - and rich countries like the UK had a duty to help by developing a loss and damage mechanism.
"I do think we have a duty to help people who are losing their countries below the waves," he said.
Mr Davey said recent floods in Britain showed how important it was to deal with floods...
The exact details of the loss and damage scheme, including how much developed countries will have to pay, are expected to be worked out at future meetings of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, next year or in 2014...
However major polluters including China, USA, Canada, Russia and Japan did not sign up to the pact...
David Cameron, the Prime Minister, is likely to face heavy criticism from his backbenches if Britain is left facing expensive carbon cutting targets that are not being matched by industrial competitors.
More than 100 Conservative MPs – including several within the Cabinet – are said to be climate change sceptics.
Clacton MP Douglas Carswell, one of the leading Conservative climate-change sceptics, said: "Britain should have absolutely no part in this. The whole science of climate change is highly questionable. By pursuing new emissions targets we are only accelerating a process of deindustrialisation in Europe, which is transporting manufacturing jobs to other countries.
"The United States was right to oppose this. We would be doing the same if we had democratically accountable people negotiating on our behalf. But we have European Union officials negotiating on our behalf who are immune to the ballot box." ...
There are more than 17,000 delegates attending the talks in the desert in Doha. It is estimated that the talks themselves have had a carbon footprint of more than 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide – equivalent to cutting down 64 hectares of rainforest.
The Swarovski chandeliers in the main meeting hall and a skyline of sky scrapers, with delegates ferried around in limousines, have made a surreal setting for the talks. Qatar, one of the world's richest nations, but with plentiful supplies of cheap energy from its oil, has the largest carbon footprint per person in the world...
Please would you explain the relevance of your last post. It reads like the scribblings of a drunkard with a crayon in a poublic toilet.
Tuned into BBC 4 during a drive here in San Diego and listened to their report on the DOHA meeting . Identical reports at half hour intervals assume that this pattern would repeat through the time cycle. This is propoganda,a simple message requiring no research, repeated by a credible agency and one which brings back unpleasant memories ( I am ww2 vintage), this time in different context.
The BBC reports that Kyoto has been reaffirmed to 2020. By whom, I wonder. Following on a comment by a Mr. Harriban (sp?) insisting that this is the opinion of the scientists. (this is a planet size issue..where is the scientist vote and who are the scientists). The third theme was compensation for 'demise of sea island countries'. Huge bonanza for Seychelles etc. It may get worse.
Imagine what Marty Feldman could do with this cartoon.
An astute comment by Peter Foster in the Financial Post (H/T GWPF)
"If one wished to look at a truly dangerous example of the influence of non-elected groups on public policy, one might point to the 7,000 NGO "observers" at Doha. The conference website claims that through these groups "the citizens of the world have a channel for their voices to be heard." In fact, they represent a relatively small number of voices with an obstructive and destructive agenda."
Financial Post, 7 December 2012
Doomsday Preppers on Discovery Channel at the moment
A load of Survivalist in Texas with 15 years of Tin food, Goats , M16s and thousand s of rounds of ammo
In a metal shack .One Torando all blown away.And society will still be there .Back on Social Sercurity
Mayan Calender December 21st 2012
Two weeks time .A Magnetic Polar Shift.Huge Earth Quakes Massive Continental Shift.
Thousands going to some Commune in France with Thousands of others to see in the End Of the World.
Al Gore, Micheal Mann all the Climate Change Boys will be with them?
So December 22nd i think im working nights .So get the End of the World and Christmas and News years Eve Party out the Way and i might take the plunge and get a a new 4G Phone in the January Sales.


text:
Microsatellite markers, or short tandem repeats (STR), are polymorphic DNA loci containing repeated nucleotide sequences, typically from 2 to 7 nucleotides per unit. The length of the repeated unit is the same for the majority of the repeats within an individual microsatellite locus; the number of repeats for a specific locus may differ, resulting in alleles of varying length.
The vast amount of data emerging for thousands of microsatellite markers across organisms makes microsatellite analysis a widely accepted tool for linkage and association studies, and also for identifying individual organisms (i.e., human identification or HID).
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text:
In 2010, research and consulting firm FA Insight released The 2010 FA Insight Study of Advisory Firms: Growth by Design, exploring two fundamental leading indicators of firm growth: operations and marketing. Following the market decline of 2008 and 2009, the study reported that advisory firms were ready to grow again in 2010 with increased expectations for staff hiring levels and stronger forecasts for growth in assets and revenue alike. Preliminary results from FA Insight's 2011 survey indicate these expectations became reality, with assets, revenue, clients and staff all up markedly in 2010 relative to recent years.
The question for advisory firms now is, "Will the renewal of growth be sustained through the pursuit of a deliberate growth strategy or put at risk because of a more complacent strategy that mimics security market performance?"
In this article, the final from the Growth by Design series released with the support of media partner Investment Advisor, we share some of the most effective practices in stimulating demand through enhanced marketing capabilities. Our particular focus is on approaching firm marketing strategically: considering whom the firm is best-suited to serve and what the firm can offer this market that will be most valued.
For many advisory firm executives, strategic marketing is relatively unfamiliar territory. Only 49% of firms surveyed indicated that they have developed a marketing plan. Just 18% of those firms consider their marketing plan to be effective in generating new clients. Furthermore, as seen in Figure 1, client referrals accounted for 48% of new client acquisition, demonstrating that firms continue to favor a more traditional, and likely a more passive, approach to generating new relationships.
As revealed in the Growth by Design study, an exciting opportunity exists for firms to build marketing capabilities that support a more deliberate approach to client acquisition and provide a far more reliable growth engine than the current market cycle.
Keeping on Target
No firm, irrespective of size, has unlimited resources to invest in firm growth. Growing via a niche or target market strategy allows a firm to focus resources and develop a compelling offer that attracts and retains target clients by speaking to their distinctive needs. To grow strategically, however, requires that firms first define the characteristics of those clients whom they will actively pursue and serve.
Of all firms surveyed, 72% reported that they have established a target market. Upon closer examination the vast majority of these firms (70%) utilizes their level of assets to define their target market. A further 54% use client life stage (firms could select more than one factor). While life stage and level of assets may be a helpful starting point, they do little to assist a firm in successfully mining the market to find and attract new clients. Figure 2 illustrates the opportunity for more firms to further refine their target markets.
Defining a target market can realize a host of benefits. Scarce resources stretch further when firms market and deliver to a more closely defined set of client needs. As needs narrow, the firm can more readily build expertise in the specific areas needed to support target clients. In general, the more refined the client mix, the more adept the firm becomes in catering to client needs.
FA Insight distinguishes Standout firms at each of our four stages of development (Operators: $75,000–$500,000 in annual revenue; Cultivators: $500,000–$1.5 million; Accelerators: $1.5 million–$3 million; Innovators: more than $3 million in revenue). Standout firms are defined according to two key criteria related to building firm value:
- The ability to generate income for owners
- The ability to grow (as measured by revenue)
It is not surprising that these high-growth and high-income firms consistently demonstrated a greater tendency to more clearly define, pursue and serve a target market. As demonstrated in a previous Growth by Design article, Standout firms at every stage show a greater tendency to focus on a target market.
A Granular Understanding of Clients Through Segmentation
Gaining a deep understanding of current clients through segmentation can be a helpful starting point for firms determining an appropriate target market. Segmentation analysis involves identifying trends across a firm's base of clients in order to group clients with similar characteristics.
The resulting client groups or segments can help to prioritize whom the firm is best suited to serve. Conducting client segmentation can clarify the types of relationships that are the most profitable. In addition to improving marketing effectiveness, segmentation can reveal new opportunities with existing clients, such as supporting more customized marketing efforts and identifying broader advice needs for servicing, that will increase share of wallet. Further, by revealing which types of clients are most linked to certain services (e.g., investment management, insurance or tax planning), segmentation provides important insight for improving revenue generation.
Clearly, those firms that have a more granular perspective of their clients will be well-positioned to market and deliver a compelling service offering to prospects and clients. Despite the potential benefits, however, almost half of all firms surveyed in the Growth by Design study have yet to conduct any form of client segmentation (see Figure 3).
Of those firms that do conduct client segmentation, some have segmented clients based on revenue, assets or profit alone while others pursue a multi-dimensional segmentation model that provides greater insight into broader client characteristics. For example, capturing factors such as client occupation, source of wealth, preferred relationship style and other qualitative characteristics will help to form a clearer guide for determining the most appropriate target market.
Client Value Proposition Hinges on Desired Outcomes
With a defined target market, the firm can think more clearly about what outcomes clients value most in order to better articulate and implement the value proposition for the firm. The development of a unique client value proposition is central to building an offering designed for a specific target market.
Standout firms understand this and their discipline regarding value propositions further differentiates their marketing capabilities. This was particularly true for the firms we refer to as Standout Innovators, the largest and most successful in the industry, all of which reported having a compelling value proposition that was easy for clients to understand and distinct from their competitors. Just two-thirds of other Innovator firms at this stage had the same level of confidence.
Defining and articulating the value proposition requires that a firm truly stands in clients' shoes and considers the desired outcomes that must be achieved for clients. For example, just beating an investment performance benchmark or having a written financial plan are probably not desired final outcomes for most clients. What matters more for clients is to achieve a sense of comfort and security as it relates to their financial lives.
The outcomes must then be consistently delivered to each client through disciplined implementation; it is simply not enough to tell the firm's "value story" to prospects and clients. Just over two-thirds of all firms surveyed indicated that they have established a client value proposition and slightly over half of those firms with a defined value proposition believe it is consistently implemented.
Without the alignment of all staff members to the delivery of the value proposition, client satisfaction cannot be assured, the firm's reputation for service is put at risk, and marketing will suffer as well. While the development and implementation of a value proposition is a practice most common among larger and more mature firms, firms across all stages of development can create and implement a unique value proposition that supports them well when pursuing a target market and delivering value.
While marketing may not be the strongest suit for many advisory firms, building stronger marketing capabilities represents an exciting opportunity for growth. A well-defined target market and a clear understanding of the valued outcomes the firm provides form a solid foundation for improving these capabilities. For firm executives seeking to achieve more deliberate and aggressive growth, further guidance for strengthening firm marketing capabilities is provided within the Growth by Design report including direction on pricing practices, client retention strategies, developing a marketing plan and a marketing budget.


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***Offical 2012 STL Cardinals World Champions Thread ***
St. Louis Cardinals: 7 reasons fans should feel good about 2012
Posted Wednesday, October 24, 2012, at 9:26 PM
St. Louis Cardinals fans are likely feeling deflated after the collapse that put an end to the team's dreams of a World Series repeat, but there is good reason to be excited.
With all of the odds against them, the Cardinals managed to push their 2012 season beyond any anticipated boundary.
Given all of the season's changes and the adversity the team had to fight through, the fact that they played in October at all was an anomaly in itself. On paper, it made sense for the Cardinals to be in the playoffs, but few saw them as a true threat.
As the season continued, even fans began to doubt as they watched the team seemingly crumble in June and July. When the Cardinals finally came to life in September they went 11-5 in the last 16 games of the season to lock up the second Wild Card position in its inaugural year.
That run, despite it's crushing end in Cincinnati in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, lots of good came from the Cardinals' season and playoff run.
Following in no particular order are 10 reasons Cardinals fans have to be excited about the 2013 season.
Trevor Rosenthal
When rookie fireballer Trevor Rosenthal made his first trip to St. Louis, it was obvious almost instantly that he was something special.
Between his 100 mph fastball and the general inability for almost anyone to hit off of him, he became a huge part of the Cardinals playoff run.
He pitched in a total of 19 regular season games before the 22-year-old rookie from Lee's Summit, Mo. got his first taste of postseason baseball and he put on quite a show.
In 8.2 IP over seven postseason appearances, Rosenthal held opponents to only two hits and no runs.
It's possible that down the stretch he may have already earned his spot in the rotation for 2013.
Shelby Miller
The long-coveted fastball pitching prospect Shelby Miller also made his first trip to St. Louis in 2012 and put on a good show.
In 13.2 IP over six regular season games, Miller surrendered only two runs on nine hits. His postseason performance was more of the same with two runs on four hits in 3.2 IP.
Despite a dismal first half of the season in Memphis, Miller got himself together and still managed to make one major league start before the end of the season -- a very impressive start at that.
Against the Cincinnati Reds in the final game of the regular season, Miller posted 5.2 hitless innings. He gave up no runs and collected his first major league win.
Expect to see a lot more of Miller in St. Louis early in 2013.
Joe Kelly
When Joe Kelly made his major league debut on June 10, few could have guessed the importance he would play throughout the remainder of the 2012 season.
Kelly started 16 games for the Cardinals this season filling in for Jaime Garcia and Lance Lynn, but it was the postseason when he really came through for his teammates.
When starting pitchers struggled time and again in October, it was Kelly who came to their rescue.
In seven postseason appearances, Kelly threw 7.2 innings and surrendered only two runs on six hits. Kelly came through for the Cardinals from the bullpen.
There's a good chance that could be his home in the future.
Mike Matheny
When the Cardinals hired Mike Matheny to take over for Tony LaRussa, many question bringing in a manager with no experience to such a storied franchise.
He had a few hiccups and growing pains along the way, but for a rookie manager to get his team where Matheny did this year speaks volumes.
His players have a strong respect for Matheny and credit his positive style with being a driving force behind their 2012 success.
True, he didn't get them through the NLCS, but the team made it to an all or nothing Game 7. That's good experience for the players obviously, but also for Matheny. Not only did he learn a lot about managing in the media pressure cooker that is postseason baseball, he also got a taste of what it felt like to win as a manager.
NLCS loss means more drive to win
While the NLCS loss was a good lesson for a young manager, it's an even more important lesson for a young player.
The 2011 championship lit a fire under young players like Lance Lynn and Jon Jay. That fire helped drive them to extremely successful sophomore seasons.
What happened in 2012 will likely do the same for Rosenthal, Miller and Kelly. Their 2013 season may not be like Jay or Lynn's 2012, but now they've gotten a little taste of what it feels like to be a winner.
Both the excitement and the public humbling can be a great experience for any young player.
The run was without several key components
In a season riddled with injuries, none were as crucial as those late in the season.
The loss of Lance Berkman and Rafael Furcal significantly weakened the team's bench. Instead of having Pete Kozma, Allen Craig and Matt Carpenter to pinch hit, the team wound up having to use them in the lineup.
The loss of Jaime Garcia and Jake Westbrook also rocked the Cardinals. Instead of having Lynn and Westbrook also available from the bullpen, Lynn was pushed back into the rotation after a very successful NLDS bullpen stint.
Having gotten as deep into the playoffs as the Cardinals did in spite of the injuries is quite the accomplishment.
They did it without Pujols, LaRussa and Duncan
Few in the world of sports gave the Cardinals a fighting chance when Albert Pujols left the team to play on the west coast. Surely this team couldn't be as good as they were?
Few gave them a chance after longtime manager Tony LaRussa decided it was time to retire.
Few gave them a chance after pitching coach Dave Duncan left the team.
The Cardinals did it despite all of that. That's something any fan should be proud of.
No, they didn't hoist a trophy. There will be no parade or tickertape.
What there is, though, is hope for next year and that will come sooner than you may think.
After all, pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in just four short months.
From a blog I was sent on twitter: http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/...es/entry/50051
Last edited by BigRedChief; 10-24-2012 at 08:57 PM..
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What's floating around Twitter is that the player the Cardinals received in return is Jake Lemmerman, a SS:
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So with Hamilton going to the Angels, what does that do for them potentially not resigning Mike Trout?
Maybe we "redeal" for them taking Pujols and sign him to play in STL in a few?
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If anything, it proves that they will re-sign Trout. They've now built $25 million/season into their payroll structure and that $25 million will fall away the very off-season that Trout is looking to be a FA.
That's what sucks worst about this - it proves that there really is no end to the amount of money that Moreno can spend...and by God he's going to spend it. Trout will stay in Anaheim. Even if he doesn't, Anaheim will drive the price up to a point where there are only a couple of teams (notably NY and maybe a wild card like Chicago or Philly) that can compete at that price point.
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We cant make a mistake like that without hurting our future. It will hurt other clubs worse than us but since do we care that much about that part.
I've been saying since the Cubs got their big cable contract that the big equalizer in the playoffs is quality pitching. If you can get quality young pitching that you control at a reasonable rate. You can compete with the Dodgers/Angles/Yankees with their billion $ cable contracts.
And we got that in the pipeline this year and next making it to the big show. No rebuilding years for us.
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Oscar Taveras - Ron Vesely--Getty Images
St. Louis Cardinals Top 20 Prospects for 2013
The list and grades are a blending of present performance and long-term potential. Comments are welcome, but in the end all analysis and responsibility is mine. Full reports on all of players can be found in the 2013 Baseball Prospect Book. We are now taking pre-orders. Order early and order often!
Grade A prospects are the elite. They have a reasonable chance of becoming stars or superstars. Almost all Grade A prospects develop into major league regulars, if injuries or other problems don't intervene. Note that is a major "if" in some cases.
Grade B prospects have a good chance to enjoy successful careers. Some will develop into stars, some will not. Most end up spending several years in the majors, at the very least in a marginal role.
Grade C prospects are the most common type. These are guys who have something positive going for them, but who may have a question mark or three, or who are just too far away from the majors to get an accurate feel for. A few Grade C guys, especially at the lower levels, do develop into stars. Some end up as role players or bench guys. Many don't make it at all.
Also note that there is diversity within each category. I'm a tough grader; Grade C+ is actually good praise, and some C+ prospects (especially at lower levels) turn out very well indeed.
Finally, keep in mind that all grades are shorthand. You have to read the full comment in the book for my full opinion about a player, the letter grade only tells you so much. A Grade C prospect in rookie ball could end up being very impressive, while a Grade C prospect in Triple-A is likely just a future role player.
ALL GRADES ARE PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE. No grade is final until January 5th, 2013
1) Oscar Taveras, OF, Grade A: One of the easiest grades in the book. Outstanding hitter for power and average, and he improved his baserunning and defense. Next great Cardinals star? Seems like it to me.
2) Shelby Miller, RHP, Grade A: Terrific second half of the season saved his A rating from last year. Still looks like a rotation anchor to me, just needs to stay healthy.
3) Carlos Martinez, RHP, Grade A-: Borderline B+: Still has some rough edges but he made enough progress that I'm comfortable bumping him up a notch. Like Miller, he can be a top of the rotation guy if he avoids injury. He's moved very quickly and if I were the Cardinals I think I would slow things down a little and avoid bringing him to the majors in 2013 unless nobody else is available.
4) Trevor Rosenthal, RHP, Grade B+: Borderline A-: Another very live arm who could pitch at the top of the rotation eventually, or perhaps become a power closer.
5) Michael Wacha, RHP, Grade B+: Exceeded expectations in pro ball, granted the sample is small, but still. . .40/4 K/BB in 21 innings? Dang. I thought he was a future number three starter, but if he maintains the uptick in velocity he showed in pro ball, he's another guy you can build the rotation around.
6) Kolten Wong, 2B, Grade B: Solid but unspectacular season in Double-A, with his defense looking quite good and a decent hitting line. Looked good to me in Arizona Fall League. I still see him as a future regular second baseman who hits for average, gets on base, and provides a steady glove.
7) Matt Adams, 1B, Grade B: Poorly-timed injury, but he destroyed Triple-A pitching and given his track record I think he will eventually adapt to the majors. Like Wong, I don't see him as a star, but rather as a solid regular.
8) Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, Grade B-: His upside is as high as the guys above him, but injuries and command problems short-circuited him in Low-A. Disappointing, but the talent is still here.
9) Anthony Garcia, OF, Grade B-: I absolutely do not understand why this guy doesn't get more press. His power is very real, and even marginal improvements in the strike zone would result in a huge breakout. Crushed Low-A pitching.
10) Carson Kelly, 3B, Grade B-: Highest-ceiling and youngest of the third basemen drafted in 2012 by the Cards. Will also take the most time to develop. Needs more patience and defensive work. Profile is similar to Diamondbacks prospect Matt Davidson at the same stage of his career.
11) Patrick Wisdom, 3B, Grade B-: Excellent glove, and he hit better in the New York-Penn League than he did in college. Expect power and patience, we'll have to see about the batting average.
12) Stephen Piscotty, 3B, Grade B-: Nice solid line drive hitter, but he doesn't have Wisdom's glove nor Kelly's pure upside. That's a problem, since Piscotty's bat won't look as good in the outfield or at first base unless he boosts home run production.
13) Greg Garcia, 2B-SS, Grade C+: Wong's double play partner at Springfield is a strong yet overlooked prospect in his own right with very sound on-base skills. Stretched at shortstop, he's better at second base but that's Wong's position.
14) Seth Maness, RHP, Grade C+: Truly outstanding command helps mediocre velocity play up. Seems like he can be a sound inning-eater to me, or at worst an attractive trade chit for another team.
15) John Gast, LHP, Grade C+: A good arm from the left side, but erratic with his command and more likely to fit in the bullpen than the rotation for St. Louis.
16) Starlin Rodriguez, 2B, Grade C+: Another overlooked prospect who would get a lot more attention if he played in a weaker farm system. Good fielder, hit for average with some pop, strong performance in High-A. Good showing in Double-A will get him on the conveyer belt towards an opportunity of Wong doesn't pan out.
17) Ryan Jackson, SS, Grade C+: Very sound defensive player and can surprise you with his hitting at times. If you really need a shortstop, you could do a lot worse than just sticking Jackson in the lineup, hit him low in the order, and enjoy his fundamental play. More value for a real team than a fantasy one.
18) Maikel Cleto, RHP, Grade C+: Gotta respect the arm strength. Will he ever throw strikes well enough for the 100 MPH fastball to matter?
19) Tyler Lyons, LHP, Grade C+: Sleeper prospect who has more talent and pitched better than his 4.00+ ERA in Triple-A indicates. Would be a sneaky rotation candidate for some teams due to strike-throwing ability, but he gets lost in the crowd here.
20) Breyvic Valera, INF, Grade C+: Another sound infielder, this one advancing to Low-A for 2013. Hits for average, defense is promising at second base, could develop more power than people expect.
OTHER GRADE C+: Tim Cooney, LHP; Victor De Leon, RHP; James Ramsey, OF; Boone Whiting, RHP
OTHERS: Steve Bean, C; Michael Blazek, RHP; Keith Butler, RHP; Adron Chambers, OF; Victor De Leon, RHP; Adam Ehrlich, C; Eric Fornataro, RHP; Sam Freeman, LHP; Silfredo Garcia, RHP; Sam Gaviglio, RHP; Pete Kozma, SS: Jake Lemmerman, INF; Dixon Llorrens, RHP; C.J. McElroy, OF; Mike O'Neill, OF; Jorge Rondon, RHP; Kevin Siegrist, LHP; Lee Stoppelman, LHP; Jordan Swagerty, RHP; Charlie Tilson, OF; Colin Walsh, OF-INF
What can you say? This is one hell of a farm system. There is impact talent. There are future stars. And there are a lot of guys who project as solid role players to back them up.
The pitching. . .you have four guys in Miller, Martinez, Rosenthal, and Wacha who could be and should be rotation anchors. Jenkins has that kind of talent too, if he can refine it. There is a ton of pitching behind them, with a good mixture of strike-throwers (Maness, Lyons, Boone Whiting) and guys with hot arms. The Cardinals should never want for good relief pitching, and if even if some of the top guys get hurt or don't pan out, one of the efficiency experts could step in.
As history shows (Oakland's Four Aces, Generation K of the Mets, the Royals a couple of years ago), having a great batch of pitching prospects is no guarantee of success. There will be injury attrition, and someone will be a disappointment. But the point is to gather as many pitchers as possible to provide depth to cover for the inevitable failures, and the Cardinals are masters at doing this.
But the Cardinals also have lots of hitting to go with the pitching. Taveras will be a star, Wong and Adams look like regulars, and there are a bunch of guys who should be role players or strong contributors at least. The 2012 draft brought in additional bats, with particular depth at third base. If those guys thrive in 2013, this list will still look strong next year even if the top guys graduate.
Overall, this is an amazing system, a prospect factory. They find guys at big colleges, they find guys at small colleges, they find guys in junior college, they find and develop high school guys, they find and develop Latin American guys. They do everything.
Pretty good read.
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Excellent read, but I would probably flip-flop Jenkins & Wacha. That said, it's nit picking, love our farm system.
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One guy I am looking forward to following more this coming year is Kevin Seigrist. He was virtually off the radar until last year, and finished up with a solid AFL stint. I think he might end up being a better left hand prospect in the long run than Gast. He needs to show he can stay healthy.
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Berkman signed with the Rangers as a DH. Good move for him, IMO.
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Shouldn't this thread be renamed The Official 2112 SF Giants World Champions Thread? Just sayin
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Emergency Preparedness
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
(Difference between revisions)
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== External links ==
== External links ==
[[Category:Boy Scouts]] [[Category:Merit Badges]]
[[Category:Boy Scouts]] [[Category:Merit Badges]]
Revision as of 18:34, April 11, 2007
Merit badge requirements
- 1. Earn the First Aid Merit Badge.
- 2. Do the following:
- a. Discuss with your counselor these three aspects of emergency preparedness:
- 1. Recognition of a potential emergency situation
- 2. Prevention of an emergency situation
- 3. Reaction to an emergency situation
- Include in your discussion the kinds of questions that are important to ask yourself as you consider each of these.
- b. Make a chart that demonstrates your understanding of each of the three aspects of emergency preparedness in requirement 2a (recognition, prevention, and reaction) with regard to 10 of the situations listed below. You must use situations 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5* but may choose any other five for a total of 10 situations. Discuss this chart with your counselor.
- 1. Home kitchen fire*
- 2. Home basement/storage room/garage fire*
- 3. Explosion in the home*
- 4. Automobile accident*
- 5. Food-borne disease (food poisoning)*
- 6. Fire or explosion in a public place
- 7. Vehicle stalled in the desert
- 8. Vehicle trapped in a blizzard
- 9. Flash flooding in town or the country
- 10. Mountain/backcountry accident
- 11. Boating accident
- 12. Gas leak in a building
- 13. Tornado or hurricane
- 14. Major flood
- 15. Nuclear power plant emergency
- 16. Avalanche (snowslide or rockslide)
- 17. Violence in a public place
- c. Meet with and teach your family how to recognize, prevent, and react to the situations on the chart you created for requirement 2b. Then meet with your counselor and report on your family meeting, discussing their responses.
- a. Discuss with your counselor these three aspects of emergency preparedness:
- 3. Show how you could safely save a person from the following:
- a. Touching a live electric wire.
- b. A room with carbon monoxide
- c. Clothes on fire.
- d. Drowning using nonswimming rescues (including accidents on ice).
- 4. Show three ways of attracting and communicating with rescue planes/aircraft.
- 5. With another person, show a good way to move an injured person out of a remote and/or rugged area, conserving the energy of rescuers while ensuring the well-being and protection of the injured person.
- 6. Do the following:
- a. Tell the things a group of Scouts should be prepared to do, the training needed, and the safety precautions they should take for the following emergency services:
- 1. Crowd and traffic control
- 2. Messenger service and communication.
- 3. Collection and distribution services.
- 4. Group feeding, shelter, and sanitation.
- b. Identify the government or community agencies that normally handle and prepare for the emergency services listed under 6a, and explain to your counselor how a group of Scouts could volunteer to help in the event of these types of emergencies.
- c. Find out who is your community's disaster/emergency response coordinator and learn what this person does to recognize, prevent and respond to emergency situations in your community. Discuss this information with your counselor and apply what you discover to the chart you created for requirement 2b.
- a. Tell the things a group of Scouts should be prepared to do, the training needed, and the safety precautions they should take for the following emergency services:
- 7. Take part in an emergency service project, either a real one or a practice drill, with a Scouting unit or a community agency.
- 8. Do the following:
- a. Prepare a written plan for mobilizing your troop when needed to do emergency service. If there is already a plan, explain it. Tell your part in making it work.
- b. Take part in at least one troop mobilization. Before the exercise, describe your part to your counselor. Afterward, conduct an "after-action" lesson, discussing what you learned during the exercise that required changes or adjustments to the plan.
- c. Prepare a personal emergency service pack for a mobilization call. Prepare a family kit (suitcase or waterproof box) for use by your family in case an emergency evacuation is needed. Explain the needs and uses of the contents.
- 9. Do ONE of the following:
- a. Using a safety checklist approved by your counselor, inspect your home for potential hazards. Explain the hazards you find and how they can be corrected.
- b. Review or develop a plan of escape for your family in case of fire in your home.
- c. Develop an accident prevention program for five family activities outside the home (such as taking a picnic or seeing a movie) that includes an analysis of possible hazards, a proposed plan to correct those hazards, and the reasons for the corrections you propose.
Source: 2007 Boy Scout Requirements (33215)
Emergency Preparedness merit badge is on the Eagle Scout required list (requirement 3.g.). It is one choice of a group of two merit badges on the list.
Help with these requirements
Emergency Kits - for requirement 8.c.


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We're going to see a lot of impressive performances from a lot of well-known actors over the next two months, as Oscar season ramps up and every movie with a half-decent shot at a Best Actor or Best Actress nomination crowds into theaters. And while everyone is waiting to see if Meryl Streep turns in another pitch-perfect imitation as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, we're already getting a look at what might be the season's best portrayal as a real person. My Week With Marilyn is by no means a biopic of Marilyn Monroe-- it focuses on a single week on the set of her little-known movie The Prince and the Showgirl, and a young man's (Eddie Redmayne) experience befriending Monroe-- but Michelle Williams's performance as Marilyn utterly dominates the film. The actress known for restrained performances in Brokeback Mountain and Meek's Cutoff goes full bombshell here, and it's not even that she's doing an excellent impression of the Marilyn we know from the movies, but the scared young woman she was underneath.
Two new clips released from the film show off both sides of that performance. The first, which premiered at Moviefone, is the first thing we see in the movie-- a glitzy, sultry performance of "Heat Wave," complete with besotted male backup dancers. This is all the flash and sex appeal of Marilyn we're used to seeing.
The second, via The Playlist, is Marilyn in an obviously more intimate moment, singing in the bathtub. Make no mistake, though-- she knows perfectly well that Eddie Redmayne's character Colin can see her, and the singing is just as much for his benefit, a small act of flirtation disguised as an innocent bath.
I'm not a huge fan of My Week With Marilyn overall-- it participates in the myth-making surround Marilyn Monroe even when it claims to dismantle it, and it's a shockingly shallow story overall-- but Williams is the best thing in it, and they're wise to showcase her in all the clips. The movie comes to theaters on November 23, and since it's backed by the Weinstein Company, you can bet we'll be hearing about it constantly until the awards season is through.


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Arborio And Black Rice Risotto With Brussels Sprouts And Lemon Zest Recipe
A rich, creamy, vegetarian take on the Italian dish.
7 cup well-seasoned vegetable stock, garlic stock, or porcini mushroom stock
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups cooked black rice
2/3 cup Arborio rice
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
1/4 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 to 4 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, or a combination of parsley and dill
Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy skillet. Sear the Brussels sprouts just until beginning to brown, 3 – 5 minutes, stirring and shaking the pan. Transfer to a plate or bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Bring the stock to a simmer over low heat in a saucepan, with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure the stock is well seasoned.
Step 3: Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet or a wide, heavy saucepan. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and cook gently until it is just tender, 3 – 5 minutes. Do not brown.
Step 4: Add the rice and garlic and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine. It should bubble right away, but it shouldn't evaporate too quickly. Stir until it is no longer visible in the pan.
Step 5: Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1?2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the arborio rice, and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock and stirring when the arborio rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir constantly, but stir often and when you do, stir vigorously, because it's the stirring that coaxes the starch out of the arborio rice, and the starch is what makes risotto creamy. Add the Brussels sprouts after the first 10 minutes of stirring and cooking. When the arborio rice is no longer hard in the middle but is still chewy (al dente), usually in 20 – 25 minutes, it is done. Taste now and adjust seasoning.
Step 6: Add another ladleful of stock and the cooked black rice to the arborio rice. Stir in the Parmesan, lemon zest, juice, parsley and pepper to taste and remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy (add more stock if it isn't). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.
Advance preparation:
The cooked black rice will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. You can sear the Brussels sprouts hours before you begin the risotto.
You can begin up to several hours before serving. Proceed with the recipe and cook halfway through Step 4, that is, for about 15 minutes. The rice should still be hard in the middle when you remove it from the heat, and there should not be any liquid in the pan. Spread the risotto in an even layer in the pan and keep it away from the heat until you resume cooking. If the pan is not wide enough for you to spread the rice in a thin layer, then transfer it to a baking sheet. Fifteen minutes before serving, bring the remaining stock back to a simmer and reheat the rice. Resume cooking as directed.
See more recipes from The Simple Art of Vegetarian Cooking.
Reprinted with permissions from The Simple Art of Vegetarian Cooking (2014, Raincoast Books).


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A small group of Republican senators worked on Monday on a possible border security compromise that would make a sweeping immigration bill more acceptable to some otherwise reluctant conservatives.
The proposal is aimed at satisfying calls by Republicans for further steps to secure the US-Mexico border as part of the legislation currently being debated in the US Senate that would grant legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants already in the US.
It could include provisions for deploying high-tech surveillance equipment and other specifics, according to congressional sources and people close to the talks.
The sources said the amendment would give Congress a bigger role in overseeing border security steps to be taken by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, Bob Corker of Tennessee and John Hoeven of North Dakota were said to be working on an amendment that could be offered this week.
"There's a number of conversations that are under way," Corker told reporters. "It continues to be slightly fluid."
He said the senators are seeking a proposal that "acknowledges the Democratic sensibilities, but also causes border security to be addressed properly from" the Republican side.
The proposal might not go as far as some conservative Republicans would like in toughening up "triggers" in the bill that would make the path to citizenship for undocumented workers contingent on meeting certain goals for securing the US-Mexico border.
Rubio, one of the eight authors of the Senate immigration bill, has taken the lead in trying to court conservative support for the bill. He has repeatedly said he wants to see stronger language in it on border security. On Sunday, he told the ABC News program This Week that he thought the immigration bill was 95 percent or 96 percent ready, but needed some changes.
The amendment under discussion would spell out amounts of money that must be spent to provide security enhancements, such as unmanned aerial drones to watch for illegal border crossings.
In providing greater specificity on the instructions to DHS for securing the border, the proposal resembles one put forth by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who has said he might be open to voting for the immigration bill if some changes were made.
However, unlike Paul's proposal, the measure under consideration would not require Congress to take annual votes reviewing progress on securing the border. Under Paul's plan, green cards or permanent residence for undocumented immigrants could be in jeopardy if Congress does not certify that the border is secure.
"What I like about it is ... if they [DHS and Congress] don't meet the marks, they're the ones held accountable, not the lives of 11 million people," said an immigration advocate familiar with the proposal under consideration.
Texas Senator John Cornyn has offered a controversial amendment that would delay permanent legal status or "green cards" for undocumented immigrants if the government fails to meet goals, such as achieving full surveillance of the US-Mexico border and stopping 90 percent of illegal crossings.
Democrats view Cornyn's plan as a "poison pill" meant to kill the legislation by shattering its bipartisan support. Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona also has sharply criticized it.


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Are there any stand out kites that have just amazing relaunch?
I imagine you've all been out on a 9-12m and the wind was kinda light and not great and either couldn't relaunch or it wasn't easy or took a long time.
Any kites flown lately that were just flat amazing? A kite that was noticeably better than all others?


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FDA Spied On Emails To Try To Silence Critics
from the and-it-may-have-just-made-new-critics deptWe've discussed how the government often seems much more focused on silencing leaks of information, rather than recognizing that those leaks are often highlighting serious misconduct. The latest example involves the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who apparently started trying to find the source of a leak, but in the end started collecting thousands of emails to try to stifle all sorts of criticism of the FDA, as revealed by the NY Times over the weekend.
What began as a narrow investigation into the possible leaking of confidential agency information by five scientists quickly grew in mid-2010 into a much broader campaign to counter outside critics of the agency's medical review process, according to the cache of more than 80,000 pages of computer documents generated by the surveillance effort.The details show that the FDA installed key logger software on the computers of their own scientists, tracked the personal emails they wrote to others, and tracked documents they copied to key drives. Now, you can make a reasonable argument that since these were work laptops, the FDA has every right to track the usage, but it seems pretty clear that the FDA went really far here, and it wasn't just about stopping leaks, but about trying to stifle criticism and whistleblowing.
Moving to quell what one memorandum called the "collaboration" of the F.D.A.'s opponents, the surveillance operation identified 21 agency employees, Congressional officials, outside medical researchers and journalists thought to be working together to put out negative and "defamatory" information about the agency.
In fact, much of the evidence suggests that this absolutely was an attempt to blow the whistle on faulty review procedures by the FDA, that resulted in the approval of medical imaging devices that weren't actually safe. And, apparently, the complaints by the whistleblowers were convincing enough that there's now a Congressional investigation into "a substantial and specific danger to public safety" from this activity.
If the FDA were functioning as it was supposed to, it would have seen these complaints as a reason to investigate its own activities. Instead, in the supposed attempt to "stop leaks," the FDA used this info to try to squelch the attempt to have its own practices investigated.
Filed Under: fda, key logger, leak, whistleblower


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The Supreme Court might have made a mistake when it decided to make George W. Bush president back in 2000, retired justice Sandra Day O'Connor has admitted.
"It took the case and decided it at a time when it was still a big election issue," O'Connor told the Chicago Tribune editorial board on Friday. "Maybe the court should have said, 'We're not going to take it, goodbye.'"
Three years ago, O'Connor said she wasn't certain she made the right call by siding with the majority in the court's 5-4 decision, which effectively won the election for George W. Bush.
In the same interview, she added that she was relieved when several recounts in disputed Florida counties proved Bush won.
But on Friday, she said, "It turned out the election authorities in Florida hadn't done a real good job there and kind of messed it up. And probably the Supreme Court added to the problem at the end of the day."
The case definitely gave the court "a less-than-perfect reputation" in the eyes of the public, she said.
New Yorker reporter Jeffrey Toobin told NPR that O'Connor regrets her vote, even if she will never say so:
"To know Justice O'Connor as I am privileged to do is to know that the word 'regret' never passes her lips... Did she regret her vote in Bush v. Gore? Did she regret the Bush presidency? You bet she did, and you bet she does. The war in Iraq. The war on terror. John Ashcroft as attorney general. The Terri Schiavo case. All of these things filled Justice O'Connor with revulsion, and you can be sure that her vote in Bush v. Gore weighs on her mind."


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The XARIOS range is a direct drive refrigeration unit demonstrating unique versatility for vans and trucks. Its design enables transportation of fresh and frozen goods, in single or multi-temperature applications, in vehicles with box volumes from 8 to 45m3 and is available in road only or road and standby versions.
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Heating Capacity
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Electrical Stand by Motor
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